Tree of Life

15 Apr

Steelers keep Sanders

published in category: Sports Talk Radio on Monday, April 15th, 2013 – 9:13 am

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers matched the New England Patriots’ one-year contract offer to restricted free agent wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, the team announced today.

Sanders, originally drafted by Pittsburgh in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft (82nd overall), started eight of 40 regular-season games played for the Steelers from 2010-12. Last season, Sanders set numerous career highs by starting seven of 16 games played and registering 44 receptions for 626 yards and one touchdown.

For his career, Sanders has recorded 94 receptions for 1,290 yards and five touchdowns. He also completed one pass for 15 yards and averaged 10.9 yards on 16 punt returns and 24.1 yards on 31 kick returns. Sanders played in four postseason games for Pittsburgh, totaling 172 yards on 13 receptions.

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Posted in Sports Talk Radio

 

15 Apr

Pittsburgh Power Drop To 0-3 With 45-14 Loss At Chicago

published in category: Sports Talk Radio on Monday, April 15th, 2013 – 9:10 am

ROSEMONT, IL (April 14, 2013) – Looking for their first win of the season Sunday, the Pittsburgh Power traveled to Chicago to take on the Rush in the first-ever meeting between the two franchises. Offensive inefficiency spelled trouble for the Power, who lost 45-14 at Allstate Arena in front of 4,187.

With Chicago starting quarterback Carson Coffman unable to go with an injury sustained in the Rush’s game last week against San Antonio, newly signed Danny Southwick got the nod this afternoon. The change resulted in a rough start for Chicago, but Southwick adjusted and converted two big fourth downs before connecting with Reggie Gray for a 13-yard score to put Chicago up 7-0, which was the score after one quarter of play.

Jordan Jefferson led the Power out onto the field looking to tie the game. Jefferson hit Power receiver Mike Washington five times on the drive, moving Pittsburgh down to the three yard-line. Facing a fourth and goal, Pittsburgh dialed up a reverse to receiver P.J. Berry, which came up just short – sending the ball back to the Rush.

Southwick took the field for Chicago’s second possession going four-for-four to start the drive. After a Power roughing the passer penalty, Southwick found Jared Jenkins for a 12-yard touchdown, putting the Rush up 14-0 with 10:21 left in the half.

Much like their first drive, Pittsburgh was able to move the ball down the field easily with their second possession. Jefferson moved his team inside the ten yard-line but on first and goal, lost the ball and it was recovered by Chicago’s Derek Walker.

Fortunately for Pittsburgh, no further damage was done as Rush kicker Jose Martinez was unable to knock through a 26-yard field goal. Jefferson and the Power took over; connecting with Mike Washington for a first down, but then threw four-straight incompletions, sending the ball back to Chicago on downs.

Chicago was able to work the ball down to the Power goal line at the end of the first half, but Pittsburgh came up strong with a goal line stand as time expired, sending them to the locker room down 14-0.

The Power didn’t need long to score once the second half started. On their first play, Jefferson scrambled for 32 yards down to the Chicago three yard-line. From there, Kirby Griffin plunged in to put the Power on the board down 14-7, the closest they would get all afternoon.

Although he didn’t start, Coffman entered the game in the third for Southwick, who experienced concussion-like symptoms at halftime. On his first drive, Coffman was a perfect four-for-four, spreading the ball around to his receivers. Rush fullback J.J. Payne finished the drive with a four-yard rushing touchdown to put Chicago back up by two scores.

After a Power four-and-out, Martinez would add a 27-yard field goal to the board to make it 24-7. Jefferson and Washington would connect for Pittsburgh’s last score of the game. From there, it was all Chicago as they added to their lead and the final result was a 45-14 Chicago win.

The Power will be on the road against the New Orleans VooDoo this Friday, April 19. Kickoff at the New Orleans Arena will be 8:30 p.m. EDT.

RUSSELL ATHLETIC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME
Reggie Gray – Chicago

RIDDELL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME
Joe Phinisee – Chicago

J. LEWIS SMALL PLAYMAKER OF THE GAME
Carson Coffman – Chicago

CUTTERS CATCH OF THE GAME
Reggie Gray 4th Quarter Touchdown

AFL HIGHLIGHT OF THE GAME
Reggie Gray 4th Quarter Touchdown

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Posted in Sports Talk Radio

 

14 Apr

Riverhounds Drop Home Opener at Highmark Stadium to the City Islanders 2-1

published in category: Sports Talk Radio on Sunday, April 14th, 2013 – 1:10 pm

Pittsburgh – In the inaugural game at Highmark Stadium, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds Jose Angulo recorded the first ever goal in the 68th minute, but Harrisburg City Islanders Sainey Touray and Lucky Mkosana spoiled his efforts. Two late second half goals lift the Islanders past the Riverhounds in the first leg of the Keystone Derby.
The match opened with a frantic pace and physical challenges, seeing Harrisburg’s Wes Welker leave the game in the 9th minute with a knee injury. Without Welker, the visiting side earned the game’s first quality scoring chance four minutes later, but Riverhounds goalkeeper Hunter Gilstrap was up for the challenge to deny Tom Mellor of an early goal.
The Riverhounds emotions began to settle down in the 25th minute and as they started to apply pressure on the City Islanders back line. Their best chance came off an entry ball into forward Mike Seth who freed Rich Costanzo down the left flank. Seth C’deBaca overlapped Costanzo and drove a left-footed shot to the back post for an on-rushing Ryan Kinne. The Islanders defense recovered quickly to head the ball over the end line for a corner to deny Kinne. The ensuing corner kick was collected by City Islanders goalkeeper Nick Noble to thwart the Riverhounds.
Following the intermission, the Riverhounds continued to attack with numbers. Entering the game in the 68th minute, Matt Dallman hooked up with Angulo just seconds after steeping on the field. Both Dallman and Angulo’s first touches were brilliant, leading to a seeing-eye header by Angulo. Dallman crossed the ball deep inside the right corner towards the penalty spot. Rising above his marker, Angulo’s header found the top left corner to provide the Riverhounds with the lead.
Ten minutes later, a long through ball for Tourey provided the visiting side with the equalizer. Out-pacing his marker, Tourey poked the ball between Gilstrap’s legs and into the back of the net as he closed the ball.
In the closing minutes, the City Islanders took advantage of poor clearance by the Riverhounds defense. Picking the ball up just outside the penalty area, Christhian Hernandez delivered a left-footed cross for Mkosana standing alone at the penalty spot. Connecting cleanly on the full-volley with his left foot, Mkosana’s shot tucked just inside the left upright to put the visiting side up 2-1.
With seconds remaining in regulation, C’deBaca drove a cross from right-to-left for Kinne at the back post. Taking a touch past his marker, Kinne struck a left-footed shot that trickled across the goal line that rolled just wide of the right post.
The Riverhounds return to action next Saturday, April 20th when they travel to Dayton to meet the Dutch Lions at 7:30 p.m. ET. The City Islanders remain on the road next Saturday when the square-off with the Colorado Rapids Reserves at 9:00 p.m. ET.
pittsburgh-riverhounds

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Posted in Sports Talk Radio

 

14 Apr

Pittsburgh Power Preview by Dominic Errico

published in category: College Sports on Sunday, April 14th, 2013 – 10:32 am

There is no way to understate this week's game for the Pittsburgh Power. If they have any dreams of making the playoffs they have to win on the road on Sunday in Chicago.

Pittsburgh is staring down the barrel of an 0-2 start in which they were blown out at home by Utah (64-33) and Jacksonville (61-35). They have to start showing they can compete with teams or else the season is a lost cause.

Rookie quarterback Jordan Jefferson has struggled mightily to adapt to the arena game. A 55.4% completion percentage is nowhere near good enough and he only has eight touchdowns (seven passing/1 rushing) vs. four interceptions. That's not counting the numerous fumbles and 11 sacks he has taken in just two games. He has to learn to make the quick throws and reads and help stabilize a reeling offense.

His counterpart for the Chicago Rush (1-2) is Carson Coffman who is coming off a game against San Antonio where he suffered a dislocated finger. His completion percentage isn't much better (55.7%) but he's producing more touchdowns (16 passing, 2 rushing) and has a win to show for his efforts although he's played one more game. Chicago was assigned Danny Southwick, who has seen limited time in the AFL with Tampa Bay and San Jose. He may get the nod if Coffman's finger is worse than thought.

Pittsburgh's offense still has not identified their go-to receiver yet, preferring to spread the ball around evenly. Mike "The Joystick" Washington has 15 receptions for 172 yards and two touchdowns, and P.J. "Superman" Berry has caught 14 passes for 149 yards and two touchdowns, plus a rushing touchdown. The problem is that the Power haven't gotten good games out of them at the same time. Perry Baker and Christian Wise tend to get the other looks on offense.

Chicago's receiving core features Rodney Wright (26 receptions, 326 yards, 5 TD's) and "Big Play" Reggie Gray (21 receptions, 226 yards, 8 TD's). Gray is a second team all-arena selection at wide receiver the past two years. Both players have seen prominent time on the kick return team for the Rush. Keep an eye on Nate Forse, the local kid from Uniontown who played collegiately at California (PA).

Defensively, there is a lot of talent on both teams in this matchup. The last two 1st team jack linebacker selections will play in this game. (Kelvin Morris for Chicago, Alvin Ray Jackson for Pittsburgh.) Chicago also features defensive backs Vic Hall (2011 defensive player of the year), Jorrick Calvin (10 interceptions last year), and Joe Phinisee, who spent the last three seasons with Cleveland.

Sergio Gilliam has the only interception for the Power so far this year, but both him and Chris LeFlore have played strong in coverage so far this year and it's only a matter of time before they start hauling in more picks. Brandon Freeman was placed on injured reserve this week, so look for Christian Wise to move into the starting lineup. Pittsburgh has three sacks on the year and will try to pressure Coffman or Southwick and force some mistakes.

Taking a peek at the intangibles section, let's compare the kickers for both teams. Chicago's Jose Martinez is 18 of 19 (94.7%, 3rd best in the AFL) on his PAT's and has missed his only FG attempt. Josh Czajkowski has not been as good for Pittsburgh. He is only 6 of 9 (66.7%) on PAT's and has not attempted a FG yet. He needs to get that conversion percentage up because Pittsburgh cannot afford to lose any points given their overall struggle to score points.

This will be the first road trip of the year for the Power, but a bit of a homecoming for several coaches and players who have ties to the Chicago area. Head Coach Derek Stingley grew up in Chicago and played defensive back for the Rush in 2001. Offensive coordinator Mike Tomczak was a quarterback for the Chicago Bears for six seasons and grew up in Calumet City, and line coach John Sikora was a player for Chicago's AFL championship team in 2006. Center Beau Elliott also played three seasons for the Rush, earning second team all-arena honors in 2010 and defensive back Brandon Freeman (on IR) played for the Rush in 2012.

Both teams have struggled this year and are looking to get things going. Jordan Jefferson needs to adapt faster to the indoor game and make faster reads and throws. Chicago only has one sack in three games, so perhaps Jefferson will have a little easier time standing in the pocket to make his decisions. This is the game where the Power defense needs to step up and make some big plays. If this turns into a high scoring game, I don't think the Power have the ability to avoid enough turnovers to win.

Prediction: Chicago 49, Power 42

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Posted in College Sports

 

12 Apr

Steelers Announce Dates and Times for Preseason Home Games

published in category: Sports Talk Radio on Friday, April 12th, 2013 – 3:20 pm

PITTSBURGH — The Steelers announced dates and times for both preseason home games today.

The Steelers will host the New York Giants on Saturday, August 10, at 7:30 p.m. and will host the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday, August 24, at 7:30 p.m.

The two preseason home games and the Steelers’ preseason finale at Carolina will be broadcast locally on KDKA-TV. The Carolina contest does not yet have a date or time.

Following is a look at the Steelers’ 2013 preseason schedule with updated dates and times:

Steelers 2013 Preseason Schedule

Date Time Opponent/TV
Saturday, Aug. 10 (Week 1)…… 7:30 p.m. ………………………………… New York Giants/KDKA-TV
Monday, Aug. 19 (Week 2)…….. 8 p.m. …………………………………………….. at Washington/ESPN
Saturday, Aug. 24 (Week 3)…… 7:30 p.m. ………………………………………. Kansas City/KDKA-TV
TBA (Week 4)……………………… TBA…………………………………………………. at Carolina/KDKA-TV

# # #

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12 Apr

Junker and Laird Podcast on Pens, Bucs, Masters, Pitt

published in category: Uncategorized on Friday, April 12th, 2013 – 12:17 pm

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Posted in Uncategorized

 

09 Apr

Malkin not the only one who needs improvement by Jon Pennline

published in category: Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday, April 9th, 2013 – 8:41 am

The Penguins have a few needs heading into the playoffs; Evgeni Malkin dominating isn't one of them.

Does Malkin need to play better? Absolutely. He has more penalty minutes than points, and is averaging barely over a point per game. That is not the level of play everyone expects from a two-time MVP.

But Evgeni Malkin dominating games in Sid's absence wont matter if the rest of the team doesn't improve in the process. We saw Geno dominate most of last season while Crosby dealt with concussion symptoms. In the end, the team faltered down the final stretch of the regular season before crumbling in the first round.

Malkin needs to play better. But so do Brooks Orpik, Brandon Sutter, Matt Niskanen, and, yes, Jarome Iginla.

Other than the first few games of this season, Orpik has been atrocious over the last two years. There have been plenty of games where he has been the biggest liability on the ice, defensively. Look no further than two games ago against the New York Rangers. His poor performances tend to get overlooked by the media because he spends a lot of time in front of a microphone throwing stones at his team's defensive effort. Hypocritical but, hey, if it sells papers…

Brandon Sutter hasn't registered a point since his goal against the New York Islanders on March 22nd. He's also had a rough time in the face off circle this month, including a face off loss last game that led to New York's only goal.

Matt Niskanen has been a turnover machine and proven not to be a power play quarterback in the absence of Paul Martin and Kris Letang.

Then there's Iginla. He's a future hall of famer. He's a goal scorer. He's a fan favorite. But right now, he's not producing. To Iginla's defense, he is still new to the team and the system. When you look at his passes, it is pretty clear Iginla is use to playing with guys who are significantly slower than Evgeni Malkin. Iginla should have things figured out by the playoffs, but until he does, he's an average player.

This isn't about deflecting attention away from Evgeni Malkin's struggles. This also is not an expectation that the aforementioned players should elevate their game to the same level as Malkin. Mainly, the healthy players remaining on the roster need to play better, or suffer another early exit in the playoffs.

At any rate, Malkin's struggles seem noticeable enough without anything being said. He's an elite player, he needs to play like one. But his play in April won't necessarily determine the path of the team in May.

For the Penguins to go on a deep run, they need everyone to tighten up in the defensive zone, like they did in March, and pressure in the offensive zone. The defensive play has been shoddy this month, including last game's 2-1 shootout victory. Marc-Andre Fleury did a lot to cover up his teammates' defensive lapses that led to odd-man rushes and golden chances in front of the net.

Just like last year.

Sidney Crosby should be back by the opening round of the playoffs. Maybe missing a player of that offensive talent should have the Penguins thinking about defense instead of leaning on a player who has carried them multiple times over his short career.

Don't get me wrong, the Penguins do need Malkin to play better. And with the next three games coming against some of the Eastern Conference's worst teams, it may be an opportunity for Malkin to get back on track. But they equally need to get their defensive play back to last month's level.

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Posted in Pittsburgh Penguins

 

08 Apr

Junker and Laird Podcast

published in category: Pittsburgh Penguins, Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday, April 8th, 2013 – 12:22 pm

Ken and Guy count down the top 5 Sports Stories of the Weekend. Talk about the Pirates awful start, Josh Yohe joins the show to talk Penguins and John Steigerwald on the weekend.

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Posted in Pittsburgh Penguins, Pittsburgh Pirates

 



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