About Dejan Kovacevic

Dejan Kovacevic, a lifelong Pittsburgher, is an award-winning sports columnist who has covered the Steelers, Penguins, Pirates, Pitt and, recently, his fourth Olympics in Sochi, Russia. For 2011, he was named one of the country's top four columnists by the AP Sports Editors. For 2012, he was named one of the country's top three columnists by the National Headliners. For 2013, he was named the state's top columnist by the Keystone Press Awards and top columnist in Western Pennsylvania by the Golden Quills.

Posts by Dejan Kovacevic:

March 11, 2015

News/views: McCain departs for Dolphins ⁸⁰

by Dejan Kovacevic • News/views • Tags: Steelers

BY DEJAN KOVACEVIC

News: Brice McCain just signed a two-year, $5.5 million contract with the Dolphins.

Views: The Steelers’ chasm at corner grows deeper. They’ve got Willie Gay and Antwon Blake, both presumably starters at least when looking at the depth chart now, then the remains of Cortez Allen and … oh, my. Much, much work remains to be done at this position, to be kind. And that includes making it the absolute top priority in free agency.

I’m not one to go overboard in reacting to the earliest stages of free agency, but this just can’t be one of those offseasons where Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin wait and wait and wait and pick through the leftovers. Real needs exist at corner and outside linebacker, and the good ones won’t last forever.

March 11, 2015

Phillies 3, Pirates 2 ⁹

by Dejan Kovacevic • Game previews • Tags: Pirates

BY DEJAN KOVACEVIC

Getting ready for first pitch …

Game: Pirates vs. Philadelphia Phillies, exhibition, 1:05 p.m., Bright House Field, Clearwater, Fla.

Pitchers: RHP Charlie Morton vs. LHP Cole Hamels

Radio: MLB.com

Online: Gameday / Multimedia / Official game notes

March 11, 2015

Column: A decision that’s truly Worilds apart ⁸⁸

by Dejan Kovacevic • Columns • Tags: Steelers

Jason Worilds announced his retirement through his agent early Wednesday morning. — GETTY

BY DEJAN KOVACEVIC

“I don’t know. What do you think will happen?”

It was nearing midnight at Heinz Field on the fourth of January, and most of the Steelers were still peeling off the sweat and the sting of getting steamrolled out of the playoffs by the rival Ravens. Big men were brought to their knees. Steve McLendon wept. Willie Gay stared silently at the floor. James Harrison, Troy Polamalu and Ike Taylor buttoned each button ever so slowly, visibly aware each might be the last.

And Jason Worilds, as ever, worried.

As the media crowded around the fading elders, I took a detour to the stall marked No. 93, where its occupant sat on a stool and gazed at the equipment he’d removed much later than most. And I asked the man, given that he was about to become a free agent, what he thought management might do.

He gave the above answer, which bears repeating because it speaks so much about him.

“I don’t know. What do you think will happen?”

March 11, 2015

Morning Java: Hat trick of trophies? ⁹

by Dejan Kovacevic • Videos • Tags: Penguins

BY DEJAN KOVACEVIC

The Penguins hauling off hardware is nothing new. They’ve dominated the NHL’s major trophies like no other franchise for three decades now. But what’s new this season is that their three strongest candidates are … well, they’re not Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin.

March 11, 2015

News/views: Worilds retires at 27 … for real ²⁶

by Dejan Kovacevic • Columns, News/views • Tags: Steelers

BY DEJAN KOVACEVIC

News: Jason Worilds intends to retire from football, according to his agent, Jason Bernstein.

Views: Wow. That’s actually real.

Here’s the full statement put onto Twitter by Bernstein, as attributed to Worilds: “I appreciate all of the interest from the organizations that have reached out to us the past few days. With that being said, after much thought and consideration, I have chosen to step away from football as I have opted to pursue other interests. I am especially grateful of the opportunity to play before some of the greatest fans in football today. Despite any concern and speculation that may ensue, I appreciate those that are respectful of my decision.”

Obviously, I’ll be up for as long as it takes to get you a full column on this.

March 10, 2015

News/views: Pirates’ Cumpton out for year ²³

by Dejan Kovacevic • News/views • Tags: Pirates

BY DEJAN KOVACEVIC

News: The Pirates have lost starter Brandon Cumpton to season-ending Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, the team just announced.

Views: Cumpton projected as a No. 7 on the depth chart, but every rotation goes through eight or nine in a given season. On top of that, he performed well in most of his spot-start assignments up from Class AAA Indianapolis, and not all are equipped to do that. He’ll be missed.

The most likely roster impact: Neal Huntington will have to work that much harder to keep Vance Worley and Jeff Locke, both out of options. That means that whichever man isn’t in the rotation — assuming Charlie Morton is healthy as the No. 4 — will need to be kept in a long relief role. It also means that Casey Sadler and prospect Nick Kingham must step up.

March 10, 2015

News/views: Ravens lose Ngata, Smith ⁷⁰

by Dejan Kovacevic • News/views • Tags: Steelers

Haloti Ngata and Terrell Suggs celebrate a sack at Heinz Field last November. — GETTY

BY DEJAN KOVACEVIC

News: The Ravens just traded Haloti Ngata to the Lions for … oh, hey, what’s the difference? He’s out of the AFC North, right?

Views: And with that move and another trade of starting QBs — Sam Bradford for Nick Foles — the NFL’s free agency season formally opens with multiple bangs.

We’ll track it right here all night, especially as it relates to the Steelers, who already are among the big winners on the day just for watching the nemesis Ngata shipped out of the division.

To this point, there have been nothing more than rumblings about Jason Worilds and Brice McCain, the principal figures in this scene from the local standpoint. Worilds has been been linked to several teams, McCain most prominently to the Vikings. But as we see on a nearly hourly basis on a day like this, one domino moves all the others.

March 10, 2015

Tuesday 12 Qs: Sid, Beard, Derrick, Lambo, Jamie ¹³⁶

by Dejan Kovacevic • Tuesday 12 Qs • Tags: Duquesne, Penguins, Pirates, Pitt, Steelers

Sidney Crosby puts the body into the Sharks’ Melker Karlsson late Monday night in San Jose. — GETTY

BY DEJAN KOVACEVIC

Welcome to Tuesday 12 Qs, our chat that takes place each week at 9 a.m. and offers you a chance to carry the conversation. Use the comments below to submit an entry. No more than one per person, please. Submit early if you prefer, and I’ll pick from that batch to get rolling.

UPDATE 9 a.m.: And away we go …

cbattin: Hey, Dejan, it seems like zone entry is a major reason why the Pens falter on so many power plays. They constantly get caught up in the neutral zone, and it wastes valuable time. Is this because they don’t have a legitimate power play quarterback or is their power play philosophy all wrong? And has zone entry been emphasized at all in practice?

DK: Actually, it’s funny that you say that, because zone entry has been a really big emphasis through practices over the past month and — at the risk of respectfully disagreeing with you — I think they’ve gotten a lot better in that area.

But the power play as a whole?

Wow, what an abomination it’s becoming.

March 10, 2015