Sports category, Page 407
Mark Madden: ESPN has fallen drastically far from glory days of The Worldwide Leader
ESPN used to be what it says it is: The Worldwide Leader. Now? Not even close. With the New York Jets disintegrating on Aaron Rodgers’ watch, Rodgers and ESPN host Pat McAfee conducted a lengthy discourse about Rodgers appearing to eat his boogers on the sideline. Discussion of the Jets’...
Fan favorite Andrew McCutchen leads list of 5 Pirates players who have elected free agency
Andrew McCutchen made it clear that he wants to return for another season with the Pittsburgh Pirates, where the five-time All-Star and 2013 NL MVP is a franchise icon and fan favorite. Even so, McCutchen leads a list of five Pirates who have elected free agency. He is joined by...
Rocky Bleier nominated by Steelers for NFL’s Salute to Service Award
Pittsburgh Steelers legend Rocky Bleier is the team’s nominee for the NFL’s Salute to Service Award, the franchise announced Friday. A running back on the Super Steelers’ four-time Super Bowl champions of the 1970s, Bleier’s story is familiar to Steelers fans but no less inspirational to those who tell it...
5 things to watch in WPIAL opening round: Wild card decisions under scrutiny
Did the WPIAL football committee get the wild cards right? Opinions surely vary, but teams that narrowly missed the playoffs are surely left with some questions. Rather than use tiebreaking formulas, the WPIAL broke with tradition this year and let its 10-person committee choose qualifiers. That leaves their picks open...
No. 3 Penn State eyes validation vs. No. 4 Ohio State in Big Ten clashVideo
Will Howard has a score to settle. The Ohio State quarterback is hardly the only one. Howard grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs waiting for Penn State coach James Franklin to recruit him. Only the Nittany Lions never offered him a scholarship. Four years and two schools later, the Kansas...
First Call: Diontae Johnson discusses facing the Steelers soon; Juan Soto says he’ll listen to ‘all 30’ MLB teams
Friday’s “First Call” features former Pittsburgh Steeler Diontae Johnson speaking about his return to the AFC North. Juan Soto insists he’ll listen to free-agent offers from every Major League Baseball team. Presumably, that includes … the Pirates? The Penguins hope to finally gain traction with a second straight win Saturday....
Football Footnotes: Our annual bye week ‘No Steelers, no problem’ editionVideo
With the Pittsburgh Steelers off this week, it’s our annual “No Steelers, no problem” bye week edition of “Football Footnotes.” Here’s everything you need to know about the games that will impact the Steelers this week while the Black and Gold are idle. • The Steelers’ next game is in...
Pitt Take 5: Panthers’ road to ACC championship game runs through Dallas
A couple of years have passed since Pitt played a game with the significance of its confrontation Saturday with SMU in Dallas. It’s a prime-time 8 p.m. matchup between ranked schools (No. 18 Pitt and No. 20 SMU) and the Panthers’ first as a Top 25 team versus a Top...
Garrett Wilson makes eye-popping TD catch as Jets beat Texans to snap 5-game skid
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Garrett Wilson made a dazzling one-handed 26-yard go-ahead touchdown catch early in the fourth quarter and the New York Jets snapped a five-game losing streak by beating the Houston Texans, 21-13, on Thursday night. Aaron Rodgers had three touchdown passes, including another earlier one-handed score by...
Slippery Rock rolls past Clarion
Brayden Long threw for 399 yards and four touchdowns to lead Slippery Rock to a 38-22 victory over Clarion in PSAC football Thursday night. Kylon Wilson caught seven passes for 147 yards and two touchdowns and Mike Solomon had four grabs for 85 yards and a score for The Rock...
Penguins’ Alex Nedeljkovic comes up clutch to beat Ducks for 1st win of seasonVideo
Alex Nedeljkovic did not judge his 22-save performance Thursday against the Anaheim Ducks as his best game to date this season. “I’ve felt good in all four (starts) so far,” the Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender said. “Obviously, the results haven’t been there, but (I’m) trying to stay positive and working at...
Sidney Crosby scores in OT as Penguins edge Ducks to halt 6-game skid
Even on Halloween, the Penguins could not mask what had become frighteningly obvious. They need to play better defense. Having been regularly perforated by opposing offensive attacks, the Penguins entered Thursday with a six-game losing streak and an edict to be stouter in defending. “It starts with the puck and...
Soto, Burnes, Buehler, Fried among 136 who become free agents with 64 more awaiting pending optionsVideo
NEW YORK — Outfielder Juan Soto, pitchers Corbin Burnes, Walker Buehler and Max Fried and first baseman Pete Alonso were among 136 players who became free agents Thursday morning. Third baseman Alex Bregman, outfielder Anthony Santander and shortstop Willy Adames also went free. There were 64 more players with pending...
Pirates claim outfielder Tristan Gray off waivers from AthleticsVideo
The Pittsburgh Pirates reunited with one of their former draft picks Thursday when they claimed infielder Tristan Gray off waivers from the Athletics. Selected in the 2017 13th round out of Rice University, Gray was included along with reliever Daniel Hudson in the trade to acquire outfielder Corey Dickerson from...
Forward Blake Lizotte makes Penguins debut after recovering from concussion
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Blake Lizotte watched the Los Angeles Dodgers win the World Series on Wednesday night, defeating the host New York Yankees, 7-6, in Game 5. But he didn’t necessarily have a rooting interest, even if he spent the first six years of his NHL career with the Los...
Bob Costas retiring from baseball play-by-play after 42 yearsVideo
NEW YORK — After 42 seasons, Bob Costas is retiring from baseball play-by-play. Costas had done games the past couple seasons for MLB Network and TBS Sports. His final games were the American League Division Series between the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals. Costas’ contract with TBS expired...
Lamar Jackson absent from Ravens practice for a 2nd consecutive dayVideo
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was again absent from practice Thursday. The two-time NFL MVP missed Wednesday’s session as well. The team has been listing him on the injury report with back and knee issues, although there was no sign of anything significantly wrong during Sunday’s...
After sloppy, bitter disappointment in World Series, Yankees turn attention to keeping Juan SotoVideo
NEW YORK — The New York Yankees season ended in a comedy of errors that left them to pursue Juan Soto without a title glow. Soto was the last player lingering in the dugout after Wednesday night’s 7-6 loss in World Series Game 5, watching the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate...
World Series champion Dodgers have eye on back-to-back titles with Ohtani returning to mound in 2025Video
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers’ first game of the season in South Korea was overshadowed afterward by Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter hinting at his stealing from the Japanese superstar. Their last postgame was a beer and champagne-fueled celebration of the franchise’s eighth World Series title. In between came a...
Steelers notes: Chris Boswell named special teams player of month, OT Dylan Cook waived
Chris Boswell made it 2 for 2 in collecting an NFL monthly honor. The Pittsburgh Steelers’ veteran kicker Thursday was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for October. Boswell made all 22 of his placekick attempts during the Steelers’ four games over the past four weeks, three of...
Plum native Alex Kirilloff retires from baseball at 26 after injury-ravaged career with TwinsVideo
MINNEAPOLIS — Plum graduate Alex Kirilloff, once considered the top prospect in the Twins’ organization, announced Thursday he is retiring from the sport after four injury-plagued seasons in the major leagues. Kirilloff, who will turn 27 on Nov. 9, played 249 career games with the Twins but never more than...
Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi says his players don’t feel disrespected, are singularly focused on SMU
Pat Narduzzi doesn’t remember the Kent State/Rutgers game played Oct. 27, 2012, in Piscataway, N.J. Nor did the game register in his consciousness that day. He was too busy in Madison, Wisc., preparing Michigan State’s defense for its 16-13 overtime upset of No. 25 Wisconsin. But what happened to Rutgers...
Angels acquire slugger Jorge Soler from Braves for starting pitcher Griffin CanningVideo
ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Los Angeles Angels acquired outfielder and designated hitter Jorge Soler from the Atlanta Braves in a trade for right-hander Griffin Canning on Thursday. Soler has been a productive power hitter for five teams over the previous 11 major league seasons. The Cuban slugger was the MVP...
Thomas Jefferson finds ‘true identity’ ahead of WPIAL playoff test vs. West Allegheny
It’s tough to win in November as a WPIAL football team with an identity crisis. “That’s when they’re trying to do everything and they’re average at everything,” said Thomas Jefferson coach Bill Cherpak, whose Jaguars don’t have that problem. They’ve got a talented passer, but they’ve also long established themselves...
Rewards, like turnovers, come in bunches for Steelers ‘black belt’ rookie CB Beanie BishopVideo
Beanie Bishop Jr. knows nothing about his success with the Pittsburgh Steelers has come by accident, even if it requires the rookie slot cornerback to adjust on the fly when a pass is tipped. So the importance of his interception of a Daniel Jones pass deflected by Steelers cornerback Joey...
