Letang and Beyond

TSN.ca reports that Kris Letang countered Penguins GM Ray Shero's offer of a $7.5 million per year offer with what might be perceived as a very reasonable $8 million per year request. On paper, this might seem like the most meager of differences. To the Penguins, though, a balk at $7.5M may be an albatross off of their shoulders before it ever settled in.

I needn't remind you of Letang's recent inconsistent postseason performance. The power play's performance spoke for itself once Paul Martin went down. His shot isn't all that accurate, nor is his pure defensive skill. He tends to make the ill-advised pinch a bit more often than we'd like. He's a bona fide risk taker. That's his game. That said though, he's a marvelous puck mover and an incredible skater. If you can't retain this skill set, is this something you lose sleep over?

What the Pens need is a group that will break through in the postseason, not one that will hurricane the competition during the regular season only to gently fade into the northeast once the best of seven's begin. For as good as Kris Letang is during the regular season, for as much as he's grown as a Norris trophy candidate, for as reasonable as $500k sounds - Letang's value to the Pens is no longer firing pucks at the net. It's in his value as an organizational asset.

There's a lot to be said about players who make an excess of $7.5 million, annually. Heck, Pittsburgh has two of them currently rostered in Malkin and Crosby. Here's what's important to remember about them. They are counted on to win games by accumulating a significant amount of points. The Pens are paying Malkin and Crosby to put the puck in the net in an above-average clip. The same couldn't be said of Letang.

Yes, Letang tends to be an offensive catalyst, but he isn't going to be a 50 goal scorer from the blueline. He'll be counted to move the puck out of our zone - to make clean, effective breakouts - to ensure that the puck gets to the stick of players like Malkin and Crosby. He'll chip in as necessary offensively, when the top guys need bailed out, but he won't be counted on to provide a night-to-night scoring threat.

So, if the Pens are paying guys like Malkin and Crosby the big bucks to score goals, should they pay a similar price for a puck distributor? Looking back at this past season, we saw a resurgent Paul Martin take control of the power play. Letang's no power play quarterback, by the traditional definition. For better or for worse, the Pens have another talented, young defenseman in Simon Despres who displayed flashes of immense skill when he was allowed to play last season. (I believe Bylsma terribly mismanaged him during the season, but that's neither here nor there.) Allow this kid to play, to develop and reap the rewards. Then there's the incredibly "D" heavy farm system with prospects nearly ready to assume full time NHL roles. These prospects are, for the most part, cut from a cloth similar to Letang.

This paves the road out for Letang. The most logical decision to make would be to trade Kris Letang before the draft, this weekend. If the Jordan Staal trade is the precedent, then the Pens could likely expect to gain a first round pick (something they lack in this draft), a reliable defenseman and 1-2 cost-controlled forward prospects (one of which is likely NHL-ready).

Will the Pens replace Letang next year? There's a distinct possibility that they may NEVER replace his true skating, puck moving ability. But for a team devoid of forward talent depth, a trade must be made. This is probably the only time in professional sports where $500k gap in negotiations will result in the loss of a star caliber player. And it's only for the best that this happens.

Rushel Shell Strikes Again!

I said it in a previous column, 19 year olds make mistakes. And boy, do they make a lot of them! Yesterday, as I was writing my dissection of the Aaron Hernandez debacle, Rushel Shell took to the twittersphere to engage one of my favorite and one of the most informed sports analysts, Mark Madden. If he had any sort of credibility for returning to the southwestern PA region for the sake of being with his family, he effectively ruined it by acting out in incredibly childish fashion.

In what boiled down to a... well... let's call it a "measuring contest", Madden effectively "trolled" Shell into a war of words which climaxed when Shell outright began to lie about suspect photographs which he had personally taken of Madden while at a club in Pittsburgh. That claim was denied by Madden, who went on to wish him the best of luck in D3 football.

Looking this over, what did Shell hope to gain by attempting a verbal attack on Mark? Certainly Shell had to realize that his stock had plummeted due to his recent bouts with the Pitt coaching staff, his disgraceful departure from the university and his begging to be taken back. Surely he had to realize that he would need to express some amount of humility so that he might get his collegiate career back on track with a reputable and competitive university. These thoughts had to have crossed his mind at one point prior to last night's outburst, right?

Nope. He's 19 years old. And he's convinced that his way is the ONLY way. He may have been the darling of high school sports in Pennsylvania once, but this isn't high school anymore. Nobody owes him anything. If he wants to be treated like an adult and to be given the opportunity to play football at the college level, it's time to start acting like a respectable gentleman... even if he doesn't truly mean it. Otherwise, "King" Mark Madden's going to be correct again.

Can the Pirates Break Through?

As the most loyal of Pittsburgh fans make the yearly, traditional jump from one bandwagon to the next, even the most inept fan has plenty to discuss when it comes to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Only a few games separate the Pirates from the league's best record, and they've already got a commanding lead in the expanded wild card race. You'll recall, though, the previous two years of disappointment. Some blame management for making poor decisions at the trade deadline - "not going for it". Hindsight being 20/20, it's largely agreed upon that neither Derek Lee nor Gabby Sanchez aren't going to be the catalyst that helps you win a pennant.

Others blame team chemistry. Yes, that vague sense of camaraderie which somehow envelops all position players and helps the shortstop turn a double play with the first baseman. Ask any yinzer, team chemistry was smashed to smithereens when the Buccos acquired Wandy Rodriguez last year. Forget that he's been one of the best hurlers on the squad to date.

Speaking of hurlers, we've also got the pitcher apologists. "Hurdle used his bullpen too frequently last season. Everyone got burned out." Really? That probably helps explain James MacDonald "choose your own adventure" experience.

Excuses aside, there's plenty to like about this year's squad. They're winning earlier than they have in the last two seasons. They're beating teams they should beat. They're beating teams that they perhaps SHOULDN'T beat. They're passing the EYE TEST. With a rotation that has held solid to this point and a bullpen which delivers nightly lights-out performances, these Buccos could be for real.

No need to mention it, but the time is now. We've got AJ and Wandy for the remainder of the season. Likely, Liriano also. Our best pitching prospect is ready (and proving it!). Rarely do the planets align in favorable fashion for baseball in the city of Pittsburgh. Our only question marks come in the form of somewhat acceptable bats at SS, RF and 1B. When Andrew McCutchen starts ripping the cover off the ball, we'll have to address at least one of those needs. These Pirates are very much looking like a genuine contender, and I don't mean simply for a playoff spot. Can they break through? Let's hope imminent decisions don't hamstring their rare opportunity.

Aaron Hernandez Officially Charged with Murder

Well, Aaron Hernandez has finally added his name to the ever-growing list of NFL arrests. An exclusive list, reserved only for the finest company, among which include Titus Young and PacMan Jones. A resurgent city of Boston hardly needed this black eye, in light of recent events.

It's been news for hours now - he's being charged with 1st degree murder. Apparently the prosecution has a real whopper of a case, too. It's been discussed that evidence is in no short supply and that he was integral in the orchestration of Odin Lloyd's execution.

More worth discussion than simply repeating known news is why the NFL is absolutely awash with criminals. In Hernandez's case, he may have been a criminal prior to ever stepping onto an NFL field. He's been connected to attempted homicide as recently as 2007, with additional off-field issues dating back to when he was only 17 years old, and quite probably earlier than that.

So what could possibly make a rising professional football player, role model and one face of a successful franchise become so involved in the murder of another human being? Money. There's a reason you don't give children $100 for their 6th birthday. Why? Because they'd spend it all on candy and toys, instantly. Put simply, they act out with little regard for the future. $100 to a 6 year old might make them feel rich and in some way, powerful. The same could be said about those very same children which enter the National Football League with any kind of talent. Forget where they're drafted. In most cases even a lowly signing bonus is more money than these kids have ever seen before, let alone held. First you get the money, then you get the power. Truer words...

 Hernandez is now about to face the most arduous process of his life. With an allegedly insurmountable case growing against him, and his reportedly emotionless state at his arraignment, it's going to take an awful lot to convince a jury that he has nothing to do with Odin Lloyd's death.

This, unfortunately, is simply another showing of the side-show the NFL trots out there on a consistent basis. It's not going to change. Mark my word, you'll see it get worse before it gets better. Many more arrests will follow. Perhaps even more situations similar to Hernandez's. Goodell will take no action unless a murder occurs somewhere on the gridiron. It seems that nothing short of raising John Wayne from the grave to assume Roger Goodell's position as league commissioner could control this tailspin.