PITTSBURGH - Midweek news and commentary:
n The Pittsburgh Penguins get ready for the playoffs.
A week from now, they'll be playing for keeps.
They played their final regular season home game on Tuesday and have two left on the road this week.
The Penguins' inability to score limits their postseason prospects.
Playoff games are often decided on special teams. While the Penguins' penalty killing has been outstanding, their power play has been atrocious.
This is where the absences of superstar players finally bites them.
n The Connecticut women fail to reach the NCAA women's championship game.
Good. The women's game needs some fresh names and faces.
Dynasties are OK to a point. Then it's better for the sport that the dynasty is toppled.
n Pittsburgh boy buys William "Refrigerator" Perry's Super Bowl ring for $8,500, then gives it to him.
This is a strange story that's all over local TV. Supposedly the 10-year-old saw Perry's Super Bowl ring for sale at Mickey Mantle's restaurant in New York.
He bought the ring, then saw a story detailing Perry's financial troubles that forced him to sell the ring.
OK, questions. How many kids have $8,500 to spend a sports collectible? How many kids have parental permission to take $8,500 out of their college fund?
If the kid hadn't seen the story about Perry, what were his plans for the ring? Is that the sort of thing you take to school to show off?
How did the TV stations find out about this?
This one comes tied up in pretty bows, and those are usually the stories that don't quite check out.
n Ryan "Archie" Miller signs on to coach Dayton.
Miller had been big brother Sean's top assistant at Arizona.
The Millers are the son on John Miller, who had a long and successful career at Blackhawk High School in Beaver Falls.
Having two sons coaching in Division I is a major accomplishment.
Western Pennsylvania used to be known for producing pro quarterbacks; maybe now it's becoming the breeding ground for basketball coaches.
n One reminder: The baseball contest is still running at my blog over at altoonamirror.com and there are still good numbers available.
It's open until the first pitch is thrown at Thursday's home opener, so stop by and enter.
Mehno can be reached at johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com.
