Sports category, Page 306
Jake Knapp shoots 15th sub-60 round in PGA Tour history
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Jake Knapp knew he was on the verge of something special early Thursday, with a run of five straight birdies to open his round at the Cognizant Classic. In the end, he joined one of golf’s most elite clubs. Knapp — the 99th-ranked player in...
Florida Gator battles Florida gator, Billy Horschel prevails at PGA National
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — A Gator took on a gator. Billy Horschel won. Let’s explain: Horschel played his college golf for the Florida Gators, so he knows plenty about the wildlife that gets seen on courses in the Sunshine State — including, yes, alligators. And when a gator made...
NASCAR stars enjoy immersive Mexico City visit ahead of first international Cup Series raceVideo
MEXICO CITY — Daniel Suarez led a quartet of NASCAR stars through the streets of Mexico City, after midnight, in search of a nightcap after a full day of showcasing his native country to his fellow competitors. NASCAR will hold its first points-paying international Cup Series race in modern history...
Long champions of social justice, Black athletes say their voices are needed now more than everVideo
For WNBA veteran Natasha Cloud, speaking up about social justice is just as important as winning basketball games. Cloud has had a successful nine-year pro career that includes a WNBA championship and being the career-assists leader for her former Washington Mystics. She also has used her platform for social justice...
Heisman Trophy winner and 2-way star Travis Hunter says he won’t work out at the NFL combineVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter insists he’s a different kind of player. He’s just waiting until March to put on his dazzling show for NFL scouts. The two-way star said Thursday he does not intend to work out with the defensive backs Friday or the receivers Saturday at...
Penguins recall Emil Bemstrom from AHL, activate Boko Imama from IR
The Pittsburgh Penguins made several roster transactions Thursday night ahead of their game against the Philadelphia Flyers at PPG Paints Arena. Forward Emil Bemstrom was recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League. Bemstrom’s gear was spotted at the Penguins’ Cranberry practice facility Thursday morning, and coach Mike Sullivan had...
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce plans to play next season rather than retire
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce plans to play next season rather than retire. The 35-year-old Kelce had been mulling whether to return for a 13th season. But the four-time All-Pro made his feelings clear in a text to Pat McAfee that the host read...
Pitt TE Gavin Bartholomew looking to use NFL Combine as hair-raising chance to impress scouts
INDIANAPOLIS — Gavin Bartholomew doesn’t have the best stats among tight ends at the NFL Combine. He doesn’t have the top pedigree, either, among the 21 prospects at his position invited to attend the annual event. But the four-year starter from Pitt excels in one easy-to-detect area. Bartholomew arguably has...
Top prospect Bubba Chandler shows signs of maturity on mound as Pirates pound Twins
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Bubba Chandler wanted to make quick work of the Minnesota Twins, so the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander wasn’t happy when his called third strike on the inside corner against Willi Castro was overturned by a challenge in spring training’s experimental automated ball-strike system. “I never had a...
North Allegheny leads WPIAL Class 3A swimming after Day 1; Mt. Lebanon’s Sylvia Roy sets record in 4-peat
The North Allegheny girls, winners of 16 straight WPIAL swimming titles, and the two-time defending champion NA boys are the leading the pack in the Class 3A championships after the first day of competition at Pitt’s Trees Pool. The girls have 250 points, while the boys are at 233.5 points....
Matt Gorski hopes home runs, playing 1st base help to make a lasting impression on Pirates
BRADENTON, Fla. — All of Matt Gorski’s hits in spring training games had been home runs, so Derek Shelton was surprised when the Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder had to settle for a sacrifice fly. When a 400-foot shot fell short of clearing the center-field fence, the Pirates manager made the case...
Penguins forward Michael Bunting sidelined following appendix removal
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Michael Bunting will be sidelined indefinitely after undergoing surgery to remove his appendix. Coach Mike Sullivan announced Bunting’s status Thursday morning in advance of a home contest against the rival Philadelphia Flyers. No further details were provided on Bunting’s status. In 58 games this season, Bunting has...
Mark Madden: Remembering Gene Hackman — Norman Dale vs. Jimmy McGinty
The death of heralded actor Gene Hackman begs the question: Who was the superior coach, Norman Dale in “Hoosiers” or Jimmy McGinty in “The Replacements”? Neither had much with which to work. Dale’s talent was thin beyond Jimmy Chitwood, who provided Hickory High School with a deadly scoring touch and...
Penn State star DE Abdul Carter dealing with foot injury that may impact his ranking as No. 1 overall pick
INDIANAPOLIS — Penn State star defensive end Abdul Carter already wasn’t planning to work out at the NFL Combine because of a shoulder injury he suffered in the College Football Playoffs. A foot injury revealed Wednesday night apparently won’t derail his plans to attend his school’s pro day. Nor, according...
Tim Benz: Playing the WR ‘butterfly effect’ game with Omar Khan isn’t getting the answers Steelers fans want
If we are going to play the “butterfly effect” game with the 2024 Pittsburgh Steelers, let’s at least talk about the right butterfly. While addressing Steelers media members Tuesday, general manager Omar Khan was asked how he evaluated the midseason trades for Mike Williams and Preston Smith and if he...
First Call: 49ers pledge Deebo Samuel trade; Max Talbot talks up ‘Shhh!’ legacy ahead of Penguins’ bobblehead nightVideo
“First Call” for Thursday looks at increased prospects of a Deebo Samuel trade. We introduce you to another running back to remember on NFL Draft weekend for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Max Talbot expands the legend of the “Shhh!” The Duquesne basketball teams pull off a mid-week sweep. And Robert Morris’...
U mad, bro?: Fans gripe over NFL player grades for Mike Tomlin; Omar Khan’s quotes; Penguins losing
In this week’s “U mad, bro,” we’ve got some people rolling their eyes at Omar Khan’s quotes about the Steelers roster. We have lots of people fed up with the Penguins. And there are a surprising amount of people agitated about the Eagles’ Tush Push. Ah! Enjoy spring training, Pirates....
Indiana pulls away late to beat Penn State
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Oumar Ballo had 20 points, 12 rebounds and five assists, Myles Rice scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half and Indiana beat Penn State, 83-78, on Wednesday night. Trey Galloway made a 3-pointer on back-to-back possessions and Anthony Leal capped the 8-0 run with...
IndyCar starts season with big stars, big hopes, new TV partnerVideo
Fox Sports marked its new oversight of the IndyCar Series with glossy new commercials that have been showcased everywhere from the Super Bowl to the Daytona 500. The network partnership begins in earnest this weekend with the season-opening race on the streets of downtown St. Petersburg, Fla. There is hope...
Minor league report: Penguins’ losing streak reaches 3
Goaltender Tristan Jarry made 31 saves on 35 shots for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 5-2 loss to the Rochester Americans at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, N.Y. on Wednesday. The result dropped Jarry’s record to 6-5-0. Forwards Boris Katchouk and Rutger McGroarty each scored goals for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (28-14-6-1), which...
49ers GM John Lynch says team has started contract talks with QB Brock PurdyVideo
San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch said the team has begun negotiations with quarterback Brock Purdy about a long-term contract and believes both sides want to get a deal done. Purdy’s contract extension is one of the main items on the offseason to-do list for San Francisco. He is...
Duquesne men never trail, defeat La Salle in Philly
Duquesne reverted to a familiar playing style from last season’s Atlantic 10 championship team and won a men’s basketball game Wednesday night for just the second time on the road this season. That’s right, it wasn’t pretty. Taking a page from former coach Keith Dambrot’s guide to winning ugly, Tre...
Saints GM, coach indicate they plan to stick with QB Derek CarrVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis sees 11-year veteran quarterback Derek Carr as “a guy we can win with, and we’re excited about it.” Loomis made those comments Wednesday to a small group of New Orleans-based reporters who traveled to Indianapolis for the NFL scouting combine. Carr...
NFL reviewing possible changes to overtime rules; 1st downs to be measured electronicallyVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — The NFL is considering changing overtime rules in the regular season to decrease the advantage for teams that win the coin toss. “It’s time to rethink the overtime rule,” league executive Troy Vincent said Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine. Vincent said the competition committee agrees overtime rules...
Steelers looking to improve run defense, and former Michigan DT Kenneth Grant thinks he can help
INDIANAPOLIS — Bigger is better as far as Kenneth Grant is concerned. One of the largest specimens at the NFL Combine, the junior defensive tackle from Michigan stands 6-foot-3 and tips the scales at 342 pounds. He has the size to fit squarely in the middle of an NFL team’s...
