Mark Madden Columns category, Page 31

Norm Macdonald loved sports. He hosted the short-lived “Sports Show with Norm Macdonald” on Comedy Central in 2011. He often live-tweeted golf tournaments. The Canadian-born Macdonald was a hockey and Montreal Canadiens fan. Macdonald gambled: “Never bet football ‘cause the ball ain’t round.” He went broke twice. Macdonald’s viewpoint toward...

If the Steelers are to have a blueprint for success in 2021, Sunday’s upset victory at Buffalo might come close to what’s needed. The defense won the game. T.J. Watt spurred the defense to win the game. Within the admittedly narrow microcosm of Week 1, the superstar outside linebacker delivered...

Now that T.J. Watt has signed his record-breaking contract, expectations for him must rise. Watt got star quarterback money. He has got to do star quarterback things. The Pittsburgh Steelers’ record and finish is undeniably tied to Watt just as much as it is Ben Roethlisberger, perhaps more so. If...

It’s so much more fun to talk about the Pirates as they used to be. I went to Wednesday’s game against Detroit. (I had Club Cambria tickets. I always go first-class.) The announced attendance was 8,382. But I’d bet there weren’t more than 2,000 people in the stands. There were...

It’s difficult to be optimistic about the Steelers. A decent training camp provided a slight nudge in that direction. But T.J. Watt didn’t start practicing till Wednesday. Stephon Tuitt is injured/grieving/out of shape and could miss half the season, maybe more. Zach Banner is hurt — he is always hurt...

As the Pirates’ season mercifully winds down, one wonders: What is their most embarrassing moment from an embarrassing 2021 season? The cumulative is actually more embarrassing than anything. The Pirates are on pace to lose 106 games. They have lost six in a row and eight of nine. They are...

Why hasn’t T.J. Watt signed yet? We keep getting told a contract extension is imminent. But the definition of “imminent” cites a time frame that is momentary, not several weeks. Are the Pittsburgh Steelers flinching on giving Watt the guaranteed money he wants, reportedly in the neighborhood of $100 million?...

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick says he didn’t cut quarterback Cam Newton because Newton declined to get a covid vaccination. But absolutely, he did. Belichick just wasn’t dumb enough to say it out loud like Jacksonville Jaguars coach Urban Meyer. Belichick doesn’t necessarily appear to be pro- or anti-vaccine,...

America is in the age of gravitating to the stupid. Less than two weeks before the PittsburghSteelers season begins, JuJu Smith-Schuster was filmed doing the milk crate challenge. You stack milk crates, then climb and walk the length of them. The goal is to not go splat, but many do....

Viva Las Vegas and viva refreshing sports notes! Bet over your head, not with it. • The Steelers will beat host Buffalo in the opener. The constant covid debate surrounding the Bills has them disheveled. The Steelers are all football. Steelers win. You heard it here. • Shouldn’t T.J. Watt...

I had planned to bet $5,000 on the Steelers to have less than 8½ wins (-134). But the Steelers raised doubt by having a good preseason. But their schedule is daunting. Perhaps I should bet on the Steelers to have less than 9½ wins (-230). That seems like a lock,...

Gregory Polanco got waived by the Pirates one day, then started for them the next. That is so Polanco and so Pirates. The Pirates should alternate Polanco and some other bum like Anthony Alford in right field. (Alford got waived by the Pirates in April but stayed with the organization.)...

The New York Rangers are going to retire goaltender Henrik Lundqvist’s No. 30. Lundqvist played 15 seasons. He never won a Stanley Cup. He played in just one Stanley Cup Final. He won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goaltender once. If Lundqvist had played for Buffalo, he’d be...

I had the Steelers pegged at 7-10 before training camp started. But within the limited context of a preseason exclusively featuring games against bad NFC teams, the Steelers are providing cause for limited optimism. Like 9-8 tops. Don’t go overboard. But to merit ascension to borderline playoff contention, the Steelers...

As baseball Hall-of-Famer Satchel Paige once said, “Don’t look back. Something might be gaining on you.” Roman Reigns, WWE’s top dog, said something that suggests he’s looking back: “CM Punk was not as good or as (popular) as John Cena…(he) didn’t move the needle like The Rock.” Punk, 42, left...

Jacksonville may not start rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence right away, mostly because the Jaguars’ suspect offensive line would put this year’s first overall draft pick at too much risk. Cincinnati would have done well to follow that path with last year’s No. 1 pick, Joe Burrow. As a rookie, Burrow...

Sports media rule No. 1: When in doubt, write or talk about the quarterback(s). Dwayne Haskins is third-string, but Stephen A. Smith and Max Kellerman argued about him on ESPN. That rule especially applies to refreshing sports notes: The QB is the leadoff hitter. • Mason Rudolph is going to...

The NFL plans to crack down on taunting. Only 10 flags were thrown for taunting last season. It was the league’s least-penalized infraction. It would be better if the NFL kept T.J. Watt from being held on every snap. Perhaps Watt circumvents that by refusing to play. Taunting has defenders,...

What is the big story of Steelers training camp? We’re told it’s not T.J. Watt refusing to be a full participant in practice while his contract extension gets settled (if it does). He’s their best defensive player, but…nothing to see here. We’re told it’s not Kevin Dotson being dropped to...

With Mike Lange, you could watch a hockey game on radio. Sounds dumb, but it’s true. Lange brought the action to life. He conveyed the electricity, the build. Lange didn’t just call the goal. He subtly told you the goal was imminent. He had a sixth sense. That sense didn’t...

The Pittsburgh Steelers confirmed T.J. Watt is refusing to fully practice until he signs a long-term contract extension. That’s not a problem. But it won’t get Watt named Employee of the Month. Watt already is contracted for the 2021 season and is obligated to practice as per that agreement. But...

The NHL often reveals exactly what the league wants hockey to be. The New York Rangers have beef with Washington and uber-thug Tom Wilson. On May 3, Wilson manhandled a few Rangers, including superstar winger Artemi Panarin. Panarin missed the season’s last four games with a lower-body injury after being...

The backup quarterback is the most popular guy in town — until he plays. But, even then, the backup can sometimes fool the fans. Consider Devlin “Duck” Hodges. You can’t spell “quarterback” without “quack.” In 2019, Hodges may have been the worst quarterback to ever start in the NFL. But...

College football is beyond screwed up and not worth paying attention to unless you’re a fan of one of the chosen few and can look past being on the grifter’s end of a con game. So it’s a lot like following MLB. College football’s latest carny move is the SEC’s...

Sports have become driven by stats and analytics. That’s understandable. See, Joe, the numbers don’t lie, and they spell disaster for you at Sacrifice. But the eye test should never be taken totally out of the equation. Take Lynn Swann, for example. The Steelers wide receiver played only nine seasons:...