Penguins beat Devils in 1st game after Olympic break without Sidney Crosby
The challenge of replacing the irreplaceable Sidney Crosby is a lot of things for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Immense? Certainly. Daunting? Absolutely. Impossible? Perhaps. But not complicated, at least in the eyes of his healthy teammates, who suggest all they have to do is offer a little bit more on an...
Caleb Downs, Kenyon Sadiq may provide strong draft value for NFL teams at often undervalued spots
INDIANAPOLIS — Caleb Downs and Kenyon Sadiq played it cool Thursday at the NFL’s annual scouting combine. Rather than brag about sitting atop their respective positional rankings — safety and tight end — for April’s NFL Draft, the two All-Americans spoke confidently about simply what they could add next fall....
Reports: 3-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer, Blue Jays agree to 1-year, $3M deal
NEW YORK — Max Scherzer is returning to the Toronto Blue Jays. Two weeks into spring training, the three-time Cy Young Award winner has agreed with the reigning American League champions on a $3 million, one-year contract, according to multiple reports Thursday. The 41-year-old Scherzer can earn another $10 million...
Hornets’ Kon Knueppel breaks NBA rookie record for 3-pointers in a season in just 59 games
INDIANAPOLIS — Charlotte’s Kon Knueppel reached yet another milestone in a remarkable rookie season for the No. 4 overall pick from Duke. The Hornets swingman broke Keegan Murray’s NBA rookie record for 3-pointers, making his 207th Thursday night against the Indiana Pacers. Knueppel connected on five 3s in the first...
Reports: Colts give injury-plagued QB Anthony Richardson permission to seek trade
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts have given quarterback Anthony Richardson permission to find a trade partner, according to multiple reports Thursday. Indy believed Richardson could become its longtime franchise quarterback when it drafted him with the No. 4 overall selection in 2023, but nothing has gone according to plan for...
Bruce Froemming, record-setting major-league umpire, dies at age 86
Bruce Froemming, a major-league umpire for 37 consecutive years who worked the third-most games in big-league history and a record 11 no-hitters, died Wednesday, his son said. He was 86. Froemming fell just after midnight Tuesday and hit his head on the hardwood floor at his home in Mequon, Wisc.,...
Austin Smotherman leads the Cognizant Classic, making 6 straight birdies in a first-round 62
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Austin Smotherman’s one previous PGA Tour appearance at the tournament now known as the Cognizant Classic was in 2022, and it was forgettable. He shot 70 in the first round, 76 in the second and missed the cut by four shots. Given that, he didn’t...
Former teammate of Steelers’ Joey Porter Jr. at PSU, Zakee Wheatley a versatile safety prospect
INDIANAPOLIS — It’s not uncommon for a player to transition, at some point in his football career, from cornerback to safety, and there are plenty of cases of deep safeties moving to in-the-box linebacker. But how about a player who has made the move among the three and back again?...
Tim Benz: Offensive tackle has entered the Steelers’ draft chat … againVideo
After Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan addressed media members at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, most of the headlines were centered on what he said about the team’s plans at quarterback. Naturally. Why should this year be any different than the previous four in the wake of Ben...
Jose Urquidy focuses on fastball velocity in spring training debut as Pirates top Twins
BRADENTON, Fla. — When Jose Urquidy made his spring training debut for the Pittsburgh Pirates, his primary concern was attacking what he views as a shrinking strike zone. The 30-year-old right-hander missed all of 2024 and much of last season while recovering from his second Tommy John surgery, so he’s...
IndyCar roars into season opener as Ganassi driver Alex Palou chases 4th straight title
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — IndyCar opens its season with a roaring four races in March, a return to Phoenix Raceway, three new venues and the son of a motorsports icon making his debut in a North American-based series. Oh, and Alex Palou will be racing for his fifth championship in...
NCAA rules panel proposes letting player ejected for targeting in 2nd half to play entire next game
INDIANAPOLIS — Division I football rules makers have proposed a one-year trial rule allowing a player disqualified for targeting for the first time to play in his team’s next game regardless of which half the penalty was assessed, the NCAA announced Thursday. Currently, players disqualified for targeting must miss the...
‘I wish we could have done better’: Now with Twins, Derek Shelton reflects on Pirates tenureVideo
BRADENTON, Fla. — Derek Shelton returned to LECOM Park as a manager, this time in the visiting dugout. The former Pittsburgh Pirates skipper was wearing new colors that were old colors to him. The former Minnesota Twins bench coach is now their manager, only months after being fired by the...
Penguins goaltender Arturs Silovs scheduled to start against Devils
Pittsburgh Penguins rookie goaltender Arturs Silovs is scheduled to start Thursday’s game against the New Jersey Devils at PPG Paints Arena. Coach Dan Muse announced Silovs’ status following an optional morning skate in Cranberry. In 26 games this season, Silovs has an 11-7-8 record, a 2.93 goals-against average, an .894...
Penn State’s Rocco Becht ready to resume throwing after recovery from shoulder surgery
STATE COLLEGE — Drew Allar isn’t the only Penn State quarterback who is expected to throw on Saturday. Veteran Rocco Becht, the Iowa State transfer who will lead Matt Campbell’s Penn State offense in the fall, said Wednesday his recovery from offseason shoulder surgery is progressing nicely. The 6-foot-1, 210-pound...
Joel Quenneville wins his 1,000th game, joining Scotty Bowman in an elite club for NHL coaches
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Joel Quenneville became the second coach in NHL history to win 1,000 games when his Anaheim Ducks rallied to beat the Edmonton Oilers, 6-5, on Wednesday night. Quenneville joined Scotty Bowman in this exclusive hockey club with a milestone win in the Ducks’ first game back from...
Joe Starkey’s Cup of Joe: What is an ‘AFC North’ quarterback?
Cup of Joe: Starkey on sports in 350 words or less Steelers GM Omar Khan made sure to talk up last season’s third-string quarterback — the sixth-round pick who has never appeared in a live NFL game — in addressing reporters at the NFL Combine. Of course he did. Khan...
Pirates announce coaching staff assignments for minor league affiliates
BRADENTON, Fla. — The Pittsburgh Pirates announced the staff assignments for their minor league affiliates, including multiple managerial changes. At Triple-A Indianapolis, Eric Patterson has been promoted from bench coach to manager. He replaces Chris Truby, who was elevated to infield coach on the major league staff. The Indians also...
Mark Madden: A blueprint for how the Penguins survive during Sidney Crosby’s absence
Sidney Crosby won’t play for at least four weeks because of a lower-body injury, widely presumed to be a strained knee. The most frightening two words contained in that prognosis are “at least.” The Pittsburgh Penguins were five points safe in a playoff berth when NHL play resumed Wednesday night....
A Boston Celtics game-inspired friction test finally pinned down the sneaker squeak
NEW YORK — As he watched the Boston Celtics play from the stands of TD Garden, one noise kept catching Adel Djellouli’s ear. “This squeaking sound when players are sliding on the floor is omnipresent,” he said. “It’s always there, right?” Squeaky shoes are part of the symphony of a...
U mad, bro?: Aaron Rodgers, the unearthed Steelers-Ravens officiating debate, 3-on-3 Olympic hockey all take shots from fansVideo
This week’s “U mad, bro?” goes from Milan to the North Side Notch. Hockey in the Summer Olympics to the reconstruction of PNC Park. Three-month-old football games to WWE wrestling. In other words, just a typical week. Here’s the latest edition. I took a jab at Team Canada coach Jon...
On Sports: Penguins prepare to run gauntlet; where will Pitt’s Kyle Louis fit on an NFL roster?Video
Thursday’s “On Sports” takes a look at the challenge currently in front of the Pittsburgh Penguins, who begin a difficult final month-and-a-half of the regular season minus captain Sidney Crosby. At the NFL Combine, former Pitt standout linebacker Kyle Louis looks to further showcase his next-level potential, while Paul Skenes...
Joe Starkey: The Steelers are Omar Khan’s show now. Is that a good thing?
Evaluating the Steelers’ personnel decisions in recent years was always tricky, because it was often unclear whether coach Mike Tomlin or general manager Omar Khan dictated a given decision. Who was pulling the trigger on many of the main acquisitions, via the draft, trades and free agency — and where...
Report: Steelers rank last among NFL’s 32 franchises in player union’s report cards
The Pittsburgh Steelers ranked last among the league’s 32 franchises in the NFL Players Association’s annual report cards, according to ESPN, with players citing an unwillingness by ownership to invest in facilities. The Steelers received low grades in several categories, according to unreleased survey results published Thursday by ESPN. The...
Minor league report: Logan Pietila scores twice for Nailers in loss
Forward Logan Pietila scored two goals for the Wheeling Nailers in a 6-3 loss to the Fort Wayne Komets at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, W.Va., on Wednesday. Linemate Connor Lockhart also scored a goal for Wheeling (30-14-2-3) while forward Ryan McAllister contributed two assists. Goaltender Taylor Gauthier made 24 saves...
