SANTONIO'S TD, IN TECMO BOWL FORM

Continuing my recent theme of posting videos related to a football game played five months ago instead of talking about the Pirates' latest loss to Mike Hampton, here's a new one: Santonio's epic touchdown, in Tecmo Bowl form. Maybe someday I'll figure out how videos like these are actually made, but until then, I can only watch in amazement. And sit idly by until the next veteran Pirate is traded, so we can all debate about the future of the team for a couple of days.

Tip o' the cap to Steve is Alive for the clip

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EVERYONE WATCHED PENS-FLYERS

The never-ending debate of the NBC vs. the Mellon Arena outdoor big-screen had some more fuel added to the fire with a report that Sunday's Pens-Flyers game had a 1.7, NBC's highest hockey ratings since the Winter Classic on New Year's Day. This was up 70% over NBC's Caps-Flyers matchup in the same slot last year, proving once again that Alex Ovechkin truly is hockey's top draw. Or not.

Yesterday's Pens game had an "18.6/33" rating in Pittsburgh, which I'm told equates to one in three households watching it. Maybe this boost in hockey ratings can help NBC offset the $45 million they claim they lost in broadcasting Super Bowl 43?

BREAKING: Pens-Flyers Rematch Scores NBC Highest Ratings Since Winter Classic [Puck the Media]

NBC Claims $45 Million Loss From Super Bowl XLIII [SPORTSbyBROOKS]

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STEELERS CUT GARY RUSSELL

The Steelers have announced that they've parted ways with the man who scored the first touchdown in Super Bowl 43. After two seasons with the organization, RB Gary Russell was released by the team today.

Russell, who split carries with Patriots RB Laurence Maroney at the University of Minnesota, joined the Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2007. After seeing limited action as a rookie, Russell was released by the Steelers on September 20, 2008 to make room for LB Patrick Bailey on the active roster, then re-signed three days later. He would end up replacing RB Rashard Mendenhall in the goal-line back role after the first-rounder fell victim to a Baltimore Ravens bounty.

Russell ran for 98 yards on 35 carries last season, with three touchdowns. In the postseason, he ran for two yards on six carries, with two touchdowns. He showed some promise during his time here, but for some reason, the Steelers felt the need to let him go in the middle of April. I'm not really sure why, but as the saying goes, "It is what it is." I'm sure the team will manage quite nicely with Mendenhall, Willie Parker, and Mewelde Moore still in the mix.

Steelers Sign QB Charlie Batch; Release RB Gary Russell [Steelers.com]

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SHAWN JOHNSON REALLY LIKES THE STEELERS

We're constantly revising the list of celebrities counting themselves as members of Steeler Nation. There's Hank Williams Jr., Kid Rock, Snoop Dogg, Rush Limbaugh, Barack Obama, Bret Michaels, and now...four-time 2008 Olympic medalist Shawn Johnson.

The 4'10" gymnast, who hails from Des Moines, Iowa, posted a full gallery of personal shots from SB43, even including shots with "celebrities" like Joey Fatone and Nick Lachey, who are so much a part of Super Bowl week.

I think my favorite shot is the picture below, where Johnson is posing with some guy who towers over her like a tall NBA lottery pick over David Stern on draft night.

Superbowl [Flickr]
Shawn Johnson [Wikipedia]

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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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A RED CARPET EVENING

Who needs the Oscars? It's obvious that Pittsburghers would rather meet Silverback and Hines than Brad and Angelina, because they showed up in droves at the official Super Bowl 43 DVD premiere at Loews Theater in Homestead.

Several SB43 champs were on hand, including Harrison, Ward, and Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes, who also did a midnight signing at the Bethel Park Best Buy later that night.

Ward will sign more DVDs today at the West Mifflin Wal-Mart, which should be equally as nuts, and Lamarr Woodley will add his John Hancock tomorrow at the Robinson Town Center Giant Eagle location. Then comes the fun part: seeing how many of these treasures turn up on eBay this week.

Steelers' Super memories caught on DVD by NFL [PG]
Fans Line Up For New Steelers DVD [KDKA]

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STEELERS SIGNING SB43 DVDs THIS WEEK

Just got my hands on a press release for a series of Super Bowl 43 DVD signings happening around town this week, so read on for the full details of when and where to get your DVDs autographed by Steeler heroes.

Super Bowl XLIII MVP SANTONIO HOLMES, HINES WARD, LAMARR WOODLEY, Willie Parker and James Harrison of the world champion PITTSBURGH STEELERS CELEBRATE THEIR RECENT TITLE AT THE 2009 Super Bowl XLIII CHAMPIONS DVD Premiere SCREENING

The Official NFL Championship DVD to Premiere at AMC Loews Waterfront 22

Theater on Monday, February 23^rd at 7:00 PM

Holmes, Ward and Woodley Will Be Signing Copies of the DVD Throughout The Week Starting at 11:59 PM on Monday, February 23^rd

Pittsburgh, PA – After a magical season culminating with a historic win over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII, members of the Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers including Super Bowl XLIII MVP Santonio Holmes, Hines Ward, LaMarr Woodley, Willie Parker and James Harrison will gather at the AMC Loews Waterfront 22 (300 Waterfront Drive W – Homestead, PA) for a VIP screening of Warner Home Video’s 2009 Super Bowl XLIII Champions DVD. The festivities will get underway at 7:00 PM and media should arrive at 6:00 PM for interviews.

In addition to this VIP screening, these key members of the championship team will be conducting three autograph signings around town for fans that purchase a copy of the Super Bowl XLIII Champions DVD. All store information is featured in text box below along with appropriate players and times. Please note that the players will only sign copies of the purchased DVD and no other memorabilia will be signed.

On February 1^st, 2009 the Pittsburgh Steelers made history when they won their record sixth championship by defeating the Arizona Cardinals 27-23 in Super Bowl XLIII. Now, relive their entire season and memorable playoff run with Warner Home Video and NFL Film’s Official Super Bowl XLIII Champions DVD. The DVD includes extensive bonus materials and is due to hit stores on February 24^th, 2009 for a retail price of $24.98.

WHO:	Super Bowl XLIII MVP Santonio Holmes, Hines Ward, LaMarr Woodley, Willie Parker and James Harrison of the SB Champion Steelers	Super Bowl XLIII MVP Santonio Holmes	Hines Ward	LaMarr Woodley
WHAT:	VIP Screening of 2009 Super Bowl XLIII Champions DVD	Super Bowl XLIII Champions DVD Signing	Super Bowl XLIII Champions DVD Signing	Super Bowl XLIII Champions DVD Signing
WHEN:	Monday, February 23rd 7:00 – 9:00 PM	Monday, February 23rd 11:59 PM – 2:00 AM	Tuesday, February 24th 1:00 - 3:00 PM	Wednesday, February 25th 1:00 - 3:00 PM
WHERE:	AMC Loews Waterfront 22 300 Waterfront Drive W Homestead, PA 15120	Best Buy – South Hills 5000 Alicia Drive Bethel Park, PA 15102	Wal-Mart 2251 Century Drive West Mifflin, PA 15122	Giant Eagle Robinson Town Center 6511 Steubenville Pike Pittsburgh, PA 15205

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SANTONIO'S GLOVES: $70,000

The hammer finally fell on Santonio Holmes' Super Bowl-winning gloves, and the bidding stopped at $70,200. Judging by the bid history, it looked like a two-horse race once the auction reached $48,000.

Considering the significance of the play and the popularity of the Steelers, this sounds like a reasonable price, believe it or not. Don't forget, Todd McFarlane paid $3 million for Mark McGwire's 70th home run ball in 1999, so this is relatively a bargain by comparison. And hopefully Santonio will never have to appear in front of Congress and simultaneously flush the value of this piece of memorabilia down the drain like McGwire's appearance did to McFarlane's ball.

The charity that benefits from the sale, The Sickle Cell Disease Association of America Inc., did pretty well with this to boot. Getting $70K for anything in this economy is no small feat, so that money will hopefully do some good. It looks like a win-win for everyone involved, which means that once again, the Steelers are connected to a victory, even after the big game.

Santonio Holmes Gloves [CMarket]

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CAPTION CONTEST!

A reader sent me this picture and thought it would make for a good caption contest, which is perfect timing considering we have a new prize sponsor this week.

The funniest caption (as judged by a secret panel) on this fan pic from SB43 submitted by Friday the the 20th at 11:59 PM gets a Six Fingers of Gold t-shirt courtesy of Burghshirts. Get one for just $10!

And to catch up on a few other contest winners, Cecil from Cecil took home a Gold Champion hoodie from the Paterno Caption Contest, and Andrew from Michigan won the limited edition Terrible Shamwow.

So think of some inspired captions and in the meantime, check out all the wares over at Burghshirts.

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WEEKLY ESPN PODCAST: PUTTING THE WRAPS ON THE '08 STEELERS

All week, I was looking forward to my Friday podcast with Dave so we could discuss where the historic plays of Super Bowl XLIII would rank in our ongoing list of The Greatest Plays in Pittsburgh Sports History. I'm not going to play spoiler, but my answer just might surprise you.

The bulk of our discussion was putting the final touches on the season that was 2008-09 for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but we did manage to smoothly transition into a little Pens talk, with just a tad of Pitt Panther basketball for good measure. The Steelers' schedule might be complete, but we've still got a lot to look forward to in the following months. Right, newly-outspoken Geno?

To listen, visit the link below:

Mondesi's House/Dave Dameshek ESPN.com podcast 2/6/09

When you're on Dave's site, don't forget to catch his new podcast with ESPN's Bill Simmons, as well as Dave's Super Bowl 43 Party photo gallery.

SANTONIO ON LENO

Last night, the Steelers took their post-SB43 media blitz to The Tonight Show, where MVP Santonio Holmes chatted it up with the world's most famous vintage car collector, Jay Leno.

Santonio parked it next to Jennifer Aniston, unveiled the MVP trophy, and talked about watching Madagascar 2 with his kids after the game. He also talked about a pretty amazing auction hosted by Reebok in which you can bid on the gloves he wore to make what some have called the most exciting play in Super Bowl history. Proceeds are going towards the battle against Sickle Cell, which should do quite well with this historic piece of sports memorabilia. Bidding when I checked in stood at $5,100, and it should end up much, much higher than that.

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THE FINAL SB43 PHOTO POST...I THINK

The long-promised Super Bowl 43 photo post is finally here, and only four days too late. These are a few of the reader-submitted photos of SB43 Week festivities that I've received since Santonio Holmes officially became a household name on Sunday night. Obviously, I had to start with my favorite:


From Michael W., Tampa, FL

The following six pictures are from Ian M., with his commentary:

"I'm sure you've seen these before, but this one was done well (I didn't say done in good taste, but at least executed well)"


"Great jersey I saw down there - a Dick LeBeau #44 stitched jersey"


"You can see NBC's set setup on the Tampa Bay pirate ship (that's Costas and Collinsworth in this pic). I didn't snap a picture of this, but at the end of the game, all the fellas were sitting down, getting makeup done, checking their hair, while The Bus paced back and forth and stood to watch the game behind him. At one point an assistant even pulled the chair out for Bus, but he still did not want to sit down. "


"Pretty impressive ice sculpture in the Club level of the Steelers side. They would put your glass at the bottom of the ice vodka bottle, and pour the vodka down the length of the ice vodka bottle."


"Not sure what's better, the Cope tee, or the other guys stache... I took the safe route and complimented both."


"I knew something huge was going to happen, but it's trying to get a clean picture with all the action going on. This is the best "action" shot I got - this is the formation just before Big Ben's *huge* pass to 'Tone that ended on the Cards 5 yard line."

The following five are from Greg N., Pittsburgh:










The Steelers' Introduction, From Brian P., Monroeville:


Also, you can find some really great game photos at the following sites:

The Steezbros offering includes pregame pumpup antics and their postgame celebration in the streets of Oakland. It also has pictures from the parade.

--

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has developed an amazing way to look at pictures. it is truly revolutionary.

About Pittsburgh Revolution: Post-Gazette staff photographer Steve Mellon set out to capture Pittsburgh from all angles. Using a tripod and his digital camera, he took numerous photos and then stitched them together using software. Check them out here:

Steelers Victory Parade and Super Bowl:

http://www.post-gazette.com/localnews/panorama/

Steeler Nation Rally:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09012/941051-429.stm

---

Finally, here's a simply unreal gallery of about 300 photos - an absolute must-click.

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THE STEELERS SI COVER IS OUT

And another timeless Pittsburgh collectible is born. In case you've forgotten, here are the others that came about as a result of a Super Bowl-winning season:

Troy Polamalu, 1/26/09


Nate Washington & Santonio Holmes, 1/19/09


LaMarr Woodley, 12/22/08

*Thanks to the Kiss 96.1 Freak Show for the pic

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THE COOL NEW WAY TO WEAR A HAT

Forget tilting your cap to the side, as favored by Michael Phelps. This is the look I'm going to follow. Come to think of it, this high-arching headgear looks a bit like what's worn by someone else you might be familiar with.

*Thanks to Shawn J. for the pic

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CASEY HAMPTON: SHIRTLESS AND LOVIN IT

With Leather comes up huge (literally) with what I consider to be the lasting image of the Super Bowl 43 parade: Casey Hampton showing exactly why his nickname is "Big Snack". And to think that Mike Tomlin had the nerve to sit Hampton out of training camp until he was in better shape. I, for one, am appalled.

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FAYETTE COUNTY TRIES, THEY REALLY DO...

Don't rip on Fayette County too hard. It's where I grew up and attended high school, after all. And I can vouch for this: they always, repeat, always get excited for the Super Bowel.

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"ALL WE DID WAS SMASH FACES"

That's the quote from Ryan Clark, which I would call the early favorite as the highlight of the SB43 parade/rally today in Sixburgh. They certainly did smash many a face this season.

The parade was emceed by James Farrior, and featured a lot of guys yelling into the microphone, Ben wearing a hat right out of Fargo, and William Gay reminding Barack Obama that the new President is getting some visitors soon. And Charlie Batch somehow snuck Pitt's DeJuan Blair in the parade on Anthony Madison's truck, which sounded like fun.

Reader Jon Lavia was kind enough to send over a recap and a bunch of really fantastic photos, so sit back and listen to an authentic, first-person parade experience:

"It was a pretty great experience. I left my office around 10:30 to go down and wait and luckily co-workers had a spot saved because and the humanity was starting to get overwhelming by then. The crowd was really into it the entire time and Sheldon Ingram was really playing us up pretty well. At one point, he even put on a Steelers helmet. On the other hand, Sonni Abbata looked lost. She was dressed as if we were in Antarctica and was missing chances to interview players and as a result was running around like a chicken with her head cut off.

The wait was a little long, but turned out to be worth it. The players were great, really pumped and getting the crowd fired up. You should have seen the parking garage on Stanwix, absolute madhouse! Coach T was out of the car and whooping it up when he got to us and he set the tone. The players were no different. Much like the entire playoff run, they didnt disappoint. Nate Washington deserves a shout out for getting out of the truck with a sling on his shoulder and shaking hands with the fans along with Carey "-1 yard" Davis.

The only drag was the parents with little kids who didn't get there in time and then were trying to push their way up to the front. But that is the deal with any parade."

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