PIRATES STILL IN A FOG

I guess it was fitting that the Pirates played the Cubs in the fog on Sunday. The Buccos had been in a fog the last several months, and had dropped sixteen of their last twenty one games entering the series finale in Chicago. While the Pirates salvaged the last game of the series, they have now dropped seven straight series. They fell below .500 this past week and show no signs of going back over that mark anytime soon. Football legend Bill Parcells always said you are what your record says you are. Right now, the Pirates’ record isn’t very good. If this keeps up, there won’t be anyone at PNC Park in the coming months.
• As bad as things have been for the Pirates lately, there was one uplifting moment at PNC Park last week. A young fan held up a sign that said he wanted to play catch with Pirates’ rookie Austin Meadows. The young Bucco came over and threw the ball several times to the youngster, gave him a ball and even signed it. It’s something the kid will never forget, and was a great moment to watch. Well done, Austin!
• I’m not much of an NBA fan. Still, when I saw that Game Four of the NBA Finals was on a Friday night in Cleveland I decided I’d try to get a ticket. I bought one the week before the game, never knowing that I might see the clincher. I was at the Q last Friday night and witnessed Golden State make it back to back NBA titles. The atmosphere was electric. The Warriors are a machine, and it’s hard not to appreciate the greatness of guys like Steph Curry and Kevin Durant. I’m glad I made the trip.
• I’m proud to say that I have now seen pro teams win the NBA Title, Stanley Cup, Super Bowl and World Series in person. Besides the Warriors, I saw the New Jersey Devils win their first Stanley Cup over Detroit in 1995. I’ve been to fourteen Super Bowls, and have witnessed my Steelers win five of their six titles in person. And I’ll never forget the night during my senior year in 1979 that a college buddy and I drove to Baltimore and got in old Memorial Stadium to see the Pirates win the World Series. Simply put, I’ve been a lucky guy.
• Like most hockey fans, I was rooting for the Vegas Golden Knights to win the Stanley Cup. Marc Andre Fleury and company captured the hearts of hockey fans worldwide. It was painful to have to watch the Washington Capitals skate around with the Stanley Cup. But in the end they deserved it. They were dynamite in the playoffs and were clearly the better team in the Stanley Cup Finals. Love him or hate him, Alex Ovechkin is now a champion. He’s no longer one of the all-time greats who could never win a championship. The Cup cements his legacy, as far as I’m concerned. The greatest goal scorer of his generation will now have a fancy ring he can show off for the rest of his life.
• It’s still hard to fathom how Homer Center lost its state quarterfinals baseball game. Homer blew a five run lead heading into the final inning. I was listening to our Jack Benedict and Mark Bertig call the game and couldn’t believe what I was hearing. They couldn’t believe what they were witnessing. The Wildcats were the number one ranked team in the state and had a great chance to make it to the title game. Instead, for all the wrong reasons, they’ll remember this game for the rest of their lives.
• I only watch horse racing in the spring when the big three races are run. I enjoyed watching Justify become only the 13th horse to win the Triple Crown over the weekend. He put on a heck of a show at Belmont Park. I’ve been to the Belmont Stakes twice over the years. My first time was 2002, when I watched War Emblem go for the Triple Crown. He stumbled out of the gate and never challenged. The atmosphere at Belmont Park is amazing when a horse has a chance to win the Triple Crown. I would love to have seen Justify make history there.
• I always enjoy the US Open golf championship. I’ve been to seven of them over the years. Our national championship returns to historic Shinnecock this coming week. I was there for the final two rounds in 2004 when the conditions were so bad the course was nearly unplayable. It will be much better this time around. I’d love to see Phil Mickelson finally complete his career grand slam with a win at the Open. He’s finished second six times. I was at the seventeenth green in 04 and watched Phil three putt from five feet away costing himself the title. He’s had terrible luck at the Open in New York. At this stage of his career I just can’t see him winning a US Open. I’d love to see it, but doubt it will ever happen.
• I always thought it was a real honor for teams to get to go to the White House to celebrate their championships. Nowadays, the issue is so political that perhaps it is time to eliminate those visits altogether. Not many people get to the meet the president and go to the White House. I’d welcome the chance to do so, no matter who occupies the Oval Office. Apparently, many of today’s athletes don’t feel the same way.
• Terrell Owens, who complained openingly about not being selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the past, has decided to skip his induction ceremony this summer. It’s an unprecedented stance by an inductee, but it’s not surprising given this guy’s history. Truth be told, I think the ceremony will be better without Owens.