Mark Madden Columns category, Page 28

Mitch Trubisky is the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting quarterback. That was a lock the minute he signed. But the Steelers clearly are enamored with rookie Kenny Pickett, even beyond having drafted him with the 20th pick overall. What’s not to like? Pickett has done well in his brief pro tenure. He’s...

Dennis Eckersley of the Boston Red Sox TV crew was not complimentary of the Pittsburgh Pirates during Tuesday’s broadcast: “You talk about a no-name lineup. There’s no team like this,” Eckersley said. “This is a hodgepodge of nothingness. It’s ridiculous. It really is.” Eckersley sounded dumbfounded. The Pirates hadn’t played...

Inside linebacker Devin Bush is entering the final season of his contract. But Bush doesn’t seem worried about his Pittsburgh Steelers tenure potentially reaching its end. “I’m still going to be in the NFL, so we’ll see,” Bush said. Gee, Devin … you sure about that? Bush had a great...

The horse manure got deep after Kenny Pickett’s preseason debut Saturday. “We will forever remember Pickett’s first exhibition game.” Something like that. We won’t. I can’t remember Ben Roethlisberger’s first exhibition game, and he will make the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Heck, I can’t remember most of his playoff...

On Thursday, the NBA retired Bill Russell’s No. 6 league-wide. He was the first NBA player to be so honored. He was an 11-time champion, a civil rights pioneer and the league’s first Black head coach. Russell passed away July 31. But there was a disclaimer: Players already wearing No....

Chicago linebacker Roquan Smith wants to be traded. The Steelers might be interested, at least in the mind’s eye of our fertile imaginations. Smith is good. Smith, 25, was the eighth pick overall in 2018. He has been second-team All-Pro in each of the last two seasons. Devin Bush isn’t...

Kevin Durant picked Kyrie Irving over Steph Curry. He went to Brooklyn and finagled with the roster. It turned into an excrement show. Durant has won one playoff series during his two seasons in Brooklyn. He wants to be traded, but it appears no team wants to give up what’s...

The Pirates’ intent is always in question. Their competency is doubtful, too. But you’d think they could at least get the inaugural class of their in-house Hall of Fame right. They didn’t. Fifteen Pirates and four Pittsburgh-based Negro League stars will be honored in a ceremony Sept. 3 at PNC...

Steelers training camp is the home of the “hold-in.” If it wasn’t born there, it was perfected there. It’s part of the scenery, like lawn chairs. T.J. Watt’s was the noisiest. Diontae Johnson’s was the latest. Minkah Fitzpatrick limited his to OTAs and minicamp. Cam Heyward did it. Probably. It...

Mitch Trubisky mostly has struggled at Pittsburgh Steelers training camp. He had a streak of 17 straight incompletions during seven shots. On Thursday, Trubisky punctuated going 0 for 4 during one team period by swinging his helmet in frustration. Trubisky is with a new team and learning a new offense....

Diontae Johnson lost his hold-in. He won’t acknowledge that. But he has. The Steelers won’t give Johnson what he wants: A contract extension with an average annual value of $20 million or more. Negotiation won’t change that. The Steelers don’t often give receivers a second contract. Hines Ward and Antonio...

The large mob of Pittsburgh Steelers fans attending training camp at Latrobe is exemplary of our predilection for the meaningless. So enjoy refreshing sports notes, the most disposable of words! • Mason Rudolph is going to earn the Steelers’ starting quarterback job. But he won’t get it. So much for...

Those who feel Kenny Pickett should have got a presidential-style motorcade into Latrobe, then gifted the Pittsburgh Steelers’ No. 1 quarterback job are either dumb or don’t pay attention, perhaps both. Patrick Mahomes was drafted 10th overall in 2017. He started once as a rookie. Jordan Love was drafted 26th...

Coach Mike Tomlin says he won’t micromanage or overmanage the Steelers’ quarterback situation. But Tomlin will and is. That’s why three quarterbacks are getting equal reps in a “competition” that’s already decided. But the Steelers have effectively handled replacing Ben Roethlisberger. (Getting him to quit was the problem. Now it’s...

Pay attention to the non-battle at quarterback if you like. But Mitch Trubisky will be the Steelers’ starting quarterback. There’s no “competition.” Meantime, plenty of legit issues surround the Steelers as training camp opens. Their problems are great, and they are many. • If the Steelers don’t get much improved...

The Steelers took Kenny Pickett with the 20th pick in this year’s NFL draft. The Steelers took Ben Roethlisberger with the 11th pick in the 2004 NFL draft. Pickett was the first quarterback taken. The next QB didn’t go till the third round. Roethlisberger was the third quarterback taken. Eli...

When the Steelers drafted Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett with the 20th selection in this year’s draft, a lot of you thought he might start. Not me. I said that if the Steelers drafted him, Pickett should start. But he won’t. I wouldn’t have drafted Pickett. But the Steelers did. The...

In 2021, Pat Narduzzi had his best season since taking over as Pitt football coach in 2015: His Panthers went 11-3, won the ACC and went to a New Year’s Six bowl. The offense was the driving force of the two platoons, averaging 41.4 points (third best in the nation)...

Blood pressure skyrocketed in Pittsburgh when Acrisure Stadium was christened and the ketchup bottles were removed. They were presumably stored right next to the Joe Paterno statue. But locals already have found a different insignificance to babble about. (It never takes long.) The EA Sports Madden NFL video game player...

The Penguins got older but also better. They heightened their chances for winning immediately, but the subsequent plummet will be that much more precipitous. That’s the plan. A Faustian bargain. Will it work enough? Anything less than playing in the Eastern Conference final seems a letdown. Even that wouldn’t really...

The Pittsburgh Pirates are starting an in-house Hall of Fame. The initial inductees get unveiled Sept. 3 before the Pirates’ home game vs. Toronto. This illustrates the Pirates’ two primary philosophies: “Don’t look here, look over there” and “Here’s a reason to buy a ticket besides lousy baseball.” The first...

The Pittsburgh Penguins aren’t in prime position. Not like from 2008-18. They’re a pretty good team, no better. Their stars are aging. They haven’t won a playoff series since ’18. They have few prospects to refresh with. They’re stale. Not a legit Stanley Cup contender. But it could be worse....

Ron Hextall executed his plan, and did it well. Whether or not it’s the correct plan, and how well it works, is yet to be seen. The Penguins GM kept all four of his marquee free agents, bringing each in at under market value. Probably. The word is that Evgeni...

The priorities of Pittsburgh sports fans are way out of whack. A Twitter poll with more than 10,000 responding showed more than 30% voting would rather see Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin retire as Pittsburgh Penguins than have the team win another Stanley Cup. You always can pick...

It’s uncertain how the Evgeni Malkin contract saga will end. But one thing is definite: There will be a bad guy. If the Pittsburgh Penguins’ final offer is two years and Malkin declines, the team is the bad guy. If the Penguins’ final offer is three years and Malkin declines,...