# The Sixburgh Steelers March to the Super Bowl Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [August 13, 2009, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sixburgh-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/506339 "2009-08-13T21:22:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [August 13, 2009, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sixburgh-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/506339/1 "2009-08-13T21:22:46Z")
It’s that time, the time when the Steelers reassert their dominance over the NFL and claim their 7th Lombardi Trophy. That’s right, preseason is upon us, so here it is, the 7th edition of my (in)famous thread dedicated to all things football, mostly involving how great the Steelers are and chronicling their drive to further immortality. With 22 of 24 starters returning from the Super Bowl champions of last year, things already look great for a repeat. Mendenhall is coming back looking none the worse for wear after the monstrous season-ending hit he took last year, Timmons is looking like he’ll step right in for the departed Larry Foote, and the new kid, Ziggy Hood, is supposedly fitting right in. Things are looking quite positive in that regard. They also got Daniel Sepulveda back, so now they can actually punt the ball, special teams being their biggest Achilles heel last year. With all of the elements in place, how can they possibly lose? Oh, I’m sure some of you will bring up the past poor performance of the offensive line, but they are quite successful in spite of that alleged weakness so I’m not overly concerned about it. I have been accused in the past of talking too much smack to lead off, so I will restrain myself this year and let the above stand as is, except to say that the Steelers’ will, in typical fashion, win their division, dominate their opponents, and roll right into the playoffs as the team to beat, an indomitable juggernaut that will not be stopped on their way to number seven. So, to all of you Steelers haters, bring your worst to the table and we’ll see how it all plays out in January. When the Lombardi Trophy is hoisted by Dan Rooney in February once more, we’ll definitely have our answer. ---
**Author:** ![Tristan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tristan/32/18058_2.png) [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2009, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sixburgh-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/506339/2 "2009-08-13T21:43:29Z")
I believe it would actually be the other Rooney, as Dan Rooney is now an ambassador to Ireland? fwiw, I don’t really watch Football, but I am forced to at least be familiar due to living in this sports obsessed area. You should have warned me, **Doors!** ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2009, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sixburgh-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/506339/3 "2009-08-13T23:38:01Z")
So, are we starting on the fingers of the other hand, now, or are we going for the whole Count Rugen thing? My family’s from western PA, so I’m kind of automatically a Steelers fan. My number 1 team is still the Browns, but, well, we all know just how much of an obstacle they’ll be to the Steelers, realistically speaking. ---
**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:** [August 14, 2009, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sixburgh-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/506339/4 "2009-08-14T15:27:27Z")
It’s amazing to me that the Eagles would take Michael Vick. After 49 years of chokage, you would think they would finally figure out what it takes to win. Signing a guy that is going to draw boos from Day One is probably not the best way to find your way to the Super Bowl. So here’s to those Eagles and their Golden Anniversary of futility. One of these days they might figure out that signing a cancer wrecks the team, it doesn’t help (see also: TO). ---
**Author:** ![taddvc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@taddvc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/taddvc)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sixburgh-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/506339/5 "2009-08-14T15:45:13Z")
As a lifelong Steelers AND Ducks fan it felt great to watch Dennis Dixon move the offense so well last night against Arizona, once he settled in. If he can build up some size I think we may be looking at another Slash until he’s ready to go fulltime behind center somewhere. ---
**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 10, 2009, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sixburgh-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/506339/6 "2009-09-10T22:39:39Z")
OK, so the game starts in an hour or so. I have my jersey, my Terrible Towel, my lucky hat, and I’m about ready to walk to the MWR at 3 a.m. to see the game. Is there anybody more dedicated than I? Nah, I didn’t think so either. GO STEELERS! ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sixburgh-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/506339/7 "2009-09-11T04:07:06Z")
Good game. Some of us are merely hoping our team can have two (TWO!) winning seasons in a row for the first time in franchise history. Go Falcons! 🙂 ---
**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 11, 2009, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sixburgh-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/506339/8 "2009-09-11T04:17:06Z")
I’ll tell you what, Pittsburgh tried as hard as they could to lose that game. They couldn’t run, the defense was soft enough that Kerry friggin’ Collins picked it apart, and Hines Ward, one of the great clutch players of all time, fumbled the ball at the 4 when all he had to do was fall down. It took a rookie to close it out in overtime? How surreal is that? But a win is a win. Just so they don’t put me through that every week. If they do I’ll go stark raving nuts by the end of the season. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sixburgh-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/506339/9 "2009-09-11T10:26:30Z")
Wow. They are not the team that I wanted to see this year - at least so far. It certainly wasn’t a pretty game. However, a win is a win and there is not a space in the records for them to put Won - but wasn’t pretty. Old Hines nearly killed us in the last few minutes… However, he is overall awesome, so I’ll forgive him. I’m hoping next week is better. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sixburgh-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/506339/10 "2009-09-11T10:47:25Z")
Forgot to add: Troy. Oy! Hurry back soon. Also: When are we going to get a power-runner? I have been underwhelmed with Parker and was disappointed we didn’t draft anyone who might take the Bus’ place this year. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sixburgh-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/506339/11 "2009-09-11T11:24:30Z")
I was shocked that in the off-season they did essentially nothing to address the running game. No linemen, no real power back… I thought it was such a glaringly obvious need that when I heard that our #1 pick was a defensive tackle, my mind processed it as an offensive tackle. It took a few seconds for the corrective processes to kick in. The proof is in the pudding, but if you like dominating running, controlling the clock, converting short yardage situations, and scoring inside the ten on the ground, Willie Parker and the present run game are not for you. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sixburgh-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/506339/12 "2009-09-11T12:20:41Z")
> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > I’ll tell you what, Pittsburgh tried as hard as they could to lose that game. They couldn’t run, the defense was soft enough that Kerry friggin’ Collins picked it apart, and Hines Ward, one of the great clutch players of all time, fumbled the ball at the 4 when all he had to do was fall down. > > It took a rookie to close it out in overtime? How surreal is that? But a win is a win. Just so they don’t put me through that every week. If they do I’ll go stark raving nuts by the end of the season. Agreed. But the Titans are a very good team coming off a 13-3 season. That will never happen to Hines ever again 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sixburgh-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/506339/13 "2009-09-11T13:21:52Z")
Hines Ward has to be kicking himself this morning. A nasty fumble like that in front of God and Snoop Dogg and everybody has to be demoralizing. And now no Troy until Minnesota, most likely. That’s even worse. Anyway. Awful game. But one in the win column. On to Chicago. Oh, **Airman Doors, USAF** , one good thing is coming from Philly picking up Vick. In several of the cities where the Eagles will be visiting, an animal rescue group has come up and said “for every time our team sacks Vick, we’ll give \_\_\_ number of sacks of dog food to local animal shelters.” I hope that trend picks up across the country. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sixburgh-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/506339/14 "2009-09-11T13:31:58Z")
Why is Vick a cancer? He’s never called out a teammate or blown up a locker room. He allegedly got Dan Reeves fired, but that was a long time ago. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sixburgh-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/506339/15 "2009-09-11T13:37:40Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > Agreed. But the Titans are a very good team coming off a 13-3 season. That will never happen to Hines ever again 🙂 Yeah, perhaps the best thing is always to get down in that situation, and Jeff Reed is money, but if there’s anyone I trust to hold on to the ball in traffic, it’s Hines. What happened to him last night, as you said, was a complete fluke, and I don’t have any problem with him trying to make a play before he’s even had any contact. Obviously, Chris Collinsworth disagrees. On that note, it was refreshing to watch a Steeler game with Al Michaels in the booth, and have his dislike of the Steelers mitigated somewhat. At least Collinsworth was capable of saying that the holding call was not a hold and the pass interference call was bulllshit, and note that the Titan pushed off on Polamalu’s pick. Michaels was hoping for a Titans challenge on a dump-off pass where Ben was 5 yards behind the line of scrimmage, yet for some reason Michaels thought this was an illegal forward pass. And they both erroneously thought that Hoke took off his helmet on the field. Anyway, if Madden and Michaels aren’t together to call another Steeler superbowl, a lot of this “Stealer” nonsense will disappear. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sixburgh-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/506339/16 "2009-09-11T13:48:06Z")
> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > …Hines Ward, one of the great clutch players of all time, fumbled the ball at the 4 when all he had to do was fall down. This idea that Ward should just have dropped to the turf is dumb. The odds of a fumble on any given play are _far_ lower than the odds of a missed field goal, even a chip shot. Ward was trying to get in the end zone, because that’s his job. Michael Griffin was trying to strip the ball, because that’s his job. It was a brilliant play on Griffin’s part, and essentially an unlucky one on Ward’s part. He did nothing wrong (other than let go of the football, of course). > [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](#): > > Michaels was hoping for a Titans challenge on a dump-off pass where Ben was 5 yards behind the line of scrimmage, yet for some reason Michaels thought this was an illegal forward pass. And they both erroneously thought that Hoke took off his helmet on the field. Nobody erroneously thought Hoke took his helmet off on the field. Hoke did take his helmet off on the field, clear as day- he was just smart enough to put it back on before the officials noticed. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sixburgh-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/506339/17 "2009-09-11T13:50:00Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Nobody erroneously thought Hoke took his helmet off on the field. Hoke did take his helmet off on the field, clear as day- he was just smart enough to put it back on before the officials noticed. Nope - it was knocked loose as he made the tackle - clear as day. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sixburgh-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/506339/18 "2009-09-11T14:00:08Z")
Rubbish. He reached up _with both hands_ and removed it. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sixburgh-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/506339/19 "2009-09-11T14:17:24Z")
> [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](#): > > Yeah, perhaps the best thing is always to get down in that situation, and Jeff Reed is money, but if there’s anyone I trust to hold on to the ball in traffic, it’s Hines. What happened to him last night, as you said, was a complete fluke, and I don’t have any problem with him trying to make a play before he’s even had any contact. Obviously, Chris Collinsworth disagrees. Reed is absolute money, but when you catch the ball at the 4 yard line you at least try to run forward. Could you imagine if Hines had dropped like a sack of potatoes and then Reed’s FG gets blocked because of a poor snap? We would have to listen to Michaels talk about how overrated Hines Ward is. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sixburgh-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/506339/20 "2009-09-11T14:25:30Z")
I totally agree that Hines should have done as he did: continue to try to make the play. I am disappointed that he fumbled - something he doesn’t do often - but I would never have expected him to stop trying for the TD, just because he was in FG range. Kudos too, to the Titans who made a good play. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sixburgh-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/506339.md?page=2)