Mondesi's House

Mondesi's House Going on Hiatus

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 15:38:00 +0000

Dear readers,

It is with a very heavy heart that I write this, but effective immediately, Mondesi's House will be going on an indefinite hiatus. I know many of my longtime readers have noticed that I have not been posting with the same frequency or the same enthusiasm I had in the past, and it is no coincidence. The truth is that I have a member of my family who has been battling an illness for quite some time and needs my assistance and care now more than ever. With that as a constant storyline in my life, in addition to the stress of operating a business full time, I hope you can understand where I'm coming from.

I will not be able to post right now, and I'm not sure when exactly I will return. I do know that I want to continue operating the site in the future, as I have put nearly five years of my life into building it. Unfortunately, I simply did not have the available time or energy to continue it at a level I was satisfied with, and that will certainly not change very soon.

I want to thank each and every one of you for your support over the years, which really meant the world to me. At its peak, I'd like to think the site was something that brought a lot of entertainment and information to people. I know it hasn't been the same for quite some time now, and I doubt it will ever get back to the level it once was, but I can say that I do love to write and I love the city of Pittsburgh and our sports teams. Once I feel I can produce something I'd be proud of again, I will return. I don't know when that will be, but it will happen.

In the meantime, I'll be available through email and Twitter, and when the day arrives that I do come back, you can rest assured that I will put the word out. But for now, just keep my family in your thoughts and prayers and that will mean more to me than you would ever imagine.

Sincerely,

Don

TWITTER: twitter.com/mondesishouse
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Mario Lemieux's Letter to Gary Bettman

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 04:20:00 +0000

Monday was a busy day in Penguin news: not only did Sidney Crosby skate, but ESPN's Pierre LeBrun unveiled a letter written by Mario Lemieux to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman on the topic of discipline. The text of Mario's letter:

"On behalf of the Pittsburgh Penguins organization, I am writing to propose a discussion by the Board of Governors and general managers about the NHL's current system of supplementary discipline -- and how it affects not only the integrity but the perception of our great game.

The current system punishes the offending player but does very little to deter such actions in the future. We need to review, upgrade and more clearly define our policies in this regard, so that they can provide a meaningful deterrence and effectively clean up the game.

While there have been 50-plus suspensions since the start of the 2009-10 season, the suspensions themselves don't seem to be deterring these illegal acts and tactics. And we've often seen repeat offenders. We think it is time that teams also are held accountable for the actions of their players. We propose instituting a policy of automatically fining a team when one if its players is suspended -- with the amount of the fine based on the length of the suspension. This should serve as a disincentive for teams as well as players to employ these kinds of tactics.

Lemieux suggested fine amounts based on the length of suspension to the player:

• 1-2 games--$50,000 fine to team

• 3-4 games--$100,000 fine to team

• 5-8 games--$250,000 fine to team

• 9-10 games--$500,000 fine to team

• 11-15 games--$750,000 fine to team

• More than 15 games--$1 million fine to team

If a player is a repeat offender during that season, the fine to the team would double. Please note that if this proposed system were in operation today, the Pittsburgh Penguins would have been fined $600,000 this season because of recent suspensions to two players. We all have to take responsibility if we are going to improve the game."

The letter, which Lemieux has been working on for some time, should come as no surprise. He's been an outspoken critic of how the league has handled disciplinary measures this year, and I'm glad he took the extra step of pointing out how much his own team would be fined as a result of the scale he is proposing. That should stop the hypocrite talk among those who've pointed out that Lemieux employs Matt Cooke and fields one of the league's most pugilistic squads.

Gary Bettman said on Monday that this summer, he would present to the board of governors a proposal to hold teams and perhaps coaches more accountable for players' actions. Maybe if Bettman and the board implement of Lemieux's ideas, the league would take a few steps out of the garage where it has resided for quite some time in the minds of many.

Mario Lemieux wants team fines [ESPN.com]

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LiveBlog Field Trip: Oilers vs. Penguins

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 19:16:00 +0000

I'm live and on-site this afternoon at the Consol Energy Center for today's Pens-Oilers matchup. And I have the distinct nature of being the next-to-last person to pick up their media pass, being bested only by the great Michel Therrien. Let's just say describing my pace as "slow motion" today would be an insult to the Joggin' George Hendricks of the world. Although I must say, I timed my trip perfectly to coincide with every red light on the sometimes-depressing Rt. 51, as well as arriving at the same time the Pens fans who were likewise running behind their schedule.

3:20 PM: Nothing notable has happened in the game yet, so let's delve a little more into my trip in today. Sensing I would be too late for the CEC pregame meal, I stopped at Sheetz for a MTO burrito and a 125-gallon Diet Pepsi. Bad idea. Although it could be inspiration for a future installment of Nerd vs. Food, which has been on somewhat of a hiatus.

I continued on down the aforementioned Rt. 51, and the further I went, the more my mood turned sad. If you're not from the Pittsburgh area, let me describe a stretch of the road in the area of Baldwin/Brentwood. It basically goes "abandoned building, abandoned building, pawn shop, abandoned building, pawn shop, abandoned building." It's probably not the poster child for the economic renaissance of Pittsburgh. And to top it off, just before I got to the tunnel, there was a young girl on the side of road with a sign that said "stranded, broke, hungry" and she had her dog with her. Yeah, this pretty much killed my buzz of going to today's game.

Riding that wave, I passed up the $20 parking spot across the street from the CEC in search of a better lot. "I've never paid $20 to park for a Penguin game," I unwisely told myself. Luckily, I had a very pedestrian-friendly batch of Pittsburgh Police working the traffic lights, so I got to waste 15 minutes in traffic before finding a spot...for $15. Easily one of the worst examples of cheapness I've exhibited in my 33 years on the planet.

Follow that up with entering the wrong gate and getting two CEC employees who didn't know where the media entrance was, and voila! The recipe for a 2:59 arrival to a 3:00 game has been written. But at least I got to see the National Anthem.

3:30: I suppose I should write about the game at some point, because I can't imagine that the Pens invited me here for a travel log on how to not get to a game on time. And on that front, I must once again praise the team for continuing to invite bloggers such as myself to a real, live game. I know the Pirates did something with bloggers at their PirateFest this year, but I guess my invitation got lost in cyberspace. I can only assume that the reasoning was the time or 1,000 when I was critical of something they've done. Oh well. There goes an opportunity to change my mind about how their organization does things. At least one franchise in town gets it.

As for the game, the Penguins have outshot the Oilers, 11-1, and there's about 3 minutes left in the first period. That's right, the Oilers have one shot in 17 minutes. Is it too late to reunite Gretzky and Messier? Hey, if Tiki Barber is willing to come back, anything's possible, right?

3:40: The Pens kill off a two-man advantage given to the hopeless Edmonton power play. And to follow that up...GOOOOOOOOOOOOAL! Chris Kunitz scores his 19th of the season at 19:25 of the period, the Pens first goal since Tuesday. And I was making fun of the Oilers' offense.

3:42: After the first 20 minutes of hockey, it's Penguins 1, Oilers 0. Some other first period stats: shots were 13-1 Pens; hits were 12-6 Pens; Oilers were 0-for-2 on the PP; and Mr. & Mrs. Malkin made one appearance on the Jumbotron to thunderous applause.

4:00: We're off and running in Period II, and the Oilers already tripled their shot output from Period I. Must have been one heck of a locker-room speech.

4:08: GOAL! But the net was dislodged. So no goal. But wait! Max Talbot fakes Devan Dubnyk out of his jock and lights the lamp for the Pens just moments later, his 8th of the season, at 6:27 of the 2nd. Penguins 2, Oilers 0.

4:14: Chris Kunitz gets called for slashing, giving the Oilers another crack at a power play. I'm confident that this will end well, given what I've seen from Edmonton so far today.

4:16: Yeah, that pretty much went as expected. Now let me turn my attention to the Smith's Hot Dog giveaway. Unfortunately, I'm not sitting in section 102 today, so no free Official Hot Dog of the Penguins.

4:21: Penalty on the Oilers means the Pens' 21st-ranked PP unit hits the ice. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

4:24: That's three unsuccessful power plays for each team so far today. In other words, I'm confident that no all-time single-game scoring records will be broken this afternoon.

4:27: Kiss Cam time! Let's hope for some awkwardness!

4:29: Mr. and Mrs. Malkin close the kiss-cam segment with a lip-lock for the ages. And no, I wasn't fast enough to catch it with my camera.

4:31: Matt Cooke gets stopped on a nice chance, doesn't pass on the opportunity to mix it up immediately afterwards. Hey, he didn't get that SI article because he's a

4:32: GOAL! The combination of Tyler Kennedy and Jordan Staal put the Pens up 3-0 with about a minute left in the second. It's Staal's 8th of the season. Cooke also gets an assist. Now I must focus on the Dairy Queen Bazooka Blast.

4:51: Time to put down the snacks and focus on the third period. If the Pens can close this out and Pitt scores a #1 seed tonight, this should be a pretty good day in terms of Pittsburgh sports. Even the Pirates won!

4:54: And right on schedule, Ryan Jones ruins MAF's shutout with his 16th goal of the season at 1:11 of the third. As for the jinx, you're welcome.

4:59: Alexei Kovalev's been pretty quiet today (2 penalty minutes, 1 shot), but he managed to draw a penalty on Jeff Petry. If someone can give the Pens' PP some smelling salts, this might be a prime opportunity for an insurance goal.

5:02: The Pens are now 0 for their last 22 power plays, and 1 for their last 36. They haven't scored a PP goal in the month of March. Not a good sign going into the postseason.

5:05: GOAL! Zbynek Michalek scores his 2nd of the season on an assist from Craig Adams and Max Talbot at 7:52. Not only is it Michalek's second goal of the season, it's his second in the last week. 4-1 Pens.

5:08: The Pens announce today is consecutive sellout #201. We've come a long way since the Kansas City rumors.

5:10: While I was busy cracking one-liners today, the Oilers have somehow closed the gap in shots to 27-24 after falling behind 13-2 after one period. MAF has quietly played a solid game, and the defense has been praiseworthy as well.

5:12: Ron Burgundy and Brick Tamland prompt the CEC faithful to make loud noises, to moderate success. On that note, has it really been seven years since Anchorman came into our lives?

5:15: MAF is whistled for delay of game, to be served by Mike Rupp. That's called taking one for the team. Six minutes to go in this one.

5:16: Man down! Shawn Horcoff of the Oilers gets a slapshot absolutely blasted off his ankle at close range. That had to hurt...but he was able to skate off.

5:17: Kris Letang just got absolutely leveled behind the Pens' net by Gilbert Brule. Let's just say that wasn't appreciated by Letang's teammates. It's ruled a charging penalty, which puts the Penguins' power play back on the ice(!)

5:20: A Pens power play goal? A Pens power play goal! The slump is over! Chris Kunitz, come on down! Pens 5, Oilers 1, with 3:44 to go. Chili?

5:22: I was just saying, "Gee, it's been a while since I've heard Cotton Eyed Joe...."

5:24: We've got some legit candidates for Three Stars today. MAF has stopped 27 of 28, so you'd have to think he's in the running. Tyler Kennedy is dishing out assists like a young John Stockton. Chris Kunitz has two much-needed goals. I go with that trio in some order.

5:28: And there we have it! Pens 5, Oilers 1 - a nice win and a nice effort after Saturday's stink bomb against Montreal. Now let's hope the trip from the arena is better than the trip to the arena.

TWITTER: twitter.com/mondesishouse

EMAIL: mondesishouse@gmail.com

Surprise! The Steelers Aren't Interested in Tiki Barber

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 04:24:00 +0000

In news that comes as a surprise to Tiki Barber, the Steelers are not interested in Tiki Barber. Hooray!

The word got out today that the 35-year-old, possibly cash-poor running back had interest in joining the Black and Gold; and as quickly as that report surfaced, Ed Bouchette shot it down.

This news should come as a shock to no one. The Steelers don't sign other teams' problems, especially when they've been out of the game since 2006 and left their previous team in a state of disarray. I'm pretty sure we go through this discussion every time a name free agent hits the market, but at least in this case it wasn't some delusional fans throwing it out there, just a delusional player. Of course he would want to play for the Steelers. Great team, great coach, great owner, great teammates, great franchise. What football player wouldn't want to be here? But anyone with a sense of team history would know that there was precisely 0% chance of this move ever becoming a reality.

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Pitt Stomach-Punched by Kemba Walker

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 04:00:00 +0000

And thus ends Pitt's 2011 Big East Tournament experience, as quickly as it started. Jamie Dixon, one of the most successful coaches in the nation, now moves to an inexplicable 0-3 in the tournament when holding the double-bye. I didn't get to see the game live, but I think it's all the better that I missed it, given the ending. At least the Big East refs didn't screw it up. I just hope Gary McGhee's broken ankles heal in time for the Big Dance.

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Best of the Web: The Top 20 Links of the Week

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 05:42:00 +0000

It's hard to believe, but the time has come for another edition of Best of the Web, your weekly all-you-can-digest trip around the world of Pittsburgh sports. Inside this week: a heartbreaker for Robert Morris (and controversy for their old coach), a rematch for Pitt, trouble for Terrelle, Pascal Dupuis' entry into the world of food, How Hines Ward Celebrated His Birthday, the sudden retirement of a WVU legend, and much, much more. As usual, we're going 20 links deep, so buckle up.

Best of the Web: The Top 20 Links of the Week

[93.7 The Fan at CBS Pittsburgh]

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Dan Bylsma Gets 3-Year Extension

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 17:09:00 +0000

The Penguins haven't exactly been the Steelers when it comes to matters of continuity with their head coach, but they took another step towards changing that today.

Coach Dan Bylsma, who holds the best points percentage in team history (.648), received a three-year extension today from the Penguins that's very well-deserved. In addition to that franchise-best mark, Bylsma's resume includes a Stanley Cup in his first year on the job (2009) and a 2010-11 season that has his team sitting just two points out of first place in the division and the conference despite an incredible rash of injuries.

Bylsma also owns a 23-17 record behind the bench in two playoff seasons, and his only series loss was a seven-gamer with Montreal last year. To say he's done a good job, even taking into consideration his highly skilled lineup, would be an understatement. Keeping him in-house through 2013-14 is just another smart move by an organization that's known for pushing the right buttons.

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News and Notes: Pens Struggle on PP in 3-1 Win

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 03:17:00 +0000

What's happening in Pittsburgh sports at this hour:

JAMES NEAL scored his first goal as a Penguin, and Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 29 of 30 shots as the Pittsburgh Penguins downed the Buffalo Sabres, 3-1, last night in Pittsburgh. The Pens overcame an early 1-0 hole after Rob Niedermayer scored less than three minutes into regulation with two goals in the second period. The Pens were 0-for-7 on the power play, and we can't even blame Mike Yeo this time.

Still two points behind Philadelphia, Pittsburgh is off until a Saturday afternoon battle against Montreal at the CEC. [ESPN]

MATT COOKE was featured in the latest issue of Sports Illustrated, and it wasn't exactly a flattering portrayal. Hey, what'd you expect? The article was titled, "The Public Enemy," after all. [Kiss Morning Freak Show]

HINES WARD appeared on WCNN in Atlanta to speak about his upcoming experience on Dancing With the Stars, and had this to say about the distraction factor: “I don’t think it will be too distracting. The filming, it goes all the way through like mid-May, June 1st. So it really won’t be that much. It will be like 10 or 12 weeks or episodes. And for me, I get to start off early with my training camp.”

I'd have to agree with Hines on this one. If the Steelers can make the Super Bowl after the offseason they had in 2010, I think a veteran receiver doing some televised dancing would be the least of their concerns. [Sports Radio Interviews]

ANDREW LAMBO hit an opposite-field two-run single to key a three-run ninth inning, leading the Pirates to a 5-2 win over Minnesota on Tuesday. Twins starter Carl Pavano held the Pirates to two hits over four innings, but the Bucs managed to keep it close when Lyle Overbay hit a solo shot in the seventh to tie it at 2-2. Next up: the New York Yankees and Bartolo Colon, at 7:05 p.m. in Tampa on Wednesday night. Kevin Correia gets the ball for the Pirates. [MLB.com]

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Steelers Hire Carnell Lake

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 04:28:00 +0000

The Pittsburgh Steelers finally hired a secondary coach, and it is most certainly not Chuck Cecil.

That being said, Steeler fans should be elated at the alternative: former safety Carnell Lake, a five-time Pro Bowler and Steeler from 1989-1998. Lake is replacing Ray Horton, who took the Arizona Cardinals' defensive coordinator job after Ken Whisenhunt found out that Dick LeBeau and Keith Butler would not be available for the post.

Lake, who retired in 2001 as a member of the Ravens (Ravens? I forgot about that.) had an internship with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2009 and coached the DBs at his alma mater, UCLA, later that season under Rick Neuheisel. This will be his first coaching job in the NFL.

During his time with the Steelers, Lake started in Super Bowl XXX, was named to the 1990s NFL Team of the Decade, and was honored as the 1997 AFC Defensive Player of the Year, even getting a vote for MVP from Peter King.

Having Lake as another set of eyes on a secondary that features Troy Polamalu and is ultimately overseen by Dick LeBeau should be nothing but a good thing for the defending AFC Champions (although it would be better if they could keep Ike Taylor in the mix). Now let's hope the millionaires and billionaires can decide how to split their riches so we can see Lake's secondary in action in 2011.

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Pitt Ends Regular Season at #3, Plays Thursday in Big East Tournament

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 03:45:00 +0000

The Big East Champion Pitt Panthers finished the regular season strong and were rewarded in the final polls of the regular season.

The Panthers (27-4, 15-3) are currently third in both the ESPN/USA Today and AP polls, trailing Kansas and Ohio State in both. Considering their ranking of #4 in the preseason polls, the pundits knew exactly what they were talking about in looking forward to what lied ahead for Pitt in 2010-11. This was the seventh time in eight seasons that Jamie Dixon's team had single-digit losses, and was Pitt's second regular-season championship under Dixon.

Pitt is now headed to New York for the 29th annual Big East Tournament, where they will earn a double-bye based on their #1 seed. The Panthers' first game will be Thursday, March 10 in the Noon ET Quarterfinal matchup against either No. 8 seed Georgetown, No. 9 seed Connecticut or No. 16 seed DePaul. Pitt was a combined 3-0 versus those teams this season, with a 15-point win against UConn, a 15-point win against the Hoyas, and a 30-point blowout at DePaul.

Pitt has advanced to the conference title game in seven tournaments, all in the past decade (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008). The Panthers defeated UConn, 74-56, in the 2003 title game and Georgetown, 74-65, in 2008-09. Pitt is 26-12 at Madison Square Garden since the 2001-02 season, while Dixon holds an 11-6 record in conference tournament games played there.

Local ties always motivate the Panthers to another level at the Garden, and this year is no different, with six players who are New York City area natives: Ashton Gibbs (Scotch Plains, N.J.), Dante Taylor (Greenburgh, N.Y), J.J. Moore (Brentwood, Long Island), Isaiah Epps (Plainfield, N.J.) and Travon Woodall (Brooklyn). Somewhere, Carl Krauser is smiling.

The full Big East Tournament schedule is as follows:

Tuesday, March 8 - First Round
No. 9 Connecticut vs. No. 16 DePaul, Noon, ESPN2
No. 12 Seton Hall vs. No. 13 Rutgers, 2 p.m., ESPN2
No. 10 Villanova vs. No. 15 USF, 7 p.m., ESPN-U
No. 11 Marquette vs. No. 14 Providence, 9 p.m., ESPN-U

Wednesday, March 9 - Second Round
No. 8 Georgetown vs. Connecticut/DePaul winner, Noon, ESPN
No. 5 St. John's vs. Seton Hall/Rutgers winner, 2 p.m., ESPN
No. 7 Cincinnati vs. Villanova/USF winner, 7 p.m., ESPN
No. 6 West Virginia vs. Marquette/Providence winner, 9 p.m., ESPN

Thursday, March 10 - Quarterfinals
No. 1 Pitt vs. 8/9/16 winner, Noon, ESPN
No. 4 Syracuse vs. 5/12/13 winner, 2 p.m., ESPN
No. 2 Notre Dame vs. 7/10/15 winner, 7 p.m., ESPN
No. 3 Louisville vs. 6/11/14 winner, 9 p.m., ESPN

Friday, March 11 - Semifinals
Thursday afternoon winners, 7 p.m., ESPN
Thursday evening winners, 9 p.m., ESPN

Saturday, March 12 - Big East Championship
Semifinal winners 9 p.m., ESPN

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Pittsburgh Power Trim Roster, Ready For Opener

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 03:16:00 +0000

With their opener coming up on March 11 against Philadelphia, the Pittsburgh Power trimmed their roster to 24 players, with some familiar names among them.

Perhaps most familiar is placekicker Paul Edinger, who was an NFL kicker for six seasons from 2000-2005 with the Bears and Vikings. The quarterbacks will be Marshall product Bernard Morris, the starter, and former Cal U Vulcan Kevin McCabe, a Pine-Richland grad. Wide receivers include Mike Washington, an Aliquippa HS grad who played at the University of Hawaii, and Jason Willis, who's suited up for the Seahawks, Redskins, and Dolphins since turning pro in 2003.

Beyond McCabe and Washington, other players with local ties include fullback Josh Rue of Gateway and Duquesne University, defensive back Lenny Wicks of Youngstown State and former California (Pa.) linebacker Gary Butler. Former Pitt and Aliquippa defensive back Josh Lay (hamstring), wide receiver Terry Grossetti of Slippery Rock (quad) and defensive lineman Josh Gaines (elbow) of Penn State are all currently on the team's injured list.

Anthony Morelli, the celebrated Penn State recruit who famously decommitted to Pitt years ago, did not make the roster. "Several teams have contacted my agent," said Morelli, who played at Penn Hills High School and was a two-year starter at Penn State. "I don't know for sure (when he will sign a contract). I just know people are interested."

The full Power roster will look like this:

Pos. # Name College

QB 14 Morris, Bernard Marshall

QB 12 McCabe, Kevin Cal (PA)

WR 1 Washington, Mike Hawaii

WR 7 Willis, Jason Oregon

WR 6 Irv, Campbell GA Southern

WR 10 Dewalt, Lonnell N/A

WR 21 Thompson, Eddie Idaho State

FB 33 Rue, Joshua Duquesne

C 69 Ohuafi, Sione Indiana

C 77 Foulks, Jamar Mansfield

OL 57 Byrne, Mike Delaware

OL 75 Zeck, Nick Lakeland

OL 55 Terrell, Chris Marshall

DB 2 Smith, Antonio BGSU

DB 24 Campbell, Carlos Notre Dame

DB 22 Wicks, Lenny Youngstown State

DB 11 Adams, Royce Purdue

DB 28 Herbert, Tyrrell Toledo

LB 9 Bostic, Caleb Miami (OH)

LB 8 Butler, Gary Cal (PA)

DE 23 Carter, Terrance Colorado St

DE 4 Purvis, Neil VA State

NT 99 Reese, Terrance Citadel

K 5 Edinger, Paul Michigan St

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Weekend Wrapup

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 15:01:00 +0000

Putting a bow on another eventful weekend in Pittsburgh sports:

1. As I watched Saturday night's Penguin game, I can't say I was surprised by the fact that the game went into OT. It was the fifth time in the past six games that's happened, and the seventh time in the past nine games. If these guys weren't already shorthanded, playing all that extra hockey at this point in the regular season couldn't help.

Thankfully, the Pens' intestinal fortitude once again reared its head in the extra period, when Dustin Jeffrey scored his second goal of the game and seventh of the season at 1:52 of OT. The win meant the Penguins are a mere two points behind Philadelphia for the division (and conference) lead, and that, my friends, is simply unbelievable.

I know this season probably won't turn out the way we had all hoped once it started, but it won't be for a lack of effort. This team does the city proud every time it takes the ice. For them to even be in the playoff race considering what they've lost is a testament to the coaching of Dan Bylsma, the moves of Ray Shero, and the mental toughness present in that locker room.

2. Congrats go out to the Pitt Panthers, winners of the Big East regular season title and owners of a 27-4 record going into the postseason, after their victory over Villanova on Saturday. We're almost accustomed to such dominance after a decade of it, but I'm not too young to remember that this hasn't always been the case. Expectations may be raised, but the season should be considered a good one already.

Ashton Gibbs, who's had a great campaign, was just named First-Team All-Big East, only the ninth time a Panther has received such an honor. He joined Jerome Lane, Charles Smith, Brian Shorter, Brandin Knight, Chevy Troutman, Aaron Gray, Sam Young and DeJuan Blair by doing so. Gibbs leads the conference shooting 46.6 percent from 3-point range and 89.5 percent from the free-throw line, and has averaged 16.4 PPG. In addition to Gibbs, Brad Wanamaker got second-team honors, and deservedly so. The senior leads the Panthers in minutes played, free throws made, assist-to-turnover ratio and steals, and is second on the team in scoring, rebounding and field goals made.

While it's nice to see such individual honors coming this team's way, we all know that to the players, it won't mean as much without the Final Four trip that's eluded this program for so long. If ever there was a year when the sport was wide-open and the Panthers had as good a chance as anyone to win it all, this is it.

3. Speaking of local hoops, Robert Morris, sans Mike Rice, is back in the NEC title game with a 64-62 win over Quinnipiac thanks to a late jumper by sophomore Velton Jones. The Colonials, winners of eight straight, will play at Long Island University for the NEC championship at 7 p.m. Wednesday; the game will be televised by ESPN2. LIU is the tournament's #1 seed, while RMU sits third with an 18-13 overall mark. A win would be the Colonials' third straight trip to the NCAA tournament and first under coach Andrew Toole.

4. There's not much Steeler talk these days, thanks to the limbo-rific CBA discussions (which I have no interest talking about - at all). Most of the web chatter these days is about mock drafts, and the latest one I've seen (from Fox Sports) has the Steelers selecting Derek Sherrod, an OT from Mississippi State. The reasoning is as follows:

Though hardly considered the league’s gold standard last year, the Steelers offensive line did a pretty darn good job protecting Ben Roethlisberger in 2010. Flozell Adams obviously isn’t the long-term answer at tackle, though, and two other big boys are set to become free agents if a new CBA is worked out. Pittsburgh should go offensive line with this pick. Enter the rather versatile Sherrod. The All-SEC performer helped pave the way for a Mississippi State rushing attack that averaged 227.6 yards per game in 2010. He’s a road paver who can play all over the line. If Sherrod’s still hanging around at No. 31, it’s a solid pickup for the AFC champs.

You're not going to have to sell me on the Steelers taking an offensive tackle. Sherrod is ranked 30th overall in the insanely comprehensive 1,000-player ranking that CBS put together, so that would put his value right in line with where the Steelers would be making the pick.

5. The Pirates were busy over the weekend, but not in a good way. James McDonald struggled to find his rhythm in 2 2/3 innings, and was pulled due to his pitch count in a 5-0 loss to Toronto yesterday.

We've still got four weeks until Opening Day, so the hurler has some time to iron out the bugs. But make no doubt about it, McDonald is being counted on to play an integral part in this team's perennial hopes for a turnaround. He was falling behind in the count early and often yesterday and that was ultimately what led to his early shower; that's something he will have to clean up in the next few weeks.

Offensively, the Pirates were, well, the Pirates. The team totaled just four hits, with two coming from Pedro Alvarez. If this sounds like a familiar theme, you're not the only one saying so. "We've got work to do offensively," new manager Clint Hurdle said. "We knew that coming in."

The work-in-progress Buccos are back at it today at 1:05 against Tampa Bay at McKechnie Field.

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Rashard Mendenhall is Dancing, Too

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 17:47:00 +0000

Lynn Swann would be proud: there are now two Steelers using the offseason to work on their dancing:

As you know, Hines Ward is going to woo America as the latest football player to compete on Dancing With the Stars. But RB Rashard Mendenhall is also honing his skills for the upcoming "Dancing With the Celebrities of Pittsburgh" competition on March 12.

Held at the Westin Convention Center, the beneficiaries of this year's charitable event include Auberle, The Center for Victims of Violence and Crime, Haitian Orphan Rescue and the Kiwanis Club of Pittsburgh. Last year's winner was Pittsburgh TV personality Jennifer Antkowiak.

Mendenhall was recently spotted practicing for the competition at Integral Ballroom in Murrysville last Friday, as he will be competing in a field that includes 13 other notables from around the city. As the story notes, this is not the first time Mendenhall met his dance instructor. The Illinois product turned to dance as a way to stay in shape after his rookie season was promptly ended by Ray Lewis in 2008, and video of his dance workshops have turned up on Youtube. And you may be surprised to learn that Mendenhall isn't the only Steeler outside of Ward known for his dance moves, either. The running back named Bryant McFadden, William Gay and Dennis Dixon as some Steelers with notable skills on the dance floor.

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Wiz Khalifa Covers Rolling Stone

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 17:18:00 +0000

Pittsburgh's favorite rapper, Steeler-loving Wiz Khalifa, continued to ride his recent tsunami of success, getting his second "Rookie of the Year"-themed cover in the last four months in the form of the latest issue of Rolling Stone. He was also named ROY by The Source back in November and celebrated with a simliarly memorable cover:

"I got a lot of work to do," Wiz told MTV News shortly before receiving the Rolling Stone nod. "I've done a lot of work to get where I'm at, but I have to keep working. And, hopefully, I'll be the best artist of the year."

Khalifa's Pittsburgh-centric "Black and Yellow" hit #1 earlier this year, and currently resides at #10 on the Billboard charts. His newest song, "Roll Up," is at #76 on this week's chart, and his album, Rolling Papers, will be released on March 29. Khalifa also co-stars with kindred spirit Snoop Dogg in a movie, High School, that will be out later this year. Of his co-star, Mr. Dogg had this to say, which I would assume qualifies as the highest compliment:

"I never knew him, but my oldest son used to play his music all throughout his house, and I'd be like, 'Who is this mother----er he is playing?' " Snoop said. "I'll be going downstairs, and I'd hear it in the bathroom downstairs and then I'd hear it upstairs. I'm like, 'Man, who is this?' Then I got hip to him and I started peepin' him and watching him and listening, and I'm like, 'Man, this guy is fly.' "

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Best of the Web: The Top 20 Links of the Week

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 05:17:00 +0000

It's a busy week in Pittsburgh sports, with the Pens, Panthers, and Pirates in full swing, and the Steelers making some moves while football's still in business. That means I've got ample material to choose from for this week's edition of Best of the Web, which also covers the Hines Ward Dancing With the Stars saga, a familiar face interviewing with the Steelers, the arrival of the Pittsburgh Power season, Pittsburgh's world-class rudeness, and much, much more.

Best of the Web: The Top 20 Links of the Week

[93.7 The Fan at CBS Pittsburgh]

And if that's not enough, here's a bonus 21st link: The Top 25 Charlie Sheen quotes from his first week of explaining how awesome Charlie Sheen is. Because much like Charlie, this list is a winner.

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Not a Great Day For Pitt PR

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 18:28:00 +0000

If you're headlining a special report done by SI in tandem with CBS News, that's probably not a good thing. And after reading about that report, I can say with certainty that such prominent placement in this particular story is definitely not a good thing.

The two media giants teamed up for a look at the world of college football player misconduct, and in that category, the Pitt Panthers led all Top-25 teams last season with 22 players on their roster sporting police records. So we can now finally say that Dave Wannstedt won something while at Pitt.

The old stories of Jabaal Sheard, Jason Douglas, Keith Coleman, and Jeff Knox were all brought up in the article, as was expected. This was exactly the kind of expose the school probably feared would someday come after such a horrendous run of conduct away from the field. But don't laugh too hard, Nittany Lion fans among us. There was only three schools worse than Penn State in this study, as their roster hosted 16 players with criminal records.

All in all, the study was alarming, but not exactly surprising. Football players - pro and amateur - get arrested all the time, at Pitt, Penn State, and lots of other schools. Here are some stats unearthed in the study:

• Seven percent of the players in the preseason Top 25 -- 204 in all (1 of every 14) -- had been charged with or cited for a crime, including dozens of players with multiple arrests.
• Of the 277 incidents uncovered, nearly 40 percent involved serious offenses, including 56 violent crimes such as assault and battery (25 cases), domestic violence (6), aggravated assault (4), robbery (4) and sex offenses (3). In addition there were 41 charges for property crimes, including burglary and theft and larceny.
• There were more than 105 drug and alcohol offenses, including DUI, drug possession and intent to distribute cocaine.
• Race was not a major factor. In the overall sample, 48 percent of the players were black and 44.5 percent were white. Sixty percent of the players with a criminal history were black and 38 percent were white.
• In cases in which the outcome was known, players were guilty or paid some penalty in nearly 60 percent of the 277 total incidents.

While some may point to the discipline problems as the reason that Dave Wannstedt got fired, I would have to believe that had he won the Big East this year, he would still be the head coach. Off-field shenanigans are tolerated to a certain extent when a program is winning, as history has shown. But when a team falls short of expectations AND brings a black eye to the school via the police blotter, that's a definite recipe for a firing.

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And Hines Ward's Dance Partner Is...

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 15:31:00 +0000

Which skimpy-outfitted dancer did #86 draw in the matching up of celebrity and pro for Dancing With the Stars?

Give up? It's Australian dancer Kym Johnson, 34, who first joined DWTS in season 3 and had the unfortunate luck of getting Jerry Springer as a partner that year. Since then, she's worked with N'Sync's Joey Fatone, Pittsburgh's own Mark Cuban, magician Penn Jillette, former Buccaneer Warren Sapp, In Living Color's David Alan Grier, actor Donny Osmond, and most recently, "The Hoff", which resulted in a first-round elimination.

Johnson won the competition with Fatone, and was twice the runner-up. The team of Johnson and Ward is listed as an 11:2 favorite, for any degenerates whose gambling addiction is so bad they're betting on a TV dancing show. Publicity monger Kendra Wilkinson is currently the favorite at 3:1.

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Despite Louisville Loss, Pitt Rises in Polls

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 06:14:00 +0000

The Pitt Panthers had a disappointing OT loss to Louisville on Sunday, but that didn't ultimately hurt them when it came to voting time.

Jamie Dixon's team, now 25-4, moved up from sixth to fifth in the ESPN/USA Today poll, thanks to San Diego State (4) and Texas (5) falling. The Panthers have a shot at a decent week in the coming days, facing 9-20 South Florida on Wednesday and hosting Villanova, losers of three straight, on Saturday at 4 p.m.

The Big East featured eight of the top 20 teams in all this week. In addition to Pitt, the conference was repped by Notre Dame (7), Louisville (11), Syracuse (12), St. John's (15), UConn (16), Georgetown (17), and Villanova (somehow still 19th). For all the respect the conference lacks in football, no one can say with a straight face that the hoops side of the Big East doesn't get an incredible amount of love when it comes to matters such as polls.

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It's Official: Hines Ward Joins "Dancing With the Stars"

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 06:01:00 +0000

It looks like Bob Pompeani's preliminary Tweet was spot-on: Steeler WR Hines Ward will become the third active player in NFL history to join the cast of ABC's Dancing With the Stars. Between this and the Royal Roethlisberger Wedding, the Steelers will clearly have no distractions the media will constantly ask them about this offseason.

Hines' competition in this sport will not include Ravens or Browns or Bengals; instead, he will face a gauntlet of D-listers and has-beens including professional bimbo Kendra Wilkinson, wrestler Chris Jericho, actress Kirstie Alley, boxer Sugar Ray Leonard, model Petra Nemcova, rapper Romeo, actress Chelsea Kane, "Karate Kid" Ralph Macchio, and something called a Mike Catherwood. Once again, ABC has delivered a must-avoid lineup of attention-cravers looking to temporarily boost themselves back into relevance (other than Hines, of course).

If you're as excited as I am about DWTS: Season 12, the program will debut on Monday, March 21 and the dancers and their professional partners will perform either the fox trot or the cha-cha. I can hardly contain myself. If this goes well, maybe James Harrison can get picked for Celebrity Apprentice next year.

And if you're wondering about Mark Madden's reaction (as I was earlier), you can find that here.

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Monday Headlines

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 16:10:00 +0000

Getting up to speed on a windy, rainy Monday morning in the Burgh:

RAY SHERO and the Penguins are not expected to be active during today's NHL trading deadline, having already made two deals that have already helped the Penguins win a game (and on that note, what a game on Saturday night!)

If anything, a goal-scoring winger would be on their wish list, but I would be a little surprised if something was done today. Then again, we're talking Ray Shero here, so anything is possible. [PG]

THE PITT PANTHERS unceremoniously dropped an overtime contest at Louisville yesterday, even with the aid of a Cardinals male cheerleader whose exuberance over the pending win resulted in his throwing the game ball up in the air before time expired and giving the Panthers two free throws.

A win would've been the second-biggest comeback in Pitt history in Big East games after falling behind by 12 in the first half. But hitting shots ultimately cost the Panthers this game, going over 11 minutes between hoops in the first half and failing to hit a single field goal in OT. Not even I can complain about their ranking today after such a performance, yet smart money says I will. [Deadspin]

HINES WARD was named by Bob Pompeani as a rumored candidate for Dancing with the Stars: Season 12, and if this is true, I very much look forward to Mark Madden's reaction.

Other names reportedly in the mix as Hines' co-stars: talk show host Wendy Williams, Oscar winner Faye Dunaway, actor Lorenzo Lamas, politician Christine O'Donnell, Charlie Sheen's estranged wife Brooke Mueller, actress Jodi Sweetin (Full House) and reality star Kendra Wilkinson-Basset. In Hines' defense, who wouldn't want to hang out with all those A-listers? [Twitter, WPLJ]

BEN ROETHLISBERGER's wedding registry was unearthed by TMZ, and it was all over Pittsburgh news broadcasts last night. As always, it's good to know that our local newscasts have their priorities in order. [TMZ]

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News and Notes: The Beard is Sheared

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 16:00:00 +0000

In today's news and notes: Pitt/WVU recap, Keisel shaves his beard, Bettis makes a Hall of Fame, Ike Taylor talking with Steelers, and an interesting quote from a Pitt Panther entering the NFL draft:

PITT 71, WVU 58 - Someone give a Sad Trombone to Bob Huggins, because his Mountaineers just dropped their season series to the Panthers in front of a national ESPN audience. Too bad.

After going into the half down 31-30, Pitt (25-3, 13-2) shot 65% in the second half en route to their 10th win in their last 11 home games against WVU. Nasir Robinson led the way with 15 points, followed closely by Brad Wanamaker and Lamar Patterson with 11 each. The 11 points was a career-high for Patterson.

Of course, there was some bad news to go along with the good. Freshman forward Talib Zanna fractured his thumb during some pregame horseplay and will miss 3-6 weeks. I'm sure Jamie Dixon was thrilled with that turn of events.

The Panthers pick things up on Sunday at Louisville (21-7, 10-5 Big East), which is led by senior Preston "Don't Call Me Beyonce" Knowles (14.5 PPG). [PG]

BRETT KEISEL shaved his beard for the benefit of the cancer treatment center at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh last night, with the help of Hines Ward and the support of a bar full of onlookers. Check out the before and after...he looks like he just lost 50 pounds! [Kiss Morning Freak Show]

HENRY HYNOSKI was profiled recently by PFT, and told them that he plays “with disregard for my body." Sounds like he's in for a fun life after football. [Pro Football Talk]

IKE TAYLOR and the Steelers are talking about a new deal, so much to the point that the Steelers didn't use the transition tag on Mr. Face Me. [Trib]

JEROME BETTIS and DICK LEBEAU were selected into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame, which is nice but probably not the Hall of Fame that Bettis hoped to be inducted into this year. That being said, if anyone is known for being from Michigan/Detroit, it's Jerome Bettis. [PG]

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The Pirates Will Spend Money on Talent...If You Give It To Them

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 21:28:00 +0000

Someday, an enterprising writer is going to compile a book of ridiculous quotes made by Frank Coonelly, Bob Nutting, and Neal Huntington. There's enough for at least a couple chapters in it already, and if they keep up at this pace, the book may be done by next week. Witness the latest gold min from Coonelly's interview with PiratesProspects.com:

Kevin Creagh/Pirates Prospects: "Would the Pirates be able to afford a $70M to $80M payroll, in present-day worth, if this current group of players were competitive enough to merit additional outside free agents?"

Frank Coonelly: "Today, no but we will be able to support that payroll very soon if our fans believe that we now have a group of players in Pittsburgh and on its way here in the near future that is competitive. We need to take a meaningful step forward in terms of attendance to reach that payroll number while continuing to invest heavily in our future but I am convinced that the attendance will move quickly once we convince our fans that we are on the right track."

Classic, classic Coonelly right there. That's right Pittsburgh, after 18 years of flushing your hard-earned money down the drain in the hopes of Kris Benson, Kevin Young, and Bryan Bullington turning the team around, the responsibility is on YOU to fund a higher payroll.

Honestly, I don't even know what smarmy comment I could add to this, because its outrageousness stands on its own. I simply cannot, for the life of me, believe that one team of executives could have so many poorly-thought-out claims in the span of a few years. Just throw it on the heap with "best management team in baseball" and the "upside of years of control" on Dana Eveland, and make sure it gets a good spot in that book.

For the full interview: Interview with Frank Coonelly – Follow-up from Piratefest [PiratesProspects.com]

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Brooks Orpik Out Four Weeks

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 21:07:00 +0000

The diagnosis is in on Brooks Orpik, and of course, it's bad: a broken finger, which will sideline the pulse of the Pens' defense for four weeks. What, you expected good news? Given the Pens' luck, Orpik's lucky they don't have to amputate that finger.

Now that the Pens have three less defensemen than they did a few games ago, Rob Rossi writes that the team "is looking at D options" and that they "aren't done". Maybe they can swing a deal for Alex Goligoski?

But seriously, the situation on D should get a little better if Paul Martin can return as expected for the team's next game on Friday against Carolina. That's a good starting point. Mark Letestu and Dustin Jeffrey are also expected to return for that contest from the Pens' overcrowded list of the walking wounded; so with three guys coming back, plus Kovalev, plus the Dallas guys, there are a few reasons to be moderately optimistic about the team's short-term health entering a five-game road trip. Although this season, being optimistic is kind of dangerous. With the Pens' recent history, getting six healthy bodies back probably means Marc-Andre Fleury will slip on a banana peel and have an anvil fall on his head sometime in the next 24 hours.

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Alexei Kovalev is a Penguin, Again

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 18:20:00 +0000

The Steelers brought back a host of old faces last season, and they wound up in the Super Bowl (not as a direct result, but still...)

Now, the Penguins are taking a page out of the same book by bringing back 38-year-old Alexei Kovalev in a trade today with the Ottawa Senators.

Kovalev, who waived a no-trade clause to make the deal happen, was had for a conditional-sixth or seventh-round draft pick, according to TSN's Bob McKenzie. The up-and-down forward has 14 goals and 13 assists in 54 games with the Senators, and brings with him a cap hit of $5 million.

Kovalev was a Penguin from 1998/99-2002/03, and put up 347 points in 345 regular season games, to go along with 28 points in 39 postseason appearances. In 2000-01, he put up a career-high 95 points (44 goals/51 assists) and helped the Pens advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. On February 10, 2003, he was sent, along with Dan LaCouture, Janne Laukkanen and Mike Wilson, back to the New York Rangers for Mikael Samuelsson, Rico Fata, Joel Bouchard, Richard Lintner and cash.

Fans are pretty enthused about the deal, but we just have to remember that this is the 38-year-old Kovalev, not the 28-year-old Kovalev. He's not a great fit for Dan Bylsma's system, and he's been putting up sub-par numbers for the worst team in the Eastern Conference while feuding with his coach. Then again, being rescued from such a dire situation might actually give the mercurial talent a little mental kick in the pants that he probably needs to revive his career one last time. It might just work, and the price wasn't high. Low-risk, potentially high-reward moves like this one are every team's friend - especially when they pan out.

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Best of the Web: The Top 20 Links of the Week

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 05:47:00 +0000

It’s time for another buffet of links, going the usual 20 deep, in this week’s Best of the Web. This edition is rather Penguin-centric, with news on last night’s drama-fest at the CEC and the injury to Brooks Orpik, as well as trade rumors, a new job for a former Penguin executive, and high ratings for NBC’s Pens-Hawks game on Sunday. We’ve also got Steeler free agent talk, an absurd article on Big Ben, a look at the upcoming Pitt-WVU hoops game, and Jason Kendall being Jason Kendall, among many other tidbits. Because everyone loves tidbits, right?

Best of the Web: the Top 20 Links of the Week

[93.7 The Fan at CBS Pittsburgh]

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