Red white and blue goes very well with Black & Gold. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports

When Ben Roethlisberger met with the media before practice on Wednesday he was asked to comment about the Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo.  His response, “He plays for “America’s team” right? I think the Steelers are the world’s team.  We just want to go beat them.”  Well done Ben.  If you were raised in Steeler Nation, you were raised to hate the Cowboys right along with the Browns and Bengals.  This goes long before the Browns turned purple and even before Belichick picked up his first video recorder.  In 1978 the Cowboys dubbed themselves America’s Team in their own highlight reel video and they’ve been referred to that ever since, even though we all know who the real America’s Team is.  Ever go into a new city and immediately find a Dallas Cowboys bar?  I didn’t think so.  The idea that the Cowboys are still “America’s Team” is a joke for many considering they’ve been rather competitively irrelevant for many years but it is good to dig up the old rivalry feelings for the upcoming matchup.

My hatred of the Cowboys started as a child, but it began in my family before I was born.  I am told my grandmother was never fond of Ed “Too Tall” Jones and I distinctly remember my Pap expressing extreme hatred towards Jimmy Johnson when he was hired.  In fact, our family always followed Dan Marino’s career down in Miami because he was the hometown kid but the year Johnson coached the Dolphins my Pap never watched a game of theirs out of protest.  I never liked Troy Aikman, have always been rather vanilla towards Emmit Smith, and I’ve always disliked Michael Irving.  I was raised to believe that Jerry Jones was the devil himself.  Well not seriously, but you get the idea.

I was told stories about those Super Bowls against the Cowboys in the 70s and always wanted to see the Steelers reach that level again.  In 94 when the Steelers fell 3 yards short of a Super Bowl berth my heart was broken.  I was glad to see the Cowboys fall short in their respective NFC Championship that year to the 49ers.  The very next year as Jim Harbaugh’s Hail Mary was batten down in the endzone of Three Rivers Stadium and sealed the Steelers trip to Super Bowl XXX I’ll never forget the goose bumps my dad got.  What was even better than the Steelers going to the Super Bowl was the fact that they were facing the Cowboys.  To this day I am forever convinced that Neil O’Donnell was paid off by Jerry Jones to blow the game and throw those interceptions to Larry Brown.  I mean seriously, who throws two damned near identical passes to the same guy in the same spot on the opposite team twice???

Lately there hasn’t been much reason to hate the Cowboys.  I’m actually finding it rather entertaining watching Jerry Jones turn into Al Davis.  Sometimes you feel bad for Tony Romo, but then you remember he’s a Cowboy so that moment is fleeting.  There is still, however, the long standing debate over the whole “America’s Team” thing.  There shouldn’t even be a debate really.  People aren’t going all over the world to post pictures of themselves with a Cowboys shirt on the Great Wall of China; they’re there with a Terrible Towel.  The Steelers fans are always known for “traveling well” but in reality the stadiums all over the country fill up with Steeler fans that have relocated from Pittsburgh, planted roots and started whole new generations of Steeler fans living in Dallas, Miami, Phoenix, etc.  The first time Heath Miller catches a pass in Cowboys stadium will tell you exactly who America’s Team is.

This Sunday’s game is a tough one for the whole “smack talk” against the Cowboys.  If the Cowboys fan you’re smack talking with thinks their boys will win easily, their most likely admitting that their team blows seeing as how the Steelers have had their worst losses against crap teams.  If they think it will be a close game, they think their guys are good and the Steelers will most likely win and complete their sweep of the NFC East.  This isn’t, however, just a “must-win” game, this is one of three must-win games the Steelers have to finish the season.  True, they can lose to the Cowboys and still make it into the playoffs if all goes well at home next week against the Bengals, but why leave things up to chance?

In addition, the Steelers and Cowboys are having a social media showdown to determine who is the more popular team.  Fans are encouraged to “Like” their team’s site on Facebook and “Follow” their team’s twitter feed and the results are being tracked.  Click the link below and you’ll know what to do.  Spread the word.  Currently, there is no surprise that the Steelers are winning but it’s on you Steeler Nation to go out and make sure to seal the victory for the true America’s Team.   Screw that, I like the title of the World’s Team a lot better anyway.  Go Steelers!

http://www.steelers.com/fan-zone/SocialShowdown.html

Follow me on Twitter @Kimmy_KimKimM and follow all of NPC’s posts @NicePickCowherC

He's no John Madden. That's for sure. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-US PRESSWIRE

Well the 2012-2013 NFL season isn’t even 24 hours old and already my picks for the week are screwed. Thanks, Cowboys. As things were wrapping up last night, and as the Giants and I were starting our season 0 – 1, I felt a familiar feeling. It was a feeling from my childhood, two feelings at once really, which is difficult for a grown man to process (let alone a baby boy no bigger than a squirrel). I was simultaneously pissed at Dallas just because they had won, and begrudgingly respectful of how well they played. I am so conflicted anytime that I have to give a Steelers’ rival any measure of respect where respect is due.

Like most guys, I blame my father for any flaws and defects in my otherwise perfect persona (you should see the size of my ears, they’re huge). The Old Man was always able to see right down the middle of every situation. He loves the Steelers like a real man should but, being the square shooter that he is, never dismissed the Black and Gold’s rivals as lesser teams. “Every man needs a rival.” He would say. “They keep you on your game.” He was right, too. Where would the Steelers of the seventies, those teams of my youth, be without their rivals? The Cleveland Browns, Houston Oilers, Oakland Raiders, and Dallas Cowboys pushed the Steelers to the top of the NFL and then helped to keep them there. It was these rivalries that gnawed at Pittsburgh, kept a fire in the belly of the best franchise of that decade. Like it or not, those teams that the Steelers fought with the hardest, played almost as much of a role in the Steelers success of the seventies as did Bradshaw, Harris, Lambert, Greene, or Noll. You can respect a rival. Mike Webster (RIP) used to tell a story about Tunch Ilkin, Craig Wolfley, and himself, all plowing into Cleveland’s Bob Golic on a play. Only two of the three of them were supposed to take on Golic. As Golic lay on the field counting his fractures, Webster extended his hand, helped his rival to his feet, and said “Sorry, Bobby. One of those guys F’ed up.” Many of John Madden’s raiders make the trip to Pittsburgh or host former Steelers players in Oakland to drink and relive the old days; this, from dudes who tried killing each other with regularity. Bum Phillips, Al Davis, Art Modell (RIP), and Tom Landry, were personalities I could really take issue with while at the same time give them some props when they were having their moment.

Then, the 80’s happened and the whole damn thing went sideways on us. No Bum Phillips, John Madden, or Tom Landry. Our rivals had changed shape. We got Jerry Glanville, The Raiders moved to LA, and where in the HELL did the 49ers come from? Cleveland decided that Denver would be a better rival for them than Pittsburgh, although they fared no better against them. It has blasphemously been reported that ‘the game’ passed Chuck Noll by. I suggest that Noll just expected a better class of rival. Football coaches had been replaced by evil geniuses, schemers, and tyrants. Bill Walsh, Bill Parcells, and Mike Ditka were stealing the fire of Noll, Shula, and Landry. The whole shooting match was turning into big business. Rivalries were determined by Neilson ratings and advertising dollars. You didn’t really have to respect anyone any more.

It’s easier for me now. I can just freaking hate. Hate the Patriots. Hate the Cowboys (remember SB XXX!). And most of all HATE THE RAVENS (TCSFB). But damn it, Dad, now and then I just want a respectable rival.

RIP Art Modell.  You had a terribe stadium deal and you did what you had to do.

Is the game against the Super Bowl Champ Giants and Eli the most crucial this season? Credit: Jim O US Presswire

The Steelers’ 2012 schedule is a bit of a tough nut to crack with regards to how ‘tough’ or how ‘easy’ it is.  It appears to have stretches of weeks that seem very manageable and others that will test the toughness and fortitude of the Black & Gold.  And, of course, the NFL has done another lovely job of packing in the most heated rivalry in the league.  But which game will the be the most crucial for the Steelers?

The team faces two AFC West opponents in the Broncos and Raiders and a weak AFC East Jets within the first three weeks of the season.  Peyton Manning joins the Broncos in hopes to ramp up what was a rather barren Tebow’d offense.  As the first game of the season, the Steelers will have a young offensive line going against a defense that ranked 18th defending the pass and 24th defending the run.  Not a huge test, but it will be the first time where it counts for a line that could potentially have two rookie starters.  Peyton is sure to test the defense, and our defense will need some inspirational injected play all season long if they want to redeem themselves and get the team back to the playoffs.  The defense was the top ranked defense, once again, last season.  But, they were just about the root cause of why the team lost in the Wild Card round and made Tim Tebow look like Bart Starr.  Is this first game of the season the most crucial game for the Steelers?  Last season, the team suffered a crushing loss to the Ravens in Week 1 and put themselves in a deep hole in the AFC North race.  They never were able to surpass the Ravens for the division and drew the Broncos in that Wild Card game.

The Steelers have a bye week in Week 4 then face the Eagles, Titans, Bengals, and Redskins the next four weeks.  None of those teams appear to be a huge threat for the Steelers.  The Eagles will be looking to recover from the failed Andy Reid ‘experiment,’ the Titans are still wondering if the real Chris Johnson will ever show up, the Bengals have yet to really prove how ‘good’ they are with Big Red (or if it was just a rookie cinderella story), and the Redskins might still be working out the kinks with rookie QB, RGIII.  The Steelers will need to be careful when playing the NFC East teams this season.  Any of them (even though I just pointed out some problems with two teams) could prove to be dangerous one week and a bust the next.  Will the Steelers get caught in a trap game with the Skins or Eagles, only to have the Ravens or Bengals beat both?  The Bengals will be an important game because of the divisional standings.  But is it the most crucial because it’s in Cincinnati?

The Steelers follow up that four week romp with a game against the reigning Super Bowl Champs at MetLife Stadium.  Yikes.  The Giants, like most teams coming off a Super Bowl win, could still be shaking off the hangover.  But will that be evident this late into the season during Week 9?  Eli is always poised for a win, and if Tommy C can coach his men like he did during last year’s playoffs, then this game spells big trouble for the Steelers.  The Giants prove to be one of the bigger threat teams.  And, it may not be awful if the Steelers lose to them because every team in the AFC North could bow out against the G-men.  Most crucial or not?

The Steelers then face the Chiefs and then the Ravens two times in three weeks with the three legged Browns squeezed between.  The Chiefs will be a very interesting game just because of the implications of Todd Haley facing his old squad.  Most crucial?  I’m not so sure, but it could be a real kick in the junk to Haley and the offense if the Chiefs win big with a score like 28-3.  Now, the easy answer to our question would be the games against Baltimore.  The Ravens have been the Steelers most hated rival, most physical team they play all season every season, and are always in contention against the Steelers for the AFC North division.  One of the two teams have won the division eight out of the last ten seasons.  Both games are always epic and intense.  Is one more crucial over the other?  Do the Steelers need to at least win the first game at home in case they lose on the road?

The Steelers finish out the last four weeks against some teams that have enjoyed the regular season identity roller coaster.  And, by enjoy I mean loathed.  The San Diego Chargers visit Heinz Field in December.  The Chargers always self destruct early then have a surge at the end of the season.  They were 4-1 in their last five games last season, and that tends to be the norm.  Will the Chargers late season surge be trouble for the Steelers?  Possibly, but it’s not as crucial a game as one might think.  Unless you are a citizen of Steeler Nation who really really really needs to see Phillip Rivers – the ultimate quarterback (pfffffft) – blasted back into his childhood.  The Cowboys are next, and the Steelers face them in the mini-metropolitan area known as Cowboys Stadium.  The Cowboys are another team like the Giants who one week appear the team to beat in the NFC or lucky if Tony Romo knows how to tie his own shoes.  It’s an important game, as it rounds up the Steelers time against the NFC East.  By this time, the Steelers will more than likely be a bit beat up and struggling to eek out wins as the season winds down.  They will need to have a better NFC East record than the Ravens if they want a shot at the division.  Is this the most crucial game as the Steelers head towards the end of the season?

The last two weeks are against divisional teams.  The Bengals and Browns hardly ever finish strong and very well could be licking their wounds by the time the Steelers get them for the second time around in the season.  The Steelers will unquestioningly need to finish strong these last two weeks.  But are any more crucial than what the entire season has already thrown at the Steelers?

Ok Nation, time to vote.  What do you think is the most crucial game for the Steelers this season?

Ben Roethlisberger held roughly his fifty-seventh Super Bowl XLV interview session yesterday afternoon.  A reporter from Dallas, after drying the tears from his eyes, asked Ben if it irked him that the Cowboys are called “America’s Team.”  Ah, Big D, keep grasping tightly at whatever straws you can in order to avoid the fact your team has become totally irrelevant because they haven’t won a damn thing in almost twenty years.  Ben’s response was perfect, noting people can proclaim themselves whatever they’d like but he knows there is no larger or more passionate fan base than Steeler Nation.

Unfortunately, the Nation may find themselves in the minority this coming Sunday.  Despite an infinitely larger national following than the Green Bay Packers, recent trends have shown a larger percentage of neutral football fans siding with the Cheeseheads over the Pittsburgh Steelers.  The Hollwood Reporter magazine released its first ever Super Bowl Poll in the issue hitting newsstands today and the results are quite disheartening.   Once upon a time, this country embraced greatness and looked up to their heroes with admiration while today they seem overcome by jealousy towards those who are wildly successful.

Then again, these same people said Fox was their favorite NFL broadcaster and Troy Aikman was their favorite analyst.  Clearly we’re dealing with folks of dubious taste.  Unless your idea of top-notch coverage is a break dancing robot.

According to the poll by Penn Schoen Berland, Americans are rooting for the Packers by a 45% to 39% margin.  The spread is likely heavily influenced by the general unpopularity of Big Ben.  Muckraking Georgia DAs and skanky college girls everywhere can rejoice because their disreputable behavior and character assassinations have succeeded in making Ben the fourth most disliked player in football.  The three ahead of him are Bret Favre (proven pervert), Mike Vick (convicted animal abuser), and Tom Brady (uh, he’s just a dick).  Which goes to show how media types with hidden agendas, aided by a biased commissioner, can convince the great unwashed to believe just about anything they tell them.

In a way, though, I’m kinda glad the Steelers are being underestimated this time around.  Despite holding a number two seed and playing through a much tougher conference than the Pack, Las Vegas has maintained the Black and Gold as 2.5-3.5 point underdogs since the match-up was set.  While Green Bay has wisely avoided providing any bulletin board material to fire up the proud Steelers, this gives Mike Tomlin plenty of fuel to fire the blast furnace.  When these guys are written off like they have been all season, it only serves to make them want it more.

And, hey, at least one “expert” is picking the Steelers.  The Madden NFL 11 video game, which I’ve passed up booty calls in order to continue playing because I’m a dork, predicts the Steelers will win by a score of 24-20.  If you look over this history of Madden Super Bowl simulation, you’ll see the game is remarkably accurate.  It missed the final score of our victory in Super Bowl XLIII by only two points.  So let’s hope this Reverse Madden Curse holds true once again.

In the meantime, I’ll proudly wear my team’s colors and wave my Terrible Towel this weekend as will millions of fans across the country.  Because at the end of the day, the Pittsburgh Steelers are and always will be “America’s Team.”

Oh and speaking of Steeler Pride, don’t forget my Stiller Pride Coveroo Contest running all the way through Friday.  I’ve received about two dozen fantastic submissions but there’s still plenty of time to submit your most unique, funny, touching, sweet, clever, frighteningly obsessive, or (dare I say it?) sexy photo for a chance to win some awesome Steelers swag.   Full details and how to enter by clicking here.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had all they can stand and they can’t stands no more…

A day after James Harrison was slapped with yet another ludicrous fine, his teammates are firing back.  And they’re not just speaking in the bland sound bites you typically hear from athletes. Nope, they’re taking aim directly at the corrupt dictator doing everything in his power (and many things which aren’t) to bring them down: Roger Goodell.

Hines Ward is one of the most intelligent, well-spoken players in football. That’s why President Obama named him to his Advisory Commission on Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders. Hines sees the big picture and isn’t afraid to speak his mind.  I have no doubt Hines will be a Senator or Congressman some day.  But in the meantime, he’s reserving his verbal beatdowns for the idiots running the NFL.

Quoth Hines:

The league doesn’t care about us anyway.  They don’t care about the safety of the game.  If the league was so concerned about the safety, why are you adding two more games on?  You talk about you don’t want players to drink … and all you see is beer commercials.  You don’t want us to gamble, but then there are [NFL-endorsed lottery scratch-off games].

Ouch.  Hines just gave the Ginger Dictator the ass-beating his momma should have gave him.  I wonder if any of his bought-and-paid-for minions in the media will dare call him on any of these things.  My guess is they won’t because heaven forbid anybody question the precious NFL.

Oh and make no mistake, Hines reference to not wanting players to drink is a direct shot at Ben Roethlisberger‘s unwarranted suspension.  To enlighten the uninformed, Ben wasn’t suspended for banging some skank in a bathroom stall.  Ginger’s official statement when announcing the suspension didn’t mention that at all.  The league’s ruling was Ben was being punished for “being in the presence of and facilitating the ability of minors consuming alcohol.”  As if it’s Ben’s fault some dopey sorority chick decided to get bombed and the local hick bartender can’t stop staring at her boobs long enough to card her.

I used to think the NHL and MLB were run by two of the biggest fools in sports history but Ginger has them beat by a long shot.  Everything Hines said was true.  Even more, the NFL sells sex (stripper poles in Cowboys Stadium?) and violence (seen those DVD compilations of vicious hits?  They sell ‘em on NFL.com) in addition to the booze and gambling.  Yet if their players engage in any of those actions, they earn a letter from the Ginger Dictator.

Does anybody realize that if dogging a groupie while drinking a beer and then going out the next day and laying out a QB was frowned upon in the 70s, half of the Steel Curtain would’ve been suspended EVERY WEEK?

Hines isn’t the only one fed up.  LaMarr Woodley, on his fantastic Facebook page, is posting pro-Silverback photoshops in his album.  The human ATM one is my personal fave.  Everybody hates their boss but how many times have you seen a player openly goof on their assclown commissioner like that?  Mad props to Mr. Woodley for also standing up for what is right.

Oh and for the one or two mouthbreathing Raven fans who’ve decided to visit this blog before your annual gut-punch courtesy of Big Ben, even your boys are standing up for James Harrison.  Terrell Suggs, who has made his dislike of the Steelers well-known, had this to say yesterday:

Your guy over there, No. 92 [Harrison], I think he is red-flagged.  The referees are kind of looking for him.  Even if he breathes on a quarterback wrong, he might get a flag. …  I think they are looking at him more closely than they are everybody else in the league.

Suggs even stood up for Ben, who was roughed up while on the ground by dirty Bills players on at least two occasions a week after the league turned a blind eye to the criminal assault perpetuated by Richard Seymour.  Suggs noted:

The league has their favorites.  One being in Indy [Manning] and one being with that team up north [Brady].  Besides those two, everybody is fair game.  Like I always said, Carson Palmer got his knee hurt in 2005, but there was no rule made.  Then Tom Brady got hit in the knee and all of a sudden there is rule and possible suspensions, excessive fines.  It’s just getting ridiculous.

It’s pretty sad when I’m not only quoting Ratbirds on my blog but AGREEING with them.  At least for once they’re whining over a worthy cause.  See, you can use your powers for good.  When even those thugs can see the league has it out for the Steelers, you know something is terribly wrong.

So what about the man at the eye of the storm?  What has James Harrison have to say about the controversy surrounding him?

It’s starting to look like it’s OK to cheat, it’s OK to fight, but if you hit somebody too hard, we’re going to fine you a whole bunch. Maybe it’s because I play for the Steelers, who knows?

We know, James, we know.  It is because you play for the Black and Gold.  The Steelers players know it, the Steelers opponents know it, Steeler Nation knows it, even the media is beginning to recognize it.  It’s funny, there used to be a time when the Raiders were the rebels of the NFL.  But they earned that reputation through all sorts of underhanded and borderline criminal actions.  It looks like the Steelers are the new rebels, although just like in Star Wars, they’re on the side of good fighting against an evil Empire hellbent on bringing them to their knees.  And we all know how that story ends.