PITTSBURGH’S PREMIER SPORTS PUBLICATION
Pittsburgh Sports Report
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AUGUST 2013
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Pirates Ride Strength of Power Arms
Heating Up
Pittsburgh Sports Report 92.2. BY NATE BARNES
No, it’s not a local sports radio station spewing nonsense to get people to call. Nor is it the average temperature expected for the hot and humid days of a Pittsburgh August. Rather, according to FanGraphs’ PITCH f/x, it’s the average fastball velocity of the Pirates’ 2013 pitching staff. The staff leads the majors with a 3.08 ERA and a .226 batting average against, and is second with 13 shutouts. Remember 92.2, because that number may be correlated most strongly with the Bucs’ success on the mound when all is said and done. It’s a factor general manager Neal Huntington takes heavily into account when acquiring pitching talent. “We’ve got a series of criteria we want when we acquire pitchers and velocity is one of them. It’s not the only one, but velocity is certainly one of the things we look for,” Huntington said. Velocity weighed heavily as Huntington built the Pirates’ pitching staff since being named the 12th general manager in franchise history nearly six years ago. The Pirates went 68-94 in
Pirates rookie Gerrit Cole has hit triple digits on the radar gun this season.
the regular season in Huntington’s first year, and the Pirates’ average fastball velocity was 90.4 miles per hour. The team’s collective pitch speed has climbed every year since then, breaking 92 in 2011. If Pittsburgh’s current 92.2 average fastball velocity holds, it would be the best in the baseball in the seven seasons since such data besee PIRATES, PAGE 6
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INSIDE
August 2013 VOL. 17 NO. 7
ON CAMPUS
2013 College Football Preview PAGE 19
BLUE LINE
Youth Hockey PAGE 15
NORTH SHORE NOTES PAGE 5
PURE STEEL
St. Vincent College PAGE 10
PITTSBURGH SPORTS REPORT • AUGUST 2013 1
U. S. Steel has been a part of Pennsylvania history for more than 100 years. We began making steel here in 1901 and remain committed to building our future in Pennsylvania, while striving to meet and set world-class standards in everything we do.
PSR INTERVIEW
UP CLOSE JON MILLER
Jon Miller is in his 16th season behind the mic for the San Francisco Giants and his 35th as a Major League Baseball broadcaster. Miller, honored by the National Baseball Hall of Fame as the 2010 Ford C. Frick award winner for baseball broadcasting excellence, was also the voice of
ESPN Sunday Night Baseball for more than two decades. PSR Editor Tony DeFazio chatted with Miller before a recent Pirates-Giants game, and Miller explained why the game of baseball is so unique among American sports.
“Baseball teams are different every day based on who pitches. The 1972 Phillies lost 97 games. Steve Carlton was 27-10 and the days he pitched they were the best team in baseball. Other days they were one of the worst teams in history.” Miller: The game itself is always a lot of
fun, but the best part of the game is that it's every day, just like actual life. In actual life you have to go to work and your kids need to be taken care of. All those things need to happen whether you're having a good day or not, whether you got any sleep the night before or not, whether you're feeling well or not. And it's the same with baseball. The team has to play a game every day, whether it's healthy or not, whether the top players are able to play or not. That's part of the fun aspect of it because it's inexorable every day. The team is going to go up and it's going to go down, whether it's the best team in the league or not. If it's the worst team, it's going to get hot. Explain that... you can't explain it, and that's part of the fun of baseball. Baseball is every day. The NFL crowns a champion based on one game that's winner take all. And to get to that game through the playoffs, it's always one game and that's the nature of football. It's perfectly fair because you put your team out against the other team and you figure out who's the better
team. In the NBA they have the bestof series, and hockey's the same way, and you've got your home and away games, and the home team in theory has the advantage but you still put your team out there every game. Sure you change your strategy and this and that, but it's your team every time. A baseball team is different every time based on who's pitching. The ultimate example is Steve Carlton and the 1972 Phillies, one of the worst teams of all time. They lost 97 games. Steve Carlton was 27-10 for that team. The days he pitched they were the best team in baseball. They could beat anybody and they fully expected to beat anybody and everybody. The other days they were one of the worst teams in history. They only won 32 games that he personally did not win. There's nothing as dramatic as that in any other sport. You may put your team out and one of your star players is hurt or whatever for a given game or whatever, but that's what is so interesting about baseball. A bad team can put a couple of great pitchers out there and they can be really
tough to beat. That's something that's completely foreign to most other team sports; a pitcher can change things so dramatically just by his presence. I remember years ago a network TV executive said, "It would be a much better TV game if you only played on weekends. If you just played Friday, Saturday and Sunday, you'd always have the top pitchers and the players would be rested and ready to go." For me it was just the opposite. If you only needed three starting pitchers, offense might really suffer. But more than that, the depth is what really makes the difference between a good team and a bad team. The Tigers in '84 won 104 games and then the next year, several of their regulars had better numbers than the year before but the team was not nearly as good in '85, and they didn't go anywhere. The difference was depth. Their starting nine was top-notch but somebody would get hurt, they'd put somebody else in and get almost nothing out of them. That was the big difference one year to the next and they were 20 games worse.
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Ironically, the big test to determine the best team in baseball is a little disappointing every year because of all the days off that are built into the postseason. You don't need that depth any longer. The depth gets you there, but it's not as important any longer. For me it's not simply about finding out which team is the best team. That's the ultimate point of it all, but for a fan of the game, the game is just good company. The game is there every day for six months whenever you feel like you need a break from real life. Whether it be on the radio or TV or if you say, "Hey, I'm just gonna pop over there and sit in and watch the game." You care about what happens and you can get a 2-3 hour vacation from all the stresses and strains. You root for your team and even if they lose, it has no effect on your real life. You're disappointed that they didn't win and then you go back to your real life. You're still able to pay your bills and none of your kids got sick because of it. It's there as a relief from the every day stresses and strains.
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PUBLISHER Ellis G. Cannon
BUSINESS MANAGER Larry Appolonia
PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Michael Betters
EDITOR Tony DeFazio tdefazio@psrpt.com
SENIOR MEDICAL ADVISER DJ Phillips, MD Sam Akhavan, MD Allegheny General Hospital
WEBMASTER Tom Ballas BNS Web Creations
SENIOR WRITERS Jerry DiPaola, Bob Grove, Anthony Jaskulski, Ray Mernagh
BEAT WRITERS Nate Barnes, Adam Bittner, Scott Kromko, John Krysinski, Alex Nseir, Joel Peretic, Kenneth Torgent, Zac Weiss
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Josh Carney, Melissa Esing, Steve Flinn, Mallory Merda, Tyler Pecyna, Anthony Priore, James Santelli, Erika Schneider, Taylor Skaggs, Donnie Tasser, Devon Taylor, Jamie Vaught, George Von Benko, Andrew Williams
Remembering Roberto JAMIE VAUGHT PSR GUEST COLUMNIST
This month marks the 79th anniversary of the late Roberto Clemente’s birth. The Pirates’ Hall of Famer was killed in a 1972 cargo plane crash on New Year’s Eve on a mission of mercy. He was only 38. While it is obvious that Clemente touched many folks’ lives, he sure touched mine in a big, meaningful way when I was a child growing up in Kentucky. I was one lucky kid who got to know him personally after a chance meeting in 1968 at a downtown Cincinnati hotel where he had been staying while the Pirates played the Reds. At first, I’m sure he felt kind of sorry for me because I couldn’t hear very well. But now I have many warm memories of Clemente and his friendly teammates like Bob Veale, Jose Pagan and Bruce Dal Canton.
Here are a few: • Free seats, usually behind home plate, for my family and me from Clemente for Pirates-Reds games at old Crosley Field. • The autographed personal bat he had a security guard deliver to me in the stands during a Pirates-Reds contest, and the wave he gave me as I gazed toward the dugout after receiving his Louisville Slugger. • Breakfast with Clemente, just the two of us, in Atlanta. Clemente wore a sports coat and a tie. Afterward, worried about my health, he asked my mom why I didn’t drink milk at breakfast. • An invitation for my father and me to visit Clemente in his hotel room in the Queen City, where he gave me an autographed photo. • Meeting Clemente’s wife, Vera, during the playoffs in Cincy. I later told him he had the prettiest wife on the team. He just grinned. • A trip to the Pirates’ dugout at Crosley Field with Bucs’ broad-
Jamie H. Vaught, whose syndicated sports column currently appears in Kentucky newspapers, is the author of four books about University of Kentucky basketball. He is currently a professor at Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College in Middlesboro and can be reached by e-mail at jamiehv22@gmail.com.
Contents
August 2013 Vol. 17, No.7
DEPARTMENTS
PSR FOCUS 1 BRINGING THE HEAT
FILM CREW
The Pirates pitching staff has not only been one of baseball’s best, they throw harder than just about everyone else.
Shelby Cassesse, Andrew Havranek
CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHERS Charles LeClaire, Justin Berl
5 NORTH SHORE NOTES
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Sizing up the second half
Aaron Doster, William McBride, Kris Mellinger, Vincent Pugliese, Nick Susnjer, Ronald Vezzani Jr.
10 PURE STEEL John Malecki’s big chance
13 ON CAMPUS Pittsburgh Sports Report is published 12 times annually by Pittsburgh Sports Report, Inc. a Pennsylvania business corporation, 3 South Linden St, Duquesne, PA 15110 Subscription rates: 1 year, $22.95, 2 years $39.95. Additional distribution at selected outlets. This and every issue of Pittsburgh Sports Report, and all contents therein, are subject to copyright protection held by Pittsburgh Sports Report, Inc. (“Corp. 2013 Pittsburgh Sports Report, Inc.”)
caster Nellie King. I later visited King at a nursing home shortly before his death in 2009. • A tape-measure homerun by Clemente at Crosley Field during a rain-soaked 1968 game. Many fans had already left because of the weather, but I remained alone in my red seat, fairly close to the Pirates dugout. Needless to say, I had great times with those old Pirates teams. I was a fortunate kid with wonderful baseball memories and a special friendship with a special player. For that, I’m very thankful.
2013 College Football Preview
Paul Chryst tries to stabilize Pitt football
4 PITTSBURGH SPORTS REPORT • AUGUST 2013
21 BLUE LINE See you in Sochi
3
UP CLOSE WITH PSR Jon Miller
4
EDITOR’S DESK Remembering Roberto
PHOTO CREDITS Justin Berl - 1a, 5, 6, 7 Ronald Vezzani Jr. - 1b, 14, 15a-e, 18d Charles LeClaire - 4, 10, 11, 13e, 16ab, 17, 18a-c, 18e Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP 3 Pittsburgh Pirates - 8a, 8b Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images - 13b Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images N America -13c Oregon Athletics - 13d Todd Koro/Reuters - 21 Pittsburgh Hornets / www.printroom.com - 22
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The Warning Track Pirates turn their attention to the stretch run
By Erika Schneider Baseball fans around America have turned their attention to the threeteam race for the National League Central and made a surprising discovery: The Pittsburgh Pirates are thick in the race for the best record in baseball. The Pirates have had their ups and downs this year. After a 1-5 start, the team battled back to .500 early with a crucial sweep of the Reds. The Pirates put together a nine-game win streak at the end of June, which included back-to-back-to-back sweeps of the Angels, Mariners and Brewers, and reached 21 games over .500, where they hovered throughout July. At the All-Star break, the Pirates were 19 games over, their best mark at the break since 1975. Five players
made the National League’s All-Star squad, the team’s largest representation since 1972. In many respects, the Pirates are sailing in uncharted territory – yet there is a “we’ve seen this before” feeling among an uneasy fan base, concerned that the team will collapse down the stretch for a third consecutive season. Indeed, history seems to be against the Pirates; they were 31-46 the second half of last season, and had no more than 27 wins post-break the three years before that. Some of the Pirates key players have been historically poor second-half performers. Andrew McCutchen in particular has seen his batting average, RBI, and homerun totals drop drastically in the second halves of the last two seasons. Other regulars, like All-Star
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pitcher Jeff Locke, rookie Gerrit Cole and second-year left fielder Starling Marte, will face the grind of a full regular season in the majors for the first time. Still others have tended to improve in the second half, like Russell Martin, whose batting average last year went from .179 to .242. Mark Melancon, who will move into the closer’s role with Jason Grilli on the disabled list, has shown second-half improvement in the past as well. Last season, A.J. Burnett’s ERA lowered from the first half to the second half for the first time since 2008, which would make for an interesting situation this year, considering his 2.86 ERA through July is his lowest ever. As the team moved into the last two months of what could be their most important season in over 20 years, general manager Neal Huntington commented on one of his biggest offseason acquisitions, starting pitcher Francisco Liriano. "We saw a guy that was still getting strikeouts, still put the ball on the ground enough that we felt a change of scenery would help,” Huntington said. “We saw a lot of similarities with A.J., and I said that the day we signed Francisco, so I'm not jumping on the bandwagon now that he's done well." To finish well, the Pirates have to beat their own division. They have
three series in August and September with their toughest rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals, and two each with the Reds and Brewers. Both series with Cincinnati are part of a final 10day in-division run to finish the regular season. The remaining games against St. Louis could prove the most important as the Pirates struggle for a playoff berth. Throughout the first half, it looked like the NL’s two wild-card teams and the best record could all come from the Central Division, a potential first in the MLB. Despite the good start, both Huntington and manager Clint Hurdle see room for improvement. “I’d say we played a really good first half of baseball. We’re pleased. We’re not satisfied,” said Hurdle. “There’s not a man among us satisfied.” Huntington looked ahead with more specific goals. “They don’t celebrate half seasons,” he said. “We want to make sure we position ourselves to celebrate a full season and hopefully some postseason.” Erika Schneider’s weekly Pirates podcast, “The Warning Track,” can be downloaded every Monday during baseball season at http://www.pittsburghsportsreport.com/PSR/podcast/PSRRadi oPirates.
PITTSBURGH SPORTS REPORT • AUGUST 2013 5
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SEASON OF THE GOOSE BY TAYLOR SKAGGS
In 1977, a 25-year-old fireballer by the name of Richard “Goose” Gossage joined the Pirates’ pitching staff and embarked on the greatest season of his Hall of Fame career. Sporting a gaudy 1.62 ERA and a sizzling 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings, Gossage’s 1977 season was one of the greatest performances by a relief pitcher in major league history. For the sabermaticians, Gossage earned a WAR of 6.0 and 4.2 for the season, according to baseball-reference.com and FanGraphs, respectively. Both are among the highest single-season WAR totals ever recorded by a relief pitcher. Though his legacy is supported by stellar numbers, stories of Goose’s training regimen hold nearly as much weight. Legend has it that when Goose wasn’t terrorizing opposing hitters, he prepared himself for each game by adhering to a strict diet of shredded baseballs and Allegheny River water. His strength program consisted entirely of throwing balls at a cinderblock until only a dry powder remained. When he finally faced an opponent, Goose visualized fastballs incinerating the futilely flailing bats. Usually, the end result matched the mental picture. No one knows for sure whether the legends are true, but the results of his fabled workouts are clear. No pitcher in the long history of the Pirates’ franchise can match the ferocity of the Goose’s fastball.
A.J. Burnett throws less fastballs than he used to, but his heater still touches the mid-90’s.
PIRATES, from PAGE 1 came available. The Pirates’ starting pitchers have an average fastball velocity of 91.4, which ranks in the upper-middle of the majors. The staff has been bolstered by the arrivals of pitchers like A.J. Burnett, Francisco Liriano and Gerrit Cole. The return of Charlie Morton from Tommy John surgery has seen unprecedented velocity from the sinker-baller, giving the Pirates multiple pitchers who can touch 95 on the radar consistently.
6 PITTSBURGH SPORTS REPORT • AUGUST 2013
Former Cleveland Indians general manager John Hart—the man who hired Huntington as the Tribe’s assistant farm director in 1998—has watched Huntington build the Pirates’ pitching staff in what he calls the “right way.” “I really like Neal, he’s a good man and I think what he’s done—again, in Pittsburgh it’s a beautiful ballpark, there’s so many positives there—I think there’s an organization if you were going to build sort of a perennial winner, and stop the revolving door, it was going to take a little bit of
time,” Hart said. Starting with the team’s ace, Hart and others around the league laud the transaction made by Huntington to acquire A.J. Burnett from the Yankees. Burnett finished last season 1610, and although his record stood at 4-7 through 19 starts in 2013, his ERA of 2.86 stacks up much better against the rest of the league via his ERA+ of 124. “Starting with A.J., I thought that was a brilliant move,” Hart said. “A.J. see PITCHERS, PAGE 7
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PITCHERS, from PAGE 6
is as close to a number one as the Pirates have. I think it was a great fit for both, I loved that deal.” Alongside the numbers, Burnett has also reinvented himself in his 14th season in Major League Baseball. Burnett isn’t the same guy who threw a fastball that touched triple-digits, as he was five years ago, but he’s now mixed in a knuckle-curve and sinker that he throws 37 and 33 percent of the time respectively. Burnett throws his fastball just around 23 percent of the time. In 235 plate appearances ending with a knuckle-curve or sinker, opposing hitters have just 37 hits against Burnett. “Anytime you can get velocity, you want to acquire it. Velocity does play, and it plays real good deep into games and in the bullpen you love to have a power arm,” Hart said. Cole, the Pirates’ No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 draft, entered August at 5-4 with a 3.56 ERA. Most notably, though, Cole brings serious heat. The rookie frequently hits 100 on the radar, and regularly throws his fastball between 96 and 97 miles per hour. “What I was really amazed at with Cole was how quickly he’s been able to come with his command and control,” Bowden said. “Once he got to professional baseball he did a very good job of not trying to strike everybody out and instead trying to get outs
earlier in the count and doing a better job of just pounding the strike zone.” Morton has been a surprising midseason addition to the rotation after recovering from Tommy John surgery a year ago. He was 3-2 with a 3.59
“Liriano was so under the radar,” Hart said. “Obviously it was good scouting, and it was a good gamble. It’s certainly paid enormous dividends.” Liriano’s velocity numbers have
Francisco Liriano has found new life with the Pirates.
ERA in his first eight starts and is throwing harder than at any point in his career. After his sinker hung around 90 miles per hour in 2012, his moneymaker is now up to 93.7 MPH. Then there is Liriano, who posted an ERA above 5.00 in five of the past seven years before Huntington signed him this offseason. At 11-4 with a 2.16 ERA through July, the 29-year-old veteran of eight years may be pitching better than anyone on the staff.
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held fast with his career numbers, as his sinker has held at about 94 miles per hour over the course of the season according to BrooksBaseball.net. Ironically, the only All-Star in the Pirates’ rotation is a guy whose average fastball hangs a shade under 91 miles per hour. Jeff Locke has compiled a 9-3 record alongside a 2.36 ERA over 21 starts. But while the rotation has been solid, the Pirates’ bullpen has undoubtedly been the team’s strength.
The work done by the likes of Jason Grilli, Mark Melancon, Tony Watson, Justin Wilson, Vin Mazzaro and Bryan Morris, with Jeanmar Gomez performing well in a swing role, have the Pirates’ bullpen second in the majors with a 2.76 ERA, as well as 23 wins. Wilson and Morris have touched 100 miles per hour this season, and the average fastball out of the pen clocks in at 93.5 miles per hour. All of the relievers throw average fastballs in the 93- to-95 MPH range. So why go after all these pitchers that throw hard? “[Velocity] gives you a larger margin for error. Now, you can throw 99, but if you can’t command it, and you don’t have a secondary pitch, they’re going to hit you,” Huntington said. “But it does give you a larger margin for error especially if you’ve got a wipeout breaking ball or a secondary pitch to go with it, and you can stay out of fastball counts, you’ve got a chance to be very successful in the league.” The harder a baseball is thrown, of course, the harder it is to hit. “If you had to pick one thing to look for when you’re starting a rotation or bullpen, you’re certainly going to look at velocity,” Hart said. “It gets you attention. Velocity gets missed bats.”
PITTSBURGH SPORTS REPORT • AUGUST 2013 7
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Prospect Watch: 2013 Draft By Anthony Priore The Pirates had two firstround picks in the 2013 First Year Player Draft, selections 9 and 14. Centerfielder Austin Meadows of Grayson HS in Georgia was their first pick, and catcher Reese McGuire of Kentwood HS in Washington was their second. Both players started their pro careers this summer. Austin Meadows
Heading into the 2013 draft, Meadows was regarded by MLB.com’s Draft and Prospect Expert Jonathan Mayo as the fifth-best player available and the third-best outfield prospect. Meadows slid a little on draft day, however, and the Pirates snagged him 9th overall in what scouts regarded as a steal. Meadows chose to bypass his commitment to Clemson and signed with the Pirates instead, bringing above average fivetool potential with him. As a junior at Grayson HS he hit .390 with 4 homeruns, 28 RBI and 19 stolen bases. Subsequently he was named a Rawlings Preseason First-Team High School AllAmerican and lived up to the honor, hitting .535 with a .633 OBP, .930 SLG, and 1.563 OPS in 24 games as a senior. He also had 4 homeruns, 28 RBI, 29 runs scored, and 17 stolen bases to go along with 14 doubles and a triple. He
struggled at first in the Gulf Coast League but ended July with a .271 average, .358 OBP, .542 SLG, and .901 OPS. His defense has been stellar, as he has a 1.000 fielding percentage in 22 chances to go along with a 2.00 range factor per game. As his 6-3, 200lb frame fills out, the 18-year-old lefty is expected to develop into a very solid power hitter, which figures to fit well at PNC Park. Meadows has already shown he can hit for average, but it will take time for the adjustment from high school to professional baseball to take place. He has a good throwing arm and exceptional speed, both on the base paths and in the field. His natural position is centerfield but he may eventually be switched to right. Meadows’ expected development would create a potential log jam of rightfield prospects, joining Gregory Polanco and Josh Bell.
8 PITTSBURGH SPORTS REPORT • AUGUST 2013
Reese McGuire
The Pirates selected the 10th-best prospect and top-ranked catcher, according to Mayo, when they picked McGuire with their second first-round pick at 14 overall. Playing his high school years at Kentwood HS in Covington, Washington, McGuire hit .388 in 26 games his senior year. In addition he put up a .510 OBP, .675 SLG, and 1.185 OPS to go along with 4 homers, 34 RBI and 26 runs. On top of the counting numbers, he was named to the United States National Baseball Team that won the 18-andunder Baseball World Championship, with McGuire earning Player of the Year honors. The Pirates signed him right away and he began Golf Coast League play with a four-hit debut. Through his first 19 games, McGuire was hitting .395 with a .452 OBP, .513 SLG, and .966 OPS. He also has 10
RBI and 39 total bases. Defensively, he has been outstanding, throwing out 50 percent of runners attempting to steal. He boasts a .971 fielding percentage and a 4.53 range factor per game as well. The best element of his defense comes from his quick catch and release when throwing out runners, plus a very strong and accurate arm. Those skills, and his 6-1, 190lb build, mean he will likely stay behind the plate and blossom into an above average every day catcher in the majors. He doesn’t have overwhelming natural talent, but makes up for it with a hardnosed, scrappy approach – an aspect many organizations look at when evaluating catching prospects. Ideally, the Pirates hope McGuire develops into a Russell Martin type at the major league level.
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The Long Way Home BY DONNIE TASSER
Even though this could be a big year for Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman John Malecki, he has prepared for training camp the same way he always has. Malecki, 25, a local product who has taken the long road to the National Football League, is projected to make the final 53-man roster coming out training camp for the first time in his career. “Me and a couple other lineman work out at the facility, do some football-specific drills and movements, all non-contact CBA-approved stuff,” Malecki said. “I prepare every year like I’m going to make the team, but numerically I would say yes, this is my first real opportunity to make the team out of camp and be a contributor.” Malecki, a two-year starter at right guard for Pitt and a former Franklin Regional High School standout, hasn’t had the most glamorous start to his NFL career. After going undrafted in 2010, he bounced around multiple practice squads for the past three seasons. Malecki was promoted to the active roster last season with the Steelers and made his NFL debut in October. “I have just been chugging along, trying to stick around as long as possible. I’ve been on five teams or so and some practice squads, but I’ve been given a great opportunity with Pittsburgh,” Malecki said. “I’ve been playing a lot of center; that’s really what I have been working at most since I have become a pro and I feel like have been progressing a lot at the position.” Offensive line depth is an annual
concern for all NFL teams. Roster restrictions put a premium on players who can contribute at multiple positions. The Steelers know firsthand the luxury of having a quality swingman—a player who can play multiple offensive line positions—after getting four solid seasons out of Doug Legursky. In his four-year Steelers career, Legursky appeared in 50 games at center, left- and rightguard, 17 of which were starts – including Super Bowl XLV. “This is an exciting opportunity for John,” former Steelers lineman and current sideline analyst Craig Wolfley said. “I believe he was the most improved offensive lineman coming out of training camp last year. He’s versatile; he can play both guards and center and that’s his biggest plus. Doug was a better center than John is but I would say John is a little better guard than Doug was, so it looks like a wash, which is fine considering the quality of work we saw from Doug.” Malecki, at 6-2, 298 pounds, is on the small side for an NFL lineman and needs to rely on more on technique than natural size and talent. He proved his versatility and steady improvement at Pitt, where he began his career at defensive tackle before switching to the offensive side of the ball at the beginning of his junior season. He was named Most Improved Offensive Player that season, started every game for his last two years and was called the unit’s “constant” by line coach Tony Wise. “John is quick, agile, plays with lever-
age, is tough as nails and he is a smart player,” according to Joe Butler, who runs the Metro Index Camp for high school football players. “He has bounced around the NFL for a couple years, but he keeps getting better and I like what I see from him. His skill set could make him a really solid replacement for Legursky this season. At center, you need to be a little more cerebral in making the line calls and obviously the snap is very important. Whether it’s a standard snap or the short snap for shotgun, the center needs to be able to make the call, get off a good snap and then take on his assignment. But John is a smart player and I think that he could make that adjustment, especially if the Steelers are already working with him.” Nothing is truly a lock in the NFL. Projected starters Maurkice Pouncey, David DeCastro, Mike Adams, Ramon
Foster and Marcus Gilbert are rosterlocks, along with long snapper Greg Warren. If the Steelers leave camp with ten linemen, then Malecki must battle for one of the remaining four spots. Kelvin Beachum, Joe Madsen, Guy Whimper, Mike Farrell and Mike Golic, Jr. make up the group of lineman competing for the last spots; but in the battle for backup positions versatility and hard work often win out. “For a player not guaranteed to make the team, keeping your emotions in check during training camp is extremely difficult,” Wolfley said. “You need to be focused on the task at hand and doing your best, and can’t get caught up counting heads (for the final roster spots). John works hard, he’s resilient, he’s a smart player and above all he is versatile; those are all qualities that will help him make the team.”
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College Prep BY MELISSA ESING
Located in Latrobe, Pa., and founded in 1846, St. Vincent College is one of the top liberal arts colleges in the northeast. It is also home away from home for the Pittsburgh Steelers, as well as legions of their fans. “We’ve never been able to put a number on the exact amount of visitors, but it’s over 50,000 and possibly as many as 100,000 fans that come to visit,” said St. Vincent College’s PR director Don Orlando. What keeps the fans coming back each year is St. Vincent College’s hospitality, the friendly environment and the (free admission) entertainment provided for families. Along with free admission, there is no charge for parking. The location of St. Vincent’s campus is ideal, with plenty of available space in the fields that surround the college providing area for 2,000-3,000 cars. “We show hospitality to the Steelers and the fans that come to watch,” said Orlando. “We also show good hospitality to the media.” Media are very important to St. Vincent College during the summer training camp, as their coverage enhances the visibility of the college itself. Print media, radio and TV broadcasts provide exposure you couldn’t buy for any price, according to Orlando. “The biggest thing that the Steelers’ presence means for us is it gives us an opportunity to present ourselves to a much bigger audience,” said Orlando.
The attention of the camp also benefits the local business community surrounding the college. According to Orlando, Latrobearea businesses have said that the presence of the Steelers around the college dramatically increases their customers. “Hotels, restaurants, gas stations, Walmart, K-Mart and local department stores all see increases in their traffic,” said Orlando. The college puts forth a lot of time and effort to prepare for camp. The college dining service adds 50 seasonal workers who join a staff of 75 to prepare meals for the Steelers and their fans. The staff determines the menus for meals, concessions and snacks. General manager Reggie Esmi and executive chef Dan Keeley supervise the meals, which includes 1,600 pounds each of beef and chicken, 1,100 pounds of fish, 1,200 pounds of cheese and 120 cases of frozen desserts. And it doesn’t stop at the food. Keeley’s team ordered 160 gallons of
that complete 90 percent of their work before coaches, players or fans ever set foot on campus. Nearly 1,000 hours are devoted to prepping for this event. Over a mile’s worth of fencing is set up in order to direct fans where to stand to seek autographs and watch practices.
St. Vincent College Passes the Training Camp Test orange juice, 90 gallons of peach, apple and cranberry juice and 50 gallons each of guava and grape juice. The media focuses on the hard work and effort put forth by the Steelers, but it’s the college’s office of facility management that does the heavy lifting. That staff includes 33 groundskeepers, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, custodians and technical specialists
Tables, chairs, Port-A-Johns, barricades, dumpsters and other equipment tends to the needs of visitors. “A large amount of heavy furniture needs to be moved from residence hall rooms and lounges to create special rooms for training, offices and other needs,” said St. Vincent College’s director of facility management, Larry Hendrick.
The college’s public safety staff is always ready for emergencies. “Sprained ankles, bloody noses and fainting do occur and every effort is made to contact the appropriate emergency responder to provide treatment or transport,” said St. Vincent College’s director of public safety Steve Brown. Another popular on campus attraction is the St. Vincent College bookstore. Since July, the bookstore staff has been stocking the shelves with black and gold. Fans love their Steelers merchandise, and the bookstore stands prepared, along with the Robert S. Carey Student Center. From labor and maintaining the grounds to feeding thousands of visitors, St. Vincent College passes the test every summer for Steelers fans.
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National Storylines TIDE THREE-PEAT?
Last year, Alabama became the first school in the BCS era to capture consecutive national titles, winning a third in four years. The dominant offensive line lost three starters to the pros, but junior Cyrus Kouandjio and senior Anthony Steen return. Sophomores T.J. Yeldon and Kenyan Drake take over backfield duties after combining for 17 touchdowns and 1,389 yards last season. Senior quarterback A.J. McCarron and sophomore receiver Amari Cooper return to guide the passing corps. But the Tide’s backbone is again their top-ranked defense, led by senior C.J. Mosley and the same linebacking crew from 2012. The secondary returns junior ball-hawk Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and adds former five-star recruit Landon Collins. The Tide have their opportunity to avenge last year’s loss to Texas A&M when they travel to College Station on Sep. 14.
CLOWNEY VS. QUARTERBACKS
GOLSON GONE IN SOUTH BEND
Johnny Manziel became the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy in its 77-year history when Texas A&M’s redshirt frosh captured the hardware a season ago. Johnny Football survived a rocky offseason and will try to become the second player to win the award twice. Hot on his heels are quarterbacks A.J. McCarron of Alabama and Braxton Miller of Ohio State. But the favorite may not be a quarterback at all. South Carolina’s Jadeveon Clowney has a realistic chance to join former Michigan cornerback Charles Woodson as defensive players to win the Heisman. For proof of Clowney’s folklore, search him on YouTube. His helmet-jarring hit on Michigan tailback Vincent Smith has over 3.9 million views. So if every Texas A&M student watched a particular Johnny Football highlight 73 times, it still wouldn’t match the growing view total of Clowney’s slobberknocker.
OREGON OUTLOOK WITHOUT KELLY
After former Ducks mastermind Chip Kelly left Eugene in favor of the Philadelphia Eagles, offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich has taken over. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Marcus Mariota is the chief reason Oregon can succeed without Kelly. Named first-team All-Pac-12, Mariota completed 68.5 percent of his passes last season, compiling 2,677 yards and 32 touchdowns against just six picks. He also averaged 7.1 yards per rush on 106 carries. Mariota is one of nine returning starters from an offense that ranked fifth in the country in yards per game (537.4) and second in points per game (49.5). Helfrich’s best shot to trump expectations after replacing Kelly comes Nov. 7 at Stanford, the school responsible for Oregon’s lone loss last season.
BY TYLER PECYNA
Notre Dame is a year removed from a 12-0 regular season that led them to the brink of a national title. Yet expectations are tempered for 2013 after quarterback Everett Golson was suspended for the fall term for academic reasons. Golson completed 58.8 percent of his passes for 2,405 yards and 12 touchdowns, while tossing six interceptions, as redshirt freshman last year. The 6-1, 185-pound QB also rushed for six touchdowns. Redshirt senior Tommy Rees has been named as Golson’s replacement by head coach Brian Kelly, returning to the starting role after holding the job in 2011, when the Irish went 8-5. Rees has completed 63.6 percent of his passes for 4,413 yards and 34 touchdowns against 24 interceptions 30 career games. In his 18 career starts, the Irish are 14-4. Keep an eye on freshman Malik Zaire, a freshman lefty who is a strong dual-threat at quarterback.
BUCKEYES ARE BACK
Following a scandal that resulted in postseason probation for 2012, Ohio State was bereft of a fitting dénouement after a 12-0 season. With the bowl ban now lifted, second-year head coach Urban Meyer returns a highly talented team, led by junior quarterback Braxton Miller. The Buckeyes will be without running back Carlos Hyde, who rushed for 16 touchdowns in 2012, for at least three games after he was suspended following a string of off-field issues. Jeannette product Jordan Hall and Rod Smith offer depth behind Hyde, but whoever carries the load will run behind four returning linemen. Conversely, the defensive front-seven must replace six starters, including all four linemen, from a year ago.
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Forging a New Path BY TAYLOR SKAGGS
The Penn State football program has been operating under a 40 percent scholarship reduction since the end of 2012, dropping from 25 scholarships to 15 scholarships per year as a result of the highly-publicized Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse scandal. Included amongst the penalties was a mandate requiring Penn State’s football program to have no more than 65 scholarship players on the roster by Sept. 1 2014, which is 20 fewer scholarships than the normal 85-man limit. To compensate for the lack of scholarships, Penn State has not only adapted their recruiting strategy but also the players they recruit. “They have to be really deliberate in who they offer,” says Brandon Huffman, a national college football recruiting analyst for FOX Sports and Scout.com. “They have to be prepared for what those guys bring to the table on and off the field. They must do a good job evaluating not only from a football standpoint, but a character standpoint.” Without the normal allotment of scholarships, Penn State cannot afford to miss on prospects. “We set out to get a class that was smart, that was high character, that came from good families, guys that had a passion for playing football, but more importantly guys who had a passion for Penn State,” said head coach Bill O’Brien in February.
Penn State’s recruiting strategy has the program off to a fast start with the 2014 class, as the Nittany Lions have an average top 20 ranking according to Rivals, Scout and ESPN. Despite their early success, Penn State will be hardpressed to maintain that lofty ranking. “Taking into account how many guys they do sign, it’ll be tough to hang onto a top 25 spot,” said Jared Shanker, the Midwest regional recruiting coordinator for ESPN. “Finishing 25-30 will be a big win for Penn State.” When discussing college football recruiting strategy, the use and effectiveness of negative recruiting by schools and coaching staffs is highly debated. However, due to the nature of the violations at Penn State, negative recruiting appears inevitable. “There is negative recruiting for far less reasons than what happened at Penn State,” said Shanker. “Every school is going to do what they have to do to get that kid.” Penn State is so vulnerable, however, that coaches using the Sandusky scandal against Penn State could end up hurting their own reputations withprospective student-athletes. “If you go to Penn State, you won’t go to bowl games or championship games, but attacking their character is a detriment to the [other] school,” says Adam Friedman, mid-Atlantic recruiting analyst at Rivals.com. The extent of negative recruiting is hard to quantify, but the issue no longer resides solely between recruits and
NCAA sanctions have changed the way Penn State approaches recruiting coaches. In today’s social-media fueled world, recruiting has exploded, allowing the general public unprecedented access to the college recruiting world. Friedman downplays any backlash. “I don't think the negative response the players receive on Twitter when they commit to Penn State is any different than another school. They can anticipate comments referencing the Sandusky situation just like an Ohio State commit can expect comments about free tattoos,” Friedman says. The sanctions from the Sandusky scandal seemed to signal a dark period for Penn State football, but O’Brien may have ridden out the worst of the aftermath both on and off the field. “O’Brien brought a calmness to the
whole process. He brought a real focus to what he’s doing and stabilized a pretty rocked fan base,” says Huffman. Though Penn State football has exceeded expectations so far, the recruiting process is still in a delicate state. “Are things going to get worse before they get better?” asked Friedman. “That doesn’t depend on wins and losses, but how does Penn State compete and react to the adversity? How does the coaching staff respond to the adversity? Everyone is going to hear about it, and if the message off the field is poor, it will resonate with players.” So far—with one year behind Penn State and three remaining—O’Brien’s message is resonating loud and clear.
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Lions March On BY JOSH CARNEY
Looking to build off of a promising 84 season amid NCAA sanctions, the Penn State Nittany Lions have holes to fill as the 2013 season looms. Despite the holes, plenty of familiar faces return: bruising running back Zach Zwinak (1,007 yards, 6 TD) should carry the load in the backfield; middle linebacker Glenn Carson leads the defense, and safeties Malcolm Willis and Stephen Obong-Agyapong stabilize the back end of the defense. Redshirt sophomore defensive end Deion Barnes and redshirt freshman receiver Eugene Lewis are potential breakout stars for the Nittany Lions.
WIDE RECIEVER
The headliner is 2012 All-Big Ten selection Allen Robinson, but Brandon Moseby-Felder and Alex Kenney also return. One player to keep an eye on is the electrifying deep threat Eugene Lewis, whose “athletic ability is just off the charts,” according to receivers coach Stan Hixon. TIGHT END
The tight end group is the strength of this team with Kyle Carter (36 catches, 453 yards, 2 TD) leading the way. South Fayette’s Jesse James, Matt Lehman, Brent Wilkerson and Bryce Wilson will all see time, and freshman stud Adam Breneman may make O’Brien think twice about a redshirt.
QUARTERBACK
The biggest question mark is at quarterback, where junior college transfer Tyler Ferguson and five-star recruit Christian Hackenberg will do battle. Hackenberg was the top QB recruit during his senior season at Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy, where he threw for 2,144 yards and 24 touchdowns. Ferguson, a juco transfer from College of the Sequoias, threw for 2,614 yards and 22 touchdowns in 10 games. RUNNING BACK
The 230-pound Zwinak, a preseason Doak Walker Award candidate, won’t be asked to do the brunt of the work as junior Bill Belton appears to be healthy and redshirt freshman Akeel Lynch is primed for a breakout season.
LINEBACKER
“Linebacker U” looks to have reloaded after losing program stalwarts in Michael Mauti and Gerald Hodges to the NFL. Glenn Carson returns as the anchor in the middle, while CanonMac’s Mike Hull slides into the starting role alongside Carson. Nyeem Wartman, a redshirt freshman who has been wowing the coaching staff in recent drills, could play his way into a starting role on the outside. Ben Kline, who missed the spring with shoulder surgery, could be a wild card. Depth could be an issue. “We’re going to have to go into training camp and see how much some of our younger players have improved at those positions,” O’Brien said.
Glenn Carson
Brandon Moseby-Felder
SECONDARY OFFENSIVE LINE
The Lions return three starters along the line in guards John Urschel and Miles Dieffenbach (Fox Chapel). Center Ty Howle. Adam Gress (West Mifflin) and Donovan Smith hold down the tackle spots. DEFENSIVE LINE
DaQuan Jones, Kyle Baublitz and C.J. Olaniyan return as keys along the line. Jones, entering his senior year, saw limited playing time behind Jordan Hill last year but has NFL potential. Philadelphia native Deion Barnes looks to be the best of the bunch, however. “He does a great job of understanding angles, burst and leverage,” Penn State play-by-play announcer Steve Jones said. “He has all of the tools you look for in a defensive end.”
Safeties Willis and Obong-Agyapong will be asked to do the heavy lifting. Adrian Amos returns as the top corner. “He has the potential to be a top four corner or safety in the Big Ten,” Jones said. “The key with him is versatility.” Da’Quan Davis is projected to start opposite Amos, while safety Malik Golden could push for time.
Jesse James
BOTTOM LINE
The Nittany Lions are still a ways away from challenging for a Big Ten title and have little margin for error again this season. If O’Brien can get Ferguson or Hackenberg to develop into a solid starting quarterback, however, Penn State will be a formidable opponent.
Allen Robinson
Zach Zwinak
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From the Ashes of Instability BY DEVON MOORE
It was nearly a year ago that it seemed the coaching carousel Pitt football had been riding caused the program to hit rock bottom. In the inaugural contest of the 2012 season, Youngstown State, a Football Championship Subdivision (formerly 1-AA) team, rode a bus down I-79 and took it to the Panthers in their own backyard, in a 3117 beat down. Rookie head coach Paul Chryst had suspended six players before that game, which was delayed by lightning. It was a day of disappointment that lived in infamy for many Panthers faithful. It was, perhaps, a microcosm of what the program had been through the past few years, traveling down the tunnels of conference unpredictability, player discipline issues, and a revolving door in the head coach’s office. Stuck in a dying conference, unable to keep a head coach and struggling on the field, the program had become a mixed up mess. But one thing in sports that good coaches know—something that Chryst knows—is that losing creates a certain perception. And perception becomes reality to the media and fans alike.
Second-year coach Paul Chryst leads the Panthers out of a troubling period “The best way to have stability is to win and do it over and over,” said Chryst at ACC media day. “We’re striving toward it, but we’re certainly not where we want to be.” It’s easy to say that a few more conference wins over the years and a couple of extra appearances outside the BBVA Compass Bowl would have quenched the thirst of those that were unhappy with the direction of the program. Many alumni and boosters, including College Football Hall of Famer
Bill Fralic, spoke out against the athletic director Steve Pederson in January 2011 after head coach Dave Wannstedt was let go despite leading Pitt to its best three-year run in three decades. It didn’t help that the top-25 recruiting class Wannstedt amassed in 2009 was almost entirely dismantled after his firing. The Todd Graham debacle is well documented, as the flashy offensiveminded coach met Pitt at the altar but left just months after the honey-
moon. Including replacement coaches for bowl games, Pitt went through six coaches in the three years from 2010 to 2012. Only five players from Graham’s only recruiting class in 2011 remain on the roster, including potential starting quarterback Chad Voytik. Chryst steps into his second year at Pitt still cleaning up and rebuilding from that three-year tailspin. The former Wisconsin offensive coordinasee PITT, PAGE 17
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tor is not only looking to provide the program with continuity and improvement, but to fine-tune and bring stability to some of his own coaching philosophies as well. “You’re always trying to self-evaluate and there are definitely things that iI learned from last year that hopefully you make better,” said Chryst. “Hopefully there are improvements on the schedule we’ve got for camp and some of the stuff we’re doing schematically. I think you look at it and try to assess it. It’d be pretty hypocritical to ask out players to get better if we’re not doing that. So we’re all trying to get better in the roles we’re going to play....I hope I’m better in year two than I was in year one.” Several players from Chryst’s first season won’t get that same chance. Three players, tight end Drew Carswell, defensive back Eric Williams and defensive tackle Khaynin Mosley-Smith were in a house when police and SWAT team members made a massive drug bust. Carswell and Williams were kicked off the team and Mosley-Smith remains suspended indefinitely. Tra’von Chapman, ranked the No. 12 dual-threat quarterback in the country according to Rivals.com, was also suspended indefinitely after an arrest and subsequent three-day jail term in his native Ohio. But the big story of the offseason was hometown mega-recruit Rushel Shell, once thought to be the next premier Pitt running back following in the footsteps of Ray Graham, Dion
Lewis and LeSean McCoy, having a change of heart about transferring to UCLA and attempting to re-join the program. In what can be viewed as his own statement on the emphasis of team stability, Chryst pulled Shell’s admission ticket, and instead of jumping back on the ship, the talented running found himself alone on the dock while it sailed away without him. The ones that remained on board, according to senior first-team All-Big East defensive tackle Aaron Donald, have become a tight-knit group. “It’s a whole different atmosphere,” said Donald. “We’re together a lot more and spending more time together and with players you might not be with as much otherwise. We’re just around each other a lot and it’s more like a family now. A lot of teams
say ‘we’re a family’ but don’t really mean it, they just say it because it sounds good. But we are more like a family and we bonded a lot and at the end of the day I think it’s going to help us a lot on the field.” Chryst needs players like Donald to step forward and take control of the locker room, as he puts the onus mostly on the players to get the job done. “I’m very comfortable in letting the players’ execution win games,” Chryst said, in a radical departure from Todd Graham’s system-first philosophy. “I don’t think coaches win nearly as many games as we like to think.” No matter who is most responsible for the wins, Chryst earned his first victory two weeks after the Youngstown State embarrassment.
Pitt treated its skeptics to a surprise upset of then-No.13 Virginia Tech, providing some hope that the perception of stability might not be far away. Pitt finished their 2012 season bowl bound, three of their next four losses being by a touchdown or less. It will be different for the Panthers this year, in the Atlantic Coast Conference, which will likely present more competitive challenges than the Big East had to offer. When you hit rock bottom, there is nowhere to go but up. If the improvement Chryst and his team showed last year continues, the Panthers may finally be able to start talking more about winning conferences and less about mere stability.
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Panthers Enter New Era BY MALLORY MERDA
The first order of business for head coach Paul Chryst in his second season is cleaning up several spots after the suspension of junior defensive tackle Khaynin Mosley-Smith, the transfer of sophomore running back Rushel Shell, and the outright dismissals of junior tight end Drew Carswell and junior defensive back Eric Williams. Former Pitt quarterback and current broadcaster Pat Bostick weighed in on a Panthers’ team looking for their first winning season since Dave Wannstedt was fired in 2010. “There are two predominant strengths on this year’s team, both of which are on the defensive side of the football,” said Bostick. “The interior of the defensive line boasts experience and talent, [while] the defensive secondary also looks very promising with two extremely talented corners.” DEFENSIVE LINE
Tackle Aaron Donald (Penn Hills) is the leader, and according to Bostick, “his actions and example speak louder than any words could.” Tyrone Ezell (Steel Valley) mans the other tackle spot, but finding an edge rusher is a camp priority. LINEBACKER
The Panthers linebackers are somewhat undersized, but make up for it with excellent athleticism. Todd Thomas (Beaver Falls) and one-time quarterback Anthony Gonzalez will flank Shane Gordon in the middle.
SECONDARY
Cornerbacks K’Waun Williams—“a savvy veteran who is as good a tackler as this team has,” according to Bostick—and sophomore Lafayette Pitts (Woodland Hills) lead the way. Williams grabbed four interceptions a year ago, two of which came in the end zone to turn back opponent scoring threats against Notre Dame and Syracuse. Jason Hendricks, the lone Panther to earn preseason All-ACC recognition, teams with Ray Vinopal at safety. QUARTERBACK
Tom Savage, who sits atop the depth chart entering the camp, transferred to Pitt last year after stops at Rutgers and Arizona. As a true freshman at Rutgers in 2009, Savage was named the Knights’ Most Valuable Offensive Player after completing 149-of-285 passes for 2,211 yards and 14 touchdowns. Savage will compete against Chad Voytik, who was redshirted last season as a true freshman after a standout high school career in Tennessee. RUNNING BACK
“Running back looks to be a position with little depth, as Isaac Bennett is really the only proven commodity,” Bostick said. Bennett is the leading candidate to replace Shell, who transferred to West Virginia this summer. "Like my coach told me, we're all up for grabs for starting spots," said Bennett, who spent two years as a reserve behind Ray Graham. "We're pushing each other because at the end of the day we're just trying to get that W.”
RECEIVER
Devin Street enters his senior season closing in on Pitt’s career receiving records after posting 73 catches for 975 yards as a junior. With little proven depth behind Street, freshman Tyler Boyd will have a chance to see early playing time. During his high school career at Clairton, Boyd set a WPIAL record with 117 career touchdowns.
Isaac Bennett
TIGHT END
J.P. Holtz (Shaler) worked his way into the starting line-up as a true freshman. Junior Manasseh Garner, a Brashear product who originally went to Wisconsin but sat out last season after transferring to Pitt, has the ability to pose matchup problems for opponents.
Aaron Donald
OFFENSIVE LINE
The line has undergone a major overhaul. Pitt’s two starting tackles last season, senior Cory King and junior Matt Rotheram, moved inside to guard and will compete with Ryan Schlieper (North Allegheny). Tackle Gabe Roberts moved to center and defensive end T.J. Clemmings is at right tackle, with redshirt freshman Adam Bisnowaty (Fox Chapel) at left tackle.
Lafayette Pitts
Devin Street
BOTTOM LINE
“I think we worked and got better,” said Chryst this spring. “We also got a little bit more physical. Guys have a little bit better of an understanding. I think we made some strides, but we have to be productive this summer.” Todd Thomas
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For Love of Country Sergei Bobrovsky. Canada may have the most skilled in Carey Price. And, Sweden could perhaps have the most dominant in Henrik Lundqvist. But, no country features a lineup like Finland. Niklas Backstrom, Pekka Rinne, Tuukka Rask, Antti Niemi and Kari Lehtonen will all compete for the starting job. The 2010 bronze medalists should have no problem finding a new starter for their national team after Miikka Kiprusoff retired this off-season.
See you in Sochi. The Olympics will once again feature the best players in the world when the event takes place in Russia next year. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s good news for NHL fans, who will see virtual all-star teams assembled in the name of country pride. International competition carries a weight far different than that of traditional NHL play for the competitors. Stars are asked to be role players and leaders are expected to be followers. Non-traditional constraints imposed upon the squads require analysis in non-traditional categories.
Lastly, there is coaching. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s start with chemistry. Advantage Sweden.
With a set of twins, a half-dozen first line glue guys and an array of defensemen specialized in every crucial category, the Norwegian country takes the edge. Erik Karlsson is the best offensivedefenseman in hockey while Oliver Ekman-Larsson isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t far behind. Neither player is even 24 years old. A bevy of stay-at-home defensemen pepper the roster and big hitters like Niklas Kronwall provide a blueline punch. Offensively, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to argue with the production Henrik and Daniel Sedin have manufactured. A number of Detroit Red Wings will appear on the roster and Gabriel Landeskog and Nicklas Backstrom are Swissarmy-like contributors.
Next is grit. Advantage USA.
David Backes, Dustin Brown and Ryan Callahan all finished with more than 150 hits last season. No country will even feature one player that finished with more body blows than any of the three Americans. The Americanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s could also feature the top two shot blockers in the tournament if Brooks Orpik and Jon Carlson both make the squad. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget the sandpaper treatment James Van Riemsdyk and Ryan Kessler will bring. Canada is the frontrunner for leadership.
Nine NHL captains have been invited to the reigning gold-medalistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s camp. Twenty-one players greenlighted for tryouts have won a Stanley Cup. That list doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even include Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Executive Director
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Steve Yzerman, who is nicknamed â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Captainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Also joining Canada behind the bench is Cup winning coach Mike Babcock. Factor in that nearly all of Team Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2010 winning core was invited back and that one of their most experienced players, Martin St. Louis, just became the oldest player to ever win the NHL scoring title, and Canada looks to have a lock on the leadership category. Goaltending: Advantage Finland.
Perhaps goaltending isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t considered a non-traditional category, but anyone familiar with hockey can explain that a hot netminder is all a team needs to compete. The United States may have the best goaltender in Jonathan Quick. Russia could feature the hottest in
Only two countries at the Olympic games will boast NHL coaches. Babcock will head the Canadian squad while Dan Bylsma will lead the Americans. The United States will be more than capable behind the bench, but Canada is untouchable in this category. The worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most prolific hockey country is so stacked in the area that the current Jack Adams Award winner, Paul MacLean, didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make the cut. Also left out? Joel Quennevilleâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; the only coach in the NHL with multiple Stanley Cups. Any country that can pass on coaches of such high caliber should be considered the frontrunner for the 2014 games in Sochi.
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Developing a System BY ANDREW WILLIAMS
Over the past several years, western Pennsylvania has seen a steady increase in participation and interest in youth hockey. Accordingly, the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s development system has improved and young athletes are taking their hockey careers to the next level. The increased participation, combined with an emphasis on exposure, is turning Pittsburgh into legitimate hub for hockey development. Much of the credit for the recent development comes from having multiple legitimate youth hockey organizations in the area: the Pittsburgh Interscholastic Hockey League (PIHL), the Pittsburgh Amateur Hockey League (PAHL) and the Tier One Elite Hockey League. The PIHL offers the opportunity for youth athletes to represent their schools while developing as hockey players. The culmination of the PIHL season is Marchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Penguins Cup. For local hockey players looking for competition outside of the interscholastic league, the PAHL offers different local opposition. Founded in 1961, the PAHL offers competitive youth amateur hockey for boys and girls from 4 to 18. The teams currently at the apex of youth amateur hockey in the area are the Pittsburgh Viper Stars and the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite (formerly the Pittsburgh Hornets). The Viper Stars play in the North American Prospects Hockey League (NAPHL), and the Penguins Elite play Tier One Elite. The NAPHL starts its fifth season in 2013-14. The league is comprised of Midget Minor (U16) and Major (U18)
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teams from across North America. Players can expect numerous opportunities for exposure to scouts for all levels of professional hockey. Last year, the Viper Stars traveled to Blaine, Minnesota, where they competed in the North American Hockey League Future Prospects Tournament. "For three days they played in front of scouts from all the hockey leagues," said Dave Kosick, head coach of the Viper Stars 18U AAA team. "NAHL (North American Hockey League), USHL (United States Hockey League), OHL (Ontario Hockey League), NHL and multiple NCAA Division 1 schools. It was a tremendous opportunity." An opportunity that, not long ago, was but a dream for Pittsburgh area youth hockey players. "Twenty years ago, young hockey players would have given an eye to be a part of the current youth system," said Kosick. "Talent has always been here, but until recently it mostly stayed local." Alongside the Viper Stars at the Tier 1 AAA level is the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite. The Pittsburgh Penguins teamed up with the Pittsburgh Hornets amateur hockey team and Dick's Sporting Goods to create the new team a year ago. They play in the Tier One Elite Hockey League, which features NHL-associated amateur teams such as the Philadelphia Junior Flyers and the DC Capitals. The program is made up of nine boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; teams and five girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; teams. As the Hornets, the team produced the majority of local hockey players who have achieved NHL success. Ryan Malone, RJ Umberger, Brandon Saad and
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22 PITTSBURGH SPORTS REPORT â&#x20AC;˘ AUGUST 2013
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JT Miller are all former Hornets. Western PA hockey hit the national stage with the recent success of Miller (Coraopolis), Riley Barber (Washington), John Gibson (Whitehall) and Vincent Trocheck (Upper St. Clair) while playing for the United States at the 2012 U20 World Championships. "If it was Detroit or Boston no one would notice," said Kosick, "but gazing over that roster and seeing four names from western PA is something notice.â&#x20AC;? Joe Hughes, publisher of The Junior Hockey News and owner of HockeyTalent Management scouting, notices. "The western PA market is on the upswing," said Hughes. "They are developing great young players and they have some exceptional coaches. The past five years have seen some great talents and there is no reason to believe there aren't a few behind them."
One disconnect found in local hockey is between the youth system and the local colleges. While Pittsburgh talent can be found on the rosters, little scouting is seen within the PAHL and PIHL. "There should be scouts from every local college at the Penguins Cup," said Kosick. "But coaches don't care if their players are from Pittsburgh or Saskatoon. Which is fine, but there needs to be some local involvement." The direction of the roller coaster of youth hockey in Pittsburgh remains to be seen. Whether this current wave of players is the peak is unknown. What is known is that whether participation continues to soar or begins to dwindle, a system is in place that will give young players great chances to succeed.
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