Cole Tucker and The Jonas Brothers

It’s been quite a good run for the Jonas Brothers. I mean, sure, they’re on a seemingly highly successful tour, performed on New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, appeared on their own episode of Carpool Karaoke, and earned a Grammy nomination (though many thought they deserved more). More importantly, however, they golfed with Jerome Bettis and recently met Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Cole Tucker.

In the Pittsburgh sports world, it seems like they’re only missing out on hanging out with a Pittsburgh Penguins player. I think Brandon Tanev may be available!

Until that time, the Jonas Brothers are no Taylor Swift!

Jerome Bettis and The Jonas Brothers

Over the years, I've had various posts about "Celebrities in Pittsburgh Gear" (like these) and "Pittsburgh Athletes with World-Renowned Athletes" or PAWRA (like these). This post, based on the following picture, doesn't fit either of these categories though:

That's Hall of Fame Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jerome Bettis (second from the left) along with The Jonas Brothers sometime before/after/during playing golf at Oakmont on Tuesday. The Jonas Brothers played at PPG Paints Arena later in the evening. Yes, that's um, one Jonas brother on the left,* Joe Jonas fourth from the left, and Nick Jonas fifth from the left (next to Joe). Okay, I admit that I had to look up the name of the first Jonas brother. His name is Kevin, even though I was pretty sure it was Plaxico. I assume that Joe's wife, Sophie Turner of "Game of Thrones," and Nick's wife, Priyanka Chopra, went to grab lunch together at Primanti's and then took the incline up to Mount Washington during the golf game.

Any idea who the other guys are in the picture? What do you think The Bus and The Brothers discussed during the round?

Photo from Colin Dunlap

* Update: Kevin/Plaxico Jonas is not in the picture. My mistake. Perhaps he chose to go to Kennywood instead of golfing.

Where In The World Is Jerome Bettis?

Former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jerome Bettis retired from the NFL after winning Super Bowl XL in February 2006. Although he worked on NBC’s Football Night in America for a few years, have you wondered what Bettis is up to these days? Let’s take a look:

For starters, Jerome Bettis remains on the small screen by helping sell Papa John’s pizza with Peyton Manning. [The Business Journal]



Bettis will appear on NBC’s “Who Do You Think You Are,” a show that traces the family trees of celebrities including Rob Lowe, Helen Hunt, Martin Sheen, and (what do you know) Jerome Bettis! Season three debuts in February. [NBC]

He also continued to star in the Jerome Bettis Show during the NFL season on Pittsburgh’s NBC station. [WPXI]

Plus, it looks like Bettis promotes Orient Watches (like me) [PSAMP]



Bettis became involved in health issues and politics over the past year. First, he worked with Dick’s Sporting Goods to promote concussion tests for youth athletes. [ABC News]

Recently, Bettis visited DC (he didn’t call me!) and met with Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson, Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Representatives Mike Doyle of Pennsylvania and John Dingell and John Conyers of Michigan regarding clear air and the EPA’s Maximum Achievable Control Technology rule to enact strict clear air requirements. However, we learned that he’s not going to run for office. [Politico]

“I’ve never gotten the request to run,” Bettis said. “I don’t know if I could do it. I think it’s difficult, and I applaud the job that they do, because obviously it’s not easy. You have your constituents to reach out to and be accountable. … For me, the problem is, with football, it’s easy: You win or you lose. You give 110 percent every time, and that’s it. But in politics, sometimes there’s not a clear winner and not a clear loser. There’s a lot of gray. So I’ve lived in a world of black and white, and politics, unfortunately, there’s a give and a take. … It’s just an interesting dynamic that I’m not used to.”

Through this work, he filmed this commercial [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]



The Bus has traveled the world during this football season. He went to London to promote the NFL game there in October. [ESPN]

He also traveled to Aledo, Texas to deliver the 2011-12 Gatorade National Football Player of the Year trophy to RB Johnathan Gray, a University of Texas recruit. I’m not sure why Bettis felt the need to tackle Gray though. [ESPN] (The video didn't seem to work here, so you'll have to click on the ESPN link to see what I'm writing about.)

He also went all the way to Panera in Wilkins and the Homestead Waterfront as part of a meet-and-greet. Panera donated $5 to The Bus Stops Here Foundation in the names of those who attended. [Peters Patch]

When I started the “Where is Jerome Bettis” posts a few years ago, I noted the numerous comparisons made to Bettis. Since he’s been out of the league, for about six years, though, these comparisons aren’t as frequent.

With that written, Michigan State football coach Mark Dantonio compared Iowa RB Marcus Coker to Bettis. [Grand Rapids Press]

Plus, CBS’ Gary Danielson referred to Alabama RB Trent Richardson as a faster Jerome Bettis. [Arkansas Democrat-Gazette]

Bettis still makes the media rounds too. He participated in an online chat on ESPN. Dan Gigler of Blog ‘N’ Gold scored an interview with The Bus as did Mike Bires of the Beaver County Times. Maybe next year, I'll score an interview!

Oh, Bettis also stays busy with his foundation and was recently named an NFL Hall of Fame finalist.

For more of the annual Where is Jerome Bettis series, click here.

Best Names in Steelers History

For no apparent reason, I am proud to introduce the all-time greatest names in Pittsburgh Steelers history. Please note that this is not in any particular order with the exception of #1.

Tunch Ilkin

There’s no better way to start this list than by including probably the only player in Steelers history born in Istanbul (not Constantinople). This two-time Pro Bowler would have made this list even if his last name was Smith or Black. Actually, Tunch Black is a pretty awesome name.



Hines Ward

Anytime a player shares his name with an international company based in Pittsburgh and plays in a stadium with the same name (even if spelled differently), he makes the list. If I ever create the all Pittsburgh Pirates name team, PNC Jones would definitely be on it.

Troy Polamalu

Polamalu. It just rolls off the tongue. In case you were wondering, including Troy is an excuse to share this song again.



Orpheus Roye

This list would not be complete without a player named for (according to pantheon.org) “the greatest musician and poet of Greek myth whose songs could charm wild beasts and coax even rocks and trees into movement.” If Roye ran straight at a rock or tree, I think they would move for him too.



If I created an all-nickname team, Jerome “The Bus” Bettis, Beltin’ Delton Hall and Mean Joe Greene all would have easily made the cut. However, I’m sure if any of these former players introduced themselves to you, they would say, Hi. I’m Jerome, Delton or Joe respectively. They wouldn’t say I’m The Bus, Beltin’ Delton or Mean Joe at a dinner party or church. This brings us to a special group of individuals on my all-name team who would go by their nickname in almost all occasions.

Willis Hope Thompson
Evander Hood
Walter Andrew Brister III
Byron Morris
John Fuqua

You just can’t have an all-name team without Weegie, Ziggy, Bubby, Bam & Frenchy!

Deon Figures

I love names that can also be a phrase or sentence.

Kimo von Oelhoffen

Sorry Bengals fans.

Antwaan Randle El

El yeah!



Dwayne Woodruff

The only reason Woodruff makes this list is because my brother and I used to refer to him as Woodel Woodel growing up. I have no idea why. Maybe I had trouble pronouncing “ruff” which might explain why I called that crime dog McWoodel.

Plaxico Burress
Crezdon Butler
Chidi Iwuoma

These three players would likely compete with Tunch and Orpheus for the greatest first name in team history.

Louis Lipps

One of my favorite players in team history. For the longest time, I also thought that the restaurant Hot Licks was actually named Hot Lipps after the Steelers wide receiver.



Walter Abercrombie

It’s nice to see that he’s done well after his playing days by teaming up with Mr. Fitch in creating a clothing company.

Yancey Thigpen

The first name Yancey or the last name Thigpen alone probably wouldn’t make the list. Yancey and Thigpen together: magic!

Franco Harris

I can’t exclude a man who has his own Italian army.



We’ve now come to the greatest name in Steelers history. Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce



Just kidding.



Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala

This is clearly and I would say unanimously the top name in Steelers history. Chris Berman and the ESPN football crew are a little tired these days; however, the highlights of them saying that this running back was a bad Mala Fala still makes me smile. Besides, Fuamatu-Ma’afala is only one of two Steelers that has an apostrophe in his name. (The other is the memorable Ta'ase Faumui, a fourth round draft pick in 1994. You don’t remember Faumui?)

Please note that this list is for entertainment purposed only. Don’t freak out if I missed someone. With that written, please share players I missed in the comments section below.

The Bangles, The Go-Go's & The Bus

For the first time ever, the Go-Go's and the Bangles are playing back-to-back nights in the same city/area.* The two iconic 80s female bands are performing at Wolf Trap on Friday and Celebrate Fairfax on Saturday respectively in Northern Virginia. Any chance they can all hang out and get brunch together on Saturday morning?

For folks in the DC area, I hope that you come out to the Celebrate Fairfax festival this weekend. I've mentioned this many times over the years, but where else can you see a concert for $12? Seriously, let me know where you can see Third Eye Blind or The Bangles for less than $12. In addition, you get to experience dozens and dozens of others activities and exhibits. For more about Celebrate Fairfax, visit their website or read my other posts about this year's festival here and here.

Finally, if you want to take a break from Celebrate Fairfax, see Jerome Bettis at the PSGameGear Sports store in Dulles on Saturday from 3:00pm - 5:00pm


* I have no idea if this statement is true, but it sounds good, right?

Jerome Bettis Update

Welcome to third annual “What is Jerome Bettis doing” post. You remember Bettis as an NFL superstar with the Pittsburgh Steelers and then part of NBC’s Football Night in America in retirement. While Bettis is no longer part of the NBC team, he keeps busier than just about anyone (just look at the 2008 and 2009 versions of this). So let’s take a magical tour to see where in the world is Jerome Bettis.

- The Bus participated in Peyton Manning's annual bowling tournament along with Kurt Warner; Franco Harris; "former Pacers star Reggie Miller and first-round NBA draft pick Gordon Hayward; college basketball coaches Tom Crean, Matt Painter and Brad Stevens; former Purdue coach Gene Keady; Manning's wife, Ashley; his father, Archie and more than a dozen of Manning's teammates." I wonder if Bettis and Manning talked about the January 15, 2006 divisional playoff game. [NBC Sports]

- Bettis served as the commentator in the “Hoopin’ for Health” charity basketball game in Orlando between NBA Moms like Dwight Howard’s mother Sheryl Howard and mothers of NFL players. Orlando Magic players Vince Carter and Rashard Lewis along with former pro football stars Eddie George and Kenard Lang. “The NBA mothers easily downed the NFL moms 24-12 and Flo Allen-Hopson, mother of Boston Celtics guard Ray Allen, took home MVP honors.” Bettis also almost started a bench-clearing brawl. [WDBO & Orlando Sentinel]

 

- Gansevoort, NY resident Nancy Needham was the national winner of the DiGiorno Pizza "You Bettis Believe" sweepstakes where she and her fantasy football league received an all-expense paid trip to Las Vegas. Bettis coached Nancy in selecting the winning picks for her Fantasy Football Draft Party. [Digital Journal]

- The Berardi family of Irwin, PA won the Bus' Backyard BBQ Sweepstakes sponsored by S&T Bank to have Bettis host a cookout at their house. (WPXI]

- Bettis and Tony Dungy teamed up with Campbell's Chunky Soup to get Dads off the couch and on the field. [Chunky Soup's Facebook page and MarketWatch]



- Guinness teamed up with Bettis where you can win a chance to go to compete against The Bus in the perfect pint pouring contest. To enter, let Guinness know about a moment where you boldly stepped up and faced a sports or athletic-related challenge, mental or physical, and ultimately persevered. [Guinness]

(The Wall Street Journal noticed this contest too and discussed the Guinness advertising in America angle.)

Even though he's been out of football since Super Bowl 40, people still admire The Bus.

- Oakland Raiders RB Darren McFadden admired Jerome Bettis' full-steam-ahead style. [Sacramento Bee]

- University of Central Florida RB Jeff Brinson, diagnosed with asthma, considers Jerome Bettis his hero. "Jerome Bettis was because he had asthma and he did the things he did with asthma." [Orlando Sentinel]

- When asked what football player Gainesville, Florida's Keystone Heights RB/DB Zack Lambert pretended to be when he was younger, he replied, "I always tried to be Ray Lewis. Him and Jerome Bettis were always my favorites." [Gainesville Sun]

Newspapers and websites continue to try to compare current football players to Bettis:

- San Diego Chargers RB Mike Tolbert [SB Nation]

- "The Bus" is the new nickname for Vernon Hills, Illinois Cougars senior running back Brian Palmer. It was given to the stout 5-foot-9 Palmer due to his striking resemblance to former NFL star Jerome Bettis. Palmer also earned the title due in large part to his bus-like running style. [Daily Herald]

- Cleveland Browns’ RB Peyton Hillis runs like Jerome Bettis. [Canton Rep]

Bettis also stays busy writing for Sports Illustrated, hosting WPXI’s Jerome Bettis Show and owning Jerome Bettis’ Grille 36.

While all of this is impressive, I saved the best for last. Bettis hung out with Cotter of One For The Other Thumb, Tecmo of PSAMP and Ryan of Steelers Lounge among several bloggers. Yes, I am jealous.





Oh, I forgot to mention that The Bus has been nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Not too shabby! [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

Where Is Jerome Bettis?

It's been four seasons now since Jerome Bettis retired from the Pittsburgh Steelers and the NFL. He spent his first three years of retirement as part of NBC's Football Night in America, but was replaced by Tony Dungy and Rodney Harrison for this season. So where is Jerome Bettis now?



Well, he was been busy this past week telling Dan Patrick on Patrick's Fox Sports national radio show that "the Steelers are done." (Sean's note: While this is probably true, the Steelers dramatic win Sunday against the Packers gives us fans some false hope. I'm sure that I wasn't the only person looking into the NFL's tiebreaking procedures and the schedules of Denver, Baltimore and the other 7-7 teams.) Bettis continued by stating that "when you lose your spirit, then everything is pretty much gone. And that's what I saw when they hit the field against the Cleveland Browns. ... When you don't have the enthusiasm to get up for a game in which you have to win, then it tells me that the leadership isn't there." Ben Roethlisberger was not pleased. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

However, Bettis didn't just talk about the Steelers' problems; he provided solutions. As part of his weekly Sports Illustrated column, #36 shared his thoughts about what he would do to fix the Steelers. [Sports Illustrated]

Bettis also serves as the host in the collaboration between the NFL and Monster.com for the NFL Director of Fandemonium [NFL-Monster.com]



Even if Bettis shied away from the public focus, people continue to compare others to the future Hall-of-Fame running back.

Stanford RB Toby Gerhart "is an inelegant runner, blasting and banging and bouncing, lifting his style from the University of Jerome Bettis, where tackler tuition is paid in punishment." [Palo Alto Daily News]

James Island RB Matel Johnson "tries to emulate the style of former NFL great Jerome Bettis, a 5-10, 250-pound running back who was known as "The Bus" during his playing days." [Charleston, South Carolina's The Post and Courier]

Waseca, Minnesota RB Sam Milbrett "compared his running style to that of former Pittsburgh Steelers and St. Louis Rams running back Jerome Bettis, who earned the nickname, “The Bus” because of his ability to carry tacklers due to his powerful running style." [Waseca County News]

The Ford F-150 SVT Raptor? "This thing drives like Jerome Bettis: big, heavy, yet changes directions with ease and keeps them wheels churnin'." Um, OK. He's The Bus not The Truck! [Motor Trend]



Outside of the football field and the motor vehicle comparisons, Bettis continues to give back to the community. He's reading to kids with his mom who "love[s] little people." [Pittsburgh Tribune-Review]



Plus, he also has the restaurant Jerome Bettis' Grille 36 and the "Bus Stops Here" Foundation.

Finally, Jerome Bettis prepares for Christmas with his wife and two kids. [WPXI]

So to answer the original question, Jerome Bettis appears to be everywhere! Well, except on NBC.


This is the second (annual?) where is Jerome Bettis piece. To see what happened to Jerome Bettis last year, click here.

Steelers-Lions Recap: Turkey Win

If three strikes in a row in bowling is called a turkey, what do you call three sacks in a row in football? For the sake of this post, we'll call this a turkey as well.



With Pittsburgh leading 28-20 late in the fourth quarter, the Steelers defense decided to finally pressure QB Daunte Culpepper instead of playing a prevent defense that allowed Detroit to get back into the game. Let's set the scene. After marching down the field and scoring on a Dennis Northcutt (who must be approximately 58 years old) touchdown, the Lions defense forced the Steelers into a three-and-out. Then, Culpepper led another successful drive leading to a 1st and 10 from the Steelers 21 with less than 2:00 minutes remaining. Momentum was totally on Detroit's side, but that's when things changed. LaMarr Woodley and William Gay teamed up to sack Culpepper for a loss of 6 yards. Second down was Gay as the cornerback sacked Culpepper for a 5-yard loss. Lawrence Timmons then completed the turkey with a 13-yard sack. The Lions tried a Hail Mary pass on 4th and 34 but that fell innocently to the turf meaning game over.

In continuing with my fabulous theme, Sunday was the first time the Steelers played in Detroit against the Lions since the Jerome Bettis/coin flip game held, wait for it, on Thanksgiving. Plus, Ben Roethlisberger had THREE touchdowns (one each for Hines, Heath and Mike Wallace) and James Harrison had THREE sacks. As a result, turkey for everyone!


(Too soon for this picture?)

The most important key to the Steelers victory was the fact that I wore my Louis Lipps jersey for the first time this season! You may be skeptical, but the Steelers are 43-3 when I wear the jersey (this record may not be correct).

In other random notes, I made a last-minute decision to watch the game at Fast Eddie's in Fairfax. It's much nicer watching a game at a Steelers bar rather than a bar/restaurant that shows all games. (I'm looking at you Champps and Buffalo Wild Wings.*) However, I can't wait until the Virginia law stopping smoking in bars/restaurants goes into effect. I'm going to smell like smoke for days.

There were some smaller televisions showing other NFL games. The guy next to me referred to the Washington quarterback as Jason Candle. He also called Ravens QB Joe Flacco, Shane Falco. I don’t understand how either of these are insults.



Overall, the Steelers are now 3-2 heading into next week’s game against the Cleveland Browns. The team is now one game behind the Cincinnati Bengals and tied with the Baltimore Ravens in the division. Basically, the team is in pretty good shape at this point of the season and will hopefully get a healthy Willie Parker and Troy Polamalu back next week.


* I've been a Buffalo Wild Wings customer on many occasions, but I have never had a football referee or baseball manager ask me my opinion on a play or coaching decision. To be fair, I haven't visited a Buffalo Wild Wings recently, so perhaps this is a new feature.

Dude! (and links)

I called a 16 year-old "dude" this weekend. I don’t use that word very often and it was certainly the first time I ever said dude in my role as a soccer referee. After I called a foul on this player (we’ll call him Steve; I have no idea what his name is), his opponent gave him a slight push. Nothing major and I thought the game would continue without any problems after I stopped anything from escalating at the scene of the crime. However, before the game restarted, Steve continued to talk trash at the opponent including asking him if he wanted a tissue for his tears. (I’m guessing Steve has waiting months to use this line.) And that’s when it happened. I went up to Steve and said, "Dude, calm down." He did calm down slightly, and fortunately, his coach substituted him out about a minute or two later.

Not the greatest story to start your week, so I hope these links will make up for it.

Bram interviewed Pittsburgh mayoral candidate Franco "Dok" Harris (part 1; part 2) [The Pittsburgh Comet]

Now that he's no longer working for NBC, Jerome Bettis returned to the NFL. Sort of. [D.C. Sports Bog]



Relive Tecmo and Cotter's trip to Steelers training camp. [One for the Other Thumb & PSAMP]

The Burgh Blog is returning on August 19! [The Burgh Blog]

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins logo is awesome [This Is Getting Old]

Igloo Dreams has done an amazing analysis of all of the Three Stars from this past NHL season. Although I linked to the article about whether the MVP should be awarded using the Three Stars system, check out the entire series. [Igloo Dreams]

It's game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals. What should I wear? Oh, how about this Winnipeg Jets jersey? [Empty Netters]



The World Police and Fire Games are coming to Reston...in 2015. [Restonian]

I think the Sports Chick should publish her undergrad thesis on baseball wives. [Sports Chick Blog]

Help the Western New York economy by going on a road trip to see the Pitt Panthers battle Buffalo (not the Bills). [Cat Basket]


Finally, I signed up for Twitter so that I could follow a friend. I'm not sure if I'm going to actually Tweet or not, but if I do, I'll let you know.

Pittsburg: City of Champins

Ryan Buchan, an intern at The Tahoe Daily Tribune, wrote an article in Saturday’s paper about professional athletes and fantasy sports. I’ve taken portions of the article and included them below. Please let me know if you notice anything unusual.

More than 15 million people play fantasy sports and spend about $1.5 billion annually, according to an article that appeared in the “Texas Review of Sports Law.”

Fantasy sports have taken over the fan world, but have they taken over the world of current and former proffesional athletes?

“I think a lot of guys play fantasy sports,” said Dan Marino, a former NFL quarterback.

Marino, however, said he does not play fantasy sports even though he gives advice on selections and chooses a fantasy player of the day in part of his job with CBS Sports.

“It is not that I don't enjoy what is going on, I don't really make it a priorty,” Marino said. “But maybe I should.”

Jerome Bettis, former Pittsburg Steelers' running back, said he agrees that there are a lot of athletes who are involved, but he is not one of them.

“I never got into fantasy sports because as a player people got mad at you for things you did, and I never understood it,” Bettis said. “I have always been against fantasy sports.”


The first thing that jumps out is the reference to the Texas Review of Sports Law. Buchan is trying to be funny as there is no such thing. Silly intern!



Oh, perhaps you noticed a few misspelled words. I understand that spelling mistakes happen as I’ve probably misspelled something in this sentence. However, I don’t expect misspellings in an actual newspaper that “was founded on June 26, 1958 by Frank and Mary Chase” and “acquired by Reno-based Swift Newspapers, now Swift Communications, in August of 1975.” Maybe they are stilling using the 1958 version of Spell-Check.

Perhaps Buchan should do a little research before publishing his article. I don’t remember Jerome Bettis ever playing for the Pittsburg Steelers. Maybe I’m giving Buchan a hard time. I mean he is only an intern.



Someone must have reviewed the article before printing it, right? Perhaps, a sports editor? Well, “Steve Yingling has been the Tahoe Daily Tribune’s sports editor since September 1990. Only Nancy Hayden has been at the paper longer.” I am not familiar with The Tahoe Daily Tribune, but I have a feeling that the city of Pittsburgh may have been included at least once or twice in the paper over the 20 years. This would never happen if Jerry Micco was their sports editor (look at the fourth question)!

I know what you’re thinking. Why don’t I contact the Tahoe Daily Tribune directly to let them know about the spelling mistakes and errors? Well, I need to write about something!

Penguins-Red Wings Story Lines

With Detroit’s win over the Chicago Blackhawks last night, the Red Wings will now face the Pittsburgh Penguins in a rematch of last year’s Stanley Cup finals. For all of you hockey fans and non-hockey fans (at least for now) out there, let me be of assistance for what you may (or may not) hear from the media over the next week.

- Marian Hossa was a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins last season and signed a one-year contract with Detroit this season.

- Jordan Staal does not have any brothers on the Red Wings.

- Sidney Crosby is still trying to grow a playoff beard.

- Chris Chelios will be the oldest player ever in the Stanley Cup finals at 72. (Actually, he’s only 47, and I have no idea whether or not he could be the oldest player ever in the Stanley Cup finals.)



- Will Henrik Zetterberg ever update his website?

- The Penguins are 3-0 in the playoffs when Craig Adams scores a goal. Why isn’t he playing 35 minutes a night?

- As a member of the Penguins last season, Ty Conklin was part of the trial of the decade against Marc-Andre Fleury on the old version of The Pensblog. (Just make sure that you also visit the new version of The Pensblog.) Conklin is now on Detroit.

- Detroit defenseman Brad Stuart is not related to singer Rod Stewart. (Although both think they are sexy.)



- Mikael Samuelsson played for the Penguins in 22 games during the 2002-2003 season. No one remembers this including Mikael Samuelsson.

- Jim Leyland will not turn into the traitor known as Bill Cowher.

- Where Have You Gone, Andy Van Slyke? He's a coach on the Detroit Tigers staff along with Jim Leyland and former Pirates Lloyd McClendon, Gene Lamont, and Rafael Belliard. I thought I would mention this since Detroit is facing Pittsburgh in the Stanley Cup finals.

- Jerome Bettis is from Detroit.

- Larry Foote is also from Detroit and recently signed with the Lions after leaving the Steelers. Foote will be supporting the Red Wings. (The same article pointed out that Whitehall, Michigan native Nate McLouth was undecided. Is he still? Dejan - get on this!)

- After not participating in the Eastern Conference finals against Carolina, will Pascal Dupuis (the Iceman) play in the Stanley Cup finals?



- Penguins coach Dan Bylsma has been an NHL head coach for only a few months longer than me.

- Dan Cleary is still from Newfoundland and is still the first and only native of Newfoundland to win the Stanley Cup.

- The Penguins touched the Prince of Wales trophy.

- The Penguins are 2-0 in series when I do these previews.

This just in (as I'm writing this on Wednesday night): the Stanley Cup finals schedule has been announced (h/t Empty Netters):

Saturday, May 30 at Detroit, 8:00 pm NBC
Sunday, May 31 at Detroit, TBD-Night NBC
Tuesday, June 2 at Pittsburgh, 8:00 pm VERSUS
Thursday, June 4 at Pittsburgh, 8:00 pm VERSUS
* Saturday, June 6 at Detroit, 8:00 pm NBC
* Tuesday, June 9 at Pittsburgh, 8:00 pm NBC
* Friday, June 12 at Detroit, 8:00 pm NBC

Finally, here's the latest Yinz Luv 'Da Guins video:



Go Pens!

2009 Pittsburgh Steelers Schedule

The NFL released its 2009 schedule Tuesday evening (was it really necessary to have a television special for this?), one of my favorite days of the year. I always study the schedules, not only for football but for other sports, and try to make plans accordingly. Last year, I called the Jacksonville Jaguars and friends and family immediately after the schedule was released in order to make arrangements to see the Steelers in north Florida. Anyway, enough about me and my travel plans.

Here is the schedule for your 2009 Pittsburgh Steelers:

Thursday, Sept. 10 – vs. Tennessee, 8:30 p.m. (NBC)
Sunday, Sept. 20 - at Chicago, 4:15 p.m. (CBS)
Sunday, Sept. 27 - at Cincinnati, 1 p.m. (CBS)

Sunday, Oct. 4 – vs. San Diego, 8:20 p.m. (NBC)
Sunday, Oct. 11 - at Detroit, 1 p.m. (CBS)
Sunday, Oct. 18 – vs. Cleveland, 1 p.m. (CBS)
Sunday, Oct. 25 – vs. Minnesota, 4:15 p.m. (FOX)

Nov. 1 - Bye
Monday, Nov. 9 - at Denver, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Sunday, Nov. 15 – vs. Cincinnati, 1 p.m. (CBS)
Sunday, Nov. 22 - at Kansas City, 1 p.m. (CBS)*
Sunday, Nov. 29 - at Baltimore, 8:20 p.m. (NBC)*

Sunday, Dec. 6 – vs. Oakland, 1 p.m. (CBS)*
Thursday, Dec. 10 - at Cleveland, 8:20 p.m. (NFL Network)
Sunday, Dec. 20 – vs. Green Bay, 1 p.m. (FOX)*
Sunday, Dec. 27 – vs. Baltimore, 1 p.m. (CBS)*
Sunday, Jan. 3 - at Miami, 1 p.m. (CBS)*

* Times and TV network may change due to flexible scheduling.

A few thoughts:

- The Steelers will play the maximum of five nationally televised primetime games. Woo hoo!

- However, I still hate the NFL Network. Stupid Thursday night games where I can’t watch the Steelers from my home.

- Unlike last year where it seemed like the Steelers never played a 1:00 game (seriously, look at last year’s schedule), it’s nice to see some early afternoon games.

- Are you excited to see Jay Cutler’s home debut in Chicago? Yeah, me neither.

- Possible travel plans: Miami for New Year’s (although that could be an expensive flight during the holidays); Cincinnati (I used to make this trip every year until the Bengals forced you to buy tickets for the Steelers games plus 2-3 other games. Since the team was terrible again last season, I’m sure the policy hasn’t changed.); and a very small possibility of Detroit.

- Yes, the game in Detroit will be the Steelers first trip to Detroit since Super Bowl 40. Jerome Bettis is also from Detroit.


More on the schedule is available on the Post-Gazette and the Pittsburgh Steelers website.

What Ever Happened to Jerome Bettis?

Perhaps you have heard of this former Steelers running back who retired after winning a Super Bowl in his hometown of Detroit. So where is Jerome Bettis now?



Even though Bettis has been retired for nearly three years now, he still seems to get mentioned regularly. Over the past few months, Jamal Lewis, Mewelde Moore, Le'Ron McClain, Michael Turner, Brandon Jacobs, LenDale White, and even Tunde Ogun of Division III's Christopher Newport and Frankie Hejduk of the Columbus Crew have all been compared to Bettis.

Tennessee Titans' coach Jeff Fisher - Yeah, [Jamal Lewis is] an emotional runner. He's enthusiastic. He is kind of like the old Jerome Bettis where he'll get up after a big play, jump up. Yeah, he's fun to watch. Not fun to play against, but fun to watch.

Pats Fan.com after the Patriots lost to the Steelers - Mewelde Moore, filling in for the injured Willie Parker, looked like Jerome Bettis and caused severe tackling problems for the Patriots.

ExtremeRavens.com - In my mind, [Le'Ron]McClain looks more and more like Jerome Bettis every week he gets to carry the ball. That's not a bad thing.

Los Angeles Times - They are both men of girth, RBs packing some extra lbs., so the comparison is a belt-line cinch: Is Tennessee Titans running back LenDale White the next Jerome Bettis?

Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Lito Sheppard - "Other than maybe (New York Giants running back) Brandon Jacobs and possibly Steven Jackson, we haven't seen a guy like this since we faced Jerome Bettis in Pittsburgh (in 2004). Look at [Michael] Turner's thighs. They're like tree trunks."

USA Today - The closest thing to The Bus in today's NFL comes to Heinz Field on Sunday with the New York Giants in the person of 264-pound running back Brandon Jacobs.

Asbury Park Press - In just his fourth season, Jacobs running style has already drawn comparisons to some of the big, punishing backs of the past, including Jerome Bettis, the former Steeler, Christian Okoye and Natrone Means.

Washington and Jefferson coach Mike Sirianni - There's no way he's 6-foot, 218 (pounds)," Sirianni said, citing [Christopher Newport's Tunde] Ogun's listed height and weight in CNU's media guide. "Being from the Pittsburgh area and having Jerome Bettis here, he looks like Jerome Bettis. But he's bigger. He's as good of a back as I've seen in a long time in Division III. Not only is he physical and hard to bring down, but he's got great feet. He can run past you."

Deadspin - So, Sunday was Hejduk's Jerome Bettis moment as a club player—Hey, Frankie's from Southern California, that's where our game is being played—when the Columbus Crew beat the New York Red Bulls 3-1 in MLS Cup.



While many people seem busy comparing Bettis to other athletes, Steelers fans miss #36 the running back as a Post-Gazette reader asked Ed Bouchette earlier this fall if the Steelers need another Bus.


In addition, everyone seems to want Jerome's opinion

On Notre Dame's Charlie Weis in the Chicago Sun Times:
'I'm a fan of Weis,'' former Irish and Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jerome Bettis said. ''He's done a great job in getting the players there, and now he's got to win. You've got the first half right, in terms of getting some top talent there. Now the second part is you've got to get that talent to win.'

On Hines Ward in the Pittsburgh Tribune Review:
"Hines is not dirty," former Steelers running back Jerome Bettis recalled. "Hines was not the kind of guy in practice who beat up on his own teammates. He waited until game day, and you saw something totally different out of him."

On Adrian Peterson in the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune:
"He is the best running back in the game," Jerome Bettis said. "After talking to him, it seems to me that he's a student of the game and as he develops and learns more he's going to get even better. That's scary."

On athletes and guns following the Plaxico incident:
"Athletes are targets. Some players like to splurge on very expensive items; rings, watches, bracelets and chains, so there have been a lot of instances where players have been robbed."

So besides numerous interviews, what does Jerome Bettis do these days as a retired athlete?

He inspires people through Sharing Miracles, a 30-minute public affairs television program that tells the compelling and inspirational stories of real patients. This month's episode featured Bettis -- known in the sports world as "The Bus" -- who was 14 years old when he was first diagnosed with asthma. He says: "Initially I thought that with asthma, I couldn't be involved in any sports or other activities. Thankfully, my mother encouraged me, instead of discouraged me, to play. She said, 'As long as you take your medicine, the doctor told me that you will be fine.' But, as I got older, I had to take serious steps to control my asthma."

He likes to golf.



He speaks in Erie, PA:

It wasn't until he officially became a champion that Jerome Bettis realized he had been one all along. That was the message the former Steelers running back had for a crowd of more than 2,000 Thursday at Penn State Behrend's Junker Center. Bettis, appearing as part of the college's award-winning speakers series, urged attendees, including dozens of children clad in Steelers jerseys and caps, to follow his example of passion, hard work and singular focus in their life's pursuit. Any chance it is the Guy Junker Center?



Bettis participated in the annual U.S. Marine Corps "Toys for Tots" drive when they launched their "Stuff the Bus" campaign.

He also has the restaurant Jerome Bettis' Grille 36 and the "Bus Stops Here" Foundation.

Bettis is also married and has two kids.

So to answer my original question, I guess Jerome Bettis is everywhere. Who knew? I also heard that he's on some kind of NFL television show.

Dara Torres vs Jerome Bettis

Mike Freeman of CBS Sportsline has a column about the Olympics which includes possibly the most amazing thing I have ever seen in print. Freeman writes, "Dara Torres is built like Jerome Bettis. She's not The Bus, she's The Submarine." Jerome Bettis is one of my favorite football players of all-time and has been just as impressive off of the field as on. However, look at these pictures and tell me how they’re built the same.




Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't see it. Oh, they both have two shoulders and a belly button...that must be it! Please note that the picture of Jerome Bettis is from 1997 when he was 25. I don't believe that Bettis had the same physique during his final season in 2005. Meanwhile, the picture of Torres is from January 2008 at the age of 40. I'd bet dinner at Jerome Bettis' Grille 36 that he doesn't have abs like that at 40!


Dara Torres picture by Ronald Cadiz; Jerome Bettis photo by Gregory Heisler

Steelers-Bengals Notes

I’m back from the 2007 hockey road trip, just in time to watch the Steelers-Bengals game. Here are my thoughts about the game:

- Are people going to think that it always rains in Pittsburgh? Last week’s monsoon and Sunday’s rain and muddy field were both shown on national television.

- I love watching Hines Ward. Eleven catches for 90 yards and two touchdowns and he passed John Stallworth for the most touchdown receptions in team history. He has such passion and enthusiasm and consistently makes tough catches.

- The primary focus on sports talk shows and the internets over the next few days is going to be Willie Parker’s fumbles. He had four overall with two either overturned or upheld by challenges. With Davenport out for who knows how long (hopefully not long), the team really does not have any viable alternatives if Parker continues to struggle (which I do not think he will). Will there be calls to bring in Kevan Barlow or Verron Haynes?

- Except for one poor Sepulveda punt, the special teams played well forcing a fumble and not giving up any big punt or kick-off returns. Of course, when I write that the special teams played well, I have low expectations. Allen Rossum seems to have mastered the art of returning punts by running completely across the field and then stepping out of bounds for a whopping three-yard gain.

- After the first drive when Cincinnati marched down the field for a touchdown, the defense also played great. Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh were held in check (especially after the first drive); although the team only had one sack, it seemed like the defense pressured Carson Palmer quite often; and Palmer was held to under 200 yards passing with a completion percentage less than 40%.

- The offensive line played much better than the previous two games against the Jets and Dolphins as the Bengals had no official sacks (the safety was erased due to a questionable penalty for holding by a Cincinnati defensive back). Parker had 87 yards rushing, but that was on 28 carries. The O-line has to perform even better next week against New England.

- NBC did a nice job of having Jerome Bettis visit a Steeler bar in New York City. Seeing Cris Collinsworth visit a “Bengal bar” was quite amusing. For those of you who missed it, Bettis went to a packed Steelers bar with hordes of fans wearing jerseys. NBC showed Collinsworth at an empty bar.

- Here is the game recap from the Post-Gazette and ESPN.

Expect complete details of the 2007 hockey road trip soon!

Ben Howland & Jamie Dixon

If you live in Western Pennsylvania or follow college basketball, here are a few things you are going to hear a lot over the next few days:

- UCLA basketball coach Ben Howland used to coach at Pitt.

- Pitt’s basketball coach, Jamie Dixon, was an assistant of Ben Howland.

- Jamie Dixon and Ben Howland are good friends.

- Ben Howland’s daughter, Meredith, attends Pitt and stayed with the Dixon family at some point.

- The Post-Gazette’s Shelly Anderson is a visionary (read the last two sentences).

- Jerome Bettis is from Detroit. Oops, that is a flashback from something I heard a lot last year.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, UCLA and the University of Pittsburgh will meet in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.