Men’s curling scandal at the Winter Olympics: Sweden accused Canada of double-touching after the hog line. Canada accused Sweden of secretly filming. I have no idea what that all means, but it sounds sexy. Enjoy these refreshing sports notes while I figure it out.
• Don’t be shocked if the Steelers take Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the 21st pick of this year’s NFL Draft. After mangling the QB position since Ben Roethlisberger retired after the 2021 season, owner Art Rooney II likely wants to establish a clear line of succession. Bring Aaron Rodgers back for 2026, draft somebody who starts in 2027. Simpson should be available and checks a lot of boxes despite being just 6-foot-2 and starting only one season at ‘Bama. Also, the NFL Draft is in Pittsburgh, and picking a quarterback will get a big pop at the podium.
• Problem is, the Steelers’ most pressing need is a wide receiver. Or two. Or three. Including a true No. 1 wideout, which DK Metcalf isn’t despite his inflated paycheck.
• Bringing back Rodgers will prove disastrous. Age might bring wisdom. But another year older won’t make Rodgers braver or more mobile, and there’s obviously no upside beyond 2026. The Steelers would be better off starting the people’s choice, second-year pro Will Howard. Either the sixth-round pick unexpectedly proves to be the answer, or the Steelers go 3-14 and draft Arch Manning. Who might refuse to come to Pittsburgh.
• Given the commotion swirling after Joey Porter excoriated Roethlisberger on Cam Heyward’s podcast, Rooney and new coach Mike McCarthy should order Heyward to shutter his podcast. Rooney babbles about not wasting seasons. Facilitate that by eliminating distractions. The Steelers “suggested” that Rodgers quit doing weekly segments on Pat McAfee’s show. Rodgers did, and the result was a better perception of Rodgers. Less crackpot stuff.
• I often say that Pittsburgh is too stupid to know who its heroes are. For example, a vocal fraction of the citizens uses any excuse to hate Roethlisberger. Heyward and T.J. Watt are idolized. Roethlisberger has two rings and was the primary catalyst in winning both. Heyward and Watt have one playoff victory between them. What a dopey town.
• I’m warming up to the idea of the Pirates starting 19-year-old mega-prospect Konnor Griffin at shortstop. It’s a big jump to MLB after just 98 plate appearances in Double-A, but Griffin is a prodigy. If the Pirates think they can legit grab a playoff spot, using Griffin is an educated risk worth taking. If Griffin falters and has to go to Triple-A, that won’t ruin him. But roll the dice. Without Griffin, the bottom third of the batting order stinks. Making the playoffs — or even finishing at .500 or better — is an ambitious endeavor. The Pirates need all hands on deck.
• Predicting the Pirates’ win total will be badly inflated by the fanboys who cover the team. You’re going to hear 84-88 wins. But 74-78 victories is more realistic.
• Doesn’t seem like there’s a rush of teams to sign Andrew McCutchen.
• Roy Face passed away at 97. Face was the “Baron of the Bullpen,” a true Pirate. Fifteen years with the team, a World Series winner in 1960. Face was an early blueprint for the closer role. He holds the National League record for wins in relief with 96 and the MLB record for winning percentage in a season, .947 in 1959 when he went 18-1. Class act.
• Unless the goaltending collapses, here’s betting that Canada wins the Olympic men’s hockey tournament without ever really being challenged. There’s just too much firepower. When Canada soups up its top line by uniting Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon and Macklin Celebrini, depth up front isn’t compromised that much, and there’s no defending that trio.
• When it comes to crunch time for Canada, Sidney Crosby will be the hero. Duh.
• The preliminary stage of men’s hockey wasn’t great despite the constant bleating of “BEST ON BEST!” Which it really wasn’t. The only truly marquee game was Finland vs. Sweden. The only true surprise team is Slovakia. The tournament badly misses Russia, and will even more so in the playoffs. A Canadian “B” team could medal at Milan.
• France and Germany are matched up in the elimination round. France should watch out for Germany forechecking through the Ardennes.
• A debate raged on X over whether Washington Capitals thug Tom Wilson should be considered for the Hockey Hall of Fame someday. That’s absurd. Wilson shouldn’t even be on Canada’s team at Milan. It took coach Jon Cooper less than two games to drop him out of the top six and down the depth chart. Wilson has just 202 goals in 885 NHL games and has only reached 30 goals once in 13 seasons. Legendary power forwards like Cam Neely, Gary Roberts, Kevin Stevens and Rick Tocchet would put Wilson in their back pocket. (Stevens had four seasons of 40 or more goals and isn’t in the Hall of Fame.)
• The NBA stinks. Load management — laziness disguised as tactics — allows stars to disappoint fans. Tanking is an issue. Too many 3-pointers, not enough real basketball. The root of the problem: The NBA has no honor, no accountability, and contempt for its audience. Pro athletes are self-centered, but NBA players go above and beyond. Michael Jordan has a monster ego, but understood his responsibility to the ticket-buyers. Today’s NBA players don’t.
• There’s talk of a WWE match featuring Bad Bunny vs. Logan Paul. Bad Bunny has worked for WWE before, performing more than credibly. Paul, an influencer with 23 million YouTube subscribers, is a WWE regular. That match would recreate the polarizing vibe of Bad Bunny headlining the Super Bowl halftime show and would be a huge success with major hype.
• Bad Bunny’s halftime show was watched by 135.4 million people. Kid Rock’s alternate halftime show drew 6.4 million viewers. Perhaps the NFL and NBC made the right decision. (The Puppy Bowl had an audience of 15.3 million. Make America bark again!)