SB Nation User Blog: HinesField

The Financial side of football

HinesField — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:27:25 -0000

The Financial side of football

Apparently, the Steelers are right in the middle of the pack as the 18th most valuable NFL franchise.

Football meets politics, round 53.

HinesField — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:26:31 -0000

Football meets politics, round 53.

This was just too odd of a story and too Steelers-related not to be here. Contentwise, I have no comment.

Obama a Steelers Fan, gets Rooney endorsement?

HinesField — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 17:28:26 -0000

This is almost too weird to be true, but also too weird not to post.

From the PPG:

The Illinois senator said he has been a Steelers fan since he was 10 years old. He said they are a "favorite" team of his, though he has "to root for the Bears when those two teams are playing."
Despite that, the Steelers chairman released a letter endorsing Mr. Obama. "As a grandfather and a citizen of this community I think Barack Obama's thoughtful, strategic approach is important for America," the letter addressed to "fellow Pennsylvanians" said. "When I hear how excited young people seem to be when they talk about this man, I believe he will do what is best for them, which is to inspire them to be great Americans."

Apparently it's also being reported by KDKA.

Normally I try to keep politics and football in their own worlds since nothing good comes from mixing the two (for example, my recent dislike of Tony Dungy), but this is too interesting to pass up.

Also, a hat tip to epic at DailyKos for first posting this.

Happy Days Ahead for NFL Network Viewers

HinesField — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 15:16:10 -0000

The moment we've all been waiting for has arrived; Bryant Gumbel will no longer be announcing games broadcast by the NFL Network. Let us all rejoice.

In this particular case, I have no problem kicking him while he's down. I still remember the first NFL Network game to be broadcast live, Denver at Kansas City over Thanksgiving 2006, when I had to mute my television because Gumbel was just so damn awful. And over the next two years, he never really got any better.

However, I think we all remember the defining moment in his football announcing career coming after Willie Parker broke his leg at the beginning of a Steelers-Rams game last December, at which point Mr. Gumble so brilliantly observed:

Maybe there is some justice in Parker breaking his leg, because now Fred Taylor will get to go to the Pro Bowl.

Yes, Mr. Gumbel; it appears that long-overdue justice has finally arrived. Let's just hope that the NFL Network finds someone decent to work with Chris Collinsworth.

Big Blue View Drools over Big Ben

HinesField — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 03:02:35 -0000

Big Blue View, the NY Giants blog, is consistent about sticking with the New York traditions of perpetually bashing Eli Manning. Today, however, it's reached a new level of hilarity. They're playing the we-should-have-drafted-Roethlisberger game--and this time, they're serious about it.

A straight up comparison of Roethlisberger and Manning tells you Big Ben is a better player. He has a Super Bowl title, a 63% career completion percentage and a QB rating of 110. Eli has a couple of playoff losses, has never completed 60% and has a career rating of 78.6.

Add to that Roethlisberger's toughness, blue-collar personality and ability to make plays on the move (like that guy the Giants faced Sunday) would suit the Giants well.

It leaves me with a few questions, even if the responses I get aren't exactly impartial:

Is Roethlisberger actually so much better than Manning that they've sunk this far?
Even further, how much of Ben's success is in the fact that the Steelers are a traditionally run-heavy team, so he doesn't throw as much? Would Ben be this successful anywhere else?

Not that any of it matters, other than me getting upset when Giants fans start acting like a bunch of whiners over the fact that Ben's having a better year, ignoring the fact that the Steelers are the better team. Eli-bashing is something of a tradition in the NY/NJ area where leading a 6-3 team is apparently unacceptable. I'll leave y'all with one last, entertaining quote: Yet, he (Eli) lives in the shadow of his brother Peyton, one of the best to ever play. He lives in the shadow of Roethlisberger, who already has what Eli is trying to get.

Ouch.