THE PITTSBURGH Sports CHATTER

[ALinChainz]

I'm not really sure, but you are correct. I guess safety was the biggest factor in the advent of this tire grass shit. Doesn't grab and gives a lot more than the old artificial turfs.

Ours being indoors though makes a little more sense to me.

I'm picking the Steelers this week though, just not going against them at home.

[POJO_Risin]

How the fuck does that hybrid shit work anyways...

[POJO_Risin]

I'm liking the Steelers' schedule this year...

no week to take a break...they have to bring the A game every week...and the fact that 2 of their 3 skill players...in Staley and Burress have been out...and they've continued to win...

funny...they make a big deal about Westbrook and Dillon being out...excuses more like it...but...what about Burress and Staley?

[ALinChainz]

Ford Motor Co. might have a problem burying its Firestone tire problem, but it has found a place to bury the reclaimed Firestone tires -- in the turf of Ford Field.

A spokeswoman for FieldTurf, a Montreal-based company that will produce the artificial turf for the Lions' new stadium, said the crumb rubber used in the field base was derived exclusively from Firestone tires.

"They wanted only Firestone products to be used," FieldTurf sales and marketing director Wendy Dawson told Ward's.Auto .com.

Tom Lewand, vice president of stadium development, said the use of the reclaimed Firestones is in line with William Clay Ford Jr.'s theories on corporate responsibility. Ford is chief executive officer of Ford Motor Co.

"It's going to be a crumb rubber base anyway," Lewand said. "To the extent it promotes environmental good citizenship, good."

The rubber comes from cryogenically frozen tires that have been shredded. The polyester and steel components in the tires are removed, reducing the tires to a fine powdery consistency.

The playing surface is composed of a carpet-like covering of synthetic grass, which extends through several layers of silica sand and crumb rubber, giving the surface a cushion-like feel to players who slide or fall on it.

FieldTurf is also installing the surface at the Lions' new practice field on the Allen Park-Dearborn border.

[ALinChainz]

From the Freep ...

March 9, 2002

BY CURT SYLVESTER
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER

[POJO_Risin]

It's amazing stuff though...regular turf...have you ever played on it?

Christ...it's like fucking Cement...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Originally posted by POJO_Risin
funny...they make a big deal about Westbrook and Dillon being out...excuses more like it...but...what about Burress and Staley?

Yeah, they're back on the Pats' and Eagles' cocks, it's everywhere you look....

Most of the power rankings I see now has the Pats back over the Steelers....

And if you read any articles that talk about the 3 11-1 teams, they'll all point out the Dillon or Westbrook factor....

But good point Poj, Staley was out for the Eagles game, and they got run over by a supposedly has-been Bettis....

But that's OK, and I agree, I think it's a good thing they can't let up....

There won't be any time to make a Superbowl video, a la 1995 with Eric Green....

They won't be making any travel arrangements, a la 2001....

Just play Steeler football fellas, and it will take care of itself....

[POJO_Risin]

And it SEEMS Va...as if they are...it's not early yet...as a matter of fact...it's quite late...and I haven't seen a game yet when they haven't played "Steeler" Football...

The fact is this...when you have 2 backs who can go over 100 yards at will...it shows a good line...a good offense...and their Defense is good...it's that simple...

I don't care about rankings...just wins...

this isn't college football...lmfao...so if Pittsburgh performs...they will be where they need to be...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Have to start off giving the Jets credit, they played some inspired ball, especially on D....

I just continue to be amazed at how that Staley-Bettis combination just PUNISHES defenses for four straight quarters....

It may not be evident in the 1st half, but once the game is in the 2nd half, the O-line and the RB's are just bowling through the defense....

And once again, the Steelers lose ANOTHER starter to injury, this time Clark Haggans to a groin, at least for 2 games....

After watching the Cowher press conference, I got a feeling the Bus is going to get even more carries this Saturday against the Giants.... It appears that Duce's hammy is just not totally healing that quickly....

I also have a feeling that they're going to continue to sit Plaxico....

I'd love to be in the coaches office this week, scheming different blitzes to confuse the fuck out of Eli....

You just KNOW Ben can't wait to play this one....

[POJO_Risin]

...and of course...the fucking Eli backers chomping on the fucking bit to have the Giants win this game...so they can say Eli's better...

lmfao...

whatever...

Steelers have some depth thank christ...people want to play for them...but the injuries don't help...as long as they are now...and not later...

Bring on the Giants...and bring on Steeler football...

[aesop]

...ANd get ready to bring in the Lombardi trophy!

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Originally posted by aesop
...ANd get ready to bring in the Lombardi trophy!

No, no, no....

We CANNOT start that kind of talk !!!!

That's what kind of talk Eric Green was doing in '94 before he made plans for a Super Bowl video, just before the Chargers beat them AT HOME....

That's why they were making Super Bowl travel arrangements the week leading up to the '01 game vs. the Pats AT HOME..... And lost.....

Let them suck off the Pats and the Eagles....

Let them get all of the press.....

When we get a healthy Plaxico back, to stop the D's from putting 8 or 9 in the box, we get our game back....

Then things will take care of themselves....

[POJO_Risin]

My thoughts on it...let Plax sit until week 17...get him some reps...same with Staley...get him some reps...

get the bye...and sit tight...get healthy...

and just worry about winning...not home field...

it will be a tough road...no doubt about it...and the key is not playing Indy in that damn divisional playoff...

[POJO_Risin]

Steeler down 7-0 early...on special teams...

will be interesting to see how they do coming from behind...

Big Ben has already responded with an interception...

and the Giants are locking down Bettis...so Ben may have to win this one...until that line wears down...

[POJO_Risin]

What a fucking play...horrible fucking play call on Cowher...since he can't make any good calls...terrible in-game play caller...

the Giants stopping the run...and bing...

draw to Haynes for the TD...

7 all...

I agree with Va...I wish they had a better kicker...

[POJO_Risin]

I wonder...when Peyton Manning...in his commercial for the insurance adjusters and shit...

is saying...C'mon Tommy...

do you think that's a dig at Maddox...

lmfao...who used to sell insurance...

probably not...

but fucking funny as hell anyways...

he'll be selling insurance soon enough anyways...

[POJO_Risin]

30 yard run from Barber...

hmmmm...

Pittsburgh's special teams and fucking defense look putrid so far...

[POJO_Risin]

Field Goal by Reed...okay...14-10...not a bad start...now a big stop by the defense...

[ALinChainz]

I'm wondering if Phil Simms could kiss a little more Manning ass while nit-picking and half assed criticizing Ben's play about all those "wide open" receivers.

I can barely stand listening to him and Jim FUcking Nance should be in the studio, not at the game. They switched he and Greg Gumbel, thinking Simms could carry the broadcast. Stupid move.

The Giants are getting to Ben ... a little more than I expected.

[ALinChainz]

Take that Simms ... what a toss to Randle-El.

[POJO_Risin]

Great pass...great play call...anticipate the blitz...and anticipate the safety on the WR...

Simms is something isn't he! He was good with Gumbel...but I agree...this tandem sucks...

[Dave's PA Rental]

what an incredible BULLSHIT call...unnecessary roughness...they fell on him...didnt drive him into the ground...

[Dave's PA Rental]

The Steelers are good though.

How bout that PUNK Plaxio 15 yards onto the field in his civies trash-talking the Giants...

[POJO_Risin]

I agree Dave...that was a shit call...

lmfao...I kinda figured Pittsburgh would get called for Plax rolling out there...

[POJO_Risin]

Plaxio...lmfao...I like that...

[ALinChainz]

Notice that Eli throws it in the dirt, when if he hits Finn its 1st down, Simms calls it "being careful".

The volume is going down by the second.

[POJO_Risin]

Shit...this game is over...the NY D is already shitted up...

Bettis over 10 grand as a Steeler...

is there any other teams that have 2 RB's with over 10 grand for their team?

[Dave's PA Rental]

nice 'Deion Sanders-esque' throw-to-the-ground tackle by that Giants back...

[Dave's PA Rental]

(tv is upstairs, so theres a little lag-time for me...)

[POJO_Risin]

Yeah...he'll be preaching fucking Ben by the end of the game...

damn...they stopped him...

fucking hell...Coughlin calls a time out?

[POJO_Risin]

LMFAO Dave...

Reed to put the Steelers up by 6....22 yarder...and....he makes it...

barely...jesus christ...

20-14...

[Dave's PA Rental]

why would you call a timeout if your Coughlin? Because you suck as a head coach?

[POJO_Risin]

Coughlin really is an over-rated coach if you ask me...but we'll see...

[POJO_Risin]

Alright...now I'd like to see the Steelers go at them right now...

go for the endzone...

Maddox giving Roeth some pointers on the sideline...

oh shit...

[ALinChainz]

Bad throw there ... should have unloaded deep ...

[POJO_Risin]

Read my previous post...that was the worst pass I've ever seen him make...

Talk to Tommy...throw a pick...lmfao...

you figure it out...

[POJO_Risin]

Those are the kind of mistakes the Steelers have made in the past...that can cost games...

Phil Simms...lmfao...makes the Giants sound like Super Bowl team...

ie...

winning the battle of front...

confusing the Steelers...

[POJO_Risin]

Lmfao...they need Shockey's effort to win in the future...as Tike gets leveled 2 yards behind the line...

Now Ben...stay the fuck away from maddox...

[ALinChainz]

I'll be damn glad when the 60 Minutes show is over tomorrow too so we can stop hearing about Ricky Fucking Williams.

The blurb they played at half, he sounds like he's stoned.

You know he toked that morning at least.

[POJO_Risin]

Don't you love how they give this guy play?

The Giants line is done...against the run...

I doubt Ben will be throwing much more...

[POJO_Risin]

I will say this about the Giants...they are forcing Roeth to rush...

[POJO_Risin]

I wonder why...as Simms talks about the Giant corners picking all these passes off in practice...he isn't saying anything about THE GUY WHO'S THROWING THEM IN PRACTICE...LMFAO...

ie...

MANNING?

[POJO_Risin]

3rd and 10...they need this...damn...

[POJO_Risin]

Nance just gets done saying Pittsburgh has doubled the Giants offensive production...

and Simms says...the Giants have been shutting down the Steelers...

lmfao...

what a homo...

[ALinChainz]

I swear you are watching 2 different games if you listen to these guys.

They think the guy's name is Manning, he shits gold and the league NEEDS him to succeed.

[ALinChainz]

Good close game though. Should give Ben a little slack on the "rookie" tag if he wins this unexpectedly tough one on the road.

It's not that I don't think Manning won't be good. We can see he isn't Peyton, but he could be good. Just Simms seems like he puts himself there with Archie, and having the QB sons.

[POJO_Risin]

Manning is really looking fucking good though...starting to show some poise...making good crisp passes...even looking good on audibles...like his brother...

[POJO_Risin]

Giants down to the 1...

Pittsburgh's defense just doesn't look good...

[POJO_Risin]

Giants up 5...hmmmmm...maybe 6...maybe 4...

alright...

let's see what kind of moxie Big Ben has here...

[POJO_Risin]

Man...that was a stupid ass call...2 point conversion...

[ALinChainz]

Mother fucking Randle-El ... what a game.

And the Bus puts them back up ...

[POJO_Risin]

Steelers now up 3...because of Coughlin being a dumbass...going for 2 instead of 1...

it didn't take Pittsburgh long to come back...this is the difference between the Steelers this year...and of recent past...they can come back and win...

OH...WAIT...THEY JUST RUN THE BALL WHEN THEY ARE DOWN...

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

[ALinChainz]

Be a long, long shot ... but would be cool is the Bus got to 1,000 to go with all those TDs.

[ALinChainz]

They get Staley back ... and Plax ... and I think Plax is going to be huge in the playoffs ... and the Steelers having yet ... another ... Michigan TE in Tuman ... :D

Eli throws a big INT.

[ALinChainz]

May or may NOT have been interference ...

hmmmmmm

[POJO_Risin]

I don't think it was interference...in today's game...

he was going for the ball the whole way...

but it SHOULD have been an interception...I don't think he was down by contact...how can you see contact?...Simmers...that doesn't show contact...it's not conclusive...

[POJO_Risin]

I'm sorry...lmfao...it should have been interference if the rules were real...

[ALinChainz]

Nance gave him the quick cheap book plug too ... didn't even know he wrote one.

He must have typed with one hand, the other was patting him on the back.

[POJO_Risin]

Tuman...lmfao...nobody CARES where he's from...

Christ...Toomer sucks...

EXCELLENT CHALLENGE...THAT'S A BIG ONE?

What the fuck...Manning throws a fucking pick...and simms and nance are shining a Giant positive on it...

bwahahahahahaha...

[ALinChainz]

LOL ... you know where he's from bro ...

Good thing, losing that timeout would have been huge for the G Men.

[POJO_Risin]

I didn't until you said that...

Chripes...we gotta stop getting these shitty ass Michigan TE's...

game over...

Steelers goto 13-1...now the ball is in the Pats court...

Eli looked good today...perhaps his team will stort to roll with him...

now a HUGE game for the Panthers...

Al...I'm going to start a different thread for this one...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Damn....

Defense sure as hell took the day off..... Offense had to bail them out for a chance....

See that Looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo, good on BOTH sides of the ball...

THAT's how you continue to win ballgames....

They'd been talking this week about getting Randle-El more involved in the offense.....

I'd say that worked..... ;)

I think both Duce and Plax will be dressing next Sunday for my first Heinz Field visit vs. the Ravens......

I didn't bite on any Ebay tickets, those damn things are just out of control..... They've got a designated "no-scalping" area between PNC Park and Heinz field, we''ll just see how no-scalp it really is....

Agree with what you guys were saying about Eli.... He looked much better this week.....

But as I said, the defense was just lethargic as hell.... Didn't appear that they wanted to be there at all....

Let's see...

First, everyone said "Well, we have to see what happens when Ben has to drive down the field with under 2 minutes to play to win the game"...

Check....

Now they said, "Well, he still hasn't won a game where he's had to win it in the air"....

Check....

Anything else Looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ??

And BTW, your Cowher comments are just ridiculous....

Good for a laugh, though.... :D

[POJO_Risin]

I don't have any questions about anything you said about Ben there...

just waiting to see what he does in the playoffs...that's the only other question I'd have...

So far...so good...

He hasn't made mistakes when they've really been costly yet...and it's been 12 games...so...now it's just the playoffs...

[Dave's PA Rental]

I agree. Big Ben is the real deal. This Steeler team reminds me of the 2001 Patriots...but these Steelers have a better running game...

It will come down to this: How the rookie Big Ben reacts to Romeo's defense, and will Cowher get out-coached by Belechick in the AFC Championship...

Those are the only questions left to answer...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Well, it's becoming apparent that health will be the key factor with both teams....

For the Steelers, that means Burress and Staley...

And for the Pats, that means Ty Law, especially now that Ty Poole is out for the year....

[ALinChainz]

Even in the interviews after the game and post game show, they gushed about Eli and didn't seem to remember that the Steelers won.

Asking Tiki, "We know it'ss tough to lose, but what do you take away from this game with Eli playing well..."

Making me sick.

[redblkwht]

Im really thinking Pittsburgh is for real, come playoff time lookout..
They dont know HOW to lose. incredible story, incredible run.

[POJO_Risin]

There are some similarities between the Steelers this year...and the Pats in 2001...

and I remember thinking the same thing about the Pats then...that I do about the Steelers now...

we shall see...

people shouldn't look past Indy...

[POJO_Risin]

Christ...Eli's getting mollicoddled...it's making me a certain degree of fucking puke...

[redblkwht]

Originally posted by POJO_Risin
There are some similarities between the Steelers this year...and the Pats in 2001...

and I remember thinking the same thing about the Pats then...that I do about the Steelers now...

we shall see...

people shouldn't look past Indy... Indys D is the
black hole..if they can keep manning from going off..i see ben
going toe to toe with them, that much talent.

[POJO_Risin]

Well...my hope is that pittsburgh can get the 1 seed...and not worry about Indy...until the Championship game...

I think Pitts matches up with them well...

I worry about Buffalo the last week of the year though...they are playing very well...

[Dave's PA Rental]

Originally posted by POJO_Risin
Well...my hope is that pittsburgh can get the 1 seed...and not worry about Indy...until the Championship game...


You sure know how to hurt me...

Again, lets see how Ben reacts to PLAYOFF defenses...he might be in for a rude awakening...

[Rikk]

Originally posted by Dave's PA Rental
You sure know how to hurt me...

Again, lets see how Ben reacts to PLAYOFF defenses...he might be in for a rude awakening...

Playoff pressure is only bigger because of the situation. The game desperation will be the same. I don't think Ben is going to be in for any surprises unless they come from his own mind. In other words, he may excel beyond belief.

[POJO_Risin]

I can't imagine Indy beating NE in NE...and I don't know that I would want them too...lmfao...

[POJO_Risin]

We'll see about the playoffs...we won't know until it happens...

[Rikk]

Originally posted by POJO_Risin
I can't imagine Indy beating NE in NE...and I don't know that I would want them too...lmfao...

Why wouldn't you want them to?:confused:

[POJO_Risin]

You get what you get in the playoffs...so I don't really care...I'm just trying to figure out who I would want to play...

I know Indy has a history...but the more I watch them...the more I think this year is different...

NE? I'm not sold on them like most of the country is...

[Rikk]

Originally posted by POJO_Risin
NE? I'm not sold on them like most of the country is...

Isn't it possible that the Halloween game could give Pittsburgh too much confidence with NE though? I really think NE would be the bigger worry.

Fuck, who knows.

[POJO_Risin]

Not only that...but the percentage of winning a 2nd game in the playoffs is less than 50%...I'm sure...if I remember correctly...

[Rikk]

One reason I want them to play NE is so they can get NE back for 2001-2002. It can't be denied that it would be a fucking fantastic game.

[POJO_Risin]

I could give a shit less who they play...as long as they win...

fuck them all...

[POJO_Risin]

I like that they play Buffalo that last week...it will keep them from getting passive and losing...and they have Buffalo's number...no matter how good they are playing...

then they can get Bledsoe back for that game in 2001/2002...

[Rikk]

Originally posted by POJO_Risin
I like that they play Buffalo that last week...it will keep them from getting passive and losing...and they have Buffalo's number...no matter how good they are playing...

then they can get Bledsoe back for that game in 2001/2002...

My best friend is a Buffalo fan. So I'm gonna fucking make sure I watch that game with him.

It amazes me how many people in Toronto are Buffalo fans. So what if it's the closest American team? That team has been the biggest Superbowl Prick Tease in history.

[Rikk]

Originally posted by POJO_Risin
I could give a shit less who they play...as long as they win...

fuck them all...

Yes, but would you feel the same sense of victory if they had to play the NFL Special Olympics Team for the AFC Championship?:D

[POJO_Risin]

This Green Bay is freakin' insane...there may be a riot at the end of this game...

[Rikk]

Originally posted by POJO_Risin
This Green Bay is freakin' insane...there may be a riot at the end of this game...

OK. Gotta switch on my T.V. That's some upsetting shit.

[POJO_Risin]

Yes...

as long as we're playing in the Super Bowl afterwards...

but...

the Eagles are in the NFC...so there's no chance of that happening...;)

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Originally posted by Rikk
Isn't it possible that the Halloween game could give Pittsburgh too much confidence with NE though? I really think NE would be the bigger worry.

Fuck, who knows.

Not this time bro....

You know what they say, fool us three times, we're fucking overconfident idiots....

Or something like that.... ;)

In '94 and '01, they were heavy favorites to win the AFC Championship at home vs. the Chargers and Pats respectively....

They came in full of themselves, and lost both times....

They also lost at home in the '97 AFC Championship, but that was a legit Bronco team with Elway at the helm....

They know whoever they play, whether it's the Pats, Chargers, Colts, Jets, or Ravens, it's gonna be a tough ballgame....

And those are the best games that the Steelers play....

They play the worst against the teams they're supposed to beat....

Like yesterday....

[POJO_Risin]

Ahhhh....Va....you are forgetting something...

teams get up to play them...

it's easy to say the Defense was lax...but...

and yesterday was the first time the Giants rallied around Manning, and I wonder why?

[Rikk]

Originally posted by Va Beach VH Fan
Not this time bro....

You know what they say, fool us three times, we're fucking overconfident idiots....

Or something like that.... ;)

In '94 and '01, they were heavy favorites to win the AFC Championship at home vs. the Chargers and Pats respectively....

They came in full of themselves, and lost both times....

They also lost at home in the '97 AFC Championship, but that was a legit Bronco team with Elway at the helm....

They know whoever they play, whether it's the Pats, Chargers, Colts, Jets, or Ravens, it's gonna be a tough ballgame....

And those are the best games that the Steelers play....

They play the worst against the teams they're supposed to beat....

Like yesterday....

When the Pats beat Pittsburgh in 2001/2002, everyone had Pittsburgh pegged as the easy winning team.

You may just have something.

Anyway, I've never seen this team have such momentum. And they've been THE GREAT ONES many times.

[POJO_Risin]

Who is that fag in your avatar?

I don't recall the Steelers being the easy winning team...although Brady being out was a key factor...a lot of people thought once he went down that was that...

they knocked Brady out of that game...and still lost...am I thinking of the right game...I'm not sure now...

but if I am...Bledsoe rallyed the troops...which got him the big Buffalo contract...after the trade that is...

[Rikk]

Originally posted by POJO_Risin
Who is that fag in your avatar?

I don't recall the Steelers being the easy winning team...although Brady being out was a key factor...a lot of people thought once he went down that was that...

they knocked Brady out of that game...and still lost...am I thinking of the right game...I'm not sure now...

but if I am...Bledsoe rallyed the troops...which got him the big Buffalo contract...after the trade that is...

LOL!! John Stamos. (I don't remember the last time I had a "serious" avatar.:D I was about to change it to another one, but FUCK THAT now!)

AFC Championship...January (or February?) 2002. I do remember them being the easy win. I remember the odds in their favor. Still, I've been trying to erase the memory of that game out of my mind for a few years now. But I do remember them seeming overconfident (or at least the fans were).

[Dave's PA Rental]

Originally posted by Rikk
One reason I want them to play NE is so they can get NE back for 2001-2002. It can't be denied that it would be a fucking fantastic game.

Well maybe this time they wont reserve hotel rooms for the Super Bowl until AFTER they win the AFC...

IF they win...

[Rikk]

Originally posted by Dave's PA Rental
Well maybe this time they wont reserve hotel rooms for the Super Bowl until AFTER they win the AFC...

IF they win...

THAT was the problem last time. They were talking SUPERBOWL like nuts before they even played New England.

[aesop]

No one yet has commented on how NE's complete CHOKE to the fish has put our Steelers in a most excellent position for the playoffs?

Well then I just did. The road to Jacksonville most definately will go through Pittsburgh now...

[POJO_Risin]

Well...Pittsburgh now just needs 1 out of 2...

I'm always more comfortable once it happens...because neither Baltimore nor Buffalo will be difinitive...

here's the thing...

the beat Baltimore the day after XMas...and they can bench their starters against Buffalo...

and get their players all healthy...

[POJO_Risin]

Here's the thing about Brady...when pressured...he's made mistakes...he did it against Pittsburgh earlier in the year...and obviously he did it last night against Miami...

[aesop]

Yep. Just goes to show ya..."Any Given Monday". I wonder what the line was on last night's game?

[POJO_Risin]

And Madden and Michaels both said, "They can't win, but could make it close..."

LMFAO...

ooops...

[aesop]

LMAO. I didn't hear that. I had the sound off and was only glancing up occasionally.

[POJO_Risin]

There have been some good prime time games this year...

although the teams in them haven't always been good...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Originally posted by POJO_Risin
Ahhhh....Va....you are forgetting something...

teams get up to play them...

it's easy to say the Defense was lax...but...

and yesterday was the first time the Giants rallied around Manning, and I wonder why?

Yes, absolutely right as well...

"Pittsburgh week" is nearly everyone's game of the year....

Now, maybe it wasn't to New England and Philly this year, and that's why they got their asses handed to them....

But, I think you'd admit that the Defense had far from a good game....

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Originally posted by Dave's PA Rental
Well maybe this time they wont reserve hotel rooms for the Super Bowl until AFTER they win the AFC...

IF they win...

That's what I'm saying bro....

No way they will lose focus like that again, if they get that far....

Too many of them were on the team when that happened in '01....

[Dave's PA Rental]

For your sake, you better hope that the COACH learned from that mistake...

[Dave's PA Rental]

Originally posted by POJO_Risin
Here's the thing about Brady...when pressured...he's made mistakes...

Here's the thing...Peyton Manning gets pressured in THE BIG GAME and he makes mistakes, and yet, the media constantly seems to give Manning a full body massage, complete with a happy ending. Brady leads a team to two SB's in three years and people say he is overrated just because he doesnt get 5-6 GARBAGE TD passes a game...(I fucking hate Manning)

Im not gonna try to make excuses for last night...no way they should have lost that game...and Bled-er-ah- Brady ABSOLUTELY choked last night...

BUT!

Every team has a clunker or two in them each season...I dont think its that big of a deal to lose after clinching the AFC East...yeah, I know...homefield advantage was still up for grabs, but I think the Steelers had that locked up before the Pats laid an egg in Miami...

[Dave's PA Rental]

I just read my last post and realized I have become a priveliged NFL fan..fans of most teams would LOVE to have only one or two 'clunkers' a season...

It's good to be a Pats fan...

[POJO_Risin]

LMFAO Dave...

I disagree...I think Manning takes more hits than anyone...and deservedly so...for his bombs in the playoffs...

and he gets garbage TD's...also agreed...but you make it sound like he's not worthy of it...of all the hype...and quite frankly...he is...

is he a leader worthy of a Super Bowl? We'll find out...it won't always be so good...

but...their O is lined up for the forseeable future...and Dungy will only make the D better...

we'll see...

My point was...this year...the teams that have gotten to him consistently...have forced his hand in a bad way...

but...by playoff time...and Super Bowl time...Belicheck is a master of correcting that...

We'll see..

[aesop]

It's likely coming down to one for the Ages... The Terrible Towels vs. the Patsies. Maybe Cowher can get the Monkey off of his back and cement his legend...

[aesop]

Time to right the ship...

Steelers hope 'road' paved in black, gold

Tuesday, December 28, 2004
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Steelers running back Jerome Bettis could have the opportunity to wave to fans at Heinz Field at least two more times this season.

The Steelers have traveled this road before, the road that went through Pittsburgh and carried some other team to the Super Bowl.

It happened in 1992, 1994, 1997 and 2001, when the Steelers either earned the AFC's No. 1 playoff seed or wound up with the AFC championship game in Pittsburgh and failed to reach the Super Bowl.

Most of the current Steelers only have reference to 2001, when the New England Patriots, 10-point underdogs, upset them, 24-17, in the AFC championship at Heinz Field.

"We're a lot maturer," receiver Plaxico Burress said. "Playing in that game, I was thinking this is how it's supposed to be every year. It was my second year; we really didn't understand the significance of having home-field advantage and playing in the AFC championship. We were just out there playing football.

"I've said it, Hines [Ward] said it; we already had ourselves thinking 'Super Bowl,' and we didn't take care of that one game and it cost us."

The Steelers had the AFC's No. 1 seed in 1992 and, after a first-round bye, lost to Buffalo at home in their first playoff game under coach Bill Cowher. In 1994, they beat Cleveland after a first-week bye and were upset by San Diego, 17-13, at home in the AFC championship.

The Steelers ended that string when they came from behind in the final minutes to beat Indianapolis in the AFC championship game at home after the 1995 season.

In 1997, they beat New England after a first-round bye, but blew a lead and lost to Denver, 24-21, in the AFC championship at home. And, in 2001, they had the No. 1 seed again, beat Baltimore, 27-10, then lost to the Patriots.

Cornerback Willie Williams, in his second tour of duty with the Steelers, is the only player on their roster from the 1994 team. Halfback Jerome Bettis and cornerback Chad Scott are the only players from the 1997 team.

There are 20 players and two others on injured reserve who experienced the pain of losing in 2001 and vowed not to have it happen again.

"We have a lot of guys who have been here since 2001," center Jeff Hartings said. "Speaking personally, that hurt a lot, losing that game. Speaking now, I'm not going to get too excited because I know it's one game at a time and because I know there's lot of good teams in the AFC.

"The first game here is going to be against a very good team. We win that one, it'll be against an even better team. The road to the Super Bowl isn't easy in the AFC."

That, players say, is what they forgot in 2001.

"I think we have a better football team this time," Bettis said, "because we have depth all over the board, and guys have learned from that. Guys who are here want to guard against that from happening again."

Said tight end Jerame Tuman about the loss to the Patriots,

"This is obviously a different year. We're playing a lot better in all phases. We had a couple turnovers that led to touchdowns, and that hurt us."

Wide receiver Antwaan Randle El wasn't here in 2001.

"It's a different year, a different atmosphere, a different way we got here, the road we traveled, the guys who went down and guys who stepped up," Randle El said. "If you look at those different things, this is a different team from that perspective alone.

"This is a closer team than it's been in the past. I don't think that team in '01 was as close as this one. Of course, I wasn't here, but, if they were any closer than what we were, then no way things shouldn't have worked out."

It's not a group of players that gives the impression it will work on a Super Bowl rap video over the next few weeks, the way some players did in 1994 that so riled up the Chargers.

"We are a true family," linebacker Joey Porter said. "I've been here six years, we've had some close teams, but, by far, this is the best team we've had.

"We're not doing it with a whole lot of superstars, we just have a lot of blue-collar guys. When somebody goes down, everybody's ready to step up and do their job.

"I think it makes us appreciate each person we have on this team, and it's brought us so close together."

[julia]

Steelers kick major ass

[ALinChainz]

Roethlisberger questionable for Sunday's regular-season finale.


December 28, 2004
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Ben Roethlisberger's ribs are only bruised and Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher listed the rookie quarterback as questionable for Sunday's regular-season finale at Buffalo.

The game is meaningless for the Steelers, who have clinched home-field advantage for the playoffs in the AFC. The Bills are fighting for a wild-card playoff berth.

``The last thing you can do when you go into any football game is to diminish the importance of it,'' Cowher said. ``Certainly you're going to keep the big picture in mind, but we're going to prepare this week as we always have, to go up there and win this football game.''

The Steelers are riding a franchise-record 13-game win streak, while the Bills are riding a six-game win streak that has put them in position to earn a playoff berth after an 0-4 start. The Bills need to beat the Steelers and have either the New York Jets or Denver Broncos lose in order to clinch a spot in the playoffs.

Cowher said his plans for the game would not change even if another playoff berth were not dependent on the outcome.

``This is not about what we owe anybody. It's what we owe ourselves. This is how you play the game,'' he said. ``We've got to play the game the way we know how to play the game. Those aren't things you can turn on and off, and if you think you can turn it on and off you're going to be mistaken and be led down a road that's going to be very disappointing.''

Roethlisberger was hurt Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens when he was driven into the turf by Terrell Suggs during a third-quarter touchdown pass to Jerame Tuman. Roethlisberger returned for three plays on the next series before leaving the field for good.

Roethlisberger was taken to the hospital as a precaution and an MRI revealed he suffered bruised cartilage in his ribs. Although Roethlisberger is listed as questionable, Cowher said adding a quarterback to the roster is ``a distinct possibility.''

Cornerback Deshea Townsend has been ruled out of the Buffalo game with broken bones in his hand. Cowher said Townsend should be questionable for the first playoff game.

Sunday, Townsend will be replaced at right cornerback by Chad Scott, who was the starting left cornerback before injuring a quadriceps muscle Oct. 17 against the Dallas Cowboys. Willie Williams will remain at left cornerback.

Listed as doubtful for Sunday's game are Jerome Bettis, with a sprained ankle, and left outside linebacker Clark Haggans, who could miss his third consecutive game with a groin injury.

Running back Duce Staley (hamstring) and inside linebacker Kendrell Bell (groin) are questionable.

Cowher hopes Staley can start at running back and allow Bettis to rest, even though Bettis is only 59 yards shy of what would be his ninth 1,000-yard season.

``I'm not looking at records or looking to appease any of that,'' Cowher said. ``We've got to do what's in the best interests of this football team as we prepare our quest for what everybody wants, and that's a championship. I don't think you can deviate from that just to serve the individual purposes of players.''

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Just got back tonight from PA....

Got the chance to attend Sunday's game vs. the Ravens with my 11 yr. old son, the first time we've had the chance to visit Heinz Field....

What a FANTASTIC atmosphere !!!! We had a great time....

Got down there about 11AM, drove around a few blocks to find a place to park that wasn't reserved... Ended up going to a parking garage about 8 blocks from the stadiums (PNC Park is right next door)....

And BTW, 20 clams to park.....

Then we walked around the few blocks between PNC Park and Heinz Field, checking out all of the tailgating.... Hundreds of barbeques all over the place....

Since we didn't have tickets in hand, I also was gauging what kind of price the scalpers were offering.... I talked to probably 30 different guys, most of them were offering between 175 and 200 clams a ticket....

I waited until about 12:30, and decided to bargain with this guy at PNC Park... Got him down to 150 each for endzone seats, 6th row from the field !!!!

Yeah, 3 bills is steep, but what the hell, I don't get this chance very often....

So it was time to head down to Heinz Field, grab a Terrible Towel for my son, and try to get in the gates....

Got to the gate at 12:35 or so, and there had to be about 1000 people crowding to get in the gate at the same time... The line was incredibly slow, so slow that by 12:50 we hadn't moved very much.... By this time, the player intro's had started.... The crowd was rocking, introducing the Bus, Plaxico, and the biggest one for Big Ben.... That made everyone trying to get in really pissed off.... I guess the ticket takers got the hint, 'cause we started moving much faster then... We finally got in around 1PM.....

By the time we took a leak, grabbed some peanuts, soda, and beer, and headed to our seats, Plaxico had already scored for the Steelers, although I saw it on the TV's in the concourse and of course heard the roar from the crowd....

Finally got to our seats, great seats they were, as I said, 6th row from the field.....

I never realized just how loud that crowd was until the Ravens got the ball.... I can see now how these teams have to call timeouts... My ears would temporarily be ringing it was so loud.....

Halftime came, and then I witnessed the only disappointing thing about our visit.... I really thought after 30 years of experience at 3 Rivers, they'd construct Heinz Field with adequate facilities.... But, as we headed to the restroom for a leak, calling it an overflow crowd would be a compliment.... Just ridiculous.....

Then by the time we get out of there, we try to get in line for a snack and a drink, and the 3rd quarter is ready to start !!! So we skip that and head back to the seats....

We watch Ben throw the TD pass to Tuman, and the subsequent late hit by Suggs.... I don't think it was a dirty hit, but definitely late.... Then the crowd moans as Ben is helped off of the field.... The crowd, to put it nicely, is offering a few choice words for the Ravens now....

As the 4th quarter is ready to begin, during the TV timeout, the huge scoreboard directly in front of us starts playing the Styx song "Renegade" (Oh mama, I'm in fear for my life.......).... They're showing video of Kyle Boller being driven to the ground in previous Steeler games, and that REALLY winds up the crowd.... I watch the Ravens bench for about 30 seconds, they're watching the video and then the crowd, standing, twirling their Towels, and roaring.....

One of the biggest cheers is when the Bus goes off left tackle, lowers his shoulder, and just bowls over Ray Lewis...... They replayed that one 3 times alone....

The remainder of the game really is just the Steelers running at will, running the clock out....

The game ends, the announcer states the obvious, the Steelers are undefeated at home, and they've clinched home-field advantage.....

I grab a nice textured Steelers football for my son as a souvenir, and we head back to the car, accompanied by thousands of quite drunken Steeler fans.....

I got a digital camera for Xmas, so I took about 15 shots or so.... I haven't downloaded the software yet though....

WELL WORTH THE TRIP......

Poj, we must do this my friend.....

[Va Beach VH Fan]

I also watched Cowher's press conference today, with commentary as well..... That's in addition to listening to Pittsburgh sports talk radio on the ride back down here...

Ben will NOT play Sunday.... They're just making him questionable to give the appearance that he COULD play... Trust me, he won't be near the field....

On the bright side though, they're saying that Ben is gonna be fine.... Matter of fact, they were having a hard time actually deciding what to call his injury.... They decided on bruised rib cartilidge, or in other words, sore ribs....

Same case for Bettis, no chance....

Duce WILL be playing... They worked him out this morning indoors to test it out again... He seems ready to go.... He needs to get the rust out, he tried vs. the Jags and wasn't very effective....

Although Cowher gave the typical speech about going to Buffalo to win the game, I don't see it happening... Buffalo has much more to gain, they'll win this game....

[redblkwht]

Steelers to the big dance in 2005? id take it..im off the 16th 23rd &
5th for all big games. I cannot wait. nice post Va, lol ;) goodtimes
nowadays are hard to come by.

[redblkwht]

BTW sam adams winter lager is GOOD!!:D

[POJO_Risin]

You really don't think Jerome will be going for 1000 yards with him being so close?...and he's close....59 yards I think...

of course...a SuperBowl is much more important than that....

Glad you had a good time Va...next year...Browns at Steelers....

I'm also pretty sure I'm getting tix for the Steelers at Browns for next season as well...My dad still has Browns season tickets...and I've taken off 5 years of attending...perhaps next year I claim them...lmfao...

300 isn't bad at all...considering what you were looking at beforehand for much worse tickets...

Have you ever been anywhere 50,000 related where they were filled to capacity and didn't have a line?

It could be done...but you know when they start overruns...the first thing that gets cut...lmao...bathrooms...

I'd bench everyone to be honest...why risk it...

2 weeks off would be HUGE for the starters...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

The bus acknowledges the crowd after going into 4th place all-time....

[POJO_Risin]

Is there a picture there?...lmfao...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Shit, I knew this thing would give me problems.... One more time, The Bus....

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Joey Porter pumps up the crowd....

[POJO_Risin]

Dude...your seats sucked...;)

[Va Beach VH Fan]

I'm sorry, any closer and I could have tackled Jamal Lewis myself.... ;)

What the fuck, everyone else was.... ;)

[POJO_Risin]

You say that as though I didn't want Lewis to get tackled...lmfao...

don't confuse "fantasy" for real life you bastard...;)

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Ben threw a little yesterday, saying the ribs are still sore, but getting better....

Tommy has already been named the starter, no surprise there....

Duce is still saying he doesn't have the acceleration... Fucking hamstrings...

I'm looking forward to seeing a lot of Verron and Willie Parker.....

The Bills are 9 point favorites....

Meaningless or not, that's a lot of points to give to a 14-1 underdog....

[aesop]

9 points????? Wow. I might have to call my bookie...

...What's the over-under on Magahe's yards??

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Dunno, but the Steelers are well known to give up chunks of yardage to good backs when they're playing (or playing down) a meaningless game....

I bet he gets close to 100 yards, if not more....

[POJO_Risin]

I wouldn't touch McGahee's yardage this week...

I think you'll see the entire defensive unit come out quickly...

remember this...if Buffalo is winning that game...Pittsburgh will do nicely not to show them much...knowing they could be playing them again in two weeks...

This game has interesting written all over it...

[POJO_Risin]

Cowher has a good eye for RB talent...that fits his system...

Parker and Haynes are very good...

It will be interesting to see how much Haynes makes if he leaves...or stays as the backup to Staley next year (assuming the Bus retires after the Su....nevermind)....

but I'd like to see in a couple of years...Parker and Haynes as the new tandem...I like them both...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

As much as I'd like to see them finish 15-1, I don't see it happening....

You brought up a good point though, their gameplan is gonna be very vanilla, because of the chance of a rematch, AND because Mularkey knows their offense already....

I also think the Bus might reconsider that retirement statement, even if they "you know what".... ;)

[POJO_Risin]

I don't know Va...he's all but auditioned for a seat at the CBS desk...and you can actually understand him...unlike Sharpe...that fucking moron...

if they dance...he'll call it a night at midnight...

who knows though...there is definitely gas left in the tank...

Mularkey is really fucking up for this game as well...

he said he "circled it the day the schedules came out..."

maybe it's not gonna be such a Buffalo gimme as we thought...

[ALinChainz]

Hey ...

Do you guys mean ....

Pittsburgh ... in THE SUPER BOWL!

Say it .. it won't jinx it.

:D

[POJO_Risin]

YOU can say it...

we can't...;)

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Nice try Al....

Bastard..... ;)

[POJO_Risin]

The Lions are going to the SuperBowl in 2006!!!!!

[Nickdfresh]

COMMENTARY
Steelers won't shift to cruise control
By LARRY FELSER

1/2/2005

I'll take Bill Cowher at his word. He may not be the most lovable coach in the NFL, but you can count on him to play to win.
The most common reaction to the above observation would be, "Doesn't every coach?"

Well, not all the time. Take Andy Reid and his Philadelphia Eagles, who played the St. Louis Rams on Monday night. The Eagles, who already clinched the home-field advantage for the playoffs, have lost their super receiver, Terrell Owens, and dependable running back Brian Westbrook. Like most NFL teams at this time of the year, the Eagles are bruised and battered.

So Reid played the game as if it were the first exhibition of the summer of '05. Starting quarterback Donovan McNabb played one series. Zip, zip, zip, touchdown, the rest of the night off.

Except this wasn't an exhibition game, or even an end-of-the-season meaningless game. The Rams are in the playoff race because they play in the bedraggled NFC. The rest of the game was a gift card from the Eagles, ceding the victory to the Rams and keeping them alive for a playoff spot if they can beat the Jets in St. Louis today.

No rebate was offered to the customers who paid full price for their tickets, expecting to see a legitimate game.

Which brings us to the Bills game today against the Steelers in Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Who in Western New York doesn't have great admiration for the way the Bills picked themselves up off the canvas after that near-TKO, 0-4 start? Who doesn't want to see them in the playoffs?

For anyone who has given it some thought, as satisfying as a victory would be, it would be far less satisfying if it came with a gift card from the Steelers, who haven't lost since Week Two.

Obviously, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, the rookie phenom, can't be used. He's hurt. Resting Jerome Bettis makes sense, too, since the Bus has been used far more than planned and performed as if he had his motor rebuilt and a super-charger added.

But there is no mandate from the league that says there should be no resting for rest's sake.

That's what I like about the way major league baseball handles the last month of its season. Each year at that time the commissioner issues a stern reminder that the integrity of the game demands that when playing a postseason contender, the best possible lineup shall be fielded and playing to win is the only object.

What about the integrity of the NFL? The unwritten rule seems to be: If you have nothing at stake, pretend it's August.

I didn't like it when Marv Levy did it, either. In 1991 the Bills had clinched home-field advantage before their final regular-season game against Detroit in Orchard Park. The Lions were locked in a fight with the Chicago Bears for the right to play on in the postseason. The Bills won eight of their previous nine games so Marv rested a lot of his regulars. The Lions, overmatched under ordinary circumstances, won in overtime.

The Bills didn't owe a thing to the Bears. They owed a lot to the integrity of the NFL. I don't think that one of the perks of a great season is putting it into cruise control in a game that is important to one of the combatants.

I doubt the Steelers will do that. Their franchise has been the Rooney family's from the start. Integrity came with the family coat of arms.

Larry Felser, former News columnist,
appears in Sunday's editions.

The Buffalo News (http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20050102/1058024.asp)

[Va Beach VH Fan]

That all may be true, but now Burress are listed as inactive as well....

I'd love to see them finish 15-1, but I see them mailing this one in....

[guwapo_rocker]

The Bills are on a roll, would be nice to see a good game.
Even if the Steelers were healthy, I think the Bills would
have played them tough today, they are playing really well.

I am surprised by the play of bledsoe lately, usually he sucks.

[guwapo_rocker]

Shit Buffalo fumble already!!!

[POJO_Risin]

With Bledsoe...it isn't about talent...I think it's about caring for him...

he realized his job was on the line...they brought Losman in one game...and bledsoe was a different player after that...

I still think Pittsburgh will give it a run today...we'll see though...

Not happy with No Chin being in there...

[guwapo_rocker]

Sacked.....shit.

[Nickdfresh]

Willis McGahee. Any questions?

McGahee (http://www.buffalobills.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=81566)

[guwapo_rocker]

Touchdown!:D

[POJO_Risin]

What's the deal with the Steeler game...I'm actually away from the TV right now...

7-0 Buffalo?

[POJO_Risin]

Hey Daddy...what's that qb Pittsburgh took in the first round...

Roethisomethin'...

Good pick Cowhah....

lmfao...

[guwapo_rocker]

10 - 7 Pit.

[guwapo_rocker]

Bledsoe picked off own 25.

[Snoo]

Have fun trying to find a brain-damaged GM to give you the big money deal you think you deserve, Kendrell.

[POJO_Risin]

How has PBurgh scored?

And McGahee has had a great year...but what's his YPC?

I don't think he's better than Henry when Henry is healthy...

although next year...when McGahee's knee is really 100%...we may get to see a great...great season...

[guwapo_rocker]

Steelers first down on Bills 7.

[POJO_Risin]

Kendrell won't be getting shit...after missing 98% of the year...

[POJO_Risin]

How has Pittsburgh scored damn it!!!!

[guwapo_rocker]

1-10-BUF49 (6:06) T.Maddox pass incomplete to H.Ward (T.Spikes). Receiver and coverage at BUF 46, right side.
2-10-BUF49 (6:02) D.Staley left guard to BUF 46 for 3 yards (P.Williams, T.Vincent).
3-7-BUF46 (5:22) (Shotgun) T.Maddox pass to L.Mays pushed ob at BUF 22 for 24 yards (T.McGee). Caught at BUF 30, right side.
1-10-BUF22 (4:53) D.Staley right guard to BUF 20 for 2 yards (T.Spikes; L.Fletcher).
2-8-BUF20 (4:18) D.Staley left tackle to BUF 16 for 4 yards (L.Fletcher, T.Vincent).
3-4-BUF16 (3:36) (Shotgun) T.Maddox pass to A.Randle El for 16 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Caught at BUF 13, right side.

[Snoo]

Maddox threw a bullet to El, nobody anywhere near him...he missed it, they kicked a field goal. Two possessions later El caught a 16 yarder and looked to scamper out of bounds at the 1 but they called it a touchdown.

[guwapo_rocker]

22 yard steelers field goal 13 - 7

[POJO_Risin]

ok...13-7...

should be fucking 21-7 damn it...

[POJO_Risin]

Way to run it out of the endzone dipshit...lmfao...

[guwapo_rocker]

Bledsoe's playing like he knows I bet on the Bills.:rolleyes:

I think Moulds is hurt.

[POJO_Risin]

That was a fantastic Buffalo drive...lmfao...

[POJO_Risin]

Alright...midfield...put 6 on the board.....

[POJO_Risin]

Let me see if I get this straight...

you put money on the Bills today...

and correct me if I'm wrong...but wasn't the line... Bills -9...

you bet on the Bills giving up 9????

[guwapo_rocker]

Picked off.....

[POJO_Risin]

Tommy Nochin is a fucking WHORE...

put in St. Pierre...

[guwapo_rocker]

Nope, proline here in Ontario, Bills must win by four.

It's part of a Parlay.

[POJO_Risin]

Ah yes...Parlays...

You can make some serious coin RUNNING those things...

[guwapo_rocker]

Bledsoe sucks Hagar!!!

[Nickdfresh]

Originally posted by POJO_Risin
Let me see if I get this straight...

you put money on the Bills today...

and correct me if I'm wrong...but wasn't the line... Bills -9...

you bet on the Bills giving up 9????

These games are tough to call. It's hard to know how to gauge how well the Steelers, or any team with nothing to play for, will play, although, they are clearly NOT mailing it in. It's also tough to gauge how well a team with everything to win will play. Sometimes it seems they play DOWN to the competition.

[POJO_Risin]

That's why I never touch these bets...the last week of the year...

you see a 14-1 team at +9 the last week of the season...

[guwapo_rocker]

I'm going to the bar for the second half.

Cheers.

[POJO_Risin]

Enjoy...

Steelers up 9...lookin' good so far...not a great game...but Steelers still winning...

[Nickdfresh]

Originally posted by POJO_Risin
That's why I never touch these bets...the last week of the year...

you see a 14-1 team at +9 the last week of the season...

The Phili-St.Louis MNF game was a prime example. The Rams, as bad as they are, should have trounced Phili's second string.

[Nickdfresh]

Originally posted by POJO_Risin
Enjoy...

Steelers up 9...lookin' good so far...not a great game...but Steelers still winning...

I think Pitt. is going to start pulling their first string though.

[POJO_Risin]

Well...they are down 1...so I'm guessing they did...stopped watching it again...have started to watch the NFC playoff potentials...

New Orleans...beating Carolina...

and St. Louis beating the Jets...

[Snoo]

Buffalo's about done now.

[POJO_Risin]

?????What's the score?

[Rikk]

26/17. It's probably over for Buffalo.

[Snoo]

The wind really kicked up and Lindell missed a 28 yard field goal...Reed made a field goal, then as soon as Buffalo got the ball back Coclough nailed Bledsoe, he fumbled, and Harrison ran 18 yards for a TD.

[POJO_Risin]

I see it's 29-17 now...

Game, set and match...

Jesus fucking Christ...

we went fucking 15-1...

15 and fucking 1...

The Redskins beat Minnesota...

however...if Carolina loses...they are still in...

6 minutes left...Carolina down 11...

[POJO_Risin]

Carolina just scored a td...

and going for 2...so that a field goal will tie it...of course...

if they just get the extra point...and nevermind...they just scored a 2 point conversion...

only down 3...jesus christ...what is it with this fucking team...

[POJO_Risin]

The Vikings blow...started off fucking 5-1...lmfao...

Carolina's going to win today...

here we go...NO with the ball...batted down...

Christ...Carolina may score 2 more...

you have McCallister...and you come out fucking passing?

[POJO_Risin]

And just like that...NO has to kick...

Haslett looks like a dipshit...

[Rikk]

Originally posted by POJO_Risin
Jesus fucking Christ...

we went fucking 15-1...

15 and fucking 1...

That's an AFC record. Plus, the 14 consecutive games is a Pittsburgh record. It's pretty fucking amazing. And this 15th game was a win with hands tied behind the back. That said, BUFFALO really did fuck today's game up. I actually felt sorry for 'em.

I just hope that Pittsburgh don't get cocky. Plus ol' Benny will have been looking at three weeks out when he comes back. I hope he won't have lost any momentum.

[Nickdfresh]

AHHHHHH...If the Jets lose, I'm gonna' throw up!

[Nickdfresh]

Man those Steelers have some serious depth though!

"Ahhhhhhh...The Bills could have made the playoffs! St Louis over the Jets 32 to 29 in OT!:

http://pigsarseairlines.tripod.com/vomit.JPG

[Va Beach VH Fan]

15-1 BABY !!!!!!

Holy shit, I guess Caaaaawher should have put the fucking ballboys in there !!!!

I'll admit, once McGahee started making those 3rd stringers miss tackles in the 2nd half, I thought they'd pull away....

Fantastic regular season.....

And now, everyone will be 0-0.....

Early playoff matchups for next week in the AFC are already taking shape....

Jets at Chargers......

And can the fucking Ravens sneak in for the 6 seed, to go to Indy ???

[POJO_Risin]

Fuck the Ravens....

Jesus Christ bro...gotta love the depth...

game time baby...gametime...

[aesop]

Originally posted by POJO_Risin
Fuck the Ravens....

Jesus Christ bro...gotta love the depth...

game time baby...gametime...

Now the only hard part is waiting two weeks!!!!!

It's cool to sit here and realize we will remember this year for the rest of our lives...

...The year of the Ben and the Bus!

I see that Cowher chin getting longer...

[POJO_Risin]

Well...fuck...I don't mind waiting...as long as they are still dancin'...

15-1 means nothing now...

it's all about the Jets, the Broncos or the Chargers...

and all three are tough games...

[POJO_Risin]

Now you've got to legitimize the 15-1 by winning the whole dance...anything less just isn't acceptable...

and we now have a target...

[Rikk]

Again, don't forget that 2001 was a great season. But they didn't even make the Superbowl. I really want to avenge the Steelers of 2001 but killing NEW ENGLAND in the AFC Championships. Then I can laugh at LOOOOOOO.

[aesop]

Originally posted by POJO_Risin
Now you've got to legitimize the 15-1 by winning the whole dance...anything less just isn't acceptable...

and we now have a target...

And no one wants to come to Heinz Field to play a game..

...just as it should be.

...I'm booking my hotel room now...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Originally posted by aesop
Now the only hard part is waiting two weeks!!!!!

On the other side of that though is two weeks to get nearly everyone healthy....

A close to 100% Duce....

A close to 100% Bell....

A healthy Haggans....

A healthy Plax....

A healthy Bus.....

A healthy Ben.....

Get those MOFO's running on ALL CYLINDERS going into the playoffs !!!!

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Originally posted by Rikk
Again, don't forget that 2001 was a great season. But they didn't even make the Superbowl. I really want to avenge the Steelers of 2001 but killing NEW ENGLAND in the AFC Championships. Then I can laugh at LOOOOOOO.

I think this year hopefully will be different....

In '01 (and '94), the Steelers were BIG favorites, over a TD in each game...

They'll be the first one to admit, they got complacent during game week and they got spanked....

There's no way, regardless of who they'll play in either playoff game, that the spread will be over, I'd say, 5 points..... I think their spread over San Diego or Denver would be 5, but that's it....

And it's an obvious one, but Aesop brought it up, Heinz Field now is a MAJOR field advantage.... That crowd is amazing, it really is.....

I'm jealous already....

[aesop]

Originally posted by Va Beach VH Fan
On the other side of that though is two weeks to get nearly everyone healthy....

A close to 100% Duce....

A close to 100% Bell....

A healthy Haggans....

A healthy Plax....

A healthy Bus.....

A healthy Ben.....

Get those MOFO's running on ALL CYLINDERS going into the playoffs !!!!

Good points, VA. I'd be worried if they didn't win Sunday...But I feel fine now...


...And I feel sorry for the NFC LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[aesop]

THE STEELERS 2004 FIGHT SONG...TIME TO BREAK THIS BAD BOY OUT!!!!

Hey Poj...Is This You????

Download HERE (http://members.aol.com/alcott333/steelers.ram) (real audio)



"Let's Go Steelers"

performed by the Pogo Bandits
Copyright 2004
BMI


Pittsburgh Steelers
Here We Go Steelers
Let's Go Steelers
Let's Go

Duce Staley and Jerome, they power the team
Crashing through the line, running over the "D"
When Faneca, Hartings and Kreider make a hole
The next bus stop is the Super Bowl

Pittsburgh Steelers
Here We Go Steelers
Let's Go Steelers

Big Ben Roethlisberger just can't be beat
He moves in the pocket and he's throwing it deep
Plaxico jumps up high to catch a pass
Hines Ward knocks the safety on his... back

Pittsburgh Steelers
Here We Go Steelers
Let's Go Steelers

The number one defense, ya knw they're here to stop you
With Aaron Smith and Kimo and Troy Polamalu
With Porter and Haggans, the blitzes are coming
James Farrior, he's got the quarterback running

Pittsburgh Steelers
Here We Go Steelers
Let's Go Steelers

Bill Cowher, he's the coach of this team
He got the boys playing hard, he's got 'em playing mean
He yells and he spits and he sticks out his chin
Cowher Power has the team playing to win

Pittsburgh Steelers
Here We Go Steelers
Let's Go Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
Here We Go Steelers
Let's Go Steelers

Pittsburgh Steelers, We love you
Pittsburgh Steelers, We love you
The Steelers are going to the Super Bowl
The Steelers are going to the Super Bowl

[ALinChainz]

Roethlisberger unanimous choice for top offensive rookie

By BARRY WILNER, AP Football Writer
January 5, 2005

NEW YORK (AP) -- Ben Roethlisberger did what John Unitas, Joe Montana, Dan Marino, Brett Favre and every other NFL quarterback never managed by winning The Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

The first quarterback to win the honor since its inception in 1957, Roethlisberger did so unanimously, the second straight rookie to get all the votes. The Pittsburgh Steelers' young star received all 48 votes Wednesday from a nationwide panel of writers and broadcasters who cover pro football.

Last year, Arizona wide receiver Anquan Boldin also swept the panel.

But Boldin didn't go unbeaten in 13 starts, as Roethlisberger did in leading the Steelers to a franchise-best 15-1 record, which led the NFL this season. Neither, of course, has any other rookie QB.

``I think it is just a comfort level every week, learning and practicing, getting on the same page as these guys,'' Roethlisberger said. ``I think that has really helped by being out there in practice and working with these guys, the receivers, the linemen, the running backs, and just getting familiar with each other has really helped our success and our progress.''

Roethlisberger's progress was aided by having a superb running game featuring Jerome Bettis and Duce Staley, operating behind perhaps the league's best offensive line. Pittsburgh ranked second in rushing.

And the Steelers' defense was the league's best, allowing the fewest points and yards.

That meant Roethlisberger didn't need to win many games with his arm.

Yet when he did, he brought back the AFC North champions with late drives to beat Jacksonville and the New York Giants. His composure, competitiveness and intelligent handling of the offense were keys to those wins -- and several others in which he didn't require such heroics.

``I did not really know what to expect,'' said Roethlisberger, the 11th choice in the first round of the draft -- and the third overall quarterback taken behind Eli Manning and Phillip Rivers, neither of whom had much of an impact.

``I thought coming in, knowing about Tommy (Maddox) as the starter, that I was going to come in and just try to learn this offense and try to learn to be a backup, whatever coach was going to ask of me,'' Roethlisberger said. ``Obviously, things changed.''

They changed when Maddox injured his right elbow in Game 2 at Baltimore, the Steelers' only loss. There were loud doubts about Pittsburgh's chances of prospering with a rookie quarterback, including some from Roethlisberger's teammates.

He silenced those doubters very quickly.

``We've got mostly the same guys, it's Ben that has made a big difference,'' linebacker Joey Porter said. ``Everybody else has been here. Duce and Ben are the biggest two additions we had. Nobody knew he could play at this level this early.''

Roethlisberger finished fifth in passer rating at 98.1. He completed 196 of 295 passes -- yes, only 99 incompletions -- for 2,621 yards, with 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. His best work came in the middle of the schedule and he wasn't quite as dynamic in December. But he kept winning, even as he was given more responsibility in the offense.

``I think we will surely evolve and add more plays and do more things as an offense,'' he said, ``and I can kind of become more diversified as we continue on this quest this year and in coming years.''

Roethlisberger, whose sensational rookie season could earn him $2.6 million in bonuses, is the fourth Steelers player to win the award, joining receivers Louis Lipps (1984) and Jimmy Orr (1958) and running back Franco Harris (1972).

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Geez, I hate to sound complacent, but is this not "ho-hum" ??

I guess the year this 22 year old will really sink in a couple of years, when they may have BETTER teams but not finish 15-1.....

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Well, all set.... Jets at Steelers, part Deux....

Steelers are a 9 1/2 point favorites.....

As I said in the other thread, I think the big key in this game, as opposed to the first time they met, is going to be the much better overall health of the Steelers....

With Ben, Duce, Plaxico, Bus, Haggans, and Townsend all returning nearly completely healthy, I think we'll see a much different outcome this time around....

Bus will probably get most of the carries with Duce spelling him, unless something drastically changes for the better with Duce's hammy this week in practice....

I don't see Bell coming back fully, but he may get some spot action... Larry Foote will get the brunt of the work....

I think Haggans should be fully back, but if not, James Harrison has been playing great....

Plaxico's return I think is going to be biggest difference.... The Jets will not be able to put 8 in the box, or else Ben will burn them.....

Prediction, you ask ??

Lemme think for a sec....

OK, Stillers 31 - Jets 13.....

[POJO_Risin]

You never know...I truly think it will be a good game...

I think Pittsburgh is better than I think...to be honest...

We shall see...they would have beat both teams yesterday...9 1/2 seems about right...

[redblkwht]

Game fucking on tomorrow, where you guys at? i got $ on this
game thanks to your admiration..lol
actually i did it on my own. btw, im gonna be at vegas, anyone want me to bet something pm me..im leaving for in 2-21-05.
Rock on!

[POJO_Risin]

lmfao...rbw...lmfao...

you and your code...

I'm going myself...or I'd have you throw a few bucks on a couple of teams for next year's Super Bowl...

always take the Steelers...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Sorry, didn't have the energy to type last night.... ;)

Fate ??

Destiny ??

Resiliency ??

Or just incredible luck ??

Say what you will, but the Steelers just played their worst ballgame of the year, and STILL won....

First of all, I'm not going to start by kissing the Jets' ass.... Once again, they couldn't score a TD against the Steelers' D.... They had the game won, didn't capitalize, now go home....

Besides that, let's review....This game SHOULD not have been as close as it was (I know, shoulda, woulda, coulda).... Ben throws the INT at the Jets' 14, Bus fumbles at the NYJ 20....

In reference to Ben, I don't know, it seems that he's aiming the ball similar to how he was throwing when he first started the year..... Hopefully, this will be a good learning experience going into next week.... The INT for the TD was incredibly underthrown... Randle El was wide open for a TD if he would have put some mustard on it... But because he was throwing against his body, that made it a dying quail.... I for one would like to see him run a little more... That 20 yard scramble in the 4th quarter is there all the time, ne needs to take advantage of it.....

Now in terms of the RB situation, this is a tough one, because it appears that both backs are nearly completely healthy.... Although Duce says he still doesn't have 100% acceleration, it seems that he hits the hole a BIT quicker than Bus, with nearly the same amount of bouncing off of tacklers..... I don't know if I'm ready to commit to stating that I'd like to see Duce start, but he sure looked good to me when he got in there.... Probably keep Bus as the starter next Sunday, but Duce needs to get more touches.....

For next week's game, hmmm, I guess I'd like to see the Pats win.... The Colts have a lot of weapons to defend against.... Of course, the more people you put out there as receivers, that's one less person to pass block.... The Ravens, who of course play a similar style defense, had a good amount of success for most of the game against them.... However, I think I'd want to defend against a more conservative and predictable offense like the Pats.... The only thing against playing the Pats again is that they have the benefit of already playing the Steelers before, and can gameplan that much better.....

And, as an extra bonus to the fans, the AFC game is at 6:30, plenty of time to get tanked before the game !!!! For some reason, I like that it's going to be a night game....

I think subconsciously this game may help the Steelers... They know they could easily be making tee times right now, they know they really played poorly (at least offensively), and they still came away with the W..... This game may give them that little bit more determination, to play SMART football, to go over the top and play a complete game, regardless of who their opponent will be, and start making plans for Jacksonville.....

By the way, don't ask me about the Atlanta game, I was so spent, I didn't make it much past halftime.... ;)

[aesop]

Good assesment, VA! Take back the two Ben picks and Jerome's fumble, and the game is not even close.

Ben needed this game (as bad as I hated to watch it) to get a feel for the playoffs. It's all behind us now.

...By the way, I need to give some props to Willie Williams and Deshea Townsend...they played outstanding games, and saved a few big gainers! The Pitt 'D' definatley came ready to play...

[aesop]

Wish the whole Army could've been there...This should give you a taste...

After long day of consuming, to the tailgaters go the spoils

Sunday, January 16, 2005
By Chico Harlan, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Robinson Township brothers Brad Slepecki and Jason Slepecki get revved for the Steelers AFC divisional playoff game against the Jets from atop a rented RV yesterday outside Heinz Field.

In a half-full parking lot outside of Heinz Field, Chad Lerner, 2,000 miles from home, bent into a crouch, seemingly brought to his knees by the gravity of the moment: the Calgary, Alberta, native -- a life-long Steelers fan -- finally arrived as a Pittsburgh tailgater. Hoping equally to blur the memory and preserve it, Lerner held a 16-ounce Miller Genuine Draft in one hand, a silver camera in the other.

With a quick glance, Lerner surveyed the tailgating scene. In three hours, he'd be inside the stadium for the first time, watching the Steelers play in Pittsburgh. Smoke wafted in plumes from the parking lot landscape. Passing cars honked the beat of "Here we go, Steelers." A potpourri of smells -- beer, cigar smoke, sewage, smoked meat -- converged into a scent that was unmistakably Pittsburgh. Vendors strolled through the lots selling $15 T-shirts suggesting the New York Jets ought to do things that would be anatomically difficult.

But that's what Lerner had come for. That's why he, along with a buddy, had paid $1,200 for plane tickets and game tickets for yesterday's Steelers playoff game. But pregame festivities, for some, were just as important.

The tailgating was captivating, providing moments of excitement and danger (at least for a few brave Jets fans) akin to the game itself. Always a Pittsburgh specialty, the tailgating scene inspired plenty of spirit, a touch of debauchery and -- for Lerner -- the environment he had long-awaited.


"Had to," he said, after snapping a photograph of the parking lot.

Hours before yesterday's game began, thousands of fans, coming both near and far from Pittsburgh, filled parking lots both near and far from Heinz Field. Sometimes the merger of alcohol and rooting interest yielded comical results.

"This is my father," said Ed Savarno, pointing to a 65-year-old man, also named Ed. "He's playing [the drinking game] beer pong."

As cars crammed parking lots fans issued few complaints. Parking and foot traffic, both feared problematic, became non-issues. Even an hour before game time, most fans waited in lines no longer than 15 minutes to enter the stadium.

Even the weather cooperated. Though temperatures hung in the upper 20s, making it one of the chilliest playoff games in Steelers history, sun warmed the afternoon and made the tailgating far more comfortable than predicted.

The only faction feeling uneasy wore green and white. Before yesterday's game, only a handful of Jets fans could be spotted in the asphalt expanses outside Heinz Field.

"We haven't seen many others," said Steve Hamilton, who'd made the drive from Marlboro, N.J., to Pittsburgh with three buddies, also Jets fans. "We feel all alone out here."

The foursome, huddled near a van they'd been driving in or drinking behind since 3 a.m. yesterday morning, reported little abuse, and found the Steelers fans to be surprisingly pleasant.

"There are a few sour apples, but you have to expect that." Hamilton said. "We're behind enemy lines."

One possible explanation for the placidness: Steelers fans, tempted by a never-ending assemblage of nachos and sausage and pizza, simply didn't have the time to use their mouths for trash talk. Tailgate spreads ranged from minimalist (pretzels and a beer keg) to excessive (some luxuriantly chased their alcoholic cocktails with shrimp cocktails).

At a table she shared with a host of fellow Steelers fans, Barbara Wood, from Canton, Ohio, treated her friends to black-and-gold M&Ms, black-and-gold chips and shish kabobs with ... well, gold peppers. She conceding that cooking the meat black didn't sound so appetizing.

But black and gold, in the end, unified all partiers. Three hours before kickoff, small pockets of Steelers fans had joined into a larger mob. Folks parked next to one another turned into friends; food and drink gained a notably communal purpose.

"These guys, I'd never seen 'em in my life before today," said Mike Pellegrino, motioning to Ken Sillaman and Steve Trout.

"But when you come to the game you're like family," Sillaman said. "You can wander from car to car and feel totally welcome."

Said Pellegrino: "As long as you got the colors" -- he pointed to his black and gold jersey -- "you've got the blood."

The newly minted trio of friends joked that drinking was their bond. Then one of them turned serious.

"Good football is the bond," added Trout. "We come here to see great football, and a team that represents this city."

http://www.post-gazette.com/images3/20050116r_fans_rvPJ_230.jpg

http://www.post-gazette.com/images3/20050116rr_fan_busPJ_230.jpg

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/images/200501/1105856769109.jpg

http://www.johnnyroadtrip.com/tailgating/pictures/pittsteelerstailgate.jpg

http://media.steelers.com//2004/09/14/06/04_OAK_Tailgators06_45471.jpg



I will take many pictures next week and post!!!!

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Hey, you stole the pic that I stole !!!!! ;)

[aesop]

LOL. More to come (for real) next week, with any luck...


Now here's a TRUE BLACK AND GOLD FAN...I may have to get one of those!!!

http://www.post-gazette.com/images3/20050113_SN_tat01_450.jpg

[aesop]

Sans the nip ring, of course...

[DlocRoth]

Am I drunk???

The Steelers escaped like little biAtches.

They are not shit.

[Rikk]

Enjoyable game this afternoon. Personally, I'm going for INDY because I still think our guys will have a harder time against NEW ENGLAND.

[redblkwht]

Steeler D will change the game next wk in many, many ways.
bank on it..

[Chaz Rock City]

Back in Sept I thought if the Steelers go 9-7, I'd be dancing in the streets. Now if they don't win it all, I'll be pissed. Getting passed New England will be tough, but if they do, THEY WILL WIN THE SUPER BOWL.

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Honestly, I would be much more worried if the Steelers had won by a couple of touchdowns vs. the Jets....

The lack of focus and lackadaisical attitudes would have crept in during the week....

Considering how poorly they played, and how much disrespect their getting in the press, you can rest assured that this is going to be one inspired bunch when they take the field on Sunday night....

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Highlights from Cowher's press conference today...

- The lovefest between the two teams continue; "They're the best team in the NFL".... "No, THEY'RE they best team in the NFL"..... Amazing just how much they ensuring there's no bulletin board material this week....

- Bus will get the start again, but Duce will see much more playing time... I for one think that's a great call, to combat the aggressive defense of the Pats, i.e. screens, draws, etc....

- Everyone is basically healthy.... The flu really kicked the shit out of Kendrell Bell, but he's OK now, will play Sunday but not start....

- Once again, they reiterated that Ben did NOT have anything wrong with his thumb or his ribs.... The reason he sucked his thumb that one time was because the gloves were not fitting him very well..... Sportsbeat on Monday really pointed it out well.... His hips were WAY open on both of those INT's.... If you know football, you know you've got to have your feet pointed where you want to throw the ball (for the most part).... You open your hips, and the accuracy goes right out the window....

IS IT SUNDAY YET ??? ;)

[ALinChainz]

Belichick man ... you know the Pats are going to have some shit on defense that will be a bitch for Big Ben.

Ain't going to be easy.

[ALinChainz]

Plaxico Burress: Last Hurrah at Heinz Field?

RotoWire.com Staff - RotoWire.com

Friday, January 21, 2005

Update: Burress, who will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, could be playing his final game as a Steeler at Heinz Field in this Sunday's AFC Championship, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Recommendation: The Steelers decided before the start of the season not to extend Burress' contract, and it might be difficult financially for the team to retain him in free agency. Burress is expected to command a big offer on the open market.

[Va Beach VH Fan]

I still think they're going to make a push to resign him, even after extending Hines' contract...

Look for them to release Scott (4M), and maybe even Hartings....

[POJO_Risin]

And you can't forget about the possibility of franchising him...

Do I think he's worth a top five average paycheck?

well...I don't know...but I'd hate to see him go...

I'd extend Hines...then immediately place the franchise tag on Plax...and work on an extension all year...

if he doesn't get it done...let him go...draft WR next year...or RB...

[POJO_Risin]

Alls I know...is if Mike Williams slides down and can be had in the mid to late first round...I'd be trying my ass off to trade up and get him...let's not forget this kid was projected in the top five last year...

and that rust will work itself out quickly...

[ALinChainz]

The biggest problem with Plax is that you don't know if he's worth the big money.

Seems like he's right on the fence as a player and could go either way, star or bust. Ability is obviously not the problem.

And if Williams is there at #10, Charles Rogers or no, I would take Mike Williams were I the Lions.

[POJO_Risin]

I actually agree with that...

when he's out there...and running 100%...he's top 5...

but that's rare...you never know what you're going to get...

sometimes...you get the impression he's Mosslite...

[ALinChainz]

Plax should be a red zone monster ... 13-15 TD range. And with Ben, he could get there fast.

[POJO_Risin]

Well...that's what I'm thinking...

Ben and Plax have only gotten started...and when Plax went down...we didn't get to see that relationship blossom...lmfao...sounds funny...

I think we COULD be seeing a magical combo...

if he stays...

if not...Ben will make do...Hines WARD IS a player you build around...but you already get the impression that WARD's days as a stud receiver have reached their pinnacle...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Yes, the franchise tag is there, and that's fine, although that will be a one-time shot with a one-year contract.... The fact that he must be paid the average of the top 5 WR salaries isn't that big a deal, because he'd get paid that much as a free agent anyway...

The Ben factor is a big one, because it became fairly obvious that when Plax was in there and healthy, that he was Ben's favorite target....

IRT Williams, I don't see how someone with his talent would even last to #20, let alone in the thirties where the Stelers will be picking (hopefully #32 !!!)....

[POJO_Risin]

Williams won't drop out of the top ten...if he does...an team with a brain would be lucky to get him...

[Rikk]

Just a little over twenty-four hours to discover just how far this was going to go...

[POJO_Risin]

Yeah...it's mind-numbing...and they are shoveling and plowing their asses off right now...

Dan Marino...pulling out my 13-0 record for Belicheck when facing a qb for the 2nd time...bastard...

[ALinChainz]

Big Ben played second half vs. Patriots with broken toes

By ALAN ROBINSON, AP Sports Writer

January 25, 2005


PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger broke a couple of toes on his right foot during the Steelers' AFC title game loss to the Patriots, but he doesn't blame the injury for his error-filled play.

Roethlisberger didn't specify Tuesday which toes were broken, and he wasn't walking with an apparent limp. He believes he was hurt while stumbling on a 13-yard run late in the first half, amid a drive that later stalled in the 41-27 loss Sunday.

``It's a good thing I'm not punting any more,'' said Roethlisberger, who was a part-time punter in college at Miami of Ohio.

Despite getting hurt on an 11-degree night, Roethlisberger saw his statistics improve after the injury. He was 5-of-10 for 77 yards and two pivotal interceptions as New England opened a 24-3 lead by halftime, but was 9-of-14 for 149 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in the second half.

While acknowledging the foot injury, the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year brushed off weeks' worth of rumors that he hurt his right thumb late in the season.

``I'm fine, I'll be healthy by next year,'' he said.

The vague answer was similar to the one he offered after throwing two interceptions in a 20-17 overtime playoff victory over the New York Jets on Jan. 15. Then, when asked about a possible thumb injury, he said, ``I'm not going to make excuses.''

Roethlisberger said his arm became tired during his first NFL season, though he wouldn't speculate if it contributed to his late-season falloff in production. He had 12 touchdown passes and four interceptions in his first 10 starts, but only six TD passes and 10 interceptions in his last five -- including five interceptions in two playoff games.

``My arm got a little tired,'' he said. ``I didn't throw as much as Peyton Manning, but I threw a lot more than I did playing 10 or 12 games'' in college.

Offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt said opponents began defending the Steelers' passing game differently as the season progressed, dropping more defenders into coverage on third down to create traffic in the passing lines and make it harder for Roethlisberger to find receivers

``Physically, it wears on you. It's a weariness from the whole season, and then you have to play against coach (Bill) Belichick's defense, and that's always tough,'' Roethlisberger said. ``There's a lot of different things they threw at us, looks and blitzes.''

Still, Roethlisberger said playing nearly a full season as a starter at least a year ahead of schedule has only advanced his progress.

``I learned a lot of things, not just in this game but this season,'' Roethlisberger said.

After Roethlisberger takes some time off to play golf and watch his high school sophomore sister, Carlee, play basketball at Findlay (Ohio) High, he will return to Pittsburgh to begin offseason workouts and meetings with Whisenhunt and quarterbacks coach Mark Whipple.

``There are some areas we need to improve -- areas I need to improve,'' said Whisenhunt, who was also in his first season as an NFL coordinator.

Whisenhunt and Roethlisberger also hope the Steelers bring back wide receiver Plaxico Burress, a potential free agent who doesn't expect to return to Pittsburgh.

Two days after his first NFL defeat, Roethlisberger said it's difficult dealing with losing again after going 16 months and 27 consecutive games -- 14 in the NFL and his last 13 in college -- without a loss.

``You forget how to lose -- and that's probably a good thing,'' he said.

While he takes some satisfaction from arguably the best rookie season by an NFL quarterback, Roethlisberger is disappointed the Steelers' 15-game winning streak ended one game short of the Super Bowl.

``I let a lot of people down,'' he said. ``That's the tough thing about it.''

[Va Beach VH Fan]

He should have hurt his toes earlier on, they scored on the 1st two drives in the 2nd half.... ;)

I gotta be honest with ya, I'm nearly 100% over this loss already....

The loss in the Jan '95 game vs. San Diego really hurt, because we were such a big favorite, and to lose it at the goalline on 4th down....

The win vs. the Colts in Jan. '96 was a big relief, 'cause that was inches from a loss as well.... With one good drive at the end of the game, we had the Super Bowl won as well.... Fucking Larry Brown... ;)

The loss in the Jan. '98 to the Broncos wasn't too bad, they were the better team....

The loss in Jan. '02 was pretty bad as well... Big favorites, and big fuckups.... Two special teams touchdowns killed us...

This loss vs. the Pats wasn't that bad to me.... I knew going in that the Steelers would have to play a damn good game to win, not perfect, but damn good.... Well, 4 turnovers, spotty defense, and questionable playcalling is a recipe for disaster...

Bottom line: You can't play a bad game vs. a good team in the AFC Championship and expect to win....

[ALinChainz]

The Steelers have the future.

Ben is the real deal. That position is set.

Plax will probably want to stay now, along with some kind of assurance that he will be more involved in the game plan.

But at the same time, he shows some dedication and starts working his tail off, he and Ben could be lethal. Throw in Ward and the usual running game and defense, the Steelers will be in the serious hunt every season barring injury.

[ALinChainz]

Cowher: QB Exaggerated About Broken Toes


By ALAN ROBINSON, AP Sports Writer

PITTSBURGH - Rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was exaggerating when he said he broke two toes on his right foot during the AFC championship game, Pittsburgh Steelers (news) coach Bill Cowher said Wednesday.



Roethlisberger told reporters Tuesday he wore down physically during the lengthy NFL season and broke two toes while scrambling late in the first half of the 41-27 loss to the New England Patriots (news).


Cowher seemed irritated Roethlisberger would go public with such a claim, that, in effect, suggested the Steelers gambled with the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year's health by playing him when he was hurt.


"We are unaware of any problems with his toes, OK?" Cowher said.


Roethlisberger didn't specify which toes were broken and wasn't walking with an apparent limp Monday or Tuesday.


"Ben does not have broken toes," Cowher said, talking publicly for the first time since Sunday night, when the Steelers lost an AFC title game for the fourth time in 11 seasons. "At the end of the first half, while scrambling, he aggravated some toes he has broken in the past, in high school and college. He mentioned something to Ryan Grove, our assistant trainer, and said he may have broke his toe. When he came off, he said he was fine, and he went back out in the second half and didn't say anything to anybody else for the rest of the game."


Cowher said the injury was never mentioned during his meeting with Roethlisberger on Monday and nothing showed up during the rookie's physical exam Tuesday.


"I talked to Ben last night, and got it straight from his mouth, and that's that," Cowher said. "He never broke his toes this season. ... Nothing more will be done with it; it's nothing that rest won't cure. It's sore."


Roethlisberger's statistics improved after the injury. He was 5-of-10 for 77 yards and two pivotal interceptions as New England opened a 24-3 lead by halftime, but he was 9-of-14 for 149 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in the second half.


Roethlisberger also brushed off rumors he hurt his right thumb late in the season. There was speculation he wore a glove on his throwing hand as protection, though he discarded the glove for Sunday's game.


"I'm fine. I'll be healthy by next year," he said.


The vague answer was similar to that he offered after throwing two interceptions in a 20-17 overtime playoff victory over the New York Jets (news) on Jan. 15. Then, asked about a possible thumb injury, he said, "I'm not going to make excuses."


Cowher also denied knowing about any thumb injury.


"His thumb, as far as I'm concerned, I don't think there is any problem with his thumb. He played pretty good in the second half," Cowher said.


Roethlisberger also said his passing arm became tired during his first NFL season, though he wouldn't speculate if it contributed to his late-season falloff in production. He had 12 touchdown passes and four interceptions in his first 10 starts, but only six TD passes and 10 interceptions in his last five — including five interceptions in two playoff games.


"I didn't throw as much as Peyton Manning, but I threw a lot more than I did playing 10 or 12 games" in college, said Roethlisberger, unbeaten in his first 14 NFL starts before losing Sunday. "Physically it just wears on you a little bit."


Cowher said all rookies must adjust to the rigors of the NFL season.


"Ben is like everybody; it's a long year. It's a long year for a rookie, it's a grind and there's no way you can prepare for it," Cowher said. "To the kid's credit, he stayed out there and stayed focused. Ben was just being very honest with you guys, but again it's something everybody is going through."

Offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt said opponents began defending the Steelers' passing game differently as the season progressed, dropping more defenders into coverage on third down to make it harder for Roethlisberger to find receivers.

One possible solution next season: "Maybe we will call more passes on first and second downs," Whisenhunt said.

[ALinChainz]

Aaron Smith, Marvel Smith of Steelers added to Pro Bowl


January 26, 2005


NEW YORK (Ticker) - Defensive end Aaron Smith and tackle Marvel Smith of the Pittsburgh Steelers were named as injury replacements for the Pro Bowl in Hawaii.

Aaron Smith replaces end John Abraham of the New York Jets and Marvel Smith replaces tackle Willie Roaf of the Kansas City Chiefs on the AFC team.

The additions give the Steelers eight representatives in the February 13 game at Aloha Stadium, the most for the franchise since 1979.

Cornerback Chris McAlister of the Baltimore Ravens also pulled out of the Pro Bowl due to injury and was replaced by cornerback Patrick Surtain of the Miami Dolphins.

Aaron Smith led the Steelers with eight sacks and also recorded 54 tackles.

Marvel Smith recovered from an injury-plagued 2003 season and helped the Steelers rank second in the league in rushing in 2004.

Surtain had four interceptions for a defense which ranked first in the AFC in fewest passing yards allowed.

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Great news for the Smith boys, especially Aaron, he got snubbed...

I have a bad feeling about Plax, I think he's long gone, if they don't franchise him....

One of the possibilities that was thrown out tonight on FSN was that they could franchise him now, and take the next year to work out a extension....

That would give them an extra year that they could budget for his signing bonus.... Obviously, Hines is gonna get a big one this year....

[ALinChainz]

Offseason game plan: Steelers

By TSN correspondents -


The biggest priority is making decisions on two unrestricted free agents, WR Plaxico Burress and ILB Kendrell Bell. The team will try to re-sign Burress, but it has promised four-time Pro Bowl WR Hines Ward he will be a "priority" to receive a contract extension. Ward has another year remaining on his contract. Re-signing Burress (6-5, 228) might be difficult because, as a big-play receiver with size and speed, he probably will receive a big offer on the free-agent market. If the Steelers lose Burress, they will need to draft a speedy wide receiver in the first or second round. Antwaan Randle El is a good slot receiver, but he lacks the speed to stretch a defense. As for Bell, the team knows he has the speed, power and explosiveness to be a dominating linebacker, but he didn't start a game this season because of injuries (groin, ankle), and the team was 16-2 without him starting. It was the second time in three seasons Bell has missed a good amount of time because of injurie s. Larry Foote, Bell's replacement, played well, particularly in pass situations. The team likes his speed and ability to get to the ball. The team is expected to cut CB Chad Scott because of his salary cap number. He likely will be replaced in the lineup by Ricardo Colclough, who has good speed and coverage skills and reacts well to the ball. The Steelers expect to pair him with Deshea Townsend.



http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=offseasongameplansteeler&prov=tsn&type=lgns

[Va Beach VH Fan]

I have a feeling that they will resign Bell, but only at their price....

You never know, some team may very well overpay like they always do...

I'm not so sure that they'll go WR in the early rounds....

The free agent WR's that are being heard in the P-Burgh press are Jerry Porter (WVU grad) and Mushin Muhammad, who I think will be asking for a steep price...

[POJO_Risin]

Muhammad is old...

Porter overrated...

and I said they'd franchise and work on a Plax deal...long...long ago...

I don't see any of these Free Agents substantially effecting Pittsburgh though...

Plax is fantastic...but I think they can get a receiver to stretch the D...

we'll see...

[ALinChainz]

How about trading up for Braylon Edwards?

he he he ...

:D

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Originally posted by POJO_Risin
and I said they'd franchise and work on a Plax deal...long...long ago...

I hope you're right...

But at the same time, I don't want them opening it up TOO much to get him more balls....

I think they need to be a little smarter on their play calling, like more playaction passes on 1st down....

[Lou]

I read Plax's comments, I actually thought they were pretty funny and I agree with him. The Stillers pride themselves on running the ball and refuse to change with today's NFL. I don't blame him for wanting to leave.

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Yeah, a part of me agrees with that....

But the other part of me says that if he would have caught some more balls that he should have, such as the goalline fade route last week which he horribly mistimed, maybe they WOULD have thrown the ball more to him....

Dude's gonna get paid, no doubt about that....

The franchise tag really puts the clamp on any aspirations he may have to leave, however...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

If this doesn't portray the life of a modern-day Steelers fan, I don't know what does.....

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05029/449632.stm

First Person: I'm over it
Working through the five stages of Steelers grief, in 12 hours
Saturday, January 29, 2005

By Dan Gigler, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Sunday 10:09 p.m. Denial: I sat in my icy, yellow seat for a good 15 minutes after the game had ended. Couldn't bear to watch the Patriots get the championship trophy, but worse, couldn't bring myself to leave this wonderful and tortured place. That I won't return until August seems inconceivable.

I was the last to leave, along with some other dude in section 510 wearing a tattered No. 95 Greg Lloyd jersey. A perfect stranger, we hugged (a manly hug) and agreed over raw larynxes that we'd cheered our guts out, and aggravated our Terrible Towel-waving elbows -- the fandom equivalent of a Hines Ward effort.

Sunday 10:39 p.m. Anger: Why does this always happen to my teams? I was 2 when the Steelers last won a Super Bowl. Francisco Cabrera is seared into my brain and since then baseball has been bastardized via money and the drugs that turned skinny Barry Bonds into the Michelin Man. JoePa's Nittany Lions didn't catch my eye until high school and they stink now. I have truly fond recollections of the Penguins Stanley Cup runs, but I mean c'mon -- it's hockey, and that sport is going the way of typewriters and landline phones.

Should I become a front runner? Would it be easier to switch allegiance like Don King after a fight? Wait until the night before the Super Bowl and then pick my team? Become a Yankees fan? Vote Republican? Apply to Michigan for grad school in the fall for football, then transfer to Duke in time for hoops season?

Furthermore, am I the problem? Is it my tortured existence as a Pittsburgher? I read stories with annoying frequency about the exodus of folks from places like ours, the old economy towns long on character and bad weather but short on prolific job growth. Maybe I should uproot to some faceless, soulless Atlanta subdivision, work for Coca-Cola and annually adopt whatever NBA team Shaq is playing for that year.

Sunday, 11:51 p.m. Bargaining: All I really wanted was one Super Bowl victory. Just one. Not two. Not a dynasty. I'm not that greedy. Just one to enjoy with my friends and family while I'm still young. I had already decided that if we won, I would savor it like the finest of cognacs, remember it forever as a truly treasured memory, and then get on with my life.

Oh, I'd still be a fan, still keep my season tickets, but I'd have that look that the older Steelers fans have. They love our team, but are somewhat nonchalant about Sunday's result, because they've been there. They know. Like folks who have celebrated mass with the pope or bought pre-iPod Apple stock, they are experienced and wise. Black & Gold Yodas, if you will.

Had we won a Super Bowl, I'd put a minimum 10-year moratorium on complaining about anything even remotely related to sports. Big Ben could steal my girlfriend and I'd tell him to take care and to look after that thumb. All that space in my temporal lobe, that shockingly inordinate amount of gray matter devoted to things like: Weegie Thompson's number (87); Merril Hoge's alma mater (Idaho State); and Keith Gary's birthday (Sept. 14) -- I'd free up those synapses to do things that I've always wanted to do, like learn Italian, read Faulkner's works and pay my cable bill on time.

Just one.

Please?

Monday, 12:47 a.m. Depression: The first real wave started to set in when I got home. I live on the South Side, just about a block off Carson Street, which is usually a 24/7 cacophony of cars, buses, drunken college kids, whiny old people and even whinier hipsters. It was just after midnight, the street silent, the streetlights reflecting an eerie pinkish-orange hue off of the snow, which had encased our neighborhood. I unloaded the car, still freezing, the only person on the street.

There's a scene in "Fargo," when a broken Jerry Lundegaard, played by William H. Macy, trudges alone across a bleak, snow-covered Minneapolis-in-winter parking lot, a shell of a man. That's about how I felt, except I was wearing a Mean Joe jersey and had frozen chili stains on my knee. Twenty-seven messages of condolence are waiting on my answering machine.

Monday, 9:43 a.m. Acceptance: As with many matters of the heart that need soothing, I turn to the Dave Matthews Band. I popped on "Under the Table and Dreaming" as I sat in gridlocked Monday morning traffic on the Fort Pitt Bridge, staring over at Heinz Field.

Dave came on: "Hey my friend / It seems your eyes are troubled / Care to share your time with me? / Would you say you're feeling low and so / a good idea would be to get it off your mind ... / And if nothing can be done / We'll make the best of what's around."

The lyrics might as well have been a dialogue between me and the personified stadium, though I'm not sure which one of us would have been speaking the comforting words. Probably the stadium. I sniffled a little. Then a little more when I later heard a clip of Hines Ward's press conference on the radio.

Then, I gained some perspective.

There are worse things. Much worse. That my biggest source of discomfort this week (or this year, to be honest) is the result of a football game, well, that's a good problem to have. And gosh wasn't this season fun? And isn't that the point?

I mean, we didn't lose for FOUR MONTHS. Four months of high-fiving strangers, tailgating with grade-school friends, post-game cell-phone chalk talks with buddies in Tampa and San Diego, road-tripping, Myhrn, Polamalu's 'do, and the Bus. Four months of Mom fawning over Coach Cahr, talking blitz packages with my old man, of being captivated by a 22-year-old from Western Ohio, of asking folks, "So, what are you doing for the game on Sunday?" the way normal people discuss Thanksgiving or Christmas plans.

And if that's the best of what's around, then I'll take it with glee.

Six months 'til Latrobe. Here we go.

[POJO_Risin]

lmfao....

Keydrick Vincent is gone to save some money...

who's next...

[Dave's PA Rental]

Originally posted by Va Beach VH Fan
If this doesn't portray the life of a modern-day Steelers fan, I don't know what does.....

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05029/449632.stm

First Person: I'm over it
Working through the five stages of Steelers grief, in 12 hours
Saturday, January 29, 2005

By Dan Gigler, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Sunday 10:09 p.m. Denial: I sat in my icy, yellow seat for a good 15 minutes after the game had ended. Couldn't bear to watch the Patriots get the championship trophy, but worse, couldn't bring myself to leave this wonderful and tortured place. That I won't return until August seems inconceivable.

I was the last to leave, along with some other dude in section 510 wearing a tattered No. 95 Greg Lloyd jersey. A perfect stranger, we hugged (a manly hug) and agreed over raw larynxes that we'd cheered our guts out, and aggravated our Terrible Towel-waving elbows -- the fandom equivalent of a Hines Ward effort.

Sunday 10:39 p.m. Anger: Why does this always happen to my teams? I was 2 when the Steelers last won a Super Bowl. Francisco Cabrera is seared into my brain and since then baseball has been bastardized via money and the drugs that turned skinny Barry Bonds into the Michelin Man. JoePa's Nittany Lions didn't catch my eye until high school and they stink now. I have truly fond recollections of the Penguins Stanley Cup runs, but I mean c'mon -- it's hockey, and that sport is going the way of typewriters and landline phones.

Should I become a front runner? Would it be easier to switch allegiance like Don King after a fight? Wait until the night before the Super Bowl and then pick my team? Become a Yankees fan? Vote Republican? Apply to Michigan for grad school in the fall for football, then transfer to Duke in time for hoops season?

Furthermore, am I the problem? Is it my tortured existence as a Pittsburgher? I read stories with annoying frequency about the exodus of folks from places like ours, the old economy towns long on character and bad weather but short on prolific job growth. Maybe I should uproot to some faceless, soulless Atlanta subdivision, work for Coca-Cola and annually adopt whatever NBA team Shaq is playing for that year.

Sunday, 11:51 p.m. Bargaining: All I really wanted was one Super Bowl victory. Just one. Not two. Not a dynasty. I'm not that greedy. Just one to enjoy with my friends and family while I'm still young. I had already decided that if we won, I would savor it like the finest of cognacs, remember it forever as a truly treasured memory, and then get on with my life.

Oh, I'd still be a fan, still keep my season tickets, but I'd have that look that the older Steelers fans have. They love our team, but are somewhat nonchalant about Sunday's result, because they've been there. They know. Like folks who have celebrated mass with the pope or bought pre-iPod Apple stock, they are experienced and wise. Black & Gold Yodas, if you will.

Had we won a Super Bowl, I'd put a minimum 10-year moratorium on complaining about anything even remotely related to sports. Big Ben could steal my girlfriend and I'd tell him to take care and to look after that thumb. All that space in my temporal lobe, that shockingly inordinate amount of gray matter devoted to things like: Weegie Thompson's number (87); Merril Hoge's alma mater (Idaho State); and Keith Gary's birthday (Sept. 14) -- I'd free up those synapses to do things that I've always wanted to do, like learn Italian, read Faulkner's works and pay my cable bill on time.

Just one.

Please?

Monday, 12:47 a.m. Depression: The first real wave started to set in when I got home. I live on the South Side, just about a block off Carson Street, which is usually a 24/7 cacophony of cars, buses, drunken college kids, whiny old people and even whinier hipsters. It was just after midnight, the street silent, the streetlights reflecting an eerie pinkish-orange hue off of the snow, which had encased our neighborhood. I unloaded the car, still freezing, the only person on the street.

There's a scene in "Fargo," when a broken Jerry Lundegaard, played by William H. Macy, trudges alone across a bleak, snow-covered Minneapolis-in-winter parking lot, a shell of a man. That's about how I felt, except I was wearing a Mean Joe jersey and had frozen chili stains on my knee. Twenty-seven messages of condolence are waiting on my answering machine.

Monday, 9:43 a.m. Acceptance: As with many matters of the heart that need soothing, I turn to the Dave Matthews Band. I popped on "Under the Table and Dreaming" as I sat in gridlocked Monday morning traffic on the Fort Pitt Bridge, staring over at Heinz Field.

Dave came on: "Hey my friend / It seems your eyes are troubled / Care to share your time with me? / Would you say you're feeling low and so / a good idea would be to get it off your mind ... / And if nothing can be done / We'll make the best of what's around."

The lyrics might as well have been a dialogue between me and the personified stadium, though I'm not sure which one of us would have been speaking the comforting words. Probably the stadium. I sniffled a little. Then a little more when I later heard a clip of Hines Ward's press conference on the radio.

Then, I gained some perspective.

There are worse things. Much worse. That my biggest source of discomfort this week (or this year, to be honest) is the result of a football game, well, that's a good problem to have. And gosh wasn't this season fun? And isn't that the point?

I mean, we didn't lose for FOUR MONTHS. Four months of high-fiving strangers, tailgating with grade-school friends, post-game cell-phone chalk talks with buddies in Tampa and San Diego, road-tripping, Myhrn, Polamalu's 'do, and the Bus. Four months of Mom fawning over Coach Cahr, talking blitz packages with my old man, of being captivated by a 22-year-old from Western Ohio, of asking folks, "So, what are you doing for the game on Sunday?" the way normal people discuss Thanksgiving or Christmas plans.

And if that's the best of what's around, then I'll take it with glee.

Six months 'til Latrobe. Here we go.


Multiply this by 1000 and you know what it was like to be a Red Sox fan until this year.

[POJO_Risin]

So...how again is being a Red Sox fan different from being a fan of ANY team that hasn't won a title in your lifetime????

[redblkwht]

found this on espn boards..steeler dvd set..lol ;)


http://forums.espn.go.com/espn/forum?room=nfl_chi

[ALinChainz]

Steelers | Pleased with WR Draft Class - from www.KFFL.com
Sat, 12 Feb 2005 09:59:58 -0800

Jerry DiPaola, of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, reports Pittsburgh Steelers director of football operations Kevin Colbert said the team is pleased with the wide receiver class available in this year's NFL Draft. "The draft class looks promising, both in terms of numbers and quality," Colbert said. The Steelers could look to draft a prospect this year if they are unable to re-sign WR Plaxico Burress, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent next month.



Steelers | Could Keep Ward/Burress Over Long Haul? - from www.KFFL.com
Sat, 12 Feb 2005 09:58:16 -0800

Jerry DiPaola, of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, reports Pittsburgh Steelers director of football operations Kevin Colbert said the team is open to the possibility of rewarding both WR Hines Ward and WR Plaxico Burress with multi-year contracts if they feel it's in the best interest of the organization. "People can say (it will be difficult), but we would never approach it and say we have too much (money) in one position," said Colbert. "If they are your best players and they deserve to be compensated at those numbers, then you have to do that." Burress is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next month while Ward is said to be seeking a long-term contract extension this year.


Steelers | Ward Seeking Extension - from www.KFFL.com
Sat, 12 Feb 2005 09:53:46 -0800

Jerry DiPaola, of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, reports Pittsburgh Steelers WR Hines Ward is said to be seeking a contract extension this offseason. President Art Rooney II said last year the club would consider a contract extension for Ward before the start of the 2005 season.

[POJO_Risin]

Good that they are keeping Plax as a possibility...but who the fuck cares if they keep him or not...

fact of the matter is...Plax's brief glimpses of greatness aren't worth the money he will be seeking...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Now, take this for what it's worth coming from the NY Post, but interesting nonetheless...

http://www.nypost.com/sports/40440.htm

STEELERS WANT HOUSH

The Steelers already have a replacement in mind for free-agent receiver Plaxico Burress, whom they do not plan to re-sign — Cincinnati's T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Pittsburgh believes the H-Man can be just as good a downfield threat as Burress, and will certainly come cheaper. His dependable hands and selfless attitude make him a perfect fit for the Steelers' offense.

[POJO_Risin]

I thought I replied to this Va...

but look...I watched Housh...and he looked good last year...

he is a downfield threat...and if the selfless part is true...

let Burress go...fuck him...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

I guess we'll see in the next week or two what their intentions will be re: Burress....

It's not like Housh will only cost them a buck and a half though.... He's going to get decent coin as well, maybe not Burress bucks, but they're going to pay to get him also....

[POJO_Risin]

Yeah...but Va...in this world...you know how much 2 million a year or so could mean (and he should make that much less than Burress)...maybe 1.5...

but you get him long-term...

I truly think Burress is going to get top 5-10 money...we'll see though...he'll end up being the top dog of most of these receivers...because of his youth...

Housh is certainly good...but there are 3 or 4 ahead of him...

lets say Plax makes 5 or 6 mil a year...you see Housh in the 3 to 4 mil a year category...which is what Pittsburgh wants to sign Burress for...

so...you end up with a HEALTHY threat...who doesn't drop as many passes...who gets along with everyone...and doesn't give us the "I got into a fight in West Virginia" headlines...

I'm so soured on Burress right now...

[POJO_Risin]

I saw an interview with House about his role on the team...and he maintained throughout the year...that he wanted to start...but realized that he was just holding the slot for Warrick, who he very often referred to as one of his best friends. He's also stated that he wants to start...but also be a part of Cincy's rebuilding...but...if they couldn't afford his salary...he'd move on. He just played his way out of the lineup...because he's going to be making as much or more than Warrick...

I'm not a huge Housh fan...but if they got him instead of Burress...I wouldn't be shedding a tear...