Pens on the Brink, Bucs Hot and Cold, Add Another B to Big Ben – Baby

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Talk about a bad look.

Ben Roethlisberger’s passive/aggressive shot at Steelers’ management for having the audacity to draft a quarterback was just another in a long line of bad looks for the future Hall of Famer. Roethlisberger – who never says anything interesting on his positively boring, in-season, weekly radio segment on 93.7, The Fan, appeared on the station last week to share his opinion about the Mason Rudolph selection.

Needless to say, Roethlisberger’s take was childish to infantile, suggesting the pick could have been better spent bolstering the active roster, and that apparently the Steelers’ brass did not believe him when he said he intends to play another three-to-five years.

Who cares?

Really, who cares what Roethlisberger says he intends to do? He’s one hit away, as is every player, from never playing again, and his skills may diminish significantly in the next three-to-five years. The Steelers owe him nothing – no explanations, no courtesy when it comes to holding off on drafting a quarterback, and no apologies.

Maybe just shut up and play, Big Ben, maybe figure out a way to get back to the Super Bowl since you apparently feel insulted that the Steelers do not understand the magnitude of your magnificence. Maybe grow up and act like a man.

Maybe not.

On to the Pens who may have less than 24 hours of playoff breath left in their collective lungs. Mike Sullivan has been hard to question in his two-plus seasons behind the Pens’ bench, but playing Dominic Simon over Daniel Sprong is a head scratcher.

I know, Sprong doesn’t play a 200-foot game, blah, blah, freaking blah – spare me. Sprong should be in a lineup that is desperate for secondary scoring. Simon is playing on the top line.

Pause for laughter.

The top line! It is ridiculous. Maybe Kris LeTang has earned the right to repeatedly screw up his defensive assignments because the Pens really have no defensive depth, but sitting a goal scorer because Simon may backcheck slightly better and play more responsibly away from the puck is like not giving the ball to Le’Veon Bell because Fitz Toussaint is a better blocker.

Maybe comparing Sprong to one of the best backs in the NFL is a stretch, but I was going for effect.

The LeTang problem is a whole other ball of wax. The Pens will survive the Caps, should they pull off wins in Games 6 and 7, despite LeTang who is playing too much to play so poorly. That kind of ice time needs to be solid, and LeTang has been shaky at best.

Obviously my mood is foul. Erin tells me to put out more positive energy, so I will hold off on my opinion of Gregory Polanco for now.

Instead, let’s celebrate the fact that the Buccos have remained competitive and show glimpses of hanging around for a while.

Then they lose four straight to the Nationals, and it looks like the wheels are falling off.

Then they win two out of three from Milwaukee, and suddenly they are back in the conversation in the National League Central.

Great to see the emergence of Nick Kingham in the rotation and the strong starts at times from several others, but consistency in the rotation and more production from those at the top of the lineup (I am not going there – nope – can’t be goaded into ranting about Polanco and his positively atrocious approach to hitting, nope, won’t do it) would be nice.

Have to wrap this up. I am at my word limit and word has it that Pittsburgh Beautiful has drafted my successor. Have to go badmouth them on social media.

Talk about a bad look.

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