What Should Be An Easy Road, But Wont Be.

Believe it or not, the Steelers can actually still go to the playoffs. After two inexcusable losses in a row, the first time in three years for Big Ben, our boys are still in it. I know it's hard to believe, but it's true. All they have to do is win out. If they can beat the Bengals and the Browns in the last two games, at home mind you, they will be in the playoffs. I can't believe I actually started that last sentence with an "If". That's how sad the situation has gotten. You know, with the Penguins not playing, you would think the Steelers would give us more to cheer about. But after the last two weeks, I think they should change their name back to what it originally was, The Pittsburgh Pirates.

In my humble opinion, the entire problem boils down to leadership. It's a coaching problem, nothing more, nothing less. If Big Ben has a problem with Todd Haley, then Tomlin needs to step in and fix it. Maybe Ben needs to grow up, maybe Haley doesn't have the best people skills. I am not sure which it is, and I really don't care. Tomlin needs to fix it, that's his job. And I also think that is where the problem lies. Tomlin can not get his team up for the lesser opponents. I am not sure he has their heads in the right place. Look at some of the Steelers losses; Oakland, Tennessee, Cleveland, San Diego. I wont throw Dallas in there. They have actually stepped up as a team, they were at home, our secondary was banged up, and Ben threw a stupid, worthless pass for an interception in overtime. But the other four are inexcusable. It's just like any other business, if you can't get your people to take the little things seriously, you will not succeed. The Steelers should be 11-3 right now, not 7-7. They should be sitting on top of the AFC, not struggling for a 6th seed Wild Card spot. And it all falls on one man, Tomlin. He's not coaching Cowher's team anymore, this is his team, and he needs to step up and get these guys on the same page. A game against San Diego is just as important and just as dangerous as a game against Baltimore. And while he is doing it, he needs to fire Special Teams Coach Amos Jones. The fumbles and poor play are killing the Steelers.

So let's hope for two more wins folks. But to be honest, they way things have gone, I would be more optimistic if we were playing Denver and New England, instead of Cincinnati and Cleveland. Man, that's a weird, sad statement.

5 Things I Never Thought I Would Say This Year

It all started on Sunday afternoon with the 1pm NFL games, I found myself saying things I never thought I would say.

1.The Washington Redskins made a great move trading picks to get RGIII.   That's right, I am giving the Redskins, who I usually refer to as the Foreskins, some credit. I originally thought  that trading top picks for a rookie quarterback when the team obviously needed some top notch offensive linemen was ridiculous. I was wrong. This kid is great and the Skins may actually be able to build a team around him. I guess that is shy Brice Allen is running the team and I am a Sunday afternoon barstool expert. Now what should the Skins do with Kyle Shanahan? Discuss among yourselves.

2. The Cleveland Browns got robbed.  The Browns had the Dallas Cowboys beat, but then in usual form, gave up their lead in the last minutes of regulation to send the game to overtime. The Cowboys then won when an obvious fumble by Miles Austin was ruled an incomplete pass. The play was ruled not reviewable because a whistle had blown the play dead. Poor Cleveland. And now they get to look forward to next week and the beating that the Steelers will put on them, probably with QB Charlie Batch at the helm.

3. WVU will squeak into a bowl this year. The Mountaineers looked great on offense in a heartbreaking 50-49 loss to #12 Oklahoma on Saturday night. But they have no defense. The Mountaineers will only need to win one of it's last two games to bowl eligible this year with a 6-6 record. This is the destiny of a team that was supposed to contend for a major BCS Bowl and win the Heisman Trophy with it's star quarterback Geno Smith. But the bowl pickings are light this year. It will be a struggle to find 70, that's right 70, teams with a .500 record, especially with teams like Ohio State, Penn State, and North Carolina not being allowed to participate. The Mountaineer fan base is known for traveling well, and the team generates very good national televison ratings. These two factors will launch WVU into post season play, probably in the Meineke Car Care Bowl. Yea.

4. WVU should do whatever it can to keep the University of Maryland on it's football schedule. That's right, I have totally flip flopped on this issue. And I will be as unapologetic as Mitt Romney about it. The University of Maryland announced today that it will join the Big 10 conference. This move by the Big 10 is completely financial. Maryland obviously is not of high enough caliber to compete in the Big 10 in football. However, the Big 10 wants to be in the lucrative DC and New York markets, and Maryland is part of that solution. Rutgers, who is also joining the Big 20, is the other. I never liked the idea of Maryland being on the WVU schedule. I always felt they weakened WVU's BCS position and the idea that it is some kind of rivalry is just a joke. However, with Maryland joining the Big 10, the television contract and added exposure of this game could be lucrative for the Mountaineers both financially and recruiting wise. So let's keep the Twerps on our schedule if we can. It will also keep the local DC Mountaineer Alumni happy.

5. Notre Dame will play in the BCS National Championship Game. The Irish are #1 in the BCS rankings today for the first time ever, thanks to losses by Kansas State and Oregon. I have said for years that Notre Dame's championship football days were over. I agreed with the logic that the schools small size, awful location, and high academic standards would keep it out of competition in modern day college football. Well Head Coach Brian Kelly has proven me wrong. In just two years, he has placed the program back into the collegiate elite. Notre Dame will beat USC on Saturday, and then head into the National Championship Game to probably face Alabama. Unless Georgia can put a whooping on Bama in the SEC Championship game.

What a weird weekend it was.

Geno Smith and WVU head to Texas

The #8 WVU Mountaineers and Geno Smith are headed to Texas to face the #11 Longhorns this Saturday night. Here is what they are saying in Texas.

WVU Football Preview

It's Game Week in Morgantown!! And it's almost Game Day! Man, do I remember those. The parties at the Pike House the night before, getting up in the morning to giant pots of Bloody Mary's and Screw Drivers, the wild and extravagant WVU tailgating, and of course, the game. Ahhh, those were the days.  I am even excited about it sitting here in Washington, DC decades later. Our Mountaineers are about to kick off their first season in the Big 12, which is exciting in and of itself. At noon on Saturday they take on Marshall, who they should destroy. Marshall always plays WVU hard. But I see our Mountaineers maintaining their undefeated status against the Thundering Herd.

Here is a Mountaineer Football Preview courtesy of beyondusports.com. It's a good and fair assessment. Enjoy.

Will We Have Hockey This Season?

That is the $64,000,000 Question right now.  A loyal fan base awaits the answer. The current CBA ends on September 15th, and training camps are supposed to start around Sept. 21st. If you are thinking that we don't have much time, you are right. Bob Rossi  opines on the subject in his Pens Blog, Chippe dIce on Triblive.com. He makes some great points. Enjoy.

Call Me Maybe

Our Steelers had some fun with this one. If you haven't seen their video of "Call Me Maybe", you are missing something. Check it out by clicking below:

Call Me Maybe!!

Enjoy!!!

August Tailgating Recipe

It's August, and our Buccos are still hammering away at the Central Division. As of the writing of this blog, they are in 2nd Place, 3.5 games behind the Reds and tied with Atlanta for the top Wildcard Spot. The Steelers are in training camp. And for the first time in 20 years, the beginning of Steelers Training Camp did not signal the end of baseball season. So we are still in Baseball Tailgating Mode! Here is a great recipe courtesy of Allrecipes.com. Since we are still in summer mode, so what could be better than Cedar Planked Salmon! 

Enjoy!!


Cedar Planked Salmon         

Ingredients

• 3 (12 inch) untreated cedar planks
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger root
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 (2 pound) salmon fillets, skin removed

Directions

1. Soak the cedar planks for at least 1 hour in warm water. Soak longer if you have time.
2. In a shallow dish, stir together the vegetable oil, rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, green onions, ginger, and garlic. Place the salmon fillets in the marinade and turn to coat. Cover and marinate for at least 15 minutes, or up to one hour.
3. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat. Place the planks on the grate. The boards are ready when they start to smoke and crackle just a little.
4. Place the salmon fillets onto the planks and discard the marinade. Cover, and grill for about 20 minutes. Fish is done when you can flake it with a fork. It will continue to cook after you remove it from the grill.

July Tailgating Recipe

It's July, and we are past the All Star Break. As of the writing of this blog, the Bucs are a game out of first place and 10 games above .500. And we are all just praying for them to not repeat last year. August  is only 2 weeks away. It would be nice to have a Pirates baseball season that doesn't end when Steelers Training Camp begins. 

That being said, let's talk tailgating!! Pittsburgh is the northeastern Mecca for German Food. So how about some Beer-Braised Brats, compliments of Midwestliving.com. Enjoy!!! And remember, use German Dark Beer!

Ingredients:

• 10 uncooked bratwurst links (2 1/2 pounds total)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 large onion, halved and cut into thin slices
• 2 12 ounce bottle or cans dark German beer
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 10 hoagie buns split and toasted
• Easy Cranberry-Pickle Relish

directions

1. Pierce bratwurst with fork. For a charcoal grill: Arrange medium-hot coals around a drip pan. Test for medium heat above pan. Place bratwurst on grill rack over drip pan. Cover; grill 20 to 30 minutes or until instant-read thermometer inserted into bratwurst registers 160 degree F, turning once halfway through grilling time. (For a gas grill: Preheat the grill. Reduce heat to medium. Adjust for indirect cooking. Grill as directed above.)
2. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, heat butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir about 5 minutes or until tender. Add beer, brown sugar, vinegar, caraway seeds, thyme, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Place bratwurst in beer mixture; keep warm until serving time.
3. To serve, place grilled bratwurst in a bun or roll. Using a slotted spoon, top with some cooked onion slices and Easy Cranberry-Pickle Relish. Makes 10 sandwiches.

• Note: Can tote cooked brats and the beer cooking liquid to your tailgating site in an insulated container. Serve within 1 to 2 hours.

Easy Cranberry-Pickle Relish

ingredients

• 1 cup canned whole cranberry sauce
• 1/2 cup sweet pickle relish

directions

1. In a small bowl, combine cranberry sauce and sweet pickle relish.

Blue & Gold Edition: Enjoy Your New Home Pitt!!

WVU is now a proud member of the Big 12. The Mountaineers left the struggling Big East for a more competitive conference with a better television contract. It looks to have been a great move by Athletic Director Oliver Luck. The Mountaineers needed to leave the Big East and play in the big leagues. But in doing so, they had to leave two of their biggest rivals behind, Pitt and Syracuse.

I understand why WVU, Pitt, and Syracuse left the Big East, it makes sense to me. I even understood, at the time, why Pitt and Syracuse chose the ACC. Even though moving from the Big East to the ACC was almost a lateral move (I do give the ACC the edge recently in football. I don't give it much of an edge, but an edge.  The Big East has declined that much.) Pitt and Syracuse saw both a football and a basketball conference in the ACC where they could compete. The bigger conferences weren't knocking on either of their doors. The move made sense. The Big East was dying, they had to jump ship. But now, it looks like they may have jumped from the frying pan in to the fire. The following is an article written by Chris Smith, a business sports writer for Forbes Magazine. It tells a tale I don't think either university was expecting. Enjoy your new home Pitt!!

Say Your Goodbyes: The ACC's Days Are Numbered

Things were looking up for the ACC as recently as a few weeks ago. The conference had poached Pittsburgh and Syracuse from the Big East, which in turn helped it land a new TV deal with ESPN that guarantees each conference member an additional $4 million per year. But ACC Commissioner John Swofford’s empire has come under siege before he could even finish patting himself on the back. Rumors of realignment refuse to subside while new television contracts and playoff plans pose long-term threats to the conference. At this point, it looks like Swofford will be lucky if the ACC is still considered a top conference in two years.

The most publicized threat to the ACC’s stability has been one of its own members, Florida State. The trouble began with rumors that Florida State was looking into moving to the Big 12 in order to cash in on the conference’s new 13-year, $2.6 billion TV deal. The Big 12′s TV contract grants conference members third tier TV rights, unlike the ACC’s deal with ESPN, and it annually pays about $3 million more per school. Sources at the school strongly denied the rumors of impending conference realignment, but that was before Andy Haggard, Chairman of the school’s Board of Trustees, blasted the ACC’s new TV deal. Haggard decried that the conference gave up too much in the agreement, and he suggested that FSU’s Board of Trustees was willing to consider a conference change. Seminoles head football coach Jimbo Fisher reiterated the message, saying that Florida State should explore possible realignment options.

Florida State’s president, Eric Barron, finally came out with his official stance on the subject. Barron’s list of pros and cons suggests that the school should stay in the ACC, but he concludes his memo by saying:

“

We can’t afford to have conference affiliation be governed by emotion — it has to be based on a careful assessment of athletics, finances and academics. I assure you that every aspect of conference affiliation will be looked at by this institution, but it must be a reasoned decision.

The conclusion is far from a commitment to the ACC, and Barron’s concerns are not nearly as problematic as he phrases them. He twice notes that the Big 12′s new TV deal isn’t officially signed, though that really ought to suggest that the contract’s total value could increase further with the addition of Florida State. Barron is also worried about increased travel costs, but Baylor, TCU and West Virginia are all closer to Tallahassee than either Pittsburgh or Syracuse. Plus the Big 12 would likely absorb an additional ACC team along with Florida State, adding another geographically close conference member.

That second ACC school also adds another layer of problems for the doomed conference.

The Big 12, should it choose to expand, would add two schools in order to reach a total of 12 members, the minimum number required to host a conference championship game. Schools rumored to be interested in following Florida State to the Big 12 are Clemson, Miami and Virginia Tech. TCU athletic director Chris Del Conte recently offered credence to those rumors. Clemson is on record saying that it would consider any offers, while Miami has claimed that it is committed to the ACC. Georgia Tech was also thrown into the mix last week, though the school’s athletic director has downplayed such rumors.

Losing two schools would be a blow to the ACC, but the departure of any of the above listed would be particularly damaging. If the ACC loses Georgia Tech, it loses Atlanta, the ninth-largest media market in the country. If Miami leaves with FSU, then the ACC would no longer have a school in Florida. Finally, Clemson and Virginia Tech are essentially the only schools in addition to Florida State that have a real chance of reaching a BCS bowl in the near future. Had either of them not been in the ACC last season – Clemson and Virginia Tech went to the Orange Bowl and Sugar Bowl, respectively – the conference would have missed out on about $5 million in post-season revenue.

Simply put, the ACC cannot afford to lose two of its premier football schools. Some fans may point to the conference’s wealth of basketball powers like Duke, North Carolina and Syracuse, but college basketball alone is not enough. Just look at the Big East. The conference relied on basketball programs at Connecticut, Louisville, Syracuse to generate NCAA tournament payouts and TV dollars. And while the three schools have been nothing short of spectacular, with Louisville ascending to the throne of college basketball’s most valuable team, the conference is quickly collapsing. Pittsburgh, Syracuse and West Virginia have recently fled the Big East, and Louisville has announced that it wants out. The reason is that conferences cannot keep up financially without a core of competitive football programs able to drive up television revenue.

But even if the ACC convinces its top football schools to stick around for another year, the conference has little hope of keeping them there for the long-term.

As mentioned above, the ACC’s renegotiated contract includes third tier rights, which means that member schools’ TV revenue is mostly limited to the $240 million that ESPN annually pays the conference. Big 12 schools, on the other hand, make more per school than ACC members – $20 million to $17 million – and still control their third tier rights. Those third tier rights can be very valuable; Texas collects about $15 million annually from the Longhorn Network. Similarly, the Big Ten packages third tier games on the Big Ten Network, which has nearly matched the annual payouts of the conference’s national TV network deals. The ACC sold its third tier rights to ESPN, but the conference’s schools still get out-earned by those in every major conference except the SEC (and that claim will not be valid for long as the conference is renegotiating its TV rights fees to an estimated $25 million per school annually).

Perhaps even more importantly, the ACC might be on the outside looking in after the BCS implements its new playoff system in 2014. It’s unclear at this point how the current bowls will be worked into the system, but their current conference affiliations should be worrying for the ACC. The Big Ten and Pac-12 want to preserve the Rose Bowl, while the Big 12 and SEC recently agreed to a new inter-conference championship plan for when the playoff system is implemented. Those two games match up well with the four-team playoff, suggesting that the four conferences have an inside track on the future of college football’s postseason.

Fans of the ACC don’t need to worry about the conference disappearing entirely anytime soon – just look at how long the Big East’s death rattle has lasted – but they may want to keep an eye on this week’s Big 12 meetings. The ACC’s run as a top conference is quickly ending, and the Big 12 is more than capable of dealing a fatal blow.

 Chris Smith, Forbes Staff

I cover the business of sports.

June Tailgating Recipe: Summer Dips!!

Well kids, it's well into June. We are past Memorial Day Weekend, which means Baseball Stats now count. As of the writing of this blog, our Buccos have 32 wins and 28 losses. They are 7-3 in their last 10 and only 1 game out of 1st place!! It's Fun! It's exciting! And if they can compete like this in August, I'll be thrilled. As I wrote last year, that's all I am asking for Mr.Nutting, just compete. 

So to celebrate, let's tailgate! That famed Pittsburgh tradition that I love so well. And what better for the hot days of summer ball than some good dips, 50 dips actually. These are courtesy of The Food Network. They have everything from Fondue to Pizza Dip. Here are the first 9 recipes. For the rest, click here: 50 Dips. 

Enjoy. And Let's Go Bucs!!

1. Fondue Rub a small pot with garlic; add 1 cup white wine and simmer. Whisk in 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with a splash of cognac, then 1/4 pound each gruyère and emmentaler cheese; add salt, pepper and nutmeg. Serve hot with apples and bread.

2. Tahini Dip Puree 1/2 cup tahini (sesame paste), the juice of 2 lemons, 2 teaspoons ground cumin and 1 minced garlic clove. Drizzle in 1/2 cup hot water; puree until smooth.

3. Hummus Make a half batch of Tahini Dip (No. 2); puree with 1 can chickpeas, 3 tablespoons olive oil and 1/2 cup hot water.

4. Red Pepper Hummus Make a half batch of Tahini Dip (No. 2); puree with 1 can chickpeas, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 cup roasted red peppers and
1/2 cup hot water.

5. Fried-Chickpea Hummus Make Tahini Dip (No. 2); puree with 1/2 can chickpeas. Microwave until warm. Fry the other 1/2 can chickpeas in olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Top the hummus with the fried chickpeas, red pepper flakes and chopped parsley.

6. Edamame Hummus Make a half batch of Tahini Dip (No. 2). Puree with a 16-ounce bag thawed shelled edamame and 1/3 cup olive oil; add enough water until smooth.

7. Charred-Tomato Salsa Broil 2 tomatoes until charred, then cool and core. Pulse in a food processor with 1 minced jalapeño, 1 scallion, 1 garlic clove and 1 tablespoon fresh mint. Season with salt.

8. Deviled Dip Puree 8 hard-boiled eggs with 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon mustard, 1 chopped pickle, a dash of hot sauce, and paprika, salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with chives.

9. Pimiento-Cheese Dip Mix 1/2 pound each grated cheddar and pepper jack, 1/4 cup each mayonnaise and sour cream and 2 tablespoons diced pimientos. Season with hot sauce and onion and garlic powders.