Tony LaRussa is in baseball's Hall of Fame, and he should be.
He managed for 31 seasons, winning 2,728 games and three World Series.
He was in the Pirates' TV booth last week, and he shouldn't have been.
LaRussa decided to crash the booth after he heard announcer Greg Brown mention LaRussa's history of being involved in retaliatory pitches. He apparently disputed the point.
There's a 33-year body of evidence to back Brown's observation, but that's not the issue here.
LaRussa had no business acting on an impulse and potentially disrupting a broadcast. He's an executive now, and should have enough finesse to make his point without resorting to the kind of juvenile bullying behavior he exhibited as a manager.
Brown handled the situation with a diplomacy other broadcasters might not have exhibited. He got LaRussa out of then booth, then got rid of him as quickly as possible.
At least somebody acted in a professional manner.
LaRussa, who is now the Diamondbacks' chief baseball officer, should have known better. If he wants to argue the point, there's a proper way to do it. He had no business barging into the booth.
But combine a hot temper with arrogance, and you get a cheap show like the one LaRussa staged at PNC Park.
---
--AT IT AGAIN
Pete Rose had more hits than anyone else who played Major League Baseball, 4,256.
Since then, he makes people long for a thesaurus that has 4,256 synonyms for "pathetic."
Rose did an interview with Cincinnati magazine in which he promised to shut down all illegal gambling activity if he can get back in baseball. (It's Sunday morning and you may not be thinking clearly, so let that one swirl around a little as you butter your raisin toast).
If MLB will just let him back in the game, he promises he won't break the law. Rose lives in Las Vegas, where it's possible to legally bet on just about everything. So what need would he have for a bookie, other than to stay in touch with old friends?
But he thinks that's a reasonable proposition, which shows that his perspective is warped beyond all repair.
Pitiful. (Only 4.255 synonyms to go).
---
--SOLID ADVICE
This is a leftover from a time when a lot more teams were in the Stanley Cup playoffs, but it's too good to pass up.
Mike Milbury, commenting for NBC, chastised Florida Panthers coach Gerard Gallant for complaining too much to the game officials.
"If you continually use that kind of behavior, it can be distracting," Milbury said. "It doesn't work."
This is the same Mike Milbury who once chased referee Denis Morel down the hallway to the locker rooms at the Civic Arena, yelling and cursing at him.
But he's the voice of reason now.
---
--THE LAST SERIES
All those years of televised Bill Cowher news conferences reinforced a couple of points: the man had a colorful collection of sweaters that he loved almost as much as he loved referencing that thin line between winning and losing.
The Penguins are in the Stanley Cup final because they beat Tampa Bay 2-1 in the seventh game of their series. That's how close it was.
So now it's the San Jose Sharks, a team the Penguins last saw before Christmas. The meetings were before the Penguins were transformed from an iffy playoff qualifier to a legitimate Cup contender.
Enjoy the series, because it should be excellent. Win or lose, the Penguins have provided a memorable season and slain a lot of the demons that have dogged the franchise since the last Cup in 2009.
This smells disturbingly like the Sharks in seven, but who knows? A bounce here, a hiccup there, and it can all abruptly change direction like a deflected slap shot.
If your favorite hockey team is still playing on Memorial Day, it's been a great season.
Sunday, May 29, 2016
Sunday, May 22, 2016
Altoona Mirror, May 22, 2016
There was a time when any suggestion from an outsider would get the same reaction from baseball lifers.
A tilt of the head, an ironic smile and the inevitable question: "You ever play the game?"
Of course, most of the people doing the suggesting had not. They had not lived the life, never learned creative spitting, never developed the knack of expecting someone else to do everything for them.
That pretty much shut down the suggestions.
How things have changed. Call it revenge of the nerds, but the non-players have more responsibility than ever in MLB.
Some Pirates' lineup suggestions have originated in the analytics department, and no player acquisition is ever considered without a full ration of numbers to augment the live scouting.
Clint Hurdle recently said that when he was considering a decision, he asked the Pirates' analysts to work up some numbers so he could see if his instincts were correct.
A manager who isn't on board with the new methods won't last long. Supposedly one of the reasons Seattle fired Lloyd McClendon after last season was his reluctance to buy into the analytic results that were presented to him.
It's come a long way from the tobacco chewing scouts who were fond of saying, "I don't need no damn computer to tell me who's a good player."
The Cleveland Indians were one of the first teams to lean heavily on numbers crunchers. The traditionalists in the organization used to refer to them as "the propeller heads."
Neal Huntington was a graduate of that Indians program. He's developed into one of the best general managers in the game. Considering the budget he's given, the case could be made that Huntington is the game's most effective administrator.
"You ever play the game?" Huntington played in college, but not professionally.
Which just proves that a lack of playing experience isn't necessarily an impediment to smart decision making.
Propeller heads everywhere, take heart.
---
--STRAIGHT TALK
Alen Hanson spent three days with the Pirates last week while Starling Marte was on paternity leave.
Hanson got a couple of at-bats, but the main purpose of the brief visit may have been motivational. The Pirates wanted him to get a glimpse of the major league life, which would perhaps stoke him to work harder to reach the level where the minimum salary is $507,500.
Hanson has talent, but he's also had attitude issues in the minor leagues. He got a full blast of Hurdle reminding him what a chance he has to make money if he just gets himself in gear.
In another generation, McClendon made a personal project of Aramis Ramirez, who couldn't seem to find the motivation to take his baseball career seriously. McClendon alternately castigated and coaxed, and Ramirez saw the light. He lost weight, he put in extra work, and he maximized his considerable talent.
When Ramirez called it a career last fall, he had banked almost $148 million from his 18 major league seasons.
Hanson's brief call-up was a wake-up call. This can be a wonderful life for those who work at it.
---
--WAIT AND SEE
Because people seek out stress, there's always much consternation about whether the Pirates will retain Andrew McCutchen beyond his current contract.
The Pirates hold an option on McCutchen for the 2018 season, so he's not going anywhere soon.
But consider this: By the time 2019 rolls around, McCutchen may be the Pirates' third-best outfielder after Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco.
---
--TOO MUCH FLUFF
There's no secret to why Root Sports broadcasts include viewer Tweets.
The segments are sponsored, and Root no doubt figures this shows they're progressive enough to be involved in social media.
But shouldn't the Tweets at least say something? Jordy Mercer hit a triple the other night, and Root felt compelled to share a viewer Tweet that said, "Jordy! Triple! Good hustle."
That's screen time that could have been devoted to a shot of a kid eating cotton candy.
A tilt of the head, an ironic smile and the inevitable question: "You ever play the game?"
Of course, most of the people doing the suggesting had not. They had not lived the life, never learned creative spitting, never developed the knack of expecting someone else to do everything for them.
That pretty much shut down the suggestions.
How things have changed. Call it revenge of the nerds, but the non-players have more responsibility than ever in MLB.
Some Pirates' lineup suggestions have originated in the analytics department, and no player acquisition is ever considered without a full ration of numbers to augment the live scouting.
Clint Hurdle recently said that when he was considering a decision, he asked the Pirates' analysts to work up some numbers so he could see if his instincts were correct.
A manager who isn't on board with the new methods won't last long. Supposedly one of the reasons Seattle fired Lloyd McClendon after last season was his reluctance to buy into the analytic results that were presented to him.
It's come a long way from the tobacco chewing scouts who were fond of saying, "I don't need no damn computer to tell me who's a good player."
The Cleveland Indians were one of the first teams to lean heavily on numbers crunchers. The traditionalists in the organization used to refer to them as "the propeller heads."
Neal Huntington was a graduate of that Indians program. He's developed into one of the best general managers in the game. Considering the budget he's given, the case could be made that Huntington is the game's most effective administrator.
"You ever play the game?" Huntington played in college, but not professionally.
Which just proves that a lack of playing experience isn't necessarily an impediment to smart decision making.
Propeller heads everywhere, take heart.
---
--STRAIGHT TALK
Alen Hanson spent three days with the Pirates last week while Starling Marte was on paternity leave.
Hanson got a couple of at-bats, but the main purpose of the brief visit may have been motivational. The Pirates wanted him to get a glimpse of the major league life, which would perhaps stoke him to work harder to reach the level where the minimum salary is $507,500.
Hanson has talent, but he's also had attitude issues in the minor leagues. He got a full blast of Hurdle reminding him what a chance he has to make money if he just gets himself in gear.
In another generation, McClendon made a personal project of Aramis Ramirez, who couldn't seem to find the motivation to take his baseball career seriously. McClendon alternately castigated and coaxed, and Ramirez saw the light. He lost weight, he put in extra work, and he maximized his considerable talent.
When Ramirez called it a career last fall, he had banked almost $148 million from his 18 major league seasons.
Hanson's brief call-up was a wake-up call. This can be a wonderful life for those who work at it.
---
--WAIT AND SEE
Because people seek out stress, there's always much consternation about whether the Pirates will retain Andrew McCutchen beyond his current contract.
The Pirates hold an option on McCutchen for the 2018 season, so he's not going anywhere soon.
But consider this: By the time 2019 rolls around, McCutchen may be the Pirates' third-best outfielder after Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco.
---
--TOO MUCH FLUFF
There's no secret to why Root Sports broadcasts include viewer Tweets.
The segments are sponsored, and Root no doubt figures this shows they're progressive enough to be involved in social media.
But shouldn't the Tweets at least say something? Jordy Mercer hit a triple the other night, and Root felt compelled to share a viewer Tweet that said, "Jordy! Triple! Good hustle."
That's screen time that could have been devoted to a shot of a kid eating cotton candy.
Sunday, May 15, 2016
Altoona Mirror, May 15, 2016
Jeff Locke had another of those Jeff Locke starts in Chicago on Saturday afternoon.
Inherited runners scored, but the bottom line was not pretty:
Five and a third innings, six hits, six earned runs, two walks, three strikeouts and two home runs.
It's the kind of performance that burdens the bullpen and sends people to their phones to call the nearest talk show to sputter about Locke, complete with an offer to drive him to the Greyhound station and pick up the tab on a one-way ticket to Nowhere.
This is not new. Locke has been a lightning rod for outrage almost as long as he's been with the Pirates. It's been more pronounced this year because most people are lusting for the arrival of prime pitching prospects Jameson Taillon and Tyler Glasnow. Both are currently pitching well at the Class AAA level.
No longer are the alternatives ho-hum entities like Vance Worley and Brandon Cumpton. There are genuine talents waiting in the wings.
It is likely that either Taillon or Glasnow will be in Pittsburgh this season. It is highly unlikely either of them will be here before mid-June, when it's a virtual certainty they will sacrifice enough service time to delay their eligibility for arbitration and free agency.
People rail about this, but it's a non-issue. The stakes are so high and so clear that it's not even worth considering.
The positively awful 1986 Pirates waited to bring up Barry Bonds. He was a center fielder then, and the Pirates' opening day center fielder that season was Steve Kemp.
Keeping Bonds in the minor leagues for the start of the season meant he was still under the Pirates' control in 1992. They wouldn't have won the National League East that year without him.
Better to have an MVP-caliber player in the prime of his career than an extra two months of a struggling rookie. (Bonds hit .223 in his first season).
These circumstances are different, of course. The current Pirates are a contender. The '96 Pirates were happy they avoided 100 losses.
But the stakes are enormous. The price for a first-rate starting pitcher has settled at around $25 million a season now. It may even get higher by the time Taillon and Glasnow hit free agency.
The Pirates maintain neither of their young pitchers is ready. That gets ridiculed every time Taillon or Glasnow posts another good start in the minors.
But there's an example from 2014 that might be instructive here. Gregory Polanco was tearing things up at AAA. Travis Snider, Jose Tabata and Josh Harrison were sharing right field for the Pirates, without distinction.
There was a cry to bring up Polanco, which finally happened on June 10. When he started his career with an 11-game hitting streak, the told-you-so's were deafening.
After those first 11 games, Polanco was batting .365 with a .421 on-base percentage and .442 slugging average.
Then opponents adjusted. After that, he batted .204 over the rest of the season with a .282 on-base percentage and slugged .320. There was even a remedial trip to the minor leagues.
The moral of the story: Sometimes when they say they're not quite ready for the major leagues, they really aren't ready -- glitzy minor league stats notwithstanding.
---
--ERROR, PIRATES
Speaking of Locke, he should have thrown a fastball directly at the first Cubs uniform he saw Saturday after Jung-Ho Kang was drilled.
The Cubs are not only beating the Pirates, they're obviously enjoying themselves. When Kang was hit, it called for a quick and decisive response.
Failing to provide one made a bad situation worse.
---
--HEADS OR TAILS
The NHL determined it didn't even need to hold a hearing after Tampa Bay's Ryan Callahan recklessly rammed Kris Letang into the boards head first.
Here's a question about these NHL decisions: Do they flip a Canadian or United States coin?
Inherited runners scored, but the bottom line was not pretty:
Five and a third innings, six hits, six earned runs, two walks, three strikeouts and two home runs.
It's the kind of performance that burdens the bullpen and sends people to their phones to call the nearest talk show to sputter about Locke, complete with an offer to drive him to the Greyhound station and pick up the tab on a one-way ticket to Nowhere.
This is not new. Locke has been a lightning rod for outrage almost as long as he's been with the Pirates. It's been more pronounced this year because most people are lusting for the arrival of prime pitching prospects Jameson Taillon and Tyler Glasnow. Both are currently pitching well at the Class AAA level.
No longer are the alternatives ho-hum entities like Vance Worley and Brandon Cumpton. There are genuine talents waiting in the wings.
It is likely that either Taillon or Glasnow will be in Pittsburgh this season. It is highly unlikely either of them will be here before mid-June, when it's a virtual certainty they will sacrifice enough service time to delay their eligibility for arbitration and free agency.
People rail about this, but it's a non-issue. The stakes are so high and so clear that it's not even worth considering.
The positively awful 1986 Pirates waited to bring up Barry Bonds. He was a center fielder then, and the Pirates' opening day center fielder that season was Steve Kemp.
Keeping Bonds in the minor leagues for the start of the season meant he was still under the Pirates' control in 1992. They wouldn't have won the National League East that year without him.
Better to have an MVP-caliber player in the prime of his career than an extra two months of a struggling rookie. (Bonds hit .223 in his first season).
These circumstances are different, of course. The current Pirates are a contender. The '96 Pirates were happy they avoided 100 losses.
But the stakes are enormous. The price for a first-rate starting pitcher has settled at around $25 million a season now. It may even get higher by the time Taillon and Glasnow hit free agency.
The Pirates maintain neither of their young pitchers is ready. That gets ridiculed every time Taillon or Glasnow posts another good start in the minors.
But there's an example from 2014 that might be instructive here. Gregory Polanco was tearing things up at AAA. Travis Snider, Jose Tabata and Josh Harrison were sharing right field for the Pirates, without distinction.
There was a cry to bring up Polanco, which finally happened on June 10. When he started his career with an 11-game hitting streak, the told-you-so's were deafening.
After those first 11 games, Polanco was batting .365 with a .421 on-base percentage and .442 slugging average.
Then opponents adjusted. After that, he batted .204 over the rest of the season with a .282 on-base percentage and slugged .320. There was even a remedial trip to the minor leagues.
The moral of the story: Sometimes when they say they're not quite ready for the major leagues, they really aren't ready -- glitzy minor league stats notwithstanding.
---
--ERROR, PIRATES
Speaking of Locke, he should have thrown a fastball directly at the first Cubs uniform he saw Saturday after Jung-Ho Kang was drilled.
The Cubs are not only beating the Pirates, they're obviously enjoying themselves. When Kang was hit, it called for a quick and decisive response.
Failing to provide one made a bad situation worse.
---
--HEADS OR TAILS
The NHL determined it didn't even need to hold a hearing after Tampa Bay's Ryan Callahan recklessly rammed Kris Letang into the boards head first.
Here's a question about these NHL decisions: Do they flip a Canadian or United States coin?
Sunday, May 8, 2016
Altoona Mirror, May 8, 2016
The Pirates and Cubs will be two-thirds into a series at Wrigley Field this time next week.
Odds are they'll have exchanged unpleasantries, whether they're throwing insults or baseballs at each other.
As Keith Jackson would say, these two teams just don't like each other. It's a rivalry that's ramped up almost instantly because it has the classic ingredients:
--Both teams are good.
--They're competing for the same thing.
--There's an easily identifiable villain.
People revive the Steelers-Browns feud every year just out of tradition and the understandable contempt for Cleveland. It's been upstaged by other conflicts, namely those with the Ravens and Bengals.
Truth be told, the Browns are closer to inspiring sympathy than contempt. Their record of failure is long, their annual quarterback audition is pathetic and their new-and-improved uniforms are an even worse use of their Halloween colors.
The real heat is now reserved for the Ravens and Bengals. Cincinnati has moved up to No. 1 as the Steelers and Bengals are now slugging it out for AFC North supremacy.
Sam Wyche used to be the all-purpose bad guy for the Bengals; now that role is filled by Vontaze Burfict and Adam (No Longer Known As Pac Man) Jones.
Pirates-Cubs came to a boil with the prodding of Chicago manager Joe Maddon, a too cool for school character who seemingly mocked Jung Ho Kang's broken leg last year with the bizarre suggestion the injury was plantar fasciitis.
It didn't take long to reheat the pot in the first series this season.
After Kyle Lobstein paid back a bruise on Starling Marte by hitting the Cubs' Ben Zobrist, Maddon was on the top step of the dugout, yelling things that made lip readers blush. The Pirates' bench answered, and so did Francisco Cervelli.
It shouldn't take more than the sight of Maddon to get things fired up again this weekend.
It's been suggested that Maddon is the new Tony LaRussa, a universal lightning rod for hostile feelings. The difference is that apparently Maddon is at least liked by his own players.
Once when the Cardinals and Pirates were racing in from the bullpens to join a benches-clearing scrum, one of the St. Louis relievers hollered to the Pirates, "A hundred bucks to anybody who knocks out our manager."
---
--MISPLACED ANGER
When Andrew McCutchen popped off about firing the official scorer last week, that was more about frustration over his .229 batting average than it was any reasoned thought about the quality of scoring calls.
Players who complain about scoring calls are usually being selfish. Umpires' calls can affect the outcome of a game; scoring calls impact nothing but statistics.
McCutchen has a personal publicity staff apart from the Pirates' PR staff. Those people must have choked when they saw their client being petty about a scoring call after a loss.
By the way, perpetually beleaguered scorer Tony Krizmanich got the call right on the ball McCutchen misplayed.
---
--WRONG CHOICE
So long to Mike Adams, who was cut by the Steelers last week after four mostly unproductive seasons.
He was a wasted second-round draft pick, and hasn't the team had too many of those?
The list includes Limas Sweed, Ricardo Colclough and Alonzo Jackson.
But only Adams had the added element of being a middle-of-the-night Carson Street stabbing victim.
---
--TRAFFIC JAM
Twenty horses in the Kentucky Derby?
It looked like one of the parkways at rush hour before they started to separate.
---
--SAY WHAT?
One of the hidden gems in NBC's coverage of the NHL playoffs is those awkward on-ice interviews conducted right before the opening faceoff. Fans are roaring, music is blasting, and lasers and strobe lights are pulsating.
There's nothing like the sight of Pierre Maguire leaning over and shouting questions into the ears of players.
Odds are they'll have exchanged unpleasantries, whether they're throwing insults or baseballs at each other.
As Keith Jackson would say, these two teams just don't like each other. It's a rivalry that's ramped up almost instantly because it has the classic ingredients:
--Both teams are good.
--They're competing for the same thing.
--There's an easily identifiable villain.
People revive the Steelers-Browns feud every year just out of tradition and the understandable contempt for Cleveland. It's been upstaged by other conflicts, namely those with the Ravens and Bengals.
Truth be told, the Browns are closer to inspiring sympathy than contempt. Their record of failure is long, their annual quarterback audition is pathetic and their new-and-improved uniforms are an even worse use of their Halloween colors.
The real heat is now reserved for the Ravens and Bengals. Cincinnati has moved up to No. 1 as the Steelers and Bengals are now slugging it out for AFC North supremacy.
Sam Wyche used to be the all-purpose bad guy for the Bengals; now that role is filled by Vontaze Burfict and Adam (No Longer Known As Pac Man) Jones.
Pirates-Cubs came to a boil with the prodding of Chicago manager Joe Maddon, a too cool for school character who seemingly mocked Jung Ho Kang's broken leg last year with the bizarre suggestion the injury was plantar fasciitis.
It didn't take long to reheat the pot in the first series this season.
After Kyle Lobstein paid back a bruise on Starling Marte by hitting the Cubs' Ben Zobrist, Maddon was on the top step of the dugout, yelling things that made lip readers blush. The Pirates' bench answered, and so did Francisco Cervelli.
It shouldn't take more than the sight of Maddon to get things fired up again this weekend.
It's been suggested that Maddon is the new Tony LaRussa, a universal lightning rod for hostile feelings. The difference is that apparently Maddon is at least liked by his own players.
Once when the Cardinals and Pirates were racing in from the bullpens to join a benches-clearing scrum, one of the St. Louis relievers hollered to the Pirates, "A hundred bucks to anybody who knocks out our manager."
---
--MISPLACED ANGER
When Andrew McCutchen popped off about firing the official scorer last week, that was more about frustration over his .229 batting average than it was any reasoned thought about the quality of scoring calls.
Players who complain about scoring calls are usually being selfish. Umpires' calls can affect the outcome of a game; scoring calls impact nothing but statistics.
McCutchen has a personal publicity staff apart from the Pirates' PR staff. Those people must have choked when they saw their client being petty about a scoring call after a loss.
By the way, perpetually beleaguered scorer Tony Krizmanich got the call right on the ball McCutchen misplayed.
---
--WRONG CHOICE
So long to Mike Adams, who was cut by the Steelers last week after four mostly unproductive seasons.
He was a wasted second-round draft pick, and hasn't the team had too many of those?
The list includes Limas Sweed, Ricardo Colclough and Alonzo Jackson.
But only Adams had the added element of being a middle-of-the-night Carson Street stabbing victim.
---
--TRAFFIC JAM
Twenty horses in the Kentucky Derby?
It looked like one of the parkways at rush hour before they started to separate.
---
--SAY WHAT?
One of the hidden gems in NBC's coverage of the NHL playoffs is those awkward on-ice interviews conducted right before the opening faceoff. Fans are roaring, music is blasting, and lasers and strobe lights are pulsating.
There's nothing like the sight of Pierre Maguire leaning over and shouting questions into the ears of players.
Sunday, May 1, 2016
Altoona Mirror, May 1, 2016
Here's the only accurate grade you'll get on the Steelers draft:
Incomplete.
Anything else is pure guesswork, and that includes the team. They're making a more educated guess than anyone else because they've done more homework. But heavens to Huey Richardson, there are first-round busts just as certainly as there are undrafted surprises like James Harrison and Donnie Shell.
The Steelers' selection of Miami cornerback Artie Burns has been widely panned. Pro Football Focus graded the choice a "D," believing the Steelers reached too far and used their first pick on a second-round talent.
We'll find out, but we won't until Burns puts on pads, gets on the field and actually competes against NFL talent.
It will take time, and nobody likes that. We're geared for instant answers, so that's why so many grades are floating around.
Instant analysis can be laughably bad. When the Steelers had their legendary 1974 draft that netted four future Hall of Fame players, it was panned by Phil Musick, writing in The Pittsburgh Press.
He liked No. 1 choice Lynn Swann just fine, but didn't think the Steelers had really helped themselves with their other choices.
He wrote of the second round choice, "Jack Lambert figures to be the No. 5 linebacker, if he pans out."
He referred to the rest of the picks as "question marks." That included John Stallworth (fourth round) and Mike Webster, who was chosen a round later.
Musick dismissed Webster as "excess baggage" and said he was drafted, "primarily to snap the ball at training camp."
OK, Musick was a wordsmith, not a scout. More to the point are comments made by people actually doing the drafting.
In a rare lucid moment last week for 93.7 The Fan, afternoon host Joe Starkey dug out some tape from 2013 draft day. General manager Kevin Colbert and coach Mike Tomlin were raving about first-round choice Jarvis Jones and how well he'd fit into the Steelers' defense because he'd played some of the same schemes at Ohio State.
In three NFL seasons, Jones has produced five sacks, two forced fumbles and one interception. He's not yet considered a bust (save that for Jamain Stephens, class of 1996), but he's clearly been a disappointment.
So what of Burns? At 21, he's responsible for two younger brothers, ages 16 and 12, and the 19-month old son he had with his fiance. Burns' mother died last October, and his father is serving a long prison sentence for cocaine trafficking.
That's a lot of responsibility to combine with starting a career in the insanely competitive NFL.
"Incomplete" is the only relevant draft grade at this point.
---
--NO JUSTICE
Was anyone surprised that Tom Wilson of the Washington Capitals didn't get more than a token $2,400 fine for his deliberate attempt to injure the Penguins' Conor Sheary in the first playoff game? Wilson's knee-to-knee hit could have ended Sheary's postseason and jeopardized his career.
Two things are certain: 1. Some players have no respect for their peers, never mind the post-series hand shakes and hugs, and, 2. Unless the players start strapping on gun belts, the NHL will show little concern about the gratuitous violence.
And don't think the Penguins are blameless on this front. Kris Letang deserved a penalty for viciously swinging his stick at the face of the Rangers' Viktor Stalberg in the first round.
---
--MOVING ON
Skip Bayless, whose irrational shouting has been part of ESPN for several years, will be moving to Fox Sports shortly.
His new contract is said to be in excess of $4 million per year, which is a lot more than Bayless ever earned in his previous life as a reasonable newspaper columnist.
It pays to be loud.
Incomplete.
Anything else is pure guesswork, and that includes the team. They're making a more educated guess than anyone else because they've done more homework. But heavens to Huey Richardson, there are first-round busts just as certainly as there are undrafted surprises like James Harrison and Donnie Shell.
The Steelers' selection of Miami cornerback Artie Burns has been widely panned. Pro Football Focus graded the choice a "D," believing the Steelers reached too far and used their first pick on a second-round talent.
We'll find out, but we won't until Burns puts on pads, gets on the field and actually competes against NFL talent.
It will take time, and nobody likes that. We're geared for instant answers, so that's why so many grades are floating around.
Instant analysis can be laughably bad. When the Steelers had their legendary 1974 draft that netted four future Hall of Fame players, it was panned by Phil Musick, writing in The Pittsburgh Press.
He liked No. 1 choice Lynn Swann just fine, but didn't think the Steelers had really helped themselves with their other choices.
He wrote of the second round choice, "Jack Lambert figures to be the No. 5 linebacker, if he pans out."
He referred to the rest of the picks as "question marks." That included John Stallworth (fourth round) and Mike Webster, who was chosen a round later.
Musick dismissed Webster as "excess baggage" and said he was drafted, "primarily to snap the ball at training camp."
OK, Musick was a wordsmith, not a scout. More to the point are comments made by people actually doing the drafting.
In a rare lucid moment last week for 93.7 The Fan, afternoon host Joe Starkey dug out some tape from 2013 draft day. General manager Kevin Colbert and coach Mike Tomlin were raving about first-round choice Jarvis Jones and how well he'd fit into the Steelers' defense because he'd played some of the same schemes at Ohio State.
In three NFL seasons, Jones has produced five sacks, two forced fumbles and one interception. He's not yet considered a bust (save that for Jamain Stephens, class of 1996), but he's clearly been a disappointment.
So what of Burns? At 21, he's responsible for two younger brothers, ages 16 and 12, and the 19-month old son he had with his fiance. Burns' mother died last October, and his father is serving a long prison sentence for cocaine trafficking.
That's a lot of responsibility to combine with starting a career in the insanely competitive NFL.
"Incomplete" is the only relevant draft grade at this point.
---
--NO JUSTICE
Was anyone surprised that Tom Wilson of the Washington Capitals didn't get more than a token $2,400 fine for his deliberate attempt to injure the Penguins' Conor Sheary in the first playoff game? Wilson's knee-to-knee hit could have ended Sheary's postseason and jeopardized his career.
Two things are certain: 1. Some players have no respect for their peers, never mind the post-series hand shakes and hugs, and, 2. Unless the players start strapping on gun belts, the NHL will show little concern about the gratuitous violence.
And don't think the Penguins are blameless on this front. Kris Letang deserved a penalty for viciously swinging his stick at the face of the Rangers' Viktor Stalberg in the first round.
---
--MOVING ON
Skip Bayless, whose irrational shouting has been part of ESPN for several years, will be moving to Fox Sports shortly.
His new contract is said to be in excess of $4 million per year, which is a lot more than Bayless ever earned in his previous life as a reasonable newspaper columnist.
It pays to be loud.
Sunday, April 24, 2016
Altoona Mirror, April 24, 2016
The first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs couldn't have worked out much better for the Penguins. Consider:
--They won in five games, which gives them time to rest before the next round begins.
--From a business standpoint, they got revenue from three home games without incurring the expense and inconvenience of a second road trip.
--They welcomed back Evgeni Malkin from an extended injury absence and successfully worked him into the lineup.
--They won a playoff series using their No. 2 and 3 goaltenders exclusively. Even if Marc-Andre Fleury returns soon, the organization knows his back-ups won't be afraid of the playoffs.
--There were no new injuries (at least none that have been reported in the super-secret hockey environment).
Coaches always say there's no carryover from the regular season, good or bad, but there may have been in this case.
The Penguins' second half surge included three wins over the Rangers in which they solved goalie Henrik Lundqvist. It's impossible to believe that success didn't play a role in what happened in the playoffs.
Meanwhile, after many missteps, general manager Jim Rutherford is having something of a dream existence. When he's had a chance to do things over, he's done them right.
--Mike Johnston was a mistake; Mike Sullivan changed the entire culture and will deservedly get consideration for the coach of the year award.
--Signing Rob Scuderi was a bad move; trading him for Trevor Daley was a great move.
--Acquiring David Perron didn't pay off; dealing him for Carl Hagelin did.
The Penguins' playoff future still hinges on the availability of Fleury. If he makes it back soon, it's not hard to envision a long postseason run.
You know it's a good season when fans are heading the games in shorts and jerseys.
---
--ON THE CLOCK
Leave it to MLB to mess up the best of intentions.
Concerned about increasing game times, MLB regularly tries to add some speed-up rules.
The latest is a 25-second clock that runs when a pitching coach visits the mound. However, spies report discrepancies in when the clock starts ticking. In some parks, it's been activated as soon as the coach leaves the dugout. There have been instances when the 25 seconds started when the coach crossed the foul line. There's been at least one occasion where the clock started when the coach reached the mound.
The whole thing is pointless. Teams are only permitted one "free" visit per inning. A pitching change is mandatory on the second trip to the mound.
Meanwhile, the catcher is free to visit the mound as often as he wants to. Remember Russell Martin's frequent consultations?
Umpires have traditionally done an effective job of keeping coaches from lingering on visits.
For all of this silliness, MLB has added the expense of installing clocks and hiring people to operate them.
The only way to foul it up more would be to make the timing subject to replay review.
---
--GOOD ADDITION
Good move by Root Sports to add former Seattle Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik to its studio crew for Pirates game.
Zduriencik, who once worked for the Pirates, has a diverse background in the game as a scout, minor league administrator and GM. Even better, he was involved in baseball as a GM as recently as last August, so he's familiar with current personnel in the game.
He's also doing some fill-in work on the flagship radio station's extended pre-game show alongside Dan Zangrilli.
---
--WRONG FORMULA
Chris Colabello of the Toronto Blue Jays was suspended for 80 games after he tested positive for a banned performance-enhancing substance.
Colabello was batting .069 at the time of the announcement.
If he's actually guilty, he could make a case to get his money back from the pharmacy.
--They won in five games, which gives them time to rest before the next round begins.
--From a business standpoint, they got revenue from three home games without incurring the expense and inconvenience of a second road trip.
--They welcomed back Evgeni Malkin from an extended injury absence and successfully worked him into the lineup.
--They won a playoff series using their No. 2 and 3 goaltenders exclusively. Even if Marc-Andre Fleury returns soon, the organization knows his back-ups won't be afraid of the playoffs.
--There were no new injuries (at least none that have been reported in the super-secret hockey environment).
Coaches always say there's no carryover from the regular season, good or bad, but there may have been in this case.
The Penguins' second half surge included three wins over the Rangers in which they solved goalie Henrik Lundqvist. It's impossible to believe that success didn't play a role in what happened in the playoffs.
Meanwhile, after many missteps, general manager Jim Rutherford is having something of a dream existence. When he's had a chance to do things over, he's done them right.
--Mike Johnston was a mistake; Mike Sullivan changed the entire culture and will deservedly get consideration for the coach of the year award.
--Signing Rob Scuderi was a bad move; trading him for Trevor Daley was a great move.
--Acquiring David Perron didn't pay off; dealing him for Carl Hagelin did.
The Penguins' playoff future still hinges on the availability of Fleury. If he makes it back soon, it's not hard to envision a long postseason run.
You know it's a good season when fans are heading the games in shorts and jerseys.
---
--ON THE CLOCK
Leave it to MLB to mess up the best of intentions.
Concerned about increasing game times, MLB regularly tries to add some speed-up rules.
The latest is a 25-second clock that runs when a pitching coach visits the mound. However, spies report discrepancies in when the clock starts ticking. In some parks, it's been activated as soon as the coach leaves the dugout. There have been instances when the 25 seconds started when the coach crossed the foul line. There's been at least one occasion where the clock started when the coach reached the mound.
The whole thing is pointless. Teams are only permitted one "free" visit per inning. A pitching change is mandatory on the second trip to the mound.
Meanwhile, the catcher is free to visit the mound as often as he wants to. Remember Russell Martin's frequent consultations?
Umpires have traditionally done an effective job of keeping coaches from lingering on visits.
For all of this silliness, MLB has added the expense of installing clocks and hiring people to operate them.
The only way to foul it up more would be to make the timing subject to replay review.
---
--GOOD ADDITION
Good move by Root Sports to add former Seattle Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik to its studio crew for Pirates game.
Zduriencik, who once worked for the Pirates, has a diverse background in the game as a scout, minor league administrator and GM. Even better, he was involved in baseball as a GM as recently as last August, so he's familiar with current personnel in the game.
He's also doing some fill-in work on the flagship radio station's extended pre-game show alongside Dan Zangrilli.
---
--WRONG FORMULA
Chris Colabello of the Toronto Blue Jays was suspended for 80 games after he tested positive for a banned performance-enhancing substance.
Colabello was batting .069 at the time of the announcement.
If he's actually guilty, he could make a case to get his money back from the pharmacy.
Sunday, April 17, 2016
Altoona Mirror, April 17, 2016
The NBA will place ads on uniforms in the 2017-18 season, and shame on you if you didn't see this coming up Madison Avenue.
Commissioner Adam Silver estimated teams could make up to $100 million a year with the new revenue. Considering they'll have this "found" money, does that mean franchises will pay their own bills and not shake down cities for new arenas or renovations to existing buildings? Yeah, sure.
This opens an interesting can of complications. How long until the players union steps in and demands a cut of the loot for its members serving as human billboards?
What happens if a player is at odds with the message he's bearing? Perhaps a staunch vegan wouldn't want to advertise the Golden Arches on his jersey. Maybe a player with a liberal political bent wouldn't want to passively endorse the conservative company that bought space on his uniform.
What happens when a great American corporation's logo is prominently displayed on a player whose picture is on the front page because he's just been accused of an awful crime?
If the NBA cracks on this, it's just a matter of time until other sports follow. The Steelers have had advertising on their practice jerseys, but that's not the same.
Silver says individual teams will be responsible for selling the advertising. Will that create another revenue gap? Certainly the Boston Celtics jerseys have more value to an advertiser than whatever colors the Milwaukee Bucks are sporting these days.
A long time ago, Ted Turner's holdings included both the Atlanta Braves and TV station WTBS, Channel 17. Turner persuaded pitcher Andy Messersmith, who wore No. 17, to have the word "Channel" placed on the back of the uniform rather than his name.
MLB stepped in and told Turner to knock it off because it was so cheesy.
Turns out he was just ahead of his time.
---
--NEW VOICE
Pitt announced that former receiver Bill Osborn will rejoin the radio broadcast team this season.
He replaces Pat Bostick, who has been promoted to a new position in the athletic department.
Osborn worked on the games before (1995-2003), and he makes no secret of his feelings. Occasionally Bill Hillgrove would be calling a play that wasn't going well for Pitt, and Osborn's plaintive "oh no, oh no" could be heard in the background.
---
--FUMBLED
Not to get all political, but Donald Trump should fire whatever staffers prepped him for his rally in Pittsburgh the other night.
All candidates pander with local references when they're on the stump, but Trump swung and missed badly with the stuff he was clumsily reading from a sheet of paper.
He apparently meant to mention the effort to bring back the Joe Paterno statue, but somehow left the word "statue" off what he was saying. It sounded like he was referencing the man, who died in 2012. Then he mentioned Penn State, a reference that fell flat.
Didn't anyone realize college loyalties are split along well-defined lines? No doubt there were Penn State fans in the audience. It's just as likely there were Pitt fans who delight in every Nittany Lions loss.
Anyone who knows anything knows you trot out Steelers references in Pittsburgh. He made a reference to "Big Ben" being a friend, but really didn't have a point beyond dropping the name.
If someone in his camp had been thinking, he could have said something like, "We're going to take care of business. Just the way Jack Lambert did every Sunday for the Steelers."
The place would have gone crazy.
---
--SEASON'S MEETINGS
So the Steelers have a home 4:15 kickoff against the Baltimore Ravens on Dec. 25.
Doesn't the NFL realize the evening hours on Christmas are reserved for family arguments, gluttony and serious egg nog-assisted napping?
Nobody respects traditions any more.
Commissioner Adam Silver estimated teams could make up to $100 million a year with the new revenue. Considering they'll have this "found" money, does that mean franchises will pay their own bills and not shake down cities for new arenas or renovations to existing buildings? Yeah, sure.
This opens an interesting can of complications. How long until the players union steps in and demands a cut of the loot for its members serving as human billboards?
What happens if a player is at odds with the message he's bearing? Perhaps a staunch vegan wouldn't want to advertise the Golden Arches on his jersey. Maybe a player with a liberal political bent wouldn't want to passively endorse the conservative company that bought space on his uniform.
What happens when a great American corporation's logo is prominently displayed on a player whose picture is on the front page because he's just been accused of an awful crime?
If the NBA cracks on this, it's just a matter of time until other sports follow. The Steelers have had advertising on their practice jerseys, but that's not the same.
Silver says individual teams will be responsible for selling the advertising. Will that create another revenue gap? Certainly the Boston Celtics jerseys have more value to an advertiser than whatever colors the Milwaukee Bucks are sporting these days.
A long time ago, Ted Turner's holdings included both the Atlanta Braves and TV station WTBS, Channel 17. Turner persuaded pitcher Andy Messersmith, who wore No. 17, to have the word "Channel" placed on the back of the uniform rather than his name.
MLB stepped in and told Turner to knock it off because it was so cheesy.
Turns out he was just ahead of his time.
---
--NEW VOICE
Pitt announced that former receiver Bill Osborn will rejoin the radio broadcast team this season.
He replaces Pat Bostick, who has been promoted to a new position in the athletic department.
Osborn worked on the games before (1995-2003), and he makes no secret of his feelings. Occasionally Bill Hillgrove would be calling a play that wasn't going well for Pitt, and Osborn's plaintive "oh no, oh no" could be heard in the background.
---
--FUMBLED
Not to get all political, but Donald Trump should fire whatever staffers prepped him for his rally in Pittsburgh the other night.
All candidates pander with local references when they're on the stump, but Trump swung and missed badly with the stuff he was clumsily reading from a sheet of paper.
He apparently meant to mention the effort to bring back the Joe Paterno statue, but somehow left the word "statue" off what he was saying. It sounded like he was referencing the man, who died in 2012. Then he mentioned Penn State, a reference that fell flat.
Didn't anyone realize college loyalties are split along well-defined lines? No doubt there were Penn State fans in the audience. It's just as likely there were Pitt fans who delight in every Nittany Lions loss.
Anyone who knows anything knows you trot out Steelers references in Pittsburgh. He made a reference to "Big Ben" being a friend, but really didn't have a point beyond dropping the name.
If someone in his camp had been thinking, he could have said something like, "We're going to take care of business. Just the way Jack Lambert did every Sunday for the Steelers."
The place would have gone crazy.
---
--SEASON'S MEETINGS
So the Steelers have a home 4:15 kickoff against the Baltimore Ravens on Dec. 25.
Doesn't the NFL realize the evening hours on Christmas are reserved for family arguments, gluttony and serious egg nog-assisted napping?
Nobody respects traditions any more.
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