Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase apologizes for spitting incident that led to his suspension
CINCINNATI — Ja’Marr Chase apologized Monday for spitting on Jalen Ramsey during the fourth quarter of the Cincinnati Bengals’ loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Nov. 16. Chase was suspended by the NFL for Sunday’s game. His statement of apology was addressed to his team, the Bengals and Steelers organizations...
Steelers keep positive outlook on playoff hopes despite seeing lead in AFC North evaporate
Last season as he celebrated Thanksgiving, Brandin Echols was playing for a 3-9 football team. The year before that, a Black Friday defeat dropped his team to 4-7. As a rookie in 2021, if Echols, likewise, looked at the standings on Turkey Day, he’d have seen he was on a...
Vikings put McCarthy in concussion protocol, after struggling QB reports postgame symptoms
EAGAN, Minn. — The Minnesota Vikings placed quarterback J.J. McCarthy in the concussion protocol, putting his availability for the upcoming game at Seattle in question. McCarthy first reported symptoms during the team’s flight home from the 23-6 loss at Green Bay, coach Kevin O’Connell said Monday. The medical staff made...
Cincinnati AD apologizes for fans’ derogatory chants aimed at Mormons during BYU’s win over Bearcats
CINCINNATI — Cincinnati athletic director John Cunningham issued an apology to BYU and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Monday for derogatory chants by fans at Nippert Stadium during the Bearcats’ game against the Cougars. “The use of offensive or religiously derogatory language by a group of...
UAB player charged with attempted murder in stabbing of 2 teammates, court records show
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — A University of Alabama at Birmingham football player is facing charges of attempted murder and assault, accused of stabbing two teammates hours before a UAB home game last weekend, court documents showed Monday. Daniel Mincey, a 20-year-old offensive lineman, is charged with attempted murder and assault, according...
Penguins focus on competitive, energetic practices as they try to reverse skid
Things got heated for the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday, and words were exchanged. The team was broken up into two squads for a practice session in Cranberry. One unit wore black jerseys and the other yellow. During the final drill — a short-area two-on-two scrimmage — the yellow squad appeared...
Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups pleads not guilty in rigged poker games case
NEW YORK — Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, pleaded not guilty Monday to charges he profited from rigged poker games involving several Mafia figures and at least one other ex-NBA player. Billups, a five-time All Star who won a championship with...
5 things we learned: Another slow start in 3rd quarter continues season-long theme for Steelers
Five things we learned from Bears 31, Steelers 28: 1. Third is not the charm The next time the Steelers win the coin toss, they would be wise to take the ball and not defer until the third quarter. Nothing good has transpired this season when they have elected to...
With Dillon Gabriel healthy, Shedeur Sanders to start for Browns
Shedeur Sanders will make his second NFL start Sunday when the Cleveland Browns host the San Francisco 49ers. Coach Kevin Stefanski made the announcement Monday that Sanders would get another week under center. The rookie fifth-round pick completed 11 of 20 passes for 209 yards with a touchdown and an...
Pitt’s Braylan Lovelace, Ja’Kyrian Turner awarded ACC player of the week honorsVideo
Pitt tailback Ja’Kyrian Turner and linebacker Braylan Lovelace produced the two most consequential plays Saturday in the Panthers’ 42-28 road upset of No. 15 Georgia Tech. Turner rushed for a 56-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter to ice the game, and Lovelace recorded a 100-yard pick-6 to pour cold...
‘He’s just a baby’: For Pitt, scope of Ja’Kyrian Turner’s potential only beginning to emergeVideo
A few weeks ago, Mason Heintschel didn’t fully know how to respond when asked why no Power Four programs, save for Pitt, offered him a scholarship as a high school recruit. Seven starts into his collegiate career, and many of those schools are likely wondering the same in retrospect. Ja’Kyrian...
UConn’s narrow victory keeps Huskies No. 1 in women’s AP Top 25, South Carolina, UCLA and Texas next
UConn passed its first test of the season to remain No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball poll on Monday. The Huskies received 30 of the 32 first-place votes from a national media panel after beating No. 6 Michigan, 72-69, last Friday in the Naismith Hall of...
Arizona jumps to No. 2 behind Purdue in AP Top 25, Alabama into top 10; Kansas falls out of rankings
Purdue remained at No. 1 in The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll, while Arizona jumped to No. 2 to continue its opening-month rise after another impressive win against a ranked opponent. The Boilermakers (6-0) earned 46 of 61 first-place votes in Monday’s poll to remain at the top after...
Colorado Rockies promote GCC grad Warren Schaeffer to full-time manager
DENVER — The Colorado Rockies announced Monday that they promoted Warren Schaeffer to full-time manager. Schaeffer, a Vandergrift native and Greensburg Central Catholic graduate, assumed the role on an interim basis after the Rockies fired Bud Black, the winningest manager in franchise history, in May following a 7-33 start. The...
Penguins sign defensive prospect Peyton Kettles
The Pittsburgh Penguins signed defenseman Peyton Kettles to a three-year entry-level contract Monday. According to Puckpedia, the deal carries a salary cap hit of $875,000. Kettles was a second-round draft pick (No. 39 overall) in June. The right-handed defenseman will presumably miss the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery...
Penguins recall forward Tristan Broz from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
The Pittsburgh Penguins recalled forward Tristan Broz from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League (AHL) on Monday. In a corresponding transaction, forward Philip Tomasino was assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton under normal conditions. Additionally, rookie defensemen Harrison Brunicke and Jack St. Ivany were assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for conditioning purposes. This marks the...
Mark Madden: Steelers keep sinking but won’t change course
Dating to last season, the Pittsburgh Steelers have lost 10 of their last 16. Despite lots of personnel changes, many significant, the Steelers have the same feel: stale, outdated and in possession of a one-way ticket to Palookaville. The players who get paid the most aren’t doing the most or...
Steelers vs. Bears: What they’re saying in Chicago after the win
Sunday’s travel day did not end well for the Steelers. Despite having a 21-17 lead at halftime, the Steelers were unable to answer a steady rally by the Chicago Bears that earned them a 31-28 win. Both teams were down some starters with Steelers utilizing backup quarterback Mason Rudolph in...
First Call: Aaron Rodgers’ on-camera reaction to costly Steelers mishap; another huge day for George Pickens
Monday’s “First Call” features Aaron Rodgers noticing a painful Steelers penalty before it happened in Chicago. George Pickens was dominant again in Dallas. A former Steeler executed one of the most unpredictable trick plays of the year. And both Pitt and the Steelers are listed as underdogs at Acrisure Stadium...
Madden Monday: Steelers coaches had a ‘cowardly, chicken scratch, offensive game plan’ vs. Bears
There was plenty to digest from Sunday’s 31-28 Steelers loss in Chicago. Just make sure you have some Tums handy once you begin digesting. In this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast, Mark Madden of TribLive and 105.9 The X says the issues all start with head coach Mike Tomlin and his...
Defending champion North Dakota State is No. 1 seed and among record-tying 6 MVFC teams in FCS playoffs
INDIANAPOLIS — Defending national champion North Dakota State will lead a record-tying six teams from the Missouri Valley Football Conference into the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. The MVFC champion Bison (12-0) on Sunday were named the No. 1 seed in the 24-team playoffs and will be making their 16th consecutive...
Ohio State, Michigan brace for The Game with playoff implications and historic stakes
COLUMBUS, Ohio — It didn’t take long for Ryan Day and Sherrone Moore to turn their focus to The Game. With top-ranked Ohio State and No. 15 Michigan well ahead in their games during the fourth quarter, both coaches and their teams were already locked on preparations for Saturday’s matchup...
West Virginia men can’t hold early lead, lose to Xavier at Charleston ClassicVideo
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Jovan Milicevic scored 21 points and Xavier rallied from a first-half deficit to defeat West Virginia 78-68 at the Charleston Classic on Sunday. The Musketeers (4-3) trailed 23-15 then allowed five points over the final 9 1/2 minutes of the first half, taking a 36-28 lead at...
Robert Morris loses on Monmouth free throws in overtime
Robert Morris and Monmouth, a couple of old basketball acquaintances, got together for the first time in 12 years in a thrilling Sunday afternoon on the Jersey Shore. The former Northeast Conference rivals worked overtime for an outcome that left Robert Morris with its second straight loss. Stefanos Spartalis’ two...
Shedeur Sanders wins his 1st NFL start as Browns shut down RaidersVideo
LAS VEGAS — Browns rookie Shedeur Sanders passed for 209 yards and a touchdown in his NFL starting debut, and Myles Garrett had three of Cleveland’s 10 sacks in a 24-10 victory over the Raiders on Sunday, the fifth straight loss for Las Vegas. The Browns (3-8) ended a three-game...
