Sports category, Page 736
Despite signing Aroldis Chapman, Pirates say David Bednar has ‘cemented’ role as closer
BRADENTON, Fla. — David Bednar admits he was “surprised but pumped” when the Pittsburgh Pirates signed Aroldis Chapman, a seven-time All-Star who ranks third among active closers with 321 saves, to a one-year, $10.5 million contract in late January. That meant the 6-foot-4, 235-pound left-handed Chapman was going to be...
Mark Madden: From Kladno to Bayside, Jaromir Jagr put smiles on hockey fans’ faces
Only in a city that’s had a hockey timeline like Pittsburgh’s since 1984 could a player the caliber of Jaromir Jagr get somewhat lost in the shuffle. But that’s what happened. Out of sight, out of mind. Obscured by the permanent shadow of Mario Lemieux and by the commotion and...
Championship parades likely to change after shooting at Chiefs Super Bowl celebration
BOSTON — With back-to-back Super Bowl victories for the hometown Chiefs, Kansas City football fans gathered for another championship parade and a second celebratory pep rally in a row. Don’t expect there to be a third. Not because the Chiefs, with star quarterback Patrick Mahomes still just 28 years old,...
Sidney Crosby leads Penguins to vital win against Blackhawks
The Pittsburgh Penguins know what’s needed to reach the playoffs. Even if they might not have what is needed. At the moment, they have a deficit of healthy forwards, and they lost one of their best after the team announced Thursday that first-liner Jake Guentzel would be sidelined for “up...
Victor Wembanyama’s 1st All-Star weekend awaits
INDIANAPOLIS — Victor Wembanyama’s first NBA All-Star experience will be hectic, just like everything else has seemed so far in his rookie season with the San Antonio Spurs. He’s going to the Tech Summit, the league’s thinktank that kicks off the All-Star festivities Friday morning. He’ll have a slate of...
LSU running back charged with attempted 2nd-degree murder
BATON ROUGE, La. — An LSU football player was arrested Thursday and charged with attempted second-degree murder after a shooting last week that injured two people. Treyvion Antwan Holly, a freshman running back, faces three charges — attempted second-degree murder, aggravated criminal damage to property and illegal use of a...
Jimmie Johnson uses desperate late push to qualify for his 21st Daytona 500Video
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Jimmie Johnson raced his way into the Daytona 500 with a three-wide move through the final turn in the first qualifying race Thursday night. Tyler Reddick of 23XI Racing won the 150-mile race that is part of how the field is set for Sunday’s season-opening “Great...
Cantlay leads at Riviera with a 64. Tiger Woods ends his return to golf with a shankVideo
LOS ANGELES — Thousands of fans watching Tiger Woods in his 2024 debut missed out on the best golf Thursday at the Genesis Invitational. In the group ahead of Woods was Patrick Cantlay, looking as though he wants to be the next Southern California native to win at Riviera. Cantlay...
Pitt’s freshman backcourt duo of Lowe, Carrington growing up quickly
They have begun writing their own special story, an intriguing script any coach would peruse with utter delight. Pitt’s ascending freshman backcourt tandem is growing up fast. With the Panthers’ improving season getting even better with Tuesday night’s 74-63 victory at No. 21 Virginia that ended the Cavaliers’ Division I-leading...
Caitlin Clark of Iowa breaks NCAA women’s career scoring recordVideo
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Caitlin Clark broke the NCAA women’s career scoring record, making a 3-pointer from about 35 feet in the first quarter for No. 4 Iowa against Michigan on Thursday night. Clark went into the game needing eight points to pass Kelsey Plum’s total of 3,527. She wasted...
Tiger Woods hits a shank in his return to golf and opens with 72 at RivieraVideo
LOS ANGELES — Any chance of Tiger Woods breaking par in his first official PGA Tour event in 10 months ended with one swing Thursday and a five-letter word he wasn’t afraid to say. Shank. Woods said his back began to spasm over the final few holes in the Genesis...
Gerrit Cole leads Yankees’ rotation looking to rebound from terrible season
TAMPA, Fla. — Gerrit Cole was leaving the Yankees’ minor-league complex when fans on the sidewalk by the parking lot asked for autographs. When the 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner reached over a bush-lined fence to grab a baseball and pen, a fan asked whether he could capture the...
NASCAR star Denny Hamlin vows to be more selfish at Daytona 500
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Don’t expect Denny Hamlin to stay in line during the closing laps of the Daytona 500. He’s not settling for second. He’s not sacrificing his finish to help a teammate. He’s not counting on anyone else, either. It’s exactly how he wants it, maybe how he...
Penguins face major challenge with Jake Guentzel on long-term injured reserved
The March of the Pittsburgh Penguins will get off to a difficult start. That’s assuming they survive what will be a challenging finish to February. On Thursday, the team placed All-Star forward Jake Guentzel on long-term injured reserve because of an undisclosed injury he suffered during a 5-2 home loss...
GM Ben Cherington expects Pirates to be better, continues to search for improvements
TAMPA — The Pittsburgh Pirates entered the offseason with a laundry list of upgrades needed to improve on a 76-win, fourth-place finish in the NL Central, one that got even longer when a starting pitcher and catcher were lost to season-ending elbow surgeries. With a dire need for starting pitching,...
Rob Manfred says he will retire as baseball commissioner in January 2029 after 14 yearsVideo
TAMPA, Fla. — MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said Thursday he will retire when his current term ends in January 2029. Speaking at a spring training news conference, Manfred noted he will be 70 years old and been commissioner for 14 years when his term ends on Jan. 25, 2029. “You...
MetLife Stadium to host 2 outdoor NHL games with playoff implications
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Two games in two days. A concert. Four Metropolitan Division rivals separated by about a 100-mile corridor that runs from New York to Philadelphia. Roughly 140,000 fans sitting in bone-chilling temperatures waiting to shout for a goal or great save. Hockey is coming back to the...
Blue Jackets fire GM Jarmo Kekalainen midway through his 11th full seasonVideo
The Columbus Blue Jackets fired general manager Jarmo Kekalainen on Thursday, ending his time on the job ahead of another crucial trade deadline for the struggling club. President of hockey operations John Davidson made the call midway through Kekalainen’s 11th full season on the job and with just over three...
Joey Logano, Michael McDowell lead Ford sweep of Daytona 500 front row during qualifying
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Ford swept the front row in qualifying for the Daytona 500 with former race winners Joey Logano and Michael McDowell shocking powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports. “This is all about the team. I’d like to take credit, but I can’t. Superspeedway qualifying is 100% the car,” said Logano,...
Tim Benz: Penguins sound like they are running out of answers
After practice on Tuesday, Penguins coach Mike Sullivan talked about “rethinking what winning looks like in Pittsburgh.” I’m going to guess whatever he was thinking about isn’t what the Penguins showed Wednesday night against the Florida Panthers, and that’s not what it was supposed to look like. Especially in the...
Why Penn State TE Theo Johnson is rising up NFL draft boards: ‘Traits over production’
Dane Brugler evaluated more than 100 NFL prospects at the Senior Bowl two weeks ago. Brugler, the lead draft expert for The Athletic, spent hours watching reps in Mobile, Ala., taking note of who stood out and are potential risers in the 2024 draft class. Brugler came away impressed with...
As the Penguins retire his jersey, Jagr at 52 is still going strong on his Czech hometown team
KLADNO, Czech Republic — The legendary mullet is gone. He’s not as quick as he used to be. And yet the way Jaromir Jagr moves on the ice belies his age and evokes memories of his glory days in the NHL. Strong on the puck, tough to beat by the...
U mad, bro?: Lots of reader Valentines about Steelers, Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady, Arthur Smith
As I was putting “U mad, bro?” together on Valentine’s Day, I sure could feel the love from my readers. Near as I can tell, you think I’m too hard on the Steelers and too judgmental about the Arthur Smith hire, I pick on Tom Brady too much and I...
First Call: Kirk Cousins’ camp keeping an eye on Steelers’ QB situation; Ryan Clark’s future at ESPN unclear
A big-name free-agent quarterback may have an interest in playing with the Pittsburgh Steelers. J.J. Watt is blowing off some derogatory comments about his brother from Micah Parsons. Ryan Clark’s status at ESPN is uncertain. The Penguins are about to play a team that’s in even worse shape than they...
With quick turnaround in Chicago, no time for Penguins to dwell on ugly loss to FloridaVideo
Plenty of coaches, in both amateur and professional environments, have at one point or another preached to their players the necessity of moving past losses quickly. Reporters have inevitably heard some version of the spiel, too. “Things didn’t go our way tonight, but it’s on to the next one.” Whether...
