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Game or no game the mind keeps working. Here are ten thoughts I had while not being able to watch the Steelers this Sunday.
- This first thought came up just short of making last week’s thoughts. I thought, “Joe Mixon’s ‘Lambeau Leap’ came up just a bit short. Kinda like the Bengals’ effort.”
- What does the NFL hope to gain from these London games? Jersey sales? The sale of broadcast rights? A franchised league overseas? There is something fundamentally wrong with a world where a city full of Londoners can watch a game they have no interest in this weekend while I have no game to watch at all.
- Which reminds me of this truth. I’m often asked if I’m a football fan, a fan of the NFL. My answer is always the same, “Not at all. I’m a Pittsburgh Steeler fan. Once they are eliminated from contention, I pay no attention to the rest of the season.”
- Well, that’s a bit of an exaggeration. Once the Steelers are out of it there remains one more issue — will the Patriots win another trophy? After Steelers winning the Super Bowl the next most important thing is the Patriots not winning the Super Bowl.
- As much as I dislike bye week, I do like what it did for us. Moving from 3rd in the division to 1st without so much as snapping the ball? That’s a good weekend. I’d be willing to have a bye next week too, if it meant we’d automatically advance to the AFC championship game.
- As a professor I used to tell my students, “You are free to challenge any grade I give you. If you do, however, and I take a deeper look, I’m free to lower your grade if I think it should be lowered.” I wish the commish would take the same perspective with Mike Brown regarding Burfict’s fine. “You know Mike, you’re right. I think I did err in handing down that fine on your loose cannon linebacker. Having given it more thought, no fine. Suspension for the rest of the season.”
- Marvin Lewis is not a terrible football coach. His Bengals teams are usually competitive and have often made the playoffs. He’s just not a good enough football coach to actually win a playoff game.
- My beautiful, dear wife came across a one item packing list I made for our trip last weekend. It said “towels.” She said, “Why did you think you needed to pack towels?” “Dear, I wanted to be sure not to forget our Terrible Towels.”
- I’m guessing the Bengals will figure out a way to lose on their bye week.
- It’s happened before, wherein the Steelers had a terrific season, even won the Super Bowl, in years they lost some real stinkers. It happens to other teams too. The year the 49ers went 15-1 their one loss was to a not very good Steeler team. Here’s hoping that come January we’ll be laughing at ourselves for worrying so much. Of course, we may look back on these hopeful days as a bout of embarrassing optimism. You never know. That’s why they play the games...except on bye week.