Sports category, Page 673
Aryna Sabalenka wins back-to-back Australian Open titles
MELBOURNE, Australia — Winning her first Grand Slam title in Australia a year ago gave Aryna Sabalenka the confidence she could do it again. Losing the U.S. Open final last September gave her the extra motivation. No. 2-ranked Sabalenka clinched back-to-back Australian Open titles with a 6-3, 6-2 win over...
Duquesne pushes past Fordham for 2nd straight Atlantic 10 victory
Duquesne is showing it can win ugly. All of a sudden, that’s fine with the all-of-a-sudden resurgent Dukes. Just ask David Dixon, their electric sophomore forward, whom coach Keith Dambrot often jokes about as “taking the bad with the good.” In Saturday’s 68-59 victory against Fordham at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse,...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: How about Jurgen Klopp as Steelers’ next offensive coordinator?
The Steelers are trying to convince a promising young offensive mind to take the job as offensive coordinator and conquer the notion that you can’t shine excrement. They might have to settle for older and recycled. Here’s the solution: Pull a reverse “Ted Lasso” and hire Jurgen Klopp. Klopp just...
Jim Harbaugh pushed for Michigan to hire Sherrone Moore after leaving to lead Chargers
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan is giving Sherrone Moore a shot, hoping he can sustain at least some of the success coach Jim Harbaugh had toward the end of his nine-season run with college football’s winningest program. “Jim talked effusively about Sherrone before the season, after the season and in...
Royals agree with versatile former Pirates utility man Adam Frazier on $4.5 million, one-year contract, AP source says
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals and utility man Adam Frazier agreed to a $4.5 million, one-year contract to provide the club with a left-handed bat and some versatility in the lineup, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Saturday. Frazier will make...
Man convicted of manslaughter in the killing of former New Orleans Saints star Will Smith
NEW ORLEANS — A man who shot former New Orleans Saints star Will Smith following a traffic crash nearly eight years ago has been convicted of manslaughter. The jury deliberated for more than four hours and reached its verdict in the retrial of Cardell Hayes just after midnight Saturday, news...
Lefty Anthony Solometo makes Top 100 debut as MLB Pipeline ranks 5 Pirates prospects
Left-handed pitcher Anthony Solometo made his Top 100 debut, as MLB Pipeline released its new Top 100 list Friday night that features five Pittsburgh Pirates prospects. Right-hander Paul Skenes, the No. 1 pick of the 2023 MLB Draft, is ranked No. 3 overall. Second baseman Termarr Johnson (No. 44), right-handed...
Following own-goal gaffe, Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin draws confidence from late-game scoreVideo
Evgeni Malkin had not enjoyed being the butt of jokes around the NHL over the last several days as a result of an embarrassing incident in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 5-2 road loss to the Arizona Coyotes on Monday. That night, with about 16 minutes left in regulation, a delayed penalty...
Minor league report: Sam Poulin scores twice as Penguins beat Phantoms
Two goals and an assist by forward Sam Poulin led the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to a 4-3 road win against the rival Lehigh Valley Phantoms at the PPL Center in Allentown on Friday. Forwards Marc Johnstone and Jesse Puljujarvi had a goal and an assist for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (23-14-5-0) which has won...
Penguins’ Kris Letang at center of physical, emotionally charged matchup with Florida
Following a second-period collision Friday night with Florida captain Aleksander Barkov, Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang played the remainder of the game with a target on his back. Or perhaps more accurately, his face. Later in the period, by which point Letang had become involved in more physical interactions with...
Penguins rally in final minute but lose to Panthers in shootout
The Florida Panthers do not instill fear in the Pittsburgh Penguins. They inspire. Mired in the middle of the melancholy mediocrity that is the Eastern Conference’s playoff race, the current edition of the Penguins can look to the 2022-23 edition of the Panthers for a blueprint on postseason success. The...
Rangers still have no agreement with ALCS MVP Adolis García after signing Robertson, Jankowski
ARLINGTON, Texas — The World Series champion Texas Rangers finalized deals Friday with veteran reliever David Robertson and outfielder Travis Jankowski but still have no agreement with AL Championship Series MVP Adolis García in advance of salary arbitration hearings. Robertson will get $10 million in 2024 and has a mutual...
Final 4 teams in NFL playoffs rely heavily on tight ends
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Few people proselytize about the importance of tight ends more than San Francisco’s George Kittle. He helped the NFL create a “holiday” to honor the position each October and launched the annual Tight End University where scores of players gather to share tips of the trade....
Deebo Samuel cleared to play for 49ers in NFC title game vs. Lions
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel was cleared to play in the the NFC championship game against the Detroit Lions on Sunday after leaving last week’s game with a shoulder injury. Samuel was a full participant in practice Friday and has no injury designation as...
Jackie Robinson statue stolen from Kansas park
WICHITA, Kan. — A prized statue of Jackie Robinson was stolen from a public park in Kansas, spurring a police search Friday and outrage across the city of Wichita. The statue honors the first player to break Major League Baseball’s color barrier, in 1947. Surveillance video was released of two...
Panthers part ways with coaches Chris Tabor and James Campen, AP source says
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers are parting ways with former interim head coach and special teams coordinator Chris Tabor, as well as offensive line coach James Campen, a person familiar with moves told the Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Friday night because...
Keith Dambrot, Duquesne forge ahead amid emotional season
During their recent five-game losing streak, a torturous stretch that saw the Duquesne Dukes drop three of their first five Atlantic 10 men’s basketball games by no more than five points, the team says it has remained locked in solidarity. Despite what others may think. “Adversity is always going to...
Michigan promotes offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore to replace Jim Harbaugh as head coachVideo
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan hired Sherrone Moore on Friday to replace coach Jim Harbaugh, giving the 37-year-old offensive coordinator an opportunity to lead college football’s winningest program. The school made the move two days after Harbaugh bolted to lead the Los Angeles Chargers with a five-year deal that gives...
Egyptian soccer officials sacrifice cow for better fortune at Africa CupVideo
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast — Egyptian soccer officials sacrificed a cow in a bid to bring the national team more luck at the Africa Cup of Nations. Team spokesman Mohamed Morad told the Associated Press on Friday the Egyptian Football Association killed the cow and distributed the meat to needy people...
After 53 years, Baltimore again serves as AFC championship game host
BALTIMORE — The last time Baltimore hosted an AFC championship game, the city was enjoying quite a sports renaissance. The Orioles had won the World Series a few months earlier. Then the Colts followed with a Super Bowl title. Even the local basketball team made an appearance in the NBA...
Ravens activating TE Mark Andrews ahead of AFC championship game
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Baltimore Ravens are activating Mark Andrews from injured reserve, and coach John Harbaugh said he expects the star tight end to play in this weekend’s AFC championship game against Kansas City. Andrews injured his ankle in a Nov. 16 win over Cincinnati. Although he was...
Flyers sign Owen Tippett to 8-year, $49.6M million extension
PHILADELPHIA — Forward Owen Tippett and the Philadelphia Flyers agreed to terms Friday on a $49.6 million, eight-year contract, according to a person with knowledge of the deal. The person spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the contract had not yet been announced. The extension carries...
Unique skill set leads to unique rookie season for Steelers 7th-round pick Spencer Anderson
A backup guard? Swing tackle? Emergency center? Eligible tight end? What, exactly, was Spencer Anderson’s role as a rookie for the Pittsburgh Steelers? The answer, of course, is “all of the above.” Like all players, Anderson would love to earn a starting spot and stick to one position. But for...
Chiefs-Ravens matchup features star quarterbacks, stingy defenses and potential Hall of Fame coachesVideo
Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs took a different route to face the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC championship game. They’re going on the road. After hosting this game five straight seasons, the No. 3 seed Chiefs had to beat Josh Allen and the Bills in Buffalo and now...
Steelers interview Texans QB coach Jerrod Johnson for offensive coordinator job
Houston Texans quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson became the second person to interview for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ vacant offensive coordinator position, the team announced Friday. Johnson, 35, spent an offseason and training camp with the Steelers as their No. 4 quarterback in 2012. He was briefly part of five other NFL...
