The Pittsburgh Sports Notebook (10/25)

The Penguins are finally back in action tonight and the Steelers are gearing up for the Raiders on Sunday.  That and more in the Pittsburgh Sports Notebook...

STEELERS
- Ben Roethlisberger's last trip to Oakland (last year) resulted in one of his best games ever.  He tallied 384 yards and 4 TDs in a 34-31 loss to the Raiders.

- Emmanuel Sanders wants to return more kicks and after last Sunday has proven that he can be a threat to take one back to "the house".

- Injury Update:
   - Markus Wheaton remains OUT for this Sunday's game with a broken finger.
   - Practiced Fully:
       - LT - Kelvin Beachum - Ribs
       - WR - Jerricho Cotchery - Abdomen
       - RT - Marcus Gilbert - Quad
       - DE - Cam Heyward - Illness
       - OLB - Jarvis Jones - Concussion
       - DE - Brett Keisel - Ribs
       - ILB - Lawrence Timmons - Hand
       - OLB - Lamarr Woodley - Knee

PENGUINS
- The Penguins are not only getting Olli Maatta for the remainder of the season, but Kris Letang is returning to the lineup tonight against the NY Islanders.

- Marc Andre Fleury has been given the night off (even though the last game was Monday) and Zatkoff will be in between the pipes for his 2nd career NHL start.  His first start was less than desirable in the Penguins only other loss of the regular season thus far.

- The Penguins made some WBS Baby Pens transactions as they add Jayson Megna from the Baby Pens.  Megna will make his NHL debut tonight.

- The Penguins are far to familiar with the threat that is the NY Islanders.  A game 6 OT winner last playoffs pushed the Penguins to the brink.  Hopefully they make a statement tonight.

- Penguins Lines at morning skate:
    - Dupuis / Crosby / Kunitz
    - Jokinen / Malkin / Kobasew
    - Glass / Sutter / Megna
    - Adams / Vitale / Engelland (playing as a Forward)
    - Orpik & Martin
    - Scuderi & Letang
    - Maatta & Niskanen

PIRATES
- A "Thank You" from the Pirates to the Fans for a magical season...

"The Blitz" Podcast - 10/22

Alot to talk about on today's show.  Time to tell the boss to shut up, sit back, and enjoy Pittsburgh sports for the next 20 minutes or so.  If you don't love all 3 like I do, then I give you the times next to the run down below in case you want to fast forward through me talking to myself about the "Big 3"...Here goes...

PENGUINS

- Drop 1st game at CEC -

- Power Play Problems? -

- Maatta Decision Looming -

- This Team is STILL Banged Up - 

- Metropolitan Division Update - 

PIRATES

- AJ Burnett Finally Speaks -

- What Will He Do? - 

- Post Season Awards Starting to Roll In -

- Cutch MVP? -

STEELERS

- HUGE WIN over the Ravens -

- Hate People Downplaying the Win - 

- Coaches Deserve a TON of Credit - 

- Team's Health Will Remain Huge - 

- Thoughts on Big Ben -

- Oakland Up Next - 

- A Look Ahead? Comeback on the Horizon?

The Pittsburgh Sports Notebook (10/22)

Lawrence Timmons Found Himself on the Injury Report

Alot of news on the injury front for the Steelers.  Plus, Penguins and Pirates information...lets do this.

STEELERS
- Injury news out of Mike Tomlin's Press Conference:
   - Markus Wheaton - OUT (Finger)
   - Kelvin Beachum - Day to Day (Ribs)
   - Marcus Gilbert - Day to Day (Quad)
   - Brett Keisel - Day to Day (Ribs)
   - Lamarr Woodley - Day to Day (Knee)
   - Cam Heyward - Day to Day (Illness)
   - Jerricho Cotchery - Day to Day (Abdomen)
   - Lawrence Timmons - Broken Hand - Will be Casted and he will play.
         - All players listed as "Day to Day" will most likely be limited in the early portion of the week.

- No news on rookie OLB Jarvis Jones, as the Steelers have to follow protocol and wait for him to be cleared by team doctors.

- Tomlin spoke at length about the team's inability to score TDs in the red zone declaring that pre-snap issues were a huge reason why.

- Something I've noticed all season, is the poor play by Steelers punter Zoltan Mesko.  Coach Tomlin agreed that his play has been subpar by calling some of his kicks as "junior varsity punts".  I couldn't have said it better myself.

- The Steelers travel to Oakland this Sunday for a 4:05pm (EST) kickoff.  They haven't won in Oakland since 1995.

- Both teams are 2-4, and the Raiders are coming off their bye week.

PENGUINS
- The Penguins lost to the Colorado Avalanche last night 1-0, moving their record to 7-2.

- The Pens still remain atop the Metropolitan Division.

- Sidney Crosby's 8 game scoring streak was snapped last night.

- The Penguins struggled on the Power Play going 0-7 on the night.

- The Penguins dominated play, outshooting the Avalanche 34-14.

- Next game for the Penguins is Friday at home against the NY Islanders as they continue Metropolitan Division Play.

PIRATES
- The post season honors for the Pirates magical season have started to roll in and will probably continue to roll in here in the next few weeks.

- Pitcher, Francisco Liriano, was given the NL "Comeback Player of the Year" Award.

- Manager, Clint Hurdle, was named the NL Manager of the Year Award by The Sporting News.

The Pittsburgh Sports Notebook (10/21)

Time to Give "Sushi" Some Love...

What a weekend in Pittsburgh Sports?!  Penguins defeat the Canucks in a shootout, the Steelers defeat their arch rivals to stay alive, and Andrew McCutchen and Clint Hurdle were on hand at Heinz Field for the "towel waving" ceremony.  Lets take a look at today's Pittsburgh Sports Notebook:

STEELERS
- The Steelers 19-16 victory over the Ravens makes it 9 of the last 11 games these two teams have played that has been decided by 3 points or fewer.

- Rookie OLB Jarvis Jones was inactive due to a concussion.  He is still considered day to day, but more information will be released at Coach Tomlin's Tuesday Press Conference.

- Other injuries of note during the game were: Marcus Gilbert (LT) re-aggravated his quadriceps injury.  Other than that, the Steelers seemed to remain relatively healthy throughout the game.

- Shaun Suisham's 4-4 night improved his overall tally to a perfect 14-14 this season.  To say Suisham has been "Money" is an understatement.

- The Steelers improve to 2-4 and are still at the bottom of the AFC North...barely.  Here are the standings:
 
           Bengals -  5-2
           Ravens -   3-4
           Browns -  3-4
           Steelers -  2-4

- As the Steelers attempt to tie the Ravens and Browns in the North Standings, here are their next 4 games on the schedule:
       
           @ Oakland - 4:05pm
           @ New England - 4:25pm
           vs. Buffalo - 1:00pm
           vs. Detroit - 1:00pm

PENGUINS
- The Penguins (7-1-0 - 14 pts) currently sit in 1st atop the Metropolitan Division by 3 points (2nd place Carolina Hurricanes), and have a game in hand over Carolina.

- Sidney Crosby was named the NHL's 2nd star of the week.  The 3 stars were as follows:
           1 - Jonas Gustavsson
           2 - Sidney Crosby
           3 - Patrick Marleau

- Crosby was awarded the "2nd Star" for posting 2 goals and 6 assists in the 3 games this past week bumping his point total to 17 points in only 8 games.

- Crosby leads the NHL in points (17) with a 5 point margin.

- Tonight the Penguins play the Colorado Avalanche (also 7-1-0) on NBC Sports Network at 7:30.

- Here were the line matchups at today's morning skate: (Absentees: James Neal & Beau Bennett)
    - Kunitz / Crosby / Dupuis
    - Jokinen / Malkin / Kobasew
    - Glass / Sutter / Conner
    - Adams / Vitale / Zolniercyzk
    - Orpik & Martin
    - Scuderi & Niskanen
    - Maatta & Bortuzzo
    - Engelland & Letang (Not likely to Play)

PIRATES

- Clint Hurdle and Andrew McCutchen were hosted by the Steelers to start the ceremonial "Terrible Towel Wave" at Heinz Field before the Steelers beat the Ravens 19-16 on Sunday.  Video of the event is below...

The Pittsburgh Sports Notebook (10/19)

I took a day off from the Notebook yesterday...so sue me...but I'm back today with the news that Pittsburgh fans need in their daily lives.  Okay, maybe not need, but they want it.  So I deliver.  Here goes nothing...

STEELERS
- Jarvis Jones practiced fully on Friday, but is still listed as questionable with a Concussion.  Other players of note on the injury report are Lamarr Woodley (Probable) and Brett Kiesel (Probable).

- Game time for tomorrow's game is 4:25pm on CBS.

- Be sure to check the site tomorrow for my prediction for the game...don't worry, I'm 1-4 so far this year so my picks are essentially locks (eye roll).

PENGUINS
- The Penguins win today moves their overall record to 7-1 with 14 total points.  The lead the Metropolitan Division.

- Penguins defender Kris Letang looks like he is preparing for a return to the lineup this upcoming week.  Beau Bennett skated with pads for the first time today which is a positive sign for the young winger.

- Penguins upcoming schedule is:
  
   Monday - vs Colorado Avalanche
   Friday - vs New York Islanders
   Saturday - @ Toronto

PIRATES
- In a recent interview with 93.7 the Fan's Vinnie and Cook Show, Pirates' manager Clint Hurdle said that he has talked with pitcher AJ Burnett in regards to the way the season has ended.  He was very "non-committal" in regards to the pitchers future with the team, but said he was certainly interested in his return being a potential move for the organization.

The Pittsburgh Sports Notebook - 10/17

Fernando Velasco Has Helped Anchor A Sorry OLine

Time for another Pittsburgh Sports Notebook.  Let me dust off the October 17th edition and get to it...

STEELERS
- Kelvin Beachum seems to have solidified (for now) the Steelers' LT position.  This will be the second week in a row that the offensive line will be as follows: Beachum, DeCastro, Velasco, Foster, Gilbert

- Antonio Brown is slowly becoming the #1 receiver everyone thought of when he signed that lucrative contract last season.  Brown is 2nd in the AFC in receptions and is on pace to break Hines Ward's single season reception record.

- As great as "AB" has been at WR, he has lacked in the punt return game.  Not only has there been ZERO splash plays in that capacity, but some questionable fair catches to go along with the lack of production.  Don't expect Brown to leave his punt return duties any time soon, but plays are expected to be made from such a dynamic player.

- Steelers LB Jarvis Jones was diagnosed with a concussion on Wednesday afternoon after being evaluated by team doctors.  He will have to pass the usual protocol to play on Sunday, but as of right now he is a question mark heading into the game on Sunday.

- If Jones is unable to be cleared for play, Jason Worilds will take over at the OLB position opposite of Lamarr Woodley.

- If you were wondering why the Steelers haven't employed more of the new "zone blocking" schemes that were the topic of discussion at training camp, the answer is that the turnover on the offensive line has hindered them implementing the scheme more often.

PENGUINS
- As the Pens prepare for their cross state rivals tonight, here is what the morning skate line combinations were:
     - Kunitz / Crosby / Dupuis
     - Jokinen / Malkin / Kobasew
     - Glass / Sutter / Adams
     - Zolnierczyk / Vitale / Englelland (No thats not a typo...)
     - Orpik & Martin
     - Scuderi & Niskanen
     - Maatta & Bortuzzo

- Kris Letang practiced again with the team, but is not expected to play tonight.  Other players still out of the lineup are Beau Bennett (did NOT make the trip), and James Neal.

- Game time is 7:00pm tonight on NHL Network.  Be ready for a showdown!

PIRATES
- Pirates Prospect, Josh Bell (OF), is primed to crack the top 100 prospect list.  He is a switch hitting OF that can hit for power and has the athleticism to play the OF as well.  A knee injury has kept his production at a minimum, but with a clear bill of health Bell looks to progress towards the Big League club.

What is Pittsburgh's Best Sports Rivalry?

This was a questions I posed on Twitter immediately after the Penguins defeated the Edmonton Oilers.  The next game on the schedule was the Philadelphia Flyers and I knew fans were looking forward to that game.  Obviously, with the Penguins just wrapping up their game, the majority of fans responded with the Flyers and Penguins as Pittsburgh's best sports rivalry.  However, the other two options I posted were the Steelers and Ravens, and the Reds and Pirates.  Some might argue other teams should be involved (like the Cardinals), but in my opinion its one of those three.  Question is, which is the best?

This is when the debate begins.  What are the criteria for which rivalry is considered "the best"?  Is it the longevity of the rivalry?  If so, you have to turn to the Flyers and Penguins for that.  Is it the teams that have had the biggest competition when it matters the most?  If so, that would be the Ravens and Steelers that have met on the NFL's biggest stages within the AFC.  Is it which rivalry is the most heated TODAY?  If that is what you are following, then it easily could be the Reds and the Pirates with the Pirates and Reds not only playing each other 19 times a year, but the bad blood that runs deep between the two teams.

Anyway you slice it, these three options are all viable options as "the best".  If you are asking me which rivalry ranks atop my list...well...the first to be eliminated is the Pirates and Reds.  Plain and simple, this is just a budding rivalry.  Keep these teams together and playing competitive baseball and they certainly could move up the list, but its just too fresh.  Not to mention its difficult to put a non contact sport (yeah I know alot of batters were HBP this year) ahead of two sports that have physical contact woven into game play.

That leaves the Ravens and Steelers, and Flyers and Penguins.  Some would argue this is more about fan bases than it is players, but to me, that is why I choose the second rivalry as the Steelers and Ravens.  Lets be honest, besides Hines Ward saying the Ravens were "always the brides maids and never the bride", or T-Sizzle wearing a "I hate Pittsburgh" shirt...these players admire one another.  Not that they don't want to win, but after the games its all "hugs and handshakes".

Which leads me to the best rivalry in Pittsburgh sports.  The Pittsburgh Penguins and the Philadelphia Flyers.  These 2 teams hate one another with a passion, and thats putting it mildly.  The Philly fans hate Crosby more than any other player in any sport, the Flyers are vocal about their disdain for the Pens, and the Pens are vocal about their angst towards the Flyers.  Look at it in any light, and there is nothing but hatred.  These  2 teams, their organizations, and their fan bases absolutely can't stand one another.  There are no hugs and handshakes being delivered after these two teams play unless one is sending the other home in the postseason.  To me, thats what a heated rivalry is all about.  No pleasantries, just pure volatile energy directed at the other team.

Tonight's Flyers vs Penguins matchup hopefully backs up my rankings, but I'm sure the Steelers and Ravens will do their rivalry diligence on Sunday afternoon as well.  I love all 3 of these rivalries, it brings out the best in the 2 teams playing.  What is the best Pittsburgh Sports rivalry in YOUR opinion?  Leave your opinion in the comments below!