January 15, 2022 4:05 am
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Mike Tomlin and Ben Roethlisberger are brutally honest about the Steelers’ chances of advancing past the wild-card round of the playoffs Sunday night, especially given the Chiefs humiliated them just a few weeks ago in Arrowhead Stadium. In fact, the Steelers’ likely soon-to-retire quarterback admitted, “We probably aren’t supposed to be here.” But the Steelers have won a Super Bowl playing in the wild-card round before, so they know that anything can happen. And the pressure is all on the AFC West champion Chiefs, who have been to three straight conference title games and the past two Super Bowls.
January 15, 2022 4:05 am
UNDATED (AP) – The NFL has taken several steps to improve diversity among leadership positions, yet Mike Tomlin is the only Black head coach after Brian Flores and David Culley were fired this week. League officials want to see immediate improvement, but are optimistic that numbers will increase at both coach and GM positions based on the interview requests teams have made so far. The Fritz Pollard Alliance, which advocates for diverse hiring, said in a statement that the firing of Flores and Culley is a “disappointment given efforts to increase the representation of Black coaches as head coaches in the NFL.”
January 15, 2022 4:08 am
UNDATED (AP) – Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner Jim Phillips says now is not the time for College Football Playoff expansion. Phillips told reporters on a conference call Friday that with the NCAA about to embark on a transformation of Division I, CFP expansion should not be the priority. He also cited the continuing need for federal legislation regarding name, image and likeness compensation for athletes.
January 15, 2022 4:07 am
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) – Novak Djokovic was reported to be back in immigration detention Saturday after his legal challenge to avoid being deported from Australia for being unvaccinated for COVID-19 was moved to a higher court.
A Federal Court hearing has been scheduled for Sunday, a day before the men’s No. 1-ranked tennis player and nine-time Australian Open champion was due to begin his title defense at the first Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year.
The Australian Associated Press reported that Djokovic was back in detention. He spent four nights confined to a hotel near downtown Melbourne before being released last Monday when he won a court challenge on procedural grounds against his first visa cancellation. Immigration Minister Alex Hawke on Friday blocked the 34-year-old Serb’s visa, which was originally revoked when he landed at a Melbourne airport on Jan. 5.
January 15, 2022 4:08 am
HONOLULU (AP) – Russell Henley closed with a 30-foot eagle put for a 7-under 63 and the second-round lead at the Sony Open. Henley set a strong target when he was 6 under over his final six holes. That put him at 15-under 125 in another week of low scoring with very little wind at Waialae. Haotong Li is alone in second, three shots back and one ahead of Matt Kuchar. Both players shot 65s on Friday.
January 13, 2022 1:02 am
WPIAL dual meet wrestling is set for the final matches of the regular season. The League has reduced its Team Tournament field to the top two teams in each Sub-Section, meaning there will not be any third-place qualifiers this year. There are two undecided spots in Class 2A Section 1 as detailed below.
Class 3A, Section 4A–Defending WPIAL/PIAA champion Waynesburg is 3-0 along with Canon-McMillan. Both have clinched spots in the Section Duals and the WPIAL Team Tournament. The Big Macs host the Raiders next Wednesday. The winner is first, loser second.
Jan. 19: Waynesburg at Canon-McMillan, Chartiers Valley at South Fayette.
Class 3A, Section 4B–Peters Township and Bethel Park are both 4-0 and both have clinched spots in the Section Duals plus the WPIAL Team Tournament. The two will face each other next Wednesday at Peters Township. The winner is first, loser second.
Jan. 19: Bethel Park at Peters Township, Central Catholic at Ringgold, Upper St. Clair at Mt. Lebanon.
Class 2A, Section 1A–Burgettstown (4-0), Chartiers-Houston (3-1) and Fort Cherry (3-1) are all in the running for the top spot in the sub-section with one match left. The Blue Devils host the Bucs next Wednesday with Fort Cherry entertaining Wash High (2-2). Burgettstown has clinched a berth in the Section Duals and the WPIAL Team Tournament. Chartiers-Houston clinches with a team win including six or more individual bouts wins, or with a team win and a Fort Cherry loss. Fort Cherry clinches with a win plus a Burgettstown win.
Jan. 19: Chartiers-Houston at Burgettstown, Wash High at Fort Cherry, Keystone Oaks at South Park.
Class 2A, Section 1A–Beth-Center clinched the top spot in the sub-section with a win over Frazier and will host the Section Duals on Jan. 26. The Bulldogs also clinched a WPIAL Team Tournament berth. Jeff-Morgan (3-1) visits Frazier (2-2) next week with the winner taking second place and a spot in the Section Duals.
Jan. 19: Beth-Center at McGuffey, Bentworth at West Greene, Jeff-Morgan at Frazier.
January 14, 2022 3:07 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Mikey Anderson, Viktor Arvidsson and Anze Kopitar scored in a span of 1:23 of the third period and the Los Angeles Kings won their third straight 6-2 over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Dustin Brown had a goal and an assist to reach 700 career points, Sean Durzi had a goal and two assists, and the Kings went 5-2-0 on their seven-game homestand. Jonathan Quick made 27 saves. Kris Letang and Radim Zohorna scored for the Penguins, who have lost two of three following a 10-game winning streak. Tristan Jarry allowed six goals on 45 shots.
January 14, 2022 3:08 am
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -The Australian government minister who decided to cancel Novak Djokovic’s visa to enter the country says he did so in the name of public interest. The office of Alex Hawke, Australia’s Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs, has issued a statement saying the government wants to protect its borders “particularly in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic.” Hawke’s decision on Friday overrules a judge’s decision in favor of Djokovic that reinstated his visa after it was canceled when he arrived at a Melbourne airport earlier this month.
January 12, 2022 10:46 pm
WPIAL dual meet wrestling is set for the final matches of the regular season. And there are a few unclaimed Section Dual Meet tournament berths still hanging around.
Class 3A, Section 4A–Defending WPIAL/PIAA champion Waynesburg is 3-0 along with Canon-McMillan. Both have clinched spots in the Section Duals and the WPIAL Team Tournament. The Big Macs host the Raiders next Wednesday. The winner is first, loser second. Trinity (2-2) has completed its section schedule and will finish third. The Hillers will take on Ringgold for 5th place in Section 4 and a berth in the WPIAL Team Tournament.
Jan. 19: Waynesburg at Canon-McMillan, Chartiers Valley at South Fayette.
Class 3A, Section 4B–Peters Township and Bethel Park are both 4-0 and both have clinched spots in the Section Duals plus the WPIAL Team Tournament. The two will face each other next Wednesday at Peters Township. The winner is first, loser second. Ringgold (2-2) has a match left with Central Catholic but has already clinched third place and will face Trinity for 5th place in Section 4 and a berth in the WPIAL Team Tournament.
Jan. 19: Bethel Park at Peters Township, Central Catholic at Ringgold, Upper St. Clair at Mt. Lebanon.
Class 2A, Section 1A–Burgettstown (4-0), Chartiers-Houston (3-1) and Fort Cherry (3-1) are all in the running for the top spot in the sub-section with one match left. The Blue Devils host the Bucs next Wednesday with Fort Cherry entertaining Wash High (2-2). The Little Prexies can reach the 5th place match with a win.
Jan. 19: Chartiers-Houston at Burgettstown, Wash High at Fort Cherry, Keystone Oaks at South Park.
Class 2A, Section 1A–Beth-Center clinched the top spot in the sub-section with a win over Frazier and will host the Section Duals on Jan. 26. The Bulldogs also clinched a WPIAL Team Tournament berth. Jeff-Morgan (3-1) visits Frazier (2-2) next week with the winner taking second place and a spot in the Section Duals. If J-M wins, McGuffey (2-2) and West Greene (1-3) could force a three-way tie for the spot in the 5th place match.
Jan. 19: Beth-Center at McGuffey, Bentworth at West Greene, Jeff-Morgan at Frazier.
January 13, 2022 3:46 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pittsburgh Steelers are rallying around quarterback Ben Roethlisberger heading into the playoffs. The 39-year-old Roethlisberger is likely to retire at the end of the season. The team made the playoffs as a wild card and is hoping to follow the route the 2005 team did when it won four games to claim the franchise’s fifth Super Bowl. That team made it a mission to send out veteran running back Jerome Bettis in style. Right guard Trai Turner says the Steelers know what’s at stake for Roethlisberger and the team is trying to win it for him.
