Joe Starkey Columns

Cup of Joe (Starkey): If the Penguins are going to make history, these 2 players better join the fray

Hello? Anybody there? We’re four games into the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, and Penguins wingers Anthony Mantha and Egor Chinakhov still haven’t picked up the phone. In the regular season, those two combined for 100 points and 51 goals in just 124 combined games. In this series, they have combined for...
Joe Starkey: Wait a second, Steelers, what happened to the Will Howard era?

There’s a Will, but apparently not a way. Not a way to the Steelers’ starting quarterback job, anyhow, now that the team chose Penn State’s Drew Allar in the third round Friday and is still waiting hopefully on Aaron Rodgers (don’t worry; any day now). Where does this leave Will...
Beyond the Bylines: Pittsburgh looked great on draft night. The Steelers did notVideo

The city of Pittsburgh couldn’t have looked better during draft night Thursday. Day 1. pic.twitter.com/k1OzHypVLb— City of Pittsburgh (@Pittsburgh) April 24, 2026 But the Steelers’ front office couldn’t have looked worse. They got punked by the Philadelphia Eagles before making their draft choice at No. 21. The Steelers were on...
Joe Starkey: Incredible night for Pittsburgh … until it was the Dallas Cowboys’ turn to pick

Let’s go back to Thursday afternoon, hours before the Pittsburgh Steelers stepped to the podium on what was until then a historically glorious night for the city. If I would have asked you for a worst-case scenario in Round 1, what would you have said? Maybe something like this? Worst case,...
Joe Starkey: Time for Steelers to make a draft-day splash, trading up for 1 of these 2 players

Back in 1948, when the NFL Draft was last held in Pittsburgh, sportswriters would sit near team owners and advise them on their picks. That might seem ridiculous nowadays, but maybe the Steelers could use the help. Before taking offensive tackle Troy Fautanu as their first pick two years ago...
Cup of Joe (Starkey): Domed stadium for Steelers? Art Rooney II has the perfect take

Cup of Joe: Starkey on sports in 400 words or less (sometimes more) I am saddened to report the following, but it’s true: By the year 2031, the majority of NFL teams will have a domed stadium. It’s all about the revenue, of course (the answer to all your questions...
Joe Starkey’s Mailbag: What happened to the Penguins? Is Aaron Rodgers drama hijacking feel-good week for Steelers?

You ask. I answer. It’s time for “Mailing It In,” a weekly Q&A that appears Tuesdays at TribLive.com. Most of the questions come via X, but you can also hit me up at jraystarkey@gmail.com. Let’s gooooooo … Scoops, @Scoops1616: Dr. Joseph, Would it be possible to not utter the word...
Joe Starkey: Everything you ever (and maybe never) wanted to know about the 21st pick of the NFL Draft

Maybe you don’t think about the number “21” outside of reflecting on Roberto Clemente. Neither did I until a few weeks ago. Turns out there’s a ton of 21 out there. All you have to do is look. For starters, we are living in the 21st century, which is either...
Cup of Joe (Starkey): Flyers looked like 2016 Penguins in Game 1, as Rick Tocchet outcoached Dan Muse. Time to simplify

Cup of Joe: Starkey on sports in 400 words or less (sometimes more) It’s one thing to move Evgeni Malkin to the wing. It’s quite another to move him to defense — yet that is where Malkin found himself too many times in the Penguins’ Game 1 loss to the...
Joe Starkey: Penguins coach Dan Muse is everything Kyle Dubas promised

Penguins coach Dan Muse might be a playoff newbie — this will be his first series as a head coach — but based on his inaugural regular season, I don’t think coaching will be what derails the Penguins. They are in excellent hands, just as president of hockey operations Kyle...
Joe Starkey: Thankfully, Pittsburgh sports in much better shape as NFL Draft spotlight falls upon city

We’re not quite the City of Champions again, but we’re not the City of Chumps, either. Not anymore, and thankfully not this coming week, as the eyes of the sports world descend upon Pittsburgh for the NFL Draft. It’s easier to be a good host when you’re not wearing a...
Beyond the Bylines: NFL Draft trade talk; Penguins-Flyers predictions; Pirates problems vs. Nationals

After a short absence, “Beyond the Bylines” is back with Joe Starkey and Tim Benz. In this week’s edition, they have predictions on the Penguins-Flyers series. They also have plenty of opinions on the Pirates after their spotty series against the Washington Nationals and on what the Steelers should do...
Joe Starkey: The Penn State guard makes sense for Steelers; the quarterback does not

How many Big Ten project quarterbacks can one team take on? Something tells me we’re about to find out — especially if Drew Allar plummets in the draft the way he did in so many big moments at Penn State. I’d stay away from Allar. Simply put, there weren’t enough...
Cup of Joe (Starkey): This Pirates loss was squarely on manager Don Kelly

Cup of Joe: Starkey on sports in 400 words or less (sometimes more) By at least one measurement, Brandon Lowe came into Tuesday’s game as the hottest Pirates hitter since Honus Wagner 125 years ago — and nobody would think about pinch-hitting for Honus Wagner with a game on the...
Joe Starkey’s Mailbag: Should the Pirates have kept Andrew McCutchen?

You ask. I answer. It’s time for “Mailing It In,” a weekly Q&A that appears Tuesdays at TribLive.com. Most of the questions come via X, but you can also hit me up at jraystarkey@gmail.com. Let’s gooooooo … BoomBoom0105, @BoomBoom0105: Who has a higher average on June 1 — Ozuna or...
Cup of Joe (Starkey): How many more days will the Pirates spend under .500 this season? I say none

Cup of Joe: Starkey on sports in 400 words or less (sometimes more) This won’t be the first time I put my lousy prognostication skills on the line, and it won’t be the last. You might remember that back in July 2021 I predicted the Pirates to win the 2027...

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