The Steelers placed seven players and coach Chuck Noll on the NFL's Super Bowl 50 Golden Team, and that seems about right.
The timeframe was the 50 years of the Super Bowl era, and the voting was done by the Hall of Fame selectors.
Joe Greene, Jack Ham, Jack Lambert and Mel Blount were the defensive choices. Franco Harris, Lynn Swann and Mike Webster represented the offense.
That makes sense, too. There are players from the defensive line, linebackers and secondary, along with a running back, receiver and lineman. Just about every position group is represented, and that reflects the Steelers' dominance in the 1970s.
Although there are people in these parts who think that run of four championships in six seasons happened the day before yesterday, it was a long time ago. It's a much different game.
Defensive backs aren't allow to engage receivers five yards beyond the line of scrimmage. No pass rusher specializes in the head slap that made Deacon Jones so fearsome.
Most teams now pass first, then run as an afterthought. Quarterbacks don't have to call plays, they just have to listen to the radio signals from the sideline.
Noll had six assistants covering football matters in the first Super Bowl season, three for offense and three for defense. (There were also coaches for weight training and flexibility). Last season Mike Tomlin had 14 assistants.
Ben Roethlisberger is bigger than most of the linemen who blocked for Terry Bradshaw and Harris in 1974.
So gimmicks like this all-time exist mostly to create conversation and keep the focus on the NFL in the slow week between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl. From the league's point of view, this is a better topic than concussions or whatever pharmaceuticals the FedEx driver may have delivered to Peyton Manning's door.
And even though it's an impossible task, given the amount of time covered, the voters did a pretty good job.
---
--STAYING PUT
Seven NFL teams hired new head coaches, and Bill Cowher wasn't linked to any of the vacancies.
Maybe people will now believe it's unlikely Cowher will coach again.
When he left the Steelers nine years ago, there was a presumption that he was either chasing a bigger contract or just taking a year's sabbatical.
Instead, he's built a new life for himself. Cowher makes more than $1 million a year for his work at CBS. The high profile keeps him viable for commercials and other ancillary work.
He's remarried and now lives on Manhattan's Upper East Side with his wife, who is a musician and fashion designer.
Cowher turns 59 this year. He's a grandfather. Steelers spies report that he had grown weary of the long hours associated with coaching and was happy to delegate responsibility in his last years.
He has a solid income, a happy life and maybe this is the best thing: Since he handed in his resignation to the Steelers in January, 2007, he hasn't had to explain any losses.
---
--ON THE MARKET?
The Pirates could face an interesting free agent situation after this season.
Pitching coach Ray Searage's contract expires when the season ends. If Searage wants to shop around, he'll probably find multiple offers for his services. Everyone in baseball has noticed that a part of the Pirates' success over the last three years has come from getting more than expected out of retread pitchers who nobody else wanted.
Searage's partner in magic, Jim Benedict, left the organization last year for a job with the Miami Marlins.
Could there be greener grass somewhere for Searage, too?
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Altoona Mirror, January 24, 2016
His legion of detractors won't want to hear it, but Mike Tomlin was spot on the other day when he projected a bright future for the Steelers.
Given the talent on hand and the place most key players are in their career arc, the Steelers should be poised for Super Bowl runs in the next few seasons.
The offense is good enough to win a championship. The defense still needs repairs, but it took some strides this season.
If the Steelers can fix their secondary, they can play deep into January a year from now.
Make an effort to keep William Gay, find corners who can cover in the draft and/or free agency (easier said than done, of course) and the Steelers are a 2016 contender.
Let's understand one thing: This all hinges on Ben Roethlisberger's availability. Teams don't win without a dynamic quarterback, as the Steelers should have learned in the long drought between Terry Bradshaw and Roethlisberger.
No position is as important, which is why the Steelers had no problem giving Roethlisberger a contract worth more than $100 million last offseason.
But just as Bradshaw's career ended abruptly by an elbow injury at age 35, every quarterback is vulnerable. "Next man up" is usually a frightening proposition at quarterback, as we saw last season with Michael Vick.
There's a lot of work to be done in the next several months, and much of it is intertwined. Can the Steelers convince some players to take cuts to stay (Heath Miller? Lawrence Timmons?) Will they let others go to clear cap space (Shaun Suisham? Ramon Foster?)
Can existing contracts be reworked to allow the signing of upgrade players? Who is available in the draft from the 25th spot?
Play it right this offseason, and the Steelers will set themselves up for the postseason.
---
--CHANGE COMING
Brace yourself, purists, but the designated hitter is coming to the National League. That's sooner rather than later, too.
MLB has eliminated nearly all the separation between the leagues over the last decade or so. League offices were closed, league presidents eliminated. Umpiring was placed under one central office.
The biggest development: Interleague play was adopted and has now become a constant proposition. It's awkward to play games under separate rules, especially when American League teams have to park a big-salaried slugger on the bench to play in a National League park.
The union wants the change. DHs make a lot more than the last guy in the bullpen. MLB wants it. Every rules change is designed to get more offense in the game. TV partners want it for the same reason. Offense sells.
Managing will become easier in the National League. Roster composition will change. It will be a different game.
But the change is inevitable, and online petitions aren't going to make a difference.
---
--GOOD TIMING
If Vontaze Burfict's three-game suspension holds up, want to bet the NFL schedules one of the Steelers-Bengals at the start of the season?
Why not avoid a headache if it's possible to do so?
---
--CONSTANT PRESENCE
If Charlie Batch gets just a dollar every time his health care commercials run on TV, he's making more than he ever did in the NFL.
He's become as ubiquitous as Neil Walker was on TV all summer.
Given the talent on hand and the place most key players are in their career arc, the Steelers should be poised for Super Bowl runs in the next few seasons.
The offense is good enough to win a championship. The defense still needs repairs, but it took some strides this season.
If the Steelers can fix their secondary, they can play deep into January a year from now.
Make an effort to keep William Gay, find corners who can cover in the draft and/or free agency (easier said than done, of course) and the Steelers are a 2016 contender.
Let's understand one thing: This all hinges on Ben Roethlisberger's availability. Teams don't win without a dynamic quarterback, as the Steelers should have learned in the long drought between Terry Bradshaw and Roethlisberger.
No position is as important, which is why the Steelers had no problem giving Roethlisberger a contract worth more than $100 million last offseason.
But just as Bradshaw's career ended abruptly by an elbow injury at age 35, every quarterback is vulnerable. "Next man up" is usually a frightening proposition at quarterback, as we saw last season with Michael Vick.
There's a lot of work to be done in the next several months, and much of it is intertwined. Can the Steelers convince some players to take cuts to stay (Heath Miller? Lawrence Timmons?) Will they let others go to clear cap space (Shaun Suisham? Ramon Foster?)
Can existing contracts be reworked to allow the signing of upgrade players? Who is available in the draft from the 25th spot?
Play it right this offseason, and the Steelers will set themselves up for the postseason.
---
--CHANGE COMING
Brace yourself, purists, but the designated hitter is coming to the National League. That's sooner rather than later, too.
MLB has eliminated nearly all the separation between the leagues over the last decade or so. League offices were closed, league presidents eliminated. Umpiring was placed under one central office.
The biggest development: Interleague play was adopted and has now become a constant proposition. It's awkward to play games under separate rules, especially when American League teams have to park a big-salaried slugger on the bench to play in a National League park.
The union wants the change. DHs make a lot more than the last guy in the bullpen. MLB wants it. Every rules change is designed to get more offense in the game. TV partners want it for the same reason. Offense sells.
Managing will become easier in the National League. Roster composition will change. It will be a different game.
But the change is inevitable, and online petitions aren't going to make a difference.
---
--GOOD TIMING
If Vontaze Burfict's three-game suspension holds up, want to bet the NFL schedules one of the Steelers-Bengals at the start of the season?
Why not avoid a headache if it's possible to do so?
---
--CONSTANT PRESENCE
If Charlie Batch gets just a dollar every time his health care commercials run on TV, he's making more than he ever did in the NFL.
He's become as ubiquitous as Neil Walker was on TV all summer.
Sunday, January 17, 2016
Altoona Mirror, January 17, 2016
The Steelers have virtually no margin for error in this evening's playoff game at Denver, which means they can't self-inflict any damage.
Depending on whether quarterback Ben Roethlisberger can play, the offensive personnel may resemble a combination more likely to be seen in the preseason rather than the postseason.
There's no Antonio Brown, no DeAngelo Williams and their absences are added to those of Le'Veon Bell, Maurkice Pouncey and Kelvin Beachum. The Broncos are not reciprocating with a training camp roster, so the Steelers don't have the luxury of making mindless mistakes.
There were a couple of whoppers against Cincinnati last Saturday that may have gotten lost in the all's-well-that-ends-well finish the self-destructive Bengals provided.
Yes, Vontaze Burfict and Adam (He Isn't Called Pac Man Any More) Jones added to their infamy with penalties that gifted the Steelers an extra 30 yards in advance of a game-winning field goal.
But they were also familiar with how those things work, thanks to a couple of rock-headed plays against the Bengals.
Shamarko Thomas covered a punt too aggressively and was flagged for interfering with the player trying to make the catch. Thomas should know the rule since he was also found guilty in the regular season.
It's good to get there in a hurry, but not if you run into the receiver for a penalty so blatant even Mike Carey gets it right on the CBS broadcast. If Thomas can't stop in time, he has to veer left or right to avoid getting the flag.
He didn't, and it cost the Steelers 15 yards.
Things got worse later when William Gay was penalized 15 yards for a celebratory dance after he thought he'd scored a touchdown. Gay scooped up a loose ball and headed for the end zone without being touched.
That gave him the chance to mentally flip through his file of dances and have one ready to go once he hit the promised land. The officials signaled touchdown, Gay danced -- joined by teammate Bud Dupree -- and the flag flew.
But on further review, the touchdown was disallowed. And the 15 yards that would have been assessed on the kickoff instead was measured off on the change of possession.
So the Steelers were needlessly backed up 15 yards just because Gay and Dupree felt the need to succumb to their own version of Saturday night fever. That wasn't quite as dumb -- and certainly not as violent -- as what Burfict and Jones did, but it was just as ridiculous.
Mike Tomlin hasn't had a lot of success in revoking dance cards for his players. This would be a time to crack down.
It's the playoffs. No time to be dumb.
---
--LOCKED IN
The Pirates' Jeff Locke avoided salary arbitration by signing a one-year deal for $3,025,000 the other day.
He made $531,000 last year. So what did he do to merit a raise of $2,494,000? He was 8-11 last season with an earned run average 4.49 and a WHIP of 1.420. Although he won one more game (while making nine more starts), all of the stats cited were worse than those he posted in 2014.
He got the raise because he was arbitration eligible. So he gets significantly more money not because he was better, but rather because he showed up. It's the MLB version of a participation trophy, and it's even better. You can take this one to the bank.
Advice to parents: If your sons show any athletic ability, encourage them to play baseball. If they can make a living at it (admittedly a long shot), the benefits are incredible.
Depending on whether quarterback Ben Roethlisberger can play, the offensive personnel may resemble a combination more likely to be seen in the preseason rather than the postseason.
There's no Antonio Brown, no DeAngelo Williams and their absences are added to those of Le'Veon Bell, Maurkice Pouncey and Kelvin Beachum. The Broncos are not reciprocating with a training camp roster, so the Steelers don't have the luxury of making mindless mistakes.
There were a couple of whoppers against Cincinnati last Saturday that may have gotten lost in the all's-well-that-ends-well finish the self-destructive Bengals provided.
Yes, Vontaze Burfict and Adam (He Isn't Called Pac Man Any More) Jones added to their infamy with penalties that gifted the Steelers an extra 30 yards in advance of a game-winning field goal.
But they were also familiar with how those things work, thanks to a couple of rock-headed plays against the Bengals.
Shamarko Thomas covered a punt too aggressively and was flagged for interfering with the player trying to make the catch. Thomas should know the rule since he was also found guilty in the regular season.
It's good to get there in a hurry, but not if you run into the receiver for a penalty so blatant even Mike Carey gets it right on the CBS broadcast. If Thomas can't stop in time, he has to veer left or right to avoid getting the flag.
He didn't, and it cost the Steelers 15 yards.
Things got worse later when William Gay was penalized 15 yards for a celebratory dance after he thought he'd scored a touchdown. Gay scooped up a loose ball and headed for the end zone without being touched.
That gave him the chance to mentally flip through his file of dances and have one ready to go once he hit the promised land. The officials signaled touchdown, Gay danced -- joined by teammate Bud Dupree -- and the flag flew.
But on further review, the touchdown was disallowed. And the 15 yards that would have been assessed on the kickoff instead was measured off on the change of possession.
So the Steelers were needlessly backed up 15 yards just because Gay and Dupree felt the need to succumb to their own version of Saturday night fever. That wasn't quite as dumb -- and certainly not as violent -- as what Burfict and Jones did, but it was just as ridiculous.
Mike Tomlin hasn't had a lot of success in revoking dance cards for his players. This would be a time to crack down.
It's the playoffs. No time to be dumb.
---
--LOCKED IN
The Pirates' Jeff Locke avoided salary arbitration by signing a one-year deal for $3,025,000 the other day.
He made $531,000 last year. So what did he do to merit a raise of $2,494,000? He was 8-11 last season with an earned run average 4.49 and a WHIP of 1.420. Although he won one more game (while making nine more starts), all of the stats cited were worse than those he posted in 2014.
He got the raise because he was arbitration eligible. So he gets significantly more money not because he was better, but rather because he showed up. It's the MLB version of a participation trophy, and it's even better. You can take this one to the bank.
Advice to parents: If your sons show any athletic ability, encourage them to play baseball. If they can make a living at it (admittedly a long shot), the benefits are incredible.
Sunday, January 10, 2016
Altoona Mirror, January 10, 2016
In the long and inglorious history of bungling by the Cincinnati Bengals, they've never done it like this.
Not ever, and that's saying something, considering the Bengals have authored Volumes 1 through 12 of Improbable Ways To Lose Games.
The Bengals gave the Steelers the ball on a fumble, then handed them bonus yardage to set up Chris Boswell's 35-yard field goal to also give the Steelers an 18-16 victory in Cincinnati on Saturday night.
Injured Ben Roethlisberger came back into the game to lead the Bengals-assisted drive, and linebacker Ryan Shazier played like a madman the entire game.
But the focus will be on the uncontrollable idiocy the Bengals displayed on the last possession.
After the Steelers got the ball on Jeremy Hill's fumble, serial offenders Vontaze Burfict and Adam (No Longer Known as PacMan) Jones were there to take mindless penalties that made Boswell's winning kick a chip shot.
Who knows how many healthy players the Steelers will have for this Sunday's trip to Denver, but at least they get a chance to play another game.
Cincinnati? Sports talk radio should be lively there for the next couple of months, or years.
If the football wasn't the greatest, the drama was. CBS got a reality show that made "Survivor" look like "Family Feud."
There was Roethlisberger riding off the field on a cart after Burfict slammed his right shoulder into the turf on a sack. This one, at least, was a legal play.
The Steelers had to run the ball and discovered that unknowns Fitzgerald Toussaint and Jordan Rodman were equal to the challenge.
The defense raised memories of the "Blitzburgh" approach of a previous generation. If Dick LeBeau was watching, he was probably smiling.
But the Steelers couldn't finish drives and kept settling for field goals. That proved to be just enough against the current bunch of Bengals who needlessly protect their cement heads with plastic helmets.
Burfict, who locked up his reputation as Public Enemy No. 1, decided to slam his shoulder into Antonio Brown's head. Reading the body language, it seemed as though he was arguing that it was a legal hit because gave Brown a concussion with his shoulder instead of his helmet.
Then in ensuing scrum, Jones made the mistake of pushing one of the officials.
Two incredibly stupid penalties, one amazingly easy winning field goal for the Steelers, whose offense had been struggling.
All those jokes you've collected about the Bungles over the years? Get them laminated and set up a room in your house to display them. They're gold.
Just when it seemed the team was going to exorcise its postseason demons, the Bengals managed to blow a game in the most unimaginable way.
If the other Cincinnati players aren't preparing a petition to send Burfict packing, they should be. And Jones can carry the suitcases.
It was that kind of night. Despite warnings from the NFL and a pre-game line of officials at the 50-yard line to keep the peace, the message to knock off the stupidity didn't penentrate.
The Steelers weren't blameless, either. Assistant coach Joey Porter needs to be told that he's no longer a player and doesn't belong on the field.
It's not like the players didn't know things would be under close scrutiny.
Mike Munchak, the Steelers' offensive line coach who last played in the NFL in 1993, got a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. Munchak grabbed a Bengals player on the sideline, which may have gone unflagged under other circumstances.
It wasn't a big deal, but it was under the parameters that were set for this game.
If the message reached the Bengals sideline, it didn't stick.
They'll be talking about this one in Cincinnati for a long time. And for all the wrong reasons.
Not ever, and that's saying something, considering the Bengals have authored Volumes 1 through 12 of Improbable Ways To Lose Games.
The Bengals gave the Steelers the ball on a fumble, then handed them bonus yardage to set up Chris Boswell's 35-yard field goal to also give the Steelers an 18-16 victory in Cincinnati on Saturday night.
Injured Ben Roethlisberger came back into the game to lead the Bengals-assisted drive, and linebacker Ryan Shazier played like a madman the entire game.
But the focus will be on the uncontrollable idiocy the Bengals displayed on the last possession.
After the Steelers got the ball on Jeremy Hill's fumble, serial offenders Vontaze Burfict and Adam (No Longer Known as PacMan) Jones were there to take mindless penalties that made Boswell's winning kick a chip shot.
Who knows how many healthy players the Steelers will have for this Sunday's trip to Denver, but at least they get a chance to play another game.
Cincinnati? Sports talk radio should be lively there for the next couple of months, or years.
If the football wasn't the greatest, the drama was. CBS got a reality show that made "Survivor" look like "Family Feud."
There was Roethlisberger riding off the field on a cart after Burfict slammed his right shoulder into the turf on a sack. This one, at least, was a legal play.
The Steelers had to run the ball and discovered that unknowns Fitzgerald Toussaint and Jordan Rodman were equal to the challenge.
The defense raised memories of the "Blitzburgh" approach of a previous generation. If Dick LeBeau was watching, he was probably smiling.
But the Steelers couldn't finish drives and kept settling for field goals. That proved to be just enough against the current bunch of Bengals who needlessly protect their cement heads with plastic helmets.
Burfict, who locked up his reputation as Public Enemy No. 1, decided to slam his shoulder into Antonio Brown's head. Reading the body language, it seemed as though he was arguing that it was a legal hit because gave Brown a concussion with his shoulder instead of his helmet.
Then in ensuing scrum, Jones made the mistake of pushing one of the officials.
Two incredibly stupid penalties, one amazingly easy winning field goal for the Steelers, whose offense had been struggling.
All those jokes you've collected about the Bungles over the years? Get them laminated and set up a room in your house to display them. They're gold.
Just when it seemed the team was going to exorcise its postseason demons, the Bengals managed to blow a game in the most unimaginable way.
If the other Cincinnati players aren't preparing a petition to send Burfict packing, they should be. And Jones can carry the suitcases.
It was that kind of night. Despite warnings from the NFL and a pre-game line of officials at the 50-yard line to keep the peace, the message to knock off the stupidity didn't penentrate.
The Steelers weren't blameless, either. Assistant coach Joey Porter needs to be told that he's no longer a player and doesn't belong on the field.
It's not like the players didn't know things would be under close scrutiny.
Mike Munchak, the Steelers' offensive line coach who last played in the NFL in 1993, got a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. Munchak grabbed a Bengals player on the sideline, which may have gone unflagged under other circumstances.
It wasn't a big deal, but it was under the parameters that were set for this game.
If the message reached the Bengals sideline, it didn't stick.
They'll be talking about this one in Cincinnati for a long time. And for all the wrong reasons.
Sunday, January 3, 2016
Altoona Mirror, January 3, 2016
Here's another thing about those Friday holidays -- when you get to the Monday after New Years, it's over. Really over. Oh so over. Decorations are stowed away, school is back in session (and maybe the pre-break homework assignment is done) and it's business as usual again. (Never mind the lazy guy down the street who leaves the icicle lights up all year).
After the glorious ride that starts with the long Thanksgiving weekend, it's routine stuff from here out, and that reality hits hard.
There's no known cure for the January-February-March snow-crusted blues, but you can ease the pain just a bit by taking the annual year-end quiz. A dozen puzzlers that look back on the year in sports give you a chance to feel a little smarter than average.
Get yourself a pair of sharpened No. 2 pencils and have at it. Hey, it beats trying to make sense out of that neglected homework assignment.
---
1. Peyton Manning's biggest rival is:
a. Tom Brady.
b. Ben Roethlisberger.
c. Jake from State Farm.
---
2. "50-50" is:
a. An even split.
b. A popular raffle.
c. The ratio of prank callers to legitimate ones on "Nightly Sports Call."
---
3. The Mets or Yankees might be a good destination for Pedro Alvarez because:
a. Teams need power.
b. The price is right.
c. New Yorkers love to watch the ball drop.
---
4. What does Clint Hurdle usually eat for lunch during the season?
a. Soup.
b. Sandwich.
c. Robby Incmikoski.
---
5. If you refuse to take no for an answer, you might be:
a. Persistent.
b. Obstinate.
c. Pete Rose.
---
6. Most people could live comfortably on:
a. A lottery jackpot.
b. A large inheritance.
c. Five percent of the money wasted on legal fees for "Deflate-gate."
---
7. Now that A.J. Burnett is retired, he'll finally have time to:
a. Hunt.
b. Bond with his family.
c. Read all his tattoos.
---
8. What happens every four years?
a. Presidential election.
b. Winter Olympics.
c. Jay Caufield's facial expression changes.
---
9. The Steelers need to find:
a. A better pass rush.
b. Upgrades for the secondary.
c. The person who thought signing Jacoby Jones was a good idea.
---
10. The Penguins spent the first 10 weeks of the season
a. Struggling with systems.
b. Trying to assimilate new personnel.
c. Filing missing person reports on Sidney Crosby.
---
11. If a Pedro Alvarez Pirates jersey landed under your tree, you should:
a. Charge Santa with an error.
b. Count on a favorable exchange policy.
c. Hope he can at least catch pine needles.
---
12. If the Steelers reach the playoffs, they should do well because:
a. They're motivated.
b. They're experienced.
c. They won't face any teams with losing records.
---
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