http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=252489747384
For all that notice that Mike Tomlin, the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, is also Will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas...
Showing posts with label Pittsburgh Steelers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pittsburgh Steelers. Show all posts
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Mike Tomlin is Will.i.am
Official Conspiracy Group
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=252489747384
For all that notice that Mike Tomlin, the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, is also Will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas...
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=252489747384
For all that notice that Mike Tomlin, the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, is also Will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas...
Football Season Is Over: 2011 Officially Begins
In the final insult to a completely humiliating season for Brett Favre, the Green Bay Packers won Super Bowl XLV, beating the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25. It's their fourth SB title, and it took Packers QB Aaron Rodgers three years to win one, as many as Favre had in his entire career. Rodgers, unlike Favre, also won the game's MVP award, passing for 304 yards and 3 touchdowns. The curse of the Lutefisk continues...
The game was watched by a record 111 million in the US, 4.5 million more than last year's game and 5 million more than the final episode of M*A*S*H. Probably the coolest ad: a young boy dressed like Darth Vader trying to use The Force to open a 2012 Volkswagen Passat.
The NFL changed things around this year, presenting all the season best awards during the week. Here's the winners:
MVP: Tom Brady, New England Patriots
Offensive Player of the Year: Tom Brady, New England Patriots
Defensive Player of the Year: Troy Polamalu, Pittsburgh Steelers
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Sam Bradford, St. Louis Rams
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Ndamukong Suh, Detroit Lions
Coach of the Year: Bill Belichick, New England Patriots
Comeback of the Year: Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles
And finally, the Hall of Fame picks: modern era players Deion Sanders, Marshall Faulk, Richard Dent and Shannon Sharpe, NFL Films founder Ed Sabol and senior picks Chris Hanburger and Les Richter. A good list, though it contains some snubs: Faulk got in over running backs Jerome Bettis and Curtis Martin, wide receivers Chris Carter and Tim Brown were left out, and five time Super Bowl champ Charles Haley failed to make the cut. And then there's Oakland Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler and punter Ray Guy, the two most offensive long-term snubs from Canton...
The game was watched by a record 111 million in the US, 4.5 million more than last year's game and 5 million more than the final episode of M*A*S*H. Probably the coolest ad: a young boy dressed like Darth Vader trying to use The Force to open a 2012 Volkswagen Passat.
The NFL changed things around this year, presenting all the season best awards during the week. Here's the winners:
MVP: Tom Brady, New England Patriots
Offensive Player of the Year: Tom Brady, New England Patriots
Defensive Player of the Year: Troy Polamalu, Pittsburgh Steelers
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Sam Bradford, St. Louis Rams
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Ndamukong Suh, Detroit Lions
Coach of the Year: Bill Belichick, New England Patriots
Comeback of the Year: Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles
And finally, the Hall of Fame picks: modern era players Deion Sanders, Marshall Faulk, Richard Dent and Shannon Sharpe, NFL Films founder Ed Sabol and senior picks Chris Hanburger and Les Richter. A good list, though it contains some snubs: Faulk got in over running backs Jerome Bettis and Curtis Martin, wide receivers Chris Carter and Tim Brown were left out, and five time Super Bowl champ Charles Haley failed to make the cut. And then there's Oakland Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler and punter Ray Guy, the two most offensive long-term snubs from Canton...
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Roethlisberger wasn't a popular Steeler, even before all this
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Roethlisberger-wasn-t-a-popular-Steeler-even-be
Mon Apr 26, 2010
Roethlisberger wasn't a popular Steeler, even before all this
By MJD
Some former Pittsburgh Steelers teammates are kicking Ben Roethlisberger while he's down, telling ESPN that Roethlisberger wasn't well-liked in the locker room while they were there.
Kelly Naqi did a story for ESPN's "Outside the Lines" over the weekend, focusing on Roethlisberger's image and reputation. She talked to former Steelers running back Najeh Davenport, former Steelers safety about Mike Logan and some other people around the area. Here are some of the highlights.
• Davenport estimated that about 60 percent of the locker room felt like Roethlisberger thought he was "bigger than the team" and not focused on winning.
• Davenport also discussed a time when Joey Porter called out Roethlisberger in a team meeting for being the last one in to practice and the first one to leave. Porter also accused Roethlisberger of not being dedicated to the team and criticized him for not fraternizing with his teammates.
• Mike Logan confirmed the incident where Porter addressed Roethlisberger and said that all the things Porter mentioned were already being talked about in the locker room.
• Someone identified only as "a close friend of a Steelers player" said that the reason Roethlisberger had a bodyguard was because of an incident where a man put a gun to Roethlisberger's head because Roethlisberger was involved with the man's girlfriend.
• Naqi spoke with people who work at Pittsburgh bars and nightclubs, and they described Ben as someone who was condescending to the staffs and rude to other customers. One bar owner said Roethlisberger always expected he and his entourage to be given free food and drinks.
Roethlisberger wouldn't talk to ESPN for the story. Neither would Joey Porter. Roethlisberger did release a statement today about his suspension, though, apologizing to his teammates and fans, and vowing to comply with the terms of the suspension.
This is the kind of report that wouldn't ever see the light of day if there weren't some other dastardly story about the guy. That's not to say that it isn't true -- Kelly Naqi's a fine reporter -- but is it a big deal? Should we care?
After all, no one said anything about Roethlisberger-related locker room troubles when the Steelers were winning Super Bowls. Maybe this is just a mountain-out-of-a-molehill thing that surfaces now because it's convenient and fits the "Roethlisberger as dirtball" narrative.
If there's any practical issue here, I think it's this: If Roethlisberger has to mend some fences in the Steelers locker room, perhaps it'll be even tougher than expected. If someone didn't like him before the sexual assault allegations, it's hard to imagine they'll warm up to the guy now, no matter what he does.
We'll just have to wait and see how that plays out. Locker rooms have been divided over less.
Mon Apr 26, 2010
Roethlisberger wasn't a popular Steeler, even before all this
By MJD
Some former Pittsburgh Steelers teammates are kicking Ben Roethlisberger while he's down, telling ESPN that Roethlisberger wasn't well-liked in the locker room while they were there.
Kelly Naqi did a story for ESPN's "Outside the Lines" over the weekend, focusing on Roethlisberger's image and reputation. She talked to former Steelers running back Najeh Davenport, former Steelers safety about Mike Logan and some other people around the area. Here are some of the highlights.
• Davenport estimated that about 60 percent of the locker room felt like Roethlisberger thought he was "bigger than the team" and not focused on winning.
• Davenport also discussed a time when Joey Porter called out Roethlisberger in a team meeting for being the last one in to practice and the first one to leave. Porter also accused Roethlisberger of not being dedicated to the team and criticized him for not fraternizing with his teammates.
• Mike Logan confirmed the incident where Porter addressed Roethlisberger and said that all the things Porter mentioned were already being talked about in the locker room.
• Someone identified only as "a close friend of a Steelers player" said that the reason Roethlisberger had a bodyguard was because of an incident where a man put a gun to Roethlisberger's head because Roethlisberger was involved with the man's girlfriend.
• Naqi spoke with people who work at Pittsburgh bars and nightclubs, and they described Ben as someone who was condescending to the staffs and rude to other customers. One bar owner said Roethlisberger always expected he and his entourage to be given free food and drinks.
Roethlisberger wouldn't talk to ESPN for the story. Neither would Joey Porter. Roethlisberger did release a statement today about his suspension, though, apologizing to his teammates and fans, and vowing to comply with the terms of the suspension.
This is the kind of report that wouldn't ever see the light of day if there weren't some other dastardly story about the guy. That's not to say that it isn't true -- Kelly Naqi's a fine reporter -- but is it a big deal? Should we care?
After all, no one said anything about Roethlisberger-related locker room troubles when the Steelers were winning Super Bowls. Maybe this is just a mountain-out-of-a-molehill thing that surfaces now because it's convenient and fits the "Roethlisberger as dirtball" narrative.
If there's any practical issue here, I think it's this: If Roethlisberger has to mend some fences in the Steelers locker room, perhaps it'll be even tougher than expected. If someone didn't like him before the sexual assault allegations, it's hard to imagine they'll warm up to the guy now, no matter what he does.
We'll just have to wait and see how that plays out. Locker rooms have been divided over less.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Clock Almost Striking Midnight for Big Ben
Dave Zirin
In searching through all the historical and media data at my disposal, I can’t find one solitary example of a professional athlete suffering two entirely disconnected accusations of sexual assault over one eight month period.
Enter Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, our very own Jackie Robinson of misogyny, arrogance and entitlement. This is a man who thought that a night of drunken nightclub bathroom “encounters” in Milledgeville, Georgia, with a 20-year-old Georgia college student – while his entourage blocked the door – was a solid plan.
Ben lawyered up only saying that sexual contact with the accuser “was not consummated.” He declined to submit the DNA that the district attorney’s office requested, and despite described “minor” cuts and bruising on the young woman, the DA decided not to press charges. Ocmulgee Circuit District Attorney Fred Bright, when announcing this decision, said gruffly, “If he were my son, the best way I could answer it is, Ben, grow up. Come on, you're supposed to stand for something.”
That was assumedly supposed to sound tough, but it came off like a paternal scolding: the typical “boys will be boys” defense. That is, if the boys are the right shade of pale. Georgia is the state after all where in 2005 17-year-old Genarlow Wilson (also, incidentally, a high school football star and not so incidentally, African American) was given a mandatory 10-year prison sentence for consensual oral sex with a 15 year old. After two years behind bars, he was released following a 4-3 decision by the Georgia State Supreme Court. The court did not overturn Wilson’s conviction, but ruled that his sentence was “grossly disproportionate". In contrast, Roethlisberger may never have to spend even two minutes in the maximum-security prison that housed Wilson.
But Big Ben’s drama is far from over. He still faces a civil suit from the first round of sexual assault allegations and may possibly in this case as well. It's this kind of behavior that has the Pro Bowl quarterback wearing out his welcome in Pittsburgh. The Steelers organization believes that they are more than just another franchise. They are Steeler Nation and no player is more important than the honor of the brand.
If Coach Mike Tomlin had a hot young quarterback on the bench, Roethlisberger might be trade bait. Without that option the Steelers chose instead to make an example out of their best receiver, 2009 Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes. Holmes was traded to the Jets for a pittance (a fifth round draft pick). He was also no stranger to off-field trouble and the fact that the Steelers dumped him to a conference rival so unceremoniously is without question a shot across the bow at Big Ben. But this action as well is raising ethical eyebrows. As Jeffrey Chadiha wrote on ESPN.com, “If they go soft on Roethlisberger, it will appear the organization dumped the black guy with issues while the white guy got a slap on the wrist for his mistakes.”
In addition to having to re-earn the respect of his teammates, coaches, fans, and management, Roethlisberger will also have to sit down with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell later this week, which should be about as pleasant as a switchblade-root canal. Goodell holds the power of judge, jury, and executioner: he can suspend players without appeal and even demand that they seek counseling (we can imagine how effective counseling is when ordered by your boss.)
Goodell will be under a microscope to see if he actually exercises this power against Roethlisberger. There has been more than a little rumbling to the effect that the Goodell’s unilateral brand of justice is used exclusively against African American players to show a majority white fan base that the Commish is keeping his “urban” charges in line. Goodell will look like a rank hypocrite if he lets Big Ben skate. In fact, he would look even worse if he does nothing, and then the Rooney family - which owns the Steelers - decides to suspend him on their own.
The mainstream media has also been interrogated for how they've covered Big Ben's year gone wild. Think about how often in the Tiger Woods telenovela journalists and yipping heads said that Tiger “owed” the public an explanation for his private life. Yet with two allegations of sexual violence, the two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback has never been hounded for dirty details in the same way.
The “worldwide leader”, ESPN, in particular was criticized last year for under-covering the first rape allegation, initially issuing an infamous "do not report' memo to reporters. Apparently, ESPN had correct word that there would be no criminal charges and chose to show restraint. That’s all fine and good but it doesn’t explain their absence of restraint as soon as other scandals gurgle for oxygen in the sports world. It also points brazenly to the double standards in sports when white and black athletes are under investigation. White athletes are viewed, judged, dissected as individuals. Black athletes are individually vivisected but then also portrayed as representative of an entire community. Therefore, black athletes who had never seen a dog fight in their lives were asked about Michael Vick as if they all had pit bull tournaments happening in their backyards. No one will be asking Drew Brees if he ever tries to have bodyguard protected sex with 20-year olds. No one will press Peyton Manning on whether a culture of pick up trucks, Kenny Chesney music, and white baseball caps may have led Big Ben down this regrettable road. Such pop-sociological stupidity is a burden white athletes never have to face. In Roethlisberger’s case, criminal prosecution will be another.
Dave Zirin is the author of the forthcoming “Bad Sports: How Owners are Ruining the Games we Love” (Scribner) Receive his column every week by emailing dave@edgeofsports.com. Contact him at edgeofsports@gmail.com.
In searching through all the historical and media data at my disposal, I can’t find one solitary example of a professional athlete suffering two entirely disconnected accusations of sexual assault over one eight month period.
Enter Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, our very own Jackie Robinson of misogyny, arrogance and entitlement. This is a man who thought that a night of drunken nightclub bathroom “encounters” in Milledgeville, Georgia, with a 20-year-old Georgia college student – while his entourage blocked the door – was a solid plan.
Ben lawyered up only saying that sexual contact with the accuser “was not consummated.” He declined to submit the DNA that the district attorney’s office requested, and despite described “minor” cuts and bruising on the young woman, the DA decided not to press charges. Ocmulgee Circuit District Attorney Fred Bright, when announcing this decision, said gruffly, “If he were my son, the best way I could answer it is, Ben, grow up. Come on, you're supposed to stand for something.”
That was assumedly supposed to sound tough, but it came off like a paternal scolding: the typical “boys will be boys” defense. That is, if the boys are the right shade of pale. Georgia is the state after all where in 2005 17-year-old Genarlow Wilson (also, incidentally, a high school football star and not so incidentally, African American) was given a mandatory 10-year prison sentence for consensual oral sex with a 15 year old. After two years behind bars, he was released following a 4-3 decision by the Georgia State Supreme Court. The court did not overturn Wilson’s conviction, but ruled that his sentence was “grossly disproportionate". In contrast, Roethlisberger may never have to spend even two minutes in the maximum-security prison that housed Wilson.
But Big Ben’s drama is far from over. He still faces a civil suit from the first round of sexual assault allegations and may possibly in this case as well. It's this kind of behavior that has the Pro Bowl quarterback wearing out his welcome in Pittsburgh. The Steelers organization believes that they are more than just another franchise. They are Steeler Nation and no player is more important than the honor of the brand.
If Coach Mike Tomlin had a hot young quarterback on the bench, Roethlisberger might be trade bait. Without that option the Steelers chose instead to make an example out of their best receiver, 2009 Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes. Holmes was traded to the Jets for a pittance (a fifth round draft pick). He was also no stranger to off-field trouble and the fact that the Steelers dumped him to a conference rival so unceremoniously is without question a shot across the bow at Big Ben. But this action as well is raising ethical eyebrows. As Jeffrey Chadiha wrote on ESPN.com, “If they go soft on Roethlisberger, it will appear the organization dumped the black guy with issues while the white guy got a slap on the wrist for his mistakes.”
In addition to having to re-earn the respect of his teammates, coaches, fans, and management, Roethlisberger will also have to sit down with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell later this week, which should be about as pleasant as a switchblade-root canal. Goodell holds the power of judge, jury, and executioner: he can suspend players without appeal and even demand that they seek counseling (we can imagine how effective counseling is when ordered by your boss.)
Goodell will be under a microscope to see if he actually exercises this power against Roethlisberger. There has been more than a little rumbling to the effect that the Goodell’s unilateral brand of justice is used exclusively against African American players to show a majority white fan base that the Commish is keeping his “urban” charges in line. Goodell will look like a rank hypocrite if he lets Big Ben skate. In fact, he would look even worse if he does nothing, and then the Rooney family - which owns the Steelers - decides to suspend him on their own.
The mainstream media has also been interrogated for how they've covered Big Ben's year gone wild. Think about how often in the Tiger Woods telenovela journalists and yipping heads said that Tiger “owed” the public an explanation for his private life. Yet with two allegations of sexual violence, the two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback has never been hounded for dirty details in the same way.
The “worldwide leader”, ESPN, in particular was criticized last year for under-covering the first rape allegation, initially issuing an infamous "do not report' memo to reporters. Apparently, ESPN had correct word that there would be no criminal charges and chose to show restraint. That’s all fine and good but it doesn’t explain their absence of restraint as soon as other scandals gurgle for oxygen in the sports world. It also points brazenly to the double standards in sports when white and black athletes are under investigation. White athletes are viewed, judged, dissected as individuals. Black athletes are individually vivisected but then also portrayed as representative of an entire community. Therefore, black athletes who had never seen a dog fight in their lives were asked about Michael Vick as if they all had pit bull tournaments happening in their backyards. No one will be asking Drew Brees if he ever tries to have bodyguard protected sex with 20-year olds. No one will press Peyton Manning on whether a culture of pick up trucks, Kenny Chesney music, and white baseball caps may have led Big Ben down this regrettable road. Such pop-sociological stupidity is a burden white athletes never have to face. In Roethlisberger’s case, criminal prosecution will be another.
Dave Zirin is the author of the forthcoming “Bad Sports: How Owners are Ruining the Games we Love” (Scribner) Receive his column every week by emailing dave@edgeofsports.com. Contact him at edgeofsports@gmail.com.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Madden Curse strikes Troy Polamalu
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2009/09/madden-curse-troy-polamalu.html
Madden Curse strikes Troy Polamalu
Houston Mitchell
September 11, 2009
When will NFL players ever learn? Never appear on the cover of a Madden football video game.
One of this year's cover stars, Troy Polamalu of the Pittsburgh Steelers, was injured in Pittsburgh's first game of the season on Thursday. Polamalu suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament (MCL) after the Tennessee's Alge Crumpler fell on his knee.
Polamalu was featured on the cover of Madden10 along side Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald, who should really consider sitting out the season.
A look at The Curse:
Madden 2000: On the box -- Barry Sanders, Detroit Lions. Sanders shocks fans and his team by announcing his retirement just before the start of training camp.
Madden 2001: On the box -- Eddie George, Tennessee Titans. George, who the previous year had led his team to the Super Bowl, bobbles a pass that is then intercepted and returned for a touchdown in the Titans' divisional playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Madden 2002: On the box -- Daunte Culpepper, Minnesota Vikings. Culpepper, who the previous year led the Vikings to the NFC championship game, sits out the last five games because of a knee injury as the Vikings finish 5-11.
Madden 2003: On the box -- Marshall Faulk, St. Louis Rams. After leading the Rams to the Super Bowl twice in three years, Faulk is hampered throughout the season by an injured ankle as his rushing yards drop to 953 after four consecutive seasons of at least 1,300 yards and the Rams fall short of the playoffs with a 7-9 record.
Madden 2004: On the box -- Michael Vick, Atlanta Falcons. Coming off a season where he had led the team to the playoffs, Vick breaks his right leg in an exhibition that takes place only one day after the Madden game is released to the public. Vick plays in only five games during the season and the Falcons finish 5-11.
Madden 2005: On the box -- Ray Lewis, Baltimore Ravens. Coming off a season in which he intercepted six passes, Lewis fails to get even one interception as the Ravens don't make the playoffs after finishing 9-7.
Madden 2006: On the box -- Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia Eagles. McNabb was selected for the cover after leading the Eagles to the Super Bowl the previous year. In the first game of the season, McNabb suffers a sports hernia and sits out the last seven games of the season. The Eagles finish in last place.
Madden 2007: On the box -- Shaun Alexander, Seattle Seahawks. The season after he was selected league most valuable player for leading the Seahawks to the Super Bowl, Alexander breaks his left foot in Seattle's third game.
Madden 2008: On the box -- Vince Young. One of the biggest busts in NFL draft history.
Madden 2009: On the box: Brett Favre. Do we really need to recap his last few months?
Madden Curse strikes Troy Polamalu
Houston Mitchell
September 11, 2009
When will NFL players ever learn? Never appear on the cover of a Madden football video game.
One of this year's cover stars, Troy Polamalu of the Pittsburgh Steelers, was injured in Pittsburgh's first game of the season on Thursday. Polamalu suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament (MCL) after the Tennessee's Alge Crumpler fell on his knee.
Polamalu was featured on the cover of Madden10 along side Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald, who should really consider sitting out the season.
A look at The Curse:
Madden 2000: On the box -- Barry Sanders, Detroit Lions. Sanders shocks fans and his team by announcing his retirement just before the start of training camp.
Madden 2001: On the box -- Eddie George, Tennessee Titans. George, who the previous year had led his team to the Super Bowl, bobbles a pass that is then intercepted and returned for a touchdown in the Titans' divisional playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Madden 2002: On the box -- Daunte Culpepper, Minnesota Vikings. Culpepper, who the previous year led the Vikings to the NFC championship game, sits out the last five games because of a knee injury as the Vikings finish 5-11.
Madden 2003: On the box -- Marshall Faulk, St. Louis Rams. After leading the Rams to the Super Bowl twice in three years, Faulk is hampered throughout the season by an injured ankle as his rushing yards drop to 953 after four consecutive seasons of at least 1,300 yards and the Rams fall short of the playoffs with a 7-9 record.
Madden 2004: On the box -- Michael Vick, Atlanta Falcons. Coming off a season where he had led the team to the playoffs, Vick breaks his right leg in an exhibition that takes place only one day after the Madden game is released to the public. Vick plays in only five games during the season and the Falcons finish 5-11.
Madden 2005: On the box -- Ray Lewis, Baltimore Ravens. Coming off a season in which he intercepted six passes, Lewis fails to get even one interception as the Ravens don't make the playoffs after finishing 9-7.
Madden 2006: On the box -- Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia Eagles. McNabb was selected for the cover after leading the Eagles to the Super Bowl the previous year. In the first game of the season, McNabb suffers a sports hernia and sits out the last seven games of the season. The Eagles finish in last place.
Madden 2007: On the box -- Shaun Alexander, Seattle Seahawks. The season after he was selected league most valuable player for leading the Seahawks to the Super Bowl, Alexander breaks his left foot in Seattle's third game.
Madden 2008: On the box -- Vince Young. One of the biggest busts in NFL draft history.
Madden 2009: On the box: Brett Favre. Do we really need to recap his last few months?
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Steelers' Harrison is AP Defensive Player of Year
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hAgAxyE0WeXvBWpXKE3vxftAxoMwD95H6MBG0
Steelers' Harrison is AP Defensive Player of Year
By BARRY WILNER
1-5-9
NEW YORK (AP) — James Harrison slams down the current version of the Steel Curtain better than any Pittsburgh Steeler, earning him The Associated Press 2008 Defensive Player of the Year award. The linebacker who had a career-high 16 sacks, setting a team record, and led the NFL with a career-high seven forced fumbles, beat Dallas' DeMarcus Ware in balloting by a nationwide panel of 50 sports writers and broadcasters announced Monday.
Pittsburgh defense was the league's stingiest in total defense, pass defense and points allowed. Harrison was its main hammer.
"That's something that everybody in the league would love to have, to be voted the top player in the league for that year," Harrison said. "In my mind, I think I do — and it's going to sound boring — what the defense allows me to do and what my teammates allow me to do."
Harrison earned 22 votes to 13 for Ware.
Baltimore safety Ed Reed, the 2004 winner, got eight votes. Tennessee defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth had five and Harrison's teammate, safety Troy Polamalu, got two.
Harrison credited defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau's schemes with allowing him, an undrafted free agent from Kent State who was cut several times by Pittsburgh and once by Baltimore, to eventually become a star.
"The defense is built to play with 11 guys, and if all 11 guys are on the same page, playing the same defense on the same play, there's nothing that can go wrong and that's just how we feel about it," Harrison said.
But fellow linebacker James Farrior, who has seen Harrison develop from a backup to Joey Porter into one of the game's biggest playmakers, sees Harrison as the key.
"His whole attitude about football, I think he works harder than anybody else in this locker room," Farrior said. "He has a great work ethic. He's very tuned in to what he has to do to make himself better. That's all he strives for, to try to be better than anybody else, and you can see his determination when he's out there on the field.
"We've got good players on this team, and every team has good players, but he seems to be — this year and last year — making the plays that made the difference in the game."
Harrison is the fifth Steeler to win the award, including three Hall of Famers from the original Steel Curtain: Joe Greene (1974), Mel Blount (1975) and Jack Lambert (1976). In 1993, Rod Woodson was AP Defensive Player of the Year, and he is eligible for the Hall for the first time this year.
The Steelers did not allow a 100-yard rusher or 300-yard passer in 2008. Harrison didn't limit his work to that stingy unit, though: Harrison also had 12 special teams tackles.
"People said I couldn't do this or couldn't do that," he noted. "I was too short, too slow. Basically, I play and prepare myself in the offseason with the thoughts of what people said I couldn't do."
And he's proven he can do just about everything.
Steelers' Harrison is AP Defensive Player of Year
By BARRY WILNER
1-5-9
NEW YORK (AP) — James Harrison slams down the current version of the Steel Curtain better than any Pittsburgh Steeler, earning him The Associated Press 2008 Defensive Player of the Year award. The linebacker who had a career-high 16 sacks, setting a team record, and led the NFL with a career-high seven forced fumbles, beat Dallas' DeMarcus Ware in balloting by a nationwide panel of 50 sports writers and broadcasters announced Monday.
Pittsburgh defense was the league's stingiest in total defense, pass defense and points allowed. Harrison was its main hammer.
"That's something that everybody in the league would love to have, to be voted the top player in the league for that year," Harrison said. "In my mind, I think I do — and it's going to sound boring — what the defense allows me to do and what my teammates allow me to do."
Harrison earned 22 votes to 13 for Ware.
Baltimore safety Ed Reed, the 2004 winner, got eight votes. Tennessee defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth had five and Harrison's teammate, safety Troy Polamalu, got two.
Harrison credited defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau's schemes with allowing him, an undrafted free agent from Kent State who was cut several times by Pittsburgh and once by Baltimore, to eventually become a star.
"The defense is built to play with 11 guys, and if all 11 guys are on the same page, playing the same defense on the same play, there's nothing that can go wrong and that's just how we feel about it," Harrison said.
But fellow linebacker James Farrior, who has seen Harrison develop from a backup to Joey Porter into one of the game's biggest playmakers, sees Harrison as the key.
"His whole attitude about football, I think he works harder than anybody else in this locker room," Farrior said. "He has a great work ethic. He's very tuned in to what he has to do to make himself better. That's all he strives for, to try to be better than anybody else, and you can see his determination when he's out there on the field.
"We've got good players on this team, and every team has good players, but he seems to be — this year and last year — making the plays that made the difference in the game."
Harrison is the fifth Steeler to win the award, including three Hall of Famers from the original Steel Curtain: Joe Greene (1974), Mel Blount (1975) and Jack Lambert (1976). In 1993, Rod Woodson was AP Defensive Player of the Year, and he is eligible for the Hall for the first time this year.
The Steelers did not allow a 100-yard rusher or 300-yard passer in 2008. Harrison didn't limit his work to that stingy unit, though: Harrison also had 12 special teams tackles.
"People said I couldn't do this or couldn't do that," he noted. "I was too short, too slow. Basically, I play and prepare myself in the offseason with the thoughts of what people said I couldn't do."
And he's proven he can do just about everything.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Steelers broadcaster, Terrible Towel creator dies
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3266796
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Former Steelers broadcaster, Terrible Towel creator Cope dies
Associated Press
PITTSBURGH -- Myron Cope, the screechy-voiced announcer whose colorful catch phrases and twirling Terrible Towel became symbols of the Pittsburgh Steelers during an unrivaled 35 seasons in the broadcast booth, has died. He was 79.
Cope died Wednesday morning at a nursing home in Mount Lebanon, a Pittsburgh suburb, Joe Gordon, a former Steelers executive and a longtime friend of Cope's, told The Associated Press.
Myron Cope's popularity extended beyond the broadcast booth, as Steelers fans embraced him and his unique play-calling.
Cope had been treated for respiratory problems and heart failure in recent months, Gordon said.
Cope's tenure from 1970 to 2004 as the color analyst on the Steelers' radio network is the longest in NFL history for a broadcaster with a single team. Cope was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2005.
"His memorable voice and unique broadcasting style became synonymous with Steelers football," Steelers president Art Rooney II said Wednesday. "They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery and no Pittsburgh broadcaster was impersonated more than Myron."
Beyond Pittsburgh's three rivers, Cope is best known for the yellow cloth twirled by fans as a good-luck charm at Steelers games since the mid-1970s. The towel is arguably the best-known fan symbol of any major pro sports team, has raised millions of dollars for charity and is displayed at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
"His creation of The Terrible Towel has developed into a worldwide symbol that is synonymous with Steelers football," Steelers chairman Dan Rooney said Wednesday.
Even after retiring, Cope -- a sports talk-show host for 23 years -- continued to appear in numerous radio, TV and print ads, emblematic of his local popularity that sometimes surpassed that of the stars he covered.
Beyond Pittsburgh's three rivers, Cope is best known for pioneering the Terrible Towel, the yellow cloth twirled by fans as a good-luck charm at Steelers games since the mid-1970s. The towel is arguably the best-known fan symbol of any major pro sports team, has raised millions of dollars for charity and is displayed at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
"You were really part of it," Steelers owner Dan Rooney told Cope in 2005. "You were part of the team. The Terrible Towel many times got us over the goal line."
An announcer by accident, Cope spent the first half of his professional career as one of the nation's most widely read freelance sports writers, writing for Sports Illustrated and the Saturday Evening Post on subjects that included Muhammad Ali, Howard Cosell and Roberto Clemente. He was hired by the Steelers at age 40, several years after he began doing TV sports commentary on the whim of a station manager, mostly to help increase attention and attendance as the Steelers moved into Three Rivers Stadium.
Neither the Steelers nor Cope had any idea how much impact he would have on a five-time Super Bowl champion franchise that, within two years of his hiring, would begin a string of home sellouts that continues to this day.
Cope became so popular that the Steelers didn't try to replace his unique perspective and top-of-the-lungs histrionics when he retired, instead downsizing from a three-man announcing team to a two-man booth.
"He doesn't play, he doesn't put on a pair of pads, but he's revered probably as much or more in Pittsburgh than Franco [Harris], all the guys," running back Jerome Bettis said. "Everybody probably remembers Myron more than the greatest players, and that's an incredible compliment."
Cope and a rookie quarterback named Terry Bradshaw made their Steelers debuts on Sept. 20, 1970.
Just as Pirates fans once did with longtime broadcaster Bob Prince, Steelers fans began tuning in to hear what wacky stunt or colorful phrase Cope would come up with next. With a voice beyond imitation -- a falsetto so shrill it could pierce even the din of a touchdown celebration -- Cope was a man of many words, some not in any dictionary.
To Cope, an exceptional play rated a "Yoi!" A coach's doublespeak was "garganzola." The despised rival to the north was always the Cleve Brownies, never the Cleveland Browns.
He gave four-time Super Bowl champion coach Chuck Noll the only nickname that ever stuck, the Emperor Chaz. For years, he laughed off the downriver and often downtrodden Cincinnati Bengals as the Bungles, though never with a malice or nastiness that would create longstanding anger.
Many visiting players could only laugh when confronted by a 5-4 man they often dwarfed by more than a foot.
During the years, it seemed every Steelers player or employee could tell an offbeat or humorous story about Cope.
He once jammed tight end Dave Smith, fully dressed in uniform and pads, into a cab for a hectic ride to the airport after Smith missed the team bus for an interview. He talked a then-retired Frank Sinatra into attending a 1972 practice in San Diego to make him an honorary general in Franco Harris' Italian Army fan club. He took a wintertime river swim in 1977 to celebrate an unexpected win, and was sick for days.
Cope's biggest regret was not being on the air during perhaps the most famous play in NFL history -- Franco Harris' famed "Immaculate Reception" against Oakland in 1972, during the first postseason win in Steelers history.
Cope was on the field to grab guests for his postgame show when Harris, on what seemingly was the last play of the Steelers' season, grabbed the soaring rebound of a tipped Bradshaw pass after it deflected off either the Raiders' Jack Tatum or the Steelers' Frenchy Fuqua and scored a game-winning 60-yard touchdown. As a result, play-by-play man Jack Fleming's voice is the only one heard on what has been countless replays over the years.
"He ran straight to me in the corner, and I'm yelling, 'C'mon Franco, c'mon on!' " said Cope, who, acting on a fan's advice, tagged the play "The Immaculate Reception" during a TV appearance that night.
Remarkably, Cope worked with only two play-by-play announcers, Fleming and Bill Hillgrove, and two head coaches, Noll and Bill Cowher, during his 35 seasons.
Cope began having health problems shortly before his retirement, and they continued after he left the booth. They included several bouts of pneumonia and bronchitis -- he smoked throughout his career -- a concussion and a leg problem that took months to properly diagnose. He also said he had a cancerous growth removed from his throat.
"Wherever I go, people sincerely ask me how my health is and almost always, they say, 'Myron, you've given me so much joy over the years,' " said Cope, who also found the time to write five sports books, none specifically about the Steelers. "People also tell me it's the end of an era, that there will never be an announcer who lasts this long again with a team."
Among those longtime listeners was Cowher.
"My dad would listen to his talk show and I would think, 'Why would you listen to that?' " Cowher said. "Then I found myself listening to that. I [did] my show with him, and he makes ME feel young."
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Former Steelers broadcaster, Terrible Towel creator Cope dies
Associated Press
PITTSBURGH -- Myron Cope, the screechy-voiced announcer whose colorful catch phrases and twirling Terrible Towel became symbols of the Pittsburgh Steelers during an unrivaled 35 seasons in the broadcast booth, has died. He was 79.
Cope died Wednesday morning at a nursing home in Mount Lebanon, a Pittsburgh suburb, Joe Gordon, a former Steelers executive and a longtime friend of Cope's, told The Associated Press.
Myron Cope's popularity extended beyond the broadcast booth, as Steelers fans embraced him and his unique play-calling.
Cope had been treated for respiratory problems and heart failure in recent months, Gordon said.
Cope's tenure from 1970 to 2004 as the color analyst on the Steelers' radio network is the longest in NFL history for a broadcaster with a single team. Cope was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2005.
"His memorable voice and unique broadcasting style became synonymous with Steelers football," Steelers president Art Rooney II said Wednesday. "They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery and no Pittsburgh broadcaster was impersonated more than Myron."
Beyond Pittsburgh's three rivers, Cope is best known for the yellow cloth twirled by fans as a good-luck charm at Steelers games since the mid-1970s. The towel is arguably the best-known fan symbol of any major pro sports team, has raised millions of dollars for charity and is displayed at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
"His creation of The Terrible Towel has developed into a worldwide symbol that is synonymous with Steelers football," Steelers chairman Dan Rooney said Wednesday.
Even after retiring, Cope -- a sports talk-show host for 23 years -- continued to appear in numerous radio, TV and print ads, emblematic of his local popularity that sometimes surpassed that of the stars he covered.
Beyond Pittsburgh's three rivers, Cope is best known for pioneering the Terrible Towel, the yellow cloth twirled by fans as a good-luck charm at Steelers games since the mid-1970s. The towel is arguably the best-known fan symbol of any major pro sports team, has raised millions of dollars for charity and is displayed at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
"You were really part of it," Steelers owner Dan Rooney told Cope in 2005. "You were part of the team. The Terrible Towel many times got us over the goal line."
An announcer by accident, Cope spent the first half of his professional career as one of the nation's most widely read freelance sports writers, writing for Sports Illustrated and the Saturday Evening Post on subjects that included Muhammad Ali, Howard Cosell and Roberto Clemente. He was hired by the Steelers at age 40, several years after he began doing TV sports commentary on the whim of a station manager, mostly to help increase attention and attendance as the Steelers moved into Three Rivers Stadium.
Neither the Steelers nor Cope had any idea how much impact he would have on a five-time Super Bowl champion franchise that, within two years of his hiring, would begin a string of home sellouts that continues to this day.
Cope became so popular that the Steelers didn't try to replace his unique perspective and top-of-the-lungs histrionics when he retired, instead downsizing from a three-man announcing team to a two-man booth.
"He doesn't play, he doesn't put on a pair of pads, but he's revered probably as much or more in Pittsburgh than Franco [Harris], all the guys," running back Jerome Bettis said. "Everybody probably remembers Myron more than the greatest players, and that's an incredible compliment."
Cope and a rookie quarterback named Terry Bradshaw made their Steelers debuts on Sept. 20, 1970.
Just as Pirates fans once did with longtime broadcaster Bob Prince, Steelers fans began tuning in to hear what wacky stunt or colorful phrase Cope would come up with next. With a voice beyond imitation -- a falsetto so shrill it could pierce even the din of a touchdown celebration -- Cope was a man of many words, some not in any dictionary.
To Cope, an exceptional play rated a "Yoi!" A coach's doublespeak was "garganzola." The despised rival to the north was always the Cleve Brownies, never the Cleveland Browns.
He gave four-time Super Bowl champion coach Chuck Noll the only nickname that ever stuck, the Emperor Chaz. For years, he laughed off the downriver and often downtrodden Cincinnati Bengals as the Bungles, though never with a malice or nastiness that would create longstanding anger.
Many visiting players could only laugh when confronted by a 5-4 man they often dwarfed by more than a foot.
During the years, it seemed every Steelers player or employee could tell an offbeat or humorous story about Cope.
He once jammed tight end Dave Smith, fully dressed in uniform and pads, into a cab for a hectic ride to the airport after Smith missed the team bus for an interview. He talked a then-retired Frank Sinatra into attending a 1972 practice in San Diego to make him an honorary general in Franco Harris' Italian Army fan club. He took a wintertime river swim in 1977 to celebrate an unexpected win, and was sick for days.
Cope's biggest regret was not being on the air during perhaps the most famous play in NFL history -- Franco Harris' famed "Immaculate Reception" against Oakland in 1972, during the first postseason win in Steelers history.
Cope was on the field to grab guests for his postgame show when Harris, on what seemingly was the last play of the Steelers' season, grabbed the soaring rebound of a tipped Bradshaw pass after it deflected off either the Raiders' Jack Tatum or the Steelers' Frenchy Fuqua and scored a game-winning 60-yard touchdown. As a result, play-by-play man Jack Fleming's voice is the only one heard on what has been countless replays over the years.
"He ran straight to me in the corner, and I'm yelling, 'C'mon Franco, c'mon on!' " said Cope, who, acting on a fan's advice, tagged the play "The Immaculate Reception" during a TV appearance that night.
Remarkably, Cope worked with only two play-by-play announcers, Fleming and Bill Hillgrove, and two head coaches, Noll and Bill Cowher, during his 35 seasons.
Cope began having health problems shortly before his retirement, and they continued after he left the booth. They included several bouts of pneumonia and bronchitis -- he smoked throughout his career -- a concussion and a leg problem that took months to properly diagnose. He also said he had a cancerous growth removed from his throat.
"Wherever I go, people sincerely ask me how my health is and almost always, they say, 'Myron, you've given me so much joy over the years,' " said Cope, who also found the time to write five sports books, none specifically about the Steelers. "People also tell me it's the end of an era, that there will never be an announcer who lasts this long again with a team."
Among those longtime listeners was Cowher.
"My dad would listen to his talk show and I would think, 'Why would you listen to that?' " Cowher said. "Then I found myself listening to that. I [did] my show with him, and he makes ME feel young."
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