Sports category, Page 463
1st-round pick Troy Fautanu to return to full practice when Steelers reconvene Monday
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ first-round pick will be available for their first practice day of the regular season. Offensive tackle Troy Fautanu has been gradually ramping back up during practices this week, he confirmed Wednesday, as the training staff preps his injured left knee to allow Fautanu to practice fully after...
West Virginia RB Jahiem White has Penn State alum to thank for finding his wayVideo
Jahiem White’s ascension as one of the nation’s top freshman running backs at West Virginia had its origins in the kindness of a new school teacher and her family. White grew up in Miami, raised by a single mom simply trying to make ends meet. He wasn’t happy when La’Doria...
Pitt offensive coordinator Kade Bell has been immersed in quarterback competitions as player, coach
If you believe the old dictum that if you have two quarterbacks you really have none, perhaps you think Pat Narduzzi is wrong to take his two-headed quarterback derby into the season. After all, scrimmages are finished, experimentation is for training camp and game outcomes will matter starting Saturday when...
Pirates blow 7-run lead, as Cubs rally late to sweep series in Oneil Cruz’s debut in center field
The Pittsburgh Pirates hit a new low — one they are hoping is rock bottom — by blowing a seven-run lead over the final three innings against the Chicago Cubs. Their decision to make a late-August position switch by moving Oneil Cruz to center field backfired when Christian Bethancourt hit...
Once teammates, wrestler Bill Goldberg and Deion Sanders reunite at Colorado through Goldberg’s sonVideo
BOULDER, Colo. — Hall of Fame pro wrestler Bill Goldberg isn’t just another celebrity whom coach Deion Sanders has walking along the Colorado sideline. He’s not just another big name brought in to deliver motivational speeches. Goldberg’s got a vested interest in the program with his son, Gage, a freshman...
Steelers’ Isaac Seumalo leaves practice with pec injury, though reportedly not season-ending
Isaac Seumalo left Wednesday’s Pittsburgh Steelers practice early because of injury, but reportedly the ailment is not season-ending. The team’s veteran starting left guard, Seumalo suffered an apparent pectoral injury, according to an ESPN report. Initial testing, though, suggest the injury is not severe. Seumalo being spotted leaving practice early...
Despite no guarantee of cracking NHL roster, Rutger McGroarty excited to get going with Penguins
Last week, Rutger McGroarty was a member of the Winnipeg Jets organization and weighing a potential return to Michigan for his junior college hockey season. Much has changed for the 20-year-old forward, who was introduced by the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday in Cranberry after a blockbuster trade of top prospects...
Penn State’s Anthony Donkoh, Nolan Rucci continue to battle at right tackle
Everyone knows who will replace Olu Fashanu, Penn State’s first-round left tackle. Drew Shelton, a player with experience and upside, is eager to protect Drew Allar’s blindside. But who starts opposite Shelton is still a mystery ahead of Saturday’s opener at West Virginia. Anthony Donkoh and Nolan Rucci are the...
Mike Tomlin officially names Russell Wilson as Steelers’ starting quarterbackVideo
Mike Tomlin confirmed Wednesday what was apparent since the Pittsburgh Steelers started revamping the quarterback position in March: Russell Wilson will be the starter heading into the season opener Sept. 8 in Atlanta. Wilson got the nod over Justin Fields, who will serve as the backup to start the season....
Cameron Heyward: ‘No news’ on quest for new contract from Steelers
Since he reported to offseason workouts after missing the first two weeks of organized team activities, Cameron Heyward has awaited a contract extension from the Pittsburgh Steelers. With the preseason in the rear-view mirror and the regular season looming in 10 days, the 35-year-old defensive tackle is still waiting. “No...
Pirates DH Andrew McCutchen close to returning, 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes still up in the air
The Pittsburgh Pirates are on the verge of getting designated hitter Andrew McCutchen back and remain cautiously optimistic third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes will play again this season. Where McCutchen tested his left knee by running the bases and taking batting practice Tuesday, when he became eligible to come off the...
Mark Madden: Justin Fields’ upside is higher, but does potential reward justify risk for Steelers?
Justin Fields was never going to start when the Pittsburgh Steelers open their season Week 1 at Atlanta. There was no competition at quarterback. Russell Wilson was not only in pole position to start training camp, but the checkered flag was predetermined. But perhaps Fields should start. Not Week 1,...
Tim Benz: Refuting the idea that Mike Tomlin created an ‘unnecessary distraction’ with his QBs
I recently saw a headline that said Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has created an “unnecessary distraction” by not naming a starting quarterback to open the 2024 season as of yet. Near as I can tell, the players on offense don’t seem distracted. “It’s not my decision to make. We’ll find...
First Call: Steelers reportedly adding veteran RB Boston Scott; a new WR idea; Dylan Crews’ first hit off Gerrit Cole
Wednesday’s “First Call” features a potential addition to the Steelers’ offensive backfield. The wide receiver headlines continue to catch attention. We look at Paul Skenes’ next start for the Pirates. And his former LSU teammate, Dylan Crews, gets hit No. 1 of his career off a former Pirates All-Star. Boston...
Pirates farm report for Aug. 27, 2024: Jhonny Severino hits for cycle for Bradenton
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 60-63) got past Louisville (Reds), 4-3. RHP Mike Burrows (3.27) started and pitched four scoreless innings, allowing three hits and one walk with five strikeouts. SS Liover Peguero (.251) went 2 for 4 with a two-run homer, his 12th. LF Matt Gorski (.245) went 2 for 4 with...
Jared Jones gives up a pair of 2-run homers in return, Cubs pound Pirates’ bullpen again
Jared Jones wanted to go on the attack in his first start for the Pittsburgh Pirates since July 3, but the rookie right-hander found that his four-seam fastball was the only pitch he could command in the fourth inning. Without the ability to land all of the pitches in his...
Kadarius Toney and Caleb Farley, 1st-rounders from 2021, let go on NFL roster cutdown dayVideo
Kansas City receiver Kadarius Toney and Tennessee cornerback Caleb Farley, both first-round picks in the 2021 NFL Draft, were among the cuts Tuesday as teams trimmed their rosters for the regular season. Toney, who figured to be on the roster bubble, was on his second team since the New York...
U.S. Open: Naomi Osaka gets her 1st top-10 win in more than 4 years by defeating Jelena OstapenkoVideo
NEW YORK — A year ago, still on maternity leave and still unsure when she would play elite tennis again, Naomi Osaka visited the U.S. Open to appear with Michael Phelps for a discussion about mental health. While at the site, she sat in the stands to watch one of...
Michigan hockey coach offers measured expectations as Rutger McGroarty prepares for Penguins preseason campVideo
As the dust settled following the Pittsburgh Penguins’ recent acquisition of 20-year-old forward Rutger McGroarty from Winnipeg, the consensus seemed to be he’ll hit the ground running at his first NHL preseason camp. To be sure, the former Jets top prospect joined the Penguins with the intention of competing for...
Football player dies of head injury received in practice at West Virginia middle school
MADISON, W.Va. — A 13-year-old football player in West Virginia died over the weekend after receiving a head injury in practice, his father said. Madison Middle School defensive lineman Cohen Craddock was hurt while making a tackle on Friday. The eighth grader suffered from brain bleeding and swelling and was...
Justin Fields ‘comfortable’ in preseason ‘growth’ of Steelers’ offense, his role in it
Justin Fields joined the Pittsburgh Steelers via trade in March. About six weeks prior, Arthur Smith was hired as offensive coordinator. In the approximately six months since, Fields believes the players have adjusted well to their new play caller. “I think we’ve all got more comfortable with the offense,” Fields...
NFL owners newly endorse private equity stakes of up to 10% in teams by league-approved firmsVideo
EAGAN, Minn. — NFL owners voted their carefully crafted approval Tuesday to private equity investors in their teams, putting in place a new rule that lets certain league-sanctioned firms buy a stake of up to 10% in the 32 franchises that are steadily soaring in value. At a special meeting...
‘New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce’ podcast lands deal with Amazon’s Wondery
LOS ANGELES — Amazon’s podcast studio, Wondery, on Tuesday announced it has landed a multiyear deal with “New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce,” as it continues to add more audio programs to its ad sales and distribution portfolio. The deal includes global distribution rights to audio and video episodes...
Pirates’ Oneil Cruz stunned by position switch, will ‘do my best’ at playing center field
Oneil Cruz was blindsided by the Pittsburgh Pirates’ decision to move him from shortstop to center field, saying he was disappointed that it took him by surprise. Speaking publicly Tuesday afternoon for the first time since the Pirates revealed the position switch, Cruz admitted he “wasn’t expecting it” despite committing...
Steelers’ Broderick Jones assumes he’ll be at RT when season opens – ‘but you never know’
After being drafted as a projected left tackle but spending his rookie season a right tackle, Broderick Jones remains less than 100% certain which side he will be on when his second NFL season begins in 12 days. “Gotta wait until Sept. 8 comes,” Jones said Tuesday, “and see what...
