Pirates great Elroy Face, Baron of the Bullpen and pioneer of closer role, dies at age 97
Known as the “Baron of the Bullpen,” Elroy Face was a pioneer for modern-day closers in baseball who made the forkball famous and played a vital role for the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 1960 World Series champions. A three-time All-Star, Face owns Major League Baseball’s career record for most wins in relief,...
Winter Olympics recap: Canadian hockey team notches shutout vs. Czechia
MILAN — Macklin Celebrini scored Canada’s first goal in the return of the NHL to the Olympics, and Jordan Binnington stopped all 26 shots he faced in a 5-0 defeat of Czechia on Thursday that showed the tournament favorite is already a well-oiled machine. “Our intentions were really good with...
A-K Valley campus clips: Highlands grad part of Point Park wrestling’s inaugural season
Aiden Burford has helped the Point Park men’s wrestling team navigate its inaugural season, and the freshman 141-pounder from Highlands has enjoyed success in his first taste of collegiate competition. He went 4-2 and placed seventh in his debut at the Mt. Union Invitational followed by a 5-1 fifth-place finish...
Seton Hill eager to get baseball season started
Pitchers and catchers reported to Pirate City in Bradenton, Fla., on Wednesday with the rest of the squad set to begin workouts Monday. But Seton Hill and other district college baseball teams in Western Pennsylvania will get a jump on their MLB counterparts as their seasons are set to begin....
Game commission releases ‘bonus’ pheasants across southwestern PennsylvaniaVideo
Five minutes after the Pennsylvania Game Commission released a couple hundred pheasants into the wild near Loyalhanna Creek on Thursday morning, the crack of the first gunshot echoed across the meadow. Each year, commission staff release “bonus” pheasants, left over from their annual breeding program. In anticipation of losing pheasants...
Steelers’ Mike McCarthy finalizes coaching staff, adds North Allegheny grad Robert Kugler
Mike McCarthy’s coaching staff is officially complete. The Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday announced a 26-person staff with 20 assistant coaches, four strength and conditioning personnel and a chief of staff. Many of the hires were previously announced by the team, but one late addition was tight ends coach Robert Kugler,...
Konnor Griffin eyes starting shortstop job for Pirates, shows ‘no fear’ in facing Paul Skenes
BRADENTON, Fla. — Konnor Griffin swears he set the same expectations for spring training as last year, when he was less than a year removed from high school and wanted to be a sponge who soaked up every ounce of information he could in big-league camp. Griffin knows the baseball...
First Call: Cam Heyward addresses ‘closing the book’ post; ex-Steeler says Neil O’Donnell ‘threw’ Super Bowl XXX
Thursday’s “First Call” clears the air about Cam Heyward’s cryptic social media post. A former Pittsburgh Steeler is accusing Neil O’Donnell of “throwing” Super Bowl XXX. Michael Vick is still living down one aspect of his days in Pittsburgh and New York. Plus, an ex-Steeler receiver has decided to retire....
Lindsey Vonn says she had a ‘successful’ 3rd surgery on broken leg following crash at the Olympics
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Lindsey Vonn had a “successful” third surgery on her broken left leg following her downhill crash at the Olympics, the American skier said Wednesday Vonn posted an update on Instagram that included photos of her giving a thumbs up sign in her hospital bed with a...
Joe Starkey: Ben Roethlisberger led where his team needed him most — on the field
What did Ben Roethlisberger actually say about Mike Tomlin that has Joey Porter and so many other ex-Steelers all hot and bothered? Not much, as it turns out. Back in December, Roethlisberger stated on his podcast what all but the most delusional Tomlin apologists were saying: “Maybe it’s a clean-house...
Tim Benz: Ben Roethlisberger was the QB. But it’s Joey Porter who is throwing stones from a glass house
When it comes to any off-the-field or personality-related debates, it would take a lot for me to side with Ben Roethlisberger over Joey Porter Sr. Unfortunately, Porter just said a lot. As he so often did. On the field, or off of it. I really enjoyed covering Porter. Roethlisberger was...
Matt Campbell on D’Anton Lynn’s fit as Penn State’s defensive coordinator: ‘I think we see the game very similarly’
Former Iowa State defensive coordinator Jon Heacock’s decision to retire after more than 40 seasons in college created an opportunity for D’Anton Lynn to head east and join his alma mater. A skilled defensive back who spent four years with Penn State (2008-11), Lynn retooled the UCLA and USC defenses...
Pitt transfer RB La’Vell Wright looks to carve out role in backfield
The 2026 campaign is far into the distance, but Pitt already has a good idea who will begin the year atop the depth chart at running back. That would be Ja’Kyrian “Boosie” Turner, who, along with Mason Heintschel, emerged as one of the Panthers’ top performers last fall during an...
U mad, bro?: Prickly Pittsburgh fans snipe about Aaron Rodgers reports and Pirates’ spending history
It’s almost Valentine’s Day. Love is in the air. Need proof? Take a look at my social media mentions. It’s pretty obvious. Steelers and Pirates fans are flat-out gushing over everything I have to say about their teams. Enjoy our heartfelt love letters to one another in this week’s “U...
Penguins defenseman Ryan Shea finds his spotVideo
Ryan Shea has nothing personal against the Chicago Blackhawks. Honest. He swears. But, it’s scary — at least to Blackhawks goaltenders — to think what he could do if he did harbor any umbrage against the team that drafted him but never signed him to an NHL contract. This season,...
Penn State men pick up road win at Washington
SEATTLE — Freddie Dilione V scored 16 points, Josh Reed added 14, and Penn State beat Washington, 63-60, on Wednesday night. Kayden Mingo had 13 points and Eli Rice scored 13 for Penn State. The Nittany Lions (11-14, 2-12 Big Ten) had lost back-to-back games and 10 of their last...
Kyle Busch grabs Daytona 500 pole, chasing a win that has eluded him for 20 starts
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Kyle Busch won the pole for NASCAR’s season-opening Daytona 500 to give the driver with the longest active losing streak in “The Great American Race” a shot at the victory that has escaped him his entire career. Busch is 0 for 20 in the Daytona 500...
Scheffler, Gotterup and how much has changed in a year at Pebble Beach
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Scottie Scheffler had a fresh scar on his right hand and plenty of rust the last time he was at Pebble Beach, courtesy of a freak accident while making ravioli that set him back at the start of the year. Chris Gotterup wasn’t even at the...
Minor league report: Connor Lockhart scores twice in Nailers’ win
A pair of goals by forward Connor Lockhart led the Wheeling Nailers to a 2-1 win against the Indy Fuel at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers, Indiana, on Wednesday. Defenseman Brent Johnson recorded two assists for Wheeling (29-12-2-2). Goaltender Taylor Gauthier made 21 saves on 22 shots, improving his...
Penguins’ Erik Karlsson, Rickard Rakell get assists in Sweden’s win over Italy
A look at how members of the Pittsburgh Penguins are performing in the Winter Olympics: Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson and Rickard Rakell each recorded secondary assists for Sweden, which opened the preliminary round with a 5-2 win against Italy at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan on Wednesday....
Seahawks enjoy morning beers, praise ‘best team in the world’ while celebrating Super Bowl title
SEATTLE — Ernest Jones IV dropped a few choice words while praising his defensive teammates, his offensive line, his quarterback and the city of Seattle ahead of the Seahawks’ Super Bowl victory parade Wednesday. Like the rest of the Seahawks, the leader of Seattle’s vaunted “Dark Side” defense had an...
Penn State hockey star Gavin McKenna won’t face school suspension after assault charges
Penn State men’s hockey star Gavin McKenna will not face a university suspension and is in line to play this weekend at No. 2 Michigan, coach Guy Gadowsky confirmed Wednesday. McKenna is charged with simple assault, harassment and disorderly conduct after he allegedly punched a 21-year-old male, resulting in a...
Olympics roundup: Swiss skier Franjo von Allmen wins 3rd gold; men’s hockey begins
MILAN — Franjo von Allmen of Switzerland looks like a breakout star of the Milan Cortina Olympics after winning his third gold medal. And Chloe Kim and a bunch of NHL stars are just getting started. Von Allmen won the super-G in Bormio on Wednesday to become the third man...
Reigning NASCAR champion Kyle Larson signs a 5-year contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Two-time and defending NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson has signed a five-year extension with Hendrick Motorsports, putting the 33-year-old driver under contract through 2031. Hendrick also announced Wednesday a five-year extension with primary sponsor HendrickCars.com and a multi-year deal with Larson’s crew chief, Cliff Daniels....
Grieving Denny Hamlin vows to dig deep, chase 1st NASCAR Cup title
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Denny Hamlin read all the social media comments and absorbed the warm words from NASCAR fans. The ones who offered support — first after his defeat in a championship race, then through a wearying offseason that encompassed a federal trial against NASCAR and the death of...