Sports category, Page 1932
Reds rely on first time around the order to hand Pirates 7th consecutive loss
The Pittsburgh Pirates have reached the point of their season where it has become obvious they are the worst team in baseball — only for them to painfully prove it in different ways every game. The Cincinnati Reds found out the first time around the order would be enough, scoring...
Injury forces Steelers to continue offensive-line turnoverVideo
A school of thought heading into this pandemic-affected 2020 NFL season was teams with the most continuity could have the best chance to thrive. Judging by how it has played out so far, that rationale doesn’t portend success for the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line. Although the line played its part...
Clock running on Woods’ pursuit of major records as he preps for U.S. OpenVideo
MAMARONECK, N.Y. — The older he gets, the more difficult it gets for Tiger Woods. He is one victory away from setting the PGA Tour career record, and it’s been that way since January. Every major he plays this year is a chance to tie the mark for the most...
Mike Tomlin takes blame for gaffe of Steelers playing one man short in opener
The Pittsburgh Steelers played Monday’s season opener with one more player than they had in the past, but it was one fewer than the maximum allowed — and one fewer than their opponent. The Steelers activated 47 players. The New York Giants made 48 available. Until the new NFL/NFLPA collective...
Jets place Le’Veon Bell on IR with hamstring injuryVideo
NEW YORK — The New York Jets will face the defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers without Le’Veon Bell. The star running back was placed on injured reserve Tuesday with a hamstring injury. Bell was hurt in the second quarter of the Jets’ season-opening 27-17 loss at Buffalo on Sunday....
Special teams not too special for Steelers in opener
Because of developments such as Ben Roethlisberger’s return from injury and four rookies making debuts, Monday’s season-opening victory for the Pittsburgh Steelers was in some ways special. The Steelers’ special teams, though, were not. “Obviously,” coach Mike Tomlin said during his video news conference Tuesday, “we have some work to...
Pirates GM Ben Cherington: We need great players
With about nine months on the job and his first season as Pittsburgh Pirates general manager down to its final two weeks, Ben Cherington is getting a better sense of where the organization stands. “Better,” Cherington said. “Not complete.” The Pirates made a major move Sept. 1 by calling up...
Vincent Davis accepts ‘old-school’ lessons from Pitt assistant Andre Powell
Andre Powell smiled when he heard Pitt running back Vincent Davis called him “old school.” “It means I’m old, and I went to school,” said Powell, Pitt’s 53-year-old running backs coach/special teams coordinator. It was a joke, of course. After 33 seasons of continuous service as a college football coach,...
Pair of West Virginia football players test positive for coronavirusVideo
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia’s football team has two active confirmed coronavirus cases, coach Neal Brown said Tuesday. Brown said at his weekly news conference two freshman walk-ons tested positive, the only such cases in the program. Brown also said a defensive lineman sat out Saturday’s season-opening win over Eastern...
Wisconsin chancellor says Big Ten football on hold until questions answeredVideo
The University of Wisconsin chancellor said Tuesday that Big Ten football will remain on hold until there are answers to questions about covid-19 testing and tracing, along with possible long-term heart issues related to the coronavirus. Chancellor Rebecca Blank said once the Big Ten leaders have their concerns addressed “we...
Pirates activate reliever Blake Cederlind, who could make MLB debut at Reds
The Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher whose fastball turned heads in spring training by touching triple digits is ready to make his major league debut, as Blake Cederlind was activated Tuesday from the taxi squad. The 6-foot-4 right-hander, who started the 2019 season in Class high-A Bradenton and finished it in Triple-A...
World Series at Arlington, first time at one site since 1944
NEW YORK — The World Series will be played entirely at the Texas Rangers’ new ballpark in Arlington, Texas, as part of a bubble agreement between Major League Baseball and the players’ association, the first time the sport’s championship will be played entirely at one site since 1944. As part...
Mike Tomlin gave Alejandro Villanueva his blessing for using alternate helmet honoreeVideo
Saying that Alejandro Villanueva did discuss it with him beforehand, Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin gave his blessing to Villanueva for putting a different name on the back of his helmet than the rest of his teammates. The Steelers’ starting left tackle, Villanueva put the name Alwyn Cashe on the...
Capitals hire Stanley Cup-winning coach Peter LavioletteVideo
Peter Laviolette was hired Tuesday as coach of the Washington Capitals, who hope to harness his ability to quickly take a team to the Stanley Cup Final in what could be the final few years of their championship window. Laviolette is the first Cup-winning coach hired in the franchise’s 46-year...
WPIAL athletic directors deal with ‘whirlwind’ while preparing for fall sports
A pandemic wasn’t exactly on the radar for Drew Karpen when he was hired as the Highlands athletic director last year. “You could have given me a million guesses on how my first year was going to go, and I would’ve not have mentioned it at all,” Karpen said. That’s...
Tomlin: Wisniewski, Conner questionable, Banner out for Week 2. DeCastro? ‘I don’t know’
Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin began his weekly news conference by definitively declaring that right tackle Zach Banner would not be able to play in Sunday’s home opener against the Denver Broncos. Tomlin offered less clarity — albeit with more optimism — on the injury statuses of guard Stefan Wisniewski...
Pirates love how Jameson Taillon rubbed off on Mitch Keller in their rehab together
For the Pittsburgh Pirates, having the organization’s top two pitchers going through rehabilitation together could have been viewed as a disaster, as both were unavailable to pitch for the major league team. Instead, having Mitch Keller working alongside Jameson Taillon every day was nothing short of a revelation. The Pirates...
Former Penguins assistant coach Tony Granato elected to U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame
Tony Granato, who was a Penguins assistant coach for five seasons, will be inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. A 13-year NHL veteran, Granato was on the Penguins bench from 2009-14. He coached the team’s forwards and penalty kill and helped the team to the best winning percentage...
Defensive wrinkle heads list of 5 things learned in Steelers’ win against Giants
Five things we learned from Steelers 26, Giants 16: 1. Defense returns strong, adds wrinkles At first blush, it looked like the a continuation of the Steelers defense from 2019 what with the three sacks and two interceptions the group generated at the Meadowlands. Defensive captain Cam Heyward, though, noticed...
Stephen Gostkowski finally delivers in Titans’ 16-14 win at Denver
DENVER — A day after Tom Brady’s dud of a debut for Tampa Bay, Stephen Gostkowski failed to put all that Patriots pedigree to work in his first game with the Tennessee Titans. Until the very end. Unlike Brady, who lost his first game in a uniform other than New...
First Call: Ravens coach defends risking Lamar Jackson, Bruce Arians blunt about Tom Brady
Tuesday’s “First Call” gives us John Harbaugh’s defense of Lamar Jackson staying in the Baltimore Ravens’ blowout win Sunday. Bruce Arians isn’t afraid of criticizing Tom Brady. The Dallas Stars are onto the Stanley Cup Final. And Pitt is a big favorite on Saturday. Leavin’ Lamar The Baltimore Ravens destroyed...
Did the Penguins hire assistants for Mike Sullivan? Or potential replacements?
With the Steelers underway, some have pushed Penguins talk to the back burner until free agency or when the offseason trade market truly kicks into gear. But not for those of us here at “Breakfast With Benz.” General manager Jim Rutherford got a head start, so we feel the need...
Tim Benz: First 2020 ‘Airing of Grievances/Feats of Strength’ after Steelers beat Giants
I know that 2020 has taken away some of our most beloved traditions. Thankfully, not Steelers football. At least it’s still on television, even if you can’t go to the games. And because the Steelers are playing, you get to continue enjoying our favorite Steelers postgame tradition here at “Breakfast...
Down went the ‘bell cow,’ so in came the (Benny) Snell cow to close out Steelers win
Last week, Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin referred to James Conner as “our bell cow.” Monday, they turned to their Snell cow. Benny Snell Jr. had 19 carries for a career-high 113 rushing yards in helping the Steelers to a 26-16 season-opening victory at the New York Giants. “(Snell) was...
Stars on to Stanley Cup Final after OT win over Vegas
EDMONTON, Alberta — Denis Gurianov scored on a one-timer during a power play 3 minutes, 36 seconds into overtime, and the Dallas Stars beat the Vegas Golden Knights, 3-2, on Monday night to advance to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2000. The Stars forced overtime in...
