Sports category, Page 1996
‘The Last Dance’ director talks project on Michael Jordan’s BullsVideo
Jason Hehir was a kid in the stands in Boston Garden on April 20, 1986, the day Michael Jordan scored a playoff-record 63 points. It was a Christmas gift from his father, who stuck a note promising “Two tickets to the Air Jordan Show” in his stocking that holiday season....
Report: MLB discusses new plan to relaunch based on teams’ spring training homesVideo
After MLB swiftly downplayed its lambasted Arizona relaunch plan, it has emerged with a new idea to bring baseball back as soon as possible in 2020, in spite of the coronavirus pandemic. The league has discussed using Arizona and Florida, which host MLB’s spring training games, as dual hubs for...
With family by his side, Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi prepares for football
One minute, a recruit will send Pat Narduzzi a text message while he’s on a conference call with reporters. Then, Marty, the family dog, might bounce into the room, perhaps looking for something to eat or checking to make sure Pitt’s football coach is hard at work and not sneaking...
MLB players, including Pirates’ Cole Tucker, to play video game tourneyVideo
NEW YORK — Blake Snell, Juan Soto and Bo Bichette are among the baseball stars switching over to PlayStation with America’s pastime on hold. Thirty big leaguers — one from each team — have signed on to play a round-robin regular season on the “MLB The Show” video game with...
Dallas Cowboys sign cornerback Saivion Smith, former XFL player
FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys signed cornerback Saivion Smith on Friday, adding the former XFL player about the same time the spring league announced it was suspending operations. Smith played for Houston, which was the only undefeated team in the XFL when the league stopped playing last month after...
XFL suspends operations, lays off employees
The XFL has suspended operations and laid off its employees. XFL workers were told of the layoffs during an in-house conference call Friday. After canceling the remainder of its season last month because of the coronavirus pandemic, but promising to be back in 2021, the upstart league backed by WWE...
Slippery Rock’s Roland Rivers ready for his close-up at NFL Draft
Roland Rivers III saw no reason to ease into his pro day last month. The former Slippery Rock quarterback’s first throw in front of representatives from 21 NFL teams was a deep post — 65 to 70 yards — off a play-action. The pass connected, and it set the tone...
Mike Tomlin spends long days on phone ‘talking football’ with Steelers staffVideo
These days, Kiya Tomlin can hear her husband’s familiar, booming voice coming from out of their home office. “I don’t know what they are talking about,” the wife of Mike Tomlin said, while chuckling, by phone this week, “but all I know is just that they just talk soooooo much...
Penn State gets commitments from three prospects in a busy afternoon
Penn State received verbal commitments from three prospects within an hour’s time Friday afternoon. Four-star safety Jaylen Reed of Detroit posted on Twitter his intention to enroll Thursday night. Then, four-star safety Zakee Wheatley of Severn, Md., and four-star cornerback Kalen King of Cass Technical in Detroit committed Friday afternoon,...
Kiya Tomlin, wife of Steelers coach, converts fashion business into mask-making operationVideo
Kiya Tomlin kept her four-person staff on payroll after her Etna-based fashion retailer was ordered to close as part of the state’s social-distancing directive. The wife of Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, she was forced to abandon production of her spring collection, and decided to sell her existing inventory at...
5 Penguins among best centers of past 53 years in NHL.com listVideo
To fill space and provide content during the suspension of its season, the NHL is releasing top-16 lists on its official website. It should come as no surprise for an organization so synonymous with scoring that the Pittsburgh Penguins are well represented on the list of the game’s best centers...
Jim Nantz adjusting to not calling Final Four, MastersVideo
Jim Nantz couldn’t figure out why he was getting text messages from friends about the 1986 Masters, unaware it was the first of eight Masters being shown during a second week in April unlike any other. That was his first Masters for CBS Sports. “And there’s no doubt about it....
High school athletes struggle with PIAA’s decision to cancel winter, spring sports
Liv Kelly figured this news was coming. It didn’t make it any easier to take. On Thursday afternoon, Gov. Tom Wolf announced all Pennsylvania schools would be shut down for the rest of the academic year. A few hours later, the PIAA canceled its suspended winter sports championships and the...
Rams trade WR Brandin Cooks to TexansVideo
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Rams are trading receiver Brandin Cooks to the Houston Texans, according to a person familiar with the deal. The NFL Network reported the Rams will get a second-round pick while sending a future fourth-rounder to Houston. Cooks will help the Texans replace DeAndre Hopkins,...
Tua Tagovailoa’s agent says he’s healthy, will be ready for campVideo
Tua Tagovailoa’s agent said the quarterback is healthy and will be ready for training camp. Tagovailoa held a virtual pro day with former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer on Thursday after the former Alabama star’s personal pro day was canceled because of the coronavirus outbreak. Video of Tagovailoa’s workout will be...
Slugger Mark Reynolds says he’s retiring after 13-year runVideo
PHOENIX — Slugger Mark Reynolds is retiring after hitting 298 homers over 13 seasons with eight teams. The 36-year-old made the announcement Thursday on SiriusXM Radio. When the free agent was asked whether he still was pursuing a new team, Reynolds said he’s “moved beyond that, I’ve retired.” He added...
UFC 249 canceled after ESPN, Disney halt Dana White’s plansVideo
LOS ANGELES — UFC 249 was canceled Thursday after ESPN and parent company Disney stopped UFC president Dana White’s plan to keep fighting amid the coronavirus pandemic. After defiantly vowing for weeks to maintain a regular schedule of fights while the rest of the sports world halted, White confirmed the...
Bryan Rust content if suspension of season costs him milestone for PenguinsVideo
Despite missing the first 11 games of the season because of a hand injury, Bryan Rust blew past his career high for points Jan. 14. During the Pittsburgh Penguins’ next game three days later, he established a personal best for goals. Each occurred before the All-Star break, and Rust kept...
New Eagles DT Javon Hargrave discusses leaving Steelers: ‘It was real tough’Video
Of course, Javon Hargrave said, he wanted to stay in Pittsburgh. The Steelers were the team that brought him into the NFL with the No. 89 overall pick in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He felt he was part of a “winning” culture, and he had developed...
Coronavirus shutdown presents challenges for teams, sponsorsVideo
CHICAGO — There are no sponsored power plays at the moment. No doughnut races in the fourth quarter. No calls to the bullpen presented by phone companies. Amid the coronavirus shutdown, sports business executives are having tough conversations about lucrative advertising and marketing contracts with no games on the horizon....
Jimmie Johnson mulls future in red-flagged farewell NASCAR seasonVideo
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Jimmie Johnson, seven-time NASCAR champion and all-around Everyman, has added home-schooling elementary teacher to his resume. The sports stoppage from the coronavirus pandemic has thrown a red flag on Johnson’s farewell tour. He had planned a final season of racing a full NASCAR schedule, but so far...
Tiger Woods ready to play Masters and realizes it has to waitVideo
Tiger Woods felt strong and fit enough to compete for another green jacket. He could sense the adrenaline starting to flow, along with a strange sensation. He was grumpy. Instead of flying to Augusta National for the Masters this week, he was home in Florida, where the only competition for...
Oilers say Colby Cave remains in medically induced comaVideo
TORONTO — Edmonton Oilers forward Colby Cave remains in a medically induced coma in a Toronto hospital after suffering a brain bleed earlier in the week. The Oilers, through Cave’s family, provided an update on Cave’s status Thursday on their Twitter account. “This is giving his brain time to heal...
Pirates 22nd most valuable MLB team, according to Forbes; Yankees topVideo
NEW YORK — Forbes estimates the New York Yankees are baseball’s most valuable franchise at $5 billion, up 9% over last year and 47% more than the No. 2 Los Angeles Dodgers at $3.4 billion. The Pittsburgh Pirates dropped 1% to $1.26 billion, 22nd in MLB. The Yankees are second...
NBA, ESPN to present HORSE tournament with current, past starsVideo
The NBA, the National Basketball Players Association and ESPN will stream a HORSE tournament on ESPN’s app. The NBA HORSE Challenge will have eight participants. The quarterfinals are to be shown Sunday and the semifinals and final April 16. The quarterfinal matchups are Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks against...
