Starkey & Mueller

A chart is going viral with the final 5 drafts under Kevin Colbert. Colbert may be a Hall of Fame GM, but this painted a picture as to how things were left for Omar Khan. The chart is split into a few categories and only 1 player is labeled as a ‘great’ draft pick (Alex Highsmith).

Another moment of Terry Bradshaw defending Kenny Pickett in his time with the Steelers. But the guys wondered if it was more of a shot at the head coach than a defense of Pickett. Deshaun Watson got married this weekend, which was the cause for a few jokes on social media. There was also a defense of Sam Darnold in the interview with Bradshaw, which the guys think is a little bit comparable to Pickett even though Darnold was a former 3rd overall pick. Now with Pickett in Cleveland, how is the talent around him supposed to be good enough?

Paul Skenes is an All Star again. He was also pulled after just 78 pitches yesterday in one of the more dominant outings of his season. The sad thing is – did it matter? The guys wondered why Skenes wasn’t publicly vocal about it. Skenes could have pitched a complete game and the Pirates still weren’t scoring a run. Is there an amount of media pressure that could open Bob Nutting to making a significant change? Is the plan for Paul Skenes to go light leading up to next Tuesday to make sure he is eligible to pitch in the All Star Game? Is it bad on the Pirates to admit to getting Skenes ready for an exhibition game? Did Rob Manfred or someone from the league step in and ask them to do it? Would it be treated differently if the Pirates were in a playoff chase? BREAKING: Penn State hockey has landed Gavin McKenna, the top prospect in the 2026 NHL Draft. Weekend Review.

Is the plan for Paul Skenes to go light leading up to next Tuesday to make sure he is eligible to pitch in the All Star Game? Is it bad on the Pirates to admit to getting Skenes ready for an exhibition game? Did Rob Manfred or someone from the league step in and ask them to do it?

Paul Skenes is an All Star again. He was also pulled after just 78 pitches yesterday in one of the more dominant outings of his season. The sad thing is – did it matter? The guys wondered why Skenes wasn’t publicly vocal about it. Skenes could have pitched a complete game and the Pirates still weren’t scoring a run. Is there an amount of media pressure that could open Bob Nutting to making a significant change?

Oh, the Pirates. Less than a week after shutting out the Cardinals in all 3 games of a sweep at PNC Park, they were shut out in all 3 games against the Mariners in Seattle. What is this team? Is there a simple answer? Paul Skenes is their only All Star. By the way, that is the first time the Pirates have been shut out in an entire series since the late 1800’s when they weren’t even called the Pirates. Listeners give a word or two to describe the Pirates’ season. Pirates pre-post game host Dan Zangrilli joined the show. Dan has no idea if the Pirates are closer or further away to where they want to be. He said the crux of the frustration is how good their starting pitching is. Dan believes outside of Paul Skenes, the pitching is ‘pretty darn good.’ How much credit do we give Ben Cherington for the staff? The guys asked Dan about a report of some players going ‘rogue’ in some of their hitting work. How much of the team’s budget was put into the analytics department?

Pirates pre-post game host Dan Zangrilli joined the show. Dan has no idea if the Pirates are closer or further away to where they want to be. He said the crux of the frustration is how good their starting pitching is. Dan believes outside of Paul Skenes, the pitching is ‘pretty darn good.’ How much credit do we give Ben Cherington for the staff? The guys asked Dan about a report of some players going ‘rogue’ in some of their hitting work. How much of the team’s budget was put into the analytics department?

Oh, the Pirates. Less than a week after shutting out the Cardinals in all 3 games of a sweep at PNC Park, they were shut out in all 3 games against the Mariners in Seattle. What is this team? Is there a simple answer? Paul Skenes is their only All Star. By the way, that is the first time the Pirates have been shut out in an entire series since the late 1800’s when they weren’t even called the Pirates.

Welcome Ramsey and Smith, goodbye Minkah. What’s up with TJ Watt and the Pirates are red hot!

Ray Fittipaldo joins the show to discuss Omar Khan, Steelers. Noah Hiles joins the show for TRT to discuss Ben Cherington, potential Pirates trade offers.

PM Team FULL Show 7-3-25

Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo from the PG joined the show. Ray said the legacy of Omar Khan so far is about bold, aggressive moves. Ray said his tenure will ultimately be defined by what happens in the next couple of years and if he can finally find a QB. Ray wanted to remind people that Kenny Pickett was not a Khan draft pick. Did the Steelers trade Minkah Fitzpatrick in his prime? Ray hadn’t heard anything about Minkah’s relationship with Mike Tomlin going south. Ray said the Steelers believe in DeShon Elliott. Juan Thornhill is coming off a bad year and Ray thinks that’s why there is talk of Jalen Ramsey sliding into the safety spot at some point this season. Ray thinks the team should find someone to push Thornhill going into the season. Ray gave a strong endorsement for strawberry pretzel salad.

Mark Kaboly joins the show to talk Steelers, Pirates, and more.

What is Omar Khan's worst move as GM of the Steelers? Bob Pompeani joins the show to discuss Omar Khan, Steelers. Donny Football Debrief: Who is the best draft pick at every draft slot in NFL history?

KDKA TV’s Bob Pompeani joined the show. Bob reacted to the Omar Khan extension news. What moves have the Steelers made that have Khan’s hands all over it? Bob thinks the DK Metcalf trade was strongly dictated by Khan. What does Bob think stands as Khan’s best and worst move so far? The conversation turned to exercise and how Poni may have a torn Achilles in his future. This was sparked from Jaylen Warren sharing video of his unique training regimen. Bob said he isn’t much a weight lifter anymore.

The guys talked about Omar Khan and his moves as a GM and why it’s a little bit similar to what kids try to do in Madden. Does being busy mean you are doing good work? The guys think the team still feels stale by the time we get deep into the season even if they are being bold right now. The Steelers have shuffled the deck chairs a lot the last few seasons to similar results with zero playoff wins. The heist of the Bears for Chase Claypool is Khan’s best move. What is his worst move?

Poni and Mueller react to the Steelers extending Omar Khan, and discuss what his best move was as the GM of the Steelers. Jason Mackey joins the show to talk about the investigation of Luis Ortiz and the Pirates current hot streak.

PG columnist Jason Mackey joined the show. The guys asked Jason about the story brewing about Luis Ortiz and a potential gambling investigation. Investigators are looking 2 individual pitches in this story that apparently altered betting markets. The red-hot Pirates have won 6 straight games, but how long can they keep this going? Jason said this run does not change his mind about the current landscape of their front office. At what point should Ben Cherington be vindicated for his work? Jason does not trust Cherington to make notable trades involving Mitch Keller or David Bednar if those opportunities arise later this month. Jason fully expects Don Kelly to be back next season, but how much credit should Cherington get for that? Going back to the Derek Shelton firing, Jason believes it was a Bob Nutting call to make that change 38 games in. What should the expectation be for Spencer Horwitz?

BREAKING: The Steelers have extended Omar Khan through the 2028 season. The guys are having a tough time ultimately judging the job done by Khan so far in his role. How much of a say does he have on big decisions? We hear so many say Mike Tomlin holds iron fist, but how true is that? The offseason acquisitions have notably been more exciting with Khan at the helm, but there were a few key variables as to why Kevin Colbert didn’t always need to be.

Aditi Kinkhabwala discusses Mike Tomlin, Dan Zangrilli talks Pirates, newest edition of Judge Donny, and more.