THE PITTSBURGH Sports CHATTER

[Bill Lumbergh]

Originally posted by Va Beach VH Fan
Well, that's my plan, either with baseball or football, he's reaching stud status on both quickly at age 12...

2nd game in a row he put one to the fence on Saturday, damn wind was stiff blowing in, and held it in...

Hey, what happened to your prediction that the Pirates would be FAR better than the Giants this year? :D

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Originally posted by Bill Lumbergh
Hey, what happened to your prediction that the Pirates would be FAR better than the Giants this year? :D

The jury is still out on that one.... :D

No pun intended....

[POJO_Risin]

As bad as the Pirates have been...and as good as the Giants have shown...

I actually think...if the Pirates' staff jump starts...that when it's all said and done...the Pirates WILL be better...

although had they hired Leyland...they'd have been much better...IMO...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Originally posted by Bill Lumbergh
Hey, what happened to your prediction that the Pirates would be FAR better than the Giants this year? :D

Originally posted by Va Beach VH Fan
The jury is still out on that one.... :D

No pun intended....

Originally posted by POJO_Risin
As bad as the Pirates have been...and as good as the Giants have shown...

I actually think...if the Pirates' staff jump starts...that when it's all said and done...the Pirates WILL be better...

although had they hired Leyland...they'd have been much better...IMO...

Of course, the Pirates could fly out to 'Frisco and take 3 out of 4 from them....

:D

[POJO_Risin]

Steelers with a major chip on their shoulder...

great article...

Steel resolve
Porter, Steelers ready to prove they're still hungry
Posted: Friday June 23, 2006 11:37AM; Updated: Friday June 23, 2006 4:14PM


He watched Alonzo Mourning throw down on the big screen, a paragon of passion closing in on a maiden NBA title, and Joey Porter couldn't hold back. Spilling a Bud Light as he leaped from the couch last Tuesday night, Porter, who hadn't stopped squawking since the opening whistle of Game 6 of the NBA finals between the Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks, shook his body and danced along with the jacked-up veteran center.

"Get your ring, 'Zo!" Porter screamed at the TV. Then, noticing the emotion on Mourning's face, the Pittsburgh Steelers' All-Pro linebacker added: "I want you to cry, 'Zo. I want you to cry! I want you to cry! I want you to cry!"

Enjoying the game from the guest house of his plush home in Bakersfield, Calif., with a dozen old friends, Porter could relate to the Heat's triumph, and especially to the fulfillment felt by the 36-year-old Mourning and 37-year-old guard Gary Payton as they finally closed in on a championship.

A little more than four months earlier, Porter and his Steelers teammates -- and, most poignantly, retiring running back Jerome Bettis -- had experienced a similar sensation in winning Super Bowl XL.

But while Bettis, who signed a sweet TV deal with NBC, is still reveling in the afterglow -- he's getting married early next month in Montego Bay, Jamaica, and will spend this coming weekend in Bakersfield at Porter's football camp and charity golf tournament -- Porter and his Pittsburgh teammates must soon turn defensive. Defending a title is a daunting task in a sport as emotionally charged as pro football, and when you've spent your seven-year career with a steel-plated chip on your shoulder, finding a way to retain that edge in the wake of success looms as a huge challenge.

"I've still got that chip," Porter insists. "With each team comes a different challenge, and the first one for us is that we can't expect to play as well as we did last year and think it's going to work. I've got to be even better; we all do. Last year, it wasn't until we got to a desperate mindset that we started going full speed all the time. That's where we need to start this year."

That all sounds good, but even the irrepressibly intense Porter concedes that the Steelers face some legitimate questions going into the season. Bettis was an enormous presence in the locker room, and his absence could create a leadership void that Porter is likely to try to help fill. Pittsburgh also must replace three starters -- safety Chris Hope, defensive end Kimo von Oehlhoffen and wideout Antwaan Randle El -- lost via free agency.

Then, of course, there is the Big Ben factor. When Ben Roethlisberger was injured in a motorcycle accident earlier this month, there wasn't a player on the Pittsburgh roster who didn't wonder whether the team's 2006 fortunes were also spinning out of control.

A few days after Roethlisberger's release from the hospital last week, Porter placed a call to the young quarterback, expecting to leave a keep-your-head-up voicemail. But Roethlisberger answered the phone and, despite his broken jaw, seemed positively chatty, which caught Porter off guard.

"I was surprised he picked up his phone," Porter says. "He sounded way more upbeat than I expected. I thought he'd be sluggish and down, but he sounded good. He said he had to go in and see the dentist and was feeling pretty good in general."

[POJO_Risin]

Steel resolve (cont.)
Posted: Friday June 23, 2006 11:37AM; Updated: Friday June 23, 2006 4:14PM

Porter believes that Roethlisberger, who issued a contrite statement in which he vowed never again to ride a motorcycle without a helmet, will mature in a hurry as he confronts the inevitable increase in attention caused by the incident. "He'll have to," Porter says, "simply because of his position. If he thought he got scrutinized before, they'll be on him for sure now."

Bettis agrees. "No question," he said on Thursday. "Ben is going to have to be that guy who steps up and leads."

But even if Roethlisberger evolves into a locker-room leader, what he does on the field will be far more significant. Will be return with a champion's swagger, or will he be afraid to take a hit?

Until Roethlisberger proves he's the same guy who won 15 consecutive games as a rookie and helped spark Pittsburgh's unlikely title run after some choppy moments in his second year, there will be legitimate doubts about the Steelers in 2006 and beyond.

"Until I see Ben in person and see for myself that he's OK, I can't pass judgment on his situation," Porter says. "Right now we can all say, 'Yeah, he's gonna be back, he's gonna be fine,' but nobody really knows what to expect. Because, let's face it, nobody really knows what state Ben is going to be in when we take the field against the Dolphins [for the Sept. 7 opener in Pittsburgh]."

For now, Steelers fans can take solace in this: We have a pretty good idea what state Porter will be in on that night, even with a ring in his possession. Put it this way -- it'll be similar to the one he was in while watching Game 6 of the NBA Finals, only the "I want you to cry!" exhortations are likely to be directed at Miami's quarterback.

[Va Beach VH Fan]

I don't think motivation will have to be a factor, to be honest....

It's funny, the "experts" football shows have already started...

And NO ONE is even talking about the Super Bowl Champions....

Part of that is due to lack of an image hog, e.g. T.O.....

But you're already hearing that "yeah, but" attitude concerning the Steelers....

Like their playoff run was some kind of a fluke....

Even though yours truly predicted it, and on the road.... :D :D :D

So I don't think you'll see too much in the way of inflated egos, 'cause the media for damn sure won't be giving them much reason to get them....

[POJO_Risin]

BEANO...BEANO...BEANO!!!!!

There will be egos...we just won't see them...

well...except for maybe Porter...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

I will absolutely SHOCKED if this group doesn't get the team....

I think Cuban's involvement is being overblown, he'd only be a minority owner....

Marino would be even less than that, just a familiar face....

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=169885&hubname=nhl

Cuban, Marino want to buy Penguins

Associated Press

6/27/2006 7:28:03 PM

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Mark Cuban is known for baiting NBA officials, and Dan Marino is the most prolific passer in NFL history. But the Pittsburgh natives now want to expand into a different sport in their hometown - hockey.

The two have joined with a New York City financier in trying to buy the NHL's Penguins from Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux's group, which is selling the two-time Stanley Cup champions even as the team seeks a new arena deal.

The group of prospective Penguins owners is headed by Andrew Murstein, the president of Medallion Financial Corp., a company that finances New York City taxicab medallions and originates consumer loans for recreational vehicles. Also included are principals in Pittsburgh-based Walnut Capital, a real estate management and development company.

Walnut Capital CEO Gregg Perelman recently teamed with Cuban to buy a nine-story downtown Pittsburgh office building. Cuban, who grew up in suburban Pittsburgh, is the billionaire Dallas Mavericks owner whose holdings include a movie production firm and high-definition TV channel.

Adding Cuban and Marino is expected to strengthen the group's estimated $150 million US bid not only financially but perception-wise. Neither Cuban nor Marino have any interest in moving the Penguins from Pittsburgh - Cuban has made it a condition of his participation - even though the team has yet to land a deal to build an arena to replace 45-year-old Mellon Arena.

Murstein was in Dallas on Tuesday, presumably to meet with Cuban about his involvement in the group. In the past, Murstein expressed interest in buying two NHL franchises, the Blues and Ducks, and the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer.

Todd Reidbord, Walnut Capital's president, said recently his group was the only one interested in buying the Penguins that has fully committed to staying in Pittsburgh. At least four other groups have expressed interest in the team, which is expected to be sold before the start of the NHL season in October.

Lemieux's ownership group, which also includes California businessman Ron Burkle, bought the team in federal bankruptcy court in 1999 - partly to protect the nearly $30 million in deferred money owed Lemieux on his contract. Lemieux's group has since paid back all money owed by the club before its bankruptcy filing, a rarity during such procedures.

The uncertainty over the Penguins' arena status has clouded their future in Pittsburgh. Lemieux's group has partnered with Isle of Capri Casinos, which has agreed to build a $290 million arena if it wins the solitary license that will be awarded for a slot machine casino in the city.

However, Isle of Capri is not seen as the favourite, and two other groups seeking the slots license - Harrah's and Majestic Star Casino - have not pledged full arena funding.

Gov. Ed Rendall has asked those two bidders to give $7.5 million a year toward an arena, with the Penguins contributing $8.5 million from the start and an additional $4 million per year, including $1.1 million in naming rights. The Penguins have declined to sign off on the deal, as the Isle of Capri bid would not require the team to make a financial contribution toward replacing the NHL's oldest and smallest arena.

Murstein revealed the addition of Cuban and Marino in his group in an interview Tuesday with Pittsburgh radio station WEAE, an ESPN affiliate. Cuban did not immediately respond to messages from The Associated Press, but confirmed his involvement in an e-mail to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Cuban was interested in buying into Lemieux's group in 1999, but declined to accept a role that would not include input in the team's day-to-day operation. Marino, the former University of Pittsburgh and Miami Dolphins star quarterback, expressed interest in buying into the Pittsburgh Pirates in the mid 1990s but never did so. Cuban also is interested in buying the Pirates at some point, but the current ownership has given no sign of wanting to sell.

[POJO_Risin]

I think you are kidding yourself if you don't think Cuban's being involved isn't MORE than what you are thinking...

It's a step for him IMO...

[POJO_Risin]

Collier: Ben removes helmet for national media
Steelers fans express some disappointment
Sunday, July 16, 2006

By Gene Collier, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


Rich Pedroncelli, Associated Press
Ben Roethlisberger's signing hand is obviously OK. He signs autographs Thursday during the celeb-am portion of this weekend's celebrity tournament in Lake Tahoe, Nev.
Click photo for larger image.




Two weeks from today, with the Steelers finally, mercifully, on an actual practice field at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Ben Roethlisberger will not only appear in a football uniform for the first time since becoming the youngest quarterback to win a Super Bowl in February, but for the first time since becoming the most famous motorcyclist since probably Evel Knievel.

While it's always intellectually perilous comparing athletes of different eras, I lean toward Roethlisberger for this discussion because even though Knievel's performances were more consistently spectacular, with challenging backdrops such as the Snake River Canyon and the fountains at Caesar's Palace, Knievel never had to contend with the Pittsburgh left.

Moreover, he was wearing a helmet.

More definitively, Roethlisberger is the superior showman to Robbie Knievel, son of Evel, who in a Fox production called "Death Jump," once successfully jumped his motorcycle from the roof of one Las Vegas hotel onto another, breaking only his thumb.

I guess "Broken Thumb Jump" just didn't have the same ring to it.

What a rip-off.

As we all know, Roethlisberger can break his thumb without going anywhere near the trouble, and still play so effectively that management has a difficult time even acknowledging that it's broken.

But this, the whole Evel-vs.-Ben debate, likely will be the only overlooked aspect of the next volcanic media spasm, which surely will erupt in two weeks, at least if the preceding week is any indicator.

Not since the troubling news cycles of June 12 and June 13, when Roethlisberger single-handedly altered a homespun platitude into "some days you're the windshield, some days you're the quarterback," has the relationship of sports to media looked so neurotic as it has in the past few days.

As trained journalists (that's right, don't try this at home), we probably should have been able to anticipate that the first fixed-face comments from the Steelers' quarterback would come well before training camp (in a bow to the ever-detested "distractions") and probably at an unavoidable media confab as far from Channel 11 as possible.

Roethlisberger and Channel 11 don't get along, and while I take no pleasure in reporting this, it's possible that if Roethlisberger does pour everything out on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," Fedko's chances of hitting that couch could well be compromised.

In any event, the coordinates at which Roethlisberger surfaced publicly were Los Angeles and the ESPYs, an elaborate network contrivance based on the quizzical concept that this culture simply doesn't do enough to honor athletes. This in a week when LeBron James, the Cleveland Cavaliers' sensation, spent many thoughtful hours on the question of whether to accept roughly $60 million over three years instead of $80 million over five years so as not to limit future earnings even though he's taking in $90 million over seven years from Nike alone.

Of course, if he doesn't win an ESPY, what's really the point?

The realization that Roethlisberger had started talking at the ESPYs taping and would soon be available at a weekend golf tournament near Lake Tahoe, Nev., still caught much of the local media by surprise, its more resolute assignment editors quickly flying folks westward.

The Post-Gazette's hustling Paul Zeise landed a face-to-face interview for Friday's editions, in which Roethlisberger not only pronounced himself ready, but revealed that he had extended numerous offers of counsel to top draft pick Santonio Holmes, none accepted. Holmes, arrested twice this summer on disorderly conduct and domestic violence charges, did not return the quarterback's phone messages, Roethlisberger said.

Roethlisberger doubtless feels he flashed some leadership potential with that gesture, and this is not to argue, but if Bill Cowher sat down tonight and made a short list of people he's close to being out of patience with, the first name after Holmes might well be Roethlisberger.

It's not like Roethlisberger hadn't been warned with Knievel-esque horror stories prior to living one, and the quarterback's celebrated "free spirit," everyone knows, has taken him into some unflattering situations in certain local taverns and even unwittingly onto the Internet.

Meanwhile, some gratifying number of Steelers fans squawked to the talk shows that it's outrageous and disappointing that Roethlisberger didn't talk first to the local media, the men and women who work at Steelers hindquarters most of the year and have nurtured his largely positive national image from the beginning.

Personally, in a week when Congress accepted an automatic bump for its members' salaries to $171,800 while stone-walling an increase in the minimum wage, when the Middle East exploded toward all-out war, oil prices spiked to record highs, Mayor Bob O'Connor battled a rare form of primary central nervous system lymphoma, and rebels likely continued throwing live babies onto bonfires in Darfur, I'm not real upset that Roethlisberger wasn't talking to me.

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Holmes and Smith signed their contracts today, Holmes' about an hour before camp started tonight....

All rookies signed and in camp....

[Va Beach VH Fan]

BTW, grabbed my $100 bet for the Steelers' repeating at 6-1 odds while I was in Vegas last week....

[POJO_Risin]

Shit...if I'd known you were going...I'd have sent you some dough...

[POJO_Risin]

I keep coming to the home opener...and up and coming Miami team looking to make a statement...

and the Super Bowl Champs...being overlooked by everyone...

looking to make a statement of their own...