U mad, bro?: Pirates fans already turn sour from May slump; Penguins fans grumble about missing playoffs

The honeymoon appears to be over for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

And for Penguins coach Mike Sullivan.

And for football owner Antonio Brown.

Pittsburgh sports fans chime in on all those topics and more in this week’s “U mad, bro?”

We begin with “Frogger33” on Twitter. I was on WPXI’s “The Final Word” on Sunday. We always ask the audience to tweet us five words on a specific weekly topic during the first segment of the show.

Last weekend’s topic was “your biggest concern about the Pirates.”

they cant hit the fricking ball

— Frogger33 (@jason85765761) May 7, 2023

Well, Frogger, that’s certainly true.

It’s also six words. But, nonetheless, an accurate statement.

This person on Twitter is responding to some of the commentary about Penguins coach Mike Sullivan in last week’s “U mad, bro?”

Not enough heat on Sullivan.

— xoundmind (@xoundmind) May 4, 2023

Of course, there isn’t. He won two Stanley Cups here early in his career. It’s a lot easier and convenient to just blame Mikael Granlund.

For everything. Especially now that Ron Hextall is gone too.

“Don’t you know Mike Sullivan has never had a losing season??!!”

Oh, wait. He kinda just did, didn’t he?

More sports

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• Former 5-star QB Hunter Johnson among reported tryouts at Steelers rookie minicamp

Here’s an email from Joe who doesn’t like how discipline is handed out by the NHL when it comes to dirty hits.

“I’ve often thought that in hockey, the suspension should be the same amount of games that the injured player misses. … And the suspension carries over to the next season if it happens in a game or series loss. If it’s a career ending injury, the perp can begin his life’s work selling used cars or go play in Russia. Like the Lemieux broken hand (in 1992) and the Crosby knock out last season, the suspensions were way too lenient for the perpetrator.”

Here’s the problem with that line of thinking, Joe. Let’s say the Penguins make the playoffs next season. (Nutty, I know. But play along).

Now let’s say Evgeni Malkin takes out a fourth-line player for the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1 of the first-round with a borderline hit.

If your idea was in place, don’t you think the Hurricanes may avoid clearing that player for the rest of the series so Malkin would have to sit out the duration?

Do you think that maybe the Hurricanes might suggest that their fringe fourth-liner’s concussion-like symptoms “haven’t quite cleared up,” so that Malkin can’t play?

And then magically for Game 1 of the next series after the Penguins are eliminated, he’s healthy again and out of the protocol?

It’d be like a six-game version of a lesser player baiting a better player into the penalty box for matching minors. And if you don’t think every team would consider doing that, you’re kidding yourself.

Let’s put the skate on the other foot. Like, what if Alexander Ovechkin did that to Mikael Granlund in Game 1 of a best-of-seven series?

Wait. See?! Taking pot shots at Granlund for everything is so infectious, even I’m doing it now!

This guy seems to think I was being too hard on Antonio Brown’s ownership mishaps with his new Arena League Football team.

Including accusations of failing to pay the players on time.

A.B. is no more a criminal than most owners of sports franchises.

— MOJO (@mjro1105) May 5, 2023

Um, based on some of the things Brown has been sued over, charged with, and arrested for over the years, I’m really not so sure you can make that claim.

Also, I don’t recall any of the Dallas Cowboys or New York Yankees ever missing paychecks, or being locked out of their team hotel.

Let’s wrap up with Ben. He also chimed in on that Pirates topic from “The Final Word.” He seems to have successfully figured out the highly complicated “Five Words” instructions.

Besides pitching and hitting? Nothing.

— Ben Harris (@MrHarris804) May 7, 2023

Precisely.

Now, if this had been Frogger, he probably would’ve added “and fielding” to make it seven words.