Mark Madden Columns category, Page 26
Mark Madden: You think the Steelers are close, but close to what?
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ win on Franco Day was dramatic, inspirational and happy. It was cool more than cold. That’s saying something given game-night temperatures. Despite the frigidity, it might have been better in person than on television. The crowd at Acrisure Stadium was small but rabid. It deserved that victory....
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Mitch Trubisky should remain Steelers’ backup plan next season
The Steelers should keep Mitch Trubisky as their backup quarterback next season. It should be an easy decision. Trubisky is comfortable coming in mid-game. He’s a mature, seasoned pro. His salary cap hit for next season is $10.6 million. Combined with Pickett’s cap figure of $3.2 million, the Steelers’ investment...
Mark Madden: Hurricanes’ forecheck, shooting make for tough matchup for Penguins
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Refreshing sports notes nipping at your nose… • Carolina beat the Penguins for the second time in five days Thursday. The Hurricanes would be a hard playoff matchup for the Penguins. Their man-to-man method of forechecking frustrates, and their style of putting pucks on...
Mark Madden: Like play that made him famous, Franco Harris was catalyst for all ’70s Steelers accomplished
If the Immaculate Reception happened now, with plentiful camera angles and replay review, would Franco Harris’ touchdown stand? Probably. The call on the field was a touchdown. None of the video available concludes decisively that it was incorrect. That the ball bounced directly from Frenchy Fuqua to Harris, which was...
Mark Madden: Steelers create illusion with old-fashioned victory behind defense, running game
The Pittsburgh Steelers won the old-fashioned Steelers way on Sunday. They rushed for 156 yards. They possessed the ball 36 minutes. They had a 21-play drive that took 12 minutes and ended with a touchdown. They played solid defense, especially in the red zone. They were 12 for 16 on...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Expect Tristan Jarry to get extension, hefty raise from Penguins
The Penguins retained their key free agents this past offseason, most notably Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. But GM Ron Hextall faces another challenge this coming summer when goaltender Tristan Jarry gets to free agency. Jarry, 27, is in the last season of a three-year contract with a cap hit...
Mark Madden: Mismanagement of Steelers’ quarterback situation spans years
The Pittsburgh Steelers have thoroughly mangled their quarterback situation. That mismanagement could reach a new crescendo Sunday at Carolina if Mason Rudolph starts. Yesterday’s object of ridicule becomes today’s unlikely hero. Unless he screws up. Things first got botched when the Steelers eschewed any sort of succession plan as Ben...
Mark Madden: Alex Ovechkin deserves respect, but is he worthy of top-5 all-time status?
After putting his previous four goals into an empty net, Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals got three past a goalie Tuesday night, the last of those giving him 800 on his career. There’s no belittling Ovechkin’s empty-net success. They don’t ask how; they ask how many. After Mario Lemieux...
Mark Madden: Go ahead and blame Mitch Trubisky for loss, but Steelers have many warts
When Kenny Pickett relieved Mitch Trubisky in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Week 4 home loss to the New York Jets, Pickett threw three interceptions. That was OK. The kid has a lot to learn. Be patient. When Trubisky relieved Pickett and served up three picks in Sunday’s home defeat vs. Baltimore,...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: George Pickens’ outburst wasn’t a problem, but where does it lead?
Wide receiver George Pickens exploded on the Pittsburgh Steelers sideline last Sunday at Atlanta because he wants the ball more. Pickens’ outburst has been excused by his coach, teammates and the media that cover the Steelers. A competitor should want the ball, we’re told. You’d rather have to say “whoa”...
Mark Madden: Longtime Penguins executive, coach Eddie Johnston belongs in Hall of Fame
Halls of Fame have lost much of their significance. Too many mediocrities get inducted, turning them into Halls of Very Good, or even less. Baseball’s best hitter ever isn’t enshrined at Cooperstown. That discredits the institution, not Barry Bonds. But if I can make a legit case for somebody who’s...
Mark Madden: The Steelers could win out, but the season’s a lost cause anyway
The Steelers aren’t very good. But they are determined. Coach Mike Tomlin doesn’t necessarily make his teams or players better. But he does get those in his employ to compete doggedly and pursue lost causes. The Steelers are more likely to collapse when they’re on a roll than to pile...
Mark Madden: Steelers winning streak is no renaissance, just bad football
Refreshing sports notes: As delicate and delicious as a field-goal attempt pinging off the goal post, then dropping in for three points. Matthew Wright is a trick-shot artist. • The Steelers defeated two lousy teams by narrow scores, nearly blowing the game in the second half both times. The Steelers...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: U.S. men’s soccer team accomplished nothing, as expected
Let’s finally bury the romantic notion that U.S. men’s soccer will ever be anything more than it was at this year’s World Cup. It won’t be. The U.S. team did exactly like expected. It scored just two goals in three games to narrowly navigate its way through a weak group...
Mark Madden: Don’t cancel Jack Edwards for harmless Pat Maroon fat jokes
Pat Maroon is maybe five pounds overweight. He’s a professional hockey player. How fat could he be? But the Tampa Bay winger nonetheless became a martyr for the overweight via an incident that took petty and self-righteous to a whole new level. Jack Edwards does play-by-play for Boston Bruins games...
Mark Madden: Penguins’ Sidney Crosby making deserved case for 3rd Hart Trophy
Sidney Crosby doesn’t split the defense as often as he used to. If you’re looking for things the Pittsburgh Penguins captain doesn’t do at 35, that’s it. Everything else is business as usual. Crosby has maintained his skills and style at the same level he has kept up his conditioning....
Mark Madden: Penguins have shown they can be good but also inconsistent and stubborn
The Penguins had won five straight going into Saturday’s home game vs. Toronto. They reminded us that they could still be a good team. Then, in that game, they reminded us that they could be a bad team. They lost handily, 4-1. A mangled line change gifted Toronto’s Mitch Marner...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: If you don’t like soccer, go watch the boring NFL
The United States tied England in World Cup group play 0-0. The usual American outrage immediately began to flow. It mostly revolves around not enough goals and a game concluding in a tie. “Why would I watch a game that ends 0-0?” The easy answer: don’t. Soccer is popular far...
Mark Madden: Few seem to understand the gravity of Steelers’ situation
The Pittsburgh Steelers are terrible. As bad as their 3-7 record. But the Steelers myth continues. The horse manure gets laid on thick. This guy is playing well. That guy is playing well. T.J. Watt is a menace. Kenny Pickett is improving. Mike Tomlin is a Hall of Fame coach....
Mark Madden: Diontae Johnson hasn’t performed like the Steelers’ No. 1 receiver
The Pittsburgh Steelers are 3-7. It’s hard to remember when they were this far out of the playoff race this quickly. Maybe 2003, when the Steelers started 2-6 and finished 6-10. They lost their first four games in 2013 but rallied to go 8-8 and miss a wild card by...
Mark Madden: Steelers’ $108 million defense responsible for loss to Bengals … and 3-7 record
The diversion continues, and effectively so. The Pittsburgh Steelers offense collapsed in the second half vs. the visiting Cincinnati Bengals. “They do the same plays over and over,” Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt said. The offense got just 52 yards and one first down in the second half till a garbage-time...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Narcissistic Cristiano Ronaldo steals spotlight from World Cup
Cristiano Ronaldo is soccer’s version of Antonio Brown. A lot better, admittedly, and slightly less crazy. But no less narcissistic. On the eve of the World Cup, Ronaldo has done interviews lambasting his club, Manchester United, and those who would dare be critical of him. United have found success without...
Mark Madden: Penguins can always count on Sidney Crosby to bounce back
Let’s celebrate the recent snowfall with refreshing sports notes. No two are identical! • Sidney Crosby played one of the worst games of his career in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 5-2 home loss to Toronto on Tuesday. He was on the ice for all five Maple Leafs goals. But Crosby regrouped...
Mark Madden: Stubborn Penguins in danger of missing playoffs
The Pittsburgh Penguins are in trouble. It’s not too soon to say that. In fact, it may get late early. Whatever can go wrong, is. Their recent seven-game losing streak is the headliner. But the devil is in the Penguins’ details, and the New Jersey Devils are 13-3. They didn’t...
Mark Madden: Nervous, sloppy, unsure, Kenny Pickett isn’t ready to be Steelers’ starting QB
When Kenny Pickett became the Pittsburgh Steelers’ No. 1 quarterback as of the second half of the Week 4 loss to the visiting New York Jets, it felt permanent. Pickett’s the guy, his time is now, this is the beginning, you deal with hiccups, but Pickett stays in. But now,...
