Category: Sports

Pirates temporarily suspend 401k benefits amid pandemic

Pirates temporarily suspend 401k benefits amid pandemic
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates are suspending retirement benefits for members of the team’s baseball operations staff in an effort to cope with the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. General manager Ben Cherington says the team has been searching for ways to find savings with the 2020 season on hold indefinitely with much of the country locked down in hopes of stemming the spread of the virus. The temporary suspension of retirement benefits is part of an effort to avoid any potential personnel cutbacks.

Matt Kenseth back to NASCAR as Larson replacement at Ganassi

Matt Kenseth back to NASCAR as Larson replacement at Ganassi
By JENNA FRYER AP Auto Racing Writer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Former NASCAR champion Matt Kenseth will come out of retirement to compete for Chip Ganassi Racing. He is the replacement for fired driver Kyle Larson, who lost his job two weeks ago for using a racial slur while competing in a virtual race. Ganassi developement driver Ross Chastain was considered a replacement but the team instead went with Kenseth. He is a two-time Daytona 500 winner. Ganassi says the team will ask NASCAR for a waiver to make Kenseth eligible to race for the title this season.

Old school: Steelers focus on seniors in draft

Old school: Steelers focus on seniors in draft
By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers went old school during the 2020 NFL draft. The team used five of its six selections on seniors, a rare move for a club that likes to draft underclassmen. General manager Kevin Colbert said the decision to focus on more experienced players was just coincidental and had nothing to do with the uncertain offseason brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. Notre Dame wide receiver Chase Claypool figures to make the most immediate impact while the rest of the incoming class will see time on special teams or provide depth along the offensive and defensive lines.

Byron wins 2nd NASCAR virtual race in a drama-free event

Byron wins 2nd NASCAR virtual race in a drama-free event
By JENNA FRYER AP Auto Racing Writer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Drivers were on their best behavior in NASCAR’s latest virtual race and no one did anything to get fired or lose a sponsor. The iRacing Series has had a sour taste since Bubba Wallace lost a sponsor for quitting a game in a rage and Kyle Larson was fired for using a racial slur during a race. Sunday’s event at virtual Richmond Raceway was low on drama and William Byron won for the second consecutive race. The most excitement came when Matt DiBenedetto was parked for intentionally crashing Ryan Preece and the two then engaged in a Twitter spat.

Halladay on drugs, doing stunts when plane crashed

NTSB: Halladay on drugs, doing stunts when plane crashed
By TERRY SPENCER Associated Press
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A federal report says Baseball Hall of Famer Roy Halladay had drugs in his system and was doing extreme acrobatics in his small plane when it crashed into the Gulf of Mexico in 2017, killing him. The National Transportation Safety Board said Wednesday that the former Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies star had amphetamine levels about 10 times therapeutic levels in his system along with other drugs that can impair judgment. He was doing a series of maneuvers when the plane suddenly nosedived into the water on Nov. 7, 2017. The report said Halladay had sometimes come within 5 feet of the water before the crash.

Hank Steinbrenner, Yankees co-owner, dies at 63

Hank Steinbrenner, Yankees co-owner, dies at 63
By RONALD BLUM AP Baseball Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — New York Yankees co-owner Hank Steinbrenner died Tuesday at age 63. He is the oldest son of George Steinbrenner and one of the four siblings who own the team’s controlling shares. The team said he died at home in Clearwater, Florida, due to a long-standing health issue. A chain smoker and miniature drag racer, Hank hoped to succeed as father as the team’s controlling owner. Between the 2007 and 2008 seasons, he became the public voice of the Yankees’ ownership. He did not appear to have much involvement in the team’s operations in recent years and devoted more time to racing interests.

Kyle Larson fired after sponsors drop NASCAR driver over slur

Larson fired after sponsors drop NASCAR driver over slur
By JENNA FRYER AP Auto Racing Writer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kyle Larson has been fired by Chip Ganassi Racing two days after the NASCAR driver used a racial slur on a live stream of a virtual race. Larson used the N-word during a Sunday night iRacing event and the clip went viral. He was first suspended without pay by Ganassi and then suspended by NASCAR, which ordered the half-Japanese driver to complete sensitivity training. Sponsors started dropping Larson and Ganassi was left with no choice but to fire the driver.

ESPN and NFL Network will combine for NFL draft telecast

ESPN and NFL Network will combine for NFL draft telecast
NEW YORK (AP) — ESPN and NFL Network will join forces for this year’s NFL draft. They will produce a broadcast that will air on both networks over all three days. The April 23-25 draft was originally scheduled to be in Las Vegas but has been moved due to the coronavirus pandemic. It will now originate from ESPN’s headquarters from Bristol, Connecticut. Draft hosts and a limited number of commentators will be in-studio but will adhere to social distancing guidelines. Commissioner Roger Goodell will introduce first-round picks from his home in Bronxville, New York. ABC will air a separate draft broadcast on Thursday and Friday before simulcasting the ESPN/NFL Network feed on Saturday.

Ex-NFL quarterback Tarvaris Jackson, 36, dies in car crash

Ex-NFL quarterback Tarvaris Jackson, 36, dies in car crash
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Former NFL quarterback Tarvaris Jackson has died in a one-car crash near his hometown of Montgomery, Alabama. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency says the 36-year-old Jackson was killed Sunday night when the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro he was driving went off the road, struck a tree and overturned. Jackson was pronounced dead at a hospital. The crash remains under investigation. Jackson was hired as quarterbacks coach for Tennessee State last season after a 10-year NFL career with the Seattle Seahawks, Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills. He was part of Seattle’s Super Bowl championship team in 2014 as Russell Wilson’s backup. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll posted a Twitter message calling Jackson “a beloved teammate, competitor, and Seahawk.”

NASCAR’s Larson suspended for racial slur in virtual race

NASCAR’s Larson suspended for racial slur in virtual race
By JENNA FRYER AP Auto Racing Writer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — NASCAR driver Kyle Larson used a racial slur on a live stream during a virtual race and has been suspended by NASCAR and without pay by his team. Larson was competing in an iRacing event when he appeared to lose communication on his headset with his spotter. He said during a check of his microphone “you can’t hear me?” That was followed by the N-word. The star driver apologized, saying there was “no excuse” for his comment. Larson is half Japanese and his grandparents spent time in an interment camp in California. He is the second driver in a week to draw scrutiny while using the online racing platform.