Pittsburgh sports fans are in a really good mood right now.

The Steelers finally made a coaching change and host the NFL Draft later this month.

The Penguins have all but made the playoffs in what was originally considered another rebuilding year.

Are you sitting down? The Pirates spent some money in the offseason, have the reigning Cy Young award winner, and have a potential 19 year old phenom starting at shortstop. Oh, and they won five straight through Sunday and look good doing so. I warned you to be sitting down.

It isn’t the 1979 City of Champions or anything, but considering recent history for all three teams it certainly is a refreshing time to wear your black and gold.

Steelers

The Steelers have needed a change for a few years, and at the end of last season they finally got one. Mike Tomlin stepped down and, though I am not thrilled with the choice of Mike McCarthy as his replacement, it represents a new beginning. If nothing else, we hopefully will not have to watch the impotent offense of the last half decade.

The bigger news for Steelers fans is that Pittsburgh will host the NFL Draft beginning April 23. A draft in which the Steelers have much capital and could make a splash in front of the home crowd. Will they continue to build along the offensive line? Will they add some still much needed wide receiver help? Is a quarterback on their list of must haves?

The Steelers have been stagnant, despite making the playoffs the last couple of years. A new coach and the excitement of hosting a premiere event like the NFL Draft has the city buzzing about the Steelers.

Penguins

The Mike Sullivan era mercifully came to an end last year. Sullivan was great, winning two Stanley Cups, but his shelf life had expired. Just as important Ron Hextall was fired the year before after trying to destroy the franchise. Enter GM Kyle Dubas and this year head coach Dan Muse.

Still, as Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang, and Evgeni Malkin continued to fight off Father Time it looked for sure to be another non playoff season as Dubas tried to rework the roster for the future. Even Vegas gave the Penguins a slim nine percent chance of making the playoffs. Then some savvy moves, guys having bounce back years, and a new message behind the bench, and suddenly the Pens came together. The chances of the Pens making the playoffs now sits at 99.9 percent. The team has been an absolute joy to watch all year.

Even the most optimistic fans were waiting for the slide, the fall, the return to preseason expectations. No slide. No fall. No return. Just good hockey and lots of wins. Erik Karlsson took a minute, but he is as good as Pens fans hoped when he was acquired. He is easily the team MVP. The team does what is needed to win. I would argue the Pens are a better goaltender away from being Stanley Cup contenders. Does the youngster Mirashov get a late look now that Skinner is hurt?

What fun it is to see Malkin, Letang, and especially Crosby get to play meaningful games. The Pens have four games left in their regular season, and they are not only going to make the playoffs but get home ice advantage in the first round. A bonus could be getting to play cross state rival Philadelphia in the first round. Who doesn’t want to see Sidney Crosby abuse the Flyers one more time?

 A Cup run isn’t likely, but not totally out of the question. No matter how or when the season ends, it has been a very satisfying year to be a Pittsburgh Penguins fan.

Pirates

Forty-seven years ago the Pirates won the World Series. Since then they have three division titles accompanied by chokes in the playoffs, three wild card berths, and a whole lot of misery. Much of that recent misery was brought on, in large part, by owner Bob Nutting and his ultra cheap ways. Throw in a side of ultra imbecilic GM Ben Cherington, and Pirates fans have become ultra apathetic.

Almost every year there is a period during the season where Pirates fans are given false hope. Then the wheels fall off and it becomes a matter of how many losses will they end up with at season’s end.

Then why does the start to this season seem different?

The Pirates spent money on some actual professional hitters. Brandon Lowe and Ryan O’Hearn are legit and they both have pop in their bat. They will allow for more quick runs, which the Pirates have been lacking. Low achieving hitters from a year ago like Nick Gonzalez and Henry Davis have looked much better at the plate in the early going as well. 

The rotation is led by Cy Young winner Paul Skenes, who has yet to hit his prime. Bubba Chandler and Braxton Ashcroft are super young and super nasty. Old man Mitch Keller is rock solid, and now doesn’t have to be an anchor. Jared Jones will return to the rotation in May. There won’t be many rotations in all of baseball that are better.

Probably the most promising early outcome this season is O’Neil Cruz at the plate. Last year Cruz had a mere 11 hits against left handed pitching. It is April 7, and Cruz already has 7 hits and 3 home runs against left handed pitching this season. Cruz still has no idea what he is doing in centerfield, but if he can keep consistently hitting like this it will be a boon for the Bucs.

Oh, yea, I almost forgot. Konnor Griffin, at age 19, is the starting shortstop. A team that had every type of bad PR you could think of a year ago actually had a stroke of genius. The Pirates massaged the situation so they could still grab the draft pick for calling potential rookie of the year Griffin up early enough. They announced his call up on the off day before the home opener allowing a buzz to be created. Smart. A rare thing with Pirates management. A sellout crowd watched Griffin have a successful debut. Griffin looks the part, and has a chance to be a superstar Pirates fans will love.

Maybe more importantly than all that is the team is finding ways to win, with different guys stepping up each game. There seems to be a connectiveness to this squad, and they are having fun. Look, it is the Pirates so it could easily all come crashing down. I have fallen for the false hope many times before. This just seems different. Everybody in baseball is talking about the Pirates.

Bob Nutting could certainly be mistaken for a blind squirrel, and we know they find a nut every now and again.

In recent years, Pittsburgh sports fans have been generally miserable this time of year. Steelers fans are usually bickering about Tomlin and the team’s mediocrity. Pens fans have typically been wondering how long a rebuild will take. Pirates fans are almost always planning for another summer of discontent.

The tide is visibly turning as each franchise has made positive changes, and in the Pens case the changes are already leading to more team success.

Hosting the NFL Draft, Stanley Cup playoff games, and a baseball team worth watching past Memorial Day. Pittsburgh sports have fans fired up.

Tweet of the Week

Opening day always has the feels. This is spectacular.

 


The Weekly Shiny Penny

Some outfielders play an entire career and never rob a home run. Jo Adell robbed three in one game. Now, that is shiny.

 


A Penny For My Final Thoughts…

Some thoughts on the Final Four and the Masters…

Final Four

  • The games from the Sweet Sixteen to the Championship Game —minus the UConn/Duke game— were not very good. Disappointing, but it happens.
  • What in the blue Hades was TBS/CBS thinking with the Dr. Naismith segment on Saturday between games. Also, I’d rather watch people chain smoke than watch those gentlemen known as the Chainsmokers perform. Let’s just talk ball between games.
  • Tommy Lloyd parlayed interest from North Carolina into a bigger and better contract at Arizona. That is allowed, but don’t let the players pull stunts like that.
  • Even Danny Hurley couldn’t figure out how to beat a much better Michigan team.
  • Michigan is the perfect transfer portal champion.
  • Michigan absolutely dominated this tournament, and that was without a key player in LJ Cason.
  • Dusty May is very good.
  • The most impressive thing, in my opinion, about Michigan is the suffocating defense. Arizona and UConn were very good. Arizona, in particular, couldn’t get anywhere they wanted to on offense. Michigan looked a step quicker than everyone else.
  • A reminder that Penn State only lost by 2 to this Michigan team.
  • Let’s start playing the Final Four in basketball arenas. These big stadiums are not conducive to good basketball. I know, money, money, and more money.
  • Why bring in tight rims. Nobody wants to see shots bounce out constantly.
  • Also, let’s start the game at 8 PM and put it back on CBS.
  • Hey SEC, don’t look now but the Big Ten has won two straight football titles, a men’s basketball title, a women’s basketball title, and has the number one baseball team. Can you say changing of the guard?

The Masters

  • Sounds like it is going to be a fast track this year at Augusta. Could that favor Bryson DeChambeau?
  • I think Rory going back to back has only a slim chance.
  • I am anxious to see if Big Game Brooks shows up in his first major since returning to the PGA Tour.
  • Can a tier two guy like Cam Young win the Masters? Absolutely, and Young may be that guy.
  • Chris Vernon, you’re on my man. Can’t wait for the Masters updates.
  • So, do I have to pull up Paramount Plus to watch the early rounds?
  • Yes, I am going to do it again. I am picking Ludvig Aberg to win the Master’s. He was in the driver’s seat last year before disaster struck late in the final round. He is playing really well right now, and he is unflappable. I think he gets it done this year.
Just my two cents…