Big Lead Sports Bar

10/22/2006

Bad Day for the Steelers...and My Dog

Sunday was a pretty bad day at Mondesi's House. First, the Steelers lose in heartbreaking fashion. Then my doberman, Maddux (named after Greg, not Tommy), started coughing and wheezing uncontrollably after the game. So instead of writing about the Steelers, I was treated to a few hours hanging out in Room #6 at the Castle Shannon Animal Hospital on this Sunday night. It turns out that Maddux has an irritated trachea, which he probably got from another dog. I appreciated being able to get an answer for his problem. For the Steelers problems, however, the answers are not so cut-and-dry. This is a team that truly boggles the mind.
Maddux (left) wrestles for posession. The replay shows that he was clearly making a football move.

One of my favorite bits from a few weeks back was "Questions for Bill Cowher's Press Conference". I have so many for Coach, I don't know where to start. And I'm sure he'll be in a great mood. I don't think I'll be able to attend due to Maddux's status, but I'm sure if I slip Ed Bouchette a $5 he'll throw a few of these in:

"How shocked are you that after week 7 you have the same amount of wins as Houston, Green Bay, San Francisco, and Buffalo?"

"What word would best describe your punt returners this season: bad, horrible, or excruciating?"

"Alge Crumpler just scored another touchdown while I was asking you that last question."

"Do you feel Nate Washington's great plays make up for his back-breaking mental mistakes?

"After his catch on Sunday, do you see Sean Morey as having a bigger role in the passing attack?"

"Admit it, in overtime, you missed sending Bettis out there to call headstails."

"Any thoughts on allowing four TD passes to a QB with a 50% completion percentage this season?"

"Did you feel bad icing a 62-year-old kicker?"

"After he averaged 2.4 yards a carry, can you now say with confidence that it was a mistake to show Willie Parker the game film of Edgerrin James on Monday Night Football?"

"Are you starting to feel jinxed when Phil Simms and Jim Nantz are assigned to your games?"

"Each time you play Atlanta, is there some rule to play like it was a game of Madden 2007?"

"First time coaching a QB with the motorcycle accident/appendicitis/concussion hat trick?"

"With 12 catches in the first 6 games, don't you think you're overusing Heath Miller?"

"Is your use of Najeh Davenport totally arbitrary, or does it just look like that to the average fan?"

"Do you realize you're 0-2 when Troy Polamalu faces former Briscoe High teammates?"

"On that roughing the kicker call, any flashbacks to Joe Nedney?"

Well, that's a lot of questions for Mr. Bill. He has much more to do than answer my queries...like getting ready for the Oakland Raiders and their one-game winning streak. If you have any answers for me, I would love to hear them...because right now, I think we're all at a loss for words.

16 comments:

Adam said...

Everything else aside, I seriously hope your dog gets better. It's a heart-wrenching thing to see your pet in pain.

My views on the Steelers have been documented. They won a Super Bowl and now I can just sit back and relax and watch them every Sunday without a loss ruining the rest of the day. What an entertaining football game. Best one of the weekend.

E Buzz said...

More...

"Coach, do you think having Kendall Simmons play at all is a good idea?"

"Coach, can Dan Krieder catch a football with those boxing gloves on, if not, why throw to him?"

"When you said 'never again" with respects to celebration penalties, was that a way to deflect criticism from keeping Coclough in the game returning punts?

"Do you ever criticize Hines Ward?"

"Coach, do you think Alan Faneca is vastly overrated and placing a road cone in his spot would perhaps be a better idea?"

Anonymous said...

Get this:

The ball's on the Steeler, what, 15 yard line in overtime and you know the game is over.

So I toss this football in the air so our two dogs can fight over it. The second time I do it, the ball hits off Maddux' snout and he does what all dogs do...he sneezes.

Then it starts. Another sneeze and then this deep honking sound followed by gagging and this white foam. Totally gross. Then another ten honks and more foam. This is really bad.

Your hero, Raul Mondesi then BLAMES ME for his dog getting what our other dog, Rosco, just got over, kennel cough! From tossing a football in the air no less! So Raul loads up his dog and storms away to the animal hospital. $150 lighter in the pocketbook from that visit I might add.

This guy takes Steeler losses way too hard. However, I was pleased to see that he put up a photo of Rosco and Maddux fighting over possession of the football. As the replay clearly shows, Rosco (the fat dog on the left) in clear possession of the ball. In this situation, since Rosco was on offense, he was awarded the football on the simultaneous possession rule. We went to great expense to install this instant replay system in our home.

*** *** ***

Also... I am sick and tired of kickers falling over like they've been killed if a player so much as grazes their foot. They should get a 15 yard penalty for diving and then be ejected from the game. Let their team figure out how they're going to punt after that!

That call against Polamalu was atrocious. So was the "flinch" against Nate Washington, a wide receiver who doesn't even impact the line play whatsoever. Two horrible calls, that's for sure.

Also, what's more horrible, the many Steeler turnovers or the fact that our defense can't stop anyone?

Anonymous said...

Correction: Rosco is the fat dog on the right!

mai wen said...

My thoughts will be with your dog as well, I hate when my puppies aren't well!

Let's see what else can happen to Ben this year. I say three more concussions (minimum) and maybe a plane accident in which everyone in the plane is okay except for him. Let's say he breaks both of his legs and arms.

Argh. I guess that's what you get for being such a success right away. The universe gets you back for it.

mondesishouse said...

Thanks for all the well wishes on Maddux. He is resting quietly at the Mondesi homestead, and he is still very upset that the Steelers lost that game.

E Buzz said...

Ben is like that big guy in the James Bond movies, he gets up and brushes himself off after crashing to earth from ten stories up then having three tons of large rocks fall on him.

But he is going to be a veg in the Joe Montana mold if he doesn't wear one of those Andre Reed helmets.

Both lines played like crap. Hoke was falling on his ass all over the place.

Polamalu should know better than to get anywhere near a kicker, esp with the Stillers history...

Get your dog a cold Arn. That'll cheer him up.

Anonymous said...

"With 12 catches in the first 6 games, don't you think you're overusing Heath Miller?"

C'mon man, everyone knows this is the 10th straight year the Steelers will start throwing to the tight end.

I actually picture Roethlisberger as more of a Super Dave Osborne type. There's some little Japanese guy hooking him up to a catapult as we speak.

Raul, glad your dog is doing better!

Anonymous said...

"Coach, do you own a pair of rubber gloves?"

The season is back in the shitter again, a week after I proclaimed the season to be officially removed from the shitter.

Speaking of the shitter, how appropriate to be playing at Oakland this week.

The Burgher said...

Coach, do you think it is time for Big ben to return the Tiki Idol to the people of Hawaii?

Anonymous said...

"Coach, Heath Miller accounted for well over 0.9% of your team's receiving yards this week. After such a busy game for Heath, do you plan on looking elsewhere for receiving options Sunday against the Raiders?"

"Coach, 473 yards and 4 TDs from Maddox or 433 yards and 5 TDs from Roethlisberger / Batch... which non-winning passing performance did you enjoy watching more?"

Anonymous said...

The call against Washington wasn't atrocious, Washington was. Why in blazes would you do anything but stand like a statue when you know your QB is simply going to spike the ball?

Anonymous said...

The call against Washington was ticky tacky.

Not an atrocious call, but not a really great one either. Especially given the situation.

I've actually felt that Washington and Holmes have grown leaps and bounds as receivers the past couple of weeks. I'm impressed.

I do think it's funny how a lot of fans are already nailing these two kids through the balls though. Give 'em time, they have talent they just need to cut back on their mistakes.

Now if they'd only stop MURDERING us with their fumbling and moving ever-so-slightly before the ball is snapped!!!

Ben's one of those guys that will go through all the dangerous stuff, like motorcycle accidents and haveing three 3-hundred-pounders squash him between their helmets, and be perfectly fine.

Then one day he'll die in some ridiculous way like accidentally drowning in a bowl of Frosted Flakes at breakfast.

Anonymous said...

Washington moved b/c he was concerned with his alignment relative to the other two receivers on his side of the formation. Only one of them can be on the line of scrimmage.

The irony of the penalty is that if Washington doesn not move back and the Steelers were instead flagged for illegal formation, there is no mandatory :10 run-off, meaning Jeff Reed could have attemped what would have roughly been a 58-yd FG.

Bic said...

Gotta ask him about that sprint down the sidelines to call a time out earlier in the game.

And that stupid stupid challenge that we wasted a time out on. Boy was Bob Pompeani pissed over that one.

Megatron said...

Sorry bout your dog brother, I hope he's all better soon.
Now let's go easy on the Lions... oops, I mean Steelers. They still have a chance to make it to the playoffs, they are not as
JACKED UP!" as we think they are. They are coming around, pulling together and Kitna will be fine against the Raiders next weekend. Did I say Kitna, I meant Cordell Stewart, or, who is our quarter back again? Well, it doesn't matter. Look everyone, the Pittsburgh Packers will be okay. Let's not panic just yet!