PIRATES GIVE REASON TO SMILE AGAIN

The Pirates finally have something to feel good about. They captured their series against Cincinnati over the weekend. It was the first series win for the Buccos after dropping their previous eight series. I was on hand Saturday to watch the Bucs win their third game in a row before a good sized crowd at PNC Park. It was a great day for a game and the Pirates slugged three home runs on their way to the win. I still think a day at PNC Park is something to look forward to. Saturday was a great day.
• Despite the talk that the Pirates are going to trade off several of their big-name players, Neal Huntington said on his radio show Sunday that the team is not planning on doing so, and has actually had conversations about adding to the roster. That’s easy to say now. If the Pirates are way out near the trade deadline I would think the club will trade away players, even if that’s not in the plan as of right now. The Pirates won’t say it but they are rebuilding. A major sell off means it’s a complete rebuild.
• The Steelers’ trade of Martavis Bryant to Oakland is looking even better now. If reports that he will be suspended again are true, the Steelers got lucky. Bryant is a talented player and could really help the Raiders. This being a contract year, you know the guy will be motivated. Unfortunately, if he’s in trouble again he may never suit up for the Raiders. That third round pick the Steelers got for him looks like a steal.
• Hats off to Brooks Koepka for winning the U.S. Open for the second year in a row. That’s an incredible feat. He’s the first player to do it since Curtis Strange went back to back in the late 80s. As expected, Shinnecock was a brutal golf course over the weekend. Koepka never folded despite the difficult conditions. He’s often overlooked when you mention the top young players in the game. Now, as a two time U.S. Open champion, he’s got to be mentioned as one of the very best.
• Phil Mickelson, who happens to be my favorite golfer, will never win a U.S. Open, despite finishing second six times. Lefty totally lost it when he stopped a rolling ball on the green on Saturday. He was penalized two strokes, but probably should have been disqualified. The meltdown happened on his 48th birthday. On Sunday, Lefty played his final round and then blew off the media afterwards. That was unusual for the media-friendly Mickelson. All in all, it wasn’t a weekend that one of the game’s best players should be proud of.
• Tiger Woods did not even make the cut at the US Open. That didn’t surprise me at all. Unlike so many others who follow golf, I’m not drinking the Tiger Koolaide. It’s been more than ten years now that since Woods captured his last major. To think he’s going to win more in his forties just doesn’t make sense to me. Woods is the second greatest golfer ever when it comes to major titles. That’s where he’ll stay, because the Tiger who once won lots of majors and dominated the game is never coming back.
• Antonio Brown may be the most talented wide receiver the Steelers have ever had. That’s saying something when you think that Lynn Swann and John Stallworth were part of four Super Bowl championship teams and are in the Hall of Fame. AB came off as a real idiot last week when he blamed the media for all the attention he gets. It was a ridiculous rant and totally inaccurate. Brown loves to post things on social media every day. If anyone is to blame for all the attention directed his way it’s Brown. Antonio Brown is a heck of a football player. He’s also a major league diva. He needs to grow up.
• Is the NFL in trouble? The Washington Redskins were always one of the toughest tickets in football. Their waiting list was more than 20,000. It was announced this week that there is no longer a waiting list, so if you want to buy season tickets for the Redskins you can get them as early as this year. That’s not good news for the franchise or for the NFL. I wonder if fans now think it’s not worth the cost or hassle to go to games. Especially when you can watch a game in high def on a big flat screen set. Don’t think the Redskins aren’t wondering the same thing.