BTSC Steelers Daily Six Pack- Train Wreck Edition

by Frank Mineo (DYMS) on Mar 25, 2009 1:16 PM EDT

IX- With all the talk about the referees and the new rules at the annual NFL Owners meeting, a few tidbits about referees have been lost in the shuffle. The NFL Vice President of officiating Mike Pereira stated that the ruling on the Polamalu touchdown in November against San Diego was a "Train Wreck." The article from the Washington Post also states that Pereira is retiring after the end of the 2009 season, and a successor should be named shortly.

X- Mike Tomlin was disappointed he wasn't able to participate with his players, the other coaches, and Steeler staff after their victory in Super Bowl XLIII. Instead, he was being interviewed by the media and participating in the ceremonial routine. He thinks there has to be a way so that coaches and key players aren't forced to miss those few special moments that cannot be re-created.

XIII- In a previous six-pack I linked to Adam JT13's mock of the compensatory picks, he got a whopping 26 of his projections spot on. He has since posted a reaction and he is as stumped as we are regarding why the Steelers only received a fifth round, he even says that the Pittsburgh media should demand an answer from the league. Mondessi's House also has a similar reaction, I am really wondering what it will take for the Steelers front office or the Pittsburgh Media to demand some answers from the NFL.

XIV- Even though the Steelers won an NFL record 6^th Super Bowl championship they are still not the most popular team in professional sports, heck they aren't even the second most popular team. Check out the USA Today article to find out who is ahead of the Steelers in that poll.

XL- Warning: Watch your dogs; Michael Vick is out of jail.

XLIII- Here's a link to a podcast from Steel Curtain Radio that delves into the nitty gritty of Salary Cap numbers with Ian Whetstone of Steel City Insiders. Talk radio in general is a medium that allows for more in-depth analysis than quite possibly any other form of mass media, at least when it is done correctly.

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What I think is interesting is that according to the NFL the comp pick “formula” for the steelers only included Faneca, Haggans, and Moore for their comp picks. Keyaron Fox isn’t even part of it.

So Moore is apparently the equal of Haggans and most of Faneca combined. He’s that good.

Don't worry about the haters. Haters only hate.

by steelguy99 on Mar 25, 2009 1:25 PM EDT reply actions

yep,

somehow I feel like melwede moore deserves a new nickname for his efforts.

I'll drink your Milkshake, I'll drink it up!

by Frank Mineo (DYMS) on Mar 25, 2009 1:30 PM EDT up reply actions

According to him Haggans and Moore should cancel out

Fox and St. Pierre apparently don’t qualify for the compensation formula because of their low salaries. And in this guru’s formula, Haggans and Moore should cancel each other out, leaving the Steelers with a third-rounder for Faneca. But how can anyone argue that Haggans and Moore should cancel each other out? Haggans was a backup linebacker and special teamer who played 11 games and had a total of 19 tackles. Haggans signed a one-year contract last year for about $1.3 million, Moore a three-year contract worth an average of about $1.7 million. He was a part-time starter, full-time contributor and produced 1,114 total yards and six touchdowns. And while they might not be part of the compensation formula, Fox played all year as a key guy on special teams while St. Pierre did not play a down. Maybe we could have been given a fourth-rounder but this award is not really unfair in my opinion.

This could also be one of the reasons why the Steelers are re-signing their free agents rather than looking elsewhere. By re-signing Kemo and Essex rather than going after other teams’ free agents, they are not contributing to next year’s compensation formula. Right now it is two lost (maybe three if Anthony Smith counts) and none added. If Leftwich and Marvel Smith sign elsewhere, and we don’t add anyone, then we could be looking at four additional draft picks next year going into an uncapped season. I think four for one team is the maximum.

by steeler.lifer on Mar 25, 2009 1:57 PM EDT reply actions

Fox and St. Pierre definitely aren’t part of the calculation they release that information.

I see your point about the performance but their contracts are very similar…1.3 to 1.7 should just about cancel out.

I'll drink your Milkshake, I'll drink it up!

by Frank Mineo (DYMS) on Mar 25, 2009 2:18 PM EDT up reply actions

This whole situation should be transparent

The NFL does a disservice to fans by keeping their compensation formuia a “secret” and mysterious to even an astute guru such as the guy who annually makes so many correct predictions. This is an entertainment industry, not homeland security. The only logical explanation for the fifth-rounder is that Moore’s performance was so much greater than Haggans that it had to negate the loss of Faneca to some degree. But there’s no reason to leave everyone in the dark and promote “the NFL hates us” malarkey from fans of different teams.

by steeler.lifer on Mar 25, 2009 5:34 PM EDT up reply actions

I wasn’t going to be surprised if the 5th was given including Keyaron Fox. Without him though…

It’s amusing that one could reasonably make the argument that Faneca and Moore cancel out and we were awarded a 5th for Haggans.

Don't worry about the haters. Haters only hate.

by steelguy99 on Mar 25, 2009 3:07 PM EDT up reply actions

Vick is going back to jail

and Sarah Palin is still out there gutting moose with a bowie knife.

by 40s on Mar 25, 2009 2:13 PM EDT reply actions

Let’s avoid the politics

by WolfpackSteelersFan on Mar 25, 2009 4:48 PM EDT up reply actions

no politics, just an observation on how we dole out ethics. Depending on the animal you kill you can be a sinner or a saint. Vick got exotic; should have just shot wolves from a helicopter.

by 40s on Mar 25, 2009 5:21 PM EDT up reply actions

For that matter, why not just point out that there wouldn’t have been nearly the outcry if he had raped a woman? I believe I heard that Pittsburgh journalist pointed this out and was fired for it. But, it, unfortunately, is true that athletes get charged with mistreating women and it’s a one day story whereas the Vick story went on for months.

by WolfpackSteelersFan on Mar 25, 2009 6:48 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

Interesting discussion

We do have different rules for different behaviors. The wolf example is a good one. I also bet some of the people who judged Vick went home and had Veal or Foie Gras that very night. Let’s just say we have no lack of cruelty to animals in this country.

I don’t know much about the Vick case, so I will avoid judgments related to him, but I know that dog fighting and cock fighting have been popular in America for a long time. It’s part of certain cultures. People do illegal stuff all the time. People smoke pot. Are they doing ethically wrong? Was drinking ethically wrong during the depression?

Also a great point by Wolfpack regarding abuse of women. There are many athletes (some who are well admired on this site) who hit women. For the most part if they are on “our” team, we prefer to forgive and forget unless evidence is just TOO ugly.

The other thing that bothered me about the Vick case is the strange way football and dog fighting are alike. Dogs are chosen, bred and trained to be lethal fighters. They compete against other dogs until their bodies are ruined or they die. They do this to the great amusement of an audience that has money on the line.

Yes, football is very different. The players are rewarded handsomely. They don’t die. Many of them truly love to do it. Their is an element of sportsmanship that elevates the whole thing to a meaningful and beautiful sport that I and many other people love to watch.

But still there are moments where the shear brutality of it just can’t be ignored. Football is a violent game and the most violent team wins.

I am in no way in favor of cruelty to animals. In fact apart from football I believe very much in non-violence. Its interesting to me that a society that seems to revel and enjoy violence in so many forms can be so entirely shocked by this incident.

by SteelerBuddha on Mar 25, 2009 8:19 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

You are absolutely right

Take Mike Tyson for example.

"The team that scores the most points wins."
John Madden
(Master of the obvious)

by PixburghArn on Mar 26, 2009 8:41 AM EDT up reply actions

Vick

Everywhere I read, the majority view seems to be that ‘Vick has paid his debt to society, good luck to him’. Personally, I think if you earn a gazillion dollars a year for playing football and then get your jollies torturing and murdering animals for fun and profit, you should be left out in the cold permanently.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not just Vick – he’s just super high profile – it’s the celebrity ’I’m sorry, can I have my job back now?!’ culture that pervades and it’s sickening to me. There are plenty of talented young players out there who haven’t decided that money and fame entitles them to discard morals and a sense of decency, how about they get a shot instead of the inevitable payday that Vick will get from some struggling side?

Sorry for the rant all, I don’t really post much so probably an unwelcome start but I REALLY dislike that guy.

by taffysaint on Mar 25, 2009 3:22 PM EDT reply actions

RE:Compensation Pick

My first post, but I’ve been visiting this site for a while now.

I just read here: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09085/958403-66.stm
that under the rules you can not receive a 3rd rounder for a 10 year veteran. And Faneca just completed his 12th season according to the article.

by In a Flash on Mar 26, 2009 2:38 AM EDT reply actions