Sports category, Page 1843
WPIAL’s 2021 football recruits make commitments official by signing early
For the fourth year, the NCAA allowed college football recruits to sign early, making their commitments official in mid December rather than early February. The early signing period was added in 2017. A number of WPIAL seniors took that opportunity Wednesday and then celebrated on social media. Here’s a look...
Shoulder lands Bengals DT Geno Atkins on injured reserve
CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bengals on Wednesday put defensive tackle Geno Atkins on injured reserve with a right shoulder injury. The 11-year veteran missed the first four games of the season with the injury suffered in training camp and has played sparingly since. Atkins has one tackle in seven games....
Pirates ticket David Burke to improve engagement with fans, business partners
With a “focus on enhancing fan and partner engagement,” the Pittsburgh Pirates announced Wednesday the hiring of David Burke as executive vice president of sales and business development. Burke will lead a handful of sales departments, ranging from tickets to partnerships, as well as business analytics. He has been executive...
Baldwin’s Dorien Ford becomes first of 20 recruits to sign letters of intent with Pitt
Baldwin defensive tackle Dorien Ford became the first of 20 Pitt prospects to sign and deliver letters of intent on national signing day Wednesday morning. #1 is in! The Hometown Hero @DorienFord_21 is ready to roll!! #H2P #PITT2L1TT pic.twitter.com/ZbG7NNbxzl— Pat Narduzzi (@CoachDuzzPittFB) December 16, 2020 Coach Pat Narduzzi tweeted the...
First Call: Steelers’ Super Bowl odds slip; Pirates draft options besides Kumar Rocker? NFL’s 17th game coming?
Wednesday’s “First Call” looks at where the Steelers stack up on the Super Bowl odds board. The NHL Trophy odds are out, too. Kumar Rocker may not be a lock as the Pirates top overall pick in June after all. And that NFL 17-game schedule may soon become a reality....
Tim Benz: Mike Tomlin’s messaging is clear, but some answers are not
Most Steelers fans assumed that their team would fall from its unbeaten perch eventually. However, most didn’t expect to see them tumble down the NFL mountain so quickly. Over the last three weeks, they’ve looked more like a Super Bowl fraud as opposed to a Super Bowl favorite, thanks to...
U mad, bro?: A Steeler is mad at someone on ESPN; readers are mad at Tim Benz
In this week’s “U mad, bro?” post, it’s Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey who is mad. And you don’t want to see Maurkice Pouncey when he is mad. Actually, come to think of it, I do want to see Pouncey when he’s mad. On the field. Against the Cincinnati Bengals Monday...
This date in sports history: Dec. 16Video
1918 — Jack Dempsey knocks out Carl Morris in 14 seconds in a heavyweight bout in New Orleans. 1930 — Golfer Bobby Jones wins the first James E. Sullivan Award. The award is given to “the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States.” 1940 — Joe Louis knocks out...
Penguins begin skating in Cranberry
While there isn’t a hard date yet for the NHL to open training camps let alone the 2020-21 season, the Penguins have begun informal skating sessions at their facility at Cranberry. The team announced a handful of unspecified players skated on Tuesday in small groups. It is unclear if any...
Pitt’s Kenny Pickett goes on Twitter to announce he will return for the 2021 season
With three words on Twitter five days after the last game of the season, Kenny Pickett changed the entire course of the Pitt football program. For, at least, as he stated: “One more year.” Pickett, who has been Pitt’s starting quarterback since the last game of the 2017 season, indicated...
NFL not allowing mandated local bubbles during postseasonVideo
NFL teams won’t be allowed to create local bubbles during the postseason by mandating players stay in a hotel, except for the night before a game. “Clubs may not require players and staff to stay at a hotel in their local area,” reads a league memo obtained Tuesday by the...
Former Southmoreland star Brandon Stone transferring to Robert Morris
In a matter of four days, Brandon Stone set his college basketball career on a new course. On Saturday, he left the La Salle campus. On Monday, he entered the NCAA Transfer Portal. By Tuesday, he had a new suitor: Robert Morris. Yes, it happened that quickly for the former...
Ravens hope win over Browns provides spark for playoff pushVideo
An emotional, uplifting victory on the road against a division rival strongly enhanced the Baltimore Ravens’ chances of reaching the playoffs and provided a positive vibe during a season marred by injuries, a three-game skid and an outbreak of covid-19. Now, with a soft schedule in front of them, the...
Virginia Tech AD says coronavirus significantly impacted football teamVideo
Virginia Tech athletic director Whit Babcock painted a stark picture Tuesday of what the Hokies went through during the football season amid the coronavirus pandemic. “Well over half of our team, maybe three-fourths, contacted covid since March,” Babcock said in an hourlong Zoom call. “Eight of our 10 full-time coaches...
No surprises as Alabama, Notre Dame, Clemson, Ohio State top college playoff rankingsVideo
Alabama, Notre Dame, Clemson and Ohio State will enter championship weekend in position to make the College Football Playoff with very little drama. The top five teams were locked into their places Tuesday night for the fourth straight week, with the Crimson Tide (10-0) leading the way as it prepares...
Former Plum slugger pleased to be back in purple as coach at Evansville
Jordan Seneca had last worn purple in a softball-game setting in the spring of 2014 as a senior at Plum. This past fall, she again donned that familiar color, beginning a tenure as a graduate assistant coach with the softball program at Division I University of Evansville. It is a...
Florida basketball player Keyontae Johnson recovering from scary collapse
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida forward Keyontae Johnson on Tuesday enjoyed a breakthrough in his recovery from a scary collapse Saturday at Florida State. Johnson’s parents, Nika and Marrecus, released a statement through the school updating their son’s progress as he remains hospitalized. He has been upgraded to stable condition, with...
Pitt opens ACC season against short-handed Miami
While Jeff Capel juggles a long bench that could get longer before the end of Wednesday, he should feel fortunate he doesn’t have Jim Larranaga’s problem. When Pitt opens the ACC portion of its schedule at Miami on Wednesday, the Panthers will meet a depleted Hurricanes team that might dress...
Unbeaten Ohio State seeks style points in Big Ten championship gameVideo
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A group of university administrators on a Zoom call decided Ohio State would play in the Big Ten championship game. Now the No. 3 Buckeyes are eager to show not only are they the dominant team in the conference, but they also unequivocally deserve a spot in...
Pirates manager Derek Shelton promises to create a culture of competition next season
Derek Shelton takes pride in laying the foundation for a culture change in his first season as Pittsburgh Pirates manager, and he’s just as enthused about creating a culture of competition in his second year. MLB is still working out whether the 2021 season will start on time or delay...
Getting 7 majors in pandemic-ridden 2020 a major success for golfVideo
HOUSTON — Already the latest a major championship was ever played, it was only fitting the U.S. Women’s Open had to go an additional day because of rain. Equally appropriate for the conclusion of this surreal season was the winner, A Lim Kim, wearing a mask while she played. “I’m...
Browns learn tough lesson in gut-wrenching loss to RavensVideo
CLEVELAND — On their way to likely ending the NFL’s current longest playoff drought, the Browns are learning lessons every week. Some of them are tougher than others. Monday’s was: don’t shrink. While showing resilience, toughness, grit and all the other coaching cliches against Baltimore in a 47-42 loss that...
Ravens’ J.K. Dobbins deletes tweet after Browns’ Andrew Sendejo hurtVideo
CLEVELAND — The hard hitting between the Ravens and Browns in Monday night’s thrilling game carried into Tuesday. Cleveland safety Andrew Sendejo suffered a concussion late in the fourth quarter after a collision at the goal line with Ravens rookie running back J.K. Dobbins, who gloated about the violent play...
Notre Dame defense faces Clemson before coordinator heads to VanderbiltVideo
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Clark Lea is on the way out at Notre Dame just as his defense has been on the way up. The 38-year-old Lea, a Tennessee native, was named head coach at alma mater Vanderbilt on Monday. Before he focuses on rebuilding the Commodores, the second-ranked Fighting...
Indiana-Purdue, Michigan-Iowa canceledVideo
Two of the seven Big Ten Champions Week games were canceled Tuesday because of covid-19 outbreaks as an uncertain postseason looms for college football. The annual rivalry game between Indiana and Purdue set for Friday was canceled for the second time in two weeks and the third time this season....
