Steelers' Fitzpatrick (appendectomy) set to play

PITTSBURGH — With no injury designation on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ final injury report, Pro Bowl safety Minkah Fitzpatrick is set to play against the Cincinnati Bengals a week after undergoing an appendectomy. “The worry is when they cut you open, they cut through muscle, obviously to get into your stomach,” he said, also telling ESPN […]

NFL data shows injury rates same on grass, turf

The NFL’s recent rate of non-contact injuries to the knee, ankle and foot is roughly the same on natural and artificial playing surfaces, according to internal data reviewed Tuesday by ESPN. The numbers contradict anecdotal observations this season from a wide swath of players, agents and coaches who have called for the league to convert […]

Delivery man: Ryan's 3 lifts Lakers to OT in win

LOS ANGELES — As sick as LeBron James felt coming into Wednesday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans — bedridden by a virus that even caused him to miss the team Halloween party — he surely would have felt sicker if the Los Angeles Lakers blew a 16-point lead and fell to 1-6. Turns out […]

4 thoughts from Tuesday's Champions League action

The Champions League group stage concludes this week. Below, we dissect the biggest talking points from Tuesday’s action in Europe’s premier club competition. Mignolet made the Club Brugge surprise possible The departures of head coach Alfred Schreuder, playmaker Charles De Ketelaere, and towering frontman Bas Dost indicated Club Brugge was a team in transition. Many […]