Three River Sports

It's Bizarro World

2009-04-06T22:59:00.002-04:00

Thing of beauty isn't it? This typically happens for, at most, one day a season so I needed to make sure I documented it in some form.

What a way to start the season of, too. One of the more dramatic Bucco games in my recent memory, probably due in large part to the fact that the season is not yet irrelevant.

Just to recap and show how much of an idiot I really am:
-I've spent weeks and months shouting about Nyjer Morgan stinks and doesn't deserve a starting spot and how the Pirates should turn him into a pinch-running specialist/ 4th outfielder and get it over with. He had the best day of anyone with 3 hits and 2 ha-yuge RBI's from the leadoff spot and looked fine out in left field.
-Jack Wilson, who earlier today I said "falls off a cliff this season at the plate and won't even be tradeable for a few spare fungos by season's end" was the late-game hero after a rusty start with that double off of the surprisingly hittable Jason Motte.
-Andy LaRoche was pretty much the worst player on the field after I pegged him more than once as the most likely breakout candidate on the roster.
-I also said Paul Maholm's numbers would regress a bit this season, but he looked very good for a first start and was definitely better than anything the Cards threw out there, especially his counterpart Adam Wainwright who just didn't seem to have it all together.

Of course, one game isn't going to change my opinions obviously and I still stand by everything that I've said. But for one day all those guys pretty much did the exact opposite of what I said they were gonna do. Nothing builds up a blog's credibility quite like that, eh?

Of course, I also said the Bucs were gonna go 71-91 and if the Bucs do the exact opposite of that and go 91-71 I will be more than fine with having those god-awful predictions on record.

For one day we have a first place baseball club calling Pittsburgh its home, so let's all enjoy it.

Opening Day At Long Last

2009-04-06T12:25:00.003-04:00

There are few cooler things than Opening Day baseball. Even if you are just casual about the sport, you have to love the start of the season. It is the ultimate American sporting day, probably just a notch below the opening day of March Madness. And although we have some apparent postponed games today (already two are tallied up), today is still going to be an exciting one, just to know that the sport is finally back and that the games finally count after such a ridiculously long spring training period this year.

Paul Maholm will take the hill for the Bucs a bit later on today as long as it isn't freaking snowing in St. Louis. Because the season kicks off today, I wanted to finally get down my personal predictions for the players and the team as a whole, as any predictions that come after the start of the opener come with an asterisk attached to them. So here we go:

Batters
Ryan Doumit: 465 AB .297 BA/ .360 OBP/ .480 SLG
Adam LaRoche 387 AB .276/ .346/ .481 (Traded in late July)
Freddy Sanchez 573 AB .295/ .332/ .403
Jack Wilson 478 AB .270/ .308/ .369
Andy LaRoche 521 AB .271/ .353/ .445
Nyjer Morgan 237 AB .270/ .331/ .354
Nate McLouth 570 AB .275/ .357/ .461
Brandon Moss 486 AB .265/ .334/ .453
Andrew McCutchen 263 AB .262/ .340/ .384
Eric Hinske 346 AB .257/ .343/ .454
Ramon Vasquez 302 AB .248/ .314/ .384
Craig Monroe 194 AB .227/ .295/ .418
Luis Cruz 244 AB .246/ .292/ .357
Jason Jaramillo 111 AB .243/ .333/ .342

Pitchers
Paul Maholm 213 IP 4.06 ERA 147 K 1.33 WHIP 12-12 Record
Ian Snell 178 IP 4.40 ERA 143 K 1.42 WHIP 10-11 Record
Zach Duke 174 IP 4.91 ERA 85 K 1.55 WHIP 8-13 Record
Ross Ohlendorf 151 IP 4.65 ERA 112 K 1.48 WHIP 7-9 Record
Jeff Karstens 120 IP 4.80 ERA 72 K 1.51 WHIP 5-7 Record
Daniel McCutchen 83 IP 5.10 ERA 64 K 1.62 WHIP 2-5 Record
Matt Capps 70 IP 2.57 ERA 54 K 1.03 WHIP 37 Saves
John Grabow 46 IP 3.91 ERA 40 K 1.26 WHIP (traded in late July)
Tyler Yates 63 IP 4.43 ERA 57 K 1.49 WHIP
Sean Burnett 65 IP 4.85 ERA 40 K 1.58 WHIP
Evan Meek 51 IP 3.88 ERA 38 K 1.39 WHIP
Craig Hansen 47 IP 5.36 ERA 34 K 1.70 WHIP
Jesse Chavez 40 IP 5.63 ERA 25 K 1.80 WHIP
Donnie Veal 10 IP 8.10 ERA 5 K 2.00 WHIP

Obviously, I'm not projecting this out to be a very good baseball team. There is a definite lack of power, especially if a projected Adam LaRoche trade goes through. The bullpen is going to be a cobbled-together mess for the most part. Really, I only have a couple guys with breakout-type seasons. I like Evan Meek a lot and think he will be up with this team before May 1st and will become our best righty setup man by year's end. I also think Andy LaRoche has a nice season at third base (a .798 OPS would have placed him anywhere between 9th and 12 among qualifying major league third basemen in each of the past 5 seasons. Not too shabby.) I think Ryan Doumit will have a lower SLG, but only because the batting average may drop a bit. If anything, I'd guess his home run total increases (to 20 or so) and that the doubles total decreases a bit. Brandon Moss will be a serviceable corner outfielder at the plate (not in the field though) and can at least hold the fort down until Tabata is ready at some point in 2010.

I think Jack Wilson falls off a cliff this season at the plate and won't even be tradeable for a few spare fungos by season's end. I also think Nate McLouth's power regresses a bit. Andrew McCutchen is not going to be the immediate savior we are all praying for. Don't get me wrong, I've seen this kid play and think he will be VERY good, but a .724 OPS probably is around the range we should reasonably expect. Any more than that, and it's a gift. This season is just about getting him comfortable with the bigs to the point that he is capable of a big 2010 season. Nyjer Morgan gives us so-so numbers but clearly isn't starter material. Freddy Sanchez's average bounces back but the power doesn't and he begins to stumble down that same cliff his buddy Jack is struggling with. I also think Craig Monroe stinks the joint out this season. I don't like Monroe much, and the only reason I see him getting as many at-bats as I have him slated for is because the Pirates need some power.

As for the pitching...it ain't sexy. Paul Maholm's ERA was a bit too good last season, and while I still like Maholm and think he'll turn in a decent year I think that a 4.00 ERA is more in his range. I think Snell bounces back a bit, as he was bit by some bad luck on the mound last year, and that Duke gives us a second consecutive year of mediocrity. At this point, there's no reason to expect anything different from the Duke. I like Ohlendorf to show some flashes this season and provide a glimmer of hope as a 3/4 starter type for the coming years. And I think Karstens will be one of the better number 5 starters we have seen in Pittsburgh, but that's not really a complement. I also predict that Tom Gorzelanny doesn't pitch an inning in Pittsburgh and makes the dreaded trip to Mobile to see Dr. Andrews, as his struggles seem best explained by an injury to me.

In the bullpen I figure Matt Capps has a big year as the closer and could challenge for 40 saves. I also think this is the season that the long-rumored John Grabow trade finally comes to fruition. Other than Meek there's nothing here to be surprised or excited about.

All in all, I'm projecting a 71-91 record for the Pirates in the coming season, and the sad thing is I think I'm probably being a little optimistic considering all these issues.

Three Rivers Three Links: April 3

2009-04-03T14:22:00.003-04:00

1. Where Have You Gone, Andy Van Slyke brings up the very relevant topic of the economic impact not just on the Pirates this season but also on how it could damage some of their long-term plans. At some point, I'm gonna post on this myself, but that's still a work-in-progress. Still, WHYGAVS makes excellent points across the board, especially in regard to the spending the Pirates finally started last season within their system. If the Pirates aren't able to invest as much into the draft or Latin America they lose any chance of making up ground on the other organizations. Also interesting is that there is, I think, a very good description of the backwards-thinking that might occur this season among Pirate fans upset over the record-breaking losing season. "These are the fans that either don't pay enough attention to understand what Huntington's doing, don't understand the intricacies of rebuilding a baseball franchise, or simply don't have the patience to wait."

2. Hey look, this blog doesn't get a running joke when it sees one! I wouldn't think it would be terribly hard to grasp that fans making up t-shirts to celebrate beating a community college and "chirping" before the game is a running joke among the fans. When you're a Pirate fan, you NEED to have a sense of humor about yourself. It's the only way to survive. But yet this blog completely flips out for no reason and uses capital letters about how "YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BEAT THEM!!" Yeah, sure we are, but even a casual fan can look at the box score and see that it shows that the Pirates were more interested in getting different guys' work then winning the game. While some of our top prospects may have played (Cutch, Tabata, Walker, and Bixler all played but were pulled very early) the pitchers were a bunch of scrubs. Like I said, I couldn't possibly be less concerned about this loss considering Virgil Vasquez and Dave Davidson were the culprits on the mound. So please baseball blogs the world over, don't go so ridiculously over the top with your hyperbole to try and tell us that an exhibition game with prospects and scrubs losing to a college team means the Pirates "crush the hopes and dreams of their fans" for the season.

3. Jon Heyman, one of the most underrated writers out there, lists 30 breakout candidates for the 09 baseball season. Whether you are interested for fantasy reasons or just curiosity, it's worth a look. Number 1 on that list? None other than Paul Maholm. No other Bucs make an appearance, though, but I am excited about having multiple players listed here on my fantasy teams.

Reasons To Get Excited About the 2009 Pirates

2009-04-03T11:40:00.004-04:00

When you are a Pirate fan, it can be a little bit difficult to get excited about another baseball season. Especially when there has been very little in the way of off-season change and the team that will take the field on Opening Day figures to be almost identical to the squad that was the worst team in baseball from last August onward.

So instead you have to look for little things and get excited about them and focus more on things like how future key players are progressing and other minor victories. With all that in mind, and with the start of the regular season just 3 days away, I compiled 10 the reasons that I'm excited about your 2009 Pittsburgh Pirates.

The potential return from another summer firesale- Jack Wilson and Adam LaRoche are both highly likely to be wearing different colored uniforms by August 1. It will be very interesting to see how Neal Huntington handles his second trade deadline, especially now that there isn't the same absolute desperation to add any sort of decent starting arms to the upper levels of the organization that there was last season. In addition, John Grabow, Matt Capps, and any of the established veterans on the roster are trade candidates and could at least fetch an OK return.

A Bounceback Year for Ian Snell- I'm calling it right now. Snell is in for a return to the 2007 form that made him such an intriguing player. I think he turns into a very solid number 2 starter behind Paul Maholm and would be a nice complement as a power pitcher behind Maholm's crafty routine.

Throwing a bunch of Starting Pitchers at the wall and seeing what sticks- For the first time in recent times, the Pirates have a decent amountof major-league ready starting pitchers. However, probably only 2 of those players (the aformentioned Snell and Maholm) are guys that good big-league teams would want on their staff. A key for the Pirates will be having at least 1 or 2 more guys develop into at least solid starters. Of the old hands in the organization, I am not on the Zach Duke bandwagon (nor is anyone on the entire planet I might add) as he just gets hit so hard. I also think Tom Gorzelanny is probably injured or has just flat lost it and so I'm not relying on him to make any sort of an impact in the near future. I'm intrigued by Ross Ohlendorf's ability to really throw the ball hard and I want to see more from Jeff Karstens, too. If one of those guys (more likely Ohlendorf than Karstens) turns in at least a solid season it would be big. There has also been talk about Daniel McCutchen since the Nady trade, and at some point this season we figure to see him in Pittsburgh.

Andrew McCutchen's Expected Arrival in Pittsburgh- For as long as I've been a Pirate fan (about 15-16 years), I can think of very few home-grown prospects who got the knowledgeable fans as excited as Cutch. Chad Hermansen was probably a bit more highly regarded (and I just threw up in my mouth a little bit), but let's hope this highly touted prospect turns out a bit better than the Hermanator. He has to be called up at some point this season. Whether that is in mid-May or July, Cutch will be a wildly exciting player for the fans to watch when he is finally wearing the big-league uni.

The minor league progress of star prospects Jose Tabata, Pedro Alvarez, Bryan Morris and Brad Lincoln- This reason isn't for the casual fan or for the faint of heart. But for the real passionate Bucco fan it figures to be a very interesting subplot to keep an eye on these 4 studs. Most will dig only as far as the PG's little daily minor-league recap allows them to. Personally, that's not enough. I'll be checking up every day with the minor league sites, hoping Alvarez is tearing through the minor league system, hoping Tabata gives us a full season of the talent he showed last season, and hoping Lincoln and Morris deliver on their stud potential, as we could really use some stud pitching prospects in this organization.

The progress of intriguing prospects like Shelby Ford, Brian Bixler, Jim Negrych, Steve Pearce, Danny Moskos, Neil Walker, Robbie Grossman, Jamie Romak, Jordy Mercer, Chase D'Arnaud, Quinton Miller, Brian Friday, Matt Hague and Duke Welker- Again, not something for the casual fan. And that's especially so in this case. None of these guys can be considered elite prospects, but each of them has the ability to at least make the show some day, and the hope is that a few of them turn into starters at that level. As I said earlier, we especially need big-time pitching prospects in this organization, so if a Quinton Miller or Duke Welker or Danny Moskos could have a big year development-wise it would be a tremendous development for the organization.

Having fantasy baseball back- I know it certainly isn't everyone's cup of tea. But to me, fantasy baseball is without question the best fantasy sport going. It is way more intensive and way less luck is involved than in fantasy football, and it gives me an even bigger need to follow baseball all summer long even when the Pirates are 20 games out of first place. I've had all 3 of my drafts, and surprisingly ended up with 4 Pirates total on my 3 teams. That's actually more than usual, as typically Pirates go higher in at least 2 of my drafts because its mostly Pittsburgh-group of players. Doumit, McLouth, Snell (twice), and Capps are the guys I will have an extra rooting interest in.

A make-or-break year for Andy LaRoche- I know this is his first full season with the Pirates, but I really think this is Andy's only shot at cementing a place with the team. I still like Neil Walker and think he'll develop at some point, and Pedro Alvarez (though I think he'll switch to first) figures to tear through the system and be wearing the Pirates uni by mid-2010. With all that in mind, Andy needs to put up at least something in the neighborhood of a .265/.335/.460 in order to give himself a place in the Pirates' future. If he fails yet again, he'll be certainly given the dreaded "Quad A prospect" tag. Those aren't even great numbers. They're Edwin Encarnacion numbers, and that would be good enough for me.

The seasons of Nate McLouth, Paul Maholm and Ryan Doumit- All three had career years in 2008, and it will be very interesting to see how each fares in 2009. Personally, I'd guess that McLouth might regress a hair, but that Doumit will have an even better all-around season and that Maholm can be about as solid as he was last year.

The Draft- I know it's not a great reason, as there is at least a decent chance that the top pick might not play more than a handful of games in the system for the entire season, but with the Bucs sitting at number 4, I have to admit I am at least a little bit excited about adding another top-notch prospect to our system. Likely targets are probably 1B Dustin Ackley (a Scott Boras guy), RHP Aaron Crow (who held out last year and didn't sign with the Nationals), SS Grant Green, RHP Alex White and LHP Tyler Matzek. Obviously others will be in the mix by June, as well. I also am excited to see if the Pirates are able to get any other above-slot guys later on in the draft like they did last season.

Three Rivers Three Links: April 2

2009-04-02T09:50:00.002-04:00

I've been slacking the past few days with stuff on the site unfortunately, but hopefully I'll be back on top of things starting today with the permanent return of your daily links and the long-awaited Pitt hoops season recap and some Pirate and Penguin stuff, too.

1. Gene Collier does an interesting column for the PG today about the improvements at Pitt over the last decade. And it's not just about the big-time sports improvement at the university, it's actually about the academics, too. Imagine that! Involving academics in a sports column. Turns out I go to a pretty good school. Not like it's helping me find a job or anything, though.

2. KDKA is reporting that because John Calipari peaced out on Memphis to go give himself gray hair and an ulcer and take 10 years off his life at ~~Pressure University~~ University of Kentucky there now may be a recruit Pitt could go after that was originally slated to go to Memphis. His name is Will Coleman and is a highly touted Juco recruit. If DeJuan leaves, which looks like more and more of a sure thing every day, I'd be all about going after this kid. That would of course amend my column from the other day about 09/10 Panthers. But amend it for the better I might add. The Panthers could definitely use a steady, experienced Juco guy next year inside to complement all that youth. Dude averaged a 16/16 last season. Not sure how you could not be enticed by that.

3. Frank Coonelly's always-interesting monthly chat returns just prior to the start of the season. Coonelly's candidness always amazes me in these things.

What Will The 09/10 Panthers Look Like?

2009-03-31T21:19:00.005-04:00

I'm definitely still too depressed to write about this year's current version of the Pitt Hoops team. I just tried to, and while I made it further than my last attempt, it was still nowhere near ready to be posted. I promise, some time in the next couple days I'll finally get to it.

Instead, I thought I'd try a little self-therapy by looking at just how next fall's Pitt Panther lineup will look. I must say, it helped a little bit to think about next year and how unique of a year it could be.

Also, I examined next season's roster under two different scenarios: With DeJuan Blair in the middle and without him. I have a feeling that the latter is the more likely scenario, personally.

2009/10 Panthers With DeJuan Blair
Rotation
1 Ashton Gibbs
2 Jermaine Dixon
3 Gilbert Brown
4 Dante Taylor
5 DeJuan Blair
6 Brad Wanamaker
7 Travon Woodall
8 Gary McGhee
9 Nasir Robinson
10 J.J. Richardson
11 Lamar Patterson
12 Talib Zanna

Random Thoughts:
-There will be no true point guard on this team. Gibbs can be a serviceable point guard, but Tra Woodall is hyped up to be a good ball handler and figures to see some minutes at the point with Gibbs sometimes shifting to the 2. I'd liken Gibbs' role next year to what Ronald Ramon once did. Right now he is a 1.5 guard, serviceable at both but not yet superb at either. Still, I think he is definitely the best option at the point unless Woodall really breaks out next season.

-Even if Blair returns, as he does in this scenario, we are going to need some big-time scoring increases from other holdovers. My best bets are Jermaine Dixon and Gilbert Brown. If either isn't up to the task, I think they'll start losing time to the likes of Wanamaker, Gibbs or Nas Robinson as the year goes along. There is too much talent among all these guys not to have at least one turn in a breakout season with more minutes. Dixon especially will be interesting to watch in my mind. The guy is a good defender, but he's not so good that you can allow him to be a no-show on offense as he was at the end of the season when his confidence in his shot appeared to be less than zero.

-My pick for a breakout player on this team is Gil Brown. I think he could make The Leap like Sam I Am did a year ago. I'm not saying he'll jump to Sam's level and be at 18 points per game, but I could definitely see a 14-6 line. His athleticism is amazing and sorta reminds me of a less physical and imposing version of Young. If he could just find some consistency I think he is a sure thing for a big year.

-It will be an interesting year for Gary McGhee next season. A ton of people have given up on him, and I sort of have too. But it's also worth remembering how shocking Aaron Gray's third season with Jamie Dixon was. I'm not saying Gary is going to evolve into an NBA prospect, or even that he's going to earn starter's minutes. But I could definitely see him turning into a guy who can at least give 15+ quality minutes a night and allow DeJuan Blair to maybe even play some power forward minutes. Now THAT would make Pitt a force to be reckoned with on the interior.

-It will be fascinating to see Dante Taylor next year. A big reason why I'm hoping Blair comes back next season is so that Taylor doesn't have to shoulder that entire load himself. Taylor may be a very highly rated recruit, but not every superstar prospect is created equal, and I think it would be to this kid's benefit to not be the focal point every night. Not saying he won't be able to handle it if it does happen, just that we'd all be better off if he doesn't even have to worry about that.

-The other freshman besides Taylor don't figure to have a huge impact on this roster. Both J.J. Richardson and Talib Zanna are 4/5 players who would be a tad undersized if they do play the 5. However, if McGhee struggles one of the two will get at least some minutes spelling Blair inside. Patterson, meanwhile, sounds a lot like a Nas Robinson or Gil Brown. A reasonably highly-regarded recruit who figures to either take a redshirt or play sparingly in his first year because of the logjam at the 2/3/4 spots in front of him.

Bottom Line: With Blair back, the Panthers would still be a force to be reckoned with in the Big East. If Taylor performs as expected and one of the numerous guys at the 2 or 3 positions step their game up to the level of averaging double-digit points, then this is a squad that absolutely should contend for the Big East title on the broad shoulders of number 45. The big question will be how the Gibbs/Woodall tandem handles the point guard duties. This will still be a deep team with some very good talent and athleticism coming off the bench. All in all, I definitely think this team would be capable of making a deep run in the tournament, and its overall athleticism would match up well with anyone in the country. They may not be as hyped as this year's squad or receive as many regular season accolades, but they could definitely win some games in the tournament and make a run equal to or greater than the run this year's squad did.

2009/10 Without DeJuan Blair
And now onto the more depressing (and realistic) scenario: DeJuan Blair leaving.
Rotation
1 Ashton Gibbs
2 Jermaine Dixon
3 Gilbert Brown
4 Dante Taylor
5 Gary McGhee
6 Brad Wanamaker
7 J.J. Richardson
8 Travon Woodall
9 Nasir Robinson
10 Lamar Patterson
11 Talib Zanna
Maybe: Kyryl Natyazhko

Random Thoughts:
-This squad obviously will be filled with an awful lot of uncertainties. None would be bigger than at the center position, where I imagine there will be a competition for the starting job. For now I am giving that to the big oaf himself Gary McGhee, but any one of J.J. Richardson, Talib Zanna, Dante Taylor, or the still-uncommitted Kyryl Natyazhko could win it as well. I gave it to McGhee because he knows the system and can at least play defense the way Jamie wants him to. Taylor could be an option if Pitt really wants to play athletic small ball, but I don't like the sound of playing a 6'8 215 pound freshman at center. Sure DeJuan Blair did it as freshman, but by all accounts, and judging by his build, Taylor is not nearly physical enough to play the 5. Hell, he may not be physical enough to play the 4 and his manifest destiny in the NBA is probably as a 3. I can't envision 3-star recruits like Zanna or Richardson getting starters' minutes at center, especially when neither is taller than 6'9 or heavier than 230 pounds. Lastly we have Natyazhko. He is still an uncommitted prospect and is being recruited by other big-time schools like Arizona State, Florida State, Xavier, and Kentucky. He is a 4-star recruit, and if Blair does leave then Jamie will have to put the full-court press on to make sure he lands this kid. If they do nab him he definitely has enough talent to break into the starting lineup and at the very least should earn some serious backup minutes.

-Pitt would almost be a leadpipe lock to adopt a smallish, Villanova-type lineup at least part of the time. This team would have more athleticism than almost anyone else they might face and would need to use that trait to overcome their lack of size and bulk. Rolling out a lineup like the one below would definitely allow the opposition to outmuscle them, but they could overcome it by running with all these athletes.
1 Gibbs/Woodall
2 Dixon/Gibbs
3 Wanamaker/Robinson
4 Brown/Robinson
5 Taylor

-Without Blair, Dante Taylor and his lofty recruit status would likely become one of the alpha dogs on this team. He has the ability to probably average 15 a night right off the bat if given this opportunity, and I imagine the whole offense would funnel through him if he is all he is supposed to be. However, we would need more than just one of the swingmen guys to step up. We'd probably need 2 and maybe even 3 others to turn into reliable scorers. This would no longer be the top heavy offense of the past few seasons where everything centered around 2 or 3 guys. This would have to be a team like the 02/03 Panthers that had 6 guys average between 9.7 and 12.2 points per game. The most likely candidates would be Gil, Gibbs, Dixon and Wanamaker all joining Taylor as double digit scorers with maybe a Gary or a Natyazhko or a Richardson getting enough minutes to come close to that figure.

Bottom Line: This has the look of being the first true rebuilding year since Pitt turned back into a good team. We've said that in years past, but there would never have been as much uncertainty entering a team as with this squad. They have a freaking ton of talent, though, so they'll be fun to watch and they definitely shouldn't be discounted by anybody. However, being so raw makes it unlikely they'll be the serious title contender that this year's team was unless Dante Taylor turns out to be an even bigger stud than scouts think or Gil Brown turns into Sam Young or Ashton Gibbs becomes Brandin Knight with a better shot. Those are lofty goals, though, and for that I see this team as a good but not great Pitt squad that finishes in the upper half of the Big East but not in the top echelon and makes the tournament as a middle seed, somewhere in the 5-8 range. All that talent and athleticism would make them a handful for anybody in the tourney and yet another Sweet 16 appearance wouldn't be a shock to me.

Will Ohman disses the Pirates and other weird happenings in Bradenton

2009-03-31T15:48:00.002-04:00

Look, I'm well aware of the many shortcomings of our local baseball club. I know they are on the verge of setting the all-time record for most consecutive losing seasons in major professional sports history. And I know how miserable that culture of losing can be for the players.

But this just seems weird to me. Will Ohman was so against signing with the Pirates he turned down a guaranteed, major-league contract with your hometown Buccos to sign with the LA Dodgers on a minor-league deal that offers him no guarantee of big-league pay or time in the majors. I know Ohman wanted to play on the West Coast, but that is a BIG difference between the two deals. Suffice it to say, I think this might have had a bit to do with the letters stitched across the front of the uniform. If, say, the World Champion Philly Phillies had come calling with the same offer the Pirates extended to Ohman, I imagine the veteran lefty would have jumped at that chance. Not to mention that Ohman left the Pirates major league deal sitting on the table for 9 whole days, despite the fact that he had no other offers whatsoever at the time. If I'm the Pirates' management, I am sooooooooo pissed right now at Ohman and his agent for embarassing them like this. Unfortunately, no embarassment from not being wanted by a below-average lefty reliever can match the embarassment of the worst run in the recorded history of sports.

I'm not sure what exactly is going on down in Bradenton or what is in the water, but there is some other weird stuff happening too, it seems. Let's take a look at some of these weird happenings:

-The Pirates open up against the Cardinals in exactly 7 days, and someone named Virgil Vasquez, who may or may not have pitched in the California Penal League last season, is still in the mix for a rotation spot. I follow the Pirates as closely as almost anyone, and I have no friggin' idea who in the world Virgil Vasquez is. I'm hoping and praying he is being used just to push Jeff Karstens and will be discarded to AAA never to be heard from again just before the season starts. If he comes north as the fifth starter, though, I'm going to have some serious concerns.

-Freddy Sanchez and Jack Wilson are both making pushes to stay with the Pirates for the foreseeable future. And Jumpin' Jack even approached the Pirates about an extension and it appeared that they are at least willing to listen. Oh, and on a related note, I just threw up in my mouth a little bit. Look, I have no problem with Jack and Freddy holding the fort down this season. They lock down important positions on the diamond for a team that is in flux. But neither one, not even the former batting champ Sanchez, is a building block for a team that's most realistic timetable to contend is 2011. Both are 31 years old (Freddy is a whopping 8 days older) and would then be 33 before the 2011 season commences. And neither one is exactly aging very well.

Look at the numbers. Jumpin' Jack has had two good seasons in his 8 with the Bucs (04 and an underrated 07), but has never had much consistency at the plate, too often going hot and cold to be seriously relied upon. And you can't possibly tell me you think he isn't about to fall off a cliff offensively. Unless of course you want to argue he already fell off that cliff last season. Then I might listen. He was never exactly Alex Rodriguez to begin with, but I think a .270/.320/.380 is the best we can hope for this year, and that is only going to go downhill from there. Folks, those are dreadful numbers. Just dreadful.

And the exact same things can be said for Freddy Sanchez. Freddy probably can put up better numbers than Jack, but I just don't see him aging well. If he hits .290/.330/.420 that's probably as good as we could hope for. Like I said, I'm fine with that as a placeholder in a rebuilding effort while guys like Shelby Ford develop. But I am not fine when he's batting .270/.300/.380 in 2012 and unable to move to his right.

And I definitely am NOT fine with ignoring proven metrics like OPS and VORP in favor of fan logic like "he won a batting title a few years back" "he's a good guy to have around" "he makes good plays in the field" and "stats don't measure all he contributes." If either one of those guys gets an extension, especially Wilson, I am going to lose a ton of faith in this management team.

-The Jose Tabata story. I'm not even remotely going to blame the kid for what happened there, as I am only a little bit older and have definitely done some dumb stuff in my life, and I have no pressure on me and live in the same city I've spent my whole life in. Quite a bit different from Jose, so I can see where the issues come from. Tabata's life has been chaotic to this point, and I was struck most by his display in the face of the turmoil. Hell, I expected some kind of immaturity from him at some point, but I thought the character he displayed was tremendous in the face of this adversity. Good for you Jose. I hope you turn out to be the tremendous player you are expected to be, for more than just my own selfish reasons now. Anyway, let's hope he learns from this. But whatever your opinion of all this, there's no denying it certainly was a weird one.

-Nyjer Morgan has probably been one of the 2 or 3 worst hitters on the entire roster this spring, yet he is still being considered for the opening day left fielder job. I thought Huntington and Coonelly were all into sending messages and stuff. If that's the case, Nyjer should be taking outfield instruction with guys like Tabata and getting ready to make the trip to Indy to open the AAA season. That said, I won't be terribly upset if he makes the opening day roster, as he's too old to be playing AAA at age 28, but if he is starting in left over Hinske and Monroe, and especially if he is leading off, my head might just explode. That would be a Littlefieldian move. And I just threw up in my mouth a little bit again.

-Brian Bixler, all of a sudden, actually has a future as a major league player it seems. After that disastrous debut last season at the ripe old age of 25 I had just about written him off as being a noteworthy prospect. Best case scenario I figured Bix would be a mediocre utility backup infielder. Nothing to get excited about. Well, he absolutely tore it up this spring by all accounts, and while spring training results can be quite deceptive at times, everyone seems quite impressed by this. That includes Neal Huntington. I still am wary of Bix as anything more than a utility infielder, but his ceiling as a potential low-end everyday player has been re-established. And when Jumpin' Jack is (hopefully) traded this summer I have no problem with Bix getting a 2+ month tryout to prove himself at shortstop.

Three Rivers Three Links: March 31

2009-03-31T09:46:00.002-04:00

Okay we're finally back on TRS after about a 60 hour hiatus to lick our wounds about that devastating loss Saturday night by the beloved Panthers. At some point in the next week, I am going to get around to posting about that loss, and about the season as a whole and all the great stuff we've experienced, as well as take a look at the 09/10 Panthers. But right now I just can't do it. I tried to write something a little bit ago and didn't make it beyond about 70 words before giving up.

Still, I needed to get back to writing something. So, first I'm giving you your daily dose of the TRTL followed by some Pirates stuff later on today at some point and at some point in the next 24 hours a breakdown of the NL Central.

Let's get to the links:
1. It's Tuesday, so in keeping with recent tradition (2 weeks' worth), I'm linking to a 24-related blog. Today, I'm linking to the wildly popular blog Dave Barry runs for the Miami Herald. Every a Monday he does a quasi-liveblog thing for the 24 episodes. He's not bad, but the real funny stuff is due to his commentors. It's all sarcastic, though and a lot of it points out some of the uhmm.... liberties that 24 takes with reality. So if you don't like when people point that stuff out and make fun of things like that, this probably isn't the site for you. Hell, sometimes it isn't the site for me, either.

2. The Post-Gazette's The Fantasy Factor blog does an interesting breakdown of an alternate 1996 Penguins-Avalanche Stanley Cup final. Seems a little interesting, right? It is pretty solid and the thoughts evoked will be a regular walk down memory lane. But here's why I linked there: I just spent 20+ minutes going through stuff on that blog and I can't figure out what the hell the subject of that blog is supposed to be. It sometimes seems as though it actually is fantasy sports (as the title suggests) but then other times it seems to serve as a sort of catch-all category for whatever goofy shit the Post-Gazette wants to explore but has nowhere else to put that kind of random material. They have quite a bit of fantasy baseball preview stuff up there and have some fantasy hockey junk randomly thrown in too. They occasionally have breaking news about hockey posted in there...but then they don't for a few days at a time. And then they have literally fantasy games like that aforementioned Cup game or a 78 Steelers vs. 94 49ers. And then they have a SB43 breakdown. Look I have no problem with the blog, there is some legitimately good stuff on there. I'm just very confused by it all.

3. The Pirates make not one, but two appearances on this list of the Ugliest Uniforms of the 1970's from Fantasy Pros 911. Not gonna lie, that's a little impressive.

Sad Day

2009-03-28T21:53:00.000-04:00

Wow. What a tough loss. I really can't say much more than that. I think this is the most heart-breaking loss I've ever experienced for one of my teams. I actually feel depressed and sad right now.

But I wanted to make sure to come on here and say Congratulations to the Panthers on a spectacular season, a season that goes down as the best in school history in my book.

To Sam, Levance and Tyrell: Thanks for the memories of the last 4 seasons. It has been an amazing run, and I feel extra special attachment to you three because you were my classmates, entering school here at the same time as me and leaving at the same time. You guys will always hold a special place with me.

Also, congrats to Villanova, the victors tonight. It's hard for me to be objective but I think that was one of the best college b-ball games I have ever seen. I wish you guys good luck in the Final Four and I will be pulling for you to represent the Big East well.

I don't think I'll be even able to watch or read anything sports for the next couple days, let alone write about it. With that in mind, i think TRS will be on hiatus for 48 hours so that I can digest everything that just happened.

Go Panthers!

Villanova Links and Game Prediction

2009-03-28T14:10:00.002-04:00

Some 'Nova blog links as well as the ESPN preview
Let's Go Nova put together a good preview of the game
VU Hoops. They have different statistics worth considering for this game.
The Villanovan Sports Blog also has a good preview of the game and characterizes the strengths and weaknesses of Pitt pretty well.
ESPN's preview of the game

And now the moment that I know you have all been waiting for...

The Official TRS Breakdown of this game:
In case you haven't heard, it seems like DeJuan Blair is going to be an important factor in this game. Back when these two squads played in Philly during the regular season, Blair's trouble with fouls was arguably the biggest factor in the entire game. Since the NCAA tournament started last week, we have been treated (I guess that's the word) to a new-look DeJuan. I wouldn't say this DeJuan is better, just... different. And you actually know he's going to be in the game in crunch time. That's not what concerns me, though. If DeJuan does the passive thing yet again in the first half to try and stay out of foul trouble, I really think that Villanova will just bury us. It would take another dominant first half from Sam I Am or Levance "Captain Clutch" Fields playing the entire game like it's the final two minutes of a tie ball game. Against 'Nova, I really don't see either one of those happening.

I'm not saying we need DeJuan to turn back into the reckless freight train he too often was during the regular season, but we do need him to let loose a little more, at least in the offensive zone. If he wants to cool his heels defensively and let Biggs do most of the banging inside when 'Nova's got the ball, I'm absolutely fine with that. But there's no reason for him to be unwilling to get after it on offense. Especially when it gets to late in the first and he has either 0 or 1 fouls as has been the case the past 3 games. Worst case there is he gets called for a charge or some BS call and has to sit out the last few minutes of the first half. I'd pay that price if it meant the Grizzly Blair of old crashing the net.

Anyway, I suppose I should do some 'Nova-related analysis. Obviously, this is an excellent team, and Jay Wright continues to cement his rep as one of the money coaches in the month of March. Wright continues to run the athletic, guard-heavy style that has made him so successful for so many years there, and this is a system that can definitely give the Panthers fits. But despite the similar system, this isn't the same Nova teams we've often seen in years past from them that spread out 4 guards around the perimeter and had a Curtis Sumpter or something inside. Despite being undersized both height and weight-wise, they are a very physical squad and won't back down if Pitt starts to beat on them with their strength.

Only star forward Dante Cunningham, starter Dwayne Anderson and reserve Antonio Pena consistently bang inside with the big boys, but they have several tall 2/3-types who play well as swing men and can use their athleticism and height to get to the basket and not only grab some rebounds but also create plays. Corey Stokes, Reggie Redding and Shane Clark all fit this mold pretty much to a T and all are between 6'5 and 6'7 and average between 3 and 5 rebounds a game.

There won't be many surprises between the two floor generals, Levance Fields and Scottie Reynolds. They are both wily vets who have seen each other numerous times over the last three seasons. There is a definite contrast in styles between the two. Reynolds is as much a 2 guard as he is a point, and his game is predicated a bit more on scoring than it is on dishing it out, and while his 15.2 ppg is excellent and he is a solid shooter, his 1.3 Assist/ Turnover ratio leaves a bit to be desired. Fields, despite his late-game heroics in filling the basket, is the more traditional point guard type, more than happy to let the big-time scorers like Blair and Young do the work while he sets things up. Each is a tremendous fit for their squad, though, and they are the straws that stir their respective drinks.

What will really interest me about Villanova's scheme is how they choose to handle Sam Young when Pitt has the ball. Seemingly half their team is the type of player that we typically see matched up against Young. And honestly if it weren't for Blair we could probably throw Dante Cunningham out there as being a matchup for Sam when he inevitably plays some minutes at the 4 spot. Still, Dwayne Anderson figures to be the best matchup for Sam on an athleticism basis and I imagine the smart senior will get first crack. But it seems almost no one ever sticks with the same guy on Sam all game long. I think the task is just too exhausting and Sam brings too many different looks to his game for the same person to play on him the whole time. Reggie Redding is one of the Wildcats' defensive stoppers and despite being a little light for the job with a 6'5 205 pound frame, I think he'll get some minutes on Sam, especially if Pitt's 23 starts feeling it from the perimeter. Now that I think about it, Redding reminds me a bit of Gil Brown, actually. If he's in the game I'd say those two definitely lock horns.

For Pitt on defense, this screams to me as a game where Pitt will almost be forced to go small. Otherwise Nova will have some ridiculous speed and quickness mismatches. So that probably spells reduced minutes yet again for Tyrell Biggs. That may not be a bad thing though either, as I kind of like it when Biggs can be recklessly physical in limited minutes. That way DeJuan doesn't have to be. In Biggs' place I imagine Sam moves over to the 4 spot alongside DeJuan and that Gil Brown plays 20+ minutes at the small forward spot while Jermaine Dixon, Brad Wanamaker and Ashton Gibbs swap in and out depending on who is being most effective. Personally, I think the Panthers will be much better off if they can get the streaky Gibbs going from 3-point land early on. When this guy gets hot he is a lethal bomber and could give Pitt a legit 4th scoring option outside the Big 3. That would be a nice change of pace.

All in all, I expect this to be a spectacular game. I love watching Villanova play, but never like playing them. Their athleticism and style of play can drive you nuts because of the way they just seem to send waves and waves of the same types of athletic swingmen at you. But at the same time, they certainly aren't afraid to bang around inside with a physical team like Pitt. Anderson and Cunningham can brawl with the best of them, even a behemoth like Blair. Combine that with the fact that Villanova has been just crushing people the last 2 1/2 games while Pitt has squeaked out of three in a row, and suddenly you realize maybe the 1 seed is the underdog here.

The Bottom Line: Despite Villanova's hot streak and Pitt's sloppiness, I think this is the game we finally see the Pitt of old. The Pitt that pushed around UConn not once, but twice. The Pitt that spent 3 weeks as the number 1 team in the country. Despite DeJuan Blair's refusal to risk getting in foul trouble by playing aggressively in the first half thus far, I think he finally turns things on for the whole game, especially offensively, and stays out of foul trouble to lead Pitt past Big East rival Villanova and because of him they get to cut down the nets.

Prediction: Pitt 74-71

Also, I'm now sitting at a solid 45-11 in my NCAA Tournament game predictions after an 8-0 performance in the sweet 16. So, to keep things going here are my other Elite 8 picks:
North Carolina over Oklahoma
UConn over Missouri
Louisville over Michigan State

What can I say? I'm boring.

Go Panthers!

Three Rivers Three Links: March 27

2009-03-27T10:51:00.001-04:00

I'm still recovering from last night's...err...revelry... which consisted of a solid 4 hours of drinking (2 hours of which was nervous, drown-my-problems drinking, 2 of which was celebratory WE WON! drinking, a lethal combo) and then coming back to my apartment and deciding to write what turned out to be a surprisingly coherent 1300+ words on the game. Actually, it was probably a shade more coherent than my usual writing. Maybe I should do that more often. Anyway, by the time that was done it was almost 2 AM, at which time I decided I needed to make some pizza. I really am going to miss college.

Anyway, the morning was not nearly as kind to me as the night, and because I'm in a pretty lazy mood I'm not giving you much in the way of off-the-beaten-path links. All these links are from pages much more popular than mine, but whatev. Let's do this...

1. Talks are heating up between the Bucs and Will Ohman right now. Ohman's a lefty reliever for those of you not aware. He's nothing spectacular, as evidenced by the fact that it is almost April and he is still a free agent, but he won't embarass himself, and when talking about the Pirates pitchers, that's more or less a glowing review. To me this means one of two things: Either the Pirates think they are close to dealing John Grabow or they aren't satisfied with Sean Burnett. Hell, it could be both. I think this is definitely the year that Grabow gets dealt, it's just a matter of when, and having someone like Ohman will give us at least a decent replacement when that inevitably happens. Maybe Grabow could even be dealt for a starting pitcher or something. Who knows? Just a thought. As for Burnett, he sure picked a hell of a time to have his first bad spring training in a few years. He tore through the past two spring trainings, even when he clearly wasn't major league ready in 07, and now in 09 when all he has to do is be okay and he gets a job he starts struggling. Doesn't that figure? I want to see if this actually happens, as the M.O. recently with the Pirates is that when they get seriously interested in a useful guy like Ohman he often signs elsewhere and the fans are let down because of it.

2. Sean from Sean's Ramblings gives us a breakdown of some of the things he saw during his trip to Bradenton to see the Buccos in spring training. He's got some good pics on there that are definitely worth a look.

3. Check out this article about Missouri's "Forty Minutes of Hell" style of play written by one of the best sports writers in the country, Joe Posnanski. This is what convinced me to pick Mizzou over Memphis when I did my picks yesterday, and I'd say it definitely worked out well for me. Good call, JoePo.

As always the links take the weekend off cuz they're lazy like that, but the site will still be working hard to have some Pirate stuff, some Pens stuff and some Pitt stuff up over the course of the next 2 and a half days.

UNBELIEVABLE

2009-03-27T00:04:00.000-04:00

Jesus. I don't even know where to begin. I'm still quite a bit on the tipsy side after a superb night in Oakland, but I'm extremely determined to get a post up tonight about Pitt. I'll probably read this tomorrow and shake my head at the lunacy of it, but that's why Blogger has an "EDIT" button for each post.

Let's Get To It....

First Half
For the most part, this was just a truly hideous ball game. The shooting was atrocious, there were all sorts of fluky/ goofy plays, the refs were subpar, and the coaching left quite a bit to be desired out of two of the more highly touted up-and-coming coaches in college hoops.

The first half really couldn't have been more aggravating. DeJuan didn't show up early on for the second consecutive game. I don't get what's happening with him. He just seems so obsessed with staying out of foul trouble that he's willing to coast through the first half to make sure it happens. Defensively, I guess I don't hate that, but in the offensive zone I don't understand it. He can still be very effective offensively while staying out of foul trouble. If that happens against Nova, Pitt is going to be down 15 at halftime and they won't be able to rely on a second-half collapse to get back in the game, as Nova will just milk the hell out of the clock and we'll be screwed.

Sam was solid in the first half and was once again the biggest reason we were able to stay in a game we shouldn't have been in early on. He wasn't as dominant, but the shots were still dropping for him early. The role guys left quite a bit to be desired too. Ty Biggs got 2 fouls in the first 3 or 4 minutes and was dunzo for the half and really didn't do much all game. Not what we wanted to see at all. Gil Brown was a bright spot and continued to be a damn effective player at the swing spot continuing his recent string of excellence. I'd argue he's our fourth best player right now and I'm really not sure you can even debate that with a straight face. Bright things for this kid are on the way, I'm telling you. As for the others, let's run through them in a hurry: Ashton Gibbs and Brad Wanamaker were mistake-filled trainwrecks all game long, and Gary and Jermaine Dixon did exactly what they always do, no more no less. That's enough talk about them.

One more thing about that first half: The refs were just brutal yet again. I still don't think that I've seen a game that was officiated well this entire postseason. There were times during the first half where Blair would go up with the ball and get his shot "blocked" by 3 different Musketeers. The only problem was that this "blocking" consisted of one X-man barreling into DeJuan's chest while another bumped into the shooting arm and then the third guy was the one who actually got the ball and blocked it. And then there were other times, and this went both ways, where they'd call a foul and you figure it was away-from-the-ball or something and turns out it was because the defender breathed the wrongway on the offensive player. Bad job by them.

In summing up the first half, I'd say these were the 5 major themes: 1) Pitt looked like a team guilty of reading their mid-season preseason press clippings. 2) Xavier outplayed us all over the court but they weren't shooting well enough to capitalize on it. 3)For the second, and maybe even third, game in a row Pitt got outrebounded on the offensive glass early. Nothing has been more shocking to me than this development. 4)Sam was doing well enough, but Fields and Blair weren't at their usual level. 5) Watching Jamie and Sean Miller coach against each other was painful. I've got to be honest. I love Jamie but if I see one more freaking hedge play in the defensive zone I'm going to go on a 3 state shooting spree. I'm fine with trying that early on, but when the opposition clearly knows how to take advantage of it (a quick pass to the big man who is left briefly uncovered) you need to stop running that damn thing IMMEDIATELY.

On to the second half...
Pitt came out firing on all cylinders for the first couple minutes of the second. They jumped right back in from 8 down to bring the game to just about even in quite a hurry. This was when things got ugly. And I don't mean physical. Or mean and nasty. I mean god-awful, embarassing to basketball, hideous, ugly. Both teams went absolutely ice cold out of nowhere. Well, actually the X-men had been cold since the half started, but Pitt lost all their momentum out of nowhere after charging back into the game. Couldn't really figure that one out and I still haven't.

Thankfully someone put the smelling salts under DeJuan Blair's nose at halftime and he came out much better in the second half. He was finally going for boards and outworking the goofy white guy from Xavier and was actually willing to take some chances in both zones (sometimes they were dumb chances, though). Pitt rallied around Blair's energy resurgence and Xavier's inside game basically disappeared once the big fella started playing in mid-season form again.

Still, the shooting was agonizing and it mirrored a lot of the stuff that happened to Xavier in the first half. DeJuan, despite playing with a ton more energy and heart, was doing the Aaron Gray Special, repeatedly missing inside shots and padding his rebound totals by snatching up his own crappy shots. He wasn't as bad as the infamous Gray, who sometimes looked like he was volleying the basketball off the rim, but it was still frustrating as hell. We were clearly outplaying them all over the court and should have been outscoring them left and right, but now our shots weren't falling. So I guess it sorta made sense that the game was more or less tied for almost the entire second half.

Pitt just refused to pull away no matter how much better we looked. And so it came down to the final two minutes and you knew who was going to step up and take the money shots for Pitt. Two words: Levance. Fields. The guy may have been quite mediocre for the first 38 minutes of the game, and he continues to not play as well as he did for most of the regular season, but in the last 2 minutes he was a freaking beast. I will now forever spell the word "clutch" F-I-E-L-D-S. Freakin' amazing. That three from a mile away was a damn dagger. And then the lay-in after Blair tipped it away was the cherry on top. The guy is money. I don't know that I've ever seen a college player capable of elevating his game more in the final two minutes and being so reliably clutch. I think Bill Raftery put it best when he yelped "ONIONS!" Either way, he's the freaking man and I will forever have a tender spot in my heart for him.

So we finally advance on past the Sweet 16. I wouldn't have thought I'd be so euphoric and fired up after that unfathomably frustrating first half and after we went ice cold in the second half, but a win like that changes it all. It's great to know that the much-publicized ceiling has been removed at the Sweet 16 level. It's as much a relief as anything to be honest, especially considering it's hard to imagine having a much better team than this squad in the near future. And so the basketball season marches on and we get to see just how far this Pitt team advances. Say what you will about the way they've been playing (and I've said plenty obviously) but there's little doubt in my mind that the next game will yet again keep you interested until the final seconds. That's just the way this team plays, and I am officially okay with that.

Sweet 16 Picks and a Pitt-Xavier breakdown

2009-03-26T16:28:00.005-04:00

We're back to the Madness tonight, with 12 huge games over the next 4 days that will decide this year's Final Four field. Currently at TRS, I am sitting at 37-11 in my picks so far for the NCAA Tournament. That's a decent but not spectacular record. I'd like to finish with 50+ wins and think I have at least a half-decent shot at it. So here are the Sweet 16 picks for me for the next two days, as well as a little bit of a breakdown of my thoughts on tonight's Pitt-Xavier game.

UConn over Purdue
Pitt over Xavier
Missouri over Memphis
Villanova over Duke
Louisville over Arizona
Oklahoma over Syracuse
Michigan State over Kansas
North Carolina over Gonzaga

And now for the breakdown:

As with most teams I think Xavier's biggest problem against Pitt will be handling Pitt's big fella, DeJuan Blair. Not that the X-Men don't have a few potential candidates for the job, but none of them are on Blair's elite level, nor can they match his toughness and physicality. Jason Love figures to get first crack at the job. He is a pretty big guy at 6'9 and 255 pounds and is a gritty type of player. He is solid on the glass and it will be interesting to watch him and Blair fight for boards, as both are good on both the offensive and defensive boards, though Love is nowhere near the talent that Blair is. Blair has faced much more talented centers than Love, and I don't anticipate him being near good enough to shut down Blair himself. Because of that I think we can expect to see double and triple teams when the ball is dumped inside. Monster center Kenny Frease (7'0 255) figures to get minutes, especially if DeJuan gets going early. Frease doesn't play a ton of minutes (averages only about 14.5), so if he does have to play extended minutes it will be interesting to see if he wears down. For a man his size, though, he isn't really aggressive enough to be a huge factor in any game. Think of him like a much better Gary McGhee. He's not coming in for the offensive side of the game. He's coming into bump some guys around and piss off the opposing big men with his size.

As with most teams, Xavier will focus heavily on stopping Blair. And as Oklahoma State showed last game, when you focus too much on Blair, Sam Young will absolutely murder you. Young had the best game of his career in that game and because he has the hot hand I expect to see him try to get going early on. I will be interested to see how Xavier handles him. They have three different candidates for the job, all of which play big minutes. B.J. Raymond and C.J. Anderson are both swingmen types and Derrick Brown plays at the 4 for them. If Sam goes to the 4 and plays inside then Brown figures to be on him, but Raymond and Anderson are similar types and I wouldn't be surprised to see them switch on and off early on to see if either one has any success guarding Sam.

An intriguing matchup will be Levance Fields against the combo of Dante Jackson and Terrell Holloway. Jackson is a massive point guard at 6'5 which will probably force a big adjustment for Levance Fields when Pitt has the ball. Thankfully, Jackson is nothing too special offensively or I would be more worried about this matchup hurting us at both ends of the court. Jackson is good defensively, though, and uses that size to his advantage pretty well when playing against a smaller guard like Fieldsy. Holloway is a freshman who gets plenty of minutes at the 1, and is a much more traditional point guard than Jackson, who probably should be only a 2 guard. However, Holloway is young and has a pretty pedestrian 1.1 Assists/ Turnover ratio and is not a very good shooter. He doesn't concern me much.

Offensively, the Musketeers have a few guys who do concern me a bit. They are a pretty balanced squad, reminding me of some of the Pitt teams from early this decade who could have any guy come out of the woodwork to beat you on any given night. B.J. Raymond is X's best weapon. As I mentioned, he is a swingman type. Because he likes to step outside more than his complement C.J. Anderson, I think our lockdown perimeter defender Jermaine Dixon will start on Raymond. B.J. can definitely use his size superiority to take advantage of Dixon if he plays more inside, but JD should be able to shut down his long-range game at least. If Raymond starts feeling it early, the bigger and more athletic Sam Young is a virtual lock to take on Raymond. I also think the 2 bench guys, Brad Wanamaker and Gil Brown, will see time on Raymond. They are both big and athletic guards and could be more physical with Raymond than Dixon.

It will also be interesting to see how Tyrell Biggs fares against Derrick Brown. Biggs is a very underrated defender in my mind, and is excellent fundamentally. Meanwhile Brown is Xavier's best interior threat and is a very sure shooter. I would say that DeJuan Blair could see minutes on him, but the fact that Brown can step outside to around and even beyond the 3-point line and shoot it pretty well makes me doubt that happens much. DeJuan is very effective around the basket, but Tyrell is a much better option when the offensive players are threatening to step away from the basket. Besides, we want DeJuan doing the Windex Man thing and cleaning the glass all night. Let Tyrell chase this guy around, it's not like he gives us much offensively anyway.

The Bottom Line: I like this Xavier team and think they were underappreciated by many (including yours truly). I like that they have a number of different options who can step up and also that they are a strangely tall team, especially in the backcourt. However, I just can't picture them having an answer for both Sam and DeJuan. It seems to me that they aren't going to be able to consistently stop either one without double teams, so unless they are just going to ignore our shooting guard and power forward spots, I think something has to give eventually. I think Xavier hangs with Pitt for much of the game but my personal thought is that DeJuan is the guy who ends up taking the game over for Pitt in the end.

Final Score Guess: Pitt 77-71

Go Panthers!

Three Rivers Three Links: March 26

2009-03-26T10:13:00.001-04:00

It's Sweet 16 Day! The day our beloved Pitt Panthers hope to (finally!) move past the Sweet 16 for the first time since the tournament expanded to 64 teams. It would be a big W for all Panther fans to finally see and to know that the previously unbreakable Sweet 16 glass ceiling has finally been shattered. Standing in the way of our Pitt Panthers are the Xavier Musketeers, a very tall squad at basically every position that is led by former Pitt star Sean Miller. With all that in mind I wanted to go through a few different Musketeer blogs that are out there and see if I can find what their take in all this is:

1. Our leadoff-hitting Xavier blog is called Crosstown Shoutout. I just linked to the front page, because their main preview for this game is breaking down Pitt, and well that's not really something a Pitt fan is going to read. Still, their Pitt preview impressed me. I've seen too many blogs do opposing team previews and F it up something awful. These guys did a nice job. Still, you can obviously go through some of the older posts and find some Xavier team info if you'd like.

2. Head to Musketeer Blogosphere for a few different posts on the Pitt and the game, as well as a bunch of other posts about (obviously) the Musketeers. I also just linked to the front page of the blog, so scroll through whatever you want to see there. As I figured, most of their game preview is also breaking down Pitt. Still, there are a good number of other posts about the X-men worth a look.

3. Finally, some stories from the Cincinnati Enquirer: Sean Miller talks about how tough of a test Pitt is for the X-men. And here are some random notes about the game from the Enquirer.

I'll be back later today with my own preview of this thing.

Finally, I wanted to wrap things up today with a little comment about the controversy over the now-infamous Sidney Crosby video from Puck Daddy. Yesterday in the Links, I wrote about that video and talked quite negatively about Puck Daddy. Greg, the editor at Puck Daddy, shot me (and I'm guessing others who talked negatively about it) an e-mail and gave a bit of inside info about the video that does change things a bit. I'm guessing you've probably read the e-mails that were sent to the Pensblog by now, and as things turn out, those e-mails probably weren't so legitimate after all, especially the "poor college kid" e-mail. Greg sent me the full video and it was pretty clear he wasn't taken advantage of on the cutting-room floor, as the kid claimed in his Pensblog e-mail.

While I still am dubious about the motivations behind that video and obviously don't agree with the impressions left from the video, I also appreciate the way Greg handled this backlash. I'm sure its a bit tough when you have so many blogs bashing you out there, especially when the thing they are bashing you on isn't actually true, either. I can't blame him for e-mailing and getting this whole thing straightened out. So thanks for the heads up Greg.

Three Rivers Three Links: March 25

2009-03-25T13:26:00.005-04:00

Sorry for the delay in today's TRTL. Unfortunately that is probably going to happen at least once more this week as I desperately try to pimp myself out to the local places of business in the hopes of finding a job. I know that's no excuse, so let's get right to today's links.

1. If you haven't yet been introduced to Alyonka Larionov, allow this video of her and Geno Malkin cooking pierogies on Pens TV to introduce you. She is the daughter of former NHLer and Russian legend Igor Larionov and was also rumored to be dating Alex Ovechkin (which may be gross, but also tells us that any one of us has a chance with her as appearances clearly don't mater to this girl). Anyway, there are a bunch of videos doing "The Penguins Show With Alyonka" on the website linked above. Nothing earth-shattering there, but they are pretty fun videos for the most part, and it helps that she is featured prominently in them. As you'd expect, the awkward level on this puppy is about 9.5 out of 10. Geno sticks mostly with Russian and is trying to make lame jokes (and probably get in her pants) for about 90% of the segment, but it's still funny to see. Highly recommended. I don't think either one is going to be getting offers from the Food Network anytime soon.

2. Yahoo! Sports broke a story about UConn making some recruiting violations. Shocker, right? It's amazing to me these types of stories don't come out more often. If you don't think there are all kinds of recruiting violations going on the throught all of college sports you are on naiver S.O.B. Still, I'm not exactly upset or feeling for the Huskies. Jim Calhoun is one of my least favorite coaches ever, and seeing him come under fire will put a wide smile on my face.

3. As if we needed it, we now even yet another reason to love the Pensblog. After some bush-league "documentary" stuff by Puck Daddy that basically mocks Sidney Crosby in addition to being just a generally poorly put-together video. the Pensblog reponds tremendously. That's a good job by them. The video is on the Pensblog site. I'd rather you click there and watch it then go to Puck Daddy and give him the extra hit on his site. There's also an e-mail on another Pensblog post from one of the guys in the documentary who Puck Daddy makes look a little ignorant on the subject of puck thanks to some heavy-handedness in the editing room. Shame on Puck Daddy.

Handicapping the Hart Trophy Race

2009-03-24T20:47:00.001-04:00

As I mentioned earlier today, the MVP race has become a definite hot topic as the NHL season starts to wind down. Crazy to think about, but there's just 8 games left in the Pens' regular season. 8! Where the hell have I been all season? I feel like there should be still be 20 games left in the season. At least. The good news is, thanks to the recent scalding hot streak of our beloved puck club, we are sitting in a good position to snag a playoff berth and continue this season onward. In fact, our magic number over 9th seeded Florida is 13 points. (Technically you could say it's 13, but we figure to have the edge in wins if there is a tie, so I'm calling it 12) So any combo in which we pick up 13 points on Florida (either by us gaining a point or them missing out on points) gives us a bid in the post-season.

So with all that in mind, I wanted to run down the lead candidates for the Hart Trophy, two of which just so happen to wear a flightless winter bird on their jersey.

The Candidates (in order of chance to win)

Alex Ovechkin: One of the most hated opposing players the Pittsburgh area has seen in recent memory. Whatever you think of AO, you've got to admit, the guy is goal-scoring savant. And to many voters, it seems like the things that matter the most are media coverage, ridiculous highlight plays and goals. Well, AO is one of the two most hyped players in the league (see if you can guess who the other one is), several of his goals are downright jaw-dropping, and he is far and away the leading goal scorer in hockey. Personally, I can't see how he's had a better all-around season than Geno, though. He is flashier, sure. And he's definitely the better goal-scorer despite the fact that he does shoot a ton more than Geno. You've got to concede that Malkin is the better playmaker, regardless of what team you root for. And I've watched several Caps games this season, and I just am not impressed much by Ovie's defense

Evgeni Malkin: Geno and AO are really the only two acceptable candidates for MVP this season in my mind. There are others I'm gonna discuss, but it boils down to these two. Geno has turned into a very good defender. I'd argue he's only a notch below a Datsyuk now. He's definitely the best defensive forward on the Pens. And somehow I've yet to even mention the fact that he's leading the NHL in scoring by a fairly comfortable measure, a distinction that often gives a big leg up in the race for the Hart. Unfortunately for Geno, the biggest setback to his campaign is something he really can't control too much. You see, the Hart is voted on by Hockey Writers. And what do hockey writers like most and therefore are most likely to vote for? Interesting stories and players. And while Geno is brilliant on the ice, his off-ice demeanor is still very much a work in progress. While he has made tremendous strides in the last 3 years in that regard, he pales in comparison to Ovechkin in this one regard. That, ultimately, will be what costs Malkin the trophy. And to me, that really isn't fair.

Okay, those are the two lead horses, let's take a look at a couple long shots, just for fun.

Sidney CrosbySid the Kid has had a truly excellent season, no question about it. And over the Pens' recent hot streak, he has been at least as valuable as Geno. Which, by the way, is the same period of time when he finally got himself a couple of wingers who aren't best described as "muckers and grinders" and when he finally started playing in a system that takes advantage of the fact that he is the most dangerous playmaker on the planet Earth. Coincidence? I think not. Others may not believe so, but I still think the Sid/Geno debate is still very much alive despite the fact that Geno has definitely been better this season. If Sid gets 82 games with Kunitz and Guerin (if they re-sign him, which I hope they do) next year then we can really start talking about who is the better player.

Zach Parise
One of the most underrated players in the entire sport of hockey. If you were to ask the casual fan of the sport who is second in the league in goals, how many guesses would they need to get it right with Parise? 10? 15? Would they even guess Parise? Would they even know what team Parise is on? Well, hopefully they'd know that last one. Because he plays for the Devils, I think a lot of people are assuming he is a defense-first, trapping guy who is more concerned with preventing goals than scoring them. While he is certainly a very, very good defensive forward and should get a Selke nom, he's definitely not a defense-first guy, either. He's a terrific combo player, and with Marty Brodeur going on the shelf for much of the season, Parise has been nothing short of marvelous when his team needed him the absolute most.

Steve Mason
This kid has been unreal this year for Columbus. He came absolutely out of nowhere and, at just 20 years of age, he is carrying an otherwise mediocre Columbus BJ team into the playoffs in the excellent Western Conference. Two things go against him, though, and guarantee he won't win this thing even though he is as deserving as anyone. He is a rookie and he is a goalie.

Tim Thomas
Thomas was a decent but not spectacular goalie for the past 3 seasons. But now, at the ripe old age of 34 (soon to be 35) he is making the leap into one of the best netminders in hockey. I'm not sure he'll get it because he lacks the history and the pedigree, but this guy deserves the Vezina for being the rock that turned this Bruins team from very good to great. A .931 save % and a 2.11 GAA? Those are insane numbers.

Pavel Datsyuk
I'll never get why Datsyuk isn't mentioned along with the Big 3 when it comes to the best players in the world. The guy is a ridiculous talent, and it's not like all his work comes at the defensive end, either, as I think some would have you believe. He has 360 points in 308 games over the past 4 seasons. That's only a shade below the Sid/Geno/AO triumvirate, and Pavel is without question a better defender than any of those three. Certainly, having a spectacular team around him makes it seem like he is less important than he really is. That guy is a superstar.

Three Rivers Three Links: March 24

2009-03-24T10:48:00.001-04:00

1. Where Have You Gone, Andy Van Slyke takes a look at potential 5th starter candidates who aren't currently in camp with the Pirates. He focuses mostly on potential non-tenders after ruling out the entire (worthless) crop of free agent pitchers. If you were hoping for some possible nice pickups here like Tyler Yates last season, I'd calm the excitement down a bit. The best option for the Pirates WHYGAVS concludes is probably Phillip Humber from Minnesota. I'd rather stick with Karstens with Gorzo and D-Cutch as the fallbacks. And WHYGAVS says basically the same thing. I will be interested to see if anyone else comes available, maybe someone who you wouldn't expect but just gets pushed out. Seems like that happens to 1 or 2 guys every year. Still, I see little problem with Karstens as our 5-man.

2. This is related to a post I'm going to have up tonight at some point (hopefully), so I thought I'd post it. It's the MVP debate between Pierre LeBrun and Scott Burnside for the Hart Trophy maybe a few days old, but it's worth the read. Also, LeBrun wants fan feedback.

3. Finally, it's Tuesday, which means I'm a little sad because there are 6 days until Jack Bauer is back in my life. So I've got to post the requisite 24 Blog of the Week. Today I'm featuring Blogs.4Bauer. Seems like this is one of the more popular 24 blogs out there, as evidence by their heavily-participated-in live blogs. If you have a spare 30-45 minutes, I'd recommend reading through last night's. Good stuff. Also, for any other casual 24 fans out there who don't have the time to read up on all the happenings in the 24-verse, did you know that Elisha Cuthbert is coming back this season. As a 24 fan, this offends me terribly. But as a male, I'm terribly excited. Quite the conflict waging inside of me.

Three Rivers Three Links: March 23

2009-03-23T09:47:00.005-04:00

1. The NFL is likely to bring in 2 new rules that can be traced almost directly to Steelers players delivering vicious(yet perfectly legal) hits on the opposition. Hines Ward's hit on Keith Rivers and Ryan Clark's on Wes Welker are the targets of these rules, and there is one other rule being considered after Bernard Pollard's hit that tore Tom Brady's ACL. The lesson, as always, the Patriots are huge pussies and must be protected at all costs, and the Steelers are vicious cheap-shot artists and must be stopped at all times. These rules, especially the one about Keith Rivers, really piss me off. If an offensive player is running and doesn't have his head on a swivel and gets popped, it's hailed by all as a great defensive hit. If 200 pound Hines Ward obliterates a much bigger linebacker, it's dirty. Maybe Keith Rivers shouldn't be such an undisciplined hack and realize that blocking is allowed and that he shouldn't chase blindly after the ball. Argh. The sport of football is spiraling more and more into an overly officiated mess. I really worry for the league's future. I mean, really, how long before they outlaw tackling and we switch to two-hand touch?

2. Looking for a Live Blog of yesterday's Oklahoma State-Pitt game? Well naturally, the Pitt Blather has one for you of their usual high quality. But if that wasn't enough live-bloggage for you, how many other news sources would you have checked before going to the Wall Street Journal? 100? 1000? Would you have ever checked them? Yeah me neither. But they came through for us with a solid LB of their own.

3. Hey Look! I finally got my site linked on the Pensblog!!! Words can't express how fired up I was when I stumbled on that this morning in their sidebar, and then also noticed they mentioned me and 3 others in the recap! Probably one of the 2 or 3 most exciting moments in this site's history, as that is without question my favorite blog on the planet Earth. So thank you, Pensblog.
Oh, and their recap is spot on about the ridiculous Flyer-love being showered out by the announcing crew yesterday. Especially this little line: " This led to a McDouche rant about how Richards is the best young captain in the game. Get over him." Seriously, what a ridiculous statement by McGuire. Richards is 24. That ain't that young anymore in hockey captain world. Sid's 21. Toews is 20. I'd rather have either one than Richards considering how much younger they are, and it's not even close.

Also, the requisite standing-watch update:

These Panthers Don't Like To Let Things Get Dull

2009-03-22T20:28:00.005-04:00

Whew!

There are a lot of things you can say about this Pitt squad right now. Some of them very positive, some of them not as much so. But one thing that I think all of us can agree on is this: They sure aren't boring.

Unlike the preceding Xavier-Wisconsin game that nearly destroyed the credibility of the entire sport of basketball, this game really couldn't have been any more entertaining.

The first half of this sucker resembled a 3-point shootout contest, as OK State shot 98% from the field on 49/50 treys (All statistics approximate) and the Panthers countered with a surprisingly potent long-range game of their own led mostly by the man of the hour, Sam I Am Young.

Thankfully for the score-keepers, the second-half was much more similar to a normal Pitt game. The Cowpokes predictably cooled off early on and Pitt pulled out in front by as much as 9 at one point. DeJuan was finally getting back into a rhythm after causing nearly every Pitt fan the world over to stop breathing for a solid minute after Byron Eaton tripped and dove into his knee Kimo-Von-Oelhoffen-style. And Levance was doing Levance things. And Sam was still filling the basket.

But just when it looked like the Panthers were going to pull away and coast, OK State responded in very impressive fashion, stealing all the momentum in the building from out of nowhere and overwhelming a sloppy Pitt team for multiple turnovers and bearing down offensively on some lackadaisical defensive efforts by the P-i-t-t. We had ourselves a ball game again, especially when OK State briefly seized the lead.

But just then, Levance Fields finally decided to show up for this game, dressed in his Captain Clutch cape. While Fields struggled for much of the game with some lingering injury issues, he got himself going by drilling a weird 3 from the corner immediately after he had just inbounded it to Sammy. Fieldsy quickly followed that up by making a big layup and drilling a stone-cold clutch 3 with less than 2 minutes to go to take the game from a tie to a 5 point lead. Boom goes the dynamite.
After that, Blair and Young would finish off the Cowpokes for an 84-76 W.

You really can't understate how big Sam was today. Sure the 32 points give you a pretty good idea, as does the fact that he had nearly half our points in the ridiculously up-tempo first half. But it was more than just the fact that he was our leading scorer. It was that he answered the bell early on, and was really the only one who did. If he hadn't been feeling it, this would have been like the Providence game all over again.

Eaton, Anderson and company came out gunning for us early, and boy were they gunning. I haven't seen a long-range performance in a half like that since Kevin Pittsnogle was at WVU making incest look cool like we were in 17th century Europe. If we had come out and clanked our response shots and let OSU get up on us and get all the momentum on their side, this game has a whole different outcome. They probably run away with it like the Friars did and embarass the bejeezus out of us.

But not today. Sam wasn't gonna let that happen. Even with DeJuan being shockingly frustrated and Fieldsy struggling for the first 37 minutes or so and the rest of the rotation only being so-so, Sam put this team on his shoulders. This was a performance for the ages here. I'd put it right up there with DeJuan's UConn game or some of the other legendary days in recent Pitt hoops history. Hell, I'd probably put it ahead of any of those now that I think about it because Sam had to carry that team in the first, and OK State knew it. And yet he was still downright beastly.

So for that, Sam I Am, I will be raising a toast to you tonight. Obviously, there is still a lot of work to be done, and you guys now get to look at a very beatable Xavier team for the right to (finally) move on to the Elite 8. But this will go down as your signature game at Pitt, and considering all the big days you have had, that is really saying something.

NCAA Round 2 Picks- Part Deux

2009-03-22T01:20:00.002-04:00

I went 7-1 yesterday, bumping my overall picks record to 30-10 overall. Solid start. Unfortunately, it was chalk city yesterday and my only miss was my doomed upset pick of Memphis falling to Maryland. Well, let's see how I can fair today:

Arizona State over Syracuse
Xavier over Wisconsin
Kansas over Dayton
Arizona over Cleveland State
Pittsburgh over Oklahoma State
Missouri over Marquette
Michigan State over USC
Louisville over Siena

Again, I mostly went chalk city, with the ASU over Syracuse pick being the only real upset on the board here. We'll see how that goes.

NCAA Round 2 Picks

2009-03-21T11:08:00.002-04:00

Day 1 and 2 were only so-so for me. I hit on 23 of my 32 first round picks. Not embarrassing, but it's not gonna win me any bracket pools, either. That wasn't good enough so I thought I'd try it again. But I didn't feel like having to be handicapped by ignorance and incorrect picks from before the tourney started, so I'm going to start with a fresh slate, as if I hit on all 32 picks in the first and try to pick these games anew.

Here we go with the Saturday Picks, tomorrow's will be up...well... tomorrow.
Villanova over UCLA
Maryland over Memphis
Connecticut over Texas A&M
Purdue over Washington
North Carolina over LSU
Oklahoma over Michigan
Gonzaga over Western Kentucky
Duke over Texas

Lots and lots of chalk dust falling off these chalk-filled picks, but I think that Maryland over Memphis upset pick makes up for the lack of risk in the other picks.

Woah Panthers Woah

2009-03-20T19:08:00.004-04:00

Isn't life supposed to be easier as a 1 seed? Apparently no one told the Pitt Panthers and Jamie Dixon that little anecdote. East Tennessee State gave that Pitt squad as much as they could possibly handle and we damn near watched history today, folks. I don't really remember the other close 1-16 games too well, but I doubt even the ones that finished closer in the final score than this one were any more gut-wrenching for the favored team than this one was. Pitt was basically a one-man show today, as DeJuan Blair showed up with a monster day and was too much for ETSU to handle.

And thank god for that effort from Blair. I really don't know what I would have done if Pitt would've lost. For sure I wouldn't have been able to turn on any sort of sporting event for a minimum of a month, and there's a good chance this entire blog would've just been abandoned.

Despite the big day from DeJuan, the rest of the team left something to be desired. In fact, Blair was pretty much the only one in the starting lineup who did show up for Pitt at all. Levance Fields looked like he was about 50%, maybe, and that left him even slower than he already is. Sam I Am turned it on in stretches at the offensive zone, but he also had moments where he looked a bit lackadaisical, especially in the defensive zone.

As for the role players, I'm not even sure where to start with my beefs. Actually, scratch that, yes I know exactly where to start. Are there two more frustrating reserves around than Gil Brown and Brad Wanamaker? They both ooze potential and have spurts where they make me legitimately excited about the very uncertain future of Pitt basketball. But then they have days like today, especially in the case of Wanamaker. The guy has great size for a 2 guard, has shown a consistently improved shot and has the athleticism to D up with anyone from 6'0-6'6. But he just makes so many dumb plays it's hard to believe he's even able to tie his shoes before the games. As for Gil, its not that he makes a ton of boneheaded plays or anything like that (though he has been known to do that, too). It's that he just isn't aggressive enough. He is probably the best athlete on the entire team, even better than Sam. He doesn't seem to realize that there are very few teams in college hoops that have someone even remotely capable of covering him. Until he does realize that, I don't know if he ever becomes anything more than a 6th man.

There was one other bench player worth writing about, but in this case it's in a positive light. Ashton Gibbs was probably the second-best player on the court today for Pitt during his 18 minutes of PT. He drilled two big-time treys, and I was aching for him to start shooting way earlier than he actually did. Having even a half-decent outside threat going early in the second half would have made this a totally different ball game. Granted Sam was solid when he shot long-range, but he spent a fair amount of time playing the 4 whereas Gibbs was constantly around the perimeter and could've given ETSU another threat to think about and potentially stopped them from quintuple teaming DeJuan every time he touched the ball. I got the impression though, that Gibbs was on a leash or something and wasn't being allowed to shoot the way he kept faking his shot and passing it off so that someone like Fields could clank another trey instead. I don't know if that's the case, but if it is someone needs to smack Jamie Dixon upside the head, as Gibbs is far and away the best long-range threat this team has, and he was the perfect weapon to use today, and for some reason it took Jamie and company most of the game to realize that. Truly baffling.

Three Rivers Three Links: March 20

2009-03-20T11:06:00.000-04:00

Okay there's no grand intro to the Links today. Sorry, but I have my priorities, and today that priority is getting to Hemingway's by 12:30 or so and reserving myself a top-notch seat right at the bar so that I have both a superb view of one of their nice TVs and easy access to the bartenders and the waitresses for all of my beer and food needs.

1. Among others, your truly participated in a post over at Sean's Ramblings in which we asked Sean some questions about what he should look for as he ventures down to Bradenton for a few days watching the Pirates in Spring Training. Some pretty good questions and some pretty funny ones, too. I'm looking forward to his answers.

2. Yeah Sage Rosenfels is one team's high-priority offseason move, Dan Orlovsky is signed for 3 mil a year as a backup, and yet Byron Leftwich doesn't have a job. The Bleacher Report wants to know the same thing I do, why doesn't Leftwich have a job? It's ludicrous. Right now I'd put Leftwich among the top 20-25 QBs in football, yet no one wants the guy. I mean I won't complain if the Steelers bring him back for another year, cuz he's a crazy good backup, but I kinda feel for the guy. And I just don't get how the 10 NFL teams that need a good QB can be this dumb. To paraphrase Will Ferrell from his award-winning turn as Mugatu in Zoolander, "Sage Rosenfels, Dan Orlovsky, J.T. O'Sullivan, Chris Simms, THEY'RE THE SAME TERRIBLE QUARTERBACK! Doesn't anyone notice this? I feel like I'm taking crazy pills!!!!"

3. If you are a numbers nerd, like me, this article in the PG about the statistics of the tournament in relation to how far the Pitt hoops squad will advance this season is definitely worth a look.

The Madness: Day 1

2009-03-20T00:41:00.005-04:00

It may not have had much in the way of "One Shining Moment" footage, but it was a very entertaining day of Madness today. I watched a good bit of basically every game today thanks to the magic of an HDTV and two computers linked up with CBSSports.com all lined up side-by-side-by-side. I'm not sure that I've ever seen a more beautiful site to tell you the truth. And perhaps the best news of all is knowing that I get to do it all over again tomorrow AND watch my beloved Pitt Panthers kickstart their tournament.

But before we get to all that good stuff, I have 10 thoughts I wanted to share regarding today's festivities:

1. I may have picked Memphis to go to the Final Four in 2 of my 3 brackets...but if Tyreke Evans gets in foul trouble, that squad isn't getting past Maryland and that's all there is to it. Suddenly, I would really like that FF pick back. I can't even see Memphis getting past the Sweet 16 now.

2. No one uglies up a game quite like Big ~~Eleven~~ Ten teams. I don't know how anyone can possibly watch that garbage on a regular basis unless you have a strong rooting interest in one of the teams. When Illinois/Western Kentucky was on CBS in the Pittsburgh region for thTe better part of their game, I chose watching the CBSSports.com grainy snuff-film footage of the UCLA/VCU game over watching that Illinois team play on my HDTV. Just brutal.

3. There were very, very few teams that impressed me today, and none of the big names really did. Sure UConn, Duke, Oklahoma and UNC absolutely blew the doors off of their respective opponents, but none of them proved anything to us that we didn't already know, and I remain unconvinced as to how well each one of them can overcome their respective weak spots. If I take Pitt out of the equation because of my biased homerism, I would take Louisville over any one of the 4 teams in a heartbeat.

4. Oddly, one team that did impress me that I expected almost nothing special from was Texas A&M. I looked at that squad and didn't see them getting past BYU. So much for that. They took the Cougars apart, and I think they will give UConn a game in Round 2.

5. I was also impressed by Maryland, and that is now my upset special pick for Round 2 (I think). I need to look through some stats first before I make that official, but Memphis is clearly vulnerable.

6. Another vulnerable team is Gonzaga. I really liked them coming into the tournament, but same as Memphis I just wasn't impressed by them when they were pressed early on by a hungry Akron team. I don't see them losing to Western Kentucky, though that team certainly fits the bill as this year's sweetheart Sweet 16 squad. However, I also no longer consider them a Final Four darkhorse, as I once did.

7. Yet another team that I cooled on significantly was Villanova. I had them pegged as a legit threat to Pitt if they were to meet in the Elite 8. If they play like they did today when they take on UCLA they won't be making the trek to Boston. Maybe I'm being too harsh on these teams for one game, but watching these squads play just gave me all sorts of doubts today.

8. Eric Maynor completely let me down at the end of that VCU/UCLA game. I couldn't have imagined a worse offensive possession there. Maynor drove right at Collison who is superb defensively. Under what circumstance is that an acceptable decision? That play was as coordinated as diarrhea. I guess I'm just pissed because I thought that was a sure-fire upset special pick. Damn!

9. The best player of the day: Marcus Thornton from LSU. I didn't know a ton about him before today apart from him being a good scorer and LSU's best player. But I was very impressed by him today. 30 points against a quality Butler squad is nothing to overlook. And now he gets to match up with a North Carolina squad that is prone to giving up huge numbers defensively. Thornton is just the type of player that could give that Tar Heel team fits and he could maybe be just the right man for the job to lead a stunning upset of UNC. Or maybe I'm insane.

10 . Whoever that Morgan State player is, that guy should be ashamed of himself. That was ridiculous the way he went out of his way to hurt Blake Griffin like that. Completely classless and I really don't know how Griffin didn't get up and beat the bejeezus out of that guy. Would anyone have blamed him if he did? I sure wouldn't have.

And finally a quick prediction for tomorrow's Pitt game: Pitt 84 ETSU 57

Three Rivers Three Links

2009-03-19T10:42:00.003-04:00

It's time to let the inmates loose! The Madness officially begins today, and with that in mind I have a few different links about the madness as I prepare for an exhausting day of sitting on my ass, watching 12 hours of basketball, eating copious amounts of pizza and drinking beer and coke all while I'm supposed to be ~~sleeping~~ sitting in my finance classes. If only my parents could see me now.

1. Are you one of the poor saps sitting at your cubicle on this glorious day hoping to catch a sneak of the grainy, snuff-film-looking footage of the March Madness games on CBS's website? Well then I would direct you here: Skipping work from TheLoveofSports.com. I especially liked the fake pink eye excuse. That could get you out today and tomorrow. Too perfect.

2. If you like sports simulation stuff, I can't recommend ESPN's Accuscore bracketcaster highly enough. I just spent 20 minutes simulating different brackets. It really is way more fun than simple percentages and odds ever should be, especially when it gives you zany upsets like it just gave me, with Siena in the Sweet 16 and Bobby Mo beating Sparty.

3. PSAMP pretty much nails spot on my thoughts about Dwyane Wade picking Pitt to win the title. I still wake up sometimes in a cold sweat thinking about what he did to Pitt in the tournament. Few people really remember this, but that game was really his coming out party, as he had only really dominated C-USA teams to that point. After he debacled Pitt, I think a lot of people realized just how special of a player he could be. Perhaps even more importantly, Wade's trademark move, the "drive-recklessly-towards-the-hoop-looking-for-contact-and-toss-up-a-terrible-shot-while-obviously-flopping-to-the-ground-like-you've-been-picked-off-by-a-sniper" routine was first unveiled to a national audience in this game. It was a big moment for basketball. Oh, and I think the refs from the 06 NBA Finals just called another foul on the Mavericks.

Site update: I'll be back later tonight with my personal and completely random thoughts from today's NCAA games. My plan for today is to skip not one, but two classes, and only tear myself away from the TV and the computer when the pizza guy shows up. God I love this time of year.

Three Rivers Three Links

2009-03-18T11:46:00.002-04:00

Like so many others on the morning March the 18th, I'm not really in peak mental and physical form right now. So let's get right to this thing:

1. A video from ESPN of Todd McShay talking to some random ESPN anchor about Shady McCoy's Workout. It sounds as though our old friend Shady had a good but not quite great workout. The 40 was a decent 4.50 (or so) which is better than Knowshon Moreno or Beanie Wells. The actual on-field performance in his workout was very solid and McShay raved about McCoy's ability to catch out of the backfield and get upfield quickly. That sounds like the Shady I know and love. In my mind this probably solidifies him as the 3rd best back in the draft, but I don't think that it was good enough to pass Wells or Moreno. What is interesting though is the job he did receiving. If the right team gets enamored with that facet of his game (Philly? Arizona?) he could definitely find himself going in the late first round.

2. Tom Gorzelanny is out like Tom Hagen. Gorzo, the once highly touted lefty starter who put up a superb 07 season with the Bucs, was optioned to the minors earlier today. This continues a ridiculous downward spiral for Gorzelanny. It also all but solidifes the opening day rotation as: Maholm, Snell, Duke, Ohlendorf and Karstens. You really have to wonder whether he even has a future with this organization, as a demotion with 3 weeks still to go before Opening Day doesn't just signify he wasn't as good as the others, it signifies some definite dissatisfaction with him from the organization.

3. Interesting bit about Pitt's (and every other big team's) chances to make it to the Final Four based on having future NBA players from 3 Hoops Fans. By their account, Pitt only having two future NBA picks (more on that in a sec) would make Pitt ~~an underdog to the Dukies in their region.~~ one of the more likely teams to make it to the Final Four, as having 2 is the magic number, as Jon pointed out to me in the comments below. Just going off the teams with the most future NBA sure-fire players, the Final Four would be North Carolina, UConn, Wake Forest and Duke. That would be a Big Time ACC year.

Also, I don't know that Blair and Sam I Am are the only Panthers with a shot at going pro, though. I still maintain Gil Brown has the athleticism and either Jermaine Dixon or Brad Wanamaker have the potential if they can continue to grow. Just something to keep in mind.

Finally, this isn't a link, but my nasty addiction to standing-watching in the NHL is really only getting worse, so I figured I'd share the affliction with all of you. The Pens are solidly the 5 seed right now in the East. Just gotta keep on winning. I don't want to play Boston or New Jersey in the first round personally.

Dan Rooney: A Man of Many Talents

2009-03-17T16:44:00.004-04:00

It's St. Patty's Day, and as a through and through Irishman, I needed to get some sort of post commemorating St. Patrick's Day. I was racking my brain for something to at least kinda sorta tie it into Pittsburgh sports. And then Dan Rooney and Barack Obama drop this in my lap. Too perfect.
This has obviously been rumored for some time, and the announcement was expected to be coming any day, so we should have expected that today of all days would be the day that President Obama would make it official.

Is there seriously anything that Dan Rooney can't do? The guy was the key in turning the Steelers around from NFL trainwreck prior to the 70's into quite possibly the most succaessful franchise in all of professional sports. He has been one of the most influential owners in the history of the league. He had Paul Tagliabue's ear, he has Roger Goodell's ear and I don't think it is out of line to say he's the most well-respected owner in the NFL, a league that has several well-respected owners. He stumped for Barack Obama and was a bit of a key figure in our new President's public turnaround in PA and afterward. He has long been a big figure in supporting peace in the always-warring Northern Ireland. And after dabbling a bit in politics he is now serving his country as an ambassador to everyone's favorite country: Ireland.

So congrats Mr. Rooney, you've earned every accolade you could ever receive. And good luck with your new post.

Mock Draft IV: Round 2

2009-03-17T11:37:00.003-04:00

Round 2 Picks:
33. Detroit- Ron Brace DT Boston College
34. New England- Alphonso Smith CB Wake Forest
35. St. Louis- D.J. Moore CB Vanderbilt
36. Cleveland- Larry English DE/OLB Northern Illinois
37. Seattle- LeSean McCoy RB Pitt
38. Cincinnati- Max Unger OL Oregon
39. Jacksonville- Phil Loadholt OT Oklahoma
40. Oakland- Kenny Britt WR Rutgers
41. Green Bay- Darius Butler CB Connecticut
42. Buffalo- Shawn Nelson TE Southern Miss
43. San Francisco- Connor Barwin OLB Cincinnati
44. Miami- Jarron Gilbert DE San Jose State
45. New York Giants- Derrick Williams WR Penn State
46. Houston- Louis Delmas S Western Michigan
47. New England- Duke Robinson OL Oklahoma
48. Denver- James Laurinaitis LB Ohio State
49. Chicago- Josh Freeman QB Kansas State
50. Cleveland- Donald Brown RB Connecticut
51. Dallas- William Moore S Missouri
52. New York Jets- Jamon Meredith OT South Carolina
53. Philadelphia- Shonn Greene RB Iowa
54. Minnesota- Herman Johnson G LSU
55. Atlanta- James Casey TE Rice
56. Miami- Brian Robiskie WR Ohio State
57. Baltimore- Clint Sintim LB Virginia
58. New England- Tyrone McKenzie OLB South Florida
59. Carolina- Sen'Drick Marks DT Aubunr
60. New York Giants- Jared Cook TE South Carolina
61. Indianapolis- Fili Moala DT USC
62. Tennessee- Mitch King DT Iowa
63. Arizona- Andy Levitre G Oregon State
64. Pittsburgh- Jairus Byrd CB Oregon

Round 1
Also please feel free to leave any comments/criticisms/alternate choices you may have below. Feedback is most appreciated.

Mock Draft IV

2009-03-17T11:37:00.002-04:00

This will be my fourth attempt at a Mock, for past incarnations: Draft I, Draft II, Draft III.

This time I expanded to a two round Mock and also did a bit of a format change. I listed the entire first round immediately below without any explanation so that it is easier to read for people who have come here looking for a particular pick. Below that list is the usual first round explanation for each pick. Click at the bottom of this page for the second round Mock. We'll do this again in a couple of weeks.

1 Detroit- Matthew Stafford QB Georgia
2 St. Louis- Jason Smith OT Baylor
3 Kansas City- Aaron Curry LB Wake Forest
4 Seattle- Eugene Monroe OT Virginia
5 Cleveland- Brian Orakpo DE Texas
6 Cincinnati- B.J. Raji DT Boston College
7 Oakland- Andre Smith OT Alabama
8 Jacksonville- Michael Crabtree WR Texas Tech
9 Green Bay- Aaron Maybin OLB Penn State
10 San Francisco- Jeremy Maclin WR San Francisco
11 Buffalo- Everette Brown DE/LB Florida State
12 Denver- Malcolm Jenkins CB Ohio State
13 Washington- Michael Oher OT Mississippi
14 New Orleans- Brian Cushing OLB USC
15 Houston- Tyson Jackson DE LSU
16 San Diego- Rey Maualuga LB USC
17 New York Jets- Mark Sanchez QB USC
18 Chicago- Hakeem Nicks WR North Carolina
19 Tampa Bay- Peria Jerry DT Mississippi
20 Detroit- Eben Britton OT Arizona
21 Philadelphia- Brandon Pettigrew TE Oklahoma State
22 Minnesota- Vontae Davis CB Illinois
23 New England- Clay Matthews LB New England
24 Atlanta- Robert Ayers DE Tennessee
25 Miami- Sean Smith DB Utah
26 Baltimore- Percy Harvin WR Florida
27 Indianapolis- Darrius Heyward-Bey WR Maryland
28 Philadelphia- William Beatty OT Connecticut
29 New York Giants- Knowshon Moreno RB Georgia
30 Tennessee- Michael Johnson DE Georgia Tech
31 Arizona- Chris Wells RB Ohio State
32 Pittsburgh- Alex Mack OL California

1 Detroit- Matthew Stafford QB Georgia
This pick continues to be consistently boring, as I've seen no reason whatsoever to change this pick thus far. Stafford hasn't locked anything up yet, but he is seen almost unanimously as the clubhouse leader. He still has a workout to go through that could shake things up a bit, and I imagine the Lions are taking long, hard looks at the likes of Eugene Monroe, but to this point nothing has emerged from Lions camp to change my mind here.

2 St. Louis- Jason Smith OT Baylor
It still is very much up for debate about just who the top offensive lineman is in the 09 Draft, but for me right now it seems to be Jason Smith by a nose over Eugene Monroe. The offensive line position seems like a slam dunk for the Rams at this spot, as there are at least two guys here who are elite-level talents to go with the Rams pressing need for help at the position.

3 Kansas City- Aaron Curry LB Wake Forest
As you can tell, the top of the draft has stayed mostly stagnant to this point. Curry just screams "Patriot Player" to me, and I think Scott Pioli will be thinking along similar lines. He is a truly tremendous talent, and will be able to contribute significantly from Day 1. In fact, he seems like the safest pick in the entire draft in my eyes, and that has to be music to KC's ears. The Chiefs desperately need help on the defensive side of the ball. This just makes so much sense, I can't see it going any other way so long as Curry is there for them.

4 Seattle- OT Eugene Monroe Virginia
Finally a bit of change at the top. The Seahawks have been a tough team to peg to this point, and that continues. I think Crabtree has been mostly ruled out here, though, because of the fact his measurables aren't all that impressive (he's only 6'1 and there's no good speed measurement) and because the Hawks signed T.J. Houshmandzadeh to boost their receiving corps already. That said, I still think Seattle takes a long look at the Tech receiver, they'd be crazy not to. However, I think their pressing need on the offensive line makes Monroe a logical pick, and he could very well turn out to be a truly elite player before long on the left side.

5 Cleveland- Brian Orakpo DE/LB Texas
The Browns have needs all over, but most of their needs don't match up tremendously well with where they are drafting. That said, I'd have to say that Orakpo, even if he is a bit of a reach, probably is the best bet to land here for the Browns. Orakpo could give them a tremendous pass rushing threat off the edge and should be able to give them a boost immediately in their 3-4 scheme. Another possibility could be B.J. Raji or maybe Michael Crabtree if they have the balls to go after another high pick receiver.

6 Cincinnati- B.J. Raji DT Boston College
The Bengals, at least in my mind, are a pretty easy team to read in this draft. To me, three guys make all the sense in the world here, and the odds are good that two of those three (no idea which ones though) will be off the board. In addition to Raji, I'd say that Eugene Monroe and Jason Smith are the other two possibilities. Raji looks to be a very disruptive force from the interior of the line. He isn't going to be a tremendous pass-rushing force like Haynesworth or anything, but I do think he'll be an excellent run-stuffer and in this division, that is a very important facet to have in your line.

7 Oakland- Andre Smith OT Alabama
This guy has been one of the more controversial names to be tossed around this postseason. He is as good of a talent as anyone in the draft, but when the stakes are this high, any red flag can drop a guy significantly. In his case, that could lead Smith to drop further even than this. However, the Raiders eventually have to find someone to block for poor JaMarcus Russell, and I think Al Davis will overlook Smith's bad boy persona in order to secure a potential franchise building block. Many others have the Raiders pegged for Michael Crabtree or Jeremy Maclin here. Certainly, I think either is a possibility, but I like Smith more for the always difficult-to-read Raiders. Crabtree doesn't have the measurables that Davis loves, and Maclin may be fast but I don't think the talent is really there to justify passing on Smith for him.

8 Jacksonville- Michael Crabtree WR Texas Tech
If he's here, I think you would probably be hard-pressed to find a bigger slam dunk than this pick. How many Day 1 picks have the Jags wasted on useless wide receivers over the past several years? It seems like that number grows by 1 or 2 every year. With Crabtree, though, I think they are getting a pretty safe prospect. I definitely don't buy the Larry Fitz comparisons, as Crabtree is only 6'1 not 6'3 as he was listed, and doesn't figure to be nearly as dominant on jump balls in the pros as he was in college. I also don't know that he is going to be a game-breaker, either. But I do think he is definitely an 80 catch, 1,000 yard receiver in the pros within a year or two, and that he will be a tough receiver a la Anquan Boldin or Hines Ward, which isn't a measurable in any way but is a nice bonus to have.

9 Green Bay- Aaron Maybin DE/LB Penn State
Maybin would most certainly be shifted to the outside linebacker position for the Pack. I think Green Bay would love to snag a nose tackle like B.J. Raji here, but that seems extremely unlikely given Raji's recent rocket up the draft board and the number of teams in need of a quality DT. I'm not completely sold on Maybin, and I don't expect him to be an immediate impact player. But I do think that under the tutelage of a 3-4 master like Dom Capers, Maybin could definitely be molded into a very good pass rush specialist and maybe even develop some of the coverage skills that also will be necessary.

10 San Francisco- Jeremy Maclin WR Missouri
The Niners are a team I have had some difficulty pegging. They could definitely use a boost at the offensive tackle position, but Michael Oher would be a reach and the others are gone. I personally would look at Mark Sanchez, but most Niner sources and seemingly all Niner fans don't like that idea too much. And pass-rushing could also be a need for this team. But after bringing back Alex Smith and committing to Shaun Hill, I think the Niners will be looking to add some weapons for their quarterbacks to make use of. Maclin is a burner who reminds me a bit of Santonio Holmes in that he doesn't have the great size you like in a downfield threat, but he does certainly have the speed to outrun most DBs.

11 Buffalo- Everette Brown DE/LB Florida State
The Bills have not been afraid in recent years to reach for someone (a la Donte Whitner) if they believe in him. With that in mind I really wouldn't be surprised to see a Brian Cushing or Michael Oher or Rey Maualuga go here. Brown is a solid athlete and can rush from the DE or OLB spot for Buffalo depending on the scheme. However, there is concern about him because the athleticism he showed at the combine was subpar. I think Brown could be a prime candidate to slip, just not in this scenario.

12 Denver- Malcolm Jenkins CB Ohio State
The Broncos figure to target whoever the best defender on the board is, as they need help all over on that side of the ball. In this case, that is definitely Jenkins. I think Denver would like to land one of the pass-rushing tweeners, and certainly those guys could fall, but I am a fan of Jenkins. His measurables don't jump off the page at you at all, but I still think he turns into a very good corner, which is something the Broncos could definitely use. Pairing Jenkins opposite the legendary Champ Bailey should give the Broncos one of the most talented starting tandems in football. Other possibilities here would be Rey Maualuga or Tyson Jackson. One last wildcard could be Mark Sanchez. If this Jay Cutler thing continues to go south, the Broncos are wildly unlikely to get a good enough if they do end up having to Cutler. I really can't figure out the Broncos here. First you try to deal a Pro Bowl QB with as much natural ability as any QB in football for a 1 year wonder who looks very much like a system QB, and then instead of patching things up you mostly antagonize your QB even more? Think Pat Bowlen would like that Fire Mike Shanahan decision back? I bet he would.

13 Washington- Michael Oher OT Mississippi
By most accounts this pick would be something of a reach for the Redskins. But as we saw last year, teams are more than willing to reach for offensive linemen if it is a need, and for the Skins, it definitely is. Oher looks like something of a project to me and I highly doubt he is able to start and play even decently his rookie season. For the Redskins I think that might put them off a bit, but Oher also has as high of a ceiling as any lineman in this draft, which should at least partially make up for that. The Skins also could use a defensive end or a linebacker here. I wouldn't be surprised to see a trade back here either, especially if Mark Sanchez is still on the board.

14 New Orleans- Brian Cushing OLB USC
The Saints, as always, need help on defense. The secondary is an area of concern for like th 40th year in a row, but unless Malcolm Jenkins slips all the way to here, I wouldn't take any of the other cornerbacks. Cushing is probably the second-best pure linebacker in this draft behind the superb Aaron Curry, and like Curry I think Cushing can come right in and play and contribute a ton from Day 1. Other possibilities could be a Tyson Jackson at end or if they want to go secondary, it would have to be Vontae Davis.

15 Houston- Tyson Jackson DE LSU
Tyson Jackson is viewed by many as a 3-4 DE, but that isn't necessarily the only scenario for him. I think Houston would be a solid fit for him actually. I don't see him being a tremendous pass rusher, but with Super Mario opposite him, he wouldn't have to be. Instead, Jackson figures to be more of a run-stuffing, stay-at-home type who may end up playing defensive tackle within a few years, too.

16 San Diego- Rey Maualuga LB USC
The Bolts are a team that can afford to look mostly at the best player available who fills even a slight need. With Maualuga still sitting on the board, this seems like a perfect fit. Maualuga doesn't have tremendous upside, but he is already looking like an NFL-ready MLB, and if he is in the right fit he is probably a leading candidate for Defensive Rookie of the Year. The Bolts are a better team than they showed for much of last season, and Rey would be a nice addition to a team that has every intention of contending for the foreseeable future.

17 New York Jets- Mark Sanchez QB USC
The Jets have a lot of pretty solid pieces in place to make a run. The one question mark, though, is at the QB position, and a playoff team can't afford to have that. I'm not as big on Sanchez as others. I think he needs at least one redshirt season in the pros before he is ready, but there is no doubt that the kid has talent, and for that reason I just can't see the Jets passing on him, even if they do have faith in Kellen Clemens. If Sanchez is gone I can't see the Jets going for a Josh Freeman, and would think they'd look at an offensive playmaker or maybe a defensive end.

18 Chicago- Hakeem Nicks WR North Carolina

Many will be surprised to see Nicks as the third receiver taken in the draft, but this pick is about more than just explosiveness. Of the three receivers most likely to go in this range, Nicks, Harvin and Heyward-Bey, Nicks is the most complete receiver. He isn't going to be a game-breaker like the other two, but he is by far the best route-runner and has superb hands and I think will contribute more off the bat than the other two, who have a bit of mystery around them as to what they will develop into. Da Bears also have some questions on the defensive side of the ball, too. A guy like Robert Ayers or Peria Jerry could be given a look at this spot, too.

19 Tampa Bay- Peria Jerry DT Mississippi

There are many rumors going around about the Bucs potential interest in Kansas State QB Josh Freeman. Personally, though, I just can't see Freeman being this high of a pick. I watched K-State a few times this season on TV and at no point did I ever think I was watching a first or even second round pick. Yeah the guy has some definite potential, but he looks like a project to me and there is always a big unknown with QB's that are projects. If the Bucs want Freeman I think they could definitely trade down 10 spots or so to grab him then instead. Jerry meanwhile is a potentiall dominant force on the interior. The Bucs once-proud D has lost a lot of the teeth they once had, and I think the Bucs could look to add to their D at almost any position. Jerry would represent a good value here, and the drop-off after him at DT is pretty significant.

20 Detroit- Eben Britton OT Arizona
The Lions have holes all over the place and could always go with the best player available approach here after going with a definite need pick at number 1. If that's the case, expect another first-round receiver (ugh) or a linebacker like Clay Matthews. But Eben Britton is the last of the legit first round talents at offensive tackle, and while I can't make an argument he is the 20th best player in this draft, I wouldn't fault the Lions for trying to find some help to protect their franchise QB Matt Stafford.

21 Philadelphia- Brandon Pettigrew TE Oklahoma State

I had previously pegged the Eagles for Beanie Wells here, and while I do think the Eagles will add a running back on Day 1, it seems like Wells is seeing his stock slip a bit these days. Pettigrew meanwhile is a guy that many thought could be a borderline top 10 pick prior to the combine. The results there were kind of disappointing, which is why he slips to here, but at 21 he is a very solid value. He isn't a game-breaker tight end like Antonio Gates, but he has good hands and has the size and strength you'd want to see in a good blocker. After losing L.J. Smith, the Eagles need to find somebody to give some help to Donovan McNabb on offense.

22 Minnesota- Vontae Davis CB Illinois
There is certainly some demand for more help offensively in order to take some heat off of Adrian Peterson, but the Vikes defense is no masterpiece, either. Davis has superb athleticism, and while his gameday performances probably aren't that of a first rounder, he could turn into a very good player if he is in the right type of system. Let's hope that is the Vikings' system. Davis can cover anyone with that excellent speed, and despite being raw like I said, I think he is able to help someone from the first day of camp. There is a serious sentiment among some, though, that Davis reeks of being a colossal bust, which is why despite the talent he possesses he slips all the way to 22.

23 New England- Clay Matthews LB USC

The Pats waited years and years to draft a linebacker in the first round, and then they go and snag an absolute stud in Jerod Mayo. Something tells me they might be a bit more open to the idea from now on. And it turns out that the Pats just so happen to need more help at linebacker. I'm not as high on Matthews as some others, who think he may be higher than teammates Cushing or Maualuga, but I do think that he will be a solid player and is a good athlete to pair alongside the new face of the New England defense in Mayo.

24 Atlanta- Robert Ayers DE Tennessee
Ayers has shot up some draft boards and it wouldn't be a real reach to see him go 15 or maybe even a little bit higher. However, I think he has a little bit of that "workout warrior" label attached to him that often times makes teams wonder if the production on field will match the athleticism in the workouts. I think some teams might avoid just because of that. However, at 24 I think he is a very solid value. He would give the Falcons a potentially imposing pass-rushing threat opposite John Abraham and give another boost to a Flacons D in definite need of more talent. I wouldn't rule out another weapon of any sort for Matt Ryan at this spot, either.

25 Miami- Sean Smith DB Utah

The Dolphins figure to look to add some help to their defense with this pick. Linebacker or cornerback especially figure to be the areas of need, and maybe even nose tackle, too. Smith is an absolutely massive defensive back at 6'3 and is currently considered a CB/S tweener. I think Parcells and Sparano realize the incredible value of a 6'3 cornerback and roll the dice a little bit on this raw but impressive prospect.

26 Baltimore- Percy Harvin WR Florida

The Ravens have a few different needs, but I think Ozzie Newsome would love to get a playmaker like Harvin into his offense to give another weapon to Joe Flacco. I don't see Harvin ever maturing into a 80-90 catch threat, but I definitely see him being an excellent secondary weapon capable of going for 6 points anytime he touches the ball. The Ravens could use an inside linebacker to replace Bart Scott, someone like James Laurinaitis or maybe even a Clay Matthews could play in there, or they could look for an offensive lineman as well.

27 Indianapolis- Darrius Heyward-Bey WR Maryland

Heyward-Bey has vaulted from second-rounder to definite first rounder in recent weeks. However, I think he has become overrated in recent rankings and mocks. I'm not sure the on field abilities and production really matches what we have seen from him in the workouts and at the combine. He is a tremendous athlete, no question, but I think he ends up slipping a bit because receivers always slip and because he is not nearly as complete of a total receiver as Hakeem Nicks

28 Philadelphia- William Beatty OT Connecticut

With their two draft picks I expect the Eagles to definitely find a way to get an offensive tackle. Beatty probably isn't actually a first round talent, but just like in the 08 draft, I think we will see teams start reaching for linemen, especially tackles because of how scarce those resoures are in the league. Other areas could be another wide receiver and a complement running back for Brian Westbrook, but they already have one weapon in Pettigrew for McNabb, so that is enough for now.

29 New York Giants- Knowshon Moreno RB Georgia

Finally! We have our first running back off the board. By no means do I think the Giants our really desperate for a running back, but just like our Steelers a year ago, I think Big Blue is swooning at the thought of adding a weapon at the running back position with this much talent. I definitely prefer Moreno to Beanie Wells, but others may disagree. The G-men also will look at receiver at some point early in the draft, but with 5 receivers already off the board, I just can't see them bothering with the position here. If Heyward-Bey or Nicks or Harvin slip though, then those guys definitely become likely targets.

30 Tennessee- Michael Johnson DE Georgia Tech

For whatever reason, this draft is absolutely littered with guys like Johnson. He is an athletic force of nature, but the on-field production never really matched up with the potential. That is a definite red-flag, especially with higher picks. But at 30, the Titans can afford this luxury pick and won't throw Johnson into the fire immediately, either. If he lives up to the athleticism, he would have been worthy of a top-10 pick. Defensive Tackle is a need, and I wouldn't be surprised to see them reach for Ron Brace. They also could use a wide receiver, as I don't see Nate Washington taking control of the number 1 receiver role.

31 Arizona- Chris "Beanie" Wells RB Ohio State

The Cards keep getting pegged for a running back, and while I do agree in this particular case, I'm not so sure I buy that this is the only area they could target. Certainly if a Wells or Knowshon Moreno is on the board the Cards would have to take a long look at them considering the complete lack of talent the Cards have at the position. However, the Cards still need more offensive line help and their defense, not their running game, was the biggest weakness for much of last season before a late-season surge, so I wouldn't be surprised to see them take the best defender available, someone like Larry English or Louis Delmas.

32 Pittsburgh- Alex Mack OL California

I know what you're thinking Steeler fans. "BORING!" And I agree. Believe me, I tried to come up with a scenario where I didn't put Mack here just to spice things up, but I refuse to believe the Steelers will spend a first rounder on anything but an offensive lineman and I can't really find anywhere that has a Max Unger or Phil Loadholt ranked ahead of Mack. Unger has risen up some boards of late, so I'd recommend keeping an eye on him just in case. If the Steelers look at cornerback, Alphonso Smith or D.J. Moore would be the likely candidates. I definitely do not buy the wide receiver talk, especially in this scenario where Kenny Britt is the best receiver left.

ROUND 2

Also please feel free to leave any comments/criticisms/alternate choices you may have below. Feedback is most appreciated.

Three Rivers Three Links

2009-03-17T10:03:00.003-04:00

1. With 24 Season 7 heating up, I thought I'd link to one of my all-time favorite sites, The Jack Sack. For fans of the 2-4, you really have to go there and experience it to understand the awesomeness of the site. The photo shops, the Jack Sack descriptions, the Snuggie parodies, the recaps, the recent Larry-Renee love letter... just a superb job by the folks over there. If you are a legit 24 fan I dare you to go there and not spend a solid half hour lurking around. There are a freaking ton of 24 blogs lurking around, many of which I at least sporadically check out. Maybe every Tuesday I'll link to a new one or something. But I just recently discovered The Jack Sack and it's my new fave I think.

2. Bob Smizik blogs about something I heard Joe Bendel bring up last week when he was killing time on-air because Pitt was out of the Big East Tournament. What would Pitt say if the Big Ten came calling and wanted the Panthers as a 12th member? I don't think there is any doubt that the Panthers would say yes in about .0001 seconds because of the monetary bonuses. However, there is the seperate issue of what Pitt should say if that happened. The Smiz also examines that. I also think that is a definite yes. Is the basketball as prestigious? Of course not, but it is still a damn good b-ball league and Pitt would still be a national power and their play would probably fit in quite well with the Big Ten actually. And it is fairly obvious that the football program would be better off joining the Big Ten. While there is no question that Pitt would be a lower-tier Big Ten team at first, I think the football program could definitely work its way up. They'd never be an annual contender like the Big Two in The OSU and Michigan, but I do think they could mature into an Iowa/ Michigan State like program. The usual expectation being 7-9 wins and maybe every so often the stars could align and they could legitimately challenge for the conference title.

3. I've been searching around for an article/ blog posting that dealt specifically with East Tennessee State. After combing through Google for 2 days, I finally got one. Nothing controversial here. It's cliche city and the Bucs go out of their way to be complimentary of the Panthers.

Finally a quick site update:
After a delay of a couple days, I'll finally be putting up my latest Mock Draft later today.

TRS 3 Links of the Day

2009-03-16T11:07:00.001-04:00

I haven't done enough linking type posts lately, so I think I'm going to change that, starting now. Previously, I usually waited until I had several links and then dumped them all out at once when I had literally nothing else to write about. That probably isn't the best way to do business in the blogosphere I've decided after frequently looking at some other sights. So instead, we're going to do our best to pump 3 links a day to timely topics every week day. Why 3? Well check the name of the site. 3 may not be a bunch of links, but it works well as a gimmick for the site. I'm still working on a better name for this though.

With Pitt in the tourney, here are three links worth checking out about our Panthers:

1. From the Sporting News Today Publication. Click over to page 17 to read it. Or you can just read it all below:
"Reason to watch: The Pitt Panthers, ousted by backyard rival West Virginia in the Big East Tournament, will be rested, focused and poised to make the deepest run in the short Jamie Dixon era. The combination of powerful center DeJuan Blair, point guard Levance Fields and leading scorer Sam Young are always worth checking out.
Pitt will win if... It just focuses on the fundamentals, with Fields keeping the game and his teammates under control and Blair dominating what should be an overwhelmed Buccaneers front line. The Panthers need to focus their defensive efforts on taking away the Bucs' three point game, as Kevin Tiggs, Courtney Pigram and Mike Smith are all prolific shooters and scorers.
ETSU will win if... It can keep up its red-hot play from the Atlantic Sun tournament, which included incredible shooting and shutdown defense in an impressive run. The problem is, the Bucs are likely to be very rusty after nearly two weeks off, and the bruising, battle-tested Panthers are a whole different big-time team from what Marty Bartow's team is used to seeing."

2. Pitt gets multiple mentions in Pat Forde's Minutes column about the tournament. Notably, as a team feeling pressure to succeed, and DeJuan Blair's biceps are named among the most important body parts. They are also one of the 9 teams Forde thinks can win it all. He does raise a point that appears to question Jamie Dixon a little bit.

3. In big-time sporting events, it's always worth checking out what the oddsmakers think. The terrific blog Vegas Watch does that for all of us to see. Click on the picture on that page to check out the initial numbers for Bodog, Greek and the numbers figured by Ken Pomeroy for each of the top 6 seeds in each region to reach the Final Four and to win the National Championship. Pomeroy gives Pitt a 31.90% chance to reach the Final Four and 8.94% to win the National Title. That is the third-highest for the Final Four, behind only Louisville and Memphis! Some really, really interesting numbers over there if you are a bit of a stat-head.

TRS Bracket

2009-03-16T00:48:00.003-04:00

I know you are on pins and needles waiting to know who I picked in my bracket. So, here it is. Go ahead and copy me now. Thank me later. Click on the picture if you want to see it big boy style.

In all seriousness, I just wanted to go on record with my picks.

Breaking Down Pitt's Region

2009-03-15T20:23:00.019-04:00

I know it wasn't really publicized much, but turns out that today was selection Sunday. Who knew? I really wish CBS or ESPN would have mentioned this at some point in their coverage of the conference tournaments in the last week.

In case you missed it, our beloved Pitt Panthers received the first ever number 1 seed in school history and will be playing the East Region, with their first two games being in Dayton and would then play their regional round in Boston should they advance that far.

In looking through the Panthers' region, it seems to me that they are playing in what is quite possibly the most stacked region of all four. The bottom half of the bracket (the half that Pitt couldn't match up with until the Elite Eight) looks especially deep to me. So with that in mind I thought I'd break down the opposing 10 squads we are most likely to see at some point in the East region.

2 Duke
The Stars: 6'8 F Kyle Singler, 6'4 G Gerald Henderson, 6'5 G Jon Scheyer
Strength: As they often have been in recent years, the Dukies like to stretch the offensive zone by hitting the long-rangers. If they get hot in a given game they can beat anybody at any time.
Weakness: They have very little in the way of interior talent. Singler is versatile enough to be effective both inside and out, but other than that most of their talent comes from the guard play.
Key Matchup if they play Pitt: Sam Young vs. Kyle Singler. The Dukes have more scoring capability among the guards and the Panthers definitely more on the interior. The play of their two wingmen will be a key and there are some definite similarities between the two, with the exception that Duke fans would rather Singler play more on the perimeter and yet he continues to try to play inside, and Pitt fans would rather Sam I Am play more inside and yet he continues to play more on the outside.

3 Villanova
The Stars: 6'8 F Dante Cunningham, 6'2 G Scottie Reynolds, 6'5 Reggie Redding
Strength: The Wildcats can score in absolute bunches with a perimeter offense that actually has a bit of similarity to Duke. They try to get their 3-point mojo going early on, and if they do, look out. Their transition game will also bury teams quite often.
Weakness: As they always are under Jay Wright, the Wildcats are an undersized team that plays as many as 4 guards at time. While this has its benefits, it also can be a disaster against a physical team like Pitt if Blair and Young stay out of foul trouble and can start pouring in buckets.
Key Matchup if they play Pitt: Scottie Reynolds vs. Levance Fields. These two are something of opposites from the top of the key. Reynolds loves to put up shots and is typically the focal point of the Villanova offense, especially if he gets going early. Fields is the prototypical team-first point man and is one of the best caretakers in the country.

4 Xavier
The Stars: 6'6 F B.J. Raymond, 6'8 F Derrick Brown, 6'6 G C.J. Anderson
Strength: The Musketeers have a good defensive scheme that has kept them in most games this season and is predicated on excellent work on the defensive glass.
Weakness: The Musketeers get themselves in trouble. They get called for 2 more fouls a game than foul-happy Pitt does (18.6 per game!) and they turn the ball over too much.
Key Matchup if they play Pitt: B.J. Raymond vs. Sam Young. Raymond is a very good all-around player. He is not as physical as Young, but can stretch the court as well as Sammy and is a dangerous threat from beyond the arc.

5 Florida State
The Stars: G Toney Douglas, G Derwin Kitchen, F Uche Echefu
Stregth: Toney Douglas. Plain and simple. He is one of the most dynamic scorers in college basketball and he can go for 30 at any point in time and carry his team to victory.
Weakness: Beyound Douglas there is VERY little to get excited about. They are basically a bunch of role players. If Douglas is contained the Noles are shot.
Key Matchup if they play Pitt: Jermaine Dixon vs. Toney Douglas. Dixon is a superb lockdown defender on the perimeter, and Pitt will need every ounce of his defensive ability to shut down Douglas. I'd also expect Brad Wanamaker to get minutes at the 3 to help out on Douglas and have Sam Young shift to the 4 for a while.

6 UCLA
The Stars: 6'0 G Darren Collison, 6'5 G Josh Shipp, 6'9 F Alfred Aboya
Strength: The Bruins are a team with quite a bit of depth and some of the younger players should turn out to be very good players, even if they aren't necessarily there yet. On talent alone, the Bruins stack up well against most teams.
Weakness: The Bruins are not a physical team and rely mainly on their guards and wingmen on both offense and defense. Even their bigger players are not your traditional physical interior types. They struggle to control rebounds because of this and playing a physical team could be a nightmare for them.
Key Matchup if they play Pitt: DeJuan Blair vs. the Refs. The only thing that could stop Blair and the Panthers from crushing Jamie Dixon's mentor is if Blair gets in foul trouble. The Bruins defenders won't be able to stop Blair on their own.

8 Oklahoma State
The Stars: 6'6 G James Anderson, 5'11 G Byron Eaton, 6'5 F Obi Muonelo
Strength: OSU is a pretty talented squad that has underachieved for much of the season. That said, that talent can pop up at anytime and enable them to hang with more highly thought of squads.
Weakness: The Cowboys defense has been the cause of much of their headaches this season. They have enabled a number of opponents to get hot and go off on them this season with little adjustments made to take those players out of the game.
Key Matchup if they play Pitt: Byron Eaton vs. Levance Fields. For the most part Pitt has a clear advantage over Oklahoma State. Especially on the interior. However, Pitt has their struggles if Levance Fields isn't on his game, and with a quality opponent like Byron Eaton, that could certainly be the case.

9 Tennessee
The Stars: 6'7 F Tyler Smith, 6'9 F Wayne Chism, 6'7 G J.P. Prince
Strength: The Vols have one of the tallest teams in the entire country. They run out several players 6'7 or taller and that can cause serious problems for slightly undersized teams. Even their depth players have size.
Weakness: Quicker teams can give the Vols serious problems, especially ones with playmaking guards.
Key Matchup if they play Pitt: Wayne Chism vs. DeJuan Blair. Chism has a bit of Blair's inside presence and combines it with some extra range in his game. Chism is an effective rebounder and solid at putting shots back up and also can extend his game all the way to the 3-point range.

12 Wisconsin
The Stars: 6'7 F Marcus Landry, 6'0 G Trevon Hughes, 6'2 G Jason Bohannon
Strength: The Badgers play the same way the past dozen Badger teams have played. They control the ball, milk their possessions for good shots and play excellent defense.
Weakness: More athletic teams can give them serious issues. They play completely within their own system at basically all times. If teams start running and forcing the ball up and down on them, the Badgers are taken out of their element and could have definite difficulty responding.
Key Matchup if they play Pitt: Marcus Landry vs. Sam Young. Landry is the Badgers main weapon, and is as solid defensively as he is offensively. He would be among the toughest challenges that Young has had to face all season.

13 Portland State
The Stars: 5'6 G Jeremiah Dominguez, 6'7 F Phil Nelson, 6'2 G Andre Murray
Strength: In typical small-school fashion, the Vikings are a deadly 3-point shooting team and will rely almost entirely on that in their upset bids in this tournament. They averaged nearly 309 treys on the season, putting them 3rd in D-I.
Weakness: Predictably, they also have trouble when they are taken out of their element on the perimeter or when teams attack them on offense on the interior where the Vikings have very little in the way of defense.
Key Matchup if they play Pitt: Levance Fields vs. Jeremiah Dominguez. Dominguez is the team's top 3-point threat, but despite being just 5'6 and handling the ball, he plays much more like a 2 guard. He is a polar opposite of Fields, often careless with the ball and quick to jack up a three. They dynamic between the two would be interesting to watch.

16 East Tennessee State
The Stars: 6'4 F Kevin Tiggs, 6'1 G Courtney Pigram, 6'6 G Mike Smith
Strength: The Bucs are a 3-man team if there ever was one. They don't rely much on the 3-ball, unusual for a small-school upstart, but all three of the aforementioned stars are legit scoring threats and any could go off if the others aren't picking up the slack.
Weakness: Besides the obvious depth issues, the Bucs are going to have issues with big, physical teams inside. Their taller players are too thin to bang around and their thicker players are under 6'5.
Key Matchup if they play Pitt: Kevin Tiggs vs. Pitt's Wing Defenders. I think a few different guys will switch around on Tiggs. Sam Young figures to get the first crack because Tiggs can bang inside a little bit, but Sam isn't a terrific defender and Tiggs is a good scorer. The ideal matchup with this guy might be Brad Wanamaker or Gil Brown, so both could see big minutes early in the game before Pitt inevitably pulls away.

Truly Bizarre Games Probably Lock Up A 1 Seed For Pitt

2009-03-14T18:51:00.004-04:00

After Pitt's humbling loss to WVU, I postulated that there was a definite chance that the Panthers' previously "locked up" number 1 seed might not be so locked up after all if certain events were to transpire.

So much for that.

Basically every other contender for a 1 seed besides Louisville and Memphis (who doesn't count because they play their games against Little Sisters of the Poor) has been upset in the past few days, to the point that things have essentially been reset to where they were at the beginning of the week. And that of course means that the Panthers are just about locked in a top seed.

It may not be exactly how I imagined this week going, and certainly there are still kinks to be a bit worried about as the Panthers approach the Big Dance, but after watching the quintet of Kansas, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Connecticut and Michigan State all match Pitt's losing effort, we figure to be celebrating the first number 1 seed in school history tomorrow night.

Of course, after a few moments of talking about it being cool to be a 1 seed, it is right back to work and back to focusing on the task at hand, which of course is making a legit run at the national championship and breaking through the Sweet 16 barrier that has toyed with our emotions the past several seasons.

On an semi-related note: It would be kinda cool to see Duquesne win tonight, right? Personally I have absolutely nothing against the Dukes and have a number of friends that go there and who weren't even aware Duquesne still had a basketball program until the past couple days. In all seriousness, though, it would be especially cool because a win would mean that (potentially) all the main local teams would be dancing this year. Our Panthers are obviously in, probably as a 1 seed. Bobby Mo wrapped up the NEC title a few days ago and are being projected around a 14 or so. The Dukes, if they win, would probably fall around a 12 or 13. West Virginia is a lock for an at-large and I'd venture a guess that they'll be around a 6 seed or so. And Penn State currently resides on the bubble of the at-large teams, but they have at least a decent chance to get in and would likely get either an 11 or 12 seed.

It'd be cool to see which ones of the local squads enjoy the most success. I personally am hoping that it happens.

Craig Monroe Getting A Shot At Starting?

2009-03-13T17:08:00.003-04:00

In case you missed it, Craig Monroe thumped not 1... not 2... but 3 home runs yesterday in one spring training game for the Pirates. Now I tend to keep my impressions from anything that happens in a spring game pretty reserved, but this is a slightly different story.

If there is one thing that this Pirate team is definitely in need of, it is some more power in their lineup. They have several guys capable of hitting between 15 and 25 home runs if they are given 400 at-bats, in fact 8 by my count (McLouth, Doumit, Hinske, both of the brothers LaRoche, Moss, Monroe and probably Pearce). That may sound kind of encouraging, but when you really think about it and break things down, there is very little in the way of sure-fire power among those 8. Think about it:

McLouth's power came out of nowhere last year and could easily disappear again. Doumit has been injury prone. Hinske has had big-time inconsistencies and also may not get a ton of at-bats. Adam LaRoche doesn't wake up until June and is also a very good bet to be dealt this season. Andy LaRoche did his best impersonation of Roger Dorn last season and who the hell knows what we'll get from him. Brandon Moss is walking around like a real Pirate thanks to his peg-leg, and was a bit of an unproven commodity to begin with. Monroe is similar to Hinske in having inconsistencies and a ton of strikeouts. And Pearce can kill the ball in the minors but hasn't done much in the pros yet and I think is destined to be a righty pinch-hitter with some pop.

Not feeling quite as confident now, are we? Which brings me to the much-delayed point of this post. Hitting 3 dingers in a game, even if it is a gusty Florida day in March against subpar pitching, should be enough to throw Monroe to the temporary top-of-the-heap in the battle for left field.

With so many question marks in that starting lineup, I'd be more than fine with seeing Monroe and/or Hinske get a long look in left, even if their defense is below average and they may strike out a lot and give us subpar batting averages. That also seems to be the sentiment of some in camp according to this brief one-liner in the PBC Blog: "There are a lot of people here pulling for him, including some who want him to start."

If that isn't cryptic, I don't know what in the world is. Who are these "some"? I don't know, but I tend to side with them.

Now, I'm not saying to hand the guy the job. After all, there were some rather unflattering stories about Monroe not hustling and not playing hard early in camp, and I think giving him anything is probably a bad idea. But then again, that certainly wouldn't be worse than giving the job to Nyjer Morgan.

Look at Monroe's career stats, though. They are mildly similar to Hinske's, actually.

But my point is this: If the alternative is Nyjer Morgan, who can barely get the ball out of the infield most of the time and is getting serious consideration based on decent performances in very small sample sizes, then sign me up for a Monroe/Hinske platoon every day of the week. And if one of them starts to outperform the other, then do the obvious thing and start giving that guy more playing time.

It's not like Morgan is any sort of a prospect and that you are holding him back by skimping him on the plate appearances. All these guys, no matter how great they play, are really just holding the fort down for Andrew McCutchen's inevitable 2009 arrival. So instead of seeing what you have in Morgan and watching his likely failure, why not treat the fans with some more power and give us the best lineup you can put out there?

Terrible Night

2009-03-12T22:33:00.005-04:00

Wow, talk about a letdown of an evening in the Pittsburgh sports scene.

If you read this blog much, you know my ultimate sports passion is with the Pitt Panthers, and specifically with their basketball squad. So needless to say, that alone made this was a pretty atrocious evening for me.

And then that gets topped off with a Pens game that got my hopes up thanks to a superb comeback, and yet the Pens came up short in a dramatic shootout. Few things sting more than a close shootout loss, and this was especially true tonight.

I don't think I have the energy or the masochistic mentality for a big-time recap of either, so here are some random thoughts while I try to figure out what the hell I'm going to do for the next two nights in semi-abandoned Oakland now that the Panthers aren't going to be playing.

-I'm refusing to get too worked up over this loss, as there is a much larger goal in mind here than the Big East Championship. (By the way, what's with the decision to call the Big East Tournament the Big East Championship this season? I haven't the BET moniker even once. Weird.) If you play a solid team like WVU three times in a season, there is a very,very, very, very good chance that you lose once. They are too good of a team and have too many frisky players like Ruoff and Butler to expect to beat them three teams in a season. So don't go tip-toeing out onto the ledge for this one Pitt fans.

-All that said, I hate losing to the damn Hoopies.

-Is anyone else a bit unconvinced by the claims by several analysts that Pitt has a number 1 seed locked up despite this loss? I'm not sure I buy that it's locked up. Think about this hypothetical. UConn and Louisville both make it to the Big East Championship Game (note I am writing this before the UConn game has ended, so if they end up losing to the Cuse don't blame me for this being a stupid idea). That game ends up being a very close game that the Ville wins. UConn and Louisville both have to have number 1 seeds, right? Right. Then, North Carolina dismantles the ACC predictably and also has to snag a number 1 seed, right? Right. I would agree that Pitt is the odds-on favorite for the 4th 1 seed, but I don't think it's a lock. What if Memphis debacles the rest of the C-USA in their tournament? They'd have to be in the discussion right? Or say if Michigan State steamrolls the Big Eleven in that tournament, then they have to be in the discussion right? Hell, what if Wake pulls a big surprise and upends UNC in the ACC Tournament and wins that? UNC still probably gets a 1 right? Then Wake has to be given a long look for a 1, too. I'm just sayin' folks. It doesn't pay to back into the Big Dance.

-I've said it before, and I have a sinking feeling I'm going to have to say it again: DeJuan Blair really needs to grow the hell up. The T was him trying to get a stupid cheap shot in. That was useless and pointless and moronic. Why take the chance that the refs will call that? His other fouls were all just about as dumb. The attempt at taking a charge almost caused me to throw my HDTV out the window even though I was watching the game with about 7 other people at my apartment. DeJuan, you are a tremendous talent and one of the most superb talents I have ever seen wear the Panther uni, but you are driving me batty with the way you constantly have those brain farts out there on the court. Aaaarrgh...just maddening.

-There wasn't one player who played a good game tonight for Pitt. There. I said it. And that's all the further I'm going to get into criticizing of the players for tonight's game.

-Now I may not want to criticize the players...but be damn sure I am going to throw the refs under the damn bus and then back over them 12 or 13 times. I want to preface this complaint by saying that I don't think good refs (not that they exist in college hoops) would have helped Pitt, as they were flat-out outplayed tonight. Keeping that in mind: Jim Burr is a freaking joke. Seriously. I f-ing hate that guy. He is a waste of human life. He has mental capabilities equal to that of Bilo Sagdiyev. Or, as he's better know, this guy's brother. And in case you aren't aware, Bilo was kept in a cage, was described as having a very small head and 204 teeth, and was taunted sexually by his sister because he couldn't have sex with her until of course he broke out of his cage... and well I've probably gone too far. But to me that sounds like a dead ringer for Burr's personal life. And yet there he is, officiating college basketball games. That's encouraging.

-As for the Pens...I mean I'm just pleased we got a point out of that game. I was flipping to it during commercials, and after seeing the Pens go down 2-0 in the second and 3-0 in the third, I thought we were pretty much dunzo. The Pens showed a lot of heart coming back like they did, and there's no shame in squeezing a point out of a tough road game in which you came out totally flat-footed against a foreign opponent like the BJ's. (Infinitely better name than the Blue Jackets)

-Scoreboard/ Standing watching update:
So really we are about even with the Rangers, who have played 1 less and have 1 less point, and we are definitively ahead of Carolina and Buffalo and slightly ahead of Florida, which has 1 less game played and 2 less points. We now get Ottawa Saturday afternoon, and it will be worth watching how the Pens respond after finally having their win streak run out.

-I don't know where in God's name that burst of energy came from in the third period, but if we could've played like that for even an entire period this would've been going in the W column. Consistency still is an issue for the Pens, and I'm not sure how to figure that out exactly.

-I'm glad we at least managed a power play goal tonight. The power play has been the one lacking thing during the recent hot streak under Bylsma. One goal doesn't exactly do a ton to reassure me, but it is a starting point at least. I will be closely watching that unit in the coming weeks, as re-establishing the PP as a terrifying threat is a necessity to postseason success.

-Lastly, a TRS site update. I'm going to be putting together another NFL Mock Draft, my fourth, and it should be up either tomorrow or Saturday. I'm planning on making it a two-rounder this time, but we'll see what happens.

Pirates Top Prospects Rundown

2009-03-12T15:07:00.002-04:00

The 2009 MLB season kicks off in 2009, but really for most Pirate fans this season isn't going to be about contending or trying to get over the .500 mark, because I just really can't see that happening. No, for most intelligent baseball-watching folks, this year will be progress. Seeing progress in the organization that hints that maybe our despair is slowly coming to an end. That maybe some of these young players currently with the major league club are guys we could see playing important roles for good baseball teams. And perhaps most important of all, that some of the top prospects in our minor league system are progressing and will be able to have a major impact on the PBC in the very near future.

With that in mind, I wanted to do something of a preview of the top prospects in our system. Alas, I'm not scout and the only legit prospects I've seen play with my own two eyes are Andrew McCutchen and Neil Walker, and that was only for two games each. So I'm not exactly qualified. Instead, I thought I'd allow some of the real experts on this type of stuff to take over. So here is some of the stuff I have found on our top prospects with links to the sites and a brief quote from each, along with a little personal input at the bottom of each. I'd like to make this a regular feature on here to be updated whenever we get a new prospect with promise or at the start of each season with new info.

Pedro Alvarez-Named the #1 NL Prospect by Jim Callis at Baseball America, "Spring injury, summer holdout overshadow his devastating hitting ability."

-A scouting report from Scout.com from last year.
"Whether or not Alvarez can remain at his current position, however, is not such a sure thing. Although he has a enough arm strength to remain on the left side of the infield, some scouts fear that his size/weight may become an issue, similar to Miguel Cabrera's situation this spring in Detroit. He made 10 errors in his brief campaign with the Commodores in '08, posting a .903 fielding percentage. Regardless, many scouts also feel—as does he—that he can remain at the position at the highest level."

-An in-depth piece on Alvarez from Baseball-Intellect that includes a good breakdown of his swing (scroll halfway down for Pedro).
"On the whole, Alvarez's swing is pretty simple. His hip rotation is aggressive and forceful; he doesn't let his hands get out in front. Rather, he turns his hips and hands together. He could stand to let the ball travel a little deeper, but that may just be a result of this one particular swing.
"The biggest weakness for Alvarez is his propensity to swing and miss though I can't say whether this is because of poor pitch recognition or something else."

-A report from Scouting Book:
"A left-handed power hitting third baseman, Alvarez has a very very high ceiling and is almost big-league ready. He could be a big part of a devastating future Pittsburgh lineup. He's recovering from a hamate bone he broke in 2007, but all reports are positive so his strength should be back soon."

-Of course we'll wrap up everyone with a link to each player's page at the superb Wilbur Miller. Here is Pedro's. Also here's a good quote about Alvarez:
"He has a strong arm, but has been erratic at third. Some scouts consider him athletic enough to make sufficient progress to stay at third as an average fielder. Others, not including the Pirates or Alvarez himself, believe he'll have to move to first. A bigger question mark arose, however, when he was hit by a pitch early in the 2008 season and broke the hamate bone in his right hand. Numerous articles at Baseball America and elsewhere, as well as pre-draft statements from Pirates GM Neal Huntington concerning medical advice he'd received, have indicated that an injury of that sort may detract from a hitter's power for a year or so, but should eventually cause no loss of ability."

Personal Consensus: A legitimately prodigious hitting talent by all accounts, Alvarez is expected to develop into at least a 30-40 home run type of player. There is much speculation about where he will end up playing, and I personally think we will see him at first base or right field before all is said and done, but I think there is a good chance he'll play third base at the beginning of his major league career. The guess here is that Pedro tears his way through A and AA pitching this season and makes it to Indy by season's end, though I'm not as convinced about a Pittsburgh visit, as I think leaping that far will be enough of a challenge for him. I then think he starts 2010 in AAA but is in Pittsburgh by June or July for a half season stint.

Andrew McCutchen
-Keith Law named Cutch his 18th best prospect in baseball and had this to say:
"McCutchen has strong wrists and forearms and makes hard contact, but doesn't get his lower half involved at all and thus hasn't hit for the kind of power he's capable of producing. He has great bat speed and has hit for average while making plenty of contact. He's a 65-70 runner but had an uncharacteristically sloppy year as a base stealer; he's a plus glove in center but could use a little work on routes."

-The Diamond Cutter: And another from the DC
"McCutchen is an exciting five tool player who has been unfortunately rushed through the Pirates system. He hasn’t been able to fully develop at each level and instead of staying put and working on his skills, he has been pushed through. McCutchen has a great glove in center and despite his great defensive prowess, his impact bat may be his best skill.

-Imaginary Diamond's fantasy-spun take:
"McCutchen has 20 home run, 20 stolen base potential, while already taking an advanced approach to hitting."

-MLB.com's report that also includes an interesting accompanying video:
"He's a five-tool player with terrific athletic ability to go along with plus bat speed and good pitch recognition. The development of his power will determine whether he's a leadoff hitter or an eventual run producer. He has outstanding speed and is an excellent defensive center fielder, but is still learning the nuances of base-stealing."

-From the scouting book,
"he could break in two directions: as a top-of-the-order speed threat, or a middle-of-the-order power bat as he continues to refine his approach at the plate. If his MLB career follows his minor league ascent, expect some early struggles in the majors followed by a relentless rise to greatness."

-From Armchair GM
"McCutchen projects as a Gold Glove caliber center fielder with a plus arm and plus speed and instincts. Offensively, McCutchen has a powerful upper body, and combined with quick hands and his already above average strike zone recognition, projects to hit for both a high average and with escalating power. A righthanded hitter timed at 4.1 seconds from home to first, he projects early in his career as a leadoff hitter with the potential to steal thirty bases plus."

-McCutchen's WM profile:
"His plate discipline remained good throughout the season, though, and he reduced his platoon split, posting a .742 OPS against RHPs and .836 against LHPs, so he seems to be making progress against his main nemesis, the slider. His base stealing skills obviously need a lot of work, although for some reason 2008 was the first season in which he was allowed to run a lot. It's possible that McCutchen won't be more than a speedy leadoff type, which wouldn't be such a bad thing. He has very good range in CF, although his arm is average at best."

Personal Consensus: Cutch is the closest thing the Pirates have to a major-league ready prospect. That said, he will almost certainly start the season in AAA. There are many who expect him to still develop an as-yet-unseen power stroke, but for now he appears likely to bat at the top of the order when he does get the call and maybe the power stroke will develop in time.

Jose Tabata
-From the scouting book:
"Tabata is a polished fielder who's almost major-league ready, despite his young age. A natural right fielder with excellent patience"

-From Baseball Intellect
"In terms of physical tools and raw talent, Tabata is amongst the best in minor league baseball. However, Tabata has yet to turn that talent into production."

-A report on Tabata from a Yankee blog that is over 2 years old. Obviously things have evolved a bit, but this is interesting because of the long-term projections.
"(Ceiling is) very high. In my opinion it is still limited due to size, but Tabata certainly has the ability to hit like an MVP candidate. If nothing goes terribly wrong, he is going to hit #3 somewhere someday for a long time."

-And another Yankee blog with a report on Tabata from last March.
"One of the most promising youngsters is Jose Tabata. He's a right fielder from Venezuela who's hitting and fielding have been most impressive in his three seasons in the Yankees farm system. He's got an arm like Roberto Clemente and the hitting skills of Bernie Williams."

-A report from the Diamond Cutter from when Tabata was still a Yankee has him as the number 3 prospect in the system behind Joba and Ian Kennedy (?).
"Tabata is an excellent hitter and hits the ball hard all over the field. Due to this and his great plate discipline, he looks to have the makeup to be a potential batting champion competitor someday"

-A page from Armchair GM that includes a Baseball America synopsis of Tabata and a couple videos of him down at the bottom.
"He's solidly built at 5-foot-11 and 175 pounds and will have more power as he gets stronger and more experienced. He drew more walks (15) than strikeouts (14), and while we shouldn't infer too much about his plate discipline when he's facing such raw pitching, that's definitely a positive sign. He has plus speed and the tools to play center field"

-Raise the Jolly Roger did a bio on Tabata shortly after he arrived from the Yanks.
"He has been dubbed “Mini-Manny (Ramirez)” for having quick hands and great bat speed, but also for his bad attitude."

-Tabata's Wilbur Miller Profile.
"He was considered to have five tool potential, with good speed, a very good bat with the potential to hit for power, and a slightly above average arm for right field."

Personal Consensus: After reading through these reports, it seems like Tabata may be much closer to being major-league ready than most people realize. Obviously he is slated to start this season in AA, so that means he still has to prove himself at two more levels, but I fully expect him to dominate there. Perhaps the only reason he is in AA is because the Pirates still want to play him in center field and have Cutch in Indy. I think Tabata is in AAA by June regardless of where McCutchen is and is starting to play some corner outfield, and I wouldn't bat an eyelash to see him get a cup of coffee in September and be given a chance to win a job along side Nate and Cutch next spring.

Brad Lincoln
-From the Diamond Cutter. A list of the team's top prospects prior to last season.
"before going down he had a good moving fastball which sat in the mid-90’s as well as a hard breaking curveball. He had a little trouble with the command of his pitches before the injury so it will definitely be a tough battle for him once he comes back from the surgery. As with all Tommy John surgeries it will take about a year for Lincoln to potentially regain what he once had."

-From CBS Sportsline Blog type thing Lincoln is listed as the number 11 prospect for the Bucs.
"Lincoln throws his fastball in his low-mid 90s, and a good curveball. He has a nice comeback story unfolding if he can continue to improve next season"

-A recap of 2008 Baseball Prospectus rankings via Be Like Tike:
"Lincoln is a smallish pitcher who is also a very good hitter. More importantly to the Pirates, however, is the fact that when he is healthy, Lincoln can hit up to 95 mph. According to BP, he projects as a mid-rotation starter"

-The Bleacher Report puts together the Pirates top 10 prospects.
"The numbers, in Lincoln's case, are not nearly as significant as the fact that he was able to stay injury free. Now that he has proven that he can stay healthy, management will look for Lincoln to be one of the prospects that makes a big jump in 2009."

-From Wilbur Miller:
"Although some fans were put off by the ERAs, Lincoln's return was successful. He stayed healthy, his fastball sat around 93, and his control was very good. It may have been a little too good, as he had a moderate gopher ball problem, but one article said he was concentrating mainly on throwing strikes. He actually didn't allow many baserunners."

Personal Consensus: Along with the next guy on this list, Bryan Morris, Lincoln is really one of just two starting pitchers in the entire farm system with any sort of professional pedigree, and the sad thing is they are both probably 2 years away (at least) from the majors. Still, his first year back from injury gave us a lot of positive signs and it is probably safe to think of him in glowing terms yet again, even if he does figure to be at least 25 or 26 before he makes his debut.

Bryan Morris
-Halfway down this page from Pirate Revolution is a bit about Morris.
"Their No. 5 prospect, Baseball America figures Morris to be "a fixture in the middle of Pittsburgh's rotation by 2011 or 2012."

-Just like Tabata, Raise The Jolly Roger again did a nice job with a player bio after the acquisition of Morris.
"He may not progress very quickly, but the minor league experience is good for him. I expect Morris to be in the majors by late 2010 or in 2011, and excel at that level. I am excited about him, but we must be patient"

-From the scouting book, where Morris was the 192nd ranked prospect.
"Morris has a high-90's fastball and a plus curve, and frustrates batters with an unorthodox delivery."

-This Dodger MLB Blog had Morris as their number 9 Dodger prospect in 08.
"He has a 93 mph fastball that sinks, a wicked breaking ball and an unorthodox delivery. Could be a top of the rotation pitcher in a year or two."

-A bit of info from the Baseball Analysts on Morris from shortly after he was drafted in 2006.
"The 6-3, 200-pound RHP has a plus fastball and a power curve."

-His Wilbur Miller profile:
"He was the youngest of the four players they got in the deal and may have the highest ceiling. Morris had Tommy John surgery that caused him to miss all of 2007. He had pitched well in 2008 up through the time of the trade, though, with his fastball reaching as high as 95. He has an above-average curve and is working on a changeup. Baseball America projects him to be a potential 3rd starter."

Personal Consensus: By all accounts it seems like Morris has shown strong progress coming back from TJ surgery, and maybe it is a bit of a blessing that it happened early to him and not after he had progressed through much of the minors. It sounds as if he is probably a minimum 2 full years away from being a big leaguer, but he is just shy of his 22nd birthday, so to me that is no big deal, and I'd be in no real rush to get him up. This will be an important year for Morris to show he isn't injury-prone.

Neil Walker
-Diamond Cutter has a report on Walker and others
"Walker has a strong frame with muscular arms and legs which give him fabulous power potential as line drives jump off his bat. He has excellent physical make-up"

-From the scouting book.
"Walker has had a bumpy road to pro ball. Now a full-time third baseman, he still shows the switch-hitting power stroke that brought him to the Pirate's attention years ago."

-From Be Like Tike's BP recap:
"Walker appears as if he will be an average major leaguer with trouble in the field and a little bit of power at this point."

-From Hot Prospects:
"He continued to make strides defensively last season cutting his errors down from 27 to just 19. He shows good agility and has drawn rave reviews within the organization for his extraordinary makeup and work ethic. The big bugaboo with Neil continues to be his substandard plate discipline."

-Wilbur Miller
"He did make progress defensively, cutting down on errors and getting voted the top defensive thirdbaseman in the International League, although those awards are often based on little more than name recognition. Walker's future is in some doubt now."

Personal Consensus: With the addition of guys like Tabata, LaRoche and Alvarez and the new emphasis on spending in the draft and Latin America, it seems to me that most have decided that Walker is now basically irrelevant. I'm not so sure about that. The athleticism is still there, and while I think he probably was rushed to this point, I still think he has major league value. I don't think he'll ever be an All-Star third baseman, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him turn into a solid utility guy capable of playing 3B or either corner outfield spot and maybe even 1B/2B. That's not exactly what you want from a first round pick, but those type of guys certainly have value, too. I do think we see him this year in Pittsburgh, at least in September, now that he is on the 40-man.

Danny Moskos
-Diamond Cutter has a report on Moskos and others from 08 before Moskos was turned back into a starter.
"Moskos has a strong fastball in the mid-90’s (up to 96 mph), a plus slider in the mid to upper-80’s and a mediocre change-up. As a reliever he probably won’t need to rely on his change all that much especially considering how strong his slider is."

-From the scouting book.
"He's a quality arm with great stuff, including a 94mph heater and plus slider"

-From Be Like Tike's BP recap:
"Moskos is a three-star player according to BP, who reveals that despite Moskos’ being drafted as a reliever the Huntington administration may be considering moving him back into a starting role. Moskos still has potential"

-From the Pittsburgh Lumber Company
"His mechanics were reportedly out of whack, and he was also said to be out of shape. There were whispers right after the draft that his maximum-effort delivery could be an indication that he had already peaked. That is looking more likely as his career progresses. He no longer displays the velocity on his fastball that he was said to possess in college."

-From Wilbur Miller:
"He threw in the low- to mid-90s with a lot of life as a closer, but only 89-92 when starting, and by the end of the season he was down in the high 80s. This should be of concern to the Pirates, because the pitchers they draft have a pattern of losing velocity after turning pro. Moskos supposedly had a very good slider that served as his out pitch, along with a curve and change that were not as well regarded. BA described his command as average."

Personal Consensus: I think the Pirates were wrong last year to try and convert to Moskos to a starter, and will continue to be wrong it appears with him. He was lousy in the lower minors as a starter. I think the team and Moskos would be much better served with him as a bullpen arm. I understand their idea, but he could've progressed very quickly through the system as a reliever, and that still could happen if they switch him back. I don't know that he'll ever make it a starting pitcher in the bigs.

Ross Ohlendorf
-The numerous Yankee blogs continue to be very helpful in this exercise with this piece from 2 years ago on Ohlendorf
"I see Ohlendorf as a David Bush type if he make the majors. He can't afford to lose any more of his strikeout rate, or else he'll never get enough major league hitters out to be an effective pitcher."

-Pat from WHYGAVS does a great job with an in-depth breakdown of Ohlendorf's pitching tendencies last season.
"there's two things to keep an eye on with Ohlendorf early in the year. The first is velocity. Is he hitting the high 90s? Is he doing it the second time through the lineup? The second is pitch selection. Is he working a changeup in? Is it effective at all?"

-Another Yankee blog (good lord there is a freakin' ton of these things) that breaks down Ohlendorf. This is from November 07.
"He throws a grounder-inducing two-seamer (96-97 mph) with a four-seamer that can top out at 98. His sinker is his primary pitch. He has a nasty slurve-like pitch that really causes strikeouts."

-Good piece on the return from the Nady Trade that includes Ohlendorf halfway down the page from Baseball Intellect.
"Ohlendorf is better than his numbers in New York indicate. I think he profiles best as a solid middle reliever type. I don't think he's a top set-up guy, but in that 6th and 7th inning, he'll give the Pirates a quality reliever that is under control for a number of years."

-Of course, here's the Wilbur Miller profile
"As a starter, he threw in the upper 80s to low 90s, relying on a sinker and slider to produce grounders. Once he started pitching in relief, his velocity improved to 94 and occasionally better. He's always struggled with LH hitters due to the lack of a useful changeup."

Personal Consensus: I think there will definitely be a place for Ohlendorf somewhere on the major league staff, the question is just where that is. I fully support the Pirates decision to test him out as a starter and think that his upside makes it worthwhile to do this and give him half a season or even all season to try and prove that he is worthy of a spot in the rotation. If he doesn't work out there, by all accounts he can be at least a solid relief pitcher as a fallback option.

Shelby Ford
-The Bleacher Report puts together the Pirates top 10 prospects.
"Ford looks like he has the potential and the chops to hold down half of the double play combination in Pittsburgh for years to come."

-From Be Like Tike's BP recap:
"An offensive player, Ford will have difficulties advancing through the system due to his aggressive approach at the plate"

-Wilbur Miller:
"It doesn't look like he'll have more than very good gap power and he'll need to draw more walks than he did in 2008 to have a decent OBP. He hasn't shown any consistent platoon split over the years. His numbers for 2008 overall were solid and not dominant, but you have to wonder what he'd do if he stayed healthy a whole year."

Personal Consensus: In a minor league system that is mostly desperate for decent-looking prospects, I think Ford has been one of the most overlooked guys around. He has been steady, if not spectacular at each stop, and while he has had some issues staying healthy, he also has shown enough upside to merit serious consderation as a future starter. I think this year will be a very big one for Ford. If he can stay healthy and onceagain bat .280+ with another healthy OBP and some continually developing power and decent speed and a decent glove, then all of a sudden he could be a legit replacement for Freddy Sanchez. But like I said, health is the first thing that must come for Ford.

Robbie Grossman
-From Minor League Baseball:
"Grossman is a good hitter, but his approach does need some work. He has a high leg lift that will need to be toned down.

-Grossman was rated as the 45th top prospect in the draft by Rivals:
"Grossman is a throwback type prospect who plays the game with passion and at full speed at all times. Not nearly as "toolsy" as other top high school outfield prospects"

-Ranked number 9 in the Bucs system by a MiLB blogger
"Very toolsy, could be a seven skill guy if he maintains the patience he showed in very brief rookie ball trial. High ceiling, could rank much higher a year from now."

-Wilbur Miller:
"MLB.com characterizes him as lacking any above-average tools and playing above his abilities, which combined with the tweener tag gives him some things in common with Nate McLouth, who's a good example of why it's a mistake to dismiss players based on tags like that. BA did characterize him as having raw power potential and he showed good power in a workout at PNC Park."

Personal Consensus: Grossman is a long way off, hard to have much of a consensus except that he is an all-effort type of guy by all accounts, and that like most high schoolers it will probably figures to be 4 years or so before we can reasonably expect to see him in the bigs.

Daniel McCutchen
-From the Pinstripe Press
"McCutchen's future may be in the bullpen. "McCutchen pitches aggressively, which shows in his delivery at times and in his mound demeanor. The Yankees have worked with him to tone down somewhat."

-From the Scouting Book:
"Some see him as bullpen-bound, but McCutchen's lethal combination of a high-control 92mph fastball and knee-buckling curve/splitter, as well as his penchant to change speeds often, make him look like a better starting prospect to us."

-A story on him from the Post Gazette:
"Dan is a guy we feel can be a quality starting pitcher for years to come," Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said yesterday. "Tough, fearless, wants the ball every day, pounds the strike zone, throws first-pitch strikes. ... He absolutely is here competing for a job."

-A piece on the players acquired in the Nady trade from Baseball Intellect.
"McCutchen is an interesting piece in this deal because he has quietly put up quality numbers in the minors though he has always been old for his league. His stuff received an uptick in its quality in the past year, which makes him an intriguing guy to watch going forward."

-Wilbur Miller's profile:
"Baseball America characterizes him as a very aggressive pitcher who throws a four-seam fastball in the low 90s and a two-seamer slightly slower than that, with his best pitch being a curve. He also throws an improving changeup. His aggressiveness has resulted in low walk totals and his K rates have generally been good."

Personal Consensus: I'm really not at all sold on McCutchen. He is 26 years old, and you just don't see 26 year olds with only moderate minor league success succeed in the majors too often. I do think he is probably just about at his peak and will likely get at least a few starts in with the Bucs this season. There have been theories floated that he may be a bullpen arm, and I think that probably makes sense.

Donnie Veal
-Story on him from right before the Rule 5 draft.
"The stuff is still there -- evidence of that comes from his 476 strikeouts in 470 1/3 pro innings. But his command has eluded him, with 256 walks in the same timespan."

-From Chicago Cubs Online, an article from 2 years ago:
"Donald Veal has had success at each level so far and if he continues to have success as he ascends through the Cubs minor-league system, he could see Wrigley Field soon. If he does start in AA this year he could be called on to make a start if the Cubs injury problems come back again this season."

-Ominous stuff from the Scouting Book
"showing no signs of the curve that once made scouts rave. Add in the fact that he's a one-pitch flame-thrower who did most of his development under the 'care' of the Cubs trainers, and you have a recipe for a very fantastic, and very short, major league career."

-The requisite Wilbur Miller feature
"He's drawn comparisons to Dontrelle Willis, as he's a big LHP with a high leg kick and very good stuff, including a mid-90s fastball. After his big 2006 season, he was regarded as one of the best LH pitching prospects in the minors, with the high K rates and miniscule opponents' BAs being especially outstanding. Once he reached AA, though, he stalled due to his poor control."

Personal Consensus: I like Veal as a prospect, but really don't think he can survive the season with the big club. Maybe the Bucs can work out something like they did with Evan Meek last season, but I just can't seem him being good enough to justify using a roster spot on him for 6 months. The kid just isn't ready yet.

Jim Negrych
-A story on Negrych from the Green Weenie blog:
"Negrych cranks out line drives, and has pretty good gap power. He's patient at the dish, and his walks to K's ratio is almost 1:1. Throw in the fact that he finally had an injury-free year, and it added up to a break out season."

-A story on him from the Trib
"Despite his credentials as a college slugger, Negrych no longer swings from his heels in every at-bat. 'I don't really look at power numbers. I just want to make contact and get on base,' he said. 'In college, I was supposed to hit home runs. At this level, there's a lot of other things you can do to help the team.'"

-From Wilbur Miller
"I suspect his exact position could remain rather fluid. His position probably isn't terribly relevant because he is not good defensively, and by this I don't mean "shaky" or "inconsistent," I mean he just doesn't have the tools to play defense. He committed 31 errors in 2008. He's awkward in the field and doesn't have good hands or a good arm. It's unlikely he'll be a regular in the majors, but he could be a very good bat off the bench."

Personal Consensus: I essentially agree with what Wilbur Miller suggested. I think Negrych's bat will continue to propel him through the minors and that he will force his way into the bigs at some point, but I also don't see him ever being anywhere near good enough to be a legit starting player and could just be a solid bat off the bench who can play a few different infield positions at a mediocre level. I like Negrych and will be rooting for him because he is a Pitt man and I can't tell you the last time a Pitt player played in the bigs, but it was quite a while ago I'm sure.

Brian Bixler
-From Be Like Tike's BP recap:
"Bixler does nothing particularly well, but instead does everything at a level that is a little bit above average and simply continues to move up the rungs."

-From Wilbur Miller:
"Bixler was overmatched at the plate, incessantly chasing sliders far outside, sometimes fanning on three straight pitches in the same location. Initially, he was just as bad defensively, struggling with errors and misplays, but he eventually settled down and started to play much better in the field."

Personal Consensus: Bleh. Thats how I can best sum up my feelings for Bixler's future with the Pirates. He once looked like a half-decent prospect, but he was pretty lousy last year in the majors and I think can officially be labeled with the AAAA prospect tag. There is a very good chance that Bix and Luis Cruz will split the shortstop role once the inevitable Jack Wilson trade goes down. I'd be happy if he even proved to be a mediocre replacement.

Jamie Romak
-From Be Like Tike's BP recap:
"Romak has power and he has patience, but he generally does not hit for average."

-The Bleacher Report puts together the Pirates top 10 prospects. Romak is tied for 10.
"He has yet to prove that he can hit consistently enough to be a big league player. With a logjam of prospects ahead of him at outfield it is unlikely that we will see Romak with the club in 2009. But if he continues to make progress and work on hitting consistency, there's no reason that Romak can't make a splash with the Pirates in 2010 and beyond. "

-From the Project Prospect site
" A 6-foot-2, 220-pounder, Romak is the best .256 hitter you’ve never seen, tabbing a .383 OBP and .496 SLG through High-A."

-The Wilbur Miller piece
"Romak's approach at the plate is very similar to fellow Canadian Jason Bay's, as he often goes deep into counts by taking pitches and looking for one he can drive, but this sometimes leads to him getting into bad counts. Like a lot of hitters of his type, he tends sometimes to disappear offensively for days at a time. The strikeouts can't just be dismissed"

Personal Consensus: Romak to me is a poor man's Steve Pearce. And that is not a good thing in any way. I'd honestly be surprised if he ever gets anything more than a cup of coffee with the Pirates.

10 Other Guys To Keep An Eye On Who I Couldn't Find Much About:
Quinton Miller
Jordy Mercer
Chase D'Arnaud
Justin Wilson
Evan Meek
Brian Friday
Duke Welker
Jarek Cunningham
Matt Hague
Jeff Sues
Andrew Walker

Note that all of the above quotes are not mine and are taken from the sites linked above them. If these are your quotes and you have any issues whatsoever with me using them, please let me know and they will be removed immediately. Thank you.

What Would Have Happened If Penn State Had Joined The Big East?

2009-03-12T01:45:00.001-04:00

In case you missed it, Mike Tranghese conducted an interview in which he talked extremely candidly about Penn State's long-rumored bid to join the Big East that was shot down in 1982.

Naturally, that got me to thinking, how exactly would the sports landscape look nowadays if the Big East had gotten 1 more positive vote for PSU and gone on their little envoy to State College and the Nitts had accepted? Tranghese certainly has a fun little theory:

"The whole face of college athletics would be changed now. If we had taken Penn State in 1982, we may still have football independents. The idea wasn’t to take Penn State and start a football league. It was to give Penn State a place. And then they would have been aligned with Syracuse and Boston College. We probably would have brought Pitt in, too, and the four of them probably would have agreed to play and continue as independents. I think the whole face of college football would have changed. I don’t think Florida State would have moved and Miami would have moved. All of it came about when Penn State made the decision to go to the Big Ten."

Hmm...interesting thought by Mike, but I don't fully buy that at all. I still think that football would have gone to a heavy emphasis on conferences, and that while Penn State was certainly an important domino to fall in that chain reaction in 1989, I don't think them joining a power basketball conference like the Big East would have prevented them, and others, from looking to line up with football conferences around that same time period.

What many people around my age or even a little older may not know or really remember is that Penn State was in the A-10 for b-ball prior to leaving for the Big Ten. That wasn't really enough of a support for them, which is why they were so keen to the Big Ten's overtures. I think the Big East would have given them more support, though, had they joined.

There is also the little matter about Joe Paterno's failed All-Eastern sports league or whatever the hell that was supposed to be called. That infamously failed around the same time the Big East was deciding not to extend an invite to Penn State in '82. To me this is truely bizarre for the Big East, but whatever. Maybe they were worried about not having a natural partner for Penn State, but adding the rival Pitt Panthers at the same time seems to make quite a bit of sense to me. And, it is my complete and total guesswork belief that had Penn State joined, JoePa would have eventually come to think of the Big East as the potential substitute for the All Eastern Sports League that he wanted, and maybe he would have helped to spearhead a Big East Football Conference. After all, Syracuse, Boston College and Pitt would have all been in the Big East at that time, and others like Miami, Temple, Rutgers and Virginia Tech could probably have been easily swayed to join up for all sports if the bonus was a football conference, that is if you believe Paterno's faith in the others schools lining up for his conference, and I do believe him.

While I respect his opinion, I do disagree with Trangehese's assessment that we would still have major programs like Penn State, Florida State and Miami still as independents. I believe the almighty dollar would have won out eventually regardless of Penn State being the first important domino to fall or not. Because really, the conferences as a collective unit clearly had more power than the individual programs at this time, with just one exception: Notre Dame. The Irish of course are still independent and making a pile of money because of it, but I don't buy for a second that any other school could pull this off. I respect the huge following that PSU, FSU and Miami have built up, but they pale in comparison to the total numbers and the geographic reach of the Irish. Eventually these three would have realized they were better off joining a football conference than going it alone.

So clearly there would have been some sort of alternate timeline for the Big East. If I were to predict I think it would have looked something like this (keep in mind I'm dealing only on what the basketball and football versions of the conference would have looked like, the other sports, I could really care less about):

1979: Big East is founded by UConn, Georgetown, Providence, Seton Hall, St. John's, Syracuse and Boston College for basketball. No football conference.

1980: Villanova joins for basketball. 8 Teams now in the basketball league.

1982: Pitt and Penn State join for basketball. This is where the alternate "Watchmen-style" universe starts up.

1987: I believe Paterno would have put aside the grudge about the All-Eastern Sports League in order to create the Big East football conference, because well, it would have been basically the same thing. I even think he would have been the leader for this cause. And so I think the Big East Conference gets a football league, 4 years earlier than they did in reality, because of JoePa and his impressive pull. Paterno would have worked to assemble some of the same teams from his original conference. Obviously Pitt, Penn State, Syracuse and Boston College would have been in as they were when the league initially formed. The league would have then added Rutgers and West Virginia from Paterno's original plan for sure. From there we require some guesswork, as 6 teams probably wouldn't have been enough. There is a chance UConn could have joined in 87. Turns out they were part of Paterno's football plan in 82. I'm not sure what the deal with them was and why they were I-AA for so long, but I'm going to assume that they wouldn't have been able to join. So we now look at the independents. I think Virginia Tech and Temple are fair bets to be in for jumping to the Big East, and the other target would have been Miami. I'm going to say that the Hurricanes stay stingy and don't yet join. I think the new schools start out as football-only, much like how things worked in 91. So now we have a conference that shakes out like this:
Basketball: UConn, Georgetown, Providence, Seton Hall, St. John's, Syracuse, Boston College, Villanova, Pitt, Penn State
Football: Pitt, Penn State, Syracuse, Boston College, West Virginia, Rutgers, Temple, Virginia Tech
That's a pretty solid conference, no? Even if it is a little bit weird.

1991: This is about when West Virginia, Rutgers and Virginia Tech start demanding their entry into basketball and everything else. Temple and VT stay A-10 for whatever reason in basketball, as that was how they both rolled for several years. Never could really figure that one out. So then we have 6 schools that are full-fledged all-everything members (Penn State, Pitt, Syracuse, Boston College, West Virginia and Rutgers), 6 schools that are non-football members (UConn, Georgetown, Providence, Seton Hall, St. John's and Villanova) and 2 schools that are non-basketball members (Virginia Tech and Temple). 14 institutions in all, with 8 in football and 12 in basketball. Seems like great numbers all-around

1993: This is when I think Miami joins up for football, one year later than they did in reality. Not entirely sure why I picked it like this, but it seemed about right. Like I said earlier, it makes sense that maybe it takes a little longer for some of the dominos to fall to convince the final football independents not named Notre Dame to join up with conferences, and with the Big East already established in football, the Canes might have to wait another year or two. This is my reality, though, so I am sticking with '92. Seems to make some sense. They also join up in all sports immediately. Here's how things look:
Football (9 Schools): Miami, Pitt, Penn State, Syracuse, Boston College, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Rutgers and Temple
Basketball (13 Schools): Miami, Pitt, Penn State, Syracuse, Boston College, West Virginia, Rutgers, Providence, Seton Hall, Georgetown, Villanova, UConn and St. John's

1995: I don't think a 13 school basketball league would have been a big hit for long. The guess here is that the Big East not only gives Notre Dame the non-basketball bid that they got in real life, but that Virginia Tech and Temple are both granted the complete membership both sought around this time.
Football (9 Schools): Miami, Pitt, Penn State, Syracuse, Boston College, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Rutgers and Temple
Basketball (16 Schools): Virginia Tech, Temple, Notre Dame, Miami, Pitt, Penn State, Syracuse, Boston College, West Virginia, Rutgers, Providence, Seton Hall, Georgetown, Villanova, UConn and St. John's
That's right folks, the 16 team behemoth comes a decade earlier than it did in real life. Unwieldy much? This is where the real interesting stuff starts to hit the fan.

2001: I have felt since the moment the Big East started play with 16 basketball teams that a split was inevitable between the football and non-football schools, and it almost occurred even before the 16 team conference in 2004/2005. I think it occurs around 2001 in this alternate universe after 6 years of a 16 team basketball league. Here's how the battleground would have been drawn just on the schools that were previously in the conference:
Football/ Basketball Conference (9 Members): Miami, Pitt, Penn State, Syracuse, Boston College, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Rutgers, Temple
Basketball Only Conference (7 Members): Notre Dame, Providence, Seton Hall, Georgetown, Villanova, UConn and St. John's

But let's be honest, that isn't enough teams. At least for the basketball only conference that would likely be the one to retain the "Big East" moniker. As for the new conference, I'm just going to give it a bland name like the All-Eastern Sports League (sound familiar?). I'm not creative enough for anything more than that. So then the new Big East conference needs at least another member or two. I think this is when the C-USA raid occurs at Notre Dame's urging and that they swoop in and snag DePaul and Marquette who would fit absolutely perfectly. They also might look at some A-10 schools like Xavier, Dayton and Duquesne to even things out between ND and the eastern seaboard teams. For now, I will stick with them just taking Xavier as well for an even 10 teams. I think the Eastern Conference stays put at 9 schools. For now. So now here's what it looks like:
All-Eastern Sports League: Miami, Pitt, Penn State, Syracuse, Boston College, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Rutgers, Temple
Big East: Marquette, DePaul, Xavier, Notre Dame, Providence, Seton Hall, Georgetown, Villanova, UConn and St. John's

2004: This is when the raid occurred between the Big East and the ACC. I don't think that happens now, as with Penn State in tow Miami should be happier at the level of competition and not looking to leave, and the ACC would have to be a bit afraid of us right now, as that is clearly the superior conference. If anything we think about raiding the ACC, but we'll get to that. Nothing actually happens in this season.

2005: In the All-Eastern Sports League, pathetic Temple is still given the boot and UConn leaves the Big East for the Eastern Conference so that they can play football. I also think the conference wants to add a 10th team so that there isn't an awkward bye every week, and that they still go ahead and raid Louisville from Conference USA, as the Ville is a legit school and probably should have been playing with the big boys a long time ago. This also gives a bit of a credibility bump to the All-Eastern Sports League in basketball. Here's what that new conference looks like:
All-Eastern Sports League (10 Teams): Miami, Pitt, Penn State, Syracuse, Boston College, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Rutgers, UConn, Louisville
Big East (9 Teams): Marquette, DePaul, Xavier, Notre Dame, Providence, Seton Hall, Georgetown, Villanova, and St. John's

2006: Both conferences raid and expand. The All-Eastern Sports League does to the ACC what the ACC did to us in real life. Miami wants a mate for the south and lures away Florida State and VT can't support anything unless their mates Virginia are included, so the new league gets to 12 teams. I think this is a definite possibility, as the almighty dollar from the title game is so very important (even if the ACC title game is a trainwreck in real life) and the new conference looks like this:
All-Eastern Sports League: (12 Teams): Miami, Pitt, Penn State, Syracuse, Boston College, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Rutgers, UConn, Louisville, Virginia, Florida State
We'd have to break this up somehow, so here's my guess:
North: Pitt, Penn State, Syracuse, Boston College, Rutgers, UConn
South: Miami, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Florida State, West Virginia, Louisville

In addition, the Big East goes and snatches up St. Joseph's to add and give it 10 teams again and pair them up with fellow Philly schools Nova and Temple:
Big East (10 Teams): Marquette, DePaul, Xavier, Notre Dame, Providence, Seton Hall, Georgetown, Villanova, St. John's, St. Joseph's

And that is the final maneuver I see being made. Just like in reality, the Big East is in constant flux over the last 20 years in my alternate universe. Sorry if this was confusing or stupid or if you skimmed this beast and were thrown off by my referring to the football/ basketball conference as the All-Eastern Sports League late in the column after the split. That's just a working name. It's late and I had no creative juices flowing and things kinda ran together a bit.

Still, I think it would be tough to deny a lot of the stuff I stated here would have been plausible if we had just been smart and invited Penn State in and JoePa still had the passion for an all-football conference. He would've been perfect to lead the charge and his school could have given the Big East more credibility, and couple with Miami would have given us two big time powerhouses in the mid-90s and maybe even prevented an ACC raid. I may not be a Penn State fan, but there is no denying their clout and potential impact. Sigh. If only.

Waiting Really Is The Hardest Part

2009-03-11T16:54:00.002-04:00

Lots and lots of stuff is happening right now and the Pittsburgh sports scene, but everything seems like it's close to really getting interesting, and as such I really don't have a whole lot write about. Seriously, think about it:

-The Pens are in the midst of a very exciting run, of which there are a ton of different angles to cover and write about, sure, but after adding all these new pieces and having such a successful streak going, you've got to be looking a head at least a little bit to the post-season right? I mean with just 15 games to go, the post-season is so close you can just about taste it, and barring a collapse the Pens should be there in the fray of the always enthralling NHL playoffs.

-Pitt hoops has had a few off days to prep for the Big East tournament, but really every Pitt fan is infinitely more excited about the real tournament, the NCAAs. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love the BET and will watch every last second of it on TV, but we've conquered that twice now, but still have yet to break through the Sweet 16 in the Big Dance. If ever there were a Pitt team to make it through, this has to be it. Plus, the general excitement of the NCAAs is something that every college hoops fan and even any general sports fan absolutely has to love and get fired up over.

-Spring training is finally in full swing, but the excitement over that has faded a bit, at least for me. I'm ready for the real baseball season to start and to be able to watch games on TV that aren't part of that goofy WBC thing (which by the way I think is a garbage event).

-The NFL offseason had an exciting few days last week with the start of free agency, but it is in a definite lull now. Obviously I'm a huge draftnik and am as fired up as anyone for April's NFL Draft.

I know, I know, I need to relax and not rush things and just enjoy the Pens' exciting regular season finish and Pitt's Big East Tournament games, but what can I say? I am an impatient SOB.

A Big Co-Congrats To DeJuan Blair

2009-03-10T23:18:00.003-04:00

In a fitting compromise type of award, DeJuan Blair was announced as the co-winner of the 2009 Big East Conference Player of the Year. Blair shared the award with the only other supposedly legit contender for the award, UConn giant Hasheem Thabeet.

You've really got to be happy for Blair. He is a tremendous talent and one of the most unique players I can ever remember seeing, and his passion for the game of basketball is so strong it is downright contagious. So congrats to DeJuan for the award, I know I am very proud to have you playing for my school and pleased the Big East coaches did right by you.

If I would have had to bet on who I thought would win this award, my money definitely would have gone on Thabeet. He is the more heralded and more celebrated player and his game-changing defensive impact is undeniable. However, Thabeet's impact defensively is just about equalled in my mind by Blair's impact on the offensive glass. I think that Blair's dominance in their first matchup is what got him enough votes to pull into a tie with Thabeet. I was also expecting Sam Young to steal a couple votes for Blair, as he has been a force of nature the past few games and is playing better than anyone in the conference in my mind.

So once again, a big congrats to DeJuan, and here's hoping you get to add some postseason hardware to your regular season trophies in this spectacular 2008/09 campaign.

Big East Tournament Predictions

2009-03-10T11:08:00.002-04:00

One of the goofiest tournaments that you will ever see kicks off today at Noon and won't end until Saturday night, probably sometime around 11:30 or so. And despite having games every day and it being a single elimination tournament, there are just 16 teams participating. The Big East Tournament might just be the most unique thing going these days. And because I love college basketball, the Big East, and tournaments, I figured I'd throw on the old prognosticator's hat and make predictions for each of the 15 games slated for the next 108 hours or so.

Tuesday Games
Cincinnati over DePaul
St. John's over Georgetown
Notre Dame over Rutgers
Seton Hall over South Florida

Wednesday Games
Providence over Cincinnati
Marquette over St. John's
Notre Dame over West Virginia
Syracuse over Seton Hall

Thursday Games
Louisville over Providence
Villanova over Marquette
Pitt over Notre Dame
Syracuse over Connecticut

Friday Games
Villanova over Louisville
Pitt over Syracuse

Saturday Games
Pitt over Villanova

I mean, of course I'm picking Pitt to win the title. I tried to incorporate a couple upsets in there, but this is a pretty top-heavy conference, so the big upsets were minimal. I do think Villanova has a very good shot at making some waves and the same goes for Syracuse. Nova has been overshadowed all season by the big three in the conference, but that is a very good team that I think could make a long run in March. Syracuse, after some mid-season issues, appears to finally have their head on straight, and you know Cuse-UConn is always a fantastic game. That's vintage Big East right there, and I really think it would be a coinflip. Besides, with Louisville losing in the semis, UConn should still just barely grab a 1 seed. Also, I am hoping that one BET win will put Providence over the top and into the NCAAs. I would love to see them be a cinderella story in the Big East with 2 or more wins in the BET, but I just can't picture them beating the Ville.

North Carolina ahead of Pitt and other things for me to complain about

2009-03-09T19:43:00.005-04:00

First and foremost, I gotta lodge a complaint over the unabashed love of North Carolina that continues among the media. Someone care to tell me how the hell they are ahead of Pitt in both polls? Not that it really matters much, as Pitt has a number 1 seed in the tourney just about locked down and the RPI is the important ranking, but still, it matters a tiny little bit. Enough to piss me off anyway. Pitt did just knock off the number 1 team in the entire country from the number 3 spot. Wouldn't you think that qualified them enough to move up to the top spot? I thought it just might. I'm clearly just to naive though to think that pollsters had common sense to make that calculation on their own.

Some other things I feel like ranting about now
I've seen waaaay to many "bracketologists" (seriously what a disgrace to -ologies everywhere) that have the Big ~~Eleven~~ Ten having more teams than the Big East in the Big Dance. How in the blue hell does that happen? If the Big Ten and Big East formed some sort of uber-conference with 27 total teams we'd definitely see the Big East with the 5 of the top 6 teams and 7 of the top 10. I also have tons of faith in Providence as the 8th team in the Big East and Cincinnati, Notre Dame and Georgetown as lower-tier teams. I think any of those four would be in the top 5 in the Big Ten. So, to repeat my previous question, how the hell does a conference full of middling teams like the Big Ten get more bids than the Big East? Ugh. There is still time for the world to right itself. The State Penn, Michigan and maybe even THE OSU are all on the bubble. If there is any justice in the NCAA Universe (and Utah football would definitely argue that there isn't) at least two of these three should miss and Providence should definitely make it. I can't really speak to the quality of the Big Ten teams, but it is highway robbery if Providence doesn't make the tourney. That is a damned good team with a winning record in the insanely difficult Big East.

Next on the bitching list is the Joey Galloway to the Steelers rumors. I'm not saying that Galloway to the Steelers is necessarily a bad option, as I think he could be a decent enough third option if the Steelers can get him on the cheap. However, I'd rather go after some other options. One potential intriguing but slightly costly move I wouldn't count out would be taking a look at Saints receiver Lance Moore. N'Awlins tendered Moore, who is a restricted free agent, but for the second level money, meaning that a team could make a better offer to Moore than the 1 year 1.545 million dollar contract the Saints offered him and if the Saints don't match they would then get our second round pick. Some might say that is too much, but I saw Lance Moore last season, and I would give up our second rounder in a freakin' heartbeat for him. As I've said previously, I think there is at least a decent chance the Steelers draft a receiver anyway in the second or third, and they would have to be incredibly, incredibly lucky to land a receiver as good as Moore. So why not offer Moore 3 or 4 years at 4 million a year and see if the Saints will match? Yeah, maybe getting a receiver like Moore isn't worth tying up that type of cap room, especially when he would only be the third receiver on the squad, but he is a difference-maker and could be dynamite coming out of the slot or something like that, especially with Hines Ward figuring to be running short on productive, starter-type seasons.

Capitals fans are a disgrace. Check out Pensblog here and here for the gory details, including especially the comments sections. God I love that site. Seriously though, where were all these great Crapital fans in recent years when their building was invaded so badly by Pens fans that they had to block out our area codes from ordering tickets? What a bunch of losers. Especially loser-y is the college student whose idea it was to spend all sorts of money to buy the pacifiers to taunt Crosby. For one, that worked out real well didn't it? I mean he only had his best game in several weeks and was a dominant force of nature. For another thing, she is an admittedly poor college student with little money and she spent a ton on these pacifiers. She goes to school in Alaksa (who the hell goes to school in Alaska from D.C.?!?!), and she bought the pacifiers up there. Now, I know news travels pretty slow all the way up to Alaska (I don't think they even have newspapers up there, let alone internet. I think they rely on Pony Express and carrier pigeon for communication) but someone should let her know there's this recession thing going on and it may not be the best time for college students to be spending all that cash on such a useless idea. I mean I'm a college student and I don't even feel comfortable spending extra cash on anything but alcohol.

Finally, the ultimate reason to complain: I'm busting out the Haz-Mat suit, as I have the very unfortunate task of driving to Philadelphia Wednesday morning for an interview. I can't even describe how little I want to move to Philly if I get the job. Ugh.

The Weekend Recap

2009-03-09T10:25:00.005-04:00

It has been a wild run the past couple days in Pittsburgh, lots and lots of little yet exciting things worth talking about

-As I mentioned, I attended my final game in the Oakland Zoo Saturday afternoon against the UConn Huskies. I already talked at length about that game, but it bears repeating: This was one of the best games I've ever been to. The only others I can think of that were even in the same stratosphere were last year's WVU thriller and the 2006 game against Notre Dame when Chris Quinn exploded all over a porous Pitt D for 37 points before the Panthers won it in double OT. Those two games were thrilling because they went down to the wire and had incredibly exciting endings (multiple endings in the ND game's case). This one was thrilling more because of the raucous crowd (the loudest I have ever heard it for an entire game) and the incredibly high level of play.

-I've said it before and I'll say it again: This is as good of a squad as Pitt can ever really hope to have. Sure, the incoming recruit talent level keeps going up, but this squad is perfectly constructed for a big run this month. A spectacular point guard, a dangerous scorer from the wing and a bullish inside man capable of taking over a game at any time lead the charge. They are supported by a defense-first, rebounding grinder who can guard anyone, a slashing 2 guard who is an absolute lockdown defender, two athletic bench guys who can step up at any time and take over starter's minutes and a sharshooting backup guard who can drill it from long range. If this team doesn't break that Sweet 16 barrier (and for the record I think that they easily will) then what Pitt squad will?

-The Big East tournament gets fired up this week, and I really couldn't be any more excited about it. I'll even go so far as to watch the opening round games on the Internet on Tuesday. Should be a grand old time.

-I know I wrote a column and updated it yesterday and everything with this information, but how in the hell does Levance Fields only make it to the third team on the All Big East squads? That is an absolute joke and shows how stupid the Big East coaches really are. Even worse, TWO point guards made it ahead of him. A.J. Price and Jonny Flynn both got outplayed up and down the court by Fields when their teams met. They couldn't carry Levance's jockstrap. That is just downright stupidity and I feel like Calhoun and Boeheim are somehow the root of this conspiracy, though that might just be because of my blinding hatred of both. What a joke.

-While we are on the subject, how dumb is it that the teams are chosen with no regard whatsoever for the positions on the floor? That's insanity. The All Big East first team has a center, 2 power forwards, 2 small forwards and a shooting guard. You know what would happen if that team sat down one of those guys (there are 6 on the first team) and played Pitt or UConn or Louisville in some sort of video game simulation? The All Big East team would get crushed because THEY HAVE NO POINT GUARD!!!! They would have to move McNeal to the point, play Terrance Williams at the 2 and would probably sit down Luke Harangoy (no I didn't misspell his name, I spelled it that way because there is no D in that guy). The second and third team are structured the same way with 2 point guards a shooting guard a small forward and a power forward who really isn't a power forward. Why not structure the All Conference squads at least sort of like a real time with a point guard, a shooting guard, a small forward, and 2 power forwards/ centers. Why did I structure it as two power forward/ centers? Because there really is only like 4 centers in the whole league, the other teams just start power forwards at the center position. So considering that, here's what I think the teams should look like:

First Team
1 Levance Fields
2 Jerel McNeal
3 Terrance Williams
4 DeJuan Blair
5 Hasheem Thabeet

Second Team
1 Jonny Flynn
2 Wesley Matthews
3 Sam Young
4 Dante Cunningham
5 Luke Harangody

Third Team
1 A.J. Price
2 Earl Clark
3 Da'Sean Butler
4 Jeff Adrien
5 Greg Monroe

Now don't you feel much better about these teams than the other, mismatched squads? I know I do.

-Things are ho-humming along down in Bradenton. One of the stories I read in the paper the other day talked about the Pirates ideally looking to put Nyjer Morgan in the leadoff spot in the lineup. The lineup would likely look a little something like this:
LF Morgan
2B Sanchez
CF McLouth
C Doumit
1B LaRoche
RF Moss
3B LaRoche
SS Wilson
P Maholm

Ugh. I don't even want Morgan to start, let alone get to the plate more often than anyone else on the roster. I was going to go ahead and write something about this, and if they do end up putting Morgan in the leadoff spot, I probably will anyway, but Bucs Dugout beat me to it and said everything and more that I wanted to say. I'm not going to repeat him (at least not yet) so check his stuff out if you want to see what I mean.

-Pitt football released their schedule for the 2009 season, and it seems like a solid slate. There are not 1 not 2 but 3 Friday games, but thankfully they are all away. Personally, I loathe the Friday games and think they diminish what the Big East has tried to accomplish the past few years, but whatever. 1 of the Friday games is the day after Thanksgiving against WVU and I have no problem with that, as that is kind of a cool day for a game. There are 7 home games on the schedule in all, and for once, half the home slate isn't in August and September. They get the token creampuff Youngstown State on September 5 to open the season and then get Navy on September 19. They then get a few weeks away from Heinz Field and play UConn October 10, South October 24, Syracuse November 7, Notre Dame (!) November 14 and Cincinnati December 5. The non-conference schedule also includes road trips to Buffalo (uhm what?) and North Carolina State (solid).

-The Steelers lost Bryant McFadden yesterday to the Arizona Cardinals. Can't say I am surprised, as B-Mc is a solid corner in a market that loves to overpay for corners. However, I was surprised by the contract. McFadden got just a 2 year 10 million dollar contract. I really am surprised that is the best he could do on the open market. I was beginning to get a bit optimistic that maybe he might return, as many teams have already spent a bundle this offseason and somehow McFadden had been passed over and that the Steelers might get him back at a reasonable price. While I don't think 5 million a year is reasonable, I find myself wondering what the Steelers' best offer for McFadden was. I mean what would he have rather signed for: 2 years 10 million with 5 guaranteed or say, 4 years 16 million with 8 mil guaranteed? I don't know what he would have chosen, but the total package in the second option certainly has its upside.

-Speaking of Steelers off-season stuff, here's an interview to check out over at Whatcha Talkin Bout with massive Steelers tackle Max Starks. Definitely worth a listen. There are actually quite a few audio clips over there worth checking out.

-There was an incredibly exciting game of puck yesterday afternoon between the Pens and one of their biggest archrivals, the Washington Capitals. It was a tremendous game, and it was especially vindicating to watch Sidney Crosby steal the show and be the star of the day after the issues last game between Sid and Ovechkin. AO was his usual overly aggressive and pompous self on the ice, and at times I think that hurts the Caps more than it helps. It was also good to see the Pens storm into Washington and get the W and for Sid to be the one to rub it in their faces after the Caps fans tried their best to taunt him. I just love it when fairweather fans like those Caps losers try to act like they are all hardcore. Please. I've been to games in D.C. and seen countless others on TV and this is probably one of the very rare times I've ever seen the Caps fan outnumber Pens fans. And it goes well beyond the ice rink. Remember the absolute no-show by the Skins fans when the Steelers turned their gigantic stadium into Heinz Field south last November? That was tremendous, and spoke volumes about the "support" Washington fans give their teams.

-I've turned into a scoreboard-watching, standing-checking addict the past week or so, and expect that to continue. Coming into this week, here's how things look right now with just 15 games to go for the Pens this season. Here's how things are shaping up right now.
Obviously the Pens have played 1 more game than any of the 3 teams ahead of them, but they also have played the same amount of games as the team 1 point behind them and they are 3 points ahead of Buffalo who has played 1 less game. So they are unquestionably sitting in 8th place right now. That's pretty solid considering where things were a few weeks back.

-We'll finish things up with a bit of a personal anecdote: I'm on spring break this week, and because I have no money and need to interview for some jobs, I'm not in Florida or Mexico or anything. Instead I'm in a weird flex situation between Oakland and my parents' house. It is definitely a pretty strange existence. Oakland is downright deserted, and to tell you the truth I really enjoy it this way. I was at the bar Saturday night and it was maybe 50% of what it typically is and I figure I might be the only person in the house when I head to Hemingway's or Peter's tonight.

So instead of getting hammered every night and running around South Beach with a bunch of similarly aged people on Spring Break, I am laying low in Oakland until I have to head to Philly Wednesday for an interview. I have nothing else to do, so I've started doing some reading. I am now working on Slaughterhouse-Five. I've wanted to read this for some time and am enjoying it so far, though it is definitely a bit strange. Anyone out there have any thoughts on it? Let me know if you do.

TRS All Big East Team

2009-03-08T12:46:00.007-04:00

UPDATE: I guess the Big East now just names the top 6 players to the All-league squad. Not sure what changed, as that used to be 11 (it was last season). I don't like the much, much smaller team, and can't figure out how the hell they can claim there are 11 players better than Levance. Maybe they are naming a coaches team or something too. Not sure what's up. If I were to just name 6 to the first team, they'd be: Blair, Young, Thabeet, McNeal, Williams and Harangody. I'd find room for Fields on the second team.

I'm really not sure what day the All Big East squads get announced, but I'd have to assume it is sometime in the next couple days prior to the BET. Unfortunately, I can't trust those coaches to do the right thing, especially when guys like Jerry Wainwright and Fred Hill have the same amount of say as coaching icons like Jim Boeheim and Jim Calhoun and up-and-coming coaching stars like Jamie Dixon and Jay Wright. I'm not even sure Wainwright is familiar with what good basketball looks like. If he is going off his team as a model I think he might vote Gary McGhee as the Player of the Year.

Anyway, because I can't trust these results because of the idiocy of some coaches and the politicking of others, I figured I needed to pump out my own All Big East teams, complete with the same numbers of players as the coaches team will have on the teams (11 on the first and 10 on the second as well as 6 honorable mentions). I'm really not sure what kind of All-Anything basketball team can have 11 players, and can be chosen with no regard to position, but that's how the Big East rolls.

So let's get to it:
First Team
F Sam Young Pitt
F DeJuan Blair Pitt
G Levance Fields Pitt
F Luke Harangody Notre Dame
C Hasheem Thabeet Connecticut
F Terrance Williams Louisville
G Jerel McNeal Marquette
G Jonny Flynn Syracuse
F Earl Clark Louisville
F Dante Cunningham Villanova
G A.J. Price Connecticut

Second Team
F Jeff Adrien Connecticut
G Deonta Vaughn Cincinnati
G Wesley Matthews Marquette
F Lazar Hayward Marquette
G Jeremy Hazell Seton Hall
G Dominique Jones South Florida
G Eric Devendorf Syracuse
F Paul Harris Syracuse
G Scottie Reynolds Villanova
F Da'Sean Butler West Virginia

Honorable Mention
G Weyinmi Efejuku Providence
G Alex Ruoff West Virginia
G Kyle McAlarney Notre Dame
G Dominic James Marquette
C Greg Monroe Georgetown
F Dar Tucker DePaul

Seriously, can you imagine if the Big East went to the traditional 5 or 6 man teams? That'd be insanity. I had a hard enough time paring down the First Team to 11 and the Second Team to 10. It was splitting hairs between Clark, Cunningham, Price, Adrien and Matthews for the first team, and the same thing goes for leaving off Efejuku and Ruoff from the second team and including Butler. I will be very interested to see how this plays out. I also couldn't decide what to do with Dominic James. He would have probably been a borderline first teamer had he stayed healthy, but I'm not sure what will happen now. Honorable mention seemed good enough, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him make his way onto the second team out of respect for what he has done.

Sam's The Man

2009-03-07T17:25:00.002-05:00

The hype was all about Thabeet vs. Blair. It turns out that angle was vastly overblown. This game was all about Sam Young against...well the entire UConn team it turns out.

UConn could've thrown their entire team at Sam I Am (and they did at times) and I don't think it would have mattered today. Young was a man possessed in his final game at the Petersen Events Center. He posted a ridiculous 31 points and 10 rebounds on the Huskies, more than half of UConn's point total, en route to a spectacular 70-60 finale at the Pete.

Besides Young's career day, it was also a day for celebrating two other important seniors, Levance Fields and Tyrell Biggs. Both performed exactly how you'd expect them to in this type of big game. Despite a tailbone bruise, Fields posted a double-double with 10 points and 12 assists, continuing the amazing senior campaign he's posted. His shot may not have been falling as often as it usually does, but his spectacular quarterbacking more than made up for it. Tyrell Biggs, meanwhile, continued fulfilling the yeoman's role as well as anyone. He didn't get on the scoreboard, but he did have 6 rebounds and a block and played very well when matched up against Jeff Adrien and Hasheem Thabeet. Biggs has been the ultimate team player/ unsung hero type that Pitt has built their program around for the last decade or so.

Also, in what some have said could be DeJuan Blair's final game, the big fella had a quieter game than usual. He managed to sort of stay out of foul trouble, especially in the second half. But he seemed content to just neutralize Thabeet defensively and let Sam carry the load at the other end. And there was nothing wrong with that, as it was the best gameplan for the Panthers in the long run, especially after Thabeet had a very good first half.

One of the running subplots in recent weeks in Big East play has been who the Big East Player of the Year was going to be. For the most part I thought it was down to DeJuan Blair or Hasheem Thabeet, with Luke Harangody having a shot if the voters suddenly became mentally impaired. Well, I think Sam Young might have thrown his name back in that ring today. He has been surprisingly overshadowed for much of the season by Blair's excellence, but he was by far the best player on that court today. I also think Levance Fields should get some recognition for his great work this year. It's really hard for me to even pinpoint exactly which one of these three I would call my team MVP. At gunpoint, it has to be Blair, but the difference is quite negligible between our Big Three.

I also wanted to mention that it was my last game as a member of the Oakland Zoo. I really couldn't have asked for a better finish, either. This might have been the best game I've seen from the vantage point of the Zoo. I also don't know that I've been a part of a more amped-up and generally excited bunch than was there today. I just went through the replay on my DVR and couldn't get over how loud and fired up the crowd was toward the end of the game, as well as how venomous things got when the refs made a few highly questionable calls midway through the first half. All in all, it has been a great run in the Zoo, and knocking off number 1 is a hell of a way to go out.

Pitt-UConn II

2009-03-06T16:13:00.003-05:00

Much like the other great rematches of our time, Ali-Frazier III, Balboa-Creed II, Gatti-Ward III, I figured the Pitt-UConn game deserved the little roman numeral addition at the end. And if they meet again next weekend, we'll be sure to tack on another slash to make it III.

Anyway, tomorrow figures to be similar to those other rematches in that it will be an absolute slugfest, and there's a good chance someone like Hasheem Thabeet could end up unconscious by game's end.

It will be the final home game for Pitt legends Sam Young and Levance Fields, as well as excellent role player Tyrell Biggs. There is also a chance (though I don't think so) that DeJuan Blair could be suiting up in the Pete for the final time. The crowd figures to be amped up for one of the best senior classes Pitt has ever seen, and that will only be taken to another level by the fact that the number 1 UConn Huskies come strolling into town. It's hard to imagine a scenario that could get the always rowdy Zoo even more fired up. Except of course, if most of the student body weren't on spring break already. But that's a complaint for another time.

So here are some keys to the game if the Panthers are going to pull off another victory over the number 1 team in the nation.
1. DeJuan Needs to Continue Pwning Hasheem Thabeet
The much-ballyhooed matchup from Round 1 really couldn't have been any more one-sided. Blair basically beat the hell out of Thabeet the entire night and also got poor Thabeet into foul trouble all while nearly ending the guy's career by practically tearing his arm out of his socket. It was quite possibly the most dominant game I have ever from a Pitt player. However, DeJuan has had some issues with fouls, and after Jim Calhoun bitched and moaned like a little girl after last game, I think the refs will keep a very close eye on the Blair/Thabeet matchup early on. DeJuan needs to be very smart and not try to impose his physical will on him too much. Thabeet was badly exposed last game, and I really don't think DeJuan even needs to be that physical with Thabeet to knock him off his game. But, if he does manage to bait Thabeet into foul issues again early on, the game is just about over for the Huskies.

2. Levance Needs to Play and Play Well
It was incredibly terrifying to read today in the Post-Gazette that there is a chance Fieldy might not play against UConn. Personally I can't imagine a scenario where Fields doesn't play. The question probably is how well Levance will play and how many minutes he'll be able to play. Thankfully Levance typically doesn't have to play a very athletic style of point guard, and a back injury shouldn't cause him to be off his usual A game as a caretaker. The one aspect of his game that could be off though is his ability to push the ball in the transition game. As much as I expect Levance to play and take care of the ball as well as he always does, I think we might also see a heavier dose of Ashton Gibbs than usual. And the way he has been playing since Big East play started, there isn't necessarily anything wrong with that.

3. Knock Adrien and Price Off Their Games Offensively
I think Blair will be able to at least neutralize Thabeet on the offensive end, as the Huskies' Big Fella is still very raw on that end of the floor. With that in mind, the Huskies are going to have to get either Jeff Adrien or A.J. Price in a rhythm. Both are very good players, but have shown serious inconsistencies when it comes to filling the hoop. Price was a monster last week against Marquette with 36 points, and has gone over 20 points four times in Big East play. But he often is contained and is more than the third option for the Huskies in other games. The same basically goes for Adrien. The 6'7 Adrien averages a double-double, but has laid a few stinkers this season as well, including a recent 2 point 4 rebound dud against Marquette. It figures that if Thabeet is kept at least in check that either Adrien or Price will start scoring, but Pitt needs to prevent either from taking over the game.

4. Control The Glass
Mostly because of Thabeet and Adrien, the Huskies pull in the second most total rebounds per game in the nation. Our Panthers sit at 10th. That doesn't necessarily mean that UConn is a better rebounding team than Pitt, but it does assert that they are definitely a better boarding team than they showed in the first matchup when Pitt outrebounded the Huskies 43-30, and it probably shouldn't even have been that close. I am going to say here and now that if either team is able to win the rebounding battle by more than 5, that will be the winner. If it's close either team can win, but both these teams scheme off of getting second chances and preventing second chances for the other team. Whoever has more success in imposing their will should come out on top.

So that's it for my keys to Pitt/ UConn II. I tried to come up with a fifth, but any of my ideas paled in comparison to the first four, which I think are all immensely important.

As for a prediction for the game? Well I'll say Pitt 80 UConn 69. Young and Blair both go for over 20. I think Fields plays but has limited minutes (say 25 or so) and Ashton Gibbs buries a couple treys in his place.

A Look At Potential Steeler Draft Picks

2009-03-05T18:43:00.009-05:00

I've done quite a bit of NFL Draft stuff on the site here the past few weeks, and its been met with some pretty positive responses, though not necessarily from Pittsburgh fans. It seems its been more attractive to the almost unfathomable legion of NFL Draftniks out there. Thanks to a few links from Mock Draft databases, there were more hits on this page in about a week or two than there were in the entire previous history of TRS.

So anyway, with this knowledge in hand I figured I'd try to apply some of the stuff I've seen to our local football squad, the Pittsburgh Steelers. I put together a list of 10 potential first round guys we could see wearing the black and gold and added some tidbits about each. I also listed 10 potential guys I'd like to see at the bottom of the second round, too. Let me know what you think.

First Round Guys
In the first round I think that the Steelers are most likely the address the offensive line in some capacity. Ideally, I think they would like to add an offensive tackle, but those guys don't often slip so if they want someone they will have to either trade up or reach for a second rounder. There are also a couple different interior guys who figure to be late first or early second rounders. There are also other areas the Steelers may zero in on if they are not satisfied with the pickings at number 32. It is still unclear whether or not Bryant McFadden will be back, and if he departs the Steelers may need to beef the secondary up. They also have a need for a third or fourth receiver, as Nate Washington is gone and Limas Sweed is a question mark. Lastly they could also just sit and wait for whatever player is inevitably slipping down the board and use it as a luxury pick. That is tougher to project, but I do have one guy in mind at the bottom.

Alex Mack G/C California
There's little question who the early odds favor the Steelers picking at 32. This guy. And for good reason. He's almost universally regarded as the top interior lineman in the draft, which coincidentally is a big need for the Steelers. However, I'm not convinced he is actually still on the board. I wouldn't bat an eyelash if it the Steelers decided to move up a handful of slots to make sure that they get their man. Assuming of course, he is their man.

Duke Robinson G Oklahoma
Robinson is of the massive, earth-mover variety offensive lineman. The guy is 6'5 327 and is one of the stronger linemen in the entire draft, and that really comes out when you watch his work on the field. He is perhaps a bit too big, though, as there are definite questions about his quickness. Still, he should be able to come in and immediately give Darnell Stapleton a run for his money after playing at such a high-level school like OU.

Eben Britton OT Arizona
Britton has one of the larger frames of any offensive lineman in the draft, and it is widely believed he could get a little bigger and develop into a top-notch tackle. There are certainly some questions about his overall talent level, though. The potential is definitely there, but the excecution hasn't been as much. Britton could easily go 10-12 spots ahead of the Steelers' pick, but others believe that he and Michael Oher could slip into the 20s. I'm sure the Steelers wouldn't mind that one bit. If he is still on the board, I see him almost no way that the Steelers pass him up.

William Beatty OT Connecticut
Beatty was initially regarded by most as a mid-round prospect. However, he has had some above-average workouts and has demonstrated signs of potentially developing into a very good tackle. He probably projects as a left tackle due to his quickness and agility, which has boosted his stock even more. Beatty should not be relied on to come in and play right away, as even at UConn he was mostly regarded as being a very good pass protector but someone who still needed to work on consistency, toughness and run blocking. He figures to need at least a season to watch and learn before he is ready to take on a starting role. Personally, I'm typically not a fan of these types of "project" linemen, especially in the first round, as the risk is just too great.

Max Unger G/C Oregon
To many, Unger may be something of a foreign name, even for people who have read several mocks. For the most part, we are seeing Unger's name tossed around as a mid-second rounder, at best right now. But we've seen too often in the past few drafts that teams will reach for offensive linemen. This is especially true when they are regarded as a reasonably pro-ready, as Unger is seen by most. He doesn't have the upside of others here, but his current talent level and the show he puts on in some of the game tapes may be enough to sneak him into the first round, especially for a team in need of a ready-made starting lineman, like the Steelers.

Sean Smith CB Utah
By most accounts, this is one of the weakest defensive back crops in years, but of all the different late-first/early-second round players Smith has to be considered the most intriguing. There has been a lot of debate about whether or not Smith can be a corner or should be a safety, but if he can handle corner he could be a very unique weapon. He is a jaw-dropping 6-3 1/2, which is of course practically unheard of for an NFL corner. The speed is also only so-so, so its easy to see why many teams think he might be a safety. Still... if he can prove to be even a decent corner that height could make him a truly unique difference-maker. Despite what many say, I have a hard time seeing a monster of a corner like this falling out of the first round.

Alphonso Smith CB Wake Forest
If Smith were two inches taller, he'd be fighting Malcolm Jenkins for a top-10 pick. Instead, he's just 5-9 and didn't prove to be as fast as originally thought in his sprint times. With Smith, though, the proof may be in the pudding. Anyone who has watched his college game tapes has raved about his work at Wake, and the universal thought is that he is an excellent cover corner as long as he isn't matched against any real big receivers. With the Steelers, that wouldn't be a problem thanks to Ike Taylor. Smith is expected by the experts to drop out of the first, but I'm not sure I buy it, as the experience, athleticism and skill are all there, and he should be able to play as a nickel or dime guy right away. I think someone makes a move for him late in the first.

D.J. Moore CB Vanderbilt
Just like Alphonso Smith, the biggest thing holding Moore back is his height. He is even shorter than Smith at just 5-8 1/2. Moore is probably not a match for Smith as a pure corner, but he has his appealing traits, as well. He is an absolute ball hawk, with 12 picks in his last two seasons and can be pretty dangerous with the ball. His height also hasn't held him back at any point, as he held his own against bigger players. The guess here is that Moore does end up falling out of the first round, but we've position runs before (like OT a year ago) that have pushed fringe guys into the first round, so I certainly wouldn't rule it out.

Percy Harvin WR Florida
Yes, this is definitely a wildcard pick. I actually don't really think that Harvin is going to be there when the Steelers pick. He may not have a defined position, but he is very dangerous when he gets his hands on the ball, and I think could develop into a pretty nice slot-type receiver. He reminds me a fair bit of Antwaan Randle El, and he certainly worked out pretty darn well in Pittsburgh. I personally can't see the Steelers going receiver in the first round, but if Harvin is there, he could be an awfully tempting toy for the Steelers to snag, and we saw in last year's draft that they aren't afraid to ignore need for talent in the early rounds.

Tyson Jackson DE LSU
This is the guy I think could be a potential slipper on draft day. By some accounts, Jackson might be off the board for close to 15-20 picks by the time the Steelers pick. I'm not so sure I buy that. I have seen more than a few mocks lately that have seen him fall into the mid-to-late 20's and a couple that have him even in the second round. That seems unlikely, but it is worth thinking about. Jackson is not as sexy of a pick as the other DE's because he is a big fella and won't get to the QB much as a pro. For the Steelers, though, he'd be ideal and very tough to pass up. He would stay a DE in the 3-4, and I think the Steelers need to start finding a way to infuse some youth into their quickly aging defensive line.

Second Round Guys
I think the second round needs are close to identical to the first round, with the caveat that I don't think they will go for two of any position with the first two, not even offensive line. There are a few different receivers who could be lurking around at 64, I pinpointed just two of them but others could be in the mix. I think they are especially likely to use this as a luxury pick if they can land an offensive lineman in Round 1, and just take whatever player is the best no matter where he plays.

Derrick Williams WR Penn State
With the departure of Nate Washington and the very uncertain status of Limas Sweed, I think the Steelers would like to add someone else to their receiving corps. Williams is as talented a receiver as they come, and is also a multi-threat type, capable of pulling reverses, breaking off long gains after the catch and can even return kicks potentially. I think he could go much higher than 64, but the recent trend in drafts is for receivers to slip, and the Steelers could benefit again from that trend this season.

Brian Robiskie WR Ohio State
Robiskie is a big receiver, measuring at nearly 6-3, and by most accounts is a pretty pro-ready receiver, unlike Limas. He may not be as capable of being a dual-threat as other receivers, but he is probably the best all-around receiver in the second round grouping, and I think is a relatively safe pick.

Fenuki Tupou OL Oregon
Tupou is a prototypical right-tackle mauler. He is huge, powerful and has a proven track record of for run blocking. However, he probably doesn't have the agility or ability to handle left-tackle duty.

Jamon Meredith OL South Carolina
Meredith is getting consideration as a Day 1 pick because he is probably the fastest lineman in the entire class. That is all well and good, but I've yet to read many glowing reviews of his play in college. I'm not saying its been anything bad, but it has been far from glowing, too. That is a definite red flag, but having that kind of athleticism, which figures to mean he is a left tackle prospect, does at least earn him some consideration.

Phil Loadholt OL Oklahoma
Loadholt is a bit like a Jeff Otah type of prospect. They were both massive players with abilities to fill out even more and some considerable upside that hadn't yet been tapped. Like Otah, Loadholt probably doesn't have the general agility to play on the left side, though the athleticism is probably there. Loadholt has some inconsistencies in his game, which also makes him a bit like Otah. So why is he a second rounder, you ask? Well, the technique has evidently been questionable for some time and the passing blocking is probably lesser than Otah. But the real issue here is that he has some character red flags in his past.

Herman Johnson G LSU
Johnson will instantly become one of the biggest guards in football, standing at 6-7 1/4 and weighing 364 pounds. He uses the size pretty well, though, as he is a powerful run blocker and is solid enough pass blocking. Predictably, though, he leaves a bit to be desired in the speed department, which is why he plays inside. He also is the type of guy you could see eating himself out of the league within a couple years.

Jarron Gilbert DE San Jose State
Gilbert is a terrific athlete for someone who weighs 288 pounds, as evidenced by his infamous YouTube clip (see below). Obviously this kind of stuff can be faked, but the workouts he has put on have confirmed the excellent athleticism. The on-field play has been questioned at times, but he is certainly worth a look as a 3/4 DE in the second round. It would be rare to have a 3/4 end with that type of athletic ability, and maybe he can provide some of the pass rushing presence the Steelers thought they might have in Brett Keisel.

Ron Brace DT Boston College
For the past two years one of the most fascinating things for me to watch when I was lucky enough to have Steeler tickets was the obvious physical struggles of Casey Hampton between plays. You don't realize how much that guy struggles to even walk off the field at times unless you watch the game in person. Sure Big Snack is still a force during plays, but watching his deterioration really makes me wonder how much he has left in the tank. I wouldn't mind at all seeing the Steelers come up with something of a young backup plan for him.

Darius Butler CB UConn
Butler has risen up from relative obscurity to a very strong chance at being a second round pick. His workouts have been pretty solid, but even better has been the pretty strong reviews he has received from numerous scouts who have watched his game footage. He is a versatile corner, capable of supporting the run, defending jump balls really well, and was good in most coverage situations.

Coye Francies CB
Francis is one of the bigger corners in the draft, measuring to roughly the same height as Ike Taylor. He has a ton of potential and all the athletic ability necessary to wind up being a very good corner. However, he has not really developed much yet, so whatever team takes him will be working to mold a raw player, and it is still very much uncertain as to whether or not he can even be a successful corner at the college level. He is also a good kick returner.

Pitt Marches On

2009-03-04T23:03:00.003-05:00

In what many are hoping is the most successful March in school history, the Pitt hoops squad got the month started in the right way with a big W over Marquette tonight at the Pete. The road obviously doesn't get any easier, but I was pleased with the way Pitt just pushed Marquette around at the end of the game.

The Panthers had two so-so efforts against Providence and Seton Hall prior to tonight's game, but they rebounded with a huge W over a very, very good Marquette squad. Granted, the Eagles were without their second-best player in 13th-year-senior Dominic James, but the Golden Eagles were gunning for Pitt early and brought their A game for the vast majority of the night. Jerel McNeal was excellent, as always, and Lazar Hayward and Wesley Matthews brought their A games as well. Unfortunately for Marquette, their lack of depth absolutely killed them. They were up on Pitt by, I think, as much as 9, but they ran out of steam and Pitt's depth absolutely blew the doors off them in the final 6 or 7 minutes. I don't know that I've ever seen a good team like that fall apart so quickly.

We've known all season that Pitt's M.O. against good teams is to keep it close for the early going and use their depth, athleticism and ridiculous physicality wear the opposition out for a second-half run. For whatever reason it just took a little bit longer for that to work tonight, but when it finally started to happen, Marquette just had no idea how to respond. They had thrown everything they could possibly throw at us and had us cornered and wounded, but as soon as Pitt made a run and got back in the lead, this sucker was o-v-e-r.

The Big 3 was money yet again tonight. DeJuan had a 23 and 9, and I honestly can't envision how he had only 9 rebounds. It seemed like he had in the first 15 minutes of the game, but whatever. Sam was playing like he did against Seton Hall, finding holes in the defense and making them pay for not being able to keep up with him. That's what we need out of Sam I Am every game. And Levance...I have run out ways to describe this guy. Hitting Shift F7 in Word isn't going to work anymore for me, I've used all the synonyms for him up. He's just Levance being Levance. 10 assists to 2 turnover (and I only remember 1) and 17 very effective points.

I also need to mention Gil Brown's monster night. That's the kind of game I thought we'd see out of Gil 15-20 times this season. I really think this guy has the ability to be an All Big East type of player next season if he can harness his amazing ability and develop some consistency. He played 30 excellent minutes and put up 11 points and was a nightmare for Marquette to match up.

The Panthers now get the mighty UConn Huskies coming to the Pete for a Saturday noon game that will decide once and for all who the real beast of the East really is. Thabeet/Blair II is going to be the most hyped rematch of the year. I just hope poor Thabeet doesn't end up getting his arm completely ripped off this time. No one wants to see that.Lastly, I couldn't go without acknowledging Brandin Knight. In case you weren't in the house, or didn't see the TV spot they apparently aired, the former Pitt star and the player most responsible for the schools b-ball resurgence had his number retired by the university. I must say... it is about time. I've been calling for this to happen since the guy left school. His numbers may not be the stuff of all-time legends (though the assist mark is the best in school history and will be tough for anyone to snap), but he meant so much to this program. He remains my favorite Pitt player of all-time, and I don't think anything short of a national title will get a DeJuan Blair or Sam Young past him in my book. Watching his number get raised to the rafters, I couldn't keep myself from smiling and feeling great for Brandin finally getting the recognition for all that he did at Pitt. So congrats Brandin

Trade Deadline Stuff

2009-03-04T12:50:00.007-05:00

I should REALLY be studying for a big test I have tonight.

But I’m not.

Oh well.

Instead I think I’ll write a post for complete strangers to read about the NHL trade deadline. Seems like a much better use of my time.

NHL Trade Deadline = Today. Hit the Pensblog for all sorts of fun stuff.

The Pens picked up Craig Adams and another guy I’ve never heard of. Hard to get too fired up there, but Adams was snagged off waivers, so it didn't cost diddly. He’s a decent grit guy and comes on the cheap. I can live with seeing him on the fourth line, doing the checking/ PK thing and maybe even some enforcer duty. Empty Netters has some of his fighting clips. Good stuff.

The other guy not only is a nobody, he has a difficult-to-spell last name. Needless to say, I’m all sorts of fired up about the Andy Wozniewski era in Pittsburgh. EN is saying that he’s a monster of a player who isn’t physical. No wonder this guy is 28 and has played a whopping 77 NHL games. Let’s hope we never have to see him in a Pens uni.

Also, Miroslav Lucifer cleared waivers. He can now go to the Baby Pens if the Pens decide that’s what they want. This will be a very interesting situation to keep an eye on, especially if the Pens acquire somebody of higher consequence than Craig Adams and Miro’s spot is gone for good. Speaking of which…

Something much bigger has to be on the way. Dunno what. The rumors are flying about, but I can’t really buy most of them. Some of the bigger names being floated on the big boy sites are guys like Jay Bouwmeester, Nik Antropov, Eric Cole, Olli Jokinen, Mark Recchi, Bill Guerin and Ryan Smyth. Obviously the Pens figure to only be looking for forwards. Not that I think they will, but do you think it’d be awkward in the Pens locker room if they landed Eric Cole? After all, Brooksy practically assassinated Cole a few years ago and the guy has never been the same since. Maybe Recchi can come back to Pittsburgh for 14th different time? (Just kidding, that’s a terrible idea)

I wouldn’t call it a live blog, but I’m going to try to check back in with anything else that happens between now and about 3:20 P.M. Anything after that and you are on your own, as I have these annoying things called “class” and “a midterm” to attend until quite late this evening.

1:47 UPDATE: Not much of substance happening right now. The Recchin’ Ball is headed to Beantown to suit up for the Bruins. I’m happy to see him get out of hockey hell down in Tampa Bay, and he is going to one of the top Stanley Cup contenders. This gives the B’s an early lead in the “What other team should I root for besides the Pens to win the Cup?” Race.

In other news, the Pens are reportedly zeroing in on Bill Guerin and… Jarkko Ruutu. I’m not a big fan of either player coming to town, but Ruutu especially. I just don’t see how adding another gritty 3rd/4th liner is the answer. Don’t we already have like 10 of those guys? Isn’t that one of our big problems? That we have too many gritty guys and not enough guys who can bury the puck. Jarks has just 5 goals this season and scores less than once every 11 games for his career. Unless we can convince him and his brother Tuomo to pull a “Parent Trap” style switch, I don’t think this is a helpful addition to the roster.

As for Guerin, I'm having trouble getting too fired up simply because he isn't going to give us any more production than the guy we just waived, Miro Satan. If we do get him, it'd better be on the cheap

2:03 Update: Now they are saying that Guerin is coming to Pittsburgh. Maybe I should start talking bad about Jay Bouwmeester and then...poof! He'll come to Pittsburgh. Not sure what we're giving up but if it's anyone on the big league roster this gets a Mehhhhhhhhhhhh from me. Guerin's stat line on the season: 16 G 20 A -15 +/-, 61 G, 17:12 TOI. That +/- is nasty. I'm going to have to check out some Islander info to see just how legit that number is or if that team is just god awful and Henrik Zetterberg couldn't a have a good +/- there.

2:14 Update: Evidently all we gave up for Guerin was a conditional draft pick, no higher than a third rounder. I can definitely live with that. I still am not sold that he's an improvement over Satan, but that's pretty low cost for a solid scorer like Guerin.

2:32 Update: This figures to mean that the Pens are done. I wouldn't be too surprised if they did pull off another, very minor trade, but I think this is probably it. With that in mind, I'm going to sign off here. If anything happens, I won't be talking about it until much later tonight, as I'm off to do some college-student things.

Pens Waive Satan; Big Move Coming?

2009-03-03T16:37:00.003-05:00

The Pens are going to be awfully short-handed tonight, as Miro Satan was waived earlier AND Sidney Crosby is going to miss his 4th straight game due to injury.

The big news is obviously that Satan was waived. Did anyone see this coming? I sure as hell didn't. It is obviously no secret that Miro has been a bit of a disappointment this season and he is certainly overpaid, but it wasn't like he was useless and a dead weight. He is still a decent enough player to earn some minutes, though certainly not on Sid or Geno's wing. He's just too slow and isn't the right fit for either one's style of play.

So you have to figure there is more to this move, as contending teams don't just waive a guy with 17 goals. This has to mean that Ray Shero is hoping to make another move and add some salary by tomorrow's 3 PM trade deadline. With the 3.5 million off the books, it figures to be somebody of at least pretty big consequence. That surprises me a bit, as I kind of thought the Chris Kunitz addition was going to be it as far as significant pieces, but I'll reserve full judgment until I see just what he has up his sleeve.

I'd also say there is a decent chance Satan gets claimed. The 3.5 million dollar tag is only good until the end of the season, and Satan has a decent enough touch around the net to at least intrigue some teams that are looking to add a complementary piece.

You had to figure there was at least a modest chance that Sid might miss the game tonight. The groin injury is obviously not going away quickly, but at the same time, it's also not a serious injury to get all worked up over. When it's healthy, it's healthy. Until then, there's not much you can do about it.

Are there really 10 reasons to watch the Pirates?

2009-03-02T23:23:00.004-05:00

Got an e-mail the other day from the friendly neighborhood Pittsburgh Pirates marketing department. I have absolutely no idea how, but I ended up on an e-mail listing of theirs a while back, and frequently ~~have to delete~~ read different mailers they send out. These guys are better at spinning than Soviet Russia and Fox News put together.

Anyway, I got an e-mail from the Pirates the other day that, for some reason, I actually read. The title was The Top 10 Reasons To Buy Pirates Season Tickets in 2009. Now, as I understand it, there's some sort of recession going on (please note that I'm not an ignorant idiot, I'm actually a business student who has no job prospects, so that last sentence was dripping in sarcasm), so I was quite curious to see just how the Pirates could try to justify plopping down whatever ungodly amount of cash it is for 40 or even 81 regular season games. Here's the screenshot in case you aren't one of the cool kids who receive Pirate e-mails:My computer sucks and I didn't really feel like trying to make it any better than this, so too bad if you can't read it. Anyway, let's break this puppy down.

-They are trying to pass off $400 as a bargain. I mean...yeah I guess for 81 games that is a bargain, but do you really think there is anyone without a season ticket package already who is going to go to 81 games. Add to that the fact that scalping these things is next to impossible (hell, even giving them away is tough enough) and I'm not so sure this is really a great deal when most people are worried about whether or not they are going to have an income for the next year.

-Believe it or not, re-selling your tickets on StubHub is actually a reason. "yeah come buy Pirate tickets so that you can try to re-sell them on a website where fans go for hard-to-find tickets!" How hard are the people at StubHub going to laugh when they see you trying to sell tickets on their site for upper-deck seats?

-They do try to promote PNC Park, a very valid reason, as it is The Best Ballpark In America.

-All of 2 reasons are related to the baseball players. "Raise the Jolly Roger"= lame. A win is nice and all, but its hard to sell fans on a win with this bunch. The other one about watching the kids (like McLouth and Doumit) grow is valid.

-Also included is Attend Exclusive Events! Members-only events like Field Days (no idea what that is), Batting Practice (Since when is BP limited only to an exclusive group? Last I checked you could watch BP and get a better seat anyway if you showed up pretty early and bought a cheap bleacher seat) and Player Meet-and-Greets. I suppose that the last one is kinda cool, but I don't know how often that happens or how it is structured. I'm a bit lukewarm on this idea without more details.

I mean, I commend the Bucs for trying to get some buzz going, but at the same time its a little hard to fathom much success with this little promotion.

Nate Washington Gets Waaaaaaaaay Overpaid

2009-03-02T19:47:00.003-05:00

Wow. That's all that I can say. 6 years, 27 million and 9 mil guaranteed for Nate Washington?!? To the Titans, no less? What a ridiculous contract. I mean I like Nate, and there's no question that he is 1000% better than he was a few years ago when he first came in from Tiffin College, and he also figures to continue on his upward trend for at least another year or two. But still. That is a freaking truck load of money for a guy who shouldn't be any higher on a depth chart than third.

What's worse for Nate is that I don't like this situation for him at all. He gets money that, barring any other big moves, indicates he will be the top receiver on the depth chart and will have sky-high expectations. And if he starts doing the Nate Washington thing, and by that I mean dropping critical balls downfield, things could turn ugly for him in a huge hurry.

But whatever. I guess the one good thing that could help him is that Tennessee sure as hell isn't going to throw the ball a ton considering their ultra-potent run game and they don't need him to catch 5 or 6 passes a game. What they need is for him to effectively stretch the field, and while I think that trait of his has been a little overrated by some for the past year or two, he can at least be a solid upgrade for Tennessee there. So congrats to Nate for a pay day that gives him financial security for (hopefully) the rest of his life. And good luck Tennessee on trying to get him to continue his development to the point that he maybe becomes a complete receiver some day.

Could Pittsburgh Be An NBA Town?

2009-03-01T10:45:00.004-05:00

If you are any sort of an internet sports junkie, and if you are reading a little-known Pittsburgh sports blog, I'd have to assume that you are, then you probably are at least familiar with ESPN's resident Sports Guy, Bill Simmons. A lot of Pittsburghers probably don't read him for any number of reasons. I mean, he writes a ton about Boston and pro basketball, and neither one really endears him to us 'Burghers. And his columns are sometimes so long that you could probably read 10-15 other sports stories in the same amount of time. But, all that considered, the guy is the best columnist around, and I personally never miss a column or podcast that he does. If I took all the time I devote to Simmons and spent it doing homework and studying instead, I might even have a job offer or two by now (Actually that's not true. No one has a job offer right now). But where's the fun in that?

So anyway, imagine my surprise when I came to the concluding few paragraphs of Simmons' "Welcome to the No Benjamins Association" column from Friday in which he details the financial woes of his beloved NBA and how he is predicting there could be several NBA franchise moves in the coming years and I read the following line: "Also, I like the thought of Pittsburgh landing the Nets or Grizzlies for some reason." Go back and read that sentence again. Okay, read it one more time. If you are still unclear, read it again just to be safe. Simmons, one of the most outspoken NBA fans on the planet and a guy with what seems like a fair amount of NBA connections "likes" Pittsburgh to land an NBA franchise? Of all the talk in recent years about the Pittsburgh sports scene, did you ever think you'd see the day when one of the most famous and well-respected sports columnists in the country suggests with a straight face that Pittsburgh could be in the running for an NBA team? And then he backs it up with a fair amount of reasons that make sense? We really do live in some crazy times.

Personally, I enjoy the NBA, and would like to have a team here. I think it is a very frustrating league though because I've long thought there are some seriously shady dealings in it, but I'm still a fan nonetheless. I dare not write about it on here, though, unless its to talk about DeJuan Blair or Sam Young's prospects for an NBA future as it has longed seemed to me that Pittsburghers just don't care about the NBA for the most part.

On the business side, there is actually a fair amount of validity to Simmons' argument for Pittsburgh as a potential suitor. If you read Simmons' article, or at least skim through that 5,400 word beast, there really are a ton of NBA cities that just flat out don't draw well and have bad arenas. In Pittsburgh, they would just not draw well, as they would have a nice arena. That can boost revenues even if attendance is only decent. Plus there is the novelty act to rely on at first, as can currently be seen happening in Oklahoma City. No matter how lousy the team is, people will be interested to at least check them out in their first season so long as the price isn't outrageous. So on this level, I suppose Pittsburgh is at least worth a second glance as a potential NBA home.

But personally, I have major doubts about Pittsburgh's ability to support an NBA team. Actually, ability probably isn't the right word. The Burgh has done pretty well for itself in these nasty economic times. I mean, there are a lot of job losses going on in the area, no question, but for the most part, Pittsburgh has at least weathered the storm better than many bigger cities. So we probably could support a team. I think our willingess though is the big question. Say if the Bucks or Nets move here, as Simmons suggests. Well, there would certainly be a novelty effect at first to draw some attendance. I mean hell, even the Pirates sell out their home opener because people miss baseball, and that's only about a 6 month absence. And many citizens have shown at least a passing interest in basketball through Pitt (more on that later), so I suppose there is hope for that interest to grow. But what happens if the Bucks or Nets move here in 2011/12 season (it won't happen early than that I don't think) and that franchise is still a trainwreck with no marketable youngsters? What if Vince Carter is still jogging up and down the court while Yi Jianlin celebrates his 47th birthday? (I apologize to the countless Pittsburgh fans who didn't get those jokes) Pittsburgh won't even have to viciously turn on that team like they do on the Pirates every June. They'll just start ignoring them. And that's when all of a sudden everyone realizes: Holy hell, Pittsburgh doesn't have enough people to support 4 pro sports teams and a major college in the long-term, and the newbie is just getting slaughtered at the box office because of it. There is only so much total interest that a city can have in sports as a whole, and when that city is not nearly as big as most other 4-sport cities, its probably a bad sign.

THE FUTURE?

Unless the team that comes here is good, it could get ugly in a hurry, especially considering where basketball season falls in the calendar. The NBA season goes from late October until mid-April and then the playoffs run until approximately early October (just kidding, it only feels that way). Sorry NBA team, this city practically shuts down from September to January for the Steelers. It's a miracle people even go to work sometimes during that stretch, there ain't no way an NBA team can fit into that schedule. And if February rolls around and this new team is struggling through an 82 game basketball season, people aren't going to show up. Pittsburgh is a very, very fickle sports town when it comes to attending anything other than a Steelers game.

4 Cases in Point: 1)If it weren't for having one of the greatest talents in hockey history in Mario Lemieux, the Penguins would have never survived. And even with Mario, it's debatable whether they would have survived without gaining two more once-in-a-generation talents in Sid and Geno. If the Pens were still lousy and Sid turned out to be Alexandre Daigle 2.0 and Geno hadn't snuck out of Russia like his name was James Bond and the Pens were still lousy, I don't think the public would have backed a new arena and the Pens would be playing in Kansas City by now. 2) The Pirates have a die-hard contingent that dwindles every year and the apathy grows by the year. Even when a skinny Barry Bonds was wearing the Bucs uniform and turning into the best 5-tool talent in baseball the attendance was far from spectacular. 3)Pitt hoops was big in the 80's when Jerome Lane and Charles Smith were in town, but played in a tiny building so its hard to really know their true popularity, and I'm too young to know the real general public attitude. I do know that the program vanished off the map for most of the 90's until Ben Howland came to Oakland and Steve Pedersen somehow got the Pete built. 4)Pitt football was above average in a middling conference in the early 00's and couldn't draw that well and will likely never draw to capacity at Heinz unless they can win the conference first (even then I'm skeptical).

See a pattern here? Unless we get the next LeBron or D-Wade or Kobe, I just can't a basketball fervor developing in this town like it has for hockey. At least not one that can be sustained and built upon to give the city the beginnings of a foundation for pro basketball.

Some may try to claim that the Pitt hoops team has helped to build a basketball following in the city. I don't really buy that. I think the success of Pitt hoops in drawing 12,000+ 20 times a season is due much more to the passion of the alumni to see their school win than it is a growing fondness for b-ball. I don't think there is much of a correlation between college and the pros. Otherwise teams like the Pacers wouldn't be having a hard time right now.

All this isn't to say that the Burgh couldn't do better than Memphis or Charlotte or New Orleans. I certainly think we'd at least be their equal, and we'd have a newer arena to boot. Hell, if we can somehow get the Hornets and Chris Paul, the team might just stand a chance to make it here. But Pittsburgh isn't where the NBA needs to be or even wants to be. It is an intriguing possibility I suppose, and if the NBA does go into the nosedive the Sports Guy is predicting, I think that anything is possible, but maybe the NBA (and the NHL and maybe even MLB) would be better off acknowledging something many sports fans have known for some time: There aren't enough cities around to support all these teams for the long-term. If you want real success for your league, cut back 4 teams or 6 teams or even 8 teams and get the hell out of markets that don't work, like Memphis, Charlotte and New Orleans in basketball and any place where it's too hot to ice skate outside in the winter in the NHL.

So, Sports Guy, sorry to say that while I certainly appreciate your faith in Pittsburgh, I just can;t envision a scenario where Pittsburgh truly becomes a viable NBA option. They may not be the worst option around, but that alone probably shouldn't qualify us for the role. I just don't think that the interest would be there for the long-term unless we are lucky enough to get a franchise with a superstar already on the roster like OKC got with Kevin Durant.

Thursday Links

2009-02-26T10:08:00.002-05:00

I'm going to be M.I.A. for the next few days as I have some family stuff to attend to, but regular TRS coverage should resume at some point on Sunday. If anything big happens in the Burgh between now and then, this blog will be dark, so don't bother stopping by.

With that established, I thought I'd finish out February with a fresh batch of links, hot out of the oven.

-Thanks to Mondesi's House for this link to a Rob Rossi video clip suggesting the Pens should maybe trade Sid. Hopefully someone took the car keys away from Rob that night. I know he isn't the first, and won't be the last to suggest trading Sid for a load of players, but I can't possibly understand this logic. Sure it may have worked out well for Quebec when they dealt Eric Lindros all those years back, but teams have gotten much smarter and are now much more reluctant to trade top prospects, even if it is for a great player. Remember how great that Jagr deal turned out? How about the Joe Thornton trade? That wasn't as terrible, but it was still pretty bad. So congratulations, your plan is to deal Sid for 30 cents on the dollar, and if you are really lucky, you might get one solid NHL player and one borderline NHLer on your roster. Congrats, I'm sure Geno will love the fact that he is now the only player on the roster then with even mediocre offensive skills. I know Sid has areas where he needs to improve across the board and has had some growing pains this season, but consider a few things: 1) He's 21!!!!! Countless NHL players went on to lead very, very good careers that weren't even in the NHL at 21. He is still young and still has a lot of room to improve. People forget that. He is not a finished product, and if you treat him as such, you are an idiot. 2) The problems go one hell of a lot deeper than Sid. There are so many crappy players on this team it's mind-boggling. 3) The way the NHL is going it's far from a sure thing that the Pens would be able to lure anyone else with even somewhat similar offensive capabilities in free agency using the money saved if they deal Crosby. Please people, I understand the issues some have with Sid, but he is still so young and probably has had to grow up too fast for his own good. Try to keep these things in mind and not get completely and totally irrational when discussing Sid. Also, that Rob Rossi sure has some nice hair, doesn't he? (Giggling to myself). And on another side note, do not, I repeat DO NOT under any circumstance ever google image search "Rob Rossi." I was looking for a shot of him with that hair, and turns out there is what you would call an adult film star of the same name. Yeesh.

-I love the Pensblog. Those guys are the best and always stand up for the Burgh. Nothing better than a good jobbing. And Chris Cooley is a definite d-bag. They also have the funniest and most dedicated readers of any blog I've ever seen, as seen by these photoshops of potential new jobs for Michel Therrien. Word's can't even describe how funny this stuff is. I practically wet myself I was laughing so hard.

-Speaking of loving Pittsburgh blogs, the Pittsburgh Sports Blog Tourney over at Sean's Ramblings is marching onto the Elite 8. Strangely the Pitt Blather made it. I just assumed they only went as far as the Sweet 16. (Wincing at the fact that I effectively just pissed myself off with that joke.)

-Nothing says Spring Training like a sex scandal involving the identity theft of a fringe major leaguer. Who knew it was possible for the Pirates to have one of the most popular stories on Deadspin?

-3 Pirates make the Baseball America Top 100 prospect list. And they are exactly who you'd expect and in the order you'd expect. Also of note, not only is Matt Wieters ranked number 1 overall, of the 10 players picked after the infamous Danny Moskos, there are 7 in the top 100 (including Wieters) and even 3 in the Top 10 overall prospects. If you'll excuse for a minute, I'm off to write my 3,000th piece of hate mail to Dave Littlefield.

-Aaaaand I'm back. That was therapeutic. Anyway, I wanted to link to this article on blogging that I got from the superb Where Have You Gone, Andy Van Slyke? It was a very interesting read, and pretty well represents the mentality of myself and a few other bloggers that I've talked to. Sex sells folks. That's all there is to.

-I know there are articles out there about Pitt's loss last night, but I can't bring myself to read them, so I'm not going to bother linking you to them as I have no idea what they say. In fact I avoided national sports all day. No SportsCenter, PTI nothing. I read a book this morning instead of my usual dose of SC.

-Jeff Saturday is apparently actively campaigning for a spot with the Steelers. Saturday is a 10 year vet, but is one of those savvy guys who can be very effective so long as he is healthy. I could definitely se him fitting in after a switch to guard.

-TRS Site Update Part I: I've decided to shelve the Pirate Player Profile feature. Instead of that, I'm going to put together a few big posts detailing what my statistical predictions are for the Pirates. I'm a definite stathead and like to make those types of predictions, but it wasn't that much fun to write those everyday, and I'm fairly certain that no one gave a damn about my thoughts on each individual player. I'm still a rookie blogger, you live and learn.

-TRS Site Update Part II: I'm also working on coming up with some kind of weekly gimmick for the site. That seems to be a reliable niche most of the successful blogs follow. I have an idea or two, and will try one of them out next week. Let me know if you have any thoughts yourself on any of this stuff.

-TRS Site Update Part III: I'd feel bad if I didn't give an extra plug to D.C. Pro Sports Report and Sports Jabber for the ridiculous amount of traffic sent my way over the last 24 hours since my latest Mock Draft was posted. I still can't believe the ridiculous popularity of these sites and the popularity of Mock Drafts in general, I'm definitely thrilled to see it though.

Three River Sports

It's Bizarro World

Opening Day At Long Last

Three Rivers Three Links: April 3

Reasons To Get Excited About the 2009 Pirates

Three Rivers Three Links: April 2

What Will The 09/10 Panthers Look Like?

Will Ohman disses the Pirates and other weird happenings in Bradenton

Three Rivers Three Links: March 31

Sad Day

Villanova Links and Game Prediction

Three Rivers Three Links: March 27

UNBELIEVABLE

Sweet 16 Picks and a Pitt-Xavier breakdown

Three Rivers Three Links: March 26

Three Rivers Three Links: March 25

Handicapping the Hart Trophy Race

Three Rivers Three Links: March 24

Three Rivers Three Links: March 23

These Panthers Don't Like To Let Things Get Dull

NCAA Round 2 Picks- Part Deux

NCAA Round 2 Picks

Woah Panthers Woah

Three Rivers Three Links: March 20

The Madness: Day 1

Three Rivers Three Links

Three Rivers Three Links

Dan Rooney: A Man of Many Talents

Mock Draft IV: Round 2

Mock Draft IV

Three Rivers Three Links

TRS 3 Links of the Day

TRS Bracket

Breaking Down Pitt's Region

Truly Bizarre Games Probably Lock Up A 1 Seed For Pitt

Craig Monroe Getting A Shot At Starting?

Terrible Night

Pirates Top Prospects Rundown

What Would Have Happened If Penn State Had Joined The Big East?

Waiting Really Is The Hardest Part

A Big Co-Congrats To DeJuan Blair

Big East Tournament Predictions

North Carolina ahead of Pitt and other things for me to complain about

The Weekend Recap

TRS All Big East Team

Sam's The Man

Pitt-UConn II

A Look At Potential Steeler Draft Picks

Pitt Marches On

Trade Deadline Stuff

Pens Waive Satan; Big Move Coming?

Are there really 10 reasons to watch the Pirates?

Nate Washington Gets Waaaaaaaaay Overpaid

Top 10 Stories in The Burgh

Could Pittsburgh Be An NBA Town?

Thursday Links