The Steelers' Marcus Gilbert was suspended for a quarter of the season last week, and it seemed like nobody noticed.
There was more buzz about JuJu Smith-Schuster's bicycle being stolen a few weeks earlier.
Is failing a steroid test just an occupational hazard that the players accept as part of a difficult job? Gilbert issued a vague statement that suggested it wasn't his fault, and life went on.
If you've seen the physiques of some NFL players, you might suspect a few of them are getting pharmaceutical help. Yes, they work out like maniacs, but it's tough to maintain that conditioning schedule during the season. Do some players seek outside help and hope they can beat the testing procedure?
Every set of tests comes with loopholes, and people who know how to exploit them. Sometimes a player misses, just like a player jumps offside or drops a pass. Things happen.
The Steelers have preached the "next man up" philosophy for years, and that's probably part of it. Chris Hubbard takes Gilbert's spot for the next four games, and he has experience filling in on the line.
Of course, making him the starter robs the Steelers of some valuable depth. The team has been fortunate to this point that it hasn't had the kind of devastating injury loss that tonight's opponent, Green Bay, suffered when quarterback Aaron Rodgers was knocked out by a broken collarbone.
Gilbert, one of the anchors of the offensive line that protects Ben Roethlisberger, is out for four games. That includes the Dec. 17 showdown against New England.
It just seems odd that nobody seemed to be especially alarmed by the news.
---
--PITT'S LAST STAND
Pitt had the right idea -- make your last game of the season the best game.
Fans floated out of Heinz Field with "Sweet Caroline" ringing in their ears, musical accompaniment to the warm feeling they had about the Panthers' upset of No. 2 and previously undefeated Miami.
The infamous "U" became "U just got ambushed by a team that didn't do a whole lot right all season," and that's what should be remembered.
Pitt's defense was a season-long disaster. The offense sputtered a lot with three different starting quarterbacks. Freshman Kenny Pickett did a fine job against Miami, but this is a situation for which the phrase "small sample size" was invented.
Pitt doesn't have a bowl game this year, so Pat Narduzzi and his staff can get to work on next season as soon as today.
The head start should help. There's a lot of work to be done.
---
--UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Good thing Mike Sullivan has those two Stanley Cup championships on his resume with the Penguins.
Otherwise, fans would be calling for a coaching change as the team has stumbled through the first quarter of the season, hovering around the .500 mark
Sidney Crosby hasn't been scoring. If the Penguins have to worry about that, there will be big problems. Crosby has too much talent and commitment for the slump to continue.
Kris Letang has been a pale imitation of himself. Is that a temporary condition, or are age and his significant medical history becoming a factor?
One thing is certain: The team you see now won't be the team that opens the playoffs in April. General manager Jim Rutherford will make some significant moves if the Penguins can't shake themselves from this malaise.
---
--OPENING DAY
Best of luck to the hunters on the first day of buck season.
Everybody else? Stay low and serpentine.
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)
Sunday, November 26, 2017
Sunday, November 19, 2017
Altoona Mirror, November 19, 2017
The buzz after the Steelers' Thursday night win over Tennessee wasn't the season-high 40 points.
Instead, the talk was about the SkyCam view the NFL Network and NBC provided.
Basically the camera hovers above the actual playing field and offers a view that's vertical rather than the traditional horizontal.
It takes some getting used to, and affects depth perception. We're used to watching the ball move left to right (or vice versa) and see the yard markers that way. Minus that perspective, it's hard to tell how deep a running back is at the start of a play and whether he made the first down marker.
The NFL is getting nervous about its failing numbers among younger viewers, and this was a nod to addressing that issue. They emphasized tha SkyCam provided the same kind of perspective a generation has seen while playing the wildly successful series of Madden video games.
At this point, SkyCam probably has more value for replays. It lets viewers see the play unfold, and allows the game analyst to point out blocks that might be less visible from the traditional perspective.
Nobody needed the in-game tutorial about how the process works and the salutes to the techicians who set up and operated the system.
Football is complicated enough without expecting viewers to care about the process that delivers the pictures they see.
---
--WALKER ENCORE?
Jon Morosi of mlb.com reprted last week that the Pirates have an interest in bringing back Neil Walker, who is a free agent.
If Jung Ho Kang isn't cleared to return to the United States -- and there's no indication he will be -- the Pirates need a third baseman.
But is that Walker? He came through the minor leagues as a third baseman, but that was a long time ago. He's played just 19 games at third in the major leagues. That doesn't inspire a lot of confidence he can handle the position defensively at age 32.
Walker has missed about a third of each of the last two seasons because of injuries. He's had chronic back problems, which required surgery in 2016.
He can still hit. At this point in his career, he's probably about to transition into a slightly younger version of David Freese. His offense and power potential will probably allow him to command about $10 million per year for two seasons, maybe three.
It's hard to see the Pirates making that kind of commitment in an offseason where payroll is likely to remain the same or be reduced.
Walker returning to the Pirates could happen, but it isn't likely. It doesn't seem possible at all unless there's a corresponding move to drop another significant contract.
---
--BAD GUYS
How does the NFL wind up with contrarian owners who would make perfect Batman villains?
It used to be Al Davis with his ornate glasses frame and greasy hair. Now Jerry Jones has taken on that role, featuring the face lift that's a llittle too tight and a possible hairpiece.
Throw in the greedy me-first attitude, and they would be perfect foils for the Caped Crusader.
---
--OUCH!
Four cracks at a possible game-winning touchdown from inside the 2-yard line as time runs out.
Failure times four.
Ladies and gentlemen, the 2017 Pitt football season in a nutshell.
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)
Instead, the talk was about the SkyCam view the NFL Network and NBC provided.
Basically the camera hovers above the actual playing field and offers a view that's vertical rather than the traditional horizontal.
It takes some getting used to, and affects depth perception. We're used to watching the ball move left to right (or vice versa) and see the yard markers that way. Minus that perspective, it's hard to tell how deep a running back is at the start of a play and whether he made the first down marker.
The NFL is getting nervous about its failing numbers among younger viewers, and this was a nod to addressing that issue. They emphasized tha SkyCam provided the same kind of perspective a generation has seen while playing the wildly successful series of Madden video games.
At this point, SkyCam probably has more value for replays. It lets viewers see the play unfold, and allows the game analyst to point out blocks that might be less visible from the traditional perspective.
Nobody needed the in-game tutorial about how the process works and the salutes to the techicians who set up and operated the system.
Football is complicated enough without expecting viewers to care about the process that delivers the pictures they see.
---
--WALKER ENCORE?
Jon Morosi of mlb.com reprted last week that the Pirates have an interest in bringing back Neil Walker, who is a free agent.
If Jung Ho Kang isn't cleared to return to the United States -- and there's no indication he will be -- the Pirates need a third baseman.
But is that Walker? He came through the minor leagues as a third baseman, but that was a long time ago. He's played just 19 games at third in the major leagues. That doesn't inspire a lot of confidence he can handle the position defensively at age 32.
Walker has missed about a third of each of the last two seasons because of injuries. He's had chronic back problems, which required surgery in 2016.
He can still hit. At this point in his career, he's probably about to transition into a slightly younger version of David Freese. His offense and power potential will probably allow him to command about $10 million per year for two seasons, maybe three.
It's hard to see the Pirates making that kind of commitment in an offseason where payroll is likely to remain the same or be reduced.
Walker returning to the Pirates could happen, but it isn't likely. It doesn't seem possible at all unless there's a corresponding move to drop another significant contract.
---
--BAD GUYS
How does the NFL wind up with contrarian owners who would make perfect Batman villains?
It used to be Al Davis with his ornate glasses frame and greasy hair. Now Jerry Jones has taken on that role, featuring the face lift that's a llittle too tight and a possible hairpiece.
Throw in the greedy me-first attitude, and they would be perfect foils for the Caped Crusader.
---
--OUCH!
Four cracks at a possible game-winning touchdown from inside the 2-yard line as time runs out.
Failure times four.
Ladies and gentlemen, the 2017 Pitt football season in a nutshell.
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)
Sunday, November 12, 2017
Altoona Mirror, November 12, 2017
Pitt lost to North Carolina on Thursday night in mostly-empty Heinz Field, and two truths were immediately evident on social media:
1. Pitt needs a new head football coach.
2. Pitt needs a new on-campus stadium.
Pat Narduzzi is the coach, and he was the coach last year when Pitt had a glorious home win over Penn State, then went to Clemson later and knocked off the nation's No. 1 team.
Pitt is losing because there's a shortage of good players. It's OK to hold Narduzzi responsible for that because recruiting is a huge part of his job. He's in his third year at Pitt, which probably isn't enough time to build the base he will need to have.
Narduzzi's sideline demeanor may be an issue. He seems to be raging often, and at the slightest provocation. How can players have poise in tough situations when their coach is 10 yards on the field, waving his arms and ranting like a madman over the slightest issue?
Does all that yelling do any good, or does it lead to stress that creates more mistakes?
Narduzzi is in the potentially awkward position of working for an athletic director who did not hire him, but there's no logical reason to start working on his dismissal papers. The lack of stability is one reason Pitt football has been on the downswing for so long.
Of course, it's easier to change coaches than it is to change addresses.
Talk of building a stadium on campus is insanity. There's no room for it, there's no money for it and there's really no demand for it.
A new stadium is the irrational pipe dream of a handful of hard cores who fantasize about sunny days when old Pitt Stadium was packed. Those were few and far between, and usually limited to opponents whose fans bought plenty of tickets.
If the coaches can't sell recruits on playing in an NFL stadium, they're doing a lousy job. Heinz Field has too many seats for most Pitt games, and that's an ongoing issue.
This is a pro sports town consumed with the Steelers. Even among those who follow college sports, loyalties are divided among Pitt, Penn State and West Virginia (not to mention to ubiquity of Notre Dame's subway alumni).
Winning more games will sell more tickets for Pitt football. A home game against a 1-8 opponent like North Carolina should be an easy victory, not the source of more angst among a fan base that is continually disappointed.
---
--MAKING ADJUSTMENTS
If it's taking the Penguins time to figure things out, that shouldn't be a surprise.
Unlike last year, the team had changes in the offseason. It takes time to figure out who the replacements for Nick Bonino, Chris Kunitz, Matt Cullen and Marc-Andre Fleury should be.
The Penguins were lucky last season. The only departure from their Stanley Cup-winning team was Ben Lovejoy, a defenseman from the bottom of the depth chart.
They don't have that luxury this year. Players from significant roles have moved on, and replacing them is a trial-and-error process to some degree.
It could be that general manager Jim Rutherford will have to make further changes via trade, even though salary cap space is tight, as usual.
The Penguins don't have to worry about winning their division or their conference. They just need to get into the playoffs.
They've shown they know what to do from there.
---
--SCANDALS ABOUND
We've seen show business careers blow up overnight because of allegations of unsavory behavior.
Some of the charges are decades old, but that doesn't seem to blunt their impact.
There are a lot of people who have worked in sports and can tell similar stories. If they do, look out.
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)
1. Pitt needs a new head football coach.
2. Pitt needs a new on-campus stadium.
Pat Narduzzi is the coach, and he was the coach last year when Pitt had a glorious home win over Penn State, then went to Clemson later and knocked off the nation's No. 1 team.
Pitt is losing because there's a shortage of good players. It's OK to hold Narduzzi responsible for that because recruiting is a huge part of his job. He's in his third year at Pitt, which probably isn't enough time to build the base he will need to have.
Narduzzi's sideline demeanor may be an issue. He seems to be raging often, and at the slightest provocation. How can players have poise in tough situations when their coach is 10 yards on the field, waving his arms and ranting like a madman over the slightest issue?
Does all that yelling do any good, or does it lead to stress that creates more mistakes?
Narduzzi is in the potentially awkward position of working for an athletic director who did not hire him, but there's no logical reason to start working on his dismissal papers. The lack of stability is one reason Pitt football has been on the downswing for so long.
Of course, it's easier to change coaches than it is to change addresses.
Talk of building a stadium on campus is insanity. There's no room for it, there's no money for it and there's really no demand for it.
A new stadium is the irrational pipe dream of a handful of hard cores who fantasize about sunny days when old Pitt Stadium was packed. Those were few and far between, and usually limited to opponents whose fans bought plenty of tickets.
If the coaches can't sell recruits on playing in an NFL stadium, they're doing a lousy job. Heinz Field has too many seats for most Pitt games, and that's an ongoing issue.
This is a pro sports town consumed with the Steelers. Even among those who follow college sports, loyalties are divided among Pitt, Penn State and West Virginia (not to mention to ubiquity of Notre Dame's subway alumni).
Winning more games will sell more tickets for Pitt football. A home game against a 1-8 opponent like North Carolina should be an easy victory, not the source of more angst among a fan base that is continually disappointed.
---
--MAKING ADJUSTMENTS
If it's taking the Penguins time to figure things out, that shouldn't be a surprise.
Unlike last year, the team had changes in the offseason. It takes time to figure out who the replacements for Nick Bonino, Chris Kunitz, Matt Cullen and Marc-Andre Fleury should be.
The Penguins were lucky last season. The only departure from their Stanley Cup-winning team was Ben Lovejoy, a defenseman from the bottom of the depth chart.
They don't have that luxury this year. Players from significant roles have moved on, and replacing them is a trial-and-error process to some degree.
It could be that general manager Jim Rutherford will have to make further changes via trade, even though salary cap space is tight, as usual.
The Penguins don't have to worry about winning their division or their conference. They just need to get into the playoffs.
They've shown they know what to do from there.
---
--SCANDALS ABOUND
We've seen show business careers blow up overnight because of allegations of unsavory behavior.
Some of the charges are decades old, but that doesn't seem to blunt their impact.
There are a lot of people who have worked in sports and can tell similar stories. If they do, look out.
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)
Saturday, November 4, 2017
Altoona Mirror, November 5, 2017
As if the Pirates' 2017 season wasn't rotten enough and thankfully buried, there was a post-Halloween haunting.
That came with Charlie Morton pitching the last four innings of Game 7, nailing down the Houston Astros' first World Series championship.
Ouch.
Yes, the same Charlie Morton who alternated brilliance and baffling failure with the Pirates from 2009 to 2015.
He could tantalize skillfully enough to draw comparisons to Roy Halladay. At other times he'd make you wonder what he was doing in the major leagues.
The Pirates tried different approaches with him. None worked consistently. They finally gave up after the '15 season, giving him away to the Phillies to get relief from a contract that had $9 million remaining. There was no outcry when he left town.
Things stayed quiet last season when Morton was limited to four games and 17 innings for Philadelphia by a torn hamstring.
He had a good year for Houston this season, but his postseason magic didn't kick in until the World Series. He made one appearance in the Division Series against Boston and came away with a 4.15 earned run average and 2.077 WHIP. He won a game against the Yankees in the ALCS, but also lost one and wound up with a 7.15 ERA.
Then the magic dust fell on him in the World Series -- one start, followed by the unexpected relief appearance in the deciding game. His ERA was 1.74, his WHIP a microscopic 0.581 over 10 and 1/3 innings.
Did he finally figure things out just weeks short of his 34th birthday? Maybe, but unlikely. It was more like Charlie being Charlie, and being capable of very radically mixed results in a short period of time.
There were always teases, like this sample, grabbed randomly from his 2011 season. He had a stretch of four starts from Aug. 3-20 where he had a 0.95 ERA. In the start before that streak started, he allowed six earned runs. In the start that ended the streak, he gave up five earned runs.
It was always the endless tug of war between Good Charlie and Bad Charlie. You never knew which one would report for work.
Good Charlie showed up big time last week for the Astros. After 10 often frustrating seasons, his timing was finally perfect.
---
--ROSTER MOVE
The Pirates picked up their $14.75 million option on Andrew McCutchen last week.
That still doesn't guarantee he'll play for the Pirates in 2018. Picking up the option means he's their property and they can trade him if the want to.
The belief here is that McCutchen will be on the opening day roster, but won't be with the Pirates beyond next season.
McCutchen had a 50-50 season last year -- three good months and three bad ones. When he's hot, he can still carry the team. He just doesn't get hot as often as he once did.
That's why it makes no sense to extend him, since that additional commitment would kick in after he turns 32. But they need him in 2018.
The Pirates don't have anyone on hand to replace the production McCutchen gave them last season (28 home runs, 88 runs batted in, .849 OPS). Heir apparent Austin Meadows spent much of last season on the disabled list and is no closer to playing in the major leagues than he was a year ago.
Josh Harrison remains the Pirates most valuable and available trade chip as they head into the offseason looking to plug holes that were exposed last season.
Of course, dealing Harrison would spring another leak.
---
--DISRUPTION
No Steelers game this weekend.
Some people are going to have their complaining schedule totally disrupted.
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)
That came with Charlie Morton pitching the last four innings of Game 7, nailing down the Houston Astros' first World Series championship.
Ouch.
Yes, the same Charlie Morton who alternated brilliance and baffling failure with the Pirates from 2009 to 2015.
He could tantalize skillfully enough to draw comparisons to Roy Halladay. At other times he'd make you wonder what he was doing in the major leagues.
The Pirates tried different approaches with him. None worked consistently. They finally gave up after the '15 season, giving him away to the Phillies to get relief from a contract that had $9 million remaining. There was no outcry when he left town.
Things stayed quiet last season when Morton was limited to four games and 17 innings for Philadelphia by a torn hamstring.
He had a good year for Houston this season, but his postseason magic didn't kick in until the World Series. He made one appearance in the Division Series against Boston and came away with a 4.15 earned run average and 2.077 WHIP. He won a game against the Yankees in the ALCS, but also lost one and wound up with a 7.15 ERA.
Then the magic dust fell on him in the World Series -- one start, followed by the unexpected relief appearance in the deciding game. His ERA was 1.74, his WHIP a microscopic 0.581 over 10 and 1/3 innings.
Did he finally figure things out just weeks short of his 34th birthday? Maybe, but unlikely. It was more like Charlie being Charlie, and being capable of very radically mixed results in a short period of time.
There were always teases, like this sample, grabbed randomly from his 2011 season. He had a stretch of four starts from Aug. 3-20 where he had a 0.95 ERA. In the start before that streak started, he allowed six earned runs. In the start that ended the streak, he gave up five earned runs.
It was always the endless tug of war between Good Charlie and Bad Charlie. You never knew which one would report for work.
Good Charlie showed up big time last week for the Astros. After 10 often frustrating seasons, his timing was finally perfect.
---
--ROSTER MOVE
The Pirates picked up their $14.75 million option on Andrew McCutchen last week.
That still doesn't guarantee he'll play for the Pirates in 2018. Picking up the option means he's their property and they can trade him if the want to.
The belief here is that McCutchen will be on the opening day roster, but won't be with the Pirates beyond next season.
McCutchen had a 50-50 season last year -- three good months and three bad ones. When he's hot, he can still carry the team. He just doesn't get hot as often as he once did.
That's why it makes no sense to extend him, since that additional commitment would kick in after he turns 32. But they need him in 2018.
The Pirates don't have anyone on hand to replace the production McCutchen gave them last season (28 home runs, 88 runs batted in, .849 OPS). Heir apparent Austin Meadows spent much of last season on the disabled list and is no closer to playing in the major leagues than he was a year ago.
Josh Harrison remains the Pirates most valuable and available trade chip as they head into the offseason looking to plug holes that were exposed last season.
Of course, dealing Harrison would spring another leak.
---
--DISRUPTION
No Steelers game this weekend.
Some people are going to have their complaining schedule totally disrupted.
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)