There's a puzzling story in the current issue of Sports Illustrated that suggests the Steelers' offensive surge has come because they've eliminated gimmicks and simplified things.
The impression it conveys is the team was running a Barnum & Bailey show that stole every trick from Sam Wyche's old playbooks and topped it off with Zambelli fireworks.
To which the only appropriate response is, "Huh?"
The Steelers' offense has gotten more potent because the line is giving Ben Roethlisberger time to make plays, and because Martavis Bryant has emerged as a legitimate deep threat.
It wasn't nearly as good when Roethlisberger was being hurried and Markus Wheaton was only catching four of the 11 passes thrown his way.
The story suggests bubble screens were part of the "deception," but they're an alternative to a first-down run that just about every team uses now.
Was SI not watching when the Steelers had a 21-point explosion against Houston that included a fake reverse that saw Antonio Brown throw a touchdown pass to Lance Moore? That's as gimmicky as it gets, but it's probably as rare for the Steelers as it is for any other NFL offense.
Like a lot of things, Sports Illustrated isn't what it used to be.
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--HOLD THE RICE
The Steelers need help at running back and Ray Rice is available. Hey, do you think...?
Not a chance.
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--WALKER TO WALK
If you're waiting for the Pirates to offer Neil Walker a multi-year contract extension, you're probably going to be disappointed.
Walker is under club control for two more seasons. When he hits free agency after the 2016 season, he'll be 31.
Teams like the Pirates don't (and shouldn't) make multi-year deals with players past 30. The time to sign them is before they're 25, which greatly increases the chances the team will be getting the player's peak years with a five or six-year deal.
It worked with Andrew McCutchen. It didn't with Jose Tabata. We'll see what happens with the contract Starling Marte signed last year.
The Pirates haven't talked to Walker about an extension in four years. It's not a detail that slipped through the cracks. They aren't interested in signing him beyond the two years he still owes the team.
In addition to his age, there are concerns over back problems Walker has had. It often goes unnoticed, but his defense isn't even average. Walker doesn't make many errors. He's sure-handed on the balls he reaches, and his throws are accurate.
The issue is he gets to fewer balls than the average second baseman does. That isn't likely to improve once he gets past 30.
There are players in the minor league system who should be ready to replace Walker at second by 2017. It's very likely that someone will.
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--FADED GLORY
Duquesne and Pitt will meet in basketball this Friday, a traditional rivalry that's become a big snore.
They call it "The City Game," but it's just another exhibition for Pitt, whose basketball program left Duquesne in the dust a couple of decades ago.
The game had meaning when both teams' rosters were heavy with western Pennsylvania players who had history from their high school days. It was further stoked when both schools were members of the Eastern Eight and were coached by local guys with strong loyalties like Tim Grgurich and Mike Rice.
Now it means little. For Pitt, it's a bump in the non-conference road, virtually indistinguishable from the game against St. Bonaventure that follows.
On Feb. 5, 1998, Duquesne beat an injury-depleted Pitt team 80-69. Dukes coach Scott Edgar announced his plans to head to Mt. Washington and look out over the city, knowing that his team was the king of college basketball in Pittsburgh.
The Dukes wound up 11-19, and Edgar was fired when the season ended.
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--SLOW MOTION
It's been a running joke to say it's possible to go out for a sandwich during the last two minutes of an NBA game and not miss much.
It's rooted in truth, though. Veteran New York Post scold Phil Mushnick has been putting a stopwatch to the finishes of games.
In a recent Knicks-Bucks game, the last 1:18 on the game clock took 18 minutes and 45 seconds to complete. You not only have time to get a sandwich, you almost have enough time to roast the turkey.
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