Ireland Contracting Nightly Sports Call: February 19, 2021 (Pt. 2)
KDKA's Josh Taylor and 93.7 The Fan's Paul Zeise discuss the sports topics of the day.
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ReutersTennis-After Melbourne loss, Sabalenka vows to be ready for Serena
The strongly built Sabalenka finished 2020 with trophies at Ostrava and Linz and arrived in Melbourne for the year's first Grand Slam after picking up her third straight title at a WTA 500 event in Abu Dhabi. "I felt like I missed my opportunity because I feel like if you are coming back from 1-4 and you're kind of feeling your game and you're there, you're fighting, you just have to take this opportunity," Sabalenka told reporters in Doha on Monday. Sabalenka, who will defend her Qatar Open title this week, managed to match Williams's power from the baseline but felt her approach was not right.
- Yahoo Sports
Report: Washington likely to part ways QB Alex Smith in coming days
Washington wants to upgrade at QB, so Alex Smith will likely become a free agent for the first time in his career.
- Yahoo Sports
Canelo Alvarez vs. Avni Yildirim full results: Alvarez makes easy work of Yildirim
Canelo Alvarez's "stay busy" fight went by without incident on Saturday, as the super middleweight champion dominated challenger Avni Yildirim on his way to a third-round TKO win in Miami.
- Yahoo Sports
Former Eagles cornerback, CBS broadcaster Irv Cross dies at 81
Irv Cross played in the league from 1961-69, and then spent 23 years with CBS as an NFL analyst.
- Yahoo Sports
Vanessa Bryant claims Evan Rachel Wood's year-old tweet is 'slanderous' for calling Kobe a rapist
Vanessa Bryant took more than a year to respond to tweets posted right after the fatal crash.
- Reuters
NBA roundup: Hot Heat roll to 6th straight win
Kendrick Nunn scored a team-high 24 points as the Miami Heat extended their winning streak to six games with a 109-99 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday in Miami. Miami received 16 points and 13 rebounds from Bam Adebayo, while Precious Achiuwa and Tyler Herro each had 14 points. Goran Dragic, starting his first game for Miami since Feb. 5, had 13 points.
- Reuters
McIlroy, Thomas to dress in red and black in honour of Woods
Woods, considered one of the greatest golfers of his generation, was being treated at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after Tuesday's crash left him with a fractured right leg and shattered ankle. An 82-time PGA Tour winner, Woods famously wears a red shirt and black trousers on Sundays.
- Reuters
Spurs look to continue home dominance of Nets
The San Antonio Spurs look to continue their winning ways despite being short-handed and with changing rotations when they host the Brooklyn Nets on Monday in the first of a back-to-back against teams from New York City. San Antonio will battle the Knicks on Tuesday to complete the two-games-in-two-nights set. The Spurs have won three of their past four games, including a 117-114 victory over New Orleans on Saturday as DeMar DeRozan returned from personal leave, scored 32 points and matched a season high with 11 assists.
- Yahoo Sports
Golfers honor Tiger Woods with iconic Sunday red: 'It's hard to explain how touching today was'
The golf world wore red shirts and black pants to honor Tiger Woods on Sunday.
- Yahoo Sports
Power puncher Jairzinho Rozenstruik stresses patience in UFC's crowded heavyweight division
The UFC has been feeding Rozenstruik a diet of strikers, with his last three opponents being Alistair Overeem, Ngannou and Junior dos Santos. On Saturday (8 p.m. ET, ESPN+), he’ll get another when he meets unbeaten Ciryl Gane in the main event of UFC Vegas 20 at Apex.
- Yahoo Sports
Brandon Ingram seemingly disses LeBron James: 'I've never played with a player as talented as me'
Brandon Ingram has a lot of confidence in his ability.
- Yahoo Sports
Jodie Foster, as promised, thanked Aaron Rodgers after Golden Globe win
After Aaron Rodgers name-dropped Jodie Foster during his MVP speech, Foster returned the favor on Sunday night.
- Yahoo Sports
Laurie Hernandez debuts 'Hamilton'-inspired floor routine in first meet since 2016 Olympics
Lin-Manuel Miranda was a fan.
- Reuters
La Liga talking points
The most striking image of the weekend was when Valencia defender Gabriel Paulista burst into tears and was barely able to speak when it was suggested his side were in a relegation battle after a dismal 3-0 defeat at Getafe. A 10th defeat of the season left the six-times La Liga winners five points above the dropzone and though they have a more talented squad than the other sides competing to avoid relegation, their spirit seems particularly low. Atletico Madrid have been so strong this season partly due to their ability to evolve their style and be more expansive, but when faced with a poor run of results threatening their grip on the title race, they returned to what they know best.
- Yahoo Sports
DeAndre Hopkins still thinks it's hilarious the Texans traded him for 'only' 2nd round pick
It's been 11 months, but Hopkins is still positively tickled that the Texans traded him to the Cardinals for almost nothing.
- Reuters
Pelicans brace for visit from Jazz
The Utah Jazz have the best record in the NBA. They'll try to continue rolling when they visit the erratic New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night. The Jazz avoided a potential second consecutive loss when they beat the Magic 124-109 on Saturday in Orlando.
- Yahoo Sports
LeBron James and listless Lakers are going through a rough spell
Maybe the climb will take them all the way to a championship. If it does, they will also one day know the malaise that has befallen these Los Angeles Lakers, for whom sweat feels more like a symbol of exhaustion. The Jazz dropped the listless Lakers on Wednesday night, who have now lost four straight.
- Yahoo Sports
Buccaneers QB coach: Tom Brady came to Tampa to match what Peyton Manning did in Denver
Peyton Manning has been out of the NFL for five years, but his accomplishments are still apparently haunting Tom Brady.
- Associated Press
Morikawa plays a steady hand to win Workday Championship
The plan was for PGA champion Collin Morikawa to wear a red shirt with his black pants Sunday to show support for Tiger Woods as he recovers from career-threatening leg injuries from a car crash. The clothes shipped to him never arrived, so Morikawa did the next best thing at the Workday Championship. Staked to a two-shot lead, Morikawa shook off an early mistake, regained control around the turn, delivered two clutch putts and then played a steady hand on a Concession Golf Club course known for calamity.
- Yahoo Sports
Kyrie Irving wants Kobe Bryant in NBA logo as showcase of 'greatness personified'
Kyrie Irving further explained why he wants Kobe Bryant to be the NBA logo.