What a four-day period for Pittsburgh sports

By Ron Cook
https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/ron-cook/2019/09/17/felipe-vazquez-arrest-pirates-minkah-fitzpatrick-trade-ben-roethlisberger-injury/stories/201909180062
September 17, 2019


Felipe Vazquez (Matt Freed/Post-Gazette)

Let me begin by writing this quite comfortably:

There never has been a four-day news period in the history of Pittsburgh sports that rivals the one we just experienced.

Saturday, the magnificent 100-game college football series between Pitt and Penn State came to a controversial end with Pitt losing, at least in part, because of one of the worst coaching decisions of all time. Pat Narduzzi didn’t give his kids their best chance to win by electing to kick a field goal late in the game on fourth-and-1, down seven points.

Sunday, the Steelers lost a game to the Seattle Seahawks and lost franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to a serious elbow injury. Roethlisberger will have surgery this week, his Hall of Fame career very much in jeopardy.

Monday, the Steelers traded their No. 1 draft choice in 2020 to the Miami Dolphins for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. It is the first time they traded their top pick in 52 years, going back to the Bill Austin days. (Be thankful if you’ve forgotten them.)

And Tuesday, a story more horrific than any I can remember …

Pirates All-Star closer Felipe Vazquez was arrested on felony charges of soliciting a child for sexual purposes and giving obscene material to a minor. If he’s found guilty, the next mound we should see him on is on a prison yard. We can only hope.

Click on the link below to read the rest of the article:

https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/ron-cook/2019/09/17/felipe-vazquez-arrest-pirates-minkah-fitzpatrick-trade-ben-roethlisberger-injury/stories/201909180062