A day after signing Neftali Feliz, the Pittsburgh Pirates have signed another bullpen arm in right-handed pitcher Trey Haley. The deal is for one-year according to a team release. Haley, a second-round pick in 2008, was a minor league free agent but was signed to a Major League contract, meaning he will likely compete for a spot with the Pirates, after spending 2014 in the Cleveland Indians minor league organization. In Double-A he threw 34 innings and put up a 2.38 ERA and a 10.1 K/9 ... Read More
Steelers should not take Bengals’ McCarron lightly
AJ McCarron may be the backup quarterback the Pittsburgh Steelers do not want to face. The Cincinnati Bengals quarterback is preparing to start his first career NFL playoff game on Saturday with Andy Dalton out injured, but McCarron may be ready for the pressure. As a three-year starter at the University of Alabama, McCarron was constantly in the spotlight. The Crimson Tide was regularly ranked in the top five of the AP and BCS polls during his tenure, and also faced his share of top 25 teams. ... Read More
Top 10 stories of 2015: Pittsburgh teams struggled in spotlight
In case you missed it, Pittsburgh Sporting News is counting down the top 10 Pittsburgh sports stories from 2015. The bottom five of the top five have already been covered, and now the countdown will conclude with the top five biggest stories of 2015. No. 5 – James Conner diagnosed with cancer On Dec. 5, University of Pittsburgh running back announced he was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma. The 20-year-old junior was a 2014 All-American and a candidate for the Heisman Trophy in 2015, ... Read More
Top 10 moments in 2015: Some players became favorites, one protested
While no Pittsburgh sports teams brought home titles in 2015, there were still a lot of happenings on and off the field. From athletes returning to Pittsburgh, record breaking performances, late-season let downs and the protest of a quarterback, Pittsburgh Sporting News is counting down the top 10 sports stories in Pittsburgh in 2015. The first half includes stories 10 thru six. No. 10 – Gung Ho for Jung Ho When the Pittsburgh Pirates signed Jung Ho Kang to a four-year, $11 million ... Read More
Sunday’s loss part of bigger trend for Tomlin, Steelers
The standard is the standard. It is a phrase Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin often uses during his press conferences. And unfortunately for him and the Steelers, they lived up to their standard of underperforming against a team they were expected to beat on Sunday. The game was not the Steelers’ first loss to a team they were favored against that may keep them out of the playoffs under Tomlin. Whether or not the blame goes to Tomlin for these losses is hotly debated around Pittsburgh and ... Read More
Intensity from past missing in Steelers-Ravens rivalry
This didn’t feel like a usual Steelers-Ravens matchup. There was no pre-game trash talk. There were no threats from players. There were no fights on the field aside from a few scuffles. Despite its 5-10 record, Baltimore is not devout of talent. Linebackers Daryl Smith and C.J. Mosley are quality starters. Marshal Yanda is one of the best offensive lineman in the NFL. Even former undrafted receiver Kamar Aiken is having a good season. But who are the true villains for Pittsburgh fans to ... Read More
Strong second half puts Steelers in playoff position
After a dismal first half, the Pittsburgh Steelers defense stood tall with the game on the line. A staunch defensive effort in the second half, combined with 21 points from the offense in the second half delivered the Steelers (9-5) a 34-27 win over the Denver Broncos (10-4). The Steelers are now sixth in the AFC, and control their own destiny for a Wild Card berth. First-half defensive woes The Steelers defense may as well have stayed in the locker room in the first half. After ... Read More
William Gay making a difference on and off field for Steelers
William Gay wasn’t fooled. When the Cincinnati Bengals lined two offensive tackles up as wide outs, it looked like a trick play may be coming. But the tackles shifted back to their normal spot on the line, leaving two wide receivers on the Pittsburgh Steelers corner’s side of the field. Gay didn’t leave his position during the shift. Quarterback AJ McCarron’s play action fake did not get Gay to bite. Instead, Gay held his ground when Mohammad Sanu ran a swing route. McCarron starred down ... Read More
Nicasio fits the mold of the Pirates next reclamation project
The Pittsburgh Pirates signing of Juan Nicasio may seem all too familiar to Pirates fans. Nicasio is a hard throwing reliever with a high strikeout rate. He’s had control issues in the past. He was acquired for next to nothing (one year, $3 million deal). Last season Arquimedes Caminero fit that mold. Before Caminero it was Mark Melancon – though Joel Hanrahan was decent return at the time. Before Melancon is was Jason Grilli. If there is one thing general manager Neal Huntington and ... Read More
NCAA is oversaturated with bowl games
College football fans may get stuffed by more than just their holiday dinner this year. An unprecedented 40 bowls will be played, and the NCAA made sure that no bowl-eligible Football Subdivision teams will be left out again. No, literally. Every bowl eligible team has been picked. In fact, three normally-ineligible 5-7 teams will be going bowling. The NCAA finally overstretched itself with their bowl system, and viewers may not be able to ingest anymore games. Their process for ... Read More