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Pac-12 going the way of the former SWC

By Paul Newberry The Associated Press Kyle Kallander has a unique perspective on the latest round of chaos in college athletics. As the final commissioner of the late, great Southwest Conference, he knows nothing is sacred. Certainly not these days, when everyone is chasing the almighty dollar more than ever. History and tradition? Those terms carry no weight in what has essentially become a game of Risk, with the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference taking turns rolling the dice to determine how to divvy up the world of college football. “Depressing is the first word that ...

Steelers’ best bet must be Trubisky

By Bill Contz For the Mirror With July here, spirited debate will soon rage as to when Kenneth Shane Pickett should be formally installed as the heir to Ben Roethlisberger’s throne. With veteran Mitch Trubisky in the same locker room, I contend that this debate would be a tad premature. Recent history tells us that when lottery pick QBs are pressed into service during their inaugural campaigns we can expect, at best, pedestrian results. Trevor Lawrence and Zack Wilson both struggled mightily on terrible Jacksonville and New York Jets teams last season while top pick Joe ...

Age may be catching up with Nadal

By Howard Fendrich The Associated Press WIMBLEDON, England — It was impossible not to think ahead, to what awaits Rafael Nadal, while watching him sigh as he discussed how “very sad” he was about pulling out of the Wimbledon semifinals because of a torn abdominal muscle. It was impossible not to think back to just a month ago, when Nadal at 36 became the oldest champion in French Open history, then expressed doubt about whether he would even show up at the All England Club because of chronic pain in his left foot that required nerve-numbing injections just so he could play in ...

Building II hits milestone in a big way

By Tom Fox For the Mirror They are the players that do the dirty work, the ones in the trenches. Much like offensive linemen in football, they do the things that don’t always show up in the box score and are no less important because of it. it’s rebounding, setting screens, diving for loose balls, or taking charges, teams cannot be successful without talented post players. We recently marked the 20th anniversary of my camp for basketball bigs known as Ultimate Bigman. It’s a week I look forward to that is near and dear to my heart which started in 2003 with my friend ...

Koepka honest about LIV Golf and money

By Doug Ferguson The Associated Press Brooks Koepka likes to boast about his honesty. He takes as much pride in being bold and blunt as he does in his remarkable record in the major championships. He does not shy from criticism if he feels it is warranted. Koepka once accused Patrick Reed of cheating by “building sand castles” in a waste area in the Bahamas. He left no doubt about his feelings for Bryson DeChambeau, a long list. “I’m always going to speak my mind and tell you what I think, and I think everybody in this room knows that,” he said at a PGA Championship ...

Mailbag

MLB did disservice to Pirates, Phils Why did Major League Baseball take the Pirates away from their home division many years ago (1994) and ship them to the National League Central? Some of the greatest games I witnessed in the 1960-70s took place within the Keystone State in both Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. MLB did a major discredit to the Pennsylvania fan base when they severed a summer-long series between the Phils and Buccos with a lab experiment that in my opinion has failed. Those turnpike matchups easily could be compared to that of the Yankees-Red Sox or Dodger-Giants; ...