Sports category, Page 1403
Nathaniel Hackett brings Broncos pizzazz, maybe Aaron Rodgers?
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — George Paton sees Nathaniel Hackett as the booster shot the Denver Broncos desperately needed. Through nearly 20 hours of interviews in Green Bay and Denver and on Zoom, Paton said it became clear Hackett “was the right leader for the Denver Broncos and really the perfect choice...
Penguins fall to Red Wings despite stout effort from goaltender Casey DeSmith
Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan went to bat for his backup goaltender. And Casey DeSmith validated his coach’s support, even in defeat. On Friday, DeSmith made 30 saves on 32 shots in regulation and overtime of a 3-2 home shootout loss to the Detroit Red Wings at PPG Paints Arena....
Auburn AD says Bruce Pearl is Tigers coach ‘for life’
AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn coach Bruce Pearl agreed to a contract extension to remain on the Plains. Athletic director Allen Greene announced in a video on social media along with Pearl on Friday night that “we locked him up,” beneath the words “for life.” The 61-year-old Pearl led the top-ranked...
Zalatoris, Day charge past Rahm to share lead at FarmersVideo
SAN DIEGO — Will Zalatoris and Jason Day charged past Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas on Friday at Torrey Pines to share the third-round lead at the Farmers Insurance Open. Zalatoris posted the day’s best round with a 7-under-par 65, and two-time Farmers champion Day shot a 67. They were...
Coronation: Rangers retire Henrik Lundqvist’s No. 30 in ceremony
The King has taken his throne in the rafters at Madison Square Garden. Henrik Lundqvist became the 11th player to have his number retired by the New York Rangers when a banner with his name and No. 30 was raised at the Garden before the team’s game against the Minnesota...
Giants hire Bills O coordinator Brian Daboll as head coach
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New York Giants hired Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll as their head coach Friday. Daboll, 46, replaces Joe Judge, who was fired two days after the Giants finished a 4-13 season, their fifth straight double-digit losing season. Daboll spent the previous four seasons as...
Snowstorm postpones Pitt game at Boston College
Pitt’s men’s basketball game scheduled for Boston College’s Silvio O. Conte Forum on Saturday has been postponed due to the snowstorm expected to hit the New England area this weekend. The game will tentatively be played at 4 p.m. Sunday at the same venue. This is the second time this...
Penguins to start goaltender Casey DeSmith against Red Wings
The Penguins are expected to start backup goaltender Casey DeSmith in Friday’s home game against the Detroit Red Wings. DeSmith has largely struggled this season. In nine games, he has a 3-3-1 record, a 3.58 goals against average and an .886 save percentage. He has been pulled from his two...
Steelers owner finds mobility a ‘desirable’ trait in team’s next quarterback
Art Rooney II is ready to oversee the first seismic shift in quarterbacks for the Pittsburgh Steelers since two-time Super Bowl winner Ben Roethlisberger was drafted in 2004. He realizes the task facing him and the organization is daunting. “You have to take advantage of whatever opportunity you have to...
McIlroy, Hatton surge as Harding leads by 2 shots in DubaiVideo
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Chip-ins from Rory McIlroy and Tyrrell Hatton fueled their surge into contention at the Dubai Desert Classic on Friday. The player they will try to catch over the weekend is Justin Harding, whose own spectacular shot in the second round came from much farther out....
Keith Dambrot stands by rebuild of Duquesne roster while noting it was ‘risky business’
The clock read 3:30 Thursday morning when Keith Dambrot finally dragged himself and Duquesne’s four-game losing streak into bed. This, after a 72-61 loss at St. Joseph’s and a six-hour bus ride home (routine for most Atlantic 10 teams traveling from Philadelphia). Dambrot’s fifth season as the steward of Duquesne’s...
Art Rooney II announces Kevin Colbert’s departure as Steelers GM following NFL Draft
Kevin Colbert will be stepping down as general manager of the Pittsburgh Steelers once his contract expires in May, and the organization already has started interviewing candidates to replace him. Team president Art Rooney II confirmed Colbert’s upcoming departure as general manager during a video call with reporters Friday. Colbert,...
Nadal, Medvedev to meet in history-making Australian final
MELBOURNE, Australia — Rafael Nadal is within one victory of a men’s record 21st Grand Slam singles title. He’ll have to beat second-seedeed Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open final on Sunday to make history. And Medvedev is chasing a piece of history of his own after beating Stefanos Tsitispas...
Young, hungry Bengals off to Kansas City to face grizzled Chiefs
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs have been in this position before. Walking across the cold Arrowhead Stadium parking lot, dressing in their revamped locker room, strolling through the narrow tunnel and spilling onto the field for the AFC title game. In fact, the Chiefs have done it...
Star-studded LA Rams host surging 49ers in NFC title game
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Aaron Donald has been around long enough to know he might not get this chance again. The same goes for everybody in the Los Angeles Rams’ constellation of stars around him. Late in his eighth NFL season as the best defensive lineman of his generation, Donald’s career...
WWE star Becky Lynch balances motherhood, beatdowns nearing Royal Rumble
Becky Lynch may have met her match for her toughest foe yet. Bianca Belair and Liv Morgan? Nah, defeated and dumped down the depth chart. Ric Flair? Not quite, largely because it’s a one-sided, old man yelling-at-the-clouds rivalry on the Nature Boy’s part. OK, Ronda Rousey? Hey, if the former...
Former Penn State kicker Robbie Gould shining in ‘Goulden’ years with 49ers
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — When the San Francisco 49ers placed the franchise tag on Robbie Gould three years ago, the kicker had a decision to make. He could re-sign or hang up his cleats after a long, successful career and head back home to the Chicago area to be with...
Mike Sullivan said (almost) everything that needed to be said after Penguins’ loss to Seattle
After the Penguins’ 2-1 overtime loss to the Seattle Kraken Thursday night, head coach Mike Sullivan said everything that needed to be said about the third-period sequence that led to the game-tying goal. Well, almost everything. There were roughly four minutes left when Evgeni Malkin tried a drop pass to...
First Call: Antonio Brown on Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement; Steelers work out DB with familiar bloodlines
Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement announcement dovetailed with an ironic anniversary in Steelers history. Antonio Brown reaches out to Big Ben on the day his career officially comes to an end. The Steelers work out a defensive back with an interesting background. And the Duquesne Dukes look to get themselves right on...
Tim Benz: Art Rooney II’s Steelers have been stuck in the middle in recent years. The team’s decision on a new QB can’t be
With Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger officially announcing his retirement Thursday, attention can focus even more squarely on who his replacement will be. The voices of general manager Kevin Colbert and head coach Mike Tomlin will weigh most heavily on the discussions. Perhaps those of Colbert’s potential replacements (Brandon Hunt and...
Pitt Take 5: ACC looks to regain respect in national rankings
If you were paying attention this season, you’ve heard about how far the ACC has fallen. ACC coaches disagree, of course, but the league has had trouble gaining respect across the nation. Only No. 9/7 Duke is mentioned in the Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches Top 25 polls. The Blue...
Mike Macdonald returning to Ravens as defensive coordinator
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Baltimore Ravens hired Mike Macdonald as their defensive coordinator, bringing him back from the college ranks after a season at Michigan. The Ravens announced the move Thursday night. The 34-year-old Macdonald was Michigan’s defensive coordinator last season, when the Wolverines won the Big Ten and...
Report: Penguins forward Drew O’Connor recovering from collapsed lung
According to a report from Daily Faceoff, Penguins forward Drew O’Connor is dealing with a collapsed lung he suffered during the team’s recent road trip, primarily on the West Coast. The team has simply identified the ailment as an “upper-body injury.” When asked to confirm the report following his team’s...
Penguins fall to Kraken in overtime, winning streak snapped
The Pittsburgh Penguins played some of their best defensive hockey Thursday. They barely permitted the opposition to control the puck, and on the rare occasions that happened, the quality of shots goaltender Tristan Jarry faced was low. It was a defensive display this group has been lacking for the better...
Robert Morris stomps Milwaukee, avenges defeat
In the days of the Northeast Conference, not too very long ago, it would have been a rare occasion for NBA scouts to attend a Robert Morris basketball game. In the higher-profile Horizon League, the Colonials’ home since 2020, it also isn’t an every-day occurrence. But, while both conferences have...
