TODAY'S HEADLINES

Pens win for their papas: Freshly-recalled Chris Conner scored two goals, Geno Malkin scored on the power play, and Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 28 of 30 shots in leading the Pens to a 4-2 win over the NY Rangers at Madison Square Garden. As a reward for his great game, Conner was sent down this morning.

Once again in attendance were a number of the Pens' dads who were there celebrating the team's fourth annual "Dad's Trip", which I think is one of the coolest traditions going - although Ray Shero joked that if the Pens' record didn't improve during the Dad's trip games that he would change it to a "Mom's Trip" next season. Luckily, a 2-0 record this year should keep the fathers in business one more year.

Sergei Gonchar, Kris Letang, and Sidney Crosby each had two assists for the Pens, and Pascal Dupuis added a victory cigar of an empty netter to officially suffocate the Rangers. The Pens played without Alex Goligoski, Max Talbot, and Bill Guerin, who were all nursing injuries.

In contrast to Sunday's game against the Flyers, this was a much cleaner contest, with the Penguins getting just two power play opportunities. The Pens' PK unit once again did a solid job, holding the Rangers scoreless on four PP attempts.

Riding a two-game winning streak, the Pens have a few days off before hosting Ottawa at the Igloo on Thursday. [ESPN, PittsburghPenguins.com]

Larry Fitzgerald, University of...Phoenix? As emailer/Pitt grad Ryan pointed out recently, how does the Pitt administration feel about Larry Fitzgerald doing ads for the University of Phoenix? [Phoenix.edu]

Willie Parker moving on? That's certainly what it sounds like, especially if you read today's article from Gerry Dulac in the PG.

Parker always seemed to divide the fan base somewhat because of his style, but he won two rings, holds a Super Bowl record, and had an unreal 3,196 total yards and 18 touchdowns between 2006 and 2007. For a guy who didn't even play in college, it was an amazing run. [PG]

"Jagoff" works its way into an ESPN broadcast: John Calipari is usually a classy guy, as long as you can overlook his distinction as the only head coach to have a Final Four appearance vacated by the NCAA at more than one school. So it comes as little shock that Coach Cal (who was born in Moon Twp) would go for the "jagoff" reference in a live interview with ESPN's John Buccigross, who also hails from western PA:


New blog alert: Be sure to check out Beamer in Korea, written by former Pittsburgher James who, as the name implies, is now in Korea.

His latest article is entitled, "Stuff Asians Like: One-Upping the People at Primantis", and fills us in on the native cuisine, including bird saliva, silkworms, and the delicacy known as Spam. I don't know about you, but I'm getting hungry. [Beamer in Korea]

Aaron Gray packs his bags: The former Pitt Panther is now a New Orleans Hornet, recently dealt by the Bulls for guard Devin Brown. Gray is averaging 2.3 PPG and 2.0 RPG this season, so Hornets fans might want to temper that enthusiasm. [The Big Lead]

Pirate Caravan rolls on: People aren't excited about the Pirates? Could've fooled me, judging from the recap and photos of the caravan's recent trip through Uniontown. Either that, or a lot of people were getting those free Andrew McCutchen autographs to flip on eBay this week. [Rum Bunter]

Email: Mondesishouse@gmail.com Twitter: twitter.com/mondesishouse Facebook: Facebook Group

THE NEWS

--The Dodgers blew out the Pirates 8-1 last night, which means they've outscored the Pirates 19-3 in the past two games. In other words, here we go again.

--Aaron Gray's line in last night's Bulls-Raptors game: 35 minutes, 22 rebounds, 19 points.

--Nate McLouth is on pace for 162 RBI, and ESPN proclaims he's "more real than not". Glad we cleared that up.

--In more Nate McLouth news, here's a whole article on McLouth from SI's John Donovan.

--Big Ben jokes around with Mike Tirico and Michelle Tafoya, and BAM! We've got a full-blown imagined controversy.

--Nate Washington just got paid, to the tune of $1.4 million dollars. I'm convinced that this guy must be absolutely, positively BREATHTAKING in practice.

--The Steelers' 2008 Draft Entertainment Tour saw South Florida CB Mike Jenkins and Coastal Carolina WR Jerome Simpson visit the Steel City. I think there's about five more eligible players left, and then the Steelers will have met with every single potential draftee.

--Pitt spring practice is nearing an end, and while everyone is preoccupied with getting to the bottom of the Murdock/Pinkston story, don't forget that the Blue-Gold Game is coming up on Saturday at 6. It will also be aired on the NFL Network and Pittsburgh's CW, featuring Bob Pompeani with color by the Wannstache himself. Now THAT'S must-see TV.

--A Florida football recruit leaned in for a picture with Tim Tebow's Heisman and knocked over and destroyed Florida's 2006 BCS Championship Waterford Crystal trophy, valued at $35,000. Whoops.

--Peabody's LaRoi Johnson is hoping for some good news in the upcoming draft.

--Steve McNair retired today, joining his body, which retired about four years ago.

--Scary news: the Homestead police station is haunted!

--Quote of the Day, as seen on The Big Lead, from Cousins of Ron Mexico: "Week 14:
The Cowboys visit the Steelers. Finally, the match up of overrated quarterbacks we’ve all been waiting for!"

Comeback of the Day, by The Big Lead commentor The412: "CRM - Roethlisberger went 15-1 his first year and followed that with a Super Bowl championship in year 2. Otherwise, he is over-rated."

Don't forget the 104.1 QB rating (second only to Tom Brady) and team record 32 TD passes.

--Is it safe to say that Nick Saban's press conferences usually end in an angry exchange?

--Harry Potter's Emma Watson turned 18, meaning she now has access to a previously-off-limits $20 million.

--Check out this live alligator chillin in the back window of a car, found during a traffic stop in Texas.

--Miguel Tejada just aged two years . First the Mitchell Report inclusion, now this. That move's looking better and better.

--The Yankees and Red Sox are going to auction off that stupid buried jersey for charity.

--Joe Simpson is reportedly asking $1 million for the photos of Ashlee Simpson's baby.

--Mets pitcher John Maine has some strange quotes about Jennifer Aniston.

--A babysitter plays a drinking game with a 12-year-old girl. What could go wrong?

--Here's the leaked alternate ending for Batman: Dark Knight

--Alicia Keys, Ne-Yo, and American Idol winner Jordin Sparks are coming to the Pete next Tuesday.

A LIST OF TODAY'S TOP LISTS

Twelve Biggest 80's Movie A-holes

5 Historical Figures Who Died The Weirdest Deaths

Top 10 Dumbest Sports Trends

GOT NEWS? EMAIL IT TO MONDESISHOUSE@GMAIL.COM,

YOU COULD WIN STUFF

THIS WEEK'S PRIZE: A COPY OF KENNY MAYNE'S NEW BOOK, SRP $25

The News

A recap of your favorite links, named in honor of Mike Tomlin

"I'm not telling a story. I'm reporting the news."

Got news? Email it to mondesishouse@gmail.com

A bumper crop today...you've outdone yourselves!

Photo of the day

Submitted by Zach B.

--Email of the day, from AJ of Pittsburgh:

"Here was my daily affirmation that I am no longer a teenager. Notice the before and after photos...To loosely tie this into the sports world... The album was released on September 24th, 1991. That kid was 3 months old when the photo was taken. He has absolutely no concept that the Pirates have ever been a winning baseball team. So yes... whether it works or not, the walkout is a great idea."

--Aaron Gray joins Joakim Noah on the Chicago Bulls. Would have been nice if the Grayzilla could've cracked the first round...or gone higher than 49th, for that matter.

--Bugs and Cranks says it's time for Dave Littlefield to take a hint from the WWE and fake his own death. I agree.

--Read this article about Padres pitcher Chris Young. And then remember that the Pirates traded him for Matt Herges.

--The Pittsburgh Riverhounds could be moving to Pittsburgh Mills. If you didn't notice, the Riverhounds didn't play last year. Guess what? I didn't notice.

--American Memorabilia is selling Dock Ellis signed baseballs with the inscription, "I threw a no-hitter on LSD." That would seem to go against this Ellis collectible from a few years back with the "Prevent Drug Abuse" stamp.

(thanks to Dave B. for the pic)

--Remember Panther Rants, the popular Pitt sports-based blog? Well, it's been taken over, and it's described as "The Onion of Pitt Sports".

--Any Howard Stern fans out there surely heard the Iron Shiek clips from this week. And here's some related video of the Shiek freaking out during an interview. There are some interesting Shiek quotes, including, “Brian Blair, you are gay. Worse than Michael Jordan, er, Michael Jackson.”

--The rare "five star recommendation" goes to this video of MSNBC news anchor Mika Brzezinski absolutely losing it for having to lead the news with Paris Hilton.

--Hey, it's the Kobe video!

--Takeru "Tsunami" Kobayashi has pulled out of this year's Hot Dog eating contest on the Fourth of July. He obviously heard Joey Chestnut's footsteps.

--A must-read: The Bill Simmons NBA Draft Diary Drinking Game

--"What was Ben's squeeze, Missy Peregrym, doing last weekend in Vegas while he was mourning the death of his former coach in Indiana?" Guess you'll have to click the link to find out.

http://www.tmz.com/2007/06/27/buccaneer-birthday-babe-ahoy/

--From the "No Joke Necessary" Department (a department that's been getting a lot of action lately): "Man mistakes straw bale for stricken woman, gives it CPR"

--Pick one: Jerome Bettis or Franco Harris.

--The Pirates have Saturday night WALKOuts, the Padres have the controversial "Pride Night".

--Former New Kid Donnie Wahlberg is in town with the filming of Spike TV's "Kill Point".

--ESPN and Woody Paige are sued for sexual harrassment.
--The Atlanta Center for Disease Control is issuing trading cards of science and health. Anthrax rookie card, anyone?

--The newest problem in jail? Inmates using toilets as cell phones. Please, enjoy the illustration...

--The Spice Girls are back!

--New Burgh blogs submitted for your approval:
http://nonstopsteelers.blogspot.com/
http://pittsburghsportsconnection.blogspot.com/

A LIST OF TODAY'S TOP LISTS

The 10 Most Bizarre People on Earth

13 Reasons to Watch the Home Shopping Network

The 16 Ugliest Men In The History Of Rock 'n' Roll

The News: The Year's Best

In honor of the one-year mark, here's some of the most entertaining links you've uncovered in the past 12 months. Enjoy not working this afternoon.

--The rare "Five-Star Mondesi Recommendation" goes to this site, which features the YouTube clips of each Rocky fight sequence, including the fatal Drago-Creed bout in Rocky IV.

--Cracked.com counts down the 9 biggest wusses in rock today

--Some info we could all use...what to eat and what to avoid at midnight.

--The amazing quirks of Gilbert Arenas, gathered together in a neat little website. My favorite: During halftime of Washington Wizards games Gilbert Arenas sits at his locker and plays video poker.

--Maxim counts down the 10 worst arenas in the U.S., and Mellon checks in at #8.

--A Q&A with Aaron Gray. Gray said he looks forward to making millions of dollars, buying a Bentley, and spending lots of time with groupies. Or not. I guess you have to click the link now.

--The trailer for Seinfeld: The Horror Movie is finally up. A masterpiece.

--Terry Bradshaw hits a woman in the face with a football during a Fox pregame show. Joe Buck makes a joke. That was a disgusting act.

--Dozens of your favorite 1980s video games, available to play online! Frogger, Donkey Kong, Tetris, Centipede, so many more! If you weren't being productive by reading Mondesi's House, you'll be even less productive after checking out this site.

--Best Pittsburgh athletes "By the Numbers".

--This site has soundboards for just about every TV show, movie, and cartoon you could ever imagine: The Simpsons, Family Guy, Borat, Howard Stern, Dane Cook, Mr. Rogers, Chris Farley...the list goes on and on. Amazing stuff.

--The tale of the tape: Borat vs. Boras

--Brangelina made a Pitt Stop in Fayette County this weekend. They did not hang out with Sienna Miller.

--Now presenting the Playstation 3...Grill?


--Beckett.com's story on the Leon Washington middle finger rookie card. This generation's Billy Ripken F-Face. I'm certainly hoping this will get kids interested in cards again.

--Ever want to build Ohio Stadium out of Legos and wonder how long it takes? We now have an answer: 2 years.

--The Top 10 Creepiest Mascots are counted down. Not surprisingly, The King makes an appearance.


--A tribute to Herbert, arguably the funniest character on Family Guy.


--I've become a very tough judge of comedic talent. There seems to be a lack of quality material these days. But after witnessing Mad TV's Aries Spears' rap impersonations on Conan O'Brien last week, I laughed out loud. I couldn't find the Conan appearance, but I did manage to dig up Spears doing his thing on BET. He does dead-on impressions of LL Cool J, Snoop Dogg, DMX and Jay-Z in the span of a few minutes. This is my five-star recommendation. You must watch this video.

--On the topic of baseball cards, Joe Sports Fan has a great article on former Home Shopping crazyman Don West. You know, the guy who tried convincing you at 2 AM to buy that Gem Mint 10 of Derek Jeter? In the article, the author references an occasion when West accidentally knocked a box of 3,200 baseball cards on the floor in the middle of a sales pitch. Always the master of improv, West then "swam" in the cards, as only he could. He explained that he used to swim in piles of cards as a kid. Alas, here is said video of Don West swimming in a pool of overpriced cardboard.

The News

A recap of your favorite links, named in honor of Mike Tomlin
"I'm not telling a story. I'm reporting the news."

--How do you spell "MVP"?

S-I-D-N-E-Y C-R-O-S-B-Y

Mario's going to have to install a new trophy case

--The always-dangerous Nick Dougherty leads after one round at Oakmont. Tiger Woods shot a one-over 71 and was not involved in any Mayoral controversies.

Tiger Woods tees off at the first hole. Not shown: Luke Ravenstahl, lurking in the gallery.

--First, the Pirates bench Jack Wilson. Then, they bring up John Van Benschoten. Is it just me, or does that look like two logical moves in a row? Maybe, but it didn't help on Thursday night, as they were shut out by the Texas Rangers and Kameron Loe, he of the 1-6 record, 7.40 ERA and .314 opponents' batting average.

--How should Daunte Culpepper boost his trade value? I don't know...how about not get in a car accident?

--The New York Islanders are creating a seperate press box-type area for bloggers. I'm going to go out on a limb and say the Pirates probably won't go this route.

--The San Antonio Spurs won the NBA championship last night, finishing off the Cleveland Cavaliers in a four-game sweep. And since this is a Pittsburgh-based blog, I'll understand if you leave my site right now for the mere mention of NBA basketball.

--If I mentioned the letters "NBA" and you're still here, I give you an Aaron Gray sighting: he's currently projected for the 37th pick, by the Portland Trail Blazers. Nothing like getting drafted as a center on the same team as Greg Oden to kick-start a career.

--50 Cent just got paid, so I'm guessing he'll have to change his name to $100 Million.

--How much is Wal-Mart projecting to lose from theft this year? If you guessed $3 billion, you win today's prize of getting to see an old man dressed only in a Wal-Mart bag.

--We close the morning with Cracked.com responding to a Bill Simmons column and coming up with a list of 13 Movie Plots Rendered Completely Ridiculous by Their Stars’ Behavior

The News

I've made the executive decision to rename the quasi-regular link section, "The News". This is in honor of my new hero, Steeler coach Mike Tomlin, and his daily "News" segments during practice. Says Tomlin: "I'm not telling a story. I'm reporting the news."

That being said...onto the new and improved "The News"...as submitted by you...

--Salomon Torres is out as the Pirates closer, replaced by Matt Capps. Jim Tracy does a top-quality spin-job on the change.

--The Pirates in China? This has international incident written all over it. A must-read.

--Sean Burnett has mastered going on the DL while in the minors.

--Speaking of the Buccos, here's more on their complaining that Ryan Freel dropped the ball in that horrific collision on Memorial Day.

--Larry Zeirlein admits that he his email days are over.

--Make your reservations for Jerome Bettis' Grille 36, opening Tuesday on the North Side.

--A vomit-inducing article about Oliver Perez turning into an ace for the Mets.

--SI gives us nine warning signs that your baseball team is finished. Yeah, that pretty much covers Pirate baseball as we know it.

--An update on Aaron Gray from the NBA Predraft Camp. It's not pretty.

--Mark Cuban is joining a new football league, in between buying the Pirates, Penguins, and Cubs.

--Big Ben talks candidly to SI.com's Michael Silver. Among the highlights are Ben's comments on Coach Tomlin:

Says Roethlisberger: "He's not going to try to force the issue, and I like that. I told [offensive coordinator] Bruce Arians, 'Treat me like a man. That's how I always wanted to be treated. Treat me like a man. You don't have to scream.' And that's the way it has been since Coach Tomlin arrived."

Ba-zing, Coach Cahhr.

--Here's the NFL's most overrated and underrated players for each team. And score one for Joey Porter, who's called the most overrated player in the entire league.

--Tank Johnson's prison diet: 162 beef sticks, 40 honey buns, 35 blocks of summer sausage, and 35 bags of barbecue chips. He also might have tried to prepare a makeshift Mexican dinner, with nine tortillas, nine packages of jalapeno cheese, and six packages of refried beans.

--It's Man vs. Beast, as Bengal Chad Johnson races a 4-year-old Colt.

--If Michael Vick wants to fly on AirTran, it looks like he'll have to pay from now on.

--Want to concoct a Kobe trade? Try the ESPN Trade Machine.

--Pat Forde does a great job dissecting the Billy Donovan move.

--Looks like someone at Entertainment Weekly listens to Dave Dameshek, because they completely stole his villains bracket for their website.

--Here's 15 reasons why Mr. Rogers was the Best Neighbor Ever. And that was BEFORE he got a statue on the North Shore.

--Have a spare $98 million? Then this diamond skull can be yours.

Tough to Watch

The Pitt Panthers gave their critics plenty of fodder last night, dropping yet another Sweet 16 game, this time to the UCLA Bruins by a count of 64-55.

What's disappointing about this game is that Pitt played excellent defense and had every opportunity to beat this team. Holding the Bruins to 32 points in each half should be enough to win a game. But it's tough to win any game when your leading scorer has just 12 points (Ronald Ramon). So what was the problem? Jet lag? Unfriendly rims? Refs? Or just a classic choke job?

Personally, I thought this team got as far as it could. I picked UCLA to beat Pitt, one of the few games I actually got right in the bracket I filled out.

The problem that Pitt has to deal with is expectations. When you win and win and win and have nothing tangible to show for it other than one Big East banner, the fans and critics start to get chirpy. Am I crazy? Ask Tubby Smith...he won a championship and he was sent to Minnesota as a reward. Call up Larry Coker, he of the 60-15 lifetime record, who won a championship in his first season and lost the championship in his second. There are examples everywhere: Ron Zook, Tyrone Willingham, Paul Hackett, Mike Davis, Frank Solich, Mike Shula, etc.

It's not fair, but this is the climate of college (and pro) coaches that they must deal with. Pitt had a nice season, but based on the expectations going in, you could make an argument that on some level, they were a disappointment.

A few thoughts from the game:

--Levon Kendall: 22 minutes, 0 points, 2 turnovers. I know he plays solid defense, but a pretty sad way for this senior to end his Pitt career.

--Mike "T.O." Cook once again led the way in that category, with three. Pitt was very sloppy when handling the ball, looking like they were literally tripping over their feet at times.

--Aaron Gray finished with 10 points and 6 rebounds. Not the line you'd expect from the Big East Preseason Player of the Year. But after watching his up and down season, you actually could expect a game like that from Gray.

--UCLA, one of the worst free throw shooting teams in the nation (I believe I heard they were ranked around 300), goes 23-26 (89%) from the charity stripe. Pitt got to the line just 14 times, hitting 8 (57%).

--In addition to their free throw shooting, Pitt shot 36% from the floor. Ugh.

--UCLA should have won the game by 20. They had plenty of chances to absolutely bury the Panthers, yet they let them hang around for virtually the entire game.

--I had the barf bag ready all night with the Dixon-Howland crap, even through the "Howland will feel guilty if they knock Pitt out of the tournament" line in the last 2 minutes. And then the handshake came, and we got a half-second, barely noticeable acknowledgement by the respective heads of their teams. Touching.

--Based on one of the thousands of commercial breaks CBS gifted us with, I have some advice for any single guys reading this column:

A. Invest in Axe Body Spray and

B. Invest in bodyguards to keep all the women off of you

We Want You, VCU

Well, so much for the Pitt-Duke game I've always wanted to see. VCU eliminated the Team You Love to Hate by a count of 79-77 as warm-up entertainment for all of those Pitt fans who traveled to Buffalo. And it wasn't pretty. That was the worst thing to happen to Duke since a few lacrosse players had the idea to hire some strippers.

VCU really took it to the Dukies, and while I was happy to see the overrated Blue Devils eliminated, it was a bittersweet win. As my brother pointed out, "Everyone wants Duke to lose. If Pitt would've play Duke, the crowd (and the rest of the country) would root for Pitt. Now, VCU will have the entire country in their corner."

Yeah, this is playing out exactly like a Pitt tournament run does. After a 79-58 opening-round win against the Wright State Raiders, the Panthers will face the 28-6 VCU Rams on Saturday with the entire country rooting against them.

If you were wondering, the mathematical formula for Pitt's annual tournament experience looks like this:

High Pitt seed + Mid-Major/Cinderella + Potentially Dangerous Go-To Opposing Player = Early Elimination For Panthers

Eric Maynor, who racked up 22 points and 8 assists for VCU, looks like the favorite to join Marquette's Dwyane Wade, Bradley's Patrick O'Bryant (now toiling in the NBA D-League for a third stint this year after being chosen in the lottery), and Pacific's trifecta of Christian Maraker, David Doubley, and Mike Webb in the pantheon of mid-major players to take over a tournament game against Pitt.

But before we get to the potential gloom and doom of another early exit, let's break down Thursday's game. Pitt had a balanced attack, and by balanced I mean that six Panthers contributed to the 16 turnovers Pitt committed. If they were playing anyone better than Wright State, who shot 33% from the floor, they would have been in serious trouble. The Panthers were very sloppy, but their pure athleticism and talent dwarfed anything Wright State could throw at them.

Aaron Gray had 11 and 9 despite two or three Raiders on his back the entire night; Ronald Ramon led the team with 14 points, including a blazing 4-6 from three-point land; and Sam Young added 13 in 19 minutes of PT. Jamie Dixon even lit a triple human-victory-cigar with some rare playing time for Maurice Polen, Doyle Hudson, and Geoff Rizk.

It was a mildly entertaining game, albeit a very uneven first half. Pitt went from being up 15-2 to a 22-22 tie to a 43-30 halftime lead. They outscored the Raiders 36-28 in the second half. So all's well that ends well...for Pitt.

All in all, the first day of the tournament was pretty uneventful, with the exception of the Duke loss. The Mondesi March Madness pool had the cream rise to the top, with a four-way tie for first place after one day. Leaders include "Ed Rendell Sucks" and "Bobby Brown's Pimp Hand". I love it. There's also the obligatory trash talk, which was incited by this comment a few days ago by the user "Adam's Astute Obervations":

"Sean, Coach K is not going to lose to freaking VCU in the NCAA Tournament. Watch some college basketball and get your head out of you Big East Ass. He won't lose to Pitt either. He's freaking Coacg K, and as much as I hate his guts, he doesn't lose to teams at or below his level like Pitt and VCU in the tournament. "

Whoops.

In other tournament news, Bill Simmons of ESPN.com sat around with two buddies, ate food from The Oinkster, drank Smithwick's beer, and apparently just discovered the movie Borat. I know this because he kept mentioning them over and over in the running journal he kept while watching the games today. It's a long read, and not particularly interesting, but it does read a little differently from his recent columns:

"Greg Oden Kevin Durant. I mean, really, Greg Oden Kevin Durant. Celtics Celtics House SportsGal Kevin Durant. Greg Oden? Kevin Durant? Greg Oden. Kevin Durant. The Hills Celtics Magic Bird Karate Kid. Greg Oden, Kevin Durant. Kevin Durant, Greg Oden. Greg Oden! Kevin Durant! Yup, these are my readers."

Actually, I've been a Simmons fan for a long time. His No Balls Association piece about the NBA trade deadline was fantastic. We need more columns about that, and less college basketball. It's just not his strength. But I will keep reading.

To close, I return to the Pitt Panthers. I wish them the best of luck on Saturday against VCU and the entire nation.

Suggested reading:

Post Gazette: Pitt downs Wright State, 79-58

Trib: Starkey: Pitt's depth comes through

ESPN: Pittsburgh goes long-distance for rare opener win

Morning Wrapup

It's a busy week in the Pittsburgh sports world. New arena...red hot hockey team...NCAA men's tournament...NCAA women's tournament...plenty of things to take our mind off of the pending baseball season. So let's dive right in.

The Penguins beat the Devils by a count of 3-0 on Wednesday night, which means they took down the top two teams in the Eastern Conference in a 27-hour span. And on this night, no overtime was necessary.

Jarkko Ruutu, Shootout Christensen and Jordan Staal lit the lamp for the Penguins, who passed Ottawa for 4th place in the Eastern Conference with Wednesday's win. Jocelyn Thibault picked up the 37th shutout of his career, the first since a 2003-04 goose egg while with the Blackhawks.

Mike Rupp, Devils bench...Devils bench, Mike Rupp.

Gary Roberts: great at hockey, great at introductions.

Meanwhile, the Pitt Panthers are getting ready for their postseason debut at 9:40 PM Thursday night on CBS. Panther Nation has already arrived in Buffalo for the first-round matchup against Wright State.

Aaron Gray, doing his part to make eBay dreams come true for a few die-hard Panther fans.

Pitt looks to avoid the 3-14 upset that took the postseason life of No. 3 seed Iowa last season. If you happened to miss it, be sure to check out the Deadspin Pants Party preview of the game. Pitt Blather has had great info all week, including the official ESPN forecast:

Wrapping up the men's tournament goodies is Maxim's College Coach Look-a-likes gallery. Some inspired work here, including Gary Williams of Maryland and Moe Szyslak of Moe's Tavern.

Now we move to the women's tournament, with the first-ever mention of ladies' hoops in Mondesi's House history. And all it took was Pitt hosting the NCAA tournament while playing there.

With a win over James Madison in the first round, the Pitt women would likely face 1-seed Tennessee at the Pete. This is being billed as the biggest women's basketball event to ever hit Pittsburgh, and it's hard to argue. UT is led by legendary coach/54-year-old cheerleader Pat Summitt.

I'm happy for Pitt that they're potentially hosting such an intriguing matchup, but why must a one-seed be forced to play on the home court of an 8-seed? I mean, everything the NCAA does usually makes a lot of sense, but they're losing me here.

The most exciting Pirate news of the day: Andrew McCutchen must be really good, because he already has a baseball card worth $800. As George Costanza was known to do, I'll end this on a high note---a rarity in any column mentioning the word "Pirate".

State of the Panthers

--Looks like we're going to have quite the field in the first annual Mondesi March Madness. So how far do you have Pitt going?

--The Pitt-Georgetown Big East Championship Game was a shocker. 65-42. I still can't believe the "performance". Pitt shot 16 for 61 (26%) from the floor, compared to 52% for the Hoyas. First-round draft pick Aaron Gray led the way with a 1-13, 3 point, 5 rebound performance. For those of you who insist seeing those numbers against resident Georgetown big man Roy Hibbert, queue your barf bags. Hibbert finished with 18 points and 11 boards on 8-of-10 shooting.

--Here's a simply unreal stat: other than Sam Young, no Panther made more than two shots from the floor.

--3-pointers, you ask? How does 3-17, .176 strike you? (A Graves 0-3, L Fields 1-2, S Young 0-2, T Biggs 0-2, L Kendall 1-1, K Benjamin 0-1, R Ramon 1-6)

--I have a legitimate question. Why did every talking head seem to think that if Georgetown won the game, they had a shot at a 1-seed, but not once did I hear the same thing uttered about Pitt? Because it's a media love-fest with the mystique of 20 years of Hoya basketball, John Thompson, and Patrick Ewing, that's why. They can't wait for a program like the Hoyas to be back on top again. It's a great story.

Let's face it, Pitt is just not a sexy team. They don't have a Kevin Durant, a Greg Oden, or any other intriguing individual that Bill Simmons blogs about on a daily basis. They have a projected first-rounder who is solid but also capable of a 1-for-13 championship game.

They don't have a legendary coach or the son of a legendary coach. They play team basketball and stress defense. These are not characteristics that excite the masses outside of Pittsburgh.

I happened to catch a few minutes of Mike and Mike ESPN radio show on Friday, and they were practically gushing about Georgetown: "They're back! They have such a great team...and Patrick Ewing, Jr., coming off the bench!!!!"

Calm down, Greenie. Ewing, Jr., a fourth-year junior, averages 4 points and 2 rebounds per game. Using my Eli Manning Theory, if his name is Patrick Smith, he doesn't even warrant a mention on the radio (the Eli Manning Theory = if his name was Eli Smith, he would not have been the #1 pick, and might not be the entrenched starter in NY right now).

Ewing, Jr. plays 13 minutes a game. Mentioning him in a discussion about Georgetown is as relevant as bringing up the name Tyrell Biggs (13 min., 3 pts, 2 reb.) when talking Pitt.

-Back to the Pitt vs. Georgetown debate (before the massacre). A few comparisons:

Record

Pitt 27-6

Georgetown 25-6

RPI ranking

Pitt 5

Georgetown 10

Losses (with RPI rankings)

Pitt had 6: at Wisconsin (4), at Oklahoma State (51), Marquette (22), Louisville (46), at Georgetown (9), at Marquette (22). Average 26.

Georgetown had 6: Old Dominion (35), Oregon (21), at Duke (16), Villanova (15), Pitt (5), Syracuse (52). Average 24.

Top-50 RPI wins

Pitt had 8: Florida State (41), @ Syracuse (52), Georgetown (9), WVU (60), @ WVU (60), @ Villanova (15), Marquette (22), Louisville (46)

Georgetown had 10: @ Vanderbilt (48), @ Michigan (55), Notre Dame (34), @ Louisville (46), Marquette (22), WVU (60), @ Villanova (15), Pitt (5), Villanova (15), @ Notre Dame (34)

Wins over teams ranked 200 or worse in the RPI (the inflated-victories category)

Pitt had 3: Robert Morris, Duquesne, Buffalo

Georgetown had 7: Hartford, Fairfield, Ball State, James Madison, Winston-Salem, Navy, Rutgers

Unless I'm seeing things, these resumes look pretty similar to my eyes. The only possible explanation for the perception that Georgetown could have been a one seed while Pitt could not is that G-Town was hotter down the stretch. But if you consider the "Body of Work" catchphrase that's been beaten over our heads, you could cover up the names of these teams and not tell much of a difference. Except that Pitt doesn't have anyone named Ewing or Thompson.

--The potential tournament games facing Pitt are verrry exciting. Pitt-Duke in round two. Pitt-UCLA, Pitt-Gonzaga, or Pitt-Indiana in round three. Pitt-Kansas, should the planets align and they advance to the Elite Eight. Let's hope that the team focuses more on what happened Thursday and Friday and makes Saturday a forgotten memory.

Adios, Mr. Crean

I'm glad I had a working remote on Thursday night, with the Pens and the Panthers playing simultaneously. Despite their late-season struggles, Pitt always seems to get up for the Big East tournament. If I had a choice, I'd rather they get up for the NCAA tournament, but hey, beggars can't be choosers.

So Pitt faced off against a pesty Marquette team that's beaten the Panthers twice this season. What better way to kick off the BET than a matchup against one of your toughest foes? But the Panthers were ready on this night, topping the Golden Eagles by a score of 89-79.

Aaron Gray played like the Aaron Gray we all know and love, with 22 points and 10 boards. Mike Cook added 16 points without a single turnover, Levance Fields poured in 13, and off the bench, Sam Young abused the Golden Eagles for 17 points in 19 minutes. The post-game featured the usual frosty "handshake" between Jamie Dixon and Tom Crean. Larry Fitzgerald, Tyler Palko, and the Wannstache were in the Pitt cheering section. Lots of good stuff on this evening.

Pitt's next game in the tournament is Louisville, the team that embarrassed them in their worst Petersen Center loss ever just a few weeks ago. Louisville had a Penguin-like double-OT game with West Virginia on Thursday night, so here's hoping they're running on low batteries. Another win puts Pitt in the Big East championship yet again, where they hope to improve on their Cowher-esque record of 1-4 in Big East championships in the Howland/Dixon era. Speaking of old Benny, his UCLA team didn't do too well on Thursday. He can watch the Pitt game with Tom Crean on Friday night.

The Afternoon Killer

Deshea: "I'm innocent!"

Aaron Gray is one of approximately 89 players on the Big East first team. Seriously, have you ever seen an honorary team so deep?

Pirate Cuban defector Yoslan Herrera is among their first cuts. Also sent to the minors: first round picks Bryan Bullington, John Van Benschoten, and Brad Lincoln.

Shelly Anderson elaborates on the Erik Christensen goal celebration

Are the Pirates the baseball equivalent of Ghost Rider?

One thing PC users can do that Mac users can't: shut the F up

The Ron Artest Mug Shot is now online

Peyton Manning is not above getting paid for a sweet 16 party appearance.

Here's a conspiracy theory on the new uniforms several teams will sport this week


For the anti-Yankee contingent, here's a page full of "Yankees suck" jokes

Dwyane Wade is getting up again

Did you know Bonnie Bernstein almost died in October?

Here's a study linking tooth brushing to seizures. This is great news for the residents of (___________) insert redneck state of your choice here.

In honor of today's Borat DVD release, here's a deleted scene of Borat getting a massage

DON'T FORGET TO SEND YOUR INTERESTING LINKS TO mondesishouse@gmail.com and enter the weekly prize contest!

Weekend Wrapup

--Seriously, Pens...these shootout wins are killing me.

--Remind me to thank the NHL for scheduling the Flyers eight times this season.

--Erik Christensen: one of the most subdued goal celebrations of all time in the second period.

--The Georges Laraque fight watch is at three games and counting. You may be waiting a while, as opponents are in no hurry to challenge "BGL".

--If Laraque isn't stirring the pot to your liking yet, focus your eyes on one Gary Roberts.

--Does anyone know what planet Brett Hull resides on? Follow his argument during the intermission of the Pens-Flyers game on NBC on Sunday: if a team trades a pending free agent at the trade deadline, they shouldn't be allowed to sign him next year. Think the Penguins trading Mark Recchi to Carolina last year, then the Pens' subsequent re-signing of Recchi for this season.

No, I didn't understand his point, either.

--For the third straight year, Pitt winds down their regular season on a low note with a second loss to Marquette. In front of a national audience, Levance Fields completely lost his shooting stroke, going just 2-for-13 from the floor, including 1-of-8 from three-point land. If just a few more of those shots fall, with just a four-point defecit...

--Aaron Gray turned in a solid 18/13 effort in his last regular season game as a Panther. The Grayzilla finished with 14.4 points and 10.1 rebounds per game for the season...very similar to his 13.9/10.5 marks of a year ago. Looking back, I think we can agree that Gray had a solid season. But worthy of Preseason Big East Player of the Year? Let's not get carried away. (By the way, Gray's draft stock has fallen to #24, according to nbadraft.net).

--Anyone else catch that icy "handshake" between Jamie Dixon and Tom Crean after the game?

--After spending much of the year in the driver's seat, Pitt now falls all the way to third in the Big East with the loss. They'll most likely play Marquette in the first round of the tournament, as long the Sons of Dwyane Wade can get past 11-seed St. John's. Check out Pitt Blather for the complete Big East bracket.

--The NFL free agent period fascinated me:

-I think the Denver Broncos made an offer on every single player available. McGahee. Lewis. Henry. Kerney. Buckhalter. Graham. Geez, they're even bringing in Brad Johnson for a visit.

-The Texans gave $23 million to 30-year-old Ahman Green a year after turning their nose at Reggie Bush. There's a reason why they're the Texans.

-Tampa Bay now has three veteran QBs who've never won anything after picking up Jeff Garcia and Jake Plummer.

-Good call by all of the "experts" saying Garcia would sign with Denver to "mentor" Jay Cutler. I have news for you: Jeff Garcia is mentor to no one except Carmella Decesare.

-The Browns gave $49 million to former Bengal Eric Steinbach. Expect him to suffer a career-ending injury on the first day of minicamp.

-Joey Porter's name has been linked to Cleveland and Cincinnati. Words can't even begin to describe the fun either one of those possibilities would bring twice a year.

-Throughout the entire weekend, I never heard the words "Steelers" and "bringing in a free agent for a visit" uttered once.

--Duke loses again, this time giving a bloody nose to an enraged Tyler Hansbrough in the process. I see where the "Psycho T" nickname comes from.

--You have to check out Idiocracy with Luke Wilson on DVD. Best comedy I've seen in a long, long time. It was written by Mike (Beavis and Butthead, Office Space) Judge. There are plenty of conspiracy theories regarding its release, most notably the anti-corporate theme throughout the film.

I recommend Idiocracy almost as much as a certain DVD that hits on Tuesday:

--Try and catch Andrew Dice Clay: Dice Undisputed on VH1. It looks like I've found the show to fit my "one reality show at a time" quota. I was never a Dice fan, but I heard him on Stern last week and was immediately hooked. Looks like a keeper.

Thanks, ESPN2

I'd like to have a wrap-up of the big Pitt-West Virginia game for you. I was looking forward to simultaneously watching this game as well as the Penguins game. But then ESPN2 intervened.

The game was scheduled to be broadcast on ESPN's little brother. But the Worldwide Leader decided that viewers would rather watch Mike and Mike's Arena League Preview and another show where guys play NBA Live on their Xbox.

An hour-long infomercial for their new purchase and Xbox basketball instead of a real live Big East rivalry game. Well done. But hey, they did give us basketball, even if it was on a video game. And the game went into OT to boot.

Since I don't get ESPNU, I had to rely on the internet, and it looks like Pitt pulled this one out, 80-66. Scoring was balanced: Fields had 14, Kendall, Cook and Gray added 12, and Razor Ramon chipped in 10. The Panthers shot 60% from the floor (to WVU's 40%), they outrebounded the Mountaineers, 37-21, and they outscored WVU by 17 in the second half. The only televised highlights I caught were ESPN showing Keith Benjamin and Ramon not contesting shots. But from the stat sheet, this looks like a nice, Senior Night win after a few disappointing efforts. Next up is a Saturday night showdown with Marquette, with an ESPN GameDay audience as the backdrop. Hopefully they won't pull the rug out from under us and show us Classic Arena Bowl highlights.

Pitt Wins, Pens Lose, NBA All Stars, More Video

Sorry about the lack of goods on Monday. Hopefully you passed the time by clicking on some of the excellent links you sent this weekend. Which reminds me, the Sid card contest winner is announced on Wednesday, so make a last push and send in your best links!

But I digress. It's time to get up to speed with a busy Monday of sports.

--I caught the Pens-Isles game (with a fine recap by the P-G's Empty Netters, by the way), and I was disappointed with the outcome. But it was just a matter of time until "the streak" would come to an end. One issue I had with the streak is when people referred to it as an "unbeaten streak"; the flaw in that statement being that the Pens did lose during the streak. Unless I'm wrong, and "Montreal 4, Pittsburgh 3" now counts towards an unbeaten streak. But I certainly didn't see any Pens celebrating that day. National media members: it's a POINTS STREAK. Learn the rules of the game, please.

--As for the actual game, Ryan Malone scored a hat trick, which goes under the category of "borderline-amazing". I'd be less surprised to see Crosby score eight goals in a game. Speaking of Sidney, he added not one, but four assists. Mark Recchi chipped in with two goals. The offense certainly made the trip to the Island. Scoring five times on Rick Dipietro should be enough to pick up a "W", but not when your goaltender/defense gives up six. Marc-Andre Fleury has an interesting season stat line: he's fourth in the league in wins, yet ranks a lowly 25th in goals-against average and 21st in save percentage. His stats remind me of Randy Johnson, circa 2006, with the Yankees: 17 wins and an ERA of 5; the similarity being that the Penguins, much like the Yankees, light up the scoreboard on a nightly basis, not only bailing out Johnson/Fleury from losses, but garnering them wins in the process. The Pens are 2nd in the NHL in goals per game; the Yankees topped the majors in runs scored. Let's hope that's where the similarities end with these teams, because the Yankees' campaign did not end on a high note.

--Pitt, now ranked 8th, squeaked out a closer-than-necessary three-point win over Seton Hall in Jersey. The Panthers were playing sans one Aaron Gray, who was there nonetheless, rocking a sweet adidas warmup and cheering on his comrades.

Can Pitt ever start a game with a lead? Ever? 3-2 gives way to 5-2 which moves to 9-2 and grows to 14-4 in a matter of minutes. This is one trend that simply has to go away before the postseason rolls around. I know that Pitt usually outlasts teams with their depth, but the deeper they go into March, the deeper their opponents will go as well. Pitt is not a team that will score in bunches and at will, which is a recipe for another early exit if they continue to dig early holes.

I realize that Grayzilla was riding the pines, but Pitt struggled more than they should have with a team sporting a 3-10 record in the Big East. Pitt is a TOP 10 TEAM. This was a division bottom feeder. If Gray is that important to Pitt's team (and I'm pretty sure he is), I hope that ankle heals quickly.

Jamie Dixon scored his 100th career win tonight, so hats off to the man. It must be sweet redemption to succeed so well so fast, especially when Skip Prosser was the guy Pitt really wanted for the job. But if he wants to stave off 100 losses, he needs to introduce Mike Cook to the bench more often. Cook is the college basketball version of the 2006 Steelers: a turnover machine. He rang up five of them tonight, fresh off the four he had in the Louisville loss. In between, he had a 15-point, 4-rebound, 1-turnover assist against Washington. Efforts like that show the upside he displays just enough to make Dixon keep him on the floor.

Pitt closes with three ranked opponents: at #12 Georgetown, #18 WVU, and at #16 Marquette. The Panthers stand at 24-4 and 11-2 in the Big Easy. Panther Nation is hoping Aaron Gray is back and The 100 Win Man can right the ship ASAP.

--I was really looking forward to the NBA All Star Game on Sunday. I thought there would be some real one-upsmanship between such mega-egos as Kobe, Agent Zero, and T-Mac. But the game was a few hours of missed alley-oops, ugly shots, and errant passes.

The highlight of the weekend was the NBA.com article that wrapped up the Celebrity Game on Friday night. Check out this sentence in the last paragraph:

"Among the many other notables in attendance tonight were Giants outfielder Barry Bonds, Mya, Ronald McDonald, tennis legend Boris Becker, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman with his traveling entourage of showgirls, a handful of WNBA All-Stars and more. "

OK, back it up. The potential all-time home run king is mentioned in the same breath as a fringe R&B singer who peaked five years ago, a sideshow mayor, and a fictional clown. Don't tell me the media, even the NBA media, doesn't hate Barry. I only wonder why HE would be caught at such an event.

--A reader points out some Mondesi-bashing in the Pittsburgh blogosphere. Some site called "Just Sayin" was critical of yours truly for the GwenJen saga of a few weeks back. To quote said blogger:

"I would like to weigh in about the rediculous Mondesi's House non-story of Evgeni Malkin posing with some busted sixes outside the Igloo or wherever. Seriously, the picture is innocuous, the girls aren't hot and it doesn't come anywhere close to comparing with drunken quarterbacks. Drunken quarterbacks aren't really a story either. Stop it, you're hurting us."

Yeah, that non-story was pretty rediculous, I'll give you that. But do you know what's even more rediculous? A site that writes about how boring another site is. But they link to Mondesi's House, which means at some point one of their authors was a fan. So they can't be that bad. They just have high expectations. I'm sorry we failed to see eye-to-eye on this important matter.

*FYI, the GwenJen trilogy was one of the top-5 most visited features of all time. Hits were well over five figures. So someone thinks they're interesting, even if Just Sayin' doesn't.

--No action yet on the $6,000 Sidney Crosby autographed chair. If it sells, I'll be booking an appointment with a furniture maker in the area very soon to capitalize on the craze, because that's about 10 times the price of an autographed Sid sweater.

--A lot of people clicked on the Penn State snowball fight/brawl video, so here's another entertaining clip from the increasingly-watchable break.com: a kid getting awaken with flying pizza on his head, then smacked across the face with a bottle of Aquafina when he voices his displeasure. Sophomoric, yes. But who among us hasn't attempted a similar prank in their heyday?

Mark Cuban in Town, Rumored to Buy Pitt

Last night was quite the depressing evening at the Petersen Events Center, but all was not lost. Favorite son Mark Cuban was back in town and donning an Oakland Zoo t-shirt while witnessing the carnage at hand. The occasion? Mark is buying Pitt!

Now we all know that Mark has been known to profess his desire to buy the Pirates or the Penguins, but who knew he was interested in buying a whole university?

"I love Pitt. Absolutely love it. I bought this Oakland Zoo shirt on Forbes Avenue, I scored some great seats, and I enjoyed watching the game. I wish the outcome would have been better, but all teams have their ups and downs. It was just not their night."

When the issue was pressed, Cuban gave up more info on his desire to purchase the storied school:

"There's a lot of positive energy here. Dave Wannstedt and I have the Dallas thing in common, with me owning the Mavericks and him coaching there under Jimmy Johnson. And I'm really looking forward to watching LeSean McCoy play. In fact, I'm having a McCoy jersey stitched up as we speak. I want to do some innovative things at Heinz Field and expand the luxury section of the Pete. I think this is a tremendous opportunity to pick up two franchises plus some nice buildings in the process. I'm actually leaving here and driving to Terrelle Pryor's house to tell him about my vision and hopefully he make his commitment to Pitt firm. I'm so excited. I can't wait to write about this on Blog Maverick."

In other news, from the game, Art Rooney II and Mike Tomlin were also on hand to represent the Steelers. The hot word is that they were there to scout Aaron Gray and potentially turn him into a tight end, like Antonio Gates and Chevy Troutman.

*For those of you who haven't caught on, this is a parody. Mark Cuban doesn't really want to buy Pitt...or any other Pittsburgh team. And while Rooney and Tomlin were at the game, they're not drafting another tight end. They already have one that they aren't using, so why draft another?

Porter's Abs & Comments, Culpepper & Bagwell Done, Q&A with Gray, Kanye vs Evel, More Hornymanatee.com

NFL:
Joey Porter's abs are still in playoff form

On the topic of J-Pee, he apologized for his gay comments, but not to Kellen Winslow.

13 "Fascinating" matchups for Super Bowl XLI from Don Banks. And not one of them involves the Steelers.

Daunte Culpepper's season is officially over. Much like the Dolphins' playoff chances, as a result of Daunte Culpepper playing this season.

CBS Sportsline's Power Rankings have the Steelers #21. If we were playing blackjack, that would be fantastic. But we're playing football. And the #21 team usually doesn't make the playoffs.

OJ's If I Did It book is selling for $5,000+ on the black market. So if you make money off of a criminal making money, does it balance out, or are you even worse off?

MLB:
Pirates retain rights to Shawn Chacon and Humberto Cota. Phew! Thought they might lose them!

Jeff Bagwell will finally retire, joining his shoulder, which retired in 2004.

Mark McGwire wanted to retire to a lifetime of peace and tranquility. With that in mind, ESPN sent a reporter to try and track him down.

COLLEGE HOOPS:
A Q&A with Aaron Gray. Gray said he looks forward to making millions of dollars, buying a Bentley, and spending lots of time with groupies. Or not. I guess you have to click the link now.

RANDOM FUN STUFF:
The trailer for Seinfeld: The Horror Movie is finally up. A masterpiece.

Hornymanatee.com is profiled by the New York Times. And as of last night, Conan announced the site has had over 4 million hits in the first week.

A rap beef I'd never predict in 1,000 years: Kanye West vs. Evel Knievel.

A Velvet Underground record, purchased at a flea market for .75, fetches $155,401 on eBay.

Some info we could all use...what to eat and what to avoid at midnight.

Everybody Loves Raymond dad Peter Boyle passes away at the age of 71.

Who Gets Mike Gonzalez?, A Suppan Offer, Worst Arenas, Aaron Gray Moves Up

BASEBALL:

The Red Sox and Yankees are arguing over Mike Gonzalez. I'm sure Dave Littlefield will find a way to somehow disappoint everyone involved. (Thanks to reader Jason for the link)

The Pirates still considering a formal offer to Jeff Suppan: 2 years, $1 million. Actually, it was probably more than that. How much more is debatable.

Daisuke Matsuzaka: a $100 million man?

NHL:

Big win for the Pens last night over the Caps. I like how Versus played up Crosby vs. Ovechkin and completely ignored the presence of Evgeni Malkin. That game winner in the shootout might turn some heads.

Maxim counts down the 10 worst arenas in the U.S., and Mellon checks in at #8. (Thanks to reader Peter for the link)

NBA:

The latest Allen Iverson trade destinations are weighed by SI. We all have to pull for Isiah to swing a deal for Iverson and Webber as a package.

The amazing quirks of Gilbert Arenas, gathered together in a neat little website. My favorite: During halftime of Washington Wizards games Gilbert Arenas sits at his locker and plays video poker.

COLLEGE HOOPS:

Our favorite Pitt Panther moves up to #9 in the newest 2007 NBA Mock Draft.

RANDOM FUN STUFF:

The newest item that is in demand from our soldiers in Iraq? Silly string.

Meet the new Mr. Britney Spears: J.R. Rotem

NL Rookie of the Year, $40,000 Super Bowl Book, Chris Taft Released, Hines Charging $175 to Sign Autographs, Lego Ohio Stadium

Lots of good reading today, so you get double the links. Too much to cram into one post!

NL Rookie of the Year voting was announced today, and Ronny Paulino didn't win. In fact, he didn't even get a vote. So much for the campaigning from Pirate announcers all year.

Is the Super Bowl Opus on your Christmas list? Why not? The $40,000 price tag for one book? Check out these features...it's like buying a car, only more expensive:

* 850 pages printed on the finest semi-matte 200 gsm paper

* Pages are printed using a seven-color process and top-quality, light-fast inks

* Every page is edged in luxurious silver gilding

* Weighing over 80 pounds, the Super Bowl XL Opus is the heaviest sports book ever published

* Every copy is hand-sewn and bound using traditional techniques, and covered in the finest quality leather

* Presented in a wood construction clamshell-style case, covered in screen-printed silk

* Contains a microchip encrypted with unique codes individual to each Opus. This guarantees that the Opus is authentic and protects the value of your prized possession.

If the NBA Draft was tonight, Aaron Gray would be Kobe Bryant's teammate next season. Or so says NBAdraft.net, the site widely recognized as the leading source for NBA draft projections. And yes, the same site that had Chris Taft ranked as the #2 pick for most of the 2004-5 season. That would be the recently released Chris Taft.

Ever want to build Ohio Stadium out of Legos and wonder how long it takes? We now have an answer: 2 years.

Hines Ward is signing autographs at Ross Park Mall on December 9. For just $175, he'll autograph your picture or mini helmet. Or you could get him at training camp, which he charges...nothing. My favorite line: "$199 Equipment or Numbers (COMES WITH FREE "SB XL MVP" INSCRIPTION!)". Free? What part of $199 is free?