So I called DirectTV this morning to get Fox Sports Pittsburgh, since they are showing the preseason game tonight.  Guess what?  I was informed that I can get the channel, but that the game will be blacked out tonight.  Why?  Because the networks have the right to black out games, even pre-season games, that don't sell out.  Really??  A pre-season game?  So, does anyone know where I might be able to download the game off the net?  I doubt there is, since not too many folks care about pre-season.  I just can't believe that they blackout pre-season.  Its bad enough that I have to pay 250 bucks to DirectTV just to able to watch every game in the comfort of my own home, not arguing with some 300 lb Bills fan which game is gonna be on at the local sports bar(true story).   Sports have become such a business nowadays that it gets hard to stomach sometimes. 

So the Brett Favre saga moves to Broadway.  I'm just curious how most of you guys feel about this situation.  I seem to remember a post about this early on, but I just wondered how you guys think this will affect the AFC and especially the East.   Think Team Favre can take down the hated Pats?    I hope that they can topple them, but I am a little doubtful, I guess just because of the fact that they, barring a few recent seasons, have such a hard time making the playoffs.

I am looking for 2 tickets to the December 27th game against the Browns.  I know that they are sold out for the next 500 years or so, so I was wondering if any of you guys know a good way to get a couple tickets for near normal price?  I don't wanna pay tons o' cash on ebay.  Lemme know if any of you have some extras near that date, or if you know of a good alternative to getting some.  Thanks.

There is a decent story on Ryan Clark in the PG...

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08213/900805-66.stm

It shows just how serious his condition was and I think explains a little bit about why the front office was so concerned about drafting a safety this year.  On a side note, it was cool that Ben came up and said that to Clark.  It's good to see that he has become the team leader on defense as well as on O. 

So the world's squirreliest looking sports reporter has a pretty good story today about the sale of the Steelers.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=clayton_john&id=3485962

I'm curious to see how the rest of you feel about the diminishing family ownership around the NFL.  It's kind of sad for me, and I would imagine many of the rest of Steeler Nation, to think of the team not in the hands of a Rooney, but this article does a good job of showing just how hard that will be in this age of billion dollar franchises.  Note in that article that the friggin inheritance tax is 45%!  Holy shit.  That is an unbelievable number. 

Hines gets a little recognition from Espn who did a poll among the current head coaches on the dirtiest player, smartest offensive and defensive player, and the best owner.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=walker_james&id=3463857

Ward is my favorite player, and I think a definite Hall Of Famer, and I wouldn't trade the Rooneys for any owners in the league, even the Maras.  Its just another reminder of the quality of football that we as Steeler fans have had to enjoy for so long. 

So, not sure how much talk this will generate, but that post last week about TV shows got me to wondering just what kind of movies you guys like on this site.  One's taste in movies says a lot about a person, so I'm interested in what you guys, of whom many I consider friends, are into.  I am an aspiring screenwriter, so it goes without saying that movies are something that I enjoy quite a bit.  I thought that I would ask you guys just what would be in your top 5.   Here's mine in order:

1 - Braveheart.  I know that a ton of guys immediately say this film when talking about their favorites, but I have to agree that it is the best movie that I have ever seen.  Having mostly Irish blood, mixed with tiny bit of Scottish, I have several close relatives that live in Ireland and Scotland, and their feelings of ill will towards the Brits of history still lingers.  Its sort of like how some in the South still call the Civil War the 'War of Northern Aggression".  The battle scenes changed the way that Hollywood shot battle scenes for ever.  The historical backdrop, the story itself, the acting, the cinematography and Sophie Marceau make this an easy choice for #1.

2 - Stranger Than Fiction.  Many of you may not have heard about this film, because its a bit of a departure from Will Farrel's normal stuff.  His still a bit comedic in it, but it is by no means Anchorman 2.  Farrell plays a taxman who realizes that his life is being narrated by a British author(Emma Thompson) and his life is being dictated by what she says.   Farrell and Maggie Gyllenhaal are awesome in this flick, as is supporting cast Thompson, Dustin Hoffman, and Queen Latifah.   Funny, touching and a bit odd.

3 - Gone With the Wind.  Not sure if guys today consider this a chick flick, but its not.  Its just a great piece of film.  This sweeping epic never fails to entertain me.  I am a huge history buff, and I love all things Civil War.   Plus you can't beat one of  Hollywood's first major curse word scenes.

4 - Serenity.  Not sure how many scifi fans are out there, but this movie is based on a cult classic scifi series called Firefly, which despite great ratings and a growing fanbase, was canceled in a typical move by the idiots at Fox.  Great acting, witty dialogue and one of the most beautiful women on screen, Morena Baccarin.

5 - Glory.  Again with the Civil War.  Sheesh.   Denzel wins his first oscar for this movie, in the role that propelled him to stardom.  Broderick, Morgan Freeman and Cary Elwes were great.  The battle scenes were as good as any pre-Braveheart, and the story was classic.  There is a scene where a while soldier who had formerly fought with Denzel shouts 'Give em hell, 54th!' as the regiment is marching into a suicide mission.  Easily squeezed a tiny man-tear outta me. 

Honorable mention - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, North by Northwest, Rear Window, Saving Private Ryan, Garden State, Full Metal Jacket, 28 Days Later, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Legends of the Fall.

With all the genres out there, and all the movies, it was hard to pick just five.  Not sure how much interest this post will generate.  If anyone wants to, we can break it down into genres every so often.

Once again, rumblings have surfaced concerning Tomlin and how he should never have been hired and should be let go.  I am a big fan of his, at least in this early stage of his career.  I believe that he should be allowed a chance to show what he is worth, and so far he has not failed.  I personally am grateful that we cheer for a team that is not fickle in its decisions with the head coaching position.   So I thought I would do a little Cowher/Tomlin/Noll comparison, taking a look at each coach's first season, since that is all we can look at from Tomlin's point of view.

Record:

Cowher(1992): 11-5, losing 2 of the last 3.

Tomlin(2007): 10-6, losing 3 of the last 4.

Noll(1969): 1-13, losing 13 in a row to end the season.

Postseason:

Cowher - yes, getting blown out 24-3 by the bills in the divisional round after a bye.

Tomlin - yes, losing 31-29 in a disheartening loss the Jags.

Noll - Um, no.

Team Passing:

Cowher - 431 att, 249 comp, 57.8%, 3046 yds, 15 Tds, 14 Ints, 40 sacks allowed, starting qb(odonnell) had an 83.6 rating.

Tomlin - 442 att, 282 comp, 63.8%, 3418 yds, 34 Tds, 14 ints, 47 sacks allowed. starting qb(ben) had a 104.1 rating.

Noll - 391 att, 176 comp, 45%, 2458 yds, 17 Tds, 29 ints, 52 sacks allowed, starting qb(shiner) had a 60.3 rating.

Team Rushing:

Cowher - 518 att, 2156 yds, 13 Tds, 4.2 ypc.

Tomlin - 511 att, 2158 yds, 9 Tds, 4.2 ypc.

Noll - 400 att, 1542 yds, 8Tds, 3.9 ypc.

Team Defense:

Cowher - 22 ints, 36 sacks, 225 points allowed.

Tomlin - 11 ints, 36 sacks, 266 points allowed.

Noll - 25 ints, 404 points allowed. 

Pretty even, eh?  (putting aside Noll's atrocious first season)

So, I'm curious.  Where in these stats does it warrant a coaching change this year?  Or even a modicum of regret at Tomlin's hiring in the first place?  Where does anyone get the idea that changing coaches frequently is a good idea?  Its not.  Some examples:

Miami - 5 coaches in the last 6 years - 0 playoff appearances.

Oakland - 4 coaches in the last 6 years - 1 playoff app

Granted, these are extreme examples.  But hell, how can anyone seriously gripe about Tomlin in his first year, after the kind of year that he had?  I know that there are(inexplicably) Cowher detractors out there.  But the man provided us with 15 years of winning football, culminating in a Superbowl.   And I know there aren't many out there that are gonna tell me Noll sucked.  But his first year sure did.  He went 1-13!  Are you kidding me?  1- 13?  What if the FO had had that knee-jerk reaction that so many fans get when faced with results lower than their expectations?  How dramatically different would our franchise look today if Noll had been let go?  Obviously, we will never know, but I sure am glad we didn't have to find out.  Tomlin deserves a chance, even without his success last season.

Just thought I would introduce myself to some of the newer folks on the site.  BTSC is my favorite website, hosted by my favorite blogger, but I have been going ninety to nothing since shortly after the superbowl(still makes me smile to think of NE coming up short).  Now I am fully moved to a new town, in a new, stress free job, and ready to join the banter again.  I have been keeping up with everything, still reading and all, I just haven't been able to post much.  I am seeing a ton of new names, so if any of you are older guys with new names due to the change over of the site, could you guys refresh my memory as to who ya are?  Thanks.

Well, I've been outta town for a week and a half, haven't been near the internet at all.  I get back, and the first thing on espn.com is this...

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3354694

So, they sign him for almost 7 million???  Does anyone else scratch their head at this?  This seems like an awful lot of money to pay a guy that lost his starting job last year.