First Call: Steelers slated to work out CB Asante Samuel Jr.; Alex Ovechkin scores No. 900Video
Thursday’s “First Call” tells us that the Pittsburgh Steelers are working out an interesting free agent cornerback. There is a notable nugget about this week’s officiating crew for Steelers-Chargers. Los Angeles has another injury to track. This one is on special teams. And Alex Ovechkin gets goal No. 900 before...
U mad, bro?: Steelers fans irate over lack of trade acquisitions, Joey Porter Jr.’s penalties
The Steelers stopped a losing streak last week and beat a team that came to Pittsburgh with the best record in the NFL. You didn’t think that would stop the irresistible force that is “U mad, bro?” did you? This week’s edition includes a quiet trade deadline, continued excuse-making for...
Minor league report: Penguins fall to Marlies in overtimeVideo
Forwards Tristan Broz, Atley Calvert and Boko Imama all scored goals for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Toronto Marlies at Mohegan Arena in Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday. Defenseman Finn Harding recorded two assists for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (8-2-1-0) which lost despite holding a three-goal lead through two periods....
Colts welcome addition of All-Pro CB Sauce Gardner, hope to see him on field SundayVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis Colts receiver Alec Pierce walked into the locker room Wednesday, took a peek a couple of lockers away and found an old friend, two-time All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner. It was a reunion of sorts for the duo who helped lead the Cincinnati Bearcats to the College Football...
Former Grizzlies guard Tony Allen arrested on drug charges
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Former Memphis Grizzlies defensive stalwart Tony Allen, a mainstay from the team’s Core Four success era, was arrested on drug charges in Poinsett County, Ark., on Wednesday. Allen, 43, faces two charges of drug possession. A car, driven by William Hatton, 33, of Memphis, was stopped on...
Ravens move on with Dre’Mont Jones, Mark Andrews after trade deadline
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Dre’Mont Jones brought his sack streak to Baltimore. The Ravens acquired Jones in a deadline deal with the Tennessee Titans, and now he’ll try to provide his new team some much-needed help in the pass rush. Jones had a sack in each of his last four...
Trib 10: 3 matchups between ranked teams on tap in WPIAL postseason
A lot of the district teams ranked in the weekly Trib 10 from last week got a chance to collect candy, hand out treats or even scout future opponents since they were enjoying an opening round bye in the WPIAL playoffs with opening night falling on Halloween. Now the good...
Alex Ovechkin scores 900th NHL goal with Washington Capitals
WASHINGTON — The NHL now has a 900-goal club. Charter member: Alex Ovechkin, of course. The Washington star pushed his record total to a new level Wednesday night, scoring against the St. Louis Blues to reach 900. The milestone came 2 minutes, 39 seconds into the second period. Ovechkin was...
Braves exercise $18M option on pitcher Chris Sale
The Atlanta Braves are exercising the $18 million team option in Chris Sale’s contract to keep the left-hander in the fold for 2026. Sale was 7-5 with a 2.58 ERA in 2025 but spent 10 weeks on the injured list with a fractured ribcage. He had 165 strikeouts, including four...
Mark Madden: Penguins should create hype by starting rookie Sergei Murashov vs. Capitals
When it comes to his decision-making process, Dan Muse is all hockey. But when Washington visits PPG Paints Arena on Thursday night, the Pittsburgh Penguins coach needs to have a sense of the occasion and start Sergei Murashov. The Penguins’ goaltender of the future has arrived earlier than expected because...
Texans QB C.J. Stroud out against Jaguars with concussion
HOUSTON — Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud won’t play Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars after suffering a concussion last week. Coach DeMeco Ryans said Wednesday that Stroud would not be available this week, and Davis Mills would start. Stroud was injured early in the second quarter of a loss to...
Steelers injury report: Darnell Washington, Alex Highsmith, Jabrill Peppers miss practice
Starters Darnell Washington, Alex Highsmith and Isaac Seumalo were among seven Pittsburgh Steelers who missed practice Wednesday because of injury, according to the status report. Tight end Washington has a foot injury and outside linebacker Highsmith an ankle ailment, but neither is thought to be serious enough to threaten their...
WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling happy to be reunited with Aaron Rodgers, join Steelers practice squadVideo
Mike Tomlin tried Tuesday to squash quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ recruiting pitch as a reason the Pittsburgh Steelers signed veteran wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling to the practice squad this week. Valdes-Scantling told a different story Wednesday. “This guy next to me got me here,” he said after engaging in his first...
Cardinals QB Kyler Murray heads to injured reserve because of lingering foot injuryVideo
TEMPE, Ariz. — Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray is going on injured reserve because of a nagging foot injury that’s caused him to miss the past three games. Coach Jonathan Gannon made the announcement Wednesday, one day after he confirmed that veteran backup Jacoby Brissett would make his fourth straight...
Injuries force several changes to the Penguins’ lineup
Sergei Murashov was the odd man out. Sure, the Pittsburgh Penguins rookie goaltender was sent to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League on Oct. 4 after an open competition for the net on the NHL club. But of more contemporary concerns, there wasn’t room in the dressing room for him...
Steelers’ Alex Highsmith earns AFC defensive player of the week honors
On the heels of shutting down the NFL’s No. 1-ranked offense and scoring an upset victory, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense earned a league individual honor. Outside linebacker Alex Highsmith on Wednesday was named AFC defensive player of the week for Week 9. Highsmith had two of the Steelers’ six sacks...
Pirates announce spring training schedule, featuring Spring Breakout game against Tigers
The Pittsburgh Pirates announced their spring training schedule, which includes 16 of their 31 Grapefruit League games and the Spring Breakout prospect showcase at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Fla. The Pirates will open their spring schedule Feb. 21 against the Baltimore Orioles in Sarasota before playing the Tampa Bay Rays...
Former Penn Hills, Penn State player Daequan Hardy embracing chance to join Steelers practice squad
Daequan Hardy walked into the Pittsburgh Steelers locker room Wednesday and saw some familiar faces. At Penn State, he played with Joey Porter Jr. and Pat Freiermuth. This summer with the Buffalo Bills, one of his teammates was safety Daryl Porter Jr. The person that Hardy had the longest history...
Pitt coaches challenge Mason Heintschel to further elevate game, learn from mistakesVideo
Late in the third quarter of Pitt’s eventual 35-20 win over Stanford, the Panthers were at the goal line looking to pile it on even more against the Cardinal. In the shotgun, after faking a handoff up the middle to Ja’Kyrian Turner, quarterback Mason Heintschel rolled to his right, with...
Western Pa. natives Schottenheimer, Knox, former Steelers coach reach Hall of Fame semifinal round
Two Western Pennsylvania natives and a former Pittsburgh Steelers coach remain under consideration for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026. Marty Schottenheimer, Chuck Knox and Buddy Parker are among nine semifinalists announced Wednesday by the Hall of Fame. A coaching blue-ribbon committee will meet virtually...
Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry sidelined at least 3 weeks
Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry will be sidelined a minimum of three weeks due to an undisclosed injury. The team announced the status of Jarry as well as injured forwards Noel Acciari (minimum three weeks) and Justin Brazeau (minimum four weeks) via a social media posting Wednesday morning. All three...
Pirates legend Steve Blass stirs colorful comps to Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s World Series heroics
Former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Steve Blass vividly recalls the efficiency with which he commanded his nine-pitch bottom of the ninth inning in Game 7 of the 1971 World Series in Baltimore. “It’s not hard to throw strikes when you’re (urinating) your pants,” Blass said. “I’m glad we had the gray...
No. 2 Indiana looks to validate CFP rank at reeling Penn State
One team in Saturday’s matchup between Indiana and Penn State is ranked No. 2 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings, but it isn’t the team most experts would have predicted two months ago. The undefeated Hoosiers find themselves behind only Ohio State in the initial CFP rankings and will...
Mark Madden: Steelers’ actions at trade deadline show they’re hardly ‘all in’
The Pittsburgh Steelers work in mysterious ways. This season, allegedly “all in” with a roster full of senior citizens, they did nothing at Tuesday’s trade deadline. AFC competitors like Baltimore, Indianapolis, Jacksonville and the Los Angeles Chargers all got better. The Steelers didn’t. If you want to lump in the...
First Call: Steelers reportedly outbid for Jakobi Meyers; Chargers get offensive line help
We’re getting details on what it would’ve cost the Steelers to land a pair of wide receivers before Tuesday’s trade deadline. The Los Angeles Chargers helped themselves in advance of Sunday’s game against the Steelers, and a pair of local college hockey players are getting some well-deserved recognition. All that...
