Weekend Wind-Down

Here's another new entry from our newest contributor, Fat Daddio...he'll be posting about once a week or so, and I'll be posting something on Wednesday...

Enjoy!

-- Pitt's big three of DeJuan Blair, Sam Young, and Levance Fields held up their end of the bargain at the dance. But every game was a struggle, in large part because Tyrell Biggs, Juan Dixon, and Brad Wannamaker didn't show up. If we have one bit of advice for Jamie Dixon next season, it would be to trust Ashton Gibbs a little more and Wannamaker a lot less.

And give Agnus Berenato lots of love. Her team is risen with a bullet, and unlike Dixon, she took over a program with no tradition and fewer players. Her girls may be in over their heads in the NCAAs now, but she's put them on the map.

-- And some props should go to Duquesne's Ron Everhart and Suzie McConnell-Serio. They're single-handedly dragging basketball back to prominence on the Bluff. We can't wait to see the City Game regain the edge it had when the Mike Rice and Tim Grgurich teams got it on.

-- The Pens are amazin'. Sooner or later, all that penalty time is gonna catch up to them, but right now their guys are playing pond hockey as well as it can be played. Our only question is whether or not their legs can stand up to the pace, especially in the every-other-day Stanley Cup format. But what a difference Sergei Gonchar, Chris Kunitz, and Billy Guerin make on the ice. Ray Shero has reinvented the team.

-- Pitt is getting ready to step out in football this year, but they still have a lot of question marks. Can the linebacking come together? Will a running back step up? And most importantly, can Tito Sunseri wrest the QB job from Billy Stull? Wanny has some players now, but he still doesn't have the depth that a Top-Ten team needs.

-- The Pirates start on April 6th against the Cards. Does anybody care? Hey, they should be better this year, but they'll go as far as the rotation takes them. Paul Maholm looks like a hoss, but will Ian Snell rediscover his nasty stuff and can Phil Dumatrait rejoin the staff before it's too late? The answer best be yes if the Buccos want to avoid their historic 17th straight losing season.

The cavalry is on the way, with Pedro Alvarez, Andrew McCutchen, and Jose Tabata all looking ready to join the show in the next season or two. But the minor league pitching hopes hinge on Altoona starter Brad Lincoln and Lynchburg's Bryan Morris, and that's not exactly what you call depth.

But as long as you've got bobbleheads and the Zambelli Brothers...

A Tale of Two Coaches....

Thanks to my dad for writing this one...he's usually a Bucco blogger over at The Green Weenie, but I think this recent run of success inspired him to take on something a lil' different...Check it out, and make sure you check out his blog for all of your Pirate needs as he updates alot and sure knows his baseball...

Hey, Dan Bylsma has become the greatest thing in Pittsburgh since IC Lite. And why not? His team has rolled up the points, leaving the dark days of futility under Michel Therrien in the Zamboni’s rear view mirror. So what’s the Magic Dan done to turn the Pens back into Lord Stanley‘s darlings?

Well, two things. First, he set the dogs loose, something the defense-minded Therrien just couldn’t find in his heart to do. His D sets up at the blue line, his forecheckers go after the puck relentlessly, and his guys have the freedom to pinch and bolt up ice when the situation is ripe. Caution has been replaced by kamikazes.

And secondly, he put together his lines, and pretty much sticks to them. Consistency means something in sports, and knowing your linemates is a big thing in hockey circles. Everyone remembers Therrien’s mix-and-match lines, and none too fondly. Jus ask Sidney Crosby.

Sheer genius, right? Well, maybe. But before we’d compare Bylsma to Einstein, we’d take a good look at the team Therrien had and the team Bylsma now coaches. They were both called the Penguins, but the similarity ends there.

Why did Therrien hunker down with the dreaded and snooze-inducing trap? He didn’t start the season in round-the-wagons around Fleury mode, but as the defeats piled up, it became obvious that he didn’t have the horses for pond hockey; he’d have to win 3-2 games, not 5-4 matches, and tightened up accordingly.

Ditto with the lines. He didn’t have enough wings to cover one line, much less three, to mesh skills with world-class centers Sid the Kid, Gino, and Jordan Staal, who were desperately looking for some help.

Therrien knew that; so did Ray Shero. But Shero opted to hang Therrien out to dry, and it could well be that the gruff Frenchman had lost the locker room and management‘s confidence. But the club Shero gave him wasn’t strong; at best it was a bubble team, especially with Sarge and Whitney riding bikes instead of clearing pucks and the AHL winger-of-the-month roster philosophy.

In comes Bylsma, a safe bet for Shero. He’s a scapegoat if the team continued to sputter, a placeholder if he did just OK, and a cheap replacement if he kicked some butt. And the squad he got from Shero was a far cry from the minor-league try-out camp that Therrien was trying to piece together.

First, Sarge came back and Ryan Whitney left, addition by subtraction if there ever was an example. Neither is a physical presence, but Gonchar eats up minutes, head-mans the puck, and collects points like Whitney collects minus ratings. And hey, suddenly the power play finds the net, as an added bonus.

With Sergei back, he had the luxury of a six-man defense again, and a top pairing with Gonchar and Brooks Orpik. It also gave Kris Letang a chance to play. So no Bylsma brainstorming there; Sarge gave him a gimme.

As for the lines? We’d like to see what Bylsma would do without Chris Kunitz and Bill Guerin to plug in around the Kid. Pasquel Dupuis went from the first line to checking and penalty killing. Miroslav Satan went to Wilkes-Barre. Suddenly, there were three lines to roll out. Crosby looks rejuvenated; Staal looks like a number one pick, and Malkin looks like an MVP and Ross Trophy winner.

Hey, don’t misread us; we like what Bylsma is doing. The locker room is filled with positive energy again. Pittsburgh is the home of go-go hockey, and he’s got everyone buying in. He’s brought some consistency to the lineup.

But remember that Ray Shero took Ryan Malone and Colby Armstrong away from Therrien and didn’t replace them until Bylsma arrived. Two of the team’s top three defensemen were missing when Therrien was around; Bylsma got Gonchar and a seasoned Latang to man the backline.

Letang and Staal are the two biggest winners in Bylsma’s upbeat game planning; they were squelched by Therrien‘s tactics. The final piece fell in when The Flower entered one of his otherworldly zones once more, stopping every biscuit tossed at him.

It’s a tale of two teams, not two coaches. And the results show.

Until lata....

Holy Crap They Won Again...

Well boys and girls, today marked the end of the Pens' recent 5 game road trip. Going into it, I would have ventured that a 3-1-1 record or even 3-2 record would be nice, but as most of you already know, they went 5-0, finishing up with a 4-3 shootout winner against the Caps this afternoon.

The usual suspects have been playing pretty well on this trip, with Crosby and Malkin both playing their usual games and Marc Andre is on top of his game, but I think the real difference has been the players we acquired at the deadline.

Chris Kunitz has been a burst of energy on Crosby and Staal's wings. He hits hard, has proven to be a force battling for pucks, and has shown the soft hands needed to help push the loose garbage around the crease into the net. He also seems to be meshing really well with Crosby, which is big because its exactly what Hossa did last year and look where it took us...

Another trade dealine deal gained us Bill Guerin, the former captain of the Islanders. He's played in 2 games and has 4 points - nuff said. But what seems to be his greatest asset is his ability to keep the goalie occupied in front of the net. A perfect example was the goal Sarge Gonchar scored today - the goalie from the Caps didn't even know the puck was shot until it hit the net behind him. That's what good screening can do for a team.

And finally, new coach Dan Bylsma has taken the leash of the dogs as they say, letting the offensive skills of the Pens take over as opposed to Therrien's more defensive approach. The players have been revitalized and seem to enjoy playing again, as they did last year during their run to the Finals.

All in all, I wouldn't pop the champagne just yet, but this fat kid l ike where the Pens are heading...

Until lata...

Bye Bye Whitney...

Today, the Pens took step one towards adressing their need for a scoring winger to compliment Sidney Crosby by acquiring Chris Kunitz and Eric Tangradi in exchange for Ryan Whitney this afternoon.

Whitney hasn't played up to par since his return from off-season surgery, and he happens to play at a position we have a great deal of depth at, so letting him go wasn't all tha big of an issue in my mind. He was a good locker room personality and has tremendous upside as far as his scoring capabilities go, but there's nothing to say he's going to be the Sergei Gonchar we all thought he'd be.

As for our return, I think Kunitz is a very good, if underrated, player. He's not overly large, and has been known to wear down against physical defensemen, but he has a good scoring touch and isn't afraid to mix it up. He should fit in nicely with Sidney, and his experience on a Stanley Cup champion cannot be overlooked. He's also signed through 2011-12, so he should have enough time to get a good chemistry with his new linemates...

Eric Tangradi is a very interesting prospect, seeing as he's a huge kid (6'4, 240 lbs I believe) who is the second leading scorer in the OHL (behind Tavares, who is a momnster himself). His stock has done nothing but climb in the past few years, and he is looked at as a future power forward, which is exactly what the Pens need. Hopefully he's a Ryan Malone in waiting, which is what the Pens are banking on.

So basically, it was a good run Ryan Whitney. Good luck out west, and welcome to the team Kunitz and Tangradi, you better be good...

Until lata..

Don't Call it a Comeback...

Really, don't. The Pens lost their highly anticipated Stanley Cup rematch with the Detroit Red Wings 3-0 at the Igloo this afternoon. To the fans' credit, they booed everytime much-hated Marian Hossa touched the puck, but that didn't keep him from sticking the dagger in our back in the third peiod, scoring on a backhand from between the circles.

The Pens today looked like the Pens of earlier this season - they couldn't score, they were bullied on the puck, and once again they didn't put anyone effective in front of the net. I personally think a scoring winger to go alongside Crosby would help our cause, not just because of the added scoring said winger would bring, but because of the increse in effectiveness he'd bring to Crosby.

Geno Malkin is the ype of player who can create his own shots, and doesn't need anyone to feed him the puck, whereas Sid is the type of guy who is a playmaker, and who certainly scores better with a strong wingman on his side (see Marian Hossa). This is something that needs to be addressed, as does the rumor this fat kid heard about Miro Satan not being exactly beloved in locker room.

Word on the street is he's unhappy, which may be because he's an old man on a team of youngsters, or it could just be that he's having a crappy season and this isn't exactly what he envisioned when he came to Pittsburgh. Either way, he needs to stop being a bad influence and start scoring or we're gonna miss the playoffs.

With that being said, I'm off to watch some good Sunday night TV - at least I won't have to think about that pathetic performance during my Simpsons and King of the Hill...

Until lata...

Penguins Update

So today is apparently a busy (or boring depending on how you look at it) day for Snack, so I'm gonna fill you in on a little secret...

If the Pens end up making the playoffs, which is no guarentee because they're in a tie for ninth place in the East, it will be because last night's game saved the season.

(Picture from post-gazette.com)

We needed this one...

Last night looked alot like your typical Pens' game this season - we were losing 3-0 going into the third against one of the worst teams in the league, without much hope of pulling out a victory. Tampa Bay was all over us, and we couldn't even manage to score on a goalie who was making his first NHL start.

Then, it appeared something clicked in he third. Geno Malkin decided we would not lose another game, and he hoisted the Pens on his shoulders and started the bloodletting of the Lightning by scoring less then three minutes into the third, making it 3-1. His play in this period was amazing, as he was flying around, hitting anything that moves and registering some quality scoring chances.

Later in the third, Mark Eaton shot one on net that bounced off of a Lightning defender and into the twine making it 3-2. At this point, you pretty much felt something big was going to happen. The Pens controlled the play and were shooting the puck every time up the ice - in fact, they looked like the Pens from last year.

Finally, the Pens crashed the net and somehow managed the sneak the puck past the line to tie it 3-3 and send it to overtime. Sykora got credit for the goal, but Letang and Caputi were both crashing into the goalie, so I feel they all should get credit for it.

Overtime was high-flying and fast paced hockey, but of course you knew who was going to end it all....

After almost 5 exciting minutes of overtime hockey, Geno slammed the puck home 5-hole style winning this one for us and giving us a much needed two points. He was so excited he flung his stick down the ice and skated right to the boards, jumping into the glass. It was quite a celebration and one we haven't heard or seen in the Igloo since last year's playoff games.

Hopefully we can keep this roll going and surge into the playoffs, where we'll have Sarge Gonchar back leading out powerplay.

Until lata...

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...

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...

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.

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...

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...

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...

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..

Links and such...

Here’s some links from Diego and Big Snack, we realize we’ve been slacking on the top 10’s and we’re currently working on a new one, look out for it soon…

Well Penguins fans, we didn’t win the Cup but at least we are the NHL’s official Pennsyvania State Champions.

Take that Philly!

If you haven’t heard by now, Jerome Bettis is the proud owner of one of the top 10 best public restrooms in USA. I guess that makes it the classiest place I’ve ever pee’d at.

Ole #36 likes to go #2 in style

Steeler Nation said goodbye to Dwight White yesterday in Shady Side.

Santonio Holmes would like his role increased this season. I agree, why shouldn’t they give him a shot at returning punts seeing as how our punt/kick return game has been terrible since the departure of Randle El.

A nice story about the progress of the Pirates so far this season.

If you wanna check out the Buccos against the Yankees in two weeks now you've got a chance. Tickets were all sold out, but today the Pirates put on sale a few thousand $8 standing room only seats.

I guess the cool thing to do is to put the city of Pittsburgh on a list. Here’s a list of all of the lists our fair city has benn included on recently.

Home sweet home...

Until lata...

Do or Die...

As I’m sure everyone is well aware, it is do or die for the Penguins tonight. The puck drops at a little after 8, on NBC.

No doubt both clubs will be ready to go. The Penguins managed to weather the storm against the Red Wings on Monday, but they must be ready again tonight. The Wing’s will be giving it their best effort in order to secure the Stanley Cup.

One thing the Pens have learned over the last couple games is that no lead is safe, so scoring early and often is essential.

I can’t wait for the action to get started tonight and to hear the fans going wild to cheer on our Penguins…

Daily Pens Links

The instant-classic game from Monday night has helped to propel hockey to the forefront of the sports spotlight in the USA. This is definitely not an easy task. No wonder why everyone believes Gary Bettman and the NHL love the Pens so much.

Red Wings fans heard the hype about Crosby before the series began, but now they are witnessing it first hand.

Sid’s new nickname, the "Greasy Mexican"...

10 things you didn’t know about Sidney Crosby

Both Ryan Malone and Sergei Gonchar are expected to play for the Penguins tonight (Did you really think they’d miss it?) Also, the Flower gets even with the octopus twirler.

Safe to say that Max Talbot will become much more well known thanks to his heroic effort last game. One thing is for sure though; this guy will never have to pay for a drink again in the Burgh.

The Pens must once again utilize the “us-against-them” mentality in order to stretch this series even further.

Now after his team gave it all they had in game 5, and still came up short, it’s Mike Babcock’s turn to start whining about the refs. PS, In the series so far (from the box scores):

Pittsburgh - 32 Penalties

Detroit - 22 Penalties

Wah Babcock Wah!

Complaining won’t win you games A-hole...

While you sit around being lazy, the Mellon Arena crew is hard at work making sure the ice will be up to par tonight for the Igloo’s last game of the season.

If you want a ticket for tonight’s game chances are your going to have to either sell your left arm, or auction off your first born child on ebay. (While the scalpers are grinning as they rub their hands together greedily)

Or, maybe the scalpers aren’t so happy after all. Apparently even they are having trouble scoring tickets.

I guess that's whythey're selling fake tickets instead.

Here’s the pic of that punk kid who tossed the octopus onto the ice of the Igloo during the anthem of game 4. I guess Hot Topic is paying pretty well these days, if this jagoff can afford to buy tickets and get thrown out before the game starts. If anyone sees this dude, please kick his ass on principle.

Nice braclet, Jim Jones!

Until lata...

PS (From Snack) - I saw this on one of the links and felt it was worthy of being posted by itself...Enjoy!

So you're tellin' me there's a chance...

Whoo hooo!!! I don't have to stop any more shots tonite!

Sorry Red Wings, but you can tear down the plastic, put the champagne away, stop polishing that Cup, and put it back in it's case. You can also put that “We want the cup” chant on hold…

We want the Cup too, jagoffs!

In one of the greatest hockey games I’ve ever seen, the Penguins managed to hold off the Wings in an unfriendly environment and deny them the Stanley Cup. This game kept you on the edge of your seat for nearly 110 minutes of gameplay as these two teams battled late into the night.

The game was back and forth all night, but one stabilizing factor was the ridiculous play of goalie Marc Andre Fleury. The Flower was nothing short of amazing last night, but there were other heroes as well.

Tyler Kennedy, 21 years old, and Jordan Staal, 19, were both flying around the ice in the overtime periods like men possessed. These young guys seem to never run out of gas. TK made up for taking a penalty in the 3rd period that led to the game-tying goal, with his outstanding hustle in the overtime periods.

Ryan Malone taking a mean slap shot to the face, skating off under his own will power, and returning shortly after shows this guy has guts. And Bugsy would eventually be on the ice for the game-winning goal.

Nobody makes me bleed my own blood...NOBODY!!!

Mad Max Talbot definitely needs a mention here for the effort he put forward last night, to mention that game tying goal he managed to poke in. (did anyone else see him bouncing around on the bench with Malkin before the start of the third OT, what was he taking an IV of red bull between periods?)

Sergei Gonchar sat out nearly the entire overtime, only to come back for the biggest shift of the night. Sarge assisted on the game-winning goal scored by Sykora.

Lastly Petr Sykora who, along with Malkin, has been ripped for being held scoreless throughout the Final got the last laugh as he buried a wrister past Osgood to send the Penguins fan base into a frenzy late into the night.

Man of the evening...

With their backs pushed against the wall the Penguins managed to withstand the best effort of the Wings and to push back enough to prolong the game and eventually win it.

After an exhausting game the Pens head home with some momentum (and 18,000 fans) behind them. One has got to wonder how much energy this older Red Wing team has left and what they will do to adjust their game plan tomorrow. As Snack mentioned, this is just the type of game that could turn the series around.

Ladies and Gentlemen we are going back to Pittsburgh, and back to the Mellon Arena for the last home game of the season (why not sell out one more). I can only imagine what the scene will look like inside (and outside) the Igloo on Wednesday night.

Be sure to get your rest tonight, because Wednesday night is going to be bananas!

Some links for dat ass

120 Minute Men

Detroit gave it their all last night, firing 58 shots at the Flower, but it wasn’t enough to get the job done. So where does that leave the Red Wings now?

The Penguins defense is just full of quotes this season, here’s another gem from Rob Scuderi, talking about getting whacked in the face with the stick in OT, “I was praying for blood.”

NHL.com breaks down the numbers from that marathon game last night.

Is a $50 Penguins jersey too good to be true? You bet it is. If your buying your jersey off some guy’s folding table or out of a cardboard box in some shady alley downtown, then chances are it’s a bootleg.

It’s not too often a player “calls their shot”, but it happened last night thanks to Petr Sykora. That takes balls my friend…

Cancel that celebratory parade scheduled for today Detroit, and pack your bags, cuz you're goin' back to the Burgh!

Until lata...

WOW

I guess wow is really the only word that can describe last night's craziness in Detroit. For those of you who actually work and couldn't stay up for the end, Petr Sykora netted a goal halfway through the third ovetime to lead the Pens to a 4-3 victory in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Oh yea, I forgot the mention - Sykora told NBC on-ice reporter Pierre McGuire that HE would be the one to score the game winner, and I'll be damned if the SOB didn't pull it off. He also had the game winner a few years ago in a five overtime playoff game for the Ducks, so my man got some experience at this.

By the way, calling your goal in hockey is pretty much like calling your shot in baseball; something that doesn't happen often and is done correctly even less often. All I know is if we end up winning this thing, that will be known as "The Goal" for a long, long time in our fair city, and Petr Sykora will be a local legend on the level of the Bus and Mario and Franco - it was that big of a goal.

One thing that has to be noted is Max "my man" Talbot, coming through with the tying goal with 35 SECONDS LEFT!!! Wowsers that was huge. Everyone, and I mean everyone, thought the Wings were less then a minute away from raising the Cup, and sure enough, the Talbot's second swipe at a puck laying on the right side of the crease found a way into the back of the net. Needless to say, it was the biggest goal of his young career.

It was also a great game for coach Michel Therrien, who put Talbot (huh?) on the ice as the sixth attacker when we pulled Fluery. When asked about it, Therrien said he had a hunch about the Talbot and that's what he went on. Once again, WOW. Of all the people we could have added as a sixth man, I'd say Talbot is about 6th or 7th on that list. Good call, Mikey boy...

It was a gritty performance, with the only disappointment being Malkin's lack of a goal, but hey, we'll take a win any way we can.

The real hero last night (besides Talbot and Sykora) was Marc-Andre Fluery. He saved 55 of 58 shots and was playing on his head most of the night. This is truly the best game he's ever played, and I'm sure it's one that will build the youngster's confidance even more going into Game 6.

You're the man Sykora...

I'd also like to commend Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Malone for playing through some absolutely excrutiating pain. Malone took a Hal Gill Slapper to the face, "exploding" his nose and forcing him to leave the game whilst spewing blood; he was back in minutes. And Gonchar slid into the boards (ala Sid the Kid) and slammed his shoulder into them, causing him to leave the game in the third period (not overtime, period), and, as you can prolly guess, his next shift was in the third overtime on that fateful powerplay where we scored. He couldn't even raise his arms enough to shoot, but his passing and presence was enough to warrent his mention.

I just talked to Diego and he agrees - it was the best game either one of us had ever seen, and something we'll remember for a long, long time.

Until lata...

GO PENS!!!