ESPN's Mount Rushmore Of Sports For Pennsylvania Includes 3 Guys That Weren't Born In The State

ESPN just announced their Mount Rushmore of Sports for Pennsylvania. And it's just another weird way to get weird Rick Reilly to justify his weirdly huge contract.

The legends are Joe Paterno, Wilt Chamberlain, Mario Lemieux and Roberto Clemente.

I have no idea what criteria was used to determine these "faces," but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't confused. Here we have guys born in Brooklyn (Paterno), Philly (Chamberlain), Montreal (Lemieux) and Puerto Rico (Clemente).

All of 'em are guys that represented the places where they coached/played, so I guess that was the basis for their inclusion? I'm kinda lost at this point and haven't seen any of the other Rushmores...would Joe Montana be a nominee in California? 'Cos we lay claim to him in SW PA.

Whatever, I'm over it.

Rick Reilly is weird.

Kris Letang Will Be An All Star This Season. Write That Down

I find it fun to make random predictions about the teams I love so much, so let's go after the Penguins, especially with what's been going on with our defense in the offseason.

First off, how good does Ray Shero look for holding on to Darryl Sydor? When free agency began, there was much talk of packaging Sydor in a deal to get a scoring winger. Now, with Ryan Whitney shelved until December or January and Sergei out indefinitely, the retaining of Sydor alleviates some major problems. Our blue line depth would've been much more questionable had Sydor left.

But let's talk predictions. I've always been a massive Kris Letang fan, and with current injuries, Letang has a chance to shine instead of just being a role player. With our top two offensive-minded defensemen out, Letang is thrust into the spotlight, and we're in need of healthy point production from Kris. So my prediction is...All Star.

In the past, we were lucky to watch Paul Coffey come flying up from his defensive position to bury a ton of Mario passes and rebounds. Letang has that same gift, and he'll have a lot of time to work with Sid. Plus, he'll most likely be paired with defensive-minded defenseman (and pride of Wilmington, DE) Mark Eaton. This should allow him to put more shots on net while not worrying about giving up defensive position. Eaton's got his back (or Orpik, another bruising, defensive-minded guy).

I'm too lazy to look right now, but Sergei had something like 99 points in the past two seasons. Is it absurd to think Letang could top 50 this year? Of course, he'll need a strong start to the season, before Whit and Gonch come back and take their spots on the top line. Coming out strong early would give Ray Shero the same happy problem as he has with the forwards, so many scoring threats that there aren't #1 and #2 lines, just two #1s. Point production could be through the roof if Letang could hold his own until his injured teammates return.

Couple this thought with the fact that we own 2 of the top 10 hitters in the conference (Cooke on offense, Orpik on defense), and those hits could create some loose puck opportunities and scoring chances for Letang.

So yeah, ridicule me all you want, but I'm expecting big things from this team going into the season. What originally seemed like a crushing blow to our blue line now seems to be a prime opportunity for Letang to have an All Star season.

You read that here first.

Mario Lemieux, Tony Fernandez and Bea Arthur Made the Best PSA Ever

1988 ruled.

When else would you be able to see Mario Lemieux, Tony Fernandez AND Bea Arthur in a commercial together? They really don't make PSAs like they used to.

I'm just shocked that Mario and Tony were both taller than Bea Arthur. The only Bea Arthur reference I have is from my years of watching Golden Girls (great stuff) with my grandma back in the day, and I woulda just guessed that she would tower over both Lemieux and Fernandez like she did to everyone else on that show.

God, the 80s were awesome.

Pens Break Ground On New Arena

(courtesy of penguins.com)

The Pens broke ground on the new arena today.

This douche shouldn't have been allowed to touch a shovel.

Gary Roberts Will Check Someone In Half In The Playoffs

(Picture ripped directly from The Pensblog. However, I'm not the asshole who wouldn't credit them)

First things first...I don't like stealing some other blog's inside jokes and using them to make myself look funny and unique. Gary Roberts (and all the myths/urban legends that go with him) is The Pensblog's baby. Several other blogs (not naming names or trying to hate on anyone specific) have referenced Gary Roberts in attempts to be funny/cool, and didn't even give credit where credit is due. I'm not piggybacking on Pensblog's ideas with this title...it is merely what I believe as a Penguins fan.

Lots of people were concerned when Roberts broke his leg. He's old, and prior to his injury, he struggled at the onset of the season. However, before he got injured, I still wasn't worried about his offensive output. Looking back on what he contributed after Ray Shero traded for him last season...he's a guy who is much more valuable in the playoffs. Even if Roberts played all 82 games this season, I would have been okay with no goals and no assists. The man is a playoff force, and frankly, anything positive he gives the team in the postseason trumps any struggles he had prior to breaking his leg.

So my excitement was unparalleled when I heard Roberts was back at (non-contact) practice. He's even practicing more of late (at the bottom of the article).

And I doubt Roberts' presence will do anything to hinder the team's ability to gel as a unit (heh-heh...does anybody wanna see MY unit?). Hell, the team knows this. Roberts hasn't been off by himself during his rehab. The dude's been with Lemieux in the owner's box for games, hanging at practices, even serving food for rich people alongside his 'mates. Its amazing that injuries have forced the team to use 37 different players this season, but the way the Penguins continually produce at a high level kills any thoughts of team chaos. Roberts was a part of that team before his injury...he'll fit right in upon his return.

Gary Roberts has had a lot of time to contemplate just how he's going to make his voice heard when he gets back. I expect to see two halves of the same person from the opposing team laying on the ice in the playoffs.

And Gary Roberts skating away with a smile.

Mario Lemieux Is Black

I truly apologize about overloading you with Youtube videos, but some of these rarely-viewed clips need to be seen.

Like in a hockey game from about a minute ago, Mario Lemieux was visited by a distant (to say the least) relative. Looks like Mario's ancestors were bitten with a Thomas Jefferson-esque bug.

And how do I know its old? Well, Mario's playing, so are Aleksey Morozov and Alexei Kovalev...Zdeno Chara is playing for the Senators, and the game is on...wait for it...ESPN!

Those were the good old days.

I miss NHL 2Night.

The Retro Penguins Jerseys Are Sick

Want a sneak peak into what the Pens and Sabres will be wearing for the upcoming outdoor game in Buffalo? I got 'yer back. Don't worry so much.

I, personally, am a big fan of odd looking throwbacks. I don't mind the retro jerseys and helmets worn by the Steelers twice this season. Even back when I used to play Madden on original Playstation (what with the crappy graphics and all), I would always bust out these jerseys to make my opponent distracted. P.S. Cool Barry Foster.

When I heard that the Pens would be wearing throwbacks for the outdoor game, I was immediately interested. Turns out, I'm not the only one who digs the classic blue Pens getups.

So yeah, the Bills decided to not wear their throwbacks when the Steelers played 'em (the first time the throwbacks were used this season), but the Sabres are following suit (no pun intended) and breaking out their own, classic, white unis. Even as a Penguins homer, I gotta give love to these uniforms as well.

The Pens sorta caved in to the whole "City of Champions" era, and switched to the Black and Gold scheme to hop on the Steelers and Pirates (who were both winning championships at that point, odd as it may seem) bandwagon. I'm pumped to see that they went with the blue rather than the still awesome, Cup-winning Black and Gold.

Here's the Sabres unis as well.

Muscle Mario

I wanted to test out Blogger's video uploading gadget, since I haven't used it before. I usually stick to the ultra-easy embedded html from sites like Youtube. However, I kept feeling like I needed to experience the standard Blogger video player. I looked for random Pittsburgh sports-related videos on Limewire, and downloaded one titled "Mario Lemieux Fights." I have no problem with that. Sure, you can find this video on Youtube, but the commentary in this one is spot on. Enjoy my first foray into Blogger's generic-ass vid player. Lemieux destroyed Gary Lupul.

Is Francis Getting the Shaft?

Recently, PSaMP received an email from reader Jody diPerna, a hardcore Ron Francis fan with an interesting question. Francis, who was recently inducted into the hockey HOF, was a huge figure in Penguins lore. I mean, the guy helped bring back to back Cups to the City. We don't just forget favors like that. However, on a national scale, there seems to be little media recognition of the NHL's 4th all-time leading scorer.

I'll leave you with Jody's question and my response.
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I am the sports writer for Pittsburgh's City Paper and am working on a column about Ron Francis being inducted into the hockey HOF. I was on a short hiatus due to a long vacation in South America. I returned to read about this glorious, in my estimation, news.

I've entered the blogosphere, and am hoping to get a reaction of fans who were touched by Ron Francis. At any rate, anybody who knows me knows that I adored Francis. He was a great player and seemed to be an equally great guy.

His election has not gotten the coverage in the mainstream media as it might deserve. What's your sense of the ground root hockey fans? Do you think they are as happy as I about his induction? Or are people pretty much indifferent to it?


Jody diPerna
Pittsburgh City Paper
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Jody,

You raise an interesting question.

Ron Francis holds a different kind of legacy in Pittsburgh. He's not a Lemieux or Clemente. However, he is an outstanding athlete who is oftentimes overlooked, locally and nationally.

As a child of the 80s, the Back to Back Cups teams were my first experience with a championship in the...City of Champions. My Dad would always talk about the Steelers dynasty, or the We Are Family Buccos, or Clemente (his favorite athlete). Despite my black and gold blood, I couldn't imagine what a championship felt like because I never saw one personally. Those Pens teams of the early 90s changed that. Now I knew success. For this reason alone, those Pens teams hold a dear spot in my sports memories. And Ron Francis was the pivotal piece that made it all happen.

The team was great before he arrived. Lemieux was coming into his own in the league, but still needed that missing piece to help him contend for a Cup (sorta like how Crosby is/was, before the Robertses/Sykoras/Sydors were added). But we didn't just get Francis. We got Ulf and Zarley Zalapski, too. Francis, though, was the centerpiece.

Those teams winning those Cups helped cement Ron Francis's legacy, in Pittsburgh and over the whole country. Plus, he finished his career 4th on the all-time points list. The guy is a legend. He's one of my favorite Pens players. But his induction into the HOF has and will be overlooked due to certain reasons.

First, the caliber of the class is crazy. Messier, 2nd on the all-time points list, a 6-time Cup winner and 15-time All-Star, is inducted in the same year. Its not often that 2 guys so high on the career points list will be inducted into hockey immortality at the same time. However, there are reasons for that.

The lockout season of '04-'05 not only ushered in the new brand of hockey we see today, but it also helped kill the last generation of hockey greats. Messier was still productive in the seasons leading up to the lockout, and despite bouncing from Pittsburgh to Carolina to Toronto, Francis could have played one, maybe two more years. But when you destroy a whole season, old dudes like Mark and Ron just don't have the energy to wait a year before playing again. So two of the greatest players in the game call it quits at about the same time. Its only right that they should be inducted into the Hall asap, and naturally, the guy with more points will be more widely recognized/beloved. It sucks for Francis.

I'm also drawn to a theory that was recently on Deadspin, but can originally be found here. ESPN, arguably the biggest source of national sports news, is, in its own way, killing the game of hockey. Since ESPN holds no rights to broadcast games anymore, the coverage on Sportscenter is minimal. What are the basic cable fans supposed to do if they don't get hockey games? Naturally, turn to ESPN for highlights. But ESPN force feeds us the programming that they have bought into. Do we really need constant coverage of the Arena Football League? The MLS? Us fans of the ice suffer, because ESPN shows favoritism to the sports that they make money off. The corporate stranglehold that ESPN has on the NHL is huge. End result = a brief mention of this year's hockey HOF class in the waning moments of Sportscenter rather than a place of prominence like it deserves (I don't know if this was the actual case, its more of a metaphor). It would be sacrilege for the World Wide Leader to ignore the baseball or football HOF classes the way that this hockey class is being ignored. But ESPN can show baseball and football games, so this will never happen. Again, guys like Francis suffer.

If we would travel to Canada, I'm sure there would be a different story being painted. I like to imagine that guys everywhere are giddy over this year's HOF class. I mean, come on. Its Francis, Messier, Al MacInnins and Scott Stevens. You'd be hard-pressed to find a better class. And 10 years ago, guys in the states would be giddy over this class. Why? Because ESPN, who had the rights to the telecasts, would be all over the highlights on entities like Sportscenter or NHL 2night, which no longer exists due to telecast legalities and low ratings. ESPN would have to spend a few bucks to show the highlights, so its easier to shut down the show/minimize the coverage.

So who is to blame for the minimal coverage of guys like Francis? The NHLPA, for being unwilling to cooperate and forcing a lockout? A bit. Gary Bettman, for allowing a season to be wiped away? Yeah, that too. ESPN, for slowly killing the sport's media attention? To a certain extent. Or is it all fate?

Francis deserves better. Hell, even Messier deserves better. Hockey itself deserves better. The stars aligned so perfectly that two of the greatest players in hockey history will enter that sacred Hall with minimal recognition. It sucks that it had to happen this way. And us Francis fans will still throw stones, just hoping to make a dent.

Your question is legit, and really needs to be heard. I can't stand that its come to this point with hockey. Try telling a kid who is watching the North Stars get beat 8-0 in the 6th game, or the Blackhawks get swept, that his idols will be all but forgotten when their time comes to be enshrined in the HOF. Ridiculous.

Sidney Crosby is Cooler than You

Yeah, the above picture is one of the reasons why. But also because he is a team player.

The guy knows that Ray Shero wants to start talking contract extension. Sidney Crosby wants to start talking contract extension as well. Sid's selling point is that he's the best player in the league. As the best player in the league, he's bound to ask for the most money in the league, right? Right?

Negotiations are going to be tough, mainly because Sid is so talented. If the Pens don't get a contract in place, Every other team would be willing to pony up for the best player in the league. But the Pens want to keep the ridiculous core of young talent together, which could be damn near impossible.

But Sid knows this. In the collective bargaining agreement, Sid could ask for the max contract available, which would be 20 percent of the salary cap ceiling of $50.3 mil. That would come to $10.06 mil over four years. But if Sid does that, then you can kiss Geno, Jordan, MAF and/or Angelo goodbye. Ryan Whitney just got $24 mil over 6 years. Signing him was a priority. Sid is a bigger one. If Shero doesn't play his cards right, the Pens can have a huge problem on their hands.

Sid's made it completely clear that he'd be willing to take less money to give Shero wiggle room in signing the other young stars over the next few seasons. MJ had his Pippen/Rodman/Paxson/Grant/Kerr. Gretzky had his Messier/Anderson/Fuhr/Coffey/Moog. Even a Derek Jeter had his Brosius/O'Neill/Posada/Williams. Sid can't do it alone, despite his stake as best player in the game.

But Shero can't come with a number that's too low. I know that Sid has an unstated loyalty to Pittsburgh and his housemate Mario Lemieux, but don't try to tell me the best player in the league wouldn't try to get more money elsewhere if he felt purposefully slighted by Pittsburgh. We'd be dumb to believe that. Shero has to make a lot of people happy, including us bloggers, so that the team has a legitimate shot at bringing a Cup back to the Steel City in the near future.

However, it is nice to know that Sid is aware of the complications of having so many young (potential) stars on the team. If he wants to win a Cup, his best chance of doing so is with this group in Pittsburgh. Teams rarely assemble the type of young talent that the Pens currently have. Yes, it took some really awful years to get the top-notch talent, but that's in the past. The future is where the Pens need to look. Sid's already looking there. Hopefully both sides come up with a feasible figure to ensure a happy working future for the MVP and the organization.

Sid Wins the Hart!

Sidney Crosby, the captain of your Pittsburgh Penguins, was named the winner of the Hart Memorial Trophy, as the league MVP! He joins Wayne Gretzky as the youngest recipient of the prestigious award.

After winning the Pearson earlier in the night, the road to the Hart looked much easier for The Kid. Crosby prevailed over New Jersey goalie Martin Brodeur and Vancouver goalie Roberto Luongo.

Crosby then asked Mario Lemieux if there was any trophy space left in his house. Lemieux said, “Barely.” (I made that last part up).

PSaMP congratulates Sid on an impressive night. He was able to displace Jaromir Jagr in Pittsburgh fans’ minds. Jagr was the last Penguins recipient of the Hart and Pearson.

Sid is the youngest winner of the Hart (League MVP), Pearson (NHLPA MVP) and Ross Trophy (Scoring Title).

Congrats, Sid!

One-Time Penguins' Savior Balsillie to Try to Move Preds

This is news? Everyone in Pittsburgh knew Jim Balsillie wanted to move the Pens. Now he's doing the same to the Preds.

This dude doesn't even deserve any more mentions in Pittsburgh. He put on the "I want to keep the Pens in Pittsburgh" facade, but his knees buckled when Mario said the sale would only go through if the Pens stayed in Pittsburgh. Balsillie showed his true colors and left.

The Predator fan base holds no candle to that of the Pens, and Nashville is hardly a place for hockey. A move makes sense, but PSaMP just can't stand Jim Balsillie. And PSaMP in no way manipulated his Blackberry on MS Paint. It actually said that. I saw it with my own two eyes.

Penguins Name New Captain

What does Sidney Crosby have in common with Ab McDonald, Ron Schock, Jean Pronovost, Orest Kindrachuk, Randy Carlyle, Mike Bullard, Terry Ruskowski, Dan Frawley, Lemieux, Ron Francis and Jaromir Jagr? The Penguins captaincy.

Crosby is officially the youngest NHLer to ever inherit the C, besting Vincent Lecavalier by a month. He's the first Pens captain since Mario Lemieux retired during the '05-'06 season.

This card is from 1993, after the Pens won back to back Cups. I remember what I was doing in 1993. Feels a little weird.

Congats, Sid. Now get that Hart!