THE PITTSBURGH Sports CHATTER

[POJO_Risin]

What a game...

now...they need to bring a little of that to get #11...and close it out...

it's unreal to me that Pittsburgh...if they get in...at 11-5...

will be the LAST wildcard...lmfao...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

And now that Cincy lost, looking at Pitt at Cincy to open the playoffs....

Redemption time, motherfuckers....

[POJO_Risin]

I do find it interesting...the funniest thing about this Pittsburgh team is that it really is 2 different teams...

there's the really...really good team that really lays it on teams...

and the team that looks like it's sleeping on it's feet...

if this team shows up...

there could be some issues...

I don't care who we play in the first round...it's going to be trouble for them...

whether it's Cincy...or New England...

[POJO_Risin]

Man did they fucking paste Cleveland...

I almost wish I was still living back home...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

I'm tellng ya....

As long as they're on the road, they're going to be hard to beat...

And that now includes Indy...

Having played in two domes now, there won't be that big advantage anymore...

And even WITH that advantage the first time, they only won by 1 touchdown....

[POJO_Risin]

LMFAO...

we're starting to sound alike for once...

[ALinChainz]

GO STEELERS!

[Va Beach VH Fan]

I don't give a shit what the final score was, that was yet another example of the kind of nonchalant, uninspired, overconfident play that the Steelers do at home....

Cincy lost, Pats lose, Steelers at Cincy next week....

REVENGE TIME MOTHERFUCKERS !!!!!!!!

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Originally posted by Va Beach VH Fan
I don't give a shit what the final score was, that was yet another example of the kind of nonchalant, uninspired, overconfident play that the Steelers do at home....

Cincy lost, Pats lose, Steelers at Cincy next week....

REVENGE TIME MOTHERFUCKERS !!!!!!!!

Sorry, forgot to include lackadaisical......

[ALinChainz]

And I posted that long before the Randle El punt return.

I knew we didn't have a shot, but we seem to play them fairly inspired when we have went there.

I knew all along that no way would this be a Detroit win.

Easy to overlook the Lions, but they got it on track and closed them out. Steelers could surprise in the playoffs.

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Oh absolutely Al....

Steelers will be a dangerous team on the road...

You're gonna see 20,000 Steeler fans in Cincy....

BTW, they have the Sunday, 4:30PM game....

[ALinChainz]

Burnitz finalizes Pirates' deal after Orioles charge he reneged

By ALAN ROBINSON, AP Sports Writer
January 4, 2006

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Jeromy Burnitz finalized his $6.7 million, one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates after taking a physical Wednesday, but only after the unhappy Baltimore Orioles said the outfielder's agent backed out of a two-year deal.

Burnitz's Pirates contract calls for a $6 million salary this year and a $6 million mutual option for 2007 with a $700,000 buyout if the team declines its option. Baltimore thought Burnitz had agreed to a $12 million, two-year contract with the Orioles last week.

"My feeling is we had an agreement," Orioles vice president of baseball operations Jim Duquette said Wednesday. "Obviously, the agent didn't feel we did. My personal feeling is it sets a bad precedent when that's allowed to happen."

Burnitz never took the physical called for in that agreement. Burnitz's agent, Howard Simon, said that language regarding the physical resulted in the breakdown of Baltimore's deal.

"There was harsh, intimidating language that appears to be very subjective and open-ended. ... The club almost has the right to do whatever it wants, at its option," Simon said. "That's how complicated the language is. The other clubs simply have one line that states it is subject to the player passing a physical. That's what Pittsburgh's document has."

Because of the contract language, Burnitz and Simon apparently felt the Orioles could have delayed completing the deal for as long as they wanted after the physical -- even while shopping for other players, such as Red Sox outfielder Manny Ramirez.

Duquette thinks Burnitz simply had a change of heart. An Orioles official he didn't identify spoke with Burnitz last weekend.

"We got hold of the player, and the player said he had a change of heart and for family reasons wanted to play in the National League because of the trips to San Diego and Los Angeles, which are close to home," Duquette said. "I'll believe that over the other one."

Duquette said that in 15 years of negotiating contracts he has never had a player not finalize a deal because of the language concerning the physical.

"I'll believe what the player said and give him the benefit of the doubt," Duquette said.

Simon is unhappy that the Orioles are trying to paint Burnitz as the villain and said the ballclub broke an agreement that neither side would disclose the signing until the contract was finalized.

"I stuck to my end of it and if they had, they wouldn't be wearing so much egg on their face," Simon said. "There is never a deal until it's done, and done means everything, all the terms and conditions have to be agreed up, not just some of them. I'm not looking to throw darts, but the fact of the matter is it's really a Baltimore problem."

Duquette said, "A lot of agents don't sign term sheets. They just say, `We have an agreement, get on a plane and go take a physical.' "

The Pirates wound up with Burnitz a year after actively pursuing him, only to have him sign with the Cubs. But Simon said Burnitz remembered how Pirates general manager Dave Littlefield made an aggressive push for him last season.

"We need to score more runs, and he can be a big part of that," Littlefield said.

Burnitz is the third veteran position player added by the Pirates during the offseason, joining first baseman Sean Casey and third baseman Joe Randa. Burnitz's acquisition could push outfielder-first baseman Craig Wilson back to the bench followed an injury-filled 2005 season in which two hand injuries limited him to five homers in 197 at-bats. Wilson had a team-high 29 homers in 2004.

Burnitz can make $250,000 each year in performance bonuses: $50,000 for 140 games played and $100,000 each for 150 and 155 games.

Burnitz, who turns 37 in April, played in 150 games in 2004 with the Rockies and 160 games last season for the Cubs, when he hit 24 homers and drove in 87 runs. He has 92 homers while playing for four clubs over the last three seasons, and has three homers in 92 career at-bats in PNC Park.

To make room for Burnitz on their 40-man roster, the Pirates designated infielder J.J. Furmaniak for assignment.

AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum in New York contributed to this report.

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Yup, that's it, I'm getting in line for playoff tickets....

Nah, have to be honest, it's been a pretty decent offseason in Pirateland, relatively speaking...

Sean Casey, Joe Randa, and now Burnitz gives some decent pop in that lineup to compliment Jason Bay....

[POJO_Risin]

I find it obscene that Alinchainz started this thread...

absolutely obscene...

[POJO_Risin]

1. Ball control: Bettis, Parker, Miller and WARD...in that order...well...Roeth in front of them all....control the fucking clock...

2. pressure Manning...and pray to hell he rushes the deep ball...

3. Don't

Get

Behind...