Sports category, Page 313
‘Ready to roll’: After season of struggles, David Bednar aims at reclaiming Pirates’ closer role
BRADENTON, Fla. — Being booed off the field in his hometown was humbling for David Bednar, as Pittsburgh Pirates fans voiced their displeasure with his blown leads in late-game situations. The two-time All-Star believes that how he dealt with the criticism would define him more so than the struggles last...
Remembering some of Mike Lange’s most iconic catchphrases, goal callsVideo
Mike Lange’s iconic goal calls weren’t a string of undefeated success. The ones that stuck emerged from a trial-and-error process. “People gave him ideas and he would try some of them,” former Penguins executive Tom McMillan said. “Some didn’t work and he didn’t try them again. Some caught on and...
Penguins-Flyers game time rescheduled
The Pittsburgh Penguins’ home game against the rival Philadelphia Flyers on Feb. 27 has a new start time. That contest will now begin after 7:30 p.m. It was originally scheduled to open shortly after 7 p.m. The time change was made as the contest became exclusive to the ESPN+ streaming...
Robot umpires are getting their first MLB test during spring trainingVideo
TAMPA, Fla. — A computerized system that calls balls and strikes is being tested during Major League Baseball spring training exhibition games starting Thursday after four years of experiments in the minor leagues. Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred is an advocate of the Automated Ball-Strike System, which potentially as early as...
Victor Wembanyama expected to miss remainder of season after blood clot diagnosis, Spurs announce
San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season after being diagnosed with a blood clot in his right shoulder, the Spurs announced Thursday. It is a massive blow to the Spurs, who are contending for a playoff spot in the Western Conference. And...
Former Pirates relief pitcher Scott Sauerbeck dies at 53
Scott Sauerbeck, a late-blooming left-handed reliever who spent five of his major-league seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, died Wednesday in Bradenton, Fla. Sauerbeck was 53. Former Pirates teammate Dave Williams wrote on Facebook that Sauerbeck died of a heart attack, and the Pirates confirmed Sauerbeck’s death in a social media...
On Sports: Sidney Crosby’s remarkable history in international championship games, tributes pour in for Mike Lange
Thursday night is the championship of the 4 Nations Face-Off, the NHL-sponsored international tournament that is the first to feature top NHL players in nine years. The matchup between Canada and the U.S. is highly anticipated, and the Americans won the meeting in pool play five days ago. That remains...
Where did Penguins radio broadcaster Mike Lange get his memorable calls?Video
Editor’s note: This story was originally published on May 15, 2017. A guy walked into the former Wren Haven bar in Scott Township where Penguins announcer Mike Lange was having lunch and said to the bartender “Buy Sam a drink and get his dog one, too.” “It made me smile...
Memories, sympathies shared following the death of Penguins broadcaster Mike LangeVideo
Condolences, sympathies and memories were being shared on social media following the death of Mike Lange, who will forever be remembered as the voice of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Lange died Wednesday. He was 76. “The Penguins organization joins the family, friends and fans of legendary broadcaster Mike Lange as we...
Mike Lange’s legacy with the Penguins goes beyond his phrases
When Mario Lemieux joined the Penguins as the franchise’s savior in 1984, there wasn’t an abundance of ways to watch the team’s games outside of the Pittsburgh area. After all, this was decades before the Internet made virtually every sporting contest on Earth viewable through streaming services. But you could...
U mad, bro?: Early Pirates injuries, constant Steelers QB confusion have Pittsburgh fans grumbling
Some quarterbacks just aren’t going to come to Pittsburgh. Other quarterbacks may never leave. And certain Pirates may take a little longer to put on the uniform than we all hoped. All these topics have our readers simmering in this week’s “U mad, bro?” Someone calling themselves “Pirate Crusher” (so...
College baseball future may see greater imbalance in competition
The Division I baseball season is less than a week old, and coaches already are planning for 2026 when it’s all but certain scholarship limits will be removed, rosters downsized and players will have opportunities to make more money. They expect the fallout to be fewer opportunities for high school...
West Virginia survives final frantic seconds to beat CincinnatiVideo
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Amani Hansberry scored 17 points and grabbed 13 rebounds and West Virginia pulled out a 62-59 win over Cincinnati on Wednesday night after nearly blowing a nine-point lead in the final seconds. Trailing by six midway through the second half, the Mountaineers (16-10, 7-8 Big 12) went...
Legendary Penguins broadcaster, Hockey Hall of Famer Mike Lange dies
Mike Lange didn’t think he would make it in Pittsburgh. Beyond the first week. After arriving in Western Pennsylvania to begin his new job as the play-by-play voice of the Penguins, Lange took up temporary residence with a co-worker and the two went out to a local establishment on his...
Duquesne drops Fordham at home to stay in A-10 race
David Dixon raised the roof multiple times Wednesday night at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse to the delight of a home Duquesne basketball crowd energized by the sounds of the Mt. Pleasant High School marching band, which was making a guest appearance alongside the Duquesne pep band. The Dukes, led by Dixon’s...
Bets pour in on 4 Nations Cup final between U.S., Canada
LAS VEGAS — The players have been emotionally invested in the 4 Nations Face-Off, and sports bettors have noticed and followed suit. Money has been pouring in on the tournament, and the championship on Thursday night in Boston — a rematch between the United States and Canada — is drawing...
NFL projects salary cap between $277.5M and $281.5M in 2025, rising by as much as $26MVideo
NEW YORK — The NFL salary cap will be between $277.5 million and $281.5 million for the 2025 season, rising as much as $26 million from last year. The bump is great news for Cincinnati, which is hoping to sign receiver Tee Higgins to a long-term contract. It also means...
Konan Niederhauser, Hicks each score 19 and Penn State routs Nebraska to end 7-game skidVideo
UNIVERSITY PARK — Yanic Konan Niederhauser and Zach Hicks each scored 19 points, D’Marco Dunn added 17 and Penn State routed Nebraska 89-72 on Wednesday night to end a seven-game losing streak. Penn State (14-13, 4-12 Big Ten) won its first game since topping Rutgers 80-72 on Jan. 20. That...
SEC, Big Ten prepared to push for changes to CFP seeding in 2025Video
NEW ORLEANS — The Big Ten and SEC will push for changes in the way College Football Playoff teams are seeded next season to coincide more with how teams are ranked by the CFP selection committee, commissioners for both leagues said Wednesday. “I’m prepared to vote for seeding change,” SEC...
NASCAR deals Daytona 500 pole winner massive fine for 2nd consecutive yearVideo
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Daytona 500 pole-winner Chase Briscoe was dealt a major penalty Wednesday when NASCAR said Joe Gibbs Racing had a modified spoiler on the No. 19 Toyota in time trials. Joe Gibbs Racing was docked 100 driver/owner points and 10 playoff points. The spoiler base is a single-source...
U.S., Canada want to put new Cold War on ice in 4 Nations final
BOSTON — The U.S. and Canadian hockey teams tried to skate back the geopolitical tension that has infiltrated the 4 Nations Face-Off as they looked ahead to the championship game Thursday night for what has turned into one of the best international hockey tournaments in decades. Setting aside the animosity...
7 Chilean men charged with burglarizing homes of Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, other star athletesVideo
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Seven men from Chile have been charged in Florida federal court with orchestrating burglaries at the homes of prominent professional athletes around the country, according to a criminal complaint. The FBI complaint doesn’t name the athletes but lists burglaries already made public involving the Kansas City...
Brandin Cummings jumps off bench, vaults into vital role in Pitt’s quest to reach NCAA Tournament
For most of this season, Pitt sat just outside the group of four or five elite teams in the ACC. Eighth place in the 18-team conference — which is where the Panthers (16-10, 7-8) stand at the moment — feels about right. But that’s not the goal, and now that...
New Castle native, Pitt grad Scott McCurley hired as Steelers linebackers coach
The Pittsburgh Steelers made official Wednesday the hiring of former Pitt player Scott McCurley as the team’s inside linebackers coach. McCurley replaces Aaron Curry, who left the Steelers to accept a position with the New York Jets. A New Castle native, McCurley, 44, spent the past five seasons with the...
‘I’ve accepted it’: With Oneil Cruz in center field, Pirates believe his ceiling is cathedral
BRADENTON, Fla. — Oneil Cruz comes from a family of shortstops, so his switch to center field late last season came with concerns about whether the Pittsburgh Pirates star would accept the new position. Before Cruz left the Dominican Republic for spring training, his 6-year-old son provided the true test...
