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Jets may get it right this time around

By Rob Maaddi The Associated Press CANTON, Ohio — A group of Jets die-hards were reminiscing about Rich Kotite’s futile tenure as head coach in the mid-1990s when another New York fan wearing an old, green-and-white Browning Nagle jersey approached the group outside the entrance to the Hall of Fame game He reminded them Aaron Rodgers is the team’s new quarterback. They all burst into “J-E-T-S! Jets! Jets! Jets!” chants and rattled off random names from the franchise’s past. From Kotite, Bruce Coslet and Joe Walton to Vinny Testaverde, Richard Todd and Ken O’Brien, ...

’23 Steelers intriguing, uncertain

By Bob Trumpbour For the Mirror The NFL season opens on Thursday, Sept. 7 with the Kansas City Chiefs facing off against the Detroit Lions. For many football fans, the excitement of NFL football can’t come soon enough. For Steelers fans, the 2023 season may be among the most intriguing and, perhaps, the most unpredictable in decades. On a positive note, most experts praised the team’s draft, consistently ranking it in the top five of all NFL teams. That talent is likely to provide the Steelers with a strong roster for years to come. In addition, Kenny Pickett’s ...

RBs contract talk may spell trouble in locker room

By Rob Maaddi The Associated Press Saquon Barkley worked out his contract squabble with the New York Giants and showed up for training camp. Josh Jacobs is holding out with the Las Vegas Raiders. Le’Veon Bell once sat out the entire season after getting the franchise tag. Different running backs. Same problem. No solution on the horizon. NFL teams have devalued running backs to the point where Bell’s franchise total just five years ago was significantly higher at $14.5 million. The tag for Barkley, Jacobs and Dallas’ Tony Pollard was $10.1 million this season. Bell played ...

We remember the runner-up; sure we do

By Jim Caltagirone For the Mirror This year marks the 50th anniversary of John Cappelletti’s selection for the Heisman Trophy. That alone made the 1973 college football season something special for Penn State football fans. Mix in a perfect record and fifth-place national ranking and that season becomes unforgettable. Most certainly, that same season created lasting memories for John Hicks. An offensive lineman at Ohio State, he was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy, but it’s doubtful that many outside Columbus know his place in history without a Google search. The ...

MLB games on radio don’t need leg up

By Bill Contz For the Mirror As a native of southwestern Pennsylvania, I’ve developed an appreciation over the years for the rather unique wordsmithing practiced by Pittsburgh Pirate radio announcers, marveling at their ability to take the otherwise mundane and make it sound interesting. Folks my age no doubt recall legendary, gravel-voiced mikeman Bob Prince’s famous “and you can kiss it goodbye” declaration anytime a batted ball cleared a Forbes Field fence or his emphatic “Chicken on the hill with Will” whenever slugger Willie Stargell would catapult a pulverized ...

College game should use more caution

By Jim Caltagirone For the Mirror It didn’t take long for alarm bells to sound nationwide when a Stanford pitcher exceeded 150 pitches in an early June contest. The pitch count seemed to contradict the oft-cited maxim that athlete health and safety is the first of all priorities, at all levels. Granted, the stakes for Stanford were high. Starter Quinn Matthews took the mound with his team staring down elimination in game two of the NCAA Super Regional against Texas. A move to the bullpen would have seemed likely with the Cardinal leading, 5-3, after seven innings, and 8-3 ...