Steelers shut out the Bills 17-0...

In the third preseason game for both teams only one looked like they were in mid-season form and the home team Pittsburgh Steelers were the one's who got contributions from both sides of the ball to shut out the Buffalo Bills 17-0.
Ben Roethlisberger completed 15 of 19 passes for 168 yards and he orchestrated two scoring drives resembling last year with Big Ben scrambling around breaking tackles and making plays with his legs. Rashard Mendenhall got the start due to Willie Parker being banged up and he ran pretty nasty yesterday delivering the blow instead of waiting for it and he finished off runs by always falling forward. Mendenhall finished with 16 carries for 48 yards and a four yard touchdown. Limas Sweed just closed the door on the third wide receiver spot for the Steelers by catching everything thrown his way against Buffalo including a catch where he leaped high in the air took a hit and came down with the ball picking up a first down on third down, ending the game with 4 catches for 34 yards.
The defense looked really stout shutting down everything the Bills did and James Farrior was leading by his actions; a 22-yard interception returned for a touchdown, a sack, and a forced fumble, all in one half! Rookie Joe Burnett preserved the shut out by blocking Buffalo's field goal attempt with 2 minutes to go in the fourth quarter.
The Steelers looked really strong and they have pretty much all preseason long, so I can't wait for the regular season to start. I know the Bills were without Terrell Owens but the Steelers have shut him down every time they play against his teams and they didn't give Trent Edwards the time of day to throw anyway. This NFL season should be exciting and I can't wait.

GO STEELERS!

News of the day...

The Denver Broncos suspended Brandon Marshall until September 5th for conduct detrimental to the team. This offseason Marshall has openly asked to be traded and has been a big distraction during mini camp, when he actually shows. Good for the Broncos I'm glad that a team stuck up for themselves and are at least trying to get Marshall to play out his contract, they can't let the players run the team. But on the other hand you can't have a disgruntled player who doesn't want to be there on the team, it can ruin morale and it reflects poorly on the franchise. They should make Marshall sit the entire year and then they should trade him to the worst team in the league.

The NFL ruled that a punt that hits the Dallas Cowboys new video screen it will be re kicked but the rule is only in effect for this season, which might be an indication Jerry Jones will have to raise it next season. However there is a rule in the league rule book(Rule 3, Section 1) that states a rule implemented during the season is up for vote with owners during the offseason. Jones is a nut and his screen is entirely to big and distracting, people will probably end up watching the game on that then on the actual field. But that's how Jerry Jones rolls big and flashy with not a lot of thought put into the situation.

The NBA suspended Denver's forward J.R. Smith and Phoenix's forward Jason Richardson who were recently charged with separate driving offenses. Smith was suspended seven games for pleading guilty to a reckless driving charge in New Jersey. Richardson will miss the first two games of the season for pleading guilty to a d.u.i charge in Arizona. Good for the NBA but how is a reckless driving charge more severe than a d.u.i., that is the dumbest mistake any athlete can make yet every year these stupid idiots get arrested for driving while drunk. These guys make way too much money to get arrested for driving drunk, they can afford a cab or chauffeur, or just ask someone in the bar, just don't drive drunk, apparently nobody has learned from Donte Stallworth's situation! When the league's suspend players for a d.u.i offense it needs to be more severe so they will think twice, they should be shut down for half the season with no pay.

Michael Vick makes his Eagles debut....

Last night the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 33-32 in their third preseason game but the story of the night was the return of Michael Vick to the NFL. When Vick took the field on the Eagles first possession he received a standing ovation from the infamous Philly fans in the half empty Lincoln Financial stadium. Vick only participated in 6 plays but he finished 4-4 for 19 yards and one rush for one yard. Vick showed some versatility playing quarterback, lining up at wide receiver, and he even took a snap in the shotgun to run the Eagles' version of the wildcat. Overall it was a pretty good outing for someone who hasn't played in the NFL since December of 2006.
The Eagles offense was disjointed though with Vick in the huddle and they found their groove after he was taken out of the game for good. Donovan McNabb looked pretty good finishing the game completing 21 of 36 passes for 244 yards a touchdown, an interception, and a fumble that was returned 92 yards for a TD. Backup Kevin Kolb looked pretty good too completing 10 of 18 passes for 102 yards and a touchdown. The Eagles won the game on a last second field goal by David Akers.

"Fez" from "That 70's Show" named starting QB for the Jets....

New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan has named rookie Mark Sanchez(who looks like Fez) as his starting quarterback for the Jets season opener. Sanchez out dueled veteran Kellen Clemens as the starting quarterback after the two were in a heated battle that began on the day the Jets traded up to draft Sanchez, who attended USC, with the fifth overall pick. Sanchez will become the first ever rookie to start the season opener at quarterback for the Jets, not even the great "Broadway" Joe Namath got a chance to start that early.
I personally have not been that high on Sanchez, he only started one year, had a boat load of talent around him so his stats were impressive but he never really displayed the leadership that other USC QBs showed during their careers there, and in the two preseason games played so far he has gone 6-12 for 131 yards, 1 td and 1 interception(which was a pick-6 thrown to wide body Haloti Ngata of Baltimore).
If Ryan was smart he would run as much as possible this season ala Ben Roethlisberger's rookie season. They have a proven veteran in Thomas Jones(who helped resurrect Favre's career last year), Mr. Everything Leon Washington, another rookie in Shonn Greene, and a good young offensive line that should make things a lot easier for Sanchez but the team lacks a go to wide receiver, sure Jerricho Cotchery had a good year last season but that was opposite Laverneous Coles who is gone. I'm sure Ryan knows more about his QB situation than the media does but it looks like Sanchez was handed the job due to his high salary and the fact the team paid a high price to trade up to get him. The Jets open the season September 13 at Houston.

Dick LeBeau finally a finalist on the Senior list committee for the Hall of Fame...

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator and former Detroit Lions cornerback Dick LeBeau was nominated by the Senior committee as a finalist for the Hall of Fame. This has been a long time coming, granted he is not guaranteed to make it, but he should have been in the Hall about 10 years ago. During his 14 year career LeBeau started a record 172 straight games at cornerback for the Lions and when he retired he was third all-time in career interceptions(he now sit 7th all-time) with 62 picks.
Dick Lebeau is in his 36th year as a coach and he got his start as a special teams coach for the Philadelphia Eagles a year after he retired as a player. He has twice been a head coach once with the Cincinnati Bengals and the other time was with the Buffalo Bills. Dick first joined Pittsburgh in 1992 as a defensive backs coach and was eventually promoted to defensive coordinator for one year before he left to take over the same role with the Bengals. LeBeau is in his second stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers and he has masterminded 2 Super Bowl winning defenses and over his career with the Steelers he has helped them win 7 division titles and 3 trips to the Super Bowl. Dick's contributions to the game have been numerous and he revolutionized the way defenses attack the offense. He is known for his creative blitz packages and his on the fly adjustments that have won his teams many games.
His players revere him and they treat him like he is a father figure to many of them. I met him this offseason and he was very nice and he went out of his way to make me feel welcome at Steelers training camp. He is an example of nice guys finishing first and he is a rare commodity, someone who loves his job and is at the top of his profession. Congratulations Dick LeBeau, lets just hope the voters finally get it right. Also here is a link for an interview he did with steelers.com talking about the honor of just being nominated for the Hall of Fame.

GO STEELERS!

Chargers and Rivers agree to a contract extension...

The San Diego Chargers locked up their franchise quarterback through 2015 by coming to terms on a contract extension with Philip Rivers who is coming off his best season so far in his young career. While leading the Chargers to their third straight playoff berth, Rivers threw a career and tied the league high(Drew Brees) with 34 touchdown passes and he became only the second Chargers QB to ever throw for over 4,000 yards(Hall of Famer Dan Fouts was the other). Rivers and the Chargers made it to the AFC Championship game in 2007 and he played with a torn ACL in his right knee which earned a lot of respect for him from his teammates and fans. When Rivers was drafted he went to a 4-12 Chargers team that still had Drew Brees but that lasted only two years before Rivers potential and draft pick status forced San Diego to part ways with Brees.
Since Philip Rivers has been the starter the Chargers have gone 36-18(22-5 at home) and his numbers have increased every year with him taking more of a leadership role and not having a consistent running game, the only knock on him is he can't win the big game but that's not necessarily true. He lost to the eventual Super Bowl Champs the Pittsburgh Steelers(who had the best passing defense in the league) and he didn't have LaDanian Tomlinson in the '07 AFC championship game against the undefeated New England Patriots(plus he played with a torn ACL). Rivers will always be linked to New York Giants QB Eli Manning and Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger because they were in the same draft class and the only thing Rivers lacks is a Super Bowl ring.
Is the '04 QB class the best ever? They have 3 Super Bowl rings, 8 division titles, and 3 Pro Bowl appearances between Roethlisberger, Rivers, and Manning in only 5 years of being in the league. I know the '83 QB class of John Elway, Jim Kelly, and Dan Marino have better stats but they all played for 15 plus seasons and they only collectively won 2 rings, granted Kelly made it to 4 straight Super Bowl. The classes will be forever compared and what makes it even more interesting is that both draft classes had a punk QB decide where he was going to be drafted, Manning telling the Chargers to not draft him and Elway sitting out the previous years draft because he didn't want to play for the worst team in the league.

Edgerrin James signs with the Seahawks...

Edgerrin James and the Seattle Seahawks agreed to a one-year contract yesterday worth about $2 million, and the Seahawks released T.J. Duckett to make room for James. James is on the back side of his career but he proved last year during Arizona's improbable run to the Super Bowl that he still had something left in the tank running for 336 yards to end the regular season and playoffs. The move makes sense for the Seahawks because of James experience, versatility, and durability and he should fit in nicely with the offense. This gives Matt Hasselback another option in the passing game and James is one of the best at picking up the blitz, he probably won't contribute that much to the running game early on but he could make this offense dangerous later in the season.(I thought New Orleans should have tried to sign him because they lack depth and quality at the running back position and he would have helped solidify that but I guess the Saints' brass feel they can win with what they have.)This is a good move on both parts and the Seahwaks will surprise people this year and win the division.

Adam Ragle on the Benchwarmers on NewsTalk 1370 WSPD...

I went to Steelers training camp in Latrobe, Pa. a week ago and I did a live report for the Benchwarmers. I chatted with the boys from the Benchwarmers about the Steelers first preseason game and some of the position battles in training camp. The Benchwarmers can be heard Sunday nights from 6p-8p on NewsTalk 1370 WSPD.

My greatest sports achievement ever!...

So here is video of my greatest sports feat ever, but it was all for naught as the wifey beat me by 1 stroke at putt-putt golf. I rallied from 10 strokes back(I lost my cool on a few holes on the front nine) but then she held me off on the last hole and defeated me for the second time in a row. What is even more depressing is that I also had a hole-in-one on hole number 3 but then I choked and gave it away with three to play on the front.

Florida tops intial AP Top-25 Poll in a landslide...

The Florida Gators top the first Associated Press top-25 poll of 2009 receiving 58 of 60 first place votes. Texas, Oklahoma, Southern California, and Alabama round out the top-5. With Superman Tim Tebow returning the Gators received the highest percentage of first place votes ever,96.7%, with Texas getting the other two votes. Ohio State, Virginia Tech, Mississippi, Oklahoma State, and Penn State complete the top-10. Two of the surprising teams in the top-25 are Utah and Notre Dame, Utah should be higher they did destroy Alabama in the Sugar Bowl and Notre Dame should not be in the top-25. ND was terrible last season they went 7-6 against a terrible schedule and they lost at least 3 games they should have won, they either had leads or were within striking distance in those games, and they beat an overrated Hawaii team who will have a home game in the bowl season as long as they win 6 games. These preseason top-25 teams are a waste of time and they are a detriment to the college football season. How can you say this team is better than another team based off of the potential of players who have yet to play a college down or who have very little playing experience. If a team is ranked low in the top-25 polls it is held against them all season long and they will eventually be screwed out of a possible shot at the national championship(Utah had this happen last year), unless you are a traditional powerhouse from one of the big 6 conferences. The first poll should not be released until after the fifth week of the college season that way teams have at least played opponents and you have a better understanding of how good players/teams are against live competition.

Browns finally score a touchdown defeat Lions 27-10...

The Cleveland Browns scored their first touchdown since Week 11 of the regular season, too bad it was in a meaningless game, and Derrick Anderson did enough to keep the quarterback controversy going while the Browns beat the Detroit Lions 27-10. Anderson finished the game 8-13 for 130 yards and was brought back into the game for chance to run the two minute offense but failed miserably throwing an interception that set up the Lions for a field goal to end the half. Brady Quinn finished the game 3-5 for 29 yards and did little to separate himself from Anderson. Josh Cribbs started the game off with a 95 yards kick off returned for a touchdown but that was called back due to holding, he later returned a punt 84 yards for touchdown. Rookie running back James Davis was very impressive finishing the game with 12 carries for 116 yards including ripping off a run of 81 yards for a touchdown. Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford started his first game in the NFL and his first throw resulted in an interception and he finished the game 5-13 for 34 yards, Daunte Culpepper played better than Stafford but he did very little to establish himself as the starter ending the game 10-16 for 86 yards. The Lions looked lackadaisical and resembled the 0-16 team from last year committing turnovers, penalties, and big mistakes.

This does not make sense to me, the Browns and Lions are trying to figure out who their starting quarterback is going to be and neither QB really gets a chance to show anything, sure Anderson threw 13 times but Quinn only played a few series which is exactly how their last game went except Anderson had very little playing time last game and the same with Culpepper and Stafford. If you have a quarterback who has not played much against NFL defenses(Quinn or Satfford) then he should get as many opportunities as possible to see if he really has what it takes but instead Eric Mangini and Jim Schwartz think that a little playing time against one of the worst defenses in the NFL is enough to tell what your QB has. I'm sorry but Anderson/Quinn and Culpepper/Stafford should play the entire game or at least the majority of it because that is the only way they are going to get better and that will be the true test as to whether they will be good players, plus they miss out on situational football like running a 2-minute offense or seeing how they react when they are down, the QB situation is the main reason why the Browns will have another a down year, they don't know who they will have and I'm sure once they pick a starter and he does bad Mangini will switch and the team will be back to square one.

Redskins defeat Steelers 17-13 in second preseason game...

On rainy night in Washington the Redskins were able to come from behind and knock off the Super Bowl champions 17-13. The Skins first unit offense needed some trickery to be able to move the ball against the Steelers defense after Pittsburgh forced a three and out, Washington ran a fake punt on fourth-and-ten and Rocky Cartwright picked up enough yards to extend the drive. The Redskins drove down to the one yard line before the Steelers "D" tightened up and forced them to kick a field goal. Charlie Batch started his first game since 2007(Ben Roethlisberger was injured during Thursday's practice and was held out of the game for precautionary reasons) and lead the Steelers to a score on the second drive of the game that was capped off by Willie Parker running the ball into the end zone from 3-yards out. The Redskins fourth string quarterback rookie Chase Daniels lead the team on two scoring drives including the game winner in the fourth quarter when he connected with Toledo native Fred Davis from 18 yards out. Steelers rookie Ziggy Hood finished the game with 2 sacks.

The first unit for the Steelers looked about as good as you would expect for the second preseason game but they were still plagued by penalties(13 for 89 yards) including the unforgivable pre-snap variety, like a delay of game and illegal formation. The running game improved a little bit with the team rushing 20 times for 99 yards but those numbers are skewed a little bit because QBs Dennis Dixon and Mike Reilly each scrambled for 15 yard pickups which brings up the team average a bit. A bright spot for Pittsburgh was 5'6"second year player Stefan Logan who had his first taste of live action returning kickoffs averaging 39 yards on 4 returns. The Steelers next take the field against at home against the Buffalo Bills on August 29th for their third preseason game of the year.

Plax takes plea deal and will go to jail for 2 years...

Former New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress plead guilty to weapons charges and will go to jail for two years. Burress pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of attempted criminal possession of a weapon and after serving his two years he will be released under supervision for two years. Plax's sentenced could be reduced to 20 months if he displays good behavior. Burress was arraigned after shooting himself in the thigh while at a night club during the regular season and the Giants suspended him for the rest of the year before releasing him in the offseason. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has yet to speak on the Burress situation but it is believed that Goodell will suspend him when he does make a decision.

Memphis to be stripped of 2008 title game season...

The NCAA is expected to make the decision to strip the Memphis Tigers of their best season in team history due to allegations that Derrick Rose cheated on a standardized admission test for the school. Rose spent one year at Memphis and lead them to 38-2 record,which is the best record in school history, and a trip to the national championship losing to the Kansas Jayhawks. Rose went on to become the 1st pick in the 2008 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls. This is the second time a John Calipari team has been forced to forfeit games due to illegal handling of players, the other time was when he was with Massachusetts in 1996 when Marcus Camby accepted money from an agent. The Tigers deny any involvement in the case but they said they expected the result and they will move forward, they will not face any additional sanctions. This is a big blow to the up and coming college basketball powerhouse because now this will be used against them come recruiting time and they can't use the season as a bright point in their recent history. Also it's kind of funny that Calipari split before the sanctions took effect and now he leaves the program in a bad situation and he doesn't have to face any repercussions for something that went down under his watch, real classy man.

Raiders coach Tom Cable punched an assistant in the face...

In an apparent move to try to get fired(not really but maybe he has reconsidered being their head coach, it is Oakland you know) Oakland Raiders head coach Tom Cable sent an assistant coach to hospital after punching him in the face. Cable of course denies the allegations and said that the situation in question is an internal matter and will be addressed that way. A report was filed with the Napa police department and the report described a 41-year old Raiders assistant coach went to the hospital with an apparent jaw injury that was the result from a punch to the face by an unnamed Raiders coach, the 41-year old coach is defensive assistant Randy Hanson. This is just another black eye for a once proud franchise that has turned into the laughing stock of the league over the last 7 years. I'm sure Oakland fans will embrace this as a badge of honor or something but it is just plain ridiculous and Al Davis should not stand for it, Cable is not a player in the heat of the moment and fighting a teammate, he is supposed to be the leader of this team. What kind of example does he set when he punches someone in the face because he's upset? Cable should not be fired but he needs to be disciplined for his actions and he needs to be held accountable but it is Oakland and they do embrace these kind of actions.

Oh great, you know who is back...

In a "shocking" move Brett Favre has decided to come back and steal the NFL headlines and set another franchise back a few years by signing a 2-year contract with the Minnesota Vikings. Favre flew into Minnesota yesterday, the contract is reported to be worth $12 million in year one and $13 million in year two, and practiced for the first time with his new teammates and I'm sure he got right back into the swing of things and threw an interception, since that's what he does best anymore. If Brett Favre really loved the game of football, and not the spotlight like many think(myself included), he would have embraced taking Aaron Rodgers under his wing four years ago and he wouldn't hold franchises hostage every year and set bad examples for the younger guys by forcing franchises to bow to his demands. I was once on the Favre band wagon but he has severely damaged his reputation and he comes off as a baby who can't make up his mind and then blames the parent for the situation that he is in. His big glory days were 10 years ago(3 MVPs and 2 trips to the Super Bowl with 1 SB victory) since then he hasn't really sniffed a Super Bowl and he has lost his team numerous home playoff games including the first playoff loss ever at Lambeau Field to the Atlanta Falcons and then two years ago when he threw 2 interceptions against the New York Giants when the Packers were clearly the better team. He does bring excitement to the game because whenever he steps onto the field anything can happen but late in games he just chucks it up in the air and hopes for the best, and ultimately he will cost the Vikings a chance at the playoffs with his erratic play.

While I was on vacation...

While I was on vacation a bunch of stuff happened and I need to catch up so here it goes...

Michael Vick signed with the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday night. My first reaction to this was thank God he didn't sign with the Steelers. After I got pass that I'm not sure if this will work or not, I mean he is in a good situation where he won't be forced to take the field to early and he has solid leadership around him but if you thought Andy Reid was quick to bench McNabb for Kevin Kolb then you better believe he'd pull the trigger a lot quicker with Vick on the sidelines. Also Philly fans are very fickle, these are the same fans who occasionally boo McNabb and he has taken them to 5 NFC Championship games and 1 Super Bowl, heck they even booed Santa Claus, so if Vick makes one false move they will probably rip him a new one. But Philadelphia is in a win now mode and if they think Vick can get them over the hump then I guess it will be well worth it for them.

Tiger Woods choked away the PGA championship to relative unknown Y.E. Yang after beginning the day with a 2-stroke lead. Tiger had his chances on the back nine to pull it off but he looked flustered and almost like he was on cruise control and that he expected everything to go in for him. Tiger finishes the season going 0-4 in the Majors this year including not making the cut at the British Open. Coming into the final round Tiger was 14-0 when leading after 3-rounds but Yang held on to his own 2-stroke lead with Tiger breathing down his neck and he showed the mental fortitude to hold off Tiger(too bad no one else can do that). So hats off to Yang who became the first Asian born golfer to win a Major.

Kurt Angle was arrested for possession of HGH, ignoring a protection order, and driving with a suspended license in a suburb of Pittsburgh. Angle, a 1996 Olympic Gold medalist in freestyle wrestling, is currently the TNA World Heavyweight Champion and defended and won his title just one day after his arrest. Angle's former girlfriend, who was at a Starbucks and noticed him driving in circles around the building, filed an order of protection against him only hours before his arrest but he claims he did not know she was there and that he was looking for a hotel.

And now the last but most worn out story of the summer, just about everyone in the Minnesota Vikings training camp are expecting Brett Favre to come out of retirement and join the team for the 2009 campaign season. The feeling around their camp is that Favre will be playing in the next preseason game and that he is already a member of the Vikings. My God why won't this man stop trying to ruin NFL franchises, he already said he wasn't going to come out of retirement but here he is again talking about showing up. I'm sorry but someone needs to treat him like old yeller and take him out back, his career is over and he is ruining his legacy over some perceived slight against the Green Bay Packers, just give it up already! Stay retired so you can get your spotlight in 5 years when you become a first ballot Hall of Famer and SHUT UP and STOP TALKING TO THE MEDIA!

Steelers training camp 2009...

So I went on vacation to Pittsburgh to celebrate my one year wedding anniversary and while we were there we attended the Steelers-Cardinals preseason game. It was awesome being back in Heinz Field for a Steelers game(its been 5 years) and of course the Steelers won 20-10. The first unit didn't play much but I am a little worried because the offensive line didn't get a good enough push on running plays during the game. Starting center Justin Hartwig and guard Darnell Stapelton were injured and didn't play in the game so I will give them some slack but their running stats were pretty bad(32 rushes for 90 yards)...except for Isaac Redman. Redman scored 2 rushing TDs in the fourth quarter to give Pittsburgh the lead and the win. Redman ran with low shoulders and fought through tackles to get into the end zone on both runs and he looks to be making a name for himself as the team's short yardage and goal line back.
Fellow rookies Joe Burnett, Ziggy Hood, and Mike Wallace all made big contributions for the team in the win. Wallace finished the game with 2 receptions for 35 yards and he made some nice plays but he also missed a couple of catches in the end zone but that should come with experience. Ziggy finished with a sack and a QB pressure that lead to Burnett's interception which he returned 41 yards to set up Redman's first touchdown. Burnett's interception was set up by Ziggy's pressure off the end but it was also a great play by Burnett who read Cardinals' quarterback(and former Steelers backup) Brian St. Pierre the entire time and then broke on the pass forcing the turnover. It looks like the Steelers might get bigger contributions this year then they have so far during the Mike Tomlin era.

At Steelers training camp in Latrobe, Pa was a blast and everyone involved were very nice and helpful. We got full access to the players and coaches as they were going to lunch and they were usually more than happy to stop and chat for a few minutes. We got to eat lunch in the same cafeteria as the players and it was pretty cool because defensive genius Dick LeBeau was really cool and he went out of his way to talk to me and shoot the breeze for a few minutes during lunch. While at practice we were given access to the field where we were able to take pictures and even chat briefly with some of the players. It was really cool seeing how the Super Bowl champions practiced and how they conducted themselves. Coach Tomlin is already a top 3 coach in the NFL and it was unbelievable to see him operate and interact with the players and media. All in all it was a great experience that I will never forget and I hope to do it again next year!

GO STEELERS!

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Mewelde Moore...

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Mewelde Moore signed with the Steelers last offseason and helped them win Super Bowl XLIII. Moore chats about the some of the reasons he came to Pittsburgh and also where he stashes his Super Bowl ring.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward...

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward is a 2-time Super Bowl champion and Super Bowl XL MVP. Ward talks about the contract extension he signed this offseason and the Steelers preseason win over the Arizona Cardinals at training camp in Latrobe, Pa.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch...

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch was one of the first Mid-American Conference quarterbacks to start for an NFL franchise starting the trend that opened doors for the likes of Byron Leftwich, Chad Pennington, and Ben Roethlisberger. While at Steeler training camp Batch talked about being a trend setter and playing for the first time in almost a year.

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Heath Miller...

Heath Miller talked about his new contract and the upcoming season while I was at the Pittsburgh Steelers training camp.

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Lamar Woodley....

While at the Steelers training camp I chatted briefly former University of Michigan Wolverine Lamar Woodley.

Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu...

I had a chance to go to the Pittsburgh Steelers training camp this year and I talked with Troy Polamalu.

Tiger criticizes the PGA but won't be fined...

After winning the Bridgestone Invitational Tiger Woods criticized a PGA tour official for putting both Woods and Padraig Harrington on the clock on the 16th hole which led to Harrington forcing bad shots and ultimately losing the tournament. The PGA tour official was notified that the two golfers were 16 minutes behind schedule and he then timed the golfers and made them go quicker then they were used to. I have a problem with this because if it was a Major tournament nothing would have been said and Woods and Harrington would have been able to slug it out and then no one could complain about being forced into making bad shots. These were the last two golfers on the course and they were competing to win, so who cares if it runs over on t.v., it would have probably drawn big ratings with Tiger coming from behind for the second straight week and they could have gone on to a playoff, who knows then what would happen. The other problem I have with this situation is that the PGA let Tiger get away with publicly bashing an official who was just enforcing the rules, when this happens in any other sport the commissioner would not hesitate to fine the person(no matter who they are) for undermining the integrity of the game. Now Tiger knows he can say what he wants and he won't face repercussions for his actions. And what if it was any one else who would have made those comments would they have been fined, you better believe it. I know Tiger is the only draw for the PGA but they can't have a double standard for Woods and everyone else, if you criticize an official in any sport you should be reprimanded in some way for your actions. Oh well the I guess the PGA doesn't want to upset its biggest star.

"Big Baby" Glenn Davis re-signs with the Celtics...

The Boston Celtics made a "big" splash in free agency yesterday by re-signing Glenn Davis to a two year contract. The contract is worth $6 million and will keep Davis with the team that drafted him. The move will help the Celtics a lot because Rasheed Wallace loses his cool too much and Kevin Garnett is starting to get up there in age. Davis came on at the end of the season and into the playoffs after KG was lost for the rest of the season. Davis got a significant increase in minutes which resulted in him doubling his scoring average from 7 points per game to 15.8 in the playoffs. Big Baby is in the perfect situation right now because he can sit back and soak up all the knowledge from Wallace and KG and when either of those two go down he is more than capable of stepping in and helping the team win. This move I think puts the Celtics back a top the Eastern Conference because they have a plethora of guys to throw at Dwight Howard and Shaq and they were close to making it back to the Conference finals but they were without Garnett. With this move the Boston Celtics are probably the deepest and most talented team in the East.

Titans spoil T.O.'s debut in a Buffalo Bills uniform...

The Tennessee Titans have started right where they left off last year by winning the Hall of Fame game 21-18 over the Buffalo Bills. The NFL was celebrating throwback week with the 50th anniversary of the founding of the American Football League with two original franchises wearing throwback uniforms in the NFL Hall of Fame game.
Titans quarterback Kerry Collins quickly quieted the debut of Terrell Owens with the Bills by leading the Titans on a scoring drive on the opening possession, the drive was highlighted by a 40 yard scoring run by punter A.J. Trapasso on perfectly executed fake punt. Collins went 7-for-10 for 82 yards while leading the first team unit on two scoring drives. LenDale White scored the other TD for the first unit of Titans from 3 yards out. Vince Young started slow but he eventually picked up momentum throwing a nice touch pass to Paul Williams for a touchdown. Young finished the game 5-of-10 for 39 yards and 1 TD and an interception helping the Titans gain an early 21-3 lead.
T.O. only played one series but he finished with 2 catches for 27 yards but the Bills looked under prepared and overwhelmed at times. Trent Edwards completed 3-of-4 passes for 34 yards but he threw a terrible pass in the red zone that was easily intercepted by Michael Griffith. Edwards connected with Owens on a slant pattern that probably would have gone for a touchdown if it wasn't for a great tackle by Cortland Finnegan. Buffalo's only scores came on three field goals by Rian Lindell and also an interception returned for a touchdown by cornerback Reggie Corner.
This wasn't what the Bills were hoping for with Ralph Wilson Jr. and Bruce Smith making it into the Hall of Fame but again it was the first preseason game of the year and from the little bit that they got to see out of the Edwards to T.O. connection Bills fans have a lot to look forward to. The Titans went out accomplished what they wanted to and that was to set the tempo early and see how the defense would handle the loss of Albert Haynesworth. It's great that football has finally started and I can't wait to go to Pittsburgh this Thursday to watch a rematch of Super Bowl 43.

Lebron opts to not sign an extension...

Lebron James opted to not sign a contract extension that would have kept him with the Cleveland Cavaliers pass this upcoming season and he will be allowed to test the free agent market. Not all is bad because he hasn't ruled out re-signing with Cleveland but he just wants to see what options are available. I still don't think he is going anywhere else because if he does he will be in a worse situation then he had with the Cavs, because all the teams clearing cap space to sign him have gotten rid of any good players that could help him a championship, but Cavs fans have to be really nervous right now. Lebron is just playing his cards correctly right now because if the Cavs implode and fire their GM Danny Ferry and head coach Mike Brown and Shaq doesn't live up to his billing then Lebron will probably want to leave but if the free agent moves pay off and they win a title then he will stay. The main problem I have with him not signing the extension is that their will be a huge cloud over this franchise until he makes his decision and it could potentially be a huge distraction for a team trying to win an NBA title. You have to give it to Lebron though because he is keeping the entire NBA on it's heel and their will be a big buzz around the NBA all season long.

Rod Woodson joins the NFL Hall of Fame...

Former Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens cornerback/safety Rod Woodson was inducted into the 2009 class of the NFL Hall of Fame along with Bruce Smith(Buffalo Bills/DE), Randall McDaniel(Minnesota Vikings/OG), Ralph Wilson Jr.(Buffalo Bills/Owner), and Bob Hayes(Dallas Cowboys/WR) and the late Derrick Thomas(Kansas City Chiefs/DE). The person I remember the most out of this group is Rod Woodson because he was already on the Steelers when I became a fan back in 1992. He was instrumental in keeping Pittsburgh competitive from the late 1980's until they went to the Super Bowl in 1995, while often times dominating at his cornerback spots. Woodson made it to the Pro Bowl 11 times over his 17 seasons, he won the 1993 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award and when he retired he ranked third all-time in career interceptions. Woodson tore his ACL in the 1994-1995 season and missed the majority of the year before returning to play in the Super Bowl against the Dallas Cowboys. The only thing that bugs me about his career is that Neil O'Donnell got paid to throw that game and Woodson didn't win his SB as a Steeler, it really sucks that he won it as a Raven, but at least he ended up getting a ring. Rod played for the Steelers(1987-1996), San Fransisco 49ers(1997), Baltimore Ravens(1998-2001), and the Oakland Radiers(2002-2003) during his Hall of Fame career.

Derrick Thomas was someone I grew up watching and was really sad that his life and career were cut tragically short. If he had been able to play longer he probably would have broken the career sack record and the man was just an animal on the field. Thomas has always been one of my favorite players from the first time I saw him play.

Bruce Smith was one of the most dominant defensive players ever and he played the game the right way. He was a huge part of the Bills going to four straight Super Bowls and he is the All-time sack leader with 200. Ralph Wilson Jr. was instrumental in shaping the way the NFL looks today and he made the Bills a mini-dynasty during the 90's. Wilson has done so much for the game and his best contribution may be the least known but he never votes for teams to relocate which is huge with teams threatening to move all the time.

Aaron Opelt UT Rockets Quarterback...

Aaron Opelt is in his senior season as the starting quarterback for the University of Toledo Rockets. Aaron has been playing QB for the Rockets since his freshman year where he played in nine games started 6 of them. In his first full season as a starter last year Opelt threw for a career high 2,176 yards and 12 TDs. He ranks 5th All-Time in UT history with 471 completions, 7th in touchdowns thrown with 30, and 8th in career passing yards 4,807 yards. I had a chance to talk to Aaron at the Rockets media day.

Stephen Williams UT Rockets wide receiver...

Stephen Williams is a wide receiver in his senior season at the University Of Toledo. Williams has been placed on the Fred Biletnikoff Award list which goes to the best wide receiver in college football. He has also been named to 2nd team All-MAC Conference team the last two years. During Stephen's junior year he caught 71 passes for 781 yards and 8TDs including a 6 catch 164 yard receiving performance against the Fresno State Bulldogs. As a sophomore Williams had his best season having 73 receptions for 1,169 yards and scoring 7TDs and putting up a personal best 172 yards receiving against MAC foe the Buffalo Bulls. Stephen was born and raised in Houston Texas. I had a chance to talk to Stephen at the Rockets media day and we chatted about the upcoming season and what Rocket fans can expect this upcoming fall.

NFL preseason power rankings 12-1...

12. Green Bay Packers: Aaron Rodgers has another year of starting under his belt and the team isn't distracted by Brett Favre plus a lot of new changes to the defense could spell playoffs for this dark horse team
11. Atlanta Falcons: Atlanta got Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez for cheap but the defense lost a lot of key components so this could be a step back for the franchise
10. Tennessee Titans: They lost their man in the middle in Albert Haynesworth so the defense should take a step back but the additions on offense might be able to score enough points to help out the defense
9. New York Giants: The Giants locked up Eli long term but how will he handle the loss of Burress(1-3 without him to finish the 2008 season) and Amani Toomer, only time will tell. Oh yeah and they have Osi Umenyiora healthy which should only make the defense stronger
8. Minnesota Vikings: Now that Brett Favre is out of the picture this team can focus on winning, they will have a tougher schedule and a tougher division this year so they may take a step back this season
7. San Diego Chargers: Shawne Merriman is back to add the physical toughness that the team lacked last year and L.T. is healthy and ready to go, with a weak division playoffs are not out of the question for this team
6. Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles upgraded their offensive line and wide receivers and the team is finally treating Donovan McNabb with the respect he deserves so the team looks focused and ready to take another crack at the Super Bowl
5. Carolina Panthers: Injuries have been a huge bug-a-boo for this team in the past derailing Super Bowl expectations, starting nose tackle Maake Kemoeatu is already on the IR and the team can't afford to sign anyone because Peppers is taking up too much salary cap room
4. Indianpolis Colts: They have a new coach but as long as Peyton Manning is around this team will always be in the playoff hunt
3. Baltimore Ravens: The Ravens may be carried by Joe Flacco and their offense this year with the defense losing defensive coordinator Rex Ryan and some key contributors from last years squad
2. New England Patriots: Tom Brady is back, need I say anything else?
1. Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers return 20 of 22 starters and they get back punter Daniel Sepulveda and second year running back Rashard Mendenhall, Big Ben has looked good so far in camp

Giants and Manning agree to monumental contract extension...

The New York Giants and Eli Manning agreed to a blockbuster 6-year $97.5 million contract extension making him the highest paid player in Giants history. Manning is coming off of his best season in terms of wins(12), QB rating(86.4), completion percentage(60.3), and he threw his lowest amount of interceptions(10) all of which lead to him making his first Pro Bowl and the Giants winning their second NFC East title under Manning. The deal will guarantee him $35 million and will make him the highest paid QB per year and his one year earnings is second only to Julius Peppers who is still under his one year franchise offering. Eli is also third among active quarterbacks for most consecutive starts with 71.
I guess this is a good move by the Giants, I mean they have made the playoffs four out of his five years as a starting quarterback including winning Super Bowl XLII and when all is said and done he will probably own all the Giants passing records but he is just an average QB who plays behind one of the best offensive lines with one of the best running games and a top notch defense so he just basically has to stay out of the way and they will win games. Aside from the Giants Super Bowl run from a couple of years ago Eli's playoff record is 0-3, he has a career completion percentage of 55.8, he has a career QB rating of 76.1, he has been in the top 5 of interceptions thrown three out of the last four years, and he hasn't thrown for more than 30 TDs in a season. Until he pulled off the impossible the fans and media of New York thought he was a bum and they wanted him out of there but now with that Super Bowl win any time he does something bad they can point to that playoff run as some sort of justification for him being a decent QB. I can think of at least 10 other QBs in league right now that are better than he is but you would never know that with money the Giants just gave him. Oh well such is life in the NFL and I'm more than happy with how the 2004 draft turned out, the Steelers never would have won 2 Super Bowls with either Manning or Philip Rivers.

GO STEELERS!

Burress indicted on gun charges, Pierce is cleared...

Former New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress was indicted yesterday by a grand jury for weapons charges after Burress accidentally shot himself in the leg during the 2008 season. If convicted he faces up to 3 and a half years in prison. Burress was indicted on two charges of criminal possession of a weapon and one count of reckless endangerment. This is a huge blow to Plaxico, who was suspended for the remainder of the 2008 season and was released by the Giants in April, because if teams were weary of signing him before this all but assures that he will not join a team again because who wants to sign a guy for one year knowing that he is going to jail in some capacity in the next year or so and he could still face additional punishment from NFL commissioner Roger Gooddell. It's kind of funny because his lawyer found a loop hole in the system that delayed his trial until the next NFL offseason so he could possibly play one more season but the latest development pretty much squashes those hopes.
Former teammate Antonio Pierce was cleared of all possible charges, Pierce was with Burress the night he shot himself and drove Plax to the hospital. Pierce was never really in any trouble but he needed to tell his side of the story in order for him to be cleared and now he is free to return to the Giants and put this situation behind him.
The Giants look to move forward now without their star wide receiver who caught the game winning touchdown pass during New York's improbable come from behind victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 42. After Burress was suspended Giants QB Eli Manning looked lost and the team crumbled down the stretch losing three of their last four games and were one and done in the playoffs, now the question is how good of a season will Eli have with no true number one option at wide out?

NFL upholds Lynch's 3 game suspension...

Buffalo Bills running back Marshawn Lynch appealed his three game suspension handed down by the NFL for violating the league's personal conduct policy but he lost and will now have to sit out the first three weeks of the regular season. In February of this year Lynch's car was searched and police found an unregistered 9mm hand gun in a backpack in the trunk and he was also found with 4 joints but no drug charges were filed. This is his second scrape with the law in as many years, last year he was arrested for hitting a woman with his car and then fleeing the scene Lynch plead guilty but did not get any jail time. Lynch will be allowed to participate in all preseason practices and games up until September 5th then he will have to sit a stretch of games that include going to New England for the season opener and then home games with Tampa bay and New Orleans. In the offseason the Bills signed Dominic Rhodes to help Freddie Jackson carry the load of the running game in the first month of the season while Lynch is suspended.

NFL Preseason Power Rankings 22-13....

22. Dallas Cowboys: The Cowboys lost T.O. which isn't necessarily a bad thing but Tony Romo is not an elite QB in the NFL and their division is just too tough
21. Cincinnati Bengals: Carson Palmer is healthy and they picked up Laverneous Coles but the o-line and running game are huge questions for this team and will probably be their downfall
20. Houston Texans: The Texans had a quite offseason which is a good thing when the rest of the division is making lots of noise(Indy losing their coaching staff and the Titans losing Haynesworth) but do they have enough to beat the elite teams yet?
19. Seattle Sehawks: The Seahawks lost Mike Holmgren but they gained T.J. Houshmandzedah and a healthy Matt Hasselbeck which should be enough for this team to win a weak division
18. Buffalo Bills: The Bills will be without Marshawn Lynch for the first few games of the season so will T.O. be able to get them by a tough stretch of games to begin the season?
17. Washington Redskins: The Skins signed Albert Haynesworth but they still lack consistent play from their wide receivers with training camp coming up they are hoping some of the young guys can step up to help Campbell stay as the starting QB
16. New Orleans Saints: The Saints had the #1 offense last year but they were horrendous on defense they picked up some free agents but right now they are easily the third best team in their division
15. Chicago Bears: The Bears picked up Jay Cutler for cheap and they return one of the league's top defenses but will the lack of quality receivers prevent this team from being a playoff contender
14. Arizona Cardinals: The Cardinals got hot when they needed too last year but will they be able to overcome the typical Super Bowl hangover, with the team returning a lot of last years team they are hoping to buck the trend
13. Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins had a lot to prove last year but they even more to prove this year...that last season wasn't a fluke

Derrick Mason pulls a Brett Favre, unretires...

The Baltimore Ravens received a big early surprise when Derrick Mason pulled a Brett Favre circa 2008 and showed up for the start of training camp less than three weeks after announcing his retirement. When Mason retired it left a huge void in the Ravens wide receiving unit but now that he is back the team will get an enormous emotional lift along with his always reliable hands. Mason, who announced his retirement after his friend and former teammate Steve McNair was found shot to death, released a statement saying "It was a tough decision, but I think it was a good decision for me to come back. I needed to evaluate my life, football and my career." During their run to the AFC Championship game Mason led the Ravens in receptions(80) and receiving yards(1,037) and he added another 12 catches for 190 yards and a touchdown during the playoffs.