Mark Madden stories, Page 49
Mark Madden: Steelers should go back to Mason Rudolph at quarterback
Every duck has his day. But for Devlin Hodges, his day is done. The Steelers should start Mason Rudolph in Sunday’s game at the New York Jets. Hodges caught lightning in a bottle. He won three games as a starter, one in relief. But when confronted by a good defense...
Mark Madden: Getting scratched, yelled at doesn’t qualify as ‘abuse’ in NHL
Hockey is a physical, grueling sport. Those who play it are tough. So why do they need a help line? NHL commissioner Gary Bettman recently instituted measures to curb coaching misconduct. Among those measures is a help line that current or former players can use anonymously to report abuse. No...
Mark Madden: Cheating Patriots should be banned from NFL playoffs
After Spygate in 2007, the New England Patriots lost a first-round draft pick. Coach Bill Belichick was fined $500,000. The team was fined $250,000. That punishment was fair. But the Patriots kept cheating. The NFL’s discipline inexplicably got lesser. After Deflategate in 2015, quarterback Tom Brady was suspended four games,...
Mark Madden: Curious coaching decisions part of Steelers latest victory over Cardinals
Punch ’em in the beak, and put it on my bill! The Duck dynasty is upon us, and we’re quacking up! Hey, sports editor: Post these refreshing sports notes on the web. Beak, bill, quack, web, GET IT? I might be mallard-justed. Duck, you suckers! • Never mind Jordan Berry...
Mark Madden: There’s no goalie controversy; Matt Murray is the Penguins’ No. 1
The Penguins don’t have a goalie controversy. Not yet. Backup Tristan Jarry has played well: He’s 5-1 with a 1.86 goals-against average and .941 save percentage in his last six games. He made 28 saves as a Penguins team missing seven regular players blanked Stanley Cup champion St. Louis, 3-0,...
Mark Madden: Steelers QB ‘Duck’ Hodges is the man … for nowVideo
“Duck” Hodges is scripting an amazing tale. But it won’t be the great American novel. More like a short story. Hodges’ career is in its glory phase and denouement simultaneously. The Pittsburgh Steelers’ next four games plus any playoff contests (fingers crossed) likely will be the only time in Hodges’...
Mark Madden: Penguins need to ride out struggles with injury-depleted defense
Brian Dumoulin is out eight weeks after ankle surgery. Justin Schultz is sidelined by a lower-body injury. That leaves two big holes on defense. The Penguins also are decimated up front in the absences of Sidney Crosby, Nick Bjugstad and Bryan Rust. (Just when Rust got red-hot, too.) But the...
Mark Madden: Don’t crown Lamar Jackson, Ravens just yet
Are the Baltimore Ravens the NFL’s best team right now? Yes. Can they be the NFL’s best team on a frozen January day in Foxboro, Mass.? Maybe. New England is said to be “in trouble” despite a 10-1 record. At 43, quarterback Tom Brady might finally be fading, albeit in...
Mark Madden: Current Steelers-Browns rivalry doesn’t compare to battles in ’70s
For those imagining Sunday’s game between the Steelers and Cleveland will morph into a blood feud or race war on Heinz Field’s grass or in its adjacent parking lots, think again. The current fans and players are soft as puppy excrement compared to those competing and watching when Steelers vs....
Mark Madden: Steelers must hope defense makes QB pick insignificant
Mike Tomlin has not committed to a starting quarterback for this week’s home game against Cleveland. Mason Rudolph stunk out the joint before being pulled in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 16-10 win Sunday at Cincinnati. Devlin Hodges wasn’t much better, manufacturing a big play thanks to a James Washington stiff-arm, not...
Mark Madden: Myles Garrett’s unproven racism accusation will follow Steelers QB Mason Rudolph forever
Cleveland’s Myles Garrett accused the Steelers’ Mason Rudolph of using a racial slur in the moments preceding Garrett swinging Rudolph’s helmet at Rudolph’s head. Garrett’s indefinite suspension nonetheless was upheld. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said the league investigated Garrett’s claim and “found no such evidence” it’s true. But that doesn’t...
Mark Madden: Penguins can’t get out of their own way
The Pittsburgh Penguins have played terrific. Structurally and fundamentally, they’ve been at their best since the 2016 and ’17 Stanley Cup seasons. Their defense and penalty-kill are top-notch. Their speed and energy are high. They are 11-7-3 and hold the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot despite a crippling slew of...
Mark Madden: A tale of two quarterbacks, using that term loosely
A tale of two quarterbacks (if I may use that term loosely): • Mason Rudolph should have been suspended for one game after that melee at Cleveland on Thursday. I am not outraged by Rudolph being merely fined, and I agree with the other discipline handed down. But Rudolph started...
Mark Madden: Without benefit of takeaways, Steelers get exposed by BrownsVideo
Let’s get this out of the way: Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett bashing Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph with his own helmet was egregious and merits his indefinite suspension (which lasts at least through year’s end). I’d hate to see the courts involved because that accomplishes little and continues...
Mark Madden: Penguins 4th line shows value during stretch of injuries
Mid-decade, the New York Islanders’ forward unit of Casey Cizikas, Cal Clutterbuck and Matt Martin was dubbed the “best fourth line in hockey” — even though it often played more than their third line. Better to be a great fourth line than an OK third line. But that line was...
Mark Madden: Steelers need to focus on substance, not style
If Ben Roethlisberger returns at 100% next season and the Steelers’ defense maintains its current elite level, 2020 could be a special year. But it’s still 2019, and the word that currently applies is “weird.” The Steelers might make the playoffs without beating a team that makes the playoffs. Their...
Mark Madden: AEW gives wrestling industry a jolt
BALTIMORE — Less people are watching pro wrestling than ever. But those still viewing spend more money on it than ever. That’s why more and more wrestling programming gets crammed on network and cable television. WWE is on USA on Monday. Impact is on AXS on Tuesday. On Wednesday, All...
Mark Madden: The good and bad with the Penguins
Brr! It’s cold in here! There must be refreshing Pittsburgh Penguins notes in the atmosphere! They warm you up as the temperatures drop! • The Penguins have had a totally healthy roster for two periods this season. Staying afloat at 8-6-1 speaks to the team’s resilience and the organization’s depth....
Mark Madden: It’s still hard to get too optimistic about Steelers
The Steelers are 4-4, have won three straight and are in the playoff hunt because the standings say so. But I can’t take them seriously. Their first three wins came against teams with a combined record of 5-20. Sunday’s victory came against a third-string quarterback. The Steelers kept trying to...
Mark Madden: Gerrit Cole’s post-Series behavior is sign of the times
We are experiencing a new breed of athletes. Gerrit Cole’s primary goal in baseball isn’t to win a World Series. It’s to hit free agency. Antonio Brown cares about branding more than playing, not figuring that the latter facilitated the former. (Brown might realize that now as he sits at...
Mark Madden: Pirates owner Bob Nutting’s babble is worthless without action
The rebranding of the Pittsburgh Pirates sailed through calm waters when owner Bob Nutting met with the media Monday. The lure was cast. The media bit. Fished in, just like “Wayne’s World.” The changes made will prove cosmetic. Mere rebranding. Business will be conducted like always: Profit über alles. I’m...
Mark Madden: A lot to like as Penguins navigate early rash of injuries
Rarely does a team build momentum during a three-game losing streak. But the Penguins did exactly that, then won 3-0 on Saturday at Dallas. Now, with two marquee home games looming — the old enemy from across the state Tuesday, Connor McDavid on Saturday — the Penguins are getting healthier...
Mark Madden: Pittsburgh Spirit’s Stan Terlecki finally honored by Indoor Soccer Hall of Fame
Indoor soccer barely exists anymore. There’s a low-level “pro” loop, the Major Arena Soccer League. Some of its members trace their names back to the game’s peak in the ’80s: Baltimore Blast, Dallas Sidekicks, San Diego Sockers. But it’s not the same. The Major Indoor Soccer League (1978-92) and North...
Mark Madden: Antonio Brown, Jalen Ramsey prove NFL players have the power
Antonio Brown set a standard for every star player in the NFL, however chaotically so. It had nothing to do with his talent. That might be on ice for keeps because Brown ultimately outsmarted himself. But Brown set wheels in motion that will turn the NFL into European soccer. Whenever...
Mark Madden: Nice job, Duck, but Mason Rudolph should be Steelers starting QB
For a third-string quarterback from a small football college who didn’t get drafted, Devlin Hodges has made considerable impact in Pittsburgh. Between his duck calls, duck T-shirt and duck tweet that included a duck video, Hodges seems ready to establish a duck dynasty. One obstacle: The moment Mason Rudolph is...
