Beaver County Times, December 28, 2014

The end of the year approaches as excitement for the Armed Forces Bowl builds.
All things considered, it wasn't a bad year. All three pro teams made the playoffs,
great stories emerged, and there was plenty to discuss.
But now it's time to drop the curtain on 2014, use the leaf blower on the pine needles, and get a new calendar just as soon as they're on sale for half price.
Before it's officially over, though, let's take one affectionate look back at the 12 months in sports with the annual year-end quiz. Get a pair of sharpened No. 2 pencils and have a go at the traditional dozen puzzlers. (Slide rules are permitted. If you still have one and know how to work it, you deserve the consideration).
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1. If you can't get any information, it's because:
a. The library is closed.
b. Your Internet connection is faulty.
c. You're at Mike Tomlin's Tuesday press conference.
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2. What question is most difficult to answer?
a. Will Pitt football return to the Top 10?
b. Will the Pirates win another World Series?
c. Are Dan Potash and Robby Incmikoski really the same person?
---
3. The Pirates are proving what immutable baseball rule?
a. Pitching depth is critical.
b. Quality defense is a must.
c. Success means increased ticket prices.
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4. Some radio stations suspend regular programming for six weeks of Christmas music. Most listeners:
a. Think it's overkill.
b. Love the holiday tunes.
c. Wish 93.7 The Fan would do that.
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5. The Steelers will add 2,390 seats at Heinz Field. This means:
a. People on the waiting list will get a call.
b. More seat licenses will be sold.
c. There will be 2,390 more empty seats for Youngstown State-Pitt.
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6. What's the best advice Le'Veon Bell got?
a. Study your playbook.
b. Follow your blockers.
c. Get out of LeGarrette Blount's car pool.
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7. The Penguins' most dreaded enemy is:
a. The Rangers.
b. The Flyers.
c. The mumps.
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8. A.J. Burnett's return to the Pirates guarantees:
a. Pitching depth.
b. Veteran presence.
c. Even after hip replacement surgery, Clint Hurdle will have a pain in that general area.
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9. An Australian TV anchor wore the same non-descript suit every day for a year. What was the common reaction?
a. That's an interesting experiment.
b. Men aren't held to the same standard as women.
c. Didn't Beano Cook always do that?
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10. If Pedro Alvarez had stayed at third base, the Pirates would have to:
a. Find a new first baseman.
b. Find another spot for Josh Harrison.
c. Issue helmets to fans sitting behind first base.
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11. Short-term employees are often known as:
a. Temps.
b. Seasonal hires.
c. Head football coach, University of Pittsburgh.
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12. The Steelers had a reunion of the 1974 Super Bowl team. Many of the players now have:
a. Gray hair.
b. Grandchildren.
c. A new wife too young to have any memory of 1974.
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Beaver County Times, December 21, 2014

It's that time. Your neighbor's year-round icicle lights are relevant again. Kids are texting updates to Santa. Everyone is merrily slicing through that Hickory Farms gift box that the out-of-state relatives sent.
It's time to pay the annual holiday homage to both Allan Sherman and Mad magazine with doggerel set to seasonal melodies
Two things: 1. There's no "12 Days of Christmas" because math ruins Christmas and, 2. Sing loudly and proudly. You can't possibly sound any worse than Stevie Nicks' version of "Silent Night."
It's time to celebrate. Cousin Nick is home from the Army, the nut rolls are warm, and there's a kick to the punch, so gather around the Naugahyde recliner for a group sing.
---
A couple of Steelers running backs livened up the preseason by getting pulled over for suspicion of a marijuana possession.
--(To the tune of "Feliz Navidad")
Police! Hide the weed.
Police! Hide the weed.
Police! Hide the weed
And hope this cop is a Steelers fan.

Police! Hide the weed.
Police! Hide the weed.
Police! Hide the weed
Think fast, we really need a plan.

We didn't think that anyone could see.
My agent's typing an apology.
Just wait 'til coach gets a hold of me.
Oh, it's going to be bad.

So now I am so very nervous.
Maybe we'll get community service.
Just wait 'til coach gets hold of us.
Oh, it's going to be bad.

Police! Hide the weed.
Police! Hide the weed.
Police! Hide the weed.
Forgive us, please, for our misdeed.
---
Twenty-four sports talk appeals to the truly obsessive.
--(To the tune of "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree")
Calling the shows around the clock,
What a way to waste the day.
Charge up the phone, and hit speed dial,
Everybody gets their say.

Calling the shows around the clock,
Lines are open for you all.
Don't forget the phrase that pays:
"Hey, thanks for taking my call."

You must be primed and ready
When you get through to the hosts.
Yes, the Steelers' path is bumpy,
But, hey, be careful, Cook is grumpy.

Calling the shows around the clock,
Of course you have the time.
Being a fan's a full-time thing,
Haven't worked since '99.

Calling the shows around the clock,
Just a little O-C-D,
But the guy on at 1 a.m.
Really wants to hear from me.
---
Summing up 2014 with three stanzas per team.
--(To the tune of "Deck The Hall").
Wild card playoff, do or die.
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Just three hours, then goodbye.
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Cueto folded, he got queasy.
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Bumgarner was not so easy.
Fa la la la la la la la la.

Polanco sizzled, then he stumbled.
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Wasn't long 'til he got humbled.
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Has to show that he's for real.
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Should have signed that long term deal.
Jay hay hay hay hay hay hay hay hay.

Cutch is awesome, tip your hat.
Fa la la la la la la la la.
He's the one they all throw at.
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Won't give in, he just refuses.
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Respect is shown in those bruises.
Fa la la la la la la la la.

Will Steelers season be extended?
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Years of eight and eight have ended.
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Could there be a playoff game?
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Offense gets all the acclaim.
Fa la la la la la la la la.

Killer B's are tough to stop.
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Unless you are a highway cop.
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Offense good as it gets,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
How did they lose to the Jets?
Fa la la la la la la la la.

Defense struggles, Curtain frayed.
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Lots of spots need to upgrade.
Fa la la la la la la la la.
People like to blame the coach,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Need a better draft approach.
Fa la la la la la la la la.

Penguins rule all through the season.
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Play their best when it is freezin'.
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Then the playoffs and there's trouble.
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Put the coaches on the bubble.
Fa la la la la la la la la.

Bylsma fired, Shero, too.
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Sweep it clean, they both were through.
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Change the culture, do it quickly.
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Playoff failures getting sickly.
Fa la la la la la la la la.

Still a core that few can match,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Sid and Geno, tough to catch.
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Stars are here, not nameless humps,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Just hope that they can beat the mumps.
Fa la la la la la la la la.
---

And finally....
--(To the tune of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas")
We wonder will Pitt miss Chryst.
We wonder will Pitt miss Chryst.
We wonder will Pitt miss Chryst.
"Cause he has gone home.

Beaver County Times, December 14, 2014

"Stepping stone" rapidly became the phrase of the week as soon as Paul Chryst was linked to the head coaching job at Wisconsin.
Assuming Chryst will leave Pitt to return home for his dream job, the theory goes that coaching the Panthers has been downgraded to an intermediate step in a coaching career.
If that's the case, what's new about it?
Johnny Majors came to town in 1972 and made Pitt football relevant after a decade of dormancy. His fourth team won the 1976 national championship, and Majors was soon gone.
He left for his dream job, coaching at Tennessee, his alma mater.
Majors was succeeded by Jackie Sherrill, whose success at Pitt over five seasons (50-9-1) led to an offer from Texas A & M. That wasn't a homecoming for Sherrill, a native of Oklahoma who played at Alabama, but there was a dreamy aspect to the job: He got a six-year contract worth $1.7 million. That may seem quaint by today's standards, but it was a record amount when it was offered in 1982.
Then Pitt football settled into a pattern where most coaching departures were non-voluntary. Some of them won, but not enough. Mike Gottfried had the best winning percentage (.622) in the post-Sherrill years, but he was ousted as the team was preparing for a bowl appearance in 1989. That was just about a year after the university cooked up a rollover contract that promised to make him coach for life.
Dave Wannstedt got fired after a .575 winning percentage, which almost duplicated the .576 figure that got Foge Fazio dismissed after five seasons when he had followed Sherrill.
Most coaches don't stay in one spot too long these days. There is restlessness on both sides of contracts that always seem to have escape clauses built in. It's harder for coaches to move in the private enterprise world of the NFL than it is while working for institutions of higher learning that are supposed to have a more lofty purpose than winning football games.
It's just reality. You wouldn't expect the bulky Chryst to be much of a dancer, but there he is, doing the tango with Wisconsin even as Pitt's team prepares for another obscure bowl game.
Meanwhile, Pitt is tasked with finding yet another coach, a project that took so many bizarre turns when Wannstedt was canned in 2010, less than nine months after he'd been given a two-year contract extension.
If there's a new guy, he might well view Pitt as a stepping stone to something bigger and better. It's been that way for almost 40 years.
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--LET'S MAKE A DEAL
The Pirates opened the 2015 ticket-selling season this weekend with a new policy they call a "real time pricing model."
They've taken steps in this direction over the past few seasons. The idea is to link prices to demand, leading to a structure that could potentially be as complex as shopping for airline fares.
You'll pay more for opening day. You'll pay more for weekend games. That Tuesday, July 7 date against the Padres? Maybe not so much.
The idea is to push more people into some sort of season ticket plan. The customer gets to lock in a price, and the team gets the commitment backed with money. Selling those tickets in advance is the ultimate hedge against bad weather or a disappointing season.
It's a common strategy, and one the Penguins used quite effectively when Mario Lemieux's arrival and an improved team suddenly increased demand for tickets.
Still, you get the feeling that some day a person will walk up to a window and ask how much tickets are, only to get the response, "How much you got?"
---
--WHO STAYS HOME?
If a team can go to a bowl game at 6-6, how bad do you have to be to not get an invitation?
---
--THE VERY LATE SHOW
If you ever wondered what happened to longtime TV reporter Dee Thompson, he's part of a Steelers show, "Championship Chase" that airs on WPXI-TV at 2:30 a.m. on Sundays.
The only thing more strange than having a Steelers show at 2:30 a.m. is it probably has an audience.

Beaver County Times, December 7, 2014

When Art Rooney II sits down to examine why the Steelers have transitioned from elite to ordinary, he needs to focus on the big picture.
Something has gone haywire in the player personnel department.
Consistently bad judgments are being made on draft choices and free agents -- not only who is signed, but who is allowed to leave.
Three-quarters into this season, it's obvious the Steelers have gotten little from free agents Mike Mitchell, Cam Thomas, Lance Moore and Darrius Heyward Bey, and don't even seem interested in using some of them.
Previous success was aided by under-the-radar signings like James Farrior, Kimo von Oelhoffen and Ryan Clark. None of the acquisitions generated headlines, but they all made the team better.
The ultimate responsibility for player personnel falls on GM Kevin Colbert, but there are layers of structure beneath him. There's a disconnect somewhere in the system, which is why the Steelers are spending their third-round draft choice on seldom-seen Dri Archer.
The Pirates were plagued in the past by some bad scouting within the organization. Some of the main advisors mistook flotsam like Brant Brown and Aki Iwamura for players who could contribute on a regular basis. Football is different because coaches tape exists of every game and every play, but the idea is the same: Someone is misjudging talent. The Pirates revamped their staff, and things got better.
Maybe the Steelers need to do that. Perhaps they need to revise the process that ranks potential draft picks.
The biggest problem with this team is a lack of talent, especially on defense. That's why they're heading into the last part of the schedule needing to run the table with little realistic chance to accomplish that.
---
--WEARING DOWN
Tight end may not be an immediate need for the Steelers, but it's a position they'll need to fill soon.
Heath Miller is still a reliable pass catcher, and a favorite target for Ben Roethlisberger. But gone are the days when it would take two tacklers to take Miller down. His yards after the catch have diminished greatly.
That's only natural after 10 NFL seasons. Miller's high-impact style of play only accelerates depreciation.
---
--CLASS REUNION
Terry Bradshaw and Jack Lambert were the two conspicuous no-shows from the 40-year reunion of the first Super Bowl team. It's doubtful either was a big issue with the players who were on hand.
They long ago made their peace with Bradshaw's various quirks. Lambert has turned into something of a recluse.
It was fun to see some of the more obscure players from that team -- you're a real fan if you remember Dick Conn, Marv Kellum, Ed Bradley and John McMakin. They were right place/right time players scattered amid the enviable collection of stars.
Dick Stuart, the Pirates' old iron-handed first baseman, used to skip the 1960 reunions because he had some beef with the organization. But in his final years, Stuart attended when he was invited. He said, "Who knows how many more chances we'll have to get together?"
Might be a point for Bradshaw and Lambert to ponder.
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--DECISIONS DEFERRED
December used to be an especially active trading time in the NHL, to the point that players negotiated a trade embargo for Christmas week in the labor agreement.
The season nears the 30-game point, and teams get an idea of what they're lacking.
That led to a flurry of December deals, but the salary cap has crimped that activity. A lot of teams spend close to the cap, which means there isn't a lot of room to maneuver. Ray Shero used to call it trading apples for apples, meaning that if a team acquired a player with a $3 million contract, it had to purge a similar amount from the payroll.
That isn't easy, and it explains why much of the serious dealing is done closer to the trade deadline. The Penguins need at least one forward for the top two lines, but they may have to wait a while to add that player.
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--JINGLE BELL ROCK
One thing about high school football stretching into December:
The marching band kids get to work up some Christmas songs for the halftime show.

Beaver County Times, November 30, 2014

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.

Beaver County Times, November 23, 2014

Busy week for LeGarrette Blount. On Monday night, he decided to leave the Steelers-Titans game early. The Steelers released him hours later.

On Thursday, he was practicing with the Patriots after signing a two-year contract with them.

There was much consternation in the Steelers Nation over the Patriots' decision to welcome back Blount, but why? It was just sports business as usual.

The first rule of sports is winning. If an organization thinks an individual can help achieve that goal, his history doesn't really matter that much.

Back in 2000, the Penguins employed a player, Billy Tibbetts, who had spent more than three years in prison on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (a BB gun), disorderly conduct and witness intimidation. Those charges came while he was on probation for statutory rape. He was required to register as a sex offender. When the Penguins signed Tibbetts, co-owner Mario Lemieux called him "a great story."

Long after the Penguins traded him, Tibbetts got into more trouble that involved leading police on a high-speed car chase. By then, Tibbetts had no value as a hockey player, so he ran out of chances.

But the exploits of an outlaw hockey player pale in comparison to the level of tolerance shown by institutions of higher learning.

Bobby Petrino is the head football coach at Louisville. He had been there before, but left to join the Atlanta Falcons. When the Falcons were 3-10 in the 2007 season, Petrino left. He made the announcement with a four-sentence statement that was left in each player's locker.

It was then on to Arkansas, where things got really interesting. Petrino was involved in a motorcycle accident. He would later admit a female employee of the athletic department was a passenger on the bike. At some point he acknowledged that he was involved in a romantic relationship with the woman, which certainly must have disappointed Mrs. Petrino.

Arkansas fired him, so he went to Western Kentucky, where he signed a four-year contract and stayed one year. That's when Louisville brought him back.

So after he'd walked out on several jobs and led a double life, Louisville decided Petrino was the guy for them. Why? Because the university believes he can win games.

Space limitations prevent the full recap of Todd Graham's career. But Arizona State had no problem hiring him after he walked out on Pitt without notice and had an aide forward a goodbye text message to the team.

Winning isn't the only thing. But it's clearly No. 1. Other considerations, like character, are much lower -- if they're even on the list.

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--TAKING A BREAK

Eleven games down, five to go, the open week is a good chance for the Steelers to do some evaluation and to light some candles in the hope that Le'Veon Bell stays healthy.

Their playoff chances probably hinge on winning the AFC North, so the games against the Bengals (there on Dec. 7, here on the 28th) loom large.

The Steelers' wobbly defense will probably determine how much success they have. The offense is good enough (provided Ben Roethlisberger and Bell stay healthy), but the defense has to step up.

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--MIX IT UP

Remember when people thought the Steelers needed to switch full-time to a no-huddle offense?

They didn't use it once in Tennessee on Monday. The huge numbers they piled up recently came while using the no-huddle much less than they had earlier in the season.

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--NO NEUTRAL SITE

The NFL gave some consideration to moving the snowed-out Jets-Bills game from  Buffalo to Heinz Field.

It's going to Detroit instead. It could have been fun. Presumably there would have been discounted tickets and tutorials on the names of the respective offensive coordinators for the traditional in-game cursing.

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--IMPULSE BUY

Does anything in MLB make sense?

The Blue Jays committed five years and $82 million to Russell Martin, and they didn't even really need a catcher.

After spending that amount of money, they're now looking to fill their real needs at second base, left field and the bullpen.

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--MOVING ON

So long, Ike Davis.

Those endless discussions with the umpires over called third strikes will be missed.

Beaver County Times, November 16, 2014

Can we talk? Seems like that's a question the Steelers ought to be asking, given some of the communications snafus that have come to light in the last week.

A lot of things went wrong in last Sunday's loss to the Jets, and some of them were rooted in the inability to get signals straight.

The NFL has more systems in place to communicate than the other major sports combined. Referees wear microphones. This year, there's a system that allows the entire officiating crew to communicate electronically.

The quarterback and one defensive player wear helmets equipped with radio receivers so coaches can send information to the field. The sideline is connected to the upstairs coaches booth. 

The NFL has now added Microsoft-designed tablets that transmit information. That makes the old system of faxing overhead photos obsolete, and means there can be no repeat of the classic moment when Bill Cowher tried to stuff his photographic evidence in the referee's shirt pocket.

Compare with baseball, where the plate umpire pantomimes lineup changes to the public address booth. In the NBA, referees have to be limber to act out charging calls, and they have to be mathematically adept enough to finger signal the offending player's number to the scorer's table. (They have an especially lively call for traveling, but the NBA hasn't called traveling since the '70s).

The NFL is all about the efficient flow of information. But apparently the Steelers weren't on board with that in at least two instances during the Jets game.

James Harrison wound up in a goal line offensive formation, either to block or catch a pass. It turns out he should have been on the sideline.

Harrison went into the game when it was a play designed to use fullback Will Johnson. So instead of having a player accustomed to handling the ball, they had a 36-year-old linebacker expecting to be thrown his first pass.

What happened? Communication breakdown. The Steelers sent Harrison into the game, then called a play for Johnson, who was on the sideline. 

Very late in the game, the Jets were lined up for a clock-killing kneel-down. Safety Mike Mitchell vaulted the line and launched himself at quarterback Michael Vick.

Jets coach Rex Ryan called it "bush league." Mike Tomlin admitted it was "not professional." Apparently Mitchell thought his coach had signed off on the tactic.

Tomlin said Mitchell said something to him, but he wasn't paying attention. Tomlin was apparently in that zone-out mode that parents develop when their kids start yammering about much fun it would be if rabbits could fly, and he responded to Mitchell with something like, "Uh huh...."

Next thing anybody knew, Mitchell was airborne and the Jets were understandably mad. Assuming Mitchell said something like, "Hey, coach, how about if I get a running start, jump up and wipe out this dog hater?" how did Tomlin not notice?

Things get busy on the sideline, but the Steelers have 14 assistant coaches and some of them have assistants of their own. Doesn't somebody notice that the personnel doesn't match the play, or that one of the safeties wants to be a human missile?

Between the coaches' headsets, the radio helmets and the tablets, somehow the proper messages should be delivered.

---

--BEHAVING BADLY

Things have been especially nutty at Steelers headquarters this year, for reasons that have nothing to do with the team.

A pattern of media misbehavior led team officials to shut the doors the other day to offer a stern scolding, along with a request to start acting like professionals.

Spies report the first sign of trouble came when a visiting network reporter didn't heed instructions to stay in the media workroom. She set up in the lobby, feet propped up on a table, passing the time making loud calls on her phone. Then she cried when someone yelled at her.

More recently, a territorial dispute between a TV guy and a print/website reporter supposedly got physical, much to the amusement of the players. Then a radio guy was said to have insulted a player and may have threatened him as well.

The message from the team: The multipurpose nature of the Steelers compound doesn't include day care. 

Beaver County Times, November 9, 2014

So if Ben Roethlisberger throws fewer than six touchdown passes today, does it mean he's had a bad game?

Funny how quickly standards can change.

Like how did Todd Haley get so smart in two weeks? Night classes? Has he been monitoring sports talk radio?

Here we go with some Steelers observations, here we go:

--It's impossible to overstate how well the offensive line has been providing protection. Roethlisberger has praised his line, but quarterbacks always do that.

The line is giving him time. Roethlisberger was sacked on three consecutive plays on one ridiculous series on Sunday night, but overall the line has been exceptional.

Give a good quarterback time, and he's going to make plays.

--As impressive as 12 touchdown passes in two games obviously is, there's one statistic that's almost as good: No interceptions.

So many things can happen including deflected passes and route-running errors by inexperienced receivers, so you expect a turnover or two along the way for a team that's throwing the ball a lot.

Turnovers can be tipping points. The Steelers have been taking care of the ball, even though it's in the air a lot.

--Ordinarily Troy Polamalu's absence would be a major issue for the Steelers. Polamalu won't play against the Jets, and he also missed a good part of the game against the Ravens.

There seems to be little consternation about his absence from the lineup. Is that because people are so dazzled about what's happening on offense, or is it an indication that Polamalu's impact is far less than what it once was?

--Popular opinion a few weeks ago held that Dick LeBeau was obsolete. Instead, it looks like he's doing more than ever, designing schemes varied enough to allow the Steelers to get away with too much average talent on defense. 

--Mike Tomlin called out the Steelers' kick coverage team after the Ravens' 108-yard touchdown return. Tomlin was correct, but he didn't go far enough. Just about every aspect of the Steelers' special teams play has been substandard too often. (Shaun Suisham's field goal kicking is an exception).

It's good that the Steelers improvised their way into a two-point conversion after holder Brad Wing mishandled the snap, but an automatic kick shouldn't turn into an adventure. Bad special teams will eventually be costly.

--The Joe Greene number retirement ceremony was well done, but bittersweet. Greene is the only survivor of the legendary front four that was once on the cover of Time magazine. To see Greene hobbling out to the podium and to know that all his linemates are gone is another realization that 1974 was a really long time ago.

---

--PEACE ON ICE

NBC hockey commentator Mike Milbury recently called for the NHL to abolish fighting. His anti-fighting epiphany has come after an interesting journey.

While playing for Boston on Dec. 23, 1979, Milbury was one of 18 Bruins players involved in a game-ending scrum that spilled into the stands at Madison Square Garden. Milbury yanked the shoe off a fan named John Kaptain, and hit Kaptain with the shoe. The NHL suspended Milbury for six games and fined him $500.

You Tube has the episode preserved, along with a bunch of Milbury fights that show him before he went all Gandhi.

---

--SCALING BACK

KDKA-TV has been doing a Saturday night Steelers shows for several years, but it's been different this season.

Honey, they shrunk the show. Some elements are the same. Bob Pompeani co-hosts, this year with the personable Cam Heyward. But they no longer tape at Heinz Field's Great Hall (where audience members were shaken down for an admission fee). There is no audience since the show is done in a corner of KDKA's main studio in Gateway Center.

There's no band, either, so there's a lot less energy. They still do a cooking segment, and radio's Tall Cathy capably assists. But at 30 minutes and in a smaller environment, it's only half the show it used to be.

If the downsizing continues, next year they'll be making the tailgating treats with an Easy-Bake oven.

Beaver County Times, November 2, 2014

The Giants had the exact same 88-74 regular season record that the Pirates did, so is there something to learn from San Francisco's third World Series championship in five years?

For those who attach a dollar sign to everything that happens in MLB, it's worth noting that postseason monster Madison Bumgarner cost the Giants $3.916 million this season, or less than what the Pirates paid Charlie Morton.

The Giants were proactive and signed Bumgarner to a $35 million deal through 2017 when he had just over one year of major league service time. He's scheduled to make $11.5 million when the contract peaks in 2017. By comparison, Wandy Rodriguez was paid $13 million this past season. The Giants have two option years that guarantee $12 million per season with the possibility of $16 million in the last year. If he hits that, he'll match what the Phillies paid A.J. Burnett this season.

Pitchers can break down without warning, but right now Bumgarner's deal looks like a relative bargain on the scale of Andrew McCutchen's contract.

Beyond that, they're two different organizations. The Giants were seventh in MLB payroll. The $148 million they spent was nearly double the Pirates' payroll.

The Giants' investments aren't all efficient. They sunk $20.8 million into pitcher Matt Cain, whose season ended on July 9 because of elbow surgery. He won two games for them.

They also paid $17 million to Tim Lincecum, who had an OK season before he lost his spot in the rotation in August. In the lengthy postseason, the Giants called on Lincecum exactly once. His lone appearance was less than two innings of mop-up relief in a World Series game the Giants lost 7-2.

The most interesting takeaway from the Giants' run of success is how much lineup turnover they've had in a short period of time. The only regulars still left from their 2010 championship are Buster Posey and Pablo Sandoval. They've had three different closers.

They've been willing to stay fluid and change personnel even though they obviously have the budget to sign long-term deals.

Bumgarner is one of several top draft picks to pay big dividends for the Giants. He was the 10th player taken in 2007, five slots after the Pirates drafted Daniel Moskos.

Moskos got a signing bonus of $2,475,000. Bumgarner got $2 million. Moskos pitched 24 and 1/3 innings for the Pirates. Bumgarner just pitched 52 and 2/3 innings in the 2014 postseason.

---

--SCARY ENDING

One of Bumgarner's most impressive accomplishments was the way he stayed on the mound with two outs in the ninth inning rather than sprinting to center field to strangle two of his outfielders in Game 7.

Alex Gordon hit a single that Gregor Blanco inexplicably let skip past him to the warning track. This surprised left fielder Juan Perez so much that he kicked the ball.

Gordon wound up on third, representing the tying run. Bumgarner got the last out, which allowed Blanco to avoid becoming the Venezuelan version of Bill Buckner.

---

--CALL ON RESERVES

There were 62,479 people in Heinz Field last Sunday, and it's likely none of them knew that Norm Van Brocklin owns the NFL record for most passing yards in a game.

So it really doesn't matter that Ben Roethlisberger didn't get a chance to get the record. What does matter is Roethlisberger had an excellent chance to get a concussion when he was sandwiched by two tacklers while carrying the ball with 1:02 left in the game.

He said he called his own number because he wanted to spare Le'Veon Bell another hard hit. Bell had just carried the ball five straight times.

Here's a question: Why were Roethlisberger and Bell still in the game for a possession that started with 2:48 on the clock and the Steelers ahead by 17 points? Bell had been forced to leave the game earlier because of an ankle injury.

That closing time was made for backups, but they were on the sidelines while two of the team's most important offensive players were getting needlessly pounded.

---

--RADIO WAVES

Commercial broadcasting began on this day in 1920 when KDKA went on the air with Harding-Cox presidential election returns.

It took at least a few weeks for someone to first say, "Thanks for taking my call."

Beaver County Times, October 26, 2014

There can be no more emphatic endorsement than the one Penguins GM Jim Rutherford gave Marc-Andre Fleury.

"As long as I'm the general manager, he'll be our goalie," Rutherford said last week.

That's bold. That's firm. That's reassuring. It's also borderline crazy.

Rutherford was an NHL goalie, so he understands the need for confidence and a comfort level in someone who plays that nerve-wracking position. He doesn't want Fleury to get sidetracked thinking about what might happen when his contract expires after this season.

But why make such a strong commitment now? Fleury was fine last year in the playoffs. He was shaky in the two prior postseasons, to the point that backup Tomas Vokoun was deemed the better option in 2013.

Fleury has the 2009 Stanley Cup on his resume but that was a long time ago. The Penguins have been passed by other organizations, and one of the reasons is the sub-standard goaltending they got in two years that should have represented prime time for this organization.

Another reason the Penguins have slipped is the salary cap has been tilted severely toward the top. The Penguins pay the stars, which doesn't always lead to a lot of balance to fill out the rest of the roster.

Their is no current heir apparent to Fleury in the organization. No doubt that heightens the urgency to get an extension done. But there's a lot of talent scattered throughout the NHL, and there are a lot of capable goalies who could improve their situation by coming to Pittsburgh.

There's a lot to like about Fleury. He's a hard worker. He's a great teammate. He's never thrown other players under the bus, even when they deserved it. If you don't think that goes a long way toward keeping the peace on a team, you weren't paying attention when Tom Barrasso played here.

Fleury's a reasonable person. He's not the type of player who would go elsewhere just to get a small bump in salary. By most accounts he's happy here, which means he probably never lets his radio drift over to sports talk.

Maybe it makes perfect sense to re-sign him. It doesn't make a lot of sense to make that commitment in October, though.

---

--FASHION NEWS

Look for Pitt to start having undefeated seasons and constant sellouts now that the script logo has been restored to the helmets.

The script was banished about 15 years ago as part of AD Steve Pederson's failed quest to ditch "Pitt" as an identifier and replace it with the more formal, "Pittsburgh."

Like Todd Graham, that was a huge mistake. People see the university and its teams as "Pitt" and they like the script on the helmets. The only thing sillier than the long-standing dust-up over the helmet adornment was the administration's long-standing refusal to change, even though it was clear what fans wanted. (There's no denying the undotted "i" is abundantly cool).

The script is back. Can the glory days be far behind? Or at least the days when a win over Akron at home was considered a sure thing?

On another superficial fashion note, whatever happened to those satiny jackets that baseball players used to wear? Now MLB has players and staff outfitted in officially-licensed downscale hoodies.

The World Series managers look like they're in a sandlot tournament.

---

--BIG HEADED

If San Francisco's Bruce Bochy can manage to win a third World Series in five seasons, it will give him a new baseball identity.

As things stand now, he's best known for having the biggest head in MLB. He wears a size 8 and 1/4 cap, which is just a couple of notches below the one the Pirate Parrot wears. When Bochy was traded, he would take his helmet to the new team for a fresh paint job because nobody ever had one that big in stock.

His nickname with Houston was "Headley," because baseball players never let a physical abnormality go unexploited.

That tendency was demonstrated when Joe Oliver (briefly a Pirate) played for the Reds. Oliver also had a large head, which led teammate Aaron Boone to ask someone, "What would you rather have: a million dollars or Joe Oliver's head filled with nickels?"

Beaver County Times, October 19, 2014

Here's what's wrong with the Steelers: They don't have enough good players.
Here's how to fix the Steelers: Get better players.
Pin The Blame On The Coordinators might be the region's most popular indoor sport, and they're hardly blameless. But the biggest difference between this team and the teams that went 12-4 as recently as 2011 is the talent gap.
Good players got too old, or broke down, or no longer fit under the salary cap. The replacements, in almost every case, have been inferior.
When you replace players with others who aren't as good, suddenly consecutive 12-4 seasons turn into back-to-back 8-8 records.
It shouldn't come as any surprise because we've been here before.
It's ancient history now, but the Steelers once won four Super Bowls in six years because they had six years of exceptional drafting. They selected nine future Hall of Famers from 1969 through '74 and reaped the benefits of that incredible stockpile from '74 through '79.
Then those players got old or broke down, and the replacements weren't nearly as good. Cliff Stoudt replaced Terry Bradshaw. Franco Harris begat Walter Abercrombie. Mel Blount was followed by Sam Washington, then Harvey Clayton.
The front four that was featured on the cover of Time magazine -- Joe Greene, L.C. Greenwood, Ernie Holmes and Dwight White -- became a three-man line of John Goodman, Gary Dunn and Tom Beasley.
Even when the successor was pretty good, like Mike Merriweather, he was still short of the standard set by Jack Ham.
The scale hasn't been as dramatic as it was when the '70s took that cruel turn into the '80s, but the template is sadly the same. Aaron Smith turns into Travis Kirschke and Ziggy Hood. Casey Hampton is replaced by Steve McLendon.
The Troy Polamalu who once played a game as wild as his hair has been replaced by an older, slower version.
If Vince Lombardi came back to be the defensive coordinator, he probably couldn't get much of out of this group, which is also now missing three injured starters. Sentimentalists love having Brett Keisel and James Harrison back, but their emergency additions just demonstrate how bereft the roster is.
In two years, the receiving corps has lost Mike Wallace, Emmanuel Sanders and Jerricho Cotchery. Who has replaced them?
Last week in Cleveland, Markus Wheaton was targeted for 11 passes. He caught four. Ben Roethlisberger had a lousy game, so he gets some of the blame, but how does a receiver catch only 36 percent of the passes thrown his way?
It doesn't have to be that way. New England constantly changes the personnel around Tom Brady and consistently wins. Bill Belichick has had one losing season in 14 years, and that came when he took over in 2000. The Patriots reversed that 5-11 record the next season and won the Super Bowl.
The Steelers are 3-3 and facing a pivotal point in their schedule with three straight home games.
Painful as it might be, the best outcome for this season would be a 5-11 or 6-10 record. That would get a better drafting position and jolt ownership into taking a hard look at the entire operation: player procurement, cap management and, yes, coaching.
That should have happened last year, but they got deluded by the 8-4 finish that followed an 0-4 start.
There are a lot of things that need to be fixed. If it were only as easy as hiring a new offensive coordinator.
---
--TALENT RAID?
Pirates bench coach Jeff Banister has achieved his long-standing goal of becoming a major league manager.
As he settles in with Texas, will he raid the Pirates for staff help? He spent 29 years in the organization and undoubtedly knows people on and off the field he'd like to have helping him.
Teams can reject lateral moves, but rarely stand in the way when someone has a chance to take a better job.
---
--SETTLING IN
Jason Grilli closed on a house in Gibsonia last week. After living in Orlando, he's decided to make his permanent home in the Pittsburgh area.
As his playing career nears an end, Grilli will undoubtedly be seeking radio and TV work and is a good bet to wind up on the local airwaves.

Beaver County Times, October 12, 2014

Forget about Halloween. This is potentially the scariest day of the month, and quite possibly the most frightening of the year.
The Steelers play in Cleveland this afternoon and will confront the possibility the Browns are better than they are.
Every year the teams play twice and advance stories focus on the rivalry, but it hasn't really existed for a long time. Sure, people sell t-shirts bearing rude messages outside both stadiums, but there hasn't been much to dispute on the field.
The Steelers have won regularly since the Browns came back into the NFL as an expansion team in 1999. The Browns have squeaked out a game here or there, but mostly because the Steelers somehow self-destructed. They've been little more than a brown-and-orange bump in the road on the way to important divisional games against Baltimore or Cincinnati. People have gotten used to seeing the Browns in the cellar, a fixture just like cheap paneling, the old kitchen chairs and an ancient Duquesne Pilsner clock.
But the Browns are coming off a major second half rally that let them win in Tennessee last week. It resembled what they did in the season opener at Heinz Field when they spotted the Steelers a big lead, then roared back in the second half.
The Steelers didn't have an answer for what they did and had to salvage the game on Shaun Suisham's last-second field goal.
Meanwhile, the Steelers have a 3-2 record and should probably be 4-1 at this point. But there are brush fires all over the place. The offense produced just 10 points against Jacksonville.
The defense can't generate heat on quarterbacks, which explains why someone like Mike Glennon could beat them at home and Blake Bortels, making just his second NFL start, gave them a scare in Jacksonville last weekend.
The betting line has established the Browns as the favorite today, by the slightest margin. Have the Steelers and Browns converged while heading in opposite directions on the elevator?
Today's outcome isn't as certain as it usually is when these teams meet. This should be a competitive game, which means the storyline will be even bigger than whether Antonio Brown extends that NFL record for catching at least five passes for 50 yards.
---
--GREAT BALLS OF FIRE
The Penguins took a moment during the opener to acknowledge Mike Lange's 40th anniversary as the team's play-by-play voice.
His longevity is unprecedented. Myron Cope was part of the Steelers' radio team for 35 years. Bob Prince called Pirates games for 28 seasons, 21 of those as the No. 1 announcer. Lanny (Hi, Friends) Frattare worked baseball for 33 seasons, although it seemed longer.
Lange's career hit a crossroads in the summer of 2006 when the rights holder dumped him from the TV broadcasts. He shopped around, found nothing that fit, put aside his pride and took the Penguins' radio job.
And he actually got better. Even at 66, he provides the most descriptive radio call of any sport in town. He's older, the game is faster than it's ever been and most broadcast perches are inches from the ceiling, but Lange is still on top of the action.
His preparation is thorough. He attends all the game-day morning skates and gathers information by talking to players and coaches from both teams. He has extra study time during warm-ups, when he hones in the visiting team, noting personnel combinations and skating styles, so he can tell who's on the ice even if the jersey number is obscured.
There is an asterisk attached to his longevity. After his first season, the Penguins went bankrupt (the first time). Uncertain of the future, Lange went to Washington to do soccer games. Who remembers that he was replaced by Gary Morrell?
Lange was back after that season, though, and he's one of the few who's been around for the second bankruptcy, Rico Fata, and the crazy swings between a 38-point season and three Stanley Cup championships.
---
--OCTOBER 13
Monday is the 54th anniversary of the greatest moment in Pittsburgh sports, Bill Mazeroski's World Series-winning home run.
That isn't the reason schools are closed and mail won't be delivered. It's just a happy coincidence.

Beaver County Times, October 5, 2014

Clint Hurdle has the easy offseason. All he has to do is undergo surgery and endure the painful rehab that comes with a hip replacement.
GM Neal Huntington has to figure out how to keep the Pirates in the playoffs while still sticking to the budget restrictions he's given.
Between the free agency issues and arbitration cases, Huntington won't have many days off. The two commodities he needs most -- reliable starting pitching and a front-line catcher -- are difficult to get.
So many questions: Is Pedro Alvarez salvageable? If he is, can he play third base again? Has Josh Harrison turned a corner at 27, or did he have a dream season he won't duplicate? How do you fill a rotation that has a potential No. 1 in Gerrit Cole and a bunch of candidates for No. 5 with not much in between? Is Gregory Polanco a major league player? As arbitration likely pushes Mark Melancon toward $5 million, is he worth that? If not, who closes?
Russell Martin's anticipated free agent departure leaves a huge hole at catcher. A combination of Tony Sanchez and Chris Stewart won't come close to filling it. The Martin break-up is painful, but there's really no other viable choice. It's unlikely Martin has more than one solid season before age and the wear and tear of the position catch up with him. He could be the one who defies the odds, but the Pirates shouldn't take that gamble on the three-year contract he's certain to get.
Edinson Volquez had a better year than anyone could have anticipated, but it's not a good idea to bring him back. Francisco Liriano? Maybe.
Here's a suggestion if the Pirates decide to go bold: Consider trading Neil Walker. He's coming off his best season, so his value is high. The Pirates have never said so publicly, but they have no interest in doing a long-term deal with him. He'll hit free agency at age 31, which means he'll be allowed to leave. A balky back and limited defensive range are both factors. Contracts that start after a player is 31 usually buy only declining years.
Could Walker bring the kind of catcher the Pirates need? Could he be flipped for a quality starting pitcher? If the Pirates think Alvarez can move back to third, Harrison could go to second and the team could attack first base with an outside solution or its incumbent jumble of Ike Davis, Gaby Sanchez and Andrew Lambo.
Hurdle's hip will get better as the offseason progresses. Huntington's headaches will linger.
---
--NO SURE THINGS
The Steelers play in Jacksonville today, and ordinarily a game against an 0-4 opponent would be a ho-hum, pass-the-Fritos, hey-what's the-4-o'clock-game? TV show.
But one of the effects of having a mediocre team is games that are supposed to be lopsided wind up being competitive. Who expected last week's outcome against Tampa Bay at Heinz Field? But it happened.
So keep the Rolaids handy and stick close to the TV. The Jaguars might make it a game.
By the way, those calling the Tampa Bay loss the worst in Mike Tomlin's tenure have short memories.
Back in 2009, a much more talented Steelers team blew a lead in the last two minutes at home against the 3-8 Oakland Raiders. Bruce Gradkowski did a Tom Brady imitation and led a winning touchdown drive right after the Steelers had taken the lead.
Even though it was the fifth time in six games that the Steelers had fallen apart in the fourth quarter, there was still plenty of shock value.
"Worst game under Tomlin" is a longer discussion than it should be.
---
--CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS
The intrigue of the expanded baseball postseason is not only guessing which teams will win. It's also trying to find what second-rate cable channel might be carrying the games.
Two of Friday's games were on Fox Sports 1, which reaches fewer households than Animal Planet and Cartoon Network. Some of the games are exclusive to MLB TV, which lags behind Oprah's OWN and the Golf Channel in households.
Among Bud Selig's many accomplishments as commissioner: He's sent a lot of people back to their radios for postseason baseball.

Beaver County Times, September 28, 2014

Hey, did you hear that Derek Jeter is retiring?
Because it's New York and the Yankees, it's been inescapable.
Jeter has had an excellent career that will land him in the Hall of Fame on the first ballot. He's banked more than $265 million over his 20 years, so he probably won't be sweating post-baseball life. (He's had to get by on $12 million this season since topping out at $22.6 million in 2010. Those Yankees drive a hard bargain.)
Jeter has managed to avoid scandal, even with the competitive New York tabloids watching. He's been a serial dater of models and actresses, but unlike a lot of players, he hasn't been married while he's pursued that hobby.
If you're inclined to shed a tear, let it be motivated by unabashed envy for the wonderful life Jeter has enjoyed since he came to the Yankees in 1996.
Things have been so hopelessly over the top that there's a Gatorade commercial with Frank Sinatra's "My Way" as the soundtrack. By the way, Jeter will be paid for that, too.
Every stop on the road has brought a pre-game ceremony and some sort of gift, none of which Jeter needs. He could buy Wyoming.
ESPN's Keith Olbermann had an extended rant last week that poked some serious holes in the Jeter legend. Olbermann is based in New York and no doubt he's overdosed on Jeter-mania.
Adulation doesn't always last forever. In 1982, a lot of people were weepy when Willie Stargell ended his career with the Pirates. Not that many years later, they were booing Stargell when he came back to town working for the Atlanta Braves. A guy who then worked for the Pirates skillfully leaked the information that Stargell had demanded a $70,000 car as payment for participating in a gate-boosting night in his honor.
There are probably Yankees fans who view Jeter's last game today as the end of life as they've known it. If they're older than 12, shame on them. The Yankees moved on after Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle. They'll field a team next year without Jeter.
In a perfect world, we'd get just as emotional about the retirement of a treasured teacher who influences kids into developing habits that lead to productive lives. Unfortunately, their sendoff usually begins and ends with a plaque and a tray of cupcakes whipped up by the hairnet ladies in the school cafeteria.
We save the spectacular farewells for millionaires who play games.
---
--ONE MAN'S TRASH
Once you accept that people are nuts, you focus on a way to turn that truth into profit.
MLB has done that. Whenever a team has a champagne-spraying celebration, MLB has authenticators on hand to collect the empty bottles and corks to be offered for sale. The authenticators verify that the trash was part of the celebration. They thus become "collectibles," and people apparently buy them.
Some teams are selling the empty bottles for more than $100, and the corks are $25. Remember, it's not just an empty bottle -- it's a bottle that may have been emptied by Casey Sadler.
---
--FILLING A NEED
Sentimentalists applauded the Steelers' re-signing of James Harrison last week, but it came about only because necessity and convenience converged.
The Steelers lost linebackers Jarvis Jones and Ryan Shazier to injuries in the Carolina game and had a sudden need for help at the position. There's obviously a premium on getting someone who can quickly learn the defense, and that made Harrison the best candidate.
Like Brett Keisel, he's back because there's a need, not because there's an expectation he's the player he once was.
---
--IS THAT ALL?
KDKA-TV put together a promo bragging it was the only local news station in Atlanta for the Pirates' celebration after clinching a postseason spot.
The promo includes a clip of reporter Rich Walsh asking, "How's this feel, man?" and the player responding, "Pretty special."
That's going to make the other stations sorry they weren't there.

Beaver County Times, September 21, 2014

Even acknowledging the scourge of karaoke, nothing fuels performance fantasies like sports.
People purchase and proudly wear jerseys with someone else's name on the back, living vicariously through the borrowed identity. Sidney Crosby might think it peculiar that a tubby 50-year-old would sport his name and number, but he's far too diplomatic to say so.
An entire industry has grown around the desire to be a player. Middle-aged people pay thousands of dollars to attend fantasy camps that purport to simulate the experience of being a major league player, if only for a week. Campers get a regulation uniform, a baseball card of themselves and they presumably learn the fine art of scribbling a consistently illegible autograph. They're not really players, but they get to put sunglasses atop their caps and walk the walk for a few days.
Baseball fantasy camps routinely sell out the available spots, despite the big price tag. There are no dentist fantasy camps, where wanna-be's get to wear scrubs, lecture on the importance of flossing, and bark orders for a set of bitewing x-rays.
Sports grip us in a special way. Surgeons and Senators daydream about patrolling the outfield in Wrigley Field on a sunny afternoon or stepping to the plate with the World Series on the line, the way that Bill Mazeroski did.
But if you pay attention, it works the other way, too. You see things in sports and silently give thanks that you don't have that kind of problem. You wouldn't want to be in their shoes. Here are some people whose Florsheims you're grateful not to occupy these days:
--Roger Goodell: Sure, he has the big bank account and his signature is on the footballs, but he looks awfully stressed now. He completely botched the Ray Rice issue, and he's backpedaling faster than a cornerback trying to cover Calvin Johnson.
Reports of off-field misdeeds are springing up like dandelions, leaving Goodell scrambling like Fran Tarkenton, and causing some observers to overuse similes and reference old players irrelevant to anyone under 40.
--Billy Beane: The Oakland GM had the team with the best record in MLB, and decided to improve it. The master of Moneyball, who has skillfully built on a budget, uncharacteristically broke the bank to beef up his pitching. He boldly acquired starters Jon Lester, Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel, shoring up the one potential weakness.
But while those pitchers have generally done well for the A's, the offense went south. They've gone from a four-game lead in the division to a double-digit deficit, and they're now in a final-week scramble to nail down a wild card spot. Beane blew a hole in the offense when he dealt cleanup hitter Yoenis Cespedes for a two-month rental of Lester He potentially bought years of future regret by surrendering prime prospects for the other two pitchers.
--Pedro Alvarez: There he sits on the Pirates bench, felled by a foot injury. It's the latest indignity in the scatter-armed summer that saw him removed for defensive purposes and lifted for pinch hitters. It's no fun to be a detached spectator as the team makes a late charge to a postseason berth. He's being paid nicely, but Alvarez has to be suffering in what's turned into a lost season for him.
--Mike Johnston: His first chance to coach in the NHL comes at 57, and he gets this soap opera. He has two superstars who seem to be less than happy, and ownership expects a Stanley Cup, even though the team is clearly at least a notch below the current Kings/Blackhawks standard of excellence. The GM who hired him has one foot on his retirement property, his goalie has a potentially-distracting contract issue, and he didn't even get to pick his top assistant. Welcome to the NHL!
Perhaps it was all best summed up by the philosopher Barry Bonds. He had a memorable reaction when told a mid-level Pirates executive with whom he had clashed had been dismissed in a budgetary move. Bonds grinned widely, then gleefully cackled, "See ya! Wouldn't want to be ya!"

Beaver County Times, September 14, 2014

Roger Goodell has an opulent office on Park Avenue, and he's in a fight to keep it.
You know the details of the Ray Rice case and the NFL's horribly inadequate response. Now there's the Watergate-esque issue of what Goodell knew and when he knew it.
Somehow the NFL's far-flung security network couldn't come up with a tape that instead wound up in the clutches of gossip website TMZ. That's Goodell's version of the story. If it's true, he's admitting he's incompetent. If it's not true, he's a liar.
Either way, it doesn't bode well for his future in a job that's reported to have earned him $44 million last year. It's stunning that Goodell has been so tone-deaf in his handling of Rice's case.
The two-game suspension was a joke. Goodell admitted his mistake when he backtracked and toughened the NFL's policy on domestic abuse. Still, at that point Rice would have been cleared to rejoin the Ravens this week.
The security video changed all of that, and may have also altered the course of NFL history, where there have been just three commissioners in the last 54 years.
You don't get that big office on Park Avenue without being politically savvy. Goodell, according to his published history, wanted to work for the NFL from the time he was attending Washington & Jefferson. He regularly wrote to the league and most of the teams, looking for any entry-level job.
The league took him on as an intern, and he progressed from there. That doesn't happen unless you make a lot of right moves, schmooze the wealthy and headstrong men who own franchises and build a consensus of support. It's much like a political campaign, and Goodell's paid off in 2006 when he was selected to succeed Paul Tagliabue.
How can a guy who's that smart miss so badly when the Ray Rice incident landed on his desk? After all the finger wagging and scolding and fining on late hits and dope smoking and improper comments about officiating, he completely fumbled a clear-cut case of assault.
A lot of players are enjoying seeing Goodell squirm under the heat that's roasting him these days. The most effective way for the NFL to recover from the Rice disgrace would be to put someone else in charge of the league.
It may come to that after an investigation is concluded. The big question is how a league that employs elite former law enforcement personnel couldn't come up with a tape that was obviously available. Was Goodell inept, or was he dishonest?
Neither choice is very appealing. Ray Rice lost his job. Roger Goodell may lose his, too.
---
--IT'S FUNDAMENTAL
You can debate schemes and wonder how quickly new players can grasp a complicated defense, but there's one horrible truth from the Steelers' first two games:
They don't tackle very well. If you've watched much football, you know that the ability to tackle the guy with the ball is kind of fundamental to any success on defense.
The other night in Baltimore, Troy Polamalu and Ike Taylor both whiffed on tackling a ball carrier and Ryan Shazier missed, too. Later, Cortez Allen awkwardly tried to bring down Steve Smith by the shoulder pads and wound up getting a 15-yard facemask penalty.
Whether it's a problem with technique or a lack of commitment, the Steelers are missing too many tackles.
When James Harrison retired, Polamalu praised him as someone who typified the toughness of the Steelers defense. Wonder if he said that with a certain wistfulness, because the current group seems to get pushed around quite a bit in a way that's very un-Steelers like.
---
--PITCHING CHANGE
Who knew the Pirates would wind up missing Bryan Morris more than A.J. Burnett?
---
--DIFFERENT WORLD
Lloyd McClendon's Mariners are in the postseason hunt, and he's a candidate for Manager of the Year in his first year with Seattle.
The Mariners were bolstered in the offseason by the free agent signing of Robinson Cano to a contract worth $240 million.
When McClendon managed the Pirates from 2001-05, his five teams had a combined payroll of just under $226 million.

Beaver County Times, September 7, 2014

Here's how the NFL works: There are a few teams that are really good and could go 12-4.
There are a few teams that are really bad and could go 4-12.
Everybody else is in that giant middle cluster, somewhere between 9-7 and 7-9, depending on variables like who gets hurt (or arrested), how the ball bounces and whether it snows in Philadelphia.
They call that parity, and it's been the league's goal forever. The draft and the salary cap help deter dynasties, and that's the way the NFL wants it. It's much better for business when everyone has some semblance of hope and the final weeks have enough wild card possibilities to keep the faithful hyperventilating.
Your 2014 Steelers are in that middle crowd, a team that could reach the playoffs, but probably won't. They're not good enough to be 12-4, and they're too good to be 4-12, so it will probably be like the last couple of seasons.
The issues now are mostly on defense. A lot of the old and slow has been flushed out over the past couple of seasons. They're younger and faster, but who knows if they understand where they're supposed to go.
In all the customarily tedious dispatches from training camp, there was one priceless nugget of information that emerged. Linebackers coach Keith Butler revealed there were times last year when No. 1 draft pick Jarvis Jones was yelling, "What do I do, what do I do?" before the ball was snapped.
He wasn't asking that in the existential sense, but rather trying to figure out exactly what his assignment was. If we know anything about the Steelers, it's that they run a complicated defense and players usually need a couple of seasons to understand it. Is it a coincidence that players like Cam Heyward and Jason Worilds didn't become contributors until they had years in the system?
Defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau said there was no effort to simplify the playbook, so it's going to be sink or swim for new players. History says there will be some rescues from the deep end.
The Steelers re-signed veteran Brett Keisel late in the preseason, a move that was widely hailed by sentimentalists and fans of prodigious facial hair. But from a more practical standpoint, it should probably be viewed as a red flag, an acknowledgment that help is needed on the defensive line. The team went into the offseason planning for life without Keisel, but now needs him as a failsafe.
Ike Taylor came back at a flea market price following a rocky season. LeBeau said Taylor was fighting injuries last season. We'll see. He will undoubtedly be targeted again by the divisional teams that burned him last season.
There's a lot of inexperience. First-rounder Ryan Shazier is being counted on to start and take on the challenge that baffled Jones last season.
Makes you wonder if "What do I do, what do I do?" might be a multi-voiced refrain this season, one that defines this defense more than "Renegade" does.
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--NO DEBATE
It seems like every Pirates game features at least one plate appearance where Ike Davis is called out on a third strike he doesn't like.
He disputes the call and walks away shaking his head. But he's out. Given that ball-strike calls are one of the few umpire decisions that can't be reviewed by replay, he'd probably be better served by swinging the bat.
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--MISSED OPPORTUNITY?
At last check, Gregory Polanco was hitting around .208 since he started his major league career with an 11-game hitting streak.
Wonder if he has any regrets about passing on that reported $75 million offer?
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--NO NEWS, BAD NEWS
If you've listened to 93.7 The Fan (KDKA-FM), you know the most useful part of the programming is the sports news updates that run three times an hour. This is especially the case when they're handled by Jeff Hathhorn and Eric Hagman.
The station has changed the format for the updates, needlessly sabotaging the station's most redeeming feature.
If they want to make the station better, encourage hosts to stay away from those discussions about what kind of potato chips they like best.
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--FACE THE NATION
It's been so long since Steelers fans have had to work up a real froth over the Browns. For that reason alone, you have to hope that Johnny Manziel gets in today's game.

Beaver County Times, August 31, 2014

People get sappy about the opening day of baseball season, writing gooey paeans to the way springtime optimism blooms like the daffodils. As Mad magazine was fond of saying, yecch.
The most joyful point on the sports calendar might be the moment the clock reads 0:00 on the last NFL preseason game.
It means the exhibition season is over, the rosters will be cut, and teams will now scout opponents, formulate a game plan and, you know, actually try to win.
The final preseason game is especially awful because the starters sit. The Steelers devoted several hours the other night to reinforcing the sound theory that if their season got down to Landry Jones at quarterback, they'd be pretty well sunk.
Coaches love the preseason because they get video on marginal players. Of course. Coaches obsess. But the fact is most of the cuts could have been made after a week of training camp.
They call them games and they charge regular prices for tickets and everything else, but they're really scrimmages. The uniforms are recognizable, and the estimable Ed Hochuli shows up to make the calls. The action on the field bears little resemblance to the real NFL product, though.
As consumer scams go, this is up there with personal seat licenses. Here's hoping the undrafted free agents got selfies so they'll have proof they once wore an NFL uniform. Now kindly go home, and let the real games start.
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--HOBBLING HURDLE
Poor Clint Hurdle. In addition to the daily stress of managing (especially with a shaky bullpen), he's suffering physically with a bad hip.
He's headed for replacement surgery, and there was sentiment that he should have had that done over the All-Star break. He didn't, and he's probably now regretting that decision to tough it out through the rest of the season. Thanks to Root's constant surveillance of Hurdle in the dugout, you can see he's hurting.
It seems like Jared Hughes gets to the mound quicker on his mad sprint from the bullpen than Hurdle does on his wobbly walk from the dugout.
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--MISSING THE POINT
Greg Brown is one of the most conscientious broadcasters around, which makes it even more disappointing that he adheres to the silly tradition of not directly saying a no-hitter is in progress.
It's potentially one of the biggest stories of the season, and listeners have to decipher clues to figure out what's happening.
This is rooted in the dugout superstition that mentioning a no-hitter jinxes it. That might be OK for the players, but it's a losing strategy for broadcasters. The game is decided on the field, not by some mojo from the radio booth. Lanny (Hi, Friends) Frattare, who routinely overloaded broadcasts with mind-numbing factoids, did the same incongruous thing.
The radio audience is transient. People constantly join the game in progress, so tell them what's happening. When Edinson Volquez completed the sixth inning Friday night, Brown's summation was that he had allowed three base runners, hitting one batter and walking two others.
They'll tell you a dozen times about Free Shirt Friday. They don't hesitate to mention no-hitters in other games. It's OK to be up front about one against the Pirates. But listeners need a decoder ring to figure out that a Pirates pitcher is doing something special.
There have been four no-hitters by Pirates pitchers in the last 54 years. There have probably been 10 times that many close calls (remember Jose DeLeon?) So by the numbers, the jinx theory doesn't even work.
Of course, if someone bought a sponsorship -- "This no-hitter update is brought to you by Winky's" -- they couldn't mention it enough.
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--CALLING IT QUITS
James Harrison has officially retired. He had a fine career, he has a permanent place in Steelers history for his Super Bowl touchdown, and he's presumably sitting on a bank account made fat by big contracts.
But the best thing about this announcement is people won't be calling talk shows every five minutes to ask if the Steelers should bring him back.
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--DOWN THE AISLE
Big week for celebrity weddings: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in France, Kevin McClatchy and longtime partner Jack Basilone in Martha's Vineyard.

Beaver County Times, August 24, 2014

"Le'Veon and LaGarrette" doesn't tumble off the tongue as easily as Cheech & Chong, but Steelers fans had reason to wonder if the 2014 season had gone up in smoke before it even started.
Word came on Wednesday that running backs Le'Veon Bell and LaGarrette Blount had been cited for marijuana possession while sitting in traffic in the North Hills.
A passenger in their car, one Mercedes Dolson, was also cited. (Her name is likely to be the answer to a future question on KDKA-TV's Steelers Trivia Challenge, so it's probably smart to remember it).
The courts will handle this, and the NFL will have its say. Bell and Blount should probably be most concerned about the three-person jury of Mike Tomlin, Kevin Colbert and Art Rooney II, who will charge them with DDT -- doing dumb things.
The arrests came at around 1 o'clock in the afternoon. The only people who can justify getting high at that hour are musicians and those on lunch break from telemarketing jobs.
Say one thing about that schedule, though. When the munchies inevitably hit, you'll have far more options at 7 p.m. than at 3 a.m. Middle of the night, it's pretty much guaranteed you're going to be stumbling out of the convenience store with petrified hot dogs from the roller, a fistful of Slim Jims and the giant bag of Cool Ranch Doritos.
Bell and Blount did many things wrong, and one of them was having two players from the same position group breaking the same laws at the same time. That can cause havoc on the depth chart if suspensions ensue. The concept is the reason the President and Vice President are never on the same plane.
Why get buzzed at 1 in the afternoon? Perhaps the pressure of McKnight Road traffic was intense. Maybe the radio was stuck on 93.7. That would explain a lot. Or are they nervous flyers who wanted to take the edge off before boarding the team plane at 3? The last one seems unlikely, given the Steelers were headed to Philadelphia, a flight no longer than some Kennywood rides.
According to police, a motorcycle officer happened to pull up alongside the car and thought he smelled a Jimmy Buffet concert. He investigated, and found the
evidence.
Look, our culture's relationship with marijuana has evolved. Recreational use is now legal in some states. Not Pennsylvania, of course, where consumers still have to jump through hoops just to buy a six-pack of Miller High Life.
Maybe the Steelers clouded the message a few years ago when they honored hometown hop head Wiz Khalifa at a game. An organization too stodgy to have cheerleaders celebrated an artist whose career has been based on the glorification of cannabis.
But weed isn't just for slackers any more. Even Rick Santorum, so conservative he's suspected of showering with his clothes on, has admitted to past use. Tomlin was part of a generation that grew up with easy access and casual use. A question about his personal history would liven up a Tuesday press conference, but, alas, Jory Rand isn't around now to ask it.
Bell faces a potentially serious DUI charge that could at least cost him driving privileges for a while. Why was he driving this time? With a $1,376,800 signing bonus in the bank, he should hire someone. It's not only stylish to sit in the back seat, it might put a cousin to work.
The episode shows why coaches get weepy when training camp ends and players are no longer locked down. You can only imagine Tomlin's reaction when he got the phone call. Maybe it was like the time he got that call about Milledgeville a few years ago: "He did what?"
In some odd way, it's probably good that Bell and Blount have bonded so quickly. Total strangers nine months ago, they're apparently doobie brothers now.
The citations will show up in the mailbox right between the new Sports Illustrated and the Arby's coupons. The biggest offense here is these guys were dumber than doorknobs to put themselves in a position where they embarrassed themselves and their employer.
One good thing: The arresting officer described them as "cooperative and polite."
You kids remember that. If you're going to do something profoundly stupid, you can at least be courteous.

Beaver County Times, August 17, 2014

Are you stressing out over whether Russell Martin will be back with the Pirates next year?
Relax. He's gone.
They're not going to re-sign him, and they really shouldn't. There is absolutely no doubt Martin's departure will downgrade the catcher position next season.
In a perfect world, the Pirates would sign him for one more year at a hefty raise and get another season like this one from him. That isn't realistic, though.
He's going on the open market, most likely looking for a three-year deal somewhere around $35 million. There's an excellent chance he'll get it from someone. But it will involve a change of address.
Martin will be 32 at the start of next season. He's probably OK for another season, but anything after that is high risk. Most players start to decline in their 30s, and the cliff is even more steep for catchers, who have the toughest workload on the field.
Some catchers are able to last longer. Tony Pena and Jason Kendall did, but they had more flexible bodies than Martin does. Maybe Martin is an exception, but there's a significant collection of actuary tables that says he won't be.
It's a physically demanding position, and Martin doesn't take any shortcuts.
If you're operating on the Pirates' budget, you don't make multi-year commitments to players who are 32. Use that money to lock up players who are 25 or 26 and get their best years instead of the twilight ones.
The Pirates did that expertly with Andrew McCutchen, and they missed badly trying to do that with Jose Tabata.
So don't sweat it. Martin is leaving. Put that future angst aside and enjoy the rest of this season, when he's still throwing his body in front of bad pitches, mentoring pitchers and getting timely hits.
If you're worried about whether they're going to sign Neil Walker, put that aside, too. He owes the Pirates two more seasons beyond this one and can't become a free agent until after the 2016 season, when he'll be 31.
Just so you know: They're not going to sign him, either.
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--FULL CIRCLE
Back when Three Rivers Stadium was still standing and the battle for new sports venues was being waged, the Pirates chartered a bus and took local media types to Cleveland.
They went for a ball game during the Indians' sellout streak that covered seven seasons and 455 games. The idea was to show the commerce and energy a new ballpark could create. The neighborhood's bars and restaurants were hopping, a sharp contrast to Three Rivers, which was surrounded by parking lots, Kaufmann's warehouse and the occasional "who needs two?" guy.
Naturally, most of the people on the tour took everything at face value and came back gushing about Cleveland's renaissance.
This year the Indians are next to last in MLB attendance. The team recently announced plans to remodel its 20-year-old park. The changes will reduce seating capacity by about 5,000 to 38,000. Now the Pirates have the crowded sidewalks and the tickets that are hard to get.
Sports has always been a cyclical business, especially when there are 81 home dates to sell.
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--YINZ TUBE
The only good thing about the NFL preseason is the annual reappearance of the "Steelers Trivia Challenge" on KDKA-TV.
The show airs on Saturday nights at 11:30 with the impeccably-coiffed Bob Pompeani channeling Bert Convy as the genial quizmaster. All sorts of ancillary Steelers show exist on TV and radio, solely because there are sponsors anxious to buy them. Even after two years of 8-8, the Steelers are still a gold mine. "Trivia Challenge" trumps them all.
The show has three competing teams, all wearing a rack's worth of Steelers gear, vying for a trophy and more practical swag, like McDonald's certificates that are probably cashed on the ride home.
The questions range from the ridiculously easy ("Where did the Steelers play home games before Heinz Field?") to the ridiculously arcane ("What was the final score of the 1989 Wild Card game?)
There's an unseen studio audience that seems to be comprised of the relatives of the contestants. It has that oh-so-local feel that's been missing ever since "Bowling For Dollars" left the air.
Watch it while you can. Soon the season will start, and the good natured competition among Terrible Towel wavers will be replaced by angry phone calls from wanna-be offensive coordinators and Edmund Nelson complaining about Ben Roethlisberger.