The Road Back To The Cup Begins Tonight!

See Details for Ticket Contest Giveaway below!

Goodbye IGLOO, You will be missed! Is it sad that the video below gives me chills and makes me want to cry like a baby?

Every end is the start of a new beginning. Just as the wrecking crew has finished demolishing the Civic Arena, the Pittsburgh Penguins are in Vancouver getting ready for a season opening showdown with the defending Western Conference Champion Canucks. Here's our quick season preview:

Goalies:


Marc-Andre Fleury #29

After a shaky start to the season last year "Flower" bounced back with MVP like numbers for the Pens. He went 35-14-5 over his last 54 games played last season, most of them without Crosby and Malkin. He is a stud. Need we say more?


Brent Johnson #1 ranked heavyweight goalie in the league

Everyone's favorite goalie/enforcer returns for another season to back up MAF. He can do more than just rearrange Ricky D's face. He played very well at the start of last season when MAF was struggling. He is a solid veteran backup. (And always nice to have in net when the Isles are in town)

Defense:

Deryk Engelland #5

Solid 6th/7th D Man. It's always nice to have a guy like this on your team, he plays well in his own zone and as evidenced by the picture above, he is pretty good with his fists as well. His one punch KO of Colton Orr last year was one of the best fights I have seen in person. With the scary depth the Pens have on D, he might not play a lot, but when he does, it will be exciting.

Kris Letang #58

Letang stepped up last year and more than filled the role left by Sergei Gonchar's departure to the Ottawa Senators. During the first half of the season he was one of the top 3 D Men in the league. He had a rough second half to the season, but with a healthy Malkin and Crosby on the way Tanger will get his points. His play in the defensive zone is highly underrated, he often plays against other teams top lines and is a very smart, physical, puck moving D Man. Expect him to be even better this year than last year. By the way, the Pens drafted him in the second round in the same draft that netted them some guy named "Crosby." Not too shabby. 

Ben Lovejoy #6

Another solid depth guy to have on D. A great guy who is truly happy to be in the NHL. He skates well and plays the defensive zone solidly. He is young and should continue to develop.


Paul Martin #7

Martin is a solid two way defenseman. He is not as skilled offensively as Letang, but he moves the puck extremely well and is a great skater. He is not the toughest guy in the league but his game is all about positioning and moving the puck. He was signed as a free agent last year from New Jersey where they teach defense like it's the gospel. He sees time on the Power Play and the Penalty Kill and was a big factor in the Pens having the #1 ranked PK in the league last year. He doesn't seem like a $5 million a year player but he is worth every penny, just like an offensive lineman in the NFL, when you don't notice him that much, it's a good thing. You won't notice him much because his game isn't flashy, just solid.

Zbynek Michalek #4

Big Z has all of the tools needed to be an elite D Man in the NHL. He is a terrific penalty killer, shuts down the opposing teams top lines, blocks tons of shots, and skates very well. He doesn't use his body quite like Brooks Orpik does but he is very sound positionally. He sacrifices the body very well, and he led the team in blocked shots last year. He also posses's a booming shot from the point and during the second half of last season started to score a lot more. He isn't going to put up a ton of points but he might be the Pens best defensive D Man. In Big Z we trust.

Matt Niskanen  #2

A great guy to have on your third defensive pair. He was aquired along with James Neal in the Goligoski trade last season. He is not much of a downgrade from Goligoski at all. He has alot of offensive upside, skates well, has a good shot, and moves the puck well. Noticing a theme forming here with the D? They are all great skating, puck moving defensemen. He fell out of favor in Dallas after a season and a half of inconsistent play. NHL 11 wouldn't even let you trade Goligoski for Neal and Niskanen. Who knows how he pulled it off, but Ray Shero is a criminal genius.

Brooks "Free Candy" Orpik #44

That's all you need to know about Brooks Orpik. He hands out the free candy whenever it's necessary. He's one of the biggest badasses in the NHL and makes the Pens very very very tough to play against.


Boris Valabik #3

He was signed by Shero this summer, apparently because Letang and Sid wanted to finish this beating they were giving him in the picture above. I know the picture looks kind of suggestive, but they are wearing a lot of padding. All we know about him is that he is 6' 7" and Crosby and Letang used him as a punching bag once.

Offense:

Craig Adams #27

 He is a great veteran leader in the dressing room. He doesn't waste time scoring goals during the regular season. He only scores during the playoffs. He can grow a killer beard, he's a fantastic Penalty Killer and gritty fourth line player. He's Craig F'n Adams.

Aaron Asham #45

We all hated this guy when he played for the Flyers, but we can't change the past. We love him now. He is a nasty guy to play against, partly because he is scary looking, but mostly because he is physical and not afraid to drop the gloves. He actually possess a good amount of skill for a forth liner, he has good hands and a great shot. He lit up Tampa in the first round of the playoffs last year.

Matt Cooke #24

One nasty SOB. He was suspended for the last 10 games of the regular season and the first round of the playoffs for an elbow he delivered to some joke from the Rangers. He has vowed to change his game this year because if he gets one more suspension he could be gone. Having said that, we love the way he plays the game and he is a key part of one of the best 3rd lines in hockey with Staal and Kennedy. Who knows who he will play with this year until Sid gets back. All we know is that we love having Matt Cooke on the team and hope he keeps his elbows down this year.

Pascal Dupuis #9

Another great locker room guy. He has been Crosby's linemate for his entire tenure with the Pens. He is a fast skater who has a great slapshot and is a great Penalty Killer. Lets hope that he has to fill the rest of his back up with more tattoos of the Stanley Cup.

Tyler Kennedy #48

Any time we can put a picture of Chris Osgood being scored on, we will jump at the chance. This goal was from game 6 of the 2009 Finals. The Pens won the game 2-1 this is the second goal. Suck it Detroit. TK had a great season last year and he stepped up in a big way by scoring 21 goals in Sid and Geno's absence. Now that he is being paid like a 20 goal scorer, he should be even more motivated to have a better season than last year. Let's all hope.

Chris Kunitz #14

Kunitz has been Crosby's other linemate since he became a Penguin. Although he seems to have much better chemistry with Staal. He fits Coach Bylsma's system well, he is a straight line player who throws his body around like some of the guys from the Jackass movies. For a smaller guy he can really hit. He also has a terrific shot and complements Sid very well.

Mark Letestu #10

Played very well last year during the first half of the season while Staal was out with his foot infection/broken hand. Isn't the fastest skater in the world but he has a killer shot and shows great poise with the puck. More of the same this year would be great.


Steve MacIntyre #33

The replacement for Eric Godard. He is 6'5" and he can fight. He's a southpaw, so he's basically just a bigger, white, Canadian version of Manny Paquiao. He will be fun to watch. Moving along....

Richard Park #12

This pic was taken almost 10 years ago. He looks exactly the same. The good thing about having Richard Park on your team is twofold, 

One: he won't score five goals a year against the Pens anymore

Two: this is the move that Ray Shero HAD to make to get the Asian population in Pittsburgh excited about hockey again. They've been very bitter ever since Park left. It's great to have him back.

Steve Sullivan #26

This year's version of last year's Mike Comrie signing. Only Hilary Duff doesn't come in the package. In all seriousness we have liked Sullivan as a player for a long time. He has spent alot of time in the Western Conference. He may not be familiar to most Pens fans but when this guy is healthy he can flat out play. They key is his health. He has a laundry list of injury issues over the past few years. Shero knows him well from his days as the assistant to the regional manager in Nashville. In Shero we trust.


Jordan Staal #11

He has surprised us from day one, when he made the team as an 18 year old. We wanted the Pens to take Toews, but whatever. Staal showed during the second half of last season that he is a legit 30 goal scorer now and he is the best defensive forward on the team. He just turned 23. It's scary to think about how good this kid will be in a few more years.



James Neal #18

We are really excited to get to watch Neal play with Sid this year. Neal has a wicked shot and if he can find a little opening in the D, Sid will find him. Expect at least 30 goals from him this year, he has all the tools to do it. He's got size, speed, soft hands and one heck of a mullet.


Geno #71

Geno, is back. He had a terrific preseason and should start off the season strong right from the get go. He only had 15 goals in 34 games played last year but he was hurt the whole season. He is pissed off that people wrote him off a year ago. Word out of Russia was that he trained with Ivan Drago this summer. He's ready to go. Look for at least 115 points from Geno this year. One more quick thing about Geno, he has his own twitter account now. I suggest you take a look at it. Unintentional comedy at its finest. He hasn't learned to put the eyes on the smiley face yet so all of his tweets have some variation of this in them ))))))). Maybe ))))) translates to :):):):):) in Russian. Who knows?

Sid #87

Almost forgot about this guy. He's decided to give the league a little head start in the scoring race and that's ok. He will be back in a few weeks and everyone can stop worrying about him. Watching him and Neal play together will be something special. Just wait. Mark it down, Sid will win the scoring title this year. No doubt. He can't wait to get back and when he does he is going to unleash holy hell on the entire NHL.



Season Prediction:


Look for a regular season in the ballpark of 110-115 points depending on if Sid misses more than 5 or 10 games. They will win the division. Hopefully leading to a match up with the Flyers in the first round so that they can send them home as usual and keep this awesome shirt relevant.

After they win the second round, they won't be playing Washington in the Conference finals because Bruce Beadreau will be more worried about the buffet at Golden Corral than actually coaching a hockey team, so as usual they will lose in the first or second round.


Final Prediction:


Jean Claude Van Damme Marc-Andre Fleury stones the Blackhawks in Game 7 or 6 or 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals and we get to see this again:

Now, there's only one thing left to say:

Please comment below, we will be giving away two free tickets to a Pens home game to a randomly selected numbered comment.

GO PENS!

The Nightmare Continues

Penguin fans, welcome to your nightmare. Penguin superstar Sidney Crosby is still experiencing symptoms from his concussion (or concussions, depending on whom you want to believe) suffered in the Winter Classic. He had to shut down his offseason workout routine because he started to experience headaches when training at 90% capacity. Furthermore it was revealed by the Penguins that Crosby has seen multiple specialists in an effort to get answers about the extent of the injury.

Just days after denying a claim that Crosby didn't suffer a setback in his recovery from a concussion Pat Brisson, Crosby's agent, gave Penguins fans more reason to worry, "We always knew this was going to be a progressive recovery -- based on how he felt," Brisson said in Wednesday's statement. "With a concussion, there is not a finite recovery period like with a shoulder injury or a knee injury. That's why we've never even set a specific goal for a return date like the start of training camp or Oct. 1 or anything else. He will play when he is symptom free."

Just to recap, on Monday Brisson said Crosby was still working out, presumably in order to be ready for camp. Two days later, it is revealed that Crosby has been experiencing symptoms and now he is traveling all over the country to see specialists. What a difference a few days make.

They key part of Brisson's statement is the last sentence. He will play when he is symptom free. It has been 9 long months since Crosby has been injured. He has not been able to shake the symptoms yet. Concussions are a scary thing and have forced other greats of the game to retire. Pat LaFontaine had to retire due to multiple concussions, as did Eric Lindross (with a little help from Darius Kasparitis) and most recently Paul Karyia.

There is no guarantee that Crosby will ever get back to 100%. Let that sink in for a second. There is a possibility, however small it may be, that Sidney Crosby has played his last game in the NHL. It's a nauseating thought.

The only good news that has come of these recent developments is that Crosby finally issued a statement through the Pens, "I appreciate all the support I've received from my family, friends, teammates and fans and from the entire Penguins organization," Crosby said. "I know they only want the best for my health, and for me to be fully ready when I return to game action."

This has to be absolutely killing Crosby inside. To have an injury like this has got to be the most frustrating thing he has ever had to deal with in his career. His fate doesn't lie in the hands of a surgeon. All he can do is wait, and wait some more. You can't rehab a concussion. Like Tom Petty sang, "The waiting is the hardest part."

It's hard on the fans, the Penguins organization, and most importantly Crosby and his family. Don't count on Crosby being ready for the start of the regular season. For Penguin fans, this is one nightmare that just won't end.



PLEASE POST COMMENTS ABOUT TODAY'S ARTICLE BELOW! WE WOULD LOVE TO GET A DISCUSSION GOING!

Jersey Shore Running Diary

Please Support our Site by Supporting our advertisers! Thank You!

Please welcome our TV/Movie correspondent Mike Ransom for his first post, a running diary of last nights epic Jersey Shore Episode. Without further ado, here is Mike's Diary.

Running Diary of the Jersey Shore:

First off, we need to figure out why we watch the Jersey Shore, is it the most unintentionally funny thing most of us has ever seen, possibly. Does it make us feel better about our own lives, absolutely. Wait, they make how much money an episode? Now I just feel awful.

Secondly, why is this show still called the Jersey Shore? They need to come up with a more creative name, I also suggest that they name each episode, I would have called this one “Gorilla In the Mist” because Ronnie looked just like a silverback gorilla when he took his shirt off and started pacing around the house, debating on how much damage he needed to do to Sitch. I think he settled on somewhere between excessive and postal!

Min.

0:00- Ron and Sam are back together ( wonder how that’s gonna work out)

0:01- Deena rises from her previous nights escapades with her “totally trashed” sleeping mask, seems to sum up her previous nights pretty well

0:02- Sitch’s twinning was ruined by deena, he is clearly upset

0:03 Vinny describes being robbed by deena the previous night, he claims he was tag robbed

0:05 Sitch starts spreading rumors, as usual, he claims he needs to bring the truth because he is the peoples champ, I am not so sure. I have never see a more narcissitic insecure individual  in my life, is it a bad thing that he makes me feel better about myself? I think I have a serious problem

0:06 The girs are walking around looking for a place to eat, snookie claims “I need to talk over a glass of wine” I’m fairly certain it was 9am when she said this

0:07 Jenni is wearing a hat that is approximately 35ft. in diameter

0:09 Snookie drops this bombshell, “I licked a nipple once” that pretty much speaks for itself

0:09 Vinny has this to say to Deena when she walks in the kitchen, “at least the carpets are clean” I thought they looked very nice as well.

0:09 Pauly follows with this clutch quote to Deena“common lesbihonest” I need to figure out a way to use this word more in during my everyday interactions

0:10 Deena fires back,” It was a good $*#)$*% time”   Vinny jumps in with “this might be the best dinner of my life.” I couldn’t agree more

0:13 The girls decide to play “dress up” for dinner. They are all adults, keep that in mind. More importantly they are all wearing huge hats. J-Wooooooooooowwwww’s new hat is approximately 70ft. in diameter. Sammi makes a great choice to wear a smaller hat, so as to avoid getting the brunt of the jokes from the guys, veteran move by Sammi, maybe the best choice she has made in 4 seasons.

0:14 Sitch describes the girls outfit in an extremely sophisticated manner.  “they looked like the Kentucky Derby *#)@%& the easter bunny” I don’t believe this is anatomically possible but, Sitch is the peoples champ, so he would know.

0:15 Mike tells Deena that he knows what she did the previous night, Deena quickly denies, and as this is happening Ronnie shoots her a look that clearly says “I’m not buying this”. Deena keeps explaining and the camera pans back to Ronnie, who is now staring straight ahead blankly, and cross eyed. He looks like he is staring into a magic eye painting . The ones that show the 3d image if you stare at them just right.

0:16 Mike explains that Deena “has a criminal record for rooster blocking and it is a serious offense, it will be on her record for 7 years” if that is true, (and I haven’t brushed up on crime sentencing lately) then Mike’s rooster blocking  will be on his record for approximately 700 life sentances.

0:17 Vinny makes the most ridiculous statement of the night when he tells Deena “next time I might like the girl, so don’t just come in the room and lift up the covers” this statement killed me, last year at the Jersey Shore, he slept with about 2,456 women, I guess he just hasn’t found the right one yet.

0:18 Vinny and Pauley are demanding an apology from Deena, they are clearly not happy about her actions.

0:18 Pauly explains that its time to pull a little prank on Deena. Vinny and Pauly decide that prank should be…………… moving her bed into the family room. Pauly happily shouts “That was the best day of my life” what can I say, Pauly is a simple man.

0:19 Jenny uses the word malicious when she sees Deena’s bed in the family room. There is a 0.00001% chance she knows what malicious means, nonetheless it is, by far, the most intelligent word ever used on the Jersey Shore.

Quick Sidebar: Sitch finds his haircut stylish. Can anybody figure out why this is? It looks like he has a grass divot on top of his head, and most of the time he has stars shaved on his head. Some things I will never understand, like complex physics and Sitchs haircut.

0:22 And we’re back, Deena is now having a panic attack. Jenny just carried the bed back inside her room by herself while Pauly and Vinny sit there in their beds, they look scared. She is clearly the second strongest person in the house.

0:24 Pauly tells Deena that he should have told her she was upset because, “sometimes my jokes are harsh” yea like that time you put Deena’s bed in the family room.

0:25 Sammy tells everyone to “kiss and makeup” they should listen to her, she is an expert on this subject.

0:29 Pauly, Deena, and Snookie are on their way to work, good times to follow for sure.

0:30 Snookie just had this interaction with a co-worker who speaks no English,

Co worker “el pasar” (he’s trying to get past her) I don’t speak English

Snookie “I know, I don’t know what the &$*# you’re saying anytime you talk to me”

Snookie is quickly making friends at work.

0:31 Ron is on the phone with a girl named Hanna, he is explaining to her that she needs to come out to visit him. Just wanted to refresh you, Ron and Sammi got back together last episode, ok?

0:34 Deena and Snookie attempt the always difficult “fit one midget and another slightly taller girl into an oversized garbage bag” the boss was not happy about this

0:35 Snookie and Deena decide that they are not “enjoying” work, so they do what any logical person would do when they are bored at work, they have somebody buy them wine and sneak off to the bathroom to drink it. I think this move has the ability to catch on.

0:38 Snookie and Deena get caught by their boss with the wine, the boss pours it down the drain and snookie says “that was alcohol abuse cuz I could have definitely drank that” she then exclaims that “this job sucks” MTV really dropped the ball on this one, why couldn’t they find Snookie a place to work where she can get drunk at the same time?

0:41 Ron and Sam go on a date

0:46 Vinny tells us that he likes trying to pick up women who speak Italian because “ they are a challenge” you have to love this guys determination, he never takes the easy road.

0:49 Ron and Sam are fighting. Ron leaves the club.

0:50 Sitch has this to say about the night, “ as usual I’m nabbin girls, more than one, I end up nabbin a girl for Pauly, two girls, two guys, sounds like a good time to me” I am the ONLY person who is 99.99% sure he is gay.

0:51 Ronnie goes on a rant about how he doesn’t put women on a pedestal (im really paraphrasing here, but what he said was way too romantic for me to repeat.

0:52 Sitch gets rooster blocked by the girl he brought for Pauly. If you paid close attention to the girls face that was with Sitch. She looked like she was just rescued from a prision camp.

0:53 Ronnie explains that he is about to go “Gully” on Mike. I am not sure what this means but based on the context clues and the fact that he took his jewelry and shirt off, we can only assume that he is going to challenge Sitch to a bodybulding contest.

0:54 Guess I was wrong about the bodybuilding contest cuz Ronnie just picked up the couch Sitch was snoozing on and flipped him off it. He might have just wanted to keep drinking with Sitch and was simply upset he was passing out on the couch, but I could be wrong here.

0:55 Man I was way off, Ronnie just told Sitch that he was going to “^#!* him up” there is still a small chance he was referring to beating him at a bodybuilding contest but it’s getting less likely by the minute.

0:56 Ronnie pulls a Kevin Hart by clapping his hands and yelling “It’s about to go down” I am now 60% certain this is not going to lead to the bodybuilding contest.

0:58 Sammi calls out Sitch for telling her that Ronnie told him he was going to bring home 5 girls the first night they were in Italy. Sitch can’t seem to remember sayin this for some reason even though they flashback to him sayin exactly what he is denying. I am afraid we might have to start calling Sitch, “The Amnesia” from here on out.

0:59 Hide the women and children! Ronnie has now resorted to his patented “remove all of my roommates possessions quickly and messily from the bedroom” maneuver that he perfected last season on Sammi’s possessions.

0:59 “The Amnesia” is now pleading with Ron that, “I don’t get involved your relationships ron, please don’t be irrational now ron” he then proceeds to Hulk out and start screaming at Ron that he doesn’t get involved in his relationship.

0:59 “The Amnesia” still has his shirt on so one can only guess the bodybuilding contest is not an option. “The Amnesia”  is now asking Ron to hit him, which is like asking Lindsey Lohan if she wants another beer.

0:59 Vinny, and Deena are seen running towards the bedroom, which has now been transformed into a UFC octagon. Thankfully Deena was smart enough to bring her tiny green stuffed animal with her. We can only assume that she is going to use this to try to break up the fight, but everyone knows you don’t bring a stuffed animal to a fistfight. Rookie mistake.

0:59 Ronnie then quickly jabs “The Amnesia” in the face, picks him up and bodyslams him into the side of the octagon. At this point the show ends, but through round one, I would have to give a slight edge in the fight to Ronnie.

Armed With New Contract Timmons Ready To Take The League By Storm

Lawrence Timmons, one of the Steelers starting inside linebackers, can sometimes get overshadowed on the field by the spotlights that usually shine on Troy Polamalu and James Harrison. Yesterday the Steelers proved that Timmons is just as dynamic a player as Polamalu and Harrison by signing him to a head spinning 6yr $50 million dollar deal that makes him the second highest paid middle linebacker in the NFL. Timmons new deal is just $1.33 million lower than the current highest paid middle line backer in the NFL, Jon Beason of the Carolina Panthers, who just signed a 6yr $51.33 million contract last month. Timmons new contract includes $18 million in bonuses and keeps the sublimely talented linebacker with the Steelers until the conclusion of the 2016 season. Timmons was scheduled to make 650k this year. That's quite the pay increase.

Timmons is a fantastic player and in a few years this new contract will likely seem like a bargain. Ask defensive coordinator Dick Lebeau what he thinks about Timmons, "The sky is the limit for him," Lebeau offers.

Timmons just turned 25 in May and is only entering his THIRD season as a starting linebacker. The guy is an athletic freak who can cover ground almost as quickly as Polamalu. Don't believe it? Ask any of the Steelers defenders.

Linebacker James Farrior had this to say yesterday about Timmons, "He reminds me a lot like Troy.He makes plays the way Troy makes plays, he closes on ball-carriers and receivers the way Troy does. He has a lot of those same instincts that Troy has. We kid him about it all the time, he can get back there and play safety if he wanted to."

Timmons doesn't get as much attention as a player like Polamalu or Harrison because his game isn't as flashy. He only recorded three sacks last year, but was leading the league in tackles at the midpoint of last season. He ended the season with 135 tackles (96 solo) and also forced and recovered two fumbles. Did I mention his two INT's as well?  His most eye popping stat from last year was, not surprisingly, an underrated one. He had nine passes defensed, to put that in perspective it was only 2 less than cornerback Ike Taylor who tied for the team lead and 2 more than free safety Ryan Clark. Clark and Taylor don't blitz anywhere close to the amount that Timmons does in Coach Lebeau's exotic defense.

Timmons feels that his sack totals will increase this year, "I feel like I can make more plays and make all parts of my game better," Timmons said. "As far as pass-rushing, I felt like I dropped the ball there because I felt like I missed quite a few sacks. I feel like I can help the team more with that this year."

Timmons went on to say, "I think my speed kind of works against me. The quarterback gives you a double move, and I run past him. I felt I could have had at least double-digit sacks last year because I had so many hurries. And those hurries turn into missed sacks pretty much."

Don't doubt that Timmons can do anything he sets his mind to, all you have to do is hear his teammates and coaches rave about the level of talent he possesses, Farrior said Timmons, "can be the best linebacker in the NFL.He's already the most athletic linebacker in the league right now."

James Harrison offered his opinion, "He's quick and explosive. He had a better understanding of the defense last year, and this year looks like he will be even better. It looks like he's getting faster and more explosive each year."

All reports out of camp reiterate what Harrison said, Timmons looks even better this year. Timmons is primed for a spectacular year, one that will create a spotlight all to himself.

Steelers Player Profile: Ryan Clark, Everyday Is a Great Day to be Alive!

Note: This will be a recurring section on The Confluence.

When you hear Pittsburgh Steelers, what words would you use to epitomize everything that the organization stands for? Hardworking, perseverance, loyal, caring. All of the words describe Ryan Clark, but one word may describe him better than any other, appreciative. Clark, like all of the Steelers defenders, loves playing for Dick Lebeau, when asked about the most important lesson Coach Lebeau has taught him, Clark quickly replies, "Everyday is a great day to be alive!"

However, there was a time when Ryan Clark didn't think he would be here, not the starting free safety and most underrated player on the best defense in the NFL. Not one of the most crucial pieces of the Steelers secondary. Not one of the hardest hitters in the NFL. Heck, there was a time Ryan Clark just wanted to be alive.

Flashback to Oct. 21st 2007 in Denver. The Steelers had just lost to the Denver Broncos, but Clark didn't feel right. He had previously played in Denver with the Washington Redskins and didn't feel right, but this was way beyond the normal aches and pains a player feels after a game. This was serious, Clark described the pain he felt that night, "If you were able to stick your hand inside your body and punch through your ribs, it would feel like it's trying to come out."


According to a 2009 article on ESPN.com by Greg Garber "Clark was born with sickle cell trait but had never experienced full-blown complications of the disease, in which healthy red blood cells turn sickle-shaped and compromise blood flow in and around the spleen. There are two factors, according to studies, that can cause this: extreme physical exertion and high altitude. Both were present in Denver, but no one understood the ramifications at the time. A week after returning home to Pittsburgh, Clark's condition worsened dramatically."


Amazingly enough Clark continued to practice and workout even though he would regularly spike a fever and be sent home. On one fateful night, laying in his bed freezing, but with an extremely high temperature, he actually felt that his life might end,"That was the only time through the whole process I thought I could die. I even said a prayer. I just asked the Lord to forgive me for anything, just asked his mercy upon my life because I thought that was it."


Clark's immediate thoughts were with his family, his wife and three kids,"You think about you've got a 7-year-old son," Clark said. "What's it going to be like without Dad? You think about your daughters. Who's going to walk them down the aisle? Who's going to take them on their first date, so they know how men should treat them? Who's going to marry my wife after I was gone?"


"The immediate crisis passed, however, and, despite spiking fevers and night sweats that drenched his pajamas, Clark tried to go to work each day. Even though he couldn't dress himself and needed a ride to the facility, doctors and coaches were optimistic he soon would play.


"When someone is telling you [that] you should be all right, all the tests check out, you want to feel OK," Clark said. "I'm training, fever is 102, 103. I'm lifting weights. I'm trying my best to walk around the field and people are saying things like, 'Oh, you should be ready Monday or Wednesday.'"


How did that make him feel?


"Angry. I felt like you're not going through this," Clark said of team doctors and coaches. "There's no way I can wake up every morning with a normal temperature, then by 2:30, 3, you have to send me home because I'm 103. I know that's not normal."



Clark would put on his clothes, look in the mirror, and didn't even know who he was looking at.

"That was another low point," the Steelers safety recalls, "looking into the mirror and seeing how small I was and just wondering will you ever be able to get back to a point where physically you can play the game. I did a lot of praying."


More from the Garber article on espn.com.


"After three weeks on the inactive list, the Steelers placed Clark on injured reserve. In December 2007, the Clarks reached out to Dr. Stanley Marks, a noted hematologist, at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Marks, who was in New York, suggested a Monday appointment.


"I remember Ryan's exact words were, 'Doc, I don't think I can make it until Monday,'" Yonka, Clark's wife, said. "Ryan went in on a Friday morning, and by noon they were calling, saying, 'We want you in the hospital.'"


The Clarks credit Dr. Marks with saving Ryan's life. Marks, through the Steelers, declined ESPN's request for an interview.


Clark's playing weight is 205, but when he entered the hospital he had lost 40 pounds There was Clark, laying in the hospital, wondering if he was going to survive, let alone play football ever again. Troy Polamalu, Clark's best friend on the team visited him."That was probably the most crying I did in the hospital, was when he came to see me," Clark said. "It was so much more than football for me and him. I hadn't cried, not one time ... he started crying, too."

In two surgeries, in the span of a month, doctors removed his ruined spleen and gallbladder. When Ryan started joking with the nurses and picking on the doctors, his wife knew he would recover. They cleared him to work out at the end of January and he traveled to Arizona to rebuild his dormant muscles.
"It was really awesome to see how he transformed when he started getting back in shape," Polamalu said. "This defense has been all about sacrifice, the way we throw our bodies around. Ryan's a prime example of that, obviously.""

After months and months of hard work and perseverance Clark was able to regain his muscle mass and get back to his playing weight. He returned for the 2008 regular season and looked like he didn't miss a beat.That season, Clark didn't just make a comeback, he returned looking as physical as ever. He had 113 tackles - second-most on the team - and some of them were bone-jarring hits. He flattened Giants wide receiver Steve Smith and New England's Wes Welker. Coach Tomlin addressed Ryan's battle during Super Bowl Week,

"What he has gone through in the last year is an inspiration that is bigger than the game of football," said Tomlin.

"Minus two organs and competing and playing at a high level, it really is a story about persevering and dealing with adversity and really it's a window of who he is as a person moreso than a football player.". 

That week ended with a victory in Super Bowl XLIII over the Arizona Cardinals. In the span of a little over a year, Clark went from the brink of death, to the top of the football world.

In November of 2009, Clark would have to face his health issue one more time, the Steelers had a Monday night game in Denver, Clark was cleared to play medically but Coach Tomlin had the final say about his availability for the game. It was a tough decision for Clark to make, he had this to say, “We’ll see. I’ve been cleared to play, everybody knows that, but it’s still a tough decision, Coach Tomlin briefed you on that, It’s still a tough decision, obviously in this game everyone gets a little ego, and I want to go there, not so much to beat the Broncos but because I’ve come full circle and I want to go there and play.”

Clark is not the kind of player to back down from a challenge but he said the decision was a family matter.

“My wife has been praying on it, she believes god brought us out of it,” Clark said. “But it would be hard for me to play if she didn’t want me to go play, the decision would be done. If she told me two weeks ago, or before the season, I wouldn’t be playing and having this conversation.”

He continued to elaborate.

“ It’s a tough decision to go home and tell your wife who has been worried for a year that you are going and it’s tough for me to tell the guys I don’t want to play even if I have been cleared,” Clark said. “This is a decision I am going to make with my family and obviously with coach Tomlin, he’s going to have the final say.”

His teammates weighed in on Clark's decision. Polamalu saw his good friend Clark at his worst in the hospital in 2007 and had this to say in regards to him playing in Denver again,"He almost lost his life the last time we played there, so it's kind of unfair to say I would or wouldn't [play] because I didn't undergo the torture and the suffering he had to go through," Polamalu said.

Hines Ward and other Steeler teammates all but said they wished he wouldn't play, "Whatever he decides, we're going to back him. But if it was me, personally, life is more precious than football," Ward said. "Any time you miss a game and don't feel injured, you want to play because that's one game you'll never get back. But you've got to look at the big picture. There's still a lot of football left and we'd rather have Ryan for the long haul rather than the short term."

Tomlin ultimately decided that Clark's health was more important and decided to have him sit out the game.

Flash forward to January 2011, the AFC championship game, the Steelers were trailing 21-7 early in the thrid quarter, when Clark decided to take over the game, causing a Ray Rice fumble and picking off a Joe Flacco pass shortly after. The Steelers turned those two turnovers into touchdowns. An Antonio Brown helmet catch later and the Steelers were on the way to another AFC Title Game. As is typical for most Steelers Clark was reluctant to take credit for his game changing plays, "It was good defense. The biggest thing was pressure, you started to see Kiesel, Harrison, and Woodley getting into the backfield. They call Flacco Joe Cool but any quarterback that has pressure like that is going to have to start forcing some balls and getting rid of it quickly."

One of the most feared hitters in the NFL (just search his name on YouTube) Clark plays the game with a passion and an very fierce edge. His hit on Willis McGahee in the 2008 AFC Championship game knocked both players out and sent McGahee to the hospital. Clark had this to say after the game in regards to the way he plays,"A lot of guys want to preserve their bodies. I guess I'm not smart enough and haven't figured that out yet. I don't want to hit anybody helmet to helmet. I don't want to knock myself out. I think I'm mildly attractive and slightly intelligent, and I'm trying to keep that."

Clark is a loyal teammate who is quick to come to the defense of his fellow teammates. When Ray Rice criticized Hines Ward for his alleged DUI (which has not been proven) Clark quickly responded to Rice in Ward's defense. He's the kind of guy you want in your corner when you go to battle. When asked to describe the vaunted Steeler D in one word, without missing a beat his response is, "Brothers."

You would think off the field he would be just as fierce as he is on the field. You couldn't be farther from the truth. Clark routinely signs autographs at Steeler camp as much, if not more than any other Steeler (it's hard to miss him with his cartoon backpack that his kids pick out for him every year). He even signs on game day.  He regularly interacts with fans on twitter, answering question after question, getting into discussions about his favorite TV shows or movies. He even offers fans tickets to Steeler home games via twitter. Clark clearly appreciates each and every single one of his fans. He is a breath of fresh air when a lot of athletes feel that interacting with fans on such a personal level is below them. Since recovering from his ordeal in Denver he has also been involved in Sickle Cell Disease awareness, research, and treatment. Ryan Clark sure does sound like somebody who appreciates every day that he is alive. He has been through enough in his life to truly know the meaning of the words, "Everyday is a great day to be alive!" 

Appreciative, that's Ryan Clark, someone who can take the simple gift of another day, because he knows better than most that tomorrow is never promised.

Steelers Lock Up Timmons For 5 More Years

According to espn's Adam Schefter, the Steelers have reached a 5yr contract extension with MLB Lawrence Timmons worth $50 millon. We will have more on this story later in the day.

Edit: The PG's Ed Bouchette is reporting the deal is 6yrs $50mil.

Say It Ain't So Sid!

Imagine that you have just won the powerball. What would you do with all of that money? Buy the house, cars, and hey, maybe even a sports team. The Islanders franchise is currently valued at $74.99, so that's ALWAYS an option. Now imagine that all of a sudden you had the house, cars, and every other possession you have ever wanted taken away from you in the blink of an eye. Just like that, you go from being on top of the world to the darkest of places.

Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby and Pens fans (to a much, much, much, lesser extent) could be looking at a scenario quite similar to winning the Powerball and then having it all taken away. Reports have surfaced again that Crosby is still experiencing symptoms from the tag-team of concussions he received in early January of this year.

CTV News , a Canadian TV station, reported Monday that Crosby suspended his training after suffering a recurrence of concussion-like symptoms and wouldn't be ready when the Penguins open training camp next month. A report his agent was quick to dismiss. Kind of.

"Sidney hasn't been shut down by anyone. He has simply adjusted his summer program accordingly to the different needs for the appropriate recovery," Crosby's agent Pat Brisson said in reply to the CTV News report. "Training camp is in three weeks from now. It is too premature to speculate all kinds of deliberate information at his point. Sidney will address the media at the appropriate time in order to give everyone an update. As far as I know training camp hasn't started yet."

Despite the fact that his statement doesn't make any sense from a grammatical perspective, Brisson's defensive and vague statements try to refute the speculation that Crosby has had to shut down his summer workouts, while at the same time not exactly dismissing the claims that his superstar client is actually still experiencing post concussion symptoms.

I am simply playing devils advocate here, but why wouldn't Crosby's agent just explain that his client is fine and will be in training camp when it opens. That would be the easiest way of calming the media storm that is surely to await Crosby when he gets to camp in a matter of weeks. I hate to be pessimistic here, but the fact that Brisson has been so dismissive, instead of just laying out the real truth, leads me to believe that something may actually still be wrong with Crosby.

Crosby's PR team is doing a good job getting in front of this story, as they should. If he was having symptoms they would never admit it anyway. They have nothing to gain from doing that. The question that is begging to be asked is this, what if the rumors are true? What if Crosby still can't train 100% without experiencing symptoms?

It will be an apocalyptic day for Pens fans if it is revealed that he is still having symptoms. We know all about the severity of concussions so I refuse to bore you will all of the meaningless statistics. I would much rather bore you with my incessant rambling. Crosby's head could probably be insured by Lloyd's of London (just like Troy's Polamalu's hair). Pens fans have been blessed ever since Mario was drafted. They have had the best player in the world on their roster for nearly two decades now. If Crosby is not right, that may no longer be the case.

With all due respect to Mario and the moronic winger who shall not be named (his last name starts with a
 j and ends in agr!) , nobody means more to the Pens than Sidney Crosby does as a player. Mario saved the franchise three times, once as a player, once as an owner, and once when he traded the moronic winger who shall not be named to the Capitals (that worked out well for the jagoff).

Crosby saved the franchise once, so if you are keeping score it is 3-1 Mario. However, Crosby/Ovenchicken are the NHL right now. As much as it pains me to admit this, Mario was able to operate under the shadow of Gretzky's huge presence for the majority of his career. He didn't even begin to step out of the shadow of Gretzky until the Canada Cup in '87 when he scored one of the three biggest goals in Canadian hockey history against the USSR. (Oh, by the way, if we are keeping score, Sid has one of the two goals in Canadian hockey history that is bigger than the aforementioned Lemieux goal)

The media spotlight has increased tenfold since Mario entered the league. Even though both Mario and Sid entered the NHL with astronomical expectations, Mario was afforded the luxury of coming into an NHL where players (including himself) smoked cigarettes in between periods. Mario also once said that his offseason training regimen was to "stop ordering french fries with my club sandwich in August."  The media, as well as professional sports in general, are a much different landscape now. Crosby gave his first interview at the age of seven. Since he was 14, he has been hailed as the next Gretzky/Lemieux. He was the Lebron James of hockey (lets just hope that Sid doesn't eventually decide to take his talents to South Canada). Quick sidebar: As soon as I found out the Pens won the draft lottery for the right to take Crosby #1 in 2005,  I called my dad and quickly spat out something to the effect of, "Dad, we need to split season tickets right now, you have no idea how good this Crosby kid is going to be!" He thought about it for a second and replied, "Sound's good, get the tickets." My dad trusts me when it comes to such things as hockey, but if I asked him for $1500 to invest, um...not so much.

The Penguins, their fans, and the NHL will never recover if Crosby fails to get back to 100%. He was absolutely terrorizing opposing defenses every night last year, scoring at a pace that was Lemieux like. In today's NHL, that is really saying something. He is the face of a league that sorely needs to make a more positive impression on the national media.

This can't happen right? One of the most talented players ever isn't supposed to have his career blindsided because of a concussion. Where is the justice in that? I would gladly take 10 more years of Crosby having to play with the Andy Hilbert's of the world, as long as he is healthy.

At the end of the day only Crosby knows how he feels. Pens fans have to wait a few more weeks until Crosby will speak with the media and HOPEFULLY put us all at ease. I refuse to believe that Crosby won't be ready for the start of the season, simply because I dread thinking about the ramifications of him not being healthy in early October. Until Crosby finally speaks, we should all hold our winning powerball tickets with a sense of trepidation.

No Pryor For The Steelers, No Surprise!

Various sources have confirmed that the Steelers have no interest in drafting Terrell Pryor during today's supplemental draft. This is not a shock at all considering that the Steelers already have a mobile QB in Dixon and even though Pryor has said that he would consider a change to WR the Steelers clearly do not have a need there. They have some of the most talented young WR's in the league in Wallace, Sanders, and Brown. The only reason they could have ever considered drafting Pryor was because he is a local kid.That would have been a dumb decision for Colbert and Co. to make, and, quite frankly the Steelers do not make dumb decisions in the front office (Limas Sweed excluded).

Edit: And of course, like clockwork, just as I was posting this the Raiders took Pryor in the 3rd round of the supplemental draft. That means they lose a third round pick next year for a player that might not even play his natural position. Somebody needs to wake up Al Davis from the 10 year coma he has been in.

Edit: It has actually been (jokingly) confirmed that Al Davis is being controlled by an XBOX 360 that thinks speed is the only attribute that matters in the NFL. Al has been dead for 20 years now and drafting players based on Madden statistics for just as long.

Pens Adams Undergoes Successful Appendectomy

Per the Pens website:

Penguins Forward Craig Adams Undergoes Successful Appendectomy

Monday, 08.22.2011 / 11:00 AM / News

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Craig Adams underwent successful laparoscopic
appendectomy surgery on Friday.

UPMC physician Dr. Jack McKeating performed the surgery in Pittsburgh.
Adams’ rehab is expected to take four weeks. He is expected to be ready
for training camp in September. 

As the article states, he should be fine and ready for camp in a few weeks.
Laparoscopic appendectomies are farily non invasive, except for the part
that it is completely invasive. Nonetheless he will be fine for camp barring
a setback. It is much more crucial for the Pens to have Adams in the lineup
 than it appears at first glance.  Adams is a key faceoff man and an integral part
to the Pens top ranked penaly kill. 

The Steel Curtain Welcomes You!

Welcome to my new blog: The Confluence. A brand new blog specifically dedicated to your Pittsburgh Steelers and Pittsburgh Penguins! I thank you for taking the time to check out the blog and just want to start off by explaining what we are going to be doing here. I'll be posting everyday with breaking news, analysis, and, of course, any player transactions and rumored deals. I'll also occasionally post entertainment items, like TV shows, movies, and mostly video games. I want this to be a very fan friendly blog where we can have a good time discussing our teams, have a few laughs, and possibly a good cry or two! This will be a very reader driven blog, I want your input and I want to know what kinds of things that you are interested in reading. I would also like any suggestions regarding the layout of the page. If there is anything you feel that can be done to make the page better, I am all ears. I encourage the use of the comments section below and I look forward to hearing from each and every one of you. Once again thanks for taking the time to check out my new blog and stay tuned in a few days for a preview of the Steelers game against the Atlanta Falcons.