Mondesi's House: 02/2011

2/28/2011

Monday Headlines

Getting up to speed on a windy, rainy Monday morning in the Burgh:

News and Notes: The Beard is Sheared

In today's news and notes: Pitt/WVU recap, Keisel shaves his beard, Bettis makes a Hall of Fame, Ike Taylor talking with Steelers, and an interesting quote from a Pitt Panther entering the NFL draft:

The Pirates Will Spend Money on Talent...If You Give It To Them

Someday, an enterprising writer is going to compile a book of ridiculous quotes made by Frank Coonelly, Bob Nutting, and Neal Huntington. There's enough for at least a couple chapters in it already, and if they keep up at this pace, the book may be done by next week. Witness the latest gold min from Coonelly's interview with PiratesProspects.com:

The diagnosis is in on Brooks Orpik, and of course, it's bad: a broken finger, which will sideline the pulse of the Pens' defense for four weeks. What, you expected good news? Given the Pens' luck, Orpik's lucky they don't have to amputate that finger.

Now that the Pens have three less defensemen than they did a few games ago, Rob Rossi writes that the team "is looking at D options" and that they "aren't done". Maybe they can swing a deal for Alex Goligoski?

But seriously, the situation on D should get a little better if Paul Martin can return as expected for the team's next game on Friday against Carolina. That's a good starting point. Mark Letestu and Dustin Jeffrey are also expected to return for that contest from the Pens' overcrowded list of the walking wounded; so with three guys coming back, plus Kovalev, plus the Dallas guys, there are a few reasons to be moderately optimistic about the team's short-term health entering a five-game road trip. Although this season, being optimistic is kind of dangerous. With the Pens' recent history, getting six healthy bodies back probably means Marc-Andre Fleury will slip on a banana peel and have an anvil fall on his head sometime in the next 24 hours.

TWITTER: twitter.com/mondesishouse
EMAIL: mondesishouse@gmail.com

Alexei Kovalev is a Penguin, Again

The Steelers brought back a host of old faces last season, and they wound up in the Super Bowl (not as a direct result, but still...)

Now, the Penguins are taking a page out of the same book by bringing back 38-year-old Alexei Kovalev in a trade today with the Ottawa Senators.

It’s time for another buffet of links, going the usual 20 deep, in this week’s Best of the Web. This edition is rather Penguin-centric, with news on last night’s drama-fest at the CEC and the injury to Brooks Orpik, as well as trade rumors, a new job for a former Penguin executive, and high ratings for NBC’s Pens-Hawks game on Sunday. We’ve also got Steeler free agent talk, an absurd article on Big Ben, a look at the upcoming Pitt-WVU hoops game, and Jason Kendall being Jason Kendall, among many other tidbits. Because everyone loves tidbits, right?

Best of the Web: the Top 20 Links of the Week

[93.7 The Fan at CBS Pittsburgh]

TWITTER: twitter.com/mondesishouse
EMAIL: mondesishouse@gmail.com

2/23/2011

Lamarr Woodley Officially Franchised, Colon Unlikely to Return

Lots of Steeler free agent news to pass along on a Wednesday afternoon in February:

Your Pittsburgh news and notes for Wednesday:

Mayor SnowShovelStahl

Like most Pittsburghers, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl was shoveling snow on Tuesday. Unlike most Pittsburghers, he was doing it in Green Bay Packers gear.

Another bit of feedback from the recent survey was a request for me to get back to doing more "link" posts beyond the weekly Best of the Web. As I often say, ask and you shall receive:

Pens Deal Goligoski to Dallas for James Neal, Matt Niskanen

Ray Shero was busy shuffling the deck for another Cup run today, trading 25-year-old defenseman Alex Goligoski to Dallas for LW James Neal, 23, and D Matt Niskanen, age 24. And to answer your next question, yes, that would be the same Niskanen who fought Sidney Crosby this past November.

On the heels of their last-second loss at St. John's on Saturday, the Pitt Panthers fell from 4th to 6th in today's ESPN Coaches Poll, while staying put at #4 in the AP Poll.

Weekend Wrapup

By my count, this is three disappointing weekends in a row in the world of Pittsburgh sports. Two weekends ago, we had the Super Bowl, which we will speak no more of. Last weekend, it was two Penguin losses (one making a mockery of the sport) and the death of Fam-a-Lee skipper Chuck Tanner, the last Pirate manager to win a World Series. This weekend, wins were elusive to both of the Pittsburgh teams in action. A recap after the jump:

MH Joins the Big Lead Sports Family

As the Mondesi's House Extreme Makeover continues, another little piece fell into place today as the site officially became a part of the Big Lead Sports family of websites. I felt that the opportunities offered by BLS would really help the site in the long run, and I am tremendously excited to now be associated with one of the most popular sites in the sports blogosphere, The Big Lead.

I realize this week has been very choppy in terms of coverage due to the changes that have taken place and will be taking place, but everything should be back to normal by Monday. And by the way, if there are any other changes you'd like to suggest, please feel free to do so via email or Twitter. Thanks again for your patience during the little remodeling and your continued support of MH.

Mondesi's House: The Director's Cut (more links, commentary, etc): twitter.com/mondesishouse
Email: mondesishouse@gmail.com

2/16/2011

Best of the Web: The Top 20 Links of the Week

It’s time for another round of 20 links devoted to all things Pittsburgh, spanning from Eric Godard to Frank The Tank to the great Ryan Doumit. Yes, no stone is left unturned in this week's Best of the Web, including news on a surprising Steeler coaching candidate, a nice sprinkling of some top 10, 50, and 100 lists, and most importantly, news on the new Dark Knight movie possibly coming to Pittsburgh and how the city continues its long-standing tie to the Batman franchise. You know, all the hard-hitting stuff you've come to know and love from me.

Best of the Web: The Top 20 Links of the Week

[93.7 The Fan at CBS Pittsburgh]

Mondesi's House: The Director's Cut (more links, commentary, etc): twitter.com/mondesishouse
Email: mondesishouse@gmail.com

MH Site Redesign Input Wanted

I've been very busy of late using my MH time towards an upcoming redesign/reboot to the site, which should slowly be rolling out soon. I'm sure you've noticed the lack of regular posts, but I have only so much time to use here, and I'd like to think of these as "bigger-picture" site projects. I'm happy to report that the pieces are gradually falling into place and the end result will be a much improved product that's more user-friendly.

With that in mind, I'd certainly appreciate your opinions on what you would like from the site going forward. I'm talking design, content, or any other changes you think would enhance your experience. I did this with my last major redesign a few years ago and received very valuable feedback that I was able to implement and continue to use to this day. I'm hopeful that we can get similar results this time around. I sincerely thank you in advance for any input you can share.

If you would like to share some thoughts on the site, please send your ideas to:

Email: mondesishouse@gmail.com

Twitter: @mondesishouse

2/14/2011

Wrapping Up a Rough Weekend

From losing Chuck Tanner to Friday Night at the Fights to the Penguins' bus breaking down in New York, this was not a memorable weekend in the annals of Pittsburgh sports, save for the Pitt win over 'Nova. But we shall fight on. A few thoughts:

Wiz Khalifa's Black and Yellow Hits #1

As predicted, Wiz Khalifa's Pittsburgh-themed smash hit, Black and Yellow, rose to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week, so at least the city ended up with a big national victory in one form or another by week's end.

Wiz (no relation to timeless Pirate legend Sammy Khalifa) rose from last week's #4 slot, bumping Grenade by Bruno Mars from the #1 spot. This is the 18th week that Black and Yellow has been on the chart, and probably the last time a thinly-veiled Steeler fan song gets such national love.

Khalifa is also getting another magazine cover to his name, sharing the latest front of Vibe magazine with the aforementioned Bruno Mars and B.O.B. And next up for the Allderdice grad is the movie High School, where he co-stars with like-minded pot/Steeler lover Snoop Dogg.

Mondesi's House: The Director's Cut (more links, commentary, etc): twitter.com/mondesishouse
Email: mondesishouse@gmail.com

2/10/2011

King Crosby Speaks

Sidney Crosby spoke to the media today, addressing his ongoing concussion issues and talking about when/if he may return to the ice this season:

It's link time, Yinzers. And we'll recover from a crushing Super Bowl loss with...link after link of injured or disciplined Penguins missing from the lineup for varying periods of time! Great!

Other than that, we've got the Steelers' first loss of the offseason, a famous beard meeting its demise, a guess on who gets the Steelers' franchise tag, an update on the Rinku and Dinesh movie, a new breakfast treat from a friendly Penguin, multiple surgeries for a Steeler, a ridiculous February defeat for the Pirates, and much, much more. As always, my message is the same: enjoy responsibly. Don't link and drive.

Best of the Web: The Top 20 Links of the Week

[93.7 The Fan at CBS Pittsburgh]

Mondesi's House: The Director's Cut (more links, commentary, etc): twitter.com/mondesishouse
Email: mondesishouse@gmail.com

2/09/2011

Steeler Super Bowl T-Shirts Headed Overseas

Zambia. Nicaragua. Romania. Armenia. These are the places you will have to travel to if you're looking for a phantom Pittsburgh Steelers championship piece of apparel.

Matt Cooke Facing Disciplinary Hearing

Another day, another Matt Cooke controversy...this time, it was his hit on Fedor Tyutin in last night's 4-1 Columbus win that is drawing the attention of Garage League Headquarters. For the record, Cooke received a five-minute major for charging on the play, but the Blue Jackets are crying foul. Those cries will be heard, as Cooke has a Wednesday disciplinary hearing scheduled with the league.

Cooke and Dan Bylsma both defended the hit, as you would probably expect, but I'm not too optimistic about the outcome of this one. Cooke has too often put himself in the middle of these controversies, and by now it's perceived that such plays are no accident. He's quickly becoming the James Harrison of the NHL, at least in the sense that his reputation precedes him, and he may very well have to sit down and cool off for a while after this latest event.

Mondesi's House: The Director's Cut (more links, commentary, etc): twitter.com/mondesishouse
Email: mondesishouse@gmail.com

2/08/2011

Steeler Offseason Chatter Begins Already

Less than two days after their SB45 letdown, the Pittsburgh Steelers are now left to pick up the pieces and start assembling their organization's plan of attack for 2011. And as anticipated, it sounds like some change is inevitable.

Panthers Best Mountaineers in Brawl

After a first half in which they scored a season low 23 points, the fourth-ranked Pitt Panthers rallied to edge the West Virginia Mountaineers, 71-66, in Morgantown on Monday night. Pitt was playing their first game without injured guard Ashton Gibbs, who's out up to two weeks with a knee injury.

If I told you last spring that the Steelers, dealing with the dramatic trade of a Super Bowl MVP and the near-trade of a two-time Super Bowl-winning QB, would come within one drive of winning the 2011 Super Bowl, I think you would've taken it. I know I would have. Alas, once all was said and done, this game ended up as one to be filed in the "Painful Memories" category and not in the "Greatest Games" archive of Pittsburgh sports lore. Some thoughts on the final Steeler game of the 2010-11 season:

Pouncey, Smith Officially Out for Super Bowl

In news that's disappointing and sad but not really surprising, rookie Steeler center Maurkice Pouncey will not play in the Super Bowl after missing practice again on Friday. Pouncey had said throughout the week that he had a 75% chance of playing, but I think that was more wishful thinking than reality. He sure didn't look like a guy who was going to play on Sunday when he arrived in Dallas on crutches.

Mike Tomlin confirmed the news to ESPN's Suzy Kolber this afternoon, which means that Doug Legursky will officially get the start and the opportunity to contend with Green Bay's BJ Raji on Sunday.

Unfortunately, Pouncey will be joined on the sidelines by DE Aaron Smith, whose long-awaited Super Bowl comeback will not happen. It would have been a nice story along the lines of Rod Woodson coming back to play in SBXXX, but Smith's absence became official on Friday.

Mondesi's House: The Director's Cut (more links, commentary, etc): twitter.com/mondesishouse
Email: mondesishouse@gmail.com

DiPietro Out 4-6 Weeks After Johnson Fight

If Brent Johnson's goalie fight with Rick DiPietro didn't cement his place on some level of Pittsburgh sports folklore, this should do it: as a result of the fight, DiPietro will now miss 4-6 weeks of action for the Isles with facial fractures and knee swelling. Remember, all of that came from one Johnson punch.

"It's frustrating, it's unfortunate and every other emotion you can throw in there," DiPietro told reporters. "I'm sick of losing, our team's sick of losing. You never go into a fight expecting you're going to get smashed in the face that hard, or with these kind of consequences, but it happens and you move on."

That's Rick DiPietro, winner of today's unscheduled Sad Trombone Award.

As for the Pens, they're back in action tonight at home against the Sabres, and if you're going, the team asks that you bring a Terrible Towel. I love it!

“We’re huge supporters of the Steelers and we all believe they’re going to bring that seventh Super Bowl trophy back to the City of Champions,” said David Morehouse, CEO and President of the Penguins. “It’s going to be a festive atmosphere in Pittsburgh all weekend, and we think having fans bring their Terrible Towels to our game Friday night is a great way for them to show their passion for both the Steelers and the Penguins. Of course, if they want to bring their special Winter Classic edition of the Terrible Towel – that’s fine with us.”

Mondesi's House: The Director's Cut (more links, commentary, etc): twitter.com/mondesishouse
Email: mondesishouse@gmail.com

Roethlisberger "Scalding Hot" at Practice, Updates on Pouncey, Smith

Want to quickly disarm a story/non-story about a night on the town singing Billy Joel songs? Have a practice that wordsmith/coffee aficionado Peter King describes as "scalding hot" on Thursday, which is exactly what Ben Roethlisberger did in throwing four straight red-zone touchdowns.

One person who wasn't concerned about the night out and subsequent TMZ report was Steeler coach Mike Tomlin.

"I'm not concerned one iota," Tomlin said. "It's normal for guys to eat dinner, believe it or not. During the course of the season, guys go out on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. Believe it or not, guys live lives."

So that should be the final word on that mini-controversy.

Other than that, Friday should be a big day for Maurkice Pouncey, as Tomlin described the situation. "It's getting to be witching hour for Maurkice."

Pouncey was not a part of the team's practice on Thursday, held indoors at TCU, as he was receiving treatment on his sprained left ankle. If he can't practice on Friday, that would make his playing on Sunday seem like a greater longshot than it already is. In that event, Doug Legursky would make his first career NFL start at center. In the Super Bowl. But as Craig Wolfley pointed out earlier in the week, that wouldn't be a totally bad thing, either:

If Maurkice Pouncey wasn’t Maurkice Pouncey (A Pro Bowl and All-Pro center in his first year), then Doug Legursky would be the starting center of the Pittsburgh Steelers and most likely Maurkice would be lining up next to Doug at guard (the original plan if you remember). Doug could start for other teams in this league. He is the equivalent of Chris Hoke playing behind Casey Hampton.

Also of note on the injury front, Aaron Smith didn't participate in scrimmages on Thursday after limited work on Wednesday. Smith was reported to be out for the game on Monday by the PG, but it sounds like his status is still up in the air. However, it's looking more and more like a longshot to see Aaron in action on Sunday, and he is joined in the question-mark category by Pouncey. The only thing I can definitively say is that Friday will be an important day in the lives of the Steeler training staff.

Mondesi's House: The Director's Cut (more links, commentary, etc): twitter.com/mondesishouse
Email: mondesishouse@gmail.com

2/03/2011

Video: Big Ben Singing "Piano Man" at a Piano Bar Last Night

I've gotta admit, I'm not upset (at all), but merely a little shocked that Ben Roethlisberger would put himself on display like he did at a piano bar last night, singing, drinking, and buying rounds of drinks.

I would think that he knows he's under the microscope in public this week, so I'm a tad surprised he would make such an appearance. There were no incidents or anything along those lines, and from the reports, everyone was having a very good time. I know he's entitled to do whatever he wants as long as it fits within the team's schedule this week, and it's none of my business; but I just wonder why he would create any sort of opportunity to allow the TMZs of the world into the picture during Super Bowl week. If he has a bad game, rest assured that Piano Man Night will be brought up in the conversation by talk-show callers as an illustration of a "lack of focus". If you think I'm nuts, a TMZ public poll asking if Ben's "boozy pregame was stupid" currently has 61% of voters saying "yes", with over 70,000 votes tabulated.

Say one thing about most of these Steelers: they're certainly not ones to enjoy a quiet dinner and fly under the radar. Jumping on stage with the dancers at a strip club and singing Billy Joel songs at a piano bar would seem to illustrate that point rather emphatically. I think I can safely say that these guys love the spotlight.

Mondesi's House: The Director's Cut (more links, commentary, etc): twitter.com/mondesishouse
Email: mondesishouse@gmail.com

2/02/2011

Best of the Web: The Top 20 Links of the Week

A big thanks goes out to Hines Polamalu, who takes us into this week's Steeler/SB45-heavy edition of Best of the Web over at The Fan website. But don't fret, I found space to talk Pitt recruiting, the awesome goalie fight in the Pens-Islanders game, and much, much more among this week's 20 links. I must say, that fight was so awesome, it's worth mentioning a second time. That's going to be an all-timer in the pantheon of Pittsburgh Sports YouTube Clips.

Best of the Web: The Top 20 Links of the Week

[93.7 The Fan at CBS Pittsburgh]

Mondesi's House: The Director's Cut (more links, commentary, etc): twitter.com/mondesishouse
Email: mondesishouse@gmail.com

Readers Rule Grand Finale: Reader Steelers Roundtable

At long last and after much buildup, I'm happy to unveil the Steelers/SB45 Reader Roundtable, featuring five Mondesi's House readers who volunteered their time to participate. I love hearing different opinions on the same question and find such an exercise really interesting when I get to ask the questions. So in honor of the run to #7, I've given these readers seven questions to opine on about the team and the game. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did.

Paul O'Donnell (referred below as PO)- Originally from Sheraden in the West End now hailing from Mt. Washington

Jason Millberg (JM) - Originally from Pittsburgh, now living in New Jersey

Marty Vrabel (MV) - From Johnstown

John Hermes (JM) - From Aspinwall

and finally, my brother Dave Spagnolo (DS) - From Houston, Texas, via FayetteNam (Fayette County)

The Q&A comes after the jump:

Allan and his Terrible Towel in front of Krakatoa Volcano, Java Island, Indonesia

(Photo taken by Josh Franken).

Local Fan Flying to Super Bowl...from Indonesia

by Jim Allan, Indonesia (via Pittsburgh)

Hope you guys are enjoying this edition of Readers Rule Day as much as I am. It really reminds me of how many creative people reside in the MH audience. And to that point, some of the readers do write for other sites and they wanted to pass along related articles in the spirit of the day:

14 Reasons this Former Wisconsinite Hates the Packers by Jason Marianna

The 10 Best Kevin Colbert Late-Round Gems by Devon Moore

Pittsburgh Steelers Need To Send Thank-You Cards To the Chargers and Giants by Dominic Errico

Roethlisberger Deserves to be Mentioned Among League's Best by Jeff Rickel

and all sorts of stories on crazy prop bets by Lemmy

We've got the Grand Finale of Readers Rule Day coming up a little later, that being the Reader Roundtable (my personal favorite). But I wanted to take a second to say thanks to everyone who contributed and thanks for all the eyeballs on the site that have now made this a two-time successful event in my eyes.

Mondesi's House: The Director's Cut (more links, commentary, etc): twitter.com/mondesishouse
Email: mondesishouse@gmail.com

Readers Rule Day: New Terrible Towel Pictures

As submitted by the readers, here's a fresh round of Terrible Towel photos for your viewing enjoyment. I hope Clay Travis is paying attention to what this little symbol of Pittsburgh means to the people protecting his freedom and serving his country.

Ex-Steeler Regrets

by David Benedict

Here's a look at whether any former Steelers, and a few others, regret leaving or being forced to leave the organization as it prepares to play in another Super Bowl:

Bowled Over
by Bill Kamejar
Washington, DC

My name is Bill Kamenjar, I am the editor of GolfStyles Washington Magazine and a freelance (as in doing this one for free) writer from Washington DC. Though my favorite NFL team is my hometown Washington Redskins, my Western Pennsylvania bloodline provides me with the cushiest “fallback” favorite in history. Here’s the story I’m sticking to:

by Ryan Wateska, @texasyinzer on Twitter

Ft. Worth, Texas, via Pittsburgh

During the week leading up to Super Bowl XLV, Fort Worth, Texas will have signs proclaiming “You’re In Steelers Country”, sidewalk vendors will be hawking Terrible Towels, and WTAE cameras will be recording the anticipation for those back at home. On all accounts, the DFW area will be home to plenty of the Steelers Nation.

The atmosphere of the city now is a far cry from the “Funkytown Fort Worth” that Pittsburgh native Ryan Wateska experienced during Super Bowl XL a half decade ago.

Jeffrey Leads Pens Past Rangers at MSG

Dustin Jeffrey scored once in the second period and again in the shootout to lead the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 4-3 victory against the New York Rangers at MSG on Tuesday night, their fifth consecutive win in that building.

I'm usually pretty realistic when it comes to how I view the sports world. I realize that the guys who play have unique personalities, and sometimes those personalities don't always mesh well with others. But I've always been a little bothered by the fact that the top two Steeler QBs in history, Ben Roethlisberger and Terry Bradshaw, have been at odds for as long as I could remember.

Bidding is underway for the third online auction supporting the Pittsburgh Penguins Scholarship at California University of Pennsylvania.

Hockey fans can bid on eight items, including autographed Penguins memorabilia, a children’s party and a game-night experience at CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh. Bidding closes at 5 p.m. Feb. 4, 2011.

These items will be sold to the highest bidder:

* One Penguins game night experience. The package includes four premium seats, dinner for four in the Lexus Club and four game pucks; the foursome may view warm-ups from the penalty box, and two people may ride the Zamboni during intermission.

* Four all-star packages. Each winner receives a jersey and a mini-helmet signed by a Penguins all-star: Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang or Marc-Andre Fleury.

* One Sidney Crosby Winter Classic package. The high bidder receives a Winter Classic jersey autographed by Crosby, a Winter Classic print and a commemorative program.

* One Jordan Staal Winter Classic package. The winner receives a Winter Classic jersey autographed by Staal, a Winter Classic print and a commemorative program.

* One Iceburgh party for kids. The Penguins mascot will make a 90-minute appearance at the winner’s house, bringing 10 autographed pucks, rally towels and more.

Cal U is the official education partner of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Auction proceeds support the Pittsburgh Penguins Scholarship, which is awarded annually to a student who demonstrates financial need and maintains a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher. The scholarship was established last year with proceeds from two similar online auctions.

CAL U/PITTSBURGH PENGUINS ONLINE AUCTION [NHL.COM]

Mondesi's House: The Director's Cut (more links, commentary, etc): twitter.com/mondesishouse
Email: mondesishouse@gmail.com

Media Day Serious as Usual

Some of the Tuesday/Media Day highlights from around the web:

Big Lead Sports Bar

2/28/2011

2/25/2011

2/24/2011

2/23/2011

2/22/2011

2/21/2011

2/18/2011

2/16/2011

2/14/2011

2/11/2011

2/10/2011

2/09/2011

2/08/2011

2/07/2011

2/04/2011

2/03/2011

2/02/2011

2/01/2011