On the Wednesday episode of The PG Penguins Show, presented by FanDuel, Post-Gazette insiders King Jemison and Jason Mackey look on a busy 2025 for the Penguins. What were some of the biggest storylines of the year? Tristan Jarry is out and Stuart Skinner is in. Is this team leaving 2025 better than they were at the start of the year? We also, of course, talked some about the current winning streak. Later, we look ahead to a fascinating 2026 for the Penguins. First, some talk about the Yegor Chinakhov trade and what we thought. Then, we chat about the team's playoff chances, whether they'll make a big trade and the players representing their country at the Olympics including Sidney Crosby, Erik Karlsson and Rickard Rakell. For more sports, visit post-gazette.com.
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On the Wednesday episode of the PG Pitt Show, presented by FanDuel, host Stephen Thompson covers Pitt's rebounding problems and why there’s really no solution to them. That's bad news for the Panthers, because the outcome of essentially every game moving forward will be determined by a number of different factors, rebounding included. They know what they need to do, but aren’t capable of doing it. Thompson looks ahead at Clemson, which poses a tough matchup with its rebounding ability and 3-point defense. For more sports, visit post-gazette.com.
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On the Wednesday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by FanDuel and Edgar Snyder & Associates, host Adam Bittner welcomes Post-Gazette Steelers insider Christopher Carter to assess Aaron Rodgers' play at QB this year.
Does he deserve the "inconsistent" label after his latest performance against the Browns? Can his personnel plausibly be blamed with DK Metcalf absent? Or did should Rodgers still have been expected to do more with Kenneth Gainwell, Jaylen Warren, Adam Thielen, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Pat Friermuth, Scotty Miller and others available as options?
Our duo tackles those questions, then talks defense. How close is the unit to living up to Mike Tomlin's preseason expectations that it be "historic." What's the biggest factor in the turnaround over the past month? Is Derrick Harmon the simple answer? Or is it more complicated than that. How much credit do Tomlin and DC Teryl Austin deserve for the secondary, which has shined with an ensemble cast that includes Jalen Ramsey, Joey Porter Jr., James Pierre, Brandin Echols, Asante Samuel Jr. and Kyle Dugger? And how many offenses remain in the AFC playoff picture that could pose problems for this group?
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Awards season has begun, and as we turn our attention to 2026, our WPIAL insiders Keith Barnes and Mike White hand out the first-ever VXies, honoring the top players, teams, coaches, performances and upsets in the 2025 calendar year!
To keep things interesting, the two only knew of the categories and made their own selections separate from each other.
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So grab some popcorn and check out the Varsity XTra Podcast, sponsored by Dave & Busters!
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Live around 5 p.m., Post-Gazette sports columnist Paul Zeise ponders the coaching matchup in the Steelers' NFL Week 18 showdown with the Baltimore Ravens that will decide the AFC North. Are the Steelers' Mike Tomlin and the Ravens' John Harbaugh coaching for their jobs in this one? Should the loser be fired for missing the playoffs? And who will be the bigger disappointment if they lose? Tomlin with major roster additions including Aaron Rodgers, DK Metcalf, Jalen Ramsey Jonnu Smith and others. And stars like T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward toward the ends of their careers? Or Harbaugh with an MVP candidate at QB in Lamar Jackson and an all-time great running back like Derrick Henry. Paul tackles those questions and more. Then gives his thoughts on Tomlin's weekly news conference.
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Post-Gazette Steelers insiders Gerry Dulac and Ray Fittipaldo recap coach Mike Tomlin's weekly news conference ahead of an NFL Week 18 matchup with the Baltimore Ravens that will decide the AFC North.
They explain that Calvin Austin III, T.J. Watt, James Pierre, Isaac Seumalo and Brandin Echols are all trending in positive directions on the injury front but that Watt, at least, may be limited in terms of snap count. They also ponder ways OC Arthur Smith can boost the offense after an ugly outing in Week 17 against the Browns. Could we see QB Aaron Rodgers attempt to use a higher tempo to keep the Ravens off-balance in the absence of DK Metcalf? Will the play calls be more sensible on crucial downs? And will RB Kenneth Gainwell be more involved without having Myles Garrett to worry about on the blocking front? Our duo tackles those questions and more.
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On the Tuesday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by FanDuel, host Noah Hiles welcomes Post-Gazette Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo to look ahead to the team's NFL Week 18 matchup with the Baltimore Ravens that will determine the AFC North race. Will T.J. Watt be available for coach Mike Tomlin's defense with the season on the line? Or will DC Teryl Austin need to rely on Alex Highsmith, Jack Sawyer and Nick Herbig at outside linebacker onces again? And if so, are those guys ready for the challenge of slowing elite Ravens running back Derrick Henry? Our duo tackles those questions, then talks offense. How can OC Arthur Smith and QB Aaron Rodgers get more out of the unit than we saw last week against the Browns? Especially with DK Metcalf and possibly Darnell Washington out of action? Can they compensate with personnel like Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Adam Thielen, Scotty Miller, Pat Freiermuth and others? And get RBs Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell more involved? For more sports, visit post-gazette.com.
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Post-Gazette Pitt insider Stephen Thompson breaks down some topics regarding the Panthers' basketball team as it heads into its ACC opener on Tuesday night.
Can Jeff Capel's team get off to a good start in the ACC? Or was their precarious non-conference performance a sign of trouble to come in the league? Can Pitt keep Ernest Udeh Jr. and Malik Reneau off the glass?
Stephen also checks in on the state of the ACC as a whole. Which teams have started the season well? Is Duke a national title contender? Have new coaches like Ryan Odom at Virginia and Will Wade at NC State given their teams a lift? And could this be a sign that more teams from the conference will get into the NCAA tournament? Stephen tackles those topics and more.
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Live around 5 p.m., Post-Gazette sports columnist Paul Zeise reacts to the Steelers' NFL Week 17 loss to the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field.
He gives his thoughts on whether he feels coach Mike Tomlin, OC Arthur Smith, QB Aaron Rodgers and the offense focused too closely on stopping Myles Garrett from breaking T.J. Watt's single-season sack record, at the expense of productivity. He also gives his reasons for why players including Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Adam Thielen, Pat Freiermuth, Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell had ineffective days in the absence of DK Metcalf despite the Browns entering the game with a lousy record.
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Post-Gazette Pitt insider Stephen Thompson breaks down some topics surrounding the Panthers football team and its recent coaching changes.
What went into Pat Narduzzi selecting Cory Sanders as Pitt's new defensive coordinator, replacing the retiring Randy Bates? Will anything change with Sanders at the helm of that unit? How much will the team miss Ryan Manalac, who became the defensive coordinator at UConn? Should he have been the choice instead? And who are some names to watch to backfill the vacant jobs? Maybe Mickey Jacobs from Duquesne? Stephen tackles those topics and more.
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