Sports category, Page 1755
NFL awards Steelers compensatory pick in 4th-round of draft
Anticipation was that the Pittsburgh Steelers might be awarded two compensatory draft picks this year based on free-agent losses in the 2020 offseason. Instead, they got just one. When the NFL released the compensatory picks list Wednesday, the Steelers were awarded a pick in the fourth round, the 35th pick...
Artemi Panarin rejoins Rangers after 2-week leave of absence
Artemi Panarin rejoined the New York Rangers for practice in Boston on Wednesday after taking a two-week leave of absence. Coach David Quinn said Panarin won’t play Thursday night against the Bruins and his timeline for getting back to game action is unclear. But there’s a buzz around the Rangers...
Texas Rangers in line to be 1st team back to full capacity
ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers could have a full house for their home opener next month after debuting their new 40,518-seat stadium without fans in the stands for their games last season. If that happens, the Rangers could be the first team in Major League Baseball or any major...
Steelers get WR, return specialist Ray-Ray McCloud under contract for 1 year
The Pittsburgh Steelers got one of their restricted free agents under contract Wednesday when they signed wide receiver/returner Ray-Ray McCloud to a one-year deal. McCloud, who spent the 2020 season with the Steelers after being signed in training camp, played in all 16 games and was credited with two starts....
Former Steelers player Ryan Switzer’s child released from hospital
After a stressful weekend in the hospital, the son of former Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Ryan Switzer is home. Christian Switzer, only nine months old, was admitted to the hospital Saturday after waking up covered in his blood. Christian, who also was diagnosed with covid-19, needed fluids, medication and several transfusions....
Penguins’ Mark Friedman back at practice; John Marino absent
The Pittsburgh Penguins gained one defenseman but lost another Wednesday, at least by way of practice participation. John Marino was absent from Wednesday’s session at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry Township. But Mark Friedman was back on the ice with teammates, appearing to be in a full participatory...
NFL sets salary cap at $182.5M; Steelers have about $6.1M to spend
With the NFL salary cap figure being set at $182.5 million Wednesday, the Pittsburgh Steelers finally know how much room they will have to spend once free agency begins next week. It’s not much. Barring any further contracts being restructured, the Steelers will enter free agency approximately $6.1 million under...
RMU’s football game with Monmouth postponed
Robert Morris football was scheduled to play its spring home opener Saturday against Monmouth at Joe Walton Stadium. That game now has been postponed because of a positive covid test within the Colonials program, the RMU athletic department announced Wednesday morning. The Big South Conference is working with both Robert...
Mark Madden: Penguins need to dominate meetings with Devils, Sabres
Refreshing hockey notes: Maybe someday they can be the lead story on SportsCenter! (OK, probably not.) • The NHL reportedly signed a seven-year national TV contract with ESPN. The NHL is in the final season of its rights deal with NBC, but the league is pursuing multiple carriers (finally) like...
NHL reaches 7-year agreement with ESPN
The National Hockey League and ESPN are together again: The two sides announced a seven-year agreement Wednesday beginning next season that includes four Stanley Cup Finals, the NHL All-Star game and comprehensive streaming rights. ESPN has a long history with the league, stretching back to the network’s launch, but hasn’t...
Secondary scoring proves to be pivotal for the top NHL teams
The Tampa Bay Lightning hoisted the Stanley Cup last year, leaning on their top line of Brayden Point, Nikita Kucherov and Ondrej Palat to produce nearly 40% of their points during the postseason run. Tampa Bay is now winning a different way, nearing the midway point of the 56-game, pandemic-shortened...
First Call: Draft expert gives us ‘almost the perfect Steeler’; Al Villanueva impacted by franchise tags
One NFL draft expert has two perfect fits for the Steelers. Franchise tag fallout. And a curious quote from Pitt basketball coach Jeff Capel. All that in Wednesday’s “First Call.” Perfect in Pittsburgh NFL Network and NFL.com draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah did his annual pre-draft media conference call to look...
If Joe Haden wants Mike Hilton to stay with Steelers, he should stop being such a good agent
If Mike Hilton’s free-agent market value gets too rich for the Steelers’ blood, general manager Kevin Colbert can thank one of Hilton’s teammates. Fellow cornerback Joe Haden. The veteran Steelers defensive back called Hilton the “best nickel corner in the game” on Monday. Best nickel in the GAME!!! Joe...
Tim Benz: Pirates not alone when it comes to creating lack of competition
Pirates fans, at least you aren’t alone when it comes to your team’s place within the ecosystem of baseball economics. Along with how your team is operating within that world. Meet the Colorado Rockies. They decided to pay the St. Louis Cardinals to accept All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado in...
This date in sports history: March 10Video
1913 — The Quebec Bulldogs win the Stanley Cup in two games over Sydney. 1920 — Quebec’s Joe Malone scores six goals to lead the Bulldogs to a 10-4 rout of the Ottawa Senators. 1961 — Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors becomes the first NBA player to score 3,000...
Pirates emphasizing defense, consistency in 3-way battle for backup catcher
When Derek Shelton ordained Jacob Stallings the starting catcher at the outset of spring training, it didn’t signal the end of the competition at one of the most pivotal positions for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Instead, it was just the beginning of a battle for the three catchers vying to become...
Empty Thoughts: Penguins 4, Rangers 2Video
Observations from the Penguins’ 4-2 win against the Rangers: Jake Guentzel’s resume is impressive. He has recorded one 40-goal season in his career. He probably would have two were it not for a devastating shoulder injury he suffered last season (to say nothing of a global pandemic that disrupted the...
Minor league report: Alex D’Orio records 1st professional shutout as Nailers beat FuelVideo
Goatlender Alex D’Orio made 27 saves and recorded his first career shutout as a professional, leading the Wheeling Nailers to a 6-0 home win against the Indy Fuel at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, W.Va. on Tuesday. Forward Nick Rivera scored two goals for Wheeling (7-17-4) while forward Lawton Courtnall added...
Penguins fend off late attack by Rangers for 3rd consecutive win
Defending a lead has been a struggle for the Pittsburgh Penguins throughout the 2020-21 season. Granted, much of that futility can be tied to the fact they’ve trailed so often in games, they’ve been the ones trying to stage a comeback victory. On Tuesday, they successfully defended a late lead....
PGA Tour slowly creeps toward normalVideo
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — The backdrop was a navy blue board filled with 33 logos of The Players Championship. Sitting next to PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan was the gold trophy as he spoke about scrapping the tour’s premier event last year and how golf made it through the...
Former Penn State WRs Chris Godwin, Allen Robinson top franchise tag listVideo
The big money that accompanies franchise tags for the 2021 season is going to receivers, safeties and linemen. No running backs. No tight ends. No linebackers. And, with Dak Prescott reaching agreement with the Dallas Cowboys on a new four-year deal, no quarterbacks. So wideouts Chris Godwin, who helped the...
Westmoreland campus clippings: All-America honors for Carlow’s Olivia Miller
Carlow senior Olivia Miller is an All-American again — in two events. The Ligonier Valley product placed sixth in the high jump at the 41st NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships to finish inside the top eight and earn the status. Her distance was 1.61 meters. She also took sixth...
No shortage of Top 25 teams in Big 12 TournamentVideo
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Chris Beard played college basketball in Texas, worked for a spell at his alma mater, then spent most of his coaching career at small schools across the state before taking over as coach at Texas Tech. Yet, he was downright flabbergasted to learn no school from...
Penguins activate defenseman Juuso Riikola from injured reserve
The Penguins have activated defenseman Juuso Riikola from injured reserve. He has been sidelined since suffering an undisclosed injury on Jan. 19. In two games this season, Riikola, 27, has no points. To make room for him on the roster, the Penguins placed forward Jared McCann on injured reserve retroactive...
Pirates get 17 hits, fall just short of no-hitter in Grapefruit League win over Braves
It all came down to the final out. The Pittsburgh Pirates were one out away from a spring training no-hitter, thanks to a double play in the bottom of the ninth against the Atlanta Braves. Right-handed reliever Nick Mears lost the no-hit bid when Phillip Ervin singled on a soft...
