Sports category, Page 2200
Tim Benz: Steelers’ only hope? That AFC North teams stink worse than they do
It’s said that necessity is the mother of invention. That appears to be especially true if you are inventing optimism. For the most part, that’s what is happening within the Pittsburgh Steelers fan base in 2019, and even within the locker room. In a town that lives, breathes, and eats...
Pirates end 9-game skid, put Cubs on life support
A seven-game losing streak has all but eliminated the Chicago Cubs from playoff contention, and the near finality of that could be felt in their somber clubhouse following the latest defeat. “You don’t ever envision failing,” right fielder Jason Heyward said quietly. “Whether you’re a parent, someone going to work,...
Plum takes down Norwin in clash of section rivalsVideo
After a tie with Norwin earlier this season, the Plum boys soccer team was on a mission to make a statement on Tuesday night when it met up with the Knights for the second time this season. It took them just 11 minutes to do so. Plum’s AJ Koma won...
Steelers trade for Seahawks tight end Nick Vannett
The Pittsburgh Steelers acquired tight end Nick Vannett from the Seattle Seahawks on Wednesday, sending a 2020 fifth-round draft pick to Seattle in return for the four-year veteran. In a move that signals Vance McDonald’s shoulder injury could keep him out of future games, the Steelers added to a depleted...
Steelers make practice squads moves, including releasing Homewood’s Trevon Mathis
With their tight end corps depleted, the position was addressed among two practice-squad moves the Pittsburgh Steelers made Tuesday. A local product in Woodland Hills High School alumnus Trevon Mathis was one of the casualties. Mathis, who played at the University of Toledo, was signed midway through training camp. Little...
Steelers’ Jaylen Samuels willing to play tight end, not willing to question his lack of usage
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Samuels is certainly well aware that he was not given a carry or targeted with a pass during Sunday’s loss at the San Francisco 49ers. But if the versatile second-year pro was angry about it, he sure didn’t show it when speaking to media Tuesday....
Zach Gentry satisfied with NFL debut, ready for possible bigger role with Steelers
He played only 10 snaps, and his lone statistical contribution was, of all things, a tackle. But Pittsburgh Steelers rookie tight end Zach Gentry was satisfied with his NFL regular-season debut, and he insists he’s ready for a possibly much-expanded role after the injury to starter Vance McDonald. “I wasn’t...
Cameron Heyward to Steelers defense: ‘Any guy pointing the finger, I’ll break that damn thing’
A jovial type not unlike his father, Craig “Ironhead” Heyward, Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Cameron Heyward doesn’t exactly serve in his role as team captain with a proverbial iron fist. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t dislike any infighting among his unit. Heyward was asked Tuesday if in the locker...
Turning around Steelers’ 0-3 start begins with stopping the run
The point of emphasis this week is so engrained into the psyche of the Pittsburgh Steelers defensive players T.J. Watt would not allow a reporter to finish asking the question. “How does the Steelers defense get to being what it wants and needs to …” “Stop the damn run!” Watt...
Penn State taking opponents’ best shots, James Franklin says
STATE COLLEGE — Penn State coach James Franklin said following wins over Buffalo and Pitt that both schools had a good gameplan and mostly executed despite suffering defeats. Following a bye week, it led to this question Tuesday from a reporter to the sixth-year leader of the Lions: Is your...
Pitt defense looking for turnovers, dunks
Pitt defensive tackle Jaylen Twyman still lis ooking for his first turnover this season. But if he continues to hit the quarterback the way he has done it the first four games, his wait won’t last much longer. So he better polish up those basketball skills. Huh? Pitt’s defense wanted...
Juuso Riikola more comfortable in 2nd season with the Penguins
Casey DeSmith had an unwanted task during last year’s training camp. The Penguins backup goaltender became a chauffeur. His only client was an out-of-towner on a business trip who wasn’t all that familiar with the area — or the entire continent, for that matter: Juuso Riikola. “I hung out with...
Kevin Gorman: Denver debacle behind him, Xavier Grimble ready to step in for SteelersVideo
With Vance McDonald walking around Pittsburgh Steelers headquarters wearing a sling, the Pittsburgh Steelers are in next-man-up mode at one of the team’s thinnest positions. That the next tight end up is Xavier Grimble has to be a concern, considering he’s remembered more for the touchdown he didn’t score than...
Pitt tight ends coach Tim Salem brings energy, speaks his mindVideo
Don’t get Tim Salem started. On second thought, why not ask Pitt’s tight ends coach what he thinks about, you know, anything? You’re sure to get the truth, with as much passion as his sleep-deprived brain can manage. Mention, for example, the fact his tight ends are targeted more often...
Westmoreland campus clippings: Olivia Zambruno records best finish
Sophomore Olivia Zambruno (Greensburg Central Catholic) put together her best collegiate finish for the Penn State women’s golf team. The former three-time PIAA champion posted rounds of 74, 72 and 73 for a 3-over-par total of 219 and finished tied for eighth at the 43rd annual Nittany Lion Invitational at...
Penguins hire Duane Sutter as professional scout
The Penguins have hired former NHL forward and coach Duane Sutter as a professional scout. A member of the revered Sutter family, Duane Sutter will oversee scouting on the West Coast of North America. Sutter, 59, was a member of four Stanley Cup-winning teams with the New York Islanders in...
Seton Hill junior Nichole McClendon talks about playing for Guatemalan National softball team
Earlier this year, Seton Hill’s Nichole McClendon played for the Guatemalan national softball team in the 2020 WBSC Americas Qualifier in Surrey, British Columbia. McClendon chronicled some of her experiences in a piece on the Seton Hill athletics website titled, “Fighting For The Ultimate Dream.” Not only did McClendon, an...
Penguins’ John Marino, Adam Johnson, Zach Trotman out with injuries
As the final week of training camp draws to a close, the Penguins are dealing with bad news as several players are hobbled with injuries. The good news is none of those ailments involve individuals who were expected to make the NHL roster out of training camp. Coach Mike Sullivan...
Former Penguins goaltender Ty Conklin joins New Hampshire as coach
Former Penguins goaltender Ty Conklin has joined the University of New Hampshire as a goaltending development coach. Conklin, who spent the 2007-08 season with the Penguins, returns to his alma mater where he was an All-American in 2000 and ‘01. During his lone season with the Penguins, Conklin became a...
Tim Benz: Steelers game stats are as ugly as their 0-3 record
After a terrible 0-3 start for the Pittsburgh Steelers, fans may be wondering if the team is really as bad as its record. Sadly, it is. If you look deeper at the numbers than just the winless start, the statistics are even worse than you may think. Let’s start with...
What to expect from Monday night’s dueling 0-3 Steelers-Bengals matchup
Logical Pittsburgh Steelers fans were expecting a step back in 2019. All the way back to 0-3? No. Not that far back. In Cincinnati, this isn’t a surprise. The Bengals are 0-3 as well. So that lays the foundation for a made-for-TV, primetime, 0-6 matchup for “Monday Night Football” next...
First Call: Did Tom Brady and Bill Belichick want to keep Antonio Brown?Video
Tuesday’s “First Call” shows us that the decision to cut Antonio Brown may not have been entirely popular with all of the New England Patriots. Is Jalen Ramsey playing sick? Austin Meadows keeps impressing in Tampa. Lobbying for A.B.? The knee jerk reaction from many in Pittsburgh — including me...
Tim Benz: Minkah Fitzpatrick’s Steelers debut was microcosm of debate to acquire himVideo
If you were looking for crystallization of the entire Minkah Fitzpatrick debate, you got it in his first game as a Pittsburgh Steeler Sunday in San Francisco. If you share my opinion about Fitzpatrick as a player, you saw all the reasons to be happy about the transaction. He was...
Kevin Gorman’s Who Runs the North?: What to make of a winless weekendVideo
All four teams in the AFC North faced undefeated foes, so the surprise was not that all four lost but rather that they did by single-digit deficits. Close doesn’t count in the standings. The quality of opponents makes it difficult to judge the division’s top team. The Baltimore Ravens are...
Mitchell Trubisky finally delivers as Bears stifle Redskins
LANDOVER, Md. — Mitchell Trubisky threw his first three touchdown passes of the season, all to Taylor Gabriel in the second quarter, to finally get the Chicago Bears’ offense going and build a big lead that held up to beat the Washington Redskins, 31-15, on Monday night. Trubisky lit up...
