Father’s Day memories made at PNC

June 19, 2018

It was the second inning of Saturday’s Pirates game at PNC Park. The Reds’ Eugenio Suarez fouled off an Ivan Nova pitch. On the game broadcast, you see Suarez look up into the stands as the crowd erupts in a cheer. “Somebody made a fabulous catch, first row of the club level,” the announcer says as the camera cuts to three men in the crowd. Rick Smith of Bedford, along with his sons, Brad (40) and Adam (38), were all smiles as Brad held the ball in one hand and his unscathed beer in the other. “I had to lean over the balcony to try to catch it,” Brad said. “I ...

Goodman Shaffer: Catching college softball fever in PA

June 12, 2018

The Women’s College World Series is in the books, with Florida State winning the NCAA Championship with a two-game sweep of Washington last week. It was an historic win for the Seminoles, not only the first national title for their program, but the first NCAA softball crown for the Atlantic Coast Conference as well. But that FSU victory had to be bittersweet for the Pittsburgh softball team. The Panthers lost a heartbreaker to Florida State in the ACC Championship Game in Atlanta. Pitt actually led 4-2 in the bottom of the seventh, before the Seminoles blasted a 3-run walk-off ...

Special Olympics thrives in Happy Valley

June 5, 2018

From October through March, Penn State’s Pegula Ice Arena is home to the Nittany Lion varsity teams, the stands filled with blue-and-white-clad hockey fans. But last week, the bleachers looked like a rainbow, packed with more than 2,000 Special Olympics athletes from throughout the state of Pennsylvania, along with their 800-plus coaches, and hundreds of family members, friends and volunteers. Splashes of color revealed each county’s delegation, the crowd bouncing with excitement as athletes joined in singing, dancing, and above all, smiling throughout the Games’ Opening ...

Patrick leaves her mark on racing world

May 29, 2018

The Indianapolis 500 went green over the holiday weekend with Danica Patrick among the field for what she says is her last time competing behind the wheel. Patrick qualified seventh and had high hopes of racing into retirement with a top-10 finish or better, maybe even a Cinderella trip to victory lane. But it was not to be. Patrick crashed on the 68th lap, her career ending with a disappointing smack against the wall. Patrick has said she’ll turn her attention to being a full-time entrepreneur: from wine to workout wear, she has number of irons in the fire, and an ongoing ...

Goodman Shaffer: Baseball looks to the future

May 22, 2018

Your favorite professional baseball player steps to the plate. The first pitch whizzes by, but the home plate umpire says nothing. From a speaker comes a voice or a sound indicating whether the pitch was a ball or strike, determined not by the ump, but by a computer. MLB has been floating the idea of robot-umpires or electronic strike zones for several years. With technology similar to that used during baseball’s television broadcasts, the effort could make the game move more quickly and ensure greater parity. But could this actually happen? Instant replay is already used, and a ...

Goodman Shaffer: Springtime views and diamond dreams

May 15, 2018

Some general observations while celebrating that spring has finally sprung: High school sports head down the home stretch in furious fashion. It’s a crazy time of year, heading toward their playoffs and the end of school; but also the most fun — good weather and contests that matter. And for seniors, their last opportunities to compete in high school athletics, a chance to make the most of every moment. Some of my favorite weeks of the spring are upon as television coverage of the NCAA softball playoffs begin this week. It will be especially exciting to watch the Saint Francis ...