By Mark Madden
September 4, 2017
Kevin Colbert (http://www.steelers.com/)
Preparing a red-hot batch of refreshing sports notes isn’t as demanding as working a hard eight at J & L, but it shows some dedication when done on Labor Day. Workers of the world, unite!
*Joe Haden isn't a panacea at cornerback. He doesn't make the Steelers' secondary anything better than average. Haden is only 28, but may be a bit past his prime. But he should be energized by coming from train-wreck Cleveland to contending Pittsburgh. If Haden replacing Ross Cockrell/Coty Sensabaugh wins one extra game, it could mean a bye or home field. Great get.
*Safety J.J. Wilcox isn't a bad acquisition, either. Wilcox has started 40 games, including two in the 2014 playoffs, over his four NFL seasons. He's not All-Pro, but is certainly better than Robert Golden. Tampa Bay was using Wilcox at nickel during the preseason. Between Wilcox, Mike Hilton and any volunteers from the stands, the Steelers must find a way to use William Gay minimally. Rookie Cameron Sutton went on injured reserve, so he can't help for at least the season's first eight weeks.
*Between the late signing of Haden, trading for Wilcox and an unquestioned cut list at training camp's end, Steelers GM Kevin Colbert reminded everybody why he merits his recent contract extension through 2020. Colbert even got the New York Giants to give up a draft pick for Ross Cockrell. Amazing.
*NFL teams did lots of micromanaging before cuts. In the last five years, an average of 10 trades got made at cut-down time. This year, it was 25. New England got two special-teams wizards, Detroit’s Johnson Bademosi and Cincinnati’s Marquis Flowers. Bill Belichick can never tinker enough.
*In response to 12 Browns kneeling during the national anthem, the Cleveland police have opted to not participate in holding a large flag while the anthem is played before the opener against the Steelers at FirstEnergy Stadium Sunday. That's their right, same as the players can kneel. Neither party is wrong.
*The NBA requires players to stand for the anthem. It's too late for the NFL to do the same. A major excrement storm would result. The best alternative would be to not play the anthem. It's always been forced patriotism, anyway.
*The Ray Rice domestic abuse videotape leaked, Colin Kaepernick knelt during the anthem, and the NFL has mangled several unfortunate situations. So the NFL’s TV viewership of 17.9 million per game in 2015 dropped eight percent in 2016, to 16.5 million. Not good, but manageable. The NFL is too big to fail. Not enough people will ever stop watching to do real damage.
*When QB Ben Roethlisberger got a six-game suspension (later cut to four) for off-the-field problems in 2010, he was never charged with a crime. No evidence. But the Steelers didn't appeal the ban, let alone challenge it legally. The Rooney family let down their quarterback, but that's because they want the NFL to be self-governing. Dallas' Jerry Jones and New England's Robert Kraft don't. They warp the league's authority by way of putting their teams first. They may someday regret that.
*Tennesee defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, 79, is the godfather and chief proponent of the zone blitz. But he has his Titans D playing a lot of man-to-man. That's what's required in today's NFL and why the Steelers couldn't start Cockrell or Sensabaugh at cornerback.
*The new book, "Dr. Z." is the memoirs of Paul Zimmerman (sadly incapacitated by a series of strokes) as edited by Peter King. It's today's best football writer finishing the work of the greatest football writer of all-time. A very worthwhile read.
*Sports Illustrated's NFL preview issue says New England has the best quarterback, second-best skill personnel and second-best defensive backs. That's what counts most in today's NFL. Never has a team been so heavily favored to win the Super Bowl.
*The Browns have assembled one of the very best offensive lines in football anchored by legendary left tackle Joe Thomas. But the rest of the team is so bad, you wonder why they bothered. Steelers by 14. The Steelers' only worry is that Roethlisberger gets crumpled by rookie pass-rusher Myles Garrett, the No. 1 pick in this year's draft.
*Western Pennsylvania doesn't much care about college football - except for the week of Pitt-Penn State. Too bad Pitt diluted that enthusiasm Saturday by blowing a 21-point lead to Division I-2A Youngstown State before winning in OT. Penn State will flush what’s left with a 21-point victory over the Panthers. Pitt football is a never-ending series of great moments offset by horrible moments.
*Pitt Coach Pat Narduzzi won't let his players speak to the media this week. Somebody tell Narduzzi this is a pro sports town, not college, and his team needs all the hype it can manufacture, even right before the Penn State game.
*If the Penguins signed restricted free agent Andreas Anthanasiou to an offer sheet worth under $3.652 million per year, cap-strapped Detroit would be hard-pressed to match. The Penguins would only have to give the Red Wings a second-round draft pick by way of compensation. To get a legit No. 3 center without sacrificing a player on the NHL roster seems too good to not do.
*Ex-Penguin Nick Bonino went on Twitter to bemoan the intricacies of assembling a grill. Bonino will make $4.1 million with Nashville next season. He should hire someone to do that for him. Maybe Derrick Pouliot.
*The Pirates cutting Juan Nicasio (their second-best pitcher statistically) to save a puny $600,000 was a naked example of their greed's petty nature. If you see $600K as a significant figure, you shouldn't own a big-time sports franchise. GM Neal Huntington says another MLB team leaked that news to embarrass the Pirates. What's the difference? The media and fans were going to learn what happened at some point. It's what the Pirates did that was humiliating, not how the news broke.
Mark Madden hosts a radio show 3-6 p.m. weekdays on WXDX-FM (105.9).
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