WEEK 1 "AGREE TO DISAGREE"

My answers to the questions posed in this week's "Agree to Disagree."


1. Are the Steelers too old and too slow?  Yes, too old; too slow, maybe. Just remember what happened when Chuck Noll hung on to players too long.

2. Should a rookie or vet replace Willie Colon at RT?  The Steelers need to develop new O-Line talent so I'm going along with the choice of Marcus Gilbert.

3. Should changes be made other than that required by the Colon injury?  I can't think of any that would result in instant improvement. So, no.

4. Is it imperative to beat Seattle soundly?  Not "imperative" but it would be nice to see so we, the fans, can regain some confidence in this group. Mine took a REAL bad hit last week so I also needed to include this photo as a morale booster.

LET'S PLAY "WHO'S NEXT"?

So far:

Baron Batch--I appeared that the Steelers were going to be able to add a shifty, fast, good-hands receiving back to their offense until batch went down the first week of practice. What will HIS status be next year?

Brian Leftwitch--The Number 3 QB goes down n the next-to-last preseason game. Will he return next season of will the team consider him to fragile? At lest it's not his trowing arm.

Willie Colon--After missing last season with a torn Achilles can he be relied upon to return to form next season?

So far all the problems are on offense. Who's next?

Jame Harrison--He's definitely not in game shape. Will he be before getting injured?

Troy Polamalu--Will he hold up at 100% for the entire season or is he even at 100% now.

Aaron Smith: Can he last out the season for the first time in three years?

Or perhaps another offense lineman, Maurkice Pouncey--He re-injured his ankle in the second pre-season game. Will THAT hold up for the remainder of the season?

BLACK SUNDAY

"You gotta take your hat off and hand it to them," As Hines Ward has been prone to say. This time the Ravens took the Steelers' heads off and handed them to THEM.


Overconfidence? Why wouldn't there have been? Going into the game EVERYONE talked of the Ravens starting line ups as if they were a hodge-podge of walking wounded and who-dats? 


What didn't help was the Steelers brought more turnovers with them than the neighborhood bakery. They tackled like the opening day of training camp--probably worse. The only guy to run for more than 100 yards against their defense in the past three or four years did it again; with ease. And could have had more.


This time there were no blitzes by Troy Polamalu  resulting in stripped balls from Joe Flacco. There were no knock-out hits by Ryan Clark. There were no passes through into the ground at  the feet of wide open tight ends when a completion could be a tie at the end of a closely-contested game. There were no second half collapses by Baltimore after taking a 21-7 lead into halftime. There were no Ben Roethlisberger comebacks in the offing. There were no big stops on short yardage situations--OK there was one. 


The Ravens pretty much handled the Steelers in every way except winning the opening coin toss. Their coach even did a "raise-the-roof" to the Baltimore crowd.


Take a photo from yesterday's game and frame it a a good old butt-whippping that everyone except the Ravens thought would have been the other way around.

College Uniforms 2011

I like most of the Nike college uniforms;

except for the Maryland fiasco (which is actually and Under Armour design).

I understand the concept (the Maryland State Flag) but both patterns together? Unfortunately, I can't even say they're better than what I consider the worst uniform in major college football.

I can't wait until Joe Pa is finally gone as then they might upgrade. Perhaps he'll retire when a student trainer knocks him down in the locker room.

Steelers: Week 0

1. Ike Taylor--No problem with his playing with broken thumb. How much worse can is "pass" catching (interceptions) be. Perhaps they should break his other thumb. Larry Wilson once intercepted three passes against the Steelers with casts on BOTH hands.

2. James Harrison--As far as I'm concerned he's not ready to play at 100%. He'll need plenty of rest, particularly against the Ravens.

3. Maurkice Pouncey--Should be able to play but hoping he stays healthy. Losses of Baron Batch and Brian Leftwich are enough for the whole season for me.

4. Rashard Mendenhal--It appears that Redman and Dwyer may have what it takes to spell Mendenhall sufficiently for him to stay healthy.

5. Steelers WRs--Cotchery looks like a good addition but I'm hoping Sanders is fully healed and Brown continues his impressive preseason play.

6. Roethlisberger--Looked amazing in preseason. Here's hoping he gets better protection once the games count so he doesn't wind up looking like this again come January.

Game 1 Prediction: Steelers 27 Ravens 21

Steelers--Not Such a Good Start

1. Wondering how the Steelers' WR situation is going to work out. Sanders and Brown injured, Ward on PUP and they failed to get Burress. Cotchery is not going to be the answer. While on Ward, thanks for taking one for the team Captain! Putting off hand surgery to Dance With the Stars!

  

2. The OL situation is more chaotic than last year, if that's even possible, with Keomoatu, Pouncey and Colon coming off injuries, Starks and Adams cut, and Scott problematic.

 

3. Chris Brown, one of the draft choices to help the corner situation, is also injured.

4. Lastly, Baron Batch goes down yesterday. This may be the worst news of all mainly due to 1 and 2 above--the ability to protect the QB and the inability to rest Rashard Mendenhall.

Pirates?

Sorry, but I really don't know how to go about doing this or even if I should. After 19 consecutive losing seasons it's difficult to get any emotion behind praising the Pittsburgh Pirates for their, thus far, "winning" season. My expectations are that they will fall flat on their faces and yet again finish below .500. I've been suckered-in by them more than a few times in the past two decades and don't wish it to happen again. So I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that they won't finish LAST in their division. That's all I can allow myself for now.

PITTiful

Eventually Jamie Dixon is going to tire of his teams tanking in the NCAA tournament and leave for greener pastures. After this season's worse-than-usual annual flop that should be sooner than later. In spite of tremendous teams over the past decade Pitt has never made it past the Sweet Sixteen.In my opinion the obvious reason has been... poor free throw shooting. I really don't know what their stats were this season (I had a hell of a time trying to find them on the internet) but in the past it's always been a problem. In close games, and at tournament time, it's a problem if you can't make free throws. When you lose by one point to Butler it's got have been a problem (all you needed to do was make two more and eight or nine players).


Anyone (excepting perhaps Shaquille O'Neal and Wilt Chamberlain) can be at least an 80% free throw shooter. Like getting to Carnegie Hall it takes practice, practice, practice. Today's players just don't want to take the time and, apparently most coaches don't either. And the ones who don't usually don't win the NCAA championship, especially Pitt.

PENGUINS GET COOKed

Holy shit!!!!! This is ridiculous when the league chowder heads rejected an anti-head hit policy that Shero and Lemieux just proposed. The guy (who outside of NY knows who the hell it was) wasn't even get hurt! I think for this they should retroactively suspend Steckel for the rest of his career for all the time Crosby has missed. I have just lost interest in the NHL. It IS a garbage league, run by mutton brains.

‎"The veil is off the hypocrisy." This just proves how little respect Pittsburgh players get, especially the stars. (Do I have to go back as far as Mario v. Gretzky on this?) Steckel walks for knocking Crosby out for half the season (and DON'T tell me it was UNINTENTIONAL) and Cooke gets suspended for weeks for elbowing a NOBODY who'll be back tomorrow night. And the Penguins HAD to back the ruling no matter how freaking lame it was. I think the NHL did it just to shove it in Lemieux and Shero's faces. "Here, take THAT smart asses! You want the league to be tough on head shots, we'll get tough STARTING WITH YOU!" I'm not watching another NHL game until they sweep every idiot out of the league office, starting with Bettman. God it's goingto be a long wait for football season. Do the North Richland Hills (Texas) Brahmas play tonight?

SLAVERY 2011

Even in 1969, when Curt Flood challenged the Reserve Clause in MLB, comparing the situation in professional baseball to "slavery" it was a stretch. But, since it was in the times of the civil rights movement and the Civil Rights Act AND since Mr. Flood was... black, it worked. For ANY of today's overpaid, pampered professional athletes to invoke "slavery" is the most over-reaching analogy since 1969 and... I don't think it's going to work. Today's cash-strapped fans are not going to buy it. In fact, it may hurt the players' cause in the long run. So NFLPA come up with another rallying cry like... "Give me the money!"

PROFANITY--THAT'S WHAT WE'RE COMPLAINING ABOUT NOW?

A recent Facebook post proclaimed: "Profanity is the refuge of the incompetent." 


No, I'm FAR, FAR from incompetent. Profanity is the preferred communication method of the REALLY PISSED OFF, TOTALLY FRUSTRATED, RIGHTEOUSLY INDIGNANT PATRIOT! 


For 59 years I have obeyed the law, respected the rights of others, payed my taxes, "defended" the United States in any way a regular citizen could against ANYONE and now I've sat here for the last 20 months, unemployed, and watched it going to hell essentially unable to do anything. 


I vigorously backed the Tea Party Republicans and what did that get me/us? A measly $60 billion in spending cuts (1.67%)!?! 


Now we've got Muslims, becoming more brazen every minute, spouting off all over the country threatening this, that and the other thing and REPUBLICANS are the enemy because they want to cut SPENDING (and not throats)?!?!?! 


"You can NOT be SERIOUS!" -- John McEnroe


Obie and he's liberal bleeps [I can't think of a noun strong enough] spending our money, our children's money and our grandchildren's money not giving a shit about the consequences...


... I just can't stand to even write any more
.

"It's a huge shit sandwich and we're all gonna have to take a bite." -- FMJ

10 RULES FOR BEING A DEMOCRAT

1) Never back off an issue; morph and spin it twenty different ways for twenty years if need be until you ultimately get what you want. Republicans eventually tire of conflict.


2) Never, ever criticize another Democrat.


3) Become a "full fanatic freak." Actually, forget this; if you're a Democrat you're already one. When at a loss for logic resort to arrogance.


4) Never forget that Americans once owned slaves and never remember that they [a Republican] freed them.


5) Remember that a every illegal alien is a potential Democrat voter.


6) Forget that America is such a great country that a significant number of people come here from other countries every year and that the policies of Democrats make it more and more attractive for them to do so. (See No. 5)


7) Remember Chairman Mao's saying: "We Communists [Democrats] never conceal our political views. Definitely and beyond all doubt, our future or maximum program is to carry China [America] forward to socialism and communism. Both the name of our Party and our Marxist world outlook unequivocally point to this supreme ideal of the future, a future of incomparable brightness and splendor."


8) When asked an embarrassing question by the media or an opponent act indignant.


9) Never scream, "Yaaaaaaah!"


10) Always make it difficult for opponents to obtain your personal records (for example, your birth certificate). If pressed, become indignant and organize a legal defense fund.

FCC REGULATION OF THE INTERNET -- PART I

"Communication" with respect to the FCC was initially limited to "broadcast transmissions" (radio and TV). It was expanded to include satellite transmission. It was further expanded to include "broadband" and, in March of 2010, "The National Broadband Plan" was unveiled "as required by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009" for "IMPROVING broadband Internet ACCESS throughout the United States." The FCC considered broadband to be an "information service" and, therefore, "lightly regulated". From what I've read so far there was nothing specific about FCC "regulation" only the stated improvement of "access."


However, something non-communications related that has been shoehorned in is "energy demand management goals" with "smart grid" features for providing information to consumers that will allow them to reduce their energy consumption, ostensibly to lower their costs. Goal 6 of the US National Broadband Plan states that "Americans would or SHOULD or WILL have the right to redirect live usage data securely to any third party energy demand management service provider they chose, for ASSISTANCE in managing demand of ALL KINDS (including potentially fossil fuel use, water and other utilities)." Again, there is no mention of any FCC regulatory actions here. So what will they regulate?



One stated reason for the plan is that "among developed nations, the US has fallen behind Japan, the EU and South Korea in power grid technology, and has made it a national priority to improve its energy demand and supply management. Reliance on dirty oil and other DIPLOMATICALLY DANGEROUS sources that cause the US to be targetted as the cause of climate change was noted by the Pentagon in several reports as a growing US national security concern. Consuming more energy per unit productivity than any other developed nation IS NO LONGER AN OPTION FOR THE U.S. ACCORDING TO THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION" Did anyone discuss this with US before making that determination? Obama "has made it a high priority to implement 'smart grid' technologies."


The FCC quoted projected costs of just implementing the Plan to be in the "range of $20 billion to $350 billion." Now THAT'S a range! If the costs are on the high side it is most probable (actually CERTAIN) that "this will leave the rest of the cost burden on the government, who MAY in turn place it on the citizens as a tax."


The cost/tax issue is one thing. More frightening is what the "plan" is with respect to regulation of the internet AND who will ultimately have the "control" of energy consumption of the individual. I'm betting it will be the government turning usage down instead of the consumer. That's the only way the Feds can ensure that conservation is being administered. 


More in Part II.

AGREE TO DISAGREE -- SB FINAL

1.   The Steelers defense lost the game. On the fence: They certainly didn't stop the Packer offense many times and did NOT get any turnovers. Troy Polamalu was basically taken out of the past three games, either due to injury limitations, or brilliant offensive strategies. James Harrison needs to get the fine situation out of his head because he did not play the same at all after the Buffalo game. I really did not understand at all his finishing third in the Defensive Player of the Year Award.

2.   They weren't really turnovers they were giveaways. AGREE: I would only count the second interception as a true turnover. The first interception was an extremely poor pass due to a heavy pass rush. The fumble by Rashard Mendenhall was a fluke; he didn't even get hit that hard. I guess he was just due to fumble in this game since he hadn't had a fumble for about 8 or 9 games to that point.

3. The Steelers season, without a SB win, was a disappointment. AGREE: In spite of the fact that Ben wasn't available the first four games when the Steelers went 3-1 over that period expectations went through the roof. At that point it was expected that the Steelers would easily make the playoffs and have as good a chance as anyone to return to the SB. So when they made it to Dallas I doubt anyone in Pittsburgh was surprised or ready to accept a season with a final defeat in Dallas as a success.

4. The Steelers have a better chance of returning to the SB than Green Bay. AGREE: Only ONE NFC team has returned to the Super Bowl since 2000 (Rams) and remember what happened to the invincible Saints this year. A embarrassing SB loss should be a significant motivator for the Steelers for next season. Assuming their defense does not go geriatric on them in the mean time. The running game (OLine) should be better, the receivers should be ore mature and better, hopefully Bruce Arians will be gone, and Ben should be more mature and have less weighing on his mind other than football. But we'll probably still have to deal with the officials... Mr. Goodell.

AFTER THE AFTERMATH

I guess I didn't realize how lucky I was prior to SB XLV as, early this morning, unable to sleep, I came across an article (by whom I now forget) laying out not 1, not 3, not 5 but ELEVEN reasons why the Packers WOULD, not could, beat the Steelers. Well, you'd probably say he now looks pretty smart but, a shaky six point win, in spite of winning the turnover "battle" 3-0, in no way merits taking those ELEVEN reasons seriously. One break the Steelers' way and Green Bay fans are writing this clod today doubting both his sanity and his heritage. Should the Steelers have recovered the initial fumbled punt it could easily have been them, not the Packers, taking an early lead. With the momentum turned at that point the entire game could have been different. Remember, Green Bay did not score on their first possession. Having already been scored upon who knows what the Green Bay defense would do on the Steelers next possession with the momentum blowing in the wrong direction. 


And, again, despite greatly unbalanced performances (3 Steelers turnovers, wasted Steelers time outs, and a poor coaching decision to attempt a 50+ yard field goal giving Green Bay great field position), the game was at its closest, 28-25, with 7:34 left. Further, even after a gutsy Packers drive the Steelers were within a TD and extra point of victory, 31-25, with sufficient time remaining for a not-out-of-the-realm-of-possibility comeback based on Roethlisberger's history of such heroics; a total of 26 4th quarter or OT game-winning drives in his career, many in big games situations. So really, Mr. Football Writer, there were ELEVEN reasons the Packers WOULD defeat the Steelers? I think not. The sixth-seeded flavor-of-the-month team and their newly-anointed future HOF QB should feel quite fortunate to have escaped Jerry World with their asses intact and headed to Disney World.

SB XLV AFTERMATH

  

Congrats, Packers, you mostly (except for dropped passes) did what you needed to do to win.


NFL fans that's probably the WORST performance you will ever see by a team in a 6-point Super Bowl loss.


ROSES to the Steelers' Doug "Bronco" Legursky. A very good performance for his first NFL start at center.


ROSES to the Steelers' running game. They did a good job for having played from behind the entire game.


ROSES to the Packers' offense just because they should probably get something.


ROSES to the Steelers' kickoff teams providing good field position except when flagged for penalties and preventing any significant returns by the Packers.


ROSES to Hines Ward.


PILES OF THORNS to Roger Goodell. Well, guy, you got what you wanted, a Steelers defeat in the SB. I'll say no more.


BUSHELS OF THORNS to Fox, the NFL Channel, ESPN, et. al., for basically two weeks of the same thing and specifically to Fox for the piece within the game about Roethlisberger's suspension after throwing the pick-six. Necessary?


THORNS to the Steelers. They played two absolutely terrible games this season, against New England in November at Heinz Field and last night. Both were hugely important games at the time and they embarrassed their fans in both of them. Three giveaways and no takeaways will get you beat every time (even in the regular season).


THORNS to Ben Roethlisberer. Right from the start he appeared to be in some other time dimension and was reason on offense why the Steelers lost.


THORNS to WIlliam Gay. Ditto from above. He was the obvious weak link who couldn't cover anyone all night and the Packers took full advantage. He was the reason on defense why the Steelers lost.

THORNS to the Steelers' time management which was terrible (use of time outs). The drive to bring the game to 25-22 should have been a situation for the no-huddle (about 7 minutes left). As a result it ate up at least a minute more than it should have which would have left more like 3 minutes for the final possession.


THORNS to the Steeler's offensive brain trust for again leaving Heath Miller out of the offense. Also, no throws to Antonio Brown.

THORNS to the Steelers' defense for coming up with exactly ZERO big plays.

THORNS to the Steeler's last drive. Third and five and they throw the ball 20 yards down field. Why? Fourth and 5 and they throw the ball 15 yards down field. Why?


THORNS to the stadium turf. At least five players slipped during the course of the game and three went out having simply fallen on it (two did not return).


THORNS to the Penguins for being shut out by the Caps earlier Sunday. I'm superstitious.


THORNS to me for talking trash for the past two weeks. But in my defense I had never done it before prior to a Steelers SB so I figured I deserved to be able to do so at least once in my life.

2011 FEARLESS PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS--ROUND THREE

Through Round Two I'm 5-3.

STEELERS over Jets

The Steelers showed resilience throughout the Ravens game. It's irrelevant that Baltimore gave up the turnovers and dropped a couple of key passes. The Steelers took advantage of what they got; it didn't just happen. They could as easily have tanked; but they didn't. The Steelers made the plays when required and the Ravens didn't. When this happens in the playoffs you either take advantage of turnovers and win or your best players don't make the key plays and you lose. It's as simple as that and the discussion should stop there. Steelers 5 for 5 in the Red Zone? When is the last time that happened?


This week the Steelers dodged a bullet if you will, but again, New England's best players did not make the key plays and they lost. The Steelers owe the Jets one as they should have won back in the regular season at Heinz Field and they will take it.

Packers over BEARS

Aaron Rodgers showed what he is made of and I don't see anything changing in Chicago.

STEELERS TV: AGREE TO DISAGREE – 1/13/11

My responses to the statements proposed in the 1/13/11 segment of "Agree to Disagree."

The winner of the Ravens-Steelers game will go on to win the Super Bowl. -- Disagree. The winner will be a “survivor” and most likely not have enough left in the tank to beat NE which is practically getting a walkover to the Championship. My apologies to Rex Ryan.

Neither of these teams wanted this match-up this early. -- Agree. I don’t think the Steelers and Ravens really “want” to play one another since they know it usually exacts a tremendous physical toll. See above.

The key matchup is Steelers’ DC Dick LeBeau and Ravens’ QB Joe Flacco. – Disagree. I agree with Mike Prisuta. The key match-up is Ben Roethlisberger v. the Ravens defense. Secondarily it is the Steelers OL v. the Ravens front seven.

The team with more rushing ATTEMPTS will win the game. – Agree. The team with more attempts will be controlling the clock which, in a low scoring game as this should be (the last four have been decided by 3 points or less), is a critical factor.

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My critical statistic – Ben Roethlisberger has a record of 5-0 against the Ravens over the last three season. This HAS BEEN good but, due to the Weak Law of Large Numbers, will probably be BAD on Saturday.

HERE WE GO, STEELERS, HERE WE GO!

MALKIN: WITH APOLOGIES TO "THE GENOS"

OK I've laid-off of Malkin for a couple of months, at least. He did come back after a few games off and score about 10 points in three consecutive games. But, since then, very little especially for a Nine Million Dollar Man. Last time Crosby was out for an extended period of time Malkin took the team by the horns and blistered the opposition. This time, not so much. Three goals in his last eleven games? Miserable. Problem is, with this pitiful performance the Pens can't even trade him; not with that salary. Other teams would have to dump half their players just to fit him under the salary cap. And believe me that would not be worth it. Perhaps in a short run like the playoffs he can carry his weight, as he did in 2009. Long run, I'm not liking the prospects. They may even be better to cut him and pick up a couple $4.5 million forwards in free agency. Two is almost always better than one at that price.


Mike Lange has an expression when Malkin scores, "Make me a milkshake, Malkin." At the end of games in which he DOESN'T score he should state, "Give me a refund, Malkin."

2011 FEARLESS PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS--ROUND TWO

I know you're going to say, "Yeah sure," but I really was going to pick the Seahawks and Jets, I just didn't really want it to happen that way. So I'm 2-2 and one of the two I got right I wish I had gotten wrong (Ravens).

Ravens over STEELERS

New prediction: I think the NFL Channel is WAY overplaying the Ravens which is not good for them.

STEELERS over Ravens

27-13

Steelers playing better on offense? Remember it was just Cleveland and Carolina. Ravens playing better on offense? It was only Kansas City but Todd Heap is back giving them another dimension. Ravens defense playing well. Steelers defense playing well, but it was just Cleveland and Carolina with McCoy and Claussen at QB, no less. Weather is supposed to be terrible. Good for the Steelers? Maybe. If the referees don't deep six the Steelers they can win. Bottom line, Steelers still have Arians at OC; hopefully, not next season.

Packers over FALCONS

Packers play deep pass well, they pass well, they rush the passer well and their running game appears to be improving. Aaron Rodgers is more experienced than Atlanta's Matt Ryan.

PATRIOTS over Jets

Rex Ryan's mouth wont carry him through this game and, after all, it's the Patriots.

BEARS over Seahawks

The Seahawks had their Super Bowl last week. Enough said.