Wide receivers. Of course, I’m talking about wide receivers and not Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger’s taste in the ladies. As an aside, after spending a whole week listening to Sean Salisbury and Tony Kornheiser discuss Tom Brady’s main squeeze, Brazilian supermodel Giselle Budchen, while also bemoaning the fact that Tony Romo has reportedly kicked Yoko Simpson to the curb, I’m extremely glad our quarterback limits his off-field activities to LPGA scrubs and WB starlets. Anyway, this week the national football media latched on to the story of an apparent riff developing between Ben Roethlisberger and Steelers [...]

 
In case you haven’t heard by now, the local television station in Green Bay, Wisconsin pulled Saturday’s syndicated episode of “Seinfeld” because it’s New York Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning’s favorite show. Apparently they hoped to throw off Manning’s game (and didn’t realize that the show is actually available on DVD now). But what they should have worried about is the very real possibility that Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Farve might also be a “Seinfeld” fan, because he was definitely off during the NFC Championship game last night. Farve seemed bothered by the sub-zero temperatures and played [...]

Last week, I went a most excellent 3-1 in prognosticating post-season playoff programming. Technically, I should have been 4-0 because I did warn you all to watch out for those sneaky Lightning Bolts. My only question with them was the play of QB Phillip Rivers so had I known that when it came time for one final game-winning drive, the ball would be thrust into the hands of Mighty Billy Volek, I’d have made them my A-1 Super-Duper Bet-the-kids-trust-fund Kryptonite Lock of the Week.
Mad props go out to the surging Giants for knocking off the hated Dallas [...]

by John Cihon
The television network got it wrong when it made the New England Patriots-Jacksonville Jaguars game the Saturday night game, traditionally the most watched time slot in the NFL playoffs weekend. Not because another game would get higher ratings, I would be surprised if any of the other games would, but because the other games were far more exciting; the best one coming last with the New York Giants cementing the win against the Dallas Cowboys by intercepting Tony Romo’s attempt at a touchdown pass with literally less than ten seconds left in the game.
Pittsburgh Steelers Coach [...]

Before the season started, I developed this theory known as the “Fab Four.” Basically, since 2000 there have been 28 teams that have made the playoffs despite having a losing record the previous season. In fact, since 2000, four teams a year have made the playoffs despite a losing record the prior season, except for 2001 (3 teams) and 2002 (5 teams). It’s pretty much a given that four playoff teams each year will make the playoffs despite a losing record the season beforehand. However, there was a caveat to this year. In 2006 there were only 12 teams with [...]

Sometimes, I wish I was born in Detroit. Lion fans don’t realize how good they have it. If they win a few games, you shrug your shoulders and move on. If you have a winning season, they’ve exceeded your wildest dreams. If they somehow make the playoffs, the season is a tremendous success. Hooray for diminished expectations!
Unfortunately, I was born in Pittsburgh. Our outlook is a little bit different than in the Detroits or Clevelands of the world. A winning season is a given. Making the playoffs is no big deal. [...]

Oh, the offensive line is terrible
And the running game is doubtful
But since he’s having a career year
Let Ben throw! Let Ben throw! Let Ben throw!
 
When we finally reached the playoffs
The Jaguars were coming on strong
But give the ball to our quarterback
And they won’t last too long

Today’s opponent cheerleader is Tiffany of the Roar, the Jacksonville Jaguars cheerleaders.  I can’t tell you anything about her, because unlike almost every other team with cheerleaders, the Jaguars don’t include little biographies or quotes on the cheerleader section of their site.  This is perhaps appropriate, because the Jaguars have made it to the AFC playoffs without a lot of media hoopla over their accomplishments.  As a matter of fact, their quarterback David Garrard has the third best passer rating in the NFL this season, just behind Ben Roethlisberger and Tom Brady, a fact that has surprisingly failed to earn [...]

“I taught I taw a puddy cat…”
We did, we did see those puddy cats. Like a month ago, as a matter of fact. And, man, what a hellacious month it has been for our beloved Pittsburgh Steelers. We lost our superstar running back, Willie Parker. We lost our starting left tackle, Marvel Smith. Then, for good measure, we lost his replacement, Max Starks. We even lost to the lowly Baltimore Ravens, who couldn’t beat the even lowlier Miami Dolphins.
As a result, not many people are giving the old Black and [...]

by John Cihon

Happy New Year to all of you! To get off-topic for a moment, if you guys didn’t watch the NHL Winter Classic outdoor game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Buffalo Sabres today, you missed out. It was a game where the elements added excitement and both teams were close all the way through, only for Pittsburgh to pull out a shootout victory at the last second.

2007 has been a difficult year for our country, with the wars continuing in Iran and Afghanistan, as well as war and terrorism raging in other nations around [...]