MPM: I know TV dictates when the games will be shown, but since the Flyers clinched on Saturday, and the Penguins clinched on Sunday, Friday seems to be an awfully long time to begin the conference finals. Why not start the series today, or at worse tomorrow?

Jerry Micco: Television, which truly runs sports in America, wants games on the weekends as much as it can. So by starting on Thursday (for the West), you get a game each weekend day. It satisfies NBC, Versus and Hockey Night in Canada all at one time. If TV wasn't involved, it probably would have started sooner, but only by a day. That said, if the Cup finals go seven games, it could end as late as June 9. Way too late in my opinion.

malkin71: Max Talbot wants to come back, but that means they'd have to scratch Gary Roberts. Who's more important here? A gimpy checker or a guy that could single handedly kill the entire Flyers team?

Jerry Micco: Tough call for Michel Therrien and Ray Shero. Talbott is a good PK guy, too, so he may get the edge. And if Therrien believes fighting won't be a big part of this series, he could sit Laraque and play Roberts, Talbott and Adam Hall on one line. Although this series will be physical, I don't expect much fighting. I think both teams know that to give up a lot of power plays would be disaster. You normally don't see that much fighting in the playoffs anyhow.

malkin71: Is this a tougher test than the Rangers or Ottawa? In my opinion, the Sens and Rangers are better teams than the Flyers.

Jerry Micco: No way. The Flyers are hotter than either team and are playing better at the right time. And Marty Biron is playing out of his mind. The Flyers are physical and they can come at you with a few very skilled players. They don't have the Pens offense, but with a hot Biron and guys like R.J. Umberger playing above his level, they will be very tough.

malkin71: Who's the playoff MVP at the halfway point of the playoffs?

Jerry Micco: I'd argue either Malkin or Fleury for the Pens. Johan Franzen for the Red Wings. Marty Turco for Dallas and probably Umberger or Biron for the Flyers. Take your pick. I'd go with Malkin.

Johnny_Ray: Do you have an early guess at a record for PSU football this year?

Jerry Micco: It's so hard to say. I think they can go 9-3 or even 10-2, but they need a lot to happen to be that good. They have to settle on a QB, either Clark or Devlin. The offensive line looks great. The defensive line looks great. WR is very good. RB should be fine, not great. The secondary is a question mark as is LB because of Sean Lee's injury. Question is: can they beat either Ohio St. or Michigan? They've been lousy against them in the past.

Johnny_Ray: Do you think that Heinz Ward has done enough to be a Hall of Famer?

Jerry Micco: I'm not really sure if he has. His numbers are very good and he's still got a couple more years left. When it's all said and done, I think Hines will get in. Ed Bouchette, who votes for the Hall, is a much better judge than me on those matters.

Johnny_Ray: Could Timmons and Woodley both be starters in 08?

Jerry Micco: I think no question Woodley starts in Haggans' old spot. I think Timmons will push Larry Foote, but I think Foote's played pretty well the past couple seasons and will hold him off. But I believe this is Farrior's last year on his contract, so they may be grooming Simmons eventually for his spot. Bruce Davis fits as a backup on the outside.

Johnny_Ray: If you were the Pirate's GM, would you try to sign or trade Nady?

Jerry Micco: Well, I'm a big Nady fan, so I'd try to sign him. But because they Pirates really aren't going to contend this year, you have to see what you get for him. He's under contract through 2009, so if you're going to deal him, it has to be this year. If you wait and try to do it next year, teams will wait until he becomes a free agent and leaves. If you get some top prospects or a young power arm, then you deal him. But not many teams will give that up.

jimmy_g: Nate McLouth has become the feel good story this year similar to Freddie Sanchez a couple of years ago. Let's hope he can keep it up. Also, it is a bad reflection on Jim Tracy that he could not see the true talent in either player.

Jerry Micco: I think the Pirates answered that question in the off-season when they cleaned house. It's great to see McLouth make good. It just goes to show it doesn't matter where you draft. Some guys develop differently and the job of a good minor league system and front office is to find those gems and then develop them.

Chooch79: Who could have guessed that all the Pens needed to do was to submit a nighttime drawing of the new arena in order to get approval from City Planning?

Jerry Micco: I think it looks pretty good. And the way things around here are delayed an infinite amount of time (ask Don Barden) it's no wonder it took this long to get a final design. I think there are a few more tweaks, but at least things are underway.

Chooch79: Any updates yet on what the PG has planned for the upcoming summer Olympics?

Jerry Micco: Not yet. Shelly Anderson is going for us, but she's knee deep in hockey playoffs. I know we'll be doing stuff on Lauryn Williams, the great sprinter from Rochester, who could certainly medal at these games.

jimmy_g: I agree with Ron Cook's column yesterday about Michel Therrien. He is doing a great job with the Penguins especially in having them play within a system (something they never did when Mario was playing).

Jerry Micco: Many props to Therrien for his work since he took over the team. I know a lot of folks don't think he's the right guy, but you'd think by now he's won them over. His record speaks for itself. And the fact that he had a bunch of these guys in the minors helps him. I'm not saying he's beloved by the players, but they play for him, which is all you really want.

Johnny_Ray: Is it true that Hockey players are much easier to cover because they are more accessible?

Jerry Micco: Dave Molinari and Shelly Anderson could answer that better, but by and large, hockey players seem to deal better with media than many other athletes. Could be because they aren't pampered as much growing up in Canada and Europe and many come from small towns. That's not to say other athletes aren't good interviews or don't talk. The Steelers, by and large, are pretty good to talk with. I've always found baseball players tough with media, but that's just been my take in other cities. I can't say that about the Pirates because I've spent little time in their locker room.

wizard_of_cros: Are the Pirates shopping McLouth? I hope they trade this flash-in-the-pan before he's hitting .230.

Jerry Micco: If they shop him, they'd better get a load of players for him. But I don't think they are because they can have him on the cheap for a few more years.

Chooch79: So former WVU BB coach Beilein decided to deduct $10K from his first settlement check. Wouldn't his actions negate the negotiated settlement?

Jerry Micco: Beyond my realm of expertise. Maybe there's a legal eagle here who can help you, chooch.

jimmy_g: We can only hope that someday the Pirates may be as exciting and much fun to watch as the Penguins.

Jerry Micco: It would be nice to reward their loyal fan base. And it's always better when the local teams do well because everyone's reading and Web surfing us to get information. It's better than same-old, same-old.

theWellHungarian: Do you think Malkin will get a bigger contract than Crosby? Do you think he deserves a bigger contract?

Jerry Micco: Hard to say. It's delicate because my understanding is Sid can't reopen his contract under the rules. I'm thinking Malkin may want more and may not give the "home-town" discount. I think Ray Shero has a delicate step to take here. I think Sid's such a leader type that he may accept Malkin getting more money for a few years knowing the team will either have to pony up big for him or he'll get a zillion dollars on the market. But we'll see.

Johnny_Ray: This has to be the best opportunity for PSU to beat Michigan this year. I think that Michigan could be in for a tough year.

Jerry Micco: I think you're probably right on that one. I don't look for Michigan to be great this year. Rodriguez needs a bit of time to get his plan in place.

theWellHungarian: Just looking at the above PSU question, do you think the Pitt-PSU rivalry will ever be continued? And if you had a guess, when?

Jerry Micco: I think it will be continued and my guess it will be right after Joe retires. Maybe by the 2011 or 2012 season. I hope it is continued. It was one of the great college football rivalries for many years.

wizard_of_cros: Pens in 5. What do you think?

Jerry Micco: Pens in 6 or 7. I'm leaning on 7 games.

wizard_of_cros: Did you see Costas Now on HBO last week?

Jerry Micco: I saw the clip of Bissinger and Leitch going at it. If that's what you're talking about.

jimmy_g: A lot of people are still thinking about the Steelers draft. To me I'm still concerned about the defensive line (remember how much they missed Aaron Smith) and offensive line. However, the three skill position players (RB, WR, And QB) they drafted look very intriguing.

Jerry Micco: The offensive line has a lot of ifs, but it does have a bit of depth. If you pencil in, for instance, Smith, Kemoeatu, Hartwig, Simmons and Colon as starters, you still have guys like Starks, Mahan (who may be better suited at guard), Essex and rookie Tony Hills as reserves. If Starks beats out Colon, you may move Colon to guard, where he's better suited many think, and you've got Kemo as a reserve. Or, Kemo beats out Simmons. Could happen, you never know. Defensive line is more of a concern. Off-season, they are going to be looking at free agents. Even late camp cuts could wind up here.

jimmy_g: OK Jerry, you gave your prediction on the Nittany Lions, how about the Panthers?

Jerry Micco: I'm thinking in the same line, 9-3 or 10-2. Pitt's got a nice team brewing out there. Offensive line is a bit thin, but Stull should be an upgrade at QB. Shady McCoy is just great. PSU would kill to have him, despite what some folks there might have said when they lost the recruiting battle. WRs look very good especially with Kinder's return. Defensive looks quick and big up front. I don't know, in the Big East I may lean more toward 10-2 overall and certainly a contender for the BE title.

Chooch79: The Nutting family gave up the opportunity to have a lucrative gaming license at Seven Springs in order to keep their ownership interest in the Pirates. Doesn't this seem to indicate that they are in fact making alot more revenue from the Pirates than people think?

Jerry Micco: I think they make a nice dollar from the Pirates, and I don't fault them for that. Why go into business to lose money? But again, if you want to bring up the old payroll argument, it's not how much you spend but who you spend it on. Seeing guys like Sanchez and Snell extended are, in my mind, smart moves. Giving guys like Burnitz, Randa and Morris big money are dumb. They still owe Morris, but releasing him was the right thing to do.

jimmy_g: Follow up on the Penguins: They seem to have an awful lot of talent and probably cannot keep it all. Who do you see leaving before next season?

Jerry Micco: That's hard to say. Guys like Roberts likely won't be back. Maybe Conklin moves on, too, if he can start somewhere. I think it's going to be tough to keep Malone as well as Hossa and Malkin. And now Fleury becomes very important to sign. I'm in the minority because I think Hossa's gone after this season. I'd not be surprised at some point, if Colby Armstrong is brought back here. Especially if guys like Malone and Roberts leave. He's a good energy guy and popular. It's hard to say at the moment, but we all know this team will not be together as a whole next season.

theWellHungarian: I couldn't help but notice the bevy of Steelers in attendance at the Penguins game (Ben, Big Snack, Townsend, Farrior, etc.) After seeing the picture of Hampton & Townsend celebrating the GW goal, I couldn't help but think of LeBron James last year at the Indians-Yankees playoff game wearing the Yankee hat ...

Jerry Micco: Steelers are smart guys. If they showed up wearing, say, Flyers jerseys, Pens fans would swarm them. And not for autographs.

jimb056: Jerry n last night's Pirate pre game radio show, Jack Wilson said that he would be 2 or 3 more weeks and mentioned the word "tear" to discribe his injury. All along we've been hearing calf sprain. Which is right?

Jerry Micco: The official word from the club is strain. I mean it could be a slight tear, but until someone officially calls it that, we'll use strain. The fact that he's missing so much time tells me it's probably worse than a strain.

PirateApologist: Is this series going to have a lot of cheap shots and fights? I am fearing somebody is going to cross the line an actually injure Crosby or Malkin ala Adam Graves and Mario.

Jerry Micco: I think you'll see the occasional cheap shot, but I don't think you'll see a lot of fighting. It'll be a tremendously physical series. Not for the weak of heart.

Chunkles: Jerry, now that the Pens are in such a sweet position, maybe the Therrian critics will go away. Do you know how the players percieve him? You never hear them speak out against their coach. Even when guys were traded away at the dead line, you never heard any of them speak down about Michael Therrian.

Jerry Micco: My whispers are that the players respect and play for him. He's tough on them, so I'm not sure they always have a high opinion of him, but he's certainly not alienated them. And my understanding is he has a wonderful relationship with Crosby, which can solve a lot of locker room problems. Again, he can be really tough in public on those guys, but as stated before, he's usually on target with his barbs and those guys who have played for him know how he is.

jimmy_g: OK, it's sour grapes time: the thought of losing Xavier Nady just as he is approaching superstar status is very depressing because of baseball's screwed-up system. Nady for 2-3 prospects. Help!

Jerry Micco: Well, if the Pirates were deep in their minor league system, you might trade him for a powerhitting third baseman or a major league ready starter. But since they can't be big players in free agency, or choose not to be, you must be well-stocked in the minors. They aren't. And until you start to resolve that issue, you can't move this team forward. Thus, Nady becomes the subject of trade talk. And you want to deal guys who are on the upswing. You get more for them.

Fan_Since_The_70s: Jerry, what Penguin players will be the easiest for the Flyers to intimidate? I believe players like Petr Sykora will be invisible this series...

Jerry Micco: Sykora won a couple Cups in Jersey, so I don't think a guy like that ever disappears. I'm thinking no one's going to be invisible because at this time of year, you lay it all out there. And it's not as though these guys haven't played each other tough all season. Some guys might do better than others, but I don't think Sykora will be invisible.

wizard_of_cros: The entire Costas Now was fascinating. There was one segment in particular I was wondering if you saw and could comment on. Michael Strahan and Chris Mad Dog Russo from WFAN in New York were having a back and forth about the relationship between the athlete and the media, and the point that seemed to be lost was that many athletes don't realize that when they are talking to the media they are actually talking to the fan. Do you find that many athletes don't understand that, because it seems that way to me.

Jerry Micco: I think most athletes are programmed and don't really say all that much. I think a lot of them do know that what they say is likely going to be printed, or put on a video/audio on a Web site. There are few athletes who just say what's on their minds. That's why whenever someone "goes off" you see it on all the national networks. It so rarely happens. Athletes don't really like media all that much, but they realize we have a job to do.

PirateApologist: In last night's game, one of the Giants was called out at third when Bautista clearly did not have the ball. The third base coach clearly saw it. Lanny said that the other umpires will probably help out the third base up and reverse the call. It never happened. The Pirates were up by 10 runs so it had little affect on the outcome. However, shouldn't the Giants manager have said something? I don't know why it bothered me so much; they were so far out of the game, but if I were manager, I would have come out of the dugout and said, "Hey look, we are down by ten, but he was clearly safe." Probably an absurd overreaction on my part, but you know he would be out there if the game was tied.

Jerry Micco: You're probably right, but 10 down, does it make a difference? And does it change the call? Now if he wanted to go out, make a real case and get tossed, maybe his teams says "wow, he's still in this game even 10 down." That might get him some points down the road.

jimmy_g: The main problem with the Pirates can be summarized in two words - starting pitching. With all of the draft choice they have spent on this, it is a real shame that there has not be a significant reward. Also, the article the other day about them having the worst starting pitching in the division (not best as some believed before the season) was right on.

Jerry Micco: As I've always said, this team's success or failure comes right from the pitching staff, and in particular the starters. You mention first-round picks. How many of those picks were of guys who everyone knew would be No. 1 or No. 2 starters? Check back. None of them were, except for perhaps Brad Lincoln. Most of the guys drafted in round 1, VanBenschoten, Bullington, Maholm, all were slotted to be 3 through 5 starters. Even Duke, not a first rounder, is considered a bottom tier starter. You can get away with that if you think they can be developed, but if they can't, then you have a bunch of 3-5 starters. And none are really power pitchers, which 1-2 starters generally are.

PirateApologist: How did you like Nate batting 2nd?

Jerry Micco: I'd like to see it over time, but knowing Sanchez hits like .350 batting leadoff, that's enough to change things for me. Also, it helps not to drop him to No. 3. That's a lot of pressure and he doesn't need that right now.

Chooch79: My issue with the Nutting family is really not about their payroll. The team has consistently cried "poor mouth" from being a small market franchise. If they were willing to give up their exclusive gaming license in order to keep this franchise, then it would appear that their argument all these years is not valid.

Jerry Micco: Well, I don't know that it has done the "poor mouth" think for the past couple years or so. A few years back, we did a piece proving the Pirates indeed made a profit. Hard to cry poor when you're shown to make money. I think they are trying to do things like other teams they see as a good model: Cleveland, Oakland, Minnesota, Milwaukee. Similar markets, similar teams, mostly built through the draft. If the Pirates have a payroll this season of $50.4 million, that's relatively low. But since they need so many players, giving a free agent $12 million a year is only help in one area. I'd like to see payroll increased if you're contending and you can get that kind of one-time help. Otherwise, it's good money after bad.

charleston_charlies: Do you think the Pirates should start shopping the players who are doing good?

Jerry Micco: I'm sure Huntington is listening to any and all offers. It's not like they'll contend this season anyway. He's got to rebuild the minors and the draft can do a bit of that. But if you can get major-league ready guys from other organizations, it makes you ready to replace a Nady, Bay or LaRoche faster than drafting them. So you always need a constant churn of talent when you are a team like Pittsburgh. And you need to mine Latin America for players. Which they haven't done in years.

charleston_charlies: And nady will never be a superstar

Jerry Micco: He doesn't have to be a super star to be a very good player. If he hits 30 homers and drives in 110 runs, those are very good numbers. He's not going to be Big Papi and be a 45/145 guy yearly or an A-rod. But he'll not make that kind of money, either. You need guys who are consistent and can offer some pop. He offers some pop. His consistency year over year, though, can be questioned.

PirateApologist: Is it realistic that the Pirates will be able to work out satisfying deals to trade Nady and Bay at the same time? I'm thinking one will stay until the winter because they can't get a good deal for them.

Jerry Micco: It'll be tough to deal Bay unless he starts to hit for more power consistently again. They'd not get all that much for him now, so trading him may not be an option. Nady, of course, is a different story. However, as I just stated, his consistency has to improve. He's great this year. Was very good last year, but was injured. Can he put together 150-plus games with big numbers and stay healthy? He's not done it yet, so that's the question mark on him.

theWellHungarian: I think if the Pirates would have saved the $10 Million they spent on Matt Morris, the $6 Million they spent on Jacklyn Wilson, they could have used that to sign Barry Bonds & then I would may go to a game

Jerry Micco: Wow, Barry Bonds? Would people actually go see him and embrace him again? And why in God's name would he ever return here? He can't play in the field anymore as it is. If he ever plays again, it'll be as a DH.

wizard_of_cros: Play any golf this spring?

Jerry Micco: Absolutely none. I was hoping to soon, though. Time to terrorize Western Pa. courses again!

Jerry Micco: Folks it's time to get back to work. Thanks for the great chat and for taking time to talk with me. I'll see you next week. Let's see how that Pens-Flyers series starts. Should be great!