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 about all sports 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:
Bobby: Why does it feel like the Steelers are rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. Why would they let Mike Hilton go? That dude was one of the few who made plays worth cheering for on defense. He and Nelson are part of what was our secondary rebuild. How the hell are we dismantling this and thinking it's gonna work out?
Zeise: I don’t know if it is that bad, but they have put a few more holes in their defense and I don’t understand why. I get why Bud Dupree is no longer here — they could not afford him and they knew it. But beyond him, there is no reason they couldn’t have figured out how to keep Hilton, Steven Nelson, Tyson Alualu or Vince Williams. They probably could have kept all four. I think there are still good players in place on that defense, but they hurt their depth. And I agree, Hilton was a playmaker. I think Cam Sutton will be fine at corner, but now they need to replace what Sutton did last year. I don’t like the moves they have made for a team that is supposed to be all in on winning the Super Bowl.
Marty: Is there any chance the Steelers could sign Antonio Brown or Le’Veon Bell on the cheap? I know both left on bad terms but I think they could patch things up and help the Steelers win.
Zeise: Ha ha ha ha ha ha. OK, come on man. This ship has sailed. Antonio Brown can still play on some level but he didn’t just burn bridges when he left ... he torched them and tried to burn down the house, as well. I can’t see any scenario where the Steelers want that circus back in town, regardless of how good he was when he was here. Bell is done. He is finished. He can’t play any more and his heart isn’t in it any more. Any contract he signs this year will be some owner making a donation to a charitable cause. He is stealing at this point. He should retire and go make bad rap records.
Jason M: When you look at all the moves the Steelers have made, isn’t it becoming clear they will draft a running back?
Zeise: I think running back is clearly one of the positions that is still a glaring need. I would say tight end, as well, but running back is clearly a place they need an upgrade. But they can get a really good running back in the second round. It really could still be a lineman, even though they signed Zack Banner, B.J. Finney and are floating the idea of signing Alejandro Villanueva.
Jerald: Will Cole Tucker finally make his mark and be the starting shortstop this year? If he doesn’t win the job this season will he ever considering all the Pirates have in their system at that position?
Zeise: Um, well, this question was thrown at me on Monday and the answer Wednesday is a resounding no. Tucker was optioned today, which means not only will he not be starting, he will not even be on the major league roster to start the season. That’s about as disappointing of news as the Pirates could throw at us. He is a first-round pick, a player who is supposed to be a future star and he is struggling to stay on the roster. And you are right, if he doesn’t fix his bat quickly, he may never be the guy at shortstop.
Lucas: Would you change the NHL's whole "loser point" system in overtime? If so, what would you do?
Zeise: Yes, it is stupid system and is especially dumb this year with every game being a division game. This one is simple — make overtime 10 minutes. You get three points for a regulation win. Two points for an overtime win and only one point for a shootout win. And you get one point for a shootout loss, as well. This would remove the incentive to “just get to overtime” to get at least a point. And it would make winning in overtime a huge advantage.
Alan: Didn’t JuJu Smith-Schuster essentially take less money this year for a long-term deal next year when Ben Roethlisberger is done? I like the deal and think the Steelers were smart to sign him.
Zeise: That’s pretty much what he is banking on. He is hoping he plays really well and when the salary cap jumps next year —and the Steelers subtract Roethlisberger’s money — he gets a big long-term deal and gets to stay here his whole career.
Track Jack: The Big Ten was billed as the best conference in college basketball this year. Has the NCAA Tournament exposed it as being overrated?
Zeise: I think there were a lot of good teams and that made the conference slate a meat grinder. But I don’t know that there were any elite teams, and I would include Michigan in that. I think the conference was tough top to bottom, just not elite at the top. And that’s why the teams have flamed out so badly in the NCAA tournament so far.
Ken: Do you really think Pitt can go 4-0 in their nonconference games? They always seem to lose at least one and my prediction will be the Tennessee game, even though Tennessee stinks.
Zeise: I do think they have a chance, but if they are going to lose one, it will be that one. Tennessee is in a big state of transition, but it is still an SEC team and it is at home. It could be a tough spot, but if Pitt is who we think they are, this is a game the Panthers will win.
Paul Zeise: pzeise@post-gazette.com; Twitter: @paulzeise
First Published: March 24, 2021, 6:21 p.m.
