Black (and Gold) Monday

Wow! What a sports weekend for the Western PA guys! Starting with the Penguins' fashionable and memorable rally to sink the NHL's version of the Titanic (the Flyers), then a deep and potentially excellent draft by the Steelers, and last, and least,...will someone please break up the Buccos?!? More in depth analysis on all three pistons of this highly tuned Steel City engine to follow. For now, just enjoy your coffee with some of my award winning quick hitters:

• What is up with Adam LaRoche? The sloth who warms to spring in glacial slowness, is already clocking a .621 slugging with 5 dingers and 14 RBIs. Oh yeah, it's a contract year.
• The Bucs' starting rotation continues to be the spring story in PNC Park. With 12 quality starts in 18 games, this rotation is quietly sitting as MLB's best.
• The Third Round of yesterday's draft will be the tell-tale litmus as to how the 2009 draft will be remembered. Watch this guard Urbik challenge to start in his rookie season.
• A.Q. Shipley in the 7th round??!! Hell, yeah! Again, you heard it here first, watch Shipley not only make this team, but eventually earn a starting job. (maybe by 2011)
• So, although I totally missed the Pens game (laugh it up, Ad Rock) I need to jot something here. Readers, please fill up the comments section with clear recounts of just how good it felt to end the Flyers season (again) in such a triumphant fashion.

Is McFadden McHistory?

It appears to be a collective opinion by the writers and readers of this venue that the Men of Steel will (or should) drop two of their three Day 1 draft selections on linemen (preferably one on both sides). It's been this writer's not-so-humble opinion that the team may want to consider losing a second or third rounder as part of a trade-up scenario in order to land a more marquee linemen, like, perhaps, the monster road grader from Oklahoma, Duke Robinson.

The plan may prove a little more difficult, as the subtle rumors coming out of Steeler Central not so subtly suggest that corner Bryant McFadden is probably a goner via free agency. Just reading Kevin Colbert's "quietly optimistic" tone in recent articles should give you that all too familiar feeling in your belly...the team is going to extend a noble offer sheet, but our man is probably headed out for a windfall payout. Let's face it, a starting corner being fitted for his second Superbowl ring while playing for the stingiest defense in recent memory,...this is the kind of stud that GMs break piggy banks over.

without Foote and McFadden, who will play the great bubble gum in the 'fro joke

The suggestion now is that the Steelers may invest a Day 1 pick into a good cover corner, which would probably make tons of sense if McFadden bolts. Other than the lines and perhaps the receiving corps (expecting the loss of Nate Washington), the CB's are probably the only thin position. I would also expect to see a lot more of William Gay very soon.

Now, I'm not the genius here, so I don't know exactly how the tag system works, but methinks that the team could still assign the "transition" label to McFadden to retain him for one more season. If any of you know the facts behind whether a team can have both a franchise player and a transition player, and if McFadden would even qualify for transition, and if it would even make sense for the team...just drop me a comment or a link.

I think McFadden will have quite a few dance partners soon