View Full Version : The 2008 NFL Playoffs Thread
We all started chattering about it in The Shoutbox, so it seemed thread-worthy. :)
I'll start things off by talking endlessly about my team. ;) The Steelers shut the Browns out yesterday. This means they led the NFL in passing yards allowed per game (a whopping 23 yards less than the next-lowest), points allowed per game (13.9), and total yards allowed (237.2 per game...24 less than second place Baltimore).
The Steelers just missed out on becoming the first defense in modern NFL history to finished first in points per game, passing yards allowed, and rushing yards allowed -- they finished a close second to Minnesota in the latter category, 76.9 to 80.3.
This defense is, in a word, historic. Were it coupled with even an average-caliber offense, Pittsburgh would undoubtedly be the favorites right now, but the offense has struggled throughout the season. The good news is that most of their worst play came in the first few months of the season, and the offensive line has been playing significantly better over the last month or so. Hopefully that'll carry over into the playoffs.
Oddly enough, I'm far more worried about the 5 and 6 seeds (Indy and Baltimore) than the 3 and 4 seeds (Miami and San Diego). I think we'd be moderate favorites against the first two, and fairly strong favorites against the other two. And I think any game with the Titans is roughly a coin flip, but we'll see.
If Miami wins, we play them no matter how the other game turns out. If Baltimore wins, we play the winner of the Indy-SD game. The only team we know we won't play in the Divisional Round is Baltimore -- either they lose, and are out, or they win and, being the lowest seed, would play the Titans.
Anyway, it's hard to gauge our chances. Our offense can up and disappear for an entire half, but our defense can take over a game at any moment.
The near-consensus three best teams (Pittsburgh, New York, Tennessee) have all shown sporadic weakness, so it should be very interesting to see how this all unfolds.
I would pick The Giants to play The Steelers, if Roethlisberger recovers from a concussion.
I hate to see players injured in meaningless games or blowouts.
Not that I like to see injuries normally.
I agree with you about The Colts and The Ravens.
If Baltimore plays Pittsburgh it will look like a baseball score.
Pirates 9, Orioles 6.
Little more Steeler-related pride...
The Steelers just missed out on becoming the first defense in modern NFL history to finished first in points per game, passing yards allowed, and rushing yards allowed -- they finished a close second to Minnesota in the latter category, 76.9 to 80.3.
Just read that, while this is true, the Steelers actually gave up fewer yards per rushing play. So, while technically they won't become the first team to rank 1st in rushing, passing, and total yards allowed per game, the difference is not only minimal, but potentially meaningless.
I can feel the excitement building for this weekend, even though the Steelers have a bye. Who here has a favorite team playing this weekend?
Color me bitter.
Over and out! ;)
Powdered Water
01-01-09, 12:55 AM
Isn't football season over?
I too am a Steelers fan since way back and this year is a very exciting one indeed. Turnovers for the offense are my biggest worries at this point. I am also an Indy fan, but not nearly as much a Colt's fan as I am a towel head, so heres to the black and gold taking it home. I was holding a "Thumb is due in 82" poster back in the day and I got to see Bradshaw and Swan do their magic in person at a Saints game in the Superdome. Roethlisberger (had to look that up and not sure still if it is spelled right) fits right in with the team and certainly has the ability to become one of the greats. Hines Ward is another and so is Polamalu. The term "steel curtain" still follows Pittsburgh to this day. Heard rumors of Cower going to Broncos (who blew it big time this year) which would be cool because he is an amazing coach. Tomlin is doing an excellent job also so no matter how it does finish this year, barrin injuries & major trades, the Steelers defense is gonna be tough for a few more years to come.
Dill-man
01-02-09, 07:03 PM
I too am a Steelers fan (apparently there are a lot here) and I think our biggest problem is a lack of a running game. We can't run, therefore Ben has to throw a lot more often and therefore he gets sacked more often and therefore he is injured.
Other than that I like our chances against everyone except Indy and Baltimore. Beating Baltimore 3 times in one season is going to be damn hard. I don't like playing Indy just because of Peyton Manning but I think we can shut him down.
For the Superbowl I think we can beat the Giants but I don't know much about the Panthers, I'm more worried about them. Any other NFC team I'm not worried about.
Color me bitter.
What color is that? Black & Gold? :p
Powdered Water
01-05-09, 10:03 PM
Well then Yoder, and you two other supposed Steelers fans I suppose...
You've got to be happy with the way this weekend shook out eh? You could have potentially been up against Peyton Manning on a helluva a roll and instead you get the lowly Chargers. Don't try and get all level headed on me here and try to convince me on how good the Chargers are either. They stink, you know it and I know it.
Any of you going to call this shot? I say Steelers 28 San Diego 10.
The AFC Championship game is going to be the nuts this year. You may even be hosting the game, I can easily see Baltimore beating Tennessee can't you? They probably won't, but I can see it.
Swedish Chef
01-05-09, 10:39 PM
Baltimore at Pittsburgh in the AFC Championship game would be epic. Hope it breaks that way.
I don't have a rooting interest in these playoffs, though I really do like those Zona Cards. Probably not much of a chance of them winning in Carolina, but we'll see. The two Saturday Wild Card games were great, the Sunday games were boring and I have high hopes for next weekend. Divisional Playoff Round in the NFL has always been my favorite, for some reason. Right now, I'm gonna say we're looking at a Baltimore/Philly Superbowl. Battle of the Birds.
I don't know that much about the current state of the NFL, but I'm guessing you guys are dreaming. Don't worry, I won't check back unless I'm baited. :cool:
You've got to be happy with the way this weekend shook out eh? You could have potentially been up against Peyton Manning on a helluva a roll and instead you get the lowly Chargers. Don't try and get all level headed on me here and try to convince me on how good the Chargers are either. They stink, you know it and I know it.
Any of you going to call this shot? I say Steelers 28 San Diego 10.
Yeah, don't worry, I won't try to sell ya' on that. I feel quite good about our matchup. As close as our regular season game against SD was, we outgained them 2-1. It was a total fluke that we only put up 11 points (and, as you all remember, it should've been 18). San Diego is not a particularly good team -- I'm not buying the idea that throws out their problems all year long just because they finished strong.
And yeah, obviously any team would rather play the Chargers than the Colts, but I think the Steelers would've been favored either way (albeit by less).
The AFC Championship game is going to be the nuts this year. You may even be hosting the game, I can easily see Baltimore beating Tennessee can't you? They probably won't, but I can see it.
Oh, sure, they absolutely could. The Ravens can play with anyone...but with that said, I think people are getting wayyyy too bandwagon-y for Baltimore right now. More on that below...
Right now, I'm gonna say we're looking at a Baltimore/Philly Superbowl. Battle of the Birds.
Whole lotta people got Raven fever right now, but I'm not convinced yet. They're a good team, and I would by no means be confident of winning against them...
...but at the same time, they haven't fared well against genuinely good teams. Of their 11 wins, guess how many came against opponents over .500?
Three. Three!
One was against the 9-7 Cowboys, and another was against the 9-6-1 Eagles. They had exactly one win against a 10+ win team; the Miami Dolphins, who, let's face it, were over their heads at 11-5.
The Ravens had 7 games against playoff teams during the regular season, and went 2-5 in them. And the one against the Eagles, mentioned above, was the infamous game where McNabb imploded and got benched.
None of this means they aren't good, or that they can't beat Pittsburgh. They are, and they can. But so far all they've done is beat up on bad and mediocre teams, and lose to good ones. I can only give them so much credit for losing close games to good teams.
If they're going to make it to the Super Bowl (this is assuming Pittsburgh beats San Diego), they have to win two more road games against two teams with 25 combined wins during the year, that they went a combined 0-3 against during the regular season. That's a tall order for any team, let alone one that hasn't beaten an elite team all year.
If forced to pick, I'll go with Carolina, New York, Pittsburgh, and...gah...Tennessee, I suppose. Least sure about that last one, obviously. But the Titans went 13-3 even forfeiting the last game of the year, and it seems just a little odd that they're suddenly considered a coin flip at home against Baltimore. Not counting the aforementioned season finale, they went 4-0 against playoff teams this year.
So, I'll go with the Titans, if only because I don't see a reason to value them any less than I did a month and a half ago, when they were the consensus #1 team in the AFC.
Powdered Water
01-05-09, 11:13 PM
So in other word The Ravens stink...
Somebody had to say it.
Swedish Chef
01-05-09, 11:53 PM
Hmmmm, I've seen Baltimore play a couple of games this year and they do not stink. These Titans have to win a playoff game before I believe in them. As a football fan who watched Kerry Collins every Sunday for a few seasons in a row, I'll just say that Baltimore (or their defense, at least) drew a pretty good matchup in the second round. I'm picking the Eagles, Cardinals, Steelers and Ravens to move on this week. Panthers, Giants and Titans could all win, of course, but this has been such a weird season, why shouldn't it get weirder?
Powdered Water
01-05-09, 11:57 PM
My only real concern about the Ravens is Flacco. Eventually he is going to have a rookie game. And if he has one this week its curtains for the Ravens. On the flip side of that reasoning though, I can see Collins doing the same thing. So yeah, it should be a pretty good game.
Well then Yoder, and you two other supposed Steelers fans I suppose...
Why does it have to be "supposed" fans?
I have mentioned my love for them in the past: here (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showpost.php?p=407629&postcount=33).. here (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showpost.php?p=411604&postcount=133) ..here (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showpost.php?p=300661&postcount=64) ..
here (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showpost.php?p=436198&postcount=164)
Supposed indeed. And you do not even mention my name - after all we have been through you forget my name? I want my black Tshirt back!!:p
Powdered Water
01-06-09, 12:15 AM
So sensitive.
Cry your pardon gunslinger!
EDIT: What is that in your new avatar btw? Trippy man... pretty trippy...
Yeah, they don't stink. But when you look at what they've done against good teams, they haven't really proven that they should be counted among them, either.
As for the Titans; why would you need to see the Titans win a playoff game before believing in them, but not need to see the Ravens beat a genuinely good team? I know everyone says that the playoffs are fundamentally different, but is a playoff win over an unimpressive Miami team really more significant than, say, regular season wins against Pittsburgh and Indy, simply because it's a "playoff" win?
None of this, by the by, should not be taken as an endorsement of Kerry Collins. Like many Titan fans, I'm sure, I keep waiting for him to turn back into a pumpkin or something, and it could certainly happen this weekend.
Swedish Chef
01-06-09, 12:27 AM
Well, you're picking all chalk and I'm pretty sure that's not gonna happen.
Has that ever happened? All four 1 and 2 seeds in the championship games?
Powdered Water
01-06-09, 12:30 AM
If the Cards win at Carolina that would be the biggest win in their history. The Cardinals? No way Swedish, you gotta lay off the crack man. Of course I realize that by making that statement I leave myself open for some serious backlash if in fact they do win. I like my chances though.
I too like the Eagles, they look like a team that has been there and can do it again. The Giants have got to be just about topped off on freakishly ridiculously lucky plays. That being said they are at home so they got that going for them which is nice. Oh, and that guy named Jacobs... he's pretty good.
Swedish Chef
01-06-09, 12:39 AM
Carolina plays NO defense whatsoever. They have good linebackers and Julius Peppers and that is it. They have a horrible secondary. Plus, Jake Delhomme is the most wildly inconsistent quarterback in the league. That's going to be a high scoring game, sir, and I'm rooting for the Cards, so I picked 'em. And hey, the biggest win in the history of the Cardinal's franchise might of been last week, considering how much they needed it.
The Eagles/Giants game is a complete toss-up in my eyes. I would be surprised by no outcome in that game, but I'm rooting for da Eagles if only for Donovan McNabb to McNab (TM) a little more redemption. That guy's all right, even if he doesn't understand how overtime works.
Powdered Water
01-06-09, 12:45 AM
I don't disagree with you on any particular point but you forgot about the dreaded west coast/ east coast thing. Do you realize that only one team won a game on the east coast when traveling from the west coast? And that team's name? San Fran terrible. Carolina is at home and that good sir is going to make a difference.
Swedish Chef
01-06-09, 12:47 AM
Ah, but good sir, you're also forgetting that the dreaded west coast/east coast thing is actually bogus. The reason that stat is so skewed this year is because the AFC and NFC Wests both sucked this season.
Well, you're picking all chalk and I'm pretty sure that's not gonna happen.
Has that ever happened? All four 1 and 2 seeds in the championship games?
It last happened in 2004. But how often it happens isn't really any more significant than how often any random combination of seeds makes it to the conference championship games.
Sure, it's unlikely higher seeds will all advance...but only because we're putting it up against every other possible outcome. If you believe that the higher-seeded team is the better team in all four matchups, then it's the single most likely outcome.
Anyway, I'm really just focusing on the prediction that Baltimore will make it to the Super Bowl because I honestly don't get why people are so suddenly high on them, given how little they've done against strong competition; which is all they'll be facing from here on out.
I think we can all agree that, every year, a team or two kicks some mediocre team's butt in the first round, and everyone decides that that one game is the single best indicator of their worth and flocks to them. I can't help but wonder if the Ravens are that team, given what they did (and didn't do) in the regular season.
Swedish Chef
01-06-09, 01:02 AM
True, true. I just think that, minus the rook at QB, the Ravens look like the kind of team built to succeed in the playoffs. And they do have a fairly consistent running game now, which they didn't have at the beginning of the year.
But yeah, I could realistically see any combo of the eight remaining teams playing next week, so with the law of averages working and whatnot, I wouldn't bet on the four top seeds breaking through. It should be fun to watch; however it shakes out in the end.
My picks: Steelers, Tenn, NY, Carolina. This is the playoffs however and the superbowl could be shudder: Chargers and Eagles.
EDIT: What is that in your new avatar btw? Trippy man... pretty trippy...
Some Moebius art :)
I agree that Baltimore looks like the kind of team that talking heads are always telling us wins in the playoffs, but it's not clear whether or not this kind of thing is always true. ESPN's David Schoenfield wrote an interesting article analyzing and debunking some popular NFL memes (http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=schoenfield/one/050111) a little while back that touches on a few of these ideas.
Schoenfield doesn't really approach the rushing stuff from the right angle, but what's there is mixed enough to make me doubt the degree to which it's usually harped on...at least a little. I'm not really sure either way.
Anyway, we'll see what happens. Despite everything I've said, I don't relish the thought of playing Baltimore again...
Dill-man
01-06-09, 06:49 PM
Why does it have to be "supposed" fans?
I have mentioned my love for them in the past: here (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showpost.php?p=407629&postcount=33).. here (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showpost.php?p=411604&postcount=133) ..here (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showpost.php?p=300661&postcount=64) ..
here (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showpost.php?p=436198&postcount=164)
Supposed indeed. And you do not even mention my name - after all we have been through you forget my name? I want my black Tshirt back!!:p
I have to defend my Steeler fandom (don't question Steeler fans :p ...) I have season tickets and have only missed about 4 home games in the past 8 years. The only game I didn't watch that was away in the past few years was the Chargers game this year because I had an important school thing I couldn't miss. I went to Super Bowl XL and watched my Steelers win their 5th Super Bowl Ring.
I know I'm being way too sensitive but I had to do it.
Anyway, my predictions are Steelers, Eagles, Ravens, Carolina. Truthfully I'd love to see the Cards win because we have a lot of connections to them, the main one being Ken Wisenhut. Also: Larry Fitzgerald and Sean Morey.
Lusty Argonian
01-09-09, 02:23 AM
My picks: Steelers, Tenn, NY, Carolina. This is the playoffs however and the superbowl could be shudder: Chargers and Eagles.
Oh man, Chargers haters be damned. They're gonna... well I wouldn't go so far as to say they're gonna demolish the Steelers this weekend, but I'm sure they'll give them a run for their money. The game between the two during the regular scene was like nails across a chalkboard for the eyes though. God, it was frustrating to watch my beloved team play during the regular season.
Aside from the game in the Pitts, I really want to see the Titans/Ravens showdown. I'm not exactly sure who to root for though. Just have a feeling it's gonna be a sick game.
Swedish Chef
01-09-09, 02:30 AM
I'm fully expecting someone's eyeball to be jarred loose by a bone crushing hit in that Ravens game a la Any Given Sunday.
Lusty Argonian
01-09-09, 02:36 AM
I'm fully expecting someone's eyeball to be jarred loose by a bone crushing hit in that Ravens game a la Any Given Sunday.
I'm predicting A LOT of dirty hits from both sides. Maybe a few cleats to the face courtesy of Tennessee?
Swedish Chef
01-09-09, 02:39 AM
If the score gets out of hand, I'd be willing to put down some cash on Haynesworth kicking Flacco's face at least once.
It's entirely possible that San Diego will win, or at least make the Steelers sweat. But despite the score in their regular season meeting, that game is, on net, probably evidence against these things happening. The Steelers outgained the Chargers by a whopping 2-1 in that game, and had a last-play defensive TD erroneously called back, as most of you probably remember. The score had no business being single digits, let alone a single digit.
But anything can happen. First Steeler game I remember watching was the 1994 AFC Championship Game, after all. Excuse me while I go gargle sulfuric acid.
Lusty Argonian
01-09-09, 02:44 AM
Luckily, I don't see the score getting that out of hand. If either team is gonna blow it open I think it'd be the Ravens. They should've taken that regular season game, in my opinion, and they're also just a downright crazy team. And when I say "crazy" I mean those guys would do anything to win.
Swedish Chef
01-09-09, 02:48 AM
I think the Ravens are going to win a tight, low scoring game. Like 16-14 or something.
It's entirely possible that San Diego will win, or at least make the Steelers sweat. But despite the socre in their early season meeting, that game is probably, on net, evidence against these things happening. The Steelers outgained the Chargers by a ridiculous 2-1 in that game, and had a last-play defensive TD called back, as most of you probably remember. The score had no business being single digits, let alone a single digit.
But anything can happen. First Steeler game I remember watching was the 1994 AFC Championship Game, after all. Excuse me while I go gargle sulfuric acid.
Amazingly, the biggest thing San Diego has going for them right now is Mike Scifres. How did a flippin punter beat the MVP of the league last week?
It's a testament, Yoda, to the consistency of the Steelers organization that they somehow have the most number of crippling losses in NFL history as well as the greatest volume of postseason success. If you guys get beat by a punter this weekend, though, that could be tough.
Lusty Argonian
01-09-09, 02:52 AM
It's entirely possible that San Diego will win, or at least make the Steelers sweat. But despite the score in their regular season meeting, that game is, on net, probably evidence against these things happening. The Steelers outgained the Chargers by a whopping 2-1 in that game, and had a last-play defensive TD erroneously called back, as most of you probably remember. The score had no business being single digits, let alone a single digit.
But anything can happen. First Steeler game I remember watching was the 1994 AFC Championship Game, after all. Excuse me while I go gargle sulfuric acid.
I am in total agreement with you about the score being what it was. Some moron probably just called it dead either to put an end to the game early and not bother with the p.a.t. or they thought it'd be neat if the score was 11-10.
To be perfectly honest, I've thought the Steelers were the best AFC team for a considerable portion of the season and I had my fingers crossed last week hoping the Dolphins would win, sending the Chargers to face off against Tennessee but we all know how that turned out.
There's really no logical way to rationalize a belief that the Chargers are gonna win the upcoming game other than "it's fated". That was some divine intervention that got them into the playoffs.
Lusty Argonian
01-09-09, 02:59 AM
Amazingly, the biggest thing San Diego has going for them right now is Mike Scifres. How did a flippin punter beat the MVP of the league last week?
Hah, I don't know if you saw the Chiefs game but Scifres actually won them the game there too (which was a must-win to get into the playoffs). He kicked a perfect onside kick in the closing minutes to get them the ball back for a "W".
I don't think he's their only weapon though, of course. Phillip Rivers is a beast in post-season action and I expect no reason for him to contradict that in the upcoming game. Darren Sproles is small and it's very possible he'll get shut down on Sunday but if he can get a head of steam going he might have a very good game. The Bolts also have a very good receiving team consisting of guys who are gonna be trying to use their height to upset the admittedly excellent Steelers defense. Ohmygosh that reminds me of that stupid punk Jackson... how/why does someone do something as stupid as get a DUI during the playoffs?
Swedish Chef
01-09-09, 03:03 AM
To be fair, the only thing "perfect" about that onside kick was how perfectly he hit that Chiefs player in the hands. And Scifres kicks off for them? Isn't that usually the kicker's job?
Lusty Argonian
01-09-09, 03:09 AM
Yeah, I was like "wtf" when he went out there for the onside but I guess he's their specialist when it comes to that. You're right about it going right to that Chiefs player, but the considerable bounce Scifres got on it was what made it work. Not to mention it came down almost exactly 10 yards out. I don't think you can do any better than that to give your team a chance to get the ball back. Also that Chiefs player had a big-mouth and the God almighty probably wanted to humble him.
I can't disagree -- when a team keeps defying the odds, who's to say when it'll stop? I think they may have run out of miracles, but goodness, we all know crazier things have happened. Like, recently. Like, pretty much every week.
I think I'll stop thinking about this now.
Amazingly, the biggest thing San Diego has going for them right now is Mike Scifres. How did a flippin punter beat the MVP of the league last week?
It's a testament, Yoda, to the consistency of the Steelers organization that they somehow have the most number of crippling losses in NFL history as well as the greatest volume of postseason success. If you guys get beat by a punter this weekend, though, that could be tough.
Yeah, it is pretty sick. I weep when I think of how many AFC Championship games we lost, and how many Super Bowls we could have been involved in over the last 14-15 seasons. I mean, we went to sixe AFC championship games in 12 seasons from 1994 to 2005, including 3 in 4 years. We were the home team in all but one of them (the last). It's just insane.
The frustration is somewhat alleviated by the fact that it seems like we're in it almost every year. But some are just awful. Lots of Steeler fans still think the loss to San Diego in '94 was the worst, and I'm sure more than a few will have an unpleasant flashback or two on Sunday anytime something goes wrong.
The good news is that it'll probably take more than field position this week for the Chargers to pull off an upset...but make no mistake, we will almost certainly get creamed in the field position game. Even if we weren't up against some crazy super rugby punting android, we lost our punter for the entire season in Training Camp and haven't found a replacement even approaching mediocre. Our defense has been amazing on paper, but better in context. I still can't believe how many short fields they've had to defend.
Hey, you think since the Jets are done, we can go back and offer Alan Faneca whatever he wants to resign with us? Or is it too late?
I
It's a testament, Yoda, to the consistency of the Steelers organization that they somehow have the most number of crippling losses in NFL history as well as the greatest volume of postseason success. .
I am a Steelers fan as well as a Braves fan - IOW: so close, but yet, so very far.!!
UGHHH!!!!!
This year gonna be diff?
At the risk of revealing myself to be a pretty big Bill Simmons fan, what of this idea he mentioned in his podcast (and again in today's column) about the #1 seed getting to pick who they play? I find it pretty intriguing, and this year's playoffs are the best argument for it. The Giants, like most teams, fought hard for a #1 seed, and what it ends up getting them is a game against the Eagles instead of the Cardinals. Similarly, the Titans fought for the #1 seed and it gets them a game against Baltimore instead of San Diego.
Now, granted, a lot of these goofy matchups go away if you toss (or rework) the divisional system, but short of doing that, I think giving the #1 seed first pick of the two divisional opponents sounds, well, immensely fun.
It's inherently fairer than the luck-of-the-draw seeding silliness we have now, where mediocre teams are sometimes seeded above better ones, but it may also make for more intense games. Giants-Cardinals doesn't sound like a great matchup, but throw in the fact that the Cards KNOW the Giants CHOSE to play them, and one would think there'd be some chips on some fairly broad shoulders.
Of course, the idea sounds too odd and feels too pickup-game-ish to ever be implemented, but it's something I'd love to see tried for a year or two. I don't think we'd ever switch to it, but if we did switch, would we ever switch back?
Isn't football season over?
It is for the Bubblebutts.
They sucked.
I don't know that much about the current state of the NFL...
I don't either.
But I have this feeling the Chargers are going to the superbowl.
I would like to see the Cardinals too.
And eat hot wings watching the game.
:)
Swedish Chef
01-11-09, 12:30 AM
http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/tools/med/2009/01/ipt/1231645272.jpg
Called it.
Powdered Water
01-11-09, 12:38 AM
You sure did, well done. I shower you with shiny gifts and chocolate.
That was an ass whoopin' plain and simple. I thought it was going to be a complete ass whoopin' the other way...
I was wr... I was wro.. I was wroooo!
I was wrong, you da man.
Did you pick the Chargers too? Chris is already sweating...
Three games, three upsets. Wow. Unreal.
Look at how it happened; six turnovers for Carolina. I really like a lot of the players and coaches over at Arizona (a few former Steelers!), but Carolina just gave it away the entire game, even considering the score. Totally sick. Same sorta thing happened with the Giants; a fumble, two INTs, and two missed field goals. The NFC Championship Game is going to be bizarre.
Let's hope that was the weekend's last upset.
You sure did, well done. I shower you with shiny gifts and chocolate...
Thanks.
Did you pick the Chargers too? Chris is already sweating...
Yes.
But I also picked Oklahoma in college football against Florida.
OK, I'm going to push my luck.
What do you think of a superbowl of:
Cardinals vs Chargers?
Cardinals winning?
Well, it looks a favorite'll actually come out on top -- Steelers manhandling the Chargers 35-17, and that last SD touchdown came against a pretty intentionally soft defense.
Steelers outrushing San Diego 166-15. Been passing on them fairly easily, too, when they've bothered too.
Anyone else kinda feeling that we should just rename the AFC Championship the Super Bowl this year? Starting to feel that way, with Carolina and New York knocked off.
Swedish Chef
01-11-09, 08:42 PM
Maybe we should just rename the whole flippin playoffs "The Swedish Chef Invitational"
Hmmmm, I've seen Baltimore play a couple of games this year and they do not stink. These Titans have to win a playoff game before I believe in them. As a football fan who watched Kerry Collins every Sunday for a few seasons in a row, I'll just say that Baltimore (or their defense, at least) drew a pretty good matchup in the second round. I'm picking the Eagles, Cardinals, Steelers and Ravens to move on this week. Panthers, Giants and Titans could all win, of course, but this has been such a weird season, why shouldn't it get weirder?
Eat it.
mikeython1
01-11-09, 08:46 PM
Anyone else kinda feeling that we should just rename the AFC Championship the Super Bowl this year? Starting to feel that way, with Carolina and New York knocked off.
Yeah I think your right Yoda but the Eagles are looking pretty good :suspicious:
Maybe we should just rename the whole flippin playoffs "The Swedish Chef Invitational"
Eat it.
Well, yeah, but you thought the Ravens would take the division, and the Steelers would struggle to secure a wild card spot, too. ;) Seriously, though; nice calls.
Anyway, it's Arizona-Philly and Pittsburgh-Baltimore. I think we can assume that, after today's shellacking, and the fact that the game's in Pittsburgh, the Steelers are going to be favored -- I'll guess by 3-4 points. And I think it's safe to say that whoever comes out of the AFC is going to be a favorite again whoever comes out of the NFC, too.
So, as of tomorrow, the favorite to win it all resides in Pittsburgh. Happy happy, joy joy.
Austruck
01-11-09, 10:27 PM
Well, they've been my favorite for years, so that's not news to me. ;)
I wish Willie Parker would have ran like that for the Bubblebutts.
Dang.
Heard the line for the AFC Championship was Pittsburgh -5, which is a bit higher than I was expecting. I guess it makes sense, given how well the offense played.
Just tallied it up, and the Steelers have been in the AFC Championship Game in 7 of the last 15 seasons. How insane is that? As frustrating as some losses might be, I always remind myself that we Steeler fans really are incredibly fortunate to follow such a competitive team. Of course, being a Pirates fan helps me to remember. :indifferent:
Pretty surprised by the Cardinals success. I wasn't surprised by the result of BAL/TEN -- as I was expecting Baltimore to put up a fight.
Well, the Cards are taking a 24-6 lead into halftime in the NFC Championship. Pretty crazy. We'll see if Philly's got a big comeback in them. Probably not, but we'll see.
I've got some pretty mixed feelings about Arizona's run. On one hand, I really like Warner, Fitzgerald, and Boldin, and the Cards have a couple of former Steeler coaches (and players). For another, if I don't have a particular stake in a team, I tend to like the underdog to do well, as I think most fans do.
At the same time, it's just too weird. My initial reaction to the idea is annoyance -- can the NFL playoffs really be such a crapshoot? Can the first half of the season really be that unimportant? This year could be a fluke, but I'm perturbed by the idea that the regular season seems to have meant a lot less over the last handful of seasons. Can a team really play so poorly/mediocrely during the season and have it not mean anything?
This discussion is a bit premature, and it's always possible that this is a crazy fluke. But I'm a little conflicted about the whole thing.
Austruck
01-18-09, 05:50 PM
I was talking to Wayne about this the other day. What are there, about 32 teams in the NFL? (I haven't a clue, but that sounds about right.)
So, 16 of those teams go into the first round of the playoffs, yes? That's already a 50/50 shot at making the playoffs. And so much of that depends on how good the rest of the teams in your league/division were that season. After that point, a team has to only have momentum enough for a mere what? three more games/wins to make the Super Bowl?
There's your crap shoot for ya: too many teams make it to the playoffs almost automatically. (Isn't hockey like this too?)
Powdered Water
01-18-09, 05:51 PM
Its not a crazy fluke, this is how the NFL wants it. They wanted parity and they got it. Teams like New England are going to be farther and fewer in between as time goes on if the salary cap stays the way it is.
Oh and its my civic duty as a bitter Seahawks fan to point out just how mediocre the sixth seeded Steelers were the last time they won the Superbowl. So yeah, it's a total crapshoot. :D
Powdered Water
01-18-09, 05:52 PM
Only 12 teams make the playoffs Aus.
There are 32 teams, but only 12 go into the playoffs -- 6 from each conference. The top two seeds skip the first round, leaving the other 4 to play each other. The 2 winners move on and face the top two seeds, and so on.
Its not a crazy fluke, this is how the NFL wants it. They wanted parity and they got it. Teams like New England are going to be farther and fewer in between as time goes on if the salary cap stays the way it is.
I guess it depends on what you mean by "parity." I think it's simply meant to mean that teams can rebuild and compete quickly and often, and most won't languish (or dominate) for absurd stretches. You can have parity without the regular season being meaningless. Parity, to me, is more about teams having a shot in the playoffs.
Oh and its my civic duty as a bitter Seahawks fan to point out just how mediocre the sixth seeded Steelers were the last time they won the Superbowl. So yeah, it's a total crapshoot. :D
Nice try. ;) The Steelers were 11-5 that year -- not the kind of record you'd expect a #6 seed to have (it's also two games better than Arizona this year, even though they were in a creampuff division). They lost the AFC North to Cincinnati on a double tiebreak. They also lost at least one game (possibly two) because Ben went down at the worst possible time and Tommy Maddox started completing passes to guys wearing the wrong uniform. This was coming off of a 15-1 season, too.
Pittsburgh had a better point differential than Cincy, too, as well as about half of the other playoff teams. They were behind Indy, Seattle, as well as 1 point behind Carolina and 6 points behind Denver.
So, I'll give you a pass as a bitter Seahawks fan, and because Seattle fans in general have gotten completely screwed in the sports karma department...but the Steelers definitely belonged in the playoffs. ;)
Austruck
01-18-09, 06:01 PM
Ah, how did I forget to count the byes? Sorry.
Still, that's a lot of teams to make the playoffs, frankly. I know it has to be that way, but still... If the rest of your division sucks, you can suck and still get in. And then there's the whole wild card issue. (Baseball doesn't have wild cards in the playoffs, right?)
Not a fan of the wild card concept for most things, unless I'm playing a blackjack tournament and need to get to the final table. :D
Austruck
01-18-09, 06:02 PM
FWIW, the reason I don't like the wild card concept for something like football, is that the point of the Super Bowl should be to crown the best team that season, not just some "lucky" team. And yes, I know, that includes the Steelers in SB40.....
Baseball has wild card teams, too, but it's a bit differnet -- no byes. Three divisions in each league, instead of four, so the wild card team rounds out the playoffs. Eight teams make it.
Anyway, the Eagles just put up 13 points in a little over 3 minutes, so they're back in it. Andy Reid inexplicably went for the extra point down by 5. Which they missed any way.
I'm not the type of person who stupidly assumes that things like coaching or drafting are as easy as they might seem to be at times, but I'm convinced that a number of NFL coaches just have no clue when to go for 2, how to manage a clock, etc. This doesn't mean any ordinary joe could do the job -- I'm sure organization and motivation is a huge part of their job. But I'm stunned at some of the decisions even reasonably successful coaches make sometimes.
Powdered Water
01-18-09, 06:42 PM
I sure hope Philly wins.
Wow, DeSean Jackson just made the catch of his life. Philly in the lead. Amazing.
Powdered Water
01-18-09, 06:44 PM
All that stuff being said though its ridiculous to call a wild card team "lucky" they all have to win on the road and that's tough.
Powdered Water
01-18-09, 06:44 PM
Yeah, that was pretty impressive.
I like that the game is exciting, if nothing else. I like that the NFL makes a little more sense if Philly, win or lose, at least doesn't get blown out of the water.
Still not sure which is the more compelling storyline -- an all-PA Super Bowl, or guys like Whisenhunt, Grimm, and Morey against their former team. I guess the latter is more genuinely interesting, as the all-PA thing is kind of a surface-level angle.
Powdered Water
01-18-09, 06:46 PM
Did you hear that Chris? Philly's first attempt at a 2 point conversion all season. So that would be why he didn't do it earlier, he uh, just doesn't do it, you know?
Maybe he didn't know you could go for 2.
Powdered Water
01-18-09, 06:54 PM
Are you implying good sir that people from Philadelphia are stupid?
Powdered Water
01-18-09, 07:26 PM
I can't believe the friggin' Cards are going to the Superbowl. I hope you're ready for them to win the damn thing too. You know why they're going to win? Because that's my life as a sports fan. I get to sit here and watch all the other teams that have never been there get there and win and when we get there we lose. So perhaps it would be better if your Steelers lose today Chris because I'm sure you don't want to have to endure a loss to the pathetic Cards in the Superbowl.
And they are pathetic... they stink too.
I think Arizona beats Baltimore, because Baltimore won't be able to defend against the deep ball, and Fitzgerald will probably shred them.
I like my Steelers' chances against the Cards, though. But I'm not going to get ahead of myself. It's game time!
Love it: Ben throws a laser right in front of the vaunted Ed Reed. Perfect pass to Ward for 45-yards. Pittsburgh has to settle for a field goal; 3-0.
Flacco 1 out of 7 for 2 yards and an INT. Baltimore doesn't have a first down yet.
However, the Steelers had a possible TD catch overturned and had to settle for another field goal; 6-0. If you want to outplay a team and lose anyway, this is how you do it. We've got to finish one of these drives.
Ward questionable to return after hurting his knee. Huge loss if he's out long.
I think Arizona beats Baltimore...
I think Arizona is going to beat Pittsburgh.
Austruck
01-18-09, 08:32 PM
(sigh) Now they're warming up Leftwich. Ben apparently hurt his back.
C'mon, Steelers!
Steelers fumble, Baltimore recovers with outstanding field position. Pittsburgh stuffs the Ravens on 3rd and 1, and then again on 4th and 1. This defense is sick. Head and shoulders above everyone else in the league this year.
Ben was having his back examined after a rough hit, but he's still out there.
End of the first quarter. Baltimore doesn't have a first down and its taken an overturned call and a hurt Hines Ward to hold the Steelers to two field goals. The Ravens are awfully fortunate to be down just 6-0.
EDIT: Hines back in now. Whew.
Powdered Water
01-18-09, 08:40 PM
And the King of ridiculous plays strikes again...
I wish he played for my team.
BAM! Baltimore brings a huge blitz, Ben side-steps them and throws off-balance to Holmes. The defender can't stop in time and flies past the ball. Holmes catches it easily, makes a nice cut, and runs all the way down the field. 65-yard TD, 13-0.
That's not a huge deficit, but Baltimore is looking completely outclassed right now.
I admit that some of the things Ben does are kind of improbable. It feels lucky (and sometimes it is, to be sure), but it just keeps happening. All I can conclude is that, when you can sidestep blitzers and extend the play, coverage is bound to break down. Crazy catch-and-runs are probably inevitable when you have a QB who stays on his feet as well as Roethlisberger does. Defenses just can't design plays that go on for 10 or 12 seconds, so you either have to bring him down the first time, or get burned.
Now they're saying Ward is probably done for the game.
Just wouldn't be a 2008 Steelers game without a crucial injury to a starter. :rolleyes: The laundry list of injuries they've had to overcome this year is stunning.
Baltimore offense still can't do a thing, but a strong punt return and pass interference call on 3rd and long gives them 1st and goal...
EDIT: Touchdown, 13-7. A careless personal foul penalty setup the punt return, which sets up the TD.
Steelers have 2:40 to get some of it back before the half.
Powdered Water
01-18-09, 09:17 PM
I can't stand PI calls, they are so nebulous at times when they are called and at always seemingly crucial situations...
Yeah, I think they're probably the most frustrating call for the majority of fans. Not saying the call was wrong (it looked legit to me on the surface), but even the good calls usually feel pretty cheap.
Austruck
01-18-09, 09:22 PM
So funny you guys said that. I JUST said that to Wayne, and asked him to clarify for me exactly what constitutes PI. He's not clear on it either. Touching the receiver? If so, how? And how do you avoid THAT?
It just always seems like such an arbitrary call to me, no matter who it's against.
It's a complicated penalty -- it's not just touching, it's basically preventing the receiver from making his attempt at catching the ball by pushing him, pulling him, stopping him from moving his arms, etc. The complicated part is that it's not always a penalty if the contact is deemed incidental.
Meanwhile, Limas Sweed is WIDE open for a TD, and just flat-out drops it. That's rough. He's a rookie and hasn't played much, but he's dropped several big passes, even in the limited time he's played.
After that, a roughing the punter penalty on 4th and 10 gives the Steelers another shot at putting some points on. Might have been a good call, but it's the kind of thing that would drive me up the wall if I were a Ravens fan.
Doesn't end up mattering, though, because the Steelers spike the ball a half-second too late and don't get to try a FG. Ugh.
I can't believe the Steelers have outgained the Ravens 216-83, and it's still a one-score game.
Austruck
01-18-09, 09:36 PM
Question: When Baltimore made their second challenge, the commentator said that they now had no more challenges left in the entire game. But the ref on the field said they were out of challenges for the half. Which is it? How many challenges are they allowed? And is it true that if you get your two challenges right, you get a third? (Commentator said this too.)
Note: I think there are too many rules to memorize. So instead, I merely ask Yoda this stuff. :)
I think (after a quick search to clarify) that it's two per game, unless you win both, in which case you get a third.
This doesn't include the automatic reviews on any play within 2:00 minutes of the end of either half, of course.
Austruck
01-18-09, 10:13 PM
Okay, so the field official just misspoke then. And that means Baltimore has no more Coach Challenges left. Good.
Side question: What are those odd black bands around the elbows of the Steelers players??
Powdered Water
01-18-09, 10:45 PM
It's pucker time Steeler fans!
Austruck
01-18-09, 10:46 PM
Man, man, man.... I hate when games go like this. This score should NOT be this close.
Game of the defenses, to be sure. Ugh.
Pittsburgh's going to the Super Bowl!
Powdered Water
01-18-09, 10:59 PM
Where is the Superbowl this year anyway, is it in Florida this year?
Austruck
01-18-09, 11:00 PM
Tampa.
And, I NEVER count it as over till it's over. I've seen too many fluke-ish things ... just like what Troy just did.
Oh dear, player badly injured.
Austruck
01-18-09, 11:01 PM
Whew, he's moving, at least. I looked up from posting that last thread and saw about 50 people on the field. Terrible looking. :(
Austruck
01-18-09, 11:04 PM
LOL, PW...I can't post in the shout box from this computer (Firefox) but I see you saw the same ad I just did. And I agree -- I had the same sort of thought: WHY is Steve Martin making ANOTHER one of those gawdawful movies? He's so above crap like that....
Oh well.
Celebration's definitely tempered by this play. I hope he's okay. Thankfully, things like stretchers are usually just a precaution, but I hope he's alright.
Powdered Water
01-18-09, 11:12 PM
I use Firefox Aus, did you try that hard refresh, Ctrl + F5 that your boy suggested? It should work for you.
Austruck
01-18-09, 11:13 PM
He's moving arms and legs and talking. They just said he's got bad neck pain. But it doesn't look like any sort of paralysis, and that's always the big fear.... That's good news.
Austruck
01-18-09, 11:15 PM
Yeah, I tried that, PW. It's my version of FF, and I can't seem to update it on this little netbook. I'm sure there IS a way (but "updates" are grayed out on my FF), but this is also Linux and I'm a total Linux noob. ANYWAYYYYY.... had to pat you on the back for the sentiment, and since you saw the ad during the GAME, well, close enough.... :)
----
1:20 to go and I'm still not convinced we're going to win yet.
Austruck
01-18-09, 11:17 PM
Okay, NOW I believe it. :)
Powdered Water
01-18-09, 11:17 PM
Well congrats I guess. I will be willing to overlook my off and on hatred for the Steelers if you guys can kick the ever luvin crap out of the Cardinals.
So do me favor will ya?
Austruck
01-18-09, 11:19 PM
Well, if you insist. ;)
What an excellent game played by the Steelers def'.
Austruck
01-18-09, 11:35 PM
Yeah, we love our little Troy and that Samson hair. What a guy! :D
Go Cards!
I am excited to see Fitzgerald against this ridiculous Steeler defense.
That's probably the biggest matchup of the game -- Fitz against the Steeler defense. He definitely makes me nervous, as he might well be the best receiver in the game today...but after all I've seen out of this defense, I'm a believer, through and through. I keep expecting them to break (or even bend), and they just don't. I've been watching this team since the days of the Blitzburgh squads, with Greg Lloyd and Kevin Greene, but this defense is better. A lot better.
And of course, even if Fitz plays great, they can just get to Warner instead.
But he'll still be giving me nightmares for the next two weeks.
Austruck
01-19-09, 09:00 PM
Oh, you get rep points for that avatar. Yodamalu?
Austruck
01-19-09, 09:03 PM
But he'll still be giving me nightmares for the next two weeks.
Kinda like that avatar is going to do to me for the next two weeks. :sick::D
Swedish Chef
01-19-09, 10:08 PM
The thing that really sucks about the McGahee injury is that it happened when the game was virtually over anyway. So he may have completely messed himself up for nothing. Not that a stupid game is really worth getting paralyzed over, but at least it's not nothing.
So on a lighter note, football fans, is Kurt Warner a hall of famer? Hard to judge him on his stats alone, seeing how many playmakers he's always been surrounded with, but his playoff resume is plenty impressive. I say he'd have to lock down a few more really good seasons, but he'll probably get in. Poor Matt Leinert.
Powdered Water
01-19-09, 10:11 PM
He'll be in if he wins another Superbowl says I. If he gets smacked around like I hope he will though then probably not.
Yeah, if he wins, that's it. Even if he doesn't, it wouldn't bother me if he were in the conversation. He doesn't really have a ton of longevity in his numbers (if that makes sense...you know what I mean). But I think pretty differently about the Football Hall of Fame and, say, the Baseball Hall of Fame. I think, given the nature of the sport, it makes sense to place a lot more emphasis on a career's height than its length, and Warner was really on top of the world for a few seasons there.
I don't feel too strongly about it either way, though.
Swedish Chef
01-19-09, 10:40 PM
I don't really know why I asked that, because in all honesty I think the football hall of fame is pretty meaningless.
And I hate the politicking and unwritten rules and stat padding and sportswriter grudges and whatnot that are all balled up in baseball hall of fame discussions. Is Mike Mussina really going to be voted into the hall of fame the year after Roger Clemens gets denied? How?
I think what I'm trying to say is that hall of fames, in general, are dumb.
I go back and forth from reverence to disgust. The only HOF I care about with any signifiance is the one in Cooperstown, but I care about it less and less as more and more players are inducted because they were merely memorable, or because they happened to play on great teams.
Dunno if the Mussina/Clemens thing was rhetorical. It's presumably because of the steroid allegations around Clemens.
Hey, Swedish, I'm a little confused about your comment about Roger Clemens and Mike Mussina above. You can't get voted on for the baseball Hall of Fame until you've been retired for five years. :)
And Cooperstown may be dumb, but I've been there, so I'd say it's more fun than dumb. Those are the two best baseball players I've ever seen play.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2198/2116701509_4dd64de294.jpg?v=0 http://farm1.static.flickr.com/10/11693154_ed221e1175.jpg?v=0
Swedish Chef
01-19-09, 11:01 PM
Roger Clemens retired the year before Mussina. So he'd be eligible for the hall of fame the year before. Clemens is gonna get turned down in 2012 or whatever and then Mussina's gonna get in in 2013. I think. I've been to Cooperstown too, and it was fun, but I cringe a little every time I think Babe Ruth's plaque is hanging in the same hall as Ryne Sandberg's
Clemens is an automatic first ballot member, but I guess we have to wait four years to prove me right, depending on if Clemens plays baseball again. What? You're anti-The Babe now too or am I misinterpreting?
Swedish Chef
01-19-09, 11:13 PM
Of course Roger Clemens should be a unanimous, first ballot hall of famer, but I'm gonna go ahead and guess he won't get voted in for quite a while. And of course I'm not anti-The Babe, mark. I'm anti-the fact that Ryne flippin Sandberg is a hall of famer and that a player of his caliber is even mentioned in the same breath as Ruth.
Powdered Water
01-19-09, 11:16 PM
Does anyone ever get in on the first ballot? I thought that was extremely rare. And after the whole steroids thing I would be pretty surprised if Clemens ever gets in.
Swedish Chef
01-19-09, 11:17 PM
Sure, lots of players have gotten in the first time round. Rickey just made it in a few days ago.
Powdered Water
01-19-09, 11:33 PM
That's true. Its surprising how few of them there are. And there has never been a completely unanimous vote either.
I don't know... When I think of steroids, I think of Bonds and McGwire, but I guess that Clemens is currently in the "He said, he said" zone where he's screwed. I just don't think of him in the same way as the other two though for some reason.
Powdered Water
01-19-09, 11:38 PM
McGuire is off the hook to me because he actually admitted it. Clemens is a liar and he should be in as much hot water as Bonds in my book. I don't know how much attention you paid to the Mitchell report mark but the evidence against Clemens is pretty damning.
Well, I know he's got a size 30 neck or something, so that probably is a Red Flag.
Hope you guys don't mind me changing the topic back to football. ;) Good news: looks like Willis McGahee is going to be fine (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=AllA5ZI6gEWkdseUOfzKInxDubYF?slug=ap-ravens-mcgahee&prov=ap&type=lgns).
I'm not sure if this is creepy or awesome...either way, here it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-5kltv1Dgo
This, however, I'm sure is awesome:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3301/3218724895_cca076669b.jpg
ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm K..... CREEPY!
lol
Go Steelers.
That is all.
The excitement here is definitely building. Steeler fight songs are all over the radio and Terrible Towels are everywhere. Including the airport:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3412/3235771215_e4836dcdcf.jpg
Of course, this is the same airport that, when deciding what statues should greet people in the main concourse, opted for George Washington and Franco Harris. Yes, Pittsburgh loves it some Steelers somethin' fierce.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3447/3230614026_ac915deefd_o.jpg
Great article today over on ESPN by Greg Garber on the history of the Terrible Towel (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs2008/columns/story?columnist=garber_greg&page=hotread20/garber). It's raised millions for charity over the years and has been all over the world...and off it:
It's not much to look at, really. It measures only 16 by 25 inches and weighs a little more than 3 ounces, but the Terrible Towel inspires an almost irrational loyalty.
When President Barack Obama visited Pittsburgh last April, he was presented with a Terrible Towel; eight months later they were seen among the sprawling crowd at his inauguration. When Kevin Cherilla, a native of Hampton, Pa., scaled Mount Everest in 2007, he left the Sherpas behind, but not the Terrible Towel. When he shares his slide show with local schoolchildren, the shot of the towel flapping at the summit invariably draws the most applause. The Terrible Towel has appeared on "Saturday Night Live," been waved at Vatican City, the Great Wall of China and has traveled with soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.
After the Steelers beat the Ravens to advance to the Super Bowl, Mike Fincke celebrated. Fincke, who grew up in Emsworth, a small suburb of Pittsburgh, is the commander of NASA's Expedition 18 to the International Space Station. He looked into the camera and, in the gravity-free atmosphere high above the Earth, he unfurled his Terrible Towel and laughed.
Austruck
01-29-09, 03:20 PM
You do realize there's a reason for both of those statues, right? The only thing I always find odd is that they are right next to each other:
http://www.oliver-family.info/images/pitt-airport.jpg
Yoda, you weren't around in 1979 when both the Pirates AND the Steelers won their championships. This town was absolutely insane when the Pirates won ... and then went double-crazy a few months later when the Steelers won.
It was my introduction to the city (I was a freshman at CMU that year), and it's one I'll never forget, having grown up in a smaller town with NO major league anything.
Austruck
01-29-09, 03:22 PM
Did you hear that, if we win, there probably *won't* be a parade like last time? Turns out that amazing parade (which played out very well on television for the three or four of us who didn't go!) was a security nightmare -- too many people in too small a space with no way for emergency vehicles or authority figures to get by, with people running out in front of the vehicles carrying the players, etc....Plus, it cost a lot of money, apparently.
They would probably replace it with a rally in Heinz Field, much like they just had last Friday....
Swedish Chef
01-29-09, 03:28 PM
How do you not have a Superbowl Parade?
I think it's just a rumor. The Mayor (ugh...) issued a statement about it today:
"I don't know where or how these rumors started, but after Sunday, Pittsburgh and the Steelers Nation will be celebrating. Right now, the fans and our Steelers are focusing on bringing another Super Bowl Championship back to Pittsburgh. I am proud of our Steelers and what they have done to bring the spotlight back to our great City and I look forward to celebrating a great season with Steelers Nation next week."
Vague enough that the rumor will persist. There'll definitely be some sort of rally/celebration/whatever, though I suppose the issue is how parade-like it will be.
Austruck
01-29-09, 03:31 PM
People are starting to complain already about the idea of nixing it in favor of a rally. Their point in cancelling it is that people overran the streets and the entire downtown/Point area, and if anyone needed anything like, say, medical attention, they'd likely die before an EMT could have gotten to them. Stuff like that.
Or folks getting hit by cars in the actual parade! It was insane how many people just oozed into the actual parade itself. After a while there seemed to be no discernible boundary between the people and the parade vehicles.
Austruck
01-29-09, 03:33 PM
Wow, Yoda ... For one thing, it was on all the news stations yesterday. For another thing, unless there's more context there, that still doesn't mention a parade, just "celebrating." They could easily do a rally at Heinz Field instead of a parade. It would merely give a place to "put" all the people ... although not nearly as many as would show up, I suppose!
Swedish Chef
01-29-09, 03:35 PM
First of all, if you're not planning to have a parade, The Football Gods will make doubly sure you lose in the most embarrassing way possible on Sunday. Having no parade is a slap in the face to every team that doesn't have 6 rings.
And second of all... Luke Steelerstahl
Biggest, phoniest, shilliest move ever with the name thing? Or did you guys dig that?
Yeah, I don't think anyone's making anything up here. It's just possible that someone alluded to changing things around a bit, and off it goes. Three days before the Super Bowl, stories like this are going to get around rather quick.
Wouldn't bother me in the least if they just have a rally instead of a parade, particularly if there are legitimate safety concerns. I don't know that we have a lot of streets particularly well-suited for this sort of thing.
Austruck
01-29-09, 03:36 PM
Here's one small link to the Post-Gazette:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09029/945444-100.stm
First of all, if you're not planning to have a parade, The Football Gods will make doubly sure you lose in the most embarrassing way possible on Sunday. Having no parade is a slap in the face to every team that doesn't have 6 rings.
Not celebrating would be a slap in the face. Not celebrating in parade form...eh. I think the ghost of Vince Lombardi and Thor, or whoever, have bigger fish to fry.
And second of all... Luke Steelerstahl
Biggest, phoniest, shilliest move ever with the name thing? Or did you guys dig that?
I thought it was dumb. But I'm not really an objective source, because I thought he was pretty dim before, too.
Austruck
01-29-09, 03:37 PM
Luke Steelerstahl
Biggest, phoniest, shilliest move ever with the name thing? Or did you guys dig that?
Ehh, I totally dislike the mayor (thankfully, he ain't MY mayor since I live outside the city limits) ... but I thought this was pretty funny.
He did it before the Steelers-Ravens game, since his name is Ravenstahl and he thought for that week it should be Steelerstahl instead.
I had a good chuckle at it ... and the shots of him in the government building filling out the paperwork.
Lusty Argonian
01-29-09, 03:39 PM
Let's Cardinals, let's go!
Austruck
01-29-09, 03:39 PM
Here's a good shot of the 2006 parade to give you a small idea of what it looked like:
http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j64/GirlWeaponX/Bulletins/steelers1.jpg
Here's one small link to the Post-Gazette:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09029/945444-100.stm
Not to play dueling articles, but the one I quoted (found here (http://community.post-gazette.com/blogs/earlyreturns/archive/2009/01/29/grant-street-tempts-the-gods.aspx)) was posted a couple hours after that one. I think Ravenstahl issued the statement specifically in response to articles like that.
Still doesn't tell us much, however. Sounds like there'll be some kind of change this year, one way or another.
Austruck
01-29-09, 03:49 PM
No problem. I wasn't saying I was right, but was rather pointing to the fact that, wherever this started, it is pervasive.
Plus, I wouldn't put it past Steelerstahl to just be fibbing and the rumors to have started right from his own office. ;)
Swedish Chef
01-29-09, 04:00 PM
For the record, The Football Gods are Thor, Jim Brown, Pat Summerall's voice, the ghost of Vince Lombardi and a talking football.
ummmmmm-- --------------------go steelers?-
Powdered Water
02-01-09, 12:36 PM
I just lost a huge post and I can't be bothered to repeat it all. I sure hope the Steelers win today and I hope your team appreciates how pathetic you will be if you kick this game away today. It's the Cardinals for crying out loud.
It's almost time. They've announced that a number of streets downtown will be closed starting at around 9:00 PM tonight, which is probably wise, given how it was (http://flickr.com/photos/57244421@N00/96309205) last time (http://www.post-gazette.com/images3/20060206jbCarsonChaosa_230.jpg).
Here's a video of Carson St. on the South Side overrun with screaming fans:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eyesawfoto/3209084120/
Powdered Water
02-01-09, 12:43 PM
A little premature no? Don't you think you should win the game first?
Well, if they don't plan it beforehand, it probably won't happen, so I don't think it's tempting fate/being presumptuous/what have you.
Austruck
02-01-09, 12:49 PM
Yeah, all things being equal, we have a 50/50 shot of this happening on our streets again. So, the worst that happens is that we lose and the planning doesn't need to be put into action.
Better to plan. I mean, you buy insurance, right? :)
Besides, it's only a matter of time. :)
I was just at a small grocery store near here, and everyone in the store (workers, customers) was wearing Steeler gear (me included). Most Sundays during football season you'll see a fair number of shirts and hats, etc., but today it's literally everyone.
Gahh, I love this town. :)
I've got my Steeler sweatshirt ready to go and I'm about to dive into the closet, where I think I have a bandana and a few Terrible Towels, and I've got a bunch of frozen mini pizzas stocked up. I'm definitely ready.
Austruck
02-01-09, 01:16 PM
I've been wearing this wrist thingy since they hit the playoffs:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3463/3243985655_48946397a0.jpg
I wore it three years ago and didn't take it off till they won the Super Bowl. No matter which way it goes, I'll be glad to take this thing off! It's getting annoying!
Austruck
02-01-09, 02:23 PM
Like we don't have enough annoying Steelers-based songs.... At least this one is a Beyonce ripoff and catchy....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QRo6AuUp6Q
Why the Arizona Cardinals will win the Super Bowl.
Hello everyone.
It's almost time for the Super bowl to begin.
I haven't been this excited, since I found a woman to marry me.
I have this feeling that I know the Cardinals will win.
I had a vision last night, and it all made sense.
Let me help you.
Following are the reasons.
That Fitzgerald guy. He's fast, and can catch the ball. He wants to win.
That running back,Hightower. He drags people for extra yardage.
The Cardinal helmet looks better.
The Cardinal defense moves around.
The Cardinals play as a team.
Kurt Warner can throw straight.
Possible minor problems the Cardinals may face during the game.
Wille Parker.
Ben Rothlisberger.
Heinz Ward
The Pittsburg defense.
I'm psyched.
Your brutally honest comments are welcome.
May the best team win.
Austruck
02-01-09, 02:35 PM
My only brutally honest comment, Sluggo, is that PITTSBURGH HAS AN "H" AT THE END.
:)
Nah, not gonna argue with you. They could win -- who knows. Anything can happen in a given game. I think a lot of people have talked themselves into the Cardinals, though. Win or lose, the Steelers have a truly exceptional defense, and I don't think that can be discounted easily. They've contained guys like Moss and Owens all year, and while Fitzgerald really is a force of nature, I think the Steelers will make someone like Boldin or Breaston beat them. But hey, that's why they play the games. :)
Oh, and some potentially horrible news. I saw this in an article the other day:
"Hartwig says he knew he was going to get along with the guy when he went over to Roethlisberger's house for the first time and found him listening to Phil Collins' 'Sussudio' in repeat mode on his iPod."
Seriously.
Bad enough, right? But wait, there's more: Andrea Kramer just reported during the all-day-pre-game show that Tomlin gave the team a pep talk last night, and ended the meeting like he did the two previous playoff games: by playing "In the Air Tonight."
Not kidding.
Austruck
02-01-09, 02:51 PM
What's with the Phil Collins kick? Very odd. It's a shame he's not doing the half-time show, or we'd surely win. :D
mikeython1
02-01-09, 06:51 PM
http://www.unirugs.com/images/Arizona%20Cardinals%201001%20-%20Spirit.jpg
http://www.rotorob.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/Larry_Fitzgerald.jpg
Cardinals 38 - Steelers 24
Anything can happen in a given game, so I'm not taking anything for granted...but I'm pretty surprised at how many people think the Cards offense is going to walk all over the #1 defense in the NFL. That ain't easy. This defense isn't just good -- it's historically good. I heard earlier than the the #1 defense in the NFL has made the big game 8 times, and won 7 of them. Just sayin'.
Of course, no stat, no matter how reassuring, will put me at ease (and the fact that Collinsworth picked the Cards makes me awfully nervous). But people don't seem to be giving the Pittsburgh D a lot of credit.
I'm rooting for Arizona and believe they will win big.
I'm not a Cardinals fan, I'm a Rams fan.
http://www2.jsonline.com/packer/image/sbxxxiv/kurt130.jpg
Powdered Water
02-01-09, 07:01 PM
This game will probably get ugly. We haven't had a blowout in awhile and I see this being one. Unless Pittsburgh's defense takes the day off they are going to make Arizona look like the truly ordinary team they are.
I don't like to make too many predictions, specifically about football, because absolutely anything can happen in a given football game. But, since everyone else is...
The defense proves to be too much; Steelers win and cover the spread with room to spare.
Definitely one of the all-time great, entertaining Super Bowls. This event has so many options at almost every play that just one change of one play would obviously change the outcome. I'd be stoked if an Oscars show was this exciting!
Austruck
02-01-09, 11:12 PM
Yeah, if the goal of a Super Bowl is to be exciting ..... well, everyone got that! I had to take a BP med in the middle of that last quarter. LOL! And I left the room twice in the last three minutes.
Congratulations Steelers fans.
In the end, the Steelers offense won the game - how strangly poetic. :)
Congratulations to the Steelers and their fans.
http://www.emoticoncollection.com/smilies/indifferent0002.gif
mikeython1
02-01-09, 11:32 PM
Cardinals 38 - Steelers 24
Opps!
In the end, the Steelers offense won the game - how strangly poetic. :)
Seriously! How weird is that?
I've got the window by my desk open, and people keep coming out of their houses to yell, sing, and set off fireworks, and people driving up and down the hill keep honking. It's great.
Man, I've got a million thoughts racing through my mind, but I've gotta do a few things tonight, so I'll weigh in tomorrow morning.
Congratulations to the Steelers and their fans.
http://www.emoticoncollection.com/smilies/indifferent0002.gif
Thanks - I really, really, really thought the black and gold were gonna lose when they lost the lead. I kinda feel guilty about that, and I ask Ben & Holmes for forgiveness. I mean, usually the Def' wins the day , and it is hard to say that mathmatically they did not, but, Points on the board are still the most important aspect of any game that counts positive points as lucrative. Anyway my hat is off to AZ and also to the Steelers..What a wonderful game.:)
A great game, to be sure. Alas, my team lost. The Steelers did a good job of shutting Fitz down for most of the night, until he exploded for that TD. I think the key play of the game was that blown coverage in the final minutes, sending the Steelers down field into scoring position.
Well, it's the morning after. Tons of thoughts on the game -- sorry if I already said some of this in The Shoutbox last night. I'd like to put some kind of structure into all this, but I probably can't, so I'll just ramble...
The thing that stands out about this game, to me, is that it was almost two games in one. The first three quarters made sense: the Steeler defense shut Fitzgerald (1 catch for 12 yards) and the Arizona offense (7 points) down. They were making one heck of a statement through the first 50 minutes of this game.
The last 10 minutes were completely different. The Cardinal offense adjusted, and, of course, Fitzgerald broke a simple slant into a massive TD catch-and-run. That's why he is who he is, and my hat's off to him. I think the Steeler D deserves a lot of kudos for almost shutting him down, but it only takes one play, and Fitz made the most of it.
And then, to cap off the weirdness of it all, it's the Steeler offense that wins them the game at the end. Hopefully this is the end of any lingering doubts about Roethlisberger's place among the greatest quarterbacks in the game today. He's in some pretty select company now.
I feel a little bad for the Steeler D, which played a truly remarkable 50 minutes, but just gave up one big play too many. Fair or not, I don't think a defense gets talked about as one of history's best without putting an exclamation point on their season in the Super Bowl, but I hope I'm wrong. The safety isn't on them, so they gave up just 21 points to a pretty potent offense, and made the game's best receiver a non-factor until the very end. Couldn't be happier for Ben and Santonio, but the D is what gave them those chances in the first place.
On the Harrison runback: wow. Just...wow. I didn't think he'd make it; those huge linebackers almost always run out of gas. It was so odd to realize, mid-play, that he had to run it all the way back for it to be worth anything to us (other than the defensive stop).
All that said: big congrats to the Arizona Cardinals, and any fans who have been tough enough to stick with them all the way through. They had a great season and they simply refused to lay down and die in the 4th quarter. Good for them, and good for guys like Warner and Fitzgerald. And a huge congrats to Ken Whisenhunt; I liked his style when he was here, and I like his style now. Against any other team, I'm in his corner.
Oh, couple other fun facts about last night:
I asked my lady friend for a prediction before the game. She said: Steelers 27, Cardinals 22. No joke; one point off. I informed her that 22 was a very unusual score, because it would probably mean the Cardinals had gotten a safety, which would be very unusual. Lo and behold, they get one. :laugh:
I opened my window after the game and saw people up and down our street walking outside and cheering. One guy came out, yelling and screaming, and started signing Steeler fight songs. A bunch of people set off fireworks. Cars drove up and down our hill honking the whole way. The honking continued for hours after game-time. It was great.
They announced yesterday that school openings would be delayed 2 hours basically all over the place. I guess they figured it was better to just accept the reality that an awful lot of kids would be staying up late.
What a game, what a drive, what a year! It was a blast from start to finish.
Kinda weird to think that I was lucky enough to win my first fantasy football league and have the Steelers win a Super Bowl in the same season. I could probably play/follow both for 20 years and not have that happen again. It's been more fun than I have a right to, and it's been a lot of fun talking to you guys about it, too. Can't wait until next year. :) Let's hope by then that, despite coming through for us in the end, the offensive line gets shored up a bit! :)
Found a beauty of a picture on a blog I read...
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/02/02/sports/02super_slide17.jpg
I actually didn't appreciated how great the catch was during the game itself, but now that I've seen the replays, and all the different angles, it's pretty ridiculous.
Austruck
02-02-09, 08:21 PM
I bet at times like that, they're all glad they take those ballet lessons I saw on Misterogers Neighborhood years ago. :D
Austruck
02-02-09, 08:27 PM
Yoda, we sat over here at this house thinking the defense was just totally lacking (compared to what we were seeing the rest of the year). What made us say that was mostly that Warner's passing was just one accurate, CAUGHT bomb after another. It was like, as soon as Warner dropped back to pass, I just ASSUMED it would be accurate and it would be caught. And I was usually right.
I kept saying (out loud, very loudly): "Where's the coverage?" Wayne kept saying, "They can't cover EVERYBODY!" And yet, Warner was just so good at finding an open receiver and getting it right to him. Now, was that bad defense or just incredible quarterbacking? Or both?
Because, at the end of the game when they were awarding trophies, I joked that Warner should have gotten MVP for the Cardinals and we should have skipped having one of our own altogether. :)
FWIW, although we loved Harrison's runback, we reeeeeally disliked his unsportsmanlike conduct in, I think the third quarter (or maybe the fourth), where after the play was dead, he was literally shoving a guy down and bullying him out of sheer anger. I realize the testosterone must have been flowing like Niagara Falls on that field, but that was just ugly to see.
Yeah, no excuse for that kind of thing. Unsportsmanlike, and just stupid, anyway. But like you said, everytime I ask myself how a player could be so stupid, I have to remind myself that you've got to be pretty fired up to play in the first place. Doesn't excuse it, but it probably explains it.
As for Warner; I think he played pretty well, but I think most of it was the Steelers simply deciding to play a certain type of game. When a team has a certain number of weapons, you have to pick your poison. The respective schemes have a lot to do with this stuff, and they can change on the fly. That said, simply being out of position can turn a modest gain into a huge one. Fitzgerald's long TD to give Arizona the lead was a pretty simple slant pattern, but the defensive backs didn't react in time and he simply outran them. It happens.
But year, our defense didn't play as well as they had most of the year (though they'd set a ridiculously high mark for themselves). They played three unbelievable quarters, but in the fourth they were caught out of position, missed some tackles, and didn't get a lot of pressure on Warner.
Like Tomlin said, though: it isn't always pretty.
Swedish Chef
02-02-09, 09:14 PM
Also, Harrison's knee was clearly on the ground before he scored
Sorry
Harrison's knee was clearly on Fitzgerald; not on the ground. Michaels said something to this effect. Even if you treat Fitzgerald's abdomen as if it were the ground, it's remarkably close.
Moreover, Fitzgerald was only able to get to Harrison by running out of bounds. And while a player can come back in bounds to tackle someone, he was literally standing out when he grabbed him, and I believe the player has to make an effort to get back in bounds as quickly as possible. And if I'm remembering the rulebook correctly, the facemask penalty means the Steelers would have gotten one more play, regardless, even if he were ruled down.
But, despite all that, the call on the field, and the fact that it was upheld on review...yeah, it was "clearly" down. ;)
Swedish Chef
02-02-09, 10:18 PM
Clearly
By the by, they decided to hold a parade after all. Should be going on right about now:
http://www.post-gazette.com/images4/20090203parade_early_3_500.jpg
Dill-man
02-04-09, 08:47 PM
A little late for my comments but I have to say that the probably the second best part (besides us winning the Superbowl and everything) was driving home from my friends.
I'd actually been in Detroit when we won in 2005 so I didn't know what it was like to be in Pittsburgh at the time of a Superbowl a win... absolutely nuts.
We drove home and for the whole 20 minutes home we were leaning outisde of the windows screaming and waving our Terrible Towels while my friend honked at every car and person with their shirt off yelling on the side of the road. I've never seen such mass jubulation. It was awesome :D
SI's Peter King is reporting that Roethsliberger played the Super Bowl with broken ribs (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3894263).
And with that, my man-crush on Ben goes from harmless infatuation, to dangerous obsession.
Yes, I'm still swooning like a teenage girl over Ben's Bunyan-like performance.
Also, some of ya'll might have already seen this, but it's worth posting:
vZGomNBZQWZXA9b3tTgGAw
AkirA206
02-14-09, 12:40 AM
I still mad that the Patriots werent in the Playoffs... They deserved a rematach over last years travesty//
Well, the Steelers Super Bowl rings were handed out recently, and they are, predictably, the gaudiest freakin' things you've ever seen. They're even gaudy for Super Bowl rings, and that's saying something.
I love how absurd these things are every year. Always fun to see what each time comes up with. Here it is:
http://io2.steelers.com/MediaContent/2009/06/09/12/Photo_1_105794.jpg
http://io2.steelers.com/MediaContent/2009/06/09/12/Photo_2_105795.jpg
http://io2.steelers.com/MediaContent/2009/06/09/12/Photo_3_105796.jpg
http://io2.steelers.com/MediaContent/2009/06/09/12/Photo_4_105798.jpg
It's big enough that you can barely consider it a ring. Like that they kept it black and gold, of course. Really dig the Lombardi trophies on the side. Still; it's just so huge. I'd probably get tired just raising my arm to shake people's hands with that thing on.
spudracer
06-10-09, 11:37 AM
It's safe to say that if you wanted to dispose of a body, just put one of those on them, they'll sink.
moviefan87
06-10-09, 09:19 PM
i'm glad my boy Joe Flacco helped raise the bar for all rookie QBs now.
wacko for Flacco!
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