Sports category, Page 768
Montez Sweat reportedly agrees to 4-year, $98 million extension with Bears
CHICAGO — Ryan Poles was unflinching in his confidence Montez Sweat would be part of the future of the Chicago Bears, and a new deal for the defensive end materialized quickly. The Bears have finalized a contract extension for the 27-year-old Sweat, NFL Media reported, ensuring he will be much...
Berlin in the mix to host NFL game as league eyes future in Germany
FRANKFURT, Germany — NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says Berlin has shown “a lot of interest” in hosting a game as the league plans to extend its agreement to play in Germany beyond 2025. “Düsseldorf, Berlin — there’s been a lot of interest there — so I think they’re all possibilities,...
Steelers 4 Downs: Stats make a case Alex Highsmith having season on par with even T.J. Watt
1. Higher Highsmith Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt is a future Hall of Famer, the one with the record contract and seemingly headed toward being a finalist for the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award for the fourth time. But Watt’s running mate as the terrorizer off the...
Steelers inside linebackers rise to challenge after knee injury to Cole Holcomb
When it comes to pre-game introductions, the Pittsburgh Steelers like to take an inclusive mentality. Which is why more than 11 players have their name announced over the public address system at Acrisure Stadium. Such is the belief in their veteran inside linebackers that Cole Holcomb, Elandon Roberts and Kwon...
After Huggins’ exit, interim coach Josh Eilert up for challenge with rebuilt lineup at West Virginia
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia had an offseason that no one hoped for. Hall of Fame coach Bob Huggins is gone following a June drunken-driving arrest. Assistant Josh Eilert was named interim coach and worked feverishly to keep his roster from imploding because players had an emergency 30-day window to...
Mike Rhoades ready to begin new era at Penn State after whirlwind offseason marked by roster rebuild
STATE COLLEGE — Mike Rhoades didn’t have a team to coach when Penn State hired him in March. Graduations and defections following Micah Shrewsberry’s departure for Notre Dame gutted the Nittany Lions’ roster. Rhoades, plucked from VCU after three NCAA tournament appearances in the last four years, turned to familiar...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Bobby Knight’s resume was built while being vile and despicable
Bobby Knight was barely dead when the excuse-making started. His constant boorish behavior was justified in the name of winning, just like always. “Knight turned boys into men.” Sometimes by assaulting them. We wonder if today’s athletes are too soft, deftly making Knight’s sadistic tyranny, browbeating and intimidation that much...
Lars Eller, Drew O’Connor and Radim Zohorna have formed a strong third line for the Penguins
Drew O’Connor and Radim Zohorna did not join the Pittsburgh Penguins under the best of circumstances. You may recall there was a global pandemic a few years back that shut down almost every aspect of life. And it was in that context the Penguins, under former general manager Jim Rutherford,...
Off-court values matter to Pitt basketball’s new-look team as much as talent on court
When Guillermo Diaz Graham is asked about the second season of what he hopes will be the steady reincarnation of Pitt basketball, he speaks first of values off the court. “We stay together. We show up every day. We make no excuses. Also, we are family,” the sophomore from the...
No. 5 Moon thwarts final drive, runs past Gateway in WPIAL 5A quarterfinals
Moon ran the football almost 70 times Friday night, and Gateway coach Don Holl marveled that not once were the Tigers flagged for holding. It was a compliment, but one surely coated with some sarcasm. Moon rolled out an old-school offense that at times used 10 blockers and a wildcat...
Saint Vincent wrestling makes return Saturday
Wrestling at Saint Vincent College returns on Saturday for the first time since 1975. The Bearcats are in Michigan to participate in the Adrian Invitational. First-year coach Dom Nania has 11 wrestlers from Westmoreland County on the squad. Some of the top wrestlers include Ryan Klingensmith (Kiski Area), Charlie Mesich...
Latrobe, Wetzel punish West Allegheny in playoffs
Maybe the WPIAL committee gave the Parkway Conference too much credit and not enough to the Big Seven. No. 9 Latrobe (8-3) showed the committee what the Big Seven is all about as it took it to the Parkway Conference fourth-place team, No. 8 West Allegheny, on Friday in the...
Deer Lakes routs Southmoreland for 1st playoff victory in school history
Something had to give Friday when Southmoreland and Deer Lakes met in a WPIAL Class 3A first-round game at Lancers Stadium. Neither team had won a playoff game in its history. The Lancers came in with an 0-3 mark, and the Scotties had lost their first four postseason opportunities. Deer...
Minor league report: Penguins beat Bears with goal in final secondVideo
A goal by forward Marc Johnstone at 19:59 of the third period proved to be the game-winning score for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins who defeated the rival Hershey Bears, 2-1, at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre on Friday. Forward Jansen Harkins and defenseman Dmitri Samorukov each recorded two assists for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton...
Michigan fires football staffer Connor Stalions in sign-stealing fallout
Connor Stalions, the low-level Michigan football staffer who is at the center of an NCAA investigation into impermissible scouting of opponents and sign stealing, resigned, the school said Friday. Michigan athletics spokesman Kurt Svoboda told the Associated Press that Stalions resigned his position, effective Friday afternoon. The school had no...
NASCAR defends drama-free final four, vows to do a better job promoting its young stars
AVONDALE, Ariz. — NASCAR on Friday dismissed the sentiment that this weekend’s championship finale lacks the pizzazz and star power of a major event. The final four — Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney and William Byron — is the youngest since the winner-take-all format began in 2014, and Larson...
Browns QB Deshaun Watson to start versus Cardinals
BEREA, Ohio — Deshaun Watson is going to try again. The Cleveland’ Browns quarterback, who was sidelined for all but 12 plays in four October games with a curious and confusing right shoulder injury, will start Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, coach Kevin Stefanski said following Friday’s practice. Watson has...
Hempfield grad wins Pan Am gold in pole vault
Already a world-class athlete, Bridget (Guy) Williams became a world champion with a victory at the Pan Am Games. The Hempfield and Virginia alum soared to a gold medal in the pole vault Friday at Julio Martinez Pradanos National Stadium in Santiago, Chile with a vault of 4.6 meters (15...
Analysis: After loss to Steelers, time for Titans to make rookie QB Will Levis permanent starterVideo
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Titans reach the halfway point of the NFL season unable to win away from home or close out tight games. One thing is clear: Rookie Will Levis has shown enough in his first two NFL starts to be their quarterback because he gives the Titans...
Chiefs’ Travis Kelce won’t say if Taylor Swift will attend Sunday’s game in GermanyVideo
FRANKFURT, Germany — Travis Kelce declined to discuss Taylor Swift’s status for Sunday’s game in Germany — and their status as a couple. The Chiefs tight end spoke Friday at a news conference but wouldn’t say whether the pop star plans to attend the game against the Miami Dolphins at...
5 things we learned: Steelers could use a hand to help out WR Diontae Johnson
Five things we learned from Steelers 20, Titans 16: 1. One man gang Diontae Johnson’s touchdown catch with 4 minutes, 2 seconds remaining continued his run of strong performances since he was activated from injured reserve when the Steelers returned from their bye to face Los Angeles. It’s a nice...
‘That’s his baby’: With love for an old glove, Pirates 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes goes for Gold
Ke’Bryan Hayes smiled as he slipped the 11¾-inch Wilson 1787 model infielder’s glove onto his left hand, squeezing it softly to show as if it’s a natural extension of his arm. The Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman has worn the same glove since 2016, so long that it’s difficult to ascertain...
Mark Madden: Think these are the best of times for Steelers? You’re fooling yourself
The Pittsburgh Steelers should change their rally song. Stick with Styx. But try “Grand Illusion” instead of “Renegade.” The Steelers have been outgained in every game, and by 790 yards on the season. They have been outscored by 30 points. Their quarterback is pedestrian: Kenny Pickett completed just two passes...
Friday Football Footnotes: Steelers ‘staying on schedule’ after win over Titans
In this week’s “Friday Football Footnotes,” we look at the Pittsburgh Steelers in the big picture after Thursday’s win. We lay out the local college football slate of games. There is plenty of good NFL viewing on Sunday. And the Browns-Cardinals game could be quite a quarterback conundrum. • The...
Steelers vs. Titans: What they’re saying in Tennessee after loss
Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis got to hear “Renegade” by Styx a lot recently. “That song is a banger,” he said, according to The Tennessean sports columnist Gentry Estes. “We’ve been playing it all week in practice.” The song typically is played during potentially pivotal moments of Pittsburgh Steelers home...
