Favorite things: Public art & architecture

By staff reports, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/
Sunday, March 1, 2009

We asked some well-known Pittsburghers to weigh in on their favorite pieces of public art in the city. The answers ranged from iconic architecture to famous statues and structures, and even a painting. Most of them are things people pass by every day. It may be time to give them a second look.


Bill Strickland stands by the Willie Stargell statue outside of PNC Park.

Joe Appel/Tribune-Review

Pirate passion: Bill Strickland

Bill Strickland says he likes the Willie Stargell Statue at PNC Park as public art mostly because of the man it represents.

"He was very supportive of the arts and what we do," says the CEO, president and founder of the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild and Bidwell Training Center on the North Side. "Plus, he was a great athlete, and, finally, he was a great person. Not arrogant or anything like that."

The statue on Federal Street on the North Side was created by Susan Wagner of Shadyside, the same sculptor who made the Roberto Clemente statue a half-block away.

Strickland talks with enthusiasm and fondness about meeting Stargell and having good conversations about the work being done at the Manchester site. He says Stargell's openness to the arts elevates him above athletes of today, who probably wouldn't care about such matters.

The image Wagner presented is a good one, he says, because it captures the power and dedication Stargell brought to the Pirates.

"The statue represents what he was," Strickland says.

— Bob Karlovits


Bingo O'Malley stands in the foyer of the Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland. O'Malley is a fan of the opulent design and architecture of the room.

Joe Appel/Tribune-Review

Music man: Bingo O'Malley

The opulence of another era and how it's showcased is what Bingo O'Malley loves best about the Carnegie Music Hall Foyer in Oakland.

The Carnegie Music Hall Foyer opened in 1907 as an addition to the 1895 Music Hall that was part of the Carnegie Institute's expansion program.

Hoping to create a public space as luxurious and impressive as the Paris Opera House, architects Frank Alden and Edwin Harlow employed teams of Italian craftsmen to embellish the foyer with garlands and other baroque details, many of which were covered with gold leaf.

"It's definitely the opulence," says O'Malley, a Bethel Park resident and prominent local actor who has appeared in countless locally produced plays and movies.

Among the features that please O'Malley are the thousand light bulbs that illuminate the electric chandeliers, an impressive scientific marvel from the early days of electricity.

Enthroned at one end of the huge, rectangular foyer, Andrew Carnegie continues to watch over the myriad of weddings, private receptions and intermissions that fill the hall each year.

"The architecture of the room and its adornments are so indicative of the opulence of the era," O'Malley says. "They put it to best use in there."

— Alice T. Carter


Playwright and filmmaker Melissa Martin of Mt. Lebanon has chosen Judy Penzer's "The Bride of Penn Avenue" mural on a house on Penn Avenue in Garfield as her favorite piece of public art.

Justin Merriman/Tribune-Review

Lady in white: Melissa Martin

She floats across the side of a row house on Penn Avenue in Garfield, her long white gown trailing after her.

The "Bride of Penn Avenue" as she is known, is the central figure in a mural painted in the trompe l'oeil style by the late Judy Penzer.

Fans of the mysterious lady in white include playwright and filmmaker Melissa Martin, who wrote and directed "The Bread, My Sweet," a film shot in Pittsburgh in 2001.

"The formality of the wedding gown is a stark contrast to the background," Martin says. "She's almost part bride, part angel. There's something not of this world about it."

The bride's ascendant beauty also strikes Martin as optimistic in a neighborhood that is struggling to regain its stride.

Penzer, whose large-scale sports murals were common sites on Pittsburgh buildings, died in the crash of TWA flight 800 in July 1996. She also painted a sports mural on the side of a building at 500 Wood Street, Downtown. The painting, which depicted Bill Mazeroski, Roberto Clemente, Jack Lambert and other Pittsburgh sports heroes, was demolished in 1997. The Bride, however, lives on.

— William Loeffler


Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra french hornist Bob Lauver stands in front of his favorite public art element in Pittsburgh, the Smithfield Street Bridge.

J.C. Schisler/Tribune-Review

Bridge work: Robert Lauver

Affection for the Smithfield Street Bridge began with a "kind of silly" coincidence, says Robert Lauver, hornist with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. "Our uniform is bow tie and tails, and it's the bow-tie bridge."

The current Smithfield Street Bridge was designed by Gustav Lindenthal, erected from 1881 to 1883 and subsequently modified, including broadening. It is one of the first bridges in the United States to be built mainly with steel and may be the oldest steel bridge still standing in the country. It is an official National Historic Landmark.

Lauver says one of his family's favorite memories of the Smithfield Street Bridge "is walking across it while the Gateway Clipper came underneath. The girls (Madeline, 11; Lily, 8 and Sophie, 8) really got a kick out of it."

"I think the Smithfield Street Bridge is one of those bridges that draw you because of its beauty. It is majestic and graceful," Lauver says.

— Mark Kanny


David Newell, aka Mr. McFeely from "Mister Rogers Neighborhood," stands in front of Mellon Arena, one of his favorite pieces of public art.

Heidi Murrin/Tribune-Review

Symbol on the Hill: David Newell

Years before his defining days as Mr. McFeely on "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," David Newell watched many Civic Light Opera performances at the Civic Arena. He also spent three summers as a 20-something working at the arena, as an assistant stage manager for the CLO.

Ever since those youthful days, Newell has held a special fondness for the place now called Mellon Arena.

"It's always intrigued me," Newell says. "I'm not saying it's a work of art like Notre Dame Cathedral or something. I'm saying that it speaks of ... an era. It may be corny, but I like the arena look. I like the way it looks sitting on that hill. It just defines the hill for me."

The arena, which opened in 1961, has hosted many memorable acts, including the Beatles, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and the Rolling Stones.

"The fact that it was designed for the Civic Light Opera, and the fact that the roof opened to duplicate the feeling you had when you were watching something outside at Pitt Stadium -- you could have your cake and eat it too," Newell says.

Newell says he is sad to see Mellon Arena's impending demise, due to the Penguins building a new stadium. He says he hopes the arena will stay up, and maybe still be used as an ice-skating rink or concert venue.

"It gives Pittsburgh a personality," Newell says.

— Kellie B. Gormly


Former Pittsburgh Steeler Randy Grossman with his favorite piece of Pittsburgh art — "A Song to Nature" by sculptor Victor David Brenner by the Frick Fine Arts building.

Sidney Davis/Tribune-Review

Oakland's Pan: Randy Grossman

You might expect a handsome football hero to admire a guy like Pan, the mythological Greek god of fields and forests.

Pan stars in "A Song to Nature," the 15-foot bronze-and-granite fountain sculpture at the Frick Fine Arts Building in Oakland.

A big fan of the work is former Pittsburgh Steeler tight end Randy Grossman.

"Unless you spend time in Oakland, not many people know of it," he says about the sculpture.

Grossman, 56, played in four Super Bowls and now works for Edward Jones Financial Services.

"A Song to Nature" -- restored in 2008 -- features a female figure as Pan's pipe.

"It's an amazing combination of an extremely masculine component, and an extremely feminine, beautiful component," Grossman says about "A Song to Nature." "It's really pretty spectacular, and attention grabbing."

Sculptor Victor David Brenner created the work -- placed in 1918 -- as a memorial to Mary Schenley, who donated land in 1889 to create Schenley Park.

An inscription on a "A Song to Nature" explains "Pan the Earth God Answers to the Harmony and Magic Tones Sung to the Lyre by Sweet Harmony."

— Deborah Deasy


Suzie McConnell-Serio stands with her favorite public art piece called "Fredosaurus Rex Friday XIII," by artist Karen Howell, outside of WQED-TV in Oakland.

Jasmine Goldband/Tribune-Review

Favorite neighborhood: Suzie McConnell-Serio

For Duquesne University women's basketball coach, Brookline native, and two-time Olympian Suzie McConnell-Serio, it was easy to choose her favorite piece of public art in the city.

"It had to be something with Mister Rogers," says McConnell-Serio, who was a guest on "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" in November 1988 after playing on the gold-medal winning U.S. Women's Olympic basketball team. "He was an unbelievably awesome guy. Being on his show is one of my favorite memories of Pittsburgh."

McConnell-Serio's favorite is the statue named Fredosaurus Rex Friday XIII, created by artist Karen Howell, outside the offices of WQED Multimedia in Oakland. Featuring the famous sweater and a pair of grandiose tennis shoes, Mister Rogers' Jurassic persona is highlighted with Henrietta Pussycat and King Friday XIII. A Neighborhood Trolley adorns the dinosaur's tail.

McConnell-Serio says it is important to keep the late Rogers' memory alive because of everything he meant to the people of Pittsburgh and beyond.

"Whenever I think of him, I smile," she says. "He always made you feel good about yourself. And I can't help but think about how many lives and generations he's touched. He's a Pittsburgh icon."

— Joanne Klimovich Harrop


Filmmaker Carl Kurlander stands in front of the statue of Mayor Richard Caliguiri at the City-County Building, Downtown.

Andrew Russell/Tribune-Review

Model mayor: Carl Kurlander

After building a successful career as a movie writer and producer ("St. Elmo's Fire") in Hollywood, Carl Kurlander decided to start over in the place closest to his heart, his hometown of Pittsburgh. But mostly, he just wanted his daughter to grow up in "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," instead of the la-la land of Britney and Paris.

The transition was so transformative and traumatic, he decided to make a movie about it. "My Tale of Two Cities," a charming, funny, low-budget documentary-comedy.

Since returning to the city, he's found his favorite piece of public art is the Mayor Richard S. Caliguiri statue at the City-County Building, Downtown.

"I don't have the best posture. Caliguiri, what I loved about him was, he seems slumped, casual, hands-in-the-pockets. I don't know why, it seems very human, very Pittsburgh," Kurlander says. "It's funny, it made me feel like, 'There's a friendly guy.'

"When I was growing up, Mayor (Pete) Flaherty drove my car pool. He always had the same phone number, his door was never locked, he always walked down to Walnut Street. What other big city do you have a mayor who drives a car pool and hangs out on the same street as everyone? Caliguiri seemed like he was the same way, and Bob O'Connor. And Dan Rooney."

— Michael Machosky


Author Jane Bernstein of Point Breeze with her dog Barry at her favorite public art piece, the council ring in Frick Park.

Jasmine Gehris/Tribune-Review

Council ring: Jane Bernstein

Jane Bernstein thinks of herself as an urban person, but Frick Park is the place where she connects with the natural world. The Carnegie Mellon University English professor runs on the lower trails of the park for "the illusion of being somewhere remote," she says.

Her favorite piece of public art lies near the entrance to the Homewood Trail, near the lawn bowling courts across from the Frick Art & Historical Center.

"I've been fascinated by the semi-circular stone structure above the entrance to Homewood Trail," says the author of "Rachel in the World: A Memoir," and "Bereft: A Sister's Story." "I thought it was a fort, though I knew it made no sense."

From park curator Susan Rademacher, Bernstein learned that the "fort" was designed and built from 1935 to 1940 by the landscape architecture firm of Innocenti & Webel as a council ring, a place where people could gather to learn about nature. According to Rademacher, council rings usually are built at a woodland edge with a view to a meadow or lake. Drawing from both Nordic and Native American traditions, council rings serve as a meeting place for conversation, song, dance, storytelling, poetry and campfires, linking humanity and nature.

— Rege Behe

Penguins rise to occasion

Wednesday, March 11, 2009
By Gene Collier, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/


Matt Freed/Post-Gazette

Jordan Staal (11) celebrates his third-period goal with Matt Cooke and Tyler Kennedy last night at Mellon Arena.

When it started to appear as though Dan Bylsma might not be finishing out his first NHL coaching assignment 23-1-1, no one looked terribly surprised, but when it was just as clear that the Penguins might actually miss the elevator to the almost comfortable fifth floor of the Eastern Conference last night, there was more than a little disappointment.

There is still a month left in this difficult Penguins season, still a month, but opportunities like last night's are not exactly bulging from the landscape of the remaining 14 games.

Only three of them, actually, will be against the curious nest of clubs from which Bylsma's team is trying to extract itself to gain the playoffs.

That's the backstory on why last night's appointment with the Florida Panthers was hugely huge. Having spent the winter wandering the subterranean sections of the playoff structure, the Penguins used the phenomenon that was a unbeaten five-game road trip to arrive at the ground floor of hope, only to find the Panthers waiting for the same elevator.

Someone was getting the chance to end up in fifth place with last night's two points, and someone was going to have the total points available to them reduced inalterably by two. The proverbial four-point game (see the Book of Proverbs. It's got to be in there.)

That Florida slunk into the night with a single point thanks to the overtime provision proved a disappointment the Penguins would easily handle, because whatever is fueling this team last night took it from a two-goal third-period deficit to a second consecutive shootout victory.

Nor did Montreal's overtime win, which put the turbulent Canadiens into fifth place temporarily.
There are just too many good things happening in Captain Crosby's locker room to feel anything but buzzed about the Penguins' seventh consecutive victory.

"This was just so important," said Sidney Crosby. "We need every point, and we probably deserved a better fate in that we should have had two by the end of regulation. But overtime, shootouts, they all count, and the important thing is that we keep finding ways to win tough games."


Matt Freed/Post-Gazette

Evgeni Malkin celebrates his first period goal against the Panthers last night at Mellon Arena.

Just as the Penguins did Sunday in Washington, they nailed this thing down by prevailing one-on-one, with Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin beating Florida's Tomas Vokoun in the night's final moments, while the continually brilliant Marc-Andre Fleury rejected both shots he faced.

"Flower's been unbelievable," said Jordan Staal. "He's the reason we've been playing so well. He's the reason we've been getting two points every night."

Petr Sykora was an unhealthy scratch for a second consecutive game, and the key component of Malkin's line was presumed to have a shoulder injury of indeterminate worry, the kind of thing that, were the hockey team pressed on it, would get described as an upper body injury, so rule out nothing from the naval to the far follicles.

In Sykora's first absence, Sunday's spectacular matinee in the nation's capital, it meant Malkin would have a 10-game scoring streak ended, but last night Geno got his groove back with some help from Crosby.

This came late in a Penguins-dominated first period when Crosby flushed the puck from the shallows of the right corner to the near doorstep, where Malkin engaged Panthers defenseman Keith Ballard in a sword fight over the arriving biscuit.

Both had their backs to goaltender Vokoun, but when Malkin flipped it with the backhand, neither Ballard nor Vokoun could spot it until it was entangled in the net.

It meant Malkin has scored for the 22nd time in 26 games, and it meant that Malkin was a 30-goal scorer in each of his first three NHL seasons, and it meant a 1-0 Penguins lead after one, and all of that meant next to nothing to the Panthers.

Florida's immensely impressive three-goal outburst in the middle period laid out all the requirements of available Penguins heroism. In roughly 14 minutes, the Panthers got three goals from three players who'd combined for only 11 all season long.

The Penguins' irritability with all that finally became evident in the third, when Tyler Kennedy put a beauteous move on Florida's Jassen Cullimore in the left faceoff circle and got the puck to Jordan Staal streaming at Vokoun. Staal made it 3-2, and Crosby got the tying goal at 5:29 of the third without having very much to do with it.


Matt Freed/Post-Gazette

The Panthers' Ville Peltonen looks on as Sidney Crosby celebrates his tying goal in the third period.

Bill Guerin fired a shot from the high slot that hit Crosby, hit the post, hit Vokoun somewhere in his nether regions and slid across the goal line. Though it was more than 14 minutes from the final horn in regulation, it wound up forcing a scoreless overtime and the second shootout in the past two games.

Gene Collier can be reached at gcollier@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1283.
More articles by this author

First published on March 11, 2009 at 12:00 am

Additions recharge Penguins' power play

By Mike Prisuta, TRIBUNE-REVIEW
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/
Tuesday, March 10, 2009


Pittsburgh Penguins left wing Chris Kunitz (14) reaches in front of Tampa Bay Lightning's Matt Smaby (32) for a rebound off the pads of Tampa Bay goalie Karri Ramo (31), of Finland, during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, March 3, 2009, in Tampa, Fla. (AP)


It was an encouraging goal because of when it was scored and because of how it was scored.

Better still, the suddenly surging Penguins suspect there's reason to believe there are more where that one came from.

"The thing that I like the most is that we have a net-front presence," interim coach Dan Bylsma said Monday.

He was talking about the power play in general and the positioning of new guys Bill Guerin (top of the crease) and Chris Kunitz (high slot) in particular.

Guerin's ability to hunker down in goaltender Jose Theodore's lap Sunday afternoon in Washington had been a critical component of the power-play goal scored by Sergei Gonchar that broke a 1-1 tie in the Pens' latest grudge match with the Capitals. With Guerin setting a screen, Gonchar blasted away from long range and found the net, much to Theodore's surprise and frustration.

"Billy lost his stick and figured out he didn't need a stick to do what he was supposed to do, which was stand in front of the goalie and be that presence," Bylsma said. "When you have that presence, now shots (from the point) are dangerous, there are second-chance opportunities."

That's a theory that's withstood the test of time but isn't always easy to put into practice.

There are a few players who understand job one in the slot is screening the goaltender and that tipping in shots from the point is a bonus.

And there are fewer players still who understand what they're trying to accomplish and have the ability to slide with the play and repeatedly position themselves as the goalie would while the puck is being rotated.

Last season, Ryan Malone had it figured out.

This season, Jordan Staal was learning the nuances of slot play with the man-advantage.

Staal, at 20, is still a work in progress.

Guerin, at 38, is a master craftsman.

His right-handed shot and Kunitz's left-handed approach should afford the Penguins more one-time opportunities on passes from either side on the power play.

Another key is Gonchar, whose willingness to shoot and ability to shoot with his head up and with accuracy helps make goalies susceptible to screens.

The power play has clicked at an 18.4 percent rate in the 10 games Gonchar has played since his return from shoulder surgery, which is a slight improvement from the 16.3 clip the Penguins have converted at for the season.

But with the rededication to an approach that works and the pieces in place to make that approach work, the power play may be on the verge of a power surge.

Should that come to pass, the resurrection of what had been perhaps the most disappointing team in the league will be all but complete.

"The best power play in the league for the past 10 years has been the Detroit Red Wings," Bylsma said. "You can talk about the skill they have, but what they have is the best net-front presence in the league (Johan Franzen and Tomas Holmstrom).

"That's something we now have and have addressed. Now we have two guys in that area and that opens up the ice for the other players to do their thing, as well."

Ovechkin, Crosby give hockey best of enemies

More to come from NHL's young stars

By Rick Maese
The Baltimore Sun
http://www.baltimoresun.com/
March 9, 2009


Washington Capitals Alex Ovechkin (L) shadows Pittsburgh Penguins Sidney Crosby (R) in the second period of their NHL hockey game in Washington, March 8, 2009. The Penguins won the game in a shootout. (Reuters)

WASHINGTON

After 65 minutes, still no one's hand was raised. Forget it. There's an easier way to settle this.

No, not the game - though every time the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals meet, the excitement and intensity results in some pretty good hockey.

With the regular season winding down, the final matchup between the two teams was overshadowed by the battle between two men - Alex the Great and Sid the Kid. The young superstars Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby have been anointed to carry the NHL on their collective shoulders to new heights. It's not simply their respective skill sets that make puckheads drool, but also the bad feelings that have developed between the two. Crosby and Ovechkin make Bill O'Reilly and Keith Olbermann look like BFFs.

Yesterday at Verizon Center, the intrigue slowly built through three periods and one overtime. With the score tied at 3 and the game heading into a shootout, the maddening crescendo made ear drums shake. Short of locking the two in a phone booth, there would be no better way to decide the victor of Ovechkin vs. Crosby.

The 18,277-member red sea that wrapped around the ice was going nuts. The two teams last faced each other Feb.22 - a 5-2 Capitals win. In that game, Crosby and Ovechkin exchanged words and then shoves. In the days that followed, aided by reporters, words flew back and forth between the two camps.

Crosby, the 2007 Most Valuable Player and scoring champ, contended Ovechkin plays dirty and is too rough.

Ovechkin, the 2008 MVP and scoring champ, says his rival litters the ice with his foul trash talk.

Since that meeting, the Penguins had reeled off five straight wins; the Capitals had lost four of six, including three straight at home heading into yesterday's game.

With the two stars' previous fracas garnering attention across the league, Capitals fans were anticipating fireworks between Crosby and Ovechkin. In what might have been the largest impromptu baby shower ever staged, thousands packed into the arena sucking on pacifiers. The object of their disdain was never in doubt. Forget any politician. Forget Dan Snyder, Jim Bowden or just about any player who has swung a bat or thrown a ball around here. Pittsburgh's No.87 has become D.C. public enemy No.1.

"I don't love it," Crosby revealed later. "But it doesn't change the way I play out there."

One Caps fan carried a baby doll dressed in a Crosby jersey. Not far away, slapped against the glass was a sign that read, "Sidney, No Diving." Some fans waved tissues and others wore T-shirts that read, "Sidney's Diving School."


Sidney Crosby scores on Washington Capitals goaltender Jose Theodore in the shootout of their NHL hockey game in Washington, March 8, 2009. The Penguins won the game, 4-3, in the shootout. (Reuters)

Even before the shootout, Crosby had played a role in two Penguins goals, scoring their first and notching an assist on the third.

With the game on the line, he was the Penguins' second shooter. Gliding down the ice, he faked once before going high to goaltender Jose Theodore's glove side. The Penguins took a 4-3 lead, but Ovechkin, the Capitals' third shooter, still had a chance to tie it.

Ovechkin had missed the Capitals' previous game because of a heel injury, but sharing the ice with Crosby a final time this season, he wasn't about to sit this one out. He appeared slightly slower than usual but still played at a high level yesterday. In fact, when his team faced a 3-1 deficit after two periods, Ovechkin whipped a shot above Marc-Andre Fleury's glove just 29 seconds into the third. The Capitals tied the score less than a minute later.

Ovechkin approached the net slowly before pulling back his stick and aiming for the five-hole. The puck sputtered between Fleury's legs but couldn't quite get in.

Caps fans might've won in the stands; Crosby won on the ice.

"Great ones seem to have the game on the line when it's their turn," Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau said. "Alex started it out in the third, but tonight it was Sidney's time to have the game on the line. He's a great one."

With a month left in the regular season, the Capitals continue to slide. Washington lost again yesterday, but hockey fans everywhere won. The sport has found its Palmer-Nicklaus, its Wilt-Russell, its Ali-Frazier.

Crosby is only 21 years old. Ovechkin is 23. There are a lot more matchups to come.

Let's just hope they don't go and do something silly, like befriend one another.

No meltdown by Fleury; just blossoming at the right time

Monday, March 09, 2009
By Gene Collier, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/


Marc-Andre Fleury is watched by teammate Mark Eaton (7), and Washington Capitals' Nicklas Backstrom as Fleury catches a puck, during the second period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, March 8, 2009, in Washington. (AP)

WASHINGTON -- Even at the NHL level, where every potential puck angle is analyzed, every blade sharpened to a gem's facet, and every play work-shopped to exhaustion, hockey with the lights up and rock anthems blaring remains all but purely chaotic. Getting hockey players to play to a script can be roughly compared to herding alley cats.

But getting them to play to a specific story line?

Please.

So sure, it's just a little remarkable that the newest collision of the game's premier brands, Sidney Crosby vs. the Washington genius Alex Ovechkin, the first since they were seen shoving each other on national television and heard blistering each other in the postgame testimony, would turn inalterably on two shots, one by Crosby, one by Ovechkin.

Without assigning it any ridiculous proportions, it was only that amid all the pressure the deafening Verizon Center can generate that Crosby scored to give the Penguins a 4-3 shootout win yesterday, a result not guaranteed until Ovechkin failed at precisely the same challenge.

Let that settle things for the moment.

How can it matter, for the immediate future of the reborn Penguins, that Ovechkin thinks Crosby talks too much and that Crosby thinks Ovechkin breaches decorum when he points at the Penguins bench?

Talking and pointing?

This is a game with slashing, punching, gouging, kneeing, face-washing, slew-footing, boarding, elbowing, crosschecking and the occasional felonious assault.

Talking and pointing? Oh, that's where we draw the line.

"The great thing about sports," Penguins coach Dan Bylsma was saying last night in startlingly general terms, "is that it challenges you every day because you get to play against good teams and great players, and that's what the Washington Capitals are, a good team with great players. It wasn't perfect, but our goaltender played great."


Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby (87), shoots the puck past Washington Capitals' goalie Jose Theodore (60) for the winning goal in a shootout of an NHL hockey game Sunday, March 8, 2009, in Washington. The Penguins won 4-3 in a shootout. (AP)

So with that verbal drop pass, Bylsma nailed the whole point of yesterday, which is only that Marc-Andre Fleury, hounded off this very stage just two weeks ago to the day, won his sixth consecutive game, this one by generating save after impossible save after impossible save, the last one against the game's most feared and accomplished goal scorer and the first known human to get under Crosby's skin to the point of public rebuke.

In the seconds after Crosby slid a deft forehand past Jose Theodore in the shootout, Ovechkin circled behind the red line as he formulated his strategy against Fleury. Alexander Semin and Viktor Kozlov had already failed, so it was up to The Great No. 8.

"I thought he might try high to the glove side," Fleury said. "I don't know if maybe he missed it or what?"

More likely Ovechkin over-penetrated by some fraction of an ice chip. His shot clumped harmlessly onto Fleury's pad, and Penguins poured over the boards to celebrate not only a wrap on the story line but the end of the first 5-0 road trip in the history of flightless waterfowl.

"That's the way he's been, real solid, ever since the last game here," said goaltending coach Gilles Meloche. "Even today in the third period, he wasn't shaky."

That's when Ovechkin and Brooks Laich scored within 49 seconds of each other, slapping away a 3-1 Pittsburgh lead, and sending the delirious Capitals crowd into leering chants of "Fleuurrry! Fleuurrry!"

But instead of a meltdown, Washington got the best of Fleury's best from that moment on. He stopped legendary sniper Sergei Federov. He foiled an excellent chance for Mike Green, the league's top-scoring defenseman. He stopped two more in overtime, the last when Green fired a Brooks Orpik giveaway at him with 0:08 left.

"He's been that way the whole trip," said center Max Talbot, who helped kill three power plays against the league's second-best unit. "We really needed him on the penalty kill today. I don't think he played any better today, he's just been better the whole trip. This was a big team effort but I feel good for him because when you're going bad, the goalie always gets the worst of it."

No one would have been real put out had Fleury come in here and been beaten 4-1, with the Penguins going home with an eight-point trip rather than a historic one, especially with the howls from Washington's 5-2 win here Feb. 22 still echoing in his psyche.

"Tough games like that happen in hockey," Fleury said. "Sometimes you lose even when you play well. I'm always happy to play, so I never let it bother me."

Yesterday, he made the only team to beat Dan Bylsma look like just another team that can't, and he made the Penguins look like a very viable entity.

Gene Collier can be reached at gcollier@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1283. More articles by this author
First published on March 8, 2009 at 11:43 pm

Pressure continues to pursue Crosby

By Rob Rossi, TRIBUNE-REVIEW
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/
Sunday, March 8, 2009

So far, Penguins captain Sidney Crosby's season hasn't gone as planned — verbal jabs from opponents, public denouncements from the media and criticism from fans.
Plus, his club, two victories shy of the Stanley Cup last year, is currently fighting for a playoff spot.

Perhaps those are the reasons Crosby, the player often called "the Face of the NHL," has smiled a lot less this season.

"It's probably always something you deal with when a team is not doing as well," Crosby said of the vitriol aimed at him in recent months. "They look at leadership."

The hockey world has looked at Crosby, who turned 21 only seven months ago, as a savior for so long that some National Hockey League players wonder if he has become a victim of unrealistic expectations.

"I can only imagine how he feels and what he goes through," longtime Dallas Stars center Mike Modano said. "He's the guy who is supposed to carry this league for the next 15 years. That must feel like the weight of the world on his shoulders.

"And it's not just in Pittsburgh, he feels it everywhere."

Those closest to Crosby have noticed.

"Everyone expects so much out of him," said former Penguins winger Ryan Malone, who spent three seasons occupying the locker next to Crosby before his trade to Tampa Bay last June. "For whatever reason, this year people are really kind of all over him."

· · ·

"Crosby got too much hype than what he truly is — not the best player in the world by a long shot."

— Penguins fan Pat Schrecengost of Kittanning

· · ·

Over the past four months, Crosby and rival Alexander Ovechkin, 23, of the Washington Capitals — the player that bested him for top rookie honors in 2006, the guy that last season supplanted him as leading scorer and MVP -- have taken turns holding the second spot in the points race.

Penguins center Evgeni Malkin, 22, has topped the scoring list since November.

San Jose center Joe Thornton, a former MVP and scoring champion, said last month Malkin was "the best player in the world."

During an NBC broadcast of the Penguins-Capitals game Feb. 22, analyst and former league general manager Mike Milbury described Ovechkin as "the best player in the world, by far."

That title once belonged to Crosby, who is in the first season of a five-year contract that totals $43.5 million.

He was the first Canadian prospect charged with "saving the game," as former player Luc Robitaille noted, after the NHL cancelled the 2004-2005 season because of a labor dispute.

That charge made Crosby stand out as a rookie, even on a team captained by Penguins legend Mario Lemieux.

"I guess the media always looked at him as different, sort of mature, and the rest of the world viewed him as a super child," Malone said. "The first day I met him, he just seemed like a normal human being."

Very little about Crosby seemed normal on the ice from his debut practice with the Penguins, who selected him first overall in 2005.

"He saw things other guys didn't and could do things other guys couldn't," former teammate and road roommate Ryan Whitney said. "It was sick. Five minutes in, you knew everything you heard about the guy was dead-on."

Away from the rink, Crosby impressed teammates with his ability to be "one of the guys," despite obvious differences such as a Canadian reporter chronicling his every move for a book about his rookie experience.

"He was a pretty normal kid — really humble," Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik said. "I'm talking off the ice. On it, you could see right away that he was super competitive, driven and hated to lose. Those qualities are what I think made people think of him as a leader, even when he was a rookie."

· · ·

"What's so special about him? I don't see anything special there. If you take any player, even if he is dead wood, and start promoting him, you'll get a star."

— Washington LW Alexander Semin, in an Oct. 31 interview with yahoosports.com

· · ·

Hockey great Wayne Gretzky once predicted Crosby could break all 61 of his NHL records.

"He won't, and I know Wayne said it, but he won't," said Robitaille, the all-time leading scorer among NHL left wings. "But Sid got off to a pretty good start, didn't he?"

As a rookie at 18 Crosby was the youngest player to reach the 100-point plateau. As a sophomore at 19 he was voted the league's best player by his peers. Last season, he became the youngest captain in league history at 20, and he returned from a mid-season right ankle injury to finish tied for the playoff scoring lead as the Penguins advanced to the Stanley Cup final.

Crosby once described hockey as his great passion — his way of explaining the mere two weeks he takes off every summer.

Over the past few winters, though, a teammate and a nemesis have become breakout characters in a league once tabbed as "The Crosby Show."

"He hasn't taken a step back — Ovechkin and Malkin have picked it up," said Robitaille, now president of business operations with the Los Angeles Kings. "Sid's biggest sin is that there are three of these guys that are that amazing."

No lower than third in the scoring race since November, Crosby remains noticeably absent from MVP discussion that focuses on Malkin and Ovechkin.

"I was the second-leading scorer in the league when I got hurt," Crosby said of his recent four-game absence due to a groin injury. "I would like to play a little bit better, but I don't think it was awful, either."

Through Wednesday, Crosby rated second in assists, even-strength points, road points and division points — despite missing five games because of injuries. He and Ovechkin were tied for second with a point-per-game average of 1.32, only slightly off Crosby's 1.37 career mark, which rates fifth-best in league history.

"He's earned the pressure — that's how I look at it with Sidney," Robitaille said. "I don't look at the pressure as being a bad thing because it means people expect great things from you."

· · ·

"In the case of Sidney Crosby ... sometimes I wonder if he's having much fun."

— NBC analyst Mike Milbury, during a Feb. 22 national broadcast of a game between the Penguins and Capitals

· · ·

Playing and leading is a lot more fun when the team is winning.

"I haven't changed what I've done from last year to this year," Crosby said. "With success, everything is a little bit easier, and sometimes people look for negative things as much as they look for positive things."

First-year Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews, 20, agreed with Crosby.

"I'm one of those guys whose job is easier because we're winning," said Toews, whose team is ready to end a long playoff drought. "The success Sidney had as a young leader in Pittsburgh, even before he was captain, made it an easier decision to put young guys, myself included, into leadership roles."

The Penguins stopped winning regularly late in November.

Their struggles cost coach Michel Therrien his job Feb. 15.

Therrien said the very first decision he made upon replacing Eddie Olczyk as coach in December 2005 remains one of his proudest. He named Crosby, then a rookie, an alternate captain.

Therrien also recently dismissed speculation of a rift with Crosby.

"There were no problems between me and Sid or between Sid and his teammates," Therrien said. "He hates to lose. We were losing more than we expected, and he hated it — you could see it on his face."

Therrien said Crosby was and is "the perfect choice to be the captain of that young team."

"People forget how young some of those players are because they were so good so fast," Therrien said of the Penguins, whose top three forwards in terms of ice-time are Crosby, Malkin and center Jordan Staal, 20.

"Even Sid is still young. People get tired of hearing that, but it's the truth. He's probably the best player in the world most nights, but he's also only 21."

Crosby is younger than University of Pittsburgh basketball stars Sam Young, 23, and Levance Fields, 22 in June, and top Pirates prospects Pedro Alvarez and Andrew McCutchen, each 22.

"His situation is so different than anybody in any sport," Toews said of Crosby. "He's a young captain that also shoulders the responsibility of being the guy that is out there selling hockey around the world, not just in Pittsburgh.

"I don't think any young player has been asked to do as much as Sid. That probably makes his job more difficult. A lot of young guys get time to adjust and develop. Sid has had to be Sidney Crosby for a long time."

· · ·

"I hate to say this, but maybe Sidney Crosby shouldn't be the captain of this team. Maybe he is too young and isn't the type to stand up and take charge."

— Penguins fan Beth Wellhausen of Bethel Park

· · ·

Privately, Penguins teammates are worried about Crosby amid the criticism.

"I don't know what people — the media, some fans — are talking about," Penguins forward Max Talbot said last month. "He's our captain. He was our captain last season, and we almost won the Stanley Cup. Maybe so far this year we haven't lived up to our expectations, but you can't blame that on Sid."

Everything about Crosby — from his living arrangement with team co-owner Lemieux to on-ice wars of words with Ovechkin — has come under scrutiny.

"That's natural, that's what happens when you're a captain," Crosby said.

Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury said recently that people are "blaming Sid" for the Penguins' fall from grace this season.

"He wears the big target because of who he is," Fleury said. "He keeps us from taking a lot of the shots, but they all hit him."

Dallas' Modano knows that drill.

A Minnesota high-school star drafted at 18 in 1988 by his home-state North Stars, Modano acknowledged "a long period of feeling I was responsible for everything good and bad involving my team" that lasted through the franchise's relocation and ended only with its Cup win in 1999.

"I could tell him to miniaturize his goals and take everything on a day-by-day basis, but the big thing for him — because this was it for me — is to remember that this is a game, and it's supposed to be fun," Modano said. "At that age, though, it's hard to think like that.

"I'd tell Sid to be patient, because all this criticism will turn for him ... and it will be a lot more gratifying when it does because of all this he's going through now."


GREAT EXPECTATIONS

Penguins center Sidney Crosby, 21, may not be on pace to "break all of (Wayne Gretzky's) records," as Gretzky once predicted. However, through almost four full seasons, Crosby is trekking toward elite company. A look at where Crosby would rank all-time in points if he maintains his current per-game rate (1.37) for 1,000 more games:

Most NHL points

Player: Points — Games — PPG

Wayne Gretzky: 2,857 — 1,487 — 1.92

Mark Messier: 1,887 — 1,756 — 1.07

Gordie Howe: 1,850 — 1,767 — 1.05

Ron Francis: 1,798 — 1,731 — 1.04

Marcel Dionne: 1,771 — 1,348 — 1.31

*Sidney Crosby: 1,743 — 1,273 — 1.37

*—Projections based off statistics through Wednesday.

Source: NHL Guide and Record Book

Spring training: Tabata has Pirates close to heart

Clemente fan as a child, he now is one of team's top three prospects

Saturday, March 07, 2009
By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/


Peter Diana / Post-Gazette

Jose Tabata, seen here at bat against the Red Sox, could be considered one of the Pirates' top prospects.

BRADENTON, Fla. -- In an era when young baseball players the world over grow up wanting to play for the New York Yankees, Jose Tabata was a Yankee who kept the Pirates close to his heart.

One of the Pirates, anyway.

Ask him how he feels about attending his first major league camp, and this supremely talented 20-year-old Venezuelan abandons his halting English, smiles and pulls down his jersey collar to reveal a tattoo on his left chest bearing an image of Roberto Clemente.

A Spanish inscription above it reads, "For my father," as translated. His father was a Clemente fan, and it was passed along. And last year, his wife Mayita, a Puerto Rican as was Clemente, met Vera Clemente, Roberto's wife, as part of her job.

"Do you believe that?" Tabata said, smiling.

The most surprising was still to come: In July, the Yankees traded Tabata, who had entered 2008 as their No. 3 prospect according to Baseball America, to the Pirates -- along with three others -- for outfielder Xavier Nady.

"Now, I'm a Pirate," Tabata said. "It feels good. It feels like family. My father used to tell me, 'You need to be like Roberto.' Now, I wear the uniform."

Not just yet, actually. He is ticketed for Class AA Altoona, mostly because the Pirates do not want two center fielders at Class AAA Indianapolis, where Andrew McCutchen should start out. But it surely will not be long until Tabata reaches Pittsburgh.

For all the focus on McCutchen and Pedro Alvarez, the Pirates' almost universally accepted top two prospects, those inside the organization -- and some outside it -- are of the view that Tabata ranks right there in potential.

"Yes, Tabata belongs in the conversation with Alvarez and McCutchen," said Kyle Stark, the Pirates' director of player development. "All three are consistently rated among the 75-100 best prospects in the game, and that is even with Tabata's performance in 2008."
Well, there is that.

Tabata experienced the first significant step backward in his career in '08, batting .248 with 3 home runs in 79 games for Class AA Trenton, roughly 60 points below his career average.

Worse, he let it get to him. In an April 27 game, he was so furious about a strikeout that he slammed his bat to the dirt, stormed through the dugout and left the stadium. The Yankees suspended him. Then, a hamstring injury cost him all of July.

"It was hard for me," Tabata said. "With the Yankees, it felt like there was not so much opportunity. The change was good."

The "change" was the July 26 trade that ultimately saw him sent to Altoona, where he immediately re-established his elite status with a .348 average, 3 home runs and 13 RBIs in 22 games, all while playing a far better center field than should be expected of someone a thick 5 feet 11, 215 pounds.

By all accounts, the character issue never was revived, either.

"Jose was a quality person and teammate in Altoona," Stark said. "He was reliable -- as a person and as a competitor -- which is what we ask for from our players."

"Maybe I grew up a little," Tabata said.

This spring, Tabata's first in a major league camp, has been mixed.

He has drawn raves from team officials, notably manager John Russell, for the booming sound of his bat, powered by tree-trunk arms and a remarkable torque to the swing.

"Tabata does have some tools and abilities not many other players have," Stark said, "including very good bat speed, a feel for hitting, an advanced approach, good instincts, a quiet confidence and solid defensive abilities. It's an intriguing mix."

On the down side, Tabata has been limited to six Grapefruit League plate appearances -- no hits, three walks -- by a sore right shoulder that shut him down earlier this week. He was back in uniform yesterday but might not see more action until assigned to minor league camp.

Dejan Kovacevic can be reached at dkovacevic@post-gazette.com. Pirates updates, your comments and more ... join the PBC blog.

First published on March 7, 2009 at 12:00 am

High expectations

By Scott Brown, TRIBUNE-REVIEW
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/
Friday, March 6, 2009

Here is something that could make Maalox the beverage of choice for offensive coordinators around the league.

Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau said there is still room for improvement for outside linebackers James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley, who combined for 27.5 sacks last season.


Steelers linebacker James Harrison (Top) celebrates another sack by LaMarr Woodley (56).
Christopher Horner/Tribune-Review file

"I think they will get better," LeBeau said. "It's a challenge for us from a coaching standpoint to keep expanding, giving them stuff that can make us better."

That challenge explains the notes that cover a white board in LeBeau's office at the Steelers' South Side practice facility.

LeBeau writes down innovations, ideas and plays that come to him during the course of a season. He sorts through all of those small pieces of paper and separates the ideas that are worth trying from the ones that wind up at the bottom of a wastebasket.

"I've probably got 50 ideas up there," LeBeau said.

Given LeBeau's success, probably few of his brainstorms are not worth at least a look during offseason practices.

Last season the Steelers nearly became the first team since the 1991 Eagles to lead the NFL in rushing, passing and total defense. Harrison and Woodley set a Steelers single-season record for sacks by a duo. Yet what leads LeBeau to conclude that both still have plenty of upside is that they only have three years of starting NFL experience between them.

Harrison, who is entering the final year of his contract, and Woodley will be among the returning leaders on a defense that may lose only one starter from last season. Cornerback Bryant McFadden, an unrestricted free agent, likely will sign elsewhere.

But the unit that yielded the fewest points in the NFL in 2008 may not miss a beat, as the Steelers are high on cornerback William Gay, the likely replacement for McFadden if the latter does not return.

Gay, a second-year man out of Louisville, started four games last season when injuries sidelined McFadden and Deshea Townsend. Gay did well enough that he logged significant playing time even after McFadden returned from a broken forearm.

When asked if Gay is ready to become a starter, LeBeau said, "B-Mac started (at the end of last season), but William played almost an equal number of snaps, so in my mind that question's already been answered. I think we've got a good, quality player there who should continue to grow."

Developing youngsters like Gay and squeezing even more out of supreme talents like Harrison and Woodley is something that still drives LeBeau.

He's 71 and is entering his 51st year in the NFL as a player or coach, but LeBeau has not given any indication that he is close to retiring.

He said he is "dumbfounded" about rumors, which surfaced before Super Bowl XLIII, that the 2008 season might be his last. LeBeau, who found out about the rumors from his son, assured his players that such speculation had not come from him.

He said he is as passionate about coaching as ever.

"Who would not want to be a part of these guys by how they played last year?" LeBeau said. "I suppose there will come a time physically when I won't be able to do it, but I don't think that time has come yet. I feel good, and these guys are a joy to coach.

"What would I be doing if I wasn't here? I'd be watching football, going to football games or writing a football book. I'd rather be coaching."

Notes: The Steelers and Harrison's agent, Bill Parise, talked Wednesday and Thursday about a contract extension. ... With the free-agent signing period a week old, the Steelers have yet to host a free agent.


What's next?

Steelers outside linebackers James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley proved to be a dynamic pass-rushing duo in 2008, and defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau said the two still have room to improve. Here is a brief look at what each did last season:

Harrison

• Became first undrafted free agent to win NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors
• Set Steelers single-season sack record (16)
• Turned in the longest play in Super Bowl history when he returned an INT 100 yards for a TD

Woodley

• Recorded 11 1/2 sacks in his first season as a starter
• Had six sacks in three postseason games
• Holds the NFL record for consecutive multi-sack games (four) in the postseason

Shero adds leadership with deal for Guerin

Thursday, March 05, 2009
By Shelly Anderson, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/


Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press

The Penguins picked up Bill Guerin from the Islanders yesterday for a conditional draft pick.

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Not to say that Bill Guerin has been around a long time, but when he joins the Penguins today, he will have no trouble fitting in -- with the coaching staff, at least.

Guerin, one of the most prominent "rental" players available at yesterday's NHL trade deadline, has known Penguins interim coach Dan Bylsma -- who is 51 days his senior -- for years. He goes back even further with Penguins assistant Tom Fitzgerald.

"We used to take his brother's car and go joy riding," Guerin said of Fitzgerald last night as he reminisced about the gray Toyota Supra and those days growing up in Boston.

But Guerin, 38, is not hung up on the past. With a no-trade clause in his contract, the veteran winger had to agree to the deal with the Penguins, and he readily did so.

The Penguins sent the New York Islanders a conditional 2009 draft pick that will be a fifth-rounder if the Penguins fail to make the playoffs, a fourth-rounder if they bow out in the first round or third-rounder if they advance beyond that.

The only other move at the deadline that will bring a new face to tonight's game against Florida was the acquisition of forward Craig Adams, who was claimed off waivers from Chicago.

Guerin seems convinced his new club is headed for the postseason.

"This is just giving me another chance to compete for a Stanley Cup," said Guerin, who has a $4.5 million salary for 2008-09 and is eligible to be an unrestricted free agent after this season.

Guerin will go from the Islanders, last in the NHL, to a Penguins team that is seventh in the Eastern Conference and can catch sixth-place Florida with a win tonight in a conference showdown at BankAtlantic Center.

The 6-foot, 220-pounder, who once was regarded as one of the game's premier power forwards, needs one point to become the 14th U.S.-born player to reach 800 in the NHL. He became the eighth U.S. native to record 400 career goals Dec. 26.

With the Islanders, he was second in scoring with 16 goals, 20 assists in 61 games.

"I think we have the players he can play with and support to give him, and, likewise, he's going to do the same for us and give us the veteran presence, the size and the shot to make our other players better," Penguins general manager Ray Shero said.

Shero wouldn't predict where Bylsma might use Guerin in the stretch run, although a strong guess would be alongside center Sidney Crosby, who has missed the past four games because of a groin injury and said after participating in an optional practice that he is unsure if he will play tonight.

"I'd be thrilled. Who wouldn't be?" said Guerin, whose penchant for shooting the puck could dovetail with Crosby's playmaking. "But I'll play anywhere Dan wants to put me."

Guerin was the subject of negotiations with another NHL team earlier this week and was pulled out of the Islanders' lineup. Only after a deal fell through with a club Guerin and Shero declined to name did the Penguins get a shot at him.

To make room under the salary cap for Guerin and Adams, the Penguins reassigned winger Miroslav Satan to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, although he might not need to report there immediately as Shero looks at his options.

The Penguins signed Satan to a one-year, $3.5 million free-agent contract last summer with the hope he would click with Crosby.

"He's had a hard time getting on the top two lines this season," Shero said.

Satan -- who has a goal in two of the past three games playing mostly on a fourth line and 39 points overall but has been inconsistent offensively -- cleared waivers yesterday.

One thing that was not going to happen, Shero said, was a trade involving 20-year-old center Jordan Staal or a first- or second-round draft pick despite interest from teams.

Adams, 31, had become an odd man out in favor of the Blackhawks' young core. He dressed for just 36 games this season with Chicago, getting two goals, four assists. He has not played since Feb. 24.

"My role here was sort of diminished lately," Adams said.

He is two games shy of 500 for his NHL career, with 37 goals, 52 assists for 89 points.

Adams, who earns $600,000 this season and, like Guerin, is eligible for unrestricted free agency July 1, appears to be the sort of player who fits the Penguins' style.

"The strength of my game is getting in there on the forecheck, trying to be physical," he said.

In a swap of minor league defensemen with St. Louis earlier yesterday, the Penguins got 6-3, 195-pound Andy Wozniewski for Danny Richmond. Wozniewski, 28, will join Wilkes-Barre. He had one goal, 16 assists in 56 games with St. Louis' AHL affiliate in Peoria.

To clear room on their roster, the Penguins sent forwards Bill Thomas, a Fox Chapel native, and Tim Wallace to Wilkes-Barre.

In a surprising move involving the AHL Baby Penguins, winger Luca Caputi, one of the top prospects in their organization, was demoted to the Penguins' ECHL minor league team in Wheeling for violating unspecified team rules. Defenseman Jon D'Aversa was sent to the Nailers for the same reason, while forwards Chris Minard and Aaron Boogaard were healthy scratches for a game against Binghamton last night for similar violations.

"We're going to hold everybody accountable, no matter what draft pick you are or what prospect you are, or whether you're on an NHL contract or an AHL contract," Shero said.


Shelly Anderson can be reached at shanderson@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1721. Post-Gazette sports writer Dave Molinari contributed to this story.
First published on March 5, 2009 at 12:00 am

Heinz issues six-pack of Super Bowl ketchup

Wednesday, March 04, 2009
By Bob Batz Jr., Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/


Business wire

The commemorative Heinz Six-Pack' pays tribute to the Steelers' six championship titles.What would someone do with a Super Bowl six-pack? Not of championships, but of bottles of ketchup.

Find out by picking up a "Six-Pack" of 14-ounce, classic Heinz ketchup bottles in a cardboard holder, just released by the H.J. Heinz Co. According to a news release, sponsor of Heinz field, the pack of six bottles, each with a label commemorating a Super Bowl win, sells for $35.

You also can purchase individual 2008 Super Bowl bottles for $6 each. They'll be available until the next football season at myheinz.com (plus shipping, which adds $8 to $15 to local orders). The site also allows you to order Heinz products with custom labels.

You also can pick up the six-packs and bottles at Heinz gift shops at the Heinz 57 Center (357 Sixth Ave., Downtown) and at Prime Outlets, Grove City.

First published on March 4, 2009 at 3:24 pm

Penguins buying into Bylsma's philosophy

By Tricia Lafferty, TRIBUNE-REVIEW
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

A little more than two weeks ago, the Penguins were down and not quite out, but certainly not playing like a team that seemed confident enough or efficient enough to make a serious postseason run. Then came interim coach Dan Bylsma (right).
The Associated Press

TAMPA, Fla. — A little more than two weeks ago, the Penguins were down and not quite out, but certainly not playing like a team that seemed confident enough or efficient enough to make a serious postseason run.

Then came interim coach Dan Bylsma.

He inherited the team from Michel Therrien on Feb. 15, the day after the Penguins had fallen, 6-2, to the lowly Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Penguins have gone 5-1-1 since then and moved into the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference as of Monday.

"I think their eyes are up, their shoulders are pulled back a little bit more and they come with a purpose," Bylsma said. "There were a lot of eyes looking down at shoetops and the floor when I first came in here."

Call it a pep in their step, a newfound swagger or a rediscovered sense of confidence, Bylsma has instilled it into the Penguins.

There are still 18 games to be played before Bylsma can be deemed the savior of this season. Defenseman Sergei Gonchar, too, has played a big role in the Penguins' resurgence since he returned to the lineup after missing 56 games following shoulder surgery.

But it's the so-called players' coach who is pushing the Penguins "to become the best we can."

"I'll do that every way I can - with a smile, with a pat, with a push, with a shove and hopefully the guys they'll respond, they'll buy in and how good we'll become will be up to them," Bylsma said.

The Penguins — who have been without injured captain Sidney Crosby the past three games - are in the midst of a three-game win streak, something they haven't experienced since November.

A victory tonight over the Tampa Bay Lightning — the third contest of a five-game road swing - would mark the first time since December the Penguins have strung together three consecutive road wins.

"Guys come to the rink and they're playing with more confidence," defenseman Brooks Orpik said. "They're not afraid to make mistakes and that's huge. It carries over into games."

It's obvious during spirited practices likes yesterday's at the St. Pete Times Forum when the Penguins were joking and enjoying themselves despite traveling late the night before and waking up early to get to the rink.

"I didn't hear anyone complaining," Orpik said. "Maybe a month ago, guys were complaining to come to the rink. Now guys are excited to come to the rink. Guys are having more fun on the ice."

General manager Ray Shero promoted the first-year AHL head coach, who was in charge at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, in part, because "he's demanding and firm but also is a guy that's fair."

Players such as Jordan Staal (two goals in the past two games), Miroslav Satan (three goals in his past six games) and Max Talbot (three goals in the past six games) have, in particular, responded to Bylsma.

"The system is different, so obviously that helps," Talbot said. "We can be more aggressive and forecheck; that's my type of game."

Orpik explained that Bylsma is able to walk that fine line between coach and friend. The words accountability and respect have echoed in the Penguins' locker room. So far, the Penguins have responded to his style.

"He holds you accountable, but in the same way, he does it in a very constructive way, so I think guys appreciate that," Orpik said. "I don't think guys take advantage of it. Meanwhile, it's a really positive atmosphere."

Offensive line is OK, just look at trophy

Tuesday, March 03, 2009
By Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/

In this Nov. 16, 2008, file photo, Chris Kemoeatu lines up against the San Diego Chargers during a game in Pittsburgh. Kemoeatu turned down an offer from the New York Jets and re-signed Friday with the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers. (AP)

Steelers director of football operations Kevin Colbert and coach Mike Tomlin have earned the benefit of the doubt. When you win a Super Bowl, that's a given. Colbert and Tomlin are selling that their offensive line will be good enough to compete for another championship next season. I'm buying.

Actually, it's not so hard.

That line already has helped win one title, right?

I know what you're thinking:

The Steelers won Super Bowl XLIII despitetheir offensive line. There's no way they'll get that lucky again.

I beg to disagree.

The line's struggles last season were well-documented, the extenuating circumstances that contributed to those struggles not so much. Because All-Pro guard Alan Faneca left as a free agent, mediocre center Sean Mahan was traded and guard Kendall Simmons and tackle Marvel Smith were lost early for the year with injuries, the Steelers had to rebuild the line twice. In the end, they were left with a new center (Justin Hartwig), two first-year starters at guard (Chris Kemoeatu and Darnell Stapleton), a second-year starter at right tackle (Willie Colon) and a tackle who hadn't played on the left side on a full-time basis since his college days at Florida (Max Starks).

Not to make excuses.

Just being real.

"If you look at how those five came together as the season went on, I think it's fair to say their play improved," Colbert said at team headquarters yesterday. "That's reflected in the numbers."

The Steelers allowed 29 sacks in the first half of the season, 20 in the second half. OK, so maybe the line didn't "come on fantastically," as offensive coordinator Bruce Arians gushed at the Super Bowl. But it did get better, especially after running back Willie Parker bounced back from knee and shoulder injuries.

It's worth repeating:

The line was good enough to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.

"Hopefully, they'll continue to grow and improve," Colbert said.

Ben Roethlisberger is hoisted by Willie Colon and Chris Kemoeatu after Roethlisberger threw the game-winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter of the NFL's Super Bowl XLIII football game against the Arizona Cardinals in Tampa, Florida, February 1, 2009. (Reuters)

It's reasonable to expect as much. (No jokes, please, about how the line can't possibly be worse; I won't laugh). The added experience -- not just the regular season, but the run to the Super Bowl -- should help Kemoeatu, Stapleton, Colon and Starks. A second year in the system should be huge for Hartwig. As Colbert noted, "The center is the hub of communication for any offensive line."

The Steelers bet big money that the line will be significantly better. To keep it together, they tagged Starks as their franchise player, which means he's due to make $8,451,000 next season, although both sides hope to do a long-term contract before then. They signed Kemoeatu to a five-year, $20 million deal. And they gave Colon a $2,198,000 tender to all but make sure he'll be back for another season.

The Starks deal makes sense, unlike a year ago when the Steelers made him their transition player and had to pay him $6.9 million even though he opened the season as Colon's backup. That seemed like a ridiculously high-priced insurance policy at the time, but it turned out pretty well for the team when it had to cash it in and start Starks after Smith's back injury in the fifth game. This time around, the Steelers had to pay Starks. He's the starting left tackle on a Super Bowl winner. That's just the cost of doing business.

The Kemoeatu signing also makes sense, for continuity sake if no other reason. The Steelers clearly don't want to do that revolving-door thing again. "An offensive line is a unit. It's not about one guy or one position," Colbert said. Critics of the Steelers' line look at Kemoeatu more harshly than team management and other NFL clubs do. The Steelers like him enough that they released Simmons, who went out with an Achilles tendon injury in the fourth game last season. The New York Jets thought enough of him to make a slightly better offer than the Steelers'.

As for Colon, by offering him the high tender, the Steelers retained the right to match any offer he receives as a restricted free agent. If he does a deal elsewhere and they don't match it, they would receive a No. 1 draft pick as compensation. The latter scenario seems unlikely.

Colbert's work with the line isn't finished. The Steelers still will try to bring back tackle/guard Trai Essex -- a free agent -- or bring in another lesser-priced veteran for depth. They haven't given up on tackle Tony Hills -- their fourth-round draft pick a year ago -- as a backup even though he couldn't get on the field last season. And they will consider a variety of linemen in the April draft.

"You never want to put your head in the sand and think you don't have to get better at any position," Colbert said. "You always want to look to bring in new faces to build the thing up."

Still, the offensive line last season is the line now and almost certainly will be the line next season.

That's OK.

Really.

"The bottom line is winning," Colbert said. "Those guys helped us win."

Sold me.

Ron Cook can be reached at rcook@post-gazette.com.
First published on March 3, 2009 at 12:00 am

Steelers' Washington departs; McFadden in Arizona

Team's No. 3 receiver signs six-year, $27 million contract with Titans

Tuesday, March 03, 2009
By Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/


Peter Diana/Post-Gazette

Nate Washington's departure means Limas Sweed will likely move up as the Steelers' third receiver.

The Steelers lost their first free agent of the offseason when wide receiver Nate Washington signed with the Tennessee Titans, and they could be on the verge of losing another.

On the same day that Washington signed a six-year, $27 million contract with the Tennessee Titans, cornerback Bryant McFadden was visiting with the team the Steelers beat in Super Bowl XLIII, the Arizona Cardinals, and considering an offer from the NFC champions.

Washington, the team's No. 3 receiver, signed with the Titans -- the final team to beat the Steelers last season -- in a deal that guarantees him $9 million. An undrafted free agent from Tiffin College in 2005, Washington had 40 catches for 631 yards and three touchdowns last season playing behind Santonio Holmes and Hines Ward.

But he was also the team's fastest and most athletic receiver, and distinguished himself during one stretch in which he caught at least one pass of 48 yards or longer in four consecutive games.

His departure means Limas Sweed, a No. 2 draft choice last season, will move up as the third receiver and increase the likelihood the Steelers will use a high- or mid-round pick on a wide receiver in the April draft.


Peter Diana / Post-Gazette

Cornerback Bryant McFadden, center, is the only starter from the Steelers' defense who is an unrestricted free agent.

McFadden is the only starter from the NFL's No. 1 defense who is an unrestricted free agent, and the Steelers have talked to his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, about re-signing with them.

Rosenhaus declined comment yesterday when reached on his cell phone.

The Cardinals, who are coached by former Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt, have hired former Steelers assistant Billy Davis as their defensive coordinator in an attempt to incorporate more of a 3-4 alignment into their scheme.

McFadden is being viewed as a starter opposite cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.

But McFadden already might be running out of options, if not time, if he wants to snare some of the big money being tossed around on the free-agent market.

Free agency is only 5 days old, but already two other cornerbacks who, like McFadden, are unrestricted free agents have signed big contracts with other teams -- Atlanta's Domonique Foxworth received a four-year, $28 million deal with the Baltimore Ravens and Andre Goodman left the Miami Dolphins to sign a five-year, $25 million contract with the Denver Broncos.

Not only that, but the free-agent market for cornerbacks got a little more crowded last week when the Detroit Lions released Leigh Bodden, who played at Duquesne University; and the Kansas City Chiefs released Patrick Surtain because of salary-cap reasons.

But St. Louis Rams cornerback Ron Bartell decided yesterday to remain with the Rams rather than accept a five-year offer from the New Orleans Saints, who are also seeking a cornerback.

If McFadden leaves, the Steelers will replace him with William Gay, who started four games last season and finished the season rotating every second series with McFadden.


Gerry Dulac can be reached at gdulac@post-gazette.com.
First published on March 3, 2009 at 12:00 am

Kemoeatu re-signs with Steelers

February 27, 2009
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/teams/steelers/

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Left guard Chris Kemoeatu turned down an offer from the New York Jets and re-signed Friday with the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers, who would have been depleted on the offensive line without him.

Kemoeatu's contract is worth $20 million over five seasons and pays him a signing bonus of nearly $4 million, which is believed to be less than the Jets were offering. Nearly $6 million is guaranteed Kemoeatu, a former backup who started only two games during his first three Steelers seasons from 2005-07.

The Steelers released former starting right guard Kendall Simmons on Thursday. Losing Kemoeatu -- who helped them win a Super Bowl in his first season as a starter -- would have left them with former undrafted free agent Darnell Stapleton as their only experienced guard. Stapleton also was a first-year starter last season.

The Jets wanted Kemoeatu as the replacement for right guard Brandon Moore, but Kemoeatu preferred to stay with a team that has a chance to win a third Super Bowl in five years.

Last year, the Jets signed longtime All-Pro guard Alan Faneca from the Steelers, creating a starting job for Kemoeatu in his fourth season in Pittsburgh.

Kemoeatu was a Steelers sixth-round pick in 2005, likely dropping in the draft because of a 2003 incident in which the former Utah lineman kicked an UNLV player in the face while his helmet was off. Kemoeatu had been suspended for the first half of that game following an on-field dispute with a San Diego State player the week before.

Kemoeatu's contract is the same length as the $24 million, five-year deal Simmons signed in August 2007, only 18 months before Pittsburgh released him.

Simmons' contract included a $7.85 million signing bonus, of which the remaining $4.71 million will count against the Steelers' 2009 salary cap. The Steelers do not have to pay Simmons his non-guaranteed salary of $3.1 million.

Simmons missed the final three months of the regular season and the playoffs last season after tearing an Achilles tendon against the Ravens. The former first-round draft pick also sat out the 2004 season with torn knee ligaments that occurred during training camp.

Simmons' departure means the Steelers probably will be without two longtime starting offensive linemen who missed most of last season with injuries. Former starting left tackle Marvel Smith became a free agent Friday and is likely to leave following the decision to make Max Starks the franchise player.

Starks moved in at left tackle after Smith developed back problems for the second successive season. Smith was limited to five games in 2008, a year after back surgery caused him to miss the final month of the 2007 season.
Another Smith also got no guarantees from the Steelers -- guaranteed money, or a job.

Anthony Smith, the safety who unwisely guaranteed a victory over the then-unbeaten Patriots in 2007, became an unrestricted free agent Friday after the Steelers didn't tender him a contract.

The Steelers gave up quickly on Smith, whose career in Pittsburgh declined rapidly after he was a third-round pick from Syracuse in 2006. He angered coach Mike Tomlin not only by guaranteeing the Steelers would beat the Patriots a season later, but by getting beat for two touchdowns during New England's 34-13 victory.

Smith's playing time dwindled last season, and he was deactivated for all three playoff games.

By failing to make a $1 million, one-year qualifying offer to Smith, the Steelers won't receive a draft pick in compensation if he signs elsewhere.