Mentally sharp after month of ‘projects’ and ‘presentations,’ Steelers’ Will Howard eager to come off IR
No, the finger injury Will Howard suffered early during training camp didn’t compel the rookie quarterback to give up his playing career and try out coaching. And, no, the Pittsburgh Steelers aren’t running Howard through any sort of rookie initiation akin to an intern not quite entrusted with any of...
49ers QB Brock Purdy, key receivers to miss game against Rams
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy badly wanted to play Thursday night against the Los Angeles Rams but his turf toe injury didn’t cooperate. The 49ers star was ruled out of the contest on Wednesday and will be a spectator when San Francisco battles the Rams in a showdown at...
Commanders QB Jayden Daniels practices, plans to return vs. Chargers
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels has been medically cleared from his knee injury, practiced Wednesday and deemed himself ready to return for the Week 5 game Sunday at the Los Angeles Chargers. “I plan on being out there on Sunday,” Daniels said. “Obviously, as a competitor you want to go...
Can Penn State coach James Franklin learn from Ryan Day?
Ryan Day learned from soul-crushing losses to win big. Can James Franklin? The same lonely, desperate look. Saw it on the face of Day last season, saw it on Franklin last weekend. But there’s a road back for Penn State, no matter what Franklin feels gnawing at his insides. From...
‘Medical situation’ sidelines Pitt center Dishon Jackson indefinitely, Panthers announce
Pitt center Dishon Jackson is out indefinitely as he deals with an unspecified medical condition, the Panthers announced Wednesday. Declining to offer any additional comment, Pitt released a statement on behalf of Jackson. “I’ve appreciated the concern and outreach recently,” Jackson said. “I’ve been dealing with a medical issue for...
Pirates took calculated risk by changing pitching coaches in push to maximize talent
Don Kelly repeatedly made the point that pitching was the foundation for the Pittsburgh Pirates, with Paul Skenes an overwhelming favorite to win the National League Cy Young and anchoring a staff that led MLB in shutouts and ranked in the top 10 in multiple categories. So, it came across...
Defending Horizon Tournament champion Robert Morris turns the page with new team
What will they do for an encore? Following a year in which both Robert Morris basketball programs finally captured the attention of Horizon League fanatics, the Colonials are tasked with — shall we say? — keeping the ball bouncing. “Every group is different,” Robert Morris coach Andy Toole said Wednesday...
Penguins goaltender Arturs Silovs scheduled to start against Sabres
Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Arturs Silovs is scheduled to start the team’s final road game of the preseason, a contest against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y., on Wednesday. He is expected to play the entire game. Coach Dan Muse announced Silovs’ status following an optional morning skate...
Mark Madden: Begging for mercy isn’t solution for Baldwin, Fox Chapel
High school football used to be a big deal in Western Pennsylvania. Not just in selected communities, but everywhere. Now it’s come down to negotiated surrender. Baldwin and Fox Chapel high schools have teams so bad that they’ve contacted opponents about playing shorter games: eight-minute quarters instead of 12 minutes,...
Tim Benz: For Pirates fans, the MLB playoffs are a bittersweet reminder of what the sport can be — and what their team is not
A little after 7 p.m. I took a break from watching the Yankees-Red Sox playoff game between innings. I walked out on my back deck overlooking the North Side of Pittsburgh. The sunset was coloring the pastel skies over PNC Park, and I thought, “What a great night this would...
First Call: Lamar Jackson’s injury timeline; ex-Steelers DB heading to NFC South
Wednesday’s “First Call” has news about a departing Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back. Lamar Jackson could be down for a while in Baltimore. The Atlantic 10’s commissioner wants a bigger NCAA Tournament. And we check in on some former Pirates in the MLB playoffs. Pillaging the practice squad The Tampa Bay...
Undrafted forward Avery Hayes gives Penguins coaches something to considerVideo
On a night that was simply spectacular, it might have been the most spectacular moment. During a 4-1 home preseason win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday at PPG Paints Arena, a contest that served as a lavish send-off for franchise icon Marc-Andre Fleury, the Penguins’ opening goal was...
Columbus Blue Jackets fight sloppiness in preseason loss to Washington Capitals
The Blue Jackets’ preseason is winding down, but they’ve got some ramping up to do. Despite facing a team that dressed only a handful of NHL veterans, the Blue Jackets struggled defensively in a 4-3 loss to the Washington Capitals on Sept. 30 at Nationwide Arena and iced a lineup...
Reds allow 5 homers in a playoff game for the 1st time in franchise history, hand Game 1 to Dodgers
ESPN play-by-play announcer Jon “Boog” Sciambi shared a sad-but-true fact about the Cincinnati Reds’ postseason history during Game 1 of their National League wild-card series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Sciambi said during the broadcast that it was the 98th playoff game in Reds’ franchise history, and...
Yoshida’s pinch-hit, 2-run single backs Crochet’s strong pitching as Red Sox take lead on Yankees
NEW YORK — Garrett Crochet struck out 11 in 7 2/3 outstanding innings as the Boston Red Sox went ahead after getting Max Fried out of the game and opened their American League wild-card series with a 3-1 victory over the New York Yankees on Tuesday. Boston grabbed the advantage...
Duquesne men’s and women’s basketball teams out to prove they are big-time
They play hoops in college basketball’s mainstream. You know them. They’re the big boys. We’re talking mainly of the ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC. Certainly in Pittsburgh, it’s no secret Duquesne plays second fiddle. The Dukes routinely operate in obscurity in the lightly regarded Atlantic 10....
Ravens QB Jackson to miss Week 5 game, possibly more with hamstring injury
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson will not play in Week 5 and could be facing a longer absence because of a hamstring injury, the Baltimore Sun reported Tuesday. Jackson left the Ravens’ loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth quarter Sunday. The Ravens (1-3) play the Houston Texans (1-3)...
Tight end Connor Heyward thrives running Steelers’ debut ‘tush push’
Apparently not comfortable, for obvious reasons, letting their 41-year-old quarterback run the so-called “tush push,” the Pittsburgh Steelers turned to Connor Heyward. Though some other teams have deployed tight ends to run plays up the middle on third- or fourth-and-1 snaps over the past two seasons or so, Heyward is...
Source: Pirates won’t renew contracts of pitching coach Oscar Marin, 3rd base coach Mike Rabelo
The Pittsburgh Pirates will not renew the contracts of pitching coach Oscar Marin and third base coach Mike Rabelo, according to a league source. In addition, assistant pitching coach Brent Strom is retiring. Additional support staff moves could be coming, according to a source. The coaching staff decisions come a...
Steelers notes: Scotty Miller next up on punt return, Danny Smith’s message to Kaleb Johnson
After Calvin Austin III left Sunday’s Pittsburgh Steelers game because of a shoulder injury — one that is expected to cause him to miss game time — much of the conversation about replacing him is, naturally, related to his role as the No. 2 wide receiver. But Austin has another...
Back-to-back homers lift Cubs past Padres in wild-card series openerVideo
Seiya Suzuki and Carson Kelly belted back-to-back homers to lead off the fifth inning, lifting the host Chicago Cubs to a 3-1 victory over the San Diego Padres in Game 1 of their National League wild-card series on Tuesday. Daniel Palencia (1-0) struck out two and retired all five batters...
Dolphins WR Hill undergoes surgery to repair damaged knee; team hopeful he won’t require further proceduresVideo
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill underwent a “major knee procedure” Tuesday to repair his torn ACL and other ligament damage, coach Mike McDaniel confirmed. Hill will miss at least the rest of the 2025 season after dislocating his left knee and suffering the ligament tears during Monday’s 27-21 victory...
After WR Calvin Austin’s shoulder injury, Steelers look to fill his absence from within
If Calvin Austin sits out games because of a shoulder injury, it will raise an all-too-familiar question for the Pittsburgh Steelers offense. Who will be the team’s No. 2 wide receiver? Austin had his shoulder in a sling and was taken by ambulance to a hospital after the Pittsburgh Steelers...
Fox Chapel proposes WPIAL football alignment based on roster size, win-loss records
Rather than separate football teams by school enrollment, should roster size and win-loss records be considered when the WPIAL creates new conferences? A proposal recently sent to the WPIAL office would do just that. In a plan spearheaded by Fox Chapel athletic director Mike O’Brien that was made public Tuesday,...
Penguins announce lineup for preseason game against Sabres
The Pittsburgh Penguins announced a scheduled lineup for their final road game of the preseason, a contest against the Buffalo Sabres at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y. on Wednesday. Forwards – Noel Acciari, Tristan Broz, Robby Fabbri, Filip Hallander, Avery Hayes, Rafael Harvey-Pinard, Danton Heinen, Ben Kindel, Ville Koivunen,...
