Retired local TV sports anchor has written a tell-all worth telling

Sunday, November 21, 2010
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/

Chuck Noll performed the greatest coaching job of anyone in professional sports. Bill Cowher ruined Kordell Stewart. A statue exists of Art Rooney Sr. not because he was successful in sports but because he was a nice guy. Women are Joanie-come-latelies to sports.

Not my opinions, but those of John Steigerwald in his recently published memoir, "Just Watch The Game." If you've known Steigerwald as I have for 30 years or if you've sat next to him for only 30 minutes, you know he has opinions and is not shy about sharing them. He does this and more for 231 pages that I found as interesting as any sports book, including a good memoir by Myron Cope several years back.

Like Cope, Steigerwald had a front-row seat to the Pittsburgh sports scene for more than three decades as first a sports radio broadcaster and, for most of the time, as a television sports anchor/reporter for WTAE and KDKA. He also grew up here in the '50s and '60s. He covered Super Bowls, World Series, Stanley Cups and about anything else played with a ball or puck in Pittsburgh and some that didn't, like heavyweight boxing championships.

And, like Michael Moorer, the fight champ he covered, Steigerwald pulls no punches, including some roundhouses he hurled the way of some former bosses at KDKA-TV.

This is not a collection of famous or big-time sporting events Steigerwald has covered since the 1970s. It's a book about people -- including a day spent in a car with Satchel Paige -- and he takes on icons, including Mister Rogers, PNC Park and women sportscasters.

There is much on the Steelers here, including why he believes his "cousin" Noll (you'll have to read the book for the answer to that) was better than any other coach or manager in North American pro sports history. It's because he built his dynasty from scratch; when he took over as coach in 1969, the cupboard was bare except for a handful of players.

His opinions on Kordell Stewart, many of which I hold myself, go against the popular belief that he was not a good quarterback.

He writes about covering the 1979 World Series when housed in a private home in Baltimore with Bill Hillgrove and Bob Prince and some hilarious "Gunner" stories that cannot be repeated here.

Steigerwald recounts playing pickup ball as a kid and how kids no longer play ball anymore unless it's in an ultra-organized league that includes "snack mommies."

He's been friends since 1971 with another Pittsburgh native, Mike Douglas, better known as Michael Keaton, who played Batman among many movie roles. He joined Keaton in a luxury box to watch a Pirates game in Three Rivers Stadium one day when the actor turned to him and said, "Man, this is great. You get paid to come to these games ... What a great job."

After pausing, Keaton added, "Of course, I have a pretty good job, too. I spent all day yesterday kissing Michelle Pfeiffer."

The title of the book came from John's father, who took his son to a Pirates game in the 1950s and noticed young John paying more attention to what the vendors were selling than the action on the playing field. His father nudged him and instructed, "Just watch the game." It's been a Steigerwald motto ever since.

He detests much of the hoopla that surrounds sporting events these days that owners feel is needed to attract an audience, including the all-you-can-eat section at PNC Park.

"I remember one year when the Pirates' yearbook had the Pirate Parrot on the cover," Steigerwald writes. "Intelligent people actually thought that there were enough parents out there who would be willing to buy four tickets to a Pirates game so that their kids could watch a guy in a parrot suit. It turned out the guy in the Parrot suit was really funny because he was high on cocaine most of the time, but that's another story."

He predicted on the air in 2001 that PNC Park would be the worst thing to happen to Pirates fans because the owners would now sell what is known as the "Game Experience" -- fireworks, bobbleheads, food, the view -- harder than the game itself, and 10 seasons later it still holds true.

Retired from KDKA-TV, he tells stories that management of that station probably would prefer he hadn't, including how virtually all of their newsmen and women scheduled to cover a Super Bowl would root against the Steelers to get there (again, you'll have to read the book to learn why).

There is nothing politically correct here, including a chapter with the title "Thanks for the Mammaries" and a knock at women teachers as they pertain to boys playing sports. "The scary thing is that we're going to have a generation of adult males who were feminized by this nonsense and lots of them will think it's normal to think of tag as a dangerous game," he writes.

Appropriately, then, some readers will be offended but Steigerwald will not be offended by that. He welcomes it. He writes that his dad was "actually of the opinion that people who weren't opinionated were boring. I tend to agree with that opinion."

So, if you don't like opinions, especially if they don't mirror yours, don't read the book. It's irreverent, politically incorrect and as fun to read as any "sports" book you'll pick up.

"Just Watch The Game" is available in most local bookstores or at www.JustWatchTheGame.com.

Ed Bouchette: ebouchette@post-gazette.com.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10325/1104697-66.stm#ixzz15vjtQVeN

State of the Steelers

By Mike Bires
Beaver County Times
http://www.timesonline.com/
November 19, 2010

PITTSBURGH — They may be 6-3. And they may be tied for the first place in their division. But these are indeed trying times for the Steelers.

They’re coping with injuries.

They’ve cut their once-reliable kicker.

They’re only 3-2 with their star quarterback after going 3-1 without him.

They’re coming off their worst home loss of the Mike Tomlin era.

And on Sunday, they’re facing a brash Oakland squad that’s well rested and riding an emotional high after winning its last three games.

No wonder Hines Ward described the Steelers’ state of affairs by saying “It’s time to have a sense of urgency.”

That sense of urgency was obvious as the Steelers practiced the past two days while wearing their shoulder pads. Ward, who’s in his 13th season, can’t remember the last time the Steelers practiced in full pads on a Wednesday.

Obviously, that’s one motivational ploy Tomlin used to refocus a team that has many issues as it heads into the homestretch.

Ward, too, found a way to motivate.

On Tuesday, Ward got a phone call from Ben Roethlisberger, who wanted to see how Ward was feeling after sustaining a concussion in last week’s 39-26 loss to New England.

After guaranteeing Roethlisberger that he’s fine and that he’ll play against the Raiders (5-4), Ward said, “Lead us. Show us how to do this.”

Roethlisberger answered, “Let’s do this together.”

However the Steelers do it, it would behoove them to beat the Raiders. There’s already a lot on doubt of this team due to the injuries, the release of Jeff Reed and the way the Steelers’ pass defense got picked apart for the second time in three weeks.

The loss to New England also was a stark reminder that the Steelers also started the second of half of the 2009 season with a loss. They then lost four more in a row in a skid that kept them out of the playoffs.

One of the losses in that five-game skid last year was a 27-24 shocker against a 3-8 Raiders team that gashed the Steelers’ defense for 21 fourth-quarter points.

“That was bad,” recalled linebacker James Farrior.

In the three-a-half seasons of the Tomlin era, the Steelers have been terrific in the first half of those seasons. Each time, they’ve gone 6-2. That’s an impressive 24-8 combined.

But in the second half, Tomlin’s Steelers are a not-so dazzling 13-12.

That’s why Sunday’s game against the Raiders is so important.

A victory over Oakland would not only keep the Steelers among the top five teams in the AFC, it would do wonders for their psyche.

But a loss would cast a shadow of doubt over a team wondering if it’s on the verge of a second straight late-season meltdown.

Mike Bires can be reached at mbires@timesonline.com

Photo: Getty Images

Timmons flourishes in Polamalu's old role

By John Harris, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/
Friday, November 19, 2010

Lawrence Timmons steps on the out-of-bounds line as he returns an interception as Cleveland Browns center Alex Mack pursues in the fourth quarter of the NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 17, 2010, in Pittsburgh. The Steelers won 28-10. (AP)


Lawrence Timmons and Troy Polamalu have traded positions. Sort of.

The revelation during Sunday night's nationally televised Steelers-Patriots game that inside linebacker Timmons has replaced Pro Bowl safety Polamalu as the designated playmaker in defensive sub-packages may have been news to the rest of the country. For Polamalu, it was business as usual.

"I haven't played that position for a few years. It changed the year we won our second Super Bowl. That entire year we played the same defense we play now,'' Polamalu said.

Up until 2008, Polamalu was free to roam and call his own number on passing downs. He could blitz or drop back in coverage depending on how he read the situation.

Polamalu still has the freedom to call his number as the starting strong safety. The only thing that changed is he no longer plays that way in obvious situations.

Timmons, the Steelers' first-round draft pick in 2007, received his first extensive playing time in 2008. He played in all 16 regular-season games, including two starts, and was credited with 71 tackles, five sacks and a forced fumble. He recorded his first NFL interception at New England and returned it 89 yards, the third-longest interception return in team history. He added 11 tackles in the postseason, including four tackles in the Steelers' win over Arizona in Super Bowl XLIII.

Timmons became a full-time starter last season, which prevents him from assuming Polamalu's playmaking role on every snap. His 85 tackles this year lead the team and tie him for fourth in the NFL. He also has two interceptions (tying him with Polamalu and cornerback Ike Taylor for the team lead), one fumble recovery, a forced fumble and nine passes defended (leading all Steelers linebackers).

"We always believe that the best defense is to play your best 11 players," defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau said. "It doesn't make any sense to me to sit Lawrence Timmons when it's third down, and not when Troy's as great a safety as he is.

"It takes our linebackers a little while to get comfortable with the whole package. Lawrence showed us he had playmaking ability, and that's where we started him. Now he does both."

Timmons had six tackles in Sunday's loss to the Patriots. In the second quarter, he made a play that showed why the Steelers made the switch when he dropped into coverage on third-and-15 and batted away a pass intended for tight end Aaron Hernandez.

Like Polamalu, Timmons has learned how to wait until the last second before making his move.

"When quarterbacks see me coming, they're going to go away from me," Timmons said. "I know how to disguise what I'm going to do. Troy helps me out a whole lot. I make plays because I know what to look for. When they throw the ball, nine times out of 10 I can make a play."

Playing in the base defense, LeBeau said Polamalu still makes his share of plays.

"Maybe not as many 'splash' plays, and people don't recognize that," LeBeau said. "If you look at our video how many plays he's making, you see he's playing great football."

Although Polamalu and Timmons play similar roles, they present different playing styles.

"L.T.'s got the position, but the role is different," said Polamalu, who has 46 tackles this season. "It's like two actors playing the same role, but their influence would be different. With LT playing that role, we're able to run different blitz packages and less coverage, in a sense. With me in the role, it was more coverage, less blitzing."


http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_710060.html

Reed's attitude worse than his kicking

By Mike Bires
Beaver County Times
http://www.timesonline.com/
Wednesday, November 17, 2010

PITTSBURGH — As the Steelers booted Jeff Reed out the door, they gambled that a new kicker beats the current state of affairs.

They have no idea if Shaun Suisham will be able to handle the job. But they certainly had serious doubts about Reed as they head into the homestretch of a playoff chase.

For all his successes during the first eight years of his career in Pittsburgh, Reed was nothing but trouble this season.

In training camp, he had an early meltdown by ripping into the Rooneys, accusing them of “lying” after he didn’t get a contract extension he claimed was promised to him. For a guy making $2.8 million this year, it came across as whining.

On the field, he’s been nothing less than the NFL’s worst kicker.

And then came his tirade after Sunday night’s loss to New England. When asked about missing a 26-yard field goal, Reed babbled about poor field conditions at Heinz Field, negative media attention and criticism he’d been getting of late from the fans.

Instead of being a stand-up guy, he made up excuses. He sounded like a guy who knew his time in Pittsburgh was winding to a close.

And that was the final straw. The Steelers had seen and heard enough.

Reed had to go.

No longer was there reason for management and the coaching staff to believe he could handle the pressure of making a clutch kick.

So, the Steelers decided to turn to an unheralded journeyman who’s never attempted a kick at Heinz Field. They’re turning to a guy who was cut during the preseason by Cleveland and St. Louis. A guy who hasn’t attempted a single kick yet this year. A guy who failed to land a job two weeks ago after a try out with lowly Detroit.

Still, the Steelers would rather have Suisham than Reed, the second-leading scorer in franchise history and a clutch playoff performer who has a dazzling 92.5 percent success rate in postseason play (16-of-18). In fact, after missing two kicks during the playoffs as a rookie, Reed made 16 straight.

But that was then.

In this year’s season opener against Atlanta, Reed missed a 40-yarder in a game the Steelers eventually won in overtime.

He was 0-of-2 in a home loss to Baltimore with misses from 49 and 45 yards.

He missed a 46-yarder two games ago in Cincinnati.

Then came the 26-yard shank against the Patriots.

When the Steelers cut him, Reed was 15-of-22 for the year — including 0-of-4 between 40 and 49 yards — for a sickly accuracy rate of 68.2 percent. Plus, he was just 4-of-9 at Heinz Field.

“The kicking position is one that merits special consideration,” coach Mike Tomlin said.

Indeed, Jeff Reed was once a special Steeler. He isn’t any longer.

He’s now an ex-Steeler wondering when and where he’ll kick next.

Mike Bires can be reached at mbires@timesonline.com

Steelers make wrong move with Reed

Wednesday, November 17, 2010
By Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/


The Steelers fired kicker Jeff Reed Tuesday because of his erratic performance on the field this season or his erratic behavior off it or some combination of the two. No matter the reason, coach Mike Tomlin made a bad mistake. If he had brought in kicker Shaun Suisham to challenge Reed, make him feel a little less comfortable and bring out the competitor in him, that would have been great. But to flat out release Reed? The team will be worse off because of it.

Reed has had a bad season, no question. He missed a 26-yard field goal against the New England Patriots Sunday night, although that seemed pretty far down the Steelers' list of problems after their 39-26 loss. The week before, he missed a 46-yard try that would have clinched a win against the Cincinnati Bengals, making his teammates sweat out a 27-21 victory that didn't end until the Bengals ran out of downs on the Steelers' 12. In the 17-14 loss to the Baltimore Ravens Oct. 3, he missed from 49 and 45 yards.

For the season, Reed missed seven of his 22 field-goal attempts. This is the same guy who missed just 10 of his 87 tries in the previous three seasons. I know, kickers -- like real football players -- can lose it in a hurry. But Reed doesn't strike me as someone who is finished. I'm convinced he'll go on to another team and be successful again. I still think he can be one of the top kickers in the NFL. I'm not buying the argument that he had checked out mentally here and would never be good again for the Steelers, a conclusion that Tomlin obviously reached. I like to think if the game Sunday against the Oakland Raiders comes down to a 48-yarder on the bad turf in the wind and rain at Heinz Field that Reed would have drilled it. I guess we'll never know for sure.

Reed didn't help himself by acting like a jerk after the game against the Patriots. Funny, I thought it was wide receiver Hines Ward who was hit in the head that night, but it was Reed who sounded loopy. He said he wouldn't make excuses for the missed field goal, then spent five minutes doing just that. He blamed the lousy kicking conditions at Heinz Field, even though he always used to brag about doing well on that imperfect turf. He even took on the fans -- OK, 5 percent of 'em -- for going out of their way to boo him or mock cheer him when he misses a kick. It's never a good thing to take on the paying customers.

As inane as his ramblings were, Reed was much more inflammatory during the summer after he failed to reach a long-term contract with the Steelers. "I was told one thing and another thing happened. I'm not a big fan of lying," he said, a shot, presumably, directed at the Rooneys. He also said, rather famously, that "life is not really fair." That comment was made after the Steelers put their franchise tag on him and agreed to pay him $2.8 million this season. Life should be so unfair for all of us.

Reed also was involved in two incidents involving police in an eight-month period. He pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and criminal mischief after causing a disturbance and beating up a towel dispenser in February 2009 at the Sheetz store in New Alexandria. He also was arrested after a dust-up with cops in October 2009 outside a North Shore bar after a Steelers' game. Those charges later were dropped.

Tomlin said he didn't cut Reed because of his off-field indiscretions, including his latest stupid remarks Sunday night. "I'm more results-oriented. Results are what lead us to decisions." I hope that is true in this case. Pro football is a business. It should never become personal.

Still, Reed is gone and Suisham is in as the Steelers' kicker. Suisham has been out of football this season, which creates at least some doubt about his ability. He also must cope with the Heinz Field conditions at the worst weather time of the year and do it for a 6-3 team that still looks at itself as a serious Super Bowl contender, that fanny-kicking from the Patriots be damned. It's not as if he has signed on to kick for the 2-7 Bengals.

Good luck to Suisham with that.

As for Reed, here's hoping he won't be remembered just as "Sheetzilla" around here. He was some kicker for a long time. Shame on Tomlin for not being able to say anything nicer about the man as he pushed him out of the door than, "Jeff had a distinguished career here." Reed had much more than that for the Steelers. The man made significant contributions to two Super Bowl teams. For years, he was as dependable as anyone on the team.

Reed also was one of the more active Steelers in the community. Word is that when it came to charitable causes he never asked how much, only where and when. Those who saw him in those circumstances loved him.

Reed had a heck of a run here. He shouldn't soon be forgotten.

Ron Cook: rcook@post-gazette.com. Ron Cook can be heard on the "Vinnie and Cook" show weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on 93.7 The Fan.

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Steelers release Reed, sign Suisham

Wednesday, November 17, 2010
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/

Peter Diana/Post-Gazette

The Steelers declined to give specifics why they released kicked Jeff Reed.

The Steelers released their franchise player, one of football's best kickers, because he apparently stubbed their toe.

Coach Mike Tomlin informed Jeff Reed by telephone Tuesday morning, then declined to give specifics why he released the Steelers' No. 2 all-time leading scorer, but it could not have been solely because he missed a few kicks this season.

It cannot be that because the kicker they signed to replace him, Shaun Suisham, cannot match Reed's statistics and carries a reputation for not getting the job done in the clutch. A kick by Suisham last Dec. 6 is known by Washington Redskins fans as "The Choke" because he missed a 23-yard field goal with 1:56 left as Washington wound up losing to New Orleans in overtime, 33-30.

The Redskins cut him two days later. The Cowboys signed him, and, in a playoff game against Minnesota, Suisham missed two of his three kicks, from 48 and 49 yards in a Dallas loss and the Cowboys did not re-sign him.

Since the Steelers cut Suisham after he spent his first NFL training camp with them in 2005, he has been with the Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, the Redskins, back to the Cowboys, to the Cleveland Browns for one month before camp this summer, and to the St. Louis Rams, who cut him after four days in August. He was out of work until the Steelers signed him to a one-year contract Tuesday after he kicked for them at Heinz Field.

"We like his resume," Tomlin said. "We like how he performed today. He's been here before. I think he was in camp here in '05. He's a veteran guy. He's no stranger to NFL competition."

Suisham has a career success rate of 79.1 percent (87 of 110) and is relatively strong on kickoffs. Reed's career success is 81.9 percent, including his 15 of 22 this season -- one from 55 banged off the upright, he missed two others from 51 and 49, yet he made another from 52 in Heinz Field and he kicked one from 53 (tying his career long) in Cincinnati, a game in which many point to his missed 46-yarder for not sealing a game the Steelers ultimately won.

Reed has been known for clutch kicks throughout his nine-year career, all with the Steelers. He even was better in the postseason. He made 16 of his 18 field-goal tries in 12 postseason games, making every one since 2004 after missing two (3 of 5) as a rookie in '02.

So, it cannot be his kicking that prompted his ouster. If that were the case, the Steelers would have released him after his second season, when he missed nine kicks (23 of 32). It must be something else, it must be something he said, such as:

"If you're not perfect in this city, man, then you're going to hear about it. It's been like that for nine years, and why would they stop now?"

Or:

"I'm not going to make excuses. If you've played any kind of sports in your life, you realize that what we play on is not very good turf. It happens."

Again, Tomlin declined to address those comments by Reed or ones he made this summer when he called the Steelers liars for not fulfilling a promise on his contract, which was $2.8 million as their franchise player, $1 million of which they still owe him no matter what he earns from another team, unless he is claimed off waivers. He also had a few minor tiffs with the law, one not much more than a traffic ticket.

"We just looked at the cumulative body of work and where we are and how we move forward," Tomlin said. "We felt like at this time it justified a change."

Suisham comes in with a clean slate in many respects. He has not missed a kick for the Steelers, he has not bashed their fans nor Heinz Field nor the Rooneys. He also does not know the intricacies of kicking in the notorious Heinz Field winds, nor on its sloppy field.

Reed went on waivers Tuesday with 31 teams getting an opportunity to claim him, although they would have to assume his contract if they did. If he clears waivers by 4 p.m. today, he is a free agent.

Several teams are hunting for kickers, most seriously the Cincinnati Bengals, who placed Mike Nugent on injured reserve and Tuesday signed a kicker with no regular-season NFL experience. The Jets nearly lost Sunday to Cleveland because Nick Folk missed three field goals, including one from 24 yards.

"We want to get back out and kick and finish the year on a positive note," said Don Henderson, Reed's agent. "Who knows at this point in the season? A lot of things can happen."

The Bengals play in Heinz Field Dec. 17, and the Jets pay a visit one week later.

Injury updates

Tomlin issued a mixed bag for the state of Steelers injuries, including a potential bothersome one to Troy Polamalu, who has a right Achilles tendon strain.

"We're probably going to slow him down here in the early portions of the week, just like we did with Heath Miller, with an eye toward practicing in the latter part of the week," Tomlin said. "We expect him to play."

He also expects Chris Kemoeatu to return to start at left guard after he missed the game against New England Sunday night with knee and ankle sprains. Defensive end Brett Keisel, who has missed three of the past four games, "is still working with his hamstring. We'll see where he is later in the week."

Linebacker Lawrence Timmons left Sunday night's game with a hip bruise and "that may limit him in the early portion of the week. We expect him to come back."

Safety Will Allen experienced headaches Saturday from his concussion Nov. 8 and will undergo more tests this week.

Cornerback Crezdon Butler has a thigh strain.

Tomlin said Jonathan Scott performed well enough to keep his job at left tackle after making his first start for injured Max Starks.

For more on the Steelers, read the blog, Ed Bouchette on the Steelers at www.post-gazette.com/plus. Ed Bouchette: ebouchette@post-gazette.com.

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New skipper faces high Hurdle

By Kevin Gorman, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/
Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Clint Hurdle puts on a Pirates jersey after being named the team's new manager Monday November 15, 2010 at PNC Park. (Christopher Horner/Tribune-Review)

There's a perception that the Pirates naming a new manager is inconsequential, that even with Danny Murtaugh, the club still would find a way to finish in last place under this ownership and management group.

Nevertheless, the Pirates announced Monday the hiring of Clint Hurdle as their 39th skipper with the hope that his leadership would help end an 18-year streak of losing seasons that has made them the punch line of baseball.

Pirates president Frank Coonelly heralded Hurdle's "positive energy, enthusiasm and passion that he brings to the game," as well as his prior managerial experience with the Colorado Rockies.

If that line sounds familiar, it's because general manager Neal Huntington used the following words Nov. 5, 2007, upon hiring John Russell: "His positive energy, intense passion for the game and strong managerial experience set him apart from every other candidate we considered."

Russell promised that the Pirates wouldn't be "outworked or outprepared." Unfortunately, he didn't say anything about being outmanned or outplayed, and the Beat Us Bucs proceeded to lose 95, 99 and 105 games.

So, does it really matter who manages the Pirates?

They took so long to replace Russell that it made me wonder whether the Pirates would wait until Opening Day to announce that they hired a new manager back in October.

Hiring someone from the American League champion Texas Rangers is promising, but replacing owner Bob Nutting with Upper St. Clair native Chuck Greenberg or signing free-agent left-hander Cliff Lee to serve as staff ace would have been more encouraging.

Let's not get carried away.

Instead, the Pirates hired the hitting coach of a team with a Major League Baseball-best .276 batting average. Hurdle doesn't have Michael Young, Josh Hamilton, Vladimir Guerrero and Nelson Cruz anymore, but rather a young core of promising position players who need guidance.

A major league pitching staff wouldn't hurt, either.

What makes Hurdle an important hire is that Huntington has staked his job on it.

Hurdle received a three-year contract believed to be worth more than $1 million annually. Huntington is in the final year of his deal, one that hasn't been secretly extended like it was last October. Or so we've been told.

This is Huntington's make-or-break call, and he knows it.

He put Hurdle in charge of developing Alvarez, center fielder Andrew McCutchen, left fielder Jose Tabata and second baseman Neil Walker, as well as top minor league pitching prospects Brad Lincoln and Bryan Morris -- until they price themselves off the Pirates.

Huntington is banking on the Hurdle who helped mold the Rockies from a team that lost 94 and 95 games in 2004 and '05 into one that reached the World Series in '07.

What's confounding is the Pirates hired Hurdle to replace the guy who replaced Jim Tracy, who replaced Hurdle in Colorado 46 games into the 2009 season and led the Rockies to the playoffs.

And get this: Tracy was fired by Coonelly and Huntington in 2007 after posting 95- and 94-loss seasons. The Pirates continued their losing ways under Russell, whose bland persona only made it worse.

Hurdle has a pulse and a voice that carries clout, and he appears charismatic and comfortable in his new role.

Where Russell rarely left the bench to argue an umpire's call, Hurdle looks ready to kick dirt on someone's shoes -- even if it's the owner, president or general manager -- until the Pirates reverse their clubhouse culture and recapture their now-distant tradition.

"I can have appreciation for the fan base and what they have experienced. Their emotions are real and they're raw, and I honor that," Hurdle said. "That gives me more motivation and energy to be a small part of something that turns it back the other way, so we can see them on the other end of that emotional scale -- because they're not afraid to come to a game, they're not afraid to spend their hard-earned dollars and show up.

"To give them a baseball club they can be in tune with, energized by and proud of again is going to be huge."

What would be huge is if Hurdle is here to see it.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/s_709501.html

Hurdle is a terrific hire

Tuesday, November 16, 2010
By Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/

Bob Donaldson/Post-Gazette

Pirates general manager Neal Huntington, right, named Clint Hurdle as the team's 39th manager Monday.

For one day, I'm going to try to forget that the Pirates are owned by Bob Nutting.

For one day, I'm going to force myself to believe that a new manager -- any manager up to and including Casey Stengel -- can make a difference with the worst franchise in baseball.

For one day, I'm going to look past the team's 57-105 record last season in its 18th consecutive year of losing.

For one day, I'm going to ignore the fact that the organization has the worst pitching in the big leagues with precious little help on the way any time soon.

For one day ...

Clint Hurdle is a terrific hire by the Pirates. I still can't believe he agreed to work for Nutting. He's better than the franchise deserves.

Hurdle couldn't have made a stronger first impression Monday. He was smart, funny and personable. He is a positive-energy guy and a good baseball man. I can't wait for the first day of spring training. I know, the glow could be gone as soon as mid-April when the Pirates are below .500 again and on their way to another 100-loss season. But we'll fret about the losing then. Now is not the time.

For one day ...

Forget that Hurdle talked of holding the Pirates to "a very high degree of accountability and responsibility." I believe John Russell -- a manager of few words -- said the same thing before him three miserable seasons ago. And Jim Tracy two miserable seasons before that. And Lloyd McClendon five miserable seasons before that.

Can we stipulate that we've heard that tired sermon before?

I liked more that Hurdle talked about "perseverance," a quality he's surely going to need before the Pirates become a winning team, if it ever happens. "I asked my wife to marry me twice," he said. "She didn't back me off the first time. She said no. I came at her again."

Can you imagine John Russell telling that story?

You have to like a guy who goes hard after what he wants.

I also liked that Hurdle quoted Joe Paterno, the greatest college football coach of all time. Maybe that will offend some Pittsburghers who are jealous of Paterno's extraordinary success and staying power at Penn State, but so what? Memorized from a slip of paper that Hurdle says he has carried with him for 12 years: "You've got to believe deep inside yourself that you're destined to do great things."

If Hurdle really, truly believes he's destined for greatness with the Pirates, who am I to argue?

For one day ...

Hurdle clearly is a smart man, a guy who once turned down an academic scholarship to Harvard. OK, so maybe that wasn't his brightest move, but I think we can agree he's intelligent enough to know what he's getting into with Nutting, who has shown neither the ability nor the willingness to make the financial commitment it takes to have a winning team. Hurdle said he asked "some very tough questions" not just of Nutting, but of Pirates president Frank Coonelly and general manager Neal Huntington, who have been called by Nutting, with no justification whatsoever, "the single-best management team in all of baseball, maybe in all of sports." Even the humorless John Russell must have laughed hard at that description.

"I just wanted to make sure everyone was all in," Hurdle said of his "unique" discussions with the Pirates', ahem, Big Three. "I felt the pride. I felt the passion. I felt the commitment ...

"After my conversations with these men, there were no reservations whatsoever. We're going to get this done. We're going to get it done together."

Honest to goodness, I want to believe the man. I want to believe Nutting, Coonelly and Huntington, which is almost impossible to do.

For just one day ...

Hurdle said there are similarities with these Pirates and the Colorado Rockies, whom he took over as manager in 2002. He developed a collection of talented young players into National League champions, even if it took him six seasons to do it. He said that experience -- not to mention a core group of players including Andrew McCutchen, Pedro Alvarez, Jose Tabata and Neil Walker -- will help him get it done here.

"In 2002, I had kids in my neighborhood in Colorado wearing Rockies gear to school and getting beat up," he said. "Those kids don't get beat up wearing Rockies gear anymore."

Hurdle also was a finalist for the New York Mets' job. I have a hard time believing he would take the Pirates' job if he thought he could land in New York, but those close to him say he would have been a bad fit there because of the micromanaging of the Mets' front office and the scrutiny that goes with the job. He would be just another manager there, win or lose. But in Pittsburgh, if he happens to pull off a miracle and wins, he would be king forever.

"This wasn't about taking a job because it was a sure thing," Hurdle said. "It's the right decision. It's the right organization with the right people at the right time.

"This is eventually going to turn. There's no doubt in my mind that it's going to turn. I wanted to get on board because I believe now is the time it's going to start turning."

Spring training can't get here soon enough.

That's what I'm thinking.

For one day, anyway.


Ron Cook: rcook@post-gazette.com. Ron Cook can be heard on the "Vinnie and Cook" show weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on 93.7 The Fan.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10320/1103626-87.stm#ixzz15S97bCSp

Pittsburgh treated to vintage Game 7 screening

Stars come out for game's first viewing since original broadcast

By Jenifer Langosch
MLB.com
http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=pit
11/14/10 2:06 AM EST

PITTSBURGH -- Some came in suits, others donning vintage Pirates apparel. There were those who came with vivid memories of a game -- arguably the greatest in Pittsburgh sports history -- that was played 50 years ago at Forbes Field. Others arrived with memories that had been crafted simply through the stories that they have been told.

But they all came to relive and to remember and to celebrate. With the unseasonably warm weather a fitting tease, there was, indeed, a baseball game to be played in Pittsburgh on Saturday night.


Dick Groat and Hal Smith

Approximately 1,000 people packed the downtown Byham Theater to be among the first to view one of baseball's greatest World Series games since the day it was played. A copy of the NBC telecast of Game 7 of the 1960 World Series between the Pirates and Yankees was unveiled by MLB Network less than a year after being discovered in the wine cellar of Bing Crosby's home.

MLB Network will air the game in its entirety for the first time in 50 years at 8 p.m. ET on Dec. 15. But as host Bob Costas noted in his opening remarks, "We thought it was only fitting to premiere this here in Pittsburgh."

Eight former Pirates who played in that Series -- Joe Christopher, ElRoy Face, Bob Friend, Dick Groat, Vernon Law, Bob Oldis, Hal Smith and Bill Virdon -- were in attendance on Saturday night. So, too, was Vera Clemente, the widow of Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente, and former Yankees infielder Bobby Richardson.

"Thank God for Bing Crosby," Groat said, shortly before the viewing. "It's going to be something special, especially with Bob Prince and Mel Allen doing all the commentary. That makes all the difference in the world, because they were two of the greatest announcers ever."

The most prominent missing face was that of Bill Mazeroski, who was slated to sit on stage with Costas during the broadcast. However, Mazeroski was admitted to the hospital earlier in the week after passing kidney stones, and was unable to attend.

"I'm sorry he's not here," Friend said. "He's been a great one. He would have enjoyed this very much."

The current Pirates management team was represented by owner Bob Nutting and president Frank Coonelly. Former Steeler Franco Harris -- whose immaculate reception rivals Mazeroski's home run as the greatest sports moment in the city's history -- came for the evening, too.

There were other notable guests, as well. Crosby's youngest son, Nathaniel, sat in the audience alongside actor and Pittsburgh native Michael Keaton, and Robert Bader, the archivist who discovered the original kinescope. Keaton provided a stirring introduction in which he recalled coming home from Pittsburgh's St. Malachy school to have his brother tell him that his favorite team had just won the World Series.

"It was the first time I experienced anything that was an event," said Keaton, who was 9 years old at the time.

Shortly after Keaton relived his memories from 1960, so, too, did Costas. Eight years old and living in New York, Costas' allegiance was on the other side. He provided a convincing-enough argument that his parents allowed him to skip school that day to watch the afternoon game.

As for the ending?

"That was the first time I remember being heartbroken," Costas recalled.

The black-and-white film -- which had no commercials, no replays and no fancy graphics -- lasted just over two hours. Fans watched the game as if they didn't know what was happening, seemingly breathing with every pitch. There were cheers and jeers and chants, clapping and timely standing ovations.

The film was paused periodically throughout for Costas to talk with some of the special guests in attendance. Some of the more interesting observations and insight included:

• Asked to recall the pitch sequence of his second-inning, two-run single, Virdon laughed and replied, "I don't have a clue."

• Asked about not stopping Mickey Mantle's RBI grounder up the middle in the sixth, Groat answered, "I should have knocked the ball down and made the play. It's one of the plays that has haunted me for years."

• Asked his initial reaction to the ground ball that went from being a sure double play to hitting Yankees shortstop Tony Kubek in the throat, Virdon recalled, "I said, 'Oh shoot!' Well, maybe not in those words."

• Asked to provide some insight into what Yankees manager Casey Stengel told reliever Bobby Shantz during an animated mound visit in the eighth inning, Richardson laughed, "I'm not sure it was about baseball."

• Asked his reaction to watching Mazeroski's home run clear the left-field wall, Groat replied, "To beat the Yankees, it was something special. The 1960 Pirates were a team of destiny."

There were touching moments, too. Nearly every time Roberto Clemente was shown on the broadcast, the crowd erupted in applause. Such continued adoration drew an emotional response from Vera Clemente.

"This was our second home," said Clemente, who didn't meet her future husband until after the 1960 World Series. "I'm very happy to be back. That's something that's very special."

Another poignant moment came in the bottom of the eighth, shortly after Smith pushed Pittsburgh in front of New York, 9-7, with a two-out, three-run homer.

Allen's words echoed from the screen: "That's one of the most dramatic home runs ever hit in the World Series. That base hit will long be remembered."

Smith's homer has been mostly forgotten because of the one that followed an inning later. On this night, though, it wouldn't be forgotten.

When Smith stood up to recognize the applause, the entire audience rose to its feet and gave him a standing ovation.

"I had no idea what happened until I hit second base and saw fans jumping on the dugout," Smith said. "No matter what happened after that, I was just glad to help Pittsburgh."

Of course, Mazeroski's walk-off homer drew the night's loudest cheers. And it was Prince's postgame interview show -- one in which he somehow shuffled through more than a dozen interviews in only minutes -- that drew the most laughs.

It didn't matter that everyone knew the ending before the night started. It was the chance to see the check swings, the balls that went foul by inches, the game-changing plays in the middle innings that were so captivating. It was finally a night for Pittsburghers to match the stories they had repeatedly been told with reality.

"It was really something we all wanted to see," Friend said. "It's one of the greatest games ever played in the history of baseball."

Jenifer Langosch is a reporter for MLB.com. Read her blog, By Gosh, It's Langosch, and follow her on Twitter @LangoschMLB. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Clint Hurdle hired as Pirates manager

A new man is coming to town to try to restore a winning baseball tradition

Monday, November 15, 2010
By Bill Brink, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

Clint Hurdle in PNC Park in 2007 as manager of the Colorado Rockies.

Clint Hurdle wasted no time adapting to the Pittsburgh sports scene.

He was scheduled to attend the Steelers-Patriots game Sunday night, said his father, Clint Sr., and the Penguins-Rangers game tonight.

Both the Steelers and Penguins recently won championships. Soon Mr. Hurdle, who helped two organizations reach the World Series, will bring that postseason experience to a team that hasn't been there since 1992.

The Pirates hired Mr. Hurdle, the former Texas Rangers' hitting coach, as their 39th manager, 10 days after interviewing him, an industry source said Sunday. Team president Frank Coonelly said Sunday that the team will hold a news conference at 11 this morning to announce its new manager, though he would not say who that was.

The Pirates chose Mr. Hurdle over Jeff Banister, most recently their bench coach and a longtime member of the organization. They interviewed eight candidates, but narrowed their choice to Mr. Hurdle or Mr. Banister on Nov. 3. Mr. Hurdle interviewed with the Pirates the following day and also interviewed with the Mets on Nov. 10.

"I could tell in his voice, he was very excited about it," Clint Sr. said.

Mr. Hurdle, 53, replaced John Russell, who managed the Pirates from 2008 to 2010 and compiled a total record of 186-299. The Pirates finished last in the National League Central each year, and lost 105 games this season. The Pirates fired Mr. Russell the day after the season ended.

Now Mr. Hurdle inherits a team whose starting pitchers lost 84 games last season and had the worst earned run average in Major League Baseball, whose defense tied for the most errors committed and whose offense finished with the league's second-lowest batting average.

"He loves challenges," Clint Sr. said. "He wants to be where the action is."

Mike Maddux, the Rangers' pitching coach, described Mr. Hurdle as an intelligent man with a keen baseball mind.

"That was something we all kind of tapped into," Mr. Maddux said.

The Rangers as a team hit a major-league-best .276 with Mr. Hurdle as hitting coach. Four batters hit over .300, including Josh Hamilton, whose .359 average led the league.

In hiring Mr. Hurdle, the Pirates chose someone who had success with an under-performing team. He managed the Colorado Rockies for parts of eight seasons, from 2002-09, and took them to the World Series in 2007. The Rockies hadn't finished better than third in the National League West since 1997 prior to the Series run, but won 14 of their last 15 regular-season games to make the playoffs in '07. They swept the Philadelphia Phillies and Arizona Diamondbacks to reach the World Series before losing to the Boston Red Sox in four games.

His postseason experience, in particular, was beneficial to the Rangers this season, Mr. Maddux said.

"You've got to curtail your rosters for special need," Mr. Maddux said. "It might be a guy with a trick pitch or a guy who can steal a base. Until you've been in that situation you wouldn't really think about it."

That 2007 season, however, was his only one in Colorado with a winning record, and he was fired in early 2009 after an 18-28 start. He worked as a studio analyst for the MLB Network in 2009 and became the Rangers' hitting coach for the 2010 season.

Mr. Hurdle managed for six years in the Mets' minor-league organization. He became the Rockies' hitting coach in 1997 and replaced Buddy Bell as manager in 2002.

The Royals drafted Mr. Hurdle ninth overall in the 1975 draft, and by September 1977 he reached the major leagues. He batted .329 in the strike-shortened 1981 season, but hurt his back and never returned to form. He played 10 seasons in the majors and had 32 career home runs with a career average of .259. Mr. Hurdle and his wife, Karla, have two children, Madison and Christian. Madison has Prader-Willi syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects muscle development and appetite, and Mr. Hurdle is a spokesman for the Prader-Willi Syndrome Association. Mr. Hurdle also has an older daughter, Ashley.


Bill Brink: bbrink@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1158.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10319/1103371-63.stm#ixzz15M0t9nYd

Brady sneaks by ... again

Monday, November 15, 2010
By Gene Collier, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/

PITTSBURGH - NOVEMBER 14: Tom Brady scores a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers on November 14, 2010 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

A three-yard quarterback sneak for a touchdown against the Steelers is purely an imaginary phenomenon, right?

You practically have to be stacking multiple doses of psychotropic drugs just to think of such a thing, but if you could, the guy with the football would be wearing number 12.

Only Tom Brady, noted Steelers torturer and still the NFL's premier gunslinger, could pull off something like that. Against perhaps the best run defense in all of Pittsburgh's gloried history, Brady sneaked three yards to a back-breaking third-quarter touchdown Sunday night, a preposterous flourish to a bravura performance that couldn't be adequately described just by its glittering numbers.

For the record, they were 30-for-43 passing for 350 yards and three touchdowns, no interceptions.

So if the second half of this Steelers season is going to resemble its first steps, a second consecutive extended offseason might well begin before sundown on Sunday Jan. 2.

What you're hoping for this morning, of course, is that Brady really was just that good last night, just that polished, just that confident, just that smart, just that reliably brilliant.

Or would you rather the Steelers were just that bad?

Brady's not 7-1 lifetime in this town by accident, but the issue Sunday night seemed to be a question of which was more irritating, that he was that good or that he seemed to enjoy it that much.

He jumped up and spiked the ball after gesturing to the end zone audience in the third period, and he demonstrated a degree of glee with all three of his touchdown passes on the way to this 39-26 prime-time slap in the face.

The prettiest of all those throws came with Brandon Tate running a deep post pattern through some alarmingly vacant acreage and Brady discharging a 45-yard bullet for a first down at the Steelers' 35. He then hit Wes Welker for 16 yards to the 24 and Deion Branch for six yards to the three, from where he sneaked home for a 23-3 lead.

Sneaked three yards.

Sneaked three yards?

With Brady pitching a perfect game throughout the first quarter, the Patriots appeared on their way to a stunningly easy night on the familiar Heinz Field lawn that is almost invariably a perfect stage for their ample offensive talents.

New England was simply going to win this one they way it has approached so many big games over the years, with advanced precision in the passing game, which comes courtesy of a sixth-round draft pick out of Michigan.

Brady completed his first three passes and 10 of his first 12 against a Steelers defense that was giving him a wary cushion despite the fact Randy Moss took this team's only deep threat with him to Minnesota weeks ago, then on to Tennessee and who knows where else on No. 84's mercurial mystery tour.

PITTSBURGH - NOVEMBER 14: Rob Gronkowski #87 of the New England Patriots scores a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers on November 14, 2010 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

These days, Brady cavorts principally with Welker and old favorite Branch, but augments that substantially with an entire fleet of tight ends, each more capable than the next.

The first touchdown pass zipped through a small window in the Steelers' secondary into the fine hands of 6-6 tight end Rob Gronkowski, who once transferred from his smallish Western New York high school to play at Woodland Hills in the hope that he would be better prepared for a major college program (perhaps Arizona) and might one day be catching multiple touchdown passes from Brady in Heinz Field.

Ok not exactly, but it's funny how things work out. I mean funny without the laughter, obviously.

Gronkowski caught Brady's laser in the narrow seam between William Gay and Ryan Clark for a 7-0 New England lead after one possession. It was 10-0 after two and might have established a suspicious 40-0 rhythm had there not been a minor outbreak by the natural enemy of advanced precision, namely careless imprecision.

Brady waited a millisecond too long before firing a likely touchdown pass to wideout Brandon Tate, giving the Steelers' Bryant McFadden just enough time to step in front of it and drop it.

On the very next play from Steelers' 35, Welker was guilty of a false start, moving the ball back to the 40, from where Brady was finally subjected to some pressure for the only time all night. LaMarr Woodley arrived to hit his release point, and the throw that resulted was broken up by Lawrence Timmons.

Similarly, Patriots' linebacker Jermaine Cunningham, one of three rookies starting on defense for Bill Belichick, got flagged for lining up in the neutral zone, helping to move the Steelers to the 4 and allowing Jeff Reed a 22-yard field goal.

He'd later miss from 26, which I guess is beyond his range now. Sort of in the way New England is beyond Pittsburgh's right now.

Gene Collier: gcollier@post-gazette.com.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10319/1103466-150.stm#ixzz15LyWy0Ws

Offense fails to produce with game on the line

Monday, November 15, 2010
By Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/

PITTSBURGH - NOVEMBER 14: Antwaan Randle El #82 of the Pittsburgh Steelers fumbles a catch in the endzone under pressure from Patrick Chung #25 of the New England Patriots on November 14, 2010 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

It's understandable if the Steelers have to check the paper this morning to see that they still share first place in the AFC North Division with the Baltimore Ravens. The way their offense was booed off the field early in the third quarter Sunday night, they must have thought they were the Buffalo Bills. Not that Big Ben and the boys didn't deserve every one of the jeers. They were awful when the game was on the line in the 39-26 loss to the New England Patriots.

It's hard to believe this was the same Patriots' defense that came in ranked 29th in the NFL, that had given up at least 20 points in six of its eight games and never fewer than 14, that had been gouged for 404 yards in a 34-14 loss to the Cleveland Browns a week earlier. For most of the night, the Steelers' offense made the Patriots' defense look like, well, the old Steel Curtain.

You bet quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and his guys deserved to be booed.

Really, three points before three thoroughly meaningless touchdowns in the fourth quarter?

And how about the six points the offense gave the Patriots midway through the fourth quarter when Roethlisberger's pass for wide receiver Antwaan Randle El was deflected and intercepted by safety James Sanders, who returned it 32 yards for a touchdown that pushed the New England lead to 29-10?

Roethlisberger and Co. should be embarrassed. They gave the Steelers no chance in a game when their supposedly stout defense also was overmatched. At least the defense had an excuse, though. It had to go against the great Tom Brady, the best quarterback on the planet.

It didn't help the Steelers' offense that wide receiver Hines Ward missed the final three quarters. His neck was injured when he took a hit from Sanders after what was originally ruled a 5-yard catch over the middle. Patriots coach Bill Belichick challenged, contending Ward dropped the ball, and replay officials agreed. When Ward did not come back in the game, his streak of 186 games with at least one catch ended. It was the third-longest such streak in NFL history.

That pained Ward a lot more than his sore neck. It also turned out to be a huge headache for the Steelers' offense.

PITTSBURGH - NOVEMBER 14: Ben Roethlisberger is sacked by Mike Wright #99 of the New England Patriots during the game on November 14, 2010 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

The Steelers could have used Ward when they moved to the Patriots' 8 with 5 1/2 minutes to go in the second quarter. On second down, wide receiver Mike Wallace dropped what should have been a touchdown. Then on third down, Randle El dropped another would-be touchdown pass. Jeff Reed had to kick a 22-yard field goal that cut New England's lead to 10-3.

The Steelers also could have used Ward when they had a first-and-goal at the Patriots' 8 late in the third quarter. Running back Rashard Mendenhall was stopped for no gain before Roethlisberger's second-down pass for tight end Heath Miller in the end zone was incomplete. On third down, wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders failed to look for Roethlisberger's pass as it sailed by him. Reed had to come on again to kick a 26-yard field goal ...

Wait, he missed it wide right.

The boos that Reed heard and deserved were no more intense than what Roethlisberger and the offense heard on their first possession of the second half. On second down, Mendenhall lost 4 yards on a draw play. On third down, Roethlisberger was sacked for a 10-yard loss when guard Ramon Foster failed to block defensive end Mike Wright. It was the fourth time Roethlisberger was sacked by a defense that had just 13 sacks in the first eight games. There would be one more sack in the final minute. One of the sacks happened when Mendenhall failed to pick up linebacker Gary Guyton. Another was a coverage sack. The third happened when linebacker Tully Banta-Cain beat tackle Jonathan Scott. Throw in a holding penalty on guard Trai Essex and another on Scott that was offset by a Patriots penalty and you get a pretty good idea about what kind of performance it was for the Steelers' linemen.

Of course, all you have to do is look at Mendenhall's rushing totals to know it was a rough night for the big fellas. He had a 34-yard run midway through the second quarter, but other than that? Not much. His other 10 carries produced only 16 yards. That against a Patriots' defense that gave up 230 rushing yards to the Browns.

Maybe it would have been different if the Patriots hadn't scored on their first two possessions to take a 10-0 lead. Maybe the Steelers could have used Mendenhall more. Maybe they could have kept the ball and kept Brady off the field.

Or maybe not.

The paper this morning will tell the Steelers they are 6-3 and still have that share of first place in the AFC North. They are not the Bills.

But the Steelers aren't the Patriots, either. This game left no doubt about that. Nor did all of the boos from the disgusted home crowd.


Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10319/1103469-87.stm#ixzz15LwejUV4

Patriots Embarrass Steelers

By Bob Smizik
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://communityvoices.sites.post-gazette.com/index.php/sports/bob-smiziks-blog
Monday, November 15, 2010 12:40 AM

PITTSBURGH - NOVEMBER 14: Wes Welker runs by Ike Taylor during the game on November 14, 2010 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

Where do you start with the Steelers after their embarrassing loss to the New England Patriots last night?

You start at the top with Mike Tomlin. I'm the guy who says execution trumps strategy, and it does. But the Steelers were outcoached -- badly -- last night.

Tomlin was up against the master. A lot of people don’t like to hear that, but it’s true. New England coach Bill Belichick is the best. There’s an old saying that goes something like this: You can’t make chicken salad out of chicken feathers. Well, Belichick can.

He took a young defense, journeymen running backs, a rookie tight, a couple of pretty good wide receivers and mixed them all in with the great Tom Brady and the result was a 39-26 New England win at Heinz Field that wasn’t anywhere near that close.

Defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau had no answer for the aerial circus Belichick and Brady threw at his secondary. They were picked apart. The Steelers knew what was coming and could not stop it.

Brady threw 43 times and completed 30 for 350 yards and three touchdowns. All of the touchdowns went to rookie tight end Rob Gronkowski, who played his senior season of high school at Woodland Hills.

Nor did Arians have any answer for the young and previously undistinguished New England defense. Don’t be fooled by the Steelers point total. They had three points going into the fourth quarter.

Ben Roethlisberger threw for 397 yards and three touchdowns but much of those yards were meaningless. That’s not to suggest Roethlisberger was particularly at fault. His offensive line could not protect him. He was sacked five times.

It’s clear the Steelers miss left tackle Max Starks, who’s out for the season. His replacement, Jonathan Scott, was lacking and there’s no indication he’s going to get better. Scott’s no rookie. He’s been around and is at or near his peak.

PITTSBURGH - NOVEMBER 14: Mike Wallace #17 of the Pittsburgh Steelers drops the ball in the endzone under pressure from Brandon Meriweather #31 and Kyle Arrington #27 of the New England Patriots on November 14, 2010 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

The schedule lightens up a bit in the weeks ahead but the Steelers need to find some answers. The Patriots gave all future opponents the game plan to use against the Steelers: pass, pass, pass.

Not every team has a Brady, but, as was shown last season, it doesn’t take a Brady to break down the Steelers secondary.

The Steelers lack of depth at wide receiver hurt them. Hines Ward suffered a concussion in the first quarter and did not return. That left one receiver the Patriots had to respect, Mike Wallace. He caught right balls for 136 yards and two touchdowns, but they all came late.

In one of the biggest plays of the game, Wallace dropped a pass in the end zone in the second quarter with the Steelers trailing, 10-0. They had to settle for a field goal.

Even one of the Steelers strengths was absent. The team mounted a feeble pass rush against Brady. He was not sacked as the New England line kept James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley away from its quarterback.

Kicker Jeff Reed continued his downward trend by missing a 26-year field goal.

The Steelers lost in every phase. They need to regroup quickly. Oakland, no longer a doormat, comes to Heinz Field next week with a 5-4 record and tied for first in the AFC West. What once looked like a breather for the Steelers all of a sudden become a must-win game for the Steelers.

There figure to be a lot of those the rest of the way.

Farrior: Steelers ‘couldn’t stop anything’

By Kevin Gorman, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/
Monday, November 15, 2010

PITTSBURGH - NOVEMBER 14: Danny Woodhead #39 of the New England Patriots jumps over James Farrior #51 of the Pittsburgh Steelers during the game on November 14, 2010 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

It wasn’t quite waving a white flag, but the Steelers conceded that going for an onsides kick midway through the fourth quarter while trailing New England by 11 points Sunday was the smart move.

Especially with the way their defense was playing.

“That’s a coach’s decision, but I wanted them to onsides kick,” Steelers inside linebacker James Farrior said. “We couldn’t stop anything.”

The Steelers had no answer Sunday night for Tom Brady, whose precision passing led the Patriots to a 39-26 victory at Heinz Field. Brady completed 30 of 43 attempts for 350 yards and three touchdowns for a 117.4 passer rating against a defense that ranked No. 2 in the NFL in total yards and first in scoring.

“When you’re talking about Tom Brady, you’re talking about a Super Bowl MVP, you’re talking about a great quarterback,” Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor said. “He showed what he can do. It wasn’t something we were looking for, but it happened. … With a guy like that, you’ve got to be consistent. You’ve got to be clicking on all cylinders every snap. The minute you don’t, he’ll pick you apart.”

Brady led New England on six scoring drives, and the efficiency of the first four had the Steelers scratching their scalps. The Patriots had touchdown drives of 70 yards on eight plays, 78 yards on 10 plays and 80 yards on seven plays, along with a 10-play, 46-yard drive that resulted in a field goal.

The Patriots’ first drives of each half appeared to be following a script.

“Whether they did or didn’t is irrelevant,” Steelers strong safety Troy Polamalu said. “We’ve just got to be able to not give up big plays and give up field goals in the red zone. That was all the difference in the game.”

PITTSBURGH - NOVEMBER 14: Rob Gronkowski #87 of the New England Patriots catches a touchdown pass during the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on November 14, 2010 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

It’s no surprise that Brady spread the ball to eight different receivers, but what was frustrating to the Steelers was that they allowed so many big plays. He found rookie tight end Rob Gronkowski for touchdowns of 19, 9 and 25 yards, hit slot receiver Wes Welker eight times for 89 yards, including a 26-yarder, and a 45-yarder to Brandon Tate set up Brady’s 3-yard scoring run with 22 seconds left in the third quarter.

“Once he gets hot, starts reading the defense, he’s hard to defend,” Farrior said. “That showed (Sunday) night. He ate us alive.”

Despite their ranking as one of the NFL’s premier defenses, the Steelers have been susceptible against the pass. They came into the game allowing 240 yards a game, but gave up a season-high 453 to the Patriots. That led to questions of whether the Steelers could avoid a late-season collapse like last year, when they lost five of their final eight.

“We’ll see how this team reacts,” Polamalu said. “It differs from year to year, but this was a good gauge to see where we’re at. We’re not near where we need to be with the elite teams in the NFL, as New England has proven that. But we’re barely halfway through the season. We still have a lot to go.”

That they were missing starting defensive ends Aaron Smith (triceps) and Brett Keisel (hamstring) and lost inside linebacker Lawrence Timmons to a hip pointer was no excuse. The Steelers saw that their flaws were exposed but believe that had more to do with going against one of the game’s greatest quarterbacks than having a defense on the decline.

“I think we’ve still got a championship-caliber team,” Farrior said. “We’ve just got to put it all together. We can’t let one game discourage us and get us out of our rhythm. We’ve got to go back to the lab and get to work.”

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/s_709409.html

From start, QB was on a roll

By Dan Shaughnessy
Boston Globe Columnist
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/
November 15, 2010

PITTSBURGH - NOVEMBER 14: Tom Brady throws a pass against the Pittsburgh Steelers on November 14, 2010 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

PITTSBURGH — Tom Brady? Foot injury?

It didn’t look like there was anything wrong with Brady against the Steelers last night.

His feet looked fine. His arm was pretty good, too, particularly when he wound up and spiked the football in the end zone after his 3-yard plunge gave the Patriots a 23-3 third-quarter lead and silenced Heinz Field.

Working without the aid of crutches, Jacoby Ellsbury’s body cast, or Paul Pierce’s wheelchair, Brady carved up the vaunted Steel Curtain on NFL Sunday Night Theatre. He completed 30 of 43 passes, threw for three touchdowns, and ran for a fourth as the Patriots beat the conference wannabe kingpins, 39-26, to improve to 7-2.

“We know what they’re about and I think this shows what we’re about,’’ said a jubilant Brady after midnight. “We’re excited. We haven’t been this happy in a long time. We’re 7-2. There’s a lot of football left.’’

The Super Bowl is officially up for grabs, ladies and gentlemen. There are no great teams this year. “Any given Sunday’’ is more than a slogan. It is reality. And in a year in which almost any team can run deep into the playoffs, the Patriots have the guy who has been there before and wants to go back again.

Brady looks ready. He’s slicing and dicing. He’s checking off. He’s yelling at his offensive linemen. He’s fooling TV announcers with his play fakes. He’s not getting sacked. He’s not throwing interceptions. He was significantly better than Ben Roethlisberger last night as the Patriots improved to an amazing 4-1 at the Big Ketchup Bottle.

As the Sunday special unfolded, it was hard to remember that we actually had questions about Brady’s readiness entering this game.

There had been four days of speculation about Brady’s health after he failed to practice Wednesday because of what the Patriots listed as a “foot injury.’’

Naturally there was no information regarding Brady before last night’s game. We didn’t know afterward that he was hurt last week in the stinker against Cleveland and we didn’t know he was hurt when he submitted to his one-and-only media availability Wednesday morning at Gillette Stadium.

The injury report, issued later Wednesday and updated the rest of the week, reported Brady experiencing “right shoulder/foot’’ problems. According to the Patriots, Brady has had shoulder problems for approximately 900 consecutive weeks. Coach Bill Belichick enjoys making a mockery of the league-mandated injury report. But Brady’s foot citation was something new.

Which foot, you ask?

We don’t know. We don’t know which foot and we don’t know when he hurt it.

This is the Patriot way. There is no upside to telling the world where you are hurting, unless of course you are Brett Favre and you want everyone to know that you are an incredible gamer.

Brady did not practice Wednesday. That seemed suspicious given that he loves to practice and given that many Patriots cited a “bad week of practice’’ before the Cleveland debacle.

The QB was back on the field Thursday (limited participation) and the sleuths on the beat tried to detect some trace of Brady favoring a leg. There was not much to report.

Brady came out for warm-ups at 7:36 last night, less than an hour before kickoff. His pregame routine was . . . routine.

Once the game started, he looked like the same old Tom. With better hair, of course.

Brady moved the Patriots 70 yards on eight plays in four minutes on their first drive. He completed 4 of 5 passes, including a 19-yard bullet over the middle, hitting tight end Rob Gronkowski as the big rookie crossed the goal line.

It was almost too easy. It temporarily took the crowd out of the game. It reminded Football America that the Patriots were not going to be humiliated two weeks in a row. And it smothered the suggestion that Brady was too hurt to help. He completed 17 of 25 passes for 180 yards in the first half. He was not intercepted, nor was he sacked.

Meanwhile, Belichick’s young, maligned defense made Roethlisberger look like the guy who should be in the infirmary.

Brady was unusually animated throughout the night. He didn’t like the drops and penalties that stopped drives in the first half and he let his teammates know about it. But at the end of the night he spread the credit around. He was particularly happy with his pass protection.

“I love those guys — those are my boys,’’ he said.

Brady found Gronkowski for a 9-yard touchdown pass at the start of the third quarter that made it 17-3. His 3-yard keeper made it 23-3 near the end of the quarter. While Logan Mankins tangled with some angry Steelers linemen, Brady spiked the ball in front of stunned Pittsburgh fans.

“I don’t run much,’’ said the smiling QB. “Coach made a great call and I was able to fall forward. I don’t score very often, so the times when I do get in the end zone I like to spike the ball. Growing up watching the 49ers, Tom Rathman used to do that. So I like to do it.’’

We didn’t see this coming, just like we didn’t foresee the beatdown in Cleveland one week earlier. The Patriots finally played a complete game, and old reliable Tom Brady was once again their ace.

Dan Shaughnessy is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at dshaughnessy@globe.com.

Mendenhall gaining yards, team's trust

Sunday, November 14, 2010
By Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/


" ... And the Steelers' handoff goes to No. 43, Troy Polamalu, off right tackle. He's stopped by Bengals linebacker Dhani Jones after a 6-yard gain ... "

• • •

You have no idea how close that came to happening in the game at Cincinnati Monday night.

"Troy was the next back in line," Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians said. "He was who we were going to if something happened to Rashard [Mendenhall]."

This was after backup running backs Mewelde Moore and Isaac Redman were knocked out with concussions late in the game. The Steelers took possession at their 29 with 8:58 left, their 27-21 lead in jeopardy after the Bengals had scored on two consecutive drives. They needed to keep the ball, run off some clock and, hopefully, score some points to secure the win.

"Oh my, yes, Rashard grew up in that drive," Arians said. "He was tired and beat up, but he took over the game."

Peter Diana/Post-Gazette

Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall has run for 702 yards this season.

Seven consecutive times, Mendenhall carried the ball for gains of 8, 3, 9, 18, 0, 4 and 1 yard. Forget that the final run in that sequence nearly went for a 29-yard touchdown. "It would have gone to the house if their guy" -- safety Reggie Nelson -- "hadn't made a great play [by slicing under guard Doug Legursky]," Arians said. The Steelers still took nearly five minutes off the clock and were in position for a clinching 46-yard field goal, which, by now, you know was missed by kicker Jeff Reed.

That doesn't change the fact that Mendenhall was a big-time ball-toter on the drive.

Not that he had much choice.

No offense, Troy.

"He looked over to the sideline a couple of times and wanted to come out because he was getting a little gassed," quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said of Mendenhall. "I told him, 'This is what makes you great.' "

Mendenhall confirmed that conversation.

"I think it was after the fifth run that I was really feeling it from running and cutting and getting hit," he said. "Ben just said, 'Be great. Suck it up.'

"That was big for me. So was the offensive coordinator being able to put it all on my back and trust in me. When they put it on your back, you like to deliver."

Deliver, Mendenhall did.

"He plugged along, got first downs and held onto the ball," Roethlisberger said. "That's what's making him an elite running back."

Mendenhall finished with 22 carries for 99 yards and a touchdown, his seventh of the season. He caught a 17-yard pass on the Steelers' opening possession to set up his 1-yard touchdown for a 7-0 lead. Arians mentioned he also had a couple of explosive blocks on blitz pick-ups.

"We're watching him turn into one of the great ones," Arians said. "He's been everything we expected him to be."

It's nice to think Mendenhall will be great again tonight. The Patriots' defense has earned its No. 29 ranking in the NFL by playing lousy football. Cleveland Browns running back Peyton Hillis gashed the Patriots for 184 yards and two touchdowns last Sunday as the Browns rushed for 230 yards in their shockingly easy 34-14 win.

Mendenhall said he's taking nothing for granted. That doesn't have anything to do with the Steelers trotting out a new left side of their offensive line tonight with Jonathan Scott in for injured Max Starks at tackle and Ramon Foster in for injured Chris Kemoeatu at guard. Like Roethlisberger, Mendenhall said he's comfortable with all of his linemen. (Smart man, Mendenhall.) It has more to do with the adjustments that coach Bill Belichick is expected to make with his defense.

"I don't get into what happened the game before," Mendenhall said. "Each game is a new game."

Mendenhall might not want to look back, but we're going to take one more peek at that game in Cincinnati.

A question is begging to be answered.

So what would have happened if Mendenhall hadn't sucked it up on that final drive and had to leave the game?

"I would have loved to carry the ball," Polamalu said, grinning.

It turns out Polamalu was an All-Everything running back in high school in Oregon, not to mention an All-Everything center fielder and basketball player. "Isn't too much that Troy wouldn't be great at," Steelers teammate Ryan Clark said. Polamalu practiced occasionally at running back in college at Southern California and also practices a few running plays with the Steelers during their bye week.

As intriguing as it would be to see Polamalu carry the ball, it's probably just as well it didn't happen. The last thing the Steelers need is for him to take a hit from Dhani Jones or one of his linebacker brethren and separate a shoulder or some such thing.

Mendenhall is much better with the ball in his hands, anyway.

No offense, Troy.

Ron Cook: rcook@post-gazette.com. Ron Cook can be heard on the "Vinnie and Cook" show weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on 93.7 The Fan.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10318/1103182-66.stm#ixzz15H7rj000

In Pittsburgh, tradition is forged in steel

By Dan Shaughnessy
Boston Globe Columnist
http://www.boston.com/sports/
November 14, 2010

The Steelers are football.

The Steelers are the NFL.

And, naturally, the Steelers are good again.

The Patriots play the Steelers at Heinz Field tonight in a game that will tell New England fans exactly what kind of a team Bill Belichick has this year. As ever, when you want to measure your mettle in the NFL, you go to Pittsburgh to play the Steelers.

If you have been to Pittsburgh to watch the Steelers, you know exactly what I am talking about. If you’ve never been, maybe you’ve picked it up just by watching on TV. Pittsburgh is simply the cradle of the NFL.

The Steelers are about continuity, excellence, toughness, and tradition. They are football’s comfort food. You see the logo on the right side of the helmet and you know you are watching the NFL at its best.

In New England, we like to talk about the Patriots being the team of the last decade and the team of the new century. The Steelers are simply the team for all time. They have won more Super Bowls (six) than any other team. And they have won two Super Bowls since the last time the Patriots were world champs.

The Steelers were founded by Art Rooney in 1933. Steeltown folklore holds that Rooney used $2,500 he won at the racetrack to bring the NFL to Pittsburgh. The Rooney family has owned the Steelers for 77 years.

Since 1969, the Rooneys have hired only three coaches: Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher, and Mike Tomlin. Stop and think about that for a second. Three coaches since ’69. Three coaches since the Beatles broke up. Three coaches over a span of five decades. Randy Moss has already played for three teams this season.

Nobody loves football history more than Belichick. His football library is Smithsonian-worthy. Game-planning for the Steelers is not like plotting to beat friendly stooges like Brad Childress or Norv Turner. The great Hoodie speaks of Pittsburgh with reverence.

Asked about Steelers tradition, Belichick said, “They’ve been very consistent and been able to really maintain pretty much their same system offensively and defensively. That’s very impressive in this day and age where you see teams change on a much more frequent basis.

“I don’t think anybody’s really got that kind of consistency like the Steelers have . . . from ownership to coaching to personnel to the players.’’

Belichick grew up watching Johnny Unitas quarterback the Baltimore Colts. Unitas, like so many other greats, is a Pittsburgh guy. More than 40 NFL quarterbacks grew up in the Pittsburgh/Western Pennsylvania region, including Joe Namath, Joe Montana, Dan Marino, Jim Kelly, and George Blanda.

“The people of our region take football seriously,’’ Steelers owner Dan Rooney wrote in his biography in 2007. “They know and love the game. The hard-working people, many of immigrant stock, adopted the game and made it their own.

“The sport that evolved in Western Pennsylvania bore little resemblance to the highbrow college game that came from Princeton and Yale at the end of the nineteenth century. Western Pennsylvania-style football was physically tough, straight-ahead, and hard hitting, reflecting the often brutal and sometimes violent realities of work in the steel mills and coal mines.’’

Through the decades, not much has changed. And Steeler Nation follows every step. Tens of thousands of fans made the drive to Motown when the Steelers beat the Seahawks in Super Bowl XL in Detroit in February of 2006. Ford Field felt like Heinz Field.

“The Steelers truly are football,’’ said Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino, who grew up in Pittsburgh and graduated from Taylor Allderdice High School. “Here in Boston, we tend to think of what we have with the Red Sox as unique, but I’d have to say the Steelers have that in Pittsburgh. It’s just part of the culture and the fabric of the community.’’

The Patriots first played the Steelers in 1972 and are 10-14 lifetime (including playoffs) against Pittsburgh. There have been some epic games in this century, and Patriots fans proudly remember twice winning the AFC Championship game at Heinz Field. Not many teams own a winning record (3-1, including playoffs) against the Steelers in their three-river crib.

“We’ve had some great battles against them,’’ said Tom Brady. “The ’04 championship game [41-27 win] was a great game. That was as meaningful as they come. It was freezing cold weather. I think I have a lot of great memories because we won the game.’’

If it happens in Pittsburgh, it’s memorable. Pittsburgh is the football home of Byron “Whizzer’’ White (who served 31 years on the Supreme Court after he retired from the Steelers), Mean Joe Greene, Terry Bradshaw, the Immaculate Reception, Hines Ward, and Ben Roethlisberger. It’s where the 2010 Patriots tonight will finally find out who they really are.

Dan Shaughnessy is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at dshaughnessy@globe.com.