February 2, 2022 3:05 am
NEW YORK (AP) – A contentious 90-minute negotiating session between locked out players and Major League Baseball today brought little development Tuesday. A session on noneconomic issues is set for Wednesday and there is no date for the resumption of talks on the core matters, such as luxury tax thresholds. Owners are scheduled to meet from Feb. 8-10 in Orlando, Florida, making it less likely there could be negotiations over those days. In a sign of the lack of progress, the union has started to distribute withheld money to players from its stoppage fund.
February 2, 2022 3:04 am
BEIJING (AP) – The three-day torch relay for the Beijing Olympics has started with an 80-year-old former speedskater carrying the flame. The relay has been shortened considerably because of concerns about the coronavirus. Luo Zhihuan ran the first leg. He is the country’s first internationally competitive speedskater. The torch will be carried through the three Olympics zones. It starts with downtown Beijing. The Beijing Games have already been impacted on a scale similar to that experienced by Tokyo during last year’s Summer Olympics. China says only selected spectators will be allowed to attend the events.
January 31, 2022 2:07 am
WPIAL basketball enters the home stretch, the final two weeks of section play. Playoff berths have already been clinched by girls teams at Peters Township and Trinity along with the Wash High boys. The top four teams in each section qualify and only section games count in that process. Here’s a look at where each Washington County team stands as we move into the final two weeks of the regular season.
Boys
6A Canon-McMillan (2-4) and Peters Township (1-5) are on the bottom of the six-team section but each has a win against a team above them. With four games left, they’ll need to beat beat each other as well as Baldwin, the current final qualifier from Section 2.
5A Trinity (0-6) is last in Section 2 and trails the last playoff spot by two games with four to play. But the road is not impossible for the Hillers with games remaining against the two teams right above the. Trinity must beat Moon Tuesday (a game we’ll have on WJPA-AM) and West Allegheny next week to keep hopes alive in Section 2. Ringgold (2-4) is tied with Thomas Jefferson for fourth place in Section 1. The two meet at Ringgold Tuesday, Feb. 8.
3A Wash High (8-0) has earned a playoff spot and leads Section 4, two games ahead of Brownsville with four games left. Charleroi (3-4) has dropped to fifth place, a game back of Waynesburg. McGuffey (1-6) is two games back of Waynesburg. Beth-Center (0-8) can not make the playoffs.
2A Fort Cherry (5-1) is one game back of Section 2 leader Carlynton. The Rangers host the Cougars Friday night (hear that game on WJPA-FM). Chartiers-Houston (2-4) sits in 4th place and can clinch a playoff spot with a win at home Tuesday against Northgate. Burgettstown (0-6) two games back with four left to play, including games against the section leaders. California (2-3) is in 4th place in Section 4, one game ahead of Bentworth (1-5). California has one game to make up vs. Frazier.
1A Avella (0-5) is in last place in Section 2, 1.5 games back of the final playoff position.
Girls
6A Peters Township (6-3) has clinched its berth and is currently in 3rd place in Section 2, one game back of second-place Upper St. Clair. Canon-McMillan (0-8) is in last place and can not reach the playoffs.
5A Trinity (8-0) leads Section 3 and has clinched a playoff berth. The Hillers have rolled past most section foes but edged Thomas Jefferson by four last week. Trinity hosts Albert Gallatin Thursday. The Colonials gave Trinity its closest challenge prior to the TJ game. Ringgold (2-5) is currently tied for fifth, a half-game back of Connellsville. The two split their regular season games.
3A Charleroi (3-4) has the best mark of the four county teams in Section 2, and that’s good enough for fourth place. The Cougars have games left with Brownsville (5-3), McGuffey, Bentworth (2 games) and Wash High. McGuffey (3-5) and Bentworth (2-6) are longshots at best. Wash High (0-9) can not qualify.
2A California (4-2) is in third place in Section 2, three games better than fifth place. The Trojans clinch a berth with one more win. Beth-Center (0-5) is one game back of Carmichaels for the final berth. Burgettstown (5-0) leads Section 3 with five to play including a pair of games with winless Northgate. Fort Cherry (3-2) is third, Chartiers-Houston (2-3) fourth, both likely to make the post-season. The Bucs & Rangers play at Fort Cherry Saturday (tentatively set for 1:30 pm on WJPA-FM).
1A Avella (3-3) is currently third in Section 2, losing to the top two teams, beating the three teams below them.
February 1, 2022 3:52 am
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) – Tom Brady has retired after winning seven Super Bowls and setting numerous passing records in an unprecedented 22-year-career. He made the announcement in a long post on Instagram. Brady has long stated his desire to spend more time with his wife, supermodel Gisele Bundchen, and three children despite still playing at the top of his game.The 44-year-old Brady goes out after leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl title last season and NFC South championship this season.
February 1, 2022 3:49 am
NEW YORK (AP) – Baseball labor negotiations are set to resume Tuesday, just over two weeks before the scheduled start of a spring training that’s threatened by a lockout. The sport’s ninth work stoppage began Dec. 2 after the expiration of a five-year labor contract. The sides did not meet again on the central economic issues until Jan. 24, when players withdrew their proposal for more liberalized free agency. Management responded the following day by withdrawing its proposal for more limited salary arbitration. Tuesday’s session will be the first on the central issues since then and the sides are apart on many economic proposals. That leaves very little time to end the lockout and avoid disrupting the Feb. 16 scheduled start of spring training workouts. Players would need several days to travel to team complexes in Arizona and Florida, plus time to go through COVID-19 protocols. Given the need for at least three weeks of workouts, Opening Day on March 31 would be threatened if there is not an agreement by late February or early March.
January 31, 2022 3:52 am
UNDATED (AP) – Last weekend was all about game-ending field goals and overtime wins in the NFL divisional round. On Sunday, it was all about comebacks as the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals advanced to the Super Bowl. The Rams erased a 10-point, fourth-quarter deficit in a 20-17 victory over the San Francisco 49ers. Cooper Kupp caught two touchdown passes from Matthew Stafford for the Rams, who began the fourth quarter down 17-7 after wasting a multitude of scoring opportunities. After Kupp’s second TD catch and a tying field goal on a drive extended by Jaquiski Tartt’s brutal dropped interception, the Rams drove for Matt Gay’s go-ahead, 30-yard field goal with 1:46 to play. Travin Howard made a game-sealing interception with 1:09 to play. Stafford passed for 337 yards in the third playoff victory of his 13-year career, helping the Rams earn the right to host their own Super Bowl. Deebo Samuel and George Kittle caught touchdown passes from Jimmy Garoppolo, who threw for 232 yards in a heartbreaker for the 49ers.
The Bengals are in the Super Bowl for the first time in 33 years after tying the biggest comeback in conference championship history. Evan McPherson drilled a 31-yard field goal on the Bengals’ first possession of overtime to complete a 27-24 win at Kansas City in the AFC title game. The game-winning kick came after Vonn Bell intercepted Patrick Mahomes on the third play of OT.
The Chiefs reached the end zone on each of their first three possessions to go up 21-3. They had a chance to end the half with an 18-point lead, but a Mahomes completion ended up short of the goal line on the final play of the half. Joe Burrow shook off a slow start to finish 23 of 38 passing for 250 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Joe Mixon ran for 88 yards and Tee Higgins had six receptions for 103 yards. McPherson drilled four field goals, including a 52-yarder that put the Bengals ahead, 24-21. Harrison Butker’s 44-yard kick tied the game on the final play of regulation. Mahomes passed for 275 yards and hit Travis Kelce (KEHL’-see), Tyreek Hill and Mecole Hardman for touchdowns, but he was picked off twice in his fourth straight trip to the AFC Championship Game.
January 31, 2022 2:30 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Trevor Moore’s second goal broke a tie in the third period and sent the Los Angeles Kings over the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3. Sidney Crosby scored his 498th career goal for the Penguins. Moore took a lead pass from Blake Lizotte and beat goaltender Tristan Jarry on a breakaway at 13:21 of the third. Moore’s seventh goal of the season helped the Kings win for the third time in five games following a three-game skid. Drew Doughty, who played in his 1,000th NHL game on Thursday, scored his fifth and Alex Iafallo got his 14th for the Kings. Bryan Rust had a pair of third-period goals for the Penguins, who have lost three in a row for the first time since late November.
January 31, 2022 3:48 am
BOSTON (AP) – Makai Ashton-Langford tossed in 21 points and Boston College breezed to a 69-56 victory over Pittsburgh. DeMarr Langford scored 11 of his 15 points in the first half to help Boston College (9-11, 4-6 Atlantic Coast Conference) take a 31-22 lead into intermission. Quinten Post pitched in with 11 points and 10 rebounds off the bench for his first career double-double. Ashton-Langford sank 8 of 13 shots with three 3-pointers. Femi Idukale finished with 14 points and five rebounds for the Panthers (8-13, 3-7).
January 30, 2022 8:30 pm
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Evan McPherson kicked a 31-yard field goal in overtime after Joe Burrow kept his cool while leading a furious second-half comeback to get the Cincinnati Bengals to the Super Bowl for the first time in 33 years with a 27-24 victory over Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game. The Bengals erased an 18-point deficit to take a late 24-21 lead but Harrison Butker’s 44-yard field goal as time expired in regulation sent it to overtime a week after his 49-yarder on the final play of regulation did the same against Buffalo. Vonn Bell intercepted Mahomes on the third play of overtime and Burrow and the Bengals took over.
January 30, 2022 7:50 am
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Only Tom Brady could turn a retirement decision into must-see drama. Despite reports that he is retiring, Brady has told the Tampa Bay Buccaneers he hasn’t made up his mind, two people familiar with the details told The Associated Press. It’s unknown when he’ll make an announcement, leaving his team guessing and fans hoping for one more run that seems unlikely considering his age and family situation. A week after leading the Buccaneers back from a 27-3 deficit against the Rams only to watch from the sideline as the defense allowed a game-winning drive, Brady’s future took over the NFL landscape one day before a pair of conference championship games. ESPN first reported Brady’s retirement on Saturday, citing unidentified sources. Brady’s company posted a tweet indicating he’s retiring, and reaction came from around the world congratulating Brady on his career. Even the NFL’s Twitter account posted a series of congratulatory messages.
