Sports category, Page 501
New 30-something T.J. Watt carries burden of depleted Steelers’ edge rusher corps
For the first night of his 30s, T.J. Watt wasn’t planning on hitting the Lawrenceville taverns or South Side clubs. “My wife is incredible. Last week, she surprised me with three of my best buddies in town, so that was really special,” Watt said after Pittsburgh Steelers practice Friday, the...
Russell Wilson finishes full week of practice, set to serve as Steelers’ No. 2 QB Sunday
Russell Wilson made it through a full week of practice without another aggravation of his calf injury and has earned a promotion of sorts. For the first time, Wilson is expected to serve as part of the Pittsburgh Steelers official active gameday roster Sunday when they visit the Las Vegas...
ABC will air 6 additional ‘Monday Night Football’ games starting this week with Bills-Jets
ABC will simulcast six more ESPN “Monday Night Football” games, including Monday’s AFC East matchup between the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets. The addition of the six games means ABC will air 17 this season — 14 simulcasts with ESPN (including two playoff games) and three games exclusively...
Bill Shay, who coached for nearly 4 decades at Community College of Allegheny County, dies
Players from all over western Pennsylvania wanted to play for one man. That one man was Bill Shay. The winningest basketball coach in Western Pennsylvania history, Shay died on Friday. He was 88. “A soldier has passed,” said Larry DiCicco, a North Side native who lives in Mt. Lebanon, and...
Analysis: Some quarterbacks just need 2nd, 3rd or 4th chance
Sam Darnold is realizing his potential on his fourth stop. Baker Mayfield and Geno Smith did the same. Jared Goff found his way on his second team. Some quarterbacks just need a second chance. Or third. Or fourth. Darnold was supposed to be a stopgap player in Minnesota, signed to...
Mark Madden: Steelers have themselves to blame for George Pickens situation
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a tradition of winning Super Bowls. It’s getting smaller and smaller in the rearview mirror. They also have a tradition of crackpot wide receivers. That custom is alive and well. George Pickens is at the front of that line. The Steelers have no legit gripe. They...
First Call: Vegas LB Robert Spillane has ‘chip’ on his shoulder playing Steelers; Raiders OC Luke Getsy on Justin FieldsVideo
Friday’s “First Call” takes a look at some reunions in Las Vegas on Sunday as the Pittsburgh Steelers visit the Raiders. Luke Getsy will cross paths with Steelers quarterback Justin Fields again. Vegas linebacker Robert Spillane gets to play against his old Steelers teammates. Duquesne renews acquaintances with an intrastate...
Football Footnotes: 3 keys for Steelers defense against Raiders
After three great games from the defense to start 2024, the Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2) have been scuffling on that side of the ball of late. In the two recent losses to the Indianapolis Colts and Dallas Cowboys, the Steelers defense has given up a total of 803 yards and a...
Pitt Take 5: Undefeated Panthers insist ‘we haven’t done anything’
Pitt is one of 12 unbeaten teams nationwide, a distinction the Panthers (5-0, 1-0) share with only one ACC rival, Miami. That being the case, there’s nothing left to say other than: The time has come for Pitt to get down to the serious business of competing for a second...
Unlike baseball counterparts, Penguins have no complaints about new Fanatics jerseys
It’s no secret that NHL players can be notoriously picky about the gear they use and wear. Sidney Crosby always has been particular about the blade of his stick. Several seasons ago, X (then known as Twitter) account GeerGeek.com noted that Evgeni Malkin had changed sticks well over 100 times...
Improving West Virginia hosts No. 11 Iowa State
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Iowa State coach Matt Campbell knows how good his team has been on the road. He also needs no reminder what happened to the Cyclones the last time they traveled to West Virginia. The Mountaineers picked apart the Big 12’s top defense in 2021, and an Iowa...
Tim Benz: A chance to celebrate Maz and Franco on the same day
Whether it’s on television or social media Sunday, you’ll probably be hit with a few reminders of the greatest moment in Steelers history. The Steelers are playing the Raiders. Any time that happens — even if they aren’t in Oakland anymore — you are going to see some highlights of...
Brock Purdy throws for 3 TDs as 49ers beat Seahawks, move atop division
SEATTLE — Deebo Samuel didn’t hesitate when he was asked what was working for the San Francisco 49ers. “Brock Purdy,” Samuel said. Purdy threw for 255 yards and three touchdowns, and the Niners never trailed in a 36-24 victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday night. Samuel had a 76-yard...
Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin records 800th career assist in win over Red Wings
When the Penguins made the decision to keep their veteran core together, they all but ensured a number of career milestones would be reached by Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang over the next few years. The first such milestone of this season arrived Thursday night when Malkin recorded...
Gerrit Cole tosses playoff gem, shutting down Royals and sending Yankees back to ALCS
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Gerrit Cole pitched like a postseason ace Thursday night, holding the Kansas City Royals to a single run over seven innings and sending the New York Yankees to a 3-1 victory that put them back in the American League Championship Series. The six-time All-Star scattered six...
Rookie goaltender Joel Blomqvist leads Penguins to 1st win
The Pittsburgh Penguins need Joel Blomqvist. After all, established backup goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic opened the 2024-25 season on injured reserve due to an undisclosed ailment and someone has to be the backup. But they really needed him Thursday. Making his NHL debut, Blomqvist made 29 saves on 32 shots and...
Fueled by NCAA Tournament snub, Pitt basketball hopes to ‘leave no doubt’
The pain, the empty feeling, the anger won’t go away, and that’s OK, according to Pitt guards Jaland Lowe and Ishmael Leggett. They thrive on it, actually. “Fuel to the fire,” Leggett said Thursday afternoon on the ACC Network during an appearance at the ACC Tip-off Event in Charlotte, N.C....
Point Park University unveils proposal for sports and recreation venue
When he was named Point Park University president last year, Chris Brussalis touted his school’s potential to spark a “Downtown Renaissance 3” with targeted development including a new venue for sports and recreation. On Thursday, Brussalis unveiled a sizable part of that vision for the Golden Triangle. He and the...
Ringgold calls off football game vs. Thomas Jefferson, investigates ‘alleged incidents of misconduct’
Ringgold has called off Friday’s football game while investigating unspecified allegations “that involve members of the football team.” The Rams were scheduled to host Thomas Jefferson in a Big Six Conference game. Ringgold superintendent Randall Skrinjorich confirmed the district’s decision, saying in an email: “Currently the game is postponed.” In...
Deer Lakes’ Sullivan playing all over pitch for No. 1 Pitt soccer
Michael Sullivan scored his first goal for the top-ranked Pitt men’s soccer team this week in a big game against another top-10 team in Denver, and though that was a big moment, it’s only a small part of what he’s contributing. Sullivan’s greatest asset to the Panthers has been his...
Pat Narduzzi speaks on subjects ranging from players’ financial investments to Matt Canada’s time at Pitt
Talk was scattered in many different directions Thursday in the conference room adjacent to Pat Narduzzi’s office, where he presided over his final news briefing of the week. The weekly sessions are not exactly akin to FDR’s fireside chats from the 1930s and 1940s, but it’s an opportunity for reporters...
Big 12 coaches pick Kansas as preseason favorite, West Virginia slated for 13th in men’s basketball poll
IRVING, Texas — Big 12 coaches tabbed Kansas as the preseason favorite to win a conference that had nine of its current teams make the NCAA Tournament last season. The Jayhawks were picked ahead of Houston, Iowa State, Baylor and league-newcomer Arizona in a vote by the conference’s 16 coaches...
Effective ball distribution benefitting Penn State offensively heading into showdown at USC
A common refrain among Penn State coaches and players heading into this season was a desire to be better about getting the ball to the program’s most explosive players. As the Nittany Lions got underway, some of those candidates were well known, such as tight end Tyler Warren and Swiss...
Steelers DC Teryl Austin trying to patch together depth at outside linebacker after rash of injuries
Teryl Austin will have at his disposal Sunday a former NFL Defensive Player of the Year and a collection of players at outside linebacker who might not even be household names in their own household. With injuries to Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig and converted defensive lineman DeMarvin Leal, Austin won’t...
Cat Flood relishes her role with Pitt women’s volleyball as team vies for national championship
Cat Flood has become one of the most popular players on the top-ranked Pitt volleyball team, particularly among the younger crowd. Maybe it’s her trademark two-tone hair, something she did on a teammate’s dare a couple of years ago, and it has stuck. She tried going back to one hair...
