SB Nation User Blog: PITT3639

ALL PENS FANS WITH DIRECTV READ

PITT3639 — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:47:07 -0000

Yeah like most of you I have DirecTv.

Which since I live in Florida this of course means that I have NHL Center Ice. Since directv cant get their contracts together and the NHL decided to place there league in the hands of comcast, I dont have versus anymore. So I was starting to get pretty pissed off. I called direct and did everything I could to try and find the game. Well i'm here to let all of you know that there is indeed to watch every single Pens game on versus in the comfort of your own home. A friend called me last night and told me about it. It's called channelsurfing.net. Try it out I watched the entire Pens game even though it wasnt on my tv. You can watch everything from NBA preseason basketball to the KHL. It's free it doesnt require any sign up and most importantly WE CAN FINALLY SEE THE FREAKIN PENS. Not a hoax or scam i'm being serious it actually works.

I just about had a heartattack

PITT3639 — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 01:38:43 -0000

I don't know how many of you are signed up for the Steelers text message news letter but for today youd hope you werent.

In the middle of chem today I get a text saying how Aaron Smith could have a "significant" shoulder injury. Well guess what!? Come home, check nfl.com and they say that he has a partially torn rotator cuff. This means that he could either be out for 3 months if he has surgery or miss less time if he doenst opt for surgery but risk his career. Overall this just flat out sucks. Anybody remember the last time we lost him for amount of time? Oh 2007 that was such a great year. Honestly though who the hell is supposed to replace him? Ziggy Hood? He's neither ready nor a defensive end. Travis Kirschke? I think hes a decent player...but he's a backup for a reason...Tyrone Carter anyone? Seriously i'm starting to believe in the freakin madden curse. Just when Polamalu comes back Smith gets hurt. If there's any two players that are more of a force on our team its those two. Thats so ironic too because the announcers last game were talking about how underrated Smith is. Are we ever going to catch a break? Pitch in and say if we will actually survive this year and who can step up for Smith. If I dont answer its because I drowned myself.

Poll

I hate saying this but who replaces Aaron Smith?

Travis Kirshcke

26 votes

Nick Eason....

6 votes

Ziggy Hood

71 votes

103 votes | Poll has closed

Am I the only one?

PITT3639 — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 14:25:32 -0000

That thinks it is beyond time for Isaac Redman to be brought up.

That game on thursday was practically screaming his name. Look I like Frank Summers and I think he has a decent career ahead of him but now is not his time. As the other fanpost with his blocking video shows, he is not ready at all. Redman was pounding it in time after time during the preseason. So what is the hold up? Mewelde Moore was by far and away our best running back on thursday. I was impressed wtih Mendenhall at least he could gain a few more yards and actually fall forward. Willie's problem is that he does way to many stutter steps. As soon as he gets the ball he starts dancing in the backfield. If he would just take off every time then he would actually get a few yards. Perfect example, on one play a Titan got through the line and went for an ankle tackle on him. Willie could have easily spun out of it but instead he just hit the deck for a three yard loss. Me and my dad said at the same time "The old Willie would have got out of that." I dont know what is problem is but i'm just guessing that its all of his dance moves. Just please bring up Redman. He can slam it through on short yardage and run a few guys over in the process. Frank Summers might just be a fourth grader trapped in a jersey.

Poll

Which RB should be demoted?

Willie Parker

31 votes

Rashard Mendenhall

11 votes

Mewelde Moore

3 votes

Frank Summers

61 votes

106 votes | Poll has closed

Why do we never get any respect?

PITT3639 — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 23:10:37 -0000

Every thing I read, everything I hear, and everyone I talk to all I hear is how good New England is. Why?

Why is everybody so high on the Pats? For the last 4 solid years EVERY SINGLE year the superbowl predictions are New England/Colts vs New York/Chicago. Has one person heard the Steelers predicted to win it all this year? I'm not going to say it because I believe in superstitions and not to bet on your team. But deep down I think all of us Steelers fans are laughing at all these reports. What do you think some of those players think when they see NE being the "best" team every year? I know some players pay attention to these reports like Ben. All it is is fuel for the fire. For instance I just listened to the Bill Simmons podcast when he talked to a guy from Football Outsiders. And he predicted that the superbowl would be either NE vs. New York or Indy vs Chicago. Really? Chicago? He said how the Chargers looked the best in their numbers and they were favored to win the most games. For a team that went 8 - 8 and barley made the playoffs thats a big risk. For a team that won their only playoff game because they have the Kevin Garnett of punting, thats a bold statement. And for a team that has a slipping star running back and a 5"8 rb that can be easily caught on to, thats just flat out stupid. I don't think anyone has commented on how much we've improved. Has anyone noticed that our two new starters are just as good if not better then last years? Or how about how we might have the best punter that we've ever had? On paper all of the holes we had last year have been filled. Mendenhall and Sweed look to just add to this. I mean our biggest problems are whether we should put Isaac Redman and Stefan Logan on the team. It's just ridiculous. I just got the latest SI and ESPN the Magazine and respectivelly the Pats and Colts are on the cover. WHY???? At least ESPN has a little more balls then everyone else. They put the Texans on the cover last year. But this year is a whole different story. The only things football related that have been published are about Mike Vick, Brett Favre, and Tom Brady. I think i've seen the clips of Brady's shoulder and Mike Vick in that freakin red practice jersey that there forever burned in my head. These stories are just so old. I think i've decided that I like hockey more then I do football. Do you ever hear drama about the NHL? Does anyone hold out in the NHL for weeks on end? No. Evgeni Malkin missed a huge chunk of time because of his contract. His contract with Russia, that he was trying to get out of and get straight to the Pens. And seeing these stories does make me love the Steelers more. We don't have contract holdouts or any of this drama bs. The Steelers are the one true team that just keep it together. Our front office isnt all effed up and our owner isn't corrupt and stealing money...(Pirates.) So you know the Pats can have their predictions. Hell I hope that every single person in america predicts the Pats to win. The Steelers will never be involved in championship predictions. We are a straight edge team. We dont sign criminals, big trades never come our way, and the people who play in Pittsburgh stay in Pittsburgh. We don't make headlines like every other team. Maybe thats why nobody wants to make us the champs.

Poll

Are the Pats even remotley better then the Steelers?

Yes

13 votes

No

77 votes

I HATE BRADY

57 votes

147 votes | Poll has closed

Russian Roulette (Pre Week 2)

PITT3639 — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 20:23:30 -0000

Steelers 13 Redskins 17

I don't know how many of you also had to watch the game on NFL Network but let me be the first to say that it was AWFUL. God I was mad enough that I didn't get the Steelers broadcast but instead the Redskins one, but to top it off we had old Joe Theismann as the announcer. He might be the worst color commentator of all time. When Donovan Woods made a hard hit on a kickoff return he mentioned how good of a hit it was by Lawrence Timmons. And at one point they showed Charlie Batch's stats for last season which were 36 passes, 2 touchdowns, and 3 picks. Whos stats were those exactly?

Moving on, i'm not sure if Stefan Logan should make the team. He showed flashes of speed and I was impressed but I just feel like we've seen plenty of these guys before. Remember Willie Reid? Everyone was excited about him and he was even drafted. Can't Mike Wallace do just what Logan is doing now? Plus let's say he does make the roster, then whose spot does he take?

Daniel Sepulveda just keeps looking better. He is so much better then every other punter we've had before that its just insane. Gone are the days where we have an 80 foot punter tearing up his legs and booting 40 yarders. Stay away Dirk Johnson.

I don't know why people are still complaining about Rashard Mendenhall. I thought he did a pretty decent job last night. He busted off two good runs and looked like he knew where all the lanes were. He looked very capable of being able to pound it in from 5 yards out. If he can run like he was then that puts Isaac Redmans spot in doubt.

Is Mewelde Moore alive? I realize that he's hurt but NOBODY has talked about him at all. I have yet to hear any announcer mention that he's hurt, no reporters have written about his contributions for the upcoming year, and frankly no post on here has said anything about him either. He might be the most invisible player we've ever had.

Can we put to rest the analysis that Keiwan Ratliff won't make the team? All last night did was solidfy the spot that he is in fact going to make the team. He had a solid interception and looked good the entire night. I cannot remember once when he was beat bad. And speaking of him I was just watching the 2005 Steelers @ Bengals playoff game in its full broadcast, does anyone know that he was the Bengals return man then? That escaped me.

Charlie Batch really looked different then he ever has. All of his passing skills seemed to be average and all of the sudden he could escape the pocket like he was Usain Bolt. When did he learn to escape young dlineman like Orakpo? I didn't reazlie any 34 year olds could run like Chris Johnson. But he honestly could not throw last night. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say he was rusty but still. He missed alot of passes and just did not look sharp. All the more reason that Dennis Dixon should be the backup.

Speaking of Dixon what happened to him? He just randomly decided that his shoulder hurt. Then Mike Reilly comees in and I have no idea what to make of him. I was just thinking about how much he reminded me of Tim Couch when they showed his college numbers. His numbers really made him look like Joe Montana. I was completely ready to make a bid for him for the roster when I looked back at the screen and saw him getting smacked around. We probly could have won with Dixon but uh Mike Reilly? Yeah I think we'll be seeing alot of him around training camps across the NFL for the next 5 years.

I see why Washington fans are upset. Jason Campbell really does suck. I was on his bandwagon the whole offseason. Every time I saw a report that the Skins were looking for someone knew I freaked out Ron Artest style. I thought how can you ditch a mobile qb who was a 1st rounder? But then I saw him last night. I always just belived that he was hurt and he had a new system every year but that is obvioulsy not the reason. He just has nothing. Their qb situation is a mess. Campbell has absolutley no confidence, Todd Collins is as old as Hugh Hefner, and then they decide whether to go with the very plump Chase Daniels or the mystery that is Colt Brennan. Have fun Dan Snyder.

I have a love/hate relationship with Limas Sweed. Every time he drops one of those patented wide open passes I kick the tv in. But then he comes back with a diving double covered catch. So what the hell am I supposed to think of him? Are you good? Are you not there yet? Are you going to pull a Troy Edwards on my ass? I need to know this.

I was kind of bumed out with Joe Burnett. I guess I expected him to be amazing every night. At least he got a bad day out of his system.

What happened to Jeff Reed? I'm always so confident in his ability to nail everything so I was naturally shocked when he pulled a Mike Vanderjagt on both of those kicks at the end of the 2nd. Really Jeff? I'll give him the benefit of the doubt to, it was a 53 yarder and it was in the rain.

Sooooooo good to see Willie looking like him old self. I was not looking forwards to another year where nobody breaks a thousand yards. Knock on wood but he looked much better.

Who the hell was that guy who picked off the final pass? I'm not even going to bother to look him up because I know that he will go away quickly.

And what is on Fred Davis' arm???? He's the tight end on the Redskins from USC. It looks like he has a monstorous tumor on one of his arms at all time. No wonder he cant hold on to the ball, because that volcano is blocking his hands.

Lastly for this game I decided to whip out the old Antwaan Randel El jersey. Nostalgic I guess.

Poll

Most impressive?

Keiwan Ratliff

9 votes

Dennis Dixon

2 votes

Rashard Mendenhall

2 votes

Daniel Sepulveda

35 votes

Willie Parker

4 votes

52 votes | Poll has closed

Russian roulette week 1

PITT3639 — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 03:21:50 -0000

From now on this is going to be my weekly segment after the game.

Obse

rvations

Isaac Redman honestly? When he scored I confused him with Tyler Grisham. Kind of expected this out of Summers but I guess i'll take it. I would LOVE if he beat out Carey Davis.

Speaking of Carey Davis I don't think one player looked worse then him on Thursday. He did not make one catch, run, or block that was worth remembering. I do not see anything in him anymore. The only time I was stoked on him was 2007 preseason HOF game vs NO.

Daniel Sepulveda is now blasting 60 yard punts, which means hes almost as good as Mitch Berger.

I thought Ben was supposed to be the pocket passer and Dixon the Vick like qb. Thursday it was the other way around.

Questions

Uhm Charlie Batch hasn't played in about exactly a year and he gets two passes? I would rather have Dixon be the number 2 but still Charlie can't at least get one quarter?

What is up with Tyler Grisham? Does he not realize that SANTONIO HOLMES ALREADY HAS NUMBER 10? I honestly thought that some drunk fan slapped on alot of gear jumped behind the bench and nobody cared. This blows my mind. Pick another number.

Why in the hell did they review that 3rd down pass at the end of the game? Just to tell us that Ziggy Hood is slow? Tyler Palko still totally blew it at the end so it was completley irreleveant. Better yet since when can you review penalties anyway?

I think it's kind of set of stone that Sweed is the number 3 so better yet whos number 4? Either he can really catch the ball or Dixon is EXTREMLEY confident in him. Every single pass was to him. I feel like he's a good Wes Welker type player but he really doesnt wow anyone. Wallace has a much better shot of taking it to the house.

Do you know why people think Big Ben is a rapist? Because of his pseudo mullet.

David Johnson. Why did we draft him?

BEST YET. If we drafted A.Q. Shipley then why did freakin Doug Legursky start????

Max Starks looked so weak the whole game. I feel like he's so tall that if Harrison ever went against him then he would be destroyed. He's just way to big.

Larry Fitzgeralds diamonds are the size of my fist.

James Harrisons arms are as big as my face.

Best part goes to ESPN saying how Heath Miller was out of the game when less then 30 seconds later he catches a pass. Really he's not playing? And NO Heath did not pull a Paul Pierce and come back out of a wheelchair.

I really like all the reports that said that we would play some random 4th quarterback. That worked out well.

Who is #13? Saw him on the sideline and was utterly confused.

I knew the Cards had alot of our players but it's getting annoying. They even signed freakin Dan Krider give me a break. And Palko? CHUKKY OKOBI? You should have just taken Carey Davis while you were here.

Last ramble

For everyone that said that Pietor Czech could take Jeff Reeds spot can take their foots out of their mouths now. HE SUCKS. Jeff is kicking 50 yarders while old Czech is practically missing extra points. Give me a break I could make a 30 yarder. And it wasn't even close it was so wide. The bad majorly outweighs the good here. I do not want him anywhere near the gameday roster. Just get the cut over with now.

Poll

Most impressive?

Daniel Sepulveda

42 votes

Isaac Redman

42 votes

Shaun McDonald

10 votes

Limas Sweed

9 votes

Dennis Dixon

12 votes

115 votes | Poll has closed

Ben Roethlisberger vs Peyton Manning

PITT3639 — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 02:17:08 -0000

I think i've had

enough of hearing about Dennis Dixon vs Charlie Batch. In my opinion, our opinions don't matter because it really just depends on Tomlin & co. And thats the beauty of being a Pittsburgh Steelers fan. We aren't arguing about who should be the starting quarterback but instead we debate about backups. You can relate right Browns fans? Anyway the other day I was arguing on Facebook about who's better Roethlisberger or Manning. I've now decided to take this argument here.

Vs.

Let's get it on.

Big Ben

Pros: Has won two superbowls, set the Steelers record for touchdowns in a season with 32, has made a pro bowl, in his now 6 year career, he has already thrown 3 perfect games,as of the end of the 2008 season he unofficially had 19 career 4th quarter/ot comebacks (this doesnt count game winning plays when the game is tied) he has a rare ability to escape the pocket at any given time, has a way of pulling games out when all hope seems lost (a la Cowboys game of 2008) is a true born leader, can inspire his offense at any random time, has escaped more sacks then Donte Stallworth has jail time, knows how to get out of risky situations such as a 3rd and 16 or a fraud rape case, was the quickest quarterback in history to 50 wins, was the youngest quarterback of all time to win a superbowl.

Cons: Seems to hold on to the ball too long, for as many good comebacks as he has he has just as many poor showings (ex. Colts and Giants games of 2008), can be known to start off slow (2008 Jaguars game) when he throws picks he throws bad picks that go for 90 yard interception returns (RASHEAN MATHIS EVERY SINGLE GAME) when he gets out of the zone he gets extremley out, ehh not sure about his decision making but you know bikers dont wear helmets either, has more of an injury bug then LeCharles Bentley but to Ben's credit he is EXTREMLEY well of either overcoming it or hiding it, in his first years he relied more on his teammates but honestly who cares? Had a poor showing in his first playoffs but you can thank Terrell Suggs for giving him a nice cheap shot right before the playoffs, the best part is that Ben has overcome just about every thing I just listed.

Peyton Manning

Pros: Has won NFL MVP 3 times, has 4 perfect games in his career, broke Dan Marino's touchdown record in a season with 49, has won a superbowl, 9 time pro bowler and 4 time all pro 1st team, was a number 1 overall draft pick, maybe the most impressive stat is that he has never missed a game, player of the year in multiple categories, same goes for offensive player of the year, somehow was superbowl mvp, you can go on and on about him but lets just sum it up with he puts up big numbers

Cons: Before every play Manning has more audibles up his sleeve then Pacman Jones has legal suits involving strippers, every time the Colts are on offense I either reach for the remote or a gun, he has so many chokes over the years that I can't even begin, remember that "super"bowl he won? Yeah that was pretty much in spite of him. Let's break it down. Wildcard vs Cheifs: 30/38 268 yards 1 touchdown and 3 interceptions! Divisonal vs Ravens: 15/30 170 yards 0 touchdowns and 2 interceptions (very impressive) Conference vs Patriots: 27/47 349 yards 1 touchdown and 1 interception. Now he can't throw more then one touchdown over those 350 yards? Well he did only have on interception..that managed to go for a touchdown at the end of the half, smooth. Superbowl vs Bears: 25/38 247 yards 1 touchdown and 1 interception. THATS A SUPERSTAR QUARTERBACK? HE THREW ONE TOUCHDOWN IN EVERY SINGLE GAME. I'm pretty sure that Aliki Smith could throw more touchdowns then that. Honestly do not even argue that he was some magician down the stretch because he flat out sucked. He won because the colts defense went into F U mode and decided that nobody was beating them. My favorite part of these cons though is when they show manning on the bench after he throws a smooth 6th interception against the Chargers and his beacon of a forehead has a 6 by 6 red mark across it.

Overview: What a classic battle of balls vs bitches. Ben is the gutsy, gritty quarterback who can grind out wins in clutch situations. Manning is the smooth, savvy qb who hates getting hit and i'm certain Casey Hampton can beat him in the 40 yard dash. The best example is the commercials that they've done. In every single commercial that Manning does he somehow involves saying how awesome he is. The one where he had the fake black hair and moustache he said "that qb with the laser rocket arm." And in his most recent one for DirecTV he says "Maybe you can even watch some colts games." No thanks Peyton i'd rather chop my finger tips off. In Ben's only national commercial you know what he does? He punches blitzing linebackers IN THE FACE. Peyton even knows he's such a pansy that he has to advertise his rocket arm. I'll take the man in this case. Really though if Manning is so much better then the rest of the field then why does Ben have 2x the superbowls that Peyton has in half the years? Ben's playoff record? 8 - 2. Mannings playoff record? 7 - 8. Isnt that proof alone? Right now can you think of a legendary comeback that Manning has had? Pretty sure there arent to many.

Decision: Look i'f im starting a freakin fantasy team then Manning gets the nod but come on who honestly would take Manning? This year is a perfect example. 1st round of the playoffs and Manning goes down to the Chargers when they had the game pretty much the whole time. Darren Sproles absolutley wipes out the Colts and does something like the 3rd most yards in a game ever. Next week the Chargers come to town and get whipped bad by the Steelers. That dangerous Darren Sproles gets half of his yards in the 4th quarter when our 2nd team has been in for awhile. If you want stats and a nice little pretty boy then go with Manning. If you want a flat out man that can win you games then just take Ben. And if anyone tries to dispute that the Colts or Manning is better, then just ask them how many superbowls do we have?

Poll

Simple, Manning or Roethlisberger?

Ben Roethlisberger

130 votes

Peyton Manning

28 votes

158 votes | Poll has closed

5 Steelers that need to go

PITT3639 — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 00:59:43 -0000

ook I mostly love all of the Steelers but some of them just dont do it for me. Whether it is their lack of talent or just the fact that I do not understand how they made it onto our storied franchise. Heres my list.

5. Tyrone Carter

I'm not gonna lie, I love Tyrone. I have had so much joy over the years saying "Ey look Tyrone Shoes is in the game." He made quite a few good interceptions last year most notably the Browns game at the end of the year. But really why does he still need a roster spot? Isn't there some young safety out there that can take his place? Obviously the Anthony Smith era went over like T.O. on Dallas but I feel like we have some in our system. How about Ryan Mundy? Or any FS' we passed up in free agency such as Sean Jones. Really in the end it comes down to for me that the dude is 33. Someone out there is better then him.

4. Charlie Batch

This one is definitely tough. Batch has been one of the most solid backups and beloved quarterbacks in the Steel City for years but I think his time as come. The best scenario for Charlie now would to become a QB coach or some person in the organization and mentor the younger players. This year it looks as if Dennis Dixon will beat him out for the number two spot anyway. So if he is going to be the 3rd string qb why keep him along? Bring in new blood and let Charlie mentor the qbs on the roster. I know we have Ken Anderson as the qb coach but I feel as if having Batch around can only mean good things for Ben and company.

3. Carey Davis

Carey really bothers me. His services seem more useless then Amy Winehouse. Honestly this guy is completley average in every way possible. He has helped us out in the past two years but hes never really been over the top. He reminds me of some random NBA player like Fabricio Oberto that hangs around like a drunk chick at a party that won't leave. Look Carey its good that you managed a solid 4.4 ypg or the 35 RUSHING YARDS. But why dont you take those 35 yards and head elsewhere? I think I'd rather spend 35 yards on double reverses to Limas Sweed then I would feed them to you. You are not fast enough to be Willie Parker and you are not big enough to be Jerome Bettis so why bother? If we wanted a full time blocking full back then we would have kept Dan Kreider. I look forwards to Frank Summers beating you out in training camp.

2. Willie Colon

This one is the best because when I googled you on google images the first 3 pages were of a 59 year old Cuban singer. THATS HOW GOOD YOU ARE. You cannot even crack two pages of images because a singer nobody has ever heard of his bigger. Whats best about this picture? The fact that we wont see Willie letting Ben get killed for 5 more months or the fact that he knows as average as he is he just won a super bowl? You are that bomb in the middle of a baseball lineup that bats .183 but your kept around because you sometimes come through with a pinch hit single. How you made a rise to the starting line up so quickly is beyond me. It is not coincidence that you were on the worst offensive line in football last year. Don't worry it was completley your fault. Maybe if you werent made of stone and were built like Shaq we wouldn't have this problem. But we do. You might as well be Hal Gill in football cleats. Please relinquish your job to any other lineman.

1. Darnell Stapelton

You truly might be the worst offensive lineman in football. You know all those prized undrafted free agents the Steelers pick up? You are without a doubt not one of them. I'm certain that anyone on Pitt could do better then you. If it wasn't for our lackluster amount of talent on the line then you wouldnt even have sniffed the starting lineup. I'm considering putting all of my efforts in having Trai Essex rise to the challenge. I don't even have that much to say about you because you have done so little the past year. If you ever resign with the team then I might turn the game off when we're on offense.

Poll

Who do you want to see gone?

Tyrone Carter

72 votes

Charlie Batch

57 votes

Carey Davis

253 votes

Willie Colon

104 votes

Darnell Stapelton

112 votes

598 votes | Poll has closed

So the Pens are kind of dirty

PITT3639 — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 01:47:39 -0000

via multimedia.detnews.com

Haha there is a series on youtube and it's three parts (something like Pittsburgh penguins celebration part 1) starting from 1:10 left in the 3rd period of game 7 all the way to Mario holding the cup up high. By far the best part of these clips is hearing what all the players really said after it was all over. You cannot believe how many f bombs are dropped in that crew it is absolutley hilarious. One of the highlights is when old Petr Sykora holds the cup up and yells "I won the effing stanley cup!" Really good stuff. Being in The Bus 36 Bar & Grille it was real hard hearing everything that was said so this series really helps out for anyone that wanted to know. I watched these and couldnt help but think how many people would want to know about this on Pensburgh.

Poll

Best celebration?

Jordan Stall

3 votes

Sid the Kid

40 votes

Geno

12 votes

Tanger

7 votes

Max Talbot

20 votes

82 votes | Poll has closed

Blue line in trouble?

PITT3639 — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 02:54:37 -0000

via 4.bp.blogspot.com

I don't really know what to think of the upcoming season. I'm sure that our stellar offense will keep up the grit and grind but what about the special teams and better yet the defense? I wouldn't have cared if we only lost Hal Gill OR Rob Scuderi but we lost BOTH. That doesn't bode well with me. I love Hal more then beating the Brownies but I wasn't ashamed to see him go. I mean how many times did we see the oaf bumble down the ice and be about 1500 yards out of position. I was at a Pens - Panthers game in Florida three rows from the ice, and many of you might remember this. It was about halfway through the 1st and the puck came flying through the air down towards the flower. The only people in the area were old Hal and some random Panthers player. Hal decided instead of leaving the puck to hit the ice, that he would smack it out of the air harder then a beach volleyball player. Well this swipe went straight backwards, the FLA player got it, and buried it right behind la flower. The point is how many times a year did we see that happen? How many times did Hal have no idea if he was holding a hockey stick or a baseball bat? Did he even fight the whole year? I honestly cannot recall one time seeing him show any sign of emotion besides complete and utter confusion. You have to love the guy just because it seems like hes to large and awkward to ever wear a pair of skates. But I guess there could be worse. Moving on from Hal i'm honestly not sure what to think about Scuderi. There is no question in my mind that without big Rob we wouldnt have touched Lord Stanley. Honestly does anyone remember game 6 of the Stanley Cup? You think Hal could have stopped three shots in the circle with his arms and legs? On top of that he even realized not to put his glove over the puck to prevent a penalty shot. Loyalty and devotion like that is real hard to find these days. How many players are going to have the brains to remember the rule book in a situation like that and the agility to move his body right where the puck would go. I love Goligoski as much as the next guy but i'm wondering if he has too much offense potential and not enough defensive potential. At the same time he is one of the best prospects in our system and why would he play so efficiently in the parts he played this year if it wasnt signs of good play to come. So really I see the loss of Scuderi being cancelled out by Goligoski. Its that 6th defensman that i'm worried about. We have as many players trying to grab the 6th spot as the Bengals do players in jail. Ben Lovejoy? I think he deffinitly could but that is a huge position to play. The next option is Phillipe Boucher. Unless i've had a mental breakdown I don't remember him being in the playoffs besides the 7th man and I don't remember seeing him on a free agency lists. So for the time being he could equally qualify for the spot. The 3rd option is Simon Despres. I'm just gonna throw him out right now. He isn't ready, he will be in a few years, but he would fare about as well as Ian Snells Pirates career did if he went into the NHL now. The last option isssssssssssss Nate Guenin! Ah that was more of a punchline if anything. I truly don't know why the hell we signed him besides for insurance. Is he ever supposed to get past average player? Doubtful. So for now I personally throw in Ben Lovejoy. The only thing that bothers me is having two rookies play defense for us next year. I guess could he do much worse then Hal Gill? We'll see.

Poll

Who should be our 6th defenseman?

Alex Goligoski

65 votes

Ben Lovejoy

47 votes

Phillipe Boucher

9 votes

Nate Guenin

3 votes

124 votes | Poll has closed