Sports category, Page 2020
Bubba Wallace, NASCAR’s agent of change, doing ‘what feels right’Video
LONG POND — Being an agent of change in NASCAR cuts both ways for Bubba Wallace. He is seen as a hero to some, particularly those who have longed for a Black driver to shake things up in a predominantly white sport. To others, the 26-year-old Wallace represents something else...
After weird NHL Draft Lottery, losers of 1st-round playoff series in running for top pickVideo
Alexis Lafreniere was supposed to walk on stage Friday night in Montreal as the top pick in the NHL Draft. After the covid-19 pandemic paused the hockey season and postponed that possibility, Lafreniere was supposed to find out Friday night where he would be going when the league held its...
Phil Mickelson leads Travelers in first event since turning 50Video
CROMWELL, Conn. — Phil Mickelson figures age might be an asset. Playing his first tournament since turning 50 this month, the five-time major champion shot a 7-under-par 63 on Friday in the Travelers Championship to take a one-stroke lead into the weekend. Lefty said said it was perhaps the wisdom...
Indy 500 plans to admit fans but only at 50% capacityVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis 500 will run in August with 50% fan capacity, a total that still could hit six figures at famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Indy 500 was bumped from its traditional May date because of the coronavirus pandemic. The 104th Indy 500 will run Aug. 23 at...
Belmont winner Tiz the Law lands future stallion dealVideo
VERSAILLES, Ky. — Belmont winner Tiz the Law will stand at Coolmoore America’s Ashford Stud in Kentucky when his racing career is over. The 3-year-old colt will continue to be owned by Sackatoga Stable while he races. Tiz the Law has won five of six career starts, including last week’s...
Oregon, Oregon State to drop ‘Civil War’ name from sports rivalriesVideo
Oregon and Oregon State agreed to drop the name “Civil War” for their rivalry games. The move Friday was made after discussions between officials at both schools and current and former student-athletes. Oregon State president Ed Ray said the Civil War name “represents a connection to a war fought to...
NFL coaching summit focuses on giving more opportunities to minority candidatesVideo
The biggest takeaway after the NFL’s two-day quarterback coaching summit is there is no shortage of qualified minority candidates waiting for opportunities to be head coaches and coordinators. The league and the Black College Football Hall of Fame earlier this week held a virtual version of their summit, a third-year...
Center James Ellis leaves Duquesne for Tallahassee CC
James Ellis, who came to Duquesne from Westinghouse in 2018 as a promising 6-foot-11 prospect, transferred to Tallahassee (Fla.) Community College. Tallahassee coach Zach Settembre welcomed Ellis to his new school Friday on Twitter. Welcome to the @TCCEagles family, James Ellis! @JamesEllis_1 comes to @TCCeaglesMBB from @DuqMBB and Pittsburgh, PA....
Pocono twin bill weekend loses luster with no fans at trackVideo
LONG POND — The billboard at the entrance to Pocono Raceway has photos of Chase Elliott and Kyle Busch and “First-Ever NASCAR Doubleheader” in bold letters. The kicker comes at the bottom of the sign: “Kids Free.” A grand gesture — and a needless one. Keep the kids at home....
What was the Penguins’ best draft class ever?
Oskar Sundqvist hasn’t been a member of the Penguins organization for three years. In 2017, the two-way forward was sent to the St. Louis Blues as part of a doomed — from the Penguins’ perspective — trade for enforcer Ryan Reaves. Yet, even with that much separation, Penguins goaltender Matt...
Pirates continuing restructuring, laying off 15 members of baseball operations department
The Pittsburgh Pirates had another round of layoffs on Friday, this time letting go 15 members of the baseball operations staff in a restructuring of the department, a source confirmed to the Tribune-Review. The employees were informed they would not be involved in the organizational plans following this season, so...
Mark Madden: Liverpool’s worldwide fanbase can savor long-awaited championship
It took 30 difficult years. But at day’s end, it was relatively easy. Liverpool FC have been a juggernaut of epic proportion on the way to the pinnacle of English football for the first time since 1990. Their seven remaining games will determine their exact place in history, but that’s...
NHL not planning to quarantine players for training campsVideo
Jason Spezza’s confidence in the NHL returning has not been shaken by word of 11 fellow players testing positive for the coronavirus. Given his involvement in NHL Players’ Association talks, the veteran Toronto forward knew from doctors’ input there would be positive test results in hockey just as there have...
NBA, players sign off on final terms for restarted seasonVideo
The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association finalized terms of the deal that will allow the league to restart the season at the Disney World campus near Orlando, Fla., next month. The league and the union made the announcement Friday. Many of the details were already known, such as...
Riverhounds learn group opponents for USL Championship season
The Pittsburgh Riverhounds have learned who their group opponents will be for the 2020 USL Championship season. Over the past two days, the USL Championship has been revealing their eight groups for the 2020 season. It was announced on Friday that the Riverhounds will be competing in Group F with...
From ‘fringy’ to fabulous, one tool turned Pirates 1st-round pick Nick Gonzales into the NCAA batting champ
Many Pirates fans have become familiar with the story of Pirates first-round draft choice Nick Gonzales. From underrecruited walk-on at New Mexico State to NCAA batting champ to Cape Cod League MVP to seventh overall pick in the MLB draft in just three years. But his former coach at New...
Double Team: Joe Mullen became a Hall of Famer with the Flames and PenguinsVideo
While the NHL is on hold because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Tribune-Review will offer the Double Team project, an examination of the five best players who have contributed substantially to the Penguins and another franchise. For consideration, a player must have played at least the equivalent of a...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Predicting the Pirates’ 30-man roster and taxi squad
If you listened to Derek Shelton’s weekly appearance on 93.7 FM, the Pittsburgh Pirates manager dropped a bit of a bombshell when he discussed potential designated hitters. Oh, Shelton has warned us before that he has no plans to designate one player as DH, as much as that might be...
‘Burgh’s Best to Wear it, No. 66: Iconic moments made Mario Lemieux timeless
The Tribune-Review sports staff is conducting a daily countdown of the best players in Pittsburgh pro and college sports history to wear each jersey number. No. 66: Mario Lemieux As the No. 1 overall pick in the 1981 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s draft, Mario Lemieux wanted to prove he...
Goran Ivanisevic, the coach of Novak Djokovic, tests positive for coronavirus
ZAGREB, Croatia — Former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic, who now coaches Novak Djokovic and attended the top-ranked player’s exhibition series in Serbia and Croatia, said Friday he has tested positive for the coronavirus. The Croatian great, who won his only Grand Slam title at the All England Club in 2001,...
First Call: Ditching the Hall of Fame Game isn’t a catastrophe, but it’s something
For Friday’s First Call, let’s take a look at the cancellation of the NFL’s Hall of Fame Game. It was supposed to feature the Steelers against the Dallas Cowboys on Aug. 6 in Canton, Ohio. Because of the coronavirus, that ain’t happenin’. Neither is the induction ceremony that would’ve included...
MLB rule changes give new Pirates manager Derek Shelton flexibility with pitching staff, DH
Now that MLB has decided to play a 60-game season featuring regional matchups, new Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton is switching his strategy from a marathon to a sprint and preparing for rule changes. Shelton believes that benefits him, given the Pirates will be playing opponents from the NL Central...
Steelers 2-a-days: Derwin Gray seeks roster spot; Joe Haden returns from Pro Bowl seasonVideo
Editor’s note: Leading up to a unique Pittsburgh Steelers training camp staged at Heinz Field this year, the Tribune-Review will be running through the team’s 90-man roster, assessing each player’s outlook for the 2020 season. The breakdown will go through the roster, in mostly alphabetical order, two per day, between...
Tim Benz: Jarome Iginla, Marian Hossa, tainted history and butterfly effects
When former Steelers Troy Polamalu, Bill Cowher and Donnie Shell were elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame a few months ago, the news was met with celebration in Pittsburgh. A practical Black and Gold caravan was planned to leave Western Pa. and head to Canton, Ohio, for induction...
Rangers’ Artemi Panarin suggests NHL players shouldn’t report without escrow reform
NEW YORK — NHL MVP candidate Artemi Panarin said Thursday he has concerns about the health and safety of players if the season resumes and about finances beyond that. The New York Rangers winger posted a statement on Twitter saying he’s worried about the “long-term prosperity of the NHL.” His...
