U mad, bro?: Pre-Fourth fireworks on state of the Penguins, insufficient Pirates, Mike Tomlin's recent playoff fade

Thursday is Independence Day. So I plan on celebrating my independence from work.

Hence, we are posting “U mad, bro?” a day early this week.

Don’t worry. I’m offering up plenty of fireworks about the Penguins’ current roster, the Pirates’ ups and downs and Mike Tomlin’s recent track record.

This guy has some frustrations about the state of the Penguins.

Pens are the new aging Redwings.

That’s not a compliment; that Crosby won’t accept that is a problem.

— xoundmind ???? ???? (@xoundmind) July 1, 2024

Understood. The thing is, though, if Crosby were to “accept that,” the logical thing for him to do would be to avoid signing an extension and playing out his career somewhere else.

Do you want that?

One other point. Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin are both 37 years old. In 2009, when the Red Wings lost to the Pens in the Stanley Cup Final, that team had 14 players between 30-38 years old.

Nicklas Lidstrom was 38. Kris Draper was 37. Chris Osgood was 36. So was Tomas Holmstrom, Kirk Maltby and Darren McCarty. Brian Rafalski was 35.

A lot of the core stayed together through 2013 when the team was still winning playoff rounds. They kept making the playoffs until 2016.

As a broad collective, that group aged better than this one.

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This is an email from “trag91146” about the Penguins’ offseason acquisitions.

“The only question is — can any of the new guys score on the power play — if not — they are bad trades — of course Sullivan has to use them instead of the current dead heads!”

No. No, he really doesn’t. If Kevin Hayes, Anthony Beauvillier and Matt Grzelcyk are all on the first-team power play, then the Penguins have even bigger problems than I think they do.

Look, I get your point. The Pens’ power play was ghastly last year. But the new acquisitions are not the answer.

Garry agrees with my recent column about the poor Pirates lineups when Paul Skenes starts.

Absolutely. But Pirates management doesn’t really want the team to win. They make that evident by what they put on the field. I don’t care what they say. It’s their actions.

— Garry Mason (@gmasonii) June 24, 2024

Garry, I think you meant to say … “inactions.”

Here’s one about Steelers coach Mike Tomlin from “Scrivener1A.”

Tomlin should have been fired after the 2018 season

— As_I_see_it (@Scrivener1A) June 20, 2024

You mean after they gagged a 7-2-1 start and turned it into a non-playoff season? After they lost terrible road games in Oakland and Denver? After they blew a 23-7 halftime lead at home against the Chargers?

That season?

Yeah. Maybe he should’ve been. But then think of all the columns I wouldn’t have been able to write when he turned an 8-5 start into an 8-8 finish and another non-playoff season the next year.

Think of me, Scriv. Think of me.

Let’s get one more in about the Pirates from Jim.

“Tell me Tim what is the pirates best trait.

Drafting great triple A players only.

Terrible scouting of talent.

Terrible development of talent.

Terrible in game decisions.

Terrible spending on veteran players.”

I’ll go off the board: underutilization of the pierogi races. I mean, just one race per game? You can’t squeeze in one after the third inning too?

Is Bacon Bart on a pitch count as well?

Finally, I got this email from Jack last Monday.

“Why don’t any Pittsburgh sports writers post a story about the US national team’s win against Bolivia yesterday in Copa America? Pirates will never win a World Series or spend money. Seems like the immediate future for US soccer is more exciting (Copa America and 2026 world cup in US) than young Pirates pitchers who aren’t allowed to throw complete games.”

Note, I did not get an email this week from Jack after the 1-0 loss to Uruguay.

But, hey, it’s the Fourth of July! Who am I to rain on anyone’s patriotism?

Take that, Bolivia!