May 13, 2026 • 33 mins
Mark talks a little about the Steelers trip to Paris this season. Paul Zeise jumps on the show to talk about all things Pittsburgh Sports
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
You know, I would like to hear from the news
broke that Week seven is gonna be the Steelers in
New Orleans playing at Paris, the first ever NFL game
in Paris, and uh, I'd like to hear from people
who are planning to go, because you do realize it
(00:21):
won't be like going to Dublin. Dublin's like a shot
in the beer tounches, like Pittsburgh Insers in Paris, that'll
be like the silk purse carried by a pig thing
going on. You know it just it just is a
(00:41):
bad fit, but you'll still love it.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
That sounded insulting. It was meant to be. Nextly, I
got I got the the the cliche wrong. Two.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear,
which doesn't exactly apply to this, but you get the idea. Well,
I'm stick on a pig, That's what it's like. So
are you planning on going? I mean I would if
I was a Steeler fan and so inclined. But like
I go to Liverpool, I fit in. I don't know
if Pittsburgh has fit in in Paris. And I've been
(01:14):
to Paris and the people are rude and obnoxious.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
I mean all of them.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
So if you're planning to go, call and tell me
what your expectations are. Eight three three four one two WXDX.
I still can't get over how Skin's pitched, but that's
actually inaccurate. I expect that every time he pitches. Now,
I am not a guy given to pointless and premature hyperbole,
(01:42):
but he might be the best pitcher ever. Now, if
you didn't go to the game last night, and most
of you didn't, why didn't you? The weather was okay.
Only thirteen k were there with Skins pitching. Pirates are
a legit team. Only thirteen k showed up. What's the deal?
(02:05):
And I have people tell me that it's too expensive?
And somebody tweeted that the Pirates rank, depending on what
you believe, sixth or seventh in average ticket price. It's
somewhere in there. I looked it up. Somebody said fourth,
but that's not true. Sixth or seventh is about right.
But there are cheap tickets, and it's not like the
(02:27):
cheap tickets are all sold and the expensive ones aren't.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
You look in the grand stand practically empty last night.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
There are tickets that you can get for weekday games,
grand stand, standing room, the cheaper tickets ten or fifteen bucks.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
That's for sure true.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
But when people say the tickets are too expensive, here's
what they really mean. Everybody wants the great tickets to
be cheap. You want a ticket behind home plate with
free beer and Hunts dogs for ten or fifteen bucks.
The ten to fifteen dollars tickets out in the grand stand,
(03:07):
and they have beer and hot dogs out there too,
and they are expensive, but you can eat before you
go to the ball game. People don't want those. They
want the expensive tickets sold to them.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
Cheat.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
The way to go is spend for a standing room
ticket and get a nusher to let you sit in
an empty seat in a good section with like a
five dollars tip. That's how you do it. I know
people that do that all the time. Somebody also tweeted
and this is a good point that after decades of
(03:43):
terrible teams, why would they expect people to come flocking back?
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Why wouldn't I expect that? Me the super genius?
Speaker 1 (03:50):
And Okay, I see your point there, for sure, I
do decades of terrible teams. There's no denying except for
that one little break thirteen, fourteen fifteen when they got
a wildcar and I didn't go last year, and I've
not yet gone this year because I don't trust him.
They've spent a little more, but that might be just
(04:11):
window dressing to get closer to the cap floor by
spending now on better players, not having to catch up
later spending too much for bad guys. Then again, if
that's the intent, the cap four is going to be
like one hundred and forty million, if indeed a salary
cap is adopted in the next CBA, which I doubt,
(04:31):
but if it is, the floor is going to be
about one hundred and forty million bile estimates, and the
powers are one hundred and four right now, so if
they have taken a den out of that, it's a
very minuscule one, and the cap might let them have
at least the puncher's chance in keeping schemes. But I
(04:51):
doubt it. He has too much ambition to want to
stay here. I would think I would hope, So you
get the idea, though, It's just I can't believe people
aren't going. They go for weekends, they go for bibbleheads,
they go for fireworks, but a Tuesday night game with
Skiens pitching thirteen K there the decades of terrible teams,
(05:12):
I get that too, but not when Skeens is pitching,
because if anyone has proven he is all that, it's
Paul Skins. Let's go to our good friend either Hebrew
Ham or Hamm or you're one oh five.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Nine ex Musch. Hey, thanks for fitting me in.
Speaker 4 (05:27):
Hey, I believe great media personality once coined and said
the Pittsburgh's.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
A babble head tone.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
Did I say that?
Speaker 3 (05:36):
No? No, no, bo though, Oh that's right.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
You said great media personnel.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
Well that ain't him, but yeah, okay, no, no, no,
But what do you think of thirteen k there last
night for Skeets?
Speaker 4 (05:46):
Well, you know what?
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Okay?
Speaker 4 (05:47):
In a town like Pittsburgh with the demographics, I'm not surprised.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
Now. You have to look at baseball.
Speaker 4 (05:53):
When baseball was created, all these generate, all these decades ago,
baseball was the only line of entertainment out there. So
they played this big schedule, so I guess what schemes
it's an issue, But otherwise.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
There's just so many games to go to.
Speaker 4 (06:08):
You don't have to rush to it. Back in nineteen forty,
that's all people did was the baseball game you're on
the TV.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
I mean there was radio.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
Well, right, and you could even like going back to
the sixties, not every game was on TV the seventies,
I mean that didn't home games on TV in baseball,
if memory serves, probably didn't start till like the mid
seventies or maybe even later in terms of being more
than occasional. So yeah, you're right about that, But your
disclaimer is the disclaimer that matters schemes shouldn't apply to that.
(06:38):
If all his comforts, if all his starts had twenty
two to twenty three thousand and they tanked otherwise on
Weekday's hammer, I could understand that this I can't.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
Yeah, I mean.
Speaker 4 (06:50):
I think people were just so used to not going
you know, all these decades later from the nineties, I
mean even the nineties, they didn't draw. I mean that
they covered the for decks in the target.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
It dates bell out of that, and that, like Mike
de Corsi said earlier, the game where Komene got his
three thousand tit they were only like what eighteen thousand
people there, maybe less, I forget the exact number.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
I was there.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
There was almost nobody there, and it wasn't like him
having two thousand, nine hundred and ninety nine hits was
a secret.
Speaker 4 (07:20):
But isn't that just everywhere? I mean, if I mean
there's only like New York.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
In La Skimes?
Speaker 2 (07:26):
Is the is the disclaimer here?
Speaker 5 (07:28):
Now?
Speaker 2 (07:29):
Why wasn't Klemene the disclaimer here?
Speaker 1 (07:31):
I think I hate to agree with the aforementioned, but
I just think it's not a baseball time.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
I think it lies about being a baseball town.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
I think it beats its chest about being a baseball town,
but too much evidence points to not really.
Speaker 5 (07:45):
Yeah, you're you're probably right.
Speaker 4 (07:47):
Okay, So yesterday I called and I kind of got
stuck it along red late and I forgot my ass
mark anything question, so I just threw out anything. So
Sean Casey was talking about bringing in the fences at PNC,
right right? Do you think that Nuttings would even spend
money on that?
Speaker 1 (08:09):
I think if it would help them maximize Connor Griffin.
Perhaps they're big signing, and I think they probably could
get the city to.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
Pay for it.
Speaker 4 (08:19):
Well that'd be amazing. Hey, real quick, I want to
share this before I get off the air. I heard
Nutting's grandson, He said, grand Poppy I want to see
a world series in town. And I heard that's why
he's committed to spending and winning.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
I heard Nuttings said to him, you'll get nothing and
like it. That's your cue whammy. Okay, keeping, we got
kent on from Beaver Connie. There's nothing to do with
Beaver Kanne. He can stay on hold. Get your calls
in eight three, three, four, one two WSDX. The bloom
might be off Caitlyn Clarks Rose, Wait do you hear
(08:55):
with I forget the guy's name.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Somebody on the Craig Carton Show said about her and
it might be true.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
One five nine this playoff season, Powerhold minds behind the brand.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Cream comes to the top. I feel like I'm just
bubbling over.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
You have pants play.
Speaker 6 (09:09):
You're on the edge as I wouldn't.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
Who told you the exit?
Speaker 6 (09:12):
One nine.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
I'm gonna get to that Caitlin Clark thing that that
the guy his name is Tyrone Johnson. He's on the
Craig Carton Show in New York. He thinks her time
is come and gone, and he makes kind of a
compelling argument. And also a lot of people think the
penguin's answer is getting Austin Matthews somehow from Toronto now
that they're gonna get Gavin McKenna presumably or the sweetish
(09:38):
kid with the first pick overall. But I I don't
think that's doable, and I'll tell you why in the second.
But we've had Ken and Dick on hold uh for
a considerable time here. Let's get to Ken first. Ken,
you're on with Mark.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
Well, it was mad always good to talk to you.
Speaker 7 (09:56):
I had a flashback role Boff Prince memory is glory
days with Pirate baseball for twenty eight years. He always
said Pittsburgh was a June, July, and August town. Unless
there's a Pennant race, people come out in September and
it hasn't changed since I was a kid.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
That's okay, But then Pittsburgh's not a baseball time.
Speaker 7 (10:18):
That's the truth, sir. It's not Boston, Sat. Louis or Chicagoy.
It never will be, honestly.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
Well, you know, and even when it was the number
one team in the number one game in town, which
was before the Steelers really found their footing in the
early seventies, the attendance at Forbes Field early in three
Rivers was never great and it was good but never great.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
So no, but like and that's okay. I'm not ever
going to.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
Tell anybody how to spend their entertainment dollar. Ken, but
it's not a baseball team. That's always been a bunch
of crap. I've always said it's a bunch of crap.
And last night thirteen k at PNC to what skeins
pitch like he did especially approves it.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
Thank you for the call. Yeah, I mean, I just tat.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
I don't care if you go or not, but I've
just told you ways to go cheap. Like I said
that standing room ticket and then pay an usher you
could sit. I would bet in a box seat along
the first or third baseline, not behind the plate, bit
along one of the file lines, for the standing room ticket,
plus a five buck tip for the usher. But no,
(11:24):
you want behind the plate, free hot dogs, free beer
for ten bucks. You don't want the cheap seat. You
want the best seat at a cheap price. And that's
not how it works. You want a seat like that,
make more money, be rich like me. But if you
do get seats near me, don't talk to me. Uh
let's go to Dick in Churchill. Dick, you're on with
double M.
Speaker 4 (11:46):
I helped out with a documentary back in twenty twelve
about Clemente, and since then, I've just gained, you know,
a great deal of respect for him.
Speaker 5 (11:54):
And I'm just curious what your experience was the day.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
That he passed.
Speaker 4 (12:00):
Oh.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
I was a kid.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
I had just turned twelve years old, and I cried
for days, literally cried for days. I saw Commente play,
I got his autograph, I took pictures of him. You know,
I interacted. I mean, I was an autograph kid. I
still have a bunch of stuff that was signed by Commente,
and I could make a lot of money selling it,
but I'm I sold one thing to a guy who
(12:21):
wanted to buy I had an autograph Commente hat, not
that he wore, but like one of my hats that
he signed, and I sold it to a guy because
he wanted to buy it for his dad, who was
older and was a huge Commente fan. But the other
stuff I'm probably gonna hold on to and just die
with it in my possession, which is kind of dumb.
But I got those from Colemente. He handed them to
(12:45):
me after I handed them to him, like baseball photos whatever.
So I revered the guy He's not the best pirate
player ever, that's Barry Bonds. But he's the greatest pirate
ever if you can sense the subtle difference there, thank give.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
You the call.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
Okay, let me go over the Austin Matthews thing first,
because I don't think people really care about the Caitlyn
Clark stuff.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
A lot of people.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
That's the grind swell because DUBIS said they need difference
makers in their mid to late twenties, and Austin Matthews
kind of finished that description twenty eight years old, had
a surgery.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
But you know it is a little overweight, maybe just
a fat face. I don't know.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
We've done okay with guys with fat faces. Look at
Phil Kessel, who also came from Toronto. But I don't
see them getting Matthews. And here's why. He has two
more years on his deal, average annual value of thirteen
point twenty five million. He has a full no movement cost,
so he would have to finagel his way out, leverage
his way up. I said, I'm not going to play
for Toronto anymore. And he reportedly has a good relationship
(13:51):
with DUBIS for when Dubas was the GM up there,
but If Matthews was going to leverage his way somewhere,
why would it be Pittsburgh to play with sid I mean,
that'd be great for him, but you don't even have
the Canada thing going there because Matthews is an American.
I think if Matthews is going to leverage his way
out of Toronto, it'll be to go someplace where he
(14:14):
is very likely to win, certainly more likely than Pittsburgh.
You heard what Dubas said yesterday, didn't you. This team's
not close. It just isn't close. Oh, here's the Caitlyn
Clark thing. This guy Tyrone Johnson. I should have played
the sound but he said that she's not a big star.
(14:37):
She was a flash in the pan, and he compared
Caitlyn Clark to Jeremy Lynn. Remember lynd sanity with the
Knicks had like a two year one where he was
the biggest thing in basketball and then disappeared. And boy,
he might not be wrong when he says that. Tyrone Johnson,
and he pointed out she complains too much. She walked
(15:00):
out on stage with Morgan Wallen, who I guess gets
gets escorted on stage every show by a celebrity like
Peyton Manning did it and she did it, and you
know he's a polarizing figure despite being a very popular
country star.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
I don't know, maybe that's true. I don't hear as
much about Caitlin Clark as I did. That said.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
The WNBA season just opened and I haven't paid attention
and won't moving forward. But yeah, maybe maybe the bloom's
off her.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
Rose.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
Just because you're a star doesn't mean to stay a star. Okay,
the the screen shut down here, so let's talk to
my next mystery caller. It's Sparky. I'm told, spark your
own with double F. Okay, Sparky in there. Okay, good,
thanks for calling. Not not too late. Pay attention. Dipstick.
(15:54):
By the way, I think this is great. David Letterman
an interview with Bill Simmons. I think did a podcast,
and I think Letterman after Carson's the greatest late night
host of all time. I think he turned sour and
bitter his last ten years for whatever reason, it wasn't
nearly as good. But I think there was a time
(16:15):
when he was comparable to Carson, and I hold Carson
on a pedestal.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
He's in a class by himself. So for me to
say that it's saying something anyway.
Speaker 1 (16:24):
Letterman got interviewed by Bill Simmons and he said he
never watches TV except for one show. His favorite show
is Pardoning Interruption with Cornhaddron and Wilbon on ESPN. And
at first I was surprised, and then I think of
how Letterman was on TV and how Tony and Wilbon
are on TV, and it makes perfect sense. And that
(16:47):
is such a compliment to Party Interruption, which I think
is the best thing ESPN has. What was the the
Bob Lee Show? Bob Lee had a show I'd put
in the same category. Maybe this Sports Reporters too, although
that was bland and boring. You know what, I'm just
gonna say it, Pardon Interruptions the best TV show ESPN
has ever done, and certainly spawned a whole generation of
(17:12):
really stupid imitators. As you can see midday every day
on ESPN, I'm NAT's gonna talk to Paul's Ice one
oh five.
Speaker 6 (17:20):
To nine one oh five nine, d X has your
shot at x dra cash because we're nice. Thirteen times
a day, nine am through nine pm, d X will
give you the keyword at the top of every hour.
Enterated wxdx dot com and you could win one thousand
dollars jesting you can spread it on the bed and
roll around at one thousand.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
Dollars or whatever. This is your money. Listen all day
for your chance.
Speaker 6 (17:42):
Had some extra cash on one oh five nine the X.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
This is Doug Gottlieb. Here's what's trending from the Iheartsports
Network presented by Iheartadvertising dot Com.
Speaker 8 (17:52):
The Steelers are headed to Paris Celface, New Orleans as
part of the NFL International Series late unveiled today. It'll
be the league's first debra game in frank second straight
win that'll be in reach for the Pirates.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
All host Colorado again tonight.
Speaker 8 (18:05):
Mitch Keller said to take the ball there for the
Bucks and former NBA center Jason Collins, the league's first
openly gay player, has died at age forty seven after
battling brain cancer.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
I'm Scott Davidson, run a business and not thinking about radio.
Think again, because people are listening to radio more today
than they did twenty years ago. And only geez Mark Madden.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
This is one of those two chicks drafts to bring
the duck tape type of.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
Affairs what they're gonna make us play a Wampu game.
Speaker 4 (18:31):
It's not fair.
Speaker 8 (18:31):
It's not fair.
Speaker 3 (18:32):
It's not fair.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
The exit one oh five nine.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
Joining me now, always great to talk sports with. Paul Seiss,
paulp Here's a cliched question, but it applies. Is Paul
Skin's the best pitcher ever.
Speaker 5 (18:51):
Ever? Is probably a little strong right now, but I
mean it clearly has some really incredible stuff and does
all of really good things. Uh. That would make me
think if he does it for another eight or nine years, yeah,
he will be the best pitcher ever.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
I just never seen a picture of good off to
a start like this.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
And I'm old enough to have seen Vita Blue before
he had some arm problems, Doc Gooden before he had
a bunch of cocaine problems. And uh, I don't see
what can do real schemes unless it's the inevitable Tommy
John surgery and even that guy's bounced back from. Although
I still maintain, don't you, Paul, We've seen guys bounce
back from Tommy John and still be brilliant. But I
(19:32):
think that they lose a little something, even if it's
like one percent five percent, they lose just a little something,
don't they?
Speaker 3 (19:39):
Yeah, they do.
Speaker 5 (19:40):
And then you know they even though they say that
you're you're stronger than you were and all that other
good stuff, the reality is, you, uh, these guys seem
to break down a little bit more like it never
seems like it's one Tommy John. It seems like it's
a Tommy John and then a bunch of like sorens
and tightness and missing games because you're injured.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
What sets him apart from the pack. When I say pack,
I mean, like you know, the Bob Gibson's, the Nolan Ryans.
What might make him the best ever? If, like you say,
he can keep this.
Speaker 5 (20:12):
Up, Well, I mean to tell you, I think the
figure that's incredible about him, markcu is he's got at
least five, if not six, but he's got five like
pitches that would be considered elite no matter what, you
know what I mean, Like most guys have two or
three and then maybe a couple of other ones that
are decent. He's got five elite pitches and so doesn't
(20:33):
matter what he's throwing at you. And then of course
you had his velocity and do it all. It doesn't
matter what he's throwing at you, he's gonna be the
guy that basically finds a way to strike you out.
I think that's one of the biggest problems that UH
batters or hitters have with him is kind of as
soon as they figure out, well, we kind of have
to figure out a little bit.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
Guess what you don't.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
Yeah, you make a great point about the five pitches,
because when he started adding pitches, you know, his rookie
year than his second year, mostly I thought, Okay, he's
gonna be like Charlie Sheen and Major League two, where
we add so many pitches that it it screws him up.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
But we've not even seen a remote sign of that
so far.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
Are the Pirates, Legit, Paul at least gonna be in
the wild card race all the way?
Speaker 5 (21:19):
Well, I mean I think with they're pitching, Mark, if
you look at their pitching, I honestly think their pitching
is gonna keep them as contenders, you know, for the
entire year.
Speaker 3 (21:28):
Now, will they be a wild card team? I don't know.
Speaker 5 (21:31):
I still think they've got some holes in their lineup,
But the reality is when you're throwing the guys they're throwing.
Speaker 3 (21:36):
At their you know, at least four out of.
Speaker 5 (21:38):
The five days, they're gonna as long as those guys
are healthy, they're gonna have a shot to stay in
it because they're pitching is really I mean, Ascraft honestly
isn't quite Skeaens, but he's got some ridiculous stuff. Bubba
Chandler's got to learn how to pitch a little bit,
but he's still got some really good stuff. And then
(21:58):
you know, mits Keller is not a a bad guy
at all. So they got four guys that are really
good pitchers that can actually give you a chance to
win every single night.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
Okay, if Skiens is all that, and I think he is,
and it's a good team, and I think it might be,
and it's the best ball park in America, how come
there were only thirteen k at PNC last night to
see Skeens pitch.
Speaker 5 (22:20):
Well, I mean, I think the biggest thing with that,
Marcus is, you know, this town doesn't really start going
to baseball games until after after school's out. I mean,
I know it's kind of weak, but it's true. You know,
when when when school's out and the kids are able to,
you know, stay up later, and the games are a
little bit later, because right now I think there was
six oh five or six six twenty or something.
Speaker 3 (22:43):
Yeah, yeah, whatever it is. You know, they get a
little bit later.
Speaker 5 (22:47):
But I'll tell you the thing about it is, if
they were coming off a winning season where they were
in a wildcard last year, we would have seen a
little better attendance early in spread.
Speaker 1 (22:57):
Actually that's that's a real good point because it depends
on season tickets. That's where your tendance comes from. And
you're right, a playoff year last year would have had
more season tickets sold. I think people would be shocked,
Paul if they knew how few tickets were sold for
any sport via walk up.
Speaker 5 (23:14):
Yeah, you're absolutely right. I think one of the one
of the great myths sol of all time is that
there's these huge.
Speaker 3 (23:20):
Walk ups all the time. Every so often you might
get one, but.
Speaker 5 (23:23):
For the most part, prepaid sales they know pretty much
how many people are gonna come to the games because
prepaid sales and season tickets are where most people are
gonna buy their tickets. But usually what happens in April
and May, when school's in you see these kind of
weak crowds, and then all of a sudden, you know,
people will start going to the games.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
And I got no problem with how people spend their money, Paul,
But I'm just kind of juxta to posing that attendance
last night with people beating their chest and saying, what
a great baseball time it is. Skins pitched, it's a
good team, the weather was okay, it's a great ballpark.
I just don't think it's a good baseball town. I
think it likes the posture like it is, but really isn't.
Speaker 5 (24:06):
It's probably like a lot of towns where you know,
if they win and they're doing well in July in August,
then we'll start to see those big, big crowds. So
I don't know if it's a bandwagon town. There are
there is a big baseball crowd here. And I will
say this, and I think this is important to be honest,
if you really.
Speaker 3 (24:23):
Think about it.
Speaker 5 (24:24):
I think the most important thing is you have You
have a lot of fans who went through twenty years
of losing, twenty straight years of losing, so people are
cynical about the team and so they have to win
in order to But I think there are baseball fans here.
I just don't know that they're so rabid that They're
(24:47):
just gonna go and and and and buy whatever is
being sold.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
No matter what.
Speaker 2 (24:52):
I don't believe.
Speaker 1 (24:54):
I don't buy the argument, Paul that people are bringing
up the tickets are too expensive. There's cheap tickets there.
It's just you know, you gotta get standing room or
sit in the grand stand. But if you get standing room,
you can pay an unher five bucks to probably sit
in a box seat. People want the best seat at
a cheap price. But that doesn't make tickets too expensive.
Speaker 5 (25:13):
No. I think the other part of it is, I mean,
you want to go to the game, you can go
to the game and you can figure it out. It's
not I mean, you know, hockey, even football. Those tickets
are starting to get to a point where, yeah, there's
very few easy places to go to find cheaper tickets,
but there's not a bad seat, really, very few bad
seats at PNC parks. If you really want to go
(25:33):
to the game, price, you know, is not.
Speaker 3 (25:36):
Really a factor.
Speaker 1 (25:37):
We're talking to Paul's ice here on one oh five
nine the X Paul, have you seen Aaron Rodgers And
the biggest fiasco is not enough?
Speaker 2 (25:46):
People call it a fiasco, right, Well.
Speaker 5 (25:49):
I mean I think The biggest thing about it is,
I mean, how many different times are these guys that
cover the team, but you know, claim that a sore
tells him when he's gonna sign or whatever else I
mean to be. You know, the bottom line is a
lot of guys are guessing. We used to do journalism
the right way, but a lot of guys are just
guessing and trying to be first. The bottom line is
(26:10):
the Steelers have let it get out of control again,
and I don't understand why.
Speaker 3 (26:14):
It makes no sense to me.
Speaker 2 (26:16):
Here's what I think is an intriguing question.
Speaker 1 (26:18):
Never mind twenty twenty six, Paul, who will be the
Steelers number one quarterback in twenty twenty seven Rogers Aler,
Howard Rudolph or somebody not on the roster? And I
asked that because Mike the fable with the athletic very
actually pointed out some time ago they are setting themselves
up to be in the same situation next year as
they are right now.
Speaker 5 (26:40):
Yeah, I would say I would go with probably.
Speaker 3 (26:44):
I would lean like, I.
Speaker 5 (26:45):
Don't know, thirty or forty percent Aler and sixty percent
somebody who's not on the roster.
Speaker 1 (26:53):
So if Aler proves himself in whatever opportunity he gets,
he might be the choice.
Speaker 5 (26:58):
Yeah, I mean they drafted high. I don't think it
would be Will Howard or Mason Rudolph. I don't even
know Rudolf will still be on the team at the
end of the training camp this year. I don't think
it'll be Will Howard. I think if it's gonna be
anybody on the roster, will be Aller. But he's got
a long long way to go to prove he can
do that. So that's why I leaned sixty sixty five percent.
(27:18):
I think it's gonna be somebody who's not even on
the roster right now.
Speaker 1 (27:23):
Do you have a problem with Rogers doing what he's
doing or do you have a problem with the Steelers
for allowing him. My argument that it should it should
be more on Rogers is the quarterbacks should be there
all the time. I mean, he has two new receivers,
Pittman and the rookie kid Bernard friar Mouth and Roman
Wilson never quite clicked with him last year, and those
(27:44):
guys should be getting as much time with Rogers as possible.
All the optional stuff to a quarterback in this league
isn't optional, not really.
Speaker 3 (27:54):
Yeah, I mean, I don't.
Speaker 5 (27:56):
I don't necessarily thinkure he needs to be here now.
Actually it is more reps for the younger guys. I
just don't understand how the Steelers have let this narrative
or whatever it's called, get to where the point is.
They look incompetent, like they should have gotten out ahead
of this, you know, in a bunch of different ways,
and they haven't. With Rogers, I mean, he's forty two
(28:17):
years old.
Speaker 3 (28:18):
I don't blame him.
Speaker 5 (28:18):
I wouldn't come in until I absolutely have to be here.
Speaker 2 (28:21):
No, I do blame him.
Speaker 1 (28:23):
It's like Emmanuel Acho said, and I don't put a
lot of stock normally in what he says.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
But he says Rogers is cheating the game, and I
think he is. I don't care how old year. It's
a game of showing up for work.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
Now. I mean, I can see that argument.
Speaker 5 (28:37):
I can also see the argument that if he's not there,
the younger guys get more reps. You know. I mean
Rogers knows the offense. I'm not sure that, you know.
I just don't think in the grand scheme of things,
missing some stuff here in May is gonna mean that
much when he's got a whole training camp and everything
else to really get to know his players.
Speaker 1 (28:58):
Uh, how about the Steelers are gonna be game in Paris?
And by the way, I just learned that's a home
game for New Orleans, so the Steeler fans will not
lose a game at Acrissure. How are the traveling Steeler
fans gonna fit in at Paris? Dublin seemed a good fit,
Paris not so much.
Speaker 5 (29:16):
Yeah, I'm not sure how they how Paris is gonna
handle the Steeler nation. Of course, the people that can
afford to take that trip, for the most part are
probably people that fit in in Paris.
Speaker 3 (29:27):
Uh so, uh, maybe it won't be so bad.
Speaker 5 (29:30):
But to me, the bear drink and Bears will and
ens their tights. Probably Paris is not exactly the right
place for them to beat. And you know what, Market's
true the teams that have a home game quote unquote
overseas or teams like Jacksonville, New Orleans and other teams
Atlanta that never really sell out, They're never gonna take
a home game.
Speaker 3 (29:50):
Away from the Steelers.
Speaker 1 (29:51):
Well, and especially Jacksonville because the the family that owns them,
the con family. They're based in London, so I think eventually,
if there's a your if there's not eventually a European
division in the NFL, I think the Jaguars will wind
up moving to London. I'm surprised it's not happened already. Yeah,
but you you remarked how budget might keep a lot
(30:13):
of the beer drinkers away, the Steeler fans who are
but that's not true. I guarantee people for those trips
and this one too. If they can't afford anything else,
they make sure they can afford that, right.
Speaker 5 (30:30):
Right, you're right, that is probably true. And you know what,
I know a lot of people that are beer record
types that.
Speaker 3 (30:36):
Went to Ireland.
Speaker 5 (30:37):
So maybe, but I just don't know how expensive France
is and how expensive that the trip is actually gonna be.
Speaker 1 (30:43):
You heard Dubas talk. Does it sound like Malkin's gonna
stay or go?
Speaker 5 (30:48):
No, I'm definitely saying I don't think there's any question
that they're gonna sign him. I think he's gonna be here,
and I think actually that's just sort of it might
even not, it might not even be completely in his hands.
But to me, I read that he's definitely gonna sign him,
that they probably are close to a deal already.
Speaker 3 (31:09):
That's what I read. I could be wrong, but I
think that's what he was saying.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
Well, my conor argument would be, and I think it's
very likely he does stay Paul and signs. But if
it was that simple, if they would love to have
him back, the deal could be done now. They signed
door In Sully off already. And it makes me wonder
if what I heard is true that Malkin wants two years,
and I think Dubus would absolutely draw the line at
(31:35):
one year or none.
Speaker 5 (31:37):
No, absolutely, I don't think it'd get two years if
there's any contract to dispute at all, if there's anything
that goes on with a contract like that, I honestly
think I agree that Dubis will finally, you know, kind
of walk away from it and basically move on.
Speaker 3 (31:51):
You know.
Speaker 5 (31:51):
I think Malkin is going to be offered something, and
if he doesn't want to take it, then he's probably
not going to get much of a counter offer.
Speaker 1 (31:58):
You don't think Malkin would have like vision of sugar
pumps in his head that he could go somewhere else
and win one more cup, do you.
Speaker 5 (32:05):
No, I think he'd go back to Russian's play I actually.
Speaker 2 (32:08):
Do no, no, no, I know he would not do that.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
Like I'm not sure he would leave Sprung to Ring Chase,
But but I think he'll play in the NHL next year.
And honestly, and this is one reason why the Penguins
would be well advised to keep him, because I keep
going back and forth, but I would bet he goes
to Philadelphia.
Speaker 5 (32:28):
Well, I mean I I I couldn't argue with you.
It feels like to me, he wants to play for
the Penguins or nobody.
Speaker 1 (32:34):
Yes, well not Pins or nobody. But but put it
this way, I think the Penguins are by far his
first choice. At least that's what he has seemed to
indicate at every opportunity.
Speaker 3 (32:46):
Right.
Speaker 5 (32:46):
Well again, if that, well, that's clearly his first choice.
I'd be real interested to see if he'd be willing
to play somewhere else in the in the NHL though,
and last it was a team he thought he absolutely could.
Speaker 3 (32:58):
Win a ring with.
Speaker 1 (32:59):
I think it would be a place you'd feel comfortable
at and talk it in Philadelphia with that Mitch cough
Kids kind of a protege. I think that might be
attractive to him. Like you said, if Pittsburgh doesn't sign
him up. Paul, there's always great stuff. We'll do it
again next week.
Speaker 5 (33:16):
Hey, pariks Man, I'll talk to you soon.
You know, I would like to hear from the news
broke that Week seven is gonna be the Steelers in
New Orleans playing at Paris, the first ever NFL game
in Paris, and uh, I'd like to hear from people
who are planning to go, because you do realize it
(00:21):
won't be like going to Dublin. Dublin's like a shot
in the beer tounches, like Pittsburgh Insers in Paris, that'll
be like the silk purse carried by a pig thing
going on. You know it just it just is a
(00:41):
bad fit, but you'll still love it.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
That sounded insulting. It was meant to be. Nextly, I
got I got the the the cliche wrong. Two.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear,
which doesn't exactly apply to this, but you get the idea. Well,
I'm stick on a pig, That's what it's like. So
are you planning on going? I mean I would if
I was a Steeler fan and so inclined. But like
I go to Liverpool, I fit in. I don't know
if Pittsburgh has fit in in Paris. And I've been
(01:14):
to Paris and the people are rude and obnoxious.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
I mean all of them.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
So if you're planning to go, call and tell me
what your expectations are. Eight three three four one two WXDX.
I still can't get over how Skin's pitched, but that's
actually inaccurate. I expect that every time he pitches. Now,
I am not a guy given to pointless and premature hyperbole,
(01:42):
but he might be the best pitcher ever. Now, if
you didn't go to the game last night, and most
of you didn't, why didn't you? The weather was okay.
Only thirteen k were there with Skins pitching. Pirates are
a legit team. Only thirteen k showed up. What's the deal?
(02:05):
And I have people tell me that it's too expensive?
And somebody tweeted that the Pirates rank, depending on what
you believe, sixth or seventh in average ticket price. It's
somewhere in there. I looked it up. Somebody said fourth,
but that's not true. Sixth or seventh is about right.
But there are cheap tickets, and it's not like the
(02:27):
cheap tickets are all sold and the expensive ones aren't.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
You look in the grand stand practically empty last night.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
There are tickets that you can get for weekday games,
grand stand, standing room, the cheaper tickets ten or fifteen bucks.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
That's for sure true.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
But when people say the tickets are too expensive, here's
what they really mean. Everybody wants the great tickets to
be cheap. You want a ticket behind home plate with
free beer and Hunts dogs for ten or fifteen bucks.
The ten to fifteen dollars tickets out in the grand stand,
(03:07):
and they have beer and hot dogs out there too,
and they are expensive, but you can eat before you
go to the ball game. People don't want those. They
want the expensive tickets sold to them.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
Cheat.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
The way to go is spend for a standing room
ticket and get a nusher to let you sit in
an empty seat in a good section with like a
five dollars tip. That's how you do it. I know
people that do that all the time. Somebody also tweeted
and this is a good point that after decades of
(03:43):
terrible teams, why would they expect people to come flocking back?
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Why wouldn't I expect that? Me the super genius?
Speaker 1 (03:50):
And Okay, I see your point there, for sure, I
do decades of terrible teams. There's no denying except for
that one little break thirteen, fourteen fifteen when they got
a wildcar and I didn't go last year, and I've
not yet gone this year because I don't trust him.
They've spent a little more, but that might be just
(04:11):
window dressing to get closer to the cap floor by
spending now on better players, not having to catch up
later spending too much for bad guys. Then again, if
that's the intent, the cap four is going to be
like one hundred and forty million, if indeed a salary
cap is adopted in the next CBA, which I doubt,
(04:31):
but if it is, the floor is going to be
about one hundred and forty million bile estimates, and the
powers are one hundred and four right now, so if
they have taken a den out of that, it's a
very minuscule one, and the cap might let them have
at least the puncher's chance in keeping schemes. But I
(04:51):
doubt it. He has too much ambition to want to
stay here. I would think I would hope, So you
get the idea, though, It's just I can't believe people
aren't going. They go for weekends, they go for bibbleheads,
they go for fireworks, but a Tuesday night game with
Skiens pitching thirteen K there the decades of terrible teams,
(05:12):
I get that too, but not when Skeens is pitching,
because if anyone has proven he is all that, it's
Paul Skins. Let's go to our good friend either Hebrew
Ham or Hamm or you're one oh five.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Nine ex Musch. Hey, thanks for fitting me in.
Speaker 4 (05:27):
Hey, I believe great media personality once coined and said
the Pittsburgh's.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
A babble head tone.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
Did I say that?
Speaker 3 (05:36):
No? No, no, bo though, Oh that's right.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
You said great media personnel.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
Well that ain't him, but yeah, okay, no, no, no,
But what do you think of thirteen k there last
night for Skeets?
Speaker 4 (05:46):
Well, you know what?
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Okay?
Speaker 4 (05:47):
In a town like Pittsburgh with the demographics, I'm not surprised.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
Now. You have to look at baseball.
Speaker 4 (05:53):
When baseball was created, all these generate, all these decades ago,
baseball was the only line of entertainment out there. So
they played this big schedule, so I guess what schemes
it's an issue, But otherwise.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
There's just so many games to go to.
Speaker 4 (06:08):
You don't have to rush to it. Back in nineteen forty,
that's all people did was the baseball game you're on
the TV.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
I mean there was radio.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
Well, right, and you could even like going back to
the sixties, not every game was on TV the seventies,
I mean that didn't home games on TV in baseball,
if memory serves, probably didn't start till like the mid
seventies or maybe even later in terms of being more
than occasional. So yeah, you're right about that, But your
disclaimer is the disclaimer that matters schemes shouldn't apply to that.
(06:38):
If all his comforts, if all his starts had twenty
two to twenty three thousand and they tanked otherwise on
Weekday's hammer, I could understand that this I can't.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
Yeah, I mean.
Speaker 4 (06:50):
I think people were just so used to not going
you know, all these decades later from the nineties, I
mean even the nineties, they didn't draw. I mean that
they covered the for decks in the target.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
It dates bell out of that, and that, like Mike
de Corsi said earlier, the game where Komene got his
three thousand tit they were only like what eighteen thousand
people there, maybe less, I forget the exact number.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
I was there.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
There was almost nobody there, and it wasn't like him
having two thousand, nine hundred and ninety nine hits was
a secret.
Speaker 4 (07:20):
But isn't that just everywhere? I mean, if I mean
there's only like New York.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
In La Skimes?
Speaker 2 (07:26):
Is the is the disclaimer here?
Speaker 5 (07:28):
Now?
Speaker 2 (07:29):
Why wasn't Klemene the disclaimer here?
Speaker 1 (07:31):
I think I hate to agree with the aforementioned, but
I just think it's not a baseball time.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
I think it lies about being a baseball town.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
I think it beats its chest about being a baseball town,
but too much evidence points to not really.
Speaker 5 (07:45):
Yeah, you're you're probably right.
Speaker 4 (07:47):
Okay, So yesterday I called and I kind of got
stuck it along red late and I forgot my ass
mark anything question, so I just threw out anything. So
Sean Casey was talking about bringing in the fences at PNC,
right right? Do you think that Nuttings would even spend
money on that?
Speaker 1 (08:09):
I think if it would help them maximize Connor Griffin.
Perhaps they're big signing, and I think they probably could
get the city to.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
Pay for it.
Speaker 4 (08:19):
Well that'd be amazing. Hey, real quick, I want to
share this before I get off the air. I heard
Nutting's grandson, He said, grand Poppy I want to see
a world series in town. And I heard that's why
he's committed to spending and winning.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
I heard Nuttings said to him, you'll get nothing and
like it. That's your cue whammy. Okay, keeping, we got
kent on from Beaver Connie. There's nothing to do with
Beaver Kanne. He can stay on hold. Get your calls
in eight three, three, four, one two WSDX. The bloom
might be off Caitlyn Clarks Rose, Wait do you hear
(08:55):
with I forget the guy's name.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Somebody on the Craig Carton Show said about her and
it might be true.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
One five nine this playoff season, Powerhold minds behind the brand.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Cream comes to the top. I feel like I'm just
bubbling over.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
You have pants play.
Speaker 6 (09:09):
You're on the edge as I wouldn't.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
Who told you the exit?
Speaker 6 (09:12):
One nine.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
I'm gonna get to that Caitlin Clark thing that that
the guy his name is Tyrone Johnson. He's on the
Craig Carton Show in New York. He thinks her time
is come and gone, and he makes kind of a
compelling argument. And also a lot of people think the
penguin's answer is getting Austin Matthews somehow from Toronto now
that they're gonna get Gavin McKenna presumably or the sweetish
(09:38):
kid with the first pick overall. But I I don't
think that's doable, and I'll tell you why in the second.
But we've had Ken and Dick on hold uh for
a considerable time here. Let's get to Ken first. Ken,
you're on with Mark.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
Well, it was mad always good to talk to you.
Speaker 7 (09:56):
I had a flashback role Boff Prince memory is glory
days with Pirate baseball for twenty eight years. He always
said Pittsburgh was a June, July, and August town. Unless
there's a Pennant race, people come out in September and
it hasn't changed since I was a kid.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
That's okay, But then Pittsburgh's not a baseball time.
Speaker 7 (10:18):
That's the truth, sir. It's not Boston, Sat. Louis or Chicagoy.
It never will be, honestly.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
Well, you know, and even when it was the number
one team in the number one game in town, which
was before the Steelers really found their footing in the
early seventies, the attendance at Forbes Field early in three
Rivers was never great and it was good but never great.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
So no, but like and that's okay. I'm not ever
going to.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
Tell anybody how to spend their entertainment dollar. Ken, but
it's not a baseball team. That's always been a bunch
of crap. I've always said it's a bunch of crap.
And last night thirteen k at PNC to what skeins
pitch like he did especially approves it.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
Thank you for the call. Yeah, I mean, I just tat.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
I don't care if you go or not, but I've
just told you ways to go cheap. Like I said
that standing room ticket and then pay an usher you
could sit. I would bet in a box seat along
the first or third baseline, not behind the plate, bit
along one of the file lines, for the standing room ticket,
plus a five buck tip for the usher. But no,
(11:24):
you want behind the plate, free hot dogs, free beer
for ten bucks. You don't want the cheap seat. You
want the best seat at a cheap price. And that's
not how it works. You want a seat like that,
make more money, be rich like me. But if you
do get seats near me, don't talk to me. Uh
let's go to Dick in Churchill. Dick, you're on with
double M.
Speaker 4 (11:46):
I helped out with a documentary back in twenty twelve
about Clemente, and since then, I've just gained, you know,
a great deal of respect for him.
Speaker 5 (11:54):
And I'm just curious what your experience was the day.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
That he passed.
Speaker 4 (12:00):
Oh.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
I was a kid.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
I had just turned twelve years old, and I cried
for days, literally cried for days. I saw Commente play,
I got his autograph, I took pictures of him. You know,
I interacted. I mean, I was an autograph kid. I
still have a bunch of stuff that was signed by Commente,
and I could make a lot of money selling it,
but I'm I sold one thing to a guy who
(12:21):
wanted to buy I had an autograph Commente hat, not
that he wore, but like one of my hats that
he signed, and I sold it to a guy because
he wanted to buy it for his dad, who was
older and was a huge Commente fan. But the other
stuff I'm probably gonna hold on to and just die
with it in my possession, which is kind of dumb.
But I got those from Colemente. He handed them to
(12:45):
me after I handed them to him, like baseball photos whatever.
So I revered the guy He's not the best pirate
player ever, that's Barry Bonds. But he's the greatest pirate
ever if you can sense the subtle difference there, thank give.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
You the call.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
Okay, let me go over the Austin Matthews thing first,
because I don't think people really care about the Caitlyn
Clark stuff.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
A lot of people.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
That's the grind swell because DUBIS said they need difference
makers in their mid to late twenties, and Austin Matthews
kind of finished that description twenty eight years old, had
a surgery.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
But you know it is a little overweight, maybe just
a fat face. I don't know.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
We've done okay with guys with fat faces. Look at
Phil Kessel, who also came from Toronto. But I don't
see them getting Matthews. And here's why. He has two
more years on his deal, average annual value of thirteen
point twenty five million. He has a full no movement cost,
so he would have to finagel his way out, leverage
his way up. I said, I'm not going to play
for Toronto anymore. And he reportedly has a good relationship
(13:51):
with DUBIS for when Dubas was the GM up there,
but If Matthews was going to leverage his way somewhere,
why would it be Pittsburgh to play with sid I mean,
that'd be great for him, but you don't even have
the Canada thing going there because Matthews is an American.
I think if Matthews is going to leverage his way
out of Toronto, it'll be to go someplace where he
(14:14):
is very likely to win, certainly more likely than Pittsburgh.
You heard what Dubas said yesterday, didn't you. This team's
not close. It just isn't close. Oh, here's the Caitlyn
Clark thing. This guy Tyrone Johnson. I should have played
the sound but he said that she's not a big star.
(14:37):
She was a flash in the pan, and he compared
Caitlyn Clark to Jeremy Lynn. Remember lynd sanity with the
Knicks had like a two year one where he was
the biggest thing in basketball and then disappeared. And boy,
he might not be wrong when he says that. Tyrone Johnson,
and he pointed out she complains too much. She walked
(15:00):
out on stage with Morgan Wallen, who I guess gets
gets escorted on stage every show by a celebrity like
Peyton Manning did it and she did it, and you
know he's a polarizing figure despite being a very popular
country star.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
I don't know, maybe that's true. I don't hear as
much about Caitlin Clark as I did. That said.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
The WNBA season just opened and I haven't paid attention
and won't moving forward. But yeah, maybe maybe the bloom's
off her.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
Rose.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
Just because you're a star doesn't mean to stay a star. Okay,
the the screen shut down here, so let's talk to
my next mystery caller. It's Sparky. I'm told, spark your
own with double F. Okay, Sparky in there. Okay, good,
thanks for calling. Not not too late. Pay attention. Dipstick.
(15:54):
By the way, I think this is great. David Letterman
an interview with Bill Simmons. I think did a podcast,
and I think Letterman after Carson's the greatest late night
host of all time. I think he turned sour and
bitter his last ten years for whatever reason, it wasn't
nearly as good. But I think there was a time
(16:15):
when he was comparable to Carson, and I hold Carson
on a pedestal.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
He's in a class by himself. So for me to
say that it's saying something anyway.
Speaker 1 (16:24):
Letterman got interviewed by Bill Simmons and he said he
never watches TV except for one show. His favorite show
is Pardoning Interruption with Cornhaddron and Wilbon on ESPN. And
at first I was surprised, and then I think of
how Letterman was on TV and how Tony and Wilbon
are on TV, and it makes perfect sense. And that
(16:47):
is such a compliment to Party Interruption, which I think
is the best thing ESPN has. What was the the
Bob Lee Show? Bob Lee had a show I'd put
in the same category. Maybe this Sports Reporters too, although
that was bland and boring. You know what, I'm just
gonna say it, Pardon Interruptions the best TV show ESPN
has ever done, and certainly spawned a whole generation of
(17:12):
really stupid imitators. As you can see midday every day
on ESPN, I'm NAT's gonna talk to Paul's Ice one
oh five.
Speaker 6 (17:20):
To nine one oh five nine, d X has your
shot at x dra cash because we're nice. Thirteen times
a day, nine am through nine pm, d X will
give you the keyword at the top of every hour.
Enterated wxdx dot com and you could win one thousand
dollars jesting you can spread it on the bed and
roll around at one thousand.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
Dollars or whatever. This is your money. Listen all day
for your chance.
Speaker 6 (17:42):
Had some extra cash on one oh five nine the X.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
This is Doug Gottlieb. Here's what's trending from the Iheartsports
Network presented by Iheartadvertising dot Com.
Speaker 8 (17:52):
The Steelers are headed to Paris Celface, New Orleans as
part of the NFL International Series late unveiled today. It'll
be the league's first debra game in frank second straight
win that'll be in reach for the Pirates.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
All host Colorado again tonight.
Speaker 8 (18:05):
Mitch Keller said to take the ball there for the
Bucks and former NBA center Jason Collins, the league's first
openly gay player, has died at age forty seven after
battling brain cancer.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
I'm Scott Davidson, run a business and not thinking about radio.
Think again, because people are listening to radio more today
than they did twenty years ago. And only geez Mark Madden.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
This is one of those two chicks drafts to bring
the duck tape type of.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
Affairs what they're gonna make us play a Wampu game.
Speaker 4 (18:31):
It's not fair.
Speaker 8 (18:31):
It's not fair.
Speaker 3 (18:32):
It's not fair.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
The exit one oh five nine.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
Joining me now, always great to talk sports with. Paul Seiss,
paulp Here's a cliched question, but it applies. Is Paul
Skin's the best pitcher ever.
Speaker 5 (18:51):
Ever? Is probably a little strong right now, but I
mean it clearly has some really incredible stuff and does
all of really good things. Uh. That would make me
think if he does it for another eight or nine years, yeah,
he will be the best pitcher ever.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
I just never seen a picture of good off to
a start like this.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
And I'm old enough to have seen Vita Blue before
he had some arm problems, Doc Gooden before he had
a bunch of cocaine problems. And uh, I don't see
what can do real schemes unless it's the inevitable Tommy
John surgery and even that guy's bounced back from. Although
I still maintain, don't you, Paul, We've seen guys bounce
back from Tommy John and still be brilliant. But I
(19:32):
think that they lose a little something, even if it's
like one percent five percent, they lose just a little something,
don't they?
Speaker 3 (19:39):
Yeah, they do.
Speaker 5 (19:40):
And then you know they even though they say that
you're you're stronger than you were and all that other
good stuff, the reality is, you, uh, these guys seem
to break down a little bit more like it never
seems like it's one Tommy John. It seems like it's
a Tommy John and then a bunch of like sorens
and tightness and missing games because you're injured.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
What sets him apart from the pack. When I say pack,
I mean, like you know, the Bob Gibson's, the Nolan Ryans.
What might make him the best ever? If, like you say,
he can keep this.
Speaker 5 (20:12):
Up, Well, I mean to tell you, I think the
figure that's incredible about him, markcu is he's got at
least five, if not six, but he's got five like
pitches that would be considered elite no matter what, you
know what I mean, Like most guys have two or
three and then maybe a couple of other ones that
are decent. He's got five elite pitches and so doesn't
(20:33):
matter what he's throwing at you. And then of course
you had his velocity and do it all. It doesn't
matter what he's throwing at you, he's gonna be the
guy that basically finds a way to strike you out.
I think that's one of the biggest problems that UH
batters or hitters have with him is kind of as
soon as they figure out, well, we kind of have
to figure out a little bit.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
Guess what you don't.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
Yeah, you make a great point about the five pitches,
because when he started adding pitches, you know, his rookie
year than his second year, mostly I thought, Okay, he's
gonna be like Charlie Sheen and Major League two, where
we add so many pitches that it it screws him up.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
But we've not even seen a remote sign of that
so far.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
Are the Pirates, Legit, Paul at least gonna be in
the wild card race all the way?
Speaker 5 (21:19):
Well, I mean I think with they're pitching, Mark, if
you look at their pitching, I honestly think their pitching
is gonna keep them as contenders, you know, for the
entire year.
Speaker 3 (21:28):
Now, will they be a wild card team? I don't know.
Speaker 5 (21:31):
I still think they've got some holes in their lineup,
But the reality is when you're throwing the guys they're throwing.
Speaker 3 (21:36):
At their you know, at least four out of.
Speaker 5 (21:38):
The five days, they're gonna as long as those guys
are healthy, they're gonna have a shot to stay in
it because they're pitching is really I mean, Ascraft honestly
isn't quite Skeaens, but he's got some ridiculous stuff. Bubba
Chandler's got to learn how to pitch a little bit,
but he's still got some really good stuff. And then
(21:58):
you know, mits Keller is not a a bad guy
at all. So they got four guys that are really
good pitchers that can actually give you a chance to
win every single night.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
Okay, if Skiens is all that, and I think he is,
and it's a good team, and I think it might be,
and it's the best ball park in America, how come
there were only thirteen k at PNC last night to
see Skeens pitch.
Speaker 5 (22:20):
Well, I mean, I think the biggest thing with that,
Marcus is, you know, this town doesn't really start going
to baseball games until after after school's out. I mean,
I know it's kind of weak, but it's true. You know,
when when when school's out and the kids are able to,
you know, stay up later, and the games are a
little bit later, because right now I think there was
six oh five or six six twenty or something.
Speaker 3 (22:43):
Yeah, yeah, whatever it is. You know, they get a
little bit later.
Speaker 5 (22:47):
But I'll tell you the thing about it is, if
they were coming off a winning season where they were
in a wildcard last year, we would have seen a
little better attendance early in spread.
Speaker 1 (22:57):
Actually that's that's a real good point because it depends
on season tickets. That's where your tendance comes from. And
you're right, a playoff year last year would have had
more season tickets sold. I think people would be shocked,
Paul if they knew how few tickets were sold for
any sport via walk up.
Speaker 5 (23:14):
Yeah, you're absolutely right. I think one of the one
of the great myths sol of all time is that
there's these huge.
Speaker 3 (23:20):
Walk ups all the time. Every so often you might
get one, but.
Speaker 5 (23:23):
For the most part, prepaid sales they know pretty much
how many people are gonna come to the games because
prepaid sales and season tickets are where most people are
gonna buy their tickets. But usually what happens in April
and May, when school's in you see these kind of
weak crowds, and then all of a sudden, you know,
people will start going to the games.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
And I got no problem with how people spend their money, Paul,
But I'm just kind of juxta to posing that attendance
last night with people beating their chest and saying, what
a great baseball time it is. Skins pitched, it's a
good team, the weather was okay, it's a great ballpark.
I just don't think it's a good baseball town. I
think it likes the posture like it is, but really isn't.
Speaker 5 (24:06):
It's probably like a lot of towns where you know,
if they win and they're doing well in July in August,
then we'll start to see those big, big crowds. So
I don't know if it's a bandwagon town. There are
there is a big baseball crowd here. And I will
say this, and I think this is important to be honest,
if you really.
Speaker 3 (24:23):
Think about it.
Speaker 5 (24:24):
I think the most important thing is you have You
have a lot of fans who went through twenty years
of losing, twenty straight years of losing, so people are
cynical about the team and so they have to win
in order to But I think there are baseball fans here.
I just don't know that they're so rabid that They're
(24:47):
just gonna go and and and and buy whatever is
being sold.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
No matter what.
Speaker 2 (24:52):
I don't believe.
Speaker 1 (24:54):
I don't buy the argument, Paul that people are bringing
up the tickets are too expensive. There's cheap tickets there.
It's just you know, you gotta get standing room or
sit in the grand stand. But if you get standing room,
you can pay an unher five bucks to probably sit
in a box seat. People want the best seat at
a cheap price. But that doesn't make tickets too expensive.
Speaker 5 (25:13):
No. I think the other part of it is, I mean,
you want to go to the game, you can go
to the game and you can figure it out. It's
not I mean, you know, hockey, even football. Those tickets
are starting to get to a point where, yeah, there's
very few easy places to go to find cheaper tickets,
but there's not a bad seat, really, very few bad
seats at PNC parks. If you really want to go
(25:33):
to the game, price, you know, is not.
Speaker 3 (25:36):
Really a factor.
Speaker 1 (25:37):
We're talking to Paul's ice here on one oh five
nine the X Paul, have you seen Aaron Rodgers And
the biggest fiasco is not enough?
Speaker 2 (25:46):
People call it a fiasco, right, Well.
Speaker 5 (25:49):
I mean I think The biggest thing about it is,
I mean, how many different times are these guys that
cover the team, but you know, claim that a sore
tells him when he's gonna sign or whatever else I
mean to be. You know, the bottom line is a
lot of guys are guessing. We used to do journalism
the right way, but a lot of guys are just
guessing and trying to be first. The bottom line is
(26:10):
the Steelers have let it get out of control again,
and I don't understand why.
Speaker 3 (26:14):
It makes no sense to me.
Speaker 2 (26:16):
Here's what I think is an intriguing question.
Speaker 1 (26:18):
Never mind twenty twenty six, Paul, who will be the
Steelers number one quarterback in twenty twenty seven Rogers Aler,
Howard Rudolph or somebody not on the roster? And I
asked that because Mike the fable with the athletic very
actually pointed out some time ago they are setting themselves
up to be in the same situation next year as
they are right now.
Speaker 5 (26:40):
Yeah, I would say I would go with probably.
Speaker 3 (26:44):
I would lean like, I.
Speaker 5 (26:45):
Don't know, thirty or forty percent Aler and sixty percent
somebody who's not on the roster.
Speaker 1 (26:53):
So if Aler proves himself in whatever opportunity he gets,
he might be the choice.
Speaker 5 (26:58):
Yeah, I mean they drafted high. I don't think it
would be Will Howard or Mason Rudolph. I don't even
know Rudolf will still be on the team at the
end of the training camp this year. I don't think
it'll be Will Howard. I think if it's gonna be
anybody on the roster, will be Aller. But he's got
a long long way to go to prove he can
do that. So that's why I leaned sixty sixty five percent.
(27:18):
I think it's gonna be somebody who's not even on
the roster right now.
Speaker 1 (27:23):
Do you have a problem with Rogers doing what he's
doing or do you have a problem with the Steelers
for allowing him. My argument that it should it should
be more on Rogers is the quarterbacks should be there
all the time. I mean, he has two new receivers,
Pittman and the rookie kid Bernard friar Mouth and Roman
Wilson never quite clicked with him last year, and those
(27:44):
guys should be getting as much time with Rogers as possible.
All the optional stuff to a quarterback in this league
isn't optional, not really.
Speaker 3 (27:54):
Yeah, I mean, I don't.
Speaker 5 (27:56):
I don't necessarily thinkure he needs to be here now.
Actually it is more reps for the younger guys. I
just don't understand how the Steelers have let this narrative
or whatever it's called, get to where the point is.
They look incompetent, like they should have gotten out ahead
of this, you know, in a bunch of different ways,
and they haven't. With Rogers, I mean, he's forty two
(28:17):
years old.
Speaker 3 (28:18):
I don't blame him.
Speaker 5 (28:18):
I wouldn't come in until I absolutely have to be here.
Speaker 2 (28:21):
No, I do blame him.
Speaker 1 (28:23):
It's like Emmanuel Acho said, and I don't put a
lot of stock normally in what he says.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
But he says Rogers is cheating the game, and I
think he is. I don't care how old year. It's
a game of showing up for work.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
Now. I mean, I can see that argument.
Speaker 5 (28:37):
I can also see the argument that if he's not there,
the younger guys get more reps. You know. I mean
Rogers knows the offense. I'm not sure that, you know.
I just don't think in the grand scheme of things,
missing some stuff here in May is gonna mean that
much when he's got a whole training camp and everything
else to really get to know his players.
Speaker 1 (28:58):
Uh, how about the Steelers are gonna be game in Paris?
And by the way, I just learned that's a home
game for New Orleans, so the Steeler fans will not
lose a game at Acrissure. How are the traveling Steeler
fans gonna fit in at Paris? Dublin seemed a good fit,
Paris not so much.
Speaker 5 (29:16):
Yeah, I'm not sure how they how Paris is gonna
handle the Steeler nation. Of course, the people that can
afford to take that trip, for the most part are
probably people that fit in in Paris.
Speaker 3 (29:27):
Uh so, uh, maybe it won't be so bad.
Speaker 5 (29:30):
But to me, the bear drink and Bears will and
ens their tights. Probably Paris is not exactly the right
place for them to beat. And you know what, Market's
true the teams that have a home game quote unquote
overseas or teams like Jacksonville, New Orleans and other teams
Atlanta that never really sell out, They're never gonna take
a home game.
Speaker 3 (29:50):
Away from the Steelers.
Speaker 1 (29:51):
Well, and especially Jacksonville because the the family that owns them,
the con family. They're based in London, so I think eventually,
if there's a your if there's not eventually a European
division in the NFL, I think the Jaguars will wind
up moving to London. I'm surprised it's not happened already. Yeah,
but you you remarked how budget might keep a lot
(30:13):
of the beer drinkers away, the Steeler fans who are
but that's not true. I guarantee people for those trips
and this one too. If they can't afford anything else,
they make sure they can afford that, right.
Speaker 5 (30:30):
Right, you're right, that is probably true. And you know what,
I know a lot of people that are beer record
types that.
Speaker 3 (30:36):
Went to Ireland.
Speaker 5 (30:37):
So maybe, but I just don't know how expensive France
is and how expensive that the trip is actually gonna be.
Speaker 1 (30:43):
You heard Dubas talk. Does it sound like Malkin's gonna
stay or go?
Speaker 5 (30:48):
No, I'm definitely saying I don't think there's any question
that they're gonna sign him. I think he's gonna be here,
and I think actually that's just sort of it might
even not, it might not even be completely in his hands.
But to me, I read that he's definitely gonna sign him,
that they probably are close to a deal already.
Speaker 3 (31:09):
That's what I read. I could be wrong, but I
think that's what he was saying.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
Well, my conor argument would be, and I think it's
very likely he does stay Paul and signs. But if
it was that simple, if they would love to have
him back, the deal could be done now. They signed
door In Sully off already. And it makes me wonder
if what I heard is true that Malkin wants two years,
and I think Dubus would absolutely draw the line at
(31:35):
one year or none.
Speaker 5 (31:37):
No, absolutely, I don't think it'd get two years if
there's any contract to dispute at all, if there's anything
that goes on with a contract like that, I honestly
think I agree that Dubis will finally, you know, kind
of walk away from it and basically move on.
Speaker 3 (31:51):
You know.
Speaker 5 (31:51):
I think Malkin is going to be offered something, and
if he doesn't want to take it, then he's probably
not going to get much of a counter offer.
Speaker 1 (31:58):
You don't think Malkin would have like vision of sugar
pumps in his head that he could go somewhere else
and win one more cup, do you.
Speaker 5 (32:05):
No, I think he'd go back to Russian's play I actually.
Speaker 2 (32:08):
Do no, no, no, I know he would not do that.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
Like I'm not sure he would leave Sprung to Ring Chase,
But but I think he'll play in the NHL next year.
And honestly, and this is one reason why the Penguins
would be well advised to keep him, because I keep
going back and forth, but I would bet he goes
to Philadelphia.
Speaker 5 (32:28):
Well, I mean I I I couldn't argue with you.
It feels like to me, he wants to play for
the Penguins or nobody.
Speaker 1 (32:34):
Yes, well not Pins or nobody. But but put it
this way, I think the Penguins are by far his
first choice. At least that's what he has seemed to
indicate at every opportunity.
Speaker 3 (32:46):
Right.
Speaker 5 (32:46):
Well again, if that, well, that's clearly his first choice.
I'd be real interested to see if he'd be willing
to play somewhere else in the in the NHL though,
and last it was a team he thought he absolutely could.
Speaker 3 (32:58):
Win a ring with.
Speaker 1 (32:59):
I think it would be a place you'd feel comfortable
at and talk it in Philadelphia with that Mitch cough
Kids kind of a protege. I think that might be
attractive to him. Like you said, if Pittsburgh doesn't sign
him up. Paul, there's always great stuff. We'll do it
again next week.
Speaker 5 (33:16):
Hey, pariks Man, I'll talk to you soon.
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