It's Steelers / Ravens Day!!!

So the NFL, in the midst of their campaign to clean up football and stop all the big hits, chose to pit the two hardest hitting teams against each in a marquee match up on opening Sunday. The hypocrisy is amazing. This match up always gets big television ratings. And the NFL knows why; big, hard hits. These two teams play tough, smash mouth football. That's what the fans want, that's what sells. Roger Goodell knows that, he just wont admit it.

The Steelers and Ravens hate each other, which always makes for a good game and a great rivalry. They even bad mouth each other in the off season. During an interview in June, Lamar Woodley made comments about Joe Flacco, stirring up locker room talk about this rivalry in middle of baseball season. All he said was that Joe Flacco will never lead the Ravens to the Super Bowl because they would have to go through the Steelers, and the Steelers would never let that happen. I whole heartily agree. But little Joey Flacco got pissed. In his rant, which came after he claimed not to care, he stated "Do they think they are going to the Super Bowl every year? ". The answer is, yeah Joey, they do. That's the difference. The Steelers don't go every year, but the think they will go. That is the proper attitude. That is why they win as many games as they do. The bottom line is , Joe Flacco is just ticked off that he loses to the Steelers.

Today's game will be a good match up, as usual. The Ravens have made changes to their offensive line, which will be tested today against Dick LeBeau's top ranked defense. The Raven's also have a receiving corp loaded with rookies. So a little pressure on Flacco should be the ticket to winning. The Steelers starters haven't played in two weeks, which raises some concern.
as do the defensive secondary and the offensive line. Oh, but did I mention that Ben Roethlisberger was starting for the Steelers? Flacco will lose again today.

WVUTimmy's prediction: Steelers 23 Ravens 17

So enjoy the game Steeler Nation. This is the biggest game on the schedule for both teams, until they meet again in week 9. And it could set the stage for who wins the AFC North. So root hard and strong, and wave those Terrible Towels!!

Hey, Bob Nutting!! Make me eat my words!! Please?

I love the above picture, it speaks volumes about how fans of the Black and Gold have felt over the last 19 seasons. Although, we are feeling damn good about our Bucs right now. The Pittsburgh Pirates were one game out of first place in the National League Central Division heading into the All Star Break. I am going to retype those words in case you think you misread them. The Pittsburgh Pirates were one game out of first place in the National League Central Division heading into the All Star Break. It's amazing. It's about time. And it's actually making me rethink my opinion of Bob Nutting and the Pirate's management. Mind you, I haven't changed my opinion. I am still not convinced that Nutting is a good owner or that the management is competent. It's going to take a lot more than half a season of decent play to do that. However, there are things going on that make me think that they may prove me wrong. And I hope they do.

A fraternity brother of mine, BJ, is a huge Pirates fan, and quite knowledgeable when it comes to baseball. Since Bob Nutting became the controlling owner of the Pirates four years ago, BJ is the only fan I know who has supported him. BJ and I can discuss anything in a calm, rational, intellectual fashion; except the Pirates. When it comes to the Bucs, BJ and I butt heads like two rams at mating season. He always argued that Nutting is a savior who kept the Pirates from leaving Pittsburgh and had led them out of financial ruin. I always argued that Nutting was a Dark Lord who had a formula for profiting from losing and has kept us from having any chance at a winning season. The majority of the fan base was on my side, and I thought I would never be proven wrong. However, if the Pirates team and organization keeps moving in the direction it is moving, I may owe BJ a beer, or two. It's starting to look like he may be right, and Nutting is not the Evil Lord I thought he was. Again, this is still a maybe. I'm not sold yet.

Dejan Kovacevic, of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review, did an interview with Bob Nutting right before the All Star Break. I have to admit, I liked what I read. Nutting seemed willing to increase the Pirates' $47 million payroll via trade. And he doesn't want to part with the teams elite prospects. Imagine that, the Pirates not parting with their elite prospects. You mean we wont be the farm team for the entire league anymore?

″One thing we won't do is mortgage the future of the club ever again,″ Nutting said. ″Neal's (Huntington) going to need to make decisions that are good for the long term of the Pittsburgh Pirates and be able to make sure we're playing important games this September but also next September and the year after that.″

Wow, if that's true, I may actually start to like this guy.

″I'm thrilled, happy, ecstatic ... proud of what Clint Hurdle's done, what the organization has done and what the players have accomplished so far,″ Nutting said. ″Most of all, I'm humbled by the response of the fans: the attendance, the ratings, seeing people walking around town wearing Pirates gear ... that's what really feels good. They deserve this. We're just beginning to deliver back to them.″

I like what Clint Hurdle has done as well. Nutting doesn't sound like a Dark Lord in this interview. But remember, Dark Lords live to deceive. I am not ready to jump on the "Nutting Bandwagon" just yet. I want to see what moves GM Neil Huntington really makes before the July 31st deadline, and where we end up in September. Will he go for the big bat the Pirates need, or trade off our future? I hope it's the former. Will the Bucs be competing in September, or not? Is Nutting the Dark Lord we all thought he was? Or did he have a good plan and the gumption to stick to it?

Again, I like what I've seen so far this year, but I am not sold on any of it yet. So come on Bob, prove me wrong!! Make me eat my words!! I Double Dog Dare ya!! Make a good trade for a clean up batter. Compete in September!! Bring the Pirates back to glory!! I'll be the first to congratulate you if you do. Prove to me you are a good guy, and not akin to this guy. Evil Spock!!

Let's Go Bucs? Really?

The Pittsburgh Fan Base is an unusual bunch. It amazes me sometimes. Here is my point. If the Penguins are .500, everyone is pissed off. If the Steelers are .500, everyone is irate and screaming for someones head, usually Offensive Coordinator Bruce Arians'. The Pirates are at .500, actually one game above as of the writing of this blog, and everyone is dancing in the streets. Really? This is were we are with the Bucs? The Pirates are above .500 in June for the first time since 1999. We all hope this is a step in the right direction for the Bucs, but deep down, we all know the reality. I even have to admit that it feels good. But it shouldn't. A .500 record shouldn't be the standard. However, after 20 years of losing, I am not surprised by the fans behavior, or my own. This is where the Pirates ownership and management has lowered us to folks, cheering for .500 ball play.

My mother always told me that if you don't have anything nice to say about someone, don't say anything at all. Which is why I have never written in this blog about the Pirates before now. Don't get me wrong, I love the Pirates, I really do. They were my first team. I remember

the days of Clemente, Mazeroski, and Stargell. Those were my boys. The Pirates back in the early seventies were the best team in Pittsburgh, until the Steelers won Super Bowl IX on January 12th, 1975. Then the Pirates had to share the stage. And they shared it well. They won the World Series in 1979, the same season the Steelers won Super Bowl XIV. The Bucs became part of the City of Champions. Man, those days are long gone for the Bucs.

Here is what I think. By buying into this, we are feeding the beast that is killing our team. The Pirates ownership has a formula for profiting from losing, and it works. If .500 is the standard for acceptable play, and we all buy jerseys, hats, watch more games, and go to more games, then Nutting wins. The Pirates play losing baseball, and the he makes money. It's sad. And I don't buy the argument that the Pirates can't compete because Pittsburgh is a small market. If Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, and Milwaukee can compete, and they all have in recent history, then so can Pittsburgh, especially with our loyal fan base. The Pirates are in the 20th year of a 5 year rebuilding plan, and we all support it.

I know what your thinking right now. So what do I do, Tim? Quit watching them? Not buy any gear? Don't go to games? Abandon my team? My answer to these questions will surprise you. It's no, too all of them. As much as I despise the Pirates ownership, we do have a new manager, Clint Hurdle. He is known for being able to make something out of nothing. Which is good, because nothing is exactly what the Pirates' management is going to give him. He also seems to be very good at motivating young players. Which is good, because the Pirates wont spend money to keep good players. The list of former Pirates star players on other teams is almost endless. He deserves a chance to do something with the Bucs, and we need to support him.

Right now, Andrew McCutchen's 14 game hitting streak is the longest active in the majors. He also leads the majors in hits (23) and batting avg. (.479) this month. Jose Tabata is batting over .300 this month. Hurdle is getting production out of these guys, and we need to support him. Because in the long run, I don't believe the Pirates management will. Maybe Hurdles ability to strengthen young players will convince them to finally raise the payroll to a point where they can compete. And that is all I am talking about here is competing. I don't expect the Bucs to make the playoffs anytime soon, but it would be nice to not be out of the race in July or August. Give me something to cheer for in September! Stop being the Farm Club for the rest of the League! That's not going to happen this year, but maybe in the next couple years Clint Hurdle can give us something to really cheer about, not .500 ball.

Super, but not Sexy

Steelers Nation, we need to face some facts about our team. Our Steelers are a great team, no doubt about it. They have a strong management team, a great coach, a hugely loyal fan base, and a strong tradition. The Steelers are headed to their 8th Super Bowl, and trying to win their 7th championship. They are facing the Green Bay Packers, a well respected team and fan base with very similar qualities. Both fan bases are great tailgaters, both survive their seasons in cold, snowy weather. And Cheeseheads love a good sausage, whether it be kielbasi or bratwurst, on a grill with a good cold beer before a game just like we do. It's Title Town against the City of Champions. It's a classic old NFL match up that all NFL fans are anticipating. This Steeler team is one of the best ever. They overcame Ben's suspension, a host of injuries, and tons of referee flag throwing to get here. However, I did realized something after our team's victory over the Jets in the AFC Championship, they just aren't sexy.

Now that you are gasping and wondering what the hell I am talking about, let me explain. Sunday before last, as I watched the Steelers receive the Lamar Hunt Trophy, I was thrilled to see Franco Harris and Rockey Bleier on the stage being interviewed. I thought, "Great!! Franco and Rocky are there! How cool to make them part of this!" And it was cool to make them part of the celebration, the fans love them. But then the next day, I said to myself, "Why were they there?" This should have been about the current team. The team with two Super Bowl Rings, going for their third. Rocky and Franco got quite a bit of camera time for not even playing. Then it dawned on me. The current Steelers aren't sexy, the old Steelers of the Seventies were, and still are. On a side note, I am not talking hot girl walking down the street sexy when I state "sexy". I am not talking about physical appearances. I am talking about public appeal, just to make sure we are all on the same page.

The Steelers have an appeal problem, stemming from a few different sources. I'll address the most obvious one first, our QB, Big Ben Roethlisberger. He is one of the top QBs in the league, no doubt about it. The problem is, image wise, he just doesn't compare to the other two top QBs: Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. He doesn't have Peyton's down home charm or personality. He isn't married to a super model and have a Justin Bieber hair cut like Tom Brady. He doesn't look as graceful or even as skilled on the field as those two do, even though he is. And due to accusations of immoral activity, he doesn't get TV commercials like they do. (Yeah, I used the word "accusations". He wasn't convicted of anything. He wasn't even arrested. However, after being accused twice, in the eyes of the public, he might as well be guilty.) He also faces the same image problem that Terry Bradshaw faced, he lives in the shadow of his defense. Think about it, who has a greater personality than Terry? Talk about appeal. But Terry always played second fiddle to the Steel Curtain when it came to the identity of the Steelers. As Ben does with the current defense. He lives in their shadow. His playoff record is 10-2, only Bart Starr's is better. He has two Super Bowl Rings, but you wouldn't know it from the way the media treats him. And in all fairness, it's his own fault. Guilty or not, he put himself in this situation.

And the rest of the team doesn't fare much better. Hines Ward has a great smile and personality. He is the greatest receiver in Steelers history. But his appeal has diminished. He has fallen behind Mike Wallace as the teams leading receiver. And with new receivers Sanders and Brown on the rise, Hines is becoming an after thought. He is no longer the face of this team. In fact, that is part if the problem, nobody is. Coach Tomlin comes off as very cerebral in an interview. He is a great coach, but not a lot of pizazz there. The team's top defensive Star, Troy Polamalu, the best safety in the league, isn't very exciting off the field or in front of a camera. He comes off as shy and is soft spoken. His humility prevents him from being the face of this team. And no one else on the defense interviews very well. Harrison, Woodley, Timmons, Hampton, the list of great players goes on and on. But no one is sexy. Harrison was becoming the face of that defense, until the NFL started fining him for hits. He lays low now, and I don't blame him. Where is Joey Porter when you need him? Oh, that's right. He's in Miami.

Remember Super Bowl XL? That was a sexy team! Jerome "The Bus" Bettis was the face of that offense. They were in Detroit to win the Super Bowl and end the Bus' career in front of his home town. They were the first sixth seeded playoff team to win the Super Bowl. Hines Ward was at the pinnacle of his career. Big Ben was an up and coming super star, second year QB how hadn't locked himself in a bar restroom with a co-ed yet. Bill Cowher, with his protruding jaw and the spiddle flying out of his mouth when he yelled, was a huge part of that team's image. Hell, Coach Cowher would have put on a uniform and run out on to the field if he could have. Joey Porter was the hardest hitting linebacker in the game, an out spoken man with a brash personality. He was the face of that defense. Man, I really miss those guys.

Don't get me wrong, I love our current team. They are great. They are Champions. They are about to make NFL history. I just wish there was a little more pizazz, more flair. But of Super Bowl our teams, this one is the most lackluster. Hines arrived in Dallas wearing a cowboy outfit. And he showed up for media day in a Polamalu wig. That's a step in the right direction. And Brett Keisel has grown a Grizzly Adams beard. So they are trying.

But I still don't call it sexy. Remember this guy.

Now he was sexy!

One Win Away

One win away. The anticipation is unbearable. All of Steelers Nation is feeling it. All we have to do is beat the Jets, and we are Super Bowl bound for the 8th time. That's right, the 8th time. We lost to Dallas in 1996, although most of us would rather forget that one. Thanks Neil O'Donnell. Anyway, Steelers Nation is on edge for Sunday's game. A victory over the Jets sends the Steelers to Super Bowl XLV.

But let's not forget something, the Jets beat the Steelers in Pittsburgh in week 15 of the regular season. This game will not be easy. Jet's QB Mark Sanchez is no pushover. Everyone seems to forget that this kid is in his second year, and he is good. He looks rough at times, but he steps up in clutch situations. And Steelers fans know first hand that a second year QB can win a Super Bowl. Our boy Big Ben did it in Super Bowl XL. Sanchez went 19 of 29 for 170 yards in week 15 against the Steelers. He looked great. But something was missing that day. What was it? Let me think. Oh yeah! Troy Polamalu!

That's right, Troy wasn't playing. Young Sanchez hasn't faced the leagues greatest safety yet. I look forward to watching Polamalu terrorize the Jets second year QB.

Another aspect will be affected by Troy's return, the running game. LaDainian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene of the Jets combined for 29 carries and 89 yards in Week 15, but not this time. With Troy back, the Jets run game will be shut down.

Actually, when it comes to defense, these teams are evenly matched. In the regular season, the Steelers were second in total defense, the Jets third. The Steelers were first in rushing defense, the Jets third. No one is running the ball in this game. And I expect it to be a low scoring game. So does Vegas, the over/under is 38.5 and the Jets are getting 3.5.

On a side note, I figure the Chicago Bears must be pretty pissed off right now. They are getting 3.5 at home in a playoff game at home. They won their division, and even earned a bye in the playoffs. Getting 3.5 to a number 6 seed visiting team is just insulting. And with that, 71% of the Vegas money right now is going on Green Bay. These two teams also have great defenses. This will be a low scoring, smash mouth game. I give the edge to the Bears. I think Green Bay is over confident, and will lose to Chicago in the end.

Back to the Steelers. Big Ben will be busy in this game. Rex Ryan will throw crazy blitz schemes at him. And the Steelers half baked offensive line will fold quite a bit as usual. Just like last week against the Ravens, Ben will be forced to run out of the pocket and make plays. And unfortunately for the Jets, he is good at it. The money in Vegas is on the Steelers right now, 61%. And they should win a very close game, which makes the Jets getting 3.5 an attractive bet.

So one of two things will happen on Sunday. Either we will all be ecstatic that we are on our way to our 8th Super Bowl appearance.

Or we will all retire our Steelers jerseys for the season, and put on our Penguin Jerseys. Go Steelers, Go Pens!!!!

Smash Mouth Saturday!

In my last blog post, I posed the question "Is Steelers/Ravens the biggest rivalry in the NFL?" I think the media this week answered my question. From ESPN to Fox Sports, it is obvious that the Steelers and Ravens game on Saturday afternoon is the most anticipated game of the weekend. It's a rubber match. It's going to be a brutal game of smash mouth football, and every fan in the NFL is looking forward to it.

As biased as I am, I have to admit, this game could go either way. These teams are so evenly matched and so familiar with each other, that picking a winner is almost impossible. The Ravens and Steelers are 9-8 in their last 17 games, favoring the Steelers. Five of the past 6 regular season games were decided by 3 points, the other by 4. The home team has won 14 of the last 18 meetings. So of course, the Vegas line is Steelers -3.5. As a result, 63% of the Vegas money is flowing toward the Ravens getting 3.5. I personally wouldn't touch this game.

Joe Flacco has had success throwing the ball against the Steelers. He went 17 for 33 for 266 yards last time. The Ravens also torched corner Bryant McFadden the entire game. Something that worries me going into this game. And the Ravens will have to throw, you can't run against Pittsburgh. The Steelers held Ray Rice to 32 yards in 9 carries last time. So the Steelers suspect secondary will need to step up in this game.

Unfortunately, the Steelers didn't have much luck running the ball in the last meeting either. The Ravens held Mendenhall to 45 yards on 19 carries. The Ravens are 8th against the run and 1st against the pass (post season stats), so the Steelers receiving core will also need to have an outstanding game, which they are more than capable of doing. In the last game, Ben went 22 for 33, for 253 yards. If he can avoid being sacked, he may put up those kind of numbers again.

There will be nothing nice about this game. It will be brutal and raging, just like a good NFL rivalry should be. As corner Bryant McFadden put it, "It's like the Old West. It's like two gunfighters You are looking at two teams with the same mind set, the same kind of approach." Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs thinks the winner of this game will go to the Super Bowl. I am not sure about that. The winner is going to be really banged up, and will probably head to Foxborough to play the Patriots. Unless, of course, the Jets can pull off a miracle on Sunday.

Steelers Nation will not be on it's best behavior on Saturday, neither will the Raven's fans. And neither fan base should be. It will be a tense, nail biting, down to the last second game. The only real advantage is that one team is rested and playing at home. We all know who that is. I can't wait.