Sean's Steelers-Vikings Preview

If you've read my blog long enough, you know that I like to point out absurd and fun (at least to me) information about sporting events. Therefore, if you're looking for the keys to this Sunday's Steelers-Vikings or a breakdown of Steelers rookie Shamarko Thomas' positioning, you'll have to go somewhere else. I'm also sorry if this post doesn't help you with your NFL picks this weekend. Anyway, here are my thoughts on the game:

- The Steelers leave Pittsburgh tonight and arrive in London on Friday morning. Meanwhile, the Vikings landed in London on Tuesday. Doesn't it seem like the Steelers should have left earlier to get acclimated to the time change and new city? For the Olympics, did Usain Bolt arrive in London two days before his race? I think not (though I have no idea when he actually got there).

- Someone needs to make sure Big Ben visits Big Ben and shares pictures of this.

- Do you think the British will know that the Terrible Towel is associated with the Steelers? As I wrote recently, you wouldn't know by this Terrible Towel.

- Serious question: Do people in London care about this game? I'm not talking about Americans living in England or Europe but your regular British citizen. I'm guessing that two 0-3 teams aren't helping walk-up ticket sales.

- Perhaps as a way to get more Londoners excited for the game, Gene Simmons of Kiss and his reality show Family Jewels is performing the National Anthem. Personally, I think the NFL should have gotten performers that represent Minnesota and Pittsburgh. Prince and Christina Aguilera would be fine.

- Remember Giant Jason Taylor from the 2007 NFL game in London? For this year, I hope they have a Giant Christian Ponder that has a matching rib injury like the non-giant Christian Ponder.

- Let's say that you're a rookie free agent in Steelers or Vikings training camp in August. Do the teams require you to get a passport in case you make the team and will travel to London? Who pays for the passport?

- Meanwhile, the Steelers signed center Fernando Velasco just a few weeks ago. Did the team make sure that he had a passport so he could play in London before they signed him?

- I assume that someone from the Associated Press (AP) will cover the game and write about Adrian Peterson (also AP) in the story. I wonder if United Press International wishes that there was a successful football player named Upton Paul Iglesias with the nickname UPI.

- I hope Troy Polamalu has a chance to freak out people at London's Madame Tussauds.



- I feel like Brett Keisel and his beard could become stars in London. Of course, people might think that he's one of the Duck Dynasty family.

Enjoy the game!

Why Is There A Vikings Logo On The Terrible Towel?

The Terrible Towel is a sacred item for a Pittsburgh Steelers fan. It is a symbol of being a Steelers fan, and it is extremely powerful and intimidating seeing tens of thousands of people waving these towels at Heinz Field. More importantly, sales of the Terrible Towel benefit the adults and children with intellectual and developmental disabilities at the Allegheny Valley School. ABC News did a great feature about the Terrible Towel several years ago. (Update: The video is gone, but the article still remains online.)

Over the years, there have been multiple variations of the towel including a pink Terrible Towel for breast cancer awareness and a towel showing logos from the 6 Super Bowl Championships. I've never had an issue with any of these towels because they are often commemorative and sales benefit a good cause. That changed yesterday when I received this e-mail from the Steelers selling a special Terrible Towel for the London game against the Minnesota Vikings.

So why is there a logo of an NFL team other than the Steelers on the Terrible Towel? The towel is about the Steelers and should not include the Vikings logo. If you want to include something to honor the game being played in London, show a picture of Big Ben (not Roethlisberger), Wembley Stadium or even Prince George of Cambridge with or without his parents William and Kate.

Apparently, this is not even the first occurrence of an opposing team's logo appearing on the Terrible Towel this season. From the Steelers store, there was a Titans logo for this past weekend's game. Commemorating a game in London is one thing since the Steelers have never played there, but a towel for the first game of the 2013 season is ridiculous.

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I fully realize that this post is trivial particularly on this day of remembrance. (Most of you probably feel that all my posts are trivial regardless of the day.) Please take some time today to remember the victims of 9/11 and to thank the first responders everywhere.

Ric Blas Update & Other Olympic Links

In case you missed it last Friday, Ric Blas won his first round match becoming the first Guam Olympian ever to advance in judo. While he lost to the Beijing bronze medalist in the second round, Ric has had an incredible experience in London and has made Guam proud. Plus, per the picture below, he also appeared on CNN International even though I can't find the video online.

Here are articles about Ric in London:

CNN highlights the underdogs. [CNN]

I like Ric's nickname, The Little Mountain, referenced in this article. [Reuters]

You must be judoking? Really, Brisbane Times, you couldn't come up with a better headline? [Brisbane Times]

This is only video I could find of any of Ric's matches.

Guam's News Network chimes in. [KUAM News]

An article with an actual quote from Ric. [NBC Sports]

What would the London Olympic games be without a Terrible Towel?

In case you forgot, we've seen a Terrible Towel at the Beijing Olympics and in London during the royal wedding.

Pittsburgher Cassidy Krug had an amazing Olympic performance in the 3-meter springboard diving final. Unfortunately, she didn't fare well on her final dive and it cost her a bronze medal. [Post-Gazette]

More on Cassidy by Dejan. [Pittsburgh Trib-Review]

Not Olympic related, but a photo gallery of the Stanley Cup in Ithaca is pretty cool. [Ithaca Journal]

Enjoy the last few days of the Olympics!

I Scared My Kid

After trailing since early in the second quarter in Sunday’s playoff game, the Steelers tied the Broncos late in the fourth quarter on this touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger to Jerricho Cotchery.



Naturally, I was excited, so I jumped up off of the couch, screamed and waved my Terrible Towel. My child witnessed this and freaked out. This was a side of daddy that I don’t think he ever saw. He had a mortified look on his face and then started to cry. My child never cries. It took a couple of “Itsy Bitsy Spiders,” but he was back to his normal happy self in no time. I made sure to stay under control through the rest of the game (though nothing scream-worthy occurred during this time). Fortunately, he went upstairs at the end of regulation while I sat stunned as Denver won on the first play of overtime. It is also fortunate that we won’t remember anything about this game. Plus, by next season, he’ll be ready to wave the Terrible Towel himself!

Friday Links & Videos

This is a must watch video showing a reunion between Lt. Charles Jacobson on leave from Afghanistan and his parents at a Boston Bruins game. It will definitely get a little dusty when you watch this. As an added bonus, Zdeno Chara is really tall! [Puck Daddy]



Brian McElhinny, the author of the excellent Pirates blog Raise the Jolly Roger, is a finalist for a $10,000 college scholarship for a student that blogs. Vote for Brian here! [RTJR]

I reviewed the book Scout, Atticus & Boo: A Celebration of Fifty Years of To Kill a Mockingbird [Blogcritics]

I also like this ESPN commercial featuring Terrible Towels around the world. [h/t That's Church]

Terrible Towel Sighting in London (Monday Links)

Every American newscast, including ABC's Good Morning America, is in London this week to cover the wedding of all weddings. So what would a live shot from London be without someone with a Terrible Towel?



Naturally, Robin Roberts made some type of comment about Hines Ward being on Dancing with the Stars. Nice network symmetry there.

I also have a few links for you to start your week:

How Wiz Khalifa, Mac Miller and Girl Talk became the new face of the music scene. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

Where is the game-winning puck from last year's Stanley Cup final? [ESPN]

How much money will you save if there's an NFL lockout? [Sarah Sprague]

Here's more about Jim Larranaga leaving George Mason from John Feinstein and Mike Wise. (I especially like the Wise piece.) I'm still shocked by this. [Washington Post and Washington Post]

Housekeeping: Steelers, Groundhog Day and More

Happy Groundhog Day everyone! I say this every year, but I'm really going to make it Punxsutawney someday.

* I received the following e-mail from TMZ:

Reaching out to you to see if you know of any die hard, fanatical Steeler fans doing anything outrageous for the Super Bowl. Let me know if you know of anyone doing anything outrageous as we get ready to take on GB.

Well, I plan on watching the game at my friends' house while wearing my Louis Lipps jersey and holding my Terrible Towel. I'm sure that I'll also have some food and drink. I think I am the perfect candidate for TMZ! If you are doing something slightly crazier than me, let me know (my e-mail is seanramblings at yahoo[dot]com), and I'll connect you with TMZ.

* I'm working on a post for tomorrow (Thursday) that will show Steeler fans' superstitions. If you'd like to participate, please contact me at my e-mail address above, and I'll send you more information.

* I realize that this story has been everywhere, but I wanted to share it here too. I think I need to get a Terrible Towel for my kid when he arrives in a few months.



* Wiz Khalifa has a deal with Eyetique. $10,000 for sunglasses seems a little much though. (Written by someone who won't spend more than $10 for sunglasses which might be why he doesn't currently own a pair since they generally break or get lost.)

* You still have time to enter my new giveaway for a $45 gift certificate to one of the CSN stores. Click here to enter or simply scroll down to my Monday post.

* Finally, here is your latest Yinz Luv Da Stillers.

Lady Gaga Needs a New Terrible Towel

Lady Gaga performed at Pittsburgh's new Consol Energy Center on Sunday night and was smart enough to cater to the local crowd through various Pittsburgh shout-outs and waving a Terrible Towel.



However, it looks like Ms. Gaga may need a new towel. The last time I checked, the Steelers are 6-time Super Bowl Champions.

Is the first time a woman wearing a bikini/lingerie sitting on a piano bench with fire in the background waved a Terrible Towel? What would Myron Cope think of this?



Photos by Michael Henninger/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (This link also gives a review of the concert.)

Terrible Towel Wedding

Jimmy and Eryn Bradley recently got married in California. Even though I have no idea who these people are, I'm happy for them, so congratulations! I'm also happy that they shared their wedding video (and a brief story) on the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.



I have two questions about people in the video.

1. Does the guy on the left side of the screen at the 1:47 mark not know how to wave a Terrible Towel or is he refusing to wave the towel because he's not a Steelers fan?

2. The person at 2:52 scares me a little. Plus, how does he have a beer BEFORE the reception? Did he bring his own beer?

Two Videos

I wasn't planning on posting this weekend, but I found two must-see videos.

ABC News ends each Friday's newscast with its person of the week. This week's POTW (I don't know if ABC actually calls it POTW, but it sounds good): Myron Cope, the Cope family and the Terrible Towel. I just wish that ABC had a way for you to embed videos.


The second video is from Jim Rome's TV show which gives credit to a blog post and provides the website of PSAMP. Congratulations Tecmo!

Super Bowl Champions!

Congratulations to the Pittsburgh Steelers for winning their sixth Super Bowl Championship by defeating the Arizona Cardinals 27-23. I recommend visiting the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for full coverage of the game as well as any and all of the blogs listed in the links sections on the right for other takes on the game. While I remain amazed by the James Harrison interception and touchdown return and the Santonio Holmes winning catch, for now, I want to write about the Steelers in general as opposed to the specifics of the game. (I may write more about the specifics later today or sometime over the next few days.)

I feel extremely lucky to have been born in Pittsburgh and to be a Steelers fan. I was too young to remember the first four Super Bowl titles, but learned all about the Steelers history from my dad and great uncle. Six Super Bowl championships are unprecedented and the tradition of excellence starts with the Rooney family. The Rooneys are model owners in the NFL as demonstrated by the continuity in the organization. How else can you explain the fact that there have only been three head coaches since 1969? Coach Mike Tomlin is an excellent leader and defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau may be the most respected coach in the league.

I linked to two stories yesterday about the legacy and history of The Terrible Towel and how all of the proceeds from each towel purchased go to the Allegheny Valley School. Every sports team seems to distribute towels or pom-poms for meaningful games, but, to my knowledge, the Steelers were the first major team to have this. I don’t think there is a curse involved with the towel, but bad things happen when you disrespect it. Did you hear that T.J. Houshmandzadeh and mayor of Phoenix?

Being a Steelers fan is easy. The team isn’t flashy and is known for tough defense and grind-it-out running game (though not so much with the running game this season). You generally don’t hear about Steelers players getting arrested or causing problems. Instead, you get great players and people like James Farrior, Troy Polamalu and Hines Ward. The Steelers work ethic reflects the city and vice versa. The Steelers are Pittsburgh. I am extremely proud of the Steelers and congratulate the team and the city of Pittsburgh on number six! Way to go Steelers!


P.S. I hope I didn't ruin this post by including a Bubby Brister picture. He was #6!

Super Bowl Game Day Links for Steelers Fans

Are you spending the day waiting for Super Bowl XLIII to begin? Here are some links, especially if you’re a Steelers fan, to help you pass the time until kick-off:

There is an incredible list of Steelers fight songs on the Steelers in Hoboken website. I’m still a huge fan of the Polamalu Song.

You can’t have a Steelers’ Super Bowl without hearing Myron Cope. This site has dozens of Cope quotes.

The New York Times and ESPN both have wonderful articles about the history and legacy of the Terrible Towel.

Michael Wilbon wrote a nice article about Dan Rooney. I love Ryan Clark’s quote comparing Rooney to Washington owner Dan Snyder:

"I'm not saying one way is better than another," Clark said, "But you're standing in line to get lunch, and you have to force him to go ahead of you. He sat at my bedside when I was sick [in the hospital]. He's a fascinating guy. He drives a Grand Prix. I can't help but compare it to Dan Snyder's driver and limousine, and the helicopter he'd land at practice. My first reaction to being around Mr. Rooney was, 'He must not know he's rich.'"

Don’t forget that the Puppy Bowl airs today at 3:00 on Animal Planet with a kitten half-time show. Jessie Dinh, Discovery Studios producer, took questions and comments about Puppy Bowl V in a Washington Post discussion on Friday. Plus, check out PSAMP's live-blog of this event.

Cotter of One For the Other Thumb asked Steeler fans where they are watching game. Here is my response:

When the playoffs began three years ago, we agreed to host a Super Bowl party for a group of friends. The Steelers were the #6 seed and seemed to have little chance of reaching the Super Bowl especially since the Indianapolis Colts dominated the league during the regular season. About a month later, the Steelers defeated the Broncos and were headed to Detroit. Since we had already agreed to host a party, we didn't want to break our plans. We had 3 or 4 other couples at our home, and I was the only person who truly followed the Steelers. There were a couple people with Pittsburgh ties who rooted for the Steelers to win and a few others that wanted the Steelers to win because they wanted me to be in a good mood. However, there was one person at the party who was a Redskins fan. He openly supported the Seahawks because he felt that Seattle winning would look better for the Redskins, who lost to the Seahawks earlier in the playoffs. I still don't understand the logic behind this. I should note that although I did not kick him out of my home during the game, we are not friends anymore. I'm not sure if I've even talked to him since that night.

So now that the Steelers are back in the Super Bowl, I've had a bit of a dilemma about where to watch the game this year. I thought about going back to Pittsburgh but I really can't take off time from work since I have a big conference coming up and just took the hockey road trip vacation. We could host again but I don't want to deal with making sure everyone has enough food and drink while trying to watch the game. So instead, we are going over to our friends' house. There will be about 10 people there, and although no else is really a Steelers fan, they are all football fans. They understand the importance the Steelers have in my life, and the hosts have already assured me that no one will be rooting for the Cardinals. While ideally I'd like to watch the game with only Steelers fans, I'm going to watch the game with close friends which is all anyone can ask for.

Plus, I'm sure I'll be on the phone with my dad and brother throughout the game.


Mondesi’s House has had amazing pictures of Steelers fans and Terrible Towels around the world throughout the week.

The Post-Gazette’s Brian O’Neill compares Pittsburgh fans and Arizona fans.

The Baltimore Sun writes about Steeler Nation.

I participated in a Super Bowl preview round table on MVN.

I generally like the Cardinals because Steve Breaston went to my high school (go Woodland Hills) and I watched Larry Fitzgerald at Pitt. However, here is a reason to hate the team (h/t Courtney via The Terrible Blog)



Finally, the local NBC station interviewed the President of DC Steeler Nation. If they want a true taste of Steelers fans in the area, the station should have a camera at the Pour House tonight.



GO STEELERS!

What Are You Wearing for the Super Bowl (and Predictions)

I contacted some of my favorite Pittsburgh Steelers bloggers* and asked them what they are wearing for the Super Bowl. Then I realized that the question sounded a little inappropriate at best and creepy at worst, so I rephrased the question to this: Is there something that you will wear or have near you, not including a Terrible Towel which is a given, on Sunday? This question was especially geared for the superstitious folks out there like me. There was also an option to submit predictions about the game and a final score.

Tecmo of PSAMP:

I'm gross. I have three pairs of Steelers socks. I wore a pair for the San Diego game, then took 'em off right after we were done, knowing I'd need 'em, unwashed, again. I wore the same pair for the Baltimore game, and immediately took them off once we won. They're still not washed, but I've only worn them during game-time, and I'll do the same Sunday.

This is in addition to my Hines Ward jersey and two Bettis Foundation wristbands. And my Terrible Towel that helped Doug Brien miss those FGs into the closed end of the stadium.

17-14 Steelers. We're trained to win games like that. They're not.

Judge Rufus Peckham of Carbolic Smoke Ball:

I will drape around my shoulders one of the original Terrible Towels that I have worn for every post-season game since 1975. I am assured that the smallpox that somehow had infested the cloth last season was driven off at precisely the time that President Obama took the presidential oath (the second time -- the first time didn't take).

Gobo of White Nerdy Wonks:

I’ll be wearing a Max Starks game-worn thong that I purchased on eBay, and nothing else.

As for predictions, I’m too superstitious to actually predict the final score, but I will predict that Roethlisberger will have a better QB rating than he did in Superbowl XL. I realize I’m setting the bar pretty low here. I’ll also predict that Lawrence Timmons will have at least one sack or near-sack. I think LeBeau will use Timmons instead of Foote more often than usual, to give the Steelers more pass-rushing options up the middle, so Warner won’t be able to know where the rush is coming from.



Cotter of One For The Other Thumb:

Depends who’s asking there, big guy? No, seriously though. I shall be donning my usual pair of jeans, same black studded "look at how punk rock I am" belt, the same Myron Cope Yoi (double Yoi on back) t-shirt (hmmmmhahh!), the same long sleeved black t-shirt with "Steelers" looking all mean across the front, the same Casey Hampton jersey that’s about three sizes too large, the same old raggedy ass hat from like 1985, the same fleece polo for before the game starts, and the same towel I brought to the Burgh for Super Bowl XL! Oh, and my Steelers socks and Nikes with black and gold trim. I haven’t been able to find contacts that have the Steelers logo in them, but I’m searching Google hard.

Prediction? There will be a game. Two teams will play. One from Pittsburgh, calling themselves the Steelers. The other from Glendale, calling themselves the Cardinals. The game will last for 60 minutes. (Sean's note: Apparently, Cotter does note see this game going into overtime.) Both teams will score points. One team will score more points. That team will win. Hopefully it will be the Steelers. Seriously, do it, Tomlin. Get ‘em in line!

Matt of Steelers Gab:

I'll be at the game covering, so question one probably won't apply since I'll have to dress professional.

As far as predictions, here's a couple to chew on:

Steelers will have 4 sacks of Kurt Warner. Lamarr Woodley will have two, and James Harrison one. Brett Keisel will also have one.

Willie Parker will score on a two-yard run, Santonio Holmes will have a 15-yard TD catch, and Heath Miller will pull in a 6-yard TD. Ben Roethlisberger will throw 19-for-27 for 289 yards with two TD's and no picks. He will be sacked twice.

The Steelers will lead 17-7 at the half, then the Cards will make it 17-14, but Roethlisberger's TD pass to Miller with 12 min left will make it 24-14, and a field goal from Jeff Reed will make it 27-14 with 6 min left. Arizona will get a TD with 3:35 left, but the Steelers will have enough to run out the clock and win 27-21.

(Sean's note: I wish Matt was more specific with his predictions!)

Jason of Jason Christ Superstar:

I'll be wearing my Tomlin "Yes We Can" T-shirt underneath my Miller (Heath not Jeff) Jersey. As for a score: Steelers 24 - Cards 17. Parker will have 67 yds no TDs, Moore, 75 total yds, Russell 14 yds 1 TD. Ben will throw for 230 yds, 1 TD, roughly 23-31. The D will have one TD. Warner will throw for 175 2 TDs, 3 INTs.

Mike of Steelahs.com

Attached is a photo of what I'll be wearing when I watch the Super Bowl. (Sean's note: The picture is below.) Plain old Steelers T-shirt on the left. Reebok Steelers hoodie on the right. Steelers cap on top of T-shirt.

It's important to not wear anything indicating past Steelers championships. Bad luck. The only thing in the photo I won't be wearing is the cap on the right. I had been wearing it for a few years and retired it after the Steelers won Super Bowl XL. It was the official good-luck cap of 2005. The cap on the left would earn the same status if the Steelers win Sunday.

Not pictured is the Rolling Rock I will drink. I'll be enjoying the taste of Old Latrobe in New York or Massachusetts. Not sure yet where I'll be watching the game.

Prediction: Steelers 33, Cardinals 31
MVP: Santonio Holmes
Other stuff that will happen: Troy Polamalu will get an interception. Limas Sweed will make a key third-down catch.



The Starter Wife of Black and Gold Tchotchkes:

Not sure what I am wearing, but I might just have a diaper on underneath it, just in case things go great... or poorly.

Ryan of Three River Sports

-Like you I'm also very superstitious. I'll be wearing my autographed, very well-worn Hines Ward jersey that has been around since about 2001, but now sees action only for very important games, like playoff games. In addition I'll be bringing along my Troy Polamalu bobblehead to a Super Bowl party of at least 20+ people and insisting that each and every one of them give him a bobble before game time.

A Serious Prediction: Santonio Holmes goes over 100 yards receiving for the Steelers and scores a TD on a deep ball.

A Not So Serious Prediction: The Refs actually call a penalty on one of the Arizona linemen for holding James Harrison. This is obviously a joke prediction though, because judging by the past several Steeler games, the NFL's holding rules only apply to offensive linemen if you aren't matched up against Harrison.

To wrap things up: HERE WE GO STEELERS!

Brenton from I Bleed Black 'n Gold:

I will have my usual Sunday debate: Ward or Roethlisberger jersey. Then consume frothy beverages from the Steelers mug I got from CVS in Wexford. It came with a crappy shirt in it, but I drink out of it every game.

Final Score: Pittsburgh:31 Arizona:24
Gameday Prediction: Lamar Woodley will kill two Cardinals, on accident.

(Sean's note: I think two dead Cardinals would taint and overshadow a Steelers win.)

Messiah of White Nerdy Wonks:

I'll be wearing a Troy jersey, but nothing all that superstitious. [My wife] has a Ben jersey, [child #1] has a Hines jersey, and one lucky triplet gets [child #1's] old Hines jersey. The other triplets will probably be in black onesies. I've ordered a dozen smiley cookies and we're ordering pizza from a place that's run by former Mineo's employees and supposedly uses the same recipe.

I predict Warner to have 175 yards passing in the first half, and Willie to have 53 yards in the first half. Then the second half will be brutal (D will be king on both sides), with the Steelers ekeing out a 7-point victory.

Mike of Have a Good Sandwich:

I'll be wearing a Hines Ward Super Bowl XL jersey to the Super Bowl. I'll also have a Terrible Towel in my possession.

I'd say that Ike Taylor will drop precisely one potential interception.

I won't make a prediction because I won't jinx the team.

Donald of Steelers Today:

I will be watching the game naked. The nice people here at the institution don't allow me to have any sharp objects in my room. And during Steelers games, they remove anything that I could use to hang myself should the Steelers lose. Thus, no clothes allowed during Steelers games. The latest medications that they've put me on seem to be working well. The doctors say that if I continue to take my meds, I MIGHT be allowed to wear clothes while I watch Steelers games next season. As far as predictions, the Steelers are going to win. The voices in my head told me so.

Sean of Sean's Ramblings (no link necessary since you're already here!):

I will wear my Louis Lipps jersey which has been much more successful than the Kendrell Bell and Kordell Stewart jerseys. I also have my Heinz pickle watch.

My prediction: Limas Sweed will do something good. Even if Sweed does nothing, by his standards, I count that as good.

Steelers 27 - Cardinals - 17


Thanks to all of my guests for participating! If you made it this far, thanks to you for reading. Feel free to share your own answers in the comments below.


Programming note: There will be multiple posts over the weekend including an exclusive interview that I may not be able to write up today. I'm sure that I'll mention the Puppy Bowl at some point too!


* Since this is Super Bowl week, anyone who is from Pittsburgh or writes any type of blog that mention the team is a Steelers blogger.

Steelers Links and Random Stuff

- Two fellow Woodland Hills High School graduates are on this year’s Super Bowl teams. I hope that Steve Breaston loses two fumbles on Sunday, but has 1,500 yards receiving and 10+ touchdowns next year (especially if he’s on my fantasy team). Meanwhile, is Ryan Mundy even on the Steelers' 53-man roster? Regardless, take that Penn Hills and Gateway!

- Sign up for a five-minute shift to be part of the world’s longest Terrible Towel Wave.

- Cotter wrote about the fact that there are 43 strip clubs in Tampa and the Cardinals arrival. I’m linking to the post because he is the first person I know to have bought a Snuggie. (One For The Other Thumb)

- Have you seen this picture (by Ross D. Franklin/AP) of Captain Bruce Meyer holding an Arizona Cardinals flag outside the cockpit window as the team arrived at the Tampa International Airport?



This doesn't seem very safe. Sully Sullenberger wouldn't hold a flag out of an airplane window!

- Your new addition to the Washington Nationals broadcasting team: Rob Dibble (DCist)

- Bob Smizik (Alf). He’s back. In blog (pog) form! Gold star to anyone who gets the Alf/pog reference. (Post-Gazette)

- PittGirl is also back, sort of. She is guest-blogging on Have a Good Sandwich.

- I found the message/question below on fellow DC area blogger Urban Bohemian, but the post has since been removed from Yahoo answers. There is no chance this is real, right?



(In case you can't read the picture or don't want to click on it, this is the text:

I’m concerned that my son has a secret girlfriend?

My 17 year old son has been very secretive with me lately, recently he has started to refuse to go to church with the family and tonight when I was going through his room I found a magazine with naked men in it. He obviously has a girlfriend that he is hiding from me that brought that magazine into my home and I am afraid they are having intercourse and I am greatly concerned that he is going to get her pregnant.

What should I do about this?

Friday Links

There is a sighting of Ramblings favorite Kevin Pittsnogle. (New York Times)

The Sports Guy’s "One final toss for The Dooze." Warning: It may get a bit
dusty at your desk/home near the end. (ESPN).

Mike Tomlin’s 2-year anniversary as the Steelers coach was yesterday. (PSAMP)

Chuck Noll was a great coach and is the rare great coach who didn't promote himself after retiring. (ESPN)

At some point today, I'll be part of Meeting People is Easy. (One For The Other Thumb)

I received an e-mail from Bodog with Super Bowl prop bets. If I’m a member of the E Street Band, I’m betting big money on this one:

What Song will Bruce Springsteen sing to begin his Halftime Show at the Super Bowl?
Born in the USA - 2/1
Glory Days - 2/1
The Rising - 4/1
Born to Run - 5/1
The Wrestler - 5/1
Radio Nowhere - 8/1
I’m on Fire - 12/1

A couple of cool pictures of the Terrible Towel across the globe. (Mondesi's House)

And a NASA video from space. (Blog 'n' Gold)

Steelers-Titans Thoughts

- Just for a little perspective, over the past four games, the Steelers won at New England, against Dallas and at Baltimore before losing Sunday at a 13-2 Tennessee team. If someone told you before stretch that the Steelers would go 3-1, I think you would be happy.

- As for Sunday’s game, way too many turnovers for the Steelers. The Roethlisberger fumble inside the Titans' 5 was crucial. Even if the Steelers get a field goal there, it’s a different game.

- What was the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty when the Titans were preparing for a field goal attempt near the end of the third quarter? Who was it against?

- Do we have a running game? Stop with the draw/delay plays to Parker.

- Cleveland got shut out by the Bengals today as Ryan Fitzpatrick threw only 9 passes and Cedric Benson had 38 rushes for 171 yards. If the Steelers can't run against the Browns next week, we're going to be in trouble in the playoffs.

- I think we've been spoiled over the past month or so by all of the turnovers and sacks by the Steelers defense. Only one sack today and the Titans had no turnovers.

- It also seemed like LenDale White and Chris Johnson had holes to run through all game, particularly in the second half.

- I hope Ryan Clark is OK. He, along with James Farrior, is the most underrated player on the Steelers' defense.

- Mitch Berger had a punting average of 44 yards on his 5 punts. I guess that means he keeps his job for another week.

- Justin Gage (!) had over 100 receiving yards.

- Keith Bulluck of the Titans was showing off some Terrible Towel rip-off at the end of the game.

- In addition, LenDale White and I believe Jevon Kearse stomped on a Terrible Towel as shown in the video below. What class! Disrespecting and stomping on a Terrible Towel is on the same level as desecrating the American flag. I'm completely serious about this as a portion of the proceeds from the sale of The Terrible Towel benefits the Allegheny Valley School in Pittsburgh, one of the largest providers of care for people with mental retardation in the state of Pennsylvania. All I can write is Karma.



I'd love to see the Steelers get a rematch against the Titans on January 18!


- In other Sunday news, everyone, including big, fat Tony Siragusa just minutes before kick-off, said that the weather was going to be terrible in New England. Therefore, I benched QB Matt Cassel in my fantasy league championship and started Chad Pennington instead. So of course, Cassel throws for 300+ yards and three touchdowns. Oh, Kurt Warner was removed in the third quarter after going 6-18 for 30 yards. Matt Cassel was still throwing the ball into the fourth quarter and wasn't taken out until New England was up 47-0. Another reason to hate Belichick. Although Pennington had a great game, Cassel scored 9 more points than Chad.

- When will Randy Johnson, aka The Big Unit, guest star on CBS’ The Unit?

- Finally, I’m a big fan of James Brown, the broadcaster, not the singer. (Actually, I like the singer too, but that’s not what I’m writing about.) However, I hate the way he throws the highlights to Shannon Sharpe. I’m going to have nightmares tonight hearing "Shannon" over and over again.

Final Olympic Notes

Whenever an American won a gold medal and the Star-Spangled Banner was played, I never saw or heard any athletes yell "O" during the next to last line. This includes Michael Phelps and Carmelo Anthony both originally from Baltimore. Do you know why? It is because the athletes respect the national anthem and what winning a gold medal means and do not want to act like buffoons representing their country.

Does American swimmer Katie Hoff ever go by simply The Hoff? If not, she should!

I know that this picture of the terrible towel in Beijing has been everywhere, but I still think it’s cool. There are a lot of comments about this on The Burgh Blog.



Yahoo provides 36 facts about the Olympic medal count.

Finally, what would an Olympic post be without a Ric Blas Jr. article? Blas reflected on the games with the Pacific Daily News.