Sports category, Page 2392
After piggybacking on baseball, NFL stood tall in expansion
George Halas wanted an NFL team in Dallas, and in 1960 the influential founder of the Chicago Bears helped Clint Murchison get one. Less than 10 years later, a league that for decades piggybacked geographically on baseball went from 16 to 26 franchises in a merger with the rival American...
5 names to remember at forward for the NHL Draft
When scouts talk about this year’s NHL Draft being deep, they primarily are talking about forwards. It’s a talented crop headlined by a handful of stars from the U.S. National Team Development Program. That depth could cause an extremely talented player to drop to the Penguins at pick No. 21....
Can Penguins reach their offseason goals without trading Phil Kessel?
If the Pittsburgh Penguins had been able to trade winger Phil Kessel to the Minnesota Wild as general manager Jim Rutherford intended last month, it would have revealed the message the team was sending about its plans to bounce back from a disappointing finish to last season. More hunger and...
Grizzlies trade Mike Conley to Jazz for 3 players, 2 picks
The Memphis Grizzlies traded away the final piece of the franchise’s best years Wednesday, sending veteran point guard Mike Conley to the Utah Jazz for a trio of players, a person familiar with the deal told the Associated Press. The Grizzlies swapped Conley for forward Jae Crowder, guard/forward Kyle Korver...
Mitch Keller returns to Triple-A to make room for Trevor Williams
The return of Trevor Williams to the Pittsburgh Pirates’ starting rotation Wednesday means the end — for now — of Mitch Keller’s time with the team. Williams was reinstated from the 10-day injured list after being out since May 16 with a right side strain. He will start Wednesday against...
6 months before signing day, 3 ex-Penn State commits still looking
An eagerness to commit before playing a down of football as a high school senior may have caused three four-star Penn State recruits to de-commit this month. OT Grant Toutant will start his Official Visit to Ohio State this weekend• 6’7” 320lbs• former Penn State Commit pic.twitter.com/suhqSePidf— Buckeye Edits (@BuckeyeEdits15)...
Ex-Steeler Max Starks calls Ben Roethlisberger a ‘physical leader’Video
Another former Pittsburgh Steelers player is offering his take on Ben Roethlisberger. Max Starks, who played nine seasons with the team from 2004-2012 as an offensive tackle, described Roethlisberger as a “physical leader” in a segment on NFL Network’s Total Access on Monday. Starks noted that he hasn’t been in...
Boxing body near bankrupt, facing 2020 Olympic exclusion
LAUSANNE, Switzerland — The International Boxing Association says it is near bankruptcy, days before a decision to formally exclude the body from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. AIBA chief executive Tom Virgets has told board members it will be insolvent if International Olympic Committee members derecognize the troubled body as expected...
Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer to start despite broken nose
WASHINGTON — Washington Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer is scheduled to pitch Wednesday night against the Philadelphia Phillies, a day after breaking his nose during batting practice. Scherzer was injured Tuesday when he took a ball off his face while attempting a bunt. The team says a CT scan was negative....
First Call: Penguins rivals making moves; ‘He Hate Me’ is safe
In Wednesday’s “First Call,” there’s news about two rivals of the Penguins. “He Hate Me” has been found. And Trevor Williams isn’t the only guy making a comeback Wednesday at PNC Park. What are they up to? The Flyers are making moves. Philadelphia acquired San Jose Sharks defenseman Justin Braun...
Fantasy sports podcast: Penguins lead hockey interest, MLB offense soars, NBA chaos
We’ve moved up our Rotowire fantasy sports podcast for the week. Good timing. There’s a lot to get to in the fantasy sports world with Jeff Erickson. That record-setting Padres-Rockies series over the weekend was reason enough. Then there is the injury to Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard and the improvement...
Steelers 2-a-days: What is Mark Barron’s role? Is undrafted Garrett Brumfield a sleeper?
Editor’s note: From now until the first practice of training camp at Saint Vincent College, the Trib will be running through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, assessing each player’s outlook for the 2019 season. The breakdown will go through the roster in mostly-alphabetical order, (at least) two per day, between...
Tim Benz: For Steelers, what will ‘The Hybrid’ Sutton Smith be?
Sixth-round draft pick Sutton Smith is as engaging and energetic an interview as the Steelers have drafted in years. Can we give “The Chief Award” to a rookie? What if he doesn’t make the team out of camp? Does that matter? During minicamp, the Northern Illinois product — and St....
Tim Benz: Eliminate drafts? Please. Stop feeling bad for athletes
In the NFL this offseason, we heard a lot of wailing on behalf of Le’Veon Bell because he was a victim of that mean ol’ franchise tag. And some even praised Antonio Brown for forcing his way out of a valid contract in Pittsburgh. Because, you know, those nasty owners...
Kevin Gorman: Pirates missed the mark in Mitch Keller’s PNC Park debutVideo
As PNC Park debuts go, Mitch Keller’s lacked sizzle. Not to mention a victory. Keller was as much to blame for that as the Pittsburgh Pirates are, as both his major-league debut and second start were disappointing defeats at Cincinnati and Atlanta, respectively. The buildup you would expect for a...
Podcast part 3: Eric Kasperowicz explains recruiting process, recalls college days
As a 1993 Parade All-American, then-North Hills standout quarterback Eric Kasperowicz had more scholarship offers than he could count. In the end, his choice came down to Pitt, Penn State, Georgia Tech, Michigan State and Syracuse. “Being a family guy, I knew deep down I wasn’t going to go far...
Pirates minor league report for June 18, 2019
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 37-31) defeated Buffalo (Blue Jays), 5-2. LHP Cam Vieaux (2-0, 4.15) earned the victory after pitching six innings with six strikeouts and two runs allowed on four hits. Vieaux did not surrender a hit through five innings. 1B Will Craig (.279) went 2 for 4 with a two-run...
Mitch Keller improves in PNC Park debut, but Pirates lose to Tigers
The Pittsburgh Pirates committed a pair of errors in one inning, leading to two unearned runs by the Detroit Tigers. They left eight runners on base after the fourth inning, and they managed only one hit in 10 tries with teammates in scoring position. Under those circumstances, no one should...
Fans arrive in droves to honor Broncos’ Pat Bowlen at public tributeVideo
DENVER — Some wore full costumes and others sported jerseys, including one Denver Broncos supporter with “P. Bowlen” on the back. Quite a few devotees stood in the rain for about an hour before making their way inside the stadium. The fans arrived in droves Tuesday to pay respect to...
Kevin Gorman: Ray Searage wears bull’s-eye as Pirates deal with pitching problemsVideo
Ray Searage hears the criticism. How could he not? The strength of the Pittsburgh Pirates was supposed to be the pitching staff, with a strong starting rotation and a loaded bullpen. Instead, the Pirates have dealt with disaster, as pitching became their biggest problem. A dozen pitchers have spent time...
Pirates’ Hurdle likes juggling five outfielders
Clint Hurdle has five outfielders on his roster, which is one more than he usually needs. It’s a nice problem — and it could come in handy at trade deadline time — but the Pittsburgh Pirates manager said he solves it by “feel” and “conversation.” But there are constants that...
Derry native Ward hopes to make impact for Seton Hill baseball
Pitcher Omar Ward pondered the future of his college career like he was glaring in at his catcher. The hard-throwing right-hander saw a sign, but shook it off and waited for a new one. Curve or slider? To stay or to go? When he finally realized his best option was...
Penguins trade chatter doesn’t take Sidney Crosby by surprise
As a disappointing end to the season gave way to a summer filled with trade talk surrounding even cornerstone players such as Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby wasn’t surprised. Three of his 14 NHL seasons ended with a parade, which means 11 didn’t. He knew...
North Huntingdon’s Austen Swankler awaits NHL Draft
North Huntingdon native Austen Swankler did quite a bit to catch the attention of NHL teams in the past year. Now all that’s left to do is wait to hear if one of them calls his name this weekend. Swankler, a 6-foot, 181-pound forward, is a candidate to be selected...
U.S. women welcome tough test vs. Sweden in World Cup
LE HAVRE, France — Victory is the goal for the United States in its group stage finale against Sweden, even though a loss might give the Americans an easier path through the knockout rounds of the Women’s World Cup. “I think it’s in our team’s DNA to want to win...
