Student section needed at Beeghly

February 8, 2020

YOUNGSTOWN — They come in, look around and take their seat. It’s in the upper level of the Beeghly Center. Some sit on the hard, wooden benches on the ends behind the baskets, other take refuge on wooden bleachers. They are students, Youngstown State University students. They come for the free food, which I’ll never pass up myself. Others are curious about the men’s basketball team. The Penguins play tonight at 6 against Cleveland State (9-15, 5-6 Horizon League). YSU (13-11, 6-5) is in fourth place in the Horizon League, a half-game behind Green Bay, which lost at the ...

MLB issues return with sign stealing

February 5, 2020

History tends to repeat itself, especially in the sporting world. Take Major League Baseball. It was during the 1919 World Series that a band of Chicago White Sox players — back then the best team money could buy— conspired with a group of gamblers to throw the championship to a team of inferior Cincinnati Reds. In 1920, the commissioner of baseball — Kenesaw “Mountain” Landis — cracked down on the perpetrators of the scandal and banned eight players from the game for life. Say it isn’t so, Joe? Now almost a century later, the question turns into “Say it ...

Five key tips for the beginning angler

February 1, 2020

Anglers who have experienced the joys of fishing understand the basics about tackle and where to go on our local lakes and rivers for fat walleyes, slab crappies, jumbo perch and big largemouth bass. But for every person experienced in fishing, dozens more are wondering how and where to begin. Veteran anglers make it look simple. Truth is a successful start in fishing can be difficult. For those who think fishing might be in their future, today I offer my top five tips for getting started. The rewards are tremendous. Great adventure awaits those who learn the game and advance to ...

Despite negatives, Pelini will be missed

January 31, 2020

The news was a little hard to believe. A high-profile coach who had been successful leading one of the nation’s storied programs was coming to Youngstown State. Bo Pelini, the intense and oft-criticized Nebraska coach who won more than 70 percent of his games with the Cornhuskers, decided to come home. Not many saw it coming. Heck, days before he made the decision, back in December of 2014, a department head within YSU athletics laughed when I brought up the “rumor” that Pelini might come to YSU. “Who else is coming, (Michigan State coach) Mark Dantonio?,” he quipped. Days ...

Intensity key part of push by YSU

January 30, 2020

YOUNGSTOWN — Intensity, it’s easy to say, hard to display when exhaustion runs through your being. School and other factors can affect the all-out intensity in preparation. It’s about being ready for 40 minutes of dribbling, shooting, rebounding and boxing out on a hardwood surface with a Penguin embossed on the floor. On Wednesday, the Youngstown State men’s team was preparing for tonight’s game against Illinois-Chicago starting at 7. Defense is YSU’s calling card, with a focus on rebounding, making those box outs, keeping the opposition out of the paint. Offensively, ...

Gradishar more than Hall of Fame worthy

January 19, 2020

The Pro Football Hall of Fame has been known for questionable, or frankly, downright stupid decisions over its lifespan. The Hall of Fame class for the NFL’s centennial season was a chance to make up for all the mistakes that have been made. All the legends over the years who have yet to get the call to Canton — Roger Craig, Clay Matthews Sr., Drew Pearson, Randy Gradishar. The latter, a Champion High School graduate, once again has been kept out of the Hall of Fame and, to me, it gets more egregious every time. There are 10 linebackers in NFL history with seven Pro Bowl ...