Pittsburgh Sports: Which team has you the most excited?
By Larry Snyder
The seasons merge as summer moves into fall. Pittsburgh’s legion of sports fans is standing at the crossroads with three seasons coming together.
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The Pirates are about to close out the 2015 campaign with a National League Wild Card berth in their back pocket. It is the third consecutive season for the crew of the Jolly Roger to sail into playoff waters.
The Steelers are closing out September in second place with a record of 2-2. They finished last season with another AFC North Division crown in the record books.
The dawn of a new season for the Penguins is just around the corner. There are new players in training camp who hold the promise of a deep run in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The question for all of you is: which team should fans be the most excited for at this moment?
The ‘Burgh Boys of Summer own 277 wins since the start of 2013, which is the second best record in baseball in that span. But there are no N.L. Central Division titles in the treasure chest. The reason is the St. Louis Cardinals, the New York Yankees of the N.L., recorded 287 victories.
I like the rotation of A.J. Burnett, Gerrit Cole, Francisco Liriano, and J.A. Happ for any short series or even a single contest. I believe they hold the key to playing deeper into October. However, the spectre of being 32-41 remains going into the final weekend series with the Cincinnati Reds and a one-game Wild Card match-up with the Chicago Cubs.
The fans have turned out to support Clint Hurdle’s squad with 2,397,612 in the seats over 78 games. I think the Pirates have the tools to create more lasting memories for the faithful.
Over at Heinz Field, the challenge is for Michael Vick to keep the Steelers on course till Ben Roethlisberger comes back, which may be as few as four and as many as eight weeks. The last time Vick assembled a winning season as a starting quarterback was a 7-6 mark in 2011 with the Philadelphia Eagles.
The pressure may be more on Keith Butler’s defensive unit to help keep this team close with their opponents. Prior to the start of the season, I predicted that this team could grab a Wild Card spot in the AFC, and I am sticking with that thought for now. Meanwhile, about that placekicker…
The Black and Gold on ice are putting the finishing touches to their pre-season slate of contests. Phil Kessel looks good paired up with Sidney Crosby. The trio of Kris Letang, Ollie Maatta, and Pascal Dupuis are healthy again, and skating up and down the rink.
Daniel Sprong is proving that Jim Rutherford and Company made the right choice at the NHL Entry Draft back in June. The line of Evgeni Malkin, Dergei Plotnikov and Patric Hornqvist could be the difference-maker over the marathon of the regular season. Could this be the time the Cup comes back home to the ‘Burgh?
Which team shows the most promise for the remainder of 2015? Who are we going to be talking about at the end of December and in the immediate future? My gut instinct is to go with the Penguins. Let your fellow fans know who you think could be on the rise in the comments section below.
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