Latest / Pittsburgh Sports Memories / BONUS EPISODE: Pgh Sports Current Events - Feb 2025

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

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_01: Hello and welcome to this edition of Pittsburgh Sports Memories Current Events.
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_01: This is the current events portion of our podcast.
• 0:08
  SPEAKER_01: We'll be talking about current events from January 18th, roughly, 2025, to February 22nd, 2025.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_01: It doesn't have to be strictly Pittsburgh stuff, but we'll we'll do some Pittsburgh stuff.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_01: We'll do some general stuff.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_01: I'm here, your co-host, Steve Word.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_01: As usual, I'm joined by Tim Hammond.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_01: And he loves current events.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_01: Tim loves current events.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_01: All right, Tim.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_01: We'll kick it off with this.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_01: I know you didn't watch much of it, so I'll talk a lot about it.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_01: The Four Nations face-off.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_01: This was the NHL decided to scrap the All-Star game, and they went with this, which was Canada, the United States, Finland, and Sweden.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_01: And so what they did was they took the NHL players that are obviously citizens of those countries originally, and they all put them on their respective international teams, and they played a tournament.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_01: And it ended up being a huge success.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_01: I think I saw the ratings for Canada, United States on Saturday were over 4 million.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_01: The Thursday night game, the final between Canada and United States was over 9 million, which for hockey is insane.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_01: It's like passionate.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_01: The first game, there was three fights.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_01: The Kachuk's both brothers fought all the Canadians, you know, including Justin Trudeau.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_01: They, you know, brought in, they would have brought in uh Don Cherry if he wasn't 90 years old and fought him.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_01: Um it they booed the Canadian.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_01: It it I think it took on a different air because of all the political stuff going on, the tariffs and whatnot, and the back and forth between the two politic politicians and governments, and the fact that the Canadians in Montreal booed the Star Spangled Banner.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, they said they didn't like that to some of the players, and so there was a big fight.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm normally not a hockey fights kind of guy.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_01: I think it's kind of silly, and it did end up being it was choreographed, but like at the time I was like, oh man, I really wanted to kick a Canadian's butt.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_01: But um, I was entertained, and it ended up being a really great game, and they had a guy, Charlie McAvoy, was awesome in that first game.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_01: And I that was that I watched that game and I caught some of the game against Sweden, the United States, and I saw they they lost because I figured they had nothing to play for because they already won two and they were into the final.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_01: And I I to my credit, I did fall asleep because I had been up since 5 a.m.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_01: that day.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_01: I watched about three-quarters of that game, and I saw when Canada tied it.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_01: I had a feeling before the game, me and a guy at work were talking about the game, and we had a feeling that you weren't the United States had beaten Canada once in ten years, but we weren't gonna beat him twice in a week.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, Sydney Crosby, and the biggest problem was that McAvoy, who was so good, who was a because um Connor McDavid was unstoppable that first game, and McAvoy just put him on his button.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_01: I think I said in another podcast, like that you'll hear later, is physicality slows down speed, and they weren't able to be physical enough.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_01: Although we did have um Connor Hellebuck was the best goalie.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, it's great for hockey, good for you know everything, and that should help the sport.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_01: And um, you know, I think everybody's really excited.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_01: I heard some people conflating it to the 1980 Miracle and Ice.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_01: No, it's not that because we're actually professionals, weren't college kids, and the professionals that we're playing are probably almost as good, if not better, than the Canadian teams.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_01: Actually, US dominated Canada, which was blew my mind, and they probably played them pretty close to even in the game they lost.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_01: So um, this is better than the All-Star Games that they the Pro Bowl, the even the baseball All-Star game, definitely the NBA All-Star game is a joke.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_01: The Pro Bowl's a joke.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_01: It's flag football and dodgeball now.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_01: So I know Tim, you didn't get to watch much, if of any of it.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_01: Um, would you prefer this next time it rolls around to watch this rather than any of the other all-star events?
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, for sure.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_00: And I I did get to watch the championship game.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, okay, good, good.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_00: And and and so, yeah.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_01: Would you say they were even, at least I which is the first time in my lifetime the United States has ever been even with Canada in hockey.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_00: So I always loved the Olympics, the Olympic hockey when the NHL players played.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_00: One of the one of the one of the hardest moments that I ever watched was when Crosby scored the goal in 2010 because the U.S.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_00: was so good that year with them.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_01: But we had to come back from two down, two goals down that year.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_00: We did.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_00: Uh you know, in that game, the championship game, yeah, the U.S.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_00: had to lead, Canada tied it.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_00: And then Austin Matthews had like three cances in overtime.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_00: Like really good quality cances, and that Bennington, the goaltender for Canada, the blues goalie.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_01: Well, they ripped on him.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_01: They said he was the weak link, and even in a game against the United States, he did look like he could be had.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_00: Right, and and Heller Buck's a two-time Vesna winner, so he's the better goaltender, but but Bennington won the cup for them a few years ago.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_00: Like he's he's not a slack.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_01: And we have Jake, Jake Gensel is normally Mr.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_01: Klutch in those situations.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_00: Well, in Austin Matthews, like it was just it you kind of almost had to laugh a little bit because it's like you just had that Toronto maple leaf kind of, you know, like, well, oh, it's a big game, and I almost won, but I just didn't quite win.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_00: And then and then McDavid gets the goal.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_00: So that that's stunk, but yeah, I mean the the atmosphere in in Boston for at least game.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_01: We didn't boo the the the Canadian national anthem got lightly booed.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_01: Uh not like the United States anthem.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_00: No, I was impressed with the class of the fans in Boston.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_00: Everybody, and then like when they would pan around to the crowd, everybody had like red, white, and blue, sparkly stuff on.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, it was just it was a cool moment.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I don't know.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_00: Like, I agree they should do this again maybe every year.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know if it'll end up like the winter classic where it's like, oh, this is so cool, and then it gets like a little played out.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_01: Well, they're doing a stadium series.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_01: Uh they need to that's that's what I'm saying.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_01: I don't I don't they need to get rid of some events here, like either get rid of the winter classic, they need to move the winter classic to New Year's Eve or something now.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_00: But all I'm saying here is that like I I think I think too the the so either I don't know if this would be as successful in coming years just because the novelty wore off, also because of like you said, kind of the geopolitical stuff going on right now made it a little more Well, next year couldn't they include the Czechs and the Russians?
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_01: There's gotta be enough Czechs.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_01: There's definitely enough Russians in the league for a team.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_01: That was a problem with the Finns, is the Finns had like Holy Mata playing in like I I think he still plays in the league.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_01: I think does he play for Utah maybe or I but but but yeah, I not having the Russians in there was silly, and I get it.
• 7:15
  SPEAKER_01: Like they they they're the war with Ukraine and we don't like them, but it's like no, they should have had them and well, it was supposed to be the countries that are rivalries, and obviously Canada and U.S.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_01: big rivalry, Finns and Sweden, there's a big rivalry, although the Finns and Russians are just as big a rivalry, and definitely the Czechs are the Russians.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_01: That's a big rivalry.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_00: I I think I think because of the success success of this, I wouldn't be surprised to see them expand it to six instead of four.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not sure how you do around Robin in that case.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you have to make it eight.
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know if you have enough countries to do that, but um yeah, like you said, good for the league, fun to watch.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_01: Um, moving on, the next one.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_01: Um, sticking with hockey, um Penns.
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_01: Do the Penguins make the playoffs, Tim?
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_01: They've played 57 games, they have 55 points.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_01: Uh let me see.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_01: I think Detroit has 61, Ottawa has 62.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_01: FanDuel, for just fairly informational purposes, please don't waste your money.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_01: Has them at plus fifteen hundred.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_01: Uh the New York Times has them at a four percent chance of making the playoffs.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_01: Tim, tell me there's you're saying you're saying, you know, just like I was a dumb and dumber, so you're saying I got a chance.
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, no, I don't think they're gonna make the playoffs.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_00: And I I don't really want them to.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_00: Like I I we're in this era of Pittsburgh sports where everybody's in the mushy middle, you know, and somebody needs to suck.
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_00: Somebody needs to suck and just say, you know what?
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_00: We're gonna next year the team's gonna stink, and you know, in two or three years, hopefully we'll get better.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_00: And I know that's so hard to do with Crosby, Malkin, and Latang all, you know, approaching their their endpoint, but I don't know what else you do.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_00: You can't just keep uh and and I think that's honestly that is what they're Kyle Kyle Dubis is doing that.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_01: Well there were the red remember the Red Wings went through this like when they're at the end there with all their guys from the cup run and they wouldn't let anybody go.
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_01: Like they they stunk and they the Blackhawks did it too.
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, I I I kind of hope they don't make the playoffs, and and then I hope they they just start, you know, uh rebuilding yeah, just start rebuilding at this point.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_01: And and well, I read an article.
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_01: Mul Malkin wants to retire with Pittsburgh, he doesn't want to play anywhere else.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_00: He does, he doesn't want to go back to Russia.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, his parents still live in Magnetogorse.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_01: He does not want to go back there and play, he wants to stay in Pittsburgh.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_01: I I think he lives in Florida.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_01: I don't think he'll retire to Pittsburgh, but he wants to at least retire with the Penguins.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_00: And and it's not like those guys stink.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_00: Like Malkin and Crosby are still decent players.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_00: It's not it's not like they stink and they're dragging everybody down.
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_00: It's just that just like with with Ben when the Steelers still had Ben, it's like, oh, but this guy only has a few years left, so we can't just we can't just be terrible.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_00: We have to at least be semi-competitive because we have these guys, and that's the wrong mentality to have.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_00: They just need to stink, like you said.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_01: So, all right, so bottom out for the penguinis.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_01: All right, gotcha, Tim.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_01: I don't think uh the ticket salespeople were like that.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_01: Should that be their ticket slogan?
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_01: Come see the penguins, we stink.
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_00: I I think the one thing to look forward to the rest of the season, there's a very slim chance of this.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_00: But Ovechkin is probably gonna break Gretzky's goal record.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_01: And the Capitals Is that all time?
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_01: That's all time, isn't it?
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_01: That's all time.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and the Capitals play in Pittsburgh in April.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_00: I think in late April, I believe.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_00: So there is a small chance that he could he could have a chance to break the record here, which I think would be super cool.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_00: That's about it for looking forward to the rest of the season for me.
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_01: I wonder if tickets are cheap.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_01: I haven't gone to a hockey game in a long time.
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_00: I actually haven't been to one this year.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_00: I've I've I usually go to several a year, and I this is the first year probably since the pandemic year that I haven't been to a game.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_01: Uh how about a uh Super Bowl blowout, Tim?
• 11:15
  SPEAKER_01: It sounds like a hairstyle, you know.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_01: Did did your wife like blow out her hair for the Super Bowl?
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_01: Like, um, no, that's what happened to the Kansas City Chefs.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_01: Um I did not see that coming.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_01: I thought that would be a competitive.
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_01: I knew the Eagles were good, having seen them play against the Steelers, but man, they just took a took the uh Chiefs behind the woodshed and gave them a whooping.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_01: And you know what?
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_01: They didn't have to blitz.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that's the thing with when Patrick Mahomes like looks average, is when you don't have to blitz.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_01: And then he starts doing that that Brett Favre.
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_01: He looked like Brett Favre.
• 11:51
  SPEAKER_01: Like throwing that interception, the who was that blankenship or um no, who was the the white safety from the Eagles.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_01: Because he does that all the time.
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_01: He throws across his body, across the middle, and he gets away with it.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_01: And finally, finally, someone made him pay.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_01: And I was so I I'm not an Eagles fan.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_01: I don't like the Eagles all that much, particularly, but good for Kenny Pickett.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_01: He really didn't do anything.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_01: He was along for the riding.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_01: He did help them win one game this season.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_00: He got into the Super Bowl, too.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, yeah.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, hey, good for him.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_01: I mean it and Jalen Hurts, is he like a Dak Prescott, just kind of like a mediocre player on a really good team?
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_01: I I I don't know.
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_00: I think he's better than that, but he's definitely it it he he's that that team was really built well.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_00: And like this that Super Bowl to me was like just dripping with so much history.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_00: Because in the history of that game, when you have a team like that with really good defensive line, it doesn't matter who you play.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_00: And that's why like Jim Kelly led teams and John L.
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_00: Way led teams, and and even Tom Brady the year he was undefeated, and now Patrick Mahomes, that's why those teams lose the Super Bowl to a team with a really solid defense or and a decent quarterback, like you can't have a course, yeah.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, but unless you're the Ravens that won here.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, but that's like more of an outlier.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_00: It was, but I mean that's that's what happens in the Super Bowl.
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_00: And so it wasn't you're right, I didn't see a blow.
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_01: Is Jalen Hurts like I had to focus on the quarterback, but is he like a Jeff Hawstettler, like a Mark Ribbon?
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_01: I think he's better than them, right?
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_01: I mean he's not like a who's the guy from Tampa that won.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_01: Brad Richards?
• 13:31
  SPEAKER_01: Was that Brad Johnson?
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_01: Brad Johnson, yeah.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_01: I think he's better than those guys.
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_00: Well, he's already been to two Super Bowls and those guys all went to one.
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_00: So I I think he's good.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_00: I uh you're right.
• 13:42
  SPEAKER_00: He's he's gonna be one of those guys that in unless his career trajectory really changes, he'll be in that like borderline hall of fame kind of conversation, probably not really a Hall of Famer.
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_01: He has that really good play, that that tush push that is on and it's really only unstoppable with him because I because they tried to run it with other quarterbacks.
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it doesn't work.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah, it really is.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_01: He really does make that play go.
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_01: Um, speaking of quarterbacks in the NFL, um, do the Steelers want to have one next year?
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, and what's up with the crazy rumors?
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_01: I remember there was another year where they had just every crazy rumor.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_01: It was like every it's like, okay, they're gonna get Matthew Stafford, um, you know, people aren't available.
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_01: They're gonna get Trevor Lawrence, this guy, the ghost of Johnny Unitis.
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_01: They're gonna make it up to him, Malen Dawson.
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_01: I come on, man.
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_01: They got to keep Justin Fields, right?
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_01: I'm assuming Russell Wilson is gonna go to Oakland, or not Oakland, Vegas.
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_01: I assume he's gonna go to the Raiders, right?
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_00: The op here's the options.
• 14:44
  SPEAKER_00: Because you you have one quarterback under contract, it's Kyle Allen.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_00: So I so I can't.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_00: It's a starter, Kyle Allen, Super Bowl baby.
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_00: I guess option one is Kyle Allen's your starter.
• 14:53
  SPEAKER_00: That's not gonna happen.
• 14:55
  SPEAKER_00: So your options are you you re-sign Justin Fields.
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_01: Which makes the most sense to me.
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_01: Which makes the most sense.
• 15:02
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 15:03
  SPEAKER_00: You go, if you don't do that, you go get somebody out of free agency or a trade.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_00: There's nobody, if you look at the list, it's it's nobody cousins.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_01: What are we gonna get?
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_01: Kirk Cousins?
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_00: No, you don't want Kirk Cousins.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_01: Stafford.
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_01: They keep saying we'll never get Stafford.
• 15:18
  SPEAKER_00: He's well, and and if you even if you did get Stafford, let's just say you did.
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_01: He's like two or three years.
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_00: You like get the Ben, the Ben part of his career here.
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_00: Well, that's that's Russ.
• 15:29
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, you might as well just resign Russ if you're gonna go out and trade for Stafford, because you'd have to trade for him.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_00: So so there's really no better option.
• 15:36
  SPEAKER_00: Drafting somebody you really can't do.
• 15:38
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I I kind of like the kid from Miami, Cam Ward, but we're not gonna get him.
• 15:43
  SPEAKER_01: He's gonna go too early.
• 15:45
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, he's gonna go too early.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_00: I do like him.
• 15:47
  SPEAKER_00: He's very Ben-like.
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_00: You know, he's tall, he's got that big arm, he's escapable in the pocket, he throws interceptions, but he could probably be coached out of that.
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_00: But there's no way we're gonna get him.
• 15:58
  SPEAKER_00: So it's like, yeah, that that's your best option.
• 16:01
  SPEAKER_00: I'm I'm not like hugely excited about it, but at least Fields has a ceiling where Ross and Kirk Cousins at this point in his career and Aaron Rodgers Well, at least he could bridge us for like three or four years till maybe we get bad enough where we could actually draft a quarterback.
• 16:18
  SPEAKER_00: Well, and that's what that's what I think that's the best bet.
• 16:20
  SPEAKER_00: Sign Fields, if he's terrible, then draft somebody next year.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah or the or the year after.
• 16:25
  SPEAKER_00: Like I I it's your best bet.
• 16:27
  SPEAKER_00: Like it's not the greatest bet, but it's the best.
• 16:30
  SPEAKER_01: I I wonder I wonder if the Steelers aren't falling into like, you know, how they're in this mushy middle.
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_01: There are where the dolphins were with Marino, and I think I said this before.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_01: Like they just they they get eight wins every year, and it's really not doing them any favors.
• 16:44
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_00: It it's it's and and I do think like everybody's like, oh, you just gotta suck.
• 16:50
  SPEAKER_00: It's like, I don't think you have to suck.
• 16:51
  SPEAKER_00: I think again, I think Omar Khan is doing a decent enough job um starting to rebuild post-Ben.
• 16:58
  SPEAKER_00: He's only had two years to do it.
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_00: I think some of the draft picks are starting to pan out, but they do need a quarterback, and who's that gonna be?
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_00: And I that's the tough part.
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_01: So finishing up with um, I guess we should have like the Oscars.
• 17:11
  SPEAKER_01: We could have like an M Memorandum section.
• 17:14
  SPEAKER_01: Um fortunately, sad news.
• 17:16
  SPEAKER_01: Um, two local media legends died this week, Tim.
• 17:20
  SPEAKER_01: Um John Burnett, I don't know if you remember him.
• 17:23
  SPEAKER_01: He was a local weatherman.
• 17:25
  SPEAKER_01: He actually played football at the University of Tennessee, believe it or not.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_01: He hosted a show called Pia Magazine in the 80s with a person with a lady named Liz Miles.
• 17:34
  SPEAKER_01: Um, then he did Pittsburgh Today with Patrice King Ground.
• 17:37
  SPEAKER_01: He was kind of a goofball, nice guy, did weather for a long time after the Pittsburgh Today thing went away.
• 17:45
  SPEAKER_01: Um, just really likable.
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_01: And from everything I read, they said he lit up a room, like just really generally nice, nice and likable guy.
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_01: And on the sports front, a major loss.
• 17:54
  SPEAKER_01: And there were actually uh Mike Lang passed away.
• 17:57
  SPEAKER_01: And there was actually post I saw the New York Times and New York Post both posted articles and tributes to Mike Lang.
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_01: So um, in honor of that, what is your favorite Mike Lang catchphrase?
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_00: I think mine is great balls of fire.
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_01: I was like, scratch my back with a hacksaw.
• 18:15
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know what that means, but it sounds cool.
• 18:18
  SPEAKER_01: Or smile like a butcher's dog.
• 18:20
  SPEAKER_01: And anything you remember about John Burnett?
• 18:22
  SPEAKER_01: Do you remember him vaguely?
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_00: I I remember Pittsburgh today.
• 18:26
  SPEAKER_00: I remember that.
• 18:27
  SPEAKER_00: Um with Patrice Patrice King Brown.
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_01: They did that for had to be 10 years.
• 18:32
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah, I do remember that.
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so he's he's another guy.
• 18:36
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, Mike CTE, you know, they're saying CTE with John Burnett.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, from his football days, yeah.
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and and Mike Lang, I mean, he's just the voice of so many of our memories, you know.
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_01: Well, you hear him through our podcast anytime we do a penguins highlight.
• 18:52
  SPEAKER_01: We've even done some pirates highlights.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yes, that's true.
• 18:56
  SPEAKER_00: So, yeah, that's that's a big loss.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_01: We'll be we'll be missed.
• 19:00
  SPEAKER_00: He will be absolutely missed.
• 19:02
  SPEAKER_01: Well, that's it for our current events.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks for tuning in.
• 19:05
  SPEAKER_01: I hope you enjoyed our segment.
• 19:07
  SPEAKER_01: Um you know, keep giving us likes on Facebook.
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, send us a message if there's anything you want us to cover.
• 19:13
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe next current events we'll be able to cover it.
• 19:15
  SPEAKER_01: There's a good forum for that if you have any comments.
• 19:17
  SPEAKER_01: You know, if you do make a comment, um, we'll definitely respond to it the next one if you can.
• 19:22
  SPEAKER_01: So check us out on Facebook or Instagram, wherever you do.
• 19:26
  SPEAKER_01: You can get some interaction, that will be fun.
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_01: And uh, we'll talk to you next time here on the Pittsburgh Sports Memories Podcast Current Events.