Sports category, Page 2320
Raiders look to change story on defense after 2018 strugglesVideo
ALAMEDA, Calif. — The story line around the Oakland Raiders last season was a consistent and frustrating one. After trading away star pass-rusher Khalil Mack following a contract holdout, the Raiders never were able to fill that void on defense and were the worst in the league when it came...
Pirates minor league report: June 4, 2019
Pirates INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 32-23) lost 7-6 to Louisville (Reds). The Indians fell behind 5-0 after two innings and trailed 7-2 after five before scoring four runs in the seventh, falling a run short of the tie. SS Jung-Ho Kang (.476) went 4 for 5 with two doubles and three RBIs....
Sons of former MLB players highlight Day 2 of draft
NEW YORK — Grant McCray will get a chance to leave his mark on professional baseball, but he’ll have a tough time making one as dramatic as his famous father. The Florida high school outfielder, drafted in the third round by San Francisco on Tuesday, is the son of former...
MLB’s Rob Manfred doesn’t expect protective nets to change in season
SEATTLE — MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said he does not expect teams to make changes to the protective netting around ballparks during the season, although he expects conversations to continue about whether netting should be extended. Manfred’s comments Tuesday came less than a week after a young child was struck...
NHL announcer, Pirates superfan Doc Emrick not slowing down
BOSTON — The Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues’ morning skates are over, and Mike Emrick stops to take a picture with some folks who ask for one. A handful of broadcasters have taken the ice to re-enact a play from this bruising Stanley Cup Final. In the otherwise-empty stands...
UNC football coach Mack Brown has knee replaced by former player
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — North Carolina said football coach Mack Brown had his right knee replaced by one of his former players. Team spokesman Jeremy Sharpe said Tuesday that the 67-year-old coach underwent the surgery Monday that was performed by Dr. Michael Bolognesi, who played defensive back for Brown from...
West Virginia’s All-Big 12 safety Robinson etners NCAA transfer portal
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — All-Big 12 safety Kenny Robinson is looking to transfer from West Virginia less than three months before the start of the season. West Virginia football spokesman Mike Montoro confirmed Tuesday that Robinson has put his name into the NCAA’s transfer database. Robinson started 20 games in two...
Tim Benz: NFL preseason long overdue for change. Some Steelers agree.
I’ve long been an advocate of ditching the NFL’s preseason. Or at least cutting it back to two games. The risk associated with core roster players participating is massive, even if their reps are limited. By extension, their snaps are usually so few that the reward of playing a couple...
Pirates notebook: Reaching into Power 5 conferences on draft’s second day
The Pittsburgh Pirates selected eight college players Tuesday in Rounds 3-10 during the second day of the MLB Draft. Six came from Power 5 conferences. Clint Hurdle was too busy with game preparations to comment on those picks, but he spent part of his day watching video of the first...
Predicting college football’s HOF Class of 2020
A glance at the list of candidates eligible for selection to the College Football Hall of Fame is likely to produce the following reaction: How is that guy not in yet? Heisman Trophy winners Rashaan Salaam, Carson Palmer and Eric Crouch are still waiting. The late Jerome Brown, an anchor...
Amid NBA Finals and lawsuit, Kawhi Leonard remains unfazedVideo
OAKLAND, Calif. — Toronto star Kawhi Leonard has more than a few things on his mind these days. He’ll be a free agent in a few weeks and will decide where he wants to play next season. He apparently is headed to federal court to solve a disagreement with Nike....
Phillies outfielder Andrew McCutchen out for season with torn ACLVideo
SAN DIEGO — Andrew McCutchen tore his ACL in a rundown and will miss the rest of the season, causing the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies to again reshuffle their outfield. McCutchen hurt his left knee during Monday night’s game against San Diego and an MRI revealed the injury. “It’s not...
Le’Veon Bell talks trash, hits the practice field for Jets
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Le’Veon Bell couldn’t control himself. Well, mostly his mouth. The New York Jets running back was back on a practice field for the first time in 17 months and was downright giddy. And he let his new teammates on defense know all about it. “It...
Sunnehanna pro Jason Martin breezes to title at Tri-State PGA Open
Sunnehanna Country Club head professional Jason Martin was 1-over par through his first eight holes of the final round of the Tri-State PGA Open on Tuesday. But the first-round co-leader wasn’t getting pushed by amateur Jake Sollon, who was at 4-over par, or any other golfer in the field. Then,...
Tacitus favored in Belmont; Preakness winner 2nd choice
NEW YORK — Tacitus was made the slight favorite over Preakness winner War of Will in a Belmont Stakes that wraps up a wacky Triple Crown. Tacitus and War of Will got the outside No. 10 and 9 post positions, respectively, on Tuesday in the draw at Citi Field, but...
With Zdeno Chara hurt, Bruins could need help in Stanley Cup Game 5Video
BEDFORD, Mass. — The Boston Bruins reached the Stanley Cup Final despite a run of regular-season injuries that prevented anyone on the roster from playing all 82 games. Now comes the real test. The Bruins are preparing for Game 5 against the St. Louis Blues without captain and No. 1...
Pirates’ Josh Bell hopes to come back stronger after starting streak ends
True to his nature, Josh Bell took the news calmly and without much comment. Perhaps that’s because he didn’t know what to say or how to react to sitting and watching a baseball game. When you start every one of your team’s first 58 games for more than two months...
Just like old times, Roger Federer vs. Rafael Nadal in French OpenVideo
PARIS — Roger Federer knew when he returned to the French Open that, if things went exceedingly well, he eventually would find himself face-to-face with Rafael Nadal. Here we go. Just like old times. Federer put away Stan Wawrinka after a 75-minute rain delay Tuesday, converting a break point for...
Big Ten taps Vikings’ Kevin Warren as new commissioner
ROSEMONT, Ill. — The Big Ten hired Minnesota Vikings executive Kevin Warren as its new commissioner Tuesday, bringing on a former college basketball player and sports agent with a law degree from Notre Dame to replace Jim Delany and become the first black commissioner of a Power Five conference. The...
Giants safety Jabrill Peppers ready for homecoming
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Giants safety Jabrill Peppers has enjoyed beginning minicamp with his new team. “It’s been tremendous,” said Peppers, who was traded to the Giants as part of the Odell Beckham, Jr. deal in March. “I definitely feel fortunate. It’s definitely exciting to be here. I spent some...
On defense, Penguins now paying price for prior pursuit of championships
Last weekend, the Pittsburgh Penguins relinquished the NHL rights to 2017 second-round pick Zachary Lauzon, who has battled post-concussion problems. Last year at this time, they gave up the rights to 2016 third-round pick Connor Hall, who has suffered recurring shoulder problems. While the Penguins can’t be blamed for the...
Stephon Tuitt gets back on field for Steelers at OTAs
The three starters on the Pittsburgh Steelers defensive line haven’t occupied the same practice space since organized team activities began three weeks ago. Defensive end Stephon Tuitt, however, took a step toward rejoining Cameron Heyward and nose tackle Javon Hargrave at offseason workouts. On the eighth day of OTAs, Tuitt...
Warriors’ Kevin Durant out for Game 3 of NBA Finals
OAKLAND, Calif. — Kevin Durant still isn’t ready to return for the Golden State Warriors as he works back from a strained right calf suffered during the Western Conference semifinals. Durant didn’t practice with the Warriors on Tuesday leading into Game 3 of the NBA Finals, and he has yet...
Anti-Brown chant breaks out where Steelers’ JuJu Smith-Schuster attends prom
Even JuJu Smith-Schuster’s seemingly innocuous visits to a local high school prom turn into controversy these days. Smith-Schuster, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 22-year-old star receiver, attended the Chartiers Valley High School prom last weekend. But a video surfaced on Instagram, presumably from a prom-goer, of Smith-Schuster dancing among a large crowd...
Steelers’ Sean Davis changes agents, not positions, in crucial seasonVideo
For the first time since joining the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2016, Sean Davis is beginning a second consecutive season at the same position. The 25-year-old defensive back is at free safety, making his debut Tuesday at organized team activities after missing the first two weeks with a minor injury. After...
