3-0 START JUST WHAT PIRATES NEEDED

Who would have believed that the Pirates would open the season 3-0, and resemble the Lumber Company of the 70s in doing so? Not me! It sure was a crazy weekend in Detroit, and one the Pirates can be proud of. I still think the Pirates will be lucky to finish 500 this season. In fact, I’ll be shocked if they get close to that mark. Still, the start in Detroit is just what this young club needed. It wasn’t pretty baseball, but it was exciting baseball. Well done, boys!
• I’ve seen more than a few Pittsburgh Pirates’ openers in my day, but none was crazier than the game in Detroit on Good Friday. It was a wonder the Pirates weren’t blown out early the way Ivan Nova pitched. He was all over the place, yet the Pirates hung in there. They took the lead in the ninth with four runs and looked like they had it won until the bullpen imploded and the game went to extra innings. The Tigers celebrated when they scored in the tenth, but the call was overturned on a video replay. I never thought the call would be reversed, nor did the Tigers. It finally ended when Gregory Polanco blasted a three run homer in the thirteenth. Buccos win it in what was one of the craziest and most enjoyable games in years, and one of the best openers in Pittsburgh Pirates history.
• I can’t recall so much apathy concerning the Pirates’ opening day. There were still plenty of tickets available for today’s opener as of a few days ago. Maybe that will change after the sweep of the Tigers. The game is normally a sell-out with tickets going for inflated prices on the secondary market. That should send a message to Pirates’ ownership and management. I personally love going to opening day, even though I won’t be there this year. Beat em Bucs!
• I continue to be amazed by the amazing Sidney Crosby. His latest highlight goal against New Jersey is another one that will go on the all-time Sidney Crosby highlight reel. It was right up there with the goal he scored against Montreal recently. Simply unreal. I hope people around here who follow the Pens realize the greatness they are seeing every time Crosby steps on the ice.
• It’s Villanova versus Michigan for college basketball’s national championship tonight. If I were betting, and I never do, I’d bet the house on Nova. They look way too strong for Michigan. I doubt they’ll make 18 three pointers again like they did in their win over Kansas. Nights like that don’t happen that often. That said, Michigan is no pushover. They are good, but Nova is better. Look for the Wildcats to cut down the nets for the second time in three years.
• My late father and I attended seven Final Fours together, including one in San Antonio. We saw UConn beat Georgia Tech for the championship a number of years ago. What I remember most about that Final Four was how Duke blew it. The Blue Devils led UConn late in the semifinal game, only to blow it in the final minute. Had they won, and they should have, they would rolled over Georgia Tech, a team they had handled in the ACC all year that season. Coach K has won five NCAA titles. I’m sure this is one of those Final Fours he will always believe he should have won.
• Pitt made a great hire in Jeff Capel. The former Duke assistant, who also was a head coach at VCU and Oklahoma, wasn’t Pitt’s first choice. Still, he was a really good choice. I believe Capel will resurrect Pitt basketball with his energy, experience and ability to recruit. It’s going to take him time to turn Pitt into a winner again. That’s why he received a seven year contract. If I’m a Pitt fan, I’m really excited about this hire.
• Penn State has never been a basketball power and probably never will be. Still, it was fun to watch the Nittany Lions win the NIT. It may not be the NCAA Tournament, but it was good for the program. Penn State has a good team returning. If Pat Chambers can continue to bring in top caliber players with his Philadelphia connections the Lions could be a pretty strong program in the years to come.
• I’m to the point where I won’t be disappointed if Le’Veon Bell leaves the Steelers. His act is getting old. He will never get what he is demanding from the Steelers, and the team will never give him what he thinks he’s worth. Bell’s latest tweet about not being appreciated in Pittsburgh didn’t help him in the court of public opinion. It’s pretty obvious to me that this will be Bell’s last year as a Steeler, even though the two sides say they want a long-term deal. Or, if he doesn’t get what he wants, he can always retire like he’s threatened to do. At this point, I really don’t care what he does, and I’m guessing I’m not alone.
• It’s Masters week, which means all we’ll hear for the next seven days is Tigers Woods and more Tiger Woods. His is a great story, returning to Augusta for the first time in three years, trying to win a major after nine years without one. I think Woods can play well at Augusta but I’d be stunned if he wins. Just having Tiger in the field again is great for golf. Ratings will be very high and demand for tickets, which are always ridiculous, are even more precious this year. I’ve been trying to get to Augusta for decades and have yet to get a ticket. I’ll keep trying in the annual lottery. In the meantime, I’ll be watching again this year on TV in hopes that one year I too get to see the greatest golf tournament on the planet.