The Pitt Panthers' football team had high expectations coming into the 2010 season. They were expected to win the Big East and earn their first BCS berth in six seasons.
Things didn't start out well as they lost at Utah in overtime in the first game, and then were embarrassed by Miami at Heinz Field in their 3rd game and then played a pretty poor first half before losing at South Bend against the Fighting Irish.
They were sitting at 2-3 and the expectations dropped big time.
To open their Big East schedule, they had to travel to the Carrier Dome to take on the surprising Syracuse Orangemen, who were 4-1 and had just won at South Florida to open their portion of the Big East schedule.
Some wondered if PITT would stumble even against the Orange. Well, they didn't. They blew the doors off of Syracuse with a 45-14 victory, and they really haven't looked back since.
With blowout wins over Rutgers and Louisville at Heinz Field the past two weeks, the Panthers have outscored their first three Big East opponents, 106-38. That's pretty staggering, and in my opinion, shows that PITT is the class of the conference.
That might not mean much. After all, the conference has yet to earn a victory over a team ranked in the AP or Coach's top 25.
I was hoping they would have a better showing in their non-conference match-ups, but right now, Utah is ranked 8th in the AP, and that season-opening overtime loss to the Utes doesn't look so bad. Of course, there's still the matter of the 31-3 throttling at the hands of the Miami Hurricanes and the sloppy loss to a Notre Dame team that's having a down year.
But what nobody, including me, took into consideration this season was the team would not only be starting a freshman quarterback in Tino Sunseri, but they would also be starting three new interior offensive linemen.
And nobody can ever predict injuries and there is no doubt the defense suffered early on with the absence of star defensive lineman, Greg Romeus.
The offense struggled in both running and passing the football, and the defense wasn't able to carry the load with not only Romeus missing from the lineup, but inside linebacker, Dan Mason, out due to injury.
But the interior of the offensive line has been revamped and it seems to have made a world of difference in the offense. They are running the football with much more consistency, and Sunseri looks like he might be the real deal at quarterback. Also, wide receiver Jon Baldwin has awoken from his early-season hibernation, and the team is averaging 35 points a game in Big East play.
And the defense has finally stepped up to dominate, especially the defensive line, a good sign for the future after Romeus leaves for the NFL.
PITT's competition for the Big East this year was supposed to be Connecticut and West Virginia. Connecticut is 1-2 and were blown out by Louisville, a team in rebuilding mode. West Virginia is 1-2 and has lost their last two games to Syracuse and to UConn in overtime.
Right now, PITT is 3-0 and their nearest competitor is Syracuse sitting at 3-1, and as I mentioned earlier, Syracuse's only loss was a blowout on their home turf at the hands of PITT. Nobody else in the conference has more than one win right now. I'm not too worried about Syracuse. I think their lack of talent will catch up to them and they'll stumble a time or two before the end of the year. PITT's road isn't going to be easy, as they have three of their final four games away from Heinz field, but after surviving the early-season adversity, I believe PITT is poised to win the conference. The national experts might look at the Panthers, or any Big East winner, with a suspicious eye, and they have a right to, but the system is in place for the Panthers to earn a BCS berth and, right now, for the program, that's really all that matters. It's right there for the taking, and I believe this will be the year they jump up and grab it.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
The mentality of Super Bowl or bust. After all these years, I finally understand.
When I was a little Tony just wondering around, loving the Steelers, I didn't have high expectations. It was the early 80's and the Steelers weren't the kings of the football world any longer. Sure, legendary players like Jack Ham, Terry Bradshaw, Joe Greene, and Franco Harris were still playing, but they were old and in the the last days of their careers. The team was pretty mediocre at that point and I always looked at them as underdogs.
I probably shouldn't have looked at them that way. After all, these were the same players who won multiple Super Bowls just a few years prior. But what did I know? I wasn't into sports in the 70's. I was into Mr. Rogers, and the Incredible Hulk. As I've said many times, the first game that I remember watching was Super Bowl XIV when the Steelers faced the upstart Los Angeles Rams. Pittsburgh captured their 4th Super Bowl of the decade and I was happy. I have been a die hard fan ever since. But I wasn't really conditioned to have high expectations. I didn't know any better.
My first full year following the team on a weekly basis proved to be rather disappointing as they finished 9-7 and missed the playoffs in 1980. What timing, right? The next year, they missed the playoffs again. In 1982, they made the playoffs but lost in the first round and by 1983, the majority of those great players had retired.
By that point, I had good reason to view the Steelers as underdogs, and how could I not, rooting for guys like Cliff Stoudt, Mark Malone, Walter Abercrombie, and Keith Gary.
The Steelers actually won 10 games in '83, and for someone like me, who was used to 9-7 and 8-8, that was pretty cool. I remember being all excited and telling my grandfather that they won 10 games, but he didn't seem very impressed. After all, why would he be? He was used to Super Bowls. 10 wins was expected every year. Hell, 12 or 13 victories was the standard. And it didn't matter that the team was being led by average NFL players, winning lots of games was expected no matter what. Most of the adults that remembered the 70's had those same expectations. It seemed like every Steeler fan did. Forget the number of wins. They all wanted Super Bowls. Looking back on it now, it wasn't very realistic, but that's what those people wanted.
In 1984, the Steelers were more mediocre than ever, but they managed to squeak into the playoffs with a 9-7 record. They somehow went into Denver and knocked off the Broncos, who were huge favorites. The following week, the expectations were for them to go into Miami and defeat Dan Marino and the high-powered Miami Dolphins and then go to the Super Bowl. When that didn't happen, people were pretty upset. In fact, I heard more than one person suggest that if they could have defeated Miami, they would have no doubt beaten the San Fransisco 49ers in the Super Bowl, because Pittsburgh was the only team to defeat San Fran the entire season. Really? The 9-7 Steelers, with Mark Malone at quarterback, were good enough to beat San Fransisco, with Joe Montana, Roger Craig, and Ronnie Lott? Okay then.
As for me, I was just happy to see the Steelers make it as far as they did. After all, I didn't know any better.
Later in the decade, after some pretty sub-standard years, the Steelers had a Cinderella season in 1989, where they made the playoffs as a wild card and knocked off the Houston Oilers to advance to the divisional playoffs against the Broncos. If the Steelers could somehow get by the Broncos and then the hated Browns the following week to advance to the Super Bowl, they would then face the defending champion San Fransisco 49ers, winners of 3 previous Super Bowls in the 1980's, and they would stop them from matching their mark of 4 titles. Ok, so the Steelers of Bubby Brister, Louis Lipps, David Little and Keith Willis, were going to stand toe-to-toe with Joe Montana, Jerry Rice....okay, you get my drift. But that's what people around here thought would happen. How could they think that? It's illogical, right?
The Steelers didn't make it past Denver as they lost a heart breaker in the final moments. As for me, I was disappointed, but I had the time of my life watching the 1989 Steelers. They were underdogs almost every week, and just making the playoffs was a reason to celebrate, at least for me. And when they took it one step further and defeated the Oilers in overtime in the wild card round? Wow! Truly an epic moment for me.
By the early 90's, the Steelers mediocrity continued, and Chuck Noll retired. Bill Cowher came in to take over as head coach. In his very first year, he led them to 11 wins. I couldn't believe it. My Steelers, the team that only won more than 9 games once the entire time I followed them had actually won 11 games? Something to be proud of, that's for sure. The years that followed saw the team become an annual Super Bowl contender. Something I wasn't used to. They made the playoffs six straight years in the 90's and actually appeared in Super Bowl XXX. They always seemed to be in contention, and I started to raise my level of expectations. I wasn't quite at the level of expecting a Super Bowl every year, but I sure as heck expected them to make the playoffs annually.
The expectations of people who remembered the 70's never changed. Every year, regardless of how well they did, if they came up short in the playoffs, it was a bad season. I never bought into that mentality, even though seeing Pittsburgh lose in the AFC Championship game 4 times was quite agonizing. People wanted that "One for The Thumb." I did too, don't get me wrong. I wondered how I would react if it ever happened. Finally, in 2005, it happened. The Steelers not only made the Super Bowl as a wild card, they won it. I think I partied for a year, I was so happy. And then just two seasons ago, it happened again. The Steelers won their second title in a four year-span.
Now, I understand. I get it. I know why the adults in the 80's were acting the way they were. Now I know why people expect nothing less than a championship every year around here. When it happens, when you witness it, when you experience the thrill of it as a fan, there is nothing like it. Nothing at all. You want to experience that feeling again and again. When it happens more than once, it becomes like a drug. Anything less than that high just won't measure up.
It has become the new standard for me.
Before 2005, I often wondered if my Steelers would ever win the whole thing, now I expect it every year. I can't imagine the team not making the Super Bowl this year, next year and the year after that. That's all I want. I don't want just a division title. I don't want a playoff victory. I want the whole ball of wax. I want the parade. I want 7, 8, 9, 10 Lombardi trophies. I want every finger on every hand covered in rings.
This is why Yankees fans are the way they are. This is way Lakers fans are the way they are. Heck, this is why Notre Dame fans are the way they are. When you experience years of excellence, that's all you want regardless of how irrational it may be.
Years from now, when I'm a little older and the team is, perhaps, a lot less talented than it's been in recent years, I'll probably be like those adults in the 1980's who expected Bubby Brister to outplay John Elway. Or who wanted Brian Hinkle, Dwayne Woodruff, and Keith Willis to dominate Dan Marino.
But that's okay, because as Coach Tomlin likes to say, the standard is the standard.
I probably shouldn't have looked at them that way. After all, these were the same players who won multiple Super Bowls just a few years prior. But what did I know? I wasn't into sports in the 70's. I was into Mr. Rogers, and the Incredible Hulk. As I've said many times, the first game that I remember watching was Super Bowl XIV when the Steelers faced the upstart Los Angeles Rams. Pittsburgh captured their 4th Super Bowl of the decade and I was happy. I have been a die hard fan ever since. But I wasn't really conditioned to have high expectations. I didn't know any better.
My first full year following the team on a weekly basis proved to be rather disappointing as they finished 9-7 and missed the playoffs in 1980. What timing, right? The next year, they missed the playoffs again. In 1982, they made the playoffs but lost in the first round and by 1983, the majority of those great players had retired.
By that point, I had good reason to view the Steelers as underdogs, and how could I not, rooting for guys like Cliff Stoudt, Mark Malone, Walter Abercrombie, and Keith Gary.
The Steelers actually won 10 games in '83, and for someone like me, who was used to 9-7 and 8-8, that was pretty cool. I remember being all excited and telling my grandfather that they won 10 games, but he didn't seem very impressed. After all, why would he be? He was used to Super Bowls. 10 wins was expected every year. Hell, 12 or 13 victories was the standard. And it didn't matter that the team was being led by average NFL players, winning lots of games was expected no matter what. Most of the adults that remembered the 70's had those same expectations. It seemed like every Steeler fan did. Forget the number of wins. They all wanted Super Bowls. Looking back on it now, it wasn't very realistic, but that's what those people wanted.
In 1984, the Steelers were more mediocre than ever, but they managed to squeak into the playoffs with a 9-7 record. They somehow went into Denver and knocked off the Broncos, who were huge favorites. The following week, the expectations were for them to go into Miami and defeat Dan Marino and the high-powered Miami Dolphins and then go to the Super Bowl. When that didn't happen, people were pretty upset. In fact, I heard more than one person suggest that if they could have defeated Miami, they would have no doubt beaten the San Fransisco 49ers in the Super Bowl, because Pittsburgh was the only team to defeat San Fran the entire season. Really? The 9-7 Steelers, with Mark Malone at quarterback, were good enough to beat San Fransisco, with Joe Montana, Roger Craig, and Ronnie Lott? Okay then.
As for me, I was just happy to see the Steelers make it as far as they did. After all, I didn't know any better.
Later in the decade, after some pretty sub-standard years, the Steelers had a Cinderella season in 1989, where they made the playoffs as a wild card and knocked off the Houston Oilers to advance to the divisional playoffs against the Broncos. If the Steelers could somehow get by the Broncos and then the hated Browns the following week to advance to the Super Bowl, they would then face the defending champion San Fransisco 49ers, winners of 3 previous Super Bowls in the 1980's, and they would stop them from matching their mark of 4 titles. Ok, so the Steelers of Bubby Brister, Louis Lipps, David Little and Keith Willis, were going to stand toe-to-toe with Joe Montana, Jerry Rice....okay, you get my drift. But that's what people around here thought would happen. How could they think that? It's illogical, right?
The Steelers didn't make it past Denver as they lost a heart breaker in the final moments. As for me, I was disappointed, but I had the time of my life watching the 1989 Steelers. They were underdogs almost every week, and just making the playoffs was a reason to celebrate, at least for me. And when they took it one step further and defeated the Oilers in overtime in the wild card round? Wow! Truly an epic moment for me.
By the early 90's, the Steelers mediocrity continued, and Chuck Noll retired. Bill Cowher came in to take over as head coach. In his very first year, he led them to 11 wins. I couldn't believe it. My Steelers, the team that only won more than 9 games once the entire time I followed them had actually won 11 games? Something to be proud of, that's for sure. The years that followed saw the team become an annual Super Bowl contender. Something I wasn't used to. They made the playoffs six straight years in the 90's and actually appeared in Super Bowl XXX. They always seemed to be in contention, and I started to raise my level of expectations. I wasn't quite at the level of expecting a Super Bowl every year, but I sure as heck expected them to make the playoffs annually.
The expectations of people who remembered the 70's never changed. Every year, regardless of how well they did, if they came up short in the playoffs, it was a bad season. I never bought into that mentality, even though seeing Pittsburgh lose in the AFC Championship game 4 times was quite agonizing. People wanted that "One for The Thumb." I did too, don't get me wrong. I wondered how I would react if it ever happened. Finally, in 2005, it happened. The Steelers not only made the Super Bowl as a wild card, they won it. I think I partied for a year, I was so happy. And then just two seasons ago, it happened again. The Steelers won their second title in a four year-span.
Now, I understand. I get it. I know why the adults in the 80's were acting the way they were. Now I know why people expect nothing less than a championship every year around here. When it happens, when you witness it, when you experience the thrill of it as a fan, there is nothing like it. Nothing at all. You want to experience that feeling again and again. When it happens more than once, it becomes like a drug. Anything less than that high just won't measure up.
It has become the new standard for me.
Before 2005, I often wondered if my Steelers would ever win the whole thing, now I expect it every year. I can't imagine the team not making the Super Bowl this year, next year and the year after that. That's all I want. I don't want just a division title. I don't want a playoff victory. I want the whole ball of wax. I want the parade. I want 7, 8, 9, 10 Lombardi trophies. I want every finger on every hand covered in rings.
This is why Yankees fans are the way they are. This is way Lakers fans are the way they are. Heck, this is why Notre Dame fans are the way they are. When you experience years of excellence, that's all you want regardless of how irrational it may be.
Years from now, when I'm a little older and the team is, perhaps, a lot less talented than it's been in recent years, I'll probably be like those adults in the 1980's who expected Bubby Brister to outplay John Elway. Or who wanted Brian Hinkle, Dwayne Woodruff, and Keith Willis to dominate Dan Marino.
But that's okay, because as Coach Tomlin likes to say, the standard is the standard.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Thanks a lot, Bill Mazeroski. You ruined it for the rest of us
With the recent celebration of the Pittsburgh Pirates 1960 World Series victory over the New York Yankees, a lot has been said about Bill Mazeroski's epic home run in the bottom of the 9th inning that gave the city of Pittsburgh its first world championship in 35 years. Anytime Maz is interviewed or honored at some function, he's always so humble and "aw shucks" about the moment. "Why does everyone make a big deal out of it?" Are you kidding me, Maz? Seriously. Nobody can be this humble. The man hit the single-greatest home run in the history of Major League Baseball. Yes, I know, Bobby Thompson's dramatic home run in 1951 that clinched the National League pennant for the New York Giants is more famous. But in my opinion, that's because of the dramatic call by the play by play man. Maz's home run came in game 7 of the World Series against the New York Yankees, a team that dominated the game for decades. Certainly a superior moment in baseball history.
I love football. It's always been my favorite sport and always will be, but if I had to choose between catching the game winning touchdown in the Super Bowl or hitting the game-winning home run in the bottom of the 9th inning in the 7th game of the World Series, I would pick the latter. What's better than that in the world of team sports?
Bill Mazeroski is the only guy who has ever done it. If I were him, I would be screaming it from the mountain tops. I would have cards made up that read, "The man who hit the winning home run in game 7 of the 1960 World Series." I would pass them out to people. If I wasn't married or attached, I would bring up the event in conversations with every woman I met.
Maz likes to say that everyone played a part in winning that World Series title, and he's right, but still, if that were me, I don't think I could be as humble as he has been over the years. He's a better man than me, that's for sure.
Heck, I caught the game-winning touchdown in overtime of a game in the Randy Pausch flag football tournament last year and I wrote a blog about it and called it favorite PSL moment of all time. And it wasn't even that great of a play. I still tell people about it any chance I get. I always wondered why nobody was really impressed by it until I started thinking about Maz and his attitude about his dramatic game-winner. If Bill Mazeroski can be so humble about what he did, who's going to care about any of my athletic achievements? How can I use it to impress anyone?
A flag football tournament is great and all, but it sure isn't game 7 of the World Series.
I'm into bowling these days. Who am I going to impress with the 160 game that I had the other day? Certainly not Maz, that's for sure.
Bill Mazeroski, your humble attitude towards the single-greatest home run in the history of baseball has ruined it for guys like me who like to brag about every little accomplishment.
Thanks a lot, Maz! I hope you're happy!
I love football. It's always been my favorite sport and always will be, but if I had to choose between catching the game winning touchdown in the Super Bowl or hitting the game-winning home run in the bottom of the 9th inning in the 7th game of the World Series, I would pick the latter. What's better than that in the world of team sports?
Bill Mazeroski is the only guy who has ever done it. If I were him, I would be screaming it from the mountain tops. I would have cards made up that read, "The man who hit the winning home run in game 7 of the 1960 World Series." I would pass them out to people. If I wasn't married or attached, I would bring up the event in conversations with every woman I met.
Maz likes to say that everyone played a part in winning that World Series title, and he's right, but still, if that were me, I don't think I could be as humble as he has been over the years. He's a better man than me, that's for sure.
Heck, I caught the game-winning touchdown in overtime of a game in the Randy Pausch flag football tournament last year and I wrote a blog about it and called it favorite PSL moment of all time. And it wasn't even that great of a play. I still tell people about it any chance I get. I always wondered why nobody was really impressed by it until I started thinking about Maz and his attitude about his dramatic game-winner. If Bill Mazeroski can be so humble about what he did, who's going to care about any of my athletic achievements? How can I use it to impress anyone?
A flag football tournament is great and all, but it sure isn't game 7 of the World Series.
I'm into bowling these days. Who am I going to impress with the 160 game that I had the other day? Certainly not Maz, that's for sure.
Bill Mazeroski, your humble attitude towards the single-greatest home run in the history of baseball has ruined it for guys like me who like to brag about every little accomplishment.
Thanks a lot, Maz! I hope you're happy!
Monday, October 25, 2010
Much like last year, yesterday's victory in Miami felt bittersweet
Going into the final game of the season last year, the Steelers needed to not only defeat the Dolphins in Miami, but they needed A LOT of help to get into the postseason. I don't remember the exact scenarios, but if the Texans, Ravens, Jets and Broncos all lost or at least if some of them did in specific combinations, the Steelers would sneak into the playoffs.
Well, later on in the day, things were looking very good for the Steelers. Late in their game in Miami, they were up, 27-10, and in Houston, the Patriots were winning, 28-14, over the Texans heading into the 4th quarter. That was great because if the Texans lost, then all that the Steelers would need would be either a Ravens loss in Oakland or a Jets loss in Cincinnati to clinch a playoff berth. But much like most of 2009, the Steelers almost blew the game in the 4th quarter as the Dolphins scored two quick touchdowns before falling short, 30-24. And in Houston, the Texans came all the way back and defeated the Patriots to stay in the hunt for the postseason and put the Steelers' playoff chances on serious life support. At that point, the Steelers needed the Ravens, Bronocs, and Jets to all lose. A fairly tall order.
As I was driving home from work that day, I didn't feel like celebrating Pittsburgh's victory. I knew the team's playoff chances had just taken a serious blow with the Texans' come from behind win and it was just a matter of hoping and praying at that point.
That tall order was never filled as the Ravens and Jets both won their games to clinch the last two playoff spots in the AFC and it was another post-Super Bowl absence from the postseason for our Steelers.
Yesterday's close, and controversial victory in Miami also had that bitter-sweet feel to it. I'm not going to get into any game analysis because I'm sure that will be covered quite nicely by smarter people than me. But I do want to say that in no way should the Steelers have tried to go for a touchdown on 4th and goal after they were given new life on the controversial call in the endzone with 2:30 left. Believe me, the Steelers were very fortunate to get that ball back and any time you have a chance to take the lead late in a football game, you do it and you put the game in the hands of the defense. Speaking of that controversial call, I think it was pretty obvious that Roethlisberger lost control of the football before it crossed the plain of the goalline, and the Dolphins probably recovered the fumble, but the referee was right, there really was no way to know for sure because it was just a huge pile of humanity. Besides, the sideline official signaled touchdown so it that was as good as blowing the whistle and who knows how some of the Steelers may have reacted if they thought it was a fumble and not a touchdown. And just to show you that some people see only what they want to see, right after the referee announced his decision that Roethlisberger indeed fumbled, but Pittsburgh was getting the ball back on a technicality, my brother texted me and said, "WE GOT ROBBED! THAT WAS A TOUCHDOWN!" And I texted him back and said, "YOU ARE CRAZY! WE GOT LUCKY!"
But I digress. The reason yesterday's game had that bitter-sweet feel to it wasn't because of the play of the team, it was because of the rash of injuries that they suffered before game's end. As I was watching the game, I noticed rookie Jason Worilds was playing in place of Woodley. I didn't realize he was hurt at first because I missed the first few minutes of the contest due to my television going down for the count. Anyway, he left the game with a hamstring injury. Brett Keisel was already out of the game with a strained hamstring. And then The Hotel, Flozell Adams, left with an ankle sprain. But the sickest feeling was seeing defensive end Aaron Smith, maybe the second most important component in the team's defense, heading to the lockerroom with his arm wrapped in ice. He suffered season-ending bicep-tears in two of the last three seasons, and I was fearing the worst the rest of the game. Eventually, Woodley and Kiesel will be able to return from their injuries, and we'll have to wait and see on Adams, and Jonathon Scott looked okay filling in for him, but how badly was Smith's injury? Was it a tear? I sat there watching that game, praying for the Steelers to pull it out, but in the back of my mind, I couldn't help but think of the injuries, especially to Smith.
After the game, I saw a report that Smith, indeed, suffered a muscle tear, this time to his triceps. It looks like it may be season-ending. That is a devastating blow. Smith doesn't get many sacks, but he dominates offensive linemen and allows the linebackers to wreak havoc in the backfield. And he's maybe the best 3-4 defensive end at playing the run. I don't think it's a coincidence that every time Smith is out, the Steelers defense has a little more trouble against the run.
As I said yesterday, you never know who is going to get hurt, and Smith's replacement will have huge shoes to fill. On the positive side of things, Ziggy Hood appears to be a little more ready and capable than he was last year, and even though he's not in Smith's class, I think it's time for the team's 2009 number 1 pick to step up and show us what he's made of. The Steelers need him now more than ever. His ability to fill in for Smith for possibly the rest of the year will be vital as the team looks to get back to the postseason in 2010. Let's hope Evander is up to the task.
Well, later on in the day, things were looking very good for the Steelers. Late in their game in Miami, they were up, 27-10, and in Houston, the Patriots were winning, 28-14, over the Texans heading into the 4th quarter. That was great because if the Texans lost, then all that the Steelers would need would be either a Ravens loss in Oakland or a Jets loss in Cincinnati to clinch a playoff berth. But much like most of 2009, the Steelers almost blew the game in the 4th quarter as the Dolphins scored two quick touchdowns before falling short, 30-24. And in Houston, the Texans came all the way back and defeated the Patriots to stay in the hunt for the postseason and put the Steelers' playoff chances on serious life support. At that point, the Steelers needed the Ravens, Bronocs, and Jets to all lose. A fairly tall order.
As I was driving home from work that day, I didn't feel like celebrating Pittsburgh's victory. I knew the team's playoff chances had just taken a serious blow with the Texans' come from behind win and it was just a matter of hoping and praying at that point.
That tall order was never filled as the Ravens and Jets both won their games to clinch the last two playoff spots in the AFC and it was another post-Super Bowl absence from the postseason for our Steelers.
Yesterday's close, and controversial victory in Miami also had that bitter-sweet feel to it. I'm not going to get into any game analysis because I'm sure that will be covered quite nicely by smarter people than me. But I do want to say that in no way should the Steelers have tried to go for a touchdown on 4th and goal after they were given new life on the controversial call in the endzone with 2:30 left. Believe me, the Steelers were very fortunate to get that ball back and any time you have a chance to take the lead late in a football game, you do it and you put the game in the hands of the defense. Speaking of that controversial call, I think it was pretty obvious that Roethlisberger lost control of the football before it crossed the plain of the goalline, and the Dolphins probably recovered the fumble, but the referee was right, there really was no way to know for sure because it was just a huge pile of humanity. Besides, the sideline official signaled touchdown so it that was as good as blowing the whistle and who knows how some of the Steelers may have reacted if they thought it was a fumble and not a touchdown. And just to show you that some people see only what they want to see, right after the referee announced his decision that Roethlisberger indeed fumbled, but Pittsburgh was getting the ball back on a technicality, my brother texted me and said, "WE GOT ROBBED! THAT WAS A TOUCHDOWN!" And I texted him back and said, "YOU ARE CRAZY! WE GOT LUCKY!"
But I digress. The reason yesterday's game had that bitter-sweet feel to it wasn't because of the play of the team, it was because of the rash of injuries that they suffered before game's end. As I was watching the game, I noticed rookie Jason Worilds was playing in place of Woodley. I didn't realize he was hurt at first because I missed the first few minutes of the contest due to my television going down for the count. Anyway, he left the game with a hamstring injury. Brett Keisel was already out of the game with a strained hamstring. And then The Hotel, Flozell Adams, left with an ankle sprain. But the sickest feeling was seeing defensive end Aaron Smith, maybe the second most important component in the team's defense, heading to the lockerroom with his arm wrapped in ice. He suffered season-ending bicep-tears in two of the last three seasons, and I was fearing the worst the rest of the game. Eventually, Woodley and Kiesel will be able to return from their injuries, and we'll have to wait and see on Adams, and Jonathon Scott looked okay filling in for him, but how badly was Smith's injury? Was it a tear? I sat there watching that game, praying for the Steelers to pull it out, but in the back of my mind, I couldn't help but think of the injuries, especially to Smith.
After the game, I saw a report that Smith, indeed, suffered a muscle tear, this time to his triceps. It looks like it may be season-ending. That is a devastating blow. Smith doesn't get many sacks, but he dominates offensive linemen and allows the linebackers to wreak havoc in the backfield. And he's maybe the best 3-4 defensive end at playing the run. I don't think it's a coincidence that every time Smith is out, the Steelers defense has a little more trouble against the run.
As I said yesterday, you never know who is going to get hurt, and Smith's replacement will have huge shoes to fill. On the positive side of things, Ziggy Hood appears to be a little more ready and capable than he was last year, and even though he's not in Smith's class, I think it's time for the team's 2009 number 1 pick to step up and show us what he's made of. The Steelers need him now more than ever. His ability to fill in for Smith for possibly the rest of the year will be vital as the team looks to get back to the postseason in 2010. Let's hope Evander is up to the task.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
My hopes and desires for the Steelers three-game road trip
The Steelers play the next three games on the road. Any time an NFL team goes on the road for that long, it's usually quite pivotal. It's pretty rare to have three straight road games, but the league will make up for it later in the year when Pittsburgh hosts three straight opponents at Heinz.
But that's then and this is now. I'm pretty excited for these three games because if Pittsburgh can get on the other side of these games with 2 wins, that could prove to be a huge determining factor for not only making the playoffs, but playoff seeding.
But how they get those 2 wins will be even more crucial, at least in my opinion. The Steelers are at Miami today and then New Orleans next Sunday night and they cap off the road trip with a big Monday night game in Cincinnati two weeks from tomorrow night.
I know the marquee match-up for the three games will be next Sunday night's contest against the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints. Big Ben vs. Drew Brees. Halloween night in New Orleans. The NBC game of the week. I mean, wow! Right?
Well, in my book, that's the least important of the three. Yes, it would be nice to go to the Big Easy and defeat the champs in front of a national television audience, but it's an NFC game, and what always seems to come up and bite the Steelers come playoff tie-breaker time is their AFC record. If my math is correct, the Steelers are 26-11-1 against NFC opponents since 2000, but NFC games are way down there in the tie-breaking pecking order. Tie-breakers are all about AFC records. Head-to-head is the most important tiebreaker, but if there is a three or four-way tie, the AFC record is usually the determining factor in breaking the tie for a playoff spot.
In 2000, the Steelers missed the playoffs by a game. What was their AFC record? 8-5, including 5-5 in their own division.
In 2005, the Steelers obviously won the whole thing, but they barely got in and if they would have fallen into a tie with Kansas City, they would have missed out on the postseason. Why? Well, their AFC record was a pretty average 7-5. Last year, their 9-7 record caused them to miss out on the playoffs because the Jets and Ravens both had better AFC records.
I know right now the Steelers are sitting pretty at 4-1, but you never know what the second half of the season may bring, and who might get hurt. I would like to see the Steelers defeat the Dolphins today and the Bengals in two weeks. If they beat the Saints, well, that would be gravy.
Downing Miami and Cincy would give the team at least 6 wins in the first half, and more importantly, a 4-1 record in the AFC (including 2-1 in the division.) That's enormous. And after the road trip, they face three straight AFC teams in New England, Oakland, and Buffalo. Two of the three look to be gimme wins. Now, if they don't fall on their faces like they did last year, the worst they could be with only five games left would be 8-3 with a 6-2 record on in the AFC. They would be sitting in great shape with the crucial divisional road game against Baltimore and then those three straight games at Heinz Field.
So, I think this upcoming stretch of games will be what we look back on at the end of the season. It could prove to be the most critical part of the schedule.
But that's then and this is now. I'm pretty excited for these three games because if Pittsburgh can get on the other side of these games with 2 wins, that could prove to be a huge determining factor for not only making the playoffs, but playoff seeding.
But how they get those 2 wins will be even more crucial, at least in my opinion. The Steelers are at Miami today and then New Orleans next Sunday night and they cap off the road trip with a big Monday night game in Cincinnati two weeks from tomorrow night.
I know the marquee match-up for the three games will be next Sunday night's contest against the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints. Big Ben vs. Drew Brees. Halloween night in New Orleans. The NBC game of the week. I mean, wow! Right?
Well, in my book, that's the least important of the three. Yes, it would be nice to go to the Big Easy and defeat the champs in front of a national television audience, but it's an NFC game, and what always seems to come up and bite the Steelers come playoff tie-breaker time is their AFC record. If my math is correct, the Steelers are 26-11-1 against NFC opponents since 2000, but NFC games are way down there in the tie-breaking pecking order. Tie-breakers are all about AFC records. Head-to-head is the most important tiebreaker, but if there is a three or four-way tie, the AFC record is usually the determining factor in breaking the tie for a playoff spot.
In 2000, the Steelers missed the playoffs by a game. What was their AFC record? 8-5, including 5-5 in their own division.
In 2005, the Steelers obviously won the whole thing, but they barely got in and if they would have fallen into a tie with Kansas City, they would have missed out on the postseason. Why? Well, their AFC record was a pretty average 7-5. Last year, their 9-7 record caused them to miss out on the playoffs because the Jets and Ravens both had better AFC records.
I know right now the Steelers are sitting pretty at 4-1, but you never know what the second half of the season may bring, and who might get hurt. I would like to see the Steelers defeat the Dolphins today and the Bengals in two weeks. If they beat the Saints, well, that would be gravy.
Downing Miami and Cincy would give the team at least 6 wins in the first half, and more importantly, a 4-1 record in the AFC (including 2-1 in the division.) That's enormous. And after the road trip, they face three straight AFC teams in New England, Oakland, and Buffalo. Two of the three look to be gimme wins. Now, if they don't fall on their faces like they did last year, the worst they could be with only five games left would be 8-3 with a 6-2 record on in the AFC. They would be sitting in great shape with the crucial divisional road game against Baltimore and then those three straight games at Heinz Field.
So, I think this upcoming stretch of games will be what we look back on at the end of the season. It could prove to be the most critical part of the schedule.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
My prediction for the Super Bowl this year: The Steelers over the Philadelphia Eagles
.I predict that our beloved Pittsburgh Steelers will capture their 7th Lombardi trophy and Steeler Nation will be dancing in the streets for the 3rd time in the last 6 seasons. The team they play and defeat in the NFL's 45th edition of Super Bowl Sunday will be none other than our cross-state rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles.
I know what you're probably thinking. You're wondering why I'm picking the Eagles as the NFC representative rather than the defending champion Saints, or the Giants or even the Green Bay Packers. Well, you have a point there, my friends.
I have no real expert analysis to back up my prediction, on either team, really. Well, other than I am a diehard Steelers fan who has been conditioned to expect a Super Bowl championship every year since grade school.
But the real reason I'm predicting the Steelers/Eagles clash isn't because I think they're necessarily the two best teams in the NFL. I think the Steelers are one of the best and certainly a contender, and the Eagles, well, they have Michael Vick.
And if you put Vick in the same Super Bowl against Ben Roethlisberger, well, the entire free world might implode.
You would have a player convicted of killing and torturing dogs quarterbacking one team, and a guy who was accused of sexually assaulting two women quarterbacking the other.
I don't mean to make light of that stuff because they're both very serious issues, but believe me when I tell you, if this were to happen, every media outlet in the world would want to be part of it. The View would probably have a six hour pregame show. Can you imagine Whoopi Goldberg interviewing Big Ben and then walking off right in the middle of her own interview?
Just imagine the protests. PETA would probably hijack the halftime show, and instead of singing, they'd set dogs loose inside the stadium so they could be free and enjoy the game along side their equals, the humans.
Yes, I think this almost has to happen because it would be the public-relations nightmare of all time for the NFL and commissioner Goodell. Roger Goodell isn't the most popular official in professional sports, and he's certainly not a well-liked figure here in Pittsburgh. You combine the conditional 4-6 game suspension imposed on Roethlisberger with the $75,000 that Harrison was fined this week, along with Harrison's threats of retirement.....let's just say I wouldn't want to be Goodell when he gets on the mic to present the Lombardi Trophy to Mr. Rooney in front of the many thousands of Steeler fans that will be in attendance in the "House that Jerry built." And, of course, the Eagles fans wouldn't be in a good mood after seeing their team lose to the Steelers and might also have a few choice words for Goodell.
Goodell, Roethlisberger and Vick? Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia? How can this not happen this year?
I know what you're probably thinking. You're wondering why I'm picking the Eagles as the NFC representative rather than the defending champion Saints, or the Giants or even the Green Bay Packers. Well, you have a point there, my friends.
I have no real expert analysis to back up my prediction, on either team, really. Well, other than I am a diehard Steelers fan who has been conditioned to expect a Super Bowl championship every year since grade school.
But the real reason I'm predicting the Steelers/Eagles clash isn't because I think they're necessarily the two best teams in the NFL. I think the Steelers are one of the best and certainly a contender, and the Eagles, well, they have Michael Vick.
And if you put Vick in the same Super Bowl against Ben Roethlisberger, well, the entire free world might implode.
You would have a player convicted of killing and torturing dogs quarterbacking one team, and a guy who was accused of sexually assaulting two women quarterbacking the other.
I don't mean to make light of that stuff because they're both very serious issues, but believe me when I tell you, if this were to happen, every media outlet in the world would want to be part of it. The View would probably have a six hour pregame show. Can you imagine Whoopi Goldberg interviewing Big Ben and then walking off right in the middle of her own interview?
Just imagine the protests. PETA would probably hijack the halftime show, and instead of singing, they'd set dogs loose inside the stadium so they could be free and enjoy the game along side their equals, the humans.
Yes, I think this almost has to happen because it would be the public-relations nightmare of all time for the NFL and commissioner Goodell. Roger Goodell isn't the most popular official in professional sports, and he's certainly not a well-liked figure here in Pittsburgh. You combine the conditional 4-6 game suspension imposed on Roethlisberger with the $75,000 that Harrison was fined this week, along with Harrison's threats of retirement.....let's just say I wouldn't want to be Goodell when he gets on the mic to present the Lombardi Trophy to Mr. Rooney in front of the many thousands of Steeler fans that will be in attendance in the "House that Jerry built." And, of course, the Eagles fans wouldn't be in a good mood after seeing their team lose to the Steelers and might also have a few choice words for Goodell.
Goodell, Roethlisberger and Vick? Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia? How can this not happen this year?
Monday, October 18, 2010
The Big Ben that we all know and love is back!
I know Big Ben has never been the most popular athlete in the city's history. There are the many stories of how he can be with people away from the field. We all know those stories. But yesterday, the Big Ben that every Steeler fan should love, the one who wears number 7, was back at Heinz Field.
He was the Ben of old, eluding tacklers and making things happen like only he can. He can be frustrating at times, like on his first drive when he over-threw Moore and was intercepted inside the red zone, but with Roethlisberger, for every bad play, there are usually three or four that make you realize that he truly is one of the best quarterbacks in the game and certainly the best at making things happen. Like his first touchdown pass to Mike Wallace where he got rid of the ball under tremendous pressure. Or how about the big 50-yard pass to Wallace in the third quarter when Roethlisberger unleashed the ball in his own endzone just before he got nailed. The pass was right on the money. And on the very next play, he hit Miller on a play-action pass inside the ten yard line. Just like that, on two plays, it was first and goal. If ever there was a sequence of events that emphasized just what Roethlisberger means to the franchise it was those two plays. You go from the shadow of your own goalline to first and goal in a matter of two plays. And on third and goal, he had the presence of mind to hit Hines Ward over the middle with at least two guys right in his face. Kudos to Hines, who made an even better play, fighting his way into the end zone, but how many quarterbacks could have been able to even get the ball to Ward in that particular situation?
Roethlisberger often gets criticized for his style, but it's who he is. It's what he does best, and why would anyone want to take that away from him? He seriously looks like an angry bear when defenders are trying to get him down. I wouldn't want to be one of those guys trying to wrestle him to the ground.
Asking Roethlisberger to stop trying to prolong plays is like telling him to throw left-handed (although, with his improvising style, that may have happened over the years.) He wouldn't be Ben if he stopped doing that. He would be just your average, everyday quarterback, and those types of quarterbacks don't usually get the job done, at least not on a regular basis. A Ravens defender was once quoted as saying that Roethlisberger almost wants the pass rusher to beat his man. And the way Roelthisberger seems to excel under those situations, he's probably right.
Anywho, I thought it was a good win for Pittsburgh. I know Cleveland was a 14-point underdog, down to a rookie quarterback, but Cleveland is a lot of more competitive than their record would indicate. They've been in every game this season and they were in yesterday's affair until about five minutes left. Speaking of that rookie quarterback, Colt McCoy was pretty impressive in his debut. He completed some tough passes and hung in their against the Steelers' pass rush. Sure, he made some mistakes, but he looks like someone Steeler Nation might have to contend with for years to come.
Back to the Steelers, for you Arians bashers out there, I thought he called a good game-plan and the pass-to-run ratio (27-35) was about as balanced as you can get. Mendenhall looked awesome and seems to be very close to becoming one of the elite backs in the league.
The defense looked as good as you'd expect going against a depleted Browns' team, made even more depleted by James Harrison's two jarring tackles in the second quarter that knocked out Joshua Cribbs and Massaquoi respectively. Cribbs and Massaquoi both suffered head injuries and never returned.
The secondary performed okay. Not great. McCoy had 280 passing yards, but the Browns were playing from behind most of the game, and Cleveland could do very little on the ground, and that formula usually makes it easier for teams to accumulate yards through the air.
I don't have any problem with how yesterday's game unfolded. I know some fans will find some things to criticize but that's the nature of the fans, especially in Pittsburgh where we act as if the other team isn't even trying to win. Like they're the Washington Generals and should let the Steelers come out on the field with a ladder and a bucket of confetti and score a touchdown.
And almost as sweet as the Steeler win was the 4th quarter collapse of the Ravens, who lost at New England in overtime.
Big Ben is back and the Steelers are back in first place. What could be sweeter?
He was the Ben of old, eluding tacklers and making things happen like only he can. He can be frustrating at times, like on his first drive when he over-threw Moore and was intercepted inside the red zone, but with Roethlisberger, for every bad play, there are usually three or four that make you realize that he truly is one of the best quarterbacks in the game and certainly the best at making things happen. Like his first touchdown pass to Mike Wallace where he got rid of the ball under tremendous pressure. Or how about the big 50-yard pass to Wallace in the third quarter when Roethlisberger unleashed the ball in his own endzone just before he got nailed. The pass was right on the money. And on the very next play, he hit Miller on a play-action pass inside the ten yard line. Just like that, on two plays, it was first and goal. If ever there was a sequence of events that emphasized just what Roethlisberger means to the franchise it was those two plays. You go from the shadow of your own goalline to first and goal in a matter of two plays. And on third and goal, he had the presence of mind to hit Hines Ward over the middle with at least two guys right in his face. Kudos to Hines, who made an even better play, fighting his way into the end zone, but how many quarterbacks could have been able to even get the ball to Ward in that particular situation?
Roethlisberger often gets criticized for his style, but it's who he is. It's what he does best, and why would anyone want to take that away from him? He seriously looks like an angry bear when defenders are trying to get him down. I wouldn't want to be one of those guys trying to wrestle him to the ground.
Asking Roethlisberger to stop trying to prolong plays is like telling him to throw left-handed (although, with his improvising style, that may have happened over the years.) He wouldn't be Ben if he stopped doing that. He would be just your average, everyday quarterback, and those types of quarterbacks don't usually get the job done, at least not on a regular basis. A Ravens defender was once quoted as saying that Roethlisberger almost wants the pass rusher to beat his man. And the way Roelthisberger seems to excel under those situations, he's probably right.
Anywho, I thought it was a good win for Pittsburgh. I know Cleveland was a 14-point underdog, down to a rookie quarterback, but Cleveland is a lot of more competitive than their record would indicate. They've been in every game this season and they were in yesterday's affair until about five minutes left. Speaking of that rookie quarterback, Colt McCoy was pretty impressive in his debut. He completed some tough passes and hung in their against the Steelers' pass rush. Sure, he made some mistakes, but he looks like someone Steeler Nation might have to contend with for years to come.
Back to the Steelers, for you Arians bashers out there, I thought he called a good game-plan and the pass-to-run ratio (27-35) was about as balanced as you can get. Mendenhall looked awesome and seems to be very close to becoming one of the elite backs in the league.
The defense looked as good as you'd expect going against a depleted Browns' team, made even more depleted by James Harrison's two jarring tackles in the second quarter that knocked out Joshua Cribbs and Massaquoi respectively. Cribbs and Massaquoi both suffered head injuries and never returned.
The secondary performed okay. Not great. McCoy had 280 passing yards, but the Browns were playing from behind most of the game, and Cleveland could do very little on the ground, and that formula usually makes it easier for teams to accumulate yards through the air.
I don't have any problem with how yesterday's game unfolded. I know some fans will find some things to criticize but that's the nature of the fans, especially in Pittsburgh where we act as if the other team isn't even trying to win. Like they're the Washington Generals and should let the Steelers come out on the field with a ladder and a bucket of confetti and score a touchdown.
And almost as sweet as the Steeler win was the 4th quarter collapse of the Ravens, who lost at New England in overtime.
Big Ben is back and the Steelers are back in first place. What could be sweeter?
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Mom was right, afterall
The Pittsburgh Post Gazette reprinted a copy of their paper from the day the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the New York Yankees with the help of Bill Mazeroski's dramatic 9th inning homer.
The reprint was from Friday, October 14th, 1960. The Pirates clinched their World Series title on Thursday, October 13th, when Maz's home run cleared the fence at 3:36pm.
For years, my mom would tell me that she was in school when the dramatic event went down. I never believed her. You know how those mom-types are. They don't know much about sports.
Just the other day, we were talking and she referenced Bubby Brister, only she pronounced his last name, "Brewster."
And I, being the snobby sports guy that I am, always told her that it had to have been a Sunday because why would they play the 7th game of the World Series on a weekday afternoon? That's crazy talk. After all, the networks wanted to sell advertising, even back in 1960. How can you sell ads when people aren't home watching?
But, of course, the almighty television wasn't our god back in 1960. There weren't even that many tvs around. It didn't control society like it does now.
It certainly was a different world, that's for sure. I can't even remember the last time the 7th game of any major championship was played when the Sun was still out.
When was the last time any championship in any major sport was completed under the Sun? Maybe the softball championship of a beer league, but that's about it.
According to the many old tapes I have of the Super Bowls from the 70's, even those games were played in the daylight until at least the late 70's. How did people survive back then? What if they had to work?
Today, even the NFL playoff games are all slowly being moved to prime time. And there will be a time when the AFC championship game is played on one night and the NFC title game is played the next night, you mark my words. Chris Berman will host the "21 hour in-between games pre-game show."
It's practically happening now with the Bowl Championship Series in major college football. Not only are most of them played at night, but the really big ones are spread out so much, it's damn-near February by the time the BCS championship game is played and they hand out that silver football sponsored by Dr. Pepper.
Back to those seven game series. I can see a time, years from now, when World Series games are only played on Saturday and Sunday nights. They're practically doing that now in the NHL and NBA finals with two-day gaps in-between games. You can't have a dramatic event like an NBA final game played during the daylight. You have to have every single possible person available to sit in front of the tube so they can see it and see ads for Budweiser.
But they didn't care about stuff like that back in 1960.
I guess my mom knows what she's talking about. Maybe I should listen to her more.
The reprint was from Friday, October 14th, 1960. The Pirates clinched their World Series title on Thursday, October 13th, when Maz's home run cleared the fence at 3:36pm.
For years, my mom would tell me that she was in school when the dramatic event went down. I never believed her. You know how those mom-types are. They don't know much about sports.
Just the other day, we were talking and she referenced Bubby Brister, only she pronounced his last name, "Brewster."
And I, being the snobby sports guy that I am, always told her that it had to have been a Sunday because why would they play the 7th game of the World Series on a weekday afternoon? That's crazy talk. After all, the networks wanted to sell advertising, even back in 1960. How can you sell ads when people aren't home watching?
But, of course, the almighty television wasn't our god back in 1960. There weren't even that many tvs around. It didn't control society like it does now.
It certainly was a different world, that's for sure. I can't even remember the last time the 7th game of any major championship was played when the Sun was still out.
When was the last time any championship in any major sport was completed under the Sun? Maybe the softball championship of a beer league, but that's about it.
According to the many old tapes I have of the Super Bowls from the 70's, even those games were played in the daylight until at least the late 70's. How did people survive back then? What if they had to work?
Today, even the NFL playoff games are all slowly being moved to prime time. And there will be a time when the AFC championship game is played on one night and the NFC title game is played the next night, you mark my words. Chris Berman will host the "21 hour in-between games pre-game show."
It's practically happening now with the Bowl Championship Series in major college football. Not only are most of them played at night, but the really big ones are spread out so much, it's damn-near February by the time the BCS championship game is played and they hand out that silver football sponsored by Dr. Pepper.
Back to those seven game series. I can see a time, years from now, when World Series games are only played on Saturday and Sunday nights. They're practically doing that now in the NHL and NBA finals with two-day gaps in-between games. You can't have a dramatic event like an NBA final game played during the daylight. You have to have every single possible person available to sit in front of the tube so they can see it and see ads for Budweiser.
But they didn't care about stuff like that back in 1960.
I guess my mom knows what she's talking about. Maybe I should listen to her more.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
The Road to Super Bowl XL. The Greatest Nine Weeks Ever! (PART FOUR)
Ok, from now on, it's going to be totally new material. I started writing this about two years ago and I never quite got around to finishing it.
Here goes nothing!
I can't tell you how stunned I was at the time that the Steelers went into Indianapolis and knocked off the Colts. In NFL history, most teams that had seasons like Indianapolis had in'05-flirting with perfection-usually went on to win the Lombardi trophy. I know I was pretty optimistic, but even I knew that I witnessed something special.
The next day on craigslist, the fans from Denver were coming onto the Pittsburgh board and thanking the Steelers for allowing the Broncos to host the AFC championship game. Much like the Colts and Pats fans from a week earlier, they were acting as if victory was all but certain and the AFC title game would be a mere coronation for the Broncos. And I can't really blame them. They were the number 2 seed in the AFC and they probably figured the upstart Steelers were out of miracles. After all, Denver had just knocked off the two-time champion Patriots and the Steelers took care of the number 1 seed. And no number six seed had ever made it to the Super Bowl. If the Steelers were in a similar situation, I would be feeling pretty good, too.
At work, everyone was talking about the near-disastrous ending of the Colts' game and the almost miscarriage of justice because of the blown-call on the Troy interception that wasn't.
But what had some of the female customers just gushing was when Troy kissed his wedding ring as a tribute to his wife after he made what should have been the game-sealing interception. At that moment, Troy endeared himself to millions of women and was probably the most perfect man in the universe.
I went to yet another television taping of the "Joey Porter Show" at the Firehouse Lounge in the Strip District, and at that point, Steeler-mania was in full-swing and the place was jumping. In previous weeks, I was able to sit right near the front, but on this night, I was back by the bar, trying to watch it as best I could. This was the only taping I attended by myself since my aunt couldn't make it that night.
I talked to some very interesting people, including a woman who had a home-made terrible towel that she made in the late 70's. That was neat to see.
Joey's Steeler-guests that night were Ben Roethlisberger and Chris Hoke. I'm assuming that Roethlisberger taped his interview earlier because he wasn't there when I arrived, but Hokey's interview was pretty insightful and funny. He commented on the playoff beards that all the "white guys" were growing. He seemed like a cool guy. Fun night, all the way around.
Of the three AFC playoff games the Steelers played, the AFC championship game in Denver was the one I was most confident about, but that didn't stop me from being nervous. I had a right to be, of course, as that round of the playoffs was a real source of frustration for many years. The Steelers played in the AFC title game five previous times under Bill Cowher, all at home, and lost all but one time. And here they were on the road in Denver, a place where they never played well, trying to get back to the Super Bowl for the first time in ten seasons.
For my money, losing in the round before the Super Bowl is even more frustrating than losing the Super Bowl. I know a lot of people will disagree with me, but that's how I've always felt. Losing in the Super Bowl is like going to Kennywood on a rainy day. Sure, it sucked, but at least you got to go to Kennywood. There is nothing worse than spending an entire week confident that your team will win and make it to the Super Bowl only to see the entire season hit a brick wall. I have a hard time watching the Super Bowl after the Steelers lose the AFC championship game. The game between the Patriots and Rams was one of the most exciting Super Bowls ever and I missed most of it because I just couldn't stand watching the Patriots play in a game I thought the Steelers were locks to make.
But I was confident because I thought the Steelers had the better team and the better quarterback. Denver's quarterback, Jake "the Snake" Plummer, was having an almost flawless season, rarely turning the ball over. But I knew, if he was pushed and confused by Dick Lebeau and the Steelers defense, he would be forced into turnovers. I commented to a friend of mine that Plummer would play like Kordell did in the 1997 AFC championship game against the Broncos.
The Steelers got a field goal on their first drive, but not before I almost had a heart attack when Champ Bailey nearly picked off Big Ben on a third down pass to Hines Ward, but Hines came to the rescue and caught the deflected pass before getting smacked by John Lynch. We had our first Nate Washington sighting on that drive as he made the first catch of his career, a key pick up on 3rd down, and a few plays later, Jeff Reed kicked a 48 yard field goal and the Steelers were in front, 3-0.
On the next Broncos' drive, Plummer was hit by Porter, who stripped him of the ball. Casey Hampton recovered and the Steelers were on their way.
Pittsburgh made it 10-0 when Roethlisberger pump-faked a slant pass to Cedric Wilson, who instead, turned it into an out and was wide open in the corner of the endzone. Champ Bailey bit hard on the play and seemed to be stunned at the turn of events.
After Denver made it, 10-3, Pittsburgh marched down field and went up, 17-3, on a Jerome Bettis tough, three yard touchdown run late in the half that turned out to be the last one of his career.
Instead of just running out the clock, Denver decided to try and move the ball and Ike Taylor, of all people, intercepted a lazy pass by Plummer and Pittsburgh was poised to take an even bigger lead into the half. And they did so when a scrambling Ben Roethlsiberger hit Hines Ward in the back of the endzone and put Pittsburgh ahead, 24-3.
We were going nuts at my uncle's house. Just a year earlier, the Steelers were down, 24-3, to New England at halftime of the AFC title game and here they were on the positive side of the exact same score.
Pittsburgh did a good job of moving the ball and burning some clock in the 3rd quarterback but they couldn't quite put Denver away. And the Broncos inched a little closer late in the quarter on a Jake Plummer touchdown pass to make it, 24-10.
But Pittsburgh came right back and kicked a field goal early in the 4th quarter to take a 17-point lead. And on the very first play of Denver's next drive, Larry Foote picked off Plummer and I think I about lost my mind. Pittsburgh had a 27-10 lead and the ball near mid-field. My confidence was at an all-time high. But Pittsburgh couldn't really capitalize and when Denver got the ball back, they scored their second touchdown of the second half on a penalty-riddled drive and were within ten points of Pittsburgh with still a half a quarter to go.
At that point, I was pacing the floors, and almost fainted when Ben was nearly intercepted by John Lynch. Denver eventually got the ball back and had all the momentum.
But I had no need to worry because on 4th and 10, Brett Keisel stripped Plummer of the ball and the Steelers all but had the game in the bag with only a few minutes remaining.
A few plays later, the Steelers had the ball inside the 10 yard line and during a break in the action, Cowher called over Bettis and had this smile and expression on his face and I couldn't read his lips, but I'm guessing what he was telling the Bus was something like, "We're riding you to the endzone, Bussy. Please don't torture us like you did last week."
After a couple of Bus rides, it was 3rd and goal inside the five yard line. And on 3rd down, instead of giving it to Bettis once again, it was a bootleg and Roethlisberger scored and Pittsburgh was on their way to Detroit with a 34-17 victory.
When Big Ben scored, I jumped up and said, "We're going to the Super Bowl!" It was one of the best moments of my life.
And despite the few nervous moments in the second half, it was one of my favorite games ever. It was nice to see the AFC championship game be sort of a blow out with very little suspense.
The feeling that I had the rest of the evening was euphoric. Something happens to you when your favorite team wins a game like that. You have this urge to get in your car and drive around so that's what I did. I found myself at my sister's house in Avalon, and my brother in law, a Broncos fan, was still talking trash and trying to remind me of the Broncos' back-to-back Super Bowl titles in '97 and '98. But he couldn't hurt me that day. I was in Heaven.
Ok, this concludes part four. I hope you all enjoyed it and I hope to write part five in the near future.
Here goes nothing!
I can't tell you how stunned I was at the time that the Steelers went into Indianapolis and knocked off the Colts. In NFL history, most teams that had seasons like Indianapolis had in'05-flirting with perfection-usually went on to win the Lombardi trophy. I know I was pretty optimistic, but even I knew that I witnessed something special.
The next day on craigslist, the fans from Denver were coming onto the Pittsburgh board and thanking the Steelers for allowing the Broncos to host the AFC championship game. Much like the Colts and Pats fans from a week earlier, they were acting as if victory was all but certain and the AFC title game would be a mere coronation for the Broncos. And I can't really blame them. They were the number 2 seed in the AFC and they probably figured the upstart Steelers were out of miracles. After all, Denver had just knocked off the two-time champion Patriots and the Steelers took care of the number 1 seed. And no number six seed had ever made it to the Super Bowl. If the Steelers were in a similar situation, I would be feeling pretty good, too.
At work, everyone was talking about the near-disastrous ending of the Colts' game and the almost miscarriage of justice because of the blown-call on the Troy interception that wasn't.
But what had some of the female customers just gushing was when Troy kissed his wedding ring as a tribute to his wife after he made what should have been the game-sealing interception. At that moment, Troy endeared himself to millions of women and was probably the most perfect man in the universe.
I went to yet another television taping of the "Joey Porter Show" at the Firehouse Lounge in the Strip District, and at that point, Steeler-mania was in full-swing and the place was jumping. In previous weeks, I was able to sit right near the front, but on this night, I was back by the bar, trying to watch it as best I could. This was the only taping I attended by myself since my aunt couldn't make it that night.
I talked to some very interesting people, including a woman who had a home-made terrible towel that she made in the late 70's. That was neat to see.
Joey's Steeler-guests that night were Ben Roethlisberger and Chris Hoke. I'm assuming that Roethlisberger taped his interview earlier because he wasn't there when I arrived, but Hokey's interview was pretty insightful and funny. He commented on the playoff beards that all the "white guys" were growing. He seemed like a cool guy. Fun night, all the way around.
Of the three AFC playoff games the Steelers played, the AFC championship game in Denver was the one I was most confident about, but that didn't stop me from being nervous. I had a right to be, of course, as that round of the playoffs was a real source of frustration for many years. The Steelers played in the AFC title game five previous times under Bill Cowher, all at home, and lost all but one time. And here they were on the road in Denver, a place where they never played well, trying to get back to the Super Bowl for the first time in ten seasons.
For my money, losing in the round before the Super Bowl is even more frustrating than losing the Super Bowl. I know a lot of people will disagree with me, but that's how I've always felt. Losing in the Super Bowl is like going to Kennywood on a rainy day. Sure, it sucked, but at least you got to go to Kennywood. There is nothing worse than spending an entire week confident that your team will win and make it to the Super Bowl only to see the entire season hit a brick wall. I have a hard time watching the Super Bowl after the Steelers lose the AFC championship game. The game between the Patriots and Rams was one of the most exciting Super Bowls ever and I missed most of it because I just couldn't stand watching the Patriots play in a game I thought the Steelers were locks to make.
But I was confident because I thought the Steelers had the better team and the better quarterback. Denver's quarterback, Jake "the Snake" Plummer, was having an almost flawless season, rarely turning the ball over. But I knew, if he was pushed and confused by Dick Lebeau and the Steelers defense, he would be forced into turnovers. I commented to a friend of mine that Plummer would play like Kordell did in the 1997 AFC championship game against the Broncos.
The Steelers got a field goal on their first drive, but not before I almost had a heart attack when Champ Bailey nearly picked off Big Ben on a third down pass to Hines Ward, but Hines came to the rescue and caught the deflected pass before getting smacked by John Lynch. We had our first Nate Washington sighting on that drive as he made the first catch of his career, a key pick up on 3rd down, and a few plays later, Jeff Reed kicked a 48 yard field goal and the Steelers were in front, 3-0.
On the next Broncos' drive, Plummer was hit by Porter, who stripped him of the ball. Casey Hampton recovered and the Steelers were on their way.
Pittsburgh made it 10-0 when Roethlisberger pump-faked a slant pass to Cedric Wilson, who instead, turned it into an out and was wide open in the corner of the endzone. Champ Bailey bit hard on the play and seemed to be stunned at the turn of events.
After Denver made it, 10-3, Pittsburgh marched down field and went up, 17-3, on a Jerome Bettis tough, three yard touchdown run late in the half that turned out to be the last one of his career.
Instead of just running out the clock, Denver decided to try and move the ball and Ike Taylor, of all people, intercepted a lazy pass by Plummer and Pittsburgh was poised to take an even bigger lead into the half. And they did so when a scrambling Ben Roethlsiberger hit Hines Ward in the back of the endzone and put Pittsburgh ahead, 24-3.
We were going nuts at my uncle's house. Just a year earlier, the Steelers were down, 24-3, to New England at halftime of the AFC title game and here they were on the positive side of the exact same score.
Pittsburgh did a good job of moving the ball and burning some clock in the 3rd quarterback but they couldn't quite put Denver away. And the Broncos inched a little closer late in the quarter on a Jake Plummer touchdown pass to make it, 24-10.
But Pittsburgh came right back and kicked a field goal early in the 4th quarter to take a 17-point lead. And on the very first play of Denver's next drive, Larry Foote picked off Plummer and I think I about lost my mind. Pittsburgh had a 27-10 lead and the ball near mid-field. My confidence was at an all-time high. But Pittsburgh couldn't really capitalize and when Denver got the ball back, they scored their second touchdown of the second half on a penalty-riddled drive and were within ten points of Pittsburgh with still a half a quarter to go.
At that point, I was pacing the floors, and almost fainted when Ben was nearly intercepted by John Lynch. Denver eventually got the ball back and had all the momentum.
But I had no need to worry because on 4th and 10, Brett Keisel stripped Plummer of the ball and the Steelers all but had the game in the bag with only a few minutes remaining.
A few plays later, the Steelers had the ball inside the 10 yard line and during a break in the action, Cowher called over Bettis and had this smile and expression on his face and I couldn't read his lips, but I'm guessing what he was telling the Bus was something like, "We're riding you to the endzone, Bussy. Please don't torture us like you did last week."
After a couple of Bus rides, it was 3rd and goal inside the five yard line. And on 3rd down, instead of giving it to Bettis once again, it was a bootleg and Roethlisberger scored and Pittsburgh was on their way to Detroit with a 34-17 victory.
When Big Ben scored, I jumped up and said, "We're going to the Super Bowl!" It was one of the best moments of my life.
And despite the few nervous moments in the second half, it was one of my favorite games ever. It was nice to see the AFC championship game be sort of a blow out with very little suspense.
The feeling that I had the rest of the evening was euphoric. Something happens to you when your favorite team wins a game like that. You have this urge to get in your car and drive around so that's what I did. I found myself at my sister's house in Avalon, and my brother in law, a Broncos fan, was still talking trash and trying to remind me of the Broncos' back-to-back Super Bowl titles in '97 and '98. But he couldn't hurt me that day. I was in Heaven.
Ok, this concludes part four. I hope you all enjoyed it and I hope to write part five in the near future.
There is an entire generation of young people who don't know what it's like to experience a good Pirate team. So what?
Today marks the 50th anniversary of the Pittsburgh Pirates thrilling game seven World Series victory over the heavily favored New York Yankees in 1960. The Pirates clinched the dramatic championship when Bill Mazeroski knocked a 1-0 pitch over the left field wall in the bottom of the 9th inning at Forbes field to break a 9-9 tie and give the team their first World Series victory in 35 years.
There will be festivities today in Oakland at the old Forbes Field site commemorating the event. I'm sure if you're old enough to remember that day, it had to be a magical moment.
Sadly, there haven't been many magical moments for the Pittsburgh Pirates lately as they've just completed their 18th straight losing season.
The last time they had a winning season was 1992, which was also the last time they were in the postseason when they lost the National League Championship Series to the Atlanta Braves in a heartbreaking 7th game. I believe the anniversary of that game is right around this time, as well.
If you're around my age, late 30's, and you weren't old enough to remember the 1979 World Series championship, the 1992 NLCS gut-wrenching loss is the anniversary you always point to as a night you'll never forget, only you'd really love to.
There is another generation out there that doesn't even know what it's like to experience a Pirates winning season because they either weren't alive or too young to remember the Pirates last era of winning baseball. They've been described by some as "The lost generation of Pirates fans." People feel sorry for them because there are some diehard kids out there who go to the games and cheer for their beloved Buccos win or, mostly lose, and would absolutely be in Heaven if the Pirates ever got their act together and contended for a pennant.
Well, I don't feel sorry for them because they're still young enough to maybe witness it someday. A kid around 18 years old can experience ten more five-year plans before it's too late.
Even someone like me in my late 30's still has hope that I might witness a good Pirates team again someday. Even if it's ten years from now, at least I'll still be young enough to really party it up.
No, the generation I feel bad for is the generation that was about 60 years old in 1992 and now are pushing 80. Back then, after Francisco Cabrera got that unlikely hit and Sid Bream scored the run that broke the collective hearts of an entire region, if you were about 60, you probably thought, "Well, the team might be heading for a town-turn but I'm sure in a few years, their young prospects will be ready to make a run at it, and, God-willing, I'll be around to see it."
And about ten seasons ago, when they opened PNC Park and there was hope that things would turn around with the help of young, talented players like Jason Kendall and Brian Giles, that generation probably thought, "Well, things are looking up. We have a new ballpark and a few good, young players. Why, I just pray that I'll still be around in a few years when they're contending."
But now, those people, the ones that are going on 80, should be furious. They're the ones that should be up-in-arms over this latest 100-loss season. If I was them, I wouldn't want to hear about any more five-year plans. Who wants to wait five years for something when you're that old? If they're lucky, they might have one five-year plan left in them.
If I was around 80 years old right now, I would be screaming at the tv every time the Pirates screwed up. "Come on! How hard is it to get a bunt down!" They should be the people on blogs and message boards showing their digust. "The Pirates have the lowest ERA in the league once again? Well, what do you know about that!"
That generation of fans should be the ones protesting and letting their voices be heard. Time is of the essence.
You 18 year olds. Shut up! Never witnessing the Pirates win is like being born deaf in one ear. You don't know what you're missing so just sit their patiently and watch the X-games.
Odds are, the Pirates will probably win again in yours and my life-time. That other generation I was talking about............?????????? We can only hope.
There will be festivities today in Oakland at the old Forbes Field site commemorating the event. I'm sure if you're old enough to remember that day, it had to be a magical moment.
Sadly, there haven't been many magical moments for the Pittsburgh Pirates lately as they've just completed their 18th straight losing season.
The last time they had a winning season was 1992, which was also the last time they were in the postseason when they lost the National League Championship Series to the Atlanta Braves in a heartbreaking 7th game. I believe the anniversary of that game is right around this time, as well.
If you're around my age, late 30's, and you weren't old enough to remember the 1979 World Series championship, the 1992 NLCS gut-wrenching loss is the anniversary you always point to as a night you'll never forget, only you'd really love to.
There is another generation out there that doesn't even know what it's like to experience a Pirates winning season because they either weren't alive or too young to remember the Pirates last era of winning baseball. They've been described by some as "The lost generation of Pirates fans." People feel sorry for them because there are some diehard kids out there who go to the games and cheer for their beloved Buccos win or, mostly lose, and would absolutely be in Heaven if the Pirates ever got their act together and contended for a pennant.
Well, I don't feel sorry for them because they're still young enough to maybe witness it someday. A kid around 18 years old can experience ten more five-year plans before it's too late.
Even someone like me in my late 30's still has hope that I might witness a good Pirates team again someday. Even if it's ten years from now, at least I'll still be young enough to really party it up.
No, the generation I feel bad for is the generation that was about 60 years old in 1992 and now are pushing 80. Back then, after Francisco Cabrera got that unlikely hit and Sid Bream scored the run that broke the collective hearts of an entire region, if you were about 60, you probably thought, "Well, the team might be heading for a town-turn but I'm sure in a few years, their young prospects will be ready to make a run at it, and, God-willing, I'll be around to see it."
And about ten seasons ago, when they opened PNC Park and there was hope that things would turn around with the help of young, talented players like Jason Kendall and Brian Giles, that generation probably thought, "Well, things are looking up. We have a new ballpark and a few good, young players. Why, I just pray that I'll still be around in a few years when they're contending."
But now, those people, the ones that are going on 80, should be furious. They're the ones that should be up-in-arms over this latest 100-loss season. If I was them, I wouldn't want to hear about any more five-year plans. Who wants to wait five years for something when you're that old? If they're lucky, they might have one five-year plan left in them.
If I was around 80 years old right now, I would be screaming at the tv every time the Pirates screwed up. "Come on! How hard is it to get a bunt down!" They should be the people on blogs and message boards showing their digust. "The Pirates have the lowest ERA in the league once again? Well, what do you know about that!"
That generation of fans should be the ones protesting and letting their voices be heard. Time is of the essence.
You 18 year olds. Shut up! Never witnessing the Pirates win is like being born deaf in one ear. You don't know what you're missing so just sit their patiently and watch the X-games.
Odds are, the Pirates will probably win again in yours and my life-time. That other generation I was talking about............?????????? We can only hope.
Ben Roethlisberger vs. Brett Favre
Brett Favre, the legendary Vikings' quarterback who's been in and out of retirement more than professional wrestler, Ric Flair, is in the midst of a sex scandal.
Favre, who has been married for 16 years, may or may not have left several voicemails and texted pictures of his penis to a former New York Jets' employee during Favre's time with New York back in 2008. Jen Sterger, a model/actress/writer/television personality, was a tv personality for the Jets at the time and was the alleged object of Brett's desire. You can find more detail on this stuff here: www.deadspin.com.
When I first heard about it, I wasn't necessarily stunned. I mean, a professional athlete cheating on his wife? Shocker. The fact that Favre is involved was a little surprising, but even though I've been a Favre fan for the most part over the years, I never quite bought into the whole good ol' boy image. Especially with some of the things that some of his former teammates have said about him. Things that would suggest he's more of a garden variety rich, spoiled athlete.
Nevertheless, sex scandals aren't new to sports. As you know, we've been through one or two of them pretty recently here with our franchise quarterback.
But is this latest Favre saga similar to the sex scandal/scandals involving Ben Roethlisberger?
At first, I didn't think so. I mean, after all, a player being accused of rape is a little more serious than infidelity. But I was listening to some sports talk radio last week and some of the callers were pretty angry and asking if NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was going to suspend Favre like he did Big Ben. Ben wasn't suspended because he was found guilty of sexual assault or anything at all. He wasn't even charged with a crime. He was suspended for his conduct away from the field.
If these voice mails and text pictures were from Favre, and of Favre's private parts, that could be considered sexual harassment by some, especially if they were unwanted, but it might be a little hard to prove, just like in the incident with Ben.
However, do you think Goodell will or should act on this? Like I said, an athlete cheating on his wife is nothing new, but the commissioner has come under fire lately for his pretty stiff penalties on some athletes while others seem to get away with nothing for doing similar things. For example, Vince Young wasn't suspended at all for his alleged involvement in a strip club assault earlier this season. Texting sexually explicit pictures could be considered poor conduct, right?
I think Goodell really painted himself in a corner when he suspended Roethlisberger. I know it's been said many times over the past few months, but the guy wasn't even arrested and he missed the first 4 games of the season?
Maybe I'm just viewing things with Black and Gold glasses.
It's going to be interesting to see how Goodell handles this newest NFL scandal or if he even gets involved at all.
Favre, who has been married for 16 years, may or may not have left several voicemails and texted pictures of his penis to a former New York Jets' employee during Favre's time with New York back in 2008. Jen Sterger, a model/actress/writer/television personality, was a tv personality for the Jets at the time and was the alleged object of Brett's desire. You can find more detail on this stuff here: www.deadspin.com.
When I first heard about it, I wasn't necessarily stunned. I mean, a professional athlete cheating on his wife? Shocker. The fact that Favre is involved was a little surprising, but even though I've been a Favre fan for the most part over the years, I never quite bought into the whole good ol' boy image. Especially with some of the things that some of his former teammates have said about him. Things that would suggest he's more of a garden variety rich, spoiled athlete.
Nevertheless, sex scandals aren't new to sports. As you know, we've been through one or two of them pretty recently here with our franchise quarterback.
But is this latest Favre saga similar to the sex scandal/scandals involving Ben Roethlisberger?
At first, I didn't think so. I mean, after all, a player being accused of rape is a little more serious than infidelity. But I was listening to some sports talk radio last week and some of the callers were pretty angry and asking if NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was going to suspend Favre like he did Big Ben. Ben wasn't suspended because he was found guilty of sexual assault or anything at all. He wasn't even charged with a crime. He was suspended for his conduct away from the field.
If these voice mails and text pictures were from Favre, and of Favre's private parts, that could be considered sexual harassment by some, especially if they were unwanted, but it might be a little hard to prove, just like in the incident with Ben.
However, do you think Goodell will or should act on this? Like I said, an athlete cheating on his wife is nothing new, but the commissioner has come under fire lately for his pretty stiff penalties on some athletes while others seem to get away with nothing for doing similar things. For example, Vince Young wasn't suspended at all for his alleged involvement in a strip club assault earlier this season. Texting sexually explicit pictures could be considered poor conduct, right?
I think Goodell really painted himself in a corner when he suspended Roethlisberger. I know it's been said many times over the past few months, but the guy wasn't even arrested and he missed the first 4 games of the season?
Maybe I'm just viewing things with Black and Gold glasses.
It's going to be interesting to see how Goodell handles this newest NFL scandal or if he even gets involved at all.
Monday, October 4, 2010
How my little Tea Party joke made me the rat/roach in the kitchen of the Behind the Steel Curtain blog
Last week, in an attempt to be funny, I contributed a satrical post to "Behind The Steel Curtain," a blog I've been frequenting since August. The premise of the post was what I thought the Tea Party's all-time NFL team would look like if members of the party got together and had a vote on it. The team consisted of all white guys and about 90% of them played before 1980. To give you an example of what I mean: Jerry Rice, a black man, is considered the greatest wide receiver of all time. But on my Tea Party list, I have Don Huston, a white man who played in the early years of the NFL, as one of their all-time receivers.
It might seem pretty stereotypical for me to write that, but hey, if you worried about stereotypes, there would be no jokes.
The Tea Party has gained popularity since President Barack Obama took office. The party is a movement of people who are mad as hell and aren't going to take it any more. They lean to the right, but claim to not be fans of the previous presidential regime, either. Funny how I didn't hear much from them when George W. Bush was running things for eight years. From all the rallies I've seen on tv, the party is made up of mostly middle age-to-elderly white people.
They really started to get vocal around the time the health care bill was passed. There was an incident where members of the party had shouted racial slurs at some African American congressmen just before the bill was passed and that's when I was inspired to write "The Tea Party's All-time NFL team as voted on by Tea Party members."
Originally, I posted it on craigslist because I thought that would be a way to get people to respond in an angry fashion. Nobody bit. Then, about a month later, I was reading about how some members of the Tea Party had paid to have billboards display propaganda comparing Obama to infamous political figures like Hitler. That's when I was inspired to post my satircal propaganda on my own blog. Again, nothing. I think the problem was that unless you knew a whole lot about football, you might not know that every single player on the list was white and mostly really old.
This past Summer, I discovered the blog "Behind The Steel Curtain" and I immediately fell in love. It is a place where Steelers fans from all around the world can get together and demonstrate their love for the Black and Gold.
And it really is love. There is so much love for the Steelers on this blog, it's quite remarkable. There is someone who contributes a weekly thread called: "Predict The Score" before the upcoming game, and about 99% of the scores are not only in favor of the Steelers, but blowouts.
Anyway, since my discovery of this blog, I've become a regular contributor, posting two or three things a week, because, much like everyone else on that site, I have a disturbing obsession with the Steelers. And the great thing about this site is if you post something, you get tremendous feedback. It's not always positive, it's often critical, but it's mostly quite respectful.
A couple of weeks ago, I was reading an article in the Tribune Review from an African American reporter. I can't remember her name, but she was following up on an article she had written previously on the ugly "N-word" and how she received some pretty nasty hate mail from people who, as it turned out, where members of the Tea Party.
And this inspired me to write something nasty about the Tea Party, but since I'm not overly political, what could I do? That's when it hit me to post my "The Tea Party's All-time NFL team" thread on BTSC and see what happened. I posted it last Tuesday evening and couldn't wait to get up on Wednesday and see how much feedback there was from it. When I logged onto the site Wednesday morning, I discovered that my post was disabled.
I posted a thread asking what happened to my post, and that's when I realized that "Behind The Steel Curtain" was no place for any political leanings whatsoever. Left, right, liberal, conservative, it didn't matter. "Take it outside, politics boy!" was the general response I got. Basically, they want the blog to be for the Steelers and about the Steelers and their fans. Even a satircal political post was not welcome there.
And even the thread I posted asking why my joke was was disabled was also, eventually taken down because the discussions were starting to get a little heated on the board.
And then someone else posted a thread on censorship and was saying stuff like we might not be interested in politics but politics is always interested in us, and that it's just a game and we should care about politics as much as we care about the Steelers. And that we should give more funding to the arts than we do to sports in this country. Ok, that last part was what Cliff Huxtable's daughter said in the "Sweet Feet" episode of the Cosby show, but I could see this person saying that.
And then that thread got pretty heated and eventually had to be taken down.
You know how, sometimes, a person will accidentally leave a shoebox on a bench in a crowded mall and people will panic and think it's a bomb and the whole place is shut down and the police and bomb squad are called in to blow up the shoes just in-case they were left there by terrorists?
Well, as I was reading all the mess that I started with my little joke post about the Tea Party, I felt like that person who accidentally left the shoe box at the mall.
I was even worried that I would be banned from the site even though I meant no harm. I was just trying to have some fun, although, the thought of getting vicious hate-mail from tea party members like that Trib reporter was kind of intriguing and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't hoping to get some hate mail from my post.
I guess I will stick to blogging about sports.
It might seem pretty stereotypical for me to write that, but hey, if you worried about stereotypes, there would be no jokes.
The Tea Party has gained popularity since President Barack Obama took office. The party is a movement of people who are mad as hell and aren't going to take it any more. They lean to the right, but claim to not be fans of the previous presidential regime, either. Funny how I didn't hear much from them when George W. Bush was running things for eight years. From all the rallies I've seen on tv, the party is made up of mostly middle age-to-elderly white people.
They really started to get vocal around the time the health care bill was passed. There was an incident where members of the party had shouted racial slurs at some African American congressmen just before the bill was passed and that's when I was inspired to write "The Tea Party's All-time NFL team as voted on by Tea Party members."
Originally, I posted it on craigslist because I thought that would be a way to get people to respond in an angry fashion. Nobody bit. Then, about a month later, I was reading about how some members of the Tea Party had paid to have billboards display propaganda comparing Obama to infamous political figures like Hitler. That's when I was inspired to post my satircal propaganda on my own blog. Again, nothing. I think the problem was that unless you knew a whole lot about football, you might not know that every single player on the list was white and mostly really old.
This past Summer, I discovered the blog "Behind The Steel Curtain" and I immediately fell in love. It is a place where Steelers fans from all around the world can get together and demonstrate their love for the Black and Gold.
And it really is love. There is so much love for the Steelers on this blog, it's quite remarkable. There is someone who contributes a weekly thread called: "Predict The Score" before the upcoming game, and about 99% of the scores are not only in favor of the Steelers, but blowouts.
Anyway, since my discovery of this blog, I've become a regular contributor, posting two or three things a week, because, much like everyone else on that site, I have a disturbing obsession with the Steelers. And the great thing about this site is if you post something, you get tremendous feedback. It's not always positive, it's often critical, but it's mostly quite respectful.
A couple of weeks ago, I was reading an article in the Tribune Review from an African American reporter. I can't remember her name, but she was following up on an article she had written previously on the ugly "N-word" and how she received some pretty nasty hate mail from people who, as it turned out, where members of the Tea Party.
And this inspired me to write something nasty about the Tea Party, but since I'm not overly political, what could I do? That's when it hit me to post my "The Tea Party's All-time NFL team" thread on BTSC and see what happened. I posted it last Tuesday evening and couldn't wait to get up on Wednesday and see how much feedback there was from it. When I logged onto the site Wednesday morning, I discovered that my post was disabled.
I posted a thread asking what happened to my post, and that's when I realized that "Behind The Steel Curtain" was no place for any political leanings whatsoever. Left, right, liberal, conservative, it didn't matter. "Take it outside, politics boy!" was the general response I got. Basically, they want the blog to be for the Steelers and about the Steelers and their fans. Even a satircal political post was not welcome there.
And even the thread I posted asking why my joke was was disabled was also, eventually taken down because the discussions were starting to get a little heated on the board.
And then someone else posted a thread on censorship and was saying stuff like we might not be interested in politics but politics is always interested in us, and that it's just a game and we should care about politics as much as we care about the Steelers. And that we should give more funding to the arts than we do to sports in this country. Ok, that last part was what Cliff Huxtable's daughter said in the "Sweet Feet" episode of the Cosby show, but I could see this person saying that.
And then that thread got pretty heated and eventually had to be taken down.
You know how, sometimes, a person will accidentally leave a shoebox on a bench in a crowded mall and people will panic and think it's a bomb and the whole place is shut down and the police and bomb squad are called in to blow up the shoes just in-case they were left there by terrorists?
Well, as I was reading all the mess that I started with my little joke post about the Tea Party, I felt like that person who accidentally left the shoe box at the mall.
I was even worried that I would be banned from the site even though I meant no harm. I was just trying to have some fun, although, the thought of getting vicious hate-mail from tea party members like that Trib reporter was kind of intriguing and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't hoping to get some hate mail from my post.
I guess I will stick to blogging about sports.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Even though this loss really hurts, 3-1 without Ben is still pretty good
I sit here with a very sick feeling in my stomach. It's the kind of feeling one gets when their favorite football team loses a heartbreaking contest to their most bitter rival in the final moments of the game.
The Steelers lost today, 17-14, when Joe Flacco hit TJ Houshmandzadeh with an 18 yard touchdown pass with 32 seconds left. This all coming after an awesome goalline stand just moments earlier that looked like it would be good enough to give the team the win, but Baltimore got one last shot and took advantage of it.
The Steelers failed on a last-ditch effort to march down the field to tie the game when Charlie Batch was intercepted by Ray Lewis to preserve the game for Baltimore.
Baltimore and their fans will brag and thump their chests over this one, but the bottomline is Pittsburgh had many chances to control things but just couldn't do it. The defense caused two turnovers in Ravens' territory in the 3rd quarter (including a pick from Ike Taylor of all people) but came away with no points after Jeff Reed missed two field goals.
Pittsburgh had 11 penalties today, none more costly than the holding penalty on Fox during the Sepulveda punt that gave Baltimore the ball at the Steeler 40 yardline with 1:15 left. And from there, Flacco seemed to lead the offense down the field with ease before hitting Houshmandzadeh with the game-winner.
This game was very hard hitting and reminded me a lot of the Steelers/Giants game from two-seasons ago. The Steelers had a great goalline stand that day, too, and also had many chances to put New York away, but were their own worst enemies with many crucial mistakes and just couldn't do it.
I know this is going to sound like sour grapes, but I thought the Ravens got away with two or three false-start penalties by their left tackle in the 2nd half, and for the life of me, I can't figure out why they weren't called.
Nevertheless, the Steelers lost, but if you look at the big picture, you have to be happy with what Pittsburgh did in the 4 games without Ben. If I had my choice, I would have given up the overtime game against Atlanta, and taken today's game against Baltimore because of the divisional and conference implications, but the Steelers will have their best player coming back in two-weeks and I like their chances the rest of the way.
A Benless 3-1 start is not bad at all.
The Steelers lost today, 17-14, when Joe Flacco hit TJ Houshmandzadeh with an 18 yard touchdown pass with 32 seconds left. This all coming after an awesome goalline stand just moments earlier that looked like it would be good enough to give the team the win, but Baltimore got one last shot and took advantage of it.
The Steelers failed on a last-ditch effort to march down the field to tie the game when Charlie Batch was intercepted by Ray Lewis to preserve the game for Baltimore.
Baltimore and their fans will brag and thump their chests over this one, but the bottomline is Pittsburgh had many chances to control things but just couldn't do it. The defense caused two turnovers in Ravens' territory in the 3rd quarter (including a pick from Ike Taylor of all people) but came away with no points after Jeff Reed missed two field goals.
Pittsburgh had 11 penalties today, none more costly than the holding penalty on Fox during the Sepulveda punt that gave Baltimore the ball at the Steeler 40 yardline with 1:15 left. And from there, Flacco seemed to lead the offense down the field with ease before hitting Houshmandzadeh with the game-winner.
This game was very hard hitting and reminded me a lot of the Steelers/Giants game from two-seasons ago. The Steelers had a great goalline stand that day, too, and also had many chances to put New York away, but were their own worst enemies with many crucial mistakes and just couldn't do it.
I know this is going to sound like sour grapes, but I thought the Ravens got away with two or three false-start penalties by their left tackle in the 2nd half, and for the life of me, I can't figure out why they weren't called.
Nevertheless, the Steelers lost, but if you look at the big picture, you have to be happy with what Pittsburgh did in the 4 games without Ben. If I had my choice, I would have given up the overtime game against Atlanta, and taken today's game against Baltimore because of the divisional and conference implications, but the Steelers will have their best player coming back in two-weeks and I like their chances the rest of the way.
A Benless 3-1 start is not bad at all.
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