Tag: steelers

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NFL General

Now you can own something that Bill Cowher considered to be junk

Sorry guys, but this is coming
with me.

Bill Cowher had been in Pittsburgh for a long time, and when in you stay in one place for that many years there’s a good chance that you’ll accumulate a butt load of crap. So, when The Chin left the Steelers organization for the hills of North Cackalacky, he decided to leave a few of his personal belongings behind and clear out some clutter. And as the saying goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure; so here’s the perfect opportunity for Pittsburgh fans to go high class dumpster hopping in hopes of grabbing a spittle covered memoir.

Dargate Auction Galleries will now be in charge of auctioning off over 130 individual pieces from the Cowher home on Saturday starting at 10 a.m. Some of the pieces up for grabs include a foosball table, pinball game, patio furniture, a desk and chair, some china, a pool table and several pieces of designer furniture.

And if you’re feeling a bit frisky you could even bid on the coach’s bed or a shag rug that would make Austin Powers cringe. But if it’s strictly Steelers stuff you desire, then you’ll be forced to take a long look at an ice bucket with the logo imprinted on it or a Pittsburgh Steelers desk clock.

Most people with bank accounts as big as Cowher’s would have simply paid the movers to pack up the left over junk and haul it to the vacation home in Maine or at least rent (or buy) a storage unit (or complex). But hey, it’s classier than taking out an ad in the local paper and throwing your ex’s stuff on the lawn for a garage sale millionaire style.

Links:

[KDKA.com]: Items from Bill Cowher’s Home on Auction Block

Categories
NFL General

Goodell’s conduct policy already having an effect



Joey Porter is listening

Joey Porter may be a blowhard and a tool but he’s no fool. A day after Roger Goodell announced his new conduct policy and dropped the hammer on Pacman Jones and Chris Henry, Joey decided he better make nice to Levi Jones for (according to Levi) ambushing him out in Las Vegas.


I wish it never would have happened. I don’t know how Levi feels, but the faster we can get this behind us, (the better).

I don’t mind calling him. If he truly believes, if he feels like I was wrong, I’m sorry. I can apologize. I am reaching out now.
…
At the end of the day, none of us is going to get anything good out of this.

You see Joey working here? By “none of us” he means himself. Having your posse ambush another football player and being charged with misdemeanor battery falls within the personal conduct policy. It’s amazing how a threat of losing paychecks immediately puts everyone in line. Goodell got exactly the reaction he was looking for.

Links:
[Cincinnati Enquirer]: Porter sort of says sorry to Bengals tackle Jones

Categories
Cincinnati Bengals

Levi Jones calls Joey Porter a coward


A couple of weeks ago, Joey Porter was arrested for punching Levi Jones in the face. It was widely reported that Levi was knocked down and had to be treated for a gash above his eye. Well, Levi Jones would like you to know that he’s tougher than that.


It was problematic for me and my family, especially when the true story wasn’t out there. The particulars about how everything went down, I mean, ESPN, all they wanted to report was Joey Porter hit me in the face.

Six guys attacked me from behind before he did it. When the true story came out, ESPN still didn’t want to report it.

He (Porter) got my attention from the front and wouldn’t get near me until the six guys jumped me from behind, (then) he took part.

First of all, ESPN not reporting all the facts in the story? Shocking. Second, if true, Levi Jones’s account of the fight fits right in line with how we feel about Joey Porter. It wouldn’t suprise us in the least if Porter was the type to let his buddies do the work.

Links:
[Cincinnati Enquirer]: Jones: Vegas fracas an ambush

Categories
General Sports

This sounds like the worst reality show ever


ABC has a new reality show called “Fast Cars and Superstars: Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race”. The show puts all the NASCAR drivers who pimp Gilette into teams with random celebs. The professional drivers were the teachers in classroom and on-track training.

The list of celebs are: Bill Cowher, John Elway, Serena Williams, William Shatner, Krista Allen (of some ABC show), Jewel and her boyfriend Ty Murray, John Salley, Tony Hawk, John Cena, Laird Hamilton (surfer) and husband Gabby Reece.

Details are hazy since ABC won’t comment on the show but do the couples (Jewel/Ty and Laird/Gabby) have to drive together? And why exactly is Jewel anywhere near a racetrack? We expect this show to have terrible ratings because 1) it sounds god awful, and 2) everyone came out of it unharmed. Why would you watch a celebrity driving reality show (or NASCAR for that matter) except to see spectacular wrecks. Now we’re not saying we want to see any celebrities harmed but knowing that we won’t see William Shatner running out of a flaming car in his underwear takes away from the fun of it.

Links:
[Mondesi’s House]: CowheReality
[Post-Gazette]: Cowher rides onto reality show

Categories
Miami Dolphins

Joey Porter punches Levi Jones in the face


A football player got arrested in an incident with a Cincinnati Bengal and it wasn’t a Bengal! Marvin Lewis certainly is turning that team around. Hell, the Bengal was even the victim.

Joey Porter, perhaps feeling disrespected, punched Levi Jones in the face at the Palms in Las Vegas yesterday. Police said that Porter was cited for battery and Levi Jones was treated at the scene. Said Las Vegas police Lt. Kevin McMahill:


Apparently these two have a history with each other, a history of trash talking on the field.

Doesn’t Joey Porter have a history with everyone? If you don’t want to get punched in the face, avoid Joey Porter like the plague. We imagine he’s like Rick James (insanity not coke) and forgets he punches people five minutes later.

Things ought to get interesting on the field this year as the Dolphins play the Bengals in Porter’s new house.

Links:
[Las Vegas Review Journal]: NFL’s Porter accused of punching rival at Palms

Categories
College Basketball

Jan 30 in Sports History: UCLA Bruins start streaking



John Wooden

In 1971: UCLA’s basketball team looked to rebound from a tough loss at Notre Dame the week before with a little tune-up against UC Santa Barbara before conference play began. The loss to the Irish ended a 45-game winning streak for the Bruins. Led by Sidney Wicks, UCLA dispatched UCSB 74-61. Then they decided to get serious and win 87 more consecutive games (and three championships). Ironically, the Bruins’ streak would come to an end again at the hands the Irish in South Bend 155 weeks later. Even more ironically (according to a site called referee.com), referee Rich Weiler worked both Notre Dame games. The Bruins’ 88-game winning streak (it could’ve been 133 if Catholics decided not to build a lovely campus in Indiana) will forever be untouched in college basketball.

In 1996: In the only Super Bowl where a player from the opposing team should’ve been given the MVP award, Steelers quarterback Neil O’Donnell “led” the Dallas Cowboys to their third title in five years with two horrendous interceptions in a 27-17 victory in Super Bowl XXX at Arizona’s Sun Devil Stadium. Brown was just sorta standing there, minding his own business and not covering anybody on either play. But O’Donnell insisted on landing him a huge free agent contract by giving Brown the MVP award. Even worse, O’Donnell questioned “which direction” the Steelers were headed that offseason when he landed an even bigger contract with the soon-to-be 1-15 Jets. Karma did the best it could, as Brown only played 14 games the next two years after getting all that money from the Raiders while O’Donnell fizzled out, became a journeyman backup and was not allowed anywhere near the ball during Super Bowl XXXIV with the Titans.

Categories
NFL General

Jan 8 in Sports History: The Music City Miracle



After the 90.5 degree lateral from Wycheck

In 2000: An otherwise nondescript AFC Wild Card game suddenly found itself joining the Immaculate Reception, the Hail Mary and The Drive in pantheon of unbelievable playoff finishes. The Tennessee Titans were locked in a defensive struggle with the visiting Buffalo Bills in the first playoff game of the new millennium. The Bills rallied from a 12-point deficit in the second half and took their first lead of the game at 16-15 with only 16 seconds left. On the ensuing kickoff, Tennessee’s Lorenzo Neal fielded the ball and handed it to H-Back Frank Wycheck. Wycheck threw the ball across the field to Kevin Dyson, who ran 75 yards for the touchdown. The Titans had to wait out a lengthy review by referee Phil Luckett (who was the Forrest Gump of the NFL in the late 90’s–he seemed to be involved in every major event), but the play stood and “the Music City Miracle” was on the list. The Bills protested that it was a forward pass by Wycheck and the play shouldn’t have stood, but replays show that the play was a lateral.

In 2003: Two Wild Card games played back-to-back provided NFL fans with one of the most exciting days of football ever. First, in Pittsburgh, the Steelers trailed 24-7 and 33-21 before rallying to beat the Cleveland Browns 36-33, despite 433 yards passing by Brown’s backup Kelly Holcomb. Then in San Francisco, the 49ers fell behind the NY Giants 38-14 in the second half before rallying to take a 39-38 lead behind Jeff Garcia and Terrell Owens. The last play of the afternoon summed up the entire day. The Giants lined up for a game-winning field goal attempt but the snap was botched, and holder Matt Allen scrambled right and heaved a desperation pass to Giants’ guard Rich Seubert (who was an eligible receiver). Seubert was blatantly interfered with by the 49ers’ Chike Okeafor, but the referees instead penalized the Giants for an illegal man downfield. If the referees had called offsetting penalties (or if Allen had just spiked the ball—it was third down) the Giants could’ve had another shot at winning the game. The 49ers, for some reason, didn’t let the Giants play at Tampa the next week in their stead.

Categories
Pittsburgh Steelers

Dec 26 in Sports History: Holiday History


On Dec. 23, 1972: The Pittsburgh Steelers first-ever home playoff game ended with an absolute miracle. The Steelers were hosting the Oakland Raiders and had just fallen behind 7-6 with less than a minute left. On 4th and 10 at their own 40 yard line, Steelers’ quarterback Terry Bradshaw dropped back to pass but had nobody to throw to, so he just tossed the ball up for grabs. The ball reached Steelers’ back John “Frenchy” Fuqua and Raiders’ safety Jack Tatum at the exact same time. Tatum was too selfish to just knock the ball away, and was more concerned with knocking Fuqua out. The ball ricocheted away and the instant before it hit the turf, Steelers rookie fullback Franco Harris grabbed it and raced the rest of the way for a 60-yard touchdown, much to the shock of everyone inside Three Rivers Stadium. The Raiders and coach John Madden protested that the ball had touched Fuqua, which, according to rules at the time, would have made it an illegal catch because a pass was not allowed to touch two offensive players. The Immaculate Reception (the term was originally thought of by some fans at a bar after the game—not by anyone on TV or in the newspaper) stood and has been called the greatest play in NFL history. (Shame on You Tube for pulling a video down of the original broadcast of the play, which debunked many myths about its illegality). The Steelers lost in the AFC title game the following week to Miami.

On Dec. 24, 1977: The Raiders were on the other end of a classic playoff game, this time beating the Baltimore Colts 37-31 in double overtime. The game see-sawed back and forth, with the Raiders methodically moving the ball and scoring while the Colts thrilled the home crowd with big plays, including a long interception return and a kickoff return for touchdowns. Both teams bogged down in the first overtime and couldn’t get into scoring position. In the second overtime, Oakland’s Ken Stabler found receiver Dave Casper in the end zone on the famous “Ghost to the Post” play, which was Casper’s third touchdown of the day. It was the third longest game in NFL history. Oakland lost to Denver the following week in the AFC Championship game.

On Dec. 25, 1971: It was a long Christmas in Kansas City, as the Chiefs and the Dolphins played the longest game in NFL history in the first round of the playoffs. The defending champion Chiefs and the upstart Dolphins traded scores on their way to a 24-24 deadlock at the end of regulation. As brilliant as the first 60 minutes were, the next 24 were just as sloppy. Each team’s kickers missed easy field goals that could have ended it. Only when Miami’s Garo Yupremian connected on a 37-yarder midway through the second overtime did it end. Miami went on to lose to Dallas in the Super Bowl.

Categories
Pittsburgh Steelers

Is Ben Roethlisberger on the cover of Madden 07?



What’s next?

Ben Roethlisberger (aka Meathead) went into emergency surgery on Sunday morning to remove his appendix. The appendix had not burst. Roethlisberger has been declared out for the opener against Miami but will probably be out another week or two recovering from surgery. Obviously Ben is a fast healer as evidenced by his speedy recovery from his motorcycle accident but this certainly throws a wrench into Pittsburgh’s title defense.

The defense now rests in the hands of Charlie Batch who did go 2-0 last year when Ben was out with injury. If anything should happen to Batch, the newly signed backup is Brian St. Pierre. Yeah, we don’t know who he is either.

For years now, the loser of the Super Bowl usually suffers from the “Super Bowl hangover”. But as of right now, nothing bad has happened to the Seattle Seahawks while the Steelers have suffered a couple of setbacks already. We have to wonder whether the football gods really intended for Seattle to win the Super Bowl… (Pittsburgh fans say, “get over it already!”)

Links:
[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]: Steelers sign St. Pierre as appendectomy sidelines Big Ben

Categories
Pittsburgh Steelers

Another idiot Steeler riding a motorcycle without a helmet



Rocket scientist

Shouldn’t a team have one motorcycle incident per season? After Kellen Winslow tore up his knee in a parking lot stunt accident, you didn’t hear about any other member of the Browns with a motorcycle. But not the Steelers! Why just have one incident when you can have two. On early Sunday morning, tackle Barrett Brooks was arrested when he tried to flee from the police on his motorcycle. Bill Cowher should seriously consider banning motorcycles.

Brooks was charged with fleeing and eluding, reckless driving, driving at an unsafe speed and other traffic violations. He took the police on a 5 minute chase before dropping his bike in an intersection. According to the police, Brooks was not legally intoxicated (although they don’t mention whether he had a few drinks) and wasn’t wearing a helmet.

There’s so much we can say about Barrett Brooks and his level of intelligence. Instead, we just shake our heads and walk away. Is there a anti-Darwin Awards for people like this?

Links:
[Pittsburgh Post Gazette]: Steelers lineman arrested after motorcycle chase

[ESPN]: Steelers’ Brooks charged after five-minute police chase