Blame it on Michael Vick

It's Michael Vick's fault.

The Steelers had all off-season to prepare.  The entire off-season.

"It's unbelievable how much the Pittsburgh Steelers have given away tonight," exclaimed Chris Collinsworth early in the fourth quarter, following another long pass to Rob Gronkowski, who soon thereafter recovered a Dion Lewis fumble at the goal line.

The secondary is a hot mess. Brady at one point had 19 consecutive completions, a new team record. Four touchdowns. Hot toast. Crumbs.

The big trouble with this game: Too few TV commercials.  "More commercials! We need more commercials!!"  

Sloppy tackling by the Steelers all night long.  Which only compounded the loose coverage and apparent lack of communication on the back end of the defense. Lack of communication? Lack of talent.

And the Steelers nose tackles made the undrafted free agent rookie center making his first start in the NFL look like an All-Pro.  What a weak effort by the defense. We wonder what Donald Trump would say about this.  "They're very low energy. It's kind of sad."

At least they beat the spread, as Josh Scobee almost made up for the two missed fields that he'd Scobee'd earlier by kicking the last-second extra point that made some money for people who bet the underdog Steelers.

Nice game, guys.

We blame Vick.

https://twitter.com/alex_navarro/status/642173711370616836/photo/1

Martavis Bryant: Dumber Than a Box of Rocks

Martavis Bryant

Chris Henry

Following the reports of multiple failed drug tests since he entered the NFL in 2014, many people have chimed in on the Martavis Bryant situation and how dumb, clueless, obtuse or just plain stupid he was -- or addicted -- to have gotten himself into the jam he currently finds himself, which is a four-game suspension to start the 2015 season (with the corresponding loss of salary -- about $105,000 in game checks), which follows in the wake of the six games he missed at the beginning of last season.

Chris Henry Redux?
People have said Bryant may end up being the next Josh Gordon, but Bryant reminds Joey Porter's Pit Bulls of another troubled former player, the late Chris Henry, formerly of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Chris Henry died at the age of 26.  His death followed a brief but tumultuous NFL career during which he not only was arrested five times but made an infamous name for himself for all the wrong reasons.

Martavis Bryant

Chris Henry

On the field, the former Bengals wide receiver was built much like Bryant (6'4", 210) and could fly --  a deep threat exactly in the mold of Bryant.

Off the field, however, Henry had a knack for getting in trouble, including numerous arrests for marijuana use, a DUI and other mishaps, calamities, tomfoolery, hijinks, shenanigans, chicanery and sloppiness.

Not to say that Martavis Bryant is destined to for the same fate that befell Henry, but he's off to a fast start down a path that could abruptly end his NFL career.  By now, of course, we all know that's not news.

In fact, it wasn't even news that Bryant was, uh, "troubled" even before the Steelers drafted him.  The red flags were there for all to see, and why he lasted until the fourth round of the 2014 draft.

As reported on this blog on May 21, 2014, here is what his college coach, Clemson's Dabo Swinney, had to say about him in an interview recorded in April 2013, before Bryant's final season at Clemson:

"Accountability, responsibility, dependability, trust-ability - those are the 'abilities' that matter," said Swinney. "He's got plenty of ability, it's all them other ones that have kept him from being a complete player. He's had some great moments, but he's been inconsistent. When you're not fully committed, you're going to be inconsistent."

But then here's another "red-flag" quote (from earlier in the article) that makes us wonder which Martavis Bryant the Steelers are getting (again, keeping in mind this was published in April 2013, before his senior season):

"Martavis isn't a bad guy, not at all. He's just been an immature, uncommitted guy - off the field, academically, in the meeting rooms, on the practice field, in the way he's prepared, not being dependable."

After the Steelers drafted Martavis Bryant, a skeptical Joey Porter's Pit Bulls asked if Bryant might end up being a latter-day Fred Gibson, another tall, skinny fourth-round receiver -- who never made it out of his first training camp. Gibson was cut before the first game of the regular season.

At least during his rookie season, Bryant showed flashes of big-time playmaking potential. At this point, however, everybody will be relieved if Bryant doesn't end up like Josh Gordon ... or, worse, like Chris Henry.

The Ripple Effect
It came to light this past week that the Steelers knew of Bryant's failed drug tests and potential consequences last Spring, before the 2015 NFL Draft, and that his tenuous status influenced their decision to draft wide receiver Sammie Coates in the third round.  To most observers of the draft, the selection of Coates was a head-scratcher, as he is somewhat physically similar to Bryant, as well as raw and unpolished with a reputation for dropped passes.

“We have known about the possibility of it for some time,” head coach Mike Tomlin said this past week. “In a lot of ways, it directed our course of action throughout the offseason, specifically drafting Sammie Coates, because of the potential of this event. So we are going to deal with it the best we can.”

At the time of this year's NFL Draft, we weren't crazy about the Coates pick because it seemed redundant and, more so, because the Steelers need so much help on defense.  We were further dismayed when, just three picks after the Steelers selected Coates, the Baltimore Ravens selected a player Joey Porter's Pit Bulls really liked and thought would be a good fit on the Steelers' defense.

That player was Iowa defensive tackle Carl Davis (6'5", 320 pounds), a rough and disruptive force on the defensive line -- and Lord knows the Steelers could use that.

But, no, because of Martavis Bryant's inability to stay clean, the Steelers felt they had to reach for another wide receiver, Coates. Now, as it turns out, the reports out of Baltimore (nauseatingly enough) are that Carl Davis could have been "the steal of the draft" and, according to Pro Football Focus, was rated as the Ravens' top-rated defensive player after the first three preseason games. Just great.

• Article headline: "Carl Davis emerging as Ravens' top rookie this year" -- ESPN

• Headline:  "Should the Ravens start Carl Davis over Jernigan?" - Baltimore Beatdown 

• Quote: "There's a value pick right here. Some thought Davis would sneak into the back end of the first round. He had an outstanding Senior Bowl week. He has dominating height-weight-speed physical traits." -- Mike Mayock

Thanks, Martavis.  You've not only deprived the Steelers of your services, your irresponsible behavior prompted them to draft a player they wouldn't otherwise have needed, and very possibly at the expense of drafting an impact defensive lineman who went three picks later to our divisional arch rival, the despised Baltimore Ravens.  But you don't get any of that, do you, Martavis, and chances are you don't care.

Your NFL career is in jeopardy, Martavis, as is your very future.  Time to grow up and act like an adult.  You might actually be able to salvage something of your life -- unlike Chris Henry.  Let his tragedy be a cautionary tale to you.

One final Footnote, because that ugly signing still reeks: 

Meanwhile, the Steelers' signing of Michael Vick still is such a turnoff that ... ugh, it's tough to even comprehend that they gave him a uniform and put him on the payroll.  Puke.

It's tough to feel good about this franchise right now, especially with Vick in Black 'n Gold.

What? We're supposed to embrace and celebrate that guy?  Vick?  No thanks.  Nothing but bad karma that guy.  We'll pass.

It's Embarrassing

If you are known by the company you keep, then I am embarrassed to be a Steelers fan today.

The trouble is, I've been so emotionally invested in the Steelers for so many years -- a lifetime -- that they are like family.  I can't disown them.

But, this, sheesh. This is embarrassing.

We can root for the team and feel good about guys like Alejandro Villanueva, Antonio Brown, Cameron Heyward and others. But not Michael Vick.

Vick taints the entire organization; he taints Steeler Nation.

They couldn't have found a better backup quarterback?  Someone with some upside? Granted, a guy like Kurt Warner doesn't come along every day, but Michael Vick?  Are you kidding me?

It is embarrassing.  The guy is a lightning rod for trouble and bad karma.

We'll hear the usual platitudes: He's "paid his dues," blah, blah, etc., etcetera, ad nauseum.  Save it.

We're also hearing, of course, that he's an "experienced" quarterback, as if that's supposed to make this acceptable and make everybody comfortable. Experienced at what? Sucking? He's not even a good quarterback, and he never has been, except for sporadic flashes.

It's a shame that guys like Vick keep getting rewarded. That's apparently the culture of the NFL anymore, and maybe it's always been that way.

We'll keep watching, no doubt, but it's embarrassing. And we don't like this signing one bit.

That's it, Fort Pitt.  

Oh, no, say it ain't so ... this ain't right

We're done. 

Or so Joey Porter's Pit Bulls are tempted to say.  Enough.

The Steelers specifically, and the NFL generally, are making it really, really hard to feel good about their product.  Just about impossible, in fact.

This is revolting. Downright nauseating.  This is a dark day in Steelers history.  It's an affront.

When cretins like the infamous Michael Vick, of all people, get signed by the Steelers ... how much can we take?  It's disgusting. Disappointing. And we don't have to like it  -- there are plenty of other things to do.

This signing goes against every grain of decency and respect for the fan base. Vick is not even a good football player, and he's a despicable human being. A sociopath? Maybe. A convicted felon, certainly.

Who the f--k lobbied for the Steelers to sign this emm-effer?  Who signed off on it?

Mike Tomlin?  Kevin Colbert? Shame on them. And Art Rooney II allowed this?  Ya gotta be kidding.  This has gotta be some kind of sick joke.  And the joke's on us fans.

How insulting and presumptuous of them to think they can do this signing and, what? ... the fans wouldn't notice or comment?

The Steelers can try to parse arguments and explain this one away in "football" terms all they want, but it'll never sell. Not here, not on this blog, and not to a hell of a lot of passionate Steeler fans and people of common sense and decency.

What's next?  Maybe they're sending scouts to the prison where convicted murderer Aaron Hernandez is rotting to see if he's in "football shape."

Ray Rice is still looking to get back in the NFL.  Richie Incognito?  How about Ray Lewis?  Leonard Little?  Donte Stallworth?  Maybe he and Warren Sapp could come out of retirement.

Enough.  

And so much, by the way, for the Steelers wasting a fourth-round draft pick and three years of development time on Landry Jones.  They have such little faith in Jones that he can't even get promoted to second string in his third year?  Incompetent scouting, drafting and player development.  A fourth-round pick wasted.

But that's not the point today.  The point is Vick. And the Steelers.  It's sickening.  Of all teams ...

This one is more disappointing and heartbreaking than any playoff loss. This here, what happened today?  This is no game. This is a travesty.

Vick's presence is toxic, poisonous and polarizing, that's for sure.

Just last November, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls wrote about the Jets with Vick:

"Just as fatally for the Jets, they placed their backup chips on Michael Vick, who has always tantalized with spasmodic flashes of flick-of-the-wrist laser throws downfield and speed of foot. But there's something wrong with Vick, and always has been. His notorious involvement in, and leadership of, a criminally loathsome dog-fighting ring, suggests "psychopath." Since then, of course, he served his time in prison and was reinstated to the NFL, has received big-money contracts, and doesn't need any of us. And he acts like it. Does anybody really think he is any kind of leader? Does he do anything in the community? 

"But if anybody in the Jets' management structure ever really believed Vick was going to be a supportive backup to Geno Smith, imparting veteran wisdom and showing Smith how to be a professional quarterback in the NFL, well, they deserve what they're getting. It's actually painful to watch. 

"Vick is not a very good quarterback. He's never been an accurate passer, and he's never exhibited consistent ball protection. He fumbles too often and throws too many incompletions and interceptions. He's not a very good quarterback, and he's made a lot money conning people into believing he can be a good NFL QB."

And that's not the worst of it, that he's a shitty QB.  If he were just a crummy quarterback, he could get in a long line of other sub-par quarterbacks.  Landry Jones apparently is a lousy QB, and so are lots of other wannabe quarterbacks across the land.  Being a crummy quarterback is no crime.

But Vick?  Signing him to wear Black 'n Gold should be a crime, it feels like, but at the very least it is an affront to a great number of fans.  That guy is loathesome; despicable; always has been.  We don't want any part of him.  He brings nothing positive to this football team or this city.

The Steelers are inviting trouble and bad karma into our fair city. And we don't like it. Not one bit.

If you can manage it, enrich your life today by adopting a stray dog from a shelter such as the Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania or Animal Friends. And, if you can swing it, try to support organizations like the ASPCA and the Humane Society.

Nyet to the Jets!

New York Jets fans deserve better than the dreck they've been served under the ownership of Woody Johnson. 

Today, the dreadful Jets, losers of eight consecutive games, appear rudderless.  The team has some good individual players, but they appear to be playing as individuals, not as a unified team. That indicates lack of leadership on the field, in the locker room and on the sidelines.

For all of Rex Ryan's blustery bravado, his words seem hollow at this point. He seems unable to ignite his players, although they have lost close games to New England and Denver. 

One glaring problem is the quarterback position. The Jets bet heavily, and badly, on Geno Smith.  It appears he does not have the stuff the be an NFL quarterback, not yet, and maybe not ever. 

Just as fatally for the Jets, they placed their backup chips on Michael Vick, who has always tantalized with spasmodic flashes of flick-of-the-wrist laser throws downfield and speed of foot. But there's something wrong with Vick, and always has been. His notorious involvement in, and leadership of, a criminally loathsome dog-fighting ring, suggests "psychopath." Since then, of course, he served his time in prison and was reinstated to the NFL, has received big-money contracts, and doesn't need any of us. And he acts like it. Does anybody really think he is any kind of leader? Does he do anything in the community? Maybe he does; maybe he doesn't.

Joe Willie Namath

But if anybody in the Jets' management structure ever really believed Vick was going to be a supportive backup to Geno Smith, imparting veteran wisdom and showing Smith how to be a professional quarterback in the NFL, well, they deserve what they're getting. It's actually painful to watch.

Vick is not a very good quarterback. He's never been an accurate passer, and he's never exhibited consistent ball protection. He fumbles too often and throws too many incompletions and interceptions. He's not a very good quarterback, and he's made a lot money conning people into believing he can be a good NFL QB. 

That's the Jets' biggest on-the-field problem: Quarterback. Other than that, who knows? Joey Porter's Pit Bulls suspect the Organizational problems start at the very top, in owner Woody Johnson's office, and that today, Johnson is merely seeing the results of the poor decisions he has made, from the choice of a GM on down, throughout the organization. 

Jets fans deserve better.

The Jets Won a Game

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls wasted some time watching Sunday's dreadful mess that was the matchup of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. the Cleveland Browns, and even though that wretchedness somehow qualified as an NFL game, it's hard to believe the Steelers found a way to lose to the Buccaneers a few short weeks ago (Sept. 28th, at Heinz Field).

If the Steelers could lose to that mistake-prone squad, they could lose to anybody.

Coda

On the other hand, there are the New York Jets. 

The Jets somehow found a way to beat Oakland in Week One, and the Raiders somehow beat the Steelers last year, and the Steelers have shown an unfortunate tendency to lose to inferior teams during Mike Tomlin's tenure, so -- anything's possible. Isn't it?

Yes, the Jets have won a game in this 2014 season that New York linebacker-DE Quinton Coples called "an unbelievable nightmare."

In the season opener, with the now-benched Geno Smith at quarterback, the Jets defeated the Raiders by a score of 19-14 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Rookie quarterback Derek Carr made his NFL debut for Oakland, completing 20 of 32 pass attempts for just 151 yards (two TDs; no interceptions).

Soon-to-be-fired head coach Dennis Allen didn't help Carr much by having his running backs attempt to run the ball only 14 times (for a pitiful 25 yards), so the Jets dominated Time-of-Possession with almost 35 minutes on offense. In the fourth quarter, Jets' running back Chris Ivory busted a 71-yard touchdown run to give New York a 19-7 lead, and that was pretty much the ballgame. Even in victory, the Jets had 11 penalties for 105 yards.

Still, for one glorious week, the New York Jets had the NFL's top-rated defense: first in rushing defense, first in passing defense and first in total defense.

How did the Jets beat Oakland? Following the game, Raiders coach Dennis Allen said of the Jets, “I thought they won the line of scrimmage battle ... on both sides of the football."

Granted, the Jets do have some good players on both their offensive and defensive lines. Center Nick Mangold has been one of the top players at his position since entering the NFL, and Steeler fans know what left guard Willie Colon is all about, for better or worse. On the other side, defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson is a certified beast.

Otherwise, the Jets have problems, and they are many -- from the front office to the head coach and throughout the roster -- especially at the quarterback position, where Michael Vick is now the starter. No wonder the Jets seem beset by bad karma.

If you can manage it, enrich your life today by adopting a stray dog from a shelter such as the Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania or Animal Friends. And, if you can swing it, try to support organizations like the ASPCA and the Humane Society.

Has the NFL Jumped the Shark?

This post will go over like a Led Balloon; skip it if you don't want to read anything negative about the NFL.

First, let's be clear: Joey Porter's Pit Bulls remain passionate and emotionally invested in football generally and the NFL in particular.

We love the game of football that appeals to the kid in all of us who played ball in the backyard, in the street, on oil-slicked rock-hard fields, in high school, in college, in highly competitive venues, in crazy situations of all kinds. Intensely. We love football.

But ... this latest bullshit with the oafish, reptilian Richie Incognito and his ignorant apologists is yet another major turnoff in a series of diminishing returns.

The NFL is perilously close to jumping the shark.

As heretical as it sounds, the NFL has lost some of its patina that appeals to the kid in all of us.

The NFL is a multi-billion dollar business. During Roger Goodell's tenure as commissioner, it feels like the NFL sold it soul somewhere along the way.

It's increasingly tough to overlook ... 
the golden goose that is television, with its ceaseless fawning, incessant babble, over-saturation of coverage, Thursday night games, Sunday night games, late-season Saturday games, Monday night double-headers -- oh, and, of course, the all-too-frequent and lengthy commercial breaks during games -- the NFL doesn't seem so special and fun anymore.

It's increasingly tough to overlook ...
performance-enhancing drugs, steroids and human growth hormone; absurd rules changes; rampant bounties; institutionalized extortion, thuggery, hazing, browbeating as "initiation" rites; concussions, CET, brain damage and early-onset dementia; designated "strike zones;" deliberately targeted knee hits prompted by the new rules governing upper-body hits; constant and eternal roster attrition from injuries, injuries and more injuries; the continuous legal squabbling; the ridiculous regular-season games in London and Roger Goodell's continuing threat to move franchises to London (from Jacksonville and maybe other cities) and Toronto (from Buffalo).

It's increasingly tough to overlook ... 
the many, many player arrests (from the seriously disturbing Aaron Hernandez  murder case to the insanely absurd Alameda Ta'amu incident on Pittsburgh's South Side); cretins like Michael Vick; blockheads like Riley Cooper; jerk owners like Jerry Jones, Zygi Wolf and Dan Snyder; asshole coaches like Rex Ryan, Joe Philbin, Greg Schiano, Gregg Williams, Bill Bellichick, et al; Todd Haley and his wife; the selfies; the constant Tweets by clueless self-absorbed idiotic athletes, self-imporant talking heads and former-player blowhard "analysts" like Ray Lewis, Michael Irvin and Warren Sapp; the breathless bloggers, the uber-analytical Pro Football Focus Sabremetric-type "experts" who are about as fun as actuaries ... and so on, and on, and on.

It all detracts, takes its toll, from what used to be a more enjoyable, fun diversion and, yes, a passion that still means a lot to us.

Football is supposed to be a game, but it's got "business" written all over it.

It's as if Roger Goodell and his minions never heard of the adage,"If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls remain deeply invested in the whole scrambling omelette, but ... there is something to be said for perspective and balance, if you will, if not wisdom.

We still watch the Steelers closely, with passion and intensity, but ... we're also watching the Aaron Hernandez and Richie Incognito situations, along with all the other crap, almost as much as we're watching the games.  The bad with the good; you don't get one without the other.