First Call: Would Steelers trade Artie Burns?; Eddie Olczyk takes a jab at Pirates
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In Thursday’s “First Call,” the “Trump Ump” has local ties. Artie Burns is a potential trade target. And even Eddie Olczyk takes a jab at the Pirates during a hockey broadcast.
Why bother?
NFL.com has a list of trade ideas for each team before the deadline hits on Oct. 29.
The idea for the Steelers is to sell Artie Burns to a cornerback-hungry team in exchange for a sixth-round pick.
Ok. Maybe. But I wouldn’t.
For as much as Burns has been a bust as a first-round draft choice, he’s better caliber than a sixth-round pick.
If I’m general manager Kevin Colbert, I hold onto Burns because he’s been slightly better in a more limited role this year. Also, he can play special teams, and he’s not going to kill you at cornerback any worse for the rest of this season than someone else of the same reputation.
What if Joe Haden, Steven Nelson, Mike Hilton and Cameron Sutton all got hurt in front of him? I’d still take Burns over a street free agent or another untested rookie.
I never saw this coming
Here’s a runaway winner for “Most Obvious Headline of the Year.”
Yankees Reportedly Expected To Pursue Gerrit Cole https://t.co/IYW4NbQjAh pic.twitter.com/Kz3sARqVs3
— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) October 23, 2019
Really. No kiddin’? The Yankees are going to be in the bidding for the likely American League Cy Young Award winner once he hits the open market?
I’m shocked!
Here’s a headline for a story I’ll be writing for TribLive: “Pirates Unlikely to Reacquire Cole in Free Agency.”
Too bold?
The Russian judges give it an 8
Superstar United States Olympian gymnast Simone Biles threw out the first pitch before Game 2 of the World Series.
What can't she do?! ?♀️️
Simone Biles with the twisting backflip AND a pitch down the middle. pic.twitter.com/9yOSkfOWyE
— Sporting News (@sportingnews) October 24, 2019
OK. But why not do that while throwing the ball? Then I’d be really impressed.
Also, what’s her xFIP?
From the top rope!
Everybody is piling on the Pittsburgh Pirates these days. And why not?
If you lose 93 games, that’s going to happen. But this one probably hit close to home.
During NBC’s Penguins broadcast Wednesday night, play-by-play man Mike “Doc” Emrick took a good-natured swipe at color commentator Ed Olczyk’s 3-3 Chicago Bears.
Olczyk, a former Penguins coach, couldn’t help but respond by jabbing back at Doc’s beloved Buccos.
EDZO! With a heavy slash on the Buccos!? pic.twitter.com/iW3r4uAWBh
— Tim Benz (@TimBenzPGH) October 24, 2019
That hurts, Edzo. That hurts.
Trump Ump
It turns out that the “Trump Ump” has local ties.
MLB umpire Rob Drake made national news when he tweeted “I will be buying an AR-15 tomorrow, because if you impeach MY PRESIDENT this way, YOU WILL HAVE ANOTHER CIVAL WAR!!! #MAGA2020”
Well, be proud, Indiana, Pa. Because the “CIVAL WAR” guy is from your town. He was born there in 1969.
I don’t take his AR-15 threat seriously, though. Because if he can’t spell “Civil War” right, then I expect that he won’t be smart enough to load it.