Friday’s “On Sports” highlights the Pittsburgh Penguins national reach and broadcast schedule, Stephen Curry adds another year with the Warriors, pitcher Rich Hill has been dealing for 20 years, and a big year for Najee Harris?
National treasure
They haven’t been a playoff team since 2021-22, and they are mostly bereft of top-tier players.
But the Pittsburgh Penguins remain an almost unrivaled national brand and television draw.
The NHL released its U.S. national TV schedule Thursday, and the Penguins — they of the 78 wins and 84 losses the past two seasons, and with no playoff series wins since 2018 — are a darling of the networks.
Can't miss this lineup on @NHL_On_TNT this season! ???? #NHLFaceOff pic.twitter.com/kBctTO6nkx
— NHL (@NHL) August 29, 2024
Though the team and the league term the national television appearances at 17, that figure includes two games exclusively broadcast on ESPN+. Sports business media outlets are more likely to characterize the Penguins with 15 appearances. Regardless of how you define it, though, the Penguins are tied with the Colorado Avalanche for the most national games.
The Penguins are due for four appearances on ABC (according to Sports Business Journal, only the Rangers and Bruins have more; only the Red Wings also have as many as four). The Penguins’ nine scheduled broadcasts on TNT are tied with the Avalanche for the most in the NHL.
The Penguins and Rangers open the annual national-TV season Oct. 9 on TNT. The two exclusive ESPN+ games (cue the angry emails from viewers) are in the fall: Nov. 8 and Dec. 6. The Penguins’ first appearance on ABC is Feb. 22. They won’t be part of an exclusive broadcast on the ESPN mothership until the waning days of the season, April 8 and April 17.
Deal done
He’s one of the greatest to ever play the sport, a multi-time champion and league MVP who’s internationally recognized, finished this past season at 36 years old and has proudly played for only one team his entire career.
Sidney Crosby? Yes. But this also describes the NBA’s Stephen Curry. And while the contract status of Crosby with the Penguins remains mysteriously in limbo, Curry on Thursday signed an extension with the Golden State Warriors that ties him to the team until he’s 39. The deal agreed to Thursday is for one year at $62.6 million.
The NHL’s finances won’t allow Crosby to make anywhere near that per season in his next deal. But Crosby is entering the final year of a 12-year contract with the Penguins, and as of July 1 he was eligible to sign an extension. Teammates Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang are signed to deals with the Penguins through age 40 and 41, respectively.
Not over the Hill
Speaking of 40-something athletes, none in the major North American pro sports are older than Rich Hill. The crafty lefty pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates last season — the 12th of 13 teams he’s played for.
Thursday night at Fenway Park, Hill became the only active MLB player to appear in a game during each of the past 20 seasons. Hill, 44, struck out two in 1 1/3 innings of a 2-0 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.
44-year-old Rich Hill appears in his 20th Major League season and strikes out his first batter ???? pic.twitter.com/f4LuwIXbEg
— MLB (@MLB) August 30, 2024
This is Hill’s fourth tenure with the Red Sox. He joined former Pirates pitcher Tim Wakefield as the only 44-plus aged pitchers in franchise history and became the oldest player to appear in the majors since Ichiro Suzuki (45) in 2019.
Najee numbers
A big year for Najee Harris? That’s the prognostication from an ESPN NFL personality.
Dan Graziano on Thursday released what for him is an annual preseason list titled, “Predicting potential 2024 surprises for all 32 NFL teams.”
And for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the choice was “Don’t be surprised if … Najee Harris has 1,500 yards from scrimmage.”
Wrote Graziano: “The Steelers declined Harris’ fifth-year option for 2025, but that doesn’t mean they’re done with him. They want to see how he (and everyone else) performs in first-year coordinator Arthur Smith’s offense before making any long-term decisions. There’s a feeling in the building that Smith’s offense is well-suited to Harris’ skills, and with big-time question marks at quarterback and wide receiver (plus Smith’s history), I expect the Steelers to lean on their running game a lot.
Jaylen Warren, Harris’ top competition for backfield touches, has already missed time in camp with a hamstring injury. Plus, Harris has cleared 1,000 rushing yards in each of his three NFL seasons so far, and he had 74 catches for 467 yards in his rookie season of 2021. I think he’ll be the major focal point of the Steelers’ offense.”
Warren insists he will be ready for the Sept. 8 season opener, and last season Warren split snaps almost equally with Harris (569 to 519). Harris had the edge in touches (284-210) and yards from scrimmage (1,205-1,154).
Considering Harris amassed 1,667 yards from scrimmage as a rookie (in 2021) and has averaged 1,378 yards from scrimmage per season, it is not unreasonable (if healthy) to expect that under Smith that he can get to 1,500 in 2024.
The Steelers in May declined a 2025 contract option that would have paid Harris $6.97 million.
Chris Adamski is a TribLive reporter who has covered primarily the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2014 following two seasons on the Penn State football beat. A Western Pennsylvania native, he joined the Trib in 2012 after spending a decade covering Pittsburgh sports for other outlets. He can be reached at cadamski@triblive.com.
