Do the Pens Chances in the Playoffs Rest on One Man's Shoulders?

The answer is obviously no. Hockey is the ultimate team sport. Unlike other sports fans, hockey fans are lucky if they see their heroes play for 1/3 of the game. Except for the goalie, whom we usually see the entire time. And if we don't see him for the entire time, it is commonly for a bad reason. We are quick to give accolades to our heroes when the our teams win. Standing ovations for Crosby, Malkin, Neal, and Kunitz are not uncommon in Pittsburgh. But if the Pens lose, one man usually carries the blame, Marc-Andre Fleury. As is the case for every goaltender in hockey, the loss rests on his shoulders, justified or not. He becomes the scapegoat, the center of criticism, and the subject for critique. Fans seldom see the lack of defensive play that leads to goals, only that the goaltender didn't stop the puck.

All that being said, one fact is true. To win the Stanley Cup, a team needs a certain amount of luck, and a hot goalie. The puck has to bounce your way a few times to become champion, and your goaltender has to make a few impossible stops. And I thank God that the Penguins have one who can.

We are all trying to forget the horrific 4 -2 first round playoff loss to the Flyers last year. And I am sure the Pens are as well. Fleury allowed 26 goals in that six game series. It's hard to bounce back from such a poor series. But if the regular season is any indication, then the Pens have bounced back, and so has Fluery. He has 23 wins and a 2.39 GAA in this lockout shortened season. And in the Eastern Conference, only Henrik Lundqvist of the Rangers has better stats. Fleury won a Stanley Cup with the Pens in 2009, and was with them when they lost in the finals the year before. He has a great disposition, he accepts the blame in a heartbeat when the team loses. And coincidentally, he can also shake off a loss better than any goaltender in the league. He is great, and one of the Penguin's best draft picks ever. Let's make sure we all remember these facts during these playoffs if the Pens lose, and especially when they win. He deserves a standing ovation as well.

Oh, and as for the question above, if you ask Marc-Andre Fleury, the answer is obviously yes.

What Should Be An Easy Road, But Wont Be.

Believe it or not, the Steelers can actually still go to the playoffs. After two inexcusable losses in a row, the first time in three years for Big Ben, our boys are still in it. I know it's hard to believe, but it's true. All they have to do is win out. If they can beat the Bengals and the Browns in the last two games, at home mind you, they will be in the playoffs. I can't believe I actually started that last sentence with an "If". That's how sad the situation has gotten. You know, with the Penguins not playing, you would think the Steelers would give us more to cheer about. But after the last two weeks, I think they should change their name back to what it originally was, The Pittsburgh Pirates.

In my humble opinion, the entire problem boils down to leadership. It's a coaching problem, nothing more, nothing less. If Big Ben has a problem with Todd Haley, then Tomlin needs to step in and fix it. Maybe Ben needs to grow up, maybe Haley doesn't have the best people skills. I am not sure which it is, and I really don't care. Tomlin needs to fix it, that's his job. And I also think that is where the problem lies. Tomlin can not get his team up for the lesser opponents. I am not sure he has their heads in the right place. Look at some of the Steelers losses; Oakland, Tennessee, Cleveland, San Diego. I wont throw Dallas in there. They have actually stepped up as a team, they were at home, our secondary was banged up, and Ben threw a stupid, worthless pass for an interception in overtime. But the other four are inexcusable. It's just like any other business, if you can't get your people to take the little things seriously, you will not succeed. The Steelers should be 11-3 right now, not 7-7. They should be sitting on top of the AFC, not struggling for a 6th seed Wild Card spot. And it all falls on one man, Tomlin. He's not coaching Cowher's team anymore, this is his team, and he needs to step up and get these guys on the same page. A game against San Diego is just as important and just as dangerous as a game against Baltimore. And while he is doing it, he needs to fire Special Teams Coach Amos Jones. The fumbles and poor play are killing the Steelers.

So let's hope for two more wins folks. But to be honest, they way things have gone, I would be more optimistic if we were playing Denver and New England, instead of Cincinnati and Cleveland. Man, that's a weird, sad statement.

5 Things I Never Thought I Would Say This Year

It all started on Sunday afternoon with the 1pm NFL games, I found myself saying things I never thought I would say.

1.The Washington Redskins made a great move trading picks to get RGIII.   That's right, I am giving the Redskins, who I usually refer to as the Foreskins, some credit. I originally thought  that trading top picks for a rookie quarterback when the team obviously needed some top notch offensive linemen was ridiculous. I was wrong. This kid is great and the Skins may actually be able to build a team around him. I guess that is shy Brice Allen is running the team and I am a Sunday afternoon barstool expert. Now what should the Skins do with Kyle Shanahan? Discuss among yourselves.

2. The Cleveland Browns got robbed.  The Browns had the Dallas Cowboys beat, but then in usual form, gave up their lead in the last minutes of regulation to send the game to overtime. The Cowboys then won when an obvious fumble by Miles Austin was ruled an incomplete pass. The play was ruled not reviewable because a whistle had blown the play dead. Poor Cleveland. And now they get to look forward to next week and the beating that the Steelers will put on them, probably with QB Charlie Batch at the helm.

3. WVU will squeak into a bowl this year. The Mountaineers looked great on offense in a heartbreaking 50-49 loss to #12 Oklahoma on Saturday night. But they have no defense. The Mountaineers will only need to win one of it's last two games to bowl eligible this year with a 6-6 record. This is the destiny of a team that was supposed to contend for a major BCS Bowl and win the Heisman Trophy with it's star quarterback Geno Smith. But the bowl pickings are light this year. It will be a struggle to find 70, that's right 70, teams with a .500 record, especially with teams like Ohio State, Penn State, and North Carolina not being allowed to participate. The Mountaineer fan base is known for traveling well, and the team generates very good national televison ratings. These two factors will launch WVU into post season play, probably in the Meineke Car Care Bowl. Yea.

4. WVU should do whatever it can to keep the University of Maryland on it's football schedule. That's right, I have totally flip flopped on this issue. And I will be as unapologetic as Mitt Romney about it. The University of Maryland announced today that it will join the Big 10 conference. This move by the Big 10 is completely financial. Maryland obviously is not of high enough caliber to compete in the Big 10 in football. However, the Big 10 wants to be in the lucrative DC and New York markets, and Maryland is part of that solution. Rutgers, who is also joining the Big 20, is the other. I never liked the idea of Maryland being on the WVU schedule. I always felt they weakened WVU's BCS position and the idea that it is some kind of rivalry is just a joke. However, with Maryland joining the Big 10, the television contract and added exposure of this game could be lucrative for the Mountaineers both financially and recruiting wise. So let's keep the Twerps on our schedule if we can. It will also keep the local DC Mountaineer Alumni happy.

5. Notre Dame will play in the BCS National Championship Game. The Irish are #1 in the BCS rankings today for the first time ever, thanks to losses by Kansas State and Oregon. I have said for years that Notre Dame's championship football days were over. I agreed with the logic that the schools small size, awful location, and high academic standards would keep it out of competition in modern day college football. Well Head Coach Brian Kelly has proven me wrong. In just two years, he has placed the program back into the collegiate elite. Notre Dame will beat USC on Saturday, and then head into the National Championship Game to probably face Alabama. Unless Georgia can put a whooping on Bama in the SEC Championship game.

What a weird weekend it was.