Pirates...news?

I think the Pirates may have taken this "Steelers in the Super Bowl" thing as an excuse to drop off the face of the planet this week, as the most news we've heard from the team is that they've signed the three J's (Jonah Bayliss, Josh Sharpless, and Johnny VB) to wholly unremarkable $327,000 deals. That's not news, because those guys make what the team pays them, and that's that. A friend of mine that works at the Duquesne Club downtown said Kevin McClatchy came in the other day and ordered expensive bottles of wine with his rich friends because it was his birthday. I don't think that's really news either, but it's something.

But yeah, there is the Super Bowl thing, which has pretty much everyone's minds preoccupied, which is understandable. That's why I haven't posted much besides the predictions this week, because it's hard for me to think about a 95 loss baseball team when the football team is in the Super Bowl, and I doubt I'm really that different in that aspect. But I will finish out the predictions for the starters before the big game hits (Duffy today, Burnitz tomorrow). After that, well, I kind of doubt 90% of Pittsburgh will even realize the Pirates exist after Friday afternoon, but I'm sure I'll find something to write about.