49ers set for a Mexico City return as the NFL brings back regular-season games
MEXICO CITY — The San Francisco 49ers will return to Mexico City to play a regular-season game this season, the NFL said Wednesday. The date and opponent are yet to be determined, but the game will be played in the renovated Azteca Stadium, which recently was renamed Banorte. The stadium...
Penguins forward Filip Hallander sent to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for conditioning assignment
Pittsburgh Penguins rookie forward Filip Hallander was sent to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League for a conditioning assignment on Wednesday. Currently designated to injured reserve due to a blood clot in an unspecified leg, Hallander has not played since Nov. 3. Since then, he has engaged in several non-contact...
Tim Benz: Ben Roethlisberger takes a familiar approach to handling Joey Porter’s comments
Ben Roethlisberger was the king of two things during his career as quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers. One was extending a play by warding off or eluding would-be tacklers in the offensive backfield prior to connecting on a huge passing play. The other was passive aggressiveness. No one could throw...
Mark Madden: Costly personnel blunders have buried the Steelers in mediocrity
As the Pittsburgh Steelers look to break a string of nine seasons with no playoff wins, there still seems to be an underlying faith among the citizens that the Steelers have a great organization and will ultimately get it right. But nine years is a pretty big sample size to...
U.S. star Mikaela Shiffrin wins slalom to break 8-year Olympic drought
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Mikaela Shiffrin’s eight-year Olympic medal drought is over. The American skiing standout put in two dominant runs to win the women’s slalom at the Winter Games on Wednesday by 1.50 seconds. The race isn’t officially over yet, with dozens of lower-tier racers still to take the...
First Call: Mike Tomlin shows up at a college hoops game; Steelers linked to former WPIAL, Penn State safetyVideo
Wednesday’s “First Call” reveals efforts by many of Mike Tomlin’s former players to lend their support to him in the wake of his decision to step down as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. A former Penn State and WPIAL standout is linked to the Steelers in free agency....
Mitch Keller embraces role mentoring Pirates pitchers, wants to show consistency all season
BRADENTON, Fla. — It was in the quiet moments that Mitch Keller spoke loudest for the Pittsburgh Pirates last season, even if the conversations were barely above a whisper. To young Pirates pitchers after struggling in a start, Keller served as the calming voice who offered reassurance there would be...
A 5-point plan for Duquesne to win its 5th in a row
Duquesne (15-10) is playing its best basketball of the season. The Dukes have won four in a row and five of their last six. Coach Dru Joyce III’s club is now up to a three-way tie for fourth place in the Atlantic 10 with Saint Joseph’s and Dayton at 7-5....
‘You’re older than our coach:’ 32-year-old stars on Westmoreland County Community College court
Julian Thompson calls himself “Unc,” as in uncle. As in, ahem, the elder statesman of the locker room. “I figured I’d get that out of the way and beat them all to it,” the Westmoreland County Community College basketball player said with a laugh. “I knew they’d want to call...
Former Penguins forward Cal O’Reilly signs in Norway
Former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Cal O’Reilly has signed with Vålerenga of the EliteHockey Ligaen (EHL) in Norway. That transaction was announced on Tuesday. A native of Toronto, O’Reilly, 39, opened the current season skating for the SCL Tigers of Switzerland’s National League. In 20 games with that club, O’Reilly had...
Tiger Woods isn’t ruling out a return to the Masters
LOS ANGELES — Tiger Woods did not rule out a return to the Masters just under two months away, even as his immediate future appears to include just about everything but golf. Woods again painted an uncertain future about when or where he plays next because of a seventh back...
Ex-Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger discusses personal ‘transformation,’ avoids podcast feud with Joey Porter
There was no mention of the criticism he faced from a former teammate, but Ben Roethlisberger briefly touched on his own maturation process in the latest episode of his podcast. The retired Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback steered clear of the controversy stirred up last week by ex-linebacker Joey Porter Sr., who...
RHP Walker Buehler signs with Padres after a long career with the NL West rival Dodgers
PEORIA, Ariz. — Walker Buehler has signed with the San Diego Padres after the right-hander spent the first eight seasons of his major league career with their archrivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Buehler was in the Padres’ clubhouse Tuesday morning after agreeing to a minor league deal with an invitation...
Penguins’ Erik Karlsson collects assist in Sweden’s win against Latvia
A look at how members of the Pittsburgh Penguins are performing in the Winter Olympics: Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson recorded a primary assist for Sweden, which defeated Latvia, 5-1, in a qualification playoff game at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan on Tuesday. Karlsson’s assist happened on a...
With Jake DiMichele finally healthy and defense ramping up, Duquesne looking like A-10 title team of 2024
There was no apparent limp, no favoritism for that once-troublesome foot. Jake DiMichele, the darling of local fans at Duquesne and a key part of the Dukes’ 2024 Atlantic 10 championship and NCAA Tournament team, has (knock on wood) proclaimed himself 100% healed. Finally. For DiMichele, the WPIAL’s third all-time...
Penguins forward Filip Hallander close to returning from blood clot
Coaches did not take it easy on Filip Hallander for his first practice in more than three months with the Pittsburgh Penguins. In fact, they gave the rookie a very demanding assignment Tuesday in Cranberry. He had to skate as the first-line center. Now, to be certain, the person who...
Winter Olympics recap: Japanese pair upstage ‘Blade Angels,’ Germany sweeps 2-man bobsled
Jacob Markstrom is thrilled to be tending goal for Sweden at the Olympics. He is not ready to go home just yet. “I waited 36 years to get my first one, and it’s a great feeling but you don’t want it to end,” Markstrom said. Markstrom made 20 saves, Adrian...
Alysa Liu surges into medal range as U.S. teammates stumble in Olympic short program
MILAN — Alysa Liu is left to carry the hopes of the “Blade Angels” into the women’s free skate at the Milan Cortina Olympics. The reigning world champion was the only one of American’s vaunted figure skating trio to put herself in contention for gold after the short program Tuesday...
Commentary: Anthony Kim’s mystique was built on memories. Now his best highlight is a win
LOS ANGELES — Anthony Kim shared this much with Tiger Woods: The longer they stayed away, the more the legend grew. The difference was the amount of highlights to fill the void and what kept them away. Kim’s victory in LIV Golf Adelaide, before the largest crowd on the LIV...
Penguins forward, Rhode Island native Noel Acciari mourns rink shooting
Rhode Island is a small state, the smallest in the union by land mass. So there aren’t many degrees of separation in the Ocean State, especially in the tight-knit hockey community. That camaraderie made Monday’s shooting at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, R.I., all the more harrowing for...
Pitt coach Jeff Capel praises Cam Corhen’s attitude, effort amid ankle injury
Cam Corhen has had ample reason to dial things back over the last week. Pitt’s senior forward injured his ankle Feb. 10 against No. 4 Duke, a lingering pain that coach Jeff Capel said caused Corhen to miss practice Monday. Corhen also was forced to miss several practices last week...
Ronda Rousey, Gina Carano will end their MMA retirements and fight each other in May
LOS ANGELES — Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano will end their lengthy retirements from mixed martial arts to fight each other May 16 at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. The two pioneering fighters announced their returns Tuesday for a bout that will be staged by Most Valuable Promotions, the combat...
Joey Porter Jr.’s play foretells likely massive contract extension from Steelers this summer
In the aftermath of his son limiting perennial 1,000-yard receiver Nico Collins to a mere three catches for 21 yards during last month’s Pittsburgh Steelers playoff game against the Houston Texans, Joey Porter Sr. had a message for him the following morning. “He said,” the younger Porter relayed, “I made...
Times, sites set for Thursday’s WPIAL basketball quarterfinals
While the opening round of the WPIAL boys and girls basketball playoffs concludes Tuesday, the sites and times are now set for Quarterfinals Thursday. The district quarterfinals continue Thursday with boys Class 6A, boys 2A, girls 4A and girls A second round contests, plus one of the four girls 6A...
Tim Benz: Having the draft in Pittsburgh won’t make the Steelers take a QB … but it might make it harder to pass upVideo
When it comes to the notion of the Steelers taking a quarterback in Round 1 of this year’s NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, TribLive’s Mark Madden had this to say during this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast. “Ain’t no pop like the quarterback pop,” Madden said. “Art (Rooney II) wants to get...
