‘Pumped to be a Pirate’: Konnor Griffin, 19, signs record 9-year, $140 million contractVideo
Amid negotiations for a record contract extension for a rookie, Konnor Griffin asked an innocent question of a Pittsburgh Pirates front office poised to make him the face of the franchise. How are his Pirates teammates going to feel about the organization making a nine-year, $140 million commitment to a...
Forward Anthony Mantha selected as Penguins’ nominee for Masterton TrophyVideo
Life is quite different for Anthony Mantha than it was a year ago. Last April, he only had two children. This past April Fools’ Day, wife Caitlyn gave birth to a daughter, Estelle, joining big sisters Naomie and Vivianne. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Caitlyn Mantha...
NFL Draft top prospect profile: Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo S
TribLive is highlighting the top prospects leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh. The three-day event is April 23-25. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren Position: Safety Height/weight: 6-3/201 pounds College: Toledo McNeil-Warren seems to have a nose for the football. The 22-year-old safety forced nine fumbles, recovered two and intercepted five...
Pirates GM Ben Cherington preaches patience with DH Marcell Ozuna, outfield defense
Runway was a word Ben Cherington had on repeat Tuesday afternoon, when the Pittsburgh Pirates general manager discussed everything from his designated hitter to the outfield defense to development. The Pirates are off to a 7-5 start but are still testing Cherington’s patience, as he refuses to pass judgment on...
On Sports: Flyers gain ground on Penguins; NCAA men’s basketball odds are out for 2027
The NHL’s Eastern Conference playoff race is shaping up for a photo finish after another exciting slate of games Tuesday night that included an overtime winner and two games that went to a shootout. Plus, a look at the 2027 NCAA men’s basketball betting odds, some Duquesne transfer portal news...
Tim Benz’s Steelers NFL Draft preview: Yes, it makes sense to consider tackle in Round 1 … againVideo
The 2026 NFL Draft takes place April 23-25, in Pittsburgh. “Breakfast with Benz” is previewing the Steelers’ potential selections at each position group with Matt Williamson, a former pro and college scout who has worked at Pitt and with the Cleveland Browns. Williamson is an on-air host at WDVE, Fox...
Michael Malone takes over at North Carolina as Tar Heels turn to an outsider
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Michael Malone acknowledged that he’s an outsider as North Carolina’s basketball coach. “I did not play here. I’m not from Carolina,” he said Tuesday evening during his introductory news conference at the Dean Smith Center. “But I think they’re ready to embrace somebody new. A new...
Minor league report: Nailers’ winning streak snapped as Gabriel D’Aigle debuts
In his professional debut, goaltender Gabriel D’Aigle made 16 saves on 19 shots for the Wheeling Nailers in a 4-2 loss to the Cincinnati Cyclones at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, W.Va. on Tuesday. The result snapped a season-best 10-game winning streak for Wheeling (44-17-3-3). A third-round selection (No. 84 overall)...
Kansas’ Flory Bidunga, Wake Forest’s Juke Harris among players entering men’s portal
Kansas big man Flory Bidunga, Wake Forest’s Juke Harris and Saint Mary’s Paulius Murauskas were among the parade of players entering the transfer portal Tuesday, the first of 15 days when Division I men’s players can go looking for a new school. Bidunga finished his second season with the Jayhawks...
Will a Masters debut turn into a win? History suggests not, but there are a few newcomers to watch
AUGUSTA, Ga. — First-time participants almost never win the Masters. Then again, they rarely show up with a resume like Chris Gotterup’s. The 26-year-old Gotterup already has four PGA Tour wins, meaning he’ll be the third player since World War II to make his Masters debut with that many. He’s...
Global growth from world ranking on display at Masters
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Bernhard Langer was reminded of his place in history this week, unrelated to the 68-year-old German looking stately as ever in his Masters green jacket as a two-time champion. It was 40 years ago — April 6, 1986, to be exact — the “Sony Ranking” was introduced....
Michigan ranked No. 1 in final AP Top 25 poll of season ahead of UConn, Arizona
Michigan is No. 1 in the final Associated Press Top 25 men’s college basketball poll for the 2025-26 season after winning the program’s first national championship in 37 years. The Wolverines (37-3) claimed all 57 votes in Tuesday’s poll in the third year the AP has released its final rankings...
Cubs pitcher Cade Horton headed for elbow surgery, will miss rest of 2026 season
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Chicago Cubs pitcher Cade Horton will miss the rest of the 2026 season after an MRI revealed UCL damage in his right elbow, Chicago manager Craig Counsell said Tuesday. “Cade is gonna have surgery,” Counsell said before the Cubs game against the Tampa Bay Rays at...
Bryson DeChambeau arrives at Masters on a roll. Can he close the deal this year?
AUGUSTA, Ga. — For about 25 minutes, Bryson DeChambeau spoke matter-of-factly about the less glamorous side of golf. It’s important to stay patient, make good decisions and hit the center of the green. The word “obedience” even came up. Then a question about his rivalry with Rory McIlroy stirred at...
Paul Skenes, Konnor Griffin shine in 1st game together as Pirates pull away to beat Padres
Paul Skenes and Konnor Griffin shared the field for the first time as Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night, and the 23-year-old right-hander and 19-year-old rookie shortstop flashed why they are billed as generational talents. The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner, Skenes flirted with a no-hitter for five-plus innings...
Rory McIlroy taking champion’s victory lap at Augusta National ahead of Masters defense
AUGUSTA, Ga. — In his 17th appearance in the Masters, Rory McIlroy finally won the green jacket and reached what he figured would be the pinnacle of his golf career. He has the career Grand Slam. He has an invitation to play in the Masters for as long as he...
Chris Deluzio shines spotlight on rising cost of youth sports
Carrie Grecich’s children are heavily involved in sports at the youth level. Her son plays travel baseball and her daughter is in club volleyball. They’re sophomores at Chartiers Valley. Grecich, a Scott Township resident, is concerned with how the cost of youth sports is pricing families out of being able...
Penguins goaltenders Stuart Skinner, Sergei Murashov each look ready to play in their own ways
It was picture day for the Pittsburgh Penguins. And boy, did Stuart Skinner stand out as he and his teammates posed for the official photograph of the 2025-26 edition of the club Tuesday at PPG Paints Arena. But it wasn’t his burly mustache or his unusual jersey number (74) that...
Despite scuffles at plate, Pirates GM says Konnor Griffin has ‘made the team better’
Ben Cherington knew there would be a transition period for Konnor Griffin to adjust to the major leagues, so the Pittsburgh Pirates general manager acknowledged he took a calculated risk by promoting baseball’s consensus top prospect to play in Friday’s home opener. After the 19-year-old shortstop pressed at the plate...
Penguins goaltending prospect Gabriel D’Aigle signs tryout contract with Nailers
Pittsburgh Penguins goaltending prospect Gabriel D’Aigle signed a professional tryout contract (PTO) with the ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers for the remainder of the 2025-26 season on Tuesday. He is scheduled to make his professional debut, also on Tuesday, in a home contest against the Cincinnati Cyclones at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling,...
Report: 4-star forward Anthony Felesi backs off commitment to Pitt
Over the past few weeks, since a disappointing 2025-26 men’s basketball campaign ended, Pitt has absorbed blow after blow, with a total of five players from last season’s team opting to hit the transfer portal. On Tuesday, guard Omari Witherspoon became the latest of the bunch, which includes Roman Siulepa,...
Dallas Stars ban person who bought tickets for group of 4 seen celebrating a goal with Nazi salute
DALLAS — The Dallas Stars have banned a person from attending games at American Airlines Center after they bought tickets for a group of spectators seen celebrating a goal with a Nazi salute. “Any type of discriminatory or hateful behavior will not be tolerated and has no place in our...
Pitt experiments by giving cornerback Shawn Lee reps at safety
Back on Jan. 1, Pitt football was grappling with major roster defections that saw the Panthers lose key players such as linebacker Rasheem Biles and receiver Kenny Johnson to the transfer portal. Cornerback Shawn Lee, who completed his true freshman campaign in 2025, wouldn’t have ranked as the worst loss...
NFL Draft top prospect profile: Kadyn Proctor, Alabama OT
TribLive is highlighting the top prospects leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh. The three-day event is April 23-25. Kadyn Proctor Position: Offensive tackle Height/weight: 6-foot-6/352 pounds College: Alabama At a position full of big bodies, Proctor’s athleticism makes him stand out. The 20-year-old junior was a consensus...
Pitt guard Omari Witherspoon the latest in wave of players to enter transfer portal
Pitt will have one additional roster spot to fill after the spring basketball transfer portal season opened Tuesday. Omari Witherspoon, a former four-star recruit who played his true freshman campaign at Pitt last season, plans to enter the portal, a source confirmed to TribLive. Witherspoon joins Roman Siulepa, Brandin Cummings,...
