Sports category, Page 349
Mark Madden: Remembering Gene Hackman — Norman Dale vs. Jimmy McGinty
The death of heralded actor Gene Hackman begs the question: Who was the superior coach, Norman Dale in “Hoosiers” or Jimmy McGinty in “The Replacements”? Neither had much with which to work. Dale’s talent was thin beyond Jimmy Chitwood, who provided Hickory High School with a deadly scoring touch and...
Penn State star DE Abdul Carter dealing with foot injury that may impact his ranking as No. 1 overall pick
INDIANAPOLIS — Penn State star defensive end Abdul Carter already wasn’t planning to work out at the NFL Combine because of a shoulder injury he suffered in the College Football Playoffs. A foot injury revealed Wednesday night apparently won’t derail his plans to attend his school’s pro day. Nor, according...
Tim Benz: Playing the WR ‘butterfly effect’ game with Omar Khan isn’t getting the answers Steelers fans want
If we are going to play the “butterfly effect” game with the 2024 Pittsburgh Steelers, let’s at least talk about the right butterfly. While addressing Steelers media members Tuesday, general manager Omar Khan was asked how he evaluated the midseason trades for Mike Williams and Preston Smith and if he...
First Call: 49ers pledge Deebo Samuel trade; Max Talbot talks up ‘Shhh!’ legacy ahead of Penguins’ bobblehead nightVideo
“First Call” for Thursday looks at increased prospects of a Deebo Samuel trade. We introduce you to another running back to remember on NFL Draft weekend for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Max Talbot expands the legend of the “Shhh!” The Duquesne basketball teams pull off a mid-week sweep. And Robert Morris’...
U mad, bro?: Fans gripe over NFL player grades for Mike Tomlin; Omar Khan’s quotes; Penguins losing
In this week’s “U mad, bro,” we’ve got some people rolling their eyes at Omar Khan’s quotes about the Steelers roster. We have lots of people fed up with the Penguins. And there are a surprising amount of people agitated about the Eagles’ Tush Push. Ah! Enjoy spring training, Pirates....
Indiana pulls away late to beat Penn State
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Oumar Ballo had 20 points, 12 rebounds and five assists, Myles Rice scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half and Indiana beat Penn State, 83-78, on Wednesday night. Trey Galloway made a 3-pointer on back-to-back possessions and Anthony Leal capped the 8-0 run with...
IndyCar starts season with big stars, big hopes, new TV partnerVideo
Fox Sports marked its new oversight of the IndyCar Series with glossy new commercials that have been showcased everywhere from the Super Bowl to the Daytona 500. The network partnership begins in earnest this weekend with the season-opening race on the streets of downtown St. Petersburg, Fla. There is hope...
Minor league report: Penguins’ losing streak reaches 3
Goaltender Tristan Jarry made 31 saves on 35 shots for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 5-2 loss to the Rochester Americans at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, N.Y. on Wednesday. The result dropped Jarry’s record to 6-5-0. Forwards Boris Katchouk and Rutger McGroarty each scored goals for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (28-14-6-1), which...
49ers GM John Lynch says team has started contract talks with QB Brock PurdyVideo
San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch said the team has begun negotiations with quarterback Brock Purdy about a long-term contract and believes both sides want to get a deal done. Purdy’s contract extension is one of the main items on the offseason to-do list for San Francisco. He is...
Duquesne men never trail, defeat La Salle in Philly
Duquesne reverted to a familiar playing style from last season’s Atlantic 10 championship team and won a men’s basketball game Wednesday night for just the second time on the road this season. That’s right, it wasn’t pretty. Taking a page from former coach Keith Dambrot’s guide to winning ugly, Tre...
Saints GM, coach indicate they plan to stick with QB Derek CarrVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis sees 11-year veteran quarterback Derek Carr as “a guy we can win with, and we’re excited about it.” Loomis made those comments Wednesday to a small group of New Orleans-based reporters who traveled to Indianapolis for the NFL scouting combine. Carr...
NFL reviewing possible changes to overtime rules; 1st downs to be measured electronicallyVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — The NFL is considering changing overtime rules in the regular season to decrease the advantage for teams that win the coin toss. “It’s time to rethink the overtime rule,” league executive Troy Vincent said Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine. Vincent said the competition committee agrees overtime rules...
Steelers looking to improve run defense, and former Michigan DT Kenneth Grant thinks he can help
INDIANAPOLIS — Bigger is better as far as Kenneth Grant is concerned. One of the largest specimens at the NFL Combine, the junior defensive tackle from Michigan stands 6-foot-3 and tips the scales at 342 pounds. He has the size to fit squarely in the middle of an NFL team’s...
New Orleans Privateers suspensions related to possible NCAA violations
NEW ORLEANS — Four New Orleans players who’ve been suspended since late January are under investigation for possible NCAA violations related to sports gambling, a person familiar with the situation said. The person spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the university’s only public statement about...
Vagabond A’s enter Sacramento era with playoff expectations
MESA, Ariz. — The Athletics have moved about an hour east from Oakland to the Sacramento area, where they will be based in a minor-league ballpark for the next three seasons while hoping a more permanent home in Las Vegas will be ready in 2028. If this doesn’t sound like...
Heisman winner Travis Hunter already has NFL convinced he can be 2-way playerVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — Travis Hunter arrived at the NFL Scouting Combine with a Heisman Trophy resume, an invitation to work out at two positions and ready to answer all doubters. The former Colorado star already appears to have completed one task this week in Indianapolis — convincing coaches and general managers...
Famous Ludvig Aberg, unknown Brian Campbell are both important to PGA Tour
One week the PGA Tour winner was Ludvig Aberg, a Swede so supremely talented that he played in a Ryder Cup before his first major, entered the top 10 in the world ranking just nine months after he left college and has been there ever since. The next week it...
Breaking news: Pirates lefty Bailey Falter hopes sharpened slider, curveball will set up fastballs
BRADENTON, Fla. — Before the question was even asked, Bailey Falter blurted out the answer: breaking stuff. The Pittsburgh Pirates left-hander has a reputation for taking advantage of his elite extension and throwing hitters a heavy dose of fastballs — a combined 62% between his four-seamer and sinker — so...
‘Get back to the basics’: Penguins’ goaltending struggles continue
It was time for Andy Chiodo to drop his gloves. To be clear, the time was 11:43 a.m., approximately 17 minutes before the Pittsburgh Penguins formally opened their practice Wednesday in Cranberry. And the goaltending coach’s gloves were on the ice. Specifically, they were placed just above the hashmarks in...
Penguins place forward Matt Nieto on waivers
The Pittsburgh Penguins placed forward Matt Nieto on waivers Wednesday afternoon. Should he go unclaimed by 2 p.m. Thursday, the team could assign Nieto to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League (AHL). In 31 NHL games this season, Nieto has scored three points (one goal, two assists). Primarily utilized on...
2 Pitt DB transfers aim to prove themselves at Division I level
Coming out of University Prep in 2022, Rashan Murray did not find himself with a surplus of big-time collegiate opportunities to consider. Murray, an East Liberty native, was not a recipient of an offer from his hometown Pitt Panthers — or any Power 5 program, for that matter. After spending...
NFLPA report card gives high marks to Mike Tomlin, low grade to Steelers ownership
INDIANAPOLIS — The good news for the Pittsburgh Steelers is that unlike the previous year, they received zero F grades in the NFL Players’ Association’s third annual team report card that was released Wednesday. The bad news? For the second year in a row, they continued to rank No. 28...
Jefferson Hills resident prepares for intense swim-bike-run competition
When she has the will, Ebtehal Badawi makes her way. As an artist with a strong desire to promote acceptance and understanding, the Jefferson Hills resident launched an initiative called Pittsburgh Builds Bridges, based around her painting of an arched span adorned with clenched hands of various colors and religious...
Veteran Pittsburgh boxer brings ‘Turf Wars’ Saturday night fight card to Coraopolis
Bill “Hutch” Hutchinson, 36, of Pittsburgh, started boxing at 13. He’s been a pro for 12 years with a record of 20-3-4, nine victories by knockout, and has been a part of world-class events in the city and the country. “I’m starting to catch my wind, and I’m starting to...
Javon Small has 23 points, 10 assists as West Virginia cruises past TCU
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Javon Small scored 23 points and had 10 assists to lead West Virginia to a 73-55 victory over TCU on Tuesday night. West Virginia (17-11, 8-9 Big 12) rebounded from a 73-51 loss at then-No. 9 Texas Tech on Saturday and avenged a 65-60 loss at TCU...
