CB Cory Trice returns to Steelers practice, remains on IR
The embattled Pittsburgh Steelers secondary added another piece Wednesday, this one from an internal source. Cornerback Cory Trice Jr. returned to practice at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, marking the first time he’d participated in a practice since early during training camp at Saint Vincent College. Trice, who remains on the...
No. 1 Ohio State preparing for 5-game stretch to close the regular season, starting with Penn State
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Top-ranked Ohio State is rested twice over and preparing to finish the regular season with a five-game stretch that culminates in Ann Arbor, Mich. The Buckeyes’ open weekends (Sept. 20 and Oct. 25) essentially broke the season into thirds for coach Ryan Day and his staff. They...
Esmerlyn Valdez swings his way to Pirates’ Willie Stargell Slugger of the Year award
Before Esmerlyn Valdez made noise in the Arizona Fall League by hitting eight home runs in his first nine games, he led all Pittsburgh Pirates minor leaguers in homers this season. So it was befitting that the Pirates named the 21-year-old outfielder/first baseman who hit 26 home runs across two...
Mark Madden: The teenagers have helped rejuvenate the Penguins, so keep them around
Ben Kindel has played nine games, Harrison Brunicke seven. Each of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ teenage rookies can play nine NHL games and be returned to his Major Junior team without burning a year of his contract. It’s decision-making time, especially with Kindel right at that deadline. Brunicke, 19, has struggled...
Fully healthy, Penguins forward Connor Dewar chipping in offensively, fitting in on 4th lineVideo
With four points (three goals, one assist) through 11 games, the start of Pittsburgh Penguins forward Connor Dewar’s 2025-26 season has gone much better than how he began the 2024-25 campaign. But forget about the solid offensive figures. Simply being healthy registers as an improvement. As a member of the...
On demand, the Penguins-Flyers rivalry got reinvigorated
Between the second and third periods of Tuesday night’s hockey game in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh Penguins radio color commentator Phil Bourque was waxing nostalgic about the days of yore for Pens-Flyers at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Bourque noticed too many empty seats for his liking at Tuesday’s game. He missed being in...
First Call: Steelers aim to add to secondary; ex-coach alarmed by Packers fans taking over Acrisure Stadium
The Pittsburgh Steelers are continuing to patch holes in their secondary. A former coach here is not pleased with how many fans sold their tickets to Green Bay fans over the weekend. We share some gambling trends in advance of Steelers-Colts on Sunday. Plus, there are some awards for Robert...
Tim Benz: No appetite for another blame-shifting, coordinator witch hunt with the Steelers
During his weekly press conference Tuesday afternoon, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin wasn’t directly asked if he had any plans to fire defensive coordinator Teryl Austin. However, he was asked if absorbing sole play-calling duties from Austin is something he has considered. “No,” Tomlin replied. “That’s not on the...
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. homers, Blue Jays even World Series with win over Dodgers
LOS ANGELES — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a two-run homer off Shohei Ohtani, Shane Bieber pitched four-hit ball into the sixth inning, and the Toronto Blue Jays shook off their epic 18-inning loss to even the World Series with a 6-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 4...
Ex-wife of Angels employee says team failed her drug-addicted husband at trial over pitcher’s death
SANTA ANA, Calif. — The ex-wife of a Los Angeles Angels employee on Tuesday said the MLB team failed her drug-addicted husband during a trial over the fatal overdose of one of its star pitchers. Camela Kay testified that she previously had seen Angels players partying, drinking and passing around...
Franklin Regional perseveres, beats Bethel Park to earn return trip to WPIAL title game
Fabrizzio Costa’s late-game goal set up by Michael Hillenbrand sent No. 3 Franklin Regional back to Highmark Stadium, defeating No. 2 Bethel Park, 1-0, in the WPIAL Class 3A semifinals Tuesday night. “If you give yourself enough opportunities, something good can happen,” Franklin Regional coach Nick White said. “On that...
Penguins succumb to Flyers in shootout loss featuring wild ending to overtime
The Pittsburgh Penguins’ rivalry with the Philadelphia Flyers is rarely boring. And the latest edition of the cross-state battle was no exception. Shootout goals by forwards Matvei Michkov and Bobby Brink gave the Flyers a 3-2 home win Tuesday at the venue now called Xfinity Mobile Arena. The teams were...
Reports: Steelers acquire safety Kyle Dugger from Patriots in wake of DeShon Elliott injury
With DeShon Elliott suffering a second knee injury this season, the Pittsburgh Steelers have acquired some safety help by trading for Kyle Dugger of the New England Patriots, ESPN and NFL Network reported Tuesday night. Dugger, 29, was in his sixth season with the Patriots and has experience at the...
Lindsey Vonn never doubted herself in comeback as she vies for Olympic returnVideo
NEW YORK — Lindsey Vonn’s Olympic comeback story kicks into high gear this week as Wednesday marks 100 days until the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games, but the American skiing great said she was staying cool under the glare of the spotlight. The 41-year-old fan favorite announced her retirement in...
Saints make switch to start rookie QB Tyler Shough
The 1-7 Saints are handing the keys of the offense to rookie quarterback Tyler Shough. New Orleans coach Kellen Moore informed Spencer Rattler and Shough of the change Tuesday. Shough replaced Rattler late in the third quarter of last weekend’s 23-3 home loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Shough will...
Former NHL player Ryan Kesler faces criminal sexual conduct charges related to 16-year-old
Former NHL player Ryan Kesler has been arrested and charged with two misdemeanor counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct related to alleged inappropriate contact with a 16-year-old child earlier this year. Kesler, 41, was arraigned on Monday in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., and plead not guilty to the charges in court....
Junior QB from Florida commits to Pitt
Kevin Verpaele, a Class of 2027 quarterback, announced his commitment to Pitt on Tuesday afternoon. Verpaele becomes coach Pat Narduzzi’s fourth verbal commitment for the 2027 class, joining offensive lineman Colin Urrea, receiver Jacob Thomas and tailback Tyler Reid. #AGTG 1st, I want to thank God, my family, my coaches,...
Pitt’s true freshmen providing a boost in all 3 phases
When the dust settled around Pitt’s 2025 recruiting class and 22 true freshmen prepared to join the Panthers’ program, coach Pat Narduzzi had reason to be pleased with the reinforcements he was bringing in from the high school ranks. Whether Narduzzi could have foreseen just how significant the contributions he’d...
Changes to defensive staff or play-calling ‘not on the table,’ Steelers coach Mike Tomlin says
As the midpoint of the Pittsburgh Steelers season approaches, the defense is ranked No. 30 in total yardage and last against the pass. The Steelers have yielded 30 points in back-to-back weeks and four times in seven games. For the first time since early in the 2019 season, the defense...
Edward Florentino, a top-100 prospect, headlines Pirates’ rookie-level award winners
Where Konnor Griffin developed into baseball’s top prospect and the consensus minor league player of the year this season, another teenage Pittsburgh Pirates prospect made a powerful impression. Edward Florentino, an 18-year-old outfielder from the Dominican Republic, dominated the Florida Complex League and earned a promotion to Low-A Bradenton to...
Steelers safety DeShon Elliott to miss game against Colts with knee injuryVideo
Strong safety DeShon Elliott has a knee injury that will keep him from playing Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts, but Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin isn’t ready to rule the absence season-ending or commit to Elliott needing a stay on injured reserve. “We haven’t discussed that at all,” Tomlin said...
Penn State interim coach Terry Smith details challenge of facing No. 1 Ohio State
Penn State is in the middle of a four-game losing streak, its worst since 2020, and things won’t get any easier this weekend against No. 1 Ohio State. Interim coach Terry Smith said the Nittany Lions are “looking forward” to the challenge they’ll face in Columbus on Saturday. “This is...
U.S. athletes ‘conscious’ of American image at 2026 Winter Olympics
NEW YORK-U.S. athletes are preparing for anti-American feeling ahead of the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics, U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) leaders said on Tuesday, a little over three months before next year’s global event. U.S. President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff regime and other policies, including strict travel bans, have sparked...
Penguins recall defenseman Owen Pickering from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
The Pittsburgh Penguins recalled rookie defenseman Owen Pickering from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League (AHL) on Tuesday morning. This transaction comes one day after the Penguins formally placed Rickard Rakell on injured reserve due to a left hand injury that will sideline him for six to eight weeks. Pickering,...
Tim Benz: Additions to Steelers shouldn’t stop with Marquez Valdes-Scantling
If reports from ESPN are accurate, the Pittsburgh Steelers will soon sign wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Good. Any form of depth will help that position. They are seven games into the 2025 NFL season, and Steelers wide receivers not named DK Metcalf have combined for 25 catches. Valdes-Scantling has a...
