Steelers Win! Buy Gear!

By now, I'm sure that you know that the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Seattle Seahawks 24-0 on Sunday. The Steelers clearly won because of the refs just like last time. You've probably already read about the game in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, One For the Other Thumb, PSAMP, Behind the Steel Curtain, ESPN or dozens of other places, so I'm not going to provide a recap here. Instead, I want to share this e-mail that I received from NFLShop.com only minutes after the game ended.



So we're now celebrating a week two victory by buying Steelers gear? Am I going to receive an e-mail like this after every Steelers victory? I'm not sure that I want to buy a Steelers hoodie covered by that guy's dandruff. (You may have to zoom in on the picture to see it.) Besides, the guy in the picture freaks me out.

Seriously, stop staring at me, dude!

Breaking News: Pittsburgh Steelers Remain Super Bowl XL Champs

Earlier this week, NFL referee Bill Leavy, who worked Super Bowl XL between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks, stated that he “kicked two calls in the fourth quarter and I impacted the game.” Based on Leavy’s announcement, I’m sure that the NFL is now going to declare the Seahawks the actual winner of Super Bowl XL. Start planning the victory parade through the Pike Place Fish Market!

Not so fast though. Mike Pereira was the NFL's Vice President of Officiating from 2004-09 and disagrees with Leavy’s assertion. According to Pereira, yes, Leavy made an incorrect call when he flagged Seattle QB Matt Hasselbeck for a low block. But the hold should have been called. So I guess that the Vince Lombardi trophy isn’t moving from Pittsburgh after all. Besides, did that 15-yard penalty for a low block really cost Seattle the title in a game where the Seahawks lost by 11?



I think the bigger issue here is why after nearly four and a half years is this still a topic of conversation. The referees didn’t cost Seattle the Super Bowl; the Seahawks cost Seattle the Super Bowl. The Seahawks were unable to stop the Steelers from making three big plays, converted only 5 of 17 third downs (while Pittsburgh was 8 of 15), dropped several passes, missed two field goals, and couldn’t pin the Steelers inside the 10 yard line in the punting game. Sure, it’s easy for former Seattle coach Mike Holmgren to want to deflect any criticism from himself. Blame the refs and don’t notice that my team and I (meaning Holmgren) did a terrible job managing the clock.

While I’m happy that Leavy feels like a weight is off of his shoulders, I think it’s time for everyone to move on and enjoy the upcoming football season, while the Steelers and all of its fans should continue to celebrate their fifth of six Super Bowl championships.

This post was originally posted on BlogCritics.

In addition, Christmas Ape at D.C. Steeler Nation and Bob Smizik of the Post-Gazette have more about Leavy's apology and Super Bowl XL.

What NFL Team Does Sarah Palin Support

I have a problem with Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin and it has nothing to do with her political views.* Perhaps you saw the three second clip of Palin jogging in a Donovan McNabb Philadelphia Eagles jersey. (If not, the video is below at the 3:11 mark and a picture is on the right.) First of all, besides actual football players, who actually jogs wearing a football jersey? Wouldn’t a T-shirt or Under Armor shirt be more comfortable?

Let’s assume that because Pain is wearing a McNabb jersey in the video, she has some type of affinity for the Eagles. Does she only support the Eagles? Well, when I wrote last month that Joe Biden is a Steelers fan, Captain Easychord shared a July 2007 Pittsburgh Tribune-Review article which showed that Palin is also a Steelers fan. So is she a Steelers fan, an Eagles fan, or both? This is where things get even more complex. Sarah Palin is also a member of the official Seattle Seahawks official fan club, the Seahawkers.** Super Bowl XL must have been tough for her since two of her favorite teams were playing against each other.

So my question is this: what football team does Sarah Palin support? Get Charlie Gibson or Katie Couric on this immediately. I think this should be part of Thursday’s Vice Presidential debate. Palin must come clean on her favorite NFL team. Having two or three favorite teams is unacceptable and certainly not something I or most if not all Americans want to see in a potential President or Vice President.



The picture and video are courtesy of CBS via The 700 Level.


* Well, actually I do have a problem with some of her political views, but that is not the point of this post. By the way, I like having footnotes at the bottom of my posts. I can see why lacochran does this so often!

** What a terrible name!


Update: After I wrote all of this, I found that Modern Jackass Magasin wrote something similar about Palin’s fandom. This just confirms the need for Governor Palin to show her true colors (black and gold; blue/navy, green and white; green and white; or possibly even something else)!

Steelers Gear in Seattle

My Seattle vacation is only days away, but I have not started packing for the trip. However, after reading this article from last week, I may not bring any Steelers gear:

A 24-year-old South Kitsap man — and self-proclaimed Seattle Seahawks fan — was arrested Sunday for allegedly spitting on the hamburger he prepared for a man wearing Pittsburgh Steelers attire, according to Kitsap County Sheriff's Office reports.

Deputies said the 37-year-old man in Steelers garb took his daughters to a Mile Hill Drive fast food restaurant Saturday evening, and "began trading friendly barbs about his team and their victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL," reports said.

One employee told the man that he'd "better not say that to the guy that's making your food," but the man thought it was a joke, reports said.

That is, until he opened his "clamshell-style" hamburger container and discovered what he called a "loogie" on his hamburger.

The 37-year-old told his daughters to stop eating, demanded a refund and called the restaurant's district manager.

A deputy was informed by the manager that the person responsible may be a 24-year-old South Kitsap man who was near his quitting time when the incident occurred. He also failed to show up for work the next day, the manager said.

The deputy went to the 24-year-old's house, and when he knocked on the door, a voice from inside yelled that he "wasn't buying any ... girl scout cookies," the deputy said.

The deputy told him, "I won't sell you any," and when the man opened the door, the deputy "was immediately confronted with the strong odor of burnt marijuana."

Eventually, the man brought the deputy a bag of marijuana and he was arrested. The man also confessed to spitting in the 37-year-old's hamburger container to "gross him out ... because he was a Steelers fan," deputies said.

He was booked into the Kitsap County jail for fourth-degree assault and possession of marijuana and released.

While I know that the former chef is extreme in his actions against a Steeler fan, I think we have already established that the majority of Seahawks fans do not like the Steelers. It has been more than two years since the Steelers-Seahawks Super Bowl. It’s OK to move on! However, just to be sure, if people ask me where I am from during the trip, I may have to say Washington DC since that's where I currently live.

I may try to post something while I’m away but I’m not making any promises. Much of my time during the trip may be spent trying to figure out how to use my new digital camera. In the meantime, check out some great sites linked on the right and try the quizzes and games that I wrote about yesterday.