Pens Finances

Excellent follow up to my post about the Pens and NHL's finances was done by Daniel Tolensky at HockeyBuzz.com. His main point is that overall the league has improved financially since the lockout but that it is still not in great financial shape and could be doing much better.

Of note is that the reason the Pens have become profitable since the lockout is that while they have increased their revenues (which will go up even more with the new arena), they are at the bottom in expenses, near bottom in both player expenses and non-player expenses. So while we know they have kept their payroll low, it is also clear that they are keeping other operating expenses low as well. Where this factors in is unclear. It could be many things and some of them could impact the performance of the team, similar to how not spending on scouting and development has hurt the Pirates over the last 15 years. If that is the case, let's hope the new arena allows them to spend more on those critical areas as well.

Steelers Top In Market Brand

Interesting but hard to argue with since as Mean Joe used to say about Pittsburgh: "If it's Sunday and you ain't at Three Rivers, you're in the wroooong place."

USA Today wrote what qualifies as an in depth expose for them into the survey methodology.

Of course a lot of the fan support was built during the 70's when these three guys dominated.

Pittsburgh did pretty well overall. While the Steelers were #1, the Pens came in #20 and our beloved Buccos were 72nd, all out of 122 teams that make up the four major sports.

Pens 22nd Most Valuable NHL Franchise

I'm always skeptical of non-sports media diving in and offering their perspective, like the Wall Street Journal's sports articles in their weekend section that are often laughable. But in this case, it's Forbes and it's money and valuations and they've been doing it for some time now so there is some legitimate basis behind the numbers (though Forbes has run into issues/claims of inaccuracies in other sports with their valuations).

As far as the Pens go, they are valued at $155 million, which is 22nd in the NHL and higher than the Islanders, Thrashers, Capitals and Blues among others. The Islanders need a new arena even more than the Pens do. What is interesting is that the Thrashers and Caps play in new buildings but remain very low in valuations. Lack of support from a small fan base is the reason. So when the Pens get their new arena in a couple of years, despite the fact that they will remain in a "small market", their valuation should skyrocket up the list, with the primary reason being the strong and rabid fan base they have cultivated - they recently were ranked as having the third strongest in market brand strength in the NHL by Turnkey Sports and Entertainment. Only Buffalo and Detroit were higher and the Pens came in at #20 overall in all four major sports (and you'll want to check out who is #1 overall).

With a new arena and continued strong fan support the Pens could easily move into the top half of the league in revenue - they could rank with the Lightning, Wild or Senators (though with the Sens only if the dollar strengthens, but that's a whole other conversation).

Steelers/Bengals Game Dec 2 likely to stay at 8pm

As we begin the second half of the NFL season we approach the flex scheduling that gives NBC the power to screw with fans and move gametimes as they see fit. As of now, the Steelers are scheduled to play one Sunday nighter on Dec 2 vs the Cincy Bungles and according to Pro Football Weekly, it looks like that game will remain at that time. But not because it has the makings for a great game, but because there isn't another attractive game available to move t prime time.

Already gametimes of two Steeler games have been moved, but those were from 1 to 4 and are both on the road.

Other Steeler games that could potentially be moved include:

• Dec 9 at Patriots. Likely will stay at 1 on CBS because the Steelers are on Sunday night the week before, CBS is likely to protect the game and the scheduled game isn't bad (though it got a lot worse Monday Night): Colts / Ravens.
• Dec 16 vs Jacksonville. Will likely stay on CBS because the scheduled NBC game is Redskins / Giants.
• Dec 3o at Baltimore. Only if there are playoff implications on the line will this get moved and even then, it';s likely there are other games that will be more attractive to national audiences who will remember the thrashing from last Monday.

Pens and Sabres to sport Retro Unis Outdoors

Nice. I was wondering if we'd ever see the old powder blues again.

TV Good and Bad

Bad: Office Hit by Strike
Thought nothing of this TV writers strike until I saw this. Now I think this is the worst thing ever. But I can't get past thinking this is like umpires striking in baseball - nobody pays to see them an nobody cares about them or even knows their names, and all their strike is doing is keeping me from enjoying something I really like. So all I can say is get over it and get back to work writers!

Good: No Deal Between MSNBC and Fat-O
Thank God I won't ever have to endure the frightening thought of changing the channel and seeing her ugly mug on my screen!

Gretzky, Lemieux among bidders for Nike Bauer

Not surprising that 66 would lend his name and some cash to buy Nike Bauer, which has basically been blown away in the hockey equipment market by Reebok over the last few years. The combined names of Mario and Wayne could give it a much needed boost.

What would be interesting would be to sit at the dinner table at Mario's house and listen in as a part owner of Nike Bauer (Mario) breaks bread with Reebok's biggest hockey star/marketing vehicle (Sid) and tries to convince him to switch to Nike.

Pitt All-Time Team

In his Pitt Football Q&A at the Post-Gazette online, Paul Zeise suggests his All-Time Team for Pitt, and it is an impressive team. For a school that has had an up and down history, it has produced some great players. And it makes me marvel at just how good the teams from 76-82 were and how silly it is to think that Pitt will ever get back to that level.

I'd put these guys up against any other school in the country. What do you think?

OFFENSE

• Quarterback: Dan Marino
• Running Backs: Tony Dorsett, Marshall Goldberg
• Wide Receivers: Larry Fitzgerald, Antonio Bryant

• Offensive Lineman: Mark May, Jimbo Covert, Bill Fralic, Rueben Brown, Mark Stepnoski
• Tight End: Mike Ditka
• Kicker: Josh Cummings

DEFENSE

• Defensive Lineman: Hugh Green, Rickey Jackson, Bill Maas, Randy Holloway
• Linebackers: Joe Schmidt, Jerry Olsavsky, Tony Woods
• Defensive Backs: Darrelle Revis, Tim Lewis, Tom Flynn, Ramon Walker
• Punter: Andy Lee

The offense is unbelievable. The defense may be the weakest part, especially in the secondary and maybe at linebacker, but those are still some very good players Pitt can throw out there.

Hugh Green #14 Best College Player of All-Time

Don't know if you've noticed but ESPN is counting down their list of the Top 25 College Football Players of All-Time with #1 being announced during the Rose Bowl.

#99 comes in at #14 ahead of such greats as: Dick Butkus, Archie Griffin, Jim Brown, John Elway and Johnny Rodgers.



Who else from Pitt would or could make the list? Certainly Tony D will be on the list and you could make a legit argument that he is #1. He should at least be in the Top 5. Marino? Elway is #15 and I always though Marino was better in college. So did many others. But just like it hurt his draft position, his senior season in which the preseason favorite Panthers lost 3 games will likely do him in.

Now many people could argue that Rickey Jackson was every bit as good as Green, but he didn't get the publicity that Green did and won't get named to the list.

The only others who could be higher than Green on the list? Offensive linemen: Mark May or Bill Fralic. Fralic may appear, the term 'pancake' was invented for him. But in all likelihood the only other Panther on the list will be TD.

Buffalo Rolls Out the Barrels for Pats

Now this is a city that gets it right! Why can't Burgh leaders and Merrile Stabile understand this and be like Buffalo?? Best part is the team bascially assuring the league that they will do everything they can to get their fans as liquored up as they were for the Cowboys game when 48% of their arrests this year were made. What a city...

"Can we ask the network if we can decline the privilege?" Orchard Park Police Chief Samuel M. McCune asked, in a tongue-in-check remark after he heard the news.

“It’s always good for the team and the community — the Bills being put in a positive light on national TV,” McCune added, in a more serious tone. “But night games definitely are a bit more difficult than afternoon games for law enforcement.”

The reason is obvious, and it can be stated in one word: alcohol.

For a 1 p.m. game, only the most hard-core drinkers start getting lubricated four or five hours earlier, at 8 or 9 a.m. For an 8:15 p.m. game, drinkers who like to wait until noon still have eight hours of drinking.

No further evidence is needed than the statistics from the Bills’ first five home games this season. In five games, law enforcement officials have made 134 arrests for rowdy behavior inside the stadium; 64 of those, or 48 percent, came during the Oct. 8 Monday Night Football game against the Dallas Cowboys.

While the Bills weren’t talking Monday about the decision to move the game to Sunday night, Ebersol suggested that the team assured the league that the fan frenzy from the Cowboys game would be repeated.

". . . the league office told us that [the Bills] called back and said, ‘We just want to pass on to your television partners at NBC that we will bring that same level of enthusiasm that we’ve brought to everything we’ve done in the past with them. We will really work to make this a major event in our stadium.’ "

Google and Gas

One more reason gas station attendants are now unnecessary. Though not sure which I prefer: Google Maps pointing me down a road that doesn't exist anymore or a local gas pumper telling me to turn left at Johnny's barber shop and then look for the green mailbox.

Not so sure about this quote from the new pump manufacturer either:

"We think the service will create more customer loyalty for retailers," said Gilbarco Veeder-Root spokeswoman Lucy Sackett.

The point is that I need directions because I don't know where I am or am going so it's not likely I'll be back around this station often to stop in for gas simply because they have this cool feature. And at my regular stations, price will still determine where I go, not Google.

Election Night: Burgh Mayor Race Influenced by Monday Night Football

What was once perceived as steps to a Ravenstahl coronation has been dramatically changed to a legitimate political race.

"While I don't think Ravenstahl will lose, anything less than a 3-1 victory is a loss to Democratic victory in the city," Shuster said.

The professor cites weather conditions, Democratic fatigue and the Monday night Steelers-Ravens game all as factors that could come into play affecting voter turnout today for a race that may or may not turn the tide of the city, but has made serious waves.

Only in the Burgh baby....

Harrison Replaces Porter on All Time Team

Joey Porter didn't show up last night to enjoy his selection to the Steelers 75 Anniversary Team. And now he is no longer a part of that team, much to the delight of the many fans who booed Porter when his name was introduced last night. As of this morning, he has been replaced by James Harrison who turned in a performance against the Ravens that was better than anything Porter ever authored.

Or was it? The last time we heard people saying things like this...

He was a beast. That’s as good as I’ve ever seen anyone play here for as long as I’ve been here.

It was something down the road where I can tell my son I played with this guy and he did all that in one game.

He had all of them for breakfast, lunch, dinner, everything. That was one of the most amazing performances I’ve seen out of a linebacker, probably ever.

...about a Steeler defensive player was on September 15, 2002 and they were talking about none other than Joey Porter. That game in 2002 was different than last night in one major way: the Steelers lost, got bombed really by the Raiders 30-17 in a game where Rich Gannon threw for 403 yards. But the score could have been a whole lot worse if it weren't for #55 Joey Porter.

It was a Sunday night game, the second of the year, the second prime time game of the year, both at home and their second loss. The Patriots had torched them the week before to begin the season.

But on this night, Joey Porter:
-intercepted a Gannon pass at the 3 yard line to prevent the Raiders from going up 17-7 and returned it 30 yards.

-sacked Gannon 3 times and hurried him once

-had 10 solo tackles

-intercepted Gannon a second time at the 3 and this time returned it 84 yards before lateraling to Chad Scott, who took it into the end zone. The lateral was overruled as a forward lateral and the ball was placed at the Raider 15 and the Steelers scored a TD from there making the score 20-17 instead of 27-10. And it was a game...until the Raiders returned the kickoff for another TD. Too bad Porter wasn't on special teams.

-Porter was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week.

Harrison's numbers from his own prime time performance: nine tackles, three and a half sacks, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and an interception.

Considering it led to a dominating win, Harrison's game was probably greater than Porter's and is why he can now hob nob with the Steeler All Timers.

Pens beat Devils 5-0

Nice game to finish up the road trip. What could have been a very very good trip was merely ok. Finishing 2-2 is fine, but when you blow 2 2-0 leads and lose and not get a single point out of either of them, that leaves a sour taste. If they could have earned even one more point, it would have been a successful trip. Now it leaves them even and preparing for their first showdown vs the new Flyers.

There are a couple of interesting lineup questions that will be answered on Wednesday:
-Sabourin or Fleury vs the Flyers? Hard not to go back to Sabo after a shutout win. But hard to ignore one guy who is clearly in The Flower's camp.

-Will Armstrong get back in the lineup? Laraque played really well and Christiansen had a goal. Who sits?

Also, Mark Recchi looks soooo much better on a third or fourth line than on the first. On the first line you expect him to score, need him to score, and when he doesn't it's glaring. On lower lines, he doesn't need to score, which is good because he hasn't, but he can do other things that contribute to a win and he is doing them whether he is playing on the Crazy 8's line or with Staal and Roberts.

14,032 and almost 80% full at the Rock in Newark last night? Who came up with that number?!?! Hard to believe the Devils deserve a new arena. Now I understand arenas, particularly hockey and basketball arenas, hold other events that benefit the area, but the Devils in Newark just doesn't seem like a great long term answer. Last night was their third or fourth home game in the new arena and it was at least half empty.

What was your favorite goal of the night? All of them were pretty sweet, with possibly Sid's first goal the ugliest. Hall's deflection was one of the best I've seen, if only because the shot was going so wide. Geno's pass from his knees was spectacular. Talbot and Christiansen's 2-1 off a sweet touch pass from Laraque was beautiful. And Orpik's blind pass to Sid was right on the tape. Tough to choose.

What was nice about last night's game was that DirecTV offered both TV feeds for the game. So I had to choose between Steiggy and Bibs or Doc Emrick and Chico Resch. Normally I would choose Steiggy and Bibs, but I like Emrick and think Chico is a good analyst, so I chose to watch them and get a little out of town perspective on the Pens. Also, to be honest, I do not like Steiggy as a play by play guy at all. Maybe I got spoiled with Mike Lange, but can we please do something about replacing Steiggy with Mike again? Having grown up with the Pens in the late 70s and early 80s, I know the history between to two; Mike basically brought Steiggy up in the broadcasting world and then Steiggy goes and takes his job. That's not good, and it's worse because Steiggy is not a good play by play guy. This could and should and will be a whole column because it's borderline criminal that Steiggy is now the TV play by play guy for the Pens while Mike Lange is only on radio.

That said, Doc and Chico last night commented that Geno was having a better game than Sid last night and that he will steal a lot of #1 stars from Sid this year. Which is true and often he is better than Sid. But last night, except for his pass from his knees, I didn't think Geno was spectacular. He has had better games. Last night he tried too many cute moves that led to turnovers that are ok when you're up 4 or 5-0, but would have been horrendous if they were made in the playoffs. I only hope Therrien let him know about that.

Bucci's at it Again

Best hockey column around...

Write In Candidate

After this news from South Carolina last week, I now know who I am voting for today. For what office? All of them of course. I will enter Colbert as my write in vote for all offices I can. Keep this in mind when you go out and vote!

John Russell now at Bucs helm

Maybe Russell is the right hire. Maye his job last year keeping the Ottawa Lynx playing hard despite going 55-88 is a positive sign that he can manage. To me, it sounds a lot like what he'll be trying to do with the Bucs over the next few years: keeping a team that is clearly lacking the talent that others have playing hard even after their season has been decided. Sadly, after the players quitting on Lamont and Tracy, playing hard in August and September when they're 20+ games out of first is more than we've become accustomed to.

But that is obviously not the goal. The goal is to win. And the interesting, perplexing thing, is that there were candidates available to at least talk to who have won and who have ties to the Pirates and as Bob Smizik points out, weren't even in the conversation. Why not? Why not talk to Pena, Garner, Macha or Howe, all of whom have had success on the major league level in similar situations as the Bucs?!?!

And with an apparent renewed focus on re-establishing the Pirates tradition and identity, bringing back Chuck Tanner was the first step, why not think about Tony Pena, maybe the greatest catcher in Pirate history and a former manager of the year?

Why? Probably because Frank Coonelly is doing his job, which can be described as nothing more complicated than guarding the Nutting's bank accounts. And until that changes, having a team play hard in September is about all we can expect.