It's Our Fault the Steelers Lost the Super Bowl

It's all our fault.

We're guilty. It is Joey Porter's Pit Bulls' fault that the Steelers lost Super Bowl XLV.

First, we were born, baptized and confirmed Catholic. Roman Catholic. In England, that gets you asked, "You're Roman, aren't you, eh?"

After responding, reasonably, "What?', and wondering for a baffled moment what the hell this Cockney moron is talking about (Roman gladiators?), it dawns on you. "Oh, you mean Roman Catholic? Huh. Does it matter?"

But we digress. Those of us born, baptized and confirmed Catholic know we're guilty. We carry it around with us like a, well, a ... can't say it.

But we're guilty. It's our fault. If we had stuck to the same formula for success that won critical games during the regular season and two playoff games vs. the Ravens and Jets, the Steelers would have rallied to beat the Green Bay Packers.

It's complicated.

It all started with the color green. First, green was the color of the priest's vestments at Mass, and that means green vestments are worn by every priest at every Mass all across the Catholic universe -- if you doubt this, you can check any Catholic calendar. It's right there, in small letters at the bottom of the little block for Sunday, Feb. 6: "Green."

This was a concern from the get-go. Well, not the Get-Go, but you'd have to live in Pittsburgh to get that.

Second, our dog-walking jacket is green. That's the lucky jacket we wore on the days the Steelers beat the Ravens and then the Jets. It worked then, so why change? Green, however, is also the predominant color of, you guessed it, the Green Bay Packers, who wear green and gold.

After some considerable waffling -- the black jacket or the lucky green jacket? ... and after having actually donned the black jacket at home and then thinking, no, the green jacket has been effective, even against the green-clad Jets ("Gang Green") -- we decided to stay with the green jacket, albeit with some misgivings.

So, a bit later, walking along Hamilton Avenue with a black pit bull who was wearing a Steeler bandana no less, some cat in his car at the red light rolled down his window to yell out, "That better not be green and gold I see you wearing."

As a matter of fact it was: Green jacket complemented by a Steelers scarf and Steelers cap, both of which, naturally, are black and gold. Unless the idiot in the car didn't happen to notice the Steelers logo on the cap and scarf, he was willfully giving us a hard time just for the hell of it. And he kept woofing despite our protestations of Steeler loyalty. Any coward can yell from a car. Jerk.

Samson wanted a piece of him, but restraint seemed the better course that early in the day. If it had been later, however, after the game, the dude would have had to roll up the window pronto.

Green also happens to be the color of our lucky socks, which we wear only for Steelers games (and on St, Patrick's Day, of course). These socks work. They are infallible.

But did we forget to wear our lucky socks? Yes. Shamefully, unbelievably, yes, we forgot to wear the lucky socks. On Super Sunday. Of all days.

To compund our guilt, we also forgot to wear our lucky "Yoi!" shirt displaying the the picture of Myron Cope. That's the shirt that won the Ravens game, when we changed into it at halftime. That shirt triggered the Steelers' second-half comeback and ultimate triumph over Baltimore.

During the Super Bowl, however, by the time we realized we'd forgotten to wear Myron's shirt, the Steelers were already down by a halftime score of 21-3. Too much to overcome with too little, too late.

It gets worse.

For us Catholics, apparently it's not enough just to have a Black 'n Gold Steeler Rosary. You must actually say the Rosary. Which entails kneeling down and, you know, actually praying all the way through the Rosary, which takes about 45 minutes. Did we do that? We must confess, no.

So, you see, it really is our fault. We're guilty. It's because of Joey Porter's Pit Bulls that the Steelers lost the Super Bowl. Guilty is, as guilty does.

Well, at least we have St. Patrick's Day to look forward to.

And the Penguins!

Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda ...

Ugh.

Less than 48 hours separate Steeler Nation from the defeat in Super Bowl XLV, and it still stings.

The Packers won. The Packers played the better game. The Steelers lost. The Steelers made too many mistakes. That's all there is to it.

No whining, griping or sniping here. Except to wonder why the Steelers didn't try to run the ball more -- did they wait until the third quarter to run the ball on consecutive plays? That's no way to establish the running game -- especially against the NFL's 18th-rated rushing defense!

Because the Packers scored first and had that big lead at halftime, it didn't feel like a close game. But it was. Six points. A one-score game. At the beginning of that last possession, we tried to visualize Big Ben connecting with Mike Wallace wham full-speed on a sudden crossing pattern with Wallace sprinting into the end zone.

It didn't happen, but they've done that very play this season. If they'd been able to connect this time, it woulda, coulda, shoulda been game, set, match.

One play. Seven points. That's all it would have taken.

But they didn't get it done, and that's that. No griping, sniping or whining here. The Packers made the plays, and the Steelers didn't. Simple as that.

Congratulations to the Packers and their fans, and congrats especially to head coach Mike McCarthy, a Pittsburgh guy from Greenfield.

Having known a bunch of guys from Greenfield, well, let's just say they're a tough lot. And that's being polite.

If any team besides the Steelers were going to win the Super Bowl, at least it was led by a Pittsburgh guy from Greenfield. Now, having got THAT out of the way and feeling nearly nauseated writing it, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls must comment on a couple of things related to the event itself, not the game.

The "Jones Mahal" Debacle
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones must be very proud. Yeah, right. Sheesh.

He built a billion-dollar palatial stadium, a colossus many mainstream media have dubbed "The Jones Mahal" because it was built on ego as much as anything else. The stadium also clearly was intended to be the crown jewel in Jones's "legacy" and just as clearly was built for the express purpose of hosting this Super Bowl with the Dallas Cowboys as the host team.

What an achievement this would be! Power! On display for all to see! Oh, the glory, and it's all about me, me, me ...

Instead, Jones's Cowboys stumbled through a miserable, losing season; fired their coach midway through the year; failed to come close to making the playoffs; sustained withering criticism from local and national media; and, then, finally, the entire Dallas-Forth Worth Metroplex had to watch in suffering, torment and envy as the rival Steelers and Packers stormed through the playoffs and made it to the Super Bowl. "Dang, it shoulda been the Cowboys!"

As if to add insult to misery, Dallas fans had to endure the onslaught not just of Packers fans and Steeler Nation, but also a fluky weather system that slammed the Metroplex with frigid temperatures, nightmare ice storms and, finally, snow.

Calamities abounded: Flights into DFW were delayed or cancelled; local traffic paralyzed; fans stranded; and the media focused on all that was going wrong, which was just about everything.

Then, on the Friday before the Super Bowl, a torrent of snow cascaded off the roof of Jones Mahal and injured six people. Lawsuits coming!

And then, to top it all off before a national television audience shortly before kickoff, Jones's and the NFL's bald-faced, grubby stab at greedily trying to set an attendance record (in other words, collect as much money as possible by attempting to overbuild seating capacity and cram as many payng fans into the stadium as physically possible) backfired shamefully and disgracefully, as an estimated 2,000 fans, most of whom apparently were Steelers season-ticket holders, were turned away at the gates by direction of the Fire Marshall or some such bureaucrat that you would have thought would have been paid off long before game time.

These were legitimate ticket-holding fans -- many of whom sacrificed, worked, scratched and clawed -- to purchase their tickets and travel to Texas. More lawsuits! These were real fans, by the way, not blase celebrities.

Which takes us to our next point of crankiness ...

Celebrity Adulation Makes Us Puke
One aspect of the annual Super Bowl spectacle has become particularly cloying, if not downright revolting: The loathsome onslaught of video shots of inane, vapid celebrities.

We presume few of them care about the game itself or the teams involved. We also presume they just want to see and be seen. Particularly nauseating this year was the retina-burning image of Cameron Diaz hand-feeding popcorn to Alex Rodriguez in a super-duper luxury suite. Yecch, blaaah, puke.

Yet Another Awful Halftime Spectacle
Much has been said about Christina Aguilera's butchering of the National Anthem (frankly, we didn't notice her flubbing the lyrics and thought her rendition was pretty strong), so we'll skip right past that to the halftime show.

The halftime show sucked, once again. There, we said it.

We like the Black Eyed Peas, but, man, this show was overly orchestrated, which happens nearly all the time in the Super Bowl. They played four cover songs -- what, they don't have enough original material to fill 18 minutes? Most Super Bowl halftime shows are awful, and this was no exception.

The first turn-off was the now farcical and de rigeur on-field "audience" jumping around as if they weren't paid to do it. Plus, it would help if these characters in the Black Eyed Peas could sing. Granted, they have style and talent, but singing chops? Eh, not so much, apparently.

Unfortunately, the NFL has a much too-long history of odious halftime shows, whether it's because of the "talent" selected or because the talent selected puts on an awful performance -- which happens nearly every year.

The only exception in recent memory was Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band three years ago, in Super Bowl XLIII, which the Steelers won. Good job, Bruce and band, who kept it simple, straightforward and rocking.

In other years, however, even historic bands we've liked -- such as Z.Z. Top, the Stones and the Who -- were gruesome. Six years later, it still bugs us that the Stones, who did so many Motown covers over the years, somehow failed to notice they were in Detroit and missed a golden opportunity to pay tribute to American Rock 'n Soul by neglecting to invite Motown legends onstage to perform some of the many classics the Stones have covered.

But, no-o-o-o.

Since we're feeling cranky, we may as well continue. Joey Porter's Pit Bulls have seen the Stones more than a few times over the years, including a "homecoming" concert in London, at Wembley, which was only so-so at best, curiously enough.

In some concerts, yes, the Stones are awesome and nearly live up to their own, self-proclaimed moniker of "Greatest Rock 'n Roll Band in the World." Some concerts, however, they absolutely live down to their parallel reputation for self-indulgence and sloppiness -- which is what they did in Super Bowl XL, another Steelers win, by the way.

Granted, this is an old rant. Being half-Irish, though, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls have the genetic imperative to forget everything but our grudges. Therefore, six years later, we'll say it again: Shame on the Stones for not paying tribute to Motown in Motown.

And, while we're at it, shame on The Who for last year's going-through-the-motions "performance," which was putrid. PUTRID!

There. That rant is off our chest. Again.

Now, back to the real world, the harsh glare of reality, cold winter and the drudgery of dealing with real, everyday problems. What fun!

Yep, we're grumpy, but that's what a Steelers loss in the Super Bowl will do to a Steelers fan.

Not to be bitter.

A Good Day for the Blues

Pheh.

So much for Seventh Heaven. We're Stuck on Six.

Too many mistakes: too much to overcome.

They won. No complaints; no excuses.

Well, at least we can look forward to the Pirates' season. No-o-o-o-o-o! ... just jaggin'. Not to be a jagoff.

As the immortal Ruth Brown sang, "It''s a good day, a real good day, for the blues."

Already on it. Here at Joey Porter's Pit Bulls, we're lining up the favorites that always make us feel better: B.B, King, Willie Dixon, Howlin' Wolf, Dinah Washington, Lightnin' Hopkins, Ruth Brown, Sonny Boy Williamson, Muddy Waters, Albert King, Etta James, Albert Collins, Roomful of Blues, Billie Holiday, Robert Cray, Billy Price, Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Irma Thomas, Kenny Neal, Koko Taylor, Charlie Mussellwhite, Tinsley Ellis, Dorothy Moore, Lonnie Brooks, Luther Allison, Roy Buchanan, Louisiana Red, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee and just about anybody from Louisiana.

Yep, as Ms. Brown says, "It's a good day, a real good day, for the blues."

Think how Brett Favre feels.

Time to Be Great! Win the Super Bowl!

Above: Black 'n Gold Steeler Rosary on an angel figurine in the window of a store in Pittsburgh's Bloomfield neighborhood (photo credit: Darrell Sapp, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Above: Sunshine, a Black 'n Gold winner available for adoption at the Animal Rescue League

"Time to be great!"

That's what Super Bowl XLIII MVP Santonio Holmes hollered (in''Toned) to his teammates (or maybe just to himself) just before backing those words, yes, by playing great on the game-winning drive vs. the Arizona Cardinals in February 2008.

Today, Steeler Nation, here we go Steelers, here we go, and ... again, it is:

"Time to be great!"

Win the Super Bowl.

Yep, it's time, as Cole Porter wrote, Ella Fitzgerald sang, and Hedley Lamarr exclaimed in "Blazing Saddles" for all of us in Steeler Nation to ...

"Now go do / that voodoo / that you do / so-o-o well!"

And, to reinforce this Good Mojo, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls suggest adopting a Black 'n Gold dog today. Sure 'nuff, ruff, plenty o' time before game to adopt Black 'n Gold dog from Animal Rescue League.

It's good karma. After all, some lucky Steeler fans happily adopted Phillip and Hans, the Black 'n Gold dogs promoted here shortly after the AFC Championship Victory. Surely Shirley, this is Good Mojo, and you'll even receive Black 'n Gold Adoption Discounts.

Also today, remember to wave your Terrible Towel and, if you have one, to rub your Black 'n Gold Steeler Rosary. Joey Porter's Pit Bulls like to think the Terrible Towel and the Black 'n Gold Steeler Rosary work together on behalf of the Steelers in the Myron Cope/Art Rooney branch of the Judeo/Christian tradition. It's all good food.

Go Steelers!

Suggested Listening for Your Super Sunday Soundtrack:

• "Sun is Shining" by Bob Marley & the Wailers
• "Bring It On Home To Me" by Sam Cooke
• "The Harder They Come" by Jimmy Cliff
• "I Need a Miracle" by the Grateful Dead
• "Keep on Pushin" by Curtis Mayfield & the Impressions
• "Stand" by Sly & the Family Stone
• "Black and Yellow" by Pittsburgh's own Wiz Khalifa
• "I Gotta Feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas
• "You Can Get It If You Really Want" by Jimmy Cliff
  
• "Steeler Polka" by Jimmy Pol
• "Make Do With What You Got" by Solomon Burke
• "Play to Win" by Al Green
• "Stone Rollin'" by Raphael Saddiq
• "Wide Receiver" by Michael Henderson (h/t to Mike Canton, host of The Soul Show at WYEP-FM)

People Get Ready ... Keep on Pushing ... Moving On UP!

"We're here to win, we're here to be professionals. We're here to be champions."

-- Mike Tomlin, head coach, Pittsburgh Steelers

At this point, there's not a whole lot else to say.

Here at Joey Porter's Pit Bulls, we're calm. Ready.

ESPN.com's Elizabeth Merrill wrote an interesting article about Coach Mike Tomlin. She did something smart, which was to talk to one of the fringe players, wide receiver Tyler Grisham, an undrafted player from Clemson by way of Hoover, Ala.

Although a high-school All-American and a three-year starter at Clemson, Grisham was pretty much a nobody coming out of college and a longshot to make it to the NFL. He signed with the Steelers for a $1,500 signing bonus.

The 23-year-old Grisham is on the practice squad, so he's not a readily recognizable name, but he takes his lumps in practice. He's not on the active roster and won't don pads for the game on Sunday. But he wears a Steelers uniform (No. 19), practices as part of the scout team and draws a relatively modest paycheck from the organization.

He's part of the family.

He even had his own table on media day, although Ms. Merrill may have been the only reporter who bothered to talk to him. She asked about Coach Tomlin.

Here's a little excerpt from Ms. Merrill's article:

The week is getting shorter, and the lines around Ben Roethlisberger and Hines Ward are getting longer, so maybe it's up to the polite young man at the empty table, who's available, to answer. Who is Mike Tomlin?

Grisham stopped and thought about it. When Tomlin pumps up the players, really gets going, he reminds him of Denzel Washington in some of his very best movies. He's passionate, and everybody listens. When Tomlin is excited, he can be emotional and giddy, just like them.

"I guess no reporter gets to know that side of Coach," Grisham said. "It's pretty simple. Like he tells us, too many rules will get you beat. We're here to win, we're here to be professionals. We're here to be champions."

Suggested Listening for Super Saturday:

Our recommendation today is to keep your radio tuned to WYEP at 91.3 FM in Pittsburgh, and online at www.WYEP.org.

• The Soul Show, hosted by Mike Canton from 2-5 p.m. ET.
  

• The Blues & Rhythm Show with Bumblebee Slim from 5-8 p.m.

• Big Town Blues hosted by Wrett Weatherspoon from 8 p.m. to midnight

Super Sunday's Steelers vs. Packers Chess Match, Part Dos:: What We Might See When the Steelers Have the Ball

Bing, bang boom. That's what's gonna happen.

Bing.
The Steelers will run the ball well enough against the Packers 18th-ranked rush defense to control the ball long enough to keep Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense off the field.

We saw how well the Steelers' running game worked so effectively against the Jets, and the running game will help to grind out chunks of yardage, control the clock and maintain Time of Possession.

But this is not the Steelers of Bill Cower and Jerome Bettis. Yes, this current Steelers' offense runs the ball effectively. These Steelers often run the ball out of passing formations, however, and they are particularly effective out of bunch formation, when three wideouts are bunched to one side.

And, please note, the Packers haven't encountered wide receivers who block like the Steelers' receivers. It's a Steelers' tradition, and no other team comes close.

As well as the Steelers can run the ball, when they need first downs, they pass.

Which brings us to ...

Bang.
The Steelers' intermediate passing game will get first downs with maddening frequency.

The Packers' Dom Capers, defensive coordinator, may assign a player to shadow Ben Roethlisberger. Good luck with that. Even Roethlisberger doesn't know what he's doing half the time. He loves to improvise. He can't help himself, he seems to love the drama, and he does have a knack for pulling plays out of his ass, whether scrambling or passing. And Hines Ward has a knack for finding open seams, catching passes and making the sticks.

Now, let's look at the Packers' defense for a moment. The Packers run variations of a base 3-4 defense with a lot of 2-4-5 formations devised to thwart horizontal offenses.

In the weak NFC, where the likes of the Seattle Seahawks make the playoffs as a division champion for cryin' out loud, you see a lot of horizontal, West Coast offenses. The Packers don't worry too much about the run, which is why they often trot five defensive backs out there, with one of the DBs (often the aging Charles Woodson, who no longer has elite pass-coverage skills) playing close to the line to run-blitz or rush the passer, whichever happens.

What that means, essentially, is that they use Woodson a lot near the line of scrimmage. At the age of 34, Woodson remains a great player, a Pro Bowler, but he is not the pass-coverage guy he used to be (although we may see him on Hines Ward off and on).

That's one reason why Woodson's up on the line of scrimmage so often. And he's been effective there, especially on blitzes. One problem with that, though: What if you run right at him? You run right over him, that's what. Most NFC teams don't even try and, if they do, they don't stay with it. The Steelers ran right at the Jets' corners, and they couldn't tackle Rashard Mendenhall. Keep in mind, too, that Woodson usually lines up on the side opposite Clay Matthews, the great young linebacker. So, by running right at Woodson, you neutralize Matthews to some extent, anyway. It's just that nobody's done it much.

Whatever. This defensive alignment has worked well for the Packers. Their front seven, however it happens to be configured from play to play, is generally effective. Their biggies up front clog the short middle and occupy the interior offensive line.

This, in turn, allows their linebackers to play to their strength, which is to move well laterally -- roam sideline-to-sideline -- or, more accurately in their case, each outside linebacker respectively covers his responsibilities on his particular side of the field.

That's why on the NFL Network's Sound FX, you'd hear Clay Matthews screaming at Michael Vick, "You ain't bringing that to this side of the field." That's nice. But Matthews' responsibilities are limited -- to his side of the field. He can be contained (and, for what's worth, Michael Vick is left-handed; he wasn't going rolling out to that side of the field much anyway).

Clay Matthews is a great linebacker. He's terrific in horizontal pursuit and relentless in pass-rush situations (23-1/2 sacks in two seasons). He has the proverbial non-stop motor. He's intense, ferocious and a sure tackler. He's going to be a handful, but ... we wonder about one aspect of his game: How is his pass-coverage ability? ... When have you seen him cover anybody?

The Packers' other three linebackers are just average. They're just guys, never mind that A.J. Hawk was a first-round draft choice. He's been a disappointment for the Pack, and has had many of his shortcomings covered by Clay Matthews on that left side of the defensive front.

Boom.
Contrary to popular belief, the Steelers are not primarily a running team, nor are they a dink-and-dunk offense. The Steelers are a vertical passing offense, and this is where the Steelers present a very bad matchup for the Packers' defense.

The Packers two corners beside Woodson are Tramon Williams and Sam Shields. These young fellas have been terrific -- fast and rangy, with great make-up speed and excellent instincts (and hands). They actually help out the safeties more than the other way around, which is how it usually works in the NFL.

And that brings us to a glaring vulnerability in the Packers' defense, which is in the deep middle of the field. The Packers are slow and vulnerable in the middle, especially at safety, never mind that Nick Collins made the Pro Bowl.

If Mike Wallace, Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown keep Williams and Shields occupied -- and they will -- expect to see Roethlisberger go deep over the middle more than a few times, with tight end Heath Miller a target for several of those deep passes. This could be a major factor in the game.

One other thing to keep in mind: The Packers won a weak NFC North featuring the rebuilding Detroit Lions, the dysfunctional Minnesota Vikings quarterbacked by a decrepit Brett Favre, and the Chicago Bears, who looked good at times, but weren't really.

The Packers are not used to dealing with the intensity that the Steelers will bring. There's no way they can be. Nobody in the NFC matches it, and the only other NFL teams close to the Steelers in that regard are the Ravens and Jets.

The Steelers show that intensity and physicality on offense as well as defense. Just ask the Jets about that first drive -- a 15-play, nine-minute first drive -- of the AFC Championship Game.

The Steelers will beat up the Packers, out-drive the Packers, wear out the Packers, and simply outscore the Packers.

It'll happen: Bing, bang, boom.

Super Sunday's Steelers vs. Packers Chess Match, Part One: What We Might See When the Packers Have the Ball

Whadda we know? Nuddin'.

But here's what we sorta think we're thinkin', sorta, aside from the very superficial impression that the Packers seem a bit tight, and slightly uncomfortable, from what we see from a distance ...

When the Packers Have the Ball
The Packers' offense will open the game by trying to spread out the Steelers' defense with muliple-receiver formations. They will try, nominally, to poke and prod the Steelers' defense with occasional runs by rookie James Starks, who was impressive late in the season and during three playoff games.

All well and good, seemingly, but we wouldn't be at all surprised to see Starks lay the ball on the ground (fumble) once or twice. Starks runs tall; he'll fumble.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers will launch an early deep bomb or three, just to give the Steelers something to think about.

Most of their plays on offense, however, will involve quickly unfolding three- and five-step drops designed to establish an early rhythm and protect Rodgers from the Steelers' ferocious pass rush.

We expect the Packers to emulate (to some extent) what the Patriots and Saints did on offense to beat the Steelers earlier in the season -- paper-cut the defense to death with lots of short-to-intermediate passes spread all over the field.

All well and good, seemingly, but we wouldn't be surprised to see Rodgers throw two or three interceptions, particularly on crossing patterns and sideline routes.

The Steelers' Defense: Unpredictable
As for how the Steelers' defense might handle the Packers, nobody knows what Mike Tomlin, Dick LeBeau and company are scheming. They might not know -- that's the beauty of it. For all we know, Tomlin allows LeBeau and his players to make it up as they go along.

"Just do your thing," they tell the players, so far as we know.

There's more to it than that, of course.

What the Steelers' coaches do well, undeniably, is put their players in position to make winning plays.

On Sunday, that may entail taking a page out of the Jets' playbook when Rex Ryan's squad beat the Patriots in the playoffs, which was: Confuse the bejeebers out of the QB by having lots of people in coverage and bringing the pass rush from unpredictable angles.

Which is more or less what the Steelers do every week, anyway, but we might see more defensive backs than usual on Sunday. Or maybe not.

Lawrence Timmons and James Farrior, after all, are unusually effective for inside linebackers in pass coverage and run blitzes. Farrior and Timmons are almost easy to overlook in the Steelers' defense, because it has so many other star playmakers, but they are linchpins to its success.

Put yourself in the shoes of Aaron Rodgers in the shotgun:

You assess the pre-snap formation and see Troy close to the line of scrimmage. On the other side, you see a corner creeping in as if to blitz right alongside James Harrison, as if he's coming. Or is he dropping into coverage? Crap, who's coming? The play clock ticks. Troy starts to back off the line. James Harrison, oh-oh, crazy eyes. Woodley, he's moving off to the side, covering, what, the slot zone? Wait, Timmons is inching forward right behind Hampton. Ryan Clark, looks like he's covering the tight end, I think, maybe. Play clock. Wait, Casey Hampton shifts ... SNAP!

We''ve seen it a million times. This can be very confusing, even for a seriously prepared, seasoned and accomplished pro like Aaron Rodgers, who was the NFL's best quarterback throughout the playoffs.

It's one thing to make it to the Super Bowl. It's another thing to win it. Especially against this Steelers' defense -- and Rodgers this week looks like he realizes that. He looks just a bit edgy, a bit uptight.

When the Packers have the ball on Sunday, we foresee fumbles and interceptions. And, even though the Packers will score at least 20 points, it won't be enough for them to win the game against a Pittsburgh defense that allowed an NFL-best average of just 14.2 points per game during the regular season, was first in the league in sacks, and first in rushing defense.

Oh, did we mention the Steelers' have the NFL's Number One Scoring Defense? Consider the percentages: In the Super Bowl, the team with the league-leading scoring defense is 14-4.

Defense wins championships.

The Packers will turn the ball over. We've heard Rodgers tries to visualize what will happen during a game. We expect he is visualizing nightmares ... such as the Steelers intercepting two or three of his passes, forcing two or three fumbles, and sacking him four or five times.

He can't help it. He seems like a good guy and a great quarterback, but the game on Sunday is going to be a confusing, painful and traumatic experience for him.

Rodgers already looks edgy, uptight, this week. He knows what's coming, but he still can't be prepared for the intensity the Steelers will bring. He hasn't seen it before.

Perhaps he's not sleeping well?

In an upcoming entry, we'll look at the Steelers' offense and the Packers' defense -- which is vulnerable, and we'll explain why. Whatever number of points the Packers might score, it won't be enough to keep up with a big-play Steelers offense that we expect will simply outscore the Packers.

More on that later. Interesting stuff.

Black 'n Gold Adoption Specials Now at the Animal Rescue League -- Through Super Sunday!

Good Mojo here, and an ideal opportunity for you to boost your Steelers Cheering Section for Super Bowl XLV: The Animal Rescue League is offering Black 'n Gold Adoption Specials through Super Sunday, Feb. 6.

Most people have no idea how little it costs to adopt a dog from this rescue shelter. Now, there's added incentive:

• Receive $30 off the regular adoption (which absurdly low anyway) for a Black, Gold, or Black 'n Gold Dog, and there are plenty of nice ones available.

• Wear Black 'n Gold -- which you do anyway -- and receive an additional $7 off the adoption fee. So, for example, if you see a nice white dog that you'd like to take home and cheer your life, you'll get seven bucks off the already-low adoption fee just because you're wearing your usual Black 'n Gold.

You can't beat it! Do it today!!

Today we feature two dogs, Mac and Hans -- one black and one gold -- who are just waiting to help you cheer on the Steelers.

Both Mac (black) and Hans (gold) got it going on. Good looks, fun disposition, great personality -- what more do you want?

All they need is a chance, and a home. Send an e-mail to adoptions@animalrescue.org.

Visit Mac and Hans at The Animal Rescue League at Fifth and Hamilton in Shadyside, EastSide, whatever the realtors are calling our neighborhood these days.

The shelter is around the corner from Trader Joe's and Bakery Square.

Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania
6620 Hamilton Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15206

Tel: 412-661-6452
www.animalrescue.org

Lots of wonderful dogs -- too many -- are at the Animal Rescue League right now and desperately need their own forever homes. We will continue to feature them on Joey Porter's Pit Bulls, as well as the Steelers and the human circus in general.

Adopt a dog. You won't regret it.

What Punxsatawney Phil Says ...

Good ole Punxsatawney Phil: Always a reliable prognosticator and, obviously, a Steeler fan.

What a savvy guy!

That's a fine scarf he's wearing and a long shadow he's casting. Sure bodes well for another Lombardi Trophy for the Steelers.

As much as Punxsatawney Phil loves the Steelers, some other wannabe prognosticators far afield seem to have the deluded notion the Green 'n Gold squad presents a bad matchup for the Black 'n Gold on Sunday.

That's okay. We kinda like being the underhog. And Punxsatawney Phil knows. He just does.

We ask you, then: Is Punxsatawney Phil wearing a Green 'n Gold scarf? No? Didn't think so. That's Black 'n Gold, my friend.

Punxsatawney Phil knows. It's Groundhog Day all over again.

Congrats, Troy: NFL Defensive Player of the Year

Congratulations to Troy Polamalu for being named NFL Defensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press (AP). Well-deserved, although Troy himself probably feels uncomfortable about it and would prefer somebody else would have won it.

Green Bay linebacker Clay Matthews finished second in a close vote, and the Steelers' James Harrison, who won the award in 2008, rated third in the voting this year. Hardly anybody would have squawked if either Matthews or Harrison had won it, and a strong case could have been made for several other players, including Chicago's Julius Peppers and Brian Urlacher.

A number of other players who could easily have been in the conversation didn't even get votes, so far as we know. These include last year's winner, Charles Woodson of Green Bay, and Pittsburgh's own Lamarr Woodley. Hard to believe they didn't get any votes. Ditto Darrelle Revis of the Jets.

No matter. Troy deserves the award, and everybody knows it.

ESPN.com's James Walker heartily endorses Polamalu's selection in a story headlined "Troy Polamalu Right Choice for DPOY" ... which makes Troy sound vaguely like some kind of prize yogurt, but we know what Walker means.

Congratulations, Troy.
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The following is from an e-mail that JPPBs received recently ...

There is a 10-year-old little girl - Heather - she has Ewing 's Sarcoma. She had surgery on Monday to remove part of her lung, three ribs and part of a few other ribs.

She is recovering now but Troy Polamalu (I know you all know who he is) has been an angel in her life. She has been in and out of the hospital and when Troy can be there, he goes to see her.

They play Guitar Hero and when he's not there, he texts her.

Before Monday's surgery, Heather got a surprise from him, he sent her his jersey - signed - that he wore in the game against the Ravens.

Here are some pictures of him playing guitar hero with her. This is a very special guy, taking time out of his busy schedule to bring sunshine into this little girl’s life.

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It's Media Day! Whoopee!!

Ugh. Media Day during the week preceding the Super Bowl is usually a tiresome affair.

Players often invoke predictable, mundane lines like, "Nobody expected us to be here. We get no respect." ... blah, blah, blah, as scores of "reporters" poke, prod and try to provoke players into a reaction and get them to say something truly unfortunate, regrettable, boastful or controversial, if not downright cretinous, foolish and stupid.

Today, Ben Roethlisberger takes the podium for this year's Media Day at the Super Bowl. Oh-oh.

We've been watching with some interest how Ben has been presenting himself in public statements. Following the AFC Championship Game, for example, both in the on-field TV interview and at the podium for the post-game news conference, Roethlisberger pretty much stuck to his (no doubt carefully prepared) Key Message Points, which are, essentially:

"I -- we, as a team -- have been through a lot. We've overcome a lot, personally and as a team, injuries and everything else. I can't give enough credit to my teammates -- the offensive line, the receivers, the defense and the coaching staff. Everybody's contributing. We're a team, a family, and we're going to keep working till we bring a championship back to Pittsburgh."

That's almost verbatim, by the way, from two separate TV interviews after the Jets' game, and Joey Porter's Pit Bulls have noticed Roethlisberger stating these particular Talking Points previously ... and repeatedly.

It is a fairly effective message: Simple. Clear. Concise. And consistent, if he sticks with it. Which we will find out, presumably, today. And, let us point out this is not to defend anything Roethlisberger may have done in the past. We're just noting that it will be interesting to see how he handles media inquiries about his situation, past and present, and whether he will stay with what appears to be carefully scripted messaging.

It's effective messaging, too, because it deflects the focus from "me" to "we," for one thing. It is clear that Roethlisberger is taking refuge in "team." The messaging works in part because it deflects criticism for his personal failures and defers credit (to his teammates) for the Steelers' current success.

Perhaps key to whether these Talking Points will stand up against the shrill shrieks of howling pundits, media wags and harsh critics with an agenda is, simply ... one thing: Consistency.

Roethlisberger must stay consistent with his messaging. So what if it becomes repetitive? The questioning itself is repetitive.

We can expect to hear the same message, over and over, and over, and over again.

If Roethlisberger sticks to the script, he should be okay, as long as he stays: Concise. Clear. Consistent.

If Roethlisberger manages that, the media vultures may tire of picking at him (but probably not) and may move on to other potential carrion, such as ... Aaron Rodgers?

My goodness, what's not to like about Aaron Rodgers? His only fault seems to be that he happened to be the quarterback next in line after Brett Favre.

Favre won only one Super Bowl in 16 seasons with the Packers. Worse, as noted on this blog previously, he was a drama queen who jerked the Packers' organization and fans around for years before finally jilting them. And he ended up playing for a division rival no less.

Yet many in Green Bay seem to cling to the "aura" left behind by Favre. The Green Bay Press-Gazette even still maintains a special section on its Web site devoted to Favre. Why? That's like maintaining a shrine to the ex-girlfriend who dumped you. She's gone, man.

Do yourselves a favor, Green Bay fans: Let it go-o-o-o already.

For Rodgers, unfortunately, the media won't let The Brett Favre Question go. Today, Rodgers can expect a steady barrage of tedious Favre-related questions, which we expect he will handle with grace, aplomb and intelligence. Rodgers seems like a smart, pleasant guy, as well as a great quarterback, so he should handle these questions just fine.

Good luck to both Big Ben and Aaron Rodgers on Media Day. We're sure they'll both be glad when it's over. So will Joey Porter's Pit Bulls.

A Musical Interlude During the Run-Up to Super Bowl XLV: Impressions of the John Hiatt & Lyle Lovett Concert at Carnegie Music Hall in Pittsburgh

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls went to see John Hiatt and Lyle Lovett in concert the other night, and a comedy act broke out.

This show was a real treat.

Old friends that they are, John Hiatt and Lyle Lovett sang their songs individually and together, interspersed with stories, wisecracks, yarns, puns, jokes and tall tales.

At one point, Lovett, tongue in cheek, said, "It seems the whole tour has been like this. I'm not sure this is even a show. We should just issue a disclaimer at the beginning of each night: 'This is not a show.'"

Each guy -- and that's how they came across on stage, just a couple guys hanging out, playing guitar and swapping stories -- each guy sat on a chair with his acoustic guitar. No band behind them; no backup singers; no hi-falutin' electronics; no dancers; no flashy pyrotechnics, no fancy lighting, and no video backdrop. The acoustics, however, were stellar in this intimate but magnificent little theater. Very crisp and clear, but warm, too.

Throughout the evening, each guy took turns singing his songs and playing his guitar. Every once in a while, depending on the song, Hiatt would don his harmonica, strapped around his neck. As the evening wore on and Lovett sang and played his songs, Hiatt would start picking his own guitar for background harmony. After the first time this happened, Lovett said appreciatively, "Thank you for your help." To which Hiatt replied, "You didn't need my help."

Lovett is a fine guitarist, a good picker. HIatt, however, is a great guitarist, which Lovett acknowledged admiringly and graciously: "I'd buy one of your signature guitars, John, but only if it came with a guarantee that I could play like you."

The mutual compliments, wordplay and self-deprecating humor continued throughout the show. At one point, as Hiatt alluded to Lovett's "meteroric" career. Lovettt paused, then replied, "It's nice of you to say that, John. I would have described it as my 'mediocre' career, but it was nice of you."

During the course of the evening, the two discussed their respective backgrounds, including growing up -- Lovett as a Lutheran in Texas; Hiatt as a Catholic in Indiana. Hiatt told a couple of off-color stories involving childhood experiences with girls "at the tool shed," then sang a song, after which Lovett remarked, "Y'know, John, I like how you worked in one of my favorite words there in that song."

After just the right pause, Lovett said, "Panties."

Lovett was deadpan throughout the show. He came off as smart, wry, witty, ironic, droll, gracious and absurd all at once. He was absolutely hilarious but self-deprecating. Joey Porter's Pit Bulls had no idea Lyle Lovett was so funny, and he seems like a genuinely nice guy. Just a nice guy. It seems like his heart's in the right place.

Lovett's a fine singer/songwriter, of course. And Hiatt remains in great voice, gritty and gruff, with that deep-throated, dusky, soulful voice that has remnants of the road and too much time in dark, smoke-filled places -- some of which, you get the impression, are in his soul.

The songs of both Hiatt and Lovett cover a lot of territory -- growing up, learning music, life on the road, religion, heartbreak, redemption, loss of love, found love, and hope. Eyes wide open on both these guys; time-tested, a little rough around the edges and a bit beat up; but ready for more; quick to smile, and ready to laugh. That's how they came across in this show. And very, very relaxed.

Much of the banter between songs covered the vagaries of life, including religion, sin, forgiveness, redemption and faith. At one point following one of Hiatt's songs about stealing a car (which he acknowledged that he actually did, when he was 14), Lovett asked, "How can we be certain of our faith, if we are never tested?"

Lovett then said, "See, John, now I have to change my song selection again, based on your story." ... whereupon he started playing the song, "God Will," which contains the line, "God will forgive you, but I won't."

That's just one example of how, as a songwriter, Lovett can be poignant and reflective (when he chooses to be); whereas Hiatt tends to be more bluesy and rocking, albeit with clever and powerful lyrics, as well.

Both are great songwriters and lyricists. Joey Porter's Pit Bulls are not as familiar with Lovett's songs as Hiatt's, but one thing is obvious: Many of Lovett's songs are wickedly funny in a twisted, ironic, warped-perspective sort of way -- "One-Eyed Fiona" is just one example.

Lovett seems to enjoy life in general, and the self-inflicted absurdities of the human circus in particular. He is very clever. Tom Waits and Warren Zevon (if he were alive) would fit right in with this show, as would Bonnie Raitt, whom they both know well and have played with on numerous occasions.

Here's a Lyle one-liner that wrapped up a story that dovetailed from a song: He was relating how his uncle had a knack for abusing the English language, one example being an unfortunate malaprop that somehow twisted the word "obese" inadvertently into "o'beast."

Musical highlights included, but were not limited to, the following songs:

"The Open Road" by John Hiatt, on guitar and harmonica
"If I Had a Boat" by Lyle Lovett, on guitar

"Memphis in the Meantime" by John Hiatt
Lyle Lovett: "Where My Horse is Home"
John Hiatt: "Tennessee Plates"

Lyle Lovett: "Cream in My Coffee"
John Hiatt: "Don't You Talk About My Baby"
• Lyle Lovett, with the haunting "She Had Already Made Up Her Mind"
• John Hiatt, with the achingly beautiful "Angel Eyes"
  

Also, of course, the encore, which included three songs:

• Hiatt and Lovett in a long duet covering "Are You Ready for a Thing Called Love"
John Hiatt singing an exquisite "Have a Little Faith in Me"
Lyle Lovett, with help from John Hiatt on guitar and vocals, singing a catchy and stirring "My Baby Don't Tolerate" with the classic opening line, "A skinny girl is misery" and some extended and amazing, virtuousic guitar work by Hiatt

All in all, a good time was had by all. If you get a chance to see these guys some time, go, treat yourself. It's a fine evening of entertainment by a couple of characters who happen to be excellent musicians, master songwriters, soulful vocalists and, apparently, just regular guys who are good friends and enjoy each other's company, and one another's music.

The music just happens to be great.

Photo courtesy of Steeltownrock.com