Behind the Steel Curtain: FanPosts

2008 Steelers Preview

rogerpsmith — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 01:23:01 -0000

Reasons to be excited about 2008 Steelers 1. Rashard Mendenhall should make a solid addition and make the o-line look better, as well as make Willie more effective because of a lighened workload. 2. Marvel Smith being healthy - after back surgery he can return to his 2005 Pro Bowl form. 3. Willie Colon has another year of experience and the battle between him and Max Starks should bear fruit. 4. Hartwig should provide a massive improvement at center over the unbelievably shitty Sean Mahan. 5. Limas Sweed as the #3 reciever adds both depth and a new dimension to the Steelers passing game, this also allows Nate Washington to be a very solid #4 vs. a mediocre #3. 6. In the Steelers version of a 3-4 rookie linebackers take a year to learn and don't get to play much. With Lawrence Timmons and Lamar Woodly entering their second year it should not only improve the linebacking corps significantly but be almost like having two draft classes come at once. 7. Mewelde Moore should be a nice third down option but probably more importantly a huge improvement over the "past his prime" Allen Rossum. 8. Troy Polamalu's new "old" workout regimen under Marv Marinovich should keep him healthy and return him to his difference maker status. Troy made the pro bowl last year on reputation alone. 9. Historically Ben is just entering what is typically the prime of a quarterback's career. 10. The loss of Alan Faneca won't be felt as much as some people think. He was a shell of himself last year and made the Pro Bowl on name only. 11. A healthy Aaron Smith will make all the difference and he has not historically been injury prone. Also Casey Hampton should have gotten the "kick in the butt" necessary to get in better shape. 12. Tomlin is in his second year and should be improved not just in game management but strategic planning. For example the combination of his "tough camp" and playing in the Hall of Fame game contributed to the Steelers running out of gas and losing 4 of their last 5. Reasons to be concerned 1. The Steelers may be playing the toughest schedule in NFL history. 2. The Cleveland Browns are significantly improved and ready to compete for the division title. 3. The offensive line, their weak spot last year could be even worse if some younger players don't develop. 4. The thin and aging defensive line did not add any talent or depth, and this group is the key to or 3-4. 5. Deshea Townsend is another year older and their is a lack of a proven starter type behind him.

Steelers for sale?

zenhas12strings — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:40:09 -0000

sup Steeler nation...i was just curious if anybody else read the Wall Street Journal today.there is an article about the Rooney's shopping the Steelers for 1.2 billion.i was totally taken off guard when my boss showed it to me.

my first thought was to have the city of Pitt buy the team so they could run it like Green Bay does.

i got a nice chunk of savings to throw down = )

peace,

Steelers Lose to the Patriots, Again in the Confrence Finals

frankrmineo — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 16:44:34 -0000

MADDEN 09, SIMULATION OF SEASON.

Well according to the Madden 2009 simulation of the 2008 NFL season the Steelers will win the AFC North, beat the Colts, and lose to the Patriots in the Confrence Finals. I hate those Patriots, we can't even seem to find a way to beat them in a simulation.

Anyways I thought it was an interesting article. Any thoughts on how realistic the simulation will be? Where do you think the Steelers will end up this year? Which players on the team do you think will have a pro-bowl year? Who do you think will slip a bit in 2008?

Personally I think Polomalu, Big Ben, Woodley, and Harrison will have big years and all be in position to make the pro-bowl. I also think Fast Willie will have an above average year, with Mendenhall picking up some tuff yards and the majority of our rushing touchdowns.

Anyways, I hoping, wishing, and praying that the Steelers win it all in the 2008-2009 NFL!

Steelers franchise "secretly shopped around"

syrsteelerfan — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 22:15:14 -0000

...to potential buyers. At least, that's what a text message and this article tell me:

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the Pittsburgh Steelers franchise has been "secretly shopped around" to potential buyers.

This comes as there are reported divisions among the five sons of Art Rooney, Sr., the team's founder.

More information on Steelers.com.

While the headline was startling, it doesn't appear that there is reason for panic. For years, our motto as been "In the Rooney's we trust." I think that will apply here, and that even amidst a restructuring of the ownership the best interest of the franchise and fans will be in the forefront of their mind. In fact, transferring controlling ownership to those most fully invested in the organization could have a positive impact - or at the least a negligible one.

What does everyone else think?

(P.S. Whoever sends the mass texts at KDKA has been busy this afternoon. My second message in 5 minutes tells me we signed Denis Dixon.)

Steelers Question of the Week: Lawrence Timmons

SteveMeredith — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 16:37:06 -0000

Steeler fans did not see much of Lawrence Timmons in 2007 due in part to some injuries. With that said however, the Pittsburgh Post Gazette reported earlier this year that Timmons definitely wants to be in the mix for a spot on the starting defensive unit this season. Assuming that Timmons holds true to his word and earns that starting spot, what do you expect, in terms of productivity, from Timmons in '08? Furthermore, do you expect Timmons to be a positive investment for years to come?

NY Times article on Pittsburgh

TURFgeek — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 15:56:50 -0000

I confess that I'm a Steelers fan who has never been to football Mecca, Pittsburgh, even though both my favorite team and my wife come from there. I vow to go someday soon! So it was with great interest that I read this recent article in the New York Times entitled, "36 Hours in Pittsburgh." I know it's not direcly Steelers releated, but I figured some of you might dig it. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

DUDE

LiveinDCbutsteelerfanbyheart — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 20:21:31 -0000

I just received a mobile Update stating that Brett Farve wants to come back to GB. Can anyone find that source if its true. Because that would in my opinion make me think less of Brett acting like a Woman when it comes to decide on things. But before i make that judgment i was wondering if anyone here heard or can find source that this information i got on my phone is in fact correct.

Steelers Sign Marvin Allen, Cut Jared Zabransky

maryrose — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 19:48:46 -0000

The Steelers signed NFL Europe's Marvin Allen and cut reserve quarterback Jared Zabransky. Allen is a 5-10, 180-pound wide receiver and will remain on the team's eight-man Practice Squad throughout the 2008 season. Allen is from london, England. By declaring Allen the team's "NFL Europe Practice Playern" the Steelers get to go into camp with 81 players instead of the maximum allowed 80. Do not know anything else about him

BTSC Readers: Please Take A Moment To Read

Blitzburgh — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 23:09:25 -0000

Ok, it's that time again. I'll make it quick, with just a little background as to why this is important now, more than ever.

The site's being exposed to legions of Steelers fans since this past week. Fans just like us who love the team and like a little distraction from life sitting around one giant water cooler talking Steelers football. Many have never read Curtain and will be forming first impressions during their first visit.

It'd be a shame if we gave new folks the wrong idea about this place with unsubstantive drivel. I myself was dumb last night ripping into somebody who rubbed me in the wrong way completely. Uncalled for by me to go down that road, and more importantly, a waste of time and a inaccurate representation of the people and atmosphere here. It's neither a homerific bastion of rah rah boring blind support, nor a total free for all for people to mouth off however they want to whoever they want.

It's not rocket science, and I personally believe, along with many of you, that we've done a good job in that regard. I do not want to spend a second of my life censoring anybody. I'm too busy as is more than anything, but of course there's more profound reasons that are obvious.

No racism. No sexism. No homophobia. No politics. No religion. And hopefully, facts to backup opinions, at least when those opinions are critical of others and/or their views.

Pretty simple. That's essentially it. I don't even care about profanity. I like to believe there's women readers and readers as young as 12-15 on the site, so I hope that doesn't open up a can of worms that becomes a glaring issue, but it hasn't until now.

I apologize for my part in getting off course, and I hope y'all all continue to help me out with the sound examples that the stalwart commenters have set for the site. There's a reason we're getting more and more new interesting people joining in. Let's continue to give that reason to others in the future.

This last month of the offseason's going to be tough, with few roster maneuverings, no games, no OTAs, etc. to talk about. With a little more patience, we'll all be too absorbed with the games and the fresh cut grass on Heinz Field to be preoccupied with good-intentioned speculation turned shouting-match.

Cheers.

Ward and Rooney get some love from ESPN

steelerark — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 18:33:59 -0000

Hines gets a little recognition from Espn who did a poll among the current head coaches on the dirtiest player, smartest offensive and defensive player, and the best owner.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=walker_james&id=3463857

Ward is my favorite player, and I think a definite Hall Of Famer, and I wouldn't trade the Rooneys for any owners in the league, even the Maras. Its just another reminder of the quality of football that we as Steeler fans have had to enjoy for so long.

Jeremy Bloom... Steelers?

WoodrowWilson — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:06:02 -0000

I had no idea that he was in camp trying out for the Steelers. The only reason that I even found this it was because I saw him say hi to the kid on the Make a Wish thing that just aired. I love that kid, does he have any chance of making the team? Is he even still on the roster? We really don't have an answer as a returner so it would be nice to see him contribute. Any info would be appreciated.

Steelers attend Kevin Jones' workout

cgolden — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 14:06:24 -0000

I'm not sure what to make of the Steelers sending a scout to witness Kevin Jones' workout. He's still a young back and has the skills to be a great tailback but I don't see why the Steelers would be interested. They were one of only four teams that personally attended the workout (Dolphins, Packers and Lions) so it's not like sending a scout to the combine or something. The Browns also asked for a video of the workout, for whatever that's worth. The guy who attended the workout for the Steelers was Ron Hughes, director of college scouting.

Does anyone think the Steelers could actually be interested? Did they cut Davenport to open a spot for Jones? Or is this just a case of trying to cover all of their bases? Would anyone actually be excited if they brought him in?

Steelers Question of the Week: Heinz Field

SteveMeredith — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:45:59 -0000

After a few games in which the weather was terrible last season, (namely the Steelers-Dolphins primetime matchup), there was a lot of talk about the safety of the turf at Heinz Field. This sparked a debate among analysts and fans alike about weather or not something should be done about the state of the grounds at Heinz Field. With that said, do you think anything should be done to address the poor field conditions at Heinz Field, or do you think that the players just need to "suck it up" and play, regardless of the conditions? If something should be done, what is it that needs to take place in order to better the Steelers home turf?

ESPN: My Wish

steelersfan4life — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 21:53:45 -0000

I'm sure many of you have either already read about this or seen the video on ESPN, but I still felt the need to post it anyways. This is a sad story, but how great was it for the Steelers organization for one day to set aside everything and give this kid an experience he will never forget. Great story. Just goes to show even further what a class act the Pittsburgh Steelers are. Wacthing this video makes me love these guys even more than I already did before and realize they are just human beings as are you and I.

http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?categoryId=null&brand=null&videoId=3462278&n8pe6c=3

Davenport Reportedly Released by the Steelers

maryrose — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 13:54:00 -0000

Thanks to Datruth for calling this to our attention on another story. The National Post has written that the NFL Network has reported that the Steelers have released Najeh Davenport and freed up about $1 million of salary cap. Yahoo Sports also weighed in on this. Obviously the additions of Mewelde Moore and Rashard Mendenhall paved the way for this decision.

The Steelers apparently tried to trade Dookie but were unsuccessful. Davenport played two seasons with Pittsburgh (28 games) and actually racked up some impressive back-up numbers, He rushed for 720 yards on 167 carries for a 4.3 average and six touchdowns. He also caught 33 passes for 377 yards and three more touchdowns. Davenport also returned kick for Pittsburgh. But with the Steelers' new additions at running back, Davenport was no longer an answer. Regarding the timing of this move, are the Steelers scraping up cash to make a pitch for LeCharles Bentley?

A Few Thoughts on the NFLN's Show: Top 10 Super Bowl Performances

WolfpackSteelersFan — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:19:59 -0000

I don't know if anyone else saw the NFL Network show on the Top 10 SB Performances, but I caught it this past Tuesday night and there were a couple of things that I wanted throw out there on BTSC and hear the community's thoughts. These are mainly random thoughts, so I apologize in advance if it's kind of scattered.

First, Lynn Swann's SB X performance was ranked number 5, which was the only Steeler performance. This got criticism from some on the show because he "only had 4 catches." Considering the style of game at the time, and the fact that 2 of the 4 catches are considered among the greatest feats of grace and athleticism in NFL history, I think his performance is deserving of top 10, even top 5, recognition.
Joe Namath's performance in SB III was ranked 8th. Again, there were the haters who said his stats were very average (even below average), but I thought this deserved to be included. Sure, as games go, this was probably one of the most boring SBs to watch, but this was the greatest upset ever. The historical significance and the pressure of Namath's guarantee should certainly be factored into his performance in the game. But, here was the clincher for me. QB's still called their own plays back then, and Namath directed that game to victory. They also pointed out that Namath was the kind of guy who loved to sling it all over the field, but in this game, he put aside his ego and called his halfback's number more often than not.
For anyone that was watching, I don't know if you noticed, but Terrence Moore's commentary was the most annoying throughout the show, at least to me. Tim Curran's smarmy looks were up there, too. One thing that was particularly questionable to me was the inconsistency that he showed. He called Timmy Smith's performance (ranked 6th, I believe) in SB XXII the biggest fluke ever. Then, he called Doug Williams' performance (their top pick) in the same game the greatest SB performance ever, without question, and not even close. Both were great performances by backups. The only real difference that I can see is that Williams had been a starter in the past, while Smith was a rookie, but neither ever really did anything else after that game. So, how is Smith a fluke, while Williams, who surely benefited from Smith's running and the Hogs' blocking, is the greatest SB performance ever? Why is Williams not just as big a fluke? He didn't start most of that season. Personally, I don't think either is a fluke, just great performances on the biggest stage. Maybe they didn't do much afterward, but nobody can take that day from them.
I don't remember all of the top 10, and their website doesn't have them listed. I do remember they had Jerry Rice's SB XXIII performance at 10, Steve Young's 6TD passes was in there (2 or 3?), Marcus Allen in SB XIX, John Riggins in SB XVIII, Vinatieri's two game-winning FGs was ranked 4, and I can't remember the last one. Maybe Larry Csonka in SB VII.
I was a little surprised that Franco's performance in SB IX didn't get any love. I don't think it was even included in the "Best of the Rest."

Well, that's pretty much it. Those were some things that I found interesting about the show. Particularly, I was curious whether you at BTSC agree or disagree with me on Namath and what I saw as the inconsistency in how Terrence Moore treated Smith and Williams. What do you think?

2008 ESPN Fantasy Rankings

maryrose — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:46:22 -0000

The 2008 ESPN Fantasy Rankings are out. Big Ben is ranked #5. The Steelers defense/special teams are also #5, the highest of the Steelers rankings. Heath Miller is ranked #8. Jeff Reed is ranked #10. Fast Willie Parker is ranked #13. At receiver, Santonio is ranked 15 while Hines is close behind at 20.

Couple tidbits: Matt Spaeth is ranked 61, meaning he is considered the worst statistical back-up tight end in football. Also, for those who don't think drafting a running back in the first round is wise, the trend is indicating otherwise. Tomlinson is #1, Peterson is #2, Addai is #4 and Lynch is close behind at #8 (I wanted Lynch in the first round last year).

give it a shot

wmd3 — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 02:00:51 -0000

Someone please chime in,I'm probably no expert but I am praying every night that the Steelers front office will sign Lecharles Bentley to a non-guaranteed bonus laden contract and put him at guard.This only seems logical since we lost our best lineman and Charles was an allpro at guard and center.Even if he doesnt pan out what have we got to lose?? This could pan out to be a great pickup for the men of steel, and wouldnt Charles love to put it to the clownies twice a year!!

Can somebody tell me when...

HighSchoolSteeler — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 19:27:20 -0000

When is the NFL Network going to show the Steelers training camp? I know the Steelers camp is not currently in session, but the network claims they're showing all the teams camps in 30 days...I;ve checked the schedule and can't find the day the Steelers are supposed to be aired as they aren't showing the listings that far ahead in the future I guess... This is starting to get annoying...

Steelers Question of the Week: Who's Overrated and Under-Appreciated.

SteveMeredith — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 13:49:18 -0000

This week, during his show on 1250 ESPN, Ken Laird posed an interesting question. He talked to some Steeler beat writers, and I really thought the question would be a good one to post in this blog. Who do you think is the most overrated player on the Steelers current roster? On the other hand, (and Laird didn't go into this on the show), who do you think is the "unsung hero" on the team?