U mad, bro?: Penguins fans pipe up about Tristan Jarry’s contract; Pirates fans dial up draft takes
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Many of us are coming off a four-day weekend. The rain finally stopped for the Fourth of July. And we are still more than a month away from the Pittsburgh Steelers really doing anything to get you upset.
But that didn’t stop plenty of people from filling up my inbox and Twitter mentions for this week’s “U mad, bro?”
Let’s start with Mikey. He responded to my column about fans and media giving Kyle Dubas benefit-of-the-doubt points on the Tristan Jarry signing.
Who the hell is giving him the benefit of the doubt? The signing was awful and most know it and didn't like it at all.
— Mikey Aces (@Mikey5Aces) July 4, 2023
I provided quotes and links to others tweeting that sentiment in the story, Mikey.
Well admittedly I hadn't read it yet. I just saw the column link and your tweet and felt I needed to respond lol.
— Mikey Aces (@Mikey5Aces) July 4, 2023
That’s Twitter in a nutshell. Essentially telling me the premise for my column is unfounded without actually reading the premise of my column.
Okay Tim I just read your column and my point pretty much stands. You basically stated that a lot of the Pens people were spinning the Jarry deal positively which obv would be expected. And then you cite 1 person only, MM as someone NOT in the Penguins organization.
— Mikey Aces (@Mikey5Aces) July 4, 2023
Remember those links I mentioned? Click them, and you’ll see the exact opinions I’m referencing.
Look, folks, I can only write the columns. I can’t come to your home and read them for you as well.
That would be weird.
But at least then you could tell me how much you don’t like my opinions in person and we can take out the Twitter middle man. You could save your “rate limits” that way.
Jason replied to our “Madden Monday” post about Dubas signing Jarry as well, pretty much underscoring my point.
He or noone can be faulted for injury, Jarry is the #1 goalie. Dubas and HCMS made the right move in totality. Its the closest to 'trust the process' brass the Pens had in years. Bcause of this, im more than fine with Jarry.
— J◇B (@jason_bassani) July 4, 2023
True. You can’t fault an athlete for getting hurt. But you can fault a front office executive for signing a guy who is always hurt to a five-year contract.
And I maintain my stance that “trust the process” isn’t applicable here. If the player is questionable, and the price and length of the contract are questionable, then it’s fair to question the contract regardless of who signed the player.
Dubas is getting slack that Ron Hextall never would have. Period.
This guy tweeted me after the Penguins re-signed Jarry.
The rebuild begins in 2 years. Everybody crying about "youth" will have years and years of young promising players making bone head plays and finishing in the bottom 10 for years. Until then, try and appreciate these final 2 years of competitive hockey.
— Tripping with Dubas. (@_Hotheon_) July 3, 2023
First of all, you’re playing a little fast and loose with the word “competitive,” aren’t you? Competitive for what? The second wild card?
But I don’t get your greater point. So you are saying suck it up, take the bad contract and like it because the Penguins say so?
Sorry. That kind of clout from them expired as soon as Evgeny Kuznetsov stopped flapping his wings in 2018.
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Scootie sent me this email after I said I’d prefer the Pirates take Dylan Crews instead of Paul Skenes atop the MLB draft.
“‘I’ve been a Crews guy throughout.’ You were also a Jack Leiter guy throughout and repeatedly mentioned that to us Pirates fans. I wonder where Jack Leiter is and how he’s doing?
Scootie out.”
Indeed, Henry Davis is doing well after a few weeks at the major league level and Jack Leiter is struggling in the minors.
Pirates fans love to declare victory after the smallest possible sample size because they know the big picture is always going to turn south eventually.
You all tell me every year how every draft will be the greatest one of all time, and “You’ll see! Things are gonna turn around!”
Looks like I’ve been right 27 of the past 30 seasons. I’ll put that up against being wrong (so far) about one pitcher.
And during that Davis-Leiter draft period, a bunch of you fanboys said it was always better to take a position player instead of a pitcher at No. 1 overall, regardless of who it is.
OK. I wonder how that tune will change if the Pirates take Skenes instead of Crews. Because those Buccos always get it right, don’t they?
Or maybe they try to save some cash and draft a high school kid instead and we’ll never find out.
I’m not ruling that out either, by the way.
Benz out.
Finally, David sent me this Pirates email after Monday’s loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“39-45 translates to 78-90. With injuries, is 68-100 too hard to see?”
Yes, David, it is too hard to see … because they play only 162 games.
Benz out.