August 9, 2021 3:40 am
CANTON, Ohio (AP) — From bone-rattling tacklers Troy Polamalu, Steve Atwater and Cliff Harris to hard-charging runner Edgerrin James to the pass-catching brilliance of Isaac Bruce and Harold Carmichael, the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2020 has something for everyone. Add in blocking dynamos Steve Hutchinson and Jim Covert, Steel Curtain stalwart safety Donnie Shell and such as leaders as former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue and coaches Bill Cowher and Jimmy Johnson. They all entered the hall Saturday night, a year late due to the COVID-19 pandemic, yet just as rewarding. Certainly all 12 men enshrined on this night felt that way. Polamalu had a 12-season career filled with spectacular performances, leadership and, well, winning with the Steelers. The 16th overall draft pick in 2003 from Southern California, he played in three Super Bowls, winning two, and made the NFL’s 2000s Team of the Decade.
August 9, 2021 3:59 am
TOKYO (AP) – The closing ceremony was held at the Tokyo Games on Sunday as the International Olympic Committee now prepares for the Winter Games in just a few months. The United States wound up finishing first in both medals tables despite a few mild disappointments in competition. The Americans picked up 39 gold medals, one more than China and 12 better than Japan. The total medal count for the U.S. was 113, 25 more than China. The Americans also outpaced all countries with 41 silver medals and 33 bronze.
August 9, 2021 3:56 am
Hall of Fame college football coach Bobby Bowden has died after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Exuding charm and wit, Bowden led Florida State to two national championships and a dozen conference titles during his 34 seasons with the Seminoles. In all, Bowden had 377 wins during his 40 years in major college coaching. His teams, no stranger to scandal, won national titles in 1993 and 1999 and came close several other times. He was selected for the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006. Bobby Bowden was 91 years old.
August 8, 2021 7:43 am
Bobby Bowden, the folksy Hall of Fame coach who won more than 350 games and built Florida State into one of college football’s great dynasties with two national championships, has died. He was 91. Bobby’s son, Terry, confirmed to The Associated Press that his father died at home surrounded by family early Sunday morning. Florida State also announced the news on social media. Bobby Bowden announced on July 21 he had a terminal illness that Terry Bowden later said was pancreatic cancer. Bobby Bowden had been treated for prostate cancer more than a decade ago. Bowden was hospitalized in October 2020 after testing positive for COVID-19. The test came a few days after he returned to his Tallahassee, Florida, home from a long hospital stay for a leg infection. With Southern charm and wit, Bowden piled up 377 wins during his 40 years as a major college coach, from tiny Samford — his alma mater, then known as Howard College — to West Virginia and finally at Florida State, where he went 315-98-4. The Seminoles were a force during his 34 seasons as coach, winning 12 Atlantic Coast Conference championships and national titles in 1993 and 1999.
August 8, 2021 7:42 am
CINCINNATI — Jesse Winker went 3 for 5 with a homer, double and tied a career high with six RBI to lift the Cincinnati Reds over the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-3 on Saturday night. Nick Castellanos and Joey Votto also homered, helping the Reds pull within two games of the San Diego Padres for the second NL Wild Card. Rookie right-hander Vladimir Gutierrez (7-3) allowed a run over six innings to earn the victory. He retired the final seven batters he faced. Cincinnati continued its dominance of the Pirates, improving to 8-1 this season, including 6-0 at home. Dating to last season, the Reds have won 14 of their past 15 games against Pittsburgh. The Reds have won 9 of 11 and are averaging more than seven runs per game. Bryan Reynolds went 3 for 4 with a two-run homer and an RBI triple for Pittsburgh. Pirates starter Mitch Keller (3-9), who owned a 9.37 ERA in four previous starts against the Reds, allowed four earned runs in five innings to take the loss.
August 7, 2021 10:30 am
The NFL Hall of Fame will welcome 5 Steeler legends this weekend in Canton Ohio. Bill Cowher, Troy Polamalu, Donnie Shell, Bill Nunn and Alan Faneca all will receive inductions tonight and Sunday. Inductions for tonight start at 6:30.
August 7, 2021 4:29 am
(AP)-The Reds rolled to a 10-0 rout of the Pirates as Mike Moustakas went 3-for-4 with three doubles and two RBIs in his return from the injured list. Tucker Barnhart hit a three-run homer for Cincinnati, which also received solo shots from Jesse Winker and Jonathan India. It’s the sixth time the Reds have scored at least 10 runs for Wade Miley, who scattered six hits over seven innings.
August 7, 2021 4:33 am
TOKYO (AP) – It’s a four-peat for the US Olympic men’s basketball team. Kevin Durant scored 29 points and the Americans took the gold medal by defeating the team that beat them in their opening game at the Tokyo Olympics, 87-82 over France. He joined Carmelo Anthony as the only men’s basketball players with three gold medals. Durant sealed it with two free throws with 8.8 seconds left, making the outcome academic. Jayson Tatum finished with 19 points, while Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday each chipped in 11 for the U.S. Saturday’s Olympic action in Tokyo began with the women’s marathon, which gave Kenya a pair of medals and added another to the U.S. total. Peres Jepchirchir led a 1-2 Kenyan finish, finishing in a time of 2 hours, 27 minutes, 20 seconds. Her teammate Brigid Kosgei was second and American Molly Seidel took home the bronze. The race was transferred to Sapporo from Tokyo and moved up an hour to avoid the heat. There were 88 runners entered in the field and more than a dozen recorded a did not finish.
August 7, 2021 4:31 am
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – Harris English shot a 5-under 65 at TPC Southwind to hold onto the lead through two rounds of the FedEx St. Jude Invitational. English withstood strong challenges from Cameron Smith and Abraham Ancer (AN’-sur) to retain the top spot at 13-under 127, two ahead of his nearest opponents. Smith had a 62 that required only 18 putts, tying a PGA Tour record for fewest putts in a round. Sam Burns fired a 64 that puts him in a fourth-place tie with Ian Poulter and Scottie Scheffler.
August 6, 2021 3:45 am
CANTON, Ohio (AP) – The Pittsburgh Steelers followed a stumbling first half with a strong final 30 minutes to beat Dallas 16-3 in the first NFL preseason game in two years. Last season’s exhibition games were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So maybe the enthusiastic crowd was an indication that even for a match between teams using very few regulars, the hunger for pro football has not faded. Or maybe it was simply a matter of two of the league’s most popular franchises being on the field in the Hall of Fame game, regardless of how many backups were in action.
