Pittsburgh's Best Sports Blog with your host Tony Defeo

Glad to see the Pirates take care of "business" against the Reds, Tuesday night

2013-06-19T14:52:00.000-07:00

It looks like the Reds have become the new "Brewers." What I mean by that is, there are several players on Cincinnati's roster that Pirates fans cannot stand. The first one that comes to mind is Brandon Phillips. Despite this rather cool and endearing story of Phillips' showing up to a kids baseball game a couple years after he was invited to on Twitter, apparently, the Reds' second baseman is a phony and a jerk.

A second player that comes to mind is Cincinnati closer Aroldis Chapman. Chapman is probably the most hated of the Reds players in Pittsburgh because of his habit of buzzing Pirates batters around the head.

Last season, in a crucial August showdown in Cincinnati, Chapman nailed Pirates star outfielder Andrew McCutchen with a 90plus mph fastball in the ninth inning of a 3-0 Reds' victory. McCutchen was reportedly very upset, as were most of the Pirates players, but not much was done in the next game because the Reds came out throwing at Pittsburgh batters early-on, and both benches were warned, thus nullifying any chance of retaliation.

Fast-forward to this past Monday night in Great American Ballbark. Reds starting pitcher Mike Leake hit McCutchen with a pitch in the fourth inning. In the ninth inning, with Cincinnati ahead, 4-1, Chapman buzzed Neil Walker with another 90 plus mph fastball.

As you might expect, there was talk of whether or not the Pirates would/should return the favor in Game 2 of a very important four-game series between the two teams. The overriding sentiment by Pirates fans and the Pittsburgh media was that something definitely should be done to show Cincinnati that the Pirates simply were not going to be pushed around. With Pittsburgh ahead, 3-0, in the bottom of the first inning, Charlie Morton, of all mild-mannered people, nailed Shin-Soo Choo in the leg with his first pitch. This angered the Reds players, namely starting pitcher Mat Latos, but there was no payback on Cincinnati's part.

The Pirates went on to win, 4-0, and perhaps earn a little respect from the Reds' clubhouse. I guess that all remains to be seen, of course. The way these two teams have been throwing at one another over the past two seasons, I smell a benches clearing brawl in the very near future.

Either way, it's great to be talking about rivalries and bean-ball wars this time of year rather than what is going on in the Pirates minor league system.

Pittsburgh has spent the past five seasons re-stocking its farm system, and now it appears to be paying dividends in the form of a 5.5 game lead in the National League wild card standings and a competition-fueled feud with the Big Red Machine.

The Spurs are the only sports show in San Antonio, but since 1999, that's been a good thing

2013-06-17T07:35:00.001-07:00

As a native of Pittsburgh, Pa., I can't imagine only having one team to follow. I do understand there are some cities like Pittsburgh, where a particular franchise and sport is bigger than the others. The Steelers have been the biggest deal in town since about the mid-70's. And unless there is some severe damage done to the NFL's popularity in the coming years, the Black and Gold will probably continue to be the biggest deal, regardless of the growing popularity of the Penguins and any future success of the Pirates.

In Boston, no matter how successful the Patriots, Bruins or Celtics are, the Red Sox will always be the biggest deal in that area.

But at least fans in those cities have options. In fact, not only are there options in a town like Pittsburgh, there are actually rivalries between the fans of the three major sports teams. For example, I know a lot of Steelers fans who hate the Penguins. I know a lot of Penguins fans who are jealous of the Steelers success and wish nothing but failure on them whenever possible. I also know a lot of Steelers AND Penguins fans who mock the Pirates (and their two decade-long battle with ineptitude) any chance they have.

The only problem with that kind of stuff is what happens when your favorite team lays an egg right out of the gate? How do you compensate? What do you do with your team/civic pride energy?

I wonder what it's like in places like Salt Lake City, Jacksonville and San Antonio, where there isn't the option of sports team rivalries because they only have one sport and one team to carry the beacon of civic pride?

Speaking of San Antonio (population: 1.36 million as of 2011), Spurs basketball has been the only sports show in town since 1973. If you were a City of San Antonio AND sports fan living in that area in the 70's, 80's and most of the 90's, life probably bit it a little, as the Spurs never won a World Championship or even a conference crown.

However, that all changed in the late 90's, when Tim Duncan arrived on the scene. Since 1999, the Spurs have won four championships and are in line for a fifth after their victory over the Miami Heat in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, Sunday night. The win gives San Antonio a 3-2 lead in the series, and the Spurs can clinch a fifth championship as early as Tuesday night in Miami.

I've always rooted for the Spurs because, as I already alluded to, I can't imagine life in Pittsburgh with just one team to root for. Regardless of what happens in the remainder of these NBA Finals, I hope the run can continue for at least a few more years. San Antonio is a pretty old team--Duncan is 37, Manu Ginobil is 35 and Tony Parker is 31--and like most teams who are successful over a period of time, once age takes its toll on the Spurs stars, the championship success will probably turn into a period of mediocrity.

When that happens, Spurs AND San Antonio sports fans will only have memories to cling to while the front office tries to rebuild and recreate the magic of the last 14 seasons (and counting).

Regardless, though, one-sport cities normally can't boast of four (and maybe five) championships over a 15 year period.

Kudos to Spurs AND City of San Antonio fans.

You deserve the success.

Pirates win, 6-3, on Sunday to take two of three from Dodgers in weekend series at PNC Park

2013-06-16T18:30:00.002-07:00

What's the best way to answer a run of five losses in six games? By doing what any good team would do and bouncing back with six wins in the next nine games. The Pittsburgh Pirates looked a little over-matched a couple weeks ago, losing two of three against the powerful Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park and then following that up by getting swept in a three game series in Atlanta.

If Pirates fans were feeling a little uneasy, you couldn't really blame them. After 20 straight years of losing, and two consecutive seasons of late summer collapses, any fan would be a little gun-shy. But if Pittsburgh is going to collapse for a third straight season, it doesn't look like the slide has begun just yet.

Rookie pitcher Gerrit Cole had his second straight impressive outing to start his career, going 5 2/3 innings, as the Pirates defeated Los Angeles, 6-3, Sunday afternoon to take two of three in the weekend series.

Prior to the weekend series against the Dodgers, Pittsburgh (41-28) also took two of three from both the Cubs and Giants.

Cole, who pitched 6 1/3 innings against the Giants in his Major League debut Tuesday night at PNC, is now 2-0 so far in his very young career. The impressive outings by the 2011 first overall draft pick couldn't have come at a better time for a starting staff that recently placed veterans A.J. Burnett and Wandy Rodriguez on the 15 day disabled list.

Third baseman Pedro Alvarez delivered the decisive blow in the bottom of the fifth inning when he smacked a three-run home run over the centerfield wall to give the Pirates a 5-2 lead.

Winning the Stanley Cup is extremely difficult, but somehow the Penguins have underachieved since 2009

2013-06-13T18:59:00.002-07:00

NHL fans love, I mean, love to go on and on about how unbelievably difficult it is for a team to win a Stanley Cup. "It's the toughest trophy to win in all of sports! Four best of seven series are such a grind!"

No argument there.

Of course, this sentiment goes out the window when a team has the two best hockey players in the world, like the Pittsburgh Penguins, who have only managed to win one Stanley Cup and appear in another Final since 2008. Pittsburgh joins the Red Wings and the loser of the Bruins/Blackhawks Cup series in accomplishing that same feat over the same time-span. I don't know how those other fan bases feel about that, and I don't know how the front offices of those teams feel about that, but I know in Pittsburgh, it's a clear sign of underachieving, and the fans and front office, alike, have been doing some serious soul searching since last Friday night.

Penguins gm Ray Shero met with the media for a postseason debriefing on Wednesday where he announced the contract extension of coach Dan Bylsma, who was on the hot seat after his team bowed out of the Eastern Conference finals and missed making it to the Stanley Cup Finals for the fourth straight season.

Shero was praised for his openness and candor about the front office's disappointment in the team's shortcomings in recent years (including those of the just extended head coach), and while I admire the organization's determination to be No. 1, it isn't like the Penguins lost to a bunch of stiffs when they were swept by Boston.

As I touched on in a previous paragraph, the Bruins won the Stanley Cup just two seasons ago and entered this postseason as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference after missing out on the Northeast Division title (and 2nd overall seed) by a mere point.

Should superstars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have played better against Boston? Absolutely, but credit has to be given to the Bruins for taking Pittsburgh's offensive stars out of their game and limiting the team to only two goals in the series. Believe me, if the Penguins had played that kind of defense against Boston, we would run out of ways to praise such a performance.

As for the hockey fans who were screaming for Bylsma to go, you can't have it both ways. You can't stand around and beat your chest about how extremely difficult it is to win a Stanley Cup and then complain when your team "only" has one over the past five seasons.

Making it to the finals in any sport is pretty awesome

2013-06-11T07:10:00.002-07:00

I actually watched Game 5 of the NHL Western Conference finals between the Chicago Blackhawks and Los Angeles Kings, Saturday night. I was rooting for the Hawks because they were ahead in the series, and I wanted to see them clinch and engage in the obligatory celebratory scrum, accompanied by the presentation of the Western Conference trophy (or whatever fancy French name it goes by). Unfortunately, Los Angeles tied the game with less than 10 seconds left, and I wound up falling asleep before Chicago finally clinched the series in double-overtime.

I don't normally watch hockey (especially when neither team is named the Penguins), but I've always been fascinated by teams reaching the finals of any sport. There's just something about the last two teams (theoretically the best two teams in the entire world) squaring off for all the marbles.

As I said, I fell asleep during overtime and didn't see the aftermath of the Blackhawk's victory, but I'll make a pretty safe assumption that the players went nuts, along with the fans in attendance at Chicago's United Center.

Of course the fans and players went nuts. Why wouldn't they? Making it to the championship round of a major professional sports league is a rather obvious indication of an awesome season. And that's why I always find it funny how so many people--both players and fans alike--refuse to enjoy such an achievement. I can see players being more business-like about it (although, why so many NHL players refuse to touch the conference trophy is beyond me), but as for the fans? I really wish fans would just start enjoying the ride more.

I hear so many fans say things like "I'd rather see my team not even make the playoffs than lose in the championship."

I really don't get that kind of thinking. I mean, I get why fans would be disappointed and depressed following a loss in the championship round, but after a little time has passed, you would think people may soften their hearts and acknowledge that their team really did have a great season, despite losing the final game or series. But fond memories are more the exception and not the rule after a runner-up season.

I think I gained such an appreciation for just making it to the championship round after growing up in the 80's, a very mediocre decade for sports in Pittsburgh. The Steelers, Pirates and Penguins all pretty much sucked in that decade (although, the Steelers did make it to the AFC Championship Game in 1984, which I still can't believe), and I remember how abstract the thought of seeing one of Pittsburgh's teams make it to a championship really was.

The Pirates became championship contenders in the early 90's, winning three straight NL East titles, but they never made it to the World Series.

As for the Penguins, they did win back-to-back Stanley Cups in '91 and '92, and while I thought it was neat to see, I really wasn't into hockey at that time.

The Steelers have always been my first love. For years, I dreamed of watching them in the Super Bowl, but with players like Mark Malone and Weegie Thompson on the roster, I never thought I'd actually get to witness it. When Pittsburgh finally made it to Super Bowl XXX , it was a dream come true.

For me, very few sports moments rank as high as when Jim Harbaugh's pass fell incomplete in the right corner of the end zone on the final play of the 1995 AFC Championship Game at old Three Rivers Stadium.

I soaked up every second of the celebration as well as every second of the two weeks that led up to the clash with the heavily-favored Cowboys.

To this day, so many Pittsburgh sports fans can't even talk about Super Bowl XXX (the Steelers lost, 27-17), but I have nothing but fond memories of that time.

And why shouldn't I have fond memories? There are fans of teams who wish they had that kind of memory as recently as January of 1996.

There are teams who have never reached the Super Bowl. The Chicago Cubs haven't been to the World Series since 1945. How do you think Clippers fans would feel about reaching the NBA Finals? The Beattles were still together the last time the Maple Leafs made it to the Stanley Cup Finals.

If making it to the championship round was so ordinary, I'm pretty teams would make it more often.

Reaching the championship is a pretty special thing, and it should be celebrated and appreciated just a little more.

I'll bet fans of the Bruins and Blackhawks are appreciating their teams' seasons right about now--let's hope the losing fan base can hold on to some of that appreciation when its team loses.

Gerrit Cole to start for the Pirates Tuesday night against World Champs---not a last place team, like Stephen Strasburg

2013-06-10T06:01:00.002-07:00

If you're a Pirates fan, you've probably uttered this phrase at least once over the past year or so: "When in the blue moon are they going to bring up Gerrit Cole from the minors?" Of course, if you've been paying attention to other notable call ups in recent years, and you were in the room when someone asked that question, you might have said, "They'll bring Cole up in June."

It was no real secret why Cole didn't make the Pittsburgh roster coming out of spring training, just like it was no secret when Andrew McCutchen, Jose Tabata and Pedro Alvarez didn't in years past. Baseball has a weird " service time" system in-which a team can hold on to a player for an extra season if he doesn't make his Major League debut until June. Cutch made his debut on June 4th, 2009. Tabata was called up a year later on June 9th, 2010. And Alvarez made his debut a week after that on June 16th.

A lot of people were upset when the pitching phenom didn't make the team at the start of the season, but I wasn't one of them. Really, with the financial constraints on small market teams such as the Pirates, they have to do what's in the best interest for the long-term. Gm Neal Huntington has taken a lot of flack in recent years, but you can't blame him for wanting to get an extra year of eligibility out of every highly-touted prospect. Let's face it, if Cole comes as advertised and is the talent many think he can be, when he does become an unrestricted free agent, Pittsburgh will not be able to retain him.

The going rate for the top pitchers in MLB is roughly $20 million a season. The Pirates two highest paid players--pitchers A.J. Burnett and Wandy Rodriguez--are making $16.5 million and $13 million this season, respectively. But the Yankees are picking up a large portion of Burnett's salary, and the Astros are doing the same with Rodriguez. In other words, the Pirates aren't paying any player $20 million and probably won't any time soon--including six years from now when Cole will be eligible for free agency--so, basically, if Cole is the pitcher everyone hopes he can be, by waiting until now to call him up, the Pirates are giving us an extra year to enjoy him before he leaves.

Trading a few months for another season seems like the right move.

On to the good stuff.

Cole will be making his debut for the Pirates when he starts against the World Series Champion San Francisco Giants, Tuesday night at PNC Park.

It's obviously an historic event, considering Cole's potential, but it's not garnering the same national attention that Stephen Strasburg's debut received back on June 8th, 2010, against Pittsburgh. Strasburg cemented his phenom-status by striking out 14 Pirates. Of course, I have no doubt it was a strategic move by his Washington Nationals team to sort of "hand-pick" an opponent that would go on to finish with over 100 losses.

Hey, it worked. Strasburg made a splash.

If Cole is going to make a splash, he'll have to do so against a more formidable foe, Tuesday night.

The water will be a bit choppy. Hopefully Cole is a natural swimmer.

I can emphathize with what Penguins fans are feeling

2013-06-08T09:40:00.004-07:00

I'm not much of a hockey fan, this is a known fact by most people who know me. However, I do understand the psychology of being a sports fan and the pull that your favorite team can have on your emotions.The Pittsburgh Penguins were eliminated from the Eastern Conference finals Friday evening by the Boston Bruins, and I'm sure the fans aren't feeling too good this fine Saturday afternoon.

To quote Apollo Creed from the movie Rocky III: "Hell, every fighter knows that hurt."

Even though Pittsburgh fell behind in the series, 3-0, knowing die-hard fans like I do, I can pretty much guess the majority of Pens fans were still holding out hope for a stunning turnaround. If nothing else, they were probably wishing for just one victory and another day or two to hope and BELIEVE. And that's what being a fan is all about, it's about holding on to a dream, and in the playoffs (regardless of the format), it's about surviving to fight another day.

As I said, I don't get into hockey, but if I was a fan, I know losing in the Eastern Conference finals would really eat at me. Say what you want, I'd rather see my favorite team lose in the championship round than lose in the penultimate one.

I've seen the Steelers play in many AFC Championship games over the years, but it's the most gut-wrenching game for me to endure. Oh sure, you can probably say that about any round of the NFL playoffs, but I know that if the team can just survive that game, I'll have two weeks to celebrate, hope and dream.

If you hockey fans are anything like me, you probably spent this playoff run watching old Penguins games that led to Stanley Cup championships. And you probably re-lived the same emotions over again as you hoped to experience some new joy this year.

I know when the Steelers make the postseason, I go back and re-watch old Super Bowls and old playoff victories. I eat, sleep and everything my team, hoping for another championship to celebrate.

For my money, there's something to be said for seeing something through to the very end --regardless of the outcome. Now Penguins fans must sit and watch two other teams battle it out for Lord Stanley.

When my team falls short, it's an empty feeling, especially the day after.

But the great thing about being a fan is hope always springs eternal. Things were looking rather bleak for the Steelers just a few months ago, what with so many player-departures, but here we are less than two months from the start of training camp, and the optimism is quickly returning.

It's just a few more months until the start of the next NHL season, Pens fans.

New hope begins in the fall.

Penguins eliminated from Stanley Cup playoffs after 1-0 loss to the Bruins, swept for the first time since 1979

2013-06-08T08:29:00.003-07:00

The Pittsburgh Penguins were eliminated from the Eastern Conference finals after a 1-0 loss to the Boston Bruins at TD Arena Friday night. Pittsburgh was swept by the Bruins in the best of seven series, marking the first time the franchise has been swept in a postseason match-up since 1979--ironically enough against Boston.

With Friday night's loss, the Penguins have now failed to even reach the Stanley Cup Finals for the fourth straight season since playing in back-to-back Finals in '08 and '09 and bringing Lord Stanley home to Pittsburgh in the summer of 2009 after a stunning Game 7 victory over the Red Wings.

That celebration on center ice in Detroit's Joe Louis arena seemed like just the beginning for the Penguins. With Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal and goaltender Marc Andre Fleury still years away from their primes, at least a couple more Cups seemed inevitable for the young core.

However, the Penguins lost in Round 2 against Montreal the following season. The 2010/2011 season was marred by injuries, as Crosby, Malkin and a host of others sat by helpless and watched Pittsburgh blow a 3-1 series lead to the Lightning in the opening round.

A season ago, the Penguins may have been victims of circumstance, losing out on the Eastern Conference's top seed by two points to the Rangers, their Atlantic Division rivals, and having to settle for the fourth seed and a date with another, more hated division rival, the Flyers, in the first round. Pittsburgh fell behind, 3-0 in the series, before losing in six games.

Despite the shortened season due to a lockout, there was no doubt that it was "Cup or Bust" for the Penguins in 2012/2013.

Pittsburgh finished the regular season with the second most points in the NHL, and even though the team boasted a 15 game winning-streak earlier in the year, gm Ray Shero still went out and acquired a boat-load of talent at the NHL trade deadline, including future Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla from the Calgary Flames.

Things got off to a rocky start against the upstart Islanders in Round 1--including the departure of Fleury from in front of the net in favor of back-up Tomas Vokoun--but the Pens survived a grueling six-game series and then dominated the Ottawa Senators in Round 2, winning in five games.

Unfortunately, Pittsburgh proved to be no match for a Bruins team that won the Cup just two seasons ago, as Boston out-scored the Penguins, 12-2, in the four games.

In many circles, a six year run that sees a team win a Stanley Cup, reach another Cup Final and then make it to a conference final would probably be enough. However, in Pittsburgh, with the two best players in the world and one of the most passionate fan bases in the NHL, it seems like a rather underwhelming run.

As you might expect, changes are probably in the works, starting with Head Coach Dan Bylsma, who, if I had to bet my salary, probably won't be back next year.

NHL coaches are more disposable than in any other sport, and even though there are so many weird intangibles that go into a hockey game, Bylsma is taking the brunt of the blame for not achieving more with such a talented roster.

Another interesting decision will involve Fleury. After helping the Pens steal the Cup in '09, Fleury has struggled in the playoffs in recent years--including this postseason when he never started another game after being replaced by Vokoun against New York. The fact that Bylsma stayed with Vokoun for the remainder of the postseason could speak volumes for Fleury's future in Pittsburgh.

It will be an interesting offseason for the Penguins.

Roethlisberger undergoes minor knee surgery

2013-06-05T10:21:00.002-07:00

It has been reported by Steelers.com and other outlets that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger underwent minor knee surgery Wednesday morning to alleviate some discomfort he bad been experiencing during the offseason.

Here is the official team statement by Head Coach Mike Tomlin:

"Earlier today, Ben had minor surgery on his right knee that was the result of slight discomfort this offseason. We advised him to get the surgery done to ensure he will be completely healthy for the start of training camp. This surgery will have no long-term effects on his health."

It is unclear what exactly needed to be repaired in Roethlisberger's knee--it could be the result of years of wear and tear playing a sport known for such things--but the 10 year veteran did miss several weeks in the middle of the 2005 season after having surgery on that same right knee to repair damage that was the result of an injury he sustained in a Week 1 victory over the Tennessee Titans at Heinz Field.

With just under two months until the start of training camp, it'll be interesting to see just how "minor" the surgery actually was, and if it will hinder No. 7's play come the start of the season.

Update:

It turns out the surgery was done to repair some meniscus damage (he had the same surgery in his left knee seven years ago).

The timetable for a full recovery is 4-6 weeks.

I guess LeBron James' "decision" was the right one, after all

2013-06-04T16:10:00.000-07:00

The Miami Heat defeated the Indiana Pacers, 96-76, in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals Monday night and advanced to their third straight trip to the NBA Finals since LeBron James signed with the team back in 2010.

Three yeas ago, James, an unrestricted free agent who spent several seasons as one of the game's best players with the Cleveland Cavaliers (his almost hometown team), joined fellow free agent Chris Bosh and long-time Heat player, Dwyane Wade, in Miami in what was quickly dubbed "the big three" or "Dream Team."

A lot of fans did not take to the formidable trio and relished any Miami defeat. Hatred or not, the team was obviously successful during the 2010/2011 season, advancing to the NBA Finals before losing to the Dallas Mavericks.

The second season, however, saw the Heat win the NBA title. And now, with Monday night's accomplishment, nobody can really call James' decision a failure.

Let's be honest. If it wasn't for the "Decision" fiasco, nobody would have thought James was a bad person (except for Cavaliers fans).

Another criticism is that James needed Wade, and to a lesser extent, Bosh, in order to win a championship, and maybe that's true. However, most really good basketball teams over the years have had more than one superstar on the starting roster.

The Lakers dynasty of the 80's had Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, and James Worthy (a total chance acquisition after the defending champions had the first pick in the '82 draft, thanks to a trade with the Cavliers a few years earlier). The Boston Celtics teams of that same decade had Larry Bird, Robert Parish and Kevin Mchale.

The Chicago Bulls of the 90's, winners of six NBA titles in eight seasons, may have had Michael Jordan (arguably the greatest player of all-time), but they also had Scottie Pippen (a top five player during his prime).

And, of course, the Lakers teams of the 00's that won multiple titles had Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal.

Why should James be expected to put an entire team of average players on his back and win a title when his predecessors didn't have to?

How James went about making his decision was obviously a little in poor taste, but no matter what happens against the Spurs in the Finals, it was obviously the right one.

Can the Penguins come back from 2-0 deficit to Bruins? It's possible, but don't bet on it

2013-06-04T15:27:00.000-07:00

Since the NHL changed its postseason format back in 1993, no team has ever come back to win a conference final after falling behind, 2-0.

The Pittsburgh Penguins currently find themselves in that predicament after losing the first two games of the Eastern Conference finals to the Boston Bruins --including a 6-1 thrashing on home ice, Monday evening. A lot of Pens fans are optimistic about a comeback (and why wouldn't they be, they're fans) and have suddenly started referencing the fact that Pittsburgh trailed the Bruins by the same two games to none margin during the 1991 Eastern Conference finals and came back to win in six games.

That's all fine and dandy, but the only difference between 1991 and today is that the Penguins have lost the first two games at the Consol Energy Center. In other words, they have completely given away their home-ice advantage.

In '91, after the Bruins handed Pittsburgh a tough overtime loss in Game 2, winger Kevin Stevens boldly predicted a comeback. But the first two games of the '91 conference finals were in Boston, and while no team likes to be down 2-0 in any best of seven series, if the road team loses the first two games, it might be depressing, but it's not totally unexpected. That's why the lower seed often refers to "stealing" a game in the other team's building--if a lower seed wins one road game and holds serve in its own building, it will take the series.

And that's what the Penguins were able to in '91. They took Games 3 and 4 at the old Civic Arena, stole game 5 in Boston and eliminated the Bruins in Game 6 back in Pittsburgh.

But now, the Penguins realize they must win two games in Boston to take the series against the Bruins. It can happen (the Penguins have loads of talent), but the circumstances are much more dire now then they were during Kevin Stevens' heyday.

Pirates salvage weekend series with extra-inning victory over Cincinnati

2013-06-02T19:31:00.000-07:00

The Pirates defeated Cincinnati, 5-4, in 11 innings Sunday afternoon at PNC Park. It was Pittsburgh's third 11-inning victory in six days--the other two were 1-0 victories over the Tigers--and first victory over the Reds in the weekend series.

In fact, the Pirates were shut-out by Cincinnati for two straight nights and had a streak of putrid offense that saw the team score one run over 30-innings, dating back to Thursday night's 11-inning win against Detroit.

However, after falling behind, 4-0, in the top of the first inning, Pittsburgh began its comeback, starting with a solo shot by Pedro Alvarez in the bottom of the second.

Pirates' pitcher Jeanmar Gomez, a surprisingly effective fifth starter, failed to reach the second inning, but Pittsburgh's "Shark Tank" bullpen was once again dominant, shutting the Reds' offense down over the last 10-innings, while the offense slowly mounted its comeback.

Andrew McCutchen drove in the team's second run with a single in the sixth inning. And then in the bottom of the eighth inning, first baseman Garrett Jones tied the score with a two-run home run that reached the Allegheny River on a fly, becoming the first Pirate to do so in PNC Park's history.

In the bottom of the 11th inning, Travis Snider ended things with a single that scored Russell Martin for the walk-off win.

ESPN's Greatest NFL Head Coach of All-time

2013-05-15T17:07:00.003-07:00

My buddy Keith Thomas of Steel Curtain Rising, brought to my attention an on-going poll conducted by ESPN, asking fans to vote for the greatest NFL Head Coach of all-time.

While that is certainly a subject that can be argued about for hours, there is no question that a strong case can be made for Chuck Noll, the legendary Steelers coach who was the architect of four Super Bowl championships in the 70's. In fact, not only did Noll lead his team to four Lombardi trophies, he's the only head coach to do so--while the late Bill Walsh was mostly responsible for the 49ers winning four Super Bowls in the 80's, he retired before San Francisco won Super Bowl XXIV, following the 1989 season.

While credit has to be given to team president Dan Rooney and scouts such as Art. Rooney Jr. and Bill Nunn, Noll was in charge of assembling a Steelers squad that would eventually send nine players to the Hall of Fame. And in 1979, Pittsburgh became the first (and maybe only) NFL team to win a Super Bowl with a roster full of players who never played for another team.

No matter where he finishes in this poll, there is no doubt that Noll is one of the all-time greats.

Click on the link in the first paragraph and cast your vote.

Penguins drop Game 4 in New York--series tied 2-2

2013-05-07T21:42:00.002-07:00

What to make of NHL playoff hockey? I sure can't figure it out, and, apparently, neither can the Pittsburgh Penguins, a team that is struggling against a lower seeded team for the fourth straight year, after winning the Stanley Cup in 2009.

You may have been able to forgive last year's early round exit to the Flyers. After all, Pittsburgh just missed earning the number one seed in the Eastern Conference and had to settle for the fourth seed and a first round date with its cross-state rivals--a team that only finished a few points behind in the standings.

But this year? The Penguins are the Miami Heat of the NHL (at least in terms of talent), but unlike the top seeded Heat, who dispatched Milwaukee in four games in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, top seeded Pittsburgh is in a dog fight with an Islanders team that finished the regular season with 17 fewer points.

The Penguins lost Game 4 in New York's Nassau Coliseum Tuesday night before a raucous crowd, and the first round series now heads back to Pittsburgh for Game 5, Thursday night. Many thought Pittsburgh would dispatch the Islanders in as little as five games, but now the best a game five victory will do is send the Penguins back to that old rat's nest on the Island.

But in a league where last year's champions, the eighth seeded Los Angeles Kings, practically waltzed through most of the competition along the way to winning the Stanley Cup, the fact that New York is taking the play to the Penguins should be a surprise to no one.

People are blaming Pittsburgh for not playing "playoff hockey," but the mere fact that the style of play so severely changes in the postseason is all you need to know about the crazy nature of hockey.

Can the Penguins recover in time and get back to the kind of play that earned them the second most points in the NHL and the top seed in the Eastern Conference? Even if Pittsburgh does make it out of the first round, I can't imagine facing a tougher opponent than the Islanders the rest of the way.

It's not a shock when the Pittsburgh Pirates win, these days

2013-05-07T07:25:00.001-07:00

It's hard for a sports team to shed itself of a stigma, like that of a long-time loser. The Pittsburgh Penguins had that reputation for many years before Mario Lemieux arrived in Pittsburgh (and for a few more years after); the Pittsburgh Steelers had that reputation for decades before Chuck Noll came on the scene in 1969.

Having finished with a losing record for 20 consecutive seasons, the Pittsburgh Pirates are currently fighting that same reputation. However, after averaging a shade under 60 wins in '09 and '10, the Pirates have a nice mix of young talent in Andrew McCutchen, Neil Walker, Starling Marte and Pedro Alvarez, complemented by a group of veterans, led by pitcher A.J. Burnett and catcher Russell Martin.

After winning 72 games two seasons ago, the Pirates jumped out to a 60-44 record last year, before collapsing down the stretch and finishing 2012 with a 79-83 record. I'm not great at math, but I do have a calculator on my cellphone, and it tells me the team has averaged a tick over 75 wins the past two seasons. That may not be good enough to end years of losing, but you would think it should be good enough to end the "shock and awe" every time Pittsburgh actually wins a baseball game.

But no, unfortunately, not only are the Pirates still facing the stigma of losing more games than they win, they still have the reputation of a team that is just absolutely pathetic--if you've been paying attention, you'd know that nothing could be further from the truth.

As the roster is currently constructed, I believe the Pirates have the talent to win between 75-85 games this season. Winning 85 would obviously mean a lot in terms of shedding that "loser" label (and maybe in terms of actually making the playoffs), but I don't think it should actually shock people if it happens.

I think if the starting rotation gets a boost from a group of pitchers that include Charlie Morton, Francisco Liriano, Jeff Karstens and the young Gerrit Cole, that could go a long way towards helping Pittsburgh finish closer to 85 victories.

Right now, the back-end of the rotation is too shaky and unreliable. And while the bullpen may, once again, be among the best in baseball, it's also, once again, being severely taxed by a starting staff that often fails to reach the seventh inning. And like last season, an over-taxed bullpen could prove to be very detrimental in August and September. If there is one thing the Pirates have acquired in recent years, it's pitching depth. It would be nice if they could actually take advantage of that soon and find a couple more guys to eat up some innings.

In terms of hitting, this team is going to hit. The lineup may struggle at times, like it did during the first week of the season, but there is too much talent for the hitters to struggle like they did for most of 2011 and huge stretches of 2012.

Lastly, the Pirates may not be "winners" right now, but they're far from pathetic losers. So please, you out there are facebook and twitter with your "the Pirates won and the Penguins lost?" status updates, give it a rest.

Thank you.

Penguins look to defeat Islanders in Game 4 and take strangle hold of first round series

2013-05-07T06:53:00.000-07:00

Much like they were in their Game 2 loss in Pittsburgh last Friday night, the Penguins were again outplayed in Game 3 in New York Sunday afternoon by the Islanders, the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference, but like a lot of super-talented sports teams, Pittsburgh was able to survive in overtime and take a 2-1 lead in the first round series.

Tuesday night, in Game 4 at New York's Nassau Coliseum, the Penguins look to take a strangle-hold on the series.

The Islanders are young, upstart and talented, and they may have dictated the play in the last two games, but like a lot of upstart teams new to the playoff scene, another loss before the home crowd (New York has dropped seven straight home games, dating back to before the last time they made the playoffs in '07) would put their chances of advancing on life-support, with Game 5 in Pittsburgh Thursday night.

As for the Penguins, the number one seed in the Eastern Conference, they've suffered three straight early round exits to lower seeds--including two straight first round losses to the Lightning and Flyers, respectively--and a loss in Game 4 could severely damage the team's (and fans') psyche.

Many people think Pittsburgh is built to win the Cup, but a loss to the Islanders would make a lot of fans fearful that the team isn't even built to get out of the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Penguins escape with overtime victory in New York. Take 2-1 series lead over Islanders

2013-05-05T21:43:00.001-07:00

For the fourth straight year, the Penguins are struggling in their opening round Stanley Cup playoff game. But unlike last season, when the team fell behind, 3-0, in the first round to the Flyers, Pittsburgh has taken a 2-1 series lead over the upstart Islanders, thanks to a 5-4 overtime victory Sunday afternoon before a fired up New York crowd in the Nassau Coliseum.

After being dominated in Game 1, the Islanders stormed back from a 3-1 deficit to take Game 2 in Pittsburgh Friday night and stormed out of the gate with a 2-0 lead in Game 3, Sunday afternoon. The Penguins responded and scored four unanswered goals to take a 4-2 lead into the third period, before New York scored two goals to send the game into overtime.

Pittsburgh won on a Christ Kunitz power play goal early in the first overtime to escape with a 5-4 victory.

Entering the Stanley Cup playoffs, Pittsburgh was the odds-on favorite to at least make it out of the Eastern Conference, but as we've seen so many times before in playoff hockey, seeds mean very little, and each series is a grind.

Should be interesting to see how both teams respond in Game 4.

Mike Wallace tweets and real gay bashing

2013-04-30T07:17:00.002-07:00

Social media has a strong presence among celebrities in 2013, and former Steelers receiver, Mike Wallace, is a celebrity (in a professional athlete sort of way), so it's only natural that he would share his views on a controversial subject via twitter, and it's only natural that people would strongly react.

The controversial subject in this case is journeyman NBA player, Jason Collins, coming out as the first openly gay active player in a major professional sports league.

It's a tremendous revelation by Collins, especially considering the dominant culture in most male sports locker rooms. How many players have made stupid homophobic remarks after being asked if an openly gay athlete would be accepted in their locker rooms? I'm sure you can guess the kind of comments I'm referring to--no sense trying to go back and find them on the Internet.

With that in mind, Wallace is the latest athlete to come under fire for a homophobic remark when, following Collins' admission on Monday, he tweeted: "All these beautiful women in the world and guys wanna mess with other guys. SMH."

Wallace later went on to tweet: "I'm not bashing anybody don't have anything against anyone I just don't understand it." And finally, he tweeted: "Never said anything was right or wrong I just said I don't understand!! Deeply sorry for anyone that I offended."

In terms of gay-bashing, I'd say Wallace's comments were pretty benign. But in terms of stupidity, Wallace's comments were pretty dumb, if only because he should have known people would react to them and call him homophobic.

I'll take the same stance I took with Ravens' quarterback, Joe Flacco, when he came under fire for saying "retarded" during a press-conference in the lead-up to the Super Bowl. People reacted negatively to Flacco, and rightfully so--when you're on that kind of stage, you really need to watch everything that comes out of your mouth--but my retort to that was, how many of us hear ordinary people use the word on a daily basis and never give them grief for it?

Same thing with gay-jokes or gay-bashing. How many ordinary people do that everyday? Tonight, I'll be going to play pick-up volleyball and basketball with a group of guys I know through my boss. And knowing those guys like I do, I almost guarantee there will be gay slurs and homophobic remarks flying around like sharp elbows from Robert Parrish or Bill Laimbeer.

I probably won't call any of them on it and tell them what they're saying is wrong. So for me to go on twitter and criticize Wallace for what he said would be a bit hypocritical.

And for any of you out there in Internet Land (especially those of you who like to engage in sports debates on blogs and message boards), how many of you use the word "homo" or "fa@@ot" when either talking about a professional athlete or when insulting a fellow sports fan you are having a disagreement with?

Mike Wallace should have known better (why any celebrity would tweet anything even remotely controversial is beyond me), but remember to also criticize your friend the next time he or she makes a homophobic remark.

This is the time when a pitcher like Paul Maholm would really be valuable on the Pirates' staff

2013-04-16T06:38:00.000-07:00

Prior to the start of the 2012 MLB season, I had many intense arguments with other Pirates fans about why the team would allow a solid pitcher like Paul Maholm, the eighth overall selection in the 2003 amateur draft, to leave and instead sign veteran starter A.J. Burnett to a two year deal. Many argued that Maholm wasn't a power arm--a true ace--and the team needed that kind of guy to anchor the staff.

As it turns out, Burnett was a key acquisition--maybe the best free agent pick-up the team has had in years--and has not only established himself as Pittsburgh's ace, he's become the true clubhouse leader a young team learning how to win sorely needs.

Having said all that, what's wrong with having BOTH Burnett and Maholm on the same staff? The thing is, Maholm should never be the ace of any staff. However, that doesn't mean he can't be a valuable member of one.

Maholm is now with the Braves and has started off the season 3-0 with a 0.00 ERA. How good would Maholm look on a pitching staff with Burnett, Wandy Rodriguez and a soon-to-be arriving Gerrit Cole?

This might seem like revisionist history, but as I said earlier, I've always been a Maholm fan. He may not be Stephen Strasburg (or Cole), throwing 99 mph, but not everyone can be that guy. What Maholm is, however, is an innings eater and a solid contributor.

Every staff needs a Paul Maholm. Unfortunately, for a team like the Pirates, it's usually an either/or scenario in cases like these.

That's too bad.

Pirates sweep Dusty and the rest of the Reds right out of PNC Park

2013-04-15T07:18:00.000-07:00

The final game of the three game series between the Pirates and Reds Sunday afternoon at PNC Park started off like most recent "final" games of a series in-which Pittsburgh took the first two.

Starting pitcher Phil Irwin made his Major League debut for the Pirates thanks to Wandy Rodriguez's hamstring injury, and before you knew it, Cincinnati was up, 5-0. Pittsburgh's offense looked pretty lifeless (what else is new?), and as a fan, I prepared myself for the traditional postgame fodder from Clint Hurdle and his charges: "Hey, today didn't go so well for us, but we took two out of three from a very good Reds' team, and it's always the objective to win the series."

The Pirates trailed by that same 5-0 score heading into the seventh inning, before erupting for four runs in the bottom of the seventh--including a solo shot by back-up catcher Michael McKenry and a run scoring double by Travis Snider that should have been a two-run jack, but was mistakenly ruled a ground-rule double due to fan interference that wasn't.

Cincinnati got a run back in the top of the eighth, but in the bottom of the inning, McKreny, who has shown a flair for dramatic home runs during his short time with the Pirates, hit his second in as many innings-this time a two-run shot--to tie the game, 6-6.

Later in the inning, Starling Marte, who so far this season looks like the 2012 version of Andrew McCutchen but with a translator, jacked his very own two-run homer to put Pittsbugh up for good.

The Pirates would add on two more in the inning and walk away with a very sweet--and against type--sweep of last year's NL Central Champions.

I know it's still early, and despite their current hot streak of five victories in six games, the Pirates are still only 6-6.

But it was a magical weekend at PNC Park, the kind of magic that hadn't been felt around here since early August of last season.

And maybe that sweep was a character builder--sometimes the objective heading into a series should be to take every game.

That's what champions do.

Steelers re-sign Stevenson Sylvester to one year deal

2013-04-03T09:01:00.000-07:00

As reported by beat writer Ed Bouchette, the Steelers have re-signed inside linebacker Stevenson Sylvester to a one year deal. Sylvester was eligible to be a restricted free agent after the 2012 season but was non-tendered by Pittsburgh and became an unrestricted free agent.

It's probably no surprise that Sylvester didn't receive many offers in free agency. After missing significant time due to a knee injury suffered last August, Sylvester appeared in 10 games in 2012 and recorded one defensive tackle.

A fifth round choice out of Utah in the 2010 NFL Draft, Sylvester was a special teams standout in his first two seasons, and with the Steelers recently signing veteran Larry Foote to a three year deal, in addition to providing depth at inside linebacker, special teams is where Sylvester will be expected to contribute in 2013, provided he makes the team out of training camp.

The stupidity of Major League Baseball's April scheduling

2013-03-25T06:40:00.000-07:00

It's officially spring, but living in Pittsburgh, you wouldn't know it, as several inches of snow fell during the evening, and the city looks like a "Winter Wonderland" this morning.

Major League Baseball's 2013 campaign kicks off next week--including the Pirates' home-opener against Chicago at PNC Park next Monday afternoon. Only problem is, the forecast for next Monday is a high of 48 degrees with a 60 percent chance of precipitation. I'd say the chances of a postponement look pretty decent.

Of course, this is nothing new. MLB has these kinds of weather problems every April, but if you ask me, the schedule makers are their own worst enemies when it comes to this kind of stuff.

Logistically, I don't know if bad weather can be completely avoided early in the season, but I do know that MLB could at least increase the odds of its first week getting off to a much better start. Take a look at next Monday's schedule.

In addition to the Cubs opening up in Pittsburgh, Miami travels to Washington to take on the Nationals; San Diego plays at the Mets; the Angels travel to Cincinnati for an interleague game; the Red Sox open up at New York; and the Royals open up in Detroit.

As I said, bad weather can't be avoided totally, but what are the odds of most of those games being interrupted because of precipitation? I'd say, right now, the odds are pretty good.

However, had baseball reversed the location for most of those opening day match-ups, weather would almost certainly NOT be a problem.

Robert Morris knocks off defending champion, Kentucky, in first round of NIT

2013-03-20T08:25:00.001-07:00

Rocky lives!

Ever see the original Rocky, where decorated and undefeated world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed is told the top contender for his big New Year's Day bout won't be able to fight due to an injury? Creed, his manager and promoter scramble to come up with a worthy opponent, but none are available. The Champ then comes up with a novel idea of selecting a local unknown fighter from Philadelphia (the location for the big fight), and promoting it as a sort of goodwill gesture as a way to generate interest in what he thinks will be a quick knockout. "I'll drop him in three."

Creed picks "The Italian Stallion," Rocky Balboa out of a book, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Rocky gives Creed the match of his life and loses in a split decision, but in Rocky II, he defeats Creed and wins the title.

For the Robert Morris men's basketball team, there is no need for a sequel, and even if there was, there is no way they can possibly top what transpired Tuesday night at the Sewell Center in Coraopolis, Pa.

The Colonials won the NEC regular season championship but lost out on an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament after losing in the conference tournament. The consolation prize was a trip to the second-tier NIT, but like Rocky Balboa, there opponent was a traditional college basketball heavyweight, the Kentucky Wildcats, the defending National Champions, who received a bid to the NIT after a rare down season. The Wildcats were a No. 1 seed, but since their venue is being used for NCAA tournament games this weekend, they were forced to travel to play No. 8 seed Robert Morris in its 3500 capacity gym.

It was a nice bone to throw a small school, and it certainly generated a great deal of excitement, especially considering Kentucky coach John Calipari, who grew up minutes from the campus, was returning home.

However, the Colonials did Rocky one better and knocked off Kentucky, 59-57, in the biggest win in school history.

Life really does imitate art.

Did Pitt get jobbed by the NCAA tournament selection committee? Probably

2013-03-18T18:43:00.003-07:00

For years, I've had a running joke (with myself) that whatever seed people are predicting for the Pitt Panthers in the days and weeks leading up to Selection Sunday, just add two to that number, and you'll probably have your seed for Pitt.

And it's fitting that my prediction for the Panthers this time was a six seed. Actually, that was the prediction of most people much smarter and more knowledgeable about these things than yours truly.

However, like a lot of previous selection shows, I placed my hands on my head and said "what" when Pitt's No. 8 seed was revealed. I really don't know why I was surprised because it was par for the course.

This has been going on for years, and you might think I'm just a paranoid fan, but check out the final top 25 rankings that came out on Monday.

Every team ranked ahead of Pitt is seeded pretty much where that ranking says it should be. As for the Panthers, however, their 20th ranking doesn't mesh with where they are seeded in the West bracket. When a team is seeded eighth, one can assume the selection committee doesn't think it's any better than the 29th program in the country.

It's clear Pitt was under-seeded, but perhaps, this time, that's a good thing. Had the Panthers been a higher seed, say a 5th or 6th seed, a lot of fans would have raised their expectations for a deep run in the tournament. It's no secret the program has yet to have that one watershed tournament moment where it's reached a Final Four. Until it does, nothing short of that will really matter.

However, this season, if Pitt gets by Wichita St. and then knocks off No. 1 seed, Gonazaga, that would be quite the remarkable achievement--the Panthers have never defeated a higher seed in the tournament--and anything after that would be gravy.

And maybe the committee did Pitt a favor this time by seeding it so low. Many consider Gonzaga a weak No. 1 seed, and a lot of people consider the West bracket a pretty weak bracket. Perhaps, in the West, a No. 8 seed is on par with a No. 6 seed in another region.

I don't know, but I do know the Panthers were seeded too low. Perhaps, this time, they can prove it on the court and finally have the one shining moment we fans have been waiting forever to experience.

The Panthers re-establish old Big East legacy in final years of conference tournament

2013-03-14T19:16:00.001-07:00

The Panthers lost, 62-59, to Syracuse in their Big East tournament opener on Thursday afternoon to close out the program's final chapter in the legendary conference before heading to the ACC next season (provided they don't meet up with a Big East foe in the NCAA tournament) and will now wait to see where they begin play in the Big Dance, starting next Thursday or Friday.

In terms of what the loss means to Pitt's NCAA seeding, it probably doesn't mean much. In Joe Lunardi's latest pre-Selection Sunday bracket, he has the Panthers as the 5th seed in the West. I don't know if it was updated before or after Thursday's loss to the Orangemen, but I can't imagine Pitt dropping much below a 6th seed at this point.

A nice run MAY have elevated the Panthers to a 4th seed, but 4th, 5th, 6th, what's the difference, really?

It's just a shame the Panthers exited Big East tournament play on such a sour note because it was similar to how they exited Madison Square Garden for many years in the 80's and 90's.

For nearly two decades, Pitt's participation in the Big East tournament was on par with a jobber wrestler's at a Garden-hosted battle royal. In other words, the program was usually one and done. In fact, the Panthers never won more than one game in any conference tournament, even during the late 80's, when they had the likes of Charles Smith, Jerome Lane and Sean Miller on the roster.

It wasn't until the 2001 tournament that the spell was lifted in a rather improbable fashion, when Pitt, a league doormat in the late-90's under Head Coach Ralph Willard, entered the tournament under new Head Coach Ben Howland after barely finishing over .500 in the regular season and won three games in three nights to reach the program's first conference final.

The Panthers lost to Boston College, unfortunately, but this proved to be a catalyst for future tournament success, as they would go on to reach the conference final a total of seven times in eight seasons and captured championships in 2003 and 2008.

The '08 championship was especially satisfying, as Pitt won four games in four nights and polished what could have been a 7-10 seed in the NCAA tournament into a No. 4 seed.

However, the Panthers soon returned to their former, downtrodden legacy and only won one conference tournament game over the last five seasons.

Oh well, the best Pitt team I ever witnessed, the one that reached the Elite Eight behind Dejaun Blair, Sam Young and Levance Fields, lost in the opening round of the '09 Big East tournament. And that '08 championship team? It lost in the second round of the NCAA tournament to Michigan State.

It just would have been nice to see Pitt return to its mid-00's legacy for just one final weekend at the Garden.