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Pittsburgh Sports News & Views

News/Views: Pitt suspends Johnson for year

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James Robinson surveys the floor early in Pitt’s victory over Niagara on Friday at Petersen Events Center. — DEJAN KOVACEVIC

DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS

News: Pitt suspended junior forward Durand Johnson, the team’s best pure shooter, for the 2014-15 basketball season Friday evening just before its opener.

Views: No explanation was given, and the only elaboration from Jamie Dixon was that Johnson will continue be part of the program “going forward,” and he’ll still practice. I can share that I heard at the Petersen Events Center — where Pitt beat Niagara, 78-45 — that the suspension was academic at its root and that it was instigated by the university rather than the athletic program.

Dixon insisted that, even with Cam Wright out until mid-December or so with a broken foot and now Johnson gone, “We’re still good with the wings. We’ve got some options.”

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News/views: Pirates bring back A.J.

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MLB: Pittsburgh Pirates at Chicago Cubs

A.J. Burnett left the Pirates after the 2013 season to spend a year in Philadelphia. — GETTY IMAGES

DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS

News: The Pirates are bringing back A.J. Burnett, signed Friday for one year at $8.5 million.

Views: Wow, so that’s a start, huh?

I’m going to type out some stuff here in real-time, so please keep refreshing to see the whole thing once it’s done. Just wanted to put something up right away.

Burnett will be 38 in January, and he’s coming off a strange season in Philadelphia in which he pitched through significant hernia pain to log a National League-high 34 starts and 213 2/3 innings while going 8-18 with a 4.59 ERA. The latter numbers don’t look great, but 196 strikeouts, 96 walks and the injury factor all point to a guy who is still … well, A.J.

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Hoge, Walker laud concussion advancements

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Merril Hoge, Pierre Larouche, Neil Walker and Jason Kutney at Carnegie Science Center. — DEJAN KOVACEVIC

DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS

There’s a first for everything, and moderating an Allegheny Health Network symposium on concussions Wednesday at the Carnegie Science Center was a first for me. And I mean of any kind.

But it turned out really cool, and not just because of the wealth of knowledge directly from some of the nation’s foremost specialists in brain trauma but also because of the passionate words of the panelists I moderated in the final segment: Merril Hoge of the Steelers and ESPN, Neil Walker of the Pirates, Pierre Larouche of the Penguins and Jason Kutney of the Riverhounds.

Here’s one highlight from each of those four:

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Exclusive: Orioles exec questions media on cap

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John Angelos has overseen the Orioles and their TV networks since 1999. — BALTIMORE ORIOLES

DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS

John Angelos wears many caps with the Orioles in Baltimore, from executive VP to chief operating officer of the team’s network to the son of longtime owner Peter Angelos. He’s held these posts for more than a decade.

Upon reading today’s column about Russell Martin and Major League Baseball’s lack of a salary cap, Angelos reached out to me by email to call it “the best piece I’ve read on the topic in 20 years.” And remarkably, it’s entirely likely he didn’t mean it as a compliment.

“There’s just no one writing about this issue, no one talking about it,” Angelos said in a later phone conversation. “And I don’t understand it.”

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News/views: Liriano rejects qualifying offer

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Francisco Liriano went 7-10 with a 3.38 ERA in 29 starts for the Pirates in 2014. -- GETTY IMAGES

Francisco Liriano went 7-10 with a 3.38 ERA in 29 starts for the Pirates in 2014. — GETTY IMAGES

DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS

News: Francisco Liriano rejects the Pirates’ qualifying offer at the mandated $15.3 million.

Views: Big whoop. Means next to nothing.

For those who don’t understand qualifying offers — and that apparently includes 100.1 percent of talk-show callers — these are made to help reimburse teams for losing star players to free agency. If a team qualifies a guy at the above price, it’s highly likely — though not guaranteed — to receive a compensation draft pick.

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Steelers PATs: Mike Mitchell, Mr. Zero

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Pittsburgh Steelers v New York Jets

The Jets’ Michael Vick throws to his right, away from Mike Mitchell in New York’s win Sunday. — GETTY IMAGES

DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — One last look at the Steelers’ last game …

• Could anyone have guessed Mike Mitchell would have this little impact?

Yes, I know pretty much everyone involved was responsible for the Steelers’ 20-13 loss to the Jets, so this isn’t about singling anyone out. But at the same time, when Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin signed Mitchell to that five-year, $25 million contract this past spring, he was expected to be more than Ryan Clark’s replacement. He was thought to be a young player breaking out.

Well, to turn to my adjective of choice from the game column, Mitchell has been terrible.

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News/views: Riverhounds’ bankruptcy ended

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Jose Angulo, the Riverhounds' top striker, has a 2015 option on his contract. -- PITTSBURGH RIVERHOUNDS

Jose Angulo, the Riverhounds’ top striker, has a 2015 option on his contract. — PITTSBURGH RIVERHOUNDS

DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS

News: A federal judge approved the Riverhounds’ plan to emerge from bankruptcy by December, prompting owner Tuffy Shallenger to declare, “It’s done. We’re off and running.” The plan calls for the team to seek additional sponsorships and to turn a profit for soccer and Highmark Stadium operations within three years.

Views: U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Jeffrey A. Deller’s decision came swiftly in light of the March bankruptcy declaration, and it came down on the right side. He saw that it will take the wealth of Shallenberger, the Connellsville construction magnate, to make this go. He also saw through the disputing minority owners’ posing and, rather than think on a petty level, he put the Riverhounds back on course.

Good for almost everyone, I guess.

But now what?

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News/views: Fleury signs four-year extension

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DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS

WINNIPEG, Manitoba — The Penguins’ plane touched down here just a few minutes ago, and the team didn’t take long from there to announce it has signed Marc-Andre Fleury to a four-year, $23 million extension that kicks in next season. Here’s the official release.

Views: The Penguins have one of the NHL’s most accomplished goaltenders, and it was my stance during the most recent playoffs that he and goaltending coach Mike Bales chased away a lot of demons during that run. This is a smart move, and it comes at a cost that isn’t cap-prohibitive.

I’ll have much more on this, including Fleury’s reaction, in the column coming after the Penguins practice this afternoon at MTS Centre. They’re scheduled to take the ice at 4 p.m. Pittsburgh time.

UPDATE 4:35 p.m.: Video of Fleury’s media session just now, coming off the ice:

I’ll repeat that there will be a full column on this. But I need to leave the arena, which is closing for the day, and find somewhere else to write. Soon.

Steelers PATs: Ben more than MVP candidate

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Baltimore Ravens v Pittsburgh Steelers

Ben Roethlisberger passes the Steelers out from under their goal post in the first quarter Sunday. — GETTY

DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS

One last look at the Steelers’ last game …

• The NFL’s MVP award might as well stand for Most Valuable Position, as it’s got an excellent chance of going to a quarterback, a so-so chance of going to a running back and virtually no chance of going to anyone else. In the past 20 years the Associated Press has picked its MVP, 14 on the list have been quarterbacks, six running backs.

Wide receivers?

Not one. Ever. And the award began in 1957.

Defensive players?

Only Lawrence Taylor and Alan Page.

So let’s start with this premise when discussing whether or not Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown should be in anyone’s discussion for MVP: Brown has virtually no chance. If Jerry Rice didn’t get an MVP in 1987, when his 22 touchdown catches were double the total of the next-highest receiver, then Brown won’t, either.

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News/views: Pirates offer Martin, Liriano

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DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS

News: The Pirates extended qualifying offers today to Russell Martin and Francisco Liriano, each for the mandated one year at $15.3 million. They have a week to accept or reject.

Views: The Martin offer was a no-brainer, just as it will be a no-brainer for him to reject.

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