Sports category, Page 1175
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Steelers need big-money players to make big plays
In Dan Jenkins’ acclaimed football novel, “Semi-Tough,” a character named Dreamer Tatum proclaims thusly after a narrow defeat: “I learned somethin’ a long time ago about football. What could have happened, did.” Words to live by. If Cameron Sutton didn’t drop an interception or Gunner Olszewski didn’t muff a punt...
Crossfit competitors value camaraderie at 13th annual Patriot Brawl
Sonny Litwiler doesn’t give himself the excuse of not being able to do his Crossfit training. Since classes run all day, the Northern Regional Police Officer can always find time for a workout. Due to the nature of shift work, Litwiler also usually can count on someone else holding him...
Early line combos see Penguins following reliable formula in camp
The third full day of training camp is too early to start making much out of line combinations for the Pittsburgh Penguins. To wit, the hodgepodge trio of Josh Archibald, Radim Zohorna and Jason Zucker probably won’t see the light of day in a game of consequence despite offering a...
Cardinals’ Albert Pujols hits 700th home run, 4th player to reach mark
LOS ANGELES — St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols hit his 700th home run on Friday night, connecting for his second drive of the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers and becoming the fourth player to reach the milestone in major league history. With the drive in the final days...
2022 WPIAL statistical leaders for rushing, passing, receiving in Week 4
Top performers for Week 4 of high school football in Western Pennsylvania. Passing 296 - CJ Jackson, Cornell (12 of 22) 250 - Brad Birch, Gateway (12 of 16) 236 - Eric Kasperowicz Jr., Mars (8 of 15) 226 - Cadin Olsen, Armstrong (14 of 20) 216 - Gavin Owens,...
Pirates farm report for Sept. 23, 2022: 2 more hits for Endy Rodriguez in Indy loss
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 74-71) was shut down by St. Paul (Twins), 4-1. DH Endy Rodriguez (.533) was 2 for 4. C Blake Sabol was 0 for 2 with a walk and an RBI. RHP Peter Solomon (0-1, 8.71) started and was touched up for four runs on three hits – all...
Taking chances pays off as Hempfield knocks off Penn-Trafford
When you’re a football team trying to turn its fortunes around, you have to take chances. Hempfield did that Friday night before a standing-room-only crowd of more than 5,000 at Spartan Stadium. The Spartans defeated No. 1 and reigning Class 5A PIAA and WPIAL champion Penn-Trafford, 28-17, in the Big...
Gateway holds off Plum’s big rally
Gateway appeared to have a comfortable halftime lead Friday in a Big East Conference clash with Plum at Gateway’s Antimarino Stadium. But the Mustangs didn’t flinch when facing the 21-point deficit at the break. Plum rallied throughout the second half, recovering a pair of squib kickoffs, blocking a field goal...
North Allegheny tops Central Catholic in low-scoring defensive battleVideo
North Allegheny’s Campbell Melzer was upset with himself after missing a tackle on a fourth-quarter hitch route that put Central Catholic in scoring position for a late touchdown. But he knew NA had already escaped worse. “I didn’t wrap up,” said Melzer, a senior captain. “I had to make up...
Bullpen blows another lead as Cubs rally past Pirates, who lose 8th straight
The Pittsburgh Pirates’ bullpen blues continued, once again showing that no lead is safe this September. After Wil Crowe blew a two-run lead by giving up three runs in the sixth inning and Yohan Ramirez allowed the go-ahead run in the eighth. Even so, the Pirates still had a chance...
Roger Federer’s last match is doubles loss with Rafael Nadal
LONDON — This day, this match, had to come, of course, for Roger Federer, and for tennis, just as it inevitably must for every athlete in every sport. Federer bid adieu Friday night with one last contest before he heads into retirement at 41 after a superlative career that included...
Celtics: Udoka suspended for ‘multiple’ policy violationsVideo
BOSTON — The reigning Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics suspended coach Ime Udoka after a months-long investigation by an outside law firm that found multiple violations of team policies but did not point to a larger cultural problem of sexual misconduct, owner Wyc Grousbeck said Friday. “We go to great...
U.S. survives close matches to double lead in Presidents CupVideo
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The matches felt a little closer Friday in the Presidents Cup. And then Max Homa made two big putts that gave the Americans the same outcome. In the third straight fourballs match that went the distance, Homa poured in a 12-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole...
Packers’ Sammy Watkins, Buccaneers’ Christ Godwin ruled out
TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Bay’s Tom Brady and Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers will be working without some of their top receivers Sunday when the seven-time Super Bowl winner and four-time MVP face off. The injury report released Friday ruled Green Bay’s Sammy Watkins and Tampa Bay’s Chris Godwin out for...
Joe Flacco’s time as Jets’ top QB winds down with Zach Wilson on way backVideo
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Zach Wilson is getting closer to playing again for the New York Jets. That means Joe Flacco’s time as the starting quarterback is coming to a close. It could be next week. Or maybe a few weeks. Either way, when Wilson’s knee is totally healthy, he’ll...
Analysis: Browns in good hands with Jacoby Brissett while Deshaun Watson suspendedVideo
CLEVELAND — Jacoby Brissett’s assignment is clear: keep the Browns competitive and in contention while Deshaun Watson’s away. He’s doing much more than that. During a 29-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night, Brissett, who has zero illusions about his role with Cleveland, effectively moved the offense with...
Run defense issues resurface for Steelers in loss to Browns
Watching the Pittsburgh Steelers try to defend the run has been like trying to absorb Niagara Falls with a paper towel. No matter how often the Steelers try to sop up the leaks, the water keeps gushing through like a tidal wave. It happened again Thursday night in a 29-17...
Penguins general manager Ron Hextall is still looking for salary cap relief
The preseason starts on Sunday for the Penguins and the regular season is right around the corner on Oct. 13. But Ron Hextall is still in offseason mode in one fashion. The team’s general manager is trying to find a way to get his team’s roster compliant with the NHL’s...
Ji Hwan Bae ready to showcase speed, defensive versatility for Pirates after promotion
Ji Hwan Bae doesn’t speak English but flashed a knowing smile when he heard speed mentioned as one of his best assets. The 23-year-old South Korean was promoted to the Pittsburgh Pirates from Triple-A Indianapolis and couldn’t wait to make his major league debut Friday at second base against the...
Steelers WR George Pickens grabs national attention with improbable catchVideo
Pittsburgh Steelers rookie wide receiver George Pickens grabbed the attention of social media users Thursday night with his highlight-reel catch in the first half of a 29-17 loss at the Cleveland Browns. He also earned rave reviews from his teammates with his one-handed, 36-yard reception in the first quarter that...
Lackluster U.S. loses to Japan 2-0 in World Cup warmup
With the World Cup approaching and final roster decisions looming, U.S. soccer players gave a dismal performance in a 2-0 exhibition loss to Japan on Friday in Düsseldorf, Germany. Daichi Kamada scored following Weston McKennie’s giveaway in the 24th minute and Kaoru Mitoma added a goal in the 88th. In...
Mark Madden: The Steelers created this rotten football team, and it can’t be fixed
It’s the nature of sports fans to be optimistic, however cockeyed. To believe that a team perceived to be underperforming can be fixed. Coach ’em up. Tweak the lineup or strategy. Trade all our bad players for all their good players. Find that secret sauce that’s a cure-all, or at...
5 things we learned: Steelers offense continues to spend most of 4th quarter on the sideline
Five things we learned from Browns 29, Steelers 17: 1. Offense sidelined When Ben Roethlisberger was making all of those fourth-quarter comebacks last season, the Steelers were a top-10 team in terms of possessing the ball in the final 15 minutes. They ranked ninth and had the ball more than...
Friday Football Footnotes: Determining ‘Truth or Fiction’ in the NFL during the Steelers ‘mini-bye’ weekend
If you are like me, you had concerns regarding every aspect of the Steelers’ offense. You wondered if the run defense was really fixed. You questioned the depth of the defense beyond its three stars. And you wondered if coaching warts would be exposed in close games after losing a...
5 things to watch in Week 4 of high school football
It wasn’t too long ago that West Allegheny was the team to beat in the Parkway Conference, back before the Indians made the jump to 5A. Remember, they went 29-3 in that conference during their last four seasons there (ending in 2015), reached the WPIAL finals three times in that...
