Friday’s “First Call” features some wild speculation about Le’Veon Bell and the Steelers. The Penguins’ next opponent is sliding. And Charles Barkley has an epic insult for one of his former teams.
Green means … go?
If the New York Jets do trade Le’Veon Bell, the Steelers and the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs are being tabbed as two possible destinations.
At least by one outlet.
ProFootballTalk.com says we should keep an eye on those two franchises as potential trade partners if the New York Jets decide to deal the former Pro Bowl running back after just one season in green.
“I wouldn’t be stunned to see him wind up back in Pittsburgh,” Mike Florio said to Chris Simms.
“You’re right,” Simms replied. “That’s the one place I look at and go ‘I can see that happening.’ Then the Jets maybe pay part of the salary. It’s going to have to be something like that.”
Bell is on the books for a $15.5 million cap hit and $13 million in salary this year. And if he is unwilling to adjust that number, don’t look for the Steelers to bring him back.
And Bell has said he’d be unwilling to do that in the past. Plus, factor in all the spilled milk over how he left the team 11 months ago and his franchise tag protest of the year before.
As for the Chiefs, they just got a 104-yard day out of Damien Williams in the Super Bowl. So they may not need a running back of Bell’s price as badly as some may think.
Don’t forget that Bell is fresh off of saying he wants to remain in New York. That doesn’t mean the Jets have to keep him. But it does suggest that any desire for a divorce would be one-sided.
And maybe not even from the New York front office. But just from head coach Adam Gase.
Then there is the small matter of Bell’s poor production in 2019. His three touchdowns, 3.2 yards per carry and 789 yards rushing were all career lows.
Flailing in Florida
After a 4-2 loss in Tampa Bay last night, the Penguins travel to Sunrise, Fla., for a game Saturday night against the Florida Panthers.
They got a slick wraparound goal from Upper St. Clair’s Vincent Trocheck on Thursday against Marc-André Fleury and the Vegas Golden Knights.
Vincent Trocheck uses his blazing speed to set up the wraparound goal! ↩️
— FOX Sports Florida & Sun (@FOXSportsFL) February 7, 2020
Watch @FlaPanthers on FOX Sports Florida & FOX Sports Go : https://t.co/i6kCy1w5rl
3 #VGKvsFLA 2 #FlaPanthers #OneTerritory #NHL pic.twitter.com/JuHcveB48a
That was Trocheck’s eighth goal and 30th point of the season. But it wasn’t enough as the Knights won 7-2.
Florida has now lost three times in their past four games. Fleury made 23 saves.
Low blow
NBA analyst Charles Barkley is not happy with one of his former teams.
He ripped the Philadelphia 76ers, calling them “soft” and “mentally weak.” He also panned them for not living up to their talent.
He feels so negatively about how they have played, Barkley called them “the Cleveland Browns of the NBA.”
Chuck has some thoughts about the Sixers. pic.twitter.com/VeVu4cxvw7
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 7, 2020
Ouch. Now that hurts!
Philadelphia lost 112-101 to the Milwaukee Bucks Thursday night. The 76ers have lost four straight games.
Is this a problem?
Last Sunday’s Super Bowl drew 102 million viewers. That’s up slightly from last year’s total which had been a record low since 2008.
So I’m sure the NFL was happy about that. One thing the league may not like to read, though, is that the audience is getting older.
The graying of TV continues. Median age for the Super Bowl on Sunday was 49.1. Last year it was 47.7.
— SportsTVRatings (@SportsTVRatings) February 4, 2020
I wonder what those numbers were in Pittsburgh. Because I feel like most of us aged 10 years watching the Steelers quarterback play this season.
Won’t you be my neighbor?
Duquesne hosts St. Bonaventure at 3 p.m. Saturday. The Dukes hope this year’s game against the Bonnies goes better than last year’s contest in Pittsburgh.
Keith Dambrot’s team dropped that one 51-49. They lost the road game in Olean, N.Y., too, 68-47.
The two clubs are tied for third place in the Atlantic 10 at 7-3.
Meanwhile, kudos to those on the Dukes social media team. They dug up this gem for their Twitter feed.
Did you know @DuqMBB appeared on an episode of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood?
— Duquesne Athletics (@GoDuquesne) February 6, 2020
Barry and Garry Nelson played basketball for Duquesne from 1968-1971.#ThrowbackThursday • #GoDukes pic.twitter.com/7FEHoPARqF
That looks like a pretty good front court to me. Dress King Friday and Daniel Tiger as the guards, and the Dukes may be onto something.
