After a one-year hiatus, I thought it was time to bring back the annual Pittsburgh Pirates season preview, for some unknown, self-punishing reason. You can read this year's edition at The Fan website, where it was just posted.
Not that anyone cares, but the NFL announced the Steelers' 2010 preseason schedule today. One of the games will make a small bit of history, and another will put the Steelers on display in front of a national, primetime audience.
I guess we can shelve the Jamie Dixon-to-school X rumors for another year, because he just agreed to a contract extension at Pitt, to be made official at 3:30 p.m. today.
Dixon, who was signed through the 2015-16 season, was making $1.5 annually, so expect that number to get some kind of bump. I'll have more info on the deal as it becomes available.
As you know, we're coming up on a milestone game in Pittsburgh, that being the final regular season Penguin game at Mellon Arena. And if you're in the market for tickets to the game, well, I hope you saved your money.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are in action tonight, with a home contest against the Lightning at 7:30. Evgeni Malkin and Sergei Gonchar are both officially listed as day-to-day with their respective ailments. Win or lose, Kris Letang is treating everyone to ice cream after the game. [PittsburghPenguins.com]
Jamie Dixon has already privately passed on the Oregon job, according to Gary Parrish of CBS Sports. But after yesterday, I'm not proclaiming anything official in the field of Dixon rumors. [CBSSports.com]
Pitt Coach Jamie Dixon was on 93.7 The Fan with Vinnie Richichi and Ron Cook on Tuesday morning, and had some eyebrow-raising things to say about his future in Pittsburgh:
Ron Cook: Did you talk to the Oregon people, and are you going to be the Pitt coach next season?
Dixon: You guys get tired of this stuff every year, I hate to bore you with it. Our thing is we just don't talk about other jobs, other people's search... there's no benefit in it, most of the stuff is rumors, that's just how we do it. You guys got other things to talk about. That's old hat, it's boring for you guys now.
Cook: Are you going to be the head coach at Pitt next year?
Dixon: [Laughing] Even the Pitt search I'm not commenting on.
I'd say that response qualifies for a "Wow". As you know, Dixon's name has been mentioned numerous times for the vacant Oregon job, with all of that Phil Knight Nike money ready to be dumped on the first name coach willing to take it. This is the first time I've even considered the possibility, but it sounds to me like Pitt might be shopping for a new coach very soon - or at least giving him a big, Oregon-assisted raise.
ProFootballTalk.com received a copy of the incident report from the Orlando Police Department related to Santonio Holmes' alleged battery on March 7, and the police say the criminal case is now closed due to the victim's declination to prosecute Holmes at the time of the incident. So I guess Holmes was right on some level when he said yesterday that this would be taken care of in less than 24 hours, but it's important to remember that the civil case is still ongoing.
PFT's Gregg Rosenthal states that one aspect of the report stands out:
"She then asked this officer if she could speak to Holmes alone. I said yes and Holmes agreed to speak with her. They then walked several feet away from me and had a conversation. This officer observed Mills smiling and rubbing Holmes face just moments after walking off together. Five minutes later the two returned and Mills advised this officer that they had resolved the matter and that she did not wish to press charges or get Holmes into any trouble. Mills had a small abrasion that was less than 1/4' over her right eye. She refused medical attention. Mills wrote a sworn written statement in which she declined to prosecute."
SPORTSbyBROOKS answers this question, digging up all sorts of information on Santonio Holmes' accuser, who "loves money" and "is not usually a b***h, but can be". How charming.
And Busted Coverage adds that Mills is a Central Florida student and Qdoba employee, represented by a 25-year-old attorney who has been practicing law for four months. So it will be very interesting to see where things go from here with this information coming out.
Public records show Mills has two prior arrests. She was arrested in June on a domestic-violence charge, which accused her of pushing her boyfriend into a wall at Pegasus Landing apartments. She was jailed, but the charges were later dropped, records show.
She was also arrested in October at Bright House Networks Stadium. She was accused of refusing to leave.
She was jailed for two days and later pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor trespassing and resisting arrest without violence charges.
Mills' attorney will be holding a news conference today to discuss the case. It's unclear if Mills will attend the news conference.
No one can silence Santonio Holmes on Twitter, and he's been on fire this morning, telling one fan to kill herself, talking about "getting his grind on" and laughing all the way to the bank, and the cherry on top, telling fans they don't cut his check. That always ingratiates a player to his fan base.
After Monday's downer of a news day, filled with legal accusations and another failed Pirate career, we were due for some good news. Thankfully, there are two contract extensions to announce today.
First, the Penguins just signed D Kris Letang to a four-year extension that keeps him in the fold through 2013-14. Financial terms were not yet made available by the team, but TSN's Bob McKenzie reports that it's worth $3.5 million a year.
As the team's website points out, the Penguins now have multi-year contracts with Sidney Crosby (through 2012-13), Jordan Staal (2012-13), Evgeni Malkin (2013-14), Brooks Orpik (2013-14) Letang (2013-14) and Marc-Andre Fleury (2014-15). That's a nucleus that would make any GM jealous.
Wanny's current deal runs through 2012, and was last extended shortly before "13-9" happened in 2007. The combination of that win and the contract extension gave the football program a sizable injection of momentum that assisted in their recent turnaround in 2008 and 2009. The Panthers were 16-19 in Wannstedt's first three seasons as coach, but 19-7 with two bowl appearances over the past two seasons.
Fast Willie Parker "is so bitter toward the Steelers about his treatment last season that he would rather sit out 2010 than play here again," a source close to the RB told Ed Bouchette.
That's pretty strong talk from a guy who doesn't have a paycheck lined up yet for 2010. [PG]
"I don't know if somebody forgot or what happened," Jones said. "The report wasn't completed. It was supposed to be done. We've contacted the officer to be sure it gets done."
Sounds like some top-notch police work in Orlando. Glad I don't live there. [Trib]
Santonio Holmes, the man of the hour, told ESPN's Rachel Nichols that he "didn't do anything" and added that this matter "will be taken care of quickly, within the next 24 hours."
So I guess we should all move on, then. Nothing to see here. [ESPN]
The Pittsburgh Steelersmet with four college prospects on Monday, including Purdue DL Michael Neal, Wake Forest OT Chris DeGeare, Kansas S Darrell Stuckey, and Penn State LB Navorro Bowman. I hope none of these guys are big fans of nightclubs. [Trib]
The Johnstown Chiefs are moving to Greenville, South Carolina, in an eerie example of real life mirroring fiction (in this case, the 1977 Paul Newman classic Slap Shot).
The team was purchased by Neil Smith (yes, that Neil Smith) in 2002, but the Chiefs have only 900 season-ticket holders and struggle to fill the arena, needing 2,700 fans a game just to break even. Sounds like they need a dose of the Hanson Brothers. [Comcast.net]
Jamie Dixon reportedly met with former Oregon AD Pat Kilkenny recently, but has spurned whatever the Ducks were peddling, according to Fox Sports' Jeff Goodman.
Now that Dixon, Gonzaga's Mark Few, Michigan State's Tom Izzo, and and Florida's Billy Donovan appear to have turned them down, it looks like Oregon now will turn their attention to Minnesota's Tubby Smith, and possibly Butler's Brad Stevens. [FoxSports.com]
Former Pitt player Kevin Willard got the Seton Hall job, and Fordham hired Hofstra’s Tom Pecora. St. John's wants a coach with more major-conference experience, as is DePaul.
That would leave Charlotte, Hofstra, Siena and Iona as the openings in the East at the moment, and none of them have mentioned Rice as a potential candidate yet. [Beaver County Times]
Robbie Brown, former Penguin fan favorite and Alyssa Milano squeeze, was on 93.7 The Fan on Monday with John Seibel and Joe Starkey.
Brown, now a color commentator for the Edmonton Oilers, immediately took the hosts back to the time when Ron Hextall chased him around the ice in the 1989 playoffs. Here's a YouTube clip of the awesome moment:
Andrew McCutchen is being credited with the change in attitude of talented yet troubled OF Lastings Milledge in a lengthy article on ESPN:
Milledge watched how McCutchen played with a calm but not ego-driven attitude, how he carried himself. He also was impressed by how McCutchen, without campaigning for the job, effectively became the Pirates' captain only a few months after becoming a major leaguer.
"When you're that young but you're a leader like that, it's something special to watch," Milledge said.
Steve Blass circa 1973 has been identified as the worst opening-day starter in the last 50 years based on WAR (wins above replacement), says people who enjoy crunching said numbers. That was the year Blass totally went off the tracks, turning 19-8/2.49 in 1972 to 3-9/9.85 in 1973. No one does bad like the Buccos. [Rum Bunter]
Bill Clinton will speak at the May 16 graduation ceremony of West Virginia University's Eberly College of Arts and Science, the school announced today. Hopefully no one throws any small change at the former President. [PG]
Brad Sciullo, one of Western PA's top competitive eaters who once ate a 20.2-pound burger in four hours and 37 minutes, was at it again this weekend.
On Saturday, Sciullo took down 58 pierogis in three minutes flat at the Men's Culinary Classic at the Washington County Fairgrounds, besting the entire field. His next feat will be at the Double Wide Grill on Carson Street at 8 p.m. Thursday, where he'll be one of the contestants in a tofu-eating contest. But my question: when will he be ready to take down Chestnut and Kobayashi on the 4th of July? [Herald Standard]
The last we heard from Aliquippa's Herb Pope, he was delivering groin shots as a Seton Hall Pirate to Texas Tech's Darko Cohadarevic in the NIT, becoming a YouTube legend in the process. SHU coach Bobby Gonzalez, facing a program littered with criticism, was fired a short time later, and the next thing you know, Pope was facing the prospect of the fourth head coach in his college career.
Pope was originally signed by Reggie Theus at New Mexico State, but Theus bolted for the Sacramento Kings and never coached his signee. Pope spent 2007-08 with the Aggies and new coach Marvin Menzies, averaging 11.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game; but that would be the only season Pope spent at NMSU, transferring to Seton Hall in 2008-09.
After sitting out the 2008-09 season because of transfer rules, Pope averaged 11.5 PPG and 10.7 RPG for the Pirates in 2009-10. Rather than go through another coaching change, the 6'8", 236-pounder decided to go pro today in an email sent to family advisor Tony Pullen:
"After careful consideration of my options, and considering the needs of my family in Pittsburgh and a desire to compete at the next level, I have decided to enter the 2010 NBA draft," Pope wrote in a statement attached to the e-mail. "While I will continue to attend class at Seton Hall, allowing me the option of 'testing the waters,' I am 110 percent committed at this time to staying in this draft.
"I have room to improve, but I am confident that I will perform well in on-site workouts."
Pope was the 2006 Tribune-Review Boys Basketball Player of the Year, averaging 18.3 points and 15 rebounds for Aliquippa HS, which he led to the Class AA PIAA State Championship game. He was a highly sought-after recruit, getting serious interest from Pitt, Texas, Louisville, and countless others before choosing Theus and NMSU.
Pope was shot four times in Aliquippa shortly after signing his New Mexico State letter of intent in 2007. At the time of the incident, his AAU coach J.O. Stright put it bluntly: "It's time for Herb to get out of town," Stright said.
Regarding Pope's draft prospects, one NBA general manager GM told ESPN.com earlier in the year, "He's the best rebounder in the country. He's the DeJuan Blair of this year's draft." Which means he'll be a second-round draft pick that should've gone much higher. Pope says he's departing Seton Hall [ESPN]
Brandon Moss, one of the key players in the 2008 Jason Bay trade, has just been designated for assignment by the Pittsburgh Pirates in order to make room for incoming pitcher Hayden Penn, who was claimed off waivers from Florida. A team has 10 days to release, trade, or waive a designated player, so odds are that we've seen the last of Moss in a Pirate uniform.
Moss hit .236/.304/.364 with 7 HR and 41 RBI last season for the Pirates, and is a lifetime .241/.307/.393 hitter in his career. He was handed the starting right fielder's job last season, but frittered that opportunity away by midseason. The team was thinking of using Moss as a bench player in 2010, but he batted just .081 (3-for-37) this spring. Moss's play basically painted the Pirates into a corner where they had to make a move like this, and I think few would argue with the course they took.
As of now, the Pirates' final bench spot would go to John Raynor, Ramon Vazquez or Steve Pearce. There is also speculation that the team could use a six-player bench, which would mean two of the three players would make the team.
The incoming Penn owns a 4-6 record in 15 MLB starts and a 38-33 mark and 3.86 ERA in 123 minor-league games. The 25-year-old opened the 2009 season on the Florida Marlins' roster, going 1-0 with a 7.77 ERA in 22 innings pitches. He was 2-4 with a 4.11 ERA in 70 innings with Triple-A New Orleans. A 2002 fifth-round draft pick of the Baltimore Orioles, he was with that organization until April 1, 2009, when he was dealt to the Marlins in exchange for infielder Robert Andino.
John Russell has apparently cracked the code to what's ailed the Pirates' lineup since the end of the 1992 season: they were batting the pitcher in the wrong spot.
Russell recently revealed that he plans to bat the pitcher eighth in the lineup for most games this season, with shortstop Ronny Cedeno or his backup Bobby Crosby hitting ninth. Hopefully, neither Cedeno or Crosby had any self-esteem, because that was surely abandoned their your spot in the batting order fell below the pitcher.
Said the cutting-edge manager, who joins Tony LaRussa and Ned Yost as contemporary managers who've experimented with this bit of lineup mad science in the past:
"I think we're going to look at it and probably go with it," Russell said this morning, after posting a lineup with starter Paul Maholm batting eighth and shortstop Bobby Crosby -- a late replacement for a scratched Cedeno, who's battling lower-back tightness -- batting ninth. "We tried it a couple of years ago, trying to get the right guys in the lineup. I think we have that now with Aki and Andrew and Ronny and Andy [LaRoche] hitting in front of the pitcher, a patient-type hitter. it sets us up to be able to score more runs and get a couple of hitters in front of Andrew. With the makep of our lineup, it only seemed to make a lot more sense to get more guys in scoring position in front of Aki, Andrew and [Garrett] Jones and [Ryan] Doumit. I think we have the personnel to do it."
I don't know what the Pirates "have the personnel to do" other than challenge for an 18th straight losing season, but if John Russell and the number-crunchers think this will make a difference, I say go for it. It's not like they could do much worse than they have in the past. At least this might make things interesting. Russell: Pitcher to bat 8th this year [PBC Blog]
Who can we look to as the voice of reason during a time of crisis in Steeler Land? Why, Joe Willie Namath of course, who shared his thoughts on Ben Roethlisberger via Twitter today:
"Roethlisberger not attending a voluntary workout because he's a "distraction"? To who? His team!? C'mon, when is a star NOT a distraction?"
If anyone knows about being a distraction to his team, it's Joe Namath. He wore a fur coat on the sidelines. He famously predicted victory over the Colts in Super Bowl III. He opened a bar called "Bachelors III" that was frequented by gamblers, and defiantly retired from the game rather than divest himself of his interest in the bar. He would've been 99% of the content on TMZ Sports if it existed in 1970. So drunken passes at Suzy Kolber aside, his viewpoint should hold some credibility on this subject.
"We just found out today. We're gathering information and have no further comment at this time," he said. [PG]
Orlando Police Dept. spokesperson Barbara Jones told Pro Football Talk that a formal police report "has not been completed in the system," which strongly implies that a report is coming.
Florio also learned that Holmes will contend that, while he was indeed present at the time of the incident, another person threw the drink at Mills. [PFT]
"Someone Somewhere" made an astute observation in the comment section of a prior post on MH that really makes me think: Holmes' alleged incident occurred on March 7; on March 8, Steelers went on their wide receiver spending spree, inking Antwaan Randle-El and Arnaz Battle to separate deals when it looked like they were virtually set at the position. Verrrry interesting.
I've got a novel idea for the Steeler players, and it might be hard to swallow, but it's my feeling on this alleged incident, Roethlisberger's alleged incident, and any other past or future alleged incident. I'm going to say it very slowly so it sinks in.
STAY
OUT
OF
NIGHTCLUBS.
I know you think you're invincible, I know that's part of the mentality that lets you play the game you play, but it might be a good idea to stay home once in a while.
And for the people that say, "It's their right to go to clubs," just be aware that these alleged incidents aren't taking place at the local library. There's clearly a pattern here. Every time celebrities leave the doors of their home, the target goes up on their backs. So whether these various lawsuits and allegations are real or imagined, the players at the very least are guilty of giving an opportunity for something bad to happen.
According to a new lawsuit filed last week in Florida, Holmes got into a verbal spat with a woman at Rain Nightclub in Orlando on March 7th over a spot on a couch in the VIP section.
According to the docs,The woman says Holmes began going crazy when she refused to move -- so he fired his glass full of liquor at her face ... causing a "laceration" very close to her eye.
Here's where it gets even crazier -- the woman claims she flagged down cops from the Orlando PD -- but they, along with Santonio, "pressured" her not to press charges.
The woman claims Santonio even offered her money because "he was an NFL star and could not get into trouble."
Honestly, I'm at a loss for words right now. More on this as it becomes available.
UPDATE:
That didn't take long, because "more is available". The civil suit being filed against Holmes, claiming assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, was filed on March 24, 2010, and you can see the suit here. The nightclub is also being named in the suit, facing a claim for negligent failure to provide adequate protection.
A sight like this at Heinz Field could be a reality in 2011, thanks to a continued push from the Penguins to host the NHL's annual New Year's Day showcase.
A report on Sunday said that Pittsburgh city officials are pushing hard for the city to be chosen as the host, and that the Steelers are amenable to playing the game at Heinz Field, even though it would require some tweaking to their end-of-the-season schedule. The Steelers could not play home games on the final two Sundays of the regular season so that the ice surface could be constructed, meaning they would likely play a Thursday night home game on December 23.
PNC Park sounds like it has been ruled out as a destination for the game, due to its capacity of 38,496, which is far below Heinz Field's 65,050 and would therefore limit the amount of revenue that could be generated. Of course, I'm not sure officials have taken into consideration how many of PNC Park's $8 beers would be sold on that day to cover the difference, but that's their loss.
The Pens' opponent for the '11 Classic would likely be the Washington Capitals, giving Sidney Crosby another prominent stage in which to top Alex Ovechkin, with the Stanley Cup Playoffs and Olympics having already been crossed off that list. Caps coach Bruce Boudreau would rather see the game be played in the D.C. area, and to show Boudreau's stroke with the league, the game will still likely be played in Pittsburgh.
Yes, I'm a little weary of the Ovechkin/Crosby/Malkin storyline being beaten solidly into the ground by the league, but I must admit, I'd be a total hypocrite and be the first in line for tickets if this game became a reality. Report: Pens want Caps at Heinz Field [ESPN]
Ben Roethlisberger, shown above in a much happier time with Willie Colon, will not report to the Steelers' offseason conditioning program that starts on Monday, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN. The conditioning work emphasizes weight lifting and getting into football shape, and involves no on-field practicing.
According to Schefter's source, "after discussing whether Roethlisberger's presence would create too much of a distraction, the decision was made for him not to attend the team's offseason program."
This comes on the heels of Mike Tomlin proclaiming on Wednesday that he expected Roethlisberger to be in attendance at the workouts, saying, "When it's time for him to be there, he'll be there."
Chalk this up as the first "official" football-related distraction to arise from the recent claim of sexual assault against the two-time champion QB. It is unknown when Roethlisberger will report to the team, but much like in case of Tiger Woods, the eventual meeting with the media is going to come sooner or later, and it's likely not going to a pleasant experience for #7.
As Schefter points out, such workouts are not open to reporters, but a large number were expected at the Steelers headquarters Monday because Roethlisberger has not commented on the Georgia incident since it occurred earlier this month.
For those of you wondering, the next milestone on the Steeler offseason calendar is OTAs, which start on April 19 and resemble the practices held during the season. Starting quarterbacks usually take part in most sessions unless they are injured. Roethlisberger not joining teammates [ESPN]
There are only three games left to be played in the 2010 NCAA Tournament, so I figured we were due for one last update on the Mondesi Madness bracket. "Bobby Mo Brigade" sits in first place, correctly picking three of the four teams still remaining, and getting only Kansas wrong.
Not that anyone cares, but I'm sitting in 75th place, with West Virginia bearing my entry's torch. After all these years, I still made the classic mistake of picking Pitt to make the Elite Eight. Hey, old habits die hard.
Charlie Batch signed a new two-year deal with the Steelers today, and will compete with Dennis Dixon for the backup job in 2010. Batch has been with the Steelers since 2002 and has thrown just 135 passes during his time with Pittsburgh. While not spectacular, Batch is an efficient 3-1 in his four starts for the Black and Gold, with a passer rating of 88.3, eight touchdowns, and four interceptions. [ESPN]
John Russell appeared on The Fan with Seibel and Starkey and tried to explain his version of what "It's Time" for. Which means he's probably not entering our contest. [93.7 The Fan]
Evgeni Malkin will miss tomorrow's game against the Flyers, leaving practice today after giving it a go for about 15 minutes at Southpointe. This will be the third game in a row that Malkin will miss and the fifth in the last six for the slumping Pens. Malkin's status for Sunday's game against Toronto is unknown.
Also, Sergei Gonchar may miss his second game in a row on Saturday due to illness. Not a good week for the Russian Penguins. [NHL.com]
Jamie Dixon will serve as an in-studio analyst for CBS College Sports Network during its coverage of the NCAA Tournament this weekend, appearing on Friday's broadcast between 7 p.m.-12:30 a.m., on Saturday from 6 p.m.-9:30 p.m. and Sunday between 1:30-4 p.m. That's all fine and good, but I'm sure he'd rather be coaching this weekend. [PittsburghPanthers.com]
Kelly Naqi has been reporting on the Ben Roethlisberger case for ESPN, and broke the story last night that one of Roethlisberger's friends was blocking the locked bathroom door where the alleged incident occurred, according to Capital City bar manager Rocky Duncan. An excerpt:
Approximately 30 seconds after he saw Roethlisberger talking to the woman, Duncan said one of the accuser's friends approached Duncan and said, "I think my friend is in the bathroom with Ben, but the door [leading to the bathroom area] is locked, and I'm trying to get back there, and this guy [one of Roethlisberger's friends] wouldn't let me through." Duncan said she also told him, "I think my friend may be drunk."
Duncan said the accuser's friend "did not seem frantic, it was someone just looking for her friend." He said he told the woman she could either try to hop over the divider that separated the stage room from the bathroom area or "go around to the back and go through the backside entrance, because that door doesn't have a handle to it and you can go in that way." Duncan said he didn't know if the woman tried to get back into the bathroom area.
Mayor Luke Ravenstahl asked city employees, downtown workers and university students to wear black and gold and gather at the City-County Building Friday afternoon. The purpose of this gathering was to spell out the word "Google" in the hopes of becoming the test site for Google’s new ultra high-speed network.
Maybe it's me, but don't those collected Yinzers look more like a '9'?[WPXI]
Evgeni Malkin + Dapper Dan Acceptance Speech = recipe for a good video clip
The Pittsburgh Pirates' annual ad campaign appears to have found yet another new and confusing angle for the upcoming 2010 season. Such inspired, open-ended slogans like the memorable "We Can" have given way to this year's "It's Time", starring a bunch of sweaty Buccaneers working out and getting ready for another season of sub-.500-but-still-exciting Pirate baseball.
Being that we don't know where exactly the Pirates are going with this, I figured now would be a good time for a comment contest. So here are the ground rules: explain what "it's time" for in the comments section (no emails please - so everyone can see all the entries) - and the one I judge as the best will receive this framed photo of Roberto Clemente's 3000th Hit, courtesy of The Steel City Auctions Gallery. Entries must be posted by 11:59 PM on April 1, with the winner named on April 2.
*Prize rules: Must be redeemed within one month of the end of the contest (May 2, 2009). No cash value, cannot be combined with any other discounts. Shipping included for all prize redemptions.
When Syracuse was unceremoniously tossed out of the ring in the NCAA's Battle Royale, West Virginia became the default torch bearer for the Big East Conference with their win over Washington on Thursday night. So some of us are begrudgingly going to become Mountaineer fans for the greater good of the conference.
We all know that the always-cheerful Bob Huggins is the captain of Good Ship Mountaineer. But one tidbit about Huggy Bear was recently brought to my attention that I was previously unaware of: he was a student-teacher physical education instructor for one semester at Albert Gallatin HS in Fayette County in 1977.
The Herald Standard recently interviewed longtime Albert Gallatin boys basketball coach Ray Trincia for a trip down Huggins Memory Lane, and he had this to say about the 667-win coach, who worked under him during his student-teaching stint:
“Actually, I remember him as a player first, because he played with (former Albert Gallatin star) Stanley Boskovich at West Virginia,” Trincia recalled. “Later on, Bobby came to me to do some student teaching and he was a complete gentleman. But on the basketball court he was a fierce competitor.”
Although Huggins’ time at Albert Gallatin was brief, he left a lasting impression on Trincia.
“My first thought of him was, knowing his intelligence and his determination, that this guy was going to be tops in whatever he chose to do,” Trincia said. “That was my take on him just after one week at Albert Gallatin.”
So there you go: Bob Huggins was a complete gentleman as a young man and has a connection to Fayette County. Toss in a public scolding of Mountaineer fans earlier this season and we might have something that many Pittsburghers could embrace (but only until the end of the tournament).
"We're very, very conscious about how we do business. We're very highly concerned about our image, perception, how we conduct ourselves, our standard of conduct. I think it's above and beyond that of our peers, and we embrace that."
It's one thing to keep these guys on your roster. It's another thing to act like the organization has higher standards than the rest of the NFL when their actions clearly indicate that they do not.
So please, Coach Tomlin, enough with this particular lecture. It rings pretty hollow with anyone who even casually follows your team. Winning trumps all. We get it. Just don't pretend that we don't know how things work.
The accuser's reps told TMZ that they broke their silence to correct "recent misstatements in the media," saying, "Our client is cooperating fully with law enforcement in this matter. Future interviews have been scheduled and our client will attend."
TMZ also points out a discrepancy in the disappearing surveillance video dilemma, as Capital City nightclub owner Rocky Duncan told them in the wake of the alleged incident that he not only had video, but was able to describe it in great detail.
The lawyer for the club told TMZ that cops watched the video with Rocky "shortly" after the alleged incident, but cops did not take the video with them at that time, and when they returned to collect the tape, that's when they noticed the footage had been erased.
After Jordan Staal tied the game at 16:54 in the third period, the teams played to a scoreless draw in overtime. The Penguins then got shootout goals from Kris Letang and Sidney Crosby, and victory seemed to be a foregone conclusion. But Marc-Andre Fleury allowed three goals on the next three shots, while Bill Guerin and Chris Kunitz were both shut down by Jose Theodore.
The slumping Penguins, who've now lost four of five, were playing without Sergei Gonchar (illness), Evgeni Malkin (foot), and Eric Godard (groin). The loss was their third this year against Washington, which goes for the season sweep in two weeks.
The red-hot Theodore ran his record to 17-0-2 in his last 19 games, the longest such "regulation unbeaten" streak by an NHL goalie in 10 years. He stopped 39 Penguin shots for second-star honors in the game.
The Penguin power-play was 1-for-5 on the night, with Bill Guerin making the most of an opportunity in the second period. Max Talbot also scored for the first time in an unbelievable 30 games.
The Pens will be off for a few days, and then it's another rival, Philadelphia, at Mellon Arena on Saturday afternoon. [ESPN]
Ben Roethlisberger's accuser did not appear for a second interview, and the case against him may be weakening, reports Andy Sheehan of KDKA-TV.
The accuser did not show up for a scheduled interview a week ago yesterday and that as of Friday she still had not come in to be questioned.
Pittsburgh defense attorney Robert Del Greco told Sheehan if the accuser doesn't come forward, prosecutors may have to suspend the investigation. "Unless you're willing to cooperate with us in the prosecution of a crime, we are not going to call this a crime," Del Greco said. [KDKA]
Benapalooza will never be coming to a video screen near you, at least not through the Capital City nightclub where the alleged incident occurred.
The bar's security footage was overwritten by its DVD system, according to Capital City attorney Carl Cansino, therefore there is no footage available. The only tape that exists is video shot by friends in the Roethlisberger entourage. [Trib]
The Winter Classic may be coming to Pittsburgh in 2011, as sources tell KDKA that the NHL has approached local officials again about the possibility of holding the game here on New Year's Day 2011. Both Heinz Field and PNC Park have been mentioned as possible homes to the highly-anticipated game, which the Penguins played in 2008. [KDKA]
Complicating the situation, Moss is out of options and must clear waivers to be demoted to the minors. And Raynor's Rule-5 status means he would have to be offered back to the Florida Marlins unless he stays on the 25-man roster all season. [PG]
'Mad Mike' Jones, a 2001 X Games gold medalist from Export, was being held at a detention center on allegations he attacked a repairman and a police officer at Miami International Airport. A Taser was used to stun Jones at one point during the incident, and it took several officers to finally restrain him. [WTAE]
The suspect flagged down a 62-year-old man asking for a ride, then pulled out a box cutter and forced the driver to go to an ATM and withdraw money. The suspect then made the driver go back to the park, where he made the driver get out of the vehicle before driving away in it. [PennLive.com]
Evgeni Malkin, shown above in his second job as waterboy to the stars, will likely sit out tonight's game at Washington with a pesky foot injury that's kept him out of three of the past four contests.
Tonight is not a must-win for the Penguins, but I think it's important to see at the very least a good effort from the team, which has been questionable of late. Sure, it would be nice to have Malkin on hand, but if he's not up to snuff I certainly don't mind seeing him miss this one. Washington has a well-deserved rep for headhunting and an even more dinged-up Malkin would not help the Penguins' odds in the postseason.
On the Washington side, center Brooks Laich, who received undisclosed facial injuries after being struck by a puck during practice Tuesday, will not suit up tonight against the Pens.
Marc-Andre Fleury and Jose Theodore will be your goalies for this 7 PM start, which can be found on FSN and the NHL Network tonight.
As some of you know, I put together a list of the top 50 most painful losses in Pittsburgh towards the end of 2009. Pitt-Cincinnati was fresh in my mind, and it seemed like the moment was right. Unfortunately, time was my enemy, and the list was done too quickly and without enough commentary or video clips.
So with Pitt and Robert Morris both losing in pretty upsetting fashion recently, I figured this would be a good project to revisit and do right. You can check it out at the 93.7 The Fan website, and I'll be arguing about it on the Morning Show with Paul Alexander, Jon Burton, and Jim Colony at 8:40 AM.
And yes, I am soliciting opinions for the sequel, The 50 Most Exciting Wins in Pittsburgh Since 1990. Please send them to Mondesishouse@gmail.com.
The Pittsburgh Penguinsdropped a 3-1 decision in Detroit last night in underwhelming fashion, as the team has apparently opted to put it on autopilot until the postseason begins. The never-shy Brooks Orpik had this to say about some of his teammates' efforts:
"It seems like some guys are in it one night, and other guys aren't. And the next night, maybe the handful that was, isn't. Role reversal. There's really no excuse for it.
"You see some of the goals or some of the battles, just small puck battles, it seems like, and we're losing them. To me, it's just battle level."
Again playing without Evgeni Malkin, the Pens struggled offensively, putting only one shot past Jimmy Howard on the night, a Pascal Dupuis goal at 16:54 of the second. But Henrik Zetterberg would score a crucial goal just 1:20 into the third, and that was it for scoring, unless you're scoring the scrum at the end of the game.
The differences in urgency between these two teams was apparent, and as the Penguins have lost three of their last four, the Wings are 5-0-1 in their last six. These are two teams going in opposite directions, and that's a bad place for the Pens to be heading into Washington on Wednesday night, where Alex Ovechkin is already beaming about how excited he is for that game. After that, the Pens get a motivated Philadelphia squad on Saturday at the Igloo. If they're not bringing it in those two games, I wouldn't want to answer to Brooks Orpik. [ESPN, PG]
Mike Tomlin has been speaking about his troubled QB, who will soon be called to the principal's office in New York. "He's well within his rights of meeting with him and I share his concerns," Tomlin said of Roger Goodell's pending summit with Ben Roethlisberger.
Also buried in this story is the nugget that Charlie Batch is expected to return for another season and that Kevin Colbert has said the team will not be taking a QB in the draft, for all of those on the "Steelers Need to Draft Tebow to Teach Ben Some Morals" bandwagon. [Trib]
Neil Walker and Kevin Hart were sent to Triple-A by the Pirates today, along with Brian Myrow, Brian Burres, Wil Ledezma, Jean Machi and Hector Gimenez, who were sent to minor-league camp. This means that Dan McCutchen can bust out the air horns and bubbly for winning the fifth starter's job. [By Gosh, It's Langosch]
Mike Rice is the number one candidate for the Fordham job and Jamie Dixon has been mentioned in rumors for the vacant Oregon job, according to NY Post hoops scribe Lenny Robbins on 93.7 The Fan with Vinnie and Cook yesterday.
I've heard the Oregon rumblings for Dixon, I think he's going nowhere. On the other hand, whether it's Fordham, Seton Hall, or another team, I think Mike Rice has coached his last game at Robert Morris. [93.7 The Fan]
Tony Dungy talked Big Ben, Brett Favre, and Tim Tebow (the holy trinity of QB water cooler talk) with Dan Patrick recently. A wild hunch says that he likes Tebow and is worried about Ben. [SI.com]
Robert Morris basketball coach Mike Rice, a hot property following his close call in the tournament against Villanova, plans to meet with Seton Hall officials on Wednesday to discuss their head coaching vacancy, a source told Colin Dunlap of the PG. The source also added that if Rice were offered the job at Seton Hall, there is "absolutely no doubt" he would make the jump from Robert Morris.
Unfortunately, this is the sad reality that comes with being Robert Morris. When a special coach like Rice comes along, odds are that he's not going to be there long. He has a 73-31 record and two trips to the NCAA tournament in just three seasons as head coach of the Colonials, and the Villanova game was merely icing on a cake that Rice has been baking for a while.
Rice has worked his way up the coaching ranks for nearly 20 years, with stops as an assistant coach at Fordham (1991-94), Marquette (1994-97), Niagara (1997-98), Chicago State (1998-2001), Saint Joseph’s (2004-06) and Pitt (2006-07). He was raised in a basketball house, with his dad coaching Duquesne and Youngstown State and his mom playing collegiately at Duquesne. He's a basketball lifer with an upbeat personality and the kind of positive energy that Seton Hall needs after the Bobby Gonzalez fiasco. His loss would leave a gaping hole at Robert Morris, but it's merely another example of the basketball food chain at work again.
Gametime is set for 7 PM tonight at Joe Louis Arena, with TV on Versus. Marc-Andre Fleury (33-18-5, 2.65 GAA, .906 SV%) and Jimmy Howard (28-15-9, 2.32 GAA, .924 SV%) are your netminders. [Empty Netters]
"It's regrettable to see him struggling in the media the way he has in putting himself in these positions," Sepulveda said. "You know, it's hard to comment on that kind of thing. We're going to be there for him as teammates in any way we can be to help him through these deals. I don't know, he's a very capable quarterback obviously. My locker's next to his in the game locker room, and that's on business day, you know that's game day. So I don't think I've said more than a couple sentences to him in the three years that I've been here even though we locker next to each other, but you know it's all business on game day so you can't read into that. . . . It's tough to say, we're gonna be there for him in any way that we can be, but you know it's not cool to see him getting in trouble like this all the time."
MLB Trade Rumors runs through the Pirates' 2010 offseason moves, and a quick scan reveals that they've added Mark Teixeira and CC Sabathia to an 89-win team. Whoops, that was the 2009 Yankees. But the Buccos did add Bobby Crosby, Ryan Church, and Octavio Dotel to a 99-loss team, if you're interested. [MLBTR]
Mark Madden says, "Charge Ben now or drop it" to the Milledgeville, Georgia, police department. The article also features a Jim Florentine mention, a scolding of the media (and blogs), and memos to the QB and the girl in Georgia. In other words, an interesting read. [Beaver County Times]
Kevin Hart and Daniel McCutchen continue their battle for the Pirates' fifth starter spot this afternoon. Hart will go 60-65 pitches against some Phillies' minor-leaguers at 1 PM today; he has a 15.43 ERA and 13 walks in 4 2/3 innings so far this spring. I'm guessing those numbers are going to have to get better if he wants the job.
McCutchen will face the Phillies' Class AAA team at 1 PM today in Clearwater, Florida. He was scheduled to get his first Grapefruit League start yesterday against Tampa but that was rained out. [PG]
Paul Menard, who moved to Richard Petty Motorsports in 2010, will be driving a black and gold Pittsburgh paints car in 2010. Now all he needs is a horn that plays "Here We Go Steelers, Here We Go" when he honks it. [NASCAR.com]
Jim Tracy and Jason Bay make appearances in some of the commercials selected for RumBunter.com's Top 10 2010 MLB Team Commercials. These may be good, but Ronnie Florian still reigns supreme in my mind. [Rum Bunter]
Tim McNulty reminds me that today is the launch of the PG's revamped political site, Early Returns. Some of the highlights:
We are living in a banner election year. With more contested congressional races than any state in the nation, an 80-year-old incumbent in a dogfight for a sixth term in the Senate, and Pittsburghers leading the gubernatorial polls – not to mention a state capitol that is literally rat-infested – we hope you’ll continue to make us your leading spot for up-to-the-minute news and reaction throughout 2010.
Here’s some of what we’ve added:
-- A new homepage merging the P-G’s latest politics stories with Early Returns posts from reporters including James O’Toole and myself in Pittsburgh, Daniel Malloy in Washington, and Tom Barnes and Tracie Mauriello in Harrisburg -- Political Turf: PA poll aggregations by Pollster, with tabs to mini profiles of all the senate and governor candidates, and a mouse-over map of the state’s 19 congressional districts -- Yard Sign Blogs: A site where anyone -- readers, pols, government officials, parties – can post their own opinions and news. (Registration is required, so heed your language.) -- Party Lines: Links to Democratic and Republican party sites and voter information -- Refurbished links to commentary around Pittsburgh, the state and nation; and video
And to close the links, one I'm sure you will love...
Going into the 2009-10 campaign, it's pretty safe to say that expectations were not high for the Pitt Panthers, unless you consider a prediction of 9th place in the Big East high expectations. But expectations can sometimes change, and in a relatively short period of time. After some disappointing early-season efforts sans the ineligible Gilbert Brown and the injured Jermaine Dixon, the Panthers slowly got their act together. And that's when things got interesting.
An 82-72 win at #5 Syracuse on January 2 really got the ball rolling. Wins against Cincinnati, UConn, and St. John's had Pitt sitting at 16-4 on January 28. Before the season ended, the Panthers toppled #4 West Virginia in triple OT, #3 Villanova, and Marquette, another tournament team, on the road. After their second consecutive one-and-done in the Big East Tournament, Jamie Dixon's squad entered March Madness with a 25-8 record and a three seed. Expectations? Let's just say they rose quite a bit since the season started.
But much like many NCAA tournaments before this one, the Panthers would end up losing to a lower seed. A quick look back at the last decade of Pitt's exits reveals that they've lost to the lower seed in all but three seasons:
2009: 28-4 Pitt (a 1 seed) loses to Villanova (3), 78-76, in the Elite 8. Forever known as "The Scottie Reynolds game." I don't think any further explanation is necessary.
2008: 26-9 Pitt (4) loses to Michigan State (5), 65-54, in the second round. The two-headed monster of Drew Neitzel and Kalin Lucas scored 21 of MSU's final 25 down the stretch.
2007: 27-7 Pitt (3) loses to UCLA (2) 64-55, in the Sweet 16. Teacher (Ben Howland) bests student (Jamie Dixon). Arran Afflalo led the Bruins with 17 points on just 3-for-11 shooting in an ugly game that Pitt never led.
2006: 24-7 Pitt (5) loses to Bradley (13) 72-66, in the second round. The infamous Patrick O'Bryant dominated Pitt with 28 points in a game that the Panthers trailed by as many as 14 points.
2005: 20-9 Pitt (9) loses to Pacific (8) 79-71 in the first round. Pitt was down by 15 after the first half. The only first-round loss in the Howland/Dixon period.
2004: 29-4 Pitt (3) loses to Oklahoma State (2) 63-51 in the Sweet 16. Tony Allen led OSU with 23 points, as Pitt's lack of offensive firepower finally caught up with them.
2003: 26-4 Pitt (2) loses to Marquette (3) 77-74 in the Sweet 16. Dwyane Wade was the game's high scorer with 22 points. Pitt had a 13-point lead at halftime
2002: 25-4 Pitt (3) loses to Kent State (10) 78-73 in the Sweet 16. Future NFL star Antonio Gates topped Kent with 22 points. Pitt had 11 turnovers in the first half.
So how will history remember the 2009-10 Pitt Panther team? Overachievers? Underachievers? I could see the argument to place them in either category, especially since they again lost in the tournament to a lower-seeded team. But for me, I think the season would have to be considered a success, despite Sunday's 71-68 loss. To have a Pitt team among the final 32 after the loss of two NBA players (DeJuan Blair and Sam Young) and two playing professionally overseas (Tyrell Biggs/Greece and Levance Fields/Russia) is no small feat. Three wins over top-5 teams, a second-place finish in the Big East, and a tournament win is a pretty good season, all things considered.
Of course, the way the Panthers lost on Sunday definitely took a toll. The last lead they saw was at 7:38 of the first half. They watched Xavier go on a 16-0 run. They struggled with the Musketeers' Jordan Crawford, who lit them up for 27 points. Their senior leader, Jermaine Dixon, shot 1-for-9. Slumping guard Ashton Gibbs missed nine three-pointers. Gary McGhee was completely shut out. The team shot below its season average from the floor, three-point territory, and the foul line. And top top it off, despite all of these shortcomings, they still had not one, but two chances to tie the game at the end of regulation and missed both shots.
So once again, Pitt loses in the tournament to a team that has the best player on the floor. It's a disappointing yet familiar theme that has reared its head time and time again. Maybe one of these days Jamie Dixon's team will finally reach the Final Four. Maybe one of these days it will be Pitt that has the Jordan Crawford or Dwyane Wade leading the way. Or maybe we'll consider another option, that Dixon and Pitt might actually be doing more with less year-in and year-out.
