NASCAR preview: Denny Hamlin’s rollercoaster offseason included lawsuit win, father’s death
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — There’s no telling what version of Denny Hamlin will race this upcoming NASCAR season, which unofficially begins Wednesday night with The Clash, an exhibition race held at grassroots Bowman Gray Stadium in North Carolina. Like most of the NASCAR community, Hamlin has had a rollercoaster of...
Vonn ‘confident’ she will race at Olympics despite ‘completely ruptured’ ACL in left knee
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Lindsey Vonn is “confident” she can compete at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics beginning this week despite the left knee injury she sustained in a crash four days ago. Vonn said on Tuesday she “completed ruptured” her ACL, has bone bruising “plus meniscal damage.” But after...
Penn State hockey star chasing gold with Team USA in Winter Olympics: ‘This was always my dream’
In her fourth season at Penn State, Tessa Janecke has all but cemented herself as the greatest player in Nittany Lions women’s hockey history. She holds the program record with 82 career goals and counting. She was the national rookie of the year in 2023. She’s been the conference player...
Speedskater Erin Jackson, bobsledder Frank Del Duca picked as U.S. flagbearers for Winter Olympics
Speedskater Erin Jackson already has made history, as the first Black woman to win an individual gold medal at a Winter Olympics. Bobsledder Frank Del Duca is a sergeant in the Army, hailing from a family with deep Italian roots. They might be the perfect pair to lead the U.S....
Tim Benz: The Penguins aren’t good enough to need a wake-up call. But they got it Monday night
After a lousy performance in a 3-2 loss to Ottawa on Monday night, Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson was asked about attempting to bounce back Tuesday in a key intradivisional game against the New York Islanders. “It can’t get any worse, can it?” No, Erik. No, it can’t. From Karlsson...
Patriots and Seahawks kick off Super Bowl festivities with a quieter, calmer, tamer Opening Night
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Maybe the game itself will live up to the hype — because Super Bowl Opening Night was calmer than usual. Drake Maye and the New England Patriots (17-3) take on Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks (16-3) on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium, home of the San...
NFL commish Roger Goodell: 18-game season is ‘not a given’
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Not so fast on an 18-game NFL season. A week after Patriots owner Robert Kraft made it seem inevitable, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said expanding the regular season to 18 games is “not a given.” “We have not had any formal discussions about it and, frankly,...
Penguins dispute goal call in bumbling loss to Senators
Just like every Cypriot alpine skier, Hungarian speed skater and Romanian luger representing their respective countries, Rickard Rakell is excited about going to Italy next week for the Olympics as a member of Sweden’s entry into the men’s hockey tournament. But he still needs to attend to some professional concerns...
Westmoreland Campus Clippings: Norwin grad Bilinsky sets career high for UPJ hoops
They call Adam Bilinsky “Bomber.” The former Norwin basketball standout was on full blast for Pitt-Johnstown against Seton Hill. The junior guard erupted for a career-high 35 points in a 97-88 victory over the visiting Griffins. The top number is impressive. But so is how he got to it. Bilinsky...
3 seasons in, PWHL set to enjoy international coming-out party during Milan Cortina Games
The Professional Women’s Hockey League was but a pipe dream in February 2022 when Kendall Coyne Schofield emphatically declared the urgency needed to address a fractured sport with unrealized potential. “We need to push for visibility,” Coyne Schofield said then, choking back tears after the United States’ 3-2 gold-medal loss...
Penguins defenseman Ryan Graves activated from injured reserve
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Ryan Graves was activated from injured reserve Monday afternoon. He has missed the past four games due to an undisclosed malady. During a morning skate in Cranberry earlier in the day, Graves operated in a full capacity with no restrictions on contact. Graves has split the 2025-26...
Pittsburgh Marathon announces partnership with Reykjavík Marathon in Iceland
The Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon has announced a partnership with Iceland’s Íslandsbanki Reykjavík Marathon as “sister marathons” In an collaborative Instagram post last week, the marathons said the new partnership is “connecting two iconic cities through the shared passion of running.” View this post on Instagram A post shared...
McKeesport’s Kemon Spell commits to GeorgiaVideo
McKeesport junior running back Kemon Spell is headed to one of the powers of the SEC. Spell committed to Georgia on Monday, according to reports by Rivals and ESPN. The five-star recruit is the top-ranked running back in the 2027 class. He is a marquee addition to coach Kirby Smart...
Steelers expected to name Danny Crossman as special teams coach
Mike McCarthy has dug into his Green Bay and Dallas roots to assemble the Pittsburgh Steelers’ coaching staff, but his new special teams coordinator could hail from his days at Pitt. Veteran NFL assistant Danny Crossman is expected to join McCarthy’s staff as special teams coordinator, according to an NFL...
Former defensive back Jason Simmons among 8 Steelers coaching hires
Jason Simmons, a former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back, was among eight additions to Mike McCarthy’s coaching staff announced Monday by the team. Simmons will serve as defensive pass game coordinator and defensive backs coach. The Steelers also retained Scott McCurley (inside linebackers) and Tom Arth (quarterbacks) and hired James Campen...
Poor ball movement another of many recurring issues for Pitt
No shortage of recurring issues have plagued Pitt in a men’s basketball season that has been all but irretrievably compromised before the midway point of ACC play. Most prominent has been an inability to finish close to the rim, leading to plenty of missed layups, as well as countless points...
Penguins goaltender Arturs Silovs scheduled to start against Senators
Pittsburgh Penguins rookie goaltender Arturs Silovs is scheduled to start Monday’s game against the Ottawa Senators at PPG Paints Arena. Coach Dan Muse announced Silovs’ status following a morning skate in Cranberry. In 24 games this season, Silovs has a 10-6-8 record, a 2.96 goals-against average, an .893 save percentage...
NFL to play first regular-season game in France with Saints in 2026
SAN FRANCISCO — The NFL will play its first regular-season game in France next season with the New Orleans Saints set to travel to Paris later this year. The league on Monday announced the plans to play a game at the Stade de France next season in addition to a...
10 years of NFL Next Gen Stats has changed how the game is watched and played
SAN FRANCISCO — Anyone watching Caleb Williams’ desperation fourth-down touchdown pass in the divisional round knew how improbable a play it was. Quantifying that was a different story. That’s when the NFL’s Next Gen Stats stepped in. Within minutes after the 14-yard touchdown landed in Cole Kmet’s hands, the answer...
Mark Madden: Zero chance Will Howard starts for the Steelers and more sports notes
Like the snowflakes that clog your driveway, no two refreshing sports notes are exactly alike! I also use a shovel. • Will Howard will not start at quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Zero chance. He’s a sixth-round pick with all the attached limitations. When new coach Mike McCarthy praises Howard,...
Joe Starkey’s Cup of Joe: It doesn’t sound like Tristan Jarry is making friends in Edmonton
Cup of Joe: Starkey on sports in 350 words or less Oh boy. Things seem to be deteriorating for Tristan Jarry in Edmonton. Did you see his comments after getting pulled from a 7-3 loss to Minnesota on Saturday? Whether you’re a goalie, a quarterback or a pitcher — in...
First Call: Goalie fight in NHL outdoor game; Pitt’s Alex Van Pelt lands new coaching job
Monday’s “First Call” sees a familiar Pittsburgh name getting a coaching job in the NFL. But it’s not on the Steelers staff under Mike McCarthy. There was a goalie fight in Tampa Bay’s Stadium Series game against Boston. Former Penguin Colby Armstrong sees his longtime NHL record tumble. And the...
Pirates by Position: Paul Skenes anchors starting rotation expecting battle at back end
The Pittsburgh Pirates opened their offseason on the premise that they had a solid foundation with their starting pitching, one that was deep enough to allow them to address their offensive inefficiencies. With a rotation anchored by 2025 National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes and featuring former All-Star...
Tim Benz: Does it really matter that Mike McCarthy is from Pittsburgh? Right now it does. Check back in September
Ever since Greenfield native Mike McCarthy got hired as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the question has been asked: “How much does it really matter that he is from Pittsburgh?” Right now it does. Based on the initial reaction when McCarthy was named as Mike Tomlin’s replacement, the...
Madden Monday: If Mike McCarthy thinks the Steelers’ defense is top 5 worthy, he’s in for a rude awakening
During his first press conference as Pittsburgh Steelers coach, Mike McCarthy admitted something noteworthy. “I’ve been a head coach for 18 years. I’ve had one top 5 defense,” McCarthy said of his 2010 team. “We won the Super Bowl that year.” The implication seemed to be that there was enough...
