BIG WIN

PENS 5
BLACKHAWKS 4
OT

It's not often that you can blow two separate two-goal leads on the road (especially against a quality opponent), but the Penguins did just that in a 5-4 overtime win over Chicago. The win leaves the Penguins just one point behind eighth-place Buffalo in the Eastern Conference. It's certainly a nice way to start their five-game road trip.

Yes, the game-winner in overtime was scored by Evgeni Malkin, which was no surprise, especially considering he was calling for the puck. But it was the presence of some other names on the scoresheet that should be encouraging to Penguin fans. Staal. Satan. Talbot. And in a nice touch, Chris Kunitz. Welcome to the Pens, young man.


The Pens (sans Sidney Crosby for the second straight game) overcame a hat trick from Jonathan Toews, who would have had four goals if one was not disallowed in the second period. That non-goal caused numerous Hawks fans to tragically toss their freebie Blackhawks construction helmets onto the ice.

I'm sure helmet sponsor Kenny Construction was thrilled that their goodwill gesture was heaved by hundreds of fans. Comparing the Penguins to a Simpsons episode for the second time in a week, I must say that this incident reminded me of the episode where Marge started selling pretzels and sponsored a giveaway at the Springfield Isotopes game, only to have fans throw them in disgust when Mr. Burns won the fan giveaway for a 1997 Pontiac Astro Wagon, knocking Whitey Ford unconscious and creating the term "Whitey Whackers". Needless to say, Marge's pretzel business soon went under due to the free sample gone wrong.

But back to hockey...and don't look now, but the Penguins are 4-1-1 under Dan Bylsma. And keep in mind that Crosby has not played in two of those six games. Yeah, I know Gene Collier probably still thinks the season is over, and while I'm pretty sure this isn't "the" year, I sure wouldn't mind a little playoff excitement coming to town in the near future.

The Pens' second-season push resumes on Sunday at 3 PM against Dallas. I wonder if Tony Romo will be there to sabotage another Dallas-Pittsburgh game?


Extras:

--I must admit that the more time I have to digest the Ryan Whitney trade, the more I like it. Reason #1: Whitney might need surgery on his right foot. And reason #2: Eric Tangradi will stand up for his teammates when the opponent get a little too hot-headed:



We could use some of that in the next game against Washington.

--Lots of great pictures from last night's contest at Empty Netters.

--Finally, reader Paul R. was at the game last night and he wanted to share his observations:

- As I pulled into a parking lot near the United Center, I was directed into a space behind a car with a Steelers license plate frame. Great start to the night.

- Walked into the United Center, and I have to say I was pretty impressed. For a building that's almost 15 years old, the place has a lot of nice features and is laid out pretty well. We found our seats easily and the view was pretty good, even from the upper bowl. Not to mention the place is HUGE. Over 22 thousand were there last night, they didn't mention if it was a sellout. If this is how nice a 15 year old arena looks, us Pittsburghers are in for a real treat when the Consol Energy Center opens up.

- Upon entering the bathroom for my ritual pre-game urination, I found a Pens fan and a Hawks fan going back and forth about Chicago sports vs. Pittsburgh sports. The Chicago guy was getting pretty desperate, because the Pens fan had already pointed out that we recently won the Super Bowl AND the Eastern Conference Championship, so he was left with only one other option. "Alright, let's talk about those Pittsburgh Pirates!" (At this point it's important to note that the guy was wearing a Cubs hat.) Without skipping a beat, the Pens fan goes "OK, well we won the World Series 30 years ago. How about you?" ....... Down goes Frazier.

- I was also impressed with the amount of Pens jerseys I saw. From the parking lot to our seats, we saw back and gold (and powder blue) all over the place. My best guess would be about 30-35%. At the end of the 2nd period when Satan and Talbot scored back to back, there was a nice yelling match going on between "Let's go Pens" and "Let's go Hawks". It sounded pretty even, if not a little in favor of the Pens fans.

- Gary Bettman takes a lot of heat, but he made a GREAT move in switching up the schedule this year. Having every team play every other team at least once during every season is a great move that NHL fans should really enjoy. There were a few times last night when Malkin made a play that had the whole Chicago crowd holding their breath, and the same thing happened with Toews and the Pens fans. (The guy almost scored a natural powerplay hat trick... has that ever happened?)

- All in all, it was a great game to watch. Probably one of the best I've ever attended live. Not to mention I was very impressed with Kunitz, and how he instantly jumped into the lineup and received powerplay AND penalty kill time. Although the penalty kill was a sore subject last night so maybe it's best to not talk about that...

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STEELERS FREE AGENCY UPDATE

Catching up on this morning's moving and shaking...

--Chris Kemoeatu is re-signed: 5 years, $20 million. Apparently they matched an offer by the Jets, a team that loves to sign Steeler linemen. [PG]

--Looks like Nate Washington might go from the Super Bowl Champions to the 0-16 Detroit Lions. Why? Because Daunte Culpepper is clearly an upgrade over Big Ben, that's why. [MLive]

--The Lions are also taking a look at Bryant McFadden. Maybe they'll sign Mitch Berger, Mike Humpal, and Fernando Bryant too. [MLive]

--The freshly-cut Kendall Simmons is visiting with the Buffalo Bills. We'll miss the sacks of Ben while Simmons watches helplessly. [Blog & Gold, One for the Other Thumb]


--Gang Green is also close with Ravens LB Bart Scott, who once allegedly threatened to kill Hines Ward after a game. [ESPN]

--Kellen "the Soldier" Winslow is now a Tampa Bay Buc. Have fun with this, Raheem Morris: [ESPN]



--Former Steeler nemesis Fred Taylor joins New England, immediately hurting his wrist as he signed his contract. OK, I made that up. Or did I? [ESPN]

--And finally, Gisele officially took Tom Brady off the open market. [Deadspin]

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PARTY WITH BEN IN VEGAS TONIGHT

While his teammates are robotically signing Super Bowl 43 DVDs at 2 AM in a Best Buy, Ben Roethlisberger's got a better idea: hosting a Victory Party at Tao in The Venetian in Las Vegas tonight.

The doors open at 10 PM, which means Large Ben (and unnamed teammates) will probably have a late night. Hopefully none of those teammates end up bashing in a towel dispenser at 3 AM.

Actually, Big Ben News has the list of other players who will attend: Charlie Batch, Darnell Stapleton, Willie Colon and Trai Essex. Apparently this party is limited to quarterbacks and linemen, which are presumably there to protect Roethlisberger just like they do at work. Well, at least some of them.

Tao: Ben Roethlisberger And The Steelers On Friday [Yahoo Upcoming]

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KENDALL SIMMONS NOW A FORMER STEELER

In the "minor surprise" category, the Steelers cut loose offensive lineman Kendall Simmons on Thursday after six seasons with the team. The 2002 first-rounder ruptured an achilles in the fourth game of the 2008 season and was placed on IR. They also cut linebacker Mike Humpal, a sixth-rounder in 2008 who found himself on IR during training camp last season.

On the plus side, the team has retained three restricted free agents: tackle Willie Colon, CB Anthony Madison, and TE Sean McHugh, as well as exclusive-rights free agents Carey Davis and offensive tackle Jeremy Parquet. The signing of Madison is probably another clue that the days of Bryant McFadden in a Steeler uniform are over.

Facing the start of free agency tomorrow, it looks like several Steelers could have new homes- and fast. OT Marvel Smith says he will be close to 100% after missing ample time due to a back injury. And Nate Washington could be taking his big-play ability and inconsistent hands to either Tampa, Nashville, or St. Louis. Who's Tampa's QB going to be next year, you ask? Oh, that's right, they don't even know. I know I'd rather catch passes from an unknown than Ben Roethlisberger.

As for incoming free agents, I wonder how Jeff Saturday's "I want to be a Steeler" proclamation will be received in Indianapolis, where he just re-signed for three more years. That was a fun rumor while it lasted for about 10 seconds. At least it was sincere.

A few other Steeler links:

--Friday will be declared "Myron Cope Day" in the City of Pittsburgh, and Luke Ravenstahl will appear with Stan, Guy, and Chris Mack on ESPN 1250 at 11:15 to talk about it. [ESPN 1250]

--Santonio Holmes waived his right to a preliminary hearing on a misdemeanor charge of marijuana possession on Thursday. [PG]

--Diving deeper into the events of Jeff Reed's infamous Sheetz evening... [Deadspin]

--Ed Bouchette gazes into his crystal ball for a Steeler free agent forecast. [PG]

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RYAN WHITNEY TRADED

A plethora of Pens fans finally got their wish, as perennial whipping boy Ryan Whitney was just shipped to Anaheim in return for wingers Chris Kunitz and Eric Tangradi. The move also prompted the Pens to drop forward Chris Minard in order to make room on the roster.

Early reaction has been mixed but leaning towards the negative side, mostly in the camp of the Penguins not getting enough in return for a defenseman that has been highly regarded in the recent past. However, this might not be the last deal Ray Shero makes before the deadline, so don't be too quick to set this new roster in stone.

Another interesting angle is the Ryan Whitney scratch last night to be with his family in Boston. As it works out, Anaheim plays in Boston tonight. Conspiracy theorists, knock yourselves out on that one.

So what about the incoming players? Well, the 6'0", 195-pound Kunitz has 16 goals and 19 assists for the Ducks this season. His career averages are about 21 goals and 29 assists per season. He'll turn 30 in September. He was a Hobey Baker Award finalist in college in 2003 at Ferris State University, he won the Stanley Cup with Anaheim in 2007, and he played for Team Canada in the 2008 World Championships. He's being marketed by Dan Byslma as a gritty player.

The 6'4", 220-pound Tangradi, 20, was ranked as the #2 prospect in the Ducks organization. This season, he's accumulated 38 goals and 49 assists in 52 games with the Belleville Bulls of the OHL. The Philadelphia-born winger also played for Team USA in the 2009 World Junior Championships in Ottawa. I would think Tangradi could be the real x-factor in this trade, as his seems to possess some genuine upside. Unfortunately, his time will not come for a while, so that really doesn't help the cause much right now. And that's all most people care about.

Penguins send Whitney to Ducks for Kunitz [CBC]

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SYKORA SAVES THE DAY

PENS 1
ISLANDERS 0

It's a good thing Petr Sykora broke the scoreless tie at 17:32 of the third period, because the Pens and Islanders still might be on the ice at Mellon Arena. It wasn't pretty, but a win is a win is a win, even if it's against the Islanders, who proved last week that yes, they are perfectly capable of beating the Pens. But considering the absence of both Sidney Crosby and Ryan Whitney and the mounting pressure to win each and every night, I'll take the W by any means possible, even if it means 57 scoreless minutes against the NHL's worst team.

As Empty Netters points out, it was Sykora's eighth game-winner this season, which is quickly moving up the Pens' all-time single-season list. And Marc-Andre Fleury, who's given up 13 goals in his last three contests, turned in the 13th shutout of his career and third of the season. So it wasn't all gloom and doom.

The 30-26-6 Pens pick up where they left off on Friday night against Chicago (34-17-8). The Penguins sit just two points behind Buffalo for the eighth playoff spot.

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THE NEWS: ADDENDUM

Some extras from today...

PHOTO OF THE DAY 2.0

Skip Bayless Steadfastly Refuses to Backpedal From His Theories About Troy Aikman’s Sexuality [The Big Lead]

--The Pirates are undefeated. That's right, they beat the World Champion Phillies, 8-2, in their spring opener. Take that, Philadelphia.

Pedro Alvarez hit eight solo homers in the win. OK, I'm kidding. He struck out. But 2B Shelby Ford did hit a three-run dinger, and the much-heralded Chris Bootcheck pitched a scoreless inning. No mention of Rinku and/or Dinesh in the box score.[Pirates.com]

--"How To Destroy a Great Sports City: The Pittsburgh Edition". Have fun with this. [Stet Sports Blog]

--James Harrison and the Steelers' ongoing contract discussions hit a snag. Not surprisingly, it's about money. [ESPN]

--Lamarr Woodley met a throng a Steeler fans at his Giant Eagle DVD signing. But did he get any Fuelperks? [WTAE]

--Steve is Alive Braband came up with his Steeler draft wish list, based on his scouting the combine on the NFL Network. Works for me! [Steve is Alive]

--The Steelers have no obvious targets to cut, at a time when teams like Tampa are shedding what seems like half of their roster. [FanHouse, Pewter Report]

--The Steelers lead the NFL in items listed on eBay. And that was before they started signing DVDs all week. [5 Golden Rings]

--It's the worst contracts in NFL history. Yeah, $130 million for Michael Vick looks sorta silly in retrospect. [ESPN]

--Projecting Pitt's 2009-10 starting lineup, complete with Dejuan Blair. [PG/Smizik]

--Come to the Yankees' new billion-dollar stadium, stay for the obstructed-view seats! [Major League Jerk]

--A-Rod is linked to a steroids dealer...and Kevin Bacon. [Sports Pickle]

--At what point did sports blogging shift from being about sports to being about women? A great article. [Moondog Sports]

And to close, an email rebuttal to the earlier email of the day:

"Just wanted to piggyback on the email of the day from Zach H.

When my friends and I would come home from college and all get together, it would usually be mid-October, Thanksgiving time, Christmas time, or summer. We developed a great drinking game for Pittsburghers. (I can't send this email out without acknowledging my friend Tommy L., who now lives in Chicago by way of the Edgeworth/ Sewickley area and remains one of the best and most die-hard Pittsburgh fans I know. I believe he came up with the game, and though it was more theoretical because we were like 19 or 20 and couldn't always grab beers with ease, we had to have played it a few times.)

Anyway, it's very simple. You turn on the evening news. I guess it's 6:00? It doesn't matter the station, WTAE, WPXI, KDKA… Every time you see a Steelers player, logo, or hear mention of the team, you drink. If it's football season, knowing what I know now about drinking games, you will be busting up paper towel dispensers at Sheetz by 10:30 pm. Especially if the Steelers are having a good year. (i.e., every year.)

If it's fall, I suggest using beer (preferably Iron, check that, I.C. Light) and waiting for Steelers references only. If it's spring or summer, you may be better suited to run the triple crown, drinking at each mention of the Penguins, Pirates, OR Steelers, or you can play with strictly Steelers and take shots.

Just an idea for any loyal yinzers out there who feel a sense of pride (and slight embarrassment) when they see links like the one in today's email of the day." -- Matt E., Philadelphia by way of Aleppo Township/ Sewickley

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CROSBY AND WHITNEY OUT TONIGHT

If I may take a moment to interject some non-Ovechkin-related Penguin news, it's been announced that both Sidney Crosby and Ryan Whitney will miss tonight's game against the Islanders: Crosby due to a sore groin, Whitney to a family matter that took him home to Boston. They will be replaced by Janne Pesonen and Kris Letang, respectively. This might be one of Pesonen's final shots with the club, and considering Dan Bylsma's familiarity with him, that just might happen.

The Pens will be sporting their blue uniforms tonight, and by my calculations, they're an underwhelming 2-4-1 when donning the alternates. Of course, with Crosby out of the lineup, Evgeni Malkin will probably score six goals, so the good and bad vibes all balance out in the end.

Crosby, Whitney out of Penguins lineup [PG]
About the Islanders - 2-25-09 [Empty Netters]

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JEFF SATURDAY TO THE STEELERS?

Could this man be the newest member of the Pittsburgh Steelers? If he has his way, yes, Colts center Jeff Saturday would gladly sign on with the black and gold, according to his Pittsburgh-based agent, Ralph Cindrich.

"I talked to Jeff after the Super Bowl, and he said if you can get me there, that would be beautiful," said Pittsburgh-based agent Ralph Cindrich. "This is a Rooney-type of guy if ever there was one."

Yeah, that statement sorta removes any gray area about Saturday's wishes. He's the latest chip to fall in the dismantling of the Indianapolis Colts, who have already bid adieu to Tony Dungy and Marvin Harrison this offseason. Saturday is a three-time Pro Bowler at center but would be willing to play guard; he's also a 10-year veteran who missed four games due to injury last season.

It shouldn't shock anyone that a player would want to play for the Steelers. They're a model organization, they win, and they have a coach that most of the players appear to genuinely like. The question with Saturday and any other free agent will ultimately come down to cashola, and only those on the inside know where and how that money is intended to be spent. One thing I do know is that the Steelers are going to need at least a few linemen due to some unavoidable farewells (such as Marvel Smith), so signing Saturday should be worth some consideration, but only if it fits within their long-range plans.

Saturday might be alright for signing [Trib]

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THE NEWS

PICTURE OF THE DAY

"I found this shirt in China today, and it seems to match the hat from Mr. Rooney at the trophy
presentation. The hats were probably made in China anyway, am I sensing a connection??" -- James S., China

VIDEO OF THE DAY

Iceburgh appears in an ESPN commercial, clearly his greatest acting job since Sudden Death:

EMAIL OF THE DAY

"You have got to see this footage from The Today's Show's story this morning about the 11-year-old Western Pennsylvanian kid who killed his father's girlfriend.

It's a tragic story, obviously, and they get some perspective from the deceased woman's father. Imagine you're him: your 9-months-pregnant, 26-year-old daughter has just been killed by her boyfriend's 11-year-old kid, using a 20-gage shotgun given to him for Christmas. The story has understandably captured the attention of the national media. You're about to be interviewed for a story that will go coast to coast. What do you wear?

Clearly, you wear your #39 away jersey, and a Steelers hat so yellow it would be visible from space. But what really puts it over the edge for me is that he seems to have also pinned a Roethlisberger button on to the jersey..." -- Zach H.

PITT:

--Well, the Panthers lasted all of one day as the #1 team in the nation before losing at the freaking Dunkin Donuts Center to Providence, 81-73. Ugh. They just insist on making a #1 seed as difficult as possible.

As is the case in Pitt losses, Dejuan Blair had foul problems, exiting the game for good in the final minute. He led Pitt with 17 points and eight rebounds in 30 minutes. But the real story on the night was turnovers, and Levance Fields and Sam Young combined for nine, half of the Panthers' nauseating 18 in the game. Find me a barf bag.

A Saturday meeting at Seton Hall (5-9, 14-12) is next. [ESPN]

--Speaking of Seton Hall, don't forget that they've got former Aliquippa star Herb Pope on the way next season. [Varsity Blog]

NHL:

--John Buccigross stirs the Crosby/Ovechkin/Malkin pot some more by comparing Sid to a 78-year-old Clint Eastwood in Gran Turino. [ESPN]

--Then there's Rob Rossi's "trade Crosby" theory... [FanHouse]

--Not to be outdone, I present "Perspective: Ovie's cooler than Crosby". Anyone else want to dump on the Pens? [Timesonline.com]

--Thankfully, The Pensblog balances out the universe by calling out Sid-hating Chris Cooley. [The Pensblog]

--45-year-old Chris Cichocki is your Baby Pens interim coach. [WBSPenguins.com]

--Pens 'n' Pins is a big success. And why not, with shirts like that. [PB&G]

--Mark Madden wonders where in the world Matt Cooke is during all this. I think he's busy not reminding us of Jarkko Ruutu. [WXDX]

--The Pens' new system is a concern for Marc-Andre Fleury. Fantastic. The hits just keep on coming.... [TSN]

...as I close with the news that Sidney Crosby hurt his groin in practice. [WTAE]

The Pens' 2008-09 season is starting to remind me of that episode of The Simpsons where a hurricane went through Springfield and destroyed everything near and dear to Ned Flanders, totally crushing his spirit. "Ned, we have some great news!" "What, did the rubble burn down?"

NFL:

--Looks like Tennessee might be the front-runner to overpay Nate Washington. [Nashville City Paper]

--Signed Santonio Holmes Super Bowl DVDs are starting to pop up on eBay. The Best Buy receipts are serving as the certificate of authenticity. A couple of the Hines Ward-signed versions are for sale as well. [eBay]

--Here's a handy guide to what the Steelers could and should do in the offseason. Sadly, it looks as if Mitch Berger has attempted his last awful punt in the black and gold. [Yahoo!]

--Great article on pending free agent Bryant McFadden, another player who I fear will no longer be donning a Steeler uni next fall. [Behind the Steel Curtain]

--ESPN 1250 now has an archive of all Steeler-related podcasts, including Tuesday's Lunch with a Legend featuring Andy Russell and Mike Wagner. [Stillers 365]

--Here's the resume of Thomas Tull, a Hollywood producer possibly buying into the Steelers: Superman Returns, 300, Beerfest, Dark Knight, We are Marshall, Watchmen, etc., etc. Yeah, he probably has a few bucks. [IMDB, PG]

NCAA:

--So how do the economics of UConn basketball really break down, Jim Calhoun? [Deadspin]

MLB/PIRATES:

--Pedro Alvarez is Baseball America's #12 prospect, and Andrew McCutchen is #33. That's good news. But guess who's #1? Does the name Matt Wieters ring a bell? [Baseball America]

--Nine member of the Bucco organization will suit up for the World Baseball Classic. Hopefully they're not on the same team. [MLB.com]

--Everyone's trying to make heads or tails of the story involving Pirate Andy Phillips and a porn star. Which reminds me...who's Andy Phillips? [Deadspin]

--Now this is a great Mickey Mantle autographed baseball! [SPORTSbyBROOKS]

MISCELLANY:

--Fast food: ads vs. reality. I love these. [thewvsr.com]


--The Pittsburgh Sports Blog Tournament is down to the Elite 8 over at Sean's Ramblings, and voting resumes on Wednesday.

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TAKE THE WONDERLIC EXAM

Pretend you're an NFL prospect for a second. You've left school a year early. The pressure to raise your draft stock is mounting. Drew Rosenhaus is in one ear, Bill Parcells in the other. And now, after being treated like a piece of meat, you're given the Wonderlic test for one more measurement of who you are.

Well, now's your chance to prove you're smarter than Vince Young, because ESPN has a simulation of the Wonderlic exam that you can take right now. You have four minutes to answer 15 questions. Your future may be riding on it. GO!

The Wonderlic Exam [ESPN Page 2]

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A RED CARPET EVENING

Who needs the Oscars? It's obvious that Pittsburghers would rather meet Silverback and Hines than Brad and Angelina, because they showed up in droves at the official Super Bowl 43 DVD premiere at Loews Theater in Homestead.

Several SB43 champs were on hand, including Harrison, Ward, and Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes, who also did a midnight signing at the Bethel Park Best Buy later that night.

Ward will sign more DVDs today at the West Mifflin Wal-Mart, which should be equally as nuts, and Lamarr Woodley will add his John Hancock tomorrow at the Robinson Town Center Giant Eagle location. Then comes the fun part: seeing how many of these treasures turn up on eBay this week.

Steelers' Super memories caught on DVD by NFL [PG]
Fans Line Up For New Steelers DVD [KDKA]

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UPDATED: PITT RETURNS TO THE TOP SPOT

As expected, Pitt vaulted back into the nation's #1 slot following a dominant week coupled with losses to the previous week's top three teams. But the bigger question I had was to find out who the one person was that actually voted for UConn ahead of Pitt in this week's poll. Were they watching Two and a Half Men instead of the Pitt-UConn game on Big Monday last week? And even better is Oklahoma, who ranked #3, getting two first-place votes despite an injury to Blake Griffin. I was perplexed, and being a Pittsburgher, I was naturally disgusted that any national media member would slight us in the least.

Well, I found out that there's a site called Pollspeak that reports on how writers voted, so here's the answer to my questions:

--UConn's #1 vote was from George Geise of the Great Falls Tribune in the basketball mecca of Great Falls, Montana.

--Oklahoma's #1 votes came from Ron Morris of The State in Columbia, South Carolina, and Seth Davis of Sports Illustrated and CBS fame. I'd expect a little more out of him.

--John Feinstein of NPR is the writer who voted for Robert Morris in the polls earlier this season, and he apparently champions a smaller school for his 25th spot each week. What a humanitarian. This week, he even threw a bone to Penn State at #24.

So there you have it. Some guy from Montana is the only thing sitting between Pitt and the unanimous #1 love that it deserves. Of course, no one's opinion, not even George Geise's, matters once the field of 65 is set. But still, it's nothing but a positive for the Pitt program to be at or around the top spot. Hopefully the results will be a little better this time around.

Pitt rises again as coaches' No. 1 [ESPN]
Pollstalker [Pollspeak]
Poll Dancing: Who's that guy ranking Robert Morris every week? [The Dagger]

Update:

To answer the question someone posed in the comments section, a media member informed me that Jim Boeheim has the Big East vote in the coaches poll (one coach votes in each of the 31 conferences) and they won’t release individual ballots until the final poll when it’s a no-brainer. He also points out that the great George Geise of Montana got slammed in a "The Poll Attacks" column on CBS Sports' website for this week's vote.

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STEELERS SIGNING SB43 DVDs THIS WEEK

Just got my hands on a press release for a series of Super Bowl 43 DVD signings happening around town this week, so read on for the full details of when and where to get your DVDs autographed by Steeler heroes.

Super Bowl XLIII MVP SANTONIO HOLMES, HINES WARD, LAMARR WOODLEY, Willie Parker and James Harrison of the world champion PITTSBURGH STEELERS CELEBRATE THEIR RECENT TITLE AT THE 2009 Super Bowl XLIII CHAMPIONS DVD Premiere SCREENING

The Official NFL Championship DVD to Premiere at AMC Loews Waterfront 22

Theater on Monday, February 23^rd at 7:00 PM

Holmes, Ward and Woodley Will Be Signing Copies of the DVD Throughout The Week Starting at 11:59 PM on Monday, February 23^rd

Pittsburgh, PA – After a magical season culminating with a historic win over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII, members of the Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers including Super Bowl XLIII MVP Santonio Holmes, Hines Ward, LaMarr Woodley, Willie Parker and James Harrison will gather at the AMC Loews Waterfront 22 (300 Waterfront Drive W – Homestead, PA) for a VIP screening of Warner Home Video’s 2009 Super Bowl XLIII Champions DVD. The festivities will get underway at 7:00 PM and media should arrive at 6:00 PM for interviews.

In addition to this VIP screening, these key members of the championship team will be conducting three autograph signings around town for fans that purchase a copy of the Super Bowl XLIII Champions DVD. All store information is featured in text box below along with appropriate players and times. Please note that the players will only sign copies of the purchased DVD and no other memorabilia will be signed.

On February 1^st, 2009 the Pittsburgh Steelers made history when they won their record sixth championship by defeating the Arizona Cardinals 27-23 in Super Bowl XLIII. Now, relive their entire season and memorable playoff run with Warner Home Video and NFL Film’s Official Super Bowl XLIII Champions DVD. The DVD includes extensive bonus materials and is due to hit stores on February 24^th, 2009 for a retail price of $24.98.

WHO:	Super Bowl XLIII MVP Santonio Holmes, Hines Ward, LaMarr Woodley, Willie Parker and James Harrison of the SB Champion Steelers	Super Bowl XLIII MVP Santonio Holmes	Hines Ward	LaMarr Woodley
WHAT:	VIP Screening of 2009 Super Bowl XLIII Champions DVD	Super Bowl XLIII Champions DVD Signing	Super Bowl XLIII Champions DVD Signing	Super Bowl XLIII Champions DVD Signing
WHEN:	Monday, February 23rd 7:00 – 9:00 PM	Monday, February 23rd 11:59 PM – 2:00 AM	Tuesday, February 24th 1:00 - 3:00 PM	Wednesday, February 25th 1:00 - 3:00 PM
WHERE:	AMC Loews Waterfront 22 300 Waterfront Drive W Homestead, PA 15120	Best Buy – South Hills 5000 Alicia Drive Bethel Park, PA 15102	Wal-Mart 2251 Century Drive West Mifflin, PA 15122	Giant Eagle Robinson Town Center 6511 Steubenville Pike Pittsburgh, PA 15205

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WEEKEND UPDATE

A few things to put a nice bow on the weekend...

--The Pens took one step forward and one backwards this weekend, beating Philly on Saturday and dropping a Sunday matchup with Washington. Looks like getting rid of Michel Therrien was not the cure-all that some thought it might be. [PG]

--What went wrong with the 2008-09 Pens, you ask? Luckily, Dave Molinari has all the answers. [PG]

--ESPN's Pennsylvania Mt. Rushmore of Sports is Joe Paterno, Mario Lemieux, Wilt Chamberlain, and Roberto Clemente. Sadly, there was no room for Big Ben's melon (or any other Steeler's, for that matter). [ESPN]

--Sounds a lot like Nate Washington has played his last game with the Steelers. Luckily, we already have another receiver on the roster that's adept at dropping passes, so there should be no drop-off. [Trib]

--Pat White ran a 4.49 40 at the combine, and he'll work out as a WR at his Pro Day next month. Just call him Randle-El 2.0. [PFT]

--ESPN 1250 is kicking off their Lunch with a Legend series on Tuesday, which means you can hang with Andy Russell and Mike Wagner while dining at Morton's. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me. [ESPN 1250]

--Batch or Leftwich? That's the question facing the 2009 Steelers. [PG]

--Shady McCoy, currently slotted to go to the Cardinals in four mock drafts, picked a really bad time to get sick. [PG]

--Troy Polamalu has been visiting a 10-year-old girl who has Ewing's Sarcoma, playing Guitar Hero and bringing her chocolates. See, the NFL does have some very kind souls. [PB&G]

--John Russell lost 95 games as manager of the Buccos in 2008 and got a one-year extension out of the deal. Yes, I'm still trying to figure it out, too. [Trib]

--Previewing your 2009 Pittsburgh Pirates... [We Should Be GMs]

--The Texas Rangers signed Anna Benson and her husband Kris to a minor-league deal. I'm sure he'll win at least 20 or 25 games at the bare minimum and contend for the Cy Young. [Trib]

--Nittany Lions players think JoePa will be "buried on the field". That's a nice visual. [SPORTSbyBROOKS]

--Monday brings round two of the Pittsburgh Bloggers bracket. Vote responsibly. [Sean's Ramblings]

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PITT SHOULD BE #1

As a result of the three teams in front of them (Connecticut, Oklahoma and North Carolina) all losing this week, expect the Pitt Panthers to be the #1 team in all of the land when the new polls are released on Monday.

The 25-2 Panthers dominated DePaul at the Pete on Saturday to the tune of 80-61, and with his 20-point, 18-rebound performance, Dejuan Blair set a school record with 41 rebounds in a two-game span. Pitt now sits at 12-2 and just 1/2 game behind UConn for first place in the Big East. (And speaking of UConn, you absolutely have to check out this video of Jim Calhoun flipping out on a reporter who questioned the coach's $1.6 million salary in the midst of a Connecticut state budget deficit):

Yes, it was another great showing by the Panthers, who also got 16 points from Sam Young, 13 from Tyrell Biggs, and 11 out of Jermaine Dixon. The biggest cheer, however, could have been for former Panther Larry Fitzgerald, who took in the game yesterday in Pittsburgh. No word on whether or not he shared a plate of nachos with another Super Bowl 43 participant who's been known to frequent the Pete.

DePaul fell to 0-14 in the Big East and probably wondered how and why they got themselves into this mess. As for Pitt, they resume their championship run on Tuesday at the world famous Dunkin Donuts Center against Providence (16-11, 8-7). If they win, Jamie Dixon promises donut holes and coffee for everyone.

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SKIPPY PLEADS GUILTY

Steelers kicker Jeff Reed plead guilty to disorderly conduct and criminal mischief, thus apparently closing the book on the most publicized Sheetz towel dispenser beating in recorded history. From the PG:

Mr. Reed received a summary citation and the charges were referred to Westmoreland County District Judge Mark Bilik in Bradenville. His guilty plea was received today through the mail and he will be fined $543.50, which includes $210 in restitution to the store.

So the Skipster mailed in his plea and it only cost him a shade over $500. No harm, no foul. You've got to love the "mischief" part, implying that he might be confused with Bart Simpson or Dennis the Menace. And since he's not Richard Seigler or Cedrick Wilson, his roster spot is probably safe. Now let's get back to regularly scheduled Skippy news....Does he have any more bar appearances lined up?

Steelers kicker pleads guilty to store misbehavior [PG]

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THE NEWS: ADDENDUM

Couple of late-breaking links to pass along...

--The Pens win a wild 5-4 contest again Montreal, giving Dan Bylsma his first career win and giving the Penguins two desperately needed points. Gonchar got the game winner, Satan scored, and Godard fought Laraque. Everyone goes home happy. [ESPN]

--One of the greatest websites I've ever seen: This is Why You're Fat. You've just got to click it for yourself. Man, does that look good.

--Last call for this week's Caption Contest, sponsored by Burghshirts. [MH]

--Mark Madden has been money this week in analyzing the Pens, and once again he hits the nail on the head by stating that Pens fans need to get over Colby Armstrong. Honestly, it's getting embarrassing. [WXDX]

--Jamie Dixon visited Pirate camp while recruiting his next batch of studs at the IMG Academy. I've got an idea: maybe Dixon can give scholarships to two guys from India who've never played basketball? [Trib]

--A new year, a new approach to the start of the season for Adam LaRoche. Which means instead of getting five hits in the month of April, he'll get at least seven. [MLB.com]

--Marian Hossa in a fight? With who, an angry Penguin fan? [Hockeyfights.com]


--New Pirate Eric Hinske compared the 2009 Pirates to the 2008 AL Champion Tampa Bay Rays. Well, maybe from the standpoint that they both play baseball, but that's about where it stops. [PG]

--Again, that's Tampa Bay, ranked #1 in AOL's power rankings, and the Pirates, ranked next-to-last. [FanHouse]

--Interesting article on the Pens' handling of Michel Therrien by Michael Farber, who incidentally looks exactly like the dad on Family Ties. [SI]

--Bryant McFadden wants to get paid, and that just might happen in Miami. [Steelers Gab]

--Santonio Holmes was fined $10,000 for his Super Bowl TD celebration. It was worth it. [FanHouse]

--SI finally speaks on the disappearing Danica Patrick tattoo, thus closing the internet's equivalent of the A-Rod scandal in which everyone wants answers. [Deadspin]

--In the spirit of the season, here's the March Meme Madness Tournament of Champions. [Unemployed A-Hole]

--That Kiss 96.1 Snuggie video earlier today was a parody of this SNL skit, which I neglected to mention. It's pretty funny, just watch the language if you open at work. [YouTube]

By the way, did you know T-Pain's real name is Faheem Rasheed Najm?

--Ever wonder the conversation A-Rod had with Cousin Yuri in 2001? Here's an interpretation. [Major League Jerk]

--Only one way to sum up how many titles the Steelers have won: the six-fingered glove. [Bleacher Report]

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MAX STARKS IS THE FRANCHISE

See that Steeler basketball player sitting next to disgraced tight end Jon Dekker? That's Max Starks, and he just got designated as the Steelers' franchise player. That's right, on a team loaded with names like Roethlisberger, Polamalu, and Harrison, it's Starks who's gotten the tag for two consecutive years, despite the fact that he's not even guaranteed to start. NFL economics...they're fannnnntastic!

Starks will be paid $8.451 million, a number which is based on based on the average of the top-five cap numbers of offensive linemen around the league from last season. It's a handsome raise from his controversial $6.985 million salary of 2008, and if anyone can boast a $1.5 million raise in the 2009 economy, more power to him. Maybe this year the Steelers will actually negotiate a long-term contract with him.

If any other team wanted to sign Starks, it would cost them two first-round picks, plus the Steelers would have seven days to match any offers. In other words, he's not going anywhere.

Steelers tag Starks for Second Time [John Clayton/ESPN]

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THE NEWS

PIC OF THE DAY

"I'm from Ligonier, but I live in the UK now, and my buddy Merlin took this while we were skiing in France the day before the Super Bowl. It's no Laurel Mountain, but it's kind of a cool shot." -- Pat T.

LINKS

NHL/PENS:

--Bob Pompeani locked up the first interview with Michel Therrien post-firing. That Pomps is always on his game. [KDKA]

--And Mark Madden's on his game as well, snaring a radio interview with incoming coach "Disco" Dan Bylsma. [WXDX.com]

--Speaking of Bylsma, he's trying to instill an "agressive" attitude in his new team [PittsburghPenguins.com]

--The Penguins take on Montreal tonight (preview), a team that's currently Keyshawning Alexei Kovalev. [Empty Netters, National Post]

--Marian Hossa (and Johan Franzen) are both likely to return to Detroit next season. Sure, I'd definitely believe Marian Hossa. He never changes his mind. [Freep.com]

COLLEGE/PITT/PSU:

--It's official: Frank Cignetti Jr. has been hired to run the Pitt offense. I would've had a full post about it, but considering the last two posts on the topic have generated a grand total of zero comments, I got the hint that you weren't nearly as interested in this story as I was. [ESPN]

--Incoming superstar Dante Taylor is Pitt's first McDonald's All-American since Brian Shorter and Bobby Martin in 1987. To celebrate, Jamie Dixon's going to use the McRib locator and take his entire team for some processed pork. [PG]

--Bob Smizik picks four Pitt basketball All-Time Teams. Discuss. [PG]

--I somehow missed the 38-33 shootout between Penn State and Illinois last night. That's right, 38-33. In basketball. Men's basketball. Men's college basketball. [SPORTSbyBROOKS]

NFL/STEELERS:

--I never knew Chris Kemoeatu was one of the better guards in the league, but apparently he is. That's according to his agent, who has no vested interest whatsoever. [FanHouse]

--Anthony Anderson's 1979 Steelers Super Bowl ring closed at $25,000 on eBay. Which means you could buy three of these for the price of Santonio's gloves.

--Speaking of Super Bowl rings, Mean Joe Greene's got six of 'em. [Steelers.com]

--Donnie Shell, Super Steeler and director of the Carolina Panthers' player development program for 15 years, officially calls it a career. [Panthers.com]

--UFC fighter Josh Koscheck is a Steeler fan, joining Snoop Dogg, Hank Williams Jr., and Bret Michaels in the Celebrity Steeler Fan category. [UFC.com]

MLB/PIRATES:

--Jack Wilson's back for his third consecutive final spring training with the Pirates. [Beaver County Times]

--Chuck Finder reports from Spring Training. I'm guessing it's not snowing there today. [PBC Blog]

--John Perrotto thinks that Nate the Great is worth the money. [Pirates Report]

--Jesse Ventura sums up the steroid situation in a neat little package. [Yahoo!]

--One of the first baseball cards ever produced just sold for $64,073 at auction, making one old lady very happy in the process. [Big League Stew]

--A-Rod and Andy Pettitte are teaching a younger generation of Yankees how to apologize for steroids. [Sports Pickle]

--It's an in-depth look at Brandon Moss: the man, the myth, the legend. Well, actually it's just an article about how he's trying to improve on his .222 average last year. [MLB.com]

--Looks like Bud Selig is cleanin' house. [Major League Jerk]

--Does the new Yankee Stadium have hidden locker rooms? [SPORTSbyBROOKS]

MISCELLANY:

--The boys at 96.1 made a Snuggie rap video that sounds kinda T-Pain-ish. [YouTube]

--ESPN Radio's Colin Cowherd launched his own website, with a URL that for some reason he refused to give out on the air. [Theherdsword.com]

--Shane Battier is the NBA equivalent of the Moneyball player. What a can of worms we're opening... [NY Times]

--Tiger Woods baby photos! [Deadspin]

RANDOM THOUGHTS FROM MY INBOX WORTH MENTIONING

I get lots of email, and there's only so many hours in the day to try and tackle it. Some of the better ones will be featured here.

--"As a Pitt fan, I looked into both Mazzone and Cignetti. Mazzone's job turnovers were b/c he was and fired for the most part. One of his changes came b/c of a head coaching change. The offensive numbers notoriously fell each year he was at a given program. He was fired after the first year in a 3 year contract in his last stint as an OC.

Cignetti's turnovers, however, can be explained rather easily. In 04, his last year at Fresno, he was completing a 3-5 year stint as there OC with prolific offenses in almost each of those years.. He then took the UNC OC job, considered by him and many others a promotion.. However, after 1 year at UNC, he fell victim to a head coach change (Bunting to Davis).. Davis brought his own staff with him.. He then took the QB coach job at San Fran as he was out of work.. A year later, he was again offered a OC job in a major college program, this time Cal, working with Tedford, a very good offensive coach.. He is now being offered the Pitt OC job, and while it may be looked at as a lateral move in the profession, I'd guess that Pitt would give him complete control in the offense (which he didn't have at Cal) and a hefty pay raise..

So I would guess that his 4 jobs in 4 years is more by coincidence and changing circumstances rather then being ineffective at those 4 positions." -- Mike T., Pittsburgh

--"Keith Butler WAS given permission to talk to the Cardinals, but turned it down. Does this mean LeBeau is contemplating retiring in the next year or two (I'm assuming Keith Butler is the heir apparent)?" -- Josh M.

--"One question about DeJuan Blair… What is going on with his ESPN player photo? Have you ever noticed that when you watch a Pitt game on ESPN, everyone else's photos are crystal clear and in that typically stunning ESPN HD, but for some reason Blair's looks like it is of maybe 1/3 the pixel quality. He winds up looking like a burn victim because they have his face various different shades of colors and his eyes are barely visible as well. Not sure why that is.

For this reason, despite how cool his real name is. I think he needs a nickname." -- Matthew E.

--"Bylsma is the Penguins 19th head coach since 1969 (or 22nd head coach, if you separately count multiple stints like Eddie Johnston's). That's a pretty funny contrast to the Steelers and their grand total of 3 head coaches since 1969. " -- Sam S.

FEBRUARY MADNESS

The NCAA tournament is around the corner, so Sean's Ramblings put together a 32-blog bracket of the best Pittsburgh sports blogs. Mondesi's House is a #1 seed, so in the true spirit of Pitt, I'm hoping only to reach the Sweet 16. I'm saving my real run for the Big East Blog Tournament.

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BEN VS. ROMO: WHY ARE WE STILL DEBATING THIS?

Lots of readers have forwarded me this article from The Dallas Morning News in which writer Jean-Jacques Taylor (probably the coolest-named football writer I've ever heard of) tells his readers exactly why Ben Roethlisberger is better than Tony Romo.

Taylor points to Romo's gaudy stats in his argument, and adds that he believed the Dallas QB was, in fact, superior to Roethlisberger not long ago:

"You wouldn't have convinced me of that a few months ago because Roethlisberger, who had 17 touchdown passes and 15 interceptions this season, usually plays such an ugly game.

Like so many others, I put too much credence on stats and style and not enough on performance and substance."

So in short, all it took was a second Super Bowl title in five seasons to convince Taylor that Roethlisberger was better than a guy who's still never won a playoff game.

Why are we talking about this again?

Well, better late than never, I suppose. But once again, it points out just how many people (including media members) were/are extremely sloooooooooowwww to get on the Ben Roethlisberger bandwagon (or the Benwagon, as I once called it).

In other news, Tony Romo spoke out on Jessica's weight gain, and he's ranked 5th to Roethlisberger's 11th in early fantasy football QB rankings. Wonder if the constant publicity and fantasy influence has anything to do with this ongoing, unnecessary discussion?

Clutch play separates Roethlisberger and Dallas Cowboys' Romo [Dallas Morning News]

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IS CIGNETTI THE GUY?

KDKA is reporting that after a day of interviewing, Pitt formally offered Frank Cignetti Jr. the position of offensive coordinator vacated by Matt Cavanaugh. As for previous candidate Noel Mazzone, it appears that he's closing in on a job with the Cleveland Browns, and I don't have to tell you about the prestige that carries.

Here's what I know about Frank Cignetti Jr.: he's from Pittsburgh, which is always worth double points; his dad coached WVU and IUP; offensive guru Jeff Tedford somewhat limited his control over the offense while at Cal, despite his title of coordinator; and Butch Davis relieved him of his duties once he took over at UNC for that coach who didn't play Willie Parker. But look at the way he's instructing Trent Dilfer in that picture. He sure looks like he knows what he's talking about.

Cignetti has changed jobs four times in four years: in 2005, he was at Fresno State; in 2006, he was at UNC; in 2007, he was with the 49ers; and in 2008, he was at Cal. Is he so fantastic of a coach that he keeps rising up the coaching ladder, and if that's true, is that a good thing or a bad thing for Pitt?

CIGNETTI OFFERED THE JOB [PSI]

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OBLIGATORY 2009 PIRATES POST 1.0

Yeah, I know that you're infinitely more interested in the happenings of Pitt and the Penguins right now, but the Pirates are gearing up for another year of exciting, sub-.500 baseball, so let's get caught up on the latest happenings of all things Bucco:

--As you've probably heard, Nate McLouth agreed to a three-year contract with a club option on a fourth year.

McLouth will receive a $1.5 million signing bonus as well as salaries of $2 million in 2009, $4.5 million in 2010 and $6.5 million in 2011. The Pirates have a $10.65 million option for 2012 with a $1.25 million buyout. It should go without saying that the next round's on him. [PittsburghPirates.com]

--Professional sideshows Rinku and Dinesh were featured on ABC News tonight, meaning the Pirates' publicity plan is going along just as scheduled. Unless you can think of another reason why a story about the Pirates would make national news in February? [ABC.com]

--You can now find the works of former Beaver County Times scribe John Perrotto at Piratesreport.com.

--Andrew McCutchen is ranked as the #12 prospect in the game by MLB.com. I think Rinku and Dinesh are 1 and 2, respectively.

--The Pirates are in the running for relief pitcher Will Ohman, who had a 3.68 ERA in 83 appearances for the Braves last season.

Not being too familiar with random Braves relivers, I was able to unearth some incredibly interesting tidbits on the German-born lefthander, such as his "possible" MLB-record 65 appearances without allowing a double. I can only wonder how a guy with double-avoiding skills like that is still available at this stage of free agency? [ESPN]

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WALT HARRIS TO AKRON

So much for those Walt Harris-to-Pitt rumors. It looks like the former Panther head coach is headed to the University of Akron to be their quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator. Harris will join the staff of head coach J.D. Brookhart, who was Pitt's offensive coordinator under Harris from 1999-2003.

As for Pitt's still-vacant offensive coordinator job, the hot rumor yesterday was Jets receivers coach Noel Mazzone, but just one day later, the name popping up is California offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr., son of Frank Cignetti, Sr., who was the head coach at IUP and West Virginia for 24 seasons.

Cignetti Jr.'s coaching career started at Pitt as a grad assistant in 1989 and has featured stops with IUP, the Kansas City Chiefs, the New Orleans Saints, Fresno State, North Carolina, and the San Francisco 49ers before joining Cal in 2008. You can read his full bio here.

Former Pitt coach Harris hired by Akron [PG]
PITT LOOKING AT FRANK CIGNETTI, JR. [PSI]

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SANTONIO'S GLOVES: $70,000

The hammer finally fell on Santonio Holmes' Super Bowl-winning gloves, and the bidding stopped at $70,200. Judging by the bid history, it looked like a two-horse race once the auction reached $48,000.

Considering the significance of the play and the popularity of the Steelers, this sounds like a reasonable price, believe it or not. Don't forget, Todd McFarlane paid $3 million for Mark McGwire's 70th home run ball in 1999, so this is relatively a bargain by comparison. And hopefully Santonio will never have to appear in front of Congress and simultaneously flush the value of this piece of memorabilia down the drain like McGwire's appearance did to McFarlane's ball.

The charity that benefits from the sale, The Sickle Cell Disease Association of America Inc., did pretty well with this to boot. Getting $70K for anything in this economy is no small feat, so that money will hopefully do some good. It looks like a win-win for everyone involved, which means that once again, the Steelers are connected to a victory, even after the big game.

Santonio Holmes Gloves [CMarket]

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DEJUAN BLAIR

That name says it all in the wake of #4 Pitt's 76-68 win over #1 UConn on Monday night. Blair was everywhere, racking up 22 points and 23 rebounds in the Panthers' first victory over a #1-ranked team in school history. It was a performance for the ages.

Given the scores of pro scouts in the stands, this game could've literally made Blair millions of dollars. The key was his ability to stay out of foul trouble (with only two), an aspect of the game that eluded UConn's highly-touted Hasheem Thabeet, the 7'3" giant who fouled out with just five points and four rebounds on 1-for-5 shooting.

Fouls were a touchy topic all night, with Pitt getting called for nine and UConn only two at one point in the game. The announcing team of Jay Bilas and Bill "Smell Those Onions" Raftery hinted at over-officiating in the game and likewise in the conference this year, and I could see where they would say that. This game surely would've had a different outcome had Blair's 22 and 23 been neutralized by quick whistles. Luckily, things didn't play out that way.

Although they led for most of the game, it wasn't all smooth sailing for the Panthers. Their guard shooting was off-the-charts bad; Levance Fields was 2-10, Jermaine Dixon 3-8, Brad Wanamaker 0-6, Ashton Gibbs 0-2, and Gilbert Brown (technically a G/F) 0-5. That's 5-for-31, a whopping 16%.

The Levance Fields turnover-to-assist ratio finally slowed down, as it was a much more down-to-earth 5 assists/4 TOs. It wasn't Fields' finest game, but he did bury some big shots during crunch time that were crucial to the victory. He scored all of his 10 points in the final 3:09 of the game. He saved the best for last, I suppose.

Sam Young was huge, adding 25 points that were considered quiet only because of Blair's fantastic performance. Like the announcers mused, this could be the year Pitt finally puts it all together and takes the next step in March.

I was pretty amped for this game and I'd say it thoroughly met all of my lofty expectations. It was tight throughout, with the trademark physicality that the Big East has become known for; Blair flipping Thabeet on his back, Blair getting an elbow in his face from Stanley Robinson....it was all par for the course. It was a highly enjoyable night of hoops.

Pitt now sits at 24-2, and 11-2 in the Big East, with five games left: home vs. DePaul, (8-18, 0-13) at Providence (16-9, 8-5), at Seton Hall (14-10, 5-7), home vs. Marquette (21-4, 10-2) , and to close, UConn (24-2, 12-2) at the Pete. Expect the growing stable of celebrities appearing at Pitt games to turn out for that one. No word yet on whether or not Skippy will be there, but I'm pretty sure Dejuan Blair will show up.

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NOT A GOOD START

If you consider a 3-2 shootout loss to the league's worst team a good start for the Dan Byslma Era, you're a more optimistic person than I, because that's exactly what happened in a rare weekday afternoon game today on Long Island. The loss dropped the Pens to an unreal 1-7-2 in 2009 on the road [forgot to include that part in the original post]. Ugh.

I listened to most of the game online, and other than Phil Bourque getting overly excited about President's Day, there weren't many memorable moments from this contest. Sergei Gonchar did get his first point by assisting on Ryan Whitney's power play goal in the second, and Geno Malkin added a goal onto his league-leading point heap, but that's about it. Malkin and Sidney Crosby were both stopped in the shootout, and it was curtains for the first game under Mr. Byslma.

In other Pens-related news, Mad Mike Therrien said in an interview today that he thinks the Pens are still playoff-bound, and that he was basically blindsided by his firing, in the process adding that he thinks Byslma is "one of the up-and-coming young coaches". On both counts (the playoffs and Byslma), it's a coin-flip at this point. But after one game, there's one thing we can all say for sure: it's clear that Michel Therrien was not the entire problem.

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