Big Lead Sports Bar

4/05/2010

TODAY'S HEADLINES



The Pittsburgh Pirates and their ridiculously-low $35 million payroll open the 2010 regular season at PNC Park today against Joe Torre, Manny Ramirez, Mr. Rihanna (Matt Kemp, shown below grabbing her butt) and the L.A. Dodgers at 1:35 p.m. 


Your pitching matchup is Vincente Padilla (12-6, 4.46 in 2009) against Zach Duke (11-16, 4.06). Win today and we're one step closer to that 81-win euphoria. [PG]

Jamie and Ali McMutrie, the two Ben Avon women who heroically rescued 53 children from the Port-Au Prince Haiti Orphanage, will be throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at PNC today. Hopefully they'll refrain from a Michael Keaton-esque rant on the state of the  franchise. [PittsburghPirates.com, PG]

Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg of ESPN will be throwing out the first pitch at Thursday's Pirate/Dodger game, as well as doing a signing of their new book at Joseph Beth Booksellers on E Carson St at 10 a.m. [ESPN.com]

Frank Coonelly appeared on The Fan Morning Show on Monday morning, and had plenty of positives to say about his team. Wisely, he avoid using the word "dynasty" to describe them. [93.7 The Fan]

Santonio Holmes could potentially be the fall guy for the Steelers' ongoing legal dramas, according to Ed Bouchette. Sooner or later, someone's going to have to pay the price other than Cedrick Wilson. [PG]

Mark Madden says that Tim Tebow "seems unlikely to attempt taking a loaded gun onto an airplane, seek sex in a public restroom or brain a woman with a glass, and not just because of his accuracy problems," but a QB at the NFL level, he is not. [Beaver County Times]

Plum's RJ Umberger of the Columbus Blue Jackets apparently feels like the Penguins' Tuesday opponents, the Washington Capitals, are not to be feared going into the postseason:

“I don’t think any team in the West would be overmatched by them,” Umberger said. “They play the wrong way. They want to be moving all the time. They float around in their zone, looking for breakaways and odd-man rushes.

“A good defensive team is going to beat them (in the playoffs). If you eliminate your turnovers and keep them off the power play, they’re going to get frustrated because they’re in their zone a lot.” [Puck-Rakers Blog]

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7 comments:

BurressWithButterflywings said...

While I agree with Bouchette to a certain point, the problem is that Holmes is not going to suffer any sort of setbeck if the Steelers were to cut him. He would just move on and go somewhere else and make just as much, if not more money. I am sure the Redskins wouldn't hesistate to throw big money at him......

The NFL as a whole is more of a punchline than it is a joke anymore. They have allowed a conviceted felon back in the league. A guy who stomped on an opposing player's neck went on to receive a $100 million contract. The guy who assisted in a murder and lied to the cops about it didn't miss a down, won a SB and MVP that same year, and gets more facetime than any other player on the field in any game he plays.

In the grand scheme of things, peeing in public, smoking a couple of joints, and beating up a towel dispenser don't seem so bad I guess?

Koz said...

If these things were going on in the NHL, it'd the only highlights ESPN would show about it. But with the NFL, it gets mentioned and swept aside. We are a forgiving nation with short attention spans and can hardly be bothered to hold a grudge (lucky for Tiger Woods).

The NFL has carte blanche in America right now with it's popularity. Most folks seem to consider it the true National Pastime. It can do no wrong. I wonder if/when that will change and what would have to happen for the NFL to tumble.

Chip said...

When I saw that idiotic Bouchette article in the PG, my jaw just dropped. Way to make Pittsburgh look like an even bigger bunch of redneck racists, Ed. I can't believe he's allowed to publish that and Mark Madden gets fired for telling Ted Kennedy jokes.

Sure, let's scapegoat the thuggish black man from Florida. Heaven forbid we do anything to the moronic white kicker or the sexual predator white QB. Let's blame
the darkie!!

Look, whether you like it or not, Pittsburgh has a bad rep when it comes to minority athletes. Barry Bonds said it when he left. The fans treated Kordell disgracefully. Even going all the way back to poor Joe Gilliam. Stupid articles like that make me embarrassed to be a Pittsburgher.

Steve said...

Hmmm, I don't know what I find more annoying, redneck conservatives, or self-loathing ultra-liberals.

Dan Claycomb said...

In what world does NHL ever get more coverage on ESPN than NFL?

When Michael Vick came back I couldn't watch ESPN anymore because I was tired of hearing about him. Todd Bertuzzi came back form paralyzing another player and it was barely covered.

I can't wait for the day when Jordan Staal's underage gets more coverage than one of Ben's sexual assault allegations.

Koz said...

@Clint Pitts

I might not have made my point clear. My point is, if something happens in the NHL dramatic it's 95% of the NHL coverage that ESPN puts on. They'll talk headshots, fighting, whatever all the while wringing their hands about it and give little attention to on game action. All the talk by MSM in the USA is about how hockey needs to change.

While the NFL stuff might get covered as well, they talk plenty about the on field product to cover for it. (Though ESPN in general talks too much drama, see "Favre, Brett"). The NFL has a deep thread of problems and it gets glossed over.

I also wonder about how the NFL has avoided much steroid controversy. You mean Shawn Merriman is the only player of consequence to be dirty over the past decade? (and even everyone has forgotten that!!!)

Anonymous said...

I see what you're saying and I agree with you, really tired of hearing about headshots. Since Cooke did his, the media reacted as if Cooke invented a new type of bodycheck that had to be outlawed immediately.

Also you're point on the steroids is something I haven't understood. Just looking at the players involved it would seem obvious that NFL players are more likely to use steroids than baseball players. People get more upset about baseball simply because of the record aspect of everything.