Sports category, Page 1688
Steelers take step toward reducing bloated salary cap figure in 2021 season
The first of what could be several contract restructures occurred Monday when the Pittsburgh Steelers reworked the contract of Pro Bowl defensive tackle Cameron Heyward. According to an NFL Network report, Heyward had most of his $10.5 million in salary for 2021 converted to a signing bonus that will be...
Mark Madden: Penguins shouldn’t extend contract of struggling Evgeni Malkin
During an accomplishment-saturated 15-year career with the Penguins, Evgeni Malkin has earned the benefit of almost every doubt. You can’t scratch him. You can’t bench him. You can’t demote him. You can’t berate him. Malkin has to remain in the lineup, in the top six, playing his usual 18-19 minutes...
New Pirate Brian Goodwin hopes to get last laugh in center field
Brian Goodwin aced his first test as a Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder with the answer to why he was willing to sign with the team that finished with the worst record in baseball last season. “I don’t really see a reason to not like the opportunity here,” Goodwin said on a...
That ’70s Show: Loss by loss, a unique era of baseball fades
The affection engulfs Clint Hurdle’s voice as he appraises the list of those recently gone — childhood idols who became teammates and opponents, teammates and opponents who became acquaintances, acquaintances who became dear friends. The 1970s memories surface fast for the man who has spent his entire adult life in...
Unfiltered: Tim Benz and Mark Madden discuss latest on Penguins, Ben Roethlisberger’s future, PiratesVideo
Tim Benz and Mark Madden return for this week’s edition of “Unfiltered” on TribLive’s Facebook page to talk about the state of the Penguins and the outlook for Ben Roethlisberger with the Steelers, and to laugh a bit at the Pirates’ projections. The Penguins are in fairly good shape right...
Penguins Prospect Watch: Valtteri Puustinen extends scoring streak to six gamesVideo
A weekly look at how Penguins prospects and minor leaguers have fared over the past seven days: In Finland’s top-tier Liiga, forward Valtteri Puustinen had a goal for HPK in a 2-1 road win against SaiPa on Saturday. That goal extended a season-best scoring streak to six games for Puustinen....
Madden Monday: Bold prediction on Evgeni Malkin’s next chapter; thoughts on Kasperi Kapanen’s benching
In this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast, Mark Madden of 105.9 The X and TribLive is unyielding in his critique of struggling Penguins center Evgeni Malkin. “He’s just useless,” Madden declared. “He has 10 points on the season. That’s as many as Teddy Blueger. Teddy Blueger makes $750,000 whereas Geno makes...
First Call: Warnings about a Steelers RB free agency hunch; Alejandro Villanueva’s value; Penguins’ division battle
In Monday’s “First Call,” we caution you from getting too excited about a Steelers free agent rumor. We wonder about Alejandro Villanueva’s future. You get an update on the NHL’s Eastern Division. And a thoroughly bizarre goalie box score in Pittsburgh over the weekend that you may have missed. Packer...
Tim Benz: Looking for a perfect end to Ben Roethlisberger’s Steelers career? Too late.
If we want to be honest, Ben Roethlisberger’s Steelers career effectively ended as the opening snap of this year’s wild-card game sailed over his head. All the discussion since then has essentially been nothing more than figuring out how both sides can best accept that reality. Frankly, it’s already become...
Minor league report: Nailers drop fourth straight to KometsVideo
Goaltender Hayden Hawkey made 21 saves on 26 shots for the Wheeling Nailers in a 6-2 road loss to the Fort Wayne Komets at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Ind., on Sunday. It was Wheeling’s fourth consecutive loss, including three straight against Fort Wayne. Forward Kyle Marino...
Max Homa gets another chance and wins hometown PGA event at RivieraVideo
LOS ANGELES — The dream of winning at Riviera felt too good to be true for Max Homa, and it nearly was. Needing a birdie on the 18th hole Sunday to win the Genesis Invitational, he hit sand wedge to a back pin that settled 3 feet away, setting up...
Luka Garza breaks Iowa scoring mark, No. 11 Hawkeyes beat Penn StateVideo
IOWA CITY, Iowa — The chase to become Iowa’s all-time leading scorer got to Luka Garza only once during Sunday’s game against Penn State. Garza looked at the scoreboard going into a media timeout in the second half and saw that he needed to make both of the free throws...
Pirates GM Ben Cherington hopes to follow model set by recent playoff contenders
The process of building the Pittsburgh Pirates into a postseason contender appears to be a painstakingly long and difficult process, but general manager Ben Cherington said Sunday it doesn’t need to be a complicated one. Speaking to reporters on a video conference call, Cherington said there’s a common thread to...
Christopher Bell races to 1st NASCAR Cup victory on Daytona road courseVideo
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Christopher Bell chased down Joey Logano on the winding Daytona road course Sunday for his first career Cup victory and a coveted spot in NASCAR’s playoffs. Bell won in his second race driving for Joe Gibbs Racing to give the team a pair of surprising victories...
Penguins defenseman Mike Matheson making name for himselfVideo
Whenever fans are allowed to enter PPG Paints Arena again, there probably will still be plenty of No. 72 Patric Hornqvist jerseys roaming the concourses. A fiery pneumatic drill of a power forward, Hornqvist is one of the more popular players in franchise history. Considering his success (a pair of...
Rockies oufielder Ian Desmond opts out, leaves door open for returnVideo
DENVER — Ian Desmond provided a calming voice to help the Colorado Rockies stick together soon after losing star third baseman Nolan Arenado in a blockbuster trade. That just might be the veteran outfielder’s biggest contribution this season. Desmond decided Sunday to opt out for a second straight season. He...
Press, Rapinoe score, U.S. beats Brazil 2-0 in SheBelieves CupVideo
ORLANDO, Fla. — Christen Press scored in the 11th minute, Megan Rapinoe added a late goal and the U.S. women beat Brazil 2-0 in the SheBelieves Cup on Sunday. The United States sits atop the SheBelieves Cup standings with two wins. Canada beat Argentina 1-0 in the late match Sunday....
Senior Nike Sibande still could offer Pitt hope for the future
With so many issues facing Pitt as it works toward ending its 1-7 slide, the 2021-22 season is at the bottom of the list. But senior guard Nike Sibande was asked by a reporter Saturday night about next season. It was a pertinent question because Sibande had just played his...
Hunter Dickinson’s 22 points lift No. 3 Michigan over No. 4 Ohio StateVideo
COLUMBUS, Ohio — In a virtually empty Value City Arena, the matchup between No. 3 Michigan and No. 4 Ohio State in February looked more like an intense NCAA Tournament game in March: good shooting, timely 3-pointers, fierce play under the rim, few mistakes and some late drama. After six...
Ex-Penguins defenseman Simon Despres signs with Eisbaren Berlin in Germany
Former Penguins defenseman Simon Despres has signed with Eisbaren Berlin in Germany’s Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). A first-round pick (No. 30 overall) in 2009, Despres spent parts of four seasons at the NHL level with the Penguins. In 140 games with the Penguins, Despres scored 33 points (five goals, 28...
Avs beat Golden Knights 3-2 in delayed Lake Tahoe game
STATELINE, Nev. — Everyone knew playing an outdoor game on a golf course near Lake Tahoe instead of in a stadium would provide a unique experience. Few could have imagined how it all turned out with the game starting with breathtaking views in the sunshine, taking an eight-hour break because...
Novak Djokovic wins 9th Australian Open, 18th Slam title
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Maybe, just maybe, the thinking went, Novak Djokovic would be just a tad more susceptible to trouble this time around at the Australian Open. After all, he tore an abdominal muscle in the third round and wasn’t sure he could continue to compete. Entering Sunday, Djokovic...
Empty Thoughts: Penguins 3, Islanders 2Video
Observations from the Penguins’ 3-2 win against the Islanders The 1,000-game club doesn’t exactly have exclusive membership. There are 350 players who have hit that plateau. Sure, there are a bunch of Hockey Hall of Famers like Gordie Howe, Mark Messier and Larry Robinson in that bunch. But there’s a...
This date in sports history: Feb. 21.Video
1931 — In the first major league night game, the Chicago White Sox play the New York Giants in a 10-inning exhibition in Houston. 1952 — The Boston Celtics and the Fort Wayne Pistons tip off at midnight in a “Milkman’s Special” after an Ice Follies performance at Boston Garden....
Minor league report: Penguins beaten by BearsVideo
Goaltender Max Lagace made 27 saves on 29 shots for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 3-1 road loss to the rival Hershey Bears at the Giant Center in Hershey, Pa. on Saturday. Forward Zach Nastasiuk scored the only goal for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (1-2-1). Highlights: The Penguins’ next game is a home...
