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Western Pennsylvania is a sports haven with all of the sports action a fan could ask for. You have NFL football and the tradition of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the NHL and an equal history of championships and hall of fame players in the Pittsburgh Penguins, MLB baseball with the Five-Time World Champion Pittsburgh Pirates, professional soccer with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, three major universities in Pitt, Duquesne, and Robert Morris, and WPIAL high school sports that have produced many legendary players. Mike Drakulich (@PghSportsNation) of NGSCSports brings you a weekly commentary focusing on the hot topics of the Pittsburgh sports landscape, and analysis of this week’s events. Jack Handy may have brought you deep thoughts… he just tells it like it is.
Last week in the debut of This Week in Pittsburgh Sports, I talked about the two teams in town that were still currently in regular season play, and battling for their lives to make the postseason.
It was my opinion that the Pittsburgh Penguins would have to go at least 5-2 in their seven games before the NHL Trade Deadline on March 8th, and Pitt basketball would benefit greatly by ending the season on a 4-0 run, and winning one game in the ACC Tournament, and if not, no worse than 3-1 and winning two games down in Charlotte.
Let’s start with the Penguins, who since last Saturday’s article, first won their next two games vs Philadelphia 7-6, and 4-3 over Vancouver. That had the team on a three game win streak and showing promise to go on a nice run and make up some ground on the Flyers and Tampa Bay.
Then… thud. The Penguins were shutout 2-0 on Thursday night in Seattle, and followed that by an epic collapse against Calgary Saturday night, giving up three 3rd period goals after leading 3-1–the last on a brutal turnover with less than a minutes left, to lose 4-3.
As Hudson said in Aliens: “Game over, man… game over.”
At this point, I don’t give a damn who gets traded or fired from here on out. I’ve never watched a team that is so inept in my life protecting a 3rd period lead over the past two seasons than the Penguins. They literally FIND ways to lose, and have zero concept to do the little things that secure wins in these game situations.
It’s well past time for GM Kyle Dubas to perform a major overhaul on a team that is rudderless and has no direction.
The shame of it all is wasting the incredible season that Sidney Crosby is having.
Next Friday will be a big day that will shape the future of this team, and by next week’s article, we’ll see what kind of magic Dubas can work to retool this team around Crosby, and maybe make a run next year.
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Pitt had a big test last Tuesday night in Clemson, and early on it was looking good. Then the bottom fell out, and no one on the team could hit a shot if their life depended on it. That night, if they jumped of the Titanic, they would have found a way to miss the water.
The Panthers bounced back Saturday by pounding Boston College to bits by a score of 90-65.
One Bracketologist has Pitt as the 2nd line of the First Four Out, as of Noon on Sunday.
I’m still confused as to why Pitt, at 19-10, is behind Big East teams like St. Johns and Villanova who are both 17-12, but there’s your continued proof of the shocking disrespect the ACC continues to receive by these so-called “experts”.
Next up are Florida State and North Carolina State at home to end the regular season.
These are pretty much must win games, especially playing in your own building.
Right now, I’d pretty much etch in stone that if the Panthers take down the Seminoles and Wolfpack, and win one game in Charlotte, they’ll be headed to the NCAA Tournament on Selection Sunday.
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Each week, I think I’ll include a little entertainment section, as I love me some movies and tv shows, especially from the 80’s, and often you’ll hear me, or my close circle of friends, quoting those movies out of the blue.
No era had better one liners than the 80’s.
Seriously bro, I could go all day doing Arnold Schwarzenegger quotes and never get bored.
Today’s special: “I don’t deal with psychos. I put ’em away.”
That’s from one Marion Cobretti, in Cobra, played by Sylvester Stallone.
We’ll have a little fun today by making a list of my Top 10 Psychopaths in Movie History.
Feel free to add your opinion to the fray, but I’m pretty confident no one is touching these ones.
The Joker, The Dark Knight
Jack Torrence, The Shining
Anton Chigurh, No Country for Old Men
John Ryder, The Hitcher (1986)
Patrick Bateman, American Psycho
Alex, A Clockwork Orange
Night Slasher, Cobra
John Doe, Se7en
Hannibal Lecter, Silence of the Lambs
Annie Wilkes, Misery
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From Midland, "The Basketball Capital of Pennsylvania", located 35 miles NW of Pittsburgh along the Ohio River. This former steel town was home to storied athletes such as Dave Alston, Norm Van Lier, Simmie Hill, and the legendary 1965 Midland High School Basketball Team.
There's nowhere on earth that is more dedicated to its sports teams like Western Pennsylvania and the city of Pittsburgh. The passion and pride of Pittsburgh's fan base is second to no one. From the NFL, NHL, MLB, NCAA football and basketball, to W.P.I.A.L. high school sports, "The City of Champions" has it all!
As Editor of Pittsburgh SportsNation, Mike Drakulich provides top notch opinions and coverage of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Pittsburgh Pirates, Pitt Panthers football & basketball, Robert Morris Colonials basketball, and Duquesne Dukes basketball, as well as all sports teams that represent Western Pennsylvania, including WPIAL High School Football.
For a refreshing view of sports, mixed with humor and uncensored opinions, check out Pittsburgh SportsNation today on Facebook, Twitter @PghSportsNation and videos with over 1,000,000 views on YouTube!
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