Hey SKAbatula . . . .

[Joe Brody]

(or any other members of the Nation in the Raven)


. . . . Who Ride???

[Ska]

??? hehehe...I'm confused...

[Joe Brody]

Maybe I'm confused. . . is this you?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v400/skabatula/2.jpg

If so please return your Terrible Towel to Mr. Myron Cope. I was just trying to get some good karma going before Sunday (ala Mr. Joey Porter's motivational speech).

[Ska]

Ah I see now. Yeah that's me.

The Pats and Steelers (and the Colts) are all great teams that need to be respected. This should be a great fight to the end. I think overall, NE's offense is a little better than Pittsburgh, but the Steelers beat them out on the defensive side.

This week's game is going be all about the running game. Whoever can run successfully will open up the pass...and both teams are very capable of doing so. All I know is that if we play like we did against the Jets, then our season's done. We should've lost twice last game againts NY.

And as for Myron Cope...we need to trade him for another radio announcer. I don't care how long he's been in Pittsburgh, I can't stand his yoi's.

[Joe Brody]

I agree with your assessment. Interestingly, Paul Zimmerman in Sports Illustrated thinks the Steeler will go four wide to take advantage of the Pat's secondary and Hank Poteat. With Staley pretty healthy and Bettis starting, I feel pretty good about our chances in the running game. If we win the toss and set the tempo, it'll put pressure on Brady and hopefully we make an early play on defense (and if so, I hope the Steelers don't deflate like they did after going ten up on the Jets). I hope the crowd is loud -- my biggest disappointment with Heinz Field is that it's not that loud. I was at the last game against the Ravens and I thought the crowd noise was only O.K. Afterwards, I read it was supposedly the loudest game ever. What I would give to have Three Rivers back. . .

With a running game going, I can't see the Pat's being able to give Ben too many exotic looks so hopefully Ben won't throw the bad interception. Well, here's keeping my fingers crossed.

Given the great season, I could live with a lose -- I just don't want a blowout and another bad game out of Ben. I couldn't stand a whole off-season with the media harping on Cowher and Ben.

Let's Ride!!!

[Pale Horse]

I agree with your assessment. Interestingly, Paul Zimmerman in Sports Illustrated thinks the Steeler will go four wide to take advantage of the Pat's secondary and Hank Poteat. With Staley pretty healthy and Bettis starting, I feel pretty good about our chances in the running game. If we win the toss and set the tempo, it'll put pressure on Brady and hopefully we make an early play on defense (and if so, I hope the Steelers don't deflate like they did after going ten up on the Jets). I hope the crowd is loud -- my biggest disappointment with Heinz Field is that it's not that loud. I was at the last game against the Ravens and I thought the crowd noise was only O.K. Afterwards, I read it was supposedly the loudest game ever. What I would give to have Three Rivers back. . .

With a running game going, I can't see the Pat's being able to give Ben too many exotic looks so hopefully Ben won't throw the bad interception. Well, here's keeping my fingers crossed.

Given the great season, I could live with a lose -- I just don't want a blowout and another bad game out of Ben. I couldn't stand a whole off-season with the media harping on Cowher and Ben.

Let's Ride!!!

With the excessively strong running game by Pit, thre is a good chance that you will have the lead going into the fourth quarter, but if that is the situation, then I would rather have Brady with his 10 option of back and wide outs to throw to. If the tables are turned, then Burger only has Ward, and possibly Burress, which are very undermatched to the Pat's secondary. I see this as a chess battle on the football field, this game.

[Joe Brody]

You nailed it Palehorse. . .Brady's ability to spread it around and find the open man gives me the most concern.

[Joe Brody]

For anyone who's a critic of big time sports, here's some responses taken from a recent Sports Illustrated Article with the Pittsburgh Steeler's Hines Ward. The guy is a great role model and a big reason why I'm a fan.



• ON [HINES WARD'S] FIRST YEARS "I was born in Seoul. My mom's Korean. My dad [Hines Ward Sr.] was in the military. We moved to the U.S. when I was one, and my parents got divorced. My dad remarried, and the courts wouldn't let me live with my mom. They said she was an unfit parent because she couldn't speak English and had no way to support us. So early on I lived with my dad and stepmom."

• ON BEING REUNITED WITH HIS MOTHER, YOUNG HE WARD "I went to live with her when I was in second grade. She was amazing. She had three jobs. Cleaned dishes at the Atlanta airport. Cleaned hotels. Was a grocery-store cashier. She'd work till two in the morning, then get up to make me breakfast before her airport job. She'd come home from that, and before she left for her next job, she'd have lunch on the table for me when I came home from school. I could never, ever repay my mother for everything she did for me."

• ON HIS MOTHER'S LASTING LESSON Humility. "Through all my success, the wins, the Pro Bowls, she tells me, 'Be grateful for your opportunity. Be humble.' She still works, at a high school cafeteria, and when I go there to have lunch with her, the people say, 'Man, your mom works harder than anyone.' That makes me so proud. That's how her life has been. My mother wanted no government assistance. Nobody gave her nothing. Like me in the NFL. Nobody's given me anything."

[Ska]

...and yet the man always has a smile on his face. Everyone I talk to outside of Pittsburgh hates Hines Ward because of him always smiling. Yet everyone loves Ray Lewis and his trash-talking. What has the NFL come to?

I agree w/ ya Joe on Ward. He is a great receiver who gives 100% each game...never complains if Plex gets more looks his way (unlike Burress who has complained in the past)...and BLOCKS! How many receivers actually sacrifice their body to block like Hines?! No one else in the league compares to him. If only there were more Hines Wards in the NFL, both on and off the field.

EDIT: 311 posts! 311 is my favorite band, and on their message board everyone makes a big deal about getting 311 posts.

[Pale Horse]

Interesting, when it comes to teams/team spirit, the AFC seems to have the self sacrifice necessary to win a Championship; while the NFC (Moss, Owens, Vick, etc) is bent towards the individual.

Hopefully Vince will reward the former.

[Ska]

Maybe this thread should be renamed so more people might enter the discussion. ??? Not that I don't like my name in a title (although it did scare me at first when I saw it...like what did I do now). :)

[Ska]

:(
...maybe next year...

[Joe Brody]

:(
...maybe next year...

I agree but it'll be tough with a first place schedule (more Monday night games, etc.).

If I could, I'd change the title (to remove your name) but I don't have an 'Edit' button available for my first post.