Mark Madden Columns category, Page 36
Mark Madden: Ben Roethlisberger is playing poorly, but his legacy among Steelers greats is secure
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...
Mark Madden: Steelers have many problems on offense, but the elite defense is average at best
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...
Mark Madden Hot Take: Brady-Belichick meeting has massive hype but won’t prove anything
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...
Mark Madden: Dominoes falling unfavorably for Penguins season
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...
Mark Madden: Remaining Steelers games are about humility, survival, avoiding embarrassment
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...
Mark Madden: Steelers season figures to end poorly for Ben Roethlisberger
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...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Mike Sullivan needs to compromise on Penguins’ system
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...
Mark Madden: Penguins need to get younger, but prospects are limited
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...
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...
