NEW YORK – Max Scherzer favors a radical reworking of the playoffs, one that would have the higher seed in the first round of a 14-team postseason start off a best-of-five series with a 1-0 lead. Major League Baseball and lockedout players, who resume talks Sunday, both would expand the postseason from 10 teams – that’s been the field since 2012, other than the 16 teams in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
INDIANAPOLIS – Kayvon Thibodeaux looked like a lock to be this year’s top NFL draft pick – until Aidan Hutchinson played his way into the conversation. Now, with eight weeks until draft night, offensive linemen Ikem “Ickey” Ekwonu and Evan Neal are in the debate, too.
INDIANAPOLIS – From the time he started playing football at 7, Travon Walker has always recalled people make proclamations of grandeur about him. He was always bigger than most kids his age; faster, stronger and more advanced.
No. 13 Tennessee 78, No. 14 Arkansas 74: Freshman guard Zakai Zeigler, whose family was left homeless by a fire in New York City last weekend, made two key free throws in the final seconds to help host Tennessee (23-7, 14-4 SEC) hold off Arkansas (24-7, 13-5) on Saturday.
No. 3 North Carolina State 70, No. 21 Virginia Tech 55: Elissa Cunane had 20 points and 13 rebounds and North Carolina State (28-3) used a strong second half to pull away from Virginia Tech (23-9) on Saturday in Greensboro, N.C., and return to the ACC tournament championship game.
MILAN – European governments are moving against Russian oligarchs to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to back down on his war in Ukraine, seizing superyachts and other luxury properties from billionaires on sanctions lists.
KABUL, Afghanistan – The Taliban’s acting interior minister – designated a terrorist by the U.S. – said in a rare public appearance Saturday security police guilty of misconduct in Afghanistan were being penalized after a string of abuse allegations.
BEIJING – New U.S. Ambassador Nicholas Burns has arrived to take up his post in Beijing amid heightened tensions between China and the United States over Taiwan, trade, human rights and the war in Ukraine.
ROME – The head of the Polish bishops’ conference has done what Pope Francis has so far avoided doing: He publicly condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and urged the head of the Russian Orthodox Church to use his influence with Vladimir Putin to demand an end to the war and for Russian soldiers to stand down.
HEALDTON - Funeral services for Patsy Ruth (Witt) Porterfield, 81, of Healdton are scheduled for 2:00 PM Monday, March 7,2022 at the Bethel Baptist Church of Healdton with Rev. Ron Elmore officiating and grandson, Chad Porterfield providing the eulogy. Interment will follow at Mount Olive Cemetery of Healdton. Services are under the direction and care of Alexander Gray Funeral Home of Healdton.