Sports category, Page 820
49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk, coming off big game vs. Steelers, earning respectVideo
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Defenses preparing to face the San Francisco 49ers have plenty to worry about with three playmakers who have been All-Pros in recent seasons. There’s running back Christian McCaffrey, who once topped 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season. Then there’s Deebo Samuel, who had...
Alex Rodriguez ratted out Manny Ramirez, Ryan Braun to feds in PED probe, report says
Alex Rodriguez told federal agents nine years ago that three Major League Baseball All-Stars — Manny Ramirez, Ryan Braun and an unnamed player — were performance-enhancing drug clients of Biogenesis founder Anthony Bosch, according to an ESPN report. In 2014, then-New York Yankees star had been summoned by federal agents...
Quinn Priester makes triumphant return in relief, as Pirates hold off Nationals rally for win
A right-handed pitcher who was a 2019 first-round pick got pounded for seven runs on 10 hits, including four runs on six hits in the first inning. The good news for the Pittsburgh Pirates: It wasn’t Quinn Priester. The Pirates roughed up Jackson Rutledge in his major league debut, then...
Steelers defensive line corps confident it can fill void after Cameron Heyward injury
Through a combination of retirements and free-agent departures, the Pittsburgh Steelers have turned over the vast majority of their defensive line in recent years. Now that the last man standing from the position group from as recently as 28 months ago — Cameron Heyward — won’t be playing for the...
Kenny Pickett: It was my throws, not decision-making or scheme, that led to Steelers’ bad loss
Now that he’d had 72 hours to digest the ghastly 30-7 letdown of season-opening loss, Kenny Pickett on Wednesday cleared the mental side of culpability. It was all physical that ailed the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense Sunday, Pickett said, referencing the players on offense in general and himself — and his...
Steelers notes: Team will wait to make move in wake of Diontae Johnson injury
Diontae Johnson was present and donning his practice jersey as he walked the locker room at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex after Wednesday’s practice. He definitively, though, will not be wearing his game jersey when the Pittsburgh Steelers play their next game Monday. “I’m acknowledging that he’s out this week,” coach...
Rangers RHP Scherzer to miss rest of regular season because of strained muscle in shoulderVideo
TORONTO — Texas Rangers right-hander Max Scherzer will miss the rest of the regular season, and likely wouldn’t be able to pitch in the playoffs if they make the postseason, because of a strained muscle in his shoulder. Rangers general manager Chris Young said an MRI on Wednesday revealed a...
Pirates GM Ben Cherington weighs offseason decisions on Andrew McCutchen, Oneil Cruz
As the Pittsburgh Pirates crawl toward the conclusion of their season, Ben Cherington already has an eye toward the offseason and important decisions involving two of their most prominent players. The Pirates general manager was pressed Wednesday about the team’s plans for shortstop Oneil Cruz and designated hitter Andrew McCutchen,...
Seeking fixes, Pitt offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. looks at everyone, himself included
Frank Cignetti Jr. has many issues specific to Pitt’s offense that need to be addressed before the Panthers venture into hostile West Virginia territory Saturday night, where the Mountaineers and nearly 60,000 fans are ready to pounce. At least one problem may have been of his own making during the...
Next on the Tee: Kellie Stenzel, Hannah Leiner, Lisa Vlooswyk share golf stories, tips
It’s a special Girls Night Out edition of “Next on the Tee,” as host Chris Mascaro welcomes top 100 instructor Kellie Stenzel, co-host of the new Three Courses show on GolfNation.com Hannah Leiner, and eight-time Canadian Women’s World Long Drive Champion Lisa “Longball” Vlooswyk. Stenzel had a successful junior golf...
Panthers coach Frank Reich encouraged by Bryce Young’s Week 1 outingVideo
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It’s going to take more than a season-opening loss to the Atlanta Falcons to change coach Frank Reich’s mind about Carolina Panthers rookie quarterback Bryce Young. Although Young was intercepted twice in Carolina’s 24-10 defeat on Sunday, Reich said he was encouraged by the play of the...
Former West Allegheny student Tanner Rosborough, 15, signs MLS NEXT Pro contract
Tanner Rosborough already has made a number of professional appearances. He had 28 goals during the MLS NEXT regular season and won an MLS NEXT Cup, scoring the game-winning goal in the final. Be that as it may, Rosborough is only 15 years old. It’s quite obvious, this kid is...
‘Thursday Night Football’ will use AI to help viewers better understand the action on the field
Amazon Prime Video took a different approach during the offseason as it looked to improve its coverage of “Thursday Night Football.” While most networks review the film, go to college, or seek input from teams on different ways to broadcast games, Prime Video’s production, tech, and engineering teams visited Tel...
NFLPA renews call for natural grass to help prevent injuries after Rodgers gets hurt
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The NFL Players Association wants the league to switch all its fields to natural grass, calling it “the easiest decision the NFL can make.” Executive director Lloyd Howell issued a statement Wednesday morning saying NFL players “overwhelmingly prefer it and the data is clear that grass is...
Erik Karlsson among Penguins teammates hitting the ice at unofficial skates
New Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson was among players hitting the ice for an unofficial skate with teammates this week at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry. Acquired this summer in a massive trade from the San Jose Sharks, Karlsson wore his customary No. 65. New winger Reilly Smith,...
Jets’ loss of Aaron Rodgers is reminiscent of other QB injuries for Super Bowl contenders
Longtime New York Jets fans are all too familiar with the pain that comes from having a promising season derailed as soon as it started by a quarterback injury. Twenty-four years to the day from when Vinny Testaverde’s ruptured Achilles tendon in the season opener ruined the 1999 season for...
Embattled receiver Antonio Brown hints interest in returning to Steelers
With wide receiver Diontae Johnson hobbled by a hamstring, could the Pittsburgh Steelers turn to their past for a replacement? However unlikely it may seem, embattled receiver Antonio Brown floated the idea of a potential return. Brown, who played for the Steelers from 2010-18, took to social media Tuesday to...
Mark Madden: Matt Canada deserves blame for Steelers’ struggles, but it doesn’t stop there
Fire Matt Canada. That’s the most widely held solution to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ problems. It’s not an unreasonable opinion. Canada never should have been promoted from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator. But Canada was already in the building and works cheap. (Like all Steelers assistants, at least in comparison to...
West Virginia eager for the chance to host a rebooted Backyard Brawl against Pitt
The Backyard Brawl between Pitt (1-1) and West Virginia (1-1) returned a year ago in Pittsburgh. Both teams have already lost a game this season. But enthusiasm for the next chapter of the rivalry, set to be written at Mountaineer Field on Saturday night (7:30 p.m.), hasn’t waned at all....
Penn State WR Liam Clifford, brother of record-setting QB, looks to make a name for himself
Sean Clifford introduced himself as Penn State’s starting quarterback time and time again over the last four years. His face and voice became a constant during pregame introductions on the Beaver Stadium video board. But a couple weekends ago offered a twist. Clifford was sitting in the stands ahead of...
Tim Benz: Not possible for Steelers fans to ‘seek comfort’ after Mike Tomlin’s press conference
When Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is attempting to answer a question from the media without coming off as if he is making an excuse for something that went wrong in the previous game, he loves to spin the phrase “we do not seek comfort.” That said, after his team...
First Call: Steelers won’t love quotes from 49ers after opener; wild stats trending vs. Browns
You will not feel better about the Steelers after reading what the 49ers had to say regarding their win in Pittsburgh on Sunday. There are some statistical trends that will pull you in opposite directions about this coming Monday’s game against the Cleveland Browns. And a potential option for the...
When Pirates pitcher Quinn Priester stopped thinking so much, he started having fun again
Quinn Priester had a simple solution for his struggles with the Pittsburgh Pirates, one the right-hander pitcher employed with resounding success after he was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis last month. “Stop thinking as much. Just throw that thing,” Priester said. “And I had really good results when I did that,...
Pirates farm report for Sept. 12, 2023: Henry Davis collects 2 hits, Nick Gonzales homers in Indy loss
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 63-74) gave up five runs in the eighth inning and fell 10-6 to Omaha (Royals). RF Henry Davis (.364) went 2 for 4 with two singles, a walk and a run scored. 1B Matt Gorski (.421) was 2 for 4 with his first home run in Indy and...
Former No. 1 tennis player Simona Halep gets 4-year ban in doping case
LONDON — Two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep has been suspended from professional tennis for four years for doping violations, the International Tennis Integrity Agency said Tuesday. The 31-year-old Romanian “committed intentional anti-doping rule violations ” by failing a drug test during the 2022 U.S. Open and for irregularities in...
