NHL playoffs filled with drama; NBA a snoozer

May 28, 2022

If you’re looking for some excitement, forget about the NBA playoffs. They’ve been a total snooze, filled with blowouts and only a handful of must-see moments. The lack of drama has been especially striking when compared to the NHL postseason, which has produced one thrill after another. Games 7s? Check. Overtime goals? Check. Fierce rivalries? Check. Once again, hockey’s playoffs are proving to be the most compelling show in all of sports, leaving hoops and most everything else in their wake. Just check out that game late Thursday night, when the Edmonton Oilers won the ...

Introducing a game of ‘Don’t catch me if you can’

May 21, 2022

By Cory Giger sports@altoonamirror.com One of the cool things about baseball is that frequently you’ll see something new or at least something worth discussing or debating when you go to a game. One such situation occurred during the Curve’s home game last Saturday against Somerset. It involved whether or not an outfielder should have caught a foul ball and let a runner tag from third to score — which is what happened — or let the ball drop foul on purpose to try and keep the score right where it was at. “That’s a really good question,” Curve manager Kieran Mattison ...

F1’s hyped 1st trip to Miami a money-losing success

May 10, 2022

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Miami Grand Prix was hot, from the party scene to the weather, but it faced nearly impossible expectations. The celebrity watching was top level, certainly for a motorsports event. There was Paris Hilton, using a portable fan to cool herself as she danced in front of the McLaren garage on race day. Serena and Venus Williams holding hands as they navigated the pre-race grid in summer dresses. Bad Bunny, the Puerto Rican entertainment icon, making a flashy entrance in an all-pink suit while hanging with Sergio Perez, Red Bull’s Mexican driver. There were ...

Altoona boys basketball search: Up, up and away

May 7, 2022

By Neil Rudel nrudel@altoonamirror.com There have been special occasions over the years that have merited use of the Mirror helicopter to help me get a better view of the area sports landscape. Sometimes the trips have been to observe high-level coaching searches, mainly involving Altoona Area High School but Penn State, too, but it’s also fun just to take a spin on a nice day. With the price of gas these days, excursions are limited, but they’re still necessary since: 1) They keep the propellers from getting rusty; 2) Altoona is searching for a new boys basketball coach. ...

Chastain calms down, on surge

April 26, 2022

TALLADEGA, Ala. — He stood atop the winning Chevrolet at Talladega Superspeedway ready to celebrate in his own signature way. But when Ross Chastain smashed a month-old watermelon onto the track, the crowd roared as if it was an Earnhardt who had just snatched a thrilling, last-lap victory. It was “unlike anything I’ve ever experienced,” said the eighth-generation watermelon farmer from Florida. “I want it to smash; I don’t want it to just bust open,” Chastain said. “I heard (the cheers) and I felt them. The car was shaking. Then my legs started shaking. My arms ...

Pinegar aims to finish career ‘right way’

April 25, 2022

UNIVERSITY PARK — In an age where too many college athletes respond to adversity by racing to the transfer portal, may I present Jake Pinegar. Penn State’s placekicker for the better part of three years (2018-20), Pinegar was beaten out by Jordan Stout in 2021 and forced to watch virtually the entire season from the sidelines. Now Stout, whose big leg was also a punting and kickoff weapon, is gone, awaiting this week’s NFL Draft as “probably the highest-drafted specialist,” James Franklin said. Pinegar, who led the Big Ten in scoring as a freshman with 101 points, ...