Tree of Life

07 Sep

Peyton Manning Picked Wrong Team to Test Neck Against by David Daniels

published in category: Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday, September 7th, 2012 – 9:59 am

Whoever makes the NFL schedule hates the Denver Broncos.
Peyton Manning will make his Mile High debut on Sunday. And flying to town is a team that's already familiar with the field-for a reason, though, that a bitter taste in its mouth likely still remains.
The Pittsburgh Steelers were eliminated by the Broncos in the AFC Wild Card round this past January. While Tim Tebow isn't taking snaps anymore, that doesn't change the vengeful circumstances. After last year's shocking collapse, Troy Polomalu and company will have revenge on the brain Sunday night.
In the line of fire is Manning's brittle neck.
The former Indianapolis Colt has had four surgeries on it-four. Let's just say if Dick Lebeau shared Gregg Williams' defensive philosophy, Manning's mother should pull a Jeff Van Gundy-to-Alonzo Mourning and hold on to her son's leg for dear life.
Sure, there's injury risk for every NFL player in every NFL game. They know this, they roll the dice.
For Manning, the risk of not just any injury, but a major one is amplified because of his medical history. He knows this and is rolling the dice as well, but a Blitzburgh invasion of Denver is the last thing his surgeon(s) wanted to see in Manning's first meaningful action back.
If the Steelers don't boast the best pass rush in the league, they're definitely up there. Over the past four years, all-world outside linebackers James Harrison, who's listed as questionable to suit up, and LaMarr Woodley have combined for an average of 22.4 sacks per season (that number would be even higher if they didn't miss 11 games between them in 2011). For comparison's sake, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers racked up 23 sacks last year as a team.
But simply bringing quarterbacks to the ground, or opposing players in general, isn't Pittsburgh's reputation.
No gain and plenty of pain is its mantra (at least that's what its style of play would lead you to believe).
In an ESPN player poll this offseason, James Harrison was voted the "most violent, dangerous" player in the NFL. He won with 67.5 percent of the vote. Ray Lewis placed second with just 10 percent.
Harrison, Woodley and Polomalu are widely known as a handful of the hardest hitters in the league. Denver fans-unintelligently-were actually hoping their newly-acquired quarterback would get hit in the preseason, just to test his neck. Well, you better believe they'll get their wish against the Steelers.
Manning is one, if not the best QB in the league at avoiding contact, but across from Lebeau's pass-rushing juggernaut, he'll get hit. He'll get hit hard. And hopefully for his sake, he isn't asking for his money back from four surgeries following the game.

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Posted in Pittsburgh Steelers

 

06 Sep

Art Modell

published in category: Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday, September 6th, 2012 – 2:03 pm

Art Modell moved the Cleveland Browns franchise to Baltimore in 1996, and the Ravens won the Super Bowl that eluded the Browns franchise for decades. Cleveland residents might still be bitter, but Modell's influence on football in the city, and throughout the league left a lasting impression in their hearts. From revenue sharing and collective bargaining, to television deals that molded the presentation of the NFL Today, Modell worked tirelessly to create a better league for all teams. In fact, he left Cleveland because his Browns needed a new stadium, and the city opposed. Art Modell died Thursday at the age of 87, and both Baltimore and Cleveland mourn his passing.
Mr. Modell purchased the Cleveland Browns franchise for four million dollars in 1961, and only three years later the team won a championship against the Baltimore Colts. Modell's Browns made plenty of money because fans in Cleveland loved the team. He partnered up with then Giant's owner Wellington Mara and discussed revenue sharing, which made smaller market teams contenders. Modell then approached ABC with the idea of Monday Night Football, which showcased two teams under the lights in prime time. Once instituted, Monday Night Football first happened in Cleveland, and the Browns defeated the New York Jets, 31-21, in front of a sellout crowd at Municipal Stadium. The game changed American forever, and the broadcast of Monday Night Football became must-see-television. In fact, in 1980, when John Lennon died, people learned of the news from Howard Cosell during the MNF broadcast. Modell was a pioneer who truly helped shape the National Football League, and its presentation to fans.
In 1995, Modell, who failed to obtain funding for a new stadium in Cleveland, decided to move the Browns franchise to Baltimore. The city never forgave the longtime owner, and to make things worse, the Baltimore Ravens won the Super Bowl in 2000, which the Browns never did. The city of Baltimore lost their franchise to Indianapolis, and badly wanted a team, thus a new stadium seemed a non-issue. Modell retired in 2004, leaving a model franchise in Baltimore, who contends for a division championship each year.
Art Modell's ideas brought a whole new audience to the game of football, and helped develop revenue sharing across the league. He helped create something great about the NFL, that every team has a chance to win the Super Bowl at any time. People may remember him for "screwing" Cleveland, but he should be remembered for innovation, and for giving Baltimore a great team.

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Posted in Pittsburgh Steelers

 

06 Sep

Are the Penguins Still Cup Favorites? by Jon Pennline

published in category: Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday, September 6th, 2012 – 8:46 am

Since the Pittsburgh Penguins raised the cup at Joe Louis Arena three seasons ago, many have speculated that their talent has made them the elite class of the Eastern Conference. Even when Sidney Crosby was still dealing with concussion issues last summer, the majority of sports writers, fans, and critics picked them to be the Stanley Cup champions at the conclusion of the 2011-2012 season.

But, for the third season in a row, the cup went to another team, with two of those playoff seasons ending abruptly; in Pittsburgh, in Game 7.

After a Game 7 loss to the Montreal Canadiens at Mellon Arena's final game, the reaction by many was a simple shrug. It was nothing more than a Stanley Cup hangover, and an ineffective defensive unit that looked halfway out the door by the end of the first period.

GM Ray Shero, elected to reload in the summer of 2010, signing Paul Martin and Zbynek Michalek on the blue line and adding Mike Rupp and Arron Asham to provide more toughness. The moves appeared to work, as the Penguins were fighting for the top spot in the NHL three months into the season while possessing a much-improved defense.

Then came the Winter Classic.

Sidney Crosby, who was leading the Penguins on their impressive string of dominance, went down with a concussion a week after the New Year. The league's best player -on pace to be the first to score 140+ points in a season since Mario Lemieux in 1995- would not return for the rest of the season.

Crosby's injury was the tip of the iceberg for the 2010-2011 Penguins. Jordan Staal missed half the season with a foot infection and broken hand, Evgeni Malkin tore his ACL and MCL in February of 2011, missing the rest of the season and the playoffs, while Chris Kunitz, Zbynek Michalek and Paul Martin all missed a significant amount of time.

With the top line featuring Jordan Staal, Alexei Kovalev and Mark Letestu, the Penguins were bounced in the first round by the Tampa Bay Lightning after blowing a 3-1 series lead. The loss in Game 7 was disheartening, but everyone knew the Penguins had virtually no chance of winning the Stanley Cup without their two best players.

Last season, the Penguins entered the season with their top two stars still banged up. Malkin returned and dominated the league after the soreness in his surgically repaired knee subsided, while Sidney Crosby took a little more time to get back on the ice. Nevertheless, the Penguins entered the playoffs with a healthy roster and high hopes of returning to the Stanley Cup Finals.

That didn't happen. Instead, the Penguins were flattened by the Philadelphia Flyers in six games with Crosby and Malkin disappearing, along with the entire defensive unit and goaltender. If there were any excuses, it was that the Penguins had lost their defensive disciplined, relying too heavily on the league's top offense to carry the load.

The loss, coupled with inconclusive contract negotiations, prompted the Penguins to make more changes in the offseason. Shero traded away Jordan Staal for Brandon Sutter and two defensive prospects, as well as Zbynek Michalek in what was essentially a salary dump. The moves freed up a ton of cap space which was originally intended for either Ryan Suter or Zach Parise. Unfortunately, both decided to go to Minnesota.

So where do the Penguins stand now? Are they still the favorites? According to Las Vegas, yes, but should they be favored? Despite losing Jordan Staal, they still possess a solid core of young elite talent and the East seems to have lost some of its luster. And yet, it is evident the New York Rangers have gotten significantly better with the addition of Rick Nash. The Philadelphia Flyers may not have improved, but they do have the Penguins' number.

If the Penguins cannot deliver a Stanley Cup this season, one has to wonder if their reputation significantly changes.

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Posted in Pittsburgh Penguins

 

05 Sep

Colonials Nightmare Showdown by Marissa Dubaich

published in category: Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday, September 5th, 2012 – 12:13 pm

This past Saturday, September 1st, the Robert Morris University football team opened their 2012 season at Fargo, North Dakota.Unfortunately, the Colonials had a tough match when the national champs defeated RMU, 52-0.

The last time that Robert Morris and North Dakota State met was in the opening round of the 2010 FCS playoffs. That was also a disappointing game for the Colonials who were defeated, 43-17. During last weekend's game the RMU football team had to compete in front of 18,769 people, which was the biggest crowd that they had to play in front of. The attendance level was a huge factor for the Bobby Mo team because they are not used to the large crowd nor the noise level in the dome.

On the other side of the issue, Robert Morris did not have their starting Quarterback, Jeff Sinclair, due to a two game suspension. Matt Layman, sophomore, had to start against the 2011 NCAA football Championship Subdivision champs. Unfortunately, he had to leave the game due to injury in the third quarter. Layman completed 10 out of 21 attempts for 66 yards. His first start was against Wagner last season but it was Layman's first huge start and his second start this past weekend against North Dakota Sate.

It was not a lovely game to watch and the scoreboard was extremely disappointing for Robert Morris fans. Not having any points on the scoreboard, missing field goals, tackles, and not even reaching the 20-yard line in possession was absolutely absurd.

When comparing the team stats, it's very hard deal with if you're a Colonial fan like myself. Robert Morris only had five 1st downs meanwhile, NDSU had 23. The Bisons' had a total of 495 yards and RMU only had a total of 88 yards.

Next week, I hope the outcome will be a lot different when Robert Morris takes on another challenge against the defending Northeast Conference champions, Albany. Overall, the Colonials have home field advantage and it is also their home opener at Joe Walton Stadium. They'll improve their game but they need to pull out a lot of magic this season if they want to have a decent year.

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Posted in Pittsburgh Penguins

 

04 Sep

Make or Break for Pirates by Jon Pennline

published in category: Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday, September 4th, 2012 – 9:41 am

After dominating the St. Louis Cardinals in two of three games last week, the Pirates were forced to relive the horrors of Miller Park as the Brewers swept them out of town. Since the Cardinals simultaneously lost three of four to the Washington Nationals, many Pittsburgh fans felt relieved feeling the Pirates dodged a bullet.

But did they? The Cardinals are still ahead of the Pirates by 1.5 games in the second Wild Card spot. The Pirates -playing a sub .500 team- had a golden opportunity to take the second Wild Card spot over the weekend. Instead of viewing this weekend as dodging a bullet, it should be seen as a lost opportunity. Obviously, the season isn't over, but the window to secure a playoff spot is fading and with six games remaining against the invincible Cincinnati Reds and Wild Card-leading Atlanta Braves.

Now, the Pirates have a brief home stand against the Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs. These are two teams the Pirates need to sweep in order to get back on track. After a disappointing August, the club has stumbled out of the gate in September. At the very least, the Pirates need to go 5-1 before heading to Cincinnati.

However, if the Pirates go 3-3 or worse, then it might be time to end the playoff dream and hope for a winning season, something that is no longer a guarantee given the team's recent struggles.

The good news is Andrew McCutchen and Pedro Alvarez appear to be heating up. McCutchen has hits in five straight games while Alvarez has three homers in the last five games. The offense may get a lift from some of their youth like Brock Holt, but they still lack a consistent leadoff hitter.

The breaking point will, once again, come down to pitching. AJ Burnett has rebounded as evidenced by his start on Saturday against Milwaukee, but the rest of the rotation is a huge questions mark. Jeff Karstens is injured, James McDonald has been atrocious, Wandy Rodriguez has been up and down, and Kevin Correia is…Kevin Correia. Can this rotation, now suited with a rookie, keep the Pirates above water?

It all starts with this home stand. The Pirates are chasing a Wild Card spot and a winning record, but, they need to take care of these next six games first. This week will either keep the Pirates in the hunt, or respectably drop them out of contention.

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Posted in Pittsburgh Pirates

 

31 Aug

Sideline pass with Ike Taylor

published in category: Ike Taylor, Pittsburgh Penguins, Pittsburgh Steelers, Sports Talk Radio on Friday, August 31st, 2012 – 11:05 am

Where are all my fantasy football fans out there? Do you have your lineups set? I still have to get mine set up; I've been procrastinating. I hope you were fortunate enough to get the Steelers D.

So with the final preseason game under our belts, I can already feel that familiar change in the atmosphere. It happens every season when we've finished with camp. Our focus shifts from working out the rust in the gears and becoming a solid unit to bringing "it" every day and being a terror on the field – an unrelenting and unwavering powerhouse. Its game-time, baby.

We had a really physical camp and preseason. We've really grown a great deal over the past several weeks. I like the determination and drive I'm seeing from everyone. It's not just the younger guys who have made considerable improvements; it's the veterans, too.

One thing that really pumps me up and keeps me motivated is to be surrounded by players like the veterans on this team. To walk into the facility and see guys who have been in the league for 10 years working just as hard as their very first day of training camp their rookie year, it reminds me that I am surrounded by greatness.

I will say, as a veteran, I have come to realize the importance of taking care of my body: a healthy diet, making sure to stretch, getting massages and good rest. We work just as hard as we ever did out here, and our bodies need to be nurtured. While this concept seems so simple, as a rookie in the league I was accustomed to just showing up and playing and going home at the end of the day.

If I can impose any of my knowledge gained from experience on the younger guys, I would share this: You only get one body, so take good care of it. Don't wait until something is broken to fix it. Treat your body like a temple, and it will return the favor later in life.

A few last-minute thoughts before I wrap it up for the week.

I saw somebody call me out on Twitter last week about my column. Just because I'm the king of slang doesn't mean I can't write an eloquent column (and I hope you all enjoy it). I'm going to continue to put my writing SWAG on this column, and I'll SWERVE on that Twitter comment.

I want to send a special shoutout to my family. I love and miss you.

I'd also like to send my thoughts and prayers to the victims of Hurricane Isaac. Please remember to keep them in your thoughts and send some strength their way.

Thanks again to the fans and readers of my column. I love hearing from you, so keep reading.

Until next week,

Ike

Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor is a contributor for
Trib Total Media. His column appears Fridays.
He also hosts a talk show Tuesdays from 2-3 p.m. on TribLive Radio.

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Posted in Ike Taylor, Pittsburgh Penguins, Pittsburgh Steelers, Sports Talk Radio

 

30 Aug

Time to hang 'em up boys by Chris Cappella

published in category: Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday, August 30th, 2012 – 8:57 am

There was a time when the river dancing, popcorn eating, name changing, touchdown machines known as Terrell Owens and Chad Johnson (or Ochocinco, whichever you prefer) were the two best players at their position. There was a time when all the antics, whether it was yelling at quarterbacks or doing sit-ups in their driveway, wouldn't mean anything compared to the production being put up on the field.
That time is no longer.
With the latest news of Owens being one of the first victims in Seattle's roster cut downs, and the charges being pressed against Johnson stemming from an incident with his ex-wife leading to his release from Miami, two of the most dominant receivers of our generation (and in the case of Owens, one of the greatest of all-time) should be done.
It's sad, really. In the case of Johnson, his skills are diminished. He was a one-trick pony in Cincinnati who rarely went across the middle and made a living running past defensive backs and using his athleticism to win jump balls, something he can't do anymore. Owens is in a bit of a different situation. His last year healthy was 2010 in Cincinnati (where he was teammates with Johnson) and put up big numbers in 14 games before tearing his meniscus. Owens became a free agent after that season and was not signed because no one wanted a 37 year-old receiver with knee problems. After a year away from the game, T.O. had a brief stint with the Allen Wranglers, an Indoor Football League team, which ended after he was cut eight games in.
The numbers aren't the only underlying problem with these two star-studded receivers anymore. The reports coming out of Seattle's camp are not good in terms of Owens attitude. Already with a history of making his own quarterbacks lives miserable (See: Garcia, Jeff and McNabb, Donovan) an attitude problem is the last thing an NFL General Manager wants to hear. Besides that, Seattle has two young receivers they really like in Golden Tate and Deon Butler and Owens was outplayed by former 49er Braylon Edwards.
Johnson is practically an untouchable. Beside his rapid decline in production, Johnson failed to pick up the offense in New England where he rarely made an impact. Johnson, not a young man in the eyes of NFL GM's anymore, could possibly be facing a year in prison for allegedly head butting his wife.
Johnson and Owens were two of the best receivers of our generations and I could understand some of the motivations to playing. Randy Moss is making a comeback and is looking good at Niners camp at an old age after a year off. If Randy Moss can do it, why can't they? There's also the money factor, which is of special interest to Owens who is broke.
But this just feels like the end. Owens had a severe case of butterfingers in Seattle after being cut from an IFL team and Johnson looks like a shell of himself from his prime years. If Johnson can't succeed with Tom Brady as his quarterback, who can he be successful with?
Both Owens and Johnson are big, fun personalities who can find a career in some other industry, much like Mike Tyson has, but football should not be in their future. Once upon a time T.O. and Chad Johnson were eating popcorn and scoring touchdowns, unfortunately, not every fairy tale has a happy ending.

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Posted in Pittsburgh Steelers

 

28 Aug

Who Wants to Jump Ship? by Ryan Shaffer

published in category: Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday, August 28th, 2012 – 12:00 pm

Pittsburgh's beloved baseball team failed to maintain a winning record in August. Surprised? Angry? The Pittsburgh Pirates (68-60), who sat in the National League basement for two decades, showed signs of life in 2012 for the better part of four months. Led by all-star outfielder Andrew McCutchen, and rejuvenated ace A.J. Burnett, the Bucs battled their way to the top of the National League Central division in July. Now the once-feared team cannot seem to defeat the lowliest of opponents (ie: the San Diego Padres) and dropped three games out of the final wild card spot. So, who wants to give up on this team? It seems that baseball fans wrote the Cinderella squad off already, especially here in Pittsburgh. I guess the winning drought coaxed up some not-so-fond memories in the minds of the Pirates' faithful.
We all remember a similar story from 2011, when the team started fast, then fell apart right after the 19-inning "Meals"-athon. This season just seemed different. Burnett nearly pitched a perfect game, while McCutchen hit most every pitch tossed his way. Then, the Pirates took a 19-inning game away from the defending World Series champion Cardinals in St. Louis. The follow-up performance in San Diego, however, was nauseating to say the least. A three-game sweep at the hands of the N.L. West's worst team left fans confused, and emotionally drained. No wonder so many people who once sang praises for the 2012 Pirates now renounce them as a contender.
Do not give up yet. Remember, a successful September puts a terrible August out of sight and mind. The departure of former starter Erik Bedard (7-14, 5.01 ERA) might ignite some new life into this seemingly exhausted pitching staff. With the 33-year-old southpaw gone, smart money says either RHP Kevin Correia or LHP Jeff Locke will jump into the rotation. Also, Neil Walker and Starling Marte, who spent much of August injured, should boost the diluted lineup if and when they get healthy. Both players provide sorely missed intangibles, such as speed and clutch hitting, that stand to amp up a team that only scored unearned runs as of late.
Everyone take a deep breath, and relax. Prior to the season most Pittsburgh Pirates fans dreamed of a .500 season, and now the Buccos can make that a reality with just 13 more wins. Expect less, and get more when the team makes a run for the playoffs in October. It could happen, right?

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Posted in Pittsburgh Pirates

 



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