This week’s “U mad, bro?” goes from Milan to the North Side Notch.

Hockey in the Summer Olympics to the reconstruction of PNC Park.

Three-month-old football games to WWE wrestling.

In other words, just a typical week. Here’s the latest edition.

I took a jab at Team Canada coach Jon Cooper for complaining about the 3-on-3 overtime format in the gold medal loss to Team USA at the Milan Olympics. Someone named “John E.” pushed back.

“I and most hockey people would agree with Cooper. 3 on 3 is not hockey.”

Agreed, John. I’ve written and said that many times this week. I’d rather go 4-on-4 for 10 or 20 minutes and then straight to a shootout. Skater-on-goalie breakaways happen two or three times a game. That was the case in the gold medal game. They are a natural result of hockey plays, whereas 3-on-3 almost never occurs.

But rules are rules. Canada may not have even made the semifinals without 3-on-3. That was the format when they beat Czechia. That was the format when they lost to the U.S.

Read the room. Know when valid points are going to come off as sour grapes.

Jim sent a similar response.

“I’m really upset about your John Cooper mention and the Olympics hockey overtime format. Coach blow hard Sullivan would have been singing the same song. Everything Cooper said made sense and is true. The overtime format is a gimmick and simply ends the game in a more timely manner. Why doesn’t the NHL use that overtime (playoff) format? Would you have enjoyed a shootout to determine the gold medal winner? Maybe the Stanley Cup winner should be determined that way.”

See above, Jim.

But to some of your other points, sure. Americans would be complaining about the game ending 3-on-3 just like the Canadians are.

Otherwise, yes. Like I said, after 5-on-5 or 4-on-4 overtime, I would have been fine with a shootout. If you get beyond double overtime in the Stanley Cup playoffs, I would be as well. Those epic, long, multi-overtime games are memorable from the standpoint of attrition, but not often quality hockey.

The ice is terrible, the players are exhausted, and the refs often swallow their whistles leading to a heightened difficulty to naturally score and end the game

Either way ….

Jorno was responding to the idea of moving hockey to the Summer Olympics so it wouldn’t have to interrupt the NHL calendar, and put players at injury risk midseason.

Good point. Conceptually, I’m on board. The issue isn’t about the calendar so much as it is about logistics and politics.

You’d need a city to host the Summer Games with two arenas big enough to host hockey and basketball. That also means TV times spaced out to accommodate both men’s and women’s for both hockey and basketball. Not to mention a Canadian city hasn’t gotten the Summer Olympics since 1976 and a Scandinavian country hasn’t gotten one since 1956.

I’m not sure how thrilled those hockey countries would be with the concept of never getting home ice.

Jack sends this question about the Pirates.

“Do you think the club should have explored with the league some reconfiguration of left/ left center field? I think their good pitching would give up a few more dingers but it would be a net positive. It would be attractive to more right handed bats coming here,make it easier to have line up flexibility ( need less of a speedy LFielder), produce more overall power,something this team desperately needs. Now with righties Ozuna, Gonzo, Konnor, Triolo, plus some of the lefties who have opposite field power it could work in the Bucs favor.”

Jack, your point is understandable. However, for this year anyway, I’ll be content with Bob Nutting spending a few bucks on renovating the batting order.

We can worry about the outfield renovations over the next year or two.

Ryan is responding to reports that an Aaron Rodgers’ decision about next year “could take months.”

Ryan, after getting a sense of Rodgers’ personality these last few years, the more he reads about people asking for it to end, the longer he’ll wait … and the more likely he will eventually return.

Finally, this person seems dissatisfied with the NFL admitting (another) wrong call was made in that Steelers-Ravens game in December after waiting almost three months.

I’m certainly looking forward to Mike McCarthy versus Andy Reid if the Steelers and Chiefs ever go to overtime. That would be … interesting.

Maybe they can get the coordinators from both teams and make it a 3-on-3 tag team. The hockey traditionalists above sure would love that.