Post-Gazette Sports Network: Pittsburgh Steelers, Pirates, Penguins and more

On their weekly Thursday podcast, host Adam Bittner and Post-Gazette sports columnist Jason Mackey react to a busy week in Pittsburgh sports news. Are the Steelers rebuilding, as PG colleague Ray Fittipaldo has argued? Are Mike Tomlin and his coaching staff simply failing with a roster that's built to win? How should the answer to the rebuilding question inform their decision at QB between options...

On their weekly Pirates mailbag video, Post-Gazette insiders Noah Hiles and Andrew Destin answer reader questions, including: What was the timing of Spencer Horwitz's wrist injury? Did Ben Cherington know about it when he traded for Horwitz over the offseason? Who will be manning first base in Horwitz's absence — Endy Rodriguez, Billy Cook, Bryan Reynolds? What will be the Pirates' record in Paul...

Post-Gazette sports columnist Paul Zeise reacts to the day in Pittsburgh sports news live around 5 p.m. Eastern. Did GM Omar Khan and coach Mike Tomlin miss an opportunity to add an innovative young coach to OC Arthur Smith's staff, now that former Houston Texans OC Bobby Slowik has joined the Miami Dolphins? And what should we make of coaching hires across the NFL, now that former Philadelphia Ea...

Post-Gazette Pirates insiders Andrew Destin and Noah Hiles report from the first day of spring training in Bradenton, Fla. What's the latest on 1B Spencer Horwitz's injury from GM Ben Cherington? And what kind of shadow does it cast on the club's already meager efforts in MLB free agency and the trade market? How is Ke'Bryan Hayes' recovery coming along after back issues caused him to miss the end...

On the Wednesday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by Edgar Snyder & Associates, host Christopher Carter welcomes Post-Gazette Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo to react to news that coach Mike Tomlin has made a change at DBs coach, with Gerald Alexander replacing Grady Brown. Will the move help the team get more out of players like Joey Porter Jr., Minkah Fitzpatrick, Cory Tri...

Post-Gazette Pirates insiders Noah Hiles and Andrew Destin preview spring training for the club, which begins Wednesday in Bradenton, Fla. Will Paul Skenes maintain momentum into his sophomore season after winning rookie of the year honors in 2024? Will Ben Cherington make any more moves to add to a meager free agent class that included Andrew McCutchen, Adam Frazier and Tommy Pham? Will Ke'Bryan...

Post-Gazette sports columnist Paul Zeise reacts to the day in Pittsburgh sports news live around 5 p.m. Eastern. Should Steelers GM Omar Khan look to trade for 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel, amid reports that San Francisco is exploring its options with him? Or will the cost be too high, as it was with Brandon Aiyuk last summer? Is keeping offensive line coach Pat Meyer the right move? Or should coac...

On their weekly Pitt basketball mailbag video, Post-Gazette insiders Christopher Carter and Stephen Thompson answer reader questions. Among them: Who will coach Jeff Capel turn to for minutes after the Damian Dunn injury? And how will they supplement the core of Jaland Lowe, Ishmael Leggett and Zach Austin? Do the Panthers still have a chance to make the NCAA tournament as an at-large team amid th...

On his weekly Chipped Ham & Football podcast, Post-Gazette Steelers insider Brian Batko welcomes former Pitt football standout Tre Tipton to react to Kenny Pickett's Super Bowl victory with the Eagles. Does Pickett get too much hate from Pittsburgh fans for the way his tenure ended here, with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields taking over QB duties? Is Pittsburgh generally a tough city for athle...

Post-Gazette sports columnist Paul Zeise reacts to the day in Pittsburgh sports news live around 5 p.m. Eastern, with a specific focus on the Philadelphia Eagles' Super Bowl victory over Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. Did former GM Kevin Colbert, current GM Omar Khan and coach Mike Tomlin make mistakes in passing on key pieces of the Eagles' championship in the NFL draft? Selecting na...

On the Monday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by Edgar Snyder & Associates, host Adam Bittner welcomes Post-Gazette Steelers insider Brian Batko to react to the Eagles' Super Bowl victory against the Chiefs through a Pittsburgh prism. What lessons should coach Mike Tomlin and OC Arthur Smith learn from the Eagles' success? Does the victory validate the Steelers' emphasis on...

On their weekly Steelers NFL mock draft tracker video, host Adam Bittner welcomes Post-Gazette Steelers insider welcomes Ray Fittipaldo to analyze this week's picks for the team from various national pundits. How big is the team's need at CB? With Joey Porter Jr. as their only proven commodity and names like Beanie Bishop and Cory Trice Jr in depth roles? Should coach Mike Tomlin and GM Omar Khan...

On his news Saturday podcast, Post-Gazette sports columnist Jason Mackey welcomes long-time PG scribe Bob Smizik to tackle and array of Pittsburgh sports topics, starting with his favorite memories of covering Super Bowls past. What was it like covering those games as a reporter and columnist? What moments stuck out? And what are Bob's thoughts on this year's game between the Patrick Mahomes and t...

Post-Gazette spots columnist Paul Zeise reacts to the day in Pittsburgh sports news live around 5 p.m. Eastern. How will the Steelers' 1970s dynasty -- featuring legendary names like Mean Joe Greene, Jack Lambert, Terry Bradshaw and Franco Harris -- compare to what Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs have done this decade if the Chiefs are able to beat the Philadelphia Eagles...

On the Friday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by Edgar Snyder & Associates, host Adam Bittner welcomes Post-Gazette Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo to analyze the team's offensive line heading into the NFL offseason. How much pressure is on Broderick Jones to perform to his potential in 2025? What skills must he master to get there? And is he a viable long-term piece of the...

Post-Gazette sports columnist Paul Zeise reacts to the day in Pittsburgh sports news live around 5 p.m. Eastern. Did Cowboys star Micah Parsons disrespect the Steelers' T.J. Watt by leaving him out of his top pass rushers list for a second-straight season in a Super Bowl week podcast appearance? Is Watt really less valuable that Parsons or the Cleveland Browns' Myles Garrett because he plays on po...

Host Adam Bittner and Post-Gazette sports columnist Jason Mackey react to Kenny Pickett's comments about his time with the Steelers at the Super Bowl. Did GM Omar Khan, coach Mike Tomlin make a mistake in moving on from their former first-round pick at QB after just two years? Now that he'll be one snap away from playing in the biggest game of the season for the Eagles against Patrick Mahomes and...

Post-Gazette sports columnist Paul Zeise reacts to the day in Pittsburgh sports news live around 5 p.m. Eastern. He responds to viral criticism by former Patriots receiver Julian Edelman -- echoed by former QB Ben Roethlisberger -- that the Steelers' defense is too predictable. Do the two men have a point? What could or should Mike Tomlin and DC Teryl Austin change about their process on that side...

On the Wednesday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by Edgar Snyder & Associates, host Christopher Carter welcomes Post-Gazette Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo to react to colleague Gerry Dulac's report about friction between OC Arthur Smith and QB Russell Wilson this past season. Why didn't Smith want Wilson changing plays at the line of scrimmage? Could their friction preven...

Post-Gazette sports columnist Paul Zeise reacts to the day in Pittsburgh sports news live around 5 p.m. Eastern. Specifically, he gives his thoughts on news that Rams receiver Cooper Kupp expects to be traded this offseason. Should Steelers GM Omar Khan and coach Mike Tomlin look to add him to the team's receiver corps? How would he fit with what Arthur Smith's offense already has in George Picken...

On the weekly Chipped Ham & Football podcast, host Adam Bittner welcomes Ed Bouchette, former Steelers insider for the Post-Gazette and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, to react to the team's 2024 season and where it goes from here. Is Mike Tomlin closer to a messy exit like Chuck Noll? Or a Super Bowl-winning revival like Bill Cowher? How would Dan Rooney have handled the team's cur...

Post-Gazette sports columnist Paul Zeise reacts to the day in Pittsburgh sports news live around 5 p.m. Eastern. What should we make of Russell Wilson's comments at the Pro Bowl over the weekend, in which he expressed a preference to remain with the Steelers in NFL free agency instead of possibly reuniting with former Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll via the Las Vegas Raiders? Does it matter wh...

On the Monday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by Edgar Snyder & Associates, host Christopher Carter and Post-Gazette Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo react to news that Aaron Curry will not return as Steelers ILBs coach. Is this an opportunity for GM Omar Khan and coach Mike Tomlin to shake up the defensive staff under DC Teryl Austin? Could former New England Patriots coach...

On their weekly Steelers NFL mock draft tracker podcast, host Adam Bittner and Post-Gazette Steelers insider Brian Batko react to the week in projected picks for coach Mike Tomlin's team. Does receiver make sense as the top early position for GM Omar Khan to target? Has the franchise lost its touch in grabbing future stars at the position in the later rounds? With George Pickens, Diontae Johnson,...

On his new Saturday podcast, Post-Gazette sports columnist Jason Mackey welcomes longtime Pittsburgh sports broadcast and current Pirates public address announcer Guy Junker to tackle a range of topics. They start with fan frustration surrounding the Steelers. Is it at an all-time high after eight years without an NFL playoffs win? Has owner Art Rooney II's philosophy worn thin with his hardcore c...