Mark Madden stories, Page 14

This is a magical time of year for Pittsburgh Steelers fans. Optimism runs rampant. Mock drafts pile up. We imagine that new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith will revolutionize, not be a different take on the same outdated offensive philosophy. (The vision is Mike Tomlin’s, not the coordinator’s.) We’re told Smith...

Arthur Smith is the new offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers. That’s an indictment of Kenny Pickett and potential opportunity for Ryan Tannehill. Smith relies on the run and plays it safe with quarterbacks. He wasn’t hired to develop Pickett. Smith will minimize Pickett and try to mask his deficiencies. That...

The Pittsburgh Penguins have nine days between games and are five points out of a playoff berth as the NHL All-Star break beckons. They have won 21 games, lost 23. They have games in hand on seven of the eight teams they’re chasing. The Eastern Conference is mostly rotten. The...

The Steelers are trying to convince a promising young offensive mind to take the job as offensive coordinator and conquer the notion that you can’t shine excrement. They might have to settle for older and recycled. Here’s the solution: Pull a reverse “Ted Lasso” and hire Jurgen Klopp. Klopp just...

There are usually two sides to every story. But not in the case of Aliquippa High School football being forced to play at the 5A level despite having 2A enrollment. The Quips are getting railroaded by the PIAA. Consider Southern Columbia, a school in Central Pennsylvania that has won the...

Refreshing sports notes: They’re popular, they’re a lazy writer’s retreat and they super-serve the limited attention span of the stupid. Everybody wins! • Lots of fuss is being made about prime targets for the Steelers’ offensive coordinator job: Zac Robinson, Kliff Kingsbury, etc. Here’s betting the Steelers get whoever the...

The Penguins were on a 10-4-3 run heading into Monday’s visit to Arizona. That seems pretty good, but not really. That’s 10 wins, 7 losses. Don’t be lured by the siren song of the loser point. Before the Penguins started that run, they were six points out of a wild-card...

A summation of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2024 offseason before it happens: • Mike Tomlin retained as coach, given contract extension. (Already halfway home on that.) • Somebody connected to the organization or city hired as offensive coordinator. Byron Leftwich seems the heavy favorite. #BuddySystem • Mitch Trubisky cut. Mason Rudolph...

The NHL trade deadline is March 8. The Pittsburgh Penguins must do a lot better between now and then to justify not trading winger Jake Guentzel, who is a free agent at season’s end. For me, the minimum level would be top two in the Metropolitan Division, a reborn power...

It’s another season of no progress for the Pittsburgh Steelers. They were never in danger of beating Buffalo on Monday and now have officially gone seven seasons without a playoff win. They have no clear answer at quarterback and will go with the inferiority of Kenny Pickett next season no...

Erik Karlsson spoke cryptically about the Penguins’ overtime failures after they lost thusly at Carolina on Saturday: “I have my theories, but I’ll keep it to myself.” Karlsson’s teammates and coaches should want to hear Karlsson’s ideas or what just about anybody thinks. Two of the Penguins’ problems have hit...

The NFL produced almost $12 billion in shared income in 2023. Average revenue for each of the league’s teams was nearly $600 million. The franchises have their cities over a barrel, holding them hostage to build (mostly gratis) anything the teams want. There’s no excuse for every team to not...

Mason Rudolph will start at Buffalo. But Kenny Pickett is still QB1 on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ official depth chart. Mike Tomlin got salty when he was asked about it. This has zero to do with Sunday’s playoff game. But it’s an aggravating look inside the screwy way Tomlin and the...

Wings aren’t what’s best about Buffalo. Beef on weck is better. Refreshing Pittsburgh Steelers notes are even juicier. Have you ever seen the Buffalo Bills win the Super Bowl? • T.J. Watt’s absence will hurt when the Steelers visit Buffalo. But sacks that don’t occur on third or fourth down...

Even if the Pittsburgh Steelers’ wild-card game at Buffalo ends their season, at least we get to witness two great quarterbacks go toe-to-toe. In the blue and red corner, Josh Allen. He’s not afraid to throw an interception. He takes chances and reaps reward. Big man. Big arm. Twenty-nine touchdown...

Mike Tomlin extended his record of no losing seasons ever to 17 years when the Pittsburgh Steelers beat Seattle last week. That emboldened Tomlin’s defenders. “The media is so dumb. Why do we do the media? Bunch of jackasses,” said Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce, taking a break from...

The best sports story in town wears No. 87, and it’s not Rodney Williams. We lead off refreshing Pittsburgh Penguins notes with a healthy dose of the captain. • Sidney Crosby skating madly to negate an icing call in the waning moments of the Penguins’ 6-5 victory at Boston on...

T.J. Watt was voted the Pittsburgh Steelers’ MVP for the fourth time in five years. Very well deserved. Leads the NFL in sacks. (Still hasn’t won a playoff game.) But in today’s high-octane NFL, you won’t accomplish much if a defensive player keeps getting team MVP. More specifically if your...

As we celebrate Mike Tomlin not having a losing season for the 17th straight time, keep in mind the Pittsburgh Steelers should be 11-5. If the Steelers don’t make the playoffs, it will be because they lost consecutive home games to Arizona and New England, both teams with 2-10 records...

This is the time for cliched, year-in-review “best of 2023” lists. But Pittsburgh sports had no “best of 2023.” All the major sports teams were rotten. All seem pointed in the wrong direction. The Steelers, Penguins, Pirates and Pitt football were a combined 20 games under .500 in 2023. The...

Hines Ward, in his eighth year of eligibility, will once again not make the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He’s not yet even been a finalist. This isn’t an outrage, nor would it be outrageous if Ward made it. The former Pittsburgh Steelers wideout defines being borderline. Three receivers are...

Erik Karlsson’s brief tenure with the Penguins has been odd. The reigning Norris Trophy winner as the NHL’s best defenseman has not made enough positive impact in the areas it was logically assumed. Karlsson’s statistics are fine: 22 points, plus-9 in 32 games. His advanced stats are good, too. Karlsson...

Saturday’s home win vs. Cincinnati might be the proverbial Pyrrhic victory for the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was fun, but what was gained? And at what cost? Wideout George Pickens quit on a play the week before, then was decidedly non-apologetic. His punishment? Nothing. So, Pickens went out against the Bengals...

Ex-Penguin Colby Armstrong is entertaining, and a rising star in hockey media. When he talks, many listen. Me, too. But Armstrong is pushing this misguided agenda that Sidney Crosby should get the Selke Trophy as the NHL’s best defensive forward. Crosby is very deserving. He probably should have won the...

Here’s my dream scenario for Saturday when the Pittsburgh Steelers host the Cincinnati Bengals at Acrisure Stadium: Mason Rudolph throws for 350 yards and three touchdowns. Steelers put up 40-plus points, which seems impossible but also necessary because their defense has zero legit safeties and just one real inside linebacker. Steelers...