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College football playoff will be ‘glorious’

For decades, the condition commonly referred to as March Madness has been exasperated by one uncontrollable factor. The upsets. The unpredictability inherent in the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments attracts audiences across all demographics which fosters a television ratings bonanza, which in turn, showers the sport in multiple forms of revenue. This same cause-and-effect relationship will apply to next season’s expanded College Football Playoff which holds the promise that a lower seed will string together a series of upsets and capture the championship. ...

Trip to Series brings back fond memories

By Bill Contz For the Mirror Last week I crossed off a bucket list item by attending my very first World Series game, evidently succumbing to a severe case of rattlesnake fever in the desert. Now you may ask yourself, what’s a former offensive lineman doing writing about baseball during football season? Good question. Please join me on a little sentimental journey, won’t you? My visit to Chase Field in Phoenix occurred nearly 52 years to the day my father sat in the center-field bleachers of Three Rivers Stadium for Game 4 of the 1971 fall classic to watch Danny ...

Suddenly Dabo under fire at Clemson

By Paul Newberry The Associated Press Dabo Swinney is a bit testy these days, which is certainly understandable. He was once the hottest college football coach in all the land, the guy who seemed poised to supplant Nick Saban as the G.O.A.T. of the sideline. Now, after struggling to adapt to the rapidly changing times, ol’ Dabo is suddenly leading a Clemson program that looks downright ordinary. So, when a bold fan called in to challenge the deteriorating state of the Tigers on Swinney’s radio show this week, the coach showed just how thin his skin has become. Let the ...

First (and last) trip to the Horseshoe

It’s been a long time since I’ve written to the Mirror. The urge usually hits when I feel the need to get something off my chest about my alma mater, Penn State. Thus, I felt compelled to write about my first (and last) trip to Ohio Stadium (aka, “The Horseshoe.”) I will leave it to the sports pundits to dissect the disappointing performance of our football team (note to Cory Giger — you go right on pressing James Franklin about his offensive coordinator’s seeming inability to implement a vertical passing game). No, I want to talk about my experience as a visiting ...

Numbers simply don’t lie

By Jim Caltagirone For the Mirror During a six-week stretch that spanned late August to mid-October, three significant attendance records were set at sports events in this country. That’s interesting news, but there is an inspirational aspect to it. Women were competing in all three events — a college volleyball match in Lincoln, Nebraska, professional soccer game in Seattle, and college basketball game in Des Moines, Iowa. Integral to the feats were three phenomena — the University of Nebraska volleyball team, Megan Rapinoe and Caitlin Clark. The Huskers have won ...

Can football be bigger than futbol?

By Rob Maaddi The Associated Press NEW YORK — The king of American sports wants to take over the world. The NFL’s desire to become a global powerhouse is no secret. Growing the brand internationally was a major theme brought up this week at the league meetings. It started with the official announcement that flag football will be part of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. That’s a big victory for the NFL, which worked hard to grow the sport’s popularity and pushed for its inclusion. “That is an exciting development for us, one that we think will bring a lot of momentum ...