Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

Which Left? Leftwich!

The Steelers' defense is shaping up as something special, and that may be an understatement. And, no matter who wins the election today, Steelers' defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau should be the next Secretary of Defense.

The D held Clinton Portis, the NFL's leading rusher (by a wide margin) to only 51 yards. That's probably even more impressive than the seven sacks they tallied, or the two interceptions.

The Steelers' defense prevented Washington from even converting a third down until five minutes left in the third quarter.

The linebacking corps is exceptional. Lamarr Woodley, who had two sacks last night, continues to be a beast, as does James Harrison, who had nine tackles and 1.5 sacks -- and he absolutely tormented Pro Bowl tackle Chris Samuels, who was called for holding three (!) times. The captain of the defense, James Farrior, was all over the field, with 13 tackles and a shared sack. Throw in Lawrence Timmons and Larry Foote, and this group may be the best in the business. Yeah, they are.

Of course, then, too, the offense did its share, too, with backup QB Byron Leftwich stepping in and performing more than admirably. The man has a cannon attached to his right shoulder, but even more impressively, he performed with poise and a resourcefulness that jump-started the offense and instilled a sense of confidence in his teammates.

The Steelers did their part last night. Now it's up to the rest of us. Vote.

"Pittsburgh beat Washington in the NFL on Monday for a dominant victory that US presidential candidate Barack Obama will see as a good omen. For all but one of the last 17 presidential ballots since 1937, a Redskins victory has signalled a win for the party currently in power. Obama was pictured last week at a rally with a Steelers jersey bearing his name, given to him by team owner Dan Rooney. The "Redskin Rule" has held true for 71 years, since the team moved from Boston to the US capital. There was a caveat in 2004, when a Green Bay win should have signalled defeat for George W Bush, but some rule-backers note that Bush lost the popular vote in 2000, so his re-election was not a true repeat."

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-nflbox4-2008nov04,0,777089.story

All Souls Day

It's All Souls Day, one day after All Saints Day.
Today, we honor, embrace and make peace with the departed.

Too many, this year. Dad, Mongo (my beloved Sheperhed-Husky dog), Myron Cope, Tim Russert, Bo Diddley, Isaac Hayes, Bernie Mac, 18-year-old John Challis.

George Carlin.

Steel Curtain legends Dwight White and Fats Holmes. The great comedic actor Harvey Korman (“That's Headley LaMarr!”).

CMU Professor Randy Pausch (“The Last Lecture”). The great redneck-hillbilly-outlaw genre actor Jerry Reed. My longtime friend Mickey McGovern, Irish leprechaun and possibly the funniest person I’ve ever met.

Paul Newman.

And, of course, we will never forget 9/11 or Dec. 7.

Rest in Peace all, and, please, stay with us in heart and soul.

Steelers vs. Giants

Plenty of interesting angles to this Sunday's game at Heinz Field vs. the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants.

Will the Steelers be able to protect Ben Roethlisberger from the Giants' fierce pass rush featuring Justin Tuck, Matthias Kiwanuka. etc., plus an aggressive and effective linebacking corps? Will Willie Colon (and others) be able to contain Tuck, who has seven sacks in seven games?

Should the Steelers run right at the mobile Tuck at defensive end? The Browns did, a couple weeks ago, with some success.

Will the Steelers run defense be able to get off the field on third down? To do so, they must not only limit the Giants' passing game featuring QB Eli Manning, Super MVP and emerging star, and a very deep corps of receivers, -- but, more importantly, they must contain the Giants' powerful running game featuring 270-pound battering ram Brandon Jacobs (pictured above), the slashing Derrick Ward and the mercurial Ahmad Bradshaw. The Giants have the best running game in the NFL.

Will the Steelers' receivers be able to get off the line of scrimmage and into their routes quickly? This will be key to the success of the Steelers' recent strategy for protecting Big Ben from getting sacked, hurried and knocked down. With Big Ben taking short, three-step drops and hitting quick outs more often than ever before, the receivers will have to quickly work around the Giants' physical corners, who play an in-your-face bump-and-run style.

All in all, the Giants' secondary has been playing extremely well, including physical play by their corners and rangy, ball-hawking coverage by their emerging stars at safety, Michael Johnson (who had two interceptions last Sunday against San Francisco), James Butler and prized first-round rookie Kenny Phillips, who's been getting considerable playing time in nickel and dime defenses. Joey Porter's Pit Bulls advocated/predicted the Steelers should/would draft Phillips in the first round of April's draft, for a number of reasons that seemed to make sense at the time (not to quibble with the selection of Rashard Mendenhall, who we thought would be long gone by the time the Steelers turn to pick came up on the board). Mendenhall will be a fine player in this league (as will Phillips), and we're looking forward to his return next season. We're glad Mendenhall is a Steeler -- selecting him was a no-brainer -- but it will be interesting to watch Phillips in action on Sunday. Ever since training camp, New York media have been raving about his heady play, closing speed and coverage abilities.

Also interesting to watch will be the performance of former Steeler wide receiver Plaxico Burress, an enigmatic diva but also a formidable player. The Manning-Burress combination has produced more touchdowns than any other QB-receiver tandem since Burress joined the Giants after the 2004 season. He tends to perform especially well when motivated, and when he feels slighted; and he supposedly has always felt the Steelers organization and fans here in Pittsburgh never appreciated him. No doubt, he will be out to prove something on Sunday -- not that he has anything to prove, having made the last-minute winning catch in the Super Bowl and, as we said, having established himself as a go-to, big-time player in New York. Still, controversy dogs him -- Coughlin suspended him for a game (without pay) this season, and it's been estimated that Giants' management has fined Burress upwards of 50 times for various infractions since he joined the Giants. New York media have pegged him as being a self-absorbed, me-first type of player, a reputation that's dogged him throughout his career. Countering that perception, ironically enough is that he's proven himself to a tough player, he plays hurt, and he's productive, so the Giants must figure he's worth the trouble, even if he's had a reputation (before last year) of disappearing in big games -- a reputation he developed as a member of the Steelers. So, it will be interesting to see how he plays in the caldron of Heinz Field on Sunday. We wouldn't bet against him coming up big. Frankly, however, we're tired of the media focus on Burress ... and we're more worried about the Giants' running game and pass rush.

Links Worth Checking Out

The daily must-read One for the Other Thumb has an excellent Q&A with John Woods, a staff editor with The New York Times and regular contributor to the NYT's football blog, The Fifth Down. As Cotter notes, he's also a Steelers fan -- and offers a number of insightful observations about Plaxico Burress, Tom Coughlin, the Giants' pass rush and other factors likely to come into play when the Steelers host the Giants late Sunday afternoon.

The Giants' pass rush (Justin Tuck, Fred Robbins, et al) is extremely worrisome, so it may be worth taking a look at how the Browns (?!) neutralized it a week ago Monday night. AOL Fanhouse does just that, with an in-depth analysis of how the Browns prevented the Giants from sacking QB Derek Anderson even once.

The ever-excellent Nice Pick, Cowher has a typically astute take on the drumbeat in Dallas calling for Bill Cowher to become next head coach of the Cowboys. Hint: Not likely to happen as long as Cowher and Dallas owner/general manager/player personnel director/grand poobah Jerry Jones both remain control freaks (which will be forever).

From NFL.com:

Matchup	Storyline	Did you know?
Series leader: Giants, 43-28-3, in a series that dates back to a 23-2 Giants win over the Pittsburgh Pirates in the very first game in Steelers team history in 1933. Streaks: The Steelers have won two of the past three matchups, including a 33-30 win over the Giants on Dec. 18, 2004 in a game that featured seven lead changes.	An unstoppable force collides with an immovable object when the Giants' top-ranked rushing offense meets the NFL's top-ranked defense.	When RB Brandon Jacobs has 100-plus yards, the Giants are 6-1. When Jacobs has 10-plus carries, the Giants are 19-4. ... Giants WR Plaxico Burress will be playing his first game against his former team (Burress played for the Steelers from 2000 to 2004). ... The Steelers are going for a 10th consecutive win over an NFC opponent at Heinz Field. ... Steelers LB LaMarr Woodley -- who is up for GMC Sierra Defensive Player of the Week honors -- is going for a fifth consecutive game with a sack.

Hi-yo Silver(back)!

The Steelers continue to forge their identity as a ferocious, violent football squad. Good.

From Hines Ward's clean block of prized first-round pick Keith Rivers on the fourth snap of the game to the continually excellent play of the linebacker corps, the Steelers rocked the Bungles yet again in anticipation of the next game vs the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants.

On to the meat of the schedule. Now it gets interesting.

Huh? You're not??

Ever-quotable Bengals wide receiver Chad “Ocho Cinco” Johnson, whom the Steelers face on Sunday, had this to say during yesterday’s conference call with the Pittsburgh media:

"Now the reason for us not being successful, I'm not Dr. Seuss (?) but I know damn well we shouldn't be losing the way we are with what we have. It all comes down to us however you want to look at it."

Well, Dr. Seuss Ocho Cinco here’s how Joey Porter’s Pit Bulls look at it: You suck!

And so does the rest of your cretinous, verminous “team.”

Oh, and good luck on Sunday getting the ball from backup quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (Patrick FitzRyan?).

Oh, yeah, this should go well for you.

And what's Dr. Seuss got to do with this anyway?

Also, check out some awesome alternative nicknames for Chad Johnson, along with some wonderful PhotoShop goodness over at Nice Pick Cowher.

A Pilgrimage to Mecca, Pirate Style

Joining a couple of hundred other devoted Pirates' fans, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls made the pilgrimage yesterday to the Forbes Field Wall to celebrate the 48th anniversary of Bill Mazeroski's legendary home run to clinch the Buccos' epic 10 to 9 victory over the Yankees in the seventh game of the 1960 World Series.

The image above shows the scene, which included a re-broadcast of the game in near-live time; some of the Pirates' players who played in the game; fans in lawn chairs with little "shrines" spread before them; loud cheering and applause at key moments of the game, such as Hal Smith's three-run homer in the seventh inning; and even a lone New York fan wearing a Yankees cap.

It was a lot of fun and ... well, I'm not going to tell the Pirates' management hierarchy what to do, but if they're not involved in this, they should be.

"Sufferin' Catfish! You Can Kiss it Goodbye!!!"

"Merry Christmas and Happy New Year," were the words with which Pirate's broadcaster Jim "Possum" Woods concluded the radio broadcast of the Bucs' epic 10 to 9 victory over the Yankees in the 1960 World Series. It happened on this date, Oct. 13, 1960.

Granted, today we're nothing like the contemporary big-budget Yankees, and we never will be. But, like Casablanca's Humphrey Bogart (Rick) and Ingrid Bergman (Ilsa Lund) will always have Paris, we will always have 1960.

Talk about living in the past. Sheesh.

Still, if you're going to have one landmark, highlight-of-highlights moment, Maz's homer is a great one to have; arguably the greatest, most dramatic World Series moment ever.

And the greatest baseball game ever played. Indeedy.

The greatest baseball game ever played. And one of the wackiest World Series ever.

---------------------------------------------------

A Painful Memory for the Yanks

by Mike Vaccarro, New York Post

"In the first six games (of the 1960 World Series), the Yankees won three games by a total score of 38-3; but the Pirates also won three, those by a maddening score of 14-8.

"Then, of course, came the one word that continues to haunt just about every Yankee fan over the age of 55 or so: Mazeroski.

"Actually, Bill Mazeroski's ninth-inning blast capped what may well have been the greatest World Series game of all time, a 10-9 epic in which the Yankees trailed 4-0 after two innings, led 7-4 after seven innings, trailed 9-7 heading into the ninth and ultimately tied, 9-9, after a Yogi Berra RBI groundout that nearly trapped Mickey Mantle off first for the series-ending out.

"In a talk-radio world, they might still be talking about that one, because of all the twists and turns, all the iffy managerial decisions (in addition to everything else, it was Casey Stengel's last game as Yankees manager, and his performance in this game helped push that decision along). In 1960, it was enough to know that the game made Mickey Mantle, hero to millions, cry.

"I don't ever remember crying after any other game I ever played," Mickey Mantle said in a 1985 interview published in The Post, the 25th anniversary of that epic, awful Series, "but I cried my eyes out in Pittsburgh. Thinking about it today, I still want to cry."

--------------------------------------

In 1960, a Series to Remember (or Forget)

By Sean D. Hammill, The New York Times

Coming into the 1960 Series, the Pirates were widely seen as the sacrificial lamb on the altar of a Yankee dynasty that was in the process of winning 10 of 16 World Series from 1947 to 1962.

“The sportswriters, especially those guys from New York, never gave us a chance,” said Bill Virdon, the Pirates’ fleet-footed center fielder on the 1960 team. “They didn’t bother to look at how we got there.”

While the Yankees, led by Mantle, Moose Skowron and the newly acquired Roger Maris, lighted up the American League, hitting a league-record 193 homers and winning 97 games, the Pirates were winning 95 games the hard way.

“This was a team that came from behind from the seventh inning on 40 times during the season,” said Groat, the Pirates’ shortstop and the 1960 league most valuable player. “We just didn’t think we could lose. And we just rode that into the World Series.”

The Yankees won Games 2, 3 and 6 by scores of 16-3, 10-0 and 12-0, while the Pirates eked out their wins by 6-4, 3-2 and 5-2, setting up the Game 7 slugfest.

As Mazeroski tells it, when he led off the bottom of the ninth inning with the score tied, 9-9, his goal was simply “to hit it hard, get on and get us started.”

Yankee pitcher Ralph Terry's first pitch, a fastball, was a ball, high in the zone. His next pitch was down a bit lower — right in Mazeroski’s power zone.

“He said it was a breaking ball, but it didn’t break too much,” Mazeroski said. “And this one came in chest high.”

It left the ballpark, soaring over Yankees left fielder Yogi Berra and the 406-foot sign, into the grass and woods behind the 12-foot wall, sending the Yankees into despair, the Pirates into euphoria, and turning Mazeroski into Pittsburgh’s hero. “Somehow, it just did something to the city,” Mazeroski said, “and they just can’t forget it."

*** *** ***

Check out this fantastic recap of the game at The Green Weenie.

It happens every year on this date. Fans gather at the still-standing section of the wall over which Maz's homer sailed, to celebrate the occasion. The celebration gets bigger and bigger each year. Check out the coverage in the Post-Gazette.

Also, check out a couple of nice photos in today's Post-Gazette, of the Forbes Field Wall and a fan at Home Plate under glass in the University of Pittsburgh's Posvar Hall:
http://www.post-gazette.com/localnews/panorama/

Sarah Palin as Trojan Horse, End of Days and The Nuclear Trigger

Gotta admit, the "Sarah Palin/Hillary Clinton" opening bit on Saturday Night Live over the weekend was funny and spot on. Tina Fey not only looks like Sarah Palin, she has her vocal inflections and facial tics (wink) down.

My favorite exchange from the debate:

Hillary: "I believe diplomacy must be the foundation of our foreign policy."
Palin: "And I can see Russia from my home."

Well, you gottta laugh. Even if it's nervous laughter.

Because ... we wonder who is really the Republican candidate for president this year. Is John McCain just a straw man ... and Sarah Palin the real candidate installed by the shadowy, evangelical radical right in the back rooms? Hey, just asking.

Sarah Palin isn't a pit bull with lipstick. She's a Trojan Horse.

After all, McCain's 72 years old, a cancer survivor and, let's face it, hasn't looked too sharp lately. In fact, he looks downright out of it. He looks old.

If he is elected (God forbid) and dies in office (God forbid) or wins the election and dies before the inauguration (God FORBID!), we will be looking at President Sarah Palin. Good luck with those negotiations with Vladimir Putin, President Sarah. Good luck with an increasingly belligerent Iran. Good luck with the disaster that is the economy. Just, good luck.

And God help us all.

Because, here's the thing. Sarah Palin was a practing Pentecostalist for 20 years, and who knows what she truly believes now. It's not so much that Pentecostalists speak in tongues (good for them!). It's not so much that she would do away with sex education completely (look how well that worked out for her daughter). It's not so much that she believes a $30 billion gas pipeline in Alaska was "God’s will" and that the war in Iraq was a "task that is from God."

What worries me is that most, if not all, Pentecostalists believe in "End of Days," an apocalyptic belief in "The Rapture" whereby the good and righteous will be swept into heaven and everybody else will be left behind for the devil to torture and eventually sweep into hell.

But here's the key, and why we should all be worried that a possible "end days" believer and advocate might advance to the White House:

• Many End of Days believers not only believe in the concept, they want to accelerate the process. That's because they want a shortcut to heaven; they want to get there as soon as possible, and everybody else be damned, literally.

Now, can you imagine somebody like that with her finger on the nuclear button?

Well, if you believe in End of Days and The Rapture comes, can I have your car?

*** *** ***

Footnote: This was a bye week and we didn't have anything else to write about. Hey, cut me a break! It's been almost a month since I wrote about politics, not that the presidential election is important or anything like that. Back to football soon.

It's All Doom and Gloom

No, not really.

Just a note that we're always looking forward. Joey Porter's Pit Bulls have already moved on.

Yes, that was a noble and heroic effort last night. We get a bye week this week. Then the Bengals, who played the Cowboys very tough on Sunday.

What really counted about last night's game was the forging of identity. This team is forging an identity. Of toughness. Fortitude. Resilience. Physicality (violence). That's going to be the key going forward.

The schedule doesn't get any easier. The Bengals are 0-5, and they have a pussy quarterback, but they're a division rival -- and we need to take them seriously.

Then it gets even tougher.

Moving forward.

Violence Is Our Game

They'd better be. Violent, that is.

As this team forges its identity and as one player after another suffers one injury after another, the only way the Steelers will survive their brutal schedule will be by being more "physical" (violent) than the other team. If last Monday night's slugfest against Baltimore was any indicator, the Steelers are capable of doing just that. And they'd better continue to be up to the task, because it won't get any easier in Jacksonville on Sunday night.

The best players set the tone. For all his impetuous brilliance, Ben Rothelisberger is a tough guy. He's played through injuries all though his pro career, and he sets an example. Now, it's up to lesser players, backups, to do the same. We're looking at you, Trai Essex, who has had a reputation as a "soft" player. Mewelde Moore, playing in place of Willie Parker ... and who has yet to make a single block, so far as can see ... is another.

It doesn't get any easier. But if the Steelers are going to forge an identity, it's going to be that of a tough, "physical" football team. In other words, brutally violent.

Footnote: The photos are of James Harrison tackling a drunk Browns fan who ran onto the field a couple years ago, and of New York Giants quarterback Y. A. Tittle, who ran into bad times against a bad Steelers defense at Pitt Stadium in the nineteen sixties. Now that's what we're talking about.

Looking forward ...

Okay. Looking foward: Running back. With Fast Willie Parler sidelined with a sprained knee, and injuries also to ALL the backups, this sounds crazy, but please, can we just settle down. And, please, let's run the ball. Run, run, run. 45-50 runs this week. We don't care who's carrying the ball -- preferably Gary Russell (for some reason Joey Porter's Pit Bulls has faith in this guy, just like we have done every step of the way with Fast Willie) -- but just run the ball.

The offensive line has shown already that it has pass protection issues. We have a $102 million quarterback who is injured. Just run the ball.

And, I don't know if this is worth writing about, but Crazy Joey Porter backed up his pre-game talk-fest last week against the loathesome Patriots and, for what it's worth, was just credited with four sacks against the beyotch QB Matt Cassell. Joey Porter's crazy. But he's not insane.

That photo, by the way, is of Shania Twain, at Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh. Just because. She fine.

Speaking of weird ...

Could Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis get any weirder?

"Darth Raider" had a news conference last night to announce the firing of head coach Lane Kiffin, who, despite his girly name, seems like an okay guy and a standup citizen. Anyway, it was clear that Darth Raider (Al Davis) has issues -- he's psychotic -- and he's also cheap, really cheap. He is trying to fire poor Lane Kiffin "for cause" and get out of paying him the approximately (not even) $2 million left on his contract.

Listen, Al, you made a hire, it didn't work out the way you wanted it to, pay the man off. It's not that much money. Not to you.

By the way, if you want any insight into Al Davis, look up and read any number of classic, incredible articles in Rolling Stone by the late, great Hunter S. Thompson. He was one of the best writers, ever, and he inspired Joey Porter's Pit Bulls into a way of life and a stark style of writing for which we can only find hope and a way of peering far into the horizon, however darkly.

Anyway, back to Al Davis: Thank God for the Rooneys. It make you appreciate class. Irish class. Brawling boxers at heart, but generous, classy, rough-hewn and down to earth -- the kind of people who take care of other people.

Allrighty then ...

That was weird.

The Steelers got outplayed last night. Again. Yet they won. Again.

They should just let Big Ben call his own plays. Seriously. Why not? Do it on the fly. He's a quarterback. Come on, let him call his own plays.

And just when Joey Porter's Pit Bulls thought Mewelde Moore was a fraud and totally useless, he made a play. And, blasphemous as it may seem, Thank God for Jeff Reed.

And James "Silverback" Harrison. And Lamarr Woodley. And Troy Polamalu. It should be interesting to watch how the offensive line plays the rest of the way. With Kendall Simmons down, who fits where? Where art yinz, Max Starks?

And, with Rashard Mendenhall out for the season, this draft class looks like a total bust.

By the way, Joe Flacco can play. Uh, just what did former Pitt coach and "quarterback guru" Walt Harris NOT see in this guy? He can play. Balt'more's going to be a contender this year, like it or not.

R.I.P. Paul Newman

Too many deaths this year. It really hit home, literally, on June 3, when my father died suddenly – nine years to the day that my mother had passed away. It was as if he chose the date. Two days after my father’s funeral, my beloved dog Mongo died suddenly.

During the week in advance of my father’s funeral, Bo Diddley died. Then Tim Russert. Then, George Carlin. Later, Bernie Mac. Isaac Hayes. Steeler legends Dwight White and Fats Holmes. CMU Professor Randy Pausch (“The Last Lecture”). The great redneck-hillbilly-outlaw genre actor Jerry Reed. My longtime friend Mickey McGovern, Irish leprechaun and possibly the funniest person I’ve ever met.

Now, Paul Newman. A superb actor and outstanding humanitarian/philanthropist who donated an estimated $250 million to charity from the salad dressing/popcorn business he started as a joke. And, Behind Blue Eyes, he was colorblind. Like me.

“If we are to have faith and justice, we have only to believe in ourselves. And act on behalf of ourselves.”

– Paul Newman, “The Verdict”

Rest in peace, all.

(Addendum: Joey Porter’s Pit Bulls plan to write in more detail about some of these folks at a later date. Hopefully, we won’t die first.)

Excellent Link: Sunset Gun

Favorites, in no particular order:

• The Verdict
• Cool Hand Luke
• The Sting
• Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid
• The Hustler
• Slap Shot

Lots to talk about ...

Not much to say.

Rashard Mendenhall had better be ready.

By the way, Mewelede Moore doesn't like to block.

Limas Sweed? Where are you?

We have a $102 million quarterback and no offensive line.

I'm tired. Life.

Just. Can't. Let. It. Go.

Joey Porter’s Pit Bulls don’t know what was worse on Sunday — the coaches’ offensive game plan ... or their lack of adjustments during the game (or, for that matter, Mike Tomlin’s baffling decision to eschew a short field goal and go for it on 4^th and 10 at the end of the game, but that’s another story).

Let’s take a closer look. To hijack repurpose a comment I made over at Cotter’s One for the Other Thumb ...

What the hell was Arians thinking???

Consider: Big Ben dropped back to pass at least 39 times (he actually got the ball off only 25 times, was sacked eight times, had four "runs", took an intentional grounding penalty, and an illegal forward pass penalty). Add the nine dropbacks by Leftwich (eight attempts and one sack), and that's a game plan/execution with 48 dropbacks/pass attempt play calls. 48!! Against that relentless onslaught, and despite the fact that the Eagles started bltzing when they got off the bus. Now, really, whose bright idea was that? And, where were the adjustments during the game???

Where, indeed. And, where were the quick swing passes? The misdirection plays? Any attempt to establish the running game? Where was the coaching? And, of course, the O-line play = BIG FAIL.

Clearly, the game plan wasn't working. And neither were the "adjustments," such as they were. Game planning, game management and offensive coaching = BIGGER FAIL.

• For once, I agree with the Post-Gazette’s Ron Cook.
• And even the Trib-Review (sports only).
• J.J. Cooper over at AOL Fanhouse provides an excellent, detailed analysis of the O-line play.
• Succinct headline at Hockey, Football & Stiletto Shoes..
• And, finally, Nice Pick, Cowher rants at length and offers this gem of a one-liner:

"RT Willie Colon allowed so much penetration he should change his name to Colonoscopy. "

Next up: Baltimore. Oh-oh. What the Hockey, Football & Stiletto Shoes headline said.

Uh, that didn't go so well ...

It's almost too depressing to write about.

Ugly game for the Steelers' offense: Nine official sacks (although it seemed like more), countless hurries and drag-downs, two lost fumbles, a safety, an interception, just 20 yards rushing for Fast Willie, and at least one new injury for Big Ben.

At least Troy Polamalu had a spectacular interception, and the defense played pretty well, all things considered. But as poorly as the offense played, it was incomprehensible that the game was as tight as it was.

And it didn't help that the coaching staff had a brain cramp at the end of the game when they had Byron Leftwich throw the ball on fourth and 10, instead of going for a field goal. They needed two scores anyway, and going for it on fourth down -- and not converting -- removed any chance for recovering an onside kick and scoring again.

*** *** ***

In-game reportage ...

It's the second quarter, and Assante Samuel just intercepted Big Ben. The other defensive back on the play, by the way, could have easily been flagged for faceguarding -- he didn't look back for the ball.

Anyway, Big Ben's getting killed back there. How 'bout this: Establish the running game. What a novel concept.

On the plus side, Joey Porter and the Miami Dolphins beat the Patriots soundly today. Hmmm, maybe Peezy and the Fins really did treat Matt Cassell like a rookie, as he promised last week.

And the Browns lost and are now 0-3, and Bengals lost, too, so we've got that going for us. The Bengals suck. Still.

How 'bout this ...

Y'know what? Phuck Philadelphia. The Eagles. And especially the Flyers. Phuck their phans. Phuck Brian Westbrook, Donovan McNabb and Andy Reid. Fuck 'em all.

May they all get diarrhea on game day from their shitty cheesteaks ... and then be forced to watch Donovan McNabb Chunky Soup commercials and his "episode" on Cribs afterward.

Fuck 'em.

Not that Joey Porter's Pit Bulls have anger and hostility issues. Well? What did you expect? Fuck 'em.

Go boo Santa Claus. Assholes.

Have You Ever Been to Philadelphia?

As the Steelers move from Cleveland to Philadelphia and continue their world tour of world-class shithole cities -- what's next, Mogadishu? -- Mike & Mike (Greenberg & Golic) are in Philthydelphia, too, broadcasting their inane ESPN talk show. We should all have jobs like that. No, on second thought ...

Anyway, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls are feeling less optimistic about the game on Sunday than we were earlier in the week. If Big Ben were fully healthy, we'd feel better. On the other hand, Big Ben is kinda like Jethro Bodean of The Beverly Hillbillies. Nothing seems to faze him. Just give him a big plate of ham-hocks, pig's feet and grits, and he'll be fine.

Now, talking ourselves back into optimism -- and don't you just love how we (I) constantly use the "editorial we"? We (I) have identity issues. Sometimes, I (we) feel like all the characters in The Wizard of Oz, all at once -- anyway, what we (I) -- Joey Porter's Pit Bulls -- have a hunching suspicion about this game, on the side of optimism, is that Eagles QB Donovan McNabb is due to immolate, self-destruct. He's just due. Something's going to happen. Maybe he'll get a bad cheese-steak on Saturday night. Maybe MTV will re-run his feature on Cribs. Something.

Something will set him off. Get him off his game.

Maybe James Harrison. Silverback. Yeah, that could work.

The photo, by the way, is of an Eagles fan. At least he got something right.

Links:

Pretty much anything on the blogroll to the right, but ...

Hockey, Football & Stiletto Shoes: Just because.

One for the Other Thumb: Always.

Pittsburgh Sports & Mini-Ponies: Also, always a Must-Read, every day.

And, finally, if you find Mormons weird, bizarre and/or annoying, this classic from Big Daddy Drew at Kissing Suzy Kolber.

God Bless Joey Porter

If Joey Porter wasn't Joey Porter, this blog wouldn't exist. And we would have struggled to find something to write about today (Sarah Palin's e-mail? The Pirates?).

But, thank God, Joey Porter just keeps talking. ... Joey Porter's past his prime on a bad team, but he just can't help himself.

Joey Porter, of course, is quoted as saying about Patriots' quarterback Matt Cassell that he's not Tom Brady (no shit?) and that ...

"You treat him like you treat a backup," Porter said. "How do you prepare for a backup? He don't get that many snaps, right? So you throw the kitchen sink at him. That's what we're going to do."

Well, good luck with that, Peezy. The Patriots still have Randy Moss, Wes Welker, and the Evil Genius, but more than that ... Joey Porter's Pit Bulls have been impressed with Matt Cassell as a quarterback in his own right.

We haven't seen all that much of him, but just conclude: He's pretty good. He's poised; he's got a tight, smooth throwing motion; he is patient in the pocket; he seems to have good field vision; his arm is strong enough; and his throws seem to be crisp and accurate. And he runs pretty well. He's a good quarterback.

Not Tom Brady. But pretty good. Dismiss all the talk that he hasn't started a game since his senior year in high school. He went to USC (how bad could he be?). And he backed up glamour QBs Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart. And might end up being a better pro than either of them.

NOT that any of this makes us happy. We can't stand the Patriots. For all that ... if Matt Cassell goes down to injury, well, look out.

Joey Porter, just what exactly what did you mean when you said, "You treat him like a backup"?

About DeSean Jackson

It's a good thing the Steelers have improved their kick coverage units this year. We certainly hope they'll be ready on Sunday for Philadelphia Eagles rookie sensation DeSean Jackson, out of the University of California.

The speedy, elusive Jackson has returned a punt for a touchdown already. Just as significantly, he is the first rookie receiver since 1940 to rack up more than 100 yards receiving in each of his first two games in the NFL. He is the best receiver on the Eagles, already, and the Steelers will have their hands full trying to contain him, both on punt returns and on offense.

Jackson's a good player (and we'd love to have him on the Steelers), but he has long had a notorious reputation for immaturity and showboating antics. As noted by the San Jose Mercury News:

"Cal coaches must be shocked. Shocked that it took DeSean Jackson a whole two weeks in the NFL to get in trouble for showboating.

"The Eagles' second-round pick is living down nationwide laughter. Monday night in Dallas, he nonchalantly flipped the ball backward as he crossed the goal line — except the replay review showed it was before he crossed. So it was first down at the 1-yard line instead of a 61-yard touchdown reception from Donovan McNabb."

It's not the first time. The photo shows Jackson showboating in a high-school all-star game. He launched a somersault from the four-yard line, landed on the one-yard line -- and promptly coughed up the ball before crossing the goal line. You'd think he's have learned his lesson. Why is he so eager to drop the ball? Maybe Silverback, Troy & Co. can induce a fumble or two.

For all that, Jackson's a dynamic playmaker, and the Steelers will have their hands full.

Should be Interesting ....

Steelers vs. Eagles. The Eagles present an interesting dilemma for the Steelers next Sunday. Road game, for one thing. A 4 p.m. game on the road, in Philadelphia for another. What could possibly go wrong?

Having watched the Eagles vs. Cowboys, a number of things come to mind. The Eagles score points. The Eagles give up points. Their defensive schemes are confounding, but their defensive personnel isn't that good. On offense, Donovan McNabb and Bryant Westbrook are over-rated. Seriously, they are. The Steelers can win this game.

The Steelers will win this game.

Sorry about this ...

Okay, anybody who reads this blog knows it's focus is on the Steelers. We'll keep it that way. But, sheesh, sometimes Joey Porter's Pit Bulls gotta speak up. Just watched an interview with John McCain in the wake of the storm ... on Wall Street ... the meltdown of the economy, the so-called "markets" and Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns, Merril Lynch, AIG, your mortgage, your job, your health insurance and your 401K account. Mine, too.

Even Fox News cannot "put lipstick on this pig."

John McCain is the worst kind of moron. He is a manipulated, disingenuous moron. Yeah, just keep reciting "Karl Rove's Talking Points." It's insulting.

John McVain is a moron. And he's 72 years old. So, when Sarah Palin engages in negotiations with Vladmir Putin ... yeah, well, good luck with that. And their advertising is positively Orwellian. They've hijacked the "change"message, and ,well, "The real mavericks"? Don't piss on me and tell me it's raining.

Back to football. I swear.

In Command

Just two games into the season, and the Steelers are in command of the AFC North. The Brownies, in full recognition of their plight and playing desperately last night, put up a fight.

But at no point did Joey Porter's Pit Bulls feel the Steelers were in danger of losing the game.

The weather conditions made for a visually entertaining game, but Browns' QB Derek Anderson seemed to let the wind and rain bother him more than it bothered unflappable Ben Roethlisberger.

Willie Parker gained 105 yards on the ground, while Federal Penitentiary alumnus Jamal Lewis never got untracked. Behemoth defensive tackle Shaun Rogers of the Browns had some disruptive moments, but on the whole, the Steelers controlled both sides of the line of scrimmage. Santonio Holmes, who must be a nightmare to cover, displayed sure hands as he made some clutch catches in traffic and continued to establish himself as an elite receiver in the National Football League.

The defense was the difference. The Steelers' defense flew to the ball and played with an intensity that never allowed the Browns to establish any sort of consistent momentum. The Steelers' defense is better than the Brown's. As predicted here last week, the black 'n gold defense really did Hustle & Flow to the ball.

The 0-2 Browns are in a serious hole, and the talk in Cleveland surely will turn to Brady Quinn possibly supplanting Anderson as the starting quarterback. Plus, there surely will be muttering about Romeo Crennel's job security and the possibility of bringing Bill Cowher in as head coach next year. The postgame radio talk shows in Cleveland must have been a lot of fun. Well, all of that's their problem, not ours. It's much better to be a Steelers' fan today.

And the Bengals suck. Still.

Have you ever been to Cleveland?

Yeah, I have. Lived there for a while. It's cold. Even in September. It's the wind. The damn wind coming off the damn lake. Not sayin' the people are cold; because Joey Porter's Pit Bulls take people one at a time. Good people wherever you go. But. Assholes, too.

Sunday night. Steelers: Be ready for this game. Just guessing here: Browns head coach Romeo Crennel is borderline-panicked about this game. Bill Cowher looming. Job security and all that. Crennel must be thinking, "Damn! My 'vaunted' defensive line acqisitions couldn't stop the run against Dallas last Sunday and couldn't stop the pass. What are the Steelers gonna do?"

The Browns gave up 30 first downs --30!-- and nearly 500 yards of offense.

And the Steelers are a mirror image of Dallas. Steelers vs. Cowboys in the Super Bowl. JPPB callin' it. Right now.

Yup. Joey Porter's Pit Bulls have a feeling Romeo Crennel is panicking. Which sets a tone for the whole team. You don't think the entire team, from the skittish QB to the already-underachieving free-agent acquisitions don't pick up on this vibe?

There's an ill wind blows in Cleveland. Cool. No, COLD.

There's a history between these two teams.

It's Browns vs. Steelers.
That's all that needs to be said.

Let’s put this in historical context:

1966: Cleveland 41, Pittsburgh 10

Quote from Cleveland fullback Ernie Green:

“It was like running downhill.”

Hustle & Flow

Key to this game: Hustle & Flow (proposed new nickname for the Steeler's defense?).

Not worried about the Steeler's offense in this one. They'll put up points. Cleveland linebacker Camerion Wimbley can play on my team anytime, but nobody else on that defense would, or could (all respect to old man Willie McGinest, who has had a long and distinguished career, but you're old, dude; retire already).

Key to the game: Steelers' defense -- Hustle & Flow. Hustle every play and flow to the ball. Set a tone early and late. Granted, Cleveland has some talent on offense: Extremely good offensive line. Federal Penitentiary alumnus Jamaal Lewis at running back. The "Soldier" Kellen Winslow and Brayin' Braylon Edwards at wideout.

But scatter-armed, jittery Derek Anderson at quarterback. Nah-uh. He can be had. Taken. Down. "WHUP that trick! WHUP that trick! WHUP that trick!"

That's why, on defense, it's time to hustle and flow. Smooth as silk.

This will be a fun game to watch.

In the picture, by the way, is Mickey McGovern, Irish leprechaun and friend to all, who passed away last week. He would have enjoyed this game coming up on Sunday night. Rest in peace, Mick.

In Requiem ...

With Prayers and Hope for a Better Future

Going to Cleveland is so much fun.

JoeyPorter's Pit Bulls get legitimately excited about Cleveland Week. The Steelers can put the Browns in a serious hole on Sunday night, and we believe they will. And we get to see Kellen Winslow, the "Soldier." Another reason to live!

(The following is a reprise post from November 2006, just because we're uninspired and have been too preoccupied with Life Crappola lately.)


Joey Porter’s Pit Bulls love the Dawg Pound.

It’s not that we’re combative or anything … but it’s just so much fun to encounter guys with dog masks who think they’re BAD; and then, despite ourselves, stay out of jail.

The real Dawg Pound died with Municipal Stadium, just as the old Browns franchise died when Art Modell highjacked it to Baltimore. Prick.

We haven’t been to the new Browns Stadium, which looks nice, but take our word for it, Municipal Stadium was not nice. Anything but.

“Barely controlled riot” would be the words to describe the Dawg Pound during Steelers-Browns games. Never mind the disgusting, overflowing restrooms and Myron Cope routinely pissing off the stadium rooftop (true story, told by Cope himself many times). Never mind the continuing jawing and woofing between fans from Pittsburgh and Cleveland. Never mind the distractions, such as the periodic incursions of uniformed police that would snap attention from the action on the field — which itself, typically, was spastically violent in bizarre ways.

No, there are memories of sounds, too, such as, for instance, the distinctive crack of a revolver … in the stands, mind you … which triggered a massive response from Cleveland’s Finest and even more brawling fueled by testosterone, drugs and alcohol.

Hollywood couldn’t begin to stage such mayhem.

Real. Surreal. Hyper-real.

Ah, the memories.

Back on the Grid(iron)

(Note to readers: Sorry for being off the grid the last week or so. Life.)

No revelations here: The Steelers looked crisp yesterday, ready to play, sharp. Not much to analyze, but let's do it anyway. The maligned offensive looked surprisingly robust. Willie Parker looked fast. Ben Roethlisberger was sharp. Lammarr Woodley and James Harrison were fierce.

And, for some reason, the Houston Texans, seemed to mostly ignore their best player on offense, wide receiver Andre Johnson. Which brings us to the play of the secondary. Thank you, Ryan Clark and Troy Polamalu for returning to action. And thank you, Deshea Townsend and Ike Taylor for playing up to form.

Kudos, too, to the coaching staff for a fine game plan and for having the team prepared to play.

Now, get 'em ready for next week. Cleveland Week.

The Browns Are Weaker Than Most People Anticipated

Steelers vs. Browns next Sunday night will be critical. We can bury them right there, in Cleveland, in the second week of the season. Done.

Just heard moron "analyst" Skip Bayless talk about how "explosive" the Cleveland Browns were going to be this year. Hah! The Browns were horrible yesterday against the Cowboys yesterday. No pass rush. Can't stop the run. Which is a Bad Combination on defense.

And the scatter-armed QB, Derek Anderson, gets rattled too easily. Plus, the Browns' high-priced investments in their defensive front four during the off-season are looking about as prudent as APR mortgages, stock in Enron or faith in Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac. The Black 'n Gold can bury the Browns next week -- and officially put them in panic mode.

By the way, who hires these so-called broadcast "analysts" anyway? Kordell Stewart is now on the ESPN panel of experts. Okey-dokey. We'll learn a lot. Sure.

Speaking of being unable to stop the run: The Indianapolis Colts. If you watched the Chicago Bears whup on the Colts last night, you couldn't help but marvel what an admirable and startling thing commitment to the run can be. The Bears, featuring impressive rookie running back Matt Forte, just kept running and running ... and the Colts couldn't stop it. Which is a good thing for the rest of the AFC, including the Steelers.

Indy's new stadium is beautiful by the way. And the food looks good, too.

Tom Brady. Too bad. We feel so sad. Nah, that's rude. Actually, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls never like to see a great player go down to injury. It deprives all of us ignorant fans the best the game has to offer. Tom Brady is the best quarterback in the game, and we'd rather see him play all 16 games. Karma's a bitch, but we do want the Patriots to recede into oblivion and irrelevance. Kinda like the Pittsburgh Pirates. But that's another story.

Question: Who would you rather have on your team (real NFL football, not fantasy football)? Maurice Jones-Drew or Reggie Bush? Just asking.

To pick up a theme from last season: The Bengals stink. Still.

The Pain of Being a Pirates Fan

The focus of this blog is primarily Steelers football, but Joey Porter’s Pit Bulls remain an impassioned, interested and endlessly tortured fan of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The latest fiasco, the disputed signing of ballyhooed first-round draft pick Pedro Alvarez, follows nearly a month of truly awful baseball (7 wins, 19 losses) following the July 31 trade deadline. In the two major deals before the deadline, the Bucs’ braintrust dealt the team’s best reliever and two best hitters for “nothing terribly evident,” as Post-Gazette columnist Gene Collier put it.

“New management has, within the month, ridded itself of its best players in return for nothing terribly evident. Yesterday was the day Craig Hansen, acquired in the convulsion that was the Jason Bay deal, got sent to the minors. Yesterday was another day when it was increasingly evident that Andy LaRoche, acquired in that same deal, might, in a couple of years, given patience and careful instruction, become the next Jose Bautista, whom the Pirates traded last week.”

Nevertheless, the two big deals are done, although we thought beforehand that there was some merit to actually picking up Damaso Marte’s option for next year and extending Jason Bay and/or Xavier Nady. Before the trades, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls wrote, “Personally, I'd like to see the Bucs retain Nady, Jack Wilson and Jason Bay, although I could see the sense in trading any or all of them – depending on the return.”

Well, the return now looks even less promising than it did in the immediate aftermath of the deals, when Joey Porter’s Pit Bulls railed against the Xavier Nady-Damaso Marte trade with the Yankees. That deal brought to the Pirates four prospects, including right-hand pitcher Daniel McCutchen (6-9, 4.28). Pitching for AAA affiliate Indianapolis last night, McCutchen allowed six runs and nine hits, including four home runs, in four innings. Not encouraging.

So, it’s easy to second-guess the deadline deals, let alone how management handled negotiations with Alvarez and his agent, Scott Boras, although it appears the notorious Boras is up to his usual shenanigans. It will be interesting to see their future dealings with Boras, in light of this situation and their pre-draft proclamations that they would select the best talent available regardless of agent. Will they avoid a Boras client next year? That might be tough, as Boras regularly represents a high percentage of the top prospects available in the draft – seven of the top 10 players in June’s draft, if we’re correct.

In the meantime, here’s some media coverage of how well ex-Bucco Jason Bay is doing in Boston (sigh):

Trade for Bay Looks Like Another Stroke of Genius

“Jason Bay has been a revelation. Bay has hit safely in 20 of his 23 games with the Red Sox and has driven in a run in 13 of those, for 24 RBI in total, to go along with a .347 average. Bay's performance has helped allay the fears that Ramirez's absence would leave a gaping hole in the middle of the lineup.”

Liberated Bay fitting in just fine

"I've never had this atmosphere," said the leftfielder who was liberated from the terminal malaise of Pittsburgh at the trading deadline. "That's no slight to anybody, that's just the position I was in. So to come here, I use the word rejuvenating.”

Manny Who? Fans Forget Ramírez as Bay Picks Up Slack for Red Sox

“Jason Bay has proven to be an amazing perk.”

Bay says all games have been Sox/Yanks

“After emerging from years of playing in baseball purgatory — otherwise known as Pittsburgh — Jason Bay said he feels like every game he's played the past four weeks has been a Red Sox-Yankees game.”

New Guys Chip In Nicely for Red Sox

“Of course, the Red Sox did all right just before the deadline, too. They were pretty much forced to get rid of Manny Ramirez and still were able to land Jason Bay, who has been a revelation.”

Last Call

The final preseason game is tonight, vs. the Carolina Panthers at Heinz Field. Last call for borderline prospects and hangers on (Orpheus Roye) vying for a spot on the roster.

Not much drama, actually. Only a few spots bear watching: Will the fifth wide receiver be Willie Reid or Dallas Baker? Will the punter be Paul Ernster or Mitch Berger? Will the Steelers keep three tight ends? Will Roy Williams or Anthony Madison make the final cut in the secondary?

The biggest question, though, is whether superstar Carolina defensive end Julius Peppers will breeze past our turnstile offensive line and decapitate quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

Probably not. The starters will play two series at most, and they probably won't go all out. Carolina's starters don't want to get hurt, either.

Bob Smizik and Mini Ponies ... and a Whole Lotta Love

A word of advice ...

Check out Pittsburgh Sports and Mini Ponies for Tecmo's interview/dialogue with Bob Smizik, columnist with the PG.


Off Topic: The Closing Ceremonies

When Joey Porter's Pit Bulls heard last week that Jimmy Page was going to perform at the closing ceremonies off the Olympics in Beijing, we said, "Huh. That's weird. What's he going to play, Whole Lotta Love? ... 'You need coolin' / Baby, I ain't foolin' / I'm gonna send you back for schoolin' / Uh, oh, uh, oh / ... I'm gonna give you every inch of my love ... Uh, oh, uh, oh ... Waaaay down inside!"

Nah, no way.

As it turns it out, Page did play Whole Lotta Love, much to our surprise, with singer Leona Lewis handling the vocals originally sung by Robert Plant. Only snag there is the difference in gender ... which led to altering a few of the lyrics, as noted over at the always entertaining Deadspin, which also thought the choice of song was, well, perhaps a bit curious.

Best part was the Deadspin reader comments:

• "Wouldn't The Immigrant Song have been more appropriate?"
• "They were planning on going with Misty Mountain Hop but then someone reminded them of that whole Tibet thing."
• "Personally, I thought that China would have gone with Gallows Pole."
• "Or in the spirit of protest suppression, Trampled Under Foot."
• "Taking rock songs from Western culture and altering their initial meaning in no way represents the Chinese socialist way."
• "Robert Plant must be spinning in his grave."

... and the coupe de grace:

• "I think Black Dog was the first choice, but it was nixed due to the fear of a mad-rush to the concession stands."

It's the dog days.

As the Doors' Jim Morrison once sang, "Summer's almost gone."

Only two weeks remain to make roster decisions and fix all that is broken.

Like the offensive line.

Sean Mahan, Willy Colon and company got manhandled by the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday night. No matter that the Steelers "won" the game. No touchdowns. That showing was awful, and it's going to be a long season if the offensive line doesn't get fixed.

Never mind the upcoming final exhibition game against Julius Peppers and the Carolina Panthers. The starters might see two series. The opener against the Hooyouston Texans could be problematic, even though on paper the Houston game, at home, looks like it might be the easiest game on the schedule.

The Texans feature former overall first round choice Mario Williams, who had 14 sacks last season for Houston, which may be "poised to have a breakthrough season." Whatever. If the Steelers don't fix the offensive line, it's going to be a long season for the Black 'n Gold.

Except for adding journeyman center Justin Hartwig (but losing Pro Bowl guard Alan Faneca), the team has done little that we can see to address the offensive line issues we saw Saturday night and the last half of last season.

Schemes? Coaching? Dunno. Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best.