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Wednesday, June 25, 2003

When it comes to columns, refreshing sports notes are everybody's first choice overall. Enjoy!

In the Post-Gazette Saturday, I urged the Penguins to trade up to get the first choice of the NHL draft so they could pick goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. So it was written ... so it came to pass. Hey, no need to thank me. Penguins fans should thank General Manager Craig Patrick, who regained a heaping helping of lost credibility by giving up very little in exchange for the right to draft a franchise netminder. Fleury won't make the Penguins better overnight. In fact, he may not play in the NHL this coming season (although Patrick isn't ruling that out). But Fleury will get the Penguins into the playoffs and through one round by 2006 at the latest. As always, you read it here first.

I would love to see Mario Lemieux and Fleury play together at least once. Le Magnifique and La Resistance. The irresistible force and the immovable object. This isn't to imply that Fleury will have the same impact on the Penguins' franchise as Lemieux. It definitely will be slightly less.

Almost as important as getting Fleury was the way the Penguins overhauled their whole approach to the draft. The Penguins selected mostly grit, which is usually affordable, instead of skill, which becomes high-priced if a player puts up big numbers. The Penguins chose players who will fit in with the type of team they can build, not the type of team they've traditionally wanted to build. The Penguins have accepted reality. Between this adjusted attitude and getting Fleury, rebuilding into a competitive team might not take too long.

One thing the Penguins still need to do is employ a full-time goaltending coach. Gilles Meloche, the team's part-time goalie coach, would be an ideal hire. Eliminate his scouting duties and put him with Fleury full time as soon as Fleury leaves junior hockey to join the Penguins' organization. Like Fleury, Meloche speaks French. That would put Fleury at ease and accelerate his learning process.

The alliance between the Penguins and racetrack/casino owner Ted Arneault should turn out to be mutually beneficial. If Arneault gets the state's sixth and final thoroughbred racing license, and if slot machines are approved for Pennsylvania racetracks, Arneault will give some of the profits from his proposed new track/casino in Harmar to help finance a new arena for the Penguins. That makes it highly likely that Arneault will get his license. The more Arneault gives the Penguins, the less the state has to.

Aramis Ramirez an All-Star? Does the Midsummer Classic really have a place for a cleanup hitter with seven home runs near the end of June?

With second baseman Pokey Reese injured and with catcher/outfielder Craig Wilson deserving of more playing time, now might be a good opportunity to experiment with Jason Kendall at second base. And if Kendall doesn't want to try playing second, make him. Kendall isn't self-employed. Kendall is a $10 million singles hitter. The least he could do in return for such largesse is be open to experimentation.

Brian Giles' home run-saving catch Saturday against Cleveland at PNC Park was the finest defensive play I've seen. When you consider timing, athleticism, grace and risk, Giles' catch even tops Willie Mays' legendary (and overrated) grab in the 1954 World Series. All Mays did was run fast and keep his eye on the ball. He was in no danger of crashing into anything because the center-field wall at the old Polo Grounds in New York was 483 feet from home plate. Giles put his body on the line. It was simply astounding.

The New York papers say the Yankees are interested in Giles and Kris Benson. Benson might do well with a change of scenery, as might pitcher Jeff Weaver, the primary player the Yankees are reportedly offering to the Pirates (and to everybody else). But the Pirates can't trade Giles. When you consider value for money, Giles (who makes $8.5 million this year) might be the best player in the majors. And if you trade Giles, you tell the fans that you give up. Not just on this year, but on the next few seasons. The Pirates must keep Giles at least until the last year of his deal, which expires after the 2005 season. Pirates attendance is already bad. Trading Giles (and giving up) would make selling tickets harder.

Barry Bonds is the only baseball player with 500 or more home runs and 500 or more stolen bases. Can anyone logically argue that he's not the greatest of all time?

I was very disappointed to see Winston cigarettes displaced as the title sponsor for the NASCAR circuit. I feel that inhaling carcinogens on a recreational basis dovetails nicely with the idea of driving 180 miles per hour in close proximity to dozens of other speeding cars and concrete walls.

Speaking of NASCAR, Kevin Harvick is mad because Robby Gordon passed him under a yellow caution flag en route to winning the race Sunday in Sonoma, Calif. Such a pass is legal under NASCAR's rules, but violates a "gentleman's agreement" among the drivers. One minute, NASCAR's drivers are trying to knock each other off the track. The next minute, they're formulating gentleman's agreements. Only one man could figure all this out: Jethro Bodine and his sixth-grade education.

The U.S. men's soccer team fielded a half-baked roster that included many so-called young prospects for the prestigious Confederations Cup in France, and the result was an embarrassing, 0-2-1 record. The U.S. Soccer Federation would like the national squad to use players primarily from Major League Soccer, but, until more American stars compete in European leagues, the U.S. team will flop more often than not. Goalkeeper Brad Friedel, striker Brian McBride and injured midfielder Claudio Reyna -- all English Premier League vets -- were not in France, and it showed. It's time for youthful U.S. stars like Landon Donovan and DaMarcus Beasley to play in Europe and find out how good they can be.

Anyone who messes with Mike Tyson at 5:30 a.m. in a hotel lobby gets exactly what he/she/they deserve, with no sympathy from me.

Vitali Klitschko's left eye was slightly closed due to a fairly gory gash above it, but his ability to defend himself was likely better than that of Lennox Lewis, who got knocked silly by Klitschko over the six rounds of their heavyweight championship fight Saturday. But that's OK. By stopping the fight with Lewis' title intact, it guaranteed a big-money rematch. Which is probably why the fight was stopped.

Mark Madden is the host of a sports talk show from 3 to 7 p.m. weekdays on WEAE-AM (1250).