Name: Nicholas Costanzo
Age: 30
Residence: Johnstown
School: Bishop McCort
College: Saint Francis University
My favorite sport: Football
I usually attend games with: Family and/or friends
Favorite high school team: Bishop McCort
Favorite college team: I’ve become very partial ...
One of the more prominent positions in sports broadcasting remains vacant — and even got a bit more appealing this past week. Still, who will become the next color commentator for “Monday Night Football” remains undecided.
The last person in the role, Jon Gruden, left what seemed like ...
Reading a recent Cory Giger article (Dec. 28) about a truly unusual college football player, Penn State linebacker Jason Cabinda, reassured me that with such graduating college athletes, our society still has a chance.
Often college athletes are touted for their physical prowess and ...
After watching the Penn State vs. Maryland basketball game Tuesday night, I cannot understand the coaching during the last minute.
In close games, once again Penn State gets to the last two minutes, and the percentages are against them winning. Why?
Is it the players or the coaching? ...
If Jon Gruden leaves ESPN and the “Monday Night Football” broadcast booth to return to the NFL and coach the Raiders, it would leave a big void for the all-sports network.
Gruden’s colorful and likeable approach works well on game broadcasts. In addition, he contributes to ESPN’s ...
When Penn State basketball coach Pat Chambers recruited a very talented group of players from the same state championship high school from the Philadelphia area two years ago, this was the finest class he had ever recruited.
After the 2015 season, he was rewarded with a two-year extension ...
Shortly before New Year’s day 62 years ago, Juniata College’s undefeated football team embarked on a two-day train journey to Orlando, Florida, where the Indians played Missouri Valley College in the 1956 Tangerine Bowl.
The game was the culmination of the 1955 season but played on Jan. ...
After reading John Mehno’s article in the Altoona Mirror about Jesse James’s catch being ruled correctly, I must disagree.
NFL Rules Article 3, Section C says:
A player who makes a catch may advance the ball. A forward pass is complete (by the offense) or intercepted (by the defense) ...
What sports-talk radio fans hear throughout our region and across the nation from ESPN Radio will change significantly beginning Jan. 2 — and that’s on the heels of big changes that were already implemented in the past few weeks.
An altered morning drive show, “Golic and Wingo,” ...
As one of the coaches of the 1967-68 Penn State-Altoona Campus basketball team that won the Commonwealth Campus state championship, I would like to make a few comments to add to the recent Mirror piece about the success of that great team.
John Wiberg, the head coach, was my very good friend ...
Bobby Hansard, who passed away last month, was one of the toughest, best all-around athletes to come out of Altoona during the 1950s-60s, and that is saying something because there was no shortage good, hard-nosed athletes in that era.
Hansard took it to a different level.
He was ...
We all pass through this very brief life experience on this planet, and in doing so, we interact with, influence and affect, and in some rare instances, make an indelible imprint on others.
Harold Price, who recently passed away, was one of these uniquely gifted individuals who did precisely ...
Saquon Barkley was not a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, and that’s not the end the world. Nor did he “deserve” to be in New York City for the presentation.
My personal belief — based largely on what the media has shared with me about Barkley during his career — was that he merited ...
As I look back on the Penn State season, I’d like to comment on what I see as a decline in sportsmanship.
Those of us used to — and proud of — 40 years of success with honor had to feel a bit squeamish watching James Franklin call timeout on the Georgia State kicker while up 56-0 with ...
Eli Manning lasted a lot longer than most before being tossed onto the scrap heap that eventually claims almost everyone who has ever strapped on a helmet in the NFL.
Sentimentality doesn’t go far in the league, where what you’ve done in past Super Bowls isn’t nearly as important as ...
Tonight’s Steelers-Packers game might provide a challenge for some Steelers fans, at least it does for me.
It boils down to a determination of the lesser evil for coverage of the game.
Specifically, will that mean watching the game on TV and enduring Al Michaels on “Sunday Night ...
Martinsburg High School had a life span of 57 years, from 1893 to 1950.
It was first housed in what became known as the Borough Building, still standing on East Allegheny Street.
In the 1930s the school played basketball in the Juniata Valley League and baseball in the Blair County High ...
There are too many examples of Soviet rules violations
There’s a new series on the Olympic Channel called “Foul Play,” though unfortunately it doesn’t address what is really foul about the modern Olympic movement.
For that, there’s no reason to look to the past. There’s plenty ...
Brooklyn fan will never forget the ‘Bums’
I am responding to last week’s letter from John Wise.
There are no real true Dodger fans alive except maybe me. I’m the true Brooklyn Dodger diehard, starting in 1941 and expiring in 1958 when the love of my life deserted me to become the ...
Jake Webb is finally getting recognition for his outstanding performances with the Blair County Sports Hall of Fame’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Beside his personal achievements in world strong men arena, Webb helped many former Altoona High School athletes achieve outstanding levels both ...