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Friday, February 6, 2009
Thursday, February 5, 2009
WIWUT: Malkin Saves The Day
I am going to start this WIWUT off with a very cliche gimmick we bloggers use.. referencing Facebook. Bare with me..
Before the game started, I did the old Facebook move of updated my status with a sports reference, see the image above. I even mentioned my dog (Rooney).. but, as you can see, Sonny chimed in about 20 minutes later, mentioning that he felt like this game is the one that can kill the season.
Now, I didn't see his response until it was 3-0 in the 3rd period. As Christ as my witness, I was about to type out a response.. something like, "F this team.. how do we suck this bad with Sid and Geno?".. or something along those lines. Right before I click the "Comment" button.. Geno finally gets rewarded for playing like Superman.. so I do not respond to Sonny's comment. And well, the rest is history. Whew..
The Pens came back from 3-0 to win 4-3 in overtime. Malkin with 2 goals and an assist.
Some rando' thoughts on the game last night.. Watching Malkin play like he is a man possessed, while some of the Pens just lolly-gag is very frustrating. What's up with Sid? It appears that he is "on" every other shift.. was his pre-All Star game injury more serious than thought? I thought Satan was going to be a healthy scratch last night? I can care less he had his 1000th game.. that guy is just not working. Luca had another good game IMO.. I am hoping he is up here for the rest of the season.
That's all I got on hockey... onto a lean what I woke up to..
ESPN: Video highlights of the Pens game last night in case you couldn't see it..
The Trib: Details on Barry Bonds' steroid use.
Deadspin: Willie Parker did not know who Bruce Springsteen was prior to SB43.. How?
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
WIWUT: Enter the Luca Era
(Photo Credit: AP)
Good morning everybody. First the insanely horrific bad news.. the Penguins are alone in 10th place, with only 30 games remaining. After losing 4-2 in Montreal last night.. all I can say is yuck.
Now the better news.. their latest call up, Luca Caputi somewhat delivered on his hype. I have heard his name for the past 2 years and was very anxious he could fill the gap Ryan Malone left when he bolted for the money down in Tampa. Luca is a little skinny to be a top line winger at this point, he looks 190, with his gear on. But, he scored a goal on his first shift last night in his first game, ala Mario Lemieux.. but I believe Luca took 2 shots to get it in and Mario's was on his first shot (a sick break away).
Luca seemed to have jump in his step all night.. he was flying into the corners and battling all night long. Bob Errey did make a good point though, "is this just first night adrenaline?".
Besides that, 350,000 people crowded the streets of Pittsburgh to celebrate the 6 pack. I was able to catch a lot of it on the DVR yesterday afternoon.. and wish I was there live, just to see the Steelers trying to out-Styx the Styx and sing "Renegade". The players and fans all looked to be having a blast, so this continues to make beyond happy to be from Pittsburgh..
Onto what I woke up to.. the first one makes me so happy..
Philly: Big Ben > McNabb.. their words.
The PG: Shelley Anderson recaps the Pens' loss and Luca's goal.
The PG: 350,000
ESPN: Remember those fires in Oakland Sunday night? Someone is about to get expelled from Pitt.
NHL: The .com reviews Pens/Lightning...
ESPN: Super Bowl 43 WAS the most watched Super Bowl in history..
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Monday Morning Back-Up Defensive Lineman - Six Time World Champions Edition
Was it just me, or was there some juice missing in the run-up to Super Bowl Polamalu over the last couple of weeks? Maybe it was the deteriorating condition of the world’s economy. Maybe it was the fact that most western Pennsylvanians and native western Pennsylvanians were still hungover from Obama-mania. Maybe it was the fact that the Steelers had hoisted the Lombardi Trophy only three years ago, marking the first time in a generation (defined in this circumstance as 26 years) that they had accomplished the feat. Maybe we liked Ken Whisenhunt (not anymore), Russ Grimm, Special Teams Ace Sean Morey, Pitt’s Gerald Hayes, Pitt’s Larry Fitzgerald and Clarion’s Reggie Wells and their heartwarming tale and don’t like being the bad guys. Whatever it was, there seemed a real pall cast upon this ballgame as it approached, as if it were something smaller than it actually was.
For Turrible, it wasn’t until game day, hours before kickoff, that it began to feel like a Super Sunday again. For our forefathers (defined in this circumstance as our fathers and mothers), return trips to the Promised Land became standard fare, with 4 wins in 6 years. There was something all-together-different about this experience for myself and the younger generation. I wonder if Sox fans felt this way after they won a second World Championship after breaking the Curse…or if fans of the great Jordan-led Bulls teams became complacent after winning repeatedly, so much so that it became a relief to win a championship…or if Bengals or Browns fans will ever have an opportunity to feel this way (editors note: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA).
And now, in honor of the Post-Gazette declaring the city “Six-Burgh,” the following prelude to Monday Morning Back-Up Defensive Lineman:
LUUUUUCY!!! YOU GOT LOT OF ‘SPLAININ TO DO!!!: Enough has been said and written about the outstanding efforts of James Harrison and SB43MVP (if ever indicted, have they already set aside this nomenclature for his prisoner number?) Lethal Weapon 10 that those plays will not be focused upon. Besides, Turrible’s single play analysis has traditionally taken a negative bent on the “did well/do better” scale. And while Ben Roethlisberger (he earned the capital letters last night) gave a shout-out to his beleaguered offensive line from the podium, it bears mentioning that they were below average again…as evidenced on virtually every running play and multiple pass attempts where Ben was literally running for his life. Nope, enough has been said about all of these components and players for us to focus on any of the traditional whipping boys in this segment. Besides, Turrible knows why the Steelers almost lost the game yesterday…and it was evidenced on one single play.
The play in question was directly after the best play of the entire evening, the one that should have brought the greatest joy to a Steelers fan’s heart midway through the fourth quarter. With about 7.5 minutes left, the Steelers lined up in the I-formation…THE I-FORMATION. This is the same I-FORMATION that features a lead-blocking fullback in front of a tailback…the one that blocks the first person that breaks through your porous offensive line and allows you to gain positive yardage. It was the first I-FORMATION of the entire evening, and the result was a four yard gain on first down. That, friends, was the best play of the entire evening…as it demonstrated that the Steelers do in fact have what appears to be a fullback type of player on the roster, and when utilized, someone who can make positive yardage happen by throwing himself into oncoming rushers. Then, the play in question transpired on the very next snap…
The following is an actual transcript of what was on Turrible’s mind (that may have actually stumbled out of his pursed lips): “WHY THE F--- ARE WE IN FIVE WIDE ON SECOND AND F---ING SIX?! WHAT THE F--- ARE YOU DOING ARIANS?! YOU ONLY INSTALLED ONE PLAY WITH THE F---ING I-FORMATION?! WHAT THE…a f---ing sack. A F---ING SACK. YOU GODDAMNED PIECE OF DOG S---. WHAT THE F--- IS WRONG WITH YOU, YOU GODDAMNED A--HOLE?!”
Eloquent? Probably not. Accurate? Oh absolutely. It was reminiscent of the AFC Playoff game that the Steelers pissed away against Jacksonville last year, except that it was the exact opposite of that with almost the same result. The premise is very simple, readers. If you do not have confidence that your offensive lineman can seal gaps sufficiently enough to get into the four-minute drill and run the clock out by running out of a single-back formation, try utilizing a two-back formation where one is lined up directly in front of the other one. Run the first guy into or near the hole through which you would like the second back to go, and then allow your shifty, smaller back with the ball to make a cut off of that initial block.
It is the simplest concept in tackle football, man on man at the point of attack, may the best athlete win. Apparently, Bruce Arians skipped that day of gym class when they were teaching basic American football concepts in preschool. Even Matt Cavanaugh wouldn’t have done that…and that’s saying something. Ben Roethlisberger, as he has all season, saved Bruce Arians’ ass last night. Odds are that this trend cannot continue for the Steelers to enjoy sustainable success. I hate Bruce Arians for making me miss Jerome Bettis, a preening narcissist in his own right.
Incidentally, as a prelude to “Future Insights from the Big Screen,” I offer you the following exchange between Ken Whisenhunt and Bruce Arians when it came down to final consideration for the Arizona Cardinals head coaching position…Red played by Whisenhunt, and Arians played by the Fonz:
FUTURE INSIGHTS FROM THE BIG SCREEN: The movie quotes that inspired a Super Bowl weekend.
“That’s kinda like my old man told me one time, Lynn. The only thing better than a crawfish dinner, is five crawfish dinners,” Coach Red Beaulieu (Waterboy) giving Art Rooney, Jr. analogical advice on both football and nutrition prior to yesterday’s contest.
“You're a goddamn quarterback! You know what that means? It's the top spot, kid. It's the guy who takes the fall. It's the guy everybody's looking at first - the leader of a team - who will support you when they understand you. Who will break their ribs and their noses and their necks for you, because they believe. 'Cause you make them believe. That's a quarterback,” Coach Tony D’Amato (Any Given Sunday) seen on the sidelines talking to Ben Roethlisberger as Larry Fitzgerald sprinted past defenders to give the Cardinals a 23-20 lead with less than three minutes to go in Super Bowl Polamalu.
“Get some sour cream and onion chips with some dip, man, some beef jerky, some peanut butter. Get some Häagen-Dazs ice cream bars, a whole lot, make sure chocolate, gotta have chocolate, man. Some popcorn, red popcorn, graham crackers, graham crackers with marshmallows, the little marshmallows and little chocolate bars and we can make s'mores, man. Also, celery, grape jelly, Cap'n Crunch with the little Crunch berries, pizzas. We need two big pizzas, man, everything on 'em, with water, whole lotta water, and Funyons. Yeah,” Brian (Half Baked) discussing post-game, um, consumption plans with SB43MVP Lethal Weapon 10.
LIES, DAMNED LIES AND STATISTICS: This isn’t a section for sore losers or bad winners, so let’s take a minute to talk about one of the greatest athletes in the sport today and former Pittsburgh Panther great Larry Fitzgerald, Jr. Inevitably (come fantasy football draft time next year), somebody is going to shoot a statistic out there that will carelessly extrapolate his performance over 4 playoff games into a 16 game NFL regular season. But is it really that careless? As an homage to the greatness of #1 (or #11 as he’s now known), Turrible wants to be the first one to do it and ruin that “in-depth analysis” for all of the stiffs out there who get paid to write fantasy football stuff for a living (I’m just jealous):
120 Catches (Record is 143 – Marvin Harrison, 2002)
2184 Yards (Record is 1,848 – Jerry Rice, 1995)
28 Touchdowns (Record is 23 – Randy Moss, 2007)
Does anybody else believe that this kind of season, with the caveat of Kurt Warner at the helm and Anquan Boldin on the other side, is entirely possible? Congratulations on a terrific run, Fitz. And if somebody had to almost break the hearts of Steelers Nation, Turrible is glad it was almost you. Almost.
FINALLY, THE HAPPY THOUGHT OF THE WEEK: The 2009 NFL Draft is in 81 days, the Steelers will be playing in prime time and early in Week 1 (giving us a three day jump on the rest of the league), and we’ll get to do this all over again very soon. Stay tuned to theterribleblog.com during the offseason, as we will get into the draft, offseason acquisitions and other Pittsburgh sports related stuff. And enjoy number 6, Pittsburgh.
For Turrible, it wasn’t until game day, hours before kickoff, that it began to feel like a Super Sunday again. For our forefathers (defined in this circumstance as our fathers and mothers), return trips to the Promised Land became standard fare, with 4 wins in 6 years. There was something all-together-different about this experience for myself and the younger generation. I wonder if Sox fans felt this way after they won a second World Championship after breaking the Curse…or if fans of the great Jordan-led Bulls teams became complacent after winning repeatedly, so much so that it became a relief to win a championship…or if Bengals or Browns fans will ever have an opportunity to feel this way (editors note: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA).
And now, in honor of the Post-Gazette declaring the city “Six-Burgh,” the following prelude to Monday Morning Back-Up Defensive Lineman:
LUUUUUCY!!! YOU GOT LOT OF ‘SPLAININ TO DO!!!: Enough has been said and written about the outstanding efforts of James Harrison and SB43MVP (if ever indicted, have they already set aside this nomenclature for his prisoner number?) Lethal Weapon 10 that those plays will not be focused upon. Besides, Turrible’s single play analysis has traditionally taken a negative bent on the “did well/do better” scale. And while Ben Roethlisberger (he earned the capital letters last night) gave a shout-out to his beleaguered offensive line from the podium, it bears mentioning that they were below average again…as evidenced on virtually every running play and multiple pass attempts where Ben was literally running for his life. Nope, enough has been said about all of these components and players for us to focus on any of the traditional whipping boys in this segment. Besides, Turrible knows why the Steelers almost lost the game yesterday…and it was evidenced on one single play.
The play in question was directly after the best play of the entire evening, the one that should have brought the greatest joy to a Steelers fan’s heart midway through the fourth quarter. With about 7.5 minutes left, the Steelers lined up in the I-formation…THE I-FORMATION. This is the same I-FORMATION that features a lead-blocking fullback in front of a tailback…the one that blocks the first person that breaks through your porous offensive line and allows you to gain positive yardage. It was the first I-FORMATION of the entire evening, and the result was a four yard gain on first down. That, friends, was the best play of the entire evening…as it demonstrated that the Steelers do in fact have what appears to be a fullback type of player on the roster, and when utilized, someone who can make positive yardage happen by throwing himself into oncoming rushers. Then, the play in question transpired on the very next snap…
The following is an actual transcript of what was on Turrible’s mind (that may have actually stumbled out of his pursed lips): “WHY THE F--- ARE WE IN FIVE WIDE ON SECOND AND F---ING SIX?! WHAT THE F--- ARE YOU DOING ARIANS?! YOU ONLY INSTALLED ONE PLAY WITH THE F---ING I-FORMATION?! WHAT THE…a f---ing sack. A F---ING SACK. YOU GODDAMNED PIECE OF DOG S---. WHAT THE F--- IS WRONG WITH YOU, YOU GODDAMNED A--HOLE?!”
Eloquent? Probably not. Accurate? Oh absolutely. It was reminiscent of the AFC Playoff game that the Steelers pissed away against Jacksonville last year, except that it was the exact opposite of that with almost the same result. The premise is very simple, readers. If you do not have confidence that your offensive lineman can seal gaps sufficiently enough to get into the four-minute drill and run the clock out by running out of a single-back formation, try utilizing a two-back formation where one is lined up directly in front of the other one. Run the first guy into or near the hole through which you would like the second back to go, and then allow your shifty, smaller back with the ball to make a cut off of that initial block.
It is the simplest concept in tackle football, man on man at the point of attack, may the best athlete win. Apparently, Bruce Arians skipped that day of gym class when they were teaching basic American football concepts in preschool. Even Matt Cavanaugh wouldn’t have done that…and that’s saying something. Ben Roethlisberger, as he has all season, saved Bruce Arians’ ass last night. Odds are that this trend cannot continue for the Steelers to enjoy sustainable success. I hate Bruce Arians for making me miss Jerome Bettis, a preening narcissist in his own right.
Incidentally, as a prelude to “Future Insights from the Big Screen,” I offer you the following exchange between Ken Whisenhunt and Bruce Arians when it came down to final consideration for the Arizona Cardinals head coaching position…Red played by Whisenhunt, and Arians played by the Fonz:
FUTURE INSIGHTS FROM THE BIG SCREEN: The movie quotes that inspired a Super Bowl weekend.
“That’s kinda like my old man told me one time, Lynn. The only thing better than a crawfish dinner, is five crawfish dinners,” Coach Red Beaulieu (Waterboy) giving Art Rooney, Jr. analogical advice on both football and nutrition prior to yesterday’s contest.
“You're a goddamn quarterback! You know what that means? It's the top spot, kid. It's the guy who takes the fall. It's the guy everybody's looking at first - the leader of a team - who will support you when they understand you. Who will break their ribs and their noses and their necks for you, because they believe. 'Cause you make them believe. That's a quarterback,” Coach Tony D’Amato (Any Given Sunday) seen on the sidelines talking to Ben Roethlisberger as Larry Fitzgerald sprinted past defenders to give the Cardinals a 23-20 lead with less than three minutes to go in Super Bowl Polamalu.
“Get some sour cream and onion chips with some dip, man, some beef jerky, some peanut butter. Get some Häagen-Dazs ice cream bars, a whole lot, make sure chocolate, gotta have chocolate, man. Some popcorn, red popcorn, graham crackers, graham crackers with marshmallows, the little marshmallows and little chocolate bars and we can make s'mores, man. Also, celery, grape jelly, Cap'n Crunch with the little Crunch berries, pizzas. We need two big pizzas, man, everything on 'em, with water, whole lotta water, and Funyons. Yeah,” Brian (Half Baked) discussing post-game, um, consumption plans with SB43MVP Lethal Weapon 10.
LIES, DAMNED LIES AND STATISTICS: This isn’t a section for sore losers or bad winners, so let’s take a minute to talk about one of the greatest athletes in the sport today and former Pittsburgh Panther great Larry Fitzgerald, Jr. Inevitably (come fantasy football draft time next year), somebody is going to shoot a statistic out there that will carelessly extrapolate his performance over 4 playoff games into a 16 game NFL regular season. But is it really that careless? As an homage to the greatness of #1 (or #11 as he’s now known), Turrible wants to be the first one to do it and ruin that “in-depth analysis” for all of the stiffs out there who get paid to write fantasy football stuff for a living (I’m just jealous):
120 Catches (Record is 143 – Marvin Harrison, 2002)
2184 Yards (Record is 1,848 – Jerry Rice, 1995)
28 Touchdowns (Record is 23 – Randy Moss, 2007)
Does anybody else believe that this kind of season, with the caveat of Kurt Warner at the helm and Anquan Boldin on the other side, is entirely possible? Congratulations on a terrific run, Fitz. And if somebody had to almost break the hearts of Steelers Nation, Turrible is glad it was almost you. Almost.
FINALLY, THE HAPPY THOUGHT OF THE WEEK: The 2009 NFL Draft is in 81 days, the Steelers will be playing in prime time and early in Week 1 (giving us a three day jump on the rest of the league), and we’ll get to do this all over again very soon. Stay tuned to theterribleblog.com during the offseason, as we will get into the draft, offseason acquisitions and other Pittsburgh sports related stuff. And enjoy number 6, Pittsburgh.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Thoughts From The Couch/Thoughts From Tampa: Super Bowl Champions Edition.
Our Pittsburgh Steelers are Super Bowl Champions. They are just one away from tying The lousy, stinking, cheating Patriots for Team of the decade status. Think about that.
In this edition of thoughts from the couch, I'll have a couple brief thoughts and some thoughts and photos from TTB Correspondant The honorable Reverand Dr. Connie Francis Gibbons, Esquire. He was on the scene in Tampa, enjoying the festivities, drinking beer and being bald.
Now, strap yourselves in for an orgasmic, inspiring and funky-fresh...Thoughts From The Couch.
1. All the talk about The Christian Soldier cementing a spot in Canton with this run. Justified? Maybe. But guess who else probably has the inside track on the Hall? #7. That's who. Typically when a guy writes folklore right in front of your eyes (Montana, Elway, Favre, Brady) They are locks. 7 has another 10 years or so to add to this story.
2. Please, do yourselves a favor. Ignore the bullshit about the referees that fat moustache bastards like Mike Holmgren and pencil necked ESPN columnists who root for the Patriots *cough,Simmons,cough* keep perpetuating. Don't read the comments under youtube videos, don't go on message boards. Enjoy it. Forget these haters. I mean, Simmons described James Harrisons TAINT as being down at the 1 yd line (fuck you, his knee was on Fitz) and that Lamarr Woodley clipped someone (I've seen the return 20 times, I still don't see it) I mean, at least use fact. Let them Bellyache. We are doubling up the Patriots in rings. I'd be jealous too.
3. I hated rooting against Larry Fitzgerald. That was brutal. I don't know that I have ever loved an athlete more.
4. Deion Sanders made a point for the ages last evening. It was so poignant and pride enducing, I had to rewind to make sure it was actually coming from Prime Times mouth. He mentioned how in the world today, with the president who he is and the state of our country that there wasn't a single mention of Mike Tomlin being an "African American" Head Coach. He was just a Head Coach. We've come a long way baby. Single Tear.
5. How pumped up were you when Coach was getting amped on the podium? I fucking love that man.
6. The Cardinals are a lot better than I thought they were. Jesus.
7. Yinzers. Put the phone down, go have a mayonaise sandwich and stop ruining the mood. I heard 6 callers to different shows today tearing Ike Taylor apart. It was LARRY FITZGERALD. No one has been able to cover him since the Bush administration. Ike closed the door on TO, Cheddar Bob, Randy Moss and Chad Johnson in the regular season and Fitz for 2 quarters in the Super Bowl. He was also in perfect position on the jump ball. Fitz is just a freak. How empty and sad are these guys lives that they need a scapegoat even after a Championship?
8. Here are my top 4 QB's in the leauge:
1. Brady
2. Manning
3. #7
4. The Christian Soldier...seriously. The man is good. Very good.
9. Best Super Bowl Ever? Not ready to make that call. Best Pittsburgh Super Bowl ever. Pretty safe to say.
----------------------------------
Here are some assorted Texts from the good doctor along with his photos from XLIII.
Text #1
sent Friday, January 30th 2009 1:35pm
9 people on flight from Altoona. 5 going to the Super Bowl. Jane, you ignorant slut.
Text #2
sent Friday, January 30th 2009 1:37pm
Hopefully we don't go down in the snow. If we do take my ticket and my wife.
Text #3
sent Friday, January 30th 2009 1:40pm
She likes it rough and nasty, even if she says she doesn't. Chili Dogs all around.
Text #4
sent Friday, January 30th 2009 1:46pm
plane just pulled up. looks like the one from LaBamba.
Text #5
sent Friday, January, 30th 2009 1:52pm
pilot just stepped off the plane. using his credit card to scrape ice off the propeller. Make sure there is cold beer at my wake.
Text #6
sent Saturday, January 31st 2009 8:31am
I am at the Bart Starr Award ceremony at the USF Sun Dome. Warrick Dunn is the winner. He's your cousin, right?
Text #7
sent Sunday, February 1st 2009 2:05pm
Tailgating at Raymond James and Billy Mayes just walked by. My life is complete.
Text #8
sent Sunday, February 1st 2009 7:12pm
I don't want them to win so much for me as the fat Steeler fan from Shaler in front of me who keeps blowing ass.
Text #9
sent Sunday, February 1st 2009 7:37pm
just played "love is like a rock" Donnie Iris in Tampa.
Text #10
sent Monday, February 2nd 2009 2:12pm
when is the parade?
My favorite part is how there is a 19 hour gap between texts and he seems like he wakes up in a daze asking about the parade at 2pm. Anyone who knows the good doctor is not unaccustomed to this.
the Reverand, Dr. CFG, Esquire Photo Essay:
Pittsburgh South:
Concession Stand:
The Good Doctor loves high school girls. He keeps getting older, they stay the same age...
The Boss
I mean, just look at the score and the time left. Did this really happen?
The celebration begins.
Wow.
Stabler. The Doctor was hitting on Benson somewhere in the distance.
---------------------------------
Good Times. Just a little congrats to TTB as well. This is only the second year we saw our blog through to the end. Both years resulted in a Super Bowl Championship. We aren't letting it die, so prepare for a dynasty!!
This is why we write, this is why you read. This team, this city, this is it. Cherish it. I love writing and working with this staff...Sonny, Turrible, Offord, Dame, Money, Signor, all the readers, The posters, Thank you and congratulations. Fuck Yes!!!
WIWUT: Superbowl Hangover, Literally.
I don't even know where to begin, so I guess I will start at the beginning of my day. I have been battling a cold ever since last Thursday. A week of travel sometimes does this to me.. with all of my might I did my test to stave it off, so as I type this I am pretty ill.. but I couldn't be happier.
So I wake up at 7 AM, on a Sunday no less. It honestly felt like I was 7 and it was Christmas morning. My plan was to meet my friends at our favorite bar at 2.. well, 2 became noon. And as I walked it, there were already 10 or so people there. I needed to get there early, as I had a good luck charm I needed to bring and set up before it got crazy busy.. THE Superbowl TV.
Real quick, when the Steelers won Superbowl 40, my friends and I gathered at a house in Squirrel Hill. This wasn't just a house.. this was our homebase. Granted, it was nothing special.. but when my three friends Jon, Arden and Steve rented it they were blessed with a ready made, ultra cool, built in bar. This was like a bar you'd see at a.. well, at a bar. It had sinks, a restroom off to the side, a back bar.. and a kegerator that Jon purchased instantly. The only problem was, no tv. One of the roommates, Arden bought a gigantic HD tv for the living room.. but there was nothing for the bar.
That's where I came in. When my girlfriend and I moved in together we had 5 tvs combined. I know, strange.. so I took one of the shitty 19 inch tvs and brought it on down to Squirrel Hill. So during the 2006 playoffs, I'd say 10-15 of us would huddle around this tiny tv, while a scant few would watch the games in HD glory upstairs.. which to me and the rest, was insane.. as the bar was downstairs.
Once the guys all moved out, I grabbed my little tv and threw it in my basement. I'd turn it on once in a while.. or I'd throw a DVD player on it and watch the Steelers' 2006 season DVD, just to relive it. Well, once the Steelers finished off the Ravens.. I knew that TV had to be there with us for the Superbowl..
So, there I was.. at noon.. at a bar.. on a Sunday.. with a cold. First things first? A very brutal whiskey and soda to help the cold. And things started. By 3 PM the bar was packed.. but 6:30, it was standing room only. We did our traditional block poll, that I won the halftime pot, my girlfriend won the final pot.. strange, right? Not important though.. the game was the main event.
And boy did it deliver. That was quite the roller coaster ride.. and thankfully Sonny provided a hell of a recap. I laughed, I cried.. I drank, I ate.. that was one of the best days of my life, no boubt.. So.. without further ado.. what I woke up, the waking up on a couch edition.
The PG: Big Ben on Letterman tonight..
The PG: 100 people got arrested last night in post-Bowl wackiness..
The PG: Eddie B breaks down the game like no one else can..
ESPN: America's team?
Youtube: Whaaaaaaaa...
Madden: Mark critiques Troy's performance on and off the field last night..
Deadspin: Get your Arizona Cardinals Superbowl Champs gear!
Steelers 27, Cardinals 24: Welcome to Sixburgh, Baby!
Photo Credit: Getty ImagesWow! I can't be an analyst tonight. I have to be a fan. And, wow, that was something!
It's 2:04 a.m. and work calls in the morning, so this won't be as extensive as we get into for the rest of the week. But I'm going to try to hit some key points before I hit the pillow. Okay, I might analyze a bit.
Six Quick Points: One For Each Ring
1. For what seemed like the first 18 games this season, the Steelers defense bailed out an offense that was nowhere near Super Bowl caliber. And while the defense did plenty to win this game, they were mediocre or worse in the fourth quarter tonight and were bailed out by the offense on that final drive. They deserved it.
2. Harrison's 100-yd. interception return was incredible on a number of fronts. First, he sprinted that distance after playing defense during a two minute drill and was exhausted. He earned that sideline oxygen.
Secondly, if you watch the replay, notice how many Cardinals were in pursuit. The defense did an amazingly efficient job of blocking on the return and Warner made a lame attempt at the tackle (should have went low and tried to push him out).
3. This was supposed to be Santonio Holmes break-out year, but he took his sweet-ass time doing it. You think Seven knew who his guy was on that last drive, though? By my count -- and I need to review the DVR -- he threw 7 passes on that final drive and six of them were in Holmes' direction.
4. I don't exactly want to get into the whole officiating thing, but even with some bad initial calls, I think the only ones they got wrong were the Roughing the Passer personal foul against the Cardinals (that was just a push-- and not that late) and I don't think the holding in the endzone was a hold (he got bowled over, he didn't drag him down).
Part of me wants to say that the overturn of the touchdown on the first drive was a bad call, but it was really close. Still...can you overturn that without slow motion and multiple angles?
5. If anyone gets the chance to watch the ESPN interview with Seven and the GameDay crew, it's cracking me up right now. Seven is giddy ... like he got more than his fair share of the locker room champagne. Was Broadway Joe giving him tips?
6. Random thoughts: Why so few overall crowd shots during the game? Would showing how strong the Pittsburgh contingent was highlight 'Zona's showing? ... Analysts are calling Harrison's pick-six a bad Warner throw, but watch it. My Dad pointed out what a great defensive call it was. Harrison shows blitz and slides back perfectly into that pick .... I know we just won the Super Bowl, but if we drafted eight offensive linemen and let them all fight it out Survivor style, I'd be okay with that ... As good a Holmes' last drive catches were, he is really good at running after that quick screen, too. He has slowly inherited much of Hines' duties throughout the game ... Mike Tomlin is now slightly cooler than The Fonz ... Sweet Dreams, Steelers Nation!
Sunday, February 1, 2009
The Super-Fantastic XLIII Fun Steelers-Cardinals Edition of The Tailgate
Photo: Post-Gazette
Merry Christmas boys and girls! Or, more accurately, welcome to Pittsburgh’s favorite holiday. It doesn’t come every year. But it does visit us a lot more than every other city.
A few morning notes – if the Steelers win, don’t plan on hurrying just about anywhere afterwards to party. Large parts of the South Side, Oakland and Downtown will all be closed to traffic.
I thought that I’d fill the blog with as many goodies as I could locate for this morning’s tailgate. Today, we have a little WIWUT, we Sleep With the Enemy, a playlist of some things to occupy your mind and nerves until kickoff and we start with my final pre-kickoff thoughts.
There will be comments and commentary later – win or otherwise. But I will definitely not be live blogging. When I did it for the Ravens game, it shot my nerves. Now I have a new rule that I need to be paid if I’m going to write during a game. Before the game, though, has a calming effect.
Enjoy…
Sonny’s Side: Quick Hits
- Even though the Steelers are still favored by a touchdown, there is an avalanche of people picking Arizona to win lately. I think part of that is the phenomenon that when you have two weeks to think about anything, you can talk yourself into it – and it’s a sexier pick for commentators to do so. I’m quite glad to see it, too.
- Mike Tomlin is the coolest coach on the planet, by far. Let me say that now, in case I hate him by the end of the day.
- Each week, I’ve chosen a PMNTBV (Player Most Needed To Be Valuable) and, as much as it is cliché, I’m going with Ben Roethlisberger. I believe the Steelers D will be able to slow the Cardinals. Over the past week, the media hype machine has built Arizona’s D up into some sort of opportunistic, monster defense. They’re not! During the regular season, it was in the bottom half of the league and gave the 28th most points in the NFL. The Steelers offense should move down the field like they’re playing the Bengals or Browns – three or four purely offensive touchdown drives and a lot of help changing the field position. Clearly the defense got them here – it’s time for the offense to go win one.
- I like the white uniforms a lot.
Super Bowl WIWUT
Paul Lukas’ Uni Watch – I’m a bit of a uniforms geek myself and glad to see the Steelers have a Uni Advantage.
Our friends at Mondesi’s House – Who would play all of the big parts in Super Bowl XLIII: The Movie?
Dave Dameshek – The best and worst Pittsburgh players uniforms to own.
PG— No. 7 has been a big game QB; but not a Biggest Game QB yet.
PG -- Celebs love the Super Bowl
Non-Steeler link: Walt Harris is up for the Seneca Valley coaching job. Um, wouldn’t he be a nice little upgrade as Pitt’s offensive coordinator if every put their egos aside?
Sleeping With the Enemy
Dan Bickley of The Arizona Republic talks about how neither safety Adrian Wilson or Troy Polamalu play it “safe”.
Woody High’s Steve Breaston always wanted to be a Super Bowl star – for the Steelers.
Cards have one thing the Steelers don’t – cheerleaders. Not that I critique cheerleaders or anything, but if I’m designing outfits, I go with the mini uniforms too.
Today in the Arizona Republic, they declare that the Cardinals aren’t the same-old-Cardinals anymore. We’ll see about that.
Raising ‘Zona is a very good fan blog for a team that hasn’t had much to write home about. There prediction a Cards win is a little predictable, though.
The Playlist
The best way to start this is a link to 47 Steelers Fight songs on the WDVE website. My faves? The updated Steelers Polka is the best and the new Puhlahmalu is nice to have.
President Obama on the Steelers.
Which predictions are the best? Why not listen to some puppets?
And, finally, my new favorite fan video. Here’s a look from the seats during Renegade at the Steelers-Cowboys regular season game. It was SO loud.
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