Mark Madden Columns category, Page 49
Mark Madden: Without benefit of takeaways, Steelers get exposed by BrownsVideo
Let’s get this out of the way: Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett bashing Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph with his own helmet was egregious and merits his indefinite suspension (which lasts at least through year’s end). I’d hate to see the courts involved because that accomplishes little and continues...
Mark Madden: Penguins 4th line shows value during stretch of injuries
Mid-decade, the New York Islanders’ forward unit of Casey Cizikas, Cal Clutterbuck and Matt Martin was dubbed the “best fourth line in hockey” — even though it often played more than their third line. Better to be a great fourth line than an OK third line. But that line was...
Mark Madden: Steelers need to focus on substance, not style
If Ben Roethlisberger returns at 100% next season and the Steelers’ defense maintains its current elite level, 2020 could be a special year. But it’s still 2019, and the word that currently applies is “weird.” The Steelers might make the playoffs without beating a team that makes the playoffs. Their...
Mark Madden: AEW gives wrestling industry a jolt
BALTIMORE — Less people are watching pro wrestling than ever. But those still viewing spend more money on it than ever. That’s why more and more wrestling programming gets crammed on network and cable television. WWE is on USA on Monday. Impact is on AXS on Tuesday. On Wednesday, All...
Mark Madden: The good and bad with the Penguins
Brr! It’s cold in here! There must be refreshing Pittsburgh Penguins notes in the atmosphere! They warm you up as the temperatures drop! • The Penguins have had a totally healthy roster for two periods this season. Staying afloat at 8-6-1 speaks to the team’s resilience and the organization’s depth....
Mark Madden: It’s still hard to get too optimistic about Steelers
The Steelers are 4-4, have won three straight and are in the playoff hunt because the standings say so. But I can’t take them seriously. Their first three wins came against teams with a combined record of 5-20. Sunday’s victory came against a third-string quarterback. The Steelers kept trying to...
Mark Madden: Gerrit Cole’s post-Series behavior is sign of the times
We are experiencing a new breed of athletes. Gerrit Cole’s primary goal in baseball isn’t to win a World Series. It’s to hit free agency. Antonio Brown cares about branding more than playing, not figuring that the latter facilitated the former. (Brown might realize that now as he sits at...
Mark Madden: Pirates owner Bob Nutting’s babble is worthless without action
The rebranding of the Pittsburgh Pirates sailed through calm waters when owner Bob Nutting met with the media Monday. The lure was cast. The media bit. Fished in, just like “Wayne’s World.” The changes made will prove cosmetic. Mere rebranding. Business will be conducted like always: Profit über alles. I’m...
Mark Madden: A lot to like as Penguins navigate early rash of injuries
Rarely does a team build momentum during a three-game losing streak. But the Penguins did exactly that, then won 3-0 on Saturday at Dallas. Now, with two marquee home games looming — the old enemy from across the state Tuesday, Connor McDavid on Saturday — the Penguins are getting healthier...
Mark Madden: Pittsburgh Spirit’s Stan Terlecki finally honored by Indoor Soccer Hall of Fame
Indoor soccer barely exists anymore. There’s a low-level “pro” loop, the Major Arena Soccer League. Some of its members trace their names back to the game’s peak in the ’80s: Baltimore Blast, Dallas Sidekicks, San Diego Sockers. But it’s not the same. The Major Indoor Soccer League (1978-92) and North...
Mark Madden: Antonio Brown, Jalen Ramsey prove NFL players have the power
Antonio Brown set a standard for every star player in the NFL, however chaotically so. It had nothing to do with his talent. That might be on ice for keeps because Brown ultimately outsmarted himself. But Brown set wheels in motion that will turn the NFL into European soccer. Whenever...
Mark Madden: Nice job, Duck, but Mason Rudolph should be Steelers starting QB
For a third-string quarterback from a small football college who didn’t get drafted, Devlin Hodges has made considerable impact in Pittsburgh. Between his duck calls, duck T-shirt and duck tweet that included a duck video, Hodges seems ready to establish a duck dynasty. One obstacle: The moment Mason Rudolph is...
Mark Madden: John Marino makes immediate impact with Penguins
The Penguins made one mistake with rookie defenseman John Marino: He should wear No. 13. Penguins jerseys with “Marino” and No. 13 on the back would have great potential for sales, especially in Oakland. Get Brandon Tanev a different number. Otherwise, all systems are go with the rookie pro out...
Mark Madden: Steelers have wasted golden opportunity in AFC North
It took a little over 24 hours to truly sink in. But once Johnny Manziel Jr. stunk out the joint in Cleveland’s 31-3 loss at San Francisco Monday night, the Steelers found themselves staring straight down the barrel of wasted opportunity. The AFC North really does reek. The Steelers could...
Mark Madden: Amid injuries, Penguins need to adopt more rigid, defensive structure
In 2015-16 and 2016-17, the Penguins could have survived losing Evgeni Malkin for a month or so at season’s start. But now, they probably can’t. The news of Malkin’s long-term injury hits the Penguins like a sucker punch. A solid playoff bet prior, that status is now extremely tenuous. The...
Mark Madden: Time for Steelers to expand game plan for Mason Rudolph
I’ve been told all week via Twitter that throwing the ball an average distance of three-and-a-half yards doesn’t translate to a popgun offense. In fact, I’m told it equates to Tom Brady’s offense with New England, or the Steelers’ offense during Ben Roethlisberger’s rookie season in 2004. Those Steelers went...
Mark Madden: Penguins will be better than last season
Are the Penguins going to win the Stanley Cup in 2020? Let me answer that question with a question: Did anybody predict St. Louis would win the Stanley Cup in 2019? The NHL is wide-open, with salary cap-dictated parity seeming to grow by the year. But I can predict without...
Mark Madden: Pirates’ horrible season didn’t put damper on Steve Blass’ career
It was some year for the Pirates. The black cat that crossed their path was a rabid panther on meth. The Pirates went 25-48 after the All-Star break, finishing last in the NL Central. There were three fights between Pirates personnel that we know about. Closer Felipe Vasquez got arrested...
Mark Madden: It takes a cockeyed optimist to like Steelers’ chances
If you’re thinking rationally, you know the Steelers’ chances of significant accomplishment this season lie in a bloody heap. Being 0-3 is the head of the spear. Ben Roethlisberger being out for the year twists the knife. Either of those facts bodes poorly. Combine them, and it’s time to get...
Mark Madden: Penguins’ Dominik Simon will force way into lineup
Dominik Simon’s role with this year’s Penguins isn’t yet determined. But one thing seems certain: Simon will have one. Last season was the Czech-born winger’s first full NHL campaign. He had eight goals, 20 assists and a plus-8 mark in 71 games. Simon didn’t score in his last 14 games....
Mark Madden: Steelers coaches live in their fears with game planVideo
It’s difficult to blood a second-year quarterback into starting duties, especially when it wasn’t supposed to happen this way. Mason Rudolph isn’t proceeding on the expected timetable. Rudolph is deputizing for future Hall of Famer Ben Roethlisberger because of the latter’s season-ending injury. Rudolph is a third-round pick. It was...
Mark Madden: Complementary players must step up for Steelers offense to succeed
“When in doubt, write about the quarterback.” A wise, old sportswriter said that. The Steelers quarterback situation is obviously in major flux. Between that and the acquisition of safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, other headaches are lost in the shuffle. Like James Conner’s pathetic 2.6-yard rushing average. JuJu Smith-Schuster not yet blossoming...
Mark Madden: Desperate trade for Minkah Fitzpatrick won’t save Steelers season
Yinzer Nation loves the trade that brought safety Minkah Fitzpatrick from Miami to the Steelers. That’s because Yinzer Nation can talk itself into anything. So can the Steelers, apparently, because dealing for Fitzpatrick was designed to save this season. That’s an impossible task given the 0-2 start and Ben Roethlisberger’s...
Mark Madden: Ben Roethlisberger’s injury tops long list of Steelers’ problems
It was hoped the departure of Antonio Brown would make the Steelers a more focused and disciplined team by way of removing distraction. It hasn’t turned out that way. Losing Ben Roethlisberger for the rest of the season trumps any other problem. But the Steelers are in a state of...
Mark Madden: Penguins have tough decisions to make with defensemen
For those who pin all of the Penguins’ woes last season on Jack Johnson and bludgeon everyone who disagrees with a club fashioned out of fancy stats, I feel you. That’s absurd simplification dipped in illogical scapegoating, but the numbers don’t lie. Unless they do. If you’d like to deal...
