tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102357652024-03-06T21:17:17.790-08:00Black and Gold“The essence of the game is rooted in emotion and passion and hunger and a will to win." - Mike Sullivanjtfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759316632096664665noreply@blogger.comBlogger7505125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10235765.post-55229584425122093202019-09-28T05:24:00.000-07:002019-09-28T05:24:00.727-07:00Steve Blass Hangs Up The Microphone This Weekend<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25.6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25.6px;">
<span style="color: black;"><a class="author__name" href="https://kdkaradio.radio.com/shows/larry-richert-and-john-shumway" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Roboto Condensed', sans-serif; font-weight: 600; text-decoration: none; text-transform: uppercase; word-break: break-word;">LARRY RICHERT AND JOHN SHUMWAY</a><span style="font-family: 'Roboto Condensed', sans-serif; line-height: 28.08px; text-transform: uppercase;"></span></span></div>
<div>
<a href="https://kdkaradio.radio.com/blogs/larry-richert-and-john-shumway/steve-blass-end-era">https://kdkaradio.radio.com/blogs/larry-richert-and-john-shumway/steve-blass-end-era</a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px;">
September 27, 2019</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px;">
<img alt="Image result for steve blass" height="360" src="https://secure.milb.com/assets/images/7/9/0/305791790/cuts/1280x720/cut.jpg" width="640" /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px;">
PITTSBURGH (Newsradio 1020 KDKA) - An era truly comes to an end this weekend at PNC Park. Steve Blass, a man who has been with the Pittsburgh Pirates for 60 years is retiring, well for the most part.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px;">
The longtime color analyst announced at the beginning of the season that 2019 would be his last behind the microphone.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px;">
From winning the World Series in 1971 to dropping treats down from the press box on Sundays, Blass has been at the forefront of what is fun about baseball.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px;">
For years Blass has joined Larry and John on KDKA Radio every Friday during the season to recap the week and look at the week ahead, but this visit was different, this was the last one.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px;">
Blass says old friends from his home state of Connecticut have been calling and texting (even though he doesn’t understand the technology), and everyone he has run into has given him something, mainly cigars.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px;">
“Even the guys that work security up the press box area gave me some cigars and they sent home a dozen roses for Karen,” said Blass. “I mean it’s just coming from everywhere and it’s been fabulous, I mean, my goodness!”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px;">
“A couple from Ellwood City made this huge, huge quilt all kinds of renderings and pictures of playing days and Pirate logos and everything, I mean just a work of love,” said Blass. “And I said what are you going to do with it, and they said, ‘well it’s yours’ and that kind of things has just been an ongoing things for the last 10 days, two weeks.”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px;">
Blass’ career will be<a href="https://www.mlb.com/pirates/team/steve-blass" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0a44bb; word-break: break-word;" target="_blank"> honored on Saturday night</a> and he know it will be an emotional evening.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px;">
The Pirates have also set up a voice mail box for those that want to say thank you for Blass.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px;">
That number is 412-325-4660.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px;">
When asked what he is going to do with all of his free time, Blass responded “whatever I want to!” But honestly Blass says he is going to spend time catching up with his wife and family and plans to spend the entire month of October golfing.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px;">
While Steve Blass night is Saturday he will still be there on Sunday for the entire game of the season.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25.6px;">
“I’m not even going to keep a score card, I’m just going to be thanking people and trying to let people in Pittsburgh know how much all this has meant to me and our family, the way we were welcomed here in this city, a lot of years ago when we didn’t know much about it and I’ve never lost track of that.”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px;">
One of the things Blass is going to be missed for are his thousands of baseball stories and Greg Brown, the voice of the Pirates, told Larry and John Thursday he’s heard them all.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px;">
“I tell Greg Brown and I tell everybody when I speak when they ask me why I’m retiring, I (say) because if I hear another ‘clear the deck, cannonball coming, I’m going to kill myself,” Blass said jokingly.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px;">
Blass says Brown is his best friend and a lot of Pittsburgh feels like they’re losing a good friend but Blass has said that he is still going to be around the organization, you just won’t hear him on the microphone anymore.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px;">
On a personal note, we’ll miss talking to Steve every week and wish him nothing but the best in his retirement.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25.6px;">
<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Related</strong>: <a class="related-link" href="https://937thefan.radio.com/articles/time-appreciate-everything-steve-blass-has-done" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; outline: 0px; word-break: break-word;" title="Related Time To Appreciate Everything Steve Blass Has Given To Pirates Fans">Time To Appreciate Everything Steve Blass Has Given To Pirates Fans</a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
jtfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759316632096664665noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10235765.post-84627770938815628422019-09-28T05:18:00.001-07:002019-09-28T05:18:16.339-07:00Pirates legend Steve Blass reflects on his career, the end and what’s ahead<br />
By Jason Mackey<br />
<a href="https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/pirates/2019/09/19/pittsburgh-pirates-broadcaster-steve-blass-retirement/stories/201909190009">https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/pirates/2019/09/19/pittsburgh-pirates-broadcaster-steve-blass-retirement/stories/201909190009</a><br />
September 19, 2019<br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="Image result for steve blass" height="447" src="https://9b16f79ca967fd0708d1-2713572fef44aa49ec323e813b06d2d9.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/1140x_a10-7_cTC/20190917JWBlassPirates01-1568902995.jpg" width="640" /><br />
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 28.5px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
History is littered with famous cigar smokers, from Mark Twain to Winston Churchill to George Burns. It was actually Burns, the ageless and quick-witted comedian, who delivered the money line, “If I had taken my doctor's advice and quit smoking when he advised me to, I wouldn't have lived to go to his funeral.” Burns died at the age of 100 and was buried with three of his favorite cigars.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 28.5px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
Neither cigar smoking nor longevity is lost on Pirates legend Steve Blass, whose own charmed life has been littered with stogie stories. Like the time Blass, shortly after helping the Pirates win the 1971 World Series, wound up touring the General Cigar Company's New York City offices. Or 15 years ago, when Blass thought he was ready to retire, told one of his best friends, Greg Brown, over a cigar, then changed his mind weeks later.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 28.5px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
That’s why, as Blass' (official) career in baseball burns closer and closer to the band, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette sought out the 77-year-old Blass to talk about all he's experienced and what's ahead. That conversation, naturally, occurred over a cigar. A Rocky Patel, Steve’s choice.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 28.5px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
Wearing a suit sans sport coat because he would appear on AT&T SportsNet later that night, Blass leaned over the railing and pointed across the Ohio River toward his apartment on Mount Washington. There was a "no smoking” sign to his left, but let’s be honest here: Who’s going to tell Steve Blass he can’t smoke at PNC Park?</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 28.5px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
Since the ballpark’s inaugural season in 2001, and for a couple years prior at Three Rivers Stadium, this has become their pregame tradition: A few hours before first pitch, on a cement landing a level down from the press box, Blass and Brown each light a cigar.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 28.5px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
They sit on plastic chairs they stash near the fire escape. Occasionally, other members of the broadcast team show up, too, though Blass and Brown are the two constants.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 28.5px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
It’s here, before pretty much every Pirates home game, that Blass will most often reflect — about baseball, life, whatever. “Freestyle conversations,” he called them, flicking an ash. On this day, the topic was a fairly obvious one: It’s September, only a couple weeks before he signs off. Was Blass thinking about that?</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 28.5px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
Yeah, absolutely, he admitted. How could he not? He’s somewhat nervous, too. But Blass is hoping some of his previous experience will help him figure it out.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<i>Click on the link below to read the rest of the article:</i><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/pirates/2019/09/19/pittsburgh-pirates-broadcaster-steve-blass-retirement/stories/201909190009">https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/pirates/2019/09/19/pittsburgh-pirates-broadcaster-steve-blass-retirement/stories/201909190009</a>jtfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759316632096664665noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10235765.post-44062469262340627402019-09-28T04:43:00.002-07:002019-09-28T04:43:32.092-07:00Steve Blass thanks Pirates, city of Pittsburgh for ’77-year party’<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="line-height: 1.5;">By Bob Bauder</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: open_sansregular;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><a href="https://triblive.com/sports/steve-blass-thanks-pirates-city-of-pittsburgh-for-77-year-party/">https://triblive.com/sports/steve-blass-thanks-pirates-city-of-pittsburgh-for-77-year-party/</a></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="line-height: 1.5;">September 27, 2019</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<img alt="1734527_web1_Blass-and-Peduto" height="452" src="https://triblive.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/1734527_web1_Blass-and-Peduto.jpg" width="640" /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="line-height: 1.5;"><i>(Tribune-Review)</i></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="line-height: 1.5;">Steve Blass considers himself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
After a 60-year career with the Pirates as a pitcher and broadcaster, Blass, 77, is retiring this weekend.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
On Friday, Mayor Bill Peduto presented Blass with a proclamation declaring Saturday “Steve Blass Day” in the city.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Peduto said Blass exemplifies the best characteristics of Pittsburgh.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
“Today we recognize something that’s been very much a part of the people who call Pittsburgh home today,” Peduto said. “That is the importance that you’ve played in our lives. Sixty years you’ve given of yourself through the Pittsburgh Pirates. You did it on the field. You did it off the field. You did it on the air.”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Blass, of Mt. Washington, vowed that he and wife, Karen, would remain city residents.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
“People here have been so kind,” he said. “I’m going to spend the rest of the time on this Earth, if I’m able, when I run into people in the city of Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas (thanking) them for caring about the Pittsburgh Pirates, caring about me on the mound and caring about our family. It doesn’t get any better than living in Pittsburgh for me.”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Blass pitched for the Pirates in the minor and major leagues from 1960 through 1974. He retired in 1975 with a pitching record of 103-76.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
He is best known for pitching two complete games in the 1971 World Series, including the clinching seventh game over the Baltimore Orioles. He’s been a color commentator for the team since 1983.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
He’s also known for an inexplicable loss of control which ended his career and became known as “Steve Blass Disease.”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
“I almost consider my life to be a 77-year party,” Blass said. “My baseball record is 103 and 76, but I consider myself at age 77 to be 75 and two. I had 75 great years. I had two really rotten years. I think you learn as much or more about yourself when you’re struggling than when you’re sailing along.”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Blass appeared in Peduto’s City-County Building offices, Downtown, to receive the proclamation along with his son, Chris, fellow broadcaster Greg Brown and several Pirate representatives. He said he planned to spend time with his family and grandchildren, going to baseball games and enjoying “a ‘dog and a beer.”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
He also plans to devote more time to his wife, whom he christened Saint Karen.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
“I’m so proud to represent this city,” he said</div>
<div class="credits" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 0.875em; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Bob Bauder is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Bob at 412-765-2312,<a href="mailto:bbauder@tribweb.com" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;">bbauder@tribweb.com</a> or via Twitter <a class="fa fa-twitter" href="https://twitter.com/BobBauder" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; font-family: FontAwesome; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; line-height: 1; text-decoration: none; text-rendering: auto; transition: color 0.3s;" target="_blank"></a>.</div>
jtfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759316632096664665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10235765.post-48502055868375799352019-09-28T04:28:00.005-07:002019-09-28T04:28:54.381-07:00Newman homers twice in Bucs' walk-off win | Reds-Pirates Game Highlights 9/27/19<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/z7OTA8qFImg" width="560"></iframe>jtfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759316632096664665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10235765.post-29369626668192695382019-09-27T06:47:00.001-07:002019-09-27T06:47:30.802-07:00A Renaissance Runs Through It<br />
By John Tierney<br />
<a href="https://www.city-journal.org/pittsburghs-comeback">https://www.city-journal.org/pittsburghs-comeback</a><br />
Summer 2019<br />
<br />
<img alt="Image result for pittsburgh" height="447" src="https://9b16f79ca967fd0708d1-2713572fef44aa49ec323e813b06d2d9.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/1140x_a10-7_cTC/For-In-the-Lead-pittsburgh-skyline-stock-1560361735.jpg" width="640" /><br />
<span style="font-family: CJ-PalatinoLT, PalatinoLT, serif; font-size: 1.125em; line-height: 1.4em;"><i>(Darrell Sapp/Post-Gazette)</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: CJ-PalatinoLT, PalatinoLT, serif; font-size: 1.125em; line-height: 1.4em;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I<span style="line-height: 1.4em;">f you want to see how to revive a city—and how not to—go to Pittsburgh. No other modern American city has worked so hard for so long in so many ways to reinvent itself. It transformed itself from the Smoky City to the Renaissance City in the 1940s, and that was just the beginning. Pittsburghers today refer to that era as Renaissance I because they’re now up to Renaissance III—or maybe IV, depending on how you count.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: CJ-PalatinoLT, PalatinoLT, serif; font-size: 1.125em; line-height: 1.4em;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 1.4em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The past rebirths enthralled urban planners and put Pittsburgh high in the rankings of “most livable” cities, but a problem recurred: fewer and fewer people actually wanted to live there. As the master builders obliterated streets and erected towers, young people left town. I was one of them, having experienced, a few blocks from my parents’ home, a would-be renaissance hailed in the 1960s as the largest urban-renewal project in America.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: CJ-PalatinoLT, PalatinoLT, serif; font-size: 1.125em; line-height: 1.4em;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.4em;">It was an attempt to revitalize a part of the city called East Liberty, once the third-busiest retail district in Pennsylvania, surpassed only by the downtowns of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. As a teenager working there in a drug store, I initially admired the planners’ bold makeover, assuming that these experts knew far more than the rest of us. The drugstore owners, who regularly cursed the project’s new pedestrian malls and boulevards and high-rises, struck me as sadly retrograde—until I saw the eventual results. Hundreds of businesses shut down and thousands of residents fled, turning the neighborhood into a crime-ridden wasteland. When I worked at the </span><i style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Pittsburgh Press</i><span style="line-height: 1.4em;"> </span><span style="line-height: 1.4em;">in 1974, the only story I covered in East Liberty was the shooting of a police officer.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: CJ-PalatinoLT, PalatinoLT, serif; font-size: 1.125em; line-height: 1.4em;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.4em;">Pittsburghers resolved on yet another renaissance. “Never-Say-Die East Liberty Fights Back,” the</span><span style="line-height: 1.4em;"> </span><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Press</em><span style="line-height: 1.4em;"> </span><span style="line-height: 1.4em;">proclaimed in 1983, but things just got worse as the shutdown of steel mills devastated the city’s economy. My visits back to East Liberty became nostalgic tours of the ruins. There was the deserted Nabisco plant, whose Ritz-cracker aromas had once wafted over our baseball field. There was my dentist’s former office, the Highland Building, erected by Henry Clay Frick and designed by Daniel Burnham (the architect of the Flatiron Building), its stately terra-cotta façade now crumbling and its doors boarded up. There was the YMCA, where we’d played basketball, now abandoned except for the men from the nearby homeless shelter passed out on the sidewalk. There was the corner where my old drugstore stood until a fire of mysterious origin (well, maybe not so mysterious) destroyed it.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: CJ-PalatinoLT, PalatinoLT, serif; font-size: 1.125em; line-height: 1.4em;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 1.4em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The renaissancers kept trying—“Hope in East Liberty,” ran a 1996 headline—but the people kept leaving. By 2010, Pittsburgh’s population was barely 300,000, less than half its size in 1950. Pittsburgh had all the comparative disadvantages of other Rust Belt cities: high taxes, powerful unions, burgeoning pension obligations, inferior public schools, and a decaying infrastructure. East Liberty and the rest of the city seemed a lost cause.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: CJ-PalatinoLT, PalatinoLT, serif; font-size: 1.125em; line-height: 1.4em;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 1.4em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But then, over the past decade, I was stunned to see the ruins come to life. Google’s flag flies over the old Nabisco plant, now an office employing more than 600 of its techies. The renovated Highland Building rents two-bedroom apartments for more than $3,000 a month—a staggering sum to anyone familiar with Pittsburgh real estate, though not quite as shocking to me as what’s happened to the YMCA. The old gym, its peeling paint lovingly preserved, has become the ballroom of a cooler-than-thou Ace Hotel, the homeless men on the sidewalk replaced by a valet-parking attendant.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: CJ-PalatinoLT, PalatinoLT, serif; font-size: 1.125em; line-height: 1.4em;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 1.4em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">How did this happen? Outside economic forces were partly to thank: the new money flowing into Pittsburgh from fracking, robotics, health care, and other industries. But some credit goes to the same kind of coalition that led the earlier renaissances: business leaders, philanthropists, nonprofit groups, politicians, and developers. They learned from their predecessors’ mistakes, and the lessons are valuable for any city.</span></span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: CJ-PalatinoLT, PalatinoLT, serif; font-size: 1.125em; line-height: 1.4em;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: CJ-PalatinoLT, PalatinoLT, serif; font-size: 1.125em; line-height: 1.4em;"><i>Click on the link below to read the rest of the article:</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: CJ-PalatinoLT, PalatinoLT, serif; font-size: 1.125em; line-height: 1.4em;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: CJ-PalatinoLT, PalatinoLT, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 25.2px;"><a href="https://www.city-journal.org/pittsburghs-comeback">https://www.city-journal.org/pittsburghs-comeback</a></span></span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
jtfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759316632096664665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10235765.post-66440437972480949312019-09-27T06:09:00.005-07:002019-09-27T06:09:42.832-07:00Bengals look to avoid making history against the Steelers<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
By Ben Baby</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif;"><span style="line-height: 25.6px;"><a href="https://www.espn.com/blog/pittsburgh-steelers">https://www.espn.com/blog/pittsburgh-steelers</a></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
September 27, 2019</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<img alt="Image result for steelers bengals 2019" height="360" src="https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_688,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/Cincinnati-Bengals-v-Pittsburgh-Steelers-a6b979eb3f0fc4bd5171553bf3b84630.jpg" width="640" /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="line-height: 1.6;"><i>(Getty Images)</i></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="line-height: 1.6;">CINCINNATI -- Those around Cincinnati have let first-year </span><a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/cin/cincinnati-bengals" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Bengals</a><span style="line-height: 1.6;"> </span><span style="line-height: 1.6;">coach Zac Taylor know the importance of the annual games against the</span><span style="line-height: 1.6;"> </span><a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/pit/pittsburgh-steelers" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Pittsburgh Steelers</a><span style="line-height: 1.6;">.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
“They’re pretty frank about it,” Taylor said this week.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
If folks around town are pretty fed up, there’s a good reason. The Bengals are carrying an eight-game losing streak against the Steelers into Monday night’s game at Pittsburgh (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App). Should Cincinnati lose the contest between two of the NFL’s remaining winless teams and stretch the streak to nine, it will be the longest of its kind in franchise history.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
And if there’s ever been a time to break the streak, Monday’s nationally televised game will be as good as any.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
“Sometimes it takes one,” Taylor said of a potential victory against the Steelers, who like the Bengals are 0-3. “It just takes that first one to get it rolling. We’re hungry for that one and we desperately want it right now. The important thing is we don’t deviate, and we stay the course, and we know where we’re headed.”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Despite the optimism, the trajectory for the Bengals’ season should be much clearer after Week 4. Over the past 10 seasons, every team that started 0-4 has missed the playoffs. After Cincinnati dropped the first three games of the season, the odds overwhelmingly favor a top-five draft pick in 2020 instead of a potential postseason run.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="line-height: 25.6px;">But if there’s any solace for the Bengals during their slow start, it’s that their rivals have been equally bad. While the sample size is still relatively small, the Steelers are one of two teams that have scored fewer points (49) and allowed more (85) than Cincinnati (54 points scored, 83 points allowed). The other is the Dolphins, who are losing by an average of 39 points per game.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The state of both franchises hasn’t dissipated the distaste for the rivals.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
“It’s been a long time since we beat those guys and I want this game so bad,” Bengals defensive end <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/3121416/sam-hubbard" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sam Hubbard</a> said. “I think a lot of guys in this locker room want this game so bad. We’re not focusing on the records.”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The 100th game between the Bengals and the Steelers is unique because of the new cast of players on both sides.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Pittsburgh no longer has running back <a href="http://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/15825/le'veon-bell" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Le'Veon Bell</a> or wide receiver <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/13934/antonio-brown" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Antonio Brown</a> on the roster. Second-year quarterback <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/3116407/mason-rudolph" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Mason Rudolph</a> will be starting in place of <a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/5536/ben-roethlisberger" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ben Roethlisberger</a>, who is recovering from elbow surgery.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
And in Cincinnati, polarizing linebacker <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/15246/vontaze-burfict" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Vontaze Burfict</a> is no longer in the Bengals’ locker room. Burfict had the vicious hit on Brown in a 2015 AFC wild-card game that led to the Steelers’ winning field goal and extended Cincinnati’s postseason victory drought that stretches back to the 1990 season.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Bengals wide receiver <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/3045144/tyler-boyd" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Tyler Boyd</a>, who was drafted out of Pitt a few months after that 2015 playoff game, understands why it is such a rivalry.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
“Guys trying to go out there and destroy each other,” said Boyd, who played his college games at the Steelers’ Heinz Field. “It was crazy for me to watch it.”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
But over the past few seasons, the results have been one-sided. Boyd is among the many starters in Cincinnati who have never beaten Pittsburgh. A victory Monday could be particularly significant for a Bengals team still learning how to win.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
“We’ve gotta find that killer instinct inside of us,” Taylor said.</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px 0px 20px; orphans: auto; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">
</div>
jtfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759316632096664665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10235765.post-16033830120793575712019-09-27T05:56:00.001-07:002019-09-27T05:56:28.667-07:00Musgrove, Reyes lead Pirates to a 9-5 win | Cubs-Pirates Game Highlights 9/26/19<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_SBkt-hV75k" width="560"></iframe>jtfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759316632096664665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10235765.post-75398204170022758812019-09-26T04:09:00.001-07:002019-09-26T04:09:17.762-07:00Osuna, Gonzalez lift Pirates to 4-2 win | Cubs-Pirates Game Highlights 9/25/19<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AQ6evrSZkAo" width="560"></iframe>jtfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759316632096664665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10235765.post-83474999367327301942019-09-25T04:28:00.001-07:002019-09-25T04:28:12.384-07:00Pirates use 7-run 7th to push past Cubs | Cubs-Pirates Game Highlights 9/24/19<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/phHLD6I4ja8" width="560"></iframe>jtfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759316632096664665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10235765.post-74599817048643739952019-09-24T03:15:00.000-07:002019-09-24T03:15:16.405-07:00Steelers coaches live in their fears with game plan<br />
By Mark Madden<br />
<a href="https://triblive.com/sports/mark-madden-steelers-coaches-live-in-their-fears-with-game-plan/">https://triblive.com/sports/mark-madden-steelers-coaches-live-in-their-fears-with-game-plan/</a><br />
September 23, 2019<br />
<br />
<img alt="Image result for steelers 49ers" height="360" src="https://sportshub.cbsistatic.com/i/r/2019/09/23/5846ddf0-19e3-4f95-ae42-69d201a97880/thumbnail/1200x675/bb9daf98f54f65fedf904da66831b87d/rudolph-49ers.png" width="640" /><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
It’s difficult to blood a second-year quarterback into starting duties, especially when it wasn’t supposed to happen this way.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Mason Rudolph isn’t proceeding on the expected timetable. Rudolph is deputizing for future Hall of Famer Ben Roethlisberger because of the latter’s season-ending injury.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Rudolph is a third-round pick. It was hoped he wouldn’t have to assume the Steelers’ QB job until Roethlisberger’s contract expires after the 2021 season.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
It always was going to be hard when Rudolph assumed the helm. He’s done nothing in his six quarters of NFL football to make anyone believe he can’t grow into the job. The Steelers’ gameplan, understandably, is designed to protect him.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
But there’s a fine line between protecting Rudolph and living in your fears. We saw that Sunday at San Francisco, and it helped cost the Steelers the game.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
The Steelers got two first-quarter turnovers in 49ers territory. Conventional wisdom says you take a shot at the end zone while the other team is reeling.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
The Steelers didn’t.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
After T.J. Watt’s interception gave the Steelers the ball on San Francisco’s 33 after just 73 seconds, Rudolph threw three short passes that netted 5 yards. The Steelers played it safe to make sure of getting a field goal.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
They did. But winning in today’s NFL isn’t about scoring three points at a time.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Then, Minkah Fitzpatrick’s interception put the Steelers on the 49ers’ 24 after 10 minutes, 16 seconds was played. Same thing: three short passes, a run, a scramble and a field goal.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
If Roethlisberger is playing, the Steelers lead 14-0 or 10-0 after that sequence.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
It’s the first quarter. You’ve got to take shots. Have faith in Rudolph, because right now you’ve got no choice. Rudolph didn’t look scared. He seemed anything but.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
But the coaches were scared on his behalf, and that did damage.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
The Steelers led 6-0 after one quarter. They got two more turnovers in the second quarter but led just 6-3 at halftime. They finished with five takeaways but lost 24-20. The 49ers got two takeaways, converting theirs into 14 points.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
How the heck do you get five takeaways and throw touchdown passes of 76 and 39 yards but still lose the game? (Even stranger, Rudolph’s only two completions beyond the line of scrimmage were those TD throws.)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
The Steelers’ defense mostly got shredded, allowing 436 total yards. Fitzpatrick showed a nose for the ball, but the prior problems remain.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Too many good players aren’t playing well enough: Joe Haden and Cam Heyward are disappointing. The inexperience of Devin Bush and Terrell Edmunds is understandable but frustrating. Mark Barron was eviscerated on San Francisco’s winning drive. Bud Dupree’s contribution was minimal despite lining up against a rookie left tackle making his first NFL start. (Has Dupree forgotten he’s playing for a contract?)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Same goes on offense, where the heralded offensive line continues to struggle. Both tackles spin like revolving doors. JuJu Smith-Schuster was on the receiving end of a 76-yard catch-and-run touchdown but was mostly invisible, grabbing just two other balls for 5 yards. James Conner got just 43 yards on 13 carries and had a soul-crushing fourth-quarter fumble that led to San Francisco’s winning touchdown.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Conner’s rushing totals are partly excused by the Steelers too often lining up in the shotgun and giving him sidecar handoffs which see him get the ball flat-footed and rob him of his power. But there’s no absolving Conner for his crucial cough-up.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Stupid idiots like me crowed about “addition by subtraction” when Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown hit the bricks, and it’s still good they’re gone (as witnessed by Bell’s mini-meltdown and Brown’s major insanity on Twitter yesterday).</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
But Conner and Smith-Schuster have to step up to make those departures palatable. Conner did last year but not so far this season. Smith-Schuster has made two big plays in three games but otherwise has disappeared. (He did yell, “Get me the (bleeping) ball” after his TD reception. He’ll be a No. 1 receiver in no time.)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
That said, Bell and Brown don’t win that game at San Francisco without Roethlisberger. He made them. That’s apparent now and only will become more so.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
This season is going down the drain at a rate that could make that deal for Fitzpatrick a disaster unless Fitzpatrick puts a bunch of All-Pro campaigns together. Miami bet on the Steelers imploding when they picked their trade partner for Fitzpatrick. What if that swap nets the Dolphins a top-five pick?</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.8571px;">
<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Categories:</strong> <a href="https://triblive.com/category/sports/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s;">Sports</a> | <a href="https://triblive.com/category/sports/steelers/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s;">Steelers</a> | <a href="https://triblive.com/category/sports/sports-columnists/mark-madden-columns/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s;">Mark Madden Columns</a></div>
<div class="row" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.8571px; margin-left: -15px; margin-right: -15px;">
</div>
<div class="section push-down hidden-xs" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; line-height: 22.8571px; margin-top: 10px;">
<div class="top subsection" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 2px; border-color: rgb(229, 154, 22); box-sizing: border-box; color: #e59a16; cursor: default !important; font-family: 'Stainless Cond Bd'; font-size: 1.0625em; line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px 0px 0.25em; position: relative; text-transform: uppercase; transition: background 200ms initial initial; vertical-align: bottom;">
MORE STEELERS/NFL STORIES</div>
<div class="pad-inside push-down hide-last-line" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 30px;">
<div class="preview bullet" style="border-bottom-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.1429; padding: 8px 0px 8px 10px; position: relative; transform: translateZ(0px);">
<a href="https://triblive.com/sports/kevin-gormans-who-runs-the-north-what-to-make-of-a-winless-weekend/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;"><div class="focus" style="box-sizing: border-box;">
Kevin Gorman’s Who Runs the North?: What to make of a winless weekend <div class="fa fa-video-camera" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; color: #e59a16; display: inline-block; font-family: FontAwesome; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1; text-rendering: auto;">
</div>
</div>
</a></div>
<div class="preview bullet" style="border-bottom-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.1429; padding: 8px 0px 8px 10px; position: relative; transform: translateZ(0px);">
<a href="https://triblive.com/sports/espn-report-steelers-ben-roethlisberger-had-surgery-monday/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;"><div class="focus" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition: color 200ms;">
Steelers: Ben Roethlisberger undergoes surgery</div>
</a></div>
<div class="preview bullet" style="border-bottom-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.1429; padding: 8px 0px 8px 10px; position: relative; transform: translateZ(0px);">
<a href="https://triblive.com/sports/steelers-have-rebounded-from-0-3-starts-to-achieve-respectability-but-never-the-playoffs/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;"><div class="focus" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition: color 200ms;">
Steelers have rebounded from 0-3 starts but never made playoffs <div class="fa fa-video-camera" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; color: #e59a16; display: inline-block; font-family: FontAwesome; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1; text-rendering: auto;">
</div>
</div>
</a></div>
<div class="preview bullet" style="border-bottom-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.1429; padding: 8px 0px 8px 10px; position: relative; transform: translateZ(0px);">
<a href="https://triblive.com/sports/steelers-owner-art-rooney-ii-to-head-compensation-committee/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;"><div class="focus" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition: color 200ms;">
Steelers owner Art Rooney II to head compensation committee</div>
</a></div>
<div class="preview bullet" style="border-bottom-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.1429; padding: 8px 0px 8px 10px; position: relative; transform: translateZ(0px);">
<a href="https://triblive.com/sports/tim-benz-mark-madden-criticize-steelers-coaching-debate-merits-of-james-conner/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;"><div class="focus" style="box-sizing: border-box;">
Tim Benz, Mark Madden criticize Steelers coaching, debate merits of James Conner</div>
</a></div>
</div>
</div>
jtfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759316632096664665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10235765.post-39608191087478919902019-09-23T07:43:00.000-07:002019-09-24T03:16:06.944-07:00Mixed results for Rudolph, Minkah in Steelers lossBy Brooke Pryor<br />
<a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/pittsburgh-steelers">http://espn.go.com/blog/pittsburgh-steelers</a><br />
September 22, 2019<br />
<br />
<img alt="1712441_web1_1712441-8d433be987c24c06aefda9caaca8eea6" src="https://triblive.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/1712441_web1_1712441-8d433be987c24c06aefda9caaca8eea6.jpg" /><br />
<i>(Associated Press)</i><br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/3116407/mason-rudolph" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Mason Rudolph</a> sought out defensive tackle <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/13977/cameron-heyward" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Cameron Heyward</a> after the Pittsburgh Steelers' 24-20 loss to the <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/sf/san-francisco-49ers" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">San Francisco 49ers</a>.</div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #48494a; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px;">"The game is on us," the quarterback told him. "We had so many opportunities with turnovers in the first half and the momentum swing with the defense. We've got to put more points on the board for you guys."</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #48494a; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
On an afternoon where the defense forced five turnovers, the offense's failure to capitalize on the takeaways resulted in the Steelers' third consecutive loss. Meanwhile, the 49ers forced two turnovers and scored a touchdown off each.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
"We turned the ball over twice," coach Mike Tomlin said. "They scored two touchdowns in the second half, and really that's the difference in the game. In the first half, we were getting turnovers and we were settling for field goals. That's the storyline of the game."</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The loss also marked the first start for two important members of the franchise going forward this season: Rudolph and defensive back <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/3925345/minkah-fitzpatrick" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Minkah Fitzpatrick</a>.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Their afternoons were mixed bags, but each finished the Steelers' 24-20 loss with a handful of positive signs.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Rudolph struggled in the first half, completing eight of 15 attempts for only 40 yards, and he opened the third quarter with an interception. Early on, he looked out of sync with his young receivers, including rookie <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/3932905/diontae-johnson" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Diontae Johnson</a>, who made his first start. But Rudolph finished strong, going 14-for-27 for 174 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
While conservative play calling kept Rudolph from getting much of anything going in his first half as the Steelers' starter, Fitzpatrick immediately showed why the Steelers (0-3) traded away their first-round pick for the first time since 1967.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Primarily playing free safety, Fitzpatrick contributed to the Steelers' victory in the turnover margin -- a strong predictor of the final score most of the time -- with a first-half interception and forced fumble.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
"My coaches prepared me well, and my teammates helped me out a whole lot," he said. "We went out there, and they allowed me to just play my game of football. They kept it simple, and we just went out and played."</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Late in the first quarter, the former <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/mia/miami-dolphins" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Miami Dolphin</a> ran in to help cornerback <a href="http://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/13249/joe-haden" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Joe Haden</a>, who was covering running back <a href="http://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/3049916/matt-breida" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Matt Breida</a>. Haden tipped Jimmy Garappolo's pass, forcing it to go off Breida's hands, and Fitzpatrick was there to collect the interception. He ran it back 14 yards, giving the new Steelers' quarterback prime field position to start the drive. But instead of adding six to the board, the Steelers only managed a field goal.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Fitzpatrick ended the 49ers' next drive, too, this time, tackling running back <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/2576414/raheem-mostert" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Raheem Mostert</a> low to jar the ball loose. Rookie linebacker <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/4036261/devin-bush" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Devin Bush</a> recovered it, diving to snap it up for the third takeaway of the game. That time, the offense couldn't add any points to the board.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
"We just didn't complement the defense very well all day," offensive lineman <a href="http://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/14935/david-decastro" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">David DeCastro</a> said. "Even when we started to get better as the game wore on, toward the second half, we just didn't finish."</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
With Fitzpatrick's help, the Steelers, for the second time in two seasons, racked up four takeaways in a half. Last year, they hit that mark against the Buccaneers, but prior to that, they hadn't forced four turnovers in a half since 2010.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
But after a first-half performance that gave the Steelers a 6-3 lead at the break, Fitzpatrick and the defense couldn't keep pace in the second half as they stayed on the field for 73 plays. They allowed an eight-play, 38-yard scoring drive off Rudolph's third-quarter interception and a 10-play, 75-yard scoring drive to close out the quarter.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
"Good defenses get the hell off the field," Heyward said. "We didn't in the second half."</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The Steelers offense, dormant for so much of the game, came alive in the second half thanks to a couple of deep passes by Rudolph and a brief burst in the run game.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Rudolph hit wide receiver <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/3120348/juju-smith-schuster" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">JuJu Smith-Schuster</a> for a 76-yard catch-and-run touchdown to cap a three-play, 82-yard drive late in the third quarter.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The Steelers then opened the fourth quarter with a 10-yard run by <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/3045147/james-conner" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">James Conner</a>, followed by a deep pass attempt to <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/3122449/james-washington" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">James Washington</a> that drew a defensive pass interference flag and set up for Rudolph's 39-yard touchdown to Johnson -- the rookie's first of his NFL career.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
"It was a matter of finding the right time to take the top off the defense," Rudolph said. "Maybe I have to be more aggressive. We'll watch the tape and figure that out."</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
But even with Fitzpatrick's immediate contributions and Rudolph's second-half touchdown passes, the Steelers winless streak continued as a result of Conner's fumble and the 49ers' subsequent fourth-quarter touchdown drive.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The Steelers now look to a Monday night matchup against the <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/cin/cincinnati-bengals" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Cincinnati Bengals</a> to avoid their first 0-4 start since the 2013 season, a year where they would up at 8-8 and missed the postseason.</div>
</div>
jtfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759316632096664665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10235765.post-61844496630568629262019-09-23T04:07:00.001-07:002019-09-23T04:07:39.152-07:00Steelers vs. 49ers Week 3 Highlights | NFL 2019<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VMqmQZ1hB18" width="560"></iframe>jtfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759316632096664665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10235765.post-67161688314226581822019-09-19T04:10:00.002-07:002019-09-19T04:10:49.845-07:00Focus on Pittsburgh: Without Roethlisberger, are Steelers a threat to 49ers?<br />
By Jon Becker<br />
<a href="https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/09/17/focus-on-pittsburgh-without-roethlisberger-are-steelers-a-threat-to-49ers/">https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/09/17/focus-on-pittsburgh-without-roethlisberger-are-steelers-a-threat-to-49ers/</a><br />
September 17, 2019<br />
<br />
<img alt="Image result for steelers september 2019" height="380" src="https://cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/large960_blur-85b5acbb0bc80f384350be22449df6b4.jpg" width="640" /><br />
<i>Mason Rudolph (AP/Don Wright)</i><br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: #fbfbfb; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: 'PT Serif', Times, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
As blasphemous as it may sound for a team that hasn’t been close to .500 in five years, over-confidence could be one of the 49ers’ biggest adversaries heading into Sunday’s game against the Steelers.</div>
<div>
<div style="background-color: #fbfbfb; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: 'PT Serif', Times, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The 0-2 Steelers make their first visit to Levi’s with six-time Pro Bowl quarterback Ben Roethlisberger gone or the season, with top play-maker Juju Smith-Schuster yet to score a touchdown, and with a defensive unit that sometimes looks like the antithesis of the “Steel Curtain” from yesteryear.</div>
<div style="background-color: #fbfbfb; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: 'PT Serif', Times, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Not surprisingly, the oddsmakers like the 49ers’ chances to go 3-0 for the first time in 21 years.</div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="background-color: #fbfbfb; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: 'PT Serif', Times, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Here’s a closer look at San Francisco’s Week 3 game:</div>
<div>
<div style="background-color: #fbfbfb; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: 'PT Serif', Times, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Game essentials: </span>49ers (2-0) vs. Pittsburgh (0-2) at Levi’s Stadium, Sunday at 1:25 p.m. (PT) on CBS-TV. Odds: 49ers -7.</div>
<div style="background-color: #fbfbfb; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: 'PT Serif', Times, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">THREE REASONS FOR 49ERS’ OPTIMISM:</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #fbfbfb; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: 'PT Serif', Times, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Big Ben tolls no more</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #fbfbfb; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: 'PT Serif', Times, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Elbow pain drove Roethlisberger out of Sunday’s 28-26 loss to the Seahawks in the second quarter, and it was announced Monday the 37-year-old will undergo season-ending surgery. So, for the first time since 2004, the Steelers will have a new starting quarterback — second-year man Mason Rudolph of Oklahoma State replaces the man who won two Super Bowls for Pittsburgh. Worse yet for Pittsburgh, it will spend more than one quarter of its salary cap this season on two players who won’t suit up — Roethlisberger ($26.2 million cap hit) and ex-Raider, current Patriot Antonio Brown ($21.2 million hit).</div>
<div style="background-color: #fbfbfb; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: 'PT Serif', Times, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sputtering stars</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #fbfbfb; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: 'PT Serif', Times, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Running back James Conner was going to duplicate Le’Veon Bell’s production and receiver Juju Smith-Schuster was going to make everyone forget about Brown. Two games in, the Steelers and their fans are still waiting for deliveries on those promises. Conner, who’s been hobbled with a nagging knee injury, has averaged just 2.6 yards per carry and has rushed for just 54 yards. Smith-Schuster, while thankfully not duplicating any of Brown’s quibbles or quirks, so far has pedestrian averages of 5.5 catches and 81 yards in two games after making the Pro Bowl following a 111-catch, 1,426-yard season last year. Not having the threat of Roethlisberger extending plays like only he can, the 49ers should have an easier time trying to contain both Conner and Smith-Schuster again.</div>
<div style="background-color: #fbfbfb; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: 'PT Serif', Times, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Coverage concerns</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #fbfbfb; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: 'PT Serif', Times, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Steelers’ linebacker Devin Bush, the 10th pick of the draft out of Michigan, may be one of the favorites to win Rookie Defensive Player of the Year, but he’s also having some troubles covering receivers. He’s not the only Pittsburgh linebacker with pass troubles as Mark Barron has also been targeted. In fact, Seattle had 13 catches by backs or tight ends during its win over Pittsburgh.</div>
<div style="background-color: #fbfbfb; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: 'PT Serif', Times, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">THREE REASONS FOR 49ERS’ PESSIMISM:</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #fbfbfb; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: 'PT Serif', Times, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
<div style="background-color: #fbfbfb; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: 'PT Serif', Times, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Stealing a star?</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #fbfbfb; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: 'PT Serif', Times, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The Steelers pulled off a stunning trade late Monday to acquire star safety Minkah Fitzpatrick from the Dolphins for a first-round pick. On the surface, it seems a curious move to unload what appears to be a top 10 pick next season for a defensive back not named Jalen Ramsey, but Fitzpatrick will stabilize Pittsburgh’s secondary. The Steelers allowed 61 points through two games and permitted Tom Brady and Russell Wilson to post an aggregate QB rating of 131.3, so they obviously felt something bold needed to be done. This just made things a bit tougher for Jimmy Garoppolo.</div>
<div style="background-color: #fbfbfb; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: 'PT Serif', Times, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Say it ain’t so, Joe</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #fbfbfb; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: 'PT Serif', Times, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
<div style="background-color: #fbfbfb; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: 'PT Serif', Times, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Without Joe Staley protecting his blind side, Garoppolo’s time in the pocket could be compromised, especially considering the Steelers have a pair of stout defensive linemen in All-Pro Cam Heyward and also Stephon Tuitt, who earned a five-year, $61 million contract. 49ers rookie tackle Justin Skule will be counted on to help keep Garoppolo off the Levi’s turf, which may be a bit challenging.</div>
<div style="background-color: #fbfbfb; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: 'PT Serif', Times, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The heart of a champion</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #fbfbfb; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: 'PT Serif', Times, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
One would assume at some point the Steelers would snap out of their current mess, even if only on a temporary basis. After all, Mike Tomlin knows a thing or two about winning games as he’s gone 125-68-1 with a Super Bowl title in 13 yards as the Steelers head coach. Despite the 0-2 start, there remains a lot of talent on the team and let’s not forget Pittsburgh has yet to have a losing season under Tomlin.</div>
<div style="background-color: #fbfbfb; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: 'PT Serif', Times, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">PROBABLE DIFFERENCE-MAKER: Mason Rudolph.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #fbfbfb; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: 'PT Serif', Times, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The 6-foot-5, 235-pound Rudolph certainly has Roethlisberger-like size, but now the former Oklahoma State star will need to produce at least close to what Big Ben delivered if the Steeers are going to threaten teams this year. Rudolph may not have a great arm, but scouts rave about his pocket presence. He replaced Roethlisberger against the Seahawks last week and completed 12 of 19 passes for 112 yards and a pair of TD tosses to ex-49ers tight end Vance McDonald. With Big Ben, the Steelers led the NFL in passing attempts with 675, so it’s likely Rudolph will come out throwing Sunday.</div>
</div>
<div class="dfp-ad dfp-Outstream_Video" data-ad-unit="Outstream_Video" data-google-query-id="COimivLd3OQCFYxowQodfF8KZw" id="div-gpt-ad-Outstream_Video" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: 'PT Serif', Times, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px auto 1.5em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: center; top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
</div>
</div>
jtfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759316632096664665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10235765.post-86114206957227094642019-09-18T04:21:00.000-07:002019-09-18T04:21:02.325-07:00Felipe Vazquez of the Pirates Is Arrested on Child Sex Charges<br />
<br />
<ul class="css-1xtbm1r epjyd6m3" style="-webkit-box-align: center; -webkit-box-pack: justify; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; align-items: center; background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; display: flex; flex-wrap: nowrap; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; justify-content: space-between; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 16px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; orphans: auto; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">
<li class="css-i49r68" style="border: 0px; flex-shrink: 1; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 1rem 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="css-pd2kwo e16638kd1" style="border: 0px; color: #333333; display: flex; flex-shrink: 1; flex-wrap: wrap; font-family: nyt-franklin, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 0.8125rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1rem; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
</div>
</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="css-vp77d3 epjyd6m2" style="-webkit-box-align: center; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; align-items: center; background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; display: flex; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; orphans: auto; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 1; width: 600px; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div class="css-1baulvz" style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; display: inline-block; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="css-1nuro5j e1jsehar1" itemprop="author" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; display: inline-block; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: 0.02em; line-height: 1.25rem; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">By <a class="css-1riqqik e1jsehar0" href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/kevin-draper" style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; display: inline; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="css-1baulvz" itemprop="name" style="border: 0px; display: inline-block; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Kevin Draper</span></a> and <a class="css-1riqqik e1jsehar0" href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/tyler-kepner" style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; display: inline; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="css-1baulvz last-byline" itemprop="name" style="border: 0px; display: inline-block; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Tyler Kepner</span></a></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/17/sports/baseball/pittsburgh-pirates-felipe-vazquez-arrested.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/17/sports/baseball/pittsburgh-pirates-felipe-vazquez-arrested.html</a><br />
September 17, 2019<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; line-height: 1.875rem;"><br /></span>
<img alt="Image result for felipe vazquez" height="360" src="https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_688,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/Washington-Nationals-v-Pittsburgh-Pirates-80a7e913582acaa5b97677f901f3bd60.jpg" width="640" /><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; line-height: 1.875rem;"><i>(Justin K. Allen/Getty Images)</i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; line-height: 1.875rem;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; line-height: 1.875rem;">Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Felipe Vazquez was arrested Tuesday morning in Pittsburgh and charged </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; line-height: 1.875rem;">with three felonies, including statutory sexual assault and unlawful contact with a minor, among other charges in Pennsylvania and Florida.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 1.25rem; line-height: 1.875rem;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; line-height: 1.875rem;">The authorities began investigating Vazquez, 28, last month after they “obtained information that Vazquez had a reported sexual relationship with a 13-year-old female victim” in Lee County, Fla., according to a</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; line-height: 1.875rem;"> </span><a class="css-1g7m0tk" href="https://www.fdle.state.fl.us/News/2019/September/FDLE-Arrests-Pittsburgh-Pirates-Pitcher-for-solici" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="border: 0px; color: #326891; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="">news release</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; line-height: 1.875rem;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; line-height: 1.875rem;">from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Vazquez was charged in Florida with computer pornography offenses, including solicitation of a child.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 1.25rem; line-height: 1.875rem;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; line-height: 1.875rem;">The girl is now 15 and had still been communicating with Vazquez by text message, according to the law enforcement department, which said in the release that Vazquez had sent text messages to the girl “suggesting they would meet for sex after his baseball season was over.”</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; line-height: 1.875rem;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; line-height: 1.875rem;">Vazquez appeared in court in Pittsburgh on Tuesday afternoon via video link from a jail in Allegheny County, Pa., and was denied bail, with the judge saying she believed he was a flight risk, according to The</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; line-height: 1.875rem;"> </span><a class="css-1g7m0tk" href="https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/pirates/2019/09/17/Felipe-Vazquez-Pittsburgh-Pirates-arrested-child-pornography-charges/stories/201909170102" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; color: #326891; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="">Pittsburgh Post-Gazette</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; line-height: 1.875rem;">.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 1.25rem; line-height: 1.875rem;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; line-height: 1.875rem;">Law enforcement agents in Pennsylvania and Florida obtained a warrant, and officials searched Vazquez’s residence in Pittsburgh on Tuesday, taking “several electronic devices” to examine, which could lead to more charges.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 1.25rem; line-height: 1.875rem;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; line-height: 1.875rem;">Later Tuesday, the authorities in Westmoreland County, Pa., charged Vazquez with the three felony counts, as well as a misdemeanor count of indecent assault of a person under 16. Vazquez was taken to jail in Allegheny County, and the authorities in Florida said he faced extradition to Lee County.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; line-height: 1.875rem;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; line-height: 1.875rem;">It was not immediately clear whether the charges in Pennsylvania were related to</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; line-height: 1.875rem;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; line-height: 1.875rem;">Vazquez and the girl in Florida.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 1.25rem; line-height: 1.875rem;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; line-height: 1.875rem;">In a statement on Tuesday, the Pirates president, Frank Coonelly, said Major League Baseball’s commissioner’s office would put Vazquez on administrative leave, meaning he would be ineligible to play but still receive pay. “We take this matter, and these charges in particular, extremely seriously,” Coonelly said in the statement. Vazquez’s agent did not immediately respond to a request for comment.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 1.25rem; line-height: 1.875rem;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; line-height: 1.875rem;">Vazquez, a Venezuelan who made his major league debut in 2015, has been one of baseball’s best relievers since joining the Pirates in a 2016 trade with the Washington Nationals, earning 86 saves for Pittsburgh and two All-Star selections.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 1.25rem; line-height: 1.875rem;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; line-height: 1.875rem;">Vazquez signed a four-year, $22 million contract extension early in 2018, with options that could keep him with the Pirates through 2023. He was known as Felipe Rivero when he signed the deal but soon legally changed his surname to Vazquez so he could have the same surname as his half-sister, Prescilla,</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; line-height: 1.875rem;"> </span><a class="css-1g7m0tk" href="https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/pirates/2018/08/28/All-in-the-family-Felipe-Vazquez-s-sister-receives-agent-certification-will-represent-Pirates-closer/stories/201808280194" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="border: 0px; color: #326891; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="">who is also his agent</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; line-height: 1.875rem;">. Vazquez reportedly lives with his half-sister in the off-season in Florida.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 1.25rem; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.875rem;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.875rem;">Last week, Vazquez initiated a clubhouse fight with another reliever, Kyle Crick, which led to season-ending surgery on Crick’s right index finger. Vazquez was fined $10,000 for the episode, which started when he objected to the music playing from Crick’s locker, The Post-Gazette </span><a class="css-1g7m0tk" href="https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/pirates/2019/09/11/felipe-vazquez-kyle-crick-pirates-fight/stories/201909110143" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #326891; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="">reported</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.875rem;">.</span><br />
<div class="css-53u6y8" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 0px calc((100% - 600px) / 2); max-width: 600px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px;">
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
jtfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759316632096664665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10235765.post-1110964296456499532019-09-18T04:08:00.002-07:002019-09-18T04:08:45.106-07:00What a four-day period for Pittsburgh sports<br />
By Ron Cook<br />
<a href="https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/ron-cook/2019/09/17/felipe-vazquez-arrest-pirates-minkah-fitzpatrick-trade-ben-roethlisberger-injury/stories/201909180062">https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/ron-cook/2019/09/17/felipe-vazquez-arrest-pirates-minkah-fitzpatrick-trade-ben-roethlisberger-injury/stories/201909180062</a><br />
September 17, 2019<br />
<br />
<img alt="Related image" height="447" src="https://9b16f79ca967fd0708d1-2713572fef44aa49ec323e813b06d2d9.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/1140x_a10-7_cTC/20190220mfbucssports22-3-1568738686.jpg" width="640" /><br />
<i>Felipe Vazquez (Matt Freed/Post-Gazette)</i><br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 28.5px; margin-bottom: 1em;">
Let me begin by writing this quite comfortably:</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 28.5px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
There never has been a four-day news period in the history of Pittsburgh sports that rivals the one we just experienced.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 28.5px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
Saturday, the magnificent 100-game college football series between Pitt and Penn State <a href="https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/Pitt/2019/09/14/Pitt-s-upset-bid-falls-short-in-loss-to-No-13-Penn-State/stories/201909140044" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0077da; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">came to a controversial end</a> with Pitt losing, at least in part, because of one of the worst coaching decisions of all time. Pat Narduzzi didn’t give his kids their best chance to win by electing to kick a field goal late in the game on fourth-and-1, down seven points.</div>
<div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 28.5px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
Sunday, the Steelers lost a game to the Seattle Seahawks and <a href="https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2019/09/16/pittsburgh-steelers-ben-roethlisberger-elbow-injury-out-for-season/stories/201909160095" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0077da; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">lost franchise quarterback</a> Ben Roethlisberger to a serious elbow injury. Roethlisberger will have surgery this week, his Hall of Fame career very much in jeopardy.</div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 28.5px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
Monday, the Steelers traded their No. 1 draft choice in 2020 to the Miami Dolphins for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. It is the first time they traded their top pick in 52 years, going back to the Bill Austin days. (Be thankful if you’ve forgotten them.)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 28.5px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
And Tuesday, a story more horrific than any I can remember …</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 28.5px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
Pirates All-Star closer <a href="https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/pirates/2019/09/17/Felipe-Vazquez-Pittsburgh-Pirates-arrested-child-pornography-charges/stories/201909170102" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0077da; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Felipe Vazquez was arrested</a> on felony charges of soliciting a child for sexual purposes and giving obscene material to a minor. If he’s found guilty, the next mound we should see him on is on a prison yard. We can only hope.</div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
Click on the link below to read the rest of the article:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/ron-cook/2019/09/17/felipe-vazquez-arrest-pirates-minkah-fitzpatrick-trade-ben-roethlisberger-injury/stories/201909180062">https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/ron-cook/2019/09/17/felipe-vazquez-arrest-pirates-minkah-fitzpatrick-trade-ben-roethlisberger-injury/stories/201909180062</a>jtfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759316632096664665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10235765.post-80502538154275288022019-09-18T03:58:00.000-07:002019-09-18T03:58:39.844-07:00Minkah Fitzpatrick should have significant impact on Steelers secondary<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
By Kevin Gorman</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: open_sansregular;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><a href="https://triblive.com/sports/kevin-gorman-minkah-fitzpatrick-should-have-significant-impact-on-steelers-secondary/">https://triblive.com/sports/kevin-gorman-minkah-fitzpatrick-should-have-significant-impact-on-steelers-secondary/</a></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: open_sansregular;">September 17, 2019</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<img alt="Image result for minkah fitzpatrick" height="360" src="https://www.chicagotribune.com/resizer/O_0na9wdQwnUwYlq4DGu8eyIo0E=/1200x0/top/www.trbimg.com/img-5bc0f97e/turbine/ct-spt-bears-dolphins-minkah-fitzpatrick-scouting-report-20181012" width="640" /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Not long ago, the Pittsburgh Steelers trading a future first-round draft pick for a free safety on the same day they lost their franchise quarterback to season-ending surgery would have seemed like a case of misplaced priorities.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Seriously, who would have ever imagined the day would come when the Steelers would be more concerned with the severity of Sean Davis’ shoulder injury than replacing Ben Roethlisberger?</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
The Steelers are taking a great risk by showing so much confidence in quarterback Mason Rudolph after only one half of an NFL game, but there is potential for a resounding reward in acquiring Minkah Fitzpatrick.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
The Steelers are 0-2 not so much because of the play of Roethlisberger — or even Rudolph — but rather a defense that had no answers as Tom Brady and Russell Wilson completed a combined 75% of their passes for 641 yards and six touchdowns without an interception.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
The Steelers couldn’t contend for the playoffs without a defensive upgrade, especially in a pass-oriented AFC North that saw 300-yard passing performances from Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson, Cincinnati’s Andy Dalton and Cleveland’s Baker Mayfield through the first two weeks.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
“It is our job to keep this train rolling,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “If anything, from a competitive standpoint, it energizes me and us. We’re excited about balling up our fists and fighting and fighting together.”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
If the Steelers have any hopes of salvaging this season and making a playoff push — and the jobs of general manager Kevin Colbert and Tomlin might depend on it — trading for a standout safety was their best short-term solution.</div>
<div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
I’ll say this: It’s infinitely better for the Steelers to add Minkah Fitzpatrick rather than Ryan Fitzpatrick.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
When the Steelers won Super Bowls, it was with a star quarterback and the NFL’s top defense. They’ve had only one of those the past few years, and Big Ben couldn’t carry the Steelers even with All-Pros Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Now, the Steelers have no choice but to build around the defense. The safety play this season has been, to put it in Tomlin terms, at a junior-varsity level. Second-year strong safety Terrell Edmunds is coming off an awful game against Seattle where he whiffed on a tackle, was called for a critical pass interference penalty and gave up the game-clinching touchdown.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Still, Tomlin was adamant the Steelers traded for Fitzpatrick more so because Davis’ shoulder injury forced the fourth-year safety to be placed on injured reserve.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
“All of us share those levels of concerns in today’s NFL, but Sean’s injury was significant,” Tomlin said, emphasizing each syllable of the last word, “in terms of making the move that we did, and I’d be less than genuine if I said otherwise.”</div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Even more <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">sig-nif-i-cant</em> is the immediate impact the 22-year-old Fitzpatrick could provide the Steelers secondary. The 6-foot-1, 207-pounder was the No. 11 overall pick last year — Tomlin called it a “pipe dream” to draft the playmaker — and had 80 tackles, nine pass breakups and two interceptions as a rookie.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
No wonder Tomlin named Fitzpatrick the starter at free safety for Sunday’s game at the San Francisco 49ers before he ever took a practice snap with the Steelers.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Tomlin noted the allure of Fitzpatrick is his ability to play a “myriad” of positions, from slot cornerback and outside cornerback and both safety spots to dime linebacker. That the Dolphins had Fitzpatrick do all of the above is what prompted his trade request.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
No worries there, as Fitzpatrick will be paired at safety with fellow 2018 first-rounder Edmunds on a defense built around 10 former first-round picks, including a young core that includes linebackers Devin Bush and T.J. Watt.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
“That’s exciting,” Tomlin said, “thinking about those guys having an opportunity to play together as soon as this weekend but, big-picture, to grow together systematically.”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
But, small-picture, the Steelers need them to grow together quickly. And they need Fitzpatrick to make an immediate impact — and a significant one at that.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<a href="https://triblive.com/sports/steelers/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank" title="Steelers">Hey, Steelers Nation, get the latest news about the Pittsburgh Steelers here.</a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; line-height: 22.8571px;">
<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Categories:</strong> <a href="https://triblive.com/category/sports/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s;">Sports</a> | <a href="https://triblive.com/category/sports/steelers/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s;">Steelers</a> | <a href="https://triblive.com/category/sports/sports-columnists/kevin-gorman-columns/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s;">Kevin Gorman Columns</a></div>
<div class="row" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; line-height: 22.8571px; margin-left: -15px; margin-right: -15px;">
</div>
<div class="section push-down hidden-xs" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; line-height: 22.8571px; margin-top: 10px;">
<div class="top subsection" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 2px; border-color: rgb(229, 154, 22); box-sizing: border-box; color: #e59a16; cursor: default !important; font-family: 'Stainless Cond Bd'; line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px 0px 0.25em; position: relative; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: bottom;">
MORE STEELERS/NFL STORIES</div>
<div class="pad-inside push-down hide-last-line" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 30px;">
<div class="preview bullet" style="border-bottom-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.1429; padding: 8px 0px 8px 10px; position: relative; transform: translateZ(0px);">
<a href="https://triblive.com/sports/tim-benz-you-can-like-minkah-fitzpatrick-but-not-like-steelers-trading-for-him/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;"><div class="focus" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition: color 200ms;">
Tim Benz: You can like Minkah Fitzpatrick but not like Steelers trading for him <div class="fa fa-video-camera" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; color: #e59a16; display: inline-block; font-family: FontAwesome; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1; text-rendering: auto;">
</div>
</div>
</a></div>
<div class="preview bullet" style="border-bottom-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.1429; padding: 8px 0px 8px 10px; position: relative; transform: translateZ(0px);">
<a href="https://triblive.com/sports/in-1976-steelers-turned-to-their-backup-qb-and-he-won-6-in-a-row/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;"><div class="focus" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition: color 200ms;">
In 1976, Steelers turned to their backup QB — and he won 6 in a row</div>
</a></div>
<div class="preview bullet" style="border-bottom-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.1429; padding: 8px 0px 8px 10px; position: relative; transform: translateZ(0px);">
<a href="https://triblive.com/sports/with-donte-moncrief-struggling-mike-tomlin-could-make-wr-changes/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;"><div class="focus" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition: color 200ms;">
With Donte Moncrief struggling, Mike Tomlin could make WR changes</div>
</a></div>
<div class="preview bullet" style="border-bottom-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.1429; padding: 8px 0px 8px 10px; position: relative; transform: translateZ(0px);">
<a href="https://triblive.com/sports/qb-paxton-lynch-joins-steelers-practice-squad-to-provide-awesome-flexibility/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;"><div class="focus" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition: color 200ms;">
QB Paxton Lynch joins Steelers practice squad to provide ‘awesome flexibility’</div>
</a></div>
<div class="preview bullet" style="border-bottom-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.1429; padding: 8px 0px 8px 10px; position: relative; transform: translateZ(0px);">
<a href="https://triblive.com/sports/mike-tomlin-excited-about-adding-minkah-fitzpatrick-to-steelers-secondary/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;"><div class="focus" style="box-sizing: border-box;">
Mike Tomlin excited about adding Minkah Fitzpatrick to Steelers secondary <div class="fa fa-video-camera" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; color: #e59a16; display: inline-block; font-family: FontAwesome; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1; text-rendering: auto;">
</div>
</div>
</a></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
jtfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759316632096664665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10235765.post-38692406483760012242019-09-18T03:48:00.002-07:002019-09-18T03:59:42.322-07:00Steelers' move for Minkah Fitzpatrick bold, calculated -- and a bit desperate<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">By Jeremy Fowler</span><br />
<a href="https://www.espn.com/blog/pittsburgh-steelers/post/_/id/31210/steelers-move-for-minkah-fitzpatrick-bold-calculated-and-a-bit-desperate"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">https://www.espn.com/blog/pittsburgh-steelers/post/_/id/31210/steelers-move-for-minkah-fitzpatrick-bold-calculated-and-a-bit-desperate</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">September 17, 2019</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<img alt="Image result for minkah fitzpatrick" height="360" src="https://sportshub.cbsistatic.com/i/r/2019/09/13/b97034cd-6ead-46fb-95ac-b7495e1335fd/thumbnail/1200x675/52bd24e3ab7a2a959e9f2a7d8d43e49e/gettyimages-1087217314-2.jpg" width="640" /><br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">On the surface, the <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/pit/pittsburgh-steelers" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066cc; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Pittsburgh Steelers</a>’ decision to deal a first-round pick to the <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/mia/miami-dolphins" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066cc; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Miami Dolphins</a> for safety <a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/3925345/minkah-fitzpatrick" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066cc; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Minkah Fitzpatrick</a> reeks of desperation. They are 0-2, just lost their franchise quarterback for the year and see the Super Bowl window closing fast. The stage was set for Pittsburgh to get a high pick in 2020.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But the Steelers have never done business with draft positioning in mind. Win now is always the culture. The Steelers feel strongly enough about Fitzpatrick’s talent -- and affordable rookie contract with an average base salary of $2.1 million for the next three seasons -- to justify any pick the team could muster in April’s draft.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The move says a lot about where the Steelers are, and where they will be:</div>
<div>
<h2 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 26px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Roethlisberger isn’t retiring</span></h2>
</div>
<div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Despite an elbow injury that could take the better part of 12 months from which to recover, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is likely back for next season. He’s not a lock to start Week 1, but Roethlisberger said in his statement Monday he’s honoring all three years of his deal.</div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Roethlisberger will be 38 in March, which is a reasonable number thanks to the blueprint set by <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/2580/drew-brees" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066cc; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Drew Brees</a> and <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/2330/tom-brady" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066cc; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Tom Brady</a>. Surrounding him with high-level pedigree is crucial.</span></div>
<h2 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 26px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The defense needs the help</span></h2>
</div>
<div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
As news broke midweek that the Dolphins were willing to deal Fitzpatrick, the 11th overall pick in 2018, I was told the Steelers wouldn’t be involved in the preliminary wave for him. Giving up a first was too steep for a franchise that values such capital.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
But giving up 61 points through the first two weeks with what should be an improved defense must have pressed Pittsburgh to negotiate harder. They are tired of watching their safeties almost make plays. Terrell Edmunds’ athletic gifts should turn into consistent performance eventually, but they haven't yet.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Fitzpatrick gives the Steelers a versatile safety who can help cover the slot and erase mistakes on the back end. He also can serve as a potential replacement for <a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/2976210/sean-davis" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sean Davis</a>, who’s a free agent in March. A three-man safety lineup of Fitzpatrick, Edmunds and Davis is much better than what the Steelers rolled out in a 33-3 loss to New England in Week 1.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The defense now has eight former first-round picks in its starting lineup. If Mike Tomlin can’t make that work …</div>
<h2 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 26px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">This speaks loudly about Rudolph</span></h2>
<h2 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 26px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #48494a; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1.6; text-align: center;">The Steelers had no intentions of selecting a quarterback in the top 10 next year despite Roethlisberger’s injury. General manager Kevin Colbert believes</span><span style="color: #48494a; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1.6; text-align: center;"> </span><a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/3116407/mason-rudolph" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066cc; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Mason Rudolph</a><span style="color: #48494a; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1.6; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="color: #48494a; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1.6; text-align: center;">is a first-round talent, and the team is clinging to that belief with this move.</span></span></span></h2>
</div>
<div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Teammates say they believe in Rudolph and their words don’t feel empty. He prepares hard, and that has earned their respect.</div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">They also probably looked at the draft class of quarterbacks and figured they would win enough games to have no shot at Alabama’s <a href="https://www.espn.com/college-football/player/_/id/4241479/tua-tagovailoa" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066cc; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Tua Tagovailoa</a> or Oregon’s <a href="https://www.espn.com/college-football/player/_/id/4038941/justin-herbert" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066cc; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Justin Herbert</a>.</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
But that outside chance makes this move incredibly risky. If the season tanks and the rebuild is on, the Steelers just traded away a potential replacement quarterback.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6;">But the Steelers will sell this: We have two good quarterbacks already. That promotes bold ideas.</span></div>
</div>
jtfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759316632096664665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10235765.post-39278280736711117752019-09-16T15:32:00.001-07:002019-09-16T15:32:21.505-07:00Ben Roethlisberger’s injury tops long list of Steelers’ problems<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">By Mark Madden</span><br />
<a href="https://triblive.com/sports/mark-madden-ben-roethlisbergers-injury-tops-long-list-of-steelers-problems/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">https://triblive.com/sports/mark-madden-ben-roethlisbergers-injury-tops-long-list-of-steelers-problems/</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">September 16, 2019</span><br />
<br />
<img alt="Image result for steelers seahawks 2019" height="395" src="https://usatsteelerswire.files.wordpress.com/2019/09/usatsi_13366175.jpg?w=680&h=420&crop=1" width="640" /><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Mason Rudolph (Charles LeClaire/USA Today Sports)</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It was hoped that the departure of Antonio Brown would make the Steelers a more focused and disciplined team by way of removing distraction.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It hasn’t turned out that way.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Losing Ben Roethlisberger for the rest of the season trumps any other problem. But the Steelers are in a state of perpetual sloppiness that won’t be corrected as long as Mike Tomlin is coach. Lack of accountability has taken firm root. Rome will keep burning as long as it’s the same fiddler playing the same tired tune.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That was evidenced by a host of miscues in Sunday’s 28-26 home loss to Seattle. Eliminating almost any one of them would have meant victory.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Defensive lineman Daniel McCullers stands at the front of the line.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Somebody who barely plays can’t commit a personal foul on a field-goal attempt and allow three points to become seven. (Do the math.) McCullers made contact with the long snapper, which is illegal. If he knew the rule, he’s an idiot. If he didn’t, he’s unprepared. Either way, it’s inexcusable.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Wide receiver Donte Moncrief is public enemy No. 1 in Pittsburgh right now.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Moncrief opened the season with four drops at New England.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But the Steelers still would have lost at Foxboro had Moncrief caught all those balls, then tacked on generous YAC. It was a slaughter.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But Moncrief’s lone drop (and lone target) against Seattle was devastating. Backup quarterback Mason Rudolph was pressed into service when Roethlisberger got hurt. Rudolph’s second pro pass, despite being perfectly thrown, clanged off Moncrief’s hands and into the waiting mitts of Seattle’s Bradley McDougald.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Seahawks were in the end zone six plays later to go ahead, 14-10. They never lost that lead.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Moncrief didn’t play a snap after that. Even though it’s just two games into his Steelers’ tenure, it’s going to be difficult putting him on the field ever again in a meaningful situation. His failure has been epic, and extremely damaging.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Steelers missed numerous tackles. It’s become a trademark of their defense.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Linebacker Anthony Chickilo flubbed a chance to tackle Rashaad Penny in the backfield on third-and-2 at the Steelers’ 37. Penny ended up covering all 37 of those yards as Seattle extended its lead to 21-13.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Compounding the embarrassment, Seattle QB Russell Wilson led the downfield blocking to complete that play.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Safety Sean Davis made a bonehead play in the first quarter, negating Mark Barron’s fumble-return touchdown by drawing a flag for a totally unnecessary block in the back. Luckily for Davis, the Steelers scored a TD on the possession that followed.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Losing Roethlisberger is a dagger. But the Steelers were 0-2 before his elbow was diagnosed, and seemed unlikely to rally significantly. It’s difficult to read very much into body language, but the Steelers look like they know they’re not very good.</span></div>
<div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Rudolph played fine Sunday: 12-of-19, 112 yards, two touchdowns and that interception that really belongs to Moncrief.</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But the adrenaline Rudolph felt vs. Seattle will dissipate by next Sunday’s game at San Francisco. The gravity of the situation will sink in for Rudolph and his teammates. It’s not easy to replace a two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback who threw for 5,129 yards last season, let alone rally the Steelers from starting 0-2.</span></div>
<div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Except Twitter seems to think it is. I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news…</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">During preseason play, Rudolph made the notion of replacing Roethlisberger as the starter upon the latter’s retirement more palatable. His progress is tangible.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Roethlisberger haters and eternal optimists are comparing the current situation to 2004 when Tommy Maddox got hurt, Roethlisberger took his place and the Steelers went 15-1.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But Rudolph now isn’t Roethlisberger then. Roethlisberger was a first-round pick, 11th overall, and would have gone higher except for Eli Manning (first overall) and Philip Rivers (fourth). That Steelers team in 2004 was a lot better than the current squad.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The only good thing about Rudolph playing now is getting a jump start on the inevitable rebuilding.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But there’s pressure on Rudolph, too.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Barring injury, Rudolph will start 14 NFL games. If he’s less than impressive, the Steelers may be compelled to draft another quarterback.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">They’ve also got to sign another QB tout de suite, because they are a heartbeat away from Devlin Hodges. Duck and cover. Welcome back to the NFL, Colin Kaepernick! (Zero chance.)</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">With Roethlisberger out, we will see who made who.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Tomlin has always had Roethlisberger. JuJu Smith-Schuster has to elevate himself to No. 1 receiver catching balls thrown by Rudolph. Did the offensive line make Roethlisberger look good, or vice-versa? Tomlin, Smith-Schuster and the offensive line certainly haven’t covered themselves in glory so far this year.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But we haven’t seen the last of Roethlisberger. He’s got 40 million reasons to play out his contract.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22.8571px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Categories:</strong> <a href="https://triblive.com/category/sports/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer;">Sports</a> | <a href="https://triblive.com/category/sports/steelers/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer;">Steelers</a> | <a href="https://triblive.com/category/sports/sports-columnists/mark-madden-columns/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer;">Mark Madden Columns</a></span></div>
<div class="row" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22.8571px; margin-left: -15px; margin-right: -15px;">
</div>
<div class="section push-down hidden-xs" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22.8571px; margin-top: 10px;">
<div class="top subsection" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 2px; border-color: rgb(229, 154, 22); box-sizing: border-box; color: #e59a16; cursor: default !important; font-size: 1.0625em; line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px 0px 0.25em; position: relative; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: bottom;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">MORE STEELERS/NFL STORIES</span></div>
<div class="pad-inside push-down hide-last-line" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 30px;">
<div class="preview bullet" style="border-bottom-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.1429; padding: 8px 0px 8px 10px; position: relative; transform: translateZ(0px);">
<a href="https://triblive.com/sports/ben-roethlisberger-to-have-elbow-surgery-out-for-rest-of-steelers-season/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;"><div class="focus" style="box-sizing: border-box;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger out for season with elbow injury</span></div>
</a></div>
<div class="preview bullet" style="border-bottom-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.1429; padding: 8px 0px 8px 10px; position: relative; transform: translateZ(0px);">
<a href="https://triblive.com/sports/steelers-promote-record-setting-devlin-hodges-to-replace-big-ben-on-active-roster/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;"><div class="focus" style="box-sizing: border-box;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Steelers promote record-setting Devlin Hodges to replace Big Ben on active roster</span></div>
</a></div>
<div class="preview bullet" style="border-bottom-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.1429; padding: 8px 0px 8px 10px; position: relative; transform: translateZ(0px);">
<a href="https://triblive.com/sports/ben-roethlisberger-injury-0-2-start-turn-steelers-into-big-betting-longshots/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;"><div class="focus" style="box-sizing: border-box;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Ben Roethlisberger injury, 0-2 start turn Steelers into big betting longshots</span></div>
</a></div>
<div class="preview bullet" style="border-bottom-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.1429; padding: 8px 0px 8px 10px; position: relative; transform: translateZ(0px);">
<a href="https://triblive.com/sports/steelers-sean-davis-expects-to-play-next-week-anthony-chickillos-foot-remains-in-walking-boot/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;"><div class="focus" style="box-sizing: border-box;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Steelers’ Sean Davis expects to play next week, Anthony Chickillo’s foot remains in walking boot</span></div>
</a></div>
<div class="preview bullet" style="border-bottom-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.1429; padding: 8px 0px 8px 10px; position: relative; transform: translateZ(0px);">
<a href="https://triblive.com/sports/with-ben-roethlisberger-lost-for-season-steelers-turn-to-mason-rudolph/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;"><div class="focus" style="box-sizing: border-box;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">With Ben Roethlisberger lost for season, Steelers turn to Mason Rudolph</span></div>
</a></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
</div>
</div>
jtfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759316632096664665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10235765.post-74299403166582026452019-09-16T15:22:00.000-07:002019-09-16T15:22:23.597-07:00Big Ben out for season but Conner says he's OK<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">By Jeremy Fowler</span><br />
<a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/pittsburgh-steelers"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">http://espn.go.com/blog/pittsburgh-steelers</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">September 16, 2019</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<img alt="Image result for steelers seahawks 2019" height="447" src="http://www.toledoblade.com/image/2019/09/16/1140x_a10-7_cTC/Seahawks-Steelers-Football.jpg" width="640" /><br />
<i>(AP)</i><br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
PITTSBURGH -- <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/pit/pittsburgh-steelers" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Steelers</a> star quarterback <a href="http://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/5536/ben-roethlisberger" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ben Roethlisberger</a> will have surgery on his right elbow and miss the remainder of the season, coach Mike Tomlin announced Monday.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
In a statement released by the team, Tomlin said that Roethlisberger will undergo the surgery at some point this week after having an MRI on Sunday night.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Later Monday, Roethlisberger said in a statement that the news was "shocking and heartbreaking" and that he feels "like I am letting down so many people." The quarterback said he plans to return to play next season.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"The Steelers committed three years to me this offseason and I fully intend to honor my contract and reward them with championship-level play," Roethlisberger said. "I will do all I can to support <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/3116407/mason-rudolph" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Mason (Rudolph</a>) and the team this season to help win games. I love this game, my teammates, the Steelers organization and fans, and I feel in my heart I have a lot left to give," he said.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The injury news wasn't all bad for the Steelers on Monday. Running back <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/3045147/james-conner" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">James Conner</a> said on 93.7 The Fan on Monday that tests showed no tears or any significant damage to his knee and he is confident he will be able to play Sunday against the <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/sf/san-francisco-49ers" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">San Francisco 49ers</a>. Conner, along with Roethlisberger, was hurt in Sunday's 28-26 loss to the <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/sea/seattle-seahawks" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Seattle Seahawks</a>.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The Steelers, who placed Roethlisberger on injured reserve Monday, have not yet provided details about the injury, and there is no timetable for when the six-time Pro Bowler will be able to play again.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Roethlisberger was hurt late in the second quarter of Sunday's loss, grabbing his elbow after attempting a pass on the team's final drive of the half.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Roethlisberger had complained of arm soreness coming off the Week 1 loss at New England, multiple teammates said Monday. One Steeler told ESPN that he texted Roethlisberger on Sunday night and the quarterback responded that the injury outlook was "not good."</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Monday's locker room scene was unsettled. This is the first time in Roethlisberger's 16-year career that he is set to miss more than four games in a row.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
"It's super weird. Really surreal," guard <a href="http://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/14935/david-decastro" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">David DeCastro</a> said. "You've got to have the football mentality that the next guy's up and move on, but obviously with a guy like that it's a little different. Easier said than done."</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Added wide receiver <a href="http://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/3039725/ryan-switzer" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ryan Switzer</a>: "It sucks because he's the unquestioned leader on our offense. ... We've got 14 games left. We owe it to ourselves and this organization and this fan base to pull it together."</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
In Roethlisberger's absence, second-year quarterback Rudolph nearly led the Steelers to a fourth-quarter comeback Sunday in his first career appearance, completing 12 of 19 attempts for 112 yards and two touchdowns with an interception.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Now the Steelers will have to rely on Rudolph, a third-round draft pick in 2018, to help them overcome an 0-2 start.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
As reporters addressed Rudolph at his locker, slot corner <a href="http://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/2980383/mike-hilton" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Mike Hilton</a> blurted out, "Tell them you're built for this s---, Mase." The Steelers were impressed with Rudolph's poise and preparation in his first game action, and Rudolph expects to build off that momentum Sunday in San Francisco.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
"I worked for this," Rudolph said. "I wanted to be in this position. That was the plan."</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Rudolph added that he'll try to learn as much as possible from Roethlisberger, who is expected to be around the team for guidance. Roethlisberger arrived at the team facility around 2 p.m. ET on Monday.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
"I'm not going to be someone I'm not," Rudolph said. "I'm a big prep guy. I'm not a guy who goes out and wings it."</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Rudolph is the only healthy quarterback on the Steelers' 53-man roster, so the team will likely look to outside help. The Steelers can't sign Landry Jones, who spent five years with the franchise, because he's contractually committed to the XFL. Devlin Hodges was elevated from the practice squad on Monday.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Roethlisberger, 37, is the Steelers' franchise leader in passing yards and touchdowns and has led Pittsburgh to two Super Bowl titles. He led the NFL with 5,129 passing yards last season and signed a contract extension this past March that runs through the 2021 season.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The news had an immediate impact on the Steelers' odds at Caesars Sportsbook, where they went from 40-1 to 100-1 to win the Super Bowl and 18-1 to 40-1 to win the AFC.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6;">The Roethlisberger injury also affected the team's odds to win the AFC North at Caesars, which dropped Pittsburgh to +1600 for the division title -- well behind the </span><a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/bal/baltimore-ravens" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Baltimore Ravens</a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6;">(-200) and the</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6;"> </span><a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/cle/cleveland-browns" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Cleveland Browns</a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6;">(+170)</span></div>
jtfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759316632096664665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10235765.post-20281022909759690982019-09-16T15:04:00.001-07:002019-09-16T15:04:56.096-07:00Seahawks vs. Steelers Week 2 Highlights | NFL 2019<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yIscwUI80hY" width="560"></iframe>jtfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759316632096664665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10235765.post-1691164085818923252019-09-14T18:11:00.002-07:002019-09-14T18:11:52.879-07:00Penguins rediscovering Evgeni Malkin is bigger than replacing Phil Kessel<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">By Tim Benz</span><br />
<a href="https://triblive.com/sports/tim-benz-penguins-rediscovering-evgeni-malkin-is-bigger-than-replacing-phil-kessel/"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">https://triblive.com/sports/tim-benz-penguins-rediscovering-evgeni-malkin-is-bigger-than-replacing-phil-kessel/</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">September 13, 2019</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<img alt="Image result for evgeni malkin 2019" height="426" src="https://imagesvc.timeincapp.com/v3/fan/image?url=https://fansided.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1137671671.jpeg&" width="640" /><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>(Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There were roughly six months of happy talk about how the Steelers would benefit from addition by subtraction.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Subtract Antonio Brown’s shenanigans and Le’Veon Bell’s constant contract uncertainty.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Benefit by getting a more harmonious locker room, fewer distractions and game plans that weren’t hindered by needing to pacify egos.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Nice concept in theory.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="line-height: 1.5;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What the Steelers are learning, however, is that while subtracting negatives is a good idea, someone needs to supplement the positive contributions of those troubled-but-productive stars.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">See where I’m going with this, Penguins fans?</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The narrative around the hockey team in Pittsburgh is similar.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Steelers missed the playoffs last year, and the Penguins got swept in their first-round series against the New York Islanders. But this year will be better because the team will have better chemistry.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Brooding winger Phil Kessel has been traded to the Arizona Coyotes. Evgeni Malkin is breaking out of his depressive funk of a season ago, which <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nhl/news/evgeni-malkin-reportedly-asked-penguins-for-trade-if-they-planned-to-keep-phil-kessel/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s;" target="_blank">allegedly was augmented</a> by having to play on a line with Kessel. So they won’t be fighting with head coach Mike Sullivan. Therefore, Sullivan, by extension, will be able to implement the structure and discipline he needs to get his club playing the right way.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Great idea. Now, how do you restructure the power play and replace Kessel’s 82 points?</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Oh. Right. There’s that.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Penguins opened up training camp Friday at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry, taking the first steps toward answering those questions and putting those grand plans into practice.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The easy answer is that Alex Galchenyuk, part of the Coyotes return for Kessel, gets back to being the player that tallied 30 goals and 56 points in 2015-16. That was nearly identical production to Kessel that season (26 goals, 59 points), his first in Pittsburgh.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It ended with a Stanley Cup title.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The problem is Galchenyuk hasn’t hit 20 goals since then.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“I’m not trying to think about (replacing Kessel),” Galchenyuk said. “I’m just trying to get my game back. Compete. And get ready for Game 1. Keep working (on my game). That’s what training camp is for.”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It is. It’ll also be for figuring out the power play without Kessel’s presence.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“With his shot, the way he could see the ice over there, he played that spot for a long time,” captain Sidney Crosby said. “We are going to need to find some chemistry and some different looks. The good thing is, we have a good chunk of guys who have played together here in the past. It helps it’s not totally new. I am sure there will be different looks. We’ll have to find different identities just like we do five-on-five.”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Galchenyuk could be the fifth guy on that unit. But he’s a left shot as opposed to Kessel. The team could also go with two defensemen and have Justin Schultz man the point and put Kris Letang on the left side where Kessel used to patrol.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What does all this matter, though? Who cares if Galchenyuk, Dominik Kahun and/or Barndon Tanev combine to replace Kessel?</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The real question is whether Malkin can replace Malkin.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Can the No. 71 we have seen in Hart Trophy and Conn Smythe seasons return to replace the guy in the same jersey who slugged through a minus-25, 89 penalty minutes and just 21 goals a season ago?</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://theathletic.com/1192049/2019/09/10/evgeni-malkin-trade-rumors-penguins-moscow-russia-hockey/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank">The Athletic</a> recently published a story that chronicled Malkin’s downward emotional trend in 2018-19. Feuding with Sullivan. Not seeing eye-to-eye with Kessel. Missing his family in Russia. Still struggling with the English language after all these years.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">OK. Maybe all that’s true. But I feel like we always read these types of stories about Malkin after the fact, following bad years.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Coming off a good year, or even during good stretches in mid-season, we frequently hear about how much of a vocal leader he has become. How mature he is now after being tagged as petulant, too reactionary and sometimes difficult to coach during extended spells of his career.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">On Friday, Malkin acknowledged it’s high time for all of that to stop.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Every day, I need to come here to do all my best,” Malkin said. “On ice. Off ice. Talk to coach more. Be professional. I’m 33 years old. I want to (show) leadership here. We have a great team again. We have a couple, two, three, four chances to win again. (It’s) just, like, not many more years maybe I have to play in the NHL. It’s just — have fun and enjoy it every day.”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Malkin is off to a good start by saying all the right things there. He also said all the right things by suggesting he was working on his power skating, stick handling, defensive-zone work and his faceoffs.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When does Malkin ever say the wrong thing, though? One of his best attributes is his honesty and verbal accountability. He often shows leadership in that regard.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It’s carrying that accountability and leadership to the ice during slumps and down times that have been sources of angst for Penguins coaches and fans.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Addition by subtraction? Subtract last year’s Malkin and add a healthy version of him from the previous three seasons.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That equation matters far more than anything else.</span></div>
<div class="credits" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Tim Benz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tim at <a href="mailto:tbenz@tribweb.com" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none !important;">tbenz@tribweb.com</a> or via<a href="https://twitter.com/TimBenzPGH" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none !important;">Twitter</a>. All tweets could be reposted. All emails are subject to publication unless specified otherwise.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22.8571px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Categories:</strong> <a href="https://triblive.com/category/sports/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer;">Sports</a> | <a href="https://triblive.com/category/sports/penguins/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer;">Penguins</a> | <a href="https://triblive.com/category/sports/tim-benz-breakfast-with/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer;">Tim Benz Breakfast With</a></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: open_sansregular; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.8571px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22.8571px;">
<div class="top subsection" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 2px; border-color: rgb(229, 154, 22); box-sizing: border-box; color: #e59a16; cursor: default !important; font-size: 1.0625em; line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px 0px 0.25em; position: relative; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: bottom;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">MORE BREAKFAST WITH BENZ STORIES</span></div>
<div class="pad-inside push-down hide-last-line" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22.8571px; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 30px;">
<div class="preview bullet" style="border-bottom-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.1429; padding: 8px 0px 8px 10px; position: relative; transform: translateZ(0px);">
<a href="https://triblive.com/sports/tim-benz-a-potential-matchup-nightmare-for-steelers-vs-seahawks/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;"><div class="focus" style="box-sizing: border-box;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Tim Benz: A potential matchup nightmare for Steelers vs. Seahawks</span></div>
</a></div>
<div class="preview bullet" style="border-bottom-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.1429; padding: 8px 0px 8px 10px; position: relative; transform: translateZ(0px);">
<a href="https://triblive.com/sports/football-footnotes-will-antonio-brown-leveon-bell-play-this-week-seahawks-injury-news/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;"><div class="focus" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition: color 200ms;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Football Footnotes: Will Antonio Brown, Le’Veon Bell play this week?; Seahawks injury news</span></div>
</a></div>
<div class="preview bullet" style="border-bottom-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.1429; padding: 8px 0px 8px 10px; position: relative; transform: translateZ(0px);">
<a href="https://triblive.com/sports/steelers-coordinators-vent-about-patriots-loss-improvements-needed-for-seahawks/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;"><div class="focus" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition: color 200ms;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Steelers coordinators vent about Patriots loss, improvements needed for Seahawks</span></div>
</a></div>
<div class="preview bullet" style="border-bottom-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.1429; padding: 8px 0px 8px 10px; position: relative; transform: translateZ(0px);">
<a href="https://triblive.com/sports/first-call-gerrit-coles-runaway-2019-continues-ex-penguin-ryan-reaves-injured/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;"><div class="focus" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition: color 200ms;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">First Call: Gerrit Cole’s runaway 2019 continues; ex-Penguin Ryan Reaves injured</span></div>
</a></div>
<div class="preview bullet" style="border-bottom-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.1429; padding: 8px 0px 8px 10px; position: relative; transform: translateZ(0px);">
<a href="https://triblive.com/sports/fantasy-sports-podcast-concerns-about-steelers-players-loading-up-versus-dolphins/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; outline-offset: -2px; outline: none; text-decoration: none;"><div class="focus" style="box-sizing: border-box;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Fantasy sports podcast: Concerns about Steelers players, loading up versus Dolphins</span></div>
</a></div>
</div>
</div>
jtfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759316632096664665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10235765.post-4383219834527617692019-09-13T03:14:00.001-07:002019-09-13T03:14:53.681-07:00Former Steelers teammates remember ‘beloved and respected’ guard Sam Davis<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">By Joe Rutter</span><br />
<a href="https://triblive.com/sports/former-steelers-teammates-remember-beloved-and-respected-guard-sam-davis/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">https://triblive.com/sports/former-steelers-teammates-remember-beloved-and-respected-guard-sam-davis/</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">September 11, 2019</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<img alt="Image result for sam davis steelers" height="413" src="https://triblive.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/1657389_web1_ptr-SamDavis.jpg" width="640" /><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">On a team full of stars, MVPs and Hall of Famers, he was simply a four-time champion. He never was an All-Pro selection or invited to the Pro Bowl, yet he was named a team captain and owned as many Super Bowl rings as his more decorated teammates.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sam Davis, a guard who trapped and pulled the way for running backs Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier to enjoy great success in the 1970s, was underappreciated and perhaps little-known on the national landscape — but never inside the Pittsburgh Steelers locker room.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“To Sam’s teammates, he was a superstar,” former Steelers tight end and tackle Larry Brown said Wednesday. “For linemen, your name usually isn’t talked about a lot, but if you don’t hear your name, that means you’re really good. Sam was really good.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Maybe that’s why Sam may have floated under the radar to some people, but not to his teammates.”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Davis, 75, died Tuesday at an adult care facility in McKeesport after going missing for 14 hours earlier in the day. Davis suffered from dementia and was legally blind.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Sam Davis,” Steelers president Art Rooney II said in a statement, adding the former guard was “beloved and respected by his Steelers teammates, coaches and staff.”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Undersized for his position at 6-foot-1, 255 pounds, Davis spent 15 years with the Steelers, including 13 on the active roster, before retiring in January 1982.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He pre-dated Chuck Noll, his Hall of Fame coach, and he shared the field and locker room with nine players bound for enshrinement in Canton, Ohio, and 11 other Pro Bowl or All-Pro members. Although he didn’t get the same recognition, Davis was considered instrumental to the only NFL team to win Super Bowls on back-to-back occasions.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When the Steelers unveiled their 50th anniversary team in 1982, Davis was tabbed as the left guard.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“He was the leader of that offensive line,” Bleier said, “unheralded as he might be.”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Davis appeared in 168 games with the Steelers, making 114 starts. A reserve on the Steelers’ first two championship teams, Davis started in Super Bowl XIII and XIV. In the third championship, a 35-31 victory against the Dallas Cowboys, Davis was tasked with blocking future Hall of Famer Randy White, the Super Bowl co-MVP the previous year.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Thanks in part to Davis’ blocking, quarterback Terry Bradshaw threw for 318 yards and four touchdowns to become Super Bowl MVP.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“ ‘Tight Man’ did his job,” Bleier said. “Did it well.”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Tight Man was one of several nicknames Davis earned throughout his Steelers tenure. Jon Kolb, who lined up at left tackle next to Davis for a decade, said the moniker was coined because Davis kept the ’70s Steelers and the many egos on the roster banded together as a close-knit — or tight — group.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Ann Landers wrote that column in the paper and solved everybody’s problems. Sam was the Ann Landers of our football team,” Kolb said. “He could talk to the coaches. He could talk to the players. He was a team captain. It wasn’t a cursory thing. He took that seriously.”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Davis went undrafted in 1967 after playing at tiny Allen University in Columbia, S.C., a historically black college where he was discovered by legendary Steelers scout Bill Nunn. When Noll arrived as head coach two years later, he cut many holdover players who he deemed unworthy of the NFL, but he kept Davis, who had started only three games the previous two seasons.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“He fit into all the pulling and trapping that Chuck wanted from his linemen,” said Kolb, who was part of Noll’s initial draft class, “and he could pass protect.”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Added Brown: “I think Chuck appreciated him very much.”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After starting just one game in 1975, Davis regained his job the following season and helped Harris and Bleier become only the second duo in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in the same season.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“That offense was perfect for me with Sam leading the charge,” said Harris, who held Tuesday night poker sessions that Davis regularly attended. “He was a great guy and had so much fun. He was a big part of our football life during our playing years.”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<img alt="Image result for sam davis steelers" src="https://i.pinimg.com/originals/5e/ef/95/5eef952cfeb6aa77a2ac26a4ca1f7c5d.jpg" /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Davis made the cover of Sports Illustrated that season in a photo that depicted him leading a block against the Cincinnati Bengals with Bleier in tow.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“It was so apropos of Sam’s ability to pull, run sweeps, run traps that Chuck had put in,” Bleier said. “He was an imposing force.”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Injuries slowed Davis after the Steelers won their fourth championship in January 1980. He spent his final two seasons on injured reserve. In 1980, with the Steelers trying to replenish their line, they drafted guard Craig Wolfley in the fifth round.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It was on the first or second day of training camp at Saint Vincent that Wolfley was approached by Davis and given the veteran’s dormitory room number.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“If you need help or are confused about things, come see me,” Wolfley said Davis told him. “And I did. I went a number of times. He would help me, mentor me. He was an encyclopedia of how you play the game as a guard.”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Wolfley referred to Davis by another nickname that predated his arrival in 1980 — “Hero.”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“That’s what he was to me,” Wolfley said.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In September 1991, Davis was seriously injured in a fall, and he suffered a traumatic brain injury. He was beset by health problems for the rest of his life. In May, with dementia robbing Davis of his memories, his wife unveiled the Sam & Tamara Davis Family Scholarship at the Heinz History Center. It was believed to be Davis’ last public appearance.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Davis family awarded three scholarships — all in dollar amounts ending in 57, Sam’s uniform number — and recognized young adults dealing with a parent suffering from a mental or physical disability.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“I’ve seen a number of people have injuries and the family disintegrates,” Kolb said. “It’s cruel. Yet, all these years, Tammy and Sam’s family and kids have been there for him. They stood by him through all of his difficulties.”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Among the teammates in attendance that night were Harris, Brown, and J.T. Thomas.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Yet it was his partner on the offensive line that got Davis’ attention.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“He had this faraway look,” Kolb said. “I said, ‘Sam, what do you do on 34 Trap.’ All of a sudden that faraway look leaves.”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“I pull and block the (defensive) tackle,” Davis responded.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Kolb asked Davis about his role in a 60 Base.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“I have the tackle in front of me, and it’s a pass,” Davis said.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Kolb asked which lineman is tasked with providing help.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“You,” Davis replied. “Then, he points at me and says Jon … Kolb.”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 0.875em; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5;">Joe Rutter is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Joe by email at</span><a href="mailto:jrutter@tribweb.com" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; font-size: 0.875em; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700; line-height: 1.5; text-decoration: none;">jrutter@tribweb.com</a><span style="font-size: 0.875em; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5;"> </span><span style="font-size: 0.875em; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5;">or via Twitter</span><span style="font-size: 0.875em; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5;"> </span><a class="fa fa-twitter" href="https://twitter.com/TribJoeRutter" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: 700; line-height: 1; text-decoration: none; text-rendering: auto;" target="_blank"></a><span style="font-size: 0.875em; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5;">.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.8571px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Categories:</strong> <a href="https://triblive.com/category/sports/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer;">Sports</a> | <a href="https://triblive.com/category/sports/steelers/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer;">Steelers</a></span></div>
<div class="row" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.8571px; margin-left: -15px; margin-right: -15px;">
</div>
<div class="section push-down hidden-xs" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22.8571px; margin-top: 10px;">
<div class="top subsection" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 2px; border-color: rgb(229, 154, 22); box-sizing: border-box; color: #e59a16; cursor: default !important; line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px 0px 0.25em; position: relative; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: bottom;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">MORE STEELERS/NFL STORIES</span></div>
<div class="pad-inside push-down hide-last-line" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 30px;">
<div class="preview bullet" style="border-bottom-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.1429; padding: 8px 0px 8px 10px; position: relative; transform: translateZ(0px);">
<a href="https://triblive.com/sports/juju-smith-schuster-sean-davis-among-6-ailing-steelers-completing-full-practice/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;"><div class="focus" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition: color 200ms;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">JuJu Smith-Schuster, Sean Davis among 6 ailing Steelers completing full practice</span></div>
</a></div>
<div class="preview bullet" style="border-bottom-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.1429; padding: 8px 0px 8px 10px; position: relative; transform: translateZ(0px);">
<a href="https://triblive.com/sports/steelers-defense-looks-to-solve-communication-breakdowns/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;"><div class="focus" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition: color 200ms;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Steelers defense looks to solve communication breakdowns</span></div>
</a></div>
<div class="preview bullet" style="border-bottom-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.1429; padding: 8px 0px 8px 10px; position: relative; transform: translateZ(0px);">
<a href="https://triblive.com/sports/maurkice-pouncey-again-sits-out-steelers-practice-because-of-ankle-injury/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;"><div class="focus" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition: color 200ms;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Maurkice Pouncey again sits out Steelers practice because of ankle injury</span></div>
</a></div>
<div class="preview bullet" style="border-bottom-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.1429; padding: 8px 0px 8px 10px; position: relative; transform: translateZ(0px);">
<a href="https://triblive.com/sports/steelers-approved-for-11-to-13-million-retail-store-addition-to-heinz-field/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;"><div class="focus" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition: color 200ms;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Steelers approved for multimillion-dollar retail store addition to Heinz Field</span></div>
</a></div>
<div class="preview bullet" style="border-bottom-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.1429; padding: 8px 0px 8px 10px; position: relative; transform: translateZ(0px);">
<div class="focus" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">
<a href="https://triblive.com/sports/being-steelers-new-defensive-green-dot-helmet-designee-no-big-deal-to-t-j-watt/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Being Steelers’ new defensive ‘green-dot helmet’ designee no big deal to T.J. Watt</span></a></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
jtfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759316632096664665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10235765.post-65164018490816105252019-09-13T02:50:00.002-07:002019-09-13T02:50:49.927-07:00Musgrove, Stallings lead Bucs to win | Pirates-Giants Game Highlights 9/12/19<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RxrJyqwsSWA" width="560"></iframe>jtfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759316632096664665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10235765.post-70967053792698469592019-09-12T18:01:00.003-07:002019-09-12T18:01:51.824-07:00Balanced offense leads Pirates to 6-3 win | Pirates-Giants Game Highlights 9/11/19<div class="clearfix" id="watch7-headline" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div id="watch-headline-title" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<h1 class="watch-title-container" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 617.986px; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span style="font-family: YouTube Noto, Roboto, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 20px; font-weight: normal;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rNxGTQb3A8o" width="560"></iframe></span></span></h1>
</div>
</div>
jtfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759316632096664665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10235765.post-10281772604229535142019-09-10T06:02:00.002-07:002019-09-10T06:02:39.170-07:00No way Antonio Brown conforms to ‘Patriot Way’<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">By Mark Madden</span><br />
<a href="https://triblive.com/sports/mark-madden-no-way-antonio-brown-conforms-to-patriot-way/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">https://triblive.com/sports/mark-madden-no-way-antonio-brown-conforms-to-patriot-way/</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">September 9, 2019</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<img alt="Image result for antonio brown patriots" src="https://www.masslive.com/resizer/oZEo3t__IQTvndCyZMm1JFHgW8E=/600x0/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-advancelocal.s3.amazonaws.com/public/2Y46M37N7NBOTC53E3CGSKL2GQ.jpg" /><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>(AP</i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.5;"><i>(AP)</i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.5;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.5;">The moon landings weren’t faked.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.5;"><br /></span>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The earth isn’t flat.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">9/11 was not an inside job.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Antonio Brown did not intend to finagle his way to New England dating to when he was with the Steelers.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Oh, it’s a believable story in the era of rigged “reality” TV.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But Brown’s primary concern always has been cash. His recent history has seen him lust for guaranteed money and go apoplectic when that pursuit was compromised.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Moving from Oakland to Foxborough cost Brown $21 million in guarantees.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Unless Le’Veon Bell is your math teacher, that’s an ‘L.’</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Brown might have a great season. The Patriots have a $20 million option on Brown for 2020. If he behaves and produces, Brown wins. (That option might be mostly salary cap maneuvering.)</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Anyway, that’s a big “if.” “Might” offers no guarantees.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If New England doesn’t pick up Brown’s option, the best he can hope for is a series of one-year contracts as his career fades. He’s 31. He’s closer to the end than he is the middle. Teams won’t forget the anarchy he caused this past offseason.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Ancillary revenue streams have suffered in the wake of Brown running roughshod over decency, football’s team concept and the English language. Pizza Hut and Pepsi don’t want their product represented by somebody who illegally tapes, then plays private phone conversations. Brown damaged his brand and flushed his dignity.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">JuJu Smith-Schuster appears to have emerged as Pizza Hut’s primary spokesman. That has to anger Brown.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Patriots don’t care about illegal taping. That’s part of their rich history.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Tom Brady reportedly said Brown can live at his house. I wouldn’t trust Brown to park my car, and Brady’s asking him to move into his $40 million home.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In theory, Brown makes New England a better team. (But it didn’t look like the Patriots needed him Sunday night.) New England is the defending Super Bowl champion to begin with.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But Brown was supposed to elevate Oakland and never played a game there.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Steelers should have won a Super Bowl (or more) with Brown. But his presence damaged that quest.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Bill Belichick has a reputation for recycling agitators.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He now faces his sternest test.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Napoleon had his Waterloo. (So did ABBA.) Brown could be Belichick’s.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Belichick has dealt with troubled players before: LeGarrette Blount, Corey Dillon, Albert Haynesworth, Randy Moss and Chad Ochocinco. He has had varying degrees of success.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But Brown isn’t your average problem child. He’s a nuclear explosion. Those aforementioned are walks in the park by comparison.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Brown is a troublemaker of rare skill and innovation, as demonstrated by the use of wiretapping. His social media game is a California brush fire. He has zero shame and sincerely believes his cause is noble even though it’s sheer narcissism and greed.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Brown has said he intends to play by his rules. By that, he means no rules. He wants to do what he wants, when he wants and adhere to no schedule.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That is not the Belichick way. Something’s got to give.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Belichick might secretly compromise on occasion, but nothing about Brown is ever secret.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If Brown toes Belichick’s line, he looks like a stooge and hypocrite.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Belichick vs. Brown is the most interesting matchup of the NFL season.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It will end in a championship (or close), or in chaos.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You can’t logically bet anything but the latter.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Belichick isn’t the only factor. What happens when Brady yells at Brown after Brown improvises a route? What happens when Julian Edelman gets more targets than Brown? If Brown thought Ben Roethlisberger had an owner’s mentality, how’s he going to feel about Brady?</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The upset will be if this situation doesn’t blow up. The bomb has been delivered to the Enola Gay.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22.8571px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Categories:</strong> <a href="https://triblive.com/category/sports/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s;">Sports</a> | <a href="https://triblive.com/category/sports/steelers/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s;">Steelers</a> | <a href="https://triblive.com/category/sports/sports-columnists/mark-madden-columns/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s;">Mark Madden Columns</a> | <a href="https://triblive.com/category/news/top-stories/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s;">Top Stories</a></span></div>
<div class="row" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22.8571px; margin-left: -15px; margin-right: -15px;">
</div>
<div class="section push-down hidden-xs" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22.8571px; margin-top: 10px;">
<div class="top subsection" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 2px; border-color: rgb(229, 154, 22); box-sizing: border-box; color: #e59a16; cursor: default !important; line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px 0px 0.25em; position: relative; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: bottom;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">MORE STEELERS/NFL STORIES</span></div>
<div class="pad-inside push-down hide-last-line" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 30px;">
<div class="preview bullet" style="border-bottom-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.1429; padding: 8px 0px 8px 10px; position: relative; transform: translateZ(0px);">
<a href="https://triblive.com/sports/tim-benz-more-grievances-to-air-about-the-steelers-bad-defense/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;"><div class="focus" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition: color 200ms;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Tim Benz: More grievances to air about Steelers’ bad defense</span></div>
</a></div>
<div class="preview bullet" style="border-bottom-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.1429; padding: 8px 0px 8px 10px; position: relative; transform: translateZ(0px);">
<a href="https://triblive.com/sports/history-shows-week-1-losses-dont-doom-steelers-entire-season/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;"><div class="focus" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition: color 200ms;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">History shows Week 1 losses don’t doom Steelers’ entire season <div class="fa fa-video-camera" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; color: #e59a16; display: inline-block; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1; text-rendering: auto;">
</div>
</span></div>
</a></div>
<div class="preview bullet" style="border-bottom-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.1429; padding: 8px 0px 8px 10px; position: relative; transform: translateZ(0px);">
<a href="https://triblive.com/sports/antonio-brown-was-almost-a-seahawk-imagine-his-debut-against-the-steelers/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;"><div class="focus" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition: color 200ms;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Antonio Brown could have been a Seahawk? Imagine his debut against the Steelers</span></div>
</a></div>
<div class="preview bullet" style="border-bottom-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.1429; padding: 8px 0px 8px 10px; position: relative; transform: translateZ(0px);">
<a href="https://triblive.com/sports/podcast-seattle-still-rattled-over-seahawks-loss-to-steelers-in-super-bowl/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;"><div class="focus" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition: color 200ms;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Podcast: Seattle still rattled over Seahawks’ loss to Steelers in Super Bowl</span></div>
</a></div>
<div class="preview bullet" style="border-bottom-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.1429; padding: 8px 0px 8px 10px; position: relative; transform: translateZ(0px);">
<a href="https://triblive.com/sports/first-call-deion-sanders-says-ben-roethlisberger-will-retire-during-season-raiders-fans-roast-antonio-brown/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;"><div class="focus" style="box-sizing: border-box;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">First Call: Deion Sanders says Ben Roethlisberger will retire during season; Raiders fans roast Antonio Brown</span></div>
</a></div>
</div>
</div>
jtfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759316632096664665noreply@blogger.com0