Mike Prisuta’s Sports Section
A weekly look at the games people are playing and the people who are playing them.
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.
Pittsburgh Steelers' No. 1 Pick Makes a Lasting First Impression
Devin Bush will still have much to prove once the pads come on and the hitting commences. But the presence and purpose he brought to OTAs justified the hype on draft day.
Rookie Reynolds an Unanticipated Hit for the Pirates
The Bucs have stayed afloat through the first third of their season despite a myriad of injuries. An outfielder they received in the Andrew McCutchen trade has contributed mightily toward that end and might be just getting started.
7 Storylines Which Will Define and Determine Steelers' Season
An unfamiliar underdog status may help the Steelers get back to the playoffs and beyond.
Pirates’ First Quarter Record Defies Logic if Not Description
The 21-19 record the Bucs took to San Diego doesn’t add up given all they’ve had to overcome. Perhaps there’s more to this team than meets the eye.
Steelers' Rookie Impressions Destined to Excite If Not Convince
“Football in shorts” won't solve the Steelers' kicking woes, but for a team on the rebound, the rookie workouts are an opportunity to take another step in the right direction.
Steelers Draft Yields Reinforcements and a Reassuring Swagger
They no longer have Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown, but they now have options aplenty after what they managed to land in the NFL’s annual three-day talent-grab.
Steelers’ Draft Should Start with a Devin, After That, Who Knows?
Sifting through the prospects and trying to determine the significance of Batman suits, Hall-of-Fame relatives, The New Yorker and Whataburger is all a part of the annual challenge facing Steelers GM Kevin Colbert and company.
Penguins’ Lament: ‘To an Extent We Beat Ourselves’
The answer to a self-inflicted postseason sweep must begin with getting the players and their coach back on the same page regarding what’s required for survival in the playoffs.
Pens Don't Need to Overwhelm Islanders, Just Outlast Them
Patience, persistence and taking what the game gives is critical in Round One.
Will Pens Find a Way to Score Consistently as Playoffs Loom?
It's an unfamiliar question to a team that rarely worries about getting the puck in the net.
2019 Pirates will Be Intriguing, Even Though We Know the Ending
Despite the lack of a competitive payroll and established stars, the players aren't listening to the naysayers.
Duke’s Williamson Transcends the Madness
Freshman Zion Williamson makes this year’s NCAA Tournament, always fascinating on its own merits, even more of a can’t-miss event.
Brown and Bell are Gone – What the Steelers Need to do Next
Whether the Steelers are better or worse off, whether they’re culpable or deserve to be applauded for finally resolving two of their biggest problems remains to be seen.
‘The Most Exciting Sporting Event in the Country’
“March Madness” is as cruel as it is compelling. Just ask Robert Morris Head Coach Andy Toole, who has been there and hoping to go back again.
Penguins’ Plight Not as Perplexing as Many Seem to Perceive
Recognition of their situation should pave the way to the playoffs.
Steelers' GM Kevin Colbert Clears the Air on Big Ben
As a franchise QB with Hall-of-Fame credentials and as the only player in the locker room that’s actually won a Super Bowl in a Steelers’ uniform, Roethlisberger is perfectly positioned, Colbert insists, to run the show.
Pens Need More from Malkin More Than Anything
Given what he’s capable of, and what we’ve too often seen instead, Evgeni Malkin has been the Pens’ most under-achieving player.
Even Brady, Belichick Still Take a Back Seat to Lombardi
Appreciating the Patriots requires a healthy dose of historical perspective.
Time For Penguins to Change Their Game or Their Makeup
Head Coach Mike Sullivan wants “urgency” and “enthusiasm” from his players and he wants it on an every-game basis in advance of the playoffs. The players have been a little slow to get with the program.
Winning Isn’t Everything to ‘Coach K’ But It Always Beats the Alternative
In his first game against his former boss, Pitt coach Jeff Capel learned a lot about how far Pitt has come and how far it still has to go and we all learned a little bit more about what makes Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski tick.
Capel’s Basketball Resurrection Has the Zoo Rocking Again
Head coach Jeff Capel is restoring respectability and re-establishing the relationship between Pitt’s students and Pitt’s student athletes.
Steelers' Organization Shares Blame for Brown Debacle
For years now, the Steelers have been working around Brown’s maladaptive tendencies from Monday through Saturday and throwing him the ball on Sunday and hoping for the best.
Getting to Ovechkin Reveals Pens’ Potential When Invested
The Penguins, inconsistent at times, remain a dangerous opponent for the defending Stanley Cup Champions.
Steelers’ Finishing Stretch Smells Like a Tomlin Referendum
In a season that remarkably could still go either way as Christmas approaches, we’re about to find out if Mike Tomlin still has the coaching chops that have allowed him to succeed at such a high level for so long.
When I Realized the True Meaning of the Army-Navy Game
As Army veteran and Pittsburgh Steeler Alejandro Villanueva sees it, Army-Navy is football at its core in a setting that transcends the sport.
Trust in Roethlisberger Remains Steelers’ Best Option
We’re about to find out if that late-game meltdown in Denver last week was an aberration or a revelation.
Pitt Attaches Old-School Signature to Narduzzi’s Championship Prediction
Thanks to wide receivers recognized for their blocking ability and an offensive line endearingly referred to as “knuckleheads“ –– the Panthers are one win away from making their head coach's bold pre-season prediction a reality.
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
