Mark Madden stories, Page 34

Aaron Rodgers has been publicly flirting with the Steelers on Pat McAfee’s satellite radio program. (McAfee knows good shtick when he hears it. I do, too.) But there’s no chance Rodgers moves from Green Bay to Pittsburgh next offseason. Why would Rodgers want to play behind that offensive line? Why...

If you’re upset because the Pittsburgh Steelers are having a bad season, don’t be. No team is good indefinitely. The Steelers started 11-0 last year, then lost five of six and showed clear symptoms of disintegrating. So did quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Their already-bad offensive line further imploded via retirement and...

The Steelers flat-out stink. They may use their illusion next Sunday at Heinz Field by beating a Denver team that’s not near as good as its 3-1 record. But, after a Week 1 upset at Buffalo that now looks totally illogical, the Steelers have been mostly non-competitive in losses to...

Sunday night marks the Super Bowl in October. It will be disappointing, like many actual Super Bowls, but for different reasons. Tampa Bay’s visit to New England has little chance to be a good game. It’s billed as the showdown between the greatest quarterback ever and greatest coach ever. But...

As the Pittsburgh Penguins prepare to open a new season, a lot of dominoes seem poised to fall, not all of them good. With Evgeni Malkin out for two months (probably three) and Sidney Crosby out for four games (probably eight to 10), the Penguins must avoid not burying themselves...

Yinzer Nation got chapped when ex-Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Mike Hilton danced, waved and took a theatrical bow to fans at Heinz Field (not including the 10,000 no-shows) when his current team, Cincinnati, was finishing an easy 24-10 victory this past Sunday. Locals also took offense when Bengals receiver Tyler...

Before the season, I wondered whether the Steelers would regret bringing back Ben Roethlisberger and whether Roethlisberger would regret returning. That time may have arrived. Roethlisberger’s stats are rotten. For every good pass, he makes two that are bad. Roethlisberger’s throws have zip and accuracy only sporadically. He’s pushing the...

Since he took over as Pittsburgh Penguins coach in 2015, Mike Sullivan’s system has emphasized speed and skill with zero compromise. It’s time for compromise. Plan B is needed. With Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin hurt to start the season, it’s all but impossible for the Penguins to execute what...

The Penguins wrapped up prospects camp and moved on to training camp proper. Despite a paucity of young talent in the organization, there’s no truth to the rumor that the ice was empty at prospects camp. Had it been limited to legit prospects, however, the Penguins probably could have employed...

I hate the Manning brothers’ “Monday Night Football” simulcast on ESPN2. I can’t get through more than 90 seconds at a time. It’s football expertise presented as inaccessible insider gibberish by two guys who think they’re funny but decidedly aren’t. (Think Tony Romo minus the polish and understated wit but...

The Steelers should fire their groin coach. Inside linebacker Devin Bush and cornerback Joe Haden weren’t available for Sunday’s home loss to Las Vegas because of bad groins. Edge rusher T.J. Watt left before halftime with a groin problem. Nose tackle Tyson Alualu’s malaise is a bit more tangible: He...

The Penguins have had a few great coaches, not least Stanley Cup winners like Mike Sullivan, Bob Johnson and Scotty Bowman. (Yeah, I know one guy is missing. I said “great,” not “opportunistic.”) “Miracle” worker Herb Brooks had a brief tenure. Eddie Johnston was underrated and a skilled tactician. But...

The NFL season is just one week old, but things are looking up to a delightful degree for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Baltimore is falling apart. Its running back room imploded. Two cornerbacks are hurt. All-Pro left tackle Ronnie Stanley is sidelined. The Ravens are ravaged by injuries of varying degree....

Norm Macdonald loved sports. He hosted the short-lived “Sports Show with Norm Macdonald” on Comedy Central in 2011. He often live-tweeted golf tournaments. The Canadian-born Macdonald was a hockey and Montreal Canadiens fan. Macdonald gambled: “Never bet football ‘cause the ball ain’t round.” He went broke twice. Macdonald’s viewpoint toward...

If the Steelers are to have a blueprint for success in 2021, Sunday’s upset victory at Buffalo might come close to what’s needed. The defense won the game. T.J. Watt spurred the defense to win the game. Within the admittedly narrow microcosm of Week 1, the superstar outside linebacker delivered...

Now that T.J. Watt has signed his record-breaking contract, expectations for him must rise. Watt got star quarterback money. He has got to do star quarterback things. The Pittsburgh Steelers’ record and finish is undeniably tied to Watt just as much as it is Ben Roethlisberger, perhaps more so. If...

It’s so much more fun to talk about the Pirates as they used to be. I went to Wednesday’s game against Detroit. (I had Club Cambria tickets. I always go first-class.) The announced attendance was 8,382. But I’d bet there weren’t more than 2,000 people in the stands. There were...

It’s difficult to be optimistic about the Steelers. A decent training camp provided a slight nudge in that direction. But T.J. Watt didn’t start practicing till Wednesday. Stephon Tuitt is injured/grieving/out of shape and could miss half the season, maybe more. Zach Banner is hurt — he is always hurt...

As the Pirates’ season mercifully winds down, one wonders: What is their most embarrassing moment from an embarrassing 2021 season? The cumulative is actually more embarrassing than anything. The Pirates are on pace to lose 106 games. They have lost six in a row and eight of nine. They are...

Why hasn’t T.J. Watt signed yet? We keep getting told a contract extension is imminent. But the definition of “imminent” cites a time frame that is momentary, not several weeks. Are the Pittsburgh Steelers flinching on giving Watt the guaranteed money he wants, reportedly in the neighborhood of $100 million?...

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick says he didn’t cut quarterback Cam Newton because Newton declined to get a covid vaccination. But absolutely, he did. Belichick just wasn’t dumb enough to say it out loud like Jacksonville Jaguars coach Urban Meyer. Belichick doesn’t necessarily appear to be pro- or anti-vaccine,...

America is in the age of gravitating to the stupid. Less than two weeks before the PittsburghSteelers season begins, JuJu Smith-Schuster was filmed doing the milk crate challenge. You stack milk crates, then climb and walk the length of them. The goal is to not go splat, but many do....

Viva Las Vegas and viva refreshing sports notes! Bet over your head, not with it. • The Steelers will beat host Buffalo in the opener. The constant covid debate surrounding the Bills has them disheveled. The Steelers are all football. Steelers win. You heard it here. • Shouldn’t T.J. Watt...

I had planned to bet $5,000 on the Steelers to have less than 8½ wins (-134). But the Steelers raised doubt by having a good preseason. But their schedule is daunting. Perhaps I should bet on the Steelers to have less than 9½ wins (-230). That seems like a lock,...

Gregory Polanco got waived by the Pirates one day, then started for them the next. That is so Polanco and so Pirates. The Pirates should alternate Polanco and some other bum like Anthony Alford in right field. (Alford got waived by the Pirates in April but stayed with the organization.)...