Pittsburgh sports offseason
*An offseason often seems to be a time when most action takes place. We are in the midst of two offseasons (Steelers and Penguins) and slowly trudging our way through another long Pirates season. While the kids have all been brought up and, through their growing pains, may provide an upside, finally, for the local baseball team, it is going to take (more) time. So, we are in a drought, locally, for sports until training camp opens at the end of July.
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you know the Ben Roethlisberger situation. He has done television interviews and showed up at his (Head Coach Mike Tomlin is running it this year) football camp last Wednesday. Given his shattered image, and now listed on Forbes most hated sports figures list at number three, it might have been a good move to show up and work with the kids. If you want to score points with people, especially parents, be a positive impact on their children.
Ben has a long way to go, and he knows it. Missing out on the first four games of the season (if not six) is the least of his concerns. How will he be received at training camp? How will he be received when he returns during the regular season? That process had to start now if not sooner.
In the interim, all but the top two draft choices have been signed by the Steelers, leaving first round pick Maurkice Pouncey and second round selection Jason Worilds. It will likely just be a matter of time before both are signed before camp begins, so not to panic. Mike Wallace is working on becoming the go to receiver as the deep threat with the trade of Santonio Holmes. Antwaan Randle El, back in the fold, is likely to be the number three receiver.
The running game is to be strongly emphasized this year, as “requested” by President Art Rooney II. Rashard Mendenhall will be the workhorse. It will be a matter of finding the depth behind him with the departure of Willie Parker. There seems to be an emphasis of returning to Steeler football and the running game. It will be interesting when training camp opens and the preseason game start as to how this translates onto the field. Of course, it will all start up front with the offensive line. As the line goes, so goes the running game and, for that matter, the passing game. The drafting of Pouncey, who has a strong line on a starting position, was a reason for addressing this area. Pouncey will likely start out at guard before moving over to his natural position of center when Justin Hartwig hangs it up.
Defensively, the return of Troy Polamalu from his knee problems will make a huge difference. While he has been training in California, he has to do what works best for him. He’ll be ready for training camp. The return of Randle El, Larry Foote, and Bryant McFadden raised my eyebrows. Randle El left for the money when he went to the Washington Redskins. That was his right. Foote knew he was going to be phased out of his starting position when Lawrence Timmons was ready to take over. He went to Detroit of a cup of coffee, then came back to the Steelers. McFadden did the same with Arizona (Pittsburgh West) and came back this year.
What most may, or may not, know, is this is an uncapped year. That means teams can spend freely without limitations. Most are doing the exact opposite because the Collective Bargaining Agreement will expire in March and there is a threat the owners could lockout the players. So teams are not spending as much money in an uncapped year. Even though contracts are not guaranteed in the NFL, teams are playing it smart and close to the vest.
*While the Steelers are dealing with their areas of interest and concern, the Penguins have been plenty busy and will be moreso this week as unrestricted free agency begins July 1. The focus has been on defenseman Sergei Gonchar. While he is 36, he is seeking a long term deal close to, if not more than, the $5 million per year, and he wants, it appears to be, more than three years. The question becomes what the Penguins are able to do and what Gonchar is willing to take.
The Pens signed Matt Cooke to a three year deal, so he is no longer a concern on the free agent market. The next big name will be Bill Guerin. He will turn 40 in the fall and he intends to continue playing. Guerin has been great in the locker room and a huge influence on Sidney Crosby. But, he will likely have to take less than what he took this past season to stay. If he chooses that option, he knows he has a chance at one more Stanley Cup before his career lowers the curtain.
The move into Consol Energy Center will allow the team new revenue streams to sign good players, stay productive, and continue winning. Crosby will only turn 23 in August, which is amazing. It seems like he has been here forever, but this is only the end of his fifth year. He will be going into the third year of a five year contract and there is no doubt that, when the time comes, his contract will not be an issue when it comes up. He is the face of the NHL and the face of the franchise.
He has said that he is working on his “jump” in his step to get quicker off the puck, to go with his playmaking and his goal scoring. Last week, the only two awards he won at the NHL awards show was the Rocket Richard for tying with the most goals in a season, and the Mark Messier leadership award. He lost on the Lindsay award as well as the Hart Trophy. Here is what I begin to question.
Everyone falls all over themselves in regard to Washington Capital Alex Ovechkin. At this stage of his career, he not won any championships. He has not even gotten to a Stanley Cup final, let alone a Cup championship. He did not medal at the Olympics. But he keeps winning MVP awards (not this year, Vancouver’s Henry Sedin won that), and for what? Scoring goals and being a hot dog? The Capitals lost to the Canadiens in the first round of the playoffs.
The best player in the world is one who helps his team win and makes his teammates better. While it sounds like I’m being a homer (which I am not), Crosby has done what Ovechkin hasn’t, but Ovechkin keeps getting awards for doing nothing but scoring goals. If, at the end of the respective careers Crosby has more Cups than Ovechkin, that is what they should be measured by, not MVP awards.
At press time, the Pens drafted a right winger in the first round of the NFL Draft. Beau Bennett will attend the University of Denver in the fall. It will be a few years before he is in the NHL.
So, the offseason debates linger on with the Steelers and Penguins in Pittsburgh and with football and hockey in general. The only major team sport now in season is baseball, and that will only last around here until camp opens for the Steelers. We have one more month to deal with this never ending mess that has been ongoing for 18 years, and counting, before we have football to take our minds off that and back onto the sport we so genuinely love around these parts.
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you know the Ben Roethlisberger situation. He has done television interviews and showed up at his (Head Coach Mike Tomlin is running it this year) football camp last Wednesday. Given his shattered image, and now listed on Forbes most hated sports figures list at number three, it might have been a good move to show up and work with the kids. If you want to score points with people, especially parents, be a positive impact on their children.
Ben has a long way to go, and he knows it. Missing out on the first four games of the season (if not six) is the least of his concerns. How will he be received at training camp? How will he be received when he returns during the regular season? That process had to start now if not sooner.
In the interim, all but the top two draft choices have been signed by the Steelers, leaving first round pick Maurkice Pouncey and second round selection Jason Worilds. It will likely just be a matter of time before both are signed before camp begins, so not to panic. Mike Wallace is working on becoming the go to receiver as the deep threat with the trade of Santonio Holmes. Antwaan Randle El, back in the fold, is likely to be the number three receiver.
The running game is to be strongly emphasized this year, as “requested” by President Art Rooney II. Rashard Mendenhall will be the workhorse. It will be a matter of finding the depth behind him with the departure of Willie Parker. There seems to be an emphasis of returning to Steeler football and the running game. It will be interesting when training camp opens and the preseason game start as to how this translates onto the field. Of course, it will all start up front with the offensive line. As the line goes, so goes the running game and, for that matter, the passing game. The drafting of Pouncey, who has a strong line on a starting position, was a reason for addressing this area. Pouncey will likely start out at guard before moving over to his natural position of center when Justin Hartwig hangs it up.
Defensively, the return of Troy Polamalu from his knee problems will make a huge difference. While he has been training in California, he has to do what works best for him. He’ll be ready for training camp. The return of Randle El, Larry Foote, and Bryant McFadden raised my eyebrows. Randle El left for the money when he went to the Washington Redskins. That was his right. Foote knew he was going to be phased out of his starting position when Lawrence Timmons was ready to take over. He went to Detroit of a cup of coffee, then came back to the Steelers. McFadden did the same with Arizona (Pittsburgh West) and came back this year.
What most may, or may not, know, is this is an uncapped year. That means teams can spend freely without limitations. Most are doing the exact opposite because the Collective Bargaining Agreement will expire in March and there is a threat the owners could lockout the players. So teams are not spending as much money in an uncapped year. Even though contracts are not guaranteed in the NFL, teams are playing it smart and close to the vest.
*While the Steelers are dealing with their areas of interest and concern, the Penguins have been plenty busy and will be moreso this week as unrestricted free agency begins July 1. The focus has been on defenseman Sergei Gonchar. While he is 36, he is seeking a long term deal close to, if not more than, the $5 million per year, and he wants, it appears to be, more than three years. The question becomes what the Penguins are able to do and what Gonchar is willing to take.
The Pens signed Matt Cooke to a three year deal, so he is no longer a concern on the free agent market. The next big name will be Bill Guerin. He will turn 40 in the fall and he intends to continue playing. Guerin has been great in the locker room and a huge influence on Sidney Crosby. But, he will likely have to take less than what he took this past season to stay. If he chooses that option, he knows he has a chance at one more Stanley Cup before his career lowers the curtain.
The move into Consol Energy Center will allow the team new revenue streams to sign good players, stay productive, and continue winning. Crosby will only turn 23 in August, which is amazing. It seems like he has been here forever, but this is only the end of his fifth year. He will be going into the third year of a five year contract and there is no doubt that, when the time comes, his contract will not be an issue when it comes up. He is the face of the NHL and the face of the franchise.
He has said that he is working on his “jump” in his step to get quicker off the puck, to go with his playmaking and his goal scoring. Last week, the only two awards he won at the NHL awards show was the Rocket Richard for tying with the most goals in a season, and the Mark Messier leadership award. He lost on the Lindsay award as well as the Hart Trophy. Here is what I begin to question.
Everyone falls all over themselves in regard to Washington Capital Alex Ovechkin. At this stage of his career, he not won any championships. He has not even gotten to a Stanley Cup final, let alone a Cup championship. He did not medal at the Olympics. But he keeps winning MVP awards (not this year, Vancouver’s Henry Sedin won that), and for what? Scoring goals and being a hot dog? The Capitals lost to the Canadiens in the first round of the playoffs.
The best player in the world is one who helps his team win and makes his teammates better. While it sounds like I’m being a homer (which I am not), Crosby has done what Ovechkin hasn’t, but Ovechkin keeps getting awards for doing nothing but scoring goals. If, at the end of the respective careers Crosby has more Cups than Ovechkin, that is what they should be measured by, not MVP awards.
At press time, the Pens drafted a right winger in the first round of the NFL Draft. Beau Bennett will attend the University of Denver in the fall. It will be a few years before he is in the NHL.
So, the offseason debates linger on with the Steelers and Penguins in Pittsburgh and with football and hockey in general. The only major team sport now in season is baseball, and that will only last around here until camp opens for the Steelers. We have one more month to deal with this never ending mess that has been ongoing for 18 years, and counting, before we have football to take our minds off that and back onto the sport we so genuinely love around these parts.
Comments