Sports category, Page 1629
Mark Madden: In transition to ESPN and Turner, NHL needs to find the next Charles Barkley
The NHL’s national TV situation has been overhauled. NBC is out. ESPN and Turner Broadcasting are in. Hockey is finally on multiple networks. Pinocchio, you’re a real boy now. NBC failed at hockey. Their in-studio presentation is dull and lifeless, devoid of personality and edge. Praise is thick, criticism nonexistent....
Restricted access, limited information all part of this year’s draft process for Steelers
Draft preparations for this year’s event began last May for the Pittsburgh Steelers, which means the entirety of the process was conducted during the coronavirus pandemic. Meetings were held virtually. Attendance on college campus was limited to game days. The NFL Combine was canceled. “It’s been a real different, challenging...
Pittsburgh-area youth hockey teams ready to mix it up at nationals
The North Pittsburgh Tier II 16U boys hockey team had to battle back from an early hole in their Mid-Am District national-qualifying tournament in late March. The Wildcats lost their first game to the Pittsburgh Predators, 4-3, in a double overtime shootout. But they responded with convincing wins over the...
Pirates will remain at 25% capacity for home games through May
The Pittsburgh Pirates will keep 25% capacity for home games through the month of May, according to an official. The team put tickets on sale for 13 games at PNC Park on Wednesday morning, starting with May 10 vs. the Cincinnati Reds through May 30 against the Colorado Rockies. “For...
Former Steelers WR Antonio Brown rejoins Buccaneers on 1-year contract
A week after settling a civil lawsuit with his former personal trainer who had accused him of sexual assault, former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown has rejoined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a one-year contract. Brown’s deal, which he agreed to Wednesday, is for a guaranteed $3.1 million, includes...
Kendrick Carmouche to be 1st Black jockey in Kentucky Derby since ’13
Long before Kendrick Carmouche started riding horses growing up in Louisiana, Black jockeys were synonymous with the sport. Black riders were atop 13 of the 15 horses in the first Kentucky Derby in 1875 and won 15 of the first 28 editions of the race. Everything has changed since: Carmouche...
Browns owners finally in good spot after years of misery
CLEVELAND — When fans tune in to watch this week’s NFL draft, they’ll see picturesque shots of Lake Erie, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and a city climbing back after a rugged year. Stifled by the pandemic, Cleveland’s getting on its feet. The Browns are already standing. Last...
Doug Jarvis’ ironman streak could be next major NHL record broken
After Patrick Marleau passed Gordie Howe last week for the most games played in NHL history, the ironman streak of Doug Jarvis could be the next milestone to fall. Jarvis played in a record 964 consecutive games — every game for 12 full seasons from 1975-87 on three different teams...
NCAA extends contract of President Mark Emmert through 2025
The NCAA Board of Governors voted Tuesday to give President Mark Emmert a two-year contract extension through 2025. Emmert’s contract was set to expire in 2023, but the board voted unanimously to extend his deal, the NCAA said in a statement. The announcement comes less than a month after the...
First Call: A team that may draft Najee Harris before Steelers pick; Alex Ovechkin sidelined; Josh Bell struggles
Wednesday’s “First Call” clues us in on a team that may steal Najee Harris in the first round of the NFL Draft before the Pittsburgh Steelers get a chance to pick him. Steelers Hall of Famer Alan Faneca throws his support behind a potential top-5 draft choice for a very...
Tim Benz: Surfing through NFL Draft medical info may be even more important for Steelers than many other teams
In advance of the NFL Draft, Alabama center Landon Dickerson has been called “almost the perfect Steeler.” Anyone who has tracked the draft knows what that “almost” surrounding him is. It’s not his talent. Or athleticism. Or pedigree. Or attitude. Or leadership. Or the obvious fit he’d be at pick...
U mad, bro?: Some readers are mad about Mike Tomlin’s contract extension; others are angry at criticism of it
Thursday will feature Penguins/Capitals and Round 1 of the NFL Draft. So we’re posting “U mad, bro?” a day early. Also, coming off a vacation week when Mike Tomlin got a contract extension on the heels of another late-season collapse, we’ve got … hmm … a few comments stored up....
By extending MLB-best scoreless streak, Richard Rodriguez captures Pirates’ closer role
Derek Shelton has been reluctant to name a closer for the Pittsburgh Pirates, so Richard Rodriguez made it easy on his manager by seizing the job with the longest scoreless streak in baseball. Asked if that makes him The Closer — yes, with a capital C — Shelton simply shrugged....
In strangest of seasons, Seton Hill baseball continues to dominate
Despite having 18 players out at one point because of coronavirus protocols and the team being sidelined for 20 days, Seton Hill baseball has been nearly unbeatable this season. The Griffins are ranked No. 7 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Division II Top 25. On Tuesday, Seton Hill...
Ex-Pine-Richland coach Kasperowicz meets with team, says he’s ‘not done fighting’ for job
Embattled former Pine-Richland football coach Eric Kasperowicz met with his 2020 state championship team for an emotional outdoor ring ceremony on Tuesday evening. Kasperowicz was informed by the school district in an April 14 letter that his contract would not be renewed due to “incidents of hazing, ‘rites of passage,’...
Joe Rutter’s mock draft: Steelers will play it by the book, take RB, center early
Mock drafts can humble a football writer faster than T.J. Watt rushing the edge. One year you’re riding high, patting yourself on the back for predicting four of the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted players correctly (Devin Bush, Benny Snell, Diontae Johnson and Isaiah Buggs). The next year you’re whiffing more frequently...
Penguins hampered by Bruins’ defense in loss
Having earned points in 16 of 19 games before Tuesday, the Pittsburgh Penguins have reached a pretty firm conclusion. Defense comes first. Offense will follow. “That’s the way we’ve got to play,” defenseman Marcus Pettersson said via video conference. “We don’t have to take chances to create offense. We’re going...
Wilmer Difo’s pinch-hit RBI single in 7th leads Pirates past Royals
The Kansas City Royals came to PNC Park with baseball’s best record, riding a five-game winning streak and with a small-market, team-building template the Pittsburgh Pirates want to follow. In a span of three seasons, the Royals went from worst to first in the AL Central, turning a 104-loss team...
Golf notes: Peter Uihlein trying to decide best path to return to PGA Tour
PALM HARBOR, Fla. — Good play brings tough decisions for former U.S. Amateur champion Peter Uihlein. Uihlein worked hard to return his swing back to where it needed to be, and the results were encouraging. He won on the Korn Ferry Tour two weeks ago in Las Vegas, and then...
NHL could adjust playoffs for travel restrictions in CanadaVideo
The NHL is preparing contingency plans if virus restrictions in Canada prevent travel between provinces or back and forth to the U.S. during the playoffs. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman on Tuesday called the situation “wildly unpredictable.” The NHL put off the thorny issue of cross-border travel before the season began...
Westmoreland Campus Clippings: Penn-Trafford loading college softball teams
Penn-Trafford alums are scattered across the college softball landscape, and the players are making an impact at various levels. Consider: The Warriors have impactful former players at the Division I, II, III and NAIA levels this season — more than any other area program. You could fill out a lineup...
Rob Manfred: MLB expansion fee could be in $2.2 billion range
NEW YORK — Major League Baseball would consider expansion fees in the range of $2.2 billion for new franchises, though there are no current plans to add teams. Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred spoke Tuesday during SporticoLive’s online discussion of its estimates to baseball franchise valuations. The company estimated the average...
Hello, Cleveland: NFL takes ‘blended’ draft back on road
CLEVELAND — All those boos aimed at Commissioner Roger Goodell that have become an NFL draft tradition will be slightly muted this year. At least they’ll be heard. After going all virtual in 2020 due to the covid-19 pandemic, the three-day draft, which has grown into one of America’s biggest,...
New outfielder Ka’ai Tom hoping to make quick impact on Pirates
Ka’ai Tom doesn’t hesitate to help enunciate his Hawaiian first name — it’s pronounced kuh-EYE — and the newest Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder even offered a bit of advice to their broadcasters. “Think of the apostrophe as a pause,” Tom said, “like a hiccup.” That’s the perfect analogy for Tom’s arrival,...
Steelers exercise 5th-year option for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick for $10.6 million in 2022
With the deadline approaching for NFL teams to tender fifth-year options to 2018 first-round picks, the Steelers got a jump on the process by exercising it for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. The move locks in Fitzpatrick’s salary for the 2022 season at a guaranteed $10.612 million. NFL Network first reported the...
