Sports category, Page 1972
First Call: Ravens GM dodging questions about Antonio Brown, Steelers GM pumping up James Conner
Thursday’s “First Call” features attempts from Baltimore to quell rumors about Antonio Brown joining the Ravens. NFL scheduling leaks. And Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert props up James Conner as hype surrounding one of his backups swells. Antonio who? We all know former Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown and Baltimore...
Tim Benz: Jay Glazer’s shot at Ben Roethlisberger raises interesting dynamic
Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer is known to have a good relationship with Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. I’m not sure how great his relationship will be with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger now, though. In a mailbag Q&A with The Athletic, a fan asked Glazer about potential success for the 2020 Steelers...
U mad, bro? Steelers fans lash back at criticism of draft strategy, JuJu Smith-Schuster
The black and gold pom-poms are out in force for “U mad, bro?” this week. Mark Madden and I get an earful from Steelers fans. And the message is clear: “Yinz shalt not be critical of ‘dem Stillers, n’at!” Nary a discouraging word is allowed to be uttered within the...
NFL sets protocols for reopening of team facilitiesVideo
The NFL has set protocols for reopening team facilities and has told the 32 teams to have them in place by May 15. In a memo sent by commissioner Roger Goodell and obtained Wednesday night by the Associated Press, several phases of the protocols were laid out. The first phase...
Taiwan baseball league set to allow fans back in ballparksVideo
TAIPEI, Taiwan — Fans will be allowed to enter baseball stadiums for games in Taiwan for the first time this season as part of a gradual easing of restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic. The China Professional Baseball League said up to 1,000 people would be permitted to enter ballparks from...
Dek hockey tournament planned for Belle Vernon area
Hockey fans might not be able to watch Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins play hockey this summer because of the state’s restrictions against large gatherings, but they may be able to take part in a Dek hockey tournament open to youngsters and adults in July that will serve as...
Brett Favre repaying $1.1M for no-show speeches, auditor saysVideo
JACKSON, Miss. — Former NFL quarterback Brett Favre is repaying $1.1 million in welfare money that he received for multiple speeches where he did not show up, the Mississippi state auditor said Wednesday. Auditor Shad White said his office received $500,000 from Favre on Wednesday, plus a commitment Favre will...
Lock Haven names Belle Vernon graduate Austin Bell most improved wrestler
Austin Bell had an outstanding wrestling career at Belle Vernon. He had a 160-24 record, was a two-time PIAA third-place finisher and WPIAL champion in 2014 and runner-up in ’15 and ’16. His effort earned him a scholarship to Pitt. Things didn’t work out, and he transferred to Lock Haven....
Lower Burrell native signs with top collegiate bass fishing school
When Lower Burrell native Austin Aikins started fishing, he never could have imagined how his future would pan out. But the Central Catholic senior is ecstatic with how it has. While some high school athletes are looking for a college scholarship in sports such as football, baseball or basketball, Aikins...
Penn State’s James Franklin ‘confident … hopeful’ season of some sort will occurVideo
James Franklin has heard all the possible scenarios for how to safely begin and maintain the college football season in this year of the global pandemic. They include a shortened season, delayed season, full season with fans or full season with partial fans. Almost anything is up for discussion. “I’m...
Ex-Penguins forward Martin Straka named Czech Republic assistant coach
Former Penguins forward Martin Straka has been named assistant coach of the Czech Republic’s national team for the next two years. Straka, 47, was one of that country’s most accomplished players during his career. A member of the Czech Republic’s 1998 team that won gold during the Olympic tournament, Straka...
Penn Hills graduate Shy Faulkner earns NJCAA All-American honors
Shy Faulkner finished his 2019-20 basketball season as one of the top scorers in National Junior College Athletic Association Division III, and the Penn Hills graduate was honored Wednesday for his on-court exploits. The Community College of Allegheny County sophomore guard was named third-team All-American after he finished the season...
More than half of ACC football schools aim to reopen in fallVideo
Eight of the 14 football-playing members of the ACC are making plans for reopening campuses this fall, while four others have publicly said they are exploring scenarios for a return following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. Reopening campuses for in-person instruction is a crucial step toward restarting college sports,...
Despite July 1 optimism, MLB remains far from structured plan to open season: report
NEW YORK — Former major league infielder Trevor Plouffe sparked somewhat of a storm on Monday after he posted a dubious tweet that began with five simple words. “Want some good baseball news??” Plouffe asked, rhetorically. The 33-year-old then mentioned July 1 as a potential opening day for Major League...
Brian Dumoulin’s development makes him one of Penguins’ top homegrown talents
On his Instagram page this week, as he does from time to time, Penguins defenseman Brian Dumoulin recommended a favorite bottle of wine. The boisterous player who was caught on camera drinking from three beer bottles held in the same hand in the celebration after the clinching of the 2016...
Steelers’ Ryan Shazier among NFL players in charity ‘Call of Duty’ tournament
Injured Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier will join Hall of Famer Terrell Owens and six active NFL players in a video game tournament that will benefit charities related to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Shazier and the other NFL players will face professional gamers in “Call of Duty Warzone” matches that...
Penguins A to Z: Thomas Di Pauli has few remaining chances
While the NHL is on hold because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Tribune-Review will offer Penguins A to Z, a player-by-player look at all 54 individuals under NHL contract with the organization, from mid-level prospect Niclas Almari to high-profile trade acquisition Jason Zucker. Player: Thomas Di Pauli Position: Center...
Kentucky lands Wake Forest transfer Olivier SarrVideo
Wake Forest center Olivier Sarr announced his commitment to Kentucky on Wednesday afternoon. Sarr, a 7-footer from France, averaged 13.7 points and 9.0 rebounds for the Demon Deacons this past season and is seen as one of the top transfers in the country. He just completed his junior year and...
Bundesliga given green light to resume matches — without fans — this monthVideo
BERLIN — The Bundesliga can resume playing this month, ending a two-month suspension caused by the coronavirus pandemic. German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced a loosening of a range of containment measures after meeting with the country’s 16 state governors Wednesday. Pressure to relax the rules had been growing as the...
Report: Preakness could be rescheduled for 1 of 3 possible datesVideo
The Preakness Stakes still could be run on one of three dates this summer or fall. The Maryland Jockey Club and NBC Sports set aside three possible dates, a person with knowledge of negotiations said. The person spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday because no decision...
Ganassi, Andretti commit to new Extreme E Series for 2021
Andretti Autosport and Chip Ganassi Racing are the first two American teams to commit to a new electric SUV off-road racing series scheduled to begin in 2021. The Extreme E series has five events planned in what the league is calling “some of the most remarkable, remote and severely damaged...
Steelers, Penguins among top 10 on Forbes list of ‘most passionate fans’
The page-wide photo at the top of the website link for the article said it all: a face-painted fan covered in black and gold from the waist up and waving a Terrible Towel at a Pittsburgh Steelers game. Though stay-at-home orders that have shut down the sports world offer them...
Mark Madden: Michael Jordan’s gambling, pettiness makes for compelling documentary
Episodes 5 and 6 of ESPN’s Michael Jordan documentary averaged 5.5 million viewers this past Sunday. That’s a slight dip but still impressive. In cliched talk-show fashion, hacks like me are given to wondering aloud, “What Pittsburgh athlete would be logical fodder for such an endeavor?” The answer: Nobody. Mario...
Several players with Western Pa. connections selected in USHL draft
A number of players with local connections were selected in the United States Hockey League’s draft this week. During Phase I of the draft, which is designed for players under age 17, forward Matthew DiMarsico of Wexford went No. 39 overall in the third round to the Green Bay Gamblers....
The ‘sweet science’ of boxing looking into spit science
The “sweet science” may adopt a bit of spit science under a plan to protect itself from the coronavirus when boxing resumes in Britain, possibly in July. The head of the British Boxing Board of Control said Wednesday the body was working on an “apparatus” that would allow fighters to...
