Yesterday was a new low point for the NFL and its dictatorial commissioner Roger Goodell. In a season that has given us ample reason to question his abilities as commissioner, Goodell’s pathetically impotent slap on the wrist punishment of Brett Favre was his ultimate failure leadership.
Here’s a question commissioner, does the term “cop-out” mean anything to you? Does it feel good to selectively mediate justice depending on how much angst there is on TMZSPN?
If I understand King Roger correctly, Favre was not suspended because the league did not have sufficient evidence to prove he sent the now infamous “illicit” text messages to a female NY Jets employee. Which I find kind of funny since four months ago Goodell felt perfectly comfortable suspending Ben Roethlisberger for 25% of his season with likely less evidence than he had on Favre. Good luck explaining this one commissioner.
Let me start of by clarifying two things.
First, I am not a member of the group that rips Favre for his annual off season retirement waffling. It’s his option to play football as long as somebody out there is willing to give him a job and there is no requirement that he make a definitive decision before training camp starts. The NFL is a more interesting league with Favre in it and I give the man his full props for an all time great career.
My honest feeling notwithstanding is that Favre did not want to play this year but the Vikings talked him in to returning. That’s two straight years that the now unemployed Brad Childress begged Favre to play. That plus $20 Million in cash can be pretty compelling to one’s ego.
Second, I have resisted the anti Steeler conspiracy talk that is being shouted throughout the Steeler nation. I do not believe the commissioner of the NFL has it out for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The league clearly is trying to legislate a certain level of physicality out of the game and the Steelers are one of the most physical teams in the NFL. So they are going to bare a larger portion of the burden.
That is not to say I’m happy with the league’s witch hunt of James Harrison or its blatant failure to protect Big Ben on the field. There have clearly been some highly questionable calls and even more so non calls in Steeler games this year. All of which is a topic for another blog.
That said, there is little doubt in my mind that Goodell caved to the monster that is Favre’s reputation in this pathetically juvenile incident. The fact that he did not have the guts (not the word I would prefer) to suspend a retiring QB on a bad team is shocking in both its impotency and hypocrisy.
First off, this is not going to turn in to a defense attorney’s brief on Big Ben. I have covered that topic ad naseum in previous blogs. My opinion on Ben has never changed. He acted like an ignorant jerk but that’s not illegal in this country. In a he said/she said situation, I default to the police and a motivated district attorney saying there is not sufficient evidence to even consider a charge. They also mentioned, “we prosecute crimes, not morality.”
Based on that I concluded that Ben should continue as the QB of the Pittsburgh Steelers and should not be suspended. It’s a scary world we live in when a person’s livelihood can be taken away over unsubstantiated accusations. That said I reluctantly accepted the suspension for two reasons; I felt there was probably more to the story than we knew and that it would be the slap in the face Ben needed to turn his life around.
So be it.
Clearly Goodell felt in Ben’s case he COULD legislate morality. He was clear to point out that his powers as commissioner are not reliant on criminal findings. I agree with him to a point. I can be suspended or fired from my job for detrimental conduct even if that conduct is not illegal. I just found the punishment inconsistent given numerous other players who committed crimes and are still on the field, including one other player with a pending rape charge.
With the Favre situation you can scrap the term “inconsistent” above and replace it with “hypocritical and self serving.”
Let’s be clear on this. Favre deserves the same benefit of the doubt that we demanded for Ben. You are innocent until proven guilty in this country. And just like Ben he got it. He’s not going to jail. That’s the extent of innocent until proven guilty; you do not have your personal freedom taken away through incarceration without definitive proof of a crime.
Let’s be just as clear on this. Many people made and continue to make conclusions on Ben based on nothing more than the inconsistent testimony of two drunk college girls. This includes media people with tremendous ability to influence public opinion; some of whom never let facts stand in the way of a good story. In Favre’s case, there is far more compelling electronic and pictorial evidence of what he did that’s being swept under the table.
There is some pretty significant circumstantial evidence here that makes any reasonably intelligent person believe Favre sent those texts. His refusal to publically defend himself is at the top of the list. If I were faced with similar accusations, I would go to every possible length to publically clear my name. There is no way I would allow my reputation to be annihilated like this without defending myself. And Brett Favre is about 10 Million times more famous than I am. His silence on this issue is deafening.
Add to that the fact that he has apparently obstructed the investigation at every turn and I think we can draw our own conclusions.
I agree that nobody can prove that Favre sent those pictures and I agree that if this were about whether or not he should go to jail, that would be the end of the story. It’s not. The issue here is whether Favre should be allowed to play QB in the NFL which is a privilege not a right. Simply put, if Big Ben can be suspended four to six games based on unsubstantiated accusations, Favre absolutely should be suspended one game for blatant and juvenile sexual harassment.
Remember, it’s Goodell who set the precedent by suspending Ben without evidence or charges. Once he did that the door was open for him to suspend Favre. There are plenty of situations where a reasonable person can make conclusions that would not be acceptable in a legal setting and this is one of them. If it turns out he’s wrong, what was the ultimate cost to Favre? He would lose one NFL game in 20 years, a game he should not be playing in anyway.
Instead Favre pays a fine which is, to quote Eddie Murphy in Coming to America, pocket change.
So why did Goodell and his cronies back down? For my money, two reasons. First, they don’t want to tangle with Favre and his legendary reputation. I don’t know why but they continue to cow tail to this guy even now that he’s been exposed to some degree as a media fraud. It’s no different than the high soccer school coach who suspends some poor bench warmer for drinking but looks the other way when a star player does the same thing (purely hypothetical of course).
Second, I believe that Goodell’s over reaction in Ben’s case had a lot to do with the immense media scrutiny that resulted from it. For reasons I dare only speculate, the talking heads at TMZSPN did not make nearly as big a deal of the Favre story as they did with Big Ben. Apparently the ENTERTAINMENT and sports network would rather run “BREAKING NEWS” alerts on whether Favre is going to start a meaningless game for a bad team rather than call him out for ignorant behavior. It’s interesting that they did not show such restraint for Big Ben, who lets face it, was never a media darling.
Look, there are worse things in this world than what Favre is accused of. If Ben actually did what he were accused of, it would be far worse. And I’m sure Favre is not being well received on the home front for this. In the end, one dumb text message may cost him millions of dollars (see Woods, Tiger).
And I’m not asking for the law to lock Favre up and throw away the key. I’m just asking the commissioner to be consistent with his punishments. I’m asking him to take the same proactive and dictatorial stance on a beloved media icon that he took on a player who did not always conduct himself admirably the last few years. I’m asking him to stop running his league at the behest of ESPN.
Apparently I’m asking too much.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Why’s Everybody Always Picking on Donovan?
As a general rule, I do not waste time or sympathy on million dollar celebrity athletes. They neither want nor need it from me, or anyone else for that matter.
Once in awhile I consider an exception.
I have little in depth knowledge about Donovan McNabb. Since he spent most of his career playing for one of my least favorite NFL teams, I’ve generally been vested in his failure. Given that, I can not claim to have the educated perspective on him that I try to maintain for Pittsburgh athletes.
Maybe he is a horrible person, or a bad teammate, or a spoiled entitled athlete who gets by on talent alone. Or maybe he’s a genuinely decent person and just about the unluckiest guy to ever put on a uniform.
Usually the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Honestly, I suspect with McNabb it is closer to the latter. Everything I have ever seen suggests that along with being a pretty good football player, McNabb is also a pretty decent guy.
So I’m at a loss to explain why he has been such a lightening rod for criticism and controversy throughout his career, most of which seems not of his own making.
Back in October, I posted a blog regarding the moronic decision by Washington coach Mike Shanahan to bench McNabb with two minutes left in a winnable game…FOR REX GROSSMAN. If you recall, Shanahan initially suggested that he felt in that situation, Grossman gave him the best chance to win. Let me repeat what I wrote at that time; they have not yet invented a situation in football where Rex Grossman gives you the best chance to win.
Honestly, the entire thing was insulting to McNabb and unfair to Grossman. If Shanahan really believes what he said, and I seriously doubt that, he should have been fired on the spot for rank incompetence. If the ultimate intent was to send a message to McNabb, through whatever means necessary, it was a classless way to do so. Not to mention he cost his team a football game. The minute Rex Grossman walked on that field, the Redskins were over and done.
I wonder if it’s a coincidence that the Skins season fell apart about that time.
Either way I thought the situation had been rectified when the Skins gave McNabb a $78 Million extension. In reality, it was simply a $3.5 Million severance payment. That became apparent when Shanahan benched McNabb for the last three games so he could, “get a look at Grossman and John Beck.”
Let me be absolutely clear on this point. NFL coaches do not need to look at Rex Grossman and John Beck. In fact, most coaches hope to see as little as possible of either one of them. The actual English translation of his comments is, “McNabb is done in Washington.”
Look, McNabb is not the first veteran player to lose his fastball or at least end up in the wrong situation. Forgetting the abomination that is his 2010 season, think of 2009 Brett Favre in Minnesota versus 2008 Brett Favre in New York. Maybe McNabb is washed up. Maybe he’s not willing to become a better QB now that his athletic ability is fading with age. Or maybe he’s just stuck playing for a perfectionist coach and his prodigal son offensive coordinator who are both hoping to rediscover John Elway.
Any of those things are possible. What is not possible is that Mike Shanahan really thinks Rex Grossman is his answer at QB.
Still, could he not have treated McNabb with a little professional class? Is that so much to ask? Which leads me back to my original question. Do these things just happen to McNabb or is he really a bad guy? You know the old saying, “where there is smoke there is fire?” How many seemingly bad things can happen to one guy and still be a coincidence?
I’ll confess I thought McNabb was overrated coming out of college. I came to that impression after watching him implode in the Orange Bowl against a really good Florida team. Regardless, NFL scouts thought he was one of the top five players in the draft. McNabb’s reward for this was to be drafted by Philadelphia and jeered mercilessly on draft day. You remember why; they wanted Ricky “the stoner” Williams who was not even the first back picked in the draft.
To my surprise, McNabb developed in to an All Pro caliber QB in Philly, in spite of mediocre offensive talent around him. He carried the Eagles to three straight NFC Championship games, but came up short each time. His reward for this was to have Rush Limbaugh suggest on national TV that he was overrated and overhyped only because of his skin color.
I remember when that happened. At first the TMZSPN commentators had little to say on the subject. I think they were prepared to let it pass until the rest of the media came crashing down on them. At that point there was suddenly a flood of what seemed like forced righteous indignation from Tom Jackson and Michael Irvin. Frankly it seemed more like protecting their territory then defending McNabb.
And just so we are clear, Limbaugh’s comments were asinine stupidity and should have been shot down on site.
So then Philly goes out and gets an All Pro receiver in Terrell Owens. And we know what happened. Somewhere along the way there was a falling out between the two. After that Owens spent the rest of his time in Philly bad mouthing and mocking his QB. At times it got truly ugly, even when they finally made it to the Super Bowl in 2004.
I have zero respect for Terrell Owens. He has been a loud mouth, locker room killing malcontent for most of his career. You would have to make an awfully compelling case for me to take T.O.’s side over McNabb in this case. It further supports my belief that McNabb is a good guy who ends up on the wrong side of issues.
Since that point, McNabb has been mocked for apparently running out of gas in the Super Bowl and mocked for losing four NFC championship games. He’s suffered the indignity of being traded within his own division and had his physical conditioning questioned by his current coach and former teammates. Oh and Philly replaced him with a convicted criminal who seems to be more beloved than McNabb ever was in that city. It’s unreal.
Seriously, what exactly did this guy do to cause so much strife?
My honest feeling about McNabb is he is actually too classy a guy. That was my take on the Owens situation. McNabb wants to be the better man and take the high road which is great. Unfortunately T.O. is a bully. He attacks anyone he perceives as a threat to him and does not respect anything but having it put right back in his face. McNabb may indeed have taken the high road but he paid for it.
Beyond that, I think he’s taken heat for never being quite as good as he was expected to be. He ultimately suffered for being a very talented, very good quarterback who never quite became a true franchise superstar. Philly fans could not forgive all those championship game losses; and McNabb became the on the field face of that pain.
That’s a laymen’s opinion of course. And I admit I could be flat out wrong.
As for his troubles in Washington, I can only speculate. And since it’s my blog, I will.
I read a great interview with former Denver QB Jake Plummer (aka Grizzly Adams Jr.) on Yahoo sports after my last Shanahan/McNabb blog. In the article, Plummer said basically that he hated playing for Shanahan. He called Shanahan an over the top perfectionist and said that he was desperately seeking another John Elway. That’s not hard to believe considering Shanahan’s mediocre coaching record without Elway.
My guess is that’s what happened in Washington. Shanahan was hoping McNabb would finally give him his Elway type QB. Instead, McNabb either did not or could not play the game the way Shanahan wanted. It would not shock me if the rumors about McNabb not getting along with Shanahan’s kid were true as well. Again, I’m siding with McNabb. Nothing good ever comes out of nepotism in sports. Parents can not hide their blind spots for their kids, even when millions of dollars are at stake.
And yet even if I’m right, how does this keep happening to one guy? Honestly, I just do not know.
Truth be told, McNabb is better off leaving Washington, as dysfunctional a franchise as there is in the NFL. He will get another opportunity in some other quarterback desperate city. He has already requested his release but I'm guessing that the Skins will not give it to him. Might as well grab some draft choices for that $3.5 Million severance payment.
Here's hoping the drama ends at his next destination. Here's guessing it does not.
Once in awhile I consider an exception.
I have little in depth knowledge about Donovan McNabb. Since he spent most of his career playing for one of my least favorite NFL teams, I’ve generally been vested in his failure. Given that, I can not claim to have the educated perspective on him that I try to maintain for Pittsburgh athletes.
Maybe he is a horrible person, or a bad teammate, or a spoiled entitled athlete who gets by on talent alone. Or maybe he’s a genuinely decent person and just about the unluckiest guy to ever put on a uniform.
Usually the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Honestly, I suspect with McNabb it is closer to the latter. Everything I have ever seen suggests that along with being a pretty good football player, McNabb is also a pretty decent guy.
So I’m at a loss to explain why he has been such a lightening rod for criticism and controversy throughout his career, most of which seems not of his own making.
Back in October, I posted a blog regarding the moronic decision by Washington coach Mike Shanahan to bench McNabb with two minutes left in a winnable game…FOR REX GROSSMAN. If you recall, Shanahan initially suggested that he felt in that situation, Grossman gave him the best chance to win. Let me repeat what I wrote at that time; they have not yet invented a situation in football where Rex Grossman gives you the best chance to win.
Honestly, the entire thing was insulting to McNabb and unfair to Grossman. If Shanahan really believes what he said, and I seriously doubt that, he should have been fired on the spot for rank incompetence. If the ultimate intent was to send a message to McNabb, through whatever means necessary, it was a classless way to do so. Not to mention he cost his team a football game. The minute Rex Grossman walked on that field, the Redskins were over and done.
I wonder if it’s a coincidence that the Skins season fell apart about that time.
Either way I thought the situation had been rectified when the Skins gave McNabb a $78 Million extension. In reality, it was simply a $3.5 Million severance payment. That became apparent when Shanahan benched McNabb for the last three games so he could, “get a look at Grossman and John Beck.”
Let me be absolutely clear on this point. NFL coaches do not need to look at Rex Grossman and John Beck. In fact, most coaches hope to see as little as possible of either one of them. The actual English translation of his comments is, “McNabb is done in Washington.”
Look, McNabb is not the first veteran player to lose his fastball or at least end up in the wrong situation. Forgetting the abomination that is his 2010 season, think of 2009 Brett Favre in Minnesota versus 2008 Brett Favre in New York. Maybe McNabb is washed up. Maybe he’s not willing to become a better QB now that his athletic ability is fading with age. Or maybe he’s just stuck playing for a perfectionist coach and his prodigal son offensive coordinator who are both hoping to rediscover John Elway.
Any of those things are possible. What is not possible is that Mike Shanahan really thinks Rex Grossman is his answer at QB.
Still, could he not have treated McNabb with a little professional class? Is that so much to ask? Which leads me back to my original question. Do these things just happen to McNabb or is he really a bad guy? You know the old saying, “where there is smoke there is fire?” How many seemingly bad things can happen to one guy and still be a coincidence?
I’ll confess I thought McNabb was overrated coming out of college. I came to that impression after watching him implode in the Orange Bowl against a really good Florida team. Regardless, NFL scouts thought he was one of the top five players in the draft. McNabb’s reward for this was to be drafted by Philadelphia and jeered mercilessly on draft day. You remember why; they wanted Ricky “the stoner” Williams who was not even the first back picked in the draft.
To my surprise, McNabb developed in to an All Pro caliber QB in Philly, in spite of mediocre offensive talent around him. He carried the Eagles to three straight NFC Championship games, but came up short each time. His reward for this was to have Rush Limbaugh suggest on national TV that he was overrated and overhyped only because of his skin color.
I remember when that happened. At first the TMZSPN commentators had little to say on the subject. I think they were prepared to let it pass until the rest of the media came crashing down on them. At that point there was suddenly a flood of what seemed like forced righteous indignation from Tom Jackson and Michael Irvin. Frankly it seemed more like protecting their territory then defending McNabb.
And just so we are clear, Limbaugh’s comments were asinine stupidity and should have been shot down on site.
So then Philly goes out and gets an All Pro receiver in Terrell Owens. And we know what happened. Somewhere along the way there was a falling out between the two. After that Owens spent the rest of his time in Philly bad mouthing and mocking his QB. At times it got truly ugly, even when they finally made it to the Super Bowl in 2004.
I have zero respect for Terrell Owens. He has been a loud mouth, locker room killing malcontent for most of his career. You would have to make an awfully compelling case for me to take T.O.’s side over McNabb in this case. It further supports my belief that McNabb is a good guy who ends up on the wrong side of issues.
Since that point, McNabb has been mocked for apparently running out of gas in the Super Bowl and mocked for losing four NFC championship games. He’s suffered the indignity of being traded within his own division and had his physical conditioning questioned by his current coach and former teammates. Oh and Philly replaced him with a convicted criminal who seems to be more beloved than McNabb ever was in that city. It’s unreal.
Seriously, what exactly did this guy do to cause so much strife?
My honest feeling about McNabb is he is actually too classy a guy. That was my take on the Owens situation. McNabb wants to be the better man and take the high road which is great. Unfortunately T.O. is a bully. He attacks anyone he perceives as a threat to him and does not respect anything but having it put right back in his face. McNabb may indeed have taken the high road but he paid for it.
Beyond that, I think he’s taken heat for never being quite as good as he was expected to be. He ultimately suffered for being a very talented, very good quarterback who never quite became a true franchise superstar. Philly fans could not forgive all those championship game losses; and McNabb became the on the field face of that pain.
That’s a laymen’s opinion of course. And I admit I could be flat out wrong.
As for his troubles in Washington, I can only speculate. And since it’s my blog, I will.
I read a great interview with former Denver QB Jake Plummer (aka Grizzly Adams Jr.) on Yahoo sports after my last Shanahan/McNabb blog. In the article, Plummer said basically that he hated playing for Shanahan. He called Shanahan an over the top perfectionist and said that he was desperately seeking another John Elway. That’s not hard to believe considering Shanahan’s mediocre coaching record without Elway.
My guess is that’s what happened in Washington. Shanahan was hoping McNabb would finally give him his Elway type QB. Instead, McNabb either did not or could not play the game the way Shanahan wanted. It would not shock me if the rumors about McNabb not getting along with Shanahan’s kid were true as well. Again, I’m siding with McNabb. Nothing good ever comes out of nepotism in sports. Parents can not hide their blind spots for their kids, even when millions of dollars are at stake.
And yet even if I’m right, how does this keep happening to one guy? Honestly, I just do not know.
Truth be told, McNabb is better off leaving Washington, as dysfunctional a franchise as there is in the NFL. He will get another opportunity in some other quarterback desperate city. He has already requested his release but I'm guessing that the Skins will not give it to him. Might as well grab some draft choices for that $3.5 Million severance payment.
Here's hoping the drama ends at his next destination. Here's guessing it does not.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Steelers Display the Heart of a Champion
There are moments when champions define and separate themselves from their competitors. Sunday night in Baltimore was such a moment for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
On a night when the Steelers had every conceivable excuse to quit, they battled to the very end. With injuries, officials, and their toughest rivals stacked against them, the Steelers refused to succumb to defeat. In the most critical of moments, under the most intense pressure, the Steelers prevailed, against all odds.
I can not possibly overstate the importance of this victory. Physically, emotionally, and in the standings, it was the game of the year. We’ve known that since the hard fought last second loss in Pittsburgh in early October. This was an absolute must win game.
I will never give up the Steelers; I learned that lesson in 2005. At the same time, let’s be honest. Going the wild card route to a Super Bowl is tenuous under the best of circumstances. For a team as beat up as the Steelers, in a year with so much parity in the AFC, a first round bye would be an enormous advantage.
If the Steelers lost tonight, they were stuck going the wild card route. Now the division and a first round bye is a very real expectation.
That’s certainly a critical part of it. The other part was that the Steelers needed to step up with a signature victory in a significant game. To do so with a dramatic late game victory, spurred on by their defense was a potential season changing moment. To do it on the road, against their biggest and most physical rival…well that’s how championship teams come together.
Yes, this was a sloppy, ugly victory. I could write a 5,000 word blog on all the errors, physical and mental, that were made in this game. The Steelers made some ugly mistakes including three different brainless special teams’ gaffes. The offense struggled for 60 minutes to string together successful drives.
In other words, it was just another Steelers/Ravens battle, especially in Baltimore.
Prior to kickoff tonight I reminded Emily of what she already knows; what all Steeler fans know. Steelers/Ravens games are low scoring, incredibly physical affairs that come down to the last moments. It happens every game between these brutally physical rivals. There has not been a more violent and physical rivalry in the NFL since the Steelers and Oakland in the 70s.
And as is so often the case, when it really mattered, the Steelers showed more heart and character than their loud mouthed division rivals to the south.
There are certain things in sports that can not adequately be measured. Heart and character are at the top of that list. The Steelers consistently display championship heart. I will take that in a second over Peyton Manning’s arm or Adrian Peterson’s legs. No team in sports has consistently displayed more heart and character than the black and gold over the last 20 years.
I’m sure the critics will be all over Bruce Arians tomorrow for the offensive struggles. So be it. I’m sure Steeler fans will be up in arms about another 60 minute miscarriage of officiating justice. It is what it is.
Once again the Steelers proved what I always say about great teams in sports. Champions simply find a way to win. I’ve said it in many forms but the quote, “winners win, losers blame the ref” seems especially apropos these days.
The Steelers offensive line, a weak unit to begin with is continually devastated by injuries. They lost their punter. Their quarterback has a broken foot and suffered a broken nose. The officials flat out whiffed on two horrific personal foul calls, one of which cost the Steelers a critical player in Heath Miller. The opponent is the most devastatingly physical and impressive defensive team’s in football, except for the Steelers of course.
And the Steelers won. Champions find a way.
Honestly, this is the most impressed I’ve been with a Pittsburgh team since the Penguins beat Detroit in games 6 and 7 of the Stanley Cup finals. Those were ugly games as well. Like those games, tonight was not about making pretty or stylish plays. It was about the willingness to battle non stop until the final whistle. A willingness to endure pain and injustice for 60 brutal minutes and persevere to victory. A willingness to go beyond the limits of human endurance, simply to win a football game.
It may seem trite to non football fans. To the Steeler Nation, it’s a thing of beauty.
This game was the ultimate embodiment of Pittsburgh Steeler football. A victory only true members of the Steeler nation can understand and enjoy. Let the critics bash the coaches and the refs if they want. Let Trent Dilfer mock the game as a comedy of errors on TMZSPN. Let New England and New Orleans call it ugly football.
I call it Pittsburgh Steeler football, at its best. I call it the heart of a champion. Criticize Mike Tomlin if you want but I continue to believe he is a leader of men. He sets the tone for his team. No excuses, find a way to win. It’s what separates the Steelers from so many other franchises. The goal of every game is to win at all costs, under any circumstances.
I can not overstate my pride in this performance, ugly as it was. When Joe Flacco’s final pass hit the turf, I round myself stomping around my condo, screaming with pride. I have not been this fired up about the Steelers since Santonio’s catch in the end zone in Tampa. All I could think, just as it appears on this paper was, HERE WE GO STEELERS, HERE WE GO !!!
Kudos to Big Ben. For those who continue to worship one dimensional fantasy football QBs that put up stats when they don’t matter, Ben once again showed what QB play is all about. I don’t care what people think about Ben as a person; on the field he is a leader of men. If a 300 pound man punched me in the face and broke my nose, I would leave work for a week. And of course I would not be there to start with given a broken foot. That we tend to take this for granted shows how spoiled we’ve become by our QB.
Keep in mind that when plays had to be made, Ben made them. And as is so often the case in this rivalry, the overrated Flacco did not. Give me Peyton Manning in the first quarter in October; give me Big Ben in the 4th quarter in December.
Kudos to Issac Redman for not being denied. There are times when the only acceptable result is the end zone. Redman absolutely should have been tacked on the five yard line. He simply wanted it more than the Ravens.
Kudos to the defense. This was the signature performance that was so often missing last season. It was without question their best game since Tennessee. It was a statement performance by a group of men tired of being pushed around by the hypocritical NFL stance on physical football. Kudos to James Harrison for ignoring the six figure hit to his pocketbook and playing dominant physical football. Kudos to Troy Polamalu for once again showing that he is the best game changing defender in the NFL.
Kudos to Shaun Suisham. Instead of a fat tub of goo kicker that whines about his contract and the grass, we now have a man who makes kicks without excuses. Suisham’s job punting tonight should be remembered as one of the critical performances of this season. If not for the two aforementioned brainless plays on special teams, he would have twice pinned the Ravens inside the five. Welcome to the Steeler Nation Shaun.
Most important, kudos to a team that has been persecuted by the league and the officials for weeks, overcoming two horrific officiating mistakes. There is not a sane football fan on earth who can explain the personal foul calls against Harrison the last two weeks and explain missing the helmet to helmet shot on Heath Miller. And if Tom Brady were punched in the face by a 300 pound linemen, the NFL would call in a SWAT team and the Navy Seals.
I’m angry, you’re angry, the entire Steeler Nation is angry. The players and coaches are angry. And behind the leader of men that is Mike Tomlin, they overcome and win. I spent most of the game lamenting key mistakes that should have cost the Steelers the game. In the end, all I can remember is this phenomenal display of the heart of a champion.
I don’t know if the Steelers will win the Super Bowl, but they are champions at heart. Tonight was yet another reminder of why I’m so proud to be a lifelong, card carrying member of the Steeler Nation. There is simply nothing on earth like the black and gold.
Every game against Baltimore is the ultimate battle of attrition. They are games that most players and most teams simply could not handle. Somehow, someway the Steelers find a way, time after time to be the better team. I can’t explain it or quantify it, but I can define it. Simply put, it’s the heart of a champion.
On a night when the Steelers had every conceivable excuse to quit, they battled to the very end. With injuries, officials, and their toughest rivals stacked against them, the Steelers refused to succumb to defeat. In the most critical of moments, under the most intense pressure, the Steelers prevailed, against all odds.
I can not possibly overstate the importance of this victory. Physically, emotionally, and in the standings, it was the game of the year. We’ve known that since the hard fought last second loss in Pittsburgh in early October. This was an absolute must win game.
I will never give up the Steelers; I learned that lesson in 2005. At the same time, let’s be honest. Going the wild card route to a Super Bowl is tenuous under the best of circumstances. For a team as beat up as the Steelers, in a year with so much parity in the AFC, a first round bye would be an enormous advantage.
If the Steelers lost tonight, they were stuck going the wild card route. Now the division and a first round bye is a very real expectation.
That’s certainly a critical part of it. The other part was that the Steelers needed to step up with a signature victory in a significant game. To do so with a dramatic late game victory, spurred on by their defense was a potential season changing moment. To do it on the road, against their biggest and most physical rival…well that’s how championship teams come together.
Yes, this was a sloppy, ugly victory. I could write a 5,000 word blog on all the errors, physical and mental, that were made in this game. The Steelers made some ugly mistakes including three different brainless special teams’ gaffes. The offense struggled for 60 minutes to string together successful drives.
In other words, it was just another Steelers/Ravens battle, especially in Baltimore.
Prior to kickoff tonight I reminded Emily of what she already knows; what all Steeler fans know. Steelers/Ravens games are low scoring, incredibly physical affairs that come down to the last moments. It happens every game between these brutally physical rivals. There has not been a more violent and physical rivalry in the NFL since the Steelers and Oakland in the 70s.
And as is so often the case, when it really mattered, the Steelers showed more heart and character than their loud mouthed division rivals to the south.
There are certain things in sports that can not adequately be measured. Heart and character are at the top of that list. The Steelers consistently display championship heart. I will take that in a second over Peyton Manning’s arm or Adrian Peterson’s legs. No team in sports has consistently displayed more heart and character than the black and gold over the last 20 years.
I’m sure the critics will be all over Bruce Arians tomorrow for the offensive struggles. So be it. I’m sure Steeler fans will be up in arms about another 60 minute miscarriage of officiating justice. It is what it is.
Once again the Steelers proved what I always say about great teams in sports. Champions simply find a way to win. I’ve said it in many forms but the quote, “winners win, losers blame the ref” seems especially apropos these days.
The Steelers offensive line, a weak unit to begin with is continually devastated by injuries. They lost their punter. Their quarterback has a broken foot and suffered a broken nose. The officials flat out whiffed on two horrific personal foul calls, one of which cost the Steelers a critical player in Heath Miller. The opponent is the most devastatingly physical and impressive defensive team’s in football, except for the Steelers of course.
And the Steelers won. Champions find a way.
Honestly, this is the most impressed I’ve been with a Pittsburgh team since the Penguins beat Detroit in games 6 and 7 of the Stanley Cup finals. Those were ugly games as well. Like those games, tonight was not about making pretty or stylish plays. It was about the willingness to battle non stop until the final whistle. A willingness to endure pain and injustice for 60 brutal minutes and persevere to victory. A willingness to go beyond the limits of human endurance, simply to win a football game.
It may seem trite to non football fans. To the Steeler Nation, it’s a thing of beauty.
This game was the ultimate embodiment of Pittsburgh Steeler football. A victory only true members of the Steeler nation can understand and enjoy. Let the critics bash the coaches and the refs if they want. Let Trent Dilfer mock the game as a comedy of errors on TMZSPN. Let New England and New Orleans call it ugly football.
I call it Pittsburgh Steeler football, at its best. I call it the heart of a champion. Criticize Mike Tomlin if you want but I continue to believe he is a leader of men. He sets the tone for his team. No excuses, find a way to win. It’s what separates the Steelers from so many other franchises. The goal of every game is to win at all costs, under any circumstances.
I can not overstate my pride in this performance, ugly as it was. When Joe Flacco’s final pass hit the turf, I round myself stomping around my condo, screaming with pride. I have not been this fired up about the Steelers since Santonio’s catch in the end zone in Tampa. All I could think, just as it appears on this paper was, HERE WE GO STEELERS, HERE WE GO !!!
Kudos to Big Ben. For those who continue to worship one dimensional fantasy football QBs that put up stats when they don’t matter, Ben once again showed what QB play is all about. I don’t care what people think about Ben as a person; on the field he is a leader of men. If a 300 pound man punched me in the face and broke my nose, I would leave work for a week. And of course I would not be there to start with given a broken foot. That we tend to take this for granted shows how spoiled we’ve become by our QB.
Keep in mind that when plays had to be made, Ben made them. And as is so often the case in this rivalry, the overrated Flacco did not. Give me Peyton Manning in the first quarter in October; give me Big Ben in the 4th quarter in December.
Kudos to Issac Redman for not being denied. There are times when the only acceptable result is the end zone. Redman absolutely should have been tacked on the five yard line. He simply wanted it more than the Ravens.
Kudos to the defense. This was the signature performance that was so often missing last season. It was without question their best game since Tennessee. It was a statement performance by a group of men tired of being pushed around by the hypocritical NFL stance on physical football. Kudos to James Harrison for ignoring the six figure hit to his pocketbook and playing dominant physical football. Kudos to Troy Polamalu for once again showing that he is the best game changing defender in the NFL.
Kudos to Shaun Suisham. Instead of a fat tub of goo kicker that whines about his contract and the grass, we now have a man who makes kicks without excuses. Suisham’s job punting tonight should be remembered as one of the critical performances of this season. If not for the two aforementioned brainless plays on special teams, he would have twice pinned the Ravens inside the five. Welcome to the Steeler Nation Shaun.
Most important, kudos to a team that has been persecuted by the league and the officials for weeks, overcoming two horrific officiating mistakes. There is not a sane football fan on earth who can explain the personal foul calls against Harrison the last two weeks and explain missing the helmet to helmet shot on Heath Miller. And if Tom Brady were punched in the face by a 300 pound linemen, the NFL would call in a SWAT team and the Navy Seals.
I’m angry, you’re angry, the entire Steeler Nation is angry. The players and coaches are angry. And behind the leader of men that is Mike Tomlin, they overcome and win. I spent most of the game lamenting key mistakes that should have cost the Steelers the game. In the end, all I can remember is this phenomenal display of the heart of a champion.
I don’t know if the Steelers will win the Super Bowl, but they are champions at heart. Tonight was yet another reminder of why I’m so proud to be a lifelong, card carrying member of the Steeler Nation. There is simply nothing on earth like the black and gold.
Every game against Baltimore is the ultimate battle of attrition. They are games that most players and most teams simply could not handle. Somehow, someway the Steelers find a way, time after time to be the better team. I can’t explain it or quantify it, but I can define it. Simply put, it’s the heart of a champion.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Saying Hello to the New Igloo
For better or for worse, I spent the last hockey season waxing poetic about the demise of the Civic Arena, aka the old Igloo. I penned not one but two blogs delineating the lifetime of memories that I and all Penguin fans acquired in that unique but antiquated building.
And so it is only appropriate that I blog the same appreciation for the new Consol energy Center in the Burgh.
This magnificent new building is as far superior to its predecessor as the current Penguins are to the hopeless, pre Mario teams of the mid 80s. I have attended games in a dozen arenas throughout the United States and Canada and I can say this with some degree of confidence; the Consol Energy Center ranks with or above any and all of them. It is the kind of first class facility that both the Penguins and the city of Pittsburgh richly deserve.
I’m not here to trample on the Igloo’s grave. I freely admit that as Emily and I walked up the hill towards the new facility, I felt a tinge of sadness taking in the now empty Civic Arena. A rush of memories flooded my brain, just as they did last March on my final visit. As I noted at the time, it might be a dump, but its our dump.
The Igloo was distinctly Pittsburgh and the physical embodiment of the Penguin’s franchise. It was also the last truly unique structure standing in the National Hockey League. To some degree its unfortunate that it never got the same respect as the “vintage” old buildings in Chicago, Boston, Toronto or Montreal.
None of which should obscure the reality that its time had long since past.
To be honest, I always felt that the Igloo gave the Penguins a bit of a bush league feel around the National Hockey League. The Penguins have a history that ranks with any team outside of the original six (and maybe some of them). That history demands a certain level of respect in the hockey world. I can’t help but think that more than a few hockey folk, especially from north of the boarder, refused to give it to a team playing essentially in a minor league facility.
Rest assured, that will no longer be the case.
I remember my first visit to the United Center in Chicago. It was 1996 and to that point in my life I had seen only the Igloo and the horrific and lifeless Mausoleum on Long Island. I was absolutely shocked when I entered the UC. I could not believe the large, open, well lit concourses, the nearly perfect sightlines, or the flat out enormity of the building. I remarked at the time that the Igloo could easily fit inside the UC.
Little did I know then that the UC was not an aberration, the Igloo was. Chicago’s new edifice is bigger than most arenas but almost all the new buildings share its basic constructs. I noted this in Los Angeles, San Jose, Minnesota, Toronto, Carolina, Tampa and St’Louis. Quite honestly, I never looked at our quaint little dome in Pittsburgh the same way again. From that day forward I recognized the desperate need to upgrade the Penguin’s home.
The Consol Energy Center is a monumental upgrade to say the least.
Over the succeeding 15 years I could no longer overlook the glaring deficiencies of the Igloo. The cramped concourses and seating areas. The poor views, especially in the covered ends. The back-up goaltenders sitting in the runway on a folding chair, the coaches sliding across the ice, etc, etc. There was a time when this was the typical experience in the NHL but that time had long since passed.
And that covers the areas we could see. It was pretty common knowledge that the Igloo’s locker rooms and training areas were not exactly state of the art. I can’t help but picture the disgusted looks on the faces of visiting players, who were changing in locker rooms equivalent to those from my high school soccer days (though picturing that look on Alex Ovechkin’s face does bring a sly smile).
Anyway, enough about the past, this is about the present and the future.
Let me start by saying that there does not appear to be a bad seat in the new building. I can say this because we sat in pretty much the worst seats in the place for two straight days. We were directly behind the net in the top five rows of the upper deck. And we had brilliant, unobstructed views of the entire ice. The height of the upper deck is solid, although it might freak out those who knew only the old E and F balconies across the street.
The New Igloo is lined with glass providing some terrific (though in some cases obstructed) views of downtown Pittsburgh. You take this in as you ride escalaters, yes escalaters to the upper balconies. No more sprinting up long runways or narrow stairwells. I’ll take it on faith or from Dan Potash that these locker rooms and training areas are indeed state of the art.
Perhaps most impressive, the building pays homage to the great history of the Penguins. For all of the non stop blathering about the original six, I will argue that few franchises can match the accomplishments of the Penguins, at least since they were raised to prominence by a quiet French Canadian simply known as “Le Magnifique.”
Emily and I spent a good half hour after Friday’s game watching video highlights of all time Penguin greats (she insisted that we first check out Tom Barrasso and who am I to argue with that?). We also watched videos of great moments in Penguin’s history (Petr Nedved in the 4th overtime) and used a spectacular program to get up close and personal looks at the Stanley Cup.
Between these features, murals of current and past players, and the numerous banners hanging in the rafters, the building is a living, breathing monument to its primary tenant. It is not some lifeless edifice like in St’Louis or Carolina. Just as I saw murals of Gordie Howe and Terry Sawchuck in Detroit, I saw murals of Rick Kehoe, Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr in Pittsburgh.
And unlike Detroit, we can now get in and out of the men’s room with out missing half a period of action.
The New Igloo, even with its glass exterior, does lack the unique exterior charm of its predecessor and sadly is not located on prime viewing real estate. So be it. This is a miniscule price to pay for a thousand fold improvement in quality. Take this from a Chicago resident who deals with the brilliant new interior of Soldier Field obscured by an alien abomination of site on the outside.
The building was a bit quiet at times but I will chalk that up to holiday afternoon games and not playing prime rivals. It got awfully loud when Marc Andre Fleury robbed Ottawa on Friday and/or Sidney Crosby finished off his third consecutive thanksgiving Saturday hat trick against Calgary.
Of course the one place the new Igloo is completely deficient is in history and memories. You can’t buy or rush those in to being. It will take time for the Pens to turn their new house in to a home. The visions of Mario’s criminal dissection of Shawn Chambers and John Casey or Ron Francis’ 95 foot slap shot through Mike Richter will always be across the street. We will never know Gary Roberts taunting all of Ottawa at the new barn.
That being said, I anxiously await the creation of those new memories. I took in two this weekend which is a tremendous start. With this young and brilliantly talented Penguin team, I expect many more in short order. The new generation of Penguins can build on their championship legacy, while working in a first class environment. Honestly, I had to pinch myself repeatedly to make sure I was not dreaming the experience.
We should not forget that work that Lemieux put in to making this happen. I understand that his motivations were not entirely altruistic but let us never forget that Big 66 ultimately saved the franchise one final time. He could have taken the money and run to Kansas City or Las Vegas but he did his best to keep the Penguins in the Burgh. It is truly mind boggling to consider where the Penguins sit today when you consider how bleak things looked at the turn of the century.
The Old Igloo now awaits its date with the wrecking ball (even as the new one has already hosted the ageless Recchin ball). It will be a truly sad day for me when that occurs. I’m sure I’ll deal with and perhaps blog about a wealth of emotions when that happens.
Alas it is time to move forward. As a great fictional ship captain once said, “it should be noted that this death takes place in the shadow of new life.” For the Penguins and their fans, the death of the igloo is the genesis of new life at the Con. The new building is the future; a future the Penguins truly deserve.
In fitting tribute to our old friend Badger Bob, every day now truly is, “A great day for hockey,” at least in the Burgh.
ALL HAIL THE MIGHTY PENGUIN, BLESSED BE THE PENGUIN…FOR IT IS GOOD.
And so it is only appropriate that I blog the same appreciation for the new Consol energy Center in the Burgh.
This magnificent new building is as far superior to its predecessor as the current Penguins are to the hopeless, pre Mario teams of the mid 80s. I have attended games in a dozen arenas throughout the United States and Canada and I can say this with some degree of confidence; the Consol Energy Center ranks with or above any and all of them. It is the kind of first class facility that both the Penguins and the city of Pittsburgh richly deserve.
I’m not here to trample on the Igloo’s grave. I freely admit that as Emily and I walked up the hill towards the new facility, I felt a tinge of sadness taking in the now empty Civic Arena. A rush of memories flooded my brain, just as they did last March on my final visit. As I noted at the time, it might be a dump, but its our dump.
The Igloo was distinctly Pittsburgh and the physical embodiment of the Penguin’s franchise. It was also the last truly unique structure standing in the National Hockey League. To some degree its unfortunate that it never got the same respect as the “vintage” old buildings in Chicago, Boston, Toronto or Montreal.
None of which should obscure the reality that its time had long since past.
To be honest, I always felt that the Igloo gave the Penguins a bit of a bush league feel around the National Hockey League. The Penguins have a history that ranks with any team outside of the original six (and maybe some of them). That history demands a certain level of respect in the hockey world. I can’t help but think that more than a few hockey folk, especially from north of the boarder, refused to give it to a team playing essentially in a minor league facility.
Rest assured, that will no longer be the case.
I remember my first visit to the United Center in Chicago. It was 1996 and to that point in my life I had seen only the Igloo and the horrific and lifeless Mausoleum on Long Island. I was absolutely shocked when I entered the UC. I could not believe the large, open, well lit concourses, the nearly perfect sightlines, or the flat out enormity of the building. I remarked at the time that the Igloo could easily fit inside the UC.
Little did I know then that the UC was not an aberration, the Igloo was. Chicago’s new edifice is bigger than most arenas but almost all the new buildings share its basic constructs. I noted this in Los Angeles, San Jose, Minnesota, Toronto, Carolina, Tampa and St’Louis. Quite honestly, I never looked at our quaint little dome in Pittsburgh the same way again. From that day forward I recognized the desperate need to upgrade the Penguin’s home.
The Consol Energy Center is a monumental upgrade to say the least.
Over the succeeding 15 years I could no longer overlook the glaring deficiencies of the Igloo. The cramped concourses and seating areas. The poor views, especially in the covered ends. The back-up goaltenders sitting in the runway on a folding chair, the coaches sliding across the ice, etc, etc. There was a time when this was the typical experience in the NHL but that time had long since passed.
And that covers the areas we could see. It was pretty common knowledge that the Igloo’s locker rooms and training areas were not exactly state of the art. I can’t help but picture the disgusted looks on the faces of visiting players, who were changing in locker rooms equivalent to those from my high school soccer days (though picturing that look on Alex Ovechkin’s face does bring a sly smile).
Anyway, enough about the past, this is about the present and the future.
Let me start by saying that there does not appear to be a bad seat in the new building. I can say this because we sat in pretty much the worst seats in the place for two straight days. We were directly behind the net in the top five rows of the upper deck. And we had brilliant, unobstructed views of the entire ice. The height of the upper deck is solid, although it might freak out those who knew only the old E and F balconies across the street.
The New Igloo is lined with glass providing some terrific (though in some cases obstructed) views of downtown Pittsburgh. You take this in as you ride escalaters, yes escalaters to the upper balconies. No more sprinting up long runways or narrow stairwells. I’ll take it on faith or from Dan Potash that these locker rooms and training areas are indeed state of the art.
Perhaps most impressive, the building pays homage to the great history of the Penguins. For all of the non stop blathering about the original six, I will argue that few franchises can match the accomplishments of the Penguins, at least since they were raised to prominence by a quiet French Canadian simply known as “Le Magnifique.”
Emily and I spent a good half hour after Friday’s game watching video highlights of all time Penguin greats (she insisted that we first check out Tom Barrasso and who am I to argue with that?). We also watched videos of great moments in Penguin’s history (Petr Nedved in the 4th overtime) and used a spectacular program to get up close and personal looks at the Stanley Cup.
Between these features, murals of current and past players, and the numerous banners hanging in the rafters, the building is a living, breathing monument to its primary tenant. It is not some lifeless edifice like in St’Louis or Carolina. Just as I saw murals of Gordie Howe and Terry Sawchuck in Detroit, I saw murals of Rick Kehoe, Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr in Pittsburgh.
And unlike Detroit, we can now get in and out of the men’s room with out missing half a period of action.
The New Igloo, even with its glass exterior, does lack the unique exterior charm of its predecessor and sadly is not located on prime viewing real estate. So be it. This is a miniscule price to pay for a thousand fold improvement in quality. Take this from a Chicago resident who deals with the brilliant new interior of Soldier Field obscured by an alien abomination of site on the outside.
The building was a bit quiet at times but I will chalk that up to holiday afternoon games and not playing prime rivals. It got awfully loud when Marc Andre Fleury robbed Ottawa on Friday and/or Sidney Crosby finished off his third consecutive thanksgiving Saturday hat trick against Calgary.
Of course the one place the new Igloo is completely deficient is in history and memories. You can’t buy or rush those in to being. It will take time for the Pens to turn their new house in to a home. The visions of Mario’s criminal dissection of Shawn Chambers and John Casey or Ron Francis’ 95 foot slap shot through Mike Richter will always be across the street. We will never know Gary Roberts taunting all of Ottawa at the new barn.
That being said, I anxiously await the creation of those new memories. I took in two this weekend which is a tremendous start. With this young and brilliantly talented Penguin team, I expect many more in short order. The new generation of Penguins can build on their championship legacy, while working in a first class environment. Honestly, I had to pinch myself repeatedly to make sure I was not dreaming the experience.
We should not forget that work that Lemieux put in to making this happen. I understand that his motivations were not entirely altruistic but let us never forget that Big 66 ultimately saved the franchise one final time. He could have taken the money and run to Kansas City or Las Vegas but he did his best to keep the Penguins in the Burgh. It is truly mind boggling to consider where the Penguins sit today when you consider how bleak things looked at the turn of the century.
The Old Igloo now awaits its date with the wrecking ball (even as the new one has already hosted the ageless Recchin ball). It will be a truly sad day for me when that occurs. I’m sure I’ll deal with and perhaps blog about a wealth of emotions when that happens.
Alas it is time to move forward. As a great fictional ship captain once said, “it should be noted that this death takes place in the shadow of new life.” For the Penguins and their fans, the death of the igloo is the genesis of new life at the Con. The new building is the future; a future the Penguins truly deserve.
In fitting tribute to our old friend Badger Bob, every day now truly is, “A great day for hockey,” at least in the Burgh.
ALL HAIL THE MIGHTY PENGUIN, BLESSED BE THE PENGUIN…FOR IT IS GOOD.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Slamming the Door on the Jeff Reed Era
It’s taken nearly two years but this blog has officially reached uncharted territory. I’m about to focus an entire entry on a kicker. More specifically, a former kicker, given the abrupt ending to Jeff Reed’s Steeler career this week.
Reed’s career in black and gold veered wide right this season through a perfect storm of bad performance, bad attitude and bad behavior. Before 2010, he had solid standing in the Steeler Nation, notwithstanding his eccentric tendencies and his well established position on the Pittsburgh party scene. His rapid fire decent is thus nothing short of stunning.
I counted myself a solid Jeff Reef fan before 2010. Good kickers are hard to find and Reed was a consistently good, especially working in the place kicker’s graveyard that is Heinz Field.
Well, consistently good with some caveats. Reed’s range was five or so yards shorter than most NFL kickers and his kick offs rarely reached the goal line. It’s also fair to say that he lacked Daniel Sepulveda’s affinity for making special teams’ tackles. The Steelers accepted these flaws because Reed was remarkably accurate inside of 48 yards. Before this season.
And therein lies the rub.
Jeff Reed is unemployed today primarily because he stopped making field goals. No matter how obnoxious and ignorant he’s acted in the last 12 months (or seven days), he would still be wearing number 3 for the Steelers today if he were making his kicks. His petulant whining and excuses, not to mention his various off season escapades simply greased the skids.
Reed’s limitations, which became more apparent in 2009, reduced his collateral with the Steelers’ organization. His moronic behavior over the last year or so burned up whatever he had left. Reed could have learned a thing or two from his good buddy Marc-Andre Fleury about how to handle a slump with grace. Clearly he did not.
That being said, I maintain that on the field performance, or lack thereof, is what did in Reed.
NFL teams do not keep back-up kickers. There is no Brent Johnson in reserve when the kicker struggles. When kickers stop making kicks they lose their jobs, even under the best of circumstances. And to state the obvious, Jeff Reed circa 2010 has hardly been the best of circumstances.
Under the NFL’s unofficial code of conduct, kickers are to be seen and not heard. It is an odd idiosyncrasy that this vicious, hard hitting game, played by large angry men, puts so much emphasis on kickers. They are a necessary evil in the sport, tolerated when they succeed and hated when they fail.
When kickers open their mouth or make a spectacle of themselves, bad things happen. See Vanderjagt, Mike, aka “the idiot kicker” who got liquored up and ran his mouth about how Peyton Manning and Tony Dungy were not clutch performers. We last saw him choking a game tying field goal about ten yards wide right against the Steelers in the 2006 playoffs.
Clearly Reed did not learn any lessons from the man affectionately known as VanderJerk in Indianapolis. Clearly he did not see how fast Vanderjagt was run out of the NFL when his game slumped. And he clearly did not learn from his former teammate Tommy Maddox who prior to Reed was standard bearer for fastest alienation of the Steeler Nation in 2005.
Over three seasons, Maddox became immensely popular in Pittsburgh. He resurrected a failed NFL career and for a brief period looked like the star QB Steeler fans were waiting on for two decades He blew it all in one game against Jacksonville, Maddox might have survived his horrendous performance on the field had he not gone Roger Clemens in the post game press conference, throwing everyone and everything under the bus.
Pittsburgh fans demand accountability from their athletes. We can live with a bad game or two if you are willing to take responsibility for it. Just don’t insult our intelligence by blaming the wind, the turf, your wife, or Bruce Arians for your failure. In summary, don’t blame the bad turf when you miss a chip shot 26 yard field goal; the same bad turf you’ve been kicking on for nine years.
Getting beyond the obvious issue of poor performance, I think there are three fatal blows to the relationship between an athlete and a fan base. Lack of accountability is at the top of the list. The other two are publically complaining about your salary and ripping the fans. Given that Reed is a well known Penguin fan, its fair to say he’s had a hat trick of moronic behavior in about four months.
My issues with Reed started when he spouted off in training camp about his contract. I have no idea if the Rooney’s promised Reed a long-term deal or not. I suspect they said something like, we’ll discuss it in the future. Regardless, I don’t care. The guy was getting paid $2 Million, to kick a football. We should all have such problems.
Look, I am generally not one who complains about the exorbitant salaries of athletes. Yes they are outrageous and ridiculously disproportionate to the rest of society. Yes I think a good teacher provides more value than a good offensive linemen. Regardless, it’s irrelevant. Athlete salaries are what they are and I’ve accepted it.
All I ask is don’t complain about it. Modern athletes love the term “disrespect.” Do not disrespect me by complaining about your seven or eight figure salaries. Maybe I can’t kick a football in an NFL game but I’m pretty sure Jeff Reed can’t debit and credit. And he makes a heck of a lot more money than I do.
Seriously, does Reed expect sympathy from hard working fans because the Steelers are making him earn his next contract? Did he sleep through Sports Center the day they explained that NFL teams focus on other positions before they lock down kickers who can’t get kickoffs inside the ten yard line?
So that’s two grievous violations of the athlete/fan covenant. And to complete the trifecta, Reed blasted the fans. Showing a frighteningly ignorant and exaggerated view of his own importance, Reed suggested that Steeler fans come to games just to boo him. Newsflash Jeff, nobody and I mean nobody pays $200 for an NFL ticket to jeer you and Sepulveda (who to my knowledge was not being jeered anyway). If we boo you Jeff, it’s because you keeping missing kicks.
Ok, let me expand on that. We also boo you after you say, “I’m not one to complain to the media,” right before you complain to the media about your contract. We boo you because you say, “I’m not one to make excuses,” right before you make ridiculous excuses. But I covered that already.
I’m not even bringing Mr. Reed’s various drunken escapades in to the equation (a google search on him is quite enlightening), because it’s not relevant. Jeff Reed is not the first person, athlete or not, to get soused and take out his aggressions on an inanimate object. Just the same, I’m not bringing Reed’s charitable work in to the equation. All are irrelevant to me if he produces on the field and keeps his mouth shut.
That’s not to say these things are not important to his employers. If the Steelers were willing to Blue Light Special Santonio Holmes for bad behavior, they would certainly jettison a non performing kicker for the same reasons. I know the Steelers held on to Big Ben after his less than stellar offseason. Rest assured they would not have done that if Ben were Derek Anderson. And whatever you think of Ben as a person, he has always demonstrated accountability on the field.
In summary, Reed’s poor performance is why he was cut. His bad attitude and moronic behavior is why we are so happy about it. At least most of us.
I know some Steeler fans are upset about this. They see cutting Reed as a knee “jerk” reaction by the organization. I’ve heard credible arguments that Jeff Reed has a far better track record than Shaun Suisham. Those arguments may be true but they are also irrelevant. Suisham may or may not be good enough this season, Reed definitely was not.
I’m sure there will be plenty of second guessing if Suisham misses a key field goal. Such second guessing is based on the flawed assumption that Reed would have made the kick. Nothing about his performance this season suggests that to be true.
Combine a season’s worth of poor performance with embarrassing and mocking the entire Steeler Nation and I simply say this. Goodbye Jeff Reed, and good riddance.
Reed’s career in black and gold veered wide right this season through a perfect storm of bad performance, bad attitude and bad behavior. Before 2010, he had solid standing in the Steeler Nation, notwithstanding his eccentric tendencies and his well established position on the Pittsburgh party scene. His rapid fire decent is thus nothing short of stunning.
I counted myself a solid Jeff Reef fan before 2010. Good kickers are hard to find and Reed was a consistently good, especially working in the place kicker’s graveyard that is Heinz Field.
Well, consistently good with some caveats. Reed’s range was five or so yards shorter than most NFL kickers and his kick offs rarely reached the goal line. It’s also fair to say that he lacked Daniel Sepulveda’s affinity for making special teams’ tackles. The Steelers accepted these flaws because Reed was remarkably accurate inside of 48 yards. Before this season.
And therein lies the rub.
Jeff Reed is unemployed today primarily because he stopped making field goals. No matter how obnoxious and ignorant he’s acted in the last 12 months (or seven days), he would still be wearing number 3 for the Steelers today if he were making his kicks. His petulant whining and excuses, not to mention his various off season escapades simply greased the skids.
Reed’s limitations, which became more apparent in 2009, reduced his collateral with the Steelers’ organization. His moronic behavior over the last year or so burned up whatever he had left. Reed could have learned a thing or two from his good buddy Marc-Andre Fleury about how to handle a slump with grace. Clearly he did not.
That being said, I maintain that on the field performance, or lack thereof, is what did in Reed.
NFL teams do not keep back-up kickers. There is no Brent Johnson in reserve when the kicker struggles. When kickers stop making kicks they lose their jobs, even under the best of circumstances. And to state the obvious, Jeff Reed circa 2010 has hardly been the best of circumstances.
Under the NFL’s unofficial code of conduct, kickers are to be seen and not heard. It is an odd idiosyncrasy that this vicious, hard hitting game, played by large angry men, puts so much emphasis on kickers. They are a necessary evil in the sport, tolerated when they succeed and hated when they fail.
When kickers open their mouth or make a spectacle of themselves, bad things happen. See Vanderjagt, Mike, aka “the idiot kicker” who got liquored up and ran his mouth about how Peyton Manning and Tony Dungy were not clutch performers. We last saw him choking a game tying field goal about ten yards wide right against the Steelers in the 2006 playoffs.
Clearly Reed did not learn any lessons from the man affectionately known as VanderJerk in Indianapolis. Clearly he did not see how fast Vanderjagt was run out of the NFL when his game slumped. And he clearly did not learn from his former teammate Tommy Maddox who prior to Reed was standard bearer for fastest alienation of the Steeler Nation in 2005.
Over three seasons, Maddox became immensely popular in Pittsburgh. He resurrected a failed NFL career and for a brief period looked like the star QB Steeler fans were waiting on for two decades He blew it all in one game against Jacksonville, Maddox might have survived his horrendous performance on the field had he not gone Roger Clemens in the post game press conference, throwing everyone and everything under the bus.
Pittsburgh fans demand accountability from their athletes. We can live with a bad game or two if you are willing to take responsibility for it. Just don’t insult our intelligence by blaming the wind, the turf, your wife, or Bruce Arians for your failure. In summary, don’t blame the bad turf when you miss a chip shot 26 yard field goal; the same bad turf you’ve been kicking on for nine years.
Getting beyond the obvious issue of poor performance, I think there are three fatal blows to the relationship between an athlete and a fan base. Lack of accountability is at the top of the list. The other two are publically complaining about your salary and ripping the fans. Given that Reed is a well known Penguin fan, its fair to say he’s had a hat trick of moronic behavior in about four months.
My issues with Reed started when he spouted off in training camp about his contract. I have no idea if the Rooney’s promised Reed a long-term deal or not. I suspect they said something like, we’ll discuss it in the future. Regardless, I don’t care. The guy was getting paid $2 Million, to kick a football. We should all have such problems.
Look, I am generally not one who complains about the exorbitant salaries of athletes. Yes they are outrageous and ridiculously disproportionate to the rest of society. Yes I think a good teacher provides more value than a good offensive linemen. Regardless, it’s irrelevant. Athlete salaries are what they are and I’ve accepted it.
All I ask is don’t complain about it. Modern athletes love the term “disrespect.” Do not disrespect me by complaining about your seven or eight figure salaries. Maybe I can’t kick a football in an NFL game but I’m pretty sure Jeff Reed can’t debit and credit. And he makes a heck of a lot more money than I do.
Seriously, does Reed expect sympathy from hard working fans because the Steelers are making him earn his next contract? Did he sleep through Sports Center the day they explained that NFL teams focus on other positions before they lock down kickers who can’t get kickoffs inside the ten yard line?
So that’s two grievous violations of the athlete/fan covenant. And to complete the trifecta, Reed blasted the fans. Showing a frighteningly ignorant and exaggerated view of his own importance, Reed suggested that Steeler fans come to games just to boo him. Newsflash Jeff, nobody and I mean nobody pays $200 for an NFL ticket to jeer you and Sepulveda (who to my knowledge was not being jeered anyway). If we boo you Jeff, it’s because you keeping missing kicks.
Ok, let me expand on that. We also boo you after you say, “I’m not one to complain to the media,” right before you complain to the media about your contract. We boo you because you say, “I’m not one to make excuses,” right before you make ridiculous excuses. But I covered that already.
I’m not even bringing Mr. Reed’s various drunken escapades in to the equation (a google search on him is quite enlightening), because it’s not relevant. Jeff Reed is not the first person, athlete or not, to get soused and take out his aggressions on an inanimate object. Just the same, I’m not bringing Reed’s charitable work in to the equation. All are irrelevant to me if he produces on the field and keeps his mouth shut.
That’s not to say these things are not important to his employers. If the Steelers were willing to Blue Light Special Santonio Holmes for bad behavior, they would certainly jettison a non performing kicker for the same reasons. I know the Steelers held on to Big Ben after his less than stellar offseason. Rest assured they would not have done that if Ben were Derek Anderson. And whatever you think of Ben as a person, he has always demonstrated accountability on the field.
In summary, Reed’s poor performance is why he was cut. His bad attitude and moronic behavior is why we are so happy about it. At least most of us.
I know some Steeler fans are upset about this. They see cutting Reed as a knee “jerk” reaction by the organization. I’ve heard credible arguments that Jeff Reed has a far better track record than Shaun Suisham. Those arguments may be true but they are also irrelevant. Suisham may or may not be good enough this season, Reed definitely was not.
I’m sure there will be plenty of second guessing if Suisham misses a key field goal. Such second guessing is based on the flawed assumption that Reed would have made the kick. Nothing about his performance this season suggests that to be true.
Combine a season’s worth of poor performance with embarrassing and mocking the entire Steeler Nation and I simply say this. Goodbye Jeff Reed, and good riddance.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Time to Close Down the Wanny Era
There are times in life when you are right, you know with certainty that you are right, and yet you do not really want to be.
I had such a moment when the University of Pittsburgh hired Dave Wannstedt as their head football coach. I knew then, with almost shocking clarity that Pitt was making a huge mistake. I hoped to be wrong. Deep down, I knew I was not.
When you live in a city, watch many of a team’s games, and hear all the post game analysis, you get to know the team pretty well. So I learned quite a bit about Wanny my first four years in Chicago. And one thing I could tell you with absolute certainty was that Dave Wannstedt is not a good head coach.
The Bears went were a 500 team in Wanny’s first four years although they never won more than 9 games. Then came the collapse to 8 and 24 the next two years and Wanny’s inevitable firing. They ran what I lovingly called the three yards and a cloud of dust offense; and a straight 4-3 vanilla defense. They seemed to always lose close games and were frequently out played in the second half of games. Sound familiar Pitt fans?
Every time the Bears lost, Wanny would say, “we’re gonna coach harder.” The best quote I ever heard was from a Chicago sports radio host who said (paraphrasing), I don’t care how hard you coach. I want you to win games.
For the second time, sounding familiar Pitt fans?
Ever watch the 4th line grinders on an NHL hockey team? They are important role players but you don’t build a team around them. You build around star players who see the entire ice surface and adapt to all different situations. Grinders dump and chase.
Dave Wannstedt is a grinder. A good guy and a hard worker but a grinder none the less.
I simply do not believe Wanny can see and think the game at the same level as better coaches. He tries to compensate with excessive preparation and hard work. That might work for a coordinator; it does not work for a head coach. Great coaches understand that game plans are fluid. They evolve and adjust within the game, based on the talent and scheme of the opponent.
Wanny never adjusts in game. I believe it’s because he can’t. What’s worse, the schemes he’s trying so hard to win with were popular in the 1970s. He’s about 25 years behind the curve on both sides of the ball.
Another interesting trend that I noted about Wanny in those first four years was this; the national media loved him. It used to drive the Chicago media crazy when the national folks would blindly say, “Dave Wannstedt is a good football coach.”
The same radio personality mentioned above was doing a weekly segment with Craig James, then of CBS during Wanny’s last year in Chicago. At some point James said, “Dave Wannstedt is a good football coach; he will turn this thing around.” So the interviewer asked him point blank, tell me one thing about Wanny that makes him a good coach. Give me one example of something he does as well or better than other great coaches?
James had no answer. He was just another national media guy who bought in to the Wanny façade.
I will not say Wanny was handed a Super Bowl team by Jimmy Johnson in Miami but he was definitely handed a playoff team. In his first two years, they made the playoffs twice and won once. In that one win Wanny ran journeyman running back Lamar Smith over 40 times. Smith was completely useless the next week when Miami lost. Sound familiar Pitt fans? Here’s a hint, Deion Lewis, Cincinnati, 2009.
In year three, Miami was 9 and 6 and needed to beat New England to make the playoffs. The Pats had nothing to play for. Miami had a huge lead in the game and ended up losing. Any chance Bill Belicheat made adjustments at the half, Wanny did not. That was the year he ran Ricky Williams in to the ground. The next year Miami started 1 and 8 and Wanny bailed.
See where this is headed Pitt fans?
Pitt hired Wanny because they fell for that same Wanny façade. They looked at his record in Miami and deemed it successful. In reality they should have looked at how the franchise regressed during his tenure. They figured they were getting a proven NFL head coach and a Pitt man. It looked like the perfect combination. Sadly it was a mirage.
I know many Pitt fans do not like Walt Harris but the reality is he was the most successful Pitt coach since Jackie Sherrill. I realize that’s not exactly launching the bar but it is what it is. They went to five straight bowl games and deserved or not, the Fiesta Bowl in his last year. Wanny took that Fiesta Bowl team and went 16-20 over the next three years. You know, while he was implementing his “system.”
And what is that system? Lining up in the I formation and running the tailback 40 times off right tackle? This in an era of unprecedented offensive creativity in college offenses. For heaven’s sake, even Penn State runs a spread offense from time to time. It’s no better on defense where Pitt lives in a vanilla 4-3 and rarely adapts (see UConn, Thursday night).
Does anybody find it interesting that Wanny is always pegged as a defensive genius from his time in Dallas and yet he has never had a signature great defense in 16 years as head coach?
Pitt has one signature win in the Wannstedt era. They knocked WVU out of the national title game in a season where Pitt was already guaranteed a losing record. I watched that game;. WVU lost it more than Pitt won it. Wanny has lost every other big game at Pitt since he took over. That includes his team blowing a 31-10 lead at home against Cincy last year when apparently Brian Kelly figured out how to deal with all Deion all the time at halftime.
In spite of all this, I initially hoped Wanny might succeed in college based solely on his recruiting ability. I hoped he could provide stability to the Pitt coaching job that has never before existed. There are plenty of guys who can not coach a lick in the NFL but succeed in college as great recruiters. Alas, even Wanny’s recruiting ability appears over blown.
Such coaches usually hire great assistants to help them. Wanny hired Matt Cavanaugh who later admitted he did not really understand college offenses. I’m not sure I understand that since I’m fairly sure Cavanaugh played college football. That being said, he was Wanny’s offensive coordinator in Chicago and I’m not sure he understood pro offenses either. In either case, he was a known commodity to Wannstedt. So much for hiring good assistants.
It’s amazing that in year six I still hear excuses for Wannstedt. Are you really willing to accept that in six years, the pinnacle of his success was beating North Carolina in some second rate December bowl game? After blowing two chances to win the Big Least? That’s the North Carolina game where Pitt got to first down on the 31 yard line with one minute left and ran up the middle three straight plays. I mean nothing says game winning strategy like, set the kicker up for a 47 yard field goal.
I’m assuming Pitt ends up 7-5 this year. If that’s the case, here is Wanny’s record in 16 years of coaching. Eight seasons of 500 or worse. Three seasons total with 10 wins. Two playoff wins. No championships at any level, not even a conference championship game. No Big Least championships or possibly one championship this year backed in to in the worst season by a conference in BCS history.
That’s a 16 year track record of futility folks. If you don’t want to buy my in depth analysis of Wanny’s weaknesses, just look at that. Wins and losses are the ultimate measuring stick in sports. You can’t hide from them, at least not over 16 years.
I’ve entertained the idea that Pitt could do worse than a coach who wins 8 to 10 games every year, recruits well, and remains loyal to the program. That assumes these things can actually happen. Pitt is on its way to a 7 win season in the worst conference in college football. That would be four of six seasons Wanny has not hit 8 wins.
Honestly, do you believe Pitt is better off today then they were in September 2005? Wanny was supposed to take the program to the next level. At the absolute best, it’s a break even.
One final thought; how much disrespect for Wanny’s defense did the UConn coach show Thursday night? Going for it on 4th and 1 from his own 25 yard line with two minutes left? And please explain to me why Pitt did not put ten in the box and sell out to stop the run when there was absolutely no way UConn was going to pass?
Simple answer, that’s Wanny football. Unchanged and without adaptation since 1992. If Pitt is smart, they will adapt next year…with a new coach.
I had such a moment when the University of Pittsburgh hired Dave Wannstedt as their head football coach. I knew then, with almost shocking clarity that Pitt was making a huge mistake. I hoped to be wrong. Deep down, I knew I was not.
When you live in a city, watch many of a team’s games, and hear all the post game analysis, you get to know the team pretty well. So I learned quite a bit about Wanny my first four years in Chicago. And one thing I could tell you with absolute certainty was that Dave Wannstedt is not a good head coach.
The Bears went were a 500 team in Wanny’s first four years although they never won more than 9 games. Then came the collapse to 8 and 24 the next two years and Wanny’s inevitable firing. They ran what I lovingly called the three yards and a cloud of dust offense; and a straight 4-3 vanilla defense. They seemed to always lose close games and were frequently out played in the second half of games. Sound familiar Pitt fans?
Every time the Bears lost, Wanny would say, “we’re gonna coach harder.” The best quote I ever heard was from a Chicago sports radio host who said (paraphrasing), I don’t care how hard you coach. I want you to win games.
For the second time, sounding familiar Pitt fans?
Ever watch the 4th line grinders on an NHL hockey team? They are important role players but you don’t build a team around them. You build around star players who see the entire ice surface and adapt to all different situations. Grinders dump and chase.
Dave Wannstedt is a grinder. A good guy and a hard worker but a grinder none the less.
I simply do not believe Wanny can see and think the game at the same level as better coaches. He tries to compensate with excessive preparation and hard work. That might work for a coordinator; it does not work for a head coach. Great coaches understand that game plans are fluid. They evolve and adjust within the game, based on the talent and scheme of the opponent.
Wanny never adjusts in game. I believe it’s because he can’t. What’s worse, the schemes he’s trying so hard to win with were popular in the 1970s. He’s about 25 years behind the curve on both sides of the ball.
Another interesting trend that I noted about Wanny in those first four years was this; the national media loved him. It used to drive the Chicago media crazy when the national folks would blindly say, “Dave Wannstedt is a good football coach.”
The same radio personality mentioned above was doing a weekly segment with Craig James, then of CBS during Wanny’s last year in Chicago. At some point James said, “Dave Wannstedt is a good football coach; he will turn this thing around.” So the interviewer asked him point blank, tell me one thing about Wanny that makes him a good coach. Give me one example of something he does as well or better than other great coaches?
James had no answer. He was just another national media guy who bought in to the Wanny façade.
I will not say Wanny was handed a Super Bowl team by Jimmy Johnson in Miami but he was definitely handed a playoff team. In his first two years, they made the playoffs twice and won once. In that one win Wanny ran journeyman running back Lamar Smith over 40 times. Smith was completely useless the next week when Miami lost. Sound familiar Pitt fans? Here’s a hint, Deion Lewis, Cincinnati, 2009.
In year three, Miami was 9 and 6 and needed to beat New England to make the playoffs. The Pats had nothing to play for. Miami had a huge lead in the game and ended up losing. Any chance Bill Belicheat made adjustments at the half, Wanny did not. That was the year he ran Ricky Williams in to the ground. The next year Miami started 1 and 8 and Wanny bailed.
See where this is headed Pitt fans?
Pitt hired Wanny because they fell for that same Wanny façade. They looked at his record in Miami and deemed it successful. In reality they should have looked at how the franchise regressed during his tenure. They figured they were getting a proven NFL head coach and a Pitt man. It looked like the perfect combination. Sadly it was a mirage.
I know many Pitt fans do not like Walt Harris but the reality is he was the most successful Pitt coach since Jackie Sherrill. I realize that’s not exactly launching the bar but it is what it is. They went to five straight bowl games and deserved or not, the Fiesta Bowl in his last year. Wanny took that Fiesta Bowl team and went 16-20 over the next three years. You know, while he was implementing his “system.”
And what is that system? Lining up in the I formation and running the tailback 40 times off right tackle? This in an era of unprecedented offensive creativity in college offenses. For heaven’s sake, even Penn State runs a spread offense from time to time. It’s no better on defense where Pitt lives in a vanilla 4-3 and rarely adapts (see UConn, Thursday night).
Does anybody find it interesting that Wanny is always pegged as a defensive genius from his time in Dallas and yet he has never had a signature great defense in 16 years as head coach?
Pitt has one signature win in the Wannstedt era. They knocked WVU out of the national title game in a season where Pitt was already guaranteed a losing record. I watched that game;. WVU lost it more than Pitt won it. Wanny has lost every other big game at Pitt since he took over. That includes his team blowing a 31-10 lead at home against Cincy last year when apparently Brian Kelly figured out how to deal with all Deion all the time at halftime.
In spite of all this, I initially hoped Wanny might succeed in college based solely on his recruiting ability. I hoped he could provide stability to the Pitt coaching job that has never before existed. There are plenty of guys who can not coach a lick in the NFL but succeed in college as great recruiters. Alas, even Wanny’s recruiting ability appears over blown.
Such coaches usually hire great assistants to help them. Wanny hired Matt Cavanaugh who later admitted he did not really understand college offenses. I’m not sure I understand that since I’m fairly sure Cavanaugh played college football. That being said, he was Wanny’s offensive coordinator in Chicago and I’m not sure he understood pro offenses either. In either case, he was a known commodity to Wannstedt. So much for hiring good assistants.
It’s amazing that in year six I still hear excuses for Wannstedt. Are you really willing to accept that in six years, the pinnacle of his success was beating North Carolina in some second rate December bowl game? After blowing two chances to win the Big Least? That’s the North Carolina game where Pitt got to first down on the 31 yard line with one minute left and ran up the middle three straight plays. I mean nothing says game winning strategy like, set the kicker up for a 47 yard field goal.
I’m assuming Pitt ends up 7-5 this year. If that’s the case, here is Wanny’s record in 16 years of coaching. Eight seasons of 500 or worse. Three seasons total with 10 wins. Two playoff wins. No championships at any level, not even a conference championship game. No Big Least championships or possibly one championship this year backed in to in the worst season by a conference in BCS history.
That’s a 16 year track record of futility folks. If you don’t want to buy my in depth analysis of Wanny’s weaknesses, just look at that. Wins and losses are the ultimate measuring stick in sports. You can’t hide from them, at least not over 16 years.
I’ve entertained the idea that Pitt could do worse than a coach who wins 8 to 10 games every year, recruits well, and remains loyal to the program. That assumes these things can actually happen. Pitt is on its way to a 7 win season in the worst conference in college football. That would be four of six seasons Wanny has not hit 8 wins.
Honestly, do you believe Pitt is better off today then they were in September 2005? Wanny was supposed to take the program to the next level. At the absolute best, it’s a break even.
One final thought; how much disrespect for Wanny’s defense did the UConn coach show Thursday night? Going for it on 4th and 1 from his own 25 yard line with two minutes left? And please explain to me why Pitt did not put ten in the box and sell out to stop the run when there was absolutely no way UConn was going to pass?
Simple answer, that’s Wanny football. Unchanged and without adaptation since 1992. If Pitt is smart, they will adapt next year…with a new coach.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
A Simple Tribute to the Great Joe Paterno
When I arrived at Penn State in 1991, Joe Paterno was 65 years old and entering his 26th year as head coach. Even for the truly elite college coaches, that’s a career.
I remember feeling fortunate that Joe was still on the sidelines when I graduated 4 years later. I truly thought he might retire before I left.
That was 16 years ago.
I wonder how many Big 10 coaches have recruited players away from Penn State in those 16 years by telling them, “The old man will leave before you do.” I’m sure that many have and still do today. So think about this, JoePa is the only Big Ten head coach today who held the same title when I left Penn State.
There are certain accomplishments in sports that defy rationale explanation. I can say without hesitance that 400 wins in college football is one of them. It’s an accomplishment beyond comprehension. And it needs to be celebrated as such.
We can argue forever whether Joe has stuck around too long. Personally, I believe he has and said so last year. Alas, that’s an argument for another day. Today is a day to recognize and celebrate one of the truly great men in the history of sports.
As a Penn State alumnus, I feel a personal connection to Paterno. That makes me one of about half a million people who can say that same thing. As silly as it seems, Joe Paterno is Penn State.
I only met him once, a meeting that lasted about five seconds. I was walking south on campus on game day, Joe was walking north to the stadium. Think about that in and of itself. The legendary head coach was walking through the center of campus on game day just like every other student. I can’t imagine bumping in to Rich Rodriguez like that at Michigan.
Joe saw me, made eye contact and said “hello.” I said “good luck today coach.” He said “thank you.” It was a silly nothing moment; one that young freshmen will never forget.
When you see Joe Paterno on campus, you don’t feel like you met a legend. He’s just a nice guy from State College who happens to have coached the football team for 45 years. I’m not naïve enough to think that Joe does not have plenty of power; or that he does not use it to his advantage from time to time. So do most of the tenured professors
Again, this man has coached 45 years at Penn State won 400 games. I take great pride in my ability to express myself through words; yet I find my words are wholly inadequate to express the magnitude of this accomplishment.
I have actually read comments where people suggest he’s won that many games only because he hung around so long. Let’s consider the absurdity of that premise.
First, if it was so easy to last 45 years in coaching…at one school…there would be more than one man in the history of Division 1 football who has done it. Most coaches are happy to last five to ten years. In my lifetime, Pitt has never had a coach reach ten years on the job. If they don’t win enough they get fired. If they win too much they run to greener pastures or retire. We celebrate the likes of Nick Saban; even as he has bailed on three other programs.
Second, even if you argue that Joe has unparalleled job security, he earned it by averaging over 9 wins per season, for 45 years! That includes four undefeated seasons, two national champions (officially) and not a single losing season until the late 80s. And remember, this was not Bill Guthrie taking over a legendary North Carolina program from Dean Smith. Penn State was pretty much irrelevant in college football before JoePa arrived.
You could say that Joe built the Penn State program. I would say that Joe is the Penn State program.
I ate in the same dining hall as many of the football players. Everyone knew who they were. You could not miss Kyle Brady or Ki-Jana Carter on campus. They never acted like football stars; they acted like regular Penn State students. That’s what Joe demands of them. His players graduate at rates amongst the highest in division 1 football and for the most part comport themselves as good citizens. In comparison to the cesspool that often is major college football, the Nittany Lions are angels.
Again, I’m not naïve enough to pretend there have been no off the field issues. Joe can set and enforce rules but he can not force 95 college men to act perfectly all the time. No coach can, just as no parent can. That’s life.
And I’m sure that from time to time, Joe has allowed a star player more latitude than a back-up or regular student would get. I say that even though I remember Bobby Engram being suspended for his entire freshmen season and Curtis Enis and Joe Jeruvicious being suspended from a bowl game.
Joe Paterno is not perfect, as a person or coach. And we don’t ask him to be.
Still, how does Joe compare to Urban Meyer, whose players continually end up on the police blotter and then right back on the field. How does he compare to Tom Osborne who sold out all of his principles and beliefs to win a national championship, a championship that he stole from Paterno? How does he compare to Rodriguez or Pete Carroll?
This is a man who has never sold out his core principles, a man who never made football more than what it is. Yes I’m frustrated by what I consider the relative mediocrity of the program the last decade. And yet I’ll take that in a second over selling out Penn State principles to try and win another national championship.
Think again about those astonishing 400 wins. Now add 6 national championships. Joe has two but he could just as easily have six. This is a man who has presided over four undefeated teams that were denied a national title in college football’s mythical sham of a championship system. And people wonder why I hate the BCS so much?
The funny part is, I think the 1994 debacle bothers me more than it does Joe. I’m still bitter and angry about it to this day. I get the feeling Joe dealt with it and moved on. That may have been the greatest offense in college football history. They would have put up 50 on the Thug Huskers if given the chance. Sadly they never were.
Such is life I guess.
I’ve spent the last 16 years lamenting the national championship that was stolen from us my senior year. Joe Paterno has spent the last 16 years molding kids in to men. I wonder how many kids he’s effected; I wonder how many he’s been a father figure to. Honestly, the numbers are likely too staggering to contemplate.
Just like 400 wins.
Joe Paterno has spent his entire adult life at Penn State. He never left for more money, his dream job or the NFL. He has worked for far less money than most division 1 star coaches, and donated a great deal of it to the University. There are countless stories from regular students about some way Joe impacted their lives.
He does not brag about this; does not act holier than thou. He just lives his life the same way he has for nearly 60 years in Happy Valley.
He has two black marks against him; staying on a bit too long and playing some role in ending the Pitt and Penn State rivalry. If those are the two worst things we can say about this man in 45 years of coaching, that’s not too bad. It’s a lot better than, “reinstated a player who dragged his girlfriend down the steps by her hair.” Strictly hypothetical of course.
I know I’m biased here. I can’t help it. I’m a Nittany Lion through and through. I have no reservations in saying that Joe Paterno is one of the most remarkable human beings in the history of sports.
I’m not ashamed to say that I had tears in my eyes as I watched the man we affectionately call JoePa celebrate his 400th victory on Saturday. I’m guessing I was not alone in the Nittany Nation. It was an emotional day, the magnitude of which we may never fully appreciate.
I fervently believe that it is time for JoePa to retire. I know that its time for the program to move forward, that it needs an infusion of youth, vigor and new ideas. And yet even as I say that I can not imagine Penn State without him. Not just Penn State football, Penn State University. There are so few constants in this world. For 45 years, Joe Paterno on the Penn State sideline has been one of them.
I offer my heartfelt thanks and congratulations to Joseph Vincent Paterno on a remarkable accomplishment and a remarkable career. For the Glory….
I remember feeling fortunate that Joe was still on the sidelines when I graduated 4 years later. I truly thought he might retire before I left.
That was 16 years ago.
I wonder how many Big 10 coaches have recruited players away from Penn State in those 16 years by telling them, “The old man will leave before you do.” I’m sure that many have and still do today. So think about this, JoePa is the only Big Ten head coach today who held the same title when I left Penn State.
There are certain accomplishments in sports that defy rationale explanation. I can say without hesitance that 400 wins in college football is one of them. It’s an accomplishment beyond comprehension. And it needs to be celebrated as such.
We can argue forever whether Joe has stuck around too long. Personally, I believe he has and said so last year. Alas, that’s an argument for another day. Today is a day to recognize and celebrate one of the truly great men in the history of sports.
As a Penn State alumnus, I feel a personal connection to Paterno. That makes me one of about half a million people who can say that same thing. As silly as it seems, Joe Paterno is Penn State.
I only met him once, a meeting that lasted about five seconds. I was walking south on campus on game day, Joe was walking north to the stadium. Think about that in and of itself. The legendary head coach was walking through the center of campus on game day just like every other student. I can’t imagine bumping in to Rich Rodriguez like that at Michigan.
Joe saw me, made eye contact and said “hello.” I said “good luck today coach.” He said “thank you.” It was a silly nothing moment; one that young freshmen will never forget.
When you see Joe Paterno on campus, you don’t feel like you met a legend. He’s just a nice guy from State College who happens to have coached the football team for 45 years. I’m not naïve enough to think that Joe does not have plenty of power; or that he does not use it to his advantage from time to time. So do most of the tenured professors
Again, this man has coached 45 years at Penn State won 400 games. I take great pride in my ability to express myself through words; yet I find my words are wholly inadequate to express the magnitude of this accomplishment.
I have actually read comments where people suggest he’s won that many games only because he hung around so long. Let’s consider the absurdity of that premise.
First, if it was so easy to last 45 years in coaching…at one school…there would be more than one man in the history of Division 1 football who has done it. Most coaches are happy to last five to ten years. In my lifetime, Pitt has never had a coach reach ten years on the job. If they don’t win enough they get fired. If they win too much they run to greener pastures or retire. We celebrate the likes of Nick Saban; even as he has bailed on three other programs.
Second, even if you argue that Joe has unparalleled job security, he earned it by averaging over 9 wins per season, for 45 years! That includes four undefeated seasons, two national champions (officially) and not a single losing season until the late 80s. And remember, this was not Bill Guthrie taking over a legendary North Carolina program from Dean Smith. Penn State was pretty much irrelevant in college football before JoePa arrived.
You could say that Joe built the Penn State program. I would say that Joe is the Penn State program.
I ate in the same dining hall as many of the football players. Everyone knew who they were. You could not miss Kyle Brady or Ki-Jana Carter on campus. They never acted like football stars; they acted like regular Penn State students. That’s what Joe demands of them. His players graduate at rates amongst the highest in division 1 football and for the most part comport themselves as good citizens. In comparison to the cesspool that often is major college football, the Nittany Lions are angels.
Again, I’m not naïve enough to pretend there have been no off the field issues. Joe can set and enforce rules but he can not force 95 college men to act perfectly all the time. No coach can, just as no parent can. That’s life.
And I’m sure that from time to time, Joe has allowed a star player more latitude than a back-up or regular student would get. I say that even though I remember Bobby Engram being suspended for his entire freshmen season and Curtis Enis and Joe Jeruvicious being suspended from a bowl game.
Joe Paterno is not perfect, as a person or coach. And we don’t ask him to be.
Still, how does Joe compare to Urban Meyer, whose players continually end up on the police blotter and then right back on the field. How does he compare to Tom Osborne who sold out all of his principles and beliefs to win a national championship, a championship that he stole from Paterno? How does he compare to Rodriguez or Pete Carroll?
This is a man who has never sold out his core principles, a man who never made football more than what it is. Yes I’m frustrated by what I consider the relative mediocrity of the program the last decade. And yet I’ll take that in a second over selling out Penn State principles to try and win another national championship.
Think again about those astonishing 400 wins. Now add 6 national championships. Joe has two but he could just as easily have six. This is a man who has presided over four undefeated teams that were denied a national title in college football’s mythical sham of a championship system. And people wonder why I hate the BCS so much?
The funny part is, I think the 1994 debacle bothers me more than it does Joe. I’m still bitter and angry about it to this day. I get the feeling Joe dealt with it and moved on. That may have been the greatest offense in college football history. They would have put up 50 on the Thug Huskers if given the chance. Sadly they never were.
Such is life I guess.
I’ve spent the last 16 years lamenting the national championship that was stolen from us my senior year. Joe Paterno has spent the last 16 years molding kids in to men. I wonder how many kids he’s effected; I wonder how many he’s been a father figure to. Honestly, the numbers are likely too staggering to contemplate.
Just like 400 wins.
Joe Paterno has spent his entire adult life at Penn State. He never left for more money, his dream job or the NFL. He has worked for far less money than most division 1 star coaches, and donated a great deal of it to the University. There are countless stories from regular students about some way Joe impacted their lives.
He does not brag about this; does not act holier than thou. He just lives his life the same way he has for nearly 60 years in Happy Valley.
He has two black marks against him; staying on a bit too long and playing some role in ending the Pitt and Penn State rivalry. If those are the two worst things we can say about this man in 45 years of coaching, that’s not too bad. It’s a lot better than, “reinstated a player who dragged his girlfriend down the steps by her hair.” Strictly hypothetical of course.
I know I’m biased here. I can’t help it. I’m a Nittany Lion through and through. I have no reservations in saying that Joe Paterno is one of the most remarkable human beings in the history of sports.
I’m not ashamed to say that I had tears in my eyes as I watched the man we affectionately call JoePa celebrate his 400th victory on Saturday. I’m guessing I was not alone in the Nittany Nation. It was an emotional day, the magnitude of which we may never fully appreciate.
I fervently believe that it is time for JoePa to retire. I know that its time for the program to move forward, that it needs an infusion of youth, vigor and new ideas. And yet even as I say that I can not imagine Penn State without him. Not just Penn State football, Penn State University. There are so few constants in this world. For 45 years, Joe Paterno on the Penn State sideline has been one of them.
I offer my heartfelt thanks and congratulations to Joseph Vincent Paterno on a remarkable accomplishment and a remarkable career. For the Glory….
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Good Rex, Bad Rex, and Really Bad Shanahan
Every once in awhile I see something in an NFL game that leaves me shaking my head in utter disbelief. It’s something that for the life of me I can not explain or comprehend on any level.
You would think after three decades of watching football I could say I’ve seen it all. Clearly that is not the case based on what occurred last Sunday in Detroit.
The Washington Redskins got the ball back with less than two minutes remaining, trailing the Lions by 6. When you think of great moments in NFL history, you often think of this scenario. Just two years ago, we watched Big Ben take the Steelers to victory in a comparable situation in the Super Bowl. Joe Montana, John Elway, and Dan Marino were famous for winning games on the final drive. It requires a mix of talent, composure and veteran savvy to win in these circumstances. This situation is the reason that a perennially losing team trades for a quarterback like Donovan McNabb.
So you’ll excuse me if I thought I had taken leave of my faculties when I saw Rex Grossman trotting on to the field for Washington. Fortunately, it was not me who had taken leave; it was Skins coach Mike Shanahan.
Let’s forget about the Grossman part for a moment and just consider this. What team would bench its starting QB in the final two minutes of a game down by one score?
We’re not talking about benching him at halftime or even after three quarters. We’re talking about pulling the plug with two minutes left, down by one score…AGAINST DETROIT. It’s akin to the Lakers getting the ball down by two with 20 seconds left and putting Kobe Bryant on the bench, for somebody who had not played the entire regular season…AGAINST THE CLIPPERS.
And that’s before we get to the Grossman part.
About the only thing more baffling than the decision was the explanation offered by Shanahan after the game and then his offensive coordinator (and son) the next day. I’ve heard more coherent and logical explanations from U.S. Congressmen. They vaguely mentioned injuries and something about “cardiovascular fitness” but the one that really got me was this…we thought Rex gave us the better chance to win in that situation.
HUH ?
Look I lived the Grossman experience in Chicago for five years so I can make the following statement without any pause or concern. They have not yet invented a situation in football where Rex Grossman gives you a better chance to win.
At some point in his career, Grossman was a reasonably competent NFL QB, saddled with a Jay Cutler like penchant for throwing the ball to the wrong team. Bear fans pondered weekly whether they would get "Good Rex" or "Bad Rex." That ended right after Super Bowl XLI. Be it due to loss of confidence or the entire NFL simply figuring him out, "Bad Rex" took over and never left. Now, Grossman is one of those guys that exists somewhere between carrying a clipboard and the Canadian Football League.
Maybe if you spend a week devising the right game plan, Grossman can be your starter…for a game or two. The idea that he can drive a team to a game winning touchdown in the final two minutes is ridiculous. The idea that he could do if coming in to a game cold and having not played all season, is incomprehensible. I’m pretty sure that even Lovie Smith would not have done that, though admittedly I’m not positive.
I’ve heard numerous explanations for this over the past few days. The most interesting is that Shanahan is unhappy with McNabb and used this situation to call out his star QB. I have a better explanation, he’s lost his mind.
I give Shanahan credit for how he’s dealt with the Albert Haynesworth debacAL. And I get the Skins are really not that good. I’m also aware that there are mixed feelings about McNabb around the league. There are some who think he’s one of the great QBs of this era. Others think he’s a great athlete who stumbled in to the perfect system in Philly and can’t win the big game. As always, the truth likely lies somewhere in the middle.
That being said, there is absolutely no plausible reason for Shanahan to do what he did on Sunday. What he ultimately did was cost his football team any chance to win the game. As it played out, Grossman did what he usually does. He did not feel the pass rush, took a hard hit and fumbled the game away. Maybe the exact same thing happens with McNabb behind center. We’ll never know.
Let’s get beyond the fact that Shanahan just called out and embarrassed his (supposed) franchise QB on national television. McNabb has demonstrated remarkably thick skin over the years so maybe he can handle this. How do you explain to a locker room full of warriors that you sold out any chance to win the game just to send McNabb a message? And that’s assuming that is really what happened here. It’s far worse to think that maybe they really believed Grossman gave them the best chance to win.
I would not bring Joe Montana off the bench cold with two minutes left in a game. It’s a completely unfair position to put any QB in. That being said, I could possibly understand if the Skins had a stud back-up or maybe if the situation were reversed and McNabb was coming in. The idea of bringing in Grossman, well coaches have been fired for a lot less.
Shanahan is a fascinating fellow. He is universally lauded for being a great coach and yet if you look at his pre and post John Elway resume its not very good. Yes he won two Super Bowls and you can not take that away from anybody. At the same time, Elway retired after the 1998 season. Since that time, Shanahan has coached ten years. In that decade, he made the AFC Championship team once where his team got blasted by the Steelers. And as my old buddy Porky Pig used to lament, that’s all folks.
Many of Shanahan’s teams missed the playoffs. At least two others served as launching pads for Peyton Manning’s most impressive playoff showings. In short, this guy has done nothing in his last ten years accept repeatedly cut 1,000 yard running backs and introduce the football world to Jay Cutler (coaches have been fired for less than that as well).
I was shocked at the indignation that took place when Shanahan was fired in Denver. How many other coaches would survive more than ten years where they did not even sniff a Super Bowl? Unless you’re Barry Trotz, constantly missing or losing in the first round of the playoffs gets you canned.
Even with that, I’m not suggesting Shanahan was a terrible coach, just a tad overrated. Again, the man did win two Super Bowls. I had absolutely no issue with him, until last Sunday. After that, I’m not sure the man is any more qualified to coach in our nation’s capital than Steve Spurrier or Jim Zorn.
Week after week I listen to angry Steeler fans bash Mike Tomlin. I continue to be astounded by this. Not because Tomlin is a perfect coach, he certainly is not. I’m astounded because on the whole, Tomlin has done what was expected in the Burgh. He’s posted a 39-20 record and won a Super Bowl in his first 3 ½ seasons, all before the age of 40. That’s pretty impressive.
And yet I’m told he’s not as good a coach as a guy like Jeff Fisher, who has somehow lasted 15 years in spite making just one Super Bowl, and losing (what is it with Nashville coaches) and now taking on the locker room disaster that is Randy Moss. And I’m pretty sure that most neutral footballs fans would call Shanahan a better coach than Tomlin.
So I ask you this, do you think Tomlin would have pulled Big Ben if the Steelers got the ball down one score with two minutes left…for Byron Leftwich. Keep in mind that Leftwich, along with being just as mediocre as Grossman, has not played all season. The answer is obvious, of course he would not. And if he did, I can’t even fathom the backlash he would face from the Steeler Nation.
Again, I’m not trying to evaluate McNabb or what’s going on in Washington. Maybe the Skins really don’t think he’s the good. That’s their call. I’ll just say this; regardless of what anybody thinks of Donovan McNabb, he’s a heck of a lot better than Grossman. Maybe Shanahan thought there was little chance of winning with McNabb. Whatever it was, it was 100% greater than his chance of winning with Rex; good, bad, or indifferent.
You would think after three decades of watching football I could say I’ve seen it all. Clearly that is not the case based on what occurred last Sunday in Detroit.
The Washington Redskins got the ball back with less than two minutes remaining, trailing the Lions by 6. When you think of great moments in NFL history, you often think of this scenario. Just two years ago, we watched Big Ben take the Steelers to victory in a comparable situation in the Super Bowl. Joe Montana, John Elway, and Dan Marino were famous for winning games on the final drive. It requires a mix of talent, composure and veteran savvy to win in these circumstances. This situation is the reason that a perennially losing team trades for a quarterback like Donovan McNabb.
So you’ll excuse me if I thought I had taken leave of my faculties when I saw Rex Grossman trotting on to the field for Washington. Fortunately, it was not me who had taken leave; it was Skins coach Mike Shanahan.
Let’s forget about the Grossman part for a moment and just consider this. What team would bench its starting QB in the final two minutes of a game down by one score?
We’re not talking about benching him at halftime or even after three quarters. We’re talking about pulling the plug with two minutes left, down by one score…AGAINST DETROIT. It’s akin to the Lakers getting the ball down by two with 20 seconds left and putting Kobe Bryant on the bench, for somebody who had not played the entire regular season…AGAINST THE CLIPPERS.
And that’s before we get to the Grossman part.
About the only thing more baffling than the decision was the explanation offered by Shanahan after the game and then his offensive coordinator (and son) the next day. I’ve heard more coherent and logical explanations from U.S. Congressmen. They vaguely mentioned injuries and something about “cardiovascular fitness” but the one that really got me was this…we thought Rex gave us the better chance to win in that situation.
HUH ?
Look I lived the Grossman experience in Chicago for five years so I can make the following statement without any pause or concern. They have not yet invented a situation in football where Rex Grossman gives you a better chance to win.
At some point in his career, Grossman was a reasonably competent NFL QB, saddled with a Jay Cutler like penchant for throwing the ball to the wrong team. Bear fans pondered weekly whether they would get "Good Rex" or "Bad Rex." That ended right after Super Bowl XLI. Be it due to loss of confidence or the entire NFL simply figuring him out, "Bad Rex" took over and never left. Now, Grossman is one of those guys that exists somewhere between carrying a clipboard and the Canadian Football League.
Maybe if you spend a week devising the right game plan, Grossman can be your starter…for a game or two. The idea that he can drive a team to a game winning touchdown in the final two minutes is ridiculous. The idea that he could do if coming in to a game cold and having not played all season, is incomprehensible. I’m pretty sure that even Lovie Smith would not have done that, though admittedly I’m not positive.
I’ve heard numerous explanations for this over the past few days. The most interesting is that Shanahan is unhappy with McNabb and used this situation to call out his star QB. I have a better explanation, he’s lost his mind.
I give Shanahan credit for how he’s dealt with the Albert Haynesworth debacAL. And I get the Skins are really not that good. I’m also aware that there are mixed feelings about McNabb around the league. There are some who think he’s one of the great QBs of this era. Others think he’s a great athlete who stumbled in to the perfect system in Philly and can’t win the big game. As always, the truth likely lies somewhere in the middle.
That being said, there is absolutely no plausible reason for Shanahan to do what he did on Sunday. What he ultimately did was cost his football team any chance to win the game. As it played out, Grossman did what he usually does. He did not feel the pass rush, took a hard hit and fumbled the game away. Maybe the exact same thing happens with McNabb behind center. We’ll never know.
Let’s get beyond the fact that Shanahan just called out and embarrassed his (supposed) franchise QB on national television. McNabb has demonstrated remarkably thick skin over the years so maybe he can handle this. How do you explain to a locker room full of warriors that you sold out any chance to win the game just to send McNabb a message? And that’s assuming that is really what happened here. It’s far worse to think that maybe they really believed Grossman gave them the best chance to win.
I would not bring Joe Montana off the bench cold with two minutes left in a game. It’s a completely unfair position to put any QB in. That being said, I could possibly understand if the Skins had a stud back-up or maybe if the situation were reversed and McNabb was coming in. The idea of bringing in Grossman, well coaches have been fired for a lot less.
Shanahan is a fascinating fellow. He is universally lauded for being a great coach and yet if you look at his pre and post John Elway resume its not very good. Yes he won two Super Bowls and you can not take that away from anybody. At the same time, Elway retired after the 1998 season. Since that time, Shanahan has coached ten years. In that decade, he made the AFC Championship team once where his team got blasted by the Steelers. And as my old buddy Porky Pig used to lament, that’s all folks.
Many of Shanahan’s teams missed the playoffs. At least two others served as launching pads for Peyton Manning’s most impressive playoff showings. In short, this guy has done nothing in his last ten years accept repeatedly cut 1,000 yard running backs and introduce the football world to Jay Cutler (coaches have been fired for less than that as well).
I was shocked at the indignation that took place when Shanahan was fired in Denver. How many other coaches would survive more than ten years where they did not even sniff a Super Bowl? Unless you’re Barry Trotz, constantly missing or losing in the first round of the playoffs gets you canned.
Even with that, I’m not suggesting Shanahan was a terrible coach, just a tad overrated. Again, the man did win two Super Bowls. I had absolutely no issue with him, until last Sunday. After that, I’m not sure the man is any more qualified to coach in our nation’s capital than Steve Spurrier or Jim Zorn.
Week after week I listen to angry Steeler fans bash Mike Tomlin. I continue to be astounded by this. Not because Tomlin is a perfect coach, he certainly is not. I’m astounded because on the whole, Tomlin has done what was expected in the Burgh. He’s posted a 39-20 record and won a Super Bowl in his first 3 ½ seasons, all before the age of 40. That’s pretty impressive.
And yet I’m told he’s not as good a coach as a guy like Jeff Fisher, who has somehow lasted 15 years in spite making just one Super Bowl, and losing (what is it with Nashville coaches) and now taking on the locker room disaster that is Randy Moss. And I’m pretty sure that most neutral footballs fans would call Shanahan a better coach than Tomlin.
So I ask you this, do you think Tomlin would have pulled Big Ben if the Steelers got the ball down one score with two minutes left…for Byron Leftwich. Keep in mind that Leftwich, along with being just as mediocre as Grossman, has not played all season. The answer is obvious, of course he would not. And if he did, I can’t even fathom the backlash he would face from the Steeler Nation.
Again, I’m not trying to evaluate McNabb or what’s going on in Washington. Maybe the Skins really don’t think he’s the good. That’s their call. I’ll just say this; regardless of what anybody thinks of Donovan McNabb, he’s a heck of a lot better than Grossman. Maybe Shanahan thought there was little chance of winning with McNabb. Whatever it was, it was 100% greater than his chance of winning with Rex; good, bad, or indifferent.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Coaches Coach, Players Play, Fans Complain
Sometimes I wonder who has the tougher job, Barack Obama or Bruce Arians. Yes Obama has to deal with the daily challenges of being leader of the free world. Is that any harder than dealing with the angry Steeler Nation that blames Arians for every play that does not result in a Steeler touchdown?
Okay, that might be a bit over the top but I think the point has been made. I have to go all the way to the White House to find a high ranking executive getting more criticism than Arians. Thankfully there are no midterm elections for NFL assistant coaches.
As I often do, let me clarify a few points here before I go any further.
First, this blog is not and will not be Arians’ personal advocate. My position on him remains that he is neither the best nor the worst offensive coordinator in the NFL. I would not put him in the top ten or the bottom ten. He’s somewhere in that middle 22 of guys that were good enough to earn these rare positions but are effectively interchangeable.
Second, I’m not suggesting Arians is alone in this plight. Quite the contrary. I’m not sure there is a worse job in sports than being an offensive coordinator in the NFL. That includes being a head coach in the NFL (a subject for another blog), although just barely. Take a read through blogs in Chicago, Green Bay, Miami, and Dallas if you don’t believe me. Their OC’s take the same beat down. The only difference of course is that the Steelers tend to win more than those teams.
There are three reasons that plays fail in the NFL; the offense does not execute, the defense flat out stops it, or it was a bad call. I will not attempt to assign arbitrary percentages to this but I’m guessing choice number three is the least frequent reason; and the number one choice of most fans. It’s just so easy to look at any play that fails and say a different call would have worked better.
Keep this in mind. If it were so easy to move the ball in the NFL, they would not give you three plays to go just ten yards. It’s the NFL, not the Arena league.
Here is a question that Bob Smizik often poses in his blog. Why is it that when Dick Lebeau’s Steeler defense smoothers an offense, fans call it great defense, but whenever the Steeler offense scores less than 24 points its because Arians is an idiot?
I don’t agree with every call Arians’ makes. In fact, I disagree with a lot of them. That being said, I try to look at it logically. First, I don’t think I would agree with every call that any offensive coordinator would make. And second, much as I would like to believe otherwise, I doubt I would do any better.
Keep in mind that the Steelers biggest problem offensively is not Arians, it’s a mediocre offensive line. That’s been the problem for the last three years. Football games are won in the trenches and the Steelers are just not good enough in that area. The problem is that it’s hard for fans to see that. Anyone can tell that Arizona’s offense went in the tank after Kurt Warner started his dancing career. Offensive line play is far more subtle, and just as critical.
But I digress.
The age old question in football is what is more important, play calling or execution. Both are important. That being said if you accept the notion that the Steelers’ play calling is at least competent by NFL standards, and I believe it is, then you have to take a look at the players on the field. That’s ultimately what determines the success or failure of an offense no matter how much the arm chair QB nation thinks otherwise.
Let’s take a look at Sunday night’s loss to New Orleans. The Steelers lost and scored less than 24 points so Arian’s is being annihilated by a large contingent of the fan base. Here’s my take on the situation.
1) Failure to score on first and down from the 1 yard line
This is abysmal. The idea that an NFL team can not move the football ½ yard in three plays is unacceptable. In case you have not noticed, this has been going on for three years. I remain amazed that the Steelers won the Super Bowl a few years back in spite of being completely inept in short yardage offense. Say goodbye to four points right there.
This problem is directly attributable to the offensive line. Keep in mind that five plus running backs have struggled in short yardage behind this line. Last year Arians tried to compensate by throwing more in these situations. He got blasted for it by fans, media, and Art Rooney Jr. This year they’ve gone back to trying to run. And again he’s being blasted.
I personally would like to see the Steelers consider a play action pass or QB sneak on at least one play. That being said, there is no guarantee those plays would have succeeded. What is guaranteed is that whatever way the Steelers offense failed in that situation, Arians would get most of the blame. Keep in mind that the Saints also failed in goal line and they did pass on several plays.
2) Jeff Reed Misses a FG
In other news, Tuesday was a bad day for democrats, Jordan Staal is having a rough year and Cookie Monster likes..oh you get it.
Look, I don’t expect Reed to make every kick and 51 yards is a long attempt. In a vacuum, I could handle one miss. The problem is that Reed has been missing from all over the place this year. And this was in a dome.
Mike Tomlin has been criticized a lot this year for trying long kicks with Reed right before half time. The argument is that if (or when) he misses those kicks it puts the defense in a bad position. That’s a loser’s lament. Reed is supposed to be one of the best kickers in football. Not withstanding his warped perspective on his measly $2 Million contract, Reed is paid to make those kicks. It’s not Tomlin’s fault he continues to fail. My guess is that Tomlin is at the end of his rope with Reed which means he may very well start bailing on him beyond 45 yards.
3) Emmanuel Sanders Converts to Defensive Back
I realize the Steelers defensive backs have been shaky the last two years. Maybe Sanders figures he has a better shot to play there than at WR. I’m not sure William Gay has made a defensive play all year as good as the one Sanders made on Heinz Ward on 4th and 4.
Tomlin is taking a lot of abuse for going for it in that situation. Not from me. It’s good aggressive coaching. It’s a coach who believes in his defense and his quarterback and is taking a calculated risk. If you want a coach who never takes chances or always goes by the book, I assure you Dave Wannstedt will be available in a few years.
Is Tomlin at fault for the decision? Is Arians at fault for the call? Or is Sanders at fault for stepping in front of a well thrown ball that Ward probably would have taken for a touchdown? I say the latter and there goes another 3 to 7 points.
4) Heath Miller fumbles
I’m not bagging on Miller who is one of the Steelers most reliable players. That being said, ball security is paramount when you are driving late in the game. I said the same thing about Ben’s fumble in Miami, you just can’t let that happen there. I’m guessing Heath agrees with me since he James Harrisoned himself in the cranium after the play. Notwithstanding all my Reed criticism above, that’s at least 3 and maybe 7 points lost, at a very key time in the game.
If the Steelers execute those four situations above, they likely pick up somewhere between 13 and 21 points...and win the game. All of those plays were there to be made, as were many others the offense failed to execute.
I’m not blindly absolving the Arians and the coaches; they play their part in any loss. Successful teams win because of a combination of three factors; 1) The organization brings in the right personnel 2) The coaches put players in a position to succeed and 3) The players execute properly. Bad teams usually lose for the same three reasons. And while I admit that any one phase if bad enough can destroy the other two, I just don’t see it on a team that’s gone 39 and 20 and won a Super Bowl with this coaching staff.
If you really hate Arian’s, ask yourself who would be better. Bear fans hailed Mike Martz as a genius when he arrived. Instead his offense has proved a poor fit for a team with a bad offensive line and a head case QB. No matter how much Steeler fans don’t want to believe it, Arians’ offense works to the talent of the players we have. Alan Faneca is gone and Jerome Bettis retired.
To repeat, I neither love nor hate Arians. In the long run, I don’t care if he stays or goes. All I know is this, I would not want to be his replacement.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
A Rough Weekend by the Arch
I NEVER LEARN. Seriously.
Over the past three seasons, I’ve traveled approximately 3,000 square miles to watch the Penguins lose 4 games on the road. Throw in trips to Philadelphia (08) and Phoenix (07) for ugly Steeler losses and you might think I would just stay home.
Even worse, I got my wife involved this time since the Pens and Blackhawks are here for back to backs. Now she’s part of the road trips of shame.
As some sort of demented therapeutic exercise, I’ve decided to chronicle our pain. So once again, with all due respect to the great Bill Simmons, my questionably accurate timeline of this weekend’s event. All times central daylight and HEAVILY ESTIMATED.
FRIDAY, 4PM – The first sign that Emily and I are not alone in this sojourn. I get wasted by a van with a Bears’ flag and a huge Blackhawk’s logo across the back window.
FRIDAY, 5pm – The second sign, a significant contingent of Hawks fans at hotel check in.
FRIDAY, 5:30pm – At Emily’s request, I dawn a Blackhawk’s T-shirt for the Friday game. As we walk through the lobby we see, you guessed it, two Penguin fans. I say “Let’s Go Pens…” and they look at me like I’m ALF.
FRIDAY, 7:00pm – On every road trip, there is that signature moment where I realize I’m not in Pittsburgh anymore. In St’ Louis it’s the beginning of their pre game scoreboard montage. You know how every NHL team goes well out of their way to make this really cool? Well apparently the Blues marketing department did not get the memo. They give us multiple St’ Louisians screaming, “I LOVE THE BLUES !” I could care less about the Blues before that. Now I hate them.
FRIDAY, 7:08pm – Jaroslav Halak takes the ice in a Blues uniform. In an unrelated matter, my blood pressure rises 25 percent.
FRIDAY 7:30pm – Patrick Sharp fires a 60 footer past Halak for a game tying power play goal. The contingent of Hawks fans in attendance start humming Chelsea Dagger. Personally, I pine for the days when the Hawks would play the ZZ Top Classic “Every Girl’s Crazy about a Sharp Dressed Man…” after a Sharpie goal. Dare to dream.
FRIDAY, 7:40pm - St' Louis fans do this really, really dorky dance every time they get a power play. The "gentleman" next to me, who arrives 40 minutes late from Chicago, charitably describes it in Ozzie Guillen-like terms.
FRIDAY, 8:30pm – Duncan Keith is well on his way to about 70 minutes of ice time. I note about that time that the Hawks 3rd defense pairing has barely hit the ice. Right on cue, John Scott hits the ice…and then hits Brad Winchester. If you can’t play…fight. Do you know they suggested at the Hawks convention that Scott might be the next Dustin Byfuglien? Uh, yah…sure.
FRIDAY, 9:15pm – With the game tied at two, Keith channels his inner Rob Scudieri. For reasons I can’t even begin to contemplate, last year’s Norris Trophy winner whips the puck blindly around the boards where its picked off by (I’m not making this up) Roman Polak. At this point Marty Turco channels his inner Cristobal Huet. Polak dribbles a 20 MPH wrist shot through Turco’s legs for the game winner. What do you expect for a paltry $1.5 Million, saves?
FRIDAY, 9:30pm – Patrik Berglund finishes off the Hawks with a power play goal and we have our first of THREE losses on the weekend. More on that later.
FRIDAY, 9:40pm – Numerous Blues fans are kind enough to inform us that the defending Stanley Cup champions apparently suck. After about the 20th time this information is relayed, two blocks from the arena I tell Emily, “apparently the Blackhawks suck.” The beautiful immediacy of live sports…nothing matters besides that night’s result.
FRIDAY, 9:42pm – Another St’ Louis MENSA candidate walks by Emily and comments, “hey did you see the game tonight? The Hawks lost !” We did and they did…thanks for the update. Looking forward to seeing you in Good Will Hunting Two.
SATURDAY, 2pm – Totally unrelated to hockey. I watch the end of Penn State’s less than inspiring win over the worst team in division I college football. After the game Joe Paterno is interviewed coming off the field. Every human being on earth should be as vibrant and energetic as JoePa was on his 80th birthday. And yet as I watch this interview it has never been more obvious that Joe is flat out of gas. He seems barely willing or able to answer the typically mindless post game questions. Maybe the greatest man in the history of college football, and he really, really, really needs to retire.
SATURDAY, 6pm – My wife is genuinely concerned that her hair is covering the “Talbot” on the back of her t-shirt. She does not want to commit a jersey foul. For the 200th time in this blog, is it any wonder I’m so in love with this woman? For the record, she wears my Fleury jersey so well (hope she looks as good in my new Brent Johnson jersey).
SATURDAY, 6:20pm – Can any city in the NHL come up with anything more original than “Sindy Crosby?” Especially considering that St’ Louis fans would give their left…er, uh arm to have that guy in a Blue’s uniform? Hope you enjoyed your two months with Gretzky in ‘96.
SATURDAY, 6:30pm – The first St’ Louis insult of the night. All around the arena they are showing the original broadcast of game 5 of the 1981 playoff series between the Pens and Blues. I arrive at my seat just in time to see Mike Crombeen beat Greg Millen in double overtime. Nothing like dredging up Pre Mario Penguin nightmares. By the way, Crombeen’s kid plays on the Blues today. I’m old.
SATURDAY, 6:45pm – Emily and I purchased the seats for these two games independently. So go figure that in a 19,000 seat arena we are in the same section, SAME ROW, just four seats further left for game 2.
SATURDAY, 7pm – The second St’ Louis insult of the night, the Penguins’ starting line-up is never announced. This in spite of the fact that the Pens are starting former Blues legend Brent Johnson in net. For the record, the Hawks line-up was announced on FRIDAY, albeit with minimal fan fare.
SATURDAY, 7:05pm – The third St’ Louis insult of the night. Blues mascot Louie the Bear cold cocks a guy wearing a Penguin outfit at center ice. Then the Blues training staff drags the Penguin off the ice without even the benefit of a stretcher. My wife is, in her words, “appalled.” I’m admittedly a tad tweaked. I mean, what the heck does a Bear have to do with Blues?
SATURDAY, 7:06pm – The fourth St’ Louis insult of the night. “I LOVE THE BLUES…” is back.
SATURDAY, 7:10pm – Our buddy Halak is in goal again. So much for seeing former Penguin legend Ty Conklin, at least after warm-ups. I tell Emily that I would love to put 8 behind this guy (not the word I used), but in the end, I’ll settle for 1 or 2. Seriously.
SATURDAY, 7:15pm – We can debate for the next 100 years whether Bylsma should have benched Fleury but Brent Johnson is flat out on fire. He makes the first of many brilliant saves on the night. A Pens fan behind me (and there were many in attendance) screams “Johnny Vezina” all night long. There is absolutely no goaltending controversy in the Burgh but…
SATURDAY, 7:30pm – The Pens are playing Charmin soft in this first period. When Mike Rupp and Tyler Kennedy are making drop passes at the blue line instead of cycling down low, you have problems. I’m getting angry. Solely by the grace of Brent Johnson, the Pens get out of the first period in a scoreless draw.
SATURDAY 8:00pm – Frankie Pietrangelo’s kid plays for St’Louis? Ok, turns out it’s his cousin. By the way, the Blues use the acronym SOG for shots on goal on the scoreboard. This is the second coolest acronym in sports behind YAC (yards after catch). The Penguins have bad SOG so far.
SATURDAY, 8:05pm to 8:45pm – The 18 Penguin skaters finally get the memo that there is a live NHL hockey game being played at the Scottrade Center. The Pens play a much better second period, at least at even strength and somehow fire 19 shots at Halak…without scoring. If I were a Montreal fan I would vomit on my season tickets…and then cancel them. I’m really hating that guy.
SATURDAY, 8:30ish – It took about awhile but I finally notice that Mike Comrie made the road trip. I maintain my belief that though ten games, all Comrie has shown is that he breathes and takes up space. I hate to use words like useless but… I briefly mollify my anger by picturing Hilary Duff buying groceries at Giant Eagle…at least until she demands we dump this stiff on Los Angeles.
SATURDAY, 9:00pm – The Pens start the third period with another missing in action power play effort. I ponder out loud to nobody in particular, why the Blues can set-up in the zone, make passes and get shots, while Sid, Geno and company can not. As I watch the latest power play 0-fer, I’m comforted that Paul Steigerwald has probably referred to Alex Goligoski as the “rover” on the power play at least 22 times.
SATURDAY, 9:20pm – The Cooke Monster strikes. Matt Cooke pummels Erik Brewer in the St’ Louis zone for about 20 seconds while the refs never stop play. The St’ Louis crowd over two nights reminds me of a junior high girls volleyball crowd. In less than ten seconds, Cooke has the entire arena enraged and chanting loud profanity in unison. Finally, a hockey game.
SATURDAY, 9:25pm – For about the 71st time, Chris Kunitz passes up a wide open shot to try and make a pretty pass to Crosby. Repeat after me Chris, “POWER FORWARD.” For the love of all that’s good and holy, shoot the #^&n puck. A few moments later, Letang makes a brilliant steal and passes up an open shot to pass to…MIKE RUPP, who misses the net. Think maybe Halak is in the Penguin’s heads? Seriously, Montreal would not pay Kunitz money to Halak…I’m speechless.
SATURDAY, 9:30pm – Eric Johnson (yes the snow mobile accident guy) beats Brent Johnson in overtime to give the Blues a 1-0 win. If you factor in that I arrived 20 minutes late in Carolina last year, I’ve now seen TWO GOALS in my four Penguin road games. Just not feeling the love for that one overtime point.
SATURDAY, 10pm – Emily and I are surrounded by happy people. For a team that goes 7 and 5 every year, Missouri fans are quite loud and proud. At the same time, the air goes out of Philadelphia when Ryan Howard strikes out looking. Apparently everybody I know had a bad sports weekend.
So what have I learned from all this? Why nothing of course. Looking forward to our first trip to the Consol Energy Center and hoping those Winter Classic tickets come through. And LET’S GO PENS !
Over the past three seasons, I’ve traveled approximately 3,000 square miles to watch the Penguins lose 4 games on the road. Throw in trips to Philadelphia (08) and Phoenix (07) for ugly Steeler losses and you might think I would just stay home.
Even worse, I got my wife involved this time since the Pens and Blackhawks are here for back to backs. Now she’s part of the road trips of shame.
As some sort of demented therapeutic exercise, I’ve decided to chronicle our pain. So once again, with all due respect to the great Bill Simmons, my questionably accurate timeline of this weekend’s event. All times central daylight and HEAVILY ESTIMATED.
FRIDAY, 4PM – The first sign that Emily and I are not alone in this sojourn. I get wasted by a van with a Bears’ flag and a huge Blackhawk’s logo across the back window.
FRIDAY, 5pm – The second sign, a significant contingent of Hawks fans at hotel check in.
FRIDAY, 5:30pm – At Emily’s request, I dawn a Blackhawk’s T-shirt for the Friday game. As we walk through the lobby we see, you guessed it, two Penguin fans. I say “Let’s Go Pens…” and they look at me like I’m ALF.
FRIDAY, 7:00pm – On every road trip, there is that signature moment where I realize I’m not in Pittsburgh anymore. In St’ Louis it’s the beginning of their pre game scoreboard montage. You know how every NHL team goes well out of their way to make this really cool? Well apparently the Blues marketing department did not get the memo. They give us multiple St’ Louisians screaming, “I LOVE THE BLUES !” I could care less about the Blues before that. Now I hate them.
FRIDAY, 7:08pm – Jaroslav Halak takes the ice in a Blues uniform. In an unrelated matter, my blood pressure rises 25 percent.
FRIDAY 7:30pm – Patrick Sharp fires a 60 footer past Halak for a game tying power play goal. The contingent of Hawks fans in attendance start humming Chelsea Dagger. Personally, I pine for the days when the Hawks would play the ZZ Top Classic “Every Girl’s Crazy about a Sharp Dressed Man…” after a Sharpie goal. Dare to dream.
FRIDAY, 7:40pm - St' Louis fans do this really, really dorky dance every time they get a power play. The "gentleman" next to me, who arrives 40 minutes late from Chicago, charitably describes it in Ozzie Guillen-like terms.
FRIDAY, 8:30pm – Duncan Keith is well on his way to about 70 minutes of ice time. I note about that time that the Hawks 3rd defense pairing has barely hit the ice. Right on cue, John Scott hits the ice…and then hits Brad Winchester. If you can’t play…fight. Do you know they suggested at the Hawks convention that Scott might be the next Dustin Byfuglien? Uh, yah…sure.
FRIDAY, 9:15pm – With the game tied at two, Keith channels his inner Rob Scudieri. For reasons I can’t even begin to contemplate, last year’s Norris Trophy winner whips the puck blindly around the boards where its picked off by (I’m not making this up) Roman Polak. At this point Marty Turco channels his inner Cristobal Huet. Polak dribbles a 20 MPH wrist shot through Turco’s legs for the game winner. What do you expect for a paltry $1.5 Million, saves?
FRIDAY, 9:30pm – Patrik Berglund finishes off the Hawks with a power play goal and we have our first of THREE losses on the weekend. More on that later.
FRIDAY, 9:40pm – Numerous Blues fans are kind enough to inform us that the defending Stanley Cup champions apparently suck. After about the 20th time this information is relayed, two blocks from the arena I tell Emily, “apparently the Blackhawks suck.” The beautiful immediacy of live sports…nothing matters besides that night’s result.
FRIDAY, 9:42pm – Another St’ Louis MENSA candidate walks by Emily and comments, “hey did you see the game tonight? The Hawks lost !” We did and they did…thanks for the update. Looking forward to seeing you in Good Will Hunting Two.
SATURDAY, 2pm – Totally unrelated to hockey. I watch the end of Penn State’s less than inspiring win over the worst team in division I college football. After the game Joe Paterno is interviewed coming off the field. Every human being on earth should be as vibrant and energetic as JoePa was on his 80th birthday. And yet as I watch this interview it has never been more obvious that Joe is flat out of gas. He seems barely willing or able to answer the typically mindless post game questions. Maybe the greatest man in the history of college football, and he really, really, really needs to retire.
SATURDAY, 6pm – My wife is genuinely concerned that her hair is covering the “Talbot” on the back of her t-shirt. She does not want to commit a jersey foul. For the 200th time in this blog, is it any wonder I’m so in love with this woman? For the record, she wears my Fleury jersey so well (hope she looks as good in my new Brent Johnson jersey).
SATURDAY, 6:20pm – Can any city in the NHL come up with anything more original than “Sindy Crosby?” Especially considering that St’ Louis fans would give their left…er, uh arm to have that guy in a Blue’s uniform? Hope you enjoyed your two months with Gretzky in ‘96.
SATURDAY, 6:30pm – The first St’ Louis insult of the night. All around the arena they are showing the original broadcast of game 5 of the 1981 playoff series between the Pens and Blues. I arrive at my seat just in time to see Mike Crombeen beat Greg Millen in double overtime. Nothing like dredging up Pre Mario Penguin nightmares. By the way, Crombeen’s kid plays on the Blues today. I’m old.
SATURDAY, 6:45pm – Emily and I purchased the seats for these two games independently. So go figure that in a 19,000 seat arena we are in the same section, SAME ROW, just four seats further left for game 2.
SATURDAY, 7pm – The second St’ Louis insult of the night, the Penguins’ starting line-up is never announced. This in spite of the fact that the Pens are starting former Blues legend Brent Johnson in net. For the record, the Hawks line-up was announced on FRIDAY, albeit with minimal fan fare.
SATURDAY, 7:05pm – The third St’ Louis insult of the night. Blues mascot Louie the Bear cold cocks a guy wearing a Penguin outfit at center ice. Then the Blues training staff drags the Penguin off the ice without even the benefit of a stretcher. My wife is, in her words, “appalled.” I’m admittedly a tad tweaked. I mean, what the heck does a Bear have to do with Blues?
SATURDAY, 7:06pm – The fourth St’ Louis insult of the night. “I LOVE THE BLUES…” is back.
SATURDAY, 7:10pm – Our buddy Halak is in goal again. So much for seeing former Penguin legend Ty Conklin, at least after warm-ups. I tell Emily that I would love to put 8 behind this guy (not the word I used), but in the end, I’ll settle for 1 or 2. Seriously.
SATURDAY, 7:15pm – We can debate for the next 100 years whether Bylsma should have benched Fleury but Brent Johnson is flat out on fire. He makes the first of many brilliant saves on the night. A Pens fan behind me (and there were many in attendance) screams “Johnny Vezina” all night long. There is absolutely no goaltending controversy in the Burgh but…
SATURDAY, 7:30pm – The Pens are playing Charmin soft in this first period. When Mike Rupp and Tyler Kennedy are making drop passes at the blue line instead of cycling down low, you have problems. I’m getting angry. Solely by the grace of Brent Johnson, the Pens get out of the first period in a scoreless draw.
SATURDAY 8:00pm – Frankie Pietrangelo’s kid plays for St’Louis? Ok, turns out it’s his cousin. By the way, the Blues use the acronym SOG for shots on goal on the scoreboard. This is the second coolest acronym in sports behind YAC (yards after catch). The Penguins have bad SOG so far.
SATURDAY, 8:05pm to 8:45pm – The 18 Penguin skaters finally get the memo that there is a live NHL hockey game being played at the Scottrade Center. The Pens play a much better second period, at least at even strength and somehow fire 19 shots at Halak…without scoring. If I were a Montreal fan I would vomit on my season tickets…and then cancel them. I’m really hating that guy.
SATURDAY, 8:30ish – It took about awhile but I finally notice that Mike Comrie made the road trip. I maintain my belief that though ten games, all Comrie has shown is that he breathes and takes up space. I hate to use words like useless but… I briefly mollify my anger by picturing Hilary Duff buying groceries at Giant Eagle…at least until she demands we dump this stiff on Los Angeles.
SATURDAY, 9:00pm – The Pens start the third period with another missing in action power play effort. I ponder out loud to nobody in particular, why the Blues can set-up in the zone, make passes and get shots, while Sid, Geno and company can not. As I watch the latest power play 0-fer, I’m comforted that Paul Steigerwald has probably referred to Alex Goligoski as the “rover” on the power play at least 22 times.
SATURDAY, 9:20pm – The Cooke Monster strikes. Matt Cooke pummels Erik Brewer in the St’ Louis zone for about 20 seconds while the refs never stop play. The St’ Louis crowd over two nights reminds me of a junior high girls volleyball crowd. In less than ten seconds, Cooke has the entire arena enraged and chanting loud profanity in unison. Finally, a hockey game.
SATURDAY, 9:25pm – For about the 71st time, Chris Kunitz passes up a wide open shot to try and make a pretty pass to Crosby. Repeat after me Chris, “POWER FORWARD.” For the love of all that’s good and holy, shoot the #^&n puck. A few moments later, Letang makes a brilliant steal and passes up an open shot to pass to…MIKE RUPP, who misses the net. Think maybe Halak is in the Penguin’s heads? Seriously, Montreal would not pay Kunitz money to Halak…I’m speechless.
SATURDAY, 9:30pm – Eric Johnson (yes the snow mobile accident guy) beats Brent Johnson in overtime to give the Blues a 1-0 win. If you factor in that I arrived 20 minutes late in Carolina last year, I’ve now seen TWO GOALS in my four Penguin road games. Just not feeling the love for that one overtime point.
SATURDAY, 10pm – Emily and I are surrounded by happy people. For a team that goes 7 and 5 every year, Missouri fans are quite loud and proud. At the same time, the air goes out of Philadelphia when Ryan Howard strikes out looking. Apparently everybody I know had a bad sports weekend.
So what have I learned from all this? Why nothing of course. Looking forward to our first trip to the Consol Energy Center and hoping those Winter Classic tickets come through. And LET’S GO PENS !
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
A Freaky Hockey Convergence on the Path to Doom!
For the better part of two and one half years, my wife Emily has feared what she poignantly describes as “the DOOM scenario.” Emily defines “DOOM” as a Stanley Cup match-up between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Chicago Blackhawks.
In actuality my girlfriend Emily started preaching this in the spring of 2009. My fiancée Emily continued it with exasperated vigor in the spring of 2010, and my wife Emily maintains this fear today. And in point of fact, the doom scenario as narrowly defined has been avoided, given that the two teams avoid said confrontation on the weekend of our wedding.
Thankfully, or perhaps I should say "making the best of a potentially awkward situation," Jaroslav Halak and the Orange and Black Goon Squad conspired to quash this fear in 2010. It’s a practical impossibility for me to be happy with a Penguin playoff loss so I’ll just say this; if Sid, Geno and the Boys had to have a bad spring, May 2010 was not the worst time for it.
Emily and I maintain what most people would classify as a “mixed marriage.” We have navigated a significant cultural divide in our relationship that many couples could not overcome. In short, my hockey allegiances fall first and foremost to all things Penguins; hers are to the Hawks. Flip it around and we both cheer for the other team, on a secondary basis.
We have navigated this relationship obstacle through fortuitous conference alignments, scheduling, timing, and the good graces of Cristobal Huet. In short, the teams play in opposite conferences meaning that other than perhaps one regular season battle, they can meet only in the Stanley Cup finals. The Pens development towards Stanley Cup contenders started one or two years earlier than the Hawks. And any chance the Hawks had of getting to the finals in 2009 went were quashed by Hawks GM Dale Tallon’s post all night drinking binge signing of Huet as his goaltender.
Ok, that’s not exactly fair given that Huet was not even the starting goaltender in the 2009 playoffs. In reality, I knew the Hawks were not quite ready to beat Detroit that year, just as the Pens were not ready the year earlier. Let’s just say that feeling was “Cristolized” when Huet replaced (go figure) an injured Nikolai Khabibulin in game 4.
I assume that 450 words in to this blog the question my readers are asking is, why do I bring this up now? After all, Emily and I are happily married and our wedding went off without a hockey related hitch. In fact, I would offer that we got the opposite effect with my beautiful wife taunting my Philly friends to Chelsea Dagger the day after the Hawks game 1 victory. All is well, and life begins again.
So why, to quote my wife, am I fearing once again that “ALL ROADS LEAD TO DOOM”? Let me explain. No, is too much…let me sum up.
Emily and I are off to St’Louis this weekend. We could not believe when we looked at the schedule and saw this nugget, Blackhawks at St’Louis Friday night; Penguins at St’Louis Saturday night. Beyond the unparalleled joy of a two night reunion with Jaroslav Halak, I was astounded that our two favorite teams could be in the same city on back to back nights? It seemed nothing less than a miracle of scheduling, especially given that the Pens play in the Eastern Conference.
In retrospect that’s not the miraculous part. The miraculous part is that the Pens and Hawks are actually NOT playing on the same night. Given what’s transpired this season, I’m shocked the NHL did not schedule a doubleheader at whatever they call the arena in St’Louis.
To wit, we are 12 days in to the NHL season and the Pittsburgh Penguins and Chicago Blackhawks have played on the same night for all seven of their games. And here is the really, really scary part, they have the same result EVERY NIGHT.
Yes I know their records are slightly different because one Hawks loss came in overtime. That being said, let’s take a real cash flow approach to this rather than the NHL’s adjusted analysis which includes points for overtime losses. In short, the Pens and Hawks are both 4 and 3. Both got off to shockingly sluggish starts, both are looking better just as we get the oil changed for our trip west. The result…
Date-------------Result------ Pens/Score------ Hawks/Score
Thursday October 7th-----Loss---Philly 2-3----Colorado 3-4
Saturday October 9th-----Loss---Montreal 2-3----Detroit 2-3
Monday October 11th------Win---New Jersey 2-1----Buffalo 4-3
Wednesday October 13th---Loss---Toronto 3-4----Nashville 2-3
Friday October 15th-------Win---NY Islanders 3-2----Columbus 5-2
Saturday October 16th-----Win---Philly 5-2----Buffalo 4-3
Monday October 18th------Win---Ottawa 5-2----St’Louis 3-2
So maybe I’m going off the deep end here but this is just a tad too freaky.
It’s weird enough that one team would open the season with 7 games in 12 nights, let alone two. I’m not sure I’ve seen that other than the '95 lockout season. The fact that both teams would have the same result on each night is…well there is no other way to interpret this but, POTENTIAL DOOM!
I covered the issue last year about dual citizenship in the sports world. I’ve lived happily as a Pittsburgh fan in Chicago for 15 years. Chicagoans have overlooked my less than subtle support for the Steelers and Pens, with the notable exception of when our teams come to town. It’s an uneasy coexistence but it works, for now.
Clearly such a relationship would be strained if the Pens were to defeat the Hawks in the Stanley Cup final (or I guess in theory if the opposite scenario occurred though I can not fathom that).
That being said, our marriage clearly adds a new element to this. We’ve gone beyond just whether or not I can walk the streets of Chicago safely in my Fleury jersey (or Brent Johnson jersey if things keep going the way they are). We are now at the point of questioning whether I will come home from a business trip and find my wife has changed the locks.
To be clear, Emily is a Penguin fan. She loves the Flightless Waterfowl and has a particular affinity for the Superstar, Max Talbot. Hers is not that painful, pit in your stomach fear of a world where Chris Pronger, Michael Leighton and the Orange and Black Goon Squad carry the cup.
Her issue is one of split loyalties, driven primarily by the never ending conversion attempts of her husband. She would be thrilled if the Hawks won the cup but sad for the Penguins. And as a truly caring person, her issues are compounded by the understanding that I would not deal well with seeing the Penguins back in the Marian Hossa position after a Stanley Cup loss.
We’ve been fortunate that during the length of our relationship the Pens and Hawks have played only one time, a brilliant battle last December. In spite of the loss, I actually enjoyed the game. As for my wife, I will charitably say she appeared “uncomfortable” for close to three hours. Let’s keep in mind that as great as the game was, this was a fairly meaningless regular season event. I don’t relish the idea of experiencing her “discomfort” level if the Pens and Hawks are playing in June for Lord Stanley’s Cup.
Compounding my concerns is that Emily possesses a level of self control and human decency on this issue that tragically eludes me. No matter how torn she was, no matter what she was thinking during that game, she sat stoically throughout it. In contrast, I screamed and nearly jumped through the ceiling when Jordan Staal tied it late in regulation.
I like to think I’m mature enough to temper my reactions in a series. My days of screaming at goaltenders on TV, a la Andy Moog in the early 90s are, for the most part, behind me. Alas, I don’t think I can keep my emotions in check during the Stanley Cup finals. Let me rephrase that, I know I can not.
The boundless optimists, the Christopher Disque’s of the world say this is a good problem to have. There are worse things than your two favorite teams playing for a championship. When you consider how bad the Pens looked in their first four games, I should be happy that we are once again discussing this as a realistic possibility.
Alas, as happy as I was for the Hawks success last year, I’m not one of these, “I’m just happy if one of my team’s wins guys.” When you are born black and gold, you are black and gold for life. Plus I genuinely like the Hawks and their players and I do have a tendency to develop shall we say, adversarial relationships, with Penguin opponents. I’d just assume stay on good terms with Kaner, Toews, and Keith (if not that Slovakian winger who used to play in Detroit).
So for now I’ll simply follow the advice I gave Emily last year. Don’t panic, let things play out as they will. It’s a long season and the odds of any two teams playing in June are slim, even two of the best in the league. I will hope that the first two weeks of the season were nothing more than a freaky convergence of Gary Betteman scheduling and some inexplicable bit of hockey karma and coincidence.
In short, I will hope we can somehow avoid “DOOM” for another year.
In actuality my girlfriend Emily started preaching this in the spring of 2009. My fiancée Emily continued it with exasperated vigor in the spring of 2010, and my wife Emily maintains this fear today. And in point of fact, the doom scenario as narrowly defined has been avoided, given that the two teams avoid said confrontation on the weekend of our wedding.
Thankfully, or perhaps I should say "making the best of a potentially awkward situation," Jaroslav Halak and the Orange and Black Goon Squad conspired to quash this fear in 2010. It’s a practical impossibility for me to be happy with a Penguin playoff loss so I’ll just say this; if Sid, Geno and the Boys had to have a bad spring, May 2010 was not the worst time for it.
Emily and I maintain what most people would classify as a “mixed marriage.” We have navigated a significant cultural divide in our relationship that many couples could not overcome. In short, my hockey allegiances fall first and foremost to all things Penguins; hers are to the Hawks. Flip it around and we both cheer for the other team, on a secondary basis.
We have navigated this relationship obstacle through fortuitous conference alignments, scheduling, timing, and the good graces of Cristobal Huet. In short, the teams play in opposite conferences meaning that other than perhaps one regular season battle, they can meet only in the Stanley Cup finals. The Pens development towards Stanley Cup contenders started one or two years earlier than the Hawks. And any chance the Hawks had of getting to the finals in 2009 went were quashed by Hawks GM Dale Tallon’s post all night drinking binge signing of Huet as his goaltender.
Ok, that’s not exactly fair given that Huet was not even the starting goaltender in the 2009 playoffs. In reality, I knew the Hawks were not quite ready to beat Detroit that year, just as the Pens were not ready the year earlier. Let’s just say that feeling was “Cristolized” when Huet replaced (go figure) an injured Nikolai Khabibulin in game 4.
I assume that 450 words in to this blog the question my readers are asking is, why do I bring this up now? After all, Emily and I are happily married and our wedding went off without a hockey related hitch. In fact, I would offer that we got the opposite effect with my beautiful wife taunting my Philly friends to Chelsea Dagger the day after the Hawks game 1 victory. All is well, and life begins again.
So why, to quote my wife, am I fearing once again that “ALL ROADS LEAD TO DOOM”? Let me explain. No, is too much…let me sum up.
Emily and I are off to St’Louis this weekend. We could not believe when we looked at the schedule and saw this nugget, Blackhawks at St’Louis Friday night; Penguins at St’Louis Saturday night. Beyond the unparalleled joy of a two night reunion with Jaroslav Halak, I was astounded that our two favorite teams could be in the same city on back to back nights? It seemed nothing less than a miracle of scheduling, especially given that the Pens play in the Eastern Conference.
In retrospect that’s not the miraculous part. The miraculous part is that the Pens and Hawks are actually NOT playing on the same night. Given what’s transpired this season, I’m shocked the NHL did not schedule a doubleheader at whatever they call the arena in St’Louis.
To wit, we are 12 days in to the NHL season and the Pittsburgh Penguins and Chicago Blackhawks have played on the same night for all seven of their games. And here is the really, really scary part, they have the same result EVERY NIGHT.
Yes I know their records are slightly different because one Hawks loss came in overtime. That being said, let’s take a real cash flow approach to this rather than the NHL’s adjusted analysis which includes points for overtime losses. In short, the Pens and Hawks are both 4 and 3. Both got off to shockingly sluggish starts, both are looking better just as we get the oil changed for our trip west. The result…
Date-------------Result------ Pens/Score------ Hawks/Score
Thursday October 7th-----Loss---Philly 2-3----Colorado 3-4
Saturday October 9th-----Loss---Montreal 2-3----Detroit 2-3
Monday October 11th------Win---New Jersey 2-1----Buffalo 4-3
Wednesday October 13th---Loss---Toronto 3-4----Nashville 2-3
Friday October 15th-------Win---NY Islanders 3-2----Columbus 5-2
Saturday October 16th-----Win---Philly 5-2----Buffalo 4-3
Monday October 18th------Win---Ottawa 5-2----St’Louis 3-2
So maybe I’m going off the deep end here but this is just a tad too freaky.
It’s weird enough that one team would open the season with 7 games in 12 nights, let alone two. I’m not sure I’ve seen that other than the '95 lockout season. The fact that both teams would have the same result on each night is…well there is no other way to interpret this but, POTENTIAL DOOM!
I covered the issue last year about dual citizenship in the sports world. I’ve lived happily as a Pittsburgh fan in Chicago for 15 years. Chicagoans have overlooked my less than subtle support for the Steelers and Pens, with the notable exception of when our teams come to town. It’s an uneasy coexistence but it works, for now.
Clearly such a relationship would be strained if the Pens were to defeat the Hawks in the Stanley Cup final (or I guess in theory if the opposite scenario occurred though I can not fathom that).
That being said, our marriage clearly adds a new element to this. We’ve gone beyond just whether or not I can walk the streets of Chicago safely in my Fleury jersey (or Brent Johnson jersey if things keep going the way they are). We are now at the point of questioning whether I will come home from a business trip and find my wife has changed the locks.
To be clear, Emily is a Penguin fan. She loves the Flightless Waterfowl and has a particular affinity for the Superstar, Max Talbot. Hers is not that painful, pit in your stomach fear of a world where Chris Pronger, Michael Leighton and the Orange and Black Goon Squad carry the cup.
Her issue is one of split loyalties, driven primarily by the never ending conversion attempts of her husband. She would be thrilled if the Hawks won the cup but sad for the Penguins. And as a truly caring person, her issues are compounded by the understanding that I would not deal well with seeing the Penguins back in the Marian Hossa position after a Stanley Cup loss.
We’ve been fortunate that during the length of our relationship the Pens and Hawks have played only one time, a brilliant battle last December. In spite of the loss, I actually enjoyed the game. As for my wife, I will charitably say she appeared “uncomfortable” for close to three hours. Let’s keep in mind that as great as the game was, this was a fairly meaningless regular season event. I don’t relish the idea of experiencing her “discomfort” level if the Pens and Hawks are playing in June for Lord Stanley’s Cup.
Compounding my concerns is that Emily possesses a level of self control and human decency on this issue that tragically eludes me. No matter how torn she was, no matter what she was thinking during that game, she sat stoically throughout it. In contrast, I screamed and nearly jumped through the ceiling when Jordan Staal tied it late in regulation.
I like to think I’m mature enough to temper my reactions in a series. My days of screaming at goaltenders on TV, a la Andy Moog in the early 90s are, for the most part, behind me. Alas, I don’t think I can keep my emotions in check during the Stanley Cup finals. Let me rephrase that, I know I can not.
The boundless optimists, the Christopher Disque’s of the world say this is a good problem to have. There are worse things than your two favorite teams playing for a championship. When you consider how bad the Pens looked in their first four games, I should be happy that we are once again discussing this as a realistic possibility.
Alas, as happy as I was for the Hawks success last year, I’m not one of these, “I’m just happy if one of my team’s wins guys.” When you are born black and gold, you are black and gold for life. Plus I genuinely like the Hawks and their players and I do have a tendency to develop shall we say, adversarial relationships, with Penguin opponents. I’d just assume stay on good terms with Kaner, Toews, and Keith (if not that Slovakian winger who used to play in Detroit).
So for now I’ll simply follow the advice I gave Emily last year. Don’t panic, let things play out as they will. It’s a long season and the odds of any two teams playing in June are slim, even two of the best in the league. I will hope that the first two weeks of the season were nothing more than a freaky convergence of Gary Betteman scheduling and some inexplicable bit of hockey karma and coincidence.
In short, I will hope we can somehow avoid “DOOM” for another year.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Penguins Need to Sit Fleury…For Now
For the past 20 years or so, Sports Illustrated has run a piece called, “this week’s sign of the apocalypse.” Within that context, those who know me might think that this week’s blog entry is a campaign to get me in next week’s issue.
I can just see it now. This week’s sign of the apocalypse, “noted Penguin goaltending freak and massive Marc-Andre Fleury fan Adam Haberman wrote an internet blog where he made this statement…the Penguins should bench Fleury and run with Brent Johnson for awhile.”
There it is, clear, concise, and in writing. I am comforted that in the 30 seconds or so since I typed that paragraph, life continues to thrive on the planet earth. I can also assure you that I was not kidnapped and replaced by aliens (or Philly fans) on my honeymoon.
Ok, let’s come to grips with what I am and am not saying.
I am saying that Brent Johnson should start the next game in goal for the Penguins. I’m also saying that if he plays well, he should start the one after that. In fact, I think the Pens should run with Johnson for a few weeks if he continues to play at a high level.
I am not saying that Marc-Andre Fleury should be demoted, traded, or sent on another African safari. I am by no mean suggesting that there is or should be a goaltending controversy in the Burgh. In the end, the Penguins can not win a Stanley Cup with Brent Johnson in goal. He’s a back-up goaltender and as we know water ultimately finds its level. If there is going to be another Cup parade in the Burgh, Marc-Andre Fleury needs to be in goal, and at his best.
Which is what has lead me to this frightening crossroads just three games in to the 2010-11 season.
I have passionately defended Fleury in many forums including this one as recently as last May. I’m a firm believer in the Flower. He has his ups and downs, as does every goaltender in the NHL. That being said, he also has two trips to the Stanley Cup finals and a game 7 cup victory on his resume. Very few goaltenders can say that.
We are still talking about a man who led the Pens to 30 playoff victories in two years. We are still talking about a man who stopped two future hall of famers on point blank chances, in game 7’s on the road. With all due respect, I’m not sure Brent Johnson makes those saves.
Which is not the point.
The point is right now I’m not sure Fleury makes those saves either. And even if he does, I’m not sure he does not give up a Michael Leighton style softball 30 seconds later. That point was driven home on Saturday night when Fleury gave up a goal that Johnson (or for that matter Disque) certainly would have stopped in the final minutes against Montreal (though I’m remain unsure about Leighton).
For the last three years, the Penguins philosophy with Fleury has basically been you are the man, bar none. If you have a bad game, we will throw you right back out there the next night. I wholeheartedly agree with that. It’s the way you should handle a proven #1 goaltender in the NHL. At least as long as he lives up to his end of the bargain.
For most of his career in the Burgh, Fleury has done so. For most of calendar year 2010, he has not. He struggled in the second half of last season, in last season’s playoffs, and certainly in his first two starts.
And now its time for some accountability.
I actually thought Fleury played pretty well against Montreal, right up to the Gomez game winner. I don’t expect a goaltender to make every save but you simply can not allow that goal at any time, let along the last two minutes of a hockey game. Unfortunately, we saw a few of those in last year’s playoff series against Montreal as well.
So now Dan Bylsma needs to change the message to MAF. The message has to be that he must reestablish his position with his play on the ice. I don’t come to this decision lightly (thus the whole apocalypse comparison above) but we are there. To be honest, it’s not as dramatic you may think and there is absolutely precedent for it in the Burgh.
I would argue that the best Fleury has ever played as a Penguin was the last two months of the 2007-08 season and the playoffs that followed. You may recall that he spent half that season recovering from an ankle injury. During his absence, Ty Conklin played so brilliantly in net that many thought Conklin should remain the starter (yes, that really happened, seriously, I’m not making it up). The Penguins basically told Fleury he would have to earn the job back. And to be clear, he did…in brilliant fashion
That makes me consider at least the possibility that Fleury raises his level when he has some competition for his job, real or perceived.
The other precedent occurred in 1990. You may recall that season ended with a Penguin Stanley Cup celebration. It started with a mild goaltending controversy. It’s long since been forgotten but for the first two plus months of that season, Bob Johnson was basically rotating three goaltenders, Tom Barrasso, Frank Pietrangelo, and Wendell Young.
I readily concede that I lack any kind of objectivity when evaluating Barrasso. That being said, I think it’s fair to say that he was a far better goaltender than either of the gentlemen mentioned in the paragraph above. To be honest, it’s not even close. Barrasso is a borderline hall of famer. Frankie Pete and Young were borderline NHL players.
It’s easy to forget that Barrasso was coming off a difficult season in 1989-90; both on and off the ice. Regardless, his play in the first two months of the following year was lacking and Badger Bob responded by putting his rear end on the bench. I doubt that played well with Barrasso who could be shall we say, a bit prickly at times.
Regardless, it worked. Somewhere along the way, Johnson’s message got through. Just about the time that Pittsburgh reporters were pressing trade rumors, Barrasso found his ‘A’ game and started a brilliant run that ended with back to back cups. I can’t guarantee that Johnson’s decision to bench Tommy was the reason but I have a feeling it sent a message. In short, regardless of your pedigree, you have to earn your job. Remember, the Pens did not need Barrasso to be good, they needed him to be championship caliber.
Right now I think Bylsma needs to send that same message to Fleury. Right now that message is more critical than the “we believe in you and we know you can bounce back” message. Fleury seems a bit too comfortable to me and his play is not living up to the comfort level. Sometimes we all need a little push.
I don’t think I even need to say this given my audience but let me be clear regardless. I am not suggesting Fleury is solely responsible for the Pens failures last season. Far from it. All you need to do is watch the first 30 minutes of game 7 against Montreal to realize that. Get beyond the series long disappearance of Crosby and Malkin and just watch how many brutal, and I mean BRUTAL, defensive mistakes the Pens made in that game. It was emblematic of a series in which the entire team underachieved.
Nor am I suggesting Fleury is solely to blame for the Pens 1-2 start. To be honest, I’m concerned with what I’ve seen so far. Even yesterday’s win over the Devils was disconcerting given that New Jersey was forced to play three men short handed a la Gene Hackman’s team in Hoosiers. I half expected John McLean to play with four men and tell the ref, “My team is on the ice!”
(Quick aside, watching the Devils play with 17 men yesterday is maybe the best example of sports justice I’ve ever seen. I can not describe my joy in watching Lou Lamoriello’s team pay over and over for his mockery of the salary cap that was that absurd and asinine Kovalchuk contract. I truly, truly hope that this was the first step in Sammy Sosa on skates destroying that franchise for the next 15 years).
Still, the Pens can not win without Fleury at his best, and right now he’s just not there. Sometimes great coaching means a little tough love. That’s what Dan Bylsma needs to do to help Fleury regain his ‘A’ game. It’s worked before, and I fully expect it will work again.
I can just see it now. This week’s sign of the apocalypse, “noted Penguin goaltending freak and massive Marc-Andre Fleury fan Adam Haberman wrote an internet blog where he made this statement…the Penguins should bench Fleury and run with Brent Johnson for awhile.”
There it is, clear, concise, and in writing. I am comforted that in the 30 seconds or so since I typed that paragraph, life continues to thrive on the planet earth. I can also assure you that I was not kidnapped and replaced by aliens (or Philly fans) on my honeymoon.
Ok, let’s come to grips with what I am and am not saying.
I am saying that Brent Johnson should start the next game in goal for the Penguins. I’m also saying that if he plays well, he should start the one after that. In fact, I think the Pens should run with Johnson for a few weeks if he continues to play at a high level.
I am not saying that Marc-Andre Fleury should be demoted, traded, or sent on another African safari. I am by no mean suggesting that there is or should be a goaltending controversy in the Burgh. In the end, the Penguins can not win a Stanley Cup with Brent Johnson in goal. He’s a back-up goaltender and as we know water ultimately finds its level. If there is going to be another Cup parade in the Burgh, Marc-Andre Fleury needs to be in goal, and at his best.
Which is what has lead me to this frightening crossroads just three games in to the 2010-11 season.
I have passionately defended Fleury in many forums including this one as recently as last May. I’m a firm believer in the Flower. He has his ups and downs, as does every goaltender in the NHL. That being said, he also has two trips to the Stanley Cup finals and a game 7 cup victory on his resume. Very few goaltenders can say that.
We are still talking about a man who led the Pens to 30 playoff victories in two years. We are still talking about a man who stopped two future hall of famers on point blank chances, in game 7’s on the road. With all due respect, I’m not sure Brent Johnson makes those saves.
Which is not the point.
The point is right now I’m not sure Fleury makes those saves either. And even if he does, I’m not sure he does not give up a Michael Leighton style softball 30 seconds later. That point was driven home on Saturday night when Fleury gave up a goal that Johnson (or for that matter Disque) certainly would have stopped in the final minutes against Montreal (though I’m remain unsure about Leighton).
For the last three years, the Penguins philosophy with Fleury has basically been you are the man, bar none. If you have a bad game, we will throw you right back out there the next night. I wholeheartedly agree with that. It’s the way you should handle a proven #1 goaltender in the NHL. At least as long as he lives up to his end of the bargain.
For most of his career in the Burgh, Fleury has done so. For most of calendar year 2010, he has not. He struggled in the second half of last season, in last season’s playoffs, and certainly in his first two starts.
And now its time for some accountability.
I actually thought Fleury played pretty well against Montreal, right up to the Gomez game winner. I don’t expect a goaltender to make every save but you simply can not allow that goal at any time, let along the last two minutes of a hockey game. Unfortunately, we saw a few of those in last year’s playoff series against Montreal as well.
So now Dan Bylsma needs to change the message to MAF. The message has to be that he must reestablish his position with his play on the ice. I don’t come to this decision lightly (thus the whole apocalypse comparison above) but we are there. To be honest, it’s not as dramatic you may think and there is absolutely precedent for it in the Burgh.
I would argue that the best Fleury has ever played as a Penguin was the last two months of the 2007-08 season and the playoffs that followed. You may recall that he spent half that season recovering from an ankle injury. During his absence, Ty Conklin played so brilliantly in net that many thought Conklin should remain the starter (yes, that really happened, seriously, I’m not making it up). The Penguins basically told Fleury he would have to earn the job back. And to be clear, he did…in brilliant fashion
That makes me consider at least the possibility that Fleury raises his level when he has some competition for his job, real or perceived.
The other precedent occurred in 1990. You may recall that season ended with a Penguin Stanley Cup celebration. It started with a mild goaltending controversy. It’s long since been forgotten but for the first two plus months of that season, Bob Johnson was basically rotating three goaltenders, Tom Barrasso, Frank Pietrangelo, and Wendell Young.
I readily concede that I lack any kind of objectivity when evaluating Barrasso. That being said, I think it’s fair to say that he was a far better goaltender than either of the gentlemen mentioned in the paragraph above. To be honest, it’s not even close. Barrasso is a borderline hall of famer. Frankie Pete and Young were borderline NHL players.
It’s easy to forget that Barrasso was coming off a difficult season in 1989-90; both on and off the ice. Regardless, his play in the first two months of the following year was lacking and Badger Bob responded by putting his rear end on the bench. I doubt that played well with Barrasso who could be shall we say, a bit prickly at times.
Regardless, it worked. Somewhere along the way, Johnson’s message got through. Just about the time that Pittsburgh reporters were pressing trade rumors, Barrasso found his ‘A’ game and started a brilliant run that ended with back to back cups. I can’t guarantee that Johnson’s decision to bench Tommy was the reason but I have a feeling it sent a message. In short, regardless of your pedigree, you have to earn your job. Remember, the Pens did not need Barrasso to be good, they needed him to be championship caliber.
Right now I think Bylsma needs to send that same message to Fleury. Right now that message is more critical than the “we believe in you and we know you can bounce back” message. Fleury seems a bit too comfortable to me and his play is not living up to the comfort level. Sometimes we all need a little push.
I don’t think I even need to say this given my audience but let me be clear regardless. I am not suggesting Fleury is solely responsible for the Pens failures last season. Far from it. All you need to do is watch the first 30 minutes of game 7 against Montreal to realize that. Get beyond the series long disappearance of Crosby and Malkin and just watch how many brutal, and I mean BRUTAL, defensive mistakes the Pens made in that game. It was emblematic of a series in which the entire team underachieved.
Nor am I suggesting Fleury is solely to blame for the Pens 1-2 start. To be honest, I’m concerned with what I’ve seen so far. Even yesterday’s win over the Devils was disconcerting given that New Jersey was forced to play three men short handed a la Gene Hackman’s team in Hoosiers. I half expected John McLean to play with four men and tell the ref, “My team is on the ice!”
(Quick aside, watching the Devils play with 17 men yesterday is maybe the best example of sports justice I’ve ever seen. I can not describe my joy in watching Lou Lamoriello’s team pay over and over for his mockery of the salary cap that was that absurd and asinine Kovalchuk contract. I truly, truly hope that this was the first step in Sammy Sosa on skates destroying that franchise for the next 15 years).
Still, the Pens can not win without Fleury at his best, and right now he’s just not there. Sometimes great coaching means a little tough love. That’s what Dan Bylsma needs to do to help Fleury regain his ‘A’ game. It’s worked before, and I fully expect it will work again.
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