Mark Madden: Does it matter if Don Kelly returns as Pirates manager?
As the Pittsburgh Pirates mercifully put a wrap on another stinker of a season, whispers circulate that Don Kelly isn’t a lock to return as manager. Maybe that shouldn’t be surprising. Kelly replaced Derek Shelton on May 8 after previously serving as Shelton’s bench coach. Kelly never officially had the...
Pitt expecting usual challenge from Louisville ‘QB whisperer’ Jeff Brohm
A few weeks ago, as Pitt prepared to host Central Michigan, Chippewas coach Matt Drinkall was effusive in his praise of Pat Narduzzi. Narduzzi, Drinkall said, has set the standard for defensive football in college for multiple decades. This week, with Pitt (2-1) preparing to host Louisville (3-0), Narduzzi was...
In Ireland, Aaron Rodgers talks Guinness and NFL international growth
MAYNOOTH, Ireland — Aaron Rodgers was dressed in black, appropriately, to field questions about Guinness. The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback spoke to the international media Friday at a resort hotel where the team is staying ahead of Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings. Can’t avoid the Guinness questions in Ireland, it...
Check out the scene in Ireland as Steeler fans swarm Dublin
Steelers fans have invaded Dublin in anticipation for Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings. WDVE set up its morning show at Fitzsimons Temple Bar in Dublin on Friday and the scene looks rowdy. View this post on Instagram A post shared by DVE Radio (@dverocks) Chants of “Here We Go...
Penguins goaltender Joel Blomqvist out a minimum of 4 weeks
Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Joel Blomqvist will be sidelined a minimum of four weeks because of an undisclosed injury. His status was announced via one of the team’s social media accounts Friday morning. It isn’t clear when or how Blomqvist was injured. He reported to the team’s facility Wednesday and was...
2 schools request opponents show mercy with shorter quarters — 5 things to watch in Week 5
Forty-eight minutes is the length of a typical WPIAL football game, but at least one contest this week will be notably shorter. Fox Chapel and Baldwin each asked their opponents this week to show mercy and reduce the length of their conference games Friday night, though Baldwin later rescinded its...
Tim Benz: Penguins have at least 1 solid strategy for upcoming year
You aren’t going to read this a lot this year. So enjoy it while it lasts. The Pittsburgh Penguins really hit the bull’s-eye on something. Their plan to have 40-year-old goalie Marc-Andre Fleury come back on a one-game professional tryout contract to suit up one last time as a Penguin...
Utah, West Virginia both battling for Big 12 bounce-back
Both Utah and West Virginia are licking their wounds entering Saturday’s showdown in Morgantown, W.Va., after suffering one-sided losses to open Big 12 play. The Utes (3-1, 0-1 Big 12) are just 2-8 in league games since joining the Big 12 last season. Utah sputtered on both sides of the...
James Franklin hopes new weapons, retooled ‘D’ will help No. 3 Penn State beat No. 6 Oregon
UNIVERSITY PARK — James Franklin didn’t think his team was equipped to beat Oregon in the Big Ten championship game last season. Things are different now. The No. 3 Nittany Lions have spent the nine months since their 45-37 loss to the Ducks in the conference title game retooling their...
First Call: Former Steeler hoping to get healthy for Vikings; Pens’ goalie tandem rated worst in NHLVideo
A former Steeler in the Vikings’ lineup is hoping to be back in action Sunday in Ireland. We examine the gambling lines on the local college games. We discuss the heavy Pittsburgh influence on the New York Rangers. And at least one outlet sees very little hope for the Penguins’...
Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry to start preseason game against Red Wings
Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry is scheduled to start Friday’s preseason home game against the Detroit Red Wings at PPG Paints Arena. This will be Jarry’s first action of the preseason. Per coach Dan Muse, Jarry is slated to split the game with Arturs Silovs. Last season, Jarry appeared in...
Jason Myers boots FG on final play, lifting Seahawks over Cardinals
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Jason Myers made a 52-yard field goal as time expired, Sam Darnold threw for 242 yards and a touchdown and the Seattle Seahawks withstood a late rally by Kyler Murray and the Cardinals to beat Arizona, 23-20, on Thursday night. The Seahawks blew a 14-point fourth-quarter lead...
Allegheny Six rivals Peters Township, Upper St. Clair won’t ease into conference slate
The biggest games usually arrive a little later in the season, but Peters Township and Upper St. Clair won’t be easing into their conference schedules this year. The South Hills rivals meet in an Allegheny Six opener Friday night. “It doesn’t matter if it’s Week 7 or Week 8 or...
Cowboys, Packers downplaying Parsons’ return to Dallas
Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer claims Week 4 is just another week in Dallas, with a goal of going 1-0. Much of the NFL-observing world might feel otherwise, transfixed on the Sunday night date between the Cowboys (1-2) and Green Bay Packers (2-1) because of the prevailing plot line around pass...
Riverhounds’ Danny Griffin denies using racial slur in game at Hartford Athletic
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC is standing behind its captain. Midfielder Danny Griffin on Thursday released a statement on Instagram denying an accusation that he used a racial slur during the Riverhounds’ game Saturday night at Hartford Athletic. “I want to make it absolutely clear: I did not use a racial slur...
Ravens face Chiefs in high-stakes showdown with both at 1-2
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — If anyone can commiserate with the Kansas City Chiefs on the difficult start they’ve endured this season, it just might be their opponent on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium: the Baltimore Ravens. Two of the best teams in the AFC. Two teams accustomed to playing for the...
DeChambeau, Thomas lead off for U.S. vs. Europe’s Rahm and Hatton in Ryder Cup
FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Thomas will face Jon Rahm of Spain and Tyrrell Hatton of England in the opening foursomes match of the Ryder Cup on Friday at Bethpage Black. United States team captain Keegan Bradley and Team Europe captain Luke Donald revealed their first lineups of...
Penguins announce lineup for preseason game against Red Wings
The Pittsburgh Penguins announced their scheduled lineup for their first home game of the preseason, a meeting with the Detroit Red Wings at PPG Paints Arena on Friday. Forwards — Cal Burke, Connor Dewar, Robby Fabbri, Filip Hallander, Danton Heinen, Aaron Huglen, Blake Lizotte, Aidan McDonough, Tommy Novak, Sam Poulin,...
Steelers notes: Derrick Harmon impresses in debut, offense strives for more Metcalf touches
Nick Herbig beamed like a proud older brother while in the Pittsburgh Steelers locker room Thursday. Rookie Derrick Harmon had just gotten his attention, and it made Herbig reminisce about when he too was a rookie making his first big play. “Shout out my boy ‘D-Harm,’” Herbig said. “He got...
Pitt football notebook: Pat Narduzzi hopes Panthers have learned from early-season loss
A Week 12 loss to Louisville was a particularly unpleasant experience for Pitt’s football team in a latter half of a 2024 season that did not lack disappointment. Not only did the Panthers suffer their most lopsided defeat of the season, 37-9 to the Cardinals, but quarterback Eli Holstein, after...
Pirates lose 90th game and 35th by 1 run as Reds make 2 runs stand up
The Pirates couldn’t secure a three-game sweep of the Reds on Thursday at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati but did clinch their first 90-loss season since back-to-back 100-loss seasons in 2021-22. A two-run fifth inning by the Reds was too much for the Pirates to overcome as they dropped...
West Virginia renames basketball arena to Hope Coliseum
The historic WVU Coliseum will have a new name for the first time in 55 years, West Virginia University announced Thursday. It will now be known as the Hope Coliseum after the university entered into a 10-year partnership with Hope Gas. The partnership covers naming rights, sponsorship and future donations...
Joey Porter Jr., DeShon Elliott remain limited at practice for Steelers
It’ll take at least 24 hours — and about 3,500 miles — before any additional clarity comes on the status of two starting defensive backs for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ upcoming game. Safety DeShon Elliott and cornerback Joey Porter Jr. remained status quo for Thursday’s practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports...
Duquesne men’s basketball to visit Davidson for Atlantic 10 opener
Duquesne’s men’s basketball team will begin its Atlantic 10 season on the road at Davidson. The Dec. 30 matchup was part of the Atlantic 10 schedule that was announced by the conference Thursday. The Dukes’ home games at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse include matchups against VCU (Jan. 3), Dayton (Jan. 13),...
3rd down has not been the charm for Steelers defense; neither has 4th
Cameron Heyward didn’t think the New England Patriots’ decision to go for a first down on fourth-and-1 from their 15 was related to coach Mike Vrabel having faith in his offense or based on some analytical decision that suggested it was a risk worth taking. He also didn’t view it...
