Yardbarker: Marian Hossa

NEWS AND NOTES

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 19:02:36 -0500

--That John Van Benschoten-Runelvys Hernandez pitching matchup wasn't quite as bad as advertised, at least by their standards. Both pitchers allowed 10 baserunners out of the 25 batters they faced, but allowed just three and two runs, respectively, in a 9-3 Pirates win over the Houston Astros.

Down 3-2 entering the 9th, the Buccos exploded for seven runs and three home runs, including an inside-the-park variety from Freddy Sanchez, giving a one-night hiatus to the "blow up the Pirates" theories that have surfaced the past week.

Tonight's matchup: LHP Paul Maholm (6-6, 4.10) vs. RHP Jack Cassel (1-0, 6.28), 8:05 p.m., Minute Maid Park. I'm sure you'll be watching.

--USA Today ranked the NFL's best quarterbacks, and Big Ben came in at #8, behind Manning/Brady, McNabb, Hasselbeck, Brees, Palmer, and Romo. And when I thought we were making progress in this department last year.

--The Steelers Super Bowl rings sold for $66,000 on eBay, but an uncorrected error was discovered....30+ years after they were produced.

--Check out this charity raffle and try to win a signed Geno Malkin hockey stick. Benefits the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

--I somehow missed this on Sunday, but Bob Smizik said that Penguin fans who boo Marian Hossa are "knuckleheads".

--Here's some great moments in demolition derby history.

--Stealing an idea from Jimmy Kimmel, Jay Leno posed as a reporter at his NBC exit press conference.

Send your interesting links to mondesishouse@gmail.com for these fun little buffers between "real" posts.

THIS WEEK'S ACTIVITIES

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:38:40 -0500

As always, I've got a few tricks up my sleeve for this week's features. And by features, I mean posts that aren't recaps of news items or link dumps.

First off, we're kicking off a new series: "The Legacy Of..."

I will present a prominent Pittsburgh Pirate, Penguin, or Steeler who moved on to greener pastures and discuss the pros and cons of their legacies. I'll solicit a few "expert" opinions and close each installment with a poll on whether you have pleasant or unpleasant memories of said athlete.

Subjects will include but not be limited to: Marian Hossa, Jaromir Jagr, Ryan Malone, Barry Bonds, Kordell Stewart, Neil O'Donnell, Rod Woodson, and Brian Giles. Should be a lot of fun.

Next up, I'm going to conduct a one-day experiment of being a full-time blogger with Blogger Fantasy Camp. Basically, I'm going to take a day off of work and devote an entire 9-to-5 shift to Mondesi's House posts. Just constant updates, links, and news the entire day. Thursday is the rough target date for this grand experiment.

Other than that, I'm sure we'll find some ways to pass the time together. As always, your suggestions are welcome at mondesishouse@gmail.com.

PENS SCHEDULE RELEASED

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:03:44 -0500

We can all stop holding our breath: the 2008-09 Penguins schedule has been released. And since there was no two-hour ESPN special for Schedule Release Day like the NFL gets, you'll just have to settle for a link to Colin Dunlap's article for all of the highlights and notable games.

Just make sure to circle February 8 on your calendar, for that's the night that one Marian Hossa returns to Mellon Arena. I'm looking forward to a level of hospitality from Pittsburghers reserved only for superstars such as Barry Bonds and Jaromir Jagr on that evening.

Penguins 2008-09 schedule released [PG]

PENS SCHEDULE RELEASED

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:03:44 -0500

Penguins 2008-09 schedule released [PG]

Breaking Down The 08-09 Pittsburgh Penguins Schedule

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:54:14 -0500

The NHL schedule is out! What do the defending Eastern Conference Champion Pittsburgh Penguins have facing them on their road back to the FInals? And when will Penguins fans get their opportunity to "welcome" Marian Hossa back to Pittsburgh?

Winter Classic to be Played in Chicago

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 23:58:08 -0500

We all remember the Winter Classic played in Buffalo New Years Day. This year the Winter Classic is making its way to Chicago where the Blackhawks will face off against the Detroit Red Wings at Wrigley Field on January 1, 2009. This is a rivalry of the original six and it will be a heated [...]

Steeler Owners Fight Over Brass Ring

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:47:04 -0500

Somewhere there is a racehorse. And this racehorse's great-great-great-great-great granddaddy was also a racehorse. And one fine day back in 1933, that horse won a race. A race bet on by a North Sider by the name of Arthur J. Rooney. And Art Rooney used the money he won that day, about $2,500 in total, to purchase a professional football franchise which would one day be known as the Pittsburgh Steelers. For 75 years, the Rooney family has owned the Steelers. Sure, some things have changed but the Rooneys have remained the one major constant. Three Rivers Stadium is nothing but a memory. Art Rooney is gone but not forgotten, his eldest son Dan having been in control of the team for several decades now. And a recent appraisal of the Steelers values the team at around $1 billion. Yes, you read that right. ONE BILLION DOLLARS. Why was the team even being appraised you may ask? Because there is a very real possibility that sometime in the near future the one constant in Steeler Nation might no longer be constant. Yes, there appears to be a day coming when everybody who bleeds Black and Gold wakes up in a world where the Rooneys no longer own the Pittsburgh Steelers. If that doesn't worry you at least a little, it should. With the passing of their father, controlling interest in the team was left to his five sons, Dan, Art Jr., Timothy, Patrick, and John. Dan was team president while Art Jr. was scouting director from the early 70's until 1986 when his brother fired him, primarily because he insisted on taking NT Gabe Rivera over a local kid with a cannon arm by the name of Danny Marino. I would've fired my own mother over that one. The remaining brothers had other business interests and had no direct involvement with football-related matters. The Rooney boys are all in their 50's-70's so they naturally have begun preparing for the inevitable transfer of power. Dan has already groomed his son, Art III, to take his place as team president. I believe this is Sticking Point #1 in that Art III is generally considered an asshole. When Bill Cowher had his farewell press conference, he spoke glowingly of Dan but had nothing to say about Art III. Rumor has it Little Art led the "Screw him! We don't have to pay him because anybody can coach our awesome team!" charge which ultimately led to Cowher's departure and subsequent dental work. Dan Rooney is a powerful man in the NFL. He chaired the committee which nominated tape-destroying slimeball Roger Goodell for commissioner. He's a major voice on every labor issue or contract negotiation. And it's no secret he, and most likely his scheming son, want the team for themselves. Which is why it's a bit suspicious that the NFL has all of a sudden interjected themselves into the Steeler's ownership structure, demanding one person own 30% of the team while also suggesting some of the Rooney brothers' race track business ventures constitute a violation of the league's no-gambling interests policy. The four remaining brothers have responded by doing the unthinkable; looking to sell their shares to somebody outside the family. This is where the appraisal comes in as supposedly Dan/AIII made an offer which was a bit low. Maybe they should bring in Sidney Crosby as a partner. Nah, Marian Hossa wouldn't take a discount to play with him, the Rooneys probably wouldn't either. Enter Stanley Druckenmiller, owner of Pittsburgh-based Duquesne Capital Management,and filthy rich bastard. He's a billionaire which is one requirement for buying something valued at around a billion dollars. He's also a lifelong Steelers fan. Join the club, pal. In fact, here is where it gets interesting. If the Rooney boys are serious about opening bidding for their shares up to the general public, there will unlikely be a free-for-all. I can imagine every disgustingly rich bastard from Mark Cuban to Eddie DeBartolo will enter the fray. Owning the Steelers isn't the same as owning the Pirates or the Penguins. Don't get me wrong, I love all our teams but the Steelers are a legendary team in the most successful (and popular) sports league. Interest in this would be huge. And therein lays the worry. With the Rooneys, we know what we get. Sure we complain about their cheapness, we bemoan their lack of action in free-agency, and hate that while they want to win, it's not Super Bowl-or-failure as it is to many of us. But what if we get a Ford or a Bidwell? Or, horror of horrors, a Danny Schnieder? Would Pittsburgh really want a flamboyant self-promoting clown like Jerry Jones prancing all over the sidelines at Heinz Field? These are the questions we may have to grapple with in the not-so-distant future. Always remember, better the devil you know.

MAILBAG!

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:00:36 -0500

For some reason still unbeknownst to me, the vast majority of those who read this site prefer to communicate via email rather than through the comments section of each post. I have no problem with it, other than the fact that I love a good ongoing conversation (and occasional debate) amongst the readers.

But I started running into a problem. I was spending so much time answering email that it cut into the time I had earmarked for writing. I always figured that if a person took the time to write to me, especially at great length, I should at least try to communicate back. So I attempted to kill two birds with one stone and start a Mailbag column.

Mailbags were always a favorite of mine, hitting their peak last spring. They were always actually more than just emails...there were links, there were pictures, there were monologues...it was sort of a melting pot of all the little things that make this site what it is.

They were always too long (one of my weaknesses), but for the legions of readers who were killing time at work, they didn't seem to mind. In fact, they encouraged it. Unfortunately, due to a number of factors, the Mailbag had to go away for a while. But I really missed it, and told myself I would find a way to bring it back, no matter how long it took. So after an all-too-lengthy intro, I present....the return of the mailbag!

Dave Zigerelli is a displaced Monacan (you know, someone from Monaca) now working as a producer for MTV in New York. He also does a podcast called "Burghcast!", which is very Steeler-heavy. And he sent 12 questions. Unfortunately, we can't get to all 12. But here are a few:

DAVE: Who has more clout... Boston Red Sox Fans for electing Jason Varitek to the 2008 All Star Team or The Christian South for electing George W. Bush to the 2004 Presidency?

MH: Whenever you get angry about a Pirate not playing up to his contract, think of the $10,442,030 that the Shawks are forking over for a .215 hitter.

Honestly, I've read so many anti-Varitek jokes recently that I couldn't begin to recall them all. He's actually been called the worst All-Star of all time. The naming of "JV" to the AL squad is nearly as laughable as former Pirate Mike Williams taking his 6.29 ERA to the "All-Star" game in 2003. Williams will always be my worst All-Star.

But you can't pin this one on Red Sox fans, unlike the election of DH David Ortiz, who hasn't played since, oh, MAY 31. No, this was the players' vote, as Varitek was chosen as a reserve. Are they even paying attention to the games they're playing in? Apparently not.

DAVE: Is the name Passion of the Christ(ian Okoye) a good name for my 2008 Yahoo Fantasy Football team?

MH: That's good, but the Pittsburgh Passion of the Christ(ian Okoye) is even better.

DAVE: Does Fox Sports plan to convert the "Pittsburgh Pirates: We Are Family" documentary in to HD?

MH: If they don't, they'll be sure to hear from the very vocal FSN audience that speaks up every time something isn't broadcast in HD.

From Stephen in Cincy:

While I was at work Saturday in a a restaurant in the "miserable" city of Cincinnati, my boss approached me saying none other than the Bubster, Bubby Brister was sitting at a table. I shot down his call saying he was full of crap, saying how can you call Bubby Brister of all people. So a female member of our staff approached Bub and asked him what his name was, and he replied, "Bubby Brister". Thats when me as a lifelong Steeler fan jumped in and introduced myself. I told him how he was the quarterback of the greatest franchise in sports when I first started watching football. I asked him for an autograph, which I haven't done in years, which he graciously signed "Bubby Brister #6". He seemed to be blown away that someone had actually noticed him. I'll forgive all the Bubby interceptions over the middle by the likes of Frank Minnifield, Hanford Dixon, Bubba McDowell, David Fulcher etc, etc, etc. Just for the mere fact he delievered in one of my most memorable games as a Steelers fan. New Years Eve 1989, Houston Astrodome, GA-WEE Anderson 50 yard field goal in overtime......nuff said!!!

Yours Truly,

Steeler Steve Stuck in Who-Dey Hell

MH: Steve, first of all, my condolences for your current living situation. I can't possibly imagine what that must be like for you. But I digress...

I picked this email because it gave a solid discussion point: Bubby Brister has a pretty interesting legacy. As a first-round QB choice of the Steelers in '86, he never met expectations, exciting Wild Card win in '89 and close call in Round 2 aside. Other than that, I think he was best known for buying his mother a black-and-gold car and that running joke that involved him being unable to get in his house due to an end zone being painted on the front porch.

But the Bubster ended up playing 14 seasons in the league, including a seven game stretch filling in for John Elway in '98 that eventually resulted in a Super Bowl ring. I just heard Mark Schlereth say what a great teammate Brister was, and usually I take whatever Schlereth says with a truckload of salt; but it sounded genuine.

Brister was an enigma wrapped in a riddle and deep-fried with a question mark on the side. Although he was sorta before my analyzing time (although I crunched a surprising amount of statistics for an 11-year old), his career stats include a TD:INT ratio of 81:78, which isn't quite the level of atrocity that one might expect. And to say the Steelers didn't surround him with offensive weapons was an understatement, although they at least attempted with the great Tim Worley pick in '89. Professionally, I think of him a little like a Vinny Testaverde: a professional who could win you a few games in the short-term, but not a guy to single-handedly make you a better team.

And as far as the email goes, it's nice to hear that Bubby isn't holding a grudge against Steeler fans, who aren't exactly known for their kid gloves when it comes to treatment of quarterbacks.

From Ryan in Butler:

Hello, my name is Ryan Laidlaw and I have been a long time fan of your site and occasional emailer. The reason I contact you this time is to speak about a major sporting event that occurred last night in our area. I am from Butler and last night we were featured on ESPN2 "Wednesday Night Fights". The show was put together by a local heavyweight contender, Brian Minto, who is currently ranked no. 11 in the world. The show highlighted the small town pride and Steel City roots and pointed out that 4,000+ showed up to a fight in a town that only has 15,000 people. I understand that you were most likely unaware that the fight even took place yet alone reported on it. The lack of local Pittsburgh media support was quite shocking stemming the whole way from TV to the newspapers, however, I was hoping to start to change that. It turned out to be a fantastic success with Brian winning a KO in the first round in a newly renovated park which use to house the NY Yankee farm club team back in the 40's and 50's (think Mantle, Maris, and Berra). I, myself, think it would be something that your site followers might take an interest in especially considering the local lore that your site promotes. If you could take some time and perhaps write a story about the night I am sure your readers would appreciate it. Thanks for your time and keep up the tremendous work on the site it is by far the best site I visit all day.

Sincerely, Ryan Laidlaw, Butler, PA

P.S.- My friend who owns and operates the concessions for the fight last night reported that his take was $45,000+ in sales. Now if you take $5 for a 16 oz. beer and do the math that is one s***load of beer consumed by one little steel town in Western PA.

MH: I have to give it up: Ryan's persistence beat me down. I was holding his original email for the mailbag, and he then reminded me about the fight and included a YouTube clip. As per Ryan's request, here is video of Brian Minto vs. John Poorer on July 2 at Pullman Park in Butler. I guess this means we can now move on from our dated memories of local boxers like Paul Spadafora and Michael Moorer.

And congrats to the fine folks of Butler for their alcohol consumption. Well done.

From Mike in Lawrenceville:

I really enjoyed your AYCE article. It just gave a really good "fan" take on the whole endeavor. And speaking of being a fan, I see you took some heat for the article as well. My take: I'm a pretty tough judge of people in the media, be they big (PG writers, KDKA sports guys) and small (bloggers). I think your very even-handed in what you say, and even if it does result in a more critical tone for some teams (e.g, Pirates) than others (e.g., Penguins), it usually justified or has a logical reason behind it. That is, I have never sensed that you are taking a position just for the sake of being controversial, which I hate so much.

For example: The Pens just made a great post-season run, wrapping up a strong regular season, doing everything right for 3 rounds of the playoffs, and then making a superior Red Wings team work hard to win the Stanley Cup. I would expect positive comments about the Pens after all of that.

The Pirates on the other hand, are plodding along as usual and, with no hope in sight, I would expect dismal comments to be presented. Being "fair" doesn't mean finding an equal amount of good/bad to say about each team in those situations. In regard to matters of opinion however, I can tell that you make an active effort to present both sides. I know you are a big Mark Madden supporter (I am not) but even during the whirlwind surrounding his termination at ESPN1250, you were very even-handed in discussing it. Which is not something you have to do because hey, its your website, you can do whatever you want. So, the way I see it, you have developed a nice blend on issues of the day. On factual issues, you reward the good ("Lets Go Pens") and criticize the bad ("Raise the Jolly Roger"). On matters of opinion, you give your opinion, but show both sides of the argument. Can't do much better than that. Bottom line for me is that I enjoy how you do things and that's why I check in at least once per day. Honestly, I prefer your information on an issue more so than most of the major media outlets.

The ice cream sandwich that started it all

MH: I'm blushing. But to get back to Mike's original thought, I was caught a little off guard by some of the reactions to the All You Can Eat article. I would have never guessed that a piece focusing more on long concession lines and melted ice cream sandwiches would result in me defending my Pirate fandom a short time later. [And by the way, to the wise guy that said I should expect my ice cream sandwich to melt on a hot day, you're absolutely correct. Although the Pirates should realize that an invention called a "freezer" does exist and one would think that I could at least be handed said ice cream sandwich in somewhat of a frozen condition.]

Keeps things frozen, even on a hot day. Might want to invest in this futuristic gizmo, Bucco brass.

But I'm glad I addressed things the way I did, because they had to be addressed. Mike's right, I do tell both sides of the story. At least I try to. But the Pirates conversation has been pretty one-sided for a long time now. Sure, I could cheerlead and say how great things are and how fantastic they will be (which some outlets do). And then you can look at the standings, and see the Pirates once again are a game out of last and 11.5 out of first, and think, "That guy who writes that blog is rather delusional, no?" (Actually, most people would say "He's full of ****", but I thought I'd clean it up a bit.)

It's like the commenter who criticized me every time I criticized Tom Gorzelanny. I guess I was being too hard on him too. As I've pointed out a time or 10,000, SI's Tom Verducci called Gorzo's implosion back in February. It wasn't hard to see that this guy was not going to improve overnight. But he kept getting trotted out, night after night, and the results were the same nearly every time. His ERA's low point was 4.50 on opening night and the closest it ever came to that number was the 5.97 mark on May 10.

And now for the biggest nut-kick to Pirate fans: he led the team with six wins. Which tells you: 1. The wins stat is almost meaningless and 2. The Pirates have awful pitching.

Another AYCE email from Michael in Irving, TX:

The AYCE was a good piece. The Pirates WERE my favorite team growing up also, and your commentary has been spot on. You can't be "too tough" on a team that is on the verge of losing 16 straight. The underlying problem with all these comments is that management has accomplished their ultimate task. They have managed to win the hearts and minds of the fans despite fielding a sub-par product year in and year out. That is not apathy I am hearing, it is sympathy. By marketing the PNC experience, management has been able to sell family entertainment and minimize the importance of wins and losses. No doubt this fan base is calloused to losing, and maybe if the Pittsburgh media was tougher and held management accountable, things would change. However, I am not expecting things to change much in the future, but I am sure you can count on more fireworks and bobbleheads.

MH: I'm not sure exactly how many fans are still willing to be tough on the Pirates. The number is decreasing daily. As I noted with my orginal thoughts on the topic, apathy is a far bigger fan crime than anger, and it's been contagious among Pirate fans (with good reason). With each passing day, they are less and less relevant in our city. Not only did they have to contend for years with the Steelers' training camp shortening their summer coverage, but now fan interest in June and July has been deservedly dominated by Penguins hot stove news. What interests you more: discussing the possible destinations of Marian Hossa and Jaromir Jagr or talking about Consecutive Losing Season #16?

Like I said, the Pirates at least appear to be somewhat comfortable with their role in Pittsburgh's sports hierarchy, because at some point they decided to sell the experience rather than the game itself. Face it, that's all they can sell. And I will repeat that their marketing department does a fantastic job of drawing customers into the stadium, year after year. But we're fully into an entire generation unfamiliar with what a competitive Major League Baseball team looks like, yet all too familiar with a Super Bowl-winning football franchise and a fan-friendly, youth-dominated, Stanley Cup-competing hockey team. Is this a problem for a future fan base trying to decide where to allocate their ticket buying dollars? You bet it is.

Mike from Lawrenceville also sent a compelling follow-up email:

One more thing about the Buccos. My son is 9 and asking a lot of sports questions. He is real big into "who are our 2nd, 3rd, 4th favorite teams (other than Pirates, Steelers, Pens, Pitt, etc.), who are are arch-enemies, etc.

While making an enemies list for the Steelers and Penguins is easy, I realized that things are so bad and apathetic with the Pirates that I really couldn't name an arch-rival for the Pirates. Can you? I can't say that any of our division rivals (Cubs, Cards, Astros, Reds, Brewers) really juice anyone up when we play them. I guess I carry a grudge against the Braves for what they did to us 16 years ago and how good they've been since then compared to our record, but is that really make them an arch-rival? The Mets used to be a pretty good rivalry, but with them now in a different division than the Pirates, not to mention being so much better, they are really just another team. With Bonds no longer with the Giants, there's no incentive to get worked up about a game against them. I guess the Phillies would qualify as our biggest rivals by default, but does anyone raise an eyebrow when they come to town?

Isn't that really depressing? We have no arch-rivals in baseball because we've sucked so bad for so long that no one even cares enough to get fired up about us.

MH: You can't have a rival when you never win and never compete with any team for a common goal. The Pirates absolutely are without a rival. They can't even get a forced rival for interleague play, because Cleveland gets matched against Cincinnati.

The only thing even closely resembling a rival was St. Louis and Tony LaRussa, and that was more of a LaRussa-Lloyd McClendon thing. I guess I should take back that "can't have a rival without winning" statement, because I forgot that there's always a bench-clearing brawl to stir up some bad blood. But that is usually a short-term thing.

Possible rivals? As I said, LaRussa is on about the same level as Brian Billick in my book, so that's a fantastic place to start. And you have to include the Cubs, being that they're the top dog in our neighborhood these days. Cincinnati? Meh. Milwaukee? Well, it was the site of that Randall Simon weiner-whacking incident, but I don't see that one panning out either. And Houston looks to be going nowhere fast.

Beyond that, if we can dream that the Pirates would ever be in a Wild Card race or playoff series, the Mets could rekindle memories of "Muck the Fets" quite easily, and the Braves would revive instant/bad memories as well. I wouldn't dare venture into the AL. I have a feeling that the World Series in Pittsburgh might be a longshot.

Here's one from Hicks in Slippery Rock:

Onto the Bucs. They will continue to miss the .500 mark and never make the playoffs until they take drastic and immediate action:

1. Admit that Doug Mientkiewicz is the Pirates' version of the Penguins' Gary Roberts. He's tough, has a cool/strange beard-thing, and plays hard. (He would've throttled that mulleted-giraffe Randy Johnson given the chance.) The Bucs need to play up the "What Would Doug Mientkiewicz Do" thing--t-shirts, posters, slogans on Dairy Queen signs, etc. Both Doug and Gary have those emotionless, flat shark eyes. Both go for the jugular and know how to win. The Bucs must install Doug full time at first (Who cares about home runs when Doug can hit .300? More than we've been getting from the Rip-Van-Winkle of April and May (La-la-la-roche!).

2. And with the uniform change, get rid of that greasy, swarthy looking Pirate logo. Bring back the bold, brash "handsome" Pirate logo of the 70s!

After all, we won two World Series brandishing that studly logo. ( I heard it appeared on some of the paper used for batting lineups in spring training this year. Bring it to PNC Park.)

Thanks for reading my rant. Please help us 40-somethings bring back the memories of our mustard-colored youth!

MH: Hicks is always good for some inspired banter. On to his thoughts:

1. Mientkiewicz is quite the fascinating character. He played high school football with A-Rod, there was that whole "final out of the 2004 World Series ball" controversy, he hit the game-winning home run in the 2000 Olympic semifinals against South Korea (later winning the gold), and he called out Randy Johnson this year. That's more than enough to qualify as a cult hero.

And that brings me to Gary Roberts. Was anyone else at least a little disappointed at how quick Roberts left for the "Pittsburgh South" Lightning (who just added Mark Recchi, by the way)?

It's been interesting to watch fan reaction to the Penguins' free agents. I heard Mike Prisuta say on WDVE this morning that Penguin fans should not be bitter about Marian Hossa leaving for Detroit, which I could not fathom. And he wasn't saying it in a Skip Bayless, just-trying-to-disagree-for-the-sake-of-disagreement opinion. He honestly believed it.

Penguins fans took it personally, but I'm not going to criticize them for it. They were emotional; the guy gave some impression like he actually might re-sign with the team. But in the end, he proved to nothing but a mercenary. If he were a baseball player I'm 99% sure he'd play for either the Yankees or the Red Sox. And if you think I'm wrong, he signed with Detroit for a grand total of one year, which lets him woo all prospective teams again next summer.

2. I'm not 100% sure I'd go back to the old logo, but I know that if I would go back to an old logo it would be the '68-'86 model. That being said, I have no fond memories of the current version, in play since 1997, so if they would move on I would not complain.

Brendan in Wexford writes:

I was very appreciative of your website's local sports media polls a couple of weeks ago. The reason for my appreciation was that it confirmed about 99% of my pre-poll predictions.

1. The vast majority of our local sports newspaper writers stink. Of couse there are a few exceptions (some Steelers beat writers), but most of our fair city's columnists write using the same constant structure and verbiage. It's like I am always reading the same article with different names and statistics. I think the Post-Gazette sports section has a work-share program with the dinosaur room at the museum and with Penn State University as well. Everything seems old, including all the columns about Joe Paterno (who by the way, is the most over-rated sports figure in Pittsburgh over the past 10 years. He has done next to nothing, literally, and he gets more coverage than the pope for God's sake. But that is just the PSU hater in me coming out.

2. The most important thing...Mike Lange! He should never have been removed from TV. The only logical reason I can think of is that he can paint a more vivid picture of the game over the radio for people unable to watch. That being said, that is not why he was moved to the radio, it was because of some young punk station manager that wanted to make a splash. Thankfully that splash was into the "you got fired kiddie pool". Mike Lange IS the best live sports announcer this city has ever had (all due respect to Bob Prince) and he deserved more. The fact that he remains here on the radio is truly a testament to his character.

MH: Yeah, the sports media polls were fun. I was a little surprised that so many of them came back positive, given the collective "disapproves" that most of you give them on a regular basis.

I think the general acceptance of blogs has resulted in the newspaper industry slowly accepting the format and utilizing their vast resources to take full advantage. For instance, they weren't included in the poll, but I know the PG's Empty Netters blog would've scored very high.

Now, whether or not more blog-type content finds its way into the actual newspaper is up for debate. But I can assure you that newspaper have noticed what's going on in cyberspace.

As far as Mike Lange, I was overwhelmed at his rating. I knew he was popular, but WOW!

I happened to be on the road for portions of Game 5 of the Cup finals (THE overtime game), and listening to Lange was simply awesome. He deserves every compliment offered. The man is an icon and it's an injustice to have him limited to radio duty.

---

WRAPUP

OK, that was long, and I didn't come close to hitting all of the emails. But as usual, it was a lot of fun.

Like I said, there's some other interesting stuff in the works this week, most notably Thursday's interview. And no, it is not Ronnie Florian, Tim Worley, the cotton candy guy from the Penguin games or any of the other names suggested. I promise you will not be disappointed. I have lots of research to do on my subject, so hopefully this post will keep you occupied for a while.

Before I go, I must give a mention to all of the Geibel HS alumni who apparently read the site on a regular basis. Let me see your alligator. Now can any of you give me the inside scoop on the dismissal of hoops coach Ken Misiak after a Paterno-esque 45 years on the job?

One last thing...I had to make a movie recommendation, since we can't all watch sports all the time. It's been running on Starz over and over lately, and I think I've watched at least parts of it four times this week. It's called The Brothers Solomon and I'd call it a combination of Dumb and Dumber and 40-Year-Old Virgin. It was a complete box-office bomb, but it was the most I've laughed out loud in a LONG time.

Feel free to send an email for the next mailbag. The address is mondesishouse@gmail.com if you're so inclined.

THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 18:46:26 -0500

This week promises to be a big one here at "the house"...

--First off, give it up for A.J. and that article last night; the man has talent. I've actually been sitting on that for a while. I was originally going to post it after the now-infamous All You Can Eat article, but we put our heads together and decided it would've probably started a riot had I posted then.

--After a long absence, I'm trying to finally get a Mailbag column up for tomorrow. So if you have any last-minute questions, commentaries, or links, send them to mondesishouse@gmail.com.

--I have a really big interview lined up for Thursday, so that will probably up on Friday. And this is no joke where it turns out to be Ronnie Florian, although that would be awesome in its own way. Let's just say I consider this interview an honor and a privilege to partake in and leave it at that. It's probably going to cut into my Mondesi posting time on some level this week, because I have a lot of pre-interview reading and research to do. But it will be well worth it.

--I'm also in the process of finalizing details on a radio segment that I've been looking forward to for a long time. As soon as the date/time is set, I'll post that info.

Until then, enjoy some Marian Hossa jersey-burning videos courtesy of Mikey from Kiss 96.1. More to come...

THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 18:46:26 -0500

This week promises to be a big one here at "the house"...

--After a long absence, I'm trying to finally get a Mailbag column up for tomorrow. So if you have any last-minute questions, commentaries, or links, send them to mondesishouse@gmail.com.

--I'm also in the process of finalizing details on a radio segment that I've been looking forward to for a long time. As soon as the date/time is set, I'll post that info.

Until then, enjoy some Marian Hossa jersey-burning videos courtesy of Mikey from Kiss 96.1. More to come...

PENGUINS NAB GOD, SATAN...AND FEDOTENKO

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:46:28 -0500

Satan and Ingrid Smolinska at a Slovak Fashion Show. Shall I add that Marian Hossa was on hand at the fasion show and pictured as well?

We can now move out of panic mode, as the Penguins have finally signed some wingers. Hot on the heels of signing bruiser Eric Godard earlier in the week, the Penguins have signed RW Miroslav Satan and LW Ruslan Fedotenko, who both played with the Islanders last season. Take that, Garth Snow.

The early numbers are $3.5 million next year for Satan and $2.5 million for Fedotenko. Both are one-year deals.

The 33-year-old Satan scored 16 goals with 25 assists last season. He's lit the lamp 337 times since entering the league with Buffalo in 1995.

Fedotenko, 29, had 16 goals and 17 assists last year. He has career totals of 122 goals and 117 assists in seven NHL seasons.

According to hockeybuzz.com, these moves now put the Penguins just $2.97 million under the cap for '08-'09. In short, don't count on Jagr or Naslund suiting up for the Pens unless Mr. Shero can unload a Sydor here or there.

*By the way, joke "B" was Satan and Crosby forming the God-Satan Line. Thanks, I'll be here all week.

PENGUINS ADD SATAN, FEDOTENKO TO FILL HOSSA-VOID [TSN]

Penguins Cap Center [Hockey Buzz]

Miroslav Satan [ESPN Player Card]

Ruslan Fedotenko [ESPN Player Card]

MAF IS COMING BACK

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:46:28 -0500

No, he can't play wing, but at least the Penguins can cross goaltender off of their list of concerns for the next seven seasons. The man known as "MAF", Marc-Andre Fleury, is back in the fold with a seven-year deal worth $35 million.

This comes on the heels of yesterday's signings of Brooks Orpik, whose beefs with Michel Therrien seem greatly exaggerated, and Evgeni Malkin, who looks like he's not going to Russia (or the Kings) after all.

Now back to your regularly scheduled Hossa-bashing and Jagr-pining.

PENGUINS LOCK UP FLEURY WITH SEVEN-YEAR, $35 MILLION DEAL [TSN]

JIM COLONY'S EXTRA POINT ON MARIAN HOSSA

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:46:28 -0500

Jim Colony is a jack-of-all trades at ESPN Radio 1250 in Pittsburgh. He hosts, he does the news, he's on the scene...and he's such a nice guy that he's agreed to share the transcripts of his Extra Point segments, which you can hear regularly on 1250. So whenever possible (or whenever Jim feels like sending them), we'll be able to share in the wisdom of a man that sparred with Mark Madden on a daily basis. Enjoy!

JIM COLONY'S EXTRA POINT

I was standing in front of Marian Hossa when, two mornings after losing Game Six of the Stanley Cup Finals, Hossa declared that he'd take less money to play for a good team...and did he ever. Of course, we thought he meant the Penguins. Silly us.

Instead, after finally getting the Pens to extend their $7 million-plus offer for up to seven years - and also enticing others to offer multi-year deals (a reported $9 million per from Edmonton) - Hossa signed with a good team, alright...Detroit. For $7.4 million. For one season. One season!

Hossa tried his best to not disrespect Pittsburgh in a conference call yesterday, saying all the right things...but, in fact, Hossa did exactly that. He said the reason he chose Detroit for one season is that it gives him the best chance to win a Stanley Cup. Like playing alongside Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin for seven seasons wouldn't?

Don't think Sid and Geno didn't take note. Now, let's hope for the rematch next spring.

I'M JIM COLONY … ON 1250 ESPN.

JIM COLONY'S EXTRA POINT ON MARIAN HOSSA

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:46:28 -0500

JIM COLONY'S EXTRA POINT

Don't think Sid and Geno didn't take note. Now, let's hope for the rematch next spring.

I'M JIM COLONY … ON 1250 ESPN.

Chasing The Ring Never The Wrong Move

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 11:44:47 -0500

Sparky Anderson once said it, in his inimitable way. "Just once I'd like to see one of them free agents say at one of them news conferences that he's switching teams because they backed a Brink's truck up to his door. They always say they're glad to go where they're wanted. They're glad to go where the money is," the white-haired baseball skipper once opined about his sport's free agents. But I'm sure his sentiments would have applied for other sports, as well. It's just that, at the time, baseball was far and away the leader when it came to player movement. Well, you'd think that Sparky would have dearly loved what Marian Hossa did last week , even if others around the NHL apparently have a problem with it. Hossa, a superstar forward, joined the Red Wings for the 2008-09 season, signing a one-year deal worth around $7.4 million. Whatever the deal's true worth, we know that it's at least one dollar less than what Nick Lidstrom makes, since there's an unspoken rule -- actually, sometimes it IS spoken -- that Lidstrom, for the moment, must be the highest-paid Red Wing. It was widely reported that Hossa could have received more money -- much more money, in fact, plus long-term security -- had he signed elsewhere. Edmonton was a reported suitor, among others. The Oilers, folks say, were prepared to offer Hossa, 29, a nine-year pact worth about $81 million. But Hossa stuck with the Red Wings, and for the purest of reasons -- at least what you'd think would be considered pure -- that is, he wanted to win the Stanley Cup, and sooner rather than later. And we know that Hossa is no dumb-dumb, for when he looked around the league, he saw no team as loaded and as primed for another successful run at the Cup than the Red Wings. Smart man -- or at least one brimming with common sense. Yet Hossa took some hits in the wake of signing the deal, from those who complained that while on the surface it looked like a selfless move, what Hossa was really doing was just going for his brass ring, while at the same time putting himself back on the free market next summer. In other words, Marian Hossa was trying to have his cake and eat it, too. In the process, the complainers said, Hossa was turning free agency on its ear and making the strong stronger, etc. File this under the "some people are never happy" category. One of the critics, a writer from Toronto, had his words dripping with jealousy and bitterness, going so far as to take a potshot at Joe Louis Arena, describing it as old and smelly and some other unpleasant adjectives. Kind of like what Maple Leaf Gardens was, right -- before it was belatedly replaced? No matter how you try to slice and dice it, I don't know how you can ever diss a guy for taking less money in the name of winning. What if, God forbid, Hossa suffers a serious injury next season? That would significantly impact his worth. Or, frankly, what if he just has a bad season, production-wise? Again, that would make it tougher for him to command the kind of dollars he could have gotten last week. So don't tell me about being selfish or upsetting the apple cart. I was as surprised as anyone when Hossa became a Wing, because I hadn't heard that he was on Detroit's radar screen. Even Red Wings management, GM Ken Holland confessed, figured Hossa would be too expensive to sign to a long-term deal, because of its impact on locking up Henrik Zetterberg and Johan Franzen next summer. But a one-year deal made Hossa infinitely more attractive -- and affordable. And it was Hossa, Holland said, who angled for the one-year contract, not the Red Wings. Now, even if Hossa had the intention of winning a Cup AND being a free agent next summer, so what? He's playing within the rules. And he's still taking a risk by doing so, even if the complainers want to conveniently leave that part out of their discussion.