Super Bowl XLIII Musings: Reasons for Optimism

Last week, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls flagged some of the many reasons the Cardinals represent a formidable foe for the Steelers on Sunday, Feb. 1. Yes, the Steelers will have their hands full vs. the Cardinals, but there certainly is reason for Steelers' fans to be optimistic ... not least of which is that "Kurt Warner's No. 22!" (ranked No. 22 in career fumbles among NFL quarterbacks).

In no special order ...

• The Steelers will have the edge in time of possession. The Cardinals will have limited success running the ball. They'll barely try, frankly. Or, to be more precise, they'll try to run the ball in the first quarter, just for appearance's sake, but they will lose patience, quickly, and abandon the run, early. In lieu of establishing the run, they will resort to quick-out patterns, bubble screens, and short-to-intermediate crossing patterns -- which the Steelers will disrupt. Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau anticipates all this and will have his defense ready.

• For what it's worth, Arizona posted the worst running numbers in the NFL this season -- just 73.6 yards per game. The Steelers defense was second in the league against the run.
  

• The Steelers will have the edge in turnovers. Not that the Cardinals have a bad defense. They have a good defense. The Steelers have a great defense.

• Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner will make mistakes. Granted Warner is a great player (in the discussion for the Hall of Fame), seems like a terrific guy and has a wonderful rags-to-riches story. On the plus side, he is poised, recognizes coverages, has a lightning-quick release and an arm that is plenty strong enough. Plus, he has tremedous receivers in Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston (whom nobody seems to be talking about this week but is the guy who worries me as much as anybody [well, except for Fitzgerald, the best in the NFL]). Warner is a steadying influence, having started two Super Bowls (beating the Titans and losing to the Cheatriots) and being named Super Bowl MVP in the January 2000 SuperBowl. He's like a coach on the field and, in fact, is older than Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.
  

• One the negative side for Warner ... For all his positives, Warner relies on timing -- everything has to be just perfect, including and maybe especially, his offensive line. Here's where the Cardinals have serious matchup problems with the Steelers defense. Left tackle Mike Gandy and the running back du jour (Tim Hightower, Edgerrin James or J.J. Arrington, depending who is held in the backfield to help with pass-blocking) are having nightmares this week, as they contemplate trying to block NFL Defensive Player of the Year James "Silverback" Harrison. On the other side, right tackle Levi Brown surrendered 11 sacks (11!!!) this season. Surely, he'll get help from the tight end, but the Cardinals look to be over-matched on that side by defensive end Aaron Smith and linebacker Lamarr Woodley. Somebody's going to put pressure on Warner, whether it be Harrison, right defensive end Brett Keisel, Smith, Woodley, or inside linebackers James Farrior, Larry Foote and Lawrence Timmons.
  

• Sacks, pressures, hurries are one thing. Fumbling the ball is another. Kurt Warner has a history of fumbling the football: With 85 career fumbles, he ranks Number 22 all-time among quarterbacks -- and this is a guy who started his NFL career late (at age 28) and spent much of the past four seasons in a backup-relief role. Again, he's fine when everything goes well. There's a reason, however, that he started this season as the backup to Hollywood Golden Boy Matt Leinart (Warner was run out of St. Louis and seemed to be washed up following his ill-fated stint with the New York Giants). As poised as he usually looks, he can be rattled and can lose his cool. And he has that history of fumbling -- a tendency that may be aggravated by the NFL League Office. Huh?, you ask? The NFL League Office generates revenue (makes money) by selling Super Bowl game-used footballs. During the game, especially in the first half, the officials will introduce a shiny new football into the game nearly every play. Brand-new footballs have a sheen to them. They're slippery. And, hmmm, if it rains ... Anyway, we expect Warner, who will be operating mainly in the shotgun formation, to cough up two fumbles. Big Ben will do just fine, thank you. He's that kind of guy.
  

• Speaking of the aforementioned Levi Brown, he's only just finished in his second year in the league, and he does have a strong pedigree: As the very first player drafted by head coach Ken Whisenhunt, Brown was drafted fifth overall in the 2007 NFL draft, from Penn State, where he played left tackle. The Cardinals new braintrust (Whisenhunt and offensive line guru Russ Grimm, also from the Steelers' staff), drafted Brown as the centerpiece of their plan to establish a strong offensive wall. They moved Brown to right tackle to protect the left-handed wunderkind Matt Leinart's blind side. Well, since then of course, Leinart lost his job to Warner. The 328-pound Brown is a fine young prospect. Still ... 11 sacks allowed this season ... yikes ...and going up against Aaron Smith and Lamarr Woodley. Double yikes. It could be a long day for Messrs. Brown and Warner.

• The Cardinals will be overly amped and prone to miscues. The Cardinals have five players who have appeared in a Super Bowl. The Steelers have 20. And the Steelers will have Dick LeBeau. Mike Tomlin. Big Ben. Fast Willie. Santonio. Hines Ward. Troy. Big Snack. Ryan Clark. A stadium full of fans. And the Terrible Towel.
  

The Terrible Towel is Out of This World

But then you knew that already. Click here to view a NASA astronaut's video of the Terrible Towel in space. Myron would be proud. "Yoi and double-yoi!!"

As Myron himself wrote,

"The Terrible Towel is not an instrument of witchcraft.
It is not a hex upon the enemy.

The Towel is a positive force that lifts the Steelers to magnificent heights
and poses mysterious difficulties for the Steelers' opponents only if need be.

Many have told me that the Terrible Towel brought them good fortune,
but I can't guarantee that sort of thing because the Steelers, after all,
are the Towel's primary concern.

Still, at the least ... if it causes good things to happen to you, so much the better."

Miles to Go Before We Sleep

We have miles to go
before we sleep."

-- Mike Tomlin, Steelers' head coach -- quoting poet Robert Frost --to his players Sunday night following his team's win over Baltimore.

Yup. True dat, and there's plenty to keep Coach Tomlin and Steeler Nation awake at night. Bloviating blowhard Skip Bayless, on ESPN 2, called the Arizona Cardinals the worst team ever to make the Super Bowl. Wrong! At this point, the Cardinals may be the best team the Steelers have played this season -- and the Black 'n Gold had the NFL's most brutal schedule.

Nope, it doesn't get any easier. And it all starts with quarterback Kurt Warner. Warner, who is nine months older than Coach Tomlin, won a Super Bowl nine years ago with the St. Louis Rams and two years later appeared in another, which he and the Rams lost to the New England Cheatriots. While both he and Ben Roethliesberger are pursiuing their second Super Bowl triumph, respectively, Warner has a decided edge in experience, a markedly quicker release and wa-a-a-y better receivers, especially if Hines Ward's sprained right knee limits his effectiveness to any great degree.

Speaking of the Cardinals' receivers, three (Larry Fitzgerald, Anquin Boldin and Steve Breaston) tallied 1,000 yards each this past season. Each is dangerous in different ways.

Larry Fitzgerald is simply the best in the game; and that's no surprise, based on what we saw him accomplish at Pitt, except he's gotten exponentially better. Do ya think, if he'd been in the unfortunate Limas Sweed's position Sunday night, that he would have dropped that pass? Nope, didn't think so (Sweed's first error on that play was "misunderestimating" the flight of the ball and, thus, slowing down on the route [Larry Fitz routinely adjusts to the ball in the air] secondly, Sweed took his eyes of the ball [Fitz has laser-like concentration, screens defensive backs and adjusts accordingly]; third, and worst of all, Sweed dropped the ball [Fitzgerald has the best hands in the game, by far]). Fitzgerald runs any and all routes to perfection, catches everything thrown in his direction and is plenty fast enough, strong enough and elusive enough to tack on major yardage after the catch. The only "rap" against him coming out of college was that he didn't have the greatest straight-line breakaway sprinter's speed -- but ask the Eagles, Panthers and Falcons if he's too slow. Fitzgerald is kinda like a young John Stallworth.

On the other side is longtime Pro Bowl receiver Anquin Boldin, one of the most accomplished and productive receivers in the game, mostly because he's ferociously tenacious, pugnacious and competitive. Boldin battles every play, and defensive backs around the NFL routinely describe going up against him as, well, exhausting. He's kinda like a healthy Hines Ward.

Steve Breaston, the second-year wideout from the University of Michigan and, previously, Pittsburgh's Woodland Hills High School (state champion under Breaston's leadership at quarterback), has the flat-out, deep-route, straightaway speed that Fitzgerald and Boldin may lack, not that they need it. Having amassed more than 1,000 yards this season, he's already matured into a bonafide NFL receiver, and he is a lethal kickoff and punt returner. Breaston is kinda like a more accomplished, more polished Devin Hester, with better hands.

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls have heard some people suggest the Steelers will assign cornerback Ike Taylor to shadow Fitzgerald, but we don't see that happening. If anything, Bryant McFadden might match up better against Fitzgerald but, again, we don't anticipate seeing much one-on-one coverage. Expect the Steelers' defense to mix coverages and try to clog the middle of the field to take away crossing routes and mitigate Warner's short drops and quick release. Linebacker Lawrence Timmons may well play a major role in this capacity.

We also anticipate that Arizona head coach Ken Whisenhunt will open the game by trying to establish the run. We know from his time as the Steelers' offensive coordinator that Coach Wiz routinely gave certain looks to set up subsequent plays: He would show a fake reverse, for example, early in a game before springing a real reverse later. Against the Eagles, he used the run, early on, to set up the spectacular flea-flicker that produced Fitzgerald's blockbuster touchdown. We foresee him trying to establish the run to set up the pass.

Speaking of the running game, the Cardinals have the venerable Edgerrin James (nearing the end of what is arguably a Hall of Fame career but sill looking good) and productive rookie Tim Hightower, who runs as tough inside as he runs fast outside, with equal productivity. These guys are trouble, as are their tight ends.

On defense, Arizona has given up a lot of yards, but their defensive-line guys penetrate up front, their linebackers roam sideline-to-sideline to stuff the run, and safety Adrian Wilson is certainly in the conversation as one of the three best safeties in the NFL. This group is tougher than most people give it credit for. If Hines Ward is markedly less than 100 percent and serves primarily as a decoy, expect the Cardinals to double-team Santonio Holmes, bring Adrian Wilson up to clog the running game (and cover tight end Heath Miller) and dare the Steelers to beat them with Nate Washington and, gulp, Limas Sweed.

Coaching? We know all about head coach Ken Whisenhunt, offensive coordinator Russ Grimm and special teams coach Kevin Spencer, all of whom coached on Bill Cowher's staff that won the Super Bowl just three years ago. One might think they know something about the Steelers but, as Coach Tomlin said this week, the Baltimore Ravens' coaching staff probably knows at least as much about the Black 'n Gold.

We figured the Steelers would be favored in this game, if only because of the heritage and how Steeler Nation would play in Vegas. We figured the Steelers as a two-and-a-half point favorite. Today's line in Vegas? The Steelers are favored by seven (?!). That seems high.

One advantage for Pittsburgh: 20 Steeler players have Super Bowl experience, vs. only five for the Cardinals. By gametime, the Cards may be so over-amped that they will be prone to mistakes. Not saying it will happen, but it might.

In any case, the Cardinals are not to be taken lightly. Big Ben had better be at his improvisitional best, and the Steelers had better run the ball effectively to maintain time of possession and thus keep Arizona's offense off the field. This will be the key to the game.

With miles to go before we sleep, there's plenty to keep us awake at night.

Editor's note: Sorry for the long hiatus. Issues with Blogger and other things. JPPB will try to post more regularly.

Merry Christmas!

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

Which Left? Leftwich!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

All Souls Day

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

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

George Carlin.

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

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

Paul Newman.

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

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

Steelers vs. Giants

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Links Worth Checking Out

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

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

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

From NFL.com:

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

Hi-yo Silver(back)!

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

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

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

Huh? You're not??

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

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

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

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

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

Oh, yeah, this should go well for you.

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

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

A Pilgrimage to Mecca, Pirate Style

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

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

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

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

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

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

Talk about living in the past. Sheesh.

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

And the greatest baseball game ever played. Indeedy.

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

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A Painful Memory for the Yanks

by Mike Vaccarro, New York Post

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

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

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

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

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

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

In 1960, a Series to Remember (or Forget)

By Sean D. Hammill, The New York Times

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*** *** ***

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

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

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

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

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

My favorite exchange from the debate:

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

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

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

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

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

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

And God help us all.

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

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

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

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

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

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

*** *** ***

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

It's All Doom and Gloom

No, not really.

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

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

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

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

Then it gets even tougher.

Moving forward.

Violence Is Our Game

They'd better be. Violent, that is.

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

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

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

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

Looking forward ...

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

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

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

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

Speaking of weird ...

Could Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis get any weirder?

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

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

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

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

Allrighty then ...

That was weird.

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

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

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

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

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

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

R.I.P. Paul Newman

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

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

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

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

– Paul Newman, “The Verdict”

Rest in peace, all.

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

Excellent Link: Sunset Gun

Favorites, in no particular order:

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

Lots to talk about ...

Not much to say.

Rashard Mendenhall had better be ready.

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

Limas Sweed? Where are you?

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

I'm tired. Life.

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

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

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

What the hell was Arians thinking???

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It's almost too depressing to write about.

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

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

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

*** *** ***

In-game reportage ...

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

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

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

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

How 'bout this ...

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

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

Fuck 'em.

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

Go boo Santa Claus. Assholes.

Have You Ever Been to Philadelphia?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Links:

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

Hockey, Football & Stiletto Shoes: Just because.

One for the Other Thumb: Always.

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

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

God Bless Joey Porter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

About DeSean Jackson

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Should be Interesting ....

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

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

The Steelers will win this game.

Sorry about this ...

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

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

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

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

Back to football. I swear.

In Command

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

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

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

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

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

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

And the Bengals suck. Still.

Have you ever been to Cleveland?

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

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

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

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

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

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