PHOENIX (AP)—Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry has two words for the multitudes who aren’t giving his Suns any chance in the Western Conference finals against the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers:

“Pittsburgh Penguins.”

Last year’s Stanley Cup winner and the favorite this season was bounced in the second round of the NHL playoffs May 12 by the No. 8 seed Montreal Canadiens.

NOTHING TO LOSE—Phoenix Suns head coach Alvin Gentry instructs his team during the first quarter of Game 1 of an NBA second-round playoff basketball series against the San Antonio Spurs May 3, in Phoenix.

PITTSBURGH (AP)—It’s fans like Becky Rickard that Ben Roethlisberger has lost. The 33-year-old Rickard is a Pittsburgher and a fan of every team in town. She’s come out to see the Pittsburgh Pirates play, even though they haven’t had a winning season since 1992, when Roethlisberger was just a backyard quarterback.

She should love the Steelers and their six Super Bowl titles, including two under the direction of Roethlisberger. Right?

SIGN OF THE TIMES—This April 22 file photo shows a sign in the windows of a building on Pittsburgh’s North Side displaying one opinion of what the Steelers should do with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

Last week I attempted to impart some insight regarding certain NCAA coaches having little or no regard to honoring contracts or commitments to the universities that employ them and the student-athletes that perform for them.

Parents are tickled pink when their child is awarded a scholarship to attend an institution of higher learning because of their athletic prowess. I did a little legwork for you guys and dolls but I need you to figure the rest out on your own. I am confident that you will. I will give you just a few examples of tuition costs and coaches salaries to serve as indicators of how perverted and unbalanced the economics have become in college athletics.

(AP)—Why stop with “Los Suns?”

For all the marketing schemes pro sports leagues have tried to woo Latinos in recent years, none probably resonated more powerfully with the target audience than the Phoenix Suns’ decision to wear their “Los Suns” jerseys for Game 2 of their NBA playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs last week.

The Suns have won six playoff games in a row, a franchise record, dispatching their longtime nemesis San Antonio with a four-game sweep to advance to the Western Conference finals.

UPSTART SUNS—Phoenix Suns forward Amare Stoudemire (1) wears a “Los Suns” jersey during the first quarter of Game 2 of their NBA second-round playoff basketball series against the San Antonio Spurs May 5, in Phoenix.