Tree of Life

21 Mar

March Badness

published in category: College Sports, Pittsburgh Penguins, Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday, March 21st, 2011 – 5:52 pm

So who had the worst weekend in Pittsburgh sports, Nasir Robinson, Matt Cooke, Mario Lemieux, or the Big East Basketball Conference?

I'm going to give it to Cooke by an elbow, for self inflicted loss of about $22,000 per-game checks coming up during his suspension. Not to mention a pretty awkward situation in his dressing room when the, "ahem," alternate captain returns at some point in the playoffs. Can his teammates trust him not to put them in a penalty-hole when it counts in three weeks? Can Cooke trust himself on the ice anymore? It's clear he has a Sean Avery or Ron Artest-like trigger he just can't control when the pads are on.

Mario Lemieux should be in filming for the next Southwest Airlines "Wanna Get Away?" TV commercial. I'd start with a shot of Mario sitting behind his big oak desk, crafting a letter to NHL Commish Gary Bettman and outlining his proposed franchise fine suggestions for misbehaving players. Then pan to a shot of Mario's high-def TV on the wall airing live action of Cooke's elbow on NY Rangers D-Man Ryan McDonagh. Finish off with a Wizard of Id cartoon-like shot of Mario staring blankly at the screen in disbelief. Lemieux might be on a plane to the Caribbean right now.

I'm not sure who I feel worse for, Nas Robinson or his senior teammates who had their season end in DC by Shelvin Mack and the British Bulldogs. Mack had more bullets than Gilbert Arenas in that game, but the foul call at the end is all that folks will remember years from now and Robinson's hack was the coo coo ca choo of the bizarre sequence. Credit Matt Howard for the embellishment, and give equal blame to Nas and Jamie Dixon (how about at least a 'don't foul' reminder, Jamie?) on the hack-a-Matt which led to Butler's winning free throws. At least Robinson can return next year to attempt to make amends with a (yes, I'm really about to go there) Final Four run (yes, I'm a sucker for Pitt hope). Think about guys like Gary McGhee, whose career is done with a collective 0-8 record against Howard if you include his high school / AAU days in Indiana. In fact, McGhee should be "McFly" from now on whenever he passes "Biff" Howard on the streets of Anderson, IN. "Gary, how could you loan me the car without telling me it had a blind spot!!?"

And the Big East Conference, with just 2 of their record 11 teams making the Sweet 16 of the NCAAs??!! An 18% graduation rate is embarrassing even for 2011 "student" athletes. With losses to Butler, George Mason, Gonzaga, Morehead State, VCU, and Florida State, the BE is now on equal par with the Mountain West Conference (BYU, San Diego State) in both football and basketball. Good thing the MWC is losing teams to conference expansion or the Big East should officially lose "Big 6" designation. The Big East is the deepest league in the country, not the most elite. That goes for its players and teams, and I'm starting to buy the theory that the three-month grind of a league schedule is indeed wearing BE teams out by March. By the time Madness starts, the Big East not only is lacking elite NBA talent that some other teams have, it's lacking the healthy depth that makes every team so dangerous any given night.

— No Comments ↓
Posted in College Sports, Pittsburgh Penguins, Pittsburgh Steelers

 

14 Mar

Bracket Monday 3/14 Ken Laird & Julius Page

published in category: College Sports on Monday, March 14th, 2011 – 12:43 pm

Join former Pitt star Julius Page and Ken Laird today from 2pm to 4pm as they examine the 2011 NCAA Tournament Brackets. Did Pitt deserve a #1? Will they make the Final Four? JP will help you win your office pool with his bracket busters, and we'll continue to assign listeners a hoops team at random for a chance to win Penn Pilsner for a year (it's free, and it's Penndemonium).

Also, former Pitt coach and current UCLA head man Ben Howland joins us at 3pm ET, followed by Butler and Old Dominion beat writers at 4:20 and 4:40 pm to give us the skinny of Pitt's path to New Orleans.

And don't forget, Laird and the King of Old School John Steigerwald yell at each other from 1pm to 2pm everyday.

— No Comments ↓
Posted in College Sports

 

05 Mar

A Title For Pitt

published in category: College Sports on Saturday, March 5th, 2011 – 7:25 pm

The Pitt men's' basketball team won its 15th Big East game Saturday, knocking off the Villanova Wildcats to win the 2010-2011 league title outright.

For only the third time in the program's history and for the first time since 2004, they'll enter the Big East Tournament as the #1 seed.

My favorite things from the game:

Watching the Big East Regular Season Championship banner raise to the rafters after the 60-50 win.

The pregame ceremony honoring Pitt seniors Brad Wannamaker, Gilbert Brown, and Gary McGhee. Gilbert had told us in an interview last week that Wannamaker was the most likely to get choked up, and Brad admitted after the game that he was, saying "I was very emotional, and it kind of affected my game. [I was] looking back on my career here at Pitt and the fans gave me a standing ovation

— No Comments ↓
Posted in College Sports

 

24 Feb

The Steelers 2011 Free Agent Class

published in category: Ike Taylor, Pittsburgh Penguins, Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday, February 24th, 2011 – 7:40 pm

It's time for the 2011 edition of: "Pittsburgh Steelers Free Agent Signings That Never Ever Would Happen But Let's Speculate Anyway"

Of course, with the NFL Lock-Mess monster soon to appear, there won't be any signings across the league for months. All the more reason to drum up fantasy sightings and signings for the Black & Yellow with no salary cap in sight.

SAFETY

Bob Sanders — Can you imagine a back end of the Steelers defense with Troy Polamalu and Bob Sanders? Neither guy can stay healthy for the entire year, so why not sign both? Keep Ryan Clark to fill in for the one who is in the cold tub. Plus, "The Eraser" might be acquired a little cheaper with his fragile image (how's 9 games in 3 seasons?). I'll take my chances on Erie's finest at age 29 on a 4 or 5-year deal with 15 million guaranteed at around 8 million per season. Ok, so that's not really cheaper, but after all money is no object.

CORNERBACK

Nnamdi Asomugha — The 2003 1st-Round draft pick will be the diamond of the 2011 free agent class at age 29. What kind of cash are we talking? Last year, Dunta Robinson got $25.5 million guaranteed, with $57 million total over a 6-year contract, albeit at a couple years younger in age. Darrelle Revis just got $32 million in guarantees on a 4-year deal. Let's say Nnamdi wants $12 mil per, with $30 mil guaranteed. No problem here. If need be, shuffle that $15 million in guaranteed money Ike Taylor has eyed up and slide it over to the former Raider. With Sanders, Polamalu, and Asomugha in the secondary I'll let William Gay start at the other corner spot.

LINEBACKER

Paul Posluszny — How do you improve on the Steelers LB corps? Sign the former Penn State and Hopewell Vikings captain to rotate with James Farrior and Lawrence Timmons in the middle. Farrior had an amazingly durable year, but he's 36-years old and likely entering his final season. What better way to keep Potsie fresh than with Poz. Better yet, just have Timmons roam like an extra safety and blow people up while Farrior and Posluszny man the middle. No one would ever run on the Steelers. Ever. Cost? $25 million guaranteed, $8 per year.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Shaun Rogers — Beat by a Rodgers in SB45? Add a Rogers for with SB46 in mind. And one that Casey Hampton teamed with at the U of Texas. His last deal was for $42 million over 6-years with Cleveland, but let's give him the 3-year $21 million Big Snack deal and see if he bites. Not that the Steelers need another old defensive lineman, but at least when Aaron Smith tears a bicep muscle this year the team can IR him without a worry.

TIGHT END

Jeremy Shockey — At age 31, and recently released by New Orleans, he and agent Drew Rosenhaus are on the prowl. Miami appears interested, and the former UM star may head back to South Beach. Make him an offer he can't refuse: An Antonio Gates-like 5-year, $36 million with $20 in guarantees. A two TE set with Heath Miller and Shockey? Unstoppable.

RUNNING BACK

LeRon McClain — He's 26, ticked off at Baltimore for under-using him, and he's a beast. If Art Rooney II signs the fullback without his coordinator Bruce Arians knowing, maybe Arians will be forced to put him on the field despite vowing never to have a fullback in his offense. Can you imagine the goal line offense with Doug Legursky and McClain leading the way for Rashard Mendenhall? Or just McClain leading the way for himself, Bettis-esqe? This signing would only set the back a few million, a mere drop in the bucket on our fantasy offseason wish list.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Matt Light — We haven't seen much of Patriots QB Tom Brady without Light protecting his blind side. It's time we started, and what better way than snagging Light to play in Pittsburgh. Goodbye Willie Colon, hello three-time pro bowler. Let Max Starks and Flozell Adams battle it out for the RT spot, Light at age 32 should have a few more elite years left. Give him $15 up front, with 3-years, $30 million all told and see what Ben Roethlisberger can do with an actual pocket (he may decide to scramble anyway, but worth a shot).

WIDE RECEIVER

Santonio Holmes — Bring him back, take down the no-smoking signs.

QUARTERBACK

Mike Vick — In all honesty, I heard Steelers coach Mike Tomlin wanted to bring in Vick for a visit before the Eagles signed him but Ben put the kibosh on it. Two years later, Ben had his Milledgeville incident, so his word means less. And did you see Vick on that Monday night against Washington? Vick can be the Steelers concussion / spinal concussion / suspension / broken toes / bad knee / shoulder joint / appendectomy / motorcycle accident replacement QB should anything arise with Ben (never does). Vick is only 30-years old, and if he's just the #2 guy he won't break down like he did in Philly this year. Give him $100 million, I want to see which QB gives up jersey #7.

KICKER

Adam Vinatieri — How badly did Shaun Suisham miss that FG in the Super Bowl? Not saying it cost Pittsburgh the game, but here's for Mr. Big Game Automatic making sure it's no longer a concern. Sure, Vinatieri is 38-years old. But he won't be the Jeff Reed problem off the field, and he won't gakk on the field when it counts. He made 26-of-28 FG this past year, so he's still got it. Cue the Janikowski money: 4-years, $16 million.

Yep, it's going to be a busy offseason.

— No Comments ↓
Posted in Ike Taylor, Pittsburgh Penguins, Pittsburgh Steelers

 

16 Feb

Bylsma Vs. Dixon

published in category: College Sports, Pittsburgh Penguins, Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday, February 16th, 2011 – 5:45 pm

Bylsma Vs Dixon

Tuesday February 15th, 2011 marked the two-year anniversary of the hiring of Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma.

All "Disco" Dan did in two calendar years was direct his hockey team to wins in 100 of
his first 163 games, the fifth fastest in NHL history, not to mention a Stanley Cup Title as a rookie head coach.

It's been an incredible run, and I've been hearing Bylsma get widely praised this week as the anniversary comes and goes, despite the local hockey team mired in a stretch of sincere adversity.

That praise is well deserved. But, is Bylsma Pittsburgh's current most impressive sports-leader of men?

No. That honor is Jamie Dixon's at Pitt.

Not a bad time to be a Pittsburgh sports fan, when Bylsma's run is second best.

First, to pay Bylsma's run proper homage, let's not forget the Pens were 5-points out of a playoff spot in 2009 when Bylsma took over for Michael Therrien. Bylsma inherited talented, sure. But he was the perfect choice with the perfect system at the perfect time in that '08-'09 season. No Dan, no Stan.

However, keeping Pitt hoops nationally relevant for 8-seasons and counting is impossible for Bylsma to top, even with Lord Stanley on the shelf, and even with Dixon missing a Final Four on his resume.

I still can't believe what Pitt Basketball has become and maintained. This is supposed to be the 8th place program in the Big East, a run-of-the-mill stepping stone for Georgetown and Syracuse. At least, that's what the 1990s told us.

And even when Ben Howland changed that culture for a spell, and found a team of scrappy defensive-minded ballers to buy into an outpost-program, the success wasn't supposed to continue.

11-1 in the Big East as a string of 10-straight NCAA Tournament appearances is upon us? A 3-seed or better in said Big Dance every year? A guaranteed 20+ wins, 10+ in conference? An electric home atmosphere every game? A continued team approach without one-and-done NBA bound stars needed to compete? This is basketball in Pittsburgh we're talking about, right?

Crosby, Malkin, Staal, Fleury, etc make a coaches' job a whole lot easier. Wannamaker, Brown, Robinson, Gibbs, and McGhee? Who are these guys?

They're the essence of a Jamie Dixon coached team.

Pitt continues to be something to marvel at, like a tree growing in the desert. Like The Jerry Springer Show's success. Like William Hung's overnight sensation. Like "Just Go With It" being the #1 movie at the box office. Like a Styx song becoming the anthem for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

We're watching some great coaches in action these days in Pittsburgh sports, but let's not lose sight of the most incredible job of the bunch, that of Jamie Dixon over on the Oakland campus.

— No Comments ↓
Posted in College Sports, Pittsburgh Penguins, Pittsburgh Steelers

 

09 Feb

Hines Ward Gives a Yippie-Ki-Yay

published in category: Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday, February 9th, 2011 – 6:06 pm

Steelers WR Hines Ward has been quoted this week that he was disappointed he didn't get any opportunities on the final three passes of Super Bowl XLV.

He's got every right to be ticked off.

When the great Chicago Bulls teams needed a basket, did Michael Jordan ever not touch the ball? Wasn't John McClane in the scene at the climax of every Die Hard movie? Do exotic dancers start naked and then slowly put their clothes on?

Things are supposed to get good at the end, not get worse. Your stars are supposed to shine.

Instead, Ben Roethlisberger targeted Mike Wallace on 3rd and 4th down of the Steelers' last gasp, while also throwing the ball away in Wallace's direction on 2nd down with a pass rush bearing down on him.

Wallace had a great sophomore season, but he's far from what Santonio Holmes was on intermediate routes. In fact, the very part of his game that still needs polishing, that of intermediate route running, is the very part on which Ben put the hopes of the franchise when it all mattered most.

Not to mention testing the Packers' best remaining cornerback in Tramon Williams, who was guarding Motor Mike.

There's simply no excuse for ignoring Hines Ward and / or Heath Miller on those crucial throws. You've got to go down with your best; the team's most reliable targets had to get a chance in those spots. Even when "covered," Ward and Miller make tough catches. Throw them the ball in places where only they can grab it to move the chains. How many catches did Jerry Rice make when "covered?"

Here are the possible explanations to why Ben went to Wallace on those late throws:
1. Ben is still lacking as a pocket passer who can read the field and make the correct progressions. How often do you see Roethlisberger make the 3rd, or even 2nd read? Mostly, he looks to one side of the field and then scrambles. The Packers took away the scrambles at key times, and dared Ben to beat them from the pocket.

2. Ben has a better personal relationship with Wallace than Ward and it affects his on-field decision making. We know Hines and Ben aren't the best of friends. For the most part, it appears those two co-exist on the field without this mattering. But did Ben just look for "his boy" Wallace late because he likes him better, even if it was a subconscious decision?

3. Bruce Arians demanded that Wallace was the target of choice. I'm sure the plays called gave Ben other options, but who knows what's said over that headset. This seems hard to believe, however.

And why wasn't Ben calling his own plays on this sequence anyway? Maybe if the plays weren't so slow coming in from the sideline, and the team so late getting out of the huddle, then Ben has more time to mentally prepare himself for the snaps to come. It was year #7 for #7, you would think by now in the no-huddle drills Arians would have faith in Ben to dial up the plays himself. Roethlisberger has expressed a desire to do this in the past, but Arians has been reluctant to give up the reigns. I'd have rather seen Ben picking a play and going with it there to get the calls out clean.

Whoever is to blame, excluding Ward and Miller in the final moments in North Texas was among the game's biggest blunders, if not the biggest. Forget everything that had taken place, 1:59 remaining with 1 timeout and 87-yards to go? That was a makeable drive and a winnable game that ended more Hans Gruber than Lieutenant McClane, with Green Bay confetti falling from Nakatomi Tower.

— No Comments ↓
Posted in Pittsburgh Steelers

 

08 Feb

Huggins:

published in category: College Sports, Pittsburgh Steelers on Tuesday, February 8th, 2011 – 1:11 am

I just got back from a trip to Morgantown, WV where I watched the 4th-ranked Pitt hoops team knock off West Virginia 71-66 in the 181st hard-court edition of the Backyard Brawl.

The same place a year ago where I witnessed WVU spark their season with a 70-51 shutdown of the Panthers.

A year later in Morgantown, while the potty-mouthed crowd still chants "Eat ____ Pitt" and other wholesome family taunts, Da'Sean Butler and Devin Ebanks are gone from the Mountaineers lineup. Meanwhile, Pitt is a year stronger and deeper. And even without guard Ashton Gibbs in the lineup for the Panthers, their multi-player attack exposed West Virginia big time on Monday night at the Coliseum.

WVU coach Bob Huggins gushed about Pitt after the game:

"Wannamaker, Brown drive it. Robinson drives it. They just attack the rim. We're outmanned. They went 1 for 6 from three, they just pound it at you and pound it at you and pound it at you. They've got good players and a good coach, that's what it is. And they share the ball. It's admirable in today's times, you've got all these guys who think they're going to go play in the league. [Pitt] just plays, man, they just play to win. They don't force shots, they don't force things they can't do. It's kind of refreshing, actually. Not tonight it wasn't. Tonight it was, well I can't say what it was but you know what I mean."

Huggs is a joy to listen to. Dead honest with a sharp wit, he deserves a ton of respect for what he's done with the Mountaineers here on the heels of their 2010 Big East Championship and Final Four run. But Huggins knows this is not his year to sustain it. I haven't seen a WVU team with so little offense in a long time.

More great stuff from the WVU coach, this time a scathing review of his own lineup:

"What do you want me to do? I can't trade 'em. I could waive 'em I guess but I can't get anything for 'em. We can't shoot. What do you want me to do? I get tired of watching them miss, I don't know about you. See I have to watch them every day in practice. I mean after a while you're like 'damn, somebody bank one in or something.'"

Here in the days after a lost Steelers championship, Pitt hoops fans can perhaps ease that pain by taking pleasure in the rebuilding that their biggest rival is going through. Somehow, for the last decade, Pitt hasn't had to deal with this. While WVU is on the down cycle, Jamie Dixon's squad is cycling back for another shot at the promised land

— No Comments ↓
Posted in College Sports, Pittsburgh Steelers

 

07 Feb

Special Black and Gold SB Preview shows from Dallas

published in category: Pittsburgh Steelers, Sports Talk Radio on Monday, February 7th, 2011 – 10:16 am

Special Black and Gold SB 45 Preview shows this week live from the biggest and best Stillers bar in all of Texas, Ken Laird and Former Steeler and Two Time Super Bowl Champion Deshea Townsend will be broadcasting live from <a href="http://www.malarkeystavern.com/">Malarkey's in Dallas</a> <b>Thursday and Friday 1pm – 4pm</b> and <b>Saturday noon to 2:00 pm</b> at sportstalk.triblive.com.

Big names guests, Myron Cope sound-alike contest, Trib writers, Steelers bloggers, tailgate parties, tons of Pittsburgh fans, all part of the live broadcasts in Dallas this week exclusively at sportstalk.triblive.com.

— No Comments ↓
Posted in Pittsburgh Steelers, Sports Talk Radio

 



Podcasts