Obama Names Hines Ward to President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

First, it was Dan Rooney. Now, Barack Obama has called on another member of the Pittsburgh Steelers family for a post in his administration.

Joe Paterno Nominated for Presidential Medal of Freedom

Technically this is old news since it happened on Sunday, but U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-Pa, nominated Penn State coach Joe Paterno for the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor a civilian can receive, in a letter to President Barack Obama. As you can see, this made JoePa very happy.

COMING TO A TV NEAR YOU: TROY POLAMALU AND BARACK OBAMA

Troy Polamalu has really taken his crossover appeal to another level since winning a second Super Bowl (unless you've missed the endless Head and Shoulders ads, Madden cover or Jimmy Fallon appearance), and as the latest example, he was chosen to appear in a public service ad alongside President Barack Obama.

The 90-second PSA promotes the league's "Play 60" campaign, which encourages physical activity to combat childhood obesity, as well as the president's community service initiative, "United We Serve". Also appearing in the spot will be New Orleans' Drew Brees and Dallas Cowboys Demarcus Ware. The ad, which shows Obama and the players on the White House lawn playing touch football with local kids, will debut during the Thanksgiving day games and will run in an abbreviated version throughout the remainder of the season.

Steelers' Polamalu to Appear in PSA with President Obama [WPXI]

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PENGUINS VISIT THE WHITE HOUSE

Here's your first shot of Barack Obama's visit with Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins, who made a visit to the White House just two days before the start of training camp and just two hours before the start of the Steelers' title defense. As President Obama said today, "With the Steelers and Penguins, I guess it's a good time to be a sports fan in Pittsburgh." Truer words have never been spoken.

Obama, who was given a #44 Penguins jersey, singled out Crosby, owner Mario Lemieux, Coach Dan Bylsma, and Evgeni Malkin (who was taking photos on his camera phone while the President addressed the team) during his speech. Of Lemieux, Obama said, "Having Mario Lemieux here is a pretty big deal. He won a couple of these trophies as a player, but this is his first as an owner. He's still got a big smile on his face, so I guess it feels good this way too."

While in the Land of Ovechkin today, Crosby, along with Bill Guerin, Jordan Staal, Marc-Andre Fleury and Brooks Orpik, took part in the 'Hockey In The Hood' program. Said Sid of the experience: “They said there were a lot of Capitals fans out there. They said I was their second favorite. It's fun. Kids in general, no matter where they're from, or where they're playing. They're out there because they love it, so it doesn't matter. They're easy to teach, they want to learn. It's just, it's fun."

More photos and video will be posted as it becomes available. But I think we'll be occupied for the next few hours regardless.

UPDATE:

Here's the PG's article and a new pic

Stanley Cup Champion Penguins Visit White House [WPXI]
President Welcomes Stanley Cup Champs To White House [WTAE]

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(MOST) STEELERS VISIT THE WHITE HOUSE

Today was the day of the big Steeler visit to the White House sans You Know Who, and it turned out to be a very nice and memorable event.

President Obama called this the most unique visit by a championship team to the White House, because the Steelers (as well as Obama and wounded veterans from Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the National Naval Medical Center) helped assemble 3,000 USO care packages that will be sent to the troops overseas.

Obama hung around for roughly an hour and visited with the World Champs, who he followed while growing up in Hawaii in the 1970s. Obama's Steeler roots go deep, as he recently nominated Dan Rooney as the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland. Said the Prez: "I can tell you that I don't know anybody who is more of a gentleman, who is more loyal, who is more committed to excellence, than Mr. Rooney," Obama said. "And he and his family have just been such an extraordinary pillor for the city of Pittsburgh."

While James Harrison was not there, nor was Aaron Smith, for unspecified reasons. Troy Polamalu traveled from California for the event and added that he considered it an honor.

But James Farrior had the quote of the day, when he said, "This never gets old for me. I love coming to the White House."

Hopefully the Steelers (and Penguins) will be visiting again soon, so we can have a photo op similar to this:
President Obama welcomes Steelers to White House [PG]

Super Bowl champs get the chance to meet nation's top fan [Trib]

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STEELERS WILL VISIT WHITE HOUSE SANS SILVERBACK

As per the tradition, the NFL Champion is going to visit the White House. And as per another tradition, James Harrison will not be attending.

You see, the talented yet sometimes puzzling linebacker skipped the team's last White House visit in 2006 with Dubya, and it looks like once again, he's prepared to sit on the sidelines:

"This is how I feel -- if you want to see the Pittsburgh Steelers, invite us when we don't win the Super Bowl. As far as I'm concerned, he [Obama] would've invited Arizona if they had won," said Harrison.

I'm pretty sure that these visits aren't arranged for the current President's favorite team to stop by on a whim, which means Harrison is absolutely right - without his touchdown, or Santonio's, Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald would be shaking hands and posing for photos with President Obama next week.

In a strange twist, Harrison is the second Steeler linebacker in as many White House trips to make headlines before the visit. In 2006, it was Joey Porter who famously said, "Yeah, I got something to say to Bush, I'm going to have a swagger when I walk in there, too," Porter said, laughing loudly. "I'm looking forward to it. I have something to tell him, too. I don't like the way things are running right now. I feel like he has to give me some of my money back, so I got something to tell Bush."

In the end, Porter put on his finest Kanye West-style shades and quietly remained on his best behavior. Regardless of the outcome, Porter dealt with some level of criticism for his words. And judging from the 100+ comments in four hours on a PFT thread, it looks like Harrison's comments aren't exactly being received well, either.

NObama: Steelers' Harrison Says He'll Skip White House Visit [WTAE]

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UPDATED: OBAMA PICKS PITT FOR FINAL FOUR

Barack Obama's love affair with Pittsburgh sports continued today, as it was revealed that he's picked the Pitt Panthers as one of his Final Four teams. No, he's not in the Mondesi Madness bracket (although it's not too late for YOU to join), he actually took time away from dealing with the disaster that is AIG to fill out a bracket for ESPN.com.

While ESPN couldn't possibly reveal his entire bracket (that's being held for the noon Sportscenter on Wednesday), they did identify his Final Four selections: Pitt, Louisville, North Carolina, and Memphis. Someone's obviously not scared of Pitt's shaky tournament history.

UPDATE:
Obama's official bracket is now available to the public, and he's got Pitt falling to his eventual champion North Carolina in the Final Four. Oh well, it's better than the Sweet 16.
Among actual analysts, you'll be pleased to see SI.com's Seth Davis is sticking with Pitt as his choice to win it all, despite having his confidence shaken after the Panthers' loss to WVU. Says Davis:

"Look, I know picking these games is a silly exercise, and nobody really cares what I say anyway. Still, I put a lot of thought into who I announced as my championship pick on the CBS Selection Show. I was dead set on picking Pittsburgh for the last several weeks, but I got spooked by their loss to West Virginia in the Big East tournament. After checking with a source out in Pitt, I came to the conclusion that this team will actually benefit from having lost -- mostly because Levance Fields' sore back (which as you'll recall almost kept him out of the UConn game) needed time to heal. Remember, Pitt won the Big East tournament last year and lost in the second round. This may just be one case where a few days of rest and practice, combined with the healthy and humbling reminder that it can be beat if its not mentally ready, should be very helpful. That's my theory, anyway."

Chalk another one up in the "losing early in the Big East Tournament is a good thing" camp. But for the reason he identified (getting rest for Fields), I can definitely buy it.

---

One last Pitt note to pass along: if you've got HBO, keep your eyes peeled for the latest edition of Bryant Gumbel's Real Sports, which features a segment on none other than Jamie Dixon. It is entitled "Bittersweet Success" and covers Dixon's rise to prominence while simultaneously dealing with the loss of his sister, former Army women's coach Maggie Dixon.

Send your news, tips, and links to Mondesishouse@gmail.com.

STEELER UPDATE: OBAMA MAKES IT OFFICIAL

--As I alluded to earlier, it's now official: Barack Obama chose Dan Rooney as the new U.S. ambassador to Ireland. Nice timing, on St. Patrick's Day and all.

Rooney was a lifelong Republican, but has shown unwavering support for Obama for quite some time, so the announcement was nothing more than a formality. It's been hinted at for weeks.

Rooney's Irish roots go deep, as he helped found the American Ireland Fund, an organization that has raised millions for advocacy of peace and education in Ireland. He's always been a great ambassador of the city of Pittsburgh, and he's been an influential and diplomatic owner in a room full of NFL billionaires for decades. This is just the natural evolution to the next level. [SI]

--So much for Trai Essex joining Nate Washington in Tennessee. The Steelers put the kibosh on that by signing the o-lineman to a two-year deal on Tuesday. Essex received a signing bonus of $500,000 and will earn salaries of $620,000 and $800,000 over the next two seasons. Affordable depth, affordable depth. [Trib]

--We're reached the time of year when Steeler basketball games are on the radar, and the first that I've seen is the contest on March 27 at 8 PM at Chartiers Valley HS. If anyone has any details or recaps from Steeler basketball, please feel free to share. [PG]

--The Steelers signed LB Arnold Harrison to a one-year deal to return to the team. He was on IR all of last season. While I would've preferred to see "the other" Harrison signed, I always liked whatever it was that Arnold Harrison brought to the table. And speaking of Arnold Harrison and Steeler basketball, as I saw firsthand last year, they go hand in hand. [PG]

--From the same link above, the Steelers brought in Moon HS and Penn State's A.Q. Shipley, a center, for a look-see. They've also visited with Pitt linebacker Scott McKillop and center C.J. Davis. Revise your draft boards accordingly.

--The Steelers didn't end up with DBs Leigh Bodden or Chris Carr, but they are bringing back Fernando Bryant for another go-round. He played in two games last season after joining the Steelers on November 11. Once again, affordable depth. That's the theme of the day. [ESPN]

Update:
--Shawn D. informed me that there was a Steeler basketball game tonight (March 17) at Union High School in New Castle. They played LCAA Sports to a 59-59 tie. Some notables who showed up: James Harrison, Willie Colon, Lou Lipps, and Cardinals WR Steve Breston.

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RUSH LIMBAUGH TIES TOGETHER SB43 & OBAMA DISLIKE

In a recent clip, noted Steeler fan Rush Limbaugh somehow makes a comparison between Kurt Warner's final drive in Super Bowl 43 and Barack Obama, drawing the conclusion that he hoped they both would fail. Let's go to the tape...

But wait a second...doesn't Obama also count himself among the card-carrying members of Steeler Nation? That's right, he sure does. Chalk this up as just another example of the wonder that is Steeler football...it even brings together liberals and conservatives.

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SENATOR FRANCO HARRIS?

Don't laugh - it could happen, says the Trib's Eric Heyl, who reports that Franco Harris could go after Arlen Specter's seat in the U.S. Senate next year:

True, the last time a Steelers great ran for statewide office, he fumbled the ball. Hall-of-Fame wide receiver Lynn Swann was trounced when he sought to unseat Gov. Ed Rendell in 2006, winning less than 40 percent of the vote.

But Swann was a Republican going against a deep-pocketed Democratic incumbent who faced no primary opposition — in a state where Democrats held a commanding 600,000 voter registration edge over the GOP.

What Heyl's saying makes a lot of sense. With the likely backing of President Obama, which presumably would go hand-in-hand with the support of one Dan Rooney, Harris could be on to something. And as Heyl points out, Harris' status as a Democrat would be a big asset for a Pennsylvania campaign. Now all we need is someone to coin a clever campaign phrase featuring the word 'immaculate' and this story could really get some legs.

Franco's unlikely to drop a Pa. election [Trib]

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THE PARADE GOES ON

Today is a day for the true die-hards, the day where people skip out of work or school to stand in the snow, endure large crowds, and deal with traffic nightmares while waiting for their Steeler heroes to drive past them. It's the Steeler victory parade, and it's happening at noon, despite earlier claims that it might not happen at all.

The last parade gave us a few classic moments, most notably Bill Cowher dressed up as your dad on chore day taunting the Bengals with a "Who Dey? We Dey!" chant.

So what's going to be the lasting image or memory of this parade? Hines Ward making a dramatic entrance out of his hyperbaric chamber? A helicopter landing in the middle of the parade with Barack Obama and Dan Rooney emerging while waving Terrible Towels? I guess we'll just have to wait in traffic and see.

City to Salute Steelers [PG]
Traffic at a standstill for parade preparation [PG]

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UPDATED: TERRIBLE TOWEL MAKES THE INAUGURATION

Here's our first verified screen shot of a Terrible Towel at today's Inauguration of President Barack Obama, courtesy of reader Jeremy Swank. I'm sure the President was incredibly inspired by the waving yellow cloth. Here we go Obama, here we go.

By the way, I've been accumulating a treasure trove of interesting Steeler-related photos for tomorrow's edition of The News, so if you've got anything worth seeing, please forward them along.

UPDATE:
From reader Ted Merklin comes the video!

Even more...

A nice screencap from Flubby at KSK...

and a new video link courtesy of Big Bob and the Kiss 96.1 Morning Freak Show

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THE TERRIBLE TOWEL THROUGHOUT HISTORY

This time of year, it seems like everyone's a Steeler fan, from today's pre-game entertainment, (Hank Williams Jr.) to Pittsburgh native Michael Fink waving a gravity-free Terrible Towel in support of the black and gold.

As we've seen many times, the Steelers and U.S. Presidents seem to go hand-in-hand with great photo ops. So let us sit back and enjoy this retrospective of the Steelers' support from U.S. Presidents through history, as interpreted by Joe Calinger of Youngstown, Ohio...

Dan Rooney and Barack Obama discuss how the Steel Curtain D stacks up against the 2008 version

Mike Tomlin, Joe Biden & Barack Obama talk zone blitzing

Barack Obama, the most efficient member of the Steelers' 2008 draft class, and undoubtedly a better wideout than Limas Sweed, is introduced after reaching terms on a 4-year deal

William Jefferson Clinton, a renowned Steeler supporter

Ike Eisenhower surely would've been a fan of #24

Harry S Truman was a card-carrying member of Steeler Nation

JFK shows his support

Ronald Reagan dons an authentic throwback jersey

Here's Gerald Ford, who apparently played for the Steelers in the glum pre-Super Bowl era

Even Teddy Roosevelt displayed his towel with pride

Terrible Towels show up everywhere, even the Nixon Inauguration

Abe Lincoln tailgates in what would later become the Heinz Field parking lot

So there you have it. The men in charge are behind us, and finally, we have Photoshopped evidence to prove it. Expect ample Towels present at the upcoming inauguration.

Send your news, tips, and links to Mondesishouse@gmail.com.

NEWS AND NOTES

Pens fan illustrates dislike of Flyers, specifically Scott Hartnell.

[Thanks to Joe D. for the pic]

--Continuing an unreal week of hockey, the Pens beat the Flyers, 5-4, in a dramatic shootout at the Igloo. Kid Crosby continued his dominance of the Flyers, leading the way with two goals. Geno Malkin extended his scoring streak with his 6th goal of the season, Matt Cooke added his first, and Dany Sabourin was perfect in the shootout. The Pens are now 10-4-2 and just four points out of the conference's top spot.

--Could this be the greatest autographed baseball ever? Sure sounds like it. [Pittsburgh's Black and Gold]

--The Steelers drop to #5, Chargers #20 in the latest RCS NFL Power Ranking Averages. [Real Clear Sports]

--Jayson Stark breaks down the upcoming MLB free agency. Pirate fans, get ready: this might be the year we sign Paul Byrd! [ESPN.com]

--ESPN sets what has to be a record: Bracketology before the college basketball season. That's some gig you talked them into, Lunardi. [ESPN.com]

--That John McCain is some nice guy. He toasted the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on the lawn of the Senate Office Building. [Sports Pickle]

--Forgot to mention the unintentional comedy that was the Dan Sepulveda feature on KDKA. If I don't mention it soon, I fear a reader revolt. [KDKA]

--Javon Walker's season is over. That was a great 15 catches. [Fanhouse]

--And news out of Chicago: Kerry Wood is done as a Cub. Needless to say, he never won a championship during his time there. [Big League Stew]

--It's the sports celebrity sightings of the week, featuring Mr. Fuji and Barack Obama! [Sports Hernia]

--Need a new place to keep your beer? How about in your hoodie?



--GetMooh.com, short for "get me out of here," is a great site designed to get you out of sticky or undesirable situations anywhere, anytime. Forget relying on your friends to make that all-important call.

Send your news, tips, and links to Mondesishouse@gmail.com.

NEWS AND NOTES

--Rather large hockey game tonight in Detroit. Time to break out your Hossa Penguins jersey, which is now considered a throwback. [PG]

--Why does Dan Rooney fall for Barack Obama? Gene Collier has your answer. [PG]

--After all these years, why can't Ike Taylor catch a football? That's a good question. [Mark Madden]

--Sergei Gonchar's injury is one of the costliest in sports. [Yahoo! Sports]

--Have you seen the 309-pound high school quarterback? [Deadspin]

--And along the lines of hefty athletes, here's the 10 greatest fat guy moments in sports. [on205th]

--Wondering what Rowdy Roddy Piper's been up to? Wonder no more. [TMZ]

--Get familiar with Bobby Jindal, the 37-year-old Indian American governor of Louisiana who might be the new face of the Republican party. [Yahoo! News]

--Here's 5 notably terrible sports video games. You're saying Kurt Warner's Arena Football was terrible?

--It's the top 16 sports movie villains of all time. Any list with Ivan Drago is a good list. [Uncoachable]

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COULD FAST WILLIE'S SEASON BE OVER? - UPDATED

NFL.com is reporting that Steeler RB Willie Parker has a torn labrum, and that if he plays again this season he will require a shoulder harness. This is not good news for Parker, as it could potentially end his season early for the second time in as many years. With the release of Najeh Davenport on Saturday, that would leave the Steelers with just two running backs: Mewelde Moore and Gary Russell. Which makes me wonder why the Steelers released Davenport in the first place.

UPDATE:

The latest ESPN report says this:

Parker denied the NFL.com report on Sunday and told ESPN's Bob Holtzman no one has told him he has a torn labrum. Parker said the first he heard of the report was when he got a call from his agent Sunday morning. Parker said his body is "beat up" but does not expect to be out for the season and hopes to play next week.

Which basically means I'm more confused than ever. Of course, I've heard reports that Ben Roethlisberger is and isn't playing today, so confusion regarding Steeler injuries would be nothing new.

A few other Steeler-related links to shoehorn in:

--Sports by Brooks points out some harsh comments that Ed Bouchette had about the Philadelphia Eagles' website.

--The Cowher-to-Cleveland wishes are getting louder. If the Chin plays this right, he could leverage the upcoming opportunities into the richest coaching contract ever. Of course, that would require leaving his job reading highlights alongside Shannon Sharpe.

--There's a new episode of WDVE's Gunslingers up, in which the Sheriff talks about the big Washington win and the recent election of Barack Obama. As always, it's full of laughs.

Send your news, tips, and links to Mondesishouse@gmail.com.

EVEN MORE NEWS AND NOTES

--Good luck, Barack. You've got a tough road ahead. [Yahoo!]

--Tina Fey says she's retiring the Sarah Palin impersonation. [Hollywood Insider]

--Could Oprah really become the U.S. Ambassador to England? [Froggy 99.9]

--Peter King has Big Ben 8th in his MVP race, behind Matt Ryan, Jason Campbell, and Drew Brees. Sigh. [SI]

--Joe Paterno is wary of a brushoff from the BCS. Isn't it great to have a coach who can reference his experience as coach in the 1968 season when making a point? [PG]

--TE Heath Miller is doubtful for Sunday's game against the Colts, spoiling that Heath Miller-Dallas Clark showdown the networks would have undoubtedly focused on. [Trib]

--Steelers remain #3 in the cumulative power rankings [Real Clear Sports]

--A New England Patriots cheerleader is fired...for vandalism. [With Leather]

--Michael Crichton, the man who wrote Jurassic Park, just passed away at age 66. [CNN]

--Have you heard about the Nebraska law that allows parents to abandon their kids up to age 18? [York News Times]

--Despite rumors and photoshopped posters, Megan Fox is not going to be Wonder Woman. [WWTDD]

--The Farrelly Brothers are making a Three Stooges film consisting of (4) 20-minute shorts. [Guardian.co.uk]

--Who's down for splitting a case of Baconnaise? [Uncrate]

Send your news, tips, and links to Mondesishouse@gmail.com.

NEWS AND NOTES

--John McCain and Barack Obama will appear at halftime of the Steelers-Redskins Monday night game. It's about time someone put these guys on TV. [Shutdown Corner]

--Pitt opens the season at #6 in the ESPN poll. That's basketball, not football. [PG]

--Keith Rivers implies payback for Hines Ward. Is there some way he can team up with Terrell Suggs and get this out of the way for everyone? [PG]

--Check out these Pittsburgh Mascot Political Attack ads. They're better than the real ones. [Kiss 96.1 Morning Freak Show]

--Legendary local high school coach Don Yanessa calls it quits after a long career. By the way, he's 13 years younger than Joe Paterno. [PG Varsity Blog]

--Who's afraid of a Hines Ward crackback? [ESPN]

--Great article in the PG yesterday about the Phantom of the Attic comic shop in Oakland. As a young nerd (as opposed to my current status as old nerd), one of my favorite places to visit was the Phantom of the Attic's Parkway Center Mall location.

--The first winner of New York's $1 million a year for life lottery was already a multimillionaire. I believe the phrase is "rich get richer". [NY Post]

--It's the worst appetizers in America! Wait, you're saying that Chili's Texas Cheese Fries with Jalapeno-Ranch Dressing aren't good for you? [Yahoo!]

--Here's the 50 greatest inventions of 2008. [Yahoo Tech]

Send your news, tips, and links to Mondesishouse@gmail.com.

By the way...
I forgot to announce the three winners of last week's photo contest: Mike Vrable, Jack Miller, and DJ Peckens. They will each be receiving a brand new hoodie courtesy of Champion.

NEWS AND NOTES

--Keep sending in your Pittsburgh photos and memories of things no longer in Pittsburgh for "Readers Rule Week" (sponsored by Champion) starting next Tuesday. The email address is mondesishouse@gmail.com.

Busy morning today - here's some links to keep you occupied...

--Just who is Joe the Plumber? [Sky News]

--Willie Parker might not be playing on Sunday after all. [PG]

--Does Joe Paterno need hip surgery? [Trib]

--Looking for cheap tickets to the Steelers-Bengals game? Shouldn't be too tough. [ESPN]

--This MLB iPhone commercial is a huge f-you to Pirate fans. [Best Week Ever]

--Dave Wannstedt is apparently still on the hot seat. [ESPN]

--PacMan Jones is going to catch up on some crime during his suspension. [SportsPickle]

--Barack Obama ads are invading video games [With Leather]

--Sounds like the Hulk is going to be the villain in the Avengers movie. [Film Drunk]

--20 Ways They Could Make The Debates Actually Worth Watching [Cracked]

--Here's the 10 Greatest Sports Curses [On Irish Road]

WEDNESDAY AT THE POLLS

Let's face it: voting is in the air. And the time has come to put a few of the hot-button issues of the day to our own vote. In the pilot episode of what I hope to make a regular feature, please welcome "Wednesday at the Polls" to the party. In the words of noted political pundit Sean "Diddy" Combs, "Vote or die."

Online Surveys & Market Research

Online Surveys & Market Research

Online Surveys & Market Research

Online Surveys & Market Research

Online Surveys & Market Research

Online Surveys & Market Research

Online Surveys & Market Research

Online Surveys & Market Research