Steelers 27 - Bengals 3

The Grandstander is about to take a brief hiatus and will be off the grid for a couple of weeks, but before I take this leave of absence, a couple of comments, mainly about the Steelers 27-3 trouncing of the Cincinnati Bengals last night.

1. After the bad taste in the mouths of the Steelers and their fans, nothing, and I mean nothing, can serve to cure all ills than having the Bengals pop up on your schedule.   Death, taxes, and unbelievably bad performances by the Cincy Bengals - the three certainties in life.
2. We still can't be sure of what kind of team the Steelers are in 2019, but we know for sure that the Bengals stink to high heaven.  It got to the point where I almost - almost! - felt sorry from Andy Dalton last night.
3. Marvin Lewis, Pacman Jones, and Vontaze Burfict (and are you surprised to see how HE made the news this weekend?) may be gone, but the Bungles still managed to commit two personal fouls in one of the late drives that  the Steelers were having late in the game.  
4. The Steelers designed a very conservative offensive attack last night, short passes to running backs and frequent use of a wildcat formation.  It was very effective against the Bengals, but I'd like to see the coaching staff have a little more confidence in Mason Rudolph and his ability to throw down field.  However, I concede that Mike Tomlin and his staff are far smarter than I am in such matters.

Now to the Pirates.  Jason Mackey had an interesting story in the Post-Gazette this morning about why the Pirates job just may not be one that will attract the best and brightest of either new or old managerial talent.  If you missed it, here it is:

https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/pirates/2019/09/30/Pirates-manager-search-Neal-Huntington-Clint-Hurdle-firing-new-guy/stories/201909300128

It's kind of depressing to read, actually.  It leads me to believe that the job will end up going to either Jeff Bannister or Tom Prince, two life long Pirate "organization men" who are already on the payroll, will come cheap, and will probably agree to cut Neal Huntington's lawn and wash Bob Nutting's car if they could get the job.  (Come to think of it, GMNH is probably already washing Nutting's car, which is probably how he was able to keep his job.)  

In a story published online later this afternoon, Mackey had another story where he interviewed an ex-Pirate who expressed an interest in the job: former catcher Jason Kendall.  

Kendall was a good and sometimes excellent  player for the Bucs in the nine year era that spanned Three Rivers Stadium and PNC Park.  He was also reported to be a clubhouse malcontent and a bully to younger players on the team, and he was known to greet newcomers to the team in the clubhouse by saying "Welcome to Hell."  Yeah, hiring him would present a PR "challenge" to the team, but it would be in keeping with the Pirates ability to continue to screw up a one car funeral.

Still, my money is on one of the two current in house guys, Bannister or Prince.  As always, watch, but don't bet.

Okay, that will do it for the immediate future.  I shall catch up with you all once again in another ten or twelve days or so.  Perhaps my next missive to you will involve a revitalized Pittsburgh Steelers team and a new manager for the Pirates. Or maybe an Absent Friend.  It's been awhile since we've honored one of those.

Later.....

Who Is/Was the Best PNC Park Pirate?

Yesterday was the 41st birthday of former Pirate Brian Giles. I posted this comment on my Facebook page yesterday and asked the following question: Was/is Brian Giles the greatest Pirate of the PNC Park Era?

First off, in searching Google for a picture of Giles to post, I discovered that Giles has led a bit of an unsavory life in recent years. I have also been told over the years, that when Giles was with the Pirates, he and Jason "Welcome to Hell" Kendall led a clique in the clubhouse that can be described as despicable, disgusting, unsavory, a bunch of jackasses...take your pick. So, we will stipulate that Giles was NOT a nice guy, and that he hasn't seemed to clean up his act since he departed Pittsburgh. We will instead concentrate on the question at hand - is he the best Pirate player of the PNC Park Era?

Whelming (as opposed to "overwhelming") responses on Facebook agreed that he was a very good player, that he was probably a PED juicer in those pre-testing days, and that he was a jaggoff. Other names mentioned as the best PNC Park Pirate included Aramis Rameriz, Kevin Young, and Jason Bay, and the opinion that Andrew McCutchen is on his way to becoming the best PNC Park Pirate. Another poster opined that while he may not have been the best player of the era, Jack Wilson was the "face of the Pirates" during this era. That is an interesting opinion, and could lead to a whole other discussion thread.

My own vote on this Player would go to Jason Bay with Giles a close second. I also feel that McCutchen, if he is allowed to play here long enough, will eventually wear the mantle of "Best PNC Park Pirate."

Also, who do feel has been the "Face of the Franchise" during the PNC Park Era? One vote is already in for Wilson. My own thought is that, for better or worse, Jason Kendall was the Face of the Team during PNC's earlier years. Then Wilson, and now McCutchen. If I had to pick one, after 11 seasons have been played out, I would choose Kendall. Again, for better or for worse.

Any one care to comment further?