In no particular order, Joe Manganiello is famous for (among other things):
• True Blood, Magic Mike and countless other shows and films
• being Sofia Vergara's husband
• being a massive fan of Pittsburgh sports
On that last point, Manganiello's passion rings home for us here at DKPittsburghSports.com. Our own Matt Sunday has taken photos of him at Steelers games and Penguins games, and he is set to make an appearance during an upcoming Pirates homestand to represent the Children's Hospital, where he serves on the Board of Trustees.
He's not just in it for the shine and hometown appeal, either. Manganiello is a legitimate fan, and that shows when he breaks down his favorite teams and players rocking the black and gold. Recently, Manganiello joined our Jason Rollison for an episode of The Buccocast, where he discussed his new movie, Bottom of the Ninth, and more.
Of course, the conversation eventually turned to Pittsburgh sports, and Manganiello was asked if he thought the Penguins still had a legitimate shot at a championship in 2019-20. The team just traded Phil Kessel and Olli Maatta, and they were swept against the Islanders in this year's postseason.
Is their window to bring back another Stanley Cup closed?
Nope. Not in Manganiello's eyes — and for one reason in particular.
“I think as long as you get Crosby, you get a chance," Manganiello said. "I just think that guy’s so special and I think he’s going to be top-shelf — pardon the pun — until he stops playing. I think as long as you got him, you’re fine. Obviously, there’s been some changes made. But do I think the window’s closed? No. Absolutely not. Not with a great coach and great stars. No, I think they’re just in a retooling phase.”
For an extra splash of fun, Rollison asked Manganiello, a known Dungeons & Dragons fanatic, to assign some character alignment to the Penguins' two biggest stars. Here's where he landed.
Malkin: “He’s like … oh God … I would put him in the neutral range somewhere, but, no… maybe he’s Chaotic Good. He’s a good guy, but maybe a little wilder than Sid.”
Crosby: “Lawful Good. He’s the Paladin if you’re playing Dungeons and Dragons. The knight.”
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