Nobody wanted the Steelers to play the Ravens next week in the divisional match up. Most wanted the Chiefs. Even the Colts would have been acceptable, but not the Ravens. They're just so big and bad and they are road warriors! Would the football gods smile down upon the Steelers and smite the Ravens? No. I mean, did you expect anything less? Of course, they're playing the Ravens in the divisional playoff game next Saturday afternoon at Heinz Field.
It's going to be a fierce battle. It's going to be a bloodbath. Some people are a little scared of the Ravens, but I'm not. I've seen this act before.
The Baltimore Ravens have been putting on this same show since they won the Super Bowl in 2000.
In 2000, they made the playoffs as a wildcard entrant. They were a 4th seed and they defeated the Denver Broncos at home in the first round before going on the road to upset the Tennessee Titans and Oakland Raiders and advance to Super Bowl XXXV. They then destroyed the New York Giants and completed one of the greatest Super Bowl runs in NFL history.
It really was quite impressive. Ray Lewis and the rest of the Baltimore defense were never more dominant.
They somehow managed to get Trent Dilfer a Super Bowl ring. Now that's what I call a dominant defense.
But ever since that year, the Ravens have been trying to take the same route to the Super Bowl and have come up short each time.
You know why? Because byes are important!
Someone needs to tell these big, bad Ravens that the best road to the "The Show" is by only playing two games, both, preferably, at home.
Did you know that the Baltimore Ravens have only earned a bye in the playoffs once in their entire history? That was back in 2006 when they finished 13-3 and were the 2nd seed in the AFC. They were one and done that season, losing to the Indianapolis Colts, 15-6.
The Ravens have only won two division championships since moving to Baltimore in 1996 and their last title was way back in 2006 (Cincinnati has won two division titles since 2005 to give you some perspective.) And they've only hosted three playoff games: 2000, 2003, and 2006.
So the Baltimore Ravens might be big and bad, but they need to learn a little about winning key regular season games in-order to give themselves the best chance to make it to the Super Bowl.
I wasn't surprised by Baltimore's masterful, 30-7, win over the Chiefs at Arrowhead stadium yesterday.
It was Ravens 101.
Open up on the road against an upstart team that doesn't have much playoff experience and make them look silly.
They did the same thing two years ago when they went into Miami and had a field day with Chad Pennington and the rest of a Dolphins team that was 1-15 just a year prior.
It was almost a carbon copy of what they did in the 2001 playoffs when they played Miami on the road in the first round and made their quarterback, Jay Fiedler, look like Jay Fiedler.
It's always the same thing with them. Even last year when they went up to Foxboro and blew out Tom Brady and the Patriots in the first round of the playoffs. That might seem impressive at first glance, but the Patriots were without Wes Welker in that game and Tom Brady was only in his first season back after missing the entire 2008 campaign with a knee injury.
And every time the Ravens open up with that impressive road win in the playoffs, the experts gush over how great Baltimore looks and that they have the kind of team built to go to the Super Bowl.
But these "road warriors" have only advanced to the AFC championship game once since 2000.
Why? Because the 2nd round of the playoffs usually isn't inhabited by the likes of Jay Fiedler, Chad Pennington, and Matt Cassel. The 2nd round is usually the residence of guys like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Big Ben Roethlisberger.
I will give Baltimore credit this season. They certainly do look like a team capable of doing damage with some weapons on offense. And they did finish the regular season with the same 12-4 record as the Steelers.
But again, they couldn't win a key game down the stretch that would have given them a bye week and a home game in the 2nd round. Troy Polamalu made sure of that with one swift chop.
So, Ravens, you're in comfortable surroundings: On the road in the playoffs. And everyone will spend the week singing your praises because you're just so damn tough.
But are you really that tough? Are you Chuck Norris tough? Or are you the guy that beats up some little geeks at the beginning of a Chuck Norris movie only to get taken out pretty easily by Chuck before the opening credits are even done?
Using your recent playoff history as a barometer, I'd say you're the latter.
I'm predicting a pretty easy win this week for the Steelers because the stars always beat the uncredited "bad guys" in the movies.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Saturday, January 8, 2011
I guess the Saints were the team that didn't deserve to make the playoffs
I've seen a lot of things in my years as a sports spectator, but just when you think you've seen everything, not only do you see an actual NFL team make the playoffs with a losing record, but you witness that same team knock off the defending Super Bowl champions in the first round.
The Seattle Seahawks just upset the New Orleans Saints, 41-36, in the opening game of Wildcard Weekend and I still can't believe it.
Of the eight teams playing this weekend, if I had to pick the one with the most favorable draw, it would have been the Saints.
Sure, they had to go on the road to play Seattle, but the Seahawks were just awful this year. That's what having a 7-9 record usually means. If not awful, then certainly below average.
At 11-5, New Orleans was still a pretty strong favorite to get back to the Super Bowl in spite of being a wildcard entrant and now this happened?
You really have to feel sorry for the Saints and their fans. It took about twenty seasons for the Saints to record their first ever winning season. And it wasn't until 2000 that they finally won their first postseason game. Then there was the Katrina tragedy where the franchise was uprooted and had to play their home games on the road. And there were even rumors they would move to San Antonio. But then they rebounded to become one of the best teams in the NFL and they topped it off by winning the Super Bowl last season.
What do they do for an encore?
They lose to the only team to ever make the playoffs with a losing record.
Now THAT'S what you call a Super Bowl hangover.
What does Chris Berman always say? "That's why they play the games."
The Seattle Seahawks just upset the New Orleans Saints, 41-36, in the opening game of Wildcard Weekend and I still can't believe it.
Of the eight teams playing this weekend, if I had to pick the one with the most favorable draw, it would have been the Saints.
Sure, they had to go on the road to play Seattle, but the Seahawks were just awful this year. That's what having a 7-9 record usually means. If not awful, then certainly below average.
At 11-5, New Orleans was still a pretty strong favorite to get back to the Super Bowl in spite of being a wildcard entrant and now this happened?
You really have to feel sorry for the Saints and their fans. It took about twenty seasons for the Saints to record their first ever winning season. And it wasn't until 2000 that they finally won their first postseason game. Then there was the Katrina tragedy where the franchise was uprooted and had to play their home games on the road. And there were even rumors they would move to San Antonio. But then they rebounded to become one of the best teams in the NFL and they topped it off by winning the Super Bowl last season.
What do they do for an encore?
They lose to the only team to ever make the playoffs with a losing record.
Now THAT'S what you call a Super Bowl hangover.
What does Chris Berman always say? "That's why they play the games."
Friday, January 7, 2011
When it comes to who you want the Steelers to face in the postseason, I've learned that you should be careful what you wish for
The Wildcard Weekend is about to begin in the NFL playoffs and everyone around here is wondering who the Steelers will face next Saturday at Heinz Field in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs.
If the Colts defeat the Jets tomorrow night, Peyton Manning and his crew will be coming to town. If the overrated Jets with their loud-mouthed coach go into Indy and mildly upset the Colts, then the winner of the Chiefs/Ravens Sunday afternoon wildcard game will be taking on the Steelers.
I have my preferences. I'd like to see the Jets defeat the Colts and the Chiefs take out the Ravens because I think that would be Pittsburgh's best shot at getting to the AFC title game in two weeks. This isn't to say that the Steelers couldn't defeat the Colts or Ravens, I just like the path of least resistance when it comes to the playoffs. I know some people are adrenaline junkies who always want the epic match ups, but there aren't extra points awarded for who your team defeats along the way to a championship.
Yes, maybe 20 years from now, NFL Films will do a "Greatest Teams of the First Three Decades of the New Millennium" list and the fact that Pittsburgh never had to go through the Patriots along the way to their 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th (one can hope) Super Bowl titles might sway some opinions that the Patriots had the stronger legacy.
But I'm not worried about legacies twenty years from now. I'm worried about Super Bowl titles right now, damn it! And in my opinion, the Chiefs coming to Heinz Field next week at 4:30 would be the most beneficial thing for Steeler Nation.........................Or would it?
I can think of a few occasions when I sat and rooted for one team to win a playoff game because that's who I wanted the Steelers to play the following week. And the following week I was totally blindsided by Pittsburgh's opponent.
The first one that comes to mind was a divisional playoff game between the Chargers and Dolphins in the 1994 AFC playoffs. This game was played the day after the Steelers defeated the Cleveland Browns, 29-9, to advance to the AFC Championship game for the first time in 10 seasons.
The Steelers were the number 1 seed that year so no matter who won the game between San Diego and Miami, they would have to come to Three Rivers Stadium for the right to go to the Super Bowl.
The Chargers defeated the Dolphins in an exciting game and my uncle and I, and just about everyone else I could think of, were ecstatic. You see, the Dolphins had Marino, you know, the PITT legend that the Steelers passed on in the '83 draft, and he was still searching for that elusive championship ring. Everyone feared that he would come to Three Rivers Stadium and pass all over Blitzburgh and go on to finally win his trophy.
San Diego wasn't given a chance by hardly anyone in this game. They were the number two seed in the AFC, but they clinched their seed in the last regular season game against the Steelers, ironically enough, who had already wrapped up homefield advantage and had nothing to play for. Cowher rested most of his starters and the Steelers still took San Diego down to the wire on the road in a game the Chargers absolutely had to win. How could they possibly come into Three Rivers stadium and upset the Steelers with their full starting roster?
The city of San Diego wasn't even optimistic. And we all know about that Super Bowl Rap video that the Steelers did the week leading up to the game.
It was going to be a glorious day for the Steelers. Well, we were all taught a very valuable lesson that day.
San Diego went on to face the 49ers in the Super Bowl and the Steelers had to wait another year.
Another one that comes to mind was in the 1997 playoffs. The Steelers were the number 2 seed and outlasted the Patriots, 7-6, in a divisional playoff game and if the Broncos could go into Arrowhead stadium and defeat the Chiefs, who had homefield advantage, the Steelers would host the AFC title game for the 3rd time in 4 seasons. The Broncos, a wildcard team that year, did indeed knock off the Chiefs and the Steelers were sitting pretty. At least I thought so.
The Broncos could never get over the championship hump. Elway was 37 years old and he had already been to the Super bowl three other times and failed miserably. The Steelers were going to their 2nd Super Bowl in 3 seasons, right? Wrong! The Broncos came into Three Rivers and gave Pittsburgh another heartbreaking AFC championship home loss and went onto win their first Super Bowl.
And that brings me to the 2001 AFC Playoffs. The "tuck rule" divisional playoff game between the Patriots and Raiders. My other uncle and I were rooting hard for the Patriots in that game. I know that's hard for anyone to imagine now, but this was before Belichick was a genius. At that point, he was the mediocre coach who was sent packing from Cleveland. Tom Brady was just the surprising 6th round draft pick who had replaced an injured Drew Bledsoe earlier in the year. Nobody knew he would someday become the "model-marrying, best damn-quarterback in the universe!" The Steelers had homefield advantage and hadn't even played their divisional playoff game against the Ravens yet. That would be Sunday, but my uncle and I were both pretty happy and relieved that Saturday evening when the Patriots came back to knock off the Raiders in overtime thanks to that controversial call that overturned a fumble. We didn't want any parts of Oakland. I mean, these were the Raiders! All the history. All those tough AFC championship games in the 70's. Well, now that they were out of the way, the Steelers could concentrate on taking care of their bitter division rivals.
They did, outclassing the defending Super Bowl champions, 27-10.
Now it was onto the AFC Championship game against those upstart New England Patriots. Pittsburgh was a double-digit favorite for this game, and just like with the Chargers, nobody gave the Patriots a chance. The Steelers were going to go on and face the St. Louis Rams in the Super Bowl.
Kordell Stewart was going to become a star. Bill Cowher would get another shot at a ring. It was going to be great.....that is until the game started.
Little did we know that when that referee overturned that fumble the previous week, he unleashed a Hell that has been with us for almost a decade now. The New England Patriots came into Heinz Field and took care of the Steelers pretty easily. Once again, the city of Pittsburgh had to suffer through another home loss in the AFC Championship game. That elusive trip to the Super Bowl slipped through their grasps, yet again. New England went on to claim their first of three Super Bowl crowns.
So, even if the perfect scenario presents itself to us after this weekend's playoff match ups, don't assume that it will be a piece of cake and Pittsburgh will have earned another bye into the next round.
But on the flip side, even if the worst possible opponent punches a ticket to Heinz Field this weekend, it won't necessarily spell gloom and doom.
Back to that '94 season. The Browns were the 4th seed in the AFC, but they were considered by most to be the 2nd best team in the conference. They just had the misfortune of being in the same division as Pittsburgh. The Steelers swept the Browns that year in the regular season, but both games were pretty tight. Many predicted a Browns' victory if they were to meet the Steelers for a third time. You know, the whole, "it's tough to beat a team three times in one season" theory. Anyway, I wanted the Patriots to upset the Browns in the Wildcard game, but it didn't happen. Cleveland was coming to town for the most anticipated and hyped playoff game since the 70's.
I think I heard "It's hard to defeat a team three times in one season" 1000 times that week. Well, not only did Pittsburgh win for a third time, but they did so going away.
In 2001, the Ravens were the defending Super Bowl Champions, but they were a wildcard and Pittsburgh was the number 1 seed in the AFC. A Ravens' victory over the Dolphins would earn them a trip to Heinz Field. The Ravens won pretty easily in Miami and the World Champs had their "swagger" back.
That's all I heard all week was how the Ravens recaptured their "swagger" and were going to swagger all the way to another Super Bowl trophy. Well, nobody told them that you need some offense to go along with that defensive swagger, and as I said above, the Steelers won by three scores.
Even two years ago, I secretly rooted for the number 1 seeded Titans to defeat the wildcard Ravens because I didn't want to face the possibility of Baltimore coming to Heinz Field for the right to go to the Super Bowl and upsetting the Steelers. I know that's crazy, but I just couldn't handle that. In my head, I thought it would be "less hazardous" to have to go on the road for the AFC championship game than to face the possibilities of Ray Lewis "swaggin'" on his way out of Heinz Field with the AFC crown.
The Ravens upset the Titans and were coming to Pittsburgh with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. Just like with the Browns in '94, the Steelers defeated the Ravens twice in '08, but they were both really close games, and that whole "hard to beat a team three times in one season" phrase was thrown around ad nauseum leading up to the showdown.
But, as it turned out, the game was the easiest of the three and the Steelers went on to capture another Super Bowl title.
So it does work both ways.
Anyway, no matter what happens this weekend, there will be a playoff team coming to Heinz Field next Saturday and there might not be a "best case" or "worst case" playoff scenario. It's probably just in our heads.
If the Colts defeat the Jets tomorrow night, Peyton Manning and his crew will be coming to town. If the overrated Jets with their loud-mouthed coach go into Indy and mildly upset the Colts, then the winner of the Chiefs/Ravens Sunday afternoon wildcard game will be taking on the Steelers.
I have my preferences. I'd like to see the Jets defeat the Colts and the Chiefs take out the Ravens because I think that would be Pittsburgh's best shot at getting to the AFC title game in two weeks. This isn't to say that the Steelers couldn't defeat the Colts or Ravens, I just like the path of least resistance when it comes to the playoffs. I know some people are adrenaline junkies who always want the epic match ups, but there aren't extra points awarded for who your team defeats along the way to a championship.
Yes, maybe 20 years from now, NFL Films will do a "Greatest Teams of the First Three Decades of the New Millennium" list and the fact that Pittsburgh never had to go through the Patriots along the way to their 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th (one can hope) Super Bowl titles might sway some opinions that the Patriots had the stronger legacy.
But I'm not worried about legacies twenty years from now. I'm worried about Super Bowl titles right now, damn it! And in my opinion, the Chiefs coming to Heinz Field next week at 4:30 would be the most beneficial thing for Steeler Nation.........................Or would it?
I can think of a few occasions when I sat and rooted for one team to win a playoff game because that's who I wanted the Steelers to play the following week. And the following week I was totally blindsided by Pittsburgh's opponent.
The first one that comes to mind was a divisional playoff game between the Chargers and Dolphins in the 1994 AFC playoffs. This game was played the day after the Steelers defeated the Cleveland Browns, 29-9, to advance to the AFC Championship game for the first time in 10 seasons.
The Steelers were the number 1 seed that year so no matter who won the game between San Diego and Miami, they would have to come to Three Rivers Stadium for the right to go to the Super Bowl.
The Chargers defeated the Dolphins in an exciting game and my uncle and I, and just about everyone else I could think of, were ecstatic. You see, the Dolphins had Marino, you know, the PITT legend that the Steelers passed on in the '83 draft, and he was still searching for that elusive championship ring. Everyone feared that he would come to Three Rivers Stadium and pass all over Blitzburgh and go on to finally win his trophy.
San Diego wasn't given a chance by hardly anyone in this game. They were the number two seed in the AFC, but they clinched their seed in the last regular season game against the Steelers, ironically enough, who had already wrapped up homefield advantage and had nothing to play for. Cowher rested most of his starters and the Steelers still took San Diego down to the wire on the road in a game the Chargers absolutely had to win. How could they possibly come into Three Rivers stadium and upset the Steelers with their full starting roster?
The city of San Diego wasn't even optimistic. And we all know about that Super Bowl Rap video that the Steelers did the week leading up to the game.
It was going to be a glorious day for the Steelers. Well, we were all taught a very valuable lesson that day.
San Diego went on to face the 49ers in the Super Bowl and the Steelers had to wait another year.
Another one that comes to mind was in the 1997 playoffs. The Steelers were the number 2 seed and outlasted the Patriots, 7-6, in a divisional playoff game and if the Broncos could go into Arrowhead stadium and defeat the Chiefs, who had homefield advantage, the Steelers would host the AFC title game for the 3rd time in 4 seasons. The Broncos, a wildcard team that year, did indeed knock off the Chiefs and the Steelers were sitting pretty. At least I thought so.
The Broncos could never get over the championship hump. Elway was 37 years old and he had already been to the Super bowl three other times and failed miserably. The Steelers were going to their 2nd Super Bowl in 3 seasons, right? Wrong! The Broncos came into Three Rivers and gave Pittsburgh another heartbreaking AFC championship home loss and went onto win their first Super Bowl.
And that brings me to the 2001 AFC Playoffs. The "tuck rule" divisional playoff game between the Patriots and Raiders. My other uncle and I were rooting hard for the Patriots in that game. I know that's hard for anyone to imagine now, but this was before Belichick was a genius. At that point, he was the mediocre coach who was sent packing from Cleveland. Tom Brady was just the surprising 6th round draft pick who had replaced an injured Drew Bledsoe earlier in the year. Nobody knew he would someday become the "model-marrying, best damn-quarterback in the universe!" The Steelers had homefield advantage and hadn't even played their divisional playoff game against the Ravens yet. That would be Sunday, but my uncle and I were both pretty happy and relieved that Saturday evening when the Patriots came back to knock off the Raiders in overtime thanks to that controversial call that overturned a fumble. We didn't want any parts of Oakland. I mean, these were the Raiders! All the history. All those tough AFC championship games in the 70's. Well, now that they were out of the way, the Steelers could concentrate on taking care of their bitter division rivals.
They did, outclassing the defending Super Bowl champions, 27-10.
Now it was onto the AFC Championship game against those upstart New England Patriots. Pittsburgh was a double-digit favorite for this game, and just like with the Chargers, nobody gave the Patriots a chance. The Steelers were going to go on and face the St. Louis Rams in the Super Bowl.
Kordell Stewart was going to become a star. Bill Cowher would get another shot at a ring. It was going to be great.....that is until the game started.
Little did we know that when that referee overturned that fumble the previous week, he unleashed a Hell that has been with us for almost a decade now. The New England Patriots came into Heinz Field and took care of the Steelers pretty easily. Once again, the city of Pittsburgh had to suffer through another home loss in the AFC Championship game. That elusive trip to the Super Bowl slipped through their grasps, yet again. New England went on to claim their first of three Super Bowl crowns.
So, even if the perfect scenario presents itself to us after this weekend's playoff match ups, don't assume that it will be a piece of cake and Pittsburgh will have earned another bye into the next round.
But on the flip side, even if the worst possible opponent punches a ticket to Heinz Field this weekend, it won't necessarily spell gloom and doom.
Back to that '94 season. The Browns were the 4th seed in the AFC, but they were considered by most to be the 2nd best team in the conference. They just had the misfortune of being in the same division as Pittsburgh. The Steelers swept the Browns that year in the regular season, but both games were pretty tight. Many predicted a Browns' victory if they were to meet the Steelers for a third time. You know, the whole, "it's tough to beat a team three times in one season" theory. Anyway, I wanted the Patriots to upset the Browns in the Wildcard game, but it didn't happen. Cleveland was coming to town for the most anticipated and hyped playoff game since the 70's.
I think I heard "It's hard to defeat a team three times in one season" 1000 times that week. Well, not only did Pittsburgh win for a third time, but they did so going away.
In 2001, the Ravens were the defending Super Bowl Champions, but they were a wildcard and Pittsburgh was the number 1 seed in the AFC. A Ravens' victory over the Dolphins would earn them a trip to Heinz Field. The Ravens won pretty easily in Miami and the World Champs had their "swagger" back.
That's all I heard all week was how the Ravens recaptured their "swagger" and were going to swagger all the way to another Super Bowl trophy. Well, nobody told them that you need some offense to go along with that defensive swagger, and as I said above, the Steelers won by three scores.
Even two years ago, I secretly rooted for the number 1 seeded Titans to defeat the wildcard Ravens because I didn't want to face the possibility of Baltimore coming to Heinz Field for the right to go to the Super Bowl and upsetting the Steelers. I know that's crazy, but I just couldn't handle that. In my head, I thought it would be "less hazardous" to have to go on the road for the AFC championship game than to face the possibilities of Ray Lewis "swaggin'" on his way out of Heinz Field with the AFC crown.
The Ravens upset the Titans and were coming to Pittsburgh with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. Just like with the Browns in '94, the Steelers defeated the Ravens twice in '08, but they were both really close games, and that whole "hard to beat a team three times in one season" phrase was thrown around ad nauseum leading up to the showdown.
But, as it turned out, the game was the easiest of the three and the Steelers went on to capture another Super Bowl title.
So it does work both ways.
Anyway, no matter what happens this weekend, there will be a playoff team coming to Heinz Field next Saturday and there might not be a "best case" or "worst case" playoff scenario. It's probably just in our heads.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
It will be interesting to see if the NFL overreacts to the NFC West "situation"
We live in a society that tends to overreact. Anytime something out of the ordinary happens, say for example, a child gets on the wrong bus after school and gets lost for a few hours, there is a huge uproar and everyone wants to know how this could have possibly happened and what could be done about it.
My old job at PITT was like that. Anytime an error occurred, there had to be a meeting to figure out why it happened and how to prevent it from ever happening again. Instead of just chalking it up to human error, we always had to make new policies and constantly change protocol.
Human error was certainly on display this NFL season in the NFC West. Teams with losing records were in contention the entire year and the division came down to the last regular season game with the Seahawks at 6-9 hosting the St. Louis Rams at 7-8 for the division title and the right to host a postseason game.
I know the Powers That Be in the NFL had to be secretly rooting for the Rams to win. A team entering the playoffs with an 8-8 record wouldn't be unprecedented, but a sub-.500 team had never made the playoffs. That is until the Seattle Seahawks knocked off the Rams, 16-6, to claim the NFC West crown. At 7-9, they are the 4th seed in the NFC and will host the 11-5 New Orleans Saints this weekend in the first round of the playoffs.
Last I checked, the Saints were 10 1/2 point favorites as the road team. I wonder if a home-team has ever been a double-digit underdog for a postseason game.
Anyway, there have been some complaints over the Seahawks getting into the postseason with a losing record and some have wondered if the NFL should do something to tweak the playoff format to prevent it from happening again.
I've heard people say that maybe they could change it to where a team with a losing record will miss the playoffs even if they win the division like the Seahawks, and they would be replaced with the team with the most wins of the remaining playoff contenders.
If that were the case this season, the Giants would have qualified for the playoffs at 10-6.
I hope they don't do something like that. If they do that, why even have divisions?
I mean, teams with poor records have been making it to the playoffs for years. Is there really much of a difference between 9-7 and 7-9? Not really. The only difference is 9-7 looks passable. Kind of like the difference between a D and an F on a term paper.
Heck, you can go all the way back to the late 70's when the Los Angeles Rams made it all the way to the Super Bowl with a 9-7 record. Just two seasons ago, the 9-7 Arizona Cardinals also made it to the Super Bowl.
When I was a kid, back in the mid-80's, there wasn't a more mediocre division in all of professional sports than the old AFC Central. In 1983, the Steelers won the division with a 10-6 record. Not bad, right? Well, in 1984, they won the division again, but with a 9-7 record, and they somehow managed to make it all the way to the AFC championship game in Miami against the Dolphins. And the very next year, the Cleveland Browns won the division with an 8-8 mark, and they were about a minute away from hosting the AFC championship game before losing in the last seconds in Miami.
I was only about 12 or 13 back then so if there was a lot of controversy over the AFC Central teams getting into the playoffs with such poor records, I don't remember.
But I do know there wasn't an overhaul in the playoff format. Not until 1990 when a 6th seed was added in each conference.
That all but eliminated division winners with mediocre records from having a bye in the wildcard round. Back in 1979, when the Rams made it to the Super Bowl with their 9-7 record, they had to go on the road, but at least they only had to play two games. Clearly an advantage.
Same thing with the Steelers in 1984. They were on the road throughout the playoffs, but they only had to play two games, because, back then, all division winners had byes.
Starting in 1990, only the top two division winners in each conference received byes. The division winner with the third best record earned the 3rd seed but had to play in the wildcard round. There were three wildcard teams with the 6th seed playing at the 3rd seed and the 4th seed hosting the 5th seed.
After the league realigned in 2002 and added a 4th division in each conference, the playoff format was essentially the same, only the 4th seed was a divisional winner and not an at-large wildcard team. Only the 5th and 6th seeds were true wildcards.
If they do decide to tweak the system this time around, I fear their solution would be to add two more teams in each conference. That would be nice for the Giants and Buccaneers this season, who both missed out on the playoffs with 10-6 records, but what about years when there aren't teams with 10-6 records fighting for those last playoff spots? The likely hood is teams making the playoffs with losing records would become more common. And also, with 8 teams, there is no way the NFL could still have bye weeks unless it added two more weeks to the playoffs and we'd be hosting Super Bowl parties at the end of February.
A bye is a nice little carrot to dangle in front of a team at the end of the year. If you eliminate the possibility of earning a bye, you might have even more meaningless games at the end of the regular season.
Personally, I don't think they should change anything, but if they do decide to make a change, in my opinion, the only logical solution would be to change the seeding process. Instead of a division winner earning a specific seed, the seeds are awarded based on records and tiebreakers.
For example, this season, in the AFC, the Patriots and Steelers would still be the top 2 seeds, but the Ravens would get the 3rd seed because of their 12-4 record and would host the 6th seeded Chiefs in the first round of the playoffs. The Chiefs would still be division winners, but they'd be on the road. Same with the Colts. They'd still be AFC South Champions, but they'd be the 5th seed and would have to go on the road and play the 4th seeded Jets, who at 11-5, have a better record than both the Colts and Chiefs and thus would get the better seed despite being a wildcard team.
In the NFC, the Seahawks wouldn't get any home games at all throughout the playoffs because they would be the 6th seed rather than the 4th seed.
So, in my format, winning the division still gets you an automatic berth in the playoffs, but not necessarily a home game.
Anyone else have an opinion on this? What do you think of my proposed format?
Anyway, NFL, if you're going to make changes, please, don't overreact and do something stupid.
My old job at PITT was like that. Anytime an error occurred, there had to be a meeting to figure out why it happened and how to prevent it from ever happening again. Instead of just chalking it up to human error, we always had to make new policies and constantly change protocol.
Human error was certainly on display this NFL season in the NFC West. Teams with losing records were in contention the entire year and the division came down to the last regular season game with the Seahawks at 6-9 hosting the St. Louis Rams at 7-8 for the division title and the right to host a postseason game.
I know the Powers That Be in the NFL had to be secretly rooting for the Rams to win. A team entering the playoffs with an 8-8 record wouldn't be unprecedented, but a sub-.500 team had never made the playoffs. That is until the Seattle Seahawks knocked off the Rams, 16-6, to claim the NFC West crown. At 7-9, they are the 4th seed in the NFC and will host the 11-5 New Orleans Saints this weekend in the first round of the playoffs.
Last I checked, the Saints were 10 1/2 point favorites as the road team. I wonder if a home-team has ever been a double-digit underdog for a postseason game.
Anyway, there have been some complaints over the Seahawks getting into the postseason with a losing record and some have wondered if the NFL should do something to tweak the playoff format to prevent it from happening again.
I've heard people say that maybe they could change it to where a team with a losing record will miss the playoffs even if they win the division like the Seahawks, and they would be replaced with the team with the most wins of the remaining playoff contenders.
If that were the case this season, the Giants would have qualified for the playoffs at 10-6.
I hope they don't do something like that. If they do that, why even have divisions?
I mean, teams with poor records have been making it to the playoffs for years. Is there really much of a difference between 9-7 and 7-9? Not really. The only difference is 9-7 looks passable. Kind of like the difference between a D and an F on a term paper.
Heck, you can go all the way back to the late 70's when the Los Angeles Rams made it all the way to the Super Bowl with a 9-7 record. Just two seasons ago, the 9-7 Arizona Cardinals also made it to the Super Bowl.
When I was a kid, back in the mid-80's, there wasn't a more mediocre division in all of professional sports than the old AFC Central. In 1983, the Steelers won the division with a 10-6 record. Not bad, right? Well, in 1984, they won the division again, but with a 9-7 record, and they somehow managed to make it all the way to the AFC championship game in Miami against the Dolphins. And the very next year, the Cleveland Browns won the division with an 8-8 mark, and they were about a minute away from hosting the AFC championship game before losing in the last seconds in Miami.
I was only about 12 or 13 back then so if there was a lot of controversy over the AFC Central teams getting into the playoffs with such poor records, I don't remember.
But I do know there wasn't an overhaul in the playoff format. Not until 1990 when a 6th seed was added in each conference.
That all but eliminated division winners with mediocre records from having a bye in the wildcard round. Back in 1979, when the Rams made it to the Super Bowl with their 9-7 record, they had to go on the road, but at least they only had to play two games. Clearly an advantage.
Same thing with the Steelers in 1984. They were on the road throughout the playoffs, but they only had to play two games, because, back then, all division winners had byes.
Starting in 1990, only the top two division winners in each conference received byes. The division winner with the third best record earned the 3rd seed but had to play in the wildcard round. There were three wildcard teams with the 6th seed playing at the 3rd seed and the 4th seed hosting the 5th seed.
After the league realigned in 2002 and added a 4th division in each conference, the playoff format was essentially the same, only the 4th seed was a divisional winner and not an at-large wildcard team. Only the 5th and 6th seeds were true wildcards.
If they do decide to tweak the system this time around, I fear their solution would be to add two more teams in each conference. That would be nice for the Giants and Buccaneers this season, who both missed out on the playoffs with 10-6 records, but what about years when there aren't teams with 10-6 records fighting for those last playoff spots? The likely hood is teams making the playoffs with losing records would become more common. And also, with 8 teams, there is no way the NFL could still have bye weeks unless it added two more weeks to the playoffs and we'd be hosting Super Bowl parties at the end of February.
A bye is a nice little carrot to dangle in front of a team at the end of the year. If you eliminate the possibility of earning a bye, you might have even more meaningless games at the end of the regular season.
Personally, I don't think they should change anything, but if they do decide to make a change, in my opinion, the only logical solution would be to change the seeding process. Instead of a division winner earning a specific seed, the seeds are awarded based on records and tiebreakers.
For example, this season, in the AFC, the Patriots and Steelers would still be the top 2 seeds, but the Ravens would get the 3rd seed because of their 12-4 record and would host the 6th seeded Chiefs in the first round of the playoffs. The Chiefs would still be division winners, but they'd be on the road. Same with the Colts. They'd still be AFC South Champions, but they'd be the 5th seed and would have to go on the road and play the 4th seeded Jets, who at 11-5, have a better record than both the Colts and Chiefs and thus would get the better seed despite being a wildcard team.
In the NFC, the Seahawks wouldn't get any home games at all throughout the playoffs because they would be the 6th seed rather than the 4th seed.
So, in my format, winning the division still gets you an automatic berth in the playoffs, but not necessarily a home game.
Anyone else have an opinion on this? What do you think of my proposed format?
Anyway, NFL, if you're going to make changes, please, don't overreact and do something stupid.
Monday, January 3, 2011
If recent history is any judge, if Pittsburgh makes it to the Super Bowl, their opponent will probably be a rare-bird
Well, it's certainly that time of year again. The NFL playoffs are about to begin!
The Steelers are off next week, and in my opinion, there isn't a more enjoyable scenario for me than when Pittsburgh earns a bye in the playoffs and I can just sit back and enjoy the heck out of the Wildcard weekend. Four games, no strings attached.
It goes without saying that I'll have some rooting interests. There are teams I'd like to see the Steelers avoid in that divisional round: The Ravens and Colts in that order, but make no mistake, I can't wait to watch some exciting playoff football this coming weekend.
Speaking of the Steelers. I made a comment in a recent post that the Steelers were a class above the Cleveland Browns and with everything they had on the line going into their regular season finale in Cleveland (division title, 2nd seed and first round bye) the Steelers should go into Cleveland and defeat the Brownies by three scores. At least one person told me I was dreaming.
Well, yesterday's 41-9 thrashing of the Browns sure felt like a dream. It's been literally years since they've looked that good. You might have to go back four for five seasons to find a more dominant performance.
The one thing that stood out to me was how well the offensive line protected Roethlisberger. He wasn't sacked the whole day and I don't even remember him getting knocked down or even hurried.
And call me crazy, but were the Steelers using a lot of quick-passes out in the flat to the tight ends and the running backs? It felt like I was watching the New England Patriots on offense. Anyway, if that's a new wrinkle Arians has employed for the playoffs, I'm impressed and excited about the possibilities. I've been saying all year that the best way to protect an average offensive line and to negate a pass rush is to get the ball out quickly.
Don't get me wrong, I actually think the offensive line has played tremendously starting with the Jets game. But they looked their best yesterday and that's encouraging.
Mendenhall didn't have a great day running the ball, but he did score two short-yardage touchdowns. That was great to see because I don't think it's important for the Steelers to rush for 230 yards a game like a lot of Steeler fans do, but I do think it's important for them to run the ball effectively at key times. You have to be able to punch it in inside the five yard line. That doesn't mean you have to run it every time in that situation, but when you do, you should be successful more times than not.
As far as the playoffs, I was thinking about who I'd like to see the Steelers face in the divisional round, and the obvious choice is Kansas City. Naturally, they'd be the ideal first opponent because of their lack of experience. I'd least like to see the Ravens come to town, not because I don't think the Steelers can beat them, but because whenever these two teams come together, it's such a close, hard-fought battle, and it always comes down to the last few minutes. It's anyone's game, and that's kind of scary.
My ideal scenario for the playoffs would be for the Jets to defeat the Colts in the first round and the Chiefs to knock off the Ravens. Then the Chiefs would come to Heinz Field and Pittsburgh would have their way with them and the Jets would go up to Foxboro and defeat their division rivals.
If you give me the Jets at Heinz Field for the AFC title game right now, I'd sign on the dotted line.
But realistically, I think the Colts will be coming here in two weeks. Of course, I'd be nervous about that. Peyton Manning is a legend, but this Indianapolis team is a far cry from recent Colts' editions and I think the Steelers could handle them.
And I think it's a safe bet they'll have to go to New England for the right to go to the Super Bowl.
Right now, New England looks unstoppable and that got me to thinking about how much this Steelers season feels like a hybrid of the 2005 and 2008 Super Bowl seasons. It feels like 2008 because, at 12-4, they were pretty consistent the entire year and never really had a rough patch. But it also feels a lot like the 2005 season because of the adversity they faced before the 2010 season even started with the Roethlisberger 4-game suspension. People were picking them third in the division and most had them finishing at 8-8 or 9-7. And of course, they had to overcome a lot of key injuries this year losing Willie Colon and Max Starks from the offensive line, Aaron Smith from the defensive line, and Troy Polamalu for a few games towards the end of the season. And then there was the controversy over the "illegal" hits and the fines that went along with them. James Harrison threatened to retire. It could have gotten really ugly, yet, they were able to keep their heads and not only win the division, but earn a bye and set themselves up for a legitimate Super Bowl run. I know we have high-expectations around here, but I think the Steelers should be applauded for accomplishing as much as they have so far this year.
And as I said, the Patriots are pretty dominant right now, just like the Colts were in '05. Everyone is fearful of the Steelers having to go to New England in the playoffs, especially with how easily they defeated Pittsburgh on Sunday Night football back in November. But if you use 2005 as a judge, then the Steelers could certainly turn the tables.
It will be interesting to see how this weekend's games shake out and who the team will face in the divisional round.
No matter who they have to face, it's not going to be easy. Will I be nervous? Will you be nervous? Yes on both counts, but that's what makes it so awesome!
As far as the NFC goes, if the Steelers do make it to Dallas, I have some ideal matchups. The first that comes to mind would be the Packers.
Can you imagine Pittsburgh playing Green Bay for the Super Bowl in Dallas? That scenario would be so awesome, I think I would ask it to marry me.
A second dream match-up would be the Saints. I think it would be a tremendous story.
But if history is any indication, if the Steelers are fortunate enough to make it to the Super Bowl, their opponent will be a rare bird.
It wouldn't be the Eagles because they're not a rare bird, they're one of the marquee teams in the league so you can forget about them.
And it sure wouldn't be the Seahawks. If a 7-9 team makes it out of the NFC this year, they should implode the conference and start over.
That leaves the Falcons. Atlanta is the number 1 seed in the NFC and it would obviously be no surprise if they made it.
That would be an epic matchup because I think both teams are evenly matched and it would be a great game, but it wouldn't necessarily be a "sexy" matchup and most of the focus would be on the Steelers. Just like with their last two Super Bowl trips.
So that's my prediction. The Steelers will face off against the Falcons in the Super Bowl on February 6th.
The Steelers are off next week, and in my opinion, there isn't a more enjoyable scenario for me than when Pittsburgh earns a bye in the playoffs and I can just sit back and enjoy the heck out of the Wildcard weekend. Four games, no strings attached.
It goes without saying that I'll have some rooting interests. There are teams I'd like to see the Steelers avoid in that divisional round: The Ravens and Colts in that order, but make no mistake, I can't wait to watch some exciting playoff football this coming weekend.
Speaking of the Steelers. I made a comment in a recent post that the Steelers were a class above the Cleveland Browns and with everything they had on the line going into their regular season finale in Cleveland (division title, 2nd seed and first round bye) the Steelers should go into Cleveland and defeat the Brownies by three scores. At least one person told me I was dreaming.
Well, yesterday's 41-9 thrashing of the Browns sure felt like a dream. It's been literally years since they've looked that good. You might have to go back four for five seasons to find a more dominant performance.
The one thing that stood out to me was how well the offensive line protected Roethlisberger. He wasn't sacked the whole day and I don't even remember him getting knocked down or even hurried.
And call me crazy, but were the Steelers using a lot of quick-passes out in the flat to the tight ends and the running backs? It felt like I was watching the New England Patriots on offense. Anyway, if that's a new wrinkle Arians has employed for the playoffs, I'm impressed and excited about the possibilities. I've been saying all year that the best way to protect an average offensive line and to negate a pass rush is to get the ball out quickly.
Don't get me wrong, I actually think the offensive line has played tremendously starting with the Jets game. But they looked their best yesterday and that's encouraging.
Mendenhall didn't have a great day running the ball, but he did score two short-yardage touchdowns. That was great to see because I don't think it's important for the Steelers to rush for 230 yards a game like a lot of Steeler fans do, but I do think it's important for them to run the ball effectively at key times. You have to be able to punch it in inside the five yard line. That doesn't mean you have to run it every time in that situation, but when you do, you should be successful more times than not.
As far as the playoffs, I was thinking about who I'd like to see the Steelers face in the divisional round, and the obvious choice is Kansas City. Naturally, they'd be the ideal first opponent because of their lack of experience. I'd least like to see the Ravens come to town, not because I don't think the Steelers can beat them, but because whenever these two teams come together, it's such a close, hard-fought battle, and it always comes down to the last few minutes. It's anyone's game, and that's kind of scary.
My ideal scenario for the playoffs would be for the Jets to defeat the Colts in the first round and the Chiefs to knock off the Ravens. Then the Chiefs would come to Heinz Field and Pittsburgh would have their way with them and the Jets would go up to Foxboro and defeat their division rivals.
If you give me the Jets at Heinz Field for the AFC title game right now, I'd sign on the dotted line.
But realistically, I think the Colts will be coming here in two weeks. Of course, I'd be nervous about that. Peyton Manning is a legend, but this Indianapolis team is a far cry from recent Colts' editions and I think the Steelers could handle them.
And I think it's a safe bet they'll have to go to New England for the right to go to the Super Bowl.
Right now, New England looks unstoppable and that got me to thinking about how much this Steelers season feels like a hybrid of the 2005 and 2008 Super Bowl seasons. It feels like 2008 because, at 12-4, they were pretty consistent the entire year and never really had a rough patch. But it also feels a lot like the 2005 season because of the adversity they faced before the 2010 season even started with the Roethlisberger 4-game suspension. People were picking them third in the division and most had them finishing at 8-8 or 9-7. And of course, they had to overcome a lot of key injuries this year losing Willie Colon and Max Starks from the offensive line, Aaron Smith from the defensive line, and Troy Polamalu for a few games towards the end of the season. And then there was the controversy over the "illegal" hits and the fines that went along with them. James Harrison threatened to retire. It could have gotten really ugly, yet, they were able to keep their heads and not only win the division, but earn a bye and set themselves up for a legitimate Super Bowl run. I know we have high-expectations around here, but I think the Steelers should be applauded for accomplishing as much as they have so far this year.
And as I said, the Patriots are pretty dominant right now, just like the Colts were in '05. Everyone is fearful of the Steelers having to go to New England in the playoffs, especially with how easily they defeated Pittsburgh on Sunday Night football back in November. But if you use 2005 as a judge, then the Steelers could certainly turn the tables.
It will be interesting to see how this weekend's games shake out and who the team will face in the divisional round.
No matter who they have to face, it's not going to be easy. Will I be nervous? Will you be nervous? Yes on both counts, but that's what makes it so awesome!
As far as the NFC goes, if the Steelers do make it to Dallas, I have some ideal matchups. The first that comes to mind would be the Packers.
Can you imagine Pittsburgh playing Green Bay for the Super Bowl in Dallas? That scenario would be so awesome, I think I would ask it to marry me.
A second dream match-up would be the Saints. I think it would be a tremendous story.
But if history is any indication, if the Steelers are fortunate enough to make it to the Super Bowl, their opponent will be a rare bird.
It wouldn't be the Eagles because they're not a rare bird, they're one of the marquee teams in the league so you can forget about them.
And it sure wouldn't be the Seahawks. If a 7-9 team makes it out of the NFC this year, they should implode the conference and start over.
That leaves the Falcons. Atlanta is the number 1 seed in the NFC and it would obviously be no surprise if they made it.
That would be an epic matchup because I think both teams are evenly matched and it would be a great game, but it wouldn't necessarily be a "sexy" matchup and most of the focus would be on the Steelers. Just like with their last two Super Bowl trips.
So that's my prediction. The Steelers will face off against the Falcons in the Super Bowl on February 6th.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
The aftermath of the Penguins' loss in the Winter Classic
January 1st, 2011.
Penguins fans file out of Heinz field dejected over the Pens' 3-1 loss to the Washington Capitals in the 2011 Winter Classic.
Meanwhile, Sidney Crosby talks to reporters at the postgame press conference.
John Shumway: "Sid, how will you and your teammates move on after such a devastating loss? What's next for the Pittsburgh Penguins?"
Crosby: "Well, it is disappointing, but at the end of the day, it's just one game and it's only worth 2-points and we're still in first place in the division and the Eastern conference. We're just looking ahead to our next game and the rest of the season."
John Shumway: "Just one game? Like how do you mean? It was outdoors. It was special."
Crosby: "Don't talk to me."
Meanwhile, WPXI's Julie Fine interviews people over at Heinz after the loss.
Fine: "I'm here with Judy from Mckeesport. Judy, did you have a good time at the Winter Classic despite the loss?"
Judy from Mckeesport: "I don't think we'll ever get over it. I mean, this was the Winter Classic. Pittsburgh was supposed to win. How am I going to explain this to my kids?"
Fine: "You do realize it was just one game, right?"
Judy from Mckeesport: "Like how do you mean?"
January 2nd, 2011.
Vinnie Richichi of 93.7 The Fan fields calls on the subject of the 2011 Winter Classic.
Richichi: "I know last night's loss was disappointing, but wasn't it fun? Wasn't it a magical time?"
Tom from Mcdonald, Pa: "Yeah, Vinnie, thanks for taking my call. I think Bylsma has to go. He just can't win the big game."
Richichi: "Whoa, Tom, slow down! It's just one game. Besides, last time I checked, Blysma led the Penguins to the Stanley Cup just two seasons ago. I'd say game 7 in Detroit was pretty big."
Tom from Mcdonald, Pa: "Just one game? Vinnie, it was outside. It really took me back, ya know? I mean, there's nothing like playing hockey with your buddies out on the frozen pond. I never got to do that when I was a kid, but I heard it was pretty cool. For the Pens to lose this game......I'll never get over it."
January 1st, 2012.
Pens and Caps fans argue on the NHL message boards.
Ovechkinisgod: "Hahahahahaha! We beat you guys in the Winter Classic last year. You guys are totally lame!"
Penguinsmama: "It was just one game, and we beat you guys in the Eastern Conference Finals and went on to win our 2nd Stanley Cup in the last three seasons. Have fun with your Winter Classic "championship." Hahahahahaha!"
Ovechkinisgod: "Just one game? It was the Winter Classic. It was outdoors. Like how do you mean?"
Meanwhile, WTAE's Sally Wiggin interviews a local psychologist on the one year annisversary of the Penguins' Winter Classic loss.
Wiggin: "Doctor, what advice would you give to fans of the Penguins who are still coping with the loss at the Winter Classic on this day, the one year annisversary of the tragedy?"
Psychologist: "You do realize it was just one game and only worth 2 points, right? Aren't the Penguins the defending Stanley Cup Champions?"
Wiggin: "Just one game? Doctor, it was outdoors."
Psychologist: "Why am I here?"
July 17th, 2016, Penguins' legendary coach Dan Bylsma announces he is stepping down after 7 seasons as head coach. Bylsma cites health reasons for his decision to walk away. He helped lead the Penguins to three Stanley Cup championships during his tenure and may go down as the greatest coach in franchise history.
Meanwhile, Mark Madden of ESPN The Fan takes calls regarding Disco Dan's surprising announcement.
Dave from Ross Park: "Yeah, Double M, I think it was time for Blysma to leave. He just couldn't win the big games. The ones that really mattered."
Madden: "Are you stupid? He led them to three Stanley Cup championships, including one this past season. He may go down as the greatest coach in team history. Heck, in the history of Pittsburgh sports."
Dave From Ross Park: "Oh, how can you say that, Mark? He couldn't win the Winter Classic in 2011. It was outdoors!"
Madden: "BORING! BORING! BORING! BORING! BORING! Not to be critical."
January 1st, 2021.
The mayor of Pittsburgh is holding a press conference in front of Heinz Field.
Mayor: Thank you all for coming. I just wanted to take this time, on the ten year annivesary of the 2011 Winter Classic, to dedicate this statue to the brave young men who valiantly fought a good fight and gave their blood, sweat, and tears that night in front of 70,000 fans. Let us never forget those warriors."
Max Talbot (interrupting the mayor): "Excuse me, mayor, but we're not dead. In fact, most of us are still playing hockey. You asked us to come here, remember? Anyway, we've won the Stanley Cup five times since 2009. Four times since the 2011 Winter Classic. Don't you remember the parades? It was just one game many years ago, sir."
Mayor: "Just a game? It was outdoors. It really took me back, ya know?"
Talbot: "Yeah, you're stupid."
Penguins fans file out of Heinz field dejected over the Pens' 3-1 loss to the Washington Capitals in the 2011 Winter Classic.
Meanwhile, Sidney Crosby talks to reporters at the postgame press conference.
John Shumway: "Sid, how will you and your teammates move on after such a devastating loss? What's next for the Pittsburgh Penguins?"
Crosby: "Well, it is disappointing, but at the end of the day, it's just one game and it's only worth 2-points and we're still in first place in the division and the Eastern conference. We're just looking ahead to our next game and the rest of the season."
John Shumway: "Just one game? Like how do you mean? It was outdoors. It was special."
Crosby: "Don't talk to me."
Meanwhile, WPXI's Julie Fine interviews people over at Heinz after the loss.
Fine: "I'm here with Judy from Mckeesport. Judy, did you have a good time at the Winter Classic despite the loss?"
Judy from Mckeesport: "I don't think we'll ever get over it. I mean, this was the Winter Classic. Pittsburgh was supposed to win. How am I going to explain this to my kids?"
Fine: "You do realize it was just one game, right?"
Judy from Mckeesport: "Like how do you mean?"
January 2nd, 2011.
Vinnie Richichi of 93.7 The Fan fields calls on the subject of the 2011 Winter Classic.
Richichi: "I know last night's loss was disappointing, but wasn't it fun? Wasn't it a magical time?"
Tom from Mcdonald, Pa: "Yeah, Vinnie, thanks for taking my call. I think Bylsma has to go. He just can't win the big game."
Richichi: "Whoa, Tom, slow down! It's just one game. Besides, last time I checked, Blysma led the Penguins to the Stanley Cup just two seasons ago. I'd say game 7 in Detroit was pretty big."
Tom from Mcdonald, Pa: "Just one game? Vinnie, it was outside. It really took me back, ya know? I mean, there's nothing like playing hockey with your buddies out on the frozen pond. I never got to do that when I was a kid, but I heard it was pretty cool. For the Pens to lose this game......I'll never get over it."
January 1st, 2012.
Pens and Caps fans argue on the NHL message boards.
Ovechkinisgod: "Hahahahahaha! We beat you guys in the Winter Classic last year. You guys are totally lame!"
Penguinsmama: "It was just one game, and we beat you guys in the Eastern Conference Finals and went on to win our 2nd Stanley Cup in the last three seasons. Have fun with your Winter Classic "championship." Hahahahahaha!"
Ovechkinisgod: "Just one game? It was the Winter Classic. It was outdoors. Like how do you mean?"
Meanwhile, WTAE's Sally Wiggin interviews a local psychologist on the one year annisversary of the Penguins' Winter Classic loss.
Wiggin: "Doctor, what advice would you give to fans of the Penguins who are still coping with the loss at the Winter Classic on this day, the one year annisversary of the tragedy?"
Psychologist: "You do realize it was just one game and only worth 2 points, right? Aren't the Penguins the defending Stanley Cup Champions?"
Wiggin: "Just one game? Doctor, it was outdoors."
Psychologist: "Why am I here?"
July 17th, 2016, Penguins' legendary coach Dan Bylsma announces he is stepping down after 7 seasons as head coach. Bylsma cites health reasons for his decision to walk away. He helped lead the Penguins to three Stanley Cup championships during his tenure and may go down as the greatest coach in franchise history.
Meanwhile, Mark Madden of ESPN The Fan takes calls regarding Disco Dan's surprising announcement.
Dave from Ross Park: "Yeah, Double M, I think it was time for Blysma to leave. He just couldn't win the big games. The ones that really mattered."
Madden: "Are you stupid? He led them to three Stanley Cup championships, including one this past season. He may go down as the greatest coach in team history. Heck, in the history of Pittsburgh sports."
Dave From Ross Park: "Oh, how can you say that, Mark? He couldn't win the Winter Classic in 2011. It was outdoors!"
Madden: "BORING! BORING! BORING! BORING! BORING! Not to be critical."
January 1st, 2021.
The mayor of Pittsburgh is holding a press conference in front of Heinz Field.
Mayor: Thank you all for coming. I just wanted to take this time, on the ten year annivesary of the 2011 Winter Classic, to dedicate this statue to the brave young men who valiantly fought a good fight and gave their blood, sweat, and tears that night in front of 70,000 fans. Let us never forget those warriors."
Max Talbot (interrupting the mayor): "Excuse me, mayor, but we're not dead. In fact, most of us are still playing hockey. You asked us to come here, remember? Anyway, we've won the Stanley Cup five times since 2009. Four times since the 2011 Winter Classic. Don't you remember the parades? It was just one game many years ago, sir."
Mayor: "Just a game? It was outdoors. It really took me back, ya know?"
Talbot: "Yeah, you're stupid."
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Mike Haywood arrested for domestic abuse.
I was driving home from unsuccessfully trying to go to "First Night" with my girlfriend last evening when she informed me that PITT's new head coach Mike Haywood had been arrested in Indiana for domestic abuse.
I laughed, of course, because the football team just can't seem to get anything right in its quest to climb back up that mountain to where it was nearly 30 seasons ago.
People will be critical of athletic director Steve Pederson for hiring a guy like this, but how could anyone have seen this coming?
I understand that a person's character is very important, especially for a job where one has to be a role model for young men, but I heard no such issues about his character before the incident.
The only thing I knew about the guy was that he took Miami of Ohio from the basement to the penthouse in the MAC conference.
I now know that he fathered a child to a woman out of wedlock and the incident that he was arrested for had to do with that, but just because someone has a child outside of marriage doesn't mean they're going to physically abuse the mother of their baby. So, even if Pederson knew about Haywood's child, that doesn't necessarily mean he wasn't qualified to be PITT's new head coach.
So, there is really no way to be critical of Pederson for the choice he made. However, that doesn't mean Haywood should be retained as head coach of the Panthers.
He almost certainly should be let go. There is no way a guy can lead a group of young men and have any kind of credibility after something like this.
I know all the facts aren't out and Haywood could fully be cleared of everything, but that doesn't mean there isn't irreversible damage done to the football program.
So if they do decide to cut ties with Haywood, who will they name as coach?
The bowl season isn't over yet, but it's probably too late to really get a viable candidate to come in and interview for the job.
Every time the PITT head coaching job is open, people always bring up Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Bradley as the most desired choice.
It's no real secret that Bradley's been the de facto head coach at PSU in recent years with Paterno's age preventing him from doing the job to its fullest capacity.
But it's also no real secret that the person that replaces JoePa when he finally decides to retire will almost certainly not be Bradley.
If that's the case, and if Bradley still wants to be a head coach, PITT should make an emergency phone call to him asap.
He's a great recruiter and very popular with the high school coaches in Western, Pa. I know Bradley would probably lure some potential PSU recruits to PITT.
However, if Bradley is as loyal to Paterno as he seems and is unwilling to make the move, where else can PITT turn in-order to save this situation from turning into a total train-wreck?
The answer is quite simple: Dave Wannstedt.
I know that sounds crazy, and I know I was all for his firing when it happened a month ago.
But there really aren't many other alternatives at this point.
There are many ideal scenarios for the PITT head coaching job, but right now, we have to deal in realities, and Wannstedt is probably the best choice to keep things stable.
Of course, there is the problem of most of Wannstedt's assistants being let go, but I'm sure he could convince at least some of them to come back.
I'm pretty sure Wannstedt would return as head coach if Pederson asked him to. Even though he said he was resigning during his final press conference, he didn't look like a man ready to go. He was forced out.
And I know the players would certainly rally around him if he were to come back.
You can say a lot of things about Wannstedt, but he'll never personally embarrass the program.
Haywood already has and he hasn't even coached his first game.
I laughed, of course, because the football team just can't seem to get anything right in its quest to climb back up that mountain to where it was nearly 30 seasons ago.
People will be critical of athletic director Steve Pederson for hiring a guy like this, but how could anyone have seen this coming?
I understand that a person's character is very important, especially for a job where one has to be a role model for young men, but I heard no such issues about his character before the incident.
The only thing I knew about the guy was that he took Miami of Ohio from the basement to the penthouse in the MAC conference.
I now know that he fathered a child to a woman out of wedlock and the incident that he was arrested for had to do with that, but just because someone has a child outside of marriage doesn't mean they're going to physically abuse the mother of their baby. So, even if Pederson knew about Haywood's child, that doesn't necessarily mean he wasn't qualified to be PITT's new head coach.
So, there is really no way to be critical of Pederson for the choice he made. However, that doesn't mean Haywood should be retained as head coach of the Panthers.
He almost certainly should be let go. There is no way a guy can lead a group of young men and have any kind of credibility after something like this.
I know all the facts aren't out and Haywood could fully be cleared of everything, but that doesn't mean there isn't irreversible damage done to the football program.
So if they do decide to cut ties with Haywood, who will they name as coach?
The bowl season isn't over yet, but it's probably too late to really get a viable candidate to come in and interview for the job.
Every time the PITT head coaching job is open, people always bring up Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Bradley as the most desired choice.
It's no real secret that Bradley's been the de facto head coach at PSU in recent years with Paterno's age preventing him from doing the job to its fullest capacity.
But it's also no real secret that the person that replaces JoePa when he finally decides to retire will almost certainly not be Bradley.
If that's the case, and if Bradley still wants to be a head coach, PITT should make an emergency phone call to him asap.
He's a great recruiter and very popular with the high school coaches in Western, Pa. I know Bradley would probably lure some potential PSU recruits to PITT.
However, if Bradley is as loyal to Paterno as he seems and is unwilling to make the move, where else can PITT turn in-order to save this situation from turning into a total train-wreck?
The answer is quite simple: Dave Wannstedt.
I know that sounds crazy, and I know I was all for his firing when it happened a month ago.
But there really aren't many other alternatives at this point.
There are many ideal scenarios for the PITT head coaching job, but right now, we have to deal in realities, and Wannstedt is probably the best choice to keep things stable.
Of course, there is the problem of most of Wannstedt's assistants being let go, but I'm sure he could convince at least some of them to come back.
I'm pretty sure Wannstedt would return as head coach if Pederson asked him to. Even though he said he was resigning during his final press conference, he didn't look like a man ready to go. He was forced out.
And I know the players would certainly rally around him if he were to come back.
You can say a lot of things about Wannstedt, but he'll never personally embarrass the program.
Haywood already has and he hasn't even coached his first game.
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