Has figure skating reached limits of human performance as Olympics approach?
It was at a relatively minor event in upstate New York in September 2022 that Ilia Malinin, the self-anointed “Quad God” who was fast becoming the biggest name in figure skating, finally landed the jump that so many people had thought impossible. Others had tried quad axels in competition over...
Robert Morris men continue inconsistent play in loss at Purdue Fort Wayne
Robert Morris’ up-and-down men’s basketball season is pointed downward again. Just when it looks as though the Colonials are ready to go on a run, they seem to falter. Purdue Fort Wayne made sure to derail RMU this time. Corey Hadnot II scored 21 points to lead the Mastodons to...
Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin a ‘game-time’ decision against Rangers
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin will be a “game-time” decision for Saturday’s game against the New York Rangers at PPG Paints Arena. Coach Dan Muse announced his status approximately two hours before the opening faceoff. Malkin missed a practice session in Cranberry on Friday due to an unspecified ailment. He...
Late rally not enough to overcome sluggish start as Pitt falls at No. 22 Clemson
It’s been well over a decade since Pitt has beaten Clemson in basketball. That stretch continued Saturday at Littlejohn Coliseum in South Carolina, as the Panthers fell 63-52 to the No. 22 Tigers, the Panthers’ 15th straight loss to Clemson. Pitt (9-13, 2-7 ACC) was unable to overcome a season-low...
Penguins defenseman Kris Letang placed on injured reserve
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang was placed on injured reserve due to a fracture in an unspecified foot on Saturday morning. He is expected to be sidelined a minimum of four weeks. The team announced the designation via a social media posting. Letang, 38, was sidelined for two games last...
Penn State’s Zakee Wheatley turned down the transfer portal and now his NFL draft stock is rising
MOBILE, Ala. — Zakee Wheatley stood on his tip-toes looking for his Penn State teammates at the Senior Bowl. He corralled Zane Durant and called over Kaytron Allen. He couldn’t find Dani Dennis-Sutton, and, unfortunately, Nick Singleton was in the locker room tending to an injury. Wheatley wanted to get...
Elena Rybakina wins Australian Open by beating No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka for 2nd Grand Slam title
MELBOURNE, Australia — Elena Rybakina finally won her second Grand Slam title with a victory over top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka at the Australian Open on Saturday, and it was something of a testament to quiet achievers. After some tumult at the start of 2025, including the suspension of her coach, Rybakina...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: It’s time to fix the Pro Football, Baseball halls of fame
Bill Belichick got excluded from the Pro Football Hall of Fame on his first ballot. It didn’t happen randomly. Belichick won six Super Bowls as New England’s coach but got caught cheating twice. The Hall’s voting process is flawed when it lumps in Belichick with old-timey candidates like L.C. Greenwood....
Minor league report: Nailers dropped by Railers
Goaltender Maxim Pavlenko made 18 saves on 24 shots for the Wheeling Nailers in a 6-3 loss to the Worcester Railers at the DCU Center in Worcester, Mass., on Friday. The result dropped Pavlenko’s record to 10-8-0. Defenseman Brent Johnson and forward Ryan Mahshie each recorded two assists for Wheeling...
Seahawks sale rumors swirl ahead of Super Bowl; Paul Allen’s estate denies report
SEATTLE — The Seattle Seahawks will go up for sale after the team’s appearance in the Super Bowl on Feb. 8, ESPN reported Friday night. Citing unnamed sources, ESPN said talks between Seahawks ownership and the NFL have been going on over the past week. The estate of late Seahawks...
Justin Rose breaks his 36-hole record at Torrey Pines. Brooks Koepka makes it to the weekend
SAN DIEGO — Justin Rose scored even better on the notorious South course Friday in the Farmers Insurance Open, and the proof is in the tournament record book. He broke his own 36-hole record by two shots at Torrey Pines to build a four-shot lead. The weekend will include Brooks...
Kon Knueppel is giving former Duke teammate Cooper Flagg a challenge in NBA Rookie of the Year race
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Cooper Flagg entered the season as the overwhelming favorite to win NBA Rookie of the Year. But his old college roommate is giving the No. 1 draft pick a run for his money. Charlotte’s Kon Knueppel is in the midst of the most productive rookie season in...
NFL says it will discuss using review for player safety penalties missed by officials
The NFL will discuss using video review to assess penalties for player safety-related violations that are missed by officials, the league said Friday. Non-calls are currently not reviewable, but penalties such as grabbing the facemask, unnecessary roughness, roughing the passer and hip-drop tackles could be subject to review. It will...
Ahead of potential final game with Seahawks, RB Kenneth Walker III is firing on all cylinders
RENTON, Wash. — When Zach Charbonnet went down with a season-ending knee injury against the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs, Kenneth Walker III rushed onto the field to check on his Seattle Seahawks backfield mate. Initially, Walker was told Charbonnet — who led the...
Patrick Graham named Steelers defensive coordinator by new coach Mike McCarthy
With Mike McCarthy having taken ownership of the offense and calling the plays for it, his most impactful hire for the Pittsburgh Steelers coaching staff was going to come on defense. McCarthy and the organization found their man to run that side of the ball. Former Las Vegas Raiders defensive...
Penn State star suffers major injury setback at Senior Bowl
MOBILE, Ala. — Penn State star Nick Singleton suffered a significant injury at the Senior Bowl. Singleton suffered a broken foot during Thursday’s practice at Hancock Whitney Stadium. The Reading Eagle reported the news Friday morning. Singleton’s father told The Reading Eagle that the Penn State running back injured the...
Vikings fire GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah after 4 seasons, contract extension last year
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Vikings fired general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah on Friday, after mixed results over four seasons and giving him a contract extension last year. The Vikings announced they have appointed executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski as the interim replacement through the NFL Draft, after which...
‘He’s just continuing to get better’: Pitt’s Roman Siulepa developing into impact performer
Wake Forest coach Steve Forbes might not have been intimately familiar with Pitt freshman forward Roman Siulepa beyond his team’s routine scouting report. But how he described him after Pitt’s overtime win over the Demon Deacons on Tuesday at Petersen Events Center made perfect sense, if Forbes was, indeed, aware...
Steelers coach Mike McCarthy talks with Aaron Rodgers ‘a number of times,’ but no decision yet from QB
Mike McCarthy has spoken with Aaron Rodgers “a number of times” since becoming the Pittsburgh Steelers coach but said those conversations didn’t include any decision about the quarterback’s future. “Like anybody that’s played the game a long time, particularly at this point of their career, it’s important to get away,”...
Kris Letang, Evgeni Malkin absent from Penguins’ practice for undisclosed ailments
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang and forward Evgeni Malkin were not present for a practice session Friday in Cranberry. Coach Dan Muse indicated both players were dealing with unspecified ailments but did not elaborate further. A more substantive update on their statuses is expected to be provided Saturday in advance...
Lindsey Vonn says ‘Olympic dream is not over’ after crashing in last downhill before Winter Games
CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland — Lindsey Vonn crashed and injured her left knee on Friday in her final downhill race before the Olympics, but said she still hopes to recover in time for the Milan Cortina Winter Games. “This is a very difficult outcome one week before the Olympics… but if there’s...
Tim Benz: Dan Muse shrugs off ‘surprise’ of some Penguins depth scoring
I guess Pittsburgh Penguins coach Dan Muse saw this output coming from Connor Dewar. A career high 13 goals … before Super Bowl Sunday. “He’s a really good hockey player. He plays the right way,” Muse said Thursday night. “For me, it’s not surprising.” It sounds like Muse also had...
Tim Benz and Joe Starkey go ‘Beyond the Bylines’ with new showVideo
Have you ever wanted a little more from your sports coverage? With their new video series “Beyond the Bylines,” TribLive sports writers Tim Benz and Joe Starkey dare to go there. Airing Fridays at 8 a.m., they’ll take on the week’s biggest story — this week, the focus is obviously...
Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic to meet in Australian Open final after epic semifinal wins
MELBOURNE, Australia — Novak Djokovic finally beat one of the two men who have been blocking his path to an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam singles title when he edged Jannik Sinner in five sets Friday to reach the Australian Open final. Next, he’ll have to beat the other: top-ranked Carlos...
Penn State record-holder is now chasing NFL dream at Senior Bowl
MOBILE, Ala. — Kaytron Allen still hasn’t laid his eyes on the updated Student Book Store steps, which has him featured at the top as Penn State’s all-time leading rusher. But a couple of months removed from making history, Allen took some time to reflect on being etched into the...
