Mailbag!

First off, I must apologize for the infrequency of the mailbag. I know it's become a very popular segment and I really love answering your questions, but my workload outside of Mondesi's House has never been busier.

The mailbag is probably my favorite segment of all the things I do on the site. More than the crazy pictures or the bizarre links, this gives me a chance to actually write in some depth, which I enjoy the most. Fortunately, I get more emails than ever before, and each one seems to be better than the next. My policy has always been to try and answer as many as possible, because if you've taken the time to write to me, I'd certainly like to take the time to write you back. While this isn't always possible, I try my best. So keep the emails coming. In fact, if you've never sent in an email, I encourage you to send me one. I try to make this site as interactive as possible. Look at the great job you guys did on the Yankee Series recaps - that was amazing stuff!

As far as the mailbag, while it may not be on a fixed schedule and it's a lot of work, it's simply too much fun to give up. Like I said...keep 'em coming!

But enough about that. We're here to talk sports and not about my inbox. On to the mailbag...

David M. in Mississippi:

Our best years in the last 25 and what are they best known for? A weak-armed Barry Bonds being beaten to the plate by some walking filing cabinet named Bream and our national anthem being butchered by "The Polish Prince" Bobby Vinton. Wasn't that the same playoff year Marge Schott gave a pre-game salute to "our boys fighting in The Far East". Must've been drunk, huh? I digress ...

What else are we known for around the baseball world?

A.) Triple "A" development team for real MLB franchises
B.) Cocaine Distribution Hub of the Late 70's & Early 80's
C.) The Best NL Team of the early 90's (but still couldn't win a playoff series)
D.) Amos Otis & Derek Bell's Last Stand
E.) The team that even Raul Mondesi gave up on
F.) The stylish pimps of baseball threads

Either way, it's an ugly go at it! At least Mario has now given us a little more hair to comb over and cover the embarrassing Summer sports season in the 'burgh.

I must say, for a list with only six points, that's a pretty good, brief summary of the Buccos. And now we can add "team that promotes .217 hitters for the All-Star game" to the list.

Brad in Pittsburgh:

Probably not the first person to send this to you today, given all the reaction about the new Pitt secondary logo, but its a good site to point out nonetheless. All about the script, part of one of the immortal uniforms in college football history.

http://www.geocities.com/fansforscript/why.html

There are few topics hotter than the Pitt logo. It seems everyone and their uncle wants the old script. So why does Pitt keep fighting it? The demand just looks overwhelming to me. From a business standpoint, it's a no-brainer. Are we to believe that the powers at Pitt have no brains?

Chris in Seattle:

Hey Mondesi -

First, your work has been spectacular of late, especially finding the NFL Films Steeler Nation video. I got choked up about 10 times while watching it, and Paulsen's story of being in Paris and meeting a Yinzer was hilarious.

Now, on to this series. I live in Seattle and thought I might bring you up to speed on a couple of things. First, Richie Sexson is terrible, especially for what he's being paid (15.5 mil this year). With a .198 batting average, he's not even up to the Mendoza line. One of the local bars has a special named after him - "Cheap Sexson Mondays" which is probably the most brilliant play on words that I've heard in the last several years, with Bud and Bud Light bottles for whatever his average is as of Sunday night each week. Here's their Citysearch link, in case you want to have some fun with it.

Next, I'll be doing my best Ronnie Florian imitation this week - I've got tickets to the game on Wednesday (right field corner), and Thursday (30 rows back, directly behind home plate). While I'm sure I won't be the only one wearing Black and Gold, I'm probably the only one planning to move down towards the end of the game and hold up a Terrible Towel directly behind home plate. (Note - if you decide to post this, wait until Friday so the Mariners don't get wind of my nefarious plan). Whatever happens, I'm looking forward to both games, and to tweaking the local sports fans and reminding of where they stand in the pecking order.

Great email. I got a lot of feedback on that Steeler video from yesterday. If you haven't seen it yet, go back and watch it (it's at the bottom of the linked page). They make a great point: the reason there are so many Steeler fans around the world is because so many people have left Pittsburgh. This site is a great example. While a large percentage of Mondesi's House readers hail from the Burgh, there's also a sizable number of transplanted Yinzers who read on a regular basis. Heck, the guy who wrote this email is from Seattle! But that video illustrated something perfectly: you can take the person out of Pittsburgh but you can't take Pittsburgh out of the person.

As for his second point, I didn't realize Richie Sexson was sucking it up on such a high level this year. Of course, as I was writing this at 12:30 EST, Sexson went deep against Jonah Bayliss. The Pirates are always the cure for what ails you. Just ask the Yankees.

Finally, that was a great reference to my favorite Pirate fan, Ronnie Florian. I was at a friend's wedding this weekend and met some of his co-workers and friends who read the site on a regular basis. One of the first things they would talk about was Ronnie Florian. I'm telling you, the guy's Q-rating is off the charts in Pittsburgh.

Josh P:

Mondesi,

Here's a little interesting tidbit I spotted over at Profootballtalk.com. Apperently spending time with Kaye and racing stock cars isn't going so well for the Big Chin...

From http://www.profootballtalk.com/ :
COACH CHIN PLOTTING HIS RETURN?
A league source tells us that there is already talk in league circles that former Steelers coach Bill Cowher is planning his potential return to the NFL. Per the source, Cowher already has spoken with multiple teams about filling a potential vacancy in 2008.

The source also says that one of Cowher's demands will be full control over the football operations.

The teams, the source says, are believed to be the Browns, Redskins, and Panthers. Another league source confirms that Cowher has had at least one private discussion with Redskins owner Daniel Snyder about the possibility of replacing Hall of Famer Joe Gibbs, if Gibbs calls it quits after the 2007 season.

We're also told that Cowher has begun the process of discreetly lining up a personnel executive to run the front office, subject to Cowher's final say on all roster moves. Per the source, the list includes Steelers director of football operations Kevin Colbert, Steelers business operations coordinator Omar Khan, Chiefs executive vice president and COO Denny Thum, and Saints vice president of football administration Russ Ball.

Is any of this surprising? Yes, but no. With Cowher expected to be the hottest commodity on the coaching market come January 2008, teams that think they might have a coming opening would be stoopid not to commence the process of seeing what it would take to get him.

Money is a key component in this regard. We've yet to hear anything about Cowher's expected salary, but we suspect he's hoping to get at least as much as Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren (who is in the $7.5 million to $8.5 million range), given that Cowher beat the Big Show in the Big Show less than 18 months ago.

This should come as a surprise to no one. In fact, I'd be more shocked if Cowher wasn't working in 2008. He's going to break the freaking bank. I always thought Washington could be his ultimate destination. The part I didn't like was what sounded like a raid of the Steelers' front office. Don't kid yourselves - losing Colbert and Khan simultaneously would be a big blow. I'm sure they could be replaced, but I'd rather not have the Steelers be forced to go down that road.

Wayne J:

Raul - why is ping hitter Freddy Sanchez still batting third in this lineup???? Tracy needs to put Bay in that slot and bat Freddy second. Duffy does us no good from the second hole. Even if he does manage to get on (not often), he won't steal a base even when the situation screams for it! Could this team be any more passive in it's approach to the game??? Again, the onus is on Tracy. I don't know how much more I can take of watching this team!!

Your first problem is actually watching the team. I used to suffer each night too...until I found those Dukes of Hazzard reruns on CMT that I mentioned last week. But I eventually tire of the constant chase with Boss Hogg and find myself back at FSN Pittsburgh, watching the Pirates embarrass themselves in some way, shape, or form.

That being said, I don't understand Sanchez batting third either. The problem is that no matter where you move some of these guys, there's still going to be holes in this lineup. There's simply not enough quality bats. Look at the lineup against Seattle: their 2-hitter (McLouth) is batting .234. Their 3-hitter (Sanchez), a lineup spot that should have some power, has 1 HR and 23 RBI. Their cleanup hitter/Duck Hunter (LaRoche) is batting .224 with 8 HR. And this was a game they somehow won!

Bill D. in Philly:

Stumbled upon Adam Laroche on the Golf Channel last night. Check the 24-second mark, is that an Angels jersey hanging in his locker?? Trader! I don't know how to make a picture out of that, but if I do I'll send it to you.

[On LaRoche's recent golf outing with Tiger Woods]:

"What that does is show me how bad I really am, you know getting out with the best in the world is a good way to figure out how bad you are.."

I swear he's not talking about golf.

If that was an Angels jersey hanging in his locker, I hope he gets his wish. Maybe he should concoct a story about an extortion plot to find his way to the Angels. It certainly worked for Raul Mondesi.

As far as the golf, I've grown weary of hearing about Adam LaRoche's off-the-field interests. Duck hunting, deer hunting, golfing, whatever else he does in his leisure time...just save it. I mean, it's fantastic that he's so well rounded, but when he's hitting .224, it's just not as cute. I'm not talking to you, Bill, I'm just burned out on Adam LaRoche in general.

David M. in Maryland:

Now that the Pirates' plunge to 15 straight losing seasons is well underway, I decided to celebrate the milestone by making a Pirates team with the franchise's best players since 1993, the first year of the losing streak. It wasn't easy, and I had to fight the urge to add on Kevin Polcovich and his .189 batting average. Anyway, here is my 25 man roster for the All-Pirates team from 1993-2007.

1B Kevin Young
2B Freddy Sanchez
3B Aramis Ramírez
SS Jay Bell
C Jason Kendall
LF Jason Bay
RF Brian Giles
CF Andy Van Slyke

Bench:
Tony Womack
Rob Mackowiak
Jack Wilson
Jose Guillen
Craig Wilson
Abraham Nunez
Ed Sprague
Al Martin

Starting Pitchers: Jason Schmidt, Francisco Córdova, Jon Lieber, Denny Neagle, Todd Ritchie
Bullpen: Scott Sauerbeck, Marc Wilkins, Ricardo Rincón, Mike Williams

The sad part is that I'm not even confident about that team's playoff chances. You know things are bad for your organization when you realize Kevin Young is starting on your all-decade-and-a-half team. Feel free to add your insight and make changes.

That's the best we can do after 15 years? If we're only looking at guys who actually played in a Pirate uniform, that would eliminate players like Chris Young, who would definitely crack the rotation. But I think you could find a place for Snell, Gorzo, Reggie Sanders, Kenny Lofton, Mike Gonzalez, Bronson Arroyo, Gary Matthews Jr., and some maybes such as Kris Benson and John Vander Wal among the top 25 of the past 15 years. I realize that Matthews and Arroyo didn't exactly light it up while in the Burgh, but I'm not sure what the exact criteria of this list is. And this is just off the top of my head, so don't verbally assault me like I did to Peter King.

Also, I'd have to include Raul Mondesi on this team, for sentimental reasons.

David F in Pittsburgh gives his usual line of quality questioning:

So the Pirates are a disgrace again, but I'm stuck with this team. It's not like I'm about to go jump on the Red Sox bandwagon or anything. "I'm from Pittsburgh, and the Pirates ARE Pittsburgh." Dr. Mondesi, how do you suggest that I and all those like me cope with this dilemma? I wish I knew how to quit you, Pirates!

I suggest to find a new hobby besides Pirate baseball; that only leads to more frustration. Get out and enjoy the summer. Go to Kennywood, go to Sandcastle, go to Dave and Buster's. Buy a baby alligator. Eat at Bettis' new restaurant. Track down Ronnie Florian and have a beer with him. Visit the new casino in Washington, PA. Take up beer pong. See some summer blockbusters. Check out the Strip District. There's plenty to do in Pittsburgh besides this motley crew.

Do you think the fans are more frustrated with the Pirates this year than in previous years, or did it plateau years ago?

As I recently wrote, I think that it undoubtedly hit a high point of frustration with the conclusion of the Yankees sweep on the heels of the extremely disappointing draft. Why? Because not only does this season seem lost, but so does the future. The backbone of a sports franchise is hope, and Pirates fans feel like they have none.

Attention opposing pitchers: if you want to strike out Duck Hunter LaRoche and Ryan Doumit, just throw them breaking balls low and away. They'll swing and miss every time. "Fastball, I hit very much. Curveball, bats are afraid." We need to find some cigars and rum for these guys. Bay-Rod is a bit easier to strike out, you just need to throw it right down the middle.

I think I'd rather have Pedro Cerrano in the lineup at this point. He'd certainly show more of a pulse than Bay or LaRoche. Just once, could Bay show some frustration at a called strike three, whether it's directed at himself or the ump? Must he always accept it willingly and walk back to the dugout with his head down? Or how about this novel suggestion: with two strikes, SWING THE BAT AT ANYTHING CLOSE!

So all the talking heads on ESPN were saying that the Pirates should bunt to test out Clemens' groin. Bautista attempted a bunt on the first pitch, the crowd booed, and the Bucs didn't try to bunt the rest of the game. Pathetic.

Yeah, the Pirates were clearly scared of the hurtful "boos" that Yankee fans would direct their way. Glad to see that game plan was abandoned after one pitch.

Chris Peters and the word "ain't" - I'm glad I wasn't the only one who noticed that! You never let me down.

Chris Peters, a new addition to FSN Pittsburgh, has popped up on the Pirate postgame shows and Washington Wild Things broadcasts. If you don't know who he is, click this link and look for his mentions in the articles. He is simply exquisite.

Why haven't the Cardinals signed Gardocki yet? I thought that he, Whis, and Kevin Spencer were supposed to be drinking buddies.

Great question. I mean, who wouldn't want all of those consecutively unblocked punts on their team (besides the Steelers)?

So which one is it - is Bob Nutting a liar for saying that money played no part in who the Bucs drafted, or is Dave Littlefield incompetent for thinking that Moskos was the best player on the board when they picked?

My money is on Nutting. While Littlefield may be incompetent, I believe that he was taking orders on this one. Sooner or later, his job's going to be on the line, and he can't possibly believe that Moskos was actually the player they truly wanted in that slot.

Those new Ronnie Florian photos were simply phenomenal. The guy is definitely a cult hero, he deserves his own website! What's amazing about Mr. Florian is that despite how disjointed and illogical his speech patterns are, I can actually figure out what he's trying to say most of the time.

He has his own website. You're reading it right now. By the way, I think I may institute a new rule in which every mailbag closes with a Ronnie Florian mention.

As I said, keep the emails coming...

mondesishouse@gmail.com

Gardocki and His Unblocked Kicks To Move On

DANIEL SEPULVEDA

HEIGHT 6'2" WEIGHT 229 40-TIME 4.59

In a move that officially ended the era of Chris Gardocki's unblocked punts, the Steelers traded up to draft punter Daniel Sepulveda from Baylor in the fourth round. Sepulveda is a two-time winner of the Ray Guy Award, handed out to the nation's best punter. This continues the Steelers' 2007 draft theme of trophy winners from yesterday, when they drafted Lombardi winner Lamarr Woodley and Mackey winner Matt Spaeth.

So what can I tell you about our new punter?

--Last year, averaged 46.18 yards per punt, had 19 kicks of 50 yards+, placed 13 inside the 20, and had a long of 78 yards, at Missouri. But he did have four punts blocked in his college career. Hey, there's only one Gardocki.

--Has a history of problems with his right (non-kicking) leg. How did he do it, you ask? He tore his ACL in a basketball game. And the Steeler basketball team, excited over yesterday's drafting of Matt Spaeth, groans in frustration.

--He was an accounting major. No "General Studies" here.

--Walked-on to the Baylor team in 2002.

--NFL.com summary notes that he has "good chest thickness, muscular arms, tight waist, tapered thighs and calves". Who wrote this, Ladies...or Girls Gone Sports?

--One of 13 players in NCAA Division I history to win a major national award two times

--Chris Gardocki holds the NFL record for most consecutive punts with no blocks: 1,177. Gardocki has never had a punt blocked in his NFL career. Just wanted to say that one more time.

Recommended reading:

Official Baylor bio

Draft Countdown Scouting Report

If a Bad Team Wins in the Forest, Does Anyone Care?

Anyone know the recipe for a boring Steeler game? In the words of Biggie, "If you don't know, now you know": Take two bad football teams, no offense, cold weather, an apathetic crowd, and mix for three hours. Odds are you'll probably see this recipe repeated on Thursday night against Cleveland, so you might want to make other plans now. No, you can't do that...the Steelers are back in the playoff hunt again!

Let's recap today's thoroughly uninteresting storylines:

1. Bruce Gradkowski returns home. Great, I'm happy for Bruce Gradkowski and the entire Gradkowski family, including his Dad (who had the thickest Pittsburgh accent I've ever heard) and Mom (who refused to appear on camera). Fox decided to play up the "Western PA Quarterback" angle, mentioning Gradkowski alongside Namath, Marino, Montana, Kelly, and Unitas. They failed to mention that Western PA also produced Frerotte, Batch, and McMahon, which is probably the route Gradkowski's career is going to go.

Don't get me wrong, I think he'll be a solid backup and earn an NFL paycheck for years to come; but I don't think he's in any danger of being the Bucs' opening-day starter in 2007. In fact, I don't think the Bucs' 2007 starter is even on their current roster, because Chris Simms is going to move on as a free agent.

After his initial adrenaline-charged start, winning two of three in dramatic fashion, Gradkowski has crashed back to earth; his record is just 1-5 in his last six and he never threw for more than 185 in any of those games. His passer rating the last two weeks has been 29 and 35. He threw three interceptions today. Let's just say he's not having the rookie success that Big Ben had. Which means no Big Bruce Beef Jerky in Tampa Bay supermarkets.

Tampa apologists casually throw out Chris Simms' season-ending injury as the reason their year when down the tubes, but that's a convenient excuse. How quickly we forget that Simms was 0-3 with a 46 passer rating before his ruptured spleen. That 1:7 TD-to-INT ratio wasn't too hot, either. The point is, QB is one of many problems Tampa has.

Their offensive line is as bad or worse as the Steelers; they're definitely in the same class. Much like the Steelers, Tampa's running game is a punchline. Cadillac Williams has managed a grand total of 2 100-yard games this season, to go along with one touchdown in 2006. Among his 13 games so far, he's managed less than 50 yards seven times (of course, Willie Parker has been held under 50 four times, proving our running game stinks, too). That hurts to even write.

The Bucs' receivers leave a lot to be desired as well. Can anyone explain the fall of Michael Clayton? This guy comes into the league in 2004 and grabs 80 balls for 1193 yards and 7 TDs as a rookie, which is even more impressive. He follows that up in 2005 with 32 catches over 14 games. Did he miss Brian Griese that much? In 2006, he's on pace for 40 catches. So if that holds, he'll have less catches in his second and third years combined than he did as a rookie. That has to be some kind of NFL record. That was a pretty sweet dropped touchdown he had today, too. Not many WRs in the league could manage to completely kill a team's momentum like he did with that play. And nice coverage by Deshea on that one.

How about the other receivers Gruden the Great has assembled? On one side, we have Joey Galloway, who entered the league so long ago his offensive teammates were Chris Warren, Rick Mirer and Brian Blades. On the other side, Jon Boy gives his fans Ike Hilliard, who had his career season in 1999. Oh well, at least they have experience.

So the Bucs stink. And Gradkowski's going to be a decent backup in the league. Next topic.

2. The Steelers Offense. I've never seen anything like it. If this is Ken Whisenhunt or Russ Grimm's idea of a job audition, they're both failing miserably. The offensive line still could not manage to open anything up for Quick William, who posted a meager 61 yards on 22 carries. Throwing out his top run of 14, as some love to do as if it never happened, his other 21 carries went for 47 yards. Proving the line stunk for more than one running back, Dump Davenport went for 8 yards on 6 carries. That's some nice work up front, boys.

Big Ben was sacked just one time, which is eight less than the week before. That was a good thing. But on the downside, he completed just 12 passes, six to his wide receivers. I thought Santonio Holmes would have had more of an impact on a day when Hines Ward was out and Cedrick Wilson went out early, but the former Buckeye caught a mere one pass.

Bottom line: the offense still stinks.

3. The Field Goal. What a ballsy move by Gruden. You're down 20-0, on the Steeler 10 yard line, with a few seconds left in the game, and you line up for a 27-yard chip shot. I'm sure a nation of fantasy leaguers who had the Steelers' defense groaned when they lost all those bonus points for a shutout on a move like that.

4. The Field Goal II. Skippy Reed made the longest field goal in Heinz Field history (50 yards), then he misses a 32-yarder in the fourth quarter. Thus goes the roller coaster season of the Lonesome Kicker. It could be worse for Reed, though. If his coach were Bill Parcells, he would've been out of a job weeks ago.

5. Chris Gardocki. The Unblockable Punter booted 5 times for a 36-yard average, the topper being the whopping 27-yarder in the first quarter. Just another day at the office for Gardocki, who is quietly backing into the role of "lowest-ranked punter in the NFL".

6. Cowher Statue. I think I saw him move once, but that was actually when a player bumped into the statue. So no movement from our favorite lifeless coach.

Yes, it was a boring Sunday afternoon, but at least we were eventually able to catch the end of that Dallas-Giants battle. The look on Eli Manning's face as his team lost their fourth in a row? Just beautiful. And the weekend wasn't all that bad...there was no Pitt game to ruin my Saturday. Short week coming up, with 6'6" Derek Anderson QBing the Browns into town on Thursday. Why Thursday? The way these teams are playing, it might get confused for one of those ESPN MAC games. Nah, that won't happen. Those games at least have offense.

Bill Cowher's Worst 2006 Decisions

I hear a lot of Bill Cowher bashing these days. Of course, I should expect just as much after that lifeless performance Sunday at Baltimore, one of the worst and least-inspired in the Cowher Era. Critics of the bashers will say "you can't pin all the blame on Cowher" and "he just won the Super Bowl, get off his back". True and true. I think Cowher is one of the greatest coaches of all time and the Steelers are very lucky to have had his service all these years. I also agree that you cannot pin all the blame on Cowher; there's certainly enough to go around with this team. Game-time emotion has been a point of issue with Cowher this year, and I won't argue that he's been relatively sedated by his standards. But that is far down the list of legitimate mistakes Cowher has made this season.

Cowher pushed all the right buttons in 2005, but 2006 has been a completely different story. Here are five key decisions Bill and the Steelers' brass made that I think we can all second guess at this point.

1. Duce Staley. The inclusion of Staley on this year's roster tells you all you need to know about the 2006 team. He has never been a durable back in his Pittsburgh tenure, playing just nine games in 2004 and three in 2005. He was never the face of the franchise (a la Bettis), so the loyalty factor in keeping him around is a flawed theory. He seemed highly content to stand on the sidelines in his famous gray sweatsuit for most of last season, hands down pants.

But the Steelers decided to bring him back, at least for training camp, in 2006. And how did Duce respond?

Check out his four preseason games: 7 carries, 14 yards...5 carries, 11 yards...11 carries, 21 yards...19 carries, 46 yards...That's a total of 42 carries for 92 yards, or 2.19 yards per carry. Was he cut? No, John Kuhn was the sacrificial lamb of the running backs.

Najeh Davenport then becomes available, and the Steelers jump on him like a loose ball. Duce was lapped on the depth chart by a guy just cut from the Packers. To follow that, Verron Haynes went down for the season with a torn ACL, and Staley wasn't even activated---Kuhn was rescued from the oblivion of the practice squad!

Is the presence of Staley hanging around really motivating any players to do their best? Can ANYONE answer why he is here?

2. The wide receivers. Cowher kept Sean Morey for his special teams skills, but if that unit is horrible with him, what's the point of having him occupy a roster spot? Quincy Morgan was a competent kick returner in addition to his receiving skills, but he was deemed not worthy of a uniform. Willie Reid was drafted primarily for his punt return duties, and he fielded the majority of them in preseason. So who was sent back to field them once the bell rang in week one? Ricardo Colclough. Some questionable decisions here, to say the least.

3. Chris Gardocki. The league's worst, albeit unblocked, punter. Inconsistent, with a very weak leg. Rarely puts the Steelers in a good position with his kicks. And he costs a lot more than Mike Barr, the impressive rookie free agent who was cut loose.

4. A lackadasical training camp, by Cowher standards. Cowher gave the team plenty of time off in this year's camp. But his biggest sin was the lack of playing time to the starting unit in preseason games. I know, we don't want anyone to get hurt. But the flipside of having a healthy team is having a very rusty team, especially when several of those players were not healthy throughout or before camp. Honestly, how much time in preseason games did a still-recovering Roethlisberger get? How many reps against first-team defenses did Willie Parker get?

Well, here are some of those answers:

Roethlisberger threw a total of 22 passes in three preseason games: 4, 4, and 14.

Parker had a total of 7 carries in three preseason games: 3, 1, and 3.

Hines Ward had 0 catches in the preseason, due to injuries.

Cedrick Wilson had a total of 6 catches in the preseason: 1, 2, and 3.

Does that look like a recipe for a fine-tuned offensive machine to anyone else?

5. Failure to make lineup changes. Sure, Ike Taylor was benched recently. It only took until the 10th game. But why was Ricardo Colclough sent out to field punts, over and over and over again, after proving he was incapable of doing the job? Why is Cedrick Wilson still starting opposite Hines Ward, when the only thing he has proven is the ability to make a pass-interference gesture after every incomplete pass thrown his way? Why is Nate Washington still getting the ball thrown his way in crunch time when he's averaging about two drops per week (although I will give him credit for holding on after his bell got rung on Sunday).

I think the world of Bill Cowher. But in all fairness, the above list shows that he does deserve some of the blame in this train-wreck of a season. When you're winning, you're always perceived as making all the right moves; when you're losing, lists such as this pop up. There are at least 53 other reasons why the Steelers are 4-7; their respective positions on that list are debatable. The coach always gets too much credit when the team wins and too much blame when the team struggles. But I would have a hard time believing that someone could argue the above list in any capacity (although you're welcomed, and encouraged, to do so).

A City Embarrassed

So, how was YOUR Thanksgiving weekend? Did you spend it watching the Penguins lose on Friday, or did you opt to watch their Saturday loss instead? Did you manage to catch the pathetic excuse for big-time college football on display Saturday night, when Pitt dropped their fifth straight game? Or how about Sunday, when the Steelers were finally put out of their 2006 misery by the Baltimore Ravens?

Yes, this was a tough couple of days for local sports fans. But looking back, the Penguins had a perfectly legitimate excuse for their losses (Sidney Crosby's injured groin), and did anyone honestly give Pitt a chance in their game? So that left us at the doorstep of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

We're always told how the Steelers thrive when "their backs are up against the wall". You'd think a team that just took the most difficult route to a Super Bowl victory in NFL history would have learned a few lessons from their 2005 season. But time and time, after crushing losses, we were told to "not count out the Steelers". So we sat back and enjoyed a two-game winning streak at the expense of New Orleans and Cleveland. Fans talked as if a 10-6 season was not such a ridiculous proposition.

Today's game was supposed to be the day the Steelers officially "turned it on": the Ravens had a cushy three-game division lead, the Steelers were riding consecutive wins for the first time since January, and with downtrodden Tampa Bay coming in next week, there was a legitimate chance to climb back to .500 in just seven more days.

For the team that loves to be the underdog, they decided to play that angle right off the bat. The Steelers win the toss, which is usually a good thing; I was thinking they should kick off, put the defense on the field, and try to take the crowd out of the game, especially since the Steeler offense has been less-than-stellar this season. So of course, the Steelers do the complete opposite, electing to receive and sending the offense out for their death sentence rather than wait for the inevitable.

After a rousing 15-yard return from Dump Davenport, Ken Whisenhunt called for a "three and out" offensive series, which the Steelers executed flawlessly. The Ravens were playing right into their hands. The next move was to send the UP (Unblockable Punter) out for one of his patented "short but not blocked" punts. 37 yard punt, 39 yard return. Perfect. But the return was negated by an illegal block. Nice job, Mughelli. Six plays later, Steve McNair is dropping the Omega sign and the Ravens are up, 7-0. But the Steelers could then say that their backs were against the wall. To quote Apollo Creed before his tragic demise at the hands of Ivan Drago, "It's showtime!"

Much like J-Peezy, Apollo did a lot of talking moments before his annihilation

We fast forward through the rest of the first half: Gardocki punts four more times, including one with a friendly bounce, and three others that travelled 27, 32, and 43 yards. Of course, none of them were blocked. Jamal Lewis looked like his pre-drug trafficking self, gashing the Steelers defense like a hypothetical O.J. Simpson victim. And then there's Ben. Poor, poor Ben. I don't know if Roethlisberger did something to simultaneously disrespect the entire offensive line, but they were playing like they wanted him to leave on a stretcher. That was the only thing they managed to achieve, as #7 was destroyed by an especially violent Bart Scott sack late in the first half. I felt like I was watching a Raider game and someone disguised Andrew Walter in a "ROETHLISBERGER" jersey. The half closes with a Roethlisberger kneel, one of the few plays in which he managed to not get hurried, knocked down, or sacked. 17-0, Ravens. But I was sure the Steelers were just a few plays from turning it on.

The oft-discussed but never before seen "switch" the Steelers use to "turn it on", or even worse, "turn it off"

The half opened with the ball kicked to Baltimore. The Ravens, after watching a half of inept Steeler offense, open with a three-and-out of their own, moving the ball just six yards. Not to be one-upped, the Steelers answer with a three-play, one-yard drive, resulting in a booming 41-yard punt by the UP. Touche, Billick.

The Ravens would move the ball 15 yards on their next series, but it was just a matter of time until the Steelers lit it up. The black and gold regain possession, and they start moving the ball consistently, in chunks: 11 to Ward. 11 to Captain Tiffin. 27 more to Captain Tiffin. The Steelers are in business, down to the Baltimore 30. Whisenhunt sends in the play: Parker misses a block, Roethlisberger is unprotected, fumbles, and Adalius Thomas rumbles 57 yards for the insurance TD. Once again, the Steelers execute their execution brilliantly. 24-0, Ravens. Game, set, match, season.

I can sarcastically bore you with more details, but I'll spare everyone the frustration. The Steelers' day netted 9 sacks, 20 incompletions, 2 interceptions, 2 fumbles (1 lost), 7 punts, 21 yards rushing, 0 points, and an injured Troy Polamalu.

Want some eerie similarities? The last time this team looked so inept, I would wager many of you would answer "The Jacksonville Game". Here are the same categories as noted above, but the numbers from the Jags MNF matchup: 2 sacks, 15 incompletions, 2 interceptions, 1 fumble (0 lost), 8 punts, 26 yards rushing, and 0 points.

Hopefully, we can finally close the door on the absolutely absurd playoff talk that has persisted throughout the season. To quote myself, on October 29 I issued this proclamation:

"...when you lose to Oakland, who can't even crack 100 yards of offense, your season is over. Do not keep kidding yourself with playoff talk. This team can't even beat Oakland. This team can't even beat Oakland. This team can't even beat Oakland. Has it sunk in yet? OK, let me repeat it one more time: This team can't even beat Oakland."

Yet the fans still persisted. They still believed. On November 14, I predicted the Steelers would be "lucky to split with Baltimore". So what do I get in the comments? Reactions like this:

"...way to drink the baltimore kool-aid. they needed a miraculous come-back last weekend to beat tennesee. the ravens are chumps and are just as likely to lose out as we are to win out."

I think that comment speaks for itself. The only chumps I've seen all year are the ones pretending to be Pittsburgh Steelers. They lead the league in one category: turnovers. This is a team that's won four games out of 11. Playoffs? Must I conjure up video of Jim Mora?

Why do we even bother talking about this team? From today's effort, as well as six others this year, it doesn't appear they care very much. So why do we care? Why do we watch, we write, we comment, we discuss?

I realize that we're about 9 months removed from the first Super Bowl victory this town had seen in 26 years, so it's hard to feel sorry for the Steeler fan base. But honestly, shouldn't we at least get a few games to enjoy and relish in the glory of NFL superiority? The team and their followers had exactly 11 days to enjoy a winning record this season, and that was a mere1-0.

A fan base always reacts based on preseason expectations. Look around town at the other teams...the Penguins bought a bevy of veteran free agents last year, had Crosby coming in and Lemieux coming back. Visions of Stanley Cups danced in fans' heads. But the team stumbled out of the gate and never recovered. The fans were greatly disappointed. This season, expectations were lowered, since it is a much younger team built around a promising nucleus. And to this point, the team has surpassed expectations. Thus, a happy fan base.

Look at Pitt football. They finished 5-6 last year, had a great season of recruiting, and hyped a core of Palko, Blades, and Revis. No one expected anything less than 7-8 wins. And yet the Panthers managed just a 6-6 record, improving upon last year's 5-6 mark by adding a matchup with the Citadel. Combine that with a 5-game losing streak to close the season, career high days allowed left and right, and a defense that is better comedy than Family Guy, and now Wanny is getting some heat.

The Steelers were picked either first or second by every football expert from coast-to-coast. They endured some roster changes, but returned the vast majority of their team, including the entire offensive line, quarterback, and linebacking core. They added two young, exciting wide receivers and a safety who nearly decapitated a Philadelphia Eagle in the preseason (video link, for those who've forgotten). They had every chance in the world to at least contend.

The cruel reality is that the year is 2006, and complaceny will slap you in the face in the NFL. Want to get fat looking at your Super Bowl rings in the mirror? By all means, proceed. But don't be surprised when teams refuse to roll over and die at the mere sight of you as an opponent. This is a league that gets turned upside down every few weeks. Rex Grossman and Eli Manning were the quarterbacks du jour after two weeks; now, the discussion in Chicago is shifting to "should we start Brian Griese", while New Yorkers are talking about the long-term health of the franchise if Eli continues to struggle. The league was Michael Vick's a few weeks ago...now it is owned by Tony Romo and Joey Harrington. Go ahead, make sense of it...I dare you.

Yes, 2006 was a rather grim sports holiday for most of the readers of this site, but there are some bright spots for the near future: the continued development of the Penguins, a Pitt basketball team that will be ranked top-three, and that always-exciting Pirates Hot Stove League season. Hey, two outta three ain't bad.