Author Archives: joel

Chris Taft: Riches to Rags

The Broomfield Event Center lights glare down on Chris Taft. They burn bright, like his promising basketball career once did. What little fans are left of the sparse crowd are hushed in sympathetic silence. This is basketball purgatory. Taft reflects … Continue reading

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Hero, Healer, Leader

Twelve shots. Five wounded. One dead. The departed: Duquesne’s basketball program. After 12 years on life support, the Dukes flat-lined on September 17, 2006. Recovery was the school’s only option. Those roots started nearly a decade earlier. Read the rest … Continue reading

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Fresh Ice: Alternatives to the NHL Lockout

Desperate for hockey? You’re not alone. Nearly 22 million fans attended NHL games last season. All are without hockey this year. While the NHL may be locked out, the sport is booming among lower ranks. Read the rest at Pittsburghsportsreport.com.

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NHL lockout

The NHL and the NHLPA are playing a $3.3 billion game of chicken. Sadly, the casualties of this game are not the players or the owners. Rather, those most hurt are the thousands of employees whose livelihoods depend on the … Continue reading

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Gator Dilemma

Maybe you have heard of Pete Antimarino. He is the WPIAL football legend who guided Gateway to 236 wins, 17 conference championships and five undefeated seasons. For 32 years he marched the Gators into battle. Continue reading.

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California at Clairton

The California Trojans are playing against more than just the Clairton Bears on Friday night. Brady Barbaro’s squad is also challenging a 49-game win streak, three top-flight WPIAL recruits and the PIAA’s reigning champion. Continue reading.

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Stepping Stones

College is a stepping stone. Penguins Development Camp and Olli Maatta: Stepping stones. That is the adopted outlook for the 209th overall pick of the 2012 NHL Draft. Maatta and Scott Wilson were selected 186 picks apart—Maatta in the first-round, Wilson in … Continue reading

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Pitt football season predictions

Warning: These projections are cautiously optimistic.

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5 Issues facing Pitt

Louisville is the lone Big East representative in the preseason AP Top-25 and one of only two ranked teams on Pitt’s schedule this season. The Panthers will play both opponents at home. Pitt’s chances of winning the Big East will … Continue reading

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Pitt Camp Notebook: Panthers Complete Second Scrimmage

The 2012 Pitt Panthers are rounding into shape. While there was a lot to like about Saturday’s scrimmage, Pitt’s second of the preseason, not everybody was happy. Count head coach Paul Chryst among those who were quick to point out that this … Continue reading

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Headed West

Welcome to the Big 12, West Virginia. It took $20 million and eight months to officially defect from the Big East, but the move is worth it for a perfect match. That’s what this is, afterall: a perfect match.

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Pitt Camp Notebook

Playmakers on offense, NFL prospects on defense; Pitt is loaded with talent. After a disappointing 2011 and off-season coaching change, the Panthers are finally getting down to football. Plain and simple football.

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Another New Era at Pitt

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Pitt is the most skilled team in the Big East. The defense is laden with talent and the offense is star-studded, but can the Panthers finally live up to the hype?  

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Jones, Offense shine in win

All the tools were working for Pittsburgh this afternoon. Starter AJ Burnett became the first Pirates pitcher in 13 years to win 15 games while Garrett Jones totaled six RBI in a 10-6 win. Read the rest of this article

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The Meaning of Sacrifice

Brian Taylor Urruela knows the meaning of sacrifice. A former baseball player in high school, Urruela still looks the part eight years later. Pegging the lightly stubbled, broad shouldered man as an athlete is not a thin limb to climb … Continue reading

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