THE BULLPEN

Take me out to the ballgame! This could be the last time I utter those words regarding the Pittsburgh Pirates. When I ordered tickets to today's game in the beginning of August, I anticipated seeing a fight to the finish for the NL Central title. Little did I realize the Pirates didn't have much fight left in them. Sure Clutch hit a walk off homer last night to win it but he hasn't been very Clutch in the past few months. Like the Pirates in the NL Central, he's totally disappeared from MVP contention. And, of course, this was yet another Pirates tease after they were no-hit the night before last. They have 4 games to go and are 4 games under .500. The Pirates have gone from BUCN so SUCN. Sure it was fun for a while but I really can't take the rollercoster ride that is the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball season, with all it's ups and downs (more downs, than up of late). I really don't want to attend another game as long as Bottom Line Bob Nutting is running the show. Fire Neal Bad Deal Huntington before he goes and trades Clutch away for a bag of baseballs and a coupon to Subway. I would like to see a good game today, though. Would a win be too much to ask? 1)Hit 2)Run 3)Score. Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Happy Hoka Hey Day! According to Pirates’ assistant GM Kyle Stark, “it’s a good day to die”. Today, my belief that the Pirates will ever field a competitive, winning team under this regime has died. When I purchased tickets to this Sunday’s game against the Reds back at the beginning of August, I was hoping they’d be battling it out for the NL Central title. Boy, was I ever naïve! I never, in my wildest dreams, imagined that they’d fall this far for the second season in a row. No team in MLB history has been 16 games over .500 at the 2/3 point of the season and finished under .500. Until now. Owner Bob Nutting and team president Frank Coonelly had promised accountability for this franchise. Until now. Coonelly announced GM Neal Huntington, Kyle Stark, head of player development (or lack thereof), Greg Smith, head of scouting and manager Clint Hurdle would all be retained despite this collapse of historic proportions. The Pirates need to finish 6-1 for a winning record. At 6-18 for the month, that’s not likely. Where’s the accountability Bob?  The only thing Bob Nutting is accountable for is his money. Shame on Nutting!

50-YARD LINE

Your Pittsburgh Steelers may have the week off but blackngoldnat never sleeps. The Steelers are 1-2 in the AFC North, looking up at both The Bungels and the Baltimorons at 2-1. They’ve also lost 2 games in the conference, not good when it’s time for playoff seedings, if they get that far. 3 games into the season, the Steelers have more questions than answers.

1)Will the Steelers ever find a running game? Issac Redman looks like he’s doing a Rashard Mendenhall imitation back there the way he’s dancing and spinning around. People were expecting big things from both Baron Batch and Chris Rainey and they’ve been virtually non-factors. Jonathan Dwyer showed flashes early on but is definitely in the doghouse after fumbling last week. The offensive line’s failure to open up holes for these guys certainly isn’t helping, either.

2)Can the Steelers win on the road? The Steelers have lost 4 of their last 5 away games. With the way Steelers fans travel, almost any stadium in the league is considered home away from home for the Steelers. Not anymore. This was a team that won all their playoff games on the road to winning a Super Bowl a few years back.

3)The big question on everyone’s mind: Where’s the D? Through 3 games the Steelers have 5 sacks (last year’s 35 was their worst in 21 years) and 3 turnovers (2 for the D). True this is without Polamalu (who expects to play vs. the Iggles) and Harrison (who practiced yesterday). The problem is, these guys are both winding down their careers. It’s unrealistic of the Steelers to keep putting all their eggs in the Polamalu/Harrison basket. Then again, the Steelers are expecting younger players such as Worilds, Carter, Mundy, Lewis, Timmons, Hood, Heyward, etc. to step up and these guys just aren’t getting it done. Example: Porter took over for Gildon, Harrison took over for Porter. Will the outside linebacker taking over for Harrison please stand up? I’m not calling for the great Dick LeBeau’s head. It used to be his schemes were carried out with precision by his players. The only thing these current players are executing is their complete lack of ability to be able to perform up to the standards that have been set before them. I think Lebeau does need to change his schemes based on his personnel. Another question, are the Steelers making bad picks on defense? The only impact player they’ve drafted in the Tomlin era is Woodley. Or, are the Steelers not developing their players properly? The more we see of Tomlin’s guys on this team, the more disappointing it is.

The great teams beat the good teams and beat up the bad teams. The Steelers can no longer do either.

There’s still time to fix this. Re-group during the bye and go on a run. Here we go Steelers!!!!!!

50-YARD LINE

Ugh! I feel like Charlie Brown when Lucy would pull the football away from him. The turkey was on the table but the Steelers couldn't carve him up. Instead the Raiders carved up the Steelers 34-31. Which brings us to the Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

1)The Good-Ben played another excellent game. He was 36 of 49, for 384 yards, 4 TDs and no INTs. Ben hasn't thrown a pick since the pick 6 in Denver. Also, honorable mention to Heath Miller who was 8 catches for 60 years and 2 TDs. That gives him 4 TDs so far this year. He'd better book his flight to Hawaii for the Pro Bowl.

2)The Bad-Where do I began? Oh, yeah. How about the PENALTIES?!?! 10 for 81 yards. You can't keep blaming replacement refs for your own sloppy play. Another VERY undisciplined game by the Steelers.

3)The Ugly-Is it any wonder that it's the defense? Where is the D these days? 1 sack, 1 turnover doesn't win games. Neither does letting your opponent go 7 for 12 on 3rd downs. You've go to get off of the field against one of the worst teams in the league. The Steelers let the Raiders hang around and got burned by letting them score the last 13 points of the game. The Steelers gave up 5.7 yards per carry against a team that only averaged 2 yards per carry coming into the game. Maybe Dick LeBeau needs to change his schemes since it's clear that these players aren't executing like they should.

Oh well, at least we still have the Pira...., oh crap! Well, there's still the Pen....., oh geez! You've got an extra week this week. Get it together Steelers!!!!!!

50-YARD LINE

Here we go, Steelers, here we go! Your Pittsburgh Steelers are in Oaktown to take on the Raiders. Keys to today's game. 1)Look out for the trap game! Although the Raiders have lost 6 of their last 7 going back to last year, it's important not to look ahead to the bye and take this team to lightly. True, Coach Tomlin is 6-2 vs. Raiders QB Carson Palmer but keep in mind, this guy used to face us twice a year so he's very familiar with our personnel and schemes. Also, the Raiders new coach is Dennis Allen. He was the defensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos last year. The same team that knocked us out of the playoffs. Beware the Black Hole! 2)The Steelers are last in the AFC in yards per play at 3.37. The Raiders have have given up the 4th most rushing yards in the NFL with 295. Stretch the field against these guys! 3)The Steelers are 30th in the league in rushing and yards per rushing attempt and 29th in total yeards per play. The Steelers are averaging 2.6 yards per carry. Who's worse then the Steelers? The Raiders are averaging 2 yards per carry. Something's got to give! Also, look out for RB Darren McFadden! He is tied for most receptions in the AFC with 15. Score early, score often, score BIG! Hit 'em early, hit 'em often, hit 'em HARD. Go Steelers!!!!!!

50-YARD LINE

The Steelers have listed James Harrison, Troy Polamalu, Rashard Mendenhall, and Stevenson Sylvester as out for Sunday's tilt in Oaktown. Rookie tackle Mike Adams is listed as questionable. Heath Miller practiced for the first time this week and is considered probable. Shoot 'em up, tape 'em up and get back out there guys. Hopefully next week's bye will give some of these guys a chance to get ready and come back for the Iggles game on Oct. 7. Here we go Steelers, here we go!!!!!!

SLAP SHOTS

As the NHL lockout approaches its first week, let’s take a look at a few observations.

1)There have been no negotiations since September 12 and none are scheduled.

2)The NHL preseason has been canceled through September 30.

3)NHL teams are laying off staff.

4)NHL staffers could have salaries cut and work weeks shortened if the strike lasts through October 1.

What about commissioner Gary Bettman? He and the owners want the players to take a cut. Will Bettman be layed off or asked to take a pay cut? This is the man who’s had 3 work stoppages on his watch.  Keep your fingers crossed that the whole season isn’t locked out again. Maybe I’ll watch peewee hockey instead.

THE BULLPEN

Back at the beginning of baseball season, I wrote an open letter to the Pittsburgh Pirates. In that letter, I begged, pleaded, and implored the Pirates not to break my heart for a 20^th straight season. I figured that we, the fans (those that are left) had been put through the wringer enough and did not deserve to suffer through another deplore season of the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball club. True, I didn’t expect the Pirates to make the playoffs this year, either. I would have been happy to finish 82-80, finally, a winning record. But, I must say, the Pirates find a new way to break my heart every year, more so than any jagoff I’ve ever dated. They teased me again this year by flirting with the postseason and even first place in the NL Central. And then, they broke my heart. I guess I should have seen it coming. What team commits 7 errors in a game to a team that is over 30 games under .500? What team lets the other team steal 7 bases in one game? What team does not know how to bunt runners over? The answer to these and, so many more questions like these, it’s maddening, is the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates would rather have Navy SEALS instruct their team on team building and leadership, instead of teaching these guys the fundamentals and how to play winning baseball. Bob Nutting would rather mandate that his players shoot clay pigeons at his resort than to get rested in the midst of a rough stretch of games. So consider this an open letter to Nutting. Please, sir, I’m begging again. This time I’m begging you to sell the Pirates. Surely, you’ve taken enough of the fans’ money. Can’t you, please, let someone that knows how to win purchase the organization. All you know how to do is run it into the ground.

50-YARD LINE

Happy Hump Day! We're at the mid-week point so what better time for a mid-week report? Mendy and Stevenson Sylvester both participated in practice today. Mendy has practiced the past 2 weeks but hasn't gotten any game time. The difference today was that he was allowed contact. We'll see if that gets him in the game this week and helps the running game. Those that did not practice were Harrison, Polamalu, Dwyer, Wallace and Sanders. Wallace has a groin and Sanders a knee. We'll see what that means come Sunday. We'll need all the healthy bodies we can get to carve out another win before the bye. The last 2 times the Steelers played the Raiders, at the Black Hole in '06 and at the Big Ketchup Bottle in '09, the Steelers lost and did not make the playoffs. Beware the Black Hole! This could be a trap game as the Steelers look to rest and get healed up going into the bye. Be especially wary of the fact that QB Carson Palmer is third in the NFL with 670 passing yards. This is a guy who used to regularly face the Steelers twice a year when he was in Cincy. Hopefully, Tomlin and his mad scientists are busy brewing up a winning recipe even as I write this. Go Steelers!!!!!!

50-YARD LINE

The Steelers win their home opener over the J-E-T-S, Jets. Today we take a look back at the victory with the Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
1)The Good-Ben's play. He was 24 for 31 for 275 yards, no turnovers and 2 TDs yesterday for a 125.1 rating. Ben was also able to keep his receivers happy, spreading the ball around to 10 different targets. Ben was able to keep plays alive, too with his scrambling ability. Also, Ben reached a milestone in the win. He joined Terry Bradshaw as the only Steelers to pass for over 27,000 yards. Congrats to Ben on a job well done yesterday.
2)The Bad-The running game, or again this week, the lack thereof. The running game is still not clikcing on all cylinders for the Steelers. They averaged just 2.4 yards per rush with 6 for negative yardage. . However, Redman and Dwyer do get honorable mention. In the 4th quarter, when the Steelers needed the run the most to run out the clock, they were 31 yards on 8 carriers during the 10 minute drive. Redman sealed it with a 2-yard TD run. Let's see them do that for 60 minutes and see what we get.
3)The Ugly-Penalties, some real, some imagined by the replacement refs. 10 penalties for 107 yards is an ugly stat, indeed. Clean it up, guys.
Steelers, Raisins and Bungles are all 1-1 in the AFC North. The Clowns are looking up at 0-2. Next week, the Steelers travel to the Black Hole to take on the Raiders. Go Steelers!!!!!!

50-YARD LINE

Chew tobacco, chew tobacco, spit, spit, spit....The Steelers play their home opener today agains the J-E-T-S, Jets. Keys to the game. 1)The Steelers are looking for their first win of the season and are trying to avoid going 0-2 for the first time since 2002. Harrison and Troy are out for the game. We're still looking for those younger guys to step up. Remember how it used to be? A starter would go down and his replacement would come in and we wouldn't miss a beat? We need that again. Step up and kick some NY butt! 2)Ben has won 24 of his last 29 at Heinz Field. The Jets shutdown corner Revis is out today. Sounds like a chance for Ben to take advantage and go airborne against the Jets. I think the Jets will concentrate on shutting down our wide receivers. That means things should open up for #83. He looked good last week. Let's do it again. Throw the ball to Miller! 3)The Jets are 4-17 lifetime vs. the Steelers and 1-8 in Pittsburgh. No reason for that to change. Score early, score often, score BIG. Hit 'em early, hit 'em often, hit 'em HARD. Go Steelers!!!!!!

SLAP SHOTS

NHL players and their fans were given the deep freeze as the owners proceeded with the lockout at midnight. Training camp is scheduled to begin next week but no formal negotiations have been scheduled. The regular season is to start on October 11. The main issue is $3.3 billion revenue and how to split it. The players allowed a salary cap and a 24% cut in existing contracts in the last CBA when owners agreed to 57% hockey related revenue for the players. The owners want to get that down to 47-49% this time. My question is, how can you split any revenue if your business is not running? Can the league and its owners afford to lose revenue and fans again? You can't split a pie if no one is baking. This is the 2nd lockout in 8 years. That, to me, sounds like a recipe for disaster for the NHL and their fans. What the puck?

THE BULLPEN

The Pirates Florida Instructional League team is beginning a 3-day training session that assistant GM Kyle Stark says will give the players a “unique training experience to reinforce various lessons we stress all the time pertaining to leadership, team building and mental toughness”.  Are they learning how to sacrifice runners over? How to pick off a runner at first base? How to throw out a runner at second base? No, they are not even touching the lumber or the leather in these exercises. Just who is leading the instruction? Navy SEALS, that’s who. Considering the lack of fundamentals these players have when they reach the majors, the Pirates may want to re-think this strategy. I don’t see the need for this type of instruction unless the SEALS themselves are going to be able to rescue the sinking ship that is the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. From top to bottom, these guys need to learn to play and win the game. Couldn’t the leadership, team building and mental toughness all come with playing winning baseball? This seems like an exercise in futility to me. And futility is something the Pirates organization knows all too well.  

THE BULLPEN

Hey batter, batter, batter! Can the Pittsburgh Pirates get on track and finish with a winning record? We'll see when they start a weekend series this afternoon in Chi-Town. Keys to the game. 1)The Cubbies are 31 games under .500. You'd think the Bucs would be able to beat them, right? 2)Cubs rookie starter Chris Rusin is 0-2 with a 5.73 ERA. Typically, the Pirates make a guy like this look like Cy Young. Let's hope they don't today! 3)The Pirates have won 8 of the last 12 in the Windy City. I hope the wind is blowing out for the Bucs today! Come on! This winning 1 game a week is getting really old. Get to BUCN with the old Hit, Run, & Score! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

50-YARD LINE

Word is that both Troy and Harrison sat out practice again today and aren’t expected to play Sunday. I guess the injury bug and lack of depth are hurting (punny) the Steelers early on this season. Can the Steelers keep from going 0-2 ala Woodley’s prediction? On a bright note, Darrelle Revis has not practiced for the Jets. They need to make a decision by the time they fly to Pittsburgh on Saturday. Go Steelers!!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Someone please cue Celine Dion because the Pittsburgh Pirates are sinking faster than the Titanic.  With 20 games to go in the season, the Pirates are still 10 away from the ever elusive winning season. Even though St Louie and LA are faltering as well, they continue to trail for the last wild card spot by 2 ½ games and are in danger of losing 3^rd place in the NL Central to the Brewhas. They’ve lost 6 in a row and 8 of their last 10. So who should walk the plank as the Pirates sink into their 20^th straight losing season? GM Neal Huntington. Apart from bringing AJ into the fold, what has this guy done? True he did make moves at the trading deadline, but he traded for under achievers and never have beens that are under contract for the next few years. What good is having control of these guys when they don’t do anything to contribute? I know the economic landscape of MLB makes it tough for a GM in his position. But this guy is a poor evaluator of talent. Example: Clint Barmes signed for 2 years at $10.5 million. His BA is .219 with 6 homers, 39 RBIs and a .253 OBP. Ronny Cedeno signed with the Mets for 1 year at $1.2 million. He has 3 homers, a .287 BA, 21 RBIs and a .347 OBP. Rod Barajas signed for 1 year with a club option for a second for $4 million. Barajas has 9 homers, a .200 BA, 24 RBIs and .270 OBP. Ryan Doumit signed with the Twins for 1 year at $3 million. He is batting .282 with 16 homers, 66 RBIs and a .327 OBP. This is just the tip of the iceberg (pun intended) that shows what a lousy job Huntington does. It’s been 5 years. It’s time to throw Neal overboard. Go Bucs!!!!!

SLAP SHOTS

Are NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA head Donald Fehr giving fans the cold shoulder? The league has set a deadline for players to except their latest proposal or be locked out come 11:59 pm Saturday. One of the sticking points is the league wants a 6 year deal while the players association wants 5 years, 3 years plus 2 dependent upon revenue growth. The NHL set a record for revenue in 2011-12, $3.3 billion. The players want a bigger piece of the pie and the owners don’t want to share. Remember, Donald Fehr was also responsible for the MLB strike of 1994 that wiped out the World Series and created the huge rift with fans that has taken decades to mend. Although both sides said that they’re open to continue negotiations up till Saturday, it seems like the NHL season could be put on ice again, freezing out the fans.

THE 50-YARD LINE

Today is Hump Day so I thought I’d take a look at the Steelers to see how they line up mid-week. This is the Ying and the Yang. 1)The Steelers offense was over 50% on 3^rd down conversions, 11 of 19, the defense couldn’t get off the field on 3^rd down, 5 of 9. This has been a continuing problem for the defense. They hold opponents on the first 2 downs and then give up the 3^rd and long. They may want to work on that. 2)The Broncos made the necessary adjustments at the half, the Steelers stood pat. They even looked like the defense went into prevent-mode. If there’s one thing about the prevent defense, it prevents nothing. Lack of adjustments seems to be an ongoing problem during the Tomlin era. Is he afraid of change? Sometimes, it’s for the better. 3)The Steelers should have Gilbert and Foster back on the O-Line. They don’t know when Harrison and Mendenhall will be ready. Troy now has a hammy, too, an injury that is known to linger. Looks like the youngsters waiting in the wings better get ready to let it fly. Let’s Go Steelers!!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Put me in coach! The Pittsburgh Pirates try to salvage a win against Cincy tonight and, hopefully, finally, right the ship. Can anyone win a ballgame for them? Keys to the game. 1)Pirates starter AJ Burnett is 3-0 with a 2.18 ERA vs. Cincy this season. Can he make it 4-0? 2)Cincy's hot hitters, Brandon Phillips and Scott Rolen are 5 for 34, batting .147, vs. Burnett. Can AJ continue to shut them down? 3)There are 21 games to go and 10 wins needed for a winning season. When are the Pirates going to start winning again? You gotta Hit, Run and Score! You gotta want it to win it! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

SLAP SHOTS

I admit, I’m a little down this week. The Pirates are quickly sinking out of the wildcard race and the Steelers dropped their season opener to Peyton Friggin’ Manning. I needed to get a black-n-gold sports fix elsewhere to brighten my mood. There’s always the Penguins, right? Wrong. True, a group of players, including James Neal, Pascal Dupuis, Matt Cooke, Chris Kuntiz, and Craig Adams, have been getting together lately for workouts. Now comes word that Sid joined them at Southpointe today. Training camp starts September 21, right? Wrong. The CBA expires on September 15. The NHLPA and over 200 players are expected in New York tomorrow and Thursday to discuss the situation. There are currently no talks scheduled with the league. Will the owners lock the players out and risk losing their fan base, along with revenue, again? The owners think that because these guys have been playing since they learned to skate, that they won’t be able to live with another lockout. However, players are already weighing their options. Geno struck a deal to play in the KHL and Sid has talked about playing in Europe. These guys may love their hockey but they’ll find it elsewhere, if need be. And can the owners afford to, essentially, lockout the fans, too? They already did that once and they’re still trying to win back fans because of it. I don’t think they can afford to go through this again. Both sides may want to get some talks scheduled again and quickly, before the season slips away. Let’s do it. Go Pens!!!

THE BULLPEN

One, two, three strikes you're out! Will the Pirates ever win another game this season? We'll find out tonight in Cincy. Keys to the game. The first 2 keys will be what NOT to do. 1)You don't leave the bases loaded with no one out in a tie game in the 14th inning and expect to win the game. Someone at least take one for the team and get a run in! 2)You don't go 5 for 35 in a 4-game skid with 10 strikeouts and expect to win the game. Can't anyone hit anymore? 3)Reds starter Mike Leake gave up 6 runs and 2 homers in his last start, lasting just 2 1/3 innings. So it's Leake against the leaking ship that is the Pittsburgh Pirates tonight. Something has got to give. Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Root, root, root for the Pirates! I know they're making it hard these days, but there's still 23 games to go and 10 wins needed to secure a winning season. Don't give up the ship! The Bucs are in Cincy tonight to start a 3-game series. Will they, finally, get revenge on the Reds for all those hit batsmen last month? Keys to the game. 1)Pirates starter Wandy Rodriguez has thrown 13 scoreless innings in his last 2 starts, both wins. The way this team is hitting, or not, we need him to pitch all the scoreless innings he can. Help us, Wandy! 2)Cincy dropped 2 of 3 to the Lastros. Now's our chance to play the spoiler, a role we know well! 3)Reds OF Jay Bruce is 2 for 29 lifetime vs. Wandy, with 15 strikeouts. Beat him like a rented mule, Wandy! I'd also say that we need to Hit, Run, and Score, but if they don't know that by now, something is definitely wrong. Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE 50-YARD LINE

What a horrible weekend for Pittsburgh sports. The black-n-gold is all black-n-blue.  It's time to re-group and get back to the drawing board. But first, a look back at last night's Steelers loss with the Good, the Bad and the Ugly. #1 The Good-Jonathan Dwyer looked good toting the rock. Word is he came to camp in shape and lost weight for this season. While the running game was uninspiring, Dwyer had 9 carries for 43 yards, a 4.8 yard average. We may have found something here. #2 The Bad-Questionable playcalling and costly penalties. Did we really need to go for the 2-point conversion? How about the decision to throw the red flag? Also, the Lewis pass interference call really hurt us. #3 The Ugly-Has Ben lost his 4th quarter, come-from-behind mojo? Luckily, the Clowns lost and either the Raisins or Bungles will lose tonight. The problem is, there will also be a winner and we'll be 1 game back in our division. Get it together for next week. Go Steelers!!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Take me out to the ballgame! Today the Pirates try to salvage a win against the Cubbies to avoid the sweep. With the Jolly Roger flying at half mast, today's keys to the game. 1)10 wins away from a winning season with 24 games left. What are you waiting for? Do you plan on ending the season with a 10-game winning streak? You gotta want it to win it! 2)I thought the motto for this season was to "finish". You guys are looking like you finished in July. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Suck it up, man up and go out and kick some Cubbie butt! 3)Where's the leadership? Did they abandon a sinking ship? A long time ago, I heard that AJ called a closed door, players only meeting. I've heard nothing of the sort since from any of the players or from Hurdle since. Is anyone going to take command of this ship and right it? Let's get it together and finish strong. Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

50-YARD LINE

Here we go Steelers, here we go! The quest for a 7th Lombardi trophy begins tonight in Denver. Though we've lost some great players in the offseason, Hines, Potsie, Smith, Hokie, it's a new era, time for younger players to step up and make names for themselves. What better way to do it then against Manning and the Broncos. Keys to the game. 1)Get in Manning's grill. Rattle his cage. Force mistakes! 2)4 players on defense that need to step up: McLendon, Carter, Mundy, Lewis. It's on you, boys! 3)Keep the ball out of Manning's hands. He can't beat you if he doesn't have the ball. The road to New Orleans starts here. Hit him early, hit him often, hit him HARD. Let's Go Steelers!!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Usually, when I post my keys to the game for the Pirates, I try to remain all Black-N-Gold-Sunshine and be optimistic. After last night's debacle, I find that difficult. Thus, I will still give the keys to tonight's game only the first 2 will be a bit different. They will be what NOT to do. 1)You don't commit 7 errors and expect to win the game. 2)You don't lose to a team that is over 30 games under .500 and expect to make the postseason, ESPECIALLY by a score of 12-2. AT HOME! What is wrong with you Pirates? Is there no sense of urgency? You need to win 10 games to have a winning season with 25 to go. And forget about playoffs at this rate. What in the world is going on? Get it to-freaking-gether! 3) HIT, RUN, SCORE, WIN! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Hit the ball and touch 'em all! Your Pittsburgh Pirates look for their third win in a row as they start a weekend series with the Scrubs at PNC tonight. Keys to the game. 1)The Scrubs have lost 17 of 18 on the road. They also gave up 15 homers in a 4-game sweep at the hands of the Nats. Kick 'em while they're down! 2)Pirates starter AJ Burnett is 2-0 vs. the Scrubs this season, tossing 14 1/3 shutout innings against them. Shut 'em down, AJ! 3)Since the All-Star break, the Scrubs have lost all 10 of starter Travis Wood's starts. Why stop there? Let's make it 11 tonight with the old Hit, Run, Score, oh my! We're 1 1/2 back of St Louie for the final wild card spot, same as LA. Do a little house cleaning and sweep the Scrubs. Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE 50-YARD LINE

Today is facet#3 to the Steelers season: special teams. Rookie Chris Rainey could be the x-factor here. Many believe he has the talent to be the second straight return man for the Steelers to go to the Pro Bowl. The new special teams coach, Amos Jones, needs to make sure there are no special teams gaffs, such as holding penalties, that could make this unit very un-special. The Steelers let their special teams captain from last year, Arnaz Battle, go. Again, someone will need to step up and fill that leadership role for this young unit. There is also a new punter, Drew Butler. That also means they have a new holder. The kid looked good in the preseason. Let’s hope he continues to do so when we go live. The key with special teams is to gain as much field as you can when you get the ball and don’t give any ground when the opponent gets the ball. Stick with this mindset, and avoid costly penalties and the special teams could, indeed, be something special. Go Steelers!!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Buy me some peanuts and crackerjacks! Your Pittsburgh Pirates look to take the series tonight against the Last-ros. Keys to the game. 1)The Bucs are 40-15 when scoring first. The team that scores first may not always when but it beats always coming from behind. Score early, score often, score big! 2)Rookie Brock Holt went 4 for 5 last night with 2 runs scored. Clutch is getting back on track, going 4 for 4 with 1 run scored and 3 RBIs. Get the ducks on the pond and fire away! 3)The Last-ros are 14-54 on the road. Make those road warriors, road weary! We gained a little ground last night on LA and Atlanta. Keep it up. Break out the Hit, Run, & Score! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

50-YARD LINE

As the Steelers roll towards their season opener in Denver Sunday night, we look at facet #2 for the season, the defense. Although the Steelers had the #1 rated defense in the league last year, the players aren’t resting on the laurels. Especially with the way the defense fell apart in the playoffs to the Tebow-led Broncos. The defense has lost veteran leadership in the offseason. It’s time for some new blood to step up and take the reins. The D-Line will look to Steve Mclendon, Ziggy Hood and Cameron Hayward to take a step forward and eat up blockers so the linebackers can do their thing. There’s questions at linebacker, though. Will James Harrison start in Denver? If not, when will he be healthy and will he stay healthy? Will Lamar Woodley avoid the injury bug this year, too? When healthy, those two are one of the best outside linebacker tandems in the league and give quarterbacks fits. If they go down, who steps in? Same for middle linebacker. There they have Lawrence Timmons and Larry Foote and not much behind them. Ryan Clark and Troy Polamalu were both Pro Bowlers last year but are on the wrong side of 30. Keenan Lewis predicted a Pro Bowl season for himself in his first starting season opposite Ike Taylor. I seem to remember Ike also made that bold prediction one year. Was it the year Cowher benched him? Be careful what you wish for. I just wish for a healthy, productive season for this defense. They need to improve upon their turnovers, or lack thereof (15), put more pressure on the QB to rattle him into making mistakes, and work to get off of the field on third down to put the ball back in the offense’s hands. And STAY HEALTHY! Go Steelers!!!!!!

50-YARD LINE

As the Steelers begin their quest for Super Bowl #7, let’s take a look at the 3 facets of the game that the team needs to be victorious. #1 Offense. The Big O always starts up front. Things looked shaky when #1 pick David DeCastro went on IR but thanks to a new rule instituted this season, it will only be for 8 games. Let’s hope the O-Line holds up in the meantime. I like that the Steelers didn’t immediately panic and move Willie Colon back to tackle in the shuffle. They need to stay healthy, though, because there’s not a lot of depth there. We get to see how the new offense performs in the Todd Haley era. Will it fly high or grind it out? Baring any contractual miracles, this is the last year for this receiving corp. Mike Wallace needs to have a big year to get a huge free agent contract next year. Can he get behind the coverage and make things happen? If not, can he at least open it up underneath for Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders? And can they stay healthy? We only have 4 receivers this year. Look for Heath Miller to be his usual, reliable self. Anything else we get out of the tight ends will be gravy. Word is that Jonathan Dwyer may start the Denver game. Issac Redman has been dinged up. Dwyer looks like he can do the job, if he stays healthy. Baron Batch and Chris Rainey both look good but aren’t battle-tested. The offense could be something special this season if it stays healthy. That’s a big IF in today’s NFL. Keep your fingers crossed. Go Steelers!!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Hey batter, batter, batter! With only 28 games remaining and 12 needed to secure a winning season, your Pittsburgh Pirates look to get back into the win column tonight against the Last-ros. Keys to the game. 1)GI Jones is 5th in the NL in slugging and OPS since the All-Star break. Lock and load, GI! 2)Jones is also 6 for 7 in his last 2 games. He's batting .415, 17 for 41, w/4 homers and 11 RBIs vs. the Last-ros this season. Dah, dah, dah, dah, dah, daaahhh, charge! 3)Starter Wandy Rodriguez gave up 3 hits in 6 innings in his last start, a 5-0 win over St Louie. Help me, Wandy! We need to score early, score often, score BIG and hold 'em Bucs! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Root, root, root for the home team! The Pittsburgh Pirates try to right the ship today and get back in the win column against the Last-ros. Keys to the game. The Pirates are 9-2 vs. the Last-ros this season and have won 6 in a row against them at PNC. Still loving that home cooking! 2)Clutch has a 5-game hitting streak and is batting .565 w/2 homers & 7 RBIs during that 6-game home winning streak against the Last-ros. Go Clutch, go! 3)Starter Jeff Locke was 10-5 with a 2.48 ERA at AAA this season. This should be no problem for the kid. The Last-ros are worse than any AAA team. Our magic number for that ever elusive winning season is 12 with 29 to play. We play the Last-ros and Scrubs this week so we should be able to cut that in 1/2 by the start of next week. We've got to take advantage of the weaker opponents and get back in this thing. Don't forget the old Hit, Run, Score, oh my! Let's Go Buccos!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Roundin' third and headin' for home! Your Pittsburgh Pirates look to avoid the sweep and get out of Milwaukee with a win today. Keys to the game. 1)Pirates starter James Mcdonald is 1-0 with a 4.22 ERA vs. the Brewhas this season. Make that 2-0 after today! 2)JMac gave up 2 hits and struck out 6 in 7 innings in his last outing, a 9-0 win over St Louie. Today is a good day to continue that trend. Hold 'em JMac! 3)Petey is 14 for 26, batting .538 with 4 homers & 8 RBIs in his last 7 games. Plus it's a day game. Go get 'em Daydro! We need some Hit, Run, Score today to bring some momentum back home for this week. Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

The crack of the bat, the thrill of the hit! Your Pittsburgh Pirates try to get back in the win column tonight at Milwaukee. Keys to the game. 1)Clutch should be back in the lineup tonight after getting last night off. He is hitting .500 w/4 homers and 9 RBIs at Miller Park this year. Time to get your mojo back, Clutch! 2)Starter AJ Burnett leads the team with 15 wins. 16 would be better, AJ! 3)Let's not forget the old Hit, Run, and Score. Seems like we forgot that last night. It's a new month, put August behind us and tear up September! Everyone in the race lost last night so the more things change, the more they stay the same. Our magic number is down to a dirty dozen. Let's Go Bucs!!!!!