Behind the Steel Curtain: FanPosts

My Father's Day FanPost

2013-06-16T17:02:31Z

I read Neal's request this morning for more FanPost's and decided to fire this off. Hope all the BTSC fathers out there have a great day... So I'm a father of two boys. I have a 14 year-old about to enter high school and a 5-month old about to enter teething. Interesting spacing between the two, I know. Let's just say there were some twists and turns to my life in between. Anyway, we live in South Jersey in the heart of Eagles country and are therefore not "natural" Steelers fans. I became a Steelers fan while watching Super Bowl X as a boy. It was the legendary Jack Lambert/Cliff Harris altercation that did it... #58 becoming a superhero in my 7-year old eyes as he hurtled the pathetic, pseudo-menacing Harris to the ground for heckling our kicker... and I've been hooked on the Black n' Gold ever since. My oldest son became a Steelers fan in a not-so-different way. He was also 7 and he was also watching the Steelers play in a Super Bowl. Super Bowl XL vs the Seahawks, to be precise. It was the first Super Bowl I'd allowed him to stay up to watch. He had liked the Carolina Panthers up to that point in his brief football life, mainly because he thought the Panther emblem on their helmets was cool. But I was convinced a Super Bowl victory by the Steelers would convert him. Things didn't look good at the outset, however. We were awful early on in that game and I believe his ears were privy to some choice vocabulary words he'd never heard from his Daddy before. He and I played knee football in the living room during the commercials so I could release some nervous energy. At halftime we performed a voodoo ceremony of a picture of a Seahawks player he'd drawn by throwing it into our fireplace and sacrificing it to the football gods. It must have worked, because when the 2nd half started Willie Parker ripped off that magical 75 yard TD run (running Power, no less, my favorite football play of all-time). I nearly knocked my son over with a huge high-five. A short time later, though, while driving for what seemed like a nail-in-the-coffin score, Ben woefully underthrew a Steeler receiver (Cedric Wilson maybe?) at the goal line and it was picked and returned nearly all the way by a Seahawk DB. What should have been a 21-3 game was quickly 14-10 and the mood in my house took a turn for the worse. That's when my son saved me. "Daddy," he said, noticing my despair, "let's go jump on the trampoline. That will cheer you up." And so we did. In the pitch-black, ice cold February night, my seven year-old son and I went into the backyard and jumped on the trampoline during the Super Bowl. And yes my wife was pissed because it was a stupid thing to do, and no I didn't care what she thought at that moment, and of course we laughed our butts off and all of the stress and anxiety I'd felt went away. When we went back inside, the game slowly shifted back in our favor until the Randle El-to-Hines gadget play finally gave us that long-awaited One for the Thumb. My son has been a Steelers fan ever since. And yes, I do believe his idea to jump on the trampoline changed the momentum of that game and won us the Super Bowl. You're welcome, Steelers fans. So now I have a five month-old who has no idea what football is. He will, however. And when he does, he'll become a Steelers fan, too. I won't force him to be. It'll just sort of happen the way these things are supposed to happen between fathers and sons. Hopefully, he'll follow the family tradition and have his awakening during another Super Bowl victory. But whenever it comes, I'll love it. I don't believe in too many certainties in life but I do believe this: there's nothing better than watching a Steelrs game with your kids. Happy Father's Day, everyone. As always, Go Steelers!

What does Behind the Steel Curtain think of Mike Tomlin?

2013-06-16T15:37:09Z

Hello. I am ak4niner, a die-hard 49er fan. I am going to be posting this over all 32 SBN NFL sites to try to answer a question that I have had for the past year or so.

How do coaches rank among fans?

I’m going to do a little twist on this though. I am not going to set up a ranking system (like I think Harbaugh is #1, blah blah blah), or have you discuss any coaches other than your own. I want to know what the fans of your team think of your coach. After a week or two (timing based off of when I can sneak away to work on this) I am going to look over all 32 fanposts I have made and use the comments to make an “expert” analysis of what fans think of their coach. (Expert meaning I use my 3 synapses to write it, and the monkeys do the editing.)

There are only two things I ask.

One, be honest. I don’t care what direction the posts take us down, but be honest. If you think your coach is the greatest of all time, say so! If you think he doesn’t even deserve to be a dog catcher, then let us know. I am going to try to not let any personal bias creep in when doing the final document.

Two, please only fans of this team comment here. I want to do this ranking based off of each team’s opinion of their own coach. I only ask this so I can save myself time generating the final document. I will filter the comments as necessary.

Thank you for your help in this.

Hello. I am ak4niner, a die-hard 49er fan. I am going to be posting this over all 32 SBN NFL sites to try to answer a question that I have had for the past year or so.

How do coaches rank among fans?

There are only two things I ask.

Thank you for your help in this.

Third person apprehended in Florida for stabbing Mike Adams (Mugshot)

2013-06-16T14:56:33Z

For three Pittsburgh men to stab a player is stupid and cowardly. I dont get what these three idiots were doing. I mean honestly you rob one of the biggest men in Pittsburgh. If I planned on robbing someone I wouldnt pick out a 6'8, 300 lb man. That was stupid, and now these idiots will all face major penalties for their assault.

http://nfldraftzone.com/draft-news/third-suspect-who-stabbed-mike-adams-was-apprehended-in-florida-mugshot/

Sapp is at it again...

2013-06-13T03:01:49Z

Seriously? Is this all NFL.com and NFL Network has to offer in the dead NFL news feed that is June and July? We get another article about Warren Sapp calling the Steelers Defense "Old and Slow".

From NFL.com:

Asked Wednesday on NFL Network's "NFL Total Access" if he'd still call the Steelers' defense "old and slow," Sapp didn't hesitate.

"Old and slow? Yes, I would," Sapp said. "Because seven of the 11 starters are 28 years or older, and that's around the time, in this league, they go to questioning, you know, 'Where's his legs? Should we look for the backup?

"And Brett Keisel, bless his soul, No. 99 in your program, No. 1 in your heart, he turns 35 the first month of the year. And three of the four secondary guys there are 32 years old or older."

These doldrums that we are sitting through have to be the silliest time of the year for me. The bottom-of-the-barrel stuff that comes out always seems to give me a laugh. Warren Sapp is a joke.

Seriously? Is this all NFL.com and NFL Network has to offer in the dead NFL news feed that is June and July? We get another article about Warren Sapp calling the Steelers Defense "Old and Slow".

From NFL.com:

Asked Wednesday on NFL Network's "NFL Total Access" if he'd still call the Steelers' defense "old and slow," Sapp didn't hesitate.

"And Brett Keisel, bless his soul, No. 99 in your program, No. 1 in your heart, he turns 35 the first month of the year. And three of the four secondary guys there are 32 years old or older."

These doldrums that we are sitting through have to be the silliest time of the year for me. The bottom-of-the-barrel stuff that comes out always seems to give me a laugh. Warren Sapp is a joke.

LONGSNAPPERS - WHY?

2013-06-11T18:22:41Z

Can someone please explain why this isn't the first spot teams look to for position flexibility and extra roster spots? Is it really so different from a shotgun snap that Pouncey can reliably do the one but not the other? Is it really so hard that NONE of the backup linemen can learn this trick and get themselves a roster spot that way too? Think of Legursky: a fine backup Center who just wasn't big enough to handle duties as a backup Guard too. That lack of position flexibility cost him his job. But if he could reliably hike the ball to a punter, he'd still be there?

This makes no sense to me unless the task is so unique (like punting itself) that otherwise great athletes can't master the trick. But I don't see why or how that should be! If anyone can explain this, please do. I can't be the only one who wants to know.

Will Johnson: The Secret Weapon???

2013-06-11T02:45:07Z

via 24.media.tumblr.com

In a report by Trib Live reporter Mark Kaboly, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been designing more pass plays for fullback Will Johnson. Neither offensive coordinator Todd Haley or running backs coach Kirby Wilson have specifically told Johnson he will be more involved in the passing game , but from the looks of three weeks of OTA's the Steelers may be hinting at it .

Heath Miller's knee injury and no viable replacement to put a sustainable dent in his team high 71 receptions , the Steelers may turn to will Johnson , their bruising but soft handed fullback to fill the void. Miller facing the possibility of being out at least the first half of the season , could be an opening for Johnson to showcase his talents and become an integral part of the Steelers offense. "We are doing a lot more; that's been evident (during OTAs)," Johnson said. "In the red zone, they put some angle routes in there for me. We are doing a lot of things. If they are impressed, they will show me by adding plays where I can get out in some routes, particularly in space. That's how I will know if they are interested in using my hands."

Becoming an integral part of the Steelers offense last year , Johnson started 7 games after becoming the emergency starter after David Johnson was lost for the season with a torn ACL. Will Johnson rushing 2 times for 7 yards but was a force in blocking and more importantly in the passing game catching 15 of 22 targeted passes for 137 yards and 1 TD. Johnson's main interest is continuing his Cinderella type story from working three part time jobs to starting fullback in the NFL."I will do whatever I can do to make myself more valuable to the team, and if that means catching passes, then I am fine with that," Johnson said. "You have to be ready for everything, but my main focus will always be blocking. I don't mind catching the ball that's fine and all but first and foremost is blocking.I want to perfect my craft," Johnson said. "I want to become a better coachable player, and if there was anything that was lacking last season, I am trying to focus in on that and sharpen that."

Johnson was on the field a lot. He played in as many as 32 snaps (about half of the offense snaps per game) a handful of times last year. Johnson's biggest problem last year was sustaining blocks."My initial attack is there, but I need to stay on them longer and finish them," he said.So Johnson is working out with the tight ends hitting the blocking sled and working on line-of-scrimmage blocking to help him when he is in the standup position outside the tight end."Every day I am learning something different, especially using the outside zone scheme," Johnson said. "You can see that I am still learning how to read it."

A great attitude that seems to be in the mentality of every player on the roster. Johnson could emerge as not only a secret weapon , but as a young leader of this team as well. His example of the embracing of the "do whatever it takes to help this team win" attitude can hopefully be enveloped and ingested into each player's mentality this season as the Steelers strive for their 7th Super Bowl ring and championship.

via 24.media.tumblr.com

Steelers new run stuffer Omar Hunter could take over the starting nose tackle job

2013-06-08T20:12:17Z

Today I was searching the website of the Pittsburgh Steelers to see one of the only places they haven’t named a starter was the nose tackle position. The Steelers have a four year veteran from Troy University on their roster who is second, but there is one name you need to keep an eye on. That is Omar Hunter who is a massive defensive tackle that can move and take on double team blocks. He is very talented and was one of the reasons that the Florida linebackers were able to make plays on the ball. Hunter shut down the middle of the field for the Gators and was a very spectacular force on the defensive side of the ball. Big “O” stands at 6′ foot even but weighs 318 pounds. He reminds me a lot of Kyle Williams from Buffalo, because of his motor. Remember this name in mini camp, this could become your new starter in week one Steelers fans. I had the pleasure to sit down with the massive run stuffer, listen to how he breaks down film and find a little more about him.

http://nfldraftzone.com/draft-news/steelers-new-run-stuffer-omar-hunter-could-take-over-the-starting-nose-tackle-job/

Poll

Could Omar Hunter take over the starting spot?

C/G Doug Legursky

2013-06-07T04:59:24Z

Hey guys! I am a die hard Buffalo Bills fan. As you know we (Buffalo Bills) just signed free agent C/G Doug Legursky. I would like to know if any of you guys or gals would be able to shed some information about him. Is he a hard worker? What was the reason for him getting released? Is he injury proned? Is he a head case on and/or off of the field? Does he have that tenacity to take on rushers? etc. Any and all responses are welcomed. Thank you in advanced for your participation.

Out with the old In with the new

2013-06-07T01:50:49Z

Every team and it's fans have to experience their beloved veterans leave or retire. It seems as if Steelers fans have had to deal with it the most the past two years. The good thing is before they do move on from their veteran, they give them time to develop the young fresh players that will eventually take their place and one day enjoy their own special place in the hearts of Steelers fans around the world.

Let's start with the one and only, the quarterback position. Now in no way am I saying that Landry Jones was drafted to replace Ben Roethlisberger, but wherever he goes in his NFL career, there is no better quarterback to sit back and learn from than big Ben himself. But I added him on this list because he is a young guy learning from a veteran.

On to the only other offensive position on this list, the tight end position. Heath Miller is one of the best in the business and he is a great mentor to David Paulson. I think David Paulson contributed a lot more than expected last year and if he improves this year, I think he can be considered an eventual replacement for Heath Miller. I also think Heath Miller will have a lot to do with his development and can't wait to see what he does this year.

Now to the many positions on defense on this list. Starting with the defensive line, Steelers fans have been spoiled with players like Keisel, Aaron smith and Hampton over the past decade. Now 2 of those 3 are gone and all 3 replacements are on the roster. For players like ziggy hood and Cameron Heyward, working behind Aaron smith and brett Keisel should definitely help their development. Aaron smith will be back this summer as a scout and he should continue to help. Now the NT position, big snack has anchored the defensive line for more than a decade, and his time in Pittsburgh as of now is over. Fans are anxious to see what Steve McClendon can do as a full time starter, but for an undrafted free agent, Casey Hampton definitely helped the development of the kid. I can't wait to see ziggy, Steve and Heyward anchor the line to see what they can have learned from their successors.

To the inside linebacker position, this may be surprising but rookie Vince Williams. I am rooting for this kid to make it and do great just because there is no other inside linebacker who really has a shot to take over for Larry foote. Larry foote did sign a 3 year contract, but I doubt he sees year 2 of it. Vince Williams has impressed so far, and being compared to Larry foote, why not sit back and learn from him. Larry foote has been a very successful Inside linebacker for the steelers and will be a good mentor for Vince Williams to learn from. He does nothing great, but does everything good.

The secondary is filled with players on this list. If there is a young cornerback in the league to model your game after, model it after Ike Taylor's. The man puts himself in the best shape possible and it pays off on the field. The young cornerbacks on the roster have definitely used Ike taylor as a mentor. Look at the success they have had. Keenan Lewis just signed a big contract and Cortez Allen is the future of the position. Both were not high draft picks, so they had to be developed. Hopefully Ike taylor can teach a thing or two to terry Hawthorne too, and if so, the cornerback position has a bright future for the steelers. The safety position also has 2 studs manning the position. Ryan Clark and Troy polamalu have been probably the best safety tandem in the entire NFL over the past couple years. It's about time for them to pass down their knowledge of being a great safety tandem to youngsters Robert golden and shamarko Thomas. The two look to be the eventual replacements for the 2 great safeties and there is really no one better to learn for . They each have characteristics of the other two, which makes it even better for them to learn from. Between the cornerback and safety positions, the steelers have left their young replacements in good hands, and don't forget that Carnell lake will be coaching them.

Last but not least, the punter position. Like I said in my project roster, I don't think Brian moorman was brought in to compete with drew butler, I think he was brought in to help develop him. Brian has been one of the most successful punters in the league in the past decade, but his career is coming to an end. Drew butler has tremendous upside, and with brian moorman as a mentor, he could have a long, great career with the Pittsburgh steelers.

So there you have it, let me know what you think!

Projected 53 man roster

2013-06-06T19:30:50Z

As comes with every offseason and the end of OTA's are wounding down, training camp is right ahead of us and speculation of different position battles starts to arise. Here is your projected 53 man roster for the 2013 Pittsburgh Steelers.

QB-3 Ben Roehtlisberger is the obvious starter and Bruce Gradkowski was brought in to be the backup. Landry Jones was drafted to sit back and learn from one of the best Qb's of this generation for a couple seasons. 1. Ben Roethlisberger 2. Bruce Gradkowski 3. Landry Jones

RB-4 There is a pretty heated battle coming up in training camp for who is going to start in the backfield. Leveon Bell was drafted so high for a reason, so he should start eventually. Jonathan Dywer and Isaac Redman will battle for the backup running back position. Larod Stephens Howling will be last years Chris Rainey and your change of pace back. Baron Batch is the odd man out. 1. Leveon Bell 2. Jonathan Dywer 3. Isaac Redman 4. Larod Stephens Howling

FB-1 Will Johnson was definitely a suprise last year. The only competition that could come at the fullback position will be if David Johnson decides to play fullback, but I think he is focusing at tight end. Will Johnson will definitely get more touches this year and will flourish in Todd Haleys system for years to come. 1. Will Johnson

TE-3 The Steelers have consistently carried 3 tight ends on their roster. Heath Miller is the starter if he is healthy. I expect David Paulson to improve greatly his sophmore year and the Steelers offense could improve dramatically if he does. Could you imagine with a workhorse running back behind a young and energetic offensive line and improved fullback, speedy veteran wide receivers, and 2 very good tight ends. If Haley could use the 2 tight end sets like the Patriots, the Steelers will have a very dangerous offense. Matt Spaeth is last years Leonard Pope and will be primarily used as a blocking tight end. 1. Heath Miller 2. David Paulson 3. Matt Spaeth

O LIne-8 The Steelers offensive line has taken a huge step forward this offseason led by Maurkice Pouncey. First off, they are all healthy besides Mike Adams stabbing incident, but that's not a football related injury and he should be ready by the start of training camp. The starters should go from left to right Marcus Gilbert, Ramon Foster, Maurkice Pouncey, David Decastro, and Mike Adams. Kelvin Beachum may even overtake Ramon Foster for the starting guard spot, which I think would make the line even better. If not, Beachum will back up at least the guard positions, maybe even the center and both tackle positions. John Maleki will have to work for his spot, but I think he will make it as a backup guard and center. Guy Whimper is a veteran and will backup the tackle positions.

WR-6 There are many different ways the Steelers can go with the wide receivers. The starters are Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders. Markus Wheaton is a lock to make the roster and should take over the third WR position. Jerricho Cotchery is the softspoken veteran of the group, and he should stick with the team for at least this season. That leaves 2 more positions. Plaxico Burress has been the favorite, but Justin Brown could come up and take his spot. The two have very similar body styles, both having height that the other receivers lack. Justin is a cheaper option, a younger option, has more upside because of his age and has experience on special teams. All that is working against Plaxico and I would say that the Steelers try to develop Justin Brown. The last receiver, well you will find out who that is later. 1. Antonio Brown 2. Emmanuel Sanders 3. Markus Wheaton 4. Jerricho Cotchery 5. Justin Brown 6. ???

D Line-7 Not many questions along the defensive line. The starters are probably Ziggy Hood, Steve Mclendon, and Brett Keisel. Cameron Heyward will back up the defensive ends and may even overtake Brett Keisel in training camp. I would like to see that to see him, Ziggy and Steve play next to each other and get some chemistry together. Al Woods has been taking snaps as the backup NT. Rookie Nick Williams has impressed so far and I would say he makes the roster as a backup DE. The last position is another NT and that will be Alameda Tamu.

LB-9 The linebacker positon has been a topic of conversation this offseason. The Steelers have 2 rookie linebackers that have impressed so far and are possibly the future of the position. Lamaar Woodley, Lawrence Timmons, and Larry Foote are all bets to start. There is a competition at right outside linebacker between Jason Worilds and first round pick Jarvis Jones. Usually rookies do not start in Dick's system, but this year could be different if Jarvis shows enough to beat out Jason. The other backup outside linebackers will be Chris Carter and Adrian Robinson. The backup inside linebackers will be Vince Williams and Stevenson Sylvester.

CB-5 Starters Ike Taylor and Cortez Allen should once again shut down opposing wideouts. William Gay was brought in to be the third CB. There is some competition behind that though. Terry Hawthorne could possibly have a bright future with the team if he develops nicely, and Carnell Lake will definitely help the cause. Curtis Brown has been a dissapointment but should make the roster to play special teams. 1. Ike Taylor 2. Cortez Allen 3. William Gay 4. Terry Hawthorne 5. Curtis Brown

S-4 The safety position is once again set with starters Troy Polamalu and Ryan Clark, but for the first time in a while, the backups are not Will Allen and Ryan Mundy. The Steelers will develop Robert Golden and Shamarko Thomas to be eventually take over for the two starters. There is no one better to learn from either. 1. Troy Polamalu 2. Ryan Clark 3. Robert Golden 4. Shamarko Thomas

ST-3 Every offseason the Steelers bring in competition for all 3 special teams positions. Last years starters were Shaun Suisham at kicker, Drew Butler at punter and Greg Warren at long snapper. Their competition this year in order is Danny Hrappman, Brian Moorman and Luke Ingram. Shaun should have no problem beating Danny out because of his stellar season last year. The veteran Greg Warren should beat out Luke Ingram at the LS position unless the Steelers just want to get younger, but Greg is too reliable. I honestly think the only reason Brian Moorman is here is to help out Drew Butler instead of compete with him. Brian has been one of the best punters of the last decade, but he doesn't have too much longer left. Drew Butler has tremendous upside and should improve greatly with Brian helping him out. Now to the 6 WR position and to mainly play special teams, KR/PR Reggie Dunn will make the roster as a 6 WR but will return kicks and punts. K Shaun Suisham P Drew Butler LS Greg Warren KR/PR Reggie Dunn

There is your projected 53 man roster. Tell me what you think!

Legs signs with the Buffalo Bills

2013-06-06T04:35:01Z

NBC Sports has reported that ex-Steeler Free Agent C Doug Legurski has officially signed with the Buffalo Bills. The Bills also hosted former Chargers OG Tyronne Green, but decided to go with Legurski. Legurski is expected to compete with both the backup C spots and the starting LG spot. Their other options at LG are Sam Young, Colin Brown, and Chris Scott (another former Steeler).

Ironically, the Bills also have Kraig Urbik and Keith Williams on their roster, both players being formerly drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Steelers North anyone?

Ironically, the Bills also have Kraig Urbik and Keith Williams on their roster, both players being formerly drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Steelers North anyone?

Tired of being written off in May

2013-06-05T18:55:05Z

As a diehard Steelers fan I keep as up to date as possible on all the Steelers news year round, even through May when nothing of consequence happens except for the occasional off-season move. Watching show after show on NFL Network and ESPN I see the talking heads repeatedly write off the Steelers for this upcoming season with the exception of John Clayton and sometimes Jamie Dukes/Ron Jaworski. For the most part, the commentators have decided that we're not even a playoff team this year and that the Bengals and the Ravens are going to steal all the glory. As a Steelers fan living just outside Baltimore I get to hear all the time about how they're going to repeat, how we're going to be swept, and how it won't even be a challenge.

They say the Steelers are either old, or they lost too many free agents, or they're drafting Landry Jones to replace Big Ben in the near term (Get real), or we're just not good enough to compete in our own division, let alone the entire AFC. I say that it's all BS and that if we can get a little lucky and avoid too many stars getting injured, that we can compete with any team next year.

Point 1: Our oldest player is our punter, Mooreman, at 37. The next oldest is Plexiglass at 35. And the oldest starter is Keisel at 34. The majority of our "old" players are 30-31, which is when most players begin to accrue injuries at a faster rate and begin to slow down, but most of these players are at positions where they're not taking constant hits. We don't have a starting RB, WR, O-Lineman, or OLB over 30. Foote somehow seems to be resisting the entire aging process in the middle of our D. He has obviously slowed a little, but he still lead the team in tackles in 2012. Taylor is over 30, but he's in freakish shape and could probably play at a high level for another 3-5 years (His injury had nothing to do with conditioning). Polamalu and Clark are over 30 and Troy has had recent issues with injuries, but hopefully his changes in his off-season program have helped to correct that issue.

For the most part, our "old' players aren't a hindrance to the Steelers success. There might be a missed tackle here or there, but the leadership and experience they offer more than makes up for it.

Point 2: The free agents we lost this year will be missed, but it happens every year and is to be expected. If the team didn't have a replacement strategy they would have worked harder to keep them. Mike Wallace left so we drafted Markus Wheaton; he won't be the same player and won't contribute as much as Mike would have this year, but he should be able to help us for years to come. The team let Willie Colon walk after he has hit IR several years in a row and will replace him with Ramon Foster/David Decastro. Keenan Lewis left for warmer weather and his replacement (Cortez Allen) had more interceptions and fumbles caused in 2 games than Keenan had in his whole career. Starks is finally being recognized as a valid LT by someone other than the Steelers and he will be missed, as will Big Snack. Mclendon will do his best to fill in for Hampton, but Hampton was ridiculous and those are impossible shoes to fill. Mendenhall didn't help much last year anyways, so adding Le'veon Bell should give our running game a boost even if he's not as amazing as everyone keeps hoping.

One player who will be sorely missed is James Harrison. We might be able to replace his production using Worilds and Jones (Coaches are high on them) as well as possibly Adrian Robinson in the future if he continues to develop, but I don't know if we can ever replace his intimidation factor. Opposing teams are intimidated by Deebo, and how could they not be with his incredible hits and frequent body slams. I'd wish him the best, but now he's helping out a rival.

Point 3: The whole Landry Jones was picked to replace Big Ben thing is BS... Not gonna happen. Maybe if Ben retires in 4 years and we renew Landry's contract. I see him as a younger/cheaper backup QB than Leftwich or Batch.

Point 4: We went to the freakin Super Bowl in 2010 and the playoffs in 2011, when really our team was having a major letdown year. Our 2011 team was fairly sorry and going into that playoff game we didn't seem confident enough or hungry enough to make a run. Last year our team was firing on all cylinders before Ben got hurt. We were 6 - 3 and lost 2 games to bad teams due to overconfidence I think. There's no way that Oakland or Tenn. should have beaten us, but we let our guard down. I think that if the team can remain mostly healthy, we'll be a force to be reckoned with. We have the talent on both offense and defense: Woodley had 9 sacks through 8 games in 2011 before he got injured, Ben was having an MVP year last year before he went down, Heath was having a monster year and hopefully will bounce back from his injury (even if he has to start on the PUP list), Cortez Allen was creating turnovers like a beast while he was in last year.

The main difference between our dominating years just 3+ years prior has been sacks and turnovers. Woodley and Harrison were plagued with injuries and without the pressure our secondary didn't get the INTs they had racked up in the past. I think this year will be different and the influx of new rushers and a motivated Woodley will increase our sack total, our QB pressures, and our turnovers.

This year is full of promise with new rookies adding life to the offense and defense, even if their addition isn't felt immediately, and with younger players stepping up for players who've left. The Steelers are going to prove the naysayers wrong and show just how much these "old" men have left in the tank. Players that are unknown around the league will step in and become names on the tips of everyone's tongues. Overall, this is going to be a year where we'll all be proud to be Steelers fans.

It doesn't hurt that the last 3 times we missed the playoffs we made it to the Superbowl within the next two seasons. If that trend holds true, this could be a magical year that no one besides the diehard Steelers fans see coming.

For the most part, our "old' players aren't a hindrance to the Steelers success. There might be a missed tackle here or there, but the leadership and experience they offer more than makes up for it.

Mugshots released of Mike Adams assailants, Looks like Adams got the best of one

2013-06-05T02:38:37Z

http://nfldraftzone.com/draft-news/mugshots-released-of-mike-adams-assailants-looks-like-adams-got-the-best-of-one/

Police say they’ve arrested a second suspect in the weekend stabbing of Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Mike Adams.

Police spokeswoman Diane Richard says 26-year-old Dquay Means was arrested Monday on charges of attempted homicide, aggravated assault and conspiracy. Police announced Monday that 25-year-old Michael Paranay had been arrested on the same charges. Both are from Pittsburgh.

http://nfldraftzone.com/draft-news/mugshots-released-of-mike-adams-assailants-looks-like-adams-got-the-best-of-one/

Police say they’ve arrested a second suspect in the weekend stabbing of Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Mike Adams.

Poll

Would you have just gave them the keys?

Interview with UDFA DT Brian Arnfelt

2013-05-31T03:21:07Z

Here is an interview by UDFA Brian Arnfelt that was done by my friend at NFL Draft Zone Damond. Arnfelt is a very good player who shined in college and at his pro day. For 6'5 the kid can move. I like the direction that the Steelers have went his year, it seems they are getting smarter players who can play. I am super impressed with this draft class. Arnfelt could be a good practice squad player.

http://nfldraftzone.com/draft-news/pittsburgh-steelers-add-leadership-and-smarts-with-udfa-dt-brian-arnfelt/

TOMLIN Tournament: Round 2

2013-05-31T01:54:36Z

Gonna get right to it folks.

Listening to all your comments about names and such, I have 2 clear front runners in mind. But as I pledged to be true to the format of this Tournament, I shall be! (Plus, this is pretty enjoyable, if I do say so myself.)

Names Eliminated So Far:
-~~Franchise Fan~~
-~~Dwyer Power~~
-~~Trend Setting Speed~~

Yes,that's three. So I eliminated an extra due to a tie. Suck it up.

Anyway, added names are at the bottom of the poll. Ready, set, vote!

P.S. Liking the suggestions! If you think of one, feel free to post in the comments any ideas. If I like it, I'll add it!

P.S.S. Thanks for the participation! I'll write up more, "in depth analysis" later on in the tournament.

P.S.S.S I still need more words to be able to publish. So I'm filling it up with this nonsense. But I promise no slim jims for reading the nonsense. And if you're reading this, I STILL DIDN'T GET MY SLIM JIM!!! Okay, lame rambling over, I only needed 150 words. I now have 178.

Gonna get right to it folks.
Listening to all your comments about names and such, I have 2 clear front runners in mind. But as I pledged to be true to the format of this Tournament, I shall be! (Plus, this is pretty enjoyable, if I do say so myself.)
Names Eliminated So Far:
-~~Franchise Fan~~ -~~Dwyer Power~~ -~~Trend Setting Speed~~

Yes,that's three. So I eliminated an extra due to a tie. Suck it up.

Anyway, added names are at the bottom of the poll. Ready, set, vote!

P.S. Liking the suggestions! If you think of one, feel free to post in the comments any ideas. If I like it, I'll add it!

P.S.S. Thanks for the participation! I'll write up more, "in depth analysis" later on in the tournament.

P.S.S.S I still need more words to be able to publish. So I'm filling it up with this nonsense. But I promise no slim jims for reading the nonsense. And if you're reading this, I STILL DIDN'T GET MY SLIM JIM!!! Okay, lame rambling over, I only needed 150 words. I now have 178.

Poll

Which should be my new username?

Mike Wallace Speed (No change.)

2 votes

Big Snack Speed

4 votes

Casey Hampton Speed

2 votes

Woodley's Hamstring

7 votes

Heeeeeath!!!

26 votes

Only the Ws Matter

2 votes

Mike Wallet Speed

13 votes

Mike Tomlin Speak (Slightly modified.)

12 votes

Neal's Inside Source (Verge of elimination.)

18 votes

Mike Wallace Sweed

7 votes

Mr. Irrelevant

16 votes

Reggie Dunn Speed

3 votes

Speed Kills

2 votes

Kool Aid Hyperbole (Had to throw this one in there!)

8 votes

122 votes | Poll has closed