HR 2 - Paul Zeise joins Show, Phil Bourque on Penguins

Mark is joined by Paul Zeise to talk Steelers, and Phil Bourque to talk Penguins this hour. Ask Mark Anything!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Joining me now to talk Steelers and Ravens. From the
Post Gazette, he has called him is Paul's ice. Paul,
like I was saying in the Corsi before Momentum, tells
me to count the Steelers out. But really, if you
look at the game in a vacuum, it's pretty much
a toss up this Sunday night, isn't it?

Speaker 2 (00:19):
It is? And the big, big reason why it is
is because John Harbaugh and Mike Tomlin are the same. Gosh,
they're the same coach. It's gonna be a battle of
who can be less incompetent, uh in a in a
in a must win big spot. I fully, fully believe
that in this game we will see both coaches do

(00:39):
things that make you wonder if they really want to
win the game or not. So there's a different opponent,
maybe i'd have a different opinion. But when I watched
the Ravens play, and I mean this in all sincerity, Mark,
I'm not trying to be hot. Take guy, the Ravens
are literally the dumbest.

Speaker 3 (00:55):
Team I've ever watched.

Speaker 1 (00:58):
Well, they have competition there with the Steelers, but yeah,
I totally get what you're saying, and I've always said
Bill Cowers a better coach than Mike tom and I
don't think it's close. And Cower suggested that they just
do a lot of play action and feature mouth and
John who was targets. I think that makes one hundred sense,

(01:18):
and I know they won't do it.

Speaker 3 (01:21):
Well.

Speaker 2 (01:22):
You have Jonas Smith and it seems like he's become
your running back.

Speaker 3 (01:26):
I mean, what are they doing.

Speaker 2 (01:27):
You've got two guys like last week, you know they
gave him two or three carries. I'm thinking of myself,
wouldn't you much rather hand the ball to that guy
like Gatewell who might actually make a play as opposed
to Jonas Smith who, oh, I know, the one, the
one player who isn't against the Bills or the Dolphins
or whatever sitting duck or the Dolphins. When he ran,
you know, for like a ten year or twelve yard
touchdown completely untouched, Well anybody.

Speaker 3 (01:47):
Could have made that run.

Speaker 2 (01:48):
My point is what I don't like about this offense
right now. What I've seen is they don't seem to
understand who their playmakers are. Their best playmaker right now
with dk Metcalf at outs is gain well he is
he just is their best tight end is friar Mus right,
And of course friar Mus is in the witness protection
program or something.

Speaker 3 (02:09):
Until you know, the.

Speaker 2 (02:10):
Last drive, when they're just throwing the ball down to
try and get there. It's kind of mind boggling to
me how bad it can be at figuring out personnel
and who they want to have the ball.

Speaker 1 (02:24):
I will say, though, Paul, while I think Tom Win's
a dope and Smith's a puppet and probably a dope too,
Rogers is the guy making bad calls on personnel. I mean,
they didn't tell him to throw nine times to MBS,
including the last three in Cleveland, or seven times to
Scotty Miller.

Speaker 4 (02:41):
That's just who he's trying to anoint.

Speaker 2 (02:45):
No question. I mean again, whoever. You know, it's pretty
clear Aaron Rodgers got his own way and getting the
veteran receivers into the lineup, and you know, I have
to believe the play on fourth and one. Rogers looked
out there and saw one on one coverage and said,
you know what we're gonna. You know, I'm gonna.

Speaker 3 (03:03):
I'm gonna.

Speaker 2 (03:04):
That's that's a that's a win for us.

Speaker 3 (03:07):
We got what we want.

Speaker 2 (03:08):
No safety help over there, but it ain't DK Metcalf
over there. It's Scotty Miller. I mean, I don't understand
even a guy like Rogers who's been around for you know,
twenty years or whatever it's been, how can you look
out there and say that's a win for us when
it's Scotty Miller. So there is some truth to that,
But my point is you you know, it took them

(03:29):
what ten weeks or twelve weeks to figure out the
DK Metcalf. If you target him a lot, he's gonna
come up with a lot of catches. You know, there
were some games where he was targeted two or three times,
which is just ridiculous. I just think my biggest problem
with this offense, the offensive philosophy, whether it's Smith, whether
it's Rogers, whether it's Tomlin, whatever, is that they just

(03:49):
don't seem to know who their best players are.

Speaker 5 (03:52):
Well.

Speaker 1 (03:52):
I like the Steelers running game both backs. I like
the old line. Why not just do that? And I've
been told, well that's too simple. I bet Baltimore does it,
and it won't be so simple.

Speaker 2 (04:04):
The irony of that mark is that last week, with
his back completely up against the wall, John Harbaugh figured
out that number twenty two on his team is pretty good.
Didn't he and they and they and and they simplified
their did their offense. They went power, you know, basically
the entire game, and they just kept handing it off

(04:25):
to Derrick Henry that that may have been boring, but
they they they pounded the Packers. And I agree with
you one hundred percent. I don't think the Steelers have
done enough to really really delve into and develop their
running game to the point where they can control a
game with it, like you know teams have done, and

(04:46):
like their teams have done in the past.

Speaker 4 (04:48):
And like Baltimore can do as well. But I'm with you.
I think Harbor and Tom Went are both bolts.

Speaker 1 (04:55):
But I don't think Harball will forget in a week
what worked did Green Bay. That said, if Lamar can
play and he's dinged up, maybe he will not smart himself.

Speaker 4 (05:05):
Because I really think, and it sounds dumb to.

Speaker 1 (05:07):
Say, I think they're better off in this game with
snoopid quarterback because it'll make them simplify and it'll feature Henry.

Speaker 2 (05:15):
And not just that Mark. One of the most underrated
things about the game against Green Bay is they got
sixty yards rushing from Huntley. You know, his legs were
a factor, which is a big factor in that offense.
Lamar Jackson can't run. He's got a bad wheel, he's
got a bad knee, he's got a bad back. It's
clear he can't run right now. So to me, you

(05:38):
take quarterback, run basically off the table, the Ravens become
a lot easier to defend. So I agree with you.
You know, I know that you know a lot of
the national morons, you know, the fanboys of Lamar Jackson
are all up in arms because people are suggesting what
you're suggesting. I'm not saying Huntley is better than Lamar Jackson.

(05:58):
I'm saying that when Lamar Jackson isn't healthy, he's a
hell of a lot less interesting of a player to me, and.

Speaker 1 (06:05):
He still feel the need to feature him when he's
dinged up.

Speaker 4 (06:08):
That's part of it.

Speaker 2 (06:08):
Too, exactly. And one of the biggest things about Huntley
that I watched in that Packers game, he had sixty
yards rushing. I mean, you know he you know there
were plays where it was third down and he ran
and got you in a ten or twelve yards or whatever.
That is a big part of what the Ravens do.
And you're so right when you talk about Lamar Jackson.
They will still try and feature him, still trying, you know,

(06:31):
a fourth feed. You know his I don't know his
his MVP candidacy or whatever, even though he can't move,
and it was clear and I said this a bunch
of times watching him when I you know, because the
Ravens seem to be on Primetime every single night every week,
I would say, it looks like this guy can't move.
But if you can't move, he's not really all that scary.

Speaker 1 (06:51):
Well, he ain't getting MVP this year, But you're right,
they always try to burnish him as this as a
past MVP anyway, And and the inmates on the asylum,
not least with the Steel and Rogers.

Speaker 4 (07:01):
But but I've been saying all day.

Speaker 1 (07:04):
Paul, that the big story here is only partly if
they win or lose. It's what they do after if
they lose, that might even be the bigger story. And
we both know they're gonna bring Tom Win back. But
I bet they're gonna bring Rogers back no matter what.
I think they're enamored of his name. I think that
while the entire organization is scared the death of Tomlin.

Speaker 4 (07:23):
I think Tom Win's scared the death of Rogers.

Speaker 2 (07:26):
Well, my only thing with that, I've watched enough games
this year where Rogers had the look of a guy
who wishes he was fishing or you know, meditating in
his tent.

Speaker 3 (07:39):
Oh no, he might not.

Speaker 4 (07:40):
Want to come back. I'm saying if he wants to do,
they will.

Speaker 2 (07:42):
If he wants to come back, he'll be back. You're
absolutely right. But he looks to me like a guy
who probably is like.

Speaker 3 (07:48):
Why am I doing this? Why am I higher? Still,
why am I getting.

Speaker 1 (07:51):
You know, I think there are certain games. I think
the Cleveland game was one of them. I think the
La Chargers game was the most dramatic example thereof.

Speaker 4 (08:00):
But the thing is, with this game, I bet he
comes out.

Speaker 1 (08:03):
I don't think he'll play smart because he just thinks
what he wants is the best. But I bet he
plays better, certainly than Cleveland. I bet he plays pretty
good because he doesn't want to go out losing this
game after losing to Cleveland.

Speaker 4 (08:15):
And not even making the playoffs.

Speaker 2 (08:17):
Yeah, no, that would be you know, a pretty big
shot at the end of his legacy to lose to
SDUR Sanders and you know, beat up Lamar Jackson worn
or stup Huntley that's even worse. You know. No, again,
I really believe he does care about his legacy, and

(08:38):
you know, I expect him to play well on Sunday. Now,
whether it be good enough, I don't know, but I
expect him to play well. I think the biggest thing
is going to be again, do they have a game
plan that makes sense? Or are we still are we
talking about them trying to force feed certain guys who
are just kind of guys, you know what I mean,

(08:59):
and maybe not even close to being guys anymore. And
I'm talking about Scotty Miller, and I'm talking about some
of these other guys that are just sort of nickel
and dimers. I mean, if they don't feature Friar Muth
as their tight end, especially when Washington hurt, if they
don't feature you know, gain Well and Warren in this
game plan, then they deserve to lose and and and

(09:22):
and it's nobody's fault but themselves.

Speaker 4 (09:24):
Who's gonna win?

Speaker 1 (09:25):
Paul, I'm leaning toward Baltimore, But like you said, either
coach could lay an egg. They're both dummies. I think
the one edge Baltimore has. I think what they're momentum
and the possibility that crowded Acro short turns if they
take the edge in the first quarter, I think Baltimore
could win the game early.

Speaker 4 (09:42):
I don't think the Steelers can.

Speaker 2 (09:45):
Yeah, no, I mean I think I think it'll be
a close game. I will say this, I think the
Ravens are better, you know, player for player, they're probably better.

Speaker 1 (09:56):
I think they have a great roster that's underachieved all year.

Speaker 2 (09:59):
Yeah, but I think that the Ravens again are the
dumbest football team in the planet. They make so many
stupid mistakes that is just ridiculous.

Speaker 5 (10:09):
You know, the the.

Speaker 2 (10:10):
Fumbles they have, you know the times they jump off sides,
the roughing the passer at the wrong time. I mean,
every single thing you see as stupid team do they
do pretty much every week. And just the dynamics of
their roster, they're that good that they can overcome it. Sometimes.
I actually believe that the Steelers are gonna win this

(10:31):
game because I think the Ravens will find a way
to lose it, actually more than the Steelers will win it.

Speaker 4 (10:36):
Paul great Stuff is always enjoyed the game. We'll talk
next week.

Speaker 2 (10:39):
All right, Happy to your buddy.

Speaker 1 (10:41):
That's Paul's ice from the Post Gazette, brought to us
by eighty four Lumber Dynasty partner. The Pittsburgh Steelers Penguins
was a big win last night. We got Phil Bourd
to talk about that. At the bottom of the hour,
I got some pit football news. I got a great
idea for Ravens MVP, and I go to point out
how much everything I've said about the Steelers this year, Seriously,

(11:04):
just about everything has come to pass because I'm smart
and you're not. One O five to nine the X.
Oh wait, I forgot to plot tom yelling in my ear.
Don't yell calls on the fifteens. Get your calls in now.
We want your angst, we want your emotion. We want
you to fill time eight three three four one two wxdx.

Speaker 4 (11:22):
That's a three three four one two w XDX. The
party's just getting started. iHeartRadio and ABC bring you Dick.

Speaker 1 (11:32):
The Road, Tomican Dream, So be it, baby the X
at one O five nine and your calls in a
three three four one two WXDX. That pitt News I
promised earlier. Rashene Biles, who is likely their best returning
player on defense to linebacker.

Speaker 4 (11:52):
Well, he won't be returning. He has entered the transfer portal.

Speaker 1 (11:57):
I think a lot of people have figured out what
pitt is and it's not good enough if you're a
good player. I mentioned before hob Rob said Lamar look
could have practiced. He's optimistic he's gonna play.

Speaker 4 (12:10):
I don't buy it. I hope he does play.

Speaker 1 (12:13):
A fear snoop in there simplifying their game while maintaining
the same playbook. If I'm the Steelers, I fear that
more than I do A dinged up Lamar with the
bad knee, hipp and back forcing himself to go out there.
The Steelers awarded their Rookie of the Year today.

Speaker 4 (12:33):
It was.

Speaker 1 (12:35):
The defensive lineman Derek Harmon. By default, I mean who else.
They gave their media good guy word to Patrick Queen
and tomorrow's going to be their MVP. Traditionally it's not
a white quarterback, as Ben can tell you, but maybe
it will be this time with Rogers. What a shot
across the bow for Ben. That would be all the
times they ignored him for MVP if they give it

(12:56):
to Rogers at forty two, totally blowing the Cleveland game
and in just one year here. But like I said,
that whole dressing room is scared to death of Rogers.
Even Tom was scared to death of Rogers. I don't
know why he has like that icy stare, but who
gives a freak Anyway, the Ravens, their team MVP should
be that blue haired guy in Detroit because if the

(13:20):
Steelers have DK, they beat Cleveland and it's gonna be
cover to beat Baltimore without DK.

Speaker 4 (13:26):
Uh, don't forget.

Speaker 1 (13:27):
You could watch the game with me at the All
Star Sports Bar and Grill, the South Point location. That's
put your country the South Point location of the All
Star Sports Bar and Grill. It will be Steelers Altamont
mostly at Acressure if they trail, but maybe a little
bit of that'll leak into the All Star Sports Bar

(13:47):
and Grill with me there. It's gonna be a lot
of fun, a lot of beer, a lot of food,
a lot of giveaways. So do join me for the
game Sunday night and you can tell me when you
see me, or you can call and tell me now
at a three three four one two b XDX. I
was just thinking about this talking to des Ice. Everything
I said about the Steelers this year has been correct.

(14:09):
Everything I said could happen did happen. Because I'm a
lot smarter than you. Uh got a quick sound bite
to pop in. Aaron Rodgers spoke to the media today
and he did, kind of in a backhanded way, take
blame for how bad he played at Cleveland.

Speaker 6 (14:29):
See my career, a lot of stinkers back to back.

Speaker 3 (14:33):
SAME's every big Sam approaches. He doesn't have shift.

Speaker 4 (14:38):
Up the plan, just keep on keep on going and
trust the process. Yeah, trust the process.

Speaker 1 (14:46):
Whenever somebody says trust the process, I make sure I
still have my wallet because I'm talking to somebody who's
full of it.

Speaker 3 (14:53):
Uh.

Speaker 4 (14:54):
Rogers is right.

Speaker 1 (14:55):
He hasn't had many back to back bad games, but
he's never been forty two before at the end of
a seventeen game season in a game.

Speaker 4 (15:02):
With the whole season and his.

Speaker 1 (15:04):
Credibility in Pittsburgh and really for his career moving forward
totally on the line. Because I've said repeatedly, if the
Steelers blow it and don't make the playoffs, don't win
THEFC North, it won't be because they lose at Baltimore
Sunday night. It'll be because they lost at Cleveland this
past Sunday, and pin that loss primarily on the field.

Speaker 4 (15:29):
The blame goes to Aaron Rodgers by far.

Speaker 1 (15:36):
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Betparks dot Com has details. Gambling problem call one eight
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to nine nine. And we got a lot to talk about.
First off, Borkie, it's the anniversary of Mario's five goals
five ways on New Year's Even nineteen. You were in
the lineup for the Penguins that night. What do you
remember about that game?

Speaker 3 (17:06):
I good to be hones with you, double am.

Speaker 5 (17:08):
We had thirty seven years ago.

Speaker 3 (17:10):
We'll never be duplicated.

Speaker 5 (17:12):
I know what I remember it was. It's gonna sound
kind of dumb, but I'll say it anyways. We just
thought it was another you know, Merrio night.

Speaker 3 (17:22):
Yeah, right, Mark.

Speaker 5 (17:27):
You know he had so many games where he had,
you know, four goals, where he had six, seven, eight points.
He had other games like that, and we're like, oh,
here he goes again. Here's the other part. Yeah, you
remember our team back then. I think that was an
earlier game in the day. I don't think it was
a seven o'clock game. But we had some plans for
after the game, if you know what I mean. I

(17:49):
celebrate New Year's yes, And so the Big Boy always
knew we did not want to go into the festivities
with a little bit of a boo boo face on
from losing to arrival, like.

Speaker 3 (18:01):
The New Jersey Devils.

Speaker 5 (18:02):
And the Big Boy made sure that he put pedal
to the medal, and we were thinking more about that
than five goals five ways. But as it started to
move on, I think when he scored the penalty shot goal,
I think that's when everybody kind of went, oh, this
is different.

Speaker 4 (18:19):
Yeah, And the media didn't figure it out till the
next day.

Speaker 1 (18:22):
I think it was Tom McMillan, and he would have
figured it out earlier if he wasn't so busy thinking.

Speaker 4 (18:26):
About Gettysburg all the time.

Speaker 1 (18:28):
But yeah, five pulls, five ways, and you know, it's
it's it's understandable because when something's never happened, it could
be that much more hard to spot.

Speaker 5 (18:37):
Right.

Speaker 3 (18:38):
No, it else really flew underneath the radar.

Speaker 5 (18:40):
Is the guy taken right behind Mario in that draft,
Kirk Muller. He had five points in that game, you know,
and nobody's talking about that. You know, an eight six
Penguins win, the eighth goal of the empty net goal
and that which was the fifth way. But you know,
under the radar, Kirk Muller had an unbelievable game. But yeah,
the the aportunities of that, like, okay, yeah, elait players

(19:03):
are going to get obviously the even strength, obviously the powerplay, Okay,
some might get to even sake power play, and the
shorthanded goal. But the opportunities in the exact same game
to get the penalty shot, which is probably the hardest one,
if I think you'll agree, Yeah, the same game while
all that's going on, to actually have a penalty shot
opportunity and then the empty net goal. It was a

(19:26):
perfect storm and Mario took full advantage.

Speaker 1 (19:28):
It's worth noting Mario had thirteen shorthanded goals that year,
which is still an NHL record, And as I recall,
Pop Coffee came up with a strategy shorthanded to just
fire the puck as hard as you could at the
opposition point, me in shin pads and Mario would play
the caram Is that right?

Speaker 5 (19:46):
That's true, and that's why I like, like, I get it.
We've had this conversation between Mario and Wayne Gretzky and
Gretz's points and all that. But you know, we would
never have this conversation about Wayne Gretzky because he wouldn't
be out there killing penalties, you know. I mean, that
wasn't a dimension to his game. It was for Mario,
you know, and just you know, to have a hat
trick in the first period, to have the short handed

(20:08):
goal the way he did, and to and to you know,
go on the on the power excuse me, on the
on the on the penalty shot. Uh, just just to
create those opportunities for himself. A lot of times he
did that all on his own. He also had eight
shots in that game too. I mean, it was just again,
it's kind of a blur because he had so many

(20:30):
incredible games like that that it's great to now reflect.
And that is the one that separates from all the
other great games that he had.

Speaker 1 (20:40):
Porky, forgive me for not recalling, but did you get
on the score seat that night?

Speaker 3 (20:45):
I had a power play goal.

Speaker 5 (20:47):
As you remember, guenior Ricco was the head coach, you know,
and he was like a dad to me, and he
put me out there on the power play quite a bit,
and Marriol from behind the neck, kind of like a
Gretzky play, said me coming down the slot and I
pumped one in ended up being the game winning goal.
But uh again, you know Mario would walk.

Speaker 3 (21:08):
You up to the ladies tea and tee.

Speaker 5 (21:10):
It up real high for you, and you know a
lot of people could have scored the one that I got.

Speaker 4 (21:15):
Let's talk about what happened last night.

Speaker 1 (21:17):
Why was that game so easy against a good team
in Carolina. I didn't count out the Penguins winning.

Speaker 4 (21:23):
I'm not sure I saw five to one coming.

Speaker 5 (21:26):
Yeah, I don't know. I think maybe you played a
little bit of a role. It's a back to back situation,
you know, coming off the Christmas.

Speaker 4 (21:33):
Break, they were Carolina and not Pittsburgh.

Speaker 5 (21:38):
Right for Carolina and up Pittsburgh coming off an emotional
overtime win against the New York Rangers, they were They
just didn't have it right from the get go. It
looked like they were trying to dig down deep and fabricated.
I was down between the benches, so I got a
good read on the body language and just how much

(21:58):
chatter was going on, and I just felt like the
bench for Carolina was kind of dead. But to really
get to the nuts and bolts of your question, I
felt like the Penguins, you had Rusty go off the
crossbar in the first shift of the game, right sid
gets the first goal. And that's the thing with Carolina.
They're not built for comebacks. They're built to have a lead,

(22:18):
and even in one goal games, they're comfortable in that.
And that's why once the Penguins get the second in
the third, that's when you really suck the life out
of them because you take them out of their comfort
zone and out of what works so best for them.
And they're not like the New Jersey Devils in the nineties,
but they can be a suffocating team.

Speaker 3 (22:36):
When they have the lead.

Speaker 5 (22:38):
That is their DNA. They get the lead and they
just grind the you know what out of you and
they just they frustrate you because they are so good
at it. But when they have to come from behind,
they have to gamble and that completely gets them out
of their structure and what rober Brindamore has taught them
and has bring success for them over the last seven years.

Speaker 1 (23:00):
Brazo has a career high in goals now with twelve,
Anthony Mante has fourteen. They both found the score seat
last night. Why have those two caught fire? Because they
play really simple hockey, don't.

Speaker 5 (23:10):
They They do? Yeah, And for big guys, when you've
got you know, you don't have blazing speed, you have
to create otherwise, and more times than not, when you
go to the net and you've got good hands and
you've got good instincts, then good things are going to happen.
And don't try to do more than you should. Number one,

(23:32):
Understand what works for you and stay with it and
don't think, oh wow, this is too easy, this is
too simple. I'm going to try to do something a
little more difficult and I'm going to be a little flasher. No,
stick with what's working for you. And I'm talking about
both these guys because right they're very similar in the
way that they play. And I never saw I not never,
but I really didn't think these two together in training

(23:54):
camp were going to work. Because if you're a member, Mark,
that's a Brazelo. When he was with Boston, with Minnesota,
he played a very limited role. He's more of a
fourth line banger guy. You know, he's lucky to get
ten minutes a game and he thought like that, and
that's how he played because he thought, Okay, well that's
the only way I'm going to stay in the NHL.
When it comes to Pittsburgh, He's got a general manager

(24:17):
he had the history with, he's got a head coach
that now believes in him, He's got a fresheet device,
and he I think he just feels like this is home,
this is where I belongs. He just seems happy, his
joy in his game and he's just letting him fly
and he's probably been able to unearth all their warm
and fuzzy he's had when he was a junior player,

(24:38):
when he was filling in that left and right playing
the Ontario Hockey League. That's all those that kind of
muscle memory he's coming back to him. But I think
the biggest thing is he's just playing free, and I
think he realizes that he has people in his corner
that believe in him and are really going to give
him a chance to show what he has offensively.

Speaker 1 (24:56):
What's your take so far in Skinner and q LAC
after getting them in the trade with Edmonton. I was
glad to see Skinner get some support last night and
get his first win as a Penguin in his fourth start,
because I think he's deserved probably a bit better.

Speaker 5 (25:09):
I agree, and you just go back to that Toronto
game the game before, right. He ends up losing four
to three, but he felt like he deserved better, and
he deserved better in front of him, and there was
some you know, some individual breakdowns by the.

Speaker 3 (25:23):
Penguins in front of him, which which cost him.

Speaker 5 (25:25):
And I said this pregame that as it was a
combination of he needs to be a little bit better,
he needs to make that one more save. There's another
level for Stuart Skinner which we saw last night right
from the beginning, right Mark Rights in that first game
that he made on Robinson in the slot, he kind
of felt like, wow, this is this is you know,
a body language says I'm I'm sick and tired of

(25:46):
flip and losing. I want to win. I need to
do more myself. Take it upon my responsibility, take up
my responsibility to make that extra save, and he did.
He made timely says he didn't have to make a
whole lot of them, because you'reright, the Penguins work better
in front of him. But as far as Kulak Kolak
had maybe his best game also because Kulacs and under

(26:07):
the radar guy right unless you talk about him, the
better he's doing. He's just solid.

Speaker 3 (26:12):
He's a good.

Speaker 5 (26:13):
Skater, a good puck mover, he's responsible, defensively, active stick
all those little things that could be kind of boring
to just Joe hockey fans. But you win with guys
like that when they play that way consistently game in
and game out, and be around the league as much
as he's been. I think that it's gonna take him

(26:34):
a little while to get traction. I think that game
last night was maybe game one of him digging his
heels in and getting that traction.

Speaker 4 (26:41):
What's your take on the kids? How are they doing
on that line?

Speaker 1 (26:43):
Because they're not really producing, and I think they're getting
just a bit worn down, which is rookies you you
have to expect to some degree.

Speaker 3 (26:55):
I'm not I'm not.

Speaker 5 (26:56):
I'm not ready to buy into that yet. As far
as worn down, I will say this, I don't think
that Billy Coryvenan is the answer on that line.

Speaker 3 (27:06):
If I'm if I'm just being brutally.

Speaker 4 (27:07):
Blonde right now.

Speaker 1 (27:09):
I mean, although it's funny, he's like Dominic Simone Borki.

Speaker 4 (27:12):
You know, his analytics are great, are.

Speaker 1 (27:15):
Great, but he can't score and that makes me hate analytics.

Speaker 4 (27:17):
All the more.

Speaker 5 (27:19):
Well, we've had this conversation.

Speaker 3 (27:21):
There's analytics and then there's aalytics and uh, you know,
iea lyrics is the eye test, and there's something missing.

Speaker 5 (27:28):
There's something missing there. And uh, I didn't love Rutter
mcgrdon's game last night. I thought that, you know, there
was a little little bit of a you know, yippiness
with handling the puck. But Ruty mcgrdy should not be
back in American hockey. Rutter mcgardy belongs here. With that
being said Ben Kendall. Also, I mean that goes our conversation.

(27:49):
But you know, with you know, Yeager Kinakoff coming over
from Columbus, you wonder if he might be the guy
that goes on that line to kind of you know,
get them jump started again, because you're right, we get
all giddy because we have a nickname for a line
calling the kid line. But at the end of the day.

Speaker 3 (28:06):
They have to produce.

Speaker 5 (28:07):
They have to start scoring goals because they're talented enough
to score just you know, being out there and like wow,
they're fast and wow, they control the part that's there's
gotta be more. There's gotta be more, and there's gotta
be results because we're just not here for the again,
the warm and fuzzies of oh we got a kid line.
It's gotta be a lot more than that. And I
think they're trying of dipped a little bit, and I

(28:29):
think maybe if you put China Coop on that line,
you might get a spark.

Speaker 3 (28:33):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (28:33):
I'm looking forward to seeing Chinacough play, although, as I
joked on the air yesterday, I don't pretend that I
paid enough attention when he played for Columbus to know
what the Penguin's got. I don't think anybody outside of
Peer Maguire really knows, but he does pay attention.

Speaker 5 (28:50):
I was down at the rink this morning because my son,
dylan's a goalie and he was on the ice with
Chinakof and so it just went down to watch my
son and I was down a nice level and I
was watching Timakos super talented. I could see why he
was the first round pick. He's got incredible hands, He's
got an unbelievable release, and it's quick and it's really hard.

(29:13):
But again, that's you know, out there, just one player
out there doing singular drills. But you put him in traffic,
you put them in physicality, you put them in you know, uh,
in game situations.

Speaker 3 (29:27):
Listen.

Speaker 5 (29:27):
I don't know what happened in Columbus, but to me,
it was going nowhere. Number one, you're playing ten minutes
a game, you're a former first round pick in the fall.
Your your agent comes out and says, we've asked for
a trade. And you know Dean Everson, if you know
him as as a person, as a head coach, you know,
he's a he's an old school guy. And when you

(29:49):
fall in the chateau bow wow with Dean Everson, it's
tough to get out. And I think that's what happened,
you know, the combination of the agent's comments and just
the the interaction. I guess he didn't like him for
what ever. He didn't performing is a healthy scratch and
didn't take to that. So again, maybe you know, just
having a different scenery and again a fresh sheet of
ice and feeling like, wow, I've got a great chance here.

Speaker 3 (30:11):
And here's the other thing.

Speaker 5 (30:12):
I said this on the air last night, you know,
and and Zamula coming from Philadelphia.

Speaker 3 (30:15):
I mean we've seen before.

Speaker 5 (30:17):
I mean, heck, Rick Tackett and Mark Reki were traded
in the division, right. But I always find players like this,
especially be a fresh round pick like Tina Cooff for
Kombus to trade into Pittsburgh basically saying like, listen, we
want nothing.

Speaker 3 (30:32):
To do with this guy.

Speaker 5 (30:33):
Yeah, take them. You know, we got you know, because
we have no fear.

Speaker 3 (30:37):
We have zero fear that you can do diddly.

Speaker 5 (30:39):
Squat against us. That's how much we think of you.

Speaker 3 (30:42):
We're gonna here you go.

Speaker 5 (30:43):
Pittsburgh, your rival, We're gonna play you on Sunday afternoon.
Go ahead, take Tina Coff. We don't give a crap,
you know. So, Like if I'm Tina Cooff, I'm looking
at that and I'm saying, Paul, baby, I can't wait
for Sunday to stick it up where the sun doesn't
shine against a team that had zero respect for me
and just said beat it man.

Speaker 4 (31:01):
Now did he score on your kid? Where any shots taken?

Speaker 5 (31:06):
I think maybe he squeaked one though he's got he
got a whole bunch of milk he got, he's got
a rocket of a shot, and we saw it for you.

Speaker 4 (31:14):
That's pretty goal.

Speaker 5 (31:16):
Oh yeah, he's he's I don't I don't think he's
gonna sleep, you know, he's uh yeah, Mike. He worked
with Mike Chase on for a lot for the last
few years, and so if there's any opportunity where they
just need an extra goalie, you know, my son's like
hands in the air, picked me, picked me. So yeah,
just an unbelievable moment to go up against the NHL
or so but but China cough Yeah, at times picked

(31:39):
him apart.

Speaker 3 (31:40):
But yeah, just a great opportunity for him.

Speaker 1 (31:43):
Finally, Borki. You know what's an amazing stat. Sid scored
the first goal last night, and he scored the first
goal of the game one hundred and twenty six times,
fifth all time, one goal now behind Gordy how in
fourth place. What's that say about Sid?

Speaker 5 (31:59):
He's ready for puck draw yep, Yeah, he's ready for
seven to eight. Yeah that he's he is ready to
go and understands what the first goal means. You know,
it's a message to the opponent, it's a message to
your team, and especially in front of your home fans,
it gets them, It gets the energy going in the buildings.
You know, I think that's the sixth one this season,

(32:19):
which is tied to the league for the league lead
with I think two other or three other players in
the league. It's what captains do, right, It's what leaders do.

Speaker 2 (32:28):
You know.

Speaker 5 (32:29):
It's a non verbal thing. You know, you actually speak
louder than your words. Come, puck, drop, giddy up, start
me in the game. I'm ready to go. I'll get
the first goal and then we go, and then we go,
we win the game. And that's that's to me, that's
the message. If I'm sitting on the bench and I
watched Hid score that first goal, I'm going I'm like
looking at my teammates, let's freaking go, man. Captain's ready

(32:50):
to play goal, He's ready to play. Let's win this
hockey game.

Speaker 1 (32:53):
Borky is always great stuff. And I got an update
even though it's only two months away. We are locked
in for Carbone at Vegas.

Speaker 5 (33:00):
You locked it in, yep. I can't wait. I can't wait.
All right, we're doing we're doing a little credit card roulette.

Speaker 3 (33:11):
What we're gonna do.

Speaker 4 (33:11):
We ought to do.

Speaker 1 (33:12):
We ought to make them do that because they're like,
it's gonna be I got for six I think we
can expand it to eight. Let's see who's real and
let's use a cheap skateboard. He let's force some hands.

Speaker 5 (33:23):
I love it.

Speaker 3 (33:23):
I love it.

Speaker 5 (33:24):
Hey man, I want to wish you a happy twenty
twenty six and yours do. Yeah, yeah, And all those
great Penguin fans. It's in rockets, man.

Speaker 3 (33:34):
Listen.

Speaker 5 (33:34):
I know it's it's not packed to the guilds, but
the people who show up and put butts in the seats,
they're getting highly entertained. It's great fans. It's gonna be
a great weekend coming up. We got the home and
home with Detroit. Let's have a great twenty twenty six.
Let's make a run, man, let's make a run. Let's
get in the playoffs. Let's just see what sitting the
boys can do. And let's have a great twenty twenty six.
So the Penguins and for you, double M sounds good.

Speaker 4 (33:57):
Thank you, Borky. We'll see tomorrow.

Speaker 3 (33:59):
Good enjoy that time to begin. If this was good hockey.

Speaker 4 (34:02):
Talk, time to ask Mark anything.

Speaker 1 (34:04):
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Speaker 4 (34:19):
Or you can leave a talk back feed of the
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Speaker 1 (34:24):
Ask Mark anything up next one oh five to nine.

Speaker 7 (34:28):
It's the Woody Show weekday mornings at six one five ninety.

Speaker 1 (34:32):
X Discover Wellness and every Sip with a huge beverage
company and Aliquippa arrange includes cannabis infused drinks, mushroom blends
and create them or coups.

Speaker 6 (34:40):
Mark Madden, Hey Mark Great shows.

Speaker 1 (34:42):
When you got a young trophy, White ohs money that
I can't even quote the big o'bowski right goodbye DX
at one o five nine. Sometimes at the end of
a show, I feel like I didn't talk enough about
the right stuff, like today's the anniversary of Clemente's dea
on New Year's Eve seventy two. Talk about that briefly

(35:03):
at shows beginning. Talk with pork In a bit earlier
about this being the anniversary of Mario scoring five goals
five ways in nineteen eighty eight, which I consider to
be the biggest moment in Pittsburgh sports history, although it's
hard to argue against Masarowski's home run to win the
nineteen sixty World Series, because it won a World Series.
Then again, that's a very long time ago. I wasn't

(35:23):
even alive yet and I'm near dead now, but you know,
we got that stuff out there. So I mean, the
Steelers Ravens, I mean, we're gonna talk about it more Friday,
and I think, you know, I'm kind of leaning towards
the Steelers winning because I think hardball was as dumb
as Tomlin and maybe dumber.

Speaker 4 (35:44):
But I'll make my final prediction.

Speaker 1 (35:46):
Well, no, I'm going to defer to mister Friday afternoon
because he's on a twenty to oh run, which is
very hard to believe. Also want to shout out to
North Hills High School boys basketball.

Speaker 4 (35:57):
I've won a bunch of games in a row.

Speaker 1 (35:58):
They won the Hampton Tournament by beating Obama number one
right team in the City League yesterday, and I think
there's only one senior on the team and they're off
to a pretty good start, well actually a slow start,
and then have picked it up in recent weeks. So
I got to go to see them soon and I
saw them thanking their sponsors. I just sponsored them Archie,

(36:19):
my man Archie on the sizeline. He's a sponsor. I'm
a sponsor them. They just got to ask, so get
a hold of me. We'll do that next year if
nothing else. And now it's time to ask Mark anything.
Let's go to Ken Ken. You're on with double.

Speaker 5 (36:30):
M Well, mister Madden, I want to wish you happy
in New Year.

Speaker 2 (36:35):
And Shama May I forgot to wish you a happy
birthday on Monday.

Speaker 4 (36:39):
That's okay. What's up?

Speaker 2 (36:41):
Oh hey about Sunday night? I hope you're right.

Speaker 5 (36:45):
That's the Stars pull it out, but they've been struggling.
I mean, I could see it going either way, just honestly.

Speaker 1 (36:51):
Yeah, I think the Ravens have the better roster. I
think the threat of Derrick Henry is why I might
lean toward Baltimore on Friday when I make my pick.

Speaker 4 (37:02):
But I know the Steelers are at home. Did they
learn their lesson from Cleveland? I don't know.

Speaker 1 (37:08):
That would be up to Rogers more than anybody, and
they don't have DK still, and right now I'm thinking
about picking Baltimore. I don't know right now. I don't
know right now. Thank you for the call. Let's go
to a talkback.

Speaker 7 (37:19):
Hey, Mark, I think you got one thing wrong about
the most important sports moment in Pittsburgh history. It was
actually twenty thirteen, a wild card game with the Pirates
beat the Reds and Cuato drop the ball.

Speaker 3 (37:32):
That was it.

Speaker 1 (37:33):
You're either a sarcastic or a moron. Either way, I
don't respect the Quato thing. You know, there's a generation
of people who think that was a big deal. It
was not a big deal. But you know what part
of that is, what's the difference between Cuato dropping.

Speaker 4 (37:48):
The ball and Maz's home run? And let me use
five goals, five ways.

Speaker 1 (37:55):
The fans can inject themselves into having had something to
do with the moment with Cuato dropping ball.

Speaker 4 (38:00):
And we are in an era of me, me, me,
me me, Let's go to Bob Bob as Mark anything.

Speaker 5 (38:11):
And Mark I get in disputes with friends about the
charitableness of the owners of the professional sports teams in Pittsburgh.
How would you rank the uh now.

Speaker 4 (38:24):
Mario Mario Mario.

Speaker 1 (38:27):
I mean, Mario no longer owns the Penguins, but he's
the number one owner in Pittsburgh sports history. Look at
the Mario demw Foundation, look at Austin's playrooms in the hospitals.
Tell me what the Rooneys have done. Tell me what
the Pirates have done.

Speaker 3 (38:41):
Exactly.

Speaker 4 (38:42):
Mario by far and away.

Speaker 1 (38:43):
Mario is the most important figure in Pittsburgh sports history,
and one of the most important figures in Pittsburgh history period.

Speaker 4 (38:50):
Let's go to Jack's.

Speaker 3 (38:55):
Friend what mine.

Speaker 2 (38:58):
Hey name for me?

Speaker 5 (39:00):
You get one worst Penguin ever, Worst Pirate ever, worst
Steeler efforts did not belong in the league based on
talent period Steeler.

Speaker 1 (39:09):
Worst Steeler ever is either Kenny Pickard or Duck Hodges.
I'd lean toward Picket because he was inexplicably a first
round pick. Worst Pirate ever, I mean pretty much anybody
on the team except for Schiens. The last time, many years,
worst penguinever. We had a defenseman named Ron Jones when
I was a kid whose inability was just incomprehensible.

Speaker 4 (39:29):
Let's go to Mark Mark Astmark anything?

Speaker 5 (39:32):
Yeah, Mark, what do you think about the reason the
students lost on Sunday because they were told to lose? Oh?

Speaker 1 (39:38):
I actually have a monologue about that. So the whole
NFL's fixed, right. No, seriously, sir, you're just an absolute idiot.
I hope you didn't breathe.

Speaker 4 (39:48):
Do you do you have kids? Do you have kids?
Do you have kids? I hope, not hope, not hope,
not hope, not no.

Speaker 1 (39:53):
No, tell me the upside of them fixing games in
the NFL. Tell me the upside go ahead?

Speaker 2 (40:00):
Money.

Speaker 4 (40:01):
Oh kiss my ass in.

Speaker 1 (40:02):
Hell, you stupid loser, the NFL swimming in money and
you could never keep that secret, you stupid freaking idiot.
You're more on, you slimball swimming in a sea. Pus
be smarter than that, you freakin' more on.

Speaker 4 (40:16):
Goodbye.

Speaker 6 (40:17):
Let's go to a talkback, Mark, longtime listener, and I
thank you for an entertaining year. My question is who's
most likely to leave Pittsburgh in twenty twenty six? Aaron
Rodgers Atgetymulkin or Paul Schiens a hoppy and healthy new
year to you.

Speaker 1 (40:36):
See that's the guy who does the phony voice that
I hate. So I'm not going to answer this question.
Let's go to a talkback.

Speaker 7 (40:41):
Hey Newman here, I was just curious what the approximate
total price tag for your World Cup trip is going
to be?

Speaker 1 (40:49):
Almost seven thousand dollars for the plane, the hotel, which
is real expensive because it's right next to Jillett Stadium,
in the luxury ticket for the game, and the from
the airport to Yeah, about almost seven thousand dollars, but
you know, hey, you only live once, bless. If I'm
homeless ever, you people take care of me