Pittsburgh Steelers

Well, I have neglected this blog all year, but I had some free time today, so I figured I'd add a new post.  The first two weeks of the NFL season have been pretty good, with the stupid Hail Mary from the Broncos to win week 1 (gosh I hate watching the highlights of that play) to the great game between Dallas and the NYG last week in the Texas palace.  But the thing that has me the most excited is the Bengals' defense.  They played hard all preseason, did really well agaianst Denver, minus that stupid Hail Mary, and recorded 6 sacks on Aaron Rodgers last week.  This defense finished 15th last year and I feel they are well on their way to being a top 10 unit.  With Odom healthy, it's easy to see why Cincy shelled out so much money for him last offseason.  He has 7 sacks on the season (which leads the NFL) and works really well on third downs with Geathers on one end, Michael Johnson on the other, and Odom inside.  This combo causes a lot of problems for the offenses and I feel that it will again this week against Pittsburgh.

Continue reading "Steelers are going down this Sunday"

I understand that Shaquille O'neal is a man that transcends just the NBA, but watching him attempt to play against other athletes in their own sport is extremely difficult to swallow.  Watching Shaq attempt to swing a bat was like watching a baby giraffe trying to walk.  It was hard to watch yet I could not take my eyes off of it, like a car accident.  The 7'1" O'neill attempted to out-slug Albert Pujols, out-spike beach volleyball stars Misty May and Kerri Walsh, and out-throw Ben Roethlisberger, needless to say he could not out-do anybody at anything.  The show is a half hour too long and the hosts are extremely annoying.  The most important part of the show, the actual competition, takes place in the last fifteen minutles of the show making the first 45 minutes irrelevant.  Here are some short examples of the show from Youtube:

Continue reading "What is Shaq thinking doing this ..."

         Ah, summer's end. The kids are getting ready for school, the Pirates are firmly ensconced in last place, and hurricane season is in full effect. Time for some pre-season football!

Continue reading "Preseason: Vick, Stallworth, and ..."

As OTA's and minicamps progress while training camp begin to roll over the horizon, America's favorite sport nears its regular season.  While nobody knows how well teams will do in a season with the randomness of injuries and several other factors, it's always interesting to look ahead at the schedule and prognosticate.  Unlike most people, I'm not going to give just a win or loss for each game, rather I'm going to predict how many times the Steelers would win if they played a team 10 times.  For instance if the Steelers were playing a very crappy team, I would say 9/10 or 10/10.  At the end i will add up the wins and divide by 10, giving us how many wins they will have this season.

Continue reading "Steelers Game By Game Preview of ..."

During the 2008-2009 season, an encouraging pattern appeared.  The Steelers would start the game well, at some point fall behind, and in the 4th quarter, Big Ben would engineer a game winning drive.  This phenomena reared its head during the regular season, but in the biggest game of the year, Super Bowl XLIII.  Why is the leader of such a sub par offense (22nd in the league during the regular season) the engineer of so many come from behind wins? When examined, two major reasons can be found.

Continue reading "Why Ben Roethlisberger Will be the ..."

Coming off a super bowl victory last season, hopes couldn't be higher for the 2009 Pittsburgh Steelers, as they should be.  While the team is returning 20 out of 22 starters from that super bowl run (only losing Larry Foote and Bryant Mcfadden), things begin to look bleak as we look at the possible roster a year from now.  In 2010, the Steelers will have an alarming number of key players that will be free agents if these players do not re-sign.

Continue reading "Trouble Ahead for the Steelers"

As football fans across the globe cast their longing eyes in the direction of the April draft, I decided that now might be a good time to reflect on draft classes of the last 10 years. Too often in this business, we rush ahead to the next big event without taking pause to evaluate the past and learn from it. In a way, this study will still be a celebration of the coming 2009 draft as I believe it will shed some light on certain overlooked trends that no one ever stops to consider. I will begin with a class by class showdown of sorts at the quarterback position over the last 10 drafts.  This is part III in the series:

Continue reading "NFL Quarterback Draft Class Showdown: 2004 vs 2003"

Well, we got a coach--Todd Haley. Did you know that he is the son of Dick Haley, long-time Pittsburgh Steelers personnel director? Dick Haley was personnel director from 1975 to 1990, I think. Now, that is some impressive pedigree...Todd also worked as receivers coach and passing coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys when Bill Parcells was head coach. He was also receivers coach for the New York Jets in the late 90s when they went from 1-15 in 1996 to 12-4 two years later. In other words, this guy is a winner, and he has impressive credentials. He was not hired just because of his success the last 2 years with the Arizona Cardinals. I am encouraged by the hiring.

Continue reading "Excellent Choice - Todd Haley Named ..."

Superbowl XLIII is over and the Pittsburgh Steelers now have their 6th championship. They defeated the Arizona Cardinals by a score of 27-23. Both teams put up a solid effort but in the end the fans from Pittsburgh got to waive their Terrible Towels and watch their beloved team "win one for the other thumb."

Continue reading "Superbowl Aftermath"

Well, Pittsburgh won the Super Bowl again.  Santonio Holmes won the MVP, which makes me happy as we are fellow Buckeyes from the same years.  After the Super Bowl, I always get excited for the Draft (no, I don't care about the Pro Bowl).  This year, however, I started gearing up for the Draft in about the first week of January.  I don't know where the new focus came from, but I have been checking big boards/ espn.com/ watching a lot of College Football Live to get a glimpse about who will go where.  I of course am a Bengals fan, so I've been looking to see who they would draft.  I really think that OT is the best bet, despite what many people on bengals.com have been suggesting (RB, WR, DE).  I can understand taking a DE if some of the OTs are off the board, but it simply won't help, as the O-Line was putrid last year.  Stacy Andrews is worthless, overpaid, and very injured, thus I feel he won't be back.  Levi Jones is best suited as a backup, as his age is starting to show.  Anthony Collins and Nate Livings played well in fill-in spots, but they're untested. 

Continue reading "Super Bowl is over, time for the Draft"

 

           Each week, I will look into my (never wrong, just misinformed) crystal ball and give my predictions for that weekend’s games.  I will prognosticate on all the playoff games each week.  Keep in mind, that this is for entertainment purposes only, and that I do not endorse any sort of legal or illegal gambling.  That being said…let’s see what’s in my crystal ball!   

Continue reading "Predictions Super Bowl XLIII"

I’m Not Picking the Winner 

By now everyone in the country who is on TV, writes for a newspaper, blogs, or breathes has made their Super Bowl pick.  I’m not going to do that.  I will not succumb.   

Continue reading "I'm Not Picking the Winner"

stage is set: The flashy Arizona Cardinals (yes the Arizona Cardinals!) take on the tough and rigid Pittsburgh Steelers defense (ranked first in the National Football League). They say 'Defense Wins Championships' which has proven correct a lot in the past, but I have a little hunch. The best defense or the best team doesn't always win the big game. Just check last year's Super Bowl. The undefeated New England Patriots were upset by the New York Giants. How? By one VERY lucky catch by Giants' receiver David Tyree. The whole Patriots season without a single loss faded without any gold due to a single catch. You can't script that. You also can't script a 8-7 Arizona Cardinals team looking putrid losing 47-7 in the ice and snow in Foxboro and then winning every week after that (including the post season) to get to the grandest stage in the NFL (maybe in all of sports). I've said it before on this blog and I'll probably say it again next season, you just can't predict what will happen in the NFL nowadays from week to week.

Continue reading "Super Bowl XLIII Prediction"

 

Let it be said before I begin this blog:  I am from Dayton, Ohio, and I love the Cincinnati Bengals.  Wow, I feel so much better.  Now I’m ready to face the other 11 steps… 

Continue reading "Who Dey: The Musical!"

The Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers both jumped over their last hurdles to go to the big dance. But don't ask either coach if they'll be satisfied with just making it. They want to win it! I'll bring you a in-depth 7 part preview of the big game as I'll give my prediction on the game on the 7th and final post. So let's get to it! This is the 'intro' post to the 7 part series.

Continue reading "Setting the Stage: Arizona Cardinals"

cher, or Keith Rivers get his jaw broken?)  Bottom line, both of these hits referenced were by Pittsburgh Steelers players, and neither were fined or even called as penalties.  I feel like the NFL gives Pittsburgh a free pass because they have a reputation as a physical, hard-hitting football team.  The league needs to get their act together and fix this very baised system. 

Continue reading "Steelers' cheap shots"

 

           Each week, I will look into my (never wrong, just misinformed) crystal ball and give my predictions for that weekend’s games.  I will prognosticate on all the playoff games each week.  Keep in mind, that this is for entertainment purposes only, and that I do not endorse any sort of legal or illegal gambling.  That being said…let’s see what’s in my crystal ball!  

Continue reading "Predictions Conference Championships"

For personal reasons, I really want to pick the Cardinals and Ravens to win this weekend. 

I have many friends who are Ravens fans including my younger brother who was a member of the Baltimore Ravens’ marching band (and he may be a part of them again in the near future.)  He was, even if it was somewhat obliquely, a “Raven.”   He and I spend just about every Raven’s game texting back and forth.  He’s too young to really remember the Raven’s success of the early 2000’s.  He had just turned 9 when the Raven’s won the Super Bowl and all he really remembers about it is me (a lifelong Giants fan) fuming for most of the game and storming out when it was over.  So for his sake, I like to see the Ravens win. 

Continue reading "Heads or Hearts on Championship Weekend"

e Ravenstahl is reportedly in the process of legally changing his name to Luke Steelerstahl for the Pittsburgh Steelers AFC Championship game Sunday versus the Baltimore Ravens.

Talk about a bold move. Talk about team pride. It's one thing for some of us to devote our e-mail addresses, screennames, or even tattoos to our favorite sports teams/players, but this is taking a huge next step.

Continue reading "Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl ..."

 

The crystal ball had a dreadful performance this past week, posting a woeful 1-3 record.  This is playoff time, so that is totally unacceptable!  The crystal ball started off 1-0, but then dropped its last three for the weekend!  Anyway, that puts the crystal ball at 3-5 for the post-season, and 36-31-1 overall.  That’s five games over .500 (.537 to be exact).  Hopefully the crystal ball will perform better this coming week, as the pressure mounts in the Championship games!  Let’s take a look back, and review what happened last week.    

Continue reading "Divisional Round Review"

 

           Each week, I will look into my (never wrong, just misinformed) crystal ball and give my predictions for that weekend’s games.  I will prognosticate on all the playoff games each week.  Keep in mind, that this is for entertainment purposes only, and that I do not endorse any sort of legal or illegal gambling.  That being said…let’s see what’s in my crystal ball!  

Continue reading "Predictions Divisional Round"

  Drew Brees won the AP Offensive Player of the Year award.  I can’t argue with that pick.  Anytime you come within a deep out route of Dan Marino’s single season passing record, you can be the Offensive POY.Mike Smith was Coach of the Year.  I can’t argue there either.  Any of the successful rookie head coaches, Smith, Sparano, and Harbaugh, could have won this award.  Smith had the toughest situation before the season started and led the Falcons to the playoffs.  The Patriots franchised Matt Cassell.  That was a no-brainer.  Sure, on the surface, $29 million next year for two quarterbacks seems steep.  But the salary cap is going up about $28 million next year.  Take away the $14 million they are giving Cassell and this still have about $14 million more to spend next year than they did this year.  They sure up the most important position on the offense.  Plus, if they trade him they get a 1st and 3rd round pick.  Who knows, there may be a team out there that is only a good QB away from going to the next level.  Hello Buffalo? (And if you think the Pats won’t let Cassell go to Buffalo talk to Lawyer Milloy or Drew Bledsoe.)Did you see Lil’ Wayne on 1st and 10 on ESPN2?  When I heard he was going to be on I set-up the DVR because I had to watch.  Get this….he was really good.  He knows his sports.  His points were lucid and made lots of sense.  He made some statements that were bold and polarizing, which is what you want out of a talking-head.  I must say this though.  Skip Bayless said he loves Lil’ Wayne’s music and thinks Tha Carter III is Weezy’s Purple Rain.  Am I to believe Bayless really listens to hip-hop?  No offense Skip, but you are probably most buttoned up lily white person on ESPN’s roster.  If you’re not, you are in the team photo with Woody Paige and Marty Smith. 

Continue reading "Quick Hits and Playoff Week 2 Picks"

  

           Each week I will answer questions submitted by my loyal readers.  I personally read every single email I receive.  I will pick out the best five or so to use for the weekly post, as I won’t be able to answer all of them.  I will also answer one or two questions on my daily posts as well.  Now it’s time to open the mail!  

Continue reading "Reality Mail Bag - 01/08/09"

When I was a sophomore in high school playing on the JV basketball team, we went into our Christmas break undefeated and feeling pretty good about ourselves. Over the break we were scheduled to play one game against a team from the division below us. We practiced a few times, nothing too serious, and went into the game feeling good. But the week and a half layoff killed us and we lost by four, our only loss of the season.

Continue reading "Picks for the NFL weekend"

in the last game played at Texas Stadium.

Winners - Dallas Cowboys

3) Pittsburgh Steelers @ Tennessee Titans

With a win in this game, the Pittsburgh Steelers

Continue reading "NFL Week 16 Predictions"

 

The crystal ball was brought back down to Earth this past week by going 2-2.  That puts the crystal ball at 25-22-1 for the season.  That’s three games over .500 (.531 to be exact).  The Cowboys and the Jets let the crystal ball down this past week.  The crystal ball assures me it will rebound this coming weekend.  Let’s review and see what happened last week.    

Continue reading "Week 14 Review"

;       This past Sunday, the Cowboys had a 10-point lead against the Pittsburgh Steelers, late in the 4th quarter.  Then disaster struck, as the Cowboys were not able to finish off the Steelers.  All the Cowboys needed were a couple of first downs and the game would be over.  Nope…didn’t happen!  The Cowboys let the Steelers tie the game with about 2 minutes left in regulation.  Then, Romo gave the entire Steeler Nation an early Christmas present by throwing a pick-6…game over! 

Continue reading "Chokers"

Another week is in the books in the National Football League as we head to Week 15. But first let's take a look back at the week that was...Week 14! (my tongue is getting twisted) Several surprising outcomes this past Sunday including a few of the games I picked. I went a disappointing 1-3 in my picks. Very poor performance on my part. I'm finally realizing I'll never have a grip on the NFL. It's the most inconsistent professional sport out there. Any team can lose on any given week. But enough sulking, let's get on to this week's Fallout Report!

Continue reading "NFL Week 14 Fallout"

Ring it up.

Winners - New York Jets

3) Dallas Cowboys @ Pittsburgh Steelers

One of the marquee games on the slate this week. The Dallas Cowboys need to win this game to stay alive in the NFC Playoff picture. It won't be easy though as they'll play the Steelers in cold Pittsburgh without lead RB Marion Barber due to injury. On paper, the Steelers have the advantage in this game, but I'm going to go with the Cowboys in this one. This game is a must for Tony Romo and company. Every game is huge for the Cowboys from here on out and I think they'll have something to say when the season ends.

Continue reading "NFL Week 14 Predictions"

     What I am about to say here may sounds strange, or maybe not, but think about this solution to our BCS predicament.  This could clarify and validate the BCS selections, the National Title Game, provide some great excitement, set a precedent for that kind of excitement, and get the ball rolling toward a college football playoff.    

Continue reading "BCS- The Perfect Way To Fix it and ..."

 

           Each week I will answer questions submitted by my loyal readers.  I personally read every single email I receive.  I will pick out the best five or so to use for the weekly post, as I wont be able to answer all of them.  I will also answer one or two questions on my daily posts as well.  Now it’s time to open the mail!  

Continue reading "Reality Mail Bag - 12/04/08"

ny times.  Well, it’s a week past Turkey Day, and the ‘Boys will face a formidable Pittsburgh Steelers team on the road.  Come Sunday, we will all know…what they are!  

Continue reading "What They Are"

     So here we are. One week before the end of the NCAA Football regular season the BCS has already claimed a victim. As Oklahoma leapfrogged the University of Texas to claim the number 2 spot in the BCS, Longhorn fans have gone looking for a nice padded room.

Continue reading "I told you it was nonsense-the BCS"

Hey there and a Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours from me and mine. Just a little list I threw together to celebrate the holiday...I had more time on my hands today than Kerry Collins did against Detroit. And that's saying something. 

Continue reading "Top Ten Reasons Every Steeler Fan ..."

     As we do each week, we are providing fantasy football players with the best information in the most interesting format possible. So, enjoy your viewing of this video that is sure to bring you what you need and remind you of things that you want.

Continue reading "Videos of the Week-Fantasy Sportsgirl ..."

Week 11 was one of the more interesting weeks in the NFL this season. A game ended in a 11-10 score for the first time in NFL history, a game ended in a tie and we also saw 'America's Team' get back on track with their star quarterback at the helm. I'll get to that and more as this week's Fallout report kicks off.......riiiiight now!

Continue reading "NFL Week 11 Fallout"

         As the NFL reaches week 12, fantasy owners are positioning themselves for the playoffs. With only a few weeks before the fantasy playoffs begin, mid-season trades and quality free agent pick-ups could be the boost that your team needs to climb to the top of the mountain. So, as we do each week, we are providing fantasy football players with the best information in the most interesting format possible. So, enjoy your viewing of this video that is sure to bring you what you need and remind you of things that you want.

Continue reading "Watch Fantasy Sportsgirl Video for ..."

It’s been a weird year, especially for sports. The Boston Celtics finally picked themselves up from the bootstraps to win a championship. Neither the Red Sox nor the Yankees amounted to anything more than a bunch of overpaid whiners. They are even tearing down Yankee Stadium.  

Continue reading "All Good Soldiers"

nts Tennessee.

Winners - Jacksonville Jaguars

3) San Diego Chargers @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Did you know the San Diego Chargers are 0-12 all time in the regular season against the Steelers in Pittsburgh? They have defeated the Steel Crew in the post-season, but never the regular season. That was an interesting tidbit I heard on talk radio this past week. Regarding this game, I just don't have a good feeling for picking the Chargers. Their 25th in 2008 in rushing this year and their going against a good Steelers defense. West coast teams tend to have trouble when they travel across country. I know Big Ben is banged up, etc...but I'll go with my gut here and pick the

Continue reading "NFL Week 11 Predictions"

 

           Each week, on Friday, I will look into my (never wrong, just misinformed) crystal ball and give my predictions for that weekend games.  I will always prognosticate on the Eagles and Cowboys games and then pick two more games of interest (to me, that is, not necessarily to you).  Keep in mind, that this is for entertainment purposes only, and that I do not endorse any sort of legal or illegal gambling.  That being said…let’s see what’s in my crystal ball!  

Continue reading "Predictions Week 10"

All in all an ugly-dominating performance by the Pittsburgh Steelers. On a side note: Redskins QB Jason Campbell threw his first 2 interceptions of the season.


That will

Continue reading "NFL Week 9 Fallout"

 

Heading into Sunday’s game against the Giants the Cowboys find themselves in a must-win game that they have no chance of winning.  The Cowboys are struggling, no doubt because of their many injuries…but that’s too easy of a cop-out.  Let’s take a look at why the ‘Boys are struggling even before the injuries started piling up:  

Continue reading "Why The Cowboys Are Struggling"

We fly on our broomsticks to Week 9 in the NFL. Happy Halloween everyone as another week of predictions are here and I for one am feeling a little...confident this week. Why? Because the crystal ball is no longer with us and debuting this week is none other then the infamous Crypt Keeper. He'll pick one game each week as I take care of the rest. Last week I went 2-2, but rest assure my Crypt Keeper and I plan to do better than 2-2 this week. So get out your candy, put your costume on, howl in the wind and maestro hit ze music!

Continue reading "NFL Week 9 Predictions"

MID-SEASON NFL AWARDS & RECOGNITION

MOST OVER-PUBLICIZED
5. Jeremy Shockey (NO)—When he was acquired in the off-season from the Giants, many lauded the move. On paper, it truly seemed like a “win-win” scenario for both teams. One expert even went so far as to say that the outspoken tight end would have the same type of impact on the Saints as Randy Moss had on the Patriots in 2007 (sorry, Mr. Jaworski). Thus far, having played in 5 of 8 games, Shockey has 200 receiving yards, zero touchdowns, and two lost fumbles. Recently, he lashed out at his new organization for rushing him back on the playing field after he suffered a sports hernia earlier in the season. Even with crucial injuries at skill positions, the 4-4 Saints have had little trouble moving the ball on offense. If Shockey doesn’t score a touchdown shut up soon, he might find out the hard way just how expendable he actually is.

Continue reading "THE ULTIMATE MID-SEASON NFL BREAKDOWN ..."

MID-SEASON NFL ALL-PRO TEAMS

2nd TEAM

QB = Drew Brees (NO): 2563 YDS 15 TD 7 INT 69% CMP 101.6 RTG

RB = Michael Turner (ATL): 655 YDS 6 TD 4.5 YPC, 3 CTH 11 YDS
         Marion Barber (DAL): 611 YDS 5 TD 4.0 YPC, 32 CTH 276 YDS 2 TD

Continue reading "MID-SEASON NFL ALL-PRO TEAMS"

Well, in retrospect, maybe Rashard Mendenhall wasn't the best choice for the Steelers number one pick. After the horrible performance put on by the offensive line against the New York Giants, do you think that head coach Mike Tomlin is second guessing himself? Should they have spent a portion of their picks on shoring up the only glaring weakness on a Super Bowl caliber teeam?

Continue reading "Steelers troubles begin with offensive ..."

  

           The Cowboys are sitting at 4-3, having lost three out of their last four games after a 3-0 start.  This is not how Jerry Jones had envisioned this season unfolding.  The Cowboys had 13 Pro-Bowlers last year.  They had 22 of 24 starters returning (Marion Barber replaced Julius Jones and Zach Thomas replaced Akin Ayodele).  Jerry had good reason for optimism.  The Cowboys had a decent draft by selecting Felix Jones and bolstering their cornerback depth. They also acquired Adam Jones on a draft day trade.  The Cowboys were 13-3 last year; a Super Bowl would surely be in their grasp this year? 

Continue reading "Super Bowl Or Bust"

Sun, Oct 26StadiumTime (ET)TicketsNetworkDIRECTV (HD)SIRIUSWestwood OneOAK @ BAL M&T Bank Stadium1:00 PM TicketsCBS705 (705) 144 (OAK)   119 (BAL)  ARI @ CAR Bank of America Stadium1:00 PM TicketsFOX708 (708) 155 (ARI)   91 (CAR)  ATL @ PHI Lincoln Financial Field1:00 PM TicketsFOX712 (712) 154 (ATL)   127 (PHI)  KC @ NYJ Giants Stadium1:00 PM TicketsCBS707 (707) 107 (KC)   123 (NYJ)  SD @ NO Wembley Stadium1:00 PM TicketsCBS704 (704) 110 (SD)   126 (NO)  STL @ NE Gillette Stadium1:00 PM TicketsFOX711 (711) 90 (STL)   121 (NE)  TB @ DAL Texas Stadium1:00 PM TicketsFOX709 (709) 118 (TB)   122 (DAL)  WAS @ DET Ford Field1:00 PM TicketsFOX710 (710) 152 (WAS)   129 (DET)  BUF @ MIA Dolphin Stadium1:00 PM TicketsCBS706 (706) 130 (BUF)   125 (MIA)  CLE @ JAC Jacksonville Municipal Stadium4:05 PM TicketsCBS714 (714) 125 (CLE)   122 (JAC)  CIN @ HOU Reliant Stadium4:05 PM TicketsCBS713 (713) 119 (CIN)   126 (HOU)  NYG @ PIT Heinz Field4:15 PM TicketsFOX716 (716) 91 (NYG)   127 (PIT)  SEA @ SF Candlestick Park4:15 PM TicketsFOX715 (715) 123 (SEA)   121 (SF)  Mon, Oct 27StadiumTime (ET)TicketsNetworkDIRECTV (HD)SIRIUSWestwood OneIND @ TEN LP Field8:30 PM TicketsESPN206 (73) 126 (IND)   Radio Byes: Bears, Broncos, Packers, Vikings

Continue reading "Fantasy Sportsgirl-New Today and ..."

Week six is nearly in the books, and the Black and Gold look more black and blue. The scheduling gods finally got one right, and Pittsburgh gets its bye week at the best possible time. After going through a meat grinder against Jacksonville and Baltimore, the Steelers needed this week to heal up, with the running back and D-line positions being hardest hit. Willie Parker looks set to return, which will take some of the load off of Big Ben. He’s partnered up with Najeh Davenport, who made his return last week after first round draft pick Rashard Mendenhall was lost for the season.

Continue reading "The State of the (Steeler) Nation: Week 6"

Steelers 26 Jaguars 21

The Steelers dominated this game more than the score would indicate. It started off with a pick-6 by Jaguars CB Rashean Mathis, who seems to have the Steelers number, having picked 4 against the Steelers in their past few meetings. There was some lack of discipline by the Steelers with 10 Penalties for 129 yards, including a Pass Interference by CB Ike Taylor and several taunting penalties. Great 48 yard catch from Nate Washington, but he was also flagged for taunting the Jaguars' bench. The Defense played great, allowing 213 yards total, with 2 sacks from Lamarr Woodley (photo below) and 1 from James Harrison.

Continue reading "Week 5 - Steelers 26 Jaguars 21"

THE YEAR OF THE RUNNING BACK

    In every NFL draft there is at least one position that is laden with talent. More often than not, this fresh crop of virtuosos wastes very little time in announcing its presence to the rest of the NFL. The hype swells over the course of training camp and preseason, but it all counts for nothing until the promise actually manifests itself on the playing field during the regular season. We’ve seen years (like the class of 2006) that were so diverse they defied designation. We’ve also had years (like the class of 2005) that were a little more singular in positional depth. This year, I believe, we can officially label as “The Year of the Running Back.”

Continue reading "The Year of the Running Back"

       Sean Salisbury offers his fantasy football preview for week 6 of the NFL. Check this out every week at my blog.

Continue reading "Sean Salisbury's Fantasy Preview for Week 6"

          The crystal ball was two up and two down for the week.  Even though that is an improvement, it still doesn’t cut it!  Good thing this is for entertainment purposes only…or I would be in the poor house!  Let’s take a look back and see what happened: 

Continue reading "Week 5 Review"

It was an interesting week in the National Football League. A few surprises, a big meltdown by one team and one bruised and battered team found a way to win a big prime-time game. Let's get right to it--game by game.

Continue reading "NFL Week 5 Fallout"

So I normally title my Monday blog: Monday Mourning due to being hungover from a full day of drinking and watching sports, hence the “mourning” because I have to get up, go to work, puke in the bathroom, and subsequently fall asleep in all of my meetings and get absolutely no work done. But today is different, mainly due to the fact that CBS’s and Fox’s regional coverage of NFL games in my area was HORRIBLE. Games that had a spread of +11 with no fantasy implications at all were being aired, so I went and watched polo (you know, the sport where guys on horses trot around and whack a ball with mallets). I had never been to a polo game before but we decided to go due to the possibility of attractive females (there are always beautiful women at horse events). We mingled with a few and made up some elaborate lies that we were just checking out the competition and had our horses stabled a few miles away. We were obviously out of place, with our cheers of “nice pass man!” and “shoooooot it!” but we wholeheartedly plan on attending it every Sunday for the rest of the season – pending what NFL games are on of course. 

Continue reading "Monday Mourning"

Chalk it up.

Winners - Dallas Cowboys


3) Pittsburgh Steelers @ Jacksonville Jaguars

A battle of two teams that met twice last season (one in the regular season/one in the post season) with Jaguars taking both in Pittsburgh. I still remember the regular season game last season between these two with the snow falling, what a game. Fast forward to now and you have a Steelers team banged up. Willie Parker is still out and back-up Rashard Mendenhall is done for the season with a fractured shoulder received against the Ravens. Gary Russell and Najeh Davenport were re-signed by the Steel men to pick up the scraps in the running game with Mewelde Moore starting this Sunday against the Jags. These two teams know each other, that's no secret. I have a gut feeling however that the Steelers will come out on top in this one. I have four reasons. (Yes four!) 1) Just like the Ravens, I think the adrenaline will carry over from Monday Night. 2) Good teams find ways to win with injuries. Steelers are a Super Bowl caliber team by many, this will be a good test. 3) The Houston Texans horrible defense were able to stop Taylor/Jones pretty nicely last week. I think the Steelers review what the Texans did and try to copy it. 4) Three out of the last 4 Sunday Night Games the upset has won. That's right. Every Sunday Night game besides the Packers/Cowboys, the upset team has won. And I have a little superstition in me. I'm picking the Steelers in this one.

Continue reading "NFL Week 5 Predictions"

Steelers 23 Ravens 20 (OT)

The Steelers wore their throwback uniforms and extended their 14 game home winning streak on Monday night with a brutal game against the hated Ravens (aka - the Old Browns). The Steelers defense carried the day with 5 sacks, 4 forced fumbles and 1 fumble recovery for a TD by LB Lamar Woodley. LB James "Silverback" Harrison had another monster game with 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble.

Continue reading "Week 4 - Steelers 23 Ravens 20 (OT)"

          

           Bill Belichick, Head Coach of the New England Patriots, was accused by Al Davis of “tampering” with Randy Moss prior to their trade a year ago.  The Raiders received a 4th round pick as compensation in the deal.  Davis alleges that the Patriots had a secret workout with Moss prior to the negotiations, which would violate NFL rules.  Bill (here’s a surprise) denies the accusation. 

Continue reading "...Then It's Probably A Duck!"

           This week two head coaches were relieved of their duties…fired!  First, Scott Linehan of the St. Louis Rams, and now, Lane Kiffin of the Oakland Raiders, why?  Jim Haslet replaced Linehan.  What’s the difference, the Rams are horrific!  Kiffin is being replaced with O-line coach, Tom Cable…who?  Yeah, that’s right, I never heard of him either! 

Continue reading "Instant Gratification"

Well, it's Monday morning. All of us are recovering from a roller-coaster weekend of football. I sat on the same couch, in the same clothes, in the same position from Thursday evening (USC/Oregon St thriller) until 8:35pm on Sunday night. It wasn't until Sunday morning that I realized how bad I actually smelled.

Continue reading "Week 4 in the NFL"

           Once again, my crystal ball failed me.  I don’t understand what happened…I shined it up last week.  I even purchased a stand for it…so now it sits on top of the mantel.  I’ve treated it with the utmost respect.  For who?  For what?  (Yes…that was a shot at Ricky Watters!)  Once again, I was one up and three down last week…not good…awful…embarrassing even!  I have to do something different for next week…maybe I will punish it…have it stand in the corner…or give it a time-out!  Something has to give…and I’m not backing down!  Let’s take a closer look and see what went wrong: 

Continue reading "Week 4 Review"

bsp;        The other day, Rashard Mendenhall (Rookie RB for the Pittsburgh Steelers) sent his buddy, Ray Rice (Rookie RB for the Baltimore Ravens) a text message.  So why is that football news?  Because LB Bart Scott of the Ravens made it so!  Mendenhall’s text was only intended for his buddy Ray.  It claimed how great of a day Rashard was going to have against the vaunted Raven’s Defense.  Ray Rice took it upon himself to let his defense know about the text message…Bart Scoot took offense.

Continue reading "Bulletin Board Material"

              The economic “crisis" is not that complicated. The stock market always wants positive press to continue its trading

Continue reading "Economic Crisis"

Steelers 6 Eagles 15

This was a tough game to watch. In summary, the Eagles defense dominated the Steelers offense, recording 9 sacks and beating the crap out of Ben Roethlisberger. It appeared that the blitzes were not picked up and the running game. The graphic from PD Steel below shows the record sack pace that the Steelers are on. Suffice to say, something needs to be done to protect Big Ben.

Continue reading "Week 3 - Steelers 6 Eagles 15"

This is an ongoing record of the funniest sports' quotes from the major and local sports talk shows like ATH, PTI, Jim Rome, etc.  I missed a few during Hurricane Ike and could use your help. Feel free to contribute some of you own from TV and radio or comment on the ones you see here. Your new quotes will be integrated daily as part of the ongoing record.  To post a quote or make a comment just follow the comment link at the bottom.

Continue reading "Funny Sports Quotes"

Your favorite method of getting your football returns this week . The popular video series can be found at my blog.

Continue reading "Fantasy girl returns"

First on a personal note:
I would like to thank all of you for your kind words and concern during the last ten days. Hurricane Ike has certainly had a devastating impact on the region (and the country for that matter), but it is so encouraging to see how much compassion can be found here in America. From me and my family -Thank you.

Continue reading "Fourth Down"

Steelers 10 Browns 6

This Sunday Night game wasn't very exciting, but the Steelers won their 10th straight game against the Browns. This is the longest such streak in the league. The gusty winds and rain from Hurricane Ike made for a low scoring game. (Ike also postponed the Houston/Baltimore game as Houston got slammed hard).

Continue reading "Week 2 - Steelers 10 Browns 6"

   I just wanted to let you know that I may be unable to post for a few days. I live south of Houston, near Galveston, Texas. As hurricane Ike approaches there may be power outages and loss of internet access. If that is the case, I will be unable to write my column. Remember though, there are things much more important than sports. If you need Ike information, you can go to:

Continue reading "Hurricane information"

Houston Texans injury update:

Megan Manfull of the Houston Chronicle has reported these injuries -

               Running back Ahman Green - It wasn't a cramp that limited his play Sunday. He has a sprained ankle.

Continue reading "Injury Update"

Here is the great Jack Buck's poem that was given on September 17, 2001."Since this nation was founded ... under God
More than 200 years ago
We have been the bastion of freedom
The light that keeps the free world aglow

Continue reading "Jack Buck's Poem remembering 9-11"

Throw into that category the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Dallas Cowboys, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Chicago Bears, and even the Atlanta Falcons - the Falcons?  Meanwhile, the Oakland Raiders, the Detroit Lions, the Cincinnati Bengals, the Indianapolis Colts, and the Houston Texans looked like they forgot that the preseason was over -the Colts - our beloved Texans? Maybe, they just didn’t get the memo.

Continue reading "Believe!"

NFL Week 1 Results
NY Giants 16 Wahington 7
Pittsburgh 38 Houston 17
Atlanta 34 Detroit 21
Tennessee 17 Jacksonville 10
Baltimore 17 Cincinnati 10
Philadelphia 38 St. Louis 3

Continue reading "NFL SCOREBOARD"

You can get your fantasy football updates here as well as columns, funny sports quotes, injury updates and anything else sports related. If your not already seeing this video just hit the sportspoet link and you will get everything that you need to keep up with your favorite sports teams. Thank you for visiting this site.

Continue reading "Fantasy Football Video by Sportsgirl"

This is an ongoing record of the funniest sports' quotes from the major and local sports talk shows like ATH, PTI, Jim Rome, etc.  Feel free to contribute some of you own from TV and radio or comment on the ones you see here. Your new quotes will be integrated daily as part of the ongoing record.  To post a quote or make a comment just follow the comment link at the bottom.

Continue reading "Funny Sports Quotes-September 10"

Week 1 - Steelers 38 Texans 17 

This was a dominate game by the Steelers in all phases (including halftime shows with country legend Charlie Daniels).

The Steelers got off to a very good start and with the injury to Tom Brady, the loss by the Colts and Chargers, it looks like the Steelers have an opportunity to seize control of the AFC conference.  I saw Peter King on NBC make some positive comments regarding the Steelers dominant defense.   Fast Willie Parker scored 3 TDs and ran for 138 yards. He only had 2 TDs all of last season. 2nd year linebacker from Michigan, Lamar Woodley had a sack and his first INT. James "Silverback" Harrison added 3 sacks and a forced fumble and an INT from Troy Polamalu.  Here's a funny photo of Troy and Hines Ward joking while Big Ben talks to the announcers:

Continue reading "Week 1 - Steelers 38 Texans 17"

 Houston Texans vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers on opening Sunday. Matt Schaub. Andre Johnson. This was going to be good.

      The feelings of excitement that I felt at 11:59am this morning quickly vanished. I don’t know about you, but within an hour, a string of events ruined this Sunday. Most of this was due to the Texans performance against the

Continue reading "Willie bleepin Parker"

When Bill Parcells was hired as the guy to turn around the Miami Dolphins you knew quickly action would follow. First his statement of no thugs on this team will be something he stresses more than ever. He believes you do things a certain way and if your not going to pack your bags because I don't need you.  In his short tenure he got rid of the General Manager and just recently fired the coach after a 1-15 season. Now I can understand both firings, but in Cam Cameron's defense he inherited this group of players, so he can't be totally to blame for the situation he was put in.  What was interesting was the Dolphins signing Ricky Williams to a contract recently.

Continue reading "Bill Parcells Cleaning House In Dolphin World"