On Sports: Pittsburgh led viewership of All-Star Game; Steelers QB drafted by UFL
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Was it a Paul Skenes bump? Is MLB in the midst of a mini renaissance?
Tuesday’s All-Star Game was the most-watched telecast on Fox in almost six months, drawing 7.6 million viewers, according to the network’s PR arm. That was up 6% from last year’s game.
Most notably from a local perspective, no market in the country had a higher rating than Pittsburgh (9.9, with 24% of all TV sets in the region that were on tuned in to the game).
FOX Sports' 25th presentation of the #MLBAllStarGame knocked it out of the park with 7.6 million viewers across FOX, FOX Deportes and FOX Sports streaming services. ????
The most-watched All-Star event in sports is up +6% over last year on FOX. pic.twitter.com/Ly46BahyXc
— FOX Sports PR (@FOXSportsPR) July 17, 2024
Pirates rookie star Paul Skenes started for the National League and pitched a scoreless first inning, but the American League would win 5-3.
While some (especially locally) will point to Skenes as the reason for the high level of interest, Fox reports that peak viewership came from 9-9:15 p.m. Skenes was out of the game by then.
It also should be noted that while by current standards the game drew a strong viewer numbers, ratings are significantly down from even the 1990s when more than 20 million annually watched the Midsummer Classic.
A Plum gig
The UFL announced its college draft Wednesday, with each of the spring football league’s teams selecting 10 players for whom they will hold the rights. Included among the 80 picks was a player on the Steelers’ roster who is familiar to college football fans.
Quarterback John Rhys Plumlee went No. 3 overall to the Arlington Renegades.
Plumee (6-0, 200) is quite the athlete — when healthy, he played football and baseball at Ole Miss (three years) and UCF (the past two years). A Mississippi native, Plumlee started at quarterback as a true freshman at Ole Miss but lost the gig the following season and ended his Rebels tenure as a wide receiver.
“You maximize your opportunity, whatever that looks like. If you get the last rep at practice and you get only one, you make the most of it.”https://t.co/Pn2VtQVPPn
— Joe Rutter (@tribjoerutter) May 12, 2024
Though Plumlee went undrafted, the Steelers liked him enough that they extended him a reported $35,000 signing bonus. That’s believed to be the most the Steelers ever gave an undrafted rookie free agent.
Plumlee remains with the Steelers, which open up training camp next week. The draft merely secures the UFL rights to players. Even if and when a player does sign with a team in the league, all contracts have an “NFL out” clause if a team from that league comes calling.
Plumlee enters Steelers camp as the No. 4 QB behind Russell Wilson, Justin Fields and Kyle Allen.
Another familiar name drafted into the UFL? Former Pitt quarterback Kedon Slovis went to the D.C. Defenders.
More sports
• Pitt signs basketball coach Jeff Capel to contract extension through 2029-30 season
• Steelers bring back special-teamer Tyler Matakevich on 1-year deal
• Mark Madden: Pirates have opportunity to win now with Paul Skenes, but will they follow through?
Flap those wings to Russia
In some ways, the Penguins have never recovered from Evgeny Kuznetsov’s flapping “wings.”
At least they won’t have to be reminded of that in having to face him anymore. Kuznetsov’s contract was terminated by the Carolina Hurricanes, it was announced Wednesday, allowing the Russian star to sign with a KHL team in his native land.
#NHL add
Kuznetsov over 2.5 SOG +125 1U DK
Kuzy Vs the Wings is a match made in Heaven. He’s hit this mark in each of L5 meetings totaling 20 SOG on 29 attempts. Expecting a better effort from the Caps tonight, led by Kuzy pic.twitter.com/f2byVP8OzD
— TonesTakes (@TonesTakes) February 21, 2023
Known in part for his arms-flapping goal celebration, Kuznetsov was set to earn $6 million in salary for the upcoming NHL season but already received a $2 million signing bonus. The 32-year-old was acquired via a trade with the Washington Capitals in March.
But Kuznetsov is not the player he once was. He had only two goals and five assists in 20 games down the stretch for Carolina. His four goals and two assists in 10 playoff games was better, but apparently the allure of tax-free income combined with his American employer’s preference for deploying his cap space elsewhere led to a mutual desire for divorce.
Kuznetsov scored in Pittsburgh in overtime during Game 6 of a 2018 second-round playoff series to eliminate the Penguins.
EVGENY KUZNETSOV IN OVERTIME AND THE CAPITALS HAVE FINALLY MADE IT PAST THE SECOND ROUND, ELIMINATING THE FORMER CHAMPION PENGUINS!#ALLCAPS 2 – 1 #3elieve
(@Capitals Win Series) pic.twitter.com/bHr5RzuVlq
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) May 8, 2018
At the time, the Penguins were the two-time reigning Stanley Cup champions and had won nine consecutive playoff series.
They haven’t won a playoff round since. Including that game, the Penguins are 6-16 in playoff games since Kuznetsov’s 2018 flap.
The digits are in
The new jersey numbers are out for the newest Penguins.
Veteran forward Kevin Hayes will wear No. 13; defensemen Matt Grzelcyk, No. 24; Sebastian Aho, No. 25; bottom-six center Blake Lizotte, No. 46; and Anthony Beauvillier (who himself has some big playoff goals against the Penguins) will wear No. 72.
Pittsburgh Penguins jersey number updates:
13 – Kevin Hayes
24 – Matt Grzelcyk
25 – Sebastian Aho
46 – Blake Lizotte
72 – Anthony Beauvillier— NHL Rosters (@NHL_Rosters) July 17, 2024
Though it has been more popular over the past 15 years, Hayes is just the ninth Penguins player to don No. 13 — no other number between 1 and 20 has been worn by fewer than 20 players.
Beauvillier is the fifth to wear No. 72 for the Penguins — the first since the most prominent, Patric Hornqvist (2015-20).
Radar love
As previously noted, it’s the height of NFL #ListSeason. Add another, courtesy CBS Sports. In recognition of Wednesday being 50 days prior to the season opener, the outlet released a list of “50 under-the-radar players who could shape the 2024 season.”
Two Steelers made an appearance: tight end Pat Freiermuth and cornerback Donte Jackson.
Each is a “No. 2” of sorts in regards to priority for the Steelers: Freiermuth (as things stand now) the second pass-catching option behind wide receiver George Pickens, and Jackson the “other” starting outside cornerback behind presumed budding star Joey Porter Jr.
Freiermuth is coming off the least productive season of his career, though. But CBS notes he “fits well with Russell Wilson’s downfield passing approach; Freiermuth’s 8.4 air yards per target in 2022 were third among all tight ends.”
Jackson likewise is at a career nadir. The seven-year veteran might have been released by the lowly Carolina Panthers if not for the Steelers being willing to give up receiver Diontae Johnson for him. But while he isn’t as elite-level fast as he used to be, Jackson still brings speed and in theory is an ideal complement opposite the physical Porter.