The PM Team w/Poni & Mueller

An incredible weekend in Pittsburgh sports included a Pirates’ sweep of the Orioles at PNC Park and the Penguins waxing the floor with the Panthers on Saturday and Sunday at PPG Paints Arena. Which team are we more fired up for? The Pirates have won 5 straight games and the Penguins are staring at a playoff berth for the first time since 2022. Can the Penguins win a series if they get to the postseason? Even though there are 150+ games left in the baseball season, it feels like there is buzz around the Buccos. Are fans more excited for the Penguins or Pirates? HOCKEY TALK! One more goal for Elmer Soderblom wins Donny the bet over Poni. Can he do it?

FanGraphs currently has the Pirates projected to win the NL Central just over a week into the season. Is it too early to call? Yeah. Will the Cubs or Brewers figure it out? Probably. This Pirates team does feel like it has a different feel than some others that fizzled out in year’s past.

Donny Football Debrief – Joey Porter Jr said that people harp on his game a lot because of the penalties, but he hasn’t given up a touchdown in 3 years. He also called himself a top 5 corner in football.

We are less than 2.5 weeks away from the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh. Are the Steelers actually interested in Ty Simpson, or is that just a smokescreen? Would it make more sense for the Steelers to use a mid-round pick on Carson Beck? Beck has struggled when he hasn’t had clean pockets in the past. Poni thinks that it is a bad sign that Beck turns the ball over at a higher rate than most other prospects.

Mock of the Day. ESPN released a mock draft collaborated on by 4 of their biggest names. Mel Kiper has the Steelers taking Penn State’s Vega Ioane in round 1. Poni thinks that most Steelers fans would be

The Pirates swept the Orioles over the weekend and have now won 5 games in a row. Poni is surprised by how many people are more optimistic about the Pirates than they are the Penguins. Mullsy wants people to pump the brakes on the Pirates because we are only 9 games in. Is the Pirates rotation going to be a reason for major success this season? Oneil Cruz deserves credit for how well he has hit lefties to start the year.

An incredible weekend in Pittsburgh sports included a Pirates’ sweep of the Orioles at PNC Park and the Penguins waxing the floor with the Panthers on Saturday and Sunday at PPG Paints Arena. Which team are we more fired up for? The Pirates have won 5 straight games and the Penguins are staring at a playoff berth for the first time since 2022. Can the Penguins win a series if they get to the postseason? Even though there are 150+ games left in the baseball season, it feels like there is buzz around the Buccos.

It’s a great time to be a fan of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Konnor Griffin is with the Pirates and reportedly signing a large extension with the Bucs opening PNC Park for the 2026 season. Also, what happened at the NFL owner meetings?

PM Team FULL Show 4-2-26

Today has been a day of celebration. The Pirates have called up and signed Konnor Griffin to a 9-year extension. It’s a tough day for the cynics because the Buccos have done something they’ve never really done before. Fans lined up to give their thoughts on the Pirates’ handling of Konnor Griffin. Total Request Thursday.

BREAKING: Konnor Griffin and the Pirates have reportedly agreed to a 9-year deal worth $140M. What a day for the Pirates, their fans, and Griffin. Is this the dawn of a new era of Pirates baseball? Pirates fans sound off on Konnor Griffin signing his extension with the team. Bucco Minute – More reaction to the Pirates calling up and extending Konnor Griffin.

What should the expectation be for Konnor Griffin? Is it fair to compare him to names like Andrew McCutchen or Barry Bonds? You can argue that he is a better prospect than both of those players were. Griffin has drawn comparisons to some of the best young players in the game today – can he exceed their numbers? KDKA TV’s Bob Pompeani joined the show. Bob expects Konnor Griffin to be a very good player, but where can he rank among Pirates greats? Bob wants to see Griffin just show he belongs in the major leagues in his rookie season. The guys had Bob guess a few totals for Griffin in 2026. Bob said there are a lot of uncertainties with the teams in town, which makes it hard to decide the closest to a championship. He still likes the pitching the Pirates can bring to a playoff series. Pomp thinks Aaron Rodgers with protection can make the Steelers a serious contender. Can the Penguins handle the playoff pressure that looks to be ahead of them? Does Bob think Griffin will win any MVP awards while in Pittsburgh? Power Rankings – Anticipated Pirates debuts.

Konnor Griffin has been called up to the bigs. The top prospect in baseball will join the Pirates tomorrow as they get set for their home opener against the Orioles. Is this the right time? Is it hard to not be excited for this? Poni questioned the timing of this. Chris had the theory that it was all tied to his contract extension, which many believe is the next step, and it had nothing to do with what he did or didn’t do in spring training. How do Pirates fans feel about Konnor Griffin being called up less than a week after his Triple A debut? Pirates insider Jason Mackey joined the show. Jason wasn’t ready to commit to an extension being done between the Pirates and Konnor Griffin. He said Griffin got the call because it’s the right baseball move, after KG started out hitting .500 in Triple A. What is PPI and why is it so complicated? Jason said Griffin responded the way the Pirates were hoping for in his first (and only) week in Indianapolis. Tomorrow’s game is already sold out, so Jason doesn’t understand why people assume the team called Griffin up just to goose ticket sales. Who is the odd-man-out that gets sent down in correspondence to the Griffin promotion?

Today has been a day of celebration. The Pirates have called up and signed Konnor Griffin to a 9-year extension. It’s a tough day for the cynics because the Buccos have done something they’ve never really done before.

BREAKING: Konnor Griffin and the Pirates have reportedly agreed to a 9-year deal worth $140M. What a day for the Pirates, their fans, and Griffin. Is this the dawn of a new era of Pirates baseball?

KDKA TV’s Bob Pompeani joined the show. Bob expects Konnor Griffin to be a very good player, but where can he rank among Pirates greats? Bob wants to see Griffin just show he belongs in the major leagues in his rookie season. The guys had Bob guess a few totals for Griffin in 2026. Bob said there are a lot of uncertainties with the teams in town, which makes it hard to decide the closest to a championship. He still likes the pitching the Pirates can bring to a playoff series. Pomp thinks Aaron Rodgers with protection can make the Steelers a serious contender. Can the Penguins handle the playoff pressure that looks to be ahead of them? Does Bob think Griffin will win any MVP awards while in Pittsburgh?

Pirates insider Jason Mackey joined the show. Jason wasn’t ready to commit to an extension being done between the Pirates and Konnor Griffin. He said Griffin got the call because it’s the right baseball move, after KG started out hitting .500 in Triple A. What is PPI and why is it so complicated? Jason said Griffin responded the way the Pirates were hoping for in his first (and only) week in Indianapolis. Tomorrow’s game is already sold out, so Jason doesn’t understand why people assume the team called Griffin up just to goose ticket sales. Who is the odd-man-out that gets sent down in correspondence to the Griffin promotion?

Konnor Griffin has been called up to the bigs. The top prospect in baseball will join the Pirates tomorrow as they get set for their home opener against the Orioles. Is this the right time? Is it hard to not be excited for this? Poni questioned the timing of this. Chris had the theory that it was all tied to his contract extension, which many believe is the next step, and it had nothing to do with what he did or didn’t do in spring training.

PM Team FULL Show 4-1-26

Buster Olney shed some light on the latest in the contract negotiations going on with Konnor Griffin. The figure, according to Olney, looks like it could be close to the Corbin Carroll territory of 8 years for roughly $111M. Is it smart for Griffin to take that deal as a safety net that also allows him to hit free agency while he is still in his prime? We have seen plenty of players sign deals like this before they ever make their MLB debut. We heard from Paul Skenes following today’s win in Cincy.

Are fans ready to apologize to Oneil Cruz? After the debacle on Opening Day, Cruz has caught fire in Cincy – homering 3 times in back-to-back games. Jake Mangum was 0-5 today after he’s gotten praise in the last few days. More calls reacting to the Pirates win in Cincy. We heard from Don Kelly following the win. Donny Football Debrief – A few NFL content notes.

Mike Florio from Pro Football Talk joined the show. It was not an April Fools Day joke from Mike about the Broncos having interest in Aaron Rodgers. The Broncos have a way better chance of sending Rodgers out with a Super Bowl ring, but what if he’s the backup QB? Mike said Sean Payton is aware of the limited group of coaches that have won Super Bowls with 2 or more teams and he could see this as his best shot at locking in his Hall of Fame candidacy. Does Rodgers give the Broncos a better shot than Bo Nix? Mike said the more he talks to other people about it, the more he thinks it’s a possibility. Mike doesn’t think Rodgers will request a much higher price tag than he played for last season. Mike doesn’t under why the Steelers feel like Rodgers will announce his decision on draft night, hyping up the fanbase even more. The Pirates have taken the series in Cincy following an 8-3 win over the Reds. Back-to-back games with the same outcome and back-to-back games with Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz hitting homers. The Pirates are among the league leaders in team HR through 6 games. Bucco Minute – The Pirates are 3-3 coming home on Friday to open their schedule at PNC Park in 2026.

What are the best moves made by the Penguins over the course of the season? Poni thinks there are a definitive 3 that greatly impacted the season. Signing Anthony Mantha to a 1-year flier deal in a season in which he has scored 30 goals. His next one was the Egor Chinakhov trade that immediately paid off. The final one was the Tristan Jarry trade that ridded the Penguins of an awful contract and situation. The talk turned to the draft and how that could impact a potential Penguins playoff series at the same time. ALL ACCESS w/ Aditi – Is Ty Simpson bound for Pittsburgh? Aditi told the guys that Ben Roethlisberger believes Simpson to the Steelers would get booed by the fans. Aditi said she is ‘all in’ on the Steelers seeing what they have in Will Howard. Are people knocking Simpson because of himself or because of Dan Orlovsky? She doesn’t think the Steelers should be locked in on Simpson as we sit about 3 weeks away from the draft. Aditi feels like the Steelers are still favoring WR at 21st overall, but they will be considering best player available, no matter the position. The Steelers have a dozen picks this year, but will they use all of them? Aditi dove into the QB issues that have plagued the Steelers for 5 years now. 93.7 The Fan Sports Director Jeff Hathhorn joined the show. Jeff, the ultimate hustler of covering sports, said he would choose covering the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh over a Penguins first round playoff game. Jeff said, according to the NHL, they are not adjusting their playoff schedule even if it means the Penguins have a home playoff game the same night of the draft. The guys got Jeff’s reaction to the Penguins dominating their back-to-back against the Islanders and Red Wings. Is this team a lock to make the playoffs? The guys asked Jeff about the schedule quirk that has them facing the Panthers in home games on consecutive days over the weekend. Should Dan Muse get more consideration for the Coach of the Year award?

Buster Olney shed some light on the latest in the contract negotiations going on with Konnor Griffin. The figure, according to Olney, looks like it could be close to the Corbin Carroll territory of 8 years for roughly $111M. Is it smart for Griffin to take that deal as a safety net that also allows him to hit free agency while he is still in his prime? We have seen plenty of players sign deals like this before they ever make their MLB debut.

The Pirates have taken the series in Cincy following an 8-3 win over the Reds. Back-to-back games with the same outcome and back-to-back games with Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz hitting homers. The Pirates are among the league leaders in team HR through 6 games.

Mike Florio from Pro Football Talk joined the show. It was not an April Fools Day joke from Mike about the Broncos having interest in Aaron Rodgers. The Broncos have a way better chance of sending Rodgers out with a Super Bowl ring, but what if he’s the backup QB? Mike said Sean Payton is aware of the limited group of coaches that have won Super Bowls with 2 or more teams and he could see this as his best shot at locking in his Hall of Fame candidacy. Does Rodgers give the Broncos a better shot than Bo Nix? Mike said the more he talks to other people about it, the more he thinks it’s a possibility. Mike doesn’t think Rodgers will request a much higher price tag than he played for last season. Mike doesn’t under why the Steelers feel like Rodgers will announce his decision on draft night, hyping up the fanbase even more.

93.7 The Fan Sports Director Jeff Hathhorn joined the show. Jeff, the ultimate hustler of covering sports, said he would choose covering the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh over a Penguins first round playoff game. Jeff said, according to the NHL, they are not adjusting their playoff schedule even if it means the Penguins have a home playoff game the same night of the draft. The guys got Jeff’s reaction to the Penguins dominating their back-to-back against the Islanders and Red Wings. Is this team a lock to make the playoffs? The guys asked Jeff about the schedule quirk that has them facing the Panthers in home games on consecutive days over the weekend. Should Dan Muse get more consideration for the Coach of the Year award?

ALL ACCESS w/ Aditi – Is Ty Simpson bound for Pittsburgh? Aditi told the guys that Ben Roethlisberger believes Simpson to the Steelers would get booed by the fans. Aditi said she is ‘all in’ on the Steelers seeing what they have in Will Howard. Are people knocking Simpson because of himself or because of Dan Orlovsky? She doesn’t think the Steelers should be locked in on Simpson as we sit about 3 weeks away from the draft. Aditi feels like the Steelers are still favoring WR at 21st overall, but they will be considering best player available, no matter the position. The Steelers have a dozen picks this year, but will they use all of them? Aditi dove into the QB issues that have plagued the Steelers for 5 years now.

What are the best moves made by the Penguins over the course of the season? Poni thinks there are a definitive 3 that greatly impacted the season. Signing Anthony Mantha to a 1-year flier deal in a season in which he has scored 30 goals. His next one was the Egor Chinakhov trade that immediately paid off. The final one was the Tristan Jarry trade that ridded the Penguins of an awful contract and situation. The talk turned to the draft and how that could impact a potential Penguins playoff series at the same time.

PM Team FULL Show 3-31-26

The Pirates lineup is out for tonight after last night’s loss in Cincy. Are we going to see more Jared Triolo? It’s amazing how similar he is to Ke’Bryan Hayes. Are the Pirates already scrapping their plans a little bit with Triolo? The first game this season against a lefty featured Triolo at leadoff – now he’s not even in the lineup as they face another. Triolo has the 5th-best OPS through the first 4 games, but he doesn’t have the same body of work as the others. How much longer are we going to wait for Konnor Griffin? Poni said the rumored date is Memorial Day. How much of the Griffin situation should be on him opposed to what is happening in the majors? Fat Heads in South Side is closing its doors – Mullsy’s favorite place. Another sign that South Side is going downhill. Should the Pirates have traded Paul Skenes for a massive return last season? Donny Football Debrief – Some rule changes established around the NFL.

More love from Mike McCarthy to Will Howard today at the NFL Owner’s Meetings. Are the Steelers truly going to ride with this guy without ever seeing him in pro action? The guys think it’s very hard to give someone the keys if they have never driven a car. Howard has yet to show film, even in a preseason game, as the Steelers continue to talk this guy up. Would you say McCarthy ‘knows’ quarterbacks? Should his words about Howard have you excited? Do we have news on Broderick Jones? There seems to be real concern he bounces back from this. The percentage chance they pick up his option are likely zero. Is it possible to give Omar Khan an A in his first draft with Jones as his first pick, even though they got multiple good players after that? Mock of the Day – Ryan Wilson from CBS Sports has the Steelers drafting Jordyn Tyson 21st overall then trading back in to select Ty Simpson at the end of Round 1.

A dominant effort from the Penguins last night, beating the Islanders 8-3 on the road. The Pens are back home tonight as they continue their playoff push. There is now a big question the team faces in the offseason – what do they do with Anthony Mantha? He has 29 goals after a pair last night, but what kind of contract is he looking at? If the contract looks like $30M over 5 years, is there any chance he lives up to it? Is there any chance the Penguins can afford it? Should the Penguins pay Anthony Mantha? Which teams do the Penguins matchup with best in a potential postseason meeting? A few notes on local media members. Sports Court w/ our friends from Edgar Snyder & Associates. The guys asked Nick about the Tiger Woods situation and Tiger’s defense that he was ‘just looking at his phone’ before rolling his vehicle last Friday. Should we be worried about Bryan Reynolds or is it just another slow start for him? Nick thinks Danny Hurley should have gotten administered a technical foul for contacting an official after the game-winning shot for UConn the other day.

Fat Heads in South Side is closing its doors – Mullsy’s favorite place. Another sign that South Side is going downhill.

The Pirates lineup is out for tonight after last night’s loss in Cincy. Are we going to see more Jared Triolo? It’s amazing how similar he is to Ke’Bryan Hayes. Are the Pirates already scrapping their plans a little bit with Triolo? The first game this season against a lefty featured Triolo at leadoff – now he’s not even in the lineup as they face another. Triolo has the 5th-best OPS through the first 4 games, but he doesn’t have the same body of work as the others. How much longer are we going to wait for Konnor Griffin? Poni said the rumored date is Memorial Day. How much of the Griffin situation should be on him opposed to what is happening in the majors?

Mock of the Day – Ryan Wilson from CBS Sports has the Steelers drafting Jordyn Tyson 21st overall then trading back in to select Ty Simpson at the end of Round 1.

More love from Mike McCarthy to Will Howard today at the NFL Owner’s Meetings. Are the Steelers truly going to ride with this guy without ever seeing him in pro action? The guys think it’s very hard to give someone the keys if they have never driven a car. Howard has yet to show film, even in a preseason game, as the Steelers continue to talk this guy up. Would you say McCarthy ‘knows’ quarterbacks? Should his words about Howard have you excited?

Sports Court w/ our friends from Edgar Snyder & Associates. The guys asked Nick about the Tiger Woods situation and Tiger’s defense that he was ‘just looking at his phone’ before rolling his vehicle last Friday. Should we be worried about Bryan Reynolds or is it just another slow start for him? Nick thinks Danny Hurley should have gotten administered a technical foul for contacting an official after the game-winning shot for UConn the other day.

A dominant effort from the Penguins last night, beating the Islanders 8-3 on the road. The Pens are back home tonight as they continue their playoff push. There is now a big question the team faces in the offseason – what do they do with Anthony Mantha? He has 29 goals after a pair last night, but what kind of contract is he looking at? If the contract looks like $30M over 5 years, is there any chance he lives up to it? Is there any chance the Penguins can afford it?

PM Team FULL Show 3-30-26

The Pirates have their first divisional test tonight as they begin a 3-game series in Cincinnati. How bad were they against NL Central opponents in 2025? Andrew McCutchen hit his first HR with the Rangers yesterday in their win. And Konnor Griffin is raking so far in Indy. Is it too early to overreact to things happening around the organization? The return on investment has been great on Brandon Lowe and Ryan O’Hearn after 3 games. Are Pirates fans as pessimistic as they claim? The Athletic ran a poll that has Pittsburgh as the 13th most-optimistic market in baseball.

McCarthy’s Mouthfuls – Mike McCarthy talked to Steelers reporters recently. McCarthy said that he is very excited about this QB draft class, and is very open to adding one. Poni says that Mike McCarthy’s whole life in football is because of his QB evaluation skills. Mullsy thinks that McCarthy wants Garrett Nussmeier. The guys would all prefer to have Will Howard start than to draft a mid-round QB, for differing reasons. Callers chime in on Will Howard. Donny Football Debrief – The Browns proposed trading draft picks that are 5 years out, but withdrew the proposal because it got no traction.

Mike McCarthy was on the Pat McAfee show earlier today, and he raved about Aaron Rodgers. Poni thinks that a Rodgers deal will get done at some point. Charlie Batch said that Aaron Rodgers “outplayed his contract” this year with the Steelers, and that is why no deal has gotten done. Mullsy says that the Steelers should say goodbye to Aaron Rodgers if he wants a raise for next year. Callers chime in on the impending Aaron Rodgers situation. CBB Minute. UConn beat Duke to advance to the Final Four on one of the wildest finishes in recent memory. The guys grade all the radio calls of the crazy game winner.

The Pirates salvaged a game in the finale of the series to open the season against the Mets. The big story out of the weekend is the treatment of Oneil Cruz. Are people already being too hard on him? But why is he targeted over guys like Bryan Reynolds, who is off to another slow start? The Pirates broadcast called out Cruz for being lackadaisical on a catch that he made Saturday afternoon. Is it even worth trading Cruz at this point? Did the World Baseball Classic impact the play of Oneil Cruz in centerfield over the weekend? Is it fair to draw parallels to George Pickens? Calls on Cruz. HOCKEY TALK! Sidney Crosby is a game-time decision and Evgeni Malkin is out. Who is in net tonight? The nerds think the Penguins need 10 more points to qualify for the playoffs. Their next 3 games are not easy, but the final 6 games do ease up quite a bit.

The Pirates have their first divisional test tonight as they begin a 3-game series in Cincinnati. How bad were they against NL Central opponents in 2025? Andrew McCutchen hit his first HR with the Rangers yesterday in their win. And Konnor Griffin is raking so far in Indy. Is it too early to overreact to things happening around the organization? The return on investment has been great on Brandon Lowe and Ryan O’Hearn after 3 games.

Donny Football Debrief – The Browns proposed trading draft picks that are 5 years out, but withdrew the proposal because it got no traction.

McCarthy’s Mouthfuls – Mike McCarthy talked to Steelers reporters recently. McCarthy said that he is very excited about this QB draft class, and is very open to adding one. Poni says that Mike McCarthy’s whole life in football is because of his QB evaluation skills. Mullsy thinks that McCarthy wants Garrett Nussmeier. The guys would all prefer to have Will Howard start than to draft a mid-round QB, for differing reasons.

CBB Minute. UConn beat Duke to advance to the Final Four on one of the wildest finishes in recent memory. The guys grade all the radio calls of the crazy game winner.

Mike McCarthy was on the Pat McAfee show earlier today, and he raved about Aaron Rodgers. Poni thinks that a Rodgers deal will get done at some point. Charlie Batch said that Aaron Rodgers “outplayed his contract” this year with the Steelers, and that is why no deal has gotten done. Mullsy says that the Steelers should say goodbye to Aaron Rodgers if he wants a raise for next year.

Did the World Baseball Classic impact the play of Oneil Cruz in centerfield over the weekend? Is it fair to draw parallels to George Pickens?