Why are the Penguins fighting for a playoff spot?

January 14, 2018

The Pittsburgh Penguins came out of their bye week Saturday in a position that no one would expect the winner of the last two Stanley Cups to be — on the outside looking in for a playoff spot. A 4-1 win over Detroit on Saturday swiftly pulled them back into a wildcard spot in the extremely tight battle for position. In fact, the Penguins were at one point in last place in the Metropolitan Division before winning three of four before the five day layoff to temporarily climb back into a wildcard spot, which they regained. Although they have gotten on a bit of a roll of late, it begs ...

10-year contracts are just simply too long

January 14, 2018

Imagine your boss wanting to give you a long contract with the company. It doesn’t matter what profession it is, whether that’s a construction worker, janitor, billionaire playboy. It really doesn’t matter. Long-term contracts are nice, but picture your company offering you a 10-year contract. If the money is right, a lot people would sign. You are now set for the next decade. Now, imagine working at your company for the next 10 years guaranteed. Even if one loves his/her job to the fullest, that’s still a long, long time coming. It’s even longer for the company. And ...

Happy Mother’s Day & thank you to all

May 14, 2017

I graduated college because of my mom. I am a writer because of my mom. While God gave me the tools to use the English language, my mom forged those tools into reality. It was the fall of 1981, Thanksgiving break, when I told my mom that I was homesick and not going back to college. After giving me that look (and everyone knows that look), she told me a few things (my mom never cussed) and said, in no uncertain terms, that if I was to quit school I could no longer live in her house. So, thanks to that swift kick in the rear, I got back in my car and drove six hours north to ...

Feelings to Tribe changed over time

May 7, 2017

My father was correct all those years ago when he told me that my taste buds would change. Growing up, I had an immense disdain for broccoli and tomatoes. Now, I find them tolerable and can eat them regularly. I’m still working on bananas and egg whites. What my father did not tell me was that my feeling towards certain sports teams would evolve also. Today, I can assert that I am a fan of the Cleveland Indians. Back in the day when I would stuff my vegetables into a napkin and toss it in the garbage when my parents weren’t looking, I had to put up with the yearly success ...

The Gift could keep giving for Bucs

April 30, 2017

The Pirates season could have started better, but it could have definitely been worse. Flirting around the .500 mark at the end of the first month of the season is a position that many people thought the team would be in right now. However, Pittsburgh may have recently received an unexpected jolt to carry them to the top of the National League Central standings. That bump may have presented itself in the form of Gift Ngoepe. Ngoepe is known as a sleek-fielding infielder but his bat is subpar. Well, the unexpected twist is that Ngoepe has shown he can hit at the big league level. ...

The line between life and sports is thin

April 17, 2017

My heart breaks for Todd Heap and his family. My heart breaks for the family of Mikayla Focht. Will can all be so fortunate to have people talk about us after we’re dead the way those within the Pittsburgh Steelers organization talked about Dan Rooney. I listened to Jim Rome interview former player Ike Taylor and it was nothing but love and respect. The reverence for which Taylor spoke of Rooney was quite touching, speaking of the way Rooney touched and shaped his life. ¯ From the Associated Press: Condolences poured in for retired NFL player Todd Heap and his family on ...