September 25, 2020 2:59 am
WASHINGTON, Pa. — The Washington Wild Things and the Frontier League have announced a partnership with Major League Baseball. The designation announced Thursday allows the Frontier League to collaborate with the MLB to jointly discuss marketing and promotional initiatives to grow, expand and enhance the game of baseball, according to a release.
September 25, 2020 2:56 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will do something no Steelers player has ever done when Pittsburgh hosts Houston in Week 3. When Roethlisberger trots onto the field, he will appear in his 221st game with the Steelers. That will break a tie with Hall of Fame center Mike Webster for the most appearances in black-and-gold in team history. The 38-year-old Roethlisberger credits his faith and his 6-foot-5 frame for his durability. Roethlisberger took a pounding early in his career but says he’s learned over time to avoid big hits when he can.
September 25, 2020 2:53 am
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) – Well-traveled Ryan Fitzpatrick has become the first NFL quarterback to beat the same opponent with six different teams. Fitzpatrick also led the Miami Dolphins to their first victory of the year, accounting for three touchdowns in a 31-13 downing of the Jacksonville Jaguars. He completed his first 12 passes for the first time as Miami scored touchdowns on its first three drives, something the Dolphins hadn’t accomplished since 2011.
September 25, 2020 3:28 am
The Pac-12 has set a Nov. 6 start date for a seven-game football season, following the Big Ten in overturning its August decision to postpone until spring because of concerns about playing through the pandemic. The conference’s CEO group of university presidents voted unanimously to resume football and basketball, lifting a Jan. 1 moratorium on athletic competition for Pac-12 schools. The Mountain West announced it was coming back in the fall, too, targeting Oct. 24 to start an eight-game football season. Both conferences plan to hold their league championship games the weekend of Dec. 19.
September 24, 2020 2:54 am
The postponed football game between No. 7 Notre Dame and Wake Forest will be moved to Dec. 12, while the Demon Deacons also are moving their nonconference game against Campbell a week earlier to Oct. 2. The ACC’s revamped scheduling model allows for 11 games to be played over 13 weeks through Dec. 5, as well as the possibility of playing Dec. 12. Meanwhile, Ohio State says it is cutting a handful of jobs, furloughing hundreds of other employees and asking coaches to take pay cuts to deal with a budget shortfall expected to be over $100 million because of the pandemic. Athletic director Gene Smith says none of the 36 sports will be cut and athlete support services will be maintained.
September 24, 2020 2:52 am
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) – Steven Stamkos played sparingly in his return to action, but he opened the scoring in the first period of the Tampa Bay Lightning’s 5-2 victory against the Dallas Stars in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final. Stamkos was playing for the first time in almost seven months and didn’t hit the ice over the final two periods. Victor Hedman’s power-play goal was the eventual game-winner as the Lightning took a two-games-to-one lead in the series.
September 23, 2020 9:31 am
CANTON, OH — Chicago Bears Hall of Fame running back Gale Sayers, one of the most electrifying players in NFL history, died Wednesday. He was 77. Pro Football Hall of Fame president David Baker announced Sayers’ death. No cause was provided. “All those who love the game of football mourn the loss of one of the greatest to ever play this game with the passing of Chicago Bears legend Gale Sayers,” Baker said in a statement. “He was the very essence of a team player — quiet, unassuming and always ready to compliment a teammate for a key block. Gale was an extraordinary man who overcame a great deal of adversity during his NFL career and life. “The “Kansas Comet” burst onto the scene in the National Football League and captured the attention of all of America. Despite playing only 68 NFL games because of an injury-shortened career, Gale was a clear-cut — and first-ballot — Hall of Famer for his accomplishments on the field and for the man of character he was in life.
September 23, 2020 2:32 am
PITTSBURGH – Catcher Jacob Stallings drove a 94 mph fastball from Andrew Chafin into the left-field seats allowing the Pittsburgh Pirates to walk-off with a 3-2 win over the Chicago Cubs. An inning earlier, Chicago first baseman, Anthony Rizzo spoiled Steven Brault’s stellar start, lining a game-tying two-run home run to right off Pirates reliever Sam Howard. Brault worked seven scoreless innings, allowing just two hits in his season finale. Snapping a five-game losing skid, the walk-off home run by Stallings is the first of his career and the first for the Pirates in the COVID-shortened 2020 season. The Cubs clinched a playoff spot despite the loss, returning to the post-season after a one-year absence, their first year out of the playoffs since 2014.
September 23, 2020 2:34 am
LAS VEGAS (AP) – Two more NFL head coaches and their teams have been fined for not wearing masks on the sideline. A person with knowledge of the punishment says Jon Gruden of the Raiders and Sean Payton of the Saints were each fined $100,000 for not wearing masks on the sideline. The teams were fined $250,000. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the league wasn’t announcing specific fines. The league already handed out similar punishments to Denver’s Vic Fangio, San Francisco’s Kyle Shanahan and Seattle’s Pete Carroll.
September 23, 2020 2:35 am
UNDATED (AP) – Notre Dame’s game at Wake Forest on Saturday has been postponed after positive COVID-19 tests landed 13 Fighting Irish players in isolation and another 10 in quarantine. Notre Dame says the process of rescheduling the game is underway. Both teams are off Oct. 3. Notre Dame said 94 football players were tested for COVID-19 on Monday and of those seven were positive. Those players were in isolation along with others who tested positive last week.
