Pens and Steelers Talk

The Penguins continue on by beating the Senators in what was a very evenly-matched, tough series. Pittsburgh was the superior hockey team, but Ottawa was a lot better than people here realized. I felt really good for Pascal Dupuis who had a solid, underrated season after being sort of the last man out in the playoffs last year. On Saturday, he was the best Penguin on the ice in my opinion, flying around, getting numerous scoring chances, and winning the game in overtime.

The Penguins really have to thank the Philadelphia Flyers for dispatching the Devils and allowing the Pens to avoid the Capitals for at least one more round. I don’t know how good the Penguins are, I don’t think they are as good as they were last year or even the year before, but I definitely like a second round match-up presumably with either Buffalo or Boston, and beyond that, it’s tough to bet against a team with Crosby, Malkin, and Fleury.

Yeah, all the Fleury hate after game one was ridiculous. Anybody that cried and complained should be ashamed of themselves and realize that this is one of the better goalies in the NHL and will probably soon pass Tom Barrasso as the greatest net-minder in franchise history. All the criticism was typical low-class low-brow Pittsburgh that is all-too common from a large pool of uneducated sports "fans."



Even with another Pens playoff run, the Steelers and mainly Ben Roethlisberger have dominated the Pittsburgh sports airwaves. Like Fleury, I think the backlash within Pittsburgh surrounding Ben has been way too harsh. He might be stupid and an arrogant asshole, but he’s paid to win football games and he accomplishes that task very well. For all of those idiot fans who say they won’t root for the Steelers if Ben stays, give me a break. For all of those idiots who say they have hated Ben for years, you are all just hypocrites. I wasn’t as high as most were on Roethlisberger when he came into the league and even during the 2005 Super Bowl run, but during the Tomlin-era he has easily been a top-5 NFL quarterback and was solely responsible for a Super Bowl victory in 2008. And you want to trade him? If you have a quarterback of this caliber you keep that player at all costs, period.

The suspension is an absolute joke from a joke of a commissioner. 6 games for zero charges, Dictator Goodell could have easily sent a message with a one or two game suspension. I do think there are some racial politics being played in which the commissioner can put an all-pro white quarterback up against all the black criminals who have been suspended in the past. There are some questions about whether Ben can re-claim the fans within Pittsburgh and around the league. Just look at Ray Lewis and Kobe Bryant, if he wins, he’ll be back.

Draft wise, I liked the Thursday-Saturday format. I have always been a draft fan and putting more focus on the first round and stretching out the entire weekend was enjoyable to me. But, I’m starting to get really sick of Goodell. All the chest bumps, hugs, high fives, and all the former players, coaches, and handicapped kids announcing draft picks was laughable. All of these business marketing devices combined with these over-reaching suspensions for mainly acquittals makes me miss Paul Tagliabue.



Instead of looking at each pick, I want to analyze each position on the Steelers and how the draft came into play moving forward toward the 2010 Regular Season.

QB - Including Ben, the Steelers will enter training camp with four quarterbacks. I assume it will be a competition between Leftwich and Dixon for the first four games. They won’t start the season with 4 quaterbacks, so probably either Batch or Leftwich gets cut. A lot of people are saying an 0-4 or 1-3 start without Roethlisberger, don’t be surprised at all if the Steelers are 3-1 when he comes back.

RB/FB - Drafting Jonathan Dwyer kind of solidifies the position. Mendenhall the starter, Dwyer the short yardage/goal-line back and the backup, and Melwelde Moore is still the solid 3rd-down back.

WR/TE - Even with losing Holmes, there is a lot of depth at this position. Behind Hines Ward and Mike Wallace you have Antwaan Randle-el, Arnaz Battle, Limas Sweed, Joey Galloway and you drafted a solid Emmanuel Sanders in the 3rd round. Can Mike Wallace be a good starter? Is the 3rd receiver’s spot Randle-el’s to loose? Tight end wise, is Matt Spaeth a bust? A third-round pick for 8-10 catches and a touchdown per year, he's probably best known as Jeff Reed’s pee buddy.

OL - The offensive-line should improve. Maurkice Pouncey will battle with Trai Essex for the starting guard spot and is the heir apparent to Justin Hartwig at center. Chris Scott this year and Kraig Urbik last provides further depth to the interior of the offensive line. If Max Starks and Willie Colon have solid years, look for great improvement from this unit.

DL - Health is always a key as Hampton, Keisel, and Aaron Smith are getting older. The Steelers probably reached a little in signing Hampton to a multi-year deal, but they also probably had to do. The development of Ziggy Hood is very important.

LB - A lot of depth was added in the draft bettering the corps. I thought James Farrior was a weak spot last year, and with the addition or re-addition of Larry Foote, plus the improvement of Keyaron Fox, and the influx or young draft picks, Farrior should at least be fresher.

CB/S - I love re-acquiring Bryant McFadden. He can immediately start and William Gay can return to nickel where he was very solid two years ago. McFadden was essentially acquired with the pick sent to the Steelers from the New York Jets for Santonio Holmes. Through this year’s and last year’s draft, there is a lot of young depth at both the cornerback and safety positions. With Troy Polamalu and Ryan Clark, it all comes down to health.

ST - Jeff Reed is back and Daniel Sepulveda is ok, even though I think he is a little overrated. By drafting all of these hybrid 3-4 linebackers, most can make their mark on special teams like James Harrison did a few years ago. Smart and solid drafting by the Steelers.

Overview - Expect to the Steelers to come into 2010 a little underrated and undervalued because of last year and the Ben Roethlisberger situation. With a good draft, Pittsburgh should be more balanced on offense with an improved offensive line and running game. The tough breaks injury-wise hopefully won’t occur this year, and the Steelers’ defense can revert more to a 2008 form than last year. By drafting a lot of good defensive athletes, the special teams unit can only get better. Baltimore will most likely be the pre-season AFC North favorite, but the Steelers should be in the divisional race until the end, and I anticipate a return to the playoffs.

The 50 Most Exciting Pittsburgh Wins Since 1990

As storied as Pittsburgh is when it comes to sports history, I was still surprised to think that you could tally up 50 big wins in the last 20 years. A third of this list may be filled with Pitt Panthers lameness, but the rest is solid black and gold moments. I remember jumping (and reinjuring) my broken ankle when Mario scored in his comeback game (#38). I remember leaping on the couch and dropping burning hot pizza on my leg when Straka undressed Olie the Goalie in Game 6 OT against the Caps (#46). I remember not being able to stay awake back in 1995, but my Dad told me the next morning how Petr Nedved won the game after 4 OTs (#15). Of course, the counter-memory to that is not being able to stay awake in 2000 and watching Keith Primeau break our spirits after 5 OTs. And finally, all of the awesome Steeler victories in recent memory make me think of being lazy at Penn State.

Read through the list to see what entries are overrated (#17 and #32) and which ones are underrated (#23). Below is a quick breakdown of how many times each team makes an appearance on the list (yes... I know they add up to 49), and then an in-depth look at the Top 10.

Steelers - 12
Pens - 18
Pirates - 3
Pitt football - 8
Pitt basketball - 8

1. 2/1/09 - Super Bowl 43 - Steelers 27, Cardinals 23 – No surprise here. On sports' biggest stage, the Steelers 6th championship provided big plays, last-second heroics, and some sweet HD visuals. I watched this game at a Buffalo Wild Wings in Appleton, WI amidst a sea of Steeler haters. It was a w e s o m e .

2. 6/12/09 - Stanley Cup Game 7 - Penguins 2, Red Wings 1 – After the Steelers SB43 victory, I jumped and danced in the B-Dubs parking lot, but that feeling cannot compare to jumping up and down in my present-day apartment here in SW Ohio. The long grind of the Stanley Cup playoffs.... coming back and taking the wings to 7... just the general underdog feeling against the Big Red Machine... it all combines for a moment far sweeter than any Super Bowl.

3. 5/26/92 - Stanley Cup Finals Game 1 - Penguins 5, Blackhawks 4 -I have no problem with this game being listed at number 3, but I definitely do not remember watching it. I was just finishing up kindergarten when this was played, so in all likelihood I was napping.

4. 5/25/91 - Stanley Cup Finals Game 6 - Penguins 8, North Stars 0 – Ditto to this. Jay could probably be the only one to write about this, but I doubt he watched it, either.

5. 1/15/06 - AFC Divisional Game – Steelers 21, Colts 18 – Before 2009, this probably would've been my number victory of all time. After all, I had never experienced a championship season before this. I was used to getting kicked around by the Broncos, Patriots, and a number of other teams that always seemed to be better than the Steelers come January. But it was this game that had me convinced we were Super Bowl bound. Betting on the Steelers to win when they were huge underdogs sure didn't hurt, either. I watched this game in my dorm room with Dave and Andy, and I remember collapsing to the ground after Buttis' fumble, only to jump up and run down the hall shouting after Vanderjagt hooked his field goal, which is still probably sailing wide right.

6. 12/1/07 - Pitt 13, West Virginia 9 – Who cares? Not me.

7. 6/2/08 Stanley Cup Game 5 Penguins 4, Red Wings 3 (3 OT) – The 2008 Pens Playoff run often hinted at greatness and comparisons to Star Wars, but in the end it wasn't meant to be. Once such glimmer of hope was Petr Sykora, not long after calling his shot to Pierre McGuire, drilling the game-winner in OT. I was watching this at my mom's house to take a break from my Elder Scrolls marathon, which was much more fun than watching the Pens blow it in Game 6.

8. 1/14/96 - AFC Championship - Steelers 20, Colts 16 – One of my oldest memories as a Steelers fan is 3 more yards back in 1995. I watched that heartbreaking championship defeat (the first of many under Cowher's regime) at my Pap's house, and I remember storming out onto the porch after it happened, but probably only because my older brother did it first. Anyway, the next year went much better, as I again got to sing "Here We Go" all the way to my Pap's house to watch the Steelers prevent a desperate Hail Mary from the Comeback Kid.

9. 5/10/01 -Eastern Conference Semifinals Game 7 - Penguins 3, Sabres 2 (OT) – The year of Lemieux's comeback, the Pens memorable playoff push involved OT clinchers against both Washington and Buffalo, but the Game 7 victory deserves it's spot in the Top Ten. Probably the unlikeliest of heroes on this entire list, Darius Kasparaitis threw a weak shot at the net that my dad could probably kick save, and yet it found it's way past the Dominator. I also watched this game at my Pap's house, and like the Game 6 clincher against the Caps, it ended with me jumping up and down on the couch.

10. 6/9/09 Stanley Cup Game 6 Penguins 2, Red Wings 1 - I'm not sure this one really deserves to be in the Top Ten. It was more tense and nerve-racking than exciting, and I'd put the Game 7 annihilation of Ovechkin's crew (#14) ahead of this snoozefest. To reinforce how boring it was, I watched this game alone in my apartment, and probably even forget to wear my Crosby jersey.

Happy 2nd Birthday

This month (April 7th, to be exact), the Top Man entertainment repository (don't call it a blog) celebrates its 2nd birthday. Count me among those surprised that we continue to update this thing (this is post #663), but where else are you going to find cutting edge LOST material and the latest musings on Pittsburgh sports? Exactly. So what have we been writing about since our last birthday? Here are the top 3 topics of the 2009-10 season, plus the big year end award.

3. FILM REVIEWS (17 articles)

I was kinda hoping this number would be a little bit bigger. Just from cramming in new releases for the FLOBY season, the 5 writers on this staff have probably combined for nearly 200 films, but since reviews are normally done for movies seen in the theater and not Netflix or the internet, that's where the low tally comes in. The best reviewed movie of the year was District 9, which earned the only A rating. A number of movies garnered A- distinction, including How to Train Your Dragon, Star Trek, and the Hangover. Interestingly enough, my year-end favorite, Up, was given a B+. The worst reviewed movies were Clash of the Titans and the Goods, as both received a D+. Though, to be fair, if I bothered writing up a review after being forced to see Valentines Day, it would've received an F.

2. PITTSBURGH SPORTS (a combined 42 articles)

The Pens and Steelers have received equal treatment over the last 2 years, but thanks to the Pens Stanley Cup run in June of 2009, they got a slight edge in coverage this year. The sad thing is that a lot of Steeler writing was about off the field issues with Santonio Holmes and Fat Ben Roethlisberger. But with the draft fast approaching, we'll be back to standard Steeler blogging in no time.

1. L O S T (42 articles)

This behemoth was unstoppable this past year. The craziest thing about us writing 42 articles about LOST (other than the fact that 42 is a cursed number linked to one of the Kwons) is that the show was in hibernation until winter 2010. We got to write about the amazing season 5 finale way back in May, and that's it. Despite the occasional casting rumor, there was nothing until our 10 Days of LOST push in January. Because of our badass and aggressive nature when it comes to this show, we've been reviewing and analyzing every goddamn episode this season for your viewing pleasure.

TOP PERSON OF THE YEAR: MARIO LEMIEUX

Bill O'Reilly left behind some big shoes from last year, and who better to fill them then a 6'4", 240 lb hockey owner? Mario Lemieux combines a sports legend's aura with Christian Troy's sharp fashion sense and a glorious playoff beard. His motivational text messages to the team through the Stanley Cup Finals will go down in history alongside the very best of Pittsburgh sports lore.

One Down... One to Go...

uhhh... don't have sex with girls in the public bathrooms?

Another reason for the Steeler faithful to cheer!!! First, Genius Colbert ships out Santonio (Ed Buchette: "I bet there are players already cheering in the locker room"). And now, Big Ben just won the first of his 2 rape cases when the Ocmulgee GA DA decided they didn't have sufficient evidence to charge the TWO TIME SUPER BOWL WINNING QUARTERBACK. That said, he will most likely still face punishment from the NFL and/or the Steelers organization, but nonetheless, it's a good day in Pittsburgh, and a win/win for everyone involved.... wait... even the girl who was maybe raped? Please read on.

Worth goin to prison over? Yeah... didn't think so, and neither did Ben.

Consider the still-pending allegations from Andrea McNulty. This one was a slam dunk for Dumb Ben's legal team. She waited a year before releasing accusations. She pursued him on civil charges, not criminal charges. She's had a history of mental problems when she made up a dead, military boyfriend who was KIA'ed overseas. She also accused her former employer, so Ben's interest coincided with that of a large corporation with a ton of resources to discredit the girl. And finally, she bragged about sleeping with Roethlisberger to her co-workers, so it seems the sexual contact was consensual. There was no reason for Ben to fastplay this one and offer a settlement to keep her quiet. He's innocent, plain and simple.


Now think about the more recent allegation. This new girl reported the crime right away, but there was still little evidence. Both parties were hammer drunk, and there was no DNA found at the scene. The plaintiff probably saw the writing on the wall and realized she could not win in court, so what could she do? Big Ben already had the smear of one rape allegation on him, he couldn't afford another one, and he REALLY couldn't afford to be found guilty in this one (unlikely, but possible). It makes sense that he reached out to her and offered a settlement. It was revealed today that she chose not to prosecute the matter any further, but she made that decision 2 weeks ago!!! Her understandable reason was not wanting to be paraded through an embarrassing public trial... but we can all safely assume Ben paid her off. Don't be surprised if she decides not to take the matter to civil court.

I only rape defenses.

After all that, why do I say win/win? Ben wins for beating a rape charge (though he wasn't charged). The girl wins for getting at least six figures AND drops out of college. So... she gets a ton of money to chill at home for the next year or so? BIG WIN. And finally, Steelers fans win for getting an elite QB come playoff time this year.

WIN/WIN/WIN.

Santonio Holmes Traded: Good Move?

The news broke on ESPN late last night about the apparent trade of former Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes to the New York Jets for a measly fifth round draft pick. I was a little shocked at first, but I’m beginning to understand the move and starting to kind of like it. Holmes would have entered the final year of his contract with the Steelers, and if Plaxico Burress was any indication after the 2004 season, the Rooney’s would not have retained Holmes. Amidst this trade, ESPN also reported the Holmes will have to serve a four game suspension this upcoming regular season for failing a league drug test. And, on top of that, the Steelers rid themselves of a continual trouble-maker and a constant headache for the franchise.

That being said, Santonio Holmes is a premier receiver in the NFL who has big play capability on offense as well as special teams. Everyone in Pittsburgh knows he’s a proven producer in the playoffs. Why was he traded? Contract expiration, off-field issues (including twitter), and the fact that wide receiver might be the easiest position to replace in football. Even after Holmes was drafted in the first round in 2006, Limas Sweed and Mike Wallace were drafted in high rounds in ‘07 and ‘08, and Antwaan Randle-El and Arnaz Battle were brought in this off-season. Although one of the Steelers’ top-flight playmakers is gone, depth is still there at the position. This is not like losing Roethlisberger, Polamalu, or even Aaron Smith. If the Steelers were to go 11-5 this year with Holmes, they will probably still go 11-5 without him, maybe 10-6 at the worst.



A lot of reaction surrounds the return of only a fifth round pick. If he were to be gone anyway next year via free agency, it’s better than nothing . Remember that Tom Brady was drafted in the sixth round and James Harrison went completely undrafted. A diamond in the rough can be found with any draft selection. On top of that fifth round pick, there are some rumors that Leon Washington might be sent to the Steelers as part of the deal. If that’s the case, Pittsburgh would be getting a back-up running back as well as a solid kickoff and punt returner. If that happens, it’s just a rumor, the trade does look a lot better.



So for all those Steeler fans out there crying and complaining, remember that Kevin Colbert and the Rooney’s are a lot smarter than you, that wide receivers can be easily replaced and are not the most vital position in the NFL, and that with or without Santonio Holmes the make-up of the Pittsburgh Steelers does not change that drastically. You rid yourself of an off-field problem that will be suspended, you get a small piece in return, and you can replace him in-house with an up-and-coming Mike Wallace, welcome to the NFL.

Steelers Speak Publicly About Fat Ben

We are starting to hear from all corners of the Steelers organization, from the President to the Head Coach down to the lowly punter. And even though they are speaking in different places to different types of people (some saying more, others less), everyone is toeing the company line.

Said top brass Art Rooney II: "I mean, look that's one of the things, we do have a little bit of luxury of time," Rooney said Thursday afternoon. "If we were at a different point in the year we may have to be thinking and doing something different. But at the moment, I think we're in a situation we're going to let this investigation play out and then go from there." His comments were perfectly neutral and generic. Well done, boss.

Yep... she's hot. Keep your mitts off of her, Ben.

Next up is Head Coach Mike Tomlin: "I'm highly concerned for our franchise and for Ben personally," Tomlin said. "My concerns are many, but I think at this time it's kind of appropriate to watch these things and let these things run their course.

"But I think it would be inappropriate for me to have strong feelings one way or another with the investigation being ongoing and so forth. Like everyone else, you watch these things unfold," Tomlin added. Again, more thoughts that are perfectly understandable (I'm not quite sure why these even make the news...). You get the feeling that these guys are ready to turn on Ben if he's guilty.





Finally, punter/locker room neighbor Daniel Sepulveda: "It's regrettable to see him struggling in the media the way he has in putting himself in these positions," Sepulveda said. "You know, it's hard to comment on that kind of thing. We're going to be there for him as teammates in any way we can be to help him through these deals. I don't know, he's a very capable quarterback obviously. My locker's next to his in the game locker room, and that's on business day, you know that's game day. So I don't think I've said more than a couple sentences to him in the three years that I've been here even though we locker next to each other, but you know it's all business on game day so you can't read into that. . . . It's tough to say, we're gonna be there for him in any way that we can be, but you know it's not cool to see him getting in trouble like this all the time."

"Well, it's not good," Sepulveda said. "It certainly doesn't help. But, you know what? Leading a football team, that's an on and off the field thing. So, gosh, you know it's not a great way to earn the respect of the rest of the guys on the team. But you know at the same time we are a team, he is our leader. We're gonna be there for him in any way that we can be to help him through this because you know obviously he's gonna get attacked as a result so, and that's what the Steelers do, we stick together, we're a team. And that starts with the leadership of the Rooney family. . . . and that culture runs all the way through to the punter. So, you know, we're gonna be there for him."

really... would you want to hang out with this rube?

Sepulveda has certainly said more than anyone else, but he was stumbling through that statement while on a radio program. The highlight of all that nothin is that Big Ben never talks to him (what $100 million QB would speak with the punter anyway?!?!??!? IN FACT, the only people lame enough to talk with the punter are the place kicker and maybe the long snapper...).

Ok, so whats the point of all this? Three people inside the Steelers organization speak out about the rape case and the general consensus is "no comment until the investigation is over, but we'll stick by our QB." The interesting thing to me is that no one is coming out to defend Ben's personal character. No one is saying "Ben is such a nice guy, I can't believe he did this." And they aren't saying "Ben has been a great friend to us, so we will stand by him through this tough time." This only further confirms what most of us already know... Ben's a jerk. That's been the word coming out of Pittsburgh for years. Why has it taken so long for Big Ben to be the offensive captain of the team? Because even his teammates don't respect him. Ask a football fan how many team MVPs Ben has earned since 2004, and what will they say? Two? Three? Nope. He received his first one this past season, and it's no surprise to Steeler fans.

There are still two things that are irrefutable: Big Ben is an outstanding football player, and he hasn't been criminally charged (let alone convicted) of anything. Even though he's had his share of problems with Ken Whisenhunt, Bill Cowher, Hines Ward, car windshields, concussions, and women everywhere, I'll still take him over no-rings McNabb, Tony Homo, or any other QB in the league. And check out that glorious 'stache at the top of this post? Would a sexual predator sport a mustache like that? I rest my case.

Steelers Resign Foote, Randle El

Though I'm happy to have a couple of old friends back in Pittsburgh, I am a little bit troubled that the Steelers are going against company policy this offseason. The Steelers traditionally never overpay a veteran in their declining years. That's why we let Joey Porter, Jason Gildon, and even Franco Harris finish out their careers elsewhere. I thought that we might add Larry Foote and Antwaan Randle El to that list as well, but Kevin Colbert and co. are thinking differently.


The upside? I can take my Larry Foote jersey off of the wall, put it on, and start doing Foote-stomps in the street again without feeling like a fool. The downside? Randle El and Foote are not the only aging beauties who signed contracts with us these past few months (Casey Hampton is the fattest human being in Pittsburgh, and he just landed a 3 year contract). Some old vets continue to prove they are still worth a damn (Hines Ward), and it's not like Randle El and Foote will be starters (definitely not). I just hope we didn't sign these guys because they are friendly hometown faces. They better be ready to physically abuse the opposition.


Speaking of physical abuse, did you hear what KDKA's John Steigerwald (the only cool Steigy) had to say about Big Ben? Here's the quote:

"First of all, none of this surprises me. Ben is a bad citizen. He doesn't know how to treat people and he definitely doesn't know how to handle being the quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers. In my more than 30 years of working in the Pittsburgh sports media, I have never had any player come close to generating as many unsolicited questions from fans as Roethlisberger has. They want to know why he's such a jackass. And these aren't just Steelers fans who got turned down for an autograph. It's men and women from all walks of life."

What a great day to be a Pittsburgh fan...

...But Still Awesome

Remember Steelers

fans, the most

important part of my

colleague's previous

post,

Huge Ben has won as

many Super Bowls as

he has raped*

overemotional

g-diggers.**

That's right.

Super Bowls, baby.

Two of 'em.***

*slept with

**allegedly

***six total, philly

Fat Ben Accused of Rape... Again

Sooooo disappointing.... what a huge idiot....

So Fat Ben Roethlisberger has allegedly raped as many girls as he has won Super Bowls, and Steeler fans (especially those in hostile southwestern Ohio) are left stunned and embarrassed. The details are kinda sketchy. All we know is the alleged victim is a 20 year old college student. Big Ben and Willie Colon were out bar hopping in Georgia (where Ben has a house), and eventually hit multiples bars with the victim. Supposedly, the sexual assault took place inside a bathroom, and she didn't waste much time reporting it to the cops.

Speaking of the cops, they interviewed everyone involved and will be holding a press conference soon. Stay tuned to tmz.com and profootballtalk.com for more updates.

The only thing Ben is guilty of is a hideous mullet... (and being fat).

What's Wrong With the Steelers?

5. Super Bowl Hangover - It seems like the easy and childish explanation, but I believe there is some merit. The Steelers opened up the NFL season this year on Thursday Night against the Tennessee Titans, and the stars seemed to be aligned for another Super Bowl run. But Steelers came out flat in that game and were lucky to win, Troy Polamalu seemed to be the only player playing at a high level, at least until he got hurt. The Steelers woke up 2 weeks later 1-2. They did go on to a nice little run before losing to Cincinnati in early November. The mentality with Steeler Nation and probably the Steelers themselves was that at least we have Kansas City up next to play. There seems to be an air of overconfidence on this team and for Steeler fans in general. This squad thought they could just show up and would beat teams like the Chiefs, Raiders, and Browns, but it has not been the case. This team isn’t hungry. Do you think Jerome Bettis and the 2005 Steelers would have lost these games? A magical Super Bowl run does have an indirect effect on a team. Not only do their heads get big, but you get top efforts from your opponents, and the breaks don’t always fall your way.

4. Player Regression - I was trying to think of two or three players to put here, but this is mainly for one, one of my favorite all-time Steelers, James Farrior. Farrior chasing down Chris Jennings last night looked like me trying to catch Usain Bolt. Remember him trying to cover Ray Rice on the all-important 4th and 5 in the Baltimore game? Polamalu may be the play-maker and Silverback is the defensive player of the year, but James Farrior has always been the nucleus of the defense. He has been the bridge between the defensive line and the secondary, and the center of the linebacking corps. Once a great run stopper, a solid blitzer, and a good pass defender, but all of a sudden, he looks old and slow.

3. Injuries - Goes without saying. Look what happens to the secondary when Polamalu is out. Ryan Clark becomes a little exposed. He was everybody’s favorite “cult” player last year, but is simply not the same player without Polamalu in the lineup. Tyrone Carter now starts. I think Carter is a pretty good backup but has some obvious ills. He plays the Polamalu role as a blitzer and late run stopper, but he just doesn’t have the same speed and overall athletic ability as Troy. Not his fault or anything, it’s just the facts. Ryan Mundy now plays a lot of nickel, which would have been Tyrone Carter territory last year.
We saw what happened two years ago when Aaron Smith got hurt. Same story this year. When’s the last time the Cleveland Browns dominated the line of scrimmage against the Steelers? The Steeler defense this year has been without Polamalu, Smith, and a declining James Farrior, arguably the three most important Steelers on defense.
Do you think the Ravens would have beaten the Steelers if Roethlisberger had not sustained a concussion? Chris Kemoeatu, Hines Ward, Willie Parker, Travis Kirschke, Lawrence Timmons, etc, have all been hurt and missed time. Like I said, sometimes the luck and breaks don’t always go your way.

2. Bruce Arians - The offensive coordinator is always the easy punching bag, but this is getting so frustrating. Last night on the first offensive possession, Rashard Mendenhall gets 9 yards on two carries, and what do the Steelers do on third and one in frigid temperatures? SHOTGUN. It’s just idiotic to me. I don’t care if you pass. Play action is fine, a screen?, but the shotgun is basically a big red sign to the defense of what you are going to do. Remember that awful pitch to Melwelde Moore in overtime against Kansas City? Wasn’t there more of a rhythm with Mike Murlarkey and Ken Whisenhunt that just isn’t at all evident with Arians? The ball is always snapped with one or two seconds on the play-clock and the plays are rather predictable to me. Start two tight ends? Matt Spaeth is worthless. Three wideouts? Go spread? A fullback? I miss Dan Kreider. Where’s the identity? Starting lineups seem to change weekly. Rashard Mendenhall is an absolute potential star and is so underused. In most of their losses this year, they have been leading in the fourth quarter. I was never the biggest Bill Cowher fan, but would he have lost those games? Run the ball in the second half, run the clock out, and win time of possession, those ideas don’t seem to be on Bruce Arians’ agenda.

1. Mike Tomlin - A lot of these problems can be rolled into the leadership category. Why are the Steelers flat some games? Why does Bruce Arians still have a job? What part of Mike Tomlin is imprinted on this team? He was a former defensive back's coach, and yet the secondary has regressed, with or without Polamalu. Tomlin announced changes would be made, and yet the same starters played last night. He always preaches about the importance of special teams, but the unit is historically one of the worst of all-time and shows no sign of improvement. He’s a smash-mouth guy, but lets Arians loose and throw all over the field. He’s a cover-two guy, but lets LeBeau loose with the zone-blitz (not a complaint). The point I am trying to make is where is his personality on this team. When people say a Bill Cowher type team, you know what they are talking about. His game and clock management skills are below average at best. There was the 2-point conversion debacle in the Jacksonville playoff game. Last night, there were two timeouts taken prior to the 2 minute warning. If those timeouts were saved after the failed 4th down conversion, the Steelers could have gotten the ball back with about a minute left. More important than all of that is the fight and fire. “We are going to unleash hell…..” It was obvious that the Cleveland Browns were more prepared to play and far more fired up yesterday. The Steelers were slow all night. They walked to the line of scrimmage, they ran the play clock all the way to basically zero, and they were playing catch-up on defense. Where is the fight? Where is the fire? Where is the motivation? If this team has in fact quit, in which Hines Ward hinted at, then that lies on the coach. Mike Tomlin is a good coach and nothing can take away the Super Bowl he won last year, but my trust in him has certainly been shaken this year.

Clip of the Week: House + Steelers

Top 10 Reasons Why the Steelers Will Win on Sunday

"It's not about what you are capable of ... it's about what you are willing to do."
- Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach

It's revenge time. Because I stood by the Stillers and backed them in an office wager the last time Cincy played Pittsburgh (we lost), I've been stuck wearing the same ugly Bengals tie to work this week. Needless to say, I'm festering with anger. So imagine how the team feels!! This is the statement game of the year. For the past 10-15 years, every once and a while, a team will creep up and challenge the Steelers for the divisional crown. Last year, it was Baltimore. In 2005, the Bengals actually won it, but then choked in the playoffs while hosting the Burgh. Before that, the Browns briefly challenged, but Tommy Guns dispatched them in the Divisional round with a rousing comeback. Anyway, this year, the Bengals have surfaced again. We're used to fending off pretenders, so there's no need to fear, Steeler fans. I'm going to provide with the Top 10 reasons why we will win this Sunday, and inevitably go on to capture the division.

10. VENGEANCE!!!

I'll give the Bengals credit: it's hard to sweep division rivals, yet they manhandled Baltimore, a much more impressive win than their win earlier this season. We beat the Ravens 3 times last year, but every one of those games was tough. There's no way the Steelers find themselves in a similar position this year. They won't let the Bungals take both games this year. Sometimes it's as simple as that.

9. Mike Wallace is dangerous

This guy came out of nowhere. On a team with TWO SUPER BOWL MVPS starting at wideout, Braveheart is stealing the show. At first, I was impressed with his straight-line speed, but lately he has proven himself a reliable 3rd-down target. Combine him with Ward's brains, Santonio's hands, and Heath Miller's size, and we are a DANGEROUS receiving team. I haven't seen us this strong since the days of Ernie Mills, Yancey Thigpen, and Charles Johnson.


8. Vegas loves us (7 point favorites)

Think about it. It's a tough-as-nails divisional game against a team that beat us earlier in the year. In spite of that, Vegas has us as favorites by a TOUCHDOWN! They don't expect this to be close, and you shouldn't either. The Steelers bring such a quiet swagger to the table. We know how to prepare for these kind of games in a way that Cincy will never know.

7. Steeler depth

We've seen injuries to Polamalu, Aaron Smith, Travis Kirschke, Larry Timmons, Ryan Clark (not an injury, just a precaution), and Willie Parker. And yet, the only noticeable absence was Polamalu. Everyone else has been ably replaced by an endless stream of capable backups. In fact, 3 of them (Mendenhall, Tyrone Carter, Keyaron Fox) have stepped up and played huuuuuge games.

6. Heinz field advantage

It's later in the year. Pitt is playing the night before against Notre Dame. This field is going to be mangled, and no one knows how to handle a shitty field like the Steelers. I wouldn't be surprised if Ochostinko stumbles on a few routes and Benson falls at the line of scrimmage. Couple that with the Pittsburgh fans and the Steeler's intimidating home jerseys.


5. Mendenhall keeps us two-dimensional

If Qui-Gon were around, he'd be on his deathbed stressing "He will.... bring balance..." I don't know how the O-line turned it around from a year ago, but them and Mendenhall have been locked in these past few weeks. He's also a much better receiver than soon-to-be-unemployed Fast Willie. If we get the play-action going early, this might end up a rout.


4. The Bengals will not be able to run the ball

Who are the most dangerous runners in the league? Number one is Adrian Peterson followed closely by Chris Johnson. Also in the discussion is Cedric Benson, yet the Steelers held all of them under 100 yards rushing. No team has been able to effectively run the ball, and Denver was ABYSMAL on Monday night. Their longest run was maybe 7 yards, and they probably averaged less than 2 yards a carry. The Bengals' only hope is Carson Palmer.

3. Ben Roethlisberger is having his greatest season ever

Perhaps he should be accused of rape more often, because Huge Ben is on a mission this year. He's tied with Peyton Manning for the top completion percentage in the league (over 7o%), he's on pace for more than 4000 yards, and he's picking apart opposing secondaries in the no-huddle. And what about his fancy highlights and 5 o' clock shadow? The chicks don't need to be forced into loving that.

"The only thing I'm guilty of is terribly folding pocket kerchiefs..."

2. The Defense has re-established their dominance

Run defense. Pass defense. QB pressure. It really doesn't matter. The defense is so well-rounded that they look even better than last year's historically great squad. We're tackling better than I've ever seen. The crazy formations (1 down lineman, 5 prowling LBS, and 5 DBs) are scary and effective. I've already mentioned the depth we've seen on defense. I love seeing them assemble the convoy on turnovers. The list goes on and on. The only gameplan that teams like to try against us is the dink-and-dunk West Coast offense. The Seahkawks in SBXL, the Patriots all the time, the Cardinals in SBXLIII, the Broncos this year, the Vikings this year, etc. etc. That kind of attack only works if you're QB is patient and accurate (really only Brady can pull it off against us). The Bengals don't use that kind of passing attack. Palmer loves to throw timing routes further down the field (flag outs, flag ins, skinny posts, deep hooks, etc.) If we get pressure on him early and get him moving his feet, those kinds of patterns will constantly be disrupted.



1. Troy Polamalu is playing this time

The only person that would hurt us more by being out is Ben Roethlisberger. The defense was noticeably slower and susceptible to giving up 3rd down conversions. With the best safety in football back in the lineup, the defense is unbeatable. Last week he took over the game. He ran down Brandon Marshall to make what could've been a huge gain just a modest one. He sprinted into the backfield to take out Moreno. He followed that up with a clutch interception. The Bengals bested the Steelers by marching down the field on a long, clock-bleeding drive that was sustained by several 3rd and 4th down conversions. With Troy in the game, there's no way he doesn't make a play on one of those, especially the 4th-and-10 that broke our back.


PREDICTION: Steelers cruise, 34-13

Hines Ward is the dirtiest NFL player

Every year, Sports Illustrated polls current NFL players and personnel to see who they think is the league's dirtiest player. This year, the top draw is Hines Ward... in a landslide. As a lifelong die-hard Steeler fan, I take issue with this, and I'll tell you why in a second.

First, let's recognize how awesome Hines is for how he handled it.

"I beat Joey? Wow," Ward said, with a laugh. "How can I be the dirtiest player on the field -- a little, old wideout with no speed? I don't know whether to be happy or mad about it."

Ward wore a grin as wide as a jack-o'-lantern's as he answered questions following practice yesterday, suggesting he's more amused than anything by the dubious honor.

Now, I live in Southwest Ohio, near Cincinnati, so I experience my fair share of Steeler hate. Almost everyone here condemns Hines Ward as a dirty player, and some go as far to label him a horrible human being (!?!?!?!). I can understand them hating him like I hate Chad Ochostinko, but I will never concede that he is a dirty player.

I think there are a few specific things that draw the hatred. First, Hines Ward loved to stiff arm DBs, and especially loves to stiff arm them right in the face mask. Dumb fans know that you can't tackle somebody by grabbing the facemask, so they probably assume that Hines can't do it either, but they're wrong. Secondly, the crackback blocks. This is probably what got him recognized by other players. Whiny little DBs are so used to dishing out the hits that they never expect to get blasted. It's your job to keep your eyes open all the time, and if you're not paying attention when Hines is running at you, you'll get your head knocked off. But let's be clear: THE HITS ARE LEGAL, NOT DIRTY!!! He doesn't lead with his head. He doesn't take out their knees. He doesn't leave his feet and spear the guy. He just runs them over with his shoulder. Watch this video of him decleating Ed Reed, Bart Scott, Keith Rivers, and others.

This guy is a shoe-in Hall of Famer, and opposing coaches love saying how this is the kind of guy you want to build your team with. I'll never understand why everyone considers him dirty, but it's probably because they are used to seeing whimpy WRs every week. Whatever.... go Steelers.

Steelers Running Diary - 4th Quarter

10:55 - The Titans are moving in a hurry, and are already at midfield, executing their passing game well. Doesn't it suck that someone like Kerry Collins is easily outdueling Fat Ben right now, and it's not that surprising!?!?

10:58 - Clutch time. Bironas is in for his 3rd FG attempt. He's missed from 37 and was blocked from 31. Now he's trying from 45 yards.....and it's dead on.

10 -7 Titans.

11:00 - With all the new commercials airing during the game, I like the GE commercials with the plane/train workers singing Aaron Neville and Berlin. The Polamalu Head & Shoulders is a close second. The Leno promos are the worst by far. And how great is it that old Favre is doing a sort-of clever commercial for Sears, something that also hasn't been relevant in a long time?

11:04 - Last year, Ruthlessberger led 5 4th-quarter comebacks and now he has to do it again. They've started up the dink and dunk no huddle again. Vincent Fuller is so terrified by it he fakes an injury to stop the clock.

11:10 - The no-huddle continues with my favorite formation, trips bunch. Now the biggest play of the game. 3rd and 12 just outside of FG range.... Ben throws.... FIRST DOWN HOLMES!!! That's how you bounce back after getting decked by Jevon Kearse.

11:12 - Smart throw underneath to Mewelde for 8. Huge Ben is 7/7 for 57 yards on this drive. Now it's the 2nd biggest play of the game. 3rd and 1, and the Steelers have sucked in this situation. They run up the middle..... and they fuckin get stuffed again. HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE!!?!?!? It's ONE GODDAMN YARD and they can't get it!!! I would've been happier with a play-action bootleg. Whatever.

11:14 - Skippy comes in to tie the game. Nails it.

10-10 with 3 minutes left in the game.

11:20 - On the last drive, Collins picked the secondary apart with timing routes to the sidelines, that can't be allowed again since they still have all their timeouts. Steelers force Collins to throw it away on consecutive downs, bringing up a H-UUUUGE third-and-10. Collins to throw again..... and overthrows Justin Gage!!! Let it be known that I was never a doubter. Big Ben will get it back with 2 minutes left and the game on the line. Gee, I wonder what could happen? Sorry Titans, but it's all but over now.

11:25 - The Titans choke by punting it just past midfield for 28 yards. We just need 2 or so first downs and then can run the clock out and kick the FG. We're gonna do this play by play.

11:26 - First down. A 12 yard reception to Santonio, who was foolishly covered by a LB.
11:26 - First down. A 4 yard reception to Hines (that's 10 completions in a row, folks).
11:27 - Second down. A 10 yard reception to Mewelde Moore. Is it really this easy?
11:28 - First down. A BIG CATCH BY HINES INSIDE THE 10--- FUMBLE!!!!!!!

Oh my god. Wines Hard is the goat of the night for not taking a knee. What a blunder.

11:29 - It looks like we might be seeing overtime, here.

11:35 - Tails never fails.... it's HEADS!!! Go Steelers, baby. This is gonna be a quick death.

11:41 - First a completion to Hines, then another to Heath. Big Ben is 14 for his last 15. Mewelde better had gotten the first on this run because my heart can't take another 3rd-and-1. The chain gang comes out and delivers the good news.

11:44 - Here we go again. After two more plays, we have yet another 3rd-and-short. DO NOT RUN THE BALL!!!! PLEASE!!!! Big Ben is 31 of 40. THROW THE BALL!!! Here we go... from the gun... quick throw to Santonio for a new set of downs!!!! Easy choice, right?

11:46 - Ben holds... pumps... holds... down the field to Mike "Braveheart" Wallace!!!! First down!! Field goal range!!!! Skippy heads out to seal the victory!!!!

11:47 - It's going to be from 33 yards to win the game. It's GOOD!!!! GAME OVER!!!

13-10 (OT) Steeler victory!

What a huge 4th quarter/Overtime for Ruthlessberger. He already has a 4th Quarter comeback notch on his belt. If you're the Steelers, you just took on one of the best teams in the AFC, and won the game with fantastic passing, fantastic special teams, and insane defense. It's not often we see a Steeler team win without a strong running game, but we don't need to with Huge Ben under center. Goodnight Steeler fans, and enjoy the first victory of the year.

Steelers Running Diary - 3rd Quarter

10:20 - Polamalu will NOT return to the game. Poop. I take all the blame for the jinx. If that's not enough, the Titan's offense has been able to exploit the team in his absence. Case in point: Johnson dances up field for a big gain. I was worried going into this half. Now I'm flat out scared.

10:24 - FUMBLE!!!!!!!!!! Defending MVP James Harrison forces a fumble by injuring Bo Scaife's knee. Once again, the defense is playing out of their mind. Legendary.

10:29 - But what do the Steelers do with the great field position? Run + Run + Run = 3 and out. Do you think Tomlin regrets making Willie Parker his short yardage back yet?

10:33 - Steeler D manhandled the Titans on this drive, resulting in a quick 3 and out. The Steelers are winning the field position battle, Big Ben just can't take another dumb loss.

10:37 - 13 carries for 19 yards. You know who I'm talking about, and you know I'm upset about it...

10:46 - Steelers and Titans both trade drives that result in nothing. Something big is going to happen before this quarter ends... you'll see...

10:52 - ...wrong again. Mendenhall runs twice for about 3 yards, and Hines catches a ball short of the mark, meaning Sepulveda goes out there for his SIXTH punt of the game. Only 15 minutes remain, and I'm still not sure about this game. Fisher wants to win this one for dead McNair. The Steelers don't have that kind of motivation.

Three down, one to go.

Steelers Running Diary - 2nd Quarter

Normally when I break out the running diary, it's for a huge occasion. Not only that, but it's pretty lucky. LOST episodes are always excellent, and the Pens won a huge Cup game thanks to this blog. So far, the Steelers are ruining the mojo. We'll see if they can turn it around.

9:19 - Even though Ben returned the favor with a pick, Collins returns an earlier favor by giving up a big third down sack to force a punt. That guy running through the middle seemed too fast to be old James Farrior. Definitely impressive, but I still miss Larry Foote, from Detroit Pershing Doughboys.

9:23 - I don't have a box score up, but I can only assume that Willie Parker has run the ball 8 times for 3 yards. I'm too scared to look because I'm probably right...

9:30 - Snooze. Parker still sucks. Another drive stalls.

9:36 - I take back what I said about Levy. That pass interference call was a joke. Now Collinsworth is praising the Steeler's defensive line. I love how so many guys like to say how the D-line is underrated because they do all the work and allow the linebackers to run free. But if analysts continue to say this every week, are they really underrated??? Meanwhile, the Titans continue marching down the field, and Polamalu takes his second personal foul.

9:40 - The Steeler D stands tall in the red zone. On the sidelines, Jeff Fisher's mustache is looking better than ever. BLOCK!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! Aaron Smith got his paw up and blocked what should've been an easy kick for Bironas. The defense is doing more than their fair share right now.

9:43 - Woo hoo. The first Peyton Manning commercial of the season, and I'm actually shocked it took this long.

9:44 - Holy fuck. I jinxed Polamalu with that Madden curse comment. Some dolt for Tenneessee landed on his knee and the medical staff is currently checking him out...

9:47 - Time for the patented Big Ben hurry up offense, and it starts with some dink and dunk. HINES WARD!!!! He has been invisible all game, but shows up for a big 30 yard catch. CC points out the pump fake that had two guys biting ---- TOUCHDOWN!!!!!

7-0 Steelers.

And just like that, the Steelers get on the board first. The first touchdown of this season matches the last touchdown of last season, with Big Ben hitting Santonio down the middle of the field for 30-some yards. Chris Hope is biting on every pump fake. Large Ben was probably chuckling as he threw up the sure TD pass. You have to be pissed if you're Jeff Fisher because the Titans have played the Steelers as well as you can play them.


9:55 - With Polamalu in the locker room, Collins throws to Kenny Britt for 50 yards and plenty of time left on the clock for them to tie this thing up. Which they prompty do.

7-7.

Justin Gage is wide open for a TD. Barf. The Titans will also get the ball to start the 2nd half. The good news is that Polamalu's return is probable.

9:59 - 41 seconds and 2 timeouts left, will the Steelers make a run for some points? 3 straight completions to Miller, Miller again, and then Hines has the Steelers on the cusp of FG range with one timeout and 21 seconds left. And thennnnnnnnnn..... another bad sack. All that's left is a jump ball in the endzone...... which results in an INT almost returned the rest of the way. Shit.

With that, the first half is in the books, and the game is tied at 7-7. Tennessee has all the momentum because they have had success running the ball and they've been able to get after Worthlessberger with ease. For the Steelers, they have to stop taking stupid penalties. They've got 2 personal fouls, a handful of holding calls, some illegal formation crap... that all has to stop. I'm pissed, but I'll be back for the 3rd quarter.

Steelers Running Diary - 1st Quarter

8:30 - Now that's what I've been waiting for. That's a hell of an intro recapping the highlights of the Super Bowl, showcasing the 6 rings, and playing some awesome NFL music. Cut to a fireworks show, a champion's introduction, and the fearless black and gold.

8:33 - All this talk of a high chance of repeating scares me a little bit. Everyone crowned the Pats while they were going 18-1, and we certainly don't need that kind of hype. And for the record, I like Cris Collinsworth. Even though he's incredibly annoying doing commentary in Madden games, I think he's one of the smartest analysts in the game.

8:37 - Harry Connick, Jr. is crooning the anthem, and he thinks he's Sinatra. Let's kick the tires and light the fires, big daddy!

8:39 - Some gems from genius Mike Tomlin (he's looking sharp, by the way):

"Big men in blades of grass. This is a team that is built on the offensive and defensive lines."
"The most violent team is going to win."
"We are trying to build our legacy."

8:41 - Kickoff time. I'm pumped!!!!! BIG RETURN to the 42!!! A legitimate return threat would be icing on the cake for this team. I'm smelling an opening drive touchdown here.

8:43 - Forget that. Fat Ben underthrows Mike Wallace on a long ball and the drive is dead. Sepulveda comes up with a huge punt down inside the 5. You know how in Madden, it kind of sucks playing defense and you really just look forward to the offense. Well, these past couple years, that hasn't been the case for the Steeler D. I LOVE watching them eat up opposing offenses, and look forward to them hitting the field---- POLAMALU!!! He just sprinted to the backfield and took out Chris Johnson. Can anyone else do that?!?!?!? Holy shit. Suck that, Ed Reed.

8:47 - Huge Ben takes over in enemy territory, and gets a first down with a well-designed wheel screen. This just in: Roethlisberger still holds on to the ball too long. After avoiding a sack, he dances around like an idiot, takes a 19 yard loss, and kisses an easy FG goodbye. Ugh....

8:55 - Yikes. Chris Johnson shows everyone why he's worth a first round fantasy pick by reversing the field and running 30-some yards, and then gets 15 more thanks the season's first late hit (Polamalu). Speaking of Polamalu, he is all over the field, making a tackle then breaking up a third down pass.

8:59 - He hooked it!!! The usually rocksteady Rob Bironas pushes a gimme FG wide right, which is huge. The Steelers need to draw first blood to maintain control of this game.

9:02 - The bad news: Ben goes down again for another 3-and-out. The good news: Sepulveda is punting like a man tonight...

9:06 - Nothing much happening on Tennessee's drive, so I'll take this moment to mention that Bill Levy is my favorite referee.... not sure why.

9:09 - POLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAMMMMMAAAALLLLUUUU!!! This is officially his game, as he just fucked the Madden curse with a leaping one-handed interception. He's also got something like 5 tackles.... in the FIRST QUARTER! Amazing.

9:12 - I pity anyone who drafted Fat Ben as their starter in fantasy football. He's done nothing in the air, taken big sacks, and just threw his first pick of the season. With that, the first quarter is over, and I'm stunned that the game is still tied. The Titans have only made two mistakes so far (missed FG, interception), but the Steelers are averaging two mistakes every possession. I'll see you in the second quarter...

Steelers Running Diary - Pregame

Title Defense officially starts after a couple horrible excuses for musicians get off the stage. Seriously, how is Fergie famous? She sounds like a drunk karaoke singer.

In fact, this is really the worst pregame I've ever seen, and I'm used to seeing Gretchen Wilson butchering the MNF opening credits and Faith Hill warbling the NBC intro. How crazy is it that I actually expected to sit down at 8 and see something relevant to football?

Oh well, watch this to get excited, because NBC sure isn't getting the job done.

BIG BEN IS INVINCIBLE

(mostly from tmz, but who cares)

The woman accusing Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger of sexual assault bragged about her sexual experience with him to a co-worker, according to a sworn affidavit filed in court.

A former co-worker of Andrea McNulty signed an affidavit saying McNulty told her "she was hoping for a 'little Roethlisberger.'" The affidavit was obtained by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

She also said McNulty told her she wanted to travel to Pittsburgh in August 2008 to try and "run into" Roethlisberger, according to the sworn statement.

McNulty filed a civil suit against Roethlisberger last month, claiming he sexually assaulted her in his hotel room in July 2008.

Roethlisberger has denied any wrongdoing. He has two super bowl rings and philly blows. Go Steelers.

Big Ben Addresses Sexual Assault Allegations

For whatever reason, Huge Ben knows how to celebrate his Super Bowl wins in style. First, he busts his head open in a motorcycle accident. Now, Andrea McNulty accuses him of rape. Yikes. As a Steeler fan, I have to wonder why Roethlisberger insists on raining on our championship parades. I also wonder what effect this will have on next season.

The legal process likes to take its sweet time, so don't expect a trial (if there is one) any time soon. That means that, much like Kobe, Big Ben is going to have a lot of fun in visiting stadiums this season. But let's not forget that Kobe (innocent of rape but guilting of at least cheating on his wife) is still one of the most beloved NBA players internationally. How will the public respond to Big Ben (and you can bet people like Jemele Hill will be harping about racial undertones - "Kobe and Michael Vick got treated such-and-such while Ben got this treatment garbage).

Back in 2003, USA Today reported this about assault cases with athletes when Kobe's investigation was heating up. "Of those 168 allegations, involving 164 athletes, only 22 saw their cases go to trial, and only six cases resulted in convictions. In another 46 cases, a plea agreement was reached. Combined with the six athletes convicted at trial and one who pleaded guilty as charged, that gives the athletes a 32% total conviction rate in the resolved cases. That means more than two-thirds were never charged, saw the charges dropped or were acquitted."

So what happened? Basically, Big Ben called her to his room to fix a broken tv. It wasn't really broke, Ben just wanted to have his way with her. Afterwards, he realized there might be surveillance tapes and kicked her out, telling her not to tell anyone. He denies forcing himself on her, but doesn't talk about relations of any sort. You can bet they had sex, and she will claim she did not give consent while he will claim otherwise.

There's also the alleged cover-up conspiracy of the hotel staff that ignored her complaints, the fact that this is only civil suit (no criminal charges filed), the story that the victim has some crazy mental issues, and the long time lapse between the event and the accusation. All of that makes this case particulary weird and interesting.

My thoughts on the whole thing? It really sucks to be Large Ben right now. This has to be investigated fully. Even if she's lying through her teeth, he is going to face a lot of scrutiny before the truth comes out. This is going to be talked about by every reporter with every member of the Steelers organization. Whether they will crack under the pressure remains to be seen. Seriously, I thought more than once about possible crazy things that could happen this offseason just like in 2006. I asked myself, "what could top a motorcycle accident to the star QB?" Contract holdouts? Unlikely. Lemieux-like cancer? Maybe. Freak accident deaths? No way. Drug charges? Most likely. I never thought about rape allegations, but it's definitely worse. Think about teammates who have daughters or younger sisters. Think about what will be said when we hit a two or three game losing streak. WHY CAN"T WE HAVE A NORMAL OFFSEASON! Nothing better happen to Sidney Crosby before October...

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