DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS
LATROBE, Pa. – Ben Roethlisberger looks and sounds fantastic, but don’t take my word for it.
“This is the most excited I’ve been about any offense I’ve had,” Todd Haley was telling me as he walked down the winding path to Chuck Noll Field for the Steelers’ first formal practice Saturday at Saint Vincent College. “Seriously, I mean any offense.”
Wow. And what, apart from the standard summer optimism, would prompt that sentiment?
“Have you seen Ben?”
DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS
Game: Pirates (54-48) vs. Colorado Rockies (42-60)
Pitchers: LHP Jeff Locke (2-1, 3.05) vs. RHP Tyler Matzek (1-4, 4.91)
Time: 8:10 p.m.
Site: Coors Field, Denver
TV, radio: Root Sports, 93.7 The Fan
Live box score: MLB.com
DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS
LATROBE, Pa. — Just to share some plans for the next handful of days as we build the site in the background: I’m heading right back to Latrobe today to cover the Steelers’ practice. That will result in a full Sunday column, topic of which is not yet known. I’ll have the site’s first Penguins column Monday, head right back out to Latrobe later that day. After that, we’ll have some focus on the Pirates at the trading deadline, then follow up on a possible Pitt surprise here.
I’ve also booked the first couple of flights out of the travel budget, thanks to your overwhelming early response to the site, both Steelers-related. That was fun.
DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS
Game: Pirates (54-47) vs. Colorado Rockies (41-60)
Pitchers: RHP Charlie Morton (5-9, 3.28) vs. LHP Brett Anderson (0-3, 4.00)
Time: 8:40 p.m.
Site: Coors Field, Denver
TV, radio: Root Sports, 93.7 The Fan
Live box score: MLB.com
DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS
LATROBE, Pa. — “This team, as far as energy and all the young guys, it feels like ’04-’05.”
That was Ike Taylor, among the handful of veterans who held court with the media on the Steelers’ reporting day at Saint Vincent College on Friday afternoon. And for better or worse, he was making that statement from experience.
I’m not sure if Ike is right. He can’t be sure, either. But I know that his statement seemed to sum up the sentiment of a whole lot of folks up here in the rolling green hills of Westmoreland County. The talk is of speed. Of energy. Of fun.
DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS
Match: Riverhounds (4-10-5) vs. Real Salt Lake reserves (1-0-3), counts in USL Pro standings for Riverhounds
Time: 7:01 p.m.
Site: Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy, Utah
Live video feed: RealSaltLake.com
DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS
LATROBE, Pa. — The Steelers, who I’ve heard hail from the town with the great football team, have been anything but great of late as they embark on their 82nd season Friday at Saint Vincent College with an 8-8-is-enough mindset.
Ramon Foster put it best at minicamp last month: “That’s enough. Seriously.”
It really is. But before anyone can chase Johnny High Society back to the nightclubs of Cleveland or Vegas or College Station or wherever TMZ cameras roam, Mike Tomlin, Kevin Colbert, the rest of the staff and all 90 players who will report to Saint Vincent College on Friday come with some compelling concerns.
DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS
Here’s the podcast of my interview with Vance Worley, the Pirates’ pitcher, while guest-hosting for Mark Madden yesterday on 105.9 The X. Thought some of you might appreciate the stuff Worley had to say, especially about his eyesight and those conspicuous goggles. Really interesting guy.
There will be more podcasts in the future, depending on where I pop up on the radio scene. I’ll post them here as I get them.
My thanks to the baseball club for arranging the live interview in short order.