Starkey & Mueller

Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo from the PG joined the show. We are one week away from the NFL Draft. Will the Steelers select a QB at some point next weekend? Ray thinks Carson Beck is the name they will call because the Steelers, and Mike McCarthy, have a type – they want a bigger bodied guy. Ray thinks there are 5-6 guys in consideration to be the Steelers pick next Thursday night. Ray pointed out that after the middle of the 1st round, things could get a little messy with the board. Is there a chance the Steelers trade back in the opening round to acquire more capital, even though they already have a dozen choices to make? Ray expects Mason Rudolph to be the odd-man-out if the team does select a QB in this draft. The guys don’t understand why there are links to so many corners in this group. Is Aaron Rodgers coming back, because it doesn’t seem like current Steelers are skeptical?

We finally know the time for Game 1 of Penguins-Flyers. It will be Saturday night at 8 pm. It’s been a magical season for the Pens. What happens if that comes to an end in the first round? The guys think it’s a failure of a season if that’s how things go down. Is that fair, given how surprising this whole campaign has been? There is a fear that the Flyers will go after Sidney Crosby, but that’s what we should expect.

PM Team FULL Show 4-15-26

Mike Florio from Pro Football Talk joined the show. Does the NFL need to investigate Mike Vrabel following the fallout from the Dianna Russini situation? Russini resigned from her position at The Athletic yesterday. Mike isn’t sure what the end result is going to be, but he added that it is clear that a lawyer wrote up Russini’s resignation letter. Mike isn’t sure if it matters on Vrabel’s end because he isn’t the journalist that is compromising his/her position. Mike isn’t sure the length of the rabbit hole here, but it makes you question her reporting on the Titans and/or Patriots from the time Vrabel was coaching those teams. The Steelers are doing a lot of homework on QBs going into the draft – should they choose one? Do Steelers players have any idea if Aaron Rodgers is showing up? The guys asked Mike about the logistics of the draft in a given city and how the league counts the number of people at the event. Mike doesn’t think it’s crazy that there is still hotel space because Pittsburgh is an accessibl

A very odd decision from Don Kelly last night that aided a Pirates loss to the Nationals. In a spot with the Pirates down 1 run and the bases loaded, Kelly chose to lift Brandon Lowe from the game in favor of Nick Yorke. Yorke proceeded to ground into a double play immediately. Lowe hit a home run earlier in the game, off a left-handed pitcher, but was taken out instead of facing one in that spot. To top it off, that spot in the order came up with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th and Yorke popped out in foul ground with the tying and winning runs on-base. The guys thought the move was very similar to ones we would see from Derek Shelton in the past. Is there any defense to the decision? Mitch Keller didn’t have a good night, so we don’t want to leave him off the hook here. Fans give takes on Don Kelly over-managing last night in a Buccos loss to the Nats. More calls reacting to the odd decision made by Don Kelly last night. And the throw by Jake Mangum shouldn’t be forgotten.

The Penguins regular season is over and Elmer Soderblom netted his 5th goal in the finale – winning Donny the bet against Poni, paying him $750. Poni took the opportunity to push for other hosts to pay off their bets, as we have seen multiple occasions when the bets are made, forgotten about and never paid off. Poni doesn’t like how the Penguins limped to the finish line. Also, leave it to the NHL to not have their schedule finish all on the same day like every other professional league is able to accomplish with ease. When will the Penguins-Flyers series begin? Donny Football Debrief – Is anyone else noticing that people not planning on defending the draft have a weird sense of pride in letting everyone know about it?

93.7 The Fan Sports Director Jeff Hathhorn joined the show. The Pirates are experimenting with an opener tonight for the first time this season, with Carmen Mlodzinski coming out of the bullpen after Mason Montgomery starts. After a multi-hit night, why is Konnor Griffin out of the lineup tonight?

Penn State PxP voice Steve Jones joined the show. With the Steelers welcoming the likes of Drew Allar and Vega Ioane over the last 48 hours, Steve had better insight on these guys than anyone. Steve explained what went wrong with Allar last season and if the coaching staff deserves blame. Steve said Allar can make every throw that an NFL team would be looking for, but broke down some of the shortcomings in big moments. Steve said the Penn State fans always wanted more out of Allar because he had the prototypical QB size. What does Allar do well and what needs more work? Steve talked about the growing trend in football offenses and the lack of downfield passing. How does Allar compare to other QBs in this draft class? Steve gave us the skinny on how to pronounce Vega Ioane, since the Steelers may have him high on their board. Steve said Ioane hasn’t allowed a sack since 2023 and ‘took care of his yard.’ Steve said Ioane is the Quenton Nelson of the draft and regardless of position, he will be of value.

ALL ACCESS w/ Aditi – With Drew Allar coming in for a visit and the previous relationship Mike McCarthy has with the father of Garrett Nussemeier, are the Steelers going to draft a QB next weekend? Another pop for the idea of taking a QB every year or two until you find one. Aditi expects the Steelers to be extremely active moving up and down the board during the draft because it’s very difficult to make all 12 selections that they possess. Aditi likes the idea of the Steelers drafting Jordyn Tyson, but not to let Makai Lemon and his odd combine interviews keep you away. Is it at all plausible that Aaron Rodgers announces the Steelers 1st round pick next Thursday as a way of showing that he is back?

Mike Florio from Pro Football Talk joined the show. Does the NFL need to investigate Mike Vrabel following the fallout from the Dianna Russini situation? Russini resigned from her position at The Athletic yesterday. Mike isn’t sure what the end result is going to be, but he added that it is clear that a lawyer wrote up Russini’s resignation letter. Mike isn’t sure if it matters on Vrabel’s end because he isn’t the journalist that is compromising his/her position. Mike isn’t sure the length of the rabbit hole here, but it makes you question her reporting on the Titans and/or Patriots from the time Vrabel was coaching those teams. The Steelers are doing a lot of homework on QBs going into the draft – should they choose one? Do Steelers players have any idea if Aaron Rodgers is showing up? The guys asked Mike about the logistics of the draft in a given city and how the league counts the number of people at the event. Mike doesn’t think it’s crazy that there is still hotel space because Pittsburgh is an accessibl

A very odd decision from Don Kelly last night that aided a Pirates loss to the Nationals. In a spot with the Pirates down 1 run and the bases loaded, Kelly chose to lift Brandon Lowe from the game in favor of Nick Yorke. Yorke proceeded to ground into a double play immediately. Lowe hit a home run earlier in the game, off a left-handed pitcher, but was taken out instead of facing one in that spot. To top it off, that spot in the order came up with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th and Yorke popped out in foul ground with the tying and winning runs on-base. The guys thought the move was very similar to ones we would see from Derek Shelton in the past. Is there any defense to the decision? Mitch Keller didn’t have a good night, so we don’t want to leave him off the hook here.

Donny Football Debrief – Is anyone else noticing that people not planning on defending the draft have a weird sense of pride in letting everyone know about it?

The Penguins regular season is over and Elmer Soderblom netted his 5th goal in the finale – winning Donny the bet against Poni, paying him $750. Poni took the opportunity to push for other hosts to pay off their bets, as we have seen multiple occasions when the bets are made, forgotten about and never paid off.

PM Team FULL Show 4-14-26

Pirates 1B Spencer Horwitz joined the show. Spencer hit his first home run of the season last night in a 16-run outburst from the Buccos in the opening game of the series against the Nationals. Spencer said the fun is contagious in the clubhouse right now as the team wins games, raises the cone and wears the welder mask. Spencer shouted out Billy Cook for being the guy that keeps the cone under safekeeping. Spencer talked about the hot start for Oneil Cruz and the work he put in before the season to bounce back in 2026. He got into what worked in the second half of last season, which had us saying Horwitz was the Pirates best hitter in 2025. The guys ran through some dudes on the roster and had Spencer describe them on & off the field. The guys had some fun with Spencer, as a Ravens fan, about the Steelers winning the AFC North this past season. How did Spencer spend his first offseason in Pittsburgh? NFL Draft analyst Ryan Wilson from CBS Sports joined the show. How could things break for the Steelers

16 runs last night for the Buccos in a 16-5 win over the Nationals. Joe Block and the boys were having fun. The Pirates have 10 wins, leaving only the billion-dollar Dodgers as the team with more victories so far in 2026. The Pirates have one of the more explosive offenses in baseball so far, but how long can they sustain it? The Pirates have had hot starts before, even as recently as 2024 when they started 19-8. The guys don’t think this is all smoke and mirrors like the teams of the past. The rotation has been awesome a few times through and it gives them a chance every day. Are fans converting to Pirates fandom after the hot start? One caller thinks the 2026 Buccos are better than the 1979 World Series team. Mock of the Day – Vega Ioane is among the prospects visiting the Steelers today.

Penguins and Flyers is officially set for the opening round of the NHL playoffs. It’s been 4 seasons since we have seen the Pens make it to the postseason and we get the battle of Pennsylvania off the bat. Do we still hate the Flyers? Is it more about hating their fans? They don’t have guys like Scott Hartnell or Claude Giroux or Daniel Briere anymore. How do we feel about this matchup? Chris thinks the Penguins will take the series in 5 or 6 games and that idea worries Poni – because nobody out there is willing to pick the Flyers. Will Sidney Crosby continue his dominance over the team in Philadelphia? Poni said he can’t say a bad word about Rick Tocchet because he once invited him to a Stanley Cup party. We heard Rick Tocchet make a few comments on how he feels about playing the Penguins in the playoffs as the opposing coach. It all comes down to Game 82 for Elmer Soderblom to score his 5th goal with the team. Is he going to get it done for Donny? The schedule for this series could be wonky since the Flye

Vega Ioane is among the players visiting the Steelers today. Is he worth taking 21st overall?

NFL Draft analyst Ryan Wilson from CBS Sports joined the show. How could things break for the Steelers next Thursday in the 1st round of the NFL Draft? Ryan doesn’t expect more than 3 WRs to be off the board, with the top guys like Carnell Tate and Makai Lemon as the only obvious ones. Ryan thinks the WR group is so deep that you can still find a future WR1 in the 2nd round. Ryan believes Vega Ioane is a potential Top 10 pick by the time we get there. Ryan pointed to Germie Bernard as a find entering the second night. What type of prospect is Spencer Fano and could he be a real option for the Steelers at 21? Ryan would not be stunned if the Steelers trade back into the 1st round if Ty Simpson is still on the board at the end of the night. What do some of these other offensive linemen look like that could be late risers before next Thursday? Ryan believes it could be injuries that push Jordyn Tyson down the board, who may be the best WR in the draft otherwise. Ryan said Jermod McCoy could be a name at 21 that

Pirates 1B Spencer Horwitz joined the show. Spencer hit his first home run of the season last night in a 16-run outburst from the Buccos in the opening game of the series against the Nationals. Spencer said the fun is contagious in the clubhouse right now as the team wins games, raises the cone and wears the welder mask. Spencer shouted out Billy Cook for being the guy that keeps the cone under safekeeping. Spencer talked about the hot start for Oneil Cruz and the work he put in before the season to bounce back in 2026. He got into what worked in the second half of last season, which had us saying Horwitz was the Pirates best hitter in 2025. The guys ran through some dudes on the roster and had Spencer describe them on & off the field. The guys had some fun with Spencer, as a Ravens fan, about the Steelers winning the AFC North this past season. How did Spencer spend his first offseason in Pittsburgh?