Sports category, Page 1701
Shades of gray rare among Kentucky Derby favorites, winners
Chris Goodlett has walked around Churchill Downs many times since joining the Kentucky Derby Museum and heard admiring fans say to each other, “Oh, look at that beautiful gray horse.” Not many of those remarks have come while looking at the winner’s circle after the Derby. Essential Quality is expected...
Pitt tackle Carson Van Lynn opts to transfer, enters NCAA portal
Pitt lost some of its depth on the offensive line when tackle Carson Van Lynn placed his name in the NCAA transfer portal. I have nothing but love and immense pride in being a Pitt man. Pitt is a very special institution with coaches and staff who truly care about...
Mark Madden: Penguins will put Evgeni Malkin on top power play, but they shouldn’t
Before Evgeni Malkin got hurt, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ power play scored 15 times on 84 opportunities. That’s a conversion percentage of 17.8. With Malkin out, the power play is 16 for 50. That’s a percentage of 32.0. When Malkin rejoins the lineup, should he go back on the No. 1...
Deep cornerback class gives chance for Steelers to buck recent draft history
Hearing the names of cornerbacks taken by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first four rounds of the NFL Draft over the past decade is enough to send shivers up the spine of any fan. It sounds like a roll call from a George Romero horror movie. There was Artie Burns...
Penguins’ success in face of adversity deserves praise. But should we change playoff expectations?
I write this column not so much as an opinion piece on the Pittsburgh Penguins. It’s more of a cathartic cry for help. A plea to Pens fans to help me surf through my complex, layered emotions as the 2021 regular season draws to a close. Because if you were...
First Call: Even if Devin Bush gets healthy, Steelers still may look to draft another Ryan Shazier; appreciating Tyson Alualu’s return
In Tuesday’s “First Call,” we go heavy on the Pittsburgh Steelers and the NFL Draft. Monday marked a happy anniversary in that regard. We look at why inside linebacker continues to make sense as a potential first-round option for the club and how Tyson Alualu bailed out the team by...
This Date in Sports History: April 27
1956 — Rocky Marciano retires as the undefeated heavyweight boxing champion. He finished with a 49-0 record, including six title defenses and 43 knockouts. 1960 — The Minneapolis Lakers announce they will relocate to Los Angeles. 1968 — Jimmy Ellis wins the heavyweight boxing title with a 15-round decision over...
Tim Benz: Best case yet for Kevin Colbert to draft a RB in 1st round … from Colbert himself
In most years, it’s a futile effort to attempt reading the tea leaves during the Pittsburgh Steelers pre-draft press conference with general manager Kevin Colbert and head coach Mike Tomlin. I’m not conspiratorial enough to think those two use that opportunity to intentionally float out misinformation. OK, maybe on occasion....
Seton Hill baseball win won’t count after Mercyhurst protest
Seton Hill baseball has an impressive record this season, but one of the Griffins’ wins was taken off the board Monday. The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference announced that Mercyhurst played Saturday’s game against Seton Hill under protest and the Lakers’ objection to a reversed call was upheld by the league...
Dubai sheikh still chasing elusive Kentucky Derby victory
Winning major horse races around the world is the lifeblood of Godolphin, and there’s no bigger race than the Kentucky Derby. Getting his hands on the gold winner’s trophy on the first Saturday in May has been a decades-long quest for Godolphin founder Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, prime...
AP sources: Turner Sports gets rights to 2nd NHL package
Turner Sports is the surprise winner of the NHL’s second television package. The sides agreed on a seven-year contract that includes three Stanley Cup Finals, two people familiar with the deal told the Associated Press. The people spoke on condition of anonymity Monday because the contract had not been finalized....
Trainer Brad Cox seeks Kentucky Derby history as Louisville’s first winnerVideo
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Brad Cox smiles when talking about Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby, making it clear how important both are to the trainer. After all, he grew up a few blocks away from the historic track. Cox began working with horses at Churchill Downs as a teenager before...
Browns’ Baker Mayfield on recent UFO sighting: ‘I believe’
CLEVELAND — Baker Mayfield’s offseason has included running, lifting, getting a guaranteed $18 million and a celestial close encounter he won’t forget. Mayfield said he saw a UFO. Nothing has changed his mind. “I’m a firm believer in UFOs and Sasquatch,” Mayfield said with a smile Monday on a Zoom...
Westmoreland campus clippings: Pitt-Greensburg tennis smashing success
Turner Price plays singles and doubles for the Pitt-Greensburg men’s tennis team. He also likes to double up on awards. Price, a junior from Penn-Trafford, repeated as the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Player of the Year and earned all-conference first-team honors at No. 1 singles after a strong spring season....
Buccaneers exercise 5-year option on DT Vita Vea
TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers exercised the fifth-year option on the contract defensive tackle Vita Vea signed as the 12th overall pick in the 2018 draft. The 6-foot-4, 347-pound tackle has started 29 of 34 regular-season games he’s played with the Bucs, compiling 7½ sacks and 19 quarterback...
Penguins Prospect Watch: Sam Poulin surges early in QMJHL postseasonVideo
A weekly look at how Penguins prospects and minor leaguers have fared over the past seven days: • In the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s (QMJHL) postseason, forward Sam Poulin had a power-play goal and an assist for the Val-d’Or Foreurs in a 7-2 home win against the Baie-Comeau Drakkar...
Kentucky Derby notes: Brooklyn Strong makes quick move
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Brooklyn Strong needed a few horses to drop out to make the Kentucky Derby and now needs to make it to Churchill Downs at the latest possible minute. The defection of trainer Brad Cox’s Caddo River on Sunday opened the door for Daniel Velasquez’s Brooklyn Strong to...
While remaining on covid-19 pause, Pitt baseball cancels weekend series with Northern Kentucky
For the second consecutive week, Pitt baseball canceled its three-game weekend series Monday due to the team remaining in covid-19 protocol. The Panthers were scheduled to play Northern Kentucky in nonconference games Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Charles L. Cost Field. Pitt’s three-game series last weekend at No. 5...
Blackhawks’ Andrew Shaw retires after latest concussion
CHICAGO — Andrew Shaw was the scrappy “mutt” on a star-studded team, a gritty fan favorite who helped the Chicago Blackhawks win two Stanley Cups. Now, he is calling it a career. Shaw announced his retirement Monday on the advice of doctors after multiple concussions over the course of his...
Cowboys’ Sean Lee retires after 11 seasons
A football career defined by hundreds of tackles but also interrupted by several serious injuries came to an end Monday when Upper St. Clair native Sean Lee retired from the NFL after 11 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. Lee announced his decision via a letter posted to the team’s website....
Penguins know how to use the boards to create offense
Bryan Rust knows his math. After all, the Penguins forward was a finance major at Notre Dame. So his choice of verbiage to explain a pass he received from linemate Sidney Crosby in a recent game was fitting. “Sid’s geometry was pretty good there.” During the first period of a...
Former Steelers RT Marcus Gilbert retires after 10 NFL seasons
Another long-time member of the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line decided to retire. Marcus Gilbert, who spent his first eight seasons playing right tackle for the Steelers, announced his decision Monday on social media. Thank you for all of the support over the years. I can’t wait to share my next...
Kevin Colbert says NFL Draft is ‘wide open’ for Steelers in 1st round
Factoring in the changes along the offensive line, a left tackle or center could be a priority for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the NFL Draft. Given that the Steelers finished last in rushing in 2020, a workhorse running back could get the nod with the 24th...
Unfiltered: Tim Benz and Mark Madden discuss Penguins, Pirates, Steelers and NFL DraftVideo
Refreshed and refocused after a week off, Tim Benz and Mark Madden return for this week’s edition of “Unfiltered” on TribLive’s Facebook page to talk about how the Penguins are playing, what the Steelers might do in the NFL Draft, the Pirates at .500, and more. Benz went to Hawaii...
Empty Thoughts: Penguins 1, Bruins 0
Observations from the Penguins’ 1-0 win against the Bruins: Jake Guentzel scored the winning — and only — goal early in the third period of Sunday’s game. But in reality, he won the game much later. The Bruins had pulled goaltender Jeremy Swayman late in regulation for an extra attacker...
