Sports category, Page 570
Steelers inside the ropes: Running game takes center stage as O-line imposes will on defense
Be it the influence of new coordinator Arthur Smith, the culmination of two full years of the Omar Khan-Andy Weidl regime or just where the pendulum is swinging with these Pittsburgh Steelers, it’s become a trend that when the pads come on during training camp, so does an effective running...
Latest U.S. track comeback puts Quincy Hall atop medal stand in Olympic 400 metersVideo
SAINT-DENIS, France — Quincy Hall became the latest American to electrify Olympic track and field with an out-of-nowhere comeback, sprinting from far behind in the 400 meters Wednesday night to reel in three runners and capture another gold medal for the U.S. Hall, buried in fourth place as the sprinters...
Poland rallies to beat U.S. in men’s volleyball in 5th set and will play France for Olympic goldVideo
PARIS — Pawel Zatorski couldn’t feel a couple of fingers on his left hand. They were still numb more than an hour after the veteran libero went down for several minutes in the middle of third set of Poland’s remarkable comeback against the Americans. He got up and kept going,...
A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young help U.S. rout Nigeria to reach Olympic women’s hoops semifinalsVideo
PARIS — A’ja Wilson scored 20 points, and Jackie Young added 15 points to help the U.S. beat Nigeria, 88-74, on Wednesday night in the quarterfinals of the Paris Games, extending its record winning streak to 59 consecutive Olympic wins. Breanna Stewart also had 13 for the Americans, who haven’t...
Steelers camp report: Even after ruled out for game, several vets go through padded practiceVideo
Early Wednesday morning, coach Mike Tomlin announced that seven of his most established veteran players would not participate in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ preseason opener Friday. Ninety minutes later, though, six of those seven took part in a fully-padded, tackling-allowed practice at Saint Vincent College. Tomlin said that quarterback Russell Wilson,...
Greensburg Central Catholic baseball player Anthony Grippo commits to Penn State
A new NCAA recruiting rule kicked in earlier this month. It prevents college coaches from communicating with prospects until Aug. 1 of their junior year. When that day rolled around for Anthony Grippo, his cellphone “blew up.” The rising junior from Greensburg Central Catholic had more than 20 calls or...
West Point overcomes superstition at Little League Softball World Series
Superstitions have long been a part of sports. Tiger Woods always wore a red shirt when he walked onto a golf course on Sundays. Michael Jordan used to wear his college practice shorts from North Carolina under his Chicago Bulls uniform shorts. Wade Boggs had to eat chicken before every...
Penn State coaches, teammates continue to praise Zakee Wheatley, who has been the talk of the offseason
Penn State’s coaching staff identified Zakee Wheatley as a potential playmaker prior to the 2022 season. The reserve safety intercepted a pair of passes and forced a fumble that year, but his opportunities were minimal last season. This year is different. The breakout opportunity is real for the fourth-year Nittany...
Simone Biles thrived at the Paris Olympics, everything was amplified
PARIS — Every single thing Simone Biles has done at the Paris Olympics has been spotlighted: four medals, an online feud with a former teammate and a social media post that appeared to take a swipe at presidential candidate Donald Trump. Her TikToks regularly draw millions of views — 14.4...
For Wanda Durant, watching Kevin Durant will never grow old
PARIS — They gave Kevin Durant the game ball after he broke Lisa Leslie’s all-time U.S. Olympic basketball scoring record in the quarterfinals of the Paris Games. And, of course, he got plenty of congratulations afterward from his biggest fan. That fan — Wanda Durant, his mother — wasn’t surprised...
Ukrainian wrestler and member of parliament has a goal for Paris: ‘Show that Ukraine is still alive’
PARIS — Zhan Beleniuk’s focus wavered at times as he trained in hopes of winning a second Olympic gold medal in Greco-Roman wrestling. The Ukrainian doesn’t just represent his country in international competition. He’s also a member of parliament. And since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, well, it’s been easy...
NCAA hands former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh a 4-year show cause order for recruiting violations
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The NCAA announced a four-year show-cause order for former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh on Wednesday for impermissible contact with recruits and players while access was restricted during the covid-19 pandemic, effectively banning him from college athletics until August 2028. The NCAA said Harbaugh, who left his...
U.S. women’s pursuit team wins Olympic gold after 12 years of silver and bronze medals
MONTIGNY-LE-BRETONNEUX, France — The U.S. women’s pursuit team of road race Olympic champion Kristen Faulkner, Chloe Dygert, Jennifer Valente and Lilly Williams held on through a ragged finish to beat New Zealand in the race for gold at the Paris Games on Wednesday night. The Americans led by more than...
U.S. Open player compensation rises to a record $65 million, with singles champs getting $3.6 million
Coco Gauff, Novak Djokovic and other players at the U.S. Open will be playing for a record total of $75 million in compensation at the year’s last Grand Slam tennis tournament, a rise of about 15% from a year ago. The women’s and men’s singles champions will each receive $3.6...
As Paris Olympics wind down, Los Angeles swings into planning for 2028
PARIS — From the City of Love to the City of Angels, planning for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics is well underway and organizers are paying close attention to what’s worked, and what hasn’t, so far in Paris. It will be LA’s third time hosting the Olympics — the last...
Tim Benz: Make the Brandon Aiyuk decision about Brandon Aiyuk, not Van Jefferson
Here’s a friendly exchange I overheard between a fan and a media member during Tuesday’s Steelers training camp practice. I didn’t want to jump into someone else’s conversation. But I will in my own column. Fan: “When are the Steelers going to get Brandon Aiyuk?” Reporter: “I don’t know. But...
Steelers sign rookie ILB Easton Gibbs
Two days before their preseason opener, the Pittsburgh Steelers swapped inside linebackers in signing rookie Easton Gibbs on Wednesday. Gibbs (6-foot, 230 pounds) went undrafted out of Wyoming but was signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent. The Seahawks, though, placed him on the on the non-football...
Cause of death revealed for ex-Ravens Super Bowl star Jacoby Jones who played for Steelers
Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl star Jacoby Jones died of hypertensive cardiovascular disease caused by high blood pressure, according to a New Orleans medical examiner. Jones was just 40 years old when he died on July 14. The listed cause of death was natural. Jones helped power the Baltimore Ravens to...
Justin Fields to start at QB, play ‘couple of series’ in Steelers’ preseason opener
The NFL’s reduction from four to three preseason games in 2021 naturally led to reduced playing time for veteran players. For Russell Wilson, that meant getting zero snaps in the 2021-22 preseasons, his last year with the Seattle Seahawks and first with the Denver Broncos. The script changed last season...
Tim Benz: Few debatable points from the Steelers’ initial 2024 depth chart
The Pittsburgh Steelers released their first depth chart of 2024 on Tuesday. Very few spots were surprising. But there is still plenty to discuss. Quarterback Much to the dismay of many national media outlets who are trying to invent a quarterback controversy in Pittsburgh for the sake of content, Russell...
First Call: Christian McCaffrey’s ‘former teammate’ slip about Brandon Aiyuk; former Steeler DL has new AFC homeVideo
Pittsburgh Steelers fans may want to take note of something Christian McCaffrey said about 49ers teammate Brandon Aiyuk. Fantasy football players may want to take note of some injury news for McCaffrey. Plus, there is some clarity about the passing of former Steeler Jacoby Jones. And Ex-Steeler Jonathan Marshall has...
Freshman defensive tackle Francis Brewu unafraid to tackle heavy load at Pitt
Weightlifting is more than just a way for Pitt defensive tackle Francis Brewu to get stronger, win playing time earlier and impress his teammates in the locker room. “It’s like therapy to me,” said Brewu, a freshman from Worthington, Ohio. “Physical therapy. Nothing feels better than when you hit a...
‘An ocean in the warning track’: How Pirates-Padres came to play after lengthy rain delay
The only things that came down faster than the rainstorm that interrupted the game at PNC Park on Tuesday night were the hyperbolic reactions from the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Diego Padres. When a flash flood clogged the drainage system with dirt and flooded the outfield, players and coaches likened...
Pirates farm report for Aug. 6, 2024: Omar Alfonzo goes 4 for 4 with homer in Greensboro debut
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 49-56) lost 8-4 to Nashville (Brewers). RHP Aaron Shortridge (1-1, 5.06) started and was touched up for seven runs on eight hits and two walks in four innings. LHP Michael Plassmeyer (8.21) pitched two scoreless innings. 1B Malcom Nunez (.267) went 1 for 3 with his 11th homer....
Pirates blanked by Padres following rain delay of nearly 3 hours
The Pittsburgh Pirates were slated to take on MLB’s stikeouts leader, Dylan Cease of the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night, but that showdown did not materialize as anticipated thanks to a rain delay that paused play in the middle of the second inning at PNC Park for 2 hours,...
