Mike Prisuta’s Sports Section
A weekly look at the games people are playing and the people who are playing them.
From Madness to Desperation, if That’s What it Takes
In coping with the loss of March Madness, sports columnist Mike Prisuta has tried just about everything to recreate what can't be replicated.
From March Madness to March Sadness
It’s easy to understand and accept why our games have suddenly gone away. It’s what to do without them that’s perplexing and depressing if not distressing.
March Madness is not for the Faint of Heart
Robert Morris’ last-second survival in the Northeast Conference semifinals re-introduced tournament basketball with all the mayhem and euphoria we’ve come to anticipate at this point of a season.
Rutherford’s Latest Trades Position Penguins to Play Their Game
The Pens needed more depth to solidify their status as Stanley Cup contenders. With limited resources, General Manager Jim Rutherford had to get creative — and he may have solved two problems by addressing one.
A Hockey Upset More Monumental than Miraculous
The 40th anniversary of one of America’s all-time Olympic feel-good stories is worthy of remembering and celebrating every February, and always will be. Even if the story wasn’t told quite the way it should have been initially.
Penguins Latest Trade is a Shot Worth Taking
High-profile trades for well-established players like Jason Zucker include an element of unpredictability, but this was still a deal the Penguins had to make.
Presidential Decree: Steelers ‘Pretty Comfortable’ at QB
Steelers president Art Rooney II gives every indication the team doesn’t feel the need to secure more insurance at quarterback in the event what happened to Ben Roethlisberger happens again.
Who will Win? Mike Prisuta's Super Bowl Pick
Prisuta compares his pick for the winning quarterback to a rock and roll legend.
For the Pittsburgh Penguins: Seeing is Believing
What Mike Sullivan’s bunch has demonstrated thus far isn’t definitive, but it’s been revealing.
From Crafton to Canton: Bill Cowher’s Eye-of-the-Beholder Journey
The former hometown hero and Super Bowl-winning head coach isn’t immune to criticism. But the fruits of his labor still resonate, and his passion and presence on the sideline remain unforgettable.
What Steelers Will Need to Do to Return to the Playoffs
A healthy Ben Roethlisberger will certainly help, but the team will need more than that.
Steelers’ Dilemma: It’s Showtime for the Defense
No matter who’s playing running back, wide receiver or QB, to make it to the playoffs the Steelers are going to need even more from their defense, not just more of the same.
Edmund Brothers Raised on Faith, Family and Football
In an NFL rarity, brothers Trey, Terrell and Tremaine Edmunds are poised to celebrate Sunday Night Football in Pittsburgh by all appearing in the Steelers-Bills showdown.
Fitzgerald is the Anti-Antonio Brown - Always Has Been
Even without a Heisman Trophy or a Super Bowl ring, Steelers fans should appreciate all the Cardinals wide receiver has done and stood for since arriving at Pitt.
Pirates New Faces Facing the Same, Old Dilemma
New General Manager Ben Cherington likes what he sees in Pittsburgh and thinks he can make a difference. But nobody in the new-look Buccos' front office is talking about increasing the payroll. And in Pittsburgh, it’ll always come back to that until it doesn’t.
Keeping up with the Basketball Joneses in Pittsburgh
Pitt has its refurbished house in order, RMU has a spectacular new home and Duquesne is working on one. That should get the local programs back in the game of NCAA Tournament contenders and participants.
Was Beating the Colts Luck or Beginning of a Steelers' Turnaround?
Will the Steelers be able to parlay their good fortune against Indianapolis into contending status in the second half of the season? That’s still a reach based on what we’ve already seen.
Which Evgeni Malkin will Return to the Penguins?
After a bad season last season, the Russian superstar vowed to be better this season. But the Penguins have been a better team in the early going, even with Malkin unavailable due to injury. Once he returns, will he get with the program or rock the boat?
At RMU, Best Man for the Job is a Woman
Robert Morris goes where no NCAA school has gone before by adding Brianne McLaughlin-Bittle to the men’s hockey staff.
Despite Challenges, Steelers Keeping the Faith with JuJu
Wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, like most Steelers, isn’t having the best of seasons. But he isn’t letting circumstances or his devastating fumble against the Ravens defeat him.
Duck's Calling a Reminder that Dreams Can and Do Come True
Steelers quarterback Devlin Hodges is one of three athletes with Pittsburgh connections whose backstories might not survive the believability meter had they been written into a Hollywood script.
Pirates have a Major Hurdle to Overcome
Clint Hurdle's successor better be a lot like the guy he's replacing in terms of refusing to give in to ownership’s self-imposed shortcomings.
Steve Blass' Legacy: Under-Appreciated and Unforgettable
The broadcaster who is retiring on Sunday seemingly never got his proper due for what he did as a pitcher. But what he did on the mound for the Pirates in 1971 is on the short list of the best Pittsburgh has ever seen in any sport.
Steelers All-in on Minkah, but at What Cost?
Their trade for a top-end safety in the wake of losing quarterback Ben Roethlisberger may not be enough to salvage their season. And if it isn’t, it’s a trade the Steelers might ultimately regret, no matter how well Minkah Fitzpatrick pans out.
Steelers React to Loss of Roethlisberger for the Season
The next man up at quarterback is Mason Rudolph, who will be bringing two quarters of NFL experience and a conviction to “step up to the plate” with him to San Francisco this Sunday.
Pitt, Penn State Ready to Turn Out the Lights on a Rivalry
A historic series that’s lost its steam is seemingly poised to run its course. That’s bad for Pitt, bad for Penn State, bad for Pennsylvania and bad for college football.
Steelers’ All-for-One Approach in the Eye of the Beholder
JuJu Smith-Schuster and the wide receivers insist they’re more about the team than themselves, and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger suspects they’re sincere. But head coach Mike Tomlin will need to be convinced in the regular season.
What the Steelers lost and gained while bracing for the Patriots
Training camp and the preseason were many things for the Steelers. They’ve emerged with a confidence and an identity that’s about to be tested, beginning with the regular-season opener on Sept. 8 in New England against the Patriots.
Pirates’ Epitaph: July 2019 – The Bucs Stopped Here
Clint Hurdle’s team was respectable, and in a contending position at the All-Star break. Then the bottom fell out, and the Pirates have looked like Little Leaguers ever since. All that remains now is to see how far they can actually sink.
Coach Mike Tomlin Confronts Sorrow from the Heart
The Steelers’ head coach dug deep while leading his team through its grief over the loss of beloved assistant coach Darryl Drake. The words were hard to find but Tomlin found them while revealing a side of himself the fans and media don’t always see.
Steelers Rookie Getting His Ducks in a Row
Off-the-radar, out-of-nowhere quarterback candidate Devlin Hodges is making a name for himself at Saint Vincent College. Can the NFL really be his true calling?
Next Man Up: JuJu is Looking like He’s Up to the Task
In the wake of a disappointing season and a tumultuous offseason, the Steelers have a new look, a new attitude and a new approach. Wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster has been personifying all three while turning Saint Vincent College into his personal playground.
How Steelers Arrive at Camp Means Nothing Beyond Today
Grand entrances or relatively quiet arrivals at Saint Vincent College mean little to the Steelers. Their best hope at redemption initially involves working on the details of their game, a few of which ought be ironed out rather easily in the event the players are dedicated to such tasks at training camp.
Pirates’ Possibilities Include Contention in Surprising Season’s Second Half
It hasn’t gone according to the original script, but the Pirates have found a way to stay relevant — and may yet be capable of finishing what they started.
Pens’ Conundrum: The Coach and the Culture
Try as he might, General Manager Jim Rutherford has so far been unable to change the makeup of his team as intended. It may, thus, ultimately fall on head coach Mike Sullivan to adjust the attitudes of players with a recent track record of resisting change for the greater good.
DeCastro’s Preferred Order: Fries with That, Hold the Drama
The Steelers have emerged from their offseason sessions confident they’re capable of playing better. They also maintain a new atmosphere and culture have been established. But they won’t know for certain until they actually start playing.
About This Blog
Mike Prisuta is a veteran of Pittsburgh sports reporting since 1985.
Mike can be heard Monday through Friday talking sports with Randy Baumann and the DVE Morning Show.
His favorite sport is whatever’s in season.
Follow him on Twitter @DVEMike
