Please Pray For Alianna Marie Haggans

I try to refrain from overly-serious posts, but this needs to be addressed. Clark Haggans, an outstanding linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers, is facing a possible tragedy, as his infant daughter fights for her life in Las Vegas.

Alianna Marie Haggans was born premature, and is battling complications from her birth. Haggans has been one of my favorite Steelers, although he has spent a majority of his time with the team as a backup to guys like Joey Porter and Jason Gildon (remember him?) towards the end of their years in Black and Gold.

I was born premature. I'm lucky to be here in good health, 23 years after being born a month and a half too early. My mid-August birth came as a surprise, as my parents were expecting me to arrive in late September/early October. Premature births are nothing to laugh about. Haggans and his family will be in my thoughts and prayers everyday.

Aside from the off-the-field worries, Haggans is entering the final year of his contract. Now, the Steelers are notorious for waiting until the last minute to re-sign guys, and even let guys go too early rather than too late. But I like Haggans. His blend of speed and athleticism are a great fit for the 'Burgh. However, the team did draft future linebackers in the first and second rounds of the '07 draft, and Polamalu and Roethlisberger are contract priorities. Its up to the Rooneys to keep Haggans. I respect every decision they make, because their choices are rarely wrong.

Haggans, though, can provide veteran leadership to a linebacking corps that will be loaded with youth in the coming years. PSaMP is reaching out to the Steelers organization to keep Haggans beyond '07-'08.

Mini Pony of the Day 6-5-07

Visible high five!







Much respect to ichc.

This one is funny.

Pittsburgh RiverRats to Send 5 All-Stars

Praise must be given to the Pittsburgh RiverRats, the area's expansion AIFA (American Indoor Football Association) team, who in their first full season, will send 5 players to the AIFA All-Star game.

Franchise Quarterback David Dinkins has been one of the most exciting players in the league. His official stats include 45 passing touchdowns, as well as 7 rusing and 3 receiving TDs. His passer rating stands at 94.26, and he has thrown for 1917 yards this season. Against his former team, the Erie Freeze, Dinkins led the RiverRats to scores on every possession, and set a league record with 86 points scored.

Wide Receivers Beau Gibbs and Marko Thomas also made the All-Star squad. Gibbs has 639 receiving yards and 15 scores, while Thomas has 541 yards and 13 TDs.

Joining these three will be Defensive Lineman Phil Tillman and Linebacker T.J. Carden. Tillman has 5 recorded sacks, and Carden is credited with 49 tackles in 11 games.

The RiverRats play their home games at Rostraver Ice Garden on Route 51 in the Belle Vernon/Rostraver area. I've ice skated there in my youth.

The RiverRats (7-7) will travel to Reading to take on the Express (13-2) in the first round of the playoffs on June 9th.

Torres to Return as Closer

Most Pirates fans should be questioning their loyalty to the team after reading that headline. Torres is coming back as closer after what, 2 games? And in those two games, Salomon gave up a lead-changing 2-run shot to Andre Ethier. Why then, is Torres replacing Matt Capps in the closer role?

Don't get your panties in a bunch, Sally. Its a part-time deal. Remember when Capps was ejected for plunking Prince Fielder on the arm? He was subsequently suspended for 4 games. Capps has his suspension-appeal-hearing this weekend, and Torres will replace Capps during the appeal and suspension process. That means Torres, who has been shaky all season, will be called upon to pitch against the Yankees.

Now I know the Yankees of today aren't the Yankees of, say, 7-8 years ago. Paul O'Neill is nowhere to be found. But let us look at The Buccos interleague stats from last year. The Pirates sported a 3-12 record, with a .269 team batting average and a 5.47 ERA. Interleague usually spells doom for the Buccos, so I don't care if the team is playing the Devil Rays, Yankees or BoSox. The bottom line is, the Pirates hardly stand a chance against the American League, no matter the team being played.

At least Torres hasn't regained the entire closer role. I think Capps can do a good job as closer. I mean, he's been really the only Pirate player to show any life/excitement this season. Throwing at Fielder, Capps was asserting his ability to throw inside, no matter who is up at the plate. Not many other Buccos have shown that much life this season. Seriously, are teams intimidated by a roster that includes Jack Wilson, Don Kelly, Humberto Cota (who was just designated for assignment, finally) and Nate McLouth?

Hopefully the Pirates can hold their own against the struggling Yankees. If Pittsburgh can win 2 of 3, and basically tread water while Capps sits out (since I doubt the suspension will get overturned), then the team knows it has a viable option to close out games for the rest of the season.

Mini Pony of the Day 6-4-07

This is either the smallest mini pony, or the largest dog I have ever seen. I'm trying to judge their relative sizes by the human folk who are behind them. But I keep getting distracted by the fact that this pony can probably walk under this dog with little to no problem. And the pony's hair is luxurious.

Meet the Newest Penguins Employee. Ron Porter

No, I'm not talking employee as in free agent signing.

Ron Porter, President and CEO of RDP Consulting Services, Inc., was hired by your Pittsburgh Penguins today.

Porter, 62, of the Hill District, is a consultant, trainer and speaker with expertise in team-building and collaboration between corporations and their communities. He also is an adjunct instructor of multicultural management at Carnegie Mellon's Heinz School of Public Policy and Management.

Since the new arena is going to be built in the Hill District, the Pens hired a consultant with close ties to the project at hand. Porter grew up in the area, having gone through the Pittsburgh Public School system. He founded RDP in 1984.

Porter will provide excellent credentials to bridge the gap between old Hill and new Hill. The building of the Civic Arena (loved that name) largely contributed to the decline of the Hill as a cultural center in the '50s, so Porter is headlining the effort to help the new arena revitalize the area. I hope the new arena brings a new life to the former Crossroads of the World.

If Porter succeeds, then HOK Sport and ICON Venue Group, who already have close ties to each other, should be able to work well with the history-laden Hill District.

il logogramma di psamp aggiornato. separa due

This logo banner is killing me. I'm trying not to laugh every time I load this page. That's all I'm going to say.

Steelers Re-Sign Verron Haynes

The Steelers re-signed running back Verron Haynes today. Haynes was cut by the team, which eventually signed running back Kevan Barlow, most recently of the J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets. Also, with the growing comfort of Najeh Davenport, Verron's place in the Mike Tomlin-era Steelers is far from assured.

Haynes had been the primary 3rd down back in the last 3-4 years of the Bill Cowher-era. His season ended with a knee injury last year, and it required reconstructive surgery.

The re-signing of Haynes means that my Steelers championship hat that Verron signed is still semi-relevant. And even if Haynes is let go again, I still have a Chris Hoke signature right next to that of Haynes. I'll try to take a better picture of the autograph.

Know Your Role, Sizzle

Congrats to the Pittsburgh Passion, who extended their win streak to 6 games, easily defeating the Cincinnati Sizzle 55-7. This win concludes a season sweep of the 2 Ohio franchises, the Cleveland Fusion and the Sizzle. The teams were really no match for the Passion, who used key contributions from a wide assortment of players, including star RB Torina Henley and QB Lisa Horton.

Henley averaged 11.8 yards per carry, with 118 yards on 10 rushes. She also scored 2 touchdowns on the ground. Henley is 6th in the league with 707 yards on the ground. She is 3rd in the league in scoring, recording an unbelievable 78 points for the team.

Horton didn't need to throw the ball a lot, but she made the best of her tosses. She finished 4 for 8 for 56 yards and a score. Her QB rating average for the season stands at 131.5, which is 2nd to the Mass Mutiny's Allison Cahill. She's also 3rd in the league in passing yards, racking up 771 of the like. Backup QB Kara Prentice completed all 3 of her passes for 71 yards and a score.

Jen Moody, conjuring up a little "Slash magic," exerted her influence on the game early and often. I hesitate to use a "Slash" reference, because I don't want her to call herself a QB and fall out of the favor of the fans. However, Moody (above) had 1 rush for 10 yards. She also caught 3 passes for 33 yards and a touchdown. With the Passion holding the Sizzle to 7 points, Moody was called upon to run back only 2 kicks, but she did average 25 yards per return. Jen attempted a pass as well, which wasn't completed.

Wilma Walton caught 1 pass for 47 yards and a score. No one can cover her. I will firmly stand by that fact. The Passion should automatically start out with a 7 point lead, because Walton will eventually burn any opposing team's defense for a long score. Its science. You can't argue with it.

Walton is 7th in the league with 351 yards, despite only recording 11 catches. Her 31.9 yards per catch average is 2nd in the league.

Olivia Griswold added another 10 tackles to push her team-leading total to 70. Those 70 tackles are good for 5th in the league, and only 28 behind the league leader. JoJo Warner, who didn't need to punt at all this week, added 6 tackles of her own.

The Passion have 2 games remaining. Next week, Pittsburgh takes on the Philadelphia Phoenix, who the Passion have already defeated 53-7 this season. An unblemished 7-0 record will look good going into the final game against the Central PA Vipers, who the Passion blanked earlier this year. As long as the team remains focused, and plays each team (no matter how bad they are) with a steadfast intensity, there is no doubt in my mind that the Passion should finish 8-0.

Way to go, Pittsburgh. Keep making us fans proud!

Updated PSaMP Logo!

Check it out. PSaMP, simply put, is a sportsblog dedicated to the Pirates, Penguins and Steelers. The Pens and Stillers probably felt a little left out, seeing as how the Buccos got all the love from the former PSaMP logo. The logo is so much cooler now, but that's my own opinion. Email me at psampmail@gmail.com, or use the comments section to provide your own feedback on the (semi) new logo.

Much love and many thanks go to Sheena Beaston for her tireless work to keep PSaMP looking good.

Mini Pony of the Day 6-3-07

Unprecedented. This makes 3 daily ponies in a row without a single post about 'Burgh sports to break it up.

I was all prepared to update my Reasons to Keep Watching the Bucs This Season list, but the team decided to blow a 4-run lead to the Dodgers, and I don't take losses very well. I'm one to get emotionally involved in the most meaningless of games. Steelers season is the worst. I will try to physically fight you if you talk to me within 100 hours of a Steelers loss. Pirates losses, though way more frequent, still have that same effect.

Gorzo pitched well through 6 2/3, but Jim Tracy decided to let him keep going, although he was clearly losing his "stuff." The 7th ended with the lead cut to 4-3. Salomon Torres worked 1/3 of an inning, and allowed 4 hits. 4 hits! In 1/3 of an inning! One of 'em was a 2-run shot by Andre Ethier to give L.A. a 5-4 advantage. I'm trying not to punch the computer screen as I type this.

The Buccos started the day only 6.5 games behind Milwaukee, and were in 2nd place in the Central. Now, Pittsburgh lost another full game to the Brewers. We sit 7.5 back, and now the horrible Cardinals leapfrogged the Bucs with a (rare) win of their own. Plus Roger Clemens decided to push his first start back. Of course, its against the Buccos. And its (kinda) raining, so I'm in no mood to really talk about sports.

Oh, but the Passion won, yesterday. Take that, Sizzle. There's no info about the game, and the NWFA is trying desperately to update their stats. They are failing. All I know is that the Passion are undefeated. Still. I'll get you the recap promptly.

So maybe this did turn into a sports-related post. I feel like I've neglected the ultra-awesome smiling mini pony with the terrible teeth. Seriously, this pony needs the cutest tube of Crest. He's laughing at the Buccos' feeble attempt to stay relevant in the Central. I hate being all negative, but the Pirates need to put some sort of win streak together. I would rather say that this pony is laughing at the rest of the Central as the Bucs roll to the division lead. But that's a lie.

So enjoy today's MPotD. His teeth may look creepy, but he seems to be in a good mood, unlike PSaMP. I'm gonna go stare at this picture for awhile until I get in a better mood.

Mini Pony of the Day 6-2-07

First and foremost, PSaMP wants to say Happy Anniversary to my parents!

And this is all you get today. I will be outside painting for most of the day, so don't expect any cool sports stories. I'm saving myself for the start of the week. Enjoy the kickass video of a mini pony-powered bicycle.

Mini Pony of the Day 6-1-07

June is upon us, which means a brand new month full of cool little horses. Today's MPotD is actually a bunch of awesome little guys hanging out in a meadow. The one on top of the hill is the best. He's looking out for uncool predators, or possibly more of his tiny friends. Or some sugar. Yeah, probably sugar.

Larry Zierlein Regrets Sending Porn, Pittsburgh Loves Big, White Tight Ends

This is the largest picture of Larry Zierlein on the 'Net. Or at least the largest one I could find.

No matter the size of his mug, Larry Zierlein wants everybody to know that he is, in fact, sorry for sending porn to NFL front offices and Commissioner Roger Goodell. The story comes from Ed Bouchette of the Post-Gazette.

"It was 100 percent unintentional," Zierlein said yesterday, speaking publicly for the first time about his embarrassing mistake. "I don't even know how to mass e-mail, I don't know these machines very good -- just a 100 percent unintentional thing. I hit the wrong button."

Zierlein says he will only use computers for football-related processes from now on. The 61-year-old seems humbled and embarrassed by the entire incident, so PSaMP isn't going to stay on his case about the whole deal.

Some more news about your Pittsburgh Steelers, on this muggy Friday:

Anybody need a big, white tight end? Chuck Finder of the Trib loves the fact that the Steelers are stockpiling players of the sort.

From left, the Steelers employ Jerame (Jeramy, not Jer-aim) Tuman, Heath Miller, Jonathan Dekker, Cody Boyd and Matt Spaeth. Finder calls Miller "perhaps underused" last season. I say, "No duh" (That's probably the worst comeback ever. Why was that ever popular?". Miller had 34 catches last season, including 5 touchdowns. Cleveland and Baltimore, picking up on the tight end trend (tight tr-end?), got insane numbers out of their TEs last season.

This was an AFC North where Cleveland got 127 receptions from its tight ends, including 89 from Kellen Winslow Jr., and where Baltimore got 95, including 73 from Todd Heap. This was an AFC where Indianapolis totaled 85 receptions from three tight ends and New England 81.

Underused seems a little understated now, Chuck. I think I speak for most of Pittsburgh when I say that Heath Miller can put up Todd Heap-type numbers, and the Steelers still put too much time into Tuman. I understand that new Offensive Coodinator Bruce Arians wants to employ 2 or 3 tight end sets, and even if that happens, the ball still needs to go to Miller. Aside from Hines Ward, Miller has arguably the best hands on the team. Plus, he is difficult to tackle, and always seems to do that cool little spin-dive for extra yards once he is tackled. Simply put, Heath comes to play, and he deserves a bigger role in the offense.