Sports category, Page 569
Irish interest in NFL heats up, league scouts more international cities
LONDON — Several hundred thousand Irish viewers got a tutorial from Charlie Smyth on the difference between lining up a kick in Gaelic football versus a field goal in American football. Smyth, who just had signed a contract with the New Orleans Saints, humbly told “The Late Late Show’s” national...
Louisville native Justin Thomas has work to do at PGA Championship, but 2-under 69 is good baselineVideo
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Justin Thomas wished his score reflected how he felt he played. The Louisville native certainly didn’t complain after he birdied four of his final six holes for a 2-under-par 69 on Thursday in the PGA Championship. He was just hoping for a better start in his hometown...
Simone Biles better prepared for Olympic pressure
SPRING, Texas — Simone Biles is not “cured.” A cure implies finality. An ultimate and decisive victory. If the gymnastics superstar has learned anything in the three years since those strange, uncertain days in Tokyo when she put her mental health and personal safety ahead of her pursuit of more...
NFL distances itself from Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker’s comments
NEW YORK — The NFL is distancing itself from Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker, saying “his views are not those of the NFL as an organization.” Butker appeared as the commencement speaker last week at Benedictine College, a private Catholic liberal arts school in Kansas, and said most of...
Lionel Messi’s $20.4M compensation with Miami exceeds all but 3 other MLS teams
NEW YORK — Lionel Messi’s annualized pay from his Major League Soccer contract with Inter Miami is just over $20.4 million in his first full season, exceeding the payrolls of all but three other teams in the league. Messi joined Inter Miami last summer and has a base salary of...
Rory McIlroy loves life inside the ropes, shoots 66 on first day at PGAVideo
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Rory McIlroy blasted a drive down the middle, this one onto the left side of the fifth fairway. As he headed off the tee box and toward the ball, a girl in the crowd shouted “I love you, Rory!” Still adored and still playing great, there was...
Preakness is up next for Brian Hernandez after winning the Derby with a perfect trip on Mystik DanVideo
BALTIMORE — Brian Hernandez Jr. spent the leadup to the Kentucky Derby watching replays of winning rides by fellow jockeys to see what it would take to get the job done with Mystik Dan, particularly those of Hall of Famer Calvin Borel. The 2010 Derby Borel won with Super Saver...
Marcus Ericsson crashes in practice, no regrets headed into Indy 500Video
INDIANAPOLIS — Marcus Ericsson returned to the Indianapolis 500 with zero regrets but ended Thursday with a violent collision late in the first full day of practice. Ericsson hit a curb with about two hours remaining in the session, causing his car to spin and hit the wall three times....
A pair of late 3-putts sent Tiger Woods to a sluggish 1-over start at the PGA ChampionshipVideo
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Tiger Woods figures it took him three holes to get back into the “competitive flow” of tournament golf on Thursday at Valhalla. It might take more than familiar vibes for Woods to stick around for the weekend at the PGA Championship. Like birdies. Maybe a bunch of...
Why so many prime-time games? NFL executives believe Jets ‘owe us one.’Video
NEW YORK — A year ago, after Aaron Rodgers was acquired in a trade with the Packers, the Jets received six national television games. But Rodgers tore his Achilles four plays into his Gang Green debut against the Buffalo Bills and missed the rest of the 2023 season. Now, the...
Penguins goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic, United States shut out FranceVideo
A look at how players with connections to the Pittsburgh Penguins have done in the ongoing International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championship tournament: Penguins goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic stopped all 10 shots he faced and led the United States to a 5-0 shutout of France in a preliminary round game...
Pirates trade pitcher Roansy Contreras to Angels days after designating him for assignment
Five days after designating him for assignment, the Pittsburgh Pirates traded right-handed pitcher Roansy Contreras to the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday. The Pirates received cash considerations from the Angels for Contreras. Contreras was a key return piece in the 2021 trade that sent Jameson Taillon to the New York...
NFL exec: Steelers not playing AFC North game until Week 11 ‘wasn’t intentional’
NFL exec Mike North likens the 2024 slate of Pittsburgh Steelers games to an NCAA basketball schedule. Minus the creampuffs and cupcakes in the early stages, of course. The Steelers don’t face an AFC North opponent until Week 11, then play six divisional games among their final eight of the...
Next on the Tee with former Pirates outfielder Adam Hyzdu, 5-time Tour winner Jim Gallagher Jr.
On this episode of Next on the Tee, host Chris Mascaro is joined by former Pirates and Red Sox outfielder Adam Hyzdu, and Jim Gallagher Jr., a five-time winner on Tour who is now a broadcaster. Hyzdu’s journey in baseball began as a prospect in high school, where he left...
Pittsburgh Riverhounds, developers plan $30M sports complex in North Huntingdon
The Pittsburgh Riverhounds soccer club is working with two North Huntingdon business partners in planning a $30 million sports complex on township-owned property off Route 30, they announced Thursday. Five outdoor fields and a multi-purpose indoor facility will be built over the next six years at the 42-acre parcel. The...
NFL’s late Sunday afternoon doubleheader window continues to get the most scrutiny and viewers
When the NFL schedule gets released, fans and commentators obsess over how many prime-time appearances teams will make. However, the biggest competition and most attention when it comes to formulating the schedule each year is the late afternoon window for Fox and CBS. The 4:25 p.m. Sunday spot is the...
Penguins A to Z: Jansen Harkins earned trust. Is that enough to earn a new contract?Video
With the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 2023-24 season coming to an end without any postseason action, TribLive will offer Penguins A to Z, a player-by-player look at all 51 individuals signed to an NHL contract — including those whose deals do not begin until next season — with the organization, from fourth-line...
U mad, bro?: Steelers fans push back at WR concerns; Pirates fans fume; Penguins fans not thrilled with Mike Sullivan
I’ve had a bit of a modified work week. I’ve been doing a lot of radio. I’ve been researching a project for TribLive. I took a day off to see one of my favorite bands, Dirty Honey, at the Roxian on Tuesday. I’m going to a wedding in Cleveland on...
First Call: All-Steelers schedule edition: Thoughts, concerns on odd quirks, choppy flow, brutal 2nd half
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ schedule is hard, odd, scattered, heavy on primetime games, and light on AFC North contests until almost Thanksgiving. So we’re dedicating all of Thursday’s “First Call” to a full breakdown of the quirks, trends, hot spots and pitfalls that the Steelers could face in 2024. Vengeance is...
Sinkerballer Ryder Ryan making most of up-and-down nature of role in Pirates bullpen
After eight years in the minor leagues, Ryder Ryan has accepted the up-and-down nature of his role with the Pittsburgh Pirates. And that’s not just about being ready when called upon in the bullpen. After making the Opening Day roster, the 29-year-old right-handed reliever has twice been optioned to and...
Caitlin Clark’s WNBA debut helps ESPN set viewership record for league game on network
NEW YORK — ESPN’s broadcast of the Connecticut Sun’s game against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever had the highest viewership for a WNBA game on the network. The Sun’s 92-71 win over the Fever in Clark’s WNBA debut on the league’s opening night on Tuesday drew an average of...
Pirates farm report for May 15, 2024: Jack Brannigan hits 6th homer for Greensboro
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 17-19) and Toledo (Tigers) were rained out. The game will be made up as a part of a doubleheader Sunday. Next: Thursday vs. Toledo (Tigers), doubleheader, 11:05 a.m. ALTOONA (Double-A, 8-27) gave up three runs in the sixth to drop a 4-3 decision to Akron (Guardians). RHP Po-Yu...
Rory McIlroy dealing with another distraction on eve of PGA ChampionshipVideo
Rory McIlroy has all the momentum he could want heading into the PGA Championship as he tries to end a drought in the majors that has lasted a decade. He also has a major distraction. McIlroy is coming off two straight victories, one of them with Irish pal Shane Lowry...
Defending champion Koepka looks to deliver more PGA punishment on ‘big boy’ course at ValhallaVideo
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Brooks Koepka called them “punishment workouts,” the heavy menu of sprints and weightlifting that sap the color from his face, put him on the verge of throwing up, and leave him dreaming of ways to avoid that kind of torture in the future. Those came not long...
Report: Steelers’ Cameron Heyward plans to skip OTAs barring contract extension
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive captain Cam Heyward, whose salary cap hit for 2024 is second-highest on the team as he enters the final year of his contract, plans to hold out of organized team activities unless he receives an extension, ESPN reported Wednesday. Heyward is coming off a season in which...
