An open letter to Mike Tomlin and the rest of the Black and Gold braintrust...

Dear Mike,
I truly think you're one of the top coaches in the league, and so forgive my presumption, but it can't possibly have escaped your notice that losing to the Broncos this evening would be the BEST thing the  Steelers could do to boost their playoff fortunes for the second half of the season:

Exhibit A: Those cats in Cincinnati nearly made the costly late error of beating the Broncos on opening day, but realized the error of their ways in the last 30 seconds and did the only prudent thing, tapping the ball to Brandon Stokely to preserve defeat.
They now control their destiny in the AFC North.

Exhibit B: The Cowboys were a team struggling to find their identity in Week 4, when Terence Newman made the play of their season, allowing Brandon Marshall to haul in his game winner and set off on that sublimely choreographed romp through the Boys secondary.
They now sit firmly atop the NFC East.

Exhibit C: The New England Patriots were destined for an AFC East dogfight with the Jets until finding their way in Denver in Week 5.
They're now a shoe-in for the division crown, and have rediscovered their championship swagger.

Exhibit D: The San Diego Chargers were reeling from inconsistent defense and a spotty running game before their special teams stepped up against the Broncos in Week 6.
They haven't lost since and will be a force to be reckoned with down the stretch.

Exhibit E: In a stunning show of contempt for deferred gratification and an utter collapse of discipline in the 4th quarter, The Ravens lost their way last week, and paid the price yesterday against Cincinnati.
They've been reduced to an impotent afterthought in the AFC North.

So Mike, you're a man among men, and a master motivator. I'm confident that you can find a way to fire up your troops and get them to bring their Z game tonight and "just lose baby."*

Sincerely,

A Fan

*After all, you wouldn't want to follow the advice of Al Davis these days, would you?

Seriously, Good luck this evening Steeler fans, and may the best team win....!!

Dear Mike,
I truly think you're one of the top coaches in the league, and so forgive my presumption, but it can't possibly have escaped your notice that losing to the Broncos this evening would be the BEST thing the  Steelers could do to boost their playoff fortunes for the second half of the season....

Exhibit A: Those cats in Cincinnati nearly made the costly late error of beating the Broncos on opening day, but realized the error of their ways in the last 30 seconds and did the only prudent thing, tapping the ball to Brandon Stokely to preserve defeat.
They now control their destiny in the AFC North.

Exhibit B: The Cowboys were a team struggling to find their identity in Week 4, when Terence Newman made the play of their season, allowing Brandon Marshall to haul in his game winner and set off on that sublimely choreographed romp through the Boys secondary.
They now sit firmly atop the NFC East.

Exhibit C: The New England Patriots were destined for an AFC East dogfight with the Jets until finding their way in Denver in Week 5.
They're now a shoo-in for the division crown, and have rediscovered their championship swagger.

Exhibit D: The San Diego Chargers were reeling from inconsistent defense and a spotty running game before their special teams stepped up against the Broncos in Week 6.
They haven't lost since and will be a force to be reckoned with down the stretch.

Exhibit E: In a stunning show of contempt for deferred gratification and an utter collapse of discipline in the 4th quarter, The Ravens lost their way last week, and paid the price yesterday against Cincinnati.
They've been reduced to an impotent afterthought in the AFC North.

So Mike, you're a man among men, a genius among genies, and a master motivator. I'm confident that you can find a way to fire up your troops and get them to bring their Z game tonight and "just lose baby."*

Sincerely,

A fan

*After all, you wouldn't want to follow the advice of Al Davis these days, would you?

Editor's Note - I thought this posst was an excellent example of how to have doubts about the Broncos, specifically Kyle Orton, and do it in a PRODUCTIVE manner.  Excellent Post! - Guru

Note: I wrote this post during the bye week, when the Broncos' record was still without a blemish... Only getting around to posting it now...

When I read BroncosNL's post this week about which of our upcoming free agents we should prioritize, I was surprised to watch the ripples in my mind created by Kyle Orton slipping like a stone to the bottom of the list. Now I don't consider myself an Orton basher, and have been very happy with his development over the season. But when I dug a little deeper, I realized that there's a question burning in me like a southbound habanero burrito, and at risk of courting a little controversy and criticism, I'm really curious to hear what the MHR masses think.

My question is quite simply this:

How much of Orton's success is his own, and how much is directly and unequivocally attributable to the wundercoach, Josh McDaniels.

(Let's jump)

Continue reading this post »

I started a MHR group in Survival Football (pick one game correctly each week to avoid elimination).

You can join it here.

Group number: 20649

Password: MHR

This does enforce the rule that you can  pick each team no more than once during the season...

Pick the Broncos Week 1, and receive the "Hey Koolaid!" Orange Star...

Anyone welcome to join.... (14 words to go... did I mention that anyone's welcome to join? Thought so...)

For anyone interested, Klis is getting updates from reporter Lindsay Jones from the Atlanta courtroom where Brandon's 2009 season may be decided. The 6-person jury was appointed by 10am (4 women, 2 men, for whatever that's worth), and opening arguments are over and done with. Looks like updates are being posted here.

I sure hope 1) that justice is served and 2) that Marshall is deemed innocent. He's still a big factor in this offense's potential effectiveness.

I am!!

If there are any other Bay Area MHR regulars/newbies/lurkers who are planning to attend the game at Candlestick on Friday, let's meet for a frosty beverage beforehand or to compare notes (and for a frosty beverage) afterwards.

Also, if anyone has things they'd like me to look for and report on in Game One, I'm happy to take scouting requests. I'm not the most experienced observer--I've watched a lot of football, but mostly in a follow-the-pigskin kind of way--but am really looking forward to watching different aspects of the team's performance in this first outing. I'll take some notes and try to report on all the obvious stuff--QB play, whether the d-line is holding their own, how the young secondary guys look, and the back-up receivers--but I'd welcome advice or requests about other things to look for.

And if anyone wants a Michael Crabtree autograph, let me know...lol

Ready for some football!!

Apologies to those of you who have tired of the "The MSM is a bunch of idiots" motif, but this one is such a perfect little example--to the point of parody--that I couldn't pass it up....

So, over on the 4-letter network's blogsite, the training camp "Power Rankings" are out, and the home team weighs in at a predictable 27th out of 32 teams. Fine. Cut it out and put it in that box over there.  We already know that we're going to need a bigger bulletin board well before the sun sets on the preseason. The guys are already in the locker room measuring the wall....

What is just classic, however, is Pork Chop's "rebuttal." He's been displaced as the voting expert on the AFC West, but feels the need to weigh in anyway--in a column called "Breaking Down the AFC West Power Rankings":

Our pre-training camp power rankingss have been released.

We have streamlined the voting process. I no longer have a vote. AFC South blogger Paul Kuharsky is the AFC representative.

I still have an opinion though, so here goes:

Could it be?  A possible original opinion from the MSM? Hold onto your hats, ladies and gents...

Kuharsky ranked the Bolts 6th.  Williamson's "dissenting" opinion: 6th-8th .....

The Chiefs show up at number 28. Williamson concurs: 28th-30th

The Raiders at number 30 get some love from PC, who feels they're underrated ("this team is not the third worst team in the league" he declares) and adjusts them to 25-28th (conceding that they're maybe the 5th worst....)

And the Broncos? Instead of #27, he's got them at 24-26....

I think Denver was slightly under ranked, but I understand why. There are a lot of questions about this team after a controversial offseason.

Now there's an opinion to hang that hat on..... Way to "break down" those power rankings.....!

Seriously, why in the world did you bother writing this column at all?? So that seven months hence when the final snap has been snapped, and the purely subjective final "Power Ranking" is released, you can say, "I knew the Raiders would be 28th not 30th! I just knew it!!"   Strikes me as the perfect illustration of a group of "experts" that are contractually or genetically forbidden to think for themselves....