WEEKEND UPDATE

A few things to put a nice bow on the weekend...

--The Pens took one step forward and one backwards this weekend, beating Philly on Saturday and dropping a Sunday matchup with Washington. Looks like getting rid of Michel Therrien was not the cure-all that some thought it might be. [PG]

--What went wrong with the 2008-09 Pens, you ask? Luckily, Dave Molinari has all the answers. [PG]

--ESPN's Pennsylvania Mt. Rushmore of Sports is Joe Paterno, Mario Lemieux, Wilt Chamberlain, and Roberto Clemente. Sadly, there was no room for Big Ben's melon (or any other Steeler's, for that matter). [ESPN]

--Sounds a lot like Nate Washington has played his last game with the Steelers. Luckily, we already have another receiver on the roster that's adept at dropping passes, so there should be no drop-off. [Trib]

--Pat White ran a 4.49 40 at the combine, and he'll work out as a WR at his Pro Day next month. Just call him Randle-El 2.0. [PFT]

--ESPN 1250 is kicking off their Lunch with a Legend series on Tuesday, which means you can hang with Andy Russell and Mike Wagner while dining at Morton's. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me. [ESPN 1250]

--Batch or Leftwich? That's the question facing the 2009 Steelers. [PG]

--Shady McCoy, currently slotted to go to the Cardinals in four mock drafts, picked a really bad time to get sick. [PG]

--Troy Polamalu has been visiting a 10-year-old girl who has Ewing's Sarcoma, playing Guitar Hero and bringing her chocolates. See, the NFL does have some very kind souls. [PB&G]

--John Russell lost 95 games as manager of the Buccos in 2008 and got a one-year extension out of the deal. Yes, I'm still trying to figure it out, too. [Trib]

--Previewing your 2009 Pittsburgh Pirates... [We Should Be GMs]

--The Texas Rangers signed Anna Benson and her husband Kris to a minor-league deal. I'm sure he'll win at least 20 or 25 games at the bare minimum and contend for the Cy Young. [Trib]

--Nittany Lions players think JoePa will be "buried on the field". That's a nice visual. [SPORTSbyBROOKS]

--Monday brings round two of the Pittsburgh Bloggers bracket. Vote responsibly. [Sean's Ramblings]

Send your news, tips, and links to Mondesishouse@gmail.com.

The Afternoon Killer

Clear your October schedules, my friends. The Pirates are 3-0.

The Pirates defend their handling of pitching prospects. Hey, whatever you have to tell yourself.
What's new on the PNC Park menu this season? First Place Fries? World Series Weiners?

Barry hits #735, media reacts as if it were 756.

Darryl Stingley, who was paralyzed by a Jack Tatum hit in 1978, passed away at the age of 55.

Bill Belichick attended the Final Four with a mysterious blonde. Was he inspired by Tom Brady?

Anna "The Cocked Gun" Benson (her nickname, not mine) goes off against gun haters.

I'll just start this link with the first line of the story: "A suspended Toronto elementary school principal has pleaded guilty to throwing feces (excrement) on a child."

The PG tells us that the Pittsburgh region has lost more residents since 2000 than any U.S. metropolitan area except New Orleans, dropping 60,309 people.

Three Six Mafia christened their new digs by peeing on next-door neighboor Jennifer Love Hewitt's lawn.

Here's the 25 Most Awesome Video Game Covers of All Time

Anna and Kris Are Staying Busy

I just received a news release from Annabenson.net, and I'm still trying to figure out exactly why. It's basically an update on everyone's favorite ex-Pirate wife and how she's keeping busy, for all those who care.

In the email, I loved how Anna addresses "her fans". How exactly do you become a "fan" of Anna Benson? Does she really do anything? If you ask me, she's a prime candidate for a reality show.

Anna has been very busy renewing her vows with hubby Kris, which is good news following those nasty divorce reports last year. She even included a link to a photo gallery from the ceremony, because we're all dying to see the pictures. No mention of her meal ticket's season-ending injury, though.

Pitt Wins in Hoops and Recruiting, Anna Benson vs. PETA

--Big win for the Pitt Panthers in West Virginny on Wednesday night. Pitt is 21-3 with seven games left on the slate.

--The Wannstache has another top-25 recruiting class coming to Pitt. Just a few of the MANY highlights of the incoming freshmen:

-RB LeSean McCoy (who we have all come to know), 5'11"/204, 4.4 40 time, former Miami commit who spent a year at prep school

-QB Pat Bostick (#5 rated QB), 6"3"/220

-DT Tommie Duhart, 6"2"/275, chose Pitt over Florida and Kansas State

-OL Chris Jacobson, 6"3"/284, 9th rated OL, chose Pitt over PSU and WVU

-DE Tony Tucker, 6'2"/225, 10th rated DE, chose Pitt over 5 ACC schools

-DE Jabaal Sheard, 6'4"/240, chose Pitt over Miami, Auburn, Rutgers

-FB Henry Hynoski, 6'/234, 7th ranked FB, chose Pitt over Ohio State, Iowa, Rutgers

-WR Aundre Wright, 5'11/185, 4.4 40 time, chose Pitt over WVU

-WR Maurice Williams, 6'/184, 4.47 40 time, chose Pitt over PSU, WVU, Michigan State

-LB Brandon Lindsey, 6'2"/220, chose Pitt over Ohio State, WVU, Boston College

-RB Greg Williams, 6'2"/205, chose Pitt over WVU, Nebraska, Minnesota

-OL Dan Matha, 6'6"/311, chose Pitt over WVU, Michigan State, Maryland

-CB Sherod Murdock, 5'11"/165, chose Pitt over Alabama, South Carolina

-RB Sharif Harris, 6'1"/190, 4.4 40, chose Pitt over WVU, Rutgers, Maryland

Well done, Wanny. Well done.

--Pitt had a great class, but ESPN says that USC pulled in the top three players in the country. They can live together in Reggie Bush's house.

--Don Banks thinks that Norv Turner will be the next Cowboy coach. Hopefully Tony Romo won't drop any snaps under his regime.

--Everyone's favorite former Pirate wife, Anna Benson, goes to war with PETA. She's the anti-Pam Anderson.

--Who knew that Harold Reynolds had a contract worth nearly $5 million with ESPN?

--Everyone's favorite wrist-slapper, the ESPN Ombudsman, is back with thoughts on black coaches and MJ's kids

--If the NBA Draft were to go down today, Aaron Gray would be the successor to Shaq in Miami. Of course, this was the same site that said Chris Taft would be drafted #2 overall in 2005, so take the prediction for what it's worth.

--Keeping with mock drafts, this NFL mock draft says the Steelers will take Florida DE Jarvis Moss at #15. Let's hope he turns out better than the last Florida Gator the Steelers snagged in round one.

Pam Anderson and Mark Madden?

The men of Pam Anderson are a distinguished group of famous actors, models, and musicians. Tommy Lee. Scott Baio. Bret Michaels. Marcus Schenkenberg. Dean Cain. Vince Neil. Sylvester Stallone. Kid Rock. Mark Madden. Mark Madden?

No, Mark didn't steal Pam from Kid Rock, but he did host her on his afternoon sports talk show Wednesday afternoon. But she wasn't there to dissect the Steelers' struggles or talk about the benefits of the Isle of Capri plan; this was strictly a business appearance. She was there to promote Pamelapoker.com, a new poker website. I had no idea Pam was into poker; I thought that was more of an Anna Benson thing. But I'm sure Pam is pocketing plenty of cash in the process.

Madden covered a wide range of topic with Anderson, from sports to her film career and even PETA. He asked the well-known animal advocate if the painting of dogs playing cards was in some way unethical to animals. She sounded pretty much like you would think Pam Anderson would sound when interviewed by a sports talk host. It was a pretty entertaining interview, and certainly beat listening to lowbrow Steeler callers, even if for just a few minutes.

It should be noted that Mark gave a nice mention during the same show to Mondesi's House for the piece I recently wrote on Big Ben, as he read the better portion of the article. He provided plenty of mentions, for which I am very grateful. So Mondesi's House welcomes the MFers (Madden Followers) visiting for the first time today.