Sports category, Page 61

With one swing, Oneil Cruz turned the tide on a tied game. Cruz crushed a 2-2 changeup from Jake Bloss, sending it over the boardwalk in center field for a three-run homer that sailed out of LECOM Park. Joey Bart followed with a solo shot to center to make it...

The Pitt women’s 64-50 loss to Virginia on Wednesday in the first round of the ACC Tournament in Greensboro, N.C., was mainly a matter of the Cavaliers’ playing stingy defense against the Panthers. Center Khadija Faye, named to the All-ACC first team earlier in the week, missed 16 of 19...

DENVER — Nathan MacKinnon’s childhood idol and role model has turned into a training partner and an offseason neighbor back home in the Halifax area of their native Nova Scotia. One of his closest friends, too. MacKinnon and Sidney Crosby have developed a tight bond, which made winning the 4...

D.K. Metcalf wants out of Seattle. A person with knowledge of the decision told the Associated Press that the longtime Seahawks wide receiver asked for a trade. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the request was not announced publicly. Metcalf, a two-time Pro Bowler, has...

All-Pro linebacker Zack Baun is staying with the Philadelphia Eagles. The Super Bowl champions announced Wednesday they agreed on a three-year deal with Baun through the 2027 season. A person familiar with the details told the Associated Press that Baun’s contract is worth $51 million, including $34 million guaranteed. The...

SEATTLE — The Seattle Seahawks released Tyler Lockett on Wednesday, parting ways with the franchise’s second all-time leading receiver in a cost-cutting move ahead of the new league year. Lockett, a 10-year veteran, caught 661 passes for 8,564 yards and 61 touchdowns in Seattle, trailing only Hall of Famer Steve...

HENDERSON, Nev. — The Las Vegas Raiders extended the contract of star defensive end Maxx Crosby, the club said Wednesday. The terms weren’t immediately announced. Crosby has been one of the NFL’s elite pass rushers with 59 1/2 sacks since being selected in the fourth round of the 2109 draft....

Fresh off watching prospects work out at the scouting combine, ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid projected the Pittsburgh Steelers to take a wide receiver and defensive lineman — each from Texas — in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft next month. He admits the order could be reversed....

CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Sam Hubbard announced his retirement Wednesday. The Cincinnati native spent seven seasons with the Bengals, who selected him in the third round of the 2018 draft. Hubbard had 38 1/2 sacks in 104 games while helping Cincinnati return to prominence, including a berth in...

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Jaguars are releasing receiver Christian Kirk after two injury-filled seasons. The move is expected to happen as soon as Wednesday, according to a person familiar with negotiations. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither side has confirmed Kirk’s departure....

The world of women’s college basketball started noticing Duquesne senior guard Megan McConnell before the season, and now she’s on the threshold of one of the sport’s top honors. McConnell, a Chartiers Valley graduate, is one of the five finalists for the 2025 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year...

NEW YORK — TKO Group, the company that houses WWE and UFC, entered a multiyear agreement with the Saudi General Entertainment Authority to create a new boxing promotion, it was announced Wednesday. Led by UFC president and CEO Dana White and WWE president and TKO board member Nick Khan, TKO...

DALLAS — Coldplay vocalist Chris Martin is working with FIFA to curate the first Super Bowl-style halftime show at the World Cup final next year. The MetLife Stadium in New Jersey — to be known as New York New Jersey Stadium for the World Cup — will host the final...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs are trading two-time All-Pro guard Joe Thuney to the Chicago Bears for a fourth-round pick in the 2026 draft, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the trade had...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NASCAR on Wednesday filed a counterclaim against Michael Jordan-owned 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports alleging they “willfully” violated antitrust laws by orchestrating anticompetitive collective conduct in connection with the most recent charter agreements. 23XI and Front Row were the only two teams out of 15 that...

It’s definitely an oddity. But a frequent one. In their 64 games this season, the Pittsburgh Penguins have allowed a goal on the first opposition’s first shot 13 different times. “Sometimes, it’s just a matter of getting yourself ready to go,” Penguins goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic said at PPG Paints Arena...

NFL free agency starts March 12. That’s not far off. But there’s no reason to be excited about what the Steelers will do. Because they won’t do anything. Not until the first wave subsides. Then the Steelers will do their usual bargain shopping. The Steelers have a little over $60...

Every Pittsburgh sports fan will admit one unfortunate truth these days: The entire local sports scene is at low tide. The Penguins are about to miss the playoffs for a third straight year. The Steelers haven’t won a playoff game in eight seasons. And the only thing the Pirates can...

BRADENTON, Fla. — After spending the better part of two days in a hospital, Isaac Mattson finally found time last Friday to go outside and throw a weighted plyometric ball against the fence in his backyard. “I was just trying to do a little bit of something,” Mattson said, “but...

SALT LAKE CITY — Javon Small scored 18 points to help West Virginia beat its former coach Josh Eilert and Utah 71-69 on Tuesday night. Small hit a 3-pointer and Eduardo Andre followed with an alley-oop dunk to spark a 14-6 surge to give West Virginia a 70-64 lead with...

The Robert Morris men’s basketball team Tuesday night learned who its quarterfinal-round opponent will be in the Horizon League Tournament. The top-seeded Colonials (23-8) will play host to No. 8 Wright State (15-17) at 8 p.m. Thursday in the second game of a doubleheader at UPMC Events Center. In the...

Wednesday’s “First Call” has some direction for speculation about the Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback situation. We have gambling odds on the Steelers acquiring Davante Adams and information on another wide receiver who may be in the mix. Plus, we check in on a former Penguin who is hunting a career milestone,...

In high school, Kam Woods was a phenom on the basketball court. After all, he didn’t score nearly 4,000 career points by accident. He averaged 38.1 as a senior at Pinson Valley in suburban Birmingham, Ala. It’s just one small highlight in the big picture of Woods’ illustrious background that...