Month: March 2022

By DAVID BRANDT AP Sports Writer SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers have so many stars this season that Clayton Kershaw is just one of the guys. But there’s little doubt the three-time NL Cy Young Award winner is still an extremely important piece to one of MLB’s best teams. Kershaw threw four

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — USA Gymnastics is overhauling its leadership structure in its women’s elite program. Instead of having one person serve as the program’s high-performance director, USA Gymnastics is dividing the job into three positions. Each person will report to the program’s vice president of women’s gymnastics. The organization had been looking for someone to

EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings have signed three free agents including former Miami offensive lineman Jesse Davis in their attempt to upgrade the interior blocking. The Vikings also signed ex-Denver cornerback Nate Hairston and re-signed cornerback Tye Smith. Davis was a regular for the Dolphins over the past five years with 72 starts

By JONATHAN MATTISE and TERESA M. WALKER Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Sources tell The Associated Press that Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee plans to propose $500 million in bonds in the state budget to help fund a new covered Tennessee Titans stadium envisioned for Nashville. The two people are familiar with the details of

By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer 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

BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes is hoping for smoother sailing in 2022. Hayes was limited to just 96 games a year ago because of an ailing left wrist that sent him to the injured list twice. Hayes hit .257 with six home runs and 38 RBIs in 2021 and says

By ANDREW SELIGMAN AP Sports Writer CHICAGO (AP) — The McDonald’s All-American Games are back on after a two-year hiatus, with the top boys and girls showcasing their skills at Chicago’s Wintrust Arena on Tuesday. And players like Duke-bound Dariq Whitehead look forward to participating. He says “a lot of legends” have played in the

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina freshman guard Devin Carter is the latest men’s basketball player to enter the transfer portal since coach Frank Martin was fired. Carter is a 6-foot-3 guard from Miami, Florida who was a member of the Southeastern Conference all-freshman team this season. Carter said on social media Monday he felt

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Felisha Legette-Jack has been introduced the women’s basketball coach at Syracuse. Legette-Jack previously spent a decade as the coach at Buffalo. She was a star player for the Orange in the 1980s. Now she takes over a program that’s recovering from allegations that longtime coach Quentin Hillsman mistreated his players. Eleven

By TOM CANAVAN AP Sports Writer JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) — Saint Peter’s unexpected run in the NCAA Tournament ended with a bus ride back to New Jersey and the prospect Shaheen Holloway might have coached his last game with the Peacocks. The school was the first No. 15 seed to reach the Elite Eight.

By MARK DIDTLER Associated Press CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — The rebuilding Baltimore Orioles got a glimpse at their future over the final three innings of a 7-1 spring training loss to the Philadelphia Phillies Monday and it didn’t start well when D.L. Hall’s first pitch was high and inside and wound up hitting the backstop.

By AARON BEARD AP Basketball Writer The Duke-North Carolina rivalry has been filled with future NBA stars and intense finishes through nearly 100 meetings in Mike Krzyzewski’s Hall of Fame tenure with the Blue Devils. The teams are preparing to meet Saturday in the Final Four. That will mark the first NCAA Tournament meeting between

By JOSH DUBOW AP Pro Football Writer Coach Josh McDaniels says the Las Vegas Raiders are trying to build around quarterback Derek Carr and are looking for the “sweet spot” in finding an acceptable contract extension that won’t hamper the franchise in the future. Carr is entering the final season of a $125 million, five-year

By STEPHEN WHYNO AP Hockey Writer The Philadelphia Flyers have signed prospect Noah Cates and are expected to insert him into their lineup right away. His college season ended over the weekend when Minnesota-Duluth was eliminated from the playoffs by Denver. Cates had three points in four games for the U.S. at the Beijing Olympics

PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane says the team will retain Ryan Bates by matching the four-year qualifying offer the offensive lineman signed with the Chicago Bears last week. The Bills had five days to match the offer or lose Bates without compensation. The third-year player was a restricted free

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Sports Writer MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Making the quarterfinals at a tournament used to be no big deal for Naomi Osaka. It was only a shock if it didn’t happen. Things are a bit different now. The former world No. 1 has made it through to the quarterfinals at the

By JOHN FINERAN Associated Press SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Notre Dame and first-year coach Marcus Freeman are getting know each other. Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees returns on a staff that has eight new faces, including Freeman’s successor at defensive coordinator in Al Golden. There’s also a battle for the No. 1 quarterback spot as

By STEVE MEGARGEE AP Sports Writer MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin running back Chez Mellusi says he has reached out to former Clemson teammate and current Green Bay Packers wide receiver Amari Rodgers for advice on recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Rodgers tore the ACL in his right knee in March 2019 but

By MARK DIDTLER Associated Press CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — Philadelphia Phillies manager Joe Girardi feels pitching around the majors during the month of April will be a battle of attrition. The Phillies open the regular season at home on April 8 against the Oakland Athletics, the first of 13 straight days of games. Girardi said

By BARRY WILNER AP Pro Football Writer PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — For a few weeks, the Indianapolis Colts had a huge void at quarterback. Then the Deshaun Watson carousel began spinning, and soon enough, Matt Ryan was available. Colts coach Frank Reich couldn’t contain his enthusiasm about Ryan on Monday morning as AFC coaches

By THERESA SMITH Associated Press MESA, Ariz. (AP) — Eric Thames who has played baseball in Canada, Venezuela, Japan, South Korea, six MLB organizations, Pepperdine University and two community colleges since starring at shortstop at Bellarmine College Prep in San Jose, California. Now at 35, following an injury-shortened season overseas, Thames is in camp with

By ROB HARRIS AP Global Soccer Writer DOHA, Qatar (AP) — The command center in Qatar for the upcoming World Cup is all quiet and calm. By November, however, it will be at the heart of operations for the most high-profile sporting event to be staged in the Middle East. The Associated Press has a

By JACK MAGRUDER Associated Press PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) — San Diego right-hander Mike Clevinger is on track to rejoin the Padres’ starting rotation this season after missing 2021 following his second Tommy John surgery. The first surgery was in 2012. One of the most effective pitchers in the majors when healthy, the 31-year-old Clevinger enters

NEWTON, Iowa (AP) — Olympic gold medalist and two-time NCAA champion Gable Steveson of Minnesota has been named repeat winner of the Dan Hodge Trophy as the top wrestler in college wrestling. WIN magazine announced Steveson had received 49 of 59 first-place votes from a panel of retired coaches, a representative from each of the