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  • Kaleb Johnson Has A Lot Of Work To Do

    Kenneth Gainwell was one of the biggest surprise stories in the NFL this past season. The former Philadelphia Eagle and Super Bowl champion signed a one-year deal worth a little under $2 million with the Pittsburgh Steelers last season, switching allegiances to the other side of Pennsylvania. His signing coincided with the departure of Najee…

  • The Last Penguins Game Before Covid

    Every year around this time, I can’t help but look back on the whirlwind that was March of 2020. In seemingly the blink of an eye, the entire world flipped upside down as Covid-19 swept through the planet. This new and mysterious virus had so many of us afraid, and suddenly having to experience something…

  • Penguins Put It All On The Line In Historic Comeback Win

    You really can’t overstate how important Sunday night’s game at PPG Paints Arena was for the Pittsburgh Penguins. The night before, the Penguins lost in yet another shootout, continuing one of the NHL’s most inexplicable patterns as they failed to earn the second point in a 4-3 loss to Philadelphia. That same night, the New…

  • Penguins Acquire Elmer Soderblom In Quiet Deadline Day

    It was a pretty quiet day on Friday as the NHL trade deadline came and went. Though 34 trades were completed, involving 54 players and 38 draft picks moved, this year’s deadline didn’t have the blockbuster-type deals we saw at this time last year. In Pittsburgh, the phones were also pretty silent. In fact, general…

  • Trying To Predict A Possible Evgeni Malkin Suspension After Thursday Night’s Incident

    Last night was an ugly loss for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Embarking on their fifth game without the services of their injured captain Sidney Crosby, the Penguins suffered a 5-1 loss on home ice to the surging Sabres, a team who looks destined to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2011. Few…

  • The Kyle Nicolas Trade Is A Risk For Both Clubs Involved

    Spring training action is well underway, but that hasn’t stopped Major League Baseball front offices from working the phones. Wednesday night, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati conducted a swap, with the Pirates sending right-handed reliever Kyle Nicolas in exchange for infielder/outfielder Tyler Callihan. For the Reds, they’re hoping to bring in a high-leverage arm who can help…

  • A Konnor Griffin Extension Is A No-Brainer For Both Sides

    The name attracting the most attention down in Florida during spring training for the Pittsburgh Pirates is Konnor Griffin. The consensus top prospect in baseball and 19-year-old is battling for a roster spot with the Pirates. He’s already launched three of home runs, and he’s been a little snakebitten in the batting department, dragging down…

  • In The Outfield, All Eyes Are On Oneil Cruz

    During Wednesday afternoon’s spring training loss down in Florida to the Atlanta Braves, Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz badly misread an outfield hit by Drake Baldwin. As video shows, he overruns the fly ball by about ten feet as it drops near the wall, allowing Baldwin to get all the way to third base. It’s…

  • Penguins Play Near Perfect In First Game Back From Olympics, Missing Sidney Crosby

    For the first time in three weeks, last night was a hockey night in Pittsburgh. Following the Olympic break, the Penguins got back on the ice at PPG Paints Arena, hosting the visiting New Jersey Devils on their second night of a back-to-back. Making an appearance was Jack Hughes, the scorer of Team USA’s golden…

  • Sidney Crosby’s Injury Shouldn’t Alter Penguins’ Playoff Push…Yet

    Yesterday, Penguins fans braced themselves for the news they hoped wouldn’t come, but feared would. On Wednesday, the Penguins placed sidney Crosby, captain of Team Canada who was injured at the Winter Olympics on a hit by Czech defenseman Radko Gudas, on injured reserve. Per the team, he is expected to miss at least four…

  • Kyle Dubas Starts Trade Deadline Season With A Bang

    As NHL players are starting to come back home, things are starting to ramp up back in the league. Kyle Dubas, who was in Milan with Team Canada at the Winter Olympics, wasted no time working the phones once the tournament wrapped up. On Tuesday afternoon, the Penguins traded defenseman Brett Kulak to the Colorado…

  • Give Mike Sullivan Credit

    Before men’s ice hockey dropped the puck at the 2026 Winter Games in Milano Cortina, I talked about Mike Sullivan. The two-time Stanley Cup winner in Pittsburgh and current head coach of the New York Rangers was leading an American team into the Winter Games, searching for their first gold medal since the famed Miracle…

  • Nick Gonzales Has A Lot On The Line This Spring

    Spring training is officially underway, and although we couldn’t watch it on television yesterday, it’s a reminder of just how close the start of the regular season is. Here in Pittsburgh, one of the more interesting names to keep an eye on this spring is Nick Gonzales. He made his season debut in Grapefruit League…

  • Looking At Past Standout Spring Training Performances By Pirate Pitchers

    The Pittsburgh Pirates are all down in Bradenton, and in just a few days, spring training baseball will officially get underway. Few sports can pull off interesting preseasons, but the arrival of the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues are celebrated among baseball fans who endure long winters without the American pastime. For the Pirates, a lot…

  • Looking At Past Standout Spring Training Performances By Pirate Batters

    The Pittsburgh Pirates are all down in Bradenton, and in just a few days, spring training baseball will officially get underway. Few sports can pull off interesting preseasons, but the arrival of the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues are celebrated among baseball fans who endure long winters without the American pastime. For the Pirates, a lot…

  • Three Penguins The Olympic Break Might Help

    The Winter Olympics are well underway in Milan, and the ice hockey tournament features National Hockey League talent for the first time since the 2014 Games in Sochi. Here in Pittsburgh, the Penguins have sent four players off to the Milan Games: Sidney Crosby for Canada, Arturs Silovs for Latvia, and Erik Karlsson and Rickard…

  • Three Penguins The Olympic Break Might Hurt

    The Winter Olympics are well underway in Milan, and the ice hockey tournament features National Hockey League talent for the first time since the 2014 Games in Sochi. Here in Pittsburgh, the Penguins have sent four players off to the Milan Games: Sidney Crosby for Canada, Arturs Silovs for Latvia, and Erik Karlsson and Rickard…

  • Evgeni Malkin Makes The Decision For The Penguins Easy

    Coming into this season, Evgeni Malkin was experiencing perhaps his final year with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Drafted second overall in 2004 and arriving to the United States in a way only a thriller movie script could properly tell, Pittsburgh is the only home he’s ever known in the NHL. It’s the city where he won…

  • The Winter Olympics Will Be A Referendum On Mike Sullivan

    Tomorrow, American men’s ice hockey officially drops the puck at the Milano Cortina Olympics in Italy, marking the first Winter Games to include NHL talent for the first time since 2014. An already worldwide event will have even more eyes on it, with the game’s most recognizable names in the game suiting up for their…

  • If This Is It For Andrew McCutchen In Pittsburgh, He Deserved Better

    Yesterday morning, the Pirates made surprising headlines when they signed free agent Marcell Ozuna. The deal, pending a physical, will pay Ozuna $12 million for the 2026 season and carries a mutual option for 2027, which would bump his salary to $16 million. For the Pirates, it’s another signing that can help boost the abysmal…

  • Five Thoughts On The Super Bowl

    One: The Sam Darnold redemption arc is complete. I’m sure at this point, the Seattle quarterback is tired of hearing about the struggles of his early career. As you (and him) have both heard for the entire season, Darnold was a former third overall pick by the New York Jets in 2018. He suffered through…

  • The Penguins Prospect We All Will Be Talking About

    Eleven months ago, I was doing some digging through the stats of Pittsburgh’s prospect system. I was looking over stats and the occasional highlights, and during my search, one guy started to stick out to me. Avery Hayes. At this point in the time, the organization’s prospect pool was still relatively thin. Yes, the Penguins…

  • The Argument For And Against Drafting A Quarterback

    It’s quarterback week here at Fifth Avenue Sports! With the NFL season just days away from officially concluding, the Pittsburgh Steelers are entering another a pivotal offseason. In what has become almost an annual tradition now, the Steelers will embark on another search for a quarterback. With several options to weigh, I wanted to try…

  • The Argument For And Against Signing A Quarterback In Free Agency

    It’s quarterback week here at Fifth Avenue Sports! With the NFL season just days away from officially concluding, the Pittsburgh Steelers are entering another a pivotal offseason. In what has become almost an annual tradition now, the Steelers will embark on another search for a quarterback. With several options to weigh, I wanted to try…

  • The Argument For And Against Will Howard In 2026

    It’s quarterback week here at Fifth Avenue Sports! With the NFL season just days away from officially concluding, the Pittsburgh Steelers are entering another a pivotal offseason. In what has become almost an annual tradition now, the Steelers will embark on another search for a quarterback. With several options to weigh, I wanted to try…

  • The Argument For And Against Aaron Rodgers In 2026

    It’s quarterback week here at Fifth Avenue Sports! With the NFL season just days away from officially concluding, the Pittsburgh Steelers are entering another a pivotal offseason. In what has become almost an annual tradition now, the Steelers will embark on another search for a quarterback. With several options to weigh, I wanted to try…

  • How Should The Penguins Approach The Trade Deadline?

    I suppose in a normal season, it would be a little bit early to start outlining what plans should be for the NHL trade deadline. But this is no ordinary season in the NHL. For the first time since the 2014 games in Sochi, the NHL is allowing their players to go to the Olympics.…

  • This Is The Most Fun Penguins Team In Years

    Tonight at PPG Paints Arena, the Pittsburgh Penguins will celebrate the tenth anniversary of their 2016 Stanley Cup win. During a night that will involve many familiar faces from that championship-winning team, the Penguins will remember a team that brought Sidney Crosby his second ring and forever shut down discussions that his best days were…

  • Was The David Bednar Trade Necessary?

    In just a few weeks, pitchers and catchers will start to report, kicking off the unofficial start of baseball season with workouts. The Pittsburgh Pirates, heading into year three of Paul Skenes, had an unusually busy offseason. They swung a trade to acquire a power hitter and second baseman, signed their first multi-year free agent…

  • Roman Wilson’s Complicated Future In Pittsburgh

    The Pittsburgh Steelers have a lot of work to do. After a third straight season of finishing 10-7 and losing in the Wild Card round, it’s evident that there’s a lot that needs to change if the Steelers have serious hopes of contending, now or in the future. Some of that change is being forced…

  • Five Thoughts On The NFL On Championship Weekend

    One: Denver had a chance. Look, the Broncos faced a lot of setbacks heading into this game. Most notably, the absence of their starting quarterback Bo Nix. Jarrett Stidham, backup-turned-starter in the biggest game of the season, had not made a start in the NFL in 749 days and had became the first quarterback in…

  • What The Mike McCarthy Hire Tells Me About The Steelers

    On Saturday, Steelers fans got the long-awaited announcement they’ve been waiting for: the name of their next head coach. However, it wasn’t the name many fans were pulling for. The team announced that they had a “verbal agreement” with 62-year-old Mike McCarthy to become the new head coach of the Steelers, a decision that was…

  • How Andrew McCutchen Can Contribute To A Pirates Team In 2026

    Despite the winter storm expected to drop, PiratesFest is still expected to take place this weekend in Pittsburgh, kicking off the unofficial count down to spring training. One name that won’t be there, though, is Andrew McCutchen. The legendary Pirate and 2013 NL MVP is still a free agent, having not signed anywhere since his…

  • Ok, Let’s Talk About Mike McCarthy

    The Pittsburgh Steelers are in unchartered waters for the first time in nearly two decades. After 19-year head coach Mike Tomlin stepped down following the team’s disastrous playoff loss to Houston last week, the Steelers have started the process of figuring out who the next person up for the job will be. A lot of…

  • Revisiting The 2019 Penguins Draft Class

    Heading into training camp this season, the Penguins had two prospects battling it out in a crowded forward crop. Sam Poulin, the team’s first round pick from 2019, truly felt like he was in a make-or-break year as a 24-year-old. Valtteri Puustinen, a seventh round-pick who once seemed to have secured a roster spot in…

  • Penguins Acquire Lefty Defenseman From Avalanche

    The trade deadline is still over a month away, but NHL general managers are already antsy to get deals done ahead of the Olympic break in early February. On Sunday, Calgary traded defenseman Rasmus Anderson to Vegas for a package that included four assets. The deal Pittsburgh and Colorado made wasn’t anywhere at all on…

  • The Only Truly Meaningless Game Of Mike Tomlin’s Career

    Aside from his victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII, the most notable accomplishment of Mike Tomlin’s career was never having a losing season. In his 19 years as a head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tomlin’s team never once more lost games than they won. It was a streak that was consistently…

  • Five Thoughts On The NFL For The Divisional Round

    One: I don’t know about you all, but I really enjoyed the Houston vs New England game. To many, this wasn’t exactly the crisp, highlight-reel type game they were hoping for. But those kind of games, filled with nothing but pure chaos, are some of my favorites. If you can’t havre a 50-point shootout, might…

  • Does Will Howard’s Lack Of Experience Hurt Him Heading Into Next Year?

    It’s a new era for the Pittsburgh Steelers. In the wake of Mike Tomlin, the 19-year head coach, stepping down from his post, the Steelers have a lot to figure out as they pick up the pieces from this season. But among the highest priorities heading into 2026 is figuring out who the quarterback will…

  • Reflecting On The Aaron Rodgers Era In Pittsburgh

    In the minutes after the Houston Texans sealed a 30-6 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, a profound sense of misery loomed over the team in the city. It was an ending that was all too familiar for Steelers fans, and although a loss like this would have certainly prompted, a majority of fans did not…

  • Three Reasons The Steelers Head Coaching Gig Is Attractive, And Three Reasons It Isn’t

    It’s a crazy time in Pittsburgh sports. Mike Tomlin, who coached the Steelers for 19 years, stepped down on Monday after his team’s 30-6 loss to the Houston Texans. There is obviously so much nuance to a move like this, but one thing is for certain: it’s the start of a new era for the…

  • The Dawn Of A New Era

    Just a little while ago, the news that was largely unexpected finally dropped. Mike Tomlin officially stepped down as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He walked away from a job he held for 19 years, a place where he won a Super Bowl and made it to another. He’s leaving an organization where…

  • The Jig Is Up

    Breakups are almost always messy. Why do you think there are so many good songs about them? Almost every time, at least one side ends up feeling betrayed, hurt, or just heartbroken over the smoldering remains. But sometimes, both sides can acknowledge when something just is no longer working. You don’t have to gave ill…

  • As If It’s Your Last: Five Thoughts On Steelers Vs Texans, Wild Card Weekend

    Just like that, it’s all over. On a cold Pittsburgh night, one filled with hope, the visiting Houston Texans crushed a city made of steel and walked out with a 30-6 win over the Steelers. The goal coming into this year was clear: win a playoff game. Save the argument for whether that should be…

  • Five Thoughts On The NFL On Wild Card Weekend

    One: The NFL almost had a perfect Wild Card Weekend. The first four games of the slate were perfect. The LA Rams vs Carolina, Green Bay vs Chicago, Buffalo vs Jacksonville, and San Francisco vs Philadelphia all featured exciting, back-and-forth action that really heated up in the second quarter. Then things trailed off with the…

  • Pirates Have To Match Cubs In Arms Race

    Saturday was a crazy day in the world of Chicago sports. All three of the big teams that played for the Windy City won, capped off by a crazy comeback win by the Chicago Bears to knock off Green Bay in the NFL’s Wild Card Weekend. But the only team that wasn’t in action also…

  • Evgeni Malkin’s Return Is Massive For Penguins

    After a lengthy absence on the injury list, Evgeni Malkin made his return to the lineup for the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night. Making his return to the lineup for the first time since December 4th, Malkin was re-joining a team that is on a tear as of late. After a horrid final month to…

  • Egor Zamula Joins Weird List Of “Ex-Penguin” Defensemen To Never Play For The Team

    On Tuesday, defenseman Egor Zamula officially cleared waivers and became a free agent. Minutes later, he had a new contract in the NHL with Columbus. The “ex-Penguin” blue liner had his contract terminated not long before, ripping up his old contract just days after the Penguins had acquired him. He never appeared in a Pittsburgh…

  • Why The Egor Zamula Situation Isn’t A Complete Loss For The Penguins

    It’s been a busy week in the front office of the Pittsburgh Penguins. On December 29th, the Penguins swung a trade with a division rival in Columbus for forward Yegor Chinakov, a promising yet underperforming winger who the Penguins hoped could benefit from a change of scenery. They shipped depth forward Danton Heinen and a…

  • How A Trio Of Mercenaries Can Help The Longest Active Coach In The NFL Break A Wretched Streak

    If there’s one thing Mike Tomlin is known for, it’s consistency. In his 19 years as an NFL head coach, he has never had a losing season. No matter how close he looks to finally losing that mark, he never, ever does. He’s gone 10-7 each of the last three years, and although he has…

  • Eighteen Thoughts On The NFL For Week 18

    One: That was one of the best NFL regular season finales I can ever remember watching. On Sunday night, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens battled it out for the last remaining playoff spot and the division crown. At the confluence of the three rivers, these two combined for a gritty, mostly defensive first half…

  • Can Ville Koivunen Build Off His Goal In Columbus Win?

    The Pittsburgh Penguins won their fifth straight game Sunday afternoon when they completed the comeback to win in overtime over the Columbus Blue Jackets, 5-4. There was a lot to like in this game. The Penguins got scoring from a number of players, Arturs Silovs made some timely saves in the third period to give…

  • Kings Of The North: Five Thoughts On Steelers Vs Ravens, Week 18

    I don’t know if you could have scripted a better ending to the NFL regular season than this game. Last season, Pittsburgh’s season ended in Baltimore as the Ravens thrashed the Steelers in the wild card round. This year, Pittsburgh got their revenge, denying the Ravens a playoff bid and winning the AFC North. In…

  • Pirates Can’t Just Give Up After Losing Out On Kazuma Okamoto

    It’s been a long, winding road for baseball fans and Kazuma Okamoto, the Japanese phenom who was posted by his Nippon League team and made the jump to North America.  That journey, full of speculation, intrigue, and so many conflicting reports, finally ended this weekend.  Okamoto signed with the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday, just…

  • Penguins Add Another Piece To The Defensemen Jumble

    It’s been a busy last few days to close out the year for Kyle Dubas.  On Monday, Dubas sent forward Danton Heinen, a 2026 second round pick, and a 2027 third pick to Columbus for forward Yegor Chinakov.  Two days later, with one last trade to close out the year, Dubas made another trade within…

  • Can Stuart Skinner Build Off The First Positive Start Of His Penguins Career?

    Maybe, just maybe, all Stuart Skinner needed to finally settle into his new town and team was a new mask. The ex-Edmonton goaltender, who was traded from the Oilers to the Penguins back on December 12th, made his fourth appearance of the year for Pittsburgh on Tuesday night, where he and his team treated fans…

  • Penguins Take Gamble In Acquiring Yegor Chinakhov

    There’s a new face in town for the Pittsburgh Penguins.  On Monday, the team announced a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets that saw them land winger Yegor Chinakhov.  Going back to Columbus is a second round pick in 2026 (originally belonging to St. Louis), a third round pick in 2027 (0riginally belonging to Washington),…

  • Seventeen Thoughts On The NFL For Week 17

    One: I was not a fan of Christmas Day games. Last week, I talked about the poor slate the NFL had for their Christmas Day games, one that featured a bunch of teams out of the playoffs. Only two teams had something worth playing for, and I feel awful for the one whose game meant…

  • Dog House: Five Thoughts On Steelers Vs Browns, Week 17

    You knew this was coming, didn’t you? It’s never that easy with this team. In a game that could have clinched the division for the Steelers, Pittsburgh dropped a 13-6 game to Cleveland, giving the Browns their fourth win of the season and allowing them to be a thorn in the side of the Steelers…

  • How Does Jake Mangum Factor Into The Pirates Lineup?

    We’ve seen a very different version of the Pittsburgh Pirates this winter. General manager Ben Cherington has played this offseason much more aggressively, and the organization has opened up their checkbook far more than they usually do. Among the surprising moves was a three-team trade that saw the Pirates send righty starter Mike Burrows to…