Oh, come together, yeah

MIKE BURKE Allegany Communications Sports Everything has been coming up roses for the Washington Commanders for the better part of a year now, highlighted by the franchise’s first appearance in the NFC Championship Game since 1991. And why wouldn’t it be roses and daffodils? The Commanders have the most important piece of the puzzle solved…

A club Babe Ruth wouldn’t join

MIKE BURKE Allegany Communications Sports During this the week of “No Kings”, the Baltimore Orioles announced plans for a “premium club” to open in 2026 behind home plate at Oriole Park at Camden Yards that will provide an “immersive indoor-outdoor experience” and include VIP parking, a private entrance and a rotating upscale food and beverage…

School’s out, all summer!

MIKE BURKE Allegany Communications Sports Attended a high-school class meeting on Monday night, and a classmate mentioned how the last day of school was always the greatest day of our lives. Or so we thought. Actually, we weren’t wrong. As it happens, today is the last day of school, at least in Allegany County. I…

Steelers get their man

MIKE BURKE Allegany Communications Sports The deed has been done. Some insist the dirty deed, which I semi-understand but don’t agree with, as quarterback Aaron Rodgers finally signed his contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers Saturday at the team’s training facility. The future Hall of Fame quarterback, who will turn 42 in December, and the Steelers…

Still no joy in Mudville

MIKE BURKE Allegany Communications Sports There is a scene in the film “Patton,” the critically acclaimed 1970 biography of World War II hero General George S. Patton, in which Patton, played by George C. Scott, says, “I don’t know why, but the image of a bullet coming straight for my nose was more horrifying than…

Cry not for the NBA, or their little kings

MIKE BURKE Allegany Communications Sports Not so long ago – actually, it was quite a few years ago – the NBA Finals was No. 3 on the appointment-viewing list for sports fans behind only the Super Bowl and the World Series. The NHL has always had the most famous trophy in sports, but the Stanley…

Why we love football on May 30

MIKE BURKE Allegany Communications Sports When all three of the major league baseball teams you follow stink, what do you do on May 30? You still follow them, but your eyes tend to turn to the NFL, because all three of the football teams in the area are pretty good. Even if it’s only May…

Steelers know it takes two to tango

MIKE BURKE Allegany Communications Sports The NFL season starts in less than 100 days, or so we’ve been told, and with organized team activities (OTAs) underway, there seems to be an Aaron Rodgers sighting almost every day, yet no word as to the 41-year-old quarterback’s availability to serve as the Pittsburgh Steelers starter for the…

Memorial Day can tell a team’s truth

MIKE BURKE Allegany Communications Sports The “O!” was heard loud and proud during two different renditions of the Star Spangled Banner in two different stadiums on Memorial Day – at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts, before the University of Maryland fell to Cornell, 13-10, in the NCAA men’s lacrosse national championship game, and at Camden…

Elias says he’s adept to adapt; we’ll see

MIKE BURKE Allegany Communications Sports Baltimore Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias addressed the media on Tuesday for the first time since firing manager Brandon Hyde on Saturday. Elias said the change was made in light of the Orioles’ poor performance for the better part of the past calendar year. A new…