May 15, 2026 • 44 mins
Mark is joined by Penguin and Baby Penguin Rutger McGroarty to talk about Wilkes' playoff run. Tim Benz joins the show to talk about a bit of everything
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Speaker 1 (00:08):
The Wilkesbury scrant Penguins won their first round series in
or Now in the Atlantic Division finals of the AHL
Calder Cup Playoffs. Were welcome out of the program the
once in future Pittsburgh Penguin always great to talk to.
Winger Rutger McGroarty. Rutger, thanks for taking the time. A
tough overtime loss to Springdale last night, the series tied
(00:29):
one one.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
What do you take away from that game as you
go to Springfield for game three.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Yeah, I think it's something that we can definitely learn from.
I think that for forty five minutes we played really
well and then you can never take your foot off
the gas. I mean, they have a really good team
over there, and they got no quit so we got
to play a full sixty minutes.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
That's something people don't get. A crushing loss doesn't have
to crush, it's what you do after.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
Absolutely, I think that something like this. I mean we
we lost to Hershey in game two as well, so
I think that it's something to learn from and we
can just move forward and put our best foot forward.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
I got to revisit that Hershey series for second. Rotter.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
You scored that overtime goal. Are we sure it went
in the Hershey? Fans, I think they're still in the building.
They refuse to leave.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
Hey, Yeah, yeah. I honestly, I wasn't one hundred percent sure,
and then I saw the celebrations from the guys and
I kind of knew the angle it took from out
of the net. I was probably ninety percent sure it
went in the net, And then after the game, seeing
the overhead view, it kind of clarified it for me.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
No, it clarified it for everybody. It was kind of
funny they wouldn't leave. I mean, I give them credit.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Yeah, yeah, I mean they're they're intense fans. I mean,
it's super cool the rivalry we have with them, and
that series was a lot of fun to play in.
And they have a good team over there as well,
so it's always fun when you go into the Giant Center,
and we love playing there.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Well, that's that's one thing about the American League playoffs,
because I've been at AHL playoff games in the past.
I mean, it ain't the show Rutger, but it's pretty intense,
and there's a lot of people who care.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Don't they Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
Absolutely, I think our fans especially have have done a
great job, and as we keep progressing here, I think
that it's just going to keep getting better and better.
I mean, they've they've been there for us all year
and so it's it's super exciting too. I think Wilkes
just got we just got our first playoff series win
and I think it was like ten years, so it
was pretty cool that we got to do after them.
(02:26):
And uh, they've always been there for us, So it's
pretty cool.
Speaker 4 (02:30):
Now.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
You've got a lot of guys at Wilkes that that
we're familiar with in Pittsburgh, like you Brunick Coyven and
Avery Hayes. What's it like to not only make a
playoff run with Wilkes, but to try and make the
jump to the NHL together. I imagine that that group's pretty close,
isn't it.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
Yeah, we got a really close group. I think it's
a lot of fun going through with these guys. I
mean there's there's probably everybody on the team is super tight,
and we're always hanging out, We're always doing stuff together,
but also just going through this together. It's been a
blast and it's super fun as well because we push
each other in a very healthy, good way. At the
(03:07):
rink where we're always staying on the ice, going on
the ice, early developments, skates, stuff like that, and also
being able to go on this playoff run together is
super huge and learning to win together is huge.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
Yeah, that's like the group in sixteen and seventeen, and
we know what those guys accomplished. Morishoff's part of that too.
We saw him for five games in Pittsburgh this year.
How's he look for you guys in these playoffs? His
numbers are certainly impressive.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
Yeah, SERGEI he's been incredible all year. I mean him
and him and Joel has been really good for us
all year. I think that Serge just the calmness he
has in that and that slagger that he brings to
the team.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
I think that.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
A lot of teams I've been on goalies goalies have
kind of kept to themselves, but I think Serge he
brings that that slagger to the teams. He's talking, he's uh,
he's a leader on the team, and I think we
rally really well behind that. And I think that he's
been there all year for us and he's going to
continue to be there all year for us or the
all playoffs for US.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Yeah, and in Pittsburgh too. I'm sure.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
Now a few guys join Wilks late in the season,
Michael Illian for Russia and Bill zon And from Junior
just for this series.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
How do they look so far? How are they fitting?
Speaker 3 (04:19):
They're awesome. I think they're they're great guys too, and
I think for our team as well. They they they
mesh really well. And I think that we opened them
with uh where we welcome them with open arms and uh,
just allowing them to play their game and talking them
through stuff, uh and just being there to support them
because I mean it's not easy coming into to a
team this late in the season and uh, just hopping in.
(04:41):
But I think they've done an incredible job. And Mike
and and and Bill have done an incredible job. And uh,
they're they're big parts for our team.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
Now you're you're not a Scott Rotger, but but those
two look like NHL guys someday, don't they?
Speaker 4 (04:55):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (04:55):
Absolutely, I think just how they think the game, how
how their ability with the puck and without the puck.
I think that they've both taken strides that. I mean,
Bill's only been here for two games, but is seeing
them get comfortable period by period, shift by shift, and
Mike how he's gotten comfortable just from his first game
to now. I think that they're incredible hockey players and
(05:17):
they're super fun to watch, and I'm super happy that
they're on our side.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
We're talking to Rocker McGroarty Wilkesbary Scranton in the Atlantic
Division finals of the American Hockey League playoffs.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
How do you look at your season?
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Rock, Are you at twenty four games in Pittsburgh, had
some injuries.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Where do you think your game's at right now?
Speaker 4 (05:34):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (05:35):
I think that right now kind of just doing whatever
it takes for Wilkes to win. I think that it's
gonna look different every night, but I think that overall,
I really like where my games. I like where our
team's game's at. And in this season, I mean, there's
a lot to learn from. It was my second year
pro and just learning consistency. I think that's the biggest
thing in pro hockey is knowing what you're gonna give
(05:57):
day in and day out. And so that's something I'm
gonna continue to work on, continue to work with my skiming,
my my power, my my stride, and I think that, uh,
there's a lot to learn from this year, and yeah,
I'm super excited.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
Are your twenty two still very young? Nobody picks their
own timetable, but as next season the year to make
the jump for good, it seems like that's what you
would want and what I would think honestly.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Yeah, I mean they it's the NHL. Everybody wants to
play in the NHL. So I'm I'm definitely gonna put
my best left forward here and the rest of the
playoffs and do whatever it takes for this team to
win and then have have a big summer and then
come to training camp ready to go.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
Did did you watch the Penguins Flyer series? What was
your take on what happened there?
Speaker 3 (06:43):
Yeah, I mean it was a super fun series to watch.
I think just seeing that seeing that rivalry and in
the playoffs again it's super cool and two really good
teams and seeing where Philly came from and how they
ended the year, uh and and just pit and how
how they how they progress through up the season. That
(07:04):
was a super fun series to watch.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Now, what's what's the ahl?
Speaker 1 (07:07):
Like I'm not talking about the product on the rink,
Rutger because we all see that, but like the bus, travel,
how you guys live at twenty two. I mean, you'd
rather be in the NHL, But I bet it's fund
to do it that way right now too.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
Yeah, I think it kind of gells the guys together
a lot. I think the five six hour bus rides,
going through it together, hanging out with each other after
I we have a really young team too, so just
being able to hang out with each other and grind
through it together, going out on the road, Uh, getting dinners,
(07:43):
it's awesome.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
What's the best thing about the NHL? Then when you
come up, it's got to be the travel. We just
talked about that, the chartered planes, et cetera, all that.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
Yeah, I think the biggest thing is just kind of
the guys you're around. I think talking to them and
and just learning from them every single day. I think
that there's some real good leaders in that locker room
and kind of just picking up on little things.
Speaker 4 (08:05):
That they do.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
Obviously, the travels very nice, to the planes, the hotels,
the dinners is awesome, but I think just learning from
those guys is definitely the best thing.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
Who was the biggest influence on you when you're here?
I mean, obviously sids who everybody says, but I hear
a lot about guys like Kevin Hayes too.
Speaker 3 (08:24):
Yeah, Kevin Hayes was incredible. I think, honestly, everybody was great.
I think Anthony Manta was great for me this year
as well, Connor Clift and Blake was I think honestly
everybody they were all great, and I feel like you
can take something from everybody, and you got to learn
something from everybody, So I think the whole team was
great for me this year.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
Finally, what girl, I got to ask you about Ben Kindall,
who played the whole season up here, had a great
rookie year.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
He is one serious guy, isn't it.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
I know you've been asked about that before, but for
heaven's sakes, I mean, I heard he just watch his video.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
What's he like.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
And needs great? I think that there's definitely a reason
why he was in the NHL all year and had
the impact that he did. I think that he attacks
every day and just wants to get better and wants
to put his best foot forward every single day. And
I think he did a great job of that from
from camp all the way through the season, and it
was super cool to see and he's definitely wise beyond
(09:20):
his years. I think that he's a great kid and
it was a lot of fun just watching him this year.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
Rudger, thank you so much for taking the time. Great
to talk to you again, and we'll see you soon
in Pittsburgh. Good luck in the playoffs.
Speaker 5 (09:34):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
Rutger McGroarty.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
Everybody he's he just needs to get a half step faster.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
He does that.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
He's a great middle six winger in the league for
ten years. Just needs to get half a step faster,
and I have no doubt that he will and stay healthy.
Of course, one mail Villa in the forty ninth minute,
I'd just get more by the second.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
Uh Neck's got a whole bunch of sound about Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
Tom Pelasero says the Steelers are gonna lose patience with
him not yet committing.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
I just don't think they are. I'll tell you why
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Speaker 6 (10:16):
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Speaker 4 (10:31):
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Speaker 5 (10:33):
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Speaker 4 (10:34):
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Speaker 1 (10:45):
Jerry Dulac said in his Steeler chap Point Black that
the Steelers won't keep four quarterbacks and that was a
big surprise to some, but nobody. No team in the
NFL keeps four quarterbacks, and the exception for that ain't
gonna be Will Howard. I just can't see the Steelers
(11:05):
cutting Rudolph or trading Runolf and making Alert or Howard
the number two. And they won't cut the third round
pick to keep the sixth round pick, especially when the
new coach, the quarterbacks guy, drafted the third round pick
and did not draft the sixth round pick. There's a
lot about the Steelers quarterback situation that's undeniable, unless, of course,
(11:29):
Grandpa game Manager never shows up, and then nothing is
out of play. Here's Tom Pellisero on the NFL Network
talking about the Steelers potentially running out of patience with Rogers.
Speaker 7 (11:44):
At some point, the patience is going to run out.
It certainly seems like the patients for Steelers fans, just
based on the feedback I get every time I talk
about Aaron Rodgers may already be running out for some people,
for Art Rooney, for Mike McCarthy, who's trying to get
the team ready on the field, that patience may be tested.
I don't believe that has happened yet. If they don't
(12:05):
have something in place by the start of next week,
I think that we get there.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
Uh yeah, Tom, It ain't the organization gonna get sick
of it. It ain't Rooney, the Steelers, the franchise so
desperate and needy to just win a playoff game at
long last after nine years. Not that if Rogers no
showed week one, they would leave the light on for
(12:34):
week two. I don't know what McCarthy thinks or what
the players think, but Rooney and the organization who will
never let this go. And that's for as long as
it takes. Here's Cam Heyward, the great leader. He's talking
about the wait for.
Speaker 5 (12:52):
Rogers bro like too out, who'll get their wing gets there.
It's it's the middle of the summer. If anyone knows
the system better than anybody, it's Aaron And you know
he's not a big proponent into having this long you know.
Speaker 8 (13:12):
Training.
Speaker 5 (13:13):
I think he trains well on his own he knows
what his body needs at this point.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
Okay, first off, don't throw me unless you know me.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
Second off, dude, you've been doing this podcast for how
long and your delivery is still just awful. This is
so typical a Cam what a weak need whimpy is.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
Last year he.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
Was talking like the boss, do you want to be
a Steeler or not? And then he retreated like O'Neal
Cruz tripping over himself in center field. Cam's no leader.
He's a get along gang kiss ass who never rocks
the boat unless he wants more money. Cam Hayward should
please shut the frig up. Here's Daniel Loves in ESPN
(14:00):
talking about the Steelers schedule after the bye week, which
does get tough.
Speaker 9 (14:07):
Find the win after the bye week for me? If
you're Pittsburgh, find the win. Cincini not beating cinciat in't Sincy.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
You're not beating Philly at Philly.
Speaker 9 (14:16):
You're not beating Denver, You not beating Houston, You're not
beating Jacksonville, You're not beating Baltimore.
Speaker 8 (14:20):
This team finds him every year.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
They always funny comin yea.
Speaker 8 (14:23):
They find him.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
Mike Tomlin and Mike cart Is a great coach.
Speaker 8 (14:26):
Obviously we'll accomplished.
Speaker 9 (14:27):
I'm of the belief I get it, like Aaron Rodgers
is the best thing for the Steelers team. Not having
Aaron Rodgers is the best thing for the organization. The
reality for the long term. If it's Will Howard and
Drew Rowler.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
Boys, that background music obnoxious. Yo, here's the thing.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
By the second half of the season, some of those
teams might not be so good.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
They might not be so good from the season starts.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
Teams rise and fall all the time in the NFL,
and do it overnight and very often unexpectedly. The Steelers
just got to build a cushion in the first half.
But in terms of not beating all those teams, I
guarantee the Steelers are gonna beat some of them. I
(15:14):
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I can't wait till this season is over, to be
quite honest, joining me now to talk about anything but
that from the trip. Always a pleasure to talk to
Tim Benz.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
Tim. The ota start on Monday. Will Aaron Rodgers be
there or even have made.
Speaker 4 (17:59):
Up his mind?
Speaker 10 (18:02):
I probably think he's made up his mind. I don't
know if he's going to be there or not. I
think this is all a control game. I think this
is all about showing up when he wants, If he wants,
Mike Hunches he wants to I don't know about Monday, Honestly,
I think the way things have gone right now, there's
no real reason to believe that he'll be there, aside
(18:23):
from the quote unquote deadlines that the Steelers are put
out there, and what good.
Speaker 8 (18:27):
Have those done?
Speaker 2 (18:28):
Why is this happening?
Speaker 1 (18:29):
Because I can't think of one good reason, not from
his side, not from the Steelers side.
Speaker 10 (18:37):
From his side, it's the best fit for football right
now for him. I mean, it was still a team
good enough to get in the playoffs, and there weren't
even many of those that he could have gone to
this year. So I guess that's why for him, if
he wants to keep playing. From the Steelers point of view,
I think it's about artificially keeping that winning streak alive,
(18:58):
the non losing streak, I should say. I think it's
about putting Mike McCarthy in the best possible position to
not have a bad start on his resume and maybe
delay the rebuilding process because they think that's the right
thing to do. I don't I think it's time to
you know, maybe swallow hard. And this isn't the whole
thing that Art Rudy the second framed it to be.
Speaker 4 (19:20):
Mark.
Speaker 8 (19:20):
I mean, like he.
Speaker 10 (19:21):
Did that whole speech about I don't know why anybody
would want to lose for a whole year. Well, no
one wants to, but sometimes it happens organically and based
on their position, with the quarterback position, this might be
organically happening right now.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
Yeah, and it could happen with Rogers and the ceiling
for him, I don't think it's any more than winning
a playoff game, which I know Art is desperate to do,
and in fact, his neediness with Rogers and letting Rogers
walk all over the logo obviously confirms that.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
What's your take on the schedule.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
It seems slightly backloaded, maybe a lot backloaded, but you
play who you.
Speaker 10 (19:55):
Play, it's a lot backloaded based on last year. I
think if you look at the front part of the schedule,
it's where they need to make Hay. They need to
be somewhere in the neighborhood of five six wins by
the time to get to that past that second Bengals game,
you know they've got to be above five hundred there,
(20:17):
you know, maybe lose to the Patriots. That Thursday night
game in Cleveland always seems to be a bugaboo. But
I believe the Patriots are the only team that was
above five hundred last year that they played in the
first nine games. So get six wins there and then
you're in good shape for a very challenging second half
of the year. And for all the old Codgers who
(20:39):
are complaining about having too many night games, we'll enjoy
it while you get it when the weather's still good,
because you got all the one o'clock starts, all the
early starts early in the season before the weather turns,
and you can be back home by five point thirty
after a Steelers game.
Speaker 8 (20:52):
So enjoy it while you can get it.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
I'm not one to go over the schedule game by
game and come up with a record. I refuse to
analyze that September in May, let alone in life December
in May. But Week four in Cleveland seems big Thursday
night football because they always lose in Cleveland, and especially
so on Thursday Night football.
Speaker 10 (21:13):
I heard you and Tom talking about that, and I
felt the same way when I saw the schedule that.
Speaker 8 (21:18):
I don't know if it's the biggest test.
Speaker 10 (21:20):
I mean, obviously you get a super Bowl team in
New England the second week.
Speaker 8 (21:24):
So that's a huge test.
Speaker 10 (21:26):
But that feels like a real opportunity to tell if
the Steelers are different. You know, if they go up
there and lay an egg and it's thirteen to six,
like it always seems to be against the Browns on
Thursday night, divisional game, bad quarterback for Cleveland, whoever it is,
and the Steelers still can't figure out how to beat them,
then it's going to feel very seeming as the higher
(21:48):
did initially when McCarthy took over. You looked at the resumes,
he looked at their history and their reputation of being
good enough for the regular season but rarely achieving to
where we thought they could in the postseason. Yeah, lose
that game and that's going to feel very similar to
what a Tomlin lost in that situation would feel like.
Unless we're all reading the Browns wrong and they're actually good,
(22:08):
and I don't think they are, so I'll be very
intrigued to see not only if they win or lose
that game, mark but how they play it and how
their offense looks against that Cleveland defense early in the season.
Speaker 1 (22:20):
I think they the Brons might be better than they were.
I respect their gamble of using Watson. They're paying them,
why not see if he can get back to assemblance
of what he used to be. They got Miles Garrett,
they got a good defense, They had a good draft.
So yeah, I think that game for the Steelers has
a chance to make a statement, and not just for
the Steelers, for the Brons too. I've seen it said
(22:40):
that the Steelers got cheated on the schedule, but they
only leave their time zone twice once for the game
in Paris.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
And every team's schedule has quirks. Why don't we always
have to have a victim?
Speaker 10 (22:52):
Well I heard you say that too, Mark, but I
didn't see the quoter who said it. What was the
context of what was the complaint, because I don't see
how they got cheated anywhere.
Speaker 1 (23:01):
Well, like, there's not a buye after the Paris week,
I mean, just just stuff happens.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
Play your games, win your games.
Speaker 10 (23:08):
Yeah, I mean I would have preferred to see them
at the bye after Paris, But they're coming home to
an't They coming home to play Cleveland right after that? Yeah,
so you know it's it's not the worst flight in
the world. You know, you come back, it's a nine
to thirty game. They'll be back before Sunday night football
is over, So Jim.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
It's all first class seats, it's all fancy food, it's
all have your bags carried for you. It's easy to
travel the way they travel. There's nothing, nothing that cheated
them on the freaking schedule.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
It's just a schedule.
Speaker 10 (23:43):
If that's the biggest complaint, then a lot of other
teams have more complaints than that. I thought maybe people
might have been griping about all the primetime games late,
but even that, it's nothing compared to three games in
eleven days, and.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
The Steelers love primetime games. Tom Whin used to brag
about prime time time games Cower two.
Speaker 10 (24:02):
And you know, there's always the concern, and I didn't
see people necessarily complaining about this because you know, it
worked out in their favor last year.
Speaker 8 (24:09):
It is dicey when you.
Speaker 10 (24:11):
Get the Ravens twice in December, because it could be
a situation where.
Speaker 8 (24:15):
Your quarterback or TJ.
Speaker 10 (24:17):
Watter, you know, somebody of import is down for you
and they get back to complete health but again, what
are you gonna do?
Speaker 8 (24:24):
And it worked out for him last year.
Speaker 10 (24:26):
They played them twice in December last year, so I
don't think that the schedule is unfavorable towards them. It's
disproportionate in you know, when they play. It's disproportionate based
on how last year's teams were versus the league. But
how often does that really carry over? You know, That's
why you said it's silly to do September and May.
(24:48):
It's even dumber to do maybe December and September.
Speaker 8 (24:51):
You know, like it doesn't make.
Speaker 10 (24:52):
Much sense because you don't know how it's going to
play out with injuries and with rookies who make an impact.
But the only thing I would say is it's a
little jagged and lopsided. But it's not unfair because that's
who you play based on math.
Speaker 1 (25:06):
Well, it's not like the NHL team. Nobody's playing back
to back home at home. It just every scheduless quirks.
Just I don't know, people, Godwin vent something to talk about.
I'm no better except I am better. At what point
do teammates think, why the frig isn't Rogers here? Or
does he just have Cachet. Beyond that ever happening.
Speaker 10 (25:28):
I think they feel in the locker room that things
went better offensively with him at the Helm than they
really did. So they look at it and say, well,
he didn't show up till June last year, what's the
big deal. I know he wasn't their guy last year,
and from a management perspective that would actually kind of
tick me off more. But from a player's perspective, I
(25:52):
don't know how seriously they're taking things right now as
it is.
Speaker 8 (25:55):
I think they're just getting used to it.
Speaker 10 (25:57):
And I also think there's a default mechanism that's in
place there of well, he was McCarthy's guy for so long,
he's already ahead of the curve. So I think it
can be easily rationalized within the locker room. I think
from an ownership and management point of view, you know,
it's Art that's out there, it's Omar that's out there
saying we think he's gonna come by XYZ date, and
those dates keep expiring, and those are the ones. They're
(26:19):
the people that are looking bad in all this.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
Yeah, this whole thing fits bad with me. I wouldn't
have waited this long form. I think they're better off
for the long haul, you know, breaking in the other guys,
you know, working with them, while Rudolph plays for a
little bit.
Speaker 2 (26:34):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (26:35):
And what I worry about is I think McCarthy is
a giant upgrade from tom Win. I think we have
a coach now instead of a CEO in charge of
the Steelers. But but I think if they have a
bad year, McCarthy's immediately the fall guy, and especially with
the national media, the.
Speaker 10 (26:51):
National media, for sure. I'm not quite as on board
with you as how much of an upgrade this is.
Like I said, I'm more of the opinion that they
are very similar coaches and a very similar results and
probably needed to get more out of star quarterbacks when
they had them and do better in the playoffs in general.
Speaker 8 (27:08):
So I think it was more of a lateral move
than you do.
Speaker 10 (27:12):
But I definitely think they have a better offensive mind
and that might get more out of Rogers at this
stage of his career than certainly will than Tomlin or
Arthur Smith ever could have as a combo. I'm not
sure about the defensive end, honestly, Mark, do they lose
much in Tomlin and Austin as a Combo. Probably not
because with that high paid defense and the rewards that
(27:35):
were reaped from it, those were less than anybody thought
they would be. So I don't know what they're going
to have defensively schematically. They kind of talk like they
like what the Steelers did in recent years. I think
that Steelers defense has been vastly overrated for a long time,
and I honestly don't know what to expect of it
this year.
Speaker 1 (27:55):
One of the issues at Mini camp I want to
see how the O line lines up. Who wouldn't wear.
Speaker 10 (28:01):
Me too? I'm of the opinion to leave it alone
and leave Foutanu on the right side with McCormick and Frasier.
There are very few spots in this roster where you
can just look at something and say, yep, that's right.
Leave that alone and from senator right tackle, that's one
of those areas, and then you know, see who's better
between Dunker and Anderson. Put that person at left guard.
(28:25):
And if Iana Shore isn't ready to go as a
rookie because he's somewhat of a developmental project, okay, but
you took them number twenty one. Overall, he should be
able to play left tackle and if he's your right
tackle only guy, then I guess you gotta move Fautano
over and I don't know you then play Dylan Cook
(28:45):
on the other side until he's ready.
Speaker 2 (28:47):
I mean, like, that's well, Tim, Tim.
Speaker 1 (28:49):
They are in love with Dylan Cook and they'll make
a mistake with him, or they'll make a mistake bringing
Broderick Jones back, and why not make one more mistake
with Broderick Jones before he leaves.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
I think they're gonna move left. Maybe not, you know,
the first day.
Speaker 1 (29:02):
Of OTAs, but ultimately, but I think what you're trying
to say is it was a mistake to take Ian
a Chore in the first round if he wasn't plug
and play when you got a forty two year old quarterback.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
And I agree with you.
Speaker 8 (29:14):
Yeah, If he's.
Speaker 10 (29:15):
Plug and play and you can just put him in
at right tackle, so be it. Then he was a
worthwhile pick. And you'll just never know if you had
a diamond in the rough and Dylan Cook and that's fine,
or you keep him and he's a backup if he
can learn to play both sides.
Speaker 8 (29:28):
We don't know if there's a Dan Moore element to
him or not. Is he just a left tackle.
Speaker 10 (29:33):
Like Moore was, which screwed everything else up in the
first place. So and then you just put what Jones
on ir or cut him or trade him or something,
give him a fresh start somewhere else and see if
they can figure out what to do with the injury.
I don't know, but my hunch is they will move
Foutano to left and they'll figure out the right side
between those three until he Hanaschore is ready.
Speaker 1 (29:54):
Tim talking about the Penguins for a bit, I'm hearing
Gino wants two years and maybe more money than he
got last year six point one mil, based on having
been a point per game player. If that's the case,
that's going to be a deal breaker. It gives Dubus
a way out, and it makes me wonder if not
intentionally someone Gino's part, maybe he wants to go somewhere
else to maybe win, maybe make more money.
Speaker 10 (30:15):
That's kind of where I was going with the thought
after you teed it up that way. I mean, what
I was gonna respond to you is when you say
you're hearing that, are you hearing that from somebody who
wants you to say that? Like, is this because you're
not the only one. I mean, I've heard that spread
around too. It almost feels like there's an undercurrent of
let's get it out there that Gino wants more than
(30:36):
one years.
Speaker 2 (30:36):
I'm hearing that from somebody who knows.
Speaker 10 (30:39):
Okay, But if it's coming from management, that's a good strategy,
and it's a it's an effective one because I think
there's an erroneous view from within the fan base that
Gino is going to get some sort of like league
wide goodbye tour.
Speaker 8 (30:57):
You know, like everybody's gonna in the other nine buildings
out there.
Speaker 2 (31:02):
He ain't that player.
Speaker 8 (31:04):
He isn't.
Speaker 10 (31:04):
No, I mean he'll be it'll be an Asie Copotar
type deal.
Speaker 8 (31:08):
He will be recognized and.
Speaker 10 (31:09):
Rewarded many times over here in Pittsburgh, and that'll be great.
But it's not gonna be like you know, Crosby or
Ovetskin like when they go to every other building.
Speaker 8 (31:22):
Yeah, they might get a little goodbye tour.
Speaker 1 (31:24):
But even though he didn't really and and everybody thought
he was gonna retire, and of course now he's not.
Because Tim, it looks like nobody wants to go home
to Mother Russia.
Speaker 8 (31:34):
I know, it's a great time to go back over there. Mark.
Speaker 10 (31:36):
I know property values are like over there if you're
looking to buy a new pad when you get back.
But I just I think there's there's an error in
the view of how important Gino might be viewed outside
of Pittsburgh. And when I drew the Copatar analogies, because
we all kind of recognized how good of a player
and how great he was when he gave his good
by speech as he was skating off the ice in
LA after his last game.
Speaker 1 (31:56):
Yeah, Tim, when giving the good by speech, I clicked
to another game that was still going on.
Speaker 8 (32:02):
Yeah, And maybe people will do that with with Malkin two.
They certainly will if he's doing it in another jersey.
I can tell you that well.
Speaker 1 (32:08):
But my point is, forget about the farewell to I
forget about the farewell speech. No matter where it's at.
He's gonna want to come back next year too. Okay,
he wants a two year deal. I mean, there's something
going on here. I can't quite put my finger on,
but it might be him trying to angle his way
out where he's not the bad guy, where the Penguins
say no, and he can play somewhere else for more
(32:29):
money and have a chance to win.
Speaker 8 (32:32):
Well, let me play Devil's advocate. Then for a second.
Speaker 10 (32:34):
If that's what he's asking for and you're willing to
give him one year, do you give him.
Speaker 8 (32:38):
The two then and just get it over with.
Speaker 4 (32:40):
No.
Speaker 8 (32:42):
I probably don't either. Honestly, I'm not.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
Even sure i'd give him the one, but I definitely
wouldn't give him the two. I mean, Tim, I have
people saying, well, it's all based on statistics and he
was a point per game.
Speaker 2 (32:54):
Guy and his analytics and blah blah blah.
Speaker 1 (32:56):
None of that applies in black and white when you're
thirty nine going on forty, and when you only played
fifty six games this past year and have had two
major knee surgeries.
Speaker 10 (33:06):
I wanted to ask you about that too, because that
that point per game thing is thrown around a bunch. Well,
he's a point per game guy because he didn't play
eighty two and he probably won't ever play eighty two again.
And the way that Kyle Dubas was talking, the more
games in a row you give him, the worse he plays.
And I was even wondering with the way Dubas was talking,
I know this isn't something that they do in hockey
very much. And it's a dirty phrase, but hear it
all the time in the NBA, and that's load management,
(33:28):
Like are they gonna bring him back and intentionally rest
him on the backside of like.
Speaker 1 (33:32):
Why would you bring him back if you're gonna do
that well that he'll hill miss enough games organically.
Speaker 8 (33:39):
That's sort of where I'm going with it.
Speaker 10 (33:40):
But the way that Dubas was talking, it was like
he thought it was a great thing he got suspended.
Speaker 5 (33:45):
Like he was really good after the suspension.
Speaker 8 (33:47):
He was really good at the injuries.
Speaker 10 (33:48):
So what are you gonna do, like bake that in
on purpose?
Speaker 1 (33:52):
Like to your point, he's gonna when when when Kyle talked,
then you open up with Sam would love to have
him back. My first thought was, Okay, why isn't he
already like door and solely off? And then if you
listen to the rest of what Kyle said, it was
more cyanura. It was him more out than in.
Speaker 4 (34:10):
Love.
Speaker 10 (34:11):
We would love to have him back thing. I think
it's kind of not says built up. Yeah, the Penguins
have built up a lot of cachet in this town
with winning as much as the have since nineteen ninety
and the pirates are the exact opposite. And you know,
I mean here Ben Sherrington say a million times over,
he would have loved to have kept this guy, would
have loved to have gotten that guy, and we just
roll our eyes and say, sure you would. You would
have loved to make your price. Well, there might be
(34:33):
a little bit of truth to that too with Dubis.
Now then again it's gonna be here's where he's gotta
be careful with that, just from a pr standpoint. With
the folks out there who want Malkin to come back.
He's saying, out of one side of his mouth, we'd
love to have him back, And then at the same
time he's also saying, don't expect us to go out
(34:53):
there and spend a bunch of our forty two point
five million dollars in salary caps.
Speaker 1 (34:57):
But he's right about that. You can't spend all that
money on unrestricted free agents. They're all too old, they're
all washed up. Look at the list him and if
you invest all that money to try to win on
the Big three's timetable, then you're stuck with those guys
because they always get too much term.
Speaker 10 (35:14):
Okay, well, I'm not arguing that, but what I'm saying
is if he's advancing, that is a reason to not spend,
and they have more than comfortably the ability to give.
If getting Balkin five or six million dollars, just like
this year, the people who want him back are going
to throw that right back and do Biss's face if
they don't spend much of that forty two million in
(35:35):
the offseason.
Speaker 8 (35:36):
Is my point?
Speaker 1 (35:37):
Well, no, I mean people can throw back what they want.
I want my general manager to do the right thing.
And more and more it's looking like letting of getting
mal can go. But then the question is how to
Sid react to that?
Speaker 8 (35:49):
Well, there you go, and that's why I brought up
the whole two year thing.
Speaker 5 (35:52):
If you're give him the.
Speaker 10 (35:54):
Two years, and you do it quickly before they get
to the negotiating table with Sid, you look at him
say this is all we can do for you. I mean,
Latang might be here after you're gone, for crying out loud,
which just gave Gino two years, give us whatever you
got left, and you only have to go through one
more extension right now with Crosby potentially.
Speaker 2 (36:14):
Yeah, I'm not given Geno two years. So SAIDs happy.
I'm just not. That's where you've got to draw the
line with what keeps SID happy.
Speaker 10 (36:22):
Okay, well, all over breaking points and I think it's
gonna take.
Speaker 2 (36:26):
So so Tim, Tim, that's not a breaking point, that's
just what's right to do by the club.
Speaker 8 (36:31):
Well, there's a lot that's right to do by the club.
Speaker 10 (36:33):
Mark with Dubis, and I think he's caught in the
middle on a lot of this, Like he when he
used the word nostalgia to describe the Big Three and
didn't necessarily do it in pejorative terms. That got my attention.
I'm like, what is he saying here? He's almost saying
nostalgia like it's a good thing. But to me, that's
noras in sports, it's got a negative connotation, and that's
(36:57):
that's how I would use that, because it's one to
have nostalgia when you're ten years removed from something is
one thing. That is a different thing to have nostalgia
when you're living it. And I feel like we're living
it right now with how the Penguins are being operated
with these three guys and some of the other kind
of hangers on around and were veterans that haven't been
able to get a playoff win since twenty eighteen.
Speaker 1 (37:17):
Tim, I feel like I'm living it every time I
turn on the microphone. As always, thank you for your
expertise and we'll talk to you on the podcast Sunday
sounds good, Mark, Thanks, that's Tim Benn's. Have I given
any any sponsors today? Tim brought to us by Calusy Chevrolet. No,
I've hit everybody. Liiver pulled down on four to one,
four to one, four to f and one as Mark anything,
(37:40):
eight three three four one two wxdx. That's eight three
three four one two wxdx. You can also click on
the microphone icon at the iHeartMedia app and leave a
talk back four to fing one.
Speaker 2 (37:53):
Oh we got.
Speaker 1 (37:55):
Piper caw Field of the Pittsburgh Riveters joins me at
the top of the hour. Their opener They're Home opener
too is tomorrow night at FNB Stadium at Station Square.
Speaker 2 (38:05):
I wish she was at center back for the Liverpool
right now.
Speaker 1 (38:08):
One oh five nine, It's time to submit your questions
for Ask Mark Anything.
Speaker 3 (38:14):
Use your free iHeartRadio app and sap the microphone.
Speaker 1 (38:17):
I gone to send your questions to the super genius instantly.
Speaker 4 (38:22):
This Saturday.
Speaker 1 (38:23):
Go to Joe Doddy Brewery and give Sonia for the
Pine Novel power play.
Speaker 4 (38:26):
Of the show.
Speaker 2 (38:27):
Thank you for making my day.
Speaker 4 (38:28):
Yeah, the exit one, well.
Speaker 2 (38:33):
It's four two now, that's not a lot better. The
game's almost over. That's good.
Speaker 1 (38:40):
We're probably gonna make Champions League. It's just I mean,
we shouldn't, we might not. We probably will. It only
takes finish in fifth this year. But it's just been
a lost football season for Liverpool. But as always, I
live in hope moving forward.
Speaker 2 (38:57):
This just didn't. We talked earlier about how Vegas.
Speaker 1 (39:04):
Coach John Tortorella didn't talk last night to the media
after they eliminated Anaheim, and the player availability was very limited.
Two guys at the podium, one brought into a room.
It's supposed to be two guys at the podium. The
room's open, and the coach speaks at the podium too,
(39:26):
And apparently they'd been warned about it before Vegas got fined.
Speaker 2 (39:30):
One hundred K.
Speaker 1 (39:31):
Tortorella did rather, and they forfeited their second round draft
pick this coming draft, and you know the rules of
the rule. I hear people saying, well, the media doesn't matter.
I guess it does. It does when you're a league
that's sixth among the four major sports leagues in America.
So I'm glad that punishment got levied and f John
Tortorella f him up that. You know what, There's never
(39:53):
been a guy who's embarrassed hockey more than that piece
of crap.
Speaker 2 (39:58):
Not to be critical.
Speaker 1 (39:59):
Now it's time to ask anything brought to us by
People's Natural Gas, peoples and Sense utilities companies, safe reliable
natural gas energy, People's hyphen gas dot com.
Speaker 2 (40:09):
Let's go to Dave Dave. You're on with double M.
Speaker 5 (40:13):
Wilkinsburg.
Speaker 11 (40:14):
Dave, Hey, you know what, Mark, you have a lot
of influence on the youth. I don't care myself about
Nevada or California. They're drinking up all the cores, lightest
going dry out there in Colorado River.
Speaker 1 (40:31):
Yeah, that's enough of this guy, just not entertaining at all.
Let's go to a talkback.
Speaker 12 (40:35):
Hey, Double M, I say, Ricky Steamboat had the best
drop kick in wrestling.
Speaker 2 (40:40):
What do you think, Oh, that's a good question.
Speaker 1 (40:46):
It depends what you're looking for, height, impact, the combination thereof.
I love Ricky Morton Rock and Roll Express. They're double
dropkick two. You know who has a great dropkick for
a big man, especially.
Speaker 2 (40:57):
Randy Orton.
Speaker 1 (41:00):
Uh steamboat though one of the all time terrific all
around workers.
Speaker 12 (41:04):
Let's go to a talkback, hey, Mark, we saw Ben
Kendall take a big step this past year, and you've
even mentioned that you think you could see him wearing
a seed for the Penguins in the future if he does.
Who do you think has a chance to wear the
A alongside him?
Speaker 2 (41:21):
I don't think that's that important. I don't know.
Speaker 1 (41:24):
Rutger McGroarty, who we had on the show earlier, I
don't know. But I know Kendall's going to be around
a long time. I know he's going to be a
top six player for a long time. And I know
what kind of kidd he is. He just kind of
fits the captaincy mold.
Speaker 2 (41:40):
Moving forward.
Speaker 1 (41:42):
By the way, Sid had a chance to be captain
for Canada. He jumped on Team Canada late for the Worlds,
but the kid from from San Jose already had it
and Sid turned it down.
Speaker 2 (41:56):
Let it stay on, Who's boy? I'm getting old so
might I'm really.
Speaker 1 (42:03):
I'm gonna have a moment now where I really get
upset because and Please don't put this on the TV thing.
Speaker 2 (42:08):
Don't post this as a highlight.
Speaker 1 (42:10):
I forgot who Macklin Celebrini was for second, and those
moments are coming fast and furious, and this one kind
of really hits home because how the f could I
forget Macklin Celebrini. But anyway, Sid turned on the C
took the A instead, And that's the kind of leader
SID is. By taking the A to not upstate Celebrini,
(42:31):
Sid showed why he always gets the C. Let's go
to a talkback mark.
Speaker 13 (42:36):
If you could go back to any point in your
life year wise, eighties, ninety seventies, what would you say
were the best times of your life? And would you
say those times were way better than today's times?
Speaker 4 (42:49):
Thank you?
Speaker 1 (42:52):
That sounds like a kink song. Won't you tell me
where of all the good time's gone? Aware of all
the good time's gone? Covered by Van Halet, Of course,
I don't know. The time of my life was when
I worked for WCW, especially during the period of success
the nWo invasion, because I was on the inside for
(43:13):
all that stuff and it was just great to witness
and be a very very small part of I don't know,
I mean, I don't know. I mean I remember every
failure I've had and every bad time I've had, the
success and the good times not so much.
Speaker 14 (43:28):
Let's go to a talkback, hey, Mark, rank for me
the four horsemen of the speed metal genre Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax,
and Pantera, and let me know your thoughts on each. Thanks.
Speaker 1 (43:44):
Well, I mean, my favorite of the four by far
is Megadeth. And I realized that Metallica is the recognized
greatest heavy rock band ever. Well, that genre, speed trash,
whatever you want to call it. But Megadeth plays like Metallica.
But I like Mustange's songwriting better and has he has
pop song sensibilities, So I would go Megadeth, Metallica. Did
(44:10):
you have Slayer in there? Was it Anthrax? You had
Pantera in there?
Speaker 2 (44:13):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (44:13):
To me, it's Megadeth, Metallica one, two, and then a
big gap after that. Up next, and we also have
Piper Cawfield from the Pittsburgh Riveters their home opener. Their
season opener is tomorrow night at FMB Stadium in Station
Square one oh five nine.
Speaker 4 (44:31):
Okay,
The Wilkesbury scrant Penguins won their first round series in
or Now in the Atlantic Division finals of the AHL
Calder Cup Playoffs. Were welcome out of the program the
once in future Pittsburgh Penguin always great to talk to.
Winger Rutger McGroarty. Rutger, thanks for taking the time. A
tough overtime loss to Springdale last night, the series tied
(00:29):
one one.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
What do you take away from that game as you
go to Springfield for game three.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Yeah, I think it's something that we can definitely learn from.
I think that for forty five minutes we played really
well and then you can never take your foot off
the gas. I mean, they have a really good team
over there, and they got no quit so we got
to play a full sixty minutes.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
That's something people don't get. A crushing loss doesn't have
to crush, it's what you do after.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
Absolutely, I think that something like this. I mean we
we lost to Hershey in game two as well, so
I think that it's something to learn from and we
can just move forward and put our best foot forward.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
I got to revisit that Hershey series for second. Rotter.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
You scored that overtime goal. Are we sure it went
in the Hershey? Fans, I think they're still in the building.
They refuse to leave.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
Hey, Yeah, yeah. I honestly, I wasn't one hundred percent sure,
and then I saw the celebrations from the guys and
I kind of knew the angle it took from out
of the net. I was probably ninety percent sure it
went in the net, And then after the game, seeing
the overhead view, it kind of clarified it for me.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
No, it clarified it for everybody. It was kind of
funny they wouldn't leave. I mean, I give them credit.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Yeah, yeah, I mean they're they're intense fans. I mean,
it's super cool the rivalry we have with them, and
that series was a lot of fun to play in.
And they have a good team over there as well,
so it's always fun when you go into the Giant Center,
and we love playing there.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Well, that's that's one thing about the American League playoffs,
because I've been at AHL playoff games in the past.
I mean, it ain't the show Rutger, but it's pretty intense,
and there's a lot of people who care.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Don't they Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
Absolutely, I think our fans especially have have done a
great job, and as we keep progressing here, I think
that it's just going to keep getting better and better.
I mean, they've they've been there for us all year
and so it's it's super exciting too. I think Wilkes
just got we just got our first playoff series win
and I think it was like ten years, so it
was pretty cool that we got to do after them.
(02:26):
And uh, they've always been there for us, So it's
pretty cool.
Speaker 4 (02:30):
Now.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
You've got a lot of guys at Wilkes that that
we're familiar with in Pittsburgh, like you Brunick Coyven and
Avery Hayes. What's it like to not only make a
playoff run with Wilkes, but to try and make the
jump to the NHL together. I imagine that that group's pretty close,
isn't it.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
Yeah, we got a really close group. I think it's
a lot of fun going through with these guys. I
mean there's there's probably everybody on the team is super tight,
and we're always hanging out, We're always doing stuff together,
but also just going through this together. It's been a
blast and it's super fun as well because we push
each other in a very healthy, good way. At the
(03:07):
rink where we're always staying on the ice, going on
the ice, early developments, skates, stuff like that, and also
being able to go on this playoff run together is
super huge and learning to win together is huge.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
Yeah, that's like the group in sixteen and seventeen, and
we know what those guys accomplished. Morishoff's part of that too.
We saw him for five games in Pittsburgh this year.
How's he look for you guys in these playoffs? His
numbers are certainly impressive.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
Yeah, SERGEI he's been incredible all year. I mean him
and him and Joel has been really good for us
all year. I think that Serge just the calmness he
has in that and that slagger that he brings to
the team.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
I think that.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
A lot of teams I've been on goalies goalies have
kind of kept to themselves, but I think Serge he
brings that that slagger to the teams. He's talking, he's uh,
he's a leader on the team, and I think we
rally really well behind that. And I think that he's
been there all year for us and he's going to
continue to be there all year for us or the
all playoffs for US.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Yeah, and in Pittsburgh too. I'm sure.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
Now a few guys join Wilks late in the season,
Michael Illian for Russia and Bill zon And from Junior
just for this series.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
How do they look so far? How are they fitting?
Speaker 3 (04:19):
They're awesome. I think they're they're great guys too, and
I think for our team as well. They they they
mesh really well. And I think that we opened them
with uh where we welcome them with open arms and uh,
just allowing them to play their game and talking them
through stuff, uh and just being there to support them
because I mean it's not easy coming into to a
team this late in the season and uh, just hopping in.
(04:41):
But I think they've done an incredible job. And Mike
and and and Bill have done an incredible job. And uh,
they're they're big parts for our team.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
Now you're you're not a Scott Rotger, but but those
two look like NHL guys someday, don't they?
Speaker 4 (04:55):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (04:55):
Absolutely, I think just how they think the game, how
how their ability with the puck and without the puck.
I think that they've both taken strides that. I mean,
Bill's only been here for two games, but is seeing
them get comfortable period by period, shift by shift, and
Mike how he's gotten comfortable just from his first game
to now. I think that they're incredible hockey players and
(05:17):
they're super fun to watch, and I'm super happy that
they're on our side.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
We're talking to Rocker McGroarty Wilkesbary Scranton in the Atlantic
Division finals of the American Hockey League playoffs.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
How do you look at your season?
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Rock, Are you at twenty four games in Pittsburgh, had
some injuries.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Where do you think your game's at right now?
Speaker 4 (05:34):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (05:35):
I think that right now kind of just doing whatever
it takes for Wilkes to win. I think that it's
gonna look different every night, but I think that overall,
I really like where my games. I like where our
team's game's at. And in this season, I mean, there's
a lot to learn from. It was my second year
pro and just learning consistency. I think that's the biggest
thing in pro hockey is knowing what you're gonna give
(05:57):
day in and day out. And so that's something I'm
gonna continue to work on, continue to work with my skiming,
my my power, my my stride, and I think that, uh,
there's a lot to learn from this year, and yeah,
I'm super excited.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
Are your twenty two still very young? Nobody picks their
own timetable, but as next season the year to make
the jump for good, it seems like that's what you
would want and what I would think honestly.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Yeah, I mean they it's the NHL. Everybody wants to
play in the NHL. So I'm I'm definitely gonna put
my best left forward here and the rest of the
playoffs and do whatever it takes for this team to
win and then have have a big summer and then
come to training camp ready to go.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
Did did you watch the Penguins Flyer series? What was
your take on what happened there?
Speaker 3 (06:43):
Yeah, I mean it was a super fun series to watch.
I think just seeing that seeing that rivalry and in
the playoffs again it's super cool and two really good
teams and seeing where Philly came from and how they
ended the year, uh and and just pit and how
how they how they progress through up the season. That
(07:04):
was a super fun series to watch.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Now, what's what's the ahl?
Speaker 1 (07:07):
Like I'm not talking about the product on the rink,
Rutger because we all see that, but like the bus, travel,
how you guys live at twenty two. I mean, you'd
rather be in the NHL, But I bet it's fund
to do it that way right now too.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
Yeah, I think it kind of gells the guys together
a lot. I think the five six hour bus rides,
going through it together, hanging out with each other after
I we have a really young team too, so just
being able to hang out with each other and grind
through it together, going out on the road, Uh, getting dinners,
(07:43):
it's awesome.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
What's the best thing about the NHL? Then when you
come up, it's got to be the travel. We just
talked about that, the chartered planes, et cetera, all that.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
Yeah, I think the biggest thing is just kind of
the guys you're around. I think talking to them and
and just learning from them every single day. I think
that there's some real good leaders in that locker room
and kind of just picking up on little things.
Speaker 4 (08:05):
That they do.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
Obviously, the travels very nice, to the planes, the hotels,
the dinners is awesome, but I think just learning from
those guys is definitely the best thing.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
Who was the biggest influence on you when you're here?
I mean, obviously sids who everybody says, but I hear
a lot about guys like Kevin Hayes too.
Speaker 3 (08:24):
Yeah, Kevin Hayes was incredible. I think, honestly, everybody was great.
I think Anthony Manta was great for me this year
as well, Connor Clift and Blake was I think honestly
everybody they were all great, and I feel like you
can take something from everybody, and you got to learn
something from everybody, So I think the whole team was
great for me this year.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
Finally, what girl, I got to ask you about Ben Kindall,
who played the whole season up here, had a great
rookie year.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
He is one serious guy, isn't it.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
I know you've been asked about that before, but for
heaven's sakes, I mean, I heard he just watch his video.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
What's he like.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
And needs great? I think that there's definitely a reason
why he was in the NHL all year and had
the impact that he did. I think that he attacks
every day and just wants to get better and wants
to put his best foot forward every single day. And
I think he did a great job of that from
from camp all the way through the season, and it
was super cool to see and he's definitely wise beyond
(09:20):
his years. I think that he's a great kid and
it was a lot of fun just watching him this year.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
Rudger, thank you so much for taking the time. Great
to talk to you again, and we'll see you soon
in Pittsburgh. Good luck in the playoffs.
Speaker 5 (09:34):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
Rutger McGroarty.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
Everybody he's he just needs to get a half step faster.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
He does that.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
He's a great middle six winger in the league for
ten years. Just needs to get half a step faster,
and I have no doubt that he will and stay healthy.
Of course, one mail Villa in the forty ninth minute,
I'd just get more by the second.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
Uh Neck's got a whole bunch of sound about Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
Tom Pelasero says the Steelers are gonna lose patience with
him not yet committing.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
I just don't think they are. I'll tell you why
in a moment On one O five to nine, It's.
Speaker 6 (10:16):
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Speaker 4 (10:21):
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Speaker 6 (10:25):
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Speaker 4 (10:31):
Market Afternoon gall Mark.
Speaker 5 (10:33):
Madden, what do you want?
Speaker 4 (10:34):
What do you want? Damn it? The exit one, O
five nine.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
Double m on the X.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
Jerry Dulac said in his Steeler chap Point Black that
the Steelers won't keep four quarterbacks and that was a
big surprise to some, but nobody. No team in the
NFL keeps four quarterbacks, and the exception for that ain't
gonna be Will Howard. I just can't see the Steelers
(11:05):
cutting Rudolph or trading Runolf and making Alert or Howard
the number two. And they won't cut the third round
pick to keep the sixth round pick, especially when the
new coach, the quarterbacks guy, drafted the third round pick
and did not draft the sixth round pick. There's a
lot about the Steelers quarterback situation that's undeniable, unless, of course,
(11:29):
Grandpa game Manager never shows up, and then nothing is
out of play. Here's Tom Pellisero on the NFL Network
talking about the Steelers potentially running out of patience with Rogers.
Speaker 7 (11:44):
At some point, the patience is going to run out.
It certainly seems like the patients for Steelers fans, just
based on the feedback I get every time I talk
about Aaron Rodgers may already be running out for some people,
for Art Rooney, for Mike McCarthy, who's trying to get
the team ready on the field, that patience may be tested.
I don't believe that has happened yet. If they don't
(12:05):
have something in place by the start of next week,
I think that we get there.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
Uh yeah, Tom, It ain't the organization gonna get sick
of it. It ain't Rooney, the Steelers, the franchise so
desperate and needy to just win a playoff game at
long last after nine years. Not that if Rogers no
showed week one, they would leave the light on for
(12:34):
week two. I don't know what McCarthy thinks or what
the players think, but Rooney and the organization who will
never let this go. And that's for as long as
it takes. Here's Cam Heyward, the great leader. He's talking
about the wait for.
Speaker 5 (12:52):
Rogers bro like too out, who'll get their wing gets there.
It's it's the middle of the summer. If anyone knows
the system better than anybody, it's Aaron And you know
he's not a big proponent into having this long you know.
Speaker 8 (13:12):
Training.
Speaker 5 (13:13):
I think he trains well on his own he knows
what his body needs at this point.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
Okay, first off, don't throw me unless you know me.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
Second off, dude, you've been doing this podcast for how
long and your delivery is still just awful. This is
so typical a Cam what a weak need whimpy is.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
Last year he.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
Was talking like the boss, do you want to be
a Steeler or not? And then he retreated like O'Neal
Cruz tripping over himself in center field. Cam's no leader.
He's a get along gang kiss ass who never rocks
the boat unless he wants more money. Cam Hayward should
please shut the frig up. Here's Daniel Loves in ESPN
(14:00):
talking about the Steelers schedule after the bye week, which
does get tough.
Speaker 9 (14:07):
Find the win after the bye week for me? If
you're Pittsburgh, find the win. Cincini not beating cinciat in't Sincy.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
You're not beating Philly at Philly.
Speaker 9 (14:16):
You're not beating Denver, You not beating Houston, You're not
beating Jacksonville, You're not beating Baltimore.
Speaker 8 (14:20):
This team finds him every year.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
They always funny comin yea.
Speaker 8 (14:23):
They find him.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
Mike Tomlin and Mike cart Is a great coach.
Speaker 8 (14:26):
Obviously we'll accomplished.
Speaker 9 (14:27):
I'm of the belief I get it, like Aaron Rodgers
is the best thing for the Steelers team. Not having
Aaron Rodgers is the best thing for the organization. The
reality for the long term. If it's Will Howard and
Drew Rowler.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
Boys, that background music obnoxious. Yo, here's the thing.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
By the second half of the season, some of those
teams might not be so good.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
They might not be so good from the season starts.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
Teams rise and fall all the time in the NFL,
and do it overnight and very often unexpectedly. The Steelers
just got to build a cushion in the first half.
But in terms of not beating all those teams, I
guarantee the Steelers are gonna beat some of them. I
(15:14):
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Gonna talk to Tim benn of the trip next here
On one oh five.
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Speaker 2 (17:28):
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Speaker 1 (17:38):
Double im on the X two to one Villa in
the seventieth minute, not going good. They just hit the bar.
I can't wait till this season is over, to be
quite honest, joining me now to talk about anything but
that from the trip. Always a pleasure to talk to
Tim Benz.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
Tim. The ota start on Monday. Will Aaron Rodgers be
there or even have made.
Speaker 4 (17:59):
Up his mind?
Speaker 10 (18:02):
I probably think he's made up his mind. I don't
know if he's going to be there or not. I
think this is all a control game. I think this
is all about showing up when he wants, If he wants,
Mike Hunches he wants to I don't know about Monday, Honestly,
I think the way things have gone right now, there's
no real reason to believe that he'll be there, aside
(18:23):
from the quote unquote deadlines that the Steelers are put
out there, and what good.
Speaker 8 (18:27):
Have those done?
Speaker 2 (18:28):
Why is this happening?
Speaker 1 (18:29):
Because I can't think of one good reason, not from
his side, not from the Steelers side.
Speaker 10 (18:37):
From his side, it's the best fit for football right
now for him. I mean, it was still a team
good enough to get in the playoffs, and there weren't
even many of those that he could have gone to
this year. So I guess that's why for him, if
he wants to keep playing. From the Steelers point of view,
I think it's about artificially keeping that winning streak alive,
(18:58):
the non losing streak, I should say. I think it's
about putting Mike McCarthy in the best possible position to
not have a bad start on his resume and maybe
delay the rebuilding process because they think that's the right
thing to do. I don't I think it's time to
you know, maybe swallow hard. And this isn't the whole
thing that Art Rudy the second framed it to be.
Speaker 4 (19:20):
Mark.
Speaker 8 (19:20):
I mean, like he.
Speaker 10 (19:21):
Did that whole speech about I don't know why anybody
would want to lose for a whole year. Well, no
one wants to, but sometimes it happens organically and based
on their position, with the quarterback position, this might be
organically happening right now.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
Yeah, and it could happen with Rogers and the ceiling
for him, I don't think it's any more than winning
a playoff game, which I know Art is desperate to do,
and in fact, his neediness with Rogers and letting Rogers
walk all over the logo obviously confirms that.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
What's your take on the schedule.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
It seems slightly backloaded, maybe a lot backloaded, but you
play who you.
Speaker 10 (19:55):
Play, it's a lot backloaded based on last year. I
think if you look at the front part of the schedule,
it's where they need to make Hay. They need to
be somewhere in the neighborhood of five six wins by
the time to get to that past that second Bengals game,
you know they've got to be above five hundred there,
(20:17):
you know, maybe lose to the Patriots. That Thursday night
game in Cleveland always seems to be a bugaboo. But
I believe the Patriots are the only team that was
above five hundred last year that they played in the
first nine games. So get six wins there and then
you're in good shape for a very challenging second half
of the year. And for all the old Codgers who
(20:39):
are complaining about having too many night games, we'll enjoy
it while you get it when the weather's still good,
because you got all the one o'clock starts, all the
early starts early in the season before the weather turns,
and you can be back home by five point thirty
after a Steelers game.
Speaker 8 (20:52):
So enjoy it while you can get it.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
I'm not one to go over the schedule game by
game and come up with a record. I refuse to
analyze that September in May, let alone in life December
in May. But Week four in Cleveland seems big Thursday
night football because they always lose in Cleveland, and especially
so on Thursday Night football.
Speaker 10 (21:13):
I heard you and Tom talking about that, and I
felt the same way when I saw the schedule that.
Speaker 8 (21:18):
I don't know if it's the biggest test.
Speaker 10 (21:20):
I mean, obviously you get a super Bowl team in
New England the second week.
Speaker 8 (21:24):
So that's a huge test.
Speaker 10 (21:26):
But that feels like a real opportunity to tell if
the Steelers are different. You know, if they go up
there and lay an egg and it's thirteen to six,
like it always seems to be against the Browns on
Thursday night, divisional game, bad quarterback for Cleveland, whoever it is,
and the Steelers still can't figure out how to beat them,
then it's going to feel very seeming as the higher
(21:48):
did initially when McCarthy took over. You looked at the resumes,
he looked at their history and their reputation of being
good enough for the regular season but rarely achieving to
where we thought they could in the postseason. Yeah, lose
that game and that's going to feel very similar to
what a Tomlin lost in that situation would feel like.
Unless we're all reading the Browns wrong and they're actually good,
(22:08):
and I don't think they are, so I'll be very
intrigued to see not only if they win or lose
that game, mark but how they play it and how
their offense looks against that Cleveland defense early in the season.
Speaker 1 (22:20):
I think they the Brons might be better than they were.
I respect their gamble of using Watson. They're paying them,
why not see if he can get back to assemblance
of what he used to be. They got Miles Garrett,
they got a good defense, They had a good draft.
So yeah, I think that game for the Steelers has
a chance to make a statement, and not just for
the Steelers, for the Brons too. I've seen it said
(22:40):
that the Steelers got cheated on the schedule, but they
only leave their time zone twice once for the game
in Paris.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
And every team's schedule has quirks. Why don't we always
have to have a victim?
Speaker 10 (22:52):
Well I heard you say that too, Mark, but I
didn't see the quoter who said it. What was the
context of what was the complaint, because I don't see
how they got cheated anywhere.
Speaker 1 (23:01):
Well, like, there's not a buye after the Paris week,
I mean, just just stuff happens.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
Play your games, win your games.
Speaker 10 (23:08):
Yeah, I mean I would have preferred to see them
at the bye after Paris, But they're coming home to
an't They coming home to play Cleveland right after that? Yeah,
so you know it's it's not the worst flight in
the world. You know, you come back, it's a nine
to thirty game. They'll be back before Sunday night football
is over, So Jim.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
It's all first class seats, it's all fancy food, it's
all have your bags carried for you. It's easy to
travel the way they travel. There's nothing, nothing that cheated
them on the freaking schedule.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
It's just a schedule.
Speaker 10 (23:43):
If that's the biggest complaint, then a lot of other
teams have more complaints than that. I thought maybe people
might have been griping about all the primetime games late,
but even that, it's nothing compared to three games in
eleven days, and.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
The Steelers love primetime games. Tom Whin used to brag
about prime time time games Cower two.
Speaker 10 (24:02):
And you know, there's always the concern, and I didn't
see people necessarily complaining about this because you know, it
worked out in their favor last year.
Speaker 8 (24:09):
It is dicey when you.
Speaker 10 (24:11):
Get the Ravens twice in December, because it could be
a situation where.
Speaker 8 (24:15):
Your quarterback or TJ.
Speaker 10 (24:17):
Watter, you know, somebody of import is down for you
and they get back to complete health but again, what
are you gonna do?
Speaker 8 (24:24):
And it worked out for him last year.
Speaker 10 (24:26):
They played them twice in December last year, so I
don't think that the schedule is unfavorable towards them. It's
disproportionate in you know, when they play. It's disproportionate based
on how last year's teams were versus the league. But
how often does that really carry over? You know, That's
why you said it's silly to do September and May.
(24:48):
It's even dumber to do maybe December and September.
Speaker 8 (24:51):
You know, like it doesn't make.
Speaker 10 (24:52):
Much sense because you don't know how it's going to
play out with injuries and with rookies who make an impact.
But the only thing I would say is it's a
little jagged and lopsided. But it's not unfair because that's
who you play based on math.
Speaker 1 (25:06):
Well, it's not like the NHL team. Nobody's playing back
to back home at home. It just every scheduless quirks.
Just I don't know, people, Godwin vent something to talk about.
I'm no better except I am better. At what point
do teammates think, why the frig isn't Rogers here? Or
does he just have Cachet. Beyond that ever happening.
Speaker 10 (25:28):
I think they feel in the locker room that things
went better offensively with him at the Helm than they
really did. So they look at it and say, well,
he didn't show up till June last year, what's the
big deal. I know he wasn't their guy last year,
and from a management perspective that would actually kind of
tick me off more. But from a player's perspective, I
(25:52):
don't know how seriously they're taking things right now as
it is.
Speaker 8 (25:55):
I think they're just getting used to it.
Speaker 10 (25:57):
And I also think there's a default mechanism that's in
place there of well, he was McCarthy's guy for so long,
he's already ahead of the curve. So I think it
can be easily rationalized within the locker room. I think
from an ownership and management point of view, you know,
it's Art that's out there, it's Omar that's out there
saying we think he's gonna come by XYZ date, and
those dates keep expiring, and those are the ones. They're
(26:19):
the people that are looking bad in all this.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
Yeah, this whole thing fits bad with me. I wouldn't
have waited this long form. I think they're better off
for the long haul, you know, breaking in the other guys,
you know, working with them, while Rudolph plays for a
little bit.
Speaker 2 (26:34):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (26:35):
And what I worry about is I think McCarthy is
a giant upgrade from tom Win. I think we have
a coach now instead of a CEO in charge of
the Steelers. But but I think if they have a
bad year, McCarthy's immediately the fall guy, and especially with
the national media, the.
Speaker 10 (26:51):
National media, for sure. I'm not quite as on board
with you as how much of an upgrade this is.
Like I said, I'm more of the opinion that they
are very similar coaches and a very similar results and
probably needed to get more out of star quarterbacks when
they had them and do better in the playoffs in general.
Speaker 8 (27:08):
So I think it was more of a lateral move
than you do.
Speaker 10 (27:12):
But I definitely think they have a better offensive mind
and that might get more out of Rogers at this
stage of his career than certainly will than Tomlin or
Arthur Smith ever could have as a combo. I'm not
sure about the defensive end, honestly, Mark, do they lose
much in Tomlin and Austin as a Combo. Probably not
because with that high paid defense and the rewards that
(27:35):
were reaped from it, those were less than anybody thought
they would be. So I don't know what they're going
to have defensively schematically. They kind of talk like they
like what the Steelers did in recent years. I think
that Steelers defense has been vastly overrated for a long time,
and I honestly don't know what to expect of it
this year.
Speaker 1 (27:55):
One of the issues at Mini camp I want to
see how the O line lines up. Who wouldn't wear.
Speaker 10 (28:01):
Me too? I'm of the opinion to leave it alone
and leave Foutanu on the right side with McCormick and Frasier.
There are very few spots in this roster where you
can just look at something and say, yep, that's right.
Leave that alone and from senator right tackle, that's one
of those areas, and then you know, see who's better
between Dunker and Anderson. Put that person at left guard.
(28:25):
And if Iana Shore isn't ready to go as a
rookie because he's somewhat of a developmental project, okay, but
you took them number twenty one. Overall, he should be
able to play left tackle and if he's your right
tackle only guy, then I guess you gotta move Fautano
over and I don't know you then play Dylan Cook
(28:45):
on the other side until he's ready.
Speaker 2 (28:47):
I mean, like, that's well, Tim, Tim.
Speaker 1 (28:49):
They are in love with Dylan Cook and they'll make
a mistake with him, or they'll make a mistake bringing
Broderick Jones back, and why not make one more mistake
with Broderick Jones before he leaves.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
I think they're gonna move left. Maybe not, you know,
the first day.
Speaker 1 (29:02):
Of OTAs, but ultimately, but I think what you're trying
to say is it was a mistake to take Ian
a Chore in the first round if he wasn't plug
and play when you got a forty two year old quarterback.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
And I agree with you.
Speaker 8 (29:14):
Yeah, If he's.
Speaker 10 (29:15):
Plug and play and you can just put him in
at right tackle, so be it. Then he was a
worthwhile pick. And you'll just never know if you had
a diamond in the rough and Dylan Cook and that's fine,
or you keep him and he's a backup if he
can learn to play both sides.
Speaker 8 (29:28):
We don't know if there's a Dan Moore element to
him or not. Is he just a left tackle.
Speaker 10 (29:33):
Like Moore was, which screwed everything else up in the
first place. So and then you just put what Jones
on ir or cut him or trade him or something,
give him a fresh start somewhere else and see if
they can figure out what to do with the injury.
I don't know, but my hunch is they will move
Foutano to left and they'll figure out the right side
between those three until he Hanaschore is ready.
Speaker 1 (29:54):
Tim talking about the Penguins for a bit, I'm hearing
Gino wants two years and maybe more money than he
got last year six point one mil, based on having
been a point per game player. If that's the case,
that's going to be a deal breaker. It gives Dubus
a way out, and it makes me wonder if not
intentionally someone Gino's part, maybe he wants to go somewhere
else to maybe win, maybe make more money.
Speaker 10 (30:15):
That's kind of where I was going with the thought
after you teed it up that way. I mean, what
I was gonna respond to you is when you say
you're hearing that, are you hearing that from somebody who
wants you to say that? Like, is this because you're
not the only one. I mean, I've heard that spread
around too. It almost feels like there's an undercurrent of
let's get it out there that Gino wants more than
(30:36):
one years.
Speaker 2 (30:36):
I'm hearing that from somebody who knows.
Speaker 10 (30:39):
Okay, But if it's coming from management, that's a good strategy,
and it's a it's an effective one because I think
there's an erroneous view from within the fan base that
Gino is going to get some sort of like league
wide goodbye tour.
Speaker 8 (30:57):
You know, like everybody's gonna in the other nine buildings
out there.
Speaker 2 (31:02):
He ain't that player.
Speaker 8 (31:04):
He isn't.
Speaker 10 (31:04):
No, I mean he'll be it'll be an Asie Copotar
type deal.
Speaker 8 (31:08):
He will be recognized and.
Speaker 10 (31:09):
Rewarded many times over here in Pittsburgh, and that'll be great.
But it's not gonna be like you know, Crosby or
Ovetskin like when they go to every other building.
Speaker 8 (31:22):
Yeah, they might get a little goodbye tour.
Speaker 1 (31:24):
But even though he didn't really and and everybody thought
he was gonna retire, and of course now he's not.
Because Tim, it looks like nobody wants to go home
to Mother Russia.
Speaker 8 (31:34):
I know, it's a great time to go back over there. Mark.
Speaker 10 (31:36):
I know property values are like over there if you're
looking to buy a new pad when you get back.
But I just I think there's there's an error in
the view of how important Gino might be viewed outside
of Pittsburgh. And when I drew the Copatar analogies, because
we all kind of recognized how good of a player
and how great he was when he gave his good
by speech as he was skating off the ice in
LA after his last game.
Speaker 1 (31:56):
Yeah, Tim, when giving the good by speech, I clicked
to another game that was still going on.
Speaker 8 (32:02):
Yeah, And maybe people will do that with with Malkin two.
They certainly will if he's doing it in another jersey.
I can tell you that well.
Speaker 1 (32:08):
But my point is, forget about the farewell to I
forget about the farewell speech. No matter where it's at.
He's gonna want to come back next year too. Okay,
he wants a two year deal. I mean, there's something
going on here. I can't quite put my finger on,
but it might be him trying to angle his way
out where he's not the bad guy, where the Penguins
say no, and he can play somewhere else for more
(32:29):
money and have a chance to win.
Speaker 8 (32:32):
Well, let me play Devil's advocate. Then for a second.
Speaker 10 (32:34):
If that's what he's asking for and you're willing to
give him one year, do you give him.
Speaker 8 (32:38):
The two then and just get it over with.
Speaker 4 (32:40):
No.
Speaker 8 (32:42):
I probably don't either. Honestly, I'm not.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
Even sure i'd give him the one, but I definitely
wouldn't give him the two. I mean, Tim, I have
people saying, well, it's all based on statistics and he
was a point per game.
Speaker 2 (32:54):
Guy and his analytics and blah blah blah.
Speaker 1 (32:56):
None of that applies in black and white when you're
thirty nine going on forty, and when you only played
fifty six games this past year and have had two
major knee surgeries.
Speaker 10 (33:06):
I wanted to ask you about that too, because that
that point per game thing is thrown around a bunch. Well,
he's a point per game guy because he didn't play
eighty two and he probably won't ever play eighty two again.
And the way that Kyle Dubas was talking, the more
games in a row you give him, the worse he plays.
And I was even wondering with the way Dubas was talking,
I know this isn't something that they do in hockey
very much. And it's a dirty phrase, but hear it
all the time in the NBA, and that's load management,
(33:28):
Like are they gonna bring him back and intentionally rest
him on the backside of like.
Speaker 1 (33:32):
Why would you bring him back if you're gonna do
that well that he'll hill miss enough games organically.
Speaker 8 (33:39):
That's sort of where I'm going with it.
Speaker 10 (33:40):
But the way that Dubas was talking, it was like
he thought it was a great thing he got suspended.
Speaker 5 (33:45):
Like he was really good after the suspension.
Speaker 8 (33:47):
He was really good at the injuries.
Speaker 10 (33:48):
So what are you gonna do, like bake that in
on purpose?
Speaker 1 (33:52):
Like to your point, he's gonna when when when Kyle talked,
then you open up with Sam would love to have
him back. My first thought was, Okay, why isn't he
already like door and solely off? And then if you
listen to the rest of what Kyle said, it was
more cyanura. It was him more out than in.
Speaker 4 (34:10):
Love.
Speaker 10 (34:11):
We would love to have him back thing. I think
it's kind of not says built up. Yeah, the Penguins
have built up a lot of cachet in this town
with winning as much as the have since nineteen ninety
and the pirates are the exact opposite. And you know,
I mean here Ben Sherrington say a million times over,
he would have loved to have kept this guy, would
have loved to have gotten that guy, and we just
roll our eyes and say, sure you would. You would
have loved to make your price. Well, there might be
(34:33):
a little bit of truth to that too with Dubis.
Now then again it's gonna be here's where he's gotta
be careful with that, just from a pr standpoint. With
the folks out there who want Malkin to come back.
He's saying, out of one side of his mouth, we'd
love to have him back, And then at the same
time he's also saying, don't expect us to go out
(34:53):
there and spend a bunch of our forty two point
five million dollars in salary caps.
Speaker 1 (34:57):
But he's right about that. You can't spend all that
money on unrestricted free agents. They're all too old, they're
all washed up. Look at the list him and if
you invest all that money to try to win on
the Big three's timetable, then you're stuck with those guys
because they always get too much term.
Speaker 10 (35:14):
Okay, well, I'm not arguing that, but what I'm saying
is if he's advancing, that is a reason to not spend,
and they have more than comfortably the ability to give.
If getting Balkin five or six million dollars, just like
this year, the people who want him back are going
to throw that right back and do Biss's face if
they don't spend much of that forty two million in
(35:35):
the offseason.
Speaker 8 (35:36):
Is my point?
Speaker 1 (35:37):
Well, no, I mean people can throw back what they want.
I want my general manager to do the right thing.
And more and more it's looking like letting of getting
mal can go. But then the question is how to
Sid react to that?
Speaker 8 (35:49):
Well, there you go, and that's why I brought up
the whole two year thing.
Speaker 5 (35:52):
If you're give him the.
Speaker 10 (35:54):
Two years, and you do it quickly before they get
to the negotiating table with Sid, you look at him
say this is all we can do for you. I mean,
Latang might be here after you're gone, for crying out loud,
which just gave Gino two years, give us whatever you
got left, and you only have to go through one
more extension right now with Crosby potentially.
Speaker 2 (36:14):
Yeah, I'm not given Geno two years. So SAIDs happy.
I'm just not. That's where you've got to draw the
line with what keeps SID happy.
Speaker 10 (36:22):
Okay, well, all over breaking points and I think it's
gonna take.
Speaker 2 (36:26):
So so Tim, Tim, that's not a breaking point, that's
just what's right to do by the club.
Speaker 8 (36:31):
Well, there's a lot that's right to do by the club.
Speaker 10 (36:33):
Mark with Dubis, and I think he's caught in the
middle on a lot of this, Like he when he
used the word nostalgia to describe the Big Three and
didn't necessarily do it in pejorative terms. That got my attention.
I'm like, what is he saying here? He's almost saying
nostalgia like it's a good thing. But to me, that's
noras in sports, it's got a negative connotation, and that's
(36:57):
that's how I would use that, because it's one to
have nostalgia when you're ten years removed from something is
one thing. That is a different thing to have nostalgia
when you're living it. And I feel like we're living
it right now with how the Penguins are being operated
with these three guys and some of the other kind
of hangers on around and were veterans that haven't been
able to get a playoff win since twenty eighteen.
Speaker 1 (37:17):
Tim, I feel like I'm living it every time I
turn on the microphone. As always, thank you for your
expertise and we'll talk to you on the podcast Sunday
sounds good, Mark, Thanks, that's Tim Benn's. Have I given
any any sponsors today? Tim brought to us by Calusy Chevrolet. No,
I've hit everybody. Liiver pulled down on four to one,
four to one, four to f and one as Mark anything,
(37:40):
eight three three four one two wxdx. That's eight three
three four one two wxdx. You can also click on
the microphone icon at the iHeartMedia app and leave a
talk back four to fing one.
Speaker 2 (37:53):
Oh we got.
Speaker 1 (37:55):
Piper caw Field of the Pittsburgh Riveters joins me at
the top of the hour. Their opener They're Home opener
too is tomorrow night at FNB Stadium at Station Square.
Speaker 2 (38:05):
I wish she was at center back for the Liverpool
right now.
Speaker 1 (38:08):
One oh five nine, It's time to submit your questions
for Ask Mark Anything.
Speaker 3 (38:14):
Use your free iHeartRadio app and sap the microphone.
Speaker 1 (38:17):
I gone to send your questions to the super genius instantly.
Speaker 4 (38:22):
This Saturday.
Speaker 1 (38:23):
Go to Joe Doddy Brewery and give Sonia for the
Pine Novel power play.
Speaker 4 (38:26):
Of the show.
Speaker 2 (38:27):
Thank you for making my day.
Speaker 4 (38:28):
Yeah, the exit one, well.
Speaker 2 (38:33):
It's four two now, that's not a lot better. The
game's almost over. That's good.
Speaker 1 (38:40):
We're probably gonna make Champions League. It's just I mean,
we shouldn't, we might not. We probably will. It only
takes finish in fifth this year. But it's just been
a lost football season for Liverpool. But as always, I
live in hope moving forward.
Speaker 2 (38:57):
This just didn't. We talked earlier about how Vegas.
Speaker 1 (39:04):
Coach John Tortorella didn't talk last night to the media
after they eliminated Anaheim, and the player availability was very limited.
Two guys at the podium, one brought into a room.
It's supposed to be two guys at the podium. The
room's open, and the coach speaks at the podium too,
(39:26):
And apparently they'd been warned about it before Vegas got fined.
Speaker 2 (39:30):
One hundred K.
Speaker 1 (39:31):
Tortorella did rather, and they forfeited their second round draft
pick this coming draft, and you know the rules of
the rule. I hear people saying, well, the media doesn't matter.
I guess it does. It does when you're a league
that's sixth among the four major sports leagues in America.
So I'm glad that punishment got levied and f John
Tortorella f him up that. You know what, There's never
(39:53):
been a guy who's embarrassed hockey more than that piece
of crap.
Speaker 2 (39:58):
Not to be critical.
Speaker 1 (39:59):
Now it's time to ask anything brought to us by
People's Natural Gas, peoples and Sense utilities companies, safe reliable
natural gas energy, People's hyphen gas dot com.
Speaker 2 (40:09):
Let's go to Dave Dave. You're on with double M.
Speaker 5 (40:13):
Wilkinsburg.
Speaker 11 (40:14):
Dave, Hey, you know what, Mark, you have a lot
of influence on the youth. I don't care myself about
Nevada or California. They're drinking up all the cores, lightest
going dry out there in Colorado River.
Speaker 1 (40:31):
Yeah, that's enough of this guy, just not entertaining at all.
Let's go to a talkback.
Speaker 12 (40:35):
Hey, Double M, I say, Ricky Steamboat had the best
drop kick in wrestling.
Speaker 2 (40:40):
What do you think, Oh, that's a good question.
Speaker 1 (40:46):
It depends what you're looking for, height, impact, the combination thereof.
I love Ricky Morton Rock and Roll Express. They're double
dropkick two. You know who has a great dropkick for
a big man, especially.
Speaker 2 (40:57):
Randy Orton.
Speaker 1 (41:00):
Uh steamboat though one of the all time terrific all
around workers.
Speaker 12 (41:04):
Let's go to a talkback, hey, Mark, we saw Ben
Kendall take a big step this past year, and you've
even mentioned that you think you could see him wearing
a seed for the Penguins in the future if he does.
Who do you think has a chance to wear the
A alongside him?
Speaker 2 (41:21):
I don't think that's that important. I don't know.
Speaker 1 (41:24):
Rutger McGroarty, who we had on the show earlier, I
don't know. But I know Kendall's going to be around
a long time. I know he's going to be a
top six player for a long time. And I know
what kind of kidd he is. He just kind of
fits the captaincy mold.
Speaker 2 (41:40):
Moving forward.
Speaker 1 (41:42):
By the way, Sid had a chance to be captain
for Canada. He jumped on Team Canada late for the Worlds,
but the kid from from San Jose already had it
and Sid turned it down.
Speaker 2 (41:56):
Let it stay on, Who's boy? I'm getting old so
might I'm really.
Speaker 1 (42:03):
I'm gonna have a moment now where I really get
upset because and Please don't put this on the TV thing.
Speaker 2 (42:08):
Don't post this as a highlight.
Speaker 1 (42:10):
I forgot who Macklin Celebrini was for second, and those
moments are coming fast and furious, and this one kind
of really hits home because how the f could I
forget Macklin Celebrini. But anyway, Sid turned on the C
took the A instead, And that's the kind of leader
SID is. By taking the A to not upstate Celebrini,
(42:31):
Sid showed why he always gets the C. Let's go
to a talkback mark.
Speaker 13 (42:36):
If you could go back to any point in your
life year wise, eighties, ninety seventies, what would you say
were the best times of your life? And would you
say those times were way better than today's times?
Speaker 4 (42:49):
Thank you?
Speaker 1 (42:52):
That sounds like a kink song. Won't you tell me
where of all the good time's gone? Aware of all
the good time's gone? Covered by Van Halet, Of course,
I don't know. The time of my life was when
I worked for WCW, especially during the period of success
the nWo invasion, because I was on the inside for
(43:13):
all that stuff and it was just great to witness
and be a very very small part of I don't know,
I mean, I don't know. I mean I remember every
failure I've had and every bad time I've had, the
success and the good times not so much.
Speaker 14 (43:28):
Let's go to a talkback, hey, Mark, rank for me
the four horsemen of the speed metal genre Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax,
and Pantera, and let me know your thoughts on each. Thanks.
Speaker 1 (43:44):
Well, I mean, my favorite of the four by far
is Megadeth. And I realized that Metallica is the recognized
greatest heavy rock band ever. Well, that genre, speed trash,
whatever you want to call it. But Megadeth plays like Metallica.
But I like Mustange's songwriting better and has he has
pop song sensibilities, So I would go Megadeth, Metallica. Did
(44:10):
you have Slayer in there? Was it Anthrax? You had
Pantera in there?
Speaker 2 (44:13):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (44:13):
To me, it's Megadeth, Metallica one, two, and then a
big gap after that. Up next, and we also have
Piper Cawfield from the Pittsburgh Riveters their home opener. Their
season opener is tomorrow night at FMB Stadium in Station
Square one oh five nine.
Speaker 4 (44:31):
Okay,
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