Breaking News

Sports Columns

Steelers’ QB housecleaning justified

Talk about a spring housecleaning. Steeler GM Omar Kahn completely gutted his team’s quarterback room faster than Bob Vila taking down a century-old Victorian on an episode of This Old House. Kahn didn’t just knock out a few walls. He bulldozed the entire building and demolished the structure’s foundation. And for a team that hasn’t reached a conference title game since 2016, it is a wake-up call the organization desperately needs. I can’t ever recall any NFL team swapping out an entire position group, let alone its most recognizable one. The acquisition of Russell ...

Fields still has a shot at being special player

Justin Fields went from being considered a franchise quarterback to disregarded by the Chicago Bears in just three seasons. It’s quite a fall for a former first-round pick who showed promise. After more than a dozen QBs switched teams last week in the opening days of the NFL’s free-agent frenzy, the Bears traded Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a conditional sixth-round pick in 2025. The pick becomes a fourth-rounder if Fields ends up playing more than expected. He’s going to Pittsburgh to back up Russell Wilson, provide insurance and possibly have a shot to be a starter ...

Late winter offers fishing opportunities

With the official first day of spring now less than a week and a half away, it’s probably safe to say that this winter was generally a mild one. Only a few times did our area experience days with more than a couple of inches of snow. That situation suits me just fine, especially since there wasn’t any worthwhile snow during deer season, the only time I am even remotely tolerant of the white stuff. Having lived here in central Pennsylvania all my life, I’m well aware we could get several inches of snow between now and the first week or two of April, but thankfully, it will be ...

US women’s team building toward upcoming Olympics

The United States Women’s National Soccer Team is trying to reestablish its dominance in the game and build some scoring power. The team is doing that now by flexing its scoring muscle at the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) Women’s Gold Cup. The U.S. demonstrated some scoring power in its 4-0 victory over Argentina in its first game as Jaedyn Shaw scored twice early, Alex Morgan scored on a header, and Lindsay Horan converted a penalty kick. Shaw has the type of scoring power the U.S. has been looking for as she has scored in ...

You want debate? Define dynasty

Royalty exists in America in the unconventional form of the sports dynasty. Once this designation has been conferred upon a team, its legitimacy as a sports dynasty cannot be challenged because no formal criteria has been established for qualification. The effort to define a sports dynasty brings to mind an observation by the late Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart, who conceded that he wasn’t able to articulate what constitutes hard-core pornography, but emphasized, “I know it when I see it.” At the moment when Kansas City advanced to Super Bowl LVIII, the debate began ...

Bear harvest down slightly

Earlier this month, the Pennsylvania Game Commission released the black bear harvest totals for the various bear hunting seasons throughout the state. The final tally revealed Pennsylvania bear hunters bagged 2,920 bears, which amounts to 250 bears fewer than the 3,170 taken in the 2022 seasons. The all-time record bear harvest for Pennsylvania occurred in 2019 when hunters bagged 4,653 bears. Hunters have several different opportunities to hunt bears in Pennsylvania. Bowhunters took 702 bears during the archery seasons in September and October. Also in October, the muzzleloader ...