Sports category, Page 2281
Tim Benz: Wildcat worked, but let’s hope Steelers don’t have to use it againVideo
During his weekly press conference, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was gruff, dismissive, generally terse and a bit on edge. Even more so than normal, I mean. It was almost as if his team had fallen to 0-4 against the Cincinnati Bengals as opposed to trouncing them, 27-3, the night...
Lackawanna’s Robert Kennedy gets 3 more Division I offers
Robert Kennedy knew there were no guarantees when he took the junior college route. The former Jeannette star quarterback and defensive back — Mr. PA Football for small schools in 2018 — decided to play at Lackawanna. The plan was to be patient, work on his game, get stronger physically...
Juan Soto lifts Nationals to comeback wild-card win over BrewersVideo
WASHINGTON — After all the heartache and close calls, all the early exits, maybe it makes sense that a 20-year-old kid who never had been to the postseason, Juan Soto, would help the Washington Nationals finally advance. And maybe, just maybe, it makes sense that it would be this particular...
Penn State’s James Franklin discusses HBO, redshirting and more
STATE COLLEGE — The press conference questions came at James Franklin from some interesting angles Tuesday. It’s Purdue week, it’s homecoming and the HBO cameras are following the Penn State program this week. The unbeaten Nittany Lions are heavy favorites against the Boilermakers (1-3), but anything is possible Saturday at...
Westmoreland campus clippings: Jeannette grads help Lackawanna College to rout
A pair of Jeannette graduates led Lackawanna College (4-0) to a runaway victory. Sophomore defensive back Robert Kennedy returned an interception 70 yards for a touchdown, and sophomore teammate Kareem Hall ran for 107 yards and two touchdowns in an 83-0 win over Erie Community College. Hall, who transferred from...
Penguins expect an even workload for Matt Murray and his backupsVideo
Last season, Tristan Jarry became a viral sensation. During the late stages of an afternoon AHL game on Nov. 14 between the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Springfield Falcons at venerable MassMutual Center in Springfield, Mass., the Falcons pulled their goaltender for an extra attacker and Jarry pounced on the opportunity. Knocking...
Low-budget Rays, A’s meet in AL wild-card game at Oakland
OAKLAND, Calif. — Bob Melvin has been counting on his young Oakland Athletics to build on last season’s playoff return that ended in a lopsided wild-card loss at Yankee Stadium. Gain some experience under pressure. Get a little feel for October baseball. Understand how much has to go right to...
Pitt coaches hope to cook up more turnovers, but defense isn’t sufferingVideo
Anybody wondering how much emphasis Pitt’s defensive coaches place on gaining turnovers should watch practice. Most of the time spent there is not for public eyes, but safeties coach Cory Sanders offered a glimpse Tuesday. When the football is in the air and a defender so much as lets it...
Wildcat formation might be band-aid for ‘fragile’ Steelers offense
Pulling the wildcat formation out of hibernation wasn’t Mike Tomlin’s preferred method of jump-starting an inconsistent Pittsburgh Steelers offense. With his team mired in an 0-3 start and facing a familiar opponent Monday night, the 13-year coach felt he had little choice than to get creative. “We’re in a fragile...
Penguins announce season-opening roster
The Penguins announced their season opening roster, which is composed of 13 forwards, eight defensemen and two goaltenders: Forwards: Zach Aston-Reese, Nick Bjugstad, Teddy Blueger, Sidney Crosby, Alex Galchenyuk, Jake Guentzel, Patric Hornqvist, Dominik Kahun, Evgeni Malkin, Jared McCann, Bryan Rust, Dominik Simon and Brandon Tanev. Defensemen: Brian Dumoulin, Erik...
Mike Tomlin’s advice to Steelers WR Diontae Johnson: ‘Don’t fumble anymore’
Never one to mince words, coach Mike Tomlin had a terse response on what advice he offered to Diontae Johnson after the rookie wide receiver lost a fumble on the second offensive snap against the Cincinnati Bengals. “Don’t fumble anymore.” Johnson’s fumble led to a field goal that put the...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Steelers have no one to simulate Ravens QB Lamar JacksonVideo
Where the wildcat formation was the talk of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football, Mike Tomlin is focused on his defense. The Steelers hit Andy Dalton a dozen times, including eight sacks, in putting on their best defensive performance of the season in the...
Former Penguins forward Lee Stempniak retires
Former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Lee Stempniak announced his retirement after a 14-year career in the NHL. His retirement was announced by the NHLPA on Tuesday. Stempniak, 36, played 21 games for the Penguins late in the 2013-14 season after being acquired at the 2014 trade deadline. Primarily skating on a...
Lack of clarity on pass interference ‘frustrating’ to Mike Tomlin, Steelers
Coach Mike Tomlin is still trying to get a grasp on the new NFL rule that subjects pass plays to replay review when determining whether interference was committed. He sounded as frustrated as ever Tuesday at his weekly news conference when asked about the latest ruling that went against the...
Andrew McCutchen plans massive volunteer initiative in Western Pennsylvania
Andrew McCutchen now wears a Philadelphia Phillies jersey for a living, but in the offseason, he plans to make an impact on the community he called home for the better part of nine years. Along with his wife, Maria, a DuBois native, McCutchen has founded Project Pittsburgh, a foundation designed...
Penguins’ Sidney Crosby returns to practiceVideo
Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby returned to practice at PPG Paints Arena on Tuesday for the first time since suffering an undisclosed injury over the past weekend. During the first period of a 3-2 shootout loss at home to the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday, Crosby was stuck in the left...
Steelers’ Mike Tomlin ‘hopeful’ injured players can return against RavensVideo
With the Baltimore Ravens looming on the schedule following a short work week, the Pittsburgh Steelers could be getting some of their injured players back on the field in time for the AFC North matchup on Sunday afternoon. Coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday at his weekly press conference that no...
5 ways the Steelers improved in 27-3 win over BengalsVideo
Five things we learned from Steelers 27, Bengals 3: 1. Second chance for Diontae When rookie third-rounder Diontae Johnson fumbled at the Steelers 15 on the second offensive snap after catching a 3-yard pass, it could have earned the young wide receiver time on the bench. But coach Mike Tomlin...
Rookie Zach Gentry part of Steelers game plan for 1st time – as a blocker
Rookie tight end Zach Gentry readily acknowledges he entered the NFL with a reputation for potential as an athletic pass-catcher that needed to work on his blocking. But during his first extensive action as a pro, the Pittsburgh Steelers did not shy away from showcasing his blocking skills. Gentry played...
Kevin Gorman’s Who runs the North?: Browns run over Ravens, Steelers beat BengalsVideo
Just when it looked like the Baltimore Ravens were about to run away with the AFC North, they ran into the Cleveland Browns. Or, should we say, they were run over by the Browns. Nick Chubb broke the game open with an 88-yard touchdown run — the longest in Cleveland...
Tim Benz, Kevin Gorman: Running game and pass rush get Steelers their first win
Tuesday’s “Breakfast With Benz” podcast looks at something pretty rare. A Steelers victory. Yup. It’s the first victory of 2019 for the Black and Gold. And it came against the even-more-hapless Cincinnati Bengals, 27-3, Monday night at Heinz Field. Fellow Trib columnist Kevin Gorman and I recap the highlights. The...
Steelers rookie QB Mason Rudolph earns game ball after 1st NFL winVideo
The game plan and the protection provided made things easier on Mason Rudolph than they could have been. But the stat line from Rudolph’s first NFL home start was stellar enough that it’s all that will be remembered from what was the rookie quarterback’s first pro victory. Rudolph went 24...
First Call: David Ross as possible Cubs manager; soccer fans storm owner’s box, kick him out of stadium
In Tuesday’s “First Call,” some MLB managerial candidates are emerging. Fans storm an owner’s box. Andy Dalton’s interesting audible. What if? When it comes to a potential managerial hire, here’s a former Pirates player that is becoming a name of interest. One-time Bucco, David Ross, is rumored to be a...
Tim Benz: Clint Hurdle shouldn’t be Pirates’ only scapegoat
The word “scapegoat” has been used quite a bit in the wake of Clint Hurdle’s firing as Pirates manager. I felt like it was inappropriate. So I double-checked the definition. Merriam-Webster defines the term this way: “A goat upon whose head are symbolically placed the sins of the people after...
Tim Benz: Feats of strength from Steelers’ win over Bengals (finally)Video
Finally! I almost forgot this was possible. We’ve had three straight “Airing of Grievances” entries to start the 2019 season. I was getting worried we’d never get to post a “Feats of Strength” Steelers postgame column. Hey, that’s why it’s always nice to see the Cincinnati Bengals pop up on...
