December 9, 2025 • 42 mins
Mark is joined by Mike Defabo to talk some Steelers, Phil Bourque joins the show to talk Pens ahead of the game tonight. Ask Mark Anything!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Time to talk Steelers with our man at the Athletic
He is Mike de Fabo. Mike beating Baltimore has restored
the narrative, Hasn't it all as well? To quote Kevin
Bacon in Animal House, Well, I don't know about.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
All as well.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
I think all is the same as it is, and
the same as it's always been, and the same as
it's going to be. If you thought that the Steelers
were going to go nine to eight or ten and
seven and probably have a hard time winning a playoff game,
probably keep Mike Tomlin, then yeah, I think that all
is well. If you think that the Steelers are going
to do something different, if they're going to get over
(00:37):
the hump and win a playoff game, if they're going
to prove that they belong among the contenders and.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
THEYFC, I don't think that all is so well. It
sure seems like while the.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Steelers now are on the right path to make the
playoffs and on the right path to win the division,
I don't know that they fundamentally change anything about the
direction of their franchise.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
No.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
I think they're projects of how bad the division is
and how disappoint Baltimore has been not least this best Sunday,
But this game Monday Night's tricky, isn't it, Mike, Miami
seems a trap game. Four straight wins for the Dolphins
and they can definitely run the ball with the A train.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
Yeah, I think that this could be a bad matchup
for the Steelers. So you look at since Week ten,
the Miami Dolphins have been the best running team in
the NFL. They're averaging one hundred and ninety two rushing
yards per game over that same span, no team has
allowed more rushing yards per game defensively than the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
So the same Pittsburgh Steelers that had a hard time
handling the running game with James Cook and the.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
Buffalo Bills, the same Steelers that had a hard time
containing Derrick Henry and the Ravens rushing attack.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Now we're gonna see if the Steelers can do any
better against the Dolphins.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
And I think that that's gonna be one of the
keys of the game going into this one is just
is there going to be any type of a difference
against a pretty good running attack that's doing it currently
better than anybody else.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
And it's also worth noting that during this four game
winning streak. The Dolphins defense has been impenetrable, and while
the Steelers got a lot of breaks at enough points
to win against Baltimore, I'm not sure their offense was
very good beyond Rogers the Metcalf.
Speaker 5 (02:14):
Yeah, That's what I'm curious, is like, are they going
to be able to replicate this because for so much
of the season we've been kind of clamoring for them
to attack deep downfield a little bit more, And finally
they did it, you know, four for four on.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Passes that traveled twenty plus yards.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
In the air, and coming into that game, Aaron Rodgers
had completed just seven passes all season that had traveled
twenty plus yards in the air.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
And so, you know, I'm doing a story for the
Athletic tomorrow looking into how they get it.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
A big part of that was that they put the
Ravens in situations when they knew that they were going
to get man coverage. They knew that they could dictate
based on personnel groupings, based on formations, based on.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Preset motions and shifts. They could get the Ravens into.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
Man vere that was going to leave DK Metcalf one
on one and to Metcalf's credit.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
He was able to win in those situations.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
He really showed up when they needed him, and Aaron
Rodgers showed up when they needed him.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
And for Aaron Rodgers, I think that it was a major.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
Bounce back performance because he had had three really poor
outings and you were starting to wonder. You know, it's
kind of shades of Russell Wilson at the end or
Ben Roethlisberger at.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
The end of seasons that we've seen in the past.
So it reminds me of like that country song where
it says, I'm not as good as I once one was,
but I'm as good once as I ever was. That's
kind of what you're betting on with the Steelers. If
you want to be an optimist.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
Right now, can you get Aaron Rodgers' best or Aaron
rodgers best currently at forty one years old when you
need it most?
Speaker 2 (03:48):
And I think that that's.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Really what their hopes of when the playoff game are
tied to directly and winning big games in general. Are
you going to get that good Aaron Rodgers performance that
we've seen a couple times this year, or are you
going to get the down performance that we've seen you know,
probably about the same number of times.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
I agree, but he's forty two, Mike, that's two full
years younger than Philip Rivers, but certainly older than everybody else.
And sticking with that Baltimore game, I know deserves a
funny word, but that the Steelers deserve.
Speaker 6 (04:17):
To win that game.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
They got out gained by one hundred yards, only had
the ball for twenty six minutes, and got every big call.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
Yeah, you know afterwards, like you had players like DK
Metcalf saying the better team won and kind of talking
their trash after they won. And I think that's what
you're getting that mark, Like, really everything that was fifty
to fifty went in.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
The Steelers way. They were very fortunate. If if the
Isaiah likely non touchdown had.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Happened to the Pittsburgh Steelers right now and they had
lost that game, people would be in an outrage and
saying that the refs had stolen the game from the Steelers.
You know, that call went in the Steelers favor. The
simultaneous possession where Aaron Rodgers may or may not.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Have been accept it, that went in the Steelers favor.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
The running into the long snapper call, which was kind
of tiki tack that went into Steelers favor.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
So I agree with you. I was sitting there and
I had two versions of the story written to publish immediately.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
One of them was for the fifth consecutive or for
the fifth time the season, the Steelers have blown a
pretty hefty halftime lead, and they were one or two
inches or one or two questionable calls away from doing
it again.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
We're talking to Mike, the favor of the athletic. He's
brought to us by Armstrong the Internet. You kind of
on the people you trust Armstrong one Wired dot com.
Why can't the Steelers run the ball, Mike, That's supposed
to be part of their identity.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
It's a great question, because it absolutely is. You know,
when they hired Arthur Smith, the reason why they brought
him in was because he had this history, or at
least reputation.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Of coordinating effective running attacks. And last year, in his
first year, they ran the ball a lot, but they
didn't run the ball well at all. There's two very
different things there.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
They were near the top of the league in attempts,
near the bottom of the league in yards per carry.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
This year they're not running the ball very much and
they're not running the ball well at all.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
And I think it's a problem because you know, part
of the whole formula was supposed to be that, you know,
Aaron Rodgers might not be what he once was, but
they wouldn't need him to be if they had this
great defense and effective running game. Where's the defense and
where's the running game?
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Because it's just not there.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
And I'm afraid that if this is going to be
your current formula, then you're expecting a lot out of
Aaron Rodgers and I think you're expecting more.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Than Aaron Rodgers can provide you on a week to
week basis. And there's really not a good excuse for it.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
And I think that Arthur Smith should be facing a
lot of criticism for this because you give this guy
who has a reputation of running the football two first
round offensive picks, a tackle, a second round pick at center,
and you know a running back that seems to fit
his skill set in Cale Johnson, a third round pick, Like,
(07:00):
what more could you possibly.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Need to run the ball effectively? Yet they just cannot.
And so to me, that has to.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
Fall squarely on the shoulders of coaching, not only Arthur Smith,
but also the offensive line coach Pat Meyer.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
Flip side of that, Mike, why can't the Steelers stop
the run that's also supposed to be part of their identity.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Yeah, no, I agree with you. I think that.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
I think, honestly, they need to get bigger, and they
need to get tougher, and they need to get younger.
And they did take one step in that right direction
with Derek Harmon, and the stats are striking when he
plays versus when he does not play.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
It's basically one hundred yards per game difference in terms of.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
What the Steelers are allowing on the ground. And so
I think that it's just going to take repeated drafts
to address that. They're going to have to replace Cam Hayward.
You know, Keanu Benton, I think they expected him to
be dominant or very good at this.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
Point, and I think that he's you know, he's been
up and down. He's been good in some games and
not as much in others.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
And then in terms of their inside linebackers, as much
as I am a fan of Peyton Wilson, and I
think that he has a role within the team, and
even he did some unique things, he represented a strong
safety at times in that game, which.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
Shows his unique skill set. When you put him in
the box, and you put him in the game.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
In a rundown situation, there's times when he's getting out
physical and so I think that you add it up
and all of those components are adding up to a
really inconsistent defense.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
Stopping the run.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
And when you can't stop the run, you've got major
problems this time of year.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Is the secondary playing well or is it just hanging
by a thread. I do give Pierre in Eccles credit
because I think if not for them, and they want
kind of on to do as much as they've been
required Mike, if not for them, that secondary'd be just
really bad.
Speaker 4 (08:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
I mean they've given up a lot of passing yards
this year. I mean the defense as a whole I
think has willfully underperformed expectations. But like I agree with you,
I think that it's weird because James Pierre is deserves
credit for sure.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
I mean for him to have an interception. He's a
very ball aware.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
Defensive back and fits into I guess what they're looking for,
which is the type of player that can produce splash,
which has been such a key part of what this
defense has.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
Done when they've been able to get off of the field.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
But in general, this is nowhere what like what the
secondary was supposed to be. And it's another reason why
they're sitting at nine and eight or they're headed towards
nine and eight instead of being a team that can
legitimately be part of the conversation in a very weak AFC.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
I want to get back to Arthur Smith for a second,
because Mike, I wholeheartily agree with you. I think he
should be under a lot more fire than he is.
I think his offense stinks. There's not one thing it
does besides Rogers to Metcalf, and that's only occasionally that
adds up. You don't get the disuse of Friarmouth and
Smith No. Number two receivers emerged. That offense just does
(10:05):
almost nothing for me.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
Yeah, no, I agree, and I think that the That
was one of my big complaints last week and I
wrote about it in The Athletic, and I asked.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
Arthur Smith point blank to his face.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
Are Pat Fryarmouth and John new Smith redundant in the
same offense?
Speaker 2 (10:22):
And the truth is yes. The answer is yes, because
you're paying.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
Both of those guys like their top ten players at
their position, but you know, for most of the season
they've used Pat Fryarmouth like he's the third best tight
end on their own roster. And you know, a couple
of weeks ago, we had this discussion about George Pickens
and what would have happened if George Pickens had stayed
in Pittsburgh, And you made the good point, Mark, that
he wouldn't be putting up these kind of numbers to
(10:47):
support your argument there, Mark, Jake Ferguson plays for the
Dallas Cowboys. He makes the same amount as John EU
and Pat Fryarmouth, but he has put up better numbers
in every single area than past and John U combined. Okay,
So if Arthur Smith the tight end guy, can't get
(11:08):
John new his guy or Pat Fryarmuth, another talented tight
end the kind of targets that would justify.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
Paying them the money that they were right, then what makes.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
You think that he would be able to suddenly get
a second receiver involved and justify that kind of roster construction.
So I just don't understand it, Like Arthur's supposed to
be a running game guy and a tight end guy,
but they can't run the football and they can't get
the ball to their tight ends.
Speaker 6 (11:36):
Yeah, Aim and all that.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
And I want to bring up Washington too because I
hope he's not gonn cuss too severely. But I think
it might be a good thing if he didn't play.
I think he's just an overrated fat kid that they're
enamored with because he's a novelty. He had the one
viral moment when he ran guys over and I would
just so much rather have Friar Muth in there.
Speaker 3 (11:58):
I mean, I was a good player, and he's unique,
and if you use him correctly, then yeah, he can
be this versatile Swiss army knife that kind of makes
the defense wrong no matter.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
What they do. But he was that coming out of Georgia.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
You know, when Andy Wada was sitting up there after
the draft, he was talking about all these different ways
that Darnell.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
Washington could be used. Now it's taking three years for for.
Speaker 3 (12:23):
Arthur Smith and for the Steelers offense to finally figure
it out. And truthfully, the only reason why they're even
throwing to Darnell is because finally Aaron.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
Rodgers realized what kind of a weapon he was. So
it took Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker 3 (12:33):
Coming in and basically, you know, beating the Steelers over
the head with it and saying I can get this
guy the football for.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
Them to use him. But you know, another another thing
that's frustrated.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
Me mark about the way that they've used their players
and their their player usage, their talent evaluation has been
the whole Roman Wilson situation, because this offseason, you know,
we sat there with with Omar car and we were
saying like, hey.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
Man, this looks like last year.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
This looks like you've got one really good, legitimate number
one receiver and then a huge gap in everybody else.
In his comments, direct quote was it's very different. It's
not even close to being like last year. And the
reason for why he believed that was because he said, well,
Roman Wilson is developing.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
And he said we've got Robert Woods.
Speaker 3 (13:24):
Was part of his explanation for why the wide receiver
room would be God Robert Robert Woods didn't make the
team and Roman Wilson can't get on the football.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
Field in the biggest game of the season, a must
win situation.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
This comes a week after they made Darius Slay a
healthy scratch, and then he asked out the guy that
they believed was going to be able to lock down
anybody in man coverage. That tells you why this team
is where it is because their talent evaluation for Slay
and Roman Wilson was so poor, and then their player
development for a young guy like Roman Wilson and Caleb
(14:00):
Johnson has been so poor. That's that's why I think
that they're so stuck where they are is because they're
acquiring players that Mike Tomlin has had crushes on forever,
like Darius Slay, Jalen Ramsey, and then these young guys
that they're bringing in, they're not developing them properly enough
that you can actually like move forward and improve your
(14:21):
roster with players that you have drafted and developed.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
Finally, Mike, Aaron Rodgers played real good against Baltimore, and
I know he felt good at there, and I know
that because he started shooting his mouth off after.
Speaker 6 (14:34):
That's the Aaron Rodgers I've been waiting for.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Yeah, I think that maybe that was one of the underrated.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
Funniest parts was he was asked why he felt so
good and he said, well, maybe it was.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
Because I woke up and knew I got to play
on this great natural grass.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
So even in a win when they should be celebrating,
you know, huge win over their arch rival, that may.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
Have been enough to push them into the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (14:59):
Rogers was talking about again taking.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
Another shot at the Akroscher Stadium turf.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
So you're right he had the right to be to
be cocky and to shoot off his mouth.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
And we'll see if he's able to do it again
after Monday night football.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
Mike is always great stuff. We'll do it again next week,
thanks so much.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
All right, sounds good, Thank you. Mark.
Speaker 6 (15:19):
That's Mike de.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
Fabo from the Athletic Calls on the fifteen so get
your calls in now.
Speaker 6 (15:22):
That's great stuff from the Fabo.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
But call now eight three three four one two w
xdx eight three three four one two w xdx. And
then we have Phil Bourd talking hockey at the bottom
of the hour here on the X.
Speaker 7 (15:37):
It's the dog mark with all the dogs there and
then people you see you don't really know because it's
the dog mark. It's the dog mark.
Speaker 6 (15:52):
Neil Mill.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
In the fifty ninth minute Liverpool almost benefited by an
inter own goal.
Speaker 6 (15:58):
Just now, uh.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
Calls on the fifteens. Now we got a call let's
go to Greg Greg real quick because it's a short segment.
Good afternoon, Good afternoon.
Speaker 8 (16:11):
Earlier, you were talking with Mike and you asked him
what the Steelers' identity is, and I personally think the
identity is an identity crisis. They don't have an offense,
they don't have a defense, and they certainly can't coach.
Speaker 4 (16:26):
I think their early solution at the moment is Boss.
Speaker 8 (16:29):
While they can depend on.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
Yeah, okay, the kicker is never a solution, and they
rely too much on him even if he is, as
I keep being told the best kicker in history, and
I think he's a bit overrated at that.
Speaker 6 (16:41):
Who'd he ever beat?
Speaker 1 (16:43):
But I wish they had a worst kicker and that
that would cause them to rely on kicking less, if
that makes any sense. But there's not one thing about
that offense. I like, Arthur Smith hasn't gotten grilled nearly enough.
I mean he's gotten grilled, but out of the Matt Canada,
there's not one thing about that offense.
Speaker 6 (17:02):
Like you tell me what about that offense is good?
Speaker 8 (17:06):
Nothing at the moment. I mean the fact that we
have to depend on a forty two year old quarterback
at this point and we have no rushing plan and
we have no throwing plan is just terrible at this moment.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
Yeah right, here's basically the offense in a nutshell. Bru
Roger's gonna go out there and think of something. You
gotta pull it together, whether it's Metcalf this week, the
timely pass another week running for a touchdown at Baltimore.
But other than that, who do they have that they
can rely on? There's literally nobody. They can't run the ball,
they don't have a number two receiver. The tight end
room has been mangled horribly outside of one vile Roman
(17:41):
for fatso it just you know, it's an awful offense.
It's an awfully run team. There's almost nothing about the Steelers.
I currently like, thank you for the call, and you
have there first in a division. We'll see how far
that gets them in.
Speaker 6 (18:01):
It almost broke through there but did not.
Speaker 4 (18:03):
Ha uh oh.
Speaker 6 (18:07):
The Notre Dame thing, it's funny.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
I don't feel like we're talking enough about the Notre
Dame thing or giving it like proper criticism, uh saying
with the pirates, like this pirate thing with Schwarber staying
with the Phillies and the pirates saying they almost got
them in the stooge media backing them up.
Speaker 6 (18:26):
I don't know. I don't know.
Speaker 1 (18:27):
I think I think there's stuff to talk about that
we don't talk about. And I don't know why, because
it's Steeler, steel Er Steelers, So actually I do know why.
By the way, Notre Dame is really mad at the ACC.
They're they're bitching because the ACC pushed Miami to make
the playoff and not Notre Dame. Well, of course, the
ACC pushed Miami over Notre Dame for one thing. Miami
(18:50):
beat Notre Dame. In Notre Dame complaining is like the
side chick complaining because the guy spends all the holidays
with the wife and kids. Of course he's going to
up next go to talk hockey with Phil Bork. Right now,
I want to talk about betparks on like casino in sportsbook.
(19:11):
Whether your team wins or not, there's always another way
to win with bet parks, odds, bet slots games. They're
all right in the palm of your hand. Whether it's
pro football, college football, any sport that's going on this
time of year. The betparks on, like casino and sports book,
has got you covered plus. Bet Wire is not live
right inside the bet Parks app. It's the all new
(19:32):
sports betting live feed with game picks from all across
the country. Scroll take a pick and get fired up
with bett Wire, the live sports betting content feed right
inside the bet Parks app. New users can get up
to one thousand dollars cash back. See beetparks dot com
for terms and conditions. You must be twenty one and
in PA, New Jersey or Maryland. You've got a gambling
(19:53):
problem called one eight hundred gambler. You love to play,
you play to win. You bet bet Parks. Philbour Cut in.
Speaker 9 (19:59):
New Tonight's the Penns square up against the Ducks. Game
time is seven. Our coverage starts at six here every
game and the best coverage right here on your home
of the Pens on five nine.
Speaker 10 (20:14):
D X.
Speaker 6 (20:17):
Is this season though. When you're in the mood for
holiday music, it's a super genius Mark Madden, He Mark you.
Speaker 9 (20:26):
Doing brother, Hey double them, Thanks for taking a call.
Speaker 6 (20:29):
It's the fast playing Grandma.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
I'm ready to go to Tim Horton for some fat
free donuts.
Speaker 6 (20:33):
D X at one five nine.
Speaker 7 (20:37):
It's the dog park with all the dogs there and
the people you see that you don't really know because
it's the dog Park. It's the dog Mark.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
Penguins hosting Anaheim tonight, joining me to discuss two time
Stanley Cup champion with the team. You see him on TV,
you hear him on radio. It's the old two nine
er philmor Barky.
Speaker 6 (21:02):
I'm surprised to.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
Realize the Penguins are only six four and two at home,
eight three and four on the road. What's gone wrong
at home? And what have they got to do to
kind of straighten that out?
Speaker 4 (21:13):
Good afteroon double m U. I don't think there's anything
you can just say, oh, it's this, or it's it's
that they've played the few amount of home games. Nobody's
played fewer in the National Hockey League. So there is that.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
You know, they've had a.
Speaker 4 (21:27):
Couple of sinkers on home ice, I mean, just to
be blunt about it. And you know there's something about
this team when they get on the road that they
play a simpler game, that they play a more calculated
game and a more predictable game to each other. So
there's that. I don't think they're they're trying to dress
and impress. I mean a lot of teams maybe are
(21:49):
guilty on home ice, are trying to do too much,
and you throw in the wild factor and and a
lot of times they overpass on home ice, trying to
go for that pretty backdoor tap in type of goal.
And I guess the Penguins have been guilty of that also.
But I really I can't think of one thing that
you can say, oh, it's this. But you know, after
all that being said, you've got a five game homestand
(22:11):
coming up here, Mark, with some huge points on the line.
And I'm sure you look at the Metropolitan Division like
I do. From second to the seventh, there's our eighth
I should say there's seven teams all separated by four points.
That's how tight it is right now. You can't go
on any kind of slide, and if you get hot
at all, then you're gonna be right up in the penthouse.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
I do feel good about the way they're playing right now.
I thought it was a good road trip. And we'll
talk about the Dallas game in the second. But how
they gonna get by without Gino?
Speaker 4 (22:42):
Well, you got big hazy Come on, Mark, No, I mean,
Kevin Hazes is gonna fill in the ring's gonna do
his absolute best, and you know, I wouldn't be surprised
if Sid's got another level. And we've seen this before
from Sid. As good as Sid's been all year, he's
done it in the past, and it doesn't have to
be one guy. But you know, I think that that
(23:03):
second line, that that Gino was on, that line with Brazo, UH,
and now with Hayes and Uh and Anthony Manta, I
think they gotta they gotta raise their game because you
know that second line without Brazol was it was mostly Geno, right,
Gino was the one really driving the bus offensively, UH,
And they got to get back to scoring again and
they can't. I talked to Justin Brazo this morning. He said,
(23:26):
you know, I understand that Kevin Hayes is not of
Guinea Malkin, but he does things similar to Gino as
far as a big man hangs on to pucks and
and he says, I can I can read off of
Kevin Hayes just as well as I can if Guiney Malkins.
So I'm looking for big things from that line. And
again this this team has got to get that consistent
(23:48):
second tier bottom six. What ever you want to call
it mark. That's scoring. Look how big that goal was
from Connor Doer the other night in Dallas. I mean,
you need you need more of that. And I'm not
saying they have to score every game, but a little
more consistent than they were in the month of November.
Speaker 1 (24:03):
Well, I'd like to see the kid line maybe assume
the second line minutes and get some more production from them.
And that's assuming a lot too, because they've not produced
a ton on even strength between the three of them.
Speaker 6 (24:13):
But I kind of like the way they've looked.
Speaker 4 (24:16):
No, you're right, they get us kind of jumping up
and down a little bit because you know, as far
as the eye test, you like what you see right
between mcrordy, Kindle and Covenan, and at the end of
the day, you kind of get to that point, Okay,
two to three, two three, four games, you guys work hard,
you look good. But at the end of the day, right,
we need some biscuits in the basket. And I think
they know that. I think I think they realize that
(24:39):
they're they're going to be counting on energy mentioned with
especially without Gino, that all hands on deck here as
far as guys chipping in offensively, and all three of
those guys can put the puck in the net. Cobnan,
I know he's only got one goal in what twenty
five games, but at the end of the day, he's
a guy that has a good shot, He's got the skills.
He should be able to score more. And the same
(25:00):
as Ruschki mcgrdy who hasn't found the back of the
net yet, so you know, and Kindle half of his
goals have been on the power play. So yeah, there's
enough skill on that line where they should be able
to chip in offensively a little bit more.
Speaker 1 (25:12):
I'm not outraged by Shiloffs being in goal tonight and
play in Jari. Maybe just disappointed from a fan standpoint
borking because Jari has been playing so well.
Speaker 4 (25:22):
He has, But the other side of it is Archer
Sheiloss has not played that much and I think it's
safe to say that he's lost a couple of mph
off of the fastball, and so this is a big
game for Archer Silos. He's going to get back on
that horse and get back to dominating, as well as
the Penguins playing better in front of him. He goes
hand in hand, but Archer Silos came out of the
(25:43):
gate so hot in the month of October, cooled off
in November, and then here we are flipping the calendar
to December where the Penguins are two ozho to one
after kind of a wonky November going four to five
and three. You want to see Archer Siloff's numbers dip
down also in November. You want to see him get
back on that horse and see a little more consistency
from him.
Speaker 6 (26:01):
So the big game for him tonight.
Speaker 1 (26:03):
You know, it's funny, borky. We hear about interested Edmonton
has in Tristan Jari, And before the season I would
have said, Okay, you got to make that move because
Morrishov's the future and Jari has two years left on
his deal after this. But the way he's playing and
the why and where the team is in the standings,
you really can't consider trading Jari right now.
Speaker 4 (26:21):
Can you make up your mind? Mark? What do you want?
Speaker 9 (26:25):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (26:25):
I mean back in October you wanted them dealt and
you were thinking, man, if he gets on a hot streak,
maybe we could deal Tristan. And now we're playing well
and you're.
Speaker 10 (26:33):
Thinking, oh, who whoa whoa whoa, whoa, we'll wear them
in here.
Speaker 4 (26:35):
Oh no, no, I want to keep him.
Speaker 10 (26:37):
Now make your decision.
Speaker 1 (26:38):
Okay, I will make the year. I will make my decision.
I want to trade him. But but but it's not
a vacuum in the locker room. Certainly isn't a vacuum.
Speaker 4 (26:47):
No, I get it, I get it. But yo, y'all bloom.
Chris is playing pretty good again down in Wilkesbury, and
I think the jury's still out on him. I think
you'll agree. I think Marishov, I think we're pretty sure
what we have there. Uh. And she has become a
little bit of a question mark here because, as I mentioned,
this month of November, uh, and not a ton of experience.
Speaker 10 (27:06):
So no, I get it, and.
Speaker 4 (27:07):
I'm busting your cahunes just a little bit here.
Speaker 6 (27:10):
But no, I don't. I don't believe because because I
can't make up my mind either.
Speaker 4 (27:14):
No, No, I can't. And if I said to you
back in October, I said, hey, Mark, what if what
if christ and Darry gets on a bit of a
heater and we roll into December, you know, and he's
got you know, he's top five in the NHL and wins.
What do you want to do.
Speaker 10 (27:26):
You wouldn't flinch. You'd say, let's move them, let's let's
move them, let's get something good for him, right, and well,
now you got what you wanted, and now you don't
want to move him. So that's what I'm saying, like,
make up your flip in mind, what do you want
to do with it?
Speaker 4 (27:39):
He's given you everything he has here and now and
now how everybody wants a hold on to him and
you're like, whoa, wha, wha, whoa wah, Wait a minute.
Speaker 10 (27:45):
He gives us our best chance to make the playoffs.
Speaker 4 (27:47):
So I get it, man. That's why, Uh, you know,
I don't think any of us want to sit in
that hot seat that Kyle Dubas uh, you know, resides
in day in and day out, because it's not that easy.
Because you're right, there's a motion involved, right, there's a
locker room involved, and so you know, at the end
of the day, I think we should all just sit
back and enjoy what Tristan Jarry's doing because it's pretty
(28:09):
pretty special what he's doing considering where he was last year,
sent down to Wilsbury twice. You know, he ends up,
you know, becoming a father in the springtime. Maybe that's
changed things a little bit for him in his perspective
on the life and life as an NHL goaltender. But
at the end of the day, let's just enjoy it
and let Kyle do. Butis worry about those tough decisions.
Speaker 6 (28:30):
Here's a tough decision too.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
The Penguins, I thought played great at Dallas, lost in
a shootout. That's oh and four and shootouts this year.
They've lost eight straight shootouts dating back to last year.
How do you fix that? Because this time it wasn't
on the goaltending Jari stopped two out of three.
Speaker 4 (28:45):
Yeah, eight straight and twelve of thirteen. And you go
with the same guys every single time. I'm gonna I'm
gonna walk on the tightrope here just a little bit
because I don't want this to sound like a negative
swipe to those guys. But it's the same guys and
they pretty much do the same thing every single time.
It's so predictable. It's mind numbing to me. Go with
(29:05):
different guys, Go with different guys. Find out what Billy
Corgnan's numbers were in the American hockey They were pretty good.
Speaker 6 (29:13):
They were pretty good.
Speaker 4 (29:15):
Okay, partner that I'm with you, put number forty one
number one, put them in their number one shooter. Change
it up and practice it more. You should practice it
every day. You've lost eighth straight, twelve or thirteen in shootouts.
With that kind of talent on the ice, it's it's unbelievable.
And it's a huge reason why the Penguins missed the playoffs.
(29:35):
Not so much last year because it was double digits,
but the two previous.
Speaker 10 (29:39):
Years it was a huge reason.
Speaker 4 (29:40):
Because this has become a three year now a four
year problem for the Penguins, and it was a huge
reason two years ago and three years ago why the
Penguins missed the playoffs by such a short margin.
Speaker 1 (29:51):
Fort Here's a weird stat. The Penguins lead the league
in power play conversion. They're lasting the league in power
play opportunities. Why are they getting so few opportunities?
Speaker 4 (30:06):
I think it's twofold number one. They suck at diving, okay,
and I'm I'm pretty much serious about that. Yeah, there's
an art to embellishing and doing it in a very
smart way where you don't embarrass the rest and you
don't get an embellishment. Call number one. Number two. I
(30:26):
don't know. Again, choose my words carefully here. I don't
know if they go about their business and smoothing the
referees in a very professional way. I mean I I
had so much nervous energy when I played. I'd always
be talking to the rest because they're the only ones
that really would talk to me back, you know, And
I would and and when I needed a call and
(30:46):
I needed to dive, mark and embellish, I get that call.
So get form a better relationship with the referees. Number
two and number three. Just put yourself in a better
position to draw those calls. I mean, you know, take
it to the net, moral, all the little things, you know,
when you're killing the penalty. Put yourself in a better
position to feel a little tug and stuff like that
to get those calls. So I think they just need
(31:07):
to go about their business a little bit different and
finding a way and have it a little bit closer
to the front of the brain of driving to the
net knowing you're probably not going to score. But I'm
gonna drive to the net here because I'm pretty sure
I can. I can get the call and put my team.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
On the power play by and we talked about the
kid line briefly early. What do you think the Rutger
McGroarty individually. We've not yet brought.
Speaker 6 (31:29):
Him up this year.
Speaker 4 (31:31):
Player a person, a player.
Speaker 6 (31:33):
He's a great guy, talks a lot, but I like that.
Speaker 4 (31:35):
Yeah, yeah, same No, great guy and uh he just
you know, Mark keep being around enough players. Usually when
thirty seconds after talking to a guy, you know, even
though if he's full of BS, or if he's a fraud,
or if he's the real deal record McGarty's the real deal,
you can just look into his eyes and go, this guy,
this guy gets it. He gets that air quotes. Is
(31:56):
it okay? So that's that's as far as the person.
As far as the player, I like him a lot.
I love that he worked on this skating last year
and in the short time what two or three months
time in Wilsbury, he picked up at least half a step.
I mean that's remarkable that hardly ever happens. So he
identified what might be a weakness at the NHL level
(32:16):
and he corrected it. I think he's got a ton
of talent, but I think it's more of like Patrick Hornquist,
you know, greasy dirty, go to the net.
Speaker 6 (32:25):
Type of goals.
Speaker 4 (32:26):
I don't think he's a dangler in any way, shape
or form that He's got to find a better way
to the giving goes and those plays around the net
where you get the deflections and the rebounds, more of
those type of goals.
Speaker 1 (32:38):
Boorky, what do you make Anaheim? I thought they'd be better.
I didn't think they'd be a top the Pacific. I
don't like him in the back. I love him up front.
They're an interesting team, aren't they.
Speaker 4 (32:48):
They are kind of you know, the way the Penguins
are incredibly entertaining right now, win or lose. They entertained
the pants off of you. And I think Anaheim's that
way too, because they got a bunch of young players
that are just they're just fun. Mark, They're just fun
to watch. I mean this Leo Carlson, who a couple
of years ago, you remember Anaheim was doing the whole
load management with him where they were holding them out
(33:11):
of games because he was eighteen years old, like Ben Kendall. Well,
look at how well it has worked for Leo Carlson.
I mean, they got this Beckett Seneca is just a
nineteen year old kid. He was taking third overall two
years ago. And then they got you know, Truba, and
they got you know, guys like that Crider, like older
players that are are good in the locker room and
(33:31):
good around those kids. And Rad cool Goodis is their captain,
the butcher, you know. So they've got some characters with character,
and they play a certain style and under you know
Joe Quinville coach Q back in the league. They have
a different swagger and a different belief and they're playing
running gun because they give up a ton mark but
they score a ton because only the Colorado Avalanche have
(33:52):
scored more goals than the Anaheim Ducks. And they're number
one in their division and they're making a big push
to make the playoffs, which would be believable. It's not
supposed to turn around as quick as it has. But
here's the last thing I'll tell you is it's it's
tough to see the ana High Ducks without Johnny Gibson
in the net, right we just expect him to be in.
And now that Dustall is their number one, he's not
(34:14):
even gonna be in. He's hurt right now. We're gonna
get Jillie Husso tonight. It's just a fun team to watch,
so if you're on defensive, I'll come into the game tonight,
come down, just because you will be entertained more than
anything else you're gonna watch.
Speaker 2 (34:26):
On TV tonight.
Speaker 6 (34:26):
I said that earlier, Borkie.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
The Penguins, the way they've played, and not least on
this road trip, they merit your attendance tonight.
Speaker 6 (34:32):
Good stuff, Borkie. I'll see at the rink.
Speaker 4 (34:35):
You at the rink, enjoy the double good hockey talk.
Speaker 1 (34:37):
That's the two nineer Phil bork Check him out tonight
radio TV.
Speaker 6 (34:41):
He does it all. But now it's time to ask
Mark Anything.
Speaker 1 (34:45):
Uh eight three three four one two w xdx conn
out eight three three four one two w xdx, or
you can leave a talk back via the microphone icon
at the iHeartMedia app Ask Mark Anything A three three
four one two wxdx.
Speaker 7 (35:01):
It's time to submit your questions for Ask Mark Anything.
Speaker 2 (35:05):
Use your free iHeartRadio app and sap the microphone icon
to send your questions to the super genius instantly.
Speaker 6 (35:14):
Kids Travis.
Speaker 1 (35:15):
Every weekday at ten am, always a solid time starting
your workday.
Speaker 6 (35:19):
Commercial freight on one DX.
Speaker 2 (35:22):
What do you want? What do you want? Damn it
DX at one five nine.
Speaker 7 (35:28):
It's a dog part with all the dogs there and
the people. You say that you don't really know because
it's the dog park. It's a dog part.
Speaker 1 (35:43):
Okay, it's it's one Neill Liverpool in injury time. I
don't know how much stoppage time left. Saba's last scored
on a penalty in the eighty eighth minute. Very exciting,
which is more than I can say with this show.
This show has been like kind of dead for better
or worse. But I don't blame that on me. I
blame that on you. Uh, I'm not as mark anything
(36:03):
brought to us by People's Natural Gas Peoples and Essensial
Utilities Company, Safe Reliable natural Gas Energy. I don't know
what to bring up that people want to talk about it.
I want to thought the Schwarber contract, the Phillies signing
him that after the fact upping the ante on the
con by the Pirates. The offer to schwarberd was originally
(36:25):
reported as four years one hundred plus million, and since
that has been upgraded to four years one hundred and
twenty million, which means the offer was twenty percent less
than the Phillies. But it just happens to be the
same annual average value at thirty million.
Speaker 6 (36:42):
And I don't believe the Pirates offered that.
Speaker 1 (36:44):
For second, I believe that was upped afterwards to make
it look like they just missed. I don't think missing
by twenty percent is just missing by any means. But hey,
the Pirates are a con and they get support from
the media when it comes to stuff like this.
Speaker 6 (37:03):
Are they lying, I'm assuming yeah, because they always have.
Speaker 1 (37:06):
I'm assuming the offer was probably it was originally reported
as four years, one hundred and million plus.
Speaker 6 (37:13):
Maybe it's one hundred and one.
Speaker 1 (37:14):
I mean, I don't know, but they never had a
chance to get him, as the point, never had a
chance to get him. And then you have the Kettle
Marte thing where the Pirates were supposedly trying to trade
with Arizona for him. But he has the Pirates as
one of the teams on his no trade list, and
he said no good players aren't suddenly out of the
(37:34):
clear blue sky. We're gonna want to come to Pirates.
Just not how that's gonna work. All right, let's take
a talk back.
Speaker 6 (37:42):
What are the odds that this year in the NFL
postseason that it's Steelers, Colts and it's Aaron Rodgers versus
Philip Rivers. That would be pretty good.
Speaker 1 (37:58):
Philip Rivers did get so today that the Colts practice squad,
and it's hard to imagine he won't be active.
Speaker 6 (38:04):
I mean they have like oh boy sought wide thank Christ.
Speaker 3 (38:10):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (38:11):
I mean the Colts. They have their rookie quarterback banged up.
I mean, How's River is not going to be in uniform.
So it's a crazy story. But I don't think and
he's going to make the playoffs. I think they've started
to fade, and now Danny Dimes is hurt and I
just think they're done. So. Plus Jacksonville and Houston have
(38:33):
both come on in that division. Uh okay, let's take
another talkback.
Speaker 6 (38:39):
Hey, Mark Jake from Raleigh.
Speaker 4 (38:41):
Hey, is your friend Chris Jericho gonna be?
Speaker 3 (38:43):
Uh?
Speaker 9 (38:43):
I guess the last entrance to the Royal Rummel this year?
Speaker 2 (38:46):
What have you hurt?
Speaker 4 (38:47):
Tell us?
Speaker 7 (38:47):
Thanks?
Speaker 1 (38:49):
I haven't talked to Chris about his professional future. It
certainly assumed now that his AW contract is either up
or nearing completion, that he's going to go back to
WW for one final run.
Speaker 6 (39:00):
And I think he should do that.
Speaker 1 (39:01):
I think he deserves that, and I think they will
benefit by two at WB.
Speaker 6 (39:05):
But as far as him being the.
Speaker 1 (39:07):
Surprise entrant in the royal rumble to bring him back again,
that one shocked me. But it is so cliched, and
Chris isn't exactly a guy who's ever gone to cliched route,
and you know not that he would have final say
and creative if he goes back to WB. But I
(39:27):
would think he would want better and more unusual than that.
Maybe not, though maybe that's what he would want.
Speaker 6 (39:34):
I don't know. Let's go to a talkback.
Speaker 3 (39:38):
Hey, double M just curious here, what was the best
Christmas gift you've ever received?
Speaker 2 (39:45):
Most memorable?
Speaker 3 (39:47):
And what was the best Christmas gift you've ever given someone? Boy?
Speaker 6 (39:53):
As far as what I gave, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (39:56):
I mean I should remember that because it's better to
give than to receive, But I I don't remember the
best Christmas trip I ever got. That's easy. I post
the blog about it every year. In nineteen seventy, I
was nine, and I had really, in the last year
or so, become a real, you know, sports card kid
with baseball cards and hockey cards, and it was really
(40:16):
hard to get hockey cards. And then tops hockey cards.
There weren't many places that sold them, and there was
a place on Troy Hill that I think just closed recently.
It was opened for NonStop for over fifty years, Victoria's Dairy.
And I went up.
Speaker 6 (40:33):
To Victoria's because they were the had hockey cards.
Speaker 1 (40:35):
But they only got one box and it was already
sold out, so they were getting another box. The next week,
I went in and it was already sold out again.
I was like crying because I was a baby and
I really want to get these hockey cards. Then when
I got up on Christmas morning, I went under the
(40:56):
tree and there were two wrapped boxes and it turned
out it was both boxes hockey carts.
Speaker 6 (41:03):
My mom got them for me.
Speaker 1 (41:04):
She had beat me to Victoria's Dairy, and Victoria's cooperated
with her, so there you go. But but yeah, that
was the best Christmas gift I ever got. I post
the blog about that every year. I will never forget that.
I get a little teared up just now thinking about it.
Best best Christmas gift ever, best Christmas I ever had.
Nine years old turned ten four days after that. Okay,
(41:27):
let's get your calls in now eight three, three, four,
one two wxdx A three three four one two w
xdx as mark ennything brought to us by People's Natural Gas,
People's and Essential Utilities Company Safe Reliable Natural Gas Energy
People's hyphengas dot com.
Speaker 6 (41:46):
Do I have a list that I make a list?
Speaker 1 (41:49):
If I did, I should probably check it twice.
Speaker 6 (41:52):
Get it? Where the hell is it?
Speaker 1 (41:56):
Oh?
Speaker 6 (41:56):
Here?
Speaker 1 (41:56):
It is good, and we're we're just ticking away the
last couple seconds the palindrome with kind of a breakaway
besides to eat the ball instead and turns it over
inexplicably interco god, here they come.
Speaker 6 (42:13):
Blow the whistle. Blow the whistle. You blow the whistle.
One nil over in or yes one o five nine
the x
Time to talk Steelers with our man at the Athletic
He is Mike de Fabo. Mike beating Baltimore has restored
the narrative, Hasn't it all as well? To quote Kevin
Bacon in Animal House, Well, I don't know about.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
All as well.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
I think all is the same as it is, and
the same as it's always been, and the same as
it's going to be. If you thought that the Steelers
were going to go nine to eight or ten and
seven and probably have a hard time winning a playoff game,
probably keep Mike Tomlin, then yeah, I think that all
is well. If you think that the Steelers are going
to do something different, if they're going to get over
(00:37):
the hump and win a playoff game, if they're going
to prove that they belong among the contenders and.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
THEYFC, I don't think that all is so well. It
sure seems like while the.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Steelers now are on the right path to make the
playoffs and on the right path to win the division,
I don't know that they fundamentally change anything about the
direction of their franchise.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
No.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
I think they're projects of how bad the division is
and how disappoint Baltimore has been not least this best Sunday,
But this game Monday Night's tricky, isn't it, Mike, Miami
seems a trap game. Four straight wins for the Dolphins
and they can definitely run the ball with the A train.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
Yeah, I think that this could be a bad matchup
for the Steelers. So you look at since Week ten,
the Miami Dolphins have been the best running team in
the NFL. They're averaging one hundred and ninety two rushing
yards per game over that same span, no team has
allowed more rushing yards per game defensively than the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
So the same Pittsburgh Steelers that had a hard time
handling the running game with James Cook and the.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
Buffalo Bills, the same Steelers that had a hard time
containing Derrick Henry and the Ravens rushing attack.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Now we're gonna see if the Steelers can do any
better against the Dolphins.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
And I think that that's gonna be one of the
keys of the game going into this one is just
is there going to be any type of a difference
against a pretty good running attack that's doing it currently
better than anybody else.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
And it's also worth noting that during this four game
winning streak. The Dolphins defense has been impenetrable, and while
the Steelers got a lot of breaks at enough points
to win against Baltimore, I'm not sure their offense was
very good beyond Rogers the Metcalf.
Speaker 5 (02:14):
Yeah, That's what I'm curious, is like, are they going
to be able to replicate this because for so much
of the season we've been kind of clamoring for them
to attack deep downfield a little bit more, And finally
they did it, you know, four for four on.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Passes that traveled twenty plus yards.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
In the air, and coming into that game, Aaron Rodgers
had completed just seven passes all season that had traveled
twenty plus yards in the air.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
And so, you know, I'm doing a story for the
Athletic tomorrow looking into how they get it.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
A big part of that was that they put the
Ravens in situations when they knew that they were going
to get man coverage. They knew that they could dictate
based on personnel groupings, based on formations, based on.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Preset motions and shifts. They could get the Ravens into.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
Man vere that was going to leave DK Metcalf one
on one and to Metcalf's credit.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
He was able to win in those situations.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
He really showed up when they needed him, and Aaron
Rodgers showed up when they needed him.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
And for Aaron Rodgers, I think that it was a major.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
Bounce back performance because he had had three really poor
outings and you were starting to wonder. You know, it's
kind of shades of Russell Wilson at the end or
Ben Roethlisberger at.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
The end of seasons that we've seen in the past.
So it reminds me of like that country song where
it says, I'm not as good as I once one was,
but I'm as good once as I ever was. That's
kind of what you're betting on with the Steelers. If
you want to be an optimist.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
Right now, can you get Aaron Rodgers' best or Aaron
rodgers best currently at forty one years old when you
need it most?
Speaker 2 (03:48):
And I think that that's.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Really what their hopes of when the playoff game are
tied to directly and winning big games in general. Are
you going to get that good Aaron Rodgers performance that
we've seen a couple times this year, or are you
going to get the down performance that we've seen you know,
probably about the same number of times.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
I agree, but he's forty two, Mike, that's two full
years younger than Philip Rivers, but certainly older than everybody else.
And sticking with that Baltimore game, I know deserves a
funny word, but that the Steelers deserve.
Speaker 6 (04:17):
To win that game.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
They got out gained by one hundred yards, only had
the ball for twenty six minutes, and got every big call.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
Yeah, you know afterwards, like you had players like DK
Metcalf saying the better team won and kind of talking
their trash after they won. And I think that's what
you're getting that mark, Like, really everything that was fifty
to fifty went in.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
The Steelers way. They were very fortunate. If if the
Isaiah likely non touchdown had.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Happened to the Pittsburgh Steelers right now and they had
lost that game, people would be in an outrage and
saying that the refs had stolen the game from the Steelers.
You know, that call went in the Steelers favor. The
simultaneous possession where Aaron Rodgers may or may not.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Have been accept it, that went in the Steelers favor.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
The running into the long snapper call, which was kind
of tiki tack that went into Steelers favor.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
So I agree with you. I was sitting there and
I had two versions of the story written to publish immediately.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
One of them was for the fifth consecutive or for
the fifth time the season, the Steelers have blown a
pretty hefty halftime lead, and they were one or two
inches or one or two questionable calls away from doing
it again.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
We're talking to Mike, the favor of the athletic. He's
brought to us by Armstrong the Internet. You kind of
on the people you trust Armstrong one Wired dot com.
Why can't the Steelers run the ball, Mike, That's supposed
to be part of their identity.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
It's a great question, because it absolutely is. You know,
when they hired Arthur Smith, the reason why they brought
him in was because he had this history, or at
least reputation.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Of coordinating effective running attacks. And last year, in his
first year, they ran the ball a lot, but they
didn't run the ball well at all. There's two very
different things there.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
They were near the top of the league in attempts,
near the bottom of the league in yards per carry.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
This year they're not running the ball very much and
they're not running the ball well at all.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
And I think it's a problem because you know, part
of the whole formula was supposed to be that, you know,
Aaron Rodgers might not be what he once was, but
they wouldn't need him to be if they had this
great defense and effective running game. Where's the defense and
where's the running game?
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Because it's just not there.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
And I'm afraid that if this is going to be
your current formula, then you're expecting a lot out of
Aaron Rodgers and I think you're expecting more.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Than Aaron Rodgers can provide you on a week to
week basis. And there's really not a good excuse for it.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
And I think that Arthur Smith should be facing a
lot of criticism for this because you give this guy
who has a reputation of running the football two first
round offensive picks, a tackle, a second round pick at center,
and you know a running back that seems to fit
his skill set in Cale Johnson, a third round pick, Like,
(07:00):
what more could you possibly.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Need to run the ball effectively? Yet they just cannot.
And so to me, that has to.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
Fall squarely on the shoulders of coaching, not only Arthur Smith,
but also the offensive line coach Pat Meyer.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
Flip side of that, Mike, why can't the Steelers stop
the run that's also supposed to be part of their identity.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Yeah, no, I agree with you. I think that.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
I think, honestly, they need to get bigger, and they
need to get tougher, and they need to get younger.
And they did take one step in that right direction
with Derek Harmon, and the stats are striking when he
plays versus when he does not play.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
It's basically one hundred yards per game difference in terms of.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
What the Steelers are allowing on the ground. And so
I think that it's just going to take repeated drafts
to address that. They're going to have to replace Cam Hayward.
You know, Keanu Benton, I think they expected him to
be dominant or very good at this.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
Point, and I think that he's you know, he's been
up and down. He's been good in some games and
not as much in others.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
And then in terms of their inside linebackers, as much
as I am a fan of Peyton Wilson, and I
think that he has a role within the team, and
even he did some unique things, he represented a strong
safety at times in that game, which.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
Shows his unique skill set. When you put him in
the box, and you put him in the game.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
In a rundown situation, there's times when he's getting out
physical and so I think that you add it up
and all of those components are adding up to a
really inconsistent defense.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
Stopping the run.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
And when you can't stop the run, you've got major
problems this time of year.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Is the secondary playing well or is it just hanging
by a thread. I do give Pierre in Eccles credit
because I think if not for them, and they want
kind of on to do as much as they've been
required Mike, if not for them, that secondary'd be just
really bad.
Speaker 4 (08:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
I mean they've given up a lot of passing yards
this year. I mean the defense as a whole I
think has willfully underperformed expectations. But like I agree with you,
I think that it's weird because James Pierre is deserves
credit for sure.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
I mean for him to have an interception. He's a
very ball aware.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
Defensive back and fits into I guess what they're looking for,
which is the type of player that can produce splash,
which has been such a key part of what this
defense has.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
Done when they've been able to get off of the field.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
But in general, this is nowhere what like what the
secondary was supposed to be. And it's another reason why
they're sitting at nine and eight or they're headed towards
nine and eight instead of being a team that can
legitimately be part of the conversation in a very weak AFC.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
I want to get back to Arthur Smith for a second,
because Mike, I wholeheartily agree with you. I think he
should be under a lot more fire than he is.
I think his offense stinks. There's not one thing it
does besides Rogers to Metcalf, and that's only occasionally that
adds up. You don't get the disuse of Friarmouth and
Smith No. Number two receivers emerged. That offense just does
(10:05):
almost nothing for me.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
Yeah, no, I agree, and I think that the That
was one of my big complaints last week and I
wrote about it in The Athletic, and I asked.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
Arthur Smith point blank to his face.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
Are Pat Fryarmouth and John new Smith redundant in the
same offense?
Speaker 2 (10:22):
And the truth is yes. The answer is yes, because
you're paying.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
Both of those guys like their top ten players at
their position, but you know, for most of the season
they've used Pat Fryarmouth like he's the third best tight
end on their own roster. And you know, a couple
of weeks ago, we had this discussion about George Pickens
and what would have happened if George Pickens had stayed
in Pittsburgh, And you made the good point, Mark, that
he wouldn't be putting up these kind of numbers to
(10:47):
support your argument there, Mark, Jake Ferguson plays for the
Dallas Cowboys. He makes the same amount as John EU
and Pat Fryarmouth, but he has put up better numbers
in every single area than past and John U combined. Okay,
So if Arthur Smith the tight end guy, can't get
(11:08):
John new his guy or Pat Fryarmuth, another talented tight
end the kind of targets that would justify.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
Paying them the money that they were right, then what makes.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
You think that he would be able to suddenly get
a second receiver involved and justify that kind of roster construction.
So I just don't understand it, Like Arthur's supposed to
be a running game guy and a tight end guy,
but they can't run the football and they can't get
the ball to their tight ends.
Speaker 6 (11:36):
Yeah, Aim and all that.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
And I want to bring up Washington too because I
hope he's not gonn cuss too severely. But I think
it might be a good thing if he didn't play.
I think he's just an overrated fat kid that they're
enamored with because he's a novelty. He had the one
viral moment when he ran guys over and I would
just so much rather have Friar Muth in there.
Speaker 3 (11:58):
I mean, I was a good player, and he's unique,
and if you use him correctly, then yeah, he can
be this versatile Swiss army knife that kind of makes
the defense wrong no matter.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
What they do. But he was that coming out of Georgia.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
You know, when Andy Wada was sitting up there after
the draft, he was talking about all these different ways
that Darnell.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
Washington could be used. Now it's taking three years for for.
Speaker 3 (12:23):
Arthur Smith and for the Steelers offense to finally figure
it out. And truthfully, the only reason why they're even
throwing to Darnell is because finally Aaron.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
Rodgers realized what kind of a weapon he was. So
it took Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker 3 (12:33):
Coming in and basically, you know, beating the Steelers over
the head with it and saying I can get this
guy the football for.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
Them to use him. But you know, another another thing
that's frustrated.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
Me mark about the way that they've used their players
and their their player usage, their talent evaluation has been
the whole Roman Wilson situation, because this offseason, you know,
we sat there with with Omar car and we were
saying like, hey.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
Man, this looks like last year.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
This looks like you've got one really good, legitimate number
one receiver and then a huge gap in everybody else.
In his comments, direct quote was it's very different. It's
not even close to being like last year. And the
reason for why he believed that was because he said, well,
Roman Wilson is developing.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
And he said we've got Robert Woods.
Speaker 3 (13:24):
Was part of his explanation for why the wide receiver
room would be God Robert Robert Woods didn't make the
team and Roman Wilson can't get on the football.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
Field in the biggest game of the season, a must
win situation.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
This comes a week after they made Darius Slay a
healthy scratch, and then he asked out the guy that
they believed was going to be able to lock down
anybody in man coverage. That tells you why this team
is where it is because their talent evaluation for Slay
and Roman Wilson was so poor, and then their player
development for a young guy like Roman Wilson and Caleb
(14:00):
Johnson has been so poor. That's that's why I think
that they're so stuck where they are is because they're
acquiring players that Mike Tomlin has had crushes on forever,
like Darius Slay, Jalen Ramsey, and then these young guys
that they're bringing in, they're not developing them properly enough
that you can actually like move forward and improve your
(14:21):
roster with players that you have drafted and developed.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
Finally, Mike, Aaron Rodgers played real good against Baltimore, and
I know he felt good at there, and I know
that because he started shooting his mouth off after.
Speaker 6 (14:34):
That's the Aaron Rodgers I've been waiting for.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Yeah, I think that maybe that was one of the underrated.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
Funniest parts was he was asked why he felt so
good and he said, well, maybe it was.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
Because I woke up and knew I got to play
on this great natural grass.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
So even in a win when they should be celebrating,
you know, huge win over their arch rival, that may.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
Have been enough to push them into the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (14:59):
Rogers was talking about again taking.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
Another shot at the Akroscher Stadium turf.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
So you're right he had the right to be to
be cocky and to shoot off his mouth.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
And we'll see if he's able to do it again
after Monday night football.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
Mike is always great stuff. We'll do it again next week,
thanks so much.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
All right, sounds good, Thank you. Mark.
Speaker 6 (15:19):
That's Mike de.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
Fabo from the Athletic Calls on the fifteen so get
your calls in now.
Speaker 6 (15:22):
That's great stuff from the Fabo.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
But call now eight three three four one two w
xdx eight three three four one two w xdx. And
then we have Phil Bourd talking hockey at the bottom
of the hour here on the X.
Speaker 7 (15:37):
It's the dog mark with all the dogs there and
then people you see you don't really know because it's
the dog mark. It's the dog mark.
Speaker 6 (15:52):
Neil Mill.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
In the fifty ninth minute Liverpool almost benefited by an
inter own goal.
Speaker 6 (15:58):
Just now, uh.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
Calls on the fifteens. Now we got a call let's
go to Greg Greg real quick because it's a short segment.
Good afternoon, Good afternoon.
Speaker 8 (16:11):
Earlier, you were talking with Mike and you asked him
what the Steelers' identity is, and I personally think the
identity is an identity crisis. They don't have an offense,
they don't have a defense, and they certainly can't coach.
Speaker 4 (16:26):
I think their early solution at the moment is Boss.
Speaker 8 (16:29):
While they can depend on.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
Yeah, okay, the kicker is never a solution, and they
rely too much on him even if he is, as
I keep being told the best kicker in history, and
I think he's a bit overrated at that.
Speaker 6 (16:41):
Who'd he ever beat?
Speaker 1 (16:43):
But I wish they had a worst kicker and that
that would cause them to rely on kicking less, if
that makes any sense. But there's not one thing about
that offense. I like, Arthur Smith hasn't gotten grilled nearly enough.
I mean he's gotten grilled, but out of the Matt Canada,
there's not one thing about that offense.
Speaker 6 (17:02):
Like you tell me what about that offense is good?
Speaker 8 (17:06):
Nothing at the moment. I mean the fact that we
have to depend on a forty two year old quarterback
at this point and we have no rushing plan and
we have no throwing plan is just terrible at this moment.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
Yeah right, here's basically the offense in a nutshell. Bru
Roger's gonna go out there and think of something. You
gotta pull it together, whether it's Metcalf this week, the
timely pass another week running for a touchdown at Baltimore.
But other than that, who do they have that they
can rely on? There's literally nobody. They can't run the ball,
they don't have a number two receiver. The tight end
room has been mangled horribly outside of one vile Roman
(17:41):
for fatso it just you know, it's an awful offense.
It's an awfully run team. There's almost nothing about the Steelers.
I currently like, thank you for the call, and you
have there first in a division. We'll see how far
that gets them in.
Speaker 6 (18:01):
It almost broke through there but did not.
Speaker 4 (18:03):
Ha uh oh.
Speaker 6 (18:07):
The Notre Dame thing, it's funny.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
I don't feel like we're talking enough about the Notre
Dame thing or giving it like proper criticism, uh saying
with the pirates, like this pirate thing with Schwarber staying
with the Phillies and the pirates saying they almost got
them in the stooge media backing them up.
Speaker 6 (18:26):
I don't know. I don't know.
Speaker 1 (18:27):
I think I think there's stuff to talk about that
we don't talk about. And I don't know why, because
it's Steeler, steel Er Steelers, So actually I do know why.
By the way, Notre Dame is really mad at the ACC.
They're they're bitching because the ACC pushed Miami to make
the playoff and not Notre Dame. Well, of course, the
ACC pushed Miami over Notre Dame for one thing. Miami
(18:50):
beat Notre Dame. In Notre Dame complaining is like the
side chick complaining because the guy spends all the holidays
with the wife and kids. Of course he's going to
up next go to talk hockey with Phil Bork. Right now,
I want to talk about betparks on like casino in sportsbook.
(19:11):
Whether your team wins or not, there's always another way
to win with bet parks, odds, bet slots games. They're
all right in the palm of your hand. Whether it's
pro football, college football, any sport that's going on this
time of year. The betparks on, like casino and sports book,
has got you covered plus. Bet Wire is not live
right inside the bet Parks app. It's the all new
(19:32):
sports betting live feed with game picks from all across
the country. Scroll take a pick and get fired up
with bett Wire, the live sports betting content feed right
inside the bet Parks app. New users can get up
to one thousand dollars cash back. See beetparks dot com
for terms and conditions. You must be twenty one and
in PA, New Jersey or Maryland. You've got a gambling
(19:53):
problem called one eight hundred gambler. You love to play,
you play to win. You bet bet Parks. Philbour Cut in.
Speaker 9 (19:59):
New Tonight's the Penns square up against the Ducks. Game
time is seven. Our coverage starts at six here every
game and the best coverage right here on your home
of the Pens on five nine.
Speaker 10 (20:14):
D X.
Speaker 6 (20:17):
Is this season though. When you're in the mood for
holiday music, it's a super genius Mark Madden, He Mark you.
Speaker 9 (20:26):
Doing brother, Hey double them, Thanks for taking a call.
Speaker 6 (20:29):
It's the fast playing Grandma.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
I'm ready to go to Tim Horton for some fat
free donuts.
Speaker 6 (20:33):
D X at one five nine.
Speaker 7 (20:37):
It's the dog park with all the dogs there and
the people you see that you don't really know because
it's the dog Park. It's the dog Mark.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
Penguins hosting Anaheim tonight, joining me to discuss two time
Stanley Cup champion with the team. You see him on TV,
you hear him on radio. It's the old two nine
er philmor Barky.
Speaker 6 (21:02):
I'm surprised to.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
Realize the Penguins are only six four and two at home,
eight three and four on the road. What's gone wrong
at home? And what have they got to do to
kind of straighten that out?
Speaker 4 (21:13):
Good afteroon double m U. I don't think there's anything
you can just say, oh, it's this, or it's it's
that they've played the few amount of home games. Nobody's
played fewer in the National Hockey League. So there is that.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
You know, they've had a.
Speaker 4 (21:27):
Couple of sinkers on home ice, I mean, just to
be blunt about it. And you know there's something about
this team when they get on the road that they
play a simpler game, that they play a more calculated
game and a more predictable game to each other. So
there's that. I don't think they're they're trying to dress
and impress. I mean a lot of teams maybe are
(21:49):
guilty on home ice, are trying to do too much,
and you throw in the wild factor and and a
lot of times they overpass on home ice, trying to
go for that pretty backdoor tap in type of goal.
And I guess the Penguins have been guilty of that also.
But I really I can't think of one thing that
you can say, oh, it's this. But you know, after
all that being said, you've got a five game homestand
(22:11):
coming up here, Mark, with some huge points on the line.
And I'm sure you look at the Metropolitan Division like
I do. From second to the seventh, there's our eighth
I should say there's seven teams all separated by four points.
That's how tight it is right now. You can't go
on any kind of slide, and if you get hot
at all, then you're gonna be right up in the penthouse.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
I do feel good about the way they're playing right now.
I thought it was a good road trip. And we'll
talk about the Dallas game in the second. But how
they gonna get by without Gino?
Speaker 4 (22:42):
Well, you got big hazy Come on, Mark, No, I mean,
Kevin Hazes is gonna fill in the ring's gonna do
his absolute best, and you know, I wouldn't be surprised
if Sid's got another level. And we've seen this before
from Sid. As good as Sid's been all year, he's
done it in the past, and it doesn't have to
be one guy. But you know, I think that that
(23:03):
second line, that that Gino was on, that line with Brazo, UH,
and now with Hayes and Uh and Anthony Manta, I
think they gotta they gotta raise their game because you
know that second line without Brazol was it was mostly Geno, right,
Gino was the one really driving the bus offensively, UH,
And they got to get back to scoring again and
they can't. I talked to Justin Brazo this morning. He said,
(23:26):
you know, I understand that Kevin Hayes is not of
Guinea Malkin, but he does things similar to Gino as
far as a big man hangs on to pucks and
and he says, I can I can read off of
Kevin Hayes just as well as I can if Guiney Malkins.
So I'm looking for big things from that line. And
again this this team has got to get that consistent
(23:48):
second tier bottom six. What ever you want to call
it mark. That's scoring. Look how big that goal was
from Connor Doer the other night in Dallas. I mean,
you need you need more of that. And I'm not
saying they have to score every game, but a little
more consistent than they were in the month of November.
Speaker 1 (24:03):
Well, I'd like to see the kid line maybe assume
the second line minutes and get some more production from them.
And that's assuming a lot too, because they've not produced
a ton on even strength between the three of them.
Speaker 6 (24:13):
But I kind of like the way they've looked.
Speaker 4 (24:16):
No, you're right, they get us kind of jumping up
and down a little bit because you know, as far
as the eye test, you like what you see right
between mcrordy, Kindle and Covenan, and at the end of
the day, you kind of get to that point, Okay,
two to three, two three, four games, you guys work hard,
you look good. But at the end of the day, right,
we need some biscuits in the basket. And I think
they know that. I think I think they realize that
(24:39):
they're they're going to be counting on energy mentioned with
especially without Gino, that all hands on deck here as
far as guys chipping in offensively, and all three of
those guys can put the puck in the net. Cobnan,
I know he's only got one goal in what twenty
five games, but at the end of the day, he's
a guy that has a good shot, He's got the skills.
He should be able to score more. And the same
(25:00):
as Ruschki mcgrdy who hasn't found the back of the
net yet, so you know, and Kindle half of his
goals have been on the power play. So yeah, there's
enough skill on that line where they should be able
to chip in offensively a little bit more.
Speaker 1 (25:12):
I'm not outraged by Shiloffs being in goal tonight and
play in Jari. Maybe just disappointed from a fan standpoint
borking because Jari has been playing so well.
Speaker 4 (25:22):
He has, But the other side of it is Archer
Sheiloss has not played that much and I think it's
safe to say that he's lost a couple of mph
off of the fastball, and so this is a big
game for Archer Silos. He's going to get back on
that horse and get back to dominating, as well as
the Penguins playing better in front of him. He goes
hand in hand, but Archer Silos came out of the
(25:43):
gate so hot in the month of October, cooled off
in November, and then here we are flipping the calendar
to December where the Penguins are two ozho to one
after kind of a wonky November going four to five
and three. You want to see Archer Siloff's numbers dip
down also in November. You want to see him get
back on that horse and see a little more consistency
from him.
Speaker 6 (26:01):
So the big game for him tonight.
Speaker 1 (26:03):
You know, it's funny, borky. We hear about interested Edmonton
has in Tristan Jari, And before the season I would
have said, Okay, you got to make that move because
Morrishov's the future and Jari has two years left on
his deal after this. But the way he's playing and
the why and where the team is in the standings,
you really can't consider trading Jari right now.
Speaker 4 (26:21):
Can you make up your mind? Mark? What do you want?
Speaker 9 (26:25):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (26:25):
I mean back in October you wanted them dealt and
you were thinking, man, if he gets on a hot streak,
maybe we could deal Tristan. And now we're playing well
and you're.
Speaker 10 (26:33):
Thinking, oh, who whoa whoa whoa, whoa, we'll wear them
in here.
Speaker 4 (26:35):
Oh no, no, I want to keep him.
Speaker 10 (26:37):
Now make your decision.
Speaker 1 (26:38):
Okay, I will make the year. I will make my decision.
I want to trade him. But but but it's not
a vacuum in the locker room. Certainly isn't a vacuum.
Speaker 4 (26:47):
No, I get it, I get it. But yo, y'all bloom.
Chris is playing pretty good again down in Wilkesbury, and
I think the jury's still out on him. I think
you'll agree. I think Marishov, I think we're pretty sure
what we have there. Uh. And she has become a
little bit of a question mark here because, as I mentioned,
this month of November, uh, and not a ton of experience.
Speaker 10 (27:06):
So no, I get it, and.
Speaker 4 (27:07):
I'm busting your cahunes just a little bit here.
Speaker 6 (27:10):
But no, I don't. I don't believe because because I
can't make up my mind either.
Speaker 4 (27:14):
No, No, I can't. And if I said to you
back in October, I said, hey, Mark, what if what
if christ and Darry gets on a bit of a
heater and we roll into December, you know, and he's
got you know, he's top five in the NHL and wins.
What do you want to do.
Speaker 10 (27:26):
You wouldn't flinch. You'd say, let's move them, let's let's
move them, let's get something good for him, right, and well,
now you got what you wanted, and now you don't
want to move him. So that's what I'm saying, like,
make up your flip in mind, what do you want
to do with it?
Speaker 4 (27:39):
He's given you everything he has here and now and
now how everybody wants a hold on to him and
you're like, whoa, wha, wha, whoa wah, Wait a minute.
Speaker 10 (27:45):
He gives us our best chance to make the playoffs.
Speaker 4 (27:47):
So I get it, man. That's why, Uh, you know,
I don't think any of us want to sit in
that hot seat that Kyle Dubas uh, you know, resides
in day in and day out, because it's not that easy.
Because you're right, there's a motion involved, right, there's a
locker room involved, and so you know, at the end
of the day, I think we should all just sit
back and enjoy what Tristan Jarry's doing because it's pretty
(28:09):
pretty special what he's doing considering where he was last year,
sent down to Wilsbury twice. You know, he ends up,
you know, becoming a father in the springtime. Maybe that's
changed things a little bit for him in his perspective
on the life and life as an NHL goaltender. But
at the end of the day, let's just enjoy it
and let Kyle do. Butis worry about those tough decisions.
Speaker 6 (28:30):
Here's a tough decision too.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
The Penguins, I thought played great at Dallas, lost in
a shootout. That's oh and four and shootouts this year.
They've lost eight straight shootouts dating back to last year.
How do you fix that? Because this time it wasn't
on the goaltending Jari stopped two out of three.
Speaker 4 (28:45):
Yeah, eight straight and twelve of thirteen. And you go
with the same guys every single time. I'm gonna I'm
gonna walk on the tightrope here just a little bit
because I don't want this to sound like a negative
swipe to those guys. But it's the same guys and
they pretty much do the same thing every single time.
It's so predictable. It's mind numbing to me. Go with
(29:05):
different guys, Go with different guys. Find out what Billy
Corgnan's numbers were in the American hockey They were pretty good.
Speaker 6 (29:13):
They were pretty good.
Speaker 4 (29:15):
Okay, partner that I'm with you, put number forty one
number one, put them in their number one shooter. Change
it up and practice it more. You should practice it
every day. You've lost eighth straight, twelve or thirteen in shootouts.
With that kind of talent on the ice, it's it's unbelievable.
And it's a huge reason why the Penguins missed the playoffs.
(29:35):
Not so much last year because it was double digits,
but the two previous.
Speaker 10 (29:39):
Years it was a huge reason.
Speaker 4 (29:40):
Because this has become a three year now a four
year problem for the Penguins, and it was a huge
reason two years ago and three years ago why the
Penguins missed the playoffs by such a short margin.
Speaker 1 (29:51):
Fort Here's a weird stat. The Penguins lead the league
in power play conversion. They're lasting the league in power
play opportunities. Why are they getting so few opportunities?
Speaker 4 (30:06):
I think it's twofold number one. They suck at diving, okay,
and I'm I'm pretty much serious about that. Yeah, there's
an art to embellishing and doing it in a very
smart way where you don't embarrass the rest and you
don't get an embellishment. Call number one. Number two. I
(30:26):
don't know. Again, choose my words carefully here. I don't
know if they go about their business and smoothing the
referees in a very professional way. I mean I I
had so much nervous energy when I played. I'd always
be talking to the rest because they're the only ones
that really would talk to me back, you know, And
I would and and when I needed a call and
(30:46):
I needed to dive, mark and embellish, I get that call.
So get form a better relationship with the referees. Number
two and number three. Just put yourself in a better
position to draw those calls. I mean, you know, take
it to the net, moral, all the little things, you know,
when you're killing the penalty. Put yourself in a better
position to feel a little tug and stuff like that
to get those calls. So I think they just need
(31:07):
to go about their business a little bit different and
finding a way and have it a little bit closer
to the front of the brain of driving to the
net knowing you're probably not going to score. But I'm
gonna drive to the net here because I'm pretty sure
I can. I can get the call and put my team.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
On the power play by and we talked about the
kid line briefly early. What do you think the Rutger
McGroarty individually. We've not yet brought.
Speaker 6 (31:29):
Him up this year.
Speaker 4 (31:31):
Player a person, a player.
Speaker 6 (31:33):
He's a great guy, talks a lot, but I like that.
Speaker 4 (31:35):
Yeah, yeah, same No, great guy and uh he just
you know, Mark keep being around enough players. Usually when
thirty seconds after talking to a guy, you know, even
though if he's full of BS, or if he's a fraud,
or if he's the real deal record McGarty's the real deal,
you can just look into his eyes and go, this guy,
this guy gets it. He gets that air quotes. Is
(31:56):
it okay? So that's that's as far as the person.
As far as the player, I like him a lot.
I love that he worked on this skating last year
and in the short time what two or three months
time in Wilsbury, he picked up at least half a step.
I mean that's remarkable that hardly ever happens. So he
identified what might be a weakness at the NHL level
(32:16):
and he corrected it. I think he's got a ton
of talent, but I think it's more of like Patrick Hornquist,
you know, greasy dirty, go to the net.
Speaker 6 (32:25):
Type of goals.
Speaker 4 (32:26):
I don't think he's a dangler in any way, shape
or form that He's got to find a better way
to the giving goes and those plays around the net
where you get the deflections and the rebounds, more of
those type of goals.
Speaker 1 (32:38):
Boorky, what do you make Anaheim? I thought they'd be better.
I didn't think they'd be a top the Pacific. I
don't like him in the back. I love him up front.
They're an interesting team, aren't they.
Speaker 4 (32:48):
They are kind of you know, the way the Penguins
are incredibly entertaining right now, win or lose. They entertained
the pants off of you. And I think Anaheim's that
way too, because they got a bunch of young players
that are just they're just fun. Mark, They're just fun
to watch. I mean this Leo Carlson, who a couple
of years ago, you remember Anaheim was doing the whole
load management with him where they were holding them out
(33:11):
of games because he was eighteen years old, like Ben Kendall. Well,
look at how well it has worked for Leo Carlson.
I mean, they got this Beckett Seneca is just a
nineteen year old kid. He was taking third overall two
years ago. And then they got you know, Truba, and
they got you know, guys like that Crider, like older
players that are are good in the locker room and
(33:31):
good around those kids. And Rad cool Goodis is their captain,
the butcher, you know. So they've got some characters with character,
and they play a certain style and under you know
Joe Quinville coach Q back in the league. They have
a different swagger and a different belief and they're playing
running gun because they give up a ton mark but
they score a ton because only the Colorado Avalanche have
(33:52):
scored more goals than the Anaheim Ducks. And they're number
one in their division and they're making a big push
to make the playoffs, which would be believable. It's not
supposed to turn around as quick as it has. But
here's the last thing I'll tell you is it's it's
tough to see the ana High Ducks without Johnny Gibson
in the net, right we just expect him to be in.
And now that Dustall is their number one, he's not
(34:14):
even gonna be in. He's hurt right now. We're gonna
get Jillie Husso tonight. It's just a fun team to watch,
so if you're on defensive, I'll come into the game tonight,
come down, just because you will be entertained more than
anything else you're gonna watch.
Speaker 2 (34:26):
On TV tonight.
Speaker 6 (34:26):
I said that earlier, Borkie.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
The Penguins, the way they've played, and not least on
this road trip, they merit your attendance tonight.
Speaker 6 (34:32):
Good stuff, Borkie. I'll see at the rink.
Speaker 4 (34:35):
You at the rink, enjoy the double good hockey talk.
Speaker 1 (34:37):
That's the two nineer Phil bork Check him out tonight
radio TV.
Speaker 6 (34:41):
He does it all. But now it's time to ask
Mark Anything.
Speaker 1 (34:45):
Uh eight three three four one two w xdx conn
out eight three three four one two w xdx, or
you can leave a talk back via the microphone icon
at the iHeartMedia app Ask Mark Anything A three three
four one two wxdx.
Speaker 7 (35:01):
It's time to submit your questions for Ask Mark Anything.
Speaker 2 (35:05):
Use your free iHeartRadio app and sap the microphone icon
to send your questions to the super genius instantly.
Speaker 6 (35:14):
Kids Travis.
Speaker 1 (35:15):
Every weekday at ten am, always a solid time starting
your workday.
Speaker 6 (35:19):
Commercial freight on one DX.
Speaker 2 (35:22):
What do you want? What do you want? Damn it
DX at one five nine.
Speaker 7 (35:28):
It's a dog part with all the dogs there and
the people. You say that you don't really know because
it's the dog park. It's a dog part.
Speaker 1 (35:43):
Okay, it's it's one Neill Liverpool in injury time. I
don't know how much stoppage time left. Saba's last scored
on a penalty in the eighty eighth minute. Very exciting,
which is more than I can say with this show.
This show has been like kind of dead for better
or worse. But I don't blame that on me. I
blame that on you. Uh, I'm not as mark anything
(36:03):
brought to us by People's Natural Gas Peoples and Essensial
Utilities Company, Safe Reliable natural Gas Energy. I don't know
what to bring up that people want to talk about it.
I want to thought the Schwarber contract, the Phillies signing
him that after the fact upping the ante on the
con by the Pirates. The offer to schwarberd was originally
(36:25):
reported as four years one hundred plus million, and since
that has been upgraded to four years one hundred and
twenty million, which means the offer was twenty percent less
than the Phillies. But it just happens to be the
same annual average value at thirty million.
Speaker 6 (36:42):
And I don't believe the Pirates offered that.
Speaker 1 (36:44):
For second, I believe that was upped afterwards to make
it look like they just missed. I don't think missing
by twenty percent is just missing by any means. But hey,
the Pirates are a con and they get support from
the media when it comes to stuff like this.
Speaker 6 (37:03):
Are they lying, I'm assuming yeah, because they always have.
Speaker 1 (37:06):
I'm assuming the offer was probably it was originally reported
as four years, one hundred and million plus.
Speaker 6 (37:13):
Maybe it's one hundred and one.
Speaker 1 (37:14):
I mean, I don't know, but they never had a
chance to get him, as the point, never had a
chance to get him. And then you have the Kettle
Marte thing where the Pirates were supposedly trying to trade
with Arizona for him. But he has the Pirates as
one of the teams on his no trade list, and
he said no good players aren't suddenly out of the
(37:34):
clear blue sky. We're gonna want to come to Pirates.
Just not how that's gonna work. All right, let's take
a talk back.
Speaker 6 (37:42):
What are the odds that this year in the NFL
postseason that it's Steelers, Colts and it's Aaron Rodgers versus
Philip Rivers. That would be pretty good.
Speaker 1 (37:58):
Philip Rivers did get so today that the Colts practice squad,
and it's hard to imagine he won't be active.
Speaker 6 (38:04):
I mean they have like oh boy sought wide thank Christ.
Speaker 3 (38:10):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (38:11):
I mean the Colts. They have their rookie quarterback banged up.
I mean, How's River is not going to be in uniform.
So it's a crazy story. But I don't think and
he's going to make the playoffs. I think they've started
to fade, and now Danny Dimes is hurt and I
just think they're done. So. Plus Jacksonville and Houston have
(38:33):
both come on in that division. Uh okay, let's take
another talkback.
Speaker 6 (38:39):
Hey, Mark Jake from Raleigh.
Speaker 4 (38:41):
Hey, is your friend Chris Jericho gonna be?
Speaker 3 (38:43):
Uh?
Speaker 9 (38:43):
I guess the last entrance to the Royal Rummel this year?
Speaker 2 (38:46):
What have you hurt?
Speaker 4 (38:47):
Tell us?
Speaker 7 (38:47):
Thanks?
Speaker 1 (38:49):
I haven't talked to Chris about his professional future. It
certainly assumed now that his AW contract is either up
or nearing completion, that he's going to go back to
WW for one final run.
Speaker 6 (39:00):
And I think he should do that.
Speaker 1 (39:01):
I think he deserves that, and I think they will
benefit by two at WB.
Speaker 6 (39:05):
But as far as him being the.
Speaker 1 (39:07):
Surprise entrant in the royal rumble to bring him back again,
that one shocked me. But it is so cliched, and
Chris isn't exactly a guy who's ever gone to cliched route,
and you know not that he would have final say
and creative if he goes back to WB. But I
(39:27):
would think he would want better and more unusual than that.
Maybe not, though maybe that's what he would want.
Speaker 6 (39:34):
I don't know. Let's go to a talkback.
Speaker 3 (39:38):
Hey, double M just curious here, what was the best
Christmas gift you've ever received?
Speaker 2 (39:45):
Most memorable?
Speaker 3 (39:47):
And what was the best Christmas gift you've ever given someone? Boy?
Speaker 6 (39:53):
As far as what I gave, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (39:56):
I mean I should remember that because it's better to
give than to receive, But I I don't remember the
best Christmas trip I ever got. That's easy. I post
the blog about it every year. In nineteen seventy, I
was nine, and I had really, in the last year
or so, become a real, you know, sports card kid
with baseball cards and hockey cards, and it was really
(40:16):
hard to get hockey cards. And then tops hockey cards.
There weren't many places that sold them, and there was
a place on Troy Hill that I think just closed recently.
It was opened for NonStop for over fifty years, Victoria's Dairy.
And I went up.
Speaker 6 (40:33):
To Victoria's because they were the had hockey cards.
Speaker 1 (40:35):
But they only got one box and it was already
sold out, so they were getting another box. The next week,
I went in and it was already sold out again.
I was like crying because I was a baby and
I really want to get these hockey cards. Then when
I got up on Christmas morning, I went under the
(40:56):
tree and there were two wrapped boxes and it turned
out it was both boxes hockey carts.
Speaker 6 (41:03):
My mom got them for me.
Speaker 1 (41:04):
She had beat me to Victoria's Dairy, and Victoria's cooperated
with her, so there you go. But but yeah, that
was the best Christmas gift I ever got. I post
the blog about that every year. I will never forget that.
I get a little teared up just now thinking about it.
Best best Christmas gift ever, best Christmas I ever had.
Nine years old turned ten four days after that. Okay,
(41:27):
let's get your calls in now eight three, three, four,
one two wxdx A three three four one two w
xdx as mark ennything brought to us by People's Natural Gas,
People's and Essential Utilities Company Safe Reliable Natural Gas Energy
People's hyphengas dot com.
Speaker 6 (41:46):
Do I have a list that I make a list?
Speaker 1 (41:49):
If I did, I should probably check it twice.
Speaker 6 (41:52):
Get it? Where the hell is it?
Speaker 1 (41:56):
Oh?
Speaker 6 (41:56):
Here?
Speaker 1 (41:56):
It is good, and we're we're just ticking away the
last couple seconds the palindrome with kind of a breakaway
besides to eat the ball instead and turns it over
inexplicably interco god, here they come.
Speaker 6 (42:13):
Blow the whistle. Blow the whistle. You blow the whistle.
One nil over in or yes one o five nine
the x
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com