Sports category, Page 679
Patriots name Jerod Mayo as next head coach, Bill Belichick’s successor
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Jerod Mayo spent his entire professional football career learning from Bill Belichick, first as a player and then as an assistant. He’ll now have the weighty task of succeeding the future Hall of Famer and leading a New England Patriots team as its first new voice in...
Tim Benz: Words matter when discussing the ‘Mason-Andre Rudolph’ story
When it comes to discussing the revival story of Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph, the words matter. Or at least they should. For instance, I keep hearing people say that Rudolph is performing so well because “he’s playing like he’s got nothing to lose.” Is that really true? I don’t...
First Call: Jake Guentzel’s agent talks future with Penguins; Steelers avoid 1st wave of international games
In Friday’s “First Call,” the Pittsburgh Steelers are off the hook for an international game. At least for now. The Jake Guentzel trade conversation is about to get thick. The Penguins have an important game on the horizon. And both Duquesne basketball and Robert Morris hockey are about to battle...
Paul Spadafora’s rise to world champion, fall from grace chronicled in ‘Fighting Till The End’
Paul Spadafora was back where he believes he belongs, wearing gloves and working in and around the ring with aspiring fighters last month at Tom Yankello’s World Class Boxing Gym in Ambridge. The former IBF lightweight champion from McKees Rocks, who now resides in Las Vegas, returned to his hometown...
Pirates have 4 candidates preparing for position battle to earn starting job at second base
As the Pittsburgh Pirates approach spring training, one of the most interesting battles for a starting job could involve a major international signing, a former first-round pick, the centerpiece of a trade for an All-Star and their top hitter among rookies last season. Ji Hwan Bae, Nick Gonzales, Liover Peguero...
‘No way anybody can play in a game like this’: Blizzard could impact Steelers-Bills
Some in Pittsburgh might feel as if waking up on the day of a Steelers playoff game is their own personal Christmas morning. This past Dec. 25 was no White Christmas. So maybe for die-hard Steelers fans, their personal holiday will be coated in white. In Orchard Park, N.Y., at...
Sidney Crosby ties score in final minute but Penguins lose to Canucks in OT
So far this season, the Pittsburgh Penguins have proven they can beat elite teams, even by means that would be best described as ugly. On Thursday at PPG Paints Arena, the Penguins welcomed Vancouver, which entered the game with the second-most points in the NHL. The Penguins nearly came away...
Playoff game behind Peacock paywall is new frontier in NFL streaming
The quarterback matchup between Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa and Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes isn’t the only major storyline going into their AFC wild-card game. Another question is how many fans will pay to watch one of the NFL’s important games of the season being carried exclusively on a streaming platform for...
NCAA taking closer look at possibility of subdivision where athletes can be paid
PHOENIX — The NCAA on Thursday took the first step toward determining whether president Charlie Baker’s idea to create a new subdivision in which schools directly pay athletes can become a reality. The Division I Board of Directors asked policy makers to evaluate a proposal Baker made last month in...
NFC playoff breakdown: Field loaded with reunions, chances for redemption
Four years ago, the San Francisco 49ers were closing in on their first Super Bowl triumph in a quarter century when Patrick Mahomes led the Kansas City Chiefs to three touchdowns in the final six-plus minutes, rocketing them to a 31-20 victory. Each of the past two years the Niners...
Ducks’ Trevor Zegras expected to miss 6 to 8 weeks after breaking ankle
RALEIGH, N.C. — Anaheim Ducks center Trevor Zegras is expected to be sidelined six to eight weeks after breaking his left ankle Tuesday night at Nashville. The Ducks revealed the injury Thursday, saying Zegras will have surgery. He hit the boards feet-first after Nashville forward Juuso Parssinen’s stick caught in...
Juan Soto, Yankees agree to $31M deal, record for arbitration-eligible player
NEW YORK — Juan Soto and the New York Yankees agreed Thursday to a $31 million, one-year contract, breaking Shohei Ohtani’s record for an arbitration-eligible player, a person familiar with the negotiations told the Associated Press. All 10 Yankees eligible for arbitration reached agreements on the day players and teams...
Penn State officially announces transfers, including WR Julian Fleming
Penn State has added potential impact players via the transfer portal over the last month. On Thursday night, the Nittany Lions made those additions official. Penn State announced that Ohio State wide receiver Julian Fleming, Georgia cornerback A.J. Harris, Florida cornerback Jalen Kimber, Wisconsin offensive lineman Nolan Rucci and defensive...
NCAA suspends Florida State assistant coach for 3 games for NIL-related recruiting violation
PHOENIX — A Florida State assistant coach has been suspended for the first three games of the 2024 season for violating recruiting rules by connecting a potential transfer with a representative from a collective during an official visit, the NCAA announced on Thursday. The NCAA did not name the coach...
Tyreek Hill looking at ‘positive side of things’ after house fire
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Tyreek Hill has spent the past week trying to stay positive. The Miami Dolphins receiver rushed home from practice last Wednesday as firefighters doused the roof of his burning South Florida home with water. Officials later found the fire was started by a child playing with...
AFC playoff breakdown: Lamar Jackson, top-seeded Ravens team to beat
Lamar Jackson will miss out on wild-card weekend for a second straight year, and this time it’s for a much better reason. The Baltimore Ravens and their star quarterback earned the AFC’s top playoff seed and the conference’s sole bye with a dominant regular-season run just one year after uncertainty...
As AFC’s top seed, Ravens hope to avoid repeat of 4 years ago
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Baltimore Ravens clinched the top seed in the AFC two weekends ago when they thrashed the Miami Dolphins. Coach John Harbaugh barely had time to enjoy the victory before facing an inevitable question about 2019. That season was the last time the Ravens were the...
Column: Saban doesn’t go out on top, but he does leave as the greatest of them allVideo
Nick Saban didn’t go out on top, which is about the only notable blemish on a college coaching resume that eclipsed all others. That’s OK. In true Saban fashion, he still managed to slide into retirement while leaving little doubt he remained as good as anyone at whipping a team...
Allowing plenty of TDs to TEs recently, Steelers defense preps for Bills’ Dalton Kincaid
Rookie Dalton Kincaid finished the season strong. The Pittsburgh Steelers defense finished the season struggling in defending tight ends. That would not seem to portend well for the Steelers in their playoff opener Sunday against Kincaid’s Buffalo Bills. Kincaid, the first tight end selected in last year’s draft at No....
Replacing Nick Saban: Alabama begins hunt for a successor who will face sky-high expectationsVideo
Nick Saban accomplished the unimaginable in actually raising the bar for Alabama football, where Paul “Bear” Bryant long had been the measuring stick. Whoever replaces the retiring coach will inherit all the makings for national championship contention and the sky-high expectations that come with them. The stockpile of talent, barring...
Bills share Steelers’ affinity for running the ball as teams prep for wild-card matchup
Najee Harris will tell anyone within earshot that the Pittsburgh Steelers’ identity is running the football. Lately, the Buffalo Bills have adopted that mindset as well. Yes, the Buffalo Bills. And, for once, not just because they have a mobile quarterback in Josh Allen. While the Bills still rely heavily...
Chiefs’ Andy Reid, Travis Kelce not contemplating retirement any time soon
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Chiefs coach Andy Reid doesn’t sound as if he’s ready to follow Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll into the next phase of his career. Nor does Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce, for that matter. After the announcement Thursday that Belichick was out as the coach...
Patriots need quarterback and talent to put around new coach
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft will cringe when he turns on the TV — or perhaps even looks at the other Gillette Stadium sideline — and sees Bill Belichick wearing a ratty sweatshirt with another team’s colors. But he has bigger things to worry about now. The Patriots need...
Packers CB Jaire Alexander hurts ankle in practice, status uncertain for playoff game at Dallas
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander suffered an ankle injury in practice this week that leaves his status uncertain for Sunday’s wild-card playoff game with the NFC East champion Dallas Cowboys. Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Alexander “stepped on somebody’s foot and rolled his ankle” during...
Ohio State All-American WR Marvin Harrison Jr. heading to NFL Draft
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State All-American receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. is entering the NFL Draft. The Buckeyes star junior, the first in program history with consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, made his announcement on social media Thursday. Harrison, the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison Sr., is considered the...
