Sports category, Page 320
Mark Madden: Enjoy Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh’s only hope for a winner
Only one exciting thing is on the horizon for Pittsburgh sports: When it’s Paul Skenes’ turn to pitch. The Pirates’ phenom/ace will take the mound every fifth day or so, with longer breaks occasionally finagled so he starts at PNC Park as much as possible. No sense in Skenes selling...
Penn State football’s spring session could look different
James Franklin covered a wide range of topics Tuesday in his first appearance with local media of the offseason, ranging from hiring Jim Knowles to Drew Allar’s confidence heading into 2025. After all, the offseason has been a busy one, with multiple coaching searches on top of typical responsibilities. Asked...
Chibuzo Agbo’s 7 3-pointers pace USC in win over Penn State
LOS ANGELES — Chibuzo Agbo scored 21 points with a career-high seven 3-pointers and Desmond Claude scored 16 points and USC broke it open in the second half and beat Penn State, 92-67, on Tuesday night. USC (14-10, 6-7 Big Ten) shot a blistering 67.3% (33 for 49), including 75%...
With Spencer Horwitz out after wrist surgery, Pirates explore internal options at 1st base
BRADENTON, Fla. — The Pittsburgh Pirates suffered a serious setback before spring training started, as newly acquired first baseman Spencer Horwitz will miss six to eight weeks after undergoing wrist surgery. Horwitz’s absence, possibly for the entirety of spring training, forces general manager Ben Cherington to go back to the...
First Call: Jets tried to ban Aaron Rodgers from Pat McAfee’s show; Steelers DB lashes out at idea of Rodgers in Pittsburgh
“First Call” for Wednesday has some interesting news about Aaron Rodgers’ demise in New York. We also tell you which Steeler is aggressively opposed to the notion of Rodgers coming to Pittsburgh. It might not take very much for the Steelers to pry Deebo Samuel loose from San Francisco. Also,...
Tim Benz: Hey, new Pirates, it’s not your fault
I feel like I’m channeling Robin Williams from “Good Will Hunting” on this one. But with Pittsburgh Pirates players reporting to spring training this week, I think it needs to be said. Hey, Adam Frazier. It’s not your fault. There are going to be times this year when you think...
After losing 4 games in a row, Pitt confronts injuries, issues on offense
The hard truth Pitt’s players and coaches must face after six days of travel — from Pittsburgh to North Carolina to Texas and back home — is that they are a beaten team in more ways than one. The Panthers (14-10, 5-8 ACC) have lost four in a row for...
Danton Heinen offers Penguins a flexible option up and down the lineup
It was a routine enough question, a copy-and-paste inquiry applicable to many players Mike Sullivan has coached over the years. Sullivan had been asked simply what makes winger Danton Heinen a viable option to move up and down the lineup on a given night. However, Sullivan went on to offer...
Minor league report: Penguins beaten by BearsVideo
Forward Emil Bemstrom had a goal and two assists for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 5-4 loss to the rival Hershey Bears at the Giant Center in Hershey on Tuesday. Defenseman Mac Hollowell had a goal and an assist for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (26-12-4-0) while defenseman Owen Pickering contributed two assists. Goaltender...
SMU hands Pitt 8th loss in past 10 games
Pitt’s misery surfaced in various ways Tuesday night in Dallas, Texas, resulting in another blowout loss — the second in eight days for the staggering Panthers. The scars from SMU’s 83-63 victory — the most decisive Pitt defeat since the Duke game Jan. 7 — were as evident as they...
BYU tops West Virginia 73-69 behind 16 points from freshman Egor DeminVideo
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Freshman Egor Demin scored 16 points to lead BYU to a 73-69 win over West Virginia on Tuesday night. Kanon Catchings added 11 points for BYU (16-8, 7-6 Big 12). Toby Okani scored 16 points, and Jonathan Powell and Joseph Yesufu added 11 apiece for the Mountaineers...
NASCAR drivers divided on new rule that could guarantee Helio Castroneves spot in Daytona 500
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — A controversial new NASCAR rule designed for “world-class drivers” could give Helio Castroneves an automatic berth into the Daytona 500, and, should the four-time Indianapolis 500 winner use the provisional, it would make for the largest field in a decade. It’s a complicated rule written into...
Goaltending depth is a ‘luxury’ for the U.S. that could come up big at the 2026 Milan OlympicsVideo
MONTREAL — When Jeremy Swayman played hockey for the Alaska Jr. Aces and at South Anchorage High School, he did not have a goaltending coach, and his home state did not have a goalie school. “Now there’s two or three, just in Alaska alone, so you can only imagine what...
Commentary: U.S. Open and British Open put out the welcome mat for LIV Golf players. The door remains narrowVideo
SAN DIEGO — The road to Oakmont might have started in Riyadh, yet another reminder of the fractured landscape in golf. Along with Adrian Meronk winning $4 million for his first LIV Golf title in Saudi Arabia’s capital last week, he took the first step toward a spot in the...
Philadelphia plans for huge crowd to cheer on Eagles at Super Bowl parade FridayVideo
PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia officials are expecting a huge turnout of fans in the city Friday for a parade honoring the Philadelphia Eagles after their Super Bowl win. The team plans to descend the Rocky steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art at around 2 p.m. for a 75-minute ceremony, city...
QMJHL names rookie of the year award after Sidney CrosbyVideo
The Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) has named its rookie of the year trophy after Pittsburgh Penguins forward Sidney Crosby. That league announced the naming on Tuesday. Previously, the award did not have a formal name. Crosby won the award during the 2003-04 season while skating with Rimouski Oceanic....
Raiders, Cowboys and Dolphins go another season long removed from their championship daysVideo
HENDERSON, Nev. — The sayings “commitment to excellence” and “just win, baby” encapsulated what the Raiders represented as they bulldozed their way to three Super Bowl titles with a take-no-prisoners style that endeared and villainized them. Dallas became the self-proclaimed “America’s Team” as the Cowboys built one of the NFL’s...
Guy Gaudreau joins U.S. team for practice at the 4 Nations Face-OffVideo
MONTREAL — Guy Gaudreau spoke softly, cracked a joke about how bad a hockey player he was and nodded his head with appreciation. On the lapel of his jacket was a pin honoring the memory of his sons, John and Matt. Gaudreau thought John — the NHL star known as...
Steelers name Gerald Alexander new defensive backs coach
In the first announced new hire of the offseason among their coaching staff, the Pittsburgh Steelers on Tuesday named Gerald Alexander their defensive backs coach. Alexander, who was assistant DBs coach for the Steelers in 2022-23, replaces Grady Brown, whose contract was not renewed, a source confirmed to TribLive. Brown’s...
Eagles’ Super Bowl-winning coordinator Kellen Moore will become the Saints head coachVideo
NEW ORLEANS — Kellen Moore, who oversaw the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles ’ offense this season, has agreed to return to the site of his latest triumph as the next coach of the New Orleans Saints. The 36-year-old Moore will join an organization that has been floundering since the...
Tim Benz: Super Bowl commercial puts a new spin on Eagles comps for ‘Fast & Furious’ Steelers
I hadn’t really been thinking about the Pittsburgh Steelers all that much during Sunday’s Super Bowl until I saw a Häagen-Dazs ice cream commercial in the second half. It featured Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez and Ludacris from the “Fast & Furious” movies. That reminded me of the Steelers because, much...
It’s time to revalue running backs after Saquon Barkley caps best rushing year with Super Bowl win
It’s time to revalue the devalued running back position in the NFL after Saquon Barkley’s mere presence, if not his production, helped the Philadelphia Eagles dismantle the Kansas City Chiefs in one of the most lopsided Super Bowls ever. Barkley capped a great year for free-agent running backs by hoisting...
WPIAL breaks unwritten rule about 1st-round rematches in basketball playoffs
Some WPIAL basketball teams won’t need to scout their playoff opponent much. Avoiding section rematches in the first round was an unwritten rule the WPIAL historically tried to follow, but this season the basketball steering committee at times moved away from that idea. The philosophical change was most obvious in...
First Call: Bill Cowher expects Steelers to have ‘dialogue’ about Aaron Rodgers; reasons behind big Super Bowl TV ratings
Comments from former Steelers coach Bill Cowher are likely to keep the Aaron Rodgers speculation going in Pittsburgh. An ex-Steeler is on his way out of New England. Television ratings for the Super Bowl were good — and for some very specific reasons. We have an idea of how Sidney...
Deebo Samuel’s agent will reportedly contact Steelers, AFC North foes may also be in the mix
According to a report from SI.com, Deebo Samuel’s agent will reach out to the Pittsburgh Steelers to discuss a trade. The San Francisco 49ers wide receiver has received permission to seek a trade with another team. Via Noah Strackbein of S.I., one of those clubs he intends to talk to...
