THE PITTSBURGH Sports CHATTER

[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."













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!!!

[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....