The Fan At Night

We lead off the show with Chris Boswell, the best kicker in Steelers history, signing an extension with the team. He is now one of the highest paid kickers in the NFL. Why don't kickers get more credit for what they do? Donny wants Boswell to be paid as much as possible because Boswell is one of the Steelers' most important players, if not the most important. Donny did not tweet or post anything while he was on his honeymoon, but he kept an eye on some of the headlines coming out of Pittsburgh.

It doesn't seem like the Penguins are urgently trying to re-sign Evgeni Malkin. What do you think? Will the team and Malkin reach a deal? Is Malkin blocking someone from having a key role?

Pirates Insider Jason Mackey joins! The guys discuss Brandon Lowe sitting against lefties, Konnor Griffin's rookie season, and the ratio of games caught between Henry Davis and Joey Bart. The guys also discuss how Don Kelly could use Carmen Mlodzinski and Jared Jones once Jones returns from the IL.

Former MLB pitcher and analyst Matt Clement joins! The guys discuss all factors contributing to the Pirates' five-game losing streak.

Donny Football, Doug Whaley, and Andrew Filliponi react to the Steelers selecting Max iheanachor from Arizona State.

PG Reporter Colin Beazley joins the show! Colin mentions how good the Texas food has been. Colin says Andrew McCutchen is missed. Colin praises the Pirates' starting pitching. Colin thinks this season's numbers may be the lowest of Konnor Griffin's entire career. Colin gives an assessment of Don Kelly so far this season. Jake Mangum audio. Austin takes some calls on the Pirates

CBS Sports' Garrett Podell joins the show! Could the Steelers select an Offensive Tackle after the Brodrick Jones news? Garrett says tackle is very much in play now. Garrett mentions the drop off in WR prospects. Garrett gives his prediction for the Steelers' first-round pick.

Was Stuart Skinner the reason the Pens lost Game 1? Dan Muse Postgame audio. Sports Director Jeff Hathhorn joins the show from PPG Paints Arena! Jeff thinks the Penguins need to play physical hockey tonight. Jeff gives the vibe check of the locker room. Jeff says Crosby needs a big game tonight for the Penguins.

Justin LaCertosa of Devilsdigest.com joins to share everything Jordyn Tyson of Arizona State would bring to the Steelers, should they pick him. The guys also discuss Hines Ward's role in developing Tyson into such a major prospect.

Aren't you glad the Penguins acquired Stuart Skinner? If the Pens lose the series, do you still view this season as a success?

Dan Kingerski, Pittsburgh Hockey Now joins! The guys discuss the goaltender situation, how the Penguins can take advantage of Philadelphia, and Rick Tocchet's coaching job after the Olympic break.

Former MLB pitcher and analyst Matt Clement joins! The guys discuss everything from today's game and the upcoming weekend series with the red-hot Tampa Bay Rays to the Bucs' season as a whole.

Was that the most frustrating series split ever between the Pirates and the Nationals? The Bucs could've easily swept the series. Jack breaks down what went wrong, primarily Nick Yorke pinch-hitting for Brandon Lowe in a huge situation from Tuesday night. He then discusses today's game where Pirates third base coach Tony Beazley seemingly botched sending in the winning run, which fielded a good handful of calls into this segment!

Garrett Podell joins Austin Bechtold to talk about what could happen at the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh for the Steelers. Who does Garrett see the Steelers taking in the first round? Could wide receiver be a possibility in the first round?

THE PENGUINS ARE PLAYOFF-BOUND! So, the question now is how the goaltender situation might unfold?

Nick Farabaugh, PennLive.com joins! The guys discuss the Steelers' offseason and thoroughly examine which prospects at key positions of need could be in play for the Steelers' first-round pick. Could they trade back up for Ty Simpson?

Former MLB pitcher Matt Clement joins! The guys discuss the Buccos' first 12 games, Konnor Griffin and what he brings to the team on and off the field, as well as Marcell Ozuna's struggles to start the year.

Chris Halicke, DK Pittsburgh Sports joins! The guys discuss the latest with the Steelers and Aaron Rodgers with the NFL draft two weeks away!

The list of NFL draft prospects who'll be in attendance for the draft has been released! How many have a chance to be selected by the Steelers?

Dan Kingerski, Pittsburgh Hockey Now joins! The guys preview tonight's game in New Jersey, the goalie situation, and their imminent playoff berth.

There's optimism in the Penguins as they're about to make the playoffs. There's optimism in the Pirates after 12 games in Don Kelly's first full season. What kind of optimism surrounds the Steelers?

Jesse Marshall joins the show! Jesse says that teams are behind the Penguins but they won't catch up to them. The Penguins should feel safe about making the playoffs. Donny tells Jesse about his Elmer Soderblom bet with Poni. Jesse says Blake Lizotte may not return in the regular season and he may do it for Donny! Jesse says he feels "good" for Donny. Should the Penguins worry about a potential first round matchup with the Philadelphia Flyers? Where will Dan Muse finish in the Jack Adams race? Besides Lindy Ruff, no other clear cut names come to mind for Coach of the Year. The Penguins went from being in the Gavin McKenna sweepstakes to hosting a playoff round.

Nick Farabaugh joins the show! Nick says his first-round pick for the Steelers is Omar Cooper Jr. Ty Simpson is a quarterback linked frequently to the Steelers. What does Nick think about Simpson? What is his ceiling and what is his floor? Nick says his development won't reach its potential in Pittsburgh. Nick says there are many similarities between Simpson and Shedeur Sanders. Nick says he does not feel the Steelers would take Simpson in the first round. What would be the ideal first two nights of the draft for the Steelers?

Colin Beazley joins the show! He says that the Griffin extension developed quickly over the last few days. Buster Onley had it earlier and Colin is not disputing Buster's reporting, only saying it was not close until the last day or so. Donny and Colin break down the contract. Colin says that it is a great day for the Pirates and their fans. Pirates fans do not have to worry about buying a Griffin jersey and fear he will be traded anytime soon. Colin talks about the 'hoist the cone' story and if the city of Pittsburgh will start to have a shortage of traffic cones. 

Rob in North Versailles says he got emotional seeing Bob Nutting talk, something he thought would never happen. He says that the Griffin contract is the most important contract extension in his lifetime as a Pirates fan. Donny had an issue with how Mitch Keller was utilized. He was pulled earlier than some people preferred. After Keller had a great outing, the bullpen blew the game and the Pirates lost the series. We listened to Don Kelly after the game to hear his reasoning for pulling Keller and what the Pirates saw from Padres starter Michael King. 

The Pirates fell 8-2 today to the San Diego Padres, taking two out of three games at PNC Park. But the biggest news of the day was the official extension of Konnor Griffin. The Pirates continue the trend of extending top prospects without their having real major league experience. Colt Emerson of the Mariners was the latest player before Griffin to sign a long term contract. With the extension news, has Bob Nutting become the best owner in town right now? His approval rating skyrocketed just a year later after planes carried messages urging him to sell the team. Donny takes a few calls from excited Pirates fans.

After making his MLB debut, the number one prospect in all of baseball joins Dan Zangrilli to recap the memorable day.

Nick Farabaugh; PennLive.com joins! The guys discuss the latest with the Steelers, the NFL owners' meetings, and what Rico Dowdle, Michael Pittman Jr., and other new Steelers will bring to the 412. Jack and Nick then transition to the upcoming NFL draft and the directions the Steelers could take.

Noah Hiles; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette joins! The guys discuss Konnor Griffin joining the ballclub, when his extension could become final, and where Griffin might fit into the lineup against Baltimore. The guys also discuss the pitching matchups, new city connect jerseys, and new concessions at the ballpark.

Former MLB pitcher Matt Clement joins! The guys discuss Konnor Griffin joining the Bucs, their weekend series against Baltimore, and the Buccos' rotation.

Jackson Prep HS baseball coach Brent Heavener joins to discuss coaching Konnor Griffin, what Griffin will bring to the Buccos, and being teammates with Jake Mangum, who also attended Jackson Prep.

Jack discusses Konnor Griffin's incrinculent day, spanning from getting the call to the majors to receiving a massive extension. Griffin is one of a handful of reasons why Ben Cherington deserves recognition. While the Pirates still have more work to do to become a true problem for the rest of the league, they're at least taking steps in the right direction.

4-1 Donny Football Full Show

The Borges Hockey Roundup: The Penguins swept their crucial back-to-back games against the Islanders and Red Wings. They currently sit three points ahead of the Islanders for second place in the Metro division. How confident should the Penguins be in securing a playoff spot? All they really have to do is outplay the Islanders.

Jonas King joins the show! Jonas, a local product at Mercyhurst and an NFL hopeful, has many connections to Donny. Both of his parents taught Donny at one point at Greensburg-Salem. He talks about all the sports he played, highlighting what made football stand out and why he fell in love with the game. Is there a sibling rivalry between Jonas and his sister, who is currently a near-Olympic swimmer? Jonas discusses the difference between Division II and Division I football. He said the size and speed were clearly different. Jonas gained 60 pounds during his time at Mercyhurst. He says he is very tired of eating eggs. Jonas talks about the process of potentially becoming a late-round pick or an UDFA.

Anthony Mantha is a 30 goal scorer! He is also a pending free agent. How much should the Penguins be willing to spend to retain Mantha? The Penguins have the money to spend for the next few years so why not extend him? If fans are not sold on the long term deal, would Penguins fans be comfortable with a shorter term deal and a higher salary?

Brendan Howe joins the show! He wrote a story about Will Howard detailing the two schools of thought Steelers fans have regarding the Steelers QB. The first thought is that he is an Ohio State Championship-winning QB who should start for the Steelers. The other thought is that he is a sixth-round pick who has never played a snap in the NFL. What does Will Howard think about his current situation with the Steelers? He thought he was a Day Two pick but that didn't happen; however, he ended up exactly where he wanted to be.

Mike McCarthy spoke from the General Managers' meetings. McCarthy answered another Aaron Rodgers question. He says that he talks to Rodgers every day, as much as he does with his wife. Donny says that Rodgers' options are the Steelers and retirement as the other options are gone. Mike Florio says that Rodgers to the Broncos might be a possibility but Donny thinks it is more of an April Fools' joke than an actual possibility.

Colin Beazley joins the show live from Cincy. He got Arby's and the only reason to get Arby's is the curly fries. Debate a wall. Colin is going home for the first time in nearly two months as he has been with the Pirates since the beginning of Spring Training. Donny asks the most important question: How much did he pack? The Mets and Reds series were the opposite of each other. What version of the Pirates will we see against the Orioles at PNC Park? Colin did not want to overreact to Monday's events. He does say that it felt familiar, though, and was happy to see the bats break out the last two days. Colin says he has been impressed with the Pirates' bullpen through the first six games of the season. Colin shares his thoughts on the potential extension for Konnor Griffin.

We take some phone calls from Pirates fans about the Pirates winning their series against the Reds. Mike in the South Hills likes what he is seeing. He likes the way Cruz responded after the opening series brain farts against the Mets. We listen to Don Kelly after the Pirates' win over the Reds today.

We take some phone calls from Pirates fans about the Pirates winning their series against the Reds. Mike in the South Hills likes what he is seeing. He likes the way Cruz responded after the opening series brain farts against the Mets.

The Pirates won their series against the Reds after Paul Skenes rebounded nicely after his first outing. Donny says it was another game where the pitching staff received ample run support. Monday night there was no offense but game six into the season, the Pirates offense is awake. Oneil Cruz hit three home runs in the last two games and no one seems to be clamoring to move him anymore. Were the comparisons of Cruz and George Pickens warranted? He has already hit more home runs off left-handed pitchers through six games than he did the entire last season. Will the Pirates extend Konnor Griffin long term? Buster Olney says it is on the table and Donny would make the deal right now. 

Noah Hiles joins the show! Noah regretted not wearing sunglasses when he went on the field for pregame. Cruz did not wear sunglasses. Cruz misplayed two balls. Noah says he does not care if someone wears sunglasses, just catch the ball. "Sunglasses were not worn in the 1940s, the sun still existed then" - Noah Hiles, 2026. Noah says an argument can be made to move Cruz to third base.

Matt Clement joins the show! He says something like this could happen even with all the excitement related to the Pirates this season. He says Oneil Cruz's at-bats show that he looks like a different player at the plate. However, when the defensive plays change the game it makes things look worse. Matt says it's still very early to think about Cruz's next steps. Matt says, "Sometimes that's baseball.". Paul Skenes was also pulled without completing a single inning. No one should regret picking Skenes to win awards after game one. The new guys, Ryan O'Hearn and Brandon Lowe showed up today by hitting three home runs, two for Lowe.

It was a brutal night for the Penguins... They're still going to be a playoff team, right?

Cole Adams, who runs his own College Basketball YouTube Channel joins! The guys discuss the breaking news that Hubert Davis is out as North Carolina's head coach, before transitioning to all the other action across the tournament and upcoming Sweet 16.

Noah Hiles, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, joins! The guys discuss the latest with Konnor Griffin, what a potential extension with him may look like, and when that extension could be finalized. The guys also discuss how Jose Urquidy fits into the pitching staff, as well as where things stand with Jared Triolo.

Nick Farabaugh, PennLive.com, joins. The guys discuss Mike Tomlin signing with sports media agents as he gears up for his post-coaching career in TV. The guys also discuss Aaron Rodgers' offseason and whether signs point to him returning to Pittsburgh. They also discuss which NFL draft prospects can end up with the black & gold. Nick thinks that Omar Cooper from the champion IU Hoosiers might be around. Farabaugh also believes new signee Travis Homer will be primarily used within the Steelers' special teams.

Austin discusses Konnor Griffin not making the Pirates' Opening Day roster. Other big name prospects like JJ Wetherholt and Kevin McGonigle made their squads, though, so why not Griffin? Austin reiterates that Griffin is still so young, and that fans should welcome this patient approach.

Austin Bechtold and Dan Burt discuss Dan's connections to coaches in this year's men's and women's tournaments this year and facing Geno Auriemma years ago.