Column: Not exactly 1 of 162, was it?

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DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS

The general consensus around PNC Park’s home clubhouse late Wednesday night was that the Pirates’ 3-2, bottom-of-the-ninth, come-from-behind, seven-game-losing-streak-ending, Gerrit-Cole-revitalizing victory over the Braves was no big deal.

Gaby Sanchez, whose sac fly finished it with fireworks, might have summarized the mindset best: “We don’t get caught up in anything other than the now.” 

The general consensus was, of course, bunk.

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Column: Bell, Blount already guilty … of idiocy

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DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS

Idiots. Both of them. Just idiots.

All kinds of justification is sure to follow the dual arrest of the Steelers’ two running backs, Le’Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount, by Ross Township police Wednesday, with both facing charges of marijuana possession and, in Bell’s case, driving under the influence. The news was broken by Colin Dunlap of 93.7 The Fan.

I don’t want to hear any of that justification.

I don’t want to hear that Blount was some bad influence on Bell, even though he comes with a checkered past that included this infamous punch thrown during a college game. Because I’ve gotten to know Bell and, as such, I know he’s plenty smart enough to be capable of thinking for himself. Instead of being an idiot. He didn’t need to get all buddy-buddy, as was described in our Friday Insider feature here last week, with a guy who could get him in trouble.

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News with views: Gilbert’s payday too early?

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DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS

News with views related to your Pittsburgh Steelers …

• Marcus Gilbert’s five-year, $30 million extension, announced Tuesday afternoon, comes as at least a small surprise.

Sure, Kevin Colbert had identified Gilbert as one of his targets for a possible extension this preseason — along with Shaun Suisham (done), Jason Worilds and Cortez Allen — but there figured to be more to the situation with Gilbert, given his inconsistent past. Also, everyone — and I do mean everyone — inside the camp knew Gilbert had prepared himself like never before, fully aware this was to be his contract year.

Now, you can say big deal, whatever it takes. But bear in mind that carrot is now gone, if it really was money that was Gilbert’s primary motivator.

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Pirates urge 20-game-plan fans to upgrade

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DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS

The Pirates have sent out a letter today to their season-ticket holders with 20-game plans that, if they don’t upgrade to full or half-season plans for 2015, they won’t be guaranteed playoff tickets this fall. And they’ve been given 10 days to do this.

As one might imagine, I’m being hit with a lot of complaints from angry fans. If you’re one of them, by all means, please feel free to use the commenting platform below to share your view.

I’ve also reached out to the Pirates for their explanation.

I’ve got my own thoughts, but it’s always fairest to hear from all parties before mouthing off.

UPDATE 3:37 p.m.: Here’s a screengrab of the message sent to those customers:

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Tuesday 12 Qs: Shazier, Manfred, Hayes, Wing

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DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS

Welcome to Tuesday Twelve Qs, our chat that takes place each week at 1 p.m. live from the Steelers’ headquarters on the South Side.

photoThe format is simple: Use the comment section below to submit an entry, no more than one per person. Submit it anytime you want. I’ll pick from those to get the thing rolling. I’ll then monitor new entries.

UPDATE 1 p.m.: OK, Mike Tomlin just spoke with us here in his press conference room, and I was able to get downstairs to the locker room for about 15 minutes of material from the athletes.

And off we go …

Kevin: It’s only two games, but the Steelers looked quite different than the past two years. The speed from Ryan Shazier along with Stephon Tuitt, Sean Spence and Mike Mitchell really makes the defense look stronger. If the O-line is improved, as well, then what are realistic expectations for the 2014 Steelers?

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Column: Bench makeup stupid, stupid, stupid

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DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS

The Pirates do stupid things sometimes.

Can we start there?

It’s stupid to have Brent Morel, Jayson Nix and Michael Martinez on the same bench, batting, respectively .143, .137 and .128.

It’s stupid to have Morel start at third base under any circumstance, much less in this latest loss, 7-3 to the Braves on Monday night at PNC Park, much less when a team was trying in vain to cut off a losing streak before it hit six.

And it goes far beyond stupid to have Morel bat in the bottom of the sixth, with the score 6-3, runners at second and third and no outs, when those runs are imperative, and strike out.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

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Column: This is on Pedro Alvarez

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DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS

This is on Pedro Alvarez.

Honestly, I’m tired of tiptoeing around it, tired of hearing and reading every other imaginable excuse for why these dogged, determined and, yes, talented Pirates haven’t been able to assume anything more than a short-lived hold on contention this summer. Or, in the context of their current five-game losing streak, why they’re suddenly in peril of falling out of contention entirely.

Sure, the injuries have hurt, especially those of Andrew McCutchen, Neil Walker and Gerrit Cole. The list of blame could also tally up Francisco Liriano’s customary off-year, Charlie Morton’s relentless losing, Jason Grilli’s early blowups, Neal Huntington’s maddening summer-long denial about his bullpen, all these bench guys even their wives wouldn’t recognize, and it could climb all the way up to Bob Nutting’s payroll still being several million shy of acceptable and all the usual suspects.

Devour that list as you will.

But here’s the cold truth once you’re done with the distractions: No single factor has weighed this team down more than that the defending National League home run champion, around whom a lineup and an infield and to some extent an organization have been built, has been an unmitigated bleeping disaster.

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Monday planner: On the road again

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DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS

A look at the week ahead on DKonPittsburghSports.com:

• Monday: There’s a Pedro Alvarez column up on the site this morning, and I’ll also produce a ‘News with views’ feature tonight from PNC Park and the game with the Braves.

• Tuesday: Tuesday Twelve Qs from Steelers HQ, minutes after the Mike Tomlin press conference on the South Side. And yes, that number is 12, not 20. I found that the 20 format was taking an awfully long time and, if possible, covering too much ground. Wasn’t comfortable with it. By going to 12, I can feel better about giving more detailed answers to good questions. And for other Qs, hey, I’m here in comments all week long!

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Steelers PATs: Go ahead, lay it on the line

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DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS

One last look at the Steelers’ last game …

• The fast guys stole the show in the 19-16 preseason victory over Buffalo on Saturday, but the slowest guys set the stage: Ben Roethlisberger went almost untouched in his quarter-plus of action, and that was almost entirely due to a rejuvenated, all-pistons-firing offensive line.

As Roethlisberger put it, “I think they did a heck of a job. They kept me clean. I don’t have any stains on my pants, so that’s good.”

He didn’t have any in East Rutherford the previous week, either, though that was different. By design, it turns out.

Kelvin Beachum was telling me after this game that the offensive plan was to run one week, with hardly any no-huddle, then throw this week, exclusively out of the no-huddle. And the biggest adjustment, of course, had to be made by the beef up front.

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Column: Steelers’ speed thrills, kills

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DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS

It’s hilarious now, but the Steelers have spent most of their offseason downplaying — no, outright dissing — the relevance of all the speed that’s suddenly up and down their roster.

Remember Troy Polamalu’s tone-setting one-liner this summer about how “we could put Usain Bolt and the whole track team out there,” and it wouldn’t matter if they couldn’t play football?

Or Dick LeBeau declaring upon arrival in Latrobe, “Speed’s fine, but it’s got to be going in the right direction” as well as his own “this isn’t track” comparison?

Or Mike Tomlin critiquing we media types at camp that “too much gets made” of speed?

Well, good luck with that now, gentlemen.

Because, with the sizzling work of some of the Steelers’ newer personnel in the 19-16 preseason victory over the Bills on Saturday night at Heinz Field, that cat’s not only out of the bag, it’s sprinting full-steam toward six more points.

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