It’s hard to argue against the Pittsburgh Penguins having the most depth on the blue-line throughout an entire organization. In the next coming year those players that they drafted a few years ago will be ready to don a Penguins sweater. But there is one that is already at that level and has quite a few games under his belt, and that would be Simon Despres. Despres was the Pens’ first-round pick, 30th overall, in the 2009 draft. He was a highly-touted player coming out in the draft, and ... Read More
End of an era for power running backs?
Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there lived athletes like Earl Campbell and Jerome Bettis. These men were the definition of smash mouth football. They were known throughout the league for their bone-crushing hits on defenders who stood between them and a first down or the endzone. When hard hitting defenses dug into the trenches looking for a stop, these backs fought back by lowering their shoulders and bulldozing a path. The NFL, under commissioner Roger Goodell, has recently ... Read More
It’s Lamar Patterson’s time to shine for Pitt
As Jamie Dixon and the Pitt Panthers basketball team prepares to take on Wichita State Thursday in "second round" action of the 2013 NCAA Tournament, many are still trying to figure out exactly who this Pitt team is. This Panthers team can beat any team in the nation, but at the same time can lose to any team in the field as well. Talent wise the Panthers can win a couple games in this tournament or even surprise a few people and go on a run. But to do so, one man in particular must step ... Read More
John Calipari classy in defeat as Robert Morris upsets Kentucky
Wherever he goes, University of Kentucky head coach John Calipari usually has a bad reputation that follows him around. That's due large in part to seeing Final Four appearance while at U Mass and Memphis erased from the history books thanks to recruiting violations. But the real Calipari is a classy guy in victory or defeat, whether it's winning his first National Championship with the Wildcats or seeing that team lose in the first round of the NIT just a year later. While Robert Morris made ... Read More
Snedden’s Take: Making Sense of the Steelers Off-Season
Once again this year, the NFL off-season has brought a level of accelerated actuality to the legion known as Steeler Nation. Free agency and the hands of father time have taken their toll on the Pittsburgh roster for the second off-season in a row, leaving fans with an uneasy feeling about what is yet to come. Novice fans – those who watch the games on TV and get most of their football newsfeed from the break-room crowd at work – are running around screaming “there’s blood in the water!” Even ... Read More
Could the Steelers re-sign James Harrison?
The Pittsburgh Steelers were forced to cut James Harrison a little over a week ago due to his salary cap number. Harrison was unwilling to take a pay cut from the Steelers that would have cut his salary number down to a little over $4 million and would have saved the Steelers over $3 million against the cap. Had Harrison agreed to the pay cut the Steelers would have been able to keep him around for another season, but instead both parties are left looking for a fix. Harrison isn’t getting much ... Read More
March of the Penguins; 2-1 victory over Caps gives Pens tenth straight
How good are the Pittsburgh Penguins right now? Good enough to win their tenth straight game despite missing arguably two of the best players in the league. Last year's league MVP, Evgeni Malkin, missed his sixth straight game while Kris Letang, the league leader in points among defensemen and Norris Trophy candidate, sat out with a lower body injury suffered on Sunday. Letang still holds a five point lead over Ryan Suter for top scoring defenseman, but the Penguins still found a way to ... Read More
Robert Morris stuns Kentucky to open NIT
The return trip home wasn’t very kind to Kentucky head coach John Calipari The Robert Morris basketball may have missed the NCAA Tournament, but things worked out just fine for Andy Toole’s team. The Colonials have come close a number of times in tournament play against the big dogs of the basketball world, but they finally kicked down the door, with an upset for the ages, taking down powerhouse Kentucky 59-57 in a thrilling game from start to finish. “Absolutely incredible effort from ... Read More
IUP falls to West Liberty in Atlantic Region Final
IUP, the last PSAC team left in the Atlantic Region, fell victim to the #1 team in the country Tuesday night in West Liberty, losing 86-63. Chris Morrow and Alex Falk proved to be too much for the Crimson Hawks, as West Liberty shot 53 percent from the floor. IUP kept up on the stat sheet in every statistical category except for shooting percentage. IUP only made five three point shots, compared to West Liberty's 13. Five players on the Hilltoppers' squad tallied two or more shots from behind ... Read More
Fear the Underdog: 4 Mid-Majors to watch
Every year top seeds go down, and everyone is wondering where did these teams come from. From Ohio, VCU, Butler, Lehigh, & others, Mid-Majors have always been force in the NCAA Tournament. Every year a new team emerges and that is one of the many reasons why this is the greatest sporting event. These 4 teams all have the ability to win their first round game and potentially move on to the 2nd weekend. I am not making any guarantees to them winning but I am guaranteeing that the team they are ... Read More