Why is it so easy to hate these guys???

Sitting here watching the Penguins Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and seeing the Flyers currently coming back from being down AGAIN in this series (and looking good to taking a 3-0 series lead) I became curious about the all time series of the Pens v Flyers as well as the Steelers v Eagles.  Well my Steel City friends, it is not good.

The Flyers lead the all time series against the Pens 141-89-30 (W/L/T).  The Cryin’ Flyers always seem to be a thorn in the side of the Pens.  And now, with the acquisition of Jagr the hatred runs even more deeply.  The Pens have the final laugh with having more Stanley Cups, 3-2.  Doesn’t make watching this series any easier.  There’s been a ton of scrapping and fighting during this first period – even Sid the Kid dropped the gloves.

The Steelers history with the Eagles isn’t really any better.  The Eagles have a large edge over the all time series 46-27-3.  The rivalry is almost non-existant because the separation by conferences.  It’s still easy to despise the Eagles – they still come from Philly and have people like Andy Reid and Michael Vick as representations from the City of Douchebag Brotherly Love.  Again, Pittsburgh fans can walk away feeling the ultimate high by having 6 Super Bowl championships to the Eagles’ zero (although to the Eagles’ credit they have three national titles prior to the merger).

So I’m going to give you all a chance out there to release your venom.  What is it about both these Philly teams that get your blood boiling?

After spending way too much time talking about kickers, let’s talk about real athletes.

With the exception of the sissies who boot the pigskin, football players are the toughest athletes in all of sports.   Let’s use concussions for example. Justin Morneau was concussed in July and couldn’t return for his team’s playoff run in mid-October.  Of course, everybody knows baseball players are a soft bunch of overpaid ball-scratchers.  Hockey players are tough but Pittsburgh fans may remember last season when Matt Cooke wiped out the Bruins’ Marc Savard with a beautiful (and clean) body check.  Savard missed almost two months of action and was still cry-babying about post-concussion “symptoms” this season.

Meanwhile, football players who are concussed almost always return a week later.  Except Hines Ward.  He wanted to return in the same game.

Yes, in Mike Tomlin‘s weekly pack of lies/press conference, admitted Hines suffered a concussion in that debacle against the Patriots.  As I surmised, they told him it was a “neck sprain” just to placate the proud and stubborn receiver.  I applaud the Pittsburgh Steelers for doing right by their players.

Hines is, without a doubt, one of the toughest men to ever wear the Black and Gold. For those of you who know your Steelers history, that’s saying a lot.  This man sprained his MCL in the AFC Championship game, an injury which would shelve an ordinary player for almost an entire season, and returned to play just two weeks later.  Given the physical manner in which he plays, I’m sure Hines has had his share of injuries over the years but he’s never whines, complained, or made excuses like our Drama Queen behind center.

I empathize with people who’ve suffered a concussion.  Mostly because I have personal experience with that particular issue.  While attending CMU, I was once concussed in an intra-mural floor hockey game gone horribly awry.  Don’t think I’ve forgotten your goonish behavior, Tina DiCapula.

However, I do find the NFL’s current concussion-craze to be a bit overzealous.  Mike Tomlin’s comment that, “Sometimes, you’ve got to protect the extreme competitors from themselves, and Hines is that.  We love and respect him for that, but we had to act in his best interests.” bothers me.  These are grown men who should be permitted to make their own choices. Doctors don’t strap you down”in your best interests” and stick needles in your ass without your consent.  Why should the NFL, Tomlin, or anybody else force Hines out of a game by lying to him?

On the flip side, Hines also said some things which worry me.   I’ve always felt Hines was one of the smartest players on the team, perhaps a future Senator or Congressman.  However, when he says, “Until I get a defined answer with all of the stats of guys having injuries post-career, I won’t worry about it.” that worries me. Um, talk to Merril Hoge about the effects of repeated concussions.  Or talk to Mike Webster and Justin Strzelczyk.

Oh wait, you can’t…  ‘Cause they’re dead.

The good news is Hines has passed all his post-concussion tests and is cleared to play on Sunday.  Although his cavalier attitude suggests there is still a ways to go as far as educating players on the dangers of concussions.  Although, really, the Ginger Dictator has nobody to blame but himself if players don’t take the issue seriously.  After all, this putz drops the hammer on James Harrison for playing clean hard football but doesn’t fine absolutely filthy dirty players like Kurt Coleman (who knocked out Austin Collie) or James Sanders (who cheapshoted Hines).  Until there is a clear and defined set of rules for all concerned, these situations are going to continue to occur.  Let’s just hope everybody gets on board before it’s too late.

Pittsburgh has a long history of athlete-endorsed food products. There were Louis Lipps‘ uber-delicious Lippsmacker cookies. Bubby Brister had the Bubby Bar. Not to be outdone, Mario Lemieux countered with his unfortunately named Mario Bun. I even remember Terry Bradshaw Peanut Butter. My mother claims it was the only PB I’d accept with my J back when I was a wee lad.

I’ve been a diehard Steelers fan a loooooong time.

City of Champions Cereal is the newest entry on that list. The box, featuring Hines Ward and Max Talbot on alternate sides, will be available exclusively at local Giant Eagle stores in mid November.  For the out-of-towners, you can also order this fine product directly from the PLB Sports website beginning November 9th.  Heck, order some Big Ben Beef Jerky while you’re at it.  You can never have enough beef jerky.

Now, let’s get down to the reason I’m giving PLB Sports this free publicity.  First, they’re a well-respected company probably most famous for producing Flutie Flakes.  And more importantly, they’re having a contest.  Everybody knows I love a contest.

Anyway, PLB Sports will be having a press conference on November 24th to promote City of Champions Cereal.  The are giving YOU a chance to attend this press conference.  Why is that a prize?

How about because both box boys, Hines and Max, will be at this press conference. Live and in person. And you are guaranteed to receive a box of cereal autographed by both of them!  In addition, Hines and Max have a reputation of being two of Pittsburgh’s nicest athletes so, time permitting of course, you’ll get a chance to have a few moments of face time with them after the press conference is over.

Unfortunately, there will be no guessing of a score to win this awesome opportunity.  PLB Sports is running the contest themselves, I am merely a humble messenger. If you’d like to enter, first make sure you’re either in Pittsburgh or able to get to the ‘Burgh on November 24th.  Mooch off your relatives if you have to, that’s what they’re here for.

All the official rules and legal mumbo jumbo can found here. Once you know you can make it, there are two ways to enter the contest.  You may enter both ways, but only ONCE each.

1. Send an email to info@plbsports.com with the headline (City of Champions Cereal). The entrant should write their name, age, telephone number, and how you found out about the Contest.

2. Follow PLB Sports on Twitter (@plbsports) and send them a reply which states “enter me in the contest #cityofchampions”

The contest will run from today until November 19th so get those entries in!  PLB has generously extended me the chance to cover the press conference so, work permitting, I may be there to fulfill my bloggy duties.  In fact, I feel a cold coming on as we speak.  Hope to see you there!

On the surface, one wouldn’t think Detroit and Pittsburgh have much in common. After all, Pittsburgh was recently named America’s #1 sports city. Detroit came in 10th. Let’s be honest, SportingNews is just confirming what we’ve known all along.

As football fans, comparing our two cities is like comparing Star Wars to BioDome. In 2008, the Detroit Lions had the worst season in NFL history. They went oh-for the entire year, losing every game. Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Steelers had about as good a season as there’s ever been. They survived the toughest regular season schedule any team faced in the last 30 years, then went on to win Super Bowl XLIII for their unprecedented sixth championship.

Now, I’m sure you expect me to belittle the Lions. To mock them for being such a pitiful franchise. To shake my head in disgust at their lousy ownership and inept management. I’m sure you’re even wondering why a proud city would even bother to support such a lowly team.

And that’s when I say the magic words: Pittsburgh Pirates.

Despite our many successes, the Pittsburgh sports fan knows the stench of failure all too well. While our two other professional teams set the bar for being world class, we have the Pirates to keep us humble. Pittsburgh baseball fans know what it’s like for a once great franchise to suffer the slings and arrows of lousy ownership and inept management. And we know that despite the embarrassment, we stay loyal.

Coming into this season, the Lions were mired in a 19-game losing streak. The team has won just a single playoff game in 51 seasons.  To think Pittsburghers still mourn losing that Wild Card game to the Jaguars. Despite their level of futility, Detroit sold out its opener at Ford Field, capacity 65,000.

Not long ago, the Pirates clinched their 17th straight losing season. That’s longer than any other franchise in any major sport in North American history. Think about how utterly incompetent you have to be to go 17 years without winning one more game than you lost. It boggles the mind. Toward the end of the season, the Bucs were mired in a slump where they would win only 3 times during a 20 game stretch. And yet, on a seasonable Saturday night during the final homestand of the year, 38,000 fans crammed into PNC Park.

Okay, they were probably there for the Foreigner concert but just go with it.

The point is that no matter how rotten your team is, and believe me both these teams are rotten, you can’t change who you root for. Well, you can, but those people are fair-weather asshats. The people of Detroit grew up Lions fans and continue to support their team even in the face of certain doom. Pittsburghers, even though we’re the City of Champions, still have room in their hearts for those bumbling idiots of the diamond.

After all, we still have our other teams to root for. Pittsburgh has their Penguins and Steelers. Detroit has their Red Wings and Tigers. Which reminds me, even though the Tigers were in the World Series as recently as three years ago, we even share some baseball-related pain. Both cities know what it feels like to watch a Jim Leyland managed team completely self-destruct in a do-or-die playoff game.

Somewhere there is a racehorse. And this racehorse’s great-great-great-great-great granddaddy was also a racehorse. And one fine day back in 1933, that horse won a race. A race bet on by a North Sider by the name of Arthur J. Rooney. And Art Rooney used the money he won that day, about $2,500 in total, to purchase a professional football franchise which would one day be known as the Pittsburgh Steelers.

For 75 years, the Rooney family has owned the Steelers. Sure, some things have changed but the Rooneys have remained the one major constant. Three Rivers Stadium is nothing but a memory. Art Rooney is gone but not forgotten, his eldest son Dan having been in control of the team for several decades now. And a recent appraisal of the Steelers values the team at around $1 billion.

Yes, you read that right. ONE BILLION DOLLARS.

Why was the team even being appraised you may ask? Because there is a very real possibility that sometime in the near future the one constant in Steeler Nation might no longer be constant. Yes, there appears to be a day coming when everybody who bleeds Black and Gold wakes up in a world where the Rooneys no longer own the Pittsburgh Steelers.

If that doesn’t worry you at least a little, it should.

With the passing of their father, controlling interest in the team was left to his five sons, Dan, Art Jr., Timothy, Patrick, and John. Dan was team president while Art Jr. was scouting director from the early 70’s until 1986 when his brother fired him, primarily because he insisted on taking NT Gabe Rivera over a local kid with a cannon arm by the name of Danny Marino. I would’ve fired my own mother over that one. The remaining brothers had other business interests and had no direct involvement with football-related matters.

The Rooney boys are all in their 50’s-70’s so they naturally have begun preparing for the inevitable transfer of power. Dan has already groomed his son, Art III, to take his place as team president. I believe this is Sticking Point #1 in that Art III is generally considered an asshole. When Bill Cowher had his farewell press conference, he spoke glowingly of Dan but had nothing to say about Art III. Rumor has it Little Art led the “Screw him! We don’t have to pay him because anybody can coach our awesome team!” charge which ultimately led to Cowher’s departure and subsequent dental work.

Dan Rooney is a powerful man in the NFL. He chaired the committee which nominated tape-destroying slimeball Roger Goodell for commissioner. He’s a major voice on every labor issue or contract negotiation. And it’s no secret he, and most likely his scheming son, want the team for themselves. Which is why it’s a bit suspicious that the NFL has all of a sudden interjected themselves into the Steeler’s ownership structure, demanding one person own 30% of the team while also suggesting some of the Rooney brothers’ race track business ventures constitute a violation of the league’s no-gambling interests policy.

The four remaining brothers have responded by doing the unthinkable; looking to sell their shares to somebody outside the family. This is where the appraisal comes in as supposedly Dan/AIII made an offer which was a bit low. Maybe they should bring in Sidney Crosby as a partner. Nah, Marian Hossa wouldn’t take a discount to play with him, the Rooneys probably wouldn’t either.

Enter Stanley Druckenmiller, owner of Pittsburgh-based Duquesne Capital Management,and filthy rich bastard. He’s a billionaire which is one requirement for buying something valued at around a billion dollars. He’s also a lifelong Steelers fan. Join the club, pal.

In fact, here is where it gets interesting. If the Rooney boys are serious about opening bidding for their shares up to the general public, there will unlikely be a free-for-all. I can imagine every disgustingly rich bastard from Mark Cuban to Eddie DeBartolo will enter the fray. Owning the Steelers isn’t the same as owning the Pirates or the Penguins. Don’t get me wrong, I love all our teams but the Steelers are a legendary team in the most successful (and popular) sports league. Interest in this would be huge.

And therein lays the worry. With the Rooneys, we know what we get. Sure we complain about their cheapness, we bemoan their lack of action in free-agency, and hate that while they want to win, it’s not Super Bowl-or-failure as it is to many of us. But what if we get a Ford or a Bidwell? Or, horror of horrors, a Danny Schnieder? Would Pittsburgh really want a flamboyant self-promoting clown like Jerry Jones prancing all over the sidelines at Heinz Field? These are the questions we may have to grapple with in the not-so-distant future.

Always remember, better the devil you know.