Sports category, Page 669
Pebble Beach has an elite field, no celebrities but the same old ‘Crosby’ weatherVideo
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Even with a smaller field and a bigger purse, one element about Pebble Beach doesn’t change. Just check in with Tony Finau. He was on the seventh hole, among the most famous par 3s in golf that measures 106 yards down the hill toward the waves...
Blue Jackets rookie C Adam Fantilli expected to miss 8 weeks after being cut with skateVideo
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Columbus Blue Jackets rookie center Adam Fantilli is expected to miss eight weeks after being cut on the left calf with a skate blade in Sunday’s game at Seattle. The injury to the 19-year-old Fantilli, announced by the team on Wednesday, is the latest blow for the...
Early money heavily on Kansas City Chiefs to repeat as Super Bowl champions
LAS VEGAS — Minutes after beating Baltimore 17-10 on Sunday to clinch a spot in the Super Bowl, Travis Kelce had a message to send. “The Chiefs are still the Chiefs,” Kelce said. Bettors agree. The early money is heavily on Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City to repeat as Super...
After transferring from Alabama, quarterback Eli Holstein seeks ‘new, fresh start’ at Pitt
Eli Holstein was the scout quarterback last season at Alabama, a freshman thrown into practice situations with the intent of emulating that week’s opponent. Sometimes, he got hit with friendly fire from what he called “the best defense in the country.” “I got popped a couple times by some big...
Repeating in NFL used to be more common, but Chiefs aim to be first back-to-back champs in 19 years
Repeat championships in the NFL used to be more common. Over the first 39 Super Bowls, it happened eight times. But no team has done it since Tom Brady and the New England Patriots won two in a row following the 2003-04 seasons. Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs...
Pirates sign 7-time All-Star reliever Aroldis Chapman, DFA OF Canaan Smith-Njigba
Aroldis Chapman was willing to put the past behind him to sign with the Pittsburgh Pirates, even if it means that the seven-time All-Star reliever won’t be serving as their closer. Chapman signed a one-year contract worth $10.5 million with the Pirates on Wednesday that made the free agent their...
Formula One rejects Michael Andretti’s bid to join series, will reconsider when GM has engine built
Formula One rejected Andretti Global’s application to join the global racing series in 2025 or 2026 but said Wednesday it is willing to revisit the issue in 2028 when General Motors has an engine ready for competition. F1, in its decision, said it did not believe Andretti would be a...
Seahawks to hire Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald as new coach
RENTON, Wash. — It was a defensive-centric head coach that brought the Seattle Seahawks their only Super Bowl title. The Seahawks are hoping a newer — albeit much younger — version can return them to the elite of the NFL. The Seahawks are hiring Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald...
David Dixon makes something happen whenever he is in the game for Duquesne
A go-to hockey trope when discussing a young, playmaking, high-risk defenseman is: “When that guy is on the ice, a puck is going in one of the nets. We just don’t know which one.” You may have heard Kris Letang described that way once or twice early in his career....
Former Penguins forward Matt Cooke finds his way in Newfoundland
Matt Cooke wears a lot of hats these days. He’s something of a navigator, a nutritionist and even dabbles in human resources. Such is life as a coach in the ECHL. “As the head coach, I’m doing travel, I’m doing meals, I’m doing trades and lineup and roster and all...
Mark Madden: Hiring Arthur Smith hardly makes Steelers better but is a sensible choice with Kenny Pickett at QB
Arthur Smith is the new offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers. That’s an indictment of Kenny Pickett and potential opportunity for Ryan Tannehill. Smith relies on the run and plays it safe with quarterbacks. He wasn’t hired to develop Pickett. Smith will minimize Pickett and try to mask his deficiencies. That...
First Call: Ex-Steelers O-lineman lukewarm on Arthur Smith hire; decisions are made by Steelers’ others candidates
Not everyone is thrilled with the hire of Arthur Smith as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive coordinator. We get word on what happened with the other Steelers candidates. An NFL coordinator target with local ties is starting to get some interest. And the Duquesne Dukes are welcoming one of college basketball’s...
Tim Benz: Steelers’ reported hiring of Arthur Smith is as logical as it is uninspired
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ reported decision to hire Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator makes total sense. That’s not entirely a compliment, mind you. But it does make total sense. Credit the Steelers for being extremely pragmatic. Somehow, in one hire, the organization has managed to be thoroughly logical in its thought...
49ers-Chiefs showdown offers rare Super Bowl rematch
The San Francisco 49ers finally climbed back up the playoff mountain to return to the Super Bowl only to find a familiar foe waiting for them. When the Niners get a second shot at a Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs, it will be a rare title game rematch...
Former Pirates pitcher Charlie Morton, back with Braves, seeks to enjoy rest of his journey
In the first weeks of this offseason, Charlie Morton did not talk with Atlanta Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos about his future. Morton had no idea whether the Braves would exercise their club option on him. Morton and his wife, Cindy, did not even really talk about it...
Orioles strike deal to sell team to Baltimore native David Rubenstein for $1.725B
BALTIMORE — The Angelos family has reached an agreement to sell the Orioles to private equity billionaire David Rubenstein, two sources with direct knowledge of the deal told The Baltimore Sun. Rubenstein is set to take over as the team’s control person as part of the deal, which values the...
Duquesne prepares for rare late-January nonconference game vs. Chicago StateVideo
It’s not often college basketball teams encounter a nonconference opponent this late in the season. Duquesne, however, will see one Wednesday night at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. “It was a tough deal for us to get enough games on the schedule,” Duquesne coach Keith Dambrot was saying before the start of...
NIL opportunities leave smaller pool of late-round NFL draft prospectsVideo
MOBILE, Ala. — Most of the focus leading up to the NFL draft will be on the potential franchise quarterbacks and other first-round talent, but some NFL teams might find slimmer pickings when it comes to the later rounds. Now, players with less lofty draft stock still can return and...
4 NHL players charged with sexual assault in a 2018 case in Canada, their lawyers sayVideo
NHL players Carter Hart of the Philadelphia Flyers, Michael McLeod and Cal Foote of the New Jersey Devils and Dillon Dube of the Calgary Flames have been charged with sexual assault in connection with an alleged assault by several members of Canada’s 2018 world junior team. Attorneys representing Hart, McLeod,...
Column: Pebble Beach trades heritage for $20 million elite statusVideo
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — The sure sign of a glorious day at Pebble Beach is when even the players stop to take pictures. Justin Thomas couldn’t resist on the 18th tee, a view that illustrated why Robert Louis Stevenson called it the “most felicitous meeting of land and sea.” The...
Pitt looks to duplicate its road success when Panthers come home to meet Wake Forest
Pitt reaches the halfway point of its ACC season Wednesday night looking to prove a point. Those two road victories at Duke and Georgia Tech raised hopes that another run toward the NCAA Tournament was possible, if extremely difficult considering the circumstances. Then, they fell behind Miami by 19 points...
Chiefs back in Super Bowl because of simplified offensive approach
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — There was a moment back on Christmas Day, long before the Kansas City Chiefs could even start thinking about playing in the Super Bowl again, when Patrick Mahomes broke the huddle in a game against the Las Vegas Raiders. His team was in total disarray. Players...
NFL playoffs, conference championship games draw highest viewership average on record
LOS ANGELES — The television audiences for the NFL playoffs and last Sunday’s conference championship games are the highest on record going back to 1988. According to the league and Nielsen, the first three weekends of the postseason averaged 38.5 million viewers on television and digital platforms, a 9% increase...
Lions OC Ben Johnson staying put after interviewing with Commanders, Seahawks
DETROIT — Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has decided to stay with the team and turn down potential opportunities to be an NFL head coach next season, leading the Washington Commanders and Seattle Seahawks to turn to other candidates. Two people familiar with the situation told the Associated Press...
Robert Morris’ 1st game in return to NEC set for Sept. 21 at Wagner
With immediate NCAA FCS Playoff eligibility, Robert Morris football will play its first Northeast Conference game since announcing its return to the league when it visits Wagner on Sept. 21. The NEC released its 2024 schedule Tuesday, with seven teams playing each other in six games: three at home, three...
