Sunday Night Steeler Thoughts

Some random notes, thoughts, and observations from last night's preseason game against the Eagles:

- Madden says he doesn't believe all the talk about the Steelers opening up the offense this season. Where was he when I was picking up Santonio Holmes in my fantasy draft?

- NBC goes to commercial teasing their interview with Mike Tomlin while playing U2's ode to Martin Luther King, "Pride (In the Name of Love)"... subtle.

- Tomlin tells Andrea Kremer, "The tape will tell the story. It doesn't matter what we say. It's about what we do." This is the kind of quote 'Burghers chisel into their lunchboxes. I love this guy already.

- Steelers Quiz: which nightmare-inducing QB of years past was Ben most like on his lame duck INT?
A) Cliff Stoudt
B) Mark Malone
C) Kent Graham
D) Bubby Brister
YOU MAKE THE CALL!

- The D swats at McNabb, prompting the wife to declare, "Splat. Take that, stupid Eagle." She's on the short list to replace Madden some day.

- Wow, a 14-yard punt. What round did we draft this kid in? Oh, the fourth. Super. We should have grabbed a crazy Australian giant, like the Eagles did.

- There's nothing like seeing the one-man offensive assault known as Dan Kreider rumble downfield... It's like watching a bull on ice skates.

- "Is Faneca rocking a fucking moustache? NICE!" Yes, the wife has found something else to be excited about.

- A great effort by Heath Miller wiped out by a bone-headed effort by Parker. Penalties, turnovers... Well, the tape is telling the story so far.

- Parker redeems himself with a TD run that I have to rewind 10 times on my Tivo to savor the complete beauty of it. Everyone picking up their blocks, Willie careening through them... Truly a majestic sight.

- Najeh turns a screen pass into a 33-yard gain. And they laughed at me when I picked him up in the 15th round of my fantasy draft. Yeah, I'm a homer... sue me.

- "The Eagles have nice helmets, until you realize that it's a big bird, and then it just seems kind of gay." And thus the network cools on the idea of putting giving the wife a mic on live TV.

- Are the Eagles really trying to ice the kicker in a preseason game? I'd call it moronic if it hadn't almost worked. Even I am not enough of a homer to put Reed on my fantasy roster.

- Wait, who's that guy in the end zone? Kevan Barlow? Where's he been hiding?

First roster cuts coming today, with the final wave coming Saturday. Most interesting moves should be at RB, where Barlow, Davenport, Carey Davis, Verron Haynes, Gary Russell, John Kuhn, and Larry Croom are all vying for a spot on the roster behind Parker. Again, I vote for the return of Frank Pollard.

it's good to be back

Oh sweet hot mustard, it's good to have football back. More specifically, it's good to have winning football back. Yes, it's just the preseason, but the Steelers looked sharp (something they never, ever seem to do in the preseason... I'm used to saying, "It's ok, we still have four more games to work out the kinks" at this time of year).

Yes, pitchers of beer, chicken fingers and a Steelers offense that could move the ball at will... Surely life doesn't get much better. A recap of the night's more pleasant surprises:

- slow starter Ben Roethlisberger playing like it's week 6

- human punchline Cedrick Wilson becoming the go-to guy downfield

- RB Carey Davis doing his best Barry Foster (minus the rampant injuries)

- William Gay's first impression: an interception and a hit on Robert Meachum that landed him a spot in heavy rotation on Sportscenter

- tough D over the middle, most notably from rookie LaMarr Woodley (and to think, after the days of David Woodley, I thought I never wanted to see that name on the back of a jersey again)

- the crowd at Texas-Arizona, where more than 100 Steeler fans came out for a preseason game... yeah. Tell me we aren't ready for football.

- and, of course, the quote of the night: "If Cowher was still here, we'd only be up 9-7."

let's get it on

Nothing like pre-season football to make people excited for literally no good reason. I, of course, am one of them. The Steelers start things Sunday night against the New Orleans Saints (thus, officially ending my sense of goodwill towards that city). It is the Hall of Fame Game, marking the first time a Saint's been to Canton since Archie Manning (don't hold your breath, Bobby Hebert). More importantly, it's the beginning of Tomlin time in the 'Burgh. "I've sat in the backseat and passenger seat enough," Tomlin told the press about his debut as a head coach. Let's just hope there's an airbag on the driver's side.

Don't show up late, since the starters are expected to play the first quarter, then trade in their helmets for baseball caps. We should get a first taste of the new, pass happy offense the team's been hinting at throughout camp. We will not, however, get a first look at first round draft pick Lawrence Timmons. The rookie LB will sit it out with a groin injury. Between injuries in spring drills and training camp, he's managed to make all of two and a half days of practice. Now, I have a little management experience, and an absentee rate like that would concern me. However, I don't have the football seasoning of Coach Tomlin, who isn't sweating it yet. "He has a lot of ground to make up, but he has time to do it," the coach said. Interesting. I'll remember that the next time I skip out on two months worth of work.

I'm also looking forward to Sunday night's game, since it will mark the end of a working weekend. Yes, I'm working through the weekend. Even better, many of us have been required to come into the office, but the company was unwilling to pay to have the air conditioning turned on, so it's about 90 degrees in here (yes, I've had worse jobs -- working a jackhammer in the summer sun comes to mind -- but it still sucks). My personal form of protest is taking the time to grind out a blog entry while in the office. Not since the heyday of Public Enemy has The Man been so boldly challenged. Sweet hot mustard, I can't wait to make it to Sunday.

the countdown begins

There's no better way to celebrate the start of baseball season than to look right past it and on to football season. The Steelers pre-season schedule has been released, and it all starts August 5 with the Hall of Fame Game... so now apparently I need to pay attention to the Hall of Fame Game. Their August 26 pre-season game against the Eagles will also be carried live on national TV, so you get two chances to savor the efforts of a bunch of fourth string guys who won't make the cut (or as I like to call them, "future Browns").

Let's breakdown the pre-season, shall we?
8/5 - New Orleans Saints @ Hall of Fame Game (undoubtedly the biggest party to hit Canton since Namath's induction party)
8/11 - Green Bay Packers (how much Brett Favre do you get here? one series? two? do they even make him dress for this one?)
8/18 - @ Washington Redskins (here's hoping that Clinton Portis is at mid-season crazy by this point)
8/26 - Philadelphia Eagles (now that my disparaging Jeff Garcia signs have been rendered useless, I don't care about this game)
8/30 - @ Carolina Panthers (zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz)