Big Lead Sports Bar

9/24/2009

TREATS FROM THE INBOX

It's time for the randomly-scheduled feature where YOU are the star, "Treats From the Inbox!"

PICS OF THE WEEK

"Flown high atop Silverton Mountain, CO this February. Thought you'd enjoy it." -- BJ M., Superior, CO

"Hey, here is a pic of our baby boy Cole. He is almost 3 months old. He is wearing his semi-Guido but totally awesome Steelers tracksuit.

We live in Atlanta, but I am a Pittsburgh native. There is an excellent fanbase down here. Particularly at a place called Smith's Olde Bar. Probably the craziest Steelers bar I have EVER been to. When we played Baltimore during the playoffs last year, there were so many people there going crazy with horns and "f - Baltimore" t-shirts. There are ring leaders etc. I wish I had a video to link so that you could see how crazy this place gets. Heck, maybe that is an idea for a future blog spot: ask people from around the country to send you quick youtube vids of their steelers bar going absolutely insane. Could be cool to see." -- Chris C., Atlanta

"We were lucky enough to meet Stan last week when we went to the Bucs/Phils game on 8/25. He was really nice, and had no problem stopping to get a picture with us. He walked by a whole bunch of people that didn’t seem to recognize him, which I thought was odd. One of Rege’s prospective groomsmen was with us when we saw him, and he asked me if he’d be able to get a suit like that for our wedding… it is a pretty sweet suit I guess." -- Lauren and Rege

"Went to the NC State vs South Carolina game and I saw two Steeler jerseys, including a Burress jersey for some reason. Maybe it was a homage to Cowher?" -- Jason B.

"I got the plate two years ago, before Steelers nailed XLIII." -- SB, New York

"I saw the license plate photo and decided to send you one, too. Yes, it's mine." -- Joseph B., Virginia

"I'm from north of the city in Sharon, and my wife and I were on our honeymoon last week. This pic was taken during Thursday night's game at a bar called Buster's Garage in Aruba! The Steel Nation is everywhere!" - Pat C., Sharon, PA

VIDEO OF THE WEEK
"To help get through the hockey-less summer months, I devoted some time creating a video honoring the many years of Penguins hockey at the Igloo. Some of the best memories of my life were forged under Old Lady Mellon's dome. I aimed at capturing the great players, coaches, fans, and moments that made her feel like home. I hope you enjoy." -- Jamie K.

LOCAL HEADLINES OF THE WEEK:

Police: Cash, pierogies taken during burglary (Johnstown)

Neighbors: Giant Pumpkin Patch causes aggravation (Monessen)


SOME RANDOM EMAILS

"So happy to see a site covering PITT. I live in the Ohio Valley, which is like within an hour from Pittsburgh, and we get zero mentions of Pitt on the news here. I get annoyed with Pittsburgh media having to mention West Virginia like they're a hometown team. If you must mention WVU on your site to avoid complaints from readers, at least feel free to rip on them in the process. Pittsburgh is not Mountaineer country! Go PITT!" -- Larry C., Yorkville, OH

"I find this article total bulls***. These are same Phillies fans that were harassing Pirate fans in our section during our last road trip? Some dude hugs his daughter- and all of sudden I'm supposed to forgive Philadelphia? Obviously this author has never been to a Flyers game. They are the worst fans in all the land." -- Rege R.

"I was just watching Most Daring on TruTV, and there was a clip of a bunch of idiots tormenting a baby bull inside a bullfighting stadium in Spain. Upon first viewing one of the idiots was wearing what looked to be a Pirates #25 t-shirt jersey.

When they showed a slow motion replay later I watched closely and the yellow-trimmed-in-red font and the name "Casey" on the back confirmed my initial thoughts.

Just thought it was interesting that no matter where they go, and what they do, Pittsburghers will always represent their teams." -- Chase K.

"I was checking high school football schools this Friday evening (what a sad life I have) and came across a pretty odd school I’d never heard of before. Check out the 5th score on the list (although the list order could change), the opponent of Beaver Area:

“High School of the Future”??? Can that actually be a legit high school name? Are they from the future? Do they know where Jimmy Hoffa is buried?" -- Mike V., Lawrenceville

"My friends and I went to State College to catch the Ny/Penn League All Star game. On the way there, while traveling I-99 my friend says, and I quote, "You guys need to check out that license plate ahead." We did, and were amused to find Pirates legend Kent Tekulve on his way to be honorary coach for the game..When we got to the stadium, and waited in line to get Teke's autograph, ae told him that we followed him up, figuring he would take us right to the ballpark. He said you picked the wrong guy!! Teke was very nice and damn that World Series ring was awesome!" -- Midnight667

"This may or may not be appropriate for your next Treats From the Inbox, but I'm looking for some help. As a kid, I got in an argument with Steelers defensive back Ron Johnson because I didn't believe that he was actually a member of the team. I posted this story on my blog today, but I'm wondering if anyone knows where Ron Johnson is today." -- Sean

"This site is classic. It's the opposite of Wikipedia: Uncyclopedia.com, the link below takes you to their page on Pittsburgh." -- Beej, LA

"The reason that I'm writing to you today is because almost 2 weeks ago Steeler Nation lost one it's most iconic, yet anonymous, members. My uncle, Harry Everett, was responsible for adding the "YOUR'RE IN STEELER COUNTRY" sign to friendly confines of Three Rivers Stadium and later Heinz Field over 30 years ago. His death was unexpected and shocking.

While going through some old pictures of Harry my cousins came across a picture of him at Three Rivers, standing above his sign with his fist raised in celebration. It gave me chills and an idea at the same time.

Prior to his death I got tickets for my girlfriend and me so we could go to the season opener with Harry's daughter Theresa and her husband and Harry's son Brad. Since his passing, Harry's other two daughters are trying to get tickets, and some of our other cousins already have. As a sort of memorial to Harry and his sign I am working on having t-shirts made with that old picture of him for all of us to wear at the game and the rest of our family to wear at home watching the game.

I also sent letters to the Steelers in order for us to try to get on the field at some point in order to recreate the picture with Harry's son Brad in his place.

I think its important to get his story out. He was a great man and his devotion to the Steelers were rivaled only by his devotion to his family. I would be grateful for any response you provide. I don't expect you to do anything on the site but I wanted to share this loss with you and possibly your readers. Attached is a copy of the letter I sent to Art Rooney II.
Dear Mr. Rooney:

My name is Kevin Shutty and as a lifelong Steeler fan I am grateful for the opportunity to send you this letter. You and your entire family are responsible for many great contributions to both the NFL and the City of Pittsburgh. As fans we have come to admire not only the players on the field, but also your family, for running the organization with the same passion and blue collar work ethic that defines Pittsburghers.

It is with a heavy heart, however, that I write this letter. On August 16, 2009 my uncle, a season ticket holder since the 1970’s, Harry J. Everett passed away unexpectedly. Harry was no ordinary season ticket holder. He was responsible for creating a local icon. Week in and week out, season after season, Harry would go to Three Rivers Stadium and later Heinz Field and proudly drape his banner over the wall in front of his seats. The sign read: YOU’RE IN STEELER COUNTRY, and it served as both a reminder and notice to all who were present in the stadium or saw it on television that this place was special. For all members of Steeler Nation, whether they lived near or far, it was a welcome sign like no other. Harry never took out a paten on the sign nor did he ever ask for any money because of it. He was just proud to share his sign with everyone. The sign has many imitators, but his original has and will continue to stand the test of time.

Harry’s devotion to the Steelers was second only to his family. He worked for four decades for Westinghouse, he put others before himself, and opened his home and heart to everyone he met. At the funeral home the sign was draped proudly again for the many mourners that came to pay their respects. The line was out the door. Harry leaves behind a proud legacy of service to his family and community and he provided an example that I hope to carry on.

The shock and sadness that accompanied Harry’s death are still present for all of us. But I feel it is time for those of us outside of his immediate family to begin memorializing him. Prior to his passing I purchased two tickets near Harry’s seats in section 121 for the season opener on September 10th in order to attend with his daughter and son. Since the circumstances have changed, his two other daughters are trying to purchase tickets in order to be at this game so we can continue the tradition of hanging Harry’s sign and celebrate his love for Steeler football. Some of our cousins have obtained tickets as well. While going through stacks of pictures, we came across an old photo of Harry in his younger days at Three Rivers, standing with a crowd behind his sign with his fist raised in celebration. I am getting shirts made with this picture on it so we all can wear them at the game.

I’m not looking for any kind of recognition for sharing this story with you. Harry wouldn’t want it and neither do I. I do have two motives: the first is simply to share Harry’s story with you and the second is to inquire about the possibility of gaining access to the field at the convenience of the Steelers in order to replicate the picture of Harry at Three Rivers with his son Brad in his place. I understand fully that this is not a simple task, but I also know that to this group of loyal Steeler fans it would mean the world to us if we could create a new memory including this iconic sign to pass down through our family.

Once again I appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to read my letter. We hope that this can begin to move us in the direction of closer. On behalf of my family we are very grateful for any response we receive from you or the Pittsburgh Steelers. We will proudly continue to share Harry Everett’s iconic sign and spirit with Steeler Nation.
-- Kevin S.

From Philip R:

You mentioned Ben’s “18th” 4th quarter comeback recently, so I thought you’d like to see this:

The author went back through tons of NFL games and broke these comebacks down, since, like tackles, they are not officially recognized by the NFL and are tallied at the discretion of each team. Often, teams will count game-winning drives that break 4th quarter ties as comebacks, or will count games in which the defense/special teams actually scored the winning points as comebacks (i.e. Deshea Townsend’s game-winner against Dallas last season should not count as Ben’s comeback).

The bad news is that Ben really only has 16 comebacks in his career (though if you include OT game-winners, then he has a few more) – the good news is that, thanks to some major fluffing by the Broncos, Patriots, Packers, Colts, etc, many of the other top QBs have far fewer comebacks than previously thought. Here’s a breakdown of the true comeback stats for some big name QBs (you can see which teams were honest in calculating the stat and which were much more liberal with the definition):

QB                 Reported     Actual
John Elway              47        34
Brett Favre             42        27
Dan Marino              37        36
Peyton Manning          37        28
Drew Bledsoe            32        24
Joe Montana             31        31
Johnny Unitas           31        34
Tom Brady               28        20
Roger Staubach          23        15
Ben Roethlisberger      19        15
Chad Pennington               7            7

Jay Cutler 7 5
FRIENDS OF MH:

There's a new Dave Dameshek column up on ESPN.com, and once again, he brings it. A must-click.

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Attention all Sports Fans under the age of 2. This website is for you! Fanbabies.com is a place you can ask questions, offer advice and submit book ideas (no registration required). But more importantly, it's a place to show off your colors and gear! Upload a picture today! www.fanbabies.com, cause babies are fans too!

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Pittsburgh Steelers: The Complete Illustrated History documents the great moments in a tradition that stretches back more than seventy-five years and offers an unmatched legacy of success. Fresh on the heels of a record sixth Super Bowl victory, the Pittsburgh Steelers are a team steeped in history and success. The roster of players who have donned the black and gold reads like an all-star team, and the 1970's dynasty alone featured nine players currently enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This book celebrates those players and many more, as well as coaching legends such as Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher, and the passionate fans throughout western Pennsylvania and across the nation who have never failed the team that never failed them. Lavishly illustrated with color and black-and-white images from throughout the team's history, Pittsburgh Steelers brings to powerful life the on- and off-field exploits of this iconic franchise. You can buy this book right now at MVPbooks.com.

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If you're at all interested in helping the cause in the future,
this is what plays best:


-Personal photos of you with an athlete
-Terrible Towel shots from unusual locales
-Pittsburgh-centric license plates
-Pictures of Steeler/Pirate/Penguin jerseys in random places
-Well-written or thought-provoking emails
-Personal Burgh-sports stories
-Amusing Western PA-related links

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

To the one email guy, which I found it odd who it was your number one email.. listen, I'm not stupid. I know, you know and the whole city of Pittsburgh knows that Pittsburgh is PITT country. So, you mean to tell me that Penn State doesn't have it's right to be covered in Pittsburgh sports, you know, since it's damn well near the middle of the state. Why shouldn't a school that's just 6 miles from the PA border get it's fair attention in the Pittsburgh sports action? There are a fair amount of Mountaineer fans in SW PA.