I haven't done one of these "reflection/journal" entries in a while. However, it's a slow day in the sports world, and since I'm not getting paid to write about sports on this blog, I can pretty much write about whatever I want.
Join me as I get you caught up on all things Tony-related:
*Working as a manager of a small-business, I really am on the front-line whenever things like Hurricane Sandy bear down on the Pittsburgh region. Sandy was a super-storm that mainly wreaked havoc in the New York/New Jersey area on Monday and Tuesday, but that didn't mean we didn't have to prepare for some dangerous weather here in Pittsburgh. On Monday, as the preparations were taking place, I was smack-dab in the middle of a storm of panicked customers who bought water, toilet paper and milk. Cliched? Yes, but with the potential of six inches of rain in the forecast, folks certainly had to prepare for the worst. Fortunately, the storm didn't hurt this region like it really could have, and I'm certainly grateful for that. As much as Pittsburghers seem to freak out about the weather, I don't think they truly realize just how lucky we are as a region to not have to deal with very many natural disasters.
*Speaking of bearing down, I wish I would have done a better job of that during my bowling team's last match this past Sunday. We won two of three games to finish out the season, which was nice. However, we missed out on making the playoffs on our team average by a mere four points, and I can't help but feel responsible for that. I entered the night with a 145 average, which is pretty decent for me, but I "crapped the bed," as they say and only averaged a 108 over the course of the three games. Had I even bowled anywhere near my average, my team would have made the playoffs. Oh well.
*Bowling is one of those sports that you pretty much have to practice on a consistent basis in order to, well, stay consistent or hopefully improve. There are so many variables to take into consideration when you bowl, from your ball, the approach, the release and the conditions of the lanes. However, if you can find a way to master your approach and release, you should be able to do well enough even with a house ball. After I started using a heavier ball in February of 2011, I immediately started to bowl much better. I maintained a 150 average for over a year. That might not sound great, but for the first two-plus years that I bowled, I could barely maintain a 130 average. Unfortunately, starting in the spring, my consistency began to wane and I just couldn't find the answers. The struggles continued early on during this past season, but I figured things out early enough and rolled my all-time high of 219. That proved to be a catalyst for me as I stayed pretty consistent for a few weeks after that and raised my season average from 121 all the way up to 147. However, after I bowled a 192 in a game in week six, I lost my touch and never bowled higher than a 154 the rest of the season and my average dropped seven point. Why the struggles? Who knows, but as I said, there are so many variables involved in rolling a good ball and staying consistent from frame-to-frame, game-to-game, and week-to-week. This must be why they have coaches for actual bowling teams.
*My indoor volleyball season is underway after a one-month delay, and things have gotten off to a weird start. My first week, I was horsing around and was unaware of how close I was to the net. I smacked into that sucker and landed on my back-side. Fortunately, I wasn't hurt, but I sure was embarrassed. Oh well, I grew up idolizing the late John Ritter, and that was an unintentional tribute to him, I suppose. Speaking of physical comics, I don't know how they do it. I had a huge bruise on my right shoulder from my little prat-fall, and now I can certainly understand why some people get hooked on pain-killers. Don't misunderstand, I didn't take any of those, but I can sure see how it would be tempting if you have to intentionally take falls like that night after night.
*Speaking of accidents, last week during my team's match, I went up to the net to punch a ball over, and a player on the other team had it in mind to punch it back my way. He did so, but he wound up hurting himself in the process. I'm not sure if he landed on my foot or was just knocked off balance, but he suffered what looked to be a pretty serious ankle injury and had to be taken to the emergency room. I know it was just an accident, but I still felt bad about it. Nobody should have to suffer a serious injury while playing recreational volleyball.
*I'm really enjoying my time writing for Behind the Steel Curtain. I feel as if I'm getting better every few months or so, and a huge part of me really wants to take this writing thing full-time. I feel no passion as great as the passion I feel for writing (at least in things that don't involve family and friends), and I feel as if I have a real aptitude for writing about most anything, but especially sports. Who knows, maybe it will happen if I keep working at it. Two years ago at this time, even the thought of being one of the main writers for a blog as well-respected as BTSC was just a pipe-dream.
*Along those lines, a week ago, I was "approached" via email to write an article for some betting site. I was skeptical, but I went ahead and wrote a preview for the Steelers/Redskins game. When I submitted the article, I was led to believe I would be getting paid $40 for the gig. As of right now, it doesn't look like that's going to happen. It's OK. I didn't invest much time in the article, but I've been conned into linking websites to my blog before (that was the main request of the person who emailed me), and next time, I'll know better.
*As most who know me are well-aware of, my three-year relationship ended in April, and it was the kind of thing that I wasn't sure I'd ever be able to get over. In fact, as recently as August, I was still in a bit of a rut about it. But then, just like that, I was OK. I started dating again in the summer, and I haven't really stopped. I forgot how much fun dating can be. I believe I'm having more fun dating women now than I ever had before, and it's probably because I'm not putting as much pressure on myself and just having fun with it. Oh, I certainly want to have a relationship and settle down, but that's the kind of thing that happens when you least expect it. If you're always worried about the destination, you're never going to enjoy the journey. Too many people put too much pressure on themselves when they date. Dating is meant to be fun. Can it be nerve-wracking? You bet it can be, but that's all part of it. Dating is just a means to find out if you're compatible with someone else. You'll never know that unless you try. If you're afraid of rejection and failure, stay home. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
*Speaking of April, I weighed damn-near 200lbs back then. I'm happy to say I weigh under 190 as of my last weigh-in about a week and a half ago. It's not exactly a ton of weight to lose, but I'm not obese, either. I'm not going to pretend that it was my master plan to lose weight at a slower pace, but I believe it will be more beneficial in the end. It's actually quite easy to lose 15 or 20 pounds over the course of a half a year or so. There are 3500 calories in a pound, so if you eat like you normally eat, and just cut out a sandwich or so every day, you'd be amazed at your results over time.
That's all I have for now. I suppose I could write more, but I'm out. Later!
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
I've Seen a Lot of Things in My Life, but the Pirates in the World Series Isn't One of Them
I wanted to win that pennant worse than I wanted any goddamned thing in my life. You'd think I could just this once, wouldn't you? I didn't care nothing about the Series. Win or lose, I would have been satisfied.
That quote is from Wilford Brimley's character, New York Knights' manager Pop Fisher, in the 1984 baseball movie, the Natural. Robert Redford starred as extraordinarily gifted baseball player, Roy Hobbs, who came out of nowhere to set the baseball world on its ear years after his once-promising career was derailed by a tragedy in his youth.
Tonight the 110 World Series kicks off in San Francisco between the Giants and Detroit Tigers. Being a 40 year old man, I've witnessed my fair share of things in life, including dozens of "Fall Classics," but as a huge fan of the Pittsburgh Pirates, I'm sad to say I've never witnessed them play in the Series. Life is all about timing, and I began paying serious attention to the sports world mere months after the Buccos defeated the Baltimore Orioles in seven games to win the World Series in October of 1979.
--The first sports moment that I truly remember and treasure was witnessing my beloved Pittsburgh Steelers capture their fourth Super Bowl title in six years when they defeated the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl XIV in January of 1980. Since then, I've been lucky enough to witness Pittsburgh play in another four Super Bowls and capture two more Lombardi trophies.
--Thanks to Mario Lemieux's arrival in 1984, I've seen the Penguins go from one of the laughstocks of the NHL, to one of the flag-bearers of the league, complete with four Stanley Cup appearances and three titles. I've also been fortunate enough to watch the likes of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin turn the City of Pittsburgh into a bona fide hockey town after many years of it being just a niche sport with pockets of fans scattered about the city.
--I've seen 18 Olympic games--both winter and summer--and the end of the Cold War.
--Unfortunately, I've also seen our country declare war three different times, and I remember where I was when the 911 tragedy occurred.
--I've seen a black man get elected President of the United States just months after a female gave him the fight of his life in the primaries.
Back to sports:
--I've witnessed the Pitt Panthers football program (yes the very same one that has gone through four coaches since December of 2010) get voted the preseason number 1 back in 1982. I've also seen Pitt play in two Fiesta Bowls, a Sugar Bowl, and even a Cotton Bowl.
--I've witnessed in action, all-time Pirates greats such as Willie Stargell, Dave Parker, Kent Tekulve and Barry Bonds.
--I was fortunate enough to see both Chuck Tanner and Jim Leyland manage the team.
--I've seen Doug Drabek win the Cy Young and Bonds win two MVPs. I've seen Freddy Sanchez win the NL batting title.
--I've witnessed the Pirates throw a 10-inning combined no-hitter.
--I've seen the Pirates capture three-straight NL East titles and play in two straight Game 7's in the NLCS.
--I remember where I was when Three Rivers Stadium was razed in February of 2001, and I was in attendance a few months later when PNC Park opened for the first time.
--I've seen the entire run of awesome shows such as Newhart, Seinfeld and Friends, and I remember where I was in 1983 for MASH's final episode.
I've seen a lot in my 40 years and during my 30plus years of REALLY paying attention to things. But to echo Pop Fisher's sentiments from that famous movie, I really want to witness the Pirates play in the World Series in my lifetime. Thanks to Hobbs, Fisher got to ride off into the sunset after finally capturing the pennant.
Maybe one of these days, a real life Roy Hobbs will make my dreams come true.
That quote is from Wilford Brimley's character, New York Knights' manager Pop Fisher, in the 1984 baseball movie, the Natural. Robert Redford starred as extraordinarily gifted baseball player, Roy Hobbs, who came out of nowhere to set the baseball world on its ear years after his once-promising career was derailed by a tragedy in his youth.
Tonight the 110 World Series kicks off in San Francisco between the Giants and Detroit Tigers. Being a 40 year old man, I've witnessed my fair share of things in life, including dozens of "Fall Classics," but as a huge fan of the Pittsburgh Pirates, I'm sad to say I've never witnessed them play in the Series. Life is all about timing, and I began paying serious attention to the sports world mere months after the Buccos defeated the Baltimore Orioles in seven games to win the World Series in October of 1979.
--The first sports moment that I truly remember and treasure was witnessing my beloved Pittsburgh Steelers capture their fourth Super Bowl title in six years when they defeated the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl XIV in January of 1980. Since then, I've been lucky enough to witness Pittsburgh play in another four Super Bowls and capture two more Lombardi trophies.
--Thanks to Mario Lemieux's arrival in 1984, I've seen the Penguins go from one of the laughstocks of the NHL, to one of the flag-bearers of the league, complete with four Stanley Cup appearances and three titles. I've also been fortunate enough to watch the likes of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin turn the City of Pittsburgh into a bona fide hockey town after many years of it being just a niche sport with pockets of fans scattered about the city.
--I've seen 18 Olympic games--both winter and summer--and the end of the Cold War.
--Unfortunately, I've also seen our country declare war three different times, and I remember where I was when the 911 tragedy occurred.
--I've seen a black man get elected President of the United States just months after a female gave him the fight of his life in the primaries.
Back to sports:
--I've witnessed the Pitt Panthers football program (yes the very same one that has gone through four coaches since December of 2010) get voted the preseason number 1 back in 1982. I've also seen Pitt play in two Fiesta Bowls, a Sugar Bowl, and even a Cotton Bowl.
--I've witnessed in action, all-time Pirates greats such as Willie Stargell, Dave Parker, Kent Tekulve and Barry Bonds.
--I was fortunate enough to see both Chuck Tanner and Jim Leyland manage the team.
--I've seen Doug Drabek win the Cy Young and Bonds win two MVPs. I've seen Freddy Sanchez win the NL batting title.
--I've witnessed the Pirates throw a 10-inning combined no-hitter.
--I've seen the Pirates capture three-straight NL East titles and play in two straight Game 7's in the NLCS.
--I remember where I was when Three Rivers Stadium was razed in February of 2001, and I was in attendance a few months later when PNC Park opened for the first time.
--I've seen the entire run of awesome shows such as Newhart, Seinfeld and Friends, and I remember where I was in 1983 for MASH's final episode.
I've seen a lot in my 40 years and during my 30plus years of REALLY paying attention to things. But to echo Pop Fisher's sentiments from that famous movie, I really want to witness the Pirates play in the World Series in my lifetime. Thanks to Hobbs, Fisher got to ride off into the sunset after finally capturing the pennant.
Maybe one of these days, a real life Roy Hobbs will make my dreams come true.
Steelers Take on Redskins at Heinz Field this Sunday Afternoon
Rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III, better known as RG3, brings his exciting show to Pittsburgh this week, as the Redskins take on the Steelers in a inter-conference clash at Heinz Field.
View odds here: sportsbetting.ag
Coming off a much-needed 24-17 victory at Paul Brown Stadium over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday night, the Steelers (3-3) look to build on their momentum and improve to one game over .500. The Redskins (3-4), still reeling from a tough, last-second loss to the defending champion New York Giants last Sunday, will look to rebound behind the electric Griffin, who is averaging 228 a game through the air and has thrown seven touchdown passes to only three interceptions so far in his debut season. RG3 has also contributed on the ground with six rushing touchdowns.
The Steelers are undefeated at home this season and haven't lost a game at Heinz Field to an NFC team since October 26th, 2008, when they fell to the Giants, 21-14.
Pittsburgh is currently 1 1/2 games behind the Baltimore Ravens (5-2) in the AFC North Division. The Redskins are 2-2 in road games this year and sit in last place in the NFC East Division, two games behind the Giants.
After struggling on the ground over the course of the first five weeks under new offensive coordinator Todd Haley, the Steelers rebounded in a big way on Sunday night in Cincinnati when they rushed for 167 yard on 29 attempts. Third year back Jonathan Dwyer, starting thanks to injuries to Rashard Mendenhall and Isaac Redman, led the attack with 112 yards on 17 carries.
Even if the ground game sputters again this Sunday, Pittsburgh also has one of the NFL's premier quarterbacks at its disposal. Ben Roethlisberger, in his ninth pro season, is perhaps having his best season at age 30.
Through six weeks, Roethlisberger has averaged 294 yards a game through the air and has thrown 11 touchdowns to only three interceptions.
With seven starters over the age of 30, the Steelers have the oldest defense in the NFL, and they will have a difficult task in keeping the young and elusive Griffin in-check. However, in the team's 16-14 victory over the Eagles in Week 5, Pittsburgh was able to shut-down Michael Vick, who is older but has a similar, elusive style to RG3.
It should be a fun and interesting match-up at Heinz Field this Sunday, one that could go a long way in shaping the reminder of the season for both teams.
View odds here: sportsbetting.ag
Coming off a much-needed 24-17 victory at Paul Brown Stadium over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday night, the Steelers (3-3) look to build on their momentum and improve to one game over .500. The Redskins (3-4), still reeling from a tough, last-second loss to the defending champion New York Giants last Sunday, will look to rebound behind the electric Griffin, who is averaging 228 a game through the air and has thrown seven touchdown passes to only three interceptions so far in his debut season. RG3 has also contributed on the ground with six rushing touchdowns.
The Steelers are undefeated at home this season and haven't lost a game at Heinz Field to an NFC team since October 26th, 2008, when they fell to the Giants, 21-14.
Pittsburgh is currently 1 1/2 games behind the Baltimore Ravens (5-2) in the AFC North Division. The Redskins are 2-2 in road games this year and sit in last place in the NFC East Division, two games behind the Giants.
After struggling on the ground over the course of the first five weeks under new offensive coordinator Todd Haley, the Steelers rebounded in a big way on Sunday night in Cincinnati when they rushed for 167 yard on 29 attempts. Third year back Jonathan Dwyer, starting thanks to injuries to Rashard Mendenhall and Isaac Redman, led the attack with 112 yards on 17 carries.
Even if the ground game sputters again this Sunday, Pittsburgh also has one of the NFL's premier quarterbacks at its disposal. Ben Roethlisberger, in his ninth pro season, is perhaps having his best season at age 30.
Through six weeks, Roethlisberger has averaged 294 yards a game through the air and has thrown 11 touchdowns to only three interceptions.
With seven starters over the age of 30, the Steelers have the oldest defense in the NFL, and they will have a difficult task in keeping the young and elusive Griffin in-check. However, in the team's 16-14 victory over the Eagles in Week 5, Pittsburgh was able to shut-down Michael Vick, who is older but has a similar, elusive style to RG3.
It should be a fun and interesting match-up at Heinz Field this Sunday, one that could go a long way in shaping the reminder of the season for both teams.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Watching the Steelers Game with My Brother
The Steelers have a pretty critical game this evening in prime-time against their division rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals, and even though I think it's going to be a pretty mediocre year for the Black and Gold (as of right now, anyway), things could change with a resounding (or dramatic) victory this evening at Paul Brown Stadium.
I will be going to pick up my brother and bring him back to my apartment so we can watch the game together. It will be the first time we've watched a Steelers game together since Super Bowl XLV, when he, my ex girlfriend and I witnessed Pittsburgh's loss to the Green Bay Packers.
I think it will be a fun night because one of the reasons I love watching sports so much is it brings back memories of times you spent watching a game with your friends and family. Solitude is nice every once in a while, but we weren't put on this planet to enjoy the finer things by ourselves, at least not all the time.
The Steelers played the Ravens in the AFC Championship game a few years ago, and even though I had many invites to watch the game with others (including from my then new girlfriend), I opted to watch it by myself. It was a memorable night as the Steelers conquered Baltimore and advanced to Super !Bowl XLIII, but compared to how much fun it was a couple of weeks later when I watched the Super Bowl with my girlfriend and family, and it wasn't even close.
Just like anything else, sporting events are better when they're supplemented with the company of others.
PS,
my brother better not annoy me or cause the Steelers to lose. If either happens, he's walking home!
I will be going to pick up my brother and bring him back to my apartment so we can watch the game together. It will be the first time we've watched a Steelers game together since Super Bowl XLV, when he, my ex girlfriend and I witnessed Pittsburgh's loss to the Green Bay Packers.
I think it will be a fun night because one of the reasons I love watching sports so much is it brings back memories of times you spent watching a game with your friends and family. Solitude is nice every once in a while, but we weren't put on this planet to enjoy the finer things by ourselves, at least not all the time.
The Steelers played the Ravens in the AFC Championship game a few years ago, and even though I had many invites to watch the game with others (including from my then new girlfriend), I opted to watch it by myself. It was a memorable night as the Steelers conquered Baltimore and advanced to Super !Bowl XLIII, but compared to how much fun it was a couple of weeks later when I watched the Super Bowl with my girlfriend and family, and it wasn't even close.
Just like anything else, sporting events are better when they're supplemented with the company of others.
PS,
my brother better not annoy me or cause the Steelers to lose. If either happens, he's walking home!
Friday, October 12, 2012
Recent Stuff I've Done for Behind the Steel Curtain
Ever have one of those weeks where you feel like you're really good at some of the things you're passionate about? As someone who bowls and plays volleyball quite regularly, I've had many moments over the years when I felt that I really "got it" when it came to those two hobbies of mine. However, much like life, I also have my low moments with those two sports, and I often wonder if I'll ever get any better at them.
I shared those thoughts with you as a way to introduce these thoughts: I think I kicked ass in blogging this week. The editor of Behind the Steel Curtain asked all the main writers to help him out a bit more because of the short week before the Steelers Thursday night game against the Titans. I hadn't planned on writing so much for the site this week, but I managed to publish a post three days in a row. Maybe it was just a sub-conscious thing derived from his asking for some help, maybe it was just because I was in a high-energy mode all week, or maybe it was just because I had a lot of ideas to share about the Steelers, and this was the perfect week to do it.
I can't answer that question.
But I can state that I feel like I'm in a writing groove this week, and it's just coming to me so easily. That's actually quite a welcome feeling because there are few things that bring me more joy than writing. It's also a welcome feeling because it's not always so easy to translate thoughts and ideas into words on a screen. There have been plenty of times where I've sat in front of my laptop and literally spent hours writing what I thought was crap. Was it crap? I don't know, but it sure felt like it because of how long and difficult it was for me. This feeling could return in an hour, or it could never return again. However, much like volleyball and bowling, I get the feeling I'll be experiencing my share of "writer's block" in the near-future, so I better enjoy this while I still can.
With that in mind, here are some of my recent postings on Behind the Steel Curtain.
This season, the New Orleans Saints are the host team for the Super Bowl, and they're currently 1-4. If you're surprised by that, don't be. It's actually quite freakishly common for the Super Bowl host teams to do poorly during the regular season and have absolutely no chance at earning the greatest homefield advantage in Super Bowl history. I wrote something about it on BTSC a few weeks ago, and it didn't get much of a response, but I think it's very fascinating. Check it out.
Steelers linebacker Lawrence Timmons wasn't stepping it up for a very long time, and many Steelers fans thought he needed to in order to keep the defense playing at the high level we're all accustomed to. Well, I wrote a little something about it. It got a nice reaction, including 75 "likes," and I was damn proud of myself. Oh yeah, and Timmons stepped it up like crazy in the Steelers victory over the Eagles.
Running back Rashard Mendenhall returned to action last week after recovering from an ACL tear in January, and he proved just how valuable he is to the team's ground attack.
Steelers kicker Shaun Suisham struggled a great deal in 2011, but this season, he picked up his game to the point where he was 8 for 8 through four games--including the game-winner against Philadelphia last Sunday.
The Steelers have been a sloppy football team on the road both this season and last. I wrote this with the anticipation that the Steelers would get their first "clean" road victory in quite sometime. As it turned out, they didn't get a clean or "dirty" victory and lost, 26-23, to the Titans. I guess it was the thought that counts.
Enjoy!
I shared those thoughts with you as a way to introduce these thoughts: I think I kicked ass in blogging this week. The editor of Behind the Steel Curtain asked all the main writers to help him out a bit more because of the short week before the Steelers Thursday night game against the Titans. I hadn't planned on writing so much for the site this week, but I managed to publish a post three days in a row. Maybe it was just a sub-conscious thing derived from his asking for some help, maybe it was just because I was in a high-energy mode all week, or maybe it was just because I had a lot of ideas to share about the Steelers, and this was the perfect week to do it.
I can't answer that question.
But I can state that I feel like I'm in a writing groove this week, and it's just coming to me so easily. That's actually quite a welcome feeling because there are few things that bring me more joy than writing. It's also a welcome feeling because it's not always so easy to translate thoughts and ideas into words on a screen. There have been plenty of times where I've sat in front of my laptop and literally spent hours writing what I thought was crap. Was it crap? I don't know, but it sure felt like it because of how long and difficult it was for me. This feeling could return in an hour, or it could never return again. However, much like volleyball and bowling, I get the feeling I'll be experiencing my share of "writer's block" in the near-future, so I better enjoy this while I still can.
With that in mind, here are some of my recent postings on Behind the Steel Curtain.
This season, the New Orleans Saints are the host team for the Super Bowl, and they're currently 1-4. If you're surprised by that, don't be. It's actually quite freakishly common for the Super Bowl host teams to do poorly during the regular season and have absolutely no chance at earning the greatest homefield advantage in Super Bowl history. I wrote something about it on BTSC a few weeks ago, and it didn't get much of a response, but I think it's very fascinating. Check it out.
Steelers linebacker Lawrence Timmons wasn't stepping it up for a very long time, and many Steelers fans thought he needed to in order to keep the defense playing at the high level we're all accustomed to. Well, I wrote a little something about it. It got a nice reaction, including 75 "likes," and I was damn proud of myself. Oh yeah, and Timmons stepped it up like crazy in the Steelers victory over the Eagles.
Running back Rashard Mendenhall returned to action last week after recovering from an ACL tear in January, and he proved just how valuable he is to the team's ground attack.
Steelers kicker Shaun Suisham struggled a great deal in 2011, but this season, he picked up his game to the point where he was 8 for 8 through four games--including the game-winner against Philadelphia last Sunday.
The Steelers have been a sloppy football team on the road both this season and last. I wrote this with the anticipation that the Steelers would get their first "clean" road victory in quite sometime. As it turned out, they didn't get a clean or "dirty" victory and lost, 26-23, to the Titans. I guess it was the thought that counts.
Enjoy!
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Timmons Dominates in Steelers 16-14 Victory over the Eagles
Apparently, Steelers inside linebacker Lawrence Timmons read my blog post on Behind the Steel Curtain last week. Well, probably not, just wishful thinking on my part. In any event, number 94 had a break-out game when the Steelers defense needed it the most. Both Lamarr Woodley and Troy Polamalu left today's game against Philadelphia with injuries, and when you add that to the just returning James Harrison, who missed all of training camp and the first three games due to a knee injury, it could have been a long day against Michael Vick and Co.
In this awesome post from BTSC's Neal Coolong, Neal sums up Timmons' dominant day pretty nicely: "Heading into week 5, Timmons had 12 total tackles. At the final buzzer, he had nine tackles - eight solo - in Week 5 alone. This doesn't speak of the slew of pressure he generated. There was a stretch in the first half where he had a forced fumble and recovery, a tackle for loss and a pressure. All of those plays came on second down, and of the two where the Eagles retained the ball, it set up 3rd-and-long situations."
Running back Rashard Mendenhall also returned to action today for the first time since tearing his ACL in week 17 of last season, and he revitalized the Steelers rushing attack with 81 yards on 14 carries, including the Steelers only touchdown of the day.
Pittsburgh was in serious danger of falling to 1-3 after the Eagles took a 14-13 lead with about six minutes remaining. But after failing to bring his team from behind in the fourth quarter twice this season, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger orchestrated the game winning drive that culminated in a Shaun Suisham 33 yard field goal as time expired.
The Steelers are now 2-2 and will travel to Tennessee to take on the Titans this Thursday night.
Running back Rashard Mendenhall also returned to action today for the first time since tearing his ACL in week 17 of last season, and he revitalized the Steelers rushing attack with 81 yards on 14 carries, including the Steelers only touchdown of the day.
Pittsburgh was in serious danger of falling to 1-3 after the Eagles took a 14-13 lead with about six minutes remaining. But after failing to bring his team from behind in the fourth quarter twice this season, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger orchestrated the game winning drive that culminated in a Shaun Suisham 33 yard field goal as time expired.
The Steelers are now 2-2 and will travel to Tennessee to take on the Titans this Thursday night.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Is It Really a Good Idea for Teams that Clinch a Wild Card Spot to "Celebrate Good Times, Come on!"?
When I first learned that MLB would be adding an extra wild card team to each league starting this season, at first, I couldn't get my head around how that would be done. After all, postseason baseball usually involves "best of" series. Would they be playing the World Series on Thanksgiving? However, once it looked like the Pirates would have an actual shot at one of these spots, I decided to really research it, and I was amazed to discover that the wild card teams would have a one game "playoff" a couple of days after the regular season, and the winner of that game would advance to the LDS. Essentially, it just added a little more incentive for a team to win its division and created a "bye" for the ones who do--unlike in previous years when the wild card winner would already be in the LDS, the new system would require wild card teams to work just a bit harder to get to where they ultimately wanted to be.
I then fell in love with the concept. I love the idea of more teams having a shot at the postseason. It adds excitement to the final weeks, as more teams and fans can dream of a shot at the World Series. Of course, if you're a Pirates fan, you know how agonizing the last couple of months were and how the new playoff format kept you tuning in even though the Pirates were on life support starting around the end of August. Teams like the Cardinals and Dodgers were practically begging the Pirates to jump up and grab the second NL wild card spot, but the Buccos were like, "no, you go ahead. You can have it."
Even though the Pirates were mercifully eliminated from this dance, I was still intrigued to see how a team would celebrate clinching a spot in the wild card playoff game. I actually envisioned a mild celebration, as players and fans knew they still had extra work to do in order to advance to the LDS, but I never in my wildest dreams thought that teams would break out the champagne and have wild clubhouse celebrations. If you click on that link, you'll see in the picture that MLB even handed out "Playoffs!" hats and shirts for the special occasion--talk about your shameless marketing.
The Texas Rangers and Oakland A's are in a heated race for the AL West division and are currently in the throes of a very dramatic end of season series. Monday night, the then second place A's officially clinched at least a wild card spot with a 4-3 victory over Texas, and they celebrated like they had just won the World Series. It might have been the first time in the history of baseball that the second place team got to have a raucous celebration before the first place team. As of this writing, the A's and Rangers are in a tie for first place on the last day of the season. If the A's win today, are they going to have another wild celebration? And since the Rangers are obviously already guaranteed at least a wild card spot, are they going to celebrate even if they lose today's game?
Don't these wild card teams realize that they're only a couple of days and about 9 innings away from possibly being in the same boat as all the other teams who didn't clinch a wild card spot? The wild card playoff games in each league will be played this Friday, and they will have all the drama and tension of a 7th game. If it were up to me, I'd save my wild celebrations for after that game. If you win, you'll be in the LDS and guaranteed at least three more games. But what if you lose?................ Are teams going to wonder why they went through all that trouble of celebrating? Are they going to burn those "Playoffs!" t-shirts and drink sour milk? To me, clinching a berth in the wild card game is only half the battle. It's like a football team going nuts after a touchdown even though it was down by eight points before the score and still needs to go for a two-point conversion in-order to tie the game. If you fail to make the two-point conversion, well, you celebrated for nothing.
The winners of this Friday's wild card games are going to have another wild celebration, no doubt, but the division winners who they will be facing next will have long-ago folded up their "Division!" t-shirts and will be well-rested.
Last night, the St. Louis Cardinals lost to the Reds, but they still clinched the second NL wild card spot after the Dodgers lost to the Giants.
Now that's how you clinch a wild card spot.
I then fell in love with the concept. I love the idea of more teams having a shot at the postseason. It adds excitement to the final weeks, as more teams and fans can dream of a shot at the World Series. Of course, if you're a Pirates fan, you know how agonizing the last couple of months were and how the new playoff format kept you tuning in even though the Pirates were on life support starting around the end of August. Teams like the Cardinals and Dodgers were practically begging the Pirates to jump up and grab the second NL wild card spot, but the Buccos were like, "no, you go ahead. You can have it."
Even though the Pirates were mercifully eliminated from this dance, I was still intrigued to see how a team would celebrate clinching a spot in the wild card playoff game. I actually envisioned a mild celebration, as players and fans knew they still had extra work to do in order to advance to the LDS, but I never in my wildest dreams thought that teams would break out the champagne and have wild clubhouse celebrations. If you click on that link, you'll see in the picture that MLB even handed out "Playoffs!" hats and shirts for the special occasion--talk about your shameless marketing.
The Texas Rangers and Oakland A's are in a heated race for the AL West division and are currently in the throes of a very dramatic end of season series. Monday night, the then second place A's officially clinched at least a wild card spot with a 4-3 victory over Texas, and they celebrated like they had just won the World Series. It might have been the first time in the history of baseball that the second place team got to have a raucous celebration before the first place team. As of this writing, the A's and Rangers are in a tie for first place on the last day of the season. If the A's win today, are they going to have another wild celebration? And since the Rangers are obviously already guaranteed at least a wild card spot, are they going to celebrate even if they lose today's game?
Don't these wild card teams realize that they're only a couple of days and about 9 innings away from possibly being in the same boat as all the other teams who didn't clinch a wild card spot? The wild card playoff games in each league will be played this Friday, and they will have all the drama and tension of a 7th game. If it were up to me, I'd save my wild celebrations for after that game. If you win, you'll be in the LDS and guaranteed at least three more games. But what if you lose?................ Are teams going to wonder why they went through all that trouble of celebrating? Are they going to burn those "Playoffs!" t-shirts and drink sour milk? To me, clinching a berth in the wild card game is only half the battle. It's like a football team going nuts after a touchdown even though it was down by eight points before the score and still needs to go for a two-point conversion in-order to tie the game. If you fail to make the two-point conversion, well, you celebrated for nothing.
The winners of this Friday's wild card games are going to have another wild celebration, no doubt, but the division winners who they will be facing next will have long-ago folded up their "Division!" t-shirts and will be well-rested.
Last night, the St. Louis Cardinals lost to the Reds, but they still clinched the second NL wild card spot after the Dodgers lost to the Giants.
Now that's how you clinch a wild card spot.
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