James_Taiwan: Does anyone on the Pirates hit 20 homeruns next year?

Jerry Micco: That's very doubtful, unless Ryan Doumit stays healthy. If he does, he's capable of hitting 25-30. But if he's injured -- again -- then the answer is probably no.

James_Taiwan: Do you think that the Penguins might be interested in bringing back Alexei Kovalev as a top six forward?

Jerry Micco: They are pretty tight to the salary cap and have a few guys they'd like to sign who are currently with the team. I'm sure they'd like to get something done with Scuderi, Fedotenko and Guerin, particularly if the latter takes a bit of a cut. I think Kovalev might want too much money for them to sign him. Though if he would come cheap (not likely) then why not explore it?

James_Taiwan: Is Shelly Anderson going to have a Penguins season chat wrap-up?

Jerry Micco: I'm not sure. She's headed to Vegas today for the awards program. I'll check to see if we maybe can have one next week. She's also due to take some time off after this long playoff run.

theWellHungarian: Hi Jerry-- Great Cup run, eh? Quick question... Why does everyone care so much about the NHL's ratings nationwide and the way the national media covers it. I personally don't care what everyone else thinks of the sport-- I love it, my city loves it, and the media in my city love it--- I don't care what everyone else thinks

Jerry Micco: But ratings help get good TV contracts for the leagues and the NHL, if it wants to be successful, needs a better TV contract. That's why tickets are so pricey, teams take in very little TV revenue. If you can show higher ratings to networks, they in turn can ask advertisers for more and thus you get a better TV deal.

theWellHungarian: Just read the plea deal that Donte Stallworth got. All I got to say is ... Pathetic!

Jerry Micco: The legal system in our country sometimes isn't fair. But it is what it is. The family of the victim seemed OK with a financial settlement and he'll get a bit of jail time. Would a regular person get that? Probably not, because he or she could not do the former. Sometimes, millionaires get off easier than the regular folks.

theWellHungarian: Awesome article the other day by Ron Cook about Mario's text ... That is the reason why Mario is my sports idol, not only as a player, but as a person. I ordered another Mario throwback authentic after reading that article to add to my collection

Jerry Micco: Ron did an outstanding job with that column as well as a good job of reporting to get the texts. Lemieux very quietly continues to be a leader as the owner. You can see where Sidney Crosby gets his style from. And why Mario is happy to not only have Sid on the team, but to pretty much be a part of his family.

James_Taiwan: Is it just me or are other fans happy that Bay is getting a chance to showcase his talent? Bay is a class act and deserves to play for a contender like the Red Sox. Not to mention we can see what Bay is capable of doing when he is surrounded by All-Star talent!

Jerry Micco: Certainly, Jason Bay deserves all the good things he's getting right now as a player for the Red Sox. And Bay is the perfect player for them. He's much better in that support role than he is trying to carry the load. He can do the latter, but thrives doing the former.

Homey: Which Pittsburgh pro athlete had the best performance last Friday - Talbot, Fleury, or Big Ben shooting 81 at Bethpage Black? I'm still just stunned at that score for a part-time amateur player.

Jerry Micco: I'll say Fleury, but since I'd shoot 81 for the front nine at Bethpage, I'm pretty impressed with Ben's golf game. I did not think he'd hammer out a low 80s round, though I thought he could break 100. I thought maybe low 90s, but he blew that away. If he can stay healthy, he may have a career after winning a few more Super Bowls with the Steelers.

pghgirl: Hi, I seem to recall when the Red Wings won the cup at our house last year that many/most Pittsburghers were applauding them (Wings) even in disappointment as they received the Cup. This made me proud. However, on TV it did not seem as if anyone in Red was applauding out of courtesy for us. Has anyone noticed this? All I hear from them is excuses.

Jerry Micco: I think a lot of the booing in Detroit was directed at Gary Bettman, who hockey fans love to boo. I'm sure some Wings fans were upset at the outcome and did boo, but again, that doesn't change the outcome. And I was at Game 6 last year and there was some booing by fans here. Some of it at Bettman and some at the Wings. Again, I don't think the Wings minded, just as the Pens didn't mind on Friday night.

Chunkles: Jerry, how bad do the Red Wings look crying over spilled milk? Sidney Crosby just won his first cup and he cannot even celebrate without a couple of jerks complaining because he didnt run right over to the losers and shake their hands. Sid was getting pulled in every which direction. Give him a break, he is a traditionalist and a class act. Secondly, what happened at the parade where media like Alby were not aloud to approach the players? Plus there was a media women from the Pens that was less than cooperative with the fans. Was she to uptight to enjoy the parade? The players wanted to mingle with everyone.

Jerry Micco: I only watched parts of the parade, so I can't speak to all the issues you bring up. I will say, team officials are always overly cautious about the players interacting with fans. For security reasons, you always have to be on guard. So maybe that's why that Pens official was so upset. As for the handshake, Sid should have gotten in the line sooner, but it's not that big of a deal. Couple Wings whine about it, so what? Lidstrom didn't seem to have a problem. I say much ado about nothing.

praveen: Quoting the EPSN 1250 song put up by the Drive crew: "Hossa!!! You Chossa! ... the wrong guys!" I think I achieved closure as he is a nice guy and nothing I can say can beat the hard lesson he learned. No guarantees and no short cuts to the cup. Hard to beat a man down when he stands to lose many millions in the gamble.

Jerry Micco: On paper, at the end of last season, his choice was a much better one to win the Cup than staying here. That said, you never know, do you? A lot of folks thought San Jose or Washington could make the Cup final this year, but they did not. Hossa went where he thought he could win it all. He didn't, but it sounds like he had a nice year there and wants to return.

WVUFAN: Rumor has it that during Donte Stallworth's plea bargaining he was offered 30 days in jail + probation + suspended driver's license or a lifetime contract with the Cleveland Browns; safe to say he took the less painful route.

Jerry Micco: Not a bad line, but I hate to joke about a guy dying. It was a tragic accident and a lot of folks are affected by it.

praveen: Shero signing Talbot to that 2 year 1.05M/year extension. Best value deal for the Pens. He could disappear for the regular season next year and he is worth the money.

Jerry Micco: Talbot probably has found a home on Malkin's line and he probably can get 20-plus goals a year on it. He is a great value for that price. That's why a lot of credit for this Cup can land at the feet of Ray Shero. He has done a tremendous job here.

praveen: I think RFed (Fedotenko) will come back. he seems to like it here. He offers a different kind of game. He is not marquee enough to attract ridiculous offers.

Jerry Micco: I think he's perfect for this team. If he doesn't break his hand on Colby Armstrong's nose in the Atlanta game in January during a fight, he scores into the 20s. I like his play and I think he's also a good fit for Malkin. He's physical, too, which makes him that much better.

praveen: I do think the Pens are fine letting veterans go who are seeking to cash out in free agency. Good to see a couple new players each year who are desperate for a cup to go along with the core.

Jerry Micco: They will lose some guys this year to free agency. Likely guys like Sykora, Satan, Gill, Boucher will all go. So there will be some open spots for young guys to fill in. That's the way it is in the NHL these days. The cap makes you make tough choices, so you have to be not only ready to do that, but also have the wherewithall to replace those players with either homegrown products or well-priced free agents.

praveen: Considering the playoffs are a gruel(30 games being a third of the regular season), maybe they should offer Guerin a contract with the provision that he allow to take some games off to be fresh(ala some of the Ducks players). Though it is very possible Guerin would want to play full minutes all season long.

Jerry Micco: I think that will all be a part of the contract discussion. I think Guerin loves it here and wants to stay. I think he loves being on Sid's line. He'll be 39, so there's an age issue, but he still has pretty good hands and is an excellent passer. He can net 20 with Sid as his center, but he's not what he was a few years ago. Still, he may be the perfect fit for the next year or two.

PirateApologist: Have the Penguins entered the level of the Steelers now where nothing less than a championship will be expected?

Jerry Micco: When you win, and win big, expectations are high. What the Pens did the last couple seasons is outstanding. A lot of teams can't do that, but still, they will be expected to head back to the final next year, I'm sure. So when you win the pressure is always on you to keep winning. That's what makes pro sports so difficult.

praveen: You could see the Pens coaches hold up Crosby while other Pens players were shaking hands and the coaches got in line belatedly too. Overblown controversy. It was just an unfortunate oversight where the coaches should have probably made sure everyone got in the line.

Jerry Micco: If the league is that interested in the doggone formality of the handshake, then have the officials round up players after a minute of celebration and do the handshake. Why all this formality? A team just won the cup after 100-plus games. There's a lot of emotion to let out. The coaches, too, are caught up in that. Put someone in charge of getting the teams together so one can leave the ice with no issues involved. Too much has been made of this.

Old_Two-Niner: Sosa did 'roids? Noooooo way.

Jerry Micco: Why does everyone seem surprised by this. Just look at photos of him. Just like Barry Bonds. Tremendous body changes in a short time.

praveen: Are you looking forward to the next Talbot Superstar ad?

Jerry Micco: Should be a beauty, just like those 2 goals.

Old_Two-Niner: Did anyone at the game report anything about Crosby and the handshake line? It seems to me that the Red Wings players could have waited another minute to shake his hand and congratulate him. They won 4 Cups, they should know how excited Sid was.

Jerry Micco: We said nothing about it, that I recall. I heard Joe Starkey on the radio yesterday say he timed it from the end of the game until the Pens started over to the handshake line and it was 4 minutes. Maybe that's too long, I don't know. That's why my solution would be for the on-ice officials to get the players' attention and get them together.

PirateApologist: Jerry, besides all of the Pirates, who DIDN'T do Steroids over the last decade? And should this make me feel any better about how awful the Pirates have been, knowing that they weren't always playing against a level competition?

Jerry Micco: It looks like from the "anonymous" tests, that about 7 percent of players tested positive. Which means a lot of guys did not. As for the level playing field, why didn't baseball outlaw these drugs if they knew they were being used. And they had to know, watching the HR records fall every year. That jump in power is unexplainable unless you factor in steroids.

praveen: I am glad Fleury improved his sense of timing when to make a mistake. If he gives up that weak goal in the first period, it could have been a different game. He was very clutch before and after that goal once the lead narrowed down.

Jerry Micco: I've always run hot and cold on Fleury, but now you can only say good things because he was huge when he had to be and has his name of the Cup. He was outstanding in Games 6 and 7 and was a true difference-maker.

Old_Two-Niner: Did you catch Joe Buck Live? The last 10 minutes would make Andrew Dice Clay blush.

Jerry Micco: I no longer have HBO. Was it R-rated stuff? From Joe Buck?

praveen: OK, I guess we will have to be content with the Phillies winning the WS last year and somehow live with the fact that PA teams have won 3 major championships in a row. Imagine if Cleveland won the NBA. From Philly to Cleveland, fans would have one or more reasons to be happy.

Jerry Micco: I think the state should be pretty proud of its sports teams considering the showing of the past year. Even though the two cities are rivals, keeping all those titles in the Keystone State rewards some very loyal fans on both sides of the Alleghenies.

Old_Two-Niner: I think the funniest thing I heard after the game Friday night was announcers crediting EJ for drafting Lemieux and Craig Patrick for drafting Crosby. My 2-year old would have done that if she was the GM. Shero and Lemieux deserve 100% of the credit for building this year's team.

Jerry Micco: You can give EJ and Patrick some credit, yes, but the bulk of this year's team was Shero's creation with Lemieux's backing. Even though those were slam-dunk draft picks, you actually have to make the pick and get the guy signed. The Penguins had to endure some tough years to get the right to draft guys like Lemieux, Crosby and Malkin.

praveen: The NHL is back to their narrow marketing. Even the Pens do not market Crosby so exclusively. Once the game was over, the NHL Network had a perfunctory 10 min analysis, and then go to a Crosby life highlights package of sorts when you had colorful personalities like Talbot and an increasingly vocal Malkin to showcase in the postgame.

Jerry Micco: Sid is the face of the game, so he's always going to get the lion's share of coverage. While I'm a big Malkin fan, he's still developing his English well enough to be on for longer periods of time. And while Max Talbot is quite the personality, he's not well known outside of Pittsburgh.

Old_Two-Niner: How do you think Phil Mickelson will fare this week?

Jerry Micco: I think it'll be tough for him, but I'm predicting he makes the cut. Only having one tournament under his belt and probably not much practice time at Bethpage, he's at a disadvantage. And Amy's issues I'm sure weigh heavily on him. Be a great story if he contends, and god forbid, win the thing. But I don't think the latter will happen.

praveen: I felt good that Satan and Sykora got to experience playing in the finals after all that happened to them at different points of the season, especially Satan who did not give up. Shero should get credit for managing the situation well.

Jerry Micco: I agree. Satan could have just shut down at Wilkes-Barre, but played hard and earned another shot. Sykora, I think, was injured late in the season and was limited. But he was an important player through the regular season and had 25 goals. I think both are not gone, but they got a chance to share in a great championship season.

Old_Two-Niner: Will Gerry Dulac be covering the US Open this year?

Jerry Micco: No, not this year. He'll be at the Women's US Open in Bethlehem in July because that event will be at Oakmont next year. Like all newspapers, we have to be selective on our travel. We did the Masters, but didn't see how the Open would fit in the budget. But we'll have plenty of coverage from our wire services.

James_Taipei: Would Sykora be worth keeping even if there was no salary cap or he agreed to sign for $1 for next year to stay on a Stanley Cup contender?

Jerry Micco: I think Sykora is a good two-way player, but I wonder if he's not lost a step. Again, I've been a big fan of Sykora here, but since neither of the scenarios you mention can happen, I don't expect him to be here next year.

praveen: A lot is said about NBA and NFL players not finishing college. You look at the Stanley cup champions, and quite a few of the players are younger than the NCAA finalists.

Jerry Micco: Many hockey players wind up going to private schools or academies essentially to play hockey. Yes, they get basic high school courses there, but like junior players in Canada, many go right into their sport and not college. It's changed some the last few years with the emergence of college hockey in the US, but a lot of guys only play a year or two before going pro.

Old_Two-Niner: How does Mike Vick get 20+ months in jail and Stallworth gets one? What Vick did was horrible but the outrage just wasn't justified, as evidenced by the Stallworth reaction. Hardly anyone will notice or care that a human being was killed here.

Jerry Micco: As I said earlier, sometimes justice takes an odd turn in our system. No question what Vick did was horrific, but no human being died. And yet, we punished one much more than the other. Again, I'm no lawyer, but the fact the family was willing to settle financially and see Stallworth get little jail time, tells me that the trial may have been long and maybe there were problems with the family's case. Just a guess on my part.

James_Taipei: Phillies fans need rewarded. As bad as the Pirates have been for the past 16 years it was those Phillies that were the first MLB team to lose 10,000 games in their history. Actually it is probably now Steelers fans felt when the Steelers starting winning playoff games in the 1970s.

Jerry Micco: Good call, James. Yes, Phils fans are long-suffering and finally got that chance to cheer. Just as Steelers fans did here, and did it a lot, in the 70s. And once again in the 00s.

James_Taipei: Jerry, how long do you think the Penguins can keep Jordan Staal on the roster with Crosby and Malkin eating up a large share of the cap.

Jerry Micco: Depends on how well Staal develops and how much the cap grows year over year. And at what point do the Pens say they have 3 really terrific centers and one has to go? I'd love to see all 3 stay here, but even Wayne Gretzky was traded. And if he can be traded, anyone can be traded.

Old_Two-Niner: Who is the next Pirate to go? Hopefully Wilson if you ask me.

Jerry Micco: Depends on who can bring the best package. I'd say Wilson, LaRoche and Sanchez are all possibilities. Snell might be a possibility, or even Maholm. Though with the dearth of pitching the Pirates have in the minors, the pitchers could be safe. Grabow is another guy teams covet. My money is probably on Wilson, but it's hard to say what he'll fetch for them. He's not a big hitter and teams always want bats.

Homey: I know we've heard a lot about Hossa lately, but do you think guys like Malone are sitting out there wishing they'd stayed here for less money?

Jerry Micco: Of course you'd think what it would have been like if you'd stayed and how great would it be if your name was on the Cup. But you also have to think about your life down the road. The money will not always be there, so you have to take advantage of it when you can. Malone got a nice chunk of change to go to Tampa Bay. And in the NHL, who knows who might be on top in the next year or so?

Old_Two-Niner: Do you think there is any way Hossa would sign a one-year contract with the Penguins? His most successful season was here and I thought he had good chemistry with Crosby. Maybe he wouldn't be welcome, who knows.

Jerry Micco: I don't think the Pens can afford him and even if they could, I don't think that would happen. Just a guess on my part, but that's how I read it.

Old_Two-Niner: Who is your pick to win the US Open?

Jerry Micco: The safe bet is always Tiger. My favorite, of course, is Phil. But I'd watch for a guy like Jim Furyk, who has played well all year, to maybe win this thing. And never count out a guy like Ogilvie or Harrington, who won 2 majors last year but has struggled a bit this year. Should be a great tournament on a course that lousy weather will make even longer. A score like 5-over could win it all.

Old_Two-Niner: Do you Twitter?

Jerry Micco: No, I do not. I don't tweet, twit, twitter or whatever. Though, we're all learning about it more because that could be a big part of our business down the road. So I say I don't twitter, but who knows? I might be doing that before the year's out.

Jerry Micco: Folks I need to run back to work. Great chat today and some really good questions. Thanks for taking the time out of your week to be with me today. I have a commitment next week, but I'll try to work around it for this chat. If I can't, then we'll get a fill-in host. And the week after, I'm off on some vacation. But come on back next Wednesday at noon and you can sound off then. Thanks again for visiting!