200 FBS quarterbacks went into portal, and the best ones came out with promises of big paychecks
About 200 Football Bowl Subdivision quarterbacks entered the transfer portal by last week’s deadline. That doesn’t mean it’s a buyer’s market. The top programs in the power conferences are paying a premium for players at the most important position on the field. Experienced starters commanded financial packages worth north of...
Mark Madden: The Pirates could bring back Andrew McCutchen, but it’s OK to turn the page
The Pittsburgh Pirates traded for power-hitting second baseman Brandon Lowe and signed OK-hitting first baseman Ryan O’Hearn. But now have done nothing for a couple of weeks. They must figure that first place in the NL Central is wrapped up. It’s not. I’m assuming the Pirates just missed on Kyle...
‘Everything has gone well’ for Anthony Mantha with Penguins after tough year with FlamesVideo
Anthony Mantha doesn’t have a surplus of good memories of his time as a member of the Calgary Flames. To be clear, he doesn’t have many memories of any type in Calgary. At least on the ice. In November 2024, he suffered a torn right ACL, which required surgery. That...
On Sports: Former Steelers RB Najee Harris on Mike Tomlin’s advice; Andrew McCutchen blasts those doubting his defense
In Wednesday’s “On Sports,” we look at Najee Harris’ recollection of a telling conversation with former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin. We also look at Andrew McCutchen’s defense of his defense, and a Pirates player who got married over the weekend. Plus there’s a Steelers anniversary, more on an NHL...
Joe Starkey’s Stick Route: Jeff Capel’s Pitt tenure running on empty
Commentary on day’s news in 300 words or less It’s not Kevin Stallings 2.0, but when you lose to Louisville at home by a million points, Stallings certainly springs to mind. Stallings lost to Louisville, 106-51, on Jan. 24, 2017. Jeff Capel lost to Louisville, 100-59, on Saturday, nearly the...
Duquesne men can’t keep up with Saint Louis at home
Even in the modern era, it’s not unheard of for a Top 25 basketball game to pop up at Duquesne. It happens every once in a while in the mid-major Atlantic 10. Tuesday night was one of those times with No. 24 Saint Louis in the house, and Duquesne, long...
Broncos players express faith in backup QB Jarrett Stidham after Bo Nix’s injury
DENVER — Bo Nix’s season was done in the snap of an ankle bone, a freefall off an emotional mountaintop after leading the Denver Broncos to a 33-30 overtime win over Buffalo in the AFC divisional round Saturday. But there is no time to mourn. The AFC’s No. 2-seeded New...
Kevin Gorman: In a Hall of Fame vote centered around center fielders, why Torii Hunter made my ballot
Call me a world-class procrastinator, if you will, or simply someone who performs better under deadline pressure, but I wait until the final day allowed to mail my Baseball Hall of Fame ballot. Baseball Writers Association of America voters are permitted to pick 10 players, so following the elections of...
Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame
NEW YORK — Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones, center fielders who excelled at the plate and with their gloves, were elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame on Tuesday. Beltrán, making his fourth appearance of the ballot, received 358 of 425 votes for 84.2% from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America,...
Curt Cignetti won at Indiana with what he knew: Good players from his former schoolVideo
MIAMI — He had to start somewhere. So, when coach Curt Cignetti started his rebuilding project at Indiana, he turned to what he knew. Cignetti recruited 13 players from his old school, James Madison, over to his new program with the Hoosiers. They formed the backbone of at what he...
Steelers conduct 1st in-person interview with Brian Flores, Vikings defensive coordinator
Brian Flores was only weeks removed from filing a lawsuit against the NFL when the Pittsburgh Steelers hired him in 2022, providing the former Miami Dolphins head coach a pathway back into the league. Four years later, the Steelers could rekindle his head coaching career, too. The Steelers conducted an...
‘Flush it’: Pitt aims to quickly leave humiliating Louisville loss in the rearview mirrorVideo
Judging by his postgame remarks Saturday, Jeff Capel wouldn’t begrudge anyone for labeling Pitt’s 100-59 beatdown at the hands of Louisville as humiliating. After all, Capel described the loss as “embarrassing,” and there are few other ways to describe a result that ranks in the top five of largest margins...
Special teams coordinator Danny Smith becomes 1st Steelers assistant to be hired elsewhere
Longtime Pittsburgh Steelers special teams coordinator Danny Smith became the first member of former coach Mike Tomlin’s staff to leave the team. The 72-year-old was hired by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as their new special teams coordinator, the Buccaneers reported. Smith spent the past 13 seasons with the Steelers under...
Penguins acquire defenseman Ilya Solovyov from AvalancheVideo
The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired defenseman Ilya Solovyov from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for forward Valtteri Puustinen and a seventh-round draft pick in 2026 on Tuesday. Solovyov, 25, has split the 2025-26 season between the NHL and American Hockey League (AHL) levels. In 16 NHL games, he has three points...
Penguins reassign forward Joona Koppanen to AHL
The Pittsburgh Penguins reassigned forward Joona Koppanen to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League on Tuesday afternoon. Koppanen, 27, was called up to the NHL on Sunday but did not suit up for the Penguins in Monday’s road contest at Seattle. Koppanen has appeared in 10 NHL games this season...
Special-teamer Carson Bruener the only Steeler named to PFWA NFL all-rookie team
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2025, on the whole, showed promise during its collective rookie season. The only player, though, honored on the Pro Football Writers of America NFL All-Rookie Team played exactly one snap on offense or defense. Carson Bruener was the designated specialist on the PFWA all-rookie team released Tuesday....
No. 1 Indiana tops final AP Top 25 football poll of season as Big Ten’s title run reaches 3 straight
Indiana achieved one more first to end its magical season full of firsts: The national champion Hoosiers are No. 1 in the final Associated Press Top 25 college football poll. After beating Miami in the College Football Playoff title game to cap a 16-0 season that was unprecedented in the...
Penguins to honor 2016 Stanley Cup team when Mike Sullivan, Rangers visit
Any time Mike Sullivan returns to Pittsburgh, where he coached for a decade and won the Stanley Cup twice, it’s worth tuning in as the past and present of the Penguins’ franchise collides. Sullivan and his New York Rangers play Jan. 31 at PPG Paints Arena, and the Penguins announced...
Duquesne looks to defend home court against 1st ranked foe to visit UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse
When the Duquesne Dukes take the floor for Tuesday night’s game at the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse, they’ll be doing so under unique conditions. It’ll be the first time Duquesne hosts a basketball game on that court against a ranked opponent. That’s because the Saint Louis Billikens are coming to town...
Penguins players credit aggressive tactical approach as key part of penalty kill’s successVideo
The overhaul of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ coaching staff after Mike Sullivan’s departure last April made it anyone’s guess as to how Dan Muse and his new assistants would approach all aspects of the game. From breaking out of the defensive zone, playing five-on-five, defensive structure, the power play and much...
Joe Starkey’s Mailbag: Is it time to trade T.J. Watt?
You ask. I answer. It’s time for “Mailing It In,” a weekly Q&A that will appear Tuesdays at TribLive.com. I had a record amount of submissions in Week 1, so we’re off to the best start since Starling Marte homered in his first big-league at-bat. Most of the questions come...
First Call: Brian Flores to have in-person coaching interview this week; Steelers must wait on Rams candidates
Monday’s “First Call” has some updates on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ coaching situation. New England has tied a noteworthy Steelers’ historical mark. And we lay out the Penguins western road trip which gets underway this evening in Seattle. ________________________ Return trip: Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores is coming to Pittsburgh...
First Call: Overlap in coaching search for Steelers and Ravens; ex-Penguin involved in goalie fight
In Tuesday’s “First Call,” we attempt to organize and update the Pittsburgh Steelers’ coaching search. We also discuss some overlap with the Baltimore Ravens’ hunt to replace John Harbaugh. Sean McDermott’s dismissal in Buffalo creates questions. And a former Penguin was part of a goalie fight. Pulling from the pack?...
Tim Benz: Concern over Mike Tomlin’s Steelers legacy is unnecessary … and James Harrison’s story shows why
In the wake of his resignation as Steelers coach last week, there was much discussion about Mike Tomlin’s legacy. How should it be viewed? How much was it damaged by the lack of postseason success over much of the last 15 years? Will the 19 years of nonlosing football ever...
Indiana holds off Miami, completes undefeated season to win 1st national title
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Fernando Mendoza bulldozed his way into the end zone, and Indiana bullied its way into the history books Monday night, toppling Miami, 27-21, to put the finishing touch on a rags-to-riches story, an undefeated season and the national title. The Heisman Trophy winner finished with 186...
