Sports category, Page 759
C.J. Stroud shows poise beyond his years in leading Texans
HOUSTON — Rookie C.J. Stroud impressed fans across the country with his poise and calmness in leading the Houston Texans to a win over the Cleveland Browns in his playoff debut. Though the performance was eye-opening to many, for those in Houston who know him best, it was just what...
Miami Heat retire Udonis Haslem’s No. 40 jersey
MIAMI — Udonis Haslem averaged 7.5 points and 6.6 rebounds in his career. He never made an All-Star team. Never had a triple-double. Never signed anything close to a max contract. Never even won a player of the week award. The stats might seem ordinary. Yet, to the Miami Heat,...
Jimmie Johnson, crew chief Chad Knaus join Donnie Allison in NASCAR Hall of Fame
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Jimmie Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus, who teamed up to win a record-tying seven Cup championships, were inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Friday night. The sport’s dominant duo, both first-ballot inductees, joined Donnie Allison, an original member of the “Alabama Gang,” in a...
Sam Burns leads The American Express; amateur Nick Dunlap in hunt
LA QUINTA, Calif. — Sam Burns shot the best round of his life with “RTR” shaved into the side of his head. The acronym for “Roll Tide Roll” was the LSU product’s follicular punishment for losing a bet with Justin Thomas. Alabama sophomore Nick Dunlap apparently took it literally, however:...
Lions finally giving fans, including Eminem, chance to cheer for winner
DETROIT — Eminem stood alongside Pro Football Hall of Famers Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson before the Detroit Lions hosted a playoff game for the first time in three decades, soaking up an electric atmosphere at Ford Field. “The energy in the building was amazing,” Johnson said in a phone...
Ravens tight end Mark Andrews won’t play in playoff opener against Texans
BALTIMORE — Mark Andrews’ return to the Ravens’ lineup will have to wait a little longer. Baltimore did not activate the tight end from injured reserve Friday, meaning he will be unavailable when the Ravens host the Houston Texans in Saturday’s divisional round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. Andrews,...
Ravens ready to give Dalvin Cook a shot, but there’s no telling what to expect
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Even John Harbaugh isn’t sure what to expect from Dalvin Cook this weekend. The Baltimore coach sounds ready to put him on the field and find out. “It’s new. We haven’t seen him out there,” Harbaugh told reporters Thursday. “Just like you guys haven’t seen him,...
Yankees cut Jeter Downs, likely ending his time in New York before it started
NEW YORK — Jeter Downs’ career with the New York Yankees could end before it started. Downs was designated for assignment Friday, one month after the Yankees claimed the 25-year-old shortstop off waivers from the Washington Nationals. The Yankees needed the roster spot after claiming infielder/outfielder Diego Castillo off waivers...
Florida under NCAA investigation a year after a failed NIL deal with QB signee Jaden Rashada
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida is under NCAA investigation a year after a failed name, image and likeness deal worth more than $13 million with former signee Jaden Rashada. The Gators released the NCAA’s notice of inquiry Friday to the Associated Press and the Tampa Bay Times after the newspaper’s lawyers...
Ohio State hires former Penn State coach Bill O’Brien as offensive coordinator
Ohio State hired former Houston Texans and Penn State head coach Bill O’Brien as its offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, the program confirmed in a statement Friday. “He is an excellent and experienced offensive coach who has run NFL and Power 5 programs and developed some truly elite players throughout...
Department of Justice, 3 more states, District of Columbia join lawsuit against NCAA transfer rules
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Department of Justice, three more states and the District of Columbia have joined a lawsuit against the NCAA’s transfer eligibility rule. The federal agency signed on to the action, saying in its announcement this week that the NCAA rule on transfers is “an illegal restraint on...
Atlanta Falcons complete 2nd interview with former Patriots coach Bill Belichick
ATLANTA — Bill Belichick completed his second coaching interview with the Atlanta Falcons on Friday, moving closer to joining the franchise that endured its biggest disappointment with him on the opposite sideline. The Falcons also met virtually with Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, but all eyes were on Belichick...
Capitals sign Aliaksei Protas to a 5-year extension worth $16.876 million
The Washington Capitals have signed forward Aliaksei Protas to a five-year extension worth $16.875 million, a long-term commitment to a young player the organization believes is on an upward trajectory. General manager Brian MacLellan announced the deal Friday. When the new contract kicks in next season, Protas will count $3.375...
Examining potential offensive coordinator candidates for Steelers
For only the second time since 1999, the Pittsburgh Steelers will go outside the organization to find their offensive coordinator. Coach Mike Tomlin said Thursday that he wants to bring in a newcomer as the full-time replacement for Matt Canada, who was dismissed in November midway through his third season...
Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka reaches 4th round at Australian Open
MELBOURNE, Australia — Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka and U.S. Open winner Coco Gauff swept to commanding wins at the Australian Open on Friday to reach the fourth round. Second-seeded Sabalenka beat Lesia Tsurenko, 6-0, 6-0, in 52 minutes, and No. 4-seeded Gauff lost just two games in beating fellow American...
Report: Reliever Josh Hader agrees to 5-year, $95M contract with Astros
Hard-throwing reliever Josh Hader and the Houston Astros agreed to a $95 million, five-year contract Friday, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal was subject to a successful physical. Hader will get a $19 million salary in...
Raiders hire Antonio Pierce as coach, remove ‘interim’ tag
Las Vegas Raiders players lobbied for Antonio Pierce to be the full-time head coach since he stepped in as the interim at midseason. On Friday, Pierce officially got the gig. The Raiders announced the hiring of Pierce as their new coach, crossing out the word “interim” in a post on...
Pirates add 21 prospects from 7 countries in international signing period
The Pittsburgh Pirates announced Friday they have signed 21 prospects from seven countries in the international signing period, including a pair of players ranked in the top 50. The list features nine players from Dominican Republic, five from Venezuela, three from Panama and one each from Australia, the Bahamas, Curacao...
Sports Illustrated fires all staffers
Sports Illustrated, one of the most respected sports publications in the country since its inception in 1954, fired all of its staffers Friday, according to a report in the New York Post. The Post report stated that Sports Illustrated owner the Arena Group informed staffers of their termination Friday. SI...
Steelers’ T.J. Watt will skip Pro Bowl event because of injury
Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt will not participate in the NFL’s Pro Bowl games because of a knee injury that prevented him from playing in last week’s playoff game. The Cleveland Browns gave word of Watt’s absence via the announcement that two of their players — linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah...
Mark Madden: Unless the Penguins really heat up, Kyle Dubas must trade Jake Guentzel
The NHL trade deadline is March 8. The Pittsburgh Penguins must do a lot better between now and then to justify not trading winger Jake Guentzel, who is a free agent at season’s end. For me, the minimum level would be top two in the Metropolitan Division, a reborn power...
Penguins visit Vegas with goal of sweeping defending Stanley Cup champs
Considering that they’ve won as many games as they’ve lost midway through the season, it’s safe to say the campaign has been something of a mixed bag so far for the Pittsburgh Penguins. On one hand, they’re 21-15-6 (48 points) and are on the outside of the NHL playoff picture...
Football Footnotes: Beyond the QBs, analyzing 5 other points Mike Tomlin made about improving the Steelers
This week’s “Football Footnotes” provides an in-depth look at many topics Mike Tomlin addressed regarding the 2023 Pittsburgh Steelers during his season-ending press conference. Except for the quarterbacks. We talked about them already. But there are plenty of other marshmallows in this bowl of Lucky Charms. The big picture Tomlin...
Tim Benz: Mason Rudolph should charge Steelers a ‘trust tax’ if they try to sign him
During the course of quarterback Mason Rudolph’s unlikely three-game win streak to help push the 2023 Pittsburgh Steelers into the playoffs, coach Mike Tomlin often seemed guarded in his praise of the former third-stringer. It was almost as if Tomlin didn’t want to feed the hype surrounding his resurgence. Or,...
Dwight Clay earned ’15 minutes of fame for 50 years’ with streak-busting basket to beat UCLA
The story of how Dwight Clay ended up making the long journey — geographically and culturally — from Pittsburgh’s Hill District to Notre Dame’s South Bend campus where he impacted college basketball like no one before him starts with Mary Clay, his mom. “Everyone knew Mary Clay,” Dwight Clay said....
