Wednesday, November 30, 2011

You know what turns me off? Professional athletes who find it difficult to deal with their contract status

I'm not one of those people who thinks that professional athletes are overpaid--hey, if I was in their shoes, I'd try to make as much money as possible--but I do think that many have lost perspective and don't necessarily realize just how lucky they are to be doing what they're doing.

It's all relative, I suppose. Your average high-paid pro-athlete probably hasn't had to work very many 9-to-5 jobs in his life, but that doesn't mean that he hasn't had to pay the price from a physical and mental standpoint to get to where he is.

As fans, we might see an athlete's problems as pretty minor in the big picture because, to us, we'd probably trade lives with them in a heartbeat. However, that doesn't mean that their problems don't bother them as much as our problems bother us.

Stress and anxiety are pretty tough to handle whether you're earning minimum wage or seven-figures.

But when it comes to a professional athlete letting his contract status ruin his life, well, that's where I draw the line.

Last night, I was listening to sports talk radio, and a caller said that he wanted the Steelers to pick up Peyton Hillis next season to be the team's new featured running back because he didn't think that Rashard Mendenhall has the mental toughness to make it in the NFL.

I had to laugh out-loud when I heard that. In-case you don't know, Peyton Hillis is going through "hell" this season because of his contract status with the Cleveland Browns. Hillis is earning $600,000 this year, and while I don't disagree that he probably deserves more money (based on last season, anyway), you would think that earning over half a million to play football would allow you to concentrate on your craft while your agent tries to hammer out a new deal for you. However, I guess Hillis is so distraught that he's letting it interfere with his play on the field.

DeSean Jackson of the Philadelphia Eagles is another player who wants to make more money and is just so darn frustrated over his contract situation.

Jackson has been fined, deactivated and benched because life's just so difficult for him in 2011. According to what I researched online, Jackson has earned roughly a million dollars so far in his brief career. If you've already made that kind of money, why get so upset over how much you want to make in the future? You're getting paid a lot of money to play football. Enjoy life.

Of course, this is nothing new, even for our beloved Steelers. One of the first things that new Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin had to deal with when he arrived in Pittsburgh in 2007 was guard Alan Faneca's unhappiness with his contract status. Faneca was in the last year of his contract with Pittsburgh, and even though he showed up for camp, he wasn't very happy and was so distraught over matters that he asked his teammates to not name him a captain because he didn't think he could be a great leader that year.

One of the things that stuck with me from that mess was Faneca saying that he just wanted to be treated "fairly." If I remember correctly, the legendary guard was set to make $3.5 million at the time of that statement. Fairly? Seriously?

What these professional athletes need to realize (and I really believe most of them do) is that, not only have they been treated fairly since the day someone discovered their exceptional talents in high school, but their lives have been absolutely blessed.

So while I sympathize with athletes who want to earn top dollar if their talent dictates that kind of money, I have no time for any player who acts miserable over his contract status.

It's one of the few times that I notice the disconnect between the pro-athletes and the average fan.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

The Steelers just have to take care of their own business down the stretch

As fans, it's natural for us to worry about our favorite team. Take now, for instance. The Steelers are on the outside looking in with regards to their AFC North prospects due to their season-sweep at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens.

The Ravens own the only head-to-head tiebreaker that matters, and even though both teams headed into week 11 with identical 7-3 records, Baltimore only needs to hold serve the rest of the way in-order to secure an AFC North crown and a bye in the playoffs.

Steelers fans are already scoreboard watching and wincing over every Ravens victory. The Ravens won their week 11 game with a 16-6 victory over the San Fransisco 49ers Thanksgiving night, so no matter what happens tonight in Kansas City, the Steelers will still be on the outside looking in and there is nothing they can do about it right now.

Pittsburgh can finish the year at 13-3 and still only be a wild card team once the playoffs begin. That's a little tough to swallow and kind of hard to come to terms with as a fan, but hey, when your team gets swept by its main division rival, it has to pay a pretty stiff price.

The Ravens schedule down the stretch is a bit discouraging (they play Cleveland and Indianapolis the next two weeks, for example), but all the Steelers can do right now is just handle their own business and get into the postseason on the highest note possible.

Maybe I'm just whistling past the graveyard, but I'm not too concerned about the Steelers being a wild card team this year.

In past seasons, I thought it was paramount for the Steelers to get that coveted bye into the second round of the playoffs. But I don't see a dominant team in the AFC right now. This isn't like 2005, when the Colts were the class of the conference heading into the postseason, or 2007, when the Patriots were beating everyone by three-touchdowns. Nope, every potential playoff team has a flaw this season.

As it stands right now, the Steelers will more than likely be the 5th seed in the playoffs. That means they'd probably have to travel to the AFC West winner for the Wild card round. Would you really be afraid to play Tim Tebow and his two completions a game? Would you be afraid of Carson Palmer and the Raiders? Heck, the Steelers are 10.5 point favorites tonight in Kansas City. The Chargers could pose a threat, but when was the last time they even won a game?

The Texans looked very dominant in their week 4 victory over the Steelers in Houston earlier in the year, but they still only won by a touchdown, and now with Matt Schaub out for the year and Matt Leinart starting in his place at quarterback, would you feel that the Steelers had no chance of winning if they had to travel to Houston for, say, a Divisional playoff game? I know I wouldn't feel that way. I'd be feeling pretty good, Arian Foster, be damned.


And then, of course, there are the New England Patriots--a postseason thorn in the side of the Steelers if there ever was one. However, I think it's fair to say that the team exorcised a demon or two with its 25-17 victory over the Patriots on October 30th. This doesn't mean that Pittsburgh would automatically go up to New England and do the same thing in a playoff game, but after their week 8 performance at Heinz Field, I think the Steelers would have plenty of confidence if they had to travel to Foxboro in January.

And finally, there are those Ravens. I don't think I have to tell you that it doesn't really matter when or where these two teams meet, it's almost always going to be a close game. I know what happened in the regular season, but if the Steelers had to travel to Baltimore for the AFC Championship Game, would you really feel that Pittsburgh had no chance of winning? It would be anybody's ballgame. The Steelers know this, and more importantly, the Ravens know this, as well.

So, while a wild card draw certainly has its disadvantages, it's far from a losing proposition, not this year, anyway.

Yes, there's a pretty decent chance that Heinz Field will be empty come January, but that doesn't mean that the Steelers can't have a very lively postseason road trip.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Stuff I've written for Behind The Steel Curtain

I haven't had time to blog very much lately, but hey, when the holidays roll around, it's tough for a lot of folks to stay in their normal routine.

I kind of wish I could write for a living because I always have one or two ideas floating around in my head--if you're talking to me, chances are, I'm probably thinking about the next blog that I'd like to write--but it's hard sometimes with my 50 hour a week job and very limited Internet access at work. Plus, when you factor in a pretty serious relationship, and all the other day-to-day activities that I must keep up on, it's a wonder I can write as much as I do right now.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to getting back to my normal routine here starting tomorrow with my first "real" day off since the 16th. I did not consider Thanksgiving day a normal off day, nope, not with all the running around that I did on Thursday.

I digress.

In addition to the stuff I write on this blog, I have been contributing to the main page of Behind the Steel Curtain since shortly after the Super Bowl. I like to write about a lot of different sports teams and subjects, but the Steelers have always been my main sports crush, and getting to write about them on BTSC (for my money, the best Steelers fan blog on the web) has been a tremendous amount of fun.

Earlier in the summer, I was trying to keep up on posting links to my BTSC articles on this blog, but I stopped doing it for whatever reason, and now I am way behind in that regard.

Fortunately, I'm much more efficient with hyperlinks now than I was back then, and I'd like to demonstrate my new hyperlink prowess by sharing with you some more stuff that I've written for Behind the Steel Curtain:

Man, I had to go back to June to pick up where I left off. Anyway, what's your first real sports memory? Well, mine was watching the Steelers win Super Bowl XIV. Pretty cool.

Remember Neil O'Donnell? He was a pretty decent quarterback during his time here, but he was never really appreciated by Steelers fans, and he is only remembered for those two horrible interceptions in Super Bowl XXX. I think he should be remembered a little more fondly by Steelers fans.

Where were you when the Steelers won the 1995 AFC Championship game by a hair and advanced to Super Bowl XXX? I was sliding across by grandmother's kitchen floor. It was a great day.

Ever think sporting events are pre-determined by corporate big-wigs? Why do you think that? What the hell is the matter with you? Anyway, I make fun of people like you in this article.

Do you believe in fate and karma when it comes to your favorite team? Well, I am feeling a little 2005 deja vu this season, and I think the Steelers are going to win Super Bowl XLVI. I have my reasons. This might very well be my favorite thing that I've ever written in my entire life. I really enjoyed this.

I was really worked up by the "top 100 players" list that came out in the Summer because I didn't think the Steelers were represented well enough. I was so worked up, I wrote about it.

Do you get annoyed when visiting fans make themselves at home in your favorite team's venue? Well, now you know how the home fans feel during EVERY Steelers road game. Don't get me wrong, I think it's pretty damn awesome. Keep it up!

Man, I didn't realize how many posts I made--maybe it's a good thing I don't write full-time. Anyway, I'll continue this at another time.

Happy Thanksgiving weekend!

Friday, November 25, 2011

Pitt blows 10-point lead to West Virginia. Bye bye, BCS bid for third year in a row

Well, I'm not surprised. You Pitt fans out there, are you surprised? If you are, you shouldn't be.

I was feeling pretty good when the Panthers jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first half. But in the back of my mind, I just kept thinking Pitt's lead was on shaky ground. I had reason to feel that way since they've blown many leads, not only this season, but in seasons past.

This 21-20 loss to the Mountaineers doesn't even hurt. I mean, it does a little, but not so much that I'll cry about it or anything. This is Pitt football. This has been Pitt football for so long, I can't even comprehend anything else.

The Pitt alumni and fans have been longing for the days of Johnny Majors and Dan Marino, but those days are so far in the rear view mirror, they're like a tiny dot, and high octane or not, those days are probably never coming back. Not in the Big East, and probably not in the ACC, either.

Fail to Pitt? No, fail to our expectations.

the new CBA is further proof that Major League Baseball only answers to the big market teams (Yankees and Red Sox)

I haven't had a great deal of time to devote much attention to a lot of sports topics lately, but I am aware that MLB quietly came to an agreement on a new CBA earlier this week. There are some changes in the CBA that will alter the financial climate of the sport.

Finally, after all these years, there will be financial restrictions on those juggernaut teams that like to throw money around and unfairly shift the balance of power in their favor.

Yes, from now on, teams like the Yankees and Red Sox will be limited by a sala............oh wait. That will never happen.

Nope, instead, under the new agreement, small market teams like the Pirates, Rays and Royals, those money tycoons that they are, will not be allowed to pay over slot for their draft picks, not if they don't want to be severely penalized for their actions.

Starting next year, a club that spends 5% over slot on a draft will be taxed 75%. That will show those small market teams they can't just shoot their dollars around like missiles.

Teams like the Yankees and Red Sox need to be able to compete with those baseball giants.

Thank you, baseball. Thank you, Bud Selig. You guys have done us all a great service. Yes, indeed.

Can the NFL extend the season to 52 weeks? That would be great.

I think I know how Pitt can clinch the Big East BCS berth

I haven't looked up any tiebreakers for how Pitt can win the BCS bowl berth for the Big East conference, but I think I have it figured out. First off, in-order for the Panthers to even have a chance, they must defeat West Virginia and Syracuse in their final two Big East games to finish at 5-2 in the conference.

The second thing that must happen is Cincinnati and Rutgers each have to lose one of their last two conference games. Pitt lost to both teams earlier in the season and would lose out on any tiebreakers.

If that all falls into place, the Panthers would earn the coveted invite because, at 5-2, Pitt would win the tiebreaker over Louisville (5-2 in the Big East) due to Pitt's 21-14 victory over the Cardinals two weeks ago.

The help that the Panthers need right now is pretty much on-par with what the Steelers needed to happen in-order to sneak into the playoffs in '09 (it didn't happen), but wouldn't it be ironic if the Panthers backed-into a BCS bowl game after failing to earn the berth the past two years with their destiny in their own hands?

Of course, before we Pitt fans can even think about getting any help, the Panthers must go into Morgantown and defeat their bitter-rivals, West Virginia, in the annual Backyard Brawl.

Both universities are soon departing from the Big East (with the Big East suing teams and teams suing the Big East, who knows when that will actually happen), and tonight's clash could be the final one for a very long time.

However, if tonight's game is anything at all like the past few, it will be a very memorable finale.

If you're a Pitt fan (or even a WVU fan), you'll never forget the 2007 game in Morgantown. The Panthers were 28-point underdogs going into the game, and WVU needed the win in-order to wrap-up a spot in the BCS National Title game. Well, the Panthers pulled off the incredible, 13-9, upset, and Mountaineers fans are still feeling the pain.

My uncle and I actually went to the 2008 Brawl, and the Panthers came back from eight-points down and won on a Shady McCoy touchdown run in the final minute.

The game two years ago was only for bragging rights since Pitt only needed to beat the undefeated Cincinnati Bearcats the following week in-order to secure the BCS bid. The Mountaineers won, 19-16, on a last-second field goal, and Pitt went on to lose a heartbreaker to the Bearcats the following week at Heinz Field.

Last year, it was for more than bragging-rights. The Panthers had the BCS berth in their back pockets when WVU came to Heinz Field, but the 'eers embarrassed Pitt, 35-10, and the share of the Big East that the Panthers ultimately earned by going to Cincinnati and winning the following week mattered little, since it was UConn that earned a trip to the Fiesta Bowl thanks to knocking off the Panthers earlier in the season.

WVU is favored by a touchdown tonight, but to use a tired cliche, when it comes to rivalries like this, you can throw the records and the point-spreads out the window.

Pitt vs. WVU in the Backyard Brawl!

This is what college football is all about!

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Franco Harris gets fired for speaking out against the firing of Joe Paterno

For his support of Joe Paterno in the wake of Paterno's firing from Penn State following the Jerry Sandusky sexual assault scandal, Steeler legend Franco Harris has been fired as a spokesperson for the Meadows racetrack and casino. Harris also agreed to temporarily step down as chairman of the Pittsburgh Promise following an email from Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl asking him to resign from the volunteer position. Here's a portion of the email: "I had to re-read it several times to fully comprehend the callous disregard and indifference for the victims of sexual abuse at Penn State," Mr. Ravenstahl stated in the email."To so adamantly and vocally defend one man while maintaining silence for those powerless to defend themselves, shows me that you are the wrong man to represent the Pittsburgh Promise and the ideals it embodies."

I guess I can see both sides of this. About a month ago, I wrote a post saying that ESPN had a right to fire Hank Williams' Jr. following his inflammatory remarks about President Obama. I still feel that way. Hey, if you're a spokesperson for a company and you say something that might put that company in a bad light, that company has every right to terminate whatever agreement you may have with them. And with Franco Harris, the organizations he represented had every right to act the way they did. However, I just don't think it was necessary in this case. I mean, how much negativity could Franco Harris really have brought to the organizations he was representing just because he spoke out against the Paterno firing? Not much, in my opinion. And with regards to Ravenstahl's email, wow! He all but accused Harris of condoning child molestation. I mean, let's get real here. All Franco did was defend his old college coach, a man he's known for over 40 years, because he thought he got a raw deal. He didn't defend Jerry Sandusky. You may disagree with Harris' defense of Paterno (I do), but that's just his opinion. In-terms of this whole Penn State scandal, Franco Harris is pretty far on the periphery of events.

Oh well, that's just how it goes. I just hope Franco still realizes that he'll always be one of the biggest and most popular sports heroes Pittsburgh has ever seen.

Whoops, I just defended Franco Harris who defended Joe Paterno. Does this mean that I.......ahhhhh, nobody cares what I think.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Ben Roethlisberger Suffered Thumb Fracture in Bengals Game

Well, Sidney Crosby, you now have company in the "will he or won't he" department. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger fractured his thumb in Sunday's win in Cincinnati.

Apparently, it's a re-aggravation of an old injury from way back in the '05 season.

Roethlisberger has said he will be fine for the game in Kansas City in two weeks. Of course, the way the Steelers have been going with injuries this year, it wouldn't surprise me if he had to miss the game.

I guess we'll see what happens. We have two weeks to wonder, I know that much.

Watching the Steelers game with your girlfriend vs. watching it like a man, baby!

There is an episode from the show Friends where the gang is engaging in a Thanksgiving day game of touch football. I don't remember the particulars, but there was a suggestion that players switch teams, and Ross, of the couple Ross and Rachel, decided to trade his girlfriend to the other team. This happens all the time in pick-up sports, of course, but Rachel (played by the very beautiful Jennifer Aniston) took exception to this and said, "I can't believe you're trading me!" She obviously wasn't looking at it from a touch football point of view, and she took it as an affront on the relationship.

My girlfriend and I have varied schedules, and as it turns out, whenever the Steelers are playing, we're usually not together. The rare exception would be when the Steelers play a Sunday night football game like they did last week against the Baltimore Ravens.

I love my girlfriend, of course, and it's nice when we get to watch a game together, but there are sacrifices that a man must make when he's watching the game with his lady because (at least in my experience, anyway) it's totally different from watching it with anyone else.

For starters, when I watch a game with my friends or family, none of them ever want to cuddle. My girlfriend, on the other hand, ALWAYS wants to cuddle during a game. I don't get this. Who wants to snuggle during an intense Steelers game? I need my space during a game. You know how some people like to talk with their hands? Well, I like to watch a Steeler game with my entire body. I'm up, I'm down, I pace back and forth, I hide in the closet during really intense action, etc, etc. In other words, I can't sit still. Well, when you have to cuddle, there's no room for any of that. You're stuck. You can't be too demonstrative or you might elbow your lady in the head. Last week during the Ravens game, I eventually gave in and cuddled. After a few minutes, however, I had to break away. Naturally, she took this as an affront on the relationship.

When you're watching a game with your friends, you can insult them about their knowledge on sports. "You don't know what you're talking about. You're an idiot!" They generally understand. You can't do that with your girlfriend. During the Ravens game, my girlfriend asked me what a touchback was. I was really into the intense action, but I tried to explain it as best as I could. I guess I had a bit of an attitude about it, and she got offended and took it as an affront on the relationship.

When you're watching the game with someone like your brother, for example, and things are really getting tense and it's coming down to the wire, you can scream and pace and raise your voice, and your brother doesn't even notice because he's too busy acting the same way. Last week, during that gut-wrenching and unfortunate 92-yard drive, my girlfriend said something to me, and I responded in a really intense and loud manner. I was really into the action and wasn't in control of my emotions. My girlfriend, naturally, took this as an affront on the relationship and said, "I think you're getting a little too wrapped up in it, hunny!"

Are you serious?

Anyway, this past week, I got to watch the Steelers/Bengals contest all by myself. For the game, I wore shorts and a Steelers hooded sweatshirt. Strangely, I didn't have a t-shirt on underneath, and I don't know why. When the action got really intense, for whatever reason, I took the sweatshirt off and was just in my shorts (that's even less sexy than it sounds, ladies).

I rarely sat in the same place the entire game. I yelled, I swore, and I ran around my apartment like an idiot; I even drank a couple of beers, damn it! There was nobody around to take affront to anything I did.

It was glorious.

The Steelers next game is another Sunday night contest. You know what that means? That's right, Starbucks and cuddle time.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

To the Penn State fans that think the Jerry Sandusky scandal is being talked about too much, I say, nice try

As the title of this entry suggests, there are some Penn State people out there who think that the scandal that has rocked Penn State the past week has been getting a little too much attention. These fans are in the minority, no doubt (I think most Penn State fans realize the magnitude of the situation), but they've been vocal the past week, for sure. When it comes to 93.7 The Fan, I've never been the biggest, well, fan, but I have to give the local Pittsburgh station props for devoting just about round-the-clock coverage last week of the Jerry Sandusky child molestation tragedy.

Obviously, the Pittsburgh-metro area has a ton of Penn State alumni and fans, and a great deal have called that station and criticized them for biased and sensationalized reporting (The Fan is the flagship station for Pitt).

Nice try. I mean, I don't know what sort of production meetings took place last week at that radio station. For all I know, the station GM may have told the on-air personalities to really drive the Penn State situation home as a way to make the University look bad, but I doubt it. For one thing, The Fan Morning Show co-host Paul Alexander is a Penn State graduate and worked and lived in State College for years; you think he would go along with bashing Penn State just because his employers told him to do it?

Face it, this story deserves about as much coverage as it gets. As far as sports scandals go (or any scandal), it's about as big a story as there's ever been.

There are some people that say legendary coach Joe Paterno was made a scapegoat by being fired by the Penn State board of trustees for his part in the handling of the Sandusky situation when he was made aware of some potentially inappropriate behavior by Sandusky and a young boy in a shower back in 2002. Made a scapegoat? Are you kidding me? This kind of information was brought to the attention of one of the most iconic and powerful coaches in the history of college football, and all he did with it was pass it off to his superiors and never really followed up on it. Heck, Sandusky was still seen on the Penn State campus as recently as a couple of weeks ago. There are even rumors of a picture floating around of Paterno, Michael Mcqueary (the assistant coach who witnessed and reported the shower incident to Paterno) and Sandusky at some event months after this shower incident took place. If that's true, that's just off the page.

So, to you Penn State defenders who think this story is getting too much attention, please, take off your blue and white glasses and stop thinking about football for a minute.

Yes, this story should be covered for as long as it's necessary. Let's not forget, the reason this scandal got to the point where it is now is because people didn't talk, and they just looked the other way when they could have nipped it in the bud many years ago.

And with a case of this magnitude, we may have only touched the surface. Like I've been saying since I first became aware of this situation, Jerry Sandusky founded The Second Mile foundation way back in 1977, and people who prey on little boys don't wake up one day and just decide to engage in that kind of behavior. Who knows how many lives this man has ruined; who knows how many times Paterno and other people could have blown the whistle and had that monster taken off the streets.

So, with all due respect to interim head coach Tom Bradley, the people at Happy Valley shouldn't be worried about trying to heal just yet. The spotlight that has been on State College (for years, a town seemingly closed off from the rest of the world) will remain for a very long time. This story isn't going to go away any time soon, nor should it.

Oh, and just in-case you need to be reminded of the gravity of the situation, here's the 23 page grand jury report one more time.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Joe Paterno fired at Penn State, effective immediately

The board of trustees at Penn State University announced last night that long-time head football coach Joe Paterno will not finish out the season.

Paterno had announced yesterday that he would be retiring following the year, but the board decided to part-ways with Paterno immediately.

Saturday was to be Paterno's last home game for the Nittany Lions.

Defensive coordinator Tom Bradley has been named interim head coach and will be on the sidelines at Beaver Stadium on Saturday for the Penn St./Nebraska contest.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

the Grand Jury Report for the Jerry Sandusky case

It took me about 45 minutes to read this, and it was quite eye-opening. Either these victims all got together and decided to frame Sandusky, or he's guilty as sin and should spend the rest of his life in jail. And believe me, from what I know about the law, it's certainly not the former.

Very disturbing and very sad.

I still can't believe this went on for so many years.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are still in control of their playoff destiny, if only the Wild Card portion

The Pittsburgh Steelers have started out 6-2 in all five seasons under Head Coach Mike Tomlin, but in each of the past four years, the team has opened up the second half of the season with a pretty tough loss at Heinz Field.

There was that game against Indianapolis back in '08, where Dominic Rhodes beat Troy Polamalu (of all people) on a late touchdown pass out of the backfield in a 24-20 loss to Peyton Manning and the Colts.

There was that game against Cincinnati in 2009, where an early kickoff return for a touchdown by the Bengals was ultimately the difference in an ugly 18-12 loss for the Steelers.

Then, of course, there was the infamous passing seminar that Tom Brady and the Patriots offense put on last season, where the Steelers defenders seemed to be mere spectators in a 39-26 loss to New England on Sunday Night Football.

As tough as those last three week nine losses were, none of them may even approach the heartbreaking last-second defeat at the hands of Joe Flacco and the arch-rival Baltimore Ravens this past Sunday evening at Heinz Field.

With the win, the Ravens swept the season series over Pittsburgh and captured the most important division tiebreaker.

The question, now, of course, is how do the Steelers respond?

Well, it may be pretty encouraging to know that in two of past three seasons, the Steelers responded by winning six of their last seven games to finish with a 12-4 record and went on to appear in the Super Bowl.

The lone exception, obviously, was the miserable second-half that the Steelers experienced in 2009 following the loss to Cincinnati. And just like with Baltimore's win this past Sunday, the Bengals swept the season series over Pittsburgh with that 18-12 win.

But I'm not too worried about the Steelers falling into a similar funk this season. I believe the team is still on the right track.

As bitter as that loss was to the Ravens on Sunday, it was one hell of a game between two of the best teams in football, and had one or two plays gone the other way, the Steelers probably would have won.

In '09, despite their 6-2 start, something seemed to be a little off with the Super Bowl Champion Steelers. Everytime they had a team on the ropes, they seemed to let them back in the game with a costly turnover, a penalty at an inopportune moment, or a special teams mistake. Pittsburgh sports personality Stan Savran even cautioned his listeners about the team's apparent lack of focus during the first half of the year, and he proved to be a prophet, as the mistakes continued in the second half of the year and became too numerous to overcome. The Steelers lost five-straight games down-the-stretch and missed the playoffs.

Even though the Steelers started the 2011 season with a very shaky 2-2 record, they began to hit their stride in week five against Tennessee and, with the exception of the second-half against Jacksonville, have been playing at a very high-level over the last five games.

The Steelers may be sort of on the outside looking in as it pertains to the AFC North, but at 6-3, they have the second-best record in the AFC and still have a very clear shot at the postseason.

Of course, that could all change if the Steelers don't go into Cincinnati and take care of business this Sunday. Yes, I know, the Bengals are a surprising 6-2, but the Steelers are certainly the more talented and battle-tested football team, and very good teams go on the road and win games like the one coming up against the Bengals.

If the Steelers win, at 7-3, they would not only have the inside track on at least a wildcard berth, but we could all still hold-out hope for a division title. If they lose, well, not only would Pittsburgh's chances at the AFC North be all but up in smoke--no way would a 3-3 record be good enough to win the AFC North this year, and that would be the best Pittsburgh could hope for if they start out 0-3 in the division--but at 6-4, the Steelers would find themselves in an absolute dog-fight with at least a handful of other teams for the last two playoff spots in the AFC.

No, the Steelers need to win this Sunday. It might be a little too early to call it a must-win, but it's certainly their most pivotal regular season match-up since the game in Baltimore last December.

I have faith that the Steelers will win in Cincy and set themselves up for a great finish.

Will the Steelers win the division and get that coveted first round bye in the playoffs? Who knows? Of course, that would all be nice, but as much as I make fun of the Ravens for always screwing up in the regular season and having to enter the playoffs as a wildcard--and let's face it, a division title for the Baltimore Ravens would be the exception and not the rule--a wildcard playoff berth is better than no playoffs at all. The Steelers failed to make the playoffs in each of their last two seasons following a Super Bowl appearance, and I certainly don't want to see that happen again.

Besides, if recent history is any indication, how a team is playing down the stretch may be more important for their Super Bowl aspirations than their seeding at the start of the postseason.

Four of the past six Super Bowl winners had to start the playoffs in the wildcard round. And five of the last six Super Bowls had participants that needed to win three playoff games just to get there.

Steelers fans should know this better than anyone. Pittsburgh advanced to and won Super Bowl XL despite making the playoffs as the 6th seed in the AFC in 2005. And just last season, the Steelers lost Super Bowl XLV to a Green Bay Packers team that made the playoffs as the 6th seed in the NFC.

As a fan, my first wish is for my favorite team to at least make the playoffs, and even though Pittsburgh's AFC North prospects are a bit precarious at this point, their playoff goals are still very much in-sight.

And making it to the playoffs could mean another shot at the Baltimore Ravens.

Watching the Ravens celebrate their victory Sunday night on Pittsburgh's turf reminded me so much of when the Cincinnati Bengals came into Heinz Field in December of '05 and walked away with a strangle-hold on the AFC North. And you talk about precarious? Forget the division title, the Steelers chances at even getting a wildcard berth were slim and none, and none was in the Bengals' locker room joining in on the "Who Dey!" celebration.

That night, as I watched Carson Palmer celebrate like the elite quarterback that he thought he was, as I witnessed TJ Houshmandzadeh shine his shoes with the Terrible Towel, and as I pondered the long-shot that was the Steelers' playoff chances, I knew at that moment that I wanted one more crack at the Cincinnati Bengals. In-fact, I remember saying to someone that if the Steelers could play the Bengals in the playoffs and defeat them in-front of their fans, anything they achieved after that would be gravy. The Steelers did get another crack at the Bengals, and they showed them who the true kings of the AFC North really were. Oh, and that gravy was pretty tasty, too.

I pretty much feel the same way right now about the Baltimore Ravens. I want them one more time. And if Pittsburgh has to go the wildcard route to get them, it'll be fine with me.

There would be nothing that would please me more than to see the Steelers go to Baltimore and beat the Ravens in the playoffs. It could be in theWild Card round, Divisional playoffs, or AFC Championship game; it doesn't matter.

Seeing Ray Lewis and company walk off the field in disbelief after the Steelers, once again, win the only game that really matters would be almost as sweet as seeing Pittsburgh make it to another Super Bowl.....almost.

Anyway, I believe it all starts this Sunday in Cincinnati.

Go Steelers!

Joe Paterno to retire from Penn State at the end of the season

The AP is reporting that Penn State football coach Joe Paterno will retire following the 2011 season.

Paterno has come under great scrutiny for his part in the handling of the Jerry Sandusky child molestation scandal that has sent shock-waves throughout Happy Valley this week.

I don't know if Paterno's decision to retire is directly related to the Sandusky case, but in my opinion, Paterno shouldn't even be allowed to finish out the rest of the year.

Yes, I know Joe Paterno isn't a monster or a criminal, and it's hard to say what anyone would do if they were in Joe Paterno's shoes when he was made aware of the inappropriate behavior that took place between Sandusky and a young child way back in 2002, but Paterno is the face of Penn State, he's the one who put the program on the map, and ultimately, he turned a blind eye by not being more vocal about such a serious situation.

Paterno is a god in State College. If he would have been more proactive, no doubt, he could have prevented future kids from being victimized.

Paterno should be told to step down immediately, and should not be allowed to experience any sort of retirement tour.

This would send a clear cut message to people, like the Penn State students who were rallying in support of Paterno on his lawn last evening, that no matter what Paterno helped build in State College, there is nothing more important than the welfare of innocent children.

If Paterno is allowed to finish out the year, that would be an absolute disgrace.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

It just doesn't get more disturbing than the Jerry Sandusky Penn State scandal

Just when you think you've seen everything in life, something pops up like former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky being officially charged with sexual assault on young boys, and you find yourself totally at a loss for words.

The more I hear about what went down at State College over the course of about ten or fifteen years, the more disturbing it becomes.

There were at least eight incidents of Sandusky molesting young boys who were part of The Second Mile foundation that the former coach started back in 1977. The assaults allegedly occurred between 1994 and 2008.

At least three different adults apparently saw Sandusky commit various sexual assaults over the course of about six or seven years.

A PSU janitor reportedly witnessed Sandusky and a young boy engaged in a sexual act back in 2000. The janitor went to his superior, but there was no follow-up.

In 2002, Penn State assistant coach Mike Mcqueary said he witnessed Sandusky having a sexual encounter with a young boy in a shower and reported it to head coach Joe Paterno. Paterno then took the matter to Penn State AD Tim Curley, and Curely said he reported the incident to Penn State president Graham Spanier.

In 2006 or 2007, a school wrestling coach said he walked in on Sandusky and a young boy lying side by side on mats and touching one another inappropriately.

People have spent the past few days questioning why authorities weren't immediately contacted when these incidents were witnessed, and rightfully so, but my question is why didn't any of these people who said they witnessed these sexual assaults immediately step in and stop Sandusky? The janitor and Mcqueary were supposedly worried about losing their jobs if they took appropriate actions. Who cares?

The janitor and Mcqueary were both beside themselves when they witnessed what they saw, but even if you're totally stunned by something, you should be able to gather yourself and act. In fact, I believe there really shouldn't be any thought involved; it should almost be an instinct.

If I see someone trip and start to fall, I don't think, "hmmm, my back is bothering me, I have a bum shoulder, should I try to stop this person from falling?" No, I just instinctively reach out and try and grab the person to keep them safe.

The same thing should have happened in these awful occurrences.

I mean, I can't imagine witnessing any crime worse than a child getting molested.If you see something like that taking place, you throw caution to the wind and try to do something. It's up to the adults of the world to protect children whether we're directly associated with them or not.

Mcqueary, Paterno, Tim Curely, former university vice president Gary Schultz, and school president Graham Spanier are all on the hot seat for not taking the appropriate actions in reporting these assaults.

Curely and Schultz have both been charged with perjury and failure to report the abuse of children.

Paterno and Mcqueary aren't in any legal hot water, but people have been calling for both to step down, especially Paterno, who has been the Nittany Lions' head coach for the past 46 seasons.

All these people who are in hot water for not doing enough when they heard of these incidents have said they went through the proper channels by reporting it to their immediate supervisors. Well, maybe that's true, but didn't anyone think it would be a good idea to go directly to the police?

Speaking of that, according to what I've researched, there was an investigation by a university detective back in 1998, and Sandusky even admitted to some inappropriate behavior with young boys. But for whatever awful reason, no charges were filed and the case was closed.

In a Post Gazette story I read today regarding this whole mess, Pennsylvania state police commissioner Frank Noonan said it best: "I don't think I've ever been associated with a case with this type of eyewitness identification of sex acts taking place where the police weren't called."

So far, eight victims have come forward, and I just heard on the radio that a ninth victim spoke out today.

Don't be surprised if many more people start to come out of the woodwork. As I said, Sandusky founded The Second Mile foundation all the way back in 1977. Only a fool would believe that he started molesting young boys in 1994; a person just doesn't wake up one day and start to engage in that kind of behavior, Lord only knows how long this went on.

As far as I'm concerned, this is one of the worst cases of a cover up that I've ever seen. The Powers That Were at Penn State were obviously more concerned with protecting their cash cow than they were with protecting innocent children.

I don't know if the NCAA can step in and penalize the Penn State football program for this, but maybe they should seriously consider it. There is no excuse for trying to cover up these kinds of deviant acts on young children.

As for Sandusky, the DA filed 40 charges against him. I know in America, you're innocent until proven guilty, but no prosecutor is going to file that many charges against a person if they don't think they have a strong case.

Jerry Sandusky should spend the rest of his days in prison. He's the worst kind of human being.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Pitt blows ten-point lead to Cincinnati, all but out of the running for the Big East title......again!

Forget about a BCS berth, the Pitt Panthers will probably be happy if they finish at .500. After last night's disappointing loss to the Cincinnati Bearcats at Heinz Field, the Panthers are now 4-5 overall and 2-2 in the very mediocre Big East conference.

The past week, Pitt fans were going on and on about how the Panthers controlled their own destiny for a BCS berth. I thought that was pretty funny because duh! Of course the Panthers controlled their own destiny. There were still four conference games left to play; just about every team in the Big East controlled their own destiny. That's like me saying I control my own destiny in next year's Pittsburgh marathon.

Well, I don't think we have to worry about that anymore. Pitt sits in 5th place in the Big East and would obviously lose the head-to-head tiebreaker with both Rutgers and Cincinnati (who is 3-0 in the Big East, by the way). And with two of their remaining three games being on the road, the prospects for the Panthers representing the Big East in a BCS game are slim to none.

At this point, with a new head coach trying to institute a new set of philosophies, and with many key players out for the year with injury (including star running back Ray Graham), the Panthers face the very real possibility of having their first losing season since 2007.

Oh well, it could be worse. Pitt could actually go on a run and get invited to the Belk bowl.

Sandusky could face life in ­prison; Curley charged - AltoonaMirror.com - Altoona, PA | News, Sports, Jobs, Community Information - The Altoona Mirror

Sandusky could face life in ­prison; Curley charged - AltoonaMirror.com - Altoona, PA | News, Sports, Jobs, Community Information - The Altoona Mirror

Friday, November 4, 2011

Maybe Pitt coach Todd Graham should just keep things simple

Back on September 29th, in Pitt's 2011 Big East opener, Todd Graham's high octane offense never looked better, as the Panthers racked up 523 yards in a 44-17 victory over then ranked South Florida on a Thursday night at Heinz Field. After the game, Coach Graham indicated that he had scaled back his very sophisticated playbook leading up to that game.

In Pitt's next two games, the Panthers offense never looked worse in losses to Rutgers (34-10) and Utah (26-14).

In fact, that Utah game was so horrible--Pitt quarterbacks Tino Sunseri and Trey Anderson combined to throw for 50 yards--that an ESPN studio host felt compelled to apologize to viewers who had to witness such an atrocious display of "offense."

However, just last week, the high octane offense was back for the Panthers in a 35-20 win over Connecticut at Heinz Field. Tino Sunseri looked amazing, passing for 419 and two touchdowns.

Just like after the South Florida game, Graham said that he simplified the playbook and had his team practice the plays that they were comfortable with.

OK, Coach Graham, let's go over this. In two games with a simple approach, your team put up 1052 total yards and scored 79 points.

In two other games where you evidently went back to trying to implement your very high-tech offense, your team scored one offensive touchdown.

Shouldn't that tell you something?

Sometimes, less is more. If a football player is out there thinking too much, he's not going to perform at a high-level. I know you came in as a new coach and set a very high standard. I like that. As a long-time Pitt fan, I'm tired of the mediocrity. However, before you can walk, you have to crawl.

A great coach doesn't try and force-feed his philosophies on players who may not be ready or equipped to grasp them immediately. No, a great coach adapts to the kind of players he has and slowly indoctrinates them to his teachings over time.

Besides, it's football being played by 18-22 year olds, it doesn't have to be that complicated.

Keep it Simple S...................

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Bill Belichick has always been a match-up/mismatch guru

Early Monday morning, the day after the Pittsburgh Steelers had their way with his team, New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick begins his weekly session with his therapist.

Belichick: "I just don't know what happened, Doc."

Therapist: "Have a bad day, yesterday, Coach"?

Belichick: "Well, creating advantageous match-ups has always been my thing, ya know? I've always been known as the guy who can create mismatches and exploit them."

Therapist: "Mismatches, Coach"?

Belichick: "Yeah, Doc. You match a big, athletic tight end up against a smallish safety, or you match a small, fast receiver up against a slow, plodding linebacker. If the other team is expecting you to pass, you run. If the situation normally calls for a base 34 defense, you surprise them with a 43. Mismatches, ya know? Again, sorta my thing. But yesterday against Pittsburgh, nothing seemed to work. I usually have that team in my back-pocket."

Therapist: "I see. So you say you've always been good at match-ups. Here, let me do a little test. If a hat is to a head, then a glove is to a.."

Belichick: "..A hand! Come on, Doc. Give me something hard to match-up!"

Therapist: "Sorry, Coach. Just trying to establish a baseline."

Belichick: "Oh, OK. Anyway, ever hear people say you can't pound a round peg into a square hole? Well, I never had a problem figuring that kind of stuff out, even as a kid. Whenever I watched Sesame Street, I always knew which one didn't belong. Here's another example, if you mix blue and yellow, what color would you get"?

Therapist: "Hmmmmmmm, I don't know. I guess I'm drawing a blank."

Belichick: "Green! Haha. See, told you I was good at match-ups!"

Therapist: "Interesting."

Belichick: "Yeah, I know. I guess I first realized I had a talent for creating ideal match-ups way back in Junior High.

Therapist: "Junior High, Coach"?

Belichick: "Yeah, I remember I used to peep into the girls locker room after gym class..."

Therapist: "...Let me stop you there, Coach. Watching someone when they don't realize it is kind of a violation of their rights."

Belichick: "Hey, what do you want from me? I was young and curious. May I continue, Freud? Anyway, this one day, I got caught by this kid, a boyfriend of one of the girls in the locker room, and he threatened to kick my ass after school. Well, this kid was twice my size and mean as all get out. There was no way I could possibly beat him straight-up. I knew I had to do something to tip the match-up in my favor, so right before the fight, I convinced this big idiot that the only way he could beat me was if he wore boxing gloves and I wore brass knuckles. He bought it hook line and sinker! Hahahaha! I had just created my very first mismatch. Needless to say, the kid didn't have a chance. I pounded him into submission. He was no match for my match-up prowess."

Therapist: "Interesting."

Belichick: "I know. Anyway, there was another time I remember quite fondly. I had entered a hot dog eating contest, but I knew I didn't have a great chance of winning. All the other contestants were real pros, and I wasn't much of a an eater. I knew I had to create a favorable match-up, so I convinced these morons that it would be a good idea to fill up on water right before the contest. I said it would expand their stomachs. Can you believe they actually took my advice? Hahahahaha! Expand their stomachs. I kill me! Anyway, needless to say, I didn't have any water and was able to eat twice as many hot dogs as the second-place finisher. In-fact, the one guy drank so much water, he was disqualified for leaving the table to take a pee break. Hahaha!"

Therapist: "I'm beginning to see a pattern here."

Belichick: "Yeah, of my excellence. Then there was the time I met my college girlfriend. So, I'm sitting in this restaurant one day, right Doc, and I spot this beautiful woman having dinner with this dork. They were obviously on a first date, and the guy had no idea what he was doing. I really wanted to date this girl, so when she excused herself to the bathroom, I went up to the guy and started convincing him that a woman really loves it when a guy only talks about himself, and I said if he really wanted to impress her, he would make her pay for dinner. He was no match for my intellect! Needless to say, the girl stormed out on him, and I swooped in with flowers and a shoulder to cry on. The rest, as they say, was history."

Therapist: "I see."

Belichick: "Yeah, then there was that one time back in 1998 when the Rock was taking on Mankind for the WWE Heavyweight Championship. The Rock had the upper hand in the match, that is, until I came out of nowhere and smashed him in the head with a folding chair. Mankind took advantage of the mismatch I had just created and won his first World title."

Therapist: "Excuse me, Coach, but I think that was Stone Cold Steve Austin."

Belichick: "Oh, right."

Therapist: "This is all quite alarming, Coach. You have engaged in some very unsavory and underhanded behavior."

Belichick: "Hey, give me a break, Doc. That was back when I was young and immature. Now, I only use my match-up powers for good. Like for example, there was this one time a lady friend was getting ready for a job interview, and she had no idea what to wear. She was simply frantic. I said, 'look, you have brown eyes. You need to wear earth-tones. Here, wear this grey pants suit I picked out. You'll knock'em dead.' Needless to say, she nailed the interview and got the job."

Therapist: "Go on."

Belichick: "Well, there was the time when my daughter was suffering from insomnia. She couldn't sleep for days. She said, 'Dad, I have some very important exams in the morning, but I can't get to sleep.' I said, 'you silly banana. Your bedroom is littered with Starbucks cups. Don't you know that caffeine is a bad match for insomnia? Here, drink this warm milk I made for you. It will do the trick, Pumpkin.' Needless to say, she went right to sleep and aced her exams the next day."

Therapist: "Encouraging."

Belichick: "Yes, then there was that time my neighbor was so down on his luck with the ladies. He just couldn't meet the right girl no matter how hard he tried. He said, 'Bill, I got no where with that last girl I dated. I can't figure out what went wrong. I guess I'm just meant to be alone.' I said, 'well, it's no wonder you struck out with that girl. She was an Aquarius. You're a Taurus. You need to be dating Virgos or Cancers.' He said, 'hey, this girl I met at a party last week has a birthday in early September!' I said, 'she's a Virgo. You can't lose! Go get'em, Taurus.' Needless to say, they've been living happily ever after."

Therapist: "That was sweet."

Belichick: "I know. Anyway, just last year, my boss, Bob Kraft, was hosting a very important dinner party, but nobody seemed to be having a good time. I said to him, 'Kraftmeister, you're serving American cheese with corned beef. Swiss cheese goes much better with corned beef. Trust me, sir.' Well, needless to say, once the Swiss cheese was served, the party started rockin'."

Therapist: "Very good stuff, Coach."

Belichick: "Yeah, but like I said, I don't know what happened yesterday with the Steelers. My match-up powers are usually off the charts when I play them, but it seemed like everytime I thought they were going to zig, they zagged. When the situation called for a zag, they zigged us to death. Do you think I'm losing my touch"?

Therapist: "Coach, I don't know much about football, but from what I've read, the success you've had over the past decade hasn't been about your ability to find the ideal match-ups, it's been about your quarterback. What's his name, Bieber or something? Anyway, maybe he just had a bad day yesterday. Maybe Pittsburgh is just a really good team."

Belichick: "Nonsense! I'm a match-up guru! Everyone knows it! Pittsburgh better hope we don't meet them in the playoffs! I just hired a new videographer."

Therapist: "Excuse me, Coach"?

Belichick: "Oh, nothing. Hey, Doc, aren't we about done here? I have some film I have to study."

Therapist: "Yes, we'll pick up where we left off next time. Have a good week, Coach."

Belichick: "See you next time, Doc.....Hahahaha! $500,000 fine. Totally worth it."

Therapist: "Excuse me, Coach? What's that about $500,000"?

Belichick: "Oh, that was nothing, Doc. I mumble."

Dick Lebeau's defensive approach vs. the Patriots, and my bowling style. What a difference a year makes

I've been bowling on a fairly regular basis for about three years now, but it wasn't until about a year ago at this time that I started to really get into the sport. In addition to my league bowling, I also started practicing more and seeked out credible advice from people who knew what they were talking about. I even went online to find some answers, and that's how I finally discovered that there are actual fundamentals involved with things like where you stand for various spare pick-ups.

I was excited about my newly acquired knowledge and tried to utilize it in my league games. Just from knowing where to stand for spares, I started to put up better scores, and my low average started to climb, even if just a little.

On November 14th, my league had its Fall playoff tournament, and I was really excited and confident about putting on a good performance in the postseason. I had been putting up some decent scores (at least for me) and just knew I would do the same in the playoffs.

Well, unfortunately, I crapped out in my game and only put up a 115. I felt good and confident, but the bowling ball just wouldn't do what I wanted it to do. My teammates put up much better scores than I did, but they weren't good enough to carry my low number, and we didn't advance to the second round.

November 14th, 2010 was also the date of the infamous Steelers/Patriots match-up on a Sunday Night at Heinz Field. It was on that night that Tom Brady shredded the Steelers defense and made Dick Lebeau's legendary zone blitz scheme look totally ineffective.

Dick Lebeau is a Hall of Famer, he had a great career as a defensive back and has had an even better career as a defensive coordinator.

His Steelers' defenses almost always rank pretty high in every statistical category, and if a quarterback has a weakness, Lebeau will find a way to exploit it.

Unfortunately, when it comes to Tom Brady and other elite quarterbacks in the NFL, they don't have very many weaknesses and normally give defenses fits, even Lebeau's great Steelers' defenses.

There is no shame in that. Sometimes in sports, a great talent will have the number of another great talent.

Dick Lebeau has been the defensive coordinator on four different Super Bowl teams in his career. Obviously, he doesn't have to drastically change his approach just because there are a few people out there who match-up well with what he likes to do.

However, great football minds like Dick Lebeau are always trying to tweak what they do, that's part of what makes them great. Heading into this past Sunday's showdown with the Patriots, there was rightfully great concern that Lebeau's traditional defensive approach of having his corners play off the receivers just wouldn't get it done against Tom Brady because taking the underneath stuff is Brady's greatest strength.

Well, Tom Brady might be one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time and will certainly be in the Hall of Fame whenever his time comes, but Dick Lebeau is already there, and he showed the football world why on Sunday by having his corners play up on the receivers and totally disrupting their routes. Brady was thrown off his game and only produced a very pedestrian 198 yards, and the Steelers won, 25-17.

There is no shame in that, Tom Brady. Sometimes in sports, a great talent will have the number of another great talent.

I found it fitting that I had the greatest bowling match of my life right as the Steelers were finishing up their dominance over New England Sunday evening.

Between November 14th last year and October 30th this year, I drastically changed my bowling technique.

I used to have this funky approach where I looked like a martial artist about to do battle. And my delivery? Think curling.

It was certainly unique and a little bizarre, but I somehow made the most of it. However, the problem was I wasn't improving as much as I wanted to improve.

My delivery was too slow, and not fundamentally sound. I was at the mercy of various lane conditions. Knowing where to stand for your spares isn't going to do you any good if your delivery is too funky.

Earlier this year, I decided I had had enough of the sub 100 games and decided to stop bowling like Bruce Lee. Almost immediately, my scores started to improve, and my average increased.

I then stopped being so stubborn about using heavier bowling balls. My uncle once told me, "you need to use at least a 14 pound ball." When I asked him why, he said, "because you're a freakin man, for one thing!"

About halfway through this season, I started using a 15 pound ball, and that, along with my more traditional approach and delivery, made a world of difference.

This past Sunday evening, I bowled a 548 series. That's certainly not professional level bowling, but I've heard many great bowlers discuss their many 600 matches. Therefore, I must be headed in the right direction.

Now don't misunderstand, in bowling circles, I'm certainly no Dick Lebeau. I'd say I'm more like William Gay (before this season) or Jeff Reed (after the 2009 parking lot "incident") or Charlie Whitehurst (always). I'm not elite, and I doubt I will ever make the bowling Hall of Fame.

But it takes a lot to change your ways. If a Hall of Fame defensive coordinator can do it, so can I.