Beer We Go Steelers

  Doing their best impersonation of the division rivals Bengals and Ravens, the Steelers again have had another tumultuous offseason.  Let’s try and look back at the parade of events.

-Hines Ward wins “Dancing with the Stars”, which was a great distraction for a bad offseason, then gets a DUI last week. Honestly, reserve judgement on this as I have a feeling we aren’t getting all the facts.

-Rashard Mendenhall goes wild on Twitter. Hitting on such great topics as Osama Bin Laden might have been misunderstood.

-Lamar Woodley kills Joe Flacco basically providing bulletin board material for the year.

-Lastly, Silverback, our beloved Silverback lights up the Commissioner in a magazine article. You have read several articles on this by now for sure. I would defend Silverback to the end and the fines last year were 90% bogus. We all know it, but calling out the Boss was a joke. Worse was calling out his teamates. That is not the way Steelers do things.

I am extremely disappointed in Silverback for this one.

As for sitemail. Couple of quick things. I have over 3500 emails to review and I am doing my best to review EVEYONE of them. Contrary to popular belief I will post negative things about the Steelers or the blog if they are written in coherent or somewhat coherent sentences. So blast away!

GET A LABOR DEAL DONE ALREADY!!!

Hey everyone, I have been running wild lately in my real world. Here are some quick hits.

-God Bless John Henry Johnson. I often describe Steeler history as two phases BC and AC. Which my Mom finds somewhat offensive for some reason, it stands for “Before Chuck” and “After Chuck”/(Chuck Forward). John Henry was a bona fide Steeler star and like the predecessor’s of the Steeler dynasty, he represented a certain toughness that despite few wins people understood Pittsburgh to be. He was the leading rusher of the Steelers and just absolutely was a hammer out of the backfield. In the words of the Bus, “Smashmouth Football, Pittsburgh Style.”

-Labor peace may be coming to a team near you. There were some optimistic reports today about it. KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED!!! 

-Plaxico Burress is out of the “tank” and looking for a job. I really wanted to write something about this in more detail. Plex if you have been living in a bubble, shot himself, then lost his contract worth millions and millions of dollars and then had the priviledge of being a guest of my home state NY where he was in prison for over two years. I REPEAT FOR SHOOTING HIMSELF.

My sincere hope is that he gets his life on track and resumes his career. I always liked him and I still believe he has some good football left in him. I am looking for him to land in Philly(YUCK) or Chicago.

-The Bruins who are on the verge of winning the Stanley Cup stole one our songs as their anthem.”Black and Yellow,” by Allderdice High School graduate Wiz Khalifa. This further proves my theory that nothing good ever comes out of Mass. Look at their teams The Red Sox who are the epitome of evil, the Patriots who I can pretty much assure you are Satan’s favorite team and now the Song Stealing Massholes Bruins.  

– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UePtoxDhJSw   BTW I like the original better!

-I don’t believe Khalifa is related to Pirate “Legend” Sammy Khalifa.

I first and foremost like and respect the local Pittsburgh media and love the Post Gazette by far.  Last week they were dead wrong in characterizing James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley’s comments. I write to Gene Collier pretty regularly and Ed Bouchette both of which always take the time to respond.

I like Ron Cook and I am sure he doesn’t appreciate being taken to task by a hack like me but I felt it needed to be said. He never responded and I will post his response if he lets me. The local Pittsburgh media didn’t do anything to defend the Steelers last season when there was about a three week period where the refs were flag happy. So we are clear I was a journalism student so in no way do I feel they should have “cooked” a story or made something up. I just think the facts got lost in the shuffle and even though this blog is meant to report facts we understand it is skewed towards the Steelers. We never pretend it isn’t.

I do think the facts though warrant what we were saying.

Here is the letter I wrote recently on behalf of BWG NY:

Mr. Cook,

You are 100% right in that you can’t fight the NFL as the players are about to find out in an all too painful way. But, having your opinion and expressing it was 100% right of Harrison and as of this second he has no obligation to the NFL as he is a locked out employee not receiving  any type of compensation from the org. While his choice of words was not something I would have chosen, I have no problem with him expressing it.

I emailed Gene Collier last year and as the local media I thought you guys should have “protected” Harrison in every possible way without losing journalistic integrity. There were at least a dozen more hits more ferocious than Harrisons that weren’t flagged for 100K. Half of his fined plays didn’t even draw a penalty! How would you not feel persecuted.

Also, let’s be honest everyone knows that this rule has something to do with Harrison. If you are denying that you are kidding yourself. The most fined player in the league obviously had something to do with this. AKA the Hines Ward Rule, Mel Blount rule.

You were way off about the Super Bowl too, in no way can you lay that blame at Harrison’s feet or Woodley, for that matter and I contend that they were the two best linebackers on the field in that game! The stats prove that to be true. If the Steelers could have held onto the football they would have won. Heck one less turnover and they would have won. A healthy Troy Polamalu and they would have won.

There were several weeks that the refs over officiated the games. Go back and watch the films. (It’s not like we will have anything else to do soon.)

I respect your writing and I admire it very much. But you are dead wrong here! DEAD WRONG!

Sincerely,

(BWG NY)

….

As for Calling it the Steeler Rule or the Harrison Rule, you know what, we wear that as a BADGE OF HONOR!!!!

We may have lost the Lombardi this year but BWG Nation is bringing in the Mirrorball! Thanks to Hines Ward our often criticized but never to be underestimated WR.

It is no secret that we love this guy here and if he won a pie eating contest we would have been proud. DWTS is serious competition and he did an excellent job. It also was a nice distraction from all the Labor woes.

I also think it is fair to say that Christine Johnson should immediately be made a member of Steeler’s Nation!

What I liked best of course was the frequent use of the Terrible Towel by everyone from the fans, to teamates to the curmudgeon judge Len Goodman!

Congrats to Hines Ward. I can’t wait to get back to the business of football!

Hines Ward has made it to the final of Dancing with the Stars. He has been outstanding all year on the show. I am happy to see him on main stream media and glad he beat out OchoStinko and Mike Irvin.

I just hope he does a Krack Back block on one of the pro dancers!

Today marks the end of the career of Alan Faneca, the greatest guard in Pittsburgh Steelers history. It was a sad day in Pittsburgh when Faneca left the Steelers. He was a true character guy and a heck of a football player. He had an outstanding career and should be on the way to Canton. (If they ever will stop their Steelers biased! 🙂

“From the dog days of training camp to winning a Super Bowl the memories are endless,’’ Faneca said in a statement released through his agent Rick Smith. “The greatest memory that I will leave the game with is all of the lifelong friendships I have made.’’

Checking the Stats:

-Started EVERY game for 9 seasons and had the current longest streak

-All-Pro 2001-2008

-Pro Bowl Starter 2001-2009

-Threw the key block which sprung Willie Parker for the longest run in Super Bowl history.

#66 in your program, number 1 in our hearts!!! 

If you didn’t think his Super Bowl fumble was bad enough, Rashard Mendenhall this week made some “confusing” comments on twitter about the death of the Mass Murderer Osama bin Laden. This of course has many people up in arms and proves my point that nothing good can come of facebook or twitter.

After reviewing the comments, I have to say, Rashard did what makes America great, he expressed his opinion! While I didn’t agree with his comments about 9/11 or about the guilt or innoncence of bin Laden. He made some Christian points that truthfully he might have been right about.

My regret about bin Laden’s death is we couldn’t kill him twice, Probably not the most Christian statement but true none the less. 

Mendenhall’s comments were:

“What kind of person celebrates death? It’s amazing how people can HATE a man they have never even heard speak. We’ve only heard one side…

BWG TAKE: I think people were celebrating a mass murderer being brought to justice.

“@dkeller23 We’ll never know what really happened. I just have a hard time believing a plane could take a skyscraper down demolition style

BWG TAKE: Since Rashard’s degree is not in engineering and he has no background in explosives or aviation I have to say this was an ill advised comment!

“I believe in God. I believe we’re ALL his children. And I believe HE is the ONE and ONLY judge.

BWG TAKE: I believe that very thing. Although, I would be willing to bet the the Good Lord upstairs migh be willing to give you a pass on bin Laden! Either way I completely believe in this statement!

“Those who judge others, will also be judged themselves.

BWG TAKE: This is Christian doctrine and obviously what he believes. Hard to argue against the guy’s faith.

“For those of you who said you want to see Bin Laden burn in hell and piss on his ashes, I ask how would God feel about your heart?

BWG TAKE: I don’t think anyone is in a position to question what God will or won’t feel. I am glad bin Laden is in hell and thankful for at least a small time the world is a little bit safer!

“There is not an ignorant bone in my body. I just encourage you to #think”

BWG Take: It is good advice and it is time to move on get back to the business of winning football games!

When I last checked this was America and you are allowed to express your opinions! For what it is worth I think it is foolish to continue to harp on this.

Well the brief glimpse of the lockout being over is now done which casts a pall over everything that happened over the last few days. It also puts the Priority free agents on hold for awhile which again just really sucks. The Steelers have done well with the Free Agents so I am dissapointed.

On the positive side of things, The Steelers needed to address the aging defense and the struggling O-Line. They did that! At least on paper the draft looks like they got solid value for their picks and guys who will be able to contribute.   

Here is the BWG synopsis of the draft:

Pick 1: Cameron Heyward, DE: As I stated the day he was drafted, this is a great “Steelers Pick”, I don’t think he will put up huge numbers but he will do a great job. Not to mention that he is carrying the torch for his deceased dad, who had a spectacular if unstatistically heralded career. Of course my early knickname and you heard it hear first is STEELHEAD HEYWARD!!!

Pick 2: Marcus Gilbert, OT: To me this will be the steal of the draft. I have a feeling Mr. Gilbert will be starting. Obviously, it would have been great to get Maurkice’s twin brother but this seems like the next best thing. He plays both tackle spots and he has enough speed to play guard for the Steelers. I liked this pick and I am hoping he is the second coming of Marvell Smith!

Pick 3: Curtis Brown, CB: I actually pegged Aaron Williams to be the first round choice for the Steelers. While he is not as physical as Williams, Curtis Brown was the better selection and the Steelers got it right. He is a better cover guy and can step in right away. While he most likely won’t be elite, he will be a solid addition.    

Pick 4: Cortez Allen, CB: WHO? I have to be honest I have no idea who this guy is and he wasn’t in any of my draft guides. This feels like a stretch and we have washed out on these type of picks before. I am holding out hope but not optimistic. Why you should be optimistic, I thought Joe Burnett was going to be the next Ike Taylor, he wasn’t even Ike Turner!

Pick 5: Chris Carter, OLB: Looks like a depth pick and a special teams guy. Honestly, you are an outside linebacker coming to the Steelers. You only have to beat out Lamar Woodley and/or James Harrison to start! Yeah good luck with that!

Pick 6: Keith Williams, G: Looks like a project guy at Guard. Not sure he has the speed to be a Steelers guard but he is an absolute MAULER! He loves to mash, so I hope he makes it! I like what Sean Kugler did last year so I have faith this is going to be a good pick.

Pick 7: Baron Batch, RB: This is a funny pick. I have read three different scouting reports and none of them were consistent. At best it looks like he has the chance to be a solid 3rd down back and he was worth taking a flyer on. At worst he will be done by the end of training camp!

The Steelers selected Craig Heyward with their first pick in the draft. Two things about this pick, first it will never look spectacular on paper, it was a great choice. Second thing is this guy was born to be a Defensive End in the 3-4 defense! He appears to me to be the heir apparent to Aaron Smith and he has hometown roots!

Will do a complete draft analysis upon completion!

Some Clarification:

So, it appears as if  there is some difference of opinion with the Captain on these lists. The one person who I absolutely whiffed on was Aaron Smith, he was a huge STEAL. I probably should have put him in Carnell Lake’s spot and put Carnell on the top five picks of all time, because second rounders are hard to argue as steals.  Again though, look who the first two picks were.  Also, by leaving one spot open I opened the door to a huge debate on who should be number five. When I publish this as a book I might make that as an edit.  

The Second whiff was John Jackson, he is one of the greatest Tackles in Steelers history and he was a tenth rounder!!! That was a steal. Adding to my MEA CULPA are honorable mentions Tunch Ilkin and Craig Wolfley.

The Top Picks of the Last Thirty Years:

I am going to trudge on and I hope this clarifies everything. Joe Boningo who is a radio announcer here in NYC said something once that stuck with me. “I hate the Steelers because even when they lose, they win!” Great statement,”They have a bad year and draft Ben Roethlisberger and Troy Polamalu. we have a bad year and draft Dewayne Robertson and Bryan Thomas.” He was comparing us to the Fortunes of our AFC Championship rival the Jets. While the Jets have seemed to fix that problem, as you look back now,  you know what?  He was right! The Steelers while they have their share of busts don’t miss on day one! 

Here are my choices!

The top five picks of the last Thirty Years:

5. Heath Miller: This is the hardest spot to pick because I seriously had a rough time deciding between Jason Gildon, Joey Porter, Aaron Smith(Who both qualified as steals), Casey Hampton, Louis Lipps (4th best receiver in team history),  and Alan Faneca(Big Red) who was one of my favorite players in history. I also could have chosen a bevy of all-pro linebackers, if I did the best linebackers drafted in the last thirty years list it would be eight Steelers, Ray Lewis and Lawrence Taylor! But having to choose, I am going with Heath Miller. Why? Because I consider him the unsung hero of the team and the safety valve for the Steelers. I also would say he is the best all around player at his position. He catches and blocks better than any other tight end. He fell to the Steelers by sheer luck while the Jets, who needed a tight end, traded their first rounder for Doug Jolley. It worked out nicely! Well at least for the Steelers it did! 🙂

4. Dermonti Dawson: He was picked in the second round and he was the heir apparent to the Steeler Center Dynasty taking over for “Iron” Mike Webster. Dawson was equal to the challenge and Chuck Noll even let him use the shotgun, which Noll despised. He was durable, athletic, and arguably the best center in the history of the NFL! Damn good pick!

3. Rod Woodson: What can you say about Rod? Well I can say he was arguably the Best Cornerback in the history of the NFL. He was on the 75th anniversary team and his athleticism and ferociousness was unmatched by anyone to play his spot. When you look at his contemporary, which would be Deon Sanders, Rod could cover like Deon but he could hit like Mel Blount(ask Warren Moon) and he shut down an entire side of the field with both running and passing.

2. Troy Polamalu: Again, I am going for quality and he is the best player the Steelers have drafted in the last ten years, and with the exception of Rod, probably the best player they drafted in the last thirty years. He is just an absolute force. I commented last year, Ryan Mundy did a fine job filling in for him, but that is like asking a mere mortal to fill in for Superman. The Steelers are 14-4 with Troy and 5-7 without him during the regular season. So why isn’t he number 1?

1. Ben Roethlisberger: Because Big Ben is! All I have to say is that Ben is the difference maker. Obviously, it is disappointing to lose the Super Bowl, as I still cry out in the middle of the night, but without him we would have had no shot.. 

I don’t think it is a coincidence that the Steelers didn’t win a Super Bowl from 1980 through the day Ben showed up. He is the difference maker. The Steelers defense of the 90’s rivals any in the history of the NFL and the reason they are not considered, is because they didn’t win the Super Bowl. They didn’t win because they didn’t have a QB to get them there.  Brister, who was one of my favorites, was erratic, Neil O’Donnel was solid but not spectacular, Kordell was the best athelete to ever be Steelers QB but he never could get it done in a big game, Tommy Maddox, another guy I love, was a retread, who played on shear guts. Ben made the difference. He is athletic, strong, has a great arm and has a great track record. So we are clear and I don’t mince words, his first Super Bowl was mediocre but he carved up the Colts and made the game saving tackle, he BBQ’d the Broncos at Mile High and without him the Steelers aren’t even in the Super Bowl. As for beating the Cardinals, I will let the performance speak for itself. It is the stuff of legend.

This year was what it was and as Mike Tomlin says, “Sometimes Gun-Fighters get shot.” We got shot this year. Don’t bet against Ben next time around!!!   

Can’t wait to hear the feedback!!!