THIS LINK GOES TO THE PICTURES OF THE BIKE BEING BUILT Hey everyone! A few months ago I did a quick FanPost outlining my plans to ride across the country for victims of human trafficking. I thought I'd do a quick update, since I had feedback and curiosity regarding the bike. The past few months have seen the makers of the bike, located in Brazil, begin, and then essentially finish the construction of the bike, which is made primarily of bamboo. There are a couple spots where steel or aluminum has been used (the crank case, and the steering stem, etc), all reinforced with strands of carbon fiber soaked in a naturally derived resin. It's a long, long process, and the pictures leaked in slowly as the process rolled on. The bike frame is nearly completed, and just needs a few minor finishing touches, then equipped with all the bits and pieces for a test ride. If it's looking good, then they'll be shipping just the frame out to the States where I'll eventually equip it with parts here (saves on shipping cost). PICTURES OF THE BIKE BEING BUILT HERE: http://tr4f.wordpress.com/bike-build-in-photos/ There have been a lot of other cool developments as well, with new sponsors coming on board, and more speaking engagements scheduled (I'll be giving presentations on the issue of human trafficking, how to spot it, and how to help the victims of human trafficking). Exciting times! My route is on the site as well as tons of other stuff...browse around a little! Just wanted everyone to get an update on what a severely whacked out member of Steeler nation is up to. :) Blessings, Dug

(There's a lot of negative headlines in the NFL, let alone the world we live in general. I wanted to spread some positive love.)

This is just some ramblings of what I love about the Steelers, their role in my life, the memories they have provided, and the way they have been the 'soundtrack,' so to speak, to my life. This is just from my own head, and if you've been around BTSC long enough, you may know my head is a wild little place sometimes.

In no particular order, or place of importance...

I love the following:

Jack Lambert's Hall of Fame acceptance speech. I have never been able to listen to it without getting goosebumps, the hair on my neck rising, and wanting to run through a brick wall leading with my forehead while my eyes well up with tears. Gawd I love that guy.

Eric Green's soft hands and massive frame. He was so damn good.

My collection of DVD's from the '70's to today.

Watching Potsie and J-Peezy go after Peyton Manning in the '05 playoff game.

My first game I attended in Pittsburgh. Steelers v. Raiders, 2004, opening day, when Bettis rushed for 20 touchdowns and a negative 150 yards. Loved it. I won't lie....I cried during the National Anthem and wiped my tears with my Terrible Towel. Definitely one proper use for a Terrible Towel.

Going to see my first Steelers game in person. Also against the Raiders, at the Los Angeles Coliseum. I went with my mom (love you mom!), and wore my almost-too-small Bradshaw home jersey. I was maybe 11-12. I remember I got heckled by Raider fans pretty bad (Really? Really Raider Fan? I'm a little kid with his mom...really?) And we won the game when Blount intercepted a pass near or in the end zone, sealing a trip to the playoffs for us. Beautiful!

Hiine's smile. Especially after a dagger play.

Wondering who the safety was we got from the Redskins, and feeling unsure he could fill Hope's shoes. Sorry, Ryan, for that moment of doubt. :)

I feed off the hate bred from jealousy of Bengals, Browns, and Ravens fans.

The Chief.

The Ambassador to Ireland.

UDFA's.

That feeling when I am at a Steeler away game, watching the stadium churn in a sea of swirling Terrible Towels.

The fact we do not have cheerleaders. I love this.

Acknowledging my hypocrisy regarding other teams punky jackass players. I tend to forget that Joe Greene was a punky, jerk of a player at times, especially during the first 3-4 years of his career. He made Suh look like a choirboy. I tend to conveniently forget we had a player shoot a Pennsylvania State Trooper. And skate. So when I see these Steelers today, we have adapted and changed to do things (pretty much) the right way, with excellence. (See: Smith, Aaron).

That someday I will be buried wearing Black and Gold.

I love the logo. The Black. The Gold. The single-sided helmet. The hypocycloids stir me every time I see them.

They're MY Steelers. They're YOUR Steelers. Together, they are, thankfully, OUR Steelers.

Add your own...

http://tr4f.wordpress.com

Poll

Which of these memories ranks as your favorite?

12%

2005: Bettis running over Brian Urlacher in the snow for a TD in Chicago

26 votes

5%

Peyton Manning getting frustrated in the 2005 playoff game and throwing his helmet.

11 votes

4%

Hines cracking Keith Rivers

9 votes

0%

Duce Staley standing on the sidelines in sweats.

1 votes

47%

Deebo's 100 yard interception return in the Superbowl.

96 votes

4%

Lynn Swann's tiptoe sideline Super Bowl catch.

10 votes

0%

Redman. Just Redman.

2 votes

6%

Lambert's HOF acceptance speech.

14 votes

16%

Troy's wild Tasmanian Devil INT return for a TD in the '08 AFC title game.

33 votes

202 votes | Poll has closed

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to put this out there for the BTSC crowd and Steeler Nation to know about, and allow you guys to peruse at your leisure.

I'll be riding a bicycle across the country from California to New York this coming August to October, about 60 days total on the road.

via tr4f.files.wordpress.com

Now, I won't be the first to ever ride across the country, for sure. But it will be a first for me, and actually, as far as I know I will be the first to do it on a bicycle made from bamboo.

via tr4f.files.wordpress.com

I'll be doing it to raise awareness for human trafficking, and to raise funds for survivors of human trafficking.

I'm going to be doing speaking engagements, with a full multimedia presentation, and visiting different organizations and safe houses who are dedicated to giving help and healing to former victims of human trafficking and the sex trade that stems from it.

If you are interested in looking into my ride more, and want to inquire about the possibility of me speaking at your school, organization, church or group, shoot me a line through my website:

http://tr4f.wordpress.com

Last year, I hiked 2,000 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail for the same cause, and I appreciated Bean's support and others on BTSC. You guys rocked, and I appreciated the messages and the inspiration. I hiked the whole way with a Terrible Towel, and took some pictures while on the top of Mt. Whitney (the highest spot in the lower 48) and other passes 13,000 feet and higher.

via thf2.files.wordpress.com

via thf2.files.wordpress.com

via thf2.files.wordpress.com (photo courtesy of WACPhotography)

I actually hiked a bit with a Bengals fan who wore a Bengals jersey every day...great guy, just a little misguided.. ;)

Hope you guys will follow my new journey across the country and if my path crosses yours, I'd love to meet up for a beer or a burger!

Blessings, and GO STEELERS!

Dug

via thf2.files.wordpress.com

Poll

How far will Dug make it across the country on that bamboo bicycle??

• 20 miles outside of town
• 500
• 1,000 miles
• 1,500 miles
• 2,500 miles
• 3,500 miles
• 4,500 miles
• All 5,200 miles
• He's stopping in Pittsburgh, marrying a 'Burgher girl who owns Steeler season tickets & eating Primanti's as often as possible.

  29 votes | Results

Hey everyone! I've missed being more active on the boards the last few months, but on occasion I've been able to jump on and get some Steeler news. The reason I've been off-line is that where I am there's no WiFi. I'm currently 586 miles into a 2,700 mile hike that began at the border of Mexico and California, and runs into British Columbia, Canada, known as the Pacific Crest Trail. I'm doing this hike for a good cause, and I won't get into it here, but if you'd like to know more about it, please visit my blog at: http://thf2.wordpress.com. There you'll find trip updates, info, and videos I've been taking & editing along the way. Having to carry everything I need on my back can be tough. Doing a long thru-hike like this calls for very strict measures on what I can or can't take. Luxury items, even a razor, can really add up, so only the true necessities make it. On average, with food and water, my pack weight is around 32-38 pounds. I've been hiking between 17-26 miles a day, mostly through desert areas, but have gone over several passes thus far with some snow. Coming up after this next 190 mile stretch I'm entering is the Sierra, with it's near record snowfall this year. Not everyone will make it through that section. One item that I refused to leave at home is my Terrible Towel. It's been with me every step of the way, and will be in some photos along the way...on top of Mt. Whitney, in the snow, atop some of the icy mountain passes, etc. So far on the trail I have met some Seahawks fans, quite a few actually. We'll hike a ways, and at some point I usually say, "hey, check this out...close your eyes & when I say 3 open 'Em"...and put the towel in their hands...when they open their eyes, they act like a vampire who's been doused in holy water, it's beautiful. Anyways, I've been meaning to stop in, say hello & miss everyone, & let you all know where I was at on the journey. Hope everyone is good, and like everyone, can't wait until the lockout is behind us & we have peace of mind that football will be enjoyed this Fall! Blessings to everyone, and be well! Dug (Fifty-Eight) http://thf2.wordpress.com

Thought I'd look at our selection of Mendenhall over Johnson in the draft a few years ago. Pretty much numbers and my own feelings, and spurred by this quote in one of Blitz's pieces today:

Ben needs to get the ball into Mendenhall’s hands all the time, any which way, by air or by hand off, he’s a ferocious athlete and I love his selection more and more every year.  -- TV'sChachi

Below are the main stats for both Johnson and Mendenhall.

Chris Johnson: (career stats)  Age: 25  Height: 5'11"  Weight: 191

Games: 39  

RUSHING STATS:

Rush Attempts: 787  Rush Yards: 3,955 YPC: 5.0 TD's: 31

RECEIVING STATS:

Receptions:  115 Yards: 853 YPR: 7.4  TD's: 3

 

Rashard Mendenhall: (career stats)   Age: 23  Height: 5'10"  Weight: 225

Games: 28  

RUSHING STATS:

Rush Attempts: 429  Rush Yards: 1,868 YPC: 4.4 TD's: 14

RECEIVING STATS:

Receptions:  41 Yards: 371 YPR: 9.0  TD's: 1

I'm going to play Joanie to TV'sChachi on this one. 
I LOVE Mendenhalls' selection, and often wondered why some people were dragging him by the collar to the dog house so soon. But, then I realized...I've done it before with other players, and so has everyone else on this blog, it seems like it's an old past time. 
So with that aside, I'm stoked we have him, and I'm very glad we have him and not Chris Johnson. 
My reasoning: 

• Toughness scale:  Mendenhall  > Johnson
• Steeler Style/Mentality: Mendenhall  > Johnson
• Age: Mendenhall  > Johnson
• Playing style: Mendenhall  > Johnson
• Size: Mendenhall  > Johnson
• Attitude: Mendenhall  > Johnson

It's rare mendenhall has a truly ineffective game, and with his age that sample size of games will increase. I don't see, with experience and study, how he will decline in any way in the foreseeable future.
His toughness is not an issue, and other than getting his shoulder busted by Ray Lewis, he's had no health problems. When he runs, he does so with authority, with vision, and with an eye downfield. He rushes hard, aggressively, and isn't afraid to lay a hit on someone.
His attitude is phenomenal, he's quiet, seems like a good person, and has no issues dogging him off or on-field. Other than his statements prior to the Baltimore game where Lewis murdered his shoulder (oops, did I say that?), he has not popped off or done anything to draw attention to himself negatively.
In a nutshell, I wouldn't trade Mendenhall for Johnson unless they included their first 4 draft picks. I love Mendenhall. I think he just fits us, and not sure I'd want the glitz and glam of a smaller back in there in Mendy's place.
Just my random ramblings on our stud RB.

Was just following around some Aaron Smith news just now, and I got led across ESPN's Steelers page, and a little story on Tomlin. Apparently, it was about how he doesn't like the criticism from the league from the fines, and he also doesn't really like the praise from the league this week. It's easy to find, ESPN, Steelers, but here's the meat & potatoes of the story:

"There certainly was one play, on a hit on a running back, that James Harrison may have taken a shot at the running back going down, and Harrison let up," Anderson said. "I applaud James for restraining himself."

Tomlin insisted last week that Harrison's hit was permissible under NFL rules, and Steelers president Art Rooney II agreed. Now, Tomlin appears unhappy that anyone in the league is suggesting the Steelers (5-1) softened their physical style of play during the 23-22 victory in Miami.

Tomlin said there was no such "letting up."

"I didn't see anything of that nature," Tomlin said Tuesday. "If I appear short, it's because it's somewhat insulting to me to assume that we're doing anything under any normal circumstances other than trying to play within the rules. That's how our guys play, that's how we coach. No. 1, first and foremost, is it conducive to winning? That's what our intentions are when we step into stadiums to play, whether it's last weekend of three weeks ago or a month ago. Or a month from now."

As for Anderson's praise, Tomlin said, "It would be tough for me to care less about their opinion, to be honest with you."

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