NFL reporter Dianna Russini resigns from The Athletic after photos published of her with Mike Vrabel
NFL reporter Dianna Russini has resigned from The Athletic less than a week after published photos of her and New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel at an Arizona resort prompted an internal investigation at The New York Times-owned sports outlet. The New York Post last week published the photos of...
Joe Starkey’s Mailbag: Should the Pirates have kept Andrew McCutchen?
You ask. I answer. It’s time for “Mailing It In,” a weekly Q&A that appears Tuesdays at TribLive.com. Most of the questions come via X, but you can also hit me up at jraystarkey@gmail.com. Let’s gooooooo … BoomBoom0105, @BoomBoom0105: Who has a higher average on June 1 — Ozuna or...
Penguins expected to scratch several top players in regular season finale
ST. LOUIS — The Pittsburgh Penguins are expected to rest a number of their top players for their regular season finale, a road contest against the St. Louis Blues at the Enterprise Center. Forwards Egor Chinakhov, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust, as well as defensemen Sam...
Penn State guard Olaivavega Ioane among 3 NFL Draft prospects to visit Steelers
For the second day in a row, the Pittsburgh Steelers visited with one of the top offensive linemen in this year’s NFL Draft class. Penn State guard Olaivavega Ioane, a projected first-round pick, was one of three prospects to visit Tuesday. Ioane was joined by Iowa guard Beau Stephens and...
Penguins recall forward Rafael Harvey-Pinard from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
ST. LOUIS — The Pittsburgh Penguins recalled forward Rafael Harvey-Pinard from Wilkes-Bare/Scranton of the American Hockey League (AHL) on Tuesday in advance of their season finale, a road contest against the St. Louis Blues at the Enterprise Center. Harvey-Pinard, 27, was recalled to the NHL roster briefly Jan. 10 but...
Flyers celebrate clinching 1st playoff spot since 2020
PHILADELPHIA — Dan Vladar turned aside Carolina’s fourth shootout attempt, threw his arms in the air and waited for the swarm of Flyers to mob him in celebration. Every Flyer hopped the boards and rushed the ice as fans — almost all clad in orange — went wild in a...
Explaining rules old and new that are part of the NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs
More than a decade into the return of a division-focused playoff format, the arguments persist about whether it is the best thing the NHL can do to determine a Stanley Cup champion. For three years in a row from 2016-18, Sidney Crosby’s Pittsburgh Penguins faced Alex Ovechkin’s Washington Capitals in...
2026 Stanley Cup playoffs: Get to know the favorites and what to watch for
The field for the Stanley Cup playoffs is set with the first series set to begin Saturday. Six of the 16 teams did not qualify a year ago, including Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Boston in the East. It’s the 10th time in 12 seasons under the divisional wild card format...
Top 10 light heavyweight training in Ambridge works toward boxing stardom
Tom Yankello, even after three decades of experience, can’t be prepared for every detail on fight night. Atif “Lord Pretty Calvo” Oberlton, Yankello’s top current pupil, has an eye for flashy ring attire. The 55-year-old Ambridge native and owner of Tom Yankello’s World Class Boxing Gym appreciates that Oberlton, who...
Cup of Joe (Starkey): How many more days will the Pirates spend under .500 this season? I say none
Cup of Joe: Starkey on sports in 400 words or less (sometimes more) This won’t be the first time I put my lousy prognostication skills on the line, and it won’t be the last. You might remember that back in July 2021 I predicted the Pirates to win the 2027...
Effective changeup allowing Paul Skenes to ‘flip the script’ and ‘change the way we look at pitching’
The best swing of the day against Pittsburgh Pirates starter Paul Skenes may have resulted in the worst possible outcome for the Washington Nationals. After dusting the first two Nats on strikeouts to open the game Monday, Washington shortstop C.J. Abrams turned on a 99 mph fastball from Skenes and...
NFL Draft top prospect profile: Carnell Tate, Ohio State WR
TribLive is highlighting the top prospects leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh. The three-day event is April 23-25. Carnell Tate Position: Wide receiver Height/weight: 6-foot-2/192 pounds College: Ohio State Tate could be the top receiver in this year’s draft despite never leading his own team in receiving....
Brandon Lowe makes Pirates history with back-to-back 5-RBI performances
The Pittsburgh Pirates had scored seven runs in the sixth inning against the Washington Nationals, so Brandon Lowe was looking for an elevated pitch from Brad Lord to get off a good swing. “I didn’t want to be the guy,” Lowe said, “who ended that rally.” When the two-time All-Star...
First Call: Penguins favored to beat Flyers in 1st round; Arkansas quarterback visits with Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers interviewed a potential quarterback draft choice from Arkansas on Monday. They’ve also apparently expressed some level of interest in a cornerback from Florida. The Penguins are early favorites over the Flyers in their first-round playoff series. And another member of the McConnell family may be heading to...
Players getting paid in college has made evaluations easier for NFL teams weighing draft picks
Make no mistake, the reaction shots from the prospects during recent NFL drafts continue to mirror those of the past. Plenty of hugs from loved ones. Proud smiles. Sometimes, even some joyful tears. Achieving what has been for most a lifelong dream of joining an NFL team still will affect...
25 years of Heinz Field/Acrisure Stadium drafts: The best Steelers pick from every class (2006-10)Video
The NFL Draft will take place outside of Acrisure Stadium on April 23-25. In advance of the event, we will be looking back at each of the 25 Steelers drafts in the history of the Heinz Field/Acrisure Stadium era. Every day this week, we will pick the best player from...
Westmoreland County campus clips: Saint Vincent bowling coach visits winner’s circle
Jeff Zidek is the track announcer at The Hollywood Casino at The Meadows race track in Washington. He knows which horse to bet on come the college bowling postseason. Zidek also is the head women’s bowling coach at Saint Vincent, and after a second straight trip to the NCAA Tournament,...
Dallas Wings select Azzi Fudd of UConn No. 1 in WNBA Draft with a $500,000 payday waiting
NEW YORK — Azzi Fudd is on her way to Dallas as the No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft with a $500,000 payday waiting for the former UConn star. A record-setting six UCLA players followed her into the league. “I’m not really sure I have words to describe that...
Penguins to face rival Flyers in 1st round of playoffs
Entering the season, few expected the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers to be participants in the Stanley Cup playoffs. But each member of one of the NHL’s most enduring rivalries will be playing meaningful hockey in the next handful of days. After claiming a 3-2 home shootout win against the...
Pirates provide plenty of run support for Paul Skenes, pound out 16 runs to beat Nationals
The Pittsburgh Pirates not providing run support for Paul Skenes seems like a distant memory as they scored in the double digits for the first time this season. And they did that in the sixth inning alone. Skenes delivered a quality start with six strikeouts in as many innings, but...
Rangers goaltender Jonathan Quick, 40, says he is retiring from the NHL
SUNRISE, Fla. — Jonathan Quick said he is retiring at age 40 after nearly two decades in the NHL, a stretch during which he was one of the best goaltenders of his generation. Quick said his start for the New York Rangers at the Florida Panthers on Monday night is...
Who’s got Hart? AP picks the NHL MVP and other top awards as the playoffs arrive
For a third consecutive year, there is no clear choice for the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP, and again the debate over the importance of “valuable” comes into play. Edmonton’s Connor McDavid is on track to win the scoring race for the most points and the Art Ross Trophy, and...
Mercer center Armani Mighty becomes 6th spring transfer for Pitt men’s basketball
Pitt landed a third commitment from the transfer portal Monday in Mercer center Armani Mighty, who made an announcement on Instagram. Mighty followed Georgia Tech big man Baye Ndongo and Syracuse point guard Naithan George in joining the Panthers on Monday. With their additions, on top of three other transfers...
Penguins executive Jason Spezza named to Hockey Canada’s management group
Pittsburgh Penguins assistant general manager Jason Spezza was appointed to an unspecified role with Hockey Canada’s management group for the International Ice Hockey Federation’s (IIHF) World Championship. On Monday, Hockey Canada announced Spezza will head the group along with Brad Treliving, recently fired as general manager of the Toronto Maple...
Pitt lands Georgia Tech big man Baye Ndongo
Pitt’s transfer portal class is up to five with Monday’s addition of forward Baye Ndongo from Georgia Tech. Multiple recruiting outlets, including On3, reported Ndongo was joining the Panthers, following Syracuse point guard Naithan George, who also committed Monday. NEWS: Georgia Tech transfer forward Baye Ndongo has committed to Pitt,...
