Tom Weiskopt Dies

August 22, 2022 3:52 am

Major champion and golf course architect Tom Weiskopf has died of pancreatic cancer. His wife says Weiskopf died Saturday at their home in Big Sky, Montana. Weiskopf’s contributions to golf go far beyond his 16 PGA Tour wins and his British Open title at Troon in 1973. He was blunt and accurate when he worked as a TV analyst. And he was equally successful as a golf course architect. Weiskopf was diagnosed with cancer in December 2020. Laurie Weiskopf says he was still working on design projects in the week leading to his death. Tom Weiskopf was 79.

Larson Wins Rain-Delayed NASCAR Cup Race

August 22, 2022 3:49 am

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (AP) – Kyle Larson beat Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott on a restart with five laps to go and won the weather-delayed NASCAR Cup race at Watkins Glen International on Sunday. Elliott had control of the race late, but a caution gave Larson a chance and he took advantage, moving Elliott to the left coming out of the first turn and pulling away for a weekend Xfinity-Cup sweep. AJ Allmendinger was second, Joey Logano third. Elliott fourth and Daniel Suárez fifth.

Reds Smoke Pirates Saturday Night

August 21, 2022 7:48 am

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Jake Fraley’s two-run home run highlighted a four-run outburst in the fourth inning and Justin Dunn earned his first win in 16 months as the Cincinnati Reds beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 10-1. Fraley’s sixth homer of the season landed in the Allegheny River and increased the Reds’ lead to 5-0. Dunn (1-1) allowed one run in five innings in his third start since being called up from Triple-A Louisville. It was his first win since April 15, 2021, when he was pitching for Seattle and beat Baltimore in the second game of a doubleheader.

Pickett Shines As Steelers Top Jaguars

August 21, 2022 7:47 am

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Kenny Pickett’s second preseason performance was as impressive as his first, and it came against better competition. Pittsburgh’s rookie quarterback completed 6 of 7 passes for 76 yards and a touchdown in a 16-15 victory at Jacksonville on Saturday night. Pickett, who threw two TD passes while working with the third-team offense last week against Seattle, was on the field much earlier against the Jaguars. Although his first series was mostly a mess because of miscues, his second was about as good as could be expected. The 20th overall pick directed a 63-yard touchdown drive in the final minute of the first half. He capped the 42-second series with an 11-yard toss to running back Benny Snell.

Pirates Win Second In Row, Top Reds 5-4

August 20, 2022 4:15 am

PITTSBURGH (AP) – Michael Chavis hit a bases-loaded single in the bottom of the ninth to cap a two-run rally and lift the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 5-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. The Pirates trailed 4-3 going into the ninth but tied it on Kevin Newman’s run-scoring double with one out. The Reds then intentionally walked Bryan Reynolds to put runners on first and second and brought in left-handed reliever Ross Detwiler. Detwiler hit Ben Gamel with a pitch to load the bases and Chavis lined a single into short left field to score Newman. The Pirates have won back-to-back games following a six-game losing streak.  (Photo: AP)

Major Leaguers Return To Williamsport for Little League Classic

August 20, 2022 4:16 am

Jason Varitek led Altamonte Springs out of Florida to the 1984 Little League World Series championship game. Varitek, Ed Vosberg and Michael Conforto are the only three players to play in the Little League Baseball World Series, College World Series and Major League Baseball World Series. Now Boston’s game-planning coordinator, the 50-year-old Varitek is headed back to where he burst through on the national scene when the Red Sox play the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday night in the fifth MLB Little League Classic. The game is played at 2,366-seat Historic Bowman Field in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

Pitt Looking Forward To New Season, Minus Pickett

August 20, 2022 4:17 am

PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pittsburgh Panthers head into 2022 looking to prove 2021 was no fluke. Pitt won its first ACC title last season behind the play of quarterback Kenny Pickett and wide receiver Jordan Addison. Pickett is now in the NFL and Addison has transferred to Southern California. USC transfer Kedon Slovis and Nick Patti are fighting for the right to replace Pickett while the defense will be led by defensive tackle Calijah Kancey. Pitt is ranked 17th in the preseason AP Top 25 and opens the season at home against rival West Virginia on Sept. 1.

Pirates Beat Red Sox To Snap 6-Game Skid

August 19, 2022 3:49 am

PITTSBURGH (AP) – Bryan Reynolds hit two home runs, JT Brubaker pitched seven shutout innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates snapped a six-game losing streak, beating the Boston Red Sox 8-2. The Pirates avoided a three-game sweep and sent Boston back to one game under .500 at 59-60. The Red Sox are five games behind Toronto for the third and final AL wild-card spot. Reynolds hit a pair of two-run homers. He connected in the first, and his drive in the fifth was the 3,000th home run at PNC Park since it opened in 2001. Reynolds and Kevin Newman each had three hits and scored three times. Brubaker allowed two hits, walked none and struck out seven.

Browns’ Deshaun Watson Suspended 11 Games; Fined

August 19, 2022 3:51 am

BEREA, Ohio (AP) – Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson will serve an 11-game unpaid suspension, pay a $5 million fine and undergo required professional evaluation and counseling following accusations of sexual misconduct by two dozen women. Watson was accused of sexually harassing and coercing women during massage therapy sessions while he played for the Houston Texans. The league had sought to ban him for at least one year for violating its personal conduct policy. Watson’s suspension begins Aug. 30, when he won’t be allowed at the team’s facility. He may return for the Browns’ game on Dec. 4 in Houston. Cleveland traded for the three-time Pro Bowler in March, signing him to a fully guaranteed $230 million contract

Big Ten Lands $7 Billion, NFL-Style TV Contracts

August 19, 2022 3:53 am

The Big Ten has announced its new, seven-year media rights deal with Fox, NBC and CBS that is believed to be the richest ever struck with a college sports conference. A person familiar with the contracts tells The Associated Press that the conference’s soon-to-be 16 member universities eventually will share more than $1 billion in revenue per year. Starting in 2024, when USC and UCLA join the conference, Big Ten football Saturdays will be structured similar to the NFL. That means three marquee games being carried in consecutive time slots on three different major TV networks.