Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Big Ben Roethlisberger to host WWE Monday Night Raw next week

I think it's awesome that Ben will be the guest General Manager on Monday Night Raw. I mean, he's perfect for the position. He's a two-time Super bowl champion and he's the best 4th quarter quarterback in the game today. Nobody can make decisions like him. I think his skills of leading men will come in handy when he has to make tough decisions on championship matches.

I just hope people like Randy Orton, or that no good Chris Jericho, don't try to mess with him. Please, guys. He's just there because Mr. Mcmahon asked him to guest host as a favor. Don't stick your nose in his business. As I said, he's a champion. You guys have been champions in the WWE, surely, you can appreciate what Ben has done in the NFL. Don't let jealousy cloud your judgement and do something you'll regret.

If you do, I swear I will kick your asses! You hear that, Orton? You even try to mess with Ben and I will piledrive you, son! I will be your worst nightmare! You let Ben do his job and don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong. Orton, you think you're so smug. You act like your crap don't stink. Well, when you mess with a Steeler, you're messing with me and that's a big mistake right there, boy!

You don't want none of Roethlisberger, anyway. A friend of mine says his cousin's uncle is a cop and he told her that Big Ben used to train with Kurt Angle and Kurt showed him how to do the Angle-lock. You know, Angle is from Pittsburgh and you aint got nothin on him, Randy. Nothing!

Anyway, if Big Ben can lead the Steelers to two Super Bowl titles, surely, he can make fast work of you, Randy Orton.

And as for you, Jericho, you're nothing but a punk and a low-life. If you think I'm going to sit back and let you and that big jerk, The Big Show, double-team Roethlisberger, you've got another thing coming.

I will be at ring-side for Monday Night Raw and I will jump in and thwart any 2-on-1 attack. In-fact, I will volunteer my services as Ben's tag-team partner in any match against you two losers. It doesn't matter what the stipulations are, either. It could be a ladder-match, a no-disqualification match or even a Hell-in-the-Cell match. Anytime, anywhere, guys! You don't mess with a Steeler.

Sure, I might be 185 pounds, but I have training in martial arts. I was a red belt with a blue stripe in Tang Soo Do karate. Not only that, but I've been a Bruce Lee fan my whole life. I believe that's sufficient experience to beat your sorry asses.

I'm a huge Steelers fan and I want to protect my investment. I don't want Ben to be the victim of any assault by some miserable bad guy wrestler.

I remember when Stone Cold Steve Austin was out of action for almost a year because he was run down by a vehicle driven by Rikishi who was acting on behalf of HHH because Hunter was just jealous of Austin. He wanted what Stone Cold had. Stone Cold got his revenge on HHH, but still, he was out of action for a long time.

Big Ben is the leader of the Steelers. They need him right now. They're 1-2 and extremely vulnerable and I'll be damned if I'm going to let him get taken advantage of and taken out by anyone in the WWE. I got your back, Big Ben.

Steelers forever!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

The Ravens Are Number One!!!!!!!!!

Heading into week three, the Baltimore Ravens, following their close victories over the Kansas City Chiefs and San Diego Chargers, are ranked number one in the latest ESPN NFL power rankings.

Really? Seriously?

The Ravens defeated two teams from the AFC West, the weakest division in the NFL and they're rewarded by moving up 9 spots in the power rankings. It would be like PITT moving up from the fringe of the top 25 to the top of the polls after their defeats of Buffalo and Navy.

I could see if the Ravens totally stomped those two teams, but they had to fight tooth-and-nail. If you're the best team in the NFL, you don't struggle against Brody freakin Croyle.

And I know people are going to say, "Hey, the Chargers are Super Bowl contenders and Baltimore went over there and won. That's impressive." Spare me. The Chargers were an 8-8 team last year. The only reason they made the playoffs was because the Broncos chocked-away a four game lead.

I know this whole power-rankings deal means nothing. It's not like college football where rankings matter. But still. This just proves my point that the media has this curious love-affair with the Ravens.

Like I said before, I just can't figure it out. The Ravens have some really hot cheerleaders. Maybe that's it.

The Steelers are the defending champions and you'd think they were a 9-7 wildcard team last year.


I'm impressed with Flacco. He's a good game-manager and he can make a big pass or two when he's called upon and the running game has been pretty good. But I firmly believe the defense is slipping. Their secondary is pretty weak, Ed Reed not-withstanding. Ray Lewis isn't getting any younger and Bart Scott is gone.

I'm glad that the Ravens are getting all the love now and the Steelers have started slow because to paraphrase Franco Harris, playing great in September is nice, but it's what you do in December and January that counts.

The Ravens are 2-0, but get back to me in December. Get back to me when they defeat the Steelers in a big game. Can they do it? They'll get their shot.

I almost want the Steelers to struggle to make the playoffs and have to go to Baltimore to play them in front of their fans. It would be just like 2005 with the Bengals and the same result.

But I don't think that's going to happen because I don't think the Ravens are the class of the division. I think Baltimore will make the playoffs as a wildcard and have to come and play Pittsburgh at Heinz Field once again and they will lose once again. Baltimore will be this generation's Houston Oilers.

You can knock on the door all you want, Ray Lewis, Joe Flacco and John Harbaugh, but you'll never kick it in.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

You don't mess with The Towel!

So the Titans are coming to town tomorrow evening to kickoff the 2009 NFL season against our Pittsburgh Steelers and Lendale White says he's going to stomp on the Terrible Towel like he did last year? You remember what happened in 2005 when the Cincinnati Bengals came into Heinz Field and won a crucial late season game to all but wrap up the AFC North Division? TJ Who'syourmama taunted the Steelers faithful by using the Towel to shine his shoes. Well, the Bengals did win the division that year (congratulations, again) but they lost in the first round of the playoffs to those very same Pittsburgh Steelers who went on to make history, baby! OK, this never gets old. Say it with me: "Who Dey? We Dey!"

Last season, after the Titans defeated the Steelers in a late season battle to clinch home field advantage in the AFC playoffs, LenDale White found a knock-off of the Towel and stomped on it. Big deal. Who did LenDale White ever beat? He looks like comedian Paul Mooney only he's not nearly as funny. Anyway, Tennessee's home field advantage in the postseason lasted about three hours as they lost to the Ravens on their home-turf, just like Cincinnati did to Pittsburgh. You just don't mess with the Towel. Bad things happen. I mean, the Towel even somehow got a decent game out of Joe Flacco. If the Towel can make Flacco look good, no telling what it can do.

Tomorrow when the Steelers get through whipping the Titans all up and down Heinz Field, LenDale can use any towel of his liking to dry his tears.

The Titans are paper-champions. Kerry freakin Collins is their quarterback. How far can they possibly go?

Enough about those Titans (9-7 this season.) Let's move on to the those Ravens.

Every time I hear a prediction on the AFC North for 2009, some cool "expert" has them winning the AFC North. Every year, no matter what Baltimore's talent-level is, the Ravens get lots of love. This has been going on since 2000 when, thanks to Ray Lewis and the rest of their dominating defense, Baltimore won the Super Bowl despite having Trent Dilfer for a quarterback.. The Ravens have basically used the same recipe ever since: Average quarterback, average offensive weapons and win with defense and special teams play. Well, kudos to them for wining one championship that way, but it's not going to happen again until they get an offense to balance-out that defense. Maybe Flacco can help with that. Then again, maybe he's the next Trent Dilfer.

And how much longer can that defense remain dominant? The Ravens defense wasn't even ranked number one last year. The Steelers were! And the Titans and Steelers passed and ran up and down the field on them in the playoffs. The only reason they won one game is because Kerry Collins played like Kerry Collins. Well, boys, that crap might have worked in Tennessee against those paper-champions, but as you found out a week later, Big Ben was a different story. He was one bs replay-reversal and a couple of drops away from having three or four touchdowns on you. And let's not forget what he did to clinch the division late in the year.

Seriously, what is it about the Ravens? They've done nothing special in nine seasons and yet they're everyone's darlings in the preseason polls year-after-year.

Was 2000 a really good year for a lot of football experts or something? Did they all find love that year and are just being nostalgic and wishing for its return like Olivia Newton John and John Travolta in Grease?

Or maybe everyone is just so afraid of Ray Lewis that they feel compelled to pick the Ravens.

Every time I watch a football preview show and they start talking about the Ravens, it's like watching an old Soviet Union newscast.

"The Ravens, led by Joe Flacco's incredible 42.5 passer rating, are going to have another great season. They will win the Super Bowl for the 10th year in a row. All hail Ray Lewis! He is our glorious leader and Mother Raven is the greatest team in the world!"

Please, the Steelers are the class of the AFC North, and who has those two Super Bowls over the last four seasons? Oh right, the Steelers.

Maybe I'm just crazy, but I look for the Steelers to indeed Eat, Sleep and Repeat this year.

The Steelers will win 11 games and a 7th Super Bowl.

Steelers 23 Cowboys 10 in Super Bowl XLIV.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

The credit card companies really are trying to keep you in debt

I finally paid off my furniture last week. I was so excited when I put that final check in the mail box. I kind of had mixed emotions about it, though. The reason why is because it cost me approximately $300 more than it should have.

Back-tracking to March of 2008. You know those promotions that furniture stores like Roomfull Express run where you have 12 or 24 months to pay something off with no interest? Well, I was approved for the 12-month deal and that's how I purchased my couch and awesome recliner for my new apartment.

The amount was approximately $1200 and I figured I'd have that paid off in a year. No problem. But, as always with life, things came up and I couldn't devote as much money as I wanted to each month and to make a long story short, I paid my balance down to a little under $200 by the end of the one-year promotion. I wasn't too worried, I figured I'd get slapped with some interest but still, $190 would be paid off in no time. Boy was I wrong.

I didn't know that not only would they hit me with interest, but they retroactively hit me with all the interest that accumulated over a year's time. And they also hit me with a finance charge. So, the very next bill, my $190 turned into over $400 dollars!

I couldn't believe it, but it was a lesson I had to learn. If you purchase something with no-interest for a period of time, pay that bad-boy off. Maybe you're more educated than me in the area of credit and you already knew that. Well, kudos to you, lady or gent.

As for me, I've made my share of mistakes in that area but I'm finally starting to wise-up. You see, unless you know how that game is played, you're not going to know how to win, or at least stay competitive.

I financed this computer that I'm blogging on the same way at Best Buy. I'm way ahead of the game, there, however, and if I don't pay this off in time, shame on me.

Surprisingly, my credit is actually quite good. I never have a problem getting approved for something and my score is up there fairly high compared to a lot of people. But big deal. All having good credit means is there's more of an opportunity to get into debt.

I pay my bills on time, mostly, and I can't remember the last time I collector called me on the phone.

Back in the day when I first ventured out on my own, I was broke. I mean, I was so broke that I had to buy food with my credit card. I used to work at PITT and there you get paid once a month. My salary wasn't exactly great and I remember sitting around with two or three weeks until payday with $40 to my name.

I made a lot of goofs back then. I call it being young and naive. When I moved into my first apartment, I got all kind of calls from people trying to sell me stuff. The Post Gazette actually convinced me to purchase a three-month subscription. But the apartment building I lived in wasn't the most organized and I hardly ever received my paper. I just didn't pay the bill. In-case you don't know, it doesn't matter if the service you're paying for is good or below-average. All the collectors care about is getting paid, son. I also got calls from BMI for the cds I purchased. Yep, hurt my credit, no doubt. But hey, what are you supposed to do? You still want to live your life even if you are disgustingly broke and horribly underpaid.

I also had a car-payment, a school loan, and various other bills that I had to pay each month. When you sit down to make out your bills each month and you're left with about $100 afterwards, that's where living off of credit comes into play.

It all adds up and the credit card companies know that. They bank on it (pun intended.) They know you'll run that sucker up and after six months or so, your interest rates will be thru the roof.

Heck, I have two cards, one's almost paid off, the other one is over the limit. Not because I put it there, but because I got close to the limit so they nailed me with finance charges and other stuff. And they will do everything in their power to keep you in debt. Those commercials are no joke. To show you what I mean, I have sent Bank of America two payments over the last two months and they've taken $1 off. Why? Well, they have to nail you with a finance charge. I mean, they wouldn't be a credit card company if they didn't do that. And also, my last payment was received one day after the due date and since they're a credit card company, naturally, they have to punish you for that. If you're a little late with your car payment, your rent or your cable bill, they give you a grace period, but not credit card companies. They have no grace.

Like I said, I'm doing better than most. I paid my car off at the end of '07, my unjustified heating bill was finally paid off recently, my school loan is off the books and, of course, the furniture. I'm in good shape compared to even five years ago.

I'm sure other stuff will come up like having to buy a new car. That's a constant in life. I'm still behind in the battle, but it's the tenth round and Apollo Creed has some cracked ribs and he's spitting up blood. I'm making progress.