# The Second Annual Steelers March To The Super Bowl Thread. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 10, 2004, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-second-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/259121 "2004-08-10T00:31:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![The\_Mad\_Hermit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5ac83/32.png) [@The\_Mad\_Hermit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Mad_Hermit)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2004, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-second-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/259121/121 "2004-09-20T17:42:47Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2004, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-second-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/259121/122 "2004-09-20T17:59:46Z")
> [@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. 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. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2004, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-second-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/259121/123 "2004-09-20T18:27:40Z")
> [@Exgineer](#): > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2004, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-second-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/259121/124 "2004-09-20T19:24:42Z")
> [@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. 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. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2004, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-second-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/259121/125 "2004-09-20T19:59:21Z")
> [@Airman Doors](#): > > [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. > [@Airman Doors](#): > > [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. > [@Airman Doors](#): > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2004, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-second-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/259121/126 "2004-09-20T20:08:26Z")
If you think you’re ever going to hear ME say that you’re out of your mind. ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2004, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-second-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/259121/127 "2004-09-20T20:14:46Z")
> [@Hal Briston](#): > > 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. 😃 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.) ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2004, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-second-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/259121/128 "2004-09-20T22:14:28Z")
> [@lno](#): > > (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. ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2004, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-second-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/259121/129 "2004-09-20T22:52:38Z")
> [@Hal Briston](#): > > 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? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2004, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-second-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/259121/130 "2004-09-20T23:48:28Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![Ennui](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ennui/32/3396_2.png) [@Ennui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ennui)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2004, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-second-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/259121/131 "2004-09-20T23:52:00Z")
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 ---
**Author:** ![gooti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/eb8c5e/32.png) [@gooti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gooti)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2004, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-second-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/259121/132 "2004-09-20T23:55:26Z")
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. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2004, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-second-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/259121/133 "2004-09-20T23:58:24Z")
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:: ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2004, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-second-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/259121/134 "2004-09-21T00:45:37Z")
> [@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. 😃 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? ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2004, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-second-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/259121/135 "2004-09-21T04:26:27Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2004, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-second-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/259121/136 "2004-09-21T04:44:49Z")
> [@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. Perhaps you should read what I said, rather than jumping to conclusions: > [@me](#): > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2004, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-second-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/259121/137 "2004-09-21T04:53:12Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2004, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-second-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/259121/138 "2004-09-21T04:55:36Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2004, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-second-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/259121/139 "2004-09-21T04:59:40Z")
> [@Weirddave](#): > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2004, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-second-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/259121/140 "2004-09-21T05:06:26Z")
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. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-second-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/259121.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-second-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/259121.md?page=8)