Sports category, Page 1422
Baylor remains unanimous No. 1 in AP Top 25; USC hits No. 5
Reigning national champion Baylor isn’t showing any sign of loosening its grip on No. 1. The Bears remained the unanimous No. 1 in The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll for the fourth time in five weeks. That came after Baylor (15-0) beat Oklahoma and TCU last week to push...
Unfiltered: Tim Benz and Mark Madden discuss Steelers getting into the playoffsVideo
What a stunning turn of events. The Jacksonville Jaguars upset the Indianapolis Colts Sunday afternoon, helping the Steelers fall in line for a playoffs spot. And then in the last game of the weekend, the Las Vegas Raiders beat the Los Angles Chargers in overtime to cinch a playoff spot...
Raiders vs. Chargers: Raiders were this close to settling for a tie and bumping Steelers from playoffs
Just how close were the Las Vegas Raiders to settling for a tie against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday night, which would have kept the Steelers out of the postseason? Really close, according to their coach, Rich Bisaccia. But a timeout by Chargers coach Brandon Staley with 38 seconds...
Vikings fire GM Rick Spielman, coach Mike Zimmer
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Vikings fired general manager Rick Spielman and coach Mike Zimmer on Monday, after a second straight absence from the playoffs for a 61-year-old franchise still seeking a title. The move came a day after the 45th anniversary of Minnesota’s last Super Bowl appearance, after owners Zygi...
Bears opt to make sweeping changes, fire GM Ryan Pace, coach Matt Nagy
CHICAGO — The Chicago Bears fired general manager Ryan Pace and coach Matt Nagy on Monday, hoping new leadership in the front office and on the sideline will lift a struggling franchise. Nagy’s fate seemed sealed as the Bears struggled through a 6-11 season that ended with a loss at...
Dolphins fire coach Brian Flores after 3 seasons
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Back-to-back winning seasons were not enough for Brian Flores to keep his job as coach of the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins fired Flores on Monday, a somewhat surprising move that came less than 24 hours after the team finished a 9-8 season. Flores went 24-25 in...
Mark Madden: Ben Roethlisberger willed the Steelers into the playoffs
Ben Roethlisberger did it. I’m not sure how. But he did it. I’ve written this column many times. Barring an even bigger miracle next weekend at Kansas City, this will be the last. (Don’t forget Sunday’s real heroes: 3-14 Jacksonville upset Indianapolis, and Las Vegas kicked instead of kneeling.) But...
Wild-card weekend features Steelers vs. Chiefs on Sunday night
The wild-card slots are filled and the NFL playoffs are set to kick off Saturday with an AFC doubleheader, followed by three games on Sunday and for the first time a Monday night playoff game. The Las Vegas Raiders (10-7), fresh off their OT victory to get into the playoffs,...
Chargers, Raiders react to the big decision that avoided a tie, and got the Steelers in the playoffs
If the Pittsburgh Steelers have any leftover Christmas cards laying around the team offices, it may be nice to send a few to Las Vegas. Specifically, address a couple to the likes of Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson, quarterback Derek Carr and running back Josh Jacobs. Those guys were instrumental in...
Daniel Carlson’s FG as OT expires sends Raiders into postseason
LAS VEGAS — It seemed only fitting the Las Vegas Raiders needed every second of an overtime game to earn their first playoff berth since 2016, a microcosm of their roller coaster season. And as they’ve done five other times this season, the Raiders won on the final play of...
Steelers vs. Ravens: What they’re saying in Baltimore after loss
Before losing six games in a row, the Baltimore Ravens sat atop the AFC standings with a record of 8-3. Now, they’re headed home without a playoff berth and evaluating draft picks after a season largely derailed by injuries. Here’s what some writers are saying after Sunday’s 16-13 home loss...
First Call: Chiefs health update before Steelers game; Jaguars coach congratulates Mike Tomlin; Raven’s respect for Big Ben
Monday’s “First Call” gives us health updates on the Kansas City Chiefs as the Steelers prepare for a postseason trip to Arrowhead Stadium. The Jaguars coach has a shoutout for Mike Tomlin after his team’s surprising playoff assist on Sunday. A Ravens veteran has much respect for Ben Roethlisberger. A...
Freeport grad Harley Holloway adapting well to college game with Wooster women’s basketball
In a way, Harley Holloway felt like a freshman again. The Freeport graduate got only a small sampling of what college basketball would be like last season, her first at Wooster. Because covid-19 lopped off a significant portion of the schedule, the Fighting Scots played only eight games — losing...
Madden Monday: ‘Raiders did themselves a grave disservice’ by kicking the Steelers into the playoffs
It’s obvious the Pittsburgh Steelers got an enormous amount of help to qualify for the playoffs Sunday. From the Jacksonville Jaguars’ massive upset of the Indianapolis Colts to the Chargers and Raiders avoiding a tie on “Sunday Night Football” to the Baltimore Ravens gifting the Steelers three turnovers. But as...
Judge says Novak Djokovic can stay in Australia but saga not over
Novak Djokovic returned to the tennis court Monday for training, having won a legal battle to stay in Australia to play in the Australian Open after his exemption from strict coronavirus vaccine rules was questioned. But the government is still threatening to cancel his visa and deport him. The unvaccinated...
Minor league report: Penguins lose 7th straightVideo
Goaltender Alex D’Orio made 22 saves on 25 shots for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 3-2 road loss to the rival Hershey Bears at the Giant Center in Hershey on Sunday. Forwards Mitch Reinke and Radim Zahorna each scored goals for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (9-14-1-3) which has lost seven consecutive games. Highlights:...
Mike Bianchi: Get used to SEC dominance; it’s only going to get stronger
This column is a public-service announcement to all of you college football fans who are sick and tired of seeing the Southeastern Conference dominate your sport. It’s for all of you who think watching Alabama and Georgia playing for the national championship on Monday night in a rematch of the...
AP sources: Yanks’ Balkovec to be first female MiLB managerVideo
NEW YORK — The New York Yankees are promoting Rachel Balkovec to manager of the Low A Tampa Tarpons, making her the first woman to skipper a team affiliated with MLB, according to two people familiar with the move. The people spoke to the Associated Press on Sunday night on...
Cameron Smith sets PGA Tour record and outlasts Jon Rahm at KapaluaVideo
KAPALUA, Hawaii — No one ever finished a PGA Tour more shots under par than Cameron Smith, and he needed every one of them to outlast Jon Rahm and win the Sentry Tournament of Champions. In the best scoring conditions Kapalua has seen in the 24 times it has hosted...
Steelers notes: Chase Claypool ends regular season on high note
BALTIMORE – Since his best game of the season Oct. 10 against the Denver Broncos, Chase Claypool hadn’t scored for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Since his regrettable premature first-down celebration Dec. 9 in Minnesota, he barely made much of an impact. In Sunday’s must-win regular-season finale, though, Claypool was an offensive...
Ben Roethlisberger had inkling his Steelers career wouldn’t end in Baltimore
BALTIMORE — Ben Roethlisberger had a feeling his NFL career wouldn’t end Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium. And it didn’t. The night before Roethlisberger led the Steelers to a 16-13 overtime victory against the Baltimore Ravens that put them in the AFC playoffs, he told his father that it didn’t...
Steelers ‘hungrier than ever’ after securing postseason trip to Kansas City
BALTIMORE — Cameron Heyward paused and darted his eyes up to the ceiling in contemplation. The Pittsburgh Steelers defensive captain couldn’t recall with precision the date of their most recent game against the Kansas City Chiefs. “Was that three weeks ago or two weeks ago,” Heyward asked Sunday evening, “when...
Tim Benz: ‘Feats of Strength’ and ‘Airing of Grievances’ as Steelers barely keep playoff hopes alive in Baltimore
In a most unlikely turn of events, the Pittsburgh Steelers offense was able to turn around a dreadful day to rally late and win the 2021 season finale in Baltimore, 16-13 in overtime. In an even less likely development, the Jacksonville Jaguars (3-14) stunned the Indianapolis Colts (9-8), 26-11. That...
Denver Broncos fire coach Vic Fangio after 3 losing seasonsVideo
DENVER — The Denver Broncos are looking for a new head coach to lead them out of a six-year playoff drought and a half decade of losing seasons that marks the most protracted plunge by a Super Bowl champion in NFL history. The Broncos fired Vic Fangio after he went...
Baker Mayfield’s season ends on sideline, surgery awaits Browns QBVideo
CLEVELAND — At least Baker Mayfield’s exit meeting went well. Just about everything else this season for the Browns quarterback was off the mark. And while the season is over, his time in Cleveland isn’t as defined. Mayfield watched Sunday’s home finale wearing a stocking cap on the sideline as...
