Tuesday 20 Qs: Pedro, Jarvis, Scuds, more 105

DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS

Welcome to Tuesday Twenty Qs, a better, fairer format, I think, for the weekly chat. We’ll do it every week at this time, and this time was chosen so that, in football season, it can immediately follow Mike Tomlin’s weekly press conference.

The format is simple: Use the comments below to submit an entry, no more than one per person. Submit them anytime you want. I’ll pick from those to get the thing rolling. I’ll then keep monitoring new entries, even as the session is ongoing, to cover follow-ups or updates.

Again, all I ask is that it’s one entry per person. Most of the complaints I heard in the old format were about the same people getting chosen too often.

As always, all topics are on the table. Really, anything at all.

UPDATE 12:56 p.m.: OK, I guess we’re about to get going … except that I said 20 questions, not the 72 I’m seeing down there right now! Come on!

Milo Hamilton: What have these past three weeks or so been like for you ?

DK: Kind of like this new format, Milo: Bitten off more than I can chew!

More…

Morning Java: A new way to chat 75

DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS

Morning, Lunatics …

• The Tuesday column is about why you will love Ryan Shazier. I know I said Tuesday wasn’t going to be a column day, but I saw the scene in Latrobe that’s described in here and changed my mind. Pretty sure the boss is cool with it. If not, he can take it up with my union rep.

• The weekly chat makes its debut today at 1 p.m. but in a different form that I think will be fairer for all. You’ll see the post go up with instructions at 11 a.m. Would love to have you!

More…

Column: Why Pittsburgh will love Ryan Shazier 54

Screen Shot 2014-07-28 at 10.16.29 PM

DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS

LATROBE, Pa. — “I wasn’t surprised at all,” Ryan Shazier insisted to reporters Monday when asked about the almost barbaric punishment being doled out in the Steelers’ annual backs-on-backers drill. “We’re a hard-nosed team. We’re in Pittsburgh, Ohio.”

He caught himself immediately and laughed a bit.

“Pittsburgh, P-A. I’m sorry about that. Went to Ohio State. We’re from Pittsburgh, P-A. We play dirty.”

Caught himself again.

“Not dirty, but hard-nosed.”

Nah, that last one was fine, actually. And the other one wasn’t all bad, either. The way Shazier competed Monday — in backs-and-backers and all that followed on the first day in full pads — I’m guessing no one would care which Pittsburgh he’s from, so long as it’s the only one in the world ending with an H.

I’ll say it yet again, Nation: You will love this kid.

More…

Morning Java: A weekly plan 213

DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS

Morning, Lunatics …

• The Monday column is the first here on the hockey team, and it focuses on their first potential impact young forward since … um, uh … well, that’s the significance.

• Morning Java is back, as of this edition, and the plan is to have it go all seven days rather than just weekdays. The concession is that it will be kept really tight. I’ll try to catch you up on the news of the previous night, what’s ahead that day and updates on coverage plans.

More…

Column: Let’s see Kapanen’s best shot 62

image

DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS

“We’ve been waiting for someone like him to arrive for a while.”

The scene was Sochi’s Bolshoy Ice Dome, site of the recent Olympics, and the speaker was Sami Salo, the well-traveled NHL veteran defenseman. Team Finland had just skated through its first training session, and Salo had just been paired with Olli Maatta, a partner 20 years his younger.

One set of drills was all it took. Salo felt so strongly about the kid that the above quote was his response to my fairly innocuous question about his first impression of the Penguins’ prized rookie.

“He’s that good,” Salo would say.

More…

Final: Pirates 7, Rockies 5 181

DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS

Game: Pirates (54-49) vs. Colorado Rockies (43-60)

Pitchers: RHP Edinson Volquez (8-7, 3.86) vs. LHP Franklin Morales (5-5, 5.21)

Time: 4:10 p.m.

Site: Coors Field, Denver

TV, radio: Root Sports, 93.7 The Fan

Live box score: MLB.com

Below is a video interview I did earlier in the week at PNC Park with Volquez, one that’s a bit outside the norm. We focused solely on one day in spring training, where he probably should have been a wreck but was anything but. Hope you enjoy this as much as I did …