The Spending Spree

I guess I just don't understand the Steelers anymore. On a day that confounded any towel twirler as the outright shit storm surrounding our quarterback amplified with phrases like "DNA test" and "probable cause", the team managed to completely re-direct most attention by going on an unprecedented shopping spree and reaching agreements with no less than four free agents. The fiscally responsible Steelers usually won't ink any more than two or three mid grade free agents throughout an entire signing period, let alone four in one day. And they may not be done!

The most notable of all signings signifies the triumphant return of the speedy and once electrifying Antwaan Randle El. At this point in career, no one truly knows how much El still has in his tank, but you are hearing it here first, be prepared to see our very own JD McNugent squeezing himself back into his #82 jersey! With El and fellow newcomer Arnaz Battle joining an already solid receiving corps, the sun is most likely setting on the horrifically unremarkable tenure of Mr. Limas Sweed. Somewhere, just somewhere, superbusts Huey Richardson, Scott 'Panty' Shields, and Alonzo Jackson are all smiling inside. The new receivers bring the stable count to five capable wideouts, all with different attributes. Now, the question looms: who will be throwing to them in September?

Off On The Right Foote

As predicted by PF's very own correspondent, JD McNugent, the Steelers' are intimating interest in re-signing standout inside linebacker Larry Foote. Footie, always a favorite of mine, is a run gobbler who would add considerable strength to a linebacking corps that had it's ups and downs last season. This news brings intrigue to us armchair GMs. Should this move pan out, where and how would Foote be deployed? Depth is the key issue with the Steelers' linebackers, but I would suppose that Foote is still looking to start. Should that be the case, I would imagine he would sign elsewhere, although regaining a starting job here would not necessarily be out of the question. The issue of James Farrior's age and declined performance in 2009 is a concern. I still believe that the potential of moving Lawrence Timmons over to Farrior's buck spot still exists, thereby, in theory creating a need at the mack, Footie's former position. Additionally, there is concern at the depth of the outside positions, holes that could also be plugged by Timmons.

Again, no breath being held, but it would be nice to move my #50 jersey back into Sunday circulation.

even my cat loved me in my #50

As the World Turns

All My Hotties, Beneral Hospital, Capital City, Love in the Ladies' Room, The Sins of Number Seven,...just a few candidates for the naming of the soap opera that stars Steelers' quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and has engulfed the watchful eye of not only Steeler Nation, but basically every sports fan with nothing better to be engulfed by. Tune in at 4:00 pm today, as the newest episode shoots on location from Milledgeville, GA Police headquarters, scene of the forthcoming press conference. "Did Ben do it?" is the hottest question since "Who Shot JR?" riveted the airwaves nearly 30 years ago. This press conference, just like an old X Files rerun, promises to answer all.

The Milledgeville incident, involving accusations of sexual assault against His Bigness, appears to have set a flame to the Pittsburgh media. Not sure if you all are following this as closely as me (I understand that you all have lives), but there seems to be some tit-for-tat banter going back and forth between Post Gazette writers Ron Cook and Bob Smizik. A few days ago, Cook, the writer with the poison pen, wrote a scathing essay about Ben's lack of judgement. This morning, Smizik, who apparently is not on Cook's Christmas card mailing list, posted an equally damning article, however, his wrath seemed to be directly aimed at Cook's criticism.

The latest Roethlisberger fiasco is attaining pure polarization, an effect that all medias dream of. While Steeler Nation is a proud family that honors it's numerous triumphs and embraces it's heroes, we are a group that will quickly garner criticism from all of our wanna-be neighbors. You can't walk around with tee shirts emblazoned with the likeness of a half dozen Lombardi Trophies without producing a little animosity along the way. Yeah, the "Got Six?" tee shirts do tend to piss some people off. For as much as us towel twirlers hope these accusations are false, I have to believe that Hater Nation would just love to see an arrest warrant bearing the name Roethlisberger.

Let's hope that the 4:00 pm press conference absolves Ben of any wrongdoing, and puts this latest installment of unnecessary drama to bed. If not, prepare for sweeps week...

The Smoking Gun

On a day in which the news of a team should have been reserved to the opening of free agency and all it entails; saying goodbye to old faces, and interviewing candidates to fill roster holes, Steeler Nation was inundated with news of another type of hole being filled, as once again, team leader Ben Roethlisberger was accused of sexual assault. This time Big Ben's alleged transgressions occurred in a Milledgeville, Georgia bar, and his accuser had the wherewithal to go the hospital for a full evaluation. Obviously, someone gained some knowledge through the highly publicized 2009 events in Lake Tahoe, and sadly, someone else learned nothing from it.

Although everything is speculative at this point, the reports suggest that the Large One and his posse of oversized jocks were 'mingling' with a group of local hotties, and then at some point, something (and maybe someone) went down in the night club ladies' room.

Again, this blog is not accusing Ben of any wrongdoing, but if he did, in fact, hook up with a local coed skank in a public ladies' room, as his legal team is still wading through the bullshit associated with the Tahoe incident, then it's time for the team to evaluate the cumulative damage of all those concussions that #7 has taken. Clearly, nothing short of brain damage, mixed with a dozen or so Grey Goose and cranberries, could explain such a horrific lack of judgement. This incident could simply prove that while Ben is not a criminal, he is a man who continues to display a lack of discretion.

Let's all hope this all blows over, with or without some go-away moolah from the Large One's wallet. My concern is that while Ben is supposed to be the torch bearer for a once squeaky clean organization, he is, at least in the public eye, steadily digressing into one of those meathead jocks that does what he wants, when he wants, at whatever cost. If the Tiger Woods booty call exposition showed us anything, it's that image does matter once an athlete reaches a certain status.

America is becoming increasingly intolerant of the Charles Barkley philosophy of "I'm not a role model", and let's face it, Pittsburgh is still a small town with small town values. Between Ben's best imitations of Bill Clinton, the police blotter antics of clowns like Jeff Reed and Matt Spaeth, the drug possession by Santonio Holmes, and the domestic abuse incidents of James Harrison and (departed) Ced Wilson, the Steelers are starting to take on an unsavory resemblance to that team in Cincy that we constantly ridicule. But the Bungals are the criminals, and our men are the good guys, because they wear black and gold, right???

This latest drama could very well shape up as another situation of someone looking to cash in on an opportunity, however, should this develop into a criminal matter, the Rooney family could find themselves in another tight spot. Ben is the focal point of this organization, and probably the best player and drawing card the team has seen in 25+ years. If these accusations develop into charges, turning a blind eye, as was done with the Reed and Harrison situations, will once again garner the label of the double standard. The major difference between Ben and guys like Reed and Harrison is that Ben is the man...the leader of this franchise, and regardless of this outcome, he needs to start behaving like it.

For now, it's once again in the hands of those conducting the investigation. The reports out of Milledgeville seem to be mixed, and this Atlanta article takes on a flavor that Ben was just out having a good time. Time will only tell on this matter, but now I know for certain who the Steelers' franchise tag should go to, for his tireless work in the trenches...Big Ben's lawyer.

The Reed Press Conference

Just a quick link to the statement issued by kicker Jeff Reed's lawyer following Reed's community service sentencing. Nothing remarkable in the lawyer's mumbo jumbo, but the true beauty of this video clip is Reed himself. I can't figure out if Reed is really smug, really stoned, or both. Every time I see clips like this I truly ponder what kind of enigma Jeff Reed really is.

Don't Throw Trash At Our Kicker

Western Pennsylvania is about to become a little more litter free as a local judge sentenced troubled kicker Jeff Reed to 40 hours of community service today. Reed's sentencing was a result of his knuckeheaded simple assault and resisting arrest charges, following teammate Matt Spaeth's October public urination booking.

Of course, Reed and Spaeth could opt to take the Role Models route and sign on with Sturdy Wings, as mentors of our youth.

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One can only imagine what benefits Reed's community service will render

Another Great Milestone

another lasting image

Think about Mario Lemieux, think about Wayne Gretzky, aka The Great One, think about all the other great ones that have laced it up and played their role as marketing saviors for the NHL and North American hockey in general. As you consider these guys and their amazing accomplishments for the game, both on and off the ice, now consider the select company that our very own Sid Crosby has placed himself in.

At the ripe old age of 22, Mr. Crosby has added an Olympic gold medal for his mantle place, next to his Ross and Hart trophies, probably right next to the scores of photos of him hoisting the 2009 Stanley Cup over his boyish head. Of course predecessors like Lemieux, Gretzky, and Yzerman were limited by Olympic rules that prevented their involvement until the latter stages of their careers, but give the kid his due. Crosby's heroic overtime goal in yesterday's gold medal game was another entry to his superhero resume, one that our northern neighbors place akin to our own Mount Rushmore athletes like Jordan or Montana. Let's not forget that hockey is to Canandians what baseball was once like to Americans, or what soccer is to most of the rest of the world.

Surely an American gold would have been great, and maybe as equally important as the fabled Miracle on Ice of 1980 (with perhaps slightly less drama), but make no mistake, Crosby's exploits are something that is great for a game that is, at least financially, dominated by the country on the southern side of the border. I can't think of a better time to be a hockey fan, nor a time when hockey had such a buzz, largely impart to Crosby's superstardom.

Of course, yesterday's achievement is not an individual effort, and the entire nation of Canada should be congratulated on this epic victory. For the NHL, the victory was just as large, due to the showcasing of their high profile stars, most importantly the kid who wears the C on his black and gold sweater.