April 25, 2023
The Porch is LIVE in Pittsburgh - The Buccos are on FIRE!
The Buccos are in first place. Enjoy it while it lasts! NFL Draft day is 72 hours away... will the Steelers make a trade? We predict. Hockey Jesus talks up his record in the NHL Playoffs. And... the 1990 Topps Baseball Card Challenge.
Season 3
NHL
Pittsburgh Penguins
Hockey
Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Sports
NFL News
Pittsburgh Pirates,
MLB
The Buccos are in first place. Enjoy it while it lasts! NFL Draft day is 72 hours away... will the Steelers make a trade? We predict. Hockey Jesus talks up his record in the NHL Playoffs. And... the 1990 Topps Baseball Card Challenge.
Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to ThePorchIsLive.com for updates and more!
Thanks for reading, and let us know what you think... email us at OGSPORTSPORCH@GMAIL.COM and join us every Monday at 7:30 PM Eastern on Facebook Live or YouTube. You can also catch the podcast on iHeart or anywhere you listen to podcasts!
Transcript
Me.
Jingle Welcome to The Porches Live. The Porch is live. The Sports Porch in Pittsburgh. We are on the air. We are having fun and first of all, I want to thank you if you're listening on American Busker iHeartRadio. Thank you.
American Busker iHeartRadio, a 50 million registered users, 2000 devices, 260 platforms and of course, you can catch the Sports Porch Podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google, or anywhere you get your podcast and as always, you can catch our website at The Porch Is Live. com. The Porch is The Porch is Live. com. Shut your mouth. Yeah, I I yeah. Why don't you shut your mouth? That just cracks us up. I love it. I love it. Cracks me up.
So, anyway, we want to thank you guys for being here. Of course, we are just super excited to be here and you know, I I always do this every week now. Gotta remind gotta remind you, you can always catch a replay of our show on American Busker iHeartRadio every Sunday at 4 PM Eastern Time every Sunday and for those of you guys who are for those of you guys who are listening or or listening to us on the podcast or listening to us on the radio, we also do a live show.
We live stream it every Monday night at 730 across social media channels except TikTok and Snap and and you know the younger kids stuff. Uh so on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube you can catch us live and it's an interactive show. So if you have something you want to say you could just drop a comment. It pops up here. We get you into the show. So it's not a call-in show. Not yet. Anyway there's an adapter for that by the way.
It'll be coming. Yes. Yes. Just what you need. More technical things. That's right.
So listen we got a we got a big show here. We got a comment coming in right away. I'm guessing it's DG and yes it is DG. Good evening gentlemen. It's sports porch time. That's a good one. I like that. Good evening David. Yes. Come join us on the port. There you go. Mark ever since we got this new this new this new setup. These guys just love hearing themselves talk even more than they loved hearing themselves talk before so.
So much better now. It is. You sound great dude. We do sound amazing. Yeah. We cannot stop talking. I know you can't. I know. Yeah you're going to bore the **** out of everybody. Okay. Well let's get to topic. Let's go. So here's what we're going to do. Uh I I was so impressed and I think most people were very impressed with the hockey Jesus report after 82 games on our channel. Yeah. Plus plus a mid-season spectacular and a playoff season.
Yeah. Yeah so I was so impressed with that. Actually let me back up. I think 90 before the season's over. I think I I think Schwabber was was so Impressed that he's now doing a podcast ever after every Sixers playoff game. Sure. And he's only needed four. I've only needed four this far. That's funny. And so I we promised this year we would talk Buccos a little bit more. We we just you know maybe I made that promise.
Well now's the time to talk about him. Yeah absolutely. You're not talking about him now. Can can we talk about can we talk about your promise to our viewers and our listeners where you said that you are only going to do this until the point where they fall under 500. You might be doing quite a few games. You're kind of saying right then and there that you don't believe. I don't I I I don't know. I I Mark you you know who the Pittsburgh Pirates are right? Right.
They're not the team that is playing right now.
That's an imposter team. Is it imposters? Well maybe not. And that's what we're going to talk about tonight. Alright let's do it. Yeah. I'm just enjoying listening to you guys talk. So okay so After every Buccos game I am doing the Buccos report I can only hope to come remotely close to the success that the hockey Jesus had and that the Grand Swabini is having over in Philly but yes I did say that after the first one actually I had I had so much fun doing the first one that I went out on a limb and I committed to until they fall under 500 but then I thought to myself well you know they go one game under 500 what are you going to do you're going to not do it the next game so we're going to see how long it I can't commit to every game but I'm going to try to do as many as I can and definitely even when I'm on vacation.
So right now the Buccos are 16 and seven and I I I don't know if Milwaukee. I don't think Milwaukee's playing tonight. Are they? Do you know? No. Does anybody in this place know? We find out. Okay Schwabber's going to find out. Um but at sixteen and seven first place in the NL Central right? Yes. Um nice to be able to say that.
Um and first place in National League. Is it the National League now? Are you well Tampa Bay is the only team in front of them yeah I did look at the statistics in Tampa Bay only has they only have three losses they're in the American League right yes yeah so so there you go just the fact they have a half game lead over Milwaukee yeah because Milwaukee in the NL and only Tampa Bay has more wins there you go three losses right so 13 and three pretty much close to the best team in baseball and Tampa Bay got off to a 13-0 start right so yeah you can make the right now.
Um Tuesday, the Dodgers come into town and the Dodgers, they owned the Dodgers last year. They did. They were five of them in LA. Yeah and five in one overall. Mm hmm. Um this is something that I that I want to talk about with you guys because we we've gone over the statistics. The radio waves are are all a buzz with fans talking about the Pirates.
Uh one of the things that I found very interesting was I did not hear anybody who has an unrealistic viewpoint of what's going on now but yeah. One of the things I talked about on the Buccos report is let's just stick with the positivity here. Let's just let's just enjoy it. I mean you know I agree. There is is that all I'm going to get is enjoy it.
Why wouldn't you enjoy it? I mean this it doesn't get any better than this for the Pittsburgh Pirates. That's true. And if you think about it. Yeah. I mean you know they lost they they lost O'Neill Cruz right? Yes. Mm hmm. And they got better hitting the ball. That's true. Which is crazy. Yeah. I mean yeah and you said it on on your on your post games.
It's all about the pitching right now. Yes. When you get quality starts and pitchers are going in the sixth seventh inning. They're getting you know double digit strikeouts even like six or seven strikeouts. Come on. What are you talking about? That's what baseball is now. And they put together a team that can actually feel the ball. Right. Well. Right. And they're running the bases like Major League Baseball players.
Yes.
And that's the way they kind of set their team up which is a little surprising that the Pirates are ahead of the curve when it comes to you know innovation in Major League Baseball by putting together a quick team kind of anticipating that the pitch clock would allow them to steal some bases and get some timely hits and score some runs. Yeah yeah and and I think I've made this point.
I think the pitch clock has done some great things not just for the fans. I what it's done for the younger players is especially the pitchers is it it it forces them to focus on pitching okay so you got a young you got a young staff here in Pittsburgh other than Rich Hill who actually had a pretty a pretty darn good game the other night and for the for the older pitchers though I think it's caused some issues because they're not used to having you know a set amount of time for the batters it's more so for the base runners but I think for the batters it there's a little bit more focus there but that's a that's a different thing altogether for the base runners I've never seen so many stolen bases when Carlos Santana gets a an eight inning single it's an accidental single basically right right and immediately steals second base and then that that just ups the inning a little bit more so the adrenaline gets going and Swawinski smacks a double and there's the insurance run yeah you know so this is not just a Pirates thing they didn't need it by the way they didn't but you know you never know right and the whole thing about you know I was at a family outing they're talking about Well the you know the the Rockies suck and the Reds aren't that good.
I mean the Reds pitching is not bad but the Reds aren't that good. It's like look if you're going to be a good team you're you're supposed to beat the bad teams. Yeah. So if you don't want to be the worst team you at least beat the bad teams. Right. Yeah. Yeah. And that's what they're doing now. So that's good. Let's go with it.
Yeah. Yeah. So I I really I think there's something a little bit different about this team because I think McCutcheon and Santana have added a clubhouse presence that says when you're winning it's great are they going to go out and win 20 straight absolutely not but the next loss with the Pirates it's always about the next loss like you know they get a loss and now they're on a roll and they lose eight straight and they're under 500 and it's the same old Pirates when you have a guy like McCutcheon or Santana on the team it's kind of like look we're not going to win every game boys we played our hearts out put this one behind you you know we move on to the next one you gotta learn how to win in Major League Baseball and the Pirates have had a team for the last 10 years that has had no idea how to win and I also think it's very interesting that you know when they're winning nobody's talking about ownership even even though they're just winning just a little bit nobody's talking about ownership okay so as soon as they start losing you know we're going to hear Steve talking about ownership again although he'd probably talk about ownership now because oh yeah I can still tell you what a bunch of buttholes if you want to yeah I I I want to enjoy it like the city's more fun when you have a Major League Baseball team that's fun to watch and can play and I love it so I say we just I just roll with it let's just go with it who knows maybe they can continue to play at this point all they have to do is play 500 for the next you know two or three months and they become relevant in the wildcard again yeah yeah well and that that's the thing and that's the thing the wildcard enables them to be even go through they're going to go through a rough spot.
Every Major League Baseball team that has played the game goes through a rough spot. They'll lose five or six in a row. But if they can still stay around that 500 what what do the Phillies have? They like they're eleven and twelve. No no last year when they made it in. They had like they had like what? 87 wins? 89 wins? Yeah they started the season 21 and 30.
Yes and with eighty-seven. 87. So they got the 87 wins. So that seems attainable at this point when you're on a terror where you know looks like you can win 105 games. Dollar you're not going to win 105 games. But they're on such a good path right now. It it it makes you think that they can actually get to that wildcard or at least be relevant at the trade deadline.
So then that's when I can say okay management what you going to do? Yeah. Yeah. Well and Mark Mark made a a pretty good point on the Sports Sports Philadelphia. He said something that that rung true. You know he doesn't consider the Major League Baseball season to actually be in full swing until June. Man I agree with that. Yeah. It's just like the first twenty games of the National Hockey League.
It's like you're kind of feeling each other out unless you go 20 and0 or 18 and two you're just like eh we're we're finally getting started okay and then usually by in NHL terms anyways January February that's when you want to start playing the same Major League Baseball June July right you don't want to be 10 games out behind five hundred and then have to make that up at that point.
Yeah. You just want to be around the 500 level. I I agree and I I think the the actually the most surprising thing to me other than the pitching being as good as it has been has is been the fact that Cruz went down with that injury and I don't want to say the Pirates got better like you did but but they didn't skip a beat.
You know, normally that would that would just take them out of the out of the entire show like that this guy who was supposed to be maybe our savior this year you know and that that goes back to getting McCutcheon you know bringing a guy like him in you know he was there to fill the gap and say look it's you know that's that's bad for him and it's it's bad for us but it doesn't have to be the end of the year we just got started yeah somebody's going to have to step in and fill his shoes so no predictions here not going to not going to do that Daniel chimes in the Pirates are a fun team to watch let's hope their success continues beat them Bucks absolutely DG said I hear what you're saying but the Pirates rough spots periodically end up being caused by management yeah and with such a rich history Pittsburgh deserves better management yeah you know what I don't think you're going to get an argument from anybody here you know they they deserve they deserve a better owner sure but yeah you know well we're not going to get one forever so let's just go with what we got already so let's let's move on hey can we just talk about their pitching because yeah go for it go for it I didn't I didn't know any of these guys so I had to look them up Mitch Keller Vince Vela Vasquez.
By the way. Johan Oviedo. I hate to burst your bubble but. Yes. Vince Velasquez sucks. Trust me you'll see. Well he did. Is he a former Philly? Yeah he is. What what I'll be honest with he's got great stuff. But he has no idea how to pitch and every year he was on the fist for like five years. For what every year what he would do is like have like one great game where he like I think one game he had like 16 strikeouts or 18 strikeouts and we're like ooh he could be a star.
Um and then he usually strung together maybe like two or three good games where he go five six innings and maybe get 7eight strikeouts and we were like oh he's putting it together and then by the end of the year it's like a 6. 82 ERA yeah well I mean I looked up his ERA last year in 31 starts his 3.
91 so you're not expecting great things right actually he wasn't on the Phillies last year so maybe he got a little better yeah he was on Chicago he got him from Chicago the White Sox last year that would be his well I'm sorry last year he had starts and he had a 4. 7eighty RA. Okay. So yeah. Okay. I I was I was sighting Mitch by the way a little side note though that you don't know about Vince Glasquez but you might find out over the course of the year.
He is an incredible athlete. Um if he if you need a pitcher to hit he can hit the long ball and he also can play the outfield. There is a game where he made like two diving catches in the outfield like a thirteen-inning game once.
Yeah but think that was like five years ago I have a feeling he's not doing that much that's good to know we'll see what I love is we're talking about the Buccos now just watching you guys talk about it something we haven't done in years I I think since the beginning of the sports porch and the comments are dropping in like crazy here Greg says you know look hey at the rate the Buccos are are go the Buccos goes are winning this season they're on track for 110 game win season yeah I get it and DG says I'd like to remain positive but history has shown that if they are the crazy team we're seeing not sure what he means we well we know that it won't be long before not even start selling off talent for a couple of dollars and a few mediocre veterans you know what DG I'm with you we're not you know we're not saying that that things are going to change because we're 23 games in the season and they're and they're having a good year it's a long season and yes I think if you're looking at the if you're looking at the curve that curve is always going to air on the side we're going to see a a fire sale.
You know and we know who it's going to be already. You know we know McCutcheon won't be here at the end of the year. Okay. Reynolds. We know Reynolds will be is going to be trade bait. We know you know so what we have to hope for is that this beginning of the season which is just been so fun to watch you know that they they they continue this long enough that Notting can't do it.
Like he'd be crazy to do it. Um oh he'll do it. I mean I agree with I agreed with David here but I I think they're fun to watch now and let's just see what happens. Let's hope that they're still relevant at that trade deadline and then if these sellers and they're relevant at the trade deadline, then I can bring out the ugly me.
Yeah.
But I'm not going to I'm not going to do that now because I really do enjoy what actually I I took I took a cue from you. I didn't put on the game. I put on the radio. Yes. Listen. Ooh. And it's. Yes. It's actually quite pleasant. Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. I was driving home from was up at camp this weekend and I was driving home and Boy Scouts.
Camp. No. No. No Boy Scouts. Oh was this with was this with your brothers? Yep. Brothers hanging out at the old hunting camp. That worries me even more. Yeah. Actually. Yeah it was it was quite worrisome. I've got a nice picture of me in a nice buck hat. Yeah. Uh huh. Blaze Orange. Yeah. I should I should pop it up. Did you guys kill some animals this weekend? No it's not killing animal season yet.
When is it not killing animal season? Now. Yeah. Now. Right now. Pretty soon you're going to be able to kill of animals. Were there was. Start with turkey. Was there a lot of glass and extra you know whoosh of the fire after you finish that bottle of bourbon? Oh no we don't waste we don't waste bourbon like that but I tell you what I would have done it with the tequila that my brother tried to almost killed. Was this at Uncle Dons' cabin? Uncle Don's cabin? Yeah.
Was it? Uncle Don? Uncle Don. Uncle Don.
Technically it's great Uncle Don's. May you rest in peace? But I just I I feel like I have way too many discussions with Steve about his drinking habits now.
Question, is the NFL draft this week? Yeah. What? The NFL draft? You want to talk NFL draft? Before we go there, I want to remind everybody. That you can catch the Sports Sports on American Busker iHeartRadio, a 50 million registered users, 2000 devices, 2 60 platforms or the podcast. We drop it right after the show. Right after the show, we drop the podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Spotify, Apple Podcast, or Anywhere you get your podcast, you can reach our website, The Porch is Live.
com, The Porch is Live. com. The Porch is Live. com. com. And every Sunday on American Busker iHeartRadio, the radio station at 4 PM Eastern Time. Sunday fun day. Uh Luke is here. He says hello fellas. Uh. Hello, fellas. Yeah, CD is in the house. Class of 86 on The Porch. That would be cool. And yeah, he says Uncle Don's Cabin. Um Uncle Don's Cabin is. Uncle Don cabin. What what was that grateful? Flows right off. What was that Grateful Dead song? Come here.
Uncle John. Uncle John's band. Uncle John's Uncle Don's Cabin. Hang at Uncle Don's Cabin.
That songs took too long to develop. You have some fun. You don't like the 12 minute interludes. Yeah the Grateful Dead was kind of meant for like white people that don't know how to dance so they just twirl around like they're high. It's because were white people that didn't know how to dance and they were high. And they were high. Yeah. It was actually pretty appropriate.
And they like grilled cheese.
Grilled cheese. Well according to a and Sierra Nevada. According to a friend of ours it was rolling rock and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Mhm. Right. Sometimes. Grilled cheese were were were pretty popular when it got a little bit cooler. Yeah. Those guys give me an iron. Yeah. Alright. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Mark. Let's get to this draft stuff. You sure you sure? Um okay. So here's my question. Uh and then you guys you guys argue about it. We'll do. Should the Steelers trade up? Does doesn't even give me a chance to finish.
Maybe. Maybe. If there's a player go ahead Caris. If there's a player they really like. Yeah. Let's be aggressive. Uh I I don't I I've heard so many different scenarios that you know it it boggles the mind. Um here's here's who I would trade up to get. It's all you buddy. I would trade up to get or Paris Johnson Junior. That's it. Right.
That's the list if you can trade up and only at the most give up your number one and number two to get those guys sure why not so basically your number one pick is a stud offensive lineman who you're going to have forever and you only had to give up Chase Claypool to Chicago can you believe how bad Chase Claypool ended up being how how irrelevant he ended up being how bad was that trade for Chicago and how good was it for the Steelers we'll find out we'll find out yeah on Thursday I mean no it's already decided I mean they've got the they've they've got the first pick in the second round for a guy who basically can't play that yeah that's true yeah so it was good it was very good for the Steelers very bad for the Bears I was never a Chase Claypool fan but but you wouldn't you wouldn't know that he certainly looked good in the beginning yeah no he had a great rookie season than like all crazy idiot wide receivers he thought he was better than he was.
Right. And he was. Very true. Right. And and the good ones recognize that they're good and they want to be better. They don't say look how great I was last year. They say wait till next year. I'm going to be even better next year and just keep their mouth shut. But that's not what happened to him. Um I think well and Luke Luke saying he was immature right? Um immature right.
That's at the Martavis Brian and AB trade levels. Yeah I I I think and Luke Luke's talking here about and if you're listening on the radio we have an interactive show on Facebook YouTube LinkedIn and what's the other one Twitter and if you join us live at 7: 30 PM on Monday night you can get into the show I I think that if if they're going to trade if they're going to trade are what are they trading you know are are they trading the what do they have the seventeenth pick right yes and the 32nd are they trading the 17th and the one after the 32nd I think the one after the second if they're only going up a couple spaces that was rumor right I just want to make sure I have that yeah but I think in order to get Skowonski or or Paris Johnson Junior you're going to have to go to like 910 before Chicago and a New England pick I think that's the deal yeah yeah so you're still on the offensive line is their biggest need hands down well you know we talked about this last week and I still feel that the offensive line needs an anchor they don't have an anchor and they've already spent enough draft picks and free agent pickups on the defense to the point where I feel comfortable enough with what's there now okay I think KZ's good enough in that backfield with with Minka to be able to hold down the fort essentially so and I think they improve their linebackers so now the linebackers can actually probably play a little bit of that deep short zone to take care of those passes so that's that's why I feel the way I do Okay.
But I do agree that like if we get down to the Darnell rights of the world from Tennessee like or Cody Mock from North Dakota's North Dakota State.
I don't know. I don't know if I would take those at the number one pick when I think the cornerback position and I know they love Joey Porter Junior. I know that's where they'll go if it gets down to those guys. I know that some people like Broderick Jones from Georgia. Yep. You could probably talk me into him moving up to get him too.
But I think anybody else just doesn't make sense. Okay so I am not I I agree with you and I and we've been in agreement for a while. I I I agree with the anchor on the offensive line. Yeah. That no question there. However I am not sold on the defense as it is. I'm just not. Because there's one player that when he's not in the lineup that defense goes from being pretty good to at average and most of the time below average and we know who I'm talking about TJ Watt the guy gets injured god bless him he plays so hard he can't help but get injured so you're not going to ever count on a 16 game 17 excuse me game we're like two and a/ 2 years past that's 17 games yeah but you're not going to count on a 17 game season from him and when he's gone I mean look Minka is is is a great player back there but he's not Troy Palomalu okay he's just not and I don't know I don't know maybe when maybe when it's all said and done you might have a different thought on that depends on how long he plays that was the one thing with Troy didn't play very long does he know what city he's in yeah he's wrong yeah I mean come on I I like I like Minka very much no I think Mika's good yeah he's he's more than above average he he's he's he's a bowler he's a he's a pro ball safety but he is not Troy Palomalo no he's not a different other side though.
He's not a game changer like Palomalu. Right. Palomalu could could stop the run. He could stop the pass and he could play linebacker. I mean the guy could play anywhere on the field. Here's here's the difference. You you're right. I mean you know they had Palomalo lining up as an edge rusher and as a linebacker and he did the whole jump over the center thing.
Um and yeah Minky can't do that. But they also don't ask him to do that at all. And I do think he's a game I mean every game they win it seems like he intercepts the ball at the end of the game on the last drive yeah okay or he starts the game off with like an interception and a touchdown I think I think he's I think he can't be equated to close to as clutch as Troy was I'm just saying that Troy was just phenomenal in getting to the quarterback and masking what he was going to be doing to be able to make those plays when Minka just lines up comes at you really hard.
Right. And and they're just different style players. Different styles. I mean I for sure. I can I can certainly buy that Troy is better than Minka but I'm just kind of saying look let's not sell Minka short here fellas so. But I understand what you're saying. My my point about TJ Watt is he needs to be on the field. Right. Like they paid him the money like don't go get somebody else now to help him out because he's your highest paid player on the defense.
He should be out there every maybe not every play but he should be out there for the important plays on third down trying to get to the quarterback and he cannot be injured he's gotta get himself physically ready in the postseason in the preseason to be able to play 17 games, but I think he does that I think he I I there's nothing about TJ Watt that he doesn't you don't think so why does he get injured so much then I think he just plays really hard I'm being serious I'm not no I'm not I I I don't see anything about TJ Watt that indicates to me that that guy is not in tip top shape all the time to be honest it's hard to really know we we don't this is true this is true okay let's move on from that Luke Morell says he likes the linebacker out of Iowa we talked about this on the sports porch Philadelphia the kid out of Iowa who he didn't start because they have the tradition of starting the seniors but he's you know big time is that somebody you would think about on on the defense I can't remember he's he's not the I don't know of any linebackers who are being considered in the first round where the Steelers are picking right I agree so so to me the linebacker position is something you want to talk about at the number two pick if that's where you want to go defensively after you go offensively I actually think that they will end up going Joey Porter Junior because I think those linemen that I want to get including Darnell Wright from Tennessee will be gone you're probably right unless they trade up I don't you know one of the things that hey if one of them fall then I'm good with that.
Well here here's the thing. Here's the thing. I I I'm my prediction the Grant Schwabini. Ooh. Tells you that I believe that the Steelers are going to trade up. They might only trade up two spots. I don't know. But they are going to trade up. And the reason being that it's now Omar Khan and Andy Weidle's draft. That's true. And if they're anything from Andy White a lot of it the Eagles are always aggressive they're always trading up trading down all that kind of stuff and look this is this is a new crew here they want to make their mark they want to show that like hey we've done our homework and we want to go up and get a great player for the Steelers I don't think they're going to have that sit back and kind of wait approach that they had before you know with the previous GM I think I think they're going to try to make you know somewhat of a splash you know for a big time offensive lineman wouldn't it be ironic if they traded with Chicago I think Chicago has nine in the eleventh pick.
What if they traded with the Eagles at number ten? They might. Okay. Let's trade with the Eagles. Yeah. But I think we've just solved all our problems. Yeah. I'm just saying it would be so ironic that we would trade that pick at the 32 spot back to Chicago. That would be very ironic. The offensive line of it. Yeah. So they would get their pick back.
It would be like oh it was like they get their do over for for for getting Chase Claypool. Yeah. And we get our offensive linemen. I it might work out alright that. How funny would be. That would be. Yeah. I think. That's that would be true NFLesque, right? Oh yeah. NFL loves that **** Yeah. They would just they would just be all over it and Chicago gets their draft pick back.
Yeah. You could totally see them just going off on that for like 10 minutes. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I mean we just went off on it for about four and. I don't you know what? I I don't think the Steelers would give up that pick to the Bears. Thirty-two? No. You know. No, I think they would. I think you're right. I think they would want to try and give them the third round pick and then just wait it out.
Yeah. And then end up with Joey Port Junior who I hate. Maybe maybe he's still a good pick there. Don't get me wrong. I just don't like I don't like that. Yeah well okay so that's another thing. Why don't you like Joey Porter? I just the Steelers have gotten Joey Porter Junior. Sorry. The Steelers have gotten in this mode where they draft all the all the friends.
Everybody's friends on the Steelers now. Everybody's brothers.
Everybody's brothers brother gets to play for the Steelers. Yeah. Everybody who's friends the Steelers now gets to play for the Steelers to it's just ridiculous. I'm I'd want to be over with it. I just want to say we're drafting the best talent. Yeah. We're not drafting the best talent that's a good story. But done with the good freaking stories. You know I was watching I was watching the NFL and they they did a replay of when Tomlin called up Kenny Pickett last year. Mhm. And it was like one of those feel good moments and everybody's like oh man that was great you know and everybody's like crying and Tom one's all pumped up and to me it's it's it's a it's a nothing burger.
I mean I here's the thing. I I will tell you I watched Joey Porter play a couple games in college and I thought he was unbelievable. Yeah you've said this before. I I watched him play and I was like wow this guy's going to be a good pro. He's like going to be a shutdown corner. But then all of a sudden you know like you know all of a sudden all the you know analytics people come in and they start saying oh you know he's going to get all these pass interference calls in the in the NFL because he's his handsy.
He's handsy. He's handsy. And they're saying oh he didn't have many interceptions. Well you know that's because he's going to be a first round pick of the NFL and broke to him. Right right. You know I mean I don't know. I I think he's going to be a good player. I mean I I I agree with you. I just I want to get away from the the happy the happy team. My team that always draft friends. We're all friends on this team now.
Congratulations. You made it to the friendly team. The Pittsburgh Steelers.
I just want great talents. Can we get another Hayward on the team? Yeah. We probably could. Yeah. Maybe next year. Yeah. Or another Watt maybe. Well, that's the that's the irony about the whole thing though. That's the irony about it, okay? The the Hayward and the Watt scenario that their brothers blah blah. You know, they're playing with their brothers and and they're clearly not as good as their brothers.
Yeah. Uh but the Porter Junior, it's his dad but Porter Junior is probably or Pezzy Peasy Junior. Peasy Peasy Peasy Junior he's probably the best of that group of you know happy friends family players no doubt so it's kind of like why wouldn't why wouldn't you take him if if you're thinking that cornerback is something that you know Peterson's not going to be the long term answer and who's the guy on the other side KZ KZ no I thought he was a safety he is a safety yeah withers there's a lot of good corners in the draft you could have like six seven quarters though.
Well, I think you could still get, I still think you can get Kaylee Ringo in the second round. Right. That would be a great pick. I love that. Yeah. Right. But if you go quarterback in the first round, you're not going to go quarterback at the second round. Right. I just think there's as good value there but it it all depends who's available at that pick and we'll know Thursday.
Uh DG said wants to know if Peezy Junior like his dad get in a fight with the Browns before the game even starts. I doubt it. I don't think so. I know there's maybe. I would like him for that. He's a little that was in air I believe quarterback. I think his dad will probably be on the field fighting the Browns for him.
Right. Yeah right. Right. Yeah. So I'll tell you what these guys this this past weekend I I went to a charity event and I ended up meeting James Harrison and big guy. James Harrison. Is James Harris. Is he bigger in real life? Uh he's the he is one of the most well-put together large human beings I've ever seen in my life. You know what I mean? Yeah yeah.
He works out and everything. It's it's it's unbelievable. Yeah. Yeah. It's it's you look at him and it's like I look at him and I just think there's no doubt he could play right now. Yeah. You know. And if he wanted to he could just completely tear down this whole building with one hand. It it was it was ridiculous. His thigh his thighs.
His biceps. Right. I'm not kidding you. We're we're I felt like were almost as large as my the width of my shoulders. Yeah. He's a big guy. And he's a nice guy. He's a very matter of fact human being too. Interesting. Yeah and hopefully hopefully sometime in the near future we'll we'll have a little bit more on that. But it'll be fun. It was good to talk to him.
I got some very interesting perspective. I had a one on one conversation with him for almost a half an hour which blew my mind. That did it does blow my mind. Yeah. Somebody would want to talk to you for 30 minutes. Yeah. I know. Well you guys two once a week. He must have been bored to death.
Well you know what he he was bored to death. I was not. You know. Yeah. But were you feeding him drinks at least? No. Not at all. I didn't I was at a charity event. They were feeding him drinks. I didn't have to I don't even know. Honestly I don't even know if he was actually drinking. I mean I wasn't. I was drinking Club Soda. Yeah I know. But I but I. Was he there with? Um this was for a charity called Steel City Impact.
What? Was he there with like a wife or a girlfriend or? Uh I did not I did not I I did not he was there with some other dude. He was there with some other some other dude that that almost looked to me like it was kind of like a body. A bodyguard? Yeah but he wasn't. It's hard to describe. I would have had to have taken a picture of this guy. Mm hmm. And I don't want to take a chance on describing him and offending anybody.
Uh Alright. Do not that that's one guy you don't want to. No, not at all. He didn't bore his bodyguard. And let let me just tell you that that if you in my opinion, if you ended up playing poker with James Harrison, you would just elect to fold constantly because his poker face is if that he's probably got a great poker face because it's kind of like if you win this hand, I'm going to rip every single limb right off of you and even if you lose this hand and I win all the money, I might do it.
You know, I mean, it was but he was a really, he was a good guy, he was a good guy. So, So hey let's let's make our picks. Who are the Steelers taken in the first pick? You want to you want to Grant Schwabini? Come on Grant Schwabini. You're good at this. You're number one. I think they're going to trade up a couple spots and take Paris Johnson. Okay. I would be thrilled with that. I think they're going to stay put and they're getting Joey Porter Junior.
I I have no idea. Well you're here. Last year you were right on. I know. But last year for me was easy. Last year you were in just like a love fest. I was. I was so in love. I was totally in love with yeah. His hair. Loved his hair. Kyle. Yeah. I mean. The story. His teeth. Yeah. I mean like he's from Pittsburgh. You were in love with that. I was in love with him when he was playing. I told you guys when he was playing for Pittsburgh they're halfway through the season when they were winning.
I said going to be the next Steelers quarterback. Yeah. I did. You did. You absolutely nailed that one. Yeah. Which means absolutely nothing. We didn't have our love goggles on like you did. So, no love goggles, no pick, you gotta pick. You gotta. I know. I know. I I it's not that I I mean that was probably the only draft pick I've ever been right about in my life anyway. Well. But it's weekends this year. Okay so. Oh I I I think that I actually you know what I'm with Schwabber.
I I actually think they're going to trade up.
I think they won an offensive line I think the Andy Weidle influence the Philadelphia Peters you guys say anchor we say bodyguard there you go so of course because it's Philly go with somebody different I mean apparently you need a bodyguard just to walk around at Philly now but that's another talk shot in the trash collector why the trash in the city yeah it's already trash it is a beautiful place it is beautiful reversal capital of the United States absolutely no you're wrong about that the first capital was Pennsylvania. No man. It was Google it. Google it. It was not. Google it. You're right. Oh thank you. You're right. I'm not right.
Yeah I am right. Oh okay. Like anybody lived in seventeen seventy-two.
York Pennsylvania is where the articles of confederation were written and the capital was there like before they moved it to I feel like people like came you know to to the Skookel River and they're like let's not go here let's just go into the middle let's go south there's nothing going on yeah see what I have to put up where are my buddies from York that watch the show tonight where are they I mean I need a little help here they're probably signing some declaration of confederation the heck was that? Alright that's enough of that **** Hey can we get some hockey playoffs? The hockey Jesus is is Jones in for a little hockey talk.
Yes and I'm going to put this up here even though the the Penguin season is over but the hockey Jesus during the Penguin season preaches after every Penguins game on the podcast on the iHeartRadio app or anywhere you get your podcast and right now get that stupid **** out of my get out of here. I'll show you something after the show.
Wikipedia.
Wikipedia. I know. Wikipedia. It's like zero hedge. It's always right. So Hockey Jesus is also doing post-season spectaculars. Uh if you go back to the sports sports podcast on on iHeart or anywhere you get your podcast, you can pick up the Hockey Jesus updates and you did a a round one podcast about predictions. Yep. Where are you standing right now? Is that what we're going to here? Yeah yeah.
I wanted to talk about it. So I had Carolina winning the series. Carolina's up three one. That looks good. I had Boston winning the series. Boston's 31 that looks good I have the Rangers winning in a seven game series and right now they're up 2-1 but the Devils are currently leading in game four so if that goes to two two that's good for me because that means seven I have Toronto four two lost the first one but won the next two they're losing tonight it was one nothing last check so that one still looks a little iffy Colorado I got winning they're up 21 Vegas I got they're up 21 Dallas I have winning that's tied at two two but I have that going seven games so that looks good the only game that I've been the only series I've been off was I took a flyer I thought Edmonton would just totally decimate the LA Kings they're in a dog fight they had to come from three goals from behind last night to win but they won but that series is tied two two so it looks pretty good I I pretty much nailed them all except for that Edmonton won and the games are going about as predicted.
Um I was surprised that Seattle won the first game of the Colorado. That was surprising. Um Minnesota and Dallas is a goalie battle. And which sucks about that is we traded them the goalie that they're playing now Gustafson. Right. Who we would have now. So it it pains me to watch that. Just like it pains me to watch Seattle although they're losing their series. Yeah Seattle is like Penguins Lights.
So many Penguins. Yeah yeah like five or six five or six of them right? Yeah there's so many. And they play they're that playing Colorado really well but they're playing Colorado. That team's really cracking.
I'm just really hoping that the Devils can continue to win tonight. That would just make me so happy. I hate the Rangers with a passion. Yes. You've expressed that.
Zimbabwe.
I don't know. How do you say his name? Zabanajad. Zabanajad? Yeah. You know jerk face. That's how I say it. Jerk face. Yeah. Jerk face.
Zabanajad. Jerk face with a beer Okay. So. Keep it rolling hockey Jesus. Oh yeah. Swabber's getting bored here. He's going to start. So yeah the the and the thing about the the Edmonton LA game. There have been three three of the four games have made it to overtime. And and LA's won two and Edmonton just won the last one. Um I think that game's going to probably end up going seven.
It looks that way. Um this I think the biggest surprise is and I I'm not surprised by it but I think people are surprised how much Carolina's really taking care of the New York Islanders the New York Islanders aren't very good and Carolina plays such a great system hockey game like the Penguins would want to be the Carolina Hurricanes right right if they could play a game they would play like Carolina does opportunistic play a structured game score when you need to and win and they won they won the overtime game which in game two which I think was big the Islanders came out and kick their **** in game 351, but other than that it's been all Carolina really.
Um so all and all the other games are pretty much as advertised. I think that Winnipeg Vancouver game or Vegas Golden Knights series. I haven't really been watching too much of that. I'm just not interested in it. Vegas doesn't have a lot of people who are very good. Jack Hughes is is pretty good there. But that's it. Like Winnipeg have a bunch of no namers and Helebuck's not been keeping a puck out of the net.
So haven't really been watching that game too much. But the Toronto Tampa Bay Series has been good. It's been pretty bloody.
So. Yeah. Yeah. Man, that's what we like in hockey. Blood. Oh yeah and did you send me that link? That guy from Winnipeg who got 75 stitches? Was not me. Oh my god. Was it Schwabber that said that? Maybe. Or was it Pat? Was it Pat on track? It wasn't me. I think it was Pat on track. Maybe it was Pat on track. Yeah. But yeah he got a he got a he got a skate right above his eyes. I saw that. Yeah. 75 stitches. Is he still playing? Came back to play that game.
Yeah. Those guys got some balls. Crazy. Yeah.
I know. That would like it's like my whole face. It literally like cut them so deep. I think they had to go like three levels deep. We have a doctor in the in the house. You can probably tell you how you get 75 stitches but yeah. That seems like an awful lot. It does. It does. So things are things are on track. Uh I think so. You're going to you're are you going to wait now? Now these things are all going to end at different times so. They will. When do we look forward to the next Hockey Jesus update? Well this weekend will be game sevens if there are game seven.
Okay. So probably either. Maybe Sunday or Monday? Maybe it could be Sunday. Yeah it could be Sunday. Yeah. Um but I'll wait till they're all done or unless they start a series then I'll at least do that that one that's starting early. Yeah. Okay. And and what what do you think? I accidentally hit a sound effect. Yeah well.
Accidentally I apologize.
Alright. Unlike Mark I actually think that playoff hockey is the best thing on the television. You heard that part of the show? Yes. It is it's it's very exciting it's much more exciting than NBA basketball and here's the reason who wants to watch the Phoenix Suns play whoever they played and shoot 71 free throws do you do you want to watch that I have no comment that was a weird game but he does but it yeah I mean well it just it's just where you come from you know there's you don't have an NBA team so you're not really tuned into that sport as well as it could be well I I do I think he's right he is right but I but here's what I like about the NBA I like it like when they get near the I think their championship games are better.
Yeah they're good. I don't I don't think they're like first round games. They're pretty predictable. Yeah. Like you pretty much know who's going to win. Whoever has the superstar like the only reason the Bucs are struggling is because Giannis is hurt. You know. He's actually playing tonight. So they'll win. So they'll probably win. Yeah right. So that's really what it comes down to in the first round. After that it starts to get a little tricky for sure.
But by the championship games I think those are that's some of the best basketball I've ever seen. So what are you saying? Are you are are are you saying that that hockey is is much more up in the air during the first few rounds? Yeah I think the first actually I think the first round of the NHL playoffs is maybe more exciting than the later rounds because you don't sometimes you don't know like an eight seed could be the one seed yeah you know okay so so I think for that reason it becomes a little bit more unpredictable and I just think the games are closer.
Like you got one point for a goal and sometimes you only score two of them. Right and and you know then there are there are fluky things can happen in the NBA NBA but not as much as can happen on ice with skates and sticks. Yeah. Frozen puck. Right. It's also the the amount of players. You know to have a good hockey team you need three four lines which is a lot of players you know in defense and a goalie in the NBA.
If you got if you got three all stars, you're probably beating most teams. Yeah, right. That's and but by the time you get to the championship games, both teams have. Everybody has three all. So, that's why I think that I think the championship games are are better. I think it's a better product. How do you think basketball would do here in Pittsburgh? Just just throw out at all the debate about who would, what, when, and where.
They plop an NBA. All everything comes together. They plop an NBA team down here and they play down at PPG Paints. I think they would have to play at the Pete.
Okay fine but they plop an NBA team I do because I think it would be even more niche than hockey. Okay so you don't think there's a big enough fan base to have a a Pittsburgh an NBA team. I I totally disagree. I just I really think I mean NBA next to the NFL is is the biggest sport in the world. I mean there's people like with Kobe Bryant you know jerseys and like Somalia. You know I mean right. All all it's going to take is one superstar in this town.
And everybody's going to be coming to the games and if they win, everybody's going to come to the games and then they'll never stop coming. It would be interesting to find out like the reasons why not and not based on history. I know they had an ABA team. Mm hmm. And then that there was wasn't there some sort of time frame where they were experimenting with the idea and there were some talks going on and that just kind of disappeared and maybe 30 years ago.
There was a little talk that maybe the Pistons would move here. Okay. 10 years ago. Okay. Yeah and they that's what I'm thinking about. Yeah. But I I I think it would be interesting to to try to find out why not. Not why. Cuz I I agree with Mark. I I think that you know there is and and Pat on track. Bring back the he spelled it wrong.
It's the Pisces Pisces. The Pisces. Pisces. Pittsburgh Pisces. Is that what they were called? No. Doctor J was on that team. Pat's Pat's watching on YouTube. Thank you Pat. It's a movie. It's a movie. The Fish that Save Pittsburgh. The fish that saved Pittsburgh. Yeah. Really this is where he's going with this. Uh where did you think no idea is. Actually I think the Pittsburgh team that was in the NBA were the Condors.
Yeah I think yeah something like that. I don't know. Look it up Pat. Give us give us look he's apologizing. Sorry. Yeah give us send us some other cryptic message that we have to try to figure out before the hours up. Uh just. And send it with a you gotta talk into the Mike Schwauer. You gotta there you are. There you go. I mean just think about it.
Like let let's just say that like you know look obvious maybe they're going to make some concessions with like an expansion team where everybody's gotta you know people going to be protected. So, we'll get some like decent enough players where they could be like the Kraken, right? And they could maybe even be like a playoff team, right? So, we could get Embiid from the Sixers. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. But that but that's exactly the point like the the point is is like, okay. So, you know, one year, you know, you you have like a top three pick and the guy that you get is Giannis. You know, but the new Giannis, whoever it is. Right. I mean, think about how big that kind of superstar is. He's bigger than than football players.
I mean he's bigger than hockey players. I mean he's he's internationally known. Yeah and basketball is definitely an international sport. Well and on top of that I mean just the way they play. I mean you can see their faces. You know who they are. Their personalities. Like on a hockey team like you have to see past the visor. You have to see past the uniform.
Or you have to see into the vehicle far enough to know who it is that's about to run you over as you walk into Lydius. Hopefully did you hear Slit Tang? Yeah. That is a true story. I know it's a true story. Crystal Tang was and it was I mean there was snow on the ground and he was trying to he was being a little bit of a show off and you know the wheels kind of spun out a little bit.
He almost took my life. But you know. Just shut your mouth. Yeah. I probably I probably should have done something about it to try to get some why don't you shut your mouth. I can't Shut my mouth if it's my own mouth. Oh god. You know Schwabber you've given me some gems. Okay listen guys that's enough of that. We got one more segment we want to do on the show but I want to remind you you can catch the Sports Sports Podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google or anywhere you get your podcast and every Sunday at 4 PM.
David's got us covered on the ABA. On American on American Busker iHeartRadio. Does he have a Sky first series of Pittsburgh Pipers? Piper's got a a big start when the Pipers and then the 1927 Pipers were looking good. Always always.
I'm glad you remember that. Glad you totally screwed up my whole thing. Catch us on The Porch is Live. com. The Porch is Live. com. The Porch is Live. Dot com. There you go. Perfect. Alright. Last part of the show. Something we've been having some fun with. Yes, this if you're watching on social media, this is my baseball card book from when I was a child. Um so, would question whether or not I ever grew out of that. That's why he still has coming.
I knew that was coming. So what we're going to do is we're going to we're going to take some cards. Oh Steve had a great idea. Yep. Okay page. Pick a page and a card. We'll let Steve go first so you get the idea. We're going with page three. The middle card. Page three middle card. One. Okay so then I gotta skip these because they two three. Oops. There goes my microphone. Don't look at the card. Don't look at the card. Don't look at the card.
Don't look at the card. Alright Schwabber. Page.
Seven card six. Okay. For the seventy-sixers. Okay. There you go. One. Well played. Two.
Three. You have any trouble counting? We're going to help you out.
Five. Six. Six. 7. Uh the middle card. Card. The six cards. Uh one, two, three, four, five. Yeah. Don't look. Don't look. Oh, I won't look.
Swab loves this one. I won't. You gotta react on cameras. Alright, I'm going to go with, I'm going to go with page nine, the first card. So, three.
Was it pre planned? No. No, it was.
7. That's why I said hey let's go with oh no you got I keep hitting my microphone. I'm sorry people. You guys are going to know when when I show you this card that it was not it was not planned. Okay so what we're going to do is this is the Tops 1990 baseball card set. 1990. 23 years. Believe it or not. 33 years ago my man. Oh my god.
33 years ago. Oh wait a minute. Wait a minute. Pat on track. Pipers 67 and 68 then to Minnesota sixty-nine to seventy then change name to Condor seventy seventy-two. Pisces did have Doctor J. He's the best player on the team. Yeah. And Pat on track was hoping that we'd have Andy Vance like. So okay so what we do is the tops in 19 ninety-seven. We pull out the cards and then we decide who is the best player of these three.
Most of them are no names. But this they're all in mint condition swabs. So please don't don't mess them up. Don't want to reach the cards. So you were absent last Let's go with your card first. Who do you have? Show the camera. Tell us about him. This is Sam Horn. I love Sam Horn. That's not your camera. Uh yeah this is Sam Horn. Yep. Played for the Orioles right? Uh no he played for the Red Sox.
I was going to say Detroit. Um you know. He's on the Orioles there but in in 1987 when we were seventeen. Look at him squinting. Uh he had a better he had a little bit of a run. He had you know seven doubles, 14 homers, 35RB, 3-4 RBIs at two seventy8. Uh that was much better than eighty-eight and eighty-nine where he hit 148 both years. Oh Sam. Um.
He was out of baseball after that. But you know he did he did play for the Orioles after that. And his Major League debut for the Red Sox. He hit a game winning two run homer. Uh and then belted another homer the very next day. It was all downhill from there for Sam Horn. Yep and the Orioles by the way. Yep. Yep because he he moved on to the Orioles.
Wait does Sam Horn has have a mustache.
Yes he does. He does. Yes he does. Yeah he's a terrible player. Yeah okay. Alright who do I have? You have you'll love this guy. Oh Wally Backman. Yeah. Let's go. Wally Backman. Quality player. Yeah. Uh everybody knows he played for the Mets. Yes that's his yeah right. That was that was where he made his bread and butter. He actually played for the Twins before he played for the Pirates.
Yeah yeah I did know that. And let's see. His best year Wow. Boy, he had some really good early years. 323 in his rookie season. Whoo. With slugging percentage of three fifty-five. Damn. He doesn't hit home runs though. He's only had eight career home runs.
Really? That's not that's up through nineteen eighty-nine. But still that's ninety-seven. This is one like second baseman shortstops couldn't couldn't hit. He played third base. Tommy Hurt. Oh wait. Here's here's the little known fact about Wally Backman. Yes. Wally won all Oregon honors as a hundred and 36 pound wrestler and shortstop at Aloha Oregon High School in 19seventy-seven. He dominated Oregon Wrestling. He did. Wally Backman.
God was here. Also has a very nice mustache. Uh Pittsburgh Pirates. Yes. I have Orlando Mercado. Ooh. Oh I thought you're going to say Orlando Pirates. Orlando Mercado who yes does have a mustache. His mustache is the big O. Let's talk about Orlando Mercado because right now according to this card he was a catcher and on the card he's on the Mets but he began his career as a Mariner few years with the Mariners then you know cup of coffee with the Rangers the Tigers the Dodgers the 80s and the Twins literally his best year he batted he played 66 games batted 298 with a blistering 16 RBIs 1 home run where's the Little Moan fact here? I don't see any little known facts.
The Jabronis do not get little moan fact. Yeah. Because they're little known as is. So bottom line you know you're down one run. You got runners on second and third. You need a single to win this game. Orlando. Who you putting in there? I think it's gotta be Wally Backman. Wally Backman. Yeah. Definitely Wally Backman. If you want a home run you better put in the Sam Horn.
Definitely. No. Yeah. Long ball horn. As a a long ball horn. That's what they called it. Yep yes. Alright guys. Well listen that's that's going to be it. That's it for the show. The next time. Dealers will have all new players to talk about. You're probably right. The draft is on Thursday. Perhaps we'll have perhaps we'll have a hockey Jesus post draft Thursday night. You never know.
Of course I will not be here. I will not be here next week. Um so you guys will have to run the show but we'll talk about that later. Listen. Thank you for listening if you are on American Busker iHeartRadio.
50 million registered users, 2000 devices, 260 platforms. We dropped the podcast right after the show on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, Spotify, or anywhere you get your podcast and you can always catch us on The Porches Live. com, The Porches Live. com. The Porches Live. com. And we are Buccos. Out the door.
Trim
You can trim this video by adjusting the sliders manually or by selecting a section of the autogenerated transcript.
Listen On
