I was perusing the recomended Cinci sports sites via a link from the Post Gazette and stumbled upon a guy by the name of Chick Ludwig. Now Mr. Ludwig has contended, once again, that the hit by Hines on Rivers was illegal and that Hines is in fact the dirtiest player in the NFL. (As the bastion of sports journalism, SI, claims.)The Link   Make sure that while you are there you read the blog telling Steeler fans to "back off'.  Apparently he was inundated with emails from Steeler Nation defending Hines and pointing out just exactly what we all think of his opinion. What irks me about the whole thing goes back to the hit on Rivers, and after watching it for the 100th time, I cannot, for the life of me figure how ANYONE could claim it was an illegal or dirty play. The gentleman has a right to his opinion, of course, I just had to weigh in on this. So, following the lead of many others in Steeler Nation I sent Mr. Ludwig an email that said this:

" Everyday on my way into work I walk past six Lombardi Trophies, not six dirtiest player awards." Signed, Mike Tomlin.  I wonder if he will read it.

Like small children waiting for Christmas, many die hard football fans welcome these dog days of summer. The  winter doldrums that set in after the Super Bowl weren't as bad for those of us in Steeler Nation this year, as many of us are still reveling in the sweet taste of victory, but for many others it was a long, barren stretch of basketball.  The draft was fun..for awhile, but eventually the speculation of how our new prospects would do got to be tiring. Anticipation and longing were begining to build.  Pitchers and catchers reported, MLB got underway, and by mid July many of us that don't live in NY, Chicago, or LA  watched our chosen baseball teams slide further and further behind the leaders. My favorite team had a major firesale, trading a Cy Young winning pitcher...again...and our only all-star....again. July gives way to August...training camp starts for our beloved Steelers. YEEEEHAW!  But for me, what really signals the start of the football season is Hall of Fame Week!  Now, it may seem to some people that living here in Canton,Ohio during the HOF festivites is really cool...and it can be. There is A LOT to do...the highlight for me is the ribs burnoff at the fair grounds...but I have to be honest ......dealing with all of the traffic in my neighborhood SUCKS!  (The fair groundsd is 5 mins away...except during HOF week, when it's 20.) I live within walking distance of the HOF and Fawcett Stadium. So close, in fact, that when they used to have the induction ceremonies on the steps of the hall, I could hear the speeches over the PA system in my back yard. They moved them into the stadium a few years ago, which is fine by me, they were not that great anyway. The trouble is that the HOF/stadium are basically in residential areas, so there is not an abundance of parking. In addition to that ,every gas station, mini mart, bar, grill, hotel, laundry mat, pizza shop, tatoo parlor, etc etc etc...is busy. I went to the gas station that I go to every week...it's my neighborhood place...I like to keep the business local...had to WAIT IN LINE. Egads. Now, this may be nothing new for some of you, especially those that live in larger cities. And I suppose that I am grateful for the business and commerce that this event brings to my beloved city, but I am totally ok with it being OVER. Funny thing..just about a half hour ago I went out on my deck to talk on the phone and noticed the Goodyear blimp hovering over my neighborhood. Man, those things are loud when they are that close! And, with that bit of complaining out of the way...I can breathe a great big sigh of relief and be happy because FOOTBALL is finally here!!!!

Merry Christmas to everyone in Steelers Nation! As I sit writing this, I am decked out in my brand spanking new #92 jersey (away).  Thanks to my lovely wife and great kids...they were in fact paying attention.  It has become a Holiday tradition at our house to outfit each other in Steelers garb...my 9 year old daughter LOOOOOVES Hines Ward...and even got his autograph at training camp in 2003!!   Which brings me to my next topic of discussion...does anyone have a favorite piece of gear or jersey that they MUST wear on gamedays to keep the good mojo going?  I was weraing my FWP throwback during our recent winning streak, but feel that the mojo was lost during the Titans game.  I am hoepful to get another positive vibe with my new Silverback jersey. WOOOHOOO.  Now, I know this is kind of ridiculous, and that the jersey I wear has no bearing on the actual outcome of the game...but what the heck!  I would love to hear what everyone else thinks!