Tuesday 12 Qs: Tomlin, Haley, Scuds, Searage

Based on what you've seen and heard through six Steelers games and your familiarity with the principals, are you sticking with your prediction of 11-5?

What is the real story behind Ariens leaving and Haley being hired? Was it the Rooney's? Was it Tomlin? Why did the team announce Ariens was retiring? I don't know if we have heard the facts behind all of this.

Dejan- I’ve long prayed for the NHL to return to white uniforms for the home team. I prefer the Pens' whites, and having the home team wear white means season tix holders see something other than Pens' blacks versus visitors' whites every game. Am I alone on this?

Are you ever tempted to use some variation of the word "obviously" when asking Coach Tomlin questions? "Coach, is it obvious that the offensive game plan in the red area isn't working?" "Why isn't it obvious that the no-huddle offense should play a larger role in the game plan"

For a refreshing change, how 'bout those Pens?
Are Paul Martin's bags as good as packed, ready for a trade to get a W for Malkin? Assuming KCH stays together of course....
And will Borts replace Scuderi?

Hi Dejan. I know you've said that you think 4 yr/60 mil is a reasonable offer for Martin. Do you think he would look more at an offer that gave more money short-term as that, or a longer-term deal, like 5/65-68?

DK: With KC/Baltimore in the ALCS & the Pirates (all "small market teams") turning the corner the last couple seasons...are we beginning to see a change of how teams do business? Or will the Dodgers, Yankees, etc. still spend millions? I think there is a lesson there somewhere.

For how long are Ray Searage and Jim Benedict under contract? To your knowledge, have other teams ever asked about the availability of either?

Do you think Pitt will win another game this year? Law of averages says they'll win one, but it's hard too pin down who they might beat. Syracuse maybe?

There was a local article discussing the Pens focus on toughness and sticking up for each other. Will this team as constructed be better at defending each other than last year? Quotes from one veteran player weren't encouraging to say the least, though the new guys seem to get it

Hi Dejan:

The Steelers scored 27 points against the Browns in the first half on Sept. 7. The offense was on! After that, the Browns outscored them 55-13 in 6 quarters. Did their coaching staff just figure the Steelers out and make magical adjustments? What's your take on this?

And I know as I ask this question above...we are talking about Russ Martin...so maybe I kind of answered my questions, too....

What new player to the Penguins organization has impressed you the most in the first two games of the season?

What will it take to get McCullers on the field? I think it's time for the coaches and Colbert to admit they were wrong and cut Thomas!

How many loses in a row and how bad does the defense or offense have to look to get a coach fired during the season?

Can we hire Coach Cowher back and do you think he'd ever consider taking the job if he decides to return to the sideline?

IF Tomlin/Haley get the axe, who would you bring in to replace them? I'm not giving LeBeau a free pass, but I just don't think he gets fired.... ever... That being said, who would you bring in assuming availability, to replace all three?

With Kershaw's performance in the playoffs, do you think Cutch has a better shot at the MVP?

Pete Carroll during his press conference yesterday on cleaning up mistakes "I feel like I did not do a good job taking them through this week... Point a finger at me first." I’m no Pete Carroll fan and he’s no example of integrity but I found this very interesting. To me Ca

DK: With the 2015 starting rotation likely in need of one significant signing, what are your thoughts on Volquez, Liriano or the Field?

Do you think there is any chance that Mike Tomlin is not coaching this team next year? It's been 3 years of the same mistakes over and over and it seems he has no idea how to turn it around.

Troy P looks lost this season and has been regressing for some time. He is missing tackles, out of place a lot, and guessing wrong more than I can ever remember. Any chance they release him in the off season and let S. Thomas or a free agent take over.

So far this season the Steelers are lacking at many skilled positions. Too many to rebuild strictly within the draft in a timely manner. With free agent acquisitions likely on the horizon, how does this effect a new contract for Ben Roethlisberger?

With the incredible depth the Pirates have in their system, do you think this is the year that Neal finally does a talent for talent deal ? A Myers for Shields type deal that nets the Pirates a 200 ip frontline starter.

What do you know about Fichtner's offensive philosophy? It seems like he'd be the perfect interim coordinator and both sides could use the rest of the season as an extended interview for him.

DK, I'm really looking forward to the app, and I wanted to ask, what's in it? Any type of sneak peak into the features/capabilities will only make me salivate for it more. Thanks!

How much influence do you think the Rooney Rule has in the firing of Mike Tomlin?

I strongly disagree with your view of the offensive talent on Steelers. Line is below average and wildly inconsistent. Brown and Bell are elite/near elite but sample size is large enough to conclude the overall group doesnt measure up to the rest of the division let alone leagu.

Hi Dejan. I recall reading lots of good stuff about Kapanen, and then poof - back to Finland. Was he simply not ready, or was something else figuring into the decision that came down?

Is there any scenario where Haley is fired and Munchak takes over as OC for the rest of the season? What would have to happen?

Curious for your thoughts on why Tomlin does not defer when they win the coin flip. Three and out seems to be the norm to open the game and opponents have been really hurting them both in points and momentum.

Since history clearly shows that the Rooneys stick with proven coaches through difficult times, what DO the Steelers do to right the ship? And why do people expect them to abandon the philosophy that's led them to great success and the most SB wins in NFL history?

The inevitable rumors have begun, similar to Kordell during the last three-year debacle. Hearing Ben is livid about the contract situation, hates the offense, has one foot out the door, and a bag packed for Arizona and his buddy Bruce. thoughts?

Hey DK, how has starting your own site affected your family/personal life in comparison to working for one of the local publications?

Barojas, Buck, McHenry, Martin, Doumitt, Stewart, Snyder and Jaramillo are all catchers who have caught for the Pirates in the time Tony Stewart has been with the club. The Buc's are streamlining two through the farm. Why havent the Pirates dealt Tony Stewart?

Obviously you are a Pittsburgh guy and will not be moving anytime soon. With that said, could you rank the 3 local professional franchises in the order you enjoy covering the most and a little insight as to why? For me I'm getting very disinterested in the NFL as a whole.

With the recent embarrassing attendance numbers for the Panthers in South Florida (7,311 on Monday night), how much longer do pucks last there? Maybe a resurrection of the Nordiques in the near future?

Why do kickoff returners continually field from 6-8 yards deep in their endzone? The kicking team is five yards closer and the returner is five yard deeper! The risk/reward math doesn't make sense anymore, does it? (Steelers aren't the only ones who do this either.)

Is there a distinctive advantage one way or the other for a coordinator to be in the booth or on the sidelines?

DK, how good is Hornqvist? Looks like a great fit so far.

With all of the (deserved) talk of firing the Steeler coaches', how much of the blame should go to Colbert? The drafts and the free agent signings have both been terrible. This situation appears to be similar to Ray Shero... Everything seems fine until the bottom falls out.

DK, assuming the Pirates do not sign Martin, and probably lose Liriano, what are the chances they can sign a guy like James Shields or Jon Lester?

Sir - hypothetically, Cortez Allen does not improve; is a move to safety next year a viable option? Could / would they release him and confirm they made a huge financial blunder?

One question, please. So much easier to do this live that way. Thank you!

Dejan at what point do the Steelers have to go operation scorched earth like the Penguins did and everybody goes. I mean Colbert, Tomlin, Haley & Lebeau,

Said for years that the problem with baseball isn't that big markets buy championships, it's that they buy off the ability of small markets to compete consistently. What do you think could be done to remedy this, other than going back to the pre-Curt Flood days?

Who scores more goals this year, Hornqvist or Neal?

DK, I realize it's only 2 games but the Penguins PK unit is awful. What do they need to do to improve, other than leave Paul Martin on the bench. I don't think he's looked good at all, especially in short handed situations.

Why are Scuds and Adams still in the lineup when there are better players in the system that can contribute more? Is this the typical Pittsburgh "we're paying them so we have to play them" philosophy? If they're playing Scuds to raise his stock for a trade it's backfiring.

DK, As far as the Steelers righting things as quickly as possible, is the worst thing that could happen, be them going 8-8 this year and losing key players to injury in the process? Won’t that just set up more false hope and excuses for next season?

Given the well publicized attendance woes in Florida, where would you most like to see the team relocated to should the situation arise?

I'm a Pitt guy, so I don't want this to seem like I'm takin a shot... But what's up with Hack? Last year he was a future #1 overall pick.... this year his numbers are down across the board. Hard to argue he hasn't regressed? Who's to blame? Franklin, BOB, the kid himself?

After your PAT column, I feel many of the Steelers are delusional in thinking how good they are, do you feel delusion is part of it or at least overconfidence?

Hi DK, time to bring in McCullers, Moats & Thomas on D and forget the word "bubble" on O?

Who is your favorite non Penguin to watch play?

Any chance we'll see any of your famous "What's great about Pittsburgh" columns in the future? For those of us who aren't in town any longer, those are a great way to stay connected with the city.

With the Penguins depth at center Sid, Malkin, Sutter, Goc, Spaling...can Malkin's move to the wing be more than temporary? When will Kapenan return for his 9 game tryout?

Despite your reports with mr. Nutting, I keep hearing how russ martin is as good as gone. Would 4years/$60mil get it done? Would the bucs even go that high? Should they?

So much of the talk has been on Russ's contract situation, but has there been any update on Polanco rejecting the Pirates extension offers? Obviously the hold his rights for some time, but how will this impact all aspects of planning moving forward?

Lloyd McClendon said he doesn't make the lineup, the players do. Who is making the Steelers depth chart since it "obviously" isn't the players? What legitimate reason do we see Thomas over Tuitt? Allen over McCain? Does the guy getting paid the most play?

If the Dupuis-Sutter-Malkin line continues to do well, would they consider keeping it together, or is Sutter destined for the 3rd line (with Bennett and Downie as once proposed) and Malkin the 2nd line center? Who would be Malkin's RW?

Realistically, what will it take for regime change in the Steelers organization?

How does player acquisition work for the Steelers today? Joint decisions? Who has "the room" when it comes time to make a final decision?

All of the talk about "Poor Execution" and "Playmaking" seems to be a testament to the lack of mental fortitude of this team - under the assumption that parity is higher in this league than ever before, is it just that the players no longer want to play for these Coaches?

Going into 2015,the Bucs look like Liriano,Volquez and Martin will sign elsewhere. and Charlie is gone as well,because of surgery.Do you see them going after a mid range pitcher via FA or trading a position player or some prospects to acquire one?

HAH!! + 1000

Your explanations of the game’s X’s & O’s are superb, witness last week’s Pens preview. Why do you think discussing strategy brings out the best in your writing, especially in regards to hockey?

What are the practice habits and work ethic of Roethlisberger? Does he stay after to work with receivers? Does he ever spend a few days/week with them in the offseason to work out? He looks completely out of sync with his WRs. Like a QB that leaves right after practice.

I'm very disappointed in the Steelers this season.
The offense is bland yet the NFL has become more creative and non-predictable in how they get chunks of yards.
The defense is stuck in the 70's. NFL is a passing game and we don't have DB's!!!

Hi Dejan, how do you think the veteran players are buying into Mike Johnston's new system?

Any update on the sponsor?

The Steelers drafts have been down for years. Big misses and mistakes. The people making those decisions need to be held accountable. Coach, GM, Scouts...

DK, do you think this is a fixable Steelers team? If you were to bring in the best NFL coaches of all time, would the ship be righted? Looks like the Pittsburgh sports media has started considering the argument "maybe they're just not talented enough."

Where'd you land on posting to reddit, DK? I get that it's hard to post links to subscriber content, but your commentary is better than most anything else that gets posted there. Not worth the pageviews?

DK – Over here on the wrong side of the state, the Eagles are taking a no-name defense and turning it into something fairly menacing. That leads me to believe that some fresh coaching ideas might be the only way to get past our 8-8 (or worse) funks. Do you think Keith Butler is still the heir apparent to the D coordinator’s job – and if so, are we headed for more of the same in the future?

The Cowboys brought in a guy solely to do play-calling this year, and it seems to be working out okay for them. Haley would probably flip his lid, but I wonder if it might help to use his system (which works, when it works) and have someone... uh... better, running it.

Oh crap, just saw the "one question per person" rule, sorry. I'd delete if I could, can't find a way. Won't happen again.

With Penn State losing 2 in a row and it's offense struggling to make plays, are there some legitimate concerns that Christian Hackenburg isn't developing into a top tier college quarterback and a potential NFL early round pick?

Dejan, pace of play has been a hot topic in MLB, and deservedly so in my opinion. Do you think something should be done, and if so, what?

Late to the party: Re: LeBeau - has his scheme (and necessarily he) run its couse here? I see 15 yards of green between the front seven and the DBs. The middle is often wide open for opportunistic QBs & receivers. Is it time to bis adieu to Coah Dad?

I think jtusk64 may have been referencing a different Martin than you were thinking, DK.

I may be wrong, but was jtusk64's question referring to Russell Martin of the Pirates, or Paul Martin of the Pens? I thought it was the former, but Dejan's answer concerns the latter.

Dejan...I know this violates the 1 question rule, but I was referring to Russell Martin, not Paul Martin.

How much, if at all, do you think the Riverhounds set themselves back this year in their quest for MLS?

Just past the halfway point ( 7 complete questions) the score is:

Steelers 2
*
Pens 1.5
*
Pirates 1.5
*
Personal 1
*
Pitt 1

On the question about Benedict and Searage contracts, didn't Benedict interview in Philly last offseason?

The Dodgers have lured Andrew Friedman away from the Rays. Do you see Neal Huntington eventually following a similar path ? Bigger market, more to spend ?

Steelers make a run

Steelers 3
*
Pens 1.5
*
Pirates 1.5
*
Personal opinion 2
*
Pitt 1

DK, considering the number is special team and OLine coaches Tomlin has gone through w/ limited returns, and the iffy results of his 2 WR coaches, is Tomlin a less than stellar judge of assistants, or might quality assistants not care to work for him? (I'm leaving Munchuck out.)

Since Tomlin said he will turn over every stone.
What week this season will Tomlin use the "We will unleash hell" quote?

About the Q/A on PSU - Hackenberg: the single biggest problem is the o line, with only the LT having any experience. Hack has no time to set his feet and step into throws. But - he is staring down the area he wants to throw to, and that is a coaching issue.

Happy 68th birthday to my all time favorite Al Oliver.

Get ready for a lot of playing time for Cam Thomas since McLendon is out on Monday.

If one actually watched baseball this post season and came away talking about pace of play, then the narrative was already crafted beforehand.
.
Incredibly exciting baseball being played right now.

Out of Troy, Cortez, Mitchell, Worilds, and Lance Moore who do you all feel will be kept and who will be gone. It think Troy and Moore will be the only ones who won’t be here next year.

Thoughts on Freidman taking over in LALA land?

The most profound statement in the transcripts is as follows -

Problems don’t get solved if they aren’t acknowledged.

Tomlin is "obviously" still in the denial stage of his disease.

DK! What have you been smoking?

If you give those ego-maniacs behind the plate the completely subjective power to eject people just because the ump doesn't like the speed they play you'll have anarchy.

Better to call ball and strikes electronically.

Or, give the managers a couple of challenges on bad ball and strike calls. On the second bad call, the ump gets tossed.

Balls and strikes is where the game is completely out of control.

Giants take a 2-1 lead in the NLCS. At least we were beaten by the best in the NL.

Watched today & saw Tomlin explain that other teams are making plays-more plays than Steelers. Oh thats the problem. Thanks for the insight coach. I thought that they were making souffles. To quote the immortal Bugs Bunny: what a ma-roon.

Fantastic cartoon in the New Yorker this week. Umpire approaches the pitcher with a woman dressed as a Valkyrie. Umpire states that in order to speed up the game, the 7th inning is being replaced with a performance of Wagner's The Ring cycle. (4 long operas performed over 3 days)

It was a brief throwaway comment by Tomlin, but did I catch Tomlin disagreeing with a factual statement by Ben? Ben had reported that he was not calling the plays in the no-huddle, while in the P.C. today Tomlin seemed to say that Ben was calling plays. Perhaps I heard it wrong.

The national press coverage must be rankling Ben. For example, Peter King says in MMQ that Ben was awful and Ben was unable to generate offense. King does not hint at any coaching or play calling issues which nonresidents and casual fans would not know about.

I am wearing out my welcome tonight but one last comment. Does anyone believe Tomlin's response that he knew absolutely nothing about Collier's column calling for Haley's immediate firing? Seemed like an early Nixon statement about Watergate.A loss of credibility has consequences

L Bell is in his way to the druggie tank. Who knew!

sorry on his way to the druggie tank per court order. I guess not everyone is in Rooneys pocket or influence.

Awesome stuff...

Anybody like the idea of a best of 3 WC series, with a game one day and a day-night doubleheader on a 2nd day? Or, they could reverse the order. Either way, it only adds a day. I think it is a great idea. After playing 162 games, I'd like to see WC teams get a 3-game series.

Here's my response: FIRE TOMLIN.

I thought he was weak when he started, but he did learn his job, it appeared. But then he got worse, 2 years of bad starts and 8-8

I call it 6-10 this year. Maybe 7-9. Not in playoffs.

A win - OK, but still NO real sustained offensive drive. The one TD was scored on a 35 yd. bomb. Also did you notice Houston's 4th & 1 before the 2nd FG. They ran Foster slant left for 11 yds. Steelers would have run right up the gut and got stuffed probably!