NO TIME TO DWELL ON THE NEGATIVE

RED WINGS 3
PENGUINS 1

Well, it wasn't as bad as Marc-Andre Fleury tripping before Game One last year, but the end result was equally as frustrating for Penguins fans: the team finds itself in an early hole after one game of the Stanley Cup Finals.

The Red Wings were able to parlay their home-ice-friendly boards into a 3-1 victory in the Land of Eminem, and because of Conan O'Brien, the Penguins have less than 24 hours to turn things around. That's a sentence I never anticipated writing in my lifetime. But if Yanni can mess with the 2009 NHL playoffs, then I guess Conan is at least a step up.

The epilogue to Game One will be a simple, two-word summary for the Penguins: missed opportunities. The Wings were banged up, they were playing without Pavel Datsyuk, and frankly, they were let off the hook numerous times by the Pens, who channeled their inner Dennis Green. If Geno Malkin scores on that second period breakaway, his dad hugs the closest blonde, the offense gathers a little steam, and the game takes on a whole new feel. Unfortunately, Malkin was far from the only Penguin to be denied by Chris Osgood, as Miroslav Satan, Chris Kunitz, and Bill Guerin, among others, can attest to. The guy seems to get a bum rap, but once again, Ossie outplayed his counterpart. There's a reason why he has three rings.

And while the result after one game is the same as it was in 2008, the mood has to be a little more upbeat this year for the Penguins. The quick turnaround is universally thought of as a plus for the young Pens, who are not nearly as banged up as the Wings. The Pens looked much more organized in this year's opener than last year's, but they still have some kinks to work out: they were beat 39-17 in faceoffs, they allowed Detroit to dictate play in front of the Pens' net, and they need to finish plays like they did in previous rounds. Easier said by a blogger than done, it's worth noting. This is a pretty good opponent they're up against.

If Game One offered any excitement to Pens fans other than the lone goal, it was the prevalence of hitting ripped right out of a Steeler highlight video. Brooks Orpik's leveling of Benedict Hossa in the first period, followed by Sidney Crosby crushing Henrik Zetterberg, had to provoke many a Yinzer into jumping out of their seat. And at game's end, I'm sure you caught the little love tap Sid sent to Kirk Maltby, which sets up some drama for this evening rather nicely:

So here we are, just a few hours away from what's become a must-win Game Two for Pittsburgh. If you've already lost faith, you're obviously unfamiliar with the route this team took to get this far. A 1-0 hole is by no means the end of the world. But let's hope the good guys can leave Detroit with at least one W. It would make their playoff lives a whole lot easier.

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PENS FAN MEET-UP

For the third time since 2006, the city of Pittsburgh will be descending on the city of Detroit in hopes of capturing a championship. And you know what that means. Yinzer road trip!

Mikey and Kiss 96.1 will be at The Anchor Bar starting around 2-3 PM until gametime at 450 W Fort St, Detroit, MI 48226 - (313) 964-9127. All of you black-and-gold bleeders can congregate there and debate the merits of octopus vs. pierogi. And "get ready" for the game (wink, wink).

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YOUR SHOT AT RUNNING THE STEELERS

If you've ever wanted the chance to boss around Ben Roethlisberger, Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes, and a bunch of other millionaire athletes, today is your lucky day.

ESPN 1250 is auctioning off the opportunity to be a serve as an honorary coach for the second annual Hines Ward Celebrity Softball Game, to be played Saturday, June 6th at Duquesne Field in Green Tree Borough.

The opportunity includes:

- Photo with Hines Ward prior to game.
- Softball signed by Hines Ward.
- Hines Ward Celebrity Softball game t-shirt.
- Opportunity to appear in the team photo (taken at top of the 4th inning).
- Opportunity to coach the first three innings of the game.

Steelers expected to attend include Ben Roethlisberger, Brett Keisel, James Harrison, James Farrior, Jeff Reed, Santonio Holmes, Max Starks, Willie Parker, Deshea Townsend, Ike Taylor and Hines Ward. To that, I can only say, "Wow".

The auction ends on Friday morning at 11:59 AM, so if you want to pretend to be Mike Tomlin for the afternoon and attempt to tell James Harrison what to do, time is running out.

Coach the Champs [ESPN 1250]

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BENKOVITZ BANS WINGS FANS

During last year's Stanley Cup Finals, Wholey's Fish Market in the Strip District (shown above) banned the sale of octopi to Detroit fans, going as far as checking ID at the register. At the time, Benkovitz Seafood saw things a little differently:

"I would have no problem selling them an octopus," Benkovitz employee Cindy Norman said. "I don't watch hockey."

Proving once again that our city's priorities are clearly in order, Benkovitz has since seen the light and will jump on the anti-Detroit bandwagon:

“They might bring a stinky squid in their car from Detroit, but not from my store here,” said Horatio Ruiz of Benkovitz Seafoods. “This is for us, and for the Pittsburgh fans only.”

Clearly, a point has been made by residents of Pittsburgh: either you're with us or you're against us. Wholey's gets it. Jerome Bettis gets it. Others might take a little time, but eventually, everyone comes around. Once you get to know us, we're really a lovable group, in an angry-mob kinda way.

No Octopus For You: Local Fish Market Bans Detroit Fans [WPXI]
Red Wings' fans not welcome [Trib]

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BETTIS SMARTER THAN COWHER

Noted Detroit native Jerome Bettis was definitely paying attention to the recent hockey-related shenanigans by a certain football coach from Crafton. And he's proven that he's much, much smarter than this man:

The Bus was at Duquesne University on Wednesday, congratulating students from the Pittsburgh Rooney Accelerated Learning Academy who learned the ins and outs of computers during a recent eight-week camp sponsored by Bettis's foundation.

The Notre Dame-educated Bettis had this to say about the pending Stanley Cup matchup:

"Right now, it is championship season for hockey. The Pens are now, it looks like, going to play the Red Wings, and I'm torn," said Bettis, who hails from Detroit. "This year, it's time for the Penguins to win the championship. ... This year, it's time for the young guys to become men and become champions."

It's worth noting that Mr. Bettis does own a rather large eating and drinking establishment in the heart of Pittsburgh, and rather than go the way of Rod Woodson's old place, the Bus realized that sometimes, you have to cater to your audience. Which means you probably won't be seeing #36 throwing an octopus onto the ice during the Finals.

Detroit Native Bettis: 'Go Pens!' [WTAE/video]
Pittsburgh academy students awarded computers by 'The Bus' [Trib]

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NEWS AND NOTES

A few things to quickly slip in...

--Hey, does that trophy have a ticket? [Empty Netters]

-Dave Dameshek, your friend and mine, will be doing a two-hour guest spot on ESPN 1250 tonight from 6-8 PM. City of Champions II and Benedict Cowher will be among the topics.

--In other 1250 news, they've parted ways with longtime personality Jim Colony, who's been a very good friend of the site over the years. I wish him all the best. [PG]

--Steelers #1 in ESPN's Power Rankings. Pens could be #1 in NHL. Pitt was #1 for a while in basketball. And the Pirates are going to have an historic season too! [ESPN]

--And to top it off, a kid from Bethel Park might win the National Spelling Bee! [WTAE]

--James Harrison wants his dog Patron to live. Hopefully they can find a willing home. [Shutdown Corner]

--Big Ben is up for "Most Unstoppable Jock" in the Spike TV Guys Choice Awards. His opponent? Lebron James, who currently finds himself in a 3-1 hole. [Spike TV]

--A drug dealer said that he sold steroids to members of the Washington Nationals, and of greater interest, the Washington Capitals. All together now..."I guess they didn't take enough!" [Puck Daddy]

--This just in: Matt Wieters makes his MLB debut on Friday. Not making his MLB debut on Friday: Daniel Moskos. [Baltimore Sun]

DON'T FORGET TO SEND OVER YOUR PICS, EMAILS, THOUGHTS, LINKS, VIDEOS, ETC., ETC., FOR THIS WEEK'S EDITION OF THE NEWS! WHO BUMPED MY CAPS LOCK?

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BILL COWHER'S CAROLINA VIDEOS

I'd comment, but I try to keep the language clean on here.

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CITY OF CHAMPIONS II?

PENGUINS 4
HURRICANES 1

[From Adam]

30 years later, a new generation has a shot at experiencing a "City of Champions" era. Just months after the Steelers returned from the Super Bowl with the Lombardi Trophy in hand, the Penguins have a chance to raise Lord Stanley in the very near future.

Game Four started off with Bill Cowher furiously cranking the Hurricanes' pregame siren, as promised and heavily hyped. Of course, Versus was too busy to actually show this on live TV, lest they take away from their highly acclaimed lead-in program, Holy @#%*! But thank goodness for highlights and their screen-capture opportunities.

If Cowher decides to give up his CBS gig, he might have a scholarship offer open up as the Texas Tech Bell Ringer:


As Hot Dog Zanzabar reminds me, "Kid Crosby was waving a Terrible Tahl when announced as the number 1 star when Mr Bill's team had their Super Bowl run." Yes, I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that the city of Pittsburgh won't be too thrilled with Cowher's in-game interview. That's fine. He can watch his neighbor Matt Cullen golfing next week.

But back to serious business, where Eric Staal opened up the game's scoring just 1:36 into the first period, beating Marc-Andre Fleury and giving the Cowher-charged crowd even more momentum. Eric looked awfully angry after scoring, though.
About seven minutes later, perennially rosy-cheeked Ruslan Fedotenko tied it with his sixth goal of the playoffs, tipping in Philippe Boucher's shot from the point. And who else but Mad Max Talbot put the Pens ahead for good with a knuckle-puck that beat Ward with a minute and a half left in the first. What can you say? 12 goals in the regular season, four in the playoffs. He's a superstar.
The second period featured just one goal - the seventh of the playoffs for Bill Guerin, who's probably justified that conditional draft pick that the Penguins will give up for him in the draft. He was the #1 star in the Eastern Conference clincher. Thanks again for the boost, Garth Snow!
With 20 minutes to go until a second straight berth in the Stanley Cup Finals, all eyes were on Marc-Andre Fleury to hold down the fort. And MAF did exactly that, turning away all 10 Hurricane shots in the final period while getting an empty netter from Craig Adams, closing out the Canes with a surprising four-game sweep. As the clock ticked to 0:00, the Prince of Wales Trophy was given to the Pens, who decided they wouldn't treat it like it was covered in cooties this year. A bearded 66 looked on in approval.
So to put a bow on this one, Carolina peaked a minute and a half in, their goalie and their team looked physically and emotionally spent, MAF stopped nearly everything Carolina threw at him, and Bill Cowher continued to struggle in conference championships. It was time for this series to end, and the Penguins didn't mess around.

The Pens sit just four wins away from the third title in team history, and a likely rematch with Marian Hossa and Detroit awaits them, as long as the Wings can close out Chicago on Wednesday night [preview]. It's a good thing, because I'm thinking of an obvious sequel to this photo:

Check back throughout the day for more pics, video, and links, and feel free to drop me a line with your two cents. LET'S GO PENS!

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A BRIEF WORD ON MR. BILL

As you're well aware of, Bill "Benedict" Cowher will be cranking the siren for the Carolina Hurricanes prior to tonight's Game Four with the Pens. I've discussed the topic at length and ran this picture about 800 times, but for one last go-round, I'll direct you to an AOL Fanhouse article written by Adam Gretz which gets a few different Pittsburgh points of view on the topic. And for a longer take in audio form, you can listen to the most recent Mondesi's House/Dave Dameshek podcast here. I won't spoil it for you, but you can probably write my answer to this question better than I could at this point.

By Sounding Siren, Is Bill Cowher Turning His Back on Pittsburgh? [Fanhouse]

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UPDATED: "I PITY THE PIRATES!"

Those are the words of none other than Laurence "Mr. T." Tureaud, who threw out the first pitch and sang "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" at yesterday's Pirates-Cubs contest. At the conclusion of his seventh-inning serenade, he proclaimed to the denizens of the Windy City that he "pities the Pirates".

Hey T, I love ya, but we're not the ones who've lost eight in a row. I guess we know what a payroll of $135 million and the great Lou Piniella buys you: a 21-22 record and a one-game lead over the Pirates near the end of May.

Full T hijinks at the 1:30 mark:

UPDATE:

T and Pirates PR guru Jim Trdinich, from Jim's Facebook page

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THE CAROLINA EXPERIENCE

After a few days away from blogging, I'm kicking off Tuesday with...a post written by someone else. Rather than listening to a half-hearted recap of Freddy Sanchez's six-hit performance against the Cubs yesterday, I thought you'd prefer to hear a first-hand account of the atmosphere at Game Three this past weekend. It's written by A.J., who has done a number of great pieces for the site over the years, most notably "The Official Playlist of the NHL Playoffs" last season. So sit back, enjoy, and get mentally prepared for a potential broom game tonight.

Howdy, Mondesi Housers. It has been awhile since I’ve chipped in with any of the writing around here. There have been a few changes since the last time I posted. One of those things being that I am no longer A.J. of 105.9 the X. Instead, I’m just A.J. - recent victim of radio station budget cuts. Fortunately for me, I have another job and not all is lost. One of the benefits of no longer working Saturdays & Sundays and playing the same Pearl Jam song for the 1,137^th time in my life is that now my weekends are open to do other things such as travel.

Last week after I failed to acquire tickets for any of the home games for the Eastern Conference Championship, I decided to log onto Ticketmaster and attempt to find some tickets in enemy territory. Low and behold, I was able to secure a pair of seats about 7 rows back from the ice several hours after they had gone on sale. I thought that they would surely have been sold out by the time I logged on, but there were plenty of seats available. I guess that kind of debunks the propaganda that the Hurricanes PR Department was spreading shortly after tickets went on sale.

I’ve made the trip from Pittsburgh to Raleigh, N.C. several times before and it’s a rather easy and scenic 7 ½ to 8 hour drive. This however would be my first voyage to the RBC Center and I was looking forward to taking in a game at the proclaimed “Loudest Arena in the League”.

The trip south was pretty uneventful. We did see a few Pens fans on the highway, so we knew we wouldn’t be alone once we arrived. I checked into my hotel which was conveniently located right across the street from the RBC Center and decided to grab a bite at a sports bar next to the hotel. As I walked in the door, I felt like I was entering bar on Carson Street not Hurricane Way. Had the guy at the door not greeted us with a “Hi Y’all”, I would have thought I walked into some kind of worm hole back to Pittsburgh. The place was filled with people wearing Pens gear, all grabbing dinner before heading to the arena. The atmosphere was quite festive and every time a new group of Pens fans walked through the door, a quick “Let’s Go Pens!” chant would break out. There was some playful trash talk between the Canes fans in the place, and a woman wearing a powder blue Crosby t-shirt roamed from table to table taking photos.

After dinner, we made the short walk across the street to the RBC Center. I had read previously on The Pens Blog that several of the readers planned on staging a tailgate party somewhere in the arena parking lot. We decided to grab a six pack and go looking for some Pens fans. Safety in numbers, right?

I’ve got to give credit to the RBC Center, the layout is really fantastic. Plenty of parking (that only costs $10 a spot!), easy access to the highway, and nice green areas in the parking lot make for a great tailgate experience for the Hurricane faithful.

Shot of the Caniacs in their natural habitat. It looks a lot like the parking lot of a NASCAR race.

Again, we took some good natured ribbing from the Canes fans as we walked through the sea of red, and even dished a little back. Example: When one them overheard me ask a friend “Where do you think the Pens fans are?”, a man wearing a Cole jersey shouted back “They didn’t even bother to show up!”. To which I replied, “Kinda like your team in the 3^rd period the other night?”

So anyway, I was told to look for a Pens flag. Wait… what’s that… I think… Yep. There it is.

We spotted the flag and made our way down “Penguin Fan Alley”. You could hear the buzz of the crowd as we got closer. Pantera blared from a car’s speakers as fans swilled IC Light and tossed beer pong balls. The entire row was nothing but Pens fans as far as the eye could see. As the group spotted us approaching in our black and gold gear, another chorus of “Let’s Go Pens!” broke out as they welcomed us into the fold.

Pens fans turn the RBC Center into Mellon Arena South.

Finally, I left the parking lot for the arena as game timed neared. A few shots as players warmed up…

The view from my seat as Cam Ward prepares to give up six goals.

A Ronnie Francis Whalers jersey. My guess is that this guy was probably a transplant from Hartford, as later in the evening I had to explain to one of the locals that her team was originally The Whalers.

Speaking of transplants, we met a bunch of people in North Carolina that were originally from the Burgh. Such as these nice folks, who were originally from Mt. Lebo but now reside in nearby Greensboro. I was stunned by the number of Pens fans in the house. The section I sat in was particularly Pittsburgh flavored.

The National Anthem. I don’t know who sang, but they were no Jeff Jimmerson.

The scoreboard at the RBC Center. One of the reasons the building is so loud, is that you are under a constant assault of audio and video to either fire up the crowd or sell a sponsor’s product.

The Hurricanes love to feature local “celebrities” cheering on the home team. We heard all about Benedict Bill Cowher, but Marco Battaglia sounded the Hurricane Siren before Game 3. Yes, the same Marco Battaglia who played tight end in the NFL and was never particularly good at it. Apparently, he played for both the Steelers and the Panthers during his career. I guess the Canes just really wanted to rub it in our face that yet another former Steeler now sides with them. I suppose that would have really hurt… you know, had I remembered that Marco Battaglia ever played for the Steelers without first having to Google him.

Before the drop of the puck, the place was really amped. Pens fans and Canes fans fought to out-shout each other and there was a great energy in the building. When the Canes struck first, the place erupted. Half way through the first period, I made the stunning realization that I had not yet used my seat. The entire crowd (at least in the lower section) had remained standing for the first ten minutes of hockey. Just unreal.

In between periods, the arena played a video clip filled with various “celebrities” singing along to a Canes Fight Song (of course Benedict Bill was one of them). The tune sounded vaguely familiar to me…

Yep… knew I had heard this song somewhere before.

Wow! There hasn’t been that big of a rip-off in the music world since Milli Vanilli. Now, the Pens’ version of the song was performed by Roger Wood (same guy who brought us the infamous Steelers “Here We Go” song). The question is, did the Canes just blatantly rip him off or is the Here We Go guy also a Canes defector? Scandalous. What other ideas could the Canes possibly steal from the Pens?

Sid winning a defensive zone face off in the second period. All of the goals that the Pens scored happened at this end of the ice. I totally lucked out with the seats.

Of course by this point, we all know how the game turned out. Pens fans had a lot to cheer about and they made themselves heard. When the visiting team’s crowd can mock the home team’s goalie during a playoff game, it is epic.

Obviously, I thoroughly enjoyed the trip to Raleigh. The atmosphere at RBC is fantastic and the Canes fans that I met were all very friendly. I seriously doubt that many Philly fans would have bought me a beer after a 6-2 trouncing, but back at the sports bar after the game, that is exactly what happened. Then again, the Hurricanes fans were just a little outnumbered.

By the way, still plenty of seats available for Game 4.

UPDATE:

From Steve in Raleigh:

"Transplanted Pittsburgher trapped in Raleigh here. The Battaglia that ran the Hurricane warning siren Saturday night was not Marco, but Bates Battaglia. He used to be one of the Canes' most popular players in the early part of this decade, and most recently was with Toronto. He lives in Raleigh still and even owns a local bar."

A.J. said that two of his friends confirmed that it was Marco Battaglia, which he then added means that three of them got it wrong.

More A.J.:

PITTSBURGH VS. MILWAUKEE – A REBUTTAL

LEAVE MARIO ALONE!

PITTSBURGH'S ONE-HIT WONDERS

THE PITTSBURGH PIRATES ARE MY EX-GIRLFRIENDS

THE OFFICIAL PLAYLIST OF THE NHL PLAYOFFS

THE GOAL SONG: When Hockey Becomes a Rock Concert

The Ballad of Cotton Eyed Joe

The Greatest Defunct Places to Suffer Hearing Loss in Pittsburgh

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SPEECHLESS

PENGUINS 6

HURRICANES 2

At this point, there's not much more I could add to the tale of the Pittsburgh Penguins' romp through the Eastern Conference Finals. We've seen two of the best players on the planet reaching their respective pinnacles simultaneously; defense that would make Mean Joe Greene proud; a goalie making all the saves he needs to make; a disciplined squad that has nearly eliminated mental mistakes; contributions from players up and down the lineup; and a rookie coach that's extremely competent at pushing the right buttons at the right times.

Add those ingredients together, let them marinate for a few months, and they will produce results like we witnesses Saturday night, a 6-2 bloodbath on enemy turf that left an entire franchise and their fanbase scrambling for answers. 13 goals in two playoff games? That's right, although the vaunted Cam Ward has "only" allowed 11 of them.

The Penguins' killer instinct has crept into the series in a hurry. Two goals in the final minute of the first period and two goals in 40 seconds in the third period was simply Tiger Woods-esque. Kid Crosby's extreme focus and The Incredible Malk's sheer power have combined to become a nearly unstoppable duo. This is what Penguins fans envisioned years ago when these two young men fell into their lap.

It's important to remember that the series is by no means over, but after three games, it's the Penguins' to lose. Carolina has been slowed by an offense that simply cannot match their opponent's and a defense that's hanging their accomplished goalie out to dry. We've seen the recipe for success in this series, and unfortunately for Carolina, we've seen the recipe for Epic Fail as well.

Game Four is slated for 7:30 PM on Tuesday. Ironically, Carolina's last emotional gasp is none other than Bill Cowher, who is supposed to sound the siren before the game. Now we all know and love (or used to love) The Chin. But as many have pointed out, his track record in Conference Championships if iffy at best. If the Canes drop this one, he can't blame it on Kordell.

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ESPN PODCAST: THE BEST NON-MARIO GOALS AND A FULL-BLOWN CONTROVERSY

We've all seen our share of incredible Mario Lemieux goals. Heck, there's been entire DVDs devoted to them. But what are the most memorable goals in Penguin history NOT scored by #66?

Dave Dameshek and I tried to begin the task in this week's podcast, but we agreed that we're just scratching the surface with our admittedly brief list. This is obviously going to be a chore that requires reader/audience participation. The possibilities are endless...Crosby, Malkin, Jagr, even guys like Nedved and Kasparaitis have a place.

This topic was obviously a direct result of Geno Malkin's amazing goal in Game Two, which Dave and I dissected at length in this installment. We also discussed Malkin's parents, whose celebrity stock has risen to legendary status in the recent past. Honestly, who doesn't love the Malkins?

---

It appears that Dave greatly stirred the pot during a recent podcast with Bill Simmons, so much that The Washington Post's Dan Steinberg felt the urge to write about it and so kindly describe Dave as a "native of a dying industrial town". Steinberg took issue with Dave describing Alex Ovechkin as a "villain", which is obviously waaaaay off-base, as this clip below illustrates.

I guess it's hard for a native of a sports town filled with perennial winners like the Caps, Wizards, Nationals, and Redskins to see the forest through the trees and deal with the reality that his beloved Ovie enjoys the occasional run at a player, a move his Pittsburgh peers do not have in their respective repertoires. Obviously, they're just happy to accept any player with a beating pulse that can put fans in the seats and blindly look the other way when someone points out his shortcomings. After the Steve Spurrier Era, the Michael Jordan as GM Era, the Jim Bowden Era, and all those Penguin-induced playoff exits, I guess I would get defensive when someone criticized Ovie, too.

Dave and I bring it back full circle and declare that Ovechkin is good for the league, because it's always more interesting when there's a villain around (especially when you slay them...cough, cough....RavensFlyersRavensCapitalsRavens....cough, cough).

---

We wrap up with some venomous words for Coach Cowher, who appears to be on the verge of forever tarnishing his Pittsburgh legacy in the near future. It's exactly the kind of talk you would expect from two natives of a dying industrial town.

All that and much more is in this week's podcast.
To listen, just click here

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MOST ENJOYABLE MOMENT?

The more I've thought about last night's classic Game Two, the more I've wondered what the most enjoyable unexpected moment was. Curious to your thoughts. The candidates:

1. Evgeni Malkin scores, his dad grabs a blonde in front of him, the Mrs. gets perturbed, so he plants one on her next. Instant classic.

Candidate 2: Miroslav Satan delivers a knuckle sandwich and looks like he's enjoying it way too much. A year's worth of frustration is delivered on Patrick Eaves.

I've got to say, it's a tough call, but I'm going to go with the Malkin family reaction. I think they might actually be more popular than Geno at this point, probably because they get more face time. But that was priceless.

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HARRISON'S SON BITTEN BY DOG

James Harrison III, young son of Steeler linebacker James Harrison, was taken to Children's Hospital after being bitten by the family dog, WTAE reports. A source told WTAE's Ari Hait that the injuries are severe, but not life threatening.

Steelers spokesman Burt Lauten said in a statement, "We are aware of the situation but this is a personal matter for James." Children's Hospital declined comment.

Harrison owns a pit bull, but it is not known if that is the dog that attacked his son.

More details will be posted as they become available. Until then, let's hope James III is OK.

James Harrison's Child Taken To Hospital After Dog Bite [WTAE]

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BEATDOWN

PENGUINS 7
HURRICANES 4

I'm pretty sure that everyone's either seen or heard about the Penguins' 7-4 thrashing of Carolina in Game Two by now, so this belated recap is simply here to serve as a little bit of afterglow to a contest that had a little bit of everything. 11 goals in the game, including 5 in the first period; a fake Hanson brother and a real Hanson brother in the stands; a Miroslav Satan fight; Chris Kunitz's first goal of the postseason; KENNEDY! and last but not least, an Evgeni Malkin hat trick, highlighted by this amazing goal:

The Pens looked every bit like a team capable of hoisting the Cup in the near future, with an overwhelming offensive display that would have qualified fans for a free cup of Wendy's chili in years past. Pittsburgh outshot Carolina 42-28, beating the heralded Cam Ward six times on the evening - the most goals Ward has allowed in a playoff game. Ever.

Malkin quietly slipped into first place in the playoff scoring race, leapfrogging his distinguished teammate in the process. And he even hit some Hurricanes on the top of the head like a Whack-a-mole game in a skirmish, which served as gasoline on the fire that lights the fiesty 22-year-old. As Carolina learned, you don't make The Incredible Malk angry. You won't like him when he's angry.

Luckily, Pittsburgh not only likes an angry Malkin, they love him. They littered the Mellon Arena ice with hats after Malkin's third goal and enveloped his parents in jubilation. He had such a great game that it's taken this many words to get to Sidney Crosby's two-point night, including his 13th goal of the postseason. Crosby had six in last year's playoffs.

The Penguins are trying to become the first team since the 1984 Edmonton Oilers to lose in the Stanley Cup finals one season and win the Cup the next, and if last night was any indication, they might just pull it off.

Carolina will host Game Three tomorrow night at 7:30 PM. The Hurricanes need to get their act together - quickly. Following last night's contest, Carolina defenseman Tim Gleason said, "This isn't going to be a four-game series, I'll tell you that."

Well Tim, it's quickly becoming put up or shut up time.

---

A couple Pens-related emails to share:

Can anyone help out emailer D.D., who had a minor personal dilemma on his hands for the Carolina games?

1. Can I (should I) wear my Hines Ward jersey to game 4 in Raleigh?

2. How do you defeat the spell bound Ric Flair "whoooo" during the game. Every time I hear it I want to naturally respond with an echo? It's in my DNA.

3. How can I disrespect Cowher without really disrepecting him?

And from Nipsy:

"I caught this last night during the Pens game. You know the NHL “Portal” commercial that airs on Versus probably 200 times per game? There’s a clip where the Canucks score a goal at a home game. There’s a familiar looking #7 jersey in the stands beating on the glass in celebration. It’s a little grainy in the screenshot I swiped from the youtube clip, but it’s pretty obvious in HD. Just look for it during one of the 500 times it’s shown during Saturday’s game."

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(MOST) STEELERS VISIT THE WHITE HOUSE

Today was the day of the big Steeler visit to the White House sans You Know Who, and it turned out to be a very nice and memorable event.

President Obama called this the most unique visit by a championship team to the White House, because the Steelers (as well as Obama and wounded veterans from Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the National Naval Medical Center) helped assemble 3,000 USO care packages that will be sent to the troops overseas.

Obama hung around for roughly an hour and visited with the World Champs, who he followed while growing up in Hawaii in the 1970s. Obama's Steeler roots go deep, as he recently nominated Dan Rooney as the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland. Said the Prez: "I can tell you that I don't know anybody who is more of a gentleman, who is more loyal, who is more committed to excellence, than Mr. Rooney," Obama said. "And he and his family have just been such an extraordinary pillor for the city of Pittsburgh."

While James Harrison was not there, nor was Aaron Smith, for unspecified reasons. Troy Polamalu traveled from California for the event and added that he considered it an honor.

But James Farrior had the quote of the day, when he said, "This never gets old for me. I love coming to the White House."

Hopefully the Steelers (and Penguins) will be visiting again soon, so we can have a photo op similar to this:
President Obama welcomes Steelers to White House [PG]

Super Bowl champs get the chance to meet nation's top fan [Trib]

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THE NEWS

*Before we get into The News, thanks to everyone who helped out and sent stuff in. I couldn't post all of it, but I hope you enjoy what's here

PICS OF THE WEEK

"Solid Picture of Captain Jolly Roger and Geno at last Friday's game...My friend took the Picture as he came by" -- Beans

"My boyfriend, Rege, and I were lucky enough to get tickets for Game One of the ECF on Monday, but had to sit in different seats, at opposite ends of the arena – the only way I could score two tickets right at 10 AM when they went on sale. I was in the second row of E16, my seat was smack-dab behind the “Pens shoot twice” goal, which was great. The seats in front of me were empty up until right before the game started, and this guy sat down in front of me, with all kinds of stuff in his hands, this cowbell being one of them.

It was one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen – there was a chain of sorts attached to the cowbell’s handle, with a black carabiner attached to that, which he rigged up to hook onto the railing in front of him (he was in the first row of the section). Every time he’d get up during the intermissions, he whipped out this little lock and key, and would lock the chain onto the railing, so A) no one would steal it, and B) he didn’t have to carry with him to the bathroom, concession stand, etc. Pretty clever if you ask me.

After I got past the cowbell thing, he takes out this really long piece of string and a cut-open ziploc bag, basically just a piece of plastic folded in half, filled with sparkly confetti. He spent a good while rigging this up so that he could pull the string easily and the bag would open up completely and the confetti would shower the people in the sections below us, every time the Pens scored. And then after the goal, he’d do it all over again, filling up the bag with more confetti (that he kept bags of in his pocket), and rigging up the pull-string. It was such a well-thought-out process, I found myself watching him and forgetting there was a game going on after each of the three goals were scored.

So next time you’re watching on TV, see if you notice it, or maybe you already have, but I thought it was pretty sweet. I talked to the guys around me, and they said he has season tickets – he brings the cowbell along all season, but saves the confetti-throwing bit for the playoffs." -- Lauren B.

"Just this past weekend, I pulled the trigger and dropped (to me) a lot of money at Dicks on my fav. Pens player. My faith was justly rewarded 5 hours later, when my Aunt called me saying she had 2 Thursday night tickets she couldnt use! My first Pens playoff game will be a great way to break in the new jersey. Anywho, after bringing it home, I realized something... see the attachment.... all I ask is.... Coincidence??? Go Pens!" -- Ian M.

"Attached is a picture of a friend of mine on semester in France… Her name is Lee Ziesche and she brought out the sacred Terrible Towel on top of the Eiffel Tower. GO PENS!" -- Max P., Michigan via Pittsburgh

"Here is a pic of me with a Maasas Mara warrior while I was in Kenya a few years ago. The guy loved my shirt so much (and I had 2 of course) that I had to give one to him so he could represent "Pittsburgh Pride" in Kenya! I'm also from the great "tahn" of Greensburg, PA and a Yinzer for life! Let's bring home the cup, Let's go Pens!!!" -- Matt D.

"I created this picture for the playoff run" -- GrizzlyBlair

"I have a Terrible Towel picture for you that I took at the Super Bowl while Large Benjamin was holding up Lord Vince and it just so happened that while the picture was snapped, one of the 30,000 Terrible Towels there was waved right in front. Just a cool picture that I thought other Yinzers would like." -- Jeff M., displaced in Chicago



VIDEOS OF THE WEEK

An awesome 2009 Penguins Video Tribute from Benson

"The Stinky Penguins", from The Nigerian Nightmare

LINK OF THE WEEK:
"Who are the franchise QBs?"
1. Manning
2. Brady
3. Brees
4. Palmer
5. Rivers
"On the Fence" - Roethlisberger

[From the National Football Post]

Since I've written on this topic roughly 8 billion times, I'll just link to the excellent response from Elvis Has Left and move on.

MORE LINKS

NHL/PENS:

--Bill Cowher WILL sound the siren for the Canes in Game Four against the Pens. He's officially dead to Pittsburgh. [Morning Freak Show Blog]

--Mellon Arena has not been friendly to the Hurricanes, from an injury point-of-view. [Empty Netters]

--Tampa Bay Lightning multi-millionaire Ryan Malone is pulling for the Pens. [NHL.com]

--Great article about a guy from Montreal who grew up in Mario's neighborhood visiting the Burgh and basking in Steeler and Penguin Nation. [Concordian Online]

--37-year-old Todd Reirden has been named the permanent coach at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. [KDKA Pittsburgh Sports Insider]

--Matt Cooke might have a little "Do as I say, not as I do" going on. [Puck Daddy]

--Here's your chance to learn how ice is made at Mellon Arena. [WPXI]

--SI names the most rugged players in the NHL. If only Favre played hockey... [SI.com]

--Bill Simmons announces to the world that he is once again a hockey fan... [ESPN.com]

...and if you like Bill Simmons, you can hear him in audio form talking hockey with Dave Dameshek. [ESPN.com]

MLB/PIRATES:

--The Pirates edged the Nationals 3-2, giving the Battlin' Bucs a five-game winning streak. Tonight, Ian Snell takes the hill against Craig Stammen, who makes his MLB debut. I'm sure you'll all skip the Pens game to watch. [PG]

--Bob Smizik ranks the top 5 Pirate surprises of 2009. Where's Rinku and Dinesh? [Bob Smizik Blog]

--A recent study shows that the side effects of steroids include fame and fortune. [Sports Pickle]

NFL/STEELERS:

--Big Ben does not have skin cancer. I must be slipping, because I never even heard that one in the first place. [PG]

--Andrew Stockey looks back at the story he had a major hand in, the James Harrison White House controversy. [Andrew Stockey Blog]

--And Mark Madden says Silverback should attend the ceremony out of respect for Dan Rooney. [Mark Madden/WXDX]

--Chief Nate Harper and four officers who were among the first on the scene at the Stanton Heights shooting will be at the White House with the Steelers today. [PG]

--Terry Bradshaw was on The Tonight Show recently, and if you missed it, here's the clip. [NBC]

--James Walker looks at position battles in the AFC North, and of the seven he mentions, only one involves the Steelers. [ESPN AFC North Blog]

--Big Ben's foundation bought an $11,000 German Shepherd for the Cambridge Springs police. That must be one awesome dog. [PG]

--From The Onion: "Steelers Jersey Worn to Pirates Game".

--The Top 5 Joe Namath endorsements are counted down.

I've often mentioned how much fun it would've been to blog about Joe Namath in his heyday, but luckily it looks like Mark Sanchez is trying to replicate the experience before he's even played a down in the league. I believe the early candidate for top nickname is "Jose Namath". [Manolith, With Leather, KSK]

--Very thorough analysis of the Michael Vick saga from Lester Munson. [ESPN]

--In the "No Surprise" Department: Chad Ochocinco and Carson Palmer are not on the same page. [Cincinnati.com]

COLLEGE:

--In an interesting interview, Tyrell Biggs talks about bodegas, Primanti's, and being 6'5", 230 pounds in middle school. [IMG Academy]

--Recently reprimanded Pitt WR Jonathan Baldwin is named the 6th best player in the Big East conference. [ESPN Big East Blog]

--Looks like TE Andrew Devlin might be transferring from UVA to Wannyville. [Pitt Blather]

MISCELLANY:

--The Pittsburgh Riverhounds have some loyal supporters. [Scarves Up!]

--Bruce Springsteen apparently rocked Mellon Arena on Tuesday. [PG]

--Nothing says Pittsburgh like playing jump rope with a snake. [TMZ]

--A Rostraver man claims he's God and attacks a 'Devil Dog'. [WPXI]

--Pittsburgh's Kurt Angle just might be on the next edition of Dancing with the Stars. [Talent Network News]

--The Coupon Queen visits the Lawrenceville Shop N Save, and gets $168.94 of groceries for $7.13. [PG]

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