Sports category, Page 497
Tom Brady takes awkward first steps in transition from football field to TV booth
Fox Sports is spending $375 million to put Tom Brady in the broadcast booth, and the network wants to make sure everyone knows he’s there. The seven-time Super Bowl champion made his debut as an NFL analyst during the Fox broadcast of the regular-season opener between the Dallas Cowboys and...
Heather Lyke out as athletic director at Pitt
Passed over for the Northwestern athletic director’s job last month, Heather Lyke now finds herself out as AD at Pitt. Pitt chancellor Joan Gabel released a statement Monday morning, ending Lyke’s 7 1/2-year tenure as head of the athletic department. “Today, I informed University of Pittsburgh director of athletics, Heather...
Mark Madden: Steelers’ conservative offense, missed opportunities look awfully familiar
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense under new coordinator Arthur Smith is a work in progress. Sunday’s season opener at Atlanta didn’t yield much progress. The Steelers averaged 17.88 points per game last season. They scored 18 points at Atlanta. Six field goals. They failed to score a touchdown. Quarterback Justin Fields...
Steelers vs. Falcons: What they’re saying in Atlanta after loss
The Pittsburgh Steelers secured an upset 18-10 victory in Atlanta on Sunday over the Falcons, surprising the league thanks to clutch performances from kicker Chris Boswell and All-Pro linebacker T.J. Watt. Most prognosticators picked the Falcons to prevail at home thanks to a revitalized roster and the addition of quarterback...
First Call: T.J. Watt says officials admitted error on flag; Diontae Johnson’s 1st game with Carolina; bad Week 1 for AFC North
Monday’s “First Call” has some background on a blown call against T.J. Watt that could’ve cost the Pittsburgh Steelers their win in Week 1. Donte Jackson got the better of Diontae Johnson in their first games with their new teams after they were traded for one another in March. As...
‘One to remember’: Billy Cook makes crazy catch, 2-run double for Pirates in MLB debut
When Billy Cook wasn’t making phone calls to share his big news during his drive from Toledo to Pittsburgh, he listened to music in hopes that it would calm his nerves in the hours before his major league debut. “As I got closer, I could feel it in my stomach...
Madden Monday: ‘If Russell Wilson is 100% next week, or close to it, I go with him’
Justin Fields should be applauded for his winning effort on short notice as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting quarterback in Atlanta on Sunday. But should he really be promoted to the starter next week in Denver? I don’t think so. And in this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast, Mark Madden of 105.9...
Steelers bring back punter Corliss Waitman after Cameron Johnston season-ending injury
The Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday signed one of their former punters, Corliss Waitman, to replace the injured Cameron Johnston. The strong-legged Waitman punted for the Steelers in two games late during the 2021 regular season. He served as the Denver Broncos’ regular punter throughout the 2022 season but was cut...
Caleb Williams looks like rookie QB in his debut, but a winning one at least
CHICAGO — Making his NFL debut with the Chicago Bears, Caleb Williams looked like a rookie quarterback. Except he won. Williams passed for just 93 yards Sunday, and Chicago’s offense struggled against Tennessee. But Williams had no turnovers, and the Bears used their defense and special teams to rally for...
Pirates farm report for Sept. 8, 2024: Joshua Palacios’ grand slam sparks Indianapolis victory
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 69-66) edged Toledo (Tigers), 9-7. LF Joshua Palacios (.257) smacked a grand slam and was 3 for 3 with two doubles, five RBIs and three runs scored. 3B Andres Alvarez (.268) was 2 for 4 with four RBIs, including a three-run homer. SS Nick Yorke (.333) was 2...
Wrestling community mourns death of legendary coach Pat Pecora
The day Larry Hohman was headed to college when he was 18, his dad died. He walked into the office of Pitt-Johnstown wrestling coach Pat Pecora for guidance. Pecora instructed him to go home for a week to be with family, and he would take care of things. “On that...
A season of high expectations begins with a thud for the Atlanta Falcons
ATLANTA — A season of high expectations began with a thud for the Atlanta Falcons. Kirk Cousins struggled in his debut, hardly looking like a $180 million quarterback. Mercedes-Benz Stadium was sold out but sounded more like Pittsburgh South at times. And even with the Steelers forced to go with...
Dak Prescott leads Cowboys to romp over Browns
CLEVELAND — Dak Prescott threw a touchdown pass hours after agreeing to a four-year, $240 million contract with Dallas, and the Cowboys’ defense roughed up Deshaun Watson in his return, throttling the Cleveland Browns, 33-17, in their opener Sunday. Prescott’s deal makes him the first player to average $60 million...
Feats of Strength/Airing of Grievances: T.J. Watt, Chris Boswell, Justin Fields drive Steelers’ victory
The Pittsburgh Steelers have had Georgia on their minds since the NFL schedule was released in May. Then everybody’s minds got scrambled late last week. That’s when we found out Russell Wilson’s bothersome calf flared up, and Justin Fields may start in Atlanta to open the 2024 campaign. That’s what...
Steelers notebook: Pat Freiermuth gets action in Week 1
ATLANTA — Two days after rewarding Pat Freiermuth with a five-year, $49.88 million contract, the Pittsburgh Steelers showed the fourth-year tight end will be a pivotal part of their offense. Freiermuth had four catches for 27 yards Sunday in the Steelers’ 18-10 victory against the Atlanta Falcons in the season...
Joey Logano wins NASCAR playoff opener at Atlanta to advance to 2nd roundVideo
HAMPTON, Ga. — One of the first things Joey Logano said after winning NASCAR’s playoff opener was that the postseason is his time of the year. And, in 10 initial playoff appearances, he typically slid his way through the rounds, winning two Cup titles and never finishing lower than eighth...
NFL Week 1: Jason Sanders makes 52-yard field goal as time expires and Dolphins rally past JaguarsVideo
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — For the Miami Dolphins, the day started with chaos and ended with celebration. Jason Sanders nailed a 52-yard field goal as time expired, and the Dolphins — on probably one of the more bizarre days in their history, one where two players were placed in handcuffs...
Jannik Sinner beats Taylor Fritz in U.S. Open men’s final weeks after doping exonerationVideo
NEW YORK — Jannik Sinner started slowly at the U.S. Open, dropping the first set he played after being exonerated in a doping case no one knew about until shortly before play began at Flushing Meadows. If that episode initially hung over him during the tournament, Sinner was able to...
Patriots win Jerod Mayo’s debut as coach, beating mistake-prone Bengals 16-10Video
CINCINNATI — Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for 120 yards and a first-quarter touchdown, Joey Slye kicked three field goals and the New England Patriots won Jerod Mayo’s debut as coach, beating the mistake-prone Cincinnati Bengals, 16-10, on Sunday. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who got the starting nod for the Patriots over first-round...
Jannik Sinner beats Taylor Fritz in the U.S. Open men’s final weeks after doping exonerationVideo
NEW YORK — Jannik Sinner beat Taylor Fritz 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 with a relentless baseline game to win the U.S. Open men’s championship on Sunday, less than three weeks after being exonerated in a doping case. The No. 1-ranked Sinner, a 23-year-old from Italy, won the second Grand Slam trophy...
Sanctuary Boxing Club earns medals at women’s championships as gym builds momentum
The Sanctuary Boxing Club in New Kensington continued its impressive run, earning national recognition at the USA Boxing women’s championships Aug. 17-20 in Lafayette, La. Makya Wade, 10, and Kabrynna Wiley, 8, won gold, and Katie Kerecz, 12, secured a silver and won the mitt competition with coach Rich Cantolina....
Chris Boswell kicks Steelers to opening win vs. Falcons
ATLANTA — No Super Bowl-winning veteran quarterback under center. No legitimate No. 2 wide receiver on the field. No problem for the Pittsburgh Steelers offense. The game plan was simple in the season opener at Mercedes-Benz Stadium with Justin Fields subbing for an injured Russell Wilson against the Atlanta Falcons....
Jared Jones strikes out 9, Pirates get trio of solo home runs to beat Nationals for series split
Jared Jones got off to an inauspicious start when CJ Abrams hit his third pitch of the game out of the park, only for the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander to turn in one of the best performances of his rookie season. Jones got frustrated after giving up two runs in the...
Texas on top! Longhorns take over at No. 1 in AP Top 25 for first time in 16 years, jumping Georgia
Texas is No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 college football poll for the first time in 16 years, replacing Georgia on Sunday after the Bulldogs struggled to remain unbeaten. The Longhorns moved up a spot from No. 2 and received 35 first-place votes and 1,540 points. The Bulldogs,...
Pirates place Henry Davis on 10-day IL, select contract of OF/1B Billy Cook from Indianapolis
The Pittsburgh Pirates placed catcher Henry Davis on the 10-day injured list Sunday with inflammation in his left hand and selected the contract of outfielder/first baseman Billy Cook from Triple-A Indianapolis. Pirates manager Derek Shelton said Davis has been dealing with the hand injury since the series at the Chicago...
