It's Good To Be A Cleveland Browns Fan

With family and friends in South Florida, when the Steelers play the Miami Dolphins, I try to attend the games. Back in 2010, I went to the Steelers-Dolphins game and purchased group tickets since I knew enough people that also wanted to go. Back then, tickets cost $52 for the Upper End Zone seats. This was a higher price than other games that season since there was a higher demand for the Steelers game.

With the Steelers visiting the Dolphins again this fall, I've been in touch with my Dolphins group sales representative about tickets. (Yes, I have a Dolphins group sales representative...and he has called or emailed me almost every week over the past two months.) Just a few days ago, I received the actual ticket prices:

As you can see, tickets for the Steelers-Dolphins game is the most expensive game along with when the New England Patriots take their talents to South Florida. The same Upper End Zone seats are just about double from 6 years ago at $102. Throwing in airfare, I think $102 (plus parking, food, etc) might be too much for me for me this year.

However, the one thing I noticed is how inexpensive a ticket is to see the Dolphins host the Arizona Cardinals (coming off an NFC Championship game appearance), Tennessee Titans, and Cleveland Browns. These ticket prices probably make it the only time where you can say it is good to be a Browns fan! Of course, the big questions is will Miami and Cleveland fans both wear LeBron James jerseys to the game?

Steelers-Browns Recap

Can we pretend that the second half didn't happen? Wouldn't you feel so much better about the Steelers if this game ended after 30 minutes? Let's start with the fact that the Steelers defeated the Browns and are now 1-0. This is also the first time since the 2010 season that the Steelers started 1-0. In the big picture, the Steelers are 1-0 and have a win against a division opponent. Woo!

Now, here are my notes from the game:

- The Steelers led Cleveland 27-3 at halftime and outgained Cleveland 364-101 yards and had five plays of 30+ yards. Wow!

- To paraphrase Meatloaf, Antonio Brown would do anything to win a football game, but he won't do that (well he shouldn't have done this):



I was all prepared to compare Antonio Brown's kick to The Karate Kid, but nearly everyone on the internet already beat me to this observation.

- For the second half, I feel like the Steelers coaches probably told the players simply to keep doing what you're doing while the Browns actually made adjustments. Meanwhile, did the Steelers players think the game was over at the half? I feel like the players and coaches were equally responsible for the poor second half performance.

- How much did Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey make for the Lincoln MKC commercial? It has to be 7-figures, right? Unfortunately, he didn't end the commercial by saying, "I get older, they stay the same age."



- Steelers RS Le'veon Bell is good.

- I love the fact that announcer Ian Eagle stated that the Steelers avoided testing Cleveland all-pro cornerback Joe Haden, and then as soon as he stopped talking and the play started, Brown beat Haden for a touchdown.

- I was impressed by Steelers wide receivers Markus Wheaton & Justin Brown. I had low expectations for both of them, but they certainly looked like they belong in the NFL.

- The Steelers offense allowed 4 sacks while the defense gave up 183 rushing yards. Browns rookie RB Terrance West had 100 yards. The team needs to allow less sacks and rushing yards if they want to be successful this season.

- Am I the only one who thinks of the song Broken Wings by Mr. Mister whenever new Steelers punter Brad Wing takes the field?



- I've been a big Ike Taylor defender over the years. Sure, he has trouble catching the ball, but throughout his career, he generally prevents opponents' top wide receivers from having big games. Taylor didn't look good against a Browns team on Sunday without Josh Gordon or any other "scary" wide receivers.

- Good luck to Ithaca College graduate CCH Pounder on her new show CSI: New Orleans. I just wish CBS would promote the show more and give it some exposure.

The Steelers play again in 3 days against the Ravens. 3 days!

P.S. Quote of the day about the Steelers game goes to the terrific writer/reporter Dejan Kovacevic: I’ll repeat my summer-long plea for more Gay. Yes, I'm still 12 sometimes.

h/t Mikey for the video.

Sorry Cleveland Browns Fans

I feel bad for Cleveland Browns fans. I really do. Sure I want the Browns to lose to the Steelers, but the team has been so terrible for so long that you feel for the passionate and devoted fans. This week's Parade cover seems to rub salt in the wounds for Browns fans.* Take a look:

On the left, you'll notice Michael Symon wearing a Browns shirt and the words "Super Bowl Smack-Down" on the top of the page. Meanwhile, Mario Batali has a Seattle Seahawks jersey which looks terrible with orange shorts and Crocs. (Sean on Fashion!) While the Seahawks are in next week's Super Bowl, Cleveland is not. However, if you don't follow football, simply seeing this cover would make you think that the Browns really are in the Super Bowl. Of course, Cleveland has never made the Super Bowl and haven't come close since the Bernie Kosar days.

I think that Parade owes Cleveland Browns fans an apology.

For shame Parade. For shame.


* Does this expression make sense when Epson Salt is designed to help? Actually, you probably aren't supposed to rub Epson Salt on wounds, so nevermind.

Steelers-Browns-Chiefs-Chargers Recap

It's time to put the Terrible Towels away until next season. Start the season 0-4 and lose to an awful Oakland Raiders team and you really don't deserve to make the playoffs. Sure, the Steelers should have reached the playoffs based on the mediocre San Diego Chargers' performance against the replacement Kansas City Chiefs (more on this below), but that obviously didn't happen. Here are some of my thoughts about the Steelers-Browns game:

- Steelers RB Le'Veon Bell ran for 90 yards and a TD. He finished the season with 1163 total yards in 13 games. I'm excited to see how Bell progresses in the future.

- While drunk driving is extremely dangerous and drunk drivers certainly deserve the appropriate punishment, you would think that Robocop would do more than catch drunk drivers.



- After Troy Polamalu made a tackle CBS announcer Steve Beuerlein said "You see the way he throws his body around & just gives it up." That sounds a little dirty.

- J.J. Watt should enjoy being in all of these commercials now. On a 2-14 team, he won't be in many (or any) next year.

- At 3:34, Ziggy started knocking things off of the dining room table to get my attention since he wanted food. Doesn't he understand that the Steelers game was on (and that it was too early to eat)?

- Antonio Brown had another solid game (9 catches, 87 yards) as part of an incredible season where he became the first player in NFL history to have at least 5 receptions and 50 yards in all 16 regular season games. While I'm not going to compare Brown with Calvin Johnson, the best WR in the NFL, I do see some potential similarities in the other wide receivers around them. Johnson has never had a really good #2 receiver, though that hasn't stopped him. Meanwhile, with Emmanuel Sanders a free agent, Jerricho Cotchery a year older and Markus Wheaton unimpressive as a rookie, it will be interesting to see how the Steelers surround Brown next year.

I really don't have much more to write about the Steelers game. Jarvis Jones and Lawrence Timmons both played well. The offense played good enough to win, the special teams didn't make any mistakes and the defense played a solid game.

This brings us to the post game. With the Dolphins and Jets both losing, if the Chargers defeated Kansas City, they would be the #6 seed. If they lost to Kansas City, the Steelers would be in the playoffs. It would have been nice if Heinz Field stayed open to show the game on the scoreboard.

What would have been more fun was if the NFL had cameras in the Steelers locker room showing them watching the Chiefs-Chargers game. Better yet, maybe the team could have watched the game at Mike Tomlin's house. Imagine seeing Brett Keisel's reaction when one of Tomlin's kids stands in front of the TV!

- In the NBA, injured or inactive players tend to wear suits or at least dress nicely on the bench. In the NHL, scratched players dress nicely in the booth. Kansas City players such as Alex Smith and Jamaal Charles sure looked professional...wearing Chiefs T-shirts and shorts.

- KC running back Knile Davis is by far my favorite person named Knile.

- Ryan Succop missed a field goal at the end of regulation that would have put the Steelers in the playoffs. That sucked.

- The Chargers ran perhaps one of the dumbest plays in NFL history by doing a fake punt from their own 28 yard-line. If they were unsuccessful, the Chiefs would be in field goal range to try to win the game (again). Instead, the determination that the runner's forward progress was stopped even though there was no whistle or indication by a referee as to where to spot the ball. Oh, and the play couldn't be reviewed. Behind the Steel Curtain has more on this.

- There was also the penalty that should have been called that wasn't called during the final Succop field goal. For all of the complaints about this though, I didn't see anyone mention this during the broadcast or on Twitter when this happened.

Remember my first paragraph about the Steelers not deserving to make the playoffs? San Diego is not much better. They lost to Houston and Washington, the two worst teams in the NFL. Miami & Baltimore don't have any rightful claims to the final AFC Wild Card spot either. Oh well. Big off-season for the Steelers, but I'm optimistic about the team's future.

Steelers-Browns Recap

It is extremely difficult to concentrate on the Steelers game while entertaining my two year old child. Fortunately, enjoying to wave the Terrible Towel seems to be passing to the next generation. When the Steelers score a touchdown, I wave my Terrible Towel and yell "Wooooo." I then hand the towel to my son, and he does the same thing. It is incredibly cute. We had the opportunity to do that three times on Sunday. Then we went back to stacking blocks.

The Steelers defeated Cleveland 27-11. Here are some notes about the game:

- I really miss Myron Cope referring to the Cleveland Browns as the Cleve Brownies.

- Before the opening kickoff, CBS broadcaster Solomon Wilcots said that people in Northern Ohio live for this weather, meaning cold and windy. While I haven't spent that much time in Cleveland, I don't remember having any conversations with anyone who lives there or is from there that "lives for" the cold weather. Seems like folks in Northern Ohio enjoy the summer weather at Cedar Point.

- A lot of people are going to credit the Steelers offensive line for the win. That makes sense as the Browns had no sacks. Not as noticeable but also impressive was the fact that the Steelers only had 2 penalties for 8 yards. Besides one illegal formation penalty, there were no false starts or holding calls against the Steelers.

- A +4 turnover margin and 5 sacks by the Steelers defense were also huge.

- Ray Horton, the Browns defensive coordinator, served as a Steelers coach for several years. Apparently, CBS invested serious money and/or energy putting a camera outside the Browns coaching box as they showed Horton constantly in the first half.

- Cameron Heyward showed a really good stiff-arm while running after his fumble recovery.

- I don't understand something. Ben Roethlisberger throws right-handed but punts left-footed. Shouldn't he kick with his right foot?

- When I heard the announcers call Tank Carter, I thought of the former Steelers safety Tyrone "Tank" Carter. Turns out the Browns have a completely different player named Tank Carder.

- Seems like Browns' back-up running back F. Whittaker could get a better gig after winning an Oscar for Last King of Scotland and probably getting an Oscar nomination for The Butler.

- Steelers punter Mat McBriar got crushed on a kick but the ref only called running into the kicker. Apparently, the Browns needed to actually grab McBriar's leg and break it in half to get a roughing the kicker penalty.

- I hate Ramsey from this Bud Light commercial. If a friend purposely dumped the chips on the floor, he's not getting invited back.



- I hope that Antonio Brown traded jerseys with Josh Gordon after the game like he did with Calvin Johnson last week. Brown had another good game, but Gordon was nearly unstoppable.

- Do you know the game, give me five, on the side, up high, down low, you're too slow? I feel like Keisel is doing the up high part to Dick LeBeau.

The Steelers are now undefeated (3-0) when they know I'm going to write a recap of their game.

Thanks to Cotter for the gifs.

Steelers-Browns Recap with TV Notes

Congratulations to the Pittsburgh Steelers on winning the AFC North division and earning a first round playoff bye by defeating the Cleveland Browns 41-9. It’s rare for an NFL game to be decided less than one minute into the game, but that essentially happened on Sunday. Troy Polamalu intercepted Colt McCoy on the Browns second offensive play, and the Steelers quickly responded on a 56-yard touchdown pass from Roethlisberger to Mike Wallace. As usual, I have some thoughts about the game and the commercials.

- How did the Browns not realize that the Steelers were going to throw a deep pass to Wallace immediately after the interception? Did they not watch film on the Steelers this season? Everyone at the bar knew Roethlisberger was going deep to Wallace.

- Former Steelers running back Willie Parker was also known as “Fast” Willie Parker. Mike Wallace is faster than Parker ever was, but we don’t seem to call him “Fast” Mike Wallace. This should change. On Twitter yesterday, Cotter suggested Maverick because he "obviously has a need for speed and he flies."

- Cleveland coach Eric Mangini (remember when he was Man-genius?) deserves to be fired simply for his decision to kick a field goal down 14-0 early in the second quarter. The Browns had the ball on Pittsburgh’s 2 yard-line and this move showed that he quit.

- I was also curious about Cleveland’s offensive strategy to start the game. RB Peyton Hillis has been fantastic for the Browns; however, the team decided to run a spread offense during the first few series with Hillis on the sidelines.

- Miller Lite shows a series of commercials where guys either wearing dragon clothes or a “European Man Thong” asks for a light beer. I rarely go to bars anymore, but since when do people order a light beer? Don’t people order a specific brand or the special? I’ve also never seen a bartender ask “More Taste or Less Taste?” followed by the patron saying that he doesn’t care.



- Until watching the game yesterday, I didn't realize that Maurkice Pouncey is the first Steelers rookie to make the Pro Bowl since Kendrell Bell. In a related note, who wants to buy my Kendrell Bell jersey? Did you know that he was the last Steelers rookie to make the Pro Bowl? That's got to make the jersey worth at least $50.

- CBS apparently introduces a brand new Early Show cast today. While I don’t know anyone that watches Early Show and I’m not sure that the new folks will impact ratings, I will give CBS credit for hiring Marysol Castro formerly of Good Morning America Weekend. After Tony Perkins returned to DC, ABC made a poor decision in selecting Sam Champion as the main GMA weather guy over Castro.



- Possibly overlooked in the Steelers dominating performance on Sunday was the fact that the offensive line did not allow a sack when Roethlisberger was the QB and that they had only 3 penalties for 25 yards, none in the first half.

- Dear Lexus: If you have a promotion called December to Remember Sales Event, and it is now January, you should either stop running these commercials or change the name.

- There’s a new Nicolas Cage movie coming out on Friday called Season of the Witch. It doesn’t look very good. When was the last good Nicolas Cage movie with him as the #1 star? Adaptation in 2002? Do we have to go back to Face/Off, Con Air, The Rock or Leaving Las Vegas from the mid to late-1990s?

- I really liked the play call to have Randle El throw the ball in the red zone which turned into a TD pass to Hines Ward. I guarantee that the Steelers will use a similar formation in a playoff game, faking the ball to Randle El causing several defenders to go to ARE and leaving someone else open.

- Who is the band in the Hyundai Holiday commercials? We’re about to start a search for a new car, and I may avoid Hyundai simply because I am sick of these commercials.

So now the Steelers have a week off before facing the Colts, Chiefs or Ravens on Saturday, January 15th. I hope the Steelers enjoy the well-deserved rest.

Good Weekend (Steelers-Browns Recap)

Let's start with the big picture. The Steelers defeated Cleveland 27-14 while both the Bengals and the Ravens lost. As a result, the Steelers are tied with Cincinnati for the division lead at 4-2 and one game ahead of Baltimore. In addition, the Penguins and the Pitt, Ithaca College and Woodland Hills High School football teams were all victorious, plus two, and possibly three of my fantasy football teams won. (The fourth one lost badly thanks to Mark Sanchez filling in for Peyton Manning on his bye week. That didn't work out very well.)

Back to the Steelers, the passing game looks great. Ben Roethlisberger had 417 yards passing; Hines had a monster game with 159 yards and a TD; and Santonio Holmes (104 yards) and Heath Miller (80 yards and a TD) also put together excellent games. Even though Roethlisberger was sacked three times, I thought the line protected him well.

Here are my thoughts on the game:

- On Hines' TD catch, Rashard Mendenhall did a nice job picking up Cleveland's blitz.

- After attending the Steelers-Browns game at Heinz Field in 2007, I wrote, "In my opinion, Joshua Cribbs has now replaced Eric Metcalf as the scariest Steelers' opponent." Why do the Steelers still kick the ball to Cribbs?

- What happened to Browns' QB Derek Anderson? I remember attending that Steelers-Browns and although Anderson didn't put up big passing numbers, he did throw 3 touchdowns and zero interceptions. He even made the Pro Bowl that season (2007)!

- Did Ziggy Hood play on Sunday?

- I think it's telling that Mewelde Moore was the RB when the Steelers were running out the clock. Mendenhall and (not as) Fast (with turf toe) Willie Parker both fumbled earlier in the second half, so maybe Tomlin trusts Mewelde more than the others in that situation.

- Speaking of Moore, why was he returning punts instead of Stefan Logan?

- Browns' head coach Eric Mangini and defensive coordinator Rob Ryan are not fitness role models.





- Mike Wallace continues to be fast.

- It is so much fun watching Santonio Holmes run in the open field after making a catch.

- Should we be concerned that the Steelers wins are against mostly terrible teams? Here are the records of the teams the Steelers defeated:

Browns - 1-5
Titans - 0-6
Lions - 1-5
Chargers - 2-2

Personally, I say no. Tennessee has completely fallen apart, but we (and they) didn't know they would be that bad after the first week. As for the other teams, the Steelers may be playing down to its competition particularly in the fourth quarter. I think next week's game against Minnesota could tell us a lot about the Steelers.

Steelers to Loose Super Bowl Trophies

Yes, this was the subject of an e-mail that was forwarded to me. Not lose, but loose. It only gets worse from there.

The Super Bowl XLIII Champion Pittsburgh Steelers, the only team to win six titles, will soon be loosing half of those trophies. After a meeting between NFL Commissioner Rodger Gadel (Sean's note: Rodger Gadel? Really?) and President Barack Hussain Obama, Obama decided to redistribute half of their Steeler Super Bowl victories and trophies to less fortunate teams in the league.

"We live everyday in the country that invented the Super Bowl." said Obama "We are not about to lose this Great American tradition in the wake of these difficult times." Obama’s plan calls for the Steelers, who are a successful NFL team, to give half of their Super Bowl trophies to teams that are not successful or have not been as successful as the Steelers. "The Detroit Loins are just as much a part of the same fiber of the NFL as the Steelers and they should, no rather will, be entitled to a Super Bowl Trophy as well." Obama explains in his plan that he has imposed on Godel and the NFL.

The Pittsburgh Steelers, who by virtue of hard work, excellent team play, stellar draft choices, responsible investing of free agents, careful hiring of coaches and excellent community service and commitment to their fans, has prospered greatly during the past 30 years and have won six Super Bowl Trophies. But President Barack Hussain Obama’s plan calls for the Pittsburgh Steelers to carry the larger burden of the NFL’s less successful teams. Obama went on to further proclaim, "In these difficult times we are all in this to work together. We must reclaim the NFL Championship Dream for every team, for every city and for every fan."

"My plan will not affect 31 of the 32 teams in the league." Obama assures. That’s over 95 percent of the teams in the NFL will not have to worry about loosing any Super Bowl Trophies. "The worst teams in the NFL and the teams that can’t seem to get a break and win a championship will no longer have to worry about going without a title." Obama promises. "We are a country and league of hope. We all need to make a change. It does not matter the color of the teams uniforms, the personal decisions that the teams make or their performance but rather if they are a member of this great American league."

The Super Bowl XLIII trophy will be redistributed to the 0-16 Detroit Lions. Through no fault of their own incompetence, the Lions could not manage a victory all season and this trophy will help ease the pain of their lack of performance and give them hope once again. The redistribution of Super Bowl XL trophy will go directly to the Steeler’s division rival the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals who also have fallen on hard times have never won a Super Bowl. This victory will bring a smile to hundreds of Bengal fans all over the world as they can now celebrate. Finally, one of the Steeler’s two Super Bowl victories over the Dallas Cowboys will go back to the Cowboys since the league needs to provide hope in the face of difficulty and provide hope in the face of uncertainty. This is a heavy burden for the Steelers but together we can all prosper.

All hope is not lost for Pittsburgh fans, Barack Hussain Obama has another plan in place. Obama has meet with MLB and commissioner Bud Selig on a similar plan. The New York Yankees will redistribute two of their world series trophies to the Pittsburgh Pirates as a supplement to their loosing 16 straight seasons and counting. This plan will help stimulate the Pirates and enable them to regain the American Dream. Barack Hussain Obama will be meeting with the NHL and Michael Phelps in the upcoming weeks as this issue is high on his agenda for "Hope and Change."

Someone is still bitter about Obama being elected President! I'm not touching any political aspect of this, but I do have a few notes:

1. Would Canada, or at least Quebec, go to war against the U.S. if we tried to take away some of Montreal's Stanley Cups? If so, look out Plattsburgh, NY!

2. The Pirates don't want any World Series titles from the Yankees. The Pirates earned the Championship against the Yankees in 1960! (Someone I met at the Pirates game in Bradenton on Sunday was a Yankees fan and is still unhappy about Maz's home run.)

3. Based on this plan, at least the Browns won't get a trophy!

Steelers-Browns Live Blog

Welcome to my live blog of the Pittsburgh Steelers-Cleveland Browns game. I am live from my couch with my Terrible Towel right next to me. I’ll be writing my thoughts about the game, and you are welcome to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Since Brett Favre and the Jets lost this afternoon, I’ll give the over/under of Favre mentions during the telecast by John Madden and/or Al Michaels at 3. (If the Jets won, this number would be 6)

I’ll also have the over/under on commercials for My Own Worst Enemy, Christian Slater’s new show at 4.

Oh, I’ll predict a Steelers win by the score 34-17.

First Quarter

We’re getting a story from Andrea Kremer that it’s windy. I appreciate her telling us this since I wouldn’t have noticed her hair blowing and the papers swirling behind her.

Just one day, I want a player in the introductions to say Ithaca College when talking about where they went to school. In case you were wondering (doubtful), the Bombers won Saturday and are now 2-0.

I really like Bryant McFadden’s goatee! I don't know if this is the most up-to-date picture, but this is what I found.



Nice D to start the game as Cleveland goes three and out.

After getting a first down (via a Santonio Holmes catch), Ben gets sacked and the Steelers have to punt.

Joshua Cribbs, the Browns kick returner, really scares me but the punt coverage was solid.

A nice drop by Braylon Edwards means another three and out.

I'm now convinced that we're going to hear about the wind or weather every other play. 8:34 to play in the first.

In case you are scoring at home, that’s 2 commercials for Heroes; none for My Own Worst Enemy.

Michael Phelps is in the stadium, but his mom and her clothing line are not. John Madden says that he wants to be Michael Phelps for one day. I think I speak for all Americans by writing that no one wants to see John Madden in the swimming pool.

On the long pass attempt to Willie Parker, Santonio Holmes looked wide-open in the middle of the field.

After a rare Hines Ward drop, it’s another punt. That’s now six punts, and I believe only two first downs (both for Pittsburgh). Right on cue, the Browns get a first down. 1:33 left in the first.

To end the first quarter, the Browns are forced to punt again and then Parker has two rushes to pick up a Steelers first down.

Second Quarter

Just before the second quarter began, we get our first My Own Worst Enemy commercial.

An unsuccessful QB sneak on 3rd and one leads to another punt. Do you sense a theme about how this game has gone so far?

McFadden and his goatee make an interception after having great coverage on Braylon Edwards.

Have I mentioned that I have the Steelers defense in two fantasy leagues?

The Steelers get a little lucky. Instead of a Cleveland sack, the defender grabs Roethlisberger’s face mask. 15-yard penalty; automatic first down.

Shaun Rodgers at 350 pounds is a big man. I would tell him that he spells his name wrong, but he frightens me.

Terrible call on a 3rd and 1 as Ben hands the ball off to Fast Willie while in the shotgun position. (This sentence sounds somewhat dirty.) The Steelers are stopped short, but rush to the line on 4th and 1. Odd situation where Ben draws the Browns offsides, but Coach Tomlin calls time-out as the ball is snapped.

Big run by Fast Willie for a first down followed by a Holmes catch to the Browns’ 15.

Another drop by Hines but this one is in the end zone. The ball was slightly behind Ward and there were two Browns near him, but Hines usually makes those catches.

After a time-out, on 3rd and 9 from the 11, Ward redeems himself with a TD catch. 7-0 Steelers!

NBC Update, with 6:26 left in the second quarter: 3 commercials for Heroes; 2 for My Own Worst Enemy.

So I started writing that Andrea Kremer has not provided an update about Brett Kiesel, who left the game a little earlier. I wrote that maybe she is helping the stadium staff by picking up some of the trash that has been blowing around. Just as I was ready to publish this, Kremer reports that Kiesel has a right calf injury and his return is questionable, but doubtful.

The Browns get a few first downs including a nice leaping catch by Kellen Winslow Jr.

In case you were wondering, the Post-Gazette’s Blog ‘N’ Gold is also live blogging tonight.

Cleveland finishes the first half with some poor clock management. After running a QB sneak on 3rd and 1, and earning a first down on the Steelers’ 11, they let the clock run to 8 seconds and take their final time-out. Instead of going for a field goal, the Browns try a pass to the end zone, which is intercepted by Troy Polamalu. 7-0 at halftime.

Just a few comments about the first half. Troy Polamalu has played very well and been all over the field. The Steelers special teams have contained Cribbs. The only completions so far are to Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes. A pass or two to Heath Miller would be nice. Has Rashard Mendenhall (now the representative for Champion sports wear) been in the game yet?

Third Quarter

Speaking of Mendenhall, he’s on the field to return the second half kick-off.

Roethlisberger gets slammed to the ground by Shaun “Big Baby” Rodgers. The wrongly spelled one scares me even more.

Old School is playing on TNT.

Did you know that Rob Brown is one of the stars of "The Express: The Ernie Davis Story?" I’ve spent the past five minutes trying unsuccessfully to find a picture of Rob Brown in a Penguins uniform, so I’m settling for this:



It may be a different Rob Brown playing Ernie Davis.

48-yard reception from Ben to Santonio sets up a 48-yard field goal for Jeff Reed. 7:58 left in the third; 10-0 Steelers!

Roughing the passer penalty on LaMarr Woodley. Questionable call but Woodley will need to learn to hold up in those situations in the future.

Ryan Clark and Braylon Edwards just had a nasty collision on an incomplete pass. Clark is down. During the commercial, a taunting penalty is called against James Farrior. Cleveland has first and goal from the 10.

Fortunately, Cleveland does nothing, and Phil Dawson kicks a field goal. Steelers-10, Browns-3. Thirty yards in penalties certainly helped the Browns.

What the hell? The wind apparently causes lots of problems on the kick-off bounces off of several players (both Steelers and Browns), is last touched by Woodley and goes out of bounds. Steelers ball inside their own five.

To end the quarter, Ben completes a 31-yard pass to Hines. Yes, I’m on a first-name basis with both of these guys.

Fourth Quarter

If Woodley received a roughing the passer penalty earlier, the officials should have also thrown a flag for Shaun Rodgers’ shoulder hit on Ben after the pass was thrown. Cheap shot.

The Browns get the ball back and start an impressive drive. 23-yard catch and run by Jerome Harrison who made about 8 Steeler defenders miss; 6-yard catch by Winslow on 3rd and 5; 8-yard catch by Syndric Steptoe (is that a real name?) on 3rd and 7; 9-yard pass to Edwards on 3rd and 7. The Steelers need a stop!

And the Steelers do make a stop and force Cleveland to kick a field goal. Dawson does so, and the score is 10-6 Steelers. 3:21 remaining; both teams have each of their three time-outs.

The unofficial commercial count: 5 for Heroes; 3 for My Own Worst Enemy.

Hello Heath Miller. Nice to see you! I like the call on 2nd and long to have Ben roll out and fire the ball to Heath for a 19-yard gain. The Browns take their second time-out.

After a 4-yard run by Fast Willie, Cleveland takes its final time-out with 2:42 left in the game.

Willie runs for 19 and gets a first down but gets tackled out of bounds. Parker now has 104 yards rushing. Hooray for Fast Willie. Two minute warning.

Cleveland stops Pittsburgh on a 4th and 4 on the Browns’ 21 with 26 seconds remaining. I know there’s a risk of a blocked kick, but why not kick a field goal? Of course, I’m very tired, so I probably have no idea what I’m talking/writing about.

Two incompletions and a sack and that's it. Steelers win 10-6.

Nice game by the defense holding Anderson to 166 yards with two interceptions, Jamal Lewis to 38 yards on 19 carries and Edwards to only 3 catches for 32 yards. Fast Willie rushed for 105 yards. Except for that botched kick-off, the Steelers special teams played great.

In the post-game, Ben ignored Kremer's three questions about his shoulder. This may not be good.

I'm going to sleep. Thanks for checking this out and a special thanks to anyone who actually made it to the end.

Steelers-Browns and Other Stuff

Before I write about this Sunday’s Steelers-Browns game, take a quick look at the date of this post. I can’t believe that it has been seven years since that horrific day. Please take a moment of silence or reflection today to remember those who lost their lives in New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania seven years ago today.


Thank you.


I feel like it’s time to revisit my post from September 2007 when I wrote that the Pittsburgh Steelers-Cleveland Browns series is no longer a rivalry. Since returning to Cleveland in 1999, the Steelers are 16-3 against the Browns including the Wild Card round win during the 2002 season. The last time Cleveland defeated Pittsburgh was October 5, 2003. That’s not a rivalry. Until the Browns hire Bill Cowher, win the division or defeat the Steelers more than three times in nine years, it’s just another divisional game no more or no less important than the games against Baltimore or Cincinnati.


Finally, when you have a few minutes, check out the following terrific links:

Mondesi’s House interviews Stan Savarn and Guy Junker.

Fast Company has a feature about Dr. James Andrews, arguably the most famous doctor in the country.

DJ Gallo of ESPN.com writes about the Pirates 16th consecutive losing season, tying them for the longest streak in professional sports history. It seems like it has been almost that long since I last wrote about the Pirates.

Greg Lloyd Will Watch the Steelers-Browns Game at Your House

As part of the DC Steeler Nation listserv, I received an e-mail on Wednesday with the following offer, which is currently listed on eBay:

THIS IS A ONCE IN A LIFETIME CHANCE THAT YOU WILL NEVER FORGET!!! GREG LLOYD WILL COME TO YOUR HOUSE TO WATCH THE STEELERS DESTROY THE BROWNS SEPTEMBER 14TH 2008!!! PLEASE READ ALL THE DETAILS BELOW OR CALL US AT 864-517-7799 WITH ANY QUESTIONS.



WHERE AT: YOUR HOUSE ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATES. IT DOESNT MATTER WHAT STATE YOUR IN JUST AS LONG AS ITS IN THE UNITED STATES. THEY DONT CALL IT "STEELER NATION" FOR NO REASON! WE ARE EVERYWHERE!! HERE WE GO STEELERS HERE WE GO!!

Does that mean that Toronto or Montreal is out even though they are much closer to where Lloyd lives (I believe near Atlanta according to a recent PSAMP post) then say Walla Walla, Washington?

WHEN: 8:15 PM KICKOFF STEELERS VS BROWNS SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

Please stop with the CAPS!

DETAILS:

GREG LLOYD WILL COME TO YOUR HOUSE TO WATCH THE ENTIRE GAME WITH YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS. ITS A SIMPLE AS THAT. WE MAKE ALL THE ARRANGMENTS FOR GREG TO ARRIVE IN YOUR CITY AND TO YOUR HOUSE. JUST LIKE THE DIRECT TV NFL SUNDAY SEASON TICKET COMMERICAL WITH PEYTON MANNING SHOWING UP IN SOME GUYS LIVING ROOM, THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN FOR YOU.IT WOULD MAKE A GREAT GIFT IDEA FOR YOUR HUSBAND, KIDS OR A CLOSE FRIEND. WANNA IMPRESS YOUR BOSS?? INVITE HIM OVER TOO?

Yes, just like Peyton Manning on the commercial.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: SO WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THIS WHOLE DEAL??

A: GREG LLOYD WILL COME TO YOUR HOUSE FOR THE GAME. HE WILL BE THERE BY KICKOFF AND LEAVE WHEN THE GAME IS OVER.YOU WILL ALSO RECIVE A GREG LLOYD FAN PACKAGE THAT WILL INCLUDE A AUTHENTIC JERSEY, 2 16x20 PHOTOS, 2 8x10 PHOTOS AND A MINI HELMET ALL SIGNED BY YOURS TRULEY GREG LLOYD.

I have never claimed to be a master of the English language, but it’s OK to use spell-check. Recive? Truley?

Q: HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN I INVITE? IS THERE A LIMIT?

A:YOU MAY HAVE UP TO 25 PEOPLE THERE.THE LESS AMOUNT OF PEOPLE YOU HAVE THERE THE BETTER FOR YOU BECAUSE YOU WILL GET A BETTER EXPERIENCE WITH A SMALLER AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THERE.YOU ONLY WANT TO INVITE YOUR CLOSEST FRIENDS AND DONT WANT TO RISK SOME STRANGER MESSING UP THIS WHOLE THING. GREG LOVES TO TALK AND WHO ELSE HAS BETTER "WAR" STORIES THEN GREG WHEN IT COMES TO STEELERS FOOTBALL AND THE STEELERS BROWNS RIVALY

James Harrison may have better stories about the time he tackled the Browns fan. Bill Cowher and Joey Porter probably have some good tales too.



Q: WILL GREG BE BRINGING ANYBODY WITH HIM?

A: YES GREG WILL HAVE ONE OR 2 PEOPLE WITH HIM

Any chance he’ll bring fellow linebacker Jerry Olsavsky. What’s Joel Steed up to these days? Does he accompany Greg on these visits?

Q: WILL YOU BE SUPPLYING FOOD FOR THIS OR BEVERAGES?

A: NO THAT IS YOUR CHOICE IF YOU WANT FOOD, SNACKS ETC YOU WILL NEED TO SUPPLY THAT YOURSELF.

If you want food? You better have food if you’re going to have a party of 25 people plus Greg Lloyd and possibly Jerry Olsavsky and/or Joel Steed.

Q: ARE WE ALLOWED TO DRINK ALCOHOL?

A: YES HOWEVER WE ASK THIS IF YOU DO DRINK ADULT BEVERAGES THAT EVERYONE THERE STAYS SOBBER. WE WILL NOT TOLERATE DRUNKEN BEHAVIOR.THAT IS WHY YOU SHOULD KEEP THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE YOU BRING AT A LIMITED AMOUNT AND DO NOT ALLOW FRIENDS TO BRING FRIENDS ETC ETC. IF GREG LLOYD FEELS UNCOMFORTABLE AT ANY TIME HE MAY GET UP AND LEAVE AND THERE WILL BE NO REFUNDS GIVEN.WE SIMPLY ASK THAT YOU BEEN RESPECTFUL AT ALL TIMES.

C’mon Greg. If Ben Roethlisberger came to the party, there would definitely be many adult beverages.



Q: I WANT TO DO THIS IN A SUPRISE WAY FOR A GIFT TO MY HUSBAND, KIDS, FRIEND ETC. CAN YOU MAKE THIS A SUPRISE OR SOME TYPE OF SPECIAL REQUEST

A: SURE WE CAN. YOU WANT US TO SNEAK HIM IN THE BACK DOOR? HAVE HIM RING YOUR DOORBELL AND YOUR HUSBAND GO TO THE DOOR HAVING NO CLUE GREG IS COMING? WE CAN HANDLE ALL THE LITTLE DETAILS TO MAKE THIS A TRUE ONCE IN A LIFETIME EXPERIENCE

This is my favorite part. To quote Jon on of the DC Steeler Nation:

Husband: "Honey, there's a very large man outside on our patio that looks like he could rip our hearts out and feed them to his children."

Wife: "It's ok dear, I won him in an online auction."

You can “Buy It Now” to have Greg Lloyd sit on your couch for the low price of $10,000. Otherwise, make your best offer. The auction expires in 28 days, so get your bid in quickly!

Steelers-Browns Notes

I attended Sunday's Steelers-Browns game and here my thoughts from Heinz Field:

- In my opinion, Joshua Cribbs has now replaced Eric Metcalf as the scariest Steelers' opponent. Fortunately (or unfortunately), I missed his kickoff return for a TD as I was in the bathroom.

- I was shocked (sarcasm added) that a county act performed the national anthem and a song before the game. I generally only attend one Steeler game in Pittsburgh per season, but every game recently has featured a country act. This week's country group that I've never heard of: Lady Antebellum. For country fans that read this, have you ever heard of them?

- The Steelers struggled to get a pass rush most of the game, so I think they made a nice adjustment by having more defenders in coverage in the second half.

- Since I don't listen to Cleveland talk radio, I wonder if Romeo Crennel is being criticized for his terrible decision late in the game to take a time-out, then challenge Heath Miller's TD catch only to lose the challenge and the second time-out. The Browns really could have used the extra time in the final drive to attempt a field goal closer than 53 yards. These are the kind of poor decisions that will open the door for Bill Cowher to become the Browns' head coach next season.

- Browns' offensive lineman Ryan Tucker's right arm is entirely covered by tattoos. However, his left arm features no tattoos. I feel like this was important for me to share.

- When did Roethlisberger become Randall Cunningham and Fran Tarkenton?

- In the final play of the game, a Browns' player was penalized 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct. However, since the game ended, no penalty was actually assessed. I think the Browns should be penalized 15 yards in their next game against the Steelers.

- There was no sign of Steely McBeam in the stadium. His only appearance was on the scoreboard as part of a visit to a school. McBeam got booed.

- When Steelers' General Manager Kevin Colbert checks his voicemail today, I'm guessing there will several messages from Chidi Iwuoma just saying hi. Based on the team's special teams performance, Colbert will probably return the call.

For a recap of the game by professional journalists, check out ESPN & the Post-Gazette.

Rivalry Weekend

This is a big rivalry weekend with Cortland State at Ithaca College on Saturday and the Cleveland Browns visiting the Steelers on Sunday. I’ll start with the 49th Cortaca Jug game, although there have actually been 65 games in the series (Ithaca leads 36-26-3). Both teams enter with 7-2 records and the winner has an outside chance at making the Division III playoffs, even though no 8-2 teams earned an at-large bid in 2006 and the D3football.com playoff projections fail to include either team. I’ve got several links for this game so here we go:

* The Ithacan explains how the Bombers can make the postseason.
*Cortland Game Notes
*The Ithaca Journal’s preview #1 and #2
*To the fans, stay safe out there. (Seriously, don’t drink and drive; plus, there are usually checkpoints set up between Ithaca and Cortland.)

After the Steelers crushed Cleveland in week one, I wrote that the rivalry between the two teams was over. I’m not ready to retract what I wrote, but Sunday’s game may decide the AFC North division winner. If the Browns do manage to win the game, the rivalry is back. I’ll be live at Heinz Field on Sunday, though not live-blogging, but I’ll try to share notes about the game.

Steelers-Browns: No Longer a Rivalry

When I wrote about the best sports rivalries a few months ago, I received several comments both publicly and privately questioning why I failed to include the Browns and Steelers on the list. Sunday’s game clearly provided the answer. The Steelers have now won eight in a row against Cleveland and 14 of the last 15. Simply put, the Steelers-Browns series is not a rivalry anymore, and really hasn’t been since the Browns returned in 1999. A true rivalry is one where both teams have success against the other. The Yankees-Red Sox rivalry has only been a true rivalry since 2004. Before then, it was just a series of Yankees victories. Similarly, the Browns have to win a few games this decade in order for the rivalry to return.

In addition, I really don’t sense a hatred between Steelers and Browns fans and players anymore. Well, the rivalry still exists from the perspective of many Cleveland fans, but not for Pittsburgh fans. If you ask most Steelers fans who is the team’s biggest current rival, the answers will probably be the Baltimore Ravens or Cincinnati Bengals. Cleveland may even be the fourth choice after the New England Patriots. Gone are the days of Frank Minnifield, Bernie Kosar, Hanford Dixon, Ozzie Newsome, and the scariest player to ever face the Steelers in my lifetime, Eric Metcalf.

To me, the rivalry ended when Art Modell moved the Browns to Baltimore. The fact that a team with the history and fan support of the Cleveland Browns was taken away from such a passionate football city was inconceivable. There’s very little difference between Steelers and Browns fans, so Steeler fans stood in solidarity with Cleveland against Art Modell. We hated the fact that the NFL allowed the Browns to leave Cleveland. We actually felt empathy for Browns fans, and were happy when the new version of the Browns returned. In terms of a rivalry, how can you hate a team or fan base that had its franchise ripped away?

With all of this written, all the Browns need to do is hire Bill Cowher as its next head coach, and the rivalry will be back.