Altoona Mirror, November 29, 2015

For the sake of discussion (and in the interest in coloring a certain portion of white newsprint), let's say there is a super-secret rift between Mario Lemieux and Sidney Crosby.
How exactly would this explain Crosby's sub-standard start?
Is he so emotionally spent that he can't muster the energy for the games? Looks like he's skating and playing at his usual pace.
Is he so resentful that he doesn't want to help the Penguins succeed? There's no reason to think a fiercely competitive player would sabotage his own career.
Is he angling to be traded? Performing well below career levels wouldn't exactly make him a hot commodity on the trade market when he's carrying a $12 million contract that runs through 2024-25. With a full no-trade clause, by the way.
None of it makes any sense.
Lemieux, who speaks in public as often as the average mime, immediately issued a brief statement through the team, calling the report "silly."
Crosby said he felt "stupid" even talking about it.
"Silly" and "stupid" sum it all up pretty well.
The faux scoop came from Matthew Barnaby, a former NHL player who appears on a satellite radio show. Apparently the same sense of ethics that guided him as a player are in force in his new career as a commentator.
Barnaby cited no sources beyond "people," and hasn't been seen around the Penguins since he played for the team in 2001.
The whole Crosby-Lemieux dynamic has been unconventional since the moment that Lemieux offered space in his massive home for Crosby to live. If you've seen photos of Lemieux's mansion, you can understand this isn't an attic apartment. The place is so big, you might need an usher to find your way from one wing to another. It's possible Crosby and Lemieux rarely saw each other when they were living under the same roof.
The relationship was unusual because most players don't have that kind of personal connection with the franchise owner. Howard Baldwin tried to forge those bonds, one of the many horrendous mistakes he made during the time he was leading the Penguins to bankruptcy.
The Crosby-Lemieux combination was further complicated by the frequent presence of Crosby's father in the locker room. Most of the other dads don't have that kind of access.
But somehow the Penguins seemed to function. They've only won one championship in Crosby's time here, but nobody is blaming that on whether he and Lemieux get along.
The story was a huge success in one regard: Before this, when was the last time anyone thought about Matthew Barnaby?
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--J.A. THE BLUE JAY
Neal Huntington's challenging offseason got a lot tougher when J.A. Happ signed with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Huntington now has two gaping holes in his starting rotation with Happ's defection and A.J. Burnett's retirement. Tyler Glasnow and/or Jameson Taillon might be along some time during the summer, but don't count on rookies to step in and replace veterans instantly.
Happ signed with Toronto for three years and $36 million, which is crazy money for a 33-year-old whose only recent success of note came during his 11 starts with the Pirates.
But the vacancy he leaves is real, and so is the need to find some experienced starters either through free agency or trades.
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--TIPPING POINT?
If the Steelers can win in Seattle, it may tilt their entire season in a positive direction.
It's a long trip and a tough place to play. Get by this one, and the Dec. 13 game at Cincinnati looms as the only really difficult opponent remaining. And even though the Bengals lead the division and beat the Steelers in Pittsburgh, facing Andy Dalton isn't like going against Tom Brady.