August 28, 2024 4:37 am
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — NFL owners have approved a rule allowing private equity investors in their teams. They voted to let certain league-sanctioned firms buy up a stake of up to 10% in the 32 franchises that are steadily soaring in value. The previously prohibited practice was studied for the past five years. During that time the Denver Broncos sold for $4.65 billion and the Washington Commanders went for $6.05 billion. The NFL took this vote at a special meeting in Minnesota. It vetted three standalone funds and one consortium of five firms as the only allowable investors.
August 28, 2024 4:35 am
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and his brother, former Eagles center Jason Kelce, are taking their popular “New Heights” podcast to Amazon’s Wondery under a three-year deal that gives the company exclusive advertising sales and distribution rights. The financial terms of the deal were not immediately available, though some reports put the total at nine figures. The deal was announced by Wondery on Tuesday and will begin with this week’s episode, dropping Wednesday. It includes the back catalog of podcast content along with exclusive rights to monetize and distribute audio and video episodes.
August 27, 2024 4:23 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Dansby Swanson hit a grand slam to cap an eight-run sixth inning, and the Chicago Cubs had eight stolen bases – their most in a game in more than 100 years — on the way to an 18-8 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Swanson’s slam came off Domingo German, was the third of the shortstop’s nine-year career and pushed the Cubs’ lead to 9-2. The Cubs last had eight steals in 1913. Rookie center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong led the way with three stolen bases as the Cubs won for the seventh time in 10 games. That raised his season total to 26 in 93 games.
August 27, 2024 4:26 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates’ Oneil Cruz is switching positions, moving from shortstop to center field. Cruz is likely to be the designated hitter for the three-game series against the Chicago Cubs that starts Monday night. He will go through pregame workouts during the early part of the week before likely making his center-field debut sometime during a three-game weekend series at Cleveland. Cruz has played only one inning in the outfield in the big leagues. He has been charged with 24 errors this season in 112 games, including 12 in his last 28 games.
August 27, 2024 4:25 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Rarely, if ever, has a pitcher been happier after giving up six runs in 1 2/3 innings. Pittsburgh Pirates left-hander Brady Feigl struggled in his major-league debut Monday night in an 18-8 loss to the Chicago Cubs. However, it was still a special moment for the 33-year-old. Feigl finally made it to the major leagues 10 years after signing as an undrafted amateur free agent with the Atlanta Braves in 2014 from Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Feigl entered with two outs in the seventh inning and the Pirates trailing 11-2. He allowed one run in the eighth and five in the ninth.
August 27, 2024 4:28 am
FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Three people familiar with the deal say All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb has ended his holdout with the Dallas Cowboys by agreeing to a $136 million, four-year contract. Lamb is going into the last year of his rookie contract after being drafted 17th overall in 2020. He is a close second to Minnesota receiver Justin Jefferson as the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. Lamb led the NFL in receptions last season with 135 and was second in yards receiving with 1,749 and third in touchdown receptions with 12.
August 26, 2024 4:30 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Yasmani Grandal hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning, sending the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 4-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. Bryan De La Cruz was hit by a pitch from Alexis Díaz before Grandal connected for his seventh homer — a drive into the first row above the Clemente Wall in right field. It was Grandal’s fourth career game-ending homer. Aroldis Chapman handled the ninth for the win. Elly De La Cruz reached on a leadoff single, but Chapman picked him off before striking out Tyler Stephenson and TJ Friedl. Isiah Kiner-Falefa had three hits for Pittsburgh, which won three of four in the series.
August 26, 2024 4:32 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees slugger Aaron Judge hit his 50th homer of the season, connecting in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies. Then he connected for No. 51 in the seventh in New York’s 10-3 victory. Judge drove a 0-2 changeup from Austin Gomber into the visiting bullpen in left-center to give the Yankees a 2-1 lead. It was his 18th homer in the first this season, matching Alex Rodriguez in 2001 for the major league record. Judge joined Rodriguez, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire and Babe Ruth as the only players in major league history with three 50-homer seasons.
August 26, 2024 4:33 am
CASTLE ROCK, Colo. (AP) — Keegan Bradley has gone from the last man in the BMW Championship to the winner. He held off mistake-prone Adam Scott, Ludvig Aberg and Sam Burns to win at Castle Pines. And it changed everything so quickly for the Ryder Cup captain. Bradley went from No. 50 in the FedEx Cup to the fourth seed at the Tour Championship. He’ll start four shots behind in a chase for the $25 million bonus. He also enters the conversation for a Presidents Cup pick for Montreal next month. Bradley is the first Ryder Cup captain to win on tour in nine years.
August 25, 2024 5:01 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Elly De La Cruz had three hits and drove in a pair of runs as the Cincinnati Reds breezed past the sloppy Pittsburgh Pirates 10-2. Jonathan India and TJ Friedl added two hits apiece for the Reds, who beat the Pirates for just the third time in nine meetings this season. De La Cruz hit an RBI single in the fifth and a run-scoring double in the sixth. The 6-foot-5 shortstop also boosted his stolen base total to a major league-leading 61 by swiping second base after a one-out walk in the first inning. Rowdy Tellez hit a two-run homer for the Pirates.
