Baffling

Bob Smizik made good points on his Post-Gazette blog today: The Steelers' Kevin Colbert, Mike Tomlin, scouts, evaluators, et al, know more about what they're doing with respect to the NFL Draft than we do, and they have more at stake, namely their jobs and reputation, than we do, no matter how invested in the team we fans may be.

Still, we are not alone in being baffled by some of the choices the Steelers made during the 2010 draft. We like the Maurkice Pouncey first-round pick for reasons cited in Friday's post.

As we were watching the second round unfold, however, we were hoping the Steelers would grab Stanford running back Toby Gerhart -- but the Minnesota Vikings must have known the Steelers had their eye on Gerhart and made a trade to jump one spot in advance of the Steelers' 52nd pick overall to draft Gerhart. Nothing you can do about that.

Well, too bad, we thought -- but we have an unexpectedly nice consolation prize awaiting us in the person of Notre Dame wide receiver Golden Tate, who has "faster Hines Ward" written all over him.

But, no, the Steelers instead drafted Virginia Tech defensive end Jason Worilds, whom they intend to use on special teams while converting him to outside linebacker. That's a position he's never played, to our knowledge, so nobody knows how he will fare in pass coverage.

It seems iffy -- all-too iffy for a second-round pick, especially when you have a productive, big-time college player, Golden Tate, who is pro-ready and able to contribute immediately on punt returns and at wide receiver. Hopefully, the third-round choice, Emanuel Sanders (whom we like very much) will do just that. But, still ... Jason Worilds instead of Golden Tate. It's baffling. Best player available? We shall see.

The team drafted other eyebrow-raising projects in later rounds. As noted in prior posts, we would have liked to have seen them draft Northwestern QB Mike Kafka (who went to the Eagles with the 122nd pick overall in the 4th round -- after the Steelers took Thaddeus Gibson) -- never mind the QBs on the roster already.

Kudos to the Steelers, however, for grabbing Emmanuel Sanders and Georgia Tech's Jonathan Dwyer, a power running back who was productive in college but had an unimpressive showing at the Combine. We presume Dwyer will battle Frank "The Tank" Summers for the short-yardage RB position. Dwyer cost only a sixth-round pick, but prior to his desultory workouts at the NFL Combine, nearly everybody expected him to be taken much higher in the draft.

The acquisition of Bryant MacFadden also cost little, but -- as Smizik also noted astutely -- you have to wonder why the Arizona Cardinals let him go (after just one season) for a measly fifth-round pick ... plus the Cardinals threw in a sixth-rounder to bid him adieu.

After watching the Packers' Aaron Rodgers light up the Cards' secondary for approximately 500 yards in the playoffs last year, maybe the Cardinals figured MacFadden wasn't the cornerback they thought he was, not that it was entirely his fault.

In a roundabout way, you could view the trade as Santonio Holmes for Bryant MacFadden -- the Steelers traded the fifth-rounder they got from the Jets for Holmes -- plus received a sixth-rounder, who turned out to be Central Michigan wide receiver Antonio Brown, who shows some decent promise for a guy from a mid-major school. Hey, somebody had to be catching all those passes from QB Dan Lefevour, who also could have been in a Steelers' uniform, easily. The Bears took Lefevour in the sixth round, which is where QB Tony Pike also was drafted, by the Carolina Panthers.

The Cardinals, in turn, used the fifth-rounder they acquired from the Steelers to draft Fordham QB John Skelton, 6'5", 243, who had some pretty good pre-draft buzz swirling around him for a small-college quarterback.

Speaking of cornerbacks, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls would have rather seen the Steelers spend their fourth-round choice on IUP corner Akwasi Owusu-Ansah instead of Ohio State's Thaddeus Gibson, yet another defensive end-to-outside linebacker conversion project. The Steelers took Gibson with the 116th pick overall; the Cowboys grabbed Akwasi with the 126th pick overall.

We hope all the draftees and prospects turn into Pro Bowlers, but we'd feel better about this year's draft if management had made some different choices. In toto, we like Steelers' 2010 draftees Pouncey and Sanders, and we sorta like Tennessee tackle Chris Scott (fifth-rounder), Jonathan Dwyer, RB, and Antonio Brown, WR.

The others? Eh, not so much. We have the feeling the Steelers over-reached on some "project-type players" to add depth and possible future contributions. This is a team, after all, that missed the playoffs last season, was wracked by off-season turmoil and faces continuing controversy for as long as Ben Roethlisberger is on the roster. They need immediate help and an infusion of young talent.

There's still time to trade Roethlisberger, by the way. Some team's starting QB will go down with an injury between now and the trading deadline in early October, which just about coincides with Roethlisberger becoming eligible to return from his suspension.

This draft, though: It's baffling.

Maurkice Pouncey: A Good Pick, and There's Still Plenty of Time to Trade Ben Roethisberger

We approve.

Not that anyone cares, but Maurkice Pouncey was the player Joey Porter's Pit Bulls would have selected with the Steelers' first pick of the 2010 draft (No. 18 overall).

Plenty of reasons to like him: He's agile, mobile and hostile. He's big enough to take on the huge nose tackles in the league these days, particularly in the AFC North. He's only 20 years old, so he has plenty of upside.

As young as he is, though, he notched 39 starts at guard and center at Florida. He started at center and made the line calls for Florida's national championship team -- against big-time SEC opposition in addition to the national championship game -- and received excellent coaching while playing for the Gators. Plus, he could possbly step in immediately for the Steelers at right guard and play there for a year or two until Justin Hartwig moves on. Position flexibilty, my friends.

All in all, a good choice. For all the reasons cited above, JPPB would have taken Pouncey over Mike Iupati, the beast of a guard from Idaho. If some other team had selected Pouncey before he got to No. 18, we would have been happy with Iupati, even if he is considered to have some rough edges in his game, along with the fact that played at a relatively smaller school (compared to Florida) in what is considered a lesser conference.

Iupati's a beast, and the Steelers could use more of his brand of ferocity. And, oh by the way, isn't it interesting that San Francisco traded to jump one spot immediately ahead of the Steelers, so the 49ers could take Iupati. We believe, however, that the Steelers would have taken Pouncey even if Iupati was still on the board.

The other option -- besides over-reaching [arguably, or not] for Tim Tebow or Golden Tate -- would have been to draft Boise State's Kyle Wilson, cornerback, who went to the Jets at No. 25 -- and what a trio of corners the Jets now have, with Darrelle Reavis, Warren Cromartie and Kyle Wilson.

That's beside the point. Joey Porter's Pit Bulls have no problem with taking Pouncey over Wilson at No. 18 -- you can't get everybody you want, and the Steelers were long-overdue for investing a No. 1 choice on the offensive line. After the Sean Mahan (ugh) and Justin Hartwig (ehh) stints, it's time we return to the decades-long tradition of having a great center, and, hopefully, Pouncey will be just that: Great.

As for addressing the cornerback position, which certainly needs to be reinforced, the Steelers either are counting on Keenan Lewis, William Gay and/or Joe Burnett to step up, or the management team has something else up it's sleeve.

Which brings us to the following point ...

Everybody assumes that because the Steelers did not trade Ben Roethisberger yesterday, the first day of the draft, that a trade will not happen at all.

Not necessarily.

Forget about getting a Top Ten pick in this year's draft -- it shouldn't have been a condition in the first place. The trade proposal outlined on this blog yesterday could still be executed today, the second day of the draft.

That proposal suggested trading Big Ben to Oakland in exchange for All-Pro corner Nnamdi Asomugah, the Raider's second-round pick (39th overall) this year, and one of Oakland's top three draft picks next year. Their 2011 number one choice would be ideal, of course. But if Oakland Al balks at surrendering next year's No. 1, then get him to agree on next year's No. 2 choice, plus the following year's No. 2 and/or No. 3 pick.

Those number two and three picks often prove invaluable. Example One: Look at how New England stockpiled no fewer than three No. 2 picks in this year's draft, as galling as it may be.

It's smart.

With Nnamdi Asomugah at one corner and Ike Taylor back to form (hopefully, with his head screwed on straight) at the other, suddenly the cornerback position is no longer the problem it was last year.

We won't have much of a quarterback, but it may be time to return to the running game, anyway.

For the Steelers, Asomugah is the linchpin in this deal. The draft picks coming back to Pittsburgh help to equalize/compensate for the fact that the Raiders would, finally, be acquiring a legitimate Franchise Quarterback.

Plus, with this proposed deal, the Steelers would gain the Raider's sweetly positioned No. 2 pick (No. 39 overall), with which they could pick up a fine player. Almost certainly not Golden Tate -- who will go before then -- but almost positively a player who should be more highly rated than the one the Steelers will select with their own No. 2 pick (No. 52 overall -- which, coincidentally, is where they picked Limas Sweed a couple years ago).

With that No. 52 overall pick, by the way, we would take Stanford running back Toby Gerhart, if he's on the board. He's fast, powerful and productive, and he's got a chip on his shoulder because he believes he is being racially profiled as a slow white running back. Well, for the Steelers, he would fill the gap we've had for a power back to change pace with Rashard Mendenhall and/or convert those third-and-two situations and fourth-and-ones. Move the chains; control the clock; rule time of possession. Once again.

So, the reality is this: A deal involving Roethisberger could still get done today or this evening. It could be a good deal, too, very good -- not a giveaway, not at all.

It probably won't happen, though -- makes too much sense.

Keep this in mind, too: Even if a Roethlisberger trade noes not happen during this weekend's draft, doesn't mean it won't happen before this year's trading deadline in early October.

A trade could still happen sometime between now and then -- which coincides, incidentally, with the approximate time when Ben should be coming off his suspension. Every year, at least one team's starting quarterback goes down with an injury in training camp, a preseason game or one of the first four regular-season games.

So-o-o-o ... we shall see.

Photo courtesy of Jim at FotoEverday.

Weighing In, Finally: Trade Ben for Nnamdi Asomugah and Draft Choices

One of the Cardinal Sins of authoring a blog is to let it go dormant. If the blog's author fails to post regularly -- nearly every day -- there's virtually no reason for anybody to read it.

GUILTY as charged, your honor. Joey Porter's Pit Bulls plead a massive mea culpa on that front, and not for lack of news regarding the Steelers, that's for sure.

In years past, in the weeks leading up to the draft, we were all over the pre-draft analysis, trade speculation, off-season moves, free-agent signings, off-field shenanigans, etcetera, ad nauseaum, ad infinitum.

Not this year. Been busy with other stuff, but the Steelers remain just as important to JPPB as ever.

Which brings us to ... well, all of the above.

THE story, of course, has been Ben Roethlisberger, and for all the wrong reasons. We've all heard all the arguments. Some people (apparently a distinct minority) say things like, "he hasn't been charged, he hasn't been arrested, nothing's been proven," blah, blah, blah.

Yeah, whatever. Those folks are entitled to their opinion. I've got mine.

Not to be moralistic or anything, but as the two-time Super Bowl Winning Quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Face of the Franchise and a major celebrity in his own right, Roethlisberger has got to realize he can do better than what he's been doing. As Terry Bradshaw said, he's got to realize he is held to a higher standard than other individuals, including most other players in the NFL.

As so many people have said, "Grow up." Instead of going to college bars and acting like an over-aged frat boy wearing a satan tee-shirt, show some class -- as if, say, oh, you had a $102 million dollar contract. Start acting like Daniel Craig as James Bond, put on some decent clothes, keep cool and act cool. Walk around with steely eyes and a steady demeanor. Go to some nicer places, for a change -- you can afford it.

Ben, just look at what the hell you've been doing? Look yourself in the mirror, man. Whaddaya see? Well, for one thing, when you wear a satanic tee-shirt, hmm, let's just quote a line from the action movie Four Brothers:

"When you keep knocking on the
devil's door, somebody's gonna answer!"

Clearly, Roethlisberger has been unable to resist putting himself in situations that can lead to trouble. The incident in Georgia lends credibility, warranted or not, to previously reported incidents and rumors. And who knows how many other unreported incidents are out there lurking, just waiting to emerge in the news or be exposed by TMZ or other sources, including, possibly the women themselves.

He's gone from "Big Ben" to "Pig Ben." People across the Internet blogs and message boards are calling him "Rapistberger" instead of "Roethlisberger." Formally charged or not, he's guilty in the court of public opinion.

He's brought shame and disgrace upon his poor parents, his entire family, his teammates, The Great City of Pittsburgh, the Rooneys and the Steelers team. My team. He's messing with my team, and I don't like it. He's messing with Steelers' Nation, and he's brought shame and disgrace upon all of us. They must be loving this in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Baltimore, Dallas, Oakland, New England and elsewhere across the NFL.

That's part of it. So many implications and questions are at play here. Moral questions, legal questions, lawsuit questions, image/PR-disaster questions and, finally, football questions. What happens going forward? Who knows?

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls agree with Post-Gazette columnist Gene Collier's assertion in last Sunday's newspaper is that the time is right for the Steelers to sever ties with Roethlisberger. One more incident will reduce his trade value to zero. Zero.

If Roethlisberger is not good enough to be the face of PLB Sports, the manufacturer of "Big Ben's Beef Jerky," (ugh) how is he good enough to represent The Steelers? ... a billion-dollar enterprise, the pride of our city, one of the most storied enterprises in the NFL and, oh by the way, my team.

My team. And everybody else's in Steeler Nation, including all those thousands of women with No. 7 jerseys. He's given all of us a black eye.

The Steelers cannot afford to wait. Right now, he is still tradeable. Al Davis, as crazy as he is, would take him. Davis embraces the bad-boy, renegade image, and Pig Ben would fit right in. The Oakland Raiders have been irrelevant for years, and Roethlisberger would put them back in the spotlight Davis craves so much.

Trade Roethlisberger for All-Pro cornerback Nnamdi Asomugah, this year's high-second pick, and next year's first-rounder. Or something.

Everybody -- even Al Davis -- knows Jamarcus Russell ain't gonna make it, Bruce Gradkowski just tore a pectoral muscle, and Oakland just signed Kyle Boller. Good luck with that. Bingo! Welcome to Oakland, Ben.

Besides, following the Sebastian Janikowski signing, Bay Area media reported that Davis was looking to move Nnamdi Asomugah because of his contract.

With Ben gone, the Steelers could easily absorb Nnamdi Asomugah's contract. Corner problem solved, at least on one side. Draft an offensive lineman (Maurkice Pouncey or Mike Iupati) at No. 18 -- offensive line shored up. Draft the best player available (Golden Tate? Kyle Wilson? Kareem Jackson?) with Oakland's high-second pick. Ditto our own second-round pick.

If possible, somewhere during the draft -- and if available -- try to pick up a power, short-yardage back (Toby Gerhardt from Stanford, for example) and, possibly, a quarterback such as Northwestern's Mike Kafka or Dan LeFevour, the QB from Central Michigan. It's a deep draft, and if there was ever a year to add depth and youth all across the roster, this is it.

Mark Bulger's out there (yeah, I know, he's done, so what). At this point, anything would be better than Ben, no matter the immediate consequences on-field.

It is getting near past the time to sever ties with Ben Roethlisberger. Get rid of him. Now.

Just in time for the draft.

The Price Just Went Up

Jeff Reed's spirits must be uplifted today.

No, not those spirits -- though, on second thought, yeah, probably, given his history and temperament -- but back to the point: The Steelers' placekicker, on the eve of free agency (which begins March 5), must be feeling pretty good about his prospects for landing a huge new contract.

Whether he signs with the Steelers, however, is more doubtful than ever.

That's because Wacky Al Davis, self-proclaimed "maverick," rebel, iconoclast, personnel decision-maker, owner and "managing general partner" of the Oakland Raiders, yesterday made Sebastian Janikowski the highest-paid kicker in NFL history.

Statistically, Janikowski is not as reliable as Reed, but he might be able to hang with Reed drink for drink, so he's got that.

Nevertheless, Davis awarded "Seabass" with a monster contract (for a kicker) worth $16 million over four years, with $9 million guaranteed. That figure happens to match the numbers Davis paid last year to punter Shane Lechler. So now, the Raiders have the NFL's highest-paid kicking tandem, and arguably the best.

Al Davis's insanity aside, Janikowski won his windfall by virtue of his ability to kick field goals. As reported by the San Francisco Chronicle:

"Janikowski hasn't made the Pro Bowl in 10 seasons with Oakland, but he had a strong argument for inclusion last year. His 90 percent accuracy rate was second best in the NFL, with just one miss under 57 yards. No one matched his 15-for-18 mark from 40 yards and beyond. And, his team-record 61-yard field goal in snowy Cleveland was the third-longest in NFL history."

Reed, however, and his agent, Don Henderson, certainly can argue he is every bit as deserving of a contract just as weighty as Janikowski's. And that's just what they'll do: Argue their case. Ed Bouchette does it for them in today's edition of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ...

"Reed has made 88.5 percent of his field-goal tries the past three years, 77 of 87. He was 27 of 31 this past season as well as in 2008 and kicked two field goals in Super Bowl XLIII. Janikowski, a former first-round draft choice known for his booming leg, has been good on 80.2 percent of his field-goal tries the past three seasons (73 of 91), including 26 of 29 in 2009. Reed also kicks in one of the toughest home stadiums and in perhaps the toughest division for kickers in the NFL."

Janikowski does have a leg up (ahem) on Reed in long field goals. Reed's longest kick last season was 46 yards. Janikowski nailed one from 61 yards, in the snow, in Cleveland.

Plus, and this is not to be discounted, Janikowski's kickoffs routinely go deeper than Reed's, whose short, low kickoffs no doubt contributed to the Steelers' woes in kickoff coverage last year. Janikowski ranked in the top two in kickoff touchbacks in the 2007 and 2008 seasons. He slid to ninth in that category last season, but that might be attributable to Oakland's desultory offense.

On a related note, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls have never understood why kickers are routinely dismissed by traditional writers, pundits and so-called experts. Looking for evidence regarding the value of kickers? Look no further than Dallas, San Diego, New York and Cincinnati. Their kickers all missed crucial field goals in the 2009 playoffs. As did the Colts' Matt Stover in the Super Bowl, for cryin' out loud.

Say what you will about Jeff Reed, he's been rock-steady in the post-season. Given their history, however, the Steelers are unlikely to be swayed by another team's signings.

As noted on this blog here and previously, we have feeling that Jeff Reed is unlikely to return to the Steelers. Now, with Janikowski's whopping new contract, Reed's return seems more unlikely than it did the day before yesterday.

Consider, for one thing, the rumblings out of Cincinnati that the Bengals are set to part ways with Shayne Graham.

Jeff Reed, a Cincinnati Bengal? A Jet? A Cowboy? None of it sounds right. Then again, stranger things have happened.

If Reed hasn't called Janikowski yet to offer effusive thanks, he should do so. Today. And, while he's at it, he may as well pick up the phone and thank Al Davis, as well.

Addendum:
Here is more evidence on the difference a kicker can make -- for better or worse; well, worse, anyway -- in the following excerpt from this article in Pro Football Weekly...

"In the wild-card round, Bengals PK Shayne Graham, the fourth-most accurate kicker in NFL history, missed field goals of 35 and 28 yards in the second half of Cincinnati's 24-14 loss to the Jets. The 35-yarder, which sailed left, could have cut the Jets' lead to 14-10 in the third quarter, and the 28-yarder bled to the right with Cincinnati trying to cut New York's lead to just a touchdown with less than four minutes left in the game.

"Graham had missed only five kicks in the regular season, two of which were blocked. But Graham's struggles, untimely and out-of-the-blue as they were, paled in comparison to Chargers PK Nate Kaeding's failures on all three field-goal attempts in San Diego's 17-14 loss to the Jets in the divisional-playoff round. Granted, one of Kaeding's misses was from 57 yards at the end of the first half; hard for anyone to get too upset over that miss. However, Kaeding's other misses — a 36-yarder that traveled left of the mark in the first quarter, and a 40-yard attempt that traveled far right of the mark with the Chargers trying to claw back to within seven points in the fourth quarter — were hard to figure, especially when Kaeding had missed only three of 35 field-goal attempts in the regular season.

"Then, in the AFC championship game, Jets PK Jay Feely, who made 30-of-36 FG attempts in the regular season and was 2-for-2 in New York's first two postseason wins, missed a pair of kicks in a 30-17 loss to Indianapolis. Feely missed a 44-yard FG attempt just to the right, and he was well wide right on a 52-yarder in the third quarter. After the latter miss, the Colts drove down and scored a touchdown to take the lead, which they never relinquished."

Jus' kickin' around some internal free agency speculation ...

Steelers beat writer Ed Bouchette writes in today's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that personnel punjab Kevin Colbert (pronounced Col-behr? ... oh, yeah, guess not, that's the other Kevin Colbert) plans to engage in contract discussions with just three of the team's notable five pending free agents.

Those three "priorities" are Casey Hampton, Jeff Reed and Ryan Clark, presumably in that order.

As for the others: "Any of the depth guys, we'll see where they stand and we'll see where we stand as we move into the free agency."

Well, we're betting Willie Parker and DeShea Townsend -- Parker, at least -- may bristle a bit to be dismissed as "depth guys."

Colbert seems to be saying, in effect, "We don't care if we re-sign Parker or Townsend."

With that in mind, expect Fast Willie to leave via free agency, and for Townsend to stay as backup-nickel-dime cornerback/safety and mentor to the younger guys in the secondary.

Regarding the three "priorities," as noted previously here, we expect the Steelers to apply a one-year "non-exclusive franchise tag" on Big Snack.

As for Jeff Reed, we expect the Steelers to make a more-than-decent offer ... which Reed will reject. Considering his legal troubles, which today are current and unresolved but not "major-major," we expect he wants a fresh start. Maybe. Maybe not.

Say, for argument's sake, then, that Reed rejects a reasonable offer from the Steelers -- what then? Should the Steelers exercise the franchise tag on Reed? Tough call -- but the team seems to be lining up backup options (Piotr Czech and/or Adam Graessle?) in case Reed does not return. Are these even options? Or just smoke? No clue.

Here's another thought: Are they they bringing Graessle in as quasi-legitimate competition for punter Daniel Sepulveda -- with Graessle's only advantage over Sepulveda being that he can also kick off. Oh, yeah, and also that Graessle would be a fair amount cheaper than Sepulveda. Hmmm ... are we reading too much into this? Yeah, probably, but still.

Ryan Clark? The Steelers have no truly viable replacement in line, Ryan Mundy notwithstanding. So-o-o-o ... the team will probably keep Clark, but what happens with Jeff Reed could well determine what happens with Ryan Clark. Is this an either/or proposition? It may or may not be, but ... eh, we have a funny feeling that it is.

It sez here that one or the other -- Reed or Clark -- will be on the Steelers' roster come July, but not both. Just a gut feeling.

Good Luck, Peezy

The Miami Dolphins have set the levers in motion to propel into free agency one Joseph Lorenzo Porter, former Steeler linebacker and part namesake/inspiration for this blog (along with his dogs, Tina and Nemo, who ate a horse).

We don’t expect to see you in a Steelers’ uniform again, Peezy, but we love ya for all you brought to the show during your eight years here in Pittsburgh. As crazy as Joey Porter was (is), many of his spontaneous-outburst rants made perfect sense. Remember the Super Bowl run in 2005-06, before the playoff game in Indianapolis and, again, before the Super Bowl? For better or worse, he routinely set the tone ... raucously, outrageously and honestly.

Oft-times, he just couldn't contain himself.

God Bless Joey Porter. The world is a more colorful place with him in it. And congratulations, by the way, for being named to the 2000s NFL All-Decade Team.

Laissez les bontemps roulez

Well, that was an easy team to root for. Good for them, the people of New Orleans, and Saints fans everywhere. Congratulations on a feel-good, well-deserved triumph.

After a fast start by the Colts, and a shaky one by the Saints, the game turned out to be pretty good. Damn good, in fact, at least if you wanted the Saints to win.

The halftime show was awful. Embarrassing. The Who -- great in their heyday, which was a long time ago -- not only sounded awful, they looked old and decrepit (Pete Townshend must've appeared downright scary in hi-def). Plus, one couldn't help but wonder if the Half-Who (Daltry, 65 years of age, and Townshend, 64) went to the event thinking it was a match between Leeds and Arsenal. From now on, American acts for American football, puh-leaze: Somebody more au courant, somebody more vibrant, somebody more relevant. Springsteen's show last year was great -- but wouldn't you think it was time for a Super Bowl act under the age of 60?

The Who once sang, "Hope I die before I get old." Too late.

Back to the game:

If it was a match of Payton vs. Peyton, Saints head coach Sean Payton bested Colts quarterback Peyton Manning. Peyton's dad, former Saints quarterback Archie Manning, must be very bitter this morning; but he's always bitter, so who cares.

Peyton Manning: Post-season fail. Again.

This game was pretty much a microcosm of Manning's career. Seven straight seasons now, of 12 wins or more. Yet a mere 9-9 record in the playoffs. And just one Super Bowl win. Still.

For all the gaudy stats, records and regular-season wins, Peyton Manning came up short in the post-season once more. He's in danger of that being his legacy. Seems like, as a control freak, everything needs to go just perfect for him, or he gets discombobulated, frayed, frazzled., unraveled. A little pressure, a bit of a pass rush, slightly sloppy conditions -- and gag! Interception. Can we have no more of that "greatest quarterback of all time" talk, for a while, please. For a while? Thank you.

Drew Brees, on the other hand, was storybook-remarkable. Precise and accurate, cool and composed. A cool breeze. He was the better quarterback this day. After the first quarter, Brees completed 29 of 32 passing attempts (one dropped by a receiver) for 261 yards. That's pretty good. Brees is a winner.

Considering how well Brees's career has played out over the past 10 years, Joey Porte r's Pit Bulls wonder what that cretin Michael Vick was thinking last night. No, who cares. What were the fans of the Atlanta Falcons thinking? Remember, it was the Falcons who were so eager in 2001 to draft Vick with the first overall pick (owned by the San Diego Chargers) that they traded two significant draft picks to San Diego. The Chargers then used those picks to draft LaDanian Tomlinson (first round, fifth overall, and arguably the best running back in the NFL for most of 2000-09) and ... you guessed it, Drew Brees (second round, believe it or not, 32nd overall). For the record, the Steelers that year drafted nose tackle Casey Hampton in the first round (19th overall), and the Saints drafted running back Deuce McCallister (23rd overall).

Drew Brees: Class act and Super Bowl Champion.
Michael Vick: scumbaggio.

Karma's a bitch. Or a Saint.

Anyway, after a long, inglorious and downright ignominious history, the New Orleans Saints are Ain'ts no more. It's All Saints Day.

Saints alive, and bless us one and all.

Laissez les bontemps roulez. Let the good times roll.

More Links:

Dallas Morning News: The Who? Why?

Rick Ellis: Review: The Who Live at the The Super Bowl Halftime Show

The New York Times: The Who, and the Super Bowl's Evolving Halftime Show

San Francisco Chronicle: The Five Worst Super Bowl Halftime Shows Ever

Cracked.com: The 10 Worst Super Bowl Halftime Shows

Wikipedia: List of Super Bowl Halftime Shows

Vic Carrucci: Super Bowl Reveals the Uncomfortable Truth About the Colts

A team of destiny? ... This column, by Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News, was certainly prescient when it was published Saturday and, in retrospect, was spot-on.

Deadspin: Peyton Manning: Yep, Still a Choker

Joe Posnanski, SI.com: Another Disappointment for Peyton Manning

Jason Whitlock, Kansas City Star: Saints Trash Peyton Manning's Legacy

Addendum:

The selection of Super Bowl halftime acts, according to The New York Times, is determined by the N.F.L. and specifically by ...

"Charles Coplin, the league’s vice president for programming. The league used to outsource the production of the halftime show. That stopped after Janet Jackson’s infamous ”wardrobe malfunction” in 2004. The Who, Coplin said, was chosen because its music is familiar to many viewers (think the intro to the CSI television series) and plays well in big stadiums. He said the recent spate of older bands was no guarantee another one would be chosen for next year’s Super Bowl, which will be in Arlington, Tex."

God help us. I'll bet Charles Coplin, whoever he is, is a real fun guy and his iPod is a real hep place.

The Last Word:

Here's an excerpt from Rick Ellis's review (linked to above):

"Roger Daltry and Pete Townsend (ie. The Who) were the half-time performers at this year's Super Bowl and the entire segment was dreadful and often horrifying to watch. Even though the vocals were apparently pre-recorded, the singing was often off-key. The harmonies were non-existent and both Daltry and Townsend lumbered across the stage with all the grace of a couple of retirees searching for their walkers."

Animal Rescue League Dog of the Day

Champ!

Champ's a winner! This is one comical dog. All gangly long legs, he's funny, sweet and gentle -- which may surprise visitors to the shelter who may be cowed a little by his size (he's big and tall). Approaching two years of age Champ, sits nicely for treats -- and he needs a home.

Champ has lived with kids and gets along well with them. Champ also seems to like other dogs and is friendly around them. Champ's a great dog.

*** *** ***

You can visit Champ in person/dog at

The Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania,
located at Fifth and Hamilton in EastSide/Shadyside/East Liberty -- whatever the realtors are calling my neighborhood in Pittsburgh these days.

The shelter is near Mellon Park, Trader Joe's and the Nabisco plant
(now being developed as Bakery Square).
= = = =
Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania
6620 Hamilton Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15206
= = = =

Tel: 412-661-6452

"Everybody should have a dog."
-- Frank Dunn

Many Rivers to Cross

"Help life where you find it."
-- Albert Schweitzer

Here in Pittsburgh, where it is currently eight degrees (eight!) Fahrenheit, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls sometimes find ourselves feeling far removed from world events and the compelling stories of others -- those poor people in Haiti, for instance. Well, although there may be Many Rivers to Cross, as Jimmy Cliff sang, maybe we're closer to one another than we may think sometimes. The least we can do is try to send out some good vibes and cultivate some good karma. Ain't no hoo-doo like some good ol' voudou. So, here goes ...

With longtime close ties to Pittsburgh, Hôpital Albert Schweitzer Haiti (HAS) is doing its best to help victims of the Jan. 12 earthquake. Established 55 years ago and now run by Ian Rawson, M.D., managing director and a former Pittsburgher, HAS is one of the few established institutions in Haiti positioned to provide care for the injured.

Although the people at HAS have done truly heroic work since the January 12 earthquake, the hospital is now strained beyond imagination. The hospital -- and Haiti in general, of course -- needs help.

You can read Dr. Rawson's updates here at his near-daily "Earthquake Blog."

More Links:

• Pittsburgh-based Friends of Hôpital Albert Schweitzer Haiti is striving mightily to help. Check it out at www.friendsofhas.org and via blog at www.friends of hasprojects.blogspot.com.

• Doctors Without Borders provides frequent updates.

• The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Dennis Roddy traveled to Port-au-Prince (and is there now, apparently) and has been filing gripping, detailed reports such as this one. Mr. Roddy began his excellent coverage the day after the quake, when he caught up with Pittsburgh internist Steve Williams, M.D., a longtime doctor at HAS, who equated the quake aftermath as "Armageddon."
  

• KDKA-TV's Mary Robb Jackson filed this report on Dr. Rawson and his team just a couple of days following the quake.

• Twenty-something sisters and Pittsburgh natives Jamie and Allie McMurtry dedicated their lives to helping the kids at Brebis de Saint-Michel de L'Attalaye (BRESMA) orphanage in Port-au-Prince. This article in Pittsburgh magazine a year ago highlighted the McMurtrie sisters' work in Port-au-Prince. Since the earthquake, the McMurty sisters' story has been chronicled on television and in other mainstream media, but perhaps nowhere as passionately as at the popular blog, That's Church, by Virginia Montanez, formerly known as PittGirl.
  

• My Road to Deschapelles, the autobiographical book by Gwen Grant Mellon, co-founder (with husband Larry) of Hôpital Albert Schweitzer Haiti, and the mother of Dr. Rawson, HAS's managing director.

• As detailed in Gwen Grant Mellon's book and in other places, Hôpital Albert Schweitzer has a fascinating history. For a snapshot version of how the hospital came to be founded, read this brief account posted on Dec. 28, a full two weeks before the earthquake, by documentary filmmaker Diana Odasso.

"Larry Mellon pursued a seemingly hare-brained dream: to restore human dignity to a small sliver of the underdeveloped world. True, he was a Mellon and had the financial wherewithal most do not. But imagine also the obstacles: Haiti's turbulent political history, its lack of infrastructure such as an electric grid and proper roads, the dire poverty, the corruption, the violence. How many of us would uproot and move to an area not with the best view but with the most need? When confronted by such grand acts of sacrifice, maybe we assume we are cut from a different cloth, that we are incapable of such heroics. But Larry once said 'People tell me what I am doing is noble but I really know it is selfish. I have found happiness in helping people no one else is helping. It was worth everything I had to get to this. I have sacrificed nothing.'"

One more link:

Because the communications infrastructure in Haiti is so strained right now, the best way to contact Hôpital Albert Schweitzer may be through its Pittsburgh contact-point at:

Hôpital Albert Schweitzer
P. O. Box 81046
Pittsburgh, PA 15217 USA

Phone: 412-361-5200 phone
Fax: 412.361.5400 fax

info@hashaiti.org

Contact HAS's Pittsburgh contacts to learn about development, finance, purchasing, freight forwarding, and travel to and from Haiti.

A Tale of Two Pierres (les deux Pierres)

Congratulations to the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts. Especially the Saints, who are Aints no more.

Just about everybody's going to be rooting for the Saints, and why not? Great city, long-suffering fans, storybook turnaround in the four-plus years since Katrina, uptempo offense, generally classy players led by quarterback Drew Brees and safety Darren Sharper, and a first-rate head coach.

The Colts, too, have a great quarterback (Peyton Manning) and a likable, classy head coach (Jim Caldwell). There's much to like about both teams, really, Archie Manning notwithstanding. The senior Manning, a bit of a tool, represents one common link between the two teams, and he will be a media storyline the next two weeks. Archie Manning was a legendary quarterback for the Saints way back when they carved out a near-unrivaled reputation for ineptitude and woefulness. He was so good -- on famously bad teams -- that he was the first Saints player to be named to the franchise's hall of fame. He went on, of course, to father two current-day NFL quarterbacks: the New York Giants' Eli Manning, who won a Super Bowl two years ago; and -- do we even need to say it? -- Peyton Manning, the future NFL Hall of Famer who won a Super Bowl three years ago and is back with Indianapolis for another crack at the Lombardi Trophy.

Archie Manning isn't the only common link between these two teams. This is the first Super Bowl where each team has a player named Pierre, and both play prominent roles at skill positions on offense for their respective teams.

For the Saints, it's Pierre Thomas, their terrific all-around go-to running back. Thomas was instrumental in yesterday's thrilling win over the formidable Minnesota Vikings. He scored two clutch touchdowns, had a key 40-yard kickoff return late in regulation and churned out tough yardage all day, including the crucial fourth-and-one conversion that kept alive the winning drive in overtime. "Mazel-tov!", as the late, great Steelers' broadcaster Myron Cope would say.

For the Colts, it's Pierre Garçon, who may have the most compelling story of anybody on these two teams -- which really is saying something.

Garçon, a speedy, playmaking second-year wide receiver, is the son of parents who immigrated from Haiti to the United States years ago.

Garçon grew up in Miami before attending Mt. Union College, a tiny but accomplished Division III powerhouse. To say he was a longshot even to make a team in the NFL is an understatement. Yet on Sunday, there he was, a starting wide receiver in the AFC Championship game and a primary target for the legendary Peyton Manning.

Garçon caught a game-high 11 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown, setting an AFC title game record for receptions and posting the third highest yardage total in the long, storied history of the Indianapolis/Baltimore Colts franchise.

All of this, of course, played against the backdrop of the unfolding tragedy in Haiti, a catastrophe of Biblical proportions. Not surprisingly, Garçon and his family have relatives in Haiti, and Garçon had to watch the situation since the earthquake even as he prepared for the title game. He vowed to play for the people of Haiti, and he promised to have a big game, a statement game, and he did.

Good for him.

"For Garçon, the opportunity to bring attention to Haiti was as important as a trip to Super Bowl XLIV: "What is going on over there is very tough," Garçon said. "Nobody should go through that, especially people that are less fortunate already. It is just bringing awareness and (giving) people support, and everyone has been showing their hands and helping us out."

-- Source/quote credit: Tom Silverstein, report in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

As pointed out by Toni Monkovic at the New York Times's blog, The Fifth Down, columnist Hal Habib at the Palm Beach Post summed up Garçon's situation nicely:

Although born in New York, he's a Haitian-American, with relatives on the island still unaccounted for. When you're in a situation like that, he says, you don't wake up and immediately turn on CNN. You sleep with it on.

"It's been a tough week," he said after the game, his smile disappearing for the first time. "It's been sad, just going through it, playing through them, playing so people could have more awareness about what's going on down there where I'm from. This hopefully puts a smile on their face for the day."

Electricity, of course, is at a premium in Haiti, but Garcon, 23, did his best to send the message there by draping the flag around the Lamar Hunt Trophy awarded to the AFC winner, then bringing it to his post-game news conference, as he did after the Colts' first playoff game. In a way, he had to bring the flag, because, he figures, he brought the people of Haiti with him on the field.

"It's what's motivating me now and keeping me strong," he said.

--- --- ---

Garçon is an easy guy to root for, hanging preposition notwithstanding. The New Orleans Saints are an easy team to root for.

Should be a good Super Bowl.

Animal Rescue Lague Dog of the Day

Coda!

What a nice dog. Coda's cool, with a lotta soul. He's a year or so past puppyhood, so he's mellow. He's also very friendly, smart, low-key, and extremely appreciative of a reassuring pat on the head or a soothing rub of his upturned belly, with all four legs up in the air. Coda walks beautifully on the leash -- he's very easy on the leach -- and he's well mannered to the point of being downright poilte.

Seriously, Coda's a nice dog. Really nice. Not too adventuresome, Coda seems to be a homebody. And Coda needs a home.

You can visit Coda in person/dog at
The Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania,
located at Fifth and Hamilton in EastSide/Shadyside/East Liberty whatever the realtors are calling my neighborhood in Pittsburgh these days.

The shelter is near Mellon Park, Trader Joe's and the Nabisco plant
(now being developed as Bakery Square).
= = = =
Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania
6620 Hamilton Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15206
= = = =

Tel: 412-661-6452

"Everybody should have a dog."
-- Frank Dunn

Picking Up Where We Left Off ...

Yeah, yeah, we know: The Steelers went on a five-game losing streak and so did Joey Porter's Pit Bulls. We got disgusted and quit posting for a while. So what? Maybe the losses to the Chiefs, Raiders and BROWNS (??!!!) did it. Anyway, here are we are. Once again. Happy New Year.

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls just finished reading Ed Bouchette's article (in Sunday's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) on nose tackle Casey Hampton's status. Frankly, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls believe Hampton, also known as "Big Snack," didn't have that great a season in 2009, and that he made the Pro Bowl primarily on reputation. Also, we remain concerned about Hampton's longevity -- how many years does he have left? He might be one of those guys (like James Farrior) who gets old in a hurry, or he could hang in there for another five or six years. It's hard to say, especially for nose tackles.

Having said that, and considering the looming expiration of the league's Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and a potentially uncapped year, the Steelers' best option might be to apply a one-year "non-exclusive franchise tag" on Hampton. As Bouchette explains, it would work like this (with emphasis added by yours truly) ...

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"Hampton has said he wants to stay with the Steelers and privately has told people that someone promised him the team would not put the franchise tag on him.

"The cost to put the one-year franchise or transition tenders on a player have not yet been revealed by the league or the players union. Last season a one-year salary required to pay a franchised defensive tackle was slightly more than $6 million, about $5.5 million for the transition tag.

"Each team will have both a franchise and transition tag if the collective bargaining agreement is not extended by March 5. That might not be a bad way for the Steelers to go with Hampton, who counted $6,652,000 against their salary cap last season. He would roughly count the same if franchised in 2010.

"If they put the "exclusive" franchise tag on Hampton, he cannot negotiate with other teams. The "non-exclusive" tag would allow him to negotiate and if he signs and the Steelers do not match, they would receive two first-round draft choices in return. The transition tag only allows the Steelers the right to match another contract and keep the player.

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

If that's the case, everybody should be happy with the non-exclusive tag. The Steelers assign a salary and cap number they believe they can afford, yet Hampton could explore other options and, if he signs elsewhere, the Steelers would receive two first-round draft picks. That, of course, would be a hefty (and probably prohibitive) price for just about any team to lay out for a 32-year-old nose tackle with a history of dodgy knees, but still ... by exercising the non-exclusive franchise tag, the Steelers would almost certainly get Hampton's services for one more year, yet also have the insurance of receiving two first-round picks if he signs elsewhere. It seems like the safest of all options and the happiest resolution for all parties.

Plus, the team has so many other holes to fill (offensive line, cornerback, etc.), this option seems like a no-brainer, even if Hampton may not like it (and, really, for him, what's not to like about getting paid more than $6 million for one year of playing football for a team with a chance to compete for the Super Bowl, in the city that's been his home for the past nine years and with arguably the best fans in professional football).

As for the other potential free agents that Bouchette plans to cover this week, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls expect all of them will be set free to explore free agency. Those players are Ryan Clark, Willie Parker, Deshea Townsend, Willie Colon and, yes, Jeff Reed.

We suspect that all things being equal, the team would like to keep Willie Colon, but we also suspect that his agent may encourage him to go for the big payday, considering his relatively young age, the premium on offensive tackles in the NFL, and the fact that this window represents perhaps his one big opportunity to grab the gold ring -- so Colon may be out of the Steelers' control in any case.

As for Jeff Reed, eh, tough call. It's been fun -- destroying towel dispensers at a Sheetz convenience store!; spiky goofy hair!!; ridiculous pictures on the Internet!!! drunken arrest for assuming a "fighting stance" with cops outside McFadden's Pub!!!! -- and reliable kickers are invaluable. Just ask the Arizona Cardinals and Cincinnati Bengals, whose kickers (Neil Rackers and Shayne Graham, respectively) missed crucial and potentially game-winning field goals in the playoffs. Reed, of course, missed two crucial field goals during the regular-season loss to Chicago, missed another potential difference-maker against Cinci, and of course has been featured in various police reports while carving out a hard-earned Internet reputation as a lovable, partying goofball during the past few years. His kickoffs are nothing special, either, and likely contributed to the many long kickoff returns last year.

The Steelers may have tired of Reed's act and almost certainly are weighing their options, especially in light of the off-field issues, erratic kickoffs and Reed's potential salary with its concurrent hit on the salary cap, at least in 2010.

Well, just sayin' ... don't be surprised if we're all saying hello to Piotr Czech as the Steelers' new placekicker next September.

Thanksgiving With Joey Porter's Pit Bulls

It's been just more than three years since we launched Joey Porter's Pit Bulls. During those three-plus years, we've had many wins and too-many losses, a ton of belly-laughs, a Super Bowl Championship with the Steelers, a Stanley Cup Championship with the Penguins and three more seasons of futility with the Pirates. We flirted briefly with a new identity ("Steel Triangle"), but it didn't feel right, so we slobber on as Joey Porter's Pit Bulls.

We have much to be thankful for, hanging preposition notwithstanding. Happy Thanksgiving to one and y'all (or "yinz 'n 'at", as they say in certain parts of Pittsburgh).

In the spirit of the holiday, we revisit and refer you to "Big Daddy Drew's Thanksgiving Itinerary" the classic write-up first posted two years ago on Kissing Suzy Kolber and, for that matter, linked to on Joey Porter's Pit Bulls way back when.

It's juvenile but so much better than anything we could write. Enjoy.

Animal Rescue League Dog of the Day

Iris!

Iris is swee-eeet.

According to one of the ARL staffers who's gotten to know her recently, “Iris may not be the cutest, but I wanted to mention that she is very easy to walk, no pulling whatsoever. “

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls may take issue with the first clause in the quoted sentence. Iris may not be the “cutest”... but we'd say she's in the conversation.

Iris needs a home.

You can visit Iris in person/dog at
The Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania,
located at Fifth and Hamilton in EastSide/EastLibertySide/Shadyside/Point Breeze
... or whatever the realtors are calling my neighborhood these days.

It's near Trader Joe's and the Nabisco plant
(now being developed as Bakery Square).
= = = =
Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania
6620 Hamilton Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15206
= = = =

Tel: 412-661-6452

"Everybody should have a dog."
-- Frank Dunn

The Absence of Presence

So-o-o-o ... okey-dokey, the Steelers made roster moves today ostensibly to bolster the woeful kick coverage units. We'll see if former Ravens cornerback Corey Ivy (pictured above) and former Titans' linebacker Rocky Boiman represent an appreciable upgrade over the now-released and unlamented Keiwan Ratliff and Donovan Woods. No youngsters, these two new Steelers: Ivy is 32 years old; Boiman is 29. May they make their presence known. Heaven knows, the absence of presence on special teams has cost the Steelers at least two games.

If we remember correctly, Mr. Ivy got blocked into next week, month, year, during last January's AFC Championship Game vs. the Ravens at Heinz Field. Limas Sweed did the honors, if memory serves.

Whatever.

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls were so dispirited by the consecutive losses to Kansas City and Cincinnati that we skipped our usual Monday post. The injuries are taking their toll, definitely, but coach Mike Tomlin won't use injuries as an excuse. Still, losing key players like Troy Polamulu, Aaron Smith, Travis Kirschke, and now Charlie Batch and Chris Keomatu, has got to take a toll, eventually.

We're not convinced that Ben Roethlisberger should play on Sunday in Baltimore, but if the doctors say he's good to go, he'll play.

Baltimore has had injury issues (linebacker Terrell Suggs, plus starting cornerback Fabian Washington and 10 other players on injured reserve), too, this season, not that we're shedding any tears for the thug Ravens.

That damn game in Kansas City added insult to injury, not that we want to re-hash all of that. Still: The opening kickoff returned for a touchdown. The missed opportunities. Dropped passes. Stupid, careless penalties. The inability to close the game late in the fourth quarter and in overtime. These have been recurring problems all season long.

The loss to Kansas City is especially galling because the other three teams in the AFC North lost, too, including the Bengals to Oakland, of all teams. This weekend presented a golden opportunity to make up ground in the playoff chase. Instead, other teams made up ground against us, including Jacksonville, Miami and Tennessee.

Objects in rear-view may be closer than they appear.

Animal Rescue League Dog of the Day

Champ!

Champ is playful and fun, gentle and nice.

He listens well, he's easy on the leash, and he's good with people.

Champ needs a home.

You can visit Champ in person (dog) at
The Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania,
located at Fifth and Hamilton in East LibertySide/Shadyside
... or whatever the realtors are calling my neighborhood these days.

It's near Trader Joe's and the Nabisco plant
(now being developed as Bakery Square).
= = = =
Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania
6620 Hamilton Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15206
= = = =

Tel: 412-661-6452