Mark Madden stories, Page 13
Mark Madden: The Penguins need to overachieve to win, but they aren’t wired that way
The Penguins are going to slowly rebuild. Like president of hockey ops/GM Kyle Dubas said, the Penguins won’t “strip it down to the studs,” not least because that’s impossible given the number of no-movement clauses and untradable contracts Dubas must cope with. So, for the immediate future, the only hope...
Mark Madden: Tampa Bay shows Penguins what might have been with offseason moves
The Pittsburgh Penguins’ offseason started with a whimper. Nothing epic. Nobody wants to trade for Tristan Jarry. I’m amazed Reilly Smith fetched second- and fifth-round draft picks from the New York Rangers with the Penguins keeping just $1.25 million of his $5 million salary cap hit. President of hockey ops/GM...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: When will U.S. turn the corner in men’s soccer? How about never?
For decades, we’ve been wondering when the U.S. would make its breakthrough in international men’s soccer. Now, after the latest disaster, a ham-fisted 2-1 loss to Panama in the Copa America on Thursday that saw the U.S. down to 10 men after a stupid red card in the 18th minute,...
Mark Madden: As always, NHL fails to recognize the value of star power
Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final drew 7.7 million TV viewers in the U.S., the NHL’s biggest audience in five years. The WNBA game between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese this past Sunday, thought of as a breakthrough for women’s pro basketball, was watched by 2.3 million. It was...
Mark Madden: Connor McDavid didn’t choke, exactly, but he’s still not a winner
What will be remembered most? That Connor McDavid had eight points in Games 4 and 5 to rally Edmonton back from a three-games-to-none deficit in the Stanley Cup Final or that he had zero points and didn’t look the part in Games 6 and 7? McDavid won the Conn Smythe...
Mark Madden: Pirates need bats to contend, but expect ownership to kick can down the road
They say the standings never lie. But sometimes they do. In the National League, nine teams are within four games of each other in the race for the second and third wild-card spots. One of those teams is over .500, another at .500. The rest have losing records. All of...
Mark Madden’s hot take: NHL badly needs the great theater of Game 7
Three games into this year’s Stanley Cup Final, it was a big nothingburger. Florida was poised to complete a three-season journey from 2022 Presidents’ Trophy winner to losing the ’23 final to grabbing the Cup via sweep. For Connor McDavid, Edmonton captain and hockey’s best player, his wait for a...
Mark Madden: It’s time for the Penguins to trade Tristan Jarry
The re-signing of goalie Alex Nedeljkovic makes zero sense for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Unless they trade starter Tristan Jarry. Nedeljkovic is reasonably priced at $5 million over two years. (I thought he could get more elsewhere.) He’s a solid journeyman-level goalie. But retaining Nedeljkovic, 28, forms a crowd at the...
Mark Madden: Connor McDavid can cement legacy if he completes historic Oilers comeback
It’s squeaky bum time in Sunrise, Fla. It’s not just the humidity. The Edmonton Oilers fulfilled captain Connor McDavid’s wish to “drag them back to Alberta,” “them” being the Florida Panthers. Florida led the Stanley Cup Final three games to none and appeared ready to flick the Oilers aside and...
Mark Madden: Why can’t Cam Heyward play elsewhere, why sit rookie linemen and more sports notes
Refreshing sports notes! I hope they’re not too messianic or a trifle too satanic. • If Cam Heyward ends his career elsewhere, why is that such a big deal? Did some great things individually. Stand-up community guy. But his record in playoff games is 1-7. Nick Bonino accomplished more for...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Joey Chestnut drama is frankly ridiculous
The world of competitive eating was split asunder this past week when the annual July 4 Nathan’s Hot Dog eating contest at Coney Island banned 16-time winner Joey Chestnut because he’s endorsing a vegan frankfurter. Only in America. But Chestnut rebounded quickly: He will go one-on-one with six-time winner Takeru...
Mark Madden: Steelers need more from so-called elite defense
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ game plan for 2024 seems to be combining elite defense with a big-time running game as designed by new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith when he had that job at Tennessee. When Smith had Derrick Henry in his prime. Not Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren running behind an...
Mark Madden: Steelers’ commitment to Mike Tomlin makes no sense
The Pittsburgh Steelers signed coach Mike Tomlin to a three-year contract extension Monday. It runs through 2027. I’m not angry, because it was inevitable. I’m just dumbfounded. Because everybody says retaining Tomlin is the obvious and correct move. But I don’t see one good reason to do so. When Tomlin...
Mark Madden: Paul Skenes may be the Pirates’ marquee attraction, but don’t ditch Mitch
Pittsburgh has a new baseball hero. It’s Mitch the Pitch, and he’s at the top of today’s rotation of refreshing sports notes! • Forget Skenes day. The most exciting day in the Pirates rotation is Keller day. Mitch Keller has won six straight starts. In those six victories, Keller has...
Mark Madden Hot Take: Fantasy leagues warp loyalties, ruin sports viewing
How we ruin sports (first in a series): Fantasy leagues are bad for sports. Many of you doubtless think fantasy leagues are cool. You’re in three or four. It’s a big part of your life. That’s because you’re pathetic dweebs. You think it brings you and your friends together. What,...
Mark Madden: Despite growing optimism for the Pirates, front office failings can’t be ignored
There is legit optimism concerning the Pittsburgh Pirates for the first time in a long time. Paul Skenes is a phenom, Jared Jones isn’t far behind and Mitch Keller is a solid No. 3 starter. Their rotation could win a playoff series right now. The trick is getting there. That’s...
Mark Madden: Pat McAfee’s remarks on Caitlin Clark highlight his unapologetic stance, ESPN’s dilemma
There was minimal blowback to Pat McAfee slurring Caitlin Clark, albeit in oddly complimentary fashion, on his ESPN TV show Monday. McAfee apologized but didn’t mean it. That was confirmed by him humorously referencing what he had said on WWE’s “Monday Night Raw.” The Plum native isn’t sorry about anything...
Mark Madden: How the WNBA is failing Caitlin Clark
I knew the WNBA was going to blow it with Caitlin Clark and said so in this space. But I didn’t think they would butcher it this bad, this quick. The groundwork for killing Clark’s buzz got laid when she went to a lousy team that’s not in a big...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Dream of Steelers getting Brandon Aiyuk is silly
As Pittsburgh Steelers fans try to hope their team into being better than the current roster dictates, one piece of wishful thinking just won’t go away: that the Steelers trade for wideout Brandon Aiyuk of the San Francisco 49ers. Aiyuk has the option year remaining on his rookie contract and...
Mark Madden: Adding Negro League stats to MLB is dishonest, factually incorrect
As of Tuesday, MLB’s all-time batting average leader never took a swing in MLB. That’s stupid. Black players being excluded from MLB till Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947 is a dark, inexcusable piece of baseball history. It’s also something that can’t possibly be fixed. It’s a wrong...
Mark Madden: Penguins missed opportunity to sign Rangers catalyst Vincent Trocheck
If Pittsburgh Penguins fans want reminded of a franchise-altering mistake made by management, just turn on the NHL’s Eastern Conference Final. Forecheck, backcheck, Trocheck. The Penguins had a chance to sign center Vincent Trocheck as a free agent in 2022. The Penguins chose nostalgia instead, re-upping Evgeni Malkin. The Penguins...
Mark Madden: Patrick Queen’s contract, Juju Smith-Schuster’s possible release make ‘news’ during NFL’s silly season
It’s the silly season for the NFL, the time of invented saturation, a 24-hour news cycle when no real news exists. Sure, the Steelers have OTAs, but those media present aren’t even allowed to report what they witness. Ergo, somebody has to say something. They always do. It’s often harmless...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Pirates must trade prospects to bolster MLB roster, maximize Paul Skenes’ window
The Pittsburgh Pirates’ window to contend extends as long as they have pitcher Paul Skenes. That’s through somewhere around 2028 or so, whenever owner Bob Nutting mandates trading Skenes to avoid paying him $25 million or whatever via arbitration. There’s no point fantasizing that the Pirates can keep Skenes into...
Mark Madden: Giving Cam Heyward a contract extension not worth the risk for Steelers
Optimism is running riot during Pittsburgh Steelers OTAs, and why not? No results are compiled that refute. Standings aren’t kept. So, enjoy! But the NFL is a passing league. The Steelers’ weakest spots are wide receiver and cornerback. That’s OK. The Steelers have the genius of Oppenheimer at offensive coordinator....
Mark Madden: Pittsburgh should embrace Barry Bonds’ undeniable greatness
Barry Bonds will return to Pittsburgh on Aug. 24 to be inducted into the Pirates Hall of Fame via a pregame ceremony at PNC Park. Don’t boo. There is no reason for Pittsburgh to hate Barry Bonds. You should love him. OK, so he left the Pirates to cash in...
