10 Things You Didn't Know About the Steelers

Note: this piece was originally created for Steeltown Mike's roundtable on WMBS radio 590 yesterday

With the NFL season finally upon us, here are 10 things I'll bet you didn't know about the Steelers:

10. Of the 10 best-selling sports DVDs in 2006, the only one that is not wrestling-related is the Steelers' Super Bowl XL DVD, ranked at #2. It ranks behind only Wrestlemania 22 as the year's top seller. But if you listen to Seattle fans, they'll have you believe that Wrestlemania's outcome had less scripting than the Super Bowl.

9. Brian St. Pierre is back for another tour of duty as the team's third quarterback. He regrets leaving the Steelers in favor of the Ravens last year, and credits that move as a learning experience. He also learned last year that if by some chance he actually plays in a game this year, and plays poorly, he should expect loads of garbage tossed onto the grounds of his residence.

8. The Steelers are currently valued at $880 million, making them the 18th most valuable NFL team. Five teams (Washington Redskins, New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans and Philadelphia Eagles) were valued at over a billion. But give Steeler fans one more year to buy Super Bowl throw rugs and Bill Cowher bobbleheads, and the franchise will be worth more than Microsoft.
The price of those mini Bills add up quickly

7. Safety Tyrone Carter attended the University of Minnesota and was selected by the Vikings out of college in 2000. Good thing the Steelers decided not take the same plan of attack when Dan Marino was available in the 1983 draft.
TC has been known to celebrate just a little here and there

6. If you've ever seen Troy Polamalu's autograph, when he signs he does three crosses and a puts a loop through it. The crosses represent Jesus's crucifix---Troy actually never signs his name. It's a nice tribute to Polamalu's hero. A little known fact is that Willie Parker's autograph features an extra-wide loop on the "P" in Parker. This is in homage to Willie's hero, Jerome Bettis' gut.

See, I couldn't have made this up


5. Santonio Holmes is the youngest member of this year's team (3/3/84); Jeff Hartings is the oldest (9/7/72). Duce Staley merely plays like the oldest.
Duce, as he'll always be remembered.

4. The Super Bowl Champs have seven players on the 2006 roster from small schools:
Patrick Cobbs (North Texas), Ricardo Colclough (Tusculum), Dan Kreider (New Hampshire), Clint Kriewaldt (Wisc-Stevens Point), Aaron Smith (Northern Colorado), Ike Taylor (Louisiana-Lafayette), and Nate Washington (Tiffin). Yep, Mark Madden is right: you can't win with small school players.
Super. Genius.

3. This year's heaviest player is OL Chris Kemoeatu at 344, and the lightest is Cedrick Wilson at 183. The tallest is OL Max Starks at 6'7", the shortest Tyrone Carter, at 5"8". And Joey Porter continues to have the biggest mouth on the squad.
J Peezy never met a microphone he didn't like

2. WR Sean Morey, who started his career in 1999 with New England, has one catch (2004, Steelers). That must have been some amazing catch to sustain a seven year career.
The only existing proof Sean Morey is a wide receiver

1. For the first time since the 1995 season, Jerome Bettis is not on the roster. The last time that happened, the Steelers made it to the Super Bowl. So mark it down: the Steelers in Super Bowl XLI.
Book your seats now, you Yinzers