Sports category, Page 1850
Even at 2-5, Penn State defensive end Shaka Toney’s optimism persists
By any measure, the Penn State football team’s season has been a disappointment. At 2-5, there is no other way to label a program that had aspirations of being a contender for the national title before the campaign opened. But leave it to defensive end Shaka Toney, ever an eternal...
Armed with $9.75 million contract, Derek Watt remains bit part in Steelers offense
The Pittsburgh Steelers in March made Derek Watt the NFL’s third-highest-paid fullback by average annual salary. So far in his first season with the team, they aren’t using him like a $9.75 million man. Watt has played just 48 offensive snaps this season, including only 24 over the past four...
Steelers’ Steve Nelson practices fully; Chris Boswell, Joe Haden, Robert Spillane do not
Cornerback Steve Nelson practiced fully Wednesday, indicating he is on track to return to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ lineup. But kicker Chris Boswell, linebacker Robert Spillane and cornerback Joe Haden each missed practice. Nelson missed Monday’s game against Washington because of a knee injury. Boswell did not play in that game...
ACC juggles schedule again because of covid-19 as season winds downVideo
In the year of the coronavirus pandemic, traditions — and logic — matter not. There are five games in the ACC this weekend, all important to the teams playing but none involving No. 2 Notre Dame or No. 4 Clemson. The league gave the Fighting Irish and the Tigers the...
PIAA moves forward with winter sports despite pleas from school administrators
The PIAA will let winter sports start Friday as scheduled over pleas from school administrators asking to delay as covid-19 cases rise. The Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators and the Pennsylvania Principals Association sent separate letters to the PIAA prior to the board’s online meeting Wednesday. According to the PASA...
Pitt confronts Georgia Tech while taking aim at a winning season
Pitt started summer training camp with high hopes and an experienced team of 20 seniors and 16 juniors, seven of whom could hear their name called in the 2021 NFL Draft. If that comes to pass, it would be the most Pitt players drafted in 30 years. Argue, if you...
Four clubs receive MLB invites to remain Pirates affiliates amid minor-league contraction
The Pittsburgh Pirates confirmed Wednesday that four clubs received invitations to remain affiliated with them amid MLB’s minor-league contraction to reduce the number of teams from 160 to 120. The Indianapolis Indians (Triple-A), Altoona Curve (Double-A), Greensboro Grasshoppers (High-A) and Bradenton Marauders (Low-A) were invited to continue serving as the...
Penguins A to Z: Sidney Crosby is still the NHL’s best player (when healthy)Video
While the NHL is on hold because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Tribune-Review will offer Penguins A to Z, a player-by-player look at all 48 individuals under NHL contract with the organization, from mid-level prospect Niclas Almari to high-profile trade acquisition Jason Zucker. Sidney Crosby Position: Center Shoots: Left...
Steelers get RB James Conner back from reserve/covid-19 list
The Pittsburgh Steelers will have their starting running back available Sunday when they play the Buffalo Bills in a pivotal AFC matchup. James Conner was activated from the reserve/covid-19 list Wednesday after missing games against Baltimore and Washington. He leads the Steelers with 645 yards rushing in 10 games. Center...
Mark Madden: Steelers need more from running game to be legit contender
The Steelers have to run the ball more and better. They’re not forced to be one-dimensional. They do so voluntarily. It makes them predictable and easy to defend. If the Steelers feel they can’t run, they better figure out how to. Perhaps revisit how they did it earlier this season....
Lamar Jackson, Ravens run past Cowboys to end 3-game slide
BALTIMORE — Back in action after a 15-day layoff, Lamar Jackson directed a relentless rushing attack that the Baltimore Ravens hope will be the first big step in a run to the playoffs. Jackson ran for 94 yards and a touchdown, and the Ravens returned from a covid-19 outbreak to...
First Call: National host mocks Steelers loss, strange gambling odds for Steelers-Bills
A national television host is wallowing in the Steelers’ defeat Monday night. But Steelers fans remain optimistic. That’s how we start “First Call” Wednesday. Plus, we look at some strange gambling odds on the Steelers-Bills game. And we find out how the Washington head coach is reacting to his team’s...
Tim Benz: Steelers ‘popcorn’ problem exists with passing game too
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin dusted off one of his favorite “Tomlinisms” to describe his offense’s anemic run game. “The bottom line is popcorn,” Tomlin said Tuesday, just a few hours removed from his team’s first loss of the season. Tomlin often busts out the “popcorn” phrase when he wants...
Former NFL referee claims officials had ‘complete administrative breakdown’ during Steelers loss
Steelers fans who are angry about how the first half of the Monday evening game ended have every right to be. So does head coach Mike Tomlin. That’s the opinion of former NFL referee Gene Steratore. The Western Pa. native is now an officiating analyst for CBS. He called the...
Alabama, Notre Dame, Clemson, Ohio State hold steady atop CFP rankingsVideo
For the third straight week, Alabama, Notre Dame, Clemson and Ohio State held on to the top four spots in the College Football Playoff rankings. The selection committee’s second-from-last rankings had only a little movement in the top 10. Texas A&M is still fifth and Florida held at sixth. Iowa...
Izaiah Brockington leads Penn State to rout of No. 15 Virginia TechVideo
BLACKSBURG, Va. — Izaiah Brockington scored a career-high 24 points to lead Penn State to a 75-55 victory over No. 15 Virginia Tech on Tuesday night. Brockington hit 10 of 14 the floor, including two 3-pointers for the Nittany Lions (3-1), who used a 17-0 run early in the first...
West Virginia-Robert Morris men’s basketball matchup called off
A men’s basketball matchup between West Virginia and Robert Morris scheduled for Wednesday has been canceled because of covid issues within the Robert Morris program, West Virginia announced Tuesday night. The Colonials opened their season with a 75-57 win over Point Park on Saturday. Their next scheduled game is the...
Covid apparently cancels Ravens’ Dez Bryant reunion with Cowboys
BALTIMORE — Baltimore Ravens receiver Dez Bryant was scratched from Tuesday night’s game against his former team after apparently testing positive for covid-19. Bryant left the field in the middle of warming up with the team, and the Ravens announced less than an hour before their game against Dallas that...
Players walk off in protest against alleged racism in Champions LeagueVideo
In a powerful protest against alleged racism, players from Paris Saint-Germain and Istanbul Basaksehir walked off the field during a Champions League game on Tuesday and didn’t return after a match official was accused of using insulting language about a Black coach. On a night when English giant Manchester United...
Mark Emmert says NCAA must stay open to reform
NEW YORK — NCAA President Mark Emmert hopes lessons learned through navigating the pandemic will lead college sports leaders to be more open to future reform and to prioritize opportunities for athletes when it comes time to cut costs. In a 25-minute interview Tuesday with the Associated Press, Emmert said...
Young Pitt players learned hard, but valuable lessons in 2020
Many months and too many practices to count stand between Pitt football and the 2021 season, but perhaps a moment during the first game of 2020 kick-started the process. Sophomore cornerback A.J. Woods earned a start for the opener against Austin Peay after senior Damarri Mathis had been lost for...
Josh Allen has Bills offense humming heading into Steelers gameVideo
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The way Josh Allen and Buffalo’s offense is humming, the Bills appear better equipped to overcome the deficiencies in their two most recent one-and-done playoff exits. Allen’s 3,403 yards passing rank fifth in the NFL and already place him eighth on Buffalo’s single-season list. The Bills’...
Penguins A to Z: Cody Ceci gets a second chance, againVideo
While the NHL is on hold because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Tribune-Review will offer Penguins A to Z, a player-by-player look at all 48 individuals under NHL contract with the organization, from mid-level prospect Niclas Almari to high-profile trade acquisition Jason Zucker. Cody Ceci Position: Defenseman Shoots: Right...
Steelers’ Mike Tomlin threatens benchings if receivers’ drops continue
Dropped passes can be a subjective metric to calculate in the NFL. What one stat-tracking website views as a drop could be considered an uncatchable pass by other services. ESPN Stats and Info, for instance, calculates the Pittsburgh Steelers with an NFL-high 31 drops this season, 10 more than any...
AP source: NHL players balk at changing CBA, league moves on
NHL players have balked at changing the collective bargaining agreement, and the league is preparing to open the season Jan. 13 after starting training camp on New Year’s Day, a person with knowledge of the situation told the Associated Press on Tuesday. Owners and players, with the hopes of getting...
