Friday, September 11, 2009

Thoughts From the Couch/ 2009 Season Kickoff Edition




Here we are! The first thoughts on the Steelers' first victory of 2009...It's good to be back bitches!








  • Here is a headline from the Post Gazette this morning..."Black Eyed Peas and Tim McGraw put Steeler fans in the mood" In the mood? For what? Suicide? That was one of the worst things I've ever seen. The NFL CLEARLY knows it audience. If there is anyone on earth who was lukewarm on the game, then saw Tim McGraw singing a song about Rosa Parks and Michael Jordan (no, that's not a joke) and decided, "fuck! there's Will.I.Am now I'm ready for some football" I will wear a Ravens jersey for the rest of the season.


  • Speaking of McGraw, Did anyone see the shot of him in the box wearing a Titans hat? Followed by the shot of Snoop and his entourage, decked out in Steeler gear in their box? If last nights game was decided by which team had cooler celebrity fans, it would of been a blowout.


  • Ok, this Polamalu injury is making the win feel like a loss...I hate to say this, but, with no 43, this is a slightly above average D. Teddy Bruschi said on ESPN that he came back from MCL sprains in his career twice within 2 weeks. I feel like they can get out of Chicago/Cincy without him at 3-0 but anytime Tyrone Carter is on the field, you have a chance to lose that game.


  • Text from Sonny last night - "Simultaneously the dumbest and smartest QB in the leauge" Hard to argue. Although I will disagree with Sonny on his earlier post, Ben is an all or nothing kind of player. I think if you ask him to start getting rid of the ball quicker, you take away what makes him special. I am in the camp that believes taking a sack and putting yourself out of FG range every now and again is ok, because the rewards are always far greater.


  • Ben started slow and I honestly started wondering if his legal battle was weighing on him mentally. I think he put those worries to rest. I really hope this thing comes to an end soon. It seems to me at least that Ben's lawyers have all the evidence they need aside from having the accusers facebook status from that night reading "is having consentual sex with Ben Roethlisberger" to make this go away. The longer it drags on, the longer it has to become a distraction.


  • I think it's too early to start making conclusions about where the running game is. It's 1 game against a very, very good unit. If they can't run against Cincy and Detroit, then let's start worrying.


  • Mark my words. Last years Steelers lose that game. you know why? Chris Gardocki punting and Carey Davis returning kicks. Steph Logan and Daniel Sepulveda kept the field position game in our favor all night. The Titans started 5 or 6 drives inside the 20 and 4 or 5 inside the 15. Logan took a kick out of the endzone and got over the 30 twice. Those 2 are going to make a big difference and make our Defense even more effective as the games wear on.


  • The Titans are a puzzling bunch. Jeff Fisher seems like a good guy, seems no nonsense, but I don't think I have ever seen a team do more chest thumping after routine plays than them. Lendale White is a punk, we all know that, but goodness, there was a dance or jig or chest pound after every play for them defensively last night. I noticed 2 different instances involving Heath Miller and Mike Wallace. Both plays were on 2nd down and both plays gained in the neighborhood of 7 to 8 yards, yet, these dudes are jumping around like they snuffed it out for no gain. I like some celebrating. I find Ochocinco for instance, very entertaining, TO doesn't even bother me, but dances after tackles? come on, act like you've done it before. I didn't think it was possible to make the Ravens look like a group of well mannered, stand up gentlemen, but at times last night, that's what it was like.

  • Chris Collinsworth is one of the best color men I've ever heard. Maybe smug, maybe a Bengal, but he is amazing. Sonny made the point last night that Collinsworth told him more abuot football in 1 quarter last night than John Madden and Edmund Nelson have combined, ever.


  • Whatever you think about President Obama, it's pretty cool that such a historical Presidency's first 2 sports visits were from Pittsburgh.

I slept for about 4 hours last night, so I am sure I'm missing something vital, but like Ben, I'm a slow starter, catch you fools in 10 days!!

WIWUT: Three to Six..

(Photo Credit: Post-gazette.com)

No, that title isn't in reference to my friend Tony's assessment of the Steelers new special teams, ("Wow, the Steelers' special teams just went from six to midnight")... yes, 2 Dave Offord WIWUTs and 2 references to Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Jackpot..

Sadly, three to six is in reference to how long Troy Polumalu is going to be out with a MCL sprain.

God damnit.

On the bright side of things, the good guys won last night.. and remember, wins matter. Especially in the wacked out AFC this season.

A few notes and observations before we hit what I woke up to..

The defense looked on point. Losing Troy is going to suck, but only 3 points were allowed after Troy went down. Offensively, sure Ben's stats were sick, but only 1 yard in the first quarter sucks no matter how you spin it. You know me though, I am Mr. Brightside.. and I will gladly take the W in the right column.

OK.. let's kick off the weekend right..

Post-Gazette: So.. a list of Ben's conquests is being requested.. over under on naive Pitt/Duquesne co-eds? I'll put it at 41.5.. and by no means am I hating.

NFL: More info on Troy's injury...

PFT: Pro Football Talk looks at something we all thought was weird last night.. Moore getting the carries with the top 2 backs on the bench..

ESPN: John Clayton makes too many good points to count..

NHL: Sid and the boys meet the President. Shout out to Jon Herrmann for this gem, "Hmm, wonder if Brooks Orpik is going to be pissed Obama got his number.."

Friday Morning QB (Random Thoughts)

Source: TribLive.com
As I begin my day's sleepwalk:

The Steelers beat last year's best team AFC, and probably the league, last night.

  • Don't play the "What If Game"... The Titans win in regulation if they can make two easy kicks, but the Steelers drive to win by a point if Ward wraps up that ball in the final seconds.

  • The offensive line is obviously not good and not improved, but when we play a good defense we'll always say that and when we play Cleveland, they'll look like a blocking machine.

  • I don't care what Bruce Arians says, Ben can stand to get rid of the ball. If you're at midfield, fine. But when the line of scrimmage is the opponents 30 and you hold the ball for a minute and take a sack, your giving away 3 points.

  • As usual, Troy played the 3 best and 2 worst defensive plays of the night. It usually comes out on the positive end.

  • Ben is clutch, but is it possible we have a clutch offensive line? I know the 2-minute drill lends itself to blocking tired defenders, but the protection was exceptional.

  • There is nothing better than watching NFL football on Sunday when your team has already won.

  • I love The Terrible Blog!

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Turrible Thoughts and Questionable Questions…Week 1

Good afternoon Terrible Blog readers…your old friend Turrible is back with a new weekly segment that will lend some pre-game thoughts from a deranged football fan before each matchup. The focus will not only be on the Steelers, but on the NFL in general. I may dip a toe into the world of fantasy football as well. Please Note: Turrible will not be offering any fantasy advice…but he’ll most certainly accept any that the loyal readership has to offer. Without further ado:

Some Turrible Thoughts and Questionable Questions that have been ruminating in the lead-up to Steelers v. Titans…

- Turrible likes the season opening on a Thursday night on the home field of the defending Super Bowl champions…but wonders how many iterations of the Super Bowl will need to take place for a First Thursday game to be hosted in Cleveland or Cincinnati?

- Starting a rookie quarterback, even one as talented as Matthew Stafford, is only good in the “WIN NOW NFL” when you have a defense and the supporting cast on offense that can win games while relying on very little from under center. The Lions can’t go 0-16 for a second consecutive year, can they?

- “Running Back by Committee” is certainly the rule of law in the NFL, but has completely wrecked all of the preconceived notions about the importance of the running back in fantasy football. If you play the game, and you went RB in round 1 and round 2 (and provided you don’t draft with a bunch of idiots), how good do you feel about your roster right now?

- On their morning show earlier this week, Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg were debating the top three quarterbacks in the NFL. After Brady and Manning, Greeny was tempted to put Roethlisberger in the discussion…Golic said absolutely not, placing Rivers, Brees and others ahead of Big Ben. This should not be a surprise, coming from someone who wears no jewelry from his days in the NFL.

- Normally, the whole Terrible Towel incident would play no meaningful role in tonight’s game. But something’s being missed here. My guess is that the Steelers players could give a sh!t less about what happens to the towel and how it’s used as a prop by other teams. No, the fallout from the incident will come from the stands tonight…where tens of thousands of people to whom that symbol means a lot more will have been drinking for 8 hours straight. They will torture Titans players with taunts, screaming and perhaps thrown beer.

- About that…


- If this game took place in Tennessee instead of Pittsburgh, who’s placing odds on NO Steve McNair tribute prior to the game on opening night of the NFL season…when all eyes descend upon the most image conscious league in sports?

Finally, the Turrible (pre-game) Thought of the Week: Turrible did a turrible thing during one of his fantasy drafts…he drafted for the best value pick at each position when his time came. Drafting 9th in a 12 team league, it netted him Tom Brady, Andre Johnson, Anquan Boldin and Jason Witten in his starting lineup. It also gave him a running back stable of: Felix Jones, Fred Jackson, Beanie Wells, Jamaal Charles, LenDale White, Leon Washington and Michael Bush.

Kids, this is why fantasy football is evil. Praying for an ACL/MCL sprain in week 1 of the NFL season can’t be good for anybody’s well-being. And yet…

City Of Champions Trailer..

Wow, these guys make awesome videos..


Dear Pittsburgh,

I love you.

XOXO,

Dave Offord

WIWUT - NFL Kickoff 2009



Face it, summer sucks. No matter how much vacation you took, how many beers you drank, and how tan you got…something was missing. Tonight at 8:30 that void will be filled. The 2009 NFL Season kicks off tonight in Pittsburgh – The City of Champions (and the Pirates)

ESPN Power Rankings: The Steelers are so great and so hard to overrate…

ESPN: The experts all like the Steelers this week…it’s tough to bet against them at Heinz field in prime time.

Post-Gazette: It’s never too early for a Steelers fan to start worrying.

SI: Peter King thinks the Steelers-Ravens is the best rivalry in Football…I concur!

Post-Gazette: The Post-Gazette does not publish the names of alleged victims of sexual assault…and they will mention it every time in case you forgot.

Post-Gazette: Stanley Cup Champion Penguins visit the White House today – topics of discussion may include…will Geno’s tax dollars be used to fund a set of gold grills for Ovie under the proposed healthcare reform, will Max Talbot be the unsung hero of the war in Afghanistan, and is Rob Scuderi really made of Lions?

Deadspin: The Pirates stink.

The Worst Team in the NFL?

My CBS Sportsline column -- the NFL Power (less) Rankings

So far, Oakland is barely edging Detroit in the polling.

http://www.cbssports.com/spin/story/12179911

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Gameday Quickie: STFU About the Towel Stomp


Here's what LenDale White needs to know about The Terrible Towel today:

There will be 70,000 of them twirling around you as one of the best defenses in history begins its title defense.

That's it. That's the objective of today's lesson....

"I do whatever I do at your house or my house," White said. "Because I can buy
the house I'm usually at."

Um...okay. They pay second-string running backs $285 million? That's what Heinz Field went for.

So, in conclusion, LenDale, we don't care if you stomp on it. We don't care if you wipe yourself with it. You can even go visit the six Lombardi's if you'd like to.

But, please, stand behind the velvet rope. Because none of them are yours.
Happy Opening Day, Terrible Readers!

WIWUT: Christmas Eve Comes Early...


Welcome back kids! Hope you all had a great off-season. Between a few major things happening in our fair hometown, (Pens Win!, Buccos Suck!) I know everyone who bleeds black and gold has been waiting for this coming Thursday with very bated breath.

Quick question I'd like to see feedback to.. do you guys all gather and/or go to the preseason games? I noticed this year my circle of friends all met up at our favorite bar in Squirrel Hill for maybe 2 of the 4 games... but it was almost like no one at all cared. Granted, we had some fun seeing Logan run back kicks like he's wearing number 82 and it's 2006 again.... but to quote my friend JP when talking about Forgetting Sarah Marshall ("Mila Kunis made super hot Kristin Bell look 'pedestrian'), I'd say that without any major changes to last year's Super Steelers.. the preseason was just that, "pedestrian".

I will leave the "State of the Terrible Blog Address" to our fearless leader, and CBSSports.com columnist Sonny.. but expect a more formal attack on Pittsburgh sports this year.

I can announce that I will have a completely more scheduled take. Expect my charming WIWUT's Monday/Wednesday/Friday... sprinkle them with whatever important quick posts I can make throughout the week that don't take longer than 5 minutes to do.. (ex: Power Rankings, Pen's news, Pirate's infielder suicides, Erin Andrews, etc).

One day I may bust out my Stanley Cup Game 7 Odyssey.. quick tease.. it took place in Vegas, and easily.. EASILY shaved a few years off of my life, but that's a new story/confession for a later date.

Teases aside.. ladies and gentlemen.. the first what I woke up to of the 2009 season. Enjoy.

ESPN: Pittsburgh's John Clayton and a bunch of the other WWL writes pick the Steelers to win it all.. yahoo!

ESPN: Sadly, Geno isn't pulling a James Harrison and telling the leader of the free world to F off.. Pens hit the White House tomorrow.

Deadspin: Now please read this with a grain of salt.. as Deadspin readers and columnists hate errrrrbody, but the title of this (they are doing each team) is, "Why Your Team Sucks: Pittsburgh Steelers"

ProFootballTalk: Apparently Ben can end this stupid cash grab attempt if he "admits guilt".

Post-Gazette: The worst team in North American sports history lose again.. Your Bucco's Ladies and Gentlemen!

CBSSportsLine: Skippy Reed says "Nope" to a new contract offer.. too many jokes here, too little time..

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

WIWUT: Tick Tock....


Word around the camp fire (Facebook's Private Messages) is that the band is getting back together....

Another season? Another blog? Apparently this is going to happen.

More to follow, but the obsessive multi-posts I was doing every week day will be scaled back a tad. Trust me, writing WIWUT (What I Woke Up To) is a blast.. just time consuming when you have a very full time job.

Sure, those who read us last year are probably thinking.. "Hey jerk, how hard is to find some links in the morning and write bad comedy talking about it?!" Well played assumed reader I am having a fake argument with..

With that said.. one thing I will not be able to pull off is a redesign. This took waaaaaay too much of my life last fall, and besides some maintenance, this is what we got.

Expect something formal soon, but wanted to get that ball a'rolling... and come on, you know I have to have a forum to talk about Erin Andrews somewhere..
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