All Saints Day

"Down South in New Orleans, prettiest women I've ever seen ..."

That song must be of little consolation today in The Big Easy, where people must be wondering how their beloved New Orleans Saints lost to the St. Louis Rams on Sunday.

Speaking of Saints, it is All Saints Day or Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead), as it is known in Mexico, where skulls are considered a symbol of life and regeneration.

The Steelers' linebacking corps needs some new life and regeneration, that's for sure. It appears James Harrison, James Farrior and Lamarr Woodley will miss Sunday's game vs. the Baltimore 'n 'at Ravens. Next man up.

"The standard is the standard," as Mike Tomlin says, which means it's time for second-year linebacker Jason Worilds B. Free to finally get on the playing field and show why the Steelers drafted him instead of Penn State's Sean Lee, who has played well for the Dallas Cowboys since early last season. Rookie linebacker Chris Carter also may get his first start, and hopefully he won't jump offsides, as he did vs. New England. Stevenson Sylvester, who played well against the Patriots, appears set to start again in place of James Farrior.

Speaking of linebackers, Baltimore has a couple of fairly accomplished guys in Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs, who had 13 tackles, including four for loss, on Sunday vs. the Arizona Cardinals.

"They're whacking people," Mike Tomlin said in his news conference today, which Ray Lewis has been reputed to do.

• All Saints Day (Nov. 1) those who have made it to heaven and “attained the beatific vision,” which Joey Porter’s Pit Bulls would like to see some day.

• Tomorrow is All Souls Day, which commemorates the departed faithful who have not yet been made it to heaven ‘cause they ain’t yet purified and sanctified, ‘n ‘at.

• Got it? Saints first, Souls to follow.

• As you contemplate what to do with your leftover Halloween candy, it's worth noting the celebration of Hallowed Eve dates more than 2,000 years to ancient Ireland and Scotland. The Celts believed their departed family and friends returned home during harvest time to eat and drink before going to heaven. Being harvest time, food was more plentiful, and some was left out in the evening for the souls of The Departed.

• Being who they are, the Irish and Scots viewed it as cause for celebration. Thus, it was in Ireland,  Scotland and England that All Hallow’s Eve (Halloween) became a combination of merriment and prayer; prayer and merriment.

• Following the break with the Holy See, however, England’s Queen Elizabeth forbade all observances connected with All Souls' Day. Tight-ass, no-fun prude, she was.

• Eventually, kids started dressing like ghosts, goblins, witches, etc, to have fun and play along with the notion of the dead returning to their homes. The pranksters would demand treats of neighbors … or, you guessed it, threaten to play some sort mischievous "trick" on them. Just like happened to Philip Rivers last night, when he fumbled a late fourth-quarter snap that led to the San Diego Chargers' loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Soul, soul, an apple or two,
If you haven't an apple, a pear will do,
One for Peter, two for Paul,
Three for the Man Who made us all.