It would be fun to see Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle sitting behind home plate at PNC Park. But fame and money alone won’t turn the Pirates from losers to winners. Talent will.

The ninth annual Allegheny County Wrestling Championships are underway at Fox Chapel Area High School, with 40 local teams competing in the two-day tournament. The county’s best wrestler is conspicuously absent, however.

In no way did I ever think that Pitt would be 13-2 and unbeaten in Big East play on this day. But here we are. Since inserting Gilbert Brown (academic suspension) and Jermaine Dixon (injury) back into the lineup, the Panthers have been a different team. That is, they’ve been a team that can actually score on a more consistent basis (while not having to rely solely on sophomore Ashton Gibbs). And this offensive outburst has them 4-0 since their return.

On the Sunday after Christmas, I trekked west on I-70 for an evening in Wheeling. The Nailers were playing the Elmira Jackals, and, despite the fact that the roster didn’t boast much prospect-level talent, $18 for two seats on the red line seemed like a solid deal.

It’s been months since I’ve written anything of significant length, and yet I still define myself as a Pittsburgh sports blogger. I’m glad Alan and I are finally getting around to kickstarting Titletahn. We’ve been talking about it for some time, and even though this a modest launch, I’m excited about our long-term plans.