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Sunday Sports MailBag

Maz’s homer was more than ‘immaculate’

“Was Mazeroski’s Game 7 home run or the Immaculate Reception the greatest moment in Pittsburgh sports history?” Excellent question from last week’s Mailbag, but there is only one clear and unequivocal response which I will reveal shortly. As Pittsburgh fans, we have been very fortunate to witness many outstanding achievements by some of the greatest athletes and teams in MLB, NFL and NHL history. The NFL rated the Immaculate Reception as the greatest play in its first 100 years. No doubt, it was, is and always will be a memorable and exciting play which won a playoff ...

Bill Mazeroski’s humility equally memorable

The passing of Bill Mazeroski brought back so many great moments with the Pirates when they were a team we took pride in. There was the man himself, Maz, his historic home run, his outstanding defensive ability and, maybe above all, his humility and sound character. Well over a decade ...

Belichick, Brady aren’t Hall worthy

As to the ongoing question: Does Bill Belichick deserve to be in the Hall of Fame? Does a cheater deserve to be in the Hall of Fame? The bottom line is no. Same with Tom Brady. When you have to cheat to get an edge, well, that diminishes one’s accomplishments. Vickie Woomer Altoona

Penn Cambria’s Patsy Felus will be missed

The Penn Cambria community was shocked and saddened to hear of Mrs. Patricia “Patsy” Felus’ death on Sunday, Jan. 11. Considering her my mentor in the athletic world, I have been shaken all week by this news. Throughout my college years, Mrs. Felus taught me how to run the clock for athletic events and recruited my assistance in scheduling and event management that sparked my desire to be an athletic director. Anyone involved in high school athletics across the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference from the 1990s through the 2010s likely knew and/or interacted with Mrs. Felus. The ...

Lane takes place in ultimate ‘book’

As a young boy, I had first met Jim Lane at a candy store called Rocky’s, one block away from our house. Local sports enthusiasts would gather there, and I would often tag along with my dad. Our fare was Royal Crown Cola, Benzel’s Pennysticks and a Fudgesicle or Creamsicle for “dessert.” As a member of the Altoona Area High School basketball team, I became better acquainted with Jim throughout the years of 1969-71. He was our regular team reporter for the Altoona Mirror, recounting home games from the storied Jaffa Mosque. He was a consummate professional. As the boys ...

PSU audio leaker should pay high price

To borrow and paraphrase a remark from President Gerard Ford: At long last, the great Penn State nightmare (2.0) is over. However, what still upsets me is the betrayal by the player who leaked the tape of the closed-door team meeting with team leaders. In the athletic world, that’s a sacrilege. If identified, he should be thrown off the team ASAP — preferably by the team leaders. And I would hope that each player at that meeting would let Kraft know it wasn’t him. I know it would be hard for the players to turn on a teammate, but this was also a betrayal to them and ...