March 28, 2023
The Porch is LIVE - The Pens are on the bubble and are the Steelers Confused
The Penguins... on the bubble after a great win over the Caps... the Steelers and the "Weidel Effect",,, Will the Pirates do better this year? One of our best shows... Let the Porch be with you!
The Penguins... on the bubble after a great win over the Caps... the Steelers and the "Weidel Effect",,, Will the Pirates do better this year? One of our best shows... Let the Porch be with you!
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Transcript
Flyers for beating the Panthers. Yes, thank you. You're welcome. And thank the Rangers for being me There I am man. Welcome to the Sports Porch. Is that the Liberty Bell? It is March 27th 2023. Oh yeah yeah. And we are live on social media and of course you can always catch us on The Porches Live. com. The Porch is Live. com. The Porch is Live. com.
That's exactly right. And on the podcast which we drop. Uh it's the show after the show on iHeart on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, Spotify. Anywhere you get your podcast and as always, thank you for listening if you are and thank you to American Busker, iHeartRadio, 50 million registered users, 2000 devices, 260 platforms, and Luke Morell says, holy cow, I'm not sure why he's saying that.
Holy all those platforms. Yeah, maybe. I have no idea. Whoo. That is a holy cow. But in case you guys haven't noticed, you know, we're getting some new backgrounds here. Schwabber's background. Look at that. Look at that. Schwabber's background ski has no background. We are moving studios. We are slowly making upgrades and if you could only be here for the pre show, I think you would appreciate what's truly going on here.
Which is which is a whole bunch of nonsense. We're going to leave that to another podcast. So anyway guys thanks for being here and we got a lot to talk about but the first thing that I I'd like to address here is the incredible the incredibly tight race which was our NC double A men's first annual Porch is live. com challenge. I'm I'm going to put that up here.
This is these are the standings as of right now. Your technical director has been in last place since day one and as you can see. Solidly in last place. Solidly in last place. That's because I went through the bracket and just went click, click, click, click and everybody's champion is out and the bracket. We have an unofficial winner. Do you know Rob Polarski? Rob Polarski, yeah.
He's my son's roommate. Oh. He's a Pittsburgh. It's it's only official when the national champion is crowned even though it's It's over. Yeah. So listen guys. I mean who finished Rob like finished 100 points in front of everybody. Who finished first amongst the sports porchers? That would be the that would be the Grand Swabini. The team Team Terrier. Team Terrier. Team Terrier. Yeah. That's right. So so while we're looking at this.
Barely though. It was close. Yeah. While I'm looking at this I mean how I look I'm just going to throw this out at you. This is what the transfer portal does.
I agree. This is what the transfer portal does. I don't care if you like it or you don't like it but who'd have thought that San Diego State, Florida, Atlantic, Miami who pitbeat and Ukon would be in the final four this year. When when you started yeah right I can see that from one of them. Yeah. I did not get one.
I was very close though. I almost had Texas. Yeah. Yeah Texas I think I had Texas. I mean to me final four. To me and we can have this debate all night long and we're not going to because we got more important and fun things to talk about but the tournament's a thing. We can have at least a a two-minute debate.
Yeah. Alright. Well, give it your 2 minutes. Well, the tournament is a thing like there I think like it broke records over the weekend from people watching it. So, it's like. That's a good point. But the problem is is like, why are people watching it? Like, did they just miss the tournament? Because the teams that played, the games kind of sucked. I mean, there weren't there were close games but the quality of the play wasn't that great.
I mean I really like watching that Noel from from from Kansas State. I I really wanted him to to be there. He's like what? Five foot nothing. Yeah. Yeah. Slam it. I mean great assist. He was taller than you. Mhm. Um no no he's shorter than me. Um but anyway. I had to get one in there. I just I just like I I like it when there's like eight and underdog that you can root for but when you have three or four it feels kind of fake.
How about you Mark? Well I I just think that it's the it's the end of college basketball as we knew it officially. Which is and and what that was was it was every year you had about you know eight to 10 programs that were pretty much there every year and always had a pretty good shot. Yeah. You know and to be honest I don't really I don't mind it so much.
I mean I'd rather watch two schools like I would actually rather watch San Diego State play Florida Atlantic then Kentucky play Duke just because I feel like I've seen Kentucky play Duke yeah every year however I would say this though I would also say but it is possible that maybe after two or three years of Florida Atlantic versus San Diego State I'll be looking for a little bit better product I just want to see a good game like I I want to see I want to see teams that can shoot the lights out of the three pointer I don't want to see a team that's great in their defensive schemes I I don't want to see that I want to see a bunch of scoring I care who the teams are.
I agree with you there but I need to see a good product on the court. I just I didn't see a lot of that this weekend and I watched probably more of it this year than I have in years past which is curious to me. Well, we did have a bracket gone for the Porch is live. I mean. Maybe but I mean, I was already out of it.
I was just kind of watching it to see if like these teams that I didn't know were actually good and my conclusion was they're actually not that good but they play a pretty good defense And that was good enough to to get them in. Yeah. I I think that it's going to renew for a time being to your point Mark. It's going to renew for the time being you know a little bit more interesting college basketball because of the transfer portal now and and and we'll use the hometown team pit.
Yeah. You know they and I've I used this phrase a couple weeks ago and and people made fun of me for it but they cobbled together you know a and and Luke chimes in and says that Kansas State phenomenal. But they they cobbled together a good team this year. You know and it it looks to me like no I don't know the transfer portal in the history of Miami or FAU or whatever.
Uh but it but it seems to me like they probably had the same thing. Um Miami doesn't Miami does have a great player but yeah. Where is he from? Is has he been there the whole time? I I think he's only a sophomore. Is he a sophomore? Yeah so I think you know he kind of and they were they were in like the elite eight last year right? Yeah they were.
Yeah. So I mean so Miami kind of an up coach who took George Mason in the final four years ago. Right yeah exactly. They've got a good coach. Yeah so what is this this this basically changes the landscape of college basketball and for that matter college football but I think it's it it has a more immediate effect on college basketball. Um well I think the other thing too this year and this only will happen this year.
This was the if you if if you were in school during Covid you could get an extra year and this is the last year for that. Okay. So so basically there were a lot of fifth year seniors who who didn't weren't going to make it in the NBA and stuck around and played. I think that was the case with San Diego State.
Yeah. Yeah. I think they have like three or four fifth year. Right. Yeah. You even see it like it says sophomore, junior, graduate and you're like. Right. Graduate. Right right. Right. So so should we have a mini porch challenge now that we have the final four set and none of us had the final four. Should we have a mini porch challenge? We haven't done any predictions sure yeah sure why not so so I lose them all anyways as long as I don't have to eat any hot wings we'll start with you still ah that's going to be no no no no I said as long as you don't want to double down on that I absolutely do not I want I want to see somebody else eat hot links well then you then you're going to have to take part in the challenge well I'm not going to eat no no I think guys are you guys are you guys hey I already did it yeah Challenge at Buffalo Wild Wings.
There you go. If you lose, what will you do? I'll do the blooming onions. Three blooming onions? I guess. I don't even know how big one is. It's like well no little smaller than that. They're about this big. They're big. I would say two. I would say two. Okay. So so Chris, Hot Wings, Mark, Blooming Onions, Steve.
And you don't get any credit for what you always. I know. I'm not I'm not I'm not asking for credit.
I don't I have no idea. Like I've no idea. You'll smoke three big cigars of my choose. Oh my goodness. That could be okay. That's the deal. Cigars. That's a deal. Okay. So final four. Let me two is okay but you get for that third one. That's what I'm saying. I'm going to be a little dizzy. I'll be right there with you though but not dizzy but not dizzy. I will. Um okay and Luke Luke saying I'm going Ukon because he's originally from Greenwich, Connecticut.
Alright so. Make sense.
Alright so Mark San Diego State at at at Florida Atlantic. Florida Atlantic. Okay. No. See I was going San Diego State even before you picked. And Miami at Yukon. Well you're going to pick that game too. Oh yeah I'm going to say San Diego State. Mhm. And Steve said San Diego State. Okay. Going with the Aztecs. Miami at Yukon.
Uh everything's telling me that Yukon's going to win this thing but I'm going to go Miami. Okay. I'm going I'm going Miami as well. Yeah I was thinking Miami but I'll go Ukon because you guys went Miami. Okay. And then the winner I'll go Miami. Okay Mark's going Mark's going Miami. Uh I'm going to go San Diego State. Yeah and I'll go Ukon.
There you go. I'm all in. Okay. Yukon. Okay so there you have it. Single player on their team. Alright so there you have it. The the mini challenge for the porch is live. With you Luke. You and me. We're going. If oh wait a minute. If if if Chris loses if Mark loses so we have to have a points. Oh yeah. So it'll be it'll be one it'll be one point Well, you you want to know what? We'll figure out the points because it's not until next week. Five points if you the further for the first round, 10 points for the championship.
Yeah. That's all. Simple.
Five for the first round 10 for the championship yeah that work yeah whatever okay so if I lose if I have the least amount of points I'm going to do the wing challenge at Buffalo Wild Wings you will eat two blooming onions two blooming onions and I was most reached three huge cigars and we will do that live on the Porch's Live. com okay alright so let's move in to much more important stuff around here we're going to talk Steelers right now we were talking about this before the show this is one of the only towns I think in the country where in the off season that that has three major sports three of the four major sports right in the off season you know the Pens are on the bubble for the playoffs they have a historic team if you think about it they they were a legendary team and the Steelers get more press than the Penguins do and it's the off season so we're going to talk Steelers right now just because we can't as Mark said he wants to get well draft is coming up well they're still continuing to sign for you I think I think true sports towns that's what it is I mean I think the same thing in in secondary only because do you want that off? No no I want it.
All only because. I got a shadow though. Only because it was the second in our group. Um but we talked about the Terrell Edmunds signing on the Eagles and the loss here so. Where did he go? He went to the Eagles. Oh okay. Yeah the Eagles signed it for 1 year 2 million. We take your offensive line. You get our? That's right. That's right.
Well I've got a theory about this that we'll get to. How much he signed 2 million? 2 million. That's a good sign. He swears it's 2 million. I thought it was more but Okay so Terrell Edmunds. That's a good signing for that. He signs with the Eagles. Uh what kind of loss is that for the Steelers? Well they signed KZ. So they basically said by signing KZ we're going to go a little bit younger.
And that's that's really it. The difference between KZ and Terrell Edmunds. Eh my guess is Terrell Edmunds probably was a better tackler. Uh and KZ's probably a better cover cover guy. Yeah. So I think they lose a little bit in the tackling but I think because they signed their linebackers they're thinking that's okay. I think it makes sense.
I think it makes sense. I like the fact that they got a little bit younger back there too. KZ played well when he was when he played. Yeah. So. He started the year injured unfortunately. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think I think I think it's fine. I think it's it's okay to to let him go and I'm happy he went to an NFC team as opposed to an AFC team so. Right. That's good.
Right? For the for the money he got signed for I think that's a that's a good sign. They resigned Zach Gentry. I I think that's a big nothing burger to be honest. I agree. Yeah. Yeah. I mean you gotta have two tight ends. Yeah. Some has to have one catch for nine yards in week thirteen. Somebody's got a block for that Jet speed going the LA. Yeah yeah so here is your Zach Ginger.
So now they did sign La Raven what's his name? La Raven Clark an offensive lineman from the Eagles and Mike Lawrence has a question. Saw this on Facebook. Did Tomlin really say the players know kneeling on the field? Well first of all if it's on Facebook it's gotta be true. It's definitely choices. I don't know. I don't even know why you would question that. You try to look that up or something while while we get to this.
So signing La Raven Clark. You got a zero hedge. Signing that's for another podcast Rob.
They'll have the at least signing Lamar not Lamar Jackson La Raven Clark as an offensive lineman from the Eagles this is where I'm going with this okay then they bring in an offensive a center who's who's a six-year college center who's supposed to be the top rated center in the draft he's the first guy that they bring in for a visit pre draft I can't remember the guy's name unfortunately but and I heard it on the radio today but this this is the reason I'm bringing it up is this the and widele effect okay because the the the Steelers are kind of like set at center you know what I mean like they they don't have the best guys but they got two guys they got Mason Cole and and Kendrick Green and then Siamalu started as a center okay so and he's a good line and he can play every position and now they bring in play center no but now that but he can't now they bring in this guy who supposedly like he was born and bred to play center he's the best center in the draft and I'm not assuming they're going to draft him but is this the Andy Weidle effect is Andy Weidle was Andy Weidle in Philly when they drafted Jason Kelce I think so I mean that that's my point you see where I'm going with this is Andy Widle nobody has talked about this in the media no that's why I'm bringing it up well I'm I'm sure that he is bringing in his influence and what the Eagles have done yes Brad it was a center from the Minnesota Gophers and I'm sorry Schwabber hold that thought because we always have to say greetings to DJ who is John Michael Schmidt there it is John Michael Schmidt who's Minnesota I I think the bottom line is is that the Eagles for the past 5 10 years have have done what the Steelers used to do which was really placed heavy emphasis on the O and D line right and I think that he's probably influencing a move back to that approach yeah the this is the Andy Weidle effect that that's my theory what do you think I agree I I absolutely think that they first of all they need to do that whether he's the GM or not.
Right. But that's what he's always done and I think one of the reason they brought him in was to actually do that. So right. The question is will Rooney I mean Tomlin I'm not sure who's drafting but whoever's drafting will actually listen to the they said that he is setting the draft board. Right. Uh Tomlin is? No no. Um. Con. No.
Right. Why Wedle supposedly is setting the draft board I don't believe that for a second but they say he is so if he puts 17 offensive linemen up there first and he has to pick an offensive lineman that would make sense because in Philly he would set it and Howie Roseman who was the actual GM title would make the decisions yeah so that does make sense based on the board that I'm sure he's consulting with Con just to make sure that the Caps stuff make sense there are going to be contracts coming up in three years and two years and they want to make sure that they're drafting for the position where they can resign them if they actually turn out to be very good.
You you always think your first pick is going to be good for at least 3 years. Yeah and and that's that's why I wanted to bring this up because coming from the the angle that we come from in having our our our our Philly sports guy here with us on every show and then Weidel who's originally I think originally from Pittsburgh but had a hand in crafting that that Philadelphia team.
What I think is really discounted. I I think is as Steelers Nation and the media here gets tunnel vision on certain things and I'll give you another example that I heard on the radio today that I totally disagree with. That's the only reason. We don't like to parrot the radio shows and the media here because we're not official media, you know, we're fans that talk about sports the way fans do which makes us I think a different style of media.
I'm the media. Uh and and Then we have Schwab, the the Grant Schwabini as the media but you know, what's being discounted here is of course they're bringing in a ton of linemen. That's what Andy Weidle did. That's how they built the Eagles and that's what the Steelers have lacked, okay? So, I think it's time to start thinking about the fact that in this draft, it may be a draft of linemen.
If Layton Not be a sexy dragon. It might not be a sexy. I would I would I would stand up and applaud if that was the case but I promise you in their first three or four picks they're going to get a sexy pick in there. They probably will. Uh but I include a quarterback in a sexy pick. But look everybody wants to talk about right.
But everybody wants to talk about Joey Porter Junior and Jordan Addison and all that kind of stuff. Right. But I I have a feeling that if if the if the Steelers and they're they're allowing. If they're doing the same thing, if Wyo is setting the draft board, the other thing is they like to talk about who makes the final decision. Look, I don't care who you are, whether you're the most accomplished guy in the media in town who will be unnamed because there's a couple of them or you're a bunch of guys like us that sit around and shoot the **** about it all the time.
You don't know what really goes on in that room and nobody's ever going to really tell you, okay? So, they collaborate. It's a collaboration. Tomlin doesn't have the final Khan doesn't have the final say maybe at some point Rooney because he owns the team he maybe able to say no I want that guy but if he's a smart owner he's not going to say it he's not Dan Snyer okay so I I don't see that at all I think like most NFL teams they collaborate so they set their list right right but let's face it Tomlin's going to have a favorite guy on that list sure Weidel's not he's going to if if the fifth pick is there you take the fifth pick.
Right. If Tomlin likes the tenth pick over the fifth pick even though they rank the fifth pick higher he might say we need that position on the team more and therefore we'd have more play in that room. See that's the thing. Like like I think and and then of course Rooney's going to agree with whatever Tomlin says. So it's like those two are always going to be right.
Even if Wedle sets the board. So when it comes down to it if there's a favorite guy I promise you and you're right. I never going to be in the room but I promise you I know how decisions are made and that's how the decision's going to be made. It's not going to be necessarily okay the fifth pick is still there. We're taking the fifth pick.
I I think I think there are teams that probably do that by the way. That's I don't think that happens in the Steelers. Uh it's an interesting point that you bring up because that that's kind of an age-old question of do you take the best player available or do you draft for need? And I I think you draft for need. I think to be honest I think the way the the Eagles have drafted over the past ten years.
I think they they pretty much draft for the best player available. I think that that's why they take you know an offensive linemen who in the first round who can't start because they got two pro ball offensive linemen and tackle. Yeah. That's why that's why they do that. Okay. Maybe. I mean I I'm not saying it's the best way to do it.
But I I would think you would set your score based off of your need too. Like clearly if you had a need at quarterback. Yeah. You might rank three quarterbacks. Yes. Or Right. Higher than you would. Right. Let's say the number one tight end on the board. Right. Right. Well, okay. So, again, I think we're discounting the Wedel effect. I don't think you're going to hear that in the media.
They they talk about Andy Weidle but I I think you're seeing that effect right now in the way they're looking at the offensive line and potentially bringing in another guy signing these guys and I think in the long run, no matter what, that's a good thing because that's your foundation. I don't care what any. I heard a guy on the radio this week on on Wednesday who said that you know, it doesn't matter as much anymore that you have a great left tackle protecting Kenny Pickett and he he outlined yeah I know I'm not going to say his name if you listen to the fan on Wednesday mornings you'll know who I'm talking about he's a he was a GM in the in the NFL but I I I totally disagree with him I I I think I think that's one of the most important positions at all absolutely absolutely so there's a reason to get paid like quarterbacks and and Daniel Rupert joins us again hey Dan what's up Draft for Need this in in in his opinion but I I I also think that something that was said today okay so we're in the off season Tomlin is in Arizona and apparently there were some reporters with him that and it was a private it was like it was I don't know if it was at a country club or a luncheon or something there were no cameras there were no recording devices but he was asked you know you know he was asked Rooney.
Rooney said this about Matt Canada coming back for another year. What do you you know what do you do what do you think about that? And Tomlin said I have nothing to add to that. Now that set off this firestorm of what did he really mean? Did he mean that like he didn't really back he doesn't want to really back him up and he doesn't want a bad mouth.
He doesn't look it's the off season. When he says he has nothing to add to that what it means is he's just done talking about it. The guy the offensive coordinator. I have nothing to add. Right. You know. I was just saying just leave me alone. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's like let's stop reading all the stupid question. Okay. We need to get we need to get used to the fact going into the draft that unless something drastic changes Canada is in the last year of his contract and I I for one think we just gotta get on board.
Kenny Pickett second year keep the consistency guarantee that if that offense does not perform well and it looks the same as it looked last year they're not renewing Canada's camp contract and if they do well they're going to lose a lot of fan base you know I mean with me or not I don't think you're not with me on that one well I don't think anything will cause a lose of the fan base well I don't mean a total loss but you're you're going to be disappointed right it's going to be like come on I mean it's already there but it's going to be more of like protesting down at the stadium like like it's going to be much more vocal you know but this whole does does does does does Tomlin like Canada you know like look he likes the guy alright he is not Canada is not the offensive coordinator because Rooney decided he was going to keep him and Tomlin doesn't want him that's that's not that's just not the way it works yeah you know Canada is the offensive coordinator because for some reason Tomlin thinks that he should still be there it's all going to depend on how the how the offense plays and a lot of it will be how picket plays and they have a good year and they move up from being like 31st in offense to fifteenth in offense or something like that then they might be back they were 16th 16th in the run last year twenty-fourth in the past and they only had 12 passing touchdowns 12 yeah for the whole year worst in the league I think I could throw twelve yeah I knew they were last so so yeah I mean look they have to they have to improve by leaps and bounds if they don't then Canada will probably be gone because then the contract's not going to be an issue.
Right and Dan chimes in last chance for Matt. DG says Big Ben seems to think Canada did pretty good because they won late in the season. That's you know what DG? I I I'm so sick of hearing about Big Ben and his podcast. I love it. Do you? I do. I I I mean I I just I just think Big Ben is now just saying whatever he you know I I don't want to go there but what I really wanted to put up was his DG's comment that he's happy as a pig in mud.
Um and I think he's really more like happier than a pig and chip but that the Steelers have addressed the offensive line. That's what I'm saying. That's the wide effect. Yeah. So. I agree with that. Hey, before we leave the Steelers topic, I want to clean up the Dick Homlin really say no to the players kneeling. Oh. That's BS. It actually was from 202022 and it that never happened.
Are we still talking about that? Like what? What? Who even brought that up? Well, somebody so they saw it on Facebook so because Facebook just recite rules of material right? That's right. They were like okay what could be controversial? What can cause people to click on this? Oh Tomlin saying not the kneel click click. Yeah right exactly. Don't click on it anymore Mike.
You're just giving them money for free. Okay so I heard this I heard this and I thought this was an interesting take for the backup QB. You know they said Mitch is definitely coming back. Um that's what that's what Tomlin said. Tomlin said. He said Mitch is coming back but he doesn't know that Mitch is coming back.
You don't think so he can hold out yeah but I I don't think he would say that without having a little inside information I mean he is the head coach I don't think he's really got any leverage to hold out really not anymore he could just be like you lied to me last year I'm not coming back yeah but then he wouldn't get but would it be hard for him to get them another team though I think it would be yeah well I mean put them in a bad put the Steelers in a bad situation look at the backup quarterbacks that have signed Heineken would you rather have Heinekey or Trubisky I'd rather Heineke.
All day long. The guy. Yeah but how much did Heineke sign for? 4 million a year. Right. That means super cheap. A lot less. That's what I'm saying. Yeah. Uh Jacoby Brissett signed with the Redskins one year. But they couldn't sign another quarterback because they already have. I know. I'm just saying who would you rather have? You know Cooper Rush two and a half million a year.
He was four in one as a starter for Dallas. No. Cooper Rush is garbage. Okay. He's he's like half a birdie. Half a birdie. Yeah.
Alright. Okay. Garbage. Last NFL thing. Lamar Jackson apparently everybody heard today that Omar said Mm hmm. He requested a trade and then I saw some scuttle but that yours truly, the Washington Commanders might actually want to try to get him. Actually, they they commented today that said they have no interest. Oh, they said they have no interest. Okay. Well, good for them. I think. Well, they gotta stick to the collusion so.
Yeah. Nobody's going to sign him. Yeah. I mean. Well, I guess the question is, if he requested a trade on the second of March, why are we finding out about that now? Or is that just a cover for all of the other stuff that's embarrassing to him when they're saying he's not allowed to use a certain agent or a certain person as an agent. I mean, this seems to be a battle that's just going downhill.
And and the question is always going to go downhill when he refused to sign his the contract that they gave him last year. Yeah. Yeah. Everybody knows this. This is what this is what owners. This is what teams do. They say, this is the money I'm going to give you. I'm going give you 150 million dollars in guaranteed money. Right. Take it or leave it.
And he said but this guy got two hundred and fifty million in guaranteed money. And they're like no he's an idiot. That's a dumb contract. Nobody's ever going to do that again. And then that's it. They stopped talking. Like there should have been some okay well maybe we'll give you 155 million guaranteed. But it's guaranteed money. He should have just taken the money then. Yeah. Now he's saying like Uh you know I I have to do what's right for my family.
I think 150 million dollar bill. Yeah right. I think you've done a lot of right things. I mean I I understand looking at other contracts and saying that's not fair because of that. Yeah. But everybody knows that Deshaun Watson contract the the even the Dak Prescott contract is not good. I mean they're just in indefinitely you know the the Murray contract out out in Arizona.
Yeah. It just kills it's going to kill teams. Yeah. And That's true. And like that's why I don't think you see Burrow being signed yet and that's why I think you don't see Jaylen Hertz being signed yet. That's true. Because because they know they can't give them 200 even 220 million of guaranteed money because then they got nothing left. Right. Yeah you can always play the okay well restructure contract and all that **** that helps with caps.
They always play games. But that's the problem. This was always going to be the end game with Lamar Jackson. Yeah. I I just am surprised that he's playing the poor me card now because. Yeah. Come on dude. Like like like anybody can sign him now. All they have to do is give up two first round picks and he can be signed. Yeah. But nobody's going to pay that money.
Yeah.
I think it's a question of of when when you got a guy that's doing this I think it's it's you know we can talk about collusion. We can talk about the contracts. But I think teams are also looking at him and saying this guy is being super selfish.
Is this really a guy that wants to win a Super Bowl I do think part of it is he's been injured the last two years and the way that he plays doesn't lend to it getting much better yeah right if he gets injured and it's a leg injury and now he can't run that's like yeah two thirds of his game and you owe him all this money yeah yeah right right I mean I I do think though it helps that you know Patrick Mahomes took a deal without all that you know all guaranteed money yeah that hurt him Yeah.
You know so that hurt Lamar Jazz. Yeah. He restructured He restructured. That just mean that just means he gets his money now. He doesn't have to wait for it. Yeah. But yeah. Well it's a good deal. And Mahomes is also one delivered two Super Bowls as well so. Look. Don't cry poor for Mahomes. Don't think he's a great guy. They lost Tyreek Hill because of it.
Mm hmm. They're they're they've they've had to rechange everything that they do there. But but he delivered a Super Bowl. I mean he his performance did not go down. And he sure Played basically on one leg. You know. He's a he's a superstar in the league. Clearly the superstar in the league. Yeah. But I mean his contract's a problem for Kansas City. They have to manage it.
They have to manage it. You know? I did somebody say hockey? Yeah not yet. Not yet. Because because I I I'm leaving this comment up here for a long time because Daniel Rupert he says great show guys. Keep up the great stuff. Totally enjoy tuning in and we enjoy you being here Daniel and I'll tell you what, if you want to help us out, go to the iHeartRadio app or Spotify or Apple Podcast.
Follow the Sports Porch Podcast and leave us a review or go to our website, The Porch is Live. com, The Porch is Live. com. The Porch is Live. com. And please leave us a five-star review and tell all your friends. So, we really really appreciate it. Thank you for listening on American Musker iHeartRadio, a 50 million registered users, 2000 devices, 200 platforms and again you guys are the reason that we're doing this.
We're and and and really you know we are the reason we're doing it because we like to sit around and talk about this stuff so. We like to shoot the **** As as Mark Mark I'm going to let you introduce the next that's not what we were talking about before the show though hockey looks like the Pens had their best win of the year a blast from the past Malcon with the game winner yeah after they almost coughed it up causing some anxiety amongst the yinsers yes but it turns out to be a very exciting big win that has the Pens sort with a a strangle hold on a playoff spot yeah so Steve what's going to happen are they going to hold on to that spot I always contend that that as long as Sid's in the picture and I actually with with all the injuries to the defense between Kulakov and and Pederson and POJ no POJ's been playing I just want to say POJ yeah POJ's been playing they say it's PO Joseph right right I know I don't I don't like I like PO.
It's too much. It's so much effort. I mean I get it. PO Joseph. I mean he probably wants to be called that but I just like POJ. I just I think POJ address address DG's concerns here because you were drinking the crown royal that he sent you so. I did. So yeah exactly. So I got a little I got a little loose after a little bit.
Doesn't take much. After Jake scored that third goal. I'm like okay. That's gotta be some karma there because you know Wilson basically put it right over the other guy's stick and it went right to Jake and he just buried a five hole shot. Just beautiful finish to to that goal but when they started coming back, I started getting the shakes again and I'm like, oh my god.
Like this cannot be happening. Or maybe you weren't drinking enough Crown Royal. Maybe you get the shakes when you don't have enough boost. No. No. I I try not to drink during games because I do enough swearing and and I get a little excited like in the first period and then then again in the third period, I was like way too excited. So, I felt like I just needed a little like actually alcohol calms me down a little bit.
Believe it or not. Okay. So so in the third period I'm like I'm feeling good. I'm just going to pour myself one. I see this small little crown royal bottles over there. I'm like okay I'm going to just make myself a little groany. Got some cabaret. Perfect. I got a nice drink going on. I don't even know what he's talking about. And don't worry. People know what we're talking about.
Okay okay. Yeah that's it. Yeah you you should know what I'm talking about. You shouldn't know. Because you want one and we're not giving you. Well, all I know is that from what I've seen, a little alcohol doesn't calm you down. It doesn't calm me down but I I feel like I swear less. Yeah. It speeds you up. Yeah. Speeds me up.
That's only when dancing in Key West. Yeah that's right. But I wasn't doing any dancing. I was just watching on oh yeah no no not on Saturday. I I digress. You were dancing with yourself. Yes. Who doesn't? Alright alright. That's enough. Come on now. Jesus preach. So. Jesus. So so the Pens blew it. They always blow it. It's the third period. You you gotta figure it's a meltdown. The meltdown's coming. How bad is it going to be? Yeah. And when they gave up two goals I'm like okay.
That's okay.
Just don't give up the third goal and you know the hockey you know the hockey Jesus rule the hockey Jesus rule is if you can get to the 5 minute mark and and you have one goal lead if you have a two goal lead you're going to win this sounds like a complicated rule no it's a simple rule okay 5 minutes left in the game you have a two goal lead you're going to win alright there's no way you can come back from that right so so if it's less than five minutes and it's one goal then you you gotta figure they're going to have to pull a goalie to score right they're going to have to extra when they scored with I don't know it's like four minutes of change left I lost my **** I was I was just I was I was at the I was I was screaming at the television.
I can only imagine. Don't give him a point. Don't give him a point. Don't you just gave him a GD point. Oh my god and I was I was I was like done. I was like I can't believe that just happened. They just gave Washington a point. Right. And and actually in my predictions I actually said that the Pens were going to win and they were going to give up a loser point to Washington.
Like that's that was my prediction for the month when I cricketed this game. That's what I said. I was like right. Well at least I'll be right. So I I was filming a little you know Uh I know this team really well. And then I'm like you know you know what? This is **** They can win this game. I really felt that way. And when when Gino was on the ice and they took Danton Heinen off because I don't know why you put Danton Heinen on the on the ice with 10 minutes left in any game.
Although he's playing better. When then Gino was on the ice. I'm like okay. And Sid was on the ice. I'm like these guys want to win this game. I know they want to win this game. And when he stole that puck I was like just bury it. Just bury it. He made that just a beautiful shot.
Yeah. Right over right under the blocker right right past him. That was just I mean I I wish I was at the arena because that arena just had to explode. Yep. There was only like a minute change left. I I think that that I think that was a monkey on their back. For them to for them to to be up where they up three nothing. They were up three nothing. So for them for them to lose that lead.
With like 17 minutes left in the game. Right. For them to lose that lead and down near the end the Capitals tied up and it's like here we go again and then you know for for most of the season the story is we're going to roll into overtime and pray yeah alright they've been better in overtime lately right but for for 90 seconds left for for Gino to bury a goal yeah and now you're going to win the game yeah I mean who knows what's going to happen going forward but that was a monkey on their back no it was a it was a big win for a lot of reasons yeah I said this in my podcast I'm not going to repeat all of it but essentially six point lead over the Capitals and a three-point lead over Florida and they're only within one point of the Islanders and they have a game in hand so technically if they win the next game they jump over the Islanders and they're actually would play they would stay in the metro and play and not have to you know play for losing the Boston right and I think here's an interesting here's an interesting thing DG and you seem to be pretty close my swearing woke up Suzy twice and you've got a Suzy that's right followed by my cheer when Gino scored some though.
If there is something. Yeah. Really? That's a Suzanne. Oh yeah. I'm glad you told me that.
Susie.
Sue. Oh my god. You really want to get on my wife's bad side. Just call her Sue. Sue. She will she'll slap you. Yeah. Yeah. And I will I will video. What would happen if I drove up and like I was blaring out the window of my favorite Johnny Cash song, a boy named Sue. She wouldn't even understand the song. What's your middle name? That would be fine. Uh her her her maid name or middle name because she kind of is like her maid name is her middle name now. What's the real middle name? Jane. Sue Jane. Yes.
Susie J. Susie J. Susie J. I want to say Q.
Susie Q. Alright. Alright DG thank you so much. So yeah the Pens it was definitely the best win of the season. Um it came in a really good spot. But look we got work to do. Lots of work to do. They play at Detroit. That's kind of a trap game. Detroit's been down lately. Trap game. Trap game. And then have to play and that's a way so I'm a little scared of the Detroit game although I did pick him to win but I think I think Nashville's fading a little bit.
Can you believe Nashville put up a statue of Peckerini? What the hell? Nashville put up a pecker statue. What is what is going on with these NHL teams? Who's Peckerini? Two two Pittsburgh players getting getting freaking statues outside the arena. That sounds like. Michael Jordan? Yeah. He deserves a statue. Yeah.
Mario Lemieux, yes, a statue.
Pecarine, a statue? That sounds to me. I don't think so. That sounds to me like something you'd order at an Italian restaurant. I'll have the chicken pecarini. Yeah. Well, now you can you can see it in a statue right outside National Stadium. You're live up to the minute the Senators are on top of the Panthers. Two nothing. Let's go Senators. There you go. I think we have to actually have we don't play the Senators.
Alright, so I want to I want to inform all you guys that you can listen to Steve. You can listen to the Hockey Jesus preaching on the podcast after every single Penguin game. He has done it religiously this year. I've been religiously. Let me tell you. Let me tell you man. That is some that is some dedication right there. Serious dedication. I love it. Live on the Spreaker app by iHeartRadio. If you want to catch it live after every Penguins game.
The Hockey Jesus Preaches and I know DG listens to all of them and he says the Smith hung tough most of the game but he was all over the place handful of times. I want him to keep his **** in goal but you know yeah who knows I think you know I think Sully open that up for him to stay in I think he recognized did you know that last year the Smith was tied for League League in in shutouts and he doesn't have a single one this year so I think he actually I think he deserves to stay in there I'm just tired of the whole Tristan Jarium injured **** it's just like the team's gotta be tired of it too you and every other fan yeah I I I actually think part of that goal that Gino scored was because wanted to win it for the Smith.
You know? Well yeah I mean I and and and there's a pretty good chance the Smith is going to end up playing a pretty large portion of the playoffs. Yeah. So you're going to have to roll with that and we'll have all kinds of **** to talk about in the off season about that. But the Hockey Jesus preaches on the podcast on iHeartRadio, Spotify or anything. I have to do one more thing with Steve one more so the the Penguins do this thing where the if the if the games they win they like take the hand there's a helmet that they pass around they give it to the guy wins, right? And LaTang had the last one and he had it and I was like, he's kind of gotta give it to Gino, right? Right, right.
And he gave it to Desmith. Ha. And he gave it to Desmith and then. That's interesting. And then Gino, you can hear Gino in the background. We're not friends anymore.
So how many games are left nine games left nine okay alright nine games left they're in criminal digits let's get let's get at least three or four wins out of those nine games oh no you know you're going to have to win six yeah you think so six is going to be the number six it might be five man it might be five but I'm I'm thinking if they win six they're in and actually they they may have a chance at getting the you really want to get the first spot you don't want to have to play Boston right right the the person who's in that second spot is going to lose in the first round right right they absolutely are going to lose although it it has happened before though that the president's trophy winner loses yeah but this is a special team it's unlikely have you seen this team play they're really good I mean they're really good so so I think you're better off and I don't even know who you're going to play against right now it's still Carolina at the top but I mean the Rangers are surging and the Devils are right there so I mean the Rangers are something like eight one and 1 in their last tenth they're they were they finally figured it out I mean all that talent you gotta figure that they I wouldn't want to play the Rangers.
I would rather play the Devils who are who are in arch nemesis of ours in in the playoffs. But they're young and Carolina I don't know. I I think they're I think they're fading because Speshnikov got hurt and he's out for the season. So you want to stay away from Zabanaja. So all the he just loves that name. So so all of this to say that we're going to have a hockey Jesus special playoff preview.
Yep. When? Next week? Um no. No. No. It's too early. It's too early. Um let me look at the schedule. The schedule is set up so that probably their last game is April 13th. My guess is after that. Um unless they're already going to me in the playoffs and that game at Columbus doesn't mean anything. I would say somewhere between April 12th and April 15th.
And we're going to see that on The Porches Live. com as well. Are we going to have a we're going to have a blog post about that? Yep. I actually may go live and do it. Okay. Yeah.
Yeah maybe on Facebook alright that's it might go live that sounds good to me okay Hockey Jesus preaching on the podcast on the iHeartRadio app or anywhere you get your podcast last thing we're going to talk about here is opening day the Pirates Thursday March 30th now what we did promise this year is that we will at least pay a little bit more attention to Pirates Baseball I for one think that it you know after thinking about the off season and and what they've done in bringing McCutcheon back and I want you guys to watch for The Porch's Live.
com and my blog post on McCutcheon which will be coming up here before Thursday. Um I I I for one feel a little bit better about this season. I think Mitch Keller is going to pitch a little bit better. He was he was not lights out but he was pretty good at the second half of the season last year. I think Reynolds is a solid player. He's not a superstar but he's a solid player.
I think Cutch brings a level of consistency And veteran leadership. I think O'Neal Cruz, if he can solve his strikeout issue, which when you got a big win. Big thing. Right. But he's got talent man and and Brian Hayes if he stays healthy, I I think the Pirates have a chance to let's just say put on a good show and that's as far as I would go with them. Um opening day is Thursday. It happens to be in Cincinnati so they start with a six-game road trip.
Three in Cincinnati, three in Boston. They come back for Friday, April 7th is opening night at PNC Park. That'll be an exciting night. Uh well, it's actually a four o'clock game but against the White Sox. So, hopefully we will have some stuff to talk about with the Pirates this year. Who's the opening day starter? Oh, Mitch Keller. Yeah. Mitch Keller. Okay. So, hey, you know, it's not Clayton Kershaw.
But it's the best guy they got. The best guy they got. I don't know. There's just something about it's and and I have not I I've paid a little bit more attention to the reporting this year. I haven't done any any analyzing myself but I've paid a little bit more attention to what the insiders are saying about the players in spring training and what they bring to the table where like don't get me wrong.
I I don't think that the organization has made any big decisions about how they're going to you know manage this organization going forward. Well they did mention something. Well they did but what I think is even more hilarious though are some of the biggest headlines in the last couple weeks were well we made some nice changes to PNC Park and we also resigned one of the damn pierogies right Pierogi Pittsburgh like we care okay like and in my head I'm thinking okay who am I to question guys that make 2030 40 million dollars a year okay because they make a couple more dollars a year than I do alright but the thing about it is like really is this what you're is this what you're doing are you are you actually saying that well we're at we're still going to have four pierogies in that dumb pierogi race come on down to the balloon every night yeah so what I'm hoping is that they put on a little bit better show this year I think they're going to put on a better show at least to start the season with catchback we'll see and you guys have anything to say about that I'm not expecting you to the only the only thing I have to say about that is and I'm not going to talk about the fact that the that the Pirates said they need to make their their payroll sustainable for the future whatever the hell does that mean I don't I don't want to have that conversation now because it would just set me off into a dizzy.
Right. And and there were some things that came out on Forbes about the value of the team and that sort of thing. Once again, I don't want to go off on that because I want to start in the positive. The thing that I am actually looking forward to in the MLB which is dead to me but the one thing I actually am looking forward to because this could be a game changer is the pitch clock.
I think the pitch clock can make a difference. It might bring me back to actually want to watch a game. Yeah. If little the games are only going to last like two hours 15 minutes two and a half hours I'm okay with that like I I I just I don't want to invest my time watching two bit talent and it it takes three and a/ 2 hours okay so that that that's interesting because in the previous show on the Philly Sports Porch Schwabber and I were talking and that that actually kind of flies in contrast to one of the points that I made where I said that I think with them toying around with the pitch clock and ticking around with all other stuff make the bases a little larger.
Yeah. That is that they're trying to bring the the the younger fans back. To me baseball if it's boring to you it's always been boring to you. It doesn't two hours versus three hours. But when you mention that with the pitch clock it could be as. Well that was a different angle. The different angle was. True. You know because with the Phillies we were talking about watching a good team versus watching a bad team.
Yeah right. And and right. Yeah. If you're watching a good team and they're hitting the ball well. Right. They're pitching well. Right. You don't care that it's taking them 30 seconds to throw the ball versus twenty-two. Right. That's a No. Yeah. That's a good point. Yeah. Yeah. Right. But when you have a **** **** team like we have and have had for a while it's like the sooner you can get them off the field.
The better. The better off.
Like and and and maybe it'll give an advantage if you have a good pitcher who knows what he's doing and likes to throw strikes as opposed to the guy that's not getting into the box and he's kind of playing a mind game you know I did think it was interesting I wonder if I looked at the same thing that you looked at and they listed like the top five most profitable teams and then the bottom five least profitable teams yeah and I thought it was interesting that the Pirates were not one of the least five no they are not oh no no they make some money I don't think we should have this discussion alright 2 minutes left we don't want to send hockey Jesus down a bad rope that's exactly but I do think we need we don't need him we don't need a fallen angel for hockey Jesus that would make him I need to focus on the playoffs hockey hockey be elze about we'll save Satan for another time that that that's it and right now I gotta get Satan first first first DG says he doesn't have new found in my new found enthusiasm.
He's old and jaded. Well, you know, we are also old. Yes. And at times, very jaded. Uh but please DG, don't hold your breath because I'm not going to. Now, my buddy from York, Jeff chimes in and says, great show guys but then of course, he has to ruin it by saying Pirates might be better than those. Oh. I completely disagree with you, Jeff.
Completely disagree with you. I think the Orioles there is a there has been a this is a Pittsburgh show so this is all I'm going to say.
There has been a reconciliation of the Angelo's brothers in Baltimore who were fighting over control of the team and the brother that is in control. The brother that was not in control has conceded. They have amended. They have made amends according to the press and that team has a lot of young, really exciting talent and one thing I can say about Baltimore and the Orioles is that they are different from the Pirates in that they do want to have a winner.
They do.
Other than that I don't know but I think they're going to be better thanks for the Baltimore Orioles information there you go and Jeff is laughing at me which he did get Jeff got it get me I mean but we would button the push that Orioles button right I I I haven't launched the sports sports Baltimore yet so I mean I'm sitting here I'm like talking about Pittsburgh Penguins and all this **** for you and then I do a Steelers sports show for him where I've actually gotta pay attention to the Eagles now okay so if I want to talk about the Orioles I'm going to talk about the goddamn Orioles were as good as they were last year I think you deserve it maybe you should talk about where you came from and do a York High School program.
York Suburban, you want to and you want to. We can talk about their soccer program. How it's up and coming. Yeah. Yeah. You want to know what? That would be a great show because their mascot was The Trojans. Oh, we can take that in a lot of different things. But That explains a lot about you. Alright, guys. Listen. It really does. As always, we want to thank you so much for listening to the show.
Uh we dropped the podcast. I call it the show after the show. So, we dropped the podcast
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