Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Circle this date on the Steelers schedule. It will tell us a lot
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ schedule was officially released Thursday. I’m not one to go game by game, predicting every score and toting up a record. It’s absurd to forecast September when it’s only May and you’re not sure who the quarterback is, never mind December. But I see a swing game....
Mark Madden: There are reasons to like where the Steelers are heading, and it starts with the coach
I have a sense of optimism about the Pittsburgh Steelers, however dimmed by the ongoing Aaron Rodgers fiasco. Not to do great things this year, but to build a foundation for beyond. Big-picture thinking, perhaps accidentally. Diluted by employing a geriatric quarterback. (I hear Rodgers is in town for a...
Mark Madden: Penguins caught between nostalgia and rebuilding as Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby decisions loom
Evgeni Malkin becomes a free agent July 1. President of hockey ops/GM Kyle Dubas says the Pittsburgh Penguins “would love to have him back.” Malkin says he wants to play. So, what’s the holdup? Dubas has already re-upped lesser lights like winger Connor Dewar and defenseman Ilya Solovyov. Dubas’ press...
Mark Madden: The Pirates will hover around playoff contention but have their flaws
Are the Pittsburgh Pirates good enough to make the playoffs? The MLB season is only one-quarter complete. But that’s a big small sample. The Chicago Cubs have had two 10-game winning streaks and might run away with the National League Central. The Pirates linger on the edge of the wild-card...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: The Penguins are moving too slowly toward being a contender
Alex Ovechkin very likely wants to play another season. The Washington Capitals don’t necessarily want that. Ovechkin scored 32 goals this season, but his mobility has declined. He might be 30 pounds overweight. But he’s the NHL’s all-time leading goal-scorer and the franchise’s best player ever. The Capitals can’t tell...
Mark Madden: A city breathlessly awaits Aaron Rodgers’ arrival
Aaron Rodgers is coming to town! Like Santa Claus, only Rodgers looks older. His sleigh may have landed by the time you read this. (It’s akin to when TV stations track Santa on Christmas Eve.) Given his aversion to decision-making, Rodgers may check his list more than twice. Opinions on...
Mark Madden: The Penguins painted themselves into a corner … so live with it
Sports are in an era where fanboy drivel and appeasement mean as much as (and probably more than) trying to build a winner, especially if it’s not “win now.” Fans want stars retained indefinitely because they wear that star’s jersey. Nostalgia. Giving a proper send-off. Feel-good moments. Vibe. Aura. All...
Mark Madden: Connor McDavid’s clock is ticking, and Edmonton isn’t helping
The Edmonton Oilers’ window to win a Stanley Cup might be slamming shut on Connor McDavid’s legacy. After losing the last two Stanley Cup finals, the Oilers got eliminated by the Anaheim Ducks in this year’s first round and looked “mediocre” all season, to quote McDavid. (Not exactly what a...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Ben Kindel is Sidney Crosby’s heir
Ben Kindel isn’t and won’t be the player that Sidney Crosby is. But in some ways, Kindel is Crosby’s heir. He’s incredibly serious for a 19-year-old. (Just turned.) He sits next to Crosby in the dressing room, absorbing like a sponge. He’s known for watching video, constantly being on the...
Mark Madden: Penguins face emotional, roster-altering decision with Evgeni Malkin
To Geno or not to Geno? For the Penguins this off-season, that is certainly the most emotional question. Evgeni Malkin will be a free agent July 1. He wants to keep playing, and for the Penguins. He will be 40 when next season begins. Malkin smoothly switched from center to...
Mark Madden: Penguins’ season was fun, surprising but, ultimately, wasted
The Pittsburgh Penguins’ first-round playoff loss to Philadelphia isn’t hard to analyze: They couldn’t score. A group that finished third in goals during the NHL regular season with 293 — the most by a Penguins team in the Sidney Crosby era — scored just 11 times in six playoff games....
Mark Madden: After drafting Drew Allar, the Steelers no longer need Aaron Rodgers
Did the Pittsburgh Steelers have a good draft? Probably not. In the first round, they got outmaneuvered for the player they wanted. There were six first-round caliber wideouts in the draft. The Steelers settled for one below that line. They took a return specialist in the fourth round. Way too...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Steelers buy another lottery ticket at quarterback
The Pittsburgh Steelers took a quarterback in the third round of this year’s NFL Draft for the simplest of reasons: They don’t have a quarterback. Not really. Aaron Rodgers remains uncommitted and, at 42, will soon turn to dust anyway. It’s too late for Mason Rudolph. He’s a career backup....
Mark Madden: Bad calls, bigger problems: Penguins exposed beyond NHL officiating
NHL officiating is, by far, the worst of the major sports. In the playoffs, it finds a whole new level of wretched. Witness Game 3 of the Penguins-Flyers series Wednesday at Philadelphia. Sidney Crosby got called for the first embellishment penalty of his 21-year career. As Penguins coach Dan Muse...
Mark Madden: Why are the Steelers letting Aaron Rodgers drag them around again?
Aaron Rodgers still hasn’t agreed to play a second season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. What’s the holdup? Ex-Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch suspects it’s about money. ESPN’s Adam Schefter says that’s not the case. The stooge media says Rodgers’ return is a lock. That the Steelers know with certainty when Rodgers...
Mark Madden: Flip the Script? Penguins getting written out instead
When the Pittsburgh Penguins made the playoffs, their PR catchphrase was “Flip the Script.” Receipts time. Revenge tour. You doubted us, but we showed you. Looks like the doubters were right. It just took longer than expected to manifest itself. Perhaps the Penguins will, indeed, flip the script in Game...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Steelers should target Drew Allar — and move on from Will Howard
The Steelers had four collegiate quarterbacks make pre-draft visits. Will one get drafted? It’s presumed Aaron Rodgers is coming back. Mason Rudolph is a needed, capable backup. New coach Mike McCarthy pontificates about second-year pro Will Howard, but that might be just talk. McCarthy is a quarterback guy. Howard’s smokescreen...
Mark Madden: Penguins-Flyers will be fast, physical, unforgiving and more series thoughts
As you prepare for the Pennsylvania derby, gird your loins via refreshing Penguins notes and keep your head on a swivel. It’s going to be that kind of series. • Philadelphia coach Rick Tocchet said his Flyers will “go after” Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin. Some interpret that...
Mark Madden: Penguins vs. Flyers in the Stanley Cup playoffs just means more
The old enemy. Playing Philadelphia in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs seems scripted. Miss the postseason for three years, then get re-introduced via the Battle of Pennsylvania. The Flyers hadn’t made the playoffs since 2020. It will be intense. But the problem with this script is that...
Mark Madden: Penguins made the right call to sit stars, despite fan backlash
Social media gives a voice to the voiceless. It’s a shame it doesn’t give a brain to the brainless. Being mad is our new national sport, and was indulged in the wake of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ lineup decisions for the weekend’s home-and-home with the Washington Capitals. Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Penguins should stick with Egor Chinakhov on top line
When it comes to line combinations, Penguins coach Dan Muse finds himself with a multitude of choices. The Penguins can legitimately roll four lines and be better for it. There’s scoring depth: 11 forwards with 10 goals or more. The stars are spared too many minutes and the accompanying wear...
Mark Madden: Time is running out on hockey’s greatest individual rivalry
Saturday’s and Sunday’s home-and-home between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals could be the last chapters in the NHL’s greatest individual rivalry ever. I hope not. Alex Ovechkin has 31 goals this season. He’s surely more than a bit dinged up given his career-long breakneck method, but Ovechkin can still play....
Mark Madden: After 21 seasons, Sidney Crosby’s consistency remains unmatched
Sidney Crosby has done much that will be remembered, not least three Stanley Cups and six international gold medals. That’s all Crosby cares about. More than perhaps any superstar athlete, he’s untroubled by statistics. They’re a side dish that comes with the steak, but Crosby is pure carnivore. He wants...
Mark Madden: After unexpected success this season, can the Penguins win a playoff series?
As the Pittsburgh Penguins lurch toward a playoff spot in the slightly more good than bad fashion that’s marked their season, it’s time for perspective. When hostilities commenced in October, the Penguins were thought to be a bottom-five team, the goal being to get a top-five draft pick and select what...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Bucco Fever is boiling again, and it’s an odd disease
It was a great day at the ballpark for the Pirates’ home opener Friday. I didn’t go. I’m getting prepared for that area being under martial law — worse yet, Roger Goodell’s iron fist — when the NFL Draft comes April 23-25. I can’t wait to stay away. Or till...
