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DeLeo’s work worthy of recognition I am writing to show my appreciation to a man who has covered area sports for the last 40 years on radio, television and as a public-address announcer. That man is Rich DeLeo. Rich covered Altoona Area High School basketball in the beginning of his career and now is known as the voice of Bishop Guilfoyle football and basketball. In between, he has been the PA announcer for the Altoona Curve and Saint Francis basketball. He has a weekly television sports show and has hosted radio shows in the past. The ...

Don’t count Belichick out just yet

By Rob Maaddi The Associated Press Bill Belichick has won more Super Bowls than any coach and more games than everyone except Don Shula. Still, he didn’t land a new job. An iconic coach who built a two-decade dynasty in New England and teamed with Tom Brady to lead the Patriots to six championships somehow got shut out in a hiring cycle that started with eight openings. “I was surprised. I thought there would be quite a bit of interest in someone who has won that much and is available,” Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy told the AP. “Coach Belichick is obviously a legend ...

Don’t write Djokovic off just yet

By Howard Fendrich The Associated Press It might be tempting to see some tidy symbolism and greater significance in Novak Djokovic’s loss to Jannik Sinner in the Australian Open semifinals. The end of the thirtysomething Djokovic’s 33-match winning streak at Melbourne Park. The end of his bid for an 11th championship there and 25th Grand Slam trophy overall. The breakthrough for the twentysomething Sinner, an up-and-coming talent who will now get to play in his first major final, against Daniil Medvedev on Sunday. Then again, that was the sort of passing-of-the-torch ...

Walton part of 75 years of memories

By John Marshall The Associated Press The best praise UCLA’s players could expect from John Wooden was a twinkle in the eye or a slight upward curl in one corner of his mouth. After wins — and there were a lot — Wooden might give a player a pat on the shoulder or rub of the head, perhaps a nod and a quick “Good job.” When Bill Walton produced one of the greatest performances in college basketball history, Wooden couldn’t resist taking a tongue-in-cheek jab at the big redhead. “When he got to me that day in St. Louis, he stopped, looked down at me and says: ‘I used ...

Penn State opt-outs quit on their team

As a Penn Stater, class of 1963, I was disappointed with the loss to Mississippi in the Peach Bowl, and I was irate with the key Penn State football players who sat out the game. Four of them have their eyes on the NFL draft, and one entered the transfer portal. These players enjoyed full scholarships during their years at Penn State and were held in high regard as potential graduates. The current transfer portal system has created the “Wild West” of college football. Players can transfer during the election period and conceivably transfer schools four times during their ...

Donors: Please give $$ but save two cents

By Jim Caltagirone For the Mirror An old saying in fundraising circles subscribes to the notion that institutions want a donor’s money but not their two cents. That sentiment is likely shared by athletic directors at universities from coast to coast, especially when it relates to unsolicited feedback on the performance of their head football coach. Fundraising professionals for non-profits, charitable organizations and athletic programs foster a sense of shared commitment by describing prospective donors as stakeholders. If the stakeholder label is truly legitimate, then ...