Mondesi's House

PENGUINS 2009 SCHEDULE RELEASED

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 02:34:00 +0000

The hockey half of the City of Champions open their title defense on October 2 at home against the New York Rangers and hopefully end the season with another victory parade featuring Evgeni Malkin's parents sometime in June 2010.

Other notables:
-1st road game: October 3 vs. John Tavares and the New York Islanders
-Cup rematches: January 31 at home, March 22 in Detroit
-Capitals rematches: January 21 and April 6 in Pittsburgh; February 7 and March 24 in Washington
-Olympic break: February 15-March 1
-Last regular season game: April 11 at the Islanders

Familar face games:
-At Carolina (Bill Cowher) October 15
-Montreal (Hal Gill) October 28
-At Anaheim (Ryan Whitney) November 3, home November 16
-At Los Angeles (Rob Scuderi) November 5
-Atlanta (Colby Armstrong) November 21
-Chicago (Marian Hossa) December 5
-At Tampa (Ryan Malone) January 2, March 14, home March 31

You can view the Pens' full schedule on NHL.com

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NEWS AND NOTES

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 17:58:00 +0000

RIP, Sportsbeat.

--Bill Guerin took the Stanley Cup to the South Hills Market District Giant Eagle. But the big question: did that get him extra Fuelperks? [WPXI]

--Zach Duke and Freddy Sanchez didn't leave the bench last night, so you can't blame the latest NL All-Star loss on the Pirates. [PG]

--Check out the all-new Sports Pickle, which is now daily and more awesome. And best of luck to site creator DJ Gallo.

--Sidney Crosby does not have a Myspace page. Besides, Myspace is so 2007. [Trib]

--The Pens re-signed Ben Lovejoy and Tim Wallace. Mark your offseason scorecards accordingly. [Empty Netters]

--Should SI re-create the classic '79 Sportsman of the Year cover and name Sid and Big Ben as this year's winners? Makes sense to me. [Mark Madden / 105.9 The X]

--Deal or No Deal auditions are coming to Ross Park Mall. And no, Howie Mandel won't be there. [PG]

--Former Pitt QB Bill Daniels is the new head football coach at Our Lady of Sacred Heart HS. [Trib]

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THE SSSHHHHH! WINNER IS...

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:02:00 +0000

The Ssshhhh t-shirt Caption Contest is now complete, and the winner, as judged by the contest's sponsor, was this one:

jpbucco said...

Don't tell Pierre McGuire that Richards is straight.

So Mr. JPBucco, please email me and we'll arrange to get your t-shirt out ASAP.

The "Superstar Treatment" Store on eBay is now re-stocked, so place your t-shirt orders now.

ONLY $10!

Email: Mondesishouse@gmail.com Twitter: twitter.com/mondesishouse Facebook: Facebook Group

RUSLAN FEDOTENKO HAS A NEW TATTOO

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 03:34:00 +0000

Sure is nice (although it looks sore), but does it top Pascal Dupuis' post-Cup ink?

Image via Allan Walsh Twitter

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NEWS AND NOTES

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 15:48:00 +0000

--The star-studded final episode on Savran on Sportsbeat will be re-broadcast tonight at 6:30 EST on FSN Pittsburgh. Maybe this will stop the flood of hate mail being sent to Liberty Media. Nah, probably not.

--Wondering why Pirate bullpen coach Luis Dorante was pitching to Albert Pujols at last night's snoozefest of a Home Run Derby? Here's your answer. [Fox]

--Rinku Singh, he of the 12.00 ERA, was the winning pitcher in last night's GCL Pirates 10-5 win over the Tigers. This completely validates the Pirates' experiment. [MinorLeagueBaseball.com]

--Pedro Alvarez homered last night for Altoona, his 18th home run of the season. And yes, that leads the entire organization. [MinorLeagueBaseball.com]

--Former Pirate Tim Wakefield makes his All-Star debut tonight at the ripe age of 42. Better late than never, right? [PG]

--John Russell's not disappointed in the last-place, free-falling Pirates. That would require the presence of a pulse. [Bob Smizik Blog]

--Johnny Lujack was once The Man, but unfortunately his legacy has faded a bit over time. Hopefully that will change with his induction into the Fayette County Sports Hall of Fame and dedication of the Johnny Lujack Training Facility in Connellsville. [PG]

--ESPN has a new ombudsman. Mondesi's House has yet to follow suit. [Awful Announcing]

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CATCHING UP WITH 1250'S TOP FAN, CHRIS MUELLER

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:42:00 +0000

Last year, North Hills resident Chris Mueller captured the title of ESPN 1250 "Top Fan", winning their American Idol-style talent search in front of a panel that included Beano Cook, Mayor Steelerstahl, and Mike Logan. Shortly after his victory, I caught up with him for a brief interview, and Pittsburgh learned a little more about their newest sports talk radio personality.

With 1250's Top Fan contest in full swing again this summer, I thought it would be a good idea to catch up with Chris and see how things panned out after his victory last year. And don't forget, more qualifiers for this year's contest are being held this week, so don't miss your chance!

Mondesi's House: The last time we spoke, you were busy gaining fame and notoriety as ESPN 1250's inaugural Top Fan. With your victory came the promise of a gig at the station, and even better, $500 in free dry cleaning. So tell us a little about how the year played out...and please, feel free to update us on the status of your remaining balance with the dry cleaners.

Chris Mueller: To be honest, I was kind of in a daze for a week or two after winning, seeing as I'd always wanted to do some kind of sports broadcasting as a career. I did a few quick appearances on the air, and went to training camp to watch and report on the proceedings, so that was fun. Once training camp was over, I started co-hosting Gamenight one night a week, usually with Ken Laird, and after about five months, the training wheels came completely off and I started solo hosting shows, which is comparable to Bubbles the Chimp being being given command of the International Space Station, but it got easier and more comfortable as time went on, and there was a lot of positive feedback from callers, which I really appreciated. Plus, being on the air with guys I grew up listening to was and still is a blast when I take a step back and think about it.

Oh, and as for the dry cleaning, I must confess I never had a use for it, though if you saw my get-up at the competitions, that comes as no surprise.

MH: During your first year at 1250, were there any memorable interactions with athletes, celebrities, or co-workers that you could share with us? Any moments where you stepped back and were a bit awestruck about your new job?

CM: The easy answer is that there were tons of them. This might get my Yinzer license revoked, but this past summer was the first time I'd ever been to training camp, so seeing the guys I was used to cheering for up close was really cool and definitely a "fan" moment. Like I said earlier, sitting on the air with Stan and Guy for any length of time was kind of a surreal experience. One of the hardest things about the job was trying to make sure that I was still bringing good takes and opinions to any show and not just responding with, "Stan, Guy, love the show." Plus, any time I heard Scott Paulsen say, "Next up, it's Gamenight with Chris Mueller," I had to chuckle in disbelief, even months into the gig. I was also fortunate enough to get a chance to represent the station on an "Aircheck" segment on ESPNEWS in April. Even though I was nervous as all hell (and it showed, at first), that was far and away the coolest thing I've ever done. Oh, and getting asked to do an interview on this very site was pretty surreal and just about as cool as winning the contest. (Checks nose for traces of brown)

I will say this about every person at 1250 from the talent on down, they were welcoming and friendly from moment one, and really made me feel like I'd been working there for years. Eddy Crow in particular was especially supportive and friendly from the second the competition ended, and when he started making cruel jokes about me and coming up with derogatory nicknames, I knew I'd be alright. Joe DeStio was also really helpful when I started doing solo shows, as he dealt with my ridiculous nervousness and chatter in the hour or so leading up to the start of the show, and always had a fact or a point of view that made the shows much better. Plus, I feel like I learned several good habits from Ken Laird, and observing the way he prepared for a show and structured it on the fly was a huge plus early on.

To get back to the first part of the question, the most awestruck I was by any celebrity was definitely Roy Jones Jr. I had a one-on-one interview with him before he fought Joe Calzaghe and the thought occurred to me that at one point, he was arguably one of the 10 or 15 most famous athletes in the world, so that was a big thrill.

Sorry for writing a book there, but there really have been too many great experiences to count, and whoever wins this year's contest has plenty to look forward to. Still, that was long winded, so as Mitch Hedberg would say, I'll fix that answer next time by taking out all the words, and replacing them with new ones.

MH: This year's Top Fan contest is already underway. Any first impressions of the contestants? Any advice you could share with them?

CM: I honestly haven't heard any of the contestants thus far, but that will change pretty soon. The best advice I can think of is to be funny, relevant, self-deprecating and engaging. That advice is more geared to helping if they make it to the round of 10 or the finals, but it really holds true even for the preliminary rounds. In the preliminary round, just make sure you pick a topic you can really rant on for a long time, cut it to two minutes, and when there's thirty seconds left, start recapping and wrapping it up. If the Pirates are one of the topics, I'd suggest talking about them.

MH: With one year of professional broadcasting in the books, what's the future hold for Chris Mueller?

CM: Currently I'm waiting on an offer from a radio station in State College to do a morning show. It's a Kiss-FM type of station, so that would be a departure from what I'm used to, but I'd be co-hosting the show with a good friend from Penn State who previously worked on a large, nationally syndicated show out of Washington D.C.

Obviously, I'm hoping that situation works out, because it would be a great way to get practice and hone the craft five days a week. If it works out, I'm hoping we can package ourselves as a show and move up relatively quickly to a bigger market, as we both have experience in decent-sized cities. He's got a sports background as well, so I think we'd be a pretty versatile team.

Assuming that everything in State College comes to fruition, I'd also like to do some fill-in work for 1250 on the weekends and maintain some kind of presence in the Pittsburgh sports media for the foreseeable future. I have talked to some of the higher-ups at 1250 about this, and amazingly they didn't run screaming for the hills at my suggestion.

So, in the interest of maintaining some presence here and in the interest of shameless plugs, I'm hoping some of your loyal readership might meander over to my blog, Mueller's Musings, which has been on hiatus for two and a half months, due to me searching for a radio gig with most of my free time. I am in the process of re-launching it, and I promise that it'll be more thoughtful and funny than a Bob Smizik blog post at least 12% of the time.

And now, a few questions on the Pittsburgh sports scene and beyond:

MH: Nice little hockey season we just witnessed. But as Pittsburghers, we're already planning the 2010 parade route. What do you think about Ray Shero's initial moves, post-Cup?

CM: I don't mind seeing Hal Gill go, for one thing. I liked him, and he was a great playoff defenseman, but he's replaceable. Rob Scuderi's departure, inevitable as it seemed, hurts a little more. He had matured into the main shutdown guy for this team, and obviously his plays at the end of Game 6 might just have been the biggest plays made by anyone for any team this past season. That said, Scuderi isn't worth the money he got from L.A. He's a good but not great defenseman who cashed in because winning raises anyone's profile. I'll miss him, and I'll cheer for him, but Jay McKee ought to be a more than adequate replacement, for a fraction of the cost. Oh, and don't forget about Ben Lovejoy, either.

Shero's best moves so far have been re-signing Guerin and Fedotenko, for discounts, no less. Guerin is the perfect lieutenant for Sid the Kid, and Fedotenko played solid hockey even when he wasn't making it onto the scoresheet. Both guys took less than they could have gotten, and both figure to make a solid impact on the club next year. Winning the Cup is nice, isn't it?

MH: What does your crystal ball forecast for our other championship team? Another Super Bowl run, or 2006 all over again?

CM: If another hero like Bernard Pollard turns Tom Brady's knee into an avant-garde art project again this year, then the road is paved for a repeat. The Steelers can certainly beat the Pats with Brady, but it'll be a hell of a lot more difficult. The reason I'm only mentioning these two teams is because they should be the class of the AFC. The Colts might threaten, but I don't think the Steelers have lost enough important pieces to see them playing any role but title contender next year. The reason 2006 happened was because the team had won its first Super Bowl in over 20 years, and it was known that Bill Cowher was seriously thinking about retirement. That bred complacency, which led to all the losing. Well, complacency and the franchise player losing a headbutt fight with a Chrysler. This team won't be complacent under Mike Tomlin, and Ben Roethlisberger won't be on a motorcycle anytime soon. I say 12-4, and a repeat. Why not?

MH: Let's venture into college sports for a moment. Do you see the Pitt Panthers improving upon their nine-win total of a year ago, or taking a step back with the losses of players like LeSean McCoy and Scott McKillop?

CM: They won't win 9 games unless the defense does a Steel Curtain impersonation. Watching Pitt games in-person made their reliance on Shady McCoy even more glaring than it was on TV. They'll have a great D, even without McKillop, and their receiving corps should be solid, but who's going to throw them the ball? Bill Stull? Pat Bostick? Those two don't exactly bring to mind Montana and Young under center. If one of the two QB's really plays well, they might get to 9 or even 10, but 8 sounds a lot more realistic to me.

MH: What did you think of the Sam Young/Dejuan Blair free-fall in the 2009 NBA Draft? Do you think their respective situations will actually work out well for them?

CM: This will sound like a homeriffic rant, but they both got shafted big time. I won't go into the litany of players that went before them, but man, what were some of these GM's thinking? Tyler Hansbrough? Really? I saw highlights of Blair in a summer league game today, and yes, that's not the greatest barometer for future success, but he looked trim, and he was doing the exact same thing he did in college; gobble up rebounds, and post a double-double. 13 and 10, to be exact. You're going to tell me he won't contribute more than a guy like Hansbrough or some project from overseas? To me, that's mind-boggling. He won't be an All-Star, but I'll bet he's either starting for the Spurs or in the top 8 of their rotation this year, and if he develops a 15-footer, the guy could put up 15 a game. Blair is proof that the Spurs know something the rest of the league doesn't, and that's why they win championships. I'm happy he went somewhere where he'll likely have a long, productive career.

Young is another guy that just got killed by stupid GM's drafting on potential. He can score 16 to 18 a night right now in the league, and the rest of his game isn't as unpolished as it might appear. He can guard the 2 or the 3, even the 4 in a pinch, he's got a mid-range game (Rip Hamilton Lite) and he's more mature, both in age and mentality, than just about everyone in the draft. Now, the fact that he's playing for the Grizzlies sucks for him, but hopefully he can put up nice numbers there and then get out ASAP.

Bottom line is, at least 5 or 6 of the guys picked ahead of Blair and Young, if not more, won't be in the NBA in 3 years. I'm betting both of them will be playing important roles for their respective teams well before that. The guy I feel worst for is Jamie Dixon, because it would have been nice for him to be able to say that the Panthers had two first-round picks, like they should have, but Blair and Young's freefall does nothing, at least for now, to erase the perception that Pitt produces nice college players, but not good pro prospects.

MH: Quick hitters, beyond our Pittsburgh bubble:

A. Who's the starting QB for the Minnesota Vikings in Week one?

God, I hope not Brett Favre. I think I speak for everyone with a functioning frontal lobe when I say STAY HOME AND CUT YOUR GRASS. He's like the Paris Hilton of sports. It'll probably be Tarvaris Jackson, though, and I'll laugh and laugh and laugh because I don't think I've ever actually seen him complete a pass. For a wild card, why don't we go with Vince Young, via a blockbuster trade.

B. How many home runs does Albert Pujols finish with this season? (He has 32 though 90 games)

If he got to play every game against the Pirates, 131. Since he doesn't, I'll go with a reasonable number like 59. Mark my words though, if he breaks Roger Maris' record, there will be whispers that he's a cheater too. No one's safe in today's game.

C. You're starting an NHL franchise. You've got the #1 pick. Who are you taking?

Taking into account age, it's gotta be Crosby, even though I think Malkin is going to end up having the better career, numbers-wise. If the goal is to win games, it's Crosby. If the goal is to sell tickets, it's Ovechkin. If the goal is to never ever win a championship for as long as the player is on your team, it's Hossa. Obviously, though, uh, the uh, correct answer is uh, Mario Lemieux.

D. Is Ricky Rubio playing in the NBA this season?

No. Spain or Minnesota? Spanish weather or Minnesota weather? I'd say Spanish women or Minnesota women, but my personal experience in that department has actually favored the North Star State. Seriously though, who wants to play for the T-Wolves?

If Rubio was smart, though, he'd wait and see if Favre signs with the Vikings, because if he does, Rubio can have a full season to work out kinks in his game before anyone in the Twin Cities remembers that the Wolves exist.

E. Celebrity we've lost in 2009 that you'll miss the most?

Billy Mays. Death comes in threes, but leave it to Billy to throw in one more at no extra charge.

MH: And finally, I know you've got some thoughts on the Pirates' wheeling and dealing and the subsequent fan reaction. You've got the floor, my friend. Go nuts.

CM: If you've read this far, Mondesi's House patron, I beg that you read just a little bit more. Oh, and you deserve a gold star. Anyway...

The uproar over the Nate McLouth trade, and to a lesser extent, the Nyjer Morgan trade, has me utterly baffled. I'd like to think that the sports fans in the City of Champions aren't this dumb. When McLouth got traded, you could go onto facebook and you'd have thought the Pirates dealt away Pujols, A-Rod and Johan Santana for Rafael Belliard and Kevin Polcovich. Sorry, but the people bemoaning these moves are insane. Insane, or proof that the Nuttings have finally won. When the fanbase is crying in their beer over the loss of a .260 career hitter who had precisely one somewhat above average season under his belt, you know they've been conditioned to accept and embrace mediocrity. I actually heard people say that the worst part about losing McLouth would be his defense. Are you kidding me? Anyone that says that needs to go to Fire Joe Morgan and read up on some of the advanced defensive metrics used in baseball these days. Nate might have won the Gold Glove last year, but according to those advanced metrics, he was one of the worst defensive players in the game.

Nate McLouth was not a superstar, and almost certainly never will be. He is a slightly above average player who would be a nice piece for a contending team. He was not the future of this club. The future centerfielder of this club happens to be manning the position right now, and he's probably as good right now, at age 22, as McLouth was ever going to be. He won't hit for power like McLouth, but he'll play far superior defense and cause havoc on the bases. Did I mention he might be one of the two or three fastest players in the majors?

Here's a news flash: The Pirates' minor league system is bereft of talent. They need all the depth they can get. If Charlie Morton becomes a serviceable major league player, and Gorkys Hernandez turns into anything near what the club thinks he can be, the Pirates will have won that trade, big time.

The Morgan trade, thankfully, received less scorn than the deal that sent away McLouth. Acquiring ultra-talented players with some baggage is what the Pirates have to do to have a chance with the game in its current economic state. With Lastings Milledge, the Bucs got a player that is as good as Morgan right now, and is five years younger. When the Nationals acquired Morgan and Burnett, one member of their organization called them "cornerstones of the franchise." Do you realize how pathetic that statement is? Do you want the Pirates to sink THAT low? If you checked yes in response to these questions, then continue to complain when Jack Wilson, Adam LaRoche, Freddy Sanchez and John Grabow are traded away (and boy, do I hope that each and every one of these guys is gone after the deadline). I'm sure Bob Nutting would be glad to authorize spending several million on a journeyman pitcher or a past-his-prime third baseman. That is absolutely a better plan for winning than, you know, trying to acquire talented players and develop them in the farm system. The Neal Huntington/Frank Coonelly front office actually appears to have a battle plan, and they're sticking to it.

But hey, if 81-81 is your goal, or you're a big dreamer and you're looking to 82-80, keep moaning and complaining. Keep wondering out loud why the Pirates traded all their "stars" and "great players." Hopefully no one listens to you.

---

And don't forget, to be the next Chris Mueller,
register in the 2009 ESPN 1250 Top Fan contest!

Email: Mondesishouse@gmail.com Twitter: twitter.com/mondesishouse Facebook: Facebook Group

NEWS AND NOTES

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:10:00 +0000

--Everyone's emailing me this link about James Walker proclaiming Ben Roethlisberger's superiority over Eli Manning, and really, it's just common sense. I mean, who's really debating about this topic at this point in time (other than Matt Mosley)? It's like having a discussion about whether or not the Pirates will win the World Series this year: it's an argument that takes about two seconds to close the book on. [ESPN AFC North Blog]

--Stan Savran has re-signed with FSN Pittsburgh as the primary host for Pirate and Penguin pre-game shows, the Mike Tomlin press conferences, and the Mike Tomlin Show. Sportsbeat, however, will end its 18-year run tonight. [Bob Smizik Blog]

--Jamie Dixon's under-19 team captured gold at the FIBA World Championships, ending an 18-year drought of gold medals for the U.S. with an 88-80 win over Greece. Pitt's Ashton Gibbs scored 13 in the final. [PG]

--Could a Freddy Sanchez-to-the-Giants deal include Zach Duke? Sure! Why not throw in Alvarez and McCutchen for good measure? [MLB Trade Rumors]

--Justin Hartwig has broken one of his toes when he dropped something on it. But what did he drop that would've caused a break? An anvil? A Super Bowl trophy? [Behind the Steel Curtain]

--Bloated comedian and noted Joe Buck-basher Artie Lange got a DUI over the break from taping the Howard Stern Show, but fear not: he says he's innocent. [TMZ]

--And finally, from A.J.: "Click this link, then be prepared to waste at least an hour."

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BUCCOS AT THE BREAK

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 02:06:00 +0000

We're 88 games into the Pirates' soon-to-be historic 2009 campaign, and the Battlin' Bucs sit at 38-50, nine games out of first place and dwelling in the moldy yet familiar cellar of the NL Central. Pittsburgh limps into the All-Star break with a lowly 2-9 mark in the month of July, including a just-concluded and very depressing three-game sweep at the hands of the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies, highlighted by a backbreaking 8-7 loss on Saturday night where Matt Capps blew a four-run lead in the ninth. Yes, times are tough, indeed. But they're nothing we haven't experienced before as Pirate fans. We've built up a tolerance.

On the bright side, this is a team that somehow scored two All-Stars, after Zach Duke was named as a replacement for San Francisco's Matt Cain. For someone who's sported ERAs of 4.82 in 2008 and 5.53 in 2007, that's some unexpected good news. Duke, the first Pirate starter to get an All-Star nod since Denny Neagle back in 1995, will be accompanied on the NL roster by the human trade bait that is Freddy Sanchez (.316/6/34), who's making his third appearance in the midsummer classic.

The Pirates' organization also placed two players in Sunday's waterlogged Futures Game, including Pedro Alvarez and Brad Lincoln. Alvarez, a DH for the US team, was 1-2 with an RBI single and a strikeout. Lincoln was the final pitcher used by the US, yielding two hits and a run in 1/3 of an inning. That's probably not going to go down as the finest hour of his pro career.

Statistically speaking, the Pirates' team leaders in major categories look like this. As you can see, there's a lot of Sanchezes and LaRoches on that chart. Which will make the post-deadline roster look really interesting if they deal their leaders in every offensive category.

In typical Pirate fashion, there are plenty of subplots going at all times, and in addition to their daily blue-light specials on veterans, we're following their internationally-flavored signings (now with Lithuanian and Australian!), the emergence of Garrett "Babe" Jones, a potential Rookie of the Year candidate in Andrew McCutchen, and the most popular Indians since Pedro Cerrano and Rick Vaughn: Rinku and Dinesh.

The second half of the season begins on Friday night, as the Pirates lock horns with the 49-39 San Francisco Giants. And if the on-field action or off-field giveaways don't exactly float your boat, any remaining Pirate faithful can look forward to following the rungs of the organization's minor league ladder, where intriguing personalities like Ian Snell and Lastings Milledge are found on a daily basis. If head cases aren't your bag, you can always keep tabs on the trade bait of tomorrow, players like Alvarez, Jose Tabata, Gorkys Hernandez, and Tony Sanchez. As you can see, there's always plenty of activity to keep you occupied aboard the Jolly Roger. And in totally unrelated news, the Steelers report on July 31.

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THE NEWS

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 01:37:00 +0000

PICS OF THE WEEK

I'm always up for a good cheap shot at Cleveland. Like this photoshop of the Dunk Heard But Not Seen Round the World.

"As natives of the Pittsburgh area who are currently transplanted in Harrisburg, my friend Brian and I jumped all over yesterday's multi-trophy visit. Personally, we were both the most psyched to see Lord Stanley's Chalice, because it is the Trophy, not just a trophy, but hey -- who is going to say no to seeing a Lombardi as well, right? And whatever that weird pointy crown thing was that was sitting beside them. Somebody told me it had something to do with baseball, but I was born in 1982, so I didn't realize baseball had championships. Heck, I didn't even know they had a post season.* I thought the whole point of baseball was to assemble the cheapest payroll possible and change your slogan every few years. Let's go to work! But I digress...
Here are a few shots I snapped of the waiting line, and then my picture of the trophies. The line was long, but it moved remarkably quickly, mostly due to the cop/security guard guys making sure everyone had time for only one or two pictures before moving them along. I was actually rather impressed with the efficiency, overall. I swear I did nothing to doctor the trophy picture, the Lombardi was actually gleaming in the sunlight.

*Yeah, I remember the early 90s. Thankfully I had started watching baseball by that point, which I think is how I still maintain my Pirate fandom. I seriously don't know how I'll ever convince any children I might have to care about them at all." -- Mark B.
---
"I'm a Burgher transplanted in Philly, and my girlfriend and I made the hour-plus drive to Atlantic City this weekend. We were kind of surprised at how rough the city was outside of the casinos and tourist centers, and I said I had heard it was one of the top 20 or so worst cities in America. So I googled to try and validate my claim, and found a list from an old AOL archive. I didn't see AC on it, but Philadelphia was #5 worst city in America. However, the picture they had was this one:
I feel like this could be a number of things: Something that unfolded after a "Here We Go Steelers" or "Let's Go Pens" chant broke out outside Citizens Bank Park, someone finally taking action against Pirates management for embezzling the money and time of their fanbase for 17 years. But I think this would be best suited as the official photo of the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball club. Not sure why, but I just do." - Matt E.
---
"I wanted to provide you with a couple of shots from my recent vacation to Disney World.
My Terrible Towel traveled with me and it was amazing to see the great opportunities.
My personal favorite is labeled Terrible Tower. That's me holding the towel and the guy two seats to my left (wearing the 'One for the Other Thumb' shirt) was from Kentucky.
He loved the photo and bought one just because the towel was in the pic. Note the two Cleveland fans sitting behind me." -- MurDelEx

INTERNET AUCTION OF THE WEEK

Raul Mondesi's game-used cleats, batting gloves, and and wrist bands can all be yours for only $109.99. A virtual steal.

LINK OF THE WEEK

The "If Celebrities Moved to Oklahoma" Gallery.
Very offensive...if you live in Oklahoma.

DAMESHEK ON E!
Dave Dameshek makes a guest appearance on the E! True Hollywood Story about baseball wives. Which is funny, because he's not a baseball player nor the wife of one. But a nice appearance by the 'Shek. And nice usage of the phrase "road beef".

VIDEOS OF THE WEEK

Franco's Italian Army, in all of its glory.

In My Hands: Salute to the Champions from Igloo Beach on Vimeo.

"We Burghers are fortunate to have so much happiness in times like these. I've been chumping all over the place trying to get a home for my Pens tribute video / ROCKIN' SLIDESHOW OF TRIUMPH, but the pitiless contentions of a certain mega-label paint it as a triple-contagious hobo hepped up on Aqua Net. My hilarity aside, the linked is intended to be uplifting, is my creation, and makes me cry. Warning: one profanity at about 0:16." -- Igloo Beach

"City of Champions - Gatorade style", from Adrian S.

And a public service announcement: Bruno opens on Friday. I have high hopes.

QUESTIONS THAT NEED ANSWERED

"I just had a question about Pitt since I don't reside in Western PA. Do you know when the Pitt Athletic Department officially switches over to the Nike apparel sponsorship? I've heard rumblings that it is definitely going to happen. Will there be any jersey changes for the football team under Nike? Also the Basketball team? I like what Nike puts out there for the most part, especially with traditional schools like Penn State. As long as they stay away from all the piping they put on the jerseys. If you know anything or have any connections to this story I'd be interested in knowing more." -- Dan D.

"Calling the soundtracks “questionable” on those two recent Steelers/Penguins montages is an understatement. The music almost made me embarrassed to have my teams featured in the videos. I have neither the time nor the technical know-how/software to put one of those montages together, but I always thought it would be cool to see some Steelers/Penguins highlights put to the theme from the movie “300”. Either the audio from this trailer (the line “They came from the blackness” just begs for shots the Steelers/Penguins exiting the tunnel in their black unis) or the song “Just Like You Imagined” by NIN would do the trick. I don’t know if you have someone among your extensive network of Yinzers who could pull this off, but I thought it would do the teams more justice. The music is a little more, how you say, masculine?" -- Phil R.

SOME LINKS

--The former roommate of Sahel Kazemi, aka Steve McNair's girlfriend, currently resides in Pittsburgh. Unfortunately, this story told me virtually nothing on the subject, so don't say I didn't warn you. [WPXI]

--Freddy Sanchez is still a Pirate at the moment, so the team's auction must not be complete. Bidders for his services include Colorado and San Francisco. So does that make Neil Huntington the fast-talking auctioneer? [PBC Blog]

--There's also spirited bidding for Matt Capps, and Florida is the latest franchise to throw their hat into the ring. [Fox]

--The Pens' preseason schedule is out, and it wraps up with...Detroit. I believe all of you are familiar with that team, no? [Empty Netters]

--Pittsburgh is grieving the pending loss of KDKA's Sonni Abatta to Fox 35 in Orlando. I know Mark Madden, for one, is beside himself. [Tuned In Journal]

--Pitt guard Jermaine Dixon, their only returning starter, injured his foot during summer league play and could be out until September. [PG]

--Is St. Louis defenseman Jay McKee going to be the next Pittsburgh Penguin? [Mark Madden/105.9 the X]

Update: Looks like they're crossing the t's and dotting the i's on the deal. It appears we've got a new Penguin.

--The Wannstache just got his 14th recruit for 2010, 6'4", 215-pound TE Brendan Carozzoni of Cleveland's St. Ignatius. He chose the Panthers over WVU, Indiana, and a bunch of MAC schools. [Trib]

--The Spurs' recent pickups of Antonio McDyess and Marcus Haislip could be bad news for Dejuan Blair, says Bob Smizik. [Bob Smizik Blog]

--Grove City's Caleb Kolb, son of former Steeler Jon Kolb, was named to the Asics High School All-American wrestling team. The nation's 20th-ranked recruit, he'll be wrestling collegiately at Nebraska. [AlliedNews.com]

AND FINALLY...

As requested on Thursday, keep that feedback rolling in. Lots of great suggestions so far. Remeember, I want to hear from you. Yes, you!

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THE SUGGESTION BOX IS OPEN

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 19:01:00 +0000

We're nearing that time of year when sports grind so close to a halt that ESPN can bring together most of the athletic universe in one night for the ESPYs. Outside of talking about Home Run Derby for a couple of days, there's not much on the horizon as far as news, unless the disturbing trend of celebrities dropping like flies every five minutes continues.

With that in mind, I figured it was time for a good, old-fashioned survey. We've got a lot of daily visitors here, and because of that stubborn people-pleasing gene I seem to be unable to shake, I'd like for people to enjoy each and every visit as best they can. I didn't really make a big deal out of it, since patting yourself on the back is usually frowned upon on the internet, but the site just turned three years old last month, and I'd like to see it continue to grow. And before you point it out, yes, my shoulder does hurt from patting myself on the back. I've already scheduled an appointment with Dr. James Andrews, thank you.

Long story short, I'm looking for any kind of feedback you have to offer on the Mondesi's House experience. Pros, cons...as always, I'm open to your suggestions.

I'm well aware that one of my biggest weaknesses is posting at seemingly random times, but unfortunately there's little I can do about that. Most of the "heavy lifting" posts will continue to go live in the evenings, while breaking stuff will fill the void during the daytime when possible.

Specifically, any thoughts you had on the following topics would be greatly appreciated: Site design/layout, content, Twittering/tweeting in relation to the site, what the site needs more of, and what it needs less of. Beyond that, your two cents on any other topics is also welcome. All of the information will be confidential, and there's no motive other than making this a better site. Your opinion really does matter to me. And yes, I will post actual sports news a little bit later.

Please direct your emails to mondesishouse@gmail.com

And thank you in advance for your input

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CURT SCHILLING DEFENDS THE STEELERS

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:04:00 +0000

Outspoken former pitcher Curt Schilling is a card-carrying member of Steeler Nation, and as a card-carrying member, he is naturally defensive of his favorite team. So when dropped into a "Slugfest" staged debate with Mike Felger on Boston's WEEI.com website with the topic of "Why the Steelers are one of the most annoying franchises in sports", the gloves came off. A snippet of his defense:

The Steelers, annoying? What's the annoying part?

1) More Super Bowls than any franchise in NFL history?

2) Fewer head coches than most teams have in a decade, in their entire team history?

3) No drug scandals

4) No players that murdered someone in their family

5) Hall of Famer after Hall of Famer that were great guys. From Franco Harris, to Swann, Stallworth, Lambert, Ham, Blount to Bradshaw their franchise is littered with awesome players who were/are great people.

Curt makes some great points, although his inclusion of #3 predictably generated a spirited response from Felger. But rather than spoil the entire debate for you, I'll zip it at this point and you can be the judge of who made the more compelling argument. Because I'm sure you woke up this morning and wondered, "I wonder how a retired pitcher would defend the Steelers' honor right in the heart of Patriots' country?"

WEEI.com Slugfests - Schilling vs. Felger [WEEI]
*Thanks to Art C. for the link

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SANTONIO'S TD, IN TECMO BOWL FORM

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:42:00 +0000

Continuing my recent theme of posting videos related to a football game played five months ago instead of talking about the Pirates' latest loss to Mike Hampton, here's a new one: Santonio's epic touchdown, in Tecmo Bowl form. Maybe someday I'll figure out how videos like these are actually made, but until then, I can only watch in amazement. And sit idly by until the next veteran Pirate is traded, so we can all debate about the future of the team for a couple of days.

Tip o' the cap to Steve is Alive for the clip

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CITY OF CHAMPIONS: BOTH GENERATIONS

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:09:00 +0000

With all of the "City of Champions" videos going around the net, here's one with a new twist: linking the first City of Champions era with the latest installment. So courtesy of reader/talented video editor Christian C., here's a little something to kick off your Wednesday morning.

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THE END OF "SAVRAN ON SPORTSBEAT"

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:33:00 +0000

After an amazing 18-year run, FSN's Savran on Sportsbeat will be cancelled due to strictly financial reasons, according to FSN owner Liberty Media.

The show debuted on March 11, 1991, originally titled only as Sportsbeat. Stan Savran has been the host since February, 1992, co-hosting with Guy Junker from '92 through 2003 and flying solo from 2003 until now.

The show became somewhat of a Pittsburgh institution, with the "Stan...Guy...love the show" line etching a permanent mark in the dialect affectionately known as Pittsburghese. Savran's knowledgeable and personable style meshed perfectly with Junker's, and together they developed into a duo that Pittsburgh sports fans felt very comfortable with.

While Savran's future with FSN looks to be unknown, he can still be heard every day with Junker and Chris Mack on ESPN 1250 AM, where they were reunited last year.

I had the opportunity to interview Stan and Guy after the taping of their radio show last year, and I can tell you that they were very accommodating and told some fantastic stories. Most of all, though, their true love of sports really shined through. Many personalities in the genre these days fill their show with talk about celebrities, politics, etc.; but this pair is about sports...period. The exit of Sportsbeat is about to leave be a gaping hole in the Pittsburgh sports media universe. I don't know what FSN has planned as a replacement, but odds are that it will not have anywhere near the impact that this program had on the local sports scene.

"Savran on Sportsbeat'' to be cancelled [Bob Smizik Blog]
MONDESI'S HOUSE INTERVIEW: ESPN 1250'S STAN SAVRAN AND GUY JUNKER [MH]

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STANLEY, MEET VINCE

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:22:00 +0000

Here's the photo we've all been waiting for: the Stanley Cup and the Lombardi Trophy, united at last. This took place in Harrisburg, where they met up with a third pal, the Phillies' World Series trophy. Yeah, you could definitely say Pennsylvania solidly owns pro sports these days.

State of Champions [96.1 Kiss Morning Freak Show]

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NEWS AND NOTES

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 01:08:00 +0000

-- Game 7 goal-scoring machine Max Talbot will be having surgery on one of his shoulders and may miss the first month of the season, according to reports. But don't worry, this is not expected to affect his Superstar status at A&L Motors. [WTAE]

--Ian Snell contemplated suicide a month ago? How did I miss this? [WHTR.com]

--The Steelers' QBs are ranked 2nd in the NFL, which I can't complain about. But #1 is San Diego, which means I will complain loudly. [Fox]

--ESPN is debating who is really "America's Team", and James Walker makes the case for the Steelers. As if there's any debate. [ESPN.com]

--Speaking of the Steelers, here are the top 5 performances by Steve McNair against the black and gold. [Examiner.com]

--Four words: I Heart Bob Smizik. It's a new blog for all those who love to follow Pittsburgh's favorite retired-but-not-really sportswriter. [I Heart Bob Smizik]

--Here's a list of "the Top 10 Depressed MLB Fanbases", and the Pirates not only aren't #1, they're not even on the list. For once, I'm speechless. [Five Tool Tool]

--So Atlanta's in the market for a SS because Yunel Escobar is making Bobby Cox age even faster than normal. Could a Jack Wilson-Nate McLouth reunion be in the cards? [Fan Nation]

--The Twins are interested in All-Star Freddy Sanchez. So are the Giants. Don't act surprised, Pittsburgh. At this point, I think the Buccos would listen to offers for Clemente and Stargell if they were still on the roster. [Bleacher Report]

--And by the way, the Yankees may make a run at John Grabow, ironically because of an injury to Damaso Marte. You can't make this stuff up, folks. [NY Post]

--Dave Dameshek penned a nice article for the WWL about the nation's most beloved busted ballplayer, Manny Ramirez. Quitting on his teammates to force a trade, female fertility drugs, flaking out during games...of course fans would love him. Wait, what? [ESPN.com]

--Jamie Dixon, Ashton Gibbs and the USA under-19 team are rolling right along in the FIBA World Championships. But can they get past the Elite Eight? [Pitt Blather]

--The Panthers just snagged their 13th recruit, Woodland Hills DT Khaynin Mosely-Smith. This is the spot where I usually put the one liner, but I have none at my disposal other than mentioning continued amazement at Wannstache's recruiting prowess. [PSI]

--The Billy Mays funeral was held in McKees Rocks, and the pall bearers were clad in Mays' trademark blue shirt and khakis look:

And a few things I missed over the holidays but wanted to shoehorn in:

--Rinku and Dinesh, the minor-league baseball version of the Sedin twins, appeared in their first pro game on Saturday for the Pirates' Bradenton team in the Gulf Coast League. Dinesh threw a scoreless inning on just nine pitches, while Rinku surrendered a run on two hits in his inning. Both had one strikeout. The bad news: if this works out, they'll both be traded for prospects. [PG]

--The ESPN Ultimate Team Rankings were released, and the Steelers were 3rd, the Penguins 8th, and the Pirates...94th. If not for cheap seats in a sweet stadium, they'd surely be giving the tire fire known as the Clippers a run for their money. [ESPN.com]

--Former Tennessee Vol QB Jim Bob Cooter is facing aggravated burglary charges after allegedly getting into bed with a woman after climbing through a window of her Fort Sanders apartment. I don't know about you, but I'm shocked to hear that a guy named Jim Bob Cooter from Tennessee could run afoul of the law. [VolunteerTV.com]

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CITY OF CHAMPIONS -- PART II

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:05:00 +0000

Here's the sequel to the wildly popular "City of Champions" video that found its way to my inbox a few weeks ago. Again, this one has production values that are off the charts coupled with a questionable soundtrack choice, but it's worth a look.

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CAPTION CONTEST - WIN A SSSHHHH! T-SHIRT

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 02:29:00 +0000

These are perhaps the coolest t-shirts I've seen in a long time, and they're available through one of our readers, which means it's time for a caption contest.

The rules, in case you've forgotten, are simple: log in to the comments section and post your most creative caption to the photo of Mad Max shown below. The caption judged as the best will receive a FREE t-shirt courtesy of the Nipsyberger store on eBay. And remember, you have to post your caption in the comments section - no emails, please.

The shirts are available for just $10 and you can buy them here. The contest will run until Sunday, July 12, at midnight Eastern. Now get with the funny!

Update:
I just got word that the shirts are sold out until next week. But the contest goes on!

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PENS KEEP FEDOTENKO

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:15:00 +0000

Some good news on this 4th of July Eve: the Penguins have announced that they've re-signed 30-year-old winger Ruslan Fedotenko to a one-year deal for what I consider a very reasonable $1.8 million.

Fedotenko, their highest-profile remaining free agent, scored 39 points (16 goals/23 assists) in the 2008-09 regular season and 21 points (7 goals/14 assists) in the postseason. The first Ukranian to ever win the Stanley Cup, he's an eight-year NHL veteran, breaking in with Philadelphia back in 2000. If nothing else, he is very consistent, finishing between 32 and 39 points in six of his eight seasons.

The two-time Cup winner adds a certain cache to the team (especially in the playoffs) and the Penguins are undoubtedly better off with him than without him. Once again, Ray Shero has pushed the right button. Someone send that man a congratulatory box of fireworks.

Penguins re-sign Fedotenko [Empty Netters]

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SCUDERI GETS $13.6 MILLION FROM LA

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:15:00 +0000

Defenseman Rob Scuderi broke the proverbial bank today, scoring a four-year, $13.6 million deal with the LA Kings this afternoon. Much like Ryan Malone last season, this was a player who clearly signed for much more than he could have ever hoped to receive from Pittsburgh.

"The Piece" had three goals and 30 assists in his five-year, 300-game career with the Pens. But his impact was not one normally seen on the scoresheet, where he became one of the team's best defensemen and was one of their top penalty killers. He had a fantastic Stanley Cup Finals, driving up his price with each crucial defensive stop.

Combined with the loss of Hal Gill yesterday, the Penguins' defensive depth has taken an immediate hit in the early stages of free agency. Considering their relatively narrow cap space, keep your eyes and ears open for Ray Shero potentially filling this need via trade.

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JACK WILSON IS SORRY

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 01:55:00 +0000

Jack Wilson never gets confused with Terrell Owens, so it's downright rare to hear the looooongtime Pirate mentioned in the same breath as an attack against the team's management. But that's exactly what happened in the wake of the recent Eric Hinske/Nyjer Morgan/Sean Burnett swaps on Tuesday. Jack was ticked, and he let his emotion get the best of him. If I may recap:

"The bottom line is, even if this trade does work out, it's not going to matter to 80 percent of the people in here," Wilson said. "And over the years, these trades haven't worked. Show me the ones that have worked."

Wilson described himself as "beyond, beyond tired" of such moves.

"We know that they're looking to the future, which doesn't say much about 2009," he continued. "That's probably what's so shocking. We're five games out, and we lost two or three of our everyday players. That's what hits us the most. You can understand if it's the end of July. You see that stuff coming. ... They're businessmen. They're trying to achieve winning baseball in Pittsburgh. The biggest question is: When is that going to be. When do things start turning around? It's just hard for guys who have been here and seen these exact same trades happen and seen it absolutely do nothing. I've been here nine years. I've seen these trades 2 or 3 times a year every year and still haven't had a winning season. You hope, eventually, some of these trades will work out. It's just they haven't yet. They think they're getting deals they can't pass up. I guess. I guess. I guess. Whatever."

They say time heals all wounds, and in this case, not much time had to pass before Wilson immediately regretted his words:

"I really didn't sleep last night, I think some of my comments were pretty harsh," Wilson said. "When you are here, and in the moment and you are talking to guys and everyone is bummed out, you tend to lose your head a little and vent. A lot of the things I said, I thought about last night talking to my wife and they were pretty inaccurate, I would say.

"I definitely don't want to be that guy who is butting heads with the organization or trying to cause any type of negativity, so, I apologize for that."

Jacko went on to add that his statements did not come as a result of management urging him to do so (which I question), but for now, we'll take him at his word. The bottom line is that Wilson is not part of the future, he knows it, he's been part of nothing but losing while in Pittsburgh, and by the time the Pirates do win (if ever), overwhleming odds are he won't be a part of it.

I can see both sides of the argument here. Wilson says the trades never work, yet wonders why management is breaking up a team that's six games out (but is in last place). On the other hand, he's surrounded by players acquired via trade (largely because of the organization's inability to develop their own players), so it was construed by some that he was being critical of said teammates.

Since 1993, this team's roster has been a revolving door. In the rare moments when the organization has had legit talent, that player is usually dealt before too long anyway. Rincon turns into Giles turns into Bay turns into Moss, who may turn into someone else someday. It's what fans and players have become accustomed to, and few can argue that the past results have worked.

But for some reason, I'm buying what Huntington is selling. He walked into a disastrous situation: the Major League team stunk, and there was a virtual bare cupboard in the minor leagues. This franchise needed rebuilt from top to bottom, and that is what Huntington is doing. With that comes hard decisions, like trading talented, popular players like Bay, Morgan, and Nate McLouth. But really, what did the Pirates ever win with them anyway? At this point in time, I'm a believer in tearing it down and starting anew, and that's what Huntington is trying to do.

Looking forward, this team now has at least some appearance of a direction. They have a presence in the Dominican, which was a non-factor for a long time. They are drafting much better. There are building blocks at the Major League level, most notably Andrew McCutchen. There's legitimate talent on the way, like Pedro Alvarez. And then there's Milledge, Jose Tabata, Gorkys Hernandez, Brad Lincoln, and Robbie Grossman. Yeah, yeah, I know we've heard it all before, with Chad Hermansen, J.J. Davis, et al. But right now we're once again swallowing the gross-tasting medicine that it's going to take to cure this ailing franchise. It's been sick for a long time, but there's a chance that after all these years, this might finally be the right prescription. And if it's not? Well, we have two championship trophies in our city. We can't be too greedy.

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PENS DVD SIGNINGS ANNOUNCED

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 01:50:00 +0000

On Tuesday, July 7^th, the Official Pittsburgh Penguins Stanley Cup Champions DVD will hit stores for $24.98 SRP. Coinciding with the DVD release, Penguin players Kris Letang and Tyler Kennedy will be signing copies of the DVD around Pittsburgh that day. Below is the info:

Kris Letang
Donaldsons Crossroads Giant Eagle
4007 Washington Road
McMurray, PA 15317-2520
Signing will take place from 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM
**Please note that fans must purchase a copy of the DVD to receive an autograph

Tyler Kennedy
Dick’s Sporting Goods
The Mall at Robinson
5000 Robinson Centre Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15205
Signing will take place from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
**Please note that fans must purchase a copy of the DVD to receive an autograph

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COLUMBUS SIGNS GARON

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 01:11:00 +0000

The Pens are once again in the market for a backup goalie, because Mathieu Garon just signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The deal is reportedly for $2.4 million over two years, a mere $200,000 less than former Penguin backup Ty Conklin received in a similar two-year deal done this afternoon with St. Louis.

Garon was 2-1 in four regular season games with the Penguins, and played only 24 minutes in the 2009 playoffs, a bullpen call in the 5-0 loss to Detroit in Game Five. He was acquired in January from Edmonton in exchange for goaltender Dany Sabourin, forward Ryan Stone and a fourth-round pick in 2011. Being that he barely played, there's not much to say about his time here; but he did skate with the Cup and get a chance to play in the Finals, so I can't imagine it was all bad on his end.

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PENGUINS SIGN MIKE RUPP

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 21:05:00 +0000

Meet your newest Penguin, 2003 Stanley Cup hero Mike Rupp. The Champs just signed the 6'5", 230-pound center to a two-year deal for $1.65 million.

Rupp had three goals and six assists in 72 games with New Jersey last season, so he'll be ticketed for a lower-level line. He's not much of a scorer, with 35 goals and 36 assists in 335 career games. But he does have 412 penalty minutes to look forward to. Curious signing by Mr. Shero, but it's beyond me to question his expertise at this point.

TSN Free Agent Tracker [TSN.ca]

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HAL GILL SIGNS WITH MONTREAL

noreply@blogger.com (mondesishouse) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:52:00 +0000

Let this be the lasting image in your head of Hal Gill, for the 34-year-old defenseman just signed a two-year, $4.5 million deal with Montreal.

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