Crosby Cleared to Practice. When is He Back?

As I speculated yesterday and Rob Rossi is reporting this morning, Sidney Crosby has been cleared to begin practicing with the Penguins.* Crosby started skating March 14 and has been on the ice most days since then. He has remained concussion-symptom free during that time.

*(Update: It appears Crosby will participate in game-day skates first, before fully practicing. He has not been cleared for contact at this point. However, I would expect him to be cleared to practice almost immediately.)

Crosby is not on the ice with his teammates today as it was a scheduled off-day for him, but he will travel with the team to Florida where they will take on Tampa Thursday and Florida on Saturday. Crosby will not play in either game in Florida but will begin practicing. The Penguins will return home for their last home game and Fan Appreciation Night on Tuesday, April 5. I would guess there is an outside chance Sid returns for that game, but I don't think he will have had enough full practices for the doctors to clear him and for the organization to feel fully comfortable putting him back in the line-up. 

The next game is Friday night, April 8 against the Islanders and there is zero chance that he plays in that game because of the recent past history between the two teams. However, he will get three or four full practices in during that week. I am still targeting the last game of the year, Sunday April 10 at Atlanta at 3:00 pm or the first playoff game for Sid's return.**

(Update 2: GM Ray Shero has now said that he has no expectation of a return during the regular season.)

Obviously it would be beneficial if he saw live game action before the playoffs, but since they are going to start just two weeks from today, he may be better off getting in two weeks of practices and skating out to take the opening faceoff in Game 1. That would be a great sight.

Pitt's Ashton Gibbs Enters NBA Draft

It is being reported that Pitt's Ashton Gibbs has declared for the NBA draft but will not hire an agent, giving him the opportunity to return to school.

While this is not an irreversible decision, I have no idea why Gibbs or anyone else thinks this is a good idea. Gibbs is a smallish point guard who is a very good shooter, but is unable to consistently create his own shot at the college level, something very evident in the second half of Pitt's NCAA loss to Butler. He isn't big enough to play the 2 in the NBA and he isn't quick enough or strong enough to be an effective point guard at the next level. If Gibbs improves over the next year he has an outside chance at the NBA. If he stays in this year's draft I'm guessing he won't even be picked.

My Latest Thoughts on Sidney Crosby's Return

Sidney Crosby got back on the ice March 14, skating for the first time since missing the Penguins game at Montreal on January 6. Since that time Sid has increased the length and tempo of his workouts. Now all signs point to him being cleared to resume practice with the team within a week. Rob Rossi writes that teammates have marveled at his timing and skills in his individual on-ice workouts and it is clear that Sid is ready to get back at it.

The Penguins have gone 19-11-5 in Crosby's absence. That's remarkable since they have also had injuries to Evgeny Malkin (season-ending), Chris Kunitz, Brooks Orpik, Mark Letestu, Paul Martin and a host of other players during Crosby's absence. It is a testament to the work of general manager Ray Shero and coach Dan Bylsma. They have put together a roster and a system that has continued to thrive despite such key losses. Getting Sid and most of the others back as the playoffs begin will certainly make the Penguins one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup.

Now the question is how to proceed.

Some commentators/talking heads have questioned the sensibility of having Sid return at all this year. The argument goes, that by allowing Sid six more months to rehab and recover, it virtually guarantees a healthy return next season with no lingering effects from the concussion. While I won't dismiss this idea, I'm fully confident the Penguins organization and their medical staff understand the ramifications of the decisions they make. Between the team and Crosby himself I am certain they will not let him play unless his susceptibility to another concussion or head injury is no different than anyone else's on the ice. Hockey is a contact sport and there are no guarantees that Sid won't suffer another head injury or any other type of injury. The Penguins have had multiple players get injured in practice this year. It is part of the nature of the sport that injuries occur. But, if Crosby is at no greater risk than any other player, he should absolutely get back on the ice as soon as he is cleared. And it is obvious that is what he plans to do.

After tonight's game with the Flyers the Penguins will have five games remaining on the schedule. If Crosby needs two weeks of practice time with his teammates to be game ready, he won't be ready before the regular season comes to a close. However, if Crosby is cleared tomorrow the Penguins may very well target the season-finale against the Atlanta Thrashers on Sunday, April 10 as a return date. Getting some ice time against an opponent would certainly be helpful before entering the playoffs and there is no question the organization will not want him suiting up April 8 when the Penguins play the Islanders. The last game between those two set the NHL record for penalty minutes and saw multiple suspensions. There is still plenty of bad blood between the two teams and there is no way the Penguins will allow Crosby to be on the ice for that encounter.

Either way, it now appears that Sidney Crosby will be back for some part of the Penguins playoff run. On March 1 I suggested an April 15 return for the Captain. It looks like that may be the date of the Penguins second home playoff game. I guess I have to move my guess up a few days because I now think Sid will have his sweater on and will take the opening draw when the Penguins start the playoffs. That would certainly be a great sight.

UPDATE: Video of Crosby practicing this morning.

The Terrible Podcast - Episode 44

In Part 1 of Episode 44 of The Terrible Podcast we take a look at some of the college players the Steelers have lined up to visit with them at their facilities on the South Side before the draft. We then talk about KC Joyner's article on ESPN.com on Patrick Peterson and discuss whether Carolina might consider taking him with the #1 overall pick ahead of QBs Blaine Gabbert and Cam Newton. We also discuss some of the recent articles Dave has posted on SteelersDepot.com.

In Part 2 Verron Haynes is our guest. We talk about Ed Bouchette's recent article in the Post-Gazette on the heavy use of Rashard Mendenhall. Verron gives us his thoughts on that, the new special teams rules, labor negotiations and much more.

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Dixon on the Move? Other College Coaching Changes

I've heard that VCU coach Shaka Smart is the leading candidate to get the Tennessee job, but this article suggests that Jamie Dixon is high on the Vols wish list. I guess it's inevitable that Dixon's name is going to come up for every big job opening, but there is no doubt his agent works very hard to circulate his name for positions like this to increase his leverage at Pitt. Tennessee is a mess. Dixon isn't going there.

In other coaching moves Missouri coach Mike Anderson has left to take the Arkansas job. Anderson was once an assistant at Arkansas under Nolan Richardson. Expectations will be high as Anderson takes what will undoubtedly be his last job as a head coach.

I've heard that Richmond head coach Chris Mooney is the leading candidate for the Georgia Tech head job. That will be a tough blow for the Spiders, but might bring some luster back to a G Tech program that should do better in what is a relatively weak ACC after perennial powers Duke and UNC. Here is a good profile on Mooney that ran in the NY Times a few weeks back.

The Terrible Podcast - Episode 43 (3/22)

In Part 1, Episode 43 of The Terrible Podcast we take a look at the current state of the labor negotiations and discuss the "modern-day slavery" comments of running backs Adrian Peterson and Rashard Mendenhall. After that we start looking at the draft and discussing players who have or will be visiting the Steelers on the South Side and a list of players who really will be available when the Steelers pick at #31 and the potential the Steelers move down in the draft.

In Part 2 Dave Bryan interviews Steelers offseason signee Donovan Woods, a defensive back who attended Michigan two years ago, but went undrafted in last year's draft. Woods failed to make the Jets team as a free agent, but is now part of the Steelers roster. Dave discusses Woods' decision to leave school early and a host of other topics.

In Part 3 we take a look at three proposed rules changes being discussed by the NFL at the owners meeting in New Orleans and look at what Tomlin and Rooney said about each as well. We close by discussing the availability of Kevin Kolb and the draft status of Blaine Gabbert and Cam Newton--an on-going topic.

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Nails from the Toolbox: Knicks, Matt Cooke, Pearl and more...

*The Knicks blew a 14-point halftime lead at home and lost a bloody matchup to the Celtics last night. They are now 7-9 since the Melo deal and their overall record has fallen to .500 at 34-34. Because they are having a "winning" season and guaranteed to finally make the playoffs, James Dolan and MSG have decided to take this opportunity to raise season ticket prices for the 20011-12 season. By an average of 49 percent!


*My man Joe Posnanski is taking on the "most exciting professional project" of his life. It involves writing a book. I was surprised by the name of the person he will be writing about.


*The NHL finally brought the hammer down on a hit to the head. The culprit was multiple-time offender Matt Cooke of the Pittsburgh Penguins. The reaction around the league has been universally supportive of the strong suspension, which will cost Cooke $219K. Even from Cooke's own team. Here is GM Ray Shero's statement. Cooke will miss the final ten games of the regular season and the first round of the playoffs.

Cooke took responsibility for his actions and realizes he must change if he expects to stay in the league.


*The NFL's decision to possibly change rules on kickoffs to limit violent impacts would take away one of the most exciting and game-changing plays in the sport. Everyone realizes the League is trying to limit injuries, but while head shots aren't a necessary component of the game, this is a fundamental and seemingly unnecessary change. Bill Belichick threw his two cents into the discussion.


*As I called for here in October and here in February and then predicted here last week, Bruce Pearl and his staff have been fired by Tennessee. I joked that the Vols 30 point loss to Michigan in the first round of the NCAA tournament gave the University cause. Well it turns out from athletic director Mike Hamilton's statement released last night that there was an additional, unnamed violation(s) committed in March 2011. I figured Tennessee had to wait until the NCAAs hearing in early June, but clearly this latest violation sealed the deal. Pearl is never going to be a head college coach again.

Here is a good take on how things changed over time between Pearl and the Chancellor and the AD and why things may have culminated yesterday. Here is Pearl's Facebook page where he spoke of how sad he was. An outpouring of support from the UT faithful and a lot of sniping from other school's fans, as you might expect.


*There is an undefeated tennis player in men's tennis this year. He ran his record to 18-0 on Sunday. I'm guessing you'll be surprised who it is.


*Opening statements in the Barry Bonds perjury trial are expected today after the jury was seated yesterday. While I'm sure many people still have strong opinions about Bonds, I can't believe anyone cares about this trial. If you do, here are some thoughts on the strategies of both sides.

Deja Lose for Pitt. This is on Jamie Dixon

Flash Back: March 21, 2010 Jordan Crawford and sixth-seeded Xavier knock third-seeded Pitt out of the NCAA west regional in round two 71-68. Crawford's line in his 36 minutes:

27 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist. He goes 9-15 from the field and 5-5 from the foul line. He finishes 4-7 on 3pt. attempts. As a team Xavier shoots 24-50 from the field, 48% and 8-16 on 3pt. attempts.

Replay: March 19, 2011 Shelvin Mack and eighth-seeded Butler knock top-seeded Pitt out of the NCAA southeast regional in round two 71-70. Mack's line in his 38 minutes:

30 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists. He goes 10-16 from the field and 3-4 from the foul line. He finishes 7-12 on 3pt. attempts. As a team Butler shoots 24-52 from the field, 46.2% and 12-27 on 3pt. attempts.

Pitt loses in the second round for the second consecutive year. Virtually identical game scores and line scores for the winning teams' high-scoring guards. Throw in UConn and Kemba Walker beating Pitt at the buzzer in the first round of the Big East tournament and it starts to look more like a trend than a coincidence.

Sure players win and lose games, but coaches prepare those players to perform in games and implement schemes to take advantage of their own team's strengths and exploit the other team's weaknesses. Pitt hasn't done this well enough. In fact, I would say Dixon has failed on the defensive end.

While the Panthers unquestionably play hard, they have proven time and again to be ill-prepared to play quick, good-shooting guards. In December Tennessee guard Scotty Hopson scorched them for 27 on 10-13 shooting as the Vols easily beat the Panthers in Pittsburgh. In January Ben Hansbrough of Notre Dame continually beat Pitt by dribbling off a series of screens to get to the basket as he went for 19 on 8-14 shooting. He also added 7 assists. St. John's Dwight Hardy also went for 19, beating Pitt at the buzzer with a one-on-one move on the baseline. And Walker of UConn caught Gary McGhee of Pitt in an ill-advised switch on a high screen to get an open look at the buzzer as he scored 24 in UConn's Big East tournament win.

The problem? Jamie Dixon's reliance on his man-to-man, no-help defense. While Pitt rarely loses to inferior opponents, we have now seen repeated occasions where well-coached teams know how to get at the Panthers. Pitt's athleticism is its biggest strength, but also the problem. Dixon's defense relies on guys to make good decisions when switching on screens and to recover quickly. Very rarely do the Panthers help out and when they do it is never on the outside. (Ironically it was McGhee leaving his man with 2 seconds left that gave Butler an uncontested lay in and the lead.) But it is a reliance on this singular system that continues to be Pitt's downfall.

Pitt almost never plays zone and because they play it so infrequently early in the season they are ill-prepared to rely on it in crunch time late in the season. While Dixon did go to a zone with some success against UConn in the Big East tournament, he didn't do it until late in the game and then on only two occasions. Similarly, he didn't use it against Butler until late as Mack continued to get open looks against the Panthers man defense.

Pitt's defense seems helpless when it comes to denying a potent scorer the ball or getting it out of his hands when he has possession. In virtually every loss this season, there was one clear guy on whom the other team was going to rely. Yet Pitt rarely plays ball denial and never double-teams opponents and they continue to get beaten as a result.

Pitt shouldn't lose to Xavier and they shouldn't lose to Butler. Those two teams aren't bad teams, but they aren't nearly as talented as Pitt. The defensive game plan shouldn't be hard. Here is the one guy on the other team who can beat us. Let's come into the game and focus on not letting that happen. If we need to adjust, we will, but that is our focus.

For Dixon it seems to be out of focus. His inability to develop a scheme to slow down high-scoring guards has to be cause for concern. No question Pitt players did a bunch of things wrong over the course of the game that can be pointed to as reasons for their loss. But after last year's loss to Xavier, seeing it happen five more times over the course of the season, and then watching a Xerox of the Xavier game Saturday night, there is no doubt this one is on the coach in my book.

Ron Lippock Interviews Me for Pittsburgh Sports Business Daily

David Todd Interview (March 16,  2011):


Where can fans find you on the air and online?

The main place is my blog www.thehammerspeaks.blogspot.com. I also contribute to SteelersDepot.com, SB Nation Pittsburgh and BucsDugout.com, all great sites with which I'm pleased to be associated. I have a few other things in the works  and that information will be published on my blog.

I do some radio work for ESPN 970 and we are currently working out my role going forward, so stay tuned for that.

And of course I co-host The Terrible Podcast which can be found on iTunes or my website with Dave Bryan of Steelers Depot. We do three 30-40 minute podcasts a week during the season and around the draft and two a week the rest of the year. People can't seem to get enough of Steelers football talk.

Readers can follow me on twitter @hammerspeaks.

Give us a short history of how your blog got started and what we can expect to see over the next few weeks?

Well the blog got "started" many times over the past couple of years, but about a year ago I committed to it more fully. As for what to except coming up, I have a piece on Sidney Crosby that I really like that I was going to publish just before he got injured. Now that he is back skating I plan on running it soon, probably around the time he actually starts practicing.
 
Baseball will be a big focus as we approach opening day and I'll have various articles on the NHL and NBA as we get closer to the playoffs. And, of course the NFL draft is always good for some material.

Tell us about the draft as it pertains to the Steelers' needs and schemes - is there depth and quality in this draft in this team's areas of need?

I have been strongly advocating the Steelers spend two of their early round picks on corners. In the NFL corners are more important than ever and the Steelers are lacking in quality and depth. There are two elite corners in this draft, but they will be off the board when the Steelers choose at #31. 

It is also likely that the top four offensive tackles and Maurkice Pouncey's brother Mike, the top interior lineman, will all be off the board when the Steelers make their pick. So, that will make for an interesting decision in round 1. There is good depth at corner it just becomes a question of whether the Steelers see value in a guy like Jimmy Smith of Colorado who may be the third best corner but has been red-flagged with some off the field issues.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Steelers moved up or down in round 1. I could see them targeting one guy and trading their first and second round picks to move up ten spots and grab him. At the same time, with the depth at corner and OL in this draft, they might also move back 10 spots in order to fill two needs, while still getting someone they really like.

As always it is a pretty inexact science guessing this early in the process, but it's also a lot of fun and something people love to read and speculate about. It's clear the Steelers needs are CB/DB, OL and DL, and they will always draft a LB or two because of the system they play and special team needs. 

If you want a complete off-the-wall, blue sky pick for round 1 it would be Leonard Hankerson WR, University of Miami. WR is not an urgent need for the Steelers, but with Hines Ward possibly in his last year, Hankerson at 6'3" 205 with great speed and the third best WR in this draft, could be the best player available when the Steelers pick. It would be a name to think about. I love the guy.

Give us the names of some players fans should watch out for as possible Steelers targets - in round one and further down the draft as well.

In round 1 I would look for CBs Jimmy Smith and Brandon Harris of Miami as two possibilities. OT Anthony Castonzo out of BC would be a steal at 31. He could go in the top 15. The second best interior lineman and second best DT are both out of Baylor, Danny Watkins and Phil Taylor, and are two other names that are possibilities.

Picking names at this point further down the draft would just be throwing darts but two corners I like a little off the radar are Johnny Patrick of Louisville and Davon House of New Mexico St. and an inside linebacker to watch is Kelvin Sheppard of LSU.

And just for the record I think Von Miller, the OLB from Texas A&M, will be the best player out of this draft.

What are your thoughts on this offense - what does it need to do to become more consistent next season? Is Arians capable in your opinion of achieving this?

The Steelers got to the Super Bowl, so let's keep that in mind when evaluating players and staff. Arians is fine. It's easy to attack the OC on any football team. While I don't always agree with his decision-making, I found myself much more in-line with his thinking this year than I did last year, particularly in that loss to Cleveland last year.

In terms of consistency, I actually thought Ben had a good year, but was surprisingly erratic with his throwing toward the end of the season. Working with the three young receivers from the beginning of camp, whenever that may be, and having some members of the OL back should help. 

Also, I think Rashard also has more room to develop. At times he's was tentative hitting the whole, but less so toward the end of the year. Those will be the two things I am watching most closely.

Which younger players that have had little or no contribution this season do you think will step up and contribute much more in 2011?

From a fans perspective let's hope it's last year's fifth-round pick Crezdon Butler. With Ike Taylor and William Gay having uncertain contract situations and Keenan Lewis now a big question mark the Steelers are desperate for help at corner. 

Stevenson Sylvester is another guy who I think has a big future at the inside linebacker position. He showed great instincts and while he may still be a year away, I think he is the heir-apparent when Farrior leaves. 

The off-the-board choice is Limas Sweed. He'll be back in camp after missing last year. He has size and speed, but clearly was an immature guy coming out of college and more importantly did not show he could consistently catch the ball. In his third year he'll be battling for his professional life in camp.

The guy who I expect to really contribute who did have a role this year is Manny Sanders. I can see him making a Mike Wallace-type leap this coming year.

Coach LeBeau signed a one-year contract. What's the succession plan there? Is Coach Butler the future defensive coordinator?

Yes, I think that is pretty clear. Whether it's one year or three would only be speculation on my part.  


Is Omar Kahn the team's secret weapon? It seems like this team is able to retain talent in ways few teams have been able to do.

Omar Kahn is not more important than Mike Tomlin or Kevin Colbert, but he's damn close. He has done a fantastic job and the Steelers are lucky to have him.  


What do you say to those fans that criticize the fact that the Steelers are not aggressive enough in free agency?

Fans are welcome to say whatever they want, they essentially pay the bills, but I think the Steelers track record speaks for itself. It is hard to find much fault with the way they do business.

What are your thoughts on the job Coach Tomlin did in keeping this team together? Any thoughts on him getting no votes for Coach of the Year despite a stellar coaching performance?

I was pretty outspoken on the Coach of the Year debate and probably not in the way most Steelers fans would assume. I found the outrage that Tomlin got no votes laughable. First of all, each voter only has one vote, not a list of three or five. So, for Tomlin to get a vote he has to be in first place on someone's ballot. And remember, the ballot was at the end of the regular season, not the playoffs. There isn't an argument that holds for Tomlin. Some said look at all the injuries. Steelers fans are often blind to other teams problems. Green Bay, among others, had many more injuries than the Steelers. Others said the 12 wins. Well, New England had 14 and they weren't expected to have that kind of season, especially with the youth they had on defense. Tampa and Kansas City also far exceeded expectations.

I had the Steelers with 11 wins and in the Super Bowl in my preseason predictions. I expected them to be a very good team. Tomlin is a great coach and did do a great job, but he wouldn't have been in the top 3 in my ballot. And, by the way, Mike Tomlin could care less. This is all for the media and the fans. But let me be very clear, I do think Mike Tomlin is one of the best coaches in the game and the Steelers management deserves all the credit in the world for seeing that five years ago and hiring the guy.

Where do you see this team's greatest potential area of improvement going into next season? How do they accomplish this?

Pass defense is the biggest area of weakness. While Troy was the team MVP and Defensive Player of the Year he had some bad games and was not particularly effective in the playoffs. With the lack of depth at corner the team needed a potent pass rush to keep other team's passing games under control. However, some of the better QBs like Brady, Brees and Rodgers were able to get the ball into open windows underneath and up the seams before the rush could get there.
 
If the Steelers are going to continue with that scheme--and there is no reason they shouldn't--then they need better cover corners who can run. They commit to stopping the run, so the corners need to be able to cover crossing routes and the like and tackle effectively.

I also expect the OL to improve as Pouncey gains experience and the team gets healthier at the position. And, as mentioned, I expect Manny Sanders to have the biggest impact as an improved individual. 


Any last thoughts for readers?

Feel free to email me hammerspeaks@gmail.com or twitter me with blog article suggestions or ideas. Thanks for having me Ron.  

Nails from the Toolbox: Grant Hill, Bruce Pearl, Sidney Crosby and more

*On Sunday night ESPN aired a documentary on the Fab Five. In it, Jalen Rose rips Grant Hill and Duke. Here is Hill's response yesterday in the New York Times. If you don't read anything else today, read this.

*It came across the wires that, according to Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton, "the jury is out on what's going to happen" with head basketball coach Bruce Pearl. I've written about Pearl's situation before. Tennessee can't fire him with cause until the NCAA completes its investigation. That will probably take place this summer. With this statement it's now clear that Pearl is done within the week of that finding. Hamilton was his lifeline and if he is now saying this, Pearl's got no shot. It's too bad because Pearl does seem like one of the good guys, but wow did he make a huge and unforgivable mistake. Watch Tennessee play Michigan Friday. It will probably be Pearl's last game as a head coach. Ever.

*It isn't going to happen but the The NFL Players Association should put a gag order on its players. Adrian Peterson calling the players' situation modern-day slavery and Ryan Clark ripping the Rooneys for their nepotism aren't helping in the court of public opinion. Drew Brees has stayed on point and been an excellent spokesman for the players. Everyone else should shut up.

*Sidney Crosby got on the ice today for the third time in four days. He hasn't practiced yet and there is no guarantee that he'll make it back this season, but I think mid-April seems like a reasonable target date if he doesn't have any setbacks. The Penguins have become so good defensively that if Sid returns they again have to be considered one of the favorites to win the Cup even with Evgeni Malkin shelved for the year.

The Terrible Podcast - Episode 42, The Lockout Begins

In Part 1 of Episode 42 of The Terrible Podcast we get into the nuts and bolts of the lockout. As expected the players union decertified on Friday and the owners proceeded with the lockout. The Federal anti-trust lawsuit will be heard April 6 in Minneapolis. We fill you on all you need to know about how things could play out. We also discuss the NFLPA's efforts to keep this year's top picks from attending the draft and our thoughts on the 18 game schedule, the rookies wage scale and each team's inability to sign undrafted free agents after the draft.

In Part 2 we look at the Steelers new DB's coach, the decision of LaMarr Woodley to sign his tender and we close with 20 minutes of hardcore draft analysis. Listen in to hear about what the Steelers might do and who they are and should target.

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The Terrible Podcast - Episode 41 Interiew with Leon Hughes

In Episode 41 of The Terrible Podcast we open up by looking at the Steelers' move to place a first round restricted tender on tackle Willie Colon and its ramifications. We also discuss Adam Schefter's news concerning tackle Flozell Adams, Ziggy Hood's surgery and Hines Ward's appearance on Dancing With the Stars. We follow up the Steelers news with a discussion of the Jets big cuts, Clinton Portis being let go and other NFL moves. We close Part 1 with a look at the CBA and get Dave's take on the combine.

In Part 2 we have a great interview with Leon Hughes of Football National Scouting. Leon tells us how he got in the business and then we get into the combine and the draft. It's a great 20 minute conversation packed with information on prospects and a discussion of guys the Steelers might be interested in.

Thanks for listening.

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