Tree of Life

05 Jul

RIVERHOUNDS FALL TO EAGLES 3-2 AT HIGHMARK STADIUM

published in category: Sports Talk Radio on Friday, July 5th, 2013 – 8:51 am

Pittsburgh—On a gorgeous night in Station Square, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds fall to the Charlotte Eagles 3-2 at a ‘sold out’ Highmark Stadium. The Riverhounds took the lead twice in the first half with goals from Darren Amoo and Andrew Marshall, but the Eagles Jorge Herrara and Nate Thorton would answer just minutes later. The Eagles win snaps the Riverhounds 10-game undefeated streak.

The Riverhounds came out with a flurry of chances following the opening whistle, but the Eagles goalkeeper, Eric Reed, came up with multiple big saves throughout the match. The game’s first goal came in the 15th minute when Riverhounds Rob Vincent changed the point of attack to find Matt Dallman on the right flank. Driving with pace to the corner, Dallman cut inside his marker and tiptoed the end line to prepare his body for a cross to Amoo trailing the play. Dallman delivered the ball to back towards the penalty spot and Amoo tucked the ball past Reed.

The Eagles equalized on a set piece 25 yards from the goal two minutes later. A consistent threat on restarts, Herrara bent a right-footed shot around the wall and passed Riverhounds diving goalkeeper, Hunter Gilstrap.

The Riverhounds continued to push forward with pace and numbers, recording 11 shots in the first half. In the 40th minute, the Riverhounds would convert off of a corner kick from Dallman. Delivering a cross to the back post, Dallman’s service would find the head of Marshall rising above the scrum. Marshall headed the ball down and past Reed for his first goal of the season.

With only seconds to go in the first half, the Eagles would draw even with the Riverhounds at two. A quality combination between Christian Meza and Juan Guzman at the edge of the penalty area would free Meza at the end line. Chasing the ball down, Meza delivered a left-footed cross to the near post for a slashing Nate Thornton. Gilstrap dove to his right to smother the ball, but Thornton flicked the ball past him and into the net.

The pace of the game slowed down in the second half, as the heat began to take its toll on the players. The Eagles would score off of another set piece in the 72nd minute. Stephen Okai drove the ball towards the penalty spot and into a crowd. The ball struck the top of Marshall’s head and flicked past Gisltrap for an own goal.

Despite out-shooting the Eagles 15-4 in the game, the Riverhounds could not find the equalizer in the remaining minutes of play.

The Riverhounds return to Highmark Stadium this Saturday to host the L.A. Blues. The game is scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. kickoff. The Eagles travel to New York to meet the Rochester Rhinos on Saturday night. The game is scheduled for a 7:05 p.m. start at Sahlen’s Stadium.

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Posted in Sports Talk Radio

 

02 Jul

WWE RAW CHANGES

published in category: Wrestling Reality on Tuesday, July 2nd, 2013 – 3:30 pm


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Posted in Wrestling Reality

 

02 Jul

Keep Kris Letang Now or Regret it Later by Michelle Methot

published in category: Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday, July 2nd, 2013 – 2:17 pm

Flashback to May 22nd 2013 as the Pittsburgh Penguins had taken a commanding 3-1 series lead in the Eastern Conference Semifinals after a 7-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Kris Letang was heralded as first star after contributing four assists and recording over 21 minutes in ice time. Two days later Kris Letang was awarded with the game winning goal as the Penguins sealed their fate in the Eastern Conference Finals eliminating the Senators. Ottawa’s head coach Paul MacLean joked that he hoped the Senators would not be billed for the clinic. There was a case to be made that Kris Letang was the MVP of the series with 10 points and averaging over 25 minutes of ice time. The NHL had announced Letang as a Norris Trophy candidate. His stock was rising. It took four loses to the Boston Bruins to quickly shift a collective perspective on Letang. This Norris Trophy candidate was on the ice for 7 of the 12 Bruins goals.

The Penguins four straight loses to be swept by the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference Finals is not a fair argument to oppose to the Penguins signing Kris Letang to a long term deal with a hefty price tag. Kris Letang was no more a liability than Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, not to mention the trade deadline acquisitions of Jarome Iginla, Brenden Morrow and Douglas Murray. His irrational decision making with passes up the middle to clear the defensive zone and his skittish play in front of his own net was a problem in the series against Boston. His offensive talent and fast skating ability is undeniable, but jumping up in the play and abandoning the blue line in the offensive zone was costly for the Penguins. So do you keep him and sign him to a deal in the upwards of 7-million? Of course you do.

Kris Letang finished the regular season with 38 points in 35 games and was the team leader in ice time with an average of over 25 minutes per game. He tied Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban in points playing seven fewer games. Kris Letang has recorded 209 points in 385 career games by the age of 26. This is a defenseman that deserves to be paid over 7-million dollars annually and if not by the Pittsburgh Penguins then the majority of the other 29 NHL organizations would be willing to foot the bill.

The Pittsburgh Penguins need to build the future of the franchise around a nucleus of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. The Penguins have a plethora of young defensemen in the system and with Brooks Orpik going into the last year of his contract, Kris Letang will become the veteran mentor on the blue line and the foundation for the team’s defensive system. Sure Paul Martin had a turn around season with the Penguins, but he is 6 years older than Kris Letang and not a long term solution. The Penguins have stumbled with an inconsistent goaltender for the past two seasons and those problems are not going away. You need a staple franchise defenseman and Kris Letang needs to be that guy for the Penguins.

Nicklas Lidstrom and Zdeno Chara weren’t nominated for the Norris until they were over 30 years old. Kris Letang has the potential to be a candidate for years to come and he will get there with the defensive guidance of the Penguins coaching staff. The Penguins will be tight up against the cap going into the 2014-2015 season, but the salary cap will significantly increase in the years to come (see NHL’s addition of four more outdoor games next season.) Kris Letang will be making upwards of 7-million dollars when his new contract kicks in on July 1st, 2014. You may be complaining about it now, but it’s better than regretting it later.

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Posted in Pittsburgh Penguins

 

02 Jul

DK’s Midseason Pirates Awards

published in category: Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday, July 2nd, 2013 – 1:33 pm


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Posted in Pittsburgh Pirates

 

01 Jul

Steigerwald vs. Fedko on Pirates

published in category: Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday, July 1st, 2013 – 1:19 pm


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Posted in Pittsburgh Pirates

 

01 Jul

Pens NHL Draft Weekend

published in category: Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday, July 1st, 2013 – 10:53 am


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Posted in Pittsburgh Pirates

 

29 Jun

Pirates Presented With Unique Opportunity By Wesley Uhler

published in category: Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday, June 29th, 2013 – 4:18 pm

The Pittsburgh Pirates have a special opportunity to finally win back the hearts of Pittsburghers. Having lived in the Steel City my whole life, my memories of the months of June, July, and most of August have always been a period of down time between the Penguins season ending and Steelers training camp beginning.

It is time for this attitude to die, along with the Pirates streak of 20 consecutive losing seasons. As of today, the Pittsburgh Pirates stand alone with the best record in baseball. A franchise that hasn’t made the playoffs since 1992 and just three years ago lost 105 games now has the best record in the league. All this has been accomplished with one of the five lowest payrolls in all of Major League Baseball. Let that sink in.

I understand why some black and gold supporters are skeptical. The past two seasons the Pirates have entered the All Star break with an above .500 record, only to have the wheels fall off and finish with a losing record. However, this year’s team is different, and most importantly, finally has depth.

This depth is most evident in the pitching rotation. Two of the Buccos best starting pitchers, A.J. Burnett and Wandy Rodriguez, have been on the disabled list since early June. Last year, injuries to the pitching staff down the stretch killed the Pirates. The depth of the pitching staff this season, however, has helped the Buccos stay in the race for a division title. Jeff Locke, who entered this season with a lifetime record of 1-6 and an ERA of almost 6, has arguably been one of baseball’s best stories. The 25-year-old lefty is 7-1 with an ERA just over 2. Then there has been the success of Gerrit Cole. The Pirates selected Cole first overall in the 2011 MLB draft, and the former UCLA Bruin finally got his first chance at the big leagues this year. To say he has lived up to expectations so far would be an understatement. The 22-year-old Cole is a perfect 4-0 so far to begin his MLB career, with three of his wins coming against some of the best lineups in baseball (San Francisco, LA Dodgers and LA Angels).

The Pirates now stand atop the National League Central division, thanks in part to their current 7 game win streak. Yet despite being 19 games over .500, the Pirates still don’t have top 20 attendance in baseball. This weekend’s home stand against the Milwaukee Brewers is sold out, and that’s a start, but it is time for Pittsburghers to finally support this Pirates team with the same enthusiasm and optimism as they do the Steelers and Penguins.

It often costs more than $100 for a ticket to see the Steelers or the Penguins, but an evening at the best park in Major League Baseball can be enjoyed for no more than $20.

Its been a long, difficult 20 years for the Pirates faithful since Barry Bonds failed to throw out Sid Bream at home plate in game 7 of the 1992 NLCS. The Pirates were 3 outs away from the World Series, but gave up 3 runs in the bottom of the 9th inning to the Atlanta Braves in a 3-2 defeat. The Buccos haven’t had a winning season since.

Two decades later, a new Pirates generation has emerged. After a mediocre 8-8 season from the Steelers and the Penguins being swept out of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Pirates have a unique opportunity to win back the hearts of many of the Pittsburghers who have lost interest in the team since the 1990s. I am confident this group is ready for the challenge.

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Posted in Pittsburgh Pirates

 

28 Jun

PIRATES SIGN 2013 FIRST ROUND SELECTION AUSTIN MEADOWS

published in category: Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday, June 28th, 2013 – 2:42 pm

The Pittsburgh Pirates today announced they have signed outfielder Austin Meadows, the ninth
overall selection in the 2013 First-Year Player Draft. The announcement was made by Senior Vice
President, General Manager Neal Huntington and Joe DelliCarri, Pirates Director of Scouting.
Meadows hit .535 with 14 doubles, one triple, four home runs and 28 RBI as a senior this year at Grayson
(GA) High School. He was rated as the third-best position player and the fifth-best player overall in
this year’s draft by Baseball America. He was also rated by the same publication as the “Best Athlete”,
having the “Best Strike Zone Judgment”, as well as the second-best “Pure Hitter”, and “Closest Player
to the Majors” among high school players.
“We are excited to add Austin to our already talented minor league system and for him to begin his
professional career,” said DelliCarri. “He is a talented young man who comes from a very strong family.”
The 18-year-old outfielder was also a 2013 Rawlings pre-season first-team All-American. As a junior
in 2012 at Grayson High School, he helped lead his team to the Georgia Class 6A state semifinals with
four home runs, 28 RBI and 19 stolen bases. He also led the USA Baseball 16U National Team to the
IBAF World Youth Championship in 2011 in Mexico, leading the team in hits (22), doubles (five), triples
(three), RBI (28) and stolen bases (six) while also setting a record for the most RBI and earning a spot
on the all-tournament team.
Meadows will begin his professional career with the Gulf Coast League Pirates.
The Pirates have now signed 19 players from the 2013 First-Year Player Draft.

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Posted in Pittsburgh Pirates

 



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