Sports category, Page 697
Column: Scottie Scheffler has been so good that it makes his putting look badVideo
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Scottie Scheffler figures the best way to block out the noise — and there is endless chatter about his putting — is to channel his focus onto other matters. Sports is always a good diversion. That hasn’t been working out very well of late, either....
Andrew McCutchen singles in return, Liover Peguero homers as Pirates beat Blue Jays
Andrew McCutchen made his Grapefruit League debut for the Pittsburgh Pirates, playing in a game for the first time since a season-ending partial tear of his left Achilles last September. And he didn’t miss a beat. The 37-year-old designated hitter produced a soft single to center field in his first...
Astros ace Justin Verlander to start season on injured list
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander will open the season on the injured list after dealing with right shoulder inflammation during the offseason, which could jeopardize his conditional $35 million option for 2025. Astros manager Joe Espada said Tuesday the 41-year-old Verlander hasn’t suffered any setbacks...
Ravens put franchise tag on DT Justin Madubuike after career-high 13 sacks
The Baltimore Ravens put the franchise tag on Justin Madubuike on Tuesday after the defensive tackle finished his rookie contract with a breakout season in 2023. The franchise tag for defensive tackles comes with a one-year cost of just over $22 million, although Madubuike and the Ravens can continue negotiating...
Dartmouth men’s basketball team votes to unionize, though steps remain
HANOVER, N.H. — The Dartmouth men’s basketball team voted to unionize Tuesday in an unprecedented step toward forming the first labor union for college athletes and another blow to the NCAA’s deteriorating amateur business model. In an election supervised by the National Labor Relations Board in the school’s human resources...
AP mock NFL draft: Bears keep the No. 1 pick, take USC star QB Caleb WilliamsVideo
The Chicago Bears passed up C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young last year because they had Justin Fields. Now, they’ve got a shot at Caleb Williams. They can’t miss another chance at a franchise quarterback. The Bears traded away the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft to the Carolina...
Caitlin Clark’s record-setting game draws top women’s basketball regular-season TV rating since 1999
Caitlin Clark’s record-setting game for Iowa against Ohio State on Sunday attracted more than 4 million television viewers at its peak and was the most-watched women’s regular-season basketball game since 1999, Fox Sports announced Tuesday. Clark scored 35 points and passed Pete Maravich as the NCAA Division I overall career...
Pirates tell top pitching prospect Paul Skenes he won’t make the Opening Day roster
The Pittsburgh Pirates told right-hander Paul Skenes, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 MLB Draft and baseball’s top pitching prospect, that he won’t make the Opening Day roster. Pirates general manager Ben Cherington informed Skenes on Tuesday morning that he will start the season in the minor leagues...
Penguins lose forward Matthew Phillips to Capitals through waivers
The Pittsburgh Penguins lost rookie forward Matthew Phillips through waivers Tuesday after he was reclaimed by his previous team, the Washington Capitals. Phillips was claimed by the Penguins via waivers from the Capitals on Feb. 16. Appearing in three games with the Penguins, Phillips had no points while averaging 11:20...
Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry scheduled to start against Blue Jackets
The Pittsburgh Penguins are scheduled to start goaltender Tristan Jarry against the Columbus Blue Jackets at PPG Paints Arena on Tuesday. Coach Mike Sullivan announced Jarry’s status following a morning skate. In 41 games this season, Jarry has a 17-19-4 record, a 2.60 goals against average, a .910 save percentage...
West Virginia rewards football coach Neal Brown with 1-year contract extension through 2027
West Virginia and coach Neal Brown agreed to terms on a one-year contract extension aimed to keep him at the school through 2027. WVU athletic director Wren Baker announced the extension Tuesday morning. WVU gave Brown the extension after the Mountaineers finished 9-4 last season, including a 6-3 record in...
Westmoreland County campus clippings: Ligonier Valley grad sets javelin record
It looks like Miles Higgins is glad to get outside again. The sophomore from UNC-Wilmington opened the outdoor track and field season with a bang by winning the javelin title at the UNCW Seahawk Invitational. Higgins, a Ligonier Valley graduate, set a school record with a toss of 64.97 meters....
Eagles center Jason Kelce retires after 13 NFL seasons and 1 Super Bowl ring
PHILADELPHIA — Jason Kelce needed only seconds to burst into tears. Kelce’s eyes flooded each time he relayed a story about backyard football games with his brother, the love he felt from his parents and the devotion of his coaches — even a band teacher — that shaped him along...
Tim Benz: Throwing a red flag on the Steelers’ front office being ‘red flagged’
During Colin Cowherd’s Monday podcast on “The Volume” platform, former NFL scout John Middlekauff panned the Pittsburgh Steelers’ front office. “A lot of people in the NFL kind of have them red flagged operationally, I would say,” Middlekauff said. “Not necessarily (Mike) Tomlin, just the new GM (Omar Khan), just...
Report: Destinations emerge as potential landing spots if Penguins trade Jake Guentzel
It sure sounds like Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas is starting to think as many of us have already been feeling for a while. As we discussed Monday at “Breakfast With Benz,” the Penguins’ 1-3 road trip through the Pacific Northwest ended so badly in Calgary and Edmonton, that...
First Call: Dueling reports on Steelers’ QB plans; Antonio Brown mocks Kenny Pickett; another Jaromir Jagr return
Tuesday’s “First Call” features some split reporting on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback situation. Antonio Brown can’t help but take a social media swat at Kenny Pickett. Jaromir Jagr is already heading back to Pittsburgh again. A recent former Penguin posted a hat trick. It’s an important night on the local...
Pitching prospect Jared Jones showing Pirates his stuff is as good as advertised
Jared Jones got a text message from Henry Davis asking him to come to Florida to work out, so the 22-year-old right-hander spent the offseason working with another player who has something to prove this spring. Jones and Davis were battery mates at High-A Greensboro and Double-A Altoona, where they...
Decisions made by Caleb Williams, Marvin Harrison Jr. could impact future NFL combinesVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — The NFL scouting combine’s evolution from hidden gem into the league’s second-most anticipated offseason event has come with all sorts of twists. The question is whether this year’s new ones could affect future combines. All-American receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. skipped media interviews, while Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Caleb Williams...
Seton Hill baseball knocks off nation’s No. 1 team
Christian Zilli (Hempfield) pitched a scoreless 11th inning to earn his third save of the season, and Noah Sweeney (Greensburg Salem) drove in Aidan Shephard (Norwin) for the winning run on a double play grounder as Seton Hill handed No. 1 Tampa its first loss of the season, 6-5, on...
Chiefs use franchise tag on CB L’Jarius Sneed as work on Chris Jones deal continues
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs placed the franchise tag on L’Jarius Sneed on Monday, though it is uncertain whether that means one of the top cornerbacks due to hit free agency will remain with the Super Bowl champions next season. The Chiefs entered the offseason with Sneed...
Austin Eckroat wins Cognizant Classic for 1st PGA Tour victory
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Austin Eckroat waited a long time to become a winner on the PGA Tour. Another day didn’t hurt. Eckroat got the first victory of his tour career Monday, topping Erik van Rooyen and Min Woo Lee by three shots to win the weather-delayed Cognizant Classic....
Former Browns WR Braylon Edwards saves life in YMCA assault
DETROIT — Former NFL player Braylon Edwards stepped in and saved the life of an 80-year-old man who was being attacked in the locker room at a suburban Detroit YMCA, police said Monday. “If it wasn’t for that intervention, we could very easily be talking about someone’s death,” said Jeff...
Devils fire coach Lindy Ruff, name Travis Green interim replacement
The New Jersey Devils fired coach Lindy Ruff on Monday and named assistant Travis Green as the interim replacement for the rest of the season. General manager Tom Fitzgerald made the surprising move with just over 20 games left to play. The Devils have lost five of seven to fall...
Denver Broncos inform QB Russell Wilson they’ll release him when new league year beginsVideo
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Denver Broncos told Russell Wilson on Monday that they’re going to release him next week, just 18 months after signing the Super Bowl-winning quarterback to a five-year, $242 million contract extension. The Broncos still owe Wilson his $39 million salary for 2024 minus whatever he’d sign...
On 1st day of spring drills, Pitt QB Nate Yarnell says ‘there’s no room for complacency anymore’
After the first day of Pitt’s spring practice, no one knows if offensive coordinator Kade Bell’s system will work any better than Frank Cignetti’s did. Sure, players and coaches have ideas and high hopes, but this fast-paced, no-huddle offense is on the other side of anything Pat Narduzzi has implemented...
