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BONUS EPISODE: Pgh Sports Current Events - July 2025 · Pittsburgh Sports Memories

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_02: Hello and welcome to another episode of Pittsburgh Sports Memories Current Events.
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_02: It's Steve and Tim, as usual, your co-hosts.
• 0:09
  SPEAKER_02: We're going to cover the events of June, even though this is posted in July, and Tim insists on calling it our July episode.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_02: We're really only covering June because I don't have that time machine to go into the future and see what happens in July.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_00: Month, month ending, June.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, there you go.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_02: So guess what?
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_02: Guess who's the quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tim?
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: It's Aaron Rodgers.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_02: Yay! Woohoo! We're coming to Super Bowl Dynasty four in a row.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_02: Woo-hoo!
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, the Pittsburgh Steelers.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_02: So I am so tired of talking about this.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_02: Now we get the debate over, I guess, training camp, but I guess we don't have to worry about Mason Rudolph.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_02: There won't be any quarterback controversy now that he'll just start and hopefully he doesn't get hurt.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_02: And we'll preview the season an upcoming episode.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, we'll see.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_02: I'm just glad it's over.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_02: Our long, our short Nash regional nightmare has ended, Tim.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: It is kind of surreal.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, it is kind of surreal having this.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_02: It's pretty it's pretty obvious he didn't want to go to any of the optional stuff, and they didn't make him sign, so he wouldn't look bad until after that was all over.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I mean, whatever.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_00: It'll be it'll definitely make this season way more interesting than it would have been with Mason Rudolph.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_00: So I or Dustin Fields or anybody else.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_00: Like it'll be interesting, if nothing else.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_02: Um, we'll see how it plays out.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_02: So that's that's enough about him until September, I guess.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_02: Thank God.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_02: Do do do do do do do hot off the presses, Tim.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, stop the presses.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_02: Wee! The Japanese will probably oh no, not that.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_02: Uh apparently uh the Steelers have decided they're making insane trades.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_02: So they have traded Minka Fitzpatrick for Jalen Ramsey and Johnu Smith.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_02: Um John uh Minka Fitzpatrick is a seven-year pro, 20 career interceptions, 18 of those were the Steelers.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_02: He's made the Pro Bowl five times.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_02: I think he just actually made it just last year.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_02: Um, he always seemed to make big plays for the Steelers, especially at the end of the games.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_02: Like I can't imagine how many of those interceptions are game clinching.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_02: There was a lot of them.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_02: Uh Jalen Ramsey, uh, he's been in the league.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_02: He's on the 30, he's 30 years old, so he's on the downside of his career.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_02: 10-year career, 24 interceptions, seven-time Pro Bowler.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_02: Um, he won a Super Bowl with the Rams, and probably the most interesting thing he did was he called Ben Rothelsberger a decent quarterback at best.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_02: And then when he played him the next year, Ben ate him for lunch in the fourth quarter and he gave the gave the game winner.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_02: So good for you.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_02: That guy's I don't know.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_02: Um John O'Sheer.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, John O.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_02: Smith is I don't know much about him.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_02: You were telling me about him before we started recording here, Tim.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, he's pretty good tight end uh in Miami.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_02: Let's see, he had 88 receptions.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_02: Ooh, that is pretty good.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_02: But that was his best year by far, and he's been in the league since 2017, so that's an eight-year career.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_02: So I don't understand the point of this trade.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_02: Um, it seems kind of dumb to me.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_02: Uh I think Jalen Ramsey is washed, quite honestly.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_02: And you're not getting much value there, and you're losing Minka Fitzpatrick.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_02: Why?
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_02: I mean I don't understand that because he still at least has a couple.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_02: I know he didn't have a lot of interceptions last year.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_02: I think last year he had one, but in the year before he didn't have any.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_02: But I I still think he's a good player.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_02: I think he's a better player than Jalen Ramsey at this point in his career.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_02: I was reading that maybe they're gonna move Ramsey to safety, uh, but that's still I I I don't understand how this fixes anything.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_02: I know, Tim, you were thinking that this tight end was a big part of it, but a tight end?
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_02: The Steamers don't use tight ends anyway.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_02: I know.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, but but Arthur Smith wants to.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_02: Like they the But that doesn't make any why would you pay trade Minka Fitzpatrick for a tight end?
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_02: That's dumb.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: But they didn't.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_00: So, like you said, is is Minka at this point in his career better than Jalen Ramsey?
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_00: I I don't know.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_00: I think you could probably say yes.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_02: Just because Ramsey's older and had a lot more injuries.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_02: He's had surgery on both both his shoulders.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_02: His best year was that year that Rams went to the Super Bowl.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_02: Well, he had a couple, he had good years before that.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_02: But his best, he's mediocre.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_02: And I I just think there's no upside to this, and they lost a very good player that's been very clutch for them.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_02: So I I don't understand it.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, I don't think getting this tight end is going to solve any of their problems.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_02: They need a speed wide receiver, not another slow player on offense.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, he gives them another weapon.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_02: The problem is they don't have a speed guy or somebody to open up the field for, you know, Deontay Johnson, you know, love him or hate him and dropped a lot of passes, but he opened up the field for George Pickens because he was such a good route runner.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_02: And that was that was the biggest problem with Kenny Pickett wasn't going down the field enough.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_02: And once they put Mason in there and he started bombing it, you remember the last three weeks they had a pretty good offense.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_02: And that was still the the offensive line, I think it was still a work in progress.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_02: I think the offensive line's gonna be decent this year.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_02: And and they're gonna be, I I don't know.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_02: I it just I don't see the point in this.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_02: I think this sets the defense back.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_02: I I I I moves like this don't win you a Super Bowl.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_02: I I've seen the Redskins do this, uh well, whatever they're called, commanders, whatever they're called now, but that was back when Danny Snyder owed them.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_02: Do you think that does this put them in the Super Bowl tip?
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_00: No, no, but I think it I think it it so I think a couple of things from the positive side.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_00: I think it it makes them better on offense because they they can they still need a wire.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, they have Friarbooth and that other ginormous guy, so now they have a third tight end.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_00: The ginormous guy, he's not gonna be the third tight end.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_00: He's gonna be again, he was the he was he said 88 receptions last year.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_00: He's not gonna be the third tight end.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_02: No, I mean that Darnell Washington or whatever.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, but he what how good is Darnell Washington?
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_00: Like, I know we all love that he's like a monstrous, gigantic guy.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_00: Are they gonna move him to tackle?
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_00: No, they'll just play a lot of 13.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: They'll play 13 formation.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_00: They did a lot of that last year.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_00: They had they were the second most in the league in playing 13 formation.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_02: What do you mean like three riders one receiver?
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_02: Uh okay.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_00: That's what Arthur Smith wants to do.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_00: He remember, Arthur Smith wants to run the ball.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_00: He wants to play those heavy sets, and and when you have a guy like Aaron Rodgers, like Ross wasn't.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_02: And why did they get rid of Najee Harris?
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_02: That yeah, I don't know.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_00: Because because I so I I think what they did, honestly, Steve, was they lost five games in a row last year.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_00: They they haven't won a playoff game in eight years.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_00: They they weren't ready to burn everything to the ground, but they were ready to like maybe you know set part of the house on fire.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_00: So, I mean, they they completely got rid of all their quarterbacks, they got rid of their starting running back, they got rid of their their leading receiver, they got rid of their all-pro safety, you know.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_00: So they did kind of burn down a little bit.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_00: And I think they I I don't know.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_00: Like, what were they gonna what did they do?
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_00: What who did what did would they ever win with Najee Harris or Mika Fitzpatrick or Russ or any of the guys they had last year?
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_02: Well, you could say that for a long time, since you know, Super Bowl 43 or whatever.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_00: Well, yeah, but I mean losing five games in a row to end the season then getting distraught.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_02: But they've done that, they've done that every year for how many years now?
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_02: And I think that's a s I think that shows the team's age, or that, or there's something wrong with their conditioning, their strength and conditioning.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_00: I I I think that it makes I still think it makes them better on offense to have Smith.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_02: But it doesn't make them any younger.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_02: These two guys are just as old as anybody, and you know Yeah, but it makes them better for this year.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, Aaron Rodgers isn't gonna play beyond this year, so no, I mean I don't understand how they think this is gonna put them in the Super Bowl contender uh without a safety.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_00: It makes I think it makes them better than they were before the trade.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_00: They have they have another weapon on offense.
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_00: And and on the on defense, I don't see how Minka Minka was bad.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_00: Minka was bad last year.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_00: And in it a slot cornerback is a lot harder of a position to fill than a center field or free safety, which is what Minka was playing.
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_02: I thought they they were utilizing him not well.
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_02: I agree.
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_02: I'm not an expert enough on defense, but and you don't like you know, just watching it on TV, you don't get to see a lot.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, I'm I don't think he was that injured.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_02: I I don't know.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_02: I just think they were using him different or asking.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_00: I I agree, but I mean if you're not gonna use him, if you're gonna use him as a as a center fielder that lines up 20 yards off the line of scrimmage, that Juan Thornhill, the guy that they signed from Cleveland, can probably do that.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_00: Generally okay.
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_00: They they want to play more man coverage.
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_00: Now they have like three starting cornerbacks.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_02: I don't think this guy can.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_00: He's a good slot corner.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_00: They're not gonna ask him to play outside.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_00: They're gonna ask him to play in the slot.
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_02: Well, then if they're asking him to be like the Deshay Townsend third guy in, that's what they're doing.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_02: Then he'll be fine at that role.
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_00: Well, because they have Slay and Porter, so they already had their outside.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_02: So then then they'll be fine.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_02: Then I would just say, yeah, he'll he'll probably be good at that role.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_02: He'll probably be one of the better slot corners.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_02: Because then they were saying that.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_02: I saw that on ESPN, they were saying that that like he was gonna play slot corner.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_02: If they're gonna do that, then uh that's probably you know okay, I guess.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_02: But I still think losing Fitzpatrick is a mistake, but I could be wrong.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_02: They they they must know something that I don't know.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_02: And I I I'm totally willing to admit that maybe they've seen him play, maybe they think he's injured, maybe they think he's topped out.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_02: I I don't know.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_02: Uh it's just weird.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_02: I may I I've never heard him complain.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_02: Like, I've never heard him complain, or like he doesn't seem like a bad guy.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_02: You know, and this Ramsey, he I don't I don't know.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_02: I don't like him much.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_02: I I just he's a good player.
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_02: He talks a lot and then you know gives up big plays.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_02: It's like, you know, make a make a big play once in a while.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I I don't know.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_02: I I think Fitzpatrick made more big plays than this guy, but they won super.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_02: Not lately, not lately.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_02: Not lately, not in the last two seasons.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_00: I think in the last five games of the year, the defense was so remember all that stuff about them not communicating and yeah, the the Christmas Day game with Kansas City, they had people just wide open, and you know, he's the guy that was calling the plays back there.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm not saying it's all his fault or or even partly his fault.
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_02: Maybe that's why they got rid of.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, like again, what I'm not a coach, I'm not an expert in such things.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_02: I don't get to watch the film the all 22.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_02: So I'm not gonna Well, remember too, Steve.
• 11:13
  SPEAKER_00: It's not like they just like traded him for like a fifth-round draft pick.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_02: No, they didn't trade him for a bag of peanuts, that's for sure.
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_00: So I don't know that they I don't know that they were like, well, we gotta unload this guy.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_00: I think that they saw because Ramsey and Smith, that wasn't they they were on the block.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_00: I I don't know.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_00: I again like the same thing I said about Rogers, it makes the season more interesting.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_00: To me, like that's for sure.
• 11:35
  SPEAKER_00: Running it back with Najee Harris and and and Russ and Minka and Pickens, like I we already know the ceiling there.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_00: We know the ceiling.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_00: The ceiling is maybe we get to the playoffs, then we get boat raced out of the playoffs.
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_02: I just wish they would quit doing the stopgap stuff and just commit to a rebuild.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_02: That's what's annoying me.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_02: It's just it's like so like band-aid, and it it's yeah, it's that doesn't happen until you have a quarterback, though.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_00: That doesn't happen until you have a quarterback, and they have decided that this is not the year to get the quarterback of the future.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_00: So they need a one-year quarterback.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_00: Rogers already basically said he's gonna retire after this year.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_00: So if you're gonna run it with Rogers for one year, then you might as well put some more band-aids on the on that band-aid.
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_00: I agree with you though.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_00: Like, let's I I I really like we, you know, we're gonna talk later in this about the Penguins draft.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_00: I I like that the Penguins are just like, okay, time to move forward.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_00: Let's draft a bunch of young guys.
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_00: We know we're gonna sneak this year.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_02: 13 of them to be.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, exactly.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_00: And I I you're right.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_00: It's like I just want the Steelers to get there, but if we were gonna have to wait this year for that anyway, at least it'll be interesting.
• 12:43
  SPEAKER_00: At least it'll be interesting, exactly.
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_02: Speaking of uh not very interesting, let's talk about the pirates.
• 12:52
  SPEAKER_02: Uh does O'Neill Cruz care, Tim?
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_02: Does he give a rat's rear end about baseball anymore?
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_02: Do you care about baseball, Tim?
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_02: Do you give a rat's rear end about the pirates?
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_00: So sadly, yeah.
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_00: So sadly, I spent many years being totally apathetic about the pirates.
• 13:11
  SPEAKER_00: And it's just been the last couple of years where now I'm angry because because now they have they actually have really, if you think about you know, what with between Skeens and Jones and Keller and um and what's his name, the kid from the minors that they they won't call up.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_00: Uh they have like the Braves, like the 90s Braves pitching staff.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_00: Like that's what they have.
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_00: And they're gonna just completely waste that away.
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_00: And and and with players like Cruz, yeah.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_00: So Cruz, to your original question.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_02: He let a ball, he let a ball roll to the like he's now playing center field because he couldn't play shortstop, and he misplays a grounder as he is wont to do, and the ball bounces off his glove and rolls the defense instead of like this guy's like super fast, he just kind of like, doo-doo-doo, I'll just stroll back like I got nothing else to do.
• 14:02
  SPEAKER_02: And then I guess finally the last straw for the new manager was he didn't run out of double play.
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_02: He thought he said, Oh, I thought there were two outs.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_02: Who cares?
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_02: Run.
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_02: He got benched after the second incident.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_02: And I guess I'll give uh who's Kelly is the guy's Don Kelly, or I don't know.
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, Don.
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not gonna be a manager ever again after the season is his name, I think.
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, uh he was like, Well, you know, I give him I give him guess some credit.
• 14:32
  SPEAKER_02: Like, I understand, like give a player one time and maybe corrects it, but the second time he pulled him out in the middle of the game, so that's different than Charrington, where Charrington never did anything to this guy.
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_02: He just got away with everything.
• 14:44
  SPEAKER_02: So maybe Cruz is better for it, maybe not.
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_02: Who cares?
• 14:47
  SPEAKER_02: He's not he's I think he has the most strikeouts in the major in the major league right now at 103.
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_02: I think I just heard that the other day.
• 14:56
  SPEAKER_00: So see, I I I I have a lot of respect for O'Neill Cruz because you know everybody else is just faking it that they can that they don't care.
• 15:06
  SPEAKER_00: But he's honest.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_00: He's totally honest.
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_00: He's like, hey, look, I play for a team where the owner doesn't care.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_00: So if he doesn't care, he's not going to invest anything in this.
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_00: Why should I?
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_00: Why should I bother?
• 15:18
  SPEAKER_00: So good on him for you know just being honest.
• 15:21
  SPEAKER_02: He's just here so he can collect the paycheck and for it.
• 15:25
  SPEAKER_00: Well, what's the point of going out there every night?
• 15:28
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I know you're getting paid and it's your job, so you're supposed to.
• 15:31
  SPEAKER_00: But it's also supposed to, the whole point of that job is to have a competitive team in a competitive sport, and they're not, they're not, they're not, they have an owner that doesn't want that.
• 15:41
  SPEAKER_00: So what's the point?
• 15:43
  SPEAKER_00: I I you know, good on good on him for being honest.
• 15:47
  SPEAKER_02: He gets a point for honesty.
• 15:50
  SPEAKER_00: He doesn't care.
• 15:52
  SPEAKER_02: Why should we care?
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah.
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, goodness.
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_00: The guy that owns a team doesn't care.
• 15:57
  SPEAKER_00: So again, why should we care?
• 15:59
  SPEAKER_02: I can't even argue at this point.
• 16:00
  SPEAKER_02: I don't even know what to say.
• 16:01
  SPEAKER_00: I I mean again, the the they're gonna waste their best chance in here.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_00: They have a legitimate window to win something now with that pitching staff that they have, and they're just gonna waste it.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, I'm I'm kind of done after this.
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, I've been done, but I'm really done now.
• 16:19
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, what's the point?
• 16:20
  SPEAKER_00: Unless they sell the team, there's no point.
• 16:23
  SPEAKER_02: Sell the team.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_02: Well, who's not selling the team is the penguins, and they are in the NHL draft.
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_02: Um, they picked uh Benjamin Kindle, um picked uh Ford from Calgary or Calgary, and then they traded a pick to Philadelphia, and later they picked some guy named Bill Zonnen and Will Horcroft.
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_02: Um sure, these guys are gonna be all Hall of Famer.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_02: Sure, why not?
• 16:50
  SPEAKER_02: I I have no idea.
• 16:51
  SPEAKER_02: This is the NHL draft, it's much like the baseball draft, it's a big crapshoot.
• 16:56
  SPEAKER_02: Very rarely do you get a player like Mario.
• 16:59
  SPEAKER_02: Um, the last time the Penguins had three picks in the first round was when they drafted Mario, Doug Bodger, and Roger Bellinger.
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_02: Doug Bodger was kind of okay.
• 17:11
  SPEAKER_02: I mean he was pretty mediocre.
• 17:13
  SPEAKER_02: Roger Bellinger never heard of it.
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_02: Uh never heard of the dude.
• 17:17
  SPEAKER_02: Um no clue, Tim.
• 17:19
  SPEAKER_02: Any clue I I I don't know.
• 17:21
  SPEAKER_00: Well, so I yeah, I I watched the draft.
• 17:24
  SPEAKER_00: It was the Penguins needed they need centers because their top two centers are both more than 38 years old.
• 17:33
  SPEAKER_00: So so they need centers, and the problem was there was just this huge run on centers in the top ten.
• 17:41
  SPEAKER_00: So they were looking at that m Martone kid, he was like that big power forward, Philadelphia took him, Haggins from Boston College, uh that McQueen.
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_00: There were these centers that you thought maybe would slip to them at 11, and none of them did.
• 17:54
  SPEAKER_00: And so when their pick came up, you know, Dubas takes this Ben Kindle who was projected to not go until like 22nd or 23rd.
• 18:05
  SPEAKER_00: And and the other thing is Ben Kindle's kind of small.
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_00: He's like 5'10, 5'11.
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_00: And one of the things that they you know kept saying over and over again is the Penguins, the Penguins aren't are easy to play against.
• 18:19
  SPEAKER_00: You know, you these teams like Florida who are miserable to play against, that's who the Penguins want to be.
• 18:25
  SPEAKER_00: You know, they need they need size, they need durability, they always have guys getting hurt, and he drafts like a 5'10, you know, smaller guy.
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_00: But if you look at Ben Kindle's highlights, he's a really good goal scorer.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_00: He's he's just a good talent.
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_00: So hopefully it'll pan out.
• 18:43
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, they they did get that that kid they got later in the round, who you mentioned, that um Zonin.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_02: Horcroft.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, Horcroft.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_00: Horckoff.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_00: He's he's big, he's like 6'5.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_00: So, and he's a center.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_00: So they did get a big center later in the round.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_00: And that Zonin, he's he's another one, he's a winger, but uh like you said, Steve, it's a it's a bit of a crapshoot.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_00: I all I'll say is that they're doing the right things.
• 19:07
  SPEAKER_00: You know, you don't know how it's gonna pan out, but they're doing the right thing.
• 19:11
  SPEAKER_00: They're rebuilding the team, they're stalking draft picks, they're stalking young players.
• 19:15
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe these aren't the right young players, but hopefully they are, and they're they're they're at least doing the right thing.
• 19:22
  SPEAKER_02: Hey, you I don't know why the draft here is such a crapshoot in football it isn't, but in hockey and baseball, like the draft really is a crapshoot.
• 19:32
  SPEAKER_00: It's because you're drafting 18-year-olds.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_00: That's that's why.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 19:35
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I mean like drafting they're drafting out of people out of high school, yeah.
• 19:40
  SPEAKER_00: Think about all the like four-star recruits.
• 19:43
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, that never and then the guys that are one stars or no stars end up being Hall of Famers, yeah.
• 19:49
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, that happens all.
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_00: Or or number one draft picks.
• 19:51
  SPEAKER_00: Like, just think of the time from high school to college.
• 19:54
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, you know, how much Well I love is the recruiting services now, you know, they go back and revise their star picks.
• 20:01
  SPEAKER_02: Isn't that a cute trick?
• 20:03
  SPEAKER_02: Like, oh, I was never wrong.
• 20:04
  SPEAKER_02: I had them as a four no, you didn't.
• 20:06
  SPEAKER_02: No, you didn't.
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_00: It's like wow, it what what a joke that like this that's that is why it's a crapshoot because you're just drafting such young, young kids.
• 20:16
  SPEAKER_02: Well, it like there is a a gross burden development between 18 and 21 that people don't realize.
• 20:23
  SPEAKER_00: So hopefully Ben Kendall has a gross burden.
• 20:26
  SPEAKER_00: He does have a he's now 6'6.
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_02: Oh my gosh, what happened?
• 20:30
  SPEAKER_02: Um so uh here here's something it's kind of off topic.
• 20:35
  SPEAKER_02: It's not necessarily Pittsburgh Sports, but it's hockey related.
• 20:38
  SPEAKER_02: Um, Florida won the cup, right?
• 20:40
  SPEAKER_02: Like you mentioned, and they're tough to play with.
• 20:42
  SPEAKER_02: They have a pretty good goalie, Barbowski.
• 20:45
  SPEAKER_02: Um this means that uh Edmonton, who was their opponent, lost, and McKinnon lost again, right?
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_02: Or not McKinnon, uh McDavid.
• 20:55
  SPEAKER_02: McDavid, yeah.
• 20:56
  SPEAKER_02: The other McGu.
• 20:57
  SPEAKER_02: Um so do you realize who was the last team?
• 21:01
  SPEAKER_02: And I know the answer to this question, to win a Stanley Cup from Canada, the last Canadian team.
• 21:07
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it was the Canadians winning.
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_02: In 93 with Patrick Wall.
• 21:11
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 21:11
  SPEAKER_02: So it's been 32 years.
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_02: Um why is that?
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, is it because there's only seven teams out of thirty-two that are Canadian?
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_02: Is it the Canadian dollars' fault because it's only worth like it's like monopoly money?
• 21:25
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, I I have no idea why.
• 21:27
  SPEAKER_02: Uh I mean, I guess when you go maybe when you know the overwhelming number of teams is American, maybe that's the problem.
• 21:34
  SPEAKER_02: I don't know.
• 21:36
  SPEAKER_02: Maybe they should like when they did in the bubble, like maybe they should just have a Canadian like conference and then have them play the American conference for the cup every year.
• 21:47
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, but that's only s like you said, it's only a handful of teams.
• 21:50
  SPEAKER_02: So that would be kinda Well, I mean they could still be crossing Yeah.
• 21:55
  SPEAKER_02: And it's an uneven number of Canadian teams too.
• 21:58
  SPEAKER_02: It's not even eight.
• 21:59
  SPEAKER_00: I I don't I don't think it's a problem that needs to be solved.
• 22:02
  SPEAKER_00: Honestly.
• 22:02
  SPEAKER_02: I may maybe maybe they should have like the Canadian teams plus Vancouver.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_02: You or or not Vancouver.
• 22:11
  SPEAKER_02: I meant Seattle.
• 22:12
  SPEAKER_02: Oh Seattle, yeah.
• 22:13
  SPEAKER_02: I'm saying dumb stuff today.
• 22:17
  SPEAKER_02: Sorry.
• 22:17
  SPEAKER_02: Seattle.
• 22:18
  SPEAKER_02: I meant Seattle.
• 22:19
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 22:21
  SPEAKER_00: I don't think it's a problem that needs to be solved.
• 22:23
  SPEAKER_00: Just like the income tax thing.
• 22:25
  SPEAKER_00: Like that's the other that's the other argument.
• 22:27
  SPEAKER_00: That five out of the last six Stanley Cup winners.
• 22:30
  SPEAKER_02: Are no income tax states.
• 22:32
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 22:33
  SPEAKER_00: Florida and Nevada.
• 22:34
  SPEAKER_00: But how many Stanley Cups did the Florida teams win in the 20 years before that?
• 22:39
  SPEAKER_00: Like it that that's just, you know, I I feel like in sports we invent problems that don't exist.
• 22:46
  SPEAKER_00: You're right.
• 22:46
  SPEAKER_00: It's just happenstance that Canadian teams haven't won it.
• 22:49
  SPEAKER_02: I mean Well, I think too, it doesn't help that there's only seven of them.
• 22:53
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, but they mean it's not even half.
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 22:56
  SPEAKER_02: Edmonton's had two chances to break that streak.
• 22:59
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 22:59
  SPEAKER_00: Edmonton was in a game seven last year.
• 23:01
  SPEAKER_00: Vancouver was in a game seven against Boston back in 2011.
• 23:06
  SPEAKER_02: And then the Edmonton was in another final like years ago, weren't they?
• 23:10
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, against Carolina.
• 23:12
  SPEAKER_00: Calgary was in a game seven against Tampa back in 2000.
• 23:17
  SPEAKER_00: I think that was 2004.
• 23:18
  SPEAKER_00: So it's like you literally had like three or four game sevens, like one game.
• 23:22
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 23:23
  SPEAKER_00: Where the Canadian team, if they just win that one game, they would have won the cup.
• 23:26
  SPEAKER_00: So it it's just the way it has gone.
• 23:29
  SPEAKER_00: It's not a problem that needs to be solved.
• 23:33
  SPEAKER_02: Well, I don't know.
• 23:34
  SPEAKER_02: Hey, whatever.
• 23:36
  SPEAKER_02: Maybe it'll be another 30 years before they win a cup.
• 23:39
  SPEAKER_02: Oh well.
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_00: I I do want to point out the fact that Babrowski has now won two cups.
• 23:46
  SPEAKER_00: He's won two Vesnas.
• 23:48
  SPEAKER_00: He's like an all-time great, and the Flyers gave up on him.
• 23:52
  SPEAKER_02: And the Penguins smoke him, but he's like weird.
• 23:54
  SPEAKER_02: Like he'll be like really good or really bad.
• 23:56
  SPEAKER_02: There's no in-between with him.
• 23:58
  SPEAKER_02: You never know which Babrowski's showing up.
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_02: Like even in the final series, like he would give up goals, and then all of a sudden, oh, he's back on track.
• 24:06
  SPEAKER_02: He's not giving up any goals.
• 24:08
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah.
• 24:08
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, he he's had his ups and downs.
• 24:10
  SPEAKER_00: My goodness.
• 24:11
  SPEAKER_00: Like, you know, they they just the fact that they the flyers just were like, well, you stink, you're never gonna mount anything.
• 24:21
  SPEAKER_00: I just can't help but love that.
• 24:24
  SPEAKER_02: Well, speaking of another guy, the uh Philadelphia Philadelphia sports team gave up on, uh, that would be TJ McConnell from Chartiers Valley.
• 24:33
  SPEAKER_02: Yay! Now, unfortunately, he he plays for the Pacers now, and um it was uh boy, the NBA had to love this matchup.
• 24:42
  SPEAKER_02: The NBA the Indiana Pacers were the Oklahoma City um what are they Thunder or whatever.
• 24:48
  SPEAKER_02: They were very Thunder-ish.
• 24:50
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but the Thunder won.
• 24:52
  SPEAKER_02: And I don't think it's a bad thing.
• 24:54
  SPEAKER_02: I think it's a healthy thing for the NBA.
• 24:56
  SPEAKER_02: Like, you know, don't you want to spread like the NFL figured this out?
• 25:00
  SPEAKER_02: You want to spread your you know league throughout the whole you know uh United States, not just New York and LA and Boston.
• 25:08
  SPEAKER_02: So uh so maybe that'll you know, sow some seeds in Oklahoma City and Indiana and they'll get better you know attendance and eventually the TV ratings will come.
• 25:18
  SPEAKER_02: You know, you want people to watch because they like the sport, not because you know the fans of the team, because the team team fans are gonna watch no matter what, you know.
• 25:26
  SPEAKER_02: Pacer fans and you know, Oklahoma City fans are gonna mat watch.
• 25:30
  SPEAKER_02: It's the problem is is when those people tune out when the Lakers are playing the Knicks, you know, even though you have a bigger audience, you're actually not having a bigger audience, you know.
• 25:41
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, another problem that doesn't need to be solved.
• 25:44
  SPEAKER_02: But anyway, TJ McConnell, four-year deal,$45 million deal with the Pacers.
• 25:49
  SPEAKER_02: Uh he plays well off the bench.
• 25:51
  SPEAKER_02: He's a fifth fifth-year guy.
• 25:53
  SPEAKER_02: Um, he had a great he's had a great 10-year career in the NBA.
• 25:57
  SPEAKER_02: Um he remember he played for Duquesne, Tim.
• 25:59
  SPEAKER_02: You're all of water.
• 26:00
  SPEAKER_02: And then he went to Arizona.
• 26:02
  SPEAKER_02: Um, just all around good guy, good story.
• 26:05
  SPEAKER_02: Fun for that.
• 26:06
  SPEAKER_02: They're like the first basketball of the McConnells.
• 26:08
  SPEAKER_02: His father ran Charters Valley forever.
• 26:12
  SPEAKER_02: His mother coached at Pitt and was a very good basketball player.
• 26:15
  SPEAKER_02: I think his sister played in W NBA, and but then she got cut.
• 26:19
  SPEAKER_02: But just great for the McConnells and celebrate them and uh you know, good for them.
• 26:24
  SPEAKER_02: Pit bat uh basketball in Pittsburgh isn't that big of a deal, but hey, maybe the McConnells will make it a big deal.
• 26:31
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I was I was rooting for him, I was rooting for the Pacers, just you know, for him.
• 26:35
  SPEAKER_00: And and also like that's a franchise.
• 26:38
  SPEAKER_00: I know Oklahoma City never has never won it either, but they haven't really been around as long.
• 26:43
  SPEAKER_00: Like the Indiana Pacers have been around years, you know, decades and decades.
• 26:47
  SPEAKER_00: I I I just I always root for that now.
• 26:49
  SPEAKER_00: There's there's fans in those markets where they've never seen their team win.
• 26:53
  SPEAKER_00: I've kind of like it was sad, you know.
• 26:54
  SPEAKER_02: Reggie Miller like hugged them after the game seven, they lost, and yeah.
• 27:00
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 27:01
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 27:02
  SPEAKER_00: But uh yeah, congrats to the Thunder.
• 27:06
  SPEAKER_00: Is that the old Seattle Supersonic, Steve?
• 27:08
  SPEAKER_00: Is that who that is?
• 27:09
  SPEAKER_02: I'm not sure if it's them or the Memphis Grizzlies.
• 27:12
  SPEAKER_02: I can never remember which is which.
• 27:13
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 27:14
  SPEAKER_02: Seattle moved to either Memphis or Oklahoma, so I can't if it's Oklahoma, that's just another great Seattle.
• 27:20
  SPEAKER_00: I think the I think the Vancouver, I think the Grizzlies were Vancouver.
• 27:26
  SPEAKER_00: There was also the Charlotte Hornets moved somewhere.
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_02: To New Orleans.
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_02: They moved them.
• 27:30
  SPEAKER_02: So maybe it is Oklahoma.
• 27:31
  SPEAKER_02: I think Oklahoma is the Seattle Super Sonic.
• 27:35
  SPEAKER_02: Really sucks for Seattle because that was a shame because their team selled out.
• 27:39
  SPEAKER_02: They had a good fan ticket, like good ticket base, and then they wouldn't build them a stadium or and the guy just moved the team.
• 27:46
  SPEAKER_02: So I can't imagine Oklahoma City.
• 27:48
  SPEAKER_02: It doesn't seem like that big of a metro era, yeah.
• 27:50
  SPEAKER_02: But hey, they got a professional team championship, so good for them, Oklahoma City.
• 27:55
  SPEAKER_02: Can't see where the I wonder where their parade will be down the middle of a road with tumbleweeds blowing through or whatever.
• 28:02
  SPEAKER_02: I I don't know.
• 28:03
  SPEAKER_02: But good for them.
• 28:04
  SPEAKER_00: Hey, to level the whole city.
• 28:07
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 28:07
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but you know what?
• 28:08
  SPEAKER_02: You know what they have that Pittsburgh doesn't?
• 28:11
  SPEAKER_02: An NBA championship.
• 28:13
  SPEAKER_00: They do.
• 28:14
  SPEAKER_00: So, Steve, important question.
• 28:15
  SPEAKER_00: Do you still have your Sean Kemp jersey?
• 28:18
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, no, I don't think so.
• 28:23
  SPEAKER_02: If I did it, I would I would have worn it for this segment.
• 28:26
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah, for your Sean Kemp Seattle Supersonics jersey.
• 28:30
  SPEAKER_02: Who ended up being like a really terrible person, but hey, that's another episode.
• 28:35
  SPEAKER_02: Well, thanks for tuning in to this current events episode.
• 28:38
  SPEAKER_02: It's kind of a slow time in sport, so that's where we're covering NBA pod.
• 28:43
  SPEAKER_02: Oof.
• 28:43
  SPEAKER_02: Oof.
• 28:44
  SPEAKER_02: Um, anyway, uh tune to check us out on Facebook and on Spotify and all your uh other providers of our podcast.