Sports category, Page 1442
Aliquippa wins PIAA appeal, remains in Class 4A football
Add another win to Aliquippa’s record. The PIAA board on Wednesday accepted Aliquippa’s appeal and agreed to leave the Quips in Class 4A football for the next two seasons, a victory that let the reigning state champions avoid a promotion to 5A under the PIAA’s competitive-balance rule. The board voted...
Penguins sign forward Jeff Carter to 2-year contract extension
Jeff Carter thought he might end his career in Los Angeles as a member of the Los Angeles Kings. If nothing else, he’ll prolong it by at least two more years as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins. On Wednesday, the team announced it had signed the 37-year-old veteran to...
Talk matters for Jeff Capel, Pitt, but sometimes silence is good, too
Jeff Capel spends as much time talking with his players off the court as he does chasing them at practice with a whistle around his neck. Pitt’s fourth-year coach lived in similar sneakers when he was a four-year starter at Duke, and he knows what it’s like to confront the...
Steelers’ T.J. Watt named Pro Football Writers of America’s NFL defensive player of year
Though it remains to be seen if he will end up with the most recognized annual NFL-wide defensive honor, T.J. Watt has been named an NFL defensive player of the year for the first time in his career. Watt was voted as the league’s best defensive player for the 2021...
AP source: Vikings hire Kwesi Adofo-Mensah as GM
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Vikings have hired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah as their general manager, according to a person with knowledge of the process, taking an innovative turn by bringing in an analytics expert from Cleveland’s front office who once worked on Wall Street. The person spoke to The Associated Press on...
Pitt basketball player Ithiel Horton resolves criminal case with disorderly conduct plea, rejoins team
A University of Pittsburgh basketball player accused of punching a city police officer last year pleaded guilty Wednesday to two counts of disorderly conduct and one count of public intoxication. More serious charges against Ithiel Horton, including aggravated assault and resisting arrest, were withdrawn by the Allegheny County District Attorney’s...
Commentary: Baseball harmed itself more than Bonds ever did
Whatever harm Barry Bonds did to baseball pales in comparison to the damage baseball inflicted on itself both at the time and since. So say what you will about the steroids era, at least the games were still worth watching. You can’t say that about baseball today, assuming it’s even...
Carlos Beltrán brings his own baggage to next year’s Hall ballot
With Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling off the ballot, next year’s Hall of Fame vote figures to be a bit less contentious. Then again, the top newcomer arrives with his own recent baggage. Forget about steroids for a minute, it’s time to talk about sign stealing. Carlos Beltrán...
Mark Madden: Voters’ decisions hurt Baseball Hall of Fame more than those being excluded
David Ortiz hit 541 career home runs. Barry Bonds hit 762. Ortiz had 1,768 RBIs. Bonds had 2,558. Ortiz hit .286. Bonds hit .298. Ortiz was a DH. Bonds won eight Gold Gloves. Ortiz never won an MVP. Bonds won seven. Ortiz flunked a steroid test in 2003. Bonds never...
Kevin Gorman: Hall of Fame votes for steroids-era players complicated, controversial
My ballot for the National Baseball Hall of Fame reflects the nature of voting as the game comes to grips with the steroid-era scandal that started with MLB turning a blind eye only to end up with a black eye. It’s complicated, contradictory and controversial. Complicated: There were 30 names...
Tim Benz: Attendance, TV ratings should serve as a wake-up call to Steelers front office
There are a significant number of issues facing the Pittsburgh Steelers beyond just replacing Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback. Building an offensive line. Addressing the run defense. Figuring out how to plug holes at wide receiver and in the secondary. That’s just the on-field stuff general manager Kevin Colbert and head...
Antonio Brown accuses Buccaneers of trying to bribe him into ‘the crazy house’
For Pittsburgh Steelers fans, this one has to be interesting to watch from afar. Another day, another chapter in the story of Antonio Brown versus Bruce Arians — aka A.B. versus B.A. The former Steelers wide receiver and the former Steelers offensive coordinator are in a mud-slinging battle that could...
First Call: A possible free agent destination for JuJu Smith-Schuster; Aaron Rodgers discusses his future; Flyers keep losing
In Wednesday’s “First Call,” Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster may already have a preferred destination in free agency. The USFL will stage an interesting television launch in April. Aaron Rodgers outlines his decision-making process for his future playing career. And while the Penguins just keep winning, the Philadelphia Flyers...
Fists fly at ‘Winter Mayhem’ boxing card in Harmar
In the perpetual cross-state rivalry between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, the City of Brotherly Love came out on top over the weekend, as Philly boxer Avery Sparrow bested the Steel City’s Matt “Sweet Child” Conway to win the International Boxing Association Super Featherweight and Pennsylvania state title. Sparrow (11-3, 4 KOs)...
Minor league report: Penguins’ 3-game winning streak snapped
Goaltender Alex D’Orio made 28 saves on 33 shots for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 6-2 road loss to the Hershey Bears at the Giant Center in Hershey on Tuesday. Forwards Nathan Legare and defenseman Juuso Riikola each scored goals for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (14-17-1-3), which had a three-game winning streak snapped....
Long-time Penguins executive Patrik Allvin hired as Canucks general manager
Penguins assistant general manager Patrik Allvin has been hired as general manager of the Vancouver Canucks. The Canucks formally announced Allvin as the 12th general manager in the history of that franchise on Wednesday. Allvin rejoins former Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford, currently the president of hockey operations for the...
Pitt’s second-half surge leads to victory in rematch with Syracuse
It was midnight Sunday morning when Pitt arrived home from, perhaps, its worst performance of the season. Coach Jeff Capel wasn’t happy about the 27-point loss at Clemson on Saturday night, but he decided the best tact was to give his players an opportunity to get a good night’s sleep,...
Sidney Crosby sparks Penguins to 6th consecutive win
For the Penguins, Tuesday’s 6-3 home win against the Arizona Coyotes was a lot like their previous six games. A win. But hardly perfect. Yet, as the score might indicate, this one had a little bit more luster than the flawed gems that compose their ongoing six-game winning streak. They...
Chicago Bears hire Ryan Poles as general managerVideo
CHICAGO — Ryan Poles made the Chicago Bears this time. Poles was hired as Chicago’s general manager Tuesday, almost 15 years after he signed with the team as an undrafted free agent and then failed to make the final roster. Poles spent the previous 13 seasons in the Chiefs’ front...
NFL divisional round averages record 38.2 million viewersVideo
NEW YORK — The four NFL divisional round playoff games had the highest average viewers on record with 38.2 million tuning in on television and digital platforms. Every game over the weekend came down to the final play. Besides it being the highest average for the divisional round since Nielsen...
Flyers’ Yandle sets Iron Man mark in 965th straight gameVideo
NEW YORK — Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Keith Yandle broke the NHL record by playing in his 965th consecutive game. The 35-year-old Yandle passed the previous mark set by Doug Jarvis, who played 964 straight games over his entire career from Oct. 8, 1975, to Oct. 10, 1987. Yandle started his...
San Diego’s finest: Jon Rahm back at friendly Torrey PinesVideo
SAN DIEGO — Billy Casper and Mickey Wright were undeniable homegrown greats. Phil Mickelson is clearly San Diego’s most accomplished and beloved golfer of the modern era, and Tiger Woods has racked up a slew of memorable wins at Torrey Pines in his home state. Jon Rahm is a Spaniard...
Penguins forward Jason Zucker undergoes core muscle surgery
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jason Zucker underwent surgery to repair a core muscle injury Tuesday and will remain sidelined indefinitely. His status was announced by the team Tuesday. A more definite time frame for recovery is expected to be revealed in the upcoming days. Zucker has missed 10 of the past...
All 8 USFL teams to play in Birmingham for first seasonVideo
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The newly re-formed USFL will play every game in the same city during its inaugural season. The eight-team professional football league owned by Fox Sports will debut April 16 with the Birmingham Stallions against the New Jersey Generals. All the games will be in Birmingham, Ala. The...
Nadal fends off Shapovalov, advances to semis in Australia; home favorite Barty on to women’s semisVideo
MELBOURNE, Australia — With another Australian Open semifinal spot secured after a four-hour, five-set victory, Rafael Nadal looked toward his support team in Rod Laver Arena and nodded his head. It was like he was just confirming the plan: Five wins down, two to go in his bid for a...
