# The Third Annual Steelers March to the Super Bowl Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 14, 2005, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-third-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/316991 "2005-08-14T19:03:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2005, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-third-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/316991/61 "2005-08-21T14:34:01Z")
Giants fan here. I’m very cautiously optimistic. The Giants addressed every worry-area from last year during the off-season, with one exception: Quarterback. In the weak NFC, there’s no reason the Giants can’t make a playoff run **if** Eli Manning shows that last year’s horrible performance was a fluke – and let’s not kid ourselves with ‘hard schedule’ this and ‘crappy receivers’ that or ‘porous offensive line’ the other thing. He was just bad. Ken Dorsey had the same problems in San Francisco and had just as good a season. So, if Eli comes close to justifying his draft position, we’ll be good this year and the next. If he’s a bust, he’s going to torpedo the franchise at least until the end of the decade. Wheeeee! As for the Steelers, let’s figure out their 2005 record by adding up the expected value of wins for each of their games, as determined by my super-secret mathematical footballistic hyper-metrics: Ten: .85 @Hou: .75 NE: .55 BYE @SD: .6 Jax: .8 @Cin: .65 Bal: .7 @GB: .65 Cle: .9 @Bal: .5 @Ind: .4 Cin: .8 Chi: .95 @Min: .6 @Cle: .8 Det: .75 That gives the Steelers 11.25 wins, or an 11-5 record. If you wanted to round up arbitrarily to 12-4, I wouldn’t put up too much of a fuss, but predicting that a specific team will finish 13-3 or better is almost always foolish. In other words, does anyone want to bet me $100 that the Steelers will lose three or fewer games this season? ---
**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:** [August 21, 2005, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-third-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/316991/62 "2005-08-21T18:52:01Z")
> [@Jimmy Chitwood](#): > > Burress is probably one of the five most underrated players in the NFL right at this very minute… So I take it you have never seen him play? I’ve never, ever seen any receiver _less_ willing to work for a ball than Burress. But hey, if you want him, have him. I’m thrilled to have him off the team. ---
**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Chitwood)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2005, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-third-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/316991/63 "2005-08-21T20:11:34Z")
Take it however you want it, if it makes you feel more comfortable to assume I have _any_ love for the Giants since I dared to stray from the black and gold semen shower. I should know better than to try to talk actual football in one of these wankfests, but he worked to the tune of 20 yards per catch last year. Hey, if 70 catches for 1,000 yards isn’t your kind of thing, awesome, be thrilled. Don’t let me keep you from your kneepad collection. ---
**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:** [August 22, 2005, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-third-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/316991/64 "2005-08-22T01:09:36Z")
Ok, just got back from a weekend away…time to sit down to a few hours of football (dear god, I love DVR). I’m beat, so I’ll cut to my main points: – Go Giants…gotta love that ballhawking. – The Manning elbow situation will turn out to be nothing. – One massive ball of flame to the NFL Network: while I really appreciate you showing a replay of the Dolphins/Steelers game this morning, could you do me a favor next time and _not show the final score on the ticker during the fucking game?!?!_ Thanks…that’d be greaaaat. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2005, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-third-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/316991/65 "2005-08-22T03:26:45Z")
> [@VarlosZ](#): > > In the weak NFC, there’s no reason the Giants can’t make a playoff run **if** Eli Manning shows that last year’s horrible performance was a fluke – and let’s not kid ourselves with ‘hard schedule’ this and ‘crappy receivers’ that or ‘porous offensive line’ the other thing. He was just bad. Ken Dorsey had the same problems in San Francisco and had just as good a season. Huh? What? Who? Dorsey had the same hard schedule issues? He played in the weakest division in the NFL. Actually, that’s being kind. He played in the weakest division the NFL has ever fielded. Eli started his career against a slew of top-ten defenses. (None of which, I might point out, were from the NFC West.) Eli did suck, yes he did. He sucked again last night, but the Giants don’t need him to be particularly good. Big Blue is likely to return to the “3 yards and a cloud of dust” style of football. (How funny that he only completed 3 passes, but 2 of them were TDs?) Agreed about the receivers and O-Line, though. The line was fine last year, and Eli got better as the receivers got injured. (His best game and most productive target was all David Tyree. Love that guy.) So it wasn’t an issue of receiver quality. > [@Hentor the Barabarian](#): > > But hey, if you want him, have him. I’m thrilled to have him off the team.But hey, if you want him, have him. I’m thrilled to have him off the team. hehheh, yeah, take that, Jimmy! You’re obviously tainted with pro-Giants bias. heh. ---
**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:** [August 22, 2005, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-third-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/316991/66 "2005-08-22T11:19:36Z")
> [@Jimmy Chitwood](#): > > Take it however you want it, if it makes you feel more comfortable to assume I have _any_ love for the Giants since I dared to stray from the black and gold semen shower. I should know better than to try to talk actual football in one of these wankfests, but he worked to the tune of 20 yards per catch last year. Hey, if 70 catches for 1,000 yards isn’t your kind of thing, awesome, be thrilled. Don’t let me keep you from your kneepad collection. Aww… Sorry if I hurt your feelings by disagreeing with you about the greatness of Plaxico Burress (even in his best year, Hines Ward still had better numbers, by the way). Knowing you are so sensitive, I’ll leave you alone. ---
**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:** [August 22, 2005, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-third-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/316991/67 "2005-08-22T11:21:28Z")
> [@Ellis Dee](#): > > hehheh, yeah, take that, Jimmy! You’re obviously tainted with pro-Giants bias. heh. Not sure where I said that he was pro-Giants. I only said that if he likes Burress, he’s welcome to have him. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2005, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-third-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/316991/68 "2005-08-22T18:07:24Z")
> [@Captain Lance Murdoch](#): > > I bet it on [sportsbook.com](http://sportsbook.com). > > I see the odds have changed since then, but not by much. The spread is now 0. The Pack was 2 point favs over the Vikes as well, but that has also fallen to 0. I have 0 faith in the Packers this year so I combined the games as part of a parlay. OK, this is driving menuts. Where do they let you bet on games that far into the future? Grrrr, I gotta get in on this. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2005, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-third-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/316991/69 "2005-08-22T18:19:37Z")
> [@lno](#): > > In other bitter news, any sideline reporter or booth commentator who TALKS OVER LIVE ACTION should be dragged onto the field and summarily executed as part of halftime entertainment. I don’t care who you’re interviewing, I don’t care if you wore a pink tie with your pink shirt, if the play is live, call the play. Go back to your inanity when they’re in the huddle. In the regular season, sure, I’m right there with you. But in an exhibition game I don’t mind so long as they show the play live. ---
**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Chitwood)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2005, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-third-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/316991/70 "2005-08-22T21:14:27Z")
> [@Hentor the Barbarian](#): > > Aww… Sorry if I hurt your feelings by disagreeing with you about the greatness of Plaxico Burress (even in his best year, Hines Ward still had better numbers, by the way). Knowing you are so sensitive, I’ll leave you alone. Yes. That is exactly what happened. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-third-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/316991/71 "2005-08-23T03:06:27Z")
> [@Hentor the Barbarian](#): > > Not sure where I said that he was pro-Giants. I only said that if he likes Burress, he’s welcome to have him. I see where the confusion came from. Your statement makes no sense unless you’re talking to a Giants fan. I had assumed your statement was intended to make sense. My bad. ---
**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:** [August 23, 2005, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-third-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/316991/72 "2005-08-23T11:46:12Z")
> [@Ellis Dee](#): > > I see where the confusion came from. Your statement makes no sense unless you’re talking to a Giants fan. I had assumed your statement was intended to make sense. My bad. Really? So, if I said, “Hey, Gus Frerotte is the most underrated quarterback,” and someone else said, “Okay, you’re welcome to him,” that means that I must be a Dolphins fan? Hmm… ---
**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:** [August 29, 2005, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-third-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/316991/73 "2005-08-29T12:53:41Z")
Well, it is only pre-season, but after watching the Steelers offense against the Redskins - yeesh. Clearly I was wrong about the departure of Plaxico. Ben seems to think all his receivers are 7’3". And our defense? Hasn’t been a problem to this point, but dayum! The Redskins were opening huge holes in our line with regularity. Perhaps the offense will get their shit together before the season opens. One hopes. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2005, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-third-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/316991/74 "2005-08-29T13:07:03Z")
I’m not sweating it. Not yet, anyway. ---
**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 29, 2005, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-third-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/316991/75 "2005-08-29T13:09:19Z")
Well. That hasn’t happened in a long time. Then again, I haven’t been back to school all summer. The above was me, not Robin. She’s a stinkin’ Dallas fan. Everyone has their flaws, I guess. ---
**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:** [August 29, 2005, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-third-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/316991/76 "2005-08-29T13:22:36Z")
It doesn’t look too good compared to last year, does it not? Besides the injury problem the sports talkers in Pitt are repeating “stories”- anecdotes from people who happened to be there at the alleged times- that Roethlisberger has a big head and he’s not too popular with the rest of the team. No one admits to seeing it directly, but they repeat the stories about how he walked out after the Eagles game without shaking hands on the field, knowing looks behind his back from teammates, and his attitude of “I’m a superstar” he supposedly gives to these teammates. The talkers said “we don’t see it, but there must be something to it- unless the rumors were started by the Cleveland fan club on the Internet.” So- is the offense holding back, or are thay really that bad? Burress dropped a lot of passes when he was here- including one boner he pulled, spiking the ball after a tough catch. He rolled on the ground but was never touched by an opponent; he got up and spiked the ball, and the alert defense grabbed it and scored. It may have been Baltimore… Ward’s holdout has him moving slowly, he’s not in playing shape yet. But Big Ben’s overthrows are the most troubling- is he just slumping, or was he always such a bad passer? Did he hit Burress only because no one else could reach the ball? Hopefully, this last game will be a wake-up call, and play will imnprove. It has to- there’s a big set of expectations to live up to. The loss of one particular person has me worried- he may be the key to their season, but he had to retire because of health problems. I’m talking about Myron Cope- listening to the game color will never be the same. He was the perfect antidote to the Cris Collinsworths who always seem to draw the Steeler games. Gloom and doom. Maybe I’m wrong- I hope so. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2005, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-third-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/316991/77 "2005-08-29T15:12:19Z")
Consider my [post=5383288]post from last season’s thread[/post] from mid-October: > [@Ellis Dee](#): > > But, to think that Big Ben would have that same success as a Giant, Bill, or Charger is simply ridiculous. Did you watch the game? How many passes were a overthrown/underthrown and still caught? Ben is not the most accurate passer, and if he had to rely on Toomer and Hilliard to bail him out, he’d be 0-4 instead of 4-0. Actually, like I said in a previous post, he’d be 0-0 because Warner has earned the job convincingly. But make no mistake, Airman Doors, Big Ben is having the success he’s having for 3 reasons, and 3 reasons only: Hines Ward, Plaxico Burress, and Antwan Randle El. I’m wondering who will have the better season: Eli or Ben. If I had to bet, I’d pick Eli. ---
**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:** [August 29, 2005, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-third-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/316991/78 "2005-08-29T15:22:28Z")
> [@Airman Doors](#): > > Well. That hasn’t happened in a long time. Then again, I haven’t been back to school all summer. The above was me, not Robin. She’s a stinkin’ Dallas fan. Everyone has their flaws, I guess. And you were still able to marry her? Kudos. I guess if you ever get into an argument, you can always fall back to making note of X and XIII, or two-and-one. I should make clear that I was being facetious about Plaxico being the answer. Of all the Steelers receivers, he was least likely to make the effort to get to a ball that was not laid in his hands (and even if it was put into his hands in the end zone on a fade pass in a crucial playoff game, he might just drop it). If E. Manning can do that, he’ll have plenty of success. I’m not really terribly concerned just yet. All the pieces are there, and Maddox even showed how one can hit a tight end for a big play. And really, how many times do you see Randle El drop a ball like he did. I’m still looking at this as kinks to be worked out, not major problems. ---
**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 29, 2005, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-third-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/316991/79 "2005-08-29T16:57:56Z")
> [@Hentor the Barbarian](#): > > And you were still able to marry her? Kudos. I guess if you ever get into an argument, you can always fall back to making note of X and XIII, or two-and-one. Yes, but I have XXX to counterpoint. Y’know, the one where your own quarterback couldn’t tell the difference between black and gold and blue and silver. 😉 Robin ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2005, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-third-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/316991/80 "2005-08-29T16:59:40Z")
> [@Airman Doors](#): > > Yes, but I have XXX to counterpoint. Y’know, the one where your own quarterback couldn’t tell the difference between black and gold and blue and silver. 😉 > > Robin That was me, not Airman. Obviously. 🙂 Robin [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-third-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/316991.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-third-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/316991.md?page=5)