http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/ All Sports en-us Copyright 2012, post-gazette.com. Thu, 9 Feb 2012 05:09:35 -0500 15 http://www.post-gazette.com/includes/2007design/images/150x30pg_now_logo.gif http://www.post-gazette.com/ 144 39 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12040/1208827-361-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml When he was playing point guard at Point Park University, Gavin Prosser was running the top scoring offense in the nation. Now that he is running the girls basketball team at Baldwin High School, Prosser is bringing the same basic concepts from his playing days at Point Park to his first head coaching stint at his other alma mater. Thu, 9 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12040/1208829-361-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Designations and labels are impressive and easy to come by when discussing the Monessen High School boys basketball team. Defending WPIAL champions. Undefeated section champions. No. 2-ranked team in Class AA, according to the Post-Gazette. Thu, 9 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12040/1208830-361-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml For Clairton, a slow start to the season is nothing new ... neither is a red-hot finish. The Bears (11-6, 8-1) opened the season 3-5, but have won eight of nine since then. They'll go into Friday's game against Serra Catholic with a chance at their first section title since 2009 -- well, at least a share of the title. Thu, 9 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12040/1208835-361-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Last June, Karly Mellinger found herself playing basketball in the University of North Carolina's famous Dean E. Smith Center, aka "The Dean Dome." She was attending Carolina's Finest Team Camp with her Greensburg Central Catholic teammates, and the Centurions were battling a quality team from Arizona. Thu, 9 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12040/1208837-361-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Entering the season, Woodland Hills coach Mike Decker figured that senior guard Jeremy McMunn would be his team's second-leading scorer. And why not? Behind ultra-athletic big man Shakim Alonzo, McMunn was certainly the Wolverines' biggest scoring threat. He averaged 11.2 points per game last season and looked set to lead a much-improved Woodland Hills squad in Decker's second season. Thu, 9 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12040/1208841-361-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Central Catholic basketball coach Chuck Crummie has seen plenty of talented players at the boys-only Catholic school on Fifth Avenue in his 32 years as the Vikings coach. He's most pleased with the progress shown by Lincoln Davis, a 6-foot-2 senior guard from Penn Hills, since his freshman year. "When he was a freshman, he didn't understand the need to play hard," Crummie said. Thu, 9 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12040/1208868-361-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml A nine-game winning streak to start the season was followed by consecutive Section 2-AAA losses for the Hopewell girls' basketball team. A 9-0 Hopewell team was beaten at home, 68-64, by talented New Castle. Four nights later, the Vikings were blown out, 56-38, at Blackhawk. "That first loss to New Castle really took the wind out of our sails," Hopewell coach Jeff Homziak said. Thu, 9 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12040/1208870-361-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Trey Hosack admits he is trying to make up for lost time ... and a not-so-wise decision. Hosack did not play basketball last season for Lincoln Park in Midland. That's because the WPIAL Board of Control ruled him ineligible for athletics when he transferred to Ambridge. The decision was upheld by the PIAA. There went his junior season. Thu, 9 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12040/1208873-361-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Justin Gentile remembers that 12 months ago when South Side Beaver High School was playing out the end of the 2010-11 boys basketball season, there were few fond memories. And maybe fewer fans were in the stands. There was little in the way of production on the court to excite spectators. Thu, 9 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12040/1208875-361-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml With a young team struggling out of the gate and sitting at 0-5 on Dec. 20, outsiders might have told the Mars Area girls' basketball team to start looking forward to next season. The 15 players on the roster and three coaches were not about to consider this a rebuilding year, however, so instead of looking toward next season, they looked toward next year -- as in 2012. Thu, 9 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12040/1208877-361-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml It is that time of year again. No, it's not the time of year to pack the Christmas decorations away in the attic. That doesn't happen until April. It's time to lend a helping hand to the WPIAL Basketball Steering Committee as it gets ready for the league's version of March Madness. Frantic February, a.k.a. the WPIAL basketball playoffs, will tip-off next week. Thu, 9 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12040/1208879-361-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Not unlike his team, it is easy for Pine-Richland's Andy Andrle to get lost among the Section 3-AAAA boys basketball crowd. WPIAL Class AAAA's No. 1-ranked team -- Shaler Area -- plays in that section. . The Titans have a Penn State basketball recruit -- Geno Thorpe -- and a Pitt football recruit -- J.P. Holtz -- in their starting lineup. Thu, 9 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12040/1209025-143.stm?cmpid=sports.xml The attorney representing Jerry Sandusky is opposed to having an out-of-county jury hear the criminal sex abuse case against his client. Thu, 9 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12040/1209027-143.stm?cmpid=sports.xml A group that says it wants to reform Penn State University's board of trustees on Wednesday announced its endorsement of three candidates for the three alumni board seats up for election this spring. Thu, 9 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12040/1209034-87-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml It's probably just as well that Steelers coach Mike Tomlin won't be available for comment at high noon today when the team rolls out new offensive coordinator Todd Haley for his introductory news conference at its South Side compound. Tomlin will be there -- ostensibly to show his support for the Haley hiring -- but will not take questions. This is supposed to be Haley's day. Thu, 9 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12040/1209035-136.stm?cmpid=sports.xml In what Robert Louis Stevenson called "the most felicitous meeting of land and sea," the sea was winning Wednesday at Pebble Beach. Jimmy Walker stood in the bunker next to the sea wall along the 18th fairway, soaking up the scenery. Every 15 seconds, waves crashed into the rocks and sent a spectacular splash of white surf some 15 feet high. Thu, 9 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12040/1209037-66.stm?cmpid=sports.xml The Jets have maintained Santonio Holmes was going to return next season despite his highly publicized rift with quarterback Mark Sanchez. Since Holmes was on the Jets' roster Wednesday -- two days after the start of the NFL's 2012 waiver wire period -- $7.5 million of the wide receiver's 2013 salary is now fully guaranteed. Thu, 9 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12040/1209038-66-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml The St. Louis Rams have asked for permission from the Steelers to talk to Omar Khan about their general manager's job. Khan, 35, has been an executive with the Steelers and their chief contract negotiator the past 11 years. Thu, 9 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12040/1209044-175.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Kris Joseph scored a career-high 29 points, hitting a go-ahead 3-pointer in the final minute of overtime, and No. 2 Syracuse (24-1, 11-1) beat visiting 12th-ranked Georgetown (18-5, 8-4), 64-61, to give coach Jim Boeheim his 880th career win. Thu, 9 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12040/1209045-449-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Jeff Withey scored a career-high 25 points and Kansas went ahead to stay during a stretch without Thomas Robinson as the visiting seventh-ranked Jayhawks had another convincing victory against sixth-ranked Baylor, winning, 68-54. Thu, 9 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12040/1209048-175-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Pitt coach Jamie Dixon knew dealing with South Florida's size would be a challenge for his team. But Dixon could not have figured the Bulls would shut his team down Wednesday night in the manner they did. Behind some stifling defense, South Florida hammered Pitt, 63-51, ending the Panthers' four-game winning streak and dealing a big blow to their NCAA tournament hopes. Thu, 9 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12040/1209049-175-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml The University of Connecticut has proposed reducing the number of games it will play next season if the NCAA grants a waiver to allow the Huskies to play in the 2013 men's basketball tournament. The school currently is barred from the NCAA tournament, a penalty for years of below-standard academic results, but it requested a waiver last month. Thu, 9 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12040/1209052-142-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml West Virginia has, according to reports, reached a settlement with the Big East to get the conference's contractual 27-month waiting period waived, which paves the way for the school to join the Big 12 starting in the 2012 season. Thu, 9 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12040/1209053-144.stm?cmpid=sports.xml West Virginia is close to reaching a settlement with the Big East. The Mountaineers will pay the conference an $11 million cash settlement to join the Big 12 for the upcoming football season, a source with knowledge of the situation told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Thu, 9 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12040/1209056-63-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Jose Reyes' hair was sold for a fraction of the price of the entire All-Star shortstop. Five days after Reyes had his dreadlocks cut off on live television to comply with the dress code of the Miami Marlins, the auction for his hair ended with a winning bid of $10,200, the MLB Network said Wednesday. Thu, 9 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12040/1209068-361.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Brentwood High School officials have not found any credence to charges by Monessen's boys basketball team that Brentwood students and players used racial slurs toward Monessen in a game Friday. Brentwood issued a statement on its website, saying after the game "the district conducted an investigation and spoke to a number of district students and staff who attended the game. Thu, 9 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12040/1209069-139.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Over the next few weeks and months, more runners will take to the streets and gyms to prepare for the Pittsburgh Marathon in May. They'll start slow, going a few miles per day, and ramp up to longer runs as the race draws closer. But there is more to running a marathon than just running. Thu, 9 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12040/1209070-275-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Of all the impressive numbers on Tony Parker's stat sheet, perhaps the most eye-popping was zero fouls. Parker scored 37 points, Gary Neal added 18 off the bench and the visiting San Antonio Spurs beat the Philadelphia 76ers, 100-90, in a matchup of division leaders. Tim Duncan had 16 points and 11 rebounds and Tiago Splitter scored 15 for the Southwest Division-leading Spurs. Thu, 9 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12040/1209072-61-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml A person familiar with the NHL's plan said the Detroit Red Wings will play the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2013 Winter Classic. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity Wednesday because the league is not expected to announce the matchup until today. Thu, 9 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12040/1209073-61-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Drew Miller and Henrik Zetterberg scored in the third period Wednesday night as the Detroit Red Wings extended their home winning streak to 18 games with a 4-2 victory against the Edmonton Oilers. Thu, 9 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12040/1209074-61-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Colin McDonald did not know for sure that the Penguins would be sending him back to Wilkes-Barre, and he certainly did not know when it might happen. But he was all too aware that guys in his position, with one skate planted firmly in the American Hockey League, can have their status change at any time. Occasionally, that means they land a spot in the parent club's lineup. Thu, 9 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12040/1209087-142-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml The Big East has acquired all the pieces to build a coast-to-coast conference. Putting them together will take a while. The conference wanted to rebuild into a 12-team football league that can hold a championship game, and Memphis officially became that 12th member Wednesday when it accepted an invite it long has coveted. Thu, 9 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12040/1209089-169.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Robert Morris shut down a late rally by Northeast Conference rival Saint Francis to hold on for a 78-74 win. The Colonials' 11-point, second-half lead was cut to just two by the Red Flash (5-19, 4-7), but Saint Francis could not complete the comeback. Seven Colonials (18-8, 9-4) tallied six or more points led by Lucky Jones and Mike McFadden with 14 points each. Thu, 9 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12039/1209013-100.stm?cmpid=sports.xml TAMPA, Fla. -- South Florida snapped Pitt's four-game winning streak by beating the Panthers, 63-51, tonight at Tampa Times Forum. Wed, 8 Feb 2012 21:35:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12039/1208979-100.stm?cmpid=sports.xml West Virginia University is close to settling a lawsuit with the Big East by paying the conference $11 million, clearing the way for the school to join the Big 12 starting with the 2012 football season, a source with knowledge of the situation told the Post-Gazette. Wed, 8 Feb 2012 19:04:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12039/1208965-100.stm?cmpid=sports.xml The Steelers began what may be a lengthy house-cleaning list when they released veterans Bryant McFadden and Arnaz Battle today. Wed, 8 Feb 2012 16:40:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12039/1208923-139-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Jerry takes your questions in his weekly online forum. Wed, 8 Feb 2012 15:37:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12039/1208865-100.stm?cmpid=sports.xml The Penguins have returned forwards Colin McDonald and Jason Williams to their farm team in Wilkes-Barre. Wed, 8 Feb 2012 14:06:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12039/1208756-361-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml The newly crowned top 3-point shooter in WPIAL boys basketball history has helped his team reach the playoffs his senior season. Micah Mason broke the WPIAL record for career 3-pointers and helped Highlands earn a spot in the postseason Tuesday with a 72-60 win against visiting Deer Lakes in Class AAA Section 2. Wed, 8 Feb 2012 10:58:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12039/1208712-139.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Alberto Contador vowed Tuesday to return to the pinnacle of cycling, maintaining his innocence in the face of a two-year doping ban that stripped the Spanish star of his 2010 Tour de France title. Wed, 8 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12039/1208713-139-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml The World Anti-Doping Agency on Tuesday urged U.S. federal authorities to quickly hand over evidence collected in their lengthy probe into seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong and doping in American cycling. Wed, 8 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12039/1208715-143.stm?cmpid=sports.xml The Big Ten, which helped squash the notion of a four-team playoff to crown a national champion in college football several years ago, is taking another look. "All of the Big Ten athletic directors are comfortable exploring the possibility of a four-team playoff," Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis said. "Four is better than two." Wed, 8 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12039/1208716-66.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Two days after their grueling season concluded with a tense victory against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI, the New York Giants took a victory lap in Lower Manhattan. The celebration kicked off with a parade that wound north up Broadway's Canyon of Heroes, amid a sea of confetti, horns and fans in blue jerseys, and ended with a ceremony at City Hall Plaza, where Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg presented the players with keys to the city. Wed, 8 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12039/1208717-66-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml If the Steelers wanted an offensive coordinator who will be tough on quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, they found the right person in Todd Haley. As an offensive coordinator with the Arizona Cardinals, Haley often got into arguments and in-your-face debates with some of his top players, including star quarterback Kurt Warner. Wed, 8 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12039/1208718-87-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml There's a perception out there that Steelers new offensive coordinator Todd Haley is a tyrant. It's one thing to be emotional, a good thing actually in a sport as competitive as football. But many say Haley frequently steps over the line, that he is headstrong, confrontational and difficult to work with and for. Wed, 8 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12039/1208719-142.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Memphis is the latest school to sign up for a spot in the new Big East. A person familiar with the decision says Memphis is joining the Big East for all sports in 2013. The Big East announced it would hold a teleconference today with commissioner John Marinatto, University of Memphis President Shirley C. Raines and Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson, though it did not give any details about what would be discussed. Wed, 8 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12039/1208741-449.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Freshman Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had 13 points and 13 rebounds and top-ranked Kentucky easily passed its toughest Southeastern Conference test to date with a 78-58 victory against No. 8 Florida. Wed, 8 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12039/1208743-135.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Duquesne freshman P.J. Torres texted his coach in November before the team's nationally televised game at Arizona: "I'm ready to play coach." Ron Everhart disagreed. It was a big TV game after all, and he questioned his freshman's motives. Torres didn't played that night. "Everybody here was 'the man' in high school. I came here with the high school mindset. Wed, 8 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12039/1208745-175.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Winning on the road in the Big East is a tough task. Pitt has come to understand just how difficult it is this season after posting winning records in conference road games for three consecutive seasons. Wed, 8 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12039/1208747-169.stm?cmpid=sports.xml For most of this season, the top of scoring sheet has been fairly predictable for Robert Morris. Redshirt junior Velton Jones nearly always is there. Leading the Colonials with 16.8 points per game, he has been the team's top scorer in 15 of 25 games. Behind Jones is usually sharpshooter Coron Williams, who leads the team with 56 3-pointers and averages 11.0 points per game. Wed, 8 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12039/1208757-275-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Paul Pierce passed Larry Bird for No. 2 on the Celtics' career scoring list, finishing with 15 points as Boston increased its winning streak to five in a row with a 94-84 victory against the visiting Charlotte Bobcats. Pierce needed nine points to tie Bird's total of 21,791. He had seven points at halftime, then hit a 3-pointer with 10:23 left in the third quarter to pass Bird. Wed, 8 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12039/1208771-61.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Martin Brodeur stopped 30 shots for his first shutout this season and the record 117th of his NHL career Tuesday night, and the visiting New Jersey Devils beat the Eastern Conference-leading New York Rangers, 1-0, for their fifth consecutive win. David Clarkson gave Brodeur all the offense he needed with a first-period, power-play goal. Wed, 8 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12039/1208772-61-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Evgeni Malkin has a Stanley Cup ring, an NHL scoring championship and a playoff MVP award. What he does not have, at least in parts of North America, is a public presence equal to his accomplishments. Wed, 8 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12039/1208774-66.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Steelers tight end Weslye Saunders has been suspended without pay for the first four games of the 2012 season for violating the NFL's policy on performance enhancing substances. Saunders, an undrafted rookie in 2011, is eligible to participate in all preseason games and practices before his suspension begins Sept. 1. This is not the first time Saunders has had off-the-field problems. Wed, 8 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12039/1208781-61.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Used to be that a bad game would rattle Marc-Andre Fleury, causing him to follow it with one that wasn't much better. Not anymore, though. He proved that again Tuesday night, when he did just about everything possible to earn a victory for the Penguins against Montreal at the Bell Centre. Wed, 8 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12038/1208724-61.stm?cmpid=sports.xml MONTREAL -- Rene Bourque, Lars Eller and Tomas Plekanec scored during a eight-round shootout to give Montreal a 3-2 victory over the Penguins at the Bell Centre tonight. Tue, 7 Feb 2012 22:28:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12038/1208661-100.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Former Kansas City Chiefs coach Todd Haley has been hired as the Steelers new offensive coordinator, replacing Bruce Arians, the team announced today. Tue, 7 Feb 2012 15:42:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12038/1208666-100.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Steelers tight end Weslye Saunders has been suspended without pay for the first four games of the 2012 season for violating the National Football League's policy on performance enhancing substances. Tue, 7 Feb 2012 14:23:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12038/1208554-66-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin has never won the NFL's coach of the year award. Quarterback Eli Manning has never been the league's MVP. With two Super Bowl victories in the past five seasons, though, they have emerged as the NFL's top coaching-quarterback tandem. And the best might be yet to come. Tue, 7 Feb 2012 08:33:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12038/1208549-87-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml It was about 90 minutes after Super Bowl XLIII, a game that always will be remembered here because of the Steelers' fabulous comeback against the Arizona Cardinals. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was at a private party, his tie off, his sleeves rolled up and a cold adult beverage in his hand. Tue, 7 Feb 2012 08:13:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12038/1208592-449.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Bobby Cremins knew he had nothing left to give his College of Charleston players when he walked away from the game last month. Cremins said he was physically exhausted and advised by his doctor to make drastic changes or risk jeopardizing his long-term health. "I had nothing. I had no gas. The tank was empty," Cremins said Monday. "The kids knew. They could feel it." Tue, 7 Feb 2012 00:01:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12038/1208595-275-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Lou Williams nailed the go-ahead 3-pointer, scored 14 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter, and dampened Kobe Bryant's record-setting game while leading the Philadelphia 76ers to 95-90 win against the Los Angeles Lakers Monday night. With "Beat L.A.!" Tue, 7 Feb 2012 00:01:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12038/1208547-139.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Three days after U.S. prosecutors dropped their investigation of doping claims against Lance Armstrong, fellow Tour de France champion Alberto Contador was stripped of his 2010 title when sports' highest court rejected the Spanish cyclist's story that contaminated meat caused him to fail a drug test. Tue, 7 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12038/1208548-63.stm?cmpid=sports.xml The Colorado Rockies acquired veteran right-hander Jeremy Guthrie from the Baltimore Orioles on Monday, a move that bolsters their young rotation. In exchange, the Rockies send reliever Matt Lindstrom and right-hander Jason Hammel to the Orioles. Tue, 7 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12038/1208550-66-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick gave clear instructions to his defensive unit: Let the runner score. Playing the odds and inviting critics, the calculating coach told his players to get out of the way, open a wide path for Ahmad Bradshaw and give Tom Brady a chance to win the Super Bowl in the final 57 seconds. Unusual? Certainly. Crazy? Not at all. Tue, 7 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12038/1208551-61.stm?cmpid=sports.xml He didn't look bad on a line with Steve Sullivan and Cal O'Reilly, even though he was playing out of position. He added a nice dimension to the No. 2 power play, as well, even though the second unit isn't exactly his natural habitat. Tue, 7 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12038/1208552-175.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Dante Taylor's career has not turned out the way he envisioned, and his detractors can argue when he finally bottomed out. It seems a good bet, though, that his two-game stretch in January against Rutgers and Marquette are certainly in the discussion. Taylor did not score in those games three days apart in mid-January. Tue, 7 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12038/1208556-66-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml For the third consecutive year, the Super Bowl set a record as the most-watched television show in U.S. history. The Nielsen Co. said Monday that an estimated 111.3 million people watched the New York Giants beat the New England Patriots, 21-17, Sunday night in Super Bowl XLVI at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Tue, 7 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12038/1208575-139-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml While sports events across Europe fall victim to the deep freeze, the Dutch are welcoming the drop in temperatures, hoping that the revered "Eleven Cities" speed skating race can be staged later this month for the first time in 15 years. Tue, 7 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12038/1208588-61.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Buffalo Coach Lindy Ruff broke three ribs in what was described as "a freak accident" after he was upended by defenseman Jordan Leopold in practice Monday. Ruff was hurt near the end of practice during a puck-chase drill when Leopold was trying to cut off forward Ville Leino. Tue, 7 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12038/1208589-61.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Phil Kessel scored twice and Mikhail Grabovski assisted on Toronto's first two goals to lead the surging Maple Leafs past the visiting Edmonton Oilers, 6-3. The Oilers played without coach Tom Renney, who stayed back at the team hotel after taking a puck in the head during the morning skate. The cut required stitches and left Renney experiencing headaches. Tue, 7 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12038/1208590-61-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Jordan Staal isn't the biggest name on the Penguins' injured list. He isn't even the biggest name center there. But he is the one who figures to be the first to get back in their lineup. Tue, 7 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12038/1208593-175.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Gorgui Dieng returned from a sprained right ankle to score 15 points and freshman Chane Behanan added 12 rebounds as No. 24 Louisville (19-5, 7-4) beat Connecticut (15-8, 5-6), 80-59, for its fifth win in a row. Louisville looked like the team ranked fourth in the nation at 12-0 and nothing like the one that dropped five out of seven three weeks ago. Tue, 7 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12038/1208612-361.stm?cmpid=sports.xml West Mifflin's Ciara Patterson did everything she could, but it wasn't enough to defeat the No. 1-ranked girls basketball team in WPIAL Class AAA. Patterson had 24 of her game-high 38 points in the second half, but by then the Titans were just playing catch-up. South Park beat West Mifflin (7-9, 6-3), 76-50, Monday night to clinch the Section 4 title for the second consecutive season. Tue, 7 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12038/1208613-361-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Basketball Box Scores Tue, 7 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12037/1208510-100.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Pitt running backs coach Eddie Faulkner has resigned and will become the tight ends coach at Wisconsin. Mon, 6 Feb 2012 18:10:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12037/1208496-100.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Just a day after Super Bowl XLVI, two Pittsburgh-area residents and two Floridians today filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court accusing the National Football League of selling them tickets for unfinished seats at last year???s Super Bowl XLV. Mon, 6 Feb 2012 14:03:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12037/1208458-66.stm?cmpid=sports.xml INDIANAPOLIS -- Eli Manning is elite, for sure. A king of comebacks, too. And far, far more than Peyton's little brother now. Spot-on from beginning to end, Eli Manning won his second NFL championship -- and second Super Bowl MVP award -- for leading the New York Giants to a 21-17 victory against the New England Patriots. Mon, 6 Feb 2012 10:25:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12037/1208439-67-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml According to one poll released last week, 55 percent of U.S. adults said they planned to tune in to Sunday's Super Bowl as much or more for the commercials than for the game. If that's true, and if those viewers also spend any time on social media sites like Facebook or Twitter, odds are this was a pretty disappointing year for them. Mon, 6 Feb 2012 09:21:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12037/1208389-61-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml NEWARK, N.J. -- The Penguins won't have to conduct an in-depth evaluation to figure out what went wrong in this one. Not when their No. 1 goalie -- the guy who has been so good, for so much of this season -- was out of the game in less than 23 minutes. Mon, 6 Feb 2012 00:36:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12037/1208442-275.stm?cmpid=sports.xml The city of Seattle has been working behind the scenes the past eight months with a hedge-fund manager to bring an NBA team back to town -- possibly as early as next fall if the Sacramento Kings fail to get a satisfactory deal for a new arena, newly released documents show. The city Friday turned over the documents to The Seattle Times under a public records request. Mon, 6 Feb 2012 00:35:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12037/1208387-61-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml On an afternoon when another New York team was on the minds of many fans at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers did their best to emulate the Giants by physically wearing down Philadelphia Flyers. Mon, 6 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12037/1208388-61-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml NEWARK, N.J. -- It used to be all about the numbers with Ilya Kovalchuk. Well, some of the numbers, anyway. Mostly, goals. To some extent, assists. Plus-minus? Uh, not really. But Kovalchuk, a New Jersey winger who scored one goal and set up two others in the Devils' 5-2 victory against the Penguins Sunday at Prudential Center, is a different player these days. Mon, 6 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12037/1208400-142.stm?cmpid=sports.xml PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Darryl Bryant's 3-pointer with just over a second left in overtime gave West Virginia an 87-84 victory Sunday against Providence in a Big East Conference game at Dunkin' Donuts Center. The two teams exchanged leads throughout the extra period, and Providence's Gerard Coleman made 1 of 2 free throws to tie it at 84-84 with 10 seconds left. Mon, 6 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12037/1208401-449-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Penn State coach Coquese Washington had a simple message to her team: The game is long, so have some patience and keep playing. That's exactly what happened Sunday afternoon. Because despite making only one of their first 18 shots and trailing by 15 points in the first half the No. 19 Lady Lions (18-5, 8-3 Big Ten) rallied for a 68-65 victory at Minnesota (12-13, 4-7). Mon, 6 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12037/1208403-175-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Tray Woodall keeps getting better, and Pitt keeps on winning. There are more intricate details involved in Pitt's four-game winning streak for sure, but Woodall's stellar play is just about all one needs to know as the Panthers continue their late push for an NCAA tournament berth. Mon, 6 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12037/1208441-136.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Kyle Stanley rebounded from a devastating loss to win the Phoenix Open in Scottsdale, Ariz., overcoming an eight-stroke deficit Sunday in a comeback as unlikely as his collapse a week ago at Torrey Pines. Mon, 6 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12037/1208443-139-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml I'm happy for the Giants' Tom Coughlin, who, in any given season, goes from coaching for his job to coaching in the Super Bowl. I'm happy for America, which, for one day, shows the world it still is the No. 1 superpower for spectacle and sport. And, of course, I'm happy that the somewhat evil Patriots lost. Mon, 6 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12037/1208449-66.stm?cmpid=sports.xml INDIANAPOLIS -- Mario Manningham is no longer the New York Giants' forgotten receiver. Manningham emerged from the shadow of Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz with a catch that will rival David Tyree's Super Bowl helmet grab four years ago, helping the Giants knock off the New England Patriots, 21-17, in the NFL championship game Sunday. Mon, 6 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12037/1208451-66.stm?cmpid=sports.xml INDIANAPOLIS -- Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw looked back, saw no one chasing him, and paused at the goal line. Could it really be this easy to score the winning touchdown in a Super Bowl game? Mon, 6 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12037/1208453-66-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml INDIANAPOLIS -- It's still two years away, but there should be optimism that a cold-weather Super Bowl in northern New Jersey in 2014 won't be a frigid one -- at least based on the past two years. Once again, the weather Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., was perfect for a Super Bowl: sunny, with temperatures around 40 degrees and almost no wind. Mon, 6 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12037/1208457-66-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml INDIANAPOLIS -- In a town that Peyton Manning once owned, little brother Eli ran off with the bacon again. Mon, 6 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500