It is a really boring time right now for Steeler fans this time of year as usual.  You can only take a hundred or so mock drafts before you get kind of worn out on them, so I was curious to know how many of you are Pirates fans?  I know this is a football blog, and I know that alot of you are not 'Burg fans so much as just Steeler fans.  I grew up just outside of Pittsburgh, and unfortunately, love the Pirates as well as the Pens.  So, how many of you out there like the team?  I was wondering if anyone local is keeping up with the team and how they are looking.  It's impossible to tell out here in the Midsouth. 

Also, if you are a Pirates fan, check out this article.  It will hurt.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=gallo/080910&sportCat=mlb

We had our very first free agent sighting today, as Joey Galloway came to visit.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09068/954275-100.stm

This kind of reminds me of Terrence Mathis coming in in the 2002 season.  I'm not sure how I would feel about this if he were to sign here.  He wasn't productive last year, mainly due to injuries, but had over 1000 yds in 2007.  Any thoughts out there?

I have gotten into a heated debate with a cowboys fan today about who is the greatest franchise since the Super Bowls began.  I maintained it was a no brainer with us having won 6 rings and a .857 winning in the big games.  He tried to say that they have been to more Super Bowls and have more playoff and regular season wins.  Well, I did some digging and found this site ...

http://pweb.jps.net/~fos/nfl/post1969nfl.html

Turns out, good ole Pittsburgh is the winningest team in the NFL since the Super Bowls began, 60%!.  We also have the most division and conference championships.  Woot!  I thought you guys might want to know that site, give you some statistical ammo in a debate.  Interesting note, we have allowed the fewest points since then as well.  Defense baby.

Yes Steelers fans, we stole it.  We were not the best team.  As a recent Miami fan pointed out, we just couldn't make the grade in '08.  Well, I am here to give you the true champion in the NFL.  The definitive winner of the past season.  The coup de grace of the gridiron if you will.  Through much deliberation and research, I have come up with the premiere team in the NFL...

Using a recent Miami fan's logic, I had to go about trying to find out who was jobbed out of a championship by the Pittsburgh Stealers, Squeelers, etc.  I reasoned that it must logically go by who beat whom in the regular season.  I know, I know, you are amazed at my deductive powers.  Well, take a gander at this -

• Atlanta def. Detroit

• Tampa def. Atlanta

• Oakland def. Tampa

• New Orleans def. Oakland

• Denver def. New Orleans

• Kansas City def. Denver

• New England def. Kansas City (probably by cheating)

• San Diego def. New England (VCR was broken - N.E.'s AV guy was subsequently fired)

• Buffalo def. San Diego

• Miami def. Buffalo

• Houston def. Miami

• Indy def. Houston

• Tennessee def. Indy

• N.Y. Jets def. Tennessee

• San Fransisco def. N.Y. Jets

• Seattle def. San Fran

• Arizona def. Seattle

• Minnesota def. Arizona

• Green Bay def. Minnesota

• Jacksonville def. Green Bay

• Chicago def. Jacksonville

• Carolina def. Chicago

• N.Y. Giants def. Carolina

• Cleveland def. N.Y. Giants

• Baltimore def. Cleveland

• Pittsburgh def. Baltimore (three times!)

• Philadelphia def. Pittsburgh

• Washington def. Philadelphia

• Cincinatti def. Washington

• Dallas def. Cincinatti

• St. Louis def. Dallas

So there you have it folks.  Your 2008 champions - the St. Louis Rams!  Congrats Rams fans.

I must say, I have been shocked at all of the negativity that has come to this site lately.  It seems like after every loss, there is nothing but predictions of doom, complete with wailing and gnashing of teeth. 

Why is this loss all on Ben?  Because of those picks?  Were they returned for TDs?  No.  Was Ben out there on defense afterward?   Wasn't there another team out there on the field that was trying to win as well?  Ben did not lose this game, <em>the team</em> lost this game.    Ben does not look himself, I agree.  He could stand to sit a game or two to heal, I agree as well.  But to 'blame' our 6-3 record on Ben is ridiculous and irresponsible.  And by the way, if someone had told you at the start of the season that we would be 6-3 and 3-0 in our division at this point, with the schedule that we have, all of you would have said 'Great!'. 

A little proof for you.  And let me throw in a post before the season started where everyone gushes about Ben.  It's funny how just three losses later, so many are ready to throw him under a bus and start a guy who struggled to even find work this year.

Who cares if the Ravens are 6-3?  They have a tough stretch coming up, like we do.  Let's all get some perspective and realize that we are playing tough teams out there, and that so far, we have only 3 losses.  Its not like we came into this season expecting to win every game.  

ben roethlisberger is overrated.  how overrated is he?  he is overrated.  dont let that 49-20 record fool you.  he can barely throw a ball downfield.  he cant win big games.  forget beating the 1,2,3 seeds in 2005.  forget beating unbeaten philly and new england in 2004.  forget posting a perfect passer rating 3 times.  he is overrated.  bring in leftwich.  we haven't had a qb this bad since bubby brister.  where is my shift key? 

Whew, it's hard to write like that.  Seriously though, I love stats.  I love to find 'em, read 'em and share 'em.  I also love having Big Ben as our qb.  Almost as much as my man-crush for Hines.  So, why not combine two of my loves?

Ben's career stat line...

56 games started, 1,016 completions out of 1,616 attempts for 13,032 yds and a 62.9 completion %.  94 TDs, 61 Ints, for a 91.7 career rating.  He's also rushed 168 times for 545 yds and 8 TDs.  He currently holds a 49-20 record, with a 5-2 playoff record.  Curious how that stacks up against other black-n-gold passers?

1st in rating, comp %, and yds per attempt (8.06), 2nd in TDs and 300 yd games(5), 3rd in wins(44) and yds.  4th in completions and attempts.  Oh, and second in Superbowl wins.  All on a run-oriented team.

He holds several NFL records...

Most wins by a rookie - 13.  Highest passer rating by a rookie - 98.1.   Highest comp % by a rook - 62.9%.   Youngest qb to win a SB.   Second qb ever to have 3 perfect games(Peyton Manning).  And just to put that stat in perspective, since 1973 only 34 qbs have ever even had a perfect game, and only 5 qbs have ever had more than one in their entire careers.  Ben already has three.

His steeler records are literally too numerous to mention them all, but to highlight a few...

1. .710 win %
2. 62.9 comp %
3. 32 TDs in one season
4. 91.7 passer rating - career
5. 85.1 rating - postseason
6. 3 perfect games
7. 8.06 yds per attempt
8. 5.85 td% - career
9. 104.1 rating - season

I could go on and list things like most 400+ games, most seasons over 3000 yds, highest rating as a rookie, 15 consecutive games with a TD, most TDs in one game, highest postseason comp %, blah blah blah.

Care to argue any of these stats?  Sure, Ben makes mistakes.  But so did Marino, Favre and even Bradshaw.  Who doesn't?  It's idiotic to start throwing Ben under the bus just because he has a bad game or two.  And to get one thing straight,  3 of those ints on sunday were not his fault.  2 were tipped by the receiver and one was a desperation heave.  I know that beerman is bozo, but I'm willing to bet there are others here that have their doubts.  No player is ever going to play lights out, year after year.  Even Marino had a rough year or two.  remember how antsy Bronco fans were getting before Elway won his two rings? 

I guess it comes down to which you would rather have.  A guy who makes mistakes but wins and is steadily improving, steadily getter better after already winning a superbowl.  Because that's what Ben does.  He wins.  Or rather, we win with him. Or would you rather go back to struggling with guys like Bubby Brister, Kordell Steward, Neil O'Donnell, Mike Tomczak, Kent Graham, Mark Malone, Tommy Maddux?  Seriously, we have not had a franchise guy under center since Terry.   Ben is making Romo money and a ridiculously better body of work.  So there it is.  Lemme have it.  Sorry for the length.

I'd like to know what everyone else thinks about this.  I haven't heard much talk about it yet, but this play really bothered me.

I was very upset after we went for iton 4th and 5 in the 4th quarter.  The score was 14-9 and there was, if I remember correctly, about 12 minutes left in the game.  Why?  Why go for it there?  Aside from that first drive, the offense had been struggling all game to get into some sort of a rhythm.  We were up by five and if you kick there, we are up by eight, a two score or two point conversion lead.  We have a kicker who is at 100% on the year.  We were at the 30.  Why?  Let him kick a 47 yarder.  Why trust an offense that had been struggling the majority of the game instead of a sure thing, or at least as close to one as we have on our team.  That play changed the entire complexion of the second half.  Ben threw a pick, and the momentum completely shifted in their favor.   Its not like we were burning up the field on offense.  After that play, we did not have one single 1st down for the rest of the game.  As I said in an earlier post, this was the first decision that Tomlin made that just flat out infuriated me.  I am a huge fan of his, so I'm not jumpin off his wagon, just hated the call.  Any comments?

By the way, here is my report on my adoptee, Nate Washington.  Nate had 1 catch for 65 yds that went for a TD.  Great catch and throw.  He also had another beautiful catch that was called back on a very frustrating Colon hold.  On the negative side, Nate had three drops, one of which he tipped into the hands of Giant Bryan Kehl.  In his defense, he was hit hard on the catch.  However, Ben hit  him square in the chest, and guys get hit over the middle in this league and hold on to the ball every sunday in this league.  He should have caught it.

Hey folks.  I just wanted to log on to the site and talk a bit about how great you guys have been on our site.  ETVal and cjmulrain(did I spell them right?) have been great reps for your site on behindthesteelcurtain, and I just wanted to come on and let you guys know.  Sorry to go all kumbyah on you.  As a steeler fan living in Arkansas, its been hard to find a site to go to that doesn't have idiots posting constantly and ranting and raving.  SBN has given me that with BTSC, and its great to get to know fans of other teams.  The debate over the Ben vs. Eli conversation was fun, and the way Giants fans have been has made me like the team a little bit more.  I can't wait for the game this weekend.  I heard there was an idiotic steeler fan on here, and I'm sorry for that.  Good luck, but I hope the Giants lose! 

Bumped.

steelerark is just about as old school as it comes on BTSC, though newer readers might not know it with all the nice developments in his personal and professional life lately. He's a great big picture guy, a great loyal Pittsburgh sports fan, and most likely very similar to some good friend of yours. Just a down to earth, chill guy. I am pleased he found time to weigh in on his favorite player, Hines Ward, and the bigger picture he sees developing behind the scenes as it relates to Hines. Jump on in with your two cents. - Blitz-

I have been closely following this story for some time now, even before this last week's developments.  I believe that this whole situation with Hines this season has brought to light something that is very troubling to me.  It seems that the league is slowly and methodically trying to turn this league into a politically correct product.   They seem to be taking a sport known for its violence, hard-hitting and ruggedness and turn it into something entirely different.   As Polamolu might put it, a pansy league.

I know that with time, all things change.  This is not my father's league.  My dad watched guys like Lambert, Mean Joe, Butkus and Lott.   Guys like Tatum and Alzado who actually sought guys out to hurt them and looked to cause as much pain as possible.   I'm sure Maryrose can whip out several stories about guys like that.  But that league is dead to us.  And that's okay.  I know that stuff like that had to change after seeing what happened to guys like Mike Webster in their old age.  (Read what happened to Ted Johnson during his time with the Pats, one more reason to hate Belichick)  That makes sense.  What bothers me is two-fold:  the inconsistencies and the general shift toward correct 'behavior'.  Namely, the fines.  We all know by now how much Hines has been fined this year, twice for unspecified "unnecessary roughness".  He did get an explanation on one of them, a slap to a helmet after a play was over.   What bothers me most about the fines and Hines getting labeled a dirty player is the whole hypocrisy of it.   I posted some links in an earlier post about this, but in case you missed them...

Here's Ed Reed, an avid Hines hater who has been decleated twice by 86.

Here’s Chinedum Ndukwe, the Bengal LB who complained about the Rivers injury to the media, in college.

It bothers me that offensive players (namely Hines, since I don't know of too many other receivers that hit like him) are seemingly held to a different standard than defensive players.  In the PG today, we learned that the league will consider hits like the one Hines put on display Sunday illegal in the offseason.  How?  Will they require an offensive player to hit a guy only if he's looking?  Will they have to yell out a warning?  On the flip side, defenders constantly knock guys out of the game.  Know what Ray Lewis said immediately after knocking Mendenhall out of the game? "The force was freaking incredible," Patrick quotes Lewis about the tackle. "After the play, I wasn't screaming, 'He's hurt.' I was screaming, 'He's done.  Cripes I hate the Ravens.

Where is the consistency in crap like this?  I read somewhere that maybe the stuff that Hines is getting fined for is all a subtle way to soften teams up for an 18 game schedule.  That might hold water if only defensive guys weren't getting away with the exact same kind of stuff.   The league still puts out a 'Greatest Hits' video every year.   We hear guys like Kwoog come on and complain that Hines is a dirty player.   How is  this hit by your beloved Browns any different Kwoog?  Hines is called a 'blind side' guy.  Huh?  Um, how many times a game do you see a quarterback get blindsided?  If it's a Steeler game you're watching, probably several times.   Hines is labeled as dirty, but defenders taking out receivers in the same way get praised. 

As for the shift toward behavior, sure.  I'm all for fining guys or suspending guys that continually get into trouble with the law or use drugs.  That's just weeding out idiots.  Any guy like Matt Jones that is gonna risk all that they have gained to do a few lines of coke deserve to get suspended.  But, where did it start to turn that guys can't celebrate a TD in any way but maybe joyfully clapping their hands?  It is unbelievable how the celebration fines have gotten way out of control.  Is it solely because of TO and Bozo Cinco?  I can't stand either guy, but if they want to pull a sharpie out or grab some pom poms, who cares?  I have to admit, its entertaining and amusing.  Read this article by Joel Hammond, a blogger at pigskinpodcast.com.  Most recently, Chris Johnson of the Titans was fined 15 grand for banging on some drums in their pep band.  (They have a pep band?!?)  It's getting crazy.  I know that the celebrations are getting more elaborate and planned out in advance.  My question is, who cares?  Who is it hurting?  Are they going to start fining a kicker for jumping into his teammates arms after a game-winning kick?  I like what Hammond says in his podcast.  Its not about the refs and the league officials.  It's about the fans and unfortunately, things like these instances are proving that this sport is more and more a business and not about us. 

I'd like to hear everyone's thoughts about all this, the celebrations and the fines for Ward.   I especially would like to hear from some of the non-Steeler fans who read this site to chime in.  I know some of the more vocal ones have been silent, with the Cowboys, Browns and Jags struggling.  But I know you guys are still out there lurking, waiting in the shadows for the Steelers to take a nosedive like in the Eagles game.  Lemme have it.

Man, I always thought last year's Nike commercial with Tomlinson and Merriman was pretty sweet, but they have put a new one out this year that, at least from my biased point of view, is even better.  Has anyone seen it?  It shows Troy and LT in a timeline of the two of them growing up, from peewee to their USC/TCU days.  Then at the end, they meet in a game and a tackle.  Its pretty frickin sweet and its awesome to see Troy getting some ad time.  Its great, because in the ad, he makes the tackle and just pops up to head back to the huddle like usual.  The thing I love about Troy is his work ethic.  The guy just plays football.  No flash celebrations, no screaming or taunting for making a tackle.  Sure, he gets hyped up every now and then and shows emotion rarely.  But this guy is all Steeler.

Tomlin announced it in the post game news conference.  Wow.  Mendy and SImmons are on IR.  Mendenhall has a right shoulder fracture and he didn't say about simmons.  So what happens now with our Backs and with our Line?  Bentley anyone?? I know that several of you don't like him, but we are gonna have to go out and get someone.  Why do fanposts have to be so long?  That is something that I have never understood.

Check this out, over on

yahoo sports

they are posting a story saying that the CBS is preemptively suing the NFLPA because the NFLPA wants to sue CBS for the right to use the stats in their fantasy format.  As if pro athletes don't make enough money, now they want to get that little bit extra from the fans.  I say fans, because if the NFLPA ever won a lawsuit like the one mentioned in the story, fantasy sites like yahoo and cbs would start charging for fantasy.   I'm glad to see the precedent set in MLB, but stil, this just reeks of greed.

So, I did a little adopt-a-steeler on my own, and decided to follow what happened with Leftwich this last game.  I have never cared for Byron, no actual dislike, just that fact that he screwed me one year in fantasy :)  I did not want him to come to the Steelers, but alas, he is here and I can deal with that.  What I can't deal with, is what will they do with Batch.  Here is how BL fared last night...

He went an unimpressive 6 - 14, going 82 yds with no TDs or picks, averaging a meager 5.6 yds per pass. 

I went so far as to break it down, play for play. 

1 Quarter:

 1st & 10 - 5 yds - very good throw.

 2nd & 5 - 2 yds - thrown well behind the reciever for little gain.

 3rd & 3 - inc. - absolutely his worst throw of the night, waayyy behind the reciever who had to come back to try to get it and was still at least 5 yds away.

2nd Quarter:

 3rd & 6 - 28 Yrds - decent throw that Mewelde turns into a huge gain.

 2nd & 14 - inc - overthrown

 3rd & 14 - 43 yds - fantastic throw, right on the money, easily his best all night

 1st & 10 - inc - great throw, limas just couldnt get the foot down, great attempt tho

 3rd & 9 - inc - eh, not bad, not great

 3rd & 11 - 3 yds

 Then with 27 seconds left -

 1st & 10 14 yds - good throw

 1st & 5 - inc, on this one, Limas did drop the ball, but the throw was behind him, so that he had to twist his body in an effort to get it, slowing him down.  He still should have caught it, but if BL could have hit him in stride, it would have had a better chance at being caught and a huge gain down the sideline, more than likely a td, since the corner covering fell down.

 2nd & 5 - inc, terrible throw, low and short hops it to Dallas Baker

 3rd & 5 - inc, hail mary that doesn't even reach the goal line from the Pittsburgh 45 yd line. Where was that vaunted arm?

one last throw in the 3rd Quarter that was well behind Limas for an incompletion.

There you have it.  I tried to be as objective as possible.  Take what you will, but it was a fairly poor outing imo.  I know that some of you may think that this question isn't very important, that the backup QB is the Vice President of football(anyone like McCain's choice btw?), but we as Steeler fans know just crucial that position can be.  Ben steps in and wins 14 games in a row, after nearly winning the game against Baltimore in a comeback(our only loss that year) and cements himself as our qb of the future.  Maddox replaced Ben and threw the game and the season away to Jacksonville in 2005.  You have to have a guy that can come in and be consistent.  Batch is that guy.  He has rarely lost a game that he started for us.  He knows the offense, he is comfortable with the recievers and he is more apt to stick around after this season.  How likely is it that Leftwich stays after this year when his contract is up and he has a chance to compete somewhere as a starter?  He has no chance of that in Pitt, barring a career-ending injury to Ben.  Leftwich is an average, inconsistent QB who will amount to nothing more than a journeyman in this league.  Any thoughts?

So I called DirectTV this morning to get Fox Sports Pittsburgh, since they are showing the preseason game tonight.  Guess what?  I was informed that I can get the channel, but that the game will be blacked out tonight.  Why?  Because the networks have the right to black out games, even pre-season games, that don't sell out.  Really??  A pre-season game?  So, does anyone know where I might be able to download the game off the net?  I doubt there is, since not too many folks care about pre-season.  I just can't believe that they blackout pre-season.  Its bad enough that I have to pay 250 bucks to DirectTV just to able to watch every game in the comfort of my own home, not arguing with some 300 lb Bills fan which game is gonna be on at the local sports bar(true story).   Sports have become such a business nowadays that it gets hard to stomach sometimes. 

So the Brett Favre saga moves to Broadway.  I'm just curious how most of you guys feel about this situation.  I seem to remember a post about this early on, but I just wondered how you guys think this will affect the AFC and especially the East.   Think Team Favre can take down the hated Pats?    I hope that they can topple them, but I am a little doubtful, I guess just because of the fact that they, barring a few recent seasons, have such a hard time making the playoffs.

I am looking for 2 tickets to the December 27th game against the Browns.  I know that they are sold out for the next 500 years or so, so I was wondering if any of you guys know a good way to get a couple tickets for near normal price?  I don't wanna pay tons o' cash on ebay.  Lemme know if any of you have some extras near that date, or if you know of a good alternative to getting some.  Thanks.

There is a decent story on Ryan Clark in the PG...

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08213/900805-66.stm

It shows just how serious his condition was and I think explains a little bit about why the front office was so concerned about drafting a safety this year.  On a side note, it was cool that Ben came up and said that to Clark.  It's good to see that he has become the team leader on defense as well as on O. 

So the world's squirreliest looking sports reporter has a pretty good story today about the sale of the Steelers.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=clayton_john&id=3485962

I'm curious to see how the rest of you feel about the diminishing family ownership around the NFL.  It's kind of sad for me, and I would imagine many of the rest of Steeler Nation, to think of the team not in the hands of a Rooney, but this article does a good job of showing just how hard that will be in this age of billion dollar franchises.  Note in that article that the friggin inheritance tax is 45%!  Holy shit.  That is an unbelievable number. 

Hines gets a little recognition from Espn who did a poll among the current head coaches on the dirtiest player, smartest offensive and defensive player, and the best owner.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=walker_james&id=3463857

Ward is my favorite player, and I think a definite Hall Of Famer, and I wouldn't trade the Rooneys for any owners in the league, even the Maras.  Its just another reminder of the quality of football that we as Steeler fans have had to enjoy for so long. 

So, not sure how much talk this will generate, but that post last week about TV shows got me to wondering just what kind of movies you guys like on this site.  One's taste in movies says a lot about a person, so I'm interested in what you guys, of whom many I consider friends, are into.  I am an aspiring screenwriter, so it goes without saying that movies are something that I enjoy quite a bit.  I thought that I would ask you guys just what would be in your top 5.   Here's mine in order:

1 - Braveheart.  I know that a ton of guys immediately say this film when talking about their favorites, but I have to agree that it is the best movie that I have ever seen.  Having mostly Irish blood, mixed with tiny bit of Scottish, I have several close relatives that live in Ireland and Scotland, and their feelings of ill will towards the Brits of history still lingers.  Its sort of like how some in the South still call the Civil War the 'War of Northern Aggression".  The battle scenes changed the way that Hollywood shot battle scenes for ever.  The historical backdrop, the story itself, the acting, the cinematography and Sophie Marceau make this an easy choice for #1.

2 - Stranger Than Fiction.  Many of you may not have heard about this film, because its a bit of a departure from Will Farrel's normal stuff.  His still a bit comedic in it, but it is by no means Anchorman 2.  Farrell plays a taxman who realizes that his life is being narrated by a British author(Emma Thompson) and his life is being dictated by what she says.   Farrell and Maggie Gyllenhaal are awesome in this flick, as is supporting cast Thompson, Dustin Hoffman, and Queen Latifah.   Funny, touching and a bit odd.

3 - Gone With the Wind.  Not sure if guys today consider this a chick flick, but its not.  Its just a great piece of film.  This sweeping epic never fails to entertain me.  I am a huge history buff, and I love all things Civil War.   Plus you can't beat one of  Hollywood's first major curse word scenes.

4 - Serenity.  Not sure how many scifi fans are out there, but this movie is based on a cult classic scifi series called Firefly, which despite great ratings and a growing fanbase, was canceled in a typical move by the idiots at Fox.  Great acting, witty dialogue and one of the most beautiful women on screen, Morena Baccarin.

5 - Glory.  Again with the Civil War.  Sheesh.   Denzel wins his first oscar for this movie, in the role that propelled him to stardom.  Broderick, Morgan Freeman and Cary Elwes were great.  The battle scenes were as good as any pre-Braveheart, and the story was classic.  There is a scene where a while soldier who had formerly fought with Denzel shouts 'Give em hell, 54th!' as the regiment is marching into a suicide mission.  Easily squeezed a tiny man-tear outta me. 

Honorable mention - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, North by Northwest, Rear Window, Saving Private Ryan, Garden State, Full Metal Jacket, 28 Days Later, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Legends of the Fall.

With all the genres out there, and all the movies, it was hard to pick just five.  Not sure how much interest this post will generate.  If anyone wants to, we can break it down into genres every so often.

Once again, rumblings have surfaced concerning Tomlin and how he should never have been hired and should be let go.  I am a big fan of his, at least in this early stage of his career.  I believe that he should be allowed a chance to show what he is worth, and so far he has not failed.  I personally am grateful that we cheer for a team that is not fickle in its decisions with the head coaching position.   So I thought I would do a little Cowher/Tomlin/Noll comparison, taking a look at each coach's first season, since that is all we can look at from Tomlin's point of view.

Record:

Cowher(1992): 11-5, losing 2 of the last 3.

Tomlin(2007): 10-6, losing 3 of the last 4.

Noll(1969): 1-13, losing 13 in a row to end the season.

Postseason:

Cowher - yes, getting blown out 24-3 by the bills in the divisional round after a bye.

Tomlin - yes, losing 31-29 in a disheartening loss the Jags.

Noll - Um, no.

Team Passing:

Cowher - 431 att, 249 comp, 57.8%, 3046 yds, 15 Tds, 14 Ints, 40 sacks allowed, starting qb(odonnell) had an 83.6 rating.

Tomlin - 442 att, 282 comp, 63.8%, 3418 yds, 34 Tds, 14 ints, 47 sacks allowed. starting qb(ben) had a 104.1 rating.

Noll - 391 att, 176 comp, 45%, 2458 yds, 17 Tds, 29 ints, 52 sacks allowed, starting qb(shiner) had a 60.3 rating.

Team Rushing:

Cowher - 518 att, 2156 yds, 13 Tds, 4.2 ypc.

Tomlin - 511 att, 2158 yds, 9 Tds, 4.2 ypc.

Noll - 400 att, 1542 yds, 8Tds, 3.9 ypc.

Team Defense:

Cowher - 22 ints, 36 sacks, 225 points allowed.

Tomlin - 11 ints, 36 sacks, 266 points allowed.

Noll - 25 ints, 404 points allowed. 

Pretty even, eh?  (putting aside Noll's atrocious first season)

So, I'm curious.  Where in these stats does it warrant a coaching change this year?  Or even a modicum of regret at Tomlin's hiring in the first place?  Where does anyone get the idea that changing coaches frequently is a good idea?  Its not.  Some examples:

Miami - 5 coaches in the last 6 years - 0 playoff appearances.

Oakland - 4 coaches in the last 6 years - 1 playoff app

Granted, these are extreme examples.  But hell, how can anyone seriously gripe about Tomlin in his first year, after the kind of year that he had?  I know that there are(inexplicably) Cowher detractors out there.  But the man provided us with 15 years of winning football, culminating in a Superbowl.   And I know there aren't many out there that are gonna tell me Noll sucked.  But his first year sure did.  He went 1-13!  Are you kidding me?  1- 13?  What if the FO had had that knee-jerk reaction that so many fans get when faced with results lower than their expectations?  How dramatically different would our franchise look today if Noll had been let go?  Obviously, we will never know, but I sure am glad we didn't have to find out.  Tomlin deserves a chance, even without his success last season.

Just thought I would introduce myself to some of the newer folks on the site.  BTSC is my favorite website, hosted by my favorite blogger, but I have been going ninety to nothing since shortly after the superbowl(still makes me smile to think of NE coming up short).  Now I am fully moved to a new town, in a new, stress free job, and ready to join the banter again.  I have been keeping up with everything, still reading and all, I just haven't been able to post much.  I am seeing a ton of new names, so if any of you are older guys with new names due to the change over of the site, could you guys refresh my memory as to who ya are?  Thanks.

Well, I've been outta town for a week and a half, haven't been near the internet at all.  I get back, and the first thing on espn.com is this...

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3354694

So, they sign him for almost 7 million???  Does anyone else scratch their head at this?  This seems like an awful lot of money to pay a guy that lost his starting job last year.  

The L.A. Times is reporting that Farve is rethinking his retirement.  The catch?  With another team.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=txfavreretirement&prov=st&type=lgns

I have a hard time giving any credence to this story, I guess I just have a hard time seeing why he would be thinking of coming back somewhere else, unless there was more to him leaving the Pack than was told to the public.  Any thoughts?

Wow.  Check out this story...

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08088/868753-66.stm

Talk about classy.  I have a seahawks fan for a friend, and I know all the teams have fans that are this classless, but sheesh.  I think I would go ballistic if someone spit on my food.

Well, we have had a Terry sighting, something that hasn't happened in a long time.  Much debate has been made about Romo, Ben and David Garrard in another post, so I thought that I would put most of the information in one place.

In comparing Romo and Garrard, there really isn't too much of a comparison, as Romo beat Garrard in almost every category last year, Garrard's only full season as starter.  Since Garrard has only started one season, it seemed fair to compare the two just for last season...

Romo - 520 att, 335 comp, 64.4%, 4211 yds, 8.1 avg, 36 TD's and 6.9 TD%, 19 ints, and a 97.4 rating.

Garrard - 325 att, 208 comp, 64%, 2509 yds, 7.72 avg, 18 TDs, 5.5 TD%, 3 ints, and a 102.2 rating.

There is something to be said about the fact that Romo has better recievers and the Jags run a LOT.  However, that doesn't explain away the comp. percentage, average yds per pass and the TD percentage.  Those 3 stats are a bit more important to me, since it shows how consistent they are, and Romo is better in all three.  The 3 ints are an amazing stat, and finishing with a rating over 100, something which Romo has not done in 2 seasons as a starter, is quite an accomplishment.  All in all, the two are fairly similar in the regular season.  You can't really argue strongly for either one being 'better'.

Postseason-wise, Romo is 0-2, compared to Garrard who is 1-1.  Both guys have been in 2 playoff games, and the lines are as follows:

Romo

vs. Seattle - 36 att, 18 comp, 50% comp, 201 yds, 5.58 avg, 1 Td, 1 int, for a 89.6 rating.

vs. NYG - 29 att, 17 comp, 58% comp, 1889 yds, 6.52 avg, 1 TD, 0 int, for a dismal 64.7 rating.

Garrard

vs. Pitt - 21 att, 9 comp, 42% comp, 140 yds, 8.02 avg, 2 Tds, 3 ints, 79.2 rating.

vs. NE - 33 att, 22 comp, 66% comp, 278 yds, 8.42 avg, 2 TD, 0 ints, 100.3 rating.

Take what you will from that, to me it looks as though there isn't too much difference, neither qb has done much in the postseason, although Garrard's line in the NE loss is very good.

As for the claim that Romo is better than Ben...

Romo's first season as a starter -
337 att, 220 comp, 65.3% 2903yds, 8.61 avg, 19 TDs, 5.6 TD%, 13 ints, and a 95.1 rating.  Record was 6-4.

Ben's first season - 295 att, 196 comp, 66.4 comp%, 2621 yds, 8.88 avg, 17 TDs, 5.8 TD%, 11 ints, and a 98.1 rating.  Record was 14-0.

So first season comparison is a joke.  Romo barely cleared .500 winning percentage, Ben set a rookie record for winning his first 13 games as a starter.  13 - 0!  Amazing first year run.  

Playoff records -
Romo is 0-2
Ben is 5-2, 2 AFC championship games, 1 SB ring

Defining playoff moments -
Romo - botching a hold for a game winning field goal.
Ben - game-saving tackle on a fumble return.

Say what you want about that terrible performance in the superbowl, they still won, and it was one playoff game.  Ben still has a ring and 5 playoff wins.

Regular season winning percentage -
Romo: 19 - 7 for a .730%
Ben: 40 - 16 for a .713%
pretty even, considering that Ben had one monster bad season, and has been in the league longer.

Overall career stats -
Ben - 55 games started, 1437 att, 909 comp, 63.3 comp%, 11677 yds,  8.13 avg, 84 TDs, 5.8 TD%, 54 ints, for a rating of 92.5

Romo - 26 games started, 857 att, 555 comp, 64.8 comp%, 7114yds, 8.30 avg, 55 TDs, 6.4 TD%, 32 ints, and a rating of 96.5

Bens records:

1 Pro Bowl
Most wins by a rookie - 13 games
Highest qb rating for a rookie - 98.1
Longest win streak to start a career - 15 games
Best won-loss record thru 4 years for a qb - 44 and 18
First qb to start two AFC championship games in his first two seasons.
Youngest qb to start the superbowl
Highest comp% for a rookie qb - 66.4%
Oh yeah,
and worst rating for a winning superbowl qb - 22.7

Romo's records -
2 Pro Bowls

One more interesting stat - Ben has 3 career perfect passer rating games.  Since it's inception, there have only been 40 perfect ratings, thrown by 34 qbs.  The only other multiples are Peyton(four) and Kurt Warner(two).  Oh yeah, Romo has a big goose egg.

When comparing these stats, you have to look at the fact that the Steelers do run a predominantly run first offense, and that the Cowboys have had more talent at the reciever position.  I think that those two facts are changing though.  I think we will get more and more balanced and that Holmes will get more talented.  But comparing Owens and even my man-crush Hines, Owens is by far the better reciever.  Pure talent wise, may be the best in the league, and he doesn't seem to be slowing down with age.  Hines does a little bit.

Terry, your comments like

"Romo is being paid as much or less than most franchise QBs including your boy Ben, who by the way has a less than impressive resume than Romo unless you want to count that SB win which was won in spite of his horrendous performance that day (25 qb rating, worse ever for a winning SB QB)."

are waaaay off base, not to mention grammatically incorrect.  Their actual stats are pretty similar, but their actual RESUMES don't compare.  Ben set multiple rookie records, has a better playoff record, a similar regular season record, 3 perfect passer ratings, nearly the same amount of Pro Bowls, two AFC champ appearances and a superbowl win.  Romo has a tiny better winning percentage, and two playoff losses.

And last but not least you made this comment:

"Romo doesn't draw attention to himself, he's automatically going to get tons of attention no matter what he does because he's the QB of the Dallas Cowboys. Whoever that person is, they are going to be viewed under a microscope 24/7, thats just the way it is."

So, did Bledsoe draw the kind of attention that Romeo has drawn for himself?  What about Henson, Wright, Carter,  and Testaverde?  All of these guys were starting qbs for the Boys in this decade and none of them made the tabloids on a regular basis.  Just because you are a qb for the self-proclaimed "America's Team" does not mean you are under the media's microscope.  The Cowboys are not what they once were, despite what so many of their fans want to think.  Hell, the biggest news for your team this decade has been the hiring of a troubled reciever, the hiring and subsequent quitting of a primmadonna coach, and a playboy qb having girlfriend issues.

So with the signing of Hartwig, as cgolden mentioned we know have 9 Olinemen on the team.  What direction does the team take now in the draft?  Do we still go for an offensive lineman if a guy like Otah is still available?  Do we trade down to get some extra picks and take Albert?  Do we take the BPA(best player available) no matter what the position?  I just wanted to open up a new discussion now that a new center is in the fold.  I know most here consider Mahan to be the weakest link from last year, and I think it's safe to say that, barring an amazing camp from a rookie, Hartwig will be shoving a piece of pigskin through his black-n-gold legs on Sundays.  Although I myself have no feelings either way about Hartwig due to a lack of ever watching him play, I have to believe that he has to be an immediate upgrade to some absolutely dreadful play at center last year.  So does our need now shift to WR?  Defensive line?  

I am addicted.  I am addicted to Steelers football.  I love Pittsburgh sports in general, having grown up in the area.  I'm passionate about the Pens and the Buccos, who perennially stink but I still listen to MLB.com every game I can at home.  But nothing comes close to the Steelers.  No doubt about it.  I stay up late combing the wire for any tidbit of news about the team, players moves, you name it.  For years, I was stuck reading a story a day on the PG, or the Trib.  Then I found a certain site that, while it had many articles and forums, just didn't fit my sports style.  As I have said before, I am a positive person.  I support my team to the fullest, while maintaining a healthy ability to be critical of certain decisions.  Everyone has room for improvement, even my favorite team.  Nothing wrong with being critical, but no one benefits from backbiting and snide comments.  We have been blessed enough to root for an organization that wins regularly and does not suffer from internal politics and infighting.

That being said, the aforementioned site did nothing but tear down the coaches and players that I love.  I tolerated it, but was not that happy with where I got my news.  One day, on that site, another blog was mentioned in a sneering and cynical way.  That alone made me want to check it out.  Which is how I came to know this site and become a member of this community.  I have grown to thoroughly enjoy coming to this site every day, spending hours here.  I have come to consider Blitz a friend, even though I have never met the man face to face(something I would like to rectify someday with many here).  I have come to respect him and golden for the work and effort they put in, the time and the consideration for the rest of us.  Guys like lifer and maryrose, steelerinchicago and datruth, liveindc and schnifin.  Newcomers like Rick, mostviolent and ET.  (hope I didn't leave anyone out, but its late)  

Anyway, I say these things mainly to impress that I love this site.  All cheesiness aside, I do.  Although a recent promotion has limited my ability through time constraints to post, I still check the site several hundred times a day.  Which is why the stuff like the comments that were said over the weekend and in most of his diaries were met with such ire.  This site is important to me, and I take attacks against it personally.  

So this little article is to thank the main man, Blitz, for all the work and effort that he puts in.  I am asking you folks who care about BTC to chime in and let him know just how much he is appreciated by the rest of us.  Guys like him just go about their business and few take the time to express any gratitude.  Thanks for all the articles, thanks for doing the hard things like banning idiots, thanks for creating a healthy environment where I can go and read and discuss Steeler news on regular basis, something quite lacking in Arkansas.  Thanks buddy.

Randy Moss and Tom Brady have pulled out of the Pro Bowl for undisclosed reasons.

http://www.nfl.com/probowl/story?id=09000d5d8068419d&template=with-video&confirm=true

Wow.  Talk about sore losers.  This just keeps getting better and better.  Sure sure, his ankle hurts.  But I bet if they had won, he'd be going.  I mean this is like Christmas all over again.  And I really reaped it in this Christmas.  This is better.

I have been pretty quiet lately, an unfortunate side effect of the steelers losing in the playoffs.  I have a hard time getting into any game, even though I happen to really like the Packers, I can't sit through an entire game.  Not to mention the hype surrounding a team that I just can't stand.  I don't want to sit and listen to Phil or Dick or Morgan or Tony or any other talking head reference the Patriots every other play.  Superbowl XLII proved to be all that I could have hoped for.  Most people believed this game to be a foregone conclusion, a footnote in the greatest season in NFL history blah blah blah.  To see Tom Brady walk off the field repeatedly frustrated, to see Belichick give up and walk onto the field with time still on the clock and give his fake congratulations, made me feel downright whimsical.   I'm serious.  It was beautiful.  I haven't wanted someone to lose that badly since the Braves in 95.  So I can't wait to hear some of the excuses that you folks bring up.  All just about every Pats fan did that I met throughout the   entire season was gloat and preen.  The fans on TV, in person, all the same.  Well, what are you folks saying at the moment?  How is that 16 - 0 tasting right about now?