Sports category, Page 1516
Mark Madden: It shouldn’t be this difficult for the Penguins to sell tickets
Ten thousand ticket-holders no-showed the Steelers’ second home game. The Penguins have 632 straight home sellouts but haven’t yet sold out Saturday’s home opener — which features Chicago and beloved ex-Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. PNC Park is empty because the Pirates don’t try to win. Pitt football and basketball don’t...
Wife of Steelers inside linebackers coach Jerry Olsavsky dies
The wife of Pittsburgh Steelers inside linebackers coach Jerry Olsavsky died Friday morning, the team announced in a statement. Rayme Olsavsky and Jerry have three children: Joseph, Emma and Dominic. “The Pittsburgh Steelers have heavy hearts with the unfortunate passing of Rayme Olsavsky,” the Steelers said. “Words cannot express our...
Ex-Penguins forward Patric Hornqvist affecting positive change in Florida
SUNRISE, Fla. — The Patric Hornqvist trade was not popular in Pittsburgh when it was made. Both of them. Back in June 2014, the Penguins dealt dynamic 40-goal scorer James Neal to the Nashville Predators and got back an under-the-radar net-front presence in the form of Hornqvist as well as...
Tom Brady throws 2 TD passes as Buccaneers beat Eagles
PHILADELPHIA — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers keep losing key players and stockpiling victories. Tom Brady threw two touchdown passes, Leonard Fournette ran for two scores and the Buccaneers beat the Philadelphia Eagles, 28-22, on Thursday night. The defending Super Bowl champion Buccaneers (5-1) lost another cornerback when three-time All-Pro Richard...
Steve Blass on retirement, hope for current Pirates, goofy minor league promos, and cow patty bingo
With seven years of minor league baseball under his belt, former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Steve Blass thought he had seen every possible goofy baseball promotion or fundraiser. Cow milking and greased pig catching while with the Kinston Eagles in 1962 leap to mind. “I lost horribly (at cow milking),” Blass...
Pitt Take 5: Stakes high when Panthers visit Virginia Tech
When the University of Pittsburgh lines up its football team Saturday inside Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Va., to confront Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (the game carries enough importance to require the proper names of both schools), the winner will have an advantage to take into the final six...
First Call: Antonio Brown credits Ben Roethlisberger; Seahawks injuries; Myles Garrett’s Halloween tombstone decorations
Friday’s “First Call” has a Pittsburgh Steelers story you thought you’d never see: Antonio Brown giving credit to Ben Roethlisberger. Myles Garrett is enjoying Halloween. Cameron Heyward is still getting better. And the Seahawks have some injury concerns beyond just their starting running back and Russell Wilson. Mr. Big Numbers...
Tim Benz: Story of Steelers-Seahawks game will be written by wide receivers
Much of the attention heading into Sunday night’s Pittsburgh Steelers-Seattle Seahawks game has focused on who is throwing the football for both teams. For Seattle (2-3), it’ll be Geno Smith instead of Russell Wilson at quarterback. For the Steelers (2-3), it’ll be Ben Roethlisberger, coming off of his most efficient...
5 things to watch in Week 7: North Catholic leads WPIAL defenses chasing zeroes
Zero has become North Catholic’s favorite number. That’s because the Trojans have shut out five of their first seven opponents, by far the most shutouts by any defense in the WPIAL this season. Take that dominance a step farther and they’ve held offenses scoreless in 25 of their 28 quarters....
Dodgers beat Giants in playoff thriller, advance to NLCSVideo
SAN FRANCISCO — Cody Bellinger hit a tiebreaking single in the ninth inning and prized midseason acquisition Max Scherzer came out of the bullpen for a save, sending the Los Angeles Dodgers past the San Francisco Giants 2-1 in a thrilling winner-take-all Game 5 on Thursday night and into the...
Penguins gain, lose 2-goal lead in 3rd before falling in OT
SUNRISE, Fla. — Once upon a time, NHL teams making a two-game swing through Florida usually came away with an easy four points. Both clubs located in the Sunshine State were bumbling expansion franchises that seemingly had trouble in every conceivable fashion on and off the ice. The biggest danger...
Rotation not just MLB: U.S. uses 33 in 6 World Cup qualifiersVideo
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Getting through the first six games of World Cup qualifying has taken a village for the United States. Rotation isn’t just a focus of baseball teams this fall. It’s a key for U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter. Twenty-nine players have started, five more than the American total during...
Pelicans’ Zion Williamson out at first week of regular season
NEW ORLEANS — Pelicans forward Zion Williamson is now expected to miss at least the first week of the regular season because his recovery from surgery to repair a right foot fracture is taking longer than anticipated. “Nothing has gone wrong and there is no setback,” Pelicans basketball operations chief...
Penguins to start goaltender Casey DeSmith against PanthersVideo
SUNRISE, Fla. – Penguins backup goaltender Casey DeSmith is slated to make his season debut on Thursday in a road contest against the Florida Panthers. Coach Mike Sullivan announced DeSmith’s status. This will be DeSmith’s first game of consequence since he suffered a season-ending groin injury late in the 2020-21...
When Pat Narduzzi speaks on Thursdays, you never know what to expect
Every Thursday, promptly at 1 p.m., and with most game prep finished, Pat Narduzzi sits down at a long, wooden table in a conference room and chats casually with reporters. Colorful scenes from Pittsburgh’s North Shore and Pitt’s Oakland campus strategically are hung to cover up game plans and recruiting...
Braves plan to be without OF Jorge Soler in NL Championship Series
ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves are preparing to play without outfielder Jorge Soler in the NL Championship Series as they await his clearance as a result of his positive covid-19 test. The Braves worked out Thursday at Truist Park without Soler, who was pulled from the lineup for Game 4...
Status quo for Steelers injury report; WRs Claypool, Washington remain limited
Wide receivers Chase Claypool and James Washington remained limited at practice during a week in which the Pittsburgh Steelers are moving on after a season-ending injury to receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. Claypool has a lingering hamstring injury that prevented him from playing in the Oct. 3 game at Green Bay, and...
Cardinals fire Mike Shildt over ‘philosophical differences’
The Cardinals fired former National League manager of the year Mike Shildt over organizational differences Thursday, just one week after St. Louis lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers on a walk-off homer in the wild-card game. Cardinals president John Mozeliak said the firing was “something that popped up recently,” but...
Though he appears to be progressing, Steelers’ Stephon Tuitt remains in IR
Twice over the past week during periods of time in which media were able to photograph practice or when they were on the field for interviews, Stephon Tuitt was spotted working out and doing vigorous running and/or individual drills under the watchful eye of a member of the training staff....
After rare long wait for prime time game, Steelers finally to play under the lights
Finally, the Pittsburgh Steelers have hit prime time. The Steelers will play their first night game of the season Sunday in hosting the Seattle Seahawks in a scheduled 8:20 p.m. kickoff at Heinz Field. To this point, the Steelers have played four games with 1 p.m. kickoffs along with a...
Steelers try to make up for lack of history facing Seahawks backup Geno Smith
If the Pittsburgh Steelers cued up videotape from the last time Geno Smith started an NFL game, they went back to the 2017 archives. If they looked for tendencies from when the former West Virginia quarterback last received regular playing time, they dug back to find 2013 footage. The lack...
Penn State coach James Franklin responds to fake injury accusations
UNIVERSITY PARK — Penn State coach James Franklin responded to comments by his Iowa counterpart, Kirk Ferentz, who defended Iowa fans booing injured Nittany Lions during last week’s game. And Franklin didn’t hold back in a more than five-minute rant that addressed strategy and a scene that he said “isn’t...
Versatile Erik Gonzalez selects free agency after 3 seasons with Pirates
When Erik Gonzalez finished the 2020 season as the Pittsburgh Pirates’ starting shortstop, he predicted big numbers if given a chance to play on an everyday basis. Gonzalez, however, lost the starting job to the hot-hitting Kevin Newman in spring training and didn’t deliver at the plate this past season...
Tim Benz: Lightning coach’s quotes tell story of Penguins’ win in Tampa — and how they need to play moving forward
What a win for the Pittsburgh Penguins Tuesday night. They went on the road in front of a hostile crowd for the season opener and convincingly upset one of the favorites to win at least the conference championship. I now fully expect them to lose to Vegas, Cincinnati and Green...
First Call: Seahawks coach has high praise for Ben Roethlisberger; injury updates on Russell Wilson, Aaron Donald
In Thursday’s “First Call,” Ben Roethlisberger is still drawing high praise from Pete Carroll. Injury reports are in on former Pitt star Aaron Donald and some of Carroll’s players in Seattle. Plus, a spin around the AFC North. Nothing has changed Prior to Sunday’s win over the Denver Broncos, 2021...
