Those boring old Steelers, never anything to talk about in the off season, or so some may think. Uhmmm!! Since we already discussed their non-existing free agency activity in part 1 of this series I guess we should move on to the rest of the so called boring Steelers off season adventures.

Those boring old Steelers, never anything to talk about in the off season, or so some may think. Uhmmm!! Since we already discussed their non-existing free agency activity in part 1 of this series I guess we should move on to the rest of the so called boring Steelers off season adventures.

Sale of the Steelers
I had a dream a while back, well not so much a dream but more of a nightmare. While zoned into my nightly r.e.m stage on that cold dark eve, I found myself tossing and turning and waking up terrified after dreaming that the Rooney’s sold the team. Yes they did the unthinkable, the ultimate sin to a Steelers fan.

The actual sale was not the scary part. The part that had me shaking and shivering when I awoke was that the new owner was in the Daniel Snyder and Jimmy Jones mold. He was a multi-billionaire who saw the team as his new toy. Not the ultra conservative and football savvy type we are used to. He was a win at all cost and mortgages the team’s future to buy a ring type.

The new owner made his first move by trading Hines Ward for Chad Ocho Cinco. Then he signed T.O to replace the departed Nate Washington. After that he opened up the cookie jar to buy the services of Albert Haynesworth then started talks with Denver to acquire Jay Cutler.

That was just the beginning. His next moves where to trade our first round draft pick to Dallas for the rights to ‘Pac man’ Jones. Then he wasted our second rounder by sending it to Atlanta for Mike Vick. Next he called up Troy Polamalu and demanded he get a haircut…. Well you get the picture.

Thank god it was just a dream because the actual sale did happen, but the team stayed in the Rooney family. It was a brother verse brother smack down for the ages but in the end Dan and his boy Art, was proclaimed the victors and to them went the spoils of keeping control of the league’s best run franchise. Sure they added a few silent investors but in the end our prayers were answered and we all lived happily ever after.

Dan Rooney hires a moving van
What can you say about this one? It’s the ultimate you scratch my ass I scratch yours scenario. Mr. Rooney was an integral part in President Obama being elected so he got rewarded with a ticket to Ireland and free government housing for the next few years. Which kind of pisses me off because I voted for Obama too, so where is my government salary and free housing? Hell I would settle for some of that bailout money the big rich bankers got. Oh well……

The problem I see with this move is one that won’t affect the Steelers as much as one that will hurt the league as a whole. The Rooney’s have been instrumental in so many league changing moments over the years that Dan’s influence and experience, when the league and players association decide to sit down and work out a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) in the near future, his presence will be missed more than many may think.

I both congratulate Dan and wish him luck in his new job, but god I hope he doesn’t suffer one of those infamous leprechaun attacks Ireland is well known for. If Lucky Charms touches one hair on his head, I promise to demand a recount and ask for my vote back then lead a revolution to find that little bastard and steel his freaking pot ‘o gold.

He Said What?
You didn’t actually think Mike Tomlin would pick his own team to repeat as AFC Champs again in 2009, did you? Of course, Tomlin, always one to keep things of what he says in mind, went so far as to pick the rival Ravens (Purple Browns to this blogger) as the team to beat in the AFC North in 09.

“They won 11 games last year with a rookie head coach and a rookie quarterback,” Tomlin said Tuesday at the meetings. “They have a good football team. They have a great defense; they have a quarterback who proved he’s their quarterback of the future. You have to respect that.”

Hmmm…maybe it’s just Tomlin reminding his team that even though they are going to wear shiny rings on their fingers in 09 as a reminder of a Super Bowl title, there is going to be plenty of challenges ahead, starting with teams in their own division, the best of the three, being the Purple Browns. The Steelers swept the PB’s in three games in 2008, but all three were very close, winning by three, four, and then needing a late pick and TD to win by nine in the AFC title game.

I get the psychology behind this mumbo-jumbo but let’s jump in the time machine and go back to this time last year and Tomlin picking the fake Browns as the North Division winner. We all see how that panned out. The ‘Stains’ proved to be over rated and their so called savior additions to the team, Donte “I can’t drive 55 or sober” Stallworth and Shawn “Lazy ass” Rogers, proved to be a waste of money and traded draft picks.

The Ravens where a great defense but they lost Bart Scott to the J.E.T.S and cut their two best Cornerbacks, not to mention they lost the heart of that defense when the coordinator flew the coop to coach in the Big Apple. Which will lead to another over rated and one year wonder team?

My BOLD prediction, the Steelers win the AFC North by 3 games.

Speaking of those Purple Ratbirds…

“There were rumors that the NFL would begin this season with Ravens-Steelers, a rematch of the AFC championship game, for its Thursday night game. But the Ravens asked not to be considered for a prime-time game at Heinz Field this season when they submitted their scheduling requests to the league, a team official told The Baltimore Sun.”

I love ya Coach but to pick a team with a yellow stripe down their back makes no sense to me, other than to give your players a good chuckle. If the ‘Purple Browns’ are afraid to play the Steelers under the bright lights, what they hell is there to make one believe they can beat the Northern Bullies of Pittsburgh?

Ouch My Jaw!!
I know it is a source of pride for a lot of Steelers fans that their smiling wide receiver Hines Ward blocks like a maniac. He lowered his helmet on Ed Reed, broke Keith Rivers’ jaw, blew up Bart Scott and achieved a $5000 fine for hitting Daven Holly in a helmet to helmet in a game against the Browns.

Holly went on to miss the next game with a concussion, Rivers would miss the rest of his rookie season and Bart Scott played back-alley tuff guy by threatening to kill Ward, though till this day, has done nothing to back up those mighty words.

Even though every one of those hits where legal blocks, the tiny WR from the Burgh has gained a repetition around the league as being dirty. I say grow up and take a hit like a man. It is tackling football for cripes sack. But the league moved one step close to Rogers’s visions of the National Flag Football League today, with new safety rules.

“The third accepted proposal involves a play in which Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Hines Ward made a block that resulted in a broken jaw for Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Keith Rivers. A 15-yard penalty will be enforced if a player delivers a blind-side block to the head of a defender using his helmet, forearm or shoulder.”

All I can say is WTF? So much for practicing blocking or working out with a tackling dummy, I guess teams need to buy some little red hankies, tie them to their hips and start playing capture the flag ball. I mean when a WR can no longer make a block in the NFL what has the world come too?

Welcome Back Burress

By now I am sure you all have read the news from Giant-ville about troubled wide out Plaxico Burress being released. I bet some of you secretly even have fantasies about the Steelers bringing him back into the fold. Yup Big Ben to Plax part 2!! Before you get all caught up in the past though, let me tell you a true story.

I was excited as anyone when Burress was drafted to the Burgh. He was the WR we all dreamt about. The prototypical superman the draft gurus boost about. He gave Hines Ward a legitimate sidekick, bla, bla, bla…

Then came Burress’s second season as a Steeler and the beginning of training camp for him and his teammates. I was as happy as a hooker with a new set of batteries for her toy ‘rabbit’. I packed up the car and headed down to Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, like any good Steeler fan would. I set up my lawn chair on the hill side and awaited the day’s events to begin.

After about an hour, out came the Steeler players ready for practice. With each and every player running at full stride, toward the field ready to get r done. Except for one who lagged behind? He walked with his helmet in his hands and as he got closer into my view I was able to make out his number, then his face, it was Plax, my new found hero. “Damn maybe he is hurt” I thought, thinking I made the 140 mile trip and would miss seeing him in live action.

I turned to a friend of mine who is able to spend allot more time attending the practice sessions then myself and asked if Burress was indeed injured. His response caught me by surprise. “Nope that’s just Plax being Plax…….”

I didn’t think much more of it at that time but when it came time for some passing drills and Burress to finally strap on his helmet I got excited. The first player to run his route was Hines Ward and he ran at full speed, sprinting into his pattern and leaping to make a great catch. The second was Randle El; he too kicked in the after burners and made a nice snag while garnering a loud cheer from the crowd.

Up next was my boy Plax, finally I thought, he was going to show me something and get his ass in gear. Burress would not though and from that moment forward he would only let me down. He lined up and at the balls snap proceeded to jog out his route and fumble a perfectly thrown ball to the ground as it slipped through his hands.

The rest of the day was more of the same as he would continue to run lazy routes and drop perfect spirals, all the while laughing it off like no big deal, like it did not matter to him that he looked like shit to all his fans.

That day at camp pretty much sums up his time in Pittsburgh. He took nothing serious and cared very little about becoming a better player. His only concern was Plaxico Burress. Sure he had some great moments for us, but he had just as many boneheaded drops as well. Hate to say it but I was glad to see him leave via free agency.

Now rewind to the beginning of this section of the post. “I bet some of you secretly even have fantasies about the Steelers bringing him back into the fold. Yup Big Ben to Plax part 2!!” All I can say to that is, ARE YOU CRAZY?

Though it will never happen, I know some of you where thinking it, hoping for it, maybe even praying for it. Well let me set the story straight… ARE YOU CRAZY? Sorry guys it had to be said twice to get my point across.

Burress is a cancer. Giving him a locker would be a waste of space. He belongs in Bungle Town with those other delinquents. Send him to Dallas, let him play for Cinncy, sign him to a CFL team, but the day he comes back to Pittsburgh it better be as a visiting player and the enemy and not him wearing the beloved Black n Gold.

Well that’s it for Part 2 of this series folks. Look for the final installment of this series on Wednesday April 8, 2009. In Part 3, we will talk some Steelers draft day thoughts, discuss last year’s draft picks and their possible impact on the 2010 season and release our full 7 round, Steelers mock draft, for everyone to discuss.

To read pt 1 of this series visit Pittsburgh-Blitz.com