Sports

By PAUL NEWBERRY AP Sports Writer ATLANTA (AP) — Marcus Mariota has already addressed the most immediate issue with his new team. He’ll wear No. 1 for the Falcons, not his usual No. 8. Pro Bowl tight end Kyle Pitts already had Mariota’s preferred number. The quarterback wasn’t about to ask Pitts to give it

By The Associated Press Mike Krzyzewski would pass famed UCLA coach John Wooden for most Final Four appearances if No. 2 seed Duke can beat fourth-seeded Arkansas in the West Region final in San Francisco. The late Wooden and the retiring Coach K are tied with 12 trips each to the national semifinals. The game

By JIM VERTUNO AP Sports Writer SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Villanova began the season among the figurative favorites to reach the Final Four. The Wildcats were ranked No. 4 and boasted a veteran roster that reached all the way back to the 2018 national championship season. But by mid-December they had taken a beating from

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma State has boosted football coach Mike Gundy’s salary to $7.5 million for the 2022 calendar year. The school’s Board of Regents approved a $1 million increase in annual compensation and a $1 million annual retention bonus over each of the next five years. Other terms of his existing contract, including

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A jury has convicted a man of killing a college football player in Kansas and wounding another man who went on to play in the NFL. Twenty-one-year-old Francisco “Franky” Mendez was found guilty Friday of first-degree murder in the April 2019 shooting death of Dwane Simmons, a Washburn University football player.

PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic (AP) — Ben Martin shot his second straight 6-under 66 on Friday to double his lead to two strokes in the PGA Tour’s Corales Puntacana Championship. Martin had four birdies in a late five-hole stretch, finishing the afternoon round on the front nine at breezy Corales Golf Course. The 34-year-old former

By GERALD IMRAY AP Sports Writer CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Mohamed Salah had his say this time as Egypt beat Sadio Mané’s Senegal 1-0 in the first leg of their World Cup playoff in Cairo. A Salah shot came off the crossbar and forced an own goal to give Egypt a slender lead

By TOM WITHERS AP Sports Writer BEREA, Ohio (AP) — New Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson maintained his innocence and strongly denied committing any sexual misconduct despite allegations made by 22 women against him. Wearing a dark pinstriped suit and orange tie at his introductory news conference, Watson showed little emotion while saying he’s done nothing

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Basketball Writer WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The women’s basketball program that Jeff Walz has built at Louisville over the past 15 years resembles in so many ways the juggernaut Pat Summitt built at Tennessee, with one important exception: winning a national championship. The Lady Vols piled up eight of them. The

By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Richard Bland is having quite a ride at the Dell Technologies Match Play. He didn’t realize he would be in the 64-man field until a runner-up finish in Dubai two months ago. That meant having to cancel plans for the second time to take his

By STEVE REED AP Sports Writer CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Panthers desperately wanted to land quarterback Deshaun Watson. But when the three-time Pro Bowler snubbed the Panthers’ overtures and refused to lift his no-trade clause for Carolina, it left the team back at square one searching for that elusive franchise quarterback. Panthers general

By JOHN PERROTTO Associated Press BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — Pirates reliever and Pittsburgh-area native David Bednar looks to build on a fine rookie season and will likely serve as the rebuilding team’s closer. Bednar had a 2.23 ERA in 61 games and 77 strikeouts in 60 2/3 innings last year after being acquired from the

By DOUG FEINBERG AP Basketball Writer BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (AP) — Wes Moore isn’t worried about having to potentially face UConn in the state of Connecticut yet. That game wouldn’t occur until Monday night and would require both teams to win their Sweet 16 games on Saturday. Top-seeded North Carolina State’s coach has his team’s attention

By JOHN WAWROW AP Sports Writer BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — A person with direct knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press the Buffalo Bills moved closer to landing $200 million in NFL funding to help finance their bid to build a new stadium. The NFL’s stadium and finance committee backed the Bills’ request for

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans have hired Chase Blackburn as an assistant special teams coach after he spent the past six seasons with Carolina. The Titans announced the hiring Friday along with two other promotions. Clint McMillan and Kylan Butler worked on the coaching staff for the 2021 season and now are full