The News (2/26)...

A few more Thursday lunchtime quick hits until I can come up with something worthwhile...

-Big day for your Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes...he's due in court for his marijuana charge today. While I'm not an advocate of drug use, I cannot understand why they don't just make marijuana legal. There are so many people I know that "smoke" and most of them are not your typical "pot head" but respectable members of the community. I see no difference from alcohol usage, when used in moderation and responsibly it hurts nobody. The strict marijuana laws are leading to overcrowding of our prisons and a backlog in our legal system. Make it legal, put restrictions on who can grow and sell it, and tax the hell out of it. That should put a nice dent in the deficit and also lower some of the crime associated with it.

-I don't know if you can call the Pens victory last night a big win, but two points in the standings are two points, whether you beat the worst team in the league 1-0 or 9-2. It was big for me, seeing that MAF brought home the shutout for my Semin Stains fantasy hockey team. It also pointed out the importance of one Sidney Crosby to the Pens' offensive gameplan. Hopefully it helps to quiet the "Trade Crosby" nonsense coming from various outlets. And without trying to pile on, but I found it noteworthy that the Pens put up a shutout with Ryan Whitney out of the lineup. Sorry big guy.

-Tiger Woods is back. Yawn.

-A-Rod homered in his spring debut last night, and was also seen after the game with his cousin that supposedly helped him inject the banned substance a few years back. He's definitely back on the stuff.

-In more Grapefruit League baseball news, your beloved Buccos won their spring opener yesterday over the defending champion Phillies 8-2. Jack Wilson had the go-ahead single, non-roster 2B Shelby Ford hit a three run shot and Rule V pickup Donnie Veal got the victory. Nothing to get excited over, but it's a start. Wonder how many yinzers talked about trading Freddy Sanchez to open up a spot for Ford after yesterday?