by Mike Batista
Now in the Heinz Field trophy case are six Lombardi trophies ... and a mirror ball.
Hines Ward and his partner Kym Johnson won "Dancing with the Stars" Tuesday night.
No truth to the rumor that Roger Goodell fined Ward for putting his hand on Johnson's ass during their routine.
It's a good thing DWTS winners don't have to come back the following year to defend their championship. Considering the way the Steelers have defended their last two Super Bowl titles, I could see pants falling down or Ward's balls getting whacked when he tries to sweep his partner under his legs.
It turns out that like the Steelers, Ward does best when he's not expected to. I didn't think Ward had a chance.
Having taken salsa lessons a couple of years ago in my futile pursuit of a Dominican woman*, I knew I was qualified to be a dance pundit.
I based my prediction on Ward's sad imitation of Chad Ochocinco (then Chad Johnson) in 2005. I figured if Ward wasn't as good as someone who was eliminated halfway through the season in 2010, there was no way he could win.
The three finalists heading into Tuesday's show were Ward and Johnson, Chelsea Kane and her partner Mark Ballas and Kirstie Alley and her partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy.
Chelsea and Mark seemed to be Team Ward's biggest rivals for the trophy. Last week the final four teams competed against each other, with the winners of the semifinal dances competing in a final with the prize being 25 extra points from the judges. Chelsea and Mark beat Hines and Kym and earned the extra edge going into the final.
As if it wasn't bad enough that there might not be football in September, we were reduced to fearing a Disney Channel star the same way we fear Ray Lewis.
It turned out the team of Chelsea and Mark became the Patriots of the dance floor. They were the best team during the season but couldn't get it done when it mattered most. Chelsea and Mark were the first team eliminated Tuesday night, making Kirstie Alley and her partner the final obstacle between Ward and the mirror ball.
Please.
Ward and Johnson were probably helped by votes from Steelers Nation. There were plenty of Terrible Towels in the "Dancing with the Stars" studio.
Somehow I don't see the Dawg Pound going over quite as well there.
*-That courtship met its excruciating demise during the Steelers' infamous five-game losing streak in 2009. Coincidence? I think not.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Mendenhall starts blog to clarify comments
By Mike Batista
Rashard Mendenhall has broken his 48-hour silence. On Wednesday afternoon, the Steelers' running back started a blog in which he attempted to clarify his Twitter comments about the death of Osama bin Laden.
Without the constraints of Twitter's 140-character limit, Mendenhall expressed an appreciation for our troops and a sympathy for those who lost loved ones on 9/11.
However, there are a couple of things he said that I disagree with. He said "Earlier this week, parts of the world watched us in horror celebrating a man’s death."
First of all, he could have used a little editing. The structure of the sentence is a little unclear. It sounds like he's saying that the United States was the only country celebrating bin Laden's death.
I don't think that's true.
Bin Laden was responsible for the death of not only Americans, but people all over the world. I agree that bin Laden's death might have horrified some, but I think that horror is limited to Muslim extremists. I don't think that segment of the population really amounts to any legitimate "part of the world."
On Sept. 11, 2001, there was video of adults and children in the Middle East celebrating the attacks on America. I'm confident in saying that many more in the world were horrified at those celebrations than the celebrations outside the White House and in Times Square on Sunday night.
Mendenhall deemed our celebration over bin Laden's death "hypocrisy." I disagree. We're rejoicing in the death of one ruthless killer. Bin Laden rejoiced in the death of nearly 3,000 innocent people in a single day.
On his "@R_Mendenhall" Twitter profile, Mendenhall fashions himself a "Conversationalist and Professional Athlete."
At this point in his life "Professional Athlete" needs to come before "Conversationalist."
If it did, he wouldn't be in this mess.
In Mendenhall's last tweet before starting his blog, he said "There is not an ignorant bone in my body. I just encourage you to #think."
OK, fine. We shouldn't always take what we see on the news at face value. But if Mendenhall is going to tell us to "think," as a Pittsburgh Steeler he should think about the fact that he's working for Dan Rooney, the U.S. ambassador to Ireland. He also should think about western Pennsylvania's role as the first theater in the war on terror.
Almost a decade after the heroes of Flight 93 saved who knows how many lives before perishing in Shanksville, elite Navy SEALS came face-to-face with the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks and killed him without any casualties to Americans.
Something tells me most of the guys on this highly dangerous mission would have held onto the football had they been hit by Clay Matthews in the Super Bowl.
Unlike Mendenhall, Ben Roethlisberger and Santonio Holmes displayed grace under pressure in the Super Bowl, yet Holmes was shipped out of Pittsburgh partly because of Twitter comments, and there was talk that the Steelers tried to get rid of Roethlisberger for his transgressions.
Roethlisberger and Holmes shouldn't have done some of the things they did. Mendenhall, however, does have a right to his opinion and free speech.
Nonetheless, instead of trying to be a historian, whether it comes to 9/11 or slavery, this should be an offseason in which Mendenhall concentrates on learning how to hang onto the football. After all, that is what he gets paid for.
Mendenhall is more articulate and well-rounded than the average football player. He writes poetry and plays the clarinet. Sometimes I wonder if he's too smart and civilized to be a long-term success in this brutal game.
Unless the NFL lockout delays the start of the season, Mendenhall will next play meaningful football on Sept. 11, the 10th anniversary of 9/11. If the Steelers were to start the season at Heinz Field, Mendenhall would at best get a lukewarm response from the fans. But the Steelers don't start the season at home. They start it in Baltimore, where Mendenhall is hated to begin with just because he's a Steeler. Imagine the response he's going to get if he doesn't make amends for his comments between now and then.
On the football field, Mendenhall's always been somewhat cloaked in a shroud of mystery. With a talented stable of receivers and an elite quarterback like Roethlisberger, Mendenhall is sometimes an afterthought. Despite his 1,273 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns last season, he averaged just 3.9 yards per carry, I still don't feel like he's broken out as a top-tier running back.
Mendenhall was on the brink of A-List stardom after gaining 121 yards with a touchdown in the Steelers' AFC championship win over the Jets. His 4.5-yard-per-carry clip in that game was sustained in the first three quarters of the Super Bowl.
But his fumble restored the doubts.
My desire for more from Mendenhall is not limited to what I see on Sundays. The enigma transcends the game. Having heard about his interests outside of football, I guess I've wanted to know more about him as a person.
Just not in this way.
Rashard Mendenhall has broken his 48-hour silence. On Wednesday afternoon, the Steelers' running back started a blog in which he attempted to clarify his Twitter comments about the death of Osama bin Laden.
Without the constraints of Twitter's 140-character limit, Mendenhall expressed an appreciation for our troops and a sympathy for those who lost loved ones on 9/11.
However, there are a couple of things he said that I disagree with. He said "Earlier this week, parts of the world watched us in horror celebrating a man’s death."
First of all, he could have used a little editing. The structure of the sentence is a little unclear. It sounds like he's saying that the United States was the only country celebrating bin Laden's death.
I don't think that's true.
Bin Laden was responsible for the death of not only Americans, but people all over the world. I agree that bin Laden's death might have horrified some, but I think that horror is limited to Muslim extremists. I don't think that segment of the population really amounts to any legitimate "part of the world."
On Sept. 11, 2001, there was video of adults and children in the Middle East celebrating the attacks on America. I'm confident in saying that many more in the world were horrified at those celebrations than the celebrations outside the White House and in Times Square on Sunday night.
Mendenhall deemed our celebration over bin Laden's death "hypocrisy." I disagree. We're rejoicing in the death of one ruthless killer. Bin Laden rejoiced in the death of nearly 3,000 innocent people in a single day.
On his "@R_Mendenhall" Twitter profile, Mendenhall fashions himself a "Conversationalist and Professional Athlete."
At this point in his life "Professional Athlete" needs to come before "Conversationalist."
If it did, he wouldn't be in this mess.
In Mendenhall's last tweet before starting his blog, he said "There is not an ignorant bone in my body. I just encourage you to #think."
OK, fine. We shouldn't always take what we see on the news at face value. But if Mendenhall is going to tell us to "think," as a Pittsburgh Steeler he should think about the fact that he's working for Dan Rooney, the U.S. ambassador to Ireland. He also should think about western Pennsylvania's role as the first theater in the war on terror.
Almost a decade after the heroes of Flight 93 saved who knows how many lives before perishing in Shanksville, elite Navy SEALS came face-to-face with the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks and killed him without any casualties to Americans.
Something tells me most of the guys on this highly dangerous mission would have held onto the football had they been hit by Clay Matthews in the Super Bowl.
Unlike Mendenhall, Ben Roethlisberger and Santonio Holmes displayed grace under pressure in the Super Bowl, yet Holmes was shipped out of Pittsburgh partly because of Twitter comments, and there was talk that the Steelers tried to get rid of Roethlisberger for his transgressions.
Roethlisberger and Holmes shouldn't have done some of the things they did. Mendenhall, however, does have a right to his opinion and free speech.
Nonetheless, instead of trying to be a historian, whether it comes to 9/11 or slavery, this should be an offseason in which Mendenhall concentrates on learning how to hang onto the football. After all, that is what he gets paid for.
Mendenhall is more articulate and well-rounded than the average football player. He writes poetry and plays the clarinet. Sometimes I wonder if he's too smart and civilized to be a long-term success in this brutal game.
Unless the NFL lockout delays the start of the season, Mendenhall will next play meaningful football on Sept. 11, the 10th anniversary of 9/11. If the Steelers were to start the season at Heinz Field, Mendenhall would at best get a lukewarm response from the fans. But the Steelers don't start the season at home. They start it in Baltimore, where Mendenhall is hated to begin with just because he's a Steeler. Imagine the response he's going to get if he doesn't make amends for his comments between now and then.
On the football field, Mendenhall's always been somewhat cloaked in a shroud of mystery. With a talented stable of receivers and an elite quarterback like Roethlisberger, Mendenhall is sometimes an afterthought. Despite his 1,273 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns last season, he averaged just 3.9 yards per carry, I still don't feel like he's broken out as a top-tier running back.
Mendenhall was on the brink of A-List stardom after gaining 121 yards with a touchdown in the Steelers' AFC championship win over the Jets. His 4.5-yard-per-carry clip in that game was sustained in the first three quarters of the Super Bowl.
But his fumble restored the doubts.
My desire for more from Mendenhall is not limited to what I see on Sundays. The enigma transcends the game. Having heard about his interests outside of football, I guess I've wanted to know more about him as a person.
Just not in this way.
Monday, May 2, 2011
2011 NFL draft: Meet the new Steelers
By Mike Batista
As I write this, I'm watching Hines Ward on TV wearing a brown, Snickers-like outfit. I'm not sure whether to evaluate the Steelers' draft picks in terms of their football talent or their "Dancing with the Stars" potential.
The Steelers certainly went by the book in this draft, methodically addressing their top three needs at cornerback, defensive line and offensive line.
They didn't get an heir-apparent to Casey Hampton at nose tackle, which they'll need in a couple of years. They also could have used a safety since Ryan Clark's not getting any younger. But I'm hearing Crezdon Butler, drafted as a cornerback in the fifth round last year, might be able to play safety if he develops.
It also wouldn't have hurt the Steelers if they took a quarterback to back up Ben Roethlisberger. Charlie Batch and Byron Leftwich are in their twilight, and it's hard to tell yet if Dennis Dixon is legitimate.
But with just the standard seven selections, one in each round, the Steelers didn't have a lot of room for luxury picks. So they stockpiled their top three need areas. It's hard to argue with that.
Before I take a look at the Steelers' picks, let me just provide a disclaimer.
I hardly ever watch college football. It's hard enough protecting 16 Sundays (or more) during the fall and early winter. If I was equally adamant about watching college football every Saturday, not only would I not have a life, I wouldn't have a job.
I used scouting reports from USA Today (and they used NFL Draft Scout) and Scott Wright's Draft Countdown in reviewing the Steelers picks.
And of course we know that without seeing any of these guys play a down in the NFL, it's sheer tomfoolery to evaluate a draft. So with that in mind, let's evaluate the Steelers' draft:
Cameron Heyward, DE, Ohio State (6-5, 294): The son of former Pitt running back Craig "Ironhead" Heyward is a feel-good as well as a functional first-round pick for the Steelers. He can rush the passer and stop the run. Heyward gives the Steelers some new blood on the ends of the defensive line, where Aaron Smith is 35 and coming off an injury, and Brett Keisel is 32. Hopefully Hood and Heyward (how's that for alliteration?) can be the Steelers' defensive ends of the future.
Marcus Gilbert, OT, Florida (6-6, 330): The Steelers get more Gator-aid in the second round. Gilbert will join former Florida teammate Maurkice Pouncey. Hopefully that gives the Steelers some built-in chemistry on the O-Line. Gilbert is highly regarded as a pass blocker, but might only be average as a run blocker. Offensive tackles are always looked at for their ability to play left tackle because they protect the quarterback's blind side, and Gilbert has left-tackle potential. Gilbert's father, Jeff Gilbert, knew a little about protecting blind sides. He was a Secret Service agent for Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.
Curtis Brown, CB, Texas (6-0, 185): First, let me ask how it is that the Patriots always seem to have 15 picks in every draft. Is that shyster Belichick doing some kind of card trick so that the Patriots get every other pick? We knew the Steelers would take a corner in Round 2 or 3 on the second day of the draft. My top choice would have been Ras-I Dowling of Virginia, a guy who probably would have been a first rounder had he not been injured. So what do you know, the Patriots take Dowling with the first pick of the second round. Reason No. 3,519 to hate the Patriots. Now that I have that off my chest, Brown was a thumbs-down guy in my draft preview, but I was really on the fence about it. I thought he was an intriguing pick as a potential special teams ace, but that he shouldn't be the prize cornerback of the draft for the Steelers. In taking another look at the scouting reports, the only real problem with this guy is he's a little small and maybe not the strongest guy on the field. But he's got everything else, including ball skills and enough speed to correct mistakes in coverage. The more I think about it, the more I like this pick in the third round.
Cortez Allen, CB, Citadel (6-1, 197): As if Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert read my mind, the Steelers hedged their bets on Brown, but I thought this was a curious fourth-round pick. My second choice at cornerback for Day 2 of the draft was Davon House of New Mexico State, and he was still available here. But the Steelers took Allen instead, and the now-hated Packers snapped up House with the next pick in the fourth round. What I liked about House was that not only does he have good ball skills, he's also a very good interception returner. That brought Troy Polamalu to mind. Scott Wright's Draft Countdown labeled House with one of the keywords I looked for when reading about cornerbacks: "short memory." That site, as well as USA Today, had House ranked way ahead of Allen. OK, this capsule should be more about Allen than House, but Scott Wright had Allen ranked so low he didn't even have a scouting report on him. From what I saw on USA Today, Allen has good ball skills and teams didn't like throwing his way. I guess that counts for something. And don't forget, Ike Taylor was a fourth-round pick.
Chris Carter, OLB, Fresno State (6-1, 248): Just like you can't have too much pitching in baseball, it seems the Steelers can never have too many linebackers. Carter, chosen in the fifth round, has a variety of pass rushing moves, but needs some work to develop into a regular 3-4 linebacker.
Keith Williams, OG, Nebraska (6-4, 318): The sixth-rounder is the second offensive lineman picked by the Steelers, showing how serious they are about upgrading the unit. I like the words "nasty streak" in USA Today's capsule. It'll be interesting to see what happens if Sean Kugler can coach him up.
Baron Batch, RB, Texas Tech (5-10, 207): The seventh-rounder is the Steelers' only luxury pick of the draft. Projects as a third-round back.
As I write this, I'm watching Hines Ward on TV wearing a brown, Snickers-like outfit. I'm not sure whether to evaluate the Steelers' draft picks in terms of their football talent or their "Dancing with the Stars" potential.
The Steelers certainly went by the book in this draft, methodically addressing their top three needs at cornerback, defensive line and offensive line.
They didn't get an heir-apparent to Casey Hampton at nose tackle, which they'll need in a couple of years. They also could have used a safety since Ryan Clark's not getting any younger. But I'm hearing Crezdon Butler, drafted as a cornerback in the fifth round last year, might be able to play safety if he develops.
It also wouldn't have hurt the Steelers if they took a quarterback to back up Ben Roethlisberger. Charlie Batch and Byron Leftwich are in their twilight, and it's hard to tell yet if Dennis Dixon is legitimate.
But with just the standard seven selections, one in each round, the Steelers didn't have a lot of room for luxury picks. So they stockpiled their top three need areas. It's hard to argue with that.
Before I take a look at the Steelers' picks, let me just provide a disclaimer.
I hardly ever watch college football. It's hard enough protecting 16 Sundays (or more) during the fall and early winter. If I was equally adamant about watching college football every Saturday, not only would I not have a life, I wouldn't have a job.
I used scouting reports from USA Today (and they used NFL Draft Scout) and Scott Wright's Draft Countdown in reviewing the Steelers picks.
And of course we know that without seeing any of these guys play a down in the NFL, it's sheer tomfoolery to evaluate a draft. So with that in mind, let's evaluate the Steelers' draft:
Cameron Heyward, DE, Ohio State (6-5, 294): The son of former Pitt running back Craig "Ironhead" Heyward is a feel-good as well as a functional first-round pick for the Steelers. He can rush the passer and stop the run. Heyward gives the Steelers some new blood on the ends of the defensive line, where Aaron Smith is 35 and coming off an injury, and Brett Keisel is 32. Hopefully Hood and Heyward (how's that for alliteration?) can be the Steelers' defensive ends of the future.
Marcus Gilbert, OT, Florida (6-6, 330): The Steelers get more Gator-aid in the second round. Gilbert will join former Florida teammate Maurkice Pouncey. Hopefully that gives the Steelers some built-in chemistry on the O-Line. Gilbert is highly regarded as a pass blocker, but might only be average as a run blocker. Offensive tackles are always looked at for their ability to play left tackle because they protect the quarterback's blind side, and Gilbert has left-tackle potential. Gilbert's father, Jeff Gilbert, knew a little about protecting blind sides. He was a Secret Service agent for Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.
Curtis Brown, CB, Texas (6-0, 185): First, let me ask how it is that the Patriots always seem to have 15 picks in every draft. Is that shyster Belichick doing some kind of card trick so that the Patriots get every other pick? We knew the Steelers would take a corner in Round 2 or 3 on the second day of the draft. My top choice would have been Ras-I Dowling of Virginia, a guy who probably would have been a first rounder had he not been injured. So what do you know, the Patriots take Dowling with the first pick of the second round. Reason No. 3,519 to hate the Patriots. Now that I have that off my chest, Brown was a thumbs-down guy in my draft preview, but I was really on the fence about it. I thought he was an intriguing pick as a potential special teams ace, but that he shouldn't be the prize cornerback of the draft for the Steelers. In taking another look at the scouting reports, the only real problem with this guy is he's a little small and maybe not the strongest guy on the field. But he's got everything else, including ball skills and enough speed to correct mistakes in coverage. The more I think about it, the more I like this pick in the third round.
Cortez Allen, CB, Citadel (6-1, 197): As if Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert read my mind, the Steelers hedged their bets on Brown, but I thought this was a curious fourth-round pick. My second choice at cornerback for Day 2 of the draft was Davon House of New Mexico State, and he was still available here. But the Steelers took Allen instead, and the now-hated Packers snapped up House with the next pick in the fourth round. What I liked about House was that not only does he have good ball skills, he's also a very good interception returner. That brought Troy Polamalu to mind. Scott Wright's Draft Countdown labeled House with one of the keywords I looked for when reading about cornerbacks: "short memory." That site, as well as USA Today, had House ranked way ahead of Allen. OK, this capsule should be more about Allen than House, but Scott Wright had Allen ranked so low he didn't even have a scouting report on him. From what I saw on USA Today, Allen has good ball skills and teams didn't like throwing his way. I guess that counts for something. And don't forget, Ike Taylor was a fourth-round pick.
Chris Carter, OLB, Fresno State (6-1, 248): Just like you can't have too much pitching in baseball, it seems the Steelers can never have too many linebackers. Carter, chosen in the fifth round, has a variety of pass rushing moves, but needs some work to develop into a regular 3-4 linebacker.
Keith Williams, OG, Nebraska (6-4, 318): The sixth-rounder is the second offensive lineman picked by the Steelers, showing how serious they are about upgrading the unit. I like the words "nasty streak" in USA Today's capsule. It'll be interesting to see what happens if Sean Kugler can coach him up.
Baron Batch, RB, Texas Tech (5-10, 207): The seventh-rounder is the Steelers' only luxury pick of the draft. Projects as a third-round back.
America rejoices; NFL squabbles
By Mike Batista
The historic events of the last 24 hours give me a chance to revisit a post from about a month ago.
Our brave military was able to find and kill Osama bin Laden, something that many of us thought would never happen in our lives.
So, players and owners, finding a way to divide $9 billion doesn't seem like such a big task now, does it?
What do you say we start the season on time and have football on the 10th anniversary of 9/11?
Major League Baseball wiped out the 1994 World Series because of a strike. But even they were able to clean up their labor mess in 2002 and stay in business on the first anniversary of 9/11.
If baseball can do it, NFL, so can you. Right now, we're celebrating bin Laden's death. We're going to want to do it again on Sept. 11. Help us do it by playing football.
The historic events of the last 24 hours give me a chance to revisit a post from about a month ago.
Our brave military was able to find and kill Osama bin Laden, something that many of us thought would never happen in our lives.
So, players and owners, finding a way to divide $9 billion doesn't seem like such a big task now, does it?
What do you say we start the season on time and have football on the 10th anniversary of 9/11?
Major League Baseball wiped out the 1994 World Series because of a strike. But even they were able to clean up their labor mess in 2002 and stay in business on the first anniversary of 9/11.
If baseball can do it, NFL, so can you. Right now, we're celebrating bin Laden's death. We're going to want to do it again on Sept. 11. Help us do it by playing football.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Steelers draft Ironhead's son
By Mike Batista
If there's anyone out there who still wishes the Steelers had drafted Pitt running back Craig "Ironhead" Heyward in 1988, hopefully they have more than made up for it by drafting his son Thursday night.
The Steelers chose Ohio State defensive end Cameron Heyward with the 31st pick. The 6-foot-5, 294-pounder was one of my thumbs-up guys in my draft analysis. He can stop the run and rush the passer.
Heyward fills a need on the Steelers' aging defensive line. Who knows if 35-year-old Aaron Smith will ever be the same, and Brett Keisel is 32.
So now it becomes that much more important that the Steelers choose a cornerback in the second round. Many mock drafters had Aaron Williams of Texas going to them in the first round. I would have been pissed if they picked him. He's more of a safety.
Franco Harris will announce the Steelers' second-round pick tonight. I want to hear him say either "Ras-I Dowling of Virginia" or "Davon House of New Mexico State."
Hopefully one of those guys will be available when the Steelers pick at No. 63 overall. Besides Williams, Miami's Brandon Harris is likely regarded as the best corner still available. Hopefully other teams snap them up and increase the likelihood that Dowling or House are still on the board when the Steelers pick. If I had my choice between the two, I'd go with Dowling.
I hope the Steelers don't pick Brandon Burton of Utah, Curtis Brown of Texas, Johnny Patrick of Louisville, Shareece Wright of USC or Chimdi Chekwa of Ohio State.
If the Steelers have to trade up in the second round to ensure they get Dowling or House, I could probably live with them giving up a third or fourth round pick this year or a mid-round pick next year, because they will have addressed the defense with their first two picks.
The other good news from the first round of the draft is that Mike Pouncey, Maurkice Pouncey's twin brother, was not drafted by Team Evil up in Foxborough.
If there's anyone out there who still wishes the Steelers had drafted Pitt running back Craig "Ironhead" Heyward in 1988, hopefully they have more than made up for it by drafting his son Thursday night.
The Steelers chose Ohio State defensive end Cameron Heyward with the 31st pick. The 6-foot-5, 294-pounder was one of my thumbs-up guys in my draft analysis. He can stop the run and rush the passer.
Heyward fills a need on the Steelers' aging defensive line. Who knows if 35-year-old Aaron Smith will ever be the same, and Brett Keisel is 32.
So now it becomes that much more important that the Steelers choose a cornerback in the second round. Many mock drafters had Aaron Williams of Texas going to them in the first round. I would have been pissed if they picked him. He's more of a safety.
Franco Harris will announce the Steelers' second-round pick tonight. I want to hear him say either "Ras-I Dowling of Virginia" or "Davon House of New Mexico State."
Hopefully one of those guys will be available when the Steelers pick at No. 63 overall. Besides Williams, Miami's Brandon Harris is likely regarded as the best corner still available. Hopefully other teams snap them up and increase the likelihood that Dowling or House are still on the board when the Steelers pick. If I had my choice between the two, I'd go with Dowling.
I hope the Steelers don't pick Brandon Burton of Utah, Curtis Brown of Texas, Johnny Patrick of Louisville, Shareece Wright of USC or Chimdi Chekwa of Ohio State.
If the Steelers have to trade up in the second round to ensure they get Dowling or House, I could probably live with them giving up a third or fourth round pick this year or a mid-round pick next year, because they will have addressed the defense with their first two picks.
The other good news from the first round of the draft is that Mike Pouncey, Maurkice Pouncey's twin brother, was not drafted by Team Evil up in Foxborough.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
2011 Steelers Draft Preview
Oh, brother, don't do it
Maybe Coors can make a new "twins" commercial with the Pouncey brothers both wearing black and gold Speedos.
As unsettling as that sounds, it's the least of the reasons why the Steelers should not trade up in the draft to get Mike Pouncey.
Rumors are flying around this morning that the Steelers want to move up in the first round to take Pouncey, the guard from Florida and twin brother of Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey.
Maurkice Pouncey kicked ass as a rookie. So I could see why the Steelers might have googly eyes for someone who looks just like him.
The word is that if Pouncey slips to No. 20 in the first round, the Steelers might try to make a trade with Tampa Bay, which owns that pick. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is close with Buccaneers' coach Raheem Morris.
Making that trade wouldn't completely gut this year's draft like a trade into the top 10. According to the draft pick value chart, to get the 20th pick, the Steelers would have to give up their first and third round picks this year and maybe a third round pick next year.
If the Steelers pulled the trigger and got Pouncey at No. 20, they'd have just one more pick in the first three rounds. Not good for a team that needs to get younger on defense.
Sure, it would be cool to have brothers on the same team. But this is the NFL, not Pop Warner. The Steelers don't go to Friendly's after the game.
I don't think the Steelers will let sentiment get in the way of ensuring that they remain an elite team in the coming years.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
2011 Steelers Draft Preview
Will Ike stay or will Ike go?
By Mike Batista
It's hard to say right now whether Steelers free agent cornerback Ike Taylor will take his "swagger" elsewhere.
The Pittsburgh Tribune Review says that Taylor is as good as gone, but the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette, the dean of Steelers scribes, isn't so sure.
Either way, cornerback needs to be a high priority in the draft for the Steelers.
Because he's currently unsigned, the Steelers seem to be entering the draft as if Taylor is not part of the team.
Without Taylor, the knee-jerk reaction might be to trade up in the first round to land an elite cornerback like Patrick Peterson or Prince Amukamara, both likely top-10 picks. But the Steelers don't operate that way, nor should they in this case.
To trade into the top 10, the Steelers would have to sacrifice a lot of picks in this draft and probably next year's draft. That wouldn't be a good idea, because this team isn't getting any younger. Without a lot of new blood coming in, the Steelers might be OK at cornerback with an Amukamara or Peterson, but areas of need will sprout up everywhere else as players age and their skills decline.
If anything, the Steelers should trade out of the first round. They enter this draft with the standard stock of one pick in each of the seven rounds. Trading out of the first round will give them a couple of extra picks. That would help combat the team's aging process and increase the Steelers' chances of landing that hidden gem.
The other reason the Steelers should trade out of their No. 31 pick in the first round is because the players I'd like to see them get either will be gone by the time they pick or aren't worth a first-round pick and would be a better value in the second and third round.
According to the value chart for trading NFL draft picks, the 31st pick can get the Steelers an early second round pick and an early fourth-round pick. Or a mid-second round and a mid-third round pick.
Besides cornerback, the Steelers also are needy on the offensive and defensive lines. Here's a look at six players in each of those areas who might be available when the Steelers pick. USA Today and Scott Wright's Draft Countdown were used for research.
CORNERBACK
Curtis Brown, Texas, 6-0, 185: Not very strong and not a good tackler. But an intriguing prospect because of his skills on special teams coverage. He shouldn't be taken before the third round, and even then I'd be more comfortable picking him only if the Steelers had extra second and third round picks. Definitely shouldn't be their prize cornerback pick of the draft. THUMBS DOWN
Brandon Burton, Utah, 6-0, 190: Lacks ball skills. Getting a good cornerback is difficult. Getting a cornerback who's so good that he doesn't need ball skills, like Ike Taylor, is even more difficult. What are the chances the Steelers will be able to pull that off twice? THUMBS DOWN
Ras-I Dowling, Virginia, 6-1, 198: His stock has fallen because of injuries that wiped out most of his 2010 season. But he's got size and ball skills and he likes to hit. He might have been a first-round pick before the injuries, but if he's available at the end of the second round, or if the Steelers can trade up to the middle or early second round, they should take him. THUMBS UP
Brandon Harris, Miami, 5-10, 191: Too small, iffy tackler and got burned in the Sun Bowl against Notre Dame. THUMBS DOWN
Davon House, New Mexico State, 6-1, 200: There is a small-school risk here, but this guy has good ball skills and good return skills after making the interception. Good value at the end of the second round. THUMBS UP
Aaron Williams, Texas, 6-0, 204: The mock draft community seems to have anointed Williams as the Steelers' pick. But I don't think he'd be a good fit. He seems to be more of a safety than a cornerback. THUMBS DOWN
OFFENSIVE LINE
Marcus Cannon, TCU, 6-5, 358: Likely to end up as a guard in the NFL. Too many holes in his game. Not enough of a mean streak. THUMBS DOWN
Gabe Carimi, Wisconsin, 6-7, 314: Probably won't be there at No. 31, but Rashard Mendenhall fell about 10 picks in 2008, so you never know. Successor to Joe Thomas at left tackle with the Badgers, and says he can play left tackle in the NFL. Doesn't lack for confidence or intelligence. THUMBS UP
James Carpenter, Alabama, 6-4, 321: Could be heir apparent to Flozell Adams at right tackle. A second or third rounder. THUMBS UP
Orlando Franklin, Miami, 6-6, 316: Mel Kiper had him going to the Steelers in the first round at one point. Could be guard or right tackle in NFL. But his knee is a concern and he might lack intelligence for the game. THUMBS DOWN
Derek Sherrod, Mississippi State, 6-5, 321: Left tackle potential, but not a good enough run blocker. THUMBS DOWN
Nate Solder, Colorado, 6-8, 319: Another guy who might be off the board by the time the Steelers pick at 31. Tallest of the top 15 offensive tackles at 6-8, and the only one to run the 40 in less than five seconds (4.96). Has the potential to play the all-important "Blind Side" left tackle position. THUMBS UP
DEFENSIVE LINE
Marvin Austin, North Carolina, 6-2, 309: Character issues. Suspended for 2010 season after accepting gifts from an agent. THUMBS DOWN
Kendrick Ellis, Hampton, 6-5, 346: Character issues. Supposedly kicked off team at South Carolina because of failed drug tests. THUMBS DOWN
Cameron Heyward, Ohio State, 6-5, 294: Son of Craig "Ironhead" Heyward. Versatile defensive end who can rush the passer and stop the run. THUMBS UP
Stephen Paea, Oregon State, 6-1, 303: Natural run stopper. Not sure if he projects as a nose tackle in a 3-4 defense, but it would be worth a shot. The Steelers need a successor to Casey Hampton at some point. Not worth the 31st pick, but if he's there in the second round, the Steelers should take him. THUMBS UP
Phil Taylor, Baylor, 6-3, 334: A natural nose tackle, but he's another one with character issues. Got kicked off team at Penn State. THUMBS DOWN
Muhammad Wilkerson, Temple, 6-4, 315: Might be more of a defensive end in the NFL. Also might be a bit of a project, but worth the risk. THUMBS UP
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Cramming for the draft
I haven't updated this site in a while because I've been busy trying to decide how I'll spend Sunday afternoons in the fall. With no NFL games to watch, maybe I'll take basket weaving or pottery classes, or perhaps audition for a role in a medieval fair. I hear those giant turkey legs are free if you're in the cast.
There's the NFL draft on April 28, after which the only NFL on TV will involve dudes in suits walking into limos after yawn-inspiring negotiating sessions.
Two years ago, I studied the NFL draft as if I were getting a doctorate in it. Then I blogged live during the draft, which fell on the first real spring-like day of the year, going cuckoo for cocoa puffs over guys like Kraig Urbik and A.Q. Shipley.
There was a lot less hype in these pages last spring about Maurkice Pouncey, Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown. But I more than made up for it when they started playing games.
I'm hoping that approach works again this season with my draft coverage. I've finally found the time to start looking at mock drafts and scouting reports and plan to have my ONE pre-draft column sometime in the next week or so.
In the meantime, what better way to kick off my draft blogging than taking a shot at Tom Brady.
Did anyone see Brady crying on ESPN when he talked about not being drafted until the sixth round in 2000? Are you kidding me with this?
What we didn't see was Brady's acting coach behind the camera. He worked up those tears because he's angling for a career on the silver screen when his playing days are over. It was contrived, just like Brady's chewing out of his teammates on the sidelines during the Patriots' game in Pittsburgh last season. He knows where the cameras are.
During that piece, the camera panned across a card that indicated the Steelers drafted quarterback Tee Martin 36 picks ahead of Brady. When reminded of that, my tears were quite real.
I haven't updated this site in a while because I've been busy trying to decide how I'll spend Sunday afternoons in the fall. With no NFL games to watch, maybe I'll take basket weaving or pottery classes, or perhaps audition for a role in a medieval fair. I hear those giant turkey legs are free if you're in the cast.
There's the NFL draft on April 28, after which the only NFL on TV will involve dudes in suits walking into limos after yawn-inspiring negotiating sessions.
Two years ago, I studied the NFL draft as if I were getting a doctorate in it. Then I blogged live during the draft, which fell on the first real spring-like day of the year, going cuckoo for cocoa puffs over guys like Kraig Urbik and A.Q. Shipley.
There was a lot less hype in these pages last spring about Maurkice Pouncey, Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown. But I more than made up for it when they started playing games.
I'm hoping that approach works again this season with my draft coverage. I've finally found the time to start looking at mock drafts and scouting reports and plan to have my ONE pre-draft column sometime in the next week or so.
In the meantime, what better way to kick off my draft blogging than taking a shot at Tom Brady.
Did anyone see Brady crying on ESPN when he talked about not being drafted until the sixth round in 2000? Are you kidding me with this?
What we didn't see was Brady's acting coach behind the camera. He worked up those tears because he's angling for a career on the silver screen when his playing days are over. It was contrived, just like Brady's chewing out of his teammates on the sidelines during the Patriots' game in Pittsburgh last season. He knows where the cameras are.
During that piece, the camera panned across a card that indicated the Steelers drafted quarterback Tee Martin 36 picks ahead of Brady. When reminded of that, my tears were quite real.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Why the NFL better not
miss any games
By Mike Batista
I'm not going speak legalese here.
The facts are that the NFL Players Association and the owners couldn't come to an agreement before Friday's deadline. Now the owners have locked out the players, the union has decertified and blah, blah, blah ...
It's too early to tell if we're going to lose any regular-season games because of this mess. But has anyone looked at a calendar and seen when the first Sunday of the NFL regular season would be?
If the NFL maintains its recent pattern of starting the regular season after Labor Day, there would be the Thursday night opener hosted by the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers (which I say through clenched teeth) on Sept. 8. Then the first Sunday of the regular season would be on Sept. 11.
That would be the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, the day known simply as 9/11. If the start of the NFL season is delayed by just one week, there would be no football on Sept. 11.
The first Sunday of a new NFL season would be a welcome diversion as America mourns the most solemn day in its modern history. Teams hosting games that day would have a chance before kickoff to honor those lost, thank those fighting for our freedom and celebrate the American way of life in a spectacular manner.
It would be a shame if stadiums were empty that day because of greed.
OK, so Polamalu was hurt
When I finally got around to reading Sports Illustrated's account of Super Bowl XLV, I didn't believe it when I read that Troy Polamalu was hurt during the postseason.
When he came back for the regular-season finale in Cleveland, he was all over the field in the first half. And even though he was largely a non-factor against the Ravens and Jets, I remember one play in which Polamalu was at least 20 yards downfield and ran all the way back to make a tackle near the line of scrimmage.
I didn't buy the theory that Polamalu was hurt. I just thought he had a bad Super Bowl.
Now, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says that Polamalu was battling an injured Achilles tendon throughout the playoffs.
Of course I do need to employ a healthy skepticism here. This could be excuse-making. But the story uses unnamed sources, so this wasn't something Polamalu came out and announced himself. He's a private person and doesn't strike me as the type to make excuses.
But the revelation that Polamalu was injured doesn't make me feel any better.
Now I've gone from a "wtf?" mentality about Polamalu's disappearing act in Dallas to an "if only" mentality. A healthy Polamalu almost certainly would have been enough to tilt that tight Super Bowl in the Steelers' favor.
Considering how hobbled Polamalu was, it's amazing how close the Steelers came to another championship.
Damn.
miss any games
By Mike Batista
I'm not going speak legalese here.
The facts are that the NFL Players Association and the owners couldn't come to an agreement before Friday's deadline. Now the owners have locked out the players, the union has decertified and blah, blah, blah ...
It's too early to tell if we're going to lose any regular-season games because of this mess. But has anyone looked at a calendar and seen when the first Sunday of the NFL regular season would be?
If the NFL maintains its recent pattern of starting the regular season after Labor Day, there would be the Thursday night opener hosted by the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers (which I say through clenched teeth) on Sept. 8. Then the first Sunday of the regular season would be on Sept. 11.
That would be the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, the day known simply as 9/11. If the start of the NFL season is delayed by just one week, there would be no football on Sept. 11.
The first Sunday of a new NFL season would be a welcome diversion as America mourns the most solemn day in its modern history. Teams hosting games that day would have a chance before kickoff to honor those lost, thank those fighting for our freedom and celebrate the American way of life in a spectacular manner.
It would be a shame if stadiums were empty that day because of greed.
OK, so Polamalu was hurt
When I finally got around to reading Sports Illustrated's account of Super Bowl XLV, I didn't believe it when I read that Troy Polamalu was hurt during the postseason.
When he came back for the regular-season finale in Cleveland, he was all over the field in the first half. And even though he was largely a non-factor against the Ravens and Jets, I remember one play in which Polamalu was at least 20 yards downfield and ran all the way back to make a tackle near the line of scrimmage.
I didn't buy the theory that Polamalu was hurt. I just thought he had a bad Super Bowl.
Now, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says that Polamalu was battling an injured Achilles tendon throughout the playoffs.
Of course I do need to employ a healthy skepticism here. This could be excuse-making. But the story uses unnamed sources, so this wasn't something Polamalu came out and announced himself. He's a private person and doesn't strike me as the type to make excuses.
But the revelation that Polamalu was injured doesn't make me feel any better.
Now I've gone from a "wtf?" mentality about Polamalu's disappearing act in Dallas to an "if only" mentality. A healthy Polamalu almost certainly would have been enough to tilt that tight Super Bowl in the Steelers' favor.
Considering how hobbled Polamalu was, it's amazing how close the Steelers came to another championship.
Damn.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Starting Over
By Mike Batista
I can't listen to "Black and Yellow" anymore. It hurts too much.
The Steelers' loss to the Packers in Super Bowl XLV is like a painful breakup. And Wiz Khalifa's tune, adopted as an unofficial Steelers anthem during this thrilling season, reminds me of the good times that have come to an end.
After the 2009 season, it was easy to look forward to 2010 because the Steelers didn't even make the playoffs. But it's not so easy to look ahead to 2011, even if there is a season.
This is the first time since 2007 the Steelers have made the playoffs and lost.
When this happens, I think about how far they've come, and how they have to start over again.
The Steelers' 3-1 start without Ben Roethlisberger seemed like a huge accomplishment at the time, but from the vantage point of the Super Bowl, it doesn't seem like a whole lot.
The Steelers might have taken control of the AFC North with their win in Baltimore. But after playing in the Super Bowl, the AFC North seems like baby stuff.
Such regular-season highlights are like people on the ground when you're looking down from the side of a mountain. They look like they're the size of ants.
The Steelers almost made it to the top of that mountain. Now the climb has to start all over again.
By Mike Batista
I can't listen to "Black and Yellow" anymore. It hurts too much.
The Steelers' loss to the Packers in Super Bowl XLV is like a painful breakup. And Wiz Khalifa's tune, adopted as an unofficial Steelers anthem during this thrilling season, reminds me of the good times that have come to an end.
After the 2009 season, it was easy to look forward to 2010 because the Steelers didn't even make the playoffs. But it's not so easy to look ahead to 2011, even if there is a season.
This is the first time since 2007 the Steelers have made the playoffs and lost.
When this happens, I think about how far they've come, and how they have to start over again.
The Steelers' 3-1 start without Ben Roethlisberger seemed like a huge accomplishment at the time, but from the vantage point of the Super Bowl, it doesn't seem like a whole lot.
The Steelers might have taken control of the AFC North with their win in Baltimore. But after playing in the Super Bowl, the AFC North seems like baby stuff.
Such regular-season highlights are like people on the ground when you're looking down from the side of a mountain. They look like they're the size of ants.
The Steelers almost made it to the top of that mountain. Now the climb has to start all over again.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Super Bowl XLV:
Packers 31, Steelers 25
Not your father's Steelers
By Mike Batista
I've watched my last Steelers game.
My last Steelers game before turning 40, that is.
If you're a Steelers fan younger than 40, you probably didn't really get a chance to witness the Steelers' dynasty of the 1970s. Or if you did, you probably couldn't describe the difference between a free safety and a strong safety.
A win in Super Bowl XLV would have provided this generation of Steelers fans with an experience similar to the glory days of the 1970s. I gladly would have accepted three championships in six years as a feat comparable to four in six years.
But these aren't your father's Steelers. They just don't make Steelers Super Bowl teams like they used to. In the post-Steel Curtain era, the Steelers sometimes lose the Super Bowl.
Out of miracles
A lot has happened since Ben Roethlisberger threaded the eye of a needle for the game-winning touchdown to Santonio Holmes in Super Bowl XLIII. The Saints succeeded the Steelers as champions, and we learned (if we didn't know already) that Roethlisberger is not exactly a saint.
Even if Roethlisberger has changed his ways, here's why he still falls short of sainthood: You need two miracles to qualify as a saint. And there would be no second Super Bowl miracle for Roethlisberger.
Sure, it was great theater to see Roethlisberger again assigned the task of leading the Steelers the length of the field with two minutes left in the Super Bowl. But if you keep putting yourself in that spot, sometimes you're going to lose.
A lot has to go right for these epic, career-defining drives to come together. Like Thomas Edison's inventions, some of them just don't work out.
It wasn't a good sign when Mike Wallace, the Steelers' top receiver Sunday with nine catches for 89 yards and a touchdown, had no idea what he was supposed to do on second-and-five from the Steelers' 33. Roethlisberger had to throw the ball away. Then on third down Roethlisberger threw a ball that wasn't close to anyone. The grace of that winning drive in Tampa just wasn't there.
On fourth down, the Packers' sealed their championship when Tramon Williams broke up a pass to Wallace.
The final drive seemed doomed from the start when Keyaron Fox was called for a personal foul on the kickoff, dragging the Steelers from the 26 to their own 13.
Fox joined the Steelers in 2008 and contributed to their championship season as a special teams ace. Unfortunately, he seems to have gone bad. This wasn't the first time he's been flagged this season on a special teams play.
But it wasn't just Fox. Penalties were a problem all season for the Steelers, and they were a problem again Sunday. A blocking-above-the-waist infraction on Ryan Mundy set the stage for the Packers to take control of the game in the first quarter.
That penalty came on the kickoff after the Packers took a 7-0 lead on Aaron Rodgers' 29-yard pass to Jordy Nelson. It put the Steelers on their own 7. Roethlisberger threw the ball on the first play of the drive, but was hit, causing the ball to wobble in the air. It looked like Nick Collins was catching a fly ball in center field for the Brewers as he easily picked the ball off and ran it in 37 yards for a touchdown and a 14-0 Packers lead.
Mistakes, they had a few
Every Steeler is to blame for this mistake-riddled performance. But the penalties by the special teams muckers ultimately will be forgotten. Super Bowl XLV will be remembered by Steelers fans for Roethlisberger's two interceptions and Rashard Mendenhall's fumble.
Roethlisberger's second pick was a throw into double coverage. Jarrett Bush came up with it.
Troy Polamalu then tried to keep the Steelers in the game with his biggest hit of the night. Unfortunately, it didn't do much good because it came in the end zone after Rodgers completed a 21-yard TD pass to Greg Jennings for a 21-3 Packers lead.
I was obviously way off on my prediction of Polamalu being the MVP.
Polamalu hasn't done much in any of the three Super Bowls he's played in, even though the Steelers have won two of them.
The Steelers probably don't get anywhere near the Super Bowl without Polamalu's heist in Baltimore nine weeks earlier. The 2010 Steelers season hinged on that play. The Steelers needed a similar rescue in the Super Bowl.
But it never came.
Troy a hair out of place
With the Steelers down by 18, I started to worry that this would turn into one of those vintage 1980s and early 1990s Super Bores, when the Goliaths of the NFC annually dominated the AFC's best offering. There hadn't really been a Super Bowl blowout in eight years. Were we due for one?
The Steelers didn't allow that to happen.
When facing a big deficit in the first half, the first thing you want to do is get points on the board before halftime. The Steelers did just that. A 37-yard pass to Antwaan Randle-El put the ball on the Packers 40 and sparked a touchdown drive that culminated in an 8-yard TD pass to Hines Ward.
That made the Steelers' halftime deficit a manageable 21-10.
Then in the second half the officials decided to start calling penalties on the Packers. Five of their seven penalties came in the third quarter, including a face mask on a punt that gave the Steelers the ball at midfield.
From there they ran the ball five times, Mendenhall twice, Isaac Redman twice and Roethlisberger once. Mendenhall took it in through traffic from the 8 for a touchdown, cutting the Packers' lead to 21-17 with more than 10 minutes left in the third quarter.
The Steelers made it a game again.
I would rather have not seen the Steelers burn two timeouts in the third quarter, having more than one timeout might have come in handy on the final drive. It was also hard to watch Shaun Suisham attempt a 52-yard field goal. Did anyone really think Suisham was going to make that?
Polamalu looked like he could have had an interception with about two and a half minutes left in the third quarter. Had he been a couple of steps to his left, he might have picked off a third-down incompletion right around the Steelers' 20 with room to run. Even though the Packers were forced to punt, Polamalu had his head in his hands at the end of that play. Like most of the night, he was out of position.
Despite all that, the Steelers' defensive muscle in the third quarter forged a field-position advantage.
With the Packers pinned at their own 13 late in the period, the Steelers forced a three-and-out. On the punt, the Packers were penalized and had to re-kick from their 8. The Steelers were in business at the Packers' 41, and Mendenhall ended the third quarter by picking up eight yards.
Fourth-quarter flop
Many Steelers players participated in the universal football ritual of holding up four fingers at the start of the fourth quarter, a signal that if you want to win the game, this is the time to do it.
Mendenhall didn't get the message. He got the ball again to open the final quarter, and Clay Matthews popped it loose. Desmond Bishop (not Bishop Desmond) recovered the fumble.
The Packers, who didn't turn the ball over in the game, scored for the third time off a Steelers turnover. Rodgers threw an 8-yard TD pass to Jennings, making it 28-17 with 12 minutes left.
Starting with the AFC championship game, Mendenhall played like a top-tier running back for seven quarters. He ran for just 63 yards in the Super Bowl, but at a clip of 4.5 yards a carry. Finally it seemed that Mendenhall would be the guy to provide the Steelers with a productive, clock-grinding ground game in the coming years. But that fumble again planted some seeds of doubt.
So it was back to disaster recovery for the Steelers. And recover they did. They got to within a field goal halfway through the fourth quarter when Roethlisberger threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Wallace and followed that with a pretty option pitch to Randle-El on the two-point conversion.
Ziggy Hood sacked Rodgers to start the ensuing possession, and the Packers eventually were staring at a third-and-10 from their own 25.
Momentum once again belonged to the Steelers.
That's when Rodgers showed why he's the Super Bowl MVP.
He threw to Jennings up the middle for 31 yards. Polamalu might have made his biggest impact of the night when he got his hand on Jennings' leg to stop him. It likely prevented a touchdown.
The Packers ran the clock down and got to the Steelers' 5. But the Steelers defense had enough fight left to hold them to a field goal and give Roethlisberger a chance to win it.
But as a new generation of Steelers fans has learned, you can't win 'em all.
Packers 31, Steelers 25
Not your father's Steelers
By Mike Batista
I've watched my last Steelers game.
My last Steelers game before turning 40, that is.
If you're a Steelers fan younger than 40, you probably didn't really get a chance to witness the Steelers' dynasty of the 1970s. Or if you did, you probably couldn't describe the difference between a free safety and a strong safety.
A win in Super Bowl XLV would have provided this generation of Steelers fans with an experience similar to the glory days of the 1970s. I gladly would have accepted three championships in six years as a feat comparable to four in six years.
But these aren't your father's Steelers. They just don't make Steelers Super Bowl teams like they used to. In the post-Steel Curtain era, the Steelers sometimes lose the Super Bowl.
Out of miracles
A lot has happened since Ben Roethlisberger threaded the eye of a needle for the game-winning touchdown to Santonio Holmes in Super Bowl XLIII. The Saints succeeded the Steelers as champions, and we learned (if we didn't know already) that Roethlisberger is not exactly a saint.
Even if Roethlisberger has changed his ways, here's why he still falls short of sainthood: You need two miracles to qualify as a saint. And there would be no second Super Bowl miracle for Roethlisberger.
Sure, it was great theater to see Roethlisberger again assigned the task of leading the Steelers the length of the field with two minutes left in the Super Bowl. But if you keep putting yourself in that spot, sometimes you're going to lose.
A lot has to go right for these epic, career-defining drives to come together. Like Thomas Edison's inventions, some of them just don't work out.
It wasn't a good sign when Mike Wallace, the Steelers' top receiver Sunday with nine catches for 89 yards and a touchdown, had no idea what he was supposed to do on second-and-five from the Steelers' 33. Roethlisberger had to throw the ball away. Then on third down Roethlisberger threw a ball that wasn't close to anyone. The grace of that winning drive in Tampa just wasn't there.
On fourth down, the Packers' sealed their championship when Tramon Williams broke up a pass to Wallace.
The final drive seemed doomed from the start when Keyaron Fox was called for a personal foul on the kickoff, dragging the Steelers from the 26 to their own 13.
Fox joined the Steelers in 2008 and contributed to their championship season as a special teams ace. Unfortunately, he seems to have gone bad. This wasn't the first time he's been flagged this season on a special teams play.
But it wasn't just Fox. Penalties were a problem all season for the Steelers, and they were a problem again Sunday. A blocking-above-the-waist infraction on Ryan Mundy set the stage for the Packers to take control of the game in the first quarter.
That penalty came on the kickoff after the Packers took a 7-0 lead on Aaron Rodgers' 29-yard pass to Jordy Nelson. It put the Steelers on their own 7. Roethlisberger threw the ball on the first play of the drive, but was hit, causing the ball to wobble in the air. It looked like Nick Collins was catching a fly ball in center field for the Brewers as he easily picked the ball off and ran it in 37 yards for a touchdown and a 14-0 Packers lead.
Mistakes, they had a few
Every Steeler is to blame for this mistake-riddled performance. But the penalties by the special teams muckers ultimately will be forgotten. Super Bowl XLV will be remembered by Steelers fans for Roethlisberger's two interceptions and Rashard Mendenhall's fumble.
Roethlisberger's second pick was a throw into double coverage. Jarrett Bush came up with it.
Troy Polamalu then tried to keep the Steelers in the game with his biggest hit of the night. Unfortunately, it didn't do much good because it came in the end zone after Rodgers completed a 21-yard TD pass to Greg Jennings for a 21-3 Packers lead.
I was obviously way off on my prediction of Polamalu being the MVP.
Polamalu hasn't done much in any of the three Super Bowls he's played in, even though the Steelers have won two of them.
The Steelers probably don't get anywhere near the Super Bowl without Polamalu's heist in Baltimore nine weeks earlier. The 2010 Steelers season hinged on that play. The Steelers needed a similar rescue in the Super Bowl.
But it never came.
Troy a hair out of place
With the Steelers down by 18, I started to worry that this would turn into one of those vintage 1980s and early 1990s Super Bores, when the Goliaths of the NFC annually dominated the AFC's best offering. There hadn't really been a Super Bowl blowout in eight years. Were we due for one?
The Steelers didn't allow that to happen.
When facing a big deficit in the first half, the first thing you want to do is get points on the board before halftime. The Steelers did just that. A 37-yard pass to Antwaan Randle-El put the ball on the Packers 40 and sparked a touchdown drive that culminated in an 8-yard TD pass to Hines Ward.
That made the Steelers' halftime deficit a manageable 21-10.
Then in the second half the officials decided to start calling penalties on the Packers. Five of their seven penalties came in the third quarter, including a face mask on a punt that gave the Steelers the ball at midfield.
From there they ran the ball five times, Mendenhall twice, Isaac Redman twice and Roethlisberger once. Mendenhall took it in through traffic from the 8 for a touchdown, cutting the Packers' lead to 21-17 with more than 10 minutes left in the third quarter.
The Steelers made it a game again.
I would rather have not seen the Steelers burn two timeouts in the third quarter, having more than one timeout might have come in handy on the final drive. It was also hard to watch Shaun Suisham attempt a 52-yard field goal. Did anyone really think Suisham was going to make that?
Polamalu looked like he could have had an interception with about two and a half minutes left in the third quarter. Had he been a couple of steps to his left, he might have picked off a third-down incompletion right around the Steelers' 20 with room to run. Even though the Packers were forced to punt, Polamalu had his head in his hands at the end of that play. Like most of the night, he was out of position.
Despite all that, the Steelers' defensive muscle in the third quarter forged a field-position advantage.
With the Packers pinned at their own 13 late in the period, the Steelers forced a three-and-out. On the punt, the Packers were penalized and had to re-kick from their 8. The Steelers were in business at the Packers' 41, and Mendenhall ended the third quarter by picking up eight yards.
Fourth-quarter flop
Many Steelers players participated in the universal football ritual of holding up four fingers at the start of the fourth quarter, a signal that if you want to win the game, this is the time to do it.
Mendenhall didn't get the message. He got the ball again to open the final quarter, and Clay Matthews popped it loose. Desmond Bishop (not Bishop Desmond) recovered the fumble.
The Packers, who didn't turn the ball over in the game, scored for the third time off a Steelers turnover. Rodgers threw an 8-yard TD pass to Jennings, making it 28-17 with 12 minutes left.
Starting with the AFC championship game, Mendenhall played like a top-tier running back for seven quarters. He ran for just 63 yards in the Super Bowl, but at a clip of 4.5 yards a carry. Finally it seemed that Mendenhall would be the guy to provide the Steelers with a productive, clock-grinding ground game in the coming years. But that fumble again planted some seeds of doubt.
So it was back to disaster recovery for the Steelers. And recover they did. They got to within a field goal halfway through the fourth quarter when Roethlisberger threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Wallace and followed that with a pretty option pitch to Randle-El on the two-point conversion.
Ziggy Hood sacked Rodgers to start the ensuing possession, and the Packers eventually were staring at a third-and-10 from their own 25.
Momentum once again belonged to the Steelers.
That's when Rodgers showed why he's the Super Bowl MVP.
He threw to Jennings up the middle for 31 yards. Polamalu might have made his biggest impact of the night when he got his hand on Jennings' leg to stop him. It likely prevented a touchdown.
The Packers ran the clock down and got to the Steelers' 5. But the Steelers defense had enough fight left to hold them to a field goal and give Roethlisberger a chance to win it.
But as a new generation of Steelers fans has learned, you can't win 'em all.
Let me sleep on it
Fully decorated in Steelers gear, I just took the ride of shame on the 4 train in the Bronx, then in a cab back home to Yonkers.
Before that, I left Irish Exit and walked through the streets of Manhattan, the same streets I would blissfully explore on pleasant fall afternoons after Steelers wins during the regular season.
Quite a different feeling walking through the winter chill amid piles of dingy snow after the Steelers lost the Super Bowl.
I'm still trying to process this loss. I'll get crackin' on my column in the morning.
Fully decorated in Steelers gear, I just took the ride of shame on the 4 train in the Bronx, then in a cab back home to Yonkers.
Before that, I left Irish Exit and walked through the streets of Manhattan, the same streets I would blissfully explore on pleasant fall afternoons after Steelers wins during the regular season.
Quite a different feeling walking through the winter chill amid piles of dingy snow after the Steelers lost the Super Bowl.
I'm still trying to process this loss. I'll get crackin' on my column in the morning.
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