Quickie for yinz...

So how bout them Steelers? Scoring 14 points in a 24 second span is a good way to begin a playoff push, is it not? Thankfully Deshea Townsend CAUGHT the ball when Tony Romo threw it his way, or else this could be a completely different conversation...

So down to the specifics...

The offense once again struggled until it mattered by throwing up three-and-a-half quarters of abismal football - luckily, Nate Washington figured out how to catch the ball and Santonio figured out how to get open at just the right time. That last seven minutes is how the Steelers have to win games; ridiculously good defense and timely playmaking. Let's face it, we're not the Steelers of Jerome Bettis anymore. Hell, with the way Fast Willie has been running, we're not even his team anymore.

So that's about all their is to say about the offense - they may not be very good, but at least they score when they have to...

(Pic from knbr.com)

Ben can score alright...

Now the defense, that's a completely different story. Those crazy bastards are all over the place, and if James Harrison doesn't win Defensive MVP I may have to smack somebody. He reeks havoc with every snap, and I have yet to see an offensive tackle who can stop him without holding (really NFL, if you're going to fine everybody for everything you really need to tell the refs to watch the holding on him. It's crazy how often it happens.).

And even the secondary played well, with Troy grabbing his league leading seventh interception, Ike "ooopps I dropped the ball" Taylor snagging one and Deshea coming thru with the game winner. All in all, a pretty damn good day for the defense...

Oh, and did I mention they STILL haven't allowed 300 yards of total offense against them this year - just something to ponder...

Of course Sunday's game with the "men who wear purple" will be a huge one - I personally want to see Ray Ray Lewis leaving on a cart for all the hits he's dropped o n us, but I'll settle for a win...

(Pic from sportsillustrated.com)

Yeah, he's a thug alright...

And in other sports, the Pens have lost 2 in a row, and they kinda look like crap right now. But it's still early, we're still in the playoffs and we have the 2 best players in the game...We'll be fine.

And finally, Pitt is still undefeated and ranked number three in the country, and the Pirates still stink and haven't added a damn thing to the roster that's even worth mentioning.

Until lata...

Go Steelers...

What's up everyone? Sorry for the long wait, I didn't give up again already (as I know many of you thought), I've just been rather busy with the Turkey Day events and a visit from the little brother. Anyway, enough of that crap, onto the sports...

So how good did the Steelers look yesterday? Their defense is playing like the Steel Curtain of the 70's and the offense, well, God bless them they're trying. Ben's been playing better, and the running game actually mustered over 160 yards yesterday, but having to settle for four Skippy Reed field goals kept the game alot closer then it should have been. But I guess I'm really nitpicking when I pick on a unit that dropped 33 on the pretty decent Patriots defense.

And as for our defense, all I can say is wow. James Harrison has to be the defensive MVP in the NFL, no questions asked. He has 14 sacks, has forced 6 fumbles and seems to be in on every big play this big play defense creates. And let's not forget his partners in crime, Woodley, Potsi Farrior, Timmons and Foote, who are all having sensational seasons. They are the meanest SOB's in the league and have shown the ability to take over games when needbe, which is something nice to have up your sleeve in case the on again off again offense has an off day.

Last but not least, I can't forget the defensive backs, namely our safeties (sorry CB's, yinz get hurt too much to know who to write about, so I'll just say Ike, you're playing good but ya gotta learn to cath the ball buddy). Ryan Clark is an unsung hero, as he's been delivering crushing hits (ask Wes Welker what his name is today - I bet he still doesn't know) and playing an overall excellent safety, allowing his counterpart, Troy "Tazmanian Devil" Polamalu to do his thing. And for those of you that don't know, his thing is making 6 interceptions and countless other big plays and tackles for losses. If it weren't for Silverback, I'd be saying Taz should be the MVP; he's been that good this year.

(Pic from pittsburghsteelersjersey.net)

Gotcha!

On a that note, all this talk about Kris Jenkins and Al Haynesworth being MVP is absolute crap; all they do (for the most part) is stuff the run. Funny, I don't remember anyone saying Big Snack Hampton or even Joel Steed being mentioned for that honor, and I'd venture to say they both were as, if not more effective then those two. Defensive MVP should go to a game-changer, and Silverback is most certainly that.

So overall, I'd say the Steelers are looking good with a 9-3 record and heading into big matchups with Dallas and Baltimore (screw you Ravens). Go Steelers!

Our other boys in black and gold, the Pens, have been playing well recently, completeing a 9-2-1 month of November, which has them near the top of the Eastern Conference. Geno Malkin is leading the league in scoring, with Sid closing in on him, which is always a good sign. Even our much maligned defense, struggling a bit without Sarge Gonchar and Ryan Whitney, is playing better. I still think a trade to acquire a left winger (Illya Kovalchuk anyone?) would be wise, but for the time being, all things look pretty good in Mario's world.

And finally, Pitt is off to a 7-0 start and won some little tourney in New Jersey, which is good, and they're ranked in the top 5, so all's well there. Sam Young looks to be a superstar and Levance Fields will be getting healthier and healthier as the year goes on. With Blair and Dixon playing well, this team could finally be the one that cracks the Elite Eight or even Final Four, but let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. We'll see how they do in the toughest conference in the country before we start annointing them as the best Pitt team in recent memory.

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...

Pens and Steelers Talk

Instead of the usual links today, I'm going to discuss some things that have been going on recently with our beloved Pens and Steelers and let ya know how I feel about it (cause you all care so much)...

First let's talk about the Steelers...We know they're one of the AFC elite, even though they haven't played but a handful of good games this season. And why have they played so poorly (especially on offense)? Two words; Offensive Line. Our tackles may be the slowest in the NFL and NO ONE is blocking Ben's blindside. That poor bastard is only gonna last 7 or 8 years if we keep letting him get killed.

And as for Ben, you gotta learn to throw the ball buddy. You know your offensive line is crap, so you need to just take the quick slants (and not throw picks on them as you did against the Colts) and get rid of the ball. This is getting ridiculous big guy.

Bruce Arians - you (and the Pitt coaches for that matter) might be the most inconsistent coach I've ever seen. Some games, like against the Redskins, you look like a genius, everything goes well and Steeler Nation is happy. Then you go out and put up stinkers like you did last weekend that make us want to come out of hibernation and smack you around a little. You must be doing something right to be 6-3, but you also must be doing something wrong when we can't score at will on a team like the Colts.

And finally, missing Willie Parker has hurt more then people think. Sure, Melwelde Moore has been putting up good numbers, but it doesn't seem to me that he wears out defenses like Willie does. Maybe that's why they couldn't put the ball in from the 1 last game; the Colts D just wasn't as tired and beat as a team usually is at that point against us.

(Pic from espn.com)

Welcome back Willie

Now for the Pens...

I can't really complain much about the way things have been going, seeing as we're near the top of the Eastern Conference without playing anywhere near full stregnth. However, I would like to see us grab a winger for Sid to play with for a few years, although Miro Satan seems to be playing very well next to him.

I'd also like to see a couple of trades (possibly for that winger). I like Gill on the penalty kill, but he's so big and slow that he almost negates his PK ability with his horribleness (that's a word, right?) at even stregnth. I also think, and I know people are not oging to like this, but we need to trade Jordan Staal now. I realize how good of a player he is, I really do, but we can't afford to keep three excellent young centers. With the salary cap where it is, we'd need to overlook other areas and we can't do that and expect to win.

Plus, I've heard through the rumor mill that we may be lookng at Illya Kovalchuk, and that would be an excellent return for Staal. I guess only time will tell...

Alrighty, I'm off to try and get a San Diego Charger all drunk (I'll explain lata...)

Until lata...

Oh and PS, I wanna wish a belated happy 23rd birthday to my lil bro, Pizzy Pop up in Dayton Ohio...Happy birthday brotha...

Pens N' Ends...

First and foremost, I'd like to issue a kicking of my own ass for turning off the game last night when the Pens were down 5-2. Call of Duty (the hot new video game for those of you not video game savvy) was too much to resist, and the first 2 periods were just god awful...So sorry Pens, I'll be watching every second from here on out...

And how about that game? I was yelling all first period about how we need to trade Staal, he'll never be any good in Pittsburgh because of Malkin and Sid and yadda yadda yadda...I guess someone over at Crystal's (as seen on Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives) sent my message over to the Pens' locker room because Staal took over that game last night. His hat trick and overtime steal were obviously the difference, and I'm glad we have him (at least for last night, I still think we should trade him if we can get Illya Kovalchuk or someone of that ilk).

Sorry there jail bait...

And in some football news, it looks like Willie will give it a go against the Chargers, which is good news because last week the running game really put us in a hole. We REALLY need to draft a big left tackle or two because it's become painfully clear that Max Starks and the oft-injured Marvel Smith aren't the answer (and neither is Willie Colon in my opinion, I think he sucks just as bad, if not worse then those two).

It also appears that Big Ben got the message that if he didn't practice, he wouldn't play, because he was out there throwing the old pigskin around on a Wednesday, which to my knowledge he hasn't done all season. Something was obviously off with him last game, maybe that was it...

Ok I'm outta here, I'll get at yinz tomorrow with some national stuff, and whatever else I feel like tellin ya...

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...

Why Hello There

Hello boys and girls, it's been a long, long while, I know, but Snack is back and I'm hoping to post a few times a week from here on out. Sorry for the leave of absence, I've been trying to find a job and we all know how that goes (FYI I'm still looking so if any of you guys have a job offer email me)...

So without further ado, here's a couple things that have been going on recently that I feel should be addressed...

First off, how about them Pitt Panthers? They killed Louisville today, moving to 7-2 and locking up a bowl bid for the Stache'. Just imagine if those clowns would have beat those pesky powerhouses Rutgers and Bowling Green - we could be complaining about how Pitt should be playing for a national title. And to think, we're doing all this with a QB who throws worse then me. Not too bad boys, not too bad...

(Pic from fansonly.com)

Speaking of not too bad, the Steelers are doing suprisingly well considering Ben's been getting killed and Willie Parker and Rashard Mendehall have been pretty much useless all season. That defense though, is tough as nails. Even with starters such as Big Snack Hampton and Bryant McFadden out, the Steel Curtain has been the most dominant defense in the league.

Tomorrow's game against Indy isn't nearly as intimidating as it was at the beginning of the season, and my guess is, if we win 4 of our remaining 8 games, we should make the playoffs. But that's still a long ways off, so for now I'd say just sit back and watch the coolest mofo in Steelers history (Coach Tomlin) unleash the hounds (or Silverbacks in James Harrison's case) on Peyton Manning...with an injured Indy O-Lline it should be like shooting very slow fish in a barrel..

(Pic from bleacherreport.com)

Is Silverback the next Gregg Lloyd?

The Pens are off to a quick start, but it seems like they're missing Sarge Gonchar and Ryan Whitney more then we all thought. PNA used to be a big fan of the USS Gill, however it's becoming more and more apparent that Big Snack can skate faster then him, and judging by the way he got his teeth kicked in during his only fight this year, I'm willing to bet I can throw a meaner right hook too...

(Pic from foxchapelhockey.com)

I think this bird could beat up Hal Gill

And of course, losing Hossa hurts, but he obviously feels playing with those tools in Detroit was better for him, so I say screw him, I hope we see him in the Finals again this year, and maybe my boy Goddard can bring a little "small town justice" to Hossa's face (I know it won't happen but a guy can dream eh?).

And finally, I guess I should mention our minor league baseball team, the Pittsburgh Pirates. My God, could they suck any more? Once they traded away Nady and Bay, which let's face it, they had to do, they couldn't score (sound familiar guys?...hahaha). And then Pedro Alvarez/Scott Boras held us hostage for about $500 k or some other crappy little amount because Boras has daddy issues or something (I'm sorry but I personally think he's just about the worst human being on Earth - he makes GM's lives miserable over the huge amounts of cash he asks for mediocre players like Barry Zito).

It's gonna be a long time until we're competitive again, but hey, at least these jagoffs in the front office realize Joe Randa and Derek Bell aren't the keys to us winning, which is more then can be said for previous management.

So there ya go, that's Snack's take on all things Pittsburgh sports right now. Look for another update after the game, prolly on Monday...

Until lata...

And PS - Snacks would like to thank his old man for telling him to start writing again...good look old timer, and make sure you guys check out his blog, The Green Weenie.

Monday Mahem

Hey there boys and girls, hope you all had a good weekend. Your boy Snack is here to give ya some quick links and to let yinz know Diego and I will be out of the office starting on Thursday and won't be returning till early next week, so we're going to try and give ya somethin every day until we leave...

So without further ado...

The "orignal" Big Snack, Casey Hampton, was placed on the PUP list because of his largess (fatness for you yinzers). My humble opinion is, since he's a noseguard, who the hell cares if he can't run 8 100 yard sprints? His job is to be a disgusting fatbody in the middle of line, and seeing as he's a multiple time Pro-Bowler, I'd say he's done a pretty good job. Suck it up Tomlin, and let the big guy play.

Someone give this man a beer...

Here's a nice preview of the Steelers' offense heading into camp. I figure of the O-line acts like they have a pair, everything will be fine. Ben's proven himself, and Fast Willie and Rashard Mendenhall will be a dynamite 1-2 punch; not to mention we have what could possibly be the best recieving core in the NFL with Santoio Holmes, Hines Ward and the newly signed Limas Sweed. Throw in Jeff "I'm drunker then you" Reed as our kicker, and we should be scoring a lot.

Diego and I are planning on a Tuesday endeavor to Latrobe, so we might just have an in person recap for yinz on Wednesday...

And finally, in Bucco news - we suck. There, I said it. Obviously you all know by now about the trade we made with the Yankees. It could work out OK, but it's really a shame to break up that outfield as it was absolutely crushing the ball, but as we can all see, out pitchers are absolutely attrocious. If your name isn't Paul Maholm, John Grabow, Tyler Yates or maybe, and I do mean maybe, Zach Duke, then you should be sent to the minors immediately for the rest of the season. Let's shut it down boys. Wait a sec, maybe that can be their motto for the rest of the season. I like it!

Operation Shutdown : Part Deux

Until lata...