It’s Easy to Forgive…and Forget, Apparently

Our society is one that embraces the slogan that it’s easy to forgive, but not forget.  I would suggest that at least two of our modern heroes have quickly had their deplorable actions quickly forgiven and forgotten.  I’m speaking of two NFL quarterbacks, Ben Roethlisberger of the Steelers and Michael Vick of the Eagles.  Give it a New York minute, and we can put Brett Favre of the Vikings in that category as well.

Years ago, Michael Vick was only known as a wildly popular athlete who played QB for the Atlanta Falcons when news of his involvement in a dogfighting ring in eastern Virginia came to light in 2007. He was about to enter the fourth year of a 10-year, $130 million contract. Many media reports stated that dogs at his "Bad Newz Kennels" were hanged, drowned, electrocuted, and shot. Initially, Vick denied ever being at the house, stating that he essentially turned over the residence to family members. As more details surfaced during the police investigations, Michael Vick looked more and more culpable, not only for owning the property where dogfights are occurred. But, there were witnesses who were willing to state that Vick was an active participant in some of the cruel actions performed on the dogs. Instead of facing a lengthier prison sentence, Vick pled guilty to dogfighting conspiracy, which carries a federal felony. He was sentenced to 23 months in federal prison. 49 dogs were seized from the property, two of which had to be euthanized, 22 were sent to an animal sanctuary in Utah to lessen aggression towards other dogs, and 25 ended up in foster care with the intent to be adopted. Michael Vick served his prison sentence, staying out of the spotlight.

 Michael Vick electrified NFL fans as a running quarterback for Atlanta

When he was released from prison, he returned to the NFL by signing a modest 2 year-$6.6 million contract with the Philadelphia Eagles. Immediately, there were a significant number of protests by dog lovers, regular fans, and of course, defamatory statements by PETA begging for boycotts of anything related to Michael Vick.  Even Eagles fans were divided in their opinion for bringing Vick onto the team. After all, what good could his presence be? He could not be considered any more than a backup with longtime starter, Donovan McNabb, at the helm. When Vick first entered the field in a preseason game in Jacksonville, he was mercilessly booed. His presence drew the outrage of many NFL fans. People still viewed him as a criminal. His fans were few and far between. Of course, America is a dog-loving society, which didn't help Vick's cause. As the 2009 season progressed, his reception became less and less of a distraction. Perhaps it was the manner in which he was used (only a sprinkling of plays each game as the backup QB), perhaps time just starting healing old wounds...but Michael Vick was no longer seen by the masses as a blight on society.

Vick was embroiled under intense scrutiny when federal charges were made against him for dogfighting.

In 2010, he was to serve as Kevin Kolb's backup after Donovan McNabb was traded to the Redskins. But, Vick got the opportunity to start by week 3 due to a combination of Kevin Kolb’s concussion-like symptoms and perceived ineffectiveness. The city of Philadelphia is now experiencing a lovefest with Vick thanks to his on-field performance…that is, before a rib cartilage injury forced him to the sideline for two weeks. But, he is once again scheduled to start the next game, despite Kevin Kolb being healthy. It looks like his story has come full circle and his return to the good graces of fans is complete. There may be a few that still hold a grudge, but those folks are in the minority.

Now Michael is back in the spotlight...due to his athletic exploits.

It has been well documented that Ben Roethlisberger has endured two separate allegations of sexual assault - once in 2008 at Lake Tahoe and again this year in Milledgeville, Georgia. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended the Steelers quarterback for four games for violating the personal conduct policy. While Ben was never formally charged with a crime, the NFL front office took these allegations seriously enough to sideline him for four weeks. The initial reaction in Pittsburgh was divided about 50/50 - half of Steelers nation supported him, thinking that he deserved a second chance. However, there was the other half of the fanbase who loathed him, some of which desired Roethlisberger to be off the team. There were significant rumors that the Steelers had floated their franchise QB out there as trade bait prior to the NFL draft in April. But, none of those trade rumors came to fruition.

Ben Roethlisberger, on top of the world, bringing a sixth Lombardi Trophy to Pittsburgh.

Ben, apologizing for his actions, days before he learned of his four-game suspension.  Nice mullet.

Fast forward three months to Latrobe, PA, where the Steelers hold training camp at Saint Vincent college. The majority of the fans cheered Ben when they saw him emerge onto the practice fields. In the preseason, the home fans were very supportive with only a few detractors. On the road, the Denver fans loudly booed Roethlisberger as he took the field, and on several plays when Ben was under center. Roethlisberger then endured his four-week suspension in solitude, banned from the team facility and from having any football-related communication with players or coaches. As Ben returned to football in week six, he was welcomed to Heinz Field by the loudest ovation of any offensive player when his name was announced. There were reports of perhaps a few dozen people on hand wearing capes and masks protesting the return of Roethlisberger. Steeler fans have swiftly overcome their disgust for their quarterback's offseason activities. Even this past week, Dolphin fans didn't give Ben a raucous welcome. It looks like all has been forgiven...and forgotten.

Roethlisberger atoned for his crimes (well, at least to most Steeler fans) by putting up 3 TD passes in his first game of the year against the Browns.

Brett Favre has been a lightning rod for media attention over the past three seasons with his on again / off again retirement stances. So, he hasn't exactly endeared himself to Packers (or Jets) fans by jilting his former teams and waiting until the last possible moment to attend training camp. But, now the legendary quarterback is embroiled in an unexpected controversy. Rumors swirl about that Favre left voicemails for a former female Jets employee (and model) asking to get together. Favre has admitted doing so. However, a lingering rumor persists that Brett has sent photos of his genitals to the woman in question, which of course Brett denied. Aside from the public ridicule regarding the pictures, Favre hasn't endured undue negative attention for the allegations...even while being married to his wife, Deanna, who has fought a battle with breast cancer. People are more concerned with his current on-field performance than any of his off the field antics.

Brett Favre, after being picked up by three teammates on a private team plane, returned to Minnesota in search of another elusive Super Bowl title.

It didn't take Favre long to get over how bad he feels for putting the Vikings in a tough spot with his off-the-field behavior.

A week after the Favre scandal erupted, he suffered two fractures in his left ankle at his old stomping grounds.

I can appreciate sports fans' perspectives that they only want the best for their team. So, if Michael Vick, Ben Roethlisberger, and Brett Favre give their respective teams the best opportunity to win, then fans can quickly forgive these men for their indiscretions. I will pose a different question to you. Sure, these guys are great football talents, but would you hold these men up as role models for your children? The reason I ask this is because sports figures (whether they like it or not) are heroes to many, including our kids. Each of these guys can be considered the face of their respective franchises right now. The spotlight on each man is very bright. But, think about it - dogfighting that gets you sent to federal prison, alleged sexual assaults, and inappropriate extramarital conduct - aren't these disgusting behaviors? How in the world can you consider any one of these men a leader, a role model? Impossible, in my opinion.

Celebrities, including prominent athletes, forget what impact they have on the rest of us. These men's disgusting actions have either been forgotten or soon will be. It is the enlightened approach to forgive a person for his past sins.  Forgiveness is fine, but forgetting their actions to the point where these players deserved to be treated as heroes is tough for me to swallow.  Athletes are placed on the highest of pedestals in our society.  I’m as guilty as the next guy for loving sports.  But, for once, I actually agree with Roger Goodell and believe that the integrity of the players needs to be held to the highest of standards.

There are heroes that walk amongst us in many different fields - science, religion, the arts, military, public service, and sports. These three particular men may be heroes on the sports field for their athletic prowess, but their character will never be worthy of praise or adulation.  True heroes provide an example of character for others to follow.  

Why the BCS Must Be Abolished

I know, I know. It's an old story...everyone who's a true fan agrees that the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) is not the ideal way to determine the two teams that play for college football's national championship. In the BCS era, human rankings (by coaches and hand-picked voters) and computer rankings are combined to determine each team's rankings. This week's opening BCS rankings gave David (this year played by Boise State and Texas Christian) no hope against the Goliaths of college football. Oklahoma and Oregon are rated first and second, while Boise St. and TCU are third and fifth respectively.  And, the toughest part of the underdogs' schedules are primarily done, while the bigger schools have much tougher challenges in the last half of the season.

Bob Stoops whines to officials on and off the field. But, he has no beef this year with his crew atop the initial BCS standings.

I'm going to give you a fresh perspective on why the BCS needs to be destroyed, trampled, villified, tarred and feathered, executed (shall I go on?)...actually I'm going to give you a handful of them.

#1. PLAY THE GAME ON THE FIELD!!!!

On any given day, any given team can win. It's an old saying, but it's absolutely true. If Oklahoma played Boise St. ten times in the title game this year, the Sooners might win eight or nine times. But, there's that one time...just ask the same Oklahoma school in 2006 (http://espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=270010201). How many times do we see upsets? Perhaps 20% of the time. If you have two fairly equal schools, maybe it's closer to 30-40%. In the twelve years that the BCS has been in existence, the #1 team has won six games while the #2 team has won six games. What are the chances that with 30-50 days between their final game and the National Championship game that one team might lay an egg? I'll hazard a guess of better than 50/50. The chances for an upset are absolutely ripe, given the current downtime between the end of the season and the title-decider.

How to Fix - Allowing a playoff system (4 teams or 8 teams) allows a two or three-week playoff single elimination format where the winner is crowned...ON THE FIELD! I'm not a big fan of champions being appointed. It's not a Supreme Court justice that is in good favor with the President, it's a college football team. Play the game.

#2. The Championship Game needs to occur as part of the college football season

Most teams conclude their regular season schedules within 80 to 90 days. How much sense does it make to play 12 games in 90 days, then have a 50-day break before the National Championship? It's obscene. Even the NFL has waffled between one and two weeks between the conference championships and the Super Bowl because the gap between games is too long. The only thing holding it at two weeks now is the ridiculous Pro Bowl between the conference championships and the Super Bowl. The NHL, NBA, MLB all get their title games done within 2-3 days following the previous game. Oh yeah, that's pro sports. That's not a fair comparison. Let's try college basketball. The semifinals are on a Saturday night, the winner is crowned two nights later. Hockey, baseball - similar story. It's a matter of a few days between the next to last game and the championship. 50 days??? Ridiculous.

How to Fix - Hmmm...maybe a playoff system? The more prominent conference championships could be played the second weekend of December. All your favorite secondary bowl games could be played in mid to late December. Your BCS bowl games could be played on January 1 (Rose, Orange, Fiesta, and Sugar) as the quarterfinals with the eight top-rated BCS teams (1 vs. 8, 2 vs. 7, and so on). Semi-finals could be one week later, with the National Title game played on or about January 15. What difference is January 10 and January 15 for when the champion is crowned? None. At most, there would be a three-week gap between the end of the season and the beginning of the playoffs.

Jim Tressel experienced the big game letdown in Ohio State's most recent title shots.  Was it the layoff between games?

#3 Talk about irrelevant games is...irrelevant.

Boise State squeaked out its opener against Virginia Tech, a traditionally strong ACC team. The Hokies promptly lay an egg the following week to an FCS team, James Madison. Everyone in Idaho probably groaned when they saw the result of this game. Why? Because there is too much extrapolation done by voters. Should the outcome of this game affect the National title game at all? No. Why not - because neither one of these teams are national title contenders. So, a surprising loss by Virginia Tech should not penalize the Broncos' title hopes. Oh by the way, the Hokies are 5-2 (only losses against BSU and JMU). You could name 100 games that college football experts analyze when discussing who is deserving of a National Championship shot. But, most of them don't matter...and they would become irrelevant if a playoff system were implemented.

How to Fix - If there is a playoff system in place, the conversation is focused on the 7th or 8th seed teams and who deserves to get those seeds. If you look at the way college basketball post-season is handled, it is nearly flawless. 64 teams get in (with some discussion over the last few teams to get in), within three weeks a champion is crowned. That could easily be done with 8 teams in college football.

It will be quite interesting to see what happens if there are only two undefeated teams, one of which is Boise St. or TCU, to see if a team like Alabama trumps the Broncos or Horned Frogs and gets into the title game. In years past, there is quite a number of what I consider injustices. That's why I have boycotted watching the BCS Championship game since 2006.

Injustices in the Past Years

2006 - Boise State goes 12-0 and gets the #7 BCS seed while one-loss Florida trounces previously undefeated Ohio State, 41-14, to win the title. Boise State played a game for the ages (http://espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=270010201) in defeating the Oklahoma Sooners. They led throughout, almost blew it late in the 4th quarter, and had the moxy to call three trick plays on the final drive and in overtime to beat Bob Stoops' crew. The point of this game wasn't the result. It was that teams like the Broncos belonged in the conversation.

Ian Johnson takes the ball from quarterback Jared Zabransky in the Statue of Liberty play to score the two-point conversion and stun Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl.

2007 - Hawaii goes 12-0 and gets the #9 BCS seed while an 11-2 LSU team gets into the BCS title game and whips a one-loss Ohio State team, 38-24. We have a two-loss national champion?? There is a LOT wrong with that statement. Kansas, a top echelon team in 2007 in the Big 12 had one loss and obtained a #8 BCS seed. That seems fair. Actually, many two loss teams (LSU, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma, Georgia, USC) were rated above Hawaii and Kansas n the final poll. Hawaii got absolutely thrashed in their game by Georgia. Was it a lack of respect that led to the Fighting Warriors' poor performance? Or, maybe it was just that Georgia was the more talented team. The point is - we will never know how Colt Brennan and his buddies from the islands would have performed if given the opportunity against the top dog.

Les Miles' coaching methods may be erratic, but so was LSU's path to a championship in 2007.

2008 – Utah goes 12-0 and gets the #6 BCS seed, Boise State goes 12-0 and gets the #9 BCS seed. The one-loss Gators and Sooners play for the title. Oh by the way, Utah out-physicalled Nick Saban's Alabama team to obtain a 14-point victory in the Sugar Bowl. Other teams in contention: USC (12-1), Texas (12-1), and Penn State (11-1). Yeah, we don't need a playoff with all of these evenly-matched powerhouses and undefeated smaller schools. Let's decide it with the polls.

2009 - There were five undefeated teams. Of course, the two powerhouses played. Alabama beat Texas 37-21. But, the flaming turds who decided the BCS matchups pitted undefeateds, Boise State against Texas Christian. I guess they were tired of seeing these lesser teams beat the pants off the bigger schools in bowl games...so why not have them play each other so the BCS doesn't get further embarrassed? In retrospect, once-beaten Florida was probably the second-best team that year (behind Alabama) and wallopped previously undefeated Cincinnati.

I'd be remiss if I didn't at least mention the 2004 Auburn Tigers. They went through the rugged SEC schedule with a mark of 12-0 only to be left out of the title game between USC and Oklahoma. The Trojans slapped the Sooners, 55-19. But, the Tigers won their bowl game, went 13-0, and got nothing.

Side note #1 - now, no one has a title from this season because of the improprieties between USC and Reggie Bush after the NCAA forced the school to vacate all wins in the Reggie Bush era.

Side note #2 - Ashlee Simpson (pre-nose job) performed at halftime and sounded horrendous. The Orange Bowl crowd booed throughout her terrible performance.

Here are some 'What If' scenarios I concocted based on my top 8 rated teams over the past few seasons and how I envision them playing out:

Year     First Round Matchup           Semifinalists      Finalists            Champion

2006 - #1 Ohio St. vs. #8 USC       #1 Ohio St.

#4 Boise St. vs. #5 Wisconsin          #4 Boise St.      #4 Boise St.

#3 Florida vs. #6 Louisville               #3 Florida

#2 Michigan vs. #7 Oklahoma          #2 Michigan      #2 Michigan     #2 Michigan

2007 - #1 Ohio St. vs. #8 USC        #1 Ohio St.      #1 Ohio St.

#4 Hawaii vs. #5 Virginia Tech         #4 Hawaii

#3 LSU vs. #6 Georgia                    #6 Georgia       #6 Georgia        #6 Georgia

#2 Kansas vs. #7 Oklahoma            #2 Kansas

Colt Brennan's Hawaii team was undefeated thanks to June Jones' run and shoot offense, then got pummelled by the Bulldogs.

Year     First Round Matchup               Semifinalists      Finalists            Champion

2008 - #1 Oklahoma vs. #8 Boise St.   #1 Oklahoma       

#4 USC vs. #5 Texas   #4 USC           #4 USC

#3 Utah vs. #6 Alabama                       #3 Utah           

#2 Florida vs. #7 Penn St.                    #2 Florida        #2 Florida         #2 Florida

2009 - #1 Alabama vs. #8 Ohio St.    #1 Alabama       #1 Alabama       #1 Alabama

#4 Boise State vs. #5 Florida              #5 Florida

#3 Cincinnati vs. #6 Oregon                #6 Cincinnati

#2 Texas vs. #7 Texas Christian          #7 TCU            #7 TCU

2010* - #1 Oregon vs. #8 LSU          #1 Oregon        #1 Oregon

#4 TCU vs. #5 Oklahoma                   #4 TCU

#3 Auburn vs. #6 Michigan St.            #6 Michigan St.

#2 Boise St. vs. #7 Utah                     #2 Boise St.      #2 Boise St.        #2 Boise St.

* - Based on season to date as of 10/19

I think that Kellen Moore, Boise St. QB, is a supreme talent and could match up well against any other team this season. He's one of the top Heisman candidates at this point in the year. Unless more than a few teams lose, the Broncos will once again be left out of the title game.

In writing this article, I'm not trying to make the case for all the smaller schools to have an opportunity to play for the National Championship. I'm only saying that the competition to play for a National Championship deserves to be played on the field. If eight teams make the National Championship playoffs, you'd likely see six or seven powerhouses and one or two smaller schools.

This country is all about having an opportunity. Ralph Nader never has a snowball's chance in hell of winning a presidential election, yet his third party votes are still counted. The gap between #2 and #3 in the college football landscape is much narrower than John McCain and Ralph Nader in 2008, don't you think? Well. McCain did have Sarah Palin for a runningmate, but still...let's open this up a little bit. Even Major League Baseball has a few Wild Card teams. And, those teams have been known to steal a World Series or two. Stop spoon-feeding Goliath; he's already overfed.

Consol Energy Center - The Pittsburgh Penguins' New Home

 “It’s a hockey night in Pittsburgh!”  A new era of Pittsburgh Penguins hockey began on October 7, 2010 with the opening of the Consol Energy Center to NHL hockey.  Sure, Paul McCartney may have issued in the arena with a pair of concerts in August.  But, NHL hockey is why this edifice stands on 5^th Avenue today.  Gone, but not forgotten is the Civic Arena (we can’t call it Mellon Arena anymore – the naming rights expired October 1^st).  After all, “The Igloo” sits vacant across the street from the Penguins’ new digs.  It served as the Penguins home since franchise inception in 1967.  Forty-three years later, the building had become the oldest in the NHL.  The concourses were cramped, as were the seats.  The maintenance crew at the Igloo had a full-time job keeping the arena viable on a daily basis, especially for warm May and June playoff games.  It lagged behind other facilities in technology, amenities, training areas for the players, and money-making potential. 

The Consol Energy Center (foreground) is the new home for the Penguins.  The old home, Civic Arena (background), is just across the street.  (Michael Henninger/Post-Gazette)

How Did It Get Here?

The Pittsburgh Penguins’ road over the past decade has been a bumpy one.  Mario Lemieux was the individual who turned Pittsburgh into more than a football town as a hockey player, leading two Stanley Cup championship teams in 1991 and 1992.  After retirement, Mr. Lemieux bought the Penguins in 1999 to save the franchise from moving.  He took on terribly mismanaged financial debts from previous owners, Howard Baldwin and Morris Belzberg.  Despite trading away high-priced talent and deferring some of his own player salary (upwards of $30 million), the only option in Lemieux’s eyes to maintain hockey in the city of Pittsburgh was to get a new arena.

But, that was not forthcoming anytime soon.  The other professional sports franchises got their new stadiums using tax revenues (Pirates: PNC Park in 2001, Steelers: Heinz Field in 2001).  Of course, the tax money ran dry due to other priorities, putting the status of Pittsburgh hockey at a significant risk.  Then came the National Hockey League lockout in 2004 where no games were played.  These were some dark days in Steel City.  On top of that, the Penguins no longer were an elite team.  The team was bereft of talent despite Mario strapping the skates back on for parts of the 2000-2006 seasons.  His health simply would not permit him to play a full slate of games.  Pittsburgh wallowed in the standings, causing attendance in the middle part of the decade to plummet.

In January 2006, Lemieux stated that the team was again for sale to buyers who would keep the team in Pittsburgh.  Nine months later, it appeared that all of the problems were solved.  Jim Balsillie, a multi-millionaire from southern Ontario, had agreed to purchase the franchise.  However, rumor had it that Balsillie was going to relocate the franchise to Hamilton, a suburb of Toronto.  He rescinded his offer in December 2006, which infuriated Mario Lemieux because he violated the agreed contract.  The Isle of Capri gaming company then attempted to win the slots license, which would have allowed for development of a new arena; that fell through.  Lemieux’s beloved Penguins were once again unsettled without a future home.

Lemieux was forced to try and find a buyer…any buyer, who could take on the floundering Penguins.  He had discussions with officials in Kansas City and Las Vegas about the possibility of selling.  This move provided the necessary leverage on Pittsburgh city and Pennsylvania state officials to work out a deal.  In March 2007 (four short months before the team’s lease was due to expire), a final agreement was announced for construction of the Consol Energy Center, a multi-purpose arena.

Funding for the $321 million facility comes from three primary sources: $7.5 million per year from Rivers Casino, $7.5 million per year from the state, and $4.3 million per year from the Penguins.  The 30-year lease will keep the Penguins in Pittsburgh until 2040.

The Building Itself

The official groundbreaking for the CEC took place on August 14, 2008, with Lemieux and public officials digging their shovels into the earth.  These weren’t just ordinary shovels.  They were made from shafts of hockey sticks used by current Penguins superstar, Sidney Crosby.

The overall seating capacity is 18,087 with more than 100 standing-room tickets available.  Not coincidentally, Crosby’s jersey is 87, matching the final two digits of the number of stadium seats.  There are 66 luxury suites, which matches franchise savior Mario Lemieux’s jersey number.  Penguins spokesman Tom McMillan stated, "Mario built it, and Sid will define it.  But none of this happens without Mario."

The black and gold seats provide a striking contrast

Recent stadiums in Minnesota, Columbus, and Phoenix gave arena developers a plethora of ideas. 

The Consol Energy Center has more than 800 high-definition TVs of varying sizes throughout the arena.  The scoreboard at center-ice can show replays in HD, along with the customary scores and detailed game information.

A peek inside the oval-shaped home team's locker room

The footprint of the building is more than twice the size of its predecessor, which allowed for a top-notch training facility for both home and visiting clubs.  The workout area has the traditional weights and bikes, but also includes a hydrotherapy room, housing a pool with a submersible treadmill.  A submersible treadmill?  Yes, this would allow injured players to have low-impact workouts without risk of further injury.  Players will also enjoy enormous dressing rooms, a kitchen, lounge, and can relax with a game of bubble hockey in their down time. 

There is an abundance of food concessions inside the new facility, including a Smokehouse featuring barbecue dishes, Chef's Carvery with stir fry and pasta meals, Stack with specialty sandwiches and wraps, and Brewhouse with a wide array of alcoholic beverages. What Pittsburgh sporting arena would be complete without Primanti Bros. sandwiches? The CEC has one of those, too.

The boards have exhibited some erratic behavior in practice sessions. Some players said that the boards have dead spots, while other spots are far livelier. Pucks rimming around the end boards may accelerate. Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury said that the boards are "tough to read," comparing them to the liveliest boards in the league at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.  Penguins players have found that the glass above the boards is pristine, providing true bounces when pucks are deflected off the glass. Players have said that the ice surface isn't the fastest yet. "It's kind of sticky, kind of slow," Chris Kunitz said. "It will be broken in, and it will be fine."

There is climate control being done through airlocks. This will make maintenance of the ice surface much easier than in the Civic Arena. Also, a reverse osmosis system is in place to treat the tap water that Zamboni drivers use to clear the ice.

The most spacious seats in the NHL are in Pittsburgh's new arena. Seats are up to 24 inches wide with ample legroom. There are nearly 2000 club seats, each of which offers a spectacular view of the ice. Also available are 236 Loge Box seats. These semi-private seats offer cushioned swivel chairs, wait service, televisions, and wireless internet capabilities.

The vantagepoint from the loge boxes

The Mario Mosaic may be the most stunning display in the new arena.  It stands in the main lobby of the CEC at 20 feet by 8 feet.  The mosaic contains over 21,000 fan and construction worker photos in a canvas that features six photographs of Lemieux as player and owner.  Those photographs featured on the mosaic were purchased to support the Mario Lemieux Foundation.  The foundation raises funds for cancer and neonatal research.

The Mario Mosaic - I highly encourage fans to visit mariomosaic.com to see the true magic of this artwork

The First Game

The first regular season game in the Consol Energy Center on October 7, 2010, pitted the Penguins against archrival Philadelphia Flyers.  A pre-game ceremony featured a red carpet arrival for the home team players as they entered the arena from their vehicles.  Cameras rolled, which allowed fans to watch the hoopla on an outdoor TV screen.  A scoreboard tribute was paid to John Barbero, who had been the public address announcer from 1972 to 2009.  He passed away in July due to a brain tumor.

Sidney Crosby signs an autograph as he enters the Consol Energy Center at the red carpet pre-game

The biggest flashbulb-popping moment of the night (unfortunately for Penguins fans) came during the pre-game as a solitary spotlight shone on Mario Lemieux, adorning a tuxedo and skates, poured out water melted down from the ice surface at the Civic Arena onto the new ice surface, melding together the old and new arenas.  He also dropped the ceremonial first puck moments later.

Mario Lemieux, pouring out the Civic Arena melted ice onto the surface of the CEC

Im Jimerson, a fixture at Penguins home games when it comes time for the National Anthem, sang the anthem to christen the new arena.

Marc-Andre Fleury in net, taking in the National Anthem

An above-capacity crowd of 18,289 walked through the turnstiles tonight to take in the action once all of the pre-game festivities had concluded.  This was the 167^th consecutive sellout for the Penguins.

The first game was just that…a first game.  As might be expected, both teams played sloppy hockey.  The Penguins may have held the edge early in play, but didn’t take advantage of their opportunities.  Crosby hit a post that left the crowd oohing about ten minutes in, and Mike Comrie narrowly missed on a few chances in the first period.

The opening faceoff as seen from the upper level

The tide started to turn as the Flyers took advantage of costly turnovers to tilt the game in their favor.  Six short seconds after Deryk Engelland was penalized for hooking, Daniel Briere of Philadelphia netted the first goal on a deft redirection on the goal line at the 2:51 mark of the second period.  Blair Betts gave the Flyers a two-goal cushion with a rebound tap-in prior to the second intermission.

Tyler Kennedy gave the home crowd hope with a sharply angled shot that found the top of the net with 19:16 left to play.  The Flyers lead was cut to 2-1.  But, Kris Letang made a casual pass on the man-advantage inside the Penguins blue line.  Claude Giroux pounced on it for a short-handed breakaway opportunity.  He deked, causing goalie Marc-Andre Fleury to fade to his right and Giroux easily buried it in the gaping net for a 3-1 advantage.  Nineteen seconds later, newcomer Zbynek Michalek ripped a shot through traffic to notch a power-play goal and draw the Penguins to within 3-2.  The Penguins could not capitalize on a power play as time expired and dropped the first game at the new joint.

The surprise #1 star of the game was Philadelphia goalie, Sergei Bobrovsky.  Due to Michael Leighton’s injury that will keep him sidelined for a few weeks, the expected starter was veteran Brian Boucher.  Flyers coach, Peter Laviolette, went with Bobrovsky, who stopped 29 shots in his NHL debut.  The 22-year old netminder was solid and deserving of the night’s top star.

View for the Future

The Consol Energy Center is a gleaming example of perseverance by Mario Lemieux and current Penguins management.  Their efforts brought the dreams of a new arena to fruition.

I viewed the game on television and felt that the crowd was ‘flat,’ for lack of a better word.  The noise level was quieter than I would have expected.  Perhaps everyone was taking in the surroundings and not as boisterous as they could have been.  Maybe, spectators treated the arena with the respect of an art gallery or museum…afraid to be too loud or make too much of a ruckus.  Hopefully, a few games of beer spills and nacho cheese stains will let the crowd know that they can crank it up a notch.

As with the Civic Arena, the home opener was a one-goal loss.  Pittsburgh lost to Montreal 2-1 on October 11, 1967 in that building’s maiden voyage.  Hopefully, it won’t take 24 years to raise a Stanley Cup banner in the CEC.  The marketing slogan for the sparkling new facility of steel, stone, and glass states “destiny has a new home.”  Indeed it does. 

Major League Baseball thoughts

Year in Review

Another regular season of baseball is in the books, so that means the postseason is upon us...and the Yankees are in the playoffs.  Surprise, surprise.  They've made it to meaningful October baseball for 15 of the past 16 years.  They draft well, spend exceedingly well, and have a "do whatever it takes" mentality from the front office to the playing field.  You can't look past anyone in the lineup.  If the Yanks can get playoff wins from someone other than C.C. Sabathia or Andy Pettitte, a repeat could be in order.

Captain Derek Jeter wants to play November baseball

What is rather shocking is that the Twins are regulars to the playoffs, winning the AL Central six of the last nine seasons.  Their success is attributable to solid drafting, player development, and excellent coaching from Ron Gardenhire and the rest of his staff.  The Twins don't spend with the big boys, but they play fundamental baseball.  If not for injuries to Justin Morneau, I would pick them to win it all.

The Tampa Rays are an interesting story...up until 2007, they had been the lovable losers.  Then, all at once, years of drafting high paid off with players like Carl Crawford and Evan Longoria coming of age in 2008 under the tutelage of Joe Maddon.  With David Price as their young ultra-talented ace, the Rays are now a legitimate heavyweight in the American League despite an apathetic home crowd and dilapidated stadium (by today's standards).

David Price pitched the Rays to the World Series in 2008 by getting the last out in the ALCS, can he do the same in 2010 as a starter?


The Texas Rangers came out of nowhere this year to dethrone the perennial AL west power, Los Angeles Angels.  Josh Hamilton may have had his off-the-field difficulties, but he plays the game with a youthful enthusiasm that is contagious.  Team president, Nolan Ryan has been a stabilizing force for the organization that was recently in bankruptcy court.  Don't discount Cliff Lee in the postseason.

Over in the National League, the Philadelphia Phillies achieved the best record with an amazing 49-19 record over the past two plus months.  The Phils have an amazing top-end of their rotation (Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, Cole Hamels) with all-star talents throughout the lineup - a truly viable candidate to capture its second World Series in three years.

The Roys are tremendous inning-eaters, which will allow Charlie Manuel to use his bullpen judiciously

Bobby Cox has led the Atlanta Braves to an astounding 14 division titles since 1991, along with this year's wild card berth.  Of course, those 15 visits to the playoffs yielded only one championship.  This is Cox's last year at the helm, so there will be a lot of sentimentality supporting him in his final rodeo.  But, the Braves roster is probably the most bereft of talent of any postseason team.  Jason Heyward and Tommy Hanson are going to be stalwarts for this franchise for many years to come, but they're not ready yet.

The Cincinnati Reds are probably the most stunning team in the 2010 campaign.  Most experts had the Reds picked near the bottom of the NL Central.  Never underestimate the power of the toothpick...Dusty Baker has won at every stop in his managing career.  Joey Votto is a supreme talent and the front office spent money wisely in the free agency class to round out the lineup nicely.

The most thrilling race came down the final day of the season when the San Francisco Giants beat the San Diego Padres to win the NL West.  The Giants feature a balanced lineup where it seems like every guy hits .280 with 15-20 HR and 70-80 RBI.  If the starting pitchers (Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez) put it together, they could be scary this October.

Tim Lincecum needs to find his "stuff" if the Giants are to advance

Gut feeling - Phillies over Rays in five to win the World Series.  The old adage is good pitching defeats good hitting, right?


My View of Baseball


When I was growing up, baseball was a passion.  I played it, imagined what it would be like to hit the game-winning home run in the ninth inning.  I collected baseball cards.  Chalk it up to youthful innocence, but I loved the game.  My team (the Pirates) were actually contenders for many years when I was a youngster.  Now, the Pirates are dreadful.  While they may have a few young pups who can hit, their starting rotation is the pits.  I'm not expecting a turnaround anytime soon.

I can't tell you the last time that I sat down and watched a full nine-inning game on the tube.  The announcers are terrible, the personalities in today's game aren't engaging.  We've endured the steroid era, which has undermined the credibility of the game.  The action in games is just not pulse-pounding.  Maybe it's a lack of rooting interest, maybe it's growing up...or perhaps when the MLB playoffs begin, my sports mind is more preoccupied with NFL football and the start of the NHL hockey.  It's just not the same anymore.

Tim McCarver should have never been allowed to wear a headset