December 1, 2022 3:48 am
Rose Bowl game organizers have cleared the way for the College Football Playoff to expand to 12 teams starting in the 2024 season. They’ve told CFP officials they are willing to alter agreements for the first two years of the larger playoff. A person with knowledge of the discussions between game organizers and CFP officials told The Associated Press that the Rose Bowl is prepared to be flexible and wants to continue to be part of the College Football Playoff beyond 2025. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the presidents and chancellors who oversee the playoff still needed to give final approval on expansion plans.
December 1, 2022 3:50 am
BEREA, Ohio (AP) – Deshaun Watson is ready to play, not talk. Cleveland’s starting quarterback didn’t address the media before practicing for the first time since being reinstated by the NFL from his 11-game suspension stemming from accusations of sexual misconduct. Watson has been accused of harassment and assault by more than two dozen women for his actions during massage therapy sessions. Watson will make his debut for the Browns on Sunday against the Houston Texans, who traded him to Cleveland in March. The 27-year-old Watson accepted the league ban, a $5 million fine and agreed to undergo therapy and counseling.
November 30, 2022 3:51 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Brett Pesce scored at the end of a two-on-none 2:20 into overtime to lift the Carolina Hurricanes past the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2. The Penguins forced the extra period on Jake Guentzel’s deflection with 58 seconds to go in regulation. The Hurricanes escaped with the victory on a breakaway that Pesce converted for his second goal of the season. Guentzel and Sidney Crosby scored for Pittsburgh. Tristan Jarry stopped 36 shots but was left all alone on the sequence that ended with Pesce’s winner.
November 30, 2022 3:55 am
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have signed veteran first baseman/designated hitter Carlos Santana to a 1-year contract. The deal, announced Tuesday, is worth $6.75 million. The arrival of the 36-year-old gives the young Pirates an experienced hitter who the team hopes will serve as a role model in 2023. The switch-hitting Santana split time between Kansas City and Seattle in 2022, hitting .202 with 19 home runs and 60 RBIs. He provided some much-needed pop to Seattle’s lineup after arriving in a trade in June, slugging 15 home runs to help the Mariners reach the postseason for the first time since 2001. The signing is also a bit of a splurge for the Pirates, who also acquired Ji-Man Choi from Tampa Bay earlier this month to help address an offense that ranked near the bottom of the majors in slugging and on-base percentage.
November 30, 2022 3:48 am
Ohio State was No. 5 in the second-to-last College Football Playoff rankings, positioned to possibly take advantage if one of the top four slips up on championship weekend. Georgia was No. 1 again. No. 2 Michigan and No. 3 TCU both moved up a spot, and Southern California (11-1) climbed two spots into the fourth slot. The Buckeyes dropped three spots after losing 45-23 to the rival Wolverines on Saturday at home. Alabama moved up a spot to No. 6 and was followed by Southeastern Conference rival Tennessee, which beat the Crimson Tide in October.
November 30, 2022 3:47 am
DOHA, Qatar (AP) – Christian Pulisic scored while crashing headfirst into the goalkeeper late in the 38th minute and the United States advanced to the knockout rounds of the World Cup with a 1-0 win over Iran. Pulisic sprawled on the field and was replaced at the start of the second half. The U.S. Soccer Federation said after the game the American star was taken to a hospital for an abdominal scan. The Americans play the Netherlands on Saturday with the chance to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2002. Iran has failed to advance in all six of its World Cup appearances.
November 29, 2022 4:22 pm
DOHA, Qatar (AP) – Christian Pulisic scored while crashing headfirst into the goalkeeper late in the 38th minute and the United States advanced to the knockout rounds of the World Cup with a 1-0 win over Iran in a politically charged rematch of their famous meeting a quarter-century ago. Pulisic sprawled on the field and was replaced at the start of the second half. The Americans play the Netherlands on Saturday with the chance to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2002. Iran has failed to advance in all six of its World Cup appearances.
November 29, 2022 3:45 am
Benny Snell Jr.’s 2-yard touchdown run with 9:55 left gave Pittsburgh the lead and the Steelers fended off a last-minute comeback bid to beat the Indianapolis Colts 24-17. Snell had 12 carries for a season-high 62 yards after replacing the injured Najee Harris in the third quarter. Harris was ruled out at halftime with an abdominal injury. Pittsburgh improved to 4-7 and won its eighth straight over Indianapolis, which fell to 4-7-1. Matt Ryan drove the Colts in position for a tying score but Indy stalled in Pittsburgh territory and didn’t call its first timeout until a fourth-down play with 30 seconds left. Ryan threw incomplete and that was it.
November 29, 2022 3:47 am
HOUSTON (AP) – José Abreu and the World Series champion Astros have agreed to a three-year contract, adding another powerful bat to Houston’s lineup. Abreu, the 2020 AL MVP, spent his first nine major league seasons with the Chicago White Sox. The first baseman became a free agent after batting .304 with 15 home runs and 75 RBIs this year. With the Astros, he replaces free agent Yuli Gurriel at first base in a batting order that also features All-Star sluggers Yordan Alvarez, Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker. The 35-year-old Abreu becomes the biggest free agent to switch teams so far this offseason. The three-time All-Star and 2014 AL Rookie of the Year is a .292 career hitter in the majors with 243 homers and an .860 OPS.
November 29, 2022 3:48 am
DOHA, Qatar (AP) – The task is clear for the United States: beat Iran in a politically charged World Cup match or go home. A draw or a loss Tuesday night would eliminate the Americans. During unusual pre-match news conferences, captain Tyler Adams was asked to defend the U.S.’s treatment of Black people and chastized for pronoucing the opponent “Eye-ran” instead of “E-ran.” American coach Gregg Berhalter was questioned about U.S. immigration and Naval policy and apologized for the U.S. Soccer Federation’s decision to strip the emblem of the Islamic Republic from Iran’s flag on social media.
