Tree of Life

05 Jun

Steelers Sign First Round Pick Ryan Shazier

published in category: Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday, June 5th, 2014 – 7:32 pm

The Steelers have signed their first round selection from the 2014 NFL Draft, linebacker Ryan Shazier. Financial terms of the four-year contract were not disclosed.

Shazier (6-1, 237) played in 39 games, starting the final 29 contests at weak-side outside linebacker at Ohio State. He recorded 316 tackles, 14.0 sacks, 44.5 TFLs, nine quarterback pressures and forced nine fumbles in his collegiate career. In 2013, Shazier was named first-team All-American by The NFL Draft Report, the Associated Press, ESPN, Sports Illustrated and the USA Today. He added All-Big Ten Conference first-team honors and was twice named the Lott IMPACT Trophy national player of the week, along with tying a Big Ten record with three conference defensive player of the week honors.

The Steelers have now signed six of their nine selections from the 2014 NFL Draft.

SHAZIER

Posted in Pittsburgh Steelers

 

04 Jun

DK on Pirates

published in category: Sports Talk Radio on Wednesday, June 4th, 2014 – 2:40 pm


Posted in Sports Talk Radio

 

04 Jun

Future for Walker and Pedro? by Robert Norton

published in category: Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday, June 4th, 2014 – 9:12 am

dt_common_streams_StreamServerpedroFor most of the 2014 season the talk surrounding the Pittsburgh Pirates has been about Gregory Polanco. When is he going to get the call up? Why hasn’t he been here all season? When he is called up, is he going to rescue the Buccos season and help them contend for another wild card spot or possibly the division? I have news for you, that is not the biggest problem facing the team this season. Staring the organization and its fans directly in the face is the end of Pedro Alvarez and Neil Walker as Pittsburgh Pirates.
Pedro Alarez is under contract for until the 2017 season. This current season is his first arbitration eligible season which saw his base salary jump from $700,000 in 2013 to $4,250,000 in 2014. Yes, that is a large jump in salary in one season butt with baseball contracts as they are in today’s day and age $4,250,000 is not a lot of money compared to his peers throughout the league. Of the 30 starting third baseman at the major league level Pedro is the 13th highest paid at the position.
Some may say he is worth it based on his power numbers alone. Over the last two seasons he knocked 30 and 36 home runs respectively. The 36 dingers he smacked last season were good enough to tie for the lead the National League. However the holes in his game are just as impressive. Aside from leading the league in home runs last year he also was first in strikeouts (186) and errors (27) to go with a very pedestrian .233 batting average and .296 on base percentage. This season he is not faring much better. He is hitting .227 with only 10 home runs. His 51 strikeouts only rank him 23rd in the National League but his 12 errors to date are the second most in all of baseball.
Are his 66 combined home runs in 2012 and 2013 enough to extend him long term and keep him a Pirate for the years to come? They still say “chicks dig the long ball”. His agent, Scott Boras, has never been known to let his clients settle for anything but the most money possible. Boras likes to have his clients test the open market and get top market value for their talents. As anyone who follows the Buccos knows, Bob Nutting, Neal Huntington and the Pirates have never been known to spend money. Take A.J. Burnett as an example. They offered him $12 million knowing $14 could have been enough to keep him in in a Pirates uniform. Now he is pitching on the other side of Pennsylvania.
All arrows are pointing to Alvarez lining up at third base for another team sooner rather than later. Rumors have been swirling around since the offseason that he possibly could be traded as soon as the end of July at the trade deadline if the Pirates are not in contention. I don’t see that happening. The main reason is because of the second wild card team being added in MLB. As of today, even sitting 3 games below .500, the Pirates are only 2.5 games out of the final wild card spot. Even with his poor play in the field, poor batting average and high rate of strikeouts he is set to receive another raise in the offseason when he goes in front of an arbitrator. That’s something the organization may not want to see. He is from New York and would love to play for either the Yankees or the Mets. Both organizations are not shy about signing players to big contracts. The Yankees would be a better fit at this point because they have David Wright, one of the best players in all of baseball, at third. However in the American League Alvarez could either play third or DH, which is more likely of a scenario given his fielding woes.
Neil Walker is also someone who may be closing in on the end of his tenure as a Bucco. Since making his major league debut as a late season call up in 2009, he has been one of the best fielding second baseman in all of baseball. Through 578 career games he has only committed 30 errors, good for a .989 fielding percentage. This season he is tied for third in all of baseball amongst second baseman with a .996 fielding percentage. Not too bad for a guy who never played the position until 2007. Many people forget he played his entire life as a catcher and was drafted as one in 2004.
At the plate he has had his ups and downs. Being a switch hitter, he has fared much better against right handed pitching than he has against lefties over his career. This season has been no exception, hitting .283 against righties and .263 versus lefties. A career .274 hitter, he is batting .279 this season. On average he has knocked better than 13 homers per season throughout his career. This season he is leading all second baseman with 10 dingers to go with his 62 hits. He is becoming what the organization hoped he would when drafted him with the eleventh overall selection in 2004.
Walker would love to stay in Pittsburgh. He was born and raised here and went to Pine-Richland High School. The problem with keeping Walker a Pirate lies with the organization. Neal Huntington was not the General Manager of the team when Walker was drafted. He is not seen as their guy. Right or wrong, loyalty in sports seems to be shown more towards players and team personal brought in by current ownership and management teams. Money though may be the main obstacle standing in the way of a long term deal getting done. As a player Neil seems to be coming into his own this season. He is playing All Star caliber baseball at a time when needs to the most.
Whether Pedro Alvarez or Neil Walker are around in the coming years or not, they both have left their footprints on their teammates, organization, and city. Just as it has been and will be with the Pirates money will be the determining factor in the decision to trade Alvarez and Walker in the coming months. We have seen great talent leave in such a manor over the past 20 or so years only to watch them flourish in a different uniform. The likes of Barry Bonds, Doug Drabek, Jason Schmidt, Aramis Ramirez, Jose Bautista and A.J Burnett to name a few have all left for more money and greener pastures. Whatever happens in the coming months, let’s hope the Pirates do the right things for the franchise and its loyal fans who endured two decades of losing baseball before 2013. If Alvarez, Walker or both get traded it will be for financial reasons and nothing else. It will show their fans they are not as serious about winning as they would like them to believe. It would be another “black eye” they cannot afford to have after their 2013 success. I have faith both players will continue to progress and have long and productive careers. As far as the Pirates are concerned, I have faith they will do what is right for them financially. The problem is that is not a recipe for winning. It’s a recipe for another 5-year plan that will leave their great fans and city shaking their heads in disbelief. If they open their wallets, the future looks bright. If they don’t, it looks like we may be staring at a sub .500 baseball team for years to come. Sounds sickeningly all too familiar, doesn’t it?

Posted in Pittsburgh Pirates

 

03 Jun

Wrestling Reality

published in category: Wrestling Reality on Tuesday, June 3rd, 2014 – 3:04 pm


Posted in Wrestling Reality

 

01 Jun

Power beat Cleveland

published in category: Sports Talk Radio on Sunday, June 1st, 2014 – 1:57 pm

Third time’s a charm: The Pittsburgh Power (8-3) knocked off the undefeated Cleveland Gladiators (9-1) with a 48-34 victory at CONSOL Energy Center in front of a crowd of 5,348.

The Power forced six Cleveland turnovers and saw a four-touchdown performance from rookie wide receiver Tyrone Goard to pick up their fifth-straight win on the season.

Pittsburgh struck first on their opening drive when quarterback Tommy Grady connected with wide receiver Rodney Wright on a crucial fourth down to put Pittsburgh up 7-0. Cleveland drew even and looked to take the lead after getting an interception on the Power’s next offensive possession, but Jack linebacker Arvell Nelson picked off Shane Austin to keep things tied at the end of the first quarter.
Grady put Pittsburgh back up seven early in the second frame when he floated a pass to wide receiver Tyrone Goard in the back right corner of the end zone. After the Power defense forced a Cleveland turnover on downs, Grady and Goard hooked up again to put the Power up 21-7.

Grady finished the contest 18-of-36 for 251 yards and five scores.

Cleveland was able to make it a one possession game entering halftime when Austin lofted a pass to Thyron Lewis on fourth and goal as time expired.
The Gladiators tied things up early in the second half when Austin and Dominick Goodman connected for a score on Cleveland’s opening drive. Once again, Cleveland had ideas of taking the lead after recovering a Grady fumble, but an Al Phillips interception enabled Pittsburgh to retake the lead on Goard’s third touchdown of the game.

Goard finished the game with four touchdowns to earn Russell Athletic Offensive Player of the Game honors.

Phillips picked off his second pass of the game to start the fourth quarter, but a Prechae Rodriguez fumble put the ball back into the hands of the Gladiators. On their next possession, Nelson ran under another tipped pass and raced up the sideline for his second defensive touchdown of the season to make it 35-21 Pittsburgh.

After trading touchdowns, Pittsburgh forced another turnover on downs and added a Tommy Taggart rushing touchdown with 56 seconds left to seal the victory over their undefeated foes.

The Power are undefeated at home since Ron James took over as the team’s head coach in Week 2. Pittsburgh stays at home next week for a showdown with the New Orleans VooDoo on Saturday, June 7 with kickoff scheduled for 5:00 p.m. ET.

POST GAME AWARDS
RUSSELL ATHLETIC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME: Tyrone Goard, Pittsburgh
RIDDELL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME: Al Phillips, Pittsburgh
J. LEWIS SMALL PLAYMAKER OF THE GAME: Arvell Nelson, Pittsburgh
CUTTERS CATCH OF THE GAME: Tyron Goard’s second TD of the game.
AFL HIGHLIGHT OF THE GAME: Arvell Nelson’s interception return for touchdown

Posted in Sports Talk Radio

 

01 Jun

Pirates trade Morris

published in category: Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday, June 1st, 2014 – 1:56 pm

The Pittsburgh Pirates today traded right-handed pitcher Bryan Morris to the Miami Marlins. In exchange for Morris,
Pittsburgh will receive Miami’s 39th overall selection (competitive balance A) in this year’s First-Year Player Draft on Thursday.
The announcement was made by Pirates Senior Vice President, General Manager Neal Huntington.
“We feel this trade will have a positive impact on our organization in the short, moderate and long term,” said Huntington.
“In the short term, this trade will add a quality prospect to our system that will enhance our ability to make additional prospect
for major league player type deals while helping us to better sustain crucial prospect depth. Additionally, we feel we
have made this move from a position of strength as we have kept our core bullpen intact. In the moderate and long term,
we add an additional first-round talent that we project to play a significant role on future Pirates’ teams.”
Pittsburgh will now have 42 selections in the 2014 First-Year Player Draft, including four of the first 73 (numbers 24, 39,
64 and 73 entering today).

Posted in Pittsburgh Pirates

 

30 May

Ben’s contract situation by Robert Norton

published in category: Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday, May 30th, 2014 – 9:41 am

st-benLet me ask a very simple question. Should Ben Roethlisberger be given a contract extension enabling him to finish his career as a Pittsburgh Steeler sooner rather than later?
Unless you have been living in a cave somewhere since the 2004 NFL Draft there is only one logical answer. A resounding YES!
As of this moment he is 32 years old and is under contract for another two seasons with the Steelers. The team has three options at this point. They could offer an extension before the season starts, wait until after this season and offer one before the final year of his deal or ride out the remainder of the current contract to get something done. Yes, not resigning him after his current deal is technically an option as well but in all reality that sounds more foolish than the city of Cleveland planning a Super Bowl parade.
Aside from the team’s three options, Roethlisberger himself has one as well. He can hold out. I know most people around Pittsburgh and Steeler Nation don’t want to even think about that. I can hear the yinzers now, sitting at Primanti Brothers and their local pub drinking an “Iron” when they would catch wind of a Big Ben holdout.
“That bum is holding out for more money? Cut him!”
“Who does he think he is, Terry Bradshaw? He’s being selfish and we don’t want that kind of guy in Black and Gold!!”
“What gives him the right to think he’s better than the team? Art Rooney Sr. never would stand for this!!!”
I’ll tell you what gives him the right. First off, no player is guaranteed any amount of time on the field, especially a quarterback. With the Steelers offensive line play, basically since Roethlisberger was drafted, every play could be his last. Remember the feeling of pure fear and terror that swept through Steeler Nation on December 29, 2011 when he left the field against the Browns on a stretcher? Over the years he has taken a lot of punishment. Between lackluster offensive line play and Ben trying to extend plays, he has taken more of a beating than any other quarterback in the league.
Secondly, Ben isn’t just the quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers, he is the face of the franchise. He is a franchise quarterback in what has turned into a passing league. As far as I am aware those types of guys don’t grow on trees. How many “franchise quarterbacks” have been drafted over the years in the NFL whose best day as a pro was when the Commissioner announced their name on draft day? To name a few Ryan Leaf, Tim Couch, Akili Smith, David Carr, Joey Harrington, Byron Leftwich, Kyle Boller, Vince Young, Matt Leinart, and more recently Christian Ponder, Mark Sanchez, and Brandon Weeden were all drafted as “franchise quarterbacks” by their respective teams in the first round. All of them have one thing in common on the NFL stage, failure. Predicting a great quarterback in the NFL is never a guarantee. Just ask the 31 teams that passed on Tom Brady for more than five straight rounds in the 2000 draft. Does the name Giovanni Carmazzi ring any bells? I didn’t think so. He was one of the six quarterbacks selected ahead of Brady that year, taken in the third round by San Francisco.
Next, since Roethlisberger has played his entire career in Black and Gold he has never been put into a situation where his numbers were staggering. They do however speak volumes about the player he is. He has only had one season where he finished below .500 as a starter, in 2006 at 7-8. He has passed for 4,000 yards three times in his career and 3,000 yards five times. He has thrown 97 more touchdowns than interceptions in his ten seasons (219-122). Only twice has he thrown for a completion percentage below 60%, finishing at 59.7 and 59.9 in 2006 and 2008 respectively. His record as a starter in the regular season is 95 wins and 47 losses. His career winning percentage ranks sixth all time ahead of names like Johnny Unitas, Steve Young, John Elway, Jim Kelly, Dan Marino and Brett Favre. His playoff winning percentage of .714 is third among active players only behind Russell Wilson and Eli Manning. Oh, and I forgot to mention those two insignificant little Super Bowl rings he has the privilege of wearing.
Finally, he is and has been the best player on the best franchise in football for most of his 10 seasons. The past two seasons the Steelers finished 8-8 and missed the playoffs. Just imagine their record without Roethlisberger. I’m willing to put my neck on the line and say they would have been picking a lot higher on draft day if it were not for Ben.
Maybe he has five, six or seven good seasons left in him. Can you imagine number 7 playing in any other color but Black and Gold? I can’t.
The Rooney’s have gone on the record and said they want him to finish his career in Pittsburgh. If I were Ben Roethlisberger, I would call their bluff. If he were to hold out he would have all of the leverage. It worked for Hines Ward before the 2004 season. He missed most of training camp and was given a new deal before the season started. All he did that year was catch 80 passes for 1004 yards. Oh, and he ended it with a Lombardi Trophy to go with his trip to Disney World as Super Bowl XL MVP.
Right now he is eleventh in annual salary for quarterbacks behind the likes of Matt Ryan, Jay Cutler and Tony Romo. Doesn’t seem right, does it? If Roethlisberger holds out, that would put the franchise in a bind. It would show that he means business. It would force their hand in getting a new deal done. What’s the worst that could happen? He doesn’t risk injury in a meaningless preseason? The reward greatly outweighs the risk.
The Steelers need to do the right thing, not only for the franchise but for their franchise quarterback. They need to pay their best player and keep him where he belongs. They owe it their fans. They owe it to Ben. If not, enjoy the next two seasons watching the best quarterback in Steeler history. Don’t hold it against him if he holds out but if a contract doesn’t get done before his deal is up, hold it against the Steelers. If they don’t resign him the outlook beyond the 2015 season is bleak at best. Who knows what the future holds though. Maybe the Rooney’s still have Charlie Batch’s number.

Posted in Pittsburgh Steelers

 

29 May

PITTSBURGH WIDE RECEIVER PRECHAE RODRIGUEZ NAMED WEEK 11 MVP

published in category: Sports Talk Radio on Thursday, May 29th, 2014 – 2:52 pm

In his first game back from injury, Prechae Rodriguez has already proven his value to the Pittsburgh Power offense. With his performance in Pittsburgh’s 62-61 victory over Orlando on the road, Rodriguez has been named the Arena Football League’s Week 11 Most Valuable Player.

Rodriguez caught 13 passes on Saturday for 148 yards and 4 touchdowns. His first score tied a franchise record for longest pass in Power history on a 47-yard bomb from Tommy Grady.

Despite only seeing action in three games because of a high ankle sprain, Rodriguez has been a dominant force on the turf when he’s been able to play. He averages over 10 receptions per game and has amassed 344 yards. His 11 touchdown receptions are good for third on the team behind Shaun Kauleinamoku’s 13 and Aaron Lesue’s 12.

Rodriguez is in his third season in the Arena Football League. As a rookie with the Tampa Bay Storm in 2012, Rodriguez caught 125 passes for 1,653 yards and 32 touchdowns. He followed up that performance in his sophomore season by hauling in 119 passes for 1,578 and 40 touchdowns with the Orlando Predators.

Rodriguez becomes the first Power player to be named as a weekly MVP in 2014. He beat out Arizona wide receiver Kerry Reed and Portland wide receiver Jeffrey Solomon for the honor.

Rodriguez and the Power (7-3) take on the undefeated Cleveland Gladiators (9-0) this Saturday at CONSOL Energy Center. In Week 1 against the Gladiators, Rodriguez pulled in 9 passes for 105 yards and three touchdowns. Kickoff for Saturday’s rivalry game is slated for 5:00 p.m.
power

Posted in Sports Talk Radio

 



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