Sports category, Page 1562
Najee Harris believes Steelers running game is improving, vows that will continue
On Tuesday, coach Mike Tomlin said Najee Harris was getting better “with each passing quarter.” Thursday, offensive coordinator Matt Canada noted Harris’ improvement from his first NFL regular-season game to his second. Friday, the rookie running back himself judged his play to be on the ascent. In the wake of...
Penguins forward Jason Zucker ready to move past ‘awful’ season
Jason Zucker’s offseason wasn’t anything unusual. He spent the summer mostly at his home in Minnesota. Went on some vacations. Trained at a rate as he typically would. As far as any offseason speculation that he might no longer be a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins? He had far more...
Saint Vincent heads to Thiel for PAC showdown
NCAA Division III Presidents’ Athletic Conference Saint Vincent (1-1, 0-1 PAC) vs. Thiel (0-3, 0-2 PAC) 7 p.m. Saturday, Alumni Stadium, Greenville Series: Saint Vincent leads, 8-5, since 2007; 11-11 overall Last meeting: Oct. 12, 2019: Saint Vincent 41, Thiel 18 Coaches: Mike Winslow, Thiel; Aaron Smetanka, Saint Vincent About...
Seton Hill football set to host Slippery Rock
NCAA Division II Nonconference Slippery Rock (3-0) vs. Seton Hill (2-1) 6 p.m. Saturday at Offutt Field, Greensburg Series: Slippery Rock leads 9-2 Last meeting: Slippery Rock 55, Seton Hill 14 (2019) Coaches: Shawn Lutz, Slippery Rock; Daniel Day, Seton Hill About Slippery Rock: After scoring just seven total points...
Panthers’ Christian McCaffrey out ‘a few weeks’ with hamstring injuryVideo
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The injury bug has bitten running back Christian McCaffrey again. Panthers coach Matt Rhule said Friday that the 2019 All-Pro running back is expected to miss “a few weeks” with a strained hamstring. Rhule said the injury could sideline McCaffrey up to four weeks but said he...
Villanueva experiencing ups and downs after joining RavensVideo
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Alejandro Villanueva’s military background gives him a unique perspective on life as an offensive tackle. It’s pretty intense. “I think that offensive linemen are very dark people in a lot of ways,” Villanueva said. “I think it’s a position where, when you close your eyes before...
Steelers’ T.J. Watt questionable, ‘leaving the door’ open to play Sunday
Not unlike how he might slip through a seam between two offensive linemen, T.J. Watt is hoping to prevent his chances of playing Sunday from slamming shut. “I felt like I did a good amount this week,” Watt said Friday, “to leave the door open for Sunday.” Per the league-mandated...
Pirates place LHP Dillon Peters on 10-day IL, recall RHP Miguel Yajure from Indianapolis
Dillon Peters is the latest Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher who will end his season on the injured list. The Pirates placed the left-handed Peters (1-2, 3.71) on the 10-day injured list Friday with a low back strain and recalled right-hander Miguel Yajure (0-1, 3.86) from Triple-A Indianapolis. Yajure is active...
Analysis: Enough taunting in football — from social media and fans, too
Stop the taunting already. That’s not just meant for NFL players. The overreaction on social media and among broadcast pundits to the NFL’s point of emphasis on the topic has been, well, as nasty as some of the deeds and comments on the field. Yes, there have been some 15-yard...
Americans take a 6-2 lead after 1st day of Ryder Cup
SHEBOYGAN, Wis. — The Americans were looking for a fresh start in the Ryder Cup with their youngest team ever, and it worked out even better Friday than they imagined at windswept Whistling Straits. Dustin Johnson and Xander Schauffele won two matches each, and all six U.S. rookies contributed at...
Jeff Carter steps in as Penguins’ top centerVideo
Western Pennsylvania and Southern California might as well be on different planets, let alone opposite sides of a continent. One is sunny and idyllic. The other is … well, Western Pennsylvania. A surplus of cumulus clouds notwithstanding, Penguins forward Jeff Carter’s current environs offer something he couldn’t find in Los...
Trai Turner moves past spitting incident, grateful for support of Mike Tomlin, Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers guard Trai Turner regrets getting ejected from last week’s game. But he doesn’t necessarily believe his actions weren’t justified after a Las Vegas Raiders player spit on him early in the fourth quarter. “A serious action … took place,” Turner said Friday in his first session with the...
Sam Darnold, defense lead Panthers past Texans; McCaffrey hurt
HOUSTON — Thanks to another efficient performance from Sam Darnold and continued dominant play by their defense, the Carolina Panthers are 3-0 for the first time since 2015, when they reached the Super Bowl. That combination was certainly too much for the Houston Texans in Carolina’s 24-9 victory on Thursday...
Duquesne partners with iHeartMedia to broadcast football, men’s basketball games
Duquesne University and iHeartMedia Pittsburgh have entered into a broadcast partnership to air the school’s football and men’s basketball games. The partnership kicks off at 1 p.m. Saturday with the Dukes’ game against Virginia University of Lynchburg. Play-by-play of the games will be available regionally and nationally on 104.7 HD2,...
Mark Madden: Penguins need to get younger, but prospects are limited
The Penguins wrapped up prospects camp and moved on to training camp proper. Despite a paucity of young talent in the organization, there’s no truth to the rumor that the ice was empty at prospects camp. Had it been limited to legit prospects, however, the Penguins probably could have employed...
Ex-Bengal pans JuJu Smith-Schuster, criticizes Steelers’ draft strategy, offensive line construction
Before Vontaze Burfict and Adam “Pacman” Jones played in Cincinnati, the Bengals had plenty of other irritating players for Steelers fans. Perhaps none was more grating than mouthy wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Yes, he of the infamous Terrible Towel desecration. Well, Houshmandzadeh is still taking shots at the Steelers. And...
Pirates pitcher Connor Overton gets 1st MLB hit, sees scoreless streak end against Phillies
Before Connor Overton took his first major league at-bat, Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton told the pitcher to check first with the coaches to determine whether to bunt or swing. After Michael Perez struck out, the Pirates had the bases loaded and two outs. So Shelton told Overton to take...
Take 5: There’s a game Saturday, but the real Pitt season starts next week
Painfully proven by the 44-41 loss to Western Michigan, Pitt (and most teams) can’t win without singular focus on that week’s opponent. The beauty of sports, however, is there is almost always an opportunity for redemption, and Pitt can grab it Saturday at Heinz Field against New Hampshire. But what’s...
Tim Benz: At this point, the health of Joe Haden and T.J. Watt is a bigger deal than Ben Roethlisberger’s
I had a realization looking at the Steelers’ extended injury list in advance of Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Ben Roethlisberger’s iffy health status (pectoral injury) isn’t the chief concern. There was a time when the slightest whiff of an injury to Roethlisberger would send this city into a...
West Virginia faces huge test against No. 4 Oklahoma, QB Spencer Rattler
NORMAN, Okla. — It wasn’t pretty, but No. 4 Oklahoma manage to escape its nonconference slate unscathed. Though the Sooners barely squeaked out victories over Tulane and Nebraska that were supposed to be blowout wins, their goal of a national title remains reachable. Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler doesn’t care about...
First Call: Todd Haley discusses his relationship with Ben Roethlisberger; Jaromir Jagr still scoring in Czech league
Friday’s “First Call” has Todd Haley discussing Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, video of Penguins legend Jaromir Jagr still scoring goals and news about Lamar Jackson’s absence from Baltimore Ravens practice. Also, the story of a kicker who helped beat the Steelers—and himself—at the same time. Going over old times Former...
Steelers’ Roethlisberger, Bush, Haden will play Sunday; Johnson, Highsmith will not
A week of injuries that left the Pittsburgh Steelers with questions about their available personnel for Sunday’s game ended with answers beginning to crystalize. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger joined defensive starters Joe Haden and Devin Bush among those who practiced fully Friday and were designated as good to go against the...
Time to get Kraken: Seattle opens 1st NHL training campVideo
SEATTLE — It didn’t take long for Mark Giordano to get years of seeing red out of his system. The longtime Calgary Flames defenseman didn’t even flinch Thursday while pulling on the jersey of a different team for the first time in his career. Give an assist to his wife...
Pirates farm report for Sept. 23, 2021: Greensboro drops playoff opener
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 57-64) was handled by Omaha (Royals), 5-2. 2B Rodolfo Castro (.375) accounted for all of Indy’s runs in his second Triple-A game, going 2 for 4 with a pair of solo home runs. RHP John O’Reilly (0-2, 6.35) started and gave up four runs on five hits and...
Pirates blow 6-run lead, as Phillies rally to stay in NL East Division title race
The Philadelphia Phillies continued to prove that no lead is insurmountable while the Pittsburgh Pirates showed that none is safe. After building a six-run advantage, the Pirates surrendered home runs to Didi Gregorius, Ronald Torreyes and JT Realmuto as the Phillies rallied for a 12-6 win on a rainy Thursday...
