Big Lead Sports Bar

8/10/2009

TREATS FROM THE INBOX

SITE HOUSEKEEPING

It's time to introduce a new feature which I'll attempt to post whenever possible:
"Treats From the Inbox", a pu-pu platter of user-submitted photos, videos, and thought-provoking emails. It's sort of like "The News", but without all the links. They have their own home.

If you've got something for a future installment, by all means, send it to mondesishouse@gmail.com

And by the way, I've committed to doing regular updates at Twitter,
so you can find Mondesi's House at twitter.com/mondesishouse

PICS OF THE WEEK


This would be a never-before-seen photo from the Penguins Cup Crasher '09 Collection, courtesy of the Dayton Daily News' Steve Depp

"My friend found this shirt at a Gabes store in Morgantown, WV. I know it is poor quality, but figured it was worthy for a post on the blog. Kinda of surprised the shirt was able to be found in the US." -- Sam G.
"Here is a photo for the Photo of the day...Not only Steelers but Penguins" -- David H.

DEEP THOUGHTS
"Don:

Think about this... your generation has grown up without knowing what winning baseball is about in Pittsburgh. No Vern Law, Elroy Face, Maz, Clemente, Parker, Bonilla, Drabek, Stargell, etc. Food for thought: from 1960 to 1979, a 20-year span, the Bucs won three World Series. In the recent era, we haven't had a winning season since Bonds left. With all the pent-up angst from current 'burgers to past proud fans, I've got to believe there is a major uproar simmering among Pgh fans who actually want to see progress not regress every year from this current ownership/management debacle.

Our voices need to be heard! So I say, let's rally the troops for a protest to voice our displeasure and find new ownership who actually knows what a "team" is all about. We'll rally participants to wear all the expensive and now useless jerseys they bought (They might burn them with their accompanying bobble heads.) in honor of their Pirate heroes from Bay to Sanchez, (so much for long-term contracts), etc. What a waste of money and a dupe on the paying public! By the way, your Steeler Ben jersey probably is a safe bet for years to come. Point is, how can you merchandise a team whose products won't even be around next season or even maybe this one?

Fact: Pittsburgh is one of the top sports teams in the nation whose fans have proven they can endure and support a rebuilding phase in big league sports. Witness the Pens and Steelers couple/few tough years... that's couple or a few, not 17 years straight!

So, if we can get a media source on our side to champion and promote a protest of the inept baseball management in Pittsburgh; beg Mark Cuban, the Rooneys, Selig or whoever to please help us... maybe these clowns might actually sell, get out of the business of baseball they obviously know nothing about, take their pocket money profits from the organization and go away out of respect for the fans and citizens of Pittsburgh, which is, by the way, a the city of champions, not chumps who dump like these guys have proven over and over that they are and do. All we want is stability in a team with an identity, stars that stay and new ones that join. You can't keep getting talent just to sell to the highest bidder for unproven "talent."

Pirate baseball must be the joke of the league. Getting the news that you've been traded to the Bucs for any player must be a low point in an athlete's life, that is unless you are coming to the city to eat a good sammy and watch some championship sports such as football and hockey.

With that said, I heartily volunteer my services to promote the Mutiny at Three Rivers. Strategy: Let's pick a game, nationally televised (if there is one), and plan a rally outside or near the stadium. Let the crowd be loud and roar their protests to make the event the story of the day by out-cheering those so-called baseball fans who continue to take little Jack and Johnny to to the game to eat crappy overpriced food, cheer on a girl in a pirogi costume, vote for their favorite lame song between innings and snatch a $5-off coupon from Dick's that they'll never use. Sure, it may be entertaining, but it ain't baseball. To Danny Murtaugh, Bob Prince, and my mother, may you rest in peace if you can."

--
George B., Powell, Ohio
---

The next email is from a reader named Dutch W. who did an incredible amount of statistical analysis on our favorite QB. Yes, it is lengthy, but there's some interesting info, no doubt:

"Someone sent me a link to the NBC hall of fame story. The one about what players are on pace for it. You shouldn't be surprised at no Steelers. Don't you remember Peter King's famous list just 2 years ago that Roethlisberger was 17th best QB? He had guys like Kitna in the Top 10. Ben didn't even beat out Vince Young.

This is exactly why I (probably overboard admittedly) Defend the Work of Roethlisberger so much. It bothers some people. But this is exactly why I do it. I know that if I someone doesn't put his work in the proper statistical perspective, idiots like Peter King just might not vote him one day. I could bore you with amazing statistics. But I will just send you a few.

Dan Fouts
Regular season Stats > 80% passer rating, 58% completion %, 7.7 Yards per attempt
Post season stats > 70% passer rating, 55% completion %, 7.4 Yards per attempt
post season Record > 3 Wins, 4 Losses

Note: Fouts threw 5 Interceptions in the 1979 playoff game against Olilers, and also had 5
Interceptions against the Dolphins in 1982 playoff game.

Danny Marino
Regular season stats > 86.4% passer rating, 59% completion %, 7.3 Yards per attempt,
Post season stats > 77.1% passer rating, 56% completion %, 6.6 Yards per attempt,
Post season record > 8-10

Note: Look at the drop in efficiency from Marino's regular season to his Post season. Marino was a great Quarterback. but he clearly did not elevate his play in the playoffs. His play declined sharply.

Peyton Manning
Regular season Stats > 94.7% passer rating. 64.4% completion %, 7.7 Yards per attempt
Post season Stats > 85% passer rating, 61% completion percentage, 7.5 yards per attempt
post season record > 7 wins 8 losses
Note: In Manning's 8 playoff losses, His offense has only averaged 13 points per game. You can't
blame that work on your defense.
=============================================================================================
Terry Bradshaw
regular season stats > 70.9 passer rating, 51.9 % completion %, 7.2 Yards per attempt
Post season stats > 83% passer rating, 57.2% completion %, 8.4 Yards per attempt !!!!
note: look at that elite Yard per attempt post season AVG.
Post season record > 14 -5 Record

Joe Montana
Regular season stats > 92.3% passer rating, 63.2% completion %, 7.5 Yards per attempt
Post season Stats > 95.6% passer rating, 62.7% completion Percentage, 7.9 yards per attempt
post season record 16 wins 7 losses

Ben Roethlisberger
regular season stats > 89.4% passer rating, 62.4% completion %, 7.9 Yards per attempt
Post season stats > 87.2% passer rating, 62% completion % , 8.1 yards per attempt !!!
post season record 8-2

Note: these playoff stats include 2 games as a rookie. If you remove the two rookie playoff
games in 2004, which is fair to do considering that none of the listed Quarterbacks other then Ben have had to play playoff games as a rookie, these would be his career post season stats.
Post Season Stats > 93.3% passer rating, 63% completion %, 8.17 yards per attempt!

John Elway
Regular season stats > 80% passer rating, 57% completion %, 7.1 Yards per attempt
Post season record > 79.7% passer rating, 54% completion %, 7.6 yards per attempt
post season record > 14 wins 8 losses

Brett Favre
Regular Season stats > 85.4 % passer rating, 61.6% completion %, 7.0 Yards per attempt
Post season stats > 85.2% passer rating, 60.7% completion %, 7.4 Yards per attempt

Here is something I put together 1 year ago.

ROETHLISBERGER - MONTANA COMPARISON (going into their 5th year as starter)

By the end of his first four years of Roethlisberger’s career, an eerie and virtually-unnoticed comparison was forming between himself and another great quarterback.

Montana played in 56 games during his 1st 4 years as a starter

Roethlisberger played in 56 games during his 1st 4 years as a starter


Montana had 28 wins during his 1st 4 years as a starter

Roethlisberger has 39 wins during his 1st 4 years as a starter


Montana won a SB during his 2nd season as a starter

Roethlisberger won a SB during his 2nd season as a starter


Montana had a 63.5% completion % thru 1st 4 years as a starter

Roethlisberger has a 63.2% completion % thru 1st 4 years as a starter


Montana had 77 TD passes thru 1st 4 years as a starter

Roethlisberger has 84 TD passes thru 1st 4 years as a starter


Montana's team went 10-6 in his 4th year as a starter

Roethlisberger's team went 10-6 in his 4th year as a starter


Roethlisberger had 2 more TD passes in his 1st year as a starter

Montana had 2 less interceptions in his 1st year as a starter


Montana avg 17 TD passes a year during his 1st 3 years as starter

Roethlisberger avg 17 TD passes a year thru his 1st 3 years as starter


Montana's team avg 141 yards rushing per game in his 4th yr

Roethlisberger's team avg 139 Yards rushing per game in his 4th yr


Montana's team failed to gain 100 Rushing yards in 4 games in 4th yr

Roethlisberger's team failed to gain 100 rushing yards in 4 games in his 4th yr


Montana had 1622 pass attempts thru 1st 4 years as a starter

Roethlisberger had 1436 pass attempts thru 1st 4 years as a starter


Montana had 11,880 passing yards thur 1st 4 years as a starter

Roethlisberger has 11,673 passing yards thru 1st 4 years as a starter


Montana averaged 7.3 Yards per attempt thru 1st 4 years as starter

Roethlisberger averages 8.1 Yards per attempt thru 1st 4 years as a starter


Montana's 3rd season as a starter , he finished below 500

Roethlisberger 3rd season as a starter finished below 500


Montana had a TD percentage of 5.5% during 1st year as a starter

Roethlisberger had a TD percentage of 5.8% during 1st year as a starter


Montana's longest pass completion thru 1st 4 yrs as starter was 78 Yards

Roethlisberger's longest pass completion thru 1st 4 yrs as starter was 85 yards


Montana had a 89.7 passer rating thru 1st 4 years as a starter

Roethlisberger has a 92.5 Passer rating thru 1st 4 years as a starter


Montana averaged 3.7 yards per rush thru 1st 4 years as a starter

Roethlisberger averaged 3.3 yards per rush thur 1st 4 years as a starter


Montana had 7 rushing TD's thru 1st 4 years as a starter

Roethlisberger had 8 rushing TD's thru 1st 4 years as a starter


Montana had 15 fumbles during his 1st 4 years as a starter

Roethlisberger has 18 fumbles during his 1st 4 years as a starter


Montana's record has 4 wins and 14 losses thru 1st 4 year when his team fails to rush for 100 yards

Roethlisberger's record has 4 wins and 13 losses thru 1st 4 year when his team fails to rush for 100 yards

Montana won a SB when his sack percentage was 7.9% during that season

Roethlisberger won a SB when his sack percentage was 7.9% during that season


Montana averaged 11.4 yards per completion thru 1st 4 years as a starter

Roethlisberger averaged 12.3 Yards per completion thru 1st 4 years as a starter

In year 5 Montana won his 2nd SB

In year 5 Roethlisberger won his 2nd SB.

----

Steve B. checks in on the topic of Hines Ward to the Hall:

"
One stat you forgot. Ward is only the 7th player since 1972 to have over 1000 post-season yards receiving. I can't remember the players ahead of him, but I would imagine most, if not all, are HOF candidates or members. Not only that, he owns every record that Stallworth and Swann ever had."
---

A great in-person recap of HOF weekend from Peter L.

"I made the pilgrimage to Canton from NJ last weekend to see Rod get inducted. I met up with some friends, and had a good time. I won’t bore you rehashing what was already in the news, but give you some impressions I had from the experience.

I met some interesting people such as Chairman of the Board for the Chiefs, Clark Hunt. He was really nice- even to two obvious Steeler fans. He was nice enough to sign an autograph for me on behalf of a misguided friend of mine from Erie who ironically is a diehard Chief fan. We met the current NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith. He was really cool, and even seemed genuinely interested in us. He posed for some pictures with us, and even gave us some NFLPA pins and tshirts. And we also met Adam Schefter. He was there to pimp his new book. We didn’t buy one, but that didn’t stop him from posing for some pics and talking with us for a while. Nice guy.

I was ten feet from Mean Joe. But it may have been a million miles, as they were charging $70 for him to sign. Greene was my favorite as a kid. It would have been a dream come true to meet him. But $70 was too rich for my blood. In general I have three rules with getting autographs- I won’t be rude, pushy, or interrupt conversations. I won’t get in front of kids in a crowd, and I won’t pay. I guess that’s why I don’t have too many. Sigh.
On the flip side, Aikman was kind of a jerk. And Jim Kelly was an ass. I saw him approaching in a sort of narrow hallway and said: “ Hi Mr. Kelly.” No Sharpie. Didn’t get in his way. Just said hi. He blew past me like I didn’t exist. As if it takes that much effort to look at someone and say hi. Oh well, he blew off a Steeler fan. Big deal. I watched him go out the glass doors to be approached by one little girl. She was about four or five, sporting a little Bills jersey. She walked up holding a football and pen. Without breaking stride, he looked down at her, sidestepped, and kept going. A**hole.

Instead of going to the parade, my buddy and I attended the unveiling of the new Lamar Hunt Super Bowl Gallery. I highly recommend any Steeler fan see this. It’s basically an exhibit with Super Bowl artifacts, a Lombardi Trophy, and a movie highlighting the past season from training camps to the Super Bowl. So see the Super Bowl 43 film this year. They do have Santonio’s jersey on display, and examples of Super Bowl rings from the past. I guess last years was designed by Hines. It was as big as a silver dollar and gaudy to say the least, but hey- who’s complaining?
There were a LOT of Bills fans, but Steeler Nation represented well, as did the Chiefs fans. The Cowboy fans, not so much. I think I saw a Viking fan, but I’m not sure. Every football fan needs to go to Canton at least once. With the Super Bowl 43 highlight film on the big screen, this is the year to do it."
READER PLUGS

It's our third reader-designed t-shirt of the month, this one from Pens Superfan Beej:
Note: it also comes in black

14 comments:

Steve said...

I hope that person bought that Cardinals shirt.

Papa Eo said...

I was at the Super Bowl and they were selling them for $5 outside the gate. I got four and wear one to the gym regularly. The other three I dispersed to friends.

proteusbass said...

Jason Bay and Freddy Sanchez are "Pirate heroes?" Did I miss something? I don't recall them winning anything significant as members of the Pirates. You have to do something special to be a hero, and Sanchez's fluke batting title doesn't qualify.

There are two reasons the Pirates are non-competitive: the first is the ownership not being willing to spend enough money to get or keep good players. They need to spend at least $60 - 80 million a year to have much of a shot, unless you're the Marlins.

The second is the ridiculous financial structure of baseball, where the Yankees and Red Sox can spend $200 million a year on their players, pricing out most teams. But that isn't going to change; the players' union would never allow it to happen.

That's all pretty obvious, but these jokers who think protests will cause Nutting to sell (that will NEVER work) don't seem to get the second part. Frankly, we're just going to have to hope that eventually new ownership will happen on its own.

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Jeff_King_Fan said...

no offense, i've always thought walk-outs & protests are stupid. they serve no purpose. management already knows that fans are pissed off. i cant imagine NH saying, "wow, do you hear all those people out there? we surely must do something right now!" i understand why you want to protest, and maybe calling it stupid isnt the best way i can describe it. i just think it doesnt have nearly the impact so many people think it does.

Jeff_King_Fan said...

and btw, i'm sorry but Pittsburgh can't be considered THE city of champions. i know the steelers & pens, but for a city to have a baseball team that has 17 straight losing seasons, they should be disqualified from such a title.

Unknown said...

So since the Pirates have won more World Series in the last 75 years despite those 17 straight losing seasons than the Red Sox and Cubs should that disqualify their cities as well?

Chip said...

Yeah, people need to realize that as bad as the past 17 years have been, the Pirates are far far from the worst franchise in sports or baseball history. I mean, the Cubs haven't won in 100 years...the Red Sox have 2 titles in a century. We had two in the 70's alone. I'm not a fan of the current team or management but let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater.

I hate Neal Huntington and pretty much disagree with every lying word that comes out his weasel mouth. However, on ONE thing he is correct. Finishing .500 isn't an accomplishment. Titles are.

As for protesting. Here's an idea: STOP GOING TO THE GAMES!!!

Look at the recent attendance figures. 17,000 on Thurs. 24,000 on Friday. 38,000 (sellout) on Saturday. WTF??!?!

I understand yinzers are simpletons who like to see shiny explosions in the sky so that explains Sat but what was up the other days? Is the best date you can think up going to see a AAA level baseball team on Friday night? Doesn't anybody go to Cheesecake Factory to get laid anymore?

Seriously, if you want to send a message, stop going to the damn ballpark. The only way the media and the ownership will pay attention is if they start playing in front of Marlins like crowds of 5,000 people or so. When 20,000+ show up to see this wretched level of baseball, you're basically enabling Nutting and his minions. So stop it.

Steve said...

People go to the cheesecake factory to get laid? The burgh's singles scene is worse off than I imagined. I guess it's a step up from applebee's though.

I think people going to the games now simply want to be able to say in 30 years that they were there when times were bad so they can call everyone else a bandwagon fan and be able to quote stats for meaningless players that came and went in the same season. You know...morons.

There's obviously quite a bit of sadistic people in Pittsburgh too, as the whole cheesecake factory reference implies.

YinzerInExile said...

I don't live in Pittsburgh at the moment, but I am sure to catch a game or two every time I go home -- and I'm not a simpleton who likes fireworks, I don't own a bobblehead, and I've no intention of lording my loyalty over the inevitable fairweathers that contention (a girl can dream) will bring.

I go because I was born and raised in Pittsburgh and, love or hate them, the Pirates are my birthright. I don't get another hometown; I don't get another baseball team. So as far as I'm concerned, it's my Yinzer duty as a baseball fan to deal with the Bucs in their present state and hope for all I'm worth that the goobers in charge can pull their heads out of their collective ass long enough to follow through on their stated intention of building up the system to field a competitive team, long term.

That doesn't mean I believe them, or necessarily agree with them; but I'm damn for sure not going to stop supporting my franchise just because the ownership and management is temporarily (again with the hope) incompetent.

okel dokel said...

Amen Yinzer in Exile...Afuckingmen

Jonny Van Mundegaarde said...

You can go to the games now and enjoy the fireworks/giveaways. You can stay away and spend your time trying to get laid at high end chain restaurants. You can simply go to the games and enjoy watching a baseball game.

As Shock-G once so eloquently stated, "Dowatchalike."

I do believe this team is headed in the right direction. The Marlins of a 2002 were a fairly horrible young team. In 2003 they won the World Series. The Tampa Bay Rays charted a similar course. Not saying that's gonna happen so soon, but I believe this team will contend for a playoff spot in two years. And we'll all wait with baited breath to see how many of the players this management team decides to hold on to. Well, a lot of us will anyways...

Jeff_King_Fan said...

as much as i hate to admit it, if you are going to label one city, the city of champions over the past decade it has to be boston. I AM A DIE HARD PITTSBURGH FAN, but have to be realistic. the sox have 2 titles, the celtics have one, the pats have 3 out of 4, and even the bruins were the #1 seed in the playoffs. pittsburgh is in the discussion, but we have to give the victors their due.

AJ said...

People get laid at the Cheesecake Factory? Really?

I mean, the Thai lettuce wraps aren't half bad... but I don't consider them an aphrodisiac.