49ers give Kittle record extension

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Pope Francis delivers his blessing as he recites the Angelus noon prayer from the window of his studio overlooking St.Peter’s Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, June 25, 2023. The Pope in his speech remembered the 40th anniversary of the disappearance of Emanuela Orlandi, the 15-year-old daughter of a lay employee of the Holy See, that vanished June 22, 1983, after leaving her family’s Vatican City apartment to go to a music lesson in Rome. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

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San Fransisco 49ers tight end George Kittle speaks during a news conference at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on May 29, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group/TNS)

American former basketball player Shaquille O’Neal reacts before a game against the Mississippi Rebels at Tiger Stadium on Oct. 12, 2024, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images/TNS)

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49ers give Kittle record extension

George Kittle agreed to a four-year contract extension with the 49ers that will make him the highest-paid tight end in NFL history. Kittle announced the deal on the “Bussin’ With The Boys” podcast on Tuesday, saying the extension was worth $76.4 million over four years with $35 million guaranteed at signing. The deal keeps Kittle under contract with the team through the 2029 season. The 31-year-old Kittle was entering the final year of a five-year, $75 million extension that he signed in 2020. Kittle didn’t show up for the first few days of the team’s voluntary offseason program last week but arrived later in the week in a sign that a deal could get done soon. The $19.1 million average annual value of the extension tops the previous record for a tight end of $19 million set earlier this offseason when Trey McBride signed an extension with the Cardinals. The $35 million guaranteed to Kittle at the signing of the deal is also the most for any tight end. Kittle has been a first or second-team All-Pro five times in eight seasons and has made six Pro Bowls.

Giro d’Italia to honor Pope Francis

It could very well be the biggest sporting event ever held inside the walls of the Vatican. The Giro d’Italia will pay homage to the late Pope Francis by passing through the Vatican gardens behind St. Peter’s Basilica and in front of the Santa Marta hotel — where Francis lived — during the final stage of the cycling race on June 1. More than 150 cyclists will pedal for nearly two miles through an area of the Vatican rarely seen by the general public and live TV images will broadcast the scenes around the world. Pope Francis died last week at 88. By June, there should be a new pope, with the conclave to elect Francis’ successor slated to start May 7. The cyclists will enter the Vatican through the Petriano gate to the left of St. Peter’s, ride around the basilica and then climb up toward the gardens before exiting near Santa Marta at the Perugino gate. The passage through the Vatican will be during the neutralized period before the stage. The official start will then begin after the riders exit the narrow Perugino gate. The official start can’t take place inside the Vatican because it would raise the likelihood of crashes.

Shaq new GM at Sacramento State

Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal agreed to become the general manager of the men’s basketball program at Sacramento State under new coach Mike Bibby, according to reports Monday night. O’Neal will take the voluntary job for the program that his son, Shaqir, recently joined as a player. Bibby, the former NBA star for the Kings, was hired as head coach for the Hornets last month as the school tries to raise its profile in collegiate athletics. One of the first additions Bibby made was signing Shaqir O’Neal as a transfer from Florida A&M. Now Bibby has O’Neal’s father involved in the program. The 53-year-old O’Neal is the latest high-profile athlete to take on a GM role at a college program. Stephen Curry was recently announced as the assistant GM at his alma mater, Davidson, and Trae Young has that same role at his alma mater, Oklahoma. O’Neal won four NBA titles, three NBA Finals MVPs and a league MVP during his 19-year career in the NBA. He’s currently an analyst on TNT’s “Inside the NBA” show. He also served as a minority owner of the Kings from 2013-22. —AP