Mark Madden’s Hot Take: College football is no longer just the NFL’s feeder system
Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss has used the courts — specifically, a judge with a law degree from Ole Miss — to finagle a sixth year of NCAA football eligibility. The NCAA will appeal. Chambliss’ reasoning is simple: He would likely be picked in the third round of this year’s...
William Byron will drive backup car in Daytona 500 3-peat bid
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — William Byron will try to drive his way into NASCAR history Sunday when he attempts to become the first winner of three consecutive Daytona 500s. He’ll have to do it in a backup Chevrolet after his preferred No. 24 was damaged in a qualifying race at...
Joe Starkey: Projecting Pirates lineups is suddenly enjoyable, especially with Konnor Griffin in them
I keep reading about how the Pirates defense could be compromised by their offseason acquisitions, and I keep not caring. I’ll take the offense. Consider the case of all-field, no-hit Ke’Bryan Hayes, now in Cincinnati. Hayes is an elite defender, but how many times per game is he afforded the...
No. 1 Penn State routs No. 2 Ohio State to win Big Ten wrestling dual meet championship
This one never felt like No. 1 vs. No. 2. It wasn’t close. Cael Sanderson’s top-ranked Penn State team is that good. And the talented second-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes were missing a few key regulars Friday night in front of a record crowd of 16,006 at Bryce Jordan Center. Ohio...
Minor league report: Nailers shut out by RoyalsVideo
Goaltender Taylor Gauthier made 26 saves on 28 shots for the Wheeling Nailers in a 3-0 loss to the Reading Royals at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, W.Va., on Friday. The result dropped Gauthier’s record to 9-5-1. Wheeling (29-13-2-2) was shut out for the third time this season. Highlights: The Nailers’...
Penguins’ Sidney Crosby scores as Canada beats SwitzerlandVideo
A look at how members of the Pittsburgh Penguins are performing in the Winter Olympics: Penguins forward Sidney Crosby scored his first goal of the tournament in a 5-1 win against Switzerland during a preliminary round contest at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan on Friday. His goal...
Finland earns feisty win over Sweden at Olympics as McDavid and Crosby score in Canada’s victory
Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby scored in Canada’s 5-1 victory over Switzerland on Friday in men’s ice hockey as Canada improved to 2-0. Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and two assists. Thomas Harley and Macklin Celebrini also scored for the tournament favorite. McDavid scored his first Olympic goal when —...
Saint Joseph’s AD named Horizon League commissioner
The Horizon League named Jill Bodensteiner as its seventh commissioner, succeeding Julie Roe Lach, who resigned to take an administrative position with the Indiana Pacers. Robert Morris is among the Horizon League’s 11 member schools, having joined the conference in 2020 following a long tenure as a member of the...
Bhatia and Hisatsune share Pebble Beach lead. Travis Kelce and amateurs head home
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Far removed from the false hopes Taylor Swift would make an appearance at Pebble Beach, Akshay Bhatia and Ryo Hisatsune went about their business quietly at Spyglass Hill and wound up with a share of the lead Friday in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-am. Bhatia was...
Mikhail Shaidorov earns gold in men’s figure skating after collapse by ‘Quad God’ Ilia Malinin
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Ilia Malinin’s coronation as an Olympic champion will have to wait. The 21-year-old U.S. figure skater stumbled twice during an uncharacteristically sloppy performance in the men’s free skate Friday, opening the door for Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan to win a stunning gold at the Milan Cortina...
Rob Thomson proud Nick Castellanos admits bringing beer to dugout
CLEARWATER, Fla. — Turns out, the Philadelphia Phillies were ale-ing last year. Deciding their relationship ruptured when Nick Castellanos angrily brought a beer into the dugout after he was pulled from a game, the Phillies released the outfielder even though they owe him $20 million for the final season of...
Patriots star WR Stefon Diggs pleads not guilty to assault charges
DEDHAM, Mass. — Fresh off the Super Bowl, veteran New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs pleaded not guilty Friday morning in Dedham District Court to assault charges. He’s accused of felony strangulation or suffocation and a lesser assault and battery charge against a live-in chef, according to the DA....
How Mike McCarthy went from multisport H.S. star to Steelers coach
Mike McCarthy didn’t reserve a table at the city’s finest restaurant after his daylong job interview with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Instead, he went to his parents’ house in Greenfield and ate Aiello’s pizza with his family. To him, that was surely his favorite table in town. As one of five...
Could trade deadline enliven NASCAR season? Plenty of moving parts work against driver swaps
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Imagine a scenario in the NASCAR world — say, around the Brickyard 400 in July — when the hot topic isn’t just which driver might kiss the bricks. Try, which driver could kiss his current ride goodbye. What if NASCAR took a cue from stick-and-ball sports...
12-time All-Star Chris Paul, the ‘Point God,’ retires after 21-season NBA run
Chris Paul, the “Point God” who was a 12-time All-Star selection and two-time Olympic gold medalist, announced his retirement Friday in the capper of a 21-season career that will surely merit induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Paul, 40, made the announcement on the first day of the NBA’s...
Chase Elliott says fuel-mileage strategy is here to stay at Daytona, and everyone has caught on
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Chase Elliott remembers when Hendrick Motorsports was one of the first NASCAR teams to approach superspeedway racing as fuel-mileage events. It wasn’t that long ago, really. Elliott said Friday that turning laps at Daytona International Speedway has changed dramatically since the “Next Gen” car’s debut in...
Brian Flores’ NFL discrimination suit headed to court, not arbitration
NEW YORK — The Brian Flores-led discrimination lawsuit against the NFL can proceed to open court and avoid the league’s arbitration process, a federal judge ruled Friday. Flores, who is joined in the lawsuit by Steve Wilks and Ray Horton, sued the league and three teams in February 2022 after...
NFL wins grievance against the players’ union, banning ‘team report cards’
An arbitrator determined the NFL Players Association violated the Collective Bargaining Agreement with the NFL by distributing annual “team report cards” and ordered the union to stop making public any future reports. The NFL informed teams of the decision on Friday. “We are pleased with the decision from the arbitrator,...
Steelers enter pivotal part of offseason as Pittsburgh prepares to host NFL Draft
The offseason began with a new head coach and a revamped staff of assistants in place for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The front office brain trust, however, remains in place with general manager Omar Khan and assistant Andy Weidl, which means don’t expect many changes in the way the organization conducts...
‘Beyond the Bylines’ with Tim Benz and Joe Starkey — Feb. 13, 2026Video
Go “Beyond the Bylines” with Tim Benz and Joe Starkey as they cover the latest sports talk in Pittsburgh — digging deeper on the subjects — from Steelers to Penguins to Pirates, and beyond. Watch the Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, show:...
Mark Madden: Cam Heyward’s silence speaks loudest in Steelers’ podcast saga
As Pittsburgh Steelers past and present re-enact “Mean Girls” via podcast — I stole that from X — it’s easy to overlook the hidden schmuck in Porter vs. Roethlisberger. It’s the fearless leader, Cameron Heyward. Heyward sat there, a lump of silence, while Joey Porter excoriated Ben Roethlisberger, called him a...
Duquesne’s players will study scouting report harder before rematch against St. Bonaventure
Duquesne guard Jimmie Williams didn’t hesitate when asked a question about what his team needs to focus on to be better against St. Bonaventure this time around. “The scout,” Williams said instantly. No. Not the scouting report itself, put together by the coaching staff. Williams said that was spot on,...
Pirates promote Cibney Bello to assistant pitching coach after Thomas Whitsett resigns
Pittsburgh Pirates manager Don Kelly learned weeks before the start of spring training there would be a change to his coaching staff, which made for a difficult decision. The Pirates promoted Cibney Bello to the major-league staff as the assistant pitching coach to replace Thomas Whitsett, who resigned for personal...
Pirates catcher Henry Davis hopes deep dive into biomechanics data improves his hitting
BRADENTON, Fla. — Since selecting Henry Davis with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, the Pirates have raved about his obsessive work ethic and effort to improve at and behind the plate. Davis knows he’s a better hitter than his batting average suggests. Given that the...
Renowned Penguins killer and Team USA hockey legacy Brock Nelson off to a hot start at the OlympicsVideo
Pittsburgh Penguins fans have gotten used to gritting their teeth and muttering Brock Nelson’s name under their breath. The Colorado Avalanche forward has 40 points in 46 games against Pittsburgh, the most of any team he faced over his 13-year NHL career. He also has nine points (six goals) against...
