We have a saying here in the windy city that a person went “Big Z” on someone. This is in deference to (or fear of) Cubs’ lunatic fringe pitcher Carlos Zambrano and essentially means the person to some degree lost their mind, freaked out, had a meltdown, and possibly beat the crap out somebody. Better stated, they reenacted the last five years of Zambrano in Chicago.
After Big Z’s latest meltdown and childish threat to retire last week it appears the Cubs have FINALLY had enough. I guess $90 Million buys a lot of forgiveness given that the Cubs have repeatedly overlooked (among other things) Zambrano's remarkable inconsistency, beating up his catcher, selling out his teammates, and freaking out at opposing players, coaches, and umpires. Bailing on his teammates in the middle of a game was the final straw. This should not surprise anybody who lived through the tumultuous end of the Sammy Sosa, Flintstones vitamin era in Chicago. The Cubs actually released Zapruder film like coverage of Sosa in the parking lot during his final game in Chicago.
The shame of it is that during those rare times when Zambrano is lucid and focused, he’s an exceptionally good pitcher. He appeared to be on the verge of Cy Young caliber stardom before signing his massive contract and he even after that tossed a no hitter in 2008. Alas, such greatness is far too rare and completely eclipsed by his over the top public meltdowns (and subsequent hollow apologies).
Zambrano is a locker room parasite who feeds on the extremely limited supply of positive energy at Wrigley field. Regardless of whether Cubs fans have any faith in their management team, the reality is that no meaningful rebuilding can occur on the north side until Zambrano is vanquished from the clubhouse. We can’t even guarantee that will occur given that he’s professed his love for Chicago and filed a grievance against the Cubs for suspending him. Unreal.
Jim Hendry has done less with more than virtually any general manager in sports. His record of player procurement is abysmal, especially given the budget he has to work with. Sadly his one area of expertise appears to be moving out malcontents with supposedly untradeable contracts. Here’s hoping the man who found homes for Sosa and Milton Bradley can do the same for Zambrano.
With that, I go Big Z on some other random topics in the heart of the summer sports dead zone:
• Forgive me if I’m not exactly shocked by the Yahoo story detailing rampant corruption at the University of Miami. Gee, the solid citizens of the U were given improper benefits including money, cars, alcohol, strippers, and prostitutes. What next, violence in maximum security prisons? Partisan dysfunction in congress? The Pirates finishing below 500? Yah, stop the press.
• Sadly, the Miami story is becoming the norm in big time college athletics. Powerhouse programs at USC and Ohio State (not to mention weaklings like North Carolina) are either on probation or facing serious allegations. As I sit here right now I’ll give you 2 to 1 odds that Auburn’s National Championship is vacated within five years. In fact, given the budding scandal at Oregon they might just pretend the whole BCS title game never happened. The unfortunate truth is that big time college football has become a cesspool of corruption. Worse yet, what we do not know is probably a lot worse than what we do.
• I admit I do not have a ready made solution to address corruption in college athletics but it would help if the NCAA stopped enabling egregious violations, let alone actually punishing them. I just read an article that stated the Sugar Bowl folks insisted Terrell Pryor and his accomplices play in their $20 Million New Year’s exhibition in order to, and I love this choice of language, protect the “integrity” of the contest. Sadly it was only slightly worse than Auburn starting their $180,000 amateur quarterback after the NCAA willingly buried its head in the sand. I’m dating myself here but the NCAA compliance officers remind me of the Bartles and James wine cooler guys from those late 80s commercials.
• As much as I believe that it’s long past time for Joe Paterno to retire, I often wonder if Penn State’s recent struggles are more because of JoePa’s age or because we don’t have alumni boosters that chaperone recruits to strip clubs. If it’s the latter, i.e., if Penn State has fallen in stature because they refuse to cheat, it makes it virtually impossible for me to watch college football anymore. Hopefully Pat Fitzgerald can address this after JoePa retires in three to five more years.
• Why do I feel like I’m the only person in the Steeler Nation who is genuinely concerned about the age of the defense? If Aaron Smith is in the line-up on opening day, the team will have eight starters on the plus side of 30. That may be young in public accounting but its ancient in the National Football League. As brilliant as the defense was in 2008 and 2010, there were notable signs of aging, primarily their inability to stop teams in the fourth quarter. I think that’s why Tomlin and Lebeau switched to that horrific prevent in the AFC title game that nearly caused me to Big Z my flat screen.
• Bill Bellicheat is not, as commonly postulated a genius but he is willing to think outside the football box. For years I’ve questioned why teams even attempt to run the football against the Steelers, given the utter futility of the effort. Belicheat to his credit abandoned established football dogma and never did. The Patriots regularly shred the Steelers’ defense with a quick strike passing game while making only token efforts on the ground. Green Bay used this same game plan in the Super Bowl as did Drew Brees and even Mark Sanchez last year.
The good news for the Black and Gold is you need a hall of fame caliber quarterback to execute this strategy. The bad news is that several such quarterbacks potentially stand between the Steelers and another Lombardi Trophy.
• I know the preseason does not mean squat but I could swear I saw Rex Grossman tearing up the Steelers’ defense last Friday night.
• Rick Reilly jumped the shark as a columnist about five years ago but he nailed it this week in ripping the Cincy Bungles and their cheap, curmudgeon owner Mike Brown. What does it tell you that Carson Palmer would forfeit $45 Million rather than play football for the Bungles? Brown has been running a pathetic and cheap organization for decades. He basically told his coach Marvin Lewis to kiss of when Lewis demanded the Bungles spend money and modernize. And this hypocritical oaf has the gall to suggest that Palmer reneged on his commitment to the team? How many players have the Bengals cut while they were under “contractual commitments?”
Even if you 100% agree with Brown and think Palmer is the NFL’s Big Z, riddle me this; would a good owner force a fading star player to retire out of spite or pawn him off for high draft choices to improve the club? Watch Brown do nothing and you’ll have your answer.
• As we sit here today I have no idea whether Sidney Crosby will be in the line-up on opening night. I refuse to make any assumptions based on rampant and irresponsible media speculation. I will say that if he’s not ready to go then he should stay on the sidelines until he is. The Pens made a monumental gaffe in allowing their franchise superstar to play after the Steckel hit. I was convinced he has a concussion when I saw it live and more so when 24/7 replayed it. The only positive here is that the Pens realized their mistake and resisted the temptation to rush him back for the playoffs. Crosby is the franchise and he’s two years away from being a free agent. Given that, I’m okay with exercising a tad more patience than they did with Aaron Asham.
• Sometimes when I need a cheap smile or laugh I remind myself that they worship hockey in Vancouver and Roberto Luongo is under contract until 2047.
• Only 24 days until the Steelers open their season in Baltimore and the sports dead zone mercifully ends. Looking forward to seeing James Harrison and the boys go Big Z on Joe Flacco!
Showing posts with label joe flacco. Show all posts
Showing posts with label joe flacco. Show all posts
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Friday, January 14, 2011
Bring on the Ravens…Again
I think it’s fair and pretty obvious to state that the Baltimore Ravens have become far and away the Steelers biggest rival. Which means that Saturday’s match-up is more than just your typical divisional playoff game.
The Steelers and Ravens have a one of a kind rivalry in today’s NFL; a brutally physical match-up where the teams beat each other up as much as beat each other. Truth be told, it’s the only current rivalry that would make the Steelers and Raiders of the 70s proud. The games are ultimately about survival as much as victory.
Both teams are built on the same philosophy; brutally physical and dominant defense. They play at least twice each year; each game a classic battle of attrition decided on or near the last possession. It’s the perfect storm for a rivalry as good as any in sports; and that’s before you consider that the Steelers swept Baltimore on the way to their 2008 Super Bowl championship. As if there was not enough fuel in the fire already.
The masochist in me wants to see the Steelers slug it out in another of those epic, bruising, physical games that they always play against Baltimore. Even in today’s kindler, gentler NFL, these teams still bring out that primordial brutality that we love in football. We may hate Haloti Ngata punching Ben in the face, and yet there is something about Ben playing…and WINNING…with his nose in three pieces that screams Steeler football.
Every playoff win is a huge deal. That said, there is something even more satisfying when it comes at the expense of a hated rival. I lived it twice during the Penguins remarkable Stanley Cup run two years ago. I can only imagine that’s how Steelers fans felt in the 70s when they would knock off Oakland and Dallas. Watching the Raven’s once again stagger off the field in bitter defeat would be nearly as enjoyable as watching the Steelers celebrate victory.
And that’s before we consider what is likely to be yet another 200 minute CBS love fest for Joe Flacco; the man who I’m told has reinvented the QB position in three short years.
Allow me a minute to bask in the glow of hope.
Now back to reality.
I would like to believe that the Steelers are better than the Ravens but let’s be honest, these teams are about as evenly matched as they get. It is merely by a fluke of the tiebreaker world that the Steelers have home field advantage and an extra week to rest. Crush the Ravens if you want for their early season loss to Cincy but remember that it apparently required divine intervention for the Steelers to beat Buffalo in November (for the record, this blog is not necessarily in agreement with Stevie Johnson’s interpretation of why he dropped that ball).
The two teams played twice this season and the games were classic Steelers/Ravens. Both came down to the final possession, both could easily have gone either way. In all honesty, I thought the Charlie Batch version of the Steelers played a better game in week 4, than Ben and the boys played in early December, but in the end, both games were decided by the narrowest of margins.
And let’s be honest, were it not for the incomparable Troy Polamalu, the Steelers would have been the team tearing the guts out of Indianapolis last weekend rather than getting a critically needed week to rest and heal.
Regardless that’s all irrelevant now. The situation is what it is. I’ve spent the week trying to convince myself that home field advantage and the first round bye is a huge advantage for the Steelers but deep down I don’t really believe it. Not after watching Baltimore brutalize an overmatched Kansas City team in Sunday’s glorified scrimmage. Not after seeing the Steelers lose countless home playoff games before finally winning the Super Bowl the year they had to play three straight road games.
No, I’m pretty set on the reality that this will be another classic Steelers/Raven’s slugfest.
There is not much point in analyzing this game from a strategic standpoint. These two teams have met 15 times in the Roethlisberger era and the blue prints are pretty well drawn. They will play a low scoring game where rushing yards come at a serious premium. Field position will be critical which will put the emphasis on special teams and of course not turning the ball over. Little mistakes that are often overlooked in other match-ups will be game changers here (see Sweed, Limas).
The Raven’s actually play the field position game better. They have a better kicker and punter and better coverage teams. That means that all things being equal, the Steelers will be fighting uphill on the field position battle all day. Historically the Steeler defense has overcome this with 60 minutes of brilliant play and one spectacular game changing moment. In short, if the Steelers win, I fully expect we will be recounting another moment where Polamalu wrecks Flacco. Dare to dream.
And there is also the Roethlisberger factor.
Personally, I’ve had enough stories of Ben’s personal redemption (though I doubt the networks have). This is now about high pressure, playoff football which is where he excels. I continue to say that Ben is one of the truly elite players in sports in regards to his ability to raise his game when it matters. Well this is yet another chance for him to prove it.
Steeler fans understandably gripe about Ben not getting enough respect from the fickle national media. Rest assured, that will change if he wins a 3rd Super Bowl, especially considering the brutal path the Steelers will likely have to travel. This is absolutely his opportunity to stuff it to the myopic football think tank that somehow pushes Phillip Rivers, Aaron Rodgers and for the love off all that’s good and holy, Flacco above him.
Ben’s history suggests he can and will step up in this moment; especially now that his offense line finally seems committed to prolonging his football life. Flacco’s history suggests he might just drop an extra possession or two in our laps. Keep in mind that while Phil Simms was basking in Flacco’s radiant glow last Sunday, the man who could not start for Dave Wannstedt at Pitt did manage to fumble twice. I’m not sure the Steelers will be as forgiving of such transgressions as Kansas City was.
All that said, the reality remains that these are two very evenly matched teams. There is little doubt in my mind that the 2008 Steelers were at least a half step better than Baltimore. We can not say that this time. If the Steelers bring anything less than their ‘A’ game on Saturday, my next Steeler blog will be a post mortem and a look ahead to next year’s draft.
It is pointless and in fact inappropriate to look beyond Baltimore but hard not to given the prospect of the next opponent. Giselle’s husband and the NFL’s most arrogant head coach will likely be waiting for whoever survives Sunday’s match-up. It will take a nearly perfect performance to knock of Belicheat’s boys and I don’t see that coming from the big talk, little action New York, Jets.
The concern of course is the physical toll a playoff win against Baltimore might take on the Steelers. Remember how beat up they were for the Bungles following the Sunday night blood bath in December? It’s hard to play a “perfect game” if half your players are hobbling in and out of the huddle. That issue is compounded by the reality that even at their best, the Steelers do not match-up well with New England.
So be it. True champions find a way to win, regardless of the path. They are undaunted; not by the schedule, by the officials, or by seemingly insurmountable obstacles. They do not rely on fortuitous match-ups; they beat the best to be the best. Just the same, teams that lack championship metal tend to come up short regardless of circumstances.
How could the same Penguin team that won 7th games in Washington and Detroit lose one at home to 8th seeded Montreal the next season? How could the Steelers’ team that pulled off that epic drive against Arizona lose a critical Thursday night game in Cleveland the same calendar year? How can New Orleans win the Super Bowl and mail in a loss to 7 and 9 Seattle inside of 12 months? It’s the difference between being championship caliber…and everything else.
The Steelers have played like Champions all year. They have maintained “the standard is the standard” and no excuses. They did not back down from the loss of their franchise quarterback, injuries or questionable officiating.
The Steelers will not win a championship because they beat Baltimore and New England. They will beat Baltimore and New England because they are a championship team. That’s what champions do. Champions also take it one game at a time; which means right now its all about the Ravens.
Steelers 16 – Ravens 13
The Steelers and Ravens have a one of a kind rivalry in today’s NFL; a brutally physical match-up where the teams beat each other up as much as beat each other. Truth be told, it’s the only current rivalry that would make the Steelers and Raiders of the 70s proud. The games are ultimately about survival as much as victory.
Both teams are built on the same philosophy; brutally physical and dominant defense. They play at least twice each year; each game a classic battle of attrition decided on or near the last possession. It’s the perfect storm for a rivalry as good as any in sports; and that’s before you consider that the Steelers swept Baltimore on the way to their 2008 Super Bowl championship. As if there was not enough fuel in the fire already.
The masochist in me wants to see the Steelers slug it out in another of those epic, bruising, physical games that they always play against Baltimore. Even in today’s kindler, gentler NFL, these teams still bring out that primordial brutality that we love in football. We may hate Haloti Ngata punching Ben in the face, and yet there is something about Ben playing…and WINNING…with his nose in three pieces that screams Steeler football.
Every playoff win is a huge deal. That said, there is something even more satisfying when it comes at the expense of a hated rival. I lived it twice during the Penguins remarkable Stanley Cup run two years ago. I can only imagine that’s how Steelers fans felt in the 70s when they would knock off Oakland and Dallas. Watching the Raven’s once again stagger off the field in bitter defeat would be nearly as enjoyable as watching the Steelers celebrate victory.
And that’s before we consider what is likely to be yet another 200 minute CBS love fest for Joe Flacco; the man who I’m told has reinvented the QB position in three short years.
Allow me a minute to bask in the glow of hope.
Now back to reality.
I would like to believe that the Steelers are better than the Ravens but let’s be honest, these teams are about as evenly matched as they get. It is merely by a fluke of the tiebreaker world that the Steelers have home field advantage and an extra week to rest. Crush the Ravens if you want for their early season loss to Cincy but remember that it apparently required divine intervention for the Steelers to beat Buffalo in November (for the record, this blog is not necessarily in agreement with Stevie Johnson’s interpretation of why he dropped that ball).
The two teams played twice this season and the games were classic Steelers/Ravens. Both came down to the final possession, both could easily have gone either way. In all honesty, I thought the Charlie Batch version of the Steelers played a better game in week 4, than Ben and the boys played in early December, but in the end, both games were decided by the narrowest of margins.
And let’s be honest, were it not for the incomparable Troy Polamalu, the Steelers would have been the team tearing the guts out of Indianapolis last weekend rather than getting a critically needed week to rest and heal.
Regardless that’s all irrelevant now. The situation is what it is. I’ve spent the week trying to convince myself that home field advantage and the first round bye is a huge advantage for the Steelers but deep down I don’t really believe it. Not after watching Baltimore brutalize an overmatched Kansas City team in Sunday’s glorified scrimmage. Not after seeing the Steelers lose countless home playoff games before finally winning the Super Bowl the year they had to play three straight road games.
No, I’m pretty set on the reality that this will be another classic Steelers/Raven’s slugfest.
There is not much point in analyzing this game from a strategic standpoint. These two teams have met 15 times in the Roethlisberger era and the blue prints are pretty well drawn. They will play a low scoring game where rushing yards come at a serious premium. Field position will be critical which will put the emphasis on special teams and of course not turning the ball over. Little mistakes that are often overlooked in other match-ups will be game changers here (see Sweed, Limas).
The Raven’s actually play the field position game better. They have a better kicker and punter and better coverage teams. That means that all things being equal, the Steelers will be fighting uphill on the field position battle all day. Historically the Steeler defense has overcome this with 60 minutes of brilliant play and one spectacular game changing moment. In short, if the Steelers win, I fully expect we will be recounting another moment where Polamalu wrecks Flacco. Dare to dream.
And there is also the Roethlisberger factor.
Personally, I’ve had enough stories of Ben’s personal redemption (though I doubt the networks have). This is now about high pressure, playoff football which is where he excels. I continue to say that Ben is one of the truly elite players in sports in regards to his ability to raise his game when it matters. Well this is yet another chance for him to prove it.
Steeler fans understandably gripe about Ben not getting enough respect from the fickle national media. Rest assured, that will change if he wins a 3rd Super Bowl, especially considering the brutal path the Steelers will likely have to travel. This is absolutely his opportunity to stuff it to the myopic football think tank that somehow pushes Phillip Rivers, Aaron Rodgers and for the love off all that’s good and holy, Flacco above him.
Ben’s history suggests he can and will step up in this moment; especially now that his offense line finally seems committed to prolonging his football life. Flacco’s history suggests he might just drop an extra possession or two in our laps. Keep in mind that while Phil Simms was basking in Flacco’s radiant glow last Sunday, the man who could not start for Dave Wannstedt at Pitt did manage to fumble twice. I’m not sure the Steelers will be as forgiving of such transgressions as Kansas City was.
All that said, the reality remains that these are two very evenly matched teams. There is little doubt in my mind that the 2008 Steelers were at least a half step better than Baltimore. We can not say that this time. If the Steelers bring anything less than their ‘A’ game on Saturday, my next Steeler blog will be a post mortem and a look ahead to next year’s draft.
It is pointless and in fact inappropriate to look beyond Baltimore but hard not to given the prospect of the next opponent. Giselle’s husband and the NFL’s most arrogant head coach will likely be waiting for whoever survives Sunday’s match-up. It will take a nearly perfect performance to knock of Belicheat’s boys and I don’t see that coming from the big talk, little action New York, Jets.
The concern of course is the physical toll a playoff win against Baltimore might take on the Steelers. Remember how beat up they were for the Bungles following the Sunday night blood bath in December? It’s hard to play a “perfect game” if half your players are hobbling in and out of the huddle. That issue is compounded by the reality that even at their best, the Steelers do not match-up well with New England.
So be it. True champions find a way to win, regardless of the path. They are undaunted; not by the schedule, by the officials, or by seemingly insurmountable obstacles. They do not rely on fortuitous match-ups; they beat the best to be the best. Just the same, teams that lack championship metal tend to come up short regardless of circumstances.
How could the same Penguin team that won 7th games in Washington and Detroit lose one at home to 8th seeded Montreal the next season? How could the Steelers’ team that pulled off that epic drive against Arizona lose a critical Thursday night game in Cleveland the same calendar year? How can New Orleans win the Super Bowl and mail in a loss to 7 and 9 Seattle inside of 12 months? It’s the difference between being championship caliber…and everything else.
The Steelers have played like Champions all year. They have maintained “the standard is the standard” and no excuses. They did not back down from the loss of their franchise quarterback, injuries or questionable officiating.
The Steelers will not win a championship because they beat Baltimore and New England. They will beat Baltimore and New England because they are a championship team. That’s what champions do. Champions also take it one game at a time; which means right now its all about the Ravens.
Steelers 16 – Ravens 13
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