Sports category, Page 342
Pirates acquire righty reliever Chase Shugart from Red Sox
The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired right-handed relief pitcher Chase Shugart from the Red Sox on Friday. In exchange, the Pirates sent fellow righty Matt McShane to Boston. Shugart, 28, was designated for assignment by the Red Sox on Jan. 15. Last year, he made his MLB debut with Boston, appearing in...
Steelers rookie class showed collective promise, but much of it was diminished by injuries
If a grade were to be handed out for the collective rookie season of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2024 draft class, perhaps the most appropriate letter grade would be an “I.” And not necessarily for “incomplete,” though that could probably apply as well. Try “I” for “injury-affected.” The first-round pick was...
Pitt Take 5: Panthers aim to end current 3-game skid as well as 12-game streak vs. Clemson
Pitt’s current three-game slump could be seen as a harbinger of a season on the verge of running off the rails, with margin for error having decreased significantly. After all, the Panthers have not lost this many ACC games in a row since 2021-22, en route to an 11-21 overall...
Mark Madden: How the right decision on goalies led to years of Penguins’ misfortune
The Pittsburgh Penguins’ goaltending crisis started when the general manager made the right decision. No, not when current GM Kyle Dubas gave Tristan Jarry a five-year, $26.875 million contract in 2023. That was the wrong decision, as Dubas acknowledged when the Penguins waived Jarry on Wednesday. Credit Dubas for admitting...
Former Pitt Panther Tray Woodall promoted to Fordham head basketball coach — for now
Pitt basketball alum Tray Woodall is going to be a head coach at Fordham. At least for a short time. The former Pitt Panther is going to serve as the interim bench boss for the Rams over the next four games. On Wednesday, the university announced a self-imposed four-game suspension...
First Call: Update on Arthur Smith’s interviews; NFL playoff TV ratings dip; lengthy Pens road trip starts
Friday’s “First Call” provides an update on Arthur Smith’s status as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive coordinator as he travels for head coaching interviews. NFL TV ratings aren’t off to a great start in the playoffs. The Penguins are trying to salvage their sinking ship of a season with a long...
Football Footnotes: Let’s pick apart some bogus Steelers myths
There are a number of myths about the Pittsburgh Steelers. We often speak them into reality whether they are true or not. For this Friday’s “Football Footnotes,” let’s deconstruct a few of them. One in particular got my attention late this season. • The Steelers are all about running the...
Title IX memo throws wrench in plans for schools to pay NIL money directly to athletes
NASHVILLE — Plans for colleges to pay athletes directly for their name, image and likeness deals would run afoul of Title IX, the Department of Education said in guidance issued Thursday that adds more confusion to the shifting landscape in college sports. The nine-page memo from the department’s Office for...
Defending Australian Open champ Aryna Sabalenka advances
MELBOURNE, Australia — It wasn’t often pretty, but two-time defending Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka extended a few impressive streaks Friday while becoming one of the first players to advance to the fourth round of the year’s opening Grand Slam tournament. In a tougher-than-expected match, Sabalenka beat Clara Tauson, 7-6...
Texans bring DeMeco Ryans’ swarm defense into Kansas City
HOUSTON — When DeMeco Ryans became coach of the Houston Texans before last season, the two-time Pro Bowl linebacker brought his swarm defense with him. It’s an identity the Texans have embraced as they prepare for their second straight trip to the divisional round of the playoffs Saturday where they’ll...
Alex Ovechkin breaks the record for most goalies scored on, beating Leevi Merilainen to reach 179Video
OTTAWA, Ontario — Alex Ovechkin broke the NHL record for the most goaltenders scored on, beating Leevi Merilainen in overtime to give the Washington Capitals a 1-0 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night. Merilainen became the 179th goalie Ovechkin has scored against, breaking a tie with Jaromir Jagr...
Eagles’ Saquon Barkley faces Rams again after big 1st game
PHILADELPHIA — Sean McVay dissected the ways the Rams could stop Saquon Barkley — only the ninth 2,000-yard rusher in NFL history — when he considered the consequences if they did not. “If they get a bead on what you’re doing,” McVay, the Super Bowl champion Rams coach said, “they...
J.T. Poston goes 10 under for a 1-shot lead among the usual low scores at The American ExpressVideo
LA QUINTA, Calif. — J.T. Poston shot a 10-under-par 62 to take a one-stroke lead over Justin Lower in the opening round of The American Express on Thursday. Poston carded nine birdies and an eagle on the Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA West in the Palm Springs-area desert. Lower was...
Stage set for Ravens’ Lamar Jackson, Bills’ Josh Allen to square off in divisional roundVideo
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Baltimore coach John Harbaugh has enjoyed the fortune of competing on the NFL’s biggest stages to appreciate the setting and magnitude of what’s on the line for the Ravens and Bills in Buffalo on Sunday. There’s the quarterback matchup pitting arguably the NFL’s two leading MVP...
Vikings face more QB questions with Sam Darnold, J.J. McCarthyVideo
EAGAN, Minn. — The Minnesota Vikings have entered yet another offseason with significant questions around their quarterback depth chart, an unsettledness that was supposed to be calmed last year when they drafted J.J. McCarthy. Sam Darnold played so well over 16 games after McCarthy’s rookie-year-robbing injury that the Vikings were...
Gus Williams, who led Sonics to NBA championship, dies at 71
SEATTLE — Gus Williams, the point guard “Wizard” who helped lead the SuperSonics to their only NBA championship in 1979, died Wednesday nearly five years after suffering a stroke. He was 71. Nicknamed “the Wizard” for his combo of speed, athleticism and scoring, Williams spent six seasons of his NBA...
Texans visit Chiefs in divisional round, 5 years after matchup during KC’s run to Super BowlVideo
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Andy Reid remembers quite well the previous time the Texans visited Kansas City for a divisional playoff game. He was still considered among the best coaches to have never won the Super Bowl. Patrick Mahomes was still a young, record-setting quarterback full of potential. The Texans...
Lions aim to kick off run to Super Bowl vs. Commanders
DETROIT — The Detroit Lions are riding high, elevated to a status they’ve never had as Super Bowl favorites. Detroit will host the Washington Commanders on Saturday night in the divisional round as the NFC’s No. 1 seed for the first time in franchise history, an advantage it earned by...
Cowboys reportedly add familiar name to list in coaching search
The Dallas Cowboys requested permission to interview Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore in their search to replace Mike McCarthy, a person with knowledge of the team’s plans said Thursday. The Cowboys also are planning to interview two former NFL head coaches in Robert Saleh and Leslie Frazier, the person...
Transfer portal got you down? One college AD suggests an ‘acquisition fee’ could fix some problems
NASHVILLE — The athletic director at a mid-sized school that’s making a splash this season has a modest proposal for taming what many say is a transfer-portal system run amok in college sports. Sean Frazier, the AD at Northern Illinois — remember, the team that beat national finalist Notre Dame...
Ohio State freshman star and former No. 1 recruit Jeremiah Smith lands in national championship gameVideo
COLUMBUS, Ohio — When Ohio State faced Texas in the Cotton Bowl, Jeremiah Smith was expected to shine. After all, he had piled up 290 yards receiving in two postseason wins and was looking like the star to stop for the rest of the College Football Playoff field. Instead, he...
Ravens history is filled with big road victories in the playoffs. Now they need anotherVideo
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Baltimore cornerback Marlon Humphrey approaches cold weather with a defensive back’s mindset. “I’ve always wanted to play in like 3 feet of snow, to where all they can do is run the ball,” he said this week while preparing for Sunday night’s playoff game at Buffalo....
Kicker Zane Gonzalez educates about OCD after viral momentVideo
ASHBURN, Va. — A national television audience watched Zane Gonzalez adjust his socks on the sideline and fix his hair multiple times before putting his helmet on and taking the field to kick the winning field goal in an NFL playoff game Sunday night. Those watching did not see Gonzalez...
Notre Dame, Ohio State mostly built rosters old-fashioned way
Ohio State and Notre Dame have reached the same destination with rosters built much the same way. The teams set to play in the College Football Playoff championship game Monday night in Atlanta sign elite high school recruiting classes year after year. That has been and continues to be their...
LIV Golf finally gets network TV partner in deal with Fox SportsVideo
LIV Golf finally has a network TV partner as the Saudi-funded league enters its fourth season, announcing a multi-year deal with Fox Sports to broadcast all three rounds across its channels and streaming app. Terms of the deal were not announced, and it was not clear if Fox was paying...
