w Page 30 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Long shots Northwestern, Penn State square off in Big Ten tourney
Northwestern advertises itself as "Chicago's Big Ten Team," a slogan sure to circulate this week as the Big Ten tournament descends on that city's United Center.,As the 15th-seeded Wildcats prepare to face 18th-seeded Penn State in the first round on Tuesday, however, they'll need to channel court a...

Pens have ample opportunities to trim Canes' division lead
If the Pittsburgh Penguins have any chance of rising to the top in the NHL's Metropolitan Division, they'll want to make headway in the next couple of weeks.,The Penguins visit the Carolina Hurricanes for Tuesday night's game in Raleigh, N.C. These teams occupy the division's top two spots, and they...

BYU riding AJ Dybantsa in Big 12 tourney; first up is Kansas State
A couple of the nation's leading scorers will square off when BYU and Kansas State meet in the first round of the Big 12 tournament on Tuesday night in Kansas City, Mo.,The Cougars (21-10), the 10th seed in the tournament, boast AJ Dybantsa, who leads the country with 24.7 points per game. The Wildc...

Canadiens out to extend rival Maple Leafs' woes
The Canadiens aim to bolster their postseason aspirations and levy another blow to those of the Toronto Maple Leafs when the Original Six rivals meet Tuesday in Montreal.,Montreal finds itself tentatively holding the top wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, one point behind the third-place Detr...

Report: Seahawks keep Rashid Shaheed with 3-year, $51M deal
On a day that saw NFL rivals poach several key contributors from their Super Bowl roster, the Seattle Seahawks made a big commitment to retain explosive playmaker Rashid Shaheed.,The wide receiver and kick returner has agreed to a three-year, $51 million deal that includes $34.7 million in guarantee...

Sabres 'fired up' about winning ways, take on Sharks next
There's still more than a fifth of the season remaining, and nobody wants to jinx it, but Lindy Ruff and the Buffalo Sabres can taste it.,For the first time since 2011, an NHL-record 14-year drought, Buffalo is expected to reach the postseason.,The Sabres, who have won all seven games they've played...

Francis Ngannou added to Netflix's Rousey-Carano card
Netflix has added former MMA heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou to the May 16 card headlined by Ronda Rousey's return to mixed-martial arts for the first time in nearly a decade.,Netflix and Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) announced Monday that Ngannou (18-3, 4 Submissions, 13 KOs) will...

San Diego tabs Iowa State assistant JR Blount as new coach
San Diego hired well-respected Iowa State assistant JR Blount as its new head coach, the school announced Monday.,Blount replaces Steve Lavin, who was fired last month before finishing out a 12-21 season at the West Coast Conference school.,Blount, 38, has been part of four straight NCAA Tournament ...

Report: Five defect with Iran's women's soccer team in limbo in Australia
Amid the war in the Middle East involving the United States, Israel and Iran, five members of the Iranian women's soccer team reportedly defected after Sunday's game during the Women's Asian Cup in Australia.,The Iranian team has been in Australia since the U.S. and Israel began attacking Iran on Fe...

Report: Police responded to 911 calls before Falcons LB James Pearce's arrest
Records showed that police received seven 911 calls reporting threatening behavior by Atlanta Falcons linebacker James Pearce Jr. before he was ultimately arrested in February, ESPN reported Monday.,The names of the callers were redacted in the documents ESPN obtained, but between November and Febru...

Two MLS players banned for life for betting on games
Former Major League Soccer players Yaw Yeboah and Derrick Jones received lifetime bans for betting on MLS matches -- including their own -- the league announced Monday.,Yeboah, 28, most recently played for LAFC in 2025 and is a former teammate of Jones with the Columbus Crew. Both were placed on adm...

Injuries helped push Oregon, Maryland into Big Ten 16-17 matchup
Devastating injuries to their top players have been debilitating for Oregon and Maryland, as both have had uncharacteristic losing seasons.,When the 16th-seeded Ducks (12-19) meet the 17th-seeded Terrapins (11-20) in the opening round of the Big Ten tournament Tuesday in Chicago, it will be a matchu...

NBA cancels Hawks' controversial strip club promotion
The NBA stepped in to cancel the Atlanta Hawks' planned collaboration with local strip club Magic City.,NBA commissioner Adam Silver issued a statement Monday indicating that his office decided to scrap the promotion.,"When we became aware of the Atlanta Hawks' scheduled promotion, we reached out to...

SMU, Syracuse each bring slumps into ACC tournament
CHARLOTTE -- SMU and Syracuse have been sliding in the wrong direction, but one of them will pick up an Atlantic Coast Conference tournament victory when they meet Tuesday.,The first-round matchup might be too late for No. 11 seed SMU (19-12), which has fallen to the brink of the NCAA Tournament bub...

Reports: QB Tua Tagovailoa signing 1-year deal with Falcons
Informed earlier Monday that he will be released by the Miami Dolphins when the new NFL year begins Wednesday, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will sign a one-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons, multiple media outlets reported. ,The Falcons are set to release veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins before t...

No excuses: Tommy Fleetwood prepares for Players as family remains in Dubai
While Tommy Fleetwood is playing PGA Tour events in the United States, his family is half a world away, unable to leave Dubai as conflict in the Middle East continues.,The Englishman counts his family among the lucky ones, telling reporters Monday that the United Arab Emirates has done an "unbelieva...

Reports: Commanders reel in DE Odafe Oweh with 4-year, $100M deal
The Washington Commanders agreed to a four-year, $100 million deal with free-agent defensive end Odafe Oweh on Monday, according to ESPN.,Oweh will reportedly receive $68 million in guaranteed money.,Oweh, 27, has 17.5 sacks over the past two seasons, including a career-high 10 for the Baltimore Rav...

Justin Thomas: 'No scenario' where layoff an excuse for poor play
Justin Thomas said there is "no scenario" in which his return from a sixth-month absence following back surgery provides an excuse for poor play and high scores.,A year removed from tying the course record at TPC Sawgrass, Thomas returns to The Players Championship this week on the heels of finishin...

Reports: Bucs reach deals with LB Alex Anzalone, RB Kenneth Gainwell
Longtime Detroit Lions captain Alex Anzalone and former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kenneth Gainwell have agreed to two-year deals with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, ESPN reported on Monday.,Anzalone, a linebacker, agreed to a $17 million deal, while Gainwell will receive $14 million, according to ...

Reports: Patriots sign DE Dre'Mont Jones, FB Reggie Gilliam
The New England Patriots agreed to a three-year, $39.5 million deal with free agent defensive end Dre'Mont Jones, NFL Network reported Monday.,Jones, 29, has 37.5 career sacks in 108 games (69 starts) over seven NFL seasons with four teams. He has 253 tackles, 87 quarterback hits, 47 stops for loss,...