The PM Team w/Poni & Mueller

Do you feel bad for Sidney Crosby? Is Crosby going to play in the 2030 Olympics? If this was his last chance, he could not win Gold. Poni says that he feels bad for Sid because he couldn't finish. I do not feel bad for him. This was a prime opportunity for the younger generation to get the job done while Crosby has already been there and done that. Mullsy agrees with Poni. Daryl, who wanted Sid to break his leg a week ago, calls in. He says he cares about Sid as a Penguin.

Pirates great AJ Burnett and new Bucco Brandon Lowe join the Fan, former Steeler Zach Banner defends Tomlin and Ben, and more!

2-20 PM Team Whole Show

2-20 PM Team 3pm Hour

2-20 PM Team 5pm Hour

Open Phone Friday

If the Pirates go 82-80, is it a good season? Mullsy does not think so. With the new additions and current best pitcher in baseball, they should aim for more than that. Mullsy needs 86 or more.

2-20 Mark Kaboly joins the PM Team in the studio

Who will have a better career: Marc Bugler or Will Howard, Brandon Lowe, and Fair Game with Nick Farabaugh

New Pirate second baseman Brandon Lowe joins the show! Does he have the Spring Training schedule memorized? He says that during his first Spring Training in professional ball, one player never made an out but was still sent to Low Single A. Konnor Griffin is turning some heads, Brandon says Griffin is handling the pressure like a 10 year veteran. He gave the two World Series home run balls that he hit to his dad. Who is harder to get a hit off of: Paul Skenes or Brandon's wife, who played softball at Maryland?

Curling is shuffleboard on ice. Marc Bulger is very interested in curling. He has a massive bet with Jared Allen about curling. Who will have a better NFL career: Bulger or Will Howard?

Team USA Gold or Pens playoff run, Pens fans chime in, and Poni is upset at Donny Football

The Donny Football Debrief. Poni is highly offended that he was not invited to Donny's Bachelor Party. I defend Donny for not inviting the guys. I think they're on the older side of things. Poni and Mueller say they would cover most of the bills, which I don't think Donny wanted them to do.

If you could only choose between a Penguins playoff appearance or a USA Gold Medal, which would you choose? Team Canada defeated Finland earlier to earn a berth in the Gold Medal game. This sets up a possible Team Canada vs Team USA Gold Medal showdown. Sidney Crosby sounds like he could play in the Gold Medal game. What should Penguins fans want more: Crosby winning Gold or a Penguins playoff berth for the first time in 3 seasons?

PM Team FULL Show 2-19-26

Is Aaron Rodgers done? Aditi told the guys yesterday that she is hearing something different than what everyone else is assuming – that Rodgers is done. And not just done with the Steelers, but done entirely. If Aditi is right, where does that leave the Steelers? If that is the case, it will be 6 different starting QBs in 6 seasons. Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo from the PG joined the show. Ray said the Steelers don’t have 100% assurance that Aaron Rodgers will be back. Ray doubts we will know this time next week, but he expects there to be an answer by free agency. Ray believes the Steelers absolutely have a backup plan if Rodgers retires or chooses to play elsewhere in 2026, but isn’t sure what it is. Ray confidently said Will Howard will not be the Steelers Week 1 starting QB. If Ray was in charge he would want to retool a little bit, but not completely tear things down. Total Request Thursday.

Paul Skenes said he can’t wait to represent the United States in the World Baseball Classic. Does that sit with us any different after seeing Sidney Crosby get hurt in the Olympics? An update on Sid – he is ‘unlikely’ to play in the semifinal game against Finland. Steve Palazzolo from the 33rd Team joined the show. Steve has no idea what is going on with Brandon Aiyuk, but he’s become the biggest mystery man in the NFL. Steve likes the other 49ers free agent WR, Jauan Jennings because he’s simply the more dependable player. Could the Steelers make AJ Brown work in their offense? Steve thinks the Steelers should be open to trading a late-round pick for Anthony Richardson because it’s another shot at franchise quarterback. Steve wanted to set the record straight that he didn’t trash Will Howard last week. Steve said there are bad elements of college football that are not preparing QBs for the pros. Donny Football Debrief – The Browns could be losing their entire offensive line due to free agency. We’re not sure if that has ever happened before.

Mike Wagner passed away last night. Is he on the Steelers all-time team? The guys debated. A few positions were tough to decide. KDKA TV’s Bob Pompeani joined the show. Bob sounded down in the dumps because was very close to losing a bet to Tyler Kennedy on the Olympics. Bob admitted to the guys that he doesn’t care for gravy. Bob remembered Mike Wagner, the former 70s Steelers safety that passed away last night. Bob gave some financial advice when it comes to young couples. Pomp told the guys he does not like doing projects around the house because he’s afraid he will mess things up. During the chat, Bob’s bet is back to life. Power Rankings – Pittsburgh sports ‘glue’ guys.

Is Sidney Crosby going to play tomorrow for Canada? Are you OK with that if it’s further risking injury and he possibly misses the rest of the Penguins season? The guys think it would be Sid trying to have his cake and eat it too after stating recently that winning a Stanley Cup means more than winning a gold medal. If that’s the case, he should not play in the remainder of the Olympics. Are fans cool with Sidney Crosby playing in the rest of the Olympics if it means he could hamper the rest of the Penguins season? Pirates insider Jason Mackey from the PG joined the show. Jason doesn’t have Konnor Griffin on his Opening Day roster projection, but said Griffin’s spring performance could easily change that. Jason doesn’t think the Pirates would be mad or upset if they had the easy call to play Griffin in Triple A to begin the season. More discussion as to what it will take for Griffin to break into the bigs immediately. Jason said Konnor isn’t boring like some athletes can be – Mike Trout, for example. Poni was stunned to hear that Bryan Reynolds will be the starter in left field despite his defensive lapses. Jason said it feels like they are shoehorning Ryan O’Hearn into the outfield when he’s more of a first baseman. Jason thinks Jared Triolo (3B) and Nick Gonzales (SS) will be the left side of their infield when the season begins.

Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo from the PG joined the show. Ray said the Steelers don’t have 100% assurance that Aaron Rodgers will be back. Ray doubts we will know this time next week, but he expects there to be an answer by free agency. Ray believes the Steelers absolutely have a backup plan if Rodgers retires or chooses to play elsewhere in 2026, but isn’t sure what it is. Ray confidently said Will Howard will not be the Steelers Week 1 starting QB. If Ray was in charge he would want to retool a little bit, but not completely tear things down.

Steve Palazzolo from the 33rd Team joined the show. Steve has no idea what is going on with Brandon Aiyuk, but he’s become the biggest mystery man in the NFL. Steve likes the other 49ers free agent WR, Jauan Jennings because he’s simply the more dependable player. Could the Steelers make AJ Brown work in their offense? Steve thinks the Steelers should be open to trading a late-round pick for Anthony Richardson because it’s another shot at franchise quarterback. Steve wanted to set the record straight that he didn’t trash Will Howard last week. Steve said there are bad elements of college football that are not preparing QBs for the pros.

KDKA TV’s Bob Pompeani joined the show. Bob sounded down in the dumps because was very close to losing a bet to Tyler Kennedy on the Olympics. Bob admitted to the guys that he doesn’t care for gravy. Bob remembered Mike Wagner, the former 70s Steelers safety that passed away last night. Bob gave some financial advice when it comes to young couples. Pomp told the guys he does not like doing projects around the house because he’s afraid he will mess things up. During the chat, Bob’s bet is back to life.

Mike Wagner passed away last night. Is he on the Steelers all-time team? The guys debated. A few positions were tough to decide.

Pirates insider Jason Mackey from the PG joined the show. Jason doesn’t have Konnor Griffin on his Opening Day roster projection, but said Griffin’s spring performance could easily change that. Jason doesn’t think the Pirates would be mad or upset if they had the easy call to play Griffin in Triple A to begin the season. More discussion as to what it will take for Griffin to break into the bigs immediately. Jason said Konnor isn’t boring like some athletes can be – Mike Trout, for example. Poni was stunned to hear that Bryan Reynolds will be the starter in left field despite his defensive lapses. Jason said it feels like they are shoehorning Ryan O’Hearn into the outfield when he’s more of a first baseman. Jason thinks Jared Triolo (3B) and Nick Gonzales (SS) will be the left side of their infield when the season begins.

Is Sidney Crosby going to play tomorrow for Canada? Are you OK with that if it’s further risking injury and he possibly misses the rest of the Penguins season? The guys think it would be Sid trying to have his cake and eat it too after stating recently that winning a Stanley Cup means more than winning a gold medal. If that’s the case, he should not play in the remainder of the Olympics.

PM Team FULL Show 2-18-26

A source told Poni that there is a Steelers player everyone expects to be back that won’t be. Who could it be? This comes on the heels of Aditi telling us that the chances of Aaron Rodgers coming back is ‘miniscule.’ We wondered who the player could be. Which one would truly be a ‘surprise’ if they didn’t return? Judge Donny – Does Ben Roethlisberger deserve credit for not firing back at Joey Porter Sr.? USA is in OT against Sweden. Do we have an update on Sidney Crosby?

A few NFL insiders believe CJ Stroud is available via trade. What will that cost? The Steelers have a dozen picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, which should have them open for business. Stroud is sour on people’s minds because he was horrible in the playoffs this year, even in the blowout win over the Steelers. He hasn’t gotten better since his rookie season, but it’s hard to not have any interest with a 24-year-old QB that has won a playoff game in all 3 seasons. One longtime Texans writer said he would stand naked at a busy intersection in Houston if the Texans trade Stroud. Things went very off the rails after that. ALL ACCESS w/ Aditi – Aditi said any NFL GM is going to look into any player that may be available in any given offseason, so the CJ Stroud story doesn’t have a ton of legs right now. Did Minnesota decide on Sam Darnold due to 2 bad games to end his season before signing in Seattle and winning a Super Bowl? Aditi said sometimes rookies catch the league by surprise, the way Stroud did in 2023. What is the Steelers’ ceiling if they decide to run it back with Aaron Rodgers in 2026? Aditi doesn’t buy into all of the belief that Rodgers will be back in Pittsburgh next season – going as far to say the chances are ‘miniscule.’ Aditi thinks there is a roughly equal chance that Malik Willis is the Steelers QB in comparison to Rodgers. Donny Football Debrief – Baldwin football has announced it will play an independent football schedule, leaving the WPIAL and a local coaching legend could be returning to his old sideline. And S/O Joe Grushecky.

Did we get an indication on what the Pirates are going to do with Konnor Griffin? It felt like Don Kelly gave a hint, in a recent interview with Shelby Cassessee, that Griffin could be looking at the first month of the season in Triple A. Do we all want him on the Opening Day roster? Griffin is 1 of their 9 best players, which should give him a role. If they had added another bat from someone on the left side of the infield, would that change your mind? Paul Skenes spent some time in Triple A, so would it be the worst thing if Griffin did the same? Kelly said it would be a ‘tough ask’ for Griffin to be here on Opening Day. The Tony Clark situation is… something. Mike Florio from Pro Football Talk joined the show. Mike had a quick reaction to the Tony Clark situation, even though that is baseball related. After Joey Porter spoke out about Ben Roethlisberger, the guys asked Mike if that would impact his Hall of Fame candidacy. Mike doesn’t think $40M for Malik Willis is outrageous at all because it’s only 66.6% of what the quarterback market is. Does anyone out there want Tyreek Hill? Mike thinks there are enough teams that can use him and enough that want him that would look passed the off-the-field issues and his injury. Mike said the Steelers drafting Ty Simpson would be the clearest sign that the team isn’t as giddy on Will Howard as they made it sound. He said their open love for Howard could be a way to move teams off the scent. After Sam Darnold won the Super Bowl, is it a requirement to have a superstar QB? Mike has never met Snoop Dogg despite being at several big events.

Sidney Crosby was injured today in the latest matchup for Canada, a 4-3 OT win over Czechia. Is it time for NHL players to sit out of the games again? If Crosby’s season is over, is any of this worth it? The players aren’t forced to participate in the Olympics. If Crosby ever decided to not play in the games, it wouldn’t alter his legacy whatsoever. What if Paul Skenes didn’t want to pitch in the World Baseball Classic? Chris thinks a plus-sized exhibition shouldn’t be the reason Crosby loses his season, and possibly his final Olympic games. Do people care about the Olympics? Caller thinks the Miracle on Ice wouldn’t be a big deal if a movie wasn’t made. Former Penguin Tyler Kennedy joined the show. TK reacted to the Sidney Crosby injury that took place in the Canada-Czechia game earlier. Tyler said a pep talk from Sid would not mean the injury isn’t serious. Tyler’s initial thought is that it will keep him out of the Olympics, but hopefully not a ton of Penguins games in the back half of the season. Tyler thinks there was a little maliciousness behind the hit from Radko Gudas that knocked Crosby out of the game. Tyler gave some insight on how much it means for Canadians to play in the Olympics or international games. TK isn’t convinced the United States get by Sweden later today.

A source told Poni that there is a Steelers player everyone expects to be back that won’t be. Who could it be? This comes on the heels of Aditi telling us that the chances of Aaron Rodgers coming back is ‘miniscule.’ We wondered who the player could be. Which one would truly be a ‘surprise’ if they didn’t return?

ALL ACCESS w/ Aditi – Aditi said any NFL GM is going to look into any player that may be available in any given offseason, so the CJ Stroud story doesn’t have a ton of legs right now. Did Minnesota decide on Sam Darnold due to 2 bad games to end his season before signing in Seattle and winning a Super Bowl? Aditi said sometimes rookies catch the league by surprise, the way Stroud did in 2023. What is the Steelers’ ceiling if they decide to run it back with Aaron Rodgers in 2026? Aditi doesn’t buy into all of the belief that Rodgers will be back in Pittsburgh next season – going as far to say the chances are ‘miniscule.’ Aditi thinks there is a roughly equal chance that Malik Willis is the Steelers QB in comparison to Rodgers.

A few NFL insiders believe CJ Stroud is available via trade. What will that cost? The Steelers have a dozen picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, which should have them open for business. Stroud is sour on people’s minds because he was horrible in the playoffs this year, even in the blowout win over the Steelers. He hasn’t gotten better since his rookie season, but it’s hard to not have any interest with a 24-year-old QB that has won a playoff game in all 3 seasons. One longtime Texans writer said he would stand naked at a busy intersection in Houston if the Texans trade Stroud.

Mike Florio from Pro Football Talk joined the show. Mike had a quick reaction to the Tony Clark situation, even though that is baseball related. After Joey Porter spoke out about Ben Roethlisberger, the guys asked Mike if that would impact his Hall of Fame candidacy. Mike doesn’t think $40M for Malik Willis is outrageous at all because it’s only 66.6% of what the quarterback market is. Does anyone out there want Tyreek Hill? Mike thinks there are enough teams that can use him and enough that want him that would look passed the off-the-field issues and his injury. Mike said the Steelers drafting Ty Simpson would be the clearest sign that the team isn’t as giddy on Will Howard as they made it sound. He said their open love for Howard could be a way to move teams off the scent. After Sam Darnold won the Super Bowl, is it a requirement to have a superstar QB? Mike has never met Snoop Dogg despite being at several big events.

Did we get an indication on what the Pirates are going to do with Konnor Griffin? It felt like Don Kelly gave a hint, in a recent interview with Shelby Cassessee, that Griffin could be looking at the first month of the season in Triple A. Do we all want him on the Opening Day roster? Griffin is 1 of their 9 best players, which should give him a role. If they had added another bat from someone on the left side of the infield, would that change your mind? Paul Skenes spent some time in Triple A, so would it be the worst thing if Griffin did the same? Kelly said it would be a ‘tough ask’ for Griffin to be here on Opening Day.

Former Penguin Tyler Kennedy joined the show. TK reacted to the Sidney Crosby injury that took place in the Canada-Czechia game earlier. Tyler said a pep talk from Sid would not mean the injury isn’t serious. Tyler’s initial thought is that it will keep him out of the Olympics, but hopefully not a ton of Penguins games in the back half of the season. Tyler thinks there was a little maliciousness behind the hit from Radko Gudas that knocked Crosby out of the game. Tyler gave some insight on how much it means for Canadians to play in the Olympics or international games. TK isn’t convinced the United States get by Sweden later today.

Sidney Crosby was injured today in the latest matchup for Canada, a 4-3 OT win over Czechia. Is it time for NHL players to sit out of the games again? If Crosby’s season is over, is any of this worth it? The players aren’t forced to participate in the Olympics. If Crosby ever decided to not play in the games, it wouldn’t alter his legacy whatsoever. What if Paul Skenes didn’t want to pitch in the World Baseball Classic? Chris thinks a plus-sized exhibition shouldn’t be the reason Crosby loses his season, and possibly his final Olympic games.

PM Team FULL Show 2-17-26

There is more optimism around the Pirates than there has been in roughly a decade. We have seen them make some moves between now and then, but going into the season, the team has the reigning Cy Young winner, the top prospect in all of baseball and added nearly 70 home runs this offseason. Chris thinks even the most pessimistic of fans have to acknowledge that the Pirates are better, at least on paper, than they have been in the last several seasons. Chris wants to see a massive jump after the team won just 71 games in 2025. It got better under Don Kelly, but they still weren’t a .500 team under his watch. Would it be a disappointment if they don’t make the playoffs? The potential work stoppage in 2027 should be scary. Chris won’t be satisfied with a .500 season – he wants a playoff berth. What is an acceptable season for the 2026 Pirates? More calls on the Buccos. Is optimism high?

Field Yates is one of the draft experts with Ty Simpson going to the Steelers 21st overall in his early mock drafts. Can the Steelers turn him into a franchise QB? Is he a force multiplier to an NFL offense? But do you need that in the NFL anymore? The last 2 QBs to win Super Bowls are Sam Darnold and Jalen Hurts – neither of which are considered upper echelon. It’s fair to point out that the rosters in Seattle and Philly were so dominant otherwise, it didn’t matter a ton. The Steelers roster isn’t there yet. Does it make sense to take a flier or give Will Howard the shot we are all talking about? NFL Draft analyst Ryan Wilson from CBS Sports joined the show. Does Ryan think it would make sense for the Steelers to go QB in the 1st round? Ryan said Ty Simpson has tools of a legitimate night one player, but the end of his season will scare some teams away. Ryan ultimately feels like there’s a good chance Simpson goes in the 1st round. Ryan went through a few positions that are deep and how deep of the class is overall. Donny Football Debrief – ESPN predicts a former WPIAL star will return to Pittsburgh.

Oneil Cruz was a disappointing player in 2025, but was it one of false hope? Early on, it looked like Cruz had figured things out, showing off a .902 OPS across March and April. May was OK, but things really tailed off as we got into the summer months. He only hit 8 home runs in the final 4 months of the season. Is he the forgotten man in the Pirates lineup? The front office went out and signed 69 home runs worth of power this offseason and the organization touts the #1 prospect in all of baseball, Konnor Griffin. Does that ease the pressure for Cruz? Everything also orbits around Paul Skenes, the reigning NL Cy Young. The existence of the new bats, Griffin and Skenes takes some off Cruz’s shoulders. What will the Pirates lineup look like? Is it getting late early for Cruz or is he entering his hypothetical prime? Cruz was flailing and failing in the back half of 2025, so it feels like things can only go up. Chris is afraid to say Cruz will finally blossom, but he can be the biggest pivot point for the 2026 Pirates. Do fans have different expectations for Oneil Cruz in 2026? Which player is worthier of the HOF – Dave Parker or Andrew McCutchen? Parker is already in, but Chris thinks neither guy should be in there. He labeled both as ‘Hall of Very Good’ players. Chris said Juan Soto is already in if Parker is in.

Chris is tired of hearing about the ongoing beef among former Steelers. It was all started with Joey Porter taking a massive shot at Ben Roethlisberger while also sneaking one in on James Harrison in the process. Ben has yet to respond, but Deebo responded yesterday. This is all podcast fodder. The irony is that fans claim to us that the players just want to play, but it’s players that are keeping this news cycle going. We speculated which podcast will get going about it next. Maybe Ryan Clark will get all of these guys together for an episode of The Pivot. Do fans care if former Steelers all get along? Sports Court w/ our friends from Edgar Snyder & Associates. Today, Chris asked Nick and Rob about the NFL vs NFLPA battle in regards to the ‘report cards’ that have been made public over the last few years. What are the consequences here and could the players fight back to make the reports public again? Tony Clark resigned from his lead role for the players in Major League Baseball as the league quickly approaches a potential work stoppage. Was there more behind him quitting? Will this lead to a salary cap and salary floor in baseball?

There is more optimism around the Pirates than there has been in roughly a decade. We have seen them make some moves between now and then, but going into the season, the team has the reigning Cy Young winner, the top prospect in all of baseball and added nearly 70 home runs this offseason. Chris thinks even the most pessimistic of fans have to acknowledge that the Pirates are better, at least on paper, than they have been in the last several seasons. Chris wants to see a massive jump after the team won just 71 games in 2025. It got better under Don Kelly, but they still weren’t a .500 team under his watch. Would it be a disappointment if they don’t make the playoffs? The potential work stoppage in 2027 should be scary. Chris won’t be satisfied with a .500 season – he wants a playoff berth.

NFL Draft analyst Ryan Wilson from CBS Sports joined the show. Does Ryan think it would make sense for the Steelers to go QB in the 1st round? Ryan said Ty Simpson has tools of a legitimate night one player, but the end of his season will scare some teams away. Ryan ultimately feels like there’s a good chance Simpson goes in the 1st round. Ryan went through a few positions that are deep and how deep of the class is overall.

Field Yates is one of the draft experts with Ty Simpson going to the Steelers 21st overall in his early mock drafts. Can the Steelers turn him into a franchise QB? Is he a force multiplier to an NFL offense? But do you need that in the NFL anymore? The last 2 QBs to win Super Bowls are Sam Darnold and Jalen Hurts – neither of which are considered upper echelon. It’s fair to point out that the rosters in Seattle and Philly were so dominant otherwise, it didn’t matter a ton. The Steelers roster isn’t there yet. Does it make sense to take a flier or give Will Howard the shot we are all talking about?

Which player is worthier of the HOF – Dave Parker or Andrew McCutchen? Parker is already in, but Chris thinks neither guy should be in there. He labeled both as ‘Hall of Very Good’ players. Chris said Juan Soto is already in if Parker is in.

Oneil Cruz was a disappointing player in 2025, but was it one of false hope? Early on, it looked like Cruz had figured things out, showing off a .902 OPS across March and April. May was OK, but things really tailed off as we got into the summer months. He only hit 8 home runs in the final 4 months of the season. Is he the forgotten man in the Pirates lineup? The front office went out and signed 69 home runs worth of power this offseason and the organization touts the #1 prospect in all of baseball, Konnor Griffin. Does that ease the pressure for Cruz? Everything also orbits around Paul Skenes, the reigning NL Cy Young. The existence of the new bats, Griffin and Skenes takes some off Cruz’s shoulders. What will the Pirates lineup look like? Is it getting late early for Cruz or is he entering his hypothetical prime? Cruz was flailing and failing in the back half of 2025, so it feels like things can only go up. Chris is afraid to say Cruz will finally blossom, but he can be the biggest pivot point for the 2026 Pirates.

Sports Court w/ our friends from Edgar Snyder & Associates. Today, Chris asked Nick and Rob about the NFL vs NFLPA battle in regards to the ‘report cards’ that have been made public over the last few years. What are the consequences here and could the players fight back to make the reports public again? Tony Clark resigned from his lead role for the players in Major League Baseball as the league quickly approaches a potential work stoppage. Was there more behind him quitting? Will this lead to a salary cap and salary floor in baseball?

Chris is tired of hearing about the ongoing beef among former Steelers. It was all started with Joey Porter taking a massive shot at Ben Roethlisberger while also sneaking one in on James Harrison in the process. Ben has yet to respond, but Deebo responded yesterday. This is all podcast fodder. The irony is that fans claim to us that the players just want to play, but it’s players that are keeping this news cycle going. We speculated which podcast will get going about it next. Maybe Ryan Clark will get all of these guys together for an episode of The Pivot.

President's Day Full Show PM Team