Since it's a tradition for this blog--running strong since 2010--here is the 2012 NFL Draft class for your Pittsburgh Steelers.
First round: David DeCastro, guard, Stanford.
Second round: Mike Adams, offensive tackles, Ohio State.
Third round: Sean Spence, linebacker, Miami.
Fourth round: Alameda Ta'amu, nose tackle, Washington.
Fifth round: Chris Rainey, running back, Florida.
Seventh round: Toney Clemons, wide reciever, Colorado.
Seventh round: David Paulson, tight end, Oregon.
Seventh round: Terrence Frederick, cornerback, Texas A&M.
Seventh round: Kelvin Beachum, guard, SMU.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Steelers select guard David Decastro out of Stanford with the 24th pick in the 2012 NFL Draft
So much for the Steelers going out and finding the next James Farrior. For weeks, the general consensus among the draft experts was that Alabama inside linebacker Dont'a Hightower would be the Steelers selection with the 24th pick in the draft. Hightower would just step in and be the quarterback of the defense for the next 10 years.
Well, instead of that, the Steelers may have found the next Alan Faneca when they selected guard David Decastro out of Stanford.
Most mock drafts that I saw had Decastro going in the top half of the first round, so when he surprisingly slipped all the way down to 24th, the Steelers wasted no time in picking him.
For those of you out there who love a good bargain, you have to be happy with the pick. It was reminiscent of the 2008 draft, when Rashard Mendenhall slipped all the way to the 23rd spot.
Of course, Chris Johnson was still there in that same draft and went a pick later to the Titans.
As for this draft, Hightower went to New England, who traded up to 25 to get him.
It'll take a while to know whether or not the Steelers made the right choice, obviously. But for right now, there is very little to complain about with the Decastro pick.
Well, instead of that, the Steelers may have found the next Alan Faneca when they selected guard David Decastro out of Stanford.
Most mock drafts that I saw had Decastro going in the top half of the first round, so when he surprisingly slipped all the way down to 24th, the Steelers wasted no time in picking him.
For those of you out there who love a good bargain, you have to be happy with the pick. It was reminiscent of the 2008 draft, when Rashard Mendenhall slipped all the way to the 23rd spot.
Of course, Chris Johnson was still there in that same draft and went a pick later to the Titans.
As for this draft, Hightower went to New England, who traded up to 25 to get him.
It'll take a while to know whether or not the Steelers made the right choice, obviously. But for right now, there is very little to complain about with the Decastro pick.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Penguins finally give in to the hated Flyers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
A week ago at this time, when the Penguins were getting embarrassed (and embarrassing themselves) in Game 3 of their first round playoff matchup in Philadelphia against the Flyers and fell behind 3-0 in the best of seven series, I doubt anyone thought they'd be able to stay alive for another week.
However, after an impressive 10-3 showing in game 4, and an exciting 3-2 victory in game 5 in Pittsburgh Friday night, you could see the optimism growing in Penguins fans around town.
Unfortunately, the almost inevitable finally came to be today, as the Penguins had no more fight left and fell to the Flyers 5-1 in a lackluster showing in game 6 in Philadelphia. The Penguins have now been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for the second straight season.
This might be dumb to say, but the Penguins were really rolling down the stretch and seemed to have the New York Rangers on the ropes for the top spot in both the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference. However, once Sidney Crosby officially returned full-time after dealing with his concussion problems for well over a year, things hit a bit of a snag.
It seemed to really hurt the chemistry of the team, and we know hockey players are all about chemistry.
With Crosby back in there, the line combinations changed, and so did the continuity and cohesion.
But what was Pens coach Dan Bylsma supposed to do? When you have the best player in the entire world on your team, you can't sit him down or put him on the 4th line. It's like not starting your best fantasy football player because he doesn't have a favorable matchup.
If Bylsma had decided to make Crosby a healthy scratch for the postseason, the only outcome that would have made that not look like a silly move would have been a Stanley Cup victory. Otherwise, people would have pointed to that as the reason the Pens fell short.
Now that the Penguins lost with Sidney Crosby in the lineup, idiot bloggers like me are writing about how the most talented player in the world screwed up the team's chemistry. I don't know how coaches live with us.
I digress.
The Penguins failure to claim the top seed in the Eastern conference meant that they had to go up against their heated rivals, the Flyers, in the first round of the playoffs. And the Flyers just plain had Pittsburgh's number this year. Philly beat the Pens four out of six times in the regular season (four out of the five that mattered), and everyone was a bit uneasy when the playoffs started.
As it turns out, they had a good reason to be nervous, as the Flyers were clearly the better team all throughout the series with the exception of game 4.
I know the Penguins got a tough first round match-up, but you know what? So did the Flyers. And the fact of the matter is the Pens were probably going to have to play the Flyers at some point. It just so happened to be in the first round.
With the Rangers facing elimination in the first round of the playoffs, the Flyers now look like the team to beat in the Eastern conference. And heck, even if New York somehow survives, I don't think anyone is going to prevent the Flyers from advancing to at least the Stanley Cup Finals.
As for the Penguins, after winning the Cup in '09, they're going home early for the third straight season.
There will undoubtedly now be calls for a major shake-up within the organization. Whether that means Bylsma gets the boot, or even gm Ray Shero, remains to be seen. But if I'm owner Mario Lemieux, and my roster include two of the best players in hockey, a third-line center who could be on the top line of a lot of other teams, and a top-end goalie, I'm going to want to see more out of the postseason than three straight early departures.
However, after an impressive 10-3 showing in game 4, and an exciting 3-2 victory in game 5 in Pittsburgh Friday night, you could see the optimism growing in Penguins fans around town.
Unfortunately, the almost inevitable finally came to be today, as the Penguins had no more fight left and fell to the Flyers 5-1 in a lackluster showing in game 6 in Philadelphia. The Penguins have now been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for the second straight season.
This might be dumb to say, but the Penguins were really rolling down the stretch and seemed to have the New York Rangers on the ropes for the top spot in both the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference. However, once Sidney Crosby officially returned full-time after dealing with his concussion problems for well over a year, things hit a bit of a snag.
It seemed to really hurt the chemistry of the team, and we know hockey players are all about chemistry.
With Crosby back in there, the line combinations changed, and so did the continuity and cohesion.
But what was Pens coach Dan Bylsma supposed to do? When you have the best player in the entire world on your team, you can't sit him down or put him on the 4th line. It's like not starting your best fantasy football player because he doesn't have a favorable matchup.
If Bylsma had decided to make Crosby a healthy scratch for the postseason, the only outcome that would have made that not look like a silly move would have been a Stanley Cup victory. Otherwise, people would have pointed to that as the reason the Pens fell short.
Now that the Penguins lost with Sidney Crosby in the lineup, idiot bloggers like me are writing about how the most talented player in the world screwed up the team's chemistry. I don't know how coaches live with us.
I digress.
The Penguins failure to claim the top seed in the Eastern conference meant that they had to go up against their heated rivals, the Flyers, in the first round of the playoffs. And the Flyers just plain had Pittsburgh's number this year. Philly beat the Pens four out of six times in the regular season (four out of the five that mattered), and everyone was a bit uneasy when the playoffs started.
As it turns out, they had a good reason to be nervous, as the Flyers were clearly the better team all throughout the series with the exception of game 4.
I know the Penguins got a tough first round match-up, but you know what? So did the Flyers. And the fact of the matter is the Pens were probably going to have to play the Flyers at some point. It just so happened to be in the first round.
With the Rangers facing elimination in the first round of the playoffs, the Flyers now look like the team to beat in the Eastern conference. And heck, even if New York somehow survives, I don't think anyone is going to prevent the Flyers from advancing to at least the Stanley Cup Finals.
As for the Penguins, after winning the Cup in '09, they're going home early for the third straight season.
There will undoubtedly now be calls for a major shake-up within the organization. Whether that means Bylsma gets the boot, or even gm Ray Shero, remains to be seen. But if I'm owner Mario Lemieux, and my roster include two of the best players in hockey, a third-line center who could be on the top line of a lot of other teams, and a top-end goalie, I'm going to want to see more out of the postseason than three straight early departures.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
If the Penguins don't bounce back to win their playoff series against the Flyers, should Dan Bylsma be fired?
The Pittsburgh Penguins got off the mat in a big way tonight with their impressive 10-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers to stave off elimination after falling behind 3-0 in the first round series.
It was a remarkable showing considering how ridiculously awful the team looked in the first three games.
Having said that, however, it is extremely unlikely that the Penguins will make a historical comeback and defeat the Flyers in seven games.
Therefore, assuming they do get eliminated in the first round, should head coach Dan Bylsma get the axe?
As first, that seems pretty ridiculous. After all, Disco Dan came to the rescue in 2009 and led the Penguins out of the wilderness of the 10th spot in the Eastern Conference all the way to the Stanley Cup.
That has to get a guy a free pass or two, right? Yes, but I believe Bylsma already used those free passes the previous two seasons.
Two years ago, the Penguins lost to the Montreal Canadiens in seven games in the second round of the playoffs.
And last season, Pittsburgh blew a 3-1 series lead and lost in the first round to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
This will be the third straight early exit for a team that arguably has the most talented roster in the NHL.
Plus, how many long-tenured hockey coaches can you name? There are two coaches in the NHL who have been with the same team for over a decade. Bylsma is nearing the end of his third full season. It might be time for a change. No, not because I say so, but because that's just how it is.
And let's not forget, Michele Therrien was fired a year after he took the Penguins to the Stanley Cup Finals in '08. The team looked hopelessly out of a playoff spot, and team owner Mario Lemieux thought a change was in order. He was right, obviously since the Penguins finished the year with a victory parade.
The NHL doesn't necessarily treat its coaches with much reverence (not many professional sports leagues do these days), and Disco Dan might soon find out that the honeymoon in Pittsburgh is over, and it's time for a divorce.
It was a remarkable showing considering how ridiculously awful the team looked in the first three games.
Having said that, however, it is extremely unlikely that the Penguins will make a historical comeback and defeat the Flyers in seven games.
Therefore, assuming they do get eliminated in the first round, should head coach Dan Bylsma get the axe?
As first, that seems pretty ridiculous. After all, Disco Dan came to the rescue in 2009 and led the Penguins out of the wilderness of the 10th spot in the Eastern Conference all the way to the Stanley Cup.
That has to get a guy a free pass or two, right? Yes, but I believe Bylsma already used those free passes the previous two seasons.
Two years ago, the Penguins lost to the Montreal Canadiens in seven games in the second round of the playoffs.
And last season, Pittsburgh blew a 3-1 series lead and lost in the first round to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
This will be the third straight early exit for a team that arguably has the most talented roster in the NHL.
Plus, how many long-tenured hockey coaches can you name? There are two coaches in the NHL who have been with the same team for over a decade. Bylsma is nearing the end of his third full season. It might be time for a change. No, not because I say so, but because that's just how it is.
And let's not forget, Michele Therrien was fired a year after he took the Penguins to the Stanley Cup Finals in '08. The team looked hopelessly out of a playoff spot, and team owner Mario Lemieux thought a change was in order. He was right, obviously since the Penguins finished the year with a victory parade.
The NHL doesn't necessarily treat its coaches with much reverence (not many professional sports leagues do these days), and Disco Dan might soon find out that the honeymoon in Pittsburgh is over, and it's time for a divorce.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
My break up blog
I know this is a sports blog, but this has been a life-altering week for me, and I always find writing therapeutic. And I figured why not write about my recent break up with my girlfriend, Jess?
My ex girlfriend and I were dating for over three years, and it was one of those relationships that had the potential to go the distance.
I was devastated by it at first (and quite honestly, I won't be right for a while), but that just means that I care. If you can't feel devastated and depressed after a three-year relationship comes to an end, well, it must not have been a very good relationship.
But, the fact of the matter is, it was A TREMENDOUS relationship. It was top-notch. It was the kind of relationship I never thought I'd find.
When my girlfriend and I first got together, it was awesome. In fact, over the course of the three years, it was mostly awesome.
But break ups do happen for a reason, and since this is a sports blog, I can use a sports metaphor. Teams win championships not just because they do the major things, they win championships because they do the little things, the intangibles.
In the beginning of a relationship, when two people are really into each other and want to please one another, they not only do the big things, they do the little things really well.
My girlfriend was the one who initiated the break up, and I did not take it very well. I did all the cliched things that people normally do when they see a relationship coming to an end.
I didn't act myself, and I said some pretty mean and crazy things. It happens. I apologized to my girlfriend, but it was a half-hearted apology, and I still put the blame mostly on her and didn't really accept my part in it.
Was I justified in my anger? I think so, but I had no business saying some of the things I said. And since it's probably awkward to apologize directly to my ex, I guess I can use the blogging universe to apologize. Obviously, if I really believed she was any of the things I said to her the night of the break up, I wouldn't have been with her as long as I was. And I surely wouldn't have considered her someone that I wanted to marry and spend the rest of my life with. I said some mean and hurtful things, for that I'm truly sorry.
But when you're being rejected, you just feel out of control. You can't imagine why this person doesn't want to be with you. Fact of the matter is, I was a wreck for a couple of days.
But if you act out of emotion, you're not going to act rationally. Emotion is the enemy, and if you give in to it, you can't function properly.
Once I got my emotions under control, I realized that I was responsible for the break up, too. Did my ex girlfriend contribute to the demise of the relationship? Certainly, but so did I.
It's the little things. I can see now that we did get a bit stale and complacent, and we got lost in the routine of our everyday lives.
When you're single and looking for a mate, you have a bit of an edge. You're hungry. Sometimes, once you get what you want, over time, you might stop doing the little things that made the relationship so great in the first place.
My girlfriend and I never stopped being good at the big stuff, but we got a little sloppy at the little stuff. At least I know I did.
I know I stopped worrying about my appearance as much, and I put on a few pounds. One of the nasty things I said to Jess the other night was that I blamed her for me putting on weight. Like she forced me to eat or something.
Fact of the matter is, going out to eat was one of our favorite things that we did together. It was the intimacy of being together, but that didn't mean I couldn't push myself away from the table.
When you put extra weight on, you don't necessarily want to dress snazzy anymore. When I was single, I worried more about my fashion. After I entered into a serious relationship, I started caring about that less and less.
It's important to keep up the passion in a relationship, and sometimes, that gets lost in the shuffle. And once the passion goes away, the feelings go away, or they get buried underneath all the negative stuff, and they're very hard to recover.
But, I've learned that you have to accept a break up. Do you like it? No, but if you stay in denial and don't deal with the fact that the relationship is over, it's very hard to move on.
I now see where she is coming from, and I respect her decision.
I have to ask myself, did I grow during the past three years? I certainly did. I can say that pretty confidently. I know I did. I can honestly say that the relationship I had with Jess was the first one that was based on REAL, mutual love, and not infatuation.
Some of my relationships in the past were based on a lot of things besides real intimacy. I never thought I could be truly intimate with someone before I met Jess, but I was with her. Total intimacy is sharing everything with one another. Your hopes, your fears, your dreams, everything.
My girlfriend did a lot of wonderful things for me, and I for her. Before her, I never placed any real value on myself in terms of what I thought women thought of me. Now I put great value on myself, because she made me feel valuable and special. And hopefully, I made her feel those things, too. Actually, I know I did, and that's why it was such a great three years.
I learned a lot about myself with this relationship, but I also learned that I still need to work on some stuff.
I know that I can now have a relationship and make it work. In my next relationship, I understand that I'll need to work on things to make it last for the long-haul (if that's what my partner and I want, of course).
And there will be a next relationship for me. When you lose the love of your life (and Jess was that for me in so many ways), you think you'll never have that kind of love for another person. But obviously you can if you want to.
The key is not to dwell on the past and let it control you. In years past, I would let a failed relationship eat at me for months, and sometimes years. But with age comes wisdom, and I'm better equipped to deal with things like this than I was years ago.
There are wonderful online resources and wonderful friends that help you get through times like these. Years ago, I didn't want to move on. I stayed in the misery, but I refuse to do that anymore.
You have to look at a relationship ending as just a closed chapter in your life. As long as you're breathing air, there will be always be other chapters.
Of the many emotions I've been feeling over the past few days, one of the good ones is excitement.
I'm looking forward to working on me, and concentrating on making myself a better person.
I can look at this as an opportunity to work on my career, get in better shape, and concentrate on doing many new and interesting things.
I'm the kind of person who is great at multitasking with things like blogging and cleaning my apartment, but when it comes to major things like a relationship or my career, I tend to put most of the focus on the one thing and not the other.
I have many ambitions and desires for myself, and I think I have a ton of potential. Maybe now I can start finding that potential.
The world is my oyster. I know times are going to be tough, and since the break-up is so fresh, I'm still going to be feeling many emotions, but I know I'll be OK in the end.
My ex girlfriend and I were dating for over three years, and it was one of those relationships that had the potential to go the distance.
I was devastated by it at first (and quite honestly, I won't be right for a while), but that just means that I care. If you can't feel devastated and depressed after a three-year relationship comes to an end, well, it must not have been a very good relationship.
But, the fact of the matter is, it was A TREMENDOUS relationship. It was top-notch. It was the kind of relationship I never thought I'd find.
When my girlfriend and I first got together, it was awesome. In fact, over the course of the three years, it was mostly awesome.
But break ups do happen for a reason, and since this is a sports blog, I can use a sports metaphor. Teams win championships not just because they do the major things, they win championships because they do the little things, the intangibles.
In the beginning of a relationship, when two people are really into each other and want to please one another, they not only do the big things, they do the little things really well.
My girlfriend was the one who initiated the break up, and I did not take it very well. I did all the cliched things that people normally do when they see a relationship coming to an end.
I didn't act myself, and I said some pretty mean and crazy things. It happens. I apologized to my girlfriend, but it was a half-hearted apology, and I still put the blame mostly on her and didn't really accept my part in it.
Was I justified in my anger? I think so, but I had no business saying some of the things I said. And since it's probably awkward to apologize directly to my ex, I guess I can use the blogging universe to apologize. Obviously, if I really believed she was any of the things I said to her the night of the break up, I wouldn't have been with her as long as I was. And I surely wouldn't have considered her someone that I wanted to marry and spend the rest of my life with. I said some mean and hurtful things, for that I'm truly sorry.
But when you're being rejected, you just feel out of control. You can't imagine why this person doesn't want to be with you. Fact of the matter is, I was a wreck for a couple of days.
But if you act out of emotion, you're not going to act rationally. Emotion is the enemy, and if you give in to it, you can't function properly.
Once I got my emotions under control, I realized that I was responsible for the break up, too. Did my ex girlfriend contribute to the demise of the relationship? Certainly, but so did I.
It's the little things. I can see now that we did get a bit stale and complacent, and we got lost in the routine of our everyday lives.
When you're single and looking for a mate, you have a bit of an edge. You're hungry. Sometimes, once you get what you want, over time, you might stop doing the little things that made the relationship so great in the first place.
My girlfriend and I never stopped being good at the big stuff, but we got a little sloppy at the little stuff. At least I know I did.
I know I stopped worrying about my appearance as much, and I put on a few pounds. One of the nasty things I said to Jess the other night was that I blamed her for me putting on weight. Like she forced me to eat or something.
Fact of the matter is, going out to eat was one of our favorite things that we did together. It was the intimacy of being together, but that didn't mean I couldn't push myself away from the table.
When you put extra weight on, you don't necessarily want to dress snazzy anymore. When I was single, I worried more about my fashion. After I entered into a serious relationship, I started caring about that less and less.
It's important to keep up the passion in a relationship, and sometimes, that gets lost in the shuffle. And once the passion goes away, the feelings go away, or they get buried underneath all the negative stuff, and they're very hard to recover.
But, I've learned that you have to accept a break up. Do you like it? No, but if you stay in denial and don't deal with the fact that the relationship is over, it's very hard to move on.
I now see where she is coming from, and I respect her decision.
I have to ask myself, did I grow during the past three years? I certainly did. I can say that pretty confidently. I know I did. I can honestly say that the relationship I had with Jess was the first one that was based on REAL, mutual love, and not infatuation.
Some of my relationships in the past were based on a lot of things besides real intimacy. I never thought I could be truly intimate with someone before I met Jess, but I was with her. Total intimacy is sharing everything with one another. Your hopes, your fears, your dreams, everything.
My girlfriend did a lot of wonderful things for me, and I for her. Before her, I never placed any real value on myself in terms of what I thought women thought of me. Now I put great value on myself, because she made me feel valuable and special. And hopefully, I made her feel those things, too. Actually, I know I did, and that's why it was such a great three years.
I learned a lot about myself with this relationship, but I also learned that I still need to work on some stuff.
I know that I can now have a relationship and make it work. In my next relationship, I understand that I'll need to work on things to make it last for the long-haul (if that's what my partner and I want, of course).
And there will be a next relationship for me. When you lose the love of your life (and Jess was that for me in so many ways), you think you'll never have that kind of love for another person. But obviously you can if you want to.
The key is not to dwell on the past and let it control you. In years past, I would let a failed relationship eat at me for months, and sometimes years. But with age comes wisdom, and I'm better equipped to deal with things like this than I was years ago.
There are wonderful online resources and wonderful friends that help you get through times like these. Years ago, I didn't want to move on. I stayed in the misery, but I refuse to do that anymore.
You have to look at a relationship ending as just a closed chapter in your life. As long as you're breathing air, there will be always be other chapters.
Of the many emotions I've been feeling over the past few days, one of the good ones is excitement.
I'm looking forward to working on me, and concentrating on making myself a better person.
I can look at this as an opportunity to work on my career, get in better shape, and concentrate on doing many new and interesting things.
I'm the kind of person who is great at multitasking with things like blogging and cleaning my apartment, but when it comes to major things like a relationship or my career, I tend to put most of the focus on the one thing and not the other.
I have many ambitions and desires for myself, and I think I have a ton of potential. Maybe now I can start finding that potential.
The world is my oyster. I know times are going to be tough, and since the break-up is so fresh, I'm still going to be feeling many emotions, but I know I'll be OK in the end.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Which city is a better sports town, Pittsburgh or Philadelphia? I think the numbers speak for themselves
This past weekend saw the Phillies in town to take on the Pirates in the first series of the 2012 baseball season. The Flyers were also in Pittsburgh to take on the Penguins Saturday afternoon in a season finale that was more a preview of the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs that will commence this Wednesday night at the Consol Energy Center.
It was nice to see the Penguins take out the Flyers Saturday, even if the game was meaningless in the standings.
It was also pretty satisfying to see the Pirates take two out of three from the Phillies at PNC over the weekend for the second year in a row.
The reason why the weekend results were so rewarding for me is because of how Philadelphia fans act. Flyers and Phillies fans were everywhere in town this weekend, and from what I understand, they were acting like the stereotypical Philadelphia fans. In other words, they were loud, obnoxious and entitled.
The entitled part about Philadelphia fans has always made me chuckle a bit because I've been following sports since a 7 year old in 1980, and in that entire time, the City of Philadelphia has been able to truly claim "we're number one!" in a major professional sport three times--two World Series titles and an NBA crown.
That's not a lot of championships for a city full of fans who act the way those people do.
In fact, for all of the bravado and boasts, Philadelphia fans had a 25 year drought in the World Championship department. The 76ers won the NBA Finals in 1983, and that was the last title until the Phillies defeated the Tampa Rays in the 2008 World Series.
I'm not saying three world titles isn't impressive, but it's not really that great for a city that claims to be on par with the New Yorks, Chicagos, Bostons and LAs of the sports world.
And it's not as if Philadelphia teams haven't had a chance to win more titles. The Flyers have been in five Stanley Cup Finals since the '79-'80 season, but they've come up short each time; you have to go back to the "Broad Street Bullies" days of the mid-70's to find the last time the Flyers were able to parade around the ice with the Stanley Cup in hand. The Eagles made Super Bowl XV in 1980 and Super Bowl XXXIX in 2004 but lost both, and you have to go back to 1960 to find the last NFL Championship for the City of Brotherly Love. The 76ers have been to the NBA Finals four times, but they only have the one title. And, of course, the Phillies have been to the World Series five times since 1980 and have won two titles.
If my math is correct, that's 16 finals appearances since 1980 and only three titles. It's not a very good percentage.
In that same time span, New York area teams have won 15 championships, Boston teams have won 10, Chicago teams have claimed eight World titles, and Los Angeles area teams have boasted 14 titles since 1980.
If you're a Philadelphia fan, you might think that's unfair. The New York metro area, for example, has two baseball teams to draw from, two football teams, two hockey teams (three if you count the New Jersey Devils), and an NBA team (two if you count the New Jersey Nets).
Okay, fair enough, but the Spurs have won four NBA Championships since 1999, and they're the only major professional sports team in San Antonio, Texas.
Speaking of having teams to draw from, as a fan who comes from a city with only three professional sports teams, I'm proud to say that the City of Pittsburgh has been able to claim seven World titles since October of 1979 when the Pirates defeated the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series (yes, I know, it's probably unfair to dip into the late 70's, but what the hell. I like to play dirty). Even if you take away the '79 World Series and the Steelers Super Bowl XIV title following the '79 season, Pittsburgh still has claimed five World Championships to Philadelphia's three over the past three-plus decades--the Penguins have won three Stanley Cups and the Steelers have won two Super Bowls.
I'm not saying Philadelphia isn't a great sports town, and 16 championship appearances in three decades is something to be proud of. But if you're going to act obnoxious and entitled, realize that people are going to give you crap over just winning the three championships.
Also, next time you want to boast about being the equals to the New Yorks and LAs of the sports world, remember that you're not even the most successful sports town in the state of Pennsylvania.
It was nice to see the Penguins take out the Flyers Saturday, even if the game was meaningless in the standings.
It was also pretty satisfying to see the Pirates take two out of three from the Phillies at PNC over the weekend for the second year in a row.
The reason why the weekend results were so rewarding for me is because of how Philadelphia fans act. Flyers and Phillies fans were everywhere in town this weekend, and from what I understand, they were acting like the stereotypical Philadelphia fans. In other words, they were loud, obnoxious and entitled.
The entitled part about Philadelphia fans has always made me chuckle a bit because I've been following sports since a 7 year old in 1980, and in that entire time, the City of Philadelphia has been able to truly claim "we're number one!" in a major professional sport three times--two World Series titles and an NBA crown.
That's not a lot of championships for a city full of fans who act the way those people do.
In fact, for all of the bravado and boasts, Philadelphia fans had a 25 year drought in the World Championship department. The 76ers won the NBA Finals in 1983, and that was the last title until the Phillies defeated the Tampa Rays in the 2008 World Series.
I'm not saying three world titles isn't impressive, but it's not really that great for a city that claims to be on par with the New Yorks, Chicagos, Bostons and LAs of the sports world.
And it's not as if Philadelphia teams haven't had a chance to win more titles. The Flyers have been in five Stanley Cup Finals since the '79-'80 season, but they've come up short each time; you have to go back to the "Broad Street Bullies" days of the mid-70's to find the last time the Flyers were able to parade around the ice with the Stanley Cup in hand. The Eagles made Super Bowl XV in 1980 and Super Bowl XXXIX in 2004 but lost both, and you have to go back to 1960 to find the last NFL Championship for the City of Brotherly Love. The 76ers have been to the NBA Finals four times, but they only have the one title. And, of course, the Phillies have been to the World Series five times since 1980 and have won two titles.
If my math is correct, that's 16 finals appearances since 1980 and only three titles. It's not a very good percentage.
In that same time span, New York area teams have won 15 championships, Boston teams have won 10, Chicago teams have claimed eight World titles, and Los Angeles area teams have boasted 14 titles since 1980.
If you're a Philadelphia fan, you might think that's unfair. The New York metro area, for example, has two baseball teams to draw from, two football teams, two hockey teams (three if you count the New Jersey Devils), and an NBA team (two if you count the New Jersey Nets).
Okay, fair enough, but the Spurs have won four NBA Championships since 1999, and they're the only major professional sports team in San Antonio, Texas.
Speaking of having teams to draw from, as a fan who comes from a city with only three professional sports teams, I'm proud to say that the City of Pittsburgh has been able to claim seven World titles since October of 1979 when the Pirates defeated the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series (yes, I know, it's probably unfair to dip into the late 70's, but what the hell. I like to play dirty). Even if you take away the '79 World Series and the Steelers Super Bowl XIV title following the '79 season, Pittsburgh still has claimed five World Championships to Philadelphia's three over the past three-plus decades--the Penguins have won three Stanley Cups and the Steelers have won two Super Bowls.
I'm not saying Philadelphia isn't a great sports town, and 16 championship appearances in three decades is something to be proud of. But if you're going to act obnoxious and entitled, realize that people are going to give you crap over just winning the three championships.
Also, next time you want to boast about being the equals to the New Yorks and LAs of the sports world, remember that you're not even the most successful sports town in the state of Pennsylvania.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Pirates take two out of three from Phillies at PNC Park to open the 2012 season
For the second game in a row, the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in their last at-bat to take two out of three from the five-time defending NL East champions before the home folks at PNC Park.
Last night, Alex Presley was the hero when he beat out an infield hit that allowed Michael McKenry to score the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning.
This afternoon, Andrew McCutchen drove in Josh Harrison from third with a one-out hit in the bottom of the 9th inning, as the Pirates came storming back after trailing, 4-1, entering the bottom of the 7th inning.
Much like last year, when the Pirates surprised baseball by staying in contention in the NL Central until late July, Pittsburgh got the job done over the weekend with great pitching from both their starters and relievers as well as with timely hitting.
Phillies ace Roy Halladay out-dueled the Pirates Erik Bedard, 1-0, in the season opener on Thursday afternoon. But Jeff Karstens matched the Phillies other ace, Cliff Lee, pitch-for-pitch last night and allowed the Pirates to stay in the game long-enough to win it in the 10th.
This afternoon, James Mcdonald hung in their with Vance Worley for most of the game and kept the Bucs in it long enough for them to rally late.
Despite the fact that Chase Utley and Ryan Howard missed the weekend series for Philadelphia with injuries, they still have a pretty formidable lineup, and it was pretty encouraging to see what the Pirates pitchers did over the weekend, holding the Phillies to six runs in the three game series.
Pirates gm Neal Huntington is obviously trying to rebuild through pitching much like the team did under previous general managers, but this time it appears to be working. Huntington acquired Bedard and AJ Burnett in the offseason. Karstens, Mcdonald and Charlie Morton were acquried in recent years through trades, and the team appears to have a wealth of young arms in the minors.
Jameson Taillon, Luis Heredia and Gerrit Cole are just three young pitching prospect in the minors who are giving Pirates fans hope for the future.
As for the offense? Well, it's a good thing the Pirates appear to have decent pitching all the way around because, much like last year, it looks like the team's offense is going to struggle on most nights.
I listen to a lot of talk radio, and the general sentiment over the weekend was, "hey, Halladay and Lee are two of the best in baseball, most lineups will struggle against them." That may be true, but let's face it, the Pirates are extremely deficient on offense. It is a BAD lineup.
McCutchen is clearly an all-star player, but he's not a power hitter, and the team is sorely lacking in that department.
The closest thing the team has to a legit power threat is Pedro Alvarez, and he's been struggling so much, he batted 7th today.
Second baseman Neil Walker, a nice young player, has been batting cleanup so far early in the year, but with only 12 home runs last year, he's no cleanup hitter. He's better suited to either hit higher or lower in the lineup, which is why it was encouraging to see Alavarez hit the team's first home run of the season today with an absolute bomb over the right field bleachers. If Pedro can eventually find his stroke and become the player the team thought he could be when they made him the second overall selection in the 2008 draft, he might be the piece of the puzzle that finally turns the team into a contender after so many years of bringing up the rear in the NL Central.
As for this season, I can see the Pirates getting off to a pretty decent start much like they did last year, but I don't think their pitching is quite good enough to make up for their very light-hitting lineup (I don't think any staff in the league could make up for it), and that's why I see them as a 70-win team again this year.
Still though, it was a great opening weekend, and anytime a Pittsburgh team can take two out of three from a Philadelphia squad, well, it makes for a great weekend.
Let's Go Bucs!
Last night, Alex Presley was the hero when he beat out an infield hit that allowed Michael McKenry to score the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning.
This afternoon, Andrew McCutchen drove in Josh Harrison from third with a one-out hit in the bottom of the 9th inning, as the Pirates came storming back after trailing, 4-1, entering the bottom of the 7th inning.
Much like last year, when the Pirates surprised baseball by staying in contention in the NL Central until late July, Pittsburgh got the job done over the weekend with great pitching from both their starters and relievers as well as with timely hitting.
Phillies ace Roy Halladay out-dueled the Pirates Erik Bedard, 1-0, in the season opener on Thursday afternoon. But Jeff Karstens matched the Phillies other ace, Cliff Lee, pitch-for-pitch last night and allowed the Pirates to stay in the game long-enough to win it in the 10th.
This afternoon, James Mcdonald hung in their with Vance Worley for most of the game and kept the Bucs in it long enough for them to rally late.
Despite the fact that Chase Utley and Ryan Howard missed the weekend series for Philadelphia with injuries, they still have a pretty formidable lineup, and it was pretty encouraging to see what the Pirates pitchers did over the weekend, holding the Phillies to six runs in the three game series.
Pirates gm Neal Huntington is obviously trying to rebuild through pitching much like the team did under previous general managers, but this time it appears to be working. Huntington acquired Bedard and AJ Burnett in the offseason. Karstens, Mcdonald and Charlie Morton were acquried in recent years through trades, and the team appears to have a wealth of young arms in the minors.
Jameson Taillon, Luis Heredia and Gerrit Cole are just three young pitching prospect in the minors who are giving Pirates fans hope for the future.
As for the offense? Well, it's a good thing the Pirates appear to have decent pitching all the way around because, much like last year, it looks like the team's offense is going to struggle on most nights.
I listen to a lot of talk radio, and the general sentiment over the weekend was, "hey, Halladay and Lee are two of the best in baseball, most lineups will struggle against them." That may be true, but let's face it, the Pirates are extremely deficient on offense. It is a BAD lineup.
McCutchen is clearly an all-star player, but he's not a power hitter, and the team is sorely lacking in that department.
The closest thing the team has to a legit power threat is Pedro Alvarez, and he's been struggling so much, he batted 7th today.
Second baseman Neil Walker, a nice young player, has been batting cleanup so far early in the year, but with only 12 home runs last year, he's no cleanup hitter. He's better suited to either hit higher or lower in the lineup, which is why it was encouraging to see Alavarez hit the team's first home run of the season today with an absolute bomb over the right field bleachers. If Pedro can eventually find his stroke and become the player the team thought he could be when they made him the second overall selection in the 2008 draft, he might be the piece of the puzzle that finally turns the team into a contender after so many years of bringing up the rear in the NL Central.
As for this season, I can see the Pirates getting off to a pretty decent start much like they did last year, but I don't think their pitching is quite good enough to make up for their very light-hitting lineup (I don't think any staff in the league could make up for it), and that's why I see them as a 70-win team again this year.
Still though, it was a great opening weekend, and anytime a Pittsburgh team can take two out of three from a Philadelphia squad, well, it makes for a great weekend.
Let's Go Bucs!
Thursday, April 5, 2012
The Pittsburgh Pirates: Would you rather see them win one World Series or appear in several?
Yesterday on Behind The Steel Curtain, I wrote a piece about NFL teams who were never able to get over the hump and win a Super Bowl despite coming close several times. I concluded the piece by talking about the Buffalo Bills of the early 90's and their four straight Super Bowl appearances without a victory.
Towards the end of the article, I got to thinking, and I posed a question to Steelers fans: Would they rather see the team win one Super Bowl or make it to several without achieving ultimate victory?
Being a life-long Steelers fan, I'm pretty torn over the scenario. Is it great to see your favorite football team win a Super Bowl? You better believe it. However, I think seeing your team make four-straight even if they all ended in losses would be a pretty memorable ride as well.
But when it comes to the Pirates, I wouldn't even have to think about it. The Buccos have had such a tough time over the past two decades, and the finances of the game have been stacked so high against them and other small market teams, I would sign on the dotted line if some omnipotent figure presented me with the opportunity to see the Pirates appear in several World Series, even if they lost every single one.
Heck, I'd sign my name in blood for that opportunity. I'd sell the naming rights of my future first born just to observe that. I'd get a tattoo on my left.....well, anyway, you get the idea.
What about you? As a Pirates fan, would you rather see the Pirates win just one World Series or appear in several?
Any Texas Rangers fans out there, by chance? They were on the losing end of the last two World Series. Did you consider that a pretty awesome accomplishment, or were you extremely frustrated and heartbroken over it?
Towards the end of the article, I got to thinking, and I posed a question to Steelers fans: Would they rather see the team win one Super Bowl or make it to several without achieving ultimate victory?
Being a life-long Steelers fan, I'm pretty torn over the scenario. Is it great to see your favorite football team win a Super Bowl? You better believe it. However, I think seeing your team make four-straight even if they all ended in losses would be a pretty memorable ride as well.
But when it comes to the Pirates, I wouldn't even have to think about it. The Buccos have had such a tough time over the past two decades, and the finances of the game have been stacked so high against them and other small market teams, I would sign on the dotted line if some omnipotent figure presented me with the opportunity to see the Pirates appear in several World Series, even if they lost every single one.
Heck, I'd sign my name in blood for that opportunity. I'd sell the naming rights of my future first born just to observe that. I'd get a tattoo on my left.....well, anyway, you get the idea.
What about you? As a Pirates fan, would you rather see the Pirates win just one World Series or appear in several?
Any Texas Rangers fans out there, by chance? They were on the losing end of the last two World Series. Did you consider that a pretty awesome accomplishment, or were you extremely frustrated and heartbroken over it?
Sunday, April 1, 2012
The Penguins should take notes from the Steelers on what it's like to be a "wild card" team heading into the playoffs
Okay, so the Penguins aren't technically a wild card team, but they'll be a playoff team that didn't win their division. What else would you call them? They'll be seeded no higher than 4th once the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs start despite having a better record than the leaders of the Northeast and Southeast divisions.
The NHL's playoff format is similar to that of the NFL's. The division winners get the top seeds regardless of record, and the non-division winning playoff teams get seeded 4th-8th in each conference.
The Penguins have 102 points, the second most in the Eastern Conference, but due to the fact that they play in a tough division--four of the eight playoff teams will come out of the Pens' Atlantic division--their playoff seeding won't necessarily reflect the type of team that they have.
The Florida Panthers are in first place in the Southeast division with only 90 points, but if they win their division, they'll get the 3rd seed in the Eastern Conference.
Is that fair? Well, ask the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL. They had a 12-4 record heading into last year's playoffs, but because they lost two games to their division rivals, the Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh could do no better than the 5th seed in the AFC and had to open up at the Denver Broncos, who were AFC West Champions with an 8-8 record.
Despite their low seed, and despite the many injuries that the Steelers were dealing with once the postseason began, the team was still considered among the favorites to make it to Indianapolis for Super Bowl XLVI. Unfortunately, being a wild card team proved to be too much for Pittsburgh, and they lost in overtime, 29-23.
Had the Steelers been able to win just one more regular season game, they would have been the top seed once the playoffs started, and would have only needed to win two games at Heinz Field to get to the Super Bowl. I mentioned the injury situation, and that could have been too much to overcome even at home, but one has to wonder how things may have gone had they won just one game against the Baltimore Ravens last year.
The Penguins are in a similar situation. Yes, they're considered a Stanley Cup favorite, and for a while there, it looked like they might be able to catch the New York Rangers for the top spot in the Eastern Conference, but they've struggled of late, losing three out of four--including a 6-4 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers this afternoon at the Consol Energy Center. The Flyers win puts them only a point behind Pittsburgh with just three games remaining, and now the Penguins are in danger of falling into 5th place and not even having home ice for the first round.
If you know about playoff seeding, you know that the Penguins are going to play the Flyers in the first round regardless of whether they're the 4th seed or the 5th seed.
If the Penguins survive that blood-bath, and if the first round holds true to form, their second round opponents would be the New York Rangers.
That's a brutal first two rounds of the playoffs. The Penguins are good, and they may have the most talented roster in the NHL, but as the 2011 Pittsburgh Steelers found out, sometimes, you're a victim of circumstance.
The Penguins might have too many obstacles to overcome.
The NHL's playoff format is similar to that of the NFL's. The division winners get the top seeds regardless of record, and the non-division winning playoff teams get seeded 4th-8th in each conference.
The Penguins have 102 points, the second most in the Eastern Conference, but due to the fact that they play in a tough division--four of the eight playoff teams will come out of the Pens' Atlantic division--their playoff seeding won't necessarily reflect the type of team that they have.
The Florida Panthers are in first place in the Southeast division with only 90 points, but if they win their division, they'll get the 3rd seed in the Eastern Conference.
Is that fair? Well, ask the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL. They had a 12-4 record heading into last year's playoffs, but because they lost two games to their division rivals, the Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh could do no better than the 5th seed in the AFC and had to open up at the Denver Broncos, who were AFC West Champions with an 8-8 record.
Despite their low seed, and despite the many injuries that the Steelers were dealing with once the postseason began, the team was still considered among the favorites to make it to Indianapolis for Super Bowl XLVI. Unfortunately, being a wild card team proved to be too much for Pittsburgh, and they lost in overtime, 29-23.
Had the Steelers been able to win just one more regular season game, they would have been the top seed once the playoffs started, and would have only needed to win two games at Heinz Field to get to the Super Bowl. I mentioned the injury situation, and that could have been too much to overcome even at home, but one has to wonder how things may have gone had they won just one game against the Baltimore Ravens last year.
The Penguins are in a similar situation. Yes, they're considered a Stanley Cup favorite, and for a while there, it looked like they might be able to catch the New York Rangers for the top spot in the Eastern Conference, but they've struggled of late, losing three out of four--including a 6-4 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers this afternoon at the Consol Energy Center. The Flyers win puts them only a point behind Pittsburgh with just three games remaining, and now the Penguins are in danger of falling into 5th place and not even having home ice for the first round.
If you know about playoff seeding, you know that the Penguins are going to play the Flyers in the first round regardless of whether they're the 4th seed or the 5th seed.
If the Penguins survive that blood-bath, and if the first round holds true to form, their second round opponents would be the New York Rangers.
That's a brutal first two rounds of the playoffs. The Penguins are good, and they may have the most talented roster in the NHL, but as the 2011 Pittsburgh Steelers found out, sometimes, you're a victim of circumstance.
The Penguins might have too many obstacles to overcome.
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