I don’t know what Bruce Arians calls this play.  Chris Collinsworth described it as a diamond.  I’m going to call it "hypocycloid".  In case anyone doesn’t already know, that’s the official term for the diamond-like shapes in the Steelers logo.  It netted 34 yards the first time we employed it, and it bamboozled the defense something fierce.  Anyway, here it is.

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-videos/09000d5d8132c313/Mike-Wallace-Highlight-WK-04-vs-Chargers-2009

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When I wrote my original Unmentionable post (Brett Kiesel), I was thinking of players who have been doing a solid job but rarely make the headlines.  Volume 2 was originally tagged for Larry Foote, but with the draft, free agency, and rumors about trading him, he's been covered quite a bit.  Instead, volume 2 has me covering a guy who hasn't been on the field long enough to be considered solid and, oddly enough, has been getting mild attention simply because we're hoping not to need him.  Luckily, I think there's still enough left unsaid about this guy.  Let's take a look at William Gay.

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The media, in the form of news outlets and bloggers alike, has already spent a great deal of ink and bandwidth heaping both praise and condemnation on the star players within the Steelers franchise.  Google Troy Polamalu and you've get about 623,000 hits, or take Ben Roethlisberger for 1,590,000.  But apply the mighty Goog to a name like Brett Keisel or Larry Foote and the results are... shall we say... "unfulfilling".

So, I thought it would be worthwhile to examine the play of Pittsburgh's lesser known players.  These are The Unmentionables: players who don't get a lot of press.  My hope is that the comments section will provide insight into these players as well as the responsibilities of the positions where they play.  Besides, we still have a week to fill before the big game...

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Dear Hasbro Product Planners,

The world needs a Dick LeBeau action figure.  It's true.  You know this has been a long time coming and, frankly, I think you've been stubbornly dodging your responsibility for providing high-quality, positive role model toys.  There is an enormous void in the hearts of football fans across this great nation and only a little LeBeau can fill it.

I'm not talking about some crappy bobble-head doll, either.  I'm talking about an indestructible steel figurine with both ball and swivel joints for the arms and legs.  Yeah, that's right.  Bring back "kung-fu grip" while you're at it.  Adorn the mightiest of Coordinators in a black windbreaker and a clipboard containing the ten commandments of defense.  The LeBeau action figure doesn't need an extensive wardrobe, a fast car, or a house in Malibu.  If you absolutely feel it necessary to pad your profits with a few extras, I would suggest a Bruce Ariens doll tethered to the great one's side with a black and gold leash.  (A soft-sculpture Wade Phillips to rest his feet upon is another marketable idea.)

Production of the Dick LeBeau action figure would generate manufacturing jobs in areas badly in need of economic aid.  Such an iconic figure could only be produced by the most skilled artisans of the world, not some cheap sweat shop in the backwoods of Asia.  An American dream carved by American talent for the most American of sports.  That is what the world craves.

Now, I understand this may seem like a daunting task.  So was winning five superbowl rings, but you don't hear the Steelers moaning about it.  To help motivate you in this intensely important project, I have assigned Inside Linebacker Larry Foote to watch over your shoulder and insure proper quality standards.  Yes, he will have his cleats and instructions to use them as necessary.

Thank you, Hasbro Product Planners.