Welcome to Paul Zeise’s weekly mailbag, where the Post-Gazette columnist and 93.7 The Fan radio host answers your questions about sports, life and everything in between. You can also chat Steelers with Paul at noon Thursdays. If you want to ask a question, tweet him @paulzeise or email him at pzeise@post-gazette.com.
Let’s get started:
Joe: Why does a certain subset of fans never want to blame Matt Murray when he plays poorly?
Paul: Penguins fans are very protective of their team. They just are. They also have a tendency to become defensive if they feel like someone is not giving proper respect to the team’s best players. I’d be OK with that except sometimes it spills over to members of the media, who are supposed to be at least a little bit objective. Either way, this latest dust up about Murray really was more about the fact that fans booed him and fake cheered for him. I think most people who are defending Murray will acknowledge he has played inconsistently, but he has played much better recently, so the timing of it was a little strange. Your larger point, though, is that there is a small group of Penguins fans who act as if they are the guardians of the team and the only ones permitted to comment about the team or hockey in general. They are quite amusing, actually.
Leslie: Why are you SO mean to our Steelers? I get it. We are getting older and there are way better teams out there, but really? Are you a Pittsburg guy or are you just a 'negative Nelly'?
Paul: Well, I know you are not a PITTSBURGH guy or gal because a true PITTSBURGH guy or gal knows how to spell PITTSBURGH. Look, I call it like I see it. If you want homers and confirmation bias, there are plenty of media members in this market who are more than willing to give it to you. I’ll never be that guy. I give the Steelers a lot of credit when they deserve it. I think they have had an excellent run. I just think it is probably coming to an end, that’s all. I also think at some point all teams get old or slow down. There will be time when the PITTSBURGH Steelers rise again, though, so just hold on and be patient.
RWeis: I couldn't agree more with your analysis of the Steelers. Do you think Matt Canada can help close some of the gap in talent and particularly coaching between the Steelers and the other top AFC teams?
Paul: I will be very intrigued to see what influence he has on the offense. I wonder if he will be able to infuse some life into it and add some creativity to both the run and pass games. His work with the quarterbacks will be very important, but if he doesn’t have influence on the offense, it is a waste of his talent. He is a very innovative offensive mind. I especially hope he gives the run game a boost.
Buhlockay, @HalfwayCrook86: Why does Mike Tomlin get a pass year-after-year... all because of his regular season W-L record?
Paul: I don’t know what that means. What does “getting a pass” mean? I don’t think he gets a pass. I think he has been scrutinized like any other coach. And yes, his win-loss record has been impressive, he has never had a losing season and he has won an AFC title twice. That earns him the benefit of the doubt, and it also earns him some extra time to get things right. He gets criticized plenty, though, and if he misses the playoffs again next season, I think he could start to find himself on the hot seat.
Win The Weekends, @WintheWeekend: What’s the Vegas win total for Steelers next year? 9.5?
Paul: Wait a minute, aren’t you a betting blog? Aren’t you supposed to be telling us the lines? I would say that 9.5 is a bit high. It won’t shock me if it starts at 8.5. I don’t think the expectations will be sky high for the Steelers even with Ben Roethlisberger coming back. That’s why 8.5 seems to be appropriate.
Matt: Do you really think the Titans need to upgrade at QB? Ryan Tannehill led the NFL in passer rating and played well in the postseason. It wasn’t his fault that they lost to Kansas City. He completed almost 68% for over 200 yds, with two touchdowns and no turnovers.
Paul: I don’t think that, they apparently think that. And there is talk about them going to get Tom Brady. I will say this: When the Titans fell behind Sunday against the Chiefs and needed him to bring them back, he couldn’t. So that’s why they may be thinking about an upgrade. If they have someone like Brady, maybe they can match touchdowns with the Chiefs. Their first item of business, though, is to sign Derrick Henry.
Carlo Gambino, @Gambino_166: What is your over/under for Pirates victories in 2020 ?
Paul: If they keep Starling Marte, then probably like 72 wins. If they don’t, it means more players will follow him out the door, and I’d say 65. This is going to be a brutal season.
Jeremy: Is this the most apathetic you've seen the fan base about the Pirates? It seems fans can't even get worked up about being angry anymore.
Paul: Yes. And that is amazing because this is a brand new ownership group and you’d think that people would be excited. But it is tough to get excited when your big offseason moves are to bring in catchers who are hitting less than .200.
Chad: If you could eliminate only one major sports All-Sta grame, which one would it be?
Paul: The Pro Bowl. And there isn’t a close second. That is absolutely awful to watch and a waste of time..
Jeff Glumac, @Gluie154: I know your struggles with depression and I hope you’re doing good, but what do you make of this Delonte West stuff?
Paul: It is the saddest story I’ve read in a long, long time. He has mental health issues, obviously, and the fact that there are videos of him on the street is sickening. It is heartbreaking to me, especially given what I’ve gone through and still go through in my life. I always say, “Oh but for the grace of God” when I see people with mental health issues that overtake them. It is a sad story and I hope that he gets help. The good thing is it sounds like the NBA and NBAPA and others are now going to reach out to help him. Mental health issues are real but treatable.
First Published: January 22, 2020, 4:40 p.m.
