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Patrick Finding It Difficult To Get Equal Value In High Profile Trades
More than five years removed from bankruptcy,
the Penguins long ago came to grips with the realities of their
tenuous financial situation. It means making every decision with
an eye on the budget. It means focusing an enormous amount of off-ice
energy on two political landscapes - one in Pennsylvania, where
an arena funding plan remains elusive, and the other in New York,
where the NHL drifts ominously toward a work stoppage next September
. . . more.....
Coaches Feel Drawn To Their Roots
The coaching world can be as fluid as the Nile, a never ending passage
with more twists than Bob Vila's screwdriver.
"You never know where you'll end up in
this profession," former Pitt football coach Johnny Majors said.
One day it could be Columbus. The next
it could be Akron or Anchorage or Arkansas.
It's a vocation that's sent Steelers
coach Bill Cowher to three different outposts . . . more.....
Up Close With Bob Ryan Nationally
acclaimed, Bob Ryan has been writing for The Boston Globe for the
past 30 years, and has been an award winning columnist for the paper
since 1989. A regular on ESPN's The Sports Reporters, Ryan was awarded
the prestigious Curt Gowdy media award by the Basketball Hall of
Fame in 1997. PSR editor Tony DeFazio spoke with Ryan shortly before
the holidays . . . more.....
This Has To Stop College
basketball has only recently regained a measure of standing on the
Pittsburgh sports radar, thanks to Ben Howland and the success of
his rebuilding efforts at the University of Pittsburgh. In its November
2003 issue, PSR addressed whether that recent success will be enough
to keep the fan interest at that same level this year and beyond.
We'd love to see the scope of the issue broadened beyond one school,
but until other local programs make the step up, the success or
failure of Pitt will answer the question . . . more.....
Fitz's Future By the time
you read this, Larry Fitzgerald will most likely have made his future
plans known. The 2003 Heisman Trophy runner-up will either return
for a third year at the University of Pittsburgh, or he will apply
for entry into the NFL's April draft.
It is not as easy as Fitzgerald making
the decision on his own. The NFL will have . . . more.....
Beware The Power Of Entertainment Dollars
A number of people have told me they don't care if baseball players
use steroids, they just want to see home runs. In 2001, Michael
Strahan of the New York Giants set a new single-season NFL sack
record when Brett Favre took a dive late in the season's last game.
Earlier this year, two opposing Illinois high school coaches staged
the final minutes of a game so quarterback Nate Haasis could break
a conference passing record . . . more.....
5 NFL Playoff Questions
Why can't anyone beat New England?
The Patriots don't seem unbeatable. Yet
no one has done it since late summer turned into fall. This team
won road games at Philadelphia, Miami, Denver and Indianapolis.
They also have wins over playoff teams Dallas and Tennessee. They've
won 11 straight and 13 of 14, doing it with defense (shutouts against
Dallas and Miami) and offense (38 points in wins against the Colts
and Titans). The Pats are right in the middle . . . more.....
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The Six Top Teams In The Playoff Race
New England Patriots
Solid defense, timely offense and outstanding
special teams have quietly carried the Pats to the top of the league.
Tom Brady is a better quarterback now than he was when he won a
Super Bowl two seasons ago. Bethel Johnson's kick-off returns change
games by dramatically altering field position, and . . .
more.....
Steelers Lose Ground In 2003 For
weeks late in a season of despair and misery, Steelers' coach Bill
Cowher refused to talk about his plans for the 2004 season.
Even when the team had been eliminated
from playoff contention in mid-December with just two meaningless
games left on the schedule, he had no taste for preparing young
players for next season.
The focus, rightly, was on the season
at hand . . . more.....
6 Season Turning Points
July 24 - Center Jeff Hartings and right guard Kendall Simmons arrive
at training camp with serious ailments.
Nothing has defined the Steelers' struggles
this season more than the inconsistent play of the dinged-up offensive
line. Throughout training camp, Hartings battled pain in his left
knee where most of the cartilage has worn away. Simmons lost 30
pounds and significant strength after . . . more.....
Enough Already Steelers'
president Dan Rooney never wanted the NFL to be known as the "No
Fun League," but Rooney admits there is a limit to how much fun
NFL players should be having.
It's taken a while, but Rooney - still
one of the NFL's most influential figures - knows when enough is
enough.
"I'm viewed as a purist, but when they
discussed this with . . . more.....
Steelers Should Trade For Newer Model Bus
I retch when yinzers call my talk show and propose incredibly lopsided
trades that would benefit one of the local franchises.
"Hey, Mark, why don't the Steelers
trade Chad Scott to San Francisco for Kevan Barlow? That would really
help the Steelers' running game."
Indeed it would, Mr. Lombardi. Problem
is, I think the Niners saw all of Scott they needed to when . .
. more.....
Backroom Buzz The Pirates'
company line has been that pitcher Kris Benson is on schedule and
recovering nicely from the shoulder problems that kept him out of
the final months of the 2003 season. Benson is scheduled to attend
the Pirates' third mini-camp this month in Bradenton, Fla.
Benson seems equally as eager as the
Pirates to show the rest of the league he is healthy. It's likely
that no matter how he performs in 2004, Benson will be traded at
some point between spring training and the middle of June . . .
more.....
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