The Third Annual Steelers March to the Super Bowl Thread

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
681

It’s funny to watch the media try to establish the story they want to tell. Seems like the emerging theme is “The Steelers are getting too much attention and they don’t deserve it.” Hey, I wish they weren’t getting as much attention as they are, but to say they don’t deserve it is ignorant. They did a couple of things no other team has ever done: go from 6th seed to Superbowl and beat the #1, #2 and #3 seeds, and they may yet be the only team to win three road games and then win the Superbowl.

Skip Bayless is particularly an asshole on this topic:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=bayless/060130

MSN had a nice little piece about the Steelers being over-hyped and over-rated:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11105188/

Should the Seahawks be favored? Here’s a comparison I just came up with regarding the Steelers’ and Seahawks’ defenses:

Out of the 16 games in the regular season, the Seahawks allowed their opponents to gain more than that opponent’s season average in either passing or rushing 13 times! That is, only 3 times did they keep their opponents under that opponent’s season average in both passing and rushing (and that was against Atlanta, Philadelphia and San Francisco). Further, in three games, their opponents gained more than their season average in both passing and rushing.

Conversely, the Steelers held their opponents to less than their season average in 8 games, and only allowed one opponent (Detroit, in the last game of the year) to gain more in both categories than their average.

Keep in mind who each team was playing to accomplish these feats as well.

I predict that the Steelers, and Parker in particular, are going to run very well against the Seahawks. (I also predict that Parker will fumble at least once, and I hope it isn’t too costly). Ben is going to continue to be hot passing as well. The Steelers D is going to stop Alexander cold (less than 50 yards total), and Hasselback will have to carry the team. He’ll get his short yards, but it won’t be enough. The only way we get in trouble is if our special teams falls apart, but they’ve been performing very well of late, like the rest of the team.

Steelers win, 34-7.

682

I’ve been going back and forth on who I’m rooting for. Initially, it was:

“I hate the Seahawks, Go Steelers!”

Then it was:

“Screw the ‘dominance of the AFC’, go Seahawks!”

But then a dread realization hit me; if the Seahawks win, Holmgren will be the only coach in NFL history to win two Superbowls with two different teams. That would put him in the conversation as “best coach ever”, possibly leading that conversation. Dear god, no.

Please win this game, Steelers.

683

Tomorrow’s the last chance to jump on the victory bandwagon, guys. I have my Super Bowl Roethlisberger jersey and my Super Bowl Terrible Towel already, but it’s not too late for the rest of you to get on board by going to the store and getting yours.

I mean, the game’s a foregone conclusion. We all know who’s going to win. Why don’t you all just jump on the team for the big win. Son, all I’ve ever asked of my Steeler fans is to obey my word as they would the word of God. It’s a hardball world, son, we have to keep our heads until this Seahawks craze passes over.

Sorry, I was watching Full Metal Jacket recently. Still, it’s incumbent upon everybody to do the right thing, and that means that you should root for the Super Bowl Champion Steelers on Sunday. Just like me. :smiley:

684

I’m from Houston, born and raised. I just can’t pull for the Steelers. I really don’t follow much football anymore, particularly since the Texans suck green donkey - what forum am I in? - er…ears, but i just can’t bring myself to root for Pittsburgh.

So I, of unsound mind, predict the Seahawks to win 21- 12. So I can win a square on my football pool. :smiley:

685

I’ll just mark you down as an unbeliever who needs to be shown the light.

Watch the game on Sunday. You’ll see it, and you’ll never doubt again. :smiley:

686

In 1996, I drove with a friend of mine from Indiana State to the Colts/Steelers AFC title game. While there, I purchased a gameday authentic Greg Lloyd Jersey. I wore that jersey to that game, and Pittsburgh won. Over the years, that jersey has been worn to watch dozens of games, on TV, or here in Jacksonville live. I purchased a road Joey Porter jersey(replica) a couple of years ago, which replaced the Lloyd jersey on occasion.

As this year’s playoffs began, I realized that I had never worn the Lloyd jersey during a playoff game except for that AFC title game years ago. Realizing that the jersey is undefeated in playoff games, I brought it out this year. I now know that the jersey is channeling JUST PLAIN NASTY into this year’s team. It will be on again this Sunday, and will hereafter be retired, only to be worn during playoff games.

My Terrible Towel from the 90s is back in Indiana, so I had to buy a new one here…that towel is also undefeated when I bring it out for a game(twice here against the Jags, and all 3 playoff games this year). The towel will be with me Sunday as well.

The Seahawks played 2 playoff teams away from home, and lost both (the AFC #5, and NFC #6)…I’m not sure why anyone believes they will suddenly become some amazing force away from home against a good team. Pitt is up 14-0…14-3 at halftime…I see 27-3 or 31-3 before Seattle scores a meaningless TD late to make it 27 or 31 to 10.
Also…go to sportsline.com…on the right side, find the video player, and click “all videos”…then click “NFL”…then scroll down 5-6 times…there is the NFL Films video feature on Greg Lloyd, the Meanest Player in the NFL.

687

Ok - what scenario will give me numbers ending in 2 for the Steelers and 1 for the Seahawks? Because that’s obviously all I care about. :smiley:

688

42-11
52-11
62-11
72-11

I think you might be out of luck, though, because while I fully expect the Steelers to score monster points I don’t think the Seahawks are going to get out of single digits.

689

Fine!!!

690

Sorry Dolores, I can’t let that happen.

The picks are in in the pool I run, and I now officially need the Steelers to win. If Seattle takes it, I’ll be consoled by the $200 second prize, but damnit, I want that $700 champion cash!

GO STEELERS!!

691

That’s gotta hurt to say, especially given that Plexiglass didn’t get you over the hump and Eli pulled a Manning choke in the playoffs.

You actually thought the Giants had a chance this year! Ha! You will note I called it before the season even started.
Yes, yes, I call it every year. I know. And every year I’m right, it’s just that the refs and the NFL home office don’t get the memo. This year, though, despite the best efforts of the commisars in charge, the Steelers managed to overcome that handicap. They’d be undefeated right now were it not for the home-team refs that kill the Steelers weekly.

And you know it’s true, too.

692

See, this is why American football needs a rouge.

In other football-related anecdotes, in class we were discussing pKas. This is a logarithmic scale, so a pKa of 20 is a billion times less acidic than a pKa of 11. As the professor said, “If the Steelers are up by a billion in the third quarter, I’m not going to worry. I’ll just sit back and open another beer.”

693

I had predicted a Steeler victory, 34 - 7. However, after hearing about Polamalu tweaking his ankle, the Seahawks should be able to move the ball a little more against us. I have to revise my prediction.

Steelers, 34 - 10.

And the 34 is so low only because most of the second half Steeler possessions will be 100% running plays.

694

For your iron-clad lock of the week…take the Steelers and the under.

Say what you will about the Seahawks my friends, but they’re a good team. Doesn’t mean it won’t be a thorough beating, but we’re not going to put up anything like 34. You should know the drill by now, get a lead and take the air out of the fooball in the second half.

HERE WE GO STEELERS, HERE WE GO!!!

695

The Seahawks scored far more, and gave up far fewer, points than the Steelers this season. They cruised through the season and the playoffs. I can’t really think of any reason the Steelers are favored, except that there are more people betting on the Steelers.

So I’m picking the Seahawks.

696

That’s because the Seahawks played in the worst division in the worst conference in the NFL. They have not won a single road game against a playoff team.

Pitt. has road victories against the Colts, Bengals twice, Broncos, Chargers, and Vikings. They already destroyed the #2 NFC team at Pitt.

The Seahawks beat the Cardinals, 49ers, Texans, Titans, Rams…etc…

It’s kind of like in college football when some mid major team goes 12-1 and wants to play in a big time bowl, then gets killed by the 4th best Big Ten or SEC team.

697

The Steelers playoff run was pretty impressive.

Hell, I just picked the Seahawks because everyone else is picking the Steelers. It’s boring.

698

Huh? The Seahawks gave up 271 points and the Steelers 258. 271>258. As I noted before, the Seahawks gave up 500 more yards than the Steelers during the season, and in 13 of 16 games they allowed their opponent to gain more in passing or rushing yards than that opponent averaged all season. In other words, against the worst offenses the league could produce, in nearly every game, that opposing offense had one of its better days all year either rushing or passing.

The Steelers also cruised through the playoffs. Cruised through the Bengals, Colts and Broncos. The number 3, 5 and 6th offenses in the league. None of them could muster more than 18 points, and even breaking 17 required help from the officials.

In addition, the Seahawks are super wound up. Hasselbeck had a little fit over the cart incident, and the team had some intrasquad fighting going on.

Sure, anything could happen. But it probably won’t.

699

Alright, alright…the lock is the under.

I’m pretty confident that the Steelers will win and cover, but as the esteemed Hentor said, anything can happen, but it probably won’t.

I’m guessing 24-10 Steelers.

700

Ah, I must have looked at the standings thing at NFL.com. OK, the seahawks will get trounced, and the game will suck.