Yinzer Blog

Could the next Jeremy Lin be in Pittsburgh?

Dave — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 21:18:00 GMT

Without any doubt, the Jeremy Lin story is simply amazing. Here's a kid who couldn't find a college scholarship to play basketball, so he plays at Harvard of all places (not exactly a basketball Mecca). Then goes undrafted into the NBA and is released by two teams in December of 2011. Now fast-forward just a couple months and he has the number one selling jersey in the NBA, and oh yeah, the young man can flat out ball! So, can this "Linsanity" (one of about 700,000 appropriate and inappropriate words and names he's "Linspired") be found again somewhere else? Could another no-name athlete like Jeremy Lin come from the depths of no-where and become the sports biggest news?

I decided to look into the current rosters of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Penguins and Steelers and select one player from each team who currently ranks on the fringe of "who the heck is that?" but has the potential to become a decent player despite flying under the radar. I am basing my opinions on the fact I have seen a few sparks of talent from time-to-time. Many will note, outside of summer-league action, Jeremy Lin never was even given the opportunity to show his potential (heck, even the Knicks had him on the end of their bench for over a month) but sometimes you just need that one chance to shine.

From the Pittsburgh Pirates, I narrowed down my selection from the current 40-man roster. My final choices were Jeff Karstens, Michael McKenry, Josh Harrison, Matt Hague, and Alex Presley. I could make a case for each of these being selected but I decided to run with Alex Presley. Why? Of everyone on this list, only Karstens and Presley have shown enough to warrant a guaranteed MLB job in 2012. Karstens isn't coming from no-where anymore (he's been designated for assignment and left to dry before, but showed great poise the entire 2011 season). So, my logical choice is Alex Presley. Don't get me wrong, almost every dedicated Pirates fan is well aware of the production he has put up in the minors the past couple years and in 2011 with the Buccos in the majors. That said, it was only a couple years ago that Presley wasn't even a blip on the Pirates prospect radar. He didn't even crack Baseball America's top 30 prospects in the organization. Now, he stands to win a starting outfield job atop the Pirates lineup in 2012.

From the Pittsburgh Penguins, I narrowed down my selection from players who have played at least one NHL game in the 2011-2012 season. My final choices were Dustin Jeffrey, Joe Vitale, Carl Sneep, Robert Bortuzzo, and Brian Strait. I really wanted to make a case for Robert Bortuzzo or Dustin Jeffrey but decided against Jeffrey because he showed talent last year and has taken a big step backwards this season (maybe in part due to injury) and I will hold off on Bortuzzo because I am not sure he will be Penguins property for long (going to be a solid NHL player, just not a lot of room for him in the Penguins lineup). My "Linsane" Pens pick is Joe Vitale, mainly because he possesses a drive rarely on display by a professional athlete every moment he hits the ice (it's needed given his limited scoring touch). He was an afterthought prospect in the 2005 draft going in the last round to the Penguins with pick 195. He was still an afterthought prospect coming out of college in 2009, but hard work and determination have given him a chance to carve out a career for himself in the NHL. I don't expect him to score 20 goals per season, that's not his game, but he has found his niche in the NHL on face-offs and controlling the zone and as a safety net on the penalty kill.

From the Pittsburgh Steelers, I narrowed down my selection from players who were on the roster at some point in the 2011 season and will be under contract heading into the 2012 season. My final choices were Baron Batch, Stevenson Sylvester, Steve McLendon, and Weslye Saunders. Saunders' substance abuse suspension basically eliminated him from the mix. I think the best story would be Steve McLendon who the Steelers do like a lot, yet just two years ago was released from the roster a few times (basically was the 54th player on a 53-man roster). But, based on sheer talent (that has only been seen in small spurts) and the fact he's the most "Lintense" player from my list, my selection has to be Stevenson Sylvester. At times Sylvester has looked like the best player on the field, unfortunately these times typically have been in the preseason, whereas during the season he sometimes has been lost in the shuffle. If the Steelers decide to move on from James Farrior this off-season, expect Sylvester to be the most logical in-house candidate to step into the starting role with the potential to be very good. Not bad for a guy who was the 166th player selected in the 2010 draft.

Pittsburgher wants to be Rooney Mara's date n'at!

Dave — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:27:00 GMT

It appears that a local yokel, Todd, is trying to go on a date to the Oscars with Rooney Mara (star of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, 2011 movie release). As many Yinzers know, Mara is the great-granddaughter of both Pittsburgh Steelers founder Art Rooney and New York Giants founder Tim Mara (Todd sports a Jack Lambert jersey in the video, but pays homage to Mara's Giants roots as well). On Todd's website, Toddisthebomb.com, he admits that the idea for the video came from watching Jamie Walden's video asking Tim Tebow to the 2012 Military Ball. The video is still very creative and even cracks a few jokes (like settling on a date for ice cream, instead of the Oscars, as long as Rooney Mara pays). The icing on the cake may be the appearance of former Steelers Super Bowl XLIII champion, Justin Hartwig, begging Rooney to take Todd to the 2012 Oscars. Without further adieu, here's the video n'at:

10 Things Yinz May Not Know About AJ Burnett

Dave — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 13:11:00 GMT

I could go on-and-on about why the Pirates trade for AJ Burnett was a great, terrible or indifferent trade. That's going to be done a million times by people more and less qualified than myself (and has been expressed in 140 characters or less many times already in Twitterland). So, I decided to post 10 interesting little tidbits about the Pirates new right handed pitcher.

1. One of AJ's many tattoos is of Bruce Lee. It's located on one of his triceps.

2. Was drafted by the New York Mets in 1995 in the 8th round, the 217th pick overall. The Pirates used the 209th overall pick in that round to draft an outfielder named Brad Weber.

3. Was ranked as the 21st best prospect in all of baseball in 1999 by Baseball America and the 20th best in 2000 by the same publication.

4. While with the Florida Marlins he had pierced nipples.

5. Despite being known as a strikeout pitcher, AJ's trademark pitch is actually the knucklecurve, which he tosses at about 82-84 miles-per-hour. In 2008 with the Blue Jays he used this pitch to help himself post an American League best 231 strikeouts.

6. AJ's wife, Karen, has such a big fear of flying that when he signed with the Blue Jays, he negotiated a deal where his wife would receive eight round trip limousine rides from their home in Baltimore to Toronto.

7. He once broke his foot when he fell into a gutter while bowling. He would later break the same bone in the other foot while running on a treadmill.

8. Sometimes known for being a little wild on the mound, during his May 12th, 2001 no-hitter against the San Diego Padres, he allowed every starting player to reach base.

9. He was diagnosed with Gilbert's syndrome, which is a mild liver disorder in which the liver doesn't properly process a substance called bilirubin and may lead to mild jaundice under certain conditions.

10. Has earned $87,771,500 to date playing baseball (in 13 major league seasons) with $16,500,000 due each of the next two years. Of the $87,771,500 he earned $9,671,500 in 7 seasons with the Marlins, $28,600,000 in 3 seasons with the Blue Jays, and $49,500,000 in 3 seasons with the Yankees. Of the $33,000,000 still due to him, he will be paid an additional $20,000,000 by the Yankees and $13,000,000 by the Pirates.

Proud Daddy

Dave — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 13:40:00 GMT

Typically, I write in this space something about Pittsburgh or Pittsburgh sports. Not today. Today, I wanted to celebrate the birth of my daughter, Giana, on January 27th, 2012! My wife, Angela, and I are just so excited to have such a beautiful (and healthy) baby girl in our lives! It's been an amazing 2 weeks now, and I can't wait for our future to unfold together!

The Penguins Logo Goes Abe Blinkin!

Dave — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:11:00 GMT

As it was so famously quoted in Robin Hood: Men in Tights "Hey, Blinkin! Did you say 'Abe Lincoln'?" I have created an image that will make "blinking" the hip thing to do in Pittsburgh! WARNING: You might want to do this in a room away from anyone else (you are about to stare, and staring causes others to stare at you!). Let me explain:

First: Stare at the red dot on the Penguins logo for 15-30 seconds
Second: Look towards a plain surface
Third: Start blinking your eyes quickly
...Can yinz see it n'at?

It's pretty cool and a YinzerBlog original! Feel free to share it with your friends by retweeting it on Twitter, using the tool below.

#Penguins fans! Stare at the red dot for 30 seconds. Look towards a plain surface. Blink ur eyes quickly! See it? twitpic.com/8bdgwc
— Dave Pierce (@pittsburghers) January 25, 2012

The Pittsburgh Parking Chair

Dave — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:22:00 GMT

What is a Pittsburgh Parking Chair? Well, if yinz are sincerely asking this question, one can determine yinz avoid driving with-in a 5-mile radius of dahntahn Pittsburgh in the middle of the winter. With that in mind, the best way to explain to an outsider what a Pittsburgh Parking Chair is... A chair that is placed by a vehicle owner to reserve a cleared public parking space in inclement weather (aka SNOW). Technically, this is illegal, but over time it's become such a common practice that the city of Pittsburgh does not place legal sanctions against those reserving their cleared parking space.

Just like any "illegal" common practice, many will generally accept things as they are, while a select few will take exception (like Mary Alice from dahn the street who always lets her dog mark your grass n'at). City Police have often gone on KDKA, WTAE, or WPXI and reiterated the fact that items like a chair, trash can, broken ladder, or 1957 ironing board cannot legally reserve a public parking spot, furthermore these items are actually considered abandoned furniture and/or litter.

So let's weigh some of the pros and cons of a Pittsburgh Parking Chair:

Pros:
Reserved Parking Spot
Making great use of your 3-legged plastic chair

Cons:
May disgruntle the new neighbors that just moved in from Mississippi
Yinz risk becoming "thems guys" the rest of the year n'at
Technically illegal and it makes public snow removal a little trickier

All-in-All. The Pittsburgh Parking Chair is widely accepted in the overly populated street parking area's of the Burgh (especially when people have gone to great lengths to remove a lot of snow)... and heck, when Wikipedia gives your city credit for something as silly and awesome as the Pittsburgh Parking Chair, how do yinz not accept and embrace it?

Where does Hines Ward go next?

Dave — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 20:36:00 GMT

In a perfect world, Hines Ward walks off into the sunset as a Hall of Famer who played his entire career with the Pittsburgh Steelers... In a perfect world. The reality is, he doesn't seem so inclined to ride off into the sunset just yet. So what are his options? Retire. Play for the Steelers for the NFL veteran's minimum salary (a little over $800,000).Or lastly, play elsewhere for what will likely amount to a little more than the league veteran's minimum.

Why retire? He's played 14 years in the NFL, all for one team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, recording exactly 1,000 career catches. He is a sure bet Hall of Fame player who possed both skill and blue collar techniques as a physical blocking receiver in a city the appreciates hard work and physical football. Leaving now would allow people to remember the player he is and was, not risking the memory of a faded player who's skill no longer is what it used to be...

Why stay in Pittsburgh and play for the league minimum? Because if (and that's a BIG "if") the Steelers bring him back under a new contract, his contract would only count for the league rookies minimum (around $425,000 instead of $810,000) against the salary cap. The Steelers could showcase the year as a "win for Hines" year, like they did when they "rode the Bus" to Detroit in Super Bowl XL. It would also allow Hines Ward to leave on "his" and the "teams" terms after the season and save bad PR for either side.

Why play elsewhere in 2012? Playing time. If Hines plays in Pittsburgh in 2012 he clearly will be at least 4th or 5th on the depth chart and unlikely to catch more than 30 balls during the season. Another reason might be because it's his only chance to continue his playing career. The Steelers tried very hard to get Hines the ball in the final games of the season so he could reach the 1,000 catch mark for his career. If they felt confident in bringing him back next year, this might not have been an objective goal.

Pittsburghers are all too familiar with Steelers playing "past their prime" elsewhere, most notably is Franco Harris playing for the Seattle Seahawks. If yinz couldn't tell by the image above, the two teams I predict that would make the most sense for Hines Ward in 2012, should he wish to continue his career outside of Pittsburgh, are the Arizona Cardinals and Jacksonville Jaguars. The Cardinals would make perfect sense if they go out and sign (as I am boldly predicting) Peyton Manning, should he be cut by the Colts. That move would reunite Hines with former Steelers offensive coordinator, Ken Whisenhunt. Why the Jacksonville Jaguars? It would also reunite Hines with another former Steelers offensive coordinator, Mike Mularkey, who was recently hired as the Jags new coach (thus making it easier to install the offense).

My best guess to what will happen? Hines Ward retires, but not immediately. I predict he will explore all options before accepting some type of role within the Steelers organization and "happily retires a Steeler"... I also think he will explore the idea of doing TV for ESPN or the NFL Network (or something else on television to capitalize on his Dancing with the Stars fame). If he does decide to play for another team, it won't be the first time, nor the last, that a football icon ends his Hall of Fame career with another team, below is an imagery example of what I mean.

Top row: Warren Moon, Jerry Rice, Joe Namath, Franco Harris, OJ Simpson
Middle row: Brett Favre, Emmitt Smith, Tony Dorsett, Joe Montana, Reggie White
Bottom row: Johnny Unitas, Mike Webster, Bruce Smith, Rod Woodson, Thurman Thomas

Who is the Pittsburgh Steelers' All-Time Sack Leader?

Dave — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 17:21:00 GMT

With names like L.C. Greenwood, Joey Porter, Jack Ham, Kevin Greene, James Harrison, Jack Lambert, Greg Lloyd, and Joe Greene, who do you think owns the Steelers record for most career sacks? Pretty sure it isn't your first, second or even third guess. How about Jason Gildon? That's right, Jason Gildon is your Pittsburgh Steelers sacks king! From 1994-2003, Gildon amassed 77 sacks in a Steelers uniform. To put that number in perspective, the player with the second most sacks on the Steelers' list is Joey Porter with 60 sacks. Current Steelers James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley rank 4th and 6th respectfully with 58 and 48 sacks apiece.

The NFL started to recognize the "quarterback sack" in 1963 as "a player being tackled behind the line of scrimmage." The term "sack" wasn't even used commonly until the 1970's when Hall of Famer Deacon Jones was credited with coining the term "sack" since he felt a sack devastated the offense in the same way a city was devastated when it was sacked. So, why don't the names of Jack Lambert or Joe Greene play into this equation? The NFL only began to give "sack" credits to defensive players in 1982, thus wiping out the opportunity for any of the great players from the 1970's to make this list.

Since Bill Cowher took over the Steelers in 1992, the city of Pittsburgh has been synonymous with the sack and the many blitz schemes provided by defensive coordinators Dom Capers, Jim Haslett and Dick LeBeau. Still, it has to be a little surprising that the city nicknamed Blitzburgh, has an all-time leader that isn't on the tip of anyones tongue. Gildon was very good, even was named to 3 Pro Bowls, but is maybe forgotten because his antics weren't as loud as his predecessors Greg Lloyd and Kevin Greene or future teammate Joey Porter. One thing is for sure, the next time you are at a bar watching a Steelers game, you may be able to get a free round of drinks if you pose the question, Who is the Pittsburgh Steelers' All-Time Sack Leader?

A Pittsburgh Picture is a Thousand Stories

Dave — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 14:07:00 GMT

We all know the phrase, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” But in the digital world we live in these days, I sometimes feel we take less time to appreciate a picture and its meaning, thus making the picture worth a few alternative HTML text words. That was until recently, when I came across the artwork of Yinzer (and fellow east suburbanite) Christopher Nix and had to share a piece of his story.

You see Christopher Nix's artwork isn't exactly a single piece of artwork, but rather a storyboard on display in one picture. These collages, if you will, are made up hundreds of smaller pictures that depict something that ties the greater picture together. For example Christopher Nix's depiction of Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward has drawings that include two Super Bowl trophies, Ward's high school and college, his mothers name in their native language, a picture of the Art Rooney, Dancing with the Stars, the Terrible Towel, and the list goes on! In Christopher Nix's Roberto Clemente picture he includes things like the Clemente Bridge, his stats, his 1966 NL MVP, even the fact he was a Marine.

When you see Christopher Nix's drawings from afar you will see the iconic image of The Chief, or the flowing locks of Troy Polamalu, or the sternness of Mike Tomlin's game face. But, as you get closer what you see is a bit extraordinary, and might cause a few heads to double take a several times, urging the brain to look closer, and examine the stories behind each piece of art.

If Christopher Nix's artwork doesn't sell you right away (and I personally think that it should), maybe the charm of a lifelong Yinzer will? I contacted Mr. Nix and asked him to give me a little history about himself and his artwork. A civil engineer by trade, during the recent recession his "9 to 5" decreased his hours so he decided to focus a little more time on his artwork to supplement his income. In short time, the response has been amazing, even having his work displayed at the Pittsburgh Public Market and at an Art Rooney Award Dinner this year. Due to the success of his artwork and following the Pittsburgh community has given his craft, Mr. Nix plans on working only part-time as a civil engineer in 2012 with the hope of someday soon being a full-time artist. The average piece of work takes 3-4 months to complete and 60-80 hours of “hands on” drawing-time.

If you are interested in learning more about Christopher Nix's artwork please visit his website: www.christopherscollages.com. Most of his work revolves around Pittsburgh sports icons, but he also has touched other avenues as well. Did I mention they are affordable too? Try around $30 on for size. So which Christopher Nix piece is my favorite, that I proudly own? I would say it's a tie between the Hines Ward "86" collage and the "Coach Tomlin" collage. Which piece/story is your favorite?

Christmas Giveaway n'at!

Dave — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 20:23:00 GMT

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Here is an entry contest to win one of two Gift Cards ($50 and $25) to be awarded on Christmas day. These eSellOut gift cards can be used on tickets to any event in the world! As yinz know, eSellOut is the premier and most convenient ticketing way to purchase tickets to upcoming events. Use the gift card for Steelers playoff tickets, Pens games, Pirates home opener, Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw at Heinz Field, yinz name it!

Just use the little tool below to enter as many times as yinz would like.

To earn an entry, perform the task that is assigned ("DO IT"), then come back and click the “ENTER” button, fill out the info and yinz are done. Yinz can see that there are different ways that yinz can win multiple entries. Some of these entries are earned once, some of the entries can be earned multiple times by coming back each day of the contest to repeat the assigned task. Come back tomorrow and yinz will see yinz can earn more entries by tweeting about and sharing the contest again.

Contest end at 12:01 AM on Christmas (late Saturday night) and winners will be posted here, on Christmas day, after they have responded to contact attempts via the email address they will have provided.

Best of luck everyone!

-Dave

a Rafflecopter giveaway

10 Pittsburgh Stocking Stuffers for Under $5

Dave — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 13:20:00 GMT

Tis that time of the year n'at. Yinz know... Christmas gift buying for that person that never tells you EXACTLY what he or she wants for Christmas. Now you can buy him or her the perfect PITTSBURGH gift for under $5! Don't live in Pittsburgh and need this gift ASAP? That's okay, some of these gifts can be purchased at your local grocery store (links are also active on product name)!

1. Sarris Candies chocolates: A Canonsburg legend! Great chocolates (and Ice Cream parlor). My personal recommendation are the individual chocolate covered pretzels, these can range from $1-$2 each!

2. Brett "The Diesel" Keisel salsa: Da Beard's salsa comes in 3 flavors: Mild, Medium and Hot and retails for $3 locally.

3. Isaly's BBQ sauce: Sure, the sauce isn't what makes Isaly's so famous! It's the chipped chopped ham! But that's not a sexy (or fresh) Christmas gift! At $2.50-$5 you can't beat it!

4. Black and Gold cupcakes: Whether it's homemade, from your local grocer, or from a place like Dozen's, Prantl's, or Oakmont Bakery, these simple delights make excellent Christmas morning treats! P.S. Yinz may need a cupcake holder if yinz desire to put these in the actual stocking.

5. Steelers Terrible Toddler Towel: We all love our traditional Terrible Towels n'at, but at $4.95 the Steelers Terrible Toddler Towel is perfect for that parent to be, and/or your children!

6. Classic Dupuis Dijon mustard: Pascal Dupuis was born to have a Dijon mustard named after him, that and win a Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins! Retails for around $2.50 per bottle.

7. Clark Bar: Granted, this candy bar is no longer made in Pittsburgh, but the company had a 100 year tradition in the city and is still an iconic treasure (that and I personally park for Pirates games at the Clark Building)! At under a buck, why not stuff the stocking with this treat!

8. Duquesne Pilsner beer bottle: It's back! The Pittsburgh brew that started in 1899 but fell apart in the early 1970's has made a comeback at the old Latrobe Brewing Plant over in Latrobe, PA! A case will set you back $15-$20, but you can pick up a individual bottle to go for $3-$5 from a few local establishments (if your favorite bar doesn't have them, ask them to get it n'at).

9. Iron City Beer Nuts: So yinz purchased Duquesne beer over Iron City beer? Have no fear, make it up with a bottle of Iron City Beer Nuts! Found this time of the year at yinz local Giant Iggle for around five bucks!

10. Fleury Flakes cereal: Okay, this definitely isn't fitting in your stocking, but it certainly will fit deliciously in your breakfast bowl! For $3-$4 these are great for that Penguins fan!

Now all yinz have to do is pick up a couple black and gold black bows, throw them on top of these gifts and yinz will have a wonderful Yinzer Christmas n'at!

The Pittsburgh Pirates McJob

Dave — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:04:00 GMT

According to Merriam-Webster, the definition for a McJob is "a low-paying job that requires little skill and provides little opportunity for advancement." After the recent trade by the Pittsburgh Pirates for Casey McGehee, the definition of a McJob might need to a change a little bit in the Burgh. But not much. More like: McJob; a low-paying job that requires little skill and provides little opportunity for hope, because you play for the Pittsburgh Pirates and your name starts with "Mc". With Casey McGehee in the fold, the Pirates are a walking Mc-ANYTHING billboard for Major League Baseball. Their opening day lineup projects to have nearly a quarter of the roster with players featuring names that start with "Mc"! The list:
McCutchen, Andrew
McCutchen, Daniel
McDonald, James
McGehee, Casey
McKenry, Michael
McLouth, Nate

Now, when you add up their approximate salaries for 2012, it totals around $6M (both McCutchen's, McDonald, and McKenry come in around $500K each, McLouth at $1.75M, and McGehee at $3.1M). When nearly 25% of your roster makes around $6M in 2012 MLB baseball dollars, quite simply your team is hiring McJob's! I wonder how long it's going to take prospect Kyle McPherson to get the call up to the front cash register, I mean the 25 man roster?

Report: James Harrison may be suspended by NFL Czar

Dave — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 19:10:00 GMT

This morning, Adam Schefter from ESPN reported that "The NFL is considering suspending Steelers LB James Harrison one or two games for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Browns QB Colt McCoy." If Harrison is indeed suspended, he would join just two other players to be suspended for on-the-field actions by league Czar, Roger Goodell (Albert Haynesworth and Ndamukong Suh were the other two, both for stomping on an opposing player). Personally, I think the NFL has to suspend Harrison one game (but certainly not two). Why? The NFL wants to eliminate two types of injuries: Injuries to quarterbacks, and injuries to the head. Say whatever you want about being inside/outside the pocket, McCoy was still an "eligible" quarterback and the blow was a helmet-to-helmet to the head. Double Whammy.

If this injury happened to Steelers quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, I am sure many people would be very upset in the city of Pittsburgh. If that same hit came from a a repeat offender, then everyone would be extremely upset. Some will defend James Harrison, pointing out he hasn't had a personal foul called against him this year (or all the way back to week 10 in 2010), but that certainly doesn't erase everything from the past. In 2010, James Harrison was fined a staggering $125,000 for illegal hits on opposing players, this year he may face a fine and the loss of a game check. Do I believe the NFL is singling out James Harrison? No, but he is on a short list of players who have earned their way onto a short leash with the commissioner's office (Ndamukong Suh proved there are other players on that list). If this was Jason Worilds with the hit, he would only be looking at a first time offense and a fine. The moral of the story, if you're caught with your hand in the cookie jar one time too many, even if your stealing Dollar General cookies, the league will make an example of you with the hope others won't make the same mistake.

Rivalry Thursday n'at!

Dave — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 13:31:00 GMT

In a couple of days the Penguins will travel to Philadelphia to take on the Flyers, while the Steelers play host to the Browns. Over the long history of both sports, the Steelers top rival has been the Cleveland Browns and the Penguins the Flyers. For many years, the Penguins could never win a game in Philadelphia, while the last decade and a half have been hard times for the Browns vs the Steelers. That said, both cities have carved up some classic matchups and story lines over the years. But what sticks out the most about these rivalries? The proximinty of the two cities! Cleveland is a 2 hour drive, while Philadelphia is between a 5 and 6 hour drive depending on who is driving, and how often yinz have to piddle n'at. What story lines stick out? Crosby vs Flyers, Ben vs home-state team, Max Talbot vs old foes, Peyton Hillis vs excuses and the Steelers. All sorts of fun is on tap!

So where will yinz be watching the game? At home? 1 TV, remote in hand, 2 TV's, 1 TV with PIP (I think my TV has PIP, not a clue)? At a bar? Do yinz bar hop for 3 hours (staying at 1 bar can be a challenge for hockey only to me, not for football). Places I go to watch the games range from Rivertowne to Primanti's to Rick's Sports Bar. Or, will yinz be attending one of the games? Road trip to Philly? I personally have Browns vs Steelers tickets (and will likely be freezing my black and gold fingers off) and a date with McFadden's and/or the casino. Whatever yinz do, however yinz do it, have some fun doing it n'at! Lastly, I will make my subtle attempt (I swear it's my best "subtle" attempt) to let yinz know we have Steelers tickets to the game Thursday for under, yes, UNDER $50!

The Pirates need corner help badly

Dave — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 14:08:00 GMT

As a Pittsburgh Pirates fan, I find their lack of depth at either the 3B or 1B quite concerning, both at the major league level, but also the upper minor league levels. The well is bare. They have one option currently to play both positions. Problem, is... If he plays like he did in 2011, he probably will be playing 1B or 3B in AAA. His name is Pedro Alvarez. He must perform for the Pirates to ever think about contending for a division title (but that's another topic). I think Pedro Alvarez will perform at a major league level, but his lack of production makes the need to keep him at the hot corner more important than ever (a team could live with say a .251/.338/.838 line at 3B but as easily at 1B). So what do the Pirates do now? The inkling one gets is that they bring back a guy like Derrek Lee, but he seems content on seeing where Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder go before picking a team (or retiring, which I doubt). Even if Derek Lee comes back, it's for one year, beyond that the questions will continue. Maybe the Pirates put together a trade package for a younger option like Mitch Moreland from the Texas Rangers (though his career path seems destined for Adam Laroche territory, a good, but not star play). One thing is true, Josh Harrison is fun to watch, but with his .OBP lacking (it's awful) he has no shot to be a long-term answer anywhere (not even 2B which could hide his lack of power and pitch selection).

The Pirates feature a lot of AAA pitching depth, problem again, not sure many of them project more than fifth starters or bullpen specialist. Do these guys posses any trade value for a necessary piece of the puzzle? Doubtful, but then again, Jeff Karstens projected to be one of these type of guys and now he posses value (not a ton, but it would look sloppy if they dealt him). One thing I have learned from studying Neal Huntington and the regime he came from in Cleveland: Relief pitchers are a dime-a-dozen and when their trade value exceeds their small market value, trade in your chips. This could spell bad news for the Pirate with the only bobblehead coming to PNC Park in 2012, Joel Hanrahan. How much would a team like the Yankees give up for his services? Not sure, but he'd step in and become their 8th inning guy for 2012 and the instant heir-apparent to Mariano Rivera. What trade chip do the Yankees possess? Jesus Montero. Montero, currently a catcher, projects to hit very well in the majors, but is expected to be moved out from behind the plate and a likely destination is 1B. Many rumors like this could be started quite easily, but don't be surprised if Joel Hanrahan is a very hot name on the trade market, not because the Pirates want to dump him, but because he may help them fill one of their many needs, especially filling the other end of the 1B/3B long-term issue created on the flip side of Pedro Alvarez.