Tomlin’s Actions in November ’08 Contrast His Rhetoric of Wrath in ’09

Mike Tomlin’s reflections and analysis of the 2009 season are cloudy. He is still too close to the confusion that comes from finishing a disaster of a season on an upswing.

At one point, the season was truly capable of standing as a gorgeous parallel to the championship season of 2008. In the end, crude execution through November left every player on this team with a share of the blame. 2009 revealed a fun house mirror reflection of the team that had so recently climbed to the top.  

As Tomlin addressed the media regarding possible explanations of the improvident spirit of his team, the issue of a locker room poisoned by selfish players was raised once again.

Tomlin upheld James Harrison’s comments about selfish players with bad attitudes. He then dubbed selfishness as “part of the game” and mentioned that there was “nothing abnormal” about its existence among Steelers.

For two seasons in a row, he faced a challenge of keeping a number of narcissistic athletes focused on their goal, and this year he failed.

A hefty challenge he would navigate in ’08 was regrouping the Steelers after a home loss to the Colts in their ninth game in early November.

Three pivotal Roethlisberger picks toppled a team that was dealing with the controversy of an injured quarterback who was practicing at a minimum.  

Tomlin’s cut right through the impending drama and swiftly put the matter to bed. He openly informed Roethlisberger that if he didn’t practice, he didn’t play.

Holding the maverick quarterback accountable without taking a stab at him stood in stark contrast to Cowher’s media tiff with Ben over the alleged broken toe after the AFC Championship loss to the Pats in 2004.

The next week, though the team scored no offensive points, a unified squad of guys rallied behind Polamalu’s phenomenal pick and pulled out a hard-fought W.

A theme had been set: this was a group of guys who fought together, this was a coach who didn’t take any crap.

Weeks later, when Willie Parker moaned to the media that the team needed to return to “Steeler football”, Tomlin chastised his running back from the podium for losing sight of his own duties.

Now Tomlin’s assent that there are some selfish Steelers has every blog, twit and chatty theorizing just who these players are so that we can blame more people for the shameful performance of ’09.

The trajectories of the two seasons diverged this past November, the team had a shot until then.

This year after winning five straight, the Steelers approached game nine in a much better form they had the previous year.

They lost two at the start of ’09, but the games were close, unlike the rout they suffered at the hands of the Eagles in week three of ’08.

In the ninth game of 2009, the Bengals got revenge by taking out our USC star, Troy Polamalu. Muting Troy’s leadership, Cincinnati then proceeded to muffle the Steelers’ offence, sacking Ben four times and putting pressure on the run game.

After the game, Ben complained that he felt weird at the outset, citing everything from the weather to the fans as factors that had conspired to jam his radar. 

Santonio Holmes was right behind him, insinuating to the media that if Ben was off, then the loss was on Ben.

It seemed certain that the next voice would be Tomlin’s, but he was conspicuously quiet.

Two weeks later, Hines Ward openly questioned why Roethlisberger was not playing with a concussion against Baltimore in the first of many “must-win games.”

Tomlin confronted the two, but the damage was done.

After the loss to the Ravens, when the blustery speech began, it was reminiscent of a parent who loudly begins the count to three as his children wrestle just out of arms reach.

The threats had motivated few to action unless you count the media who began to use the phrase “unleash hell” with a fervor.

Then accountability was publicly issued for the locker room.  A small but important change occurred:  William Gay was benched for his abysmal performance that has persisted all season.

The team responded. Again, it was not their best victory but like the November game last year against the Chargers, the guys as a team gave just enough.

Roethlisberger’s reputation as a diva has congealed, but youthful glamour in this elegant old city shined when he hung half a thousand on the Packers.

Ward, long considered to be the heart of Steeler Nation, was suddenly less concerned with being its face and got back to leading the team.

And lastly, Super Bowl MVP Holmes began to play the situational football that has cemented his place in football history.  

Exceedingly talented and complex men finally had begun to work together to build up some steam that sadly, they could not take into the post season.

When time gives Tomlin clarity in his view of the past, let’s hope he returns to his leadership through actions and not words.  

Inspiring his fiery superstars to the kind of unity that will lift an entire squad back to the top will come thorough nothing less. 

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Help Us, Ben Roethlisberger: You’re Our Only Hope.

The Super Bowl hangover was bounced around when the Steelers’ 2009 season began, though thoughts of an actual meltdown were the farthest thing from most people’s imagination.

The season began on a breezy evening at Heinz Field, as the Steelers finally got their chance to exact revenge on those disrespectful of the Terrible Towel, the Tennessee Titans.

However, the atmosphere soon changed to a palpable feeling of uneasiness descending over Pittsburgh’s lack of fire power on the field.

After the Steelers eeked out a win in overtime, the lack of a running game was a major topic fueling discussion throughout Steelers Nation. The injury to Troy Polamalu early in the first quarter of the season opener was another.

The team minus Troy proceeded to limp apathetically through two losses in games that, through three quarters, looked like they would end as Steelers victories.  

A Week 4 win over San Diego at home reestablished a team with the patient acceleration that was a hallmark of the Super Bowl-champion Steelers.

Ben Roethlisberger was armed with two Super Bowl MVP receivers and a speedy rookie phenom in Mike Wallace. Rashard Mendenhall finally was bringing the reinforcement of a run threat to an offense that had struggled with that facet through recent weeks.

The Steelers defense stepped up as well, icing the Vikings in Pittsburgh with two thundering takeaways in the forth quarter to bring a solid win to the team in Week 7.

While respectable margins separated the final scores through five straight wins, nearly every game had its share of moments when the scores became uncomfortably close.

Then, terminal errors starting handing the close calls to the Steelers’ opponents, and the victories stopped. 

Devastation in the wake of the second loss to the Cincinnati “Bungles” in Week 10 was attributed to the appalling play of special teams during kickoff returns. The second consecutive and third total touchdown return from of a kick-off was cited as being a glaring reason the Steelers lost the key divisional game.

Despite the intense scrutiny heaped first upon special teams, then upon play calling, then upon the secondary, the team as a whole lost game after game.

An angry rhetoric of accountability flowed through Mike Tomlin’s post-game statements.

Yet, with all of the posturing occurring as losses, which should have been wins, but have we seen real change?

The men are increasingly dysfunctional as a team out in the public, so based on their performance on the field, we can imagine how they are interacting in private at a time when they desperately need to get back in sync.

Tomlin has faced the fiercest criticism of his young career, and to stave it off he must find a way to clear this stagnant air between some of his key players. He succeeded in motivating Rashard Mendenhall.

Mike Wallace, Brett Keisel, James Harrison and others have played with motivation all year, but the team as a whole has played without the resolution to outmaneuver their opponent week in and week out in ’09.

The Thursday night game in Cleveland is the Steelers’ last chance to find a foothold or free fall from the playoff race for good.

Steeler Nation hopes Tomlin can instigate improvement in his secondary, but even with minor adjustments, the team looked like they could have turned their losses into wins by playing with more mettle.

Recent comments by Ben Roethlisberger, saying “there is a light at the end of the tunnel. It’s a long tunnel and a small light, but it’s still flickering down there,” don’t sound like the words of a supremely confident man. But many of us never count out No. 7 while there’s still time on the clock.

But time is rapidly running out.

When we look at the teams in the league that are pressing ahead, we see them advancing along side of their pocket protagonists. Every team on a roll has received exceptional play from its quarterback, who’s set the tone for the squad.

Favre, Brees, and Manning have played exceptionally well so far. Fortunately, there is still a slim margin of space for those who want to compete against these pros.  

With our backs against the wall, it’s up to Ben to compel his team to fight, and his team in turn will put him on that list.

In the words of the Jedi master Yoda: “There is no try. There is only do or not do.”

On a frigid and blustery night in Cleveland, we don’t care if Ben is handing off or burning them through the air, our quarterback must be the one to lead his men to victory against those old rival Clowns.

Behind a strong leader, the team will find resolve and become a group that dug in to preserve its chance to play another Sunday. 

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2009 Pittsburgh Steelers: Where Are The Standards For Their Veterans?

Standards are good. They define our goals and prove to us that we have excelled or conversely fallen short.

Coach Mike Tomlin has made it clear over the last week that he has set rigid standards for his new players and, as a result, he has separated the men from the boys.

Rookie receiver Mike Wallace has clearly taken to heart the fact that he has an opportunity to play for a great football team. He has delivered with poise and grace by catching and securing nearly every pass that has been thrown his way. 

At the other end of the spectrum, Limas Sweed has dropped the ball and will not be given further opportunity to play barring a rash of injuries to the receiving corps.

The standards are high for the young guys trying to secure a spot on the Steelers roster. Why then are standards so lax for the veterans, when they are the ones who are supposed to be leading the youth?  

Watching Brett Favre go in and win the game for the Vikings in the final seconds on Sunday, I do understand that certain veterans can step in with limited preparation and lead.  

The Super Bowl champion Steelers however, are playing like they have no real goals for the 2009 season.

After hearing portions of coach Tomlin’s press conference that was held yesterday, a couple of comments that he made stood out to me.

When discussing his decision to relegate Rashard Mendenhall to limited play on special teams because he slacked in his preparation, he mentioned that, “It’s a little different when a veteran football player potentially makes mistakes in preparation for a game. If Hines Ward misses an assignment on a Thursday, you kind of ‘hmm’ and you move on.”

His attitude stands in sharp contrast to that of former Steelers coach Chuck Noll, who was able to achieve back-to-back Super Bowl victories on two separate occasions.

I read an account of a time when Noll cut a player who had been voted Steelers MVP by his team the previous year.  

The player in question ignored a team curfew, feeling that he had earned the right for a little special consideration. Coach Noll promptly cut the player, sending a message to the rest of his team that his standard stood for the whole team, proven veterans and green rookies alike.

With the 2006 season beginning to loom ominously in the rear view mirror, there is still time to look back not only at what has been muffed, but at what has been accomplished.

Just a short 10 months ago, we were all feeling the pain of the Steelers loss to the Colts in Heinz Field last November.

That game featured a classic example of the Steelers giving away a game that they had won in the first half. At the end of the game, however, coach Tomlin gave a bit of an ultimatum to our quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger.

He told the injured star that the team rules applied even to him and that if he was unable to practice in the upcoming week, he would also be unable to play.

At the time, Tomlin’s tact and professionalism in handling that matter with a minimum of drama impressed me.  

The following week against the tough San Diego Chargers, our team prevailed despite colossal issues, like our inability to score a single touchdown inside of the red zone.

I don’t have to remind anyone of what a difference that Troy Polamalu made in that game. His absence since the first quarter of week one has been enormous.  

I am now beginning to wonder if the Steelers miss more than just his ability because it appears now that the other veterans are also missing playing alongside a guy who places high standards upon himself.

Polamalu is a special player with a talent that cannot be defined by numbers, but Troy looks to no one but himself to set his goals.

I feel that Troy’s goals were clear as he played his heart out at the start of the season opener.

At the end of the game, who would have thought that rookie Mike Wallace would be the one to put us in position to win the game after Hines Ward had almost put us in position to lose.

I have a lot of respect for coach Tomlin and I haven’t missed the fact that I am a karaoke journalist and he is the reigning Super Bowl champion, not to mention coach of the year.

But I do have this in common with Tomlin—I like to look to history when I am figuring out how to navigate the future.

Numerous accounts retold by our celebrated Steelers of the 1970’s spoke of how these hall of fame veteran players had to elevate their game just to stay in the running, never mind pull ahead.

Starting 1-2 in 2009 reminds us nothing of those Steelers, it echoes the record that the Steelers notched up in 2006.

There is still time to work to prevent the loss to the Chargers which dug them into a 1-3 hole just like in ’06.

The 2006 season was littered with games that either slipped away, or that were given away though picks, fumbles, and mistakes.

In order to prevent groundhog season from occurring in ’09, we have to get to work.

The standards need to be solid and they need to be sky high in order to stop us from suffering two humiliating losses to the Ravens, the second of which occurred in a Christmas game at Heinz Field, and officially kissed the season goodbye.

They need to be solid so that we do not lose games that we could only imagine winning, like the mortifying ’06 loss to Oakland. 

We have time but not much time. Christmas is coming and so are the Ravens.  

Our veterans are the key.  

If they play the way that players who have high expectations upon them play, we will thank our seasoned squad as we turn the corner into January.  

If they fall short and play half-hearted football for the balance of the year, they will simply be remembered as tired old men who couldn’t take the pace.

 

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Mewelde Moore’s Style Should Not Be Overlooked by the Steelers

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has a strong sense of style. It is evident in the way he presents himself, in his manner of speech, and in his approach to the game.

Constantly stating that “style points do not count” does not eliminate the fact that his Steelers also have developed according to his style, and that style translates directly into our ability to score points, which certainly do count.

After watching the Steelers lose to the Chicago Bears last Sunday, I saw some elements of their style that inspired me, yet I am left with nagging reminders of other consistencies in the ways in which they have managed to lose.

Chalking up a loss while fighting to the last gasp is both comforting and disheartening. How many times did last year’s Detroit Lions let a lead slip away as the game wound to a close?

I would never place the Steelers in the same category as the Lions; however, I am simply stating the obvious fact that a close loss counts the same as a blowout.

This year, the Week One victory over the Titans showed again that the Steelers are a team whose offense has a style that mirrors that of their quarterback: Fight to the end no matter how grim things appear.  

Fighting to the end not only won them the Super Bowl, it also worked against several teams last year, most notably the Ravens.

I watched plenty of Steelers games in the late 1990s when the team would be sitting on a sure win, only to strut along the sidelines as their opponent dug in to snatch the victory. The late ’90s Steelers teams lacked the urge to fight to the end, and that attitude is critical to any great team.

Conversely, the painful struggle at the end of their Week Two loss to the Bears reminded me a little of the style that was seen in the 2007 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the wild card round of the playoffs.

On that cold slushy Sunday, the Steeler offense was slow to get on track against the Jaguars, but they found their heart and dragged the team to a fragile one-point lead in the fourth quarter.

With our proud defense deflated, we were the ones left to take a beating at the end of the game. In both games, our opponents were the ones kicking the game-winning field goal.

That scenario will always be out of style in Pittsburgh.

I feel that when Tomlin uses the word style, he attaches to it a connotation of beauty or elegance.  

I would guess that is why he does not want the team to get caught up on the concept of “style.”

Yet “The Drive” and “The Catch” did not occur at the end of blowout games; they emphatically punctuated wins in very close games that could have gone either way.  

The countless times those plays have run on highlight reels underscore the height of their value to football. Those plays define style.

This Sunday, the Steelers travel to Cincinnati to take on their hated rivals, the Bengals.

In 2008, the Steelers bucked the trend that was to define them later in the season and soundly punished the Bengals in both matchups.

Though the Bengals were without their quarterback Carson Palmer last year, the Steelers’ story line was the disadvantage they may have had with literally no running game following the injuries to Willie Parker and Rashard Mendenhall.

Mewelde Moore was called upon to step in, and he very much rose to the occasion, rushing for 120 yards on 20 carries, scoring two touchdowns.

Conversely, his Bengal counterpart Cedric Benson, who has received much praise of late, was held to a meager 52 yards on 14 attempts, averaging 3.7 yards per carry. 

The passing game employed by the Steelers last year in Cincinnati fits squarely into the style of play that Coach Tomlin referred to in his press conference this week when he spoke of the Bears using the short pass as a “run game alternative.”

Last year, our run game alternative had brilliant results against the Bengals. Cincinnati had no chance against the Steelers because we had more than alternatives to lean on—we had a running game.

Another big difference last year in Cincinnati was the performance of our linebackers. The glaring statistic of a whopping seven sacks on Ryan Fitzpatrick that day contributed to the Steelers making a statement with their victory over the Bengals.

Our linebackers, LaMarr Woodley, James Harrison, and Lawrence Timmons, who have yet to chalk up their first sack of ’09, each had two. James Farrior added yet another sack to the heaping total. Five of those seven sacks came in the second half, which can definitely deflate a team’s hopes of mounting a comeback.

Both the lack of running game and the lack of sacks by our linebackers have been discussed in the media this week, so you can be sure that the Steelers are well aware of the areas in which they need to improve.

Hearing Coach Tomlin focus on Chicago’s “run game alternatives” in his last press conference, it felt like he was establishing a permanent plan-B mode for the Steelers’ running game.  

Last year, our running game was officially on the shelf by Week Four.

Yet the mettle and resolution that we have seen displayed by the team in close situations was there.

Moore’s effort on the field, coupled with the havoc wreaked by our linebackers, ensured that the game was never close.

I know that Moore’s role is not that of a starting back, but he gave it his all when we had no choice but to use him.

Maybe this Sunday, we put the ball in his hands a little more.  

I don’t believe that there are any fans in the league who feel there is no style more beautiful than the grind of the run as it eats up the clock and allows our stout defense to remain fresh enough to punish our opponents.

Style points always count.

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Pittsburgh Steelers Top Priority: Protect Ben Roethlisberger

In the voluminous outpouring of analysis of the Steelers’ running game that has followed the Steelers vs. Titans game last Thursday, what is missing is the amazing fact that the Steelers won.

True, I am unabashedly clinging to a silver lining but honestly, I feel that the 2008 Steelers would have lost that game had it been their season opener the previous September.

Looking back to the four losses suffered by the Steelers in the 2008 season, reasons can be found to applaud the progress that has been made by the team in the offseason and perhaps get our hopes back on track for a repeat.

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Pittsburgh Steelers’ Parker and Mendenhall: Should We Call Them Must And Bust?

We had perfect weather for viewing the game that everyone had waited to see. 

Scheduled to kickoff the 2009 NFL season, The Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers would at last face off against the last team to beat them, the Tennessee Titans.

The delicate, early evening breeze was the perfect compliment to the warmth of the radiant, late summer sun that shone down over the city of Pittsburgh.

The harmonious conditions that combined to form a beautiful evening were something to be enjoyed yet sadly, not a foreshadowing of a balance or a collaboration that we would observe among the Steelers’ running backs.

There was no one, two punch.  There was nothing.

The first quarter was abysmal.

The first Steeler possession, the one we had waited for so long to see featured a dreaded sight: Willie Parker attempting to rush to the right only to hit a wall and suffer a three yard loss. 

On the next possession, Parker attempted another rush to the right resulting in a one yard loss.

Near the end of the quarter, Parker chalked up his first positive yardage, a run to the right again for one yard.

Rashard Mendenhall fared little better on the Steelers’ third series taking the ball up the middle for one yard on first down, and two yards on second down setting up the predictable “3rd-and-long”, ending with Ben Roethlisberger being sacked for a loss.

The next quarter was more of the same.  Attempts made by Parker to skip out to the right resulted in minimal gains.

The fact that Troy Polamalu was responding to the Tennessee offense like a one man defense machine while the rest of the Steeler D played with solid determination almost seemed lost on the crowd.

We were focused on watching the improvement in our running game.  A failure to resuscitate the philosophy of smash mouth football in Pittsburgh gave the stadium a feeling that we were beaten, though the scoreboard remained at 0-0 until late in the first half.

Mewelde Moore did a good job in the second half.  A good job in that he did at least what we expect of him.  His stats were no better than Parker’s or Mendenhall’s, but he converted a critical “2nd-and-1” in overtime.

Without irony, I felt that we all knew the gravity of that “2nd-and-1” because during the course of the game, a “3rd-and-1” became almost worse than a “3rd-and-12”.

None of the Super Bowl highlights flashing periodically on the now malfunctioning jumbotron could convince the crowd that we had a running game, or an answer in short yardage situations.

Mewelde delivered on “2nd-and-1” but we remember his foiled attempts to punch it into the end zone against the Chargers late in the 2008 season.

Perhaps we were wishing we could see a little of the preseason phenom, Isaac Redman on 3rd downs.  

Yet the solid but not dominant performance of preseason stand out Stefan Logan reminded us, training camp heroes can whither like the glorious blooms of summer once the cold wind starts to gust off of the icy rivers.

Isaac Redman can’t save us next week.  What can fix our running game?

A glaring statistic that lingers from the game is Parker’s 13 attempts for 19 yards. Mendenhall fared no better, gaining a total of six yards after four attempts.

Parker and Mendenhall both finished the game averaging 1.5 yards per carry with Mewelde Moore also gained a total of just eight yards after five attempts and 1.6 yards per carry.

At the end of a game that lasted late into the night, the Steelers combined rushing yard total was an inauspicious 36.

The once proud tradition of Steeler football now looks truly to be a derelict concept.

Steeler fans, from the most learned well-versed super fan down to the casual observer, frequently cite Bruce Arians’ refusal to use a full-back as a reason that the run has lost its power.  

The offensive line and their inability to create running gaps is mentioned in the next breath.

Lastly, the talent level of the running backs themselves is called into question.

At the end of the day, the absence of the belief that we are pounding the opposition is leaving the fans feeling flat.

I have to agree.  We all love the image of Bettis kneeing Urlacher’s face and body out of his way as he storms into the snow covered end zone.

That brand of offense breeds a sense of dominance.

Its absence in real games in real time begins to shadow the fact that we have made improvements in our special teams.

It lingers as a weakness behind our proud, dominant defense.

It compromises the place where we remain effective on offense, Roethlisberger in the shotgun marching his team down the field.

I want to believe in Willie Parker.  I loved the Bills game in 2004 where he gave his first real stand out performance.  I felt for him last night as he pounded his clenched fist on the turf after being stuffed for no gain again and again.

My feelings for Rashard Mendenhall are less empathetic.  I can’t see any signs of true commitment.  I want him to change my mind.

I like Mewelde Moore.  His breakout performance by default in last year’s regular season game at Heinz Field against the Ravens was solid.  But he is best as a versatile weapon, not a starting back.

Even if we were playing perfect football in the other two areas of the game, football just doesn’t feel like football for Steeler fans unless there is a strong running game.

I join the coaches in wringing my hands with few solutions to offer.  

My remedy is my hope that they grasp the fan’s feelings that alternate approaches, be it a fullback, the odd gadget, basically whatever isn’t a run to the right or up the middle, must be taken to remedy the situation.

Failure to be truly innovative with our running game could erode much of the potential not only to be great, but to be the historical football team that we see possible with the 2009 Steelers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Jerry Jones Wants to See Mat McBriar At Cowboys HQ: NOW!

Mat McBriar, you have lost your mind! You already hit the screen at the sparkling new Cowboys Stadium, now you add insult to injury saying that you were not consulted about its height? 

What on Earth possessed you, the Cowboys punter, to pipe up about the height of the screen in the Dallasium?

U2 are playing a concert at the stadium on October 12th. U2’s staff were consulted about the height of the screen for their gig. Maybe you should have a word about it to Bono because he’s about the only guy that Jerry Jones may listen to.

I would be willing to bet that Tony Romo would take the blame for an architectural oversight rather than blabber about not being consulted about the height of the giant T.V. during the building of the Cowboys Stadium.

Mat, you are a punter! Punters are not consulted by Jerry Jones. Wade Phillips is not consulted by Jerry Jones!

You are on thin ice.

Thank God that you are no longer the highest paid punter in the league, that would have added to the size of the target on your back for being another overpaid media whore on the Cowboys’ roster.

If I were you right now, I would still be taking good care of that foot that was fractured when your punt was blocked by the Cardinals Sean Morey, handing Arizona a 30-24 victory in OT on October 12, 2008.

Maybe even more than the foot, I’d be keeping my head down and dealing with getting back onto the field after suffering your first major injury.

Your estimation of hitting the screen 50 percent of the time is nowhere near as good as the percentage of times you connect your foot to your mouth in the preseason.

Jerry doesn’t like to lose.

Remember what happened to T.O.? Even Bill Parcells was not allowed to call the shots in the Big D.

If you are able to run from the 15 seconds of fame that the Cowboys Stadium has bestowed upon you, you may be safe. Just don’t say another word.

Jerry Jones has been unavailable for comment about the screen height, you should follow suit.

Somehow I can’t see you sitting at a podium in a red leather jacket and wrap around shades, trying to look like a team player, crying that it is not fair to criticize the palace in Dallas.

You’ve had your nanosecond in the sun, now run for the shadows if you know what’s good for you.

Heath Miller: One Of The Heros of The Nosebleed Seats At Heinz Field

The patronizing chuckle from a Heinz Field usher as he gave us directions was my first indication of just how awful our seats were.

As my nephew and I settled into our Upper Level West seats in the double-letter section high above the end zone, we were happy just to be at a game inside of Heinz Field.

Downtown Pittsburgh, visible from our lofty position, vanished completely once the powdery atmosphere descended. The feathery chunks that fell from the sky infused the game with a fairytale quality.

We watched the Bus rolled through the only 100-yard game of his final season as the Steelers pounded out a victory in a do or die game against the Chicago Bears in 2005.  

When we talk about that game, we remember cheering in clothes soaked with melted snow for the Steelers as they kept their long-shot playoff hopes alive. But most of all, we remember cheering with the crowds for the Bus.

The engine driving the team stood covered in wet, freezing mud, and yet he had made it look easy.  

We sat high above the rough frosted field, and we decided that there were no bad seats in Heinz Field.

The next season, my nephew and I returned to the West upper level, this time we were perched in the second to last row in our section. We sat at Reed’s end of the field, the one that is open to the icy rivers.

Sitting in front of two drunk guys holding unwaveringly to their offensive strategy, we soon joined their chant: “Give it to Miller.” We loved their plan, especially given that it was restated on every down.

Since that day we have heard their slurred words echo in our minds. Their highly unorthodox, ultra-conservative plan seems vaguely plausible because Heath Miller delivers.  

Every down must equal the determination and beauty on display when No. 83 powers for a first down or into the end zone. Failing this, you may find yourself wishing that Miller had gotten the ball in the first place.

My most recent visit to a seat high up in the eaves of Heinz Field was the AFC Divisional game pitting the Steelers against the San Diego Chargers.

When my sister and I finished the hike to the summit and settled into our double letter seats, a rather robust fan who was pouring the contents of a pocket-size bottle of whiskey into his beer cup, got up to salute our arrival.

We replied to his greeting with a brief hello and then attempted to get seated and focus on the game. Suddenly, he clamoured to his feet, adjusted his shades, and began to vigorously wave his towel, and yell “Yeah! Hot chicks who understand football!!!”  

My sister and I joke about bringing a Terrible Towel into the Carnegie or the Warhol Museum and waving it while looking at a great work on display, but we had never had it done for us.

Though the guy could not see or hear with any degree of accuracy, I feel that having a terrible towel waved for you in earnest is always an honor. It was as funny as it was unforgettable.

The happy fan left at half-time, and we were free to watch the 3rd quarter which included Roethlisberger drilling passes to convert a 3rd and 11 to Washington and a 3rd and 10, to the one and only Heath Miller. A seven yard TD on a play-action fake to Miller capped the drive.  

The Steelers refusal to let the Chargers capitalize on a long return by Darren Sproles transfused the crowd with a mission. Watching a reversal of the circumstances that followed Maurice Jones Drew’s return deep into Steeler territory during the Jacksonville vs. Pittsburgh Wild Card game of the 2007 season—Charger momentum was stopped in its tracks and the Steelers would roll through to the AFC Championship.

There was a lot to cheer about that evening.  

Off in the distance beyond the stadium walls, I could see the hills blinking; but within the confines of the field, we were cheering for Willie Parker and his two TDs, and we were cheering for Ben.  

It was clear that No. 7 was playing in top form, making good decisions, driving the team, converting critical 3rd downs, unlike his performance against the Titans game just a few weeks earlier. It was also clear that his nasty injury that occurred during the Browns game late in December would not slow him down in the slightest.  

We all watched our quarterback silence his critics. Fans from the rafters to the sidelines that night knew that we had a team built to get us to Tampa.

Next month, I will be back up in the nose bleed seats to watch the rematch of Super Bowl XLIII in the first game of the 2009 pre-season.  

An informal count of jerseys worn by random fans that I have seen during recent trips to Pittsburgh leads me to predict that I will be among throngs of linebacker fans.  

An August evening awaits, not long off in the distance when we Steelers’ fans can once again gather at Heinz Field, or around our screens, and watch our team, from seats good or otherwise, begin their quest for a repeat. 

Whose turn is it to be the hero?

Mike Tomlin’s Steelers: Will they Achieve the Status of an NFL Dynasty?

The statuesque tree that stands shading my street with its voluminous leaves has begun to shed.  

Handfuls of yellow foliage flutter down with each passing breeze.

It doesn’t feel like the summer has gone that fast.  

I’ve yet to make my July trip to Kennywood Park.  I haven’t been there since I rode the Jackrabbit when I was dragged to Polish day as a lanky eight-year-old.  

It will be great to see some family that I haven’t seen in years.

A few more leaves drop and I start to forget about July.  I have the urge to find my iPod and put on some Sam Spence as the Monday Night Football Fanfare quietly slips into my mind.

Just under seven weeks until I experience my favorite reason to head to Pittsburgh, to watch the Steelers.

This is the time of year for reporting either minor team business or speculation.  

I’ve never been good at either.

I either see, or I feel.

So, without any actual football being played or atmospheres being created by the guys being together as a team, I have found some great books.

The best one so far is the 2006 Sports Illustrated publication, Sports Illustrated, Great Football Writing by Peter King.

My favorite piece above all is Myron Cope’s The Immaculate Reception and Other Miracles, originally published Aug. 20, 1973.

Charged with a privileged perspective earned by Cope, the story eloquently condenses a 40-year history of the Steelers into roughly 10 pages.

When the Walt Kiesling era Steelers of 1955 are recalled for their complete lack of offensive imagination, the pain that they inflicted on Cleveland’s Jim Brown during every loss is cited.

“Heroes we always had.  They thrived in the black pall that rose from the steel mills along the Monongahela.”  

Cope poignantly reminds the reader that even before the Steelers dominated, they inspired.

The balance of the story centers on Chuck Noll’s fledgling team, all written from a time before a single silver Lombardi sat behind glass in the Steeler’s trophy case.

Cope captures the opinion gaining momentum in the city, a conviction being set in motion.  Noll built a team of motivated men, and they were just getting rolling when Franco’s shoestring grab put a face on the feeling that the sky was the limit.

We all know what the Steelers went on to achieve in the 1970s, but can we feel, here and now, the optimism that was palpable in the city at the dawn of the dynasty?

I feel it.  

I felt it in the bitter cold game as the Steelers wouldn’t quit against Cowboys last December.  I felt it when Springsteen sang “The Rising” in Mellon Arena the night before the Penguins notched up another W over the Hurricanes as they advanced toward the Stanley Cup.

Personally, I’m going for it.

I’m believing in Tomlin.

I’m believing in the city.

I’m believing in Ben.

I trust LeBeau, the Defense, Santonio, Reed, and Ward.  I just feel good about the Steelers.  With a skillful plan, solid protection, and the resilience of their unconquerable attitude that they have developed, they can win seven.

I definitely live in the hopes of seeing a yardage seeking missile tacking more than one touchdown onto the scoreboard this year.

I have, however, re-watched enough of last year’s games to also look forward to seeing the Steelers doing their best work under pressure with a rapidly approaching deadline.

These days, Pittsburgh won’t quit.  

The team has momentum.

Myron Cope’s article was written around the time of the Steelers’ 40th year as Pittsburgh’s football team.  We waited 26 years with much higher expectations than the first group of Steeler fans who waited for their super team.  

History shows us that Super Bowl repeats are rare.  

But, as the cornerstone of the dynasty, “Mean” Joe Greene, once observed: “They say that when you’re the champs, everybody will try to beat you.  Well, I’m glad we’re champs, so bring ’em on, bring ’em all on.  If we die, we ain’t gonna die running.  It’s gonna be a fight.”

I can’t imagine that the 2009 Steelers would want it any other way.

Steeler Fans: Do You Need a New Jersey for the ’09 Season?

I love old football footage from the ’70s.  Any Steeler fan does.  But beyond watching the Steelers in action, I love the images of the outrageous hairstyles, outdated uniforms, stadiums long demolished, and immoderate fashions all artfully documented by NFL Films.

The faded footage reveals an America from a bygone era.  My favorite shots are of stands filled with fans wearing unofficial, unlicensed street clothes.  Even Steeler Patriarch, Art Rooney Sr., receiving his priceless first Lombardi, stands aloft in the Steeler locker room dressed in charcoal and lemon.    

People wearing non-regulation, homespun versions of their team colors are a thing of the past.

Today, nearly every fan displays their team pride by donning the jersey of their favorite player on game day.

I have my selection from which to choose.  

My vintage “88” with “McCann” ironed onto the back in fuzzy ’70s font, bought for me while I was in grade school by my Dad, is taken out of its protective hanger bag for special occasions only.  

My Roethlisberger jersey is never worn on Sundays or the team loses.  

My Polamalu jersey is my “go to” gear, and it has never let me down since I first wore it to the Bears @ Steelers winter wonderland game in 2005.  

Last but not least, my Pro Bowl Faneca jersey that was purchased for me on a previous Mother’s day is so large, that I plan to have it custom fitted into a chic mini-dress just for the laugh.

Our jerseys show our team pride, but they also reveal a little bit about who we are.

I plan to buy my first “away” jersey this year.  My collection is incomplete until I secure a No. 86.  

My sister, on the other hand, can’t make up her mind about who to support since her Larry Foote jersey was made obsolete in April.

I got to thinking, maybe more people have trouble choosing whose jersey to wear, so I devised a little quiz that may be helpful to fans who are without a plan for the ’09 season’s game gear.

Any person who has wasted a little time at work playing a “which celebrity are you” on line game should take to this quiz like a duck to water.

1.  Are you an individual who throws yourself into your work, does everything to the best of your abilities, and maintains good relationships with those around you?

If you answered yes, then you should proceed and buy yourself a new Steeler jersey. 

2. Is your demeanor between your work self vs. your life self segmented into two distinct categories?

If you answered yes go to A. if no, skip to question three.

A.  Are you a beast at work, clobbering any hindrance that may get in your way, while maintaining a Zen-like calm among your family?  

If you answered yes to A, get a Troy Polamalu jersey.  You can even go the extra mile and get a wig if you are so inclined.  If you answered no, go to B.

B.  Are you cool as a cucumber at work, completing your tasks with precision accuracy while maintaining a low profile until the sun goes down, and you hit the bars, grab several beers, and proceed fill the Internet with of you photos that people wish to God weren’t there?

If you answered yes to B, get yourself a Jeff Reed, you are an alpha dog. If you answered no, move on to question three.

3.  Are you the person upon whose shoulders the task is placed to take a project from start to finish with pin point accuracy?

If you answered yes, go to C.  If no, skip to question four.

C.  Do you live in the limelight, do things your own way, and thrive when proving your fiercest critics wrong?

If you answered yes to C, you need Ben Roethlisberger’s jersey yesterday.  Ladies, the pink ones are cute, but don’t forget about Jessica Simpson’s pink jinx—proceed with caution!  If you answered no, go to D.

D.  Are you virtually invisible, even though you are a critical link in the chain?

If you answered yes to D, you should get a Greg Warren jersey and celebrate the unsung, yet clutch performances given week in and week out by the Steelers’ long snapper.

4.  Are you a bulldozer in your profession, prone to deck your competition if they dare get in your way?

If you answered yes, go to E.  If no, skip to question five.

E.  Do you protect your company, defend it with all 205 lbs. of you, and flatten anyone who dares to advance against your company’s policies and goals?

If you answered yes, buy yourself a Ryan Clark jersey, it will fit you life a glove.  If you answered no, go to F.

F.  Do you lead your company fearlessly into any challenge, leveling anyone who impedes your progress?

If you answered yes, I hope that you have recently been promoted because you are the type of person who will look amazing in a Hines Ward jersey.

5.  Are you a person who has risen from nowhere to distinguish yourself with your outstanding accomplishments?  

If you answered yes, go to G.  If no, skip to question six.

G.  Was your determination to succeed under-girded by the guidance of a wise co-worker in a position of mentor ship?

If you answered yes, invest in a Willie Parker jersey.  Maybe go the extra mile and get a SB XL version since that game featured Willie’s record-breaking 75-yard TD run.  If you answered no, go to H.

H.  Did you have to make an extra effort, compiling a list of failed attempts before you climbed to the top of your profession? 

Your work has paid off, you have definitely earned the right to wear the jersey of James Harrison.  You also should invest in a SB XLII version of the jersey, since Harrison broke Parker’s Super Bowl record that day with an 100-yard gallop down the field for a defensive touchdown.

6.  Last on my list is the person who marches to their own unique beat.  Either ahead of or behind the times, this person exists in the now but lives in another time.  If this is you, go to I.

I.  Were you a trendsetter back in your day?  Have you always had an eye for quality and talent, yet still have some nostalgia for the way things were done during your heyday?

If you answered yes, you will stand out from the crowd in your brand new authentic Joe Greene jersey, as you proudly represent the only Steeler player to own all six Super Bowl rings.  If you answered no, go to J.

J.  Well, you haven’t found your jersey yet so you must be the individual who looks to the future.  You’re a person who throws their weight behind the speculation of an organization whole-heartedly.  You are the fan who shows up to training camp in your Ziggy Hood jersey, regardless of the scorching July heat.

If you have completed the quiz and still do not see the jersey that suits your personality, may I suggest that you pay attention to the player who makes you cheer the loudest, or jump the highest, and invest.

Someday we’ll look back at the jerseys that we wore in ’09 and be amused by how charming and naive we looked without our shoulder pads!

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