Mark Madden stories, Page 36
Mark Madden: Not a fan of the Manning brothers’ ‘Monday Night Football’ simulcast, but it works
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...
Mark Madden: Injuries turned Steelers defense into weakness, and offense just stinks
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...
Mark Madden Hot Take: Lou Angotti did his job so the Penguins could draft Mario Lemieux
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...
Mark Madden: Steelers holding up their end in early going, while future opponents endure struggles
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....
Mark Madden: Norm Macdonald hosting the ESPYs will never be forgotten
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...
Mark Madden: T.J. Watt, Steelers defense were good as advertised and will need to be all season
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...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Big contract means higher expectations for Steelers’ T.J. Watt
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...
Mark Madden: Pirates great Dave Parker is one of Hall of Fame’s many absurd absences
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...
Mark Madden: Steelers have plenty of question marks entering opener with Bills
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...
Mark Madden: Embarrassing moments have punctuated Pirates season
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...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: What’s the holdup with T.J. Watt’s contract?
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?...
Mark Madden: When it comes to NFL and vaccines, ‘dependability is more important than ability’
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,...
Mark Madden: For some athletes, it’s easier to prioritize fame over accomplishment
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....
Mark Madden: Steelers will beat disheveled Bills in Week 1
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...
Mark Madden Hot Take: Given Steelers’ schedule, betting under 8.5 wins is tempting
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,...
Mark Madden: Gregory Polanco’s career has been a disaster for Pirates
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.)...
Mark Madden: Some NHL teams retire numbers too frequently; the Penguins do it right
The New York Rangers are going to retire goaltender Henrik Lundqvist’s No. 30. Lundqvist played 15 seasons. He never won a Stanley Cup. He played in just one Stanley Cup Final. He won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goaltender once. If Lundqvist had played for Buffalo, he’d be...
Mark Madden: Optimism is growing for Steelers season, but key decisions remain
I had the Steelers pegged at 7-10 before training camp started. But within the limited context of a preseason exclusively featuring games against bad NFC teams, the Steelers are providing cause for limited optimism. Like 9-8 tops. Don’t go overboard. But to merit ascension to borderline playoff contention, the Steelers...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: CM Punk’s return to wrestling with AEW should have WWE concerned
As baseball Hall-of-Famer Satchel Paige once said, “Don’t look back. Something might be gaining on you.” Roman Reigns, WWE’s top dog, said something that suggests he’s looking back: “CM Punk was not as good or as (popular) as John Cena…(he) didn’t move the needle like The Rock.” Punk, 42, left...
Mark Madden: How would Roberto Clemente have fared in a few more seasons with Pirates?
Roberto Clemente’s birthday was this past Wednesday. If Clemente were still alive, Gregory Polanco would be his superior in right field, but only marginally. Keep in mind Clemente would be 87. Clemente’s birthday sparked debate over how the Pirates might have fared had Clemente not been killed in that New...
Mark Madden: Steelers’ level of risk taking will make, or literally break, Ben Roethlisberger
Jacksonville may not start rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence right away, mostly because the Jaguars’ suspect offensive line would put this year’s first overall draft pick at too much risk. Cincinnati would have done well to follow that path with last year’s No. 1 pick, Joe Burrow. As a rookie, Burrow...
Mark Madden: Dwayne Haskins should focus on long game with Steelers QB job
Sports media rule No. 1: When in doubt, write or talk about the quarterback(s). Dwayne Haskins is third-string, but Stephen A. Smith and Max Kellerman argued about him on ESPN. That rule especially applies to refreshing sports notes: The QB is the leadoff hitter. • Mason Rudolph is going to...
Mark Madden Hot Take: NFL taunting is stupid, not fun
The NFL plans to crack down on taunting. Only 10 flags were thrown for taunting last season. It was the league’s least-penalized infraction. It would be better if the NFL kept T.J. Watt from being held on every snap. Perhaps Watt circumvents that by refusing to play. Taunting has defenders,...
Mark Madden: Steelers can control narrative in training camp, but results speak differently
What is the big story of Steelers training camp? We’re told it’s not T.J. Watt refusing to be a full participant in practice while his contract extension gets settled (if it does). He’s their best defensive player, but…nothing to see here. We’re told it’s not Kevin Dotson being dropped to...
Mark Madden: Mike Lange stands among the Penguins’ all-time greats
With Mike Lange, you could watch a hockey game on radio. Sounds dumb, but it’s true. Lange brought the action to life. He conveyed the electricity, the build. Lange didn’t just call the goal. He subtly told you the goal was imminent. He had a sixth sense. That sense didn’t...
