23 Apr
Kaboly talks Steelers
published in category: Sports Talk Radio on Tuesday, April 23rd, 2013 – 12:35 pm
Posted in Sports Talk Radio
Tree of Life
22 Apr
Steelers Draft Preview
published in category: Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday, April 22nd, 2013 – 1:56 pm
Posted in Pittsburgh Steelers
22 Apr
Power this Sunday
published in category: Sports Talk Radio on Monday, April 22nd, 2013 – 1:06 pm
The Pittsburgh Power take on the San Antonio Talons this Sunday at 2pm on TribLIVE Radio. Ken Laird, Ike Taylor and John Harris will be on the call live from the Consol Energy Center. Stop by the Trib Total Media Gate to win prizes from TribLIVE Radio before the game.
Posted in Sports Talk Radio
22 Apr
Neal Huntington Interview
published in category: Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday, April 22nd, 2013 – 12:32 pm
Posted in Pittsburgh Pirates
22 Apr
Jared Hughes Interview
published in category: Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday, April 22nd, 2013 – 12:24 pm
Posted in Pittsburgh Pirates
22 Apr
Juicy Jussi leads Pens to win by Ken Laird
published in category: Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday, April 22nd, 2013 – 11:41 am
In six games with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Jussi Jokinen hasn’t lost a game.
He’s had quite a hand in that perfection, too, and it was on display again as Jokinen racked up three more points in the Penguins 3-2 victory Saturday in an emotionally charged TD Garden in Boston against the Bruins.
In six games since coming to Pittsburgh at the trade deadline, Jokinen has scored 4 times. He has 4 assists. And these days without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in the lineup, he’s centering the team’s top line.
Placed on waivers in late March in Carolina, Jokinen has come to Pittsburgh and put new meaning to the sports cliche of ‘making a fresh start.’
“This season, for sure,” Jokinen said after the win Saturday when asked if this is the best hockey he’s played. “When I scored thirty goals I had a pretty strong year with Carolina a few years back. But obviously it feels good right now. We have a really good team here. There’s a winning culture around this locker-room. We didn’t play our best [today] but we found a way to win a hockey game.”
Jokinen’s goal in the second period jump started the Pittsburgh scoring after the Bruins carried the better of the play in the first frame and took a 1-0 lead. Playing at the end of the shift the team’s checking line, Jokinen continued to display his nose for finding the puck in scoring areas, backhanding a rebound past Tuukka Rask to tie the game at 1.
“Our fourth line did a great job there behind their net,” Jokinen said. “Joey V [Vitale] had a [line] change and I came in a fresh guy and Tanner [Glass] and Addsy [Craig Adams] did a great job behind the net to get a puck to the point to Nisky [Matt Niskanen] and he was able to get a good low shot on the net. I was able to find the puck and get a goal and it was a big goal for our team.”
Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma agreed, and after the game credited Jokinen’s goal for stabilizing the team in front of a Boston crowd that had gone through an emotional week with bombs exploding at the Boston Marathon and the manhunt that ensued, keeping the city locked-down and forcing the original Friday night game to be postponed a day.
“We were kind of sitting around here three days and it wasn’t the easiest circumstances for us or them either but they had a little bit more jump early in the game,” Jokinen said. “We were able to get a couple of power plays and capitalize on those and that was the difference in the game. And Tomas [Vokoun] was unbelievable in the net.”
Jussi Jokinen had helpers on both of Pittsburgh’s power-play tallies in the third period, indeed the difference in the game. His first set up Jarome Iginla for a blast from the point to make it 2-1. Then, Jokinen’s hard work digging a puck out of the corner sprung Kris Letang’s game-winning wrister.
Perhaps more importantly, his net-front presence early in the third-period caused Brad Marchand to lose his cool, sending him to the penalty box for the man-advantage that resulted in Iginla’s go-ahed goal.
“It’s always like that when you come play here,” Jokinen said of the chippy play in Beantown. “Lots of emotions, lots of hitting, battles. I don’t know, [Marchand] was maybe mad at me for some reason. I’m not the guy who fights there. That’s not why they pay me. I wasn’t close to going with him.”
The win clinched the Eastern Conference’s top-seed for the Penguins.
“It’s a big deal,” Jokinen said. “Obviously we have a lot of confidence in how we play in our home rink and with our home fans. I think it’s going to be huge when we go to the playoffs and we have home ice. We’ll take it.”
And the Penguins have been glad to take Jokinen off Carolina’s hands
Posted in Pittsburgh Penguins
22 Apr
Power Win 1st Game
published in category: Sports Talk Radio on Monday, April 22nd, 2013 – 11:39 am
NEW ORLEANS, LA (April 19, 2013) – In a homecoming game for many members of the Power, Pittsburgh picked up their first win of the season by defeating the New Orleans VooDoo by a score of 46-43 at the New Orleans Arena in front of 4,286.
New Orleans (1-3) started the scoring off early when quarterback Kurt Rocco completed a 33-yard drive with a short touchdown pass to Derek Lee. Sparked by a 13-yard kick-off return by Pittsburgh’s P.J. Berry, the Power answered with a touchdown of their own – a 14-yard toss from Jordan Jefferson to Christian Wise. The rest of the first quarter was dominated by the VooDoo, racking up two touchdowns and a safety while shutting out the Power and leading 23-7.
Pittsburgh (1-3) wasn’t giving up that easy, however. After failing to score in the final minutes of the first quarter, the Power scored 19 unanswered points to open the second with Jefferson throwing for two touchdowns. Highlighted by an 18-yard interception return by Sergio Gilliam and two forced fumbles, the Power defense held New Orleans to only 6 points. The VooDoo held on to keep the lead at the half, 29-26.
Pittsburgh wasted no time getting back on top in the second half. Mike Washington caught a 14-yard pass from Jefferson to put the Power up 33-29. With Rocco going down at the end of the first half, quarterback Zack Eskridge took over under center for the VooDoo. After a few incomplete passes, Eskridge finally connected with Lee to score his first touchdown of the contest. His second, a 1-yard rushing touchdown, came on New Orleans’ next drive. Just as things looked to be getting out of reach for Pittsburgh, Berry (the Russell Athletic Offensive Player Of The Game) silenced the home crowd with a 47-yard touchdown (the Cutters Catch Of The Game) from Jefferson to end the quarter with the VooDoo still leading, 43-40.
Picking right up where he left off, former VooDoo wide receiver Berry scored once again to put Pittsburgh up 46-43, after New Orleans failed to convert on their first drive. Pittsburgh would hold onto the lead to earn their first victory and highest point total of the young season.
Pittsburgh quarterback Shane Austin entered the game towards the end of the fourth quarter after Jefferson suffered an undisclosed injury.
The Power look to collect their first home win on Sunday, April 28 when the San Antonio Talons visit CONSOL Energy Center. Game time is set for 2:00 p.m. EDT.
RUSSELL ATHLETIC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME
P.J. Berry – Pittsburgh
RIDDELL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME
James Bryant – New Orleans
J. LEWIS SMALL PLAYMAKER OF THE GAME
Derek Lee – New Orleans
CUTTERS CATCH OF THE GAME
Pittsburgh’s P.J. Berry’s 47-Yard Touchdown Catch in the 3rd Quarter
AFL HIGHLIGHT OF THE GAME
New Orleans’ Quorey Payne’s Kick Return Touchdown in the 1st Quarter
Posted in Sports Talk Radio
19 Apr
Week 5 AFL Preview
published in category: College Sports, Sports Talk Radio on Friday, April 19th, 2013 – 10:15 am
The Pittsburgh Power (0-3) offense has been cursed all season and now they have to go to the Graveyard to face the New Orleans VooDoo (1-2). This could be the last stand for starting quarterback Jordan Jefferson who has struggled mightily in his short AFL career.
Considered a frontrunner for Rookie of the year, Jefferson has instead jumped to the top of "Bust Of The Year" in the AFL with an abysmal 49 of 92 (53.3%) completion record and only 508 yards passing in three games. He also has an 8/5 Touchdown/interception ratio and a QB rating of 68.5.
His one saving grace has been the 96 yards rushing but that alone has not made up for all the turnovers he's had. He's also fumbled the ball often including an untouched loss of the ball last week against Chicago. Coach Stingley said on the Power Hour radio show on TribLive Radio that both Jefferson and Shane Austin are getting equal reps with the first team offense this week.
Overall the Power offense has averaged 27.4 PPG which is horrendous by AFL standards and needless to say they have not been competitive in any of their games so far. The saving grace for this team is that the American Conference will send four teams to the playoffs and most of the Power's competition is also struggling. Any kind of spark could get this team moving in the right direction and the playoffs remain a possibility.
The struggles of the passing game have kept the stats of Mike "The Joystick" Washington (27 rec, 270 yards, 3 TD) and P.J. Berry (16 rec, 160 yards, 2 TD) down, but both remain solid receiving targets when the ball is thrown their way. The Power had signed Wes Lyons to play wide receiver but he suffered a season ending injury in his first practice and was placed on IR.
New Orleans has also struggled offensively with only 38.3 PPG. It's better than Pittsburgh but that's not saying much. VooDoo quarterback Kurt Rocco has been a shell of himself this year, completing 54 of 114 passes (47.4%) for 651 yards, 10 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. Rocco has proven in the past to be a strongly effective quarterback so the VooDoo hope he can bounce back into shape. Zack Eskridge replaced Rocco in the lineup last week and might get the start this week.
Whoever starts at quarterback will likely target AFL veteran receiver Donovan Morgan. Morgan missed the first game of the season but has caught two touchdown passes in both games he has played this year. He is a consistent all-arena playmaker who has plagued the Power the past two years while he played for the Philadelphia Soul. Courtney Smith currently leads the VooDoo with 19 catches for 276 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Defensively the Power need to make more splash plays, especially given the sorry state of the offense. If the offense isn't going to score on a regular basis, someone has to pick up the slack. Sergio Gilliam, Chris LeFlore and Christian Wise have blanketed receivers well all season but only have one interception to show for it. "Big Play" Alvin Ray Jackson is also looking for his first interception of the year after leading the entire AFL with 14 last year while playing for the VooDoo.
The VooDoo secondary is led by AFL veteran Eddie Moten who has two interceptions in 2013. Demarcus Robinson leads the team in tackles (20.5) and has the ability to make game changing plays. The VooDoo only have three sacks through three games, so the Power offensive line should have an easier time of things after giving up 11 sacks through their first two games.
Overall this is a battle of the two worst offenses in the league and the time is now for the Power to step up and try to get a win. I'm on record as saying the Jefferson experiment should have ended this week, but given the short week the Power might have been hampered in terms of preparation time for Shane Austin. Regardless, if Jefferson struggles again it's time to pull the plug.
Don't expect a ton of offensive fireworks by either team, and both defenses should generate a couple of turnovers. Homefield advantage will definitely play a big part in this one.
Posted in College Sports, Sports Talk Radio