Quickie for yinz...

So how bout them Steelers? Scoring 14 points in a 24 second span is a good way to begin a playoff push, is it not? Thankfully Deshea Townsend CAUGHT the ball when Tony Romo threw it his way, or else this could be a completely different conversation...

So down to the specifics...

The offense once again struggled until it mattered by throwing up three-and-a-half quarters of abismal football - luckily, Nate Washington figured out how to catch the ball and Santonio figured out how to get open at just the right time. That last seven minutes is how the Steelers have to win games; ridiculously good defense and timely playmaking. Let's face it, we're not the Steelers of Jerome Bettis anymore. Hell, with the way Fast Willie has been running, we're not even his team anymore.

So that's about all their is to say about the offense - they may not be very good, but at least they score when they have to...

(Pic from knbr.com)

Ben can score alright...

Now the defense, that's a completely different story. Those crazy bastards are all over the place, and if James Harrison doesn't win Defensive MVP I may have to smack somebody. He reeks havoc with every snap, and I have yet to see an offensive tackle who can stop him without holding (really NFL, if you're going to fine everybody for everything you really need to tell the refs to watch the holding on him. It's crazy how often it happens.).

And even the secondary played well, with Troy grabbing his league leading seventh interception, Ike "ooopps I dropped the ball" Taylor snagging one and Deshea coming thru with the game winner. All in all, a pretty damn good day for the defense...

Oh, and did I mention they STILL haven't allowed 300 yards of total offense against them this year - just something to ponder...

Of course Sunday's game with the "men who wear purple" will be a huge one - I personally want to see Ray Ray Lewis leaving on a cart for all the hits he's dropped o n us, but I'll settle for a win...

(Pic from sportsillustrated.com)

Yeah, he's a thug alright...

And in other sports, the Pens have lost 2 in a row, and they kinda look like crap right now. But it's still early, we're still in the playoffs and we have the 2 best players in the game...We'll be fine.

And finally, Pitt is still undefeated and ranked number three in the country, and the Pirates still stink and haven't added a damn thing to the roster that's even worth mentioning.

Until lata...

Go Steelers...

What's up everyone? Sorry for the long wait, I didn't give up again already (as I know many of you thought), I've just been rather busy with the Turkey Day events and a visit from the little brother. Anyway, enough of that crap, onto the sports...

So how good did the Steelers look yesterday? Their defense is playing like the Steel Curtain of the 70's and the offense, well, God bless them they're trying. Ben's been playing better, and the running game actually mustered over 160 yards yesterday, but having to settle for four Skippy Reed field goals kept the game alot closer then it should have been. But I guess I'm really nitpicking when I pick on a unit that dropped 33 on the pretty decent Patriots defense.

And as for our defense, all I can say is wow. James Harrison has to be the defensive MVP in the NFL, no questions asked. He has 14 sacks, has forced 6 fumbles and seems to be in on every big play this big play defense creates. And let's not forget his partners in crime, Woodley, Potsi Farrior, Timmons and Foote, who are all having sensational seasons. They are the meanest SOB's in the league and have shown the ability to take over games when needbe, which is something nice to have up your sleeve in case the on again off again offense has an off day.

Last but not least, I can't forget the defensive backs, namely our safeties (sorry CB's, yinz get hurt too much to know who to write about, so I'll just say Ike, you're playing good but ya gotta learn to cath the ball buddy). Ryan Clark is an unsung hero, as he's been delivering crushing hits (ask Wes Welker what his name is today - I bet he still doesn't know) and playing an overall excellent safety, allowing his counterpart, Troy "Tazmanian Devil" Polamalu to do his thing. And for those of you that don't know, his thing is making 6 interceptions and countless other big plays and tackles for losses. If it weren't for Silverback, I'd be saying Taz should be the MVP; he's been that good this year.

(Pic from pittsburghsteelersjersey.net)

Gotcha!

On a that note, all this talk about Kris Jenkins and Al Haynesworth being MVP is absolute crap; all they do (for the most part) is stuff the run. Funny, I don't remember anyone saying Big Snack Hampton or even Joel Steed being mentioned for that honor, and I'd venture to say they both were as, if not more effective then those two. Defensive MVP should go to a game-changer, and Silverback is most certainly that.

So overall, I'd say the Steelers are looking good with a 9-3 record and heading into big matchups with Dallas and Baltimore (screw you Ravens). Go Steelers!

Our other boys in black and gold, the Pens, have been playing well recently, completeing a 9-2-1 month of November, which has them near the top of the Eastern Conference. Geno Malkin is leading the league in scoring, with Sid closing in on him, which is always a good sign. Even our much maligned defense, struggling a bit without Sarge Gonchar and Ryan Whitney, is playing better. I still think a trade to acquire a left winger (Illya Kovalchuk anyone?) would be wise, but for the time being, all things look pretty good in Mario's world.

And finally, Pitt is off to a 7-0 start and won some little tourney in New Jersey, which is good, and they're ranked in the top 5, so all's well there. Sam Young looks to be a superstar and Levance Fields will be getting healthier and healthier as the year goes on. With Blair and Dixon playing well, this team could finally be the one that cracks the Elite Eight or even Final Four, but let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. We'll see how they do in the toughest conference in the country before we start annointing them as the best Pitt team in recent memory.

Until lata...

Mid Week Review

Well boys and girls, it's a hockey/football night in Pittsburgh this evening...and it will be cold as hell with a couple inches of snow, which means it's a true Pittsburgh sports night. So without further ado, here's some things to watch for and such, and make sure you tune in next week when I post a Pitt Hoops preview (at the request of my lil bro, who seems to think I know a thing or two about sports...sucker)

First and foremost, if the Steelers lose tonite, someone (anyone) will be getting smacked. I mean honestly, they're playing a team who 1) we pounded earlier this year, 2) is absolutely horrible, sporting the impressive 1-8-1 record, and 3) has a QB from HARVARD!!! If I wanted to find a cure for cancer or run for president, I'd probably call Ryan Fitzpatrick, but when I need a QB you can best your last dollar I would never look to an Ivy-leaguer.

Plus, Diego has informed me that Ocho-Stinko (thank you Diego) will not suit up tonite as he broke some kind of team rule, probably something stupid that only he owuld break. Maybe he was trash talking the bell boy at the hotel, or was threatening to do some ridiculously weak end zone dance or something moronic like that. Either that, or Starvin' Marvin Lewis decided enough was enough and this jackass (who's having his worst year and is blaming everyone but himself) is gonna sit out the rest of the year so he can get released and have someone else overpay him to score 4 touchdowns (his total this year). My hope, is obviously the latter.

With the weather the way it is, look for willie Parker and Gary Russell to carry much of the load tonite, as it's gonna be mighty tough for Big Ben to throw the ball in crazy winds and a couple inches of snow. The good news about that is the Begals stink at every form of defense, so we SHOULD be able to impose our wiill on them, however we decide to do it.

My biggest worry tonite, however, is that someone will take a cheap shot at Hines Ward for his crushing (and season ending) block on Keith Rivers. The Bengals are known criminals (like the Ravens) and I certainly wouldn't put a late hit or low block past them. Luckily for us, if someone does get to Hines, we have the ultimate equalizer - James Harrison. If someone takes Hines out wiith a cheappy, you know Silverback will be foaming at the mouth when our D gets on the field. In fact, if this situation arises, Silverback may actually kill Fitzpatrick. Literally, dead.

(Pic from postgazette.com)

Round 2 tonite?

Now for the Pens...

Well I guess all good things come to an end, as our 6 game winning streak did the other night against the Minnesota Wild. I knew we couldn't win them all, but that horrible trickler of a goal that Sabby let in to cause the tie really stung. All wasn't lost, however, as new Penguin Philippe Boucher played well in his first game manning the Pens' blueline.

As for what to watch for tonite, first and foremost, look for the Pens to unload on a much improved Atlanta team. If there's one thing I've seen in the past two seasons with these guys, it's that they very rarely have two bad games in a row, and when they lose by some fluke goal or something like that they usually come out swinging the next game.

And the othr thing to look for is the Colby Armstrong/Sid the Kid dynamic. As we all know, we traded Colby for Hossa, but this will be the first time the best friends will actually take each other on as Sid missed last year's game right after the trade. I'm guessing these two lovebird will probably just talk a little smack and jab each other in the faceoff circle and little rinky dink stuff like that. God knows Colby would get worked if he fought Sid, and there's no way in hell Sid lets him live it down. Ever.

We definitely miss how classy Colby was....HAHAHAHA

Until lata...

Pens and Steelers Talk

Instead of the usual links today, I'm going to discuss some things that have been going on recently with our beloved Pens and Steelers and let ya know how I feel about it (cause you all care so much)...

First let's talk about the Steelers...We know they're one of the AFC elite, even though they haven't played but a handful of good games this season. And why have they played so poorly (especially on offense)? Two words; Offensive Line. Our tackles may be the slowest in the NFL and NO ONE is blocking Ben's blindside. That poor bastard is only gonna last 7 or 8 years if we keep letting him get killed.

And as for Ben, you gotta learn to throw the ball buddy. You know your offensive line is crap, so you need to just take the quick slants (and not throw picks on them as you did against the Colts) and get rid of the ball. This is getting ridiculous big guy.

Bruce Arians - you (and the Pitt coaches for that matter) might be the most inconsistent coach I've ever seen. Some games, like against the Redskins, you look like a genius, everything goes well and Steeler Nation is happy. Then you go out and put up stinkers like you did last weekend that make us want to come out of hibernation and smack you around a little. You must be doing something right to be 6-3, but you also must be doing something wrong when we can't score at will on a team like the Colts.

And finally, missing Willie Parker has hurt more then people think. Sure, Melwelde Moore has been putting up good numbers, but it doesn't seem to me that he wears out defenses like Willie does. Maybe that's why they couldn't put the ball in from the 1 last game; the Colts D just wasn't as tired and beat as a team usually is at that point against us.

(Pic from espn.com)

Welcome back Willie

Now for the Pens...

I can't really complain much about the way things have been going, seeing as we're near the top of the Eastern Conference without playing anywhere near full stregnth. However, I would like to see us grab a winger for Sid to play with for a few years, although Miro Satan seems to be playing very well next to him.

I'd also like to see a couple of trades (possibly for that winger). I like Gill on the penalty kill, but he's so big and slow that he almost negates his PK ability with his horribleness (that's a word, right?) at even stregnth. I also think, and I know people are not oging to like this, but we need to trade Jordan Staal now. I realize how good of a player he is, I really do, but we can't afford to keep three excellent young centers. With the salary cap where it is, we'd need to overlook other areas and we can't do that and expect to win.

Plus, I've heard through the rumor mill that we may be lookng at Illya Kovalchuk, and that would be an excellent return for Staal. I guess only time will tell...

Alrighty, I'm off to try and get a San Diego Charger all drunk (I'll explain lata...)

Until lata...

Oh and PS, I wanna wish a belated happy 23rd birthday to my lil bro, Pizzy Pop up in Dayton Ohio...Happy birthday brotha...

Pens N' Ends...

First and foremost, I'd like to issue a kicking of my own ass for turning off the game last night when the Pens were down 5-2. Call of Duty (the hot new video game for those of you not video game savvy) was too much to resist, and the first 2 periods were just god awful...So sorry Pens, I'll be watching every second from here on out...

And how about that game? I was yelling all first period about how we need to trade Staal, he'll never be any good in Pittsburgh because of Malkin and Sid and yadda yadda yadda...I guess someone over at Crystal's (as seen on Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives) sent my message over to the Pens' locker room because Staal took over that game last night. His hat trick and overtime steal were obviously the difference, and I'm glad we have him (at least for last night, I still think we should trade him if we can get Illya Kovalchuk or someone of that ilk).

Sorry there jail bait...

And in some football news, it looks like Willie will give it a go against the Chargers, which is good news because last week the running game really put us in a hole. We REALLY need to draft a big left tackle or two because it's become painfully clear that Max Starks and the oft-injured Marvel Smith aren't the answer (and neither is Willie Colon in my opinion, I think he sucks just as bad, if not worse then those two).

It also appears that Big Ben got the message that if he didn't practice, he wouldn't play, because he was out there throwing the old pigskin around on a Wednesday, which to my knowledge he hasn't done all season. Something was obviously off with him last game, maybe that was it...

Ok I'm outta here, I'll get at yinz tomorrow with some national stuff, and whatever else I feel like tellin ya...

Until lata...

Ben, Among Others, Poops Their Pants

This isn't going to be a very long post, but I felt I should mention something about today's game while it was still fresh in my mind...

I never thought these words would come out of my lips (mainly because he's my starter in fantasy football) but the Steelers should have sat Big Ben against the Colts. You could see he wasn't entirely on top of his throws, and his crucial interceptions made me want to go to Heinz Field and slap him. However, he isn't the only one to get some blame for this one...

Maybe he just had one helluva hangover?

Bruce Arians - you knew your QB was half a cripple today, and yet as the first half was winding down, you call a passing play on 3rd and 3 from inside your own 20. Why he didn't just run the clock out and take a 10 point lead into halftime is absolutely beyond me. The pick that Ben threw is what turned the entire game around. Before that happened, Peyton Manning looked like a JV high school kid playing against Mike Ditka - which is to say not very good. Once he had the short field to work with, he put 7 on the board and when they recieved the kickoff to start the second half, he went right down the field again the Colts scored 3.

A 10 point lead turns into a tie. WOW. So basically, thanks for screwing the pooch tonite Arians...

And the last person I will single out for blame is Ike Taylor. I know it's kinda tacky to go after him for those two deflections that ended up being caught by Reggie Wayne, but that's exactly what I'm going to do. Ike's proven time and time again that he can't catch the ball, so my question is, why even try? He was trying to make plays on both passes, but with the positioning he had there was no other option but to bat the ball DOWN, not pop it up in the air for someone to grab. He's gotta be happy just making a play, not worrying about trying to be a Charles Woodson or Champ Bailey - sorry bro, but you aren't ever gonna be that good.

(Pic from postgazette.com)

Bat it down moron

Until lata...

Why Hello There

Hello boys and girls, it's been a long, long while, I know, but Snack is back and I'm hoping to post a few times a week from here on out. Sorry for the leave of absence, I've been trying to find a job and we all know how that goes (FYI I'm still looking so if any of you guys have a job offer email me)...

So without further ado, here's a couple things that have been going on recently that I feel should be addressed...

First off, how about them Pitt Panthers? They killed Louisville today, moving to 7-2 and locking up a bowl bid for the Stache'. Just imagine if those clowns would have beat those pesky powerhouses Rutgers and Bowling Green - we could be complaining about how Pitt should be playing for a national title. And to think, we're doing all this with a QB who throws worse then me. Not too bad boys, not too bad...

(Pic from fansonly.com)

Speaking of not too bad, the Steelers are doing suprisingly well considering Ben's been getting killed and Willie Parker and Rashard Mendehall have been pretty much useless all season. That defense though, is tough as nails. Even with starters such as Big Snack Hampton and Bryant McFadden out, the Steel Curtain has been the most dominant defense in the league.

Tomorrow's game against Indy isn't nearly as intimidating as it was at the beginning of the season, and my guess is, if we win 4 of our remaining 8 games, we should make the playoffs. But that's still a long ways off, so for now I'd say just sit back and watch the coolest mofo in Steelers history (Coach Tomlin) unleash the hounds (or Silverbacks in James Harrison's case) on Peyton Manning...with an injured Indy O-Lline it should be like shooting very slow fish in a barrel..

(Pic from bleacherreport.com)

Is Silverback the next Gregg Lloyd?

The Pens are off to a quick start, but it seems like they're missing Sarge Gonchar and Ryan Whitney more then we all thought. PNA used to be a big fan of the USS Gill, however it's becoming more and more apparent that Big Snack can skate faster then him, and judging by the way he got his teeth kicked in during his only fight this year, I'm willing to bet I can throw a meaner right hook too...

(Pic from foxchapelhockey.com)

I think this bird could beat up Hal Gill

And of course, losing Hossa hurts, but he obviously feels playing with those tools in Detroit was better for him, so I say screw him, I hope we see him in the Finals again this year, and maybe my boy Goddard can bring a little "small town justice" to Hossa's face (I know it won't happen but a guy can dream eh?).

And finally, I guess I should mention our minor league baseball team, the Pittsburgh Pirates. My God, could they suck any more? Once they traded away Nady and Bay, which let's face it, they had to do, they couldn't score (sound familiar guys?...hahaha). And then Pedro Alvarez/Scott Boras held us hostage for about $500 k or some other crappy little amount because Boras has daddy issues or something (I'm sorry but I personally think he's just about the worst human being on Earth - he makes GM's lives miserable over the huge amounts of cash he asks for mediocre players like Barry Zito).

It's gonna be a long time until we're competitive again, but hey, at least these jagoffs in the front office realize Joe Randa and Derek Bell aren't the keys to us winning, which is more then can be said for previous management.

So there ya go, that's Snack's take on all things Pittsburgh sports right now. Look for another update after the game, prolly on Monday...

Until lata...

And PS - Snacks would like to thank his old man for telling him to start writing again...good look old timer, and make sure you guys check out his blog, The Green Weenie.

Monday Mahem

Hey there boys and girls, hope you all had a good weekend. Your boy Snack is here to give ya some quick links and to let yinz know Diego and I will be out of the office starting on Thursday and won't be returning till early next week, so we're going to try and give ya somethin every day until we leave...

So without further ado...

The "orignal" Big Snack, Casey Hampton, was placed on the PUP list because of his largess (fatness for you yinzers). My humble opinion is, since he's a noseguard, who the hell cares if he can't run 8 100 yard sprints? His job is to be a disgusting fatbody in the middle of line, and seeing as he's a multiple time Pro-Bowler, I'd say he's done a pretty good job. Suck it up Tomlin, and let the big guy play.

Someone give this man a beer...

Here's a nice preview of the Steelers' offense heading into camp. I figure of the O-line acts like they have a pair, everything will be fine. Ben's proven himself, and Fast Willie and Rashard Mendenhall will be a dynamite 1-2 punch; not to mention we have what could possibly be the best recieving core in the NFL with Santoio Holmes, Hines Ward and the newly signed Limas Sweed. Throw in Jeff "I'm drunker then you" Reed as our kicker, and we should be scoring a lot.

Diego and I are planning on a Tuesday endeavor to Latrobe, so we might just have an in person recap for yinz on Wednesday...

And finally, in Bucco news - we suck. There, I said it. Obviously you all know by now about the trade we made with the Yankees. It could work out OK, but it's really a shame to break up that outfield as it was absolutely crushing the ball, but as we can all see, out pitchers are absolutely attrocious. If your name isn't Paul Maholm, John Grabow, Tyler Yates or maybe, and I do mean maybe, Zach Duke, then you should be sent to the minors immediately for the rest of the season. Let's shut it down boys. Wait a sec, maybe that can be their motto for the rest of the season. I like it!

Operation Shutdown : Part Deux

Until lata...

Hi Everybody

OK boys and girls, here's some quickies for ya...(there really isn't anything but baseball goin on right now, so seeing as we're Pirate fans, we obviously don't have much to talk about...)

Here's the most recent rumors involving the Pirates. It names the usual suspects; Bay, Nady, Marte, Wilson and Grabow, but it also makes mention that alot of GM's are mad because we're not giving up our players for next to nothing like we have in the past.

And on that note, here's Frank Coonelly discussing his opinion on the subject. Personally, I think it's nice that for once we actually have good players who want to stay in Pittsburgh. If we don't get what we want for them, screw it, we'll keep them. Although that does make getting starting pitching that much more difficult...

Will he stay or will he go?

And speaking of pitching, thank you Paul Maholm for being the only real starting pitcher on this team - if it weren't for you, we certainly would have been on the other end of last night's 8-2 victory over the Astros. Hey now, watch out, we're only 8 games below .500, who said the Bucs were dead? (Oh that's right, everybody)

Now something we can all agree on - THANK GOD Steelers training camp is almost here. Check this out before headin to camp so you don't look like a fool in the middle of Latrobe.

Go Steelers

The Pens resigned Jeff Taffe to a one year deal, and also inked forward Jonathan Filewich and Paul Bissonnette to deals. They may not be big names, but Taffe will be a nice role player and those other two bums are nice back up plans to have in the minors - but certainly don't look for any of them besides Taffe to be with our beloved Pens come the season opener...

And finally, since I know you all care so much, I'd like to thank lovely Crystal's on the Strip for hostin my lil birthday bash Friday night - it was great times, better people, and the best cheery bombs around. So make sure you go down there and tell them Snack sent ya; it prolly won't get ya anything but who knows, maybe I'll get a free shot out of it.

Until lata, when we'll have a pre-training camp post that will knock your socks off...

Some stuff for ya

Hey guys, sorry bout the lack of posts - I know we've been struggling in recent months, but there's actually a legitimate excuse this time; not only have I been busting my hump for some job interviews, but we also had an illness in the fmaily (my grandfather) which was weighing pretty heavily on the old Snack. Luckily, Pap is ok and is chillin at home, so now I can get back to writing and boozing as usual.

I'm gonna start off slow, but here's a couple links to keep ya busy until I put up a Big Snizzle Happy 26th Birthday (it's this Sunday, whoo hooo) post tonight or tomorrow (we're headin out Friday/Saturday night to celebrate if anyone feels like taggin along, you know how to get a hold of me)

Here's a blog devoted to failures (like ur boy here...hahaha) and pictures of failures. Trust me when I say this, that this is probably the funniest link Diego ever sent my way.

I think half of them are in the minors, and all of them are failures...well, most of them anyway.

We also want you to check out our newest advertisers, Avete Osservato, a local t-shirt company who specializes in Pittsburgh gear. And don't worry ladies and gents - the will be PNA t-shirts made by them too. So if anyone is the creative type and has any ideas of what would be good on a shirt feel free to hollar at us or them, and make sure you chek out all their gear; there's stuff for every Pittsburgh occasion and even includes some stuff for the ladies. We'll have their ad up as soon as my largess figures out to get it posted.

Here's a little homage to the grand old dame of Pittsburgh Sports, the Civic/Mellon Arena. God am I gonna miss that ugly POS. But the new arena is gonna be gangsta, so who am I to complain...

I say we open her up one last time...Who's with me?

And finally, here's a couple quick hits from Diego, apparently he's bustin' his hump at work today so excuse me if the pics suck, it'll be Snack himself finding them...

Both Xavier Nady and other Pirates players don’t want the X-Man to be traded. Guess he enjoys not having the pressure of being on a winning team(or he just likes to lose).

Shout out goes to Green Bay Packer coach and Greenfield native Mike McCarthy for donating 100 grand to his old neighborhood of Greenfield. Being from GF, it's nice to see someone who came from here and got famous giving back to the community.

It takes a real Greenfielder to shut up Brett Favre...

A roundtable discussion on whether or not Jack Wilson should be traded this year. Didn’t we have this conversation last year?

I’ll bet it was a woman who pitched the idea to turn the Igloo into a shopping mall...

Sidney Crosby is Canada's #2 favorite sports star, and surprisingly enough Gretzky isn't #1.

Who does #2 work for? Oh that's right, the Pens.

The Pens signed some people this week.

Until lata...

Diego's Burgh Randomness

I was at the Pirates game last night against the Yankees and I will admit it was fun to watch a baseball game that actually felt like it meant something (even though it didn’t).

Highlights included hearing the “over-rated” chant every time Derek Jeter took bat (yes we are haters here in Pgh), hearing the “home-wrecker” chant when A Rod was up (also seeing people dressed as Madonna in blonde wigs), and seeing all the Yankees jerseys, hats, and shirts. I also noticed a lot of Red Sox jerseys throughout the crowd (3rd largest crowd in PNC Park history) I am assuming people did this to mess with the Yank’s fans? Who knows?

We were in his head

Manny Sanguillen is arguably the greatest all-time catcher in Buc’s history, and he also makes some pretty mean BBQ at PNC Park. I have been to many Pirates games, but last night was the first time I hit up Manny’s BBQ. I was impressed; it was a pretty good burger. Also, Manny was even posted up right there in line signing autographs and kissing babys (all while looking drunk as ever)

On to today's links...

Well two days ago nobody in New York knew who in the hell Nate McLouth even was. Thanks to his game winning two run jack against the Yankees last night McLovin is almost certain to be booed at the All Star game at Yankee Stadium next week.

See yinz in NYC

Aided by 8 innings of well-pitched baseball by starter Paul Maholm the Pirates managed to snap the Yankee’s 4 game win streak last night and also win the three game series against the Evil Empire.

The Bucs "newest" ace...

Tampa Bay Ray rookie Evan Longoria and Brewers sophomore outfielder Corey Hart are the last two players in the All Star game, as voted on by the fans.

Mild mannered, low-key billionaire Stanley Druckenmiller has been all over the news recently because of his reported interest in purchasing part of the Steelers.

All I keep hearing is good things about this guy. (Painting his face at the Steelers games, saving the US Open at Oakmont, etc) This led me to a comparison of another billionaire industrialist none other then Bruce Wayne! Someone find out what Stanley is doing at night.

Is Batman trying to buy the Steelers?

Last night in Arkansas soon-to-be former Jaguars wider receiver Matt Jones was arrested at 1:00 Thursday for felony drug possession when officers “observed him cutting up cocaine with a credit card inside of his Toyota 4 Runner”. Toyota 4 Runner you say, Matt Jones? BALLIN!

Mr Jones, we’ve got the Cincinnati Bengals on line one… and the Dallas Cowboys on line two.

Until lata...

Snack's Tuesday Thunder

First off, kudos go to Diego for his post on the All Star game yesterday, however I think he needed to take it a step further - instead of complaining about Ichiro and Fukudome, what needs to be done is to enact a US vs the World format as they've had in other sports.

In hockey, it's North America vs. the World, which wouldn't work in MLB but the principle would. And golf always has the US vs. England. I just think that since it is OUR national pasttime, it would be good for the game to bring a little nationalistic pride into it.

Sorry for the rant, but it had to be said...can you imagine, the US (and Jason Bay's Canadian ass I guess) versus all the players from the Dominican Republic and Venezuela and Cuba and Japan? It'd be a game I'd watch, I know that much...

USA! USA! USA!

And speaking of ARod, our boys at ETrueSports made a lil list about him that yinz may find funny...I know I sure as hell did...

Also in the news, our buddies the Rooneys are in bit of a pickle with the NFL and with each other; apparently, the NFL doesn't like that the Rooneys also own gambling establishments and wants them to reorganize the team so no one affiliated with the wagering is an owner. The only problem is some of the Rooney brothers think ole Danny Boy was lowballing them on his offer, so now they're discussing SELLING THE STEELERS!

They sure as hell woon't leave the Burgh, but it just wouldn't be the same without a Rooney in charge...stay tuned for more as this one develops...

Now onto the Pens...

We signed a Finn by the name of Janne Pesonen, who apparently is the man over in the Finnish league...It's a nice signing, but I'm not too impressed because I've seen many people come from different leagues with numbers similar to his who have done absolutely nothing in the league. So until he proves it, he's just a jagoff foreigner trying to take an American job...

Also check out where the Recchin Ball signed...

I know, I can't forget our Buccos and the ever present revolving door that every one of them is worried about going through around this time of year, so here goes...Rumor has it that Jumpin' Jack may be on the block, but that may not be the case; apparently everyone saw how badly Bixler sucks and all of a sudden Jack's $7 million plus contract doesn't seem so bad...

There's also rumors he's goig to LA, so who the hell knows. All I know is, if you want info on the Buccos and their history, check out the Green Weenie...He reports on all things Bucco, including minor league reports and trade rumors. It's a great site, and one of the few I check all the time - trust me, with the trade deadline less then a month away, this is the place to go for all your trade needs.

Here's a lil something from Diego discussing what went wrong with the Pirates' great young pitching. My first guess would be a lot...

And finally, Snack himself will be heading to Finnegan's Wake before the Buccos game to give it another go for the ESPN Top Fan Contest. Remember to email those guys at ESPN and tell em' you read about them on Pierogi's N'At and that Contestant 9 (Big Snack) is the shiz daddy snap and he should be on the radio (maybe not in those words but you get the drift..)

So until lata...

Diego's Screw the All-Star Game Report

Let me start off by saying this - I hate all-star game; not just the MLB one, but all the rest of them as well. Since the MLB all-star game is about a week away I will focus my hatred towards that one.

The main thing about the MLB all-star game that grinds me gears is the fact that the fans have the right to vote the starters to both teams. Lord knows Americans love to vote (EX American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, etc), but fans' stupidity, loyalty, or whatever you wanna call it leads to some pretty sketchy starters each year.

Surprisingly enough, for the most part, the fans actually got the infield right this year (yes I was shocked, and yes, Jeter starting for the AL is a bit iffy I will admit), but the outfield was a different story.

I thought this was America people? You really voted both Ichiro and Fukudome in as starters? Are you serious? To make this announcement so close to the 4th makes it hurt even worse!

The fact that Fukudome got in with such crappy stats (a whopping 7 HRs and 35 RBIs) amazes me. The Buccos Jason Bay has 10 more jacks and 10 more rbi’s, and also more runs scored then the Cubs outfielder. If I were Matt Holiday, Adam Dunn, or Ryan Ludwick I would be pissed about not getting the start. If I were Jason Bay, Xavier Nady, Aaron Rowand, Pat Burrel, or Carlos Lee I would be even more pissed about getting snubbed when scrubs like Fukudome are starting in the game.

Am I finished complaining yet? Not even close…

Of course I am not surprised that teams like the Red Sox, Yankees, and Cubs make up a majority of the starters in the game. I understand these are popular teams with the fans, so they will vote them in. However, it is inexcusable to not include Jermaine Dye and Carl Crawford on the AL team this season. Both these guys are having awesome first halfs, not to mention both players teams are in first place (Rays ahead of both the Red Sox and the Yanks in the AL East). This type of misrepresentation and bias against certain teams when it comes to “all-star” voting is BS.

Final Vote? You gotta be kiddin’ me

Lastly what the F is Brandon Webb doing starting this game for the NL? Sure he may have started out as the best pitcher in baseball, but now he’s not even the best pitcher on his team (Dan Haren), let alone in the national league.

The true ace of the National League is none other then “The Freak” lil Timmy Lincecum, and I will tell you why:

1. The dude is 5’7” 170 lbs and looks like he is about 15 years old, but his stuff is nasty; he has fastball in the upper 90’s and his 12-6 curve will freeze a batter in his tracks.

2. He plays for the San Francisco Giants (they suck), but yet he is 10-1 this year.

3. He leads the majors with 122 K’s in 115 innings pitched with only 44 walks and 100 hits given up.

(Note from Snack - Diego's just pissed cause he has "lil" Timmy, and I have Webb on my team in fantasy baseball...all I hear is an oversized Italian WAAAAAAAA!!!!)

If you want to know more about Tim Lincecum then get familiar with him by reading Tom Verducci’s article which was the feature story from Sports Illustrated last week.

Little guy with a big fastball

In closing, it would be one thing if this game meant nothing (as it did for many, many years), but now the winner gets home field advantage in the World Series; that’s a pretty big deal. Wouldn’t it make sense that you would want to have the best players representing your league? It does to me. On the other hand, who really gives a crap about the all-star game anyway?

Monday Links

The Buccos are bringin' Phil Dumatrait off the DL to fill the slot left open from Gorzelanny’s demotion to AAA earlier this week. Ian Snell is also expected to come off the DL this week.

A Rod is due to take a hefty shot in the pocketbook after his wife of 5 years filed for divorce today, lucky for him Madonna can probably pay for her own dates. (this guys life is like a soup opera, gotta love the NY media)

In Pens news, the team signed Matt Cooke as a replacement for Rutuu over this weekend. Apparently this guy is similar to Rutuu, but likes to hit more.

Shero sure does now how to pick up those role players doesn’t he? Here is a rundown of his off-season moves thus far. Gotta love talking about the Pens in July.

Lastly I was surprised to find out that Plaxico Burress has come out with a book titled Giant:A Road to the Super Bowl. The DVE morning show interviewed Plax this morning and I was shocked to learn A) that Plax could read, let alone write B) That he was good friends with Cowher and old Coach Chin was one of the first to call him to congratulate him after Giants won the NFC title C) that he couldn’t believe how many white homeless people lived in Pittsburgh!

And finally, this pic basically sums up the Littlefield Era in Pirate baseball...Thanks to reader Joe for sending it it...

Until lata...

Free Agency

Well boys and girls, today starts NHL free agency, and the Pens have already signed someone - no, not Marian Hossa or Brooks Orpik, but the one, the only, Pascal Dupuis (or as I like to pronounce it, DUPUUUEEEEE).

He almost looks like a young Mark Recchi...

The story also says we're close to a deal for Malkin that will be based on the same contract figures as Crosby's, which is $8.7 million per year for five years.

Stick with PNA as I wiill be providing updates on our signings and other major deals as the day goes on...

UPDATE - Mark Eaton has also resigned, and in the deal for Geno is in fact true. Here's a curevball I bet you didn't see though; rumor has it we have a deal on the table for Jaromir Jagr.

I'll keep you posted...

And dont forget, tonite I'll be at the River City Pour House for my next crack at being an on air personality on ESPN. Come on out or email them and tell em' how great I am!

Monday Links

It was a sad weekend in Pittsburgh for sports fans as the Penguins traded the rights of Gary Roberts and Ryan Malone to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Kiss goodbye the days of the ‘Roberts-isms’ and Bugsy Malone blocking the puck with his face.

A $31 million dollar contract should help me reconstruct this crooked nose...

In preparation of tomorrow’s NHL free agency, here is the 2008 NHL free agent shopping list.

The Steelers also released 4 players this weekend. Included in the list of cuts was back up running back Najeh “Dookie” Davenport.

The 50 Best Players in the NFL today.

With injuries-a-plenty to the Pirates pitching staff, the team was forced to make a great deal of moves throughout this weekend in order to restock the diminished rotation and bullpen.

Screw you Buccos fans...

Discussions between the Pirates and first round pick Pedro Alvarez have remained behind closed doors.

Want your kid to be a millionaire? Teach him to throw the knuckle ball.

If you saw the Angels- Dodgers game on Saturday night then you witnessed the crazy nonsense that is baseball. The Angels did not allow a hit, but yet lost to the Dodgers 1-0. However, this game was not considered a no hitter because the Angels only pitched 8 innings, since they lost.

I don’t usually have any NBA news, but here’s an interesting story about whether Jay-Z will be able to lure Lebron James to the Nets.

The Cavs should be worried...

Until lata...

Buccos Suck, other stuff

Ok, so we were planning a large scale review of being at the Pirates - Yankees game last night, but since they sucked and decided to lose 10 to 0, we decided to skip the recap and talk about more important things...mainly, Big Snack.

Why are we so bad?

ESPN is currently running a contest called the Top Fan contest, where you get 2 minutes to discuss one of the given topics into a microphone, with the winner getting a job at ESPN Radio.

Well, since your boy Snack is currently unemployed, he decided to give it a shot, and apparently did soomewhat OK. On the link above, make sure you check out "contestant 9", as it is none other then I. I sound like a bit of a tool but I think I did a good job, and they must feel the same way.

I'll be heading back out to the Rivertowne Pour House in Monroeville on Tuesday for the next contest, so come on out and support your boy - and in the meantime, feel free to email ESPN and tell them you want to hear more of contestant number 9, or as I'm so elegeantly referred to "Rocco Teraci" (some aretard couldn't see the bottom of the I I guess).

With you guys helping out, I know they'll have to hire me - especially when I get our great Pittsburgh blogosphere all whipped up in a frenzy at the chance of getting one of their own on the air. It could be a new beginning for PNA and Snack and Diego, so let's get after it guys, and thanks for helping Snizzle get his ass a job.

We'll have some actual links or a top 10 up later today or tomorrow, but for now, I'm off to spread the word and see what kinda deal we can get goin...

Until lata...

Our Bad

Ok guys, we know it's been a week since we last posted, and yes we do in fact suck. It's been a crazy week with job interviews and mini vacations(for Snack...well kinda) and lifting weights and arm wrestling people (Diego). Anyway, starting tomorrow we will be back to our old selves...

We just wanted to let yinz all know that we'll have a new top 10 coming soon, and tomorrow, we'll have an in person recap of the Buccos vs. Yankees game tonight. That's right, Snack, Diego and their entire posse are grabbing a barrell of brew, a grill and our bats and are heading down to PNC to watch us beat those damn leafers from NYC.

Go home jagoffs, we don't like your kind round these parts...

Jeter makes as much as our whole team and even he couldn't save them

GO BUCS!!!

Until lata...

Wednesday Links

I hate how ESPN does their stupid time killing segments during the “off” season (summertime). They are pointless. Why should anyone give a crap about them just because ESPN repeatedly pounds it into your brain? EX. that stupid ass tournament they with all the different athletes from different sports. (I can’t remember what it was called cuz I turned it off every time)

ESPN is at it again this summer, but this time its dubbed “Titletown”. Anyways if you give a crap about it, here’s the link to the Pittsburgh nomination for “Titletown”.

(PS - at least ESPN got something right, they fired Sean Salisbury)

Hossa negotiations should be heating up real soon according to the Trib. Hossa is the top free agent in the NHL so hopefully we can get him signed before the Rangers, Senators, or Bruins can try to dig their claws into him.

Here's some of the good and bad that comes with signing Marian Hossa. (Does this guy have a nickname? If not, he needs one if we resign him) Also, some other news from around the NHL.

There’s a 3 day sports festival called The Parade of Champions this weekend at the History Center in the Strip District. They are even filming part of Sportscenter from there on Saturday.

You’re a little late on this list; we coulda used it a few weeks (or even months) ago buddy, but here's 10 songs that get hockey fans going.

Here some of the best paid benchwarmers in sports.

Apparently, throwing like a girl is really paying off...

And finally, the best pizza in the US - what can we say we love pizza.

Until later...

Top 10 Best/Worst Sports Celebrations

The best part of sports is winning and being able to rub it right in your opponents' face; it doesn't matter what your playing, or playing for. The best way to do so is to celebrate. Celebrations come in many different forms, but they are universal. The greatest celebrations come from professional sports, hands down. With that mind Pierogi's N'at brings you the Top 10 Worst/Best Sports Celebrations...

10. Tiger Woods 2008 US Open

We get it Tiger, you're good, you're real good, and you're not afraid to show it. The thing is, this is the most emotion I think I've ever seen Tiger show. He is definitely excited out there; and that knee looks to be holding up pretty well during the Hulk Hogan flexes. Nice job on the WWE style celebration. This celebration actually gave me the idea for this so I had to include it on the list.

9. Detroit Red Wings- The Twirling Octopus I'm from Pittsburgh yes, but my opinion towards this celebration was solidified long before the Penguins lost the Cup this year to the Wings. I just think it takes way too much time and effort to sneak an octopus into the arena, just to get booted for tossing it. And the octopus creeps me out. (I'd rather just twirl a yellow towel personally) But I will admit it takes some hard work and dedication to get this one done, so I have to give 'em some credit.

8. Sammy Sosa and his handshake Sammy Sosa, you got caught cheating by using a loaded bat and chances are you were on the juice. If people don't remember you for that then chances are they will remember you for hitting 600 homers. I will always recall Sammy's trademark ghetto ass Dominican handshake, pound, hand kiss, whatever the hell it was. Thanks for inspiring jagoffs to do things like this Sosa, thanks to them we'll never forget you.

7. Joey Porter "The Boot" I loved Joey and I loved when he would get a sack because everytime he got one you knew the boot was coming. That was the thing you knew it was coming every time. It's not just Porter who's guilty; there's plenty of other NFL players who do it as well, but the least JPizzy coulda done was be a little more original and mix it up and try something fresh and new.

Das Boot!!!

6. Dale Sr. Wins the Daytona 500

Snack thinks this is a very heartwarming moment in the sport of the hill people, when Dale Sr. wins his first Daytona 500 after about 59 million tries, however the celebration was a little bit too Days of Thunder for his liking. Once the race was over, every pit crew member came down to pit road and congratulated Earnhardt by slapping 5 or slappin' his car - all this after he does some good ole fashioned shredding in the infield of Daytona. I think I'm going to go drink a Bud and flip the bird at someone in his honor right now....(PS - look at the impressive rat tail on his boy at the very beginning of the video. I thought it was 1998 not 1988, good lord he's creepy lookin')

5. The Bash Brothers- Mark McGwire and Jose Cancesco Back in the day, these guys were known for crushing homeruns, and now-a-days we realize why. (They sacraficed shruken balls for long balls) Everyone who watched baseball in the late 80's remember's the 'Bash Brothers' and their manly celebration of bumping forearms after taking one yard. They probably thought up this celebration while shooting each others butt cheeks full of roids in the locker room before the game.

4. "Prime Time" Deion Sanders Love him or hate him, Deion Sanders could always play ball. Lucky (or unlucky depending on how you look at it) for us, the viewer, Deion's playmaking ability allowed us to see plenty of his dance moves and hot-dogging. Granted, Prime Time did indeed play football, but he never hit anyone; at least you could look forward to his high stepping and famous end zone dances to make up for it.

Port Authority Police? What he do, drive in a bus lane?

3. Dikembe Mutumbo "Finger Wave" Mutumbo was always one hell of a shot blocker over the years. However, he has indeed played many, many years in the NBA. He always liked to celebrate by waving his finger in an opponents' face after a block, and apparently it really pissed some people off. The reason I say this is because after being posterized by such players as Jordan, Shaq, and even Kenyon Martin, Mutumbo was taunted as they all waived fingers in his face humiliating him with his own celebration... ouch.

Top 10 Dunks on Mutumbo, impressive

2. Those Wacky NFL Wide Receivers Why is that everytime you see some goofy, off the wall touchdown celebration using some type of prop or other clever gimick, it is always a wide receiver? I'll tell you why, it's because these group of guys are the biggest attention whores in pro sports. They are jealous because the quarterbacks and the running backs are always talked about, so they have to put on a production to steal the limelight away from them. Behold, the endzone dance.

Guilty Parties: Chad Johnson, Terrell Owens, Steve Smith, Joe Horn, and others.

The AFL WRs need to practice their celebrating

1. Robbie Fowler and Diego Maradona, Soccer Players- Goal Celebration Ridiculous stuff like this would never fly over here in the old USA. Judging by these videos, Fowler and Maradona put more speed up their nose then they have speed on the pitch. These guys prove the stereotype that soccer players like to party hard and bang super models; well at least the partying hard part. You've got to see these two videos to believe them, so check them out below. Both take place after game winning goals off penalty shots - those soccer players sure know how to celebrate a W.

Sniffing Victory

Check out the dude in the powder blue shirt

Until lata...

Pens Trade Rumors and Snack's Analysis

Ok, so I decided to throw my two cents into the debate about who to keep, Bugsy Malone or Marian Hossa...If there's really any question in your mind about this one, then someone needs to go ahead and slap you on Big Snack's behalf.

Word is Ray Shero offered Hossa a 7 year, $50 million contract, and he's waiting on his response to see where else to go this offseason. It will really put his word to the test, as this will be only a very meager raise over his previous contract and he said he'd be willing to take less money to stay here and play with Sid. The true character of Hossa will come out here - do you make a grab at the cash or are you more concerned with winning a championship?

Will he stay or will he go?

As for Malone, it's quite evident if we sign Hossa, he's gone. He's going to command $5 million or more on the open market, and teams are already calling the Pens about trading draft picks just to NEGOTIATE with Malone before free agency begins. So even if we don't sign Hossa, we may well find out someone is willing to overpay Bugsy by about $3 million and decide he's not worth that much to us. So unfortunately, I think we're saying goodbye to Bugsy...

Bye bye Bugsy...

Brooks is an interesting case - he could go either way as far as staying or going. He's going to command about $4 million on the open market, but he has also expressed a willingness to stay for a lesser price in order to win. The problem is, do we really want to invest $3.5 million for 5 years to him? He's a solid defensive defenseman and he hits like a freight train, but we also have another ship in the water in the USS Hal Gill. So the question becomes, is he worth it to us? I say let him go and use his cash to try and keep Bugsy or to extend one of our budding superstars. We got a hitman, we don't need two at that price.

We took Flower to arbitation, and Staal seems to be on the backburner till all this plays out, so that leaves us with one big guy left to go - Geno Malkin. What to do with Geno? He's under the impression he will sign a 5 or 6 year deal with the Pens sometime around July 1, when he's allowed to start discussing an extension with the team, but some outlets have him being on the trading block.

I like Geno, a lot, but he needs to show me he can stay fresh for an entire season and that he's mentally tough enough to finish where he started. He did a fantastic job while Sid was out, carrying the Pens on his shoulders, but it seems like when he plays with Sid he falls into second fiddle mode, which for a guy like Malkin is just about the worst thing you can do. He has to prove he can be 1B to Sidney's 1A, not #2 to Sidney's #1. And he has to stay cheap enough that we can afford him along with Hossa and Sid and the rest. If he can do that, then we'd be fools to get rid of him, but if his head isn't right around Sid, then maybe we do trade him somewhere (LA apparently is willing to part with a king's ransom for him). It's definitely a tricky, tricky situation.

Hey, call me Geno...

So the ball's in you court, Shero. Don't crap your pants big boy, this is your first real test - don't pull a Tampa Bay and overpay 3 guys at the expense of the rest of the team. Make it work jagoff!

Until lata..