Beer We Go Steelers

So… I wanted to do a post on the draft and I will also have a draft preview as we get closer. I, however, HATE mock drafts and refuse to  publish one.

I can’t go all the way back to the beginning, but did want to do the Top Picks of the last thirty years.

The Top Five Worst Draft Picks in the last thirty years:

5: Gabriel Rivera: I would have given him an incomplete instead of saying he was a bad pick , the only reason I have Gabe on this list is because we passed Dan Marino on the board to draft him. It is said that until his dying day Art Rooney chastised his sons about that. Gabe eventually started to get it and he was beginning to play well when he had the accident. This is a case of we will never know what would have happened. Marino would have probably gotten his elusive ring if he came to the Steelers. Gabe Rivera probably would have developed into a solid player. But as they say we will never know!

4. Jamain Stephens: You can’t say he was a bust because no one EVER thought he was any good. I seriously have no idea how this could happen? The Cowher first round picks rarely missed, but this was an absolute disaster! The guy was just out of juice from Jump Street.

3. John Rienstra: After not picking in the top ten for nearly 15 years the Steelers were bound to get a pick to get the team back on track. They DIDN’T. Rienstra was a guard and just absolutely tanked as a Steeler. He became a journeyman and lasted seven seasons or so in the NFL. The reason he isn’t higher on the list?? Originally, I had him slated for number one, but truthfully there wasn’t much after him to write home about. There were some nice players, but no guys who jumped off the page.

2. Huey Richardson: The legend goes that the Steelers had three guys on their draft board ready to go and all three were picked in succession, so they scrambled and picked Richardson. They would have been better off picking a name out of a hat. He was gone after one very uninspiring season, traded for a 7th rounder, and his career was over in two. The only reason he isn’t first is that 7th round pick was Jeff Zgonina, who had a good run with the Steelers and a very solid and long NFL career! This was absolutely a complete and utter failure. The good news is that he seems to be very successful after football and he narrowly escaped 9/11.  

1. Tim Worley/ Tom Ricketts: In Steeler lore this is the gruesome twosome! You get two first rounders and you miss on both of them. Miss might be an understatement. Sam Toperoff author of “Lost Sundays” hit the nail on the head with Worley, he recognized he lacked character. After he finished football his last season at Georgia, he never went back to college as in left in November never to be seen again. He was a train wreck waiting to happen! It happened. Ricketts was never the road plow he was supposed to be and kind of faded into the sunset. I even tried to Google him and he doesn’t appear in the Top Ten!

The Top Five Draft Day Steals in the last thirty years:

5. Hardy Nickerson: The 1987 draft was one of the most underrated in Steelers history. It produced one Hall of Famer and two very worthy candidates including Hardy Nickerson. He was an excellent middle Linebacker and had a tremendous career.  

4: Hines Ward: The best receiver in Steelers history! He was a compensatory selection and he made the most of it. A Super Bowl, MVP, a sure Hall of Famer and a linebacker trapped in a WR body. He is the epitome of everything Steelers. Not to mention he is a heck of a dancer!

3. Darren Perry: He was the Steelers 8th overall pick in the 1992 draft. He led the team in interceptions and was the solid playmaker that allowed Rod Woodson and Carnell Lake to use their athleticism. He had 32 career picks and ranks in the Steelers top ten. I however am pissed at him because he helped coach the Packers in the last Super Bowl. 🙂 He was still a great pick and underrated!

2. Carnell Lake: As I documented earlier, “The Emperor” missed the first two in the 1989 draft by a mile. However, the draft was still a success. How do you miss your TWO first round picks and still have a good draft?? Very simple: Draft Carnell Lake second! He was one of the most versatile and important players in the Cowher dynasty and he saved the Super Bowl season when Rod went down. I am also happy to report he is back with the team as a coach!! The Steelers also drafted, Jerry Olsavsky who had a nice career with the Steelers and Pro-Bowler Carlton Haselrig.

1. Greg Lloyd: In 1987 the Steelers got the Anchor of their Defense in the 1st round of the draft; Rod Woodson. Well the only thing I can say to dispute that is they got Lloyd in that draft too and he might have been just as much of an anchor. Lloyd was an absolute killer and one of the best linebackers in Steeler history. He actually was considered for a long snapper spot and as a 6B pick was one of the best steals in the NFL Draft! Whenever I hear people say that “The Emperor” Chuck Noll was through at the end I laugh and look at who and what he produced. This draft basically was the beginning cornerstone of the Cowher Dynasty. 

Coming soon “The Top Picks of the last Thirty Years!”

First and foremost it is great to be back! As you know we are still in a work stoppage but I have reason for optimism.

I am also sorry that I have not kept up with Dancing with the Stars. I have taken some flack for that and apologize. Rest assured I am rooting for Hines Ward and think he is great!

Anyway, thank you for the more than 2000 post that I received. I will review everyone and publish what I can!

Hines Ward delivered another excellent performance tonight on Dancing with the Stars!

To vote for Hines: 18008683403

I was watching all the critics kill Ben and the Steelers as a team for that matter this week and I thought about something that one of my true heroes once said:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” – THEODORE ROOSEVELT

Something, occurred to me this week as I kind of hid out and got over the loss. We are damn lucky to be Steelers fans. This season was a great ride and I am so proud to have been a part of it in some small way. If I asked you this time last year would we be here no one would have said yes.

It also spurred me to do a season review of BWG Steelers and recount my favorite moments:

My Favorite “road” game: 

This was Nathaniel’s hands down in Rochester. The Bartenders were awesome as our crowd was extremely rowdy, the company was great and it is a true Steelers bar after some questionable years!  

 We had a great time with the local BWG crew and my business associates all had fun rooting on the Steelers. My friend and client Penny N. saw me sitting at a table of all Steelers fans and said,”Man you really are a man of the people.” Of course I am slightly ad-libbing because let me tell you it was flowing that day!!! I of course lost everyone’s name pictured here and hope they will write in. Afterwards we brought BWG merriment to the AHL Americans Hockey game. (We were tossed by the second period.) I have had a long standing argument with Mike Rooney on the merits of Rochester as a city, I yield to him now and must say ROCHESTER IS STEELER’S COUNTRY!!!

Honorable Mention: The Stadium in Saratoga!

My Favorite Road Game: It was only an exhibition game but tailgating with the New York Rooney’s at the opening of the New Meadowlands Stadium was kind of special. I had a great time and the Steelers smacked up the Giants real good. I love beating the Giants because they, like the Steelers are footbal royalty. They’re a great franchise who remind me of the Steelers of the NFC. Plus living in NY the Giants fans are like the Steelers fans so it is a great rivalry. I love rubbing Ben v. Eli in their face as deep down they wish they took Ben first. This extended my Giants wins streak in NY/NJ and I didn’t have to fight Mike or his dad which works out nicely when you need a ride home! Only down side was the idiot liquor control agent who tried to pick a fight with me because of the Steelers gear. The Giants security staff stepped in and handled the matter fairly. I was appreciative!

My Favorite “Home Game”: Divisional Playoff game at KGB’s! Had the crew there and was excited as the Steelers came back and beat the Ravens in one of the greatest comebacks in football playoff history! KGB put out a ridiculous spread of food and we had a great time.

My Favorite Home Game: This was easy because I only went to one game in the ‘Burgh. I had to see the Steelers beat Cincinatti. Out of all my past trips to the ‘Burgh, my most dissapointing was the loss to the Bengals in 09. 

This Year I knew it would be different, despite the fact that it was raining and the Steelers started out very slow, it was a great game and one of my favorites I have attended! The only thing that was dissapointing is that Tom and I didn’t hang with Captain Tailgate at the game. The Captain drank a bottle of his namesake (Captain Morgan) the night before and proceeded to tell everyone the way it is at a holiday party. Man he was a jerk that night!

The Post which stirred the most controversy: Big Ben Rides Again! Every week we field several comments and questions about the postings. That post still gets comments as does the next week when I “defended” Ben. We were congratulated and vilified and it really spurred the popularity of the site.We will continue to post for the whole offseason and hope you will stay with us!

My Favorite Snack for any game: This is going to be more controversial then the Ben post. I also risk drawing the ire of my KGB as she cooked up a storm this year and made every game day an experience with great food. But, I am going with Steeler Nachos by Jackie! Jackie R. is like my sister as I grew up with her and know her since I am 12 years old! Her nacho’s on looks alone garner the award.  

Honorable Mention: KGB’s Saugage and Peppers and Fried Chicken Cutlets. During the Dolphins game E ROC and I ate like 4 pounds of them. Jason from BWG Pittsburgh; Pierogies are out of this world! A game day staple everytime I come to the ‘Burgh! 

President Tom Janicki, The Captain and I are going to do a season recap together next week.

The Post Gazette is reporting that Hall of Fame, Coach LeBeau has made a decision to stay with the Black and Gold!

He will sign a one year agreement and be back coaching the defense next year. He is one of the classiest people in the NFL and a brilliant defensive mind!

The Steelers quest for the a seventh Super Bowl was held in check Sunday as the Green Bay Packers held the Steelers off for a 31-25 win! This marks the return of the Vince Lombardi trophy to Green Bay and the end of a dream in Pittsburgh!

The Steelers buried themselves early with a 21-3 deficit giving up 14 points on two turnovers! As I have reported almost every week, the only way the Steelers could lose is to turn the ball over. It is the simplest formula in sports, the team with the plus side of the turnover ratio wins. The Steelers turned the ball over THREE times for 21 points. That is a ridiculous figure and the fact that they still were in a position to win is amazing to me. It is a good testament to the coaching staff that had a pretty dismal day.

Statistics can never accurately explain a story. The Steelers had great stats and for the most part had a productive day. The issue was they never made the plays when they needed it most and again, the biggest stats, turnovers, were the killer! 

At no point was there panic, even down 21-3, as I knew the team could come back. The offense made several great plays and rallied to get right back in the game. The defense made some key stops to keep the game close and the Steelers somehow managed to be in position to take the lead back.

But in the end, they just couldn’t do it.

So as the national media prepares to jump off the Big Ben Bandwagon, I can tell you I, for one, was proud of his efforts. Yes, two turnovers that led to 14 points is simply atrocious. What I liked though, is that he never gave up and made a good accounting of himself and finished strong. It is easy to scoff now, but I can tell you I thought; give us the ball with two minutes, one timeout and Ben will make it happen. He didn’t do it this time but he will be back. I am certainly not going to put the goat horns on Ben, not for one second!  

The Steelers ran pretty much at will, and that I felt that would be why they would win. But again it was a turnover that would derail them.  Rashard Mendenhall’s fumble was the back breaker. I would point out ALL the turnovers were the backbreaker, but that was the final nail in the coffin as the Steelers couldn’t recover.

Focusing on the positives, Hines Ward is a warrior. I can’t say enough nice things about him as a player and as competitor. I laughed when I read he would be a non-factor. He racked up 78 extremely tough yards and a touchdown. I have harped on it all season and I will say it again, I love this receiving core and seeing the ghost of Randle El was nice as well! This is a major strength for the Steelers moving forward.  

Sean Kugler should be the mayor of Pittsburgh! If you have a crisis I am putting this guy on it. The offensive line played extremely well, Ben was sacked once but he had ample protection. The running game grinded the ball out to the tune of 126 yards on the ground. That is simply great. I wanted Anthony Munoz over Sean Kugler, because he was a big name and probably one of the greatest tackles of all times! I couldn’t have been more wrong. Well to be truthful, I wanted Mean Joe Greene over Bill Cowher and I wanted Russ Grimm over Mike Tomlin so maybe I have been “wronger”! But, he deserves enormous credit. The patchwork line ran all over the World Champs and basically shutout Clay Matthews Jr.! Can you imagine what this line will be like next year when we have both tackles back, a healthy Pouncey and Doug Legursky!  

Although, I have been killing the refs all year and they have been abysmal, I thought Sunday’s game was one of the best officiated games of the year. I thought they made excellent calls all day and I couldn’t argue with any calls or non calls the whole day. The last play was the right call. I wish it wasn’t but I have to be honest and that was the right call!

As for the Packers, the guy who deserves the credit was Aaron Rodgers. He played a great game and did an excellent job. He certainly was deserving of the MVP and my hat goes off to him. If I had to hear one more time about Brett Favre’s shadow I was going to puke. This guy is a winner and he proved it Sunday. Greg Jennings has the makings of a true superstar as well, very classy and a solid player! It was a great night for them and I would take nothing away from their performances!

Congratulations to the Green Bay Packers!

The SUPER BOWL FACTS:

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Hines Ward! A true warrior and I hope he is back next year! Honorable Mentions: The Offensive Line, who played great and LaMarr Woodley and James Harrison who didn’t get the press this week that they deserved in light of Clay Matthews Jr. and totally outplayed him.

Where I watched the game: KGB’S and we hosted over 20 BEER WE GO FAITHFUL. Everyone brought something great with my favorite being Steeler Nachos! The pictures will be coming! I am actually eating leftovers as I type this. We had a tailgate out in the driveway which garnered a few honks. We pounded the Iron City and the Iron City light without mercy!

My thoughts on Next Week: This is going to be a long offseason, especially with labor issues looming. We are going to publish EVERY week here and sometimes twice a week. I also will allow guest writers of BWG and I invite feedback. Next week I am going to recap the season and post a ton of pictures! Stay with us!

This will most likely be the last post before the Super Bowl and we will try too analyze the game position by position.

Quarterback: Aaron Rodgers v. Ben Roethlisberger

This is very close, Rodgers is the hottest QB in the league and he is the hot hand. Ben, who has had to endure a ridiculous week of stupid questions, including “why did you go out to dinner with your teamates?”, and constant reminders of his past indiscretion, has done a great job deflecting. Clearly though, he has been there twice and has the “intangibles”.

Advantage: STEELERS

Running Back: James Starks v. Rashard Mendenhall

This is clearly the Steelers. Starks has done a great job, but Mendenhall has played against two outstanding defenses and is still banging around quite nicely. Special shout out to John Kuhn, former Steeler and Shippensburg graduate! Sorry John, have to go with the Steelers

Advantage: STEEELERS

Wide Receivers: Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, Jordy Nelson and James Jones vs. Hines Ward, Mike Wallace, Emmanuel Sanders and Antwaan Randle El

This is a toss-up as Driver and Ward have the experience, while Jennings and Wallace have the numbers. It is extremely close.

Advantage: EVEN

Tight End: Andrew Quarless v. Heath Miller

Are you kidding me?

Advantage: STEEELERS

Offensive Line:

With Pouncey out this is the first clear advantage the Packers have. The Steelers can hold their own on run blocking but lack in pass blocking. This could be an equalizer. 

Advantage: PACKERS

Defensive Line: BJ. Raji, Cullen Jenkins and Ryan Pickett vs. Ziggy Hood, Casey Hampton and Brett Keisel

This is also a very close matchup as Raji is a stud. But the Zig is on fire and so is Keisel and with Big Snack in the middle this is a clear advantage for the Steelers. They have size, speed and experience. Although, I have to admit when Raji scored I got excited. Love when fat kids get the ball!

Advantage: STEELERS

Inside Linebackers: A.J. Hawk and Desmond Bishop vs. Lawrence Timmons and James Farrior

Hawk and Bishop are solid players and while Matthews gets the press Hawk is no slouch. But, seriously Timmons is a bona fide star now and probably one of the best ILBs in the league. I could write ten pages on James Farrior and what he means to the Steelers and the kind of player he is. This is clearly the Steelers!

Advantage: STEELERS

Outside Linebackers: Clay Matthews and Erik Walden vs. James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley

Clay Matthews is a killer! He is going to be disruptive all day. That being said Erik Walden is a backup filling in for Nick Barnett. While the Packers have one Clay Matthews the Steelers have two. He might not have cool hair but James Harrison and NOT Clay Matthews is the best Outside Linebacker in this game and the second best in this game is not Clay Matthews either, it’s Lamarr Woodley!

Advantage: STEELERS

Cornerback: Charles Woodson and Tramon Williams vs. Bryant McFadden and Ike Taylor

Woodson and Williams are ball hawks, Ike Taylor and Bryant McFadden are caretakers who don’t allow big plays. Woodson is a Hall of Famer and he is the differentiator here. This one is clearly the Packers.

Advantage: PACKERS

Safeties: Charlie Peprah and Nick Collins vs. Troy Polamalu and Ryan Clark

This is easily the weak link for the Packers. For the Steelers this is their differentiator. Troy Polamalu is simply the best player on the field Sunday. He now has had two weeks to recover and we expect him at full strength. Ryan “Crash” Clark is a big hitter and very experienced.

Advantage: STEELERS

Special Teams:

This is clearly the Packers. Neither team has a spectacular return game. While Suisham has been solid since his pick up his kickoffs are mediocre. Crosby is a safer bet. The punters are a wash, but I would lean towards a guy who wasn’t pumping gas when the Season started. Not to mention that every fan reading this blog has gotten a stomach ulcer watching special teams.  

Advantage: PACKERS

Coaching: Mike McCarthy v. Mike Tomlin

I have written about this all season. Show me a Coach who loses both his Tackles 2/3 of his D-Line and his star QB for four games and still makes the Super Bowl and I will show you the best Coach in Football Mike Tomlin. With due respect to Bill Bellicheat he wouldn’t have won under these circumstances. I like McCarthy but he is not Tomlin!

Advantage: STEELERS

How we could lose: The Packers have the offensive machinery to jump any team and they will try right off the bat. There is no way they can run on the Steelers but if they get protection Rodgers will be trouble.  

But why we will win: The defense is stifling and look for a huge push up front from the Steelers. The Steelers will run the ball with success and that will be what wins the game, keeping Green Bay’s offense on the sideline and hammering them when they get the chance.

“I am very conscious of the legacy that is the Pittsburgh Steelers, I simply want to add to it. That drives me on a daily basis. I have big respect for the men who have had this job before me.

“All I want to do is to do the job in terms of upholding the standard that is the Pittsburgh Steelers.” – Mike Tomlin

We should all strive for that as fans!!!

Despite being in NY, I am happy to report that the BWG LI tailgate for Super Bowl Sunday will be serving Iron City Beer! 

SKI beverages came through once again! I am en route to pick up the Iron City for Super Bowl Sunday’s outdoor tailgate!

I can’t say thanks enough to Chris from SKI and John of Ronkonkoma Beverages for making this happen! I have asked Captain Tailgate to make them honorary BEER WE GO Nation Members!

John also said he would be willing to work with BWG Members next year in bringing in Iron City for the regular season!  

Lake Ronkonkoma Beverages – more info »

S.K.I. Wholesale Beer Corporation – more info »

169 Gardner Ave, Brooklyn, NY (718) 821-7200

In a very close vote, some would say by a hair. (Get it) Troy Polamalu beat out Clay Matthews for top defensive player of the year. Troy becomes the sixth Steeler to win the prestigious award. Lets hope Troy beats him again Sunday!  

Coming in third in the voting is our hero Silverback. Of course being the baddest man in the NFL he had few words to say but all of them complimentary for his teammate, “Troy brings this defense from a ‘C’ defense to an ‘A’ defense. He’s someone that you have to account for in the secondary.”

“Game-changing plays,” Steelers teammate Lamarr Woodley said. “I mean, you look at all the plays Troy’s made — game-changing plays. … So many game-changing plays to go out there and help win football games. Things that he [does], not only in the secondary — coming up, tackling backs in the backfield. Troy does it all.”

Prior to the Steelers winning the conference title former Steeler Santonio Holmes had this to say, “With all due respect, I honestly think Troy Polamalu is probably the greatest player I’ve ever played with or even seen play in person, Everybody has their one person they think is the greatest player. In my eyes, I think he’s the greatest player I’ve ever played with.”

Of course both Matthews and Harrison were awesome candidates. In his second season Matthews was dominant and he will be on the watch list Sunday vs. The Steelers.

As for Harrison he has a non-stop motor and everyone fears him. I look forward to him putting on a show on Sunday.

It was a great award for the Steelers as a team as well. I think Captain Tailgate hit it best when he mentioned that the play that turned this season around was the Troy sack fumble against the Ratbirds!

BEER WE GO STEELERS!