“So let me get this straight. You just woke up and decided to drive to Pittsburgh, from Cincinnati, for a Pirates game?” asked the man sitting next to me at PNC Park Saturday.

“Pretty much,” I said.

To which he just shook his head incredulously.

Looking back, I guess it might seem a little absurd to just get up and go with no planning, at least to any normal person. But it could have been even crazier.

The Recap

When I woke up Saturday morning around 9:30 a.m., my wife, Jenn, looked over and said, “Let’s go to Chicago.” Not wanting to discuss such a ridiculous notion, I called her bluff.

“Why stop there? Let’s just go right up to Milwaukee and catch the Reds game. We can hit Chicago for lunch on the way home Sunday.” Then I got up and took a shower thinking that was the end of it.

I was wrong. Jenn was seriously considering my suggestion. After further consideration, we decided that Milwaukee was just a bit too far for a weekend jaunt. But now my interest was piqued, so I offered up the possibility of going to Pittsburgh or Detroit for a game.

As it turned out, Pittsburgh was at home and the game started at 4:10 p.m. We did some quick calculating and determined that if we left by 10:30 a.m. we might just make it in time. She showered and we left. I was 10:40 a.m.

Using the speed limit as mere suggestion, we blitzed our way through Ohio and into Pennsylvania. Jenn used hotwire.com to book a hotel as we drove and fate rewarded us for our impromptu rendezvous. We got a room at the Westin, one block from two of our favorite places in Pittsburgh, Seviche and The Sharp Edge. By the time we parked, unpacked and left the room it was 3:40 p.m.

We hailed a cab and hit the stadium ten minutes later and immediately sought out the ticket booth. As we were standing in line, a man approached us and asked if we needed tickets.

“How much?” I asked.

“There’s no cost,” he replied.

“What’s the catch?”

“You have to sit next to me,” and he handed us the tickets and walked off toward the stadium gates.

Two tickets for seats in the middle deck, third base side. Free. We need to buy that guy a beer.

But first it was off to the stadium souvenir shop to get my obligatory ball cap, followed by a quest for food and Yuengling. We finally made it to our seats at 4:20 p.m., only three batters into the top of the first. Mission accomplished.

The Twist

As it turns out, the man offering us free tickets was a call-in talk show host for Pittsburgh’s KDKA radio station, Robert Mangino. Since I used to work for the radio broadcaster Paul Harvey, we ended up having a lot to talk about. So if you’re reading this Mr. Mangino, thanks not just for the tickets but the great conversation, too. You helped make our Pittsburgh getaway great.

Just Sayin’

Last year I wrote an article about why major league teams should give me tickets to their stadium, the reason being that every stadium I visited was home to a team that made the playoffs. Maybe you can see where this is going.

Pittsburgh hasn’t made the playoffs in over two decades. Barry Bonds still weighed a buck fifty the last time the Buccos saw October. Don’t look now, but the Pirates are nearly a lock to make the 2013 playoffs. You’re welcome Pittsburgh.

And of course, I’ve been to Great American Ball Park (GABP) to see my hometown Reds and it’s looking good for them in October, too.

PNC Park

PNC Park has the kind of view GABP could have if the stadium was built across the river in Kentucky. Downtown Pittsburgh provides a beautiful, towering backdrop, while the river gives Pedro Alvarez a place to deposit moon shots.

PNC Park in Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh city view from PNC Park

Pretty standard food and beverage selections, especially on the 300 level, though the in-stadium Quaker Steak was a bonus – I do enjoy me some Arizona ranch wings. All the specialty vendors were on the 100 level, so it didn’t really make sense to go all the way back down.

Still, my only real complaint is the lack of cup holders in the seats. Clearly a lot of money was spent on PNC Park; why the penny-pinching on seats without cup holders? Did you get lobbied by the beer vendor union? More spills equal more re-fills and more bills in their pockets?

Extra Innings

Despite the colossal butt-whipping Arizona gave the Bucs, the trip was a success, even with our complete disregard for planning ahead. We stumbled into free tickets to a stadium we’ve not visited previously and we met a local celebrity who turned out to be a really nice guy.

We’re coming back, Pittsburgh. No, seriously. We are. See you in November for the Bills/Steelers game.

—Ryan Varney

PS – stay tuned for more on the non-sports side of Pittsburgh: food and other stuff.

After one game on the books, the 2013 Cincinnati Reds felt very similar to the 2012 Reds. I’m not the only person to think this, either. In his post-Opening Day blog titled New Season, Same Feeling, ESPN 1530’s Mo Egger writes, “…you know how you felt during those last three games of the NLDS last October? That feeling of just waiting, dying, for something to happen offensively, and consistently being let down? I felt that yesterday.” He went on to point out that the Reds were 0-10 with runners in scoring position. It is tough to win when you have no offense.

However, my take on what feels the same about the 2013 and 2012 Reds is a little different than Egger’s. I’m getting sick and tired of watching Reds pitching give up meaningful and/or difference-making homeruns to weak hitters. It’s one thing to get beat by another team’s stud, but to lose games because you give up three-run bombs to Jaime Garcia (he’s a friggin’ pitcher, btw)…it’s devastating.

Opening Day 2013: Angels over Reds 3 – 1

How did the Angels get three runs? A solo homer by catcher Chris Iannetta and a two-run (game-winning) single by…Iannetta. Batting from the eighth spot, Iannetta managed to basically beat the Reds by himself. In a lineup with Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, Mark Trumbo and, oh yeah, Josh Hamilton, the Reds got beat by a guy who batted .240 with nine jacks last year. Truly an 8-hole hitter.

So why does that remind me of last year? In 65 losses, Reds pitching surrendered game-tying or go-ahead homeruns to seventh, eighth and ninth place hitters 11 times last year. Only 2 of the 10 hitters even had double digit HRs (there are only 10 because one guy got ‘em twice). That means in about 20% of the Reds losses last year they got beat by a scrub.

Just for fun, I compiled a list of these Reds-beaters.

Mental Toughness

This is strictly opinion, but getting beat by bums is a by-product of a mental let-up. Generally speaking, Reds pitchers were able to get 3-4-5-6 hitters out in these 11 losses. But I think the mental effort required to retire the ‘dangerous’ part of the lineup caused Reds pitchers to ease up mentally on the 7-8-9 hitters. Miss a spot here, hang a curve there, and BAM, even Mario Mendoza could go yard.

The Reds pitching staff is relatively young (minus Arroyo), so here’s hoping last year’s foibles built some mental toughness for 2013. After one game, though, I’m not so sure.

—Ryan Varney

The 2013 NCAA Men’s Final Four matchups are now set, so I decided to take a peek at how my brackets were shaping up. This year I entered two brackets in two separate pools. Total cost: $10. Potential winnings: $750. One pool could net me $600, while the other only $150. Clearly, I’m hoping to dominate the $600 pool.

With bated breath, I logged in to check my brackets. My heart rate accelerated when I saw that I was at the top of BOTH pools.

March Madness Pool #1

At the top of my $600 March Madness Pool

March Madness Pool #2

At the top of my $150 March Madness Pool

This has never happened to me – I’m usually out by the Sweet Sixteen. Could I actually make some money?! Ultimately, to win the $600 pool I need Syracuse to win the whole thing. If Louisville wins, I should at least get 2nd. However, any further advancement by Michigan, and my brackets are busted like Kevin Ware’s leg.

Go ‘Cuse!

Reflections on the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight Games

Another year leaves me wondering why I keep thinking Ohio State can play basketball. Thad Matta’s gotta go. Allowing your team to rely on poor perimeter shots instead of getting them to drive to the basket cost your Bucks the game, Mr. Matta. As early as late in the first half, it was clear that when the Buckeyes drove to the hoop, the Shockers couldn’t keep from fouling them. Ohio State finally adopted this approach late in the second half, but by then it was way too late.

On the flip side, Michigan was awesome. As a Buckeye fan, this should make me want to puke (which, after checking my brackets, it does indeed), but man oh man was it great to see them wipe the smirk off the face of Bill Self coming back on Kansas in OT. That game was absolutely riveting. Coach Self still can’t bear to look (top left).

And what can you say about the Florida game? I believe Billy Donovan’s expression says it all (bottom left). I was pulling for the Wolverines (calm down fellow Buckeyes) as they are all that remain of our lauded Big Ten. Of course, that was before I realized how detrimental Michigan winning could be to my winnings. Sorry Team Go Blue, I’m back to hating you now.

Syracuse didn’t look very crisp against Marquette, but the defense was staunch. They’re going to need a replication of that defensive performance against Michigan – though Nik Stauskas can’t possibly stay that hot from downtown, can he?

And Louisville? My heart goes out to Kevin Ware (and, yeah, I apologize for the tasteless joke earlier). What an unbelievably freak occurrence. I’m with his teammates in wishing him the speediest of recoveries. Despite the loss, Louisville stayed mentally tough and made the phrase “Duke sucks” seem quite legitimate. I don’t care how charming our Cinderella Shockers are, Louisville won’t have any sympathy. I see Wichita State getting pressed into ground wheat.

What’s Next (Here Comes the Pessimism)

I’ll take Louisville over Wichita St. by eight. Michigan will beat Syracuse by one on a last-second, boneheaded turnover (because the college hoops gods hate me). Louisville wins the whole she-bang 78 – 70. I win about $200. Just about enough to cover the bottle of Dom Perignon I bought to celebrate finally winning a March Madness pool.

—Ryan Varney

L: Wes Welker; R: Danny Amendola

Living in Cincinnati, people just assume I’m a Bengals fan. I’m generally slow to reveal I’m actually a Patriots fan because they’ve apparently become the NY Yankees of football. Usually I get some response about Brady being a prima donna or Belichick being Darth Vader or how sick everyone is of them winning. So it’s been rather fun for me since Wes Welker signed with Denver. Now all I get is, “What are you going to do without Welker?”

I’m going to pray every day for the health and safety of Danny Amendola.

I know that Welker and Amendola are different receivers with different skill sets, but Amendola has the potential to make as many catches and be as productive as Welker (maybe even by stretching the field a little more and leaving the middle for Hernandez and Gronk). But only if he can stay healthy. And that’s a big IF.

What I Like About Welker

Welker has been durable and consistent. Even with his knee injury he barely missed any time. He’s never played less than 14 games in a season with New England and has averaged around 115 catches for 1,250 yards each season. (And many of those catches came on critical third down conversions.)

Plus, he performed well as a punt returner. Though his production waned a bit in the last two seasons, he was a true threat for several years.

I don’t know if the Pats offensive scheme led to Welker’s success, but I do know that the combination of Welker and the offensive game plan created an absolute superstar as far as the numbers are concerned. Welker was never a high profile personality, but his body of work over the last five years is pretty much unparalleled.

What I Don’t Like About Welker

Granted, this was a very difficult catch, but it’s one that needs to be made. This is where the big money is earned. Here’s Welker’s quote regarding the drop, “It comes to the biggest moment of my life, and [I] don’t come up with it.”

This could very well be why the Patriots felt Welker’s market value was a tad too high. Now I know mistakes should be forgiven (even Bill Buckner finally got off the hook in 2004), but then couple that drop with the third quarter drop against Baltimore in the AFC Championship game and I’m starting to wonder if Welker can make the big play when the pressure is on.

I couldn’t find a video of this drop, so here’s a recap from ESPN.

While this catch didn’t actually cost New England the game (Brady has repeatedly shown he can’t handle the Ravens D), it certainly shifted the momentum of the game. I distinctly remember commenting that “it was all downhill from here” for the Pats after the Welker drop. (I was immediately pooh-poohed, but as more often than not, I was right.) I’d also like to point out that the pass hit him directly in the hands.

So How Do I Feel About Losing Welker?

How many Superbowls has Welker helped the Patriots win?

Zero.

You can be a regular season stud, but if you’re not going to perform when the pressure is on, maybe it’s time to move on. I know two non-catches shouldn’t offset Welker’s entire body of work, but in the NFL, one play can make a career. Welker could have one SB ring (maybe two) had he come up with the catches, but today he remains ringless.

Look at Joe Flacco. Very, very pedestrian in the regular season. Then one – that’s ONE – brilliant postseason and he signs a $20 million a year deal.

It’s all in when you make the plays.

—Ryan Varney

NFL: National Football League or Nuts For Lewis?

I admit, I’ve really only been a serious fan of football since the start of the new millennium. So what I’m about to ponder will most likely seem ridiculous – something to which my wife would readily agree. Still, I will press forward with my skepticism about some of the things that go on in the NFL. Since I started watching the NFL regularly, there have been some storylines that are just a little bit too good to be true. Not for the fans, but for the media and the league marketing department.

Here are some that come to mind.

• John Elway, perennially denied a Superbowl victory, finally wins the big game. Twice in two years, including in his final game. Don’t get me wrong, those were some really good Bronco teams, but back-to-back SB wins from a 38 year-old QB seems a bit unlikely.

• St. Louis Rams, “The Greatest Show on Turf,” lose (on turf) to a rookie QB despite being 14 point favorites. It wasn’t even supposed to be a contest.

• The proliferation of low-seeded teams or teams with relatively weak records to emerge as Superbowl champs in the past decade (Steelers ’06, Giants ’07, Packers ’11, Giants ‘12). And we could be adding the Ravens to the list this year.

• HOF running back Jerome Bettis wins the SB in his last game (on a 6 seed team). Michael Strahan wins SB in his last season (on a 5 seed team). I already mentioned Elway, and now Ray Lewis could go out a champion.

• How about the Giants over the 18-0 Patriots? Looked like Superbowl XXXVI all over again. (BTW – I might’ve been the only person in America who picked the Giants that year.)

• How about a Giants/Patriots rematch in a year (2012) that should’ve been Niners/Ravens? Not to worry, the Harbaugh Bowl was merely delayed for a year. And now it just got better with the added factor of the Ray Lewis spectacle…

Why I Bring This Up Now

First, the recent “he said, he said” between former wide receiver Tim Brown and former head coach Bill Callahan. The gist is that Brown implied Callahan ‘sabotaged’ Superbowl XXXVII because he hated the Raiders and wanted to see his friend John Gruden win, instead. Brown’s assertion is extreme, but he did at least get confirmation from former teammate Jon Ritchie, who stated that the Raiders spent all week practicing for a game plan which they completely discarded come game time. Callahan immediately denied Brown’s accusations. Regardless of who you believe, it puts even that Superbowl in the shadow of the sportlight.

Then there was this little gem from Peter King’s MMQB column (Tuesday edition).

Jim, a reader from Regina, Saskatchewan, wrote:

You can draw your own conclusions…

No Conspiracy Theories—Just Skepticism

It just seems strange to me that both the AFC and NFC runner up from last year would make the Conference Championship Game the very next year. And, after the hoopla about the possibility of two brothers going against each other in the big game last year, it’s not a stretch to maintain that marketing machines and the media saw a story they could sure sink their teeth into this year. Then add the Ray Lewis farewell tour into the mix and there’s no way the Patriots were going to be allowed back to the Superbowl. What about the Falcons? Sure, Atlanta hasn’t won, but Matt Ryan is young and there’s plenty of time for them to get there. I’m betting they’ll be back.

For the record, I don’t care about the Harbaughs. I think they’re both good coaches. I don’t particularly like Ray Lewis and being married to a Steeler fan while living in Cincinnati, I’m starting to really hate Baltimore. Still, I’ll close with this: Ray Lewis may not have murdered anyone, but the media spectacle that has become his self-proclaimed farewell is killing my appetite for the NFL.

—Ryan Varney