Sports category, Page 650
First Call: Mike Tomlin reportedly a ‘big fan’ of Justin Fields; Eddie Faulkner could be staying on as RB coach
Tuesday’s “First Call” sparks up new conversation about the prospect of the Pittsburgh Steelers acquiring Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields. There is also some coaching news concerning the Steelers. An ex-Steeler is retiring. And the Metropolitan Division is kicking the Penguins while they are down. Just keepin’ an eye on...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Pirates enter spring training with raised expectations, storylines
BRADENTON, Fla. — After starting the season with the best record in the National League through April and finishing the final two months with a winning record, the Pittsburgh Pirates will enter spring training with raised expectations. No longer are the Pirates talking about a rebuild but rather the chance...
Super Bowl thriller was the most-watched program ever, averaging 123.4 million viewers
The longest Super Bowl game will also become the most-watched program in U.S. television history. According to Nielsen and Adobe Analytics, Kansas City’s 25-22 overtime victory over San Francisco on Sunday night averaged 123.4 million viewers across television and streaming platforms. That shattered last year’s mark of 115.1 million for...
NASCAR starts season with fresh champion, off-track revenue sharing dispute
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR launches its new season with rivals attempting to dethrone Team Penske after two years atop the Cup Series while a off-track battle over revenue sharing threatens to overshadow the competition. Teams report to Daytona International Speedway this week for Sunday’s season-opening Daytona 500 without a...
Surging Pitt faces big challenge in road game with defensive-minded Virginia
When Virginia basketball is mentioned, the Cavaliers get defensive. Isn’t that the point? After all, they have led the ACC in scoring defense for 12 consecutive seasons, and they’re back on top of the heap again this year — and rank third nationally — with an average of 57.7 points...
Steelers release Mitch Trubisky, Chuks Okorafor, Pressley Harvin as offseason makeover begins
A day after the NFL season concluded with the playing of the Super Bowl, the Pittsburgh Steelers made roster moves aimed at reducing their salary cap for the 2024 season. The Steelers released quarterback Mitch Trubisky, right tackle Chuks Okorafor and punter Pressley Harvin. Trubisky spent two seasons with the...
Can Pittsburgh host pro basketball team? Sports authority to pay up to $90K to find out
Allegheny County sports officials are exploring whether Pittsburgh could be home once again to a professional basketball team. The Sports & Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County voted unanimously on Feb. 8 to enter into an agreement with Colorado-based sports consulting firm CAA ICON to conduct a feasibility study...
Chiefs achieve dynasty status with 3rd Super Bowl title in 5 years
LAS VEGAS — This was supposed to be the year when the Kansas City Chiefs were vulnerable. Their wide receivers were dropping passes, their offense was committing penalties, Travis Kelce was supposedly getting old and there was no way Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes could possibly overcome all of that....
49ers, not Chiefs, favorites to win 2025 Super Bowl, according to sportsbooks
LAS VEGAS — The Kansas City Chiefs are a dynasty and already are looking to become the first team to three-peat in the Super Bowl era. They’re underdogs to do it. Getting to New Orleans to play for the Vince Lombardi Trophy next February will be difficult for Patrick Mahomes...
Penguins’ lack of secondary scoring has become primary concern
Rickard Rakell is one of the more erudite members of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Ask the winger to explain a scoring sequence or a forecheck, and he can detail it to an atomic level. But regarding his own struggles as of late, he is curtly blunt. “Not good at all,” Rakell...
Super Bowl bets placed online surged this year, verification company says
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Online betting on the Super Bowl surged this year, with many gamblers waiting until right before the kickoff to place their wagers, according to a company that tracks the location of internet gamblers. Data released Monday from GeoComply shows that the number of verification checks it...
WPIAL releases brackets for 2024 boys and girls basketball playoffs
When the WPIAL basketball committee met Monday morning to seed the playoff brackets, there was little debate about the No. 1 seeds. Most were obvious choices. In some brackets, two, three and four were tricky to sort out. But maybe the hardest part of putting together this year’s brackets were...
Penguins forward Jansen Harkins diagnosed with concussionVideo
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jansen Harkins has been diagnosed with a concussion. His status was announced by coach Mike Sullivan on Monday following a practice session in Cranberry. Later in the afternoon, Harkins was designated to injured reserve. Given the uncertain nature of concussions, no time frame for a recovery was...
Ohio State climbs to No. 2, Stanford up to No. 3 behind unbeaten South Carolina in women’s AP Top 25
Ohio State is up to No. 2 in The Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball poll, matching the best ranking in school history. The Buckeyes, who were fifth last week, have won 11 straight games and their only losses this season have come to USC, UCLA and Michigan. The Buckeyes...
Pitcher Wily Peralta among non-roster invitees headed to Pirates’ spring training
Veteran righty Wily Peralta will join the Pittsburgh Pirates for spring training as a non-roster invitee, the club announced Monday. Peralta, 34, has a record of 56-61 with a 4.29 ERA and 16 saves over 258 games in his major league career, spanning stints with the Brewers, Royals and Tigers...
No. 23 Indiana State ranked for 1st time since 1979; UConn remains No. 1 in AP Top 25
Indiana State’s balanced scoring, free-flowing offense and its goggle-wearing big man have the program off to one of its best starts in years. Now the Sycamores have something that hasn’t happened since Larry Bird played in Terre Haute: a spot in the AP Top 25. Riding a nine-game winning streak,...
The 49ers head for an offseason wondering ‘What if?’ following frustrating Super Bowl loss
LAS VEGAS — For the San Francisco 49ers, another season came a frustrating finish with an inevitable question: What if? What if the Niners hadn’t botched a punt return to set up a touchdown for Kansas City? What if San Francisco could have converted a third down and run down...
Robert Morris women’s basketball coach Charlie Buscaglia resigns
Robert Morris women’s basketball coach Charlie Buscaglia resigned Monday, said Chris King, RMU vice president and director of athletics. “We thank Charlie for his efforts on behalf of RMU women’s basketball,” King said. “We wish him well personally and professionally moving forward.” In eight seasons, Buscaglia leaves RMU with an...
Preparations underway for 30th annual Freeport International Baseball Invitational
Pitchers and catchers report to the Pittsburgh Pirates training facility in Florida on Feb. 14, and opening day is March 28 in Miami. College baseball teams, both locally and throughout the country, begin their seasons next week. High school baseball preseason practices start March 4 with season openers three weeks...
Plum grad Phillip McNeal starts college track career by setting pair of marks for Saint Vincent
Phillip “P.J.” McNeal might have taken awhile to find his footing as a track athlete. But it didn’t take the Plum grad long to find his place in the Saint Vincent record books. In his first college indoor meet, Dec. 1 at Youngstown State, McNeal ran the 200-meter dash in...
Greensburg Salem grad Abby Mankins ups her production in 2nd season with Seton Hill women’s basketball
Abby Mankins spent most of her freshman season with the Seton Hill women’s basketball team getting adjusted to the college game. Though she appeared in all 32 games, the Greensburg Salem grad’s contributions were modest as she averaged 1.3 points in just over 10 minutes per game. So as her...
Penguins host 2 children through Make-A-Wish Foundation
The Pittsburgh Penguins “signed” two children to one-day contracts at the team’s facility in Cranberry on Monday Jayden Flick and Kent Kennedy were hosted by the team through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. A press conference was staged in which president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas signed contracts with Flick and Kennedy....
Taylor Swift chugs beer, cuddles Blake Lively and gets mobbed as Chiefs beat 49ers in Super Bowl
LAS VEGAS — With t he run she’s having, how could Taylor Swift be on anything other than the winning side? Swift was smothered by her celebrity suite-mates at Allegiant Stadium when her significant other Travis Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs c linched an overtime win over the San Francisco 49ers....
Super Bowl star: Patrick Mahomes leads Chiefs to comeback win for 3rd ring in MVP performance
LAS VEGAS — The San Francisco 49ers gave Patrick Mahomes two opportunities to drive for the winning touchdown in the Super Bowl. They should have known — who doesn’t at this point? — that it was one too many. After leading the Chiefs downfield late in regulation, only to settle...
Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs, Taylor Swift and a thrilling game — it all came together at the Super Bowl
LAS VEGAS — The Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers, 25-22, in overtime in a Super Bowl unlike any other. Here’s a look at a few topics that will linger in the aftermath: BEST SUPER BOWL EVER? This Super Bowl will likely go down as one of the...
