Getting Closer to Football Season...

Well, so, now that the Penguins have won the Stanley Cup, we've had a parade, and everyone has (hopefully) recovered from their hangovers... I have great news! Training Camp opens in six weeks. This means that we only need to depend on the Pirates for sports sustenance between now and then.

Or, you know, you could paint the garage. It really needs it.

Here's some new stuff and some stuff I forgot to mention while the Penguins were making their run to the Stanley Cup. I mentioned that, right? That the Penguins won the Stanley Cup? Four months after the Steelers won the Super Bowl? Just want to make sure that I covered the fact that the Steelers won Super Bowl XLIII in February, then the Pens won the Stanley Cup a little over a week ago. We're good on that? Okay, then.

1. Predictably, the Pirates are starting their midseason swoon, just in time for the All Star Break. I always thought it was because they kind of ran out of gas after putting in such a great effort in May and June, still sucking, then realizing that half the team would get traded away. But it's because they really play terrible against the American League. Doesn't matter if the AL teams are good or not, the Pirates just kind of decide to suck against the AL. I guess everyone needs a weakness. It just so happens that, for the Buccos, it's the AL. And on-base percentage. And lack of a bullpen. And lack of power through the heart of the order.
2. Everyone took the McClouth trade as a sign that the Pirates were giving up early and that they weren't even going to fake their way through trying to pretend to compete. From what I heard, they weren't actively shopping anyone, but they knew they would have to trade one of their four outfielders at some point. Atlanta called them, gave them a good offer, and McClouth was traded. The players complained a little too much, which made it worse, but you'll have that in the kind of culture of losing that the Pirates have been sporting for about the past decade or so (before that, we were in the middle of a five year rebuilding plan... one that we thought might actually work). You have to look on the bright side. And that bright side is Andrew McCutcheon.
   
3. Look, I'm not saying they're going to rebound and win the World Series or anything (although that'd be pretty sweet). I'm not even saying that you should give them the benefit of the doubt. I wish I could stop following them. I wish I could stop caring about them. I wish I could stop watching the games, buying a hat or a jersey every couple of years, and going to at least five or ten games a year. I wish I could, but I can't. Baseball was my first love and I can't give it up. But, hey, anyone else who wants to stop following them, stop paying for merchandise and tickets, and openly dispise them, please feel free. I welcome it. It's a weird relationship that baseball and I have. It's complicated.
4. One more thing real quick and I'll start talking about relevant sports. I think that baseball needs to improve its image. I think everyone's sick of the steroids scandal. I think that the game is changing, making defense, speed, pitching, and the ability to get on base more important. I think that the game is shrinking. I think that Moneyball isn't as relevant as it was in the Steroids Era. It's still important, don't get me wrong, it's just not as important. Runs are now harder to come by, so it's starting to become more worth it to sacrifice, to steal bases, to be a little more aggressive on the base paths. We're not going to get back to the way the game was played in the early and late 80's (and, really, we wouldn't want to), but we're going to get closer to the way it was played in the early to mid 90's. The point is this: If the Dodgers, Yankees, Red Sox, or any other big market team that can afford a bunch of roided-out sluggers making their last run before they deflate, it's a crappy storyline for Major League Baseball. If a young, fast, cheap team that wins with defense wins it all, it's a better story. The Phillies winning last year kind of bridged the gap, since they can win big or small, but the Pirates winning the World Series would be a great story. It's not as though the powers that be are in the business of fixing games, but it would be a great story.
5. Signing Goligoski was an excellent move. I'd love to also be able to keep Scuderi, Letang, Gill, and Gonchar, but we're probably only going to be able to keep two of those guys. And Bylsma's system works better with more offensive defensemen who attack the puck, pass well, and occasionally retreat. Gill and Scuderi don't fit that, so there you go. Imagine having Gonchar, Goligoski, and Letang, though. That sounds pretty damn good to me. After all, we thought we'd be a way worse team without Hossa and Malone (and Whitney) this year, but we ended up doing okay.
6. The Penguins are not going to sign Hossa. There's a better chance that the Steelers sign Plaxico Burress. Or trade for Brandon Marshall.
7. The Steelers are not going to sign Plaxico Burress.
8. The Steelers are not going to trade for Brandon Marshall.
9. Two of my Fantasy Football leagues have been renewed for the coming season. I'm already starting to handicap my top 20 lists. I'm starting to look for sleepers. I'm starting to look for breakout candidates. It is awesome. Never to early to get started.
10. Speaking of big contracts, the Steelers finally locked down Max Starks long term! He signed a four year deal! Are you super stoked about it?!?!?! Actually, I'm excited. Really, I am. I think Starks is a stiff, but I much prefer him as the starting left tackle by default that's underpaid for his position than as the back-up right tackle that's making over $7 million a year. In all honesty, given the circumstances, I would have to say that I am super stoked that they signed him to a four year deal. First of all the deal averages less per season than he would've gotten this season ($6.5 million per versus $8.5 million per). Second of all, the total guaranteed money over the life of the contract is only slightly greater than what he would've made just this season under the Franchise tag ($10 million versus $8.5 million). When you add in the fact that the Steelers basically applied the tag with a gun to their head the past two seasons... and the fact that Starks was under no obligation to sign a longterm deal... and that, in fact, it was detrimental to his wallet to sign a longterm deal... well, I have to say I'm surprised that the Steelers were able to pull it off. After all, he could've played this year at $8.5 million, then possibly got Franchised next year (with a 15% raise or the average of the five highest paid tackles in the league, whichever was higher), then see if he could work out a deal that would leave him unfranchised the following year, which would be uncapped. Of course, if there's an uncapped 2010, there will be a lockout in 2011, so maybe that played into his decision as well.
    
11. All in all, I'm still not a fan of Max Starks, but I'm going to say what I said every time someone said that we should fire Bill Cowher: Who would we get to replace him that would be better? At this point, the market is kind of tapped out. For four years and $26 million, he's actually a bargain with the salary cap being what it is. If Nate Washington can get $27 million and a back-up tackle for the Panthers can go to the Bears for $13 million, then Starks is worth $26 million. And that's okay.

That's all I can think of for now.