Mark Madden stories, Page 11

The Pittsburgh Pirates took catcher Henry Davis with the first pick of the 2021 MLB Draft. When you select a player 1/1, he should make big-league impact fairly quickly. You should have a clear plan in place for his progress. With Davis, the Pirates didn’t. If they did, it was...

Only in a city that’s had a hockey timeline like Pittsburgh’s since 1984 could a player the caliber of Jaromir Jagr get somewhat lost in the shuffle. But that’s what happened. Out of sight, out of mind. Obscured by the permanent shadow of Mario Lemieux and by the commotion and...

The Pittsburgh Pirates should sign pitcher Trevor Bauer. The Steelers should sign punter Matt Araiza. Wrongs would be righted. Both teams would be helped. We rush to crucify when malicious deeds are said to have occurred. But we drag our feet when it comes to vindicating the falsely accused. Bauer...

The Pittsburgh Penguins’ run is over. (It’s actually been over for years, but now there’s no denying.) The Penguins are a withered husk of what they used to be and fancy they still are. Sidney Crosby is their primary strength. That’s easy to believe. But the Penguins can’t score. They...

For the Pittsburgh Steelers, this past Thursday’s NFL Honors show was an evening of triumph and perceived tragedy. The triumph was Cameron Heyward being given the Walter Payton Man of the Year award in recognition of off-the-field community service. Heyward is a thoroughly good man who has given back from...

The Pittsburgh Penguins retire Jaromir Jagr’s No. 68 on Feb. 18 before their game against Los Angeles at PPG Paints Arena. Let’s prepare with refreshing Jagr notes. Big hair, big backside, big stats, larger than life. • Jagr’s biggest moment as a Penguin: Beating No. 1 seed New Jersey nearly...

Caitlin Clark is a legit phenomenon. The 6-foot senior guard for the University of Iowa is impacting her sport like nobody before her. Never mind her considerable skills, which have her 66 points away from becoming the all-time leading scorer in NCAA women’s basketball. Clark moves the needle. That’s what...

The Super Bowl hasn’t yet been played. But Pittsburgh Steelers offseason talk is constant and onerous. It’s aggravating to no end, not least when it involves the quarterback position. (Nonstop mock drafts will soon accelerate the stupidity. There’s no way to know in February who the Steelers will pick 20th...

Some among the NHL’s media chose to target Sidney Crosby, of all people, during All-Star Week. Crosby is one of the top five hockey players ever, is having an epic season at 36, is constantly accessible and never has embarrassed himself, his team or his sport. In the midst of...

This is a magical time of year for Pittsburgh Steelers fans. Optimism runs rampant. Mock drafts pile up. We imagine that new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith will revolutionize, not be a different take on the same outdated offensive philosophy. (The vision is Mike Tomlin’s, not the coordinator’s.) We’re told Smith...

Arthur Smith is the new offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers. That’s an indictment of Kenny Pickett and potential opportunity for Ryan Tannehill. Smith relies on the run and plays it safe with quarterbacks. He wasn’t hired to develop Pickett. Smith will minimize Pickett and try to mask his deficiencies. That...

The Pittsburgh Penguins have nine days between games and are five points out of a playoff berth as the NHL All-Star break beckons. They have won 21 games, lost 23. They have games in hand on seven of the eight teams they’re chasing. The Eastern Conference is mostly rotten. The...

The Steelers are trying to convince a promising young offensive mind to take the job as offensive coordinator and conquer the notion that you can’t shine excrement. They might have to settle for older and recycled. Here’s the solution: Pull a reverse “Ted Lasso” and hire Jurgen Klopp. Klopp just...

There are usually two sides to every story. But not in the case of Aliquippa High School football being forced to play at the 5A level despite having 2A enrollment. The Quips are getting railroaded by the PIAA. Consider Southern Columbia, a school in Central Pennsylvania that has won the...

Refreshing sports notes: They’re popular, they’re a lazy writer’s retreat and they super-serve the limited attention span of the stupid. Everybody wins! • Lots of fuss is being made about prime targets for the Steelers’ offensive coordinator job: Zac Robinson, Kliff Kingsbury, etc. Here’s betting the Steelers get whoever the...

The Penguins were on a 10-4-3 run heading into Monday’s visit to Arizona. That seems pretty good, but not really. That’s 10 wins, 7 losses. Don’t be lured by the siren song of the loser point. Before the Penguins started that run, they were six points out of a wild-card...

A summation of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2024 offseason before it happens: • Mike Tomlin retained as coach, given contract extension. (Already halfway home on that.) • Somebody connected to the organization or city hired as offensive coordinator. Byron Leftwich seems the heavy favorite. #BuddySystem • Mitch Trubisky cut. Mason Rudolph...

The NHL trade deadline is March 8. The Pittsburgh Penguins must do a lot better between now and then to justify not trading winger Jake Guentzel, who is a free agent at season’s end. For me, the minimum level would be top two in the Metropolitan Division, a reborn power...

It’s another season of no progress for the Pittsburgh Steelers. They were never in danger of beating Buffalo on Monday and now have officially gone seven seasons without a playoff win. They have no clear answer at quarterback and will go with the inferiority of Kenny Pickett next season no...

Erik Karlsson spoke cryptically about the Penguins’ overtime failures after they lost thusly at Carolina on Saturday: “I have my theories, but I’ll keep it to myself.” Karlsson’s teammates and coaches should want to hear Karlsson’s ideas or what just about anybody thinks. Two of the Penguins’ problems have hit...

The NFL produced almost $12 billion in shared income in 2023. Average revenue for each of the league’s teams was nearly $600 million. The franchises have their cities over a barrel, holding them hostage to build (mostly gratis) anything the teams want. There’s no excuse for every team to not...

Mason Rudolph will start at Buffalo. But Kenny Pickett is still QB1 on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ official depth chart. Mike Tomlin got salty when he was asked about it. This has zero to do with Sunday’s playoff game. But it’s an aggravating look inside the screwy way Tomlin and the...

Wings aren’t what’s best about Buffalo. Beef on weck is better. Refreshing Pittsburgh Steelers notes are even juicier. Have you ever seen the Buffalo Bills win the Super Bowl? • T.J. Watt’s absence will hurt when the Steelers visit Buffalo. But sacks that don’t occur on third or fourth down...

Even if the Pittsburgh Steelers’ wild-card game at Buffalo ends their season, at least we get to witness two great quarterbacks go toe-to-toe. In the blue and red corner, Josh Allen. He’s not afraid to throw an interception. He takes chances and reaps reward. Big man. Big arm. Twenty-nine touchdown...

Mike Tomlin extended his record of no losing seasons ever to 17 years when the Pittsburgh Steelers beat Seattle last week. That emboldened Tomlin’s defenders. “The media is so dumb. Why do we do the media? Bunch of jackasses,” said Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce, taking a break from...