After almost three years with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, closer Mark Melancon will be heading to Washington, D.C. On Saturday, it was announced Melancon was traded to the Washington Nationals in return for reliever Felipe Rivero and prospect Taylor Hearn. Pirates General Manager Neal Huntington said it was a “very difficult decision” to trade Melancon, especially “given the person that (he) is … he’s poured his heart and soul into this organization.” Melancon has had a phenomenal ... Read More
Four Steelers on NFL Network’s Top 100
The NFL Network finally finished unveiling its Top 100 players of 2016 — as voted on by the players — and four Pittsburgh Steelers are on the list. Wide receiver Antonio Brown (No. 4) topped all Steelers and all wideouts, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger came in at No. 21, running back Le’Veon Bell (No. 41) was fourth among backs and defensive end Cameron Heyward was listed at No. 88. Antonio Brown. Unguardable.#NFLTop100 pic.twitter.com/WGbEhISV6v — NFL Network (@nflnetwork) July 7, ... Read More
That’s a rap: Bell reveals contract demands in new song, ‘Focus’
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell has a history of injuries, so it makes sense he’d want to think about his future and consider a career as, uh, a rapper? Under the name Juice, the 24-year-old Bell recently dropped his single, “Focus,” which condemns his haters who think — if you didn’t guess it by the title — he isn’t “focused” enough on rehabbing from his injury (a torn ACL) or his career. He also goes after people who think he’s still smoking marijuana after a suspension at the ... Read More
Marte, Polanco snubbed by All-Star final roster
We all know that Chicago has a history of stuffing ballot boxes and potentially stealing elections, but who knew that extended to stealing spots in the MLB All-Star Game, too? While the Chicago Cubs have their entire infield and one outfielder representing the National League in the All-Star Game, the Pittsburgh Pirates have exactly zero position players in the game. Sure, closer Mark Melancon was — very deservedly — named to the All-Star team, but there were two Pirates players, both ... Read More
Jung Ho Kang under investigation for alleged sexual assault
Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Jung Ho Kang is under investigation by Chicago police in connection with a sexual assault that allegedly took place in mid-June. In a statement, Pirates' president Frank Coonelly said: “We have been made aware of the allegation that has been made against Jung Ho Kang. We take allegations of this type extremely seriously. Pursuant to the Joint MLB/MLBPA Policy on such matters, this matter is exclusively before the Commissioner's Office at this time. We have ... Read More
Antonio Brown nominated for ESPY award for best NFL player
Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown was recently nominated for the 2016 ESPY Award for Best NFL Player — and he’s a pretty deserving recipient. In 2015, Brown was tied for the league-lead in receptions (136) and was second in receiving yards (1,834) — and he did all that without quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for all or part of five games of the season. And, through six seasons, the star wideout has more catches (526) than any other NFL wide receiver in that same period. He’s also only ... Read More
No Pirates on NL All-Star final ballot update
On the final NL All-Star ballot update, there are a lot of familiar faces in the top-5 at their position. It's just that none of them happen to play for the Pittsburgh Pirates. In fact, only two Pirates are even close to the top-5: outfielders Starling Marte (No. 8) and Andrew McCutchen (No. 9). And both players are more than a million votes away from being one of the All-Star Game's three starting outfielders — with only a few days before ballots close. McCutchen, who has been an All-Star ... Read More
Harrison demands Goodell’s presence at PED meeting
On the field, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison is known for taking no prisoners. Apparently, off the field, he’s the same way. The NFL sent letters to three active NFL players linked to PEDs in an Al-Jazeera America documentary, and, as one of the players named, Harrison fired back. In an Instagram post, Harrison wrote that he’d speak to the NFL about the PED allegations — on a couple of conditions. @NFL I look forward to speaking with you. Goodnight A photo posted by ... Read More
“Pittsburgh Gold” here to stay on Penguins’ uniforms
For their 50th season in the NHL, the Pittsburgh Penguins will proudly don the black and “Pittsburgh Gold.” Ever since the 2002 season, the Penguins had used what they called “Las Vegas Gold” as the team’s dominant uniform color. Over the past two seasons, the organization threw it back and flirted with the Pittsburgh gold. That color was used as the team’s alternate uniform, which was worn for every game at Consol Energy Center during the 2016 Stanley Cup playoffs. Ask and you shall ... Read More
Steelers announce release of kicker Shaun Suisham
The Pittsburgh Steelers announced they have released kicker Shaun Suisham after he failed to pass a physical. The 34-year-old veteran kicker tore his ACL in last year's Hall of Fame Game and recently said he wasn’t sure whether he’d be ready in time for the start of training camp. He hadn’t attempted a kick in the 10 months since his injury. In a statement, Suisham said: “Thank you Pittsburgh and all of Steelers Nation! Unfortunately, the injury I sustained in the Pro Hall of Fame ... Read More