PITTSBURGH - Mid-week news and commentary.
n The NHL playoffs rumble on.
NBC must be in a panic mode over a possible Stanley Cup Final matchup of Tampa Bay and San Jose.
Hockey needs casual viewers and those people are generally drawn by star power.
Both teams have good players, but they're not terribly familiar to people who aren't already avid hockey fans.
Hockey is a tough sell in the summer months, and it's even more difficult without names like Crosby and Ovechkin.
n Some people want more replay in baseball.
Bad idea. It's come up in the last week because the Pirates had two games where trapped balls were an issue.
The replays weren't necessarily conclusive, so who knows if they would have affected the calls.
As things stand now, the umpires can use replay for "boundary" calls, mostly home runs that may be affected by fan interference.
If there's an issue, the umpires leave the field and head to the video room.
While there's some drama in seeing them leave, then re-enter the field of play, why not equip them with an iPad they could study while standing in the middle of the field?
Fans could watch the deliberations. Or just have them turn toward the scoreboard and watch the high definition replays shown there.
MLB could even sell a sponsorship and make more money. Bud Selig's ears just twitched at that last suggestion.
n More Twitter controversy.
First it was Rashard Mendenhall on international affairs. Now it's Curve catcher Tony Sanchez on umpires.
Twitter isn't going away, so it's giving sports management people some headaches.
Anyone with a smart phone and quick thumbs can vent, and some athletes are doing that.
It's their right.
It's probably not in their best interests, though.
Sanchez seemed to realize that by apologizing for a post critical of the umpires after a game in Harrisburg.
He probably won't repeat that mistake.
Twitter is fine, and it's a way for players to connect directly with fans.
But for the sake of their own careers and images, it's important that the players get a handle on what they post.
They'd probably be better served recommending restaurants than commenting on current events or job-related issues.
Failing that, they'd better be ready to take the heat.
Mehno can be reached at johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com
