For RMU hockey coach Derek Schooley, watching his daughters play each other on home ice will be a ‘full-circle moment’
Hopefully, Robert Morris University hockey defenseman Kaitlyn Schooley of Moon has plenty of meals on her university dining card. Maybe she can just pick up a pizza on the way back to her apartment, or grab a sandwich at the rink. But if she had any notion of swinging by...
First Call: Jay Glazer offers new layer to Mike Tomlin’s resignation; Andy Weidl’s name floated for NFC job
Thursday’s “First Call” advances some new talking points about Mike Tomlin’s resignation. Another NFC team is being linked to Pittsburgh Steelers assistant general manager Andy Weidl. The Penguins have a tough game to close out their schedule before the Olympic break. And a very familiar name may be making a...
U mad, bro?: Steelers fans angry about a lack of faith in Mike McCarthy and Will Howard
Here’s what I’ve learned over the past week: • I need to give Aaron Rodgers another chance to be the Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback. • I also need to give Will Howard a chance to be the Steelers’ quarterback. • I’m being too hard on the Mike McCarthy hire. • I’m...
Mark Madden: The Penguins have to stop beating themselves with playoffs hanging in the balance
With the Pittsburgh Penguins sitting second in the NHL’s Metropolitan Division as the Olympics break approaches, the presumptuous among you ask if they’re capable of a playoff run. But it’s far from certain that they’re capable of making the playoffs. Their last three games confirm such. They flirted with disaster...
Steelers Nation Radio’s Matt Williamson embraces Patrick Graham as DC, is intrigued by idea of Malik Willis at QBVideo
Pittsburgh Steelers fans should be on board with the hirings of Mike McCarthy and Patrick Graham. They should also be intrigued by the idea of Malik Willis becoming the team’s quarterback. But they better dial back the enthusiasm on Will Howard, and the notion of selecting a quarterback in the...
20 years after Willie Parker’s Super Bowl run, his Steelers teammates recall how they turned him looseVideo
From 1992-98, safety Darren Perry wore a black-and-gold Pittsburgh Steeler uniform with No. 39 on the back. However, on Feb. 5, 2006, in Detroit, Mich., Perry was wearing a headset and a Steelers ball cap as the team’s defensive backs coach. He watched as someone else in his old jersey...
First Call: Cam Heyward wants to stay in Pittsburgh; ex-Steeler’s high praise for new DC Patrick Graham
Steelers defensive captain Cameron Heyward claims he wants to keep playing in Pittsburgh. A former Steeler is pumping the tires of the club’s new defensive coordinator. A familiar college coaching name is switching Big Ten teams. And we look at a busy night for local college basketball. All that in...
Tim Benz: The Penguins aren’t good enough to need a wake-up call. But they got it Monday night
After a lousy performance in a 3-2 loss to Ottawa on Monday night, Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson was asked about attempting to bounce back Tuesday in a key intradivisional game against the New York Islanders. “It can’t get any worse, can it?” No, Erik. No, it can’t. From Karlsson...
First Call: Retired AFC North rival may join Mike McCarthy’s staff; ex-Steelers coaching candidate goes to Ravens
One former AFC North rival could be joining the Pittsburgh Steelers coaching staff. Another is heading back to Baltimore. The Steelers are considering the prospect of bringing the son of a former black-and-gold coach on board for Mike McCarthy’s staff. And George Pickens discusses his future in Dallas. All that...
Mark Madden: Zero chance Will Howard starts for the Steelers and more sports notes
Like the snowflakes that clog your driveway, no two refreshing sports notes are exactly alike! I also use a shovel. • Will Howard will not start at quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Zero chance. He’s a sixth-round pick with all the attached limitations. When new coach Mike McCarthy praises Howard,...
First Call: Goalie fight in NHL outdoor game; Pitt’s Alex Van Pelt lands new coaching job
Monday’s “First Call” sees a familiar Pittsburgh name getting a coaching job in the NFL. But it’s not on the Steelers staff under Mike McCarthy. There was a goalie fight in Tampa Bay’s Stadium Series game against Boston. Former Penguin Colby Armstrong sees his longtime NHL record tumble. And the...
Tim Benz: Does it really matter that Mike McCarthy is from Pittsburgh? Right now it does. Check back in September
Ever since Greenfield native Mike McCarthy got hired as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the question has been asked: “How much does it really matter that he is from Pittsburgh?” Right now it does. Based on the initial reaction when McCarthy was named as Mike Tomlin’s replacement, the...
Madden Monday: If Mike McCarthy thinks the Steelers’ defense is top 5 worthy, he’s in for a rude awakening
During his first press conference as Pittsburgh Steelers coach, Mike McCarthy admitted something noteworthy. “I’ve been a head coach for 18 years. I’ve had one top 5 defense,” McCarthy said of his 2010 team. “We won the Super Bowl that year.” The implication seemed to be that there was enough...
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....
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...
First Call: Andy Weidl passed over for Falcons job; an Aaron Rodgers favorite reportedly en route to Pittsburgh
Aaron Rodgers is a big fan of someone who is in line to join the Pittsburgh Steelers’ new coaching staff. Andy Weidl won’t be moving on to Atlanta. Mike Sullivan makes a return to PPG Paints Arena, as Archie Miller makes a return to Pittsburgh. And it’s a huge weekend...
Football Footnotes: Mike McCarthy on calling plays, the 3-4 defense, WRs and more
Tuesday’s press conference to introduce Mike McCarthy as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ new head coach generated two main topics for discussion. 1. His statement that he’d be interested in Aaron Rodgers returning as the team’s quarterback. 2. How much he loves Pittsburgh. I’m pretty sure you can guess which one of...
First Call: Competition for potential Steelers OC; LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier’s interest in playing for Mike McCarthy
“First Call” for Thursday has an update on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive coordinator search. A quarterback draft candidate has an interest in Pittsburgh’s new head coach. The Penguins return home. And we compare Pitt’s recent attendance restrictions at Acrisure Stadium with other moves by ACC schools. Shopping in the same...
U mad, bro?: Steelers fans are angry over the hiring of Mike McCarthy, media coverage of the hire — or both
Everybody in Pittsburgh has been in a snit over one big topic all week. Snow removal. That’s right. I’m right there with you. I live on the North Side, and I haven’t seen a single snowplow since at leas…. … OH! Oh, that other thing. The Steelers’ new head coach....
30 after 30: After 3 decades, Larry Brown recalls how his ‘scissorhands’ sliced the Steelers’ Super Bowl XXX dreams
Dallas Cowboys defensive back Larry Brown was so bad at catching footballs as a rookie, his teammates called him “Edward Scissorhands.” “Emmitt Smith gave me that name,” Brown said through a chuckle from his home in Texas last week. “They throw that ball very hard. I think people underestimate the...
First Call: Offensive coordinator prospect emerges for Mike McCarthy’s staff, ex-Steeler in defensive coordinator mix
Wednesday’s “First Call” has names to watch for both of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ open coordinator positions. We also look at a busy night of local college basketball for both Robert Morris and Duquesne. Plus, RMU’s hockey team gets some well-earned recognition after an important series sweep over the weekend. Looking...
Mark Madden: Mike McCarthy won the press conference, but it’s still a bad hire
Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney II said it wasn’t important for new coach Mike McCarthy to win the initial press conference. But McCarthy did exactly that. Rooney said McCarthy wasn’t hired because, having coached Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay, he’s the best bet to lure Rodgers back to Pittsburgh for...
Mark Madden: If Jason Robertson is available, the Penguins have to act
It could be media-driven fantasy, but the Pittsburgh Penguins might have a legitimate chance to get star winger Jason Robertson from Dallas, either via trade before the season’s March 6 deadline or by signing him to an offer sheet when Robertson becomes a restricted free agent in the offseason. The...
First Call: Teryl Austin misses out on Washington job; another Steelers assistant interviews in Dallas
A former Pittsburgh Steelers assistant coach is eyeing a new NFC East job, while another is still hunting for an opportunity. A Steelers player is pulling out of the Pro Bowl. His replacement is ironic. And the Pitt basketball team is trying to get back on the winning track. All...
Tim Benz: Art Rooney II’s comments about Mike McCarthy are revealing in spots, frustrating in others
Before Mike McCarthy speaks for the first time as Pittsburgh Steelers coach on Tuesday afternoon, we really need to go over some of the things team president Art Rooney II said about him over the weekend. Instead of just a quick comment in a press release, Steelers.com posted a full...
