The Second Annual Steelers March To The Super Bowl Thread.

[Airman Doors, USAF]

I see Monday Night Football on, and I realize that although it's preseason, that time is almost upon us once more. As I watch the game, I realize what's old is new again. Joe Gibbs, back on the sidelines for the Lose...err, Redskins, I see Jake Plummer throwing an interception as usual, and I see that my Steelers are young and hungry, with a very well-rounded roster now that the secondary has been strengthened. So, what does that mean? That's right. It's time to rock it like it's 1979, because the Steelers are back to their greatness this year. First, they wipe out their division, as the Brownies field a midget-league team, the Bengals pull a Notre Dame and are shown to be pretenders, and the Ravens, well, let's just say that I hope Boller has his dental insurance paid up, because it's go time when they meet Blitzburgh.

Dare I say that it's pre-ordained that the Steelers are going to win the Super Bowl in grand style this year? Yes, yes I do dare. The Steelers will humiliate everyone that they play on the way to claiming the fifth Vinny for the 'Burgh. Take that to the bank, my fine friends.

Oh, and one more thing. Let the smack talking commence, and don't hold back, because I sure won't. :D

[elucidator]

Yes, but regretably the Steelers have a crypto-menshivik line, with a commissar who fails to grasp the dialectical implications of the New Economic Plan.

Only the Minnesota Vikings have the correct party line relative to the advancement of the dictatorship of the proletariat.

[pepperlandgirl]

Hey! No need to take potshots at the Broncos yet!

You can wait until later in the season when they dominiate the entire AFC.


God I'm happy the pre-season has started. Oh! how I've missed it.

[Hentor the Barbarian]

Airman Doors, we Steeler fans (and I mean the real, true Black and Gold fans) are a superstitious lot. Don't fuck it up again!

In seriousness, I admit to a bit more excitement headining into this season than I had, but we had some world class deficiencies last year that we have only done a little bit to alleviate.

First and foremost, our defensive secondary has been feasted on for several years without any changes to the five yard contact rule. And I am not going to hold my breath waiting for the Troy Polamalu effect to fix all our problems.

[ataraxy22]

I predict the Steelers will go 16-0 in the regular season, highlighted by 135-0 and 118-0 wins over the Browns. In fact I doubt any opponents will score on them all season. Even money on whether an opponent will get a first down against the Steelers this year.

[neuroman]

Joe Gibbs, back on the sidelines for the Lose...err, Redskins
Hey! Joe Gibbs and fifty three of his largest friends will be waiting on the Jacksonville sidelines in February, if those steel-totin' powderpuffs of yours can somehow make it past the Texans in the AFC Championship!


Dreaming is allowed in this thread, right?

[Neurotik]

Cowher the Scowler is still the coach in Pittsburgh, right?

Yeah. That's good enough for a trip to the playoffs and an early exit.

[Stuffy]

Psst, hey mugs, over here (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=270138).

<slips on Niners Jersey>

No Way

GO NINERS

[Stuffy]

I predict the Steelers will go 16-0 in the regular season, highlighted by 135-0 and 118-0 wins over the Browns. In fact I doubt any opponents will score on them all season. Even money on whether an opponent will get a first down against the Steelers this year.

Hey, puff puff pass!

[The Mad Hermit]

Airman Doors, we Steeler fans (and I mean the real, true Black and Gold fans) are a superstitious lot. Don't fuck it up again!

I have to agree.

I have a totally skeptical attitude about everything- except the Steelers. I must make it to Latrobe tomorrow- my best chance to get there- or the Steelers will suffer this year.

I realize now why I disdained smack talk- it is because every time I indulged in it, the words came back to haunt me. Last year, Airman's thread invited all the misguided souls who favor other NFL teams into a plae where they could try to find solace in the Steelers' current misfortune.

To hell with it- GO STEELERS! There's nowhere to go but up.

[Soapbox Monkey]

I see Monday Night Football on, and I realize that although it's preseason, that time is almost upon us once more. As I watch the game, I realize what's old is new again. Joe Gibbs, back on the sidelines for the Lose...err, Redskins, I see Jake Plummer throwing an interception as usual, and I see that my Steelers are young and hungry, with a very well-rounded roster now that the secondary has been strengthened. So, what does that mean? That's right. It's time to rock it like it's 1979, because the Steelers are back to their greatness this year. First, they wipe out their division, as the Brownies field a midget-league team, the Bengals pull a Notre Dame and are shown to be pretenders, and the Ravens, well, let's just say that I hope Boller has his dental insurance paid up, because it's go time when they meet Blitzburgh.

Dare I say that it's pre-ordained that the Steelers are going to win the Super Bowl in grand style this year? Yes, yes I do dare. The Steelers will humiliate everyone that they play on the way to claiming the fifth Vinny for the 'Burgh. Take that to the bank, my fine friends.

Oh, and one more thing. Let the smack talking commence, and don't hold back, because I sure won't. :D

Dude, please don't jinx us. :(

[Hung Mung]

I'm a Packer fan through and through. But barring injuries, I'm telling you guys the team to watch out for is Seattle. I really think this is a breakout year for Holmgren's boys.

Jacksonville will start strong and finish poorly. New Orleans will start poorly and finish strong, but still won't make the playoffs.

Here is my prediction for the DOUBLE-SECRET-BREAKOUT TEAM OF 2004
Tampa Bay. Really.

[neuroman]

Hey, puff puff pass!
Hey Stuffy - did you know that The Sporting News ranked the 49ers as the 32nd team in the power team listings, otherwise known as dead last? Do you know how many times a team ranked dead last in the pre-season TSN power poll has won the Superbowl?

Zero.

-neuroman,
for the IPHA (International Player Haters Association.)

P.S. - Turkey Curse:
I'm sorry, but I'm afraid any team with a website like this (http://www.buccaneers.com/index.html) cannot be the double secret breakout team of 2004.

[beergeek279]

Airman Doors, I can appreciate anyone who follows the One True Faith that is Steelers football!! But do you remember how much of a trainwreck this turned into last year? It's a jinx I tell you....worse than any SI cover or soup commercial or video game cover!!!

(Are you by chance a crypto-Ravens fan? ;) )

[MsRobyn]

Sweetheart, you know I love you and worship the ground you walk on and all that, but come October 17th, you're going to be eating some serious crow. :D ;)

Robin

[Happy Scrappy Hero Pup]

Maybe the USAF can issue you some newer computers, Airman, because you spelled "Buffalo Bills" wrong, and your spellchecker didn't pick it up.

[ElvisL1ves]

It's been 10 months since the Pats last lost a game, and since then they've filled all their roster holes. What makes any of you wishful thinkers conclude they can be beaten now? This board is about fighting ignorance such as you have all shown here.

We don't even need the Celtics and Bruins to get us through the winter anymore. Every year, the Patriots' season ends at the beginning of February with the victory rally, then a couple of weeks later the Red Sox pitchers and catchers report to Fort Myers. It works out fine.

[The Mad Hermit]

I am eagerly awaiting the Patriots' demise as a good team. It's gonna happen; the league guarantees it.

Watch the election- if Bush wins, the Pats win it all. If Kerry wins, will that be good for the Steelers?

Seriously, if the first pre-season game is an indication, the new pass rules will favor the best passing teams. This year ought to be a track meet. I fear for the Steelers' ability to fix their secondary problems now, new coaches or not.

[Lord Ashtar]

It's been 10 months since the Pats last lost a game, and since then they've filled all their roster holes. What makes any of you wishful thinkers conclude they can be beaten now? This board is about fighting ignorance such as you have all shown here.
May I remind you who it was who beat them? That's right, the lowly Redskins. And that was with Spurrier. You don't think Gibbs would be able to give "The Defensive Genius" a run for his money?

[ZipperJJ]

This is the Pit so...

Fuck you, motherfucking stillers fans! Eat shit and die!!!

bwaahahahahaha


(I don't have to have a cite for my post in the Pit, right?)

[Stuffy]

Hey Stuffy - did you know that The Sporting News ranked the 49ers as the 32nd team in the power team listings, otherwise known as dead last? Do you know how many times a team ranked dead last in the pre-season TSN power poll has won the Superbowl?

Zero.



Aww, I was only tweaking his nose, no need to get pesonal and all. To be fair, in the other thread I only predicted a .500 finish for my Niners. However just to show you how off base I think the power rnakings are, nearly the whole defensive unit is returning from last year. I think they put us at 32 on the los of Garcia and Owens.

<walks of sulking> we'll show you....

[vibrotronica]

Ahh, the faith of the true believer.

So, what does that mean? That's right. It's time to rock it like it's 1979, because the Steelers are back to their greatness this year.
It's really touching to see how friend Airman, against all odds and evidence, clings to his false hope. An inspiration to us all in these dark times.

Dare I say that it's pre-ordained that the Steelers are going to win the Super Bowl in grand style this year? Yes, yes I do dare.
::wipes tear from eye::

You stay gold, Pony Boy...

[Hamlet]

Vows begin when hope dies.

- Leonardo da Vinci

[lieu]

Monday, September 27th, 8:00 pm...

Cowboys & Redskins

Dallas, if you just win one game all year, make this it.

(Which, heh, has happened in the past :D )

[Cerowyn]

Pittsburgh was always one of the teams I followed, from their 70's heydays. There was a time when I might have listed them as my favourite team.

My take:

Solid O-line, decent receiving core (if Burress decides not to mail it in), and if Bettis gets it revved up, things could be looking good. Of course, Maddox sucks and Bruener, the best Steeler blocker outside of the line, is gone. If Roethlisberger turns out to be able to pick up the slack, and whoever wins the TE job can do a decent job, they have a chance of staying respectable. The defensive secondary is weak, although Polamalu has potentional.

My prediction, though it pains me, is sub-.500 record, and dead last in the AFC North.

[MsRobyn]

Monday, September 27th, 8:00 pm...

Cowboys & Redskins

Dallas, if you just win one game all year, make this it.

(Which, heh, has happened in the past :D )

No, they need to win 2 games. This one and the one against the Steelers. We can't let Airman have all the fun, can we?

Robin

[Hung Mung]

Cerowyn...how did you manage to fit yourself and your computer inside Terrell Owens? Must be wireless internet... :D

[Cerowyn]

Cerowyn...how did you manage to fit yourself and your computer inside Terrell Owens? Must be wireless internet... :D
Ya know, it took me a while to figure out what the hell you were talking about, but I guess that's what I get for trying to be, uh, hip with my profile and post in a football thread. For the record, "T.O." is short for Toronto, Ontario. It is commonly shortened to "Tee-dot" in urban music.

I'm jus' sayin', is all.

[The Mad Hermit]

Tip of the day:

If you take the Browns to the Super Bowl, don't forget to wipe afterward.

[Airman Doors, USAF]

Hey, guys. There's no need to be hatin' on me. See I don't think that I jinxed them last year. I think that I singlehandedly kept them in the division race until the next to last week with that thread last year. If I hadn't started it they would have stunk up the joint, and then what? We get Eli Manning? Great. :rolleyes:

No, I saved us from a fate worse than death. I saved us from Eli Manning. We got the best quarterback in the draft, we got an excellent corner in the second round, we got rid of the dread Dwayne Washington, Cowher got a new contract, and we have a happy Bus to go with Duce in the backfield. Hines Ward will play with his usual vigor because he's a gamer, Plaxico will either play with a pulse or ride the pine in which case someone will step up to the plate, which in any case will be better than the Plexiglass of last season, and as long as Joey Porter doesn't get shot again I see a solid defense.

So, tell me again, how did I jinx us last year? The way I see it, I am singlehandedly responsible for making them the Super Bowl champions this upcoming season. Of course, it doesn't hurt that the rest of the league sucks 50 pound rhinoceros balls. Who do the Broncos have, pepperlandgirl? Plummer? If that's all you got I suggest looking for the nearest pee-wee quarterback, or maybe the apprentice autoshop guy at Denver Vo-Tech, because he couldn't possibly be worse than what you got now. The Bills? It is to laugh. Even when they get to the dance they get housed, so they're no threat. The Browns? Bwahahaha! When come back bring offense, defense, and special teams. If they played the Madden Browns they would lose, let alone the mighty Steelers! Dallas? Who did you say your quarterback was? A former baseball player, you say? 'Nuff said.

Now as for the Patsies, that's a tough team. I can't think of any real weaknesses, honestly, but I think the guts and determination of the Steelers carry them through the fat, sated, complacent Patriots at the end of the year. It'll be a hell of an AFC Champoinship Game, that's for sure.

In conclusion, I hereby offer to supply up to 10 Terrible Towels come January so you can use them to root for a good team during the Super Bowl instead of the dreck that shows up to be the Steelers' doormats. Magnanimous of me, isn't it? You get a souvenir to last a lifetime and a symbol of the best that the NFL has to offer, and I get to laugh at all of you for riding the bandwagon that I started. Sounds like a hell of a deal to me.

Here we go Steelers, Here we go! :D

[Hentor the Barbarian]

Here we go Steelers, Here we go! :DWell, here's hopin'.

We got a feeling...

[SCSimmons]

No, they need to win 2 games. This one and the one against the Steelers. We can't let Airman have all the fun, can we?


Nah, 2 games is nothin'--I see the Cowboys in the playoffs this season. As long as the NFL commisioner relents & allows Vinny to bring his walker on the field. :D

(Try as I might, I can't see them in the big one, though. Unless Julius Jones turns out to be the Second Coming of Tony Dorsett, or something ...)

[Weirddave]

AD, my bet with you is on record. Have fun flying that flag from your car for the mighty Ravens come January. One for the thumb? HA! That thumb is going to be up your ass when the playoffs roll around.


RAVENS RULE!!!!!!!

[MsRobyn]

AD, my bet with you is on record. Have fun flying that flag from your car for the mighty Ravens come January. One for the thumb? HA! That thumb is going to be up your ass when the playoffs roll around.


RAVENS RULE!!!!!!!

Dude, turn it down. The neighbors are still asleep.

Thank God Aaron has outgrown his Ravens jersey. Time to replace that godawful purple with some tasteful blue and silver.

Robin

[Khadaji]

I am a Steeler fan, but unfortunately, I fear we just don't have the QB guns we need - yet again. None-the-less, I expect a strong year and am watching with anticpation.

Alas, my recent operation will prevent my beer consumption and it just won't quite seem like football. :(

[The Mad Hermit]

Ravens rule? Then why does Ray Lewis have to cheat?

They're showing the replay in a video-game ad. Ray Lewis picks up the first-down yellow line and moves it back several yards. Even though it was against the Flaming Thumbtacks, it's still cheating.





















What?

;)

Several Pennsylvainia hunters, inspired by recent commercials, have taken to the woods with their weapons in a conservation effort. They keep chanting their slogan...

"We must protect this grouse!"

[neuroman]

Alas, my recent operation will prevent my beer consumption and it just won't quite seem like football. :(
I am shedding silent tears for you.



::wanders off humming::
Hail to the Redskins, hail victory...

[Khadaji]

neuroman I suppose that is sarcasm - but I appreciate the sentiment anyway.

Congratulations on the new coach! I hated Spurrier and just loved to see them fail week and week after week (after week.) Maybe this year will be different, eh?

[Lord Ashtar]

::wanders off humming::
Hail to the Redskins, hail victory...
Good to know I'm not the only Skins fan here. I know there's more of us dying to come out of the woodwork. As soon as we kill Dallas on Monday night, the Gibbs Bandwagon will roll again.

[lieu]

You're content to wait that long? God man, that could take years!

I will say this... much as I dislike Snyder (or anyone else in the mold of Jerry Ratbastard Jones) I'm really happy for Gibbs, Redskin fans and the league in general. Parity is what breeds rivalry and the upcoming Parcells/Gibbs contests will likely be a thing of beauty.

Also, let me throw one more bit of praise his way... Monday's HOF game was one of the best preseason games I've seen in a long while. The Skins appear to be in mid season form already. Their early opponents were just served notice that they better be ready too.

[Exgineer]

I saved us from a fate worse than death. I saved us from Eli Manning.
I am a Giants fan. I am not happy.

Collins is gone, Warner won't amount to much, I have this horrible premonition that Manning is going to suck with the force of a million Hoovers, and Barber still doesn't know how to hang on to the ball. Don't get me started on the defense.

That said, the Steelers will be lucky to win eight.

[TwoTrouts]

You’re Bill Cowher and the great Steelers, and everyone is laughing at you, picking the Cincinnati Bungles ahead of you (what an insult!), and some even predicting a last place finish within your division. And if you are Bill Cowher and the Steelers, you wouldn’t want it any other way. The reason why the Steelers will take first place in the AFC North is because everyone (the pundits and ‘experts’) have been bedazzled by Baltimore’s defense, and by the improving Cincinnati Bungles. (Forget the Browns.) Bill Cowher will simply will this team to run the ball better, and the Steelers defense will return to the Steelers defense of the past: tough, hardnosed, and take-no-prisoners. A 9-7 record gets you first place in this pathetically weak division.

That being said, the Colts will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.

I'm a Redskins fan, but have resigned myself to an 8-8 season.

[wmulax93]

Dallas? Who did you say your quarterback was? A former baseball player, you say? 'Nuff said.


No, bitch, he's a former Wolverine. You know, that team that routinely kills PSU?

And, goddammit, you just made me stick up for the Cowgirls! Motherfucker!

BTW, see you Saturday, since that's the only time this season we get to talk shit to each other, and it doesn't even count. :(

[iampunha]

It's been 10 months since the Pats last lost a game ... [t]his board is about fighting ignorance such as you have all shown here.

It's been at least 8 months since most anyone lost a game, dude. The mighty Atlanta Falcons last lost December 14 of last year. Seems that fighting ignorance might include that little gem;)

And Robyn ... Dallas? You like the ... ugh. Couldn't you just pick a team people either like or don't care about, like the Seahawks? Hey, if 40-year-old vs. failed baseball player is your idea of a good battle for starting QB, so be it:)

Mind, I'll be happy if the Washington Football Team wins two games this year ... against same Cowgirls. Even better, I have suffered through years of playoff runs ending in blowouts (if they ended that late in the season) only to be rewarded by a Colts birth in the Superbowl. Defense? Who needs defense? In his final season with the Colts, Edgerrin "My Mommy Made My Name Up" James will total 2K+ yards, Marvin "Ooh, a Football!" Harrison will catch 100+ passes again, and Peyton "Playoff Choke? Only in the privacy of my own home" Manning will put to rest any lingering doubt that he is, in fact, Jesus Christ in a football uniform.

[MsRobyn]

And Robyn ... Dallas? You like the ... ugh. Couldn't you just pick a team people either like or don't care about, like the Seahawks? Hey, if 40-year-old vs. failed baseball player is your idea of a good battle for starting QB, so be it:)


:shrug: I'm a Texan. It's a state law that all Texans not living in Houston must be Cowboys fans.

Robin

[Hung Mung]

Yeah, kinda like all Tennesseans except those living in Memphis are required to be raving lunatics for the Flaming Thumbtacks. In fact, I think there are tax penalties for those living in Memphis who are not completely indifferent to Titans ball.

[Snooooopy]

How many hundreds of football players would need to be killed in freak accidents in order for the Steelers to make the Super Bowl? My God, the carnage.

[Airman Doors, USAF]

The Steelers will kill them one team at a time. They play at least 13 teams this year, so by my calculations they will have to kill approximately 585 players on the way to ultimate victory. No problem.

Weirddave, do you want the Terrible Towel now so you can cry into it during the humiliating defeats the Ravens will be taking at the Steelers' hands? Nah, on second thought I wouldn't want to sully such a symbol with your crocodile tears. I'll just give it to you after the trouncing is finished.

[duffer]

Maybe the USAF can issue you some newer computers, Airman, because you spelled "Buffalo Bills" wrong, and your spellchecker didn't pick it up.


Well, to be fair, maybe it's a software fuck-up. It could have easily have been the Minnesota Vikings. Both being 0-4 in title games. ;)

Go Packers.


(I hate that I have to be a Cowboys fan opening weekend. The Pack don't get their first win until Monday night)

[ElvisL1ves]

It's been at least 8 months since most anyone lost a game, dude. The mighty Atlanta Falcons last lost December 14 of last year. Seems that fighting ignorance might include that little gem;)It's more like 6.5 months for anyone who didn't win the Super Bowl, or didn't win one or more of their last 15, or in fact anyone but the Pats! We're on a roll and we're staying on a roll, baybee! :raspberry:

You can come for the next victory parade, next February in City Hall Plaza, if you want to know what one is like. Call me ahead of time and we can get together for drinks, okay?

[duffer]

It's more like 6.5 months for anyone who didn't win the Super Bowl, or didn't win one or more of their last 15, or in fact anyone but the Pats! We're on a roll and we're staying on a roll, baybee! :raspberry:

You can come for the next victory parade, next February in City Hall Plaza, if you want to know what one is like. Call me ahead of time and we can get together for drinks, okay?

If the packers don't win it, I'd put money on the Pats. One request.




Can you get me front row seats and a Molotov cocktail for the riots that will follow? ;)

[neuroman]

Khadaji, while I didn't shed actual tears, I am sorry you can't drink any beer. Beer and football go together like... beer and bowling. Or beer and hunting.

It's a state law that all Texans not living in Houston must be Cowboys fans.
Sadly, this is true. But even in Houston they still show most of the Cowboys games. Between them and the Texans, there's not a durn thing to watch without NFL Sunday ticket.

Oh yeah, Airman Doors? It's on for November 28 - Redskins @ Steelers, 1pm.

[Hal Briston]

Watch the election- if Bush wins, the Pats win it all. If Kerry wins, will that be good for the Steelers?
I dunno about that...wouldn't a Bush win be a better sign for a leader who has overstayed his usefullness? :D

No, I saved us from a fate worse than death. I saved us from Eli Manning. We got the best quarterback in the draft...
Hey, didn't you hear what Stuffy said about "puff, puff, pass"? Roethlisberger is better than Manning? "Guffaw", I say to thee. What you got was a better deal, not a better QB. Is Roethlisberger good? Yes, very...and certainly better than an 11th pick. I daresay he'll be quite a bit better than Rivers. But is he better than Manning? In true Pit fashion, I say fuck no!

And Exgineer? Fret not. Perhaps Manning won't be leading the glory that is Big Blue into February this year, but it will come, and soon. A helluvalot sooner than it'll happen for the Steelers, that's for damn sure.

And, of course, no posting in a football thread would be complete without a shameless plug (http://www.sirblah.com/1on1pool). Eight slots left, folks! :)

[iampunha]

It's more like 6.5 months for anyone who didn't win the Super Bowl, or didn't win one or more of their last 15, or in fact anyone but the Pats! We're on a roll and we're staying on a roll, baybee! :raspberry:

You can come for the next victory parade, next February in City Hall Plaza, if you want to know what one is like. Call me ahead of time and we can get together for drinks, okay?

Actually, I was in the DC area for the Redskins' victory celebration back in '91 and in the NE area back when Parcells led the Pats to the SB only to be downed by the Packers. I've seen a celebration or two;)

And it has been 8 months (see, December to August) since anyone lost who wasn't in the playoffs. So your team was 2 months (or 8 weeks, or roughly 7 games) better than some really shitty teams (San Diego, Atlanta, we're talking about you...). Great. So was one of mine:D

[Airman Doors, USAF]

Hey, didn't you hear what Stuffy said about "puff, puff, pass"? Roethlisberger is better than Manning? "Guffaw", I say to thee. What you got was a better deal, not a better QB. Is Roethlisberger good? Yes, very...and certainly better than an 11th pick. I daresay he'll be quite a bit better than Rivers. But is he better than Manning? In true Pit fashion, I say fuck no!

And I'm certain that the Chargers fans said exactly the same thing about Ryan Leaf. And the Raiders fans about Todd Marinovich. And the Colts fans when they spoke of Art Schlichter. And the Houston fans when they got Andre Ware. #1 pick, for an unproven quarterback playing for a third rate team in a second rate conference? Riiiiight. The Steelers got the steal of the draft with Roethlisberger. The Giants just paid too much. I hope they got some good offensive line help in the offseason, because if they didn't Eli Manning will get jacked up big time. And that certainly won't help what confidence he has. The only thing he should be confident about is that teams are looking to crush him for his BS leading up to the draft. They're looking to knock some of the gold off the Golden Boy. And I think they will. Repeatedly.

Meanwhile, the Giants will long for all those picks and all that money back when they see the 11th pick blossom into one of the best NFL quarterbacks around. Don't say I didn't tell you when it happens, dude.

[wmulax93]

Lions: 27 Steelers: 21


By the way, our D-Line is deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.

And when are you gonna drop that sack of shit Maddux? Rothlesberger and St. Pierre are both young and have talent. Maddux is old and played in the XFL. Dump him like the steaming turd he is.

And when are we gonna drop McSuck and Mirer? Jesus, if Harrington goes down, the Lions are fucked.

[Airman Doors, USAF]

That was a good preseason game. My analysis:

1) Ward is still the man. He made some great catches while he was in.

2) Maddox looked decent, but not nearly as good a Roethlisberger did.

3) St. Pierre looked good, but of course he was playing the third team defense.

4) The Steelers had too many penalties.

5) The Steelers are DEEP at running back. I mean, wow. Duce is for real, the Bus is still good as long as they run him north/south (which is not a foregone conclusion), and other than the fumblitis things look promising.

Anyway, it was definitely a good game. Detroit's offense looks promising, but their defense leaks like a sieve.

So, what does all this mean? Absolutely nothing. It's preseason. It doesn't count. But nonetheless, it's good to see a good team playing again, even if it's all just a show. In three weeks it will count, and that's when you'll see the true might of the Super Bowl-bound Steelers.

[wmulax93]

Yeah, our D looked kinda bad last night, but CBs 1, 2, and 3 all sat (Bly, Bryant, Cash) and our best LB is out until November.

Again, it didn't mean anything, though. I am seriously worried about Harrington getting injured, though. We have absolutely no one to seriously back him up. If y'all cut St. Pierre (if Batch returns, pretty much), I'd take him over McMahon and Mirer.

On to something much more fun to talk about:

Did you see Winslow get blown up in the Browns/Tacks game last night? Holy shit, that made me laugh! I hope that whiny little bitch gets his ass haded to him by Ray-Ray and/or Joey Porter at some point this year. (Ah, hatred of the Browns, bringing Detroit and Pittsburgh fans together for years!)

[Weirddave]

So, what does all this mean? Absolutely nothing. It's preseason. It doesn't count. But nonetheless, it's good to see a good team playing again, even if it's all just a show.
It's even better when your team wins 24-0 instead of starting a season long pattern of losing. Seems to me the Stillers picked right up where they left off last year-with a giant "L" on their forehead.

[The Mad Hermit]

Yes, Dave, you're absolutely right, the first game of preseason is the indicator of how the teams are going to end the year.

Why don't we just let them play it out, eh? As I see it, there are two whole games' worth of chances to break Lewis' legs. (Both of them- and both of them.)

[Weirddave]

Yes, Dave, you're absolutely right, the first game of preseason is the indicator of how the teams are going to end the year.


Well I dunno. Seems Doors is making his prediction on how the Stillers will do based on NO games played (seeing as how he predicted the SB before the first game).

[Airman Doors, USAF]

If you consider what I wrote in the OP a prediction you need to loosen up a bit. It was clearly a bunch of smack talking and an invitation for more of the same. And somehow you missed the point. For the second year in a row.

[The Mad Hermit]

I saw the highlight of the Ravens game, and an indicator of their future:

Kordell Stewart trying to run a pass offense.

I'm still wiping up the tears from laughing so hard.

On another subject, how about those Browns? I picked up a Cleveland paper today and they're trashing their own team. Already.

I am surprised at how easy the Ravens made it look when they stuffed Vick; but the Falcons don't look very strong at this point.

[Airman Doors, USAF]

You know what really sucks? The Ravens have a new owner, so I can't hate them because of that turd Modell anymore. Oh, wait, I can hate them because they should still be in Cleveland except for that turd Modell, and because he moved them I'm forced to go elsewhere to watch the Steelers in spite of the fact that Central Pennsylvania is Steelers country.

There, I knew I could find a reason to hate them. :)

[Khadaji]

I saw the highlight of the Ravens game, and an indicator of their future:

Kordell Stewart trying to run a pass offense.

I'm still wiping up the tears from laughing so hard.

On another subject, how about those Browns? I picked up a Cleveland paper today and they're trashing their own team. Already.

I am surprised at how easy the Ravens made it look when they stuffed Vick; but the Falcons don't look very strong at this point.Kordell now plays for the Ravens? I hadn't heard. Interesting.

[The Mad Hermit]

I just got back from the Steelers game.

I finally got tickets to a game at Heinz Field, and it's a nice place. I couldn't have asked for a better game- winning like this vs. any AFC North opponent in the regular season would have made it a little nicer, but I'll take it. My seats (the wife and I) were on the 10 yard line, near where Randle EL made his circus catch.

Revenge on the Texans, 38-3. Pre-season, but it's another step on the march...

[Airman Doors, USAF]

Yeah, it was definitely a spanking, but it's just preseason, so while I can rightfully be excited about it I can't get too excited.

Besides, the Texans suck eggs.

[Airman Doors, USAF]

Well, the 3 years running NFC Chamionship Game Iggles have left their starters in the entire first half whereas the 6-10 last year Steelers put in their second team in the second quarter, and the Iggles are STILL down by a field goal, 17-14.

Tell me this isn't shaping up to be a hell of a season, Steelers fans! :D

[Ennui]

This ain't a bump, this is a kick.




Tell me this isn't shaping up to be a hell of a season, Steelers fans! :D

Gets even better, those big bad Steelers held on to beat a 4 and 12 team. Surely all the angels in heaven and the holy spirit of Terry Bradshaw's late and lamented hair plugs smiled down on the field today. But next week they face a ratbird team with a homicidal linebacker who just watched his team suck the life out of their number one quarterback (or was it the other way around?). Ray Ray (one of the few raven playmakers to have already beaten their respective federal indictments) will not be pleased. So who wins next week? I don't care. My Brownies, who nobody gave a chance just slapped the ravens like a red headed step child, or in ray ray's case, like an Atlanta nightclub goer not wearing body Armour, so it matters not as long as the Cowboys start Viagra Vinny next week.



Yea, yea, yea. Lame rant but sometimes we gotta get out our digs in before we're buried
.

[Airman Doors, USAF]

Hey, a win is a win is a win, and a loss is a loss is a loss, most especially when it's to the hapless Brownies. :D

I foresee a spanking next week. Pittsburgh 28, Ravens 7, and it really won't even be that close.

You're one game back on that bet, Dave. Let me know when you want to either reconsider or up the ante. I'll be here. :)

[Weirddave]

The bet's for the season, not a game. Remember how the Patriots started last year and where they wound up. I'm not worried.

[ElvisL1ves]

While you're at it, note that the Patriots are already a game ahead of last year's pace.

You're all just hoping for second place. Admit it.

[wmulax93]

And the Lions win on the road!!!!

[Ennui]

Hey, a win is a win is a win, and a loss is a loss is a loss, most especially when it's to the hapless Brownies. :)

Ah Hem, I direct you to the following definition: Hapless (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=hapless&r=67).


hapless:

adj : deserving or inciting pity; "a hapless victim"; "miserable victims of war"; "the shabby room struck her as extraordinarily pathetic"- Galsworthy; "piteous appeals for help"; "pitiable homeless children"; "a pitiful fate"; "Oh, you poor thing"; "his poor distorted limbs"; "a wretched life" [syn: miserable, misfortunate, pathetic, piteous, pitiable, pitiful, poor, wretched]


After reading that I submit my Brownies today were Hapfull, hapfull I say. [same cite]

hapfull:

adj : inciting or causeing others to deserve pity; "hapfully victimizing"; "the shabby play calling caused all to agree that Boller was extraordinarily pathetic"- Matt Cavanaugh; "piteous appeals for help on the defence by Ray Ray went for not"; " ::SLAP:: I'm sorry, was that your football team"?




[Ennui finnishes off his six pack, lets stinking dogs lie and vows to stop posting drunk.]

[Diogenes the Cynic]

[Ahem]


Two words:

Vikings, bitches!


That is all.

[Jimmy Chitwood]

Four words, Dio:

TO. Next Monday Night.

[asterion]

Seven words:

Damn it, Jake, just take the safety!

[pepperlandgirl]

Seven words:

Damn it, Jake, just take the safety!

No shit.

[pepperlandgirl]

Oh my god, my boys didn't suck.

Go Broncos! Go Broncos!

And I have to tip my hat to the Steelers for holding on against the Raiders. We appreciate it muchly over here.

Did anybody see the Ravens today? I heard they were supposed to play the Browns, but it doesn't look like they ever showed up...

[Ellis Dee]

Fucking hamsters ate my post! Gah!!!!!

Anyway, I predict a Jets - Cowboys all-tuna Superbowl.

Pats can lose because they never destroy anybody, they always just barely win. And in those wins they usually get an awful lot of lucky breaks. Once those dry up, the conference is wide open.

The asspounding my beloved Giants took yesterday sucked big moose dick. If they still produced the Wide World of Sports, Kurt Warner would be the new "agony of defeat" guy.

The only thing I hate more than the Sheagles is TO. So it was nice to see them join forces to embarass big blue. Ugh. At least Strahan didn't point at the scoreboard this time.

Sucks to have your back against the wall in week 2, but we really need to beat the Redskins next week. Fortunately, our weaknesses are stopping the run and being soft in the secondary, so we'll match up well against Coles and Clinton fucking Portis. Good christ.

[Lord Ashtar]

Sucks to have your back against the wall in week 2, but we really need to beat the Redskins next week. Fortunately, our weaknesses are stopping the run and being soft in the secondary, so we'll match up well against Coles and Clinton fucking Portis. Good christ.
Sorry, but your Giants don't have a prayer.

The Redskins are back in a big way, baby!

[NurseCarmen]

Four words, Dio:

TO. Next Monday Night.Every time Randy Moss and TO have been on opposing sidelines, Moss has come out on top.

[Really Not All That Bright]

You're all forgetting the Buccaneers. Sure, the offense looked atrocious against the 'Skins, and sure, Joey Galloway is probably done for half the season, and yes, Charlie Garner ran the ball... well, like a Buccaneer running back... and yes, for the money we paid "Just give me the damn ball, and, uh, a packet of Depends" Tim Brown, we could have given Keenan McCardell a raise AND had Derrick Brooks' beard redyed black.... but by damn, THIS will be the year we have a kickoff return for a touchdown!

[Lord Ashtar]

What happened to Joey Galloway? I didn't get to see the whole game, and espn.com doesn't have him listed as injured.

[lieu]

"Go Texans, Go Texans, Go Texans... fuck.
C'mon Cowboys, C'mon Cowboys, C'mon Cowboys... fuck.
Boo Broncos, Boo Broncos, Boo Broncos... fuck."

Man, yesterday sucked steamy lemur balls.

I thought Shanahan had lost his mind when he traded Portis but now he's looking like a genius yet again.

(Disclaimer: I actually like the Broncos until my Colorado MIL starts ragging unmercilessly on the Boys, hence my conditional ire)

And NurseCarmen, this from a Minn StarTribune link...

There's no mouthier guy in the NFL than Terrell Owens, the superstar receiver now in Philadelphia. The buildup for next Monday night's game is sure to be Owens vs. Randy Moss, and Owens can be counted to fire some salvos in this direction.

Moss got it started early, though, when asked after Sunday's game about Owens.

"Every wide receiver out there plays different," Moss said. "You can go to T.O., Marvin Harrison ... you can go through all these high-profile receivers, but nobody sees the coverages that I see.

"The comparison between the two of us next week -- there is no comparison."

[Diogenes the Cynic]

"Every wide receiver out there plays different," Moss said. "You can go to T.O., Marvin Harrison ... you can go through all these high-profile receivers, but nobody sees the coverages that I see.

"The comparison between the two of us next week -- there is no comparison."
Heh. Randy has never been known for his humility. I remember a game a couple of years ago that was covered by John Madden. During the game, Madden said "Excluding quarterbacks, Randy Moss is the best player in the game."

When Randy was told about Madden's comment after the game, his characteristically self-effacing response was, "Excluding nobody, I'm the best player in the game."

It's not exactly like TO is any shrinking violet, though.

As to a comparison of the two, here you go:

Career stats for Moss and Owens

------------------- Rec. Yds. Avg. Lg. Tds.

Randy Moss: 529 8402 15.9 78 79

Terrell Owens: 600 8640 14.4 79 84


At first blush, these stats seem remarkably even, but bear in mind that Terrell Owens has been in the NFL for two more years than Randy Moss. That means that Moss has achieved close to the same career totals in catches, yards and touchdowns while playing two fewer seasons. I think TO is the second best receiver in the NFL, but Moss is on a career pace to break some of Jerry Rice's records.


I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little bit worried about Monday night's game. I expect TO to get in the end zone. I expect McNabb to make some plays with his feet and I expect Westbrook to get his 100 yds. I also expect Daunte and Randy to make plays and put points on the board, but I think it's going to be a high scoring shootout, that it will be close, and that a lucky bounce or a turnover could decide the game. That's also not exactly a friendly stadium for visitors.

I think the game is a tossup. Nobody's going to blow anyone out of the water.

[BubbaDog]

Oh my god, my boys didn't suck.

Go Broncos! Go Broncos!

Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn!

I blame myself. Everytime I go to "Mile High" to see a Chiefs / Bronkhoser game I end up jinxing my team.

It was a hell of a game Pepperlandgirl and the payback at Arrowhead will be painful for Bronco fans to watch.

[D_Odds]

The asspounding my beloved Giants took yesterday sucked big moose dick. If they still produced the Wide World of Sports, Kurt Warner would be the new "agony of defeat" guy.

The only thing I hate more than the Sheagles is TO. So it was nice to see them join forces to embarass big blue. Ugh. At least Strahan didn't point at the scoreboard this time.

Sucks to have your back against the wall in week 2, but we really need to beat the Redskins next week. Fortunately, our weaknesses are stopping the run and being soft in the secondary, so we'll match up well against Coles and Clinton fucking Portis. Good christ.

On the bright side, the Giants didn't get as asspounded as I thought they would. I was expecting much worse. I'm praying to the football gods for 6 wins this season, although I'm not betting on it.

[pepperlandgirl]

Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn!

I blame myself. Everytime I go to "Mile High" to see a Chiefs / Bronkhoser game I end up jinxing my team.

It was a hell of a game Pepperlandgirl and the payback at Arrowhead will be painful for Bronco fans to watch.

Hahahahahahahha

That's funny. You're a funny guy. There will be no payback. The Broncos will steamroll them again.

All that aside, it was a hell of a game. A great way to start the season, and honestly, I couldn't have asked for a better opponent. We needed to see what the Broncos could do, and playing a team of KC's caliber sure gave us an idea....Kicking their asses up and down the field really lifted my spirits.

[asterion]

Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn!

I blame myself. Everytime I go to "Mile High" to see a Chiefs / Bronkhoser game I end up jinxing my team.

It was a hell of a game Pepperlandgirl and the payback at Arrowhead will be painful for Bronco fans to watch.

Payback? Payback? Yeah right. The Broncos had that game won until Hall decided to return it instead of taking the touchback.

[BubbaDog]

Pepperlandgirl
Pretty sure that won't happen again and not at arrowhead. Your Hoser's offense will wilt at the 130 decibels in their ears during the snap count. expect a lot of penalties and expect no mercy.

and it was a great game, just the wrong outcome.

asterion
[/smacktalk] WTF are you talking about? Really. I don't understand your statement.
[smacktalk]

and to stay on topic - Steelers will be marching to the superbowl allright - as spectators

Tail's wagging

[asterion]

asterion
[/smacktalk] WTF are you talking about? Really. I don't understand your statement.
[smacktalk]


The Broncos had the last game played at Arrowhead (week 5 last year, October 5, 2003) won until Hall returned a punt from the 3 97 yards for a touchdown. They dominated (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/recap?gameId=231005012) KC. True, the Broncos should've come back after that, but if Hall had taken the touchback, I bet the D would've held up.

[mouthbreather]

While it's easy to look at the box score of the Clowns/Raisins game and point and give a heartfelt HAWHA in the direction of Baltimore, you need to keep in mind that Ogden and Flynn both missed the game. Need I remind any Steelers fans what happened to us when we were down 2 O-Linemen last year?

Also, now it appears that their NT Kelly Gregg is out for the next two weeks as well.


So, Pittsburgh had BETTER win this game on Sunday. There should be no chest tumping when we do it, it should just be expected given the state of the Ravens.


God, we better not lose.

[The Mad Hermit]

and to stay on topic - Steelers will be marching to the superbowl allright - as spectators

Yes, only 11 of them take the field at one time.

:D

The latest word out of the Pittsburgh locker room is silence. Everyone is rather upset about Duce and Jerome, except for the team. I look at that as quiet reassurance. For some reason, the Steelers have more appeal as an underdog.

I think that during the Moss/Owens bowl next Monday we will see the coverage so tight on them that the game-breakers will be the role-players. The QB that finds his 2nd and 3rd guys will win.

The Browns once had a logo on their helmets, but it washed off.

[Ellis Dee]

On the bright side, the Giants didn't get as asspounded as I thought they would. I was expecting much worse. I'm praying to the football gods for 6 wins this season, although I'm not betting on it.I'm expecting at least 7 wins. Our schedule is soft...we can split against the redskins and cowboys, and we can beat the lions, bears, vikings, cardinals, bengals, and browns. That would be 8-8. I say we can beat the vikings because we have had their number ever since they robbed us in the playoffs in the late 90s. Hell, the vikings are the last team the giants actually beat.

But I was feeling like you about the loss as well. I was actually spinning it positive, citing the fact that we had 1st and goal on two different drives late in the game, both coming up empty. If those had been touchdowns, (fumbled handoff!) we would have gone to overtime.

Then I listened to Mike & the Mad Dog yesterday, and was fully discouraged. As Mike put it: (paraphrased) "The Eagles turned it off in the fourth quarter, they weren't even paying attention. If it were close at all, they would have poured it on. Consider that between the first drive and Tiki's late garbage-time touchdown, the Eagles owned the Giants 31-3. That Giants are a miserable joke."

Love that NY sports radio.

[Exgineer]

Speaking as a Giants fan, Ellis, I think you're dreaming. I read your assesment of [size=1Big[/size] Blue in Shibb's IMHO thread, and I think it was pretty accurate. I just believe that you are a bit overly optonistic.

My Giants will win six if I'm lucky. Three or four is not out of the question.

We have to face the truth: They ain't good.

Perhaps a lifetime of being a Red Sox fan has colored my judgement, but I don't think that's the case. Giants suck this year.

[Exgineer]

Could everybody please pretend that I coded Big properly?

'Cause then everything would be cool.

Or incredibaly dorky, your choice.

[Really Not All That Bright]

What happened to Joey Galloway? I didn't get to see the whole game, and espn.com doesn't have him listed as injured.
Groin tear, out at least 4 games.

[Ellis Dee]

Speaking as a Giants fan, Ellis, I think you're dreaming. I read your assesment of Big Blue in Shibb's IMHO thread, and I think it was pretty accurate. I just believe that you are a bit overly optonistic.

My Giants will win six if I'm lucky. Three or four is not out of the question.I named eight games I feel we can win, though I suppose convincing arguments could be made why we'll lose to the Browns, Vikings, Cowboys, and Redskins, leaving us with only four wins.We have to face the truth: They ain't good.Bear in mind what specifically our weaknesses are. The linebackers will kill us, I grant you that. Omar Stoutmire going down for the season certainly won't help, but he's not exactly a superstar. But other than the LBs, our only real problems are both lines. It is conceivable that both lines can come togethre and play well as a unit by the time we get our bye. That's what I'm basing my optimism on. Sure, it's not guaranteed, but there's something you shouldn't forget.

How did the Giants do the last time we were expected (in las Vegas) to get 6 wins? Do you remember? We went to the superbowl. As an organization, the Giants have had a remarkably consistent formula since the late eighties: Do well when expected to lose, and do extremely poorly when expected to win. Both in seasons and individual games. As a Giants fan, I'm sure you remember plenty of "huh?" losses to bad teams, and "wow!" wins against teams much better than us.Perhaps a lifetime of being a Red Sox fan has colored my judgement, but I don't think that's the case. Giants suck this year.No, both are true. We do suck. There are no expectation at all. That's the only time the Giants ever play well. Your hapless BoSox are a completely different animal. :)

[lno]

Psst, hey, um, Steeler fans, could you please win this week? I'm in a bit of a bind. Yeah, I've got Jamal Lewis in a league or two, and wouldn't mind him having a good game, but my pick algorithm predicts a Steelers win and I admit I'm not too confident about that (and it claims Oakland will beat Buffalo!)

So, uh, if you could make sure that Pittsburgh comes home with the win, that'd just be greaaaaat.

[asterion]

Well, it's week two, it's halftime, and I've got to admit I'm baffled.

What the hell is with all the penalties, especially all those illegal motion penalties? And what the hell is going on with the Baltimore timeouts and clock management?

[Weirddave]

*clap, clap*

There ya go Stillers, there ya go!

*clap, clap*

There ya go Stillers, there ya go!




*waves*
Buh-Bye, now. Thanks for visiting Baltimore.

[Airman Doors, USAF]

Well, that was interesting.

The score may have been 30-13 to the bad, but there were many bright spots:

1) The D stuffed Jamal Lewis
2) Boller didn't do anything to win
3) Roethlisberger came in for an injured Maddox and played well. Other than that score-padding touchdown at the end (which resulted from miscommunication and as it stands made no difference, but it was an awesome return) he got some good time under center and frankly looked much better than Maddox did.

Countering those bright spots:

1) The Ravens won
2) The fucking Ravens won
3) The Steelers got too many penalties
4) The motherfucking shit-stomping Ravens won

Ah, well. It's only Week Two. There's plenty of time for Maddox to take a seat so Roethlisberger can take over. There's plenty of time for an erratic Baltimore team to blow their foot off like they did against the Brownies last week.

I'm not worried. This was just a hiccup. Every team since 1973 has lost at least once, so I considered it inevitable anyway, and the glimpse of the future was tantalizing and entertaining. Good game for the Steelers, in spite of the score.

[pepperlandgirl]

Unfortunately, the Broncos lost.

Fortunately, so did the Chiefs. 0-2? That's a rotten way to start a Superbowl campaign.

[High Cheese]

And I'm certain that the Chargers fans said exactly the same thing about Ryan Leaf. And the Raiders fans about Todd Marinovich. And the Colts fans when they spoke of Art Schlichter. And the Houston fans when they got Andre Ware. #1 pick, for an unproven quarterback playing for a third rate team in a second rate conference? Riiiiight. The Steelers got the steal of the draft with Roethlisberger. The Giants just paid too much. I hope they got some good offensive line help in the offseason, because if they didn't Eli Manning will get jacked up big time. And that certainly won't help what confidence he has. The only thing he should be confident about is that teams are looking to crush him for his BS leading up to the draft. They're looking to knock some of the gold off the Golden Boy. And I think they will. Repeatedly.

Meanwhile, the Giants will long for all those picks and all that money back when they see the 11th pick blossom into one of the best NFL quarterbacks around. Don't say I didn't tell you when it happens, dude.

Just a minor nit-pick. Ware played for the University of Houston but was drafted by the Detroit Lions.

[mhendo]

Well, Airman, you've been watching football your whole life, and i only have four years' of experience with the sport. Still, some things stand out like dogs' balls, even to a novice, and i just don't understand how you can be so blind to your team's failings today.

If i'm interpreting your post correctly, the Steelers played pretty well, and Baltimore did nothing special. Makes you wonder how the final score ended up the way it did. 1) The D stuffed Jamal LewisYes, they did. And if a team can hold one of the best running backs in the league to 62 yards on 24 carries, and still lose 30-13, you have to wonder how many other areas that team fucked up in.

Also, i don't see how this could be interpreted as anything other than a good omen for Baltimore. After all, people have spent most of the past few seasons talking about how one-dimensional Baltimore's offense is, and how it would be nothing without Jamal Lewis. Well, today Lewis gained under 3 yards per run, and his longest run was 12 yards, and still the Ravens won rather comfortably.

Also, one of Baltimore's other key offensive threats, Todd Heap. spent about half the game on the sideline. When Baltimore can beat Pittsburgh without relying completely on Lewis or Heap, then either Baltimore has more depth than people give them credit for, or the Steelers sucked pretty badly.
2) Boller didn't do anything to winI guess you could consider this a bright spot if Pittsburgh was going to be playing no-one but Boller every week for the rest of the season. But when one of your "bright spots" consists of nothing more than the fact that opposing QB didn't tear your team apart, then things must be pretty dim in Steeler-land.

And the Ravens make no attempt to hide the fact that Boller's passing game still isn't the key to their success. If Boller does week-in, week-out exactly what he did today—make safe passes, no interceptions, and suffer only 2 sacks—then Baltimore will win more games than they'll lose this season.
3) Roethlisberger came in for an injured Maddox and played well. Other than that score-padding touchdown at the end (which resulted from miscommunication and as it stands made no difference, but it was an awesome return) he got some good time under center and frankly looked much better than Maddox did.He certainly did look pretty good after he got over his early nerves. But it's rather silly to blame Baltimore's final touchdown on "miscommunication," as if that's somehow not part of the game. Communication is a key aspect of a team's success, and with the amount of training they do, it should work properly even when you have to put a backup QB in the game.

Also, you call Baltimore's final touchdown a "score-padding touchdown," but it was no more of a "score-padder" than Pittsburgh's first touchdown was. The pass that led to Hines Ward's 58 yard run should have been intercepted, and if it had been the final score might have ended up closer to 30-0. Good game for the Steelers, in spite of the score.Well, i applaud your undying optimism, but if that's a "good game for the Steelers," i'm anxious to see what a bad one might look like.

I can only assume that any description of the Steelers' game today as "good" must not be counting the whole first half, and most of the second, especially their offense. Apart from a six-minute period at the beginning of the fourth quarter when the Ravens' defense either tried to play too soft and deep, or just went to sleep, the Steelers never even looked like getting over the line.

I'm making no claim that the Ravens played a brilliant game. They'll need to improve on that performance if they want to be a real threat this year. Still, their defense was damn solid for about 55 minutes, and the offense didn't make many mistakes. As i said at the top, i'm no expert, but i think you might need to scrub some of that rose tinting from your football glasses.

[Enginerd]

4) The motherfucking shit-stomping Ravens won
It's a little early in the season to start referring to your team as shit.

[Oat1957]

The D stuffed Jamal Lewis

Yep, two TD's is stuffed.

I didn't see a single Squealer RB in the end zone. Good thing they didn't get stuffed, heh? :D

[Diogenes the Cynic]

Not really Steeler related but since this is the standing NFL Pit thread:

Hey Packer fans,


Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!! Your squad got done by the lowly Bears. Man, how bad do you have to suck to get your asses kicked at home by Rex Grossman and Thomas fucking Jones?

And nice ball handling by Ahman "KY" Green. Some things never change. :p


Have fun in the NFC North basement this year, dudes. Do you realize that you're behind the fucking LIONS right now? Man that must suck for you cheeseheads.





Of course I realize that karma will now kick me in the ass and my Vikings will get killed at Philly tomorrow night.

[Soapbox Monkey]

You are a lot more optimistic than I am Airman Doors, USAF. Personally I took today's game as a sign that our squad doesn't stand a chance this year. The AFC North may be the weakest division in the AFC, and the fact that our Steelers got walloped within our division is a bad omen that we aren't likely to compete with any of the competent teams outside of it.

So much for this season. :(

[that_darn_cat]

Of course I realize that karma will now kick me in the ass and my Vikings will get killed at Philly tomorrow night.


You better believe it. E! A! G! L! E! S! EAGLES!

[High Cheese]

Of course I realize that karma will now kick me in the ass and my Vikings will get killed at Philly tomorrow night.

And if karma is really, really bad to you, in the worst ironically devious way, you will also get killed by the aforementioned Bears next week.

go bears

[wmulax93]

After the win today (2-0!), I'm in a state of euphoria.

I will now exit the conversation regarding the NFC North, as not to jinx my team.

[Hal Briston]

ahem.

WOOHOO! GIANTS WIN!!!

I am one pleased mofo right now (even if I did have to pick against them in order for them to win).

Hey Packer fans,

Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!! Your squad got done by the lowly Bears. Man, how bad do you have to suck to get your asses kicked at home by Rex Grossman and Thomas fucking Jones?
Oh, how much was I loving that game? Hardly anyone picked the Bears in any of the pools I'm in, so a Packer loss doesn't have any effect there. However, it did knock better than half the field out of the suicide pool we have going at work...thanks for sucking, GB! :D

[BubbaDog]

Unfortunately, the Broncos lost.

Fortunately, so did the Chiefs. 0-2? That's a rotten way to start a Superbowl campaign.

It's OK, everythings under control. No need to stop here. move along now people.

Sheesh, the Chiefs defense makes average running backs look great.

I'm sure we'll fix this and get back on track to the Superbowl, Pepperlandgirl so don't you worry.

[lno]

Dear Moss and Owens:

It's all down to you guys. If your teams will put up about 26 points apiece, then I'm a happy man. K, thanks, 'preciate it.

[World Eater]

Hehe, I love seeing the Steelers lose.

[Exgineer]

ahem.

WOOHOO! GIANTS WIN!!!
Yeah, and believe me there's no one happier than I am that they now stand zero chance of going 0 for 16. Heck, they may do better than the 6-10 I predicted, but let's not forget why they really won.

The Redskins were just horrible yesterday. Seriously, it's like they forgot they were supposed to be playing football.

[World Eater]

Yeah, and believe me there's no one happier than I am that they now stand zero chance of going 0 for 16. Heck, they may do better than the 6-10 I predicted, but let's not forget why they really won.

The Redskins were just horrible yesterday. Seriously, it's like they forgot they were supposed to be playing football.

I'm happy to see Warner win one, Eli can go suck a dead goat. I did relish that crippling hit on him last week though. :p

[Weirddave]

Hmmm. I debated changing my desktop wallpaper to this (http://fff.fathom.org/pages/dipmodern/Maddox%20desktop.jpg), but decided to change it back, I really got nothing against Tommy(except that he's a Steeler), and he was hurt on the play, not just humbled by the mighty Ravens D. Now if it had been cheap-shot artist Joey Porter....that would be a picture I could celebrate. Here's hoping he gets shot again real soon.

[The Mad Hermit]

Dave, Dave, Dave...

wishing someone to be shot is in really bad taste.

Your team won the damn, game, now you want worse things to happen? Talk about being petty.

Now I'm actively waiting for Ray Lewis' season-ending injury, guaranteed by the Madden curse.

Old Todd sure went down in a Heap, didn't he? And someone should tell Deion that he's old and busted, and he'll just embarrass himself further. Just listen to the way rhe CBS guys express their "love" for him.

Thanks to the Ravens for busting the old and allowing the new future Hall of Fame QB to get into the action.

[Hal Briston]

Dear Moss and Owens:

It's all down to you guys. If your teams will put up about 26 points apiece, then I'm a happy man. K, thanks, 'preciate it.
I'm pulling for ya...a total score of 52 or more gives you the win this week. And I sure as hell don't want my Rabid Ferrets to be two games behind Deesato in the division.

Of course, I'd be very happy if the Vikes could make it a 52-0 blowout. Any Eagles loss is a beautiful thing by me. :D

[Lord Ashtar]

Yeah, and believe me there's no one happier than I am that they now stand zero chance of going 0 for 16. Heck, they may do better than the 6-10 I predicted, but let's not forget why they really won.

The Redskins were just horrible yesterday. Seriously, it's like they forgot they were supposed to be playing football.
I'll admit, I was kind of hoping that Ramsey would come in and destroy the Giants, just so Gibbs would have to start him next week. Too bad he had to throw 3 interceptions.

It's amazing they only lost by 6 points, considering they gave up 7, count them, 7 fucking turnovers.

[Airman Doors, USAF]

Well, Airman, you've been watching football your whole life, and i only have four years' of experience with the sport. Still, some things stand out like dogs' balls, even to a novice, and i just don't understand how you can be so blind to your team's failings today.

I'm not blind to my team's failings. Not at all. I am, however, optimistic for the future now that I have seen it in action.

If i'm interpreting your post correctly, the Steelers played pretty well, and Baltimore did nothing special. Makes you wonder how the final score ended up the way it did. Yes, they did. And if a team can hold one of the best running backs in the league to 62 yards on 24 carries, and still lose 30-13, you have to wonder how many other areas that team fucked up in.

That's right. Baltimore did nothing special, and Pittsburgh played decent.

Here are the game stats (http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/teamstats/NFL_20040919_PIT@BAL). Does anything stand out to you? The only thing that is really striking is the turnovers, which is of course what made the difference. Other than that it looks like your standard defensive football game.

Also, i don't see how this could be interpreted as anything other than a good omen for Baltimore. After all, people have spent most of the past few seasons talking about how one-dimensional Baltimore's offense is, and how it would be nothing without Jamal Lewis. Well, today Lewis gained under 3 yards per run, and his longest run was 12 yards, and still the Ravens won rather comfortably.

Here's the drive charts (http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/drives/NFL_20040919_PIT@BAL). The Ravens had one drive of 90 yards for their first touchdown and they had one drive of 64 yards for their last field goal. Everything else was very, very short due to turnovers. Indicative of a juggernaut this is not. Pittsburgh had seven drives over 20 yards compared to the Ravens' 3.

Like I said, this game was closer than the score would indicate. Oh, and bad omens? The Patsies got spanked in their first game last year by around 30 points. What were they doing at the end of the year? Bad omen, indeed.

Also, you call Baltimore's final touchdown a "score-padding touchdown," but it was no more of a "score-padder" than Pittsburgh's first touchdown was. The pass that led to Hines Ward's 58 yard run should have been intercepted, and if it had been the final score might have ended up closer to 30-0. Well, i applaud your undying optimism, but if that's a "good game for the Steelers," i'm anxious to see what a bad one might look like.

I meant "score-padding" in the sense that it had no effect on the outcome of the game and might lead people to believe that the game was a blowout, when it was anything but.

And I maintain that it was a good game. Great? Nope. But good.

[mhendo]

Here are the game stats (http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/teamstats/NFL_20040919_PIT@BAL). Does anything stand out to you? The only thing that is really striking is the turnovers, which is of course what made the difference. Other than that it looks like your standard defensive football game.Sure it does. Which is exactly what you expect from a Pittsburgh-Baltimore game. And which is why, in a game between those two teams, things like turnovers (especially at the wrong end of the field) can make all the difference in the end. Here's the drive charts (http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/drives/NFL_20040919_PIT@BAL). The Ravens had one drive of 90 yards for their first touchdown and they had one drive of 64 yards for their last field goal. Everything else was very, very short due to turnovers. Indicative of a juggernaut this is not. Pittsburgh had seven drives over 20 yards compared to the Ravens' 3.Well, i've never accused the Ravens of being an offensive "juggernaut." Even with Lewis in top form and Heap making big plays down the field, they're not one of the league's best overall offensive teams. And on days when Lewis is stopped and Heap is out with injury, they're always going to have limited attacking options.That's right. Baltimore did nothing special, and Pittsburgh played decent.In the end, i guess this is really a case of "glass half full" or "glass half empty." You could just as easily say that Pittsburgh did nothing special and Baltimore played decent.

[Airman Doors, USAF]

If you think you're ever going to hear ME say that you're out of your mind.

[lno]

I'm pulling for ya...a total score of 52 or more gives you the win this week. And I sure as hell don't want my Rabid Ferrets to be two games behind Deesato in the division.

Of course, I'd be very happy if the Vikes could make it a 52-0 blowout. Any Eagles loss is a beautiful thing by me. :D I'm irritated at myself for picking such a high MNF total. I don't know what I was thinking. What's worse is that it shouldn't have come down to this at all -- if I had abided by my picking algorithm, I'd have gone with Dallas over Cleveland and this week would be in the bag already. I was just careless both with picks and MNF.

If I win, though, going 2-0 in the AFC South to start the season is fine by me. (By the way, which team did I randomly draw? I want to know what sort of karma my team has.)

[Hal Briston]

(By the way, which team did I randomly draw? I want to know what sort of karma my team has.)
You're playing with Raider* karma. Take from that what you will.


*Remember! Strictly for scheduling purposes.

[lno]

You're playing with Raider* karma. Take from that what you will.


*Remember! Strictly for scheduling purposes.Yeah, and there's no "strength of schedule" handicap since everyone's coming into this fresh, but damnit, couldn't you have given me a contender? ;)

[Weirddave]

Jesus, Doors, you must be the poster child for lies, damn lies and statistics. You can lie here on the message board all you want, but don't lie to yourself, balck and gold colored glasses or not. You team got dominated, and if not for a ticky-tack illegal motion call on the flea flicker (remember that? Randy Hymes catching the ball in the endzone negated because Kevin Johnson hopped once towards the line of scrimage before the snap) and Ed Reed getting buck fever and deflecting a pass right into Ward's hands when he had a totally clear field in front of him to the end zone, and the score would have been 44-7, which is much more indicative of how this game was played. Face it, you got punked. Even the Steelers have admitted as much in interviews today. Why not suck it up and stop looking for a non-existant bright side?

[Ennui]

A simple and most humble plea to the Great Football Gods, what has Cleveland done to earn your eternal enmity and what supplications can we perform to turn away your wrath? Lo, thou hast caused many of our draft picks to perform in the manner of a turkey, yea like large turkeys. Yet when the fullness of their time had come they were released from our midst and after much toil and adversity we found amongst us a group who knew the end zone from their assholes, yea from their assholes. And then through the large opening in the roof of Dallas stadium the Football Gods did strike down with vengeance and furious anger upon these Browns. These are the injuries from yesterday’s game:

TE Kellen Winslow Broken leg; 8-10 weeks, possibly going on IR
DE Cortney Brown Mid-foot sprain; probably going to IR
DT Gerard Warren Strained pec; 2-4 weeks
CB Daylon McCutcheon Broken finger; week to week
RT Ryan Tucker Quadriceps; 2-4 weeks
LG Paul Zukauskas Knee; unknown recovery or severity

Yea these Gods are wrathful and quick to anger but their humble servants shall tarry till our grace is restored in full. Amen

[gooti]

The Steelers played like shit. Good win for Baltimore.


But Dave, if you're going to gloat over an injury, that door wings both ways.


Anyone know where I can find an MPEG of Porter putting Heap on his gimpy ass? Best laugh I had all day. :D

[mouthbreather]

Pretend that I actually checked to see who was logged in and that the above post is mine. Also, if you like, you can add the wayward 's' to wings.


::still giggling at gimpy Heap::

[Weirddave]

The Steelers played like shit. Good win for Baltimore.


But Dave, if you're going to gloat over an injury, that door wings both ways.


Anyone know where I can find an MPEG of Porter putting Heap on his gimpy ass? Best laugh I had all day. :D
I think there was one on one of the Pittsburg paper's site, or at least a photograph, but tell me, where did I gloat over an injury?

[mouthbreather]

Please.

I can tell it just broke your heart in half to share that pic of a downed Maddox with us. Need a Kleenex?

And hoping someone gets shot again? Pure class.

[Weirddave]

Please.

I can tell it just broke your heart in half to share that pic of a downed Maddox with us. Need a Kleenex?

And hoping someone gets shot again? Pure class.
Perhaps you should read what I said, rather than jumping to conclusions:

I debated changing my desktop wallpaper to this, but decided to change it back, I really got nothing against Tommy(except that he's a Steeler), and he was hurt on the play

Hmmm. Seems to me that I was saying that gloating wouldn't be appropriate in that situation, but hey, why read for content? Knee jerking is much more fun.


As for Porter, you're damn right I hope he gets shot again. Taking a technically legal but definitely cheap shot at an injured player hoping to injure him further is beneath contempt for most folks, for Porter it's just another day's thuggery. Funny thing about Porter, though; he loves to run his mouth but the only time I heard his name mentioned was when he whacked Heap. Ogden owned his sorry ass all day long.

[lno]

I was feeling pretty good the first time the Vikings stalled in the end zone.

The second time, well, I still felt okay.

The third time felt kinda bad.

The fourth began to hurt.

I stopped caring at the fifth.

Jeezum crow, can't they put points on the board?

[Diogenes the Cynic]

I could accept it better if we hadn't lost because of a touchdown that wasn't a touchdown.

The zebras were clearly in the bag for birds tonight. The league must want Philly in the superbowl this year.

[Airman Doors, USAF]

As for Porter, you're damn right I hope he gets shot again. Taking a technically legal but definitely cheap shot at an injured player hoping to injure him further is beneath contempt for most folks, for Porter it's just another day's thuggery. Funny thing about Porter, though; he loves to run his mouth but the only time I heard his name mentioned was when he whacked Heap. Ogden owned his sorry ass all day long.

It's funny that you feel that way considering the attack I took at your hands for calling Ray Lewis the middle murderer a while back.

I mean, if that's the way you want to play it, then it's on.

[Enginerd]

Yeah, the game was really badly officiated, but the Vikings did more than the Eagles to make sure they didn't win. Once they passed the Eagles 30, nobody on the offensive line could hold still long enough for Birk to snap the ball. Tice didn't challenge a play that he should have (even without looking at the replays, when you're down by an imposing but manageable 8 and all of a sudden it's 15 with 8 minutes left, you've gotta be able to tell your coach to challenge it before they get the PAT off. The Vikings must have the same guys running the draft and the replay booth.

[Weirddave]

It's funny that you feel that way considering the attack I took at your hands for calling Ray Lewis the middle murderer a while back.


There's a big difference-Ray Lewis never murdered anyone, never had anything to do with murdering anyone (his thug friends did), pled guilty to what he was guilty of (lying to the cops) and served his punishment for it (the thugs walked, remember), and completely learned his lesson and has been a model citizen since.

Porter is still a thug, and he revels in it.

I'm defending a man who has demonstrated character and contrition since he was put in a bad situation by two people who weren't really friends. You're defending a gangster simply because he wears black and gold. Pretty shameful, Doors, you're smarter than that. At least, I think you are.

[Airman Doors, USAF]

How is he a gangster? The only person I have ever heard saying that is you.

[Hal Briston]

Jeezum crow, can't they put points on the board?
Tell me 'bout it....that was a sad, sad performance.

One the bright side for you, you're leading the AFC West, and you're in 11th place in the Power Rankings (http://www.sirblah.com/1on1pool/1On1Standings.htm). Not all too shabby.

[mouthbreather]

Hmmm. Seems to me that I was saying that gloating wouldn't be appropriate in that situation, but hey, why read for content? Knee jerking is much more fun.

I did read what you wrote but it seems to me that if you weren't glaoting and you really werent happy about it, there would have been no need to link that pic at all.




As for Porter, you're damn right I hope he gets shot again. Taking a technically legal but definitely cheap shot at an injured player hoping to injure him further is beneath contempt for most folks, for Porter it's just another day's thuggery. Funny thing about Porter, though; he loves to run his mouth but the only time I heard his name mentioned was when he whacked Heap. Ogden owned his sorry ass all day long.


Cheap shot? Please. Even a writer from your own stinkin' town disagrees (http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/bal-sp.schmuck20sep20,1,3825260.column?coll=bal-home-columnists)


The Ravens were steamed at Steelers linebacker Joey Porter for knocking down an injured Todd Heap at the line of scrimmage at the end of the first half, but what exactly was Porter supposed to do? Heap injured his leg on the previous play and hobbled back to the line of scrimmage so Boller could spike the ball and stop the clock. Porter really had no choice but to treat him like he was a healthy player, and explained later he thought Heap might have been faking the injury to set up a play in the end zone. Stranger things have happened.



If Heap is that injured, he should stay down. If he's not that injured, you step to the line and play like every other down. There is no inbetween.

This song and dance about it being a cheap shot is hilarious.

[mouthbreather]

How is he a gangster? The only person I have ever heard saying that is you.

Yeah, I'd love some evidence of this as well.

I mean, it's not like he has ever plead guilty to or been convicted of a crime, like some other LBs who you seem to hold in such high esteem.

[mhendo]

If Heap is that injured, he should stay down. If he's not that injured, you step to the line and play like every other down. There is no inbetween. Despite being a Ravens fan who is a bit depressed that they're going to be without Heap for 2-4 weeks, i have to agree with this. If you're in the line, then you're in the line, and the defense can't afford to treat you differently than any other player.

[Hamlet]

There's a big difference-Ray Lewis never murdered anyone, never had anything to do with murdering anyoneJust a minor nitpick, but he did agree to pay a million dollars to the victim's family for his role in the murder.

[Diogenes the Cynic]

As for Porter, you're damn right I hope he gets shot again. Taking a technically legal but definitely cheap shot at an injured player hoping to injure him further is beneath contempt for most folks, for Porter it's just another day's thuggery. Funny thing about Porter, though; he loves to run his mouth but the only time I heard his name mentioned was when he whacked Heap. Ogden owned his sorry ass all day long.
Are you saying that opposing teams should not hit injured players who choose to stay on the field? If Heap is going to make that decision not to come off the field then he has to be treated like any other player.

What if a team decided to start an injured running back (let's say with a high ankle sprain), handed him the ball on every play and let him hobble and hop his way down the field with it. Should the opposing defense refrain from making a tackle on the grounds that it might injure him more?

Anyone who stays on the field with an injury is making a conscious choice to do so and is accepting the risks that it entails.

[PunditLisa]

I just wanted to report that the Bengals are currently tied for first place in the AFC North. :cool:

[Ellis Dee]

Despite being a Ravens fan who is a bit depressed that they're going to be without Heap for 2-4 weeks, i have to agree with this. If you're in the line, then you're in the line, and the defense can't afford to treat you differently than any other player.I agree that if you're in, you're in, and you shouldn't be treated differently. But that's where the complaint stems from. He was treated differently. He was the only Raven who got hit that play, and therefore it was an obvious cheap shot at a gimpy player.

[Ellis Dee]

Are you saying that opposing teams should not hit injured players who choose to stay on the field? If Heap is going to make that decision not to come off the field then he has to be treated like any other player.But he wasn't. No other player was hit; only Heap was. That's a cheap shot.What if a team decided to start an injured running back (let's say with a high ankle sprain), handed him the ball on every play and let him hobble and hop his way down the field with it. Should the opposing defense refrain from making a tackle on the grounds that it might injure him more?Nice strawman. Was Heap carrying the ball? Was anybody on the Browns attempting to advance the ball? Nope, they were spiking it. Your argument regarding ballcarriers is irrelevant.Anyone who stays on the field with an injury is making a conscious choice to do so and is accepting the risks that it entails.One of which, apparently, is taking a cheap shot from a classless Steeler.

There are some unwritten bonds between all NFL players. You do not criticize another guy's contract negotiation, because you don't want others to criticize yours. On other words, you do not mess with another player's money. You also do not seek to intentionally hurt another player, because that messes with his money. Smeer shit on his facemask, bite him, yank his thumb backward under the pile to make him fumble, all sort of nasty business is par for the course, and the players are aware of it. But taking a cheap shot at a gimpy player when nobody else on your team makes contact with any opposing player is out of bounds. At least, in my opinion it is.

[mhendo]

Was Heap carrying the ball? Was anybody on the Browns attempting to advance the ball? Nope, they were spiking it. Your argument regarding ballcarriers is irrelevant.
:dubious:

[Ellis Dee]

:dubious:Yeah, I know, I didn't notice until I had posted. In my defense, the Browns also had a marquee TE go down on Sunday.

Just too many damn injured, high profile TEs in the AFC North, I tells ya!

[Weirddave]

Originally Posted by Ellis Dee
Was Heap carrying the ball? Was anybody on the Browns attempting to advance the ball? Nope, they were spiking it. Your argument regarding ballcarriers is irrelevant.:dubious:
You think that's bad? Yahoo had a preview of the coming season last week, and they said that the biggest loss the Indianapolis Colts had in the off season was Marcus Robinson. :dubious: :smack: 20 years, people, 20 years.

[Airman Doors, USAF]

So how 'bout it, Dave? Any proof that Porter is a "thug"? I think the rest of us are pretty much in agreement that your impassioned defense of Ray Lewis was a crock, so you may want to salvage something out of this. Where's your proof of Porter's "thuggery"?

[Weirddave]

So how 'bout it, Dave? Any proof that Porter is a "thug"? I think the rest of us are pretty much in agreement that your impassioned defense of Ray Lewis was a crock, so you may want to salvage something out of this. Where's your proof of Porter's "thuggery"?
You know, you grew up a little bit over the past year or so and finally realized that blind partisanship is a bad thing in politics, it's a shame you can't apply the same maturity to your sports fandom. You think my defense of Ray Lewis was a crock? Find one thing I said in this thread about Lewis that is not 100% true. Porter is a thug because of what he did to Heap Sunday, and especially because when asked about it after the game he didn't say "my bad", he didn't apologize, claim to have been caught up in the heat of the moment or express any concern over Heap's condition. No, he continued to try and justify the despicable, proudly flying his weasel colors for the world to see. Oh, and in case you were wondering and FTR, if, say Adalius Thomas had done the exact same thing to Jerame Tuman, I would condemn it just as strongly. The difference is that Thomas has proven by his actions over the years that he would be contrite after the fact.

[Enginerd]

Anyone who stays on the field with an injury is making a conscious choice to do so and is accepting the risks that it entails.
In most cases I'd agree, but not this one. According to ESPN, the injury occured "late in the second quarter." I really don't see Baltimore spiking the ball unless it's the last two minutes and they're driving. If someone goes down and stays down then, his team will be charged a timeout. If they don't have a timeout, there's a time runoff to make up for it. In that situation, the smart thing to do, and the best thing for the team, is to limp back to the line, gut it out until the QB can spike the ball, and get a sub in then. No danger, because you're not running an actual play, right?

Heap is a tough, smart player who made the best decision for his team. Porter (and only Porter) took advantage of what's essentially a play off to get in one more shot at an obviously injured opponent. That makes him a piece of shit.

[mouthbreather]

for Porter it's just another day's thuggery.


Porter is a thug because of what he did to Heap Sunday, and especially because when asked about it after the game

Backpedal much?

You claim that this was another instance of Porters thuggery, then when called on it, you say "this makes him a thug". So, following that logic, I guess it's fair to say that Ray Lewis in Atlanta was just another instance of him being of hanging out with people on the same night they commit murder, and it's just "another day" of Lewis obstructing justice. This is fun! Everyone, try it! Ray Lewis pleading guilty was just another days of him being a criminal. Jamal Lewis' upcoming cocaine trafficking trial is jsut another instance of him going on trial for being a drug dealer! Wheee!

Sorry amigo, you're smarter than that. I think.


No other player was hit; only Heap was.

ABSOLUTELY UNTRUE. Thinking you were wrong, I just reviewed the play on Tivo. Aaron Smith and Casey Hampton (Steelers DE and NT) also made contact and hit/locked up with the O-Line on that play. Heap was the only player who went down like a ton of bricks, so of course he's the one that drew everyone's attention.

[The Mad Hermit]

How the fuck can you call it a cheap fucking shot when the referees on the field, who are Baltimore fans anyway, do not call a penalty? Did Todd Heap approach the line and say, "Geez, Porter, take it easy on me- I think I just messed up my leg"? It's something that a teammate would do to get excited, pushing on another's shoulder pads.

You're going to have to dig farther to find more dirt to bitch about, baltimorons. There is another game, another chance to put Lewis in the hospital. Either one.

Just how many unsportsman-like conduct penalties did Ray Lewis have in the game?

[mhendo]

In most cases I'd agree, but not this one. According to ESPN, the injury occured "late in the second quarter." I really don't see Baltimore spiking the ball unless it's the last two minutes and they're driving. If someone goes down and stays down then, his team will be charged a timeout. If they don't have a timeout, there's a time runoff to make up for it. In that situation, the smart thing to do, and the best thing for the team, is to limp back to the line, gut it out until the QB can spike the ball, and get a sub in then. No danger, because you're not running an actual play, right?Well, getting back to the line might be the smart thing to do, but if you make that decision, then you have to accept the fact that you're a part of whatever play happens next. While having a clock runoff might not be the best for the team, it is an option that Heap had. The fact that he and the Ravens chose not to take that option is their own decision. If he was injured badly enough that he couldn't take a hit, then he should have stayed down ad accepted the loss of time.

Also, Heap might have known that he wasn't going to be involved in an actual play, but there's no way that the Steelers knew that the Ravens were definitely going to spike the ball. For all the Pittsburgh players knew, the call for a spike could have been a tactic to try and throw them off guard and get into the end zone. Heap is a tough, smart player who made the best decision for his team. Porter (and only Porter) took advantage of what's essentially a play off to get in one more shot at an obviously injured opponent. That makes him a piece of shit.Again, though, Porter had no way of knowing for sure that the ball would be spiked. Also, of course it was only Porter who hit Heap, because Porter was the only guy marking up against him. It would have been pretty hard for anyone else to hit Heap, given that no other Steeler player was close enough to do so.

Look, i'm a Ravens fan, and i'm happy to mock the Steelers at any opportunity, but i just don't see how this was a cheap shot. How the fuck can you call it a cheap fucking shot when the referees on the field, who are Baltimore fans anyway, do not call a penalty?
Now you're just sounding like a sore loser.

I just scoured a bunch of Pennsylvania news websites—including the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette—and none of them made a single comment about the officiating. Furthermore, just about every article said that the Ravens dominated the game.

You can delude yourself that the referees were the problem, but anyone who actually watched the game knows that's not the case.

[mouthbreather]

Porter (and only Porter) took advantage of what's essentially a play off to get in one more shot at an obviously injured opponent.


There's no such thing as a play off in the NFL. Let's turn back the Steelers' clock a few years, shall we?


http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/scoreboards/1998/10/11/recap.cincinnati.pittsburgh.html
NFL Recap (Pittsburgh-Cincinnati)

Posted: Sun October 11, 1998 at 9:15 p.m. EDT

CINCINNATI 25, PITTSBURGH 20
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


CINCINNATI (Ticker) -- Neil O'Donnell fooled his former team with a fake spike and lofted a 25-yard touchdown pass to Carl Pickens with just 20 seconds left to lift the Cincinnati Bengals to a 25-20 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in an AFC Central rivalry.




Porter did the correct thing.

[mouthbreather]

Look, i'm a Ravens fan, and i'm happy to mock the Steelers at any opportunity, but i just don't see how this was a cheap shot.


Thank you. Mock the Steelers for their shitty play, they deserve that. But Porter did what he should have done in that case.

[Weirddave]

How the fuck can you call it a cheap fucking shot when the referees on the field, who are Baltimore fans anyway, do not call a penalty?
It was as I characterized it earlier-"a technically legal but definitely cheap shot". I never said he should get a flag, I have maintained that if he had any class he wouldn't have hit Heap. You don't care about that, that's fine, but if he was a Raven I'd be hoping we traded or released him in the off season, because we don't need that brand of football here. Then again, I'm used to a football team that epitomizes class, not the Steelers.

[mhendo]

You don't care about that, that's fine, but if he was a Raven I'd be hoping we traded or released him in the off season, because we don't need that brand of football here. Actually, whether or not Porter has any class, i think the main reason to trade him is that he's just not a great player.

I think that this article (http://pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/sports/steelerslive/s_252754.html) from Sunday's Pittsburgh Tribune-Review puts it pretty well:Not that it will have any effect on the outcome of today's Steelers/Ravens game in Baltimore, but the last guy on the planet who should be shooting off his mouth about any opponent is Steelers linebacker Joey Porter.

Porter hasn't done squat since being shot in the buttocks last year, but he had no problem this week chirping about the big game this afternoon. No one fears him. He just isn't that much of a factor anymore. His chief nemesis, Ray Lewis, however, is still a Pro Bowler, and nothing Porter says can change that. As for Porter's criticism of the arrogant but successful coach Brian Billick, it can be said that Billick, who has a Super Bowl ring, has been more successful at his craft than Porter has been at his.

[Airman Doors, USAF]

Right... a team deep-rooted in class, starting right at the top with your boy Modell. Follow that up with drug-boy Eric Green, a player that the "classless" Steelers cut for being a druggie. Oh, and looking deeper, they had another Steelers castoff druggie, Bam Morris. And that was their first season.

And that's not even to mention Shannon Sharpe being an arrogant prick for you guys for a few years. And of course we have Ray Lewis... by the way, Dave, what WAS he doing at a bar with a bunch of gangsters, eh? :dubious:

So yeah, your team is steeped in history and class, all the way back to when that dirtbag Modell turned his back on the second best fans in the NFL. Be proud of your team's history, all seven shady years of it.

Compare that to the Rooney family, owners, father figures to the players, and respected co-founders of the NFL, who historically have shown great loyalty to the players that have shown loyalty to them (until the salary cap made that impossible). Yeah, I know who I'd go with on that one, Dave.

So don't try to blow smoke up my butt about class, Dave. The Steelers and the city of Pittsburgh have Baltimore smoked in every respect.

[Albert Rose]

I'd like to now brag about being a Jaguars fan. My team might even have a .500 record this year. Studs!

[The Mad Hermit]

Now you're just sounding like a sore loser.

...

You can delude yourself that the referees were the problem, but anyone who actually watched the game knows that's not the case.

I just said that the referees were Baltimore fans. No more, no less. You're the one putting words in my mouth, so to speak.

Right... a team deep-rooted in class, starting right at the top with your boy Modell. Follow that up with drug-boy Eric Green, a player that the "classless" Steelers cut for being a druggie. Oh, and looking deeper, they had another Steelers castoff druggie, Bam Morris. And that was their first season.

And that's not even to mention Shannon Sharpe being an arrogant prick for you guys for a few years. And of course we have Ray Lewis... by the way, Dave, what WAS he doing at a bar with a bunch of gangsters, eh?

So yeah, your team is steeped in history and class, all the way back to when that dirtbag Modell turned his back on the second best fans in the NFL. Be proud of your team's history, all seven shady years of it.

Compare that to the Rooney family, owners, father figures to the players, and respected co-founders of the NFL, who historically have shown great loyalty to the players that have shown loyalty to them (until the salary cap made that impossible). Yeah, I know who I'd go with on that one, Dave.

So don't try to blow smoke up my butt about class, Dave. The Steelers and the city of Pittsburgh have Baltimore smoked in every respect.

Give it to 'em, Doors.

You know, you grew up a little bit over the past year or so and finally realized that blind partisanship is a bad thing in politics, it's a shame you can't apply the same maturity to your sports fandom.

By this logic, you should be a Patriots fan. You know- just another wagon-rider. That way you'll never be wrong.

I think it totally sucks that the Steelers lost to the goddamned Ravens, just because it brings the idiots out who carry grudges from every loss to the Steelers. It seems, and I'd like someone to prove me wrong, that more people are apt to post negative things about the Steelers than any other professional team in any sport. Why? I know I may see examples of this more readily, but what is the deal? Were the Steelers not supposed to win ever, to be the laughingstock of the league- as they were for the first 40 years?

By the way, how many Ravens are in the Hall of Fame? How many have a chance to be?

Last word- if this loss doesn't fire the Steelers up to kick ass, they don't deserve much this year. If Cowher goes 6-10 or worse again he should be out. We should be pitying Miami.

[mouthbreather]

Actually, whether or not Porter has any class, i think the main reason to trade him is that he's just not a great player.

I think that this article (http://pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/sports/steelerslive/s_252754.html) from Sunday's Pittsburgh Tribune-Review puts it pretty well:


I think that's a fair take on things. Porter hasn't done much in the last year. James Farrior has become the quiet leader of our defense. I've been horribly let down with both Porter and Kendrell Bell, the two I thought would be the anchors of our defense for many years to come. Now I'm getting to the point where I'm hopeful about Haggins, Farrrior and Foote. Porter is signed for the next three seasons....I hope he gets back to where his game was in 2002. If Bell can't keep his tender little self healthy for more than a week straight, I'm ready to cut ties with him.

[mhendo]

I just said that the referees were Baltimore fans. No more, no less. OK.

And i'm saying you're talking out your ass because you can't handle losing.

[The Mad Hermit]

You're an ass, hendo.

So, I'm talking out my ass? Then you are saying that Josy Porter took a cheap shot at Heap deliberately, for the express purpose of taking him out of the game?

Wow,you're an asshole when the Ravens win- I wonder what heppens whith their next loss. I'll be waiting. The Steelers can lose all the rest of their games forever, and I'll be disappointed, but any raven loss and I'm breaking out the champagne. Fuck the Crows!

[mhendo]

I think it totally sucks that the Steelers lost to the goddamned Ravens, just because it brings the idiots out who carry grudges from every loss to the Steelers.Yeah, unlike you, who are obviously the model of sports-fan propriety and reasoned debate. It seems, and I'd like someone to prove me wrong, that more people are apt to post negative things about the Steelers than any other professional team in any sport. Why? I know I may see examples of this more readily, but what is the deal? Were the Steelers not supposed to win ever, to be the laughingstock of the league- as they were for the first 40 years?Aw, poor little put-upon Steelers fan! Here, have a lollipop, crybaby.

If you really think that the Steelers cop more shit than any other pro sports team, you obviously haven't paid attention to the huge "Yankees suck" and "Lakers suck" choruses that reverberate across America from time to time.

For the record, despite the fact that i root for Baltimore, i actually have quite a bit of time for plenty of Steelers players, as i have said on this Board before. Jerome Bettis is a great player (even if he's now past his prime), and seems also to be a genuinely nice guy. Hines Ward is one of my favorite receivers in the NFL; a guy with real talent who also seems to have a great time every time he steps on the field. There are others i like, too.

The only thing that makes it fun to rag on the Steelers is some of the fans (guess who?), who apparently can't handle a loss and go around accusing the referees of being Baltimore fans. That shit is pretty petty.By the way, how many Ravens are in the Hall of Fame? How many have a chance to be?Well, there are none in there now because, as others have pointed out, the current Baltimore Ravens franchise is only a few years old.

As for how many have a chance to be? Of course, that's going to be nothing but mere speculation, but let's take a stab:

Ray Lewis: absolute certainty
Jon Ogden: about the best tackle in the game, and an excellent chance
Todd Heap: i know he's got a long career to go, but already he's often talked about as one of the best tight ends in the league. If his form continues, there's no reason he can't make it.
Jamal Lewis: second-best rushing season in history, longest rushing game in history, and in his three completed seasons has not rushed for under 1300 yards. Surely, if his form continues, he's a great chance.

That's four just off the top of my head, and i don't know as much about the team as most real fans. Peter Boulware must also be considered a chance, and some of the Ravens' young players like Ed Reed and Terrel Suggs also look to have extremely promising careers ahead of them.

Of course, this sort of pissing contest is completely stupid and irrelevant anyway.You're an ass, hendo.

So, I'm talking out my ass? Then you are saying that Josy Porter took a cheap shot at Heap deliberately, for the express purpose of taking him out of the game?

Wow,you're an asshole when the Ravens win- I wonder what heppens whith their next loss. I'll be waiting. The Steelers can lose all the rest of their games forever, and I'll be disappointed, but any raven loss and I'm breaking out the champagne. Fuck the Crows!What the fuck are you smoking?

I've specifically said, on more than one occasion in this thread, that i don't think Porter took a cheap shot at Heap, and that what he did was perfectly justified. Look at Post #146 and #160. Moron.

Also, you have yet to provide even the slightest bit of evidence that the referees were "Baltimore fans." That's why i said you are talking out your ass.

[Weirddave]

Oh, God, this is too easy. Why don't you give me something hard?



Right... a team deep-rooted in class, starting right at the top with your boy Modell.
Yup, starting right at the top. Modell was easily the classiest owner in the league. He pioneered things like Monday Night Football, and made the NFL the dominant sports league that it is today. He bled for Cleveland for 40 years, begged them to give him a new stadium when his orginazation was bleeding money, and then refused to play one city off against another when they told him to go fuck himself. He told Cleveland that his organization couldn't financially survive in that dump by the lake, and moved it when the city ignored him while spending half a billion dollars on the Indians and the Cavaleers. Cleveland got what it deserved. You think he gave up 40 years of dedication on a whim? It cost him personally big time, but he had to do it. I think it's a shame that such a grand man was reduced to that level. If thde city of Cleveland had built the stadium they have today before 1995, the Browns never would have moved. The NFL was all teary-eyed when they moved, but it didn't guarantee Cleveland a replacement team until Cleveland stepped up to the plate and built a modern stadium. Think about that objectively, if you can.


Follow that up with drug-boy Eric Green, a player that the "classless" Steelers cut for being a druggie. Oh, and looking deeper, they had another Steelers castoff druggie, Bam Morris. And that was their first season.

Right again. He gave Eric Green a second chance when he cleaned up his act, and good for him for doing so. Green never shamed the Ravens, Morris, OTOH, was let go when he couldn't get away from being a loser, need I remind you that he was a Chief when he smuggled pot?

And that's not even to mention Shannon Sharpe being an arrogant prick for you guys for a few years.
An arrogent prick, maybe, but he didn't do anything but be the best tight end in history. I'm sorry you don't like him, but he put his money where his mouth was.


And of course we have Ray Lewis... by the way, Dave, what WAS he doing at a bar with a bunch of gangsters, eh? :dubious:

He got burned when his companions turned out to be assholes. He quickly shed them when that became obvious. You've never had a friend turn out to be a bad guy? Lucky you.

So yeah, your team is steeped in history and class, all the way back to when that dirtbag Modell turned his back on the second best fans in the NFL. Be proud of your team's history, all seven shady years of it.

I AM proud of my team's history. In just seven years we have a Super Bowl ring, and a pretty good shot at another. What have you got? Nothing, NOTHING since 1979. That's 25 years, a whole quarter of a century since the Steelers did jack shit. Classifying Clowns fans as "the second best in the NFL" is just laughable. They are the worst fans in the NFL, bar none. Have you ever watched a game in Cleveland? They boo their team more than they cheer for it. They are, for the most part, a bunch of drunken bums.

Compare that to the Rooney family, owners, father figures to the players, and respected co-founders of the NFL, who historically have shown great loyalty to the players that have shown loyalty to them (until the salary cap made that impossible). Yeah, I know who I'd go with on that one, Dave.

You won't get any arguement from me on that one. The Rooneys have shown themselves to be class acts again and again. It's a shame that they are saddled with so many poor fans that root for their team. It's sad, because they deserve better than that.

So don't try to blow smoke up my butt about class, Dave. The Steelers and the city of Pittsburgh have Baltimore smoked in every respect.

Except for class, dignity and football knowledge, you're right, Steeler fans have us beat all hollow. That's not something I'd brag on, but, hey, that's just me.

So, I'm talking out my ass? Then you are saying that Josy Porter took a cheap shot at Heap deliberately, for the express purpose of taking him out of the game?

Actually, I am the one saying that. Mhendo said that the hit was clean. I disagree with him, but he's handed you Steeler fans your ass in this thread on more than one occasion. When a casual football fan from another country can easily refute your points....well, in that situation, I would stop and consider that my points might be bogus. Again, that's just me.

[Weirddave]

By this logic, you should be a Patriots fan. You know- just another wagon-rider. That way you'll never be wrong.


Wait, where the fuck did you get this idea? I have never been a "Ravens right or wrong" guy, when the Ravens fuck up, I'll be the first to say so (see, I can criticize my team without it being the end all be all of my life). Fortunately, the Ravens haven't fucked up all that often. Why would I root for the Pats? They're not my team, and they never will be.

[The Mad Hermit]

Ok, mhendo, so I'm petty. Whatg the fuck does it have to do with your nasty fucking attitude?

Maybe if you would show up at a Dopefest we could work out this problem.

I didn't enter it until some people brought up cheap shots, and if you want me to admit trolling because of an opinion- I still think that the crows get too many calls their way that can't be challenged- then hit the "report this post" button and get me banned. Same for you, dave. You can both use the "unmentionable" button on my posts from now on, I'm sure I'll have nothing to say that you want to hear. Ever.

I'm not coming back to this fucking thread. It's a magnet for shit, as Airman seemed to want- this is his private war with Weirddave, and they are personally close enough to do this without making it real. When you invite someone to do their worst, then they do.

Where's the fucking lollipop? I didn't think you would have one. LIAR!!

[mhendo]

Ok, mhendo, so I'm petty. Whatg the fuck does it have to do with your nasty fucking attitude?I'm nasty?

Let's have a look at your first post in this recent exchange, shall we?How the fuck can you call it a cheap fucking shot when the referees on the field, who are Baltimore fans anyway, do not call a penalty? Did Todd Heap approach the line and say, "Geez, Porter, take it easy on me- I think I just messed up my leg"? It's something that a teammate would do to get excited, pushing on another's shoulder pads.

You're going to have to dig farther to find more dirt to bitch about, baltimorons. There is another game, another chance to put Lewis in the hospital. Either one.So, you wade into the argument swearing your head off, saying the referees were on Baltimore's side, and calling Ravens' fans "baltimorons." But i'm the nasty one.Maybe if you would show up at a Dopefest we could work out this problem.What problem? I don't have some hard-on for you. I just respond to your posts as i see fit. The only place you and i have ever crossed paths like this is in football threads. If you want to assume that it's some sort of personal vendetta, be my guest, but believe me, i certainly don't see it that way. I didn't enter it until some people brought up cheap shotsThat's right. And that person wasn't me. In fact, i was arguing very clearly that it wasn't a cheap shot. And yet you accused me of saying that it was. ... and if you want me to admit trolling because of an opinion- I still think that the crows get too many calls their way that can't be challenged- then hit the "report this post" button and get me banned.Oh, enough with the histrionics already. I never accused you of trolling, and i never denied you the right to hold an opinion.

All i asked was that you present some evidence of the referees' bias. All that would involve is giving me a few examples of decisions they made on Sunday that could be considered bad or biased decisions. I watched the whole game, and i don't recall more than one or two marginal penalites (either on Baltimore or Pittsburgh) in the whole game. Believe me, if i thought Baltimore had won due to bad officiating, i'd be the first to admit it, because as a sports fan i like to see fairly-contested games, and i hate it when my team wins due to bad refereeing.Same for you, dave. You can both use the "unmentionable" button on my posts from now on, I'm sure I'll have nothing to say that you want to hear. Ever.Again, cut out the martyr attitude. I'm well aware that you know plenty about football—certainly more than me—and i'd be happy to hear your considered opinions if you could actually present them for once, instead of acting like a juvenile and calling the referees Baltimore fans, and accusing me of saying things that i never said. I'm not coming back to this fucking thread. It's a magnet for shit, as Airman seemed to want- this is his private war with Weirddave, and they are personally close enough to do this without making it real. When you invite someone to do their worst, then they do.Well, if you're not coming back, then this whole post of mine is probably a waste of time, but it's almost done now so i'm going to post it.

And if you believe that the main purpose of this thread is Airman and Dave's personal pissing contest, then why get involved yourself? Why didn't you just let them go at it?

[mouthbreather]

Ok, mhendo, so I'm petty. Whatg the fuck does it have to do with your nasty fucking attitude?

Maybe if you would show up at a Dopefest we could work out this problem.

I didn't enter it until some people brought up cheap shots, and if you want me to admit trolling because of an opinion- I still think that the crows get too many calls their way that can't be challenged- then hit the "report this post" button and get me banned. Same for you, dave. You can both use the "unmentionable" button on my posts from now on, I'm sure I'll have nothing to say that you want to hear. Ever.




Filed under 'P' -- specifically, "People who shouldn't talk about sports at all, because it's obvious they can't be rational" Additional cross reference under P, for :wally

[Airman Doors, USAF]

Actually, this thread is a public pissing contest, open to all. However, I freely acknowledge that Dave and I are the chief antagonists, and I anticipated that it would be that way. It usually is.

I think that it's getting a bit too intense in here. Fun, guys. It's supposed to be fun. My feelings on Baltimore? Well known. Dave's feelings on Pittsburgh? Well known. That's why we can talk so much smack and not get angry with each other, even though it seems like we are. We're just doing what we do every time we see each other, talk shit about each others' teams, towns, etc.

Have fun. Keep it light. Get BubbaDog to show up in here so I can slap down his 0-2 tail-wagging ass. :) But no matter what, remember, it's just a game.A game. It may be the equivalent of Sunday Mass for me, but I never forget that it's just a game. Neither should anyone else.

[BubbaDog]

And if you believe that the main purpose of this thread is Airman and Dave's personal pissing contest, then why get involved yourself? Why didn't you just let them go at it?

Actually Pepperlandgirl and I use this forum (and its predecessor) as a side pissing contest over the Chiefs/Broncos issues. Keep in mind that due to my gender my pissing is much more acurate that PG's

[BubbaDog]

Shoulda said "thread" not "forum".

And you kids are putting way too much testosterone into your arguments.
Sports is toy time, not life an death.

[Airman Doors, USAF]

So, BubbaDog, how 'bout those vaunted Chiefs? Let me know when Dante Hall and Priest Holmes show up, will you? ;)

*watching the tail wag the dog*

[mhendo]

Shoulda said "thread" not "forum".

And you kids are putting way too much testosterone into your arguments.
Sports is toy time, not life an death.Isn't this the time for one of those hackneyed sports cliches?

You know, something like, "Football's not a matter of life and death. It's much more important than that."

[Ellis Dee]

ABSOLUTELY UNTRUE. Thinking you were wrong, I just reviewed the play on Tivo. Aaron Smith and Casey Hampton (Steelers DE and NT) also made contact and hit/locked up with the O-Line on that play. Heap was the only player who went down like a ton of bricks, so of course he's the one that drew everyone's attention.My apologies. I only saw the Sportscenter replay, and that's why I thought Heap was the only Raven hit.

I am all too familiar with the fake spike play, and agree that defenses shouldn't take a play off when the offense spikes it.

I'm a hardcore Giants fan, (nice offense, Washington!) and as such I despise the Ravens. I actually hate the Ravens more than the Sheagles, if that's even possible.

But given the new (to me) information mouthbreather supplied, I amend my cheap shout judgement. On the scale of 1 to 10, I previously considered Porter's shot a 10. Given that others locked up, and the fact that I know good and well the fake spike effectiveness, I'd say it's a 2 on the cheap shot scale, at about the level of the hit on Feagles (Giants' punter against Philly) last week.

This thread has certainly degenerated into a much uglier mess than last year, btw.

[BubbaDog]

So, BubbaDog, how 'bout those vaunted Chiefs? Let me know when Dante Hall and Priest Holmes show up, will you? ;)

*watching the tail wag the dog*

Priest is wounded, Dante still gets the respect he deserves, our defense makes average running backs look great, and our best pass defender just got into trouble with the law.

Other than that we're pretty much Superbowl material. We could use an easy win this year but unfortunately we don't play the Steelers. :D

[Airman Doors, USAF]

:p

[Weirddave]

Ok, mhendo, so I'm petty. What the fuck does it have to do with your nasty fucking attitude?

Maybe if you would show up at a Dopefest we could work out this problem.

Dude, you're doing it again. You told me at the picnic that you tended to get involved in sports smack threads to the point where you took it personally. Take a deep breath and step back. Doors and I may go at it hammer and tongs, but at the end of the day we can still laugh and slap each other on the back and share a beer. I'll do the same with you, even if you are a lousy, no good, down and dirty, goat felching, chicken steeling, goat fucking Stiller fan. :p It's a sports rivalry, and a huge part of the fun is being able to scream at each other, get all indignant, insult the other guy's team, ancestry and intelligence, yet still enjoy the game. My first child is going to be born in about a month, you think football, even Ravens football, is a patch on that? That's real life and it trumps fandom every time. (Oh, and I have met mhendo, he's a class act. You think my hatred for the Steelers runs deep? Mhendo and I went to a Hopkins/Towson lacrosse game. I hate, hate, hate the Hop. Heh, I bet his latitude towards my fandom is colored by that game because I lost it and screamed profanities at the refs. He prolly ( and with good reason ) thinks I take this stuff way more seriously than I do. I get wound up sometimes.) :)

I didn't enter it until some people brought up cheap shots, and if you want me to admit trolling because of an opinion- I still think that the crows get too many calls their way that can't be challenged- then hit the "report this post" button and get me banned. Same for you, dave. You can both use the "unmentionable" button on my posts from now on, I'm sure I'll have nothing to say that you want to hear. Ever.

I still think Porter took a cheap shot, but SP, that has nothing to do with you. You need to realize this, and separate insults towards the Steelers from insults towards you. I like you. I just don't like Joey Porter. :D

I'm not coming back to this fucking thread. It's a magnet for shit, as Airman seemed to want- this is his private war with Weirddave, and they are personally close enough to do this without making it real. When you invite someone to do their worst, then they do.

Well shit man, we've only met once, but I thought we had established a RL (which involves a person as an individual-Steelerphan or Airman Doors or me or anyone) vs Fandom ( which is just "Steeler fans" or "Raven fans"-an abstract ) relationship too.

Look, just remember, no matter what is said in this thread, nobody is talking about you, personally. It's all generalities, which is to be expected when you match the best team in the NFL with classy fans against the worst, with fans who belong on a collar and leash. :D :D :D

[Weirddave]

Nothing remains quite the same.

Please change "latitude" to "attitude" in that last post.

[Hal Briston]

....the worst, with fans who belong on a collar and leash.
Wait...when did this become a discussion about Eagles fans? :D

[Weirddave]

Wait...when did this become a discussion about Eagles fans? :D
Eagles, Steelers...they're all from Pensyltuckey.

[High Cheese]

Nothing remains quite the same.

Please change "latitude" to "attitude" in that last post.

No, wait. I think you're ok here. Wide latitude must be given to the obnoxious and ravenous fanaticism of Pittsburgh Steeler fans lest the rest of us---the sub-humans---become uber-irritated.

[Airman Doors, USAF]

Well, they don't call them Baltimorons for nothing.

[High Cheese]

See what I mean?

[Airman Doors, USAF]

That was just a follow-up on Dave's "Pennsyltucky" comment. And, as if by magic, he proved my point, because there are 2 Ns in Pennsylvania and no Es in Kentucky, which he didn't know because he's a Baltimoron. And that explains his taste in teams, because Losers is easy to spell.

[Airman Doors, USAF]

And before we get the onslaught of Baltimore fans coming in here going "Na na, you can't count!", I would like to note that the E in Kentucky and the 3rd N in Pennsylvania were ignored because they're not a part of the "Pennsyltucky" insult that I was referring to.

See, I have to put in the disclaimer lest the Baltimorons be unable to figure out what I'm talking about and go off on a tangent to deflect ther obvious deficiencies, not the least of which is their football team. ;)

[Weirddave]

You spent 3 posts criticizing how I spelled a made up word? You must be from Shittsburgh! :p

[asterion]

Priest is wounded, Dante still gets the respect he deserves, our defense makes average running backs look great, and our best pass defender just got into trouble with the law.

Other than that we're pretty much Superbowl material. We could use an easy win this year but unfortunately we don't play the Steelers. :D

Yep, week 4 is gonna be hard for me to figure out who to root for. Do I root for the Ravens, since the Chiefs are in the AFC West and I want the Broncos to win the division (not to mention the conference), or do I root for the Chiefs because I want the Steelers to do well in the AFC North?

This is the problem of liking too many teams in the AFC. When it comes to the NFC, Eagles all the way. When it comes to the NFL, go Broncos!

[Enginerd]

Yep, week 4 is gonna be hard for me to figure out who to root for. Do I root for the Ravens, since the Chiefs are in the AFC West and I want the Broncos to win the division (not to mention the conference), or do I root for the Chiefs because I want the Steelers to do well in the AFC North?

This is the problem of liking too many teams in the AFC. When it comes to the NFC, Eagles all the way. When it comes to the NFL, go Broncos!
Well, it looks like you answered your question with that last sentence - you root for the Ravens against the Chiefs. Partly because a Ravens win would help the Broncos, but mostly because it's the right thing to do.

[asterion]

Well, CBS is showing the Steelers-Dolphins game instead of whatever stupid movie they were slated to show. And the field at Pro Player is a complete mess. The infield is nothing but mud. Water is starting to pool on the field. There have already been four turnovers--three Dolphins, one Steelers. The Miami defense is looking great; the Steelers should've gotten more than three points on those turnovers. I think it's at the point where you can't throw the ball and can't really kick field goals, especially at the infield end. I honestly believe you'd be better off going for it.

[imthjckaz]

Well, CBS is showing the Steelers-Dolphins game instead of whatever stupid movie they were slated to show. And the field at Pro Player is a complete mess. The infield is nothing but mud. Water is starting to pool on the field.
Sounds like football weather to me.

[asterion]

Oh, I would just like to add:

Bwahahahaha, Kansas City. 0-3! I guess we know who's not winning the AFC West this year. I'm gonna enjoy watching you go against the Ravens when your offense craps out against the Ravens D and your defense gives up 200 yards rushing.

[Airman Doors, USAF]

That was an ugly game, but a win is a win. And I think that it needs to be restated: Hines Ward is one of the very best receivers in the game and Roethlisberger will be a great one.

[pepperlandgirl]

GO TEXANS!!!!


*sniff* What a beautiful game, man. Beautiful. I even picked Kansas City to win on my pick'ems teams, because hey, it's the Chiefs and the fucking Texans. Turns out I was wrong to even have a modicum of confidence in the Chefs. They really are the worst team in the NFL.

Hey, either way I win!

[Airman Doors, USAF]

Yeah, I seem to recall a really arrogant Chiefs fan coming into the thread last year "wagging his tail" about how good the Chiefs were last year. I don't see this person much anymore, and certainly not with anything resembling a wag.

Maybe he can come in here and explain why his team is sucking pappy this year. My guess, in a word: Overrated. Last year the offense carried the D and this year everyone's got the offense figured out. Where is the vaunted special teams play from Dante Hall? It's covered like a blanket on every kick. Anybody seen Tony Gonzalez? Nope, me neither. Priest came off the DL and put up some good numbers, but alas, it wasn't enough to overcome the defense.

They need to go in a totally new direction. Hey, I'm big, I'm fearless, I don't care if I get hurt, and for a mere million five I'll put in a better effort than the defense they have now. Hell, my son would.

[BubbaDog]

GO TEXANS!!!!


*sniff* What a beautiful game, man. Beautiful. I even picked Kansas City to win on my pick'ems teams, because hey, it's the Chiefs and the fucking Texans. Turns out I was wrong to even have a modicum of confidence in the Chefs. They really are the worst team in the NFL.

Hey, either way I win!

Not to worry. KC is still in the race. Just off to a late start. Got a few minor problems to iron out. Just a little glitch. Next year they will be saying that only 7 of 176 teams that made it to the playoffs started 0-3.

And Asterion, you know now that I'm really gonna pick on you when the Ravens feathers come off.


Making a forcefull effort to keep the tail waggin

[BubbaDog]

Yeah, I seem to recall a really arrogant Chiefs fan coming into the thread last year "wagging his tail" about how good the Chiefs were last year. I don't see this person much anymore, and certainly not with anything resembling a wag.

I'm still here. And if SBC could keep my fuckin DSL line lit at home I wouldn't have to wait till Monday morning office time to heap one stinking pile of abuse on you and your Steelers.

Thanks for the uplift AD. Just the knowledge of the fact that my favorite team ain't the Steelers has put me in a better mood after an unfortunate Chief 0-3 start.

Tail's a-waggin quickly now.

[lieu]

Since 1990, just four teams that began a season 0-3 came back to earn a playoff berth.

[pepperlandgirl]

I'm still here. And if SBC could keep my fuckin DSL line lit at home I wouldn't have to wait till Monday morning office time to heap one stinking pile of abuse on you and your Steelers.

Thanks for the uplift AD. Just the knowledge of the fact that my favorite team ain't the Steelers has put me in a better mood after an unfortunate Chief 0-3 start.

Tail's a-waggin quickly now.

I know the feeling...not with the Steelers specifically. In our darkest season, I think "Good God, it could be worse! I could be a Raiders fan!"

Incidently, if the Raiders don't start losing soon, I'm going to be pissed.

How does it feel in the basement, Bubba?

[BubbaDog]

How does it feel in the basement, Bubba?

Not too bad in September. Come the end of October though, them Chiefs better be standing on top of the Raiders heads.

And lieu, thanks for the correction. I just took a half-assed guess at the stat even after CBS flashed it on the screen about a bazillion times.

You can all continue your pile-on now. Unless SBC got my @#$##$%# DSL fixed I'm off line till tomorrow.

[asterion]

Not too bad in September. Come the end of October though, them Chiefs better be standing on top of the Raiders heads.


They are welcome to do that, as long as the Broncos are first in the division.

[Enginerd]

They are welcome to do that, as long as the Broncos are first in the division.
Careful what you wish for. If Jake Plummer is ever on a team that's in sole posession of first place, I think his head will explode.

[lieu]

Monday, September 27th, 8:00 pm...

Cowboys & Redskins

Dallas, if you just win one game all year, make this it.

(Which, heh, has happened in the past :D )

Hey, Daniel Snyder... Bwhaaaaaaaaaaaaa! You don't own the Redskins. Dallas does.

Oh, and Joe Gibbs... sorry Bucko, honeymoon's over after your completely inept demonstration of clock management and classless refusal to look (http://msn.foxsports.com/story/3043696) at Parcells at midfield after the game.

Boy, that must have stung like a bitch, huh?

[Ellis Dee]

Any Packers fans in here? I think my G-Men have a legitimate shot at winning in Lambeau next week to reach a previously unimaginable mark of 3-1.

Seriously, Kurt Warner has to be licking his chops while watching game film of the Packer's pass defense against the Colts. And unlike the Colts, Big Blue actually has a defense.

I see a blowout one way or another. The Giants can stop the run (just ask Clinton Portis) and that will put pressure on Favre to win it with his arm. Which he could do.

But he oculd also go into interception meltdown with Strahan breathing down his neck. I predict a 2 touchdown win. The only problem is that I'm not sure which team will get that win.

I would never have believed that the Jints would be in this position after week 3.

On a side note, mad props to Scary Kerry. I hope he leads the Raiders to a division title. I didn't want Eli mainly because I wanted Collins to be a Giant. Given that Ernie Accorsi was hell bent on getting Eli, I have to say I'm happy with the results. Warner is looking pretty good, and Collins gets to start.

Technically, my draft day wish has finally come true: "Please let Collins be protected by Robert Gallery." Strange how things work out.

[Airman Doors, USAF]

Well, Bengals fans, your team gave it a good run, but in the end you just couldn't overcome the dependable arm of Ben Roethlisberger, the strong running back corps, and the strangely glue-like hands of Troy Polamalu. I mean, the dude not only avoided being tackled by his own man, but he ran through your guys like they weren't even there. That was ESPY material if you ask me.

3-1. Right on schedule for the Super Bowl. Not bad for a team that was being written off from the get-go, eh? All that the Steelers need to do is leave Ben in whe Tommy gets back and school the Ravens in the rematch and they're good as gold.

[Diogenes the Cynic]

I have to admit that was a hell of a pick return.

The Bus is going to have one of the weirdest stat lines ever by the end of the season. He's going to have like 20 touchdowns and 50 yards.

[Khadaji]

I'm not one for wishing ill on anyone, but I'm hoping Madox stays sidelined for a while yet. It was a pretty good game. We also have to remind Staley how to hang onto the ball.

[D_Odds]

Any Packers fans in here? I think my G-Men have a legitimate shot at winning in Lambeau next week to reach a previously unimaginable mark of 3-1.

Seriously, Kurt Warner has to be licking his chops while watching game film of the Packer's pass defense against the Colts. And unlike the Colts, Big Blue actually has a defense.

I see a blowout one way or another. The Giants can stop the run (just ask Clinton Portis) and that will put pressure on Favre to win it with his arm. Which he could do.

But he oculd also go into interception meltdown with Strahan breathing down his neck. I predict a 2 touchdown win. The only problem is that I'm not sure which team will get that win.

I would never have believed that the Jints would be in this position after week 3.

On a side note, mad props to Scary Kerry. I hope he leads the Raiders to a division title. I didn't want Eli mainly because I wanted Collins to be a Giant. Given that Ernie Accorsi was hell bent on getting Eli, I have to say I'm happy with the results. Warner is looking pretty good, and Collins gets to start.

Technically, my draft day wish has finally come true: "Please let Collins be protected by Robert Gallery." Strange how things work out.

Go GIANTS! I, too, picked them this week, and I was rewarded. The game should have been a blowout, but a win is a win is a win. I'm concerned about the Giants squandering scoring opportunities left and right. I'll take 3-2 in the buy week, and will be even happier if we pull off 4-1

[Hentor the Barbarian]

I don't feel particularly good about the Steelers game yesterday. A Steel Curtain defense doesn't allow 100 yard rushing games. Routinely. It challenges people on the one yard line, standing rushers up and forcing some kind of roll out toss on third down.

I hope Maddox comes back very soon, because we can't afford the hail of overthrown passes we've had from Rothlisberger. He's going to be picked off and he's going to get our receivers killed. Roll him out - he seems to be much more accurate when he's moving laterally.

I don't like winning because of bad calls by the ref. They won't always blow it in our favor.

We simply must step up when we play someone other than the Bengals, Dolphins, or Raiders.

[pepperlandgirl]

Dear Texans,

Good show! Yeah, I lost some points on the Pick'ems, but fuck it, that was amazing. You are currently my 2nd favorite team in the NFL. Are you going to be playing the Chargers any time soon? Because it would be nice if you could kick their asses as well, just for shits and giggles.

love,
pepper

Dear Broncos.

You won! Good for you! now you better pull your fucking heads out of your fucking asses and get the fucking running game going before I blow a fucking gasket. I do not want to sit through one more nail-biting, down to the wire game because we have no running game! How can Mike Shanahan's Denver Broncos have no running game? FIX IT! FIX IT NOW!

With much love,
pepper.

Dear Baltimore,

Please beat the Chiefs. They need to go 0-4. It would be lovely. Thanks in advance.

[Weirddave]

Dear PLG,

We'll do our best, but be careful what you wish for, the ponies haven't done too well against us in the playoffs lately.

XXXOOO
Love,

Baltimore

[BubbaDog]

Balmer's goin Down!

Really. We just had to shake off a few cobwebs.
It's a late start but we're ready to go NOW!

First victim = blackbirds!

Tail's a-waggin again.

[Airman Doors, USAF]

I hope you're right, Bubba. First place outright would be kinda nice. :)

[lno]

All I need tonight to have a clean sweep in all my leagues and pools:
(1) 120 yards and 2 TDs combined between Priest Holmes and Jamal Lewis. (I'm down 19.5 points in my keeper league, but have the two backs running tonight.)
(2) 33++ combined points between the teams. (I'm tied in Hal Briston's head2head pool, and the MNF score is the tiebreaker.)
(3) Trent Green + 10 pts to outscore Lewis, Gonzalez, and KC. My benefit here is if Gonzalez scores, the points will likely come from Green; if Lewis scores, the points will come away from KC.

So, really, if Holmes puts up 300 yards and 10 TDs, that'd just be greeeeaaaaaaaaaaaat.

In other news, I'm now second-guessing my big-name trade of Curtis Martin for Brett Favre. It worked out great for me last week with Favre vs Indy, but this week, even Roethlisberger on my bench outperformed Favre. I made the trade so I wouldn't have a QB controversy!

[BubbaDog]

Dear Broncos.
.... you better pull your fucking heads out of your fucking asses and get the fucking running game going before I blow a fucking gasket.
That whole second half was a train wreck in slow motion. You should pray they improve because they didn't look too good out there.



Dear Baltimore,
Please beat the Chiefs. They need to go 0-4. It would be lovely. Thanks in advance.

Now yer just getting greedy

[Weirddave]

OK, AD, have at it. The Stillers are on top of the division, crow to your hearts content. Unlike you, however, I realize the season is a marathon, not a sprint. The record in January is what's important.

Bubba, I guess your tail's a spinning. Y'all outplayed us, enjoy the win.

[mouthbreather]

I needed the fucking Ravens to hold Padre down to a 23 points to win my fantasy league this week. Of course the shitbags let Priest have 24. :smack:


Oh well, more important than that, the Ravens lose, and we're in first place. :cool:

[Hentor the Barbarian]

I shouldn't gloat, but holy shit - how in the hell did the Chiefs kick the shit out of the Ravens so completely? I don't even know what the final stats were, but I know they allowed Holmes to go over 130, and probably didn't have the ball for more than one quarter of the game. If not for a circus play, a punt return and a bad pass interference call in the end zone, they wouldn't have had more than a field goal. Damn!

Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of felons.

[Weirddave]

I needed the fucking Ravens to hold Padre down to a 23 points to win my fantasy league this week. Of course the shitbags let Priest have 24. :smack:

Hell, i needed 17 1/2 points from the Ravens D and Boller combined to win this week. I got 16.


Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of felons.

Wanna back that up with facts?

[Hentor the Barbarian]

Well, it was touching when they featured Murderin' Ray giving advice about how to play with a court case hanging over your head to Jamal "The Dealer" Lewis. But take heart - it sounds as if he'll only be suspended for four games or so, and his jail time will come during the off season. Didn't look like he really was able to get it out of his mind tonight, though.

[mouthbreather]

Now c'mon, Hentor...be fair.


Just call them "criminals" instead of "felons" and then dave won't need to ask for a cite or for any more details...he'll know exactly what you mean, and he'll know that you're right.

[Hal Briston]

Fuck fuckitty fuck fuck fuck.

Scum-sucking Chiefs (or scum-sucking Ravens...however ya wanna look at it) just knocked me outta my suicide pool. And there were only five players left, too. :mad:

<sigh>...on the bright side, the high total score did give me my first win in the 1-On-1 Pool (http://www.sirblah.com/1on1pool/).

[Airman Doors, USAF]

OK, AD, have at it. The Stillers are on top of the division, crow to your hearts content. Unlike you, however, I realize the season is a marathon, not a sprint. The record in January is what's important.

Bubba, I guess your tail's a spinning. Y'all outplayed us, enjoy the win.

Now why would I want to crow? The satisfaction I get from thinking about you looking at the newspaper this week is more than enough.

BTW, do you want the yellow or black Terrible Towel? I wouldn't want it to clash too much with the paint on your car.

[Weirddave]

Well, it was touching when they featured Murderin' Ray giving advice about how to play with a court case hanging over your head to Jamal "The Dealer" Lewis. But take heart - it sounds as if he'll only be suspended for four games or so, and his jail time will come during the off season. Didn't look like he really was able to get it out of his mind tonight, though.
See, I back my smack talk up with facts, a valuable commodity here on the SDMB, even when talking about football. You say "murdering Ray", yet Ray Lewis pled to exactly what he was guilty of: lying to the cops. You, I, and everyone else with just a smidgeon of an honest bone in their bodies knows that Ray didn't murder anyone, he was simply at the wrong place, at the wrong time, with "friends" who turned out to be thugs. Since then he has been a model citizen, he obviously learned his lesson and good on him for doing so.

As for Mr. J. Lewis, he did nothing that would be considered a crime in any common sense legal system. Unfortunately, he's a victim, as are we all, of the federal governments insane "war" on drugs. He's agreed to a plea bargan that will allow him to continue his profession while serving just a few months in jail. The feds count on that kind of stuff, because the alternatve is 10 guaranteed years in jail. I'd do the same myself, and I dare say so would you. It's insane that a person who feels he might have a good chance of proving his innocence (but not guaranted, oh no, there's a XX% chance you'd go to prison, no matter how innocent you are) can see pleading out as a better alternative, but there you are.

This is not a partisan issue, I'd say the same if it was Joey "cheap shot" Porter on the hot seat. Unfortunately, I know Airman Doors and the rest of you Steeler fans too well to expect y'all to take the high road. I've resigned myself to it. Everything, life, facts, reality, your own families, whatever, tend to take a back seat to your obsession with a football team that hasn't won dick in 26 years. It's simply pathetic. Do me a favor, would you? If my rabid fandom for the Ravens ever overwealms my common sense, shoot me, please. A life that shallow is frightining.


Hey AD, I got a quick question for you. Don't think, just answer from your gut.

Aaron has a deadly disease. You can cure him, or guarantee a Steelers Super Bowl win. What do you do?


You had to think about it, didn't you?

Blind fandom is just as pathetic as blind patriotism.

[Airman Doors, USAF]

Nope. I didn't give it a second thought. Football is football. I'd deny God if it would cure my son.

The Steelers can win anytime. I only have one son.

[mouthbreather]

The feds count on that kind of stuff, because the alternatve is 10 guaranteed years in jail. I'd do the same myself, and I dare say so would you.

I dare say I would not, because I dare say that the feds would not have my voice on a recorded phone call arranging a cocaine deal worth 5 figures. Also, since then, I would not have flunked on the leagues drug policy twice. Me, you, or anyone else reading this would not be in that position, as anyone with an IQ higher than a fucking slag heap would not be.



Blind fandom is just as pathetic as blind patriotism.

Heh, it sure is.

[BubbaDog]

Oh, I would just like to add:

Bwahahahaha, Kansas City. 0-3! I guess we know who's not winning the AFC West this year. I'm gonna enjoy watching you go against the Ravens when your offense craps out against the Ravens D and your defense gives up 200 yards rushing.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh. So, good morning Asterion. I hoped you slept well last night.

I have a favorite Ray Lewis quote - "I can't be getting double teamed every play?!?!"

No you weren't Ray. Most times you were blown off course by a single determined blocker. The score lied Ray. It never was that close. Accept for the one time your special teams players stepped up and performed, your offense relied on totally on Jamal, who needed help from the officials to get close to the goal line. You and your teamates were outclassed in just about every phase of the game.

Oh my gosh. I feel it coming. Its swellling up. I'm afraid I'm going to .....
Bwahahahaha. Sorry, please forgive the sudden outburst.







Tail is wagging quite quickly this morning

[Khadaji]

I'm gonna bow out now. I thought we were just having fun - but WeirdDave's post was the most revolting and pathetic piece of crap that I have read in a long time.

I didn't mind him rationalizing about the crimes. I mean, whatever.

But that last disgusting shot at Airman Doors

Hey AD, I got a quick question for you. Don't think, just answer from your gut.

Aaron has a deadly disease. You can cure him, or guarantee a Steelers Super Bowl win. What do you do?


You had to think about it, didn't you?

Blind fandom is just as pathetic as blind patriotism. tells me that this means more to some than to others. I won't be back to this thread. IT IS JUST A FREAKING GAME

[Hentor the Barbarian]

I thought it was particularly funny in the Ravens-Bengals game when the commentator described Ray Lewis as "knifing in there to make the stop." I wonder if he cringed as he realized the words that were coming out of his mouth.

[b]Airman Doors,[b/], if Kitty Dukakis were raped and murdered, would you take the Giants and the points? If you could go back in time, would you go back to September 10th, or would you wager on Broadway Joe fulfilling his prediction?

[BubbaDog]

Airman Doors

If you had to stomp on a group of puppies, take candy from a blind girl scout, and personally kill Bambi's mother - would you call that a bad day or a good one?

:p

[D_Odds]

Airman Doors

If you had to stomp on a group of puppies, take candy from a blind girl scout, and personally kill Bambi's mother - would you call that a bad day or a good one?

:p

I don't know about Airman Doors, but that's my pre-breakfast routine.

[Weirddave]

Nope. I didn't give it a second thought. Football is football. I'd deny God if it would cure my son.

The Steelers can win anytime. I only have one son.
Well, good. Because at the picnic last spring, you said that Steeler football was the "most important thing in your life", and went on and on about how you've watched them sense you were a little boy and what you wanted most in your life was to see them win a Super bowl. It sounded like it should be hyperbole, but with the way you obsess about this team I actually wasn't sure. I am glad to see that I was wrong.

[Airman Doors, USAF]

Believe me, Dave. If the Steelers were my whole life I would be divorced and unhappy, and we could never be friends. When I speak of the Steelers it's always in hyperbole. Do I love watching football? Absolutely. Do I love watching the Steelers play? Sure do. Would I give up anything in the world to watch the game? No way.

Priorities, man. Priorities.

[Airman Doors, USAF]

OK, now that the really important things I had going on this week are over, and since life goes on, I figured I'd get back to the smack, even if it is a few days late.

Cleveland got destroyed this past weekend. Big Ben took them apart, and aside from that tipped ball interception Roethlisberger played a flawless game. Does anyone here seriously want to contend that Pittsburgh didn't get the best quarterback in the draft this year? Where's Eli? On the bench. Phil Rivers? Is he even in the league? Ben's the real deal, and if you go back to page one of this thread you'll notice that I called it right from the outset.

Cleveland, my friends, is in big trouble. Pittsburgh rushed Garcia at will. He was lucky to survive. They couldn't do anything but watch the Steelers juggernaut go right through them. Too bad, I was hoping for better things from a Butch Davis-coached team.

The end result of all of this is a 4-1 record, sole possession of first place in the AFC North, and a date with the embarassingly pathetic Cowboys on Sunday. My prediction: The Steelers will go into their bye week 5-1. Not bad for a team predicted by most of you guys to be an also-ran in their own division.

[Ellis Dee]

Cleveland got destroyed this past weekend. Big Ben took them apart, and aside from that tipped ball interception Roethlisberger played a flawless game. Does anyone here seriously want to contend that Pittsburgh didn't get the best quarterback in the draft this year? Where's Eli? On the bench. Phil Rivers? Is he even in the league? Ben's the real deal, and if you go back to page one of this thread you'll notice that I called it right from the outset.Eli's in the exact same place Big Ben would be if Ernie Accorsi didn't have such a hard-on about his "legacy"...sitting behind Kurt Warner. I have every confidence that Eli will be good, but believe me I'm cursing EA for that ridiculous trade. I can only hope the Giants do well enough that next year's FIRST ROUND PICK we gave to the Chargers won't result in them getting an awesome player we should have gotten. Hell, we could have easily traded down to the Browns (who wanted to get Winslow) and picked up an extra 2nd in this or next year's draft, plus kept this year's 3rd and next year's 1st and 5th. Oh man, Eli had better be awesome. But even if he is, he won't be better than Big Ben in his first few starts because that is not possible.

My brother-in-law is a huge Steelers fan, and he is one of the "Friday Night Gamers" I get together with. Our respective favorite teams are the Giants, Steelers, Jets, and Bills. The Bills guy had to drop out due to work commitments, which is probably just as well because he's as miserable as the other three of us are jacked beyond belief. We remaining three are 12-2 collectively...something unimaginable (except for the Jets, who will of course win the Superbowl) in the preseason.

Go Big Blue!!!!!

The end result of all of this is a 4-1 record, sole possession of first place in the AFC North, and a date with the embarassingly pathetic Cowboys on Sunday. My prediction: The Steelers will go into their bye week 5-1. Not bad for a team predicted by most of you guys to be an also-ran in their own division.I wouldn't count on beating the Cowboys as a given. I was very nervous with our pre-bye matchup with them, and we were losing for more than half the game with an experienced veteran at QB. Granted, we don't have the league's best receivers like you do, but still.

I'd just like to take this moment to bask in the glory that all Giants and Steelers fans are currently enjoying. Who woulda thunk it? And I love the success that Big Ben is having...I'm hoping the 2004 QB class outshines the class (83? 84?) that produced Dan Marino, Jim Kelly, and John Elway. Of note is that I include Losman and count 2004 as the "Big Four" QB draft. (I wanted Losman to back up Collins for the G-Men. Thank god we have Warner instead of Collins! That hurt to type...)

On an unrelated note, I have been pretty disappointed in the decided lack of interest in my NFL Division Rankings (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=279433) thread. I have been rationalizing it by telling myself it isn't conducive to conversation, being that it is remarkably similar to power rankings, and as such tends to drop like a rock off the first page before I even finish perusing the SDMB, so probably most people haven't seen it. So this is my shameless plug. Maybe some of you will check in just to subscribbe to the thread? Probably not. *whimpers* Oh well, like I said in that thread, I'm really just doing it for me anyway. (Shouts out to Hal Briston and ShibbOleth for being the only posters to even notice it.)

[Airman Doors, USAF]

How 'bout those Cowgirls? :D

What a great game that was, and what a great comeback. With every game Big Ben makes Giants fans (including those in denial like Ellis Dee) cry into their beer, thinking about what they gave up to get a brand name who isn't even playing when they could have had Roethlisberger on the cheap.

Rookie jitters? Not that I could see. He was throwing darts all day. The only choker on the field was the oldest, most experienced Cowgirl, Vinny Chokeaverde. Duce played through a nasty looking twisted ankle early on, Plaxico came to play, and the secondary finally came through in the clutch, allowing Kimo von Oelhoffen to make Vinny trip over his dick.

Onto the bye week 5-1. The next few games are disgustingly tough, hosting the Patsies two weeks from now and the Eagles three weeks from now. It would take nothing short of a miracle to win even one of those games, but I'm going to go out on a limb and predict wins in both games, because I don't think the Steelers can be stopped from their date with destiny. Maddox geting hurt, sad as it was, was a sign from above, and it's hard to argue with a 4-0 record as a starter, especially when it comes with such poise and composure.

In other news, I will not be around for about three weeks starting on Tuesday of next week, so when I get back I'll have a lot to say (what a big surprise there, eh?). In the meantime, please, feel free to talk amongst yourselves about who's going to be finishing second in the NFL behind the Steelers. :D

[ShibbOleth]

How 'bout those Cowgirls? :D

What a great game that was, and what a great comeback. With every game Big Ben makes Giants fans (including those in denial like Ellis Dee) cry into their beer, thinking about what they gave up to get a brand name who isn't even playing when they could have had Roethlisberger on the cheap.

I'm definitely not a Steelers fan, but that was a great game yesterday, made better by the Cowboys losing. Some great hitting, good runs, heads up play by Ben R (I'm not even going to try and spell Roethlisberger). I especially liked the little dump off to his tight end when he looked as if he was going to be sacked for sure. And I was ecstatic that they ran the time off the clock before scoring instead of giving Dallas a full two minutes to try and get back and score. The only dark spot was the officiating which really seemed to go in Dallas' favor (as usual).

[BubbaDog]

GAAAAGHGHGHGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!

1 - 4?!?!?

Shit

Tail's between legs, switching channel from Chiefs to cooking channel. Find my happy place. Find my happy place.

[lno]

My happy place will be found tonight when St Louis wins and I correctly pick 13 out of the 14 matchups this week.

(Stupid Lions, losing to Green Bay...)

[Lord Ashtar]

AD, I have to give your Steelers their props. They played very well yesterday, and I couldn't have been happier that they beat the Cowboys, also.

That Rothlesburger(sp?) kid is going places.

[ShibbOleth]

My happy place will be found tonight when St Louis wins and I correctly pick 13 out of the 14 matchups this week.

(Stupid Lions, losing to Green Bay...)

Lno, was that straight up or against a spread? Oh, and I hope that you are wrong about tonight but fear that you are correct.

[pepperlandgirl]

GAAAAGHGHGHGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!

1 - 4?!?!?

Shit

Tail's between legs, switching channel from Chiefs to cooking channel. Find my happy place. Find my happy place.

*snicker*

I found my happy place, BTW. 5 and 1.
Broncos lead the division and have a 3-0 record in the division. How lovely.

[BubbaDog]

Broncos lead the division and have a 3-0 record in the division. How lovely.

That actually consoles me because its not the Raiders or Chargers leading the Div.

All I have to wish for is that the Chiefs claw their way into a semi respectable second place by beating the Chargers and Raiders. Frankly, after yesterdays meltdown, they are capable of losing to anybody (Anybody meaning anybody but the Cardinals, but then again I'm talking pro teams).