March 31, 2022 3:46 am
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) – The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a new head coach. Bruce Arians has decided to retire and is moving into the Buccaneers’ front office. He’s being replaced by defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, whose previous head coaching job was with the New York Jets. Arians will turn 70 this coming season. He coached the Bucs to the Super Bowl title in the 2020 season and was 31-18 in three seasons with Tampa Bay. He called it the right time for him to make the transition to the front office. There was no public indication at the NFL’s annual meetings in Florida that such a move was coming. Arians is 80-48-1 in eight years as a head coach, including his five years with the Cardinals.
March 31, 2022 3:44 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pittsburgh Pirates are looking to take a step forward in 2022 after three straight last-place finishes in the NL Central. The franchise has stockpiled prospects since general manager Ben Cherington took over in 2019 but most of them are not ready for the major leagues. If Pittsburgh is going to compete, it will need the pitching staff to bounce back from a rough 2022 and hope third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes avoids the kind of injuries that derailed his rookie season. The Pirates open the season April 7 at St. Louis.
March 31, 2022 3:48 am
UNDATED (AP) – The New York Rangers are two points closer to the NHL’s Metropolitan Division lead after rallying for a win in Detroit. Andrew Copp scored 1:34 into overtime of the Rangers’ fourth straight win, 5-4 over the Red Wings. Chris Kreider tied it with his 46th goal, beating Alex Nedeljkovic with 3:38 left in regulation. It was his league-leading 20th power-play goal. Artemi Panarin had a goal and two assists for the Rangers, who are within three points of the first-place Hurricanes. Carolina has a game in hand. Ryan Reaves and Filip Chytil also scored for New York.
March 30, 2022 3:47 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Frank Vatrano and Braden Schneider scored less than five minutes apart in the second period, and the New York Rangers beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2. Chris Kreider added his 45th goal in the third as the Rangers topped Pittsburgh for the second time in five days. Igor Shesterskin made 22 saves, including a stop on Penguins forward Jake Guentzel in the final seconds. Sidney Crosby scored his 25th goal and Brian Boyle got his ninth for the Penguins. Tristan Jarry made 23 saves but fell to 6-2 in his last eight starts, with both losses coming to New York.
March 30, 2022 2:15 am
PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) – The NFL is changing its sometimes controversial overtime rules to guarantee each side gets the ball in the playoffs. Concerned that the coin toss to begin the extra period has too much impact on postseason game results, the owners voted Tuesday to approve a proposal presented by the Colts and Eagles. Beginning this season, if the team possessing the ball first in overtime scores a touchdown on that series, the opponent still gets a possession. In recent seasons, that touchdown would have ended the game.
March 30, 2022 3:45 am
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) – The Baltimore Ravens have signed coach John Harbaugh to a three-year contract extension through 2025. Harbaugh is entering his 15th season at the helm. Baltimore went 8-9 in 2021 for only the second losing record of his tenure. Injures derailed what looked like a promising season. The Ravens are 148-96 under Harbaugh, plus a Super Bowl victory at the end of the 2012 season. He also guided Baltimore to the AFC title game in 2008 and 2011. In nine visits to the postseason, Harbaugh is 11-8. He was the AP’s NFL coach of the year in 2019.
March 29, 2022 3:46 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Pittsburgh and football coach Pat Narduzzi have agreed on a new contract that will keep Narduzzi with the Panthers through at least 2030. The deal comes three months after Narduzzi led Pitt to its first Atlantic Coast Conference championship on its way to an 11-3 record and a No. 13 ranking in the final AP Top 25 poll, the program’s highest postseason ranking since 1982. Narduzzi is 53-37 in seven seasons with the Panthers. His 53 wins rank fourth all-time in program history.
March 29, 2022 3:44 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon’s patience paid off with a new contract. Witherspoon signed a two-year deal to remain with the Steelers rather than leave in free agency. The signing marked an abrupt turnaround for Witherspoon. He hardly played during the first half of the 2021 season after being acquired in a trade with Seattle. An injury to veteran Joe Haden provided Witherspoon with an opportunity and he responded by pulling down a career-best three interceptions. Witherspoon says he didn’t get rattled while he rode the bench and focused on taking advantage whenever the chance to get back on the field arose.
March 29, 2022 3:42 am
UNDATED (AP) – There will be a lot of familiar faces at the women’s Final Four with Stanford, South Carolina, Louisville and UConn heading to Minneapolis. After an upset-heavy women’s NCAA Tournament, the Final Four includes three No. 1 seeds and No. 2 UConn. The Huskies extended their record streak to 14 seasons reaching the national semifinals and will face Stanford. Louisville plays South Carolina in the other semifinal Friday night. Stanford and UConn have played five times in the national semifinals or championship game.
March 29, 2022 3:50 am
ST. LOUIS (AP) – Albert Pujols has returned to the St. Louis Cardinals, finding a home in the place where he became one of baseball’s most powerful sluggers. The 42-year-old Pujols emerged from beyond the right field wall at the Cardinals’ spring training complex between the first and second innings of an exhibition game against Houston . Pujols drew a standing ovation from the crowd and was greeted with hugs in the St. Louis dugout. Pujols was a three-time MVP and helped the Cardinals win two World Series titles. He split last season with the Angels and Dodgers. He says this will be his final season.
