Friday, March 30, 2012

Pitt: Your CBI Champions for 2012

Well, it's official, the University of Pittsburgh Men's basketball team is CBI Champions for 2012. I don't know if that's something to celebrate or not. I don't know if the Pitt players actually did celebrate, but it's the first postseason title for Pitt since they won the 2008 Big East tournament. I guess that's something.

Pitt defeated Washington St., 71-65, in the third and decisive game at the Peterson Events Center to claim the title. The championship round for the CBI is two out of three, and Pitt won the last two games after dropping the first game in Washington St.

Monday, March 26, 2012

Pitt in the CBI Finals

Man, I haven't updated this blog in over a week. That cold I was telling you about in my last post was/is an absolute bear. I don't even think it's a cold. A cold would be like a walk in the park compared to whatever this is. I had a fever, brutal cough, sore chest, the works. I'm still only about 80%.

But you don't want to read about my problems. You want to read about Pitt's basketball problems.

The Panthers advanced to the finals of the CBI tournament with a 68-62 overtime win at Butler last Wednesday. I found myself listening to it on the radio, and I actually got into it. I even surprised myself. It kind of reminded me of a Steelers game at the end of the year when they have everything wrapped up. I always tell myself that I'm not going to get into the game, but I always do.

That's how I felt on Wednesday when I listened to the closing moments of the game between Pitt and Butler. There was no reason for me to want the Panthers to advance to the finals of the CBI other than pride. And what pride could one get out of that? No matter what Pitt does the rest of the way, it's going to be hard for even the most loyal fan to really celebrate, and yet, there I was.

The main reason why I had to turn on the radio is because I couldn't find the score anywhere online other than an old score that hadn't been updated since halftime. That is how far off of the radar the CBI tournament is. The Yahoos of the world didn't even bother posting it on their "full" scoreboard.

If Pitt defeats the Washington St. Cougars in the finals, what sort of celebration will there be? I know Pitt's radio team headed by Billy Hillgrove and Dick Groat will go nuts. You should have heard those two on Wednesday as they reacted to what they thought was some real home-cooking in favor of Butler. They have CBI fever.

As for the rest of the Panthers, I wonder how they'll react. I wonder how the fans will react.

I guess it would be more rewarding if it was a grueling 16-team field, but Pitt was/is clearly the best team in the field.

Pitt begins their "quest" for the CBI title tonight in Washington St. It's actually a best of three format for the finals (that's right), with the last two to be played at the Peterson Events Center if necessary.

I guess that means Pitt is the higher seed.

Bring it home, boys!

Saturday, March 17, 2012

My 2012 Winter Vacation Review

Yes, this is the part of my vacation where I tell random people about how I spent it.

*In terms of blogging, I haven't had much time to write beings that I've been spending some quality time with my girlfriend. And that's not a bad thing. It's nice to see her because we always have a great time together. It worked out that my vacation coincided with her Spring break (none of your business how old she is), and we basically got to spend the entire week together. I certainly needed a vacation, we both did, because last month was one of the most stressful months that either one of us can remember.

*You might be wondering why I mentioned not being able to blog. I say that because I really love to write. Sometimes, it can be a chore, but for the most part, I love it, and when I can't do it, I feel like I'm missing out. Fellow blogger and pal, Keith Thomas from Steel Curtain Rising, once told me that for every one or two blogs that he posts, he has an idea for a few others that he never gets a chance to write due to time constraints. That is so true. I always have a few ideas floating around in my cranium, but as much as I want to sit down and devote time to writing as much as possible, I know I can't do that because of my other responsibilities in life.

*Fortunately, when it comes to most of my Steelers blog ideas, I have a pretty awesome outlet at Behind the Steel Curtain. In case I haven't mentioned it before, Michael Bean, the founder and editor of that awesome blog, asked me to be a contributor for the front page about a year ago, and that has given me a forum to write for a larger audience as well as hone my skills a little. I think I've gotten a lot better over the past year, but I hate to go back and read my own work because I either think it sucks, or I kick myself for leaving something out. I always have fun writing and reading the stuff on that blog. I said it before, and I'll say it again: It's the best Steelers blog on the net. And I'm not just saying that because I get to contribute on the main page, either. I was saying that back in 2010 when I was just posting stuff in the fanpost section. Anyway, there are many awesome contributors to the site, and the other writers set the bar so high, I feel as if I must post quality stuff just to keep up. One of these days, I'll start doing that.

*Not to shill too much for btsc, but on March 7th, the site won the annual "Pittsburgh's Best Sports Blog" tournament hosted on the blog "Sean's Ramblings." I don't know much about the blog, but he updates it pretty frequently, and that in and of itself is pretty impressive. He seems to have a lot of interesting content, plus, he's a fellow blogspotter. It's worth checking out.

*One last thing on Behind the Steel Curtain. I thought it was interesting that I wrote an article about Mike Wallace's contract status with the Steelers on Friday because I had much difficulty trying to post it thanks to Internet Explorer "upgrading" to IE9 on Thursday night. I started having trouble with javascript error pop up messages and other nuisances right before Christmas, but I just ignored them because I'm far from a computer expert; I just hoped that they would go away like magic. About a month ago, when I started getting pop ups that read "Internet Explorer has stopped working," I asked a kid at work what it could be. He said he wasn't sure, but he suggested that I download Google chrome and use that as my browser. I never considered that because I've never thought much about my browser; it was just something that I used to surf the net. I never considered the fact that some might be better than others. Besides, I'm usually pretty resistant to change, so I ignored the suggestion until yesterday and the IE download from hell. For an upgrade, it sure seemed like a downgrade to me. I was desperate and feared that I might have to get a new computer, so I faced my fears and downloaded Google chrome. I thought I was just grasping at straws, but believe it or not, browsers really do matter. Chrome is way faster than Internet Explorer, and I have yet to see a pop up error message. Anyway, the reason why I mentioned the Mike Wallace article on btsc is because I found it very frustrating to write due to the problems I was having with my browser, and I don't think it came out as well as it probably would have if I had been posting under normal circumstances. Two years ago, my very first fanpost on btsc was on a Friday during my summer vacation, and it, too, was kind of crappy. During the post, I mentioned Mike Wallace several times, and for some reason, I kept referring to him as "Williams." I don't know why I did that, and people were like, "who the hell is Mike Williams?" Fortunately, I was able to pick up my game after that. Hopefully, my Google chrome will make my Internet experience a much better one.

*Speaking of writing. I try to brush up on my punctuation from time to time, but it's one of those things where you're never quite sure if you're doing it right. For example, when do you put a comma before "because"? Should that question mark be outside of the quotations or inside? Should I always put a comma after a conjunction? What's a conjunction? Do too many commas turn a perfectly good thought into a run on sentence, and can I substitute a semi-colon for a comma just to break up the sentence? It's a never-ending battle, and it seems that every "grammar expert" on the net has a different answer.

*I mentioned before about how stressful February was for me. Well, one of the good things that came out of last month was me bowling my first ever 200 game in league play. I bowled a 213 last year during practice, but nobody was around to see it. If you bowl a 200 game when none of your friends are around, does it make a sound? Anyway, I just missed a 200 during the last game of my fall league last October. I entered the 10th frame with a 190, and on my first roll, I knocked down eight pins. Unfortunately, I left the 4 and 7, and for a recreational left-handed bowler such as myself, that's a pretty tricky spare to try and pick up. Needless to say, I whiffed on both pins and finished with a 198. I was still proud of my effort, but man, I wanted that 200. Would I ever get it? Fortunately, I've improved by game a lot over the past year or so, and I had a pretty decent run in the middle of the winter season where I bowled above my average for nine straight games and improved my score by 12 pins. It was during this run of success that I finally had my 200 game. Just like the 198 game, I didn't have an open frame until the 9th, but instead of having a 190 going into the 10th frame, I had a 181. I didn't like my chances of getting a 200, but on my first roll of the frame, I got a strike. Now, I only needed nine pins to pick up a 200. On my next throw, I knocked down eight pins and left two standing. What were the two pins? You guessed it, the good old 4 and 7. I couldn't believe it. It was like Deja Vu all over again. Fortunately, I only needed one pin, and I managed to get the 7 to finish with an even score of 200. It was a pretty big thrill.

*Another awesome moment occurred when my volleyball team managed an upset victory in the first round of the playoffs. We were one of the lower seeds like we always are, and I didn't have much confidence going in. A volleyball playoff match is a best of three, and we managed to split the first two games. For whatever reason, in the postseason, the third game of a volleyball match caps at 15 instead of the usual 25, and we found ourselves dead-locked at 10. This was the time for heroes to rise. Unfortunately, I was almost the goat as I was responsible for three pretty blatant errors and, suddenly, we were down, 14-10, and one point from elimination. Thankfully, my teammates saved my butt, and we managed to string together six-straight points to score the awesome victory. It was thrilling and taught me a pretty valuable lesson about teamwork. Sometimes, you save your teammates' butts and sometime they save yours.

*I've been focusing on rest and relaxation this week, but I've also been trying to get my exercise in. Unfortunately, on Tuesday, when I was out sprinting, I pulled my hip, and that put a quick end to my sprinting for the rest of the week. Since I'm quickly approaching 40, I'm sure it's easy to make "old" jokes, but I'll have you know that it's an old football injury that happened when I was 16. I thought it was a thing of the past, but I guess I'll never fully get over that. Speaking of old injuries, I don't know how professional football players get along years after they retire. If my hip is still bothering me after one hit during a pick up game 24 years ago, how much pain are those guys in after years of playing tackle football at the highest and fiercest level? Does it still take Jerome Bettis half a day to get out of bed?

*Maybe I am getting old because this marks like the third or fourth vacation in recent memory where I've come down with a cold. Yesterday, I woke up with a sore throat and a cough, and today, I don't feel much better. Yay me!

*Oh well, I've rambled on long enough. I still have the better part of two vacation days to enjoy, and maybe another blog or two to write.


Adios!

Friday, March 16, 2012

Now I really wish I paid more attention to the NCAA tournament this year. Two 15's knock off two 2's

Normally, this is the time of year when I go crazy over the NCAA tournament, but as I said the other day, my Pitt Panthers didn't make it in this year for the first time in a decade, and that has dampened by enthusiasm to the point of not watching at all.

Someone needs to slap me because I missed out on two incredible upsets on the second day of the first round of games.

For starters, number 15 seed Norfolk st. knocked off number 2 seed Missouri, 86-84.

A 15 seed defeating a 2 seed is historic. It happens once in a generation. When you see it unfold, you better remember where you are, because that memory will be frozen in time to be replayed time and time agai...........

Hold on. How about two 15's defeating two number 2 seeds in the same day?

Well, if you've always wanted to see that, today was your lucky day. And the number 2 seed that joined Missouri in the heartbreak hotel wasn't just another number 2 seed. No sir, it was everyone's basketball darlings, the Duke Blue Devils, who fell to Lehigh, 75-70.

That is pretty incredible.

I need to start paying attention the rest of the way.

Aaron Smith class-act until the end

I've been on vacation this week and sort of out of the loop with regards to a lot of things in the sports world. I would be remiss, however, in not mentioning the incredibly gracious ad that Steelers legendary defensive end Aaron Smith took out in this past Sunday's Post Gazette to thank the fans for their support during his 13-year career.

There isn't much to add to Smith's letter. It's classic number 91.

Thanks, Aaron!

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

You know how I know that I love football the most? Pitt's subpar season has left me ignorant to the rest of college basketball

Football was always my first love when it came to sports, but my passion for it becomes more apparent each and every year.

This season was a perfect example. The Steelers lost a heartbreaker in the first round of the NFL playoffs, but that didn't keep me from having a vested interest in the rest of the postseason action. And I was so determined to watch the Super Bowl, I skipped my bowling match that evening, and instead, rolled off a few hours before the game under the most horrific conditions imaginable.

Even during down years for my Steelers, I still pay close attention to the rest of the NFL action. I'm just a football aficionado, and I always will be.

It's not like that with other sports. Take baseball, for example. Outside of the Pirates, I haven't sat down to watch a baseball game for years, save the occasional postseason game, and I probably won't anytime soon. I WANT to love the sport of baseball like I did when I was a kid, but when your team is on the losing end of the inherent economic disadvantages of Major League Baseball, and it hasn't won in nearly two-decades mainly because of it, it kind of takes the spark out of the sport for you.

I consider myself a huge college basketball fan, but since Pitt had such a poor season, I couldn't get into the action this year. March Madness is normally the time of year when I get that warm and fuzzy feeling in my stomach. As a Pitt fan, I would eagerly anticipate where the team would be seeded in the field of 68 and then spend the rest of the week trying to justify picking them to win it all.

I normally love to watch college basketball, in general, and I usually pay attention to which teams are marching towards the Final Four, even once Pitt is knocked out.

However, this year, when it became quite apparent that the Panthers wouldn't be in the tournament for the first time in a decade, I quickly stopped paying attention to the rest of college basketball.

I have no desire to fill out a bracket. I know that seems almost unAmerican for a sports enthusiast such as myself, but even if I did fill out a bracket, it would be done in ignorance, as I really don't know which teams are the favorites. I know that Syracuse spent the majority of the season near the top of the rankings, but other than that, I'm just assuming that the Kentuckys and Dukes of the world are among the usual favorites to take it all.

It's a shame, too, because I'm off this week, and watching the first weekend of the tournament is usually the most awesome part thanks to the plethora of games.

Speaking of that, I've been so out of the loop with following college basketball this season, I was completely unaware that the Consol Energy Center would be hosting first and second round games this weekend.

If Pitt was in its normal top 10 form this season, I'm sure I would have been wondering if the selection committee would reward the team with a couple of games near campus. Sadly, however, the Panthers didn't play well enough to get anywhere near the field of 68, let alone get to play a game a few miles from the Pete.

Oh well, maybe I'll fill out a bracket, afterall. I normally do pretty poorly when I know what I'm doing.

Who would be able to tell the difference?

Oh, and when is the NFL Draft?

Pitt to play in something called the CBI

I went to bed Sunday night knowing that the Pitt Panthers didn't receive an invite to the NCAA tournament. I woke up yesterday morning assuming the Panthers were invited to the NIT tournament. If the NCAA tournament is the equivalent to a BCS game in college football, the NIT (National Invitation Tournament) is probably like the Gator or Sun Bowl--it's not a horrible way to end your season, especially if you win.

Well, if the NCAA tournament is like a BCS game, and the NIT is like the Gator Bowl, what is the CBI equal to?

I need to ask this now because the Panthers were actually denied a spot in the NIT (commonly referred to as the "Not Important Tournament" by discriminating fans whose teams actually get into the NCAA tournament), and instead, had to settle for an invite to the CBI tournament.

The CBI, or College Basketball Invitational, has been around for five years and is a 16-team tournament.

Pitt will play Wofford Wednesday night at the Peterson event center, and if they win, they'll get another home-game in the second round.

I guess, after 10-straight years of making the NCAA tournament, Pitt (17-16) still hasn't built-up enough cache to warrant an invite to the NIT.

Since the Panthers couldn't get into the 68-team NCAA field, or the consolation invitation to the 32-team NIT field, if they win the 16-team CBI tournament, will fans of opposing teams mock the Panthers next season by chanting "Number 101!"?

Oh, I get it. The CBI is like the BBVA Compass Bowl. As a fan of Pitt football, I can't believe I needed to write this whole blog just to figure out that comparison.

Gotcha!

Friday, March 9, 2012

Mario Lemieux is OK with how his statue looks. Penguins fans should be OK with it, too



Penguins legend Mario Lemieux was honored on Wednesday for his many contributions to the team--including rescuing it from obscurity as a player and bankruptcy as an owner--with a statue that was unveiled in front of the new Consol Energy Center.

It was a great tribute to one of the greatest athletes Pittsburgh has ever seen and one of the greatest hockey players of all-time.

I've never been much of a hockey guy, but I've always admired Mario for what he's done for the Penguins, and maybe more importantly, what he's done for the City of Pittsburgh. Heck, you might say Mario is to the Penguins what Babe Ruth was to the Yankees; Lemieux put the Penguins on the map and is basically the godfather of hockey in Pittsburgh.

Having said all that, however, I'm starting to get annoyed by all the radio heads and fans complaining about the statue that the Penguins finally settled on.

In-case you haven't seen the statue, it's of Mario deking out a couple of New York Islanders in a game in 1988.

A lot of critics think that the statue should have been of Mario standing by himself while hoisting the Stanley Cup or saluting the crowd after an awesome goal.

That sentiment has merit, but I like that the Penguins did something a little more abstract.

Lemieux was arguably the most physically gifted hockey player to ever wear skates, and he made a lot of guys look silly during his phenomenal career. What better way to honor him than to show him in motion?

And if you're really concerned about it, you should know that Mario is probably OK with it; that's good enough for me.

Maybe it's not the most perfect statue in the world--maybe the Penguins and the person who sculpted it could have made a more traditional choice--but one of the things I've always admired about Lemiuex is how grounded he is and how he keeps everything in perspective.

If the worst thing a person has to worry about is a statue that may not be as flattering at it could be, that person is living a pretty blessed life.

If Mario Lemiuex is fine with the statue that the Penguins dedicated to him, I'm fine with it, too.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Manny Sanguillen's game-winning single in Game 2 of the '79 World Series: A Vastly underrated moment in Pirates history

It's a moment frozen in time. Maybe the last real iconic moment in recent Pirates history. It was Game 7 of the 1979 World Series, and the Pirates found themselves trailing, 1-0, with two outs in the top of the 6th inning. Bill Robinson was on first base after a single. Willie Stargell, the heart and soul of the '79 Pirates, stood in the batters box, winding his bat in his familiar clock-wise manner. Orioles starter Scott Mcgregor unloaded a pitch, and much like he often did during his MVP '79 season, "Pops" brought his team from behind as he deposited the pitch over the right field wall and into the Pirates bullpen to give Pittsburgh a 2-1 lead that they would never relinquish. The Pirates went on to win, 4-1, and capture their fifth World Series title.

It was a tremendous victory for the Pirates, one that has been celebrated time and time again. But there may not have been a Game 7 if not for the heroics of Manny Sanguillen in Game 2.

After dropping the first game, 5-4, the Pirates found themselves in a 2-2 tie with the Orioles in the top of the 9th inning.

There were two-outs and Ed Ott was on 2nd base and Phil Garner on first. Sanguillen, in the twilight of his career and appearing in only 56 games in '79, pitch-hit for Bill Robinson and came through with a two-out single to right-field that barely scored Ott for the eventual game-winning run.

Sanguillen got a hero's welcome before game 3 in Pittsburgh, but his efforts were quickly forgotten as the Orioles took the next two games to go up 3-1 in the Series.

The only bright spot for the team through the first four games was Manny's clutch hit in Game 2. Otherwise, it would have been a clean-sweep for Baltimore.

Fortunately, the Pirates responded like few teams have in World Series play and staged an historic comeback. Once momentum shifted in Pittsburgh's favor, there was no turning back.

However, much like Hal Smith's three-run homer in the bottom of the 8th inning in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series that eventually paved the way for Maz's historic shot, the amazing performances by Omar Moreno, Tim Foli, John Candelaria, Jim Rooker, Phil Garner and Willie Stargell would never have been possible without the clutch hit from Manny in Game 2 that kept the team afloat through the rough first four games of the series.

Sanguillen accomplished a lot during his career--he made several All Star appearances and was the starting catcher of the '71 World Series team--but what he did in '79 as a little used utility player may have been his most significant contribution to Pirates history.

Sanguillen frequents a bar near my house. One of these days, I'm going to go up to him and shake his hand. He was just as responsible for that World Series title as any other member of "The Family."

However, if I never get the chance to shake his hand, maybe he'll read this blog and know how much I appreciate what he did.

Thanks, Manny!

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

One Down, Four to Go: Pitt Defeats St. John's, 73-59, in First Round of Big East Tournament

Every long journey starts with the first step, and Pitt took what they hope will be the first of five huge steps to the NCAA tournament after knocking off St. John's, 73-59, in the first round of the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden.

In recent years, the Panthers have responded in the conference tournament when their backs were against the wall, and they needed a good showing to either make the NCAAs or enhance their seed.

Obviously, this year, the Panthers are going to need to win the whole thing in order to earn an unexpected berth in the field of 68.

The last time the Panthers were in this position, 2001, they responded by winning three games in three nights and made it all the way to the Big East championship game before losing to Boston College.

Can Pitt go one step further this year? It's doubtful, but they can't worry about that right now. The only thing they can concentrate on is Georgetown tomorrow afternoon at 2pm. That would be step number two.

It's official: The Pirates sign Andrew McCutchen

The Pirates and centerfielder Andrew McCutchen agreed on a six year/$51.5 million contract and officially announced the signing today in their spring training home in Bradenton, Florida.

There was a lot of angst among Pirates fans in recents weeks and months after it appeared that the Pirates and McCutchen were too far apart to get a deal done.

Speaking of angst, some Pirates fans are still a bit skeptical of the deal and are comparing it to the Nate Mclouth signing and then subsequent trade to the Atlanta Braves in 2009.

There are people out there who completely distrust the Pirates front office, and they are just waiting for the team to now trade the newly-minted McCutchen for a bag of balls and some prospects.

If they were going to do that, wouldn't they have done it already, before going through the trouble of negotiating?

In my opinion, it's not even close to being anything like the Mclouth deal. Mclouth had his career year in 2008, when he made the All-star team, and give Pirates general manager Neal Huntington credit for recognizing that. Was it his master plan to sign Mclouth and then deal him away? I don't know, but when an offer was presented to him for three above average prospects, he had no choice but to act on it.

When the new front office took over in 2008, the Pirates had NOTHING in their farm system. In fact, an anonymous baseball executive was quoted as saying that the Pirates had, maybe, a half a dozen players in their entire system who could possibly play in the majors someday.

One of those players was obviously McCutchen, and that probably made it a little easier for Huntington to unload Mclouth.

And, for all of the skeptics out there, the Pirates got the better end of that deal. Charlie Morton, Jeff Locke and Gorkys Hernandez all still figure in the Pirates future in some capacity, and Mclouth barely did anything with the Braves. Heck, for all of you fans who are still bitter about losing Nate the Great, he re-signed with the Pirates this past winter. If you ask me, it's the best of both worlds.

No, I think a better comparison for the McCutchen signing would be the signings of Brian Giles and Jason Kendall back in 2000. Both players were considered cornerstones to the future of the team, and ownership wanted to show the fans that they were serious about having a successful future.

It didn't work out, but McCutchen seems to be a much more talented player than Giles and Kendall were, and the Pirates appear to be in a little better shape both financially and in terms of their minor league system than they were back in the late 90's.

Besides, I think McCutchen has only scratched the surface of the type of player he can become.

By the middle of this contract, McCutchen is going to seem like a bargain.

I think it's a good day for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Monday, March 5, 2012

Link to a story about the new NFL bounty scandal

This story on the new NFL bounty scandal involving the Saints pretty much says it all. And I get the feeling much, much more will be coming out about this stuff.

For the past couple of years, the NFL has been trying to do a better job of protecting its players from head-shots that result in concussions, and this might undo all that they've been trying to work towards.

As this story points out, this might be a league-wide problem that involves more than just the saints, and teams that Gregg Williams coached on.

This might be the 2012 version of Spygate.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

America's Game: The Super Steelers edition

I was out today and decided to pick up the America's Game Steelers collection. It's a five-disc set covering the Steelers first five Super Bowl championships.

I'm not going to do a review of this right now, but I will say that I've only watched one episode so far, and it was tremendous. I've read some reviews of this on Amazon, and there were complaints about it being a re-hash of stuff that most long-time Steelers fans have known about for years. Well, I've been following the Steelers since 1980, and there were things discussed in interviews with Franco Harris, Andy Russell and Joe Greene that I never heard before. There was also tremendous footage that I hadn't seen.

There's even some awesome network post-game footage of the locker room Lombardi presentation that, for someone my age, was completely new.

One Amazon reviewer did bring up a good point. Why is it so hard to find old network broadcasts of games in their entirety other than the Super Bowls? I'd love to get my hands on a copy of the Steelers 1974 AFC Championship victory over the Raiders, but other than a few snippets on Youtube, I doubt I'll ever see that game or have a chance to buy it on DVD.

Just a minor complaint.

Anyway, I hate to sound like just another Amazon reviewer, but this collection is a must have for all Steelers fans, and you owe it to yourself to go out and buy it now. You won't be sorry!

And, you probably should order it on Amazon or another online broker. It'll probably be way cheaper than what I paid for it at Parkway Center Mall.