Senior Night didn’t go as planned for the IUP teams. The women lost in a blowout to Seton Hill, something few saw coming. I guess if you’re going to play a bad game this was the time to do it. I fully expect the IUP women to be on top of their game when they host the PSAC Tournament this week. Hopefully the loss will get them refocused.
It was fun to watch the IUP men in person end their regular season with a win over Seton Hill. The Crimson Hawks took a while to get going, but pulled away for a convincing win. It was also nice to see such a large crowd at the KCAC to honor IUP’s seniors. Now, it’s on to the post-season where I expect both IUP teams to make some noise.
• IUP is lucky to have such great coaches in Joe Lombardi and Tom McConnell. Each runs a clean program, wins games and produces student-athletes IUP and the community can be proud of. Lombardi downplayed his 300th win the other night. The fact is, Lombardi is one of the best coaches IUP has ever had in any sport. He took over a good program and has made it even better. Congratulations, Joe, and well done, sir!
• I would love to have been there to see the reaction among the IUP coaches and players when they found out the team’s managers forgot their uniforms for the Edinboro game. Fortunately, everything worked out when Edinboro let IUP wear their red uniforms. It’s a funny story with a happy ending, but you can bet the manager won’t live it down. They’ll hear about it now and for years for come, and there’s nothing wrong with that. It will all be in good fun. It would be great if the story comes up decades from now when this team gets together for a reunion to celebrate IUP’s first ever national championship.
• Not a bad weekend for the Pens. They should have beaten the Sabres in Buffalo, but at least they got a point. They were dominant from start to finish in topping Montreal. Sidney Crosby was utterly amazing in the win. He may not win the scoring title or MVP, but there is no better all around player in hockey. Crosby does it all. Now, he needs to get his team to the playoffs. The Pens have their work cut out for them just to make it to the second season. You can beat The Captain will do his part to make sure they qualify for the playoffs once again.
• Phil Kessel and Patric Hornqvist need to come alive if the Pens are going to make the playoffs and go anywhere should they qualify. These guys aren’t just in a scoring slump, they’re in outer space. I’m sure the slumps are driving the players crazy. That probably goes double for Mike Sullivan. My advice to both guys is “Shoot the puck!” Evgeni Malkin scored against Columbus from way out when he fired a shot that should never have gone in. No shot is a bad shot for Kessel and Hornqvist at this point. They need to shoot first, pass second!
• The Steelers are well represented at this year’s scouting combine in Indianapolis. Hopefully the team will find some help at inside linebacker and cornerback high in this year’s draft. The Steelers have seven picks at this point, but that number could go up or even down. I wouldn’t be shocked if the Steelers moved up a few spots if the linebacker they covet is still there before they pick at number twenty in the first round. I also wouldn’t be surprised if they make a trade or two and pick up extra picks.
• Antonio Brown would do himself a favor if he just shuts up. I caught snippets of his interview with ESPN. If I was a team out there and heard Brown say that his next team would have to play by his rules I wouldn’t even think about trading for him. Brown may be forcing a trade out of Pittsburgh, but he’s also turning off a lot of people around the NFL. He’s also not making many friends among fans in Steelers Nation.
• Kevin Colbert is saying all the right things at the combine when it comes to disgruntled wide receiver Antonio Brown. He’s talked up Brown as a player and a person, something I find a little comical. I do like the fact that Colbert says the Steelers won’t give Brown away and expect premium compensation for the future Hall of Famer. I’m just not sure if the Steelers will get the value they want and need to replace Brown. Then again, all it takes is one team to make a deal. The Oakland Raiders would be a great fit for Brown. Jon Gruden has three number one picks, likes Brown a lot and the team will need a big name when they move to Las Vegas in a year. It makes too much sense that Oakland trades for Brown. And that’s probably why it won’t happen.
• Not much to report from the Pirates in spring training. The Pirates are going to count on their pitching staff to keep them in games this year. I still don’t know where they’re going to get their runs from. It’s still possible the Pirates could make a move or two, but at this point of the year I doubt they’ll sign any free agents.
• I give super-agent Scott Boras credit. He got the mega deal he wanted for Bryce Harper when the Phillies gave Harper a 13-year deal for more than three hundred thirty million dollars. Harper is only twenty six, so he definitely has a lot of good years ahead of him. Still, I would never have offered him more than a seven year deal. These long-term deals never work out. Chances are Harper will tail off significantly when he gets to his mid thirties, if not before. By then the contract will be a white elephant. When will the owners ever learn?
