At this point Sean Kugler and Carnell Lake must be jumping with joy after both having two new prospects to groom and coach up this season. The Pittsburgh Steelers just selected Keith Williams from Nebraska with their sixth round and 196th overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. Williams is a giant clocking in at 6'4, 318 pounds, and he likely projects to play offensive guard at the NFL level. Williams was a three year starter at Nebraska and last season he played left guard where the Cornhuskers rushed for over 200 yards in ten games last season.

Here is a write up from NFL.com:

"Williams' mentality, size and strength should allow him to become a solid backup guard in the league. Pass blocking technique must improve. Needs to get set quicker, deliver a punch and become more active with his hands. However, he does show the ability to hold up even when initially beat. If he can take better angles, and stay low in the running game, could be an area of strength. Despite these deficiencies, he still flashes the ability to blow defenders off the ball and get out in space while pulling. Plays angry and doesn't stop until the whistle. Seven round / rookie free agent."

For years Steelers fans have been clamoring that we have been ignoring our needs at the offensive and defensive lines, this year fans will likely be happy with the Steeler grabbing two players on the offensive line, spending their first round pick on the defensive line, and selecting two cornerbacks with tremendous upside to fill the roster's most glaring need. Going into the seventh round this has been one of the least flashy drafts in recent memory, with zero skill position players being taken by Kevin Colbert and company. I guess that's what happens when you hit on 3rd round wide receiver prospects in back to back years and grab another student wide out in round 6 last year. The bitterness of the Super Bowl loss will remain but this draft certainly has the black and gold mentality written all over it.

 With the 162nd pick in the 2011 NFL draft the Pittsburgh Steelers took Chris Carter from Fresno State. Carter projects to be an outside linebacker in the Pittsburgh's 3-4 defense. Carter was extremely productive last season and won the Western Athletic Conference defensive player of the year award after notching 11 sacks. Carter was a key piece to an improved Bulldog defense after matching the same amount of sacks the entire team recorded a year earlier. Carter also had 16.5 tackles for a loss and ended his collegiate career with 200 tackles and 19.5 sacks.

Carter is probably a bit smaller than the Steelers are used to in terms of their outside linebacker position coming in at 6'1, and 248 pounds. Carter is closer to James Harrison (6'0, 242lbs) than Lamarr Woodley (6'2, 265lbs) in terms of size but his strengths have been noted as his intelligence and his non-stop motor. Carter was a player that I have seen in mock drafts as high as the second round to the Houston Texans. Perhaps the second round was a bit high for the Fresno State product, but it appears that Pittsburgh has another solid player that should at least be able to contribute on special teams next year. Welcome to Steeler Nation Chris Carter.

Steelers fans were extermlly nervous after the first two rounds were concluded and exactly zero defensive backs were selected.  The third and fourth rounds should appease the fans with Pittsburgh selecting cornerbacks back to back in rounds three and four.  In round four it was Cortez Allen from the Citadel that was selected.   Allen is a big body at 6'1 and just shy of two hundred pounds. He was an extremely productive player at the Citadel starting for the Bulldogs for three seasons.  Allen is certainly very raw after not playing against top level talent in college, but his upside is extermly large.  Welcome to Steeler Nation Cortez.

While we wait for the start of the second round beginning at 6 pm eastern time, here's a few quotes from the Pittsburgh Steelers first round draft choice, Cameron Heyward, as well as from Director of Football Operations Kevin Colbert and head coach Mike Tomlin.

Cameron Heyward 

His thoughts on what type of player the Pittsburgh Steelers are getting:

"A team-first kind of player, very accountable and a guy that is constantly going to work hard and contribute as much as he can for his team."

His thoughts on what it means to be a first round draft pick and a Pittsburgh Steeler:

"One of my goals has always been to be a first rounder.  I have always worked hard to be a first rounder and to be picked by the Pittsburgh Steelers it is a an unbelievable opportunity and I am really going to cherish it and I am going to work hard to show people that I deserve that spot."

 Heyward recently had Tommy-John Surgery.  His response to how ready he is to play:

"Great. If minicamp started tomorrow I would be there."

What it means to him to come back to Pittsburgh after being born in Pittsburgh:

"Not having my father around through this process, it has been tough.  But I know he is watching and I am going to strive everyday to make him proud of me and to live his legacy on."

His thoughts on a defense first team:

"I love it. The defense, to be a part of this type of defense is one of a kind. You can’t emulate it in a lot of places. The town, they support their team. I’ve always had a Terrible Towel. I look forward to being a part of Steeler Nation."

His thoughts on his previous system at Ohio State:

"I think we try to adapt our defense to a Steeler brand type of ball because Coach LeBeau is a well renowned player at Ohio State.  We try to adapt well and playing their type of ball, getting after the quarterback, making a lot of plays in the back field, being an attacking defense.  That is the type of defense I am accustomed to."

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Kevin Colbert

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The first half certanly had a lot to cheer about and had a few moments to cringe about as well.  The Steelers are in control of this game, but hopefully they don't allow complaincancy to creep in and ruin their shot at the AFC North Title.  I look to see the Steelers keep some of their key players out of the game and continue to allow younger players to show their worth as the Steelers approach their third playoff run in Mike Tomin's four seasons.

 A brief look at some facts and figures heading into this weekends games.  Enjoy!  -Frank-

1- The number of all time loses the Steelers have had against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  Their career record all-time is 8-1.  The one loss they suffered to Tampa Bay was in 1998 at Raymond James Stadium where the game will be held this Sunday.

3-  The number of times the Pittsburgh Steelers have lost a game when the Troy Polamalu has intercepted a pass.  Conversely they have won the other 18 games in which Troy has an interception.

3.8-  The average number of punt return yards Antwaan Randel El is averaging in his return to Pittsburgh this season.  While I certainly understand the need for no mistakes currently when our offense is so anemic, I will be very irritated if Randel El is the main returner after Ben Roethlisberger returns in a few weeks.

4-  The number of field goals Steelers kicker Jeff Reed needs to be only the second ever kicker with at least 200 career field goals in Steelers history.  The other player is Gary Anderson who has 309 career field goals as a Steeler.

5-  Number of special teams tackles rookie Cody Grimm had in the preseason along with two additional special teams tackles in the first two games.  The former Virginia Tech linebacker will receive his first NFL start at Safety this weekend against the Steelers.

7- The number of gears the world's fastest car has.  The gears are as follows, 5, 6, and Isaac Redman.

9-  The career number of interceptions Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor has recorded in his career.  Taylor is going on his eight season with the Steelers and has never recorded more three interceptions in a season.  Quite an interesting stat for one of the most underrated corners in the league.

10- The number of consecutive games that LaMarr Woodley has recorded at least a half-sack.

13 - The number of losses the Tampa Bay head coach Raheem Morris had during his first season with the Buccaneers.  In comparison Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin has 17 regular season losses in his first three seasons in Pittsburgh.

26-  The average age of the players on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  They are the second youngest team in the National Football League second only to the Carolina Panthers.

33-  The cents on the dollar that Tampa Bay ownership could of paid to buy up the reported several thousand unsold seats to avoid a blackout for their local fans at Raymond James Stadium.

35-  The number of players on the Steelers roster who were draft picks by the Steelers.  26 were Free Agent acquisitions and two players were acquired via trade. 

53- The number of players on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that wet themselves after watching game tape of the man, the myth, the legend, James "Deebo/Silverback" Harrison."

104- The total number of yards on the ground the Pittsburgh Steelers have allowed so far this season through their first two games.

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 A brief look at some interesting numbers in anticipation of the game this weekend between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Tennessee Titans 

1- The number of touchdowns Hines Ward needs to move into a tie with Jerome Bettis for second place all time in terms of total touchdowns scored.   Hines currently has 79, the Steelers career leader in touchdowns scored is Franco Harris with 100.

4.5- The number of sacks Titans defensive tackle Jason Jones has in his two career match-ups versus the Steelers.  (Run, Dennis, Run).

5.5- The number of yards per carry Rashard Mendenhall averaged last week against the Falcons. 

9- The number of consecutive games that LaMarr Woodley has recorded at least a half-sack.

12-  The number of consecutive games that Titan's running back Chris Johnson has gained 100 or more yards in a game.

14- Number of statistical categories for receivers that Hines Ward leads the Steelers.  This number does not include the fact that he leads the Steelers receivers is knock-out blows to Ed Reed.

16-  The number of consecutive seasons that Jeff Fisher has been the Head Coach of the Tennessee Titans.  He is currently the longest tenured coach in the NFL.  (I'm sure we will hear about that 15-20 times during the broadcast on Sunday).

26-  The number of 100-yard receiving games that Hines Ward has posted in his career after last weeks 108 yard performance against the Falcons.  Ward moved past John Stallworth with the performance for the most 100 yard games in Steelers history.

29-  The percentage of third downs the Steelers converted last week against the Atlanta Falcons.  The Steelers will likely have to be much better in this phase to secure a victory on Sunday.

31-  NFL teams that passed up the chance to allow future Hall of Famer and God among men, Isaac Redman, to grace his presence on their roster.

39.5-  The number of sacks James Harrison has recorded during his career.  He needs one more to move into ninth place all time on the all-time Steelers career sack list.

52- The length of the longest field goal at Heinz Field, which was kicked last week by Jeff Reed.

53- The number of sacks Lamaar Woodley and James Harrison have combined for since the start of the 2008 season when Lamaar Woodley was inserted into the starting line-up.

100- The percentage of games in which Dennis Dixon has started that have went to overtime.

119- The number of receiving yards the Heath Miller needs to move into second place all time in terms of receiving yards for a tight end.  Miller currently has 2,761 yards in his first six seasons in the NFL, he trails Bennie Cunningham (2,879) and Elbie Nickel (5,133). 

179- The number of consecutive games in which Hines Ward has recorded at least one catch.  His streak is tied for the fifth longest in the NFL history with Tim Brown.

825- The number of points the Pittsburgh Steelers have allowed since the beginning of the 2007 season, which is the fewest in the NFL during that time span.

63,429- The number of fans who attended the week one game at Heinz field against the Atlanta Falcons.

Well ladies and gentleman here were go again.  The Steelers will be taking on the Atlanta Falcons at 1pm and this looks to be a match-up of two playoff caliber teams.   This live thread is here for you to cheer, cry, and even complain about Bruce Arians and his play calling.  There is only one question left to have answered:

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?

A brief look at some interesting numbers in anticipation of the game this weekend between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Atlanta Falcons. 

0-  The number of knee braces Troy Polamalu will be wearing on Sunday in his first regular season action since the Steelers loss against the Cincinnati Bengals on November 11th, 2009.

1-  The number of receptions Falcon's tight end, Tony Gonzalez needs to become the first tight end in the history of the NFL to reach 1,000 receptions.

2-  The number of career starts for Dennis Dixon after Sunday.

2.5-  The number of sacks Aaron Smith needs to move into seventh place on the Steelers all-time sack list, passing Dwight White.  Smith has 44 career sacks going into the season.

3-  The position that Atwaan Randle El will occupy on the depth chart at the receiver position as well as the quarterback position.

3.79-  The estimated time the Issac Redman ran the 40 yard dash in yesterday.  (He was also wearing full pads and giving John Abraham a piggy-back ride during the run).

5-   The number of Offensive Players who were listed on the opening day depth chart for 2009 season as well the 2010 season (Hines Ward, Heath Miller, Max Starks, Chris Kemoeatu, and Trai Essex).

8-  The number of consecutive opening weekend wins for the Steelers if they can win on Sunday against Atlanta.  The Steelers have the longest consecutive streak of wins on opening weekend in the NFL.

9-  The number of consecutive games that LaMarr Woodley will have at least a half-sack if he is able to post a sack during Sunday's match-up.

10- The number of years since a Rookie has started on the offensive line for the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Maurkice Pouncey will become the first Steelers rookie since Marvel Smith to start on the offensive line in Week 1.

14-  The number of consecutive quarters the Atlanta Falcons have gone without allowing a sack.

16-  The number of players on the Steelers 53 man roster that were drafted or acquired as free agents this past offseason.  That's over 30% of the roster that is brand new for the 2010 season.

20-  The number of wins the Steelers have at Hinez Field under Mike Tomlin, while only posting five losses at home during his tenure.

29-  The number of pounds backup defensive tackle Nick Eason lost after having life threatening emergency surgery during the offseason.

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Well Ladies and Gentleman believe it or not football is here.  Tonight the Pittsburgh Steelers will match-up against the Detroit Lions at Heinz Field in both teams first preseason match-up.  While preseason football certainly doesn't have the excitement and flair of regular season football it is still intriguing for us die-hards fans for a multitude of reasons.  Post your thoughts on the game here and Michael and the team will break down the game and it's implications throughout the week here at BTSC.

For now here are some things to watch in tonight's game:

What will the reception be for Ben Roethlisberger in his first game back at Heinz Field since the incident in Milledgville, GA?

Sixth Round Pick Jonathan Dweyer has had a dissapointing camp so far by most accounts.  Will he show the flashes of why he was so effective in college?

Pre-season Hall of Famer Isaac Redman will be back in action.  Will he show he is ready to make the next step?

The Steelers drafted 100,456,033 linebackers in the 2010 draft, which ones will step up?

Will Dennis Dixon perform well enough tonight to show he should be getting a chance to compete for the starting job in the first four to six weeks?

What else are you looking to see tonight Steeler Nation?

IX-Am I the only one who thinks the Raven's back-up QB class behind Joe Flacco is much weaker than most think?   I read an report earlier this offseason after the signing of Marc Bulger that someone ranked them as having the best QB corps. in the game.  Now comes a nasty rumor that the Eagles are interested in Troy Smith.  If the Raven's were to deal Smith to the Eagles, I would be very concerned about the possibility of Marc Bulger leading a playoff ready team if Joe Flacco was to go down to injury.   Sure, Bulger didn't have anything to work with in St. Louis the last few years but I think he is too shell-shocked to be an effective quarterback in this league anymore.

X-Off topic, but where does everyone think LeBron James lands tonight at 9pm?  I guess I am still thinking he is staying with Cleveland, and possibly only signing a three year contract so we can go through this entire marry-go-round again in three more years..  If he breaks up with Cleveland on national television, it would be like breaking up with your high-school sweetheart of five years by gathering your entire high-school for an assembly and then announcing you were leaving your current high school sweetheart for two twins that live in Miami.  Also on a side note, I saw this stunning article from blacksportsonline about the top 25 NBA career salaries of all time.  Seriously?  Chris Weber is in the top five?

XIII-By now everyone has probably had time to digest Gene Collier's scathing review of the Steelers upcoming 2010 season.   He stated that he thinks after the loss of Big Ben at the beginning of the season, Santonio, Sweed, and now Colon that they are only a six win team.  Hopefully you haven't forgotten about SBNations' Pittsburgh Site, because Pete Wilmoth who is a contributor for the site wrote a rebuttal on why everything isn't so doom and gloom in Pittsburgh right now.

XIV-Jerome Bettis is all over the news again today after he made some comments about what he feels it will take for troubled quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to get back on track with the fans of Pittsburgh.  I loved Bettis as a player, but I continue to struggle with post-career media persona.  Sometimes I have thought he does a halfway decent job, but I have never been blown away by him as a journalist.  I just don't think he is best suited to be on T.V. or in print as an analyst.  I could see him fitting in much better in the role of color commentator for CBS or FOX.  I think his bright personality and his football intellect would suit him much better in that role.

XL-Mike Tomlin took over the role of host Big Ben's football camp this season, but his favorite way to give back is to his hometown community in the Hampton Roads area of southern Virginia.  The article from a local paper, PilotOnline, recounts the story from a few years ago when Tomlin was in jeopardy of missing a portion of the camp due to complications with air travel.  What did Tomlin do?  He jumped in his car and drove the seven hours from Pittsburgh.  I live not all that far from that area and knowing what the traffic is like passing the D.C. area and then getting through the Hampton Roads tunnels I would be shocked if he made it in seven hours.  Anyways, it's just another example of how even though Tomlin may have some faults as a football coach it's hard to argue that we have a great person in charge of this team.

XLIII-One more note:  I am more than likely going to be joining Cotter from One for the Other Thumb, and Tecmo from Pittsburgh Sports and Mini Ponies at Steelers Training Camp in Latrobe, PA the weekend of August 7^th and 8^th.  I went last year with them and had a blast, not only at training camp but also in soaking up some of the local culture of Latrobe, PA.  If you are interested in possibly going that weekend let me know so we can meet up.  The annual night game is actually that Friday, August 6^th at the Latrobe High School.

IX-Nick Eason was set to be one of the key reserves for the Pittsburgh Steelers defensive line this year especially with the retirement of Travis Kirschke this off-season. Unfortunately for Eason he was recently hospitalized and had two surgeries to remove his appendix and part of his colon.  The second surgery to remove part of the colon was because Eason had waited so long to have his appendix removed that bacteria began to seep into his colon.  The Tribune Review reports that Eason is targeting the beginning of training camp to be back on the field even though the hospitalization caused Eason's weight to drop to 285.  Last season he was listed at playing at 305 pounds, so he essentially lost around twenty pounds.  Eason says hopefully this will be a blessing for him in terms of eating better and playing at a lower weight.  This could be a bigger story line than we currently are thinking, as Eason's roster spot is certainly not guaranteed especially with young Ra'Shon Harris waiting in the wings.

X-We talked about the Pittsburgh Steelers camp that was being held in Mexico City a while back here on BTSC and now Blog n' Gold and Steelers.com have reports on how the event went.  Both reports make it sound like the event was a major hit with 500 kids participating in the camp itself and an estimated additional 1,000 onlookers taking photographs and just their to look on as Mike Wallace, Ziggy Hood, Daniel Sepulvada, and Keenan Lewis worked with the young kids teaching them football fundamentals.

XIII-ESPN 1250's Ken Laird did a position by position roster breakdown from his vantage point breaking each position into players that are a lock to make the squad, players that are likely, and then question marks.  His breakdown is very similar to BTSC's reader and contributor barnerburner's excellent post from last week.

XIV-Steelersgab has a listing of the top ten players that Steelers fans love to hate.  One notable person that he left off the list was Cowboy's cornerback Larry Brown who is the only non-Steeler to become Super Bowl MVP in any of the Steelers Super Bowl appearances.  I guess for that matter Neil O'Donnell might actually be more hated than Brown.

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And then there were two...that's right the Pittsburgh Steelers have signed the pair of remaining fifth round picks from the 2010 NFL draft.  Crezdon Butler, a cornerback from Clemson who finished his career at Clemson with 11 interceptions and Chris Scott a big bruising Offensive Tackle from Tennessee both signed three year contracts today.  These signing leave only the Steelers first two picks, Maurkice Pouncey and Jason Worlids left to sign their rookie contracts.

From all account Butler has looked solid in training camp and is looking to find a spot in a surprisingly deep secondary that includes Ike Taylor, Bryant McFadden, William Gay, Keenen Lewis and Joe Burnett.  With Ike Taylor looking to hit free agency the Steelers would be in a much better position if either Butler or one of last years two draft picks were able to step up and show they can play at the NFL level.  Scott is also trying to crack a spot in the offensive line rotation against a few players like Tony Hills who have yet to show they have the talent to play at the next level.  To make roster room for Scott and Butler the Steelers cut rookie free agent, Da'Mon Cromartie-Smith, the 80^th Cromartie in the last five years to try his hands at playing in the NFL.

While the Steeelers have been super active in signing their draft picks in the past week I wouldn't look to much movement in terms of Jason Worlids or Maurike Pouncey until some of the other first and second round picks sign their deals to set up the fair market value.  As of today I don't see a single first or second round draft pick that has come to an agreement with their club.  I wouldn't be surprised to see the contract for Pouncey not get done until just before the start of Training camp at the end of July.

Sponsored Post: This post is presented by Sprint. Bringing you the first wireless 4G network from a national carrier. Only on the Now Network. - Michael Bean -

IX-Yesterday the Pittsburgh Steelers officially signed four draft picks, including wide receivers Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown that were previously reported here at BTSC.  The other two picks that were signed were fifth round draft pick Sylvester Stevenson, a linebacker out of Utah who lead his team in tackles last season, and sixth round soon to be stud Jonathan Dwyer from Georgia Tech.  Maurkice Pouncey, Jason Worilds, Chris Scott, and Crezdon Butler are the four Steelers left to sign.  In addition to this the Steelers released seven players yesterday.  The players that were released were Jason Chery, kicker Piotr Czech, linebacker Derrick Doggett, punter Adam Graessle, nose tackle Cordarrow Thompson, center Bradley Vierling and cornerback Trae Williams.

X-Book your Hotels, Flights, and reservations at either Sharkey's or Dino's because Steelers training camp starts on July 30th and runs all the way until August 20th.  The first open practice for fans begins on July 31st and the night practice that is held at Latrobe high school is on Friday, August 6th at 7pm.  I will definitely be making my way up to Latrobe for a long weekend full of Steelers practices, beer, and fun.  Who's coming with me?

XIII-Last night the L.A. Lakers tied up the series with the Boston Celtics in what is becoming a must watch series (just about the only one of the NBA playoffs so far).  Anyways, Deadspin has developed a partnership with former NBA referee and convict, Tim Donaghy.  Donaghy has been writing a critique of the NBA Finals referees after each game of the finals and each game is more scathing than the last.  Game six is not up yet, but here is a link to game one, game two, game three, game four, and game five.  Pretty interesting stuff and even in you don't buy into all of the conspiracy theories that Donaghy throws out, it's hard not to see how much the referees impact these games.

Continue reading this post »

Comcast has generously agreed to support the best NFL community around -- us!  As part of that effort, between now and the end of the 2010 NFL season Comcast will be sponsoring a variety of special editorial and interactive features on our site.  They begin today with the launch of the Comcast HD War Room, your weekly destination for key draft insight and opinion.

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Yesterday the Steelers locked up the first receiver they took in the 2010 NFL Draft and today it is being reported that they have locked up 6th round draft pick, Antonio Brown.  Brown has been one of the stars of this springs' practices in shoulder pads and shorts, and few reports have said he looked sharper than third round pick Emmanuel Sanders.  Brown's deal is reported to be for three years and included a relatively small signing bonus of just $73k.

In his final season with the Central Michigan Chippewas Brown had over 100 catches and over 1000 yards while racking up nine touchdowns.  Antonio is not the prototypical size for a NFL receiver at 5'10 and 180 pounds but hopefully he will be able to provide a spark to the return game as he was a two time MAC special teams player of the year.  The signing of Brown leaves first round pick Maurkice Pouncey, second round pick, Jason Worilds, fifth round picks Chris Scott, Crezdon Butler, Sylvester Stevenson and sixth round pick Jonathan Dwyer left to sign.

According to a reliable source, the Pittsburgh Steelers have signed Emmanuel Sanders today to a contract.  The contract is rumored to be for three years and in the range of about two million dollars.  Sanders himself is the reliable source after posting on his twitter account the following:

It's official!!!!!!!! Ya boy is a Pittsburgh Steeler!!! Signed-seeled the re deal. Can't wait to earn every cent plus more!!!!

Sanders is a speedster who posted some exceptional numbers during his time at small school Southern Methodist, posting 958 yards and nine touchdown in ten games last season, even if they were posted in June Jones somewhat unorthodox offense.  If Sanders is able to have even a small portion of the impact that last years third round pick, Mike Wallace, was able to produce it would surely help lessen the impact of trading away Santonio Holmes this off-season for a bag of rice.  Cheers to the newest Steeler, Emmanuel Sanders.

Comcast has generously agreed to support the best NFL community around -- us!  As part of that effort, between now and the end of the 2010 NFL season Comcast will be sponsoring a variety of special editorial and interactive features on our site.  They begin today with the launch of the Comcast HD War Room, your weekly destination for key draft insight and opinion.

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IX-Ben Roethlisberger finally addressed the media today for the first time since returning with his teammates at organized team activity's.  Ben took two questions for the media and darted off like Speedy Gonzales.  Ben said nothing that was surprising and just basically reiterated that he is making changes in his life to improve himself on and off the gridiron.  In other news Major League Baseball Umpire James Joyce personally called Ben and thanked him for taking some of the spotlight off of him today.

X-Speaking of Joyce and Major League Baseball they sure knows how to make a fine mess out what should of been the third perfect game in the few short months that the season has been going on.  Their has never been more than two perfect games in an entire season and we witnessed history last night whether the MLB wants to acknowledge it or not.  Since it is the off-season in football land what are your thoughts on how Bud Selig and the league should react to last nights blow call.  One thing that I have heard few people in the media discuss was the sportsmanship that Armando Galarraga showed even though what was likely his one chance in his life to be on top of his sport.  Watch the NBA Finals tonight and watch how often player pout and whine over every poor call made by the referree and it will be a stark contrast to the way Galarraga handled himself.

XIII-Outside of playing one of the most iconic rolls in sport movie history, Shooter, from the legendary film "Hoosiers" Dennis Hopper also played another iconic sports related roll that has been largely forgetten.  If you tuned into NFL football in the 90's you probably remember Hopper as the crazed referee/fan that said Bruce Smith does, "Bad Things Man, I mean Bad Things."  Obviously most of you have already heard that Hopper past away this weekend, what was your favorite roll of his?

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Now that the NFL draft is complete and most of the free agents who are worth a damn in terms of fantasy football are all signed I thought it would be interesting to look at where some of our beloved Pittsburgh Steelers look in terms of fantasy football for the 2010 season. [Frank]

Quarterbacks- While some may say that you might want to look at Byron Leftwitch, Dennis Dixon, or even Charlie Batch to hold down your fantasy team during weeks 1-4 (and possibly 6 and 7), I think you are better off staying clear of whomever is throwing the rock in Big Ben absence.  The Steelers are likely to lean on their running game with Ben out and with a weaker receiving corp than last year; I wouldn't put my fantasy success in the hands of any of these guys.  I think Ben Roethlisberger on the other hand could be a decent option if you can find him late enough in the draft, especially if you have one of the top QB's like a Manning, Breese, Schaub type you could steal Ben to cover a bye-week and then offer him up as trade value.

Bottom Line: Stay clear of the Steelers QB's, but do keep an eye on Roethlisberger if he starts to slip, as he could be a nice complimentary QB or even solid trade bait.

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Please pardon my lack of activity the last few days and I have been starting back into graduate school along with getting back into the swing of things around here and had to make sure I was getting some of my school work done.  Thanks a lot to those of you who have kept the site running with some excellent fan-posts including WyoFan's "un-official Six-Pack" and the newly married (congrats by the way) tannofsteel84's "Rapid Reports Honeymoon Edition." Keep up the great work as we truck on through the slow part of the off-season. [Frank]

X-Three men were charged with criminal trespassing and conspiracy to commit trespassing after two of them entered the stadium by creating a human ladder. According to their story, the three men were trying to "find a wallet that they had left in the stadium in December."  All three of the men were from out of town and the department of homeland security and the F.B.I. were notified about the issue. Scary Stuff.

X-Charlie Batch makes an interesting case for himself to be the Steelers starter in the first few weeks of the year, although I think the chances of him starting are about as good Limas Sweed winning the Comeback Player of the Year award in 2011.  As we get closer and closer to training camp it seems more likely that Byron Leftwitch will be at least pegged as the number one QB going into the first four games unless Dixon can show him up.  In Ed Bouchette's blog on the "Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Plus" site he even is starting to jump on the band-wagon of supporters who for the past three years have been calling for Charlie Batch to join the ranks of Steelers coaches.

XIII-Ziggy Hood and Daniel Sepulvada are hosting a youth Camp in Mexico, where according to the Tribune Review the Steelers have a strong following.  Lammar Woodley is also hosting his third annual football camp in his home state of Michigan in June.  Woodley will then host a party to commemorate his first ever selection to the pro-bowl on June 12th.

Continue reading this post »

Comcast has generously agreed to support the best NFL community around -- us!  As part of that effort, between now and the end of the 2010 NFL season Comcast will be sponsoring a variety of special editorial and interactive features on our site.  They begin today with the launch of the Comcast HD War Room, your weekly destination for key draft insight and opinion.

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IX-Two different reports, one from the Pittsburgh Tribune Review, and one from Steelcityinsider.com have the same qoute from defensive backs coach Ray Horton about William Gay's 2009 season.  Horton says: "I think if you talked to William, he would say he became a little too full of himself... I’m sure he thought ‘I’m here. I’ve arrived."  It certainly sounds like from both these reports that the defensive backs are taking the critique hard and are looking to show the Steelers that they aren't a bunch of scrubs.  Another nugget that Wexell's article brought up was that Keenan Lewis did not participate much in his rookie campaign due to a back injury, which was reported but never really talked about much last season.

X-Damned if the more they let Bruce Arians talk the more I tend to dislike him.  In this article in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, he defends the Steelers lack of commitment to running the ball on defenses blitzing safeties and making it impossible in many situations to run.   For once I would just love Arians to stop making excuses for everything that happens in terms of play calling and just accept responsibility and outline his plan to fix it.  For all the Tomlin haters who complain about him being all talk at least he took the blame and continues to take the blame when their is a problem with his football team's performance.  Just shut up and accept that the Steelers are asking you to do something different Bruce.  WyoFan agrees as well and breaks down Arian's comments in much more detail in an excellent fanpost.

XIII-Steelers first round draft pick Maurkice Pouncey sat down with Action Sports' John Meyer and from his interview and article you really get the feeling that Pouncey is fitting in well in Pittsburgh.  How many BTSC'ers think Pouncey will start the season at right guard?

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IX- I hope the members of BTSC can possibly leave our politics aside for a day and just read the article by the Post Gazette about DeShea Townsends unique partnership with doctor Zane Gates who opened up a clinic in his home town of Altoona.  The clinic serves the working poor who don't qualify for government medical assistance, but cannot afford proper health care coverage.  The operation runs on a meager budget and actually helps cut costs at the local emergency rooms, by keeping out those that would normally be forced to turn to the emergency room for simple care.  Interesting stuff, and another way that the Steelers players are showing that many of them have much to offer to the community outside of the gridiron.

X-Going into this weekend I hadn't watched any of the 30 for 30 series that ESPN has been hyping. I'm not actually sure why I hadn't as I certainly had a modest interest in the series that chronicles some of the most interesting sports stories of the past 30 years since ESPN first stepped into America's living rooms.  I DVR'ed the episode,"Run Ricky Run", about Dolphins running back Ricky Williams. Sheepishly I have always thought he was no more than a knuckle-head punk who couldn't stay off the weed long enough to realize his potential.  Seeing and hearing Ricky speak I realized how off base I was, and that I frankly have never once heard his side of his life story.  The episode was captivating and very, very enlightening on Williams as a person and athlete.  Having said that Ricky has many flaws and is certainly not innocent in his inability to stay clean, but looking at Williams numbers especially if he plays another two solid season we could be witnessnig one of the strangest journeys ever taken by a player to Canton, Ohio.

XIII-The guys over at Music City Miracles are profiling each of the Tennessee Titans opponents next season including our Pittsburgh Steelers.  It's a home game for the Titans and last season the Steelers eaked out a win with a god-like first half performance from Troy Polamalu and a decent game out of Big Ben.  Hopefully Dixon, Batch, Leftwitch or whomever can keep the Steelers up and running for the game.  The guys over at Music City Miracles are predicting a low scoring affair, with the Titans coming out on Top, 13-10.

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IX- Ed Bouchette's weekly chat was back in full force after the NFL draft last week and Ed made a few interesting comments.  The one the was most interesting to me was his statement that "I'm not sure they will even do an extension with Mike Tomlin this year."  I personally don't see the logic in the not locking him up for another four to five years before the speculation on what his next move is.  I remember very vividly when Cowher was a lame duck coach all the controversy it caused and I would hate to see one of the best young coaches in the league take his "Tomlinsisms" to another city.  Consider this, only five current NFL head coaches have won a Super Bowl as head coach and if Mike Tomlin was to hit the market with his Super Bowl Ring he would be due a very, very large pay-day.

X- Bob LeBeau will be introducing his brother, Dick LeBeau, at the 2010 Hall of Fame inductions in Canton, Ohio on Saturday August 7th.  It should be interesting to hear what LeBeau's brother has to say about the legend and I was honestly hoping to see possibly a coach Cowher or even former player like Rod Woodson introduce LeBeau but its probably more fitting for him to have some of his own flesh and blood honor his achievements.  While everyone was in an uproar about Dermontti "Farra" Dawson jumping ship to help out the Cincinnnatti Bengals, many forget that Dick LeBeau has coached considerably longer in the Bengals organization that he has a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

XIII- After reading the following ESPN's off-season Power-Rankings where the Steelers were listed as the 19th best team in the league Rodney Dangerfield arose from his grave just to shout out that "The Stillers don't get no respect."  Seriously though the Carolina Panthers are a better team going into the season than the Steelers?  If nothing else this should be good motivation for the Steel Curtain Defense to rise again.

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IX-Teams in the National Football League are notoriously secretive regarding injury situations and some teams much more so than others.  (Think the New England Patriots under the Bill Bellicheck regime).   The Pittsburgh Steelers under Mike Tomlin have been what you could categorize as secretive much of Mike Tomlin's era and at a minimum you could categorize them as being "vague" regarding players injuries.  (Think the mysterious Limas Sweed "non-football" related issue last season.)  So, while is shouldn't be surprising to read the Pittsburgh Tribune's article on Troy Polamalu's knee injury last season, it was actually incredibly surprising and scary.  Troy's qoutes in the article are very troubling including the following quote:

"If it didn't heal correctly, I guess maybe I would have needed surgery, and if I would have needed surgery, it would have been career-threatening."

X-After the Steelers signed former Virginia Tech defensive tackle Demetrius Taylor and listed him as a fullback many of us BTSC'ers were quite confused especially considering that no evidence could be found that Taylor ever was a fullback or had any experience at the position.  Well luckily the Pittsburgh Post Gazette shed some light on the situation with a short profile on Demetrius and the fullback position as it is currently used in Pittsburgh.  I have sincere doubts that Taylor will end up on the active roster, but he could be an interesting player at 6 foot, 270 pounds lining up in the backfield.

XIII-Michael mentioned this morning that he is very lucky to have Dale Lolley aboard for his 2nd annual Maple Street Press "Pittsburgh Steelers Annual."  Lolley seems to have his pulse to the Steeler organzation as well as Ed Bouchette and Jim Wexell many times and tends to be a bit more candid, certainly more so than Bouchette.  His blog NFL from the Sideline is one of my favorites especially during off-season workouts and training camps.  He also takes the time to answer many of the comments posted on his blogs and multiple times the information he relays in those comments is more insightful than anything you will be able to get in the Post Gazette or Tribune Review.  Anyways, here is a link to his initial mini-camp thoughts.

XIV-It's never a bad time for a video of someone getting tasered; especially when it is a Philadelphia fan.  (I guess we can all wish it was a Baltimore Raven's Fan (Cough, Cough: Mr. Malor). Here is an article on the incident; and video after the jump.  Any thoughts on whether the staff should of tased the intruding fan?

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IX-According to Jim Wexell Byron Leftwich is opening mini-camp today as the #1 QB on the depth chart, and Bryant McFadden is opening up as the starting left cornerback.  I sincerely hope that Dennis Dixon is able to beat out Byron Leftwich for the starting role in weeks one through four.  Dixon was impressive and so entertaining to watch during the Baltimore game last season and I think he deserves to get another chance to prove he can win in Pittsburgh.  Perhaps this is another example of Mike Tomlin pushing players to get better by making Dixon prove he can win the starting job.  I hope so.

X-Some more good news has emerged from Steeler nation with Troy Polamalu returning to action in Mini-Camps today and from all account he is looking healthy and excited to be back in action.  In speaking with the media Polamalu had this to say about his return: 

"It's just timing, rhythm and getting the right read and reaction with the eyes and coordinating with the body,I think it would probably be easier to lose if the defense were to change quite a bit. But when you feel comfortable within the system, it still takes time, but it wouldn't take me as much time."

XIII-More trouble for former Steeler Santonio Holmes who was recently escorted off a flight at the Pittsburgh International airport last night.  What a dumb-ass.

XIV-Those of you who followed the draft process closely are probably aware of Tony Washington the 6'6 300 plus pound tackle from Abilene Christian.  Washington had great measurables, so much so that many said his tape and measurables made him the sixth best tackle in the draft.   Unfortunately for Washington's draft status, when he was 16 he had sex with his 15 year old biological sister, spent two weeks in jail, five year of probation, and was forced to register in the state of Texas as a sex-offender.  The last rounds of the draft came and went without Washington's name being called and as of today nobody has even taken a flyer on him as an undrafted free agent.  While I am surprised no team has taken a chance on him I can't even imagine the ribbing he would take in a locker-room full of 20 something males.

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The NFL released the full slate of Organized Team Activities (OTA's) and mini-camp dates for the 2010 season.  The Pittsburgh Steelers will resume their OTA's on May 18th through the 20th.  In the era of twitter, facebook, and the constant feedback that we all enjoy you should look to the following dates on how the Steelers new veterans, rookies and other young players are progressing throughout the off-season.  Who do you look forward to hearing about the most and who do you think needs to impress the most?

Full Schedule after the jump.

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IX-Wow, Rodger Goodell can be a real jerk sometimes.  Zach Hatfield, the 15 year old who announced the Steelers first round draft pick at the NFL Draft had one more request for Commissioner Goodell after he announced the Steelers had selected Maurkice Pouncey. Wondering what Hatfield's request was?  He simply asked the commissioner "So, do you think maybe you could unsuspend Ben Roethlisberger?"  The soulless commissioner refused, and is also rumored to have kicked the boys' puppy and canceled the existence of sunshine and rainbows.

X-James Harrison was very excited when the Steelers schedule was released, and not because he gets to play three prime time games back to back where he seems to thrive, but rather because Pittsburgh will be racking up the third least amount of frequent flyer miles in the NFL.  Harrison hates to fly and according to this report by the Pittsburgh Business Journal the Steelers will only be traveling 8,012 miles for games this season, which is the third lowest behind Baltimore and Cincinnati.  The 49'ers will travel the most miles partially because they play at Wembley Stadium in London this year; they will log a whopping 33,264 miles.

XIII-Ken Laird of ESPN's 1250 radio in Pittsburgh has a pretty critical outlook of the first three Steeler draft picks.  He is analyzing the positives and negatives of each player and by the time I read all the negatives he wrote for our top three picks I felt like jumping off a small bridge.  I do agree with him that all three of these players do have some risk involved with them especially Worlids and Sanders but they also have a hell of a lot of upside.  He will do a post on the rest of the picks as well, so it should be interesting to see his take on the rest of the class.

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As announced previously in this space, Comcast has generously agreed to support the best NFL community around -- us! As part of that effort, between now and the end of the 2010 NFL season Comcast will be sponsoring a variety of special editorial and interactive features on our site. - Michael Bean -

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IX-Most Steeler fans expected LaMarr Woodley to be locked up for the long-term before the start of the 2010 season since he is entering the final year of his contract and would surely command big bucks and generate a high demand on the open market.  Woodley has created the impression that he is eager to stay in black and gold, but a recent article from Scout.com's Ian Whetstone, details why it isn't as simple as it would've been had there been a collective bargaining agreement in place.  The article gives a rather bleak view of the Steelers and Woodley being able to negotiate a contract and quite frankly makes me pretty nervous.

X-It may not be the best time if you've ever played Quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Big Ben has had his multitude of legal troubles as we all know, and now Mike Tomczak has been charged with two counts of simple assault for lunging at his wife and stepping on her foot.  Bubby Brister, Mark Malone, Jim Miller, Todd Blackledge, and Kent Graham could not be reached for comment.

XIII-Ryan Clark almost signed a contract with the Miami Dolphins this off-season but instead he made a quick return back to Miami after visiting with the "phins."  Michael Silver seems to think it might have been the atmosphere and personalities of some of the Miami staff after he heard a report that Dolphins G.M., Jeff Ireland asked prospect Dez Bryant whether his mother was a prostitute during a pre-draft visit.  Can you believe that?  I think Bryant would of went ahead and pulled a John Elway if he was drafted by Miami and who would blame him.

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IX-At last, it is pretty much over.  The last piece of the puzzle in terms of media speculation just happened with Ben Roethlsiberger accepting his suspension without any appeal and agreeing to change, and comply with the commissioners request.  I have a feeling the Rooney's said accept and comply or we will ship you to Oakland.  Roethlisberger agreed, so the black and silver dead end known as Oakland picked up Jason Campbell instead.

X- Those of you that watched the first round of the NFL draft in prime-time last week probably saw Zachary Hatfield announce the Steelers selection of Maurkice Pouncey with the 18th overall selection.  The 15 year old Hatfield suffered a heart attack, which is extremely rare for a kid of that age, and was eventually diagnosed with Lukemia.  The Steelers official website has the entire story of how Zachary's make a wish dream come true.

XIII-Steeler Fury has a nice article on why the Steelers were so excited about fourth round pick Thaddeus Gibson.  No commentary needed from me, just read it.  It's Good.

XIV-For those of you who might have missed ESPN's"Outside The Lines" "report" on Ben Roethlisberger, Yahoo's shutdown corner has an overview and some links to extra information on the "story."  I had not even heard about the report until Sunday Morning when I stumbled onto ESPN and I figured I should at least give it a chance.   I was willing to watch until the guy ESPN chose to trot out to rail against Ben's character was former closet pooper, Najah Davenport.  Seriously ESPN?  The best guy you could think of to slander Big Ben's character is the same guy that was charged with sneaking into a girls dorm and excreting human feces in her closet?  Oh ya, and he was charged in 2007 "with domestic violence, child endangering and unlawful restraint in a custody-related confrontation with the mother of his 5-year-old son."  Yet Davenport has the nerve to get on T.V. and talk about Ben Roethlisberger's reputation?

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The Pittsburgh Steelers select Marukice Pouncey with the 18th selection in the first round. My initial reaction of this is less than thrilled as their was a few players that dropped that I would of loved to see in Black and Gold.  With that being said Pouncey will hopefully stabalize this offensive line for the next decade or more.  Welcome to Steeler Nation Maurkice Pouncey.

Video after the jump of the newest addition to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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