Looking Back

It may be piling on at this point, but what the hell … Here’s yet another Sampling of Scathing Criticism From the Mainstream Media:

MSNBC: “Steelers, NFL, Should be Ashamed of Conditions”

"It was a disgrace."

SI.com: “Call It Muddy Night Football” …

“The Steelers couldn't have picked a worse time to lay down new turf. ”

ESPN: “Horrendous Conditions”

Miami Herald: “Soaked Field Angers Steelers Owner”

Palm Beach Post: ‘New’ Heinz Field Wilts Under Deluge

Wake of the Flood

In the blogoshere, Steelahs.com offers an excellent write-up on the history of exceptionally bad weather during Steelers-Dolphins games.

Then, back to mainstream media, there's this from respected columnist Ray Ratto, writing in the San Francisco Chronicle ...

"To all those people complaining about
the Heinz Field field Monday night:
It's November.
It's Pittsburgh.
It's football.
Shut the hell up."

Looking Good

Hopefully the reasonably good-looking weather forecast will allow the new sod to firm up at Heinz Field, in time for Sunday night’s game with the Bengals.

From today’s National Weather Service five-day forecast for Pittsburgh:

Tonight

Mostly cloudy. A chance of snow showers after midnight. Little or no snow accumulation. Lows in the lower 30s. South winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 50 percent.

Thursday

Cloudy with a chance of snow showers in the morning... then partly sunny in the afternoon. Little or no snow accumulation. Highs in the upper 30s. West winds 15 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 40 percent.

Thursday Night

Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 20s. West winds 10 to 15 mph.

Saturday Night

Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of snow showers. Lows around 30.

Sunday and Sunday Night

Rain and snow showers likely. Highs in the mid 40s. Lows in the upper 20s. Chance of precipitation 70 percent.

This forecast runs slightly askew of a report on Bengals.com ...

According to the National Weather Service in Wilmington, Ohio, there is a 30 to 40 percent chance of snow and rain Wednesday night and Thursday. The forecast is dry for Friday and Saturday until snow showers are to move in again Saturday night and Sunday with clouds predicted for most of the week.

Yet the Steelers aren't getting the same reports and told the Post-Gazette they are confident the field is going to be in much better shape after Tuesday was dry and sunny.

Club president Art Rooney II told the paper that rain is only expected on Thursday, and “from that standpoint, weather conditions are in our favor. We'll try to dry it out. They'll roll it, aerate it, do all the things they need to do to get it in good shape for Sunday. I think by Sunday it will be in good shape.”