Altoona Mirror, December 30, 2018

The garland is sagging, the cookies have crumbled and the caramels are all gone from the giant box of chocolates.
It's almost time to put up the new calendar, to go back to work and school and to confront the bleak gloom of winter with no significant vacation time looming. Sigh.
Before dragging 2018 to the curb with the tree, though, it's time to take one look back at the previous 12 months with the annual year-end quiz. Grab a pair of freshly-sharpened No. 2 pencils and have a go at the traditional dozen puzzlers.
(As always, scores will be graded on the Bob Kipper hanging curve).
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1. What has Clint Hurdle brought the Pirates?
a. An end to 20 years of losing.
b. Three consecutive postseason appearances.
c. The 162-game bad mood.
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2. It can be troublesome to misplace:
a. Glasses.
b. Keys.
c. Confidence in Bud Dupree.
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3. What is the primary selling point for Pitt football tickets?
a. The excitement.
b. The tradition.
c. The elbow room.
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4. StubHub and SeatGeek have brought:
a. A new business plan.
b. Customer options.
c. Tickets that cost less than a stadium beer.
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5. What was the messiest high-profile breakup?
a. Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux.
b. Sean "Diddy" Combs and Cassie.
c. James Harrison and the Steelers.
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6. If you don't like the way the Penguins are being coached, you might be:
a. A critic.
b. Hard to please.
c. Jim Rutherford.
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7. Sean Rodriguez was:
a. Overmatched.
b. Finished.
c. An actual downgrade from John Jaso.
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8. What was the least exclusive group?
a. Steelers Nation.
b. Notre Dame subway alumni.
c. Tweeters who thought a Chris Boswell "Oh, can't kick" joke was hilarious.
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9. Who performed the best at Heinz Field?
a. Ben Roethlisberger.
b. JuJu Smith-Schuster.
c. Kenny Chesney.
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10. People on a sugar-restricted diet should avoid:
a. Desserts.
b. Breakfast pastries.
c. Dan Potash's Penguins interviews.
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11. The Steelers need to identify:
a. Their draft priorities.
b. A free agent strategy.
c. What person thought Artie Burns was a good idea.
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12. If you see Evgeni Malkin, you should:
a. Take a selfie.
b. Get an autograph.
c. Tell him the Penguins have been looking for him.
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(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com).

Altoona Mirror, December 26, 2018

JuJu Smith-Schuster said he was the reason the Steelers lost last Sunday's game in New Orleans.
His sentiments were noble, but incorrect.
Make no mistake, Smith-Schuster's late-game fumble played a key role. But it wasn't the only reason the Steelers are in a scramble to win the AFC North and need help to achieve that goal.
For examples:
--Stevan Ridley also fumbled at a key juncture. The Saints are very good at jarring the ball loose, and the Steelers should have been aware and extra cautious about protecting the ball. L.J. Fort blocked the Saints' subsequent field goal attempt, but the loss of possession cost the Steelers a chance to put more points on the board.
--The defense allowed the Saints to convert a third-and-20 and keep a possession going. They made it with an extra five yards to spare, and that gain contributed to the winning touchdown. Third-and-20 should require something short of a miracle to convert. The Steelers defense just isn't good enough, and that's an area that has to be addressed in the off-season.
--Mike Tomlin misread the risk/reward ratio and called for a fake punt that gave the Saints the ball at the Steelers' 46. The Steelers led by four points at the time. Yes, an 11-point gap with about four minutes to go would have likely put the Saints away.
But failing there gave Drew Brees the ball on a short field. He led the Saints on what proved to be the winning touchdown drive and took nearly three minutes off the clock while forcing the Steelers to spend their last time outs. Tomlin said he was being aggressive, but it wasn't worth the gamble. Not then, not there.
Smith-Schuster's fumble came after all those things happened, so it may have been the mistake most fresh in everyone's mind.
But losing that game was a team effort, as it usually is.
And now instead of finishing the season in cruise control, the Steelers are not only in a fight to make the playoffs. They're also rooting for the Cleveland Browns to help them.
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You don't always think of the NFL season as being excessively long.
It certainly isn't lengthy in the sense that baseball season is, starting in the last week of March with the possibility of extending into the first week of November.
But the course of 16 games in 17 weeks can take some varied paths. Look no further than Baltimore, where coach John Harbaugh was just told he will return next season.
It wasn't that long ago when Harbaugh was on everyone's list to get fired the day after the season ended.
Then the Ravens started winning, and now they're in position to overtake the Steelers for the division title. If the Ravens beat Cleveland on Sunday, they're in. Doesn't matter what the Steelers do if the Ravens take care of their own business.
So Harbaugh, thought to be hanging by a thread, is now in solid. It's an impatient world, but sometimes it's better to wait.
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Mark Kaboly, who covers the Steelers for The Athletic, reviewed all the games this season and came to an interesting conclusion about how things can unfold in the NFL.
By his count, the Steelers are four plays away from having a 6-9 record at this point. They're also five plays away from being 13-2, according to Kaboly's calculations.
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Those of us in the bifocals set don't need another reason to feel old, but consider this:
The latest edition of the annual Pirates' alumni newsletter reports that both Jay Bell and Orlando Merced are grandfathers.
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)

Altoona Mirror, December 23, 2018

It's the most wonderful time of the year, filled with great traditions -- overeating, overspending and cursing those made-in-China lights that don't work.
The other custom is to gather the family 'round the fake fireplace for a group sing of the annual holiday song parodies. Once again, inspiration is credited to Mad magazine, Allan Sherman and "Cordic & Company," the official radio show of Olde Frothingslosh, the pale stale ale with the foam on the bottom.
Find a key that's comfortable, and sing them loud and proud. And have yourself a merry little Christmas.
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The story of the season for the Steelers was the absence of Le'Veon Bell. He turned down a contract in excess of $14 million and will now apparently test the free agent market.
To the tune of "Jingle Bells."

Where is Bell?
What the hell?
Threw that cash away.
-
Le'Veon's big holdout,
He didn't want to play.
Hey!
-
Flushed it all,
No football.
It's all me-me-me.
Hope he had a good time
Riding his jet ski.

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It's a tradition within a tradition -- the year in Pittsburgh sports set to the tune of "Deck The Hall." As usual, it's three stanzas of doggerel per pro  team, and we start with the Penguins.
-
Three-peat wasn't in the cards,
Fa la la la la la la la la
No Cup visits to back yards.
Fa la la la la la la la la
Washington was just too tough.
Fa la la la la la la la la
Caps had heart, no more cream puff.
Fa la la la la la la la la
-
Flower left, he had to go,
Fa la la la la la la la la
Missed him much, he's such a pro.
Fa la la la la la la la la
Found a home out in the west,
Fa la la la la la la la la
Vegas fans were quite impressed.
Fa la la la la la la la la.
-
Window's closing, could be scary.
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Was falling short just momentary?
Fa la la la la la la la la
Sid's no kid, now 32.
Fa la la la la la la la la
Can the captain still come through?
Fa la la la la la la la la

--To the Steelers:
Bell held out, offer rebuffed.
Fa la la la la la la la la
Fourteen million? Not enough.
Fa la la la la la la la la
Stayed away, no bumps and bruises
Fa la la la la la la la la
His odd logic just confuses.
Fa la la la la la la la la
-
Twitter is so uninspired
Fa la la la la la la la la
Tweeters want Mike Tomlin fired
Fa la la la la la la la la
He's never had a losing season
Fa la la la la la la la la
At least invent a valid reason.
Fa la la la la la la la la
-
Super Bowl's the expectation
Fa la la la la la la la la
Real tough crowd, the Steelers Nation
Fa la la la la la la la la
Too much stress to have much fun
Fa la la la la la la la la
Even Rocky Bleier's done
Fa la la la la la la la la

--And the Pirates:
Pirates started in the snow
Fa la la la la la la la la
Pittsburgh looked like Buffalo
Fa la la la la la la la la
Team was hot despite the deep freeze
Fa la la la la la la la la
Turned out that was just a tease
Fa la la la la la la la la
-
Power needed, how 'bout Josh Bell?
Fa la la la la la la la la
Home run total really fell.
Fa la la la la la la la la
Have to back the pitching staff
Fa la la la la la la la la
Score more runs on ther behalf
Fa la la la la la la la la
-
Marte benched for lack of hustle
Fa la la la la la la la la
Last year it was steroid muscles
Fa la la la la la la la la
Lots of talent, drives Clint crazy
Fa la la la la la la la la
Has no business playing lazy
Fa la la la la la la la la

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The Supreme Court legalized sports betting. Just in time for Christmas, the Rivers Casino, practically in the shadow of Heinz Field, opened a sports book.
To the tune of "My Favorite Things"

Point spreads and parlays, the over and under.
Betting my pay check, I hope I don't blunder.
Who knows what upsets the weekend might bring,
Action's a gamb-a-ler's favorite thing.
-
Groceries at risk, and so are the kids' shoes.
Not going home if the L-A Rams lose.
Losses could be so devastating,
This is a gamb-a-ler's most-dreaded thing.
-
Adrenalin rush comes with money at stake.
He missed a chip shot? I can't catch a break.
Making me crazy, a fast 10-point swing,
This is a gamb-a-ler's most stressful thing.
-
Humans are flawed, I need no reminder.
Wife got a U-Haul, I can't seem to find her.
What kind of changes would bankruptcy bring?
This is a gamb-a-ler's frightening thing.
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(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)

Altoona Mirror, December 19, 2018

The Steelers' three-game losing streak is history, but that didn't put Ben Roethlisberger in a sunny mood on Tuesday.
The quarterback took a few minutes on his day off and used his weekly radio show to complain about a media report that claimed he has cracked ribs.
Roethlisberger missed several series of the game at Oakland two weeks ago with the injury. He returned to that game, and played the entire game in Sunday's 17-10 victory over New England.
He complained that NFL Network Ian Rapoport got it wrong about him. You may recall that Rapoport previously reported Roethlisberger would ask to be traded after the 2013 season.
The only rib debate I'm qualified to participate in is sauce vs. dry rub. However, a trainer once told me that when an athlete is listed as having "bruised ribs," it means the bones are really broken.
Who knows? Roethlisberger was able to get through Sunday's game, admitting the trainers designed some extra padding and medical treatments. It looks like he'll play with the injury for as long as the Steelers' season lasts. Bruised or broken, his ribs could be a factor.
In other Steelers matters:
--Jaylen Samuels had a strong game against the Patriots, but it may be too much to expect him to repeat the performance this Sunday in New Orleans. The Saints are one of the best teams at stopping the run, and Samuels is a converted receiver learning to play running back.
--Mike Tomlin is unwavering in his backing of struggling kicker Chris Boswell. What choice does he have? Boswell has succeeded before, and the replacement options aren't appealing in mid-December. If Tomlin has his hands in his pockets when Boswell kicks, bet that he's hiding crossed fingers.
--People are still calling talk shows to debate whether Tomlin should be fired if the Steelers miss the playoffs. He's been here 12 years and he's never had a losing season. They're not going to fire him.
--When will Rocky Bleier post his review of Sunday's game? On wait, that's right. He's done with the Steelers.
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If you attended any of Gene Dargan's pro wrestling cards at Jaffa Mosque back in the day, you probably saw Frank Durso lose the opening match.
Durso was a squatty and shaggy guy who played the bad guy and helped get a lot of shows started by losing to a fan favorite.
Durso (his real last name was Scuillo) died last week at 81.
As a college kid, I wrote press releases for Gene and went to a lot of the shows. I'd offer a cheery hello to Frank Durso, and he would invariably say, "You got any beer?"
I never did, and he would immediately lose interest in talking to me.
It's been a sad year for fans of the old "Studio Wrestling" show. The legendary Bruno Sammartino passed away in April, Johnny Valiant (originally John L. Sullivan) was killed in an accident a few weeks before that, and now Durso is gone, too.
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If you need a last-minute gift for an avid fan, my book "The Best Pittsburgh Sports Arguments" is available through your favorite online retailer. It may be available at your nearby book store, too, assuming you have one.
It was published in 2007, but most of it has been unaffected by the passage of time. There's plenty of stuff about the Steelers, Pirates and Penguins (and other offbeat subjects like sports movies and athlete's celebrity wives) and I typed it all myself.
There are 100 different debates, so a reader can easily jump around. A friend told me he considers it the ultimate bathroom book, and insisted that was a compliment. I'll take whatever positive reviews I can get.
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)

Altoona Mirror, December 16, 2018

If you're lucky enough to have a ticket for today's marquee match between the New England Patriots and Steelers, you may want to make a stop on the way to Heinz Field.
The Rivers Casino, which is right in the neighborhood, is offering sports betting now. You can drop in and make a wager on the game, then go over and keep an eye on your investment.
Last week one of the TV stations interviewed citizens about the introduction of legal sports gambling and one guy said, "It's always more interesting when you have something riding on the game."
Of course, it's also always more interesting when you can't pay the electric bill, and maybe that will be part of the equation for some people.
You may not like slot machines or blackjack. Maybe you're lousy at picking lottery numbers and understand the long odds against winning.
But almost everybody has an opinion on sports, and some will back those feelings with hard-earned cash.
One of the few perks of a sports writing life is having a ringside seat for all sorts of aberrant behavior. A colleague once lucked his way into two paychecks and blew both of them betting. He wound up in bankruptcy court.
His autumn Sundays went like this: He would bet a bunch of the 1 o'clock NFL games. "How'd you do?" someone would ask. "Lost a little," was the closest he'd come to admitting defeat. That was invariably followed by, "I'll get it back on the 4 o'clock games."
But he rarely did. And his last-ditch salvage efforts on Monday night too often put him deeper in the hole.
Repeat that for about 16 weeks, and then you're looking for an attorney who specializes in bankruptcy cases.
Not everybody loses. Just most people. Sports betting is not new. But now you don't have to call Sonny's brother-in-law's cousin to make a bet. It's an impulse purchase, like a pack of gum or a Slurpee. Just more expensive
There will be lives ruined by legal sports gambling, and it starts today.
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Tim Neverett, who broadcast Pirates games for seven seasons, was cut loose by the Boston Red Sox's flagship radio station last week.
Neverett said he was told in June that he should start looking for a new job. The reason? The station wants a new approach to play-by-play in baseball-crazed New England.
The term "talk show approach" popped up, but the station denied that. It did, however, admit it thought a more conversational approach was in order. In other words, if the announcers are debating who should pitch on Saturday, that discussion takes precedence over strict attention to details like the ball-strike count or score of the game being played.
A long time ago, Bob Prince was fired by KDKA and the Pirates because he would ramble off topic and stray from the play-by-play.
Turns out the old Gunner was just 40 years ahead of his time.
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On the field, Bill Fralic was a monster, a search-and-destroy player who lived in the weight room and made opponents pay for that sweat.
Coaches said he brought a defensive lineman's mentality to the offensive line, and they were right. There was nothing passive about his game.
Fralic died of cancer last week at 56. One of his last acts was to pay the hotel bill for his alma mater, Penn Hills, at the state playoffs in Hershey. It was a last act of generosity for the hometown he never forgot.
As tough as he was on the field, Fralic was almost shy away from football. He tried to keep his charitable acts quiet.
When it came to Penn Hills and Pitt, his impact lasted long after he played football for those schools.
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)

Altoona Mirror, December 12, 2018

The Steelers' season has turned into a mess, and it got even messier with Sunday's loss to the previously 2-10 Raiders in Oakland.
If the lasting image of the 2018 season isn't Le'Veon Bell on a jet ski, it will be Chris Boswell slipping on an invisible banana peel and booting a possible game-tying field goal weakly into the back of a lineman.
So many questions from that game made the Ben Roethlisberger Show and Mike Tomlin press conference must-listening Tuesday on the radio.
Here's what we learned: After Roethlisberger's ribs were crushed, he left the field to seek medical treatment. Apparently he, Dr. James Bradley and general manager Kevin Colbert had difficulty finding the x-ray room. Apparently it's three flights of stairs above the locker room level.
When the x-rays were taken, apparently the images were so murky they couldn't really make a proper evaluation. So they apparently gave Roethlisberger a pain-killing injection.
After the game, Tomlin said that Roethlisberger had been medically cleared from to get back in the game. Tomlin also said he hesitated to replace untested Josh Dobbs with his future Hall of Fame quarterback because "we were in a rhythm and flow of the game."
If there was rhythm and/or flow, it was dissonant and muddy. The Steelers were going nowhere with Dobbs in there.
It's possible -- maybe even likely -- that Tomlin felt the Steelers could beat the Raiders without Roethlisberger. If that was the case, it would make sense to keep him on the sideline to protect his injury.
Of course, Tomlin wouldn't admit that because it would disrespect an opponent. But what he said made absolutely no sense. He pretty much admitted that on Tuesday.
The Steelers fell behind, and Roethlisberger said he would go back in the game. He led the team on the drive for the final field goal, and the game should have been headed for overtime. Instead, Boswell was splayed on the slippery turf, and now the Steelers are in a fight for their playoff lives.
There was a lot of explaining to do, and it started Tuesday on the radio.
These are all subjects certain to be revisited if ownership sits down with Tomlin after a non-playoff season.
When it's all over, the Steelers will be charged with improving the defense. It won't be a bit surprising if owner Art Rooney II insists that Tomlin make staff changes, which will start with defensive coordinator Keith Butler heading out.
Special teams coach Danny Smith should update his resume, too.
When you lose games the way the Steelers have for the past three weeks, status quo is no longer an option.
In other Steelers matters:
--The Steelers will bring in other kickers for tryouts this week. They could very well sign one of them and invent an injury to let Boswell watch the last three weeks from the sideline. He can't be trusted in close games right now.
--The running game without James Conner was spectacularly unimpressive. One of the Steelers' biggest personnel mistakes was failing to adequately plan for Bell's season-long absence.
--Remember how Ike Taylor would get his hands on the football, but fail to make interceptions? The Steelers have a whole platoon of defensive players who do that now.
--Back when Rocky Bleier was sweating and getting his brain scrambled on the field, wonder how he would have felt about hearing criticism from a guy who had played for the Steelers 40 years earlier?
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)

Altoona Mirror, December 9, 2018

The Steelers are supposed to win in Oakland this afternoon.
Yes, James Conner is out, but the Raiders are 2-10 and haven't done very much right this season.
This game and the season finale at home against Cincinnati are set up on a tee for the Steelers. In between two gimmes, they have New England at Heinz Field and play at New Orleans.
They need to go at least 2-2 in this final stretch, although 3-1 would be a lot better.
They can't afford to stumble today in Oakland.
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NBA star Stephen Curry recently got a letter from a nine-year-old girl who complained that Curry's signature sneakers were not available in girls' sizes.
She plays basketball and wants to wear the same shoes that Curry does. He sent back a handwritten note and let her know this oversight will soon be corrected.
Of course. What kind of country are we running if every kid doesn't have a chance to buy a pair of $130 sneakers that won't fit next year?
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At about 5-foot-6, Sam Nover was unlikely to be the biggest person in the room. So he settled for being the loudest.
He had a booming voice, and there was seemingly no volume control. It was always at 10.
Nover, who died last week at 77, spent more than 30 years with WPXI-TV (originally WIIC). He came from Detroit in the early '70s with a mandate to shake up the station's sleepy sports operation.
He definitely did. Bombastic and supremely self-confident, Nover excelled at shrinking the day's news to a smoothly-delivered four minutes. He was a presence on the air.
His personality came through in the commentaries, well-crafted and often hard-hitting. While Bill Currie was down the dial cracking stale jokes about his ex-wife, Nover was using his commentary time to accuse Johnny Majors of mistreating some Pitt football players.
Nover liked attention. When he had a scoop, he would alert the local wire service bureaus. Sometimes the exclusives missed. When Nover incorrectly reported the Steelers would trade Joe Gilliam to the Bears, he went on the air the next night and revealed the name of the Chicago sportscaster who provided the bad information.
There was bite to Nover's game. He and Myron Cope couldn't stand each other. When station management chopped off part of Nover's air time for disjointed commentary from a fading Bob Prince, Nover rebelled. One night he introduced Prince with, "Ladies and gentlemen, I give you a man who remains convinced his skinny neckties will come back in style."
Nover proved it's possible for a physically small man to walk with swagger. He favored sunglasses and the white belt with matching loafers look when that was fashionable. He addressed male colleagues as "babe" without irony. Bill Cardille nicknamed him "Sammy Star."
He had brass. On the road with the Steelers, he would often call the busiest restaurant in town and convince them to reserve a Saturday evening table for "Dr. Nover" and his party.
Nover called Penguins games on TV, and did Steelers' pre-season games, too. He was a good enough play-by-play broadcaster to get work with NBC on NFL games. He was set for a big role in NBC's Olympic boxing coverage until the United States boycotted the 1980 Games.
Nover got a 30-minute sit down with Roberto Clemente just months before the Pirates star's death. It serves as Clemente's epitaph. Nover did good work, and he did it with his customary unabashed flair.
There's the story of the time he sold his car via a classified ad. He listed all the features of the car, all the reasons to buy this one and not any of the others listed.
The last item was quintessential Sam Nover. It read, "Celebrity driven." 
 (John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)

Altoona Mirror, December 5, 2018

James Conner won't play for the Steelers in this Sunday's game at Oakland because of an ankle sprain.
He'll be replaced by a committee of running backs so anonymous they could use "Hello, my name is" stick-on tags.
Officially it's Stevan Ridley, Jaylen Samuels and Trey Edmunds. That last one has been freshly bumped up from the practice squad.
It doesn't mean they can't run effectively, it just means nobody has any reason to expect much out of them.
When blowhards were yelling, "Who needs Le'Veon Bell?" the answer was always clear: The Steelers would need him if anything happened to Conner.
Now something has happened to Conner, and the team will try to patch together a running game in his absence. If there's anything good about this, it's the timing. The Raiders are pretty lousy.
Then again, there's no guarantee Conner will miss just this one game. The next two are home against New England and at New Orleans. That's difficult.
It's the point in the season when every team's depth is being tested by injury absences. The problem here is the lack of proven running backs the Steelers have behind Conner. Remember, Conner was supposed to be Bell's back-up.
They could still sign someone who's currently unemployed, but that doesn't leave much time for a potential new addition to learn even the basics of the playbook.
Four games left in the regular season, and the Steelers are down to their third option at running back. Even against the 2-10 Raiders, that's not a good feeling.
In other Steelers developments:
--It's only Wednesday, but there still hasn't been a apology from the NFL about the way the officiating crew missed a blatant false start penalty against Chargers right tackle Sam Teve.
Instead of a whistle and penalty, the play was allowed to continue and turned into a touchdown for the Raiders. How does an entire crew miss an infraction that was so obvious? The NFL has some explaining to do.
--Fans love to blame coaches when things fall apart. Those who did that had a valid point in Sunday's game. The Chargers figured how to exploit the match up of receiver Keenan Allen against Steelers linebackers.
The Chargers found something that worked. The Steelers had no answer for it. Allen wound up with 148 receiving yards. That can't happen.
--At the risk of being redundant, Mike Tomlin needs help. Specifically, he needs an assistant who can advise him on details like clock management and replay challenges. Tomlin threw away a time out by challenging a play that had virtually no chance to be overturned on review.
He's been on a significant losing streak with challenges, which means he's either getting bad advice or using bad judgment. It's time to examine the Steelers' process and find a way to improve it.
--Two notable absences on Alumni Night -- Jack Lambert was missing from the 1978 Super Bowl team and Troy Polamalu was a no-show from the 2008 championship team.
It would have been a bigger surprise had Lambert been there. Word is he wants to be paid for any appearances, and the Steelers haven't been willing to do that.
Polamalu apparently has bruised feelings because he felt the Steelers forced him into retiring before he was ready. They were right, though. Polamalu's once-spectacular game had become ordinary, and the Steelers hoped he would retire so they didn't have to release him.
Maybe time will heal the rift. Then again, decades of distance hasn't changed Lambert's mind about reunions.
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)

Altoona Mirror, December 2, 2018

Ben Roethlisberger was right about this much:
Rookie receiver James Washington has to make the catch he didn't make last Sunday in Denver.
He cost the Steelers a touchdown in a game they lost by seven points.
But was Roethlisberger right to go public with his criticism of a rookie player?
Probably not.
For one thing, it was apparent to just about everybody that Washington blew the catch he should have made. So to belabor the point as aggressively as Roethlisberger did on his radio show two days later was piling on.
More to the point, he violated quarterback protocol. Quarterbacks are the ultimate big brothers. They take the blame when it wasn't their fault. They take the bumps so others don't have to. It's a part of the job.
Neil O'Donnell threw a Super Bowl interception to a spot where Andre Hastings was supposed to be. Hastings cut the wrong way and left Dallas Cowboys' defender Larry Brown all alone. Brown parlayed that mistake into a Super Bowl MVP award and a big free agent contract he didn't deserve.
Hastings made the mistake. O'Donnell took the blame. That's what quarterbacks do.
Here's the other thing about Roethlisberger's mini-rant. Although he had a big day statistically, he wasn't flawless. His biggest mistake came at the end when he threw an interception near the goal line.
Roethlisberger maintained that center Maurkice Pouncey blocked his man so well that he bumped him right into a spot to pick off the pass. OK, but Roethlisberger had no business throwing the ball into coverage.
On a play that went awry right from the snap, he would have been smart to wing the ball into the stands and come back on the next down.
The Steelers players are teammates, but they're not of the same generation. Roethlisberger is 36, and his roots are planted in a different time in the NFL. He sometimes loses patience with younger teammates and some of their odd habits.
If there was a hidden message in his criticism of Washington -- like maybe he thinks the rookie doesn't work hard enough in practice or focus in games -- that's another matter entirely.
But just to jump on him for a bad play? That's not good.
It may not have been wrong to send that message, but it wasn't right to make a public delivery.
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Pirate Fest used to be a three-day event.
This year's version will take five hours.
While Neal Huntington is looking for ways to improve the team, the business side of the operation has an even bigger task. They need to reverse a trend that has seen ticket sales decline by 1,033,286 in the three seasons since 2015, the team's last post-season appearance.
The Pirates posted a winning record last season, and that's at least a step in the right direction. They have some quality young pitchers in a starting rotation that should be good for several seasons into the future. The back of the bullpen is strong.
The offense is obviously a problem, characterized mainly by a lack of power. They compete in a division where the Chicago Cubs don't blink at dropping $20 million a season on a player if they think they need him.
TV ratings indicate people are still following the Pirates. Translating that interest to ticket sales again is the challenge.
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If the Penguins don't solve their goaltending issues. it's going to seem like a long regular season without a post-season.
They desperately need Matt Murray to have a strong season when he comes off the injured reserve list. There's still plenty of time to fix things, but it won't happen without a resolution to the goaltending woes.
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)

Altoona Mirror, November 28, 2018

The Steelers handed a game to the Denver Broncos and may have given away their hopes for a first-round playoff bye in the process.
It was painful to watch the parade of mistakes, which included four turnovers. The Steelers could have overcome that number with some takeaways, but they created exactly zero.
So that made it important that backup tight end Xavier Grimble gave away a touchdown when he needlessly tried to run over a tackler.
It hurt even more when James Conner had an unforced fumble during a good run.
And it was positively deadly when Ben Roethlisberger tried to thread a regrettable pass through two defenders at the end of the game. The Broncos intercepted and sealed the game.
Thus the Steelers lost a game they couldn't afford to lose, in a season where they still have to face the Los Angeles Chargers and New England Patriots at home with a trip to New Orleans for a game against the Saints pending as well.
Those three teams are a combined 26-7. If the Steelers win two of the three games, they'll be doing something impressive.
It doesn't seem likely the Baltimore Ravens can overtake the Steelers for the divisional title, but playoff seeding is important. The Steelers had the bye week last year and still lost to Jacksonville. Still, a team would rather have that week off.
The chances of getting that break took a big hit with Sunday's loss in Denver.
Other Steelers matters:.
--Since Le'Veon Bell's absence became official, it looks like the Steelers are consciously trying to limit Conner's workload. Do they sense some fatigue, or are they just being protective because the depth behind Conner is so stionable?
--Ben Roethlisberger was especially candid on Tuesday's radio show. He said rookie James Washington "has to make" the catch on a potential touchdown pass he missed. He also called out Antonio Brown for running the wrong route and questioned the goal line play calling that led to the last interception.
--Vance McDonald is on the injury list again. The style he plays comes with a price.
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The Pirates potentially plugged another hole in their lineup by signing free agent outfielder Lonnie Chisenhall.
When he's healthy, he's an acceptable major league player. But that's the issue: Will he be healthy? He was limited to 29 games last season with calf injuries.
That's why he was available at the reasonable cost of $2.75 million with a chance to double that amount in incentives.
Teams don't sign a player without putting him a thorough physical and examining his medical records, so there's that. Doesn't mean the injury can't happen again, of course.
Chisenhall indicated he was anxious to sign. No doubt he noticed the problems non-stars had in getting contracts last off-season. So the match was made.
Chisenhall will presumably fill right field for as long as Gregory Polanco is out following shouder surgery. At 30, he's not a long-term answer, but that's OK. The Pirates need a legitimate player to start in right field for as long as Polanco is out in 2019. This also allows them to leave Adam Frazier at second base and not spot him in right.
Funny thing about personnel decisions: The Cleveland Indians didn't mind letting Chisenhall leave. They recently acquired Jordan Luplow from the Pirates. The Pirates were willing to sign Chisenhall because they believed he's a better option than playing Luplow in right field, even as a temporary starter.
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)

Altoona Mirror, November 25, 2018

Sunday? This is Sunday? it's been one of those weeks where three or four days have seemed like Sunday, so that accounts for the confusion.
OK, if this is really Sunday, the Steelers are in Denver and in a potentially troublesome game against the Broncos.
The first problem is Denver. The altitude always makes it a challenge to play there. In the past, the Steelers have gone west early to adjust to the different atmosphere.
The Broncos aren't overwhelming anybody at 4-6, but they're coming off a win over the Los Angeles Chargers. They have a pretty good defense that gets after quarterbacks effectively. The Steelers have an offensive line that might be ready to spring a leak since they may be down to their third option at right tackle.
Marcus Gilbert is out, replacement     Matt Feilers is questionable and that leaves 21-year-old Chukwuma Okorafor, who has never started an NFL game. The Broncos have Von Miller with 10 quarterback sacks and Bradley Chubb, who has nine.
That could be a problem, no matter how solid the rest of the line is. This kicks off an especially challenging stretch of schedule, which includes games against the Chargers, New Orleans Saints and New England Patriots, who are currently a combined 24-7.
The AFC North is, as usual, there for the taking, but the path isn't easy.
It could be almost as difficult as figuring out what day this is.
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MLB's Winter Meetings are coming up, and they're usually a swap meet for teams looking to make additions.
The Pirates' offseason shopping list includes a shortstop to replace Jordy Mercer. They may have found him already.
The Pirates will settle for a part-time player who can share the position with rookie Kevin Newman in 2019. The long-range plan is to hope that former No 1 draft pick Cole Tucker can take over, probably in 2020.
Erik Gonzalez  was acquired from Cleveland in a five-player trade that sent Jordan Luplow and Max Moroff to the Indians. Gonzalez has been billed as a possible utility player for the Pirates. He may be capable of holding down at least part of the shortstop job.
The priority there is being solid enough defensively to help a pretty good starting pitching staff. Mercer was sure-handed and accurate with his throws, but his limited range was a liability.
Gonzalez has the potential to be a significant defensive upgrade and at least match Mercer's modest offensive numbers while sharing time with Newman.
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Golf's first foray into pay per view flopped because of technical difficulties.
The one-on-one showdown between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson was beset with transmission problems, and that led some providers to refund the full $19.95 fee that buyers paid.
That should serve as a reminder that PPV technology isn't always perfect and it's possible -- maybe even easy -- to lose a program the promoter has spent mullions to organize and promote.
Not only do buyers lose a program they wanted, they're left with bad feelings about purchasing PPV programming in the future.
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Is it possible to have brush fires on ice?
If so, the Penguins do. They discovered Patric Hornqvist has a concussion, news that came a day or so after the team placed goalie Matt Murray on injured reserve with a mysterious lower body injury.
So with Murray out, goaltending is in the inexperienced hands of Casey DeSmith and Tristan Jarry, which won't make a lot of people feel another championship is imminent.
It's been a mess of a season so far. Usually this kind of crisis leads to a coaching change, if only as a distraction. In this case, though, there's no logical reason to think Mike Sullivan is in trouble.
If there's one thing working in the Penguins' favor, it's the ridiculous length of the NHL season.
November's problems may be distant memories by the time April rolls around.
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com).

Altoona Mirror, November 21, 2018

The Steelers' victory Sunday in Jacksonville was one of their most impressive games of the season, for all the wrong reasons.
The defense yielded too many rushing yards (179) to a team that doesn't pass the ball well. Ben Roethlisberger's three interceptions helped the Steelers lose the takeaway/giveaway game.
The Steelers were lousy converting third downs (3-for-11) and even worse (0-for-2) on fourth down attempts. One game after posting a perfect passer rating, Roethlisberger's number on Sunday was 65.4, lower than his counterpart, Blake Bortels.
Yet when the messy game was over, they'd won it 20-16. They won on the last play and by an inch, but they won.
When you can do so many things poorly and still win, it's a good sign.
Nobody wants to make a habit of that, but it's ultimately a positive to take into a tough environment in Denver this Sunday.
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The statisticians who worked Monday night's Kansas City Chiefs-Los Angeles Rams should have been packed in ice afterwards.
There was no chance to take a breath. It seemed like each team scored every time it had the ball, and there were enough spectacular plays to fill a one-hour highlights show.
Those who appreciate defensive football didn't find much to like, but the NFL believes that most fans like a game with plenty of offense.
This fit that bill.
So many of the Monday night games are clunkers (the NFL believes Sunday night is its showcase), but this one was genuine prime time entertainment.
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No surprises on the players the Pirates added to the 40-man roster.
Mitch Keller is their No. 1 pitching prospect and could get to the major leagues this season. Cole Tucker is their shortstop of the future despite his so-so season with the Curve.
J.T. Brubaker was the organization's minor league pitcher of the year. Jason Martin was acquired in the Gerrit Cole trade, so they're not going to take the risk that he might get away as a Rule 5 pick.
The Pirates painlessly cleared roster spots with the recent trades of Jordan Luplow, Max Moroff and Tanner Anderson.
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This might be as corny as the family size bag of Green Giant niblets, but it's time for the best holiday on the calendar.
Gluttony and football are a tough combination to beat, and it's even better if you somehow get along with your family and/or like pumpkin pie.
(By the way, my advice is to have a McRib or two on Friday to break up the cycle of holiday turkey, leftover hot turkey with gravy, turkey sandwiches and turkey salad).
Between the games and the crazed TV commercials for potential gifts (People get cars for Christmas?), take a moment or two to reflect on the gratitude we should all feel. As crazy as things are, we have a lot of reasons to be thankful.
I'm thankful for the opportunity to have space in the Mirror on a regular basis, and to have readers who actually pay attention to the things I type.
To those who read, those who e-mail and those who fight the long odds to enter the Guess How Many Games The Pirates Will Win contest, thank you.
I literally couldn't do it without you.
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)

Altoona Mirror, November 18, 2018

When the deadline had at last passed and Le'Veon Bell was nowhere to be found, some of his former (?) teammates had some fun.
They looted his locker, taking the shoes and other gear he'd left behind at the Steelers' training facility.
Some people concluded that was their way of showing contempt for Bell and his holdout strategy.
Maybe, but not likely. They were putting on a show for the media, showing their contempt for more than three months of Bell-related questions.
The players all get plenty of free swag. They don't need to pick through anyone's leftovers.
SUBHEAD: On the move
The Penguins made a peculiar trade last week, sending Carl Hagelin to the Los Angeles Kings for left wing Tanner Pearson.
The odd thing about it is the motivation. General manager Jim Rutherford freely admitted one of his prime reasons for making the deal was to wake up his team, which had been slumbering through a 1-6 stretch.
Hagelin was one of the most popular personalities in the Penguins' locker room and his departure did indeed shake things up.
Rutherford still believes he's assembled a good team, one that hasn't been playing to its potential.
By his accounting, the Penguins went through the first 16 games, playing five that were "good, a few that were average and seven or eight really bad ones."
With a quarter of the season almost passed, Rutherford decided to disable the snooze button before it was too late.
The Penguins' main problems have been a lack of secondary scoring, and average or worse goaltending from Matt Murray. When backup Casey DeSmith starts three straight games without an injury issue dictating the choice, something has gone off the rails.
Murray was said to be seething about his temporary demotion, and maybe that's a good thing. Complacency seems to be the Penguins' enemy this season.
So in the end, Hagelin for Pearson is one disappointing winger for another. Hagelin had one goal and three points in 16 games, despite playing on Evgeni Malkin's line. Pearson was worse, managing just one assist with the Kings.
But the hockey aspect really wasn't this deal was about. This was intended as a jolt for the teammates Hagelin left behind.
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It must be a thrill for high school kids to play in an NFL stadium.
That's the thinking behind having the WPIAL championship games at Heinz Field.
But is it necessary? The stands are mostly empty and it's not really practical to stage a high school football marathon in a 68,000-seat venue.
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If you've paid attention to ESPN's Monday Night Football, you know that analyst Booger McFarland isn't in the booth.
He's near field level, elevated in a cherry picker that moves up and down the sideline as the line of scrimmage moves. You're not sure if he's there to contribute to the commentary or to change some light bulbs.
And if ESPN has any games in cold weather places, he faces the risk of being a handy moving target for snowballs. But it's ESPN, and that's the way they roll. Doesn't matter if it's ridiculous.
By the way, Phil Mushnick of the New York Post refers to the vehicle as the "Rubber Booger Buggy."
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)

Altoona Mirror, November 14, 2018

Santa Claus is still coming to town. Le'Veon Bell isn't.
His long holdout officially ended just past 4 o'clock on Tuesday afternoon when he didn't show up to sign the contract tender the Steelers offered him months ago.
That means Bell won't play in the NFL anywhere this season and will probably not wear a Steelers uniform again.
You know what that means -- James Conner is the starting running back, and he's backed up by well-traveled Stevan Ridley and rookie Jaylen Samuels. The $14.5 million the Steelers agreed to pay Bell stays in the bank.
So far all the rumors and false reports and wild guesses, it ends with Bell taking a year off from football and forfeiting his income. The Steelers are dangerously thin at running back for the second half of the season and the playoffs.
Nobody won. Maybe someday Bell will explain how this makes any sense from his perspective. The Steelers played it by the rules of the system, which should have been obvious to Bell and his agent from the start.
Maybe there's a master plan that will reveal itself in the future. At the moment, it looks like Bell threw away a lot of money in the kind of volatile career that offers only a brief opportunity to make a lot.
The Steelers have been fine without Bell. But there's no guarantee Conner will continue his current level of production as the season winds down. There's also no guarantee Conner will stay healthy for the rest of the season running a style that doesn't shy away from collisions.
Speaking of guarantees, we don't really know what to expect from Ridley and Samuels. Ridley has averaged more than four yards per carry in four of his pro seasons (in limited work). He's also played for four teams in the last five seasons, which is an indication his employers determined they could get along fine without him.
Samuels was chosen on the fifth round of this year's draft. He has experience at both running back and fullback and has also played tight end and receiver.
It would probably be smart for Mike Tomlin and Randy Fichtner to work in the other two backs. Give Conner an occasional break, and give the other backs a chance to get a feel for game speed.
In the meantime, there was a purpose in mentioning Santa at the start of this column. He probably has a warehouse full of Steelers jerseys with "Bell 26" on the back.
He may still deliver them, but now they'll take the place of the lump of coal.
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Hue Jackson, recently fired as Cleveland Browns' head coach, didn't need a lot of time to find a new job.
Marvin Lewis hired him as a special assistant on his Cincinnati Bengals staff. That's the same Marvin Lewis who has not won a playoff game in his 15 seasons with the Bengals.
Hard to see how adding Jackson to the staff is going to make things better.
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Former pro wrestling champion Bruno Sammartino died on April 18 at age 82 after a year or two of failing health.
The family's tragic year took another sad turn last week when Daniel Sammartino, one of Bruno and Carol Sammartino's twin sons, died at 50.
Daniel once had ambitions to follow his father into wrestling. When Bruno found out about that, he put his foot down and strongly suggested his son pursue another career.
Daniel Sammartino was the owner of a hair salon at the time of his death.
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)

Altoona Mirror, November 11, 2018

If Antonio Brown actually was driving over 100 miles per hour on a suburban highway last week, it begs this question:
Why?
Was he late for an appointment? Was his Porsche fresh from a tune-up and he was anxious to test it? Did a soccer mom in a mini-van challenge him to a race when they were both stopped for a light? Was he upset that Le'Veon Bell was stealing his headlines? Did he want to make sure the police radar was functioning properly? Was it another Facebook Live production?
If your speedometer is hitting triple digits in broad daylight, there must be a reason.
At the moment these questions remain unanswered. Bell refused to speak after Thursday night's lopsided win over Carolina. When TV cameras caught him entering Heinz Field, he flipped them off three different times.
All of this might be more understandable if Brown were an irresponsible teenager. But he's not. He's 30 years old and the father of four children.
Maybe some of those kids ride a school bus every day. Wonder how their father would feel about someone racing down the highway at 100 miles per hour when his kids are in traffic?
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Jim Rutherford served notice last week that he isn't much of a Penguins fan these days.
A five-game losing streak put the general manager in a foul mood, and he spoke his mind on his radio show.
Rutherford said changes are a definite possibility, but what could he do that would make a significant difference?
The Penguins' stars are fine. Rutherford insists he and coach Mike Sullivan are on the same page, even though they seem to openly disagree on the potential of former No. 1 draft pick Daniel Sprong.
It's hard to make in-season trades because of the salary cap. The Penguins customarily spend to the limit. That means if they want to add a player with a $5 million contract, they have to eliminate a similar amount from the payroll. That makes it difficult to find trading partners.
The most likely move would be to deal Derick Brassard, who has yet to find a way to fit comfortably into the Penguins' forward rotation. Otherwise, Rutherford will probably be looking to make moves with the fringes of the roster. Will that have an impact? Doubtful.
There is still a considerable amount of talent on the roster. A sharper focus would help, and that may be coming. This group has proven it knows how to win.
It's a very long season, and mid-November is too soon to panic.
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After 15 seasons of playing for his hometown Minnesota Twins, Joe Mauer announced his retirement from baseball.
He said he was departing with a "full and grateful heart." His wallet was pretty well-stuffed, too.
The Twins paid Mauer $218 million over the course of his career.
Consider that the franchise only kicked in $195 million for their share of Target Field, which opened in 2019. There was $353.5 million that came from public funds, which included a county sales tax that took money from just about every citizen.
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Chuck Noll coached the Steelers for 23 years, and his teams won four Super Bowls. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He is one of the legendary coaches in NFL history.
Yet Fox spelled his name "Knoll" in a graphic outlining the Steelers' coaching lineage during Thursday's broadcast.
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)

Altoona Mirror, November 7, 2018

Steelers Sunday comes early this week.
In fact, the home game against the Carolina Panthers will be on Thursday night.
The good news is once it's over, the players and staff will have extra time to recover before the next game, Nov. 18 at Jacksonville.
That's the extent of the good news.
The players will barely be over last Sunday's bumps and bruises when they line up against the Panthers.
They're working in double time. Offensive lineman Ramon Foster broke it down this way: Monday is the normal recovery day, spent reviewing the previous game and getting medical treatment.
Tuesday -- normally a day off -- becomes the equivalent of Tuesday and Wednesday in a regular week. That's the time to get the game plan and do the heavy practice work.
This week's Wednesday is like a combination of Friday and Saturday in a normal week. There's a light practice and a walk through. One benefit is it's a home game for the Steelers. Otherwise, they'd be on a plane to Carolina.
It's not the same as working in a coal mine, but it's a disruption of the normal routine. And there's no real good reason for it.
Thursday NFL games used to be limited to one day per season, Thanksgiving. The Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys had home games and the opponents rotated.
Now there's a game every Thursday, and participation is mandatory. Every team gets stuck with one Thursday game.
The NFL started this "tradition" when the league started its own TV channel and wanted unique content. Now they share some of the games with the networks (this one is on Fox) for more money.
The players are ill served by playing with such a short recovery time, but that's OK in the NFL.
Player safety is something to endlessly discuss. It takes a back seat to making money, though.
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Ever get together with co-workers after hours and discuss your grievances with the workplace?
It's highly likely. Any non-hook up meetings in bars after 5 p.m. are people complaining about the boss.
It's mostly harmless, just people blowing off steam.
But what if someone had an unseen video camera recording, and the bosses  being assailed were able to eavesdrop on the conversation?
In the immortal word of Myron Cope, yoi. That's what happened to a bunch of Ottawa Senators players who got an Uber ride back to their hotel in Arizona. They used the trip to unload on the incompetence of an assistant coach.
The driver had a camera activated, then posted the video online.
As you can imagine, there have been repercussions. The audio quality is quite good, so there's no doubt about what they're saying and who's saying it.
Turns out it is not illegal to record people without their consent in Arizona (it is illegal in Pennsylvania), although it is a violation of Uber policy.
Must have made for an uncomfortable team meeting when nearly one third of the players were seen bashing one of their coaches.
Since there's video evidence, the usual dodges are not applicable. There's no denying what was said or claiming the context isn't understood.
Technology is great in so many ways, but what's happened to America when workers can't have a private boss bash?
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No more political ads on TV for at least a few months.
There should be a parade today.
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)

Altoona Mirror, November 4, 2018

Aw, who needs Le'Veon Bell, right?
That's been the prevailing sentiment lately as Bell's contract holdout continues with no end or logic in sight. His absence has coincided with some record-setting work by replacement James Conner.
In last Sunday's game against Cleveland, Conner piled up 212 yards from scrimmage. He became the first Steelers running back to rush for at least 100 yards and two touchdowns in three consecutive games.
He's the only one on an all-time roster that includes Franco Harris, Jerome Bettis and, yes, even Tom "The Bomb" Tracy.
Conner has been impressive. His numbers so far this season top those posted by Bell last season.
But the operative words in the previous sentence are "so far." Conner is in his second NFL season. His rookie season, which had a much lighter workload, ended two games early because of a knee injury that required surgery.
Conner only carried the ball 32 times last year. He didn't catch a pass and was only targeted once in his limited role.
He's been a workhorse this year, carrying the ball 127 times and catching 31 passes on 41 targets.
He's obviously been productive, too, with a smashing running style that either makes tacklers miss or simply blasts through them.
Today's game in Baltimore marks the halfway point of the season. Eight games to go, and then the playoffs start. The Steelers expect to be in the postseason.
That's a lot of work for Conner, especially when the weather deteriorates and running the ball often becomes a better option than passing.
This is a concern because there's very little depth behind Conner. Stevan Ridley has 10 carries for 30 yards. He was lifted from last Sunday's game when he fumbled the ball after catching a pass. The Steelers are his fifth team in six seasons.
Jaylen Samuels is a rookie who has run the ball four times in the NFL. The Steelers' No. 2 rusher is Ben Roethlisberger, whose quarterback sneaks and scrambles have amounted to 44 yards in the first seven games.
If anything happens to Conner, the Steelers probably won't have much of a running game.
Bell is a royal pain in the neck, but he would also be a formidable insurance policy to have on the sideline.
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There was much consternation when Pitt defensive back Damarri Mathis celebrated a play with a gesture Friday night at Virginia.
Some people thought Mathis was miming the shooting of a machine gun. If that had been the case, it would have been in the worst possible taste, given the tragic events that unfolded last week at the Tree of Life synagogue in Squirrel Hill.
Mathis and Pitt maintained he was imitating a dance move from a popular rap video.
He's a vote for the latter explanation. While his movements could have been perceived as firing a machine gun, it isn't likely. You could even make a case that he looked like he was playing air guitar.
The video is all over the Internet, so check for yourself. If someone hadn't suggested the machine gun angle, how many people would have perceived it that way?
Maybe it was too close for comfort given the rawness still prevalent from the horrific shooting incident, but it seems unlikely Mathis intended any malice.
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In case you missed it, Los Angeles Dodgers batters managed 34 hits in five World Series games against the Boston Red Sox.
Dodgers batters struck out 56 times in the Series.
Not that the Red Sox were a whole lot better with 42 hits and 53 strikeouts.
It's a different game now, all or nothing.
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)

Altoona Mirror, October 31, 2018

Good news. The NFL trading deadline passed Tuesday afternoon, and that ended all the crackpot Le'Veon Bell trade rumors.
He'll either play for the Steelers, or he'll stay home and lose in excess of $800,000 every time his erstwhile teammates play a game.
The Steelers did nothing at the deadline, which is exactly what they were expected to do. They can still sign players who have been cut loose by other teams, of course. That's usually a matter of necessity rather than choice, though.
There were a couple of notable notes from Mike Tomlin's weekly briefing. He said the left hand injury Ben Roethlisberger sustained in Sunday's game against Cleveland is actually a fractured index finger.
That's not as significant as an injury to his right hand would be, but it bears watching. The injury, and whatever gear he has to wear to protect it, will make it more difficult to handle the ball.
Tomlin also freely admitted why former first-round draft pick Artie Burns didn't get on the field Sunday apart from special teams duty.
Burns was late for Saturday's walk-through and Tomlin penalized him by keeping him on the bench.
Burns' playing time has diminished so much through this season that his absence was barely noticed.
Still, it's a disturbing development. The Steelers obviously expected big things from Burns when they chose him first in 2016. He did OK as a rookie, seemed to regress last year and can't seem to keep his spot this season.
It's looking like he's following the bad career path of Jarvis Jones, another No. 1 pick who wound up disappointing.
Burns is only 23, and he has a lot of ability, so it's hard to give up on him. But this is fundamental: If you're having a rotten season, at least show up for work on time.
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Steve Pearce was the Most Valuable Player of the 2018 World Series. You could have won some serious money betting on that underdog.
Pearce spent his first major league years with the Pirates between 2007-11. He had power potential, but posted so-so numbers and was allowed to leave as a free agent.
The Minnesota Twins signed him and then released him at the end of spring training. Pearce has been with seven organizations since he left the Pirates. The Baltimore Orioles had him three different times.
Pearce got hot at the right time and was pretty much a clear-cut choice in the short series. It happens in baseball.
Gene Tenace was the MVP of the 1972 World Series for the Oakland Athletics. He'd had a lousy regular season as a part-time player, batting .225 and hitting five home runs in 227 at-bats.
He was worse in the American League Championship Series, managing one hit in 17 at-bats for a .059 average.
But when the World Series started, he became Babe Ruth...or at least the Babe's cousin. Tenace batted .348 and hit four home runs in 23 at-bats.
So he won the trophy and the car and had a memorable moment in a career that didn't have a lot of them.
And now history will note Steve Pearce has won an award that's named for Willie Mays.
Crazy game.
---
Happy Halloween
It's the day celebrated by ghosts, sugar-crazed kids and dentists.
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)

Altoona Mirror, October 29, 2018

Sunday dawned gray and gloomy in Pittsburgh with a persistent drizzle.
It was one of those days when the elements matched the mood.
The Steelers played the Cleveland Browns at Heinz Field, just a few miles from the spot where a hideous tragedy was making international headlines.
An individual armed with automatic weapons and hate started firing at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill neighborhood. By the time he was captured, the destruction was horrific.
Eleven people died, nine of them over the age of 65. Two victims were brothers. A husband and wife died. They were killed because they attended a Saturday morning worship service.
Around the time the players were being introduced on the North Side Sunday, the victims' names were being released to the media by authorities.
When Mike Tomlin and his wife Kiya moved to Pittsburgh with their three children in 2007, they bought a house in Squirrel Hill. He estimated his home is about 800 yards from Tree of Life.
Steelers president Art Rooney II also lives in Squirrel Hill, a leafy green neighborhood known for stately old houses, an eclectic retail and restaurant mix and a unique sense of community. Its main thoroughfare, Murray Avenue, is busy daily with pedestrians. Even if the dog walkers and shoppers don't actually know each other, there's a bond.
By now, we're all familiar with Tomlin's demeanor at news conferences. He stares stonily from beneath his cap and answers questions in a clipped manner that belies no emotion. He's all business.
Sunday was different. Tomlin appeared ready to tear up when he was talking about Saturday's events.
"I'm a member of the Squirrel Hill community personally, and words cannot express how we feel as members of the community," Tomlin said. "We are prayerful."
This was personal for some of the Steelers. The team's former director of community relations, Michele Rosenthal, lost her two brothers in the attack.
Ben Roethlisberger opened his post-game results by saying, "Our thoughts, love and prayers go to all the victims of yesterday's senseless shooting, especially from me and my family to Michele. We love you, Michele, and we are thinking about you."
Defensive end Cam Heyward has done community work in Squirrel Hill and Saturday's images hit him hard.
"It's your own community, so it hurts even more," Heyward said. "It hurt a lot. I'm not going to sugar coat it. I thought about, what if my kids were there? I have friends who live there and I'm calling to check.
"For someone to do such a harmful and hateful crime....Pittsburgh is better than that. Nobody deserves that. They are innocent people. I don't care what you believe, you treat people with respect and care about everybody."
The Steelers observed a moment of silence before the game. Roethlisberger said he had tears in his eyes.
Across town, the Penguins announced they have canceled a Halloween costume promotion for their next home game on Tuesday. Instead, they'll collect money for a victims fund. They are also promoting a blood donation drive.
After Sunday's game, some media people were trying to pursue the angle that the Steelers had given a grieving city a gift with the 33-18 victory over Cleveland. That's just silly. At best, the game was a three-hour distraction from a very grim reality.
"Today was much larger than the game of football," running back James Conner said. "Our hearts are with the victims."
Long after the score and details are forgotten, this will be remembered as the day the quarterback was crying and the head coach was moved to offer a rare and involuntary look behind his ice-cold facade.
Gray and damp and depressing, no football game could fix this.
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)

Altoona Mirror, October 28, 2018

The Cleveland Browns are in town today, and their visits have usually been as welcome as those from Santa Claus.
It's generally been a nice way for the Steelers to pick up an easy win.
Maybe not now, though. The Browns still aren't good, but they aren't awful, either.
The Steelers should have picked up on that when the Browns managed to come out of the season opener with a tie against them. That was with the mediocre Tyrod Taylor at quarterback. He has since been supplanted by No. 1 draft choice Baker Mayfield.
His name may sound like a brokerage ("I moved my money from Hunter Pence to Baker Mayfield") but he's a talented player who has actually helped the Browns win games, something no Cleveland quarterback has seemingly done reliably since the days of Brian Sipe (Good morning, fellow old-timers).
The  Steelers used to be automatic against rookie quarterbacks, devising schemes that would confuse them to the point of nightmares. This current Steelers defense mostly scares just Mike Tomlin.
The Steelers are coming off the bye week, and sometimes that leads to sluggishness. This is a big game for the Browns.
The Steelers and Browns frequently meet at the end of the season, when Cleveland's hopes of respectability have been dashed and the sole priority is exiting the game without an injury that will ruin the offseason.
This time, though, the Browns are 2-4-1 and tap dancing on that thin line between winning and losing. They've lost two games by three points and another by four.
They may not be good, but they're also no longer the Browns who inspire more laughs than a "Seinfeld" rerun.
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If you're not invested emotionally in the outcome, Pitt's football games are fun to watch.
There's a lot of offense on both sides. The Panthers are either marching on some sort of spectacular drive, or they're allowing one.
If you're teaching an elementary school student basic math skills, Pitt games are a virtual workbook. They're always adding six.
For those who are invested emotionally -- like the university's administration -- it's not such a good thing. Pat Narduzzi got the head coaching job on his resume as a defensive coach, and the Panthers don't stop a whole lot of teams very well.
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FOX made at least one good decision with its World Series coverage. There are just two people in the booth, Joe Buck and John Smoltz.
They have sideline reporters, but they're not called upon that often and usually have some valid information to offer.
Compare and contrast that with ESPN's coverage of routine Sunday night games, which have three announcers in the booth -- Matt Vasgersian, Alex Rodriguez and Jessica Mendoza.
More often than not, it seems like the game is an inconvenient backdrop for three-way conversation among the announcers. Then ESPN has to wedge in all the material it already has prepared because that justifies the effort of the people who did all the research.
FOX at least keeps it pretty basic during the game. Buck seems to annoy a lot of people, but he's a capable TV play-by-play broadcaster. Smoltz can dive too deeply into analyzing every pitch, as though every pitcher can put every pitch exactly where he wants it.
However, they let the game come through where ESPN suffocates a routine regular season game.
Viewers are advised to come late and leave early to avoid FOX's yuck-filled pre and post-game shows, where a bevy of former players take turns insulting each other.
If there's anything good about it, it's that FOX bounced pathetic Pete Rose after allegations that he enjoyed dating underage women when he was a player.
That was too sleazy, even for FOX.
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)

Altoona Mirror, October 24, 2018

The NFL trading deadline usually passes with scant interest among Steelers fans.
This year is different.
Patrick Peterson, cornerback for the Arizona Cardinals, has made it known he would like to be traded before the Oct. 30 deadline.
This would make perfect sense for the Steelers for a number of reasons:
--Peterson is a good player and would represent a significant upgrade over players the Steelers currently have manning the position.
--The Steelers appear to have a Super Bowl-capable offense that will only get better if Le'Veon Bell ever shows up. The defense is iffy at best, especially in the secondary.
--Thanks to Bell's absence to this point, the Steelers have the salary cap room to handle Peterson's contract, which includes two seasons beyond this one.
--Peterson is 28 years old, so he's in his prime.
--Cornerback Joe Haden's contract expires after this season, so acquiring Peterson would have potential benefits beyond this season.
All that said, a deal that would be logical probably won't happen for these reasons:
--The Cardinals say they don't play to trade Peterson. OK, but maybe a really tempting offer could change that feeling. After all, why does Arizona want an unhappy player on the roster?
--A tempting offer would probably include a first-round draft pick. The Steelers haven't traded away their first pick in 40 years. They've made deals within the first round, moving up or down, but they haven't let the first round pass without making a pick. Trading top picks is one reason they were so lousy in the 1960s.
--Peterson would be tasked with learning a new defense on the fly. The bye week has passed, so there's no real time to catch up. Perhaps that would negate some of his talent.
--The Steelers don't make a lot of trades, they make fewer in-season trades and they certainly don't make blockbuster deals during the season.
Adding Peterson could improve the Steelers' chances of getting to the Super Bowl. The clock is ticking on Ben Roethlisberger's career, so every season counts.
Still, don't look for it to happen. It's just not the way they traditionally do things.
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We're on the honor system here, so trust me: This is being typed before a pitch has been thrown in the World Series.
My pick is the Boston Red Sox in six games.
But what do I know?
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Duquesne announced a new plan for the on-campus A.J. Palumbo Center.
The venue, which opened in 1988, was under-built from the start. Adults don't want to sit on bleachers.
They're going to gut the whole building and redo it with suites, comfortable seats, practice facilities for a variety of sports, and academic space. It will have multiple uses beyond hosting basketball games.
The project is expected to cost $45 million, and the building will get a new name -- the UPMC Cooper Field House. The mens and womens basketball teams will play their games off campus next season, mostly at the PPG Paints Arena.
The new building is supposed to be ready for the 2020-21 basketball season. Capacity will remain just over 4,000. A lot of those seats are empty for Duquesne games these days.
The idea is to fill them. Having seat backs should help.
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)

Altoona Mirror, October 21, 2018

Manny Machado is being paid $16 million to play baseball. Effort is not necessarily part of that package.
Machado, now with the Los Angeles Dodgers, did an interview with Ken Rosenthal last week that is remarkable for being both candid and clueless.
Machado, 26, admitted to Rosenthal that he doesn't always put forth maximum effort.
"There's no excuse for it, honestly," he said. "Obviously I'm not going to change. I'm not the type of player who's going to be Johnny Hustle and run down the line. That's not my personality. That's not my cup of tea. That's not who I am."
Machado has a lot more talent than he has sense, which will serve him well as he hits the free agent market in a few weeks. Someone will likely be willing to pay him hundreds of millions of dollars to play for their team, knowing they won't always get his best effort.
It's not like Machado has exactly spilled a secret. Baseball has a bunch of players who don't always exert themselves. Yoenis Cespedes of the New York Mets is a known slacker. The Pirates' Starling Marte gives a sporadic effort, which actually got him benched for a game this season.
Ex-Pirate Bill Madlock, a four-time batting champion, was known for conserving his energy.
Mike Piazza is in the Hall of Fame even though he often didn't run out ground balls, and had the bad habit of standing at home plate to admire possible home runs -- even when they didn't clear the fence.
Will this admission cost Machado free agent money? Doubtful. Teams have made their peace with understanding there's often good and bad. Machado will be productive enough to offset the times when his manager would like to strangle him.
Machado will likely do fine as he hunts a new contract. The team that signs him just shouldn't expect Johnny Hustle to be part of the deal.
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Dave Littlefield was interviewed by the Mets for their vacant general manager position.
The New York Post labeled Littlefield a "fringe" candidate who is unlikely to get a second interview.
Whatever, this is the first time he's been known to be under consideration for a GM job since the Pirates cashiered him on Sept. 7, 2007.
His nearly six-year stay with the Pirates is largely remembered as a disaster, and not without justification. He was, of course, hampered by a limited budget and Kevin McClatchy's insistence that he do whatever seemed necessary to end that infernal streak of losing seasons. Thus, the Pirates wound up with Jeromy Burnitz for $6 million a year when they were actually better served by Nate McLouth at a fraction of that price.
Littlefield has worked continuously in baseball since leaving the Pirates. He scouted for the Cubs, then moved on to Detroit. He spent the last three years as the Tigers vice president of player development.
At 58, Littlefield can stay on that track, which offers a six-figure salary, low profile and minimal pressure. Unless he's aching to be a GM again, there's little reason to jump back in a job that requires nearly 24/7 commitment.
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Once you figure out when they're playing and what channel they're on, you can watch the MLB playoffs.
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The Penguins are on an extended trip to Canada at the same time recreational marijuana has been legalized in that country.
Go back about 40 years, and there were a certain number of Penguins players who would have been very reluctant to leave Canada at the end of the trip under those circumstances.
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)

Altoona Mirror, October 17, 2018

Vontaze Burfict was sneaky dirty this time.
The Cincinnati Bengals linebacker dropped an elbow on Antonio Brown's head that TV cameras saw but game officials didn't.
After that, players reported that Burfict yelled across the line of scrimmage, "You're next" at Steelers' second-year receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster.
Smith-Schuster said Burfict spent a good part of Sunday's game verbally threatening him, although nothing tangible came of it.
Just another AFC North game.
Burfict deserves a fine for the shot on Brown. If Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt got a $20,000 fine (and an on-field penalty) for bumping up against quarterback Matt Ryan's legs in the Atlanta game, Burfict deserves at least that much.
Surely some of the officials heard him making threats. Isn't there a time where that comes under the catch-all of "unsportsmanlike conduct" and merits a flag?
Some people think there are too many penalty flags in NFL games. This was a case where there should have been more.
SUBHEAD: Looking back
Some observations from the Steelers' victory in Cincinnati:
--The most impressive performance of the day was turned in by the Steelers' offensive line. The Bengals had no sacks and never knocked Roethlisberger down. In fact, Roethlisberger said he couldn't recall even being touched by a Bengals player more than three times in the game. Credit to the offensive line against a pass rush that is generally pretty good.
--Roethlisberger had an interesting comment about Le'Veon Bell on his weekly radio show. He said that even if Bell showed up now, it would still probably be three or four weeks before Bell would in peak football shape and ready to absorb regular contact.
That should take care of the question of who the starter should be. For the foreseeable future, it's James Conner.
--You could tell there was something special about Sunday's game by the enthusiasm Mike Tomlin displayed in his post-game question and answer session. The coach doesn't like show a lot of emotion in the media room. He puts on that stone face and answers questions by rote. This time, though, he was clearly excited by the way things unfolded and by the way the Steelers played.
--Cornerback Artie Burns was only on the field for 21 snaps on Sunday. The former No. 1 pick has played his way onto the bench for the moment.
--Looks like the radar Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown have shared for years is honed in again.
--Also looks like Roethlisberger is very comfortable with the ability of his tight ends to make plays. Both Vance McDonald and Jesse James have become favored targets. Watching McDonald mow down would-be tacklers has become a special treat for Steelers fans. May all of PennDOT's snow plows be that effective this winter.
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It doesn't get nearly the notice that Bill Mazeroski Day (Oct. 13) does, but today is the anniversary of the Pirates' last two World Series, 1971 and 1979, both in Baltimore.
The players had to fight their way off the field in '79. Joe Shuta's popular "Two Minute Timeout" has a good feature with catcher Steve Nicosia reminiscing about that experience and an odd reunion with a guy he roughed up. You can find it at: www.2minuteto.com and it only takes two minutes.
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)

Altoona Mirror, October 14, 2018

The Steelers and Bengals will start mixing it up just past 1 o'clock this afternoon.
The relevant question is whether football will be the No. 1 topic of conversation when this one wraps up somewhere around 4 o'clock.
The teams have a heated rivalry, and one of the key figures in that aspect is Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict, No. 55 in the game program and close to being No. 1 on the NFL's list of players fined for things they shouldn't be doing.
Let's make one thing clear: The Steelers aren't angels, and never have been. Joe Greene once got thrown out of a playoff game for giving Denver lineman Paul Howard a bolo punch to the midsection.
Last December the Steelers' JuJu Smith-Schuster leveled Burfict with a hit that caused a concussion, then stood over Burfict, taunting the fallen player.
That plot thickened when Burfict was given a four-game suspension to start this season, citing a failed drug test. Burfict maintained he was on a prescribed medication as a result of the concussion.
So there's plenty to watch today, and flag-happy officials will be even more diligent at the sign of anything that might be outside the rules.
They're right to do so, and they'd be even more correct to keep an eye on No. 55 on the Bengals.
He's always angry, but last year's events may have put some extra fuel on his raging fire.
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The Milwaukee Brewers, who are currently playing in the National League Championship Series, opened this season with a payroll around $90 million.
That's about $3 million more than where the Pirates' payroll was at the same time.
It's also about $65 million less than the Baltimore Orioles, who lost 115 games and finished 61 games out of first place. As always, it's not just how much you spend, it's how you spend it.
What's even more amazing is the Brewers have more than 18 percent of their payroll tied up in Ryan Braun, who is looking like an average player these days at age 34.
Braun had the lowest batting average and OPS of his career. The Brewers still owe him a guaranteed $36 million for two more seasons, and they'll have to spend another $4 million to buy out a final option year.
Fans loved it when the Brewers committed long-term to their best player in 2008, and were probably just as elated when management added on another five years in 2011. Now? Maybe not so much since he hit .254 this season.
It's not just how much you spend, it's how you spend it.
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There were high school football games Friday in the WPIAL that ended with these scores:
63-20, 70-36, 52-7, 66-6, 55-7, 50-7, and 64-21.
There were shutouts where the winning team scored 42 (two games), 46 (two games), 48, 53, and 49 points.
The big one in the shutout category was a 70-0 final. Imagine that -- the team that lost 53-0 can take consolation in knowing someone else had a worse night.
Blowouts happen, especially in high school, where the talent level can be wildly uneven. Having that many one-sided games in one night is mind-boggling, though.
What does it say when a 48-3 game doesn't even make a list of outrageously lopsided outcomes?
Hard to maintain interest among fans or the athletes when things are that ridiculous.
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Saturday was the 58th anniversary of Bill Mazeroski's home run that won the 1960 World Series for the Pirates.
We still don't know the exit velocity or the launch angle, but people still seemed to be pretty happy anyway.
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)

Altoona Mirror, October 10, 2018

Asking the day's relevant question:
Who among us hasn't tossed an ottoman off a 14th floor balcony in a fit of rage?
That bizarre story broke on Tuesday as a man in Florida sued Steelers receiver Antonio Brown, alleging that Brown put his safety in peril by pitching furniture, vases and other objects off the balcony of a Miami apartment high rise.
At this point, you have to wonder if there's any shock value left at Steelers' headquarters when it comes to player behavior.
Brown was also sued for allegedly trashing the apartment.
Just another day in Steelers' land, where something is always happening and it doesn't even have to be about football.
But on the subject of football, let's review some things from Sunday's win over Atlanta:
--Ben Roethlisberger said on his radio show Tuesday that the inaccuracy of his passes in the first half was because of his lingering elbow injury. While the quarterback has been known to pay undue attention to his injuries, this bears watching.
Roethlisberger said he was on target in the second half because he decided to "suck it up" and throw with his normal motion, even though it caused him pain. We're only five weeks into the season. It's not a good sign when the quarterback says his arm hurts.
--By all accounts, linebacker L.J. Fort did a good job filling in for the injured Vince Williams. Good for Fort, but could that mean that replacing Williams really isn't that tough a task?
--Mike Tomlin said the Steelers didn't blitz more against the Falcons. There was clearly more pressure on the quarterback, though. Was that a function of Atlanta's offensive line doing a poor job, or did the Steelers vary their defensive looks enough to cause confusion?
--Tomlin said he's not worried about kicker Chris Boswell, who missed his first extra point try. OK, but what happens when the Steelers are in a game where a field goal might make the difference? Boswell is missing easy kicks on dry fields, and that should be a concern.
--End zone celebrations are OK to a point. JuJu Smith-Schuster's simulation of "giving birth" to a football (aided by James Conner) was as dumb as it was tasteless. If that's what they're going to do, just spike the ball and be done with it.
--Roethlisberger said he hopes Sunday's game in Cincinnati can be tough and hard-hitting without being dirty. Is that possible with the Bengals' Vontaze Burfict on the field? He just returned from a suspension, so he may have a surplus of hostility built up.
--Does Vegas have an over/under on penalty yardage in this game?
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Watching the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox play usually involves an investment of more than four hours.
They play, and play, and then they play some more.
The games are even longer when Angel Hernandez is on the umpiring crew and his calls are being challenged on replay.
Hernandez is one of MLB's least competent umpires, but he's working a post-season series. That's probably because he sued MLB for excluding him from past post-season activity.
There's this, too: With six umpires working three post-season events (Division Series, Championship Series and World Series), plus 12 more working the two wild card games, there are 48 post-season assignment to fill.
Some less-than-stellar umpires are going to get called just because of the need.
It was even more complicated this year with two divisions requiring tiebreaker games the day after the season ended.
Too many openings, not enough good umpires.
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)

Altoona Mirror, October 7, 2018

The Penguins opened the season last week, and there was no need to stage a banner-raising ceremony.
The Stanley Cup currently belongs to the Washington Capitals, and it doesn't seem like many people outside of Pittsburgh expect the Penguins to repossess it this spring.
The Penguins appear to be waddling under the radar in discussions of possible Cup winners, which raises the question:
Was last season a bump along the way or was it the beginning of the end?
Sports Illustrated, which cares as much about the NHL as your cat does, has them losing to Florida in the first round of the playoffs. (Hey, at least SI has them making the playoffs, right?)
They're still loaded with talent, especially at the center position. Sidney Crosby is 31, which means his peak years are nearing an end. However, he's not finished.
Same for Evgeni Malkin, now 32. The two sides of Malkin were on display in the opener -- an egregious turnover that led to a Washington goal, followed by an impressive play to set up a Penguins goal.
Kris Letang and Phil Kessel are both 31. When a team's core of stars is all on the wrong side of 30, there's reason to doubt. It's a young man's league, and speed rules.
Letang has a dubious injury history, and Crosby is always a concussion away from having his career in jeopardy. There will come a time when the Penguins' stars exit, which is what the Steelers experienced after their Super Bowl run of the 1970s ended.
There were a lot of wistful press conferences, followed by the acquisition of replacements who weren't nearly as good. After that incredible run, the Steelers sank into mediocrity for a decade.
Sometimes the end comes without much advance notice. Jack Lambert, one of the toughest guys to ever play in the NFL, was done in by turf toe. The Steelers were convinced that Terry Bradshaw was good for another three seasons, but he blew out his elbow and was finished without warning.
It doesn't appear the Penguins are yet at that precipice, but it's coming one of these days. It seems unlikely that will happen during the current season, though.
It's reasonable to think the Penguins won't win the Cup this year, but foolish to exclude them from the discussion.
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The Steelers need to get in gear, and 1 o'clock this afternoon would be a good time to start.
The Atlanta Falcons visit, and they're a team with great offensive potential and a very questionable defense.
Kind of sounds like the Steelers, doesn't it?
Get ready. This could light up the scoreboard.
Remember that the Steelers have already had a game in which they scored 37 points and didn't win.
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Baseball has changed, and players tend to be much more demonstrative on the field than previous generations were.
Still, it's jarring to see players in high-stakes postseason games taking the time to look at their dugout and pump their fists as they run to first base.
Showing off is so ingrained now that it doesn't even take a break in the postseason.
One other completely pointless observation: If there's that much Gatorade left to spill on the star of the game, the staff is mixing up entirely too much Gatorade.
---
How long until some baseball team stages individual entrances at the start of a game so the players can come out WWE style instead of taking the field as a group?
You know it's coming, complete with a tunnel, music, smoke machines and fireworks.
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)

Altoona Mirror, October 3, 2018

If this is Wednesday, it's time to sort through some of the things that happened in the Steelers' Sunday night game against the Baltimore Ravens.
--Ben Roethlisberger called it a bad day at the office, and it certainly was. His passer rating was a mediocre 72.5, but you didn't need that number to know he was off most of the night. Despite a long touchdown pass, he and Antonio Brown don't seem to clicking. Play makers have to make plays, and Roethlisberger has only been at his usual level in two of the four games.
--No he's not too old. Roethlisberger correctly noted on his Tuesday radio show that people were praising him for his work in the Tampa Bay game. He didn't age that much in six days. Something is off, though.
--The latest reports suggest Le'Veon Bell will be back in a few weeks. That won't be a moment too soon. For all the angry "who needs him?" sentiments that have come from his holdout, the Steelers clearly need him. You don't take one of the premier offensive players out of the lineup without noticing the difference.
--The Steelers' philosophy has long been "next man up" when injuries hit. In the case of the non-injured Bell and the severely-injured Ryan Shazier, that's hollow talk. The "next man" isn't nearly as good.
--Falling behind 14-0 in a matter of minutes took the crowd out of the game. It's been said before, but it's worth repeating: There's no real home field advantage at Heinz Field. The extra seats and luxury boxes are great for the Steelers' bottom line, but there isn't the noise edge that Three Rivers Stadium provided for 30 years.
--The Steelers only ran the ball 11 times, and only 10 of those were legitimate rushing attempts. All but one of them went to James Conner. Why? Conner couldn't get any traction, so why not try one of the other backs?
--You can make the case the Steelers defense was better because they held the Ravens to field goals in the second half and kept the game manageable. But the case can also be made that the defense failed because they couldn't stop the Ravens and allowed Baltimore to dominate time of possession.
--The Steelers really need to win this Sunday's home game against Atlanta to get back to .500 (plus a tie) and to get some measure of confidence. They're at Cincinnati the following week, and that looks like a tougher assignment than it did a month ago.
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The Pirates' decision to fire hitting coaches Jeff Branson and Jeff Livesey has a lot to do with the regression of Josh Bell.
Bell went from 26 home runs to 12, and the staff didn't seem to have answers for that. On a team as desperate for power as the Pirates are, that sort of decline can't happen.
Branson and Livesey put in plenty of time with Bell, but couldn't correct things.
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Congratulations to Chris Rickens of Altoona, who accurately forecast the Pirates would win 82 games.
Chris was closer to the number of home runs the Pirates hit (157) and thus  won the tiebreaker to claim the 2018 Guess How Many Games The Pirates Will Win contest.
Honorable mention (but no prize) to Joe Maschue, who also projected 82 wins but lost on the darned tiebreaker.
Thanks to everyone who participated. Here's hoping we can do it again in March.
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)

Altoona Mirror, September 30, 2018

So now Steelers Nation has caught up to the rest of the world in viewing James Harrison as Public Enemy No. 1.
Harrison turned up on TV last week to advise Le'Veon Bell to report to the Steelers, then claim an injury that would make him unable to play.
That would mean Bell would get his paychecks without doing anything.
Harrison knows how that works, because that was his game plan for his final season with the Steelers. Once he realized he wasn't going to play, he put in minimal effort and generally looked out for only himself.
It ran contrary to the effort Harrison put forth as a player, but things soured quickly and apparently irreversibly.
So now he's on the sidelines, firing darts at the Steelers at every opportunity. It's kind of like the old pro wrestling gimmick where a guy deserts his allies and becomes their enemy, for profit.
Thanks to cable TV and social media, there are plenty of those opportunities to irritate the Steelers. It's OK, given that Harrison never seemed to be a let bygones be bygones type of guy anyway.
Meanwhile, Bell is doing whatever he's doing, which is everything but playing football. Mike Tomlin said last week that he's not answering questions about Bell, which makes sense. There are no answers, really.
It's a stalemate devoid of any logic, so it's up to Bell.
The advice that Harrison relayed was so bad, you have to figure that Bell will take it into consideration.
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If you're as power starved as the Pirates are and know that home run hitters are the most difficult and expensive commodity to acquire, wouldn't you jump at the chance to get a hitter at a discount price?
They have that opportunity. The Pirates hold a $5.5 million option on Jung Ho Kang for next season. They should pick that up, and quickly.
There is considerable risk involved. Aside from this weekend series, Kang hasn't played in the major leagues since 2016. He had wrist surgery during this season. He'll be 32 years old at the start of next season.
But the Pirates desperately need power, even more so with Gregory Polanco possibly missing almost half the season after shoulder surgery. They have an opening at third base, where Colin Moran's rookie season was OK but not spectacular.
If Kang isn't motivated by the feeling that he owes the Pirates something after missing two seasons (he was paid for this year), he should have an interest in reviving his major league career.
There's no better place for him than Pittsburgh, where his skills mesh with the Pirates' need. He's capable of 25 home runs.
The Pirates have hit more than 100 fewer home runs than the New York Yankees. If you want to argue the Yankees are an aberration because they've had a record-setting season with home runs, try this one for size. The Pirates have hit almost 70 fewer home runs than the Oakland Athletics. They're almost 60 behind the Milwaukee Brewers.
Home runs rule today. They're game changers. In today's game, $5.5 million isn't a lot of money. The Pirates wasted $5.75 million on Sean Rodriguez this season. Even an ordinary player like Jordy Mercer cost $6.75 million this season.
If outside alternatives were abundant, this might be a different scenario. They aren't, though.
The free agent market is unpredictable. Trades are a possibility, but the Pirates just sacrificed three prospects of some note to get Chris Archer.
Does Kang's power potential offset the considerable baggage he carries? In the Pirates' case, yes.
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Those Senate confirmation hearings were so hostile and contentious, the scene resembled a Clint Hurdle media briefing.
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)