Thiel adds women’s flag football

GREENVILLE, Pa. — Thiel College will field a women’s flag football team this upcoming spring, Director of Athletics Isaac Collins announced Tuesday morning. Thiel joins fellow Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) schools Allegheny, Bethany, Chatham, Franciscan and Saint Vincent in offering the sport.

“Introducing Women’s Flag Football reflects our commitment to growing opportunities for student-athletes and staying ahead of the curve in collegiate athletics,” Collins said. “This sport is expanding rapidly nationwide, and we’re proud to give our students a chance to be part of that growth here at Thiel.”

Prospective student-athletes can click here or the blue box above to fill out a recruitment questionnaire.

A national search is underway for the Tomcats’ first women’s flag football coach. Any questions or inquiries can be directed to Collins via email at icollins@thiel.edu or by phone at 7245892212.

Nationally, flag football has experienced significant growth at the high school and collegiate levels. In February, the NCAA’s Committee on Women’s Athletics recommended that Divisions I, II and III sponsor legislation to add women’s flag football to the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program. There is a vote scheduled at the 2026 NCAA Convention to formally recognize women’s flag football as an emerging sport in DIII.

Just this past weekend, Chatham, Franciscan and Saint Vincent along with Pitt competed in a showcase at halftime of the Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns game in Pittsburgh. Over 65 NCAA institutions are sponsoring club or varsity flag football teams with dozens more expected to join in 2026. The Atlantic East Conference became the first NCAA conference to formally offer varsity women’s flag football last spring.

At the high school level, the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) sanctioned flag football as an official varsity sport with over 125 schools fielding teams last season.

Mangold needs a kidney transplant

Former New York Jets center Nick Mangold, a two-time All-Pro who remains one of the most popular players in the team’s history, said on social media on Tuesday that he has kidney disease and needs a transplant.

“I always knew this day would come, but I thought I would have had more time,” he wrote in a message directed to the Jets and Ohio State communities.

“While this has been a tough stretch, I’m staying positive and focused on the path ahead,” he said. “I’m looking forward to better days and getting back to full strength soon. I’ll see you all at MetLife Stadium & The Shoe very soon.”

A first-round draft pick and seven-time Pro Bowl selection who was enshrined in the Jets’ “Ring of Honor” in 2022, Mangold said he was diagnosed with a genetic defect in 2006 that has led to chronic kidney disease. He is now on dialysis while waiting for a transplant.

Mangold said he doesn’t have any relatives who are able to donate, so he went public with the request for a donor with type O blood.

“I am deeply grateful to anyone that would consider donating,” he said.

Mangold was one of the NFL’s best centers during his career, with his seven Pro Bowl selections second to only Pro Football Hall of Famer Winston Hill’s eight for the most all-star games in franchise history. He started all 164 games he played during his 11 NFL seasons.

Postseason averaging 4.33 million viewers

NEW YORK — Major League Baseball is having its most-viewed postseason in the U.S. in 15 years through the division series.

Viewership is averaging 4.33 million through the division series according to MLB and Nielsen, a 30% increase over last year and the best since 2010.

Last Friday’s 15-inning thriller between the Seattle Mariners and Detroit Tigers averaged 8.72 million viewers on Fox, Fox Deportes and streaming. The Mariners 3-2 victory in the fifth and deciding game of the AL Division Series was the most-watched division round game on Fox since Detroit’s Game 5 win over the New York Yankees in 2011 averaged 9.72 million.

The two AL Division Series on Fox, FS1 and FS2 averaged 4.15 million, the most-watched division round on any network since the NL Division Series on TBS (Cubs-Cardinals and Mets-Dodgers).

The series between Toronto and the Yankees, which the Blue Jays won in four games, averaged 7.65 million in the U.S. and Canada.

Viewership for all four division series in the U.S. averaged 4.17 million, its highest since 2011, and a 17% jump from last year.

Blue Jays division series games in Canada averaged 3.65 million, a 10% increase from the team’s last ALDS appearance in 2016.

Sunday’s first game of the AL Championship Series between Seattle and Toronto averaged 5.31 million on Fox, Fox Deportes and streaming. That is a 32% increase over last year’s Game 1 of the ALCS between Cleveland and the Yankees on TBS.

Portugal’s Ronaldo sets goalscoring record

LISBON — Another goal, another record for Cristiano Ronaldo.

The 40-year-old Ronaldo became the player with most goals in World Cup qualifiers after scoring twice for Portugal in its 2-2 draw with Hungary on Tuesday.

His first goal — from close range in the 22nd minute — was Ronaldo’s 40th in a World Cup qualifying match, breaking a tie with former Guatemala player Carlos Ruiz.

The Al-Nassr striker then added a second in first-half stoppage time to extend his record to 41 goals in the 50 World Cup qualifiers he has played.

Ronaldo now has a record-extending 143 goals in men’s internationals.

He left the field in the 78th minute with the score at 2-1 and Hungary equalized in stoppage time through Dominik Szoboszlai, preventing Portugal from clinching a spot in the World Cup with two group games to spare.

Portugal still leads Group F by five points ahead of second-place Hungary.