Not a good weekend for the Pirates. They were swept by the powerful Dodgers and lost Francisco Cervelli to the concussion list once again. I’ve never seen a team that has had this many injuries in a season. Unfortunatly, that’s part of baseball and so is playing the big market teams that spend millions without even blinking an eye. It’s not a fair contest, but that’s baseball.
• Despite Joe Musgrove calling for the Pirates to add to their pitching staff, don’t look for the team to make any big moves. Sure, Dallas Keuchel remains unsigned, but there’s no chance the Pirates will sign him. They won’t pay his price and could never outbid teams like the Yankees who have shown interest. The Pirates would also never give up a high draft pick they’d have to forfeit if they signed him by June 1. This is one move that will never happen.
• Josh Bell was most deserving for being chosen as the National League Player of The Week. He’s off to a terrific start and is becoming one of those guys you’d pay to see. Bell is capable of hitting a home run every time he comes to the plate. He’s also drawing comparisons to the great Willie Stargell with his tape-measure shots. I’m really happy for Bell. He had a terrible second season in Pittsburgh. He appears to have solved his hitting woes. That’s good news for Josh and the Pirates.
• It sure looks like Phil Kessel’s days in a Penguins uniform are numbered. Even if the proposed trade to the Minnesota Wild falls through, and word is Kessel may nix the deal, it’s pretty obvious the Penguins are going to move the temperamental star. Kessel holds all the cards since he has eight teams in his contract that he would accept a trade to. If it’s not the Wild, it will probably be another team soon, perhaps even before the draft. The fact that Jack Johnson is a major piece of the proposed trade to the Wild also tells me the Pens will aggressively try to move him as well. Needless to say, it’s going to be a very interesting few weeks when it comes to the Pens.
• Though it’s been less than a year, I think it’s safe to say the Chris Archer trade by the Pirates is shaping up to be a disaster. Archer struggled last year when he came over in the deal. He’s now 1-5 after another bad outing. What makes the trade ever worse for the Pirates is the fact that Austin Meadows and Tyler Glasnow are both thriving in Tampa. I wrote last year after the deal was done that I thought the Pirates seriously overpaid for Archer. Right now I think they got fleeced.
• Ben Roethlisberger finally broke his silence after a really bad off-season for the Steelers’ starting quarterback. Big Ben took the high road for the bitter departure of star receiver Antonio Brown. He also apologized for not leading the Steelers to the playoffs last year, something he felt he should have done. I applaud Ben for doing what he did, but honestly don’t think he needed to apologize to anyone. I also think he’s really motivated after last year’s disappointing year.
• Not long after Big Ben’s apology, former Steelers linebacker and coach Joey Porter took his shots at the Steelers’ QB. That made me laugh. Porter was no stranger to trouble, both on and off the field. For him to call out Big Ben is downright comical. All you have to do is consider the source.
• There was some good news in Roethlisberger’s remarks to the media. He said that he will honor the new three-year deal he signed with the Steelers. That means no more year to year speculation as to whether he will keep playing. The new contract takes Big Ben to his 40th birthday. He is still playing at a very high level and shows no signs of slowing down. Unless he suffers some serious injuries, I expect Big Ben to be really good for the Steelers and keep them in contention in the AFC.
• At the same time the Steelers opened their off-season OTA’s, Mr. Big Chest, Antonio Brown, failed to show up for his new team’s workouts. The workouts are voluntary, so Brown didn’t have to be there. Still, it’s not a good way to start off with a new team. Brown’s actions and recent shots at Big Ben tell you all you need to know about the guy. He’s a cancer, and it’s just a matter of time until the Oakland Raiders find that out.
• Why does the NBA let celebrities act like complete idiots when they sit courtside. New York Knicks’ head cheerleader Spike Lee has made a fool of himself at Madison Square Garden for decades. These days, vulgar rapper Drake has become a major distraction courtside watching his Toronto Raptors. If the average fan acted like these two they would be escorted out of the arena immediately. Yet Lee and Drake get a free pass. It’s ridiculous and it’s insulting to all those who actually act civilized at sporting events.
• The Toronto Raptors first trip to the NBA Finals is a great story. That said, the Raptors are no match for the Golden State Warriors. Even without the best player in the world, Kevin Durant, Golden State is a prohibitive favorite, and well they should be. They’re going for their fourth title in five years and are loaded. I like the Warriors in six, and hope that Durant sees action in the Finals before he leaves the team in free agency.
• The St. Louis Blues have never won the Stanley Cup. I’d love to see them do it, but doubt they will beat the Boston Bruins. The B’s have blown away the competition in the East. I just don’t see them losing four games in this series. I’ll take the Bruins in six. Look for the city of Boston to throw its third victory parade in less than a year.
• RIP Bart Starr. The legendary Green Bay Packers’ quarterback was one of the classiest guys ever. I will never forget waiting outside the old Three Rivers Stadium in the early 70s hoping to get autographs from some players. It was freezing outside, and most players wanted to get out of there as fast as possible. Not Bart Starr. Despite the bitter cold, he signed every single autograph. I never forgot that. Sports need more guys like Bart Starr, a champion both on and off the field.
