Here We Go...

OK boys and girls, for the final time (hopefully) everything works with the old laptop and PNA is back up and running....with that being said, I think we all know what today's post is going to revolve around...

HERE WE GO!!!!

The Steelers won their sixth Super Bowl Sunday night in as exciting a game as this guy's ever seen. Kudos go to everyone on the team from the water boys to the owners for this unprecedented run to the chapionship.

Here's some highlights, which I know you all have seen a million times by now but which I feel like need to be said on here for this to even be considered a sports site....

First off, and most obviously, the "Immaculate Interception" by James Harrison is bar-none the best play in SB history. Not only was the 100 yard return the longest play in SB history, but the timing of it is what makes it so special. The Cards were inches from making the game 14-10 them going into the half, but instead, the pick six caused it to be a 17-7 Steelers lead, which I don't have to tell you certainly changed the momentum of the game.

The other huge play, of course, was the Ben to Santonio TD pass (and really whole drive) that won the game for us. That play will be held up alongside the David Tyree catch from last year's game and all of the other great plays in SB lore. The throw was as perfect as can be, right over three defenders, and Holmes' masterful grab (with requisite toe tappin') sealed the deal. There's one play I think deserves a lil more credit then it's recieving, and thats Gary Russell's TD run in the second quarter. Short yardage situations were a huge problem for us throughout the season until Coach Tomlin decided to give Russell a try. While certainly no Bus-esque run, it was a powerful gallop that got us six very needed points.

(Picture from post-gazette.com)

Sixburgh Sixpack!!!

GO STEELERS!!!

Until lata...

Mid Week Review

Well boys and girls, it's a hockey/football night in Pittsburgh this evening...and it will be cold as hell with a couple inches of snow, which means it's a true Pittsburgh sports night. So without further ado, here's some things to watch for and such, and make sure you tune in next week when I post a Pitt Hoops preview (at the request of my lil bro, who seems to think I know a thing or two about sports...sucker)

First and foremost, if the Steelers lose tonite, someone (anyone) will be getting smacked. I mean honestly, they're playing a team who 1) we pounded earlier this year, 2) is absolutely horrible, sporting the impressive 1-8-1 record, and 3) has a QB from HARVARD!!! If I wanted to find a cure for cancer or run for president, I'd probably call Ryan Fitzpatrick, but when I need a QB you can best your last dollar I would never look to an Ivy-leaguer.

Plus, Diego has informed me that Ocho-Stinko (thank you Diego) will not suit up tonite as he broke some kind of team rule, probably something stupid that only he owuld break. Maybe he was trash talking the bell boy at the hotel, or was threatening to do some ridiculously weak end zone dance or something moronic like that. Either that, or Starvin' Marvin Lewis decided enough was enough and this jackass (who's having his worst year and is blaming everyone but himself) is gonna sit out the rest of the year so he can get released and have someone else overpay him to score 4 touchdowns (his total this year). My hope, is obviously the latter.

With the weather the way it is, look for willie Parker and Gary Russell to carry much of the load tonite, as it's gonna be mighty tough for Big Ben to throw the ball in crazy winds and a couple inches of snow. The good news about that is the Begals stink at every form of defense, so we SHOULD be able to impose our wiill on them, however we decide to do it.

My biggest worry tonite, however, is that someone will take a cheap shot at Hines Ward for his crushing (and season ending) block on Keith Rivers. The Bengals are known criminals (like the Ravens) and I certainly wouldn't put a late hit or low block past them. Luckily for us, if someone does get to Hines, we have the ultimate equalizer - James Harrison. If someone takes Hines out wiith a cheappy, you know Silverback will be foaming at the mouth when our D gets on the field. In fact, if this situation arises, Silverback may actually kill Fitzpatrick. Literally, dead.

(Pic from postgazette.com)

Round 2 tonite?

Now for the Pens...

Well I guess all good things come to an end, as our 6 game winning streak did the other night against the Minnesota Wild. I knew we couldn't win them all, but that horrible trickler of a goal that Sabby let in to cause the tie really stung. All wasn't lost, however, as new Penguin Philippe Boucher played well in his first game manning the Pens' blueline.

As for what to watch for tonite, first and foremost, look for the Pens to unload on a much improved Atlanta team. If there's one thing I've seen in the past two seasons with these guys, it's that they very rarely have two bad games in a row, and when they lose by some fluke goal or something like that they usually come out swinging the next game.

And the othr thing to look for is the Colby Armstrong/Sid the Kid dynamic. As we all know, we traded Colby for Hossa, but this will be the first time the best friends will actually take each other on as Sid missed last year's game right after the trade. I'm guessing these two lovebird will probably just talk a little smack and jab each other in the faceoff circle and little rinky dink stuff like that. God knows Colby would get worked if he fought Sid, and there's no way in hell Sid lets him live it down. Ever.

We definitely miss how classy Colby was....HAHAHAHA

Until lata...

Ben, Among Others, Poops Their Pants

This isn't going to be a very long post, but I felt I should mention something about today's game while it was still fresh in my mind...

I never thought these words would come out of my lips (mainly because he's my starter in fantasy football) but the Steelers should have sat Big Ben against the Colts. You could see he wasn't entirely on top of his throws, and his crucial interceptions made me want to go to Heinz Field and slap him. However, he isn't the only one to get some blame for this one...

Maybe he just had one helluva hangover?

Bruce Arians - you knew your QB was half a cripple today, and yet as the first half was winding down, you call a passing play on 3rd and 3 from inside your own 20. Why he didn't just run the clock out and take a 10 point lead into halftime is absolutely beyond me. The pick that Ben threw is what turned the entire game around. Before that happened, Peyton Manning looked like a JV high school kid playing against Mike Ditka - which is to say not very good. Once he had the short field to work with, he put 7 on the board and when they recieved the kickoff to start the second half, he went right down the field again the Colts scored 3.

A 10 point lead turns into a tie. WOW. So basically, thanks for screwing the pooch tonite Arians...

And the last person I will single out for blame is Ike Taylor. I know it's kinda tacky to go after him for those two deflections that ended up being caught by Reggie Wayne, but that's exactly what I'm going to do. Ike's proven time and time again that he can't catch the ball, so my question is, why even try? He was trying to make plays on both passes, but with the positioning he had there was no other option but to bat the ball DOWN, not pop it up in the air for someone to grab. He's gotta be happy just making a play, not worrying about trying to be a Charles Woodson or Champ Bailey - sorry bro, but you aren't ever gonna be that good.

(Pic from postgazette.com)

Bat it down moron

Until lata...

Go home Rangers, Bring on Philly - Random Steeler sightings

So your boys Snack and Diego somehow managed to snag 4 seats (thank you very much Lance Vance Dance) to the Pens game yesterday in the uber-exclusive Gold Circle section. Yes, we did at center ice, yes we did have a private row and TVs in our console in front of us, and yes, if we would have chosen to, we could have used our private waitress to snatch us some Ahrns if we wanted. So we were living the high life to say the least.

The game itself was a spectacle, and I've never heard Mellon Arena go crazy like it did after Hoss'a game winner. It was a crazy, loud game the entire time, and the OT thiller couldn't have ended any better (Snack would like to apologize to the little kid he grabbed and shook after the OT goal - my bad lil buddy, at least your dad didn't seem to care).

(Pic from postgazette.com)

Why the hell is there a Ranger fan in Row 1?

I know it's not much of a recap, but I figure by now everyone knows about the game and how it went. I do, however, have some interesting news that only someone in our section would know - Skippy Reed is a Pens fan!

Yes, the chubby, whiskey-swilling ladies man kicker for the Pittsburgh Steelers was spotted in the men's room at Mellon Arena by Diego and I. I was waiting in the line for a stall, I looked over my shoulder and saw Skippy in line next to me. Some jagoff across the bathroom starts yelling about Pitt hoops. and Skippy starts yelling about UNC hoops. Keep in mind, this is at the second intermission of a 2-2 elimination hockey playoff game.

My guess is, the SOB was so drunk he didn't know what sporting event he was at. But then again, wasn't yesterday the last day of mini-camp for the guys? He prolly didn't have time to get adequately ripped, so PNA's guess is he just lit up a fattie doobie and rolled his ass down there to cheer on whichever sports team he thought it was.

His not-as-drunk-but-still-a-drunk QB Ben Roethlissberger was down there as well, but unlike Skip, he had the brains/money to get good seats, and was spotted on the Jumbotron, not yelling with us commonfolk in the pisser.

All in all, it was a good afternoon of entertainment, and we're looking forward to seeing the Flyers next round. The Broad Street Bullies aren't nearly as tough as us, which I find absolutely hilarious seeing as we're a "finesse" team.

The series starts Friday at Mellon Arena - hopefully we can sneak our way into that one too...

Until lata...