THE PITTSBURGH Sports CHATTER

[SilvioDante]

The only way they lose this game though...is if their quarterback play is stodgy...which it very well could be...

I really don't care if the quarterback play is "stodgy". If this D plays like is has, Josh Freeman will have a LONG day. He could make Vince Young's day look impressive.

I really don't see Tomlin "losing" this team at least until Ben gets back. Everyone is drinking the kool aid for now. With last year's losses against KC, Oakland and the Brownies, I worry that as the years goes on, there will be a loss of focus, but not now. They seem to have an "us against the world" thing going right now. (See Tomlin's post game presser with tears in his eyes...)

Last week they proved they can destroy a contender and win by just a TD. More to come today, except that Tampa Bay is hardly a contender...

[POJO_Risin]

I really don't care if the quarterback play is "stodgy". If this D plays like is has, Josh Freeman will have a LONG day. He could make Vince Young's day look impressive.

I really don't see Tomlin "losing" this team at least until Ben gets back. Everyone is drinking the kool aid for now. With last year's losses against KC, Oakland and the Brownies, I worry that as the years goes on, there will be a loss of focus, but not now. They seem to have an "us against the world" thing going right now. (See Tomlin's post game presser with tears in his eyes...)

Last week they proved they can destroy a contender and win by just a TD. More to come today, except that Tampa Bay is hardly a contender...

Agreed. Right now, their only major weakness is QB...and Ike...

and QB isn't really a weakness because Batch doesn't make major mistakes...

If he does...they can lose.

I don't see the D dropping the ball.

If Mendenhall goes off...well...boom...I do like Tampa's D though...

[POJO_Risin]

With that said...

Steelers win...

23-6...

Yeah...um...I guess I meant...

FIRST HALF scores...

[SilvioDante]

Another thumpin'.....

I think we just played a weak team. Batch seemed OK... Missed the 1st pick, second one was bad... Nice to see Mendenhall get all those carries and hold on to the freakin' ball...I am a moron for benching Wallace on my fantasy team, but they hadn't done anything on O this year. The only thing that made me mad today...

And the D is, well, the D...

Next week is the cliched "throw the records out the window" game....

[POJO_Risin]

Another thumpin'.....

I think we just played a weak team. Batch seemed OK... Missed the 1st pick, second one was bad... Nice to see Mendenhall get all those carries and hold on to the freakin' ball...I am a moron for benching Wallace on my fantasy team, but they hadn't done anything on O this year. The only thing that made me mad today...

And the D is, well, the D...

Next week is the cliched "throw the records out the window" game....

Flacco threw the ball a lot today...I'd expect the same...if we get pressure on him...

We win handily...

It wasn't a pretty win...and those two catches were partial luck by Wallace...

but it's not a typical Steelers team. Normally...Va nails these trap games...and this turned into just the opposite.

It never works this way...but if it does...how good is this team WITH Ben?

[SilvioDante]

Flacco threw the ball a lot today...I'd expect the same...if we get pressure on him...

We win handily...

It wasn't a pretty win...and those two catches were partial luck by Wallace...

but it's not a typical Steelers team. Normally...Va nails these trap games...and this turned into just the opposite.

It never works this way...but if it does...how good is this team WITH Ben?

It sure wasn't a pretty win, we had some ugly losses last year (KC, Oak. and Cleve.) so a ugly win is a win...

You are right, this is not you average Steeler team.

Mendy is liable to go BERSERK after we get Ben back. We saw today what he can do now if opponents have to respect the pass..

I just hope Tomlin can keep that chip firmly attached to the shoulder. If he can, this team is goin' places...

[POJO_Risin]

Here's the thing about this team.

We now know that the offensive line can do it's job. They aren't perfect...but...they are actually good...

and...

...they actually have some depth...

and...

...they are interchangeable...

most of the lineman...if you are paying attention...have been playing on both sides of the ball...whether by injury...or freshness...

So if Ben comes back, and he gets lit up...well...

we know why...

But if this line holds up...and Roeth doesn't get beat up...

It's a long...long...long...season...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Ugly-ass win, but they count just as much as the pretty ones.....

Could be costly though, looks like Aaron Smith is out for the year with torn triceps....

Woodley tweaked his hamstring, but he said it was only minor....

Flozell looked like he sprained his ankle pretty badly....

Next up are the Saints on Halloween night, who got smoked at home by the Brownies....

[POJO_Risin]

Yeah...thank god we were fucking deep to begin with...but shit...

This could get uglier than that win...on the road...against a pretty good team.

Now...we got the Saints...on the road...on Sunday Night...after they get rolled by Cleveland...

somehow...that all doesn't add up to anything positive...now does it...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Yeah, I can just see Brees nickel and diming those CB's up and down the field....

[POJO_Risin]

Especially with linemen out...and Woodley not at 100%...although Worlids is a player...

He needs another move other than the speed rush...but he can move...and has a nose for the ball..

[POJO_Risin]

Timmons just isn't the same player when he's playing outside linebacker...he disappeared today...keep Worilds in the game as the starter....

[ODShowtime]

Ugly-ass win, but they count just as much as the pretty ones.....

Could be costly though, looks like Aaron Smith is out for the year with torn triceps....

Woodley tweaked his hamstring, but he said it was only minor....

Flozell looked like he sprained his ankle pretty badly....

Next up are the Saints on Halloween night, who got smoked at home by the Brownies....

That SUCKS about Smith. I don't know how the Steelers will replace him. I did win $20 betting the Dolphins wouldn't get 100 yards on the ground but with Smith out I probably won't try it again.

[POJO_Risin]

At 34...even a young 34...this could be it for the Steelers lineman...he had the same injury in 2007 I think...not 100% sure....but missed the Jacksonville games late in the year...at least the playoff game.

Too bad...

I do think...although difficult...that the Steelers can replace him if the rest are healthy. If Keisel comes back...there are players that can take his place...not as well...but nearly...and they can drop Harrison/Woodley into a three-point...as they've done in the past.

We'll see though. If healthy...they are as deep as they've ever been...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Personally, I don't think anything will change until the day when they spend some money, but anyways, the Bucs have a new manager.....

Pirates tap Hurdle as new manager

PITTSBURGH -- He cracked a joke as he took the stage. His booming voice needed no assistance from the microphone.

Yes, newly introduced manager Clint Hurdle talked through many of the same goals delineated by those managers who have come before him -- restoring pride in the organization, building a winning club, engaging a passionate fan base. But for those who criticized John Russell's stoic demeanor, Russell's successor is truly his opposite.

An engaging speaker with a gregarious personality, Hurdle introduced himself to the Pirates' fan base in a Monday morning news conference at PNC Park. There, he repeatedly spit out the phrase, "All in," a slogan that captures his approach to the job and his promise from management about the team's direction.

"This wasn't about taking a job because it was a sure thing," Hurdle emphasized. "This was about taking an opportunity that felt sure. And it fit right. I felt comfortable with the people that I was going to be getting after the job with.

"This is eventually going to turn," he added, specifically referencing the club's string of 18 straight losing seasons. "There is not a doubt in my mind that this is eventually going to turn. I wanted to get on board now, because I believe this is the time it's going to start turning."

Hurdle is now the 39th manager in team history, though none of the past five have been able to produce a winning season in Pittsburgh. He was a candidate that, general manager Neal Huntington confirmed on Monday, the organization highlighted the day Russell was dismissed.

Due to the Rangers' run to the World Series, the Pirates couldn't formally interview Hurdle until Nov. 4. However, that month-long waiting period afforded the organization to do extensive research on its top candidate.

Huntington estimated that he talked with 30 different people about Hurdle's credentials and philosophy. And when Hurdle was finally brought in for an in-person interview, it confirmed everything management had been led to believe.

"We had been told that he was going to be a remarkable interviewee just because of the presence and the intelligence and the passion," Huntington said. "But the alignment of where he is philosophically and where we are philosophically was a terrific fit right away.

"He has the ability to help young men grow up and mature and be ready to take the next step, yet he's also a person that can relate to veteran players and help them get better. He believes in being unified. He believes in cohesion. He believes in a lot of the same things we believe in."

Hurdle, 53, takes over a club that lost a Major League-worst 105 games in 2010. Still, it's one that Hurdle said he sees as very similar to the Rockies' club that he guided to the World Series in '07.

Hurdle joked about how unpopular it was to don a Rockies jersey in 2002, the year that he first stepped in as Colorado's manger. That rebuilding process took plenty of steps and some time, but it did come to fruition five years later. That, Hurdle asserted, is where he sees Pittsburgh headed.

"I'm not going to shy away from talking about a championship," Hurdle said. "I really don't care what people think. You have a young nucleus of good players that grow up together, they learn together, they stumble together, they fight together, and through it all, they emerge as champions together.

"We're headed in the right direction. It's not about taking our time to get there. There's some urgency."

Hurdle noted the starting point, mentioning a handful of times the need for the team to pitch and defend better. Pittsburgh finished last in the league in both areas. Hurdle said he expects to help Huntington identify potential pitching additions this offseason. Deficiencies specifically in the infield defense, he said, will also be addressed.

Hurdle, who turned down a second interview for the Mets' managerial opening to accept this job, noted that management's answers to his questions during the interview put to rest any trepidation that he had about joining the organization.

He asked pointed questions about payroll flexibility and about the pieces in place. He wanted to know more about the plan that Huntington and president Frank Coonelly put in place three years ago, in order to make sure that their short- and long-term goals lined up with his.

"We talked very openly about where we are, where we plan to go and how we plan to get there," Huntington said. "Obviously, he was comfortable."

Hurdle emphasized that he was. He also noted that through his research of the organization -- which included discussions with former Pirates manager Jim Leyland and Rangers owner Chuck Greenberg, a Pittsburgh native -- he felt more and more sure that this would be an ideal fit.

"I know where the Pirates organization has been," Hurdle said. "I know where it is now, and I know where we want to go. I was extremely appreciative of the way [management] defended the fort. They defended the work that had been done and the process that is in place."

The work now begins immediately for Hurdle, as a coaching staff must be assembled and offseason needs must soon be addressed.

Hurdle had the opportunity to meet infielder Neil Walker and reliever Joel Hanrahan at Sunday night's Steelers-Patriots game in Pittsburgh, and he plans to meet other players in upcoming mini-camps. Those who he isn't able to meet face-to-face will likely receive a phone call.

There's the task of getting settled in Pittsburgh, a city that Hurdle said he and his wife, Karla, are excited to make their new home. Fittingly, that new home will be but a few hours away from the legendary coach whose quote Hurdle has kept written on a piece of paper in his pocket for the past 12 years. On Monday, Hurdle pulled it out.

"You've got to believe deep inside yourself that you're destined to do great things," Hurdle read, the words coming from Penn State football coach Joe Paterno.

His challenge is now turning such belief into tangible change.

"I'm going to be upfront. I'm proud to be a Pirate," Hurdle said. "We're not going to back down from anybody. We're going to show up and we're going to play. Our focus is going to be on a commitment of excellence that is unique and that is real. We're going to hold ourselves to a very high degree of accountability and responsibility.

"I'm all in."