December 10, 2021 3:51 am
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The Minnesota Vikings held on to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 36-28 by forcing an incomplete pass in the end zone on the final play. Ben Roethlisberger’s throw to Pat Freiermuth was on target. Anthony Barr and Harrison Smith sandwiched the rookie tight end at just the right moment to dislodge the ball. The Vikings nearly squandered a 29-0 late third-quarter lead. Dalvin Cook rushed for 205 yards and two touchdowns in his faster-than-expected return from a shoulder injury for the Vikings. Roethlisberger had three touchdown passes in the second half. The Vikings improved to 6-7. The Steelers are 6-6-1.
December 10, 2021 3:55 am
ATLANTA (AP) – Former Denver Broncos receiver Demaryius Thomas has been found dead in his suburban Atlanta home, according to local police. The public information officer for the police department in Roswell, Georgia, says preliminary information is that Thomas’ death stems from a medical issue, and investigators currently have no reason to believe otherwise. Thomas earned five straight Pro Bowls and a Super Bowl ring. He last played in the NFL in 2019, playing 11 games with 10 starts for the New York Jets.
December 10, 2021 7:55 am
Al Unser, one of only four drivers to win the Indianapolis 500 a record four times, died Thursday following years of health issues. He was 82. Indianapolis Motor Speedway said early Friday that Unser died at his home in Chama, New Mexico. Unser was part of an elite club of four-time winners of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” Unser won in 1970, 1971, 1978 and 1987, and is the only driver with both a sibling and a child who also won the 500. His namesake son, Al Unser Jr., is a two-time winner. The Unser family combined for a record nine wins in the Indy 500.
December 10, 2021 3:36 am
The PIAA Board of Directors decided to delay the release of new two-year enrollment numbers until early January. The Association said it recently became aware of inconsistencies among schools in how Vo-Tech students were counted. The Board gave schools until Dec. 15 to check/re-submit their numbers. Following that, PIAA will recalculate the distribution of teams for each sport and notify all schools. Districts wishing to “play up” will have until Jan. 5 to notify PIAA and final numbers will then be released in early January. According to reports, as many as 40 WPIAL schools reported issues with their vo-tech numbers, triggering the PIAA pause.
December 10, 2021 2:08 am
The NHL’s Board of Governors has approved the sale of the Penguins to Fenway Sports Group. It was announced earlier this month that FSG has entered into an agreement to acquire controlling interest in the Penguins. Now that the NHL Board of Governors has given its okay, the deal is expected to close by the end of the year. Under the deal, both Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle will remain part of the team’s ownership group. “As the Penguins enter a new chapter, I will continue to be as active and engaged with the team as I always have been and look forward to continuing to build on our success with our incoming partners at FSG,” Lemieux said in a statement. “They have an organizational philosophy that mirrors the approach that worked so well for Ron and me over the past 22 years.” In a news release, the Penguins said Lemieux will “continue his role guiding hockey operations for the organization. In addition, continuity of leadership will be maintained among the club’s senior management team of CEO David Morehouse, COO Kevin Acklin, President of Hockey Operations Brian Burke, General Manager Ron Hextall, and Head Coach Mike Sullivan.” Lemieux and Burkle purchased the team in 1999.
December 9, 2021 3:53 am
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The Minnesota Vikings have spent the entire season on the edge. All but one game was decided by one score. The NFC wild-card race that was recently so inviting will require extra work to re-enter. The Pittsburgh Steelers are on the outside of the playoff picture in the AFC, too. Their outlook is a bit brighter, though. They beat rival Baltimore 20-19 last week to improve to 6-1-1 in decisions by eight points or less. The Vikings are 4-7 in those games. They lost 29-27 to Detroit last week on a last-play touchdown pass.
December 9, 2021 3:51 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Jake Guentzel’s scorching start for the Pittsburgh Penguins has come to an abrupt halt. The team says the star forward is “week to week” with an upper-body injury. Coach Mike Sullivan did not go into detail about how or when Guentzel was hurt. Guentzel left the ice briefly in the first period of a victory over Seattle on Monday night, though he returned and finished with two goals and an assist. Guentzel is riding a 13-game point streak and has 15 goals and 12 assists on the season.
December 9, 2021 3:57 am
UNDATED (AP) – Tiger Woods will be returning to competition next week with 12-year-old son Charlie in the PNC Championship. It will be his first competition since his right leg was badly damaged in a car crash 10 months ago. Doctors said he shattered the tibia and fibula bones in his right leg in multiple locations.
December 8, 2021 2:24 am
Waynesburg University announced the hiring of Dr. Cornelius Coleman as new Head Football Coach and Assistant Provost for Undergraduate Learning Experiences on Tuesday. Dr. Coleman is a Waynesburg alum and comes to the University following two years as Duquesne’s defensive line coach. “First and foremost, I just want to thank President Lee, Dr. Baer, and Adam Jack for the opportunity. I’m honestly speechless and am so grateful,” Dr. Coleman said in a statement. “I’ve been looking for opportunities like this for the past few years to become a head coach, share my knowledge and help young men grow academically, athletically and socially.”
Prior to his work at Duquesne, Dr. Coleman spent one season at the University of Pittsburgh, four years at Robert Morris and seven seasons at Averett University in Danville, VA. He was a four-year letterman at Waynesburg, a career that included First Team All-PAC honors and honorable mention All-American status following his 1999 senior season, leading the Yellow Jackets in sacks and tackles for loss.
Dr. Coleman takes over for Chris Smithley who is becoming Assistant Athletic Director for Development and Alumni Relations at the University. Smithley served four years as the Yellow Jackets’ head coach and was interim head coach in 2017. He will have the opportunity to interact with alumni with ties to the athletic department, working closely with both Athletics and Office for Institutional Advancement.
December 8, 2021 3:53 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Mark Whipple has resigned after three seasons. The team made the announcement less than 24 hours after Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett was named one of the four finalists for the Heisman Trophy. Whipple spent three seasons with the Panthers and put together one of the most dynamic offenses in the country in 2021. Pitt won its first Atlantic Coast Conference title behind an attack that averaged 43 points, third among FBS teams behind Western Kentucky and Ohio State. There are reports Whipple will become the new offensive coordinator at Nebraska.
