In a scene eerily reminiscent of Saturday, both the Penguins and Panthers won highly spirited games on Tuesday night. Only on this night, both games were held in the city (at the same time) and both were played in front of raucous, sell-out crowds. Those were some fantastic hours of television.

We'll start at the Pete, where the Panthers took down a pesty UConn team headed by a pesty coach, 63-54. Grayzilla was on fire, racking up 22 points and 20 rebounds in a performance that reminded everyone of why he was named as the Big East preseason player of the year back in October. On the other hand, Mike Cook, who had a breakout game on Saturday against Georgetown, had a disappointing total of four points in 30 minutes. But that's the beauty of this Pitt team: every night produces a different star. Look at Levance Fields, how he dominated Syracuse for 24 points and five assists just two weeks ago, but managed just six and zero against the Huskies tonight.

The Panthers don't lean on that one star, even though Gray is so highly lauded. It can be argued that is the reason why they don't advance as deep in March as fans would hope, but the mix of this group seems better than any I've seen in the past. They have inside presence, outside shooting, speed, toughness, experience, and they can even make free throws. They look to be a complete team. At 5-0 in the Big East and 17-2 overall (with their only losses coming to the #2 and #12 teams in the country---on the road), I think this team will be well prepared for a lengthy postseason experience in 2007.

There was also another recruit signing on the dotted line for Pitt, as JDix got a verbal from shooting guard Nasir Robinson, who is ranked #8 among shooting guards and #45 overall by rivals.com. Is it cool to call him Nas?

We move to the other side of the Burgh, where the Penguinos topped the Islanders, 5-2, after a long day of delivering pizza to kids in the Student Rush line. That's right, Colby Armstrong, Chris Thorburn and Maxime Talbot personally handed out the 'za to the young fans of the Flightless Birds, who were very appreciative. I know fans show their appreciation for players like Talbot whenever they have a chance. But in all seriousness, how can you not love these guys? After the attitudes constantly reported from encounters with other pro athletes in this town, the Pens are a breath of fresh air.

Their play was inspired in the 3rd period, when they erupted for the three goals that marked the margin of victory. Two of the goals came from El Sid, who was not a happy camper after getting speared by Jason Blake with 33 seconds left in the game. I've never seen more F-bombs from any player in any sport than the dozens that Crosby dishes out on a nightly basis. It would be a dangerous proposition to suggest any network mic up Crosby and play the live feed. The FCC fines would be in the millions.

Crosby looks to me like a guy who's ready to erupt. You can only poke the bear so many times before he bites. And Crosby is that sleeping bear. One of these late hitters is going to get a Crosby Knuckle Sandwich. It's going to happen. Count me among those interested to see how Crosby and Blake interact in the East locker room at the All Star Game. Probably about as well as Bill Belichick will if he ends up coaching nine Chargers in the Pro Bowl. Of course, that would hinge on Peyton Manning beating the Patriots to win an AFC Championship, so I'm asking for a lot.

Anyway, back to the game...after the Pens once again stood around while Crosby was manhandled by Alexei Zhitnik on Saturday, I'm proud to report that the Ryans (Malone and Whitney) both retaliated on Crosby's behalf after a vicious hit in the 1st period from Brendan Witt. Malone is really showing some effort...perhaps trying to give Ray Shero second thoughts about that rumored trade to the Rangers for Petr Prucha?

The Pens now move to 20-17-7, good for 3rd in the Atlantic division and 10th in the East, just three points shy of a playoff berth. Their next game is a crucial matchup with 11th-place Boston on Thursday night in Beantown.

The Panthers' next opponent is Marquette (16-4) on Sunday. Thankfully for my exhausted remote, there is no Pens game on at the same time.

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Youtube has the answer to your question. If you're still in the dark, he's a 5-star Pitt recruit, and he's announcing his intentions tonight.

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No shortage of material to talk about today. Rumors of my death were greatly exaggerated (can't a Mondesi get a day off?). So let's get back up to speed with what has gone down since we last talked:

I'd like to start with a major "congratulations" to the Pitt Panthers for a great weekend. The Oakland Zoo was in full force early Saturday morning for a live broadcast of ESPN GameDay with Jay Bilas, Hubert Davis, and Digger Phelps. According to the Trib, 1500 Pitt students turned out for the 10 AM event, with the actual Pitt-Georgetown game not starting until 9 PM that evening.

The game played out just as Pitt would have hoped: a 74-69 win over the Hoyas and an apparent major football recruiting coup in the process. Highly touted running back LeSean "Shady" McCoy, a 5'11", 200-pounder from Bishop McDevitt HS in Harrisburg, was among the frenzied crowd that night. McCoy had narrowed his choices to Pitt and Penn State, but check out this recap from the Trib about what happened at the game Saturday night:

When McCoy entered Petersen Events Center for the Pitt-Georgetown basketball game, a student awaited with a hand-made sign with check marks filling boxes next to the names of committed recruits Pat Bostick, Dom DeCicco, Chris Jacobson and Henry Hynoski.

The box next to McCoy's name was empty, but to the cheers of the Oakland Zoo, Pitt's student section, he stopped to check it. McCoy then signed autographs.

"I've been blown away by it," McCoy said of the student response during his official visit. "I never expected it to be like this. I didn't know the fans were crazy like this. I didn't know it would be this tremendous."

For your revised Pitt recruiting update, I point you to the official Scout.com rankings, which have the Panthers' 2007 class ranked 9th in the country, ahead of Michigan, Ohio State, Georgia, Auburn, WVU and PSU. Wannstache has now lined up (3) 5-star recruits and (8) 4-star recruits. I don't know how he does it. If Wanny was in my fraternity back in the day, he'd definitely be the rush chairman. The guy knows how to sell his program. Although I'm not sure I would let him coach our intramural football team on gameday.

All kidding aside, Wanny has assembled quite a bit of talent for the near future. I occasionally joke about his coaching methods, which I was never entirely sold on when he was an NFL coach, but his recruiting skills are ridiculous. I can only hope these guys can pan out, come together as a team, and remain academically eligible (as that may be an issue for a few Panthers and Panthers-to-be).

But back to the basketball side, the Panthers are riding high into a very tough upcoming week: tonight vs. UConn and Sunday vs. Marquette. Mike Cook looks mighty impressive (as advertised) and looks like he has a bit of a mean streak in him to boot. The Big East is down and Pitt is up. This may be the year to really make some noise in the postseason. Noise that has tempted us for the last five years.

So what else have I been up to?

Well, I watched hours and hours of advertisements for trucks, fast food, and cell phones this weekend, with a little bit of NFL playoff football played in small increments in-between the ads. I know I've been ranting about NFL in-game ads lately, but it's gone beyond the point of absurdity. And can someone explain why every automobile ad is for a truck? Do football fans not drive cars anymore?

With few exceptions, these playoffs have been a reflection of the 2006 NFL season: horrible, at times unwatchable, football. Count me among those duped by the Baltimore Ravens. I thought they had a legit chance to reach the Super Bowl (based on the regular season), but on Saturday they looked like the Same Old Ravens to me. Steve McNair got the Ravens further than Kyle Boller was able to, but in the end the Ravens suffered a familiar fate: severe lack of offense. This was the team that manhandled the smash-mouth Steelers not once, but twice? A Ravens team that could only muster 83 yards rushing against a historically bad Colts run defense? I thought it was an embarrassing performance by the Baltimore O.

I have a suggestion for the Ravens: dump Jamal Lewis. The guy has never been the same since his 2,000 yard season and subsequent time in the clink. Don't believe me? Check out these numbers:

                 +--------------------------+-------------------------+
                           Rushing                 Receiving     
+----------+-----+--------------------------+-------------------------+
 Year  TM    G    Att  Yards    Y/A   TD    Rec  Yards   Y/R   TD
+----------+-----+--------------------------+-------------------------+
 2000 bal   16    309   1364    4.4    6     27    296  11.0    0
 2002 bal   16    308   1327    4.3    6     47    442   9.4    1
 2003 bal   16    387   2066    5.3   14     26    205   7.9    0
 2004 bal   12    235   1006    4.3    7     10    116  11.6    0
 2005 bal   15    269    906    3.4    3     32    191   6.0    1
 2006 bal   16    314   1132    3.6    9     18    115   6.4    0
+----------+-----+--------------------------+-------------------------+
  TOTAL     91   1822   7801    4.3   45    160   1365   8.5    2
+----------+-----+--------------------------+-------------------------+

The guy is finished. Yeah, he had 1,100 yards. Fantastic. Lots of good it did the Ravens on Saturday, when he totalled 53.

So Peyton Manning wins another postseason game, managing a 39 passer rating and failing to engineer a touchdown drive in the process. My question is this: if he wins or even makes the Super Bowl while playing horrible football, will the millions of critics get off his back or not?

In the other AFC game, the Patriots were busy dancing on the Charger logo, doing Shawne "Steroid Suspension" Merriman's dance after their upset win. I have a hard time when the media continues to single out the Patriots as a classy team. They are not. They talk trash, shove cameramen, and jump on logos just like every other team. Steeler fans, cover your ears: they do the same thing, as witnessed this year.

The Chargers, specifically Mr. Tomlinson, have a lot of nerve complaining about the Patriots. LT is put out that the Pats would show disrespect for an opponent. What, you mean like the respect Merriman shows when he has his mock seizure after vanquishing another quarterback? Or the respect Merriman showed when he sent a Lights Out T-Shirt and Hat and a bag of popcorn to Jason Taylor, the "clean" defensive player of the year?

LT was mad that the Patriots, three-time Super Bowl champions, didn't "act like they've been there before". Correct me if I'm wrong, but one of the dancers in question was Chad Scott, former burn-marked defensive back of your Pittsburgh Steelers. Another Pat in the mix was Reche Caldwell, whose previous experience in the playoffs was being eliminated or not even making it under Marty Schottenheimer. This was not Tom Brady and Tedy Bruschi doing the dancing. So you might want to re-think that statement, TD Champ.

Maybe it was the fact that his protege finally got over the hump last year, but I thought Marty Schottenheimer would win at least one game in the playoffs this year. I think this team was the best, on paper, in the league this season. Unfortunately, games are not played on paper, video game screens, or computer simulations. They're played on fields, coached by men with real reputations. There's a reason why Bill Belichick is thought of like he's thought of. The same can be said for Marty. You are what you are.

I believe the "real" NFC championship was played on Saturday night, when the hottest team, Philly, played the sentimental favorite, New Orleans. That Reggie Bush hit was the stuff of legends. I can't believe the guy could move, let alone have the game he ended up with. His perceived toughness grew by leaps and bounds on that night. But what in the world was Andy Reid doing when he punted the ball away with 1:56 to go and down by 3? Considering his team just converted a 4th-and-10 before it was negated by penalty, I thought he would at least try on 4th-and-15. I was shocked by the call to punt. I was not shocked by the Saints converting the first down and ending the game on a kneel down. The football gods were friendly to Philadelphia, trying to spare them the inevitable QB controversy that would develop if the Eagles advanced much further.

On Sunday I inexplicably watched the Bears-Seahawks game, which took football back about three decades. Wow, are these teams bad. Although Rex Grossman is extremely fun to watch. As I took in the splendor of the Rex with Felipe Mondesi, the patriarch of the Mondesi family, I commented at how I felt Grossman was the ultimate wild card at QB. On any given dropback, he could either throw a backbreaking interception, cough up a horrendous fumble, or throw a spectacular touchdown by threading the needle. He's like Kordell Stewart. Not in the sense that he runs to beat you, but in the sense that when he's on, he's on...and when he's off, he's really off. That, my friends, is a Coach Killer. Much like Michael Vick, as a matter of fact. One last thing, which goes for Vick and Grossman: no matter how bad they are, their receivers are absolutely awful. How bad was that drop by Bernard Berrian?

Matt Hasselbeck, for all of his past accolades, was equally awful for Seattle. And his receivers, with a combined $113 million investment, came up with 9 catches on Sunday. Yes, I'm serious, the Seahawks receivers do make $119 million: Nate Burleson, $49 million. Deion Branch: $39 million. Darrell Jackson: $25 million. Bobby Engram: $6 million. Engram should fire his agent.

Don't cry for the Seahawks. I'm sure their fans find some way to twist their garbage performance into an indictment of the officiating.

So we have Indy/New England in yet another high-stakes game, and on the other side we get New Orleans/Chicago. That means potential Super Bowls of Indy/NO, Indy/Chicago, New England/NO, New England/Chicago. Most intriguing? I'd say Indy vs. New Orleans. The Manning Super Bowl story would be ginormous, but then again, so would a franchise so historically down as the Saints (and coming off a hurricane, to boot).

I also caught the Pens/Flyers game on Saturday, and I can say with certainty that I hate the Flyers more and more with each passing game. Peter Forsberg is probably at the top of my hated Flyer list, with Alexei Zhitnik a close second. I hate the Flyers so bad that I'm glad the Eagles lost, and I'm glad the Sixers stink. And you know the Phillies will collapse in 2007, just like they do every other year. Your city deserves that sports misery for that dirty, late-hitting disgrace of a hockey team. They are hockey's version of the Oakland Raiders: a team living on 1970s glory and goonery at a time when that recipe just doesn't work. Hope you enjoyed watching a real time on your ice.

GOOD STUFF FROM THIS WEEKEND:

Snakes on a Plane: Nowhere near as good as the hype would have you believe, but when Samuel Jackson finally dropped "the line", we rewound it at least three times. Predictable, yet entertaining. And another appearance by the ubiquitous Flex Alexander.

Egotrip's The White Rapper Show: It's on VH1's increasingly-addictive Celebreality block, which means it's rerun on a nightly basis. So you should have no problem finding it. Keep your eyes peeled for the guy named John Brown, a.k.a. "King of the Burbs", who promises a "Ghetto Revival". This guy has reality TV legend written all over him. Try and catch him on the first episode. Unbelievable.

A few links for ya:

Something to chew on until the next update...

COLLEGE HOOPS:

The Oakland Zoo has officially started a blog

COLLEGE FOOTBALL:
Dave Wannstedt has a big fan. A fan big enough to start a website campaigning for the Stache as the next Steeler head coach. http://www.hiredavewannstedt.info/.

RANDOM FUN STUFF:

That incredibly bizarre Old Spice commercial featuring B-movie legend Bruce Campbell.

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I have to admit, I was pretty stoked on Sunday morning. The sight of Ben Roethlisberger in a 1930s gangster-style black pinstripe suit while doing guest commentary on ESPN was simply breathtaking. The fact that he neglected to shave his chin raised the bar even higher. And when the Worldwide Leader mentioned Ben's weekly phone calls to The Donald, which I originally brought to the masses on Friday (with much help from Deadspin), well, that just made my day.

On the heels of the Trump story, I didn't want this to turn into the internet version of the All Roethlisberger Network. So I held onto this until now. But imagine my surprise when I find this photo in my email last week, courtesy of loyal reader John: Big Ben, drink in hand, making a face to the camera, sitting next to Carson Daly. I can't speak for you, but in all of my Steeler-related net surfing, I've never seen this picture. And I think it's a classic.

There was no explanation of where or when the photo was taken, but it looks perfectly legit to me.

Of all the questions I could ask, I will choose just one: would Donald Trump approve of this photo?

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NFL:

ESPN gives us an interactive "Match the Bengal to the Crime" game. I have a better idea, which the Bengals could use for their website. It's called "match the ESPN employee to their firing/suspension". You could have Sean Salisbury, Harold Reynolds, Michael Irvin...

A neat look at the amount of ads from for last week's Chiefs/Colts game. Or as I remember it, commercials with a bit of football sprinkled in.

Bill Simmons takes a look at the NFL playoffs, and surprisingly, picks the Patriots to beat the Chargers.

COLLEGE HOOPS:

Pitt ranks 4th in the college basketball RPI, with a strength-of-schedule of 10.

Seth Davis says the Panthers will be 74-67 winners over Georgetown tomorrow. By the way, this is an ESPN GameDay event, so plan your day accordingly.

Penn State WR Jordan Norwood decides he wants to try his hand at hoops as well. If only they had a basketball team.

RANDOM FUN STUFF:

December finals: Wii: 604,200 units sold. Playstation 3: 490,700. Xbox 360: 1.1 million.

Ebay buys StubHub for $310 million. Did they wait for the auction to end, or just use a "buy it now"?

Kevin Federline gives his divorce settlement demands: $50 million dollars. But only if he can play for the L.A. Galaxy.

Here's the trailer for Will Ferrell's new movie Blades of Glory, as well as the trailer for Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer

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Today is a landmark day, one that's happened just six times since 1900. No, it's not the announcement that the Pirates have landed a marquee free agent; it's the announcement that Robert Nutting has taken control of the team as the managing general partner.

It looks like Kevin McClatchy will stick around as CEO, meaning he will still have control of baseball operations. So we can keep our version of Matt Millen, for all of you concerned we would lose him.

What does this mean to the Pirates, you ask? Well, with Nutting as managing general partner, you can expect a minimum of 100 wins a year, with a Yankee-esque payroll, huge scouting staff, and deep farm system, as well as annual championship expectations. Of course, I'm being sarcastic. The Pirates will still stink, because a team that loses 95 games and doesn't make any changes will probably lose around 95 games the next year as well. Of course, that will change if he sells the team to Mark Cuban, who's also going to buy the Penguins, build the city a new arena, cure cancer, and help Peyton Manning win a Super Bowl in the next month.

Pirates shuffle ownership group, titles (Post Gazette)

Nuttings take control of Pirates (Trib)

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Ben Roethlisberger is many things to many people: Super Bowl-winning quarterback; motorcycle accident survivor; concussion victim; former beau of Natalie Gulbis; a guy who can Drink Like a Champion; shill for Fatheads; and close friend of Donald Trump.

Yes, as I found out while leafing through a local publication called Washington Crossroads Magazine, it sounds like Big Ben is pretty tight with The Donald.

In an interview with the magazine Ben did on behalf of Big Ben's Barbecue Sauce (yet another off-field endeavor), The Goateed One opens up and answers a number of questions that were moderately interesting:

On the "Madden Curse":

(Washington Crossroads): There’s supposedly a curse associated with players who appear on the cover of Madden. Michael Vick broke his leg, Ray Lewis broke his wrist, then Donovan McNabb got hurt. Would you appear on the cover if asked?

(Ben Roethlisberger)[laughs] Yeah I think it’d be a great honor to be on the cover of that game.

Madden Curse? This guy literally made up his own curse last year and still played in nearly every game. I'm convinced he's made of Adamantium---you know, that element that flows through Wolverine, making him virtually invincible.

(WC) Is there any well-known person that you would like to meet?

(BR) That’s tough, because I’ve met all the people that I’ve really wanted to meet, like Michael Jordan, Joe Montana, Dan Marino – all the sports stars that I grew up wanting to be like. I’ve met and played golf with people like Donald Trump. He’s a good friend. We talk once a week at least.

(WC) What’s Donald Trump like off-camera?

(BR) He’s a great guy. We actually converse quite often and joke about things. I’m planning a time that I can go to New York and hang out and he’s going to come to a game.

(WC) Ben Roethlisberger and Donald Trump hang out? What do you guys do?

(BR)We’ve gone to dinner, we’ve gone out, we’ve golfed, we’ve gambled. All kinds of things.

OK, let's back it up. Ben Roethlisberger gambles with Donald Trump? How did I miss this factoid? I mean, we know everything else about the guy...who he dates, what he drinks, what his dog's name is, pictures of where he lives...yet this slipped under the radar. At least my radar.

With The Donald in the midst of a running controversy with Rosie O'Donnell, involving everyone from Madonna to Barbara Walters to Conan O'Brien (with video), I think it's high time the NFL quarterback join the fracas and stands up for his buddy. But he's a busy guy...you know, bowling for bottled water in his hallway and all.

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Sorry about the lateness of today's update. Despite my best efforts, there are times when I simply can't adjust the ol' schedule, and today was one of those days. I know my brother speaks for the masses when he told me how upset he was with the lack of content today. So I'll make it up to you.

I must say, the readers are really coming through with some quality links. Must be that standing, weekly mystery prize that will be sent to a random reader who sends a link I use. What will it be? Who will get it? Why don't you move on to today's news?

MLB:

Barry Bonds reportedly failed an amphetamines test last year. Of course, he quickly tied Mark Sweeney to the railroad tracks in his attempt to deflect blame. How'd you like that one? Tied to the railroad tracks? Isn't it better than "Thrown under the bus"?

Fox Sports gives us an update of all the trade rumors in MLB, including all the trades the Pirates refuse to make. They really know how to cultivate off-season interest.

Not only did Big Mac get refused for the Hall of Fame, but he may lose his highway next.

NFL:

The inevitable Rex Grossman drunk pictures finally surface

Bob Smizik predicts Russ Grimm as the next Steeler coach and floats the possibility that Big Ben may leave as a free agent.

Grimm may or may not be the next Steeler coach, but he is a finalist for the Hall of Fame. Also a finalist: your favorite, Michael Irvin.

Denver Broncos players are offering a $100K bounty for the killer of Darrent Williams

Your new Cardinals coach...Mike Sherman???

NBA:

Chris Webber got cut from the 76ers because he stinks. So in typical NBA fashion, the suitors are lining up for his services.

SOCCER:

David Beckham and Posh Spice-Beckham are Coming to America. No, Prince Hakeem and Semmi won't be there to greet them, but I'm guessing Tom Cruise will.

HIGH SCHOOL:
A Colorado high school coach is facing criminal charges for allegedly hitting players in the groin. Does this remind anyone of that classic Simpsons episode with Hans Moleman's Video, "Football in the Groin"?

MEDIA:
An appeal to the ESPN Ombudsman for more Erin Andrews.

Erin Andrews won't be on Monday Night Football next year, but Tony Kornheiser will.

RANDOM FUN STUFF:

If you're going to do butt-print art in your spare time, just a note...don't do it while you're a teacher in Virginia.

Flying from Chicago to Vermont? Watch out for the scorpions.

Yesterday's worst Britney picture of all time gets trumped by today's, sent by a very loyal Mondesi fan:

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NHL:
Despite their best attempts to force an eventual shootout loss, the Penguins fall in regulation to the Lightning. That's 11 losses in a row against Tampa.

Congrats to Sidney Crosby, your top vote-getter for the NHL All-Star Game.

NFL:
Listen up, Steeler fans: Michael Bush, the object of your dreams, is declaring for the NFL Draft

Also in for the '07 draft: Pitt Panther Darrelle Revis

Wondering how hard Plex took the Giants loss on Sunday? He was partying with Lil Kim, Foxy Brown, and Nick Cannon a few hours later

Ron Cook takes a look at the Steelers' pending free agent decisions. Entering the last year of their contracts: Polamalu, Faneca, Porter, Haggans, Kreider, Simmons, and Smith. Can you hear the ka-ching sound?

Speaking of the 2007 NFL Draft, here's an updated mock draft I found while scouring the web. This one has the Steelers taking Lamarr Woodley, a 6-2, 270-pound DE from Michigan. Not going to happen. And Brady Quinn is NOT going #2 overall. Write it down.

Terrell Owens is taking his 25 million reasons to live to a new publicist

Video of Bill Belichick's Shove Heard Round the World



NBA:
Jason Kidd files for divorce from Juwanna Mann. I mean Joumana Kidd. Jason is claiming extremely cruelty. Sounds like a great time to bring up Bob Ryan's controversial 2003 comments on the Kidds.

Aaron Gray, lurking at #15 in the latest 2007 NBA Mock Draft.

MLB:
On the day of Hall of Fame inductions for Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn, what are we talking about? A publicity whore of a sportswriter who appeared on every show known to man on Tuesday.

RANDOM FUN STUFF:
Pretty much the worst photo of Britney Spears you've ever seen

Pretty much the worst photo of Kelly Clarkson you've ever seen

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NFL:

What's with jocks and taking pictures of their weiners on cell phones? First, we had Jeff Reed. Now, we have ex-NFL QB and much-maligned ESPN talking head Sean Salisbury taking pictures of his junk! Since Sean is the moral compass of the NFL, always telling us why we should hate Terrell Owens, would this be acceptable if Owens did it?

Who cleans up after Hurricane Accorsi in New York? Why call him Hurricane Accorsi? Could it be a trade of what turned out to be Philip Rivers, Shawne Merriman, Nate Kaeding, and Roman Oben in exchange for one Elisha Manning? Here's some additional fun facts about this trade, courtesy of Wikipedia:
-Philip Rivers, Nate Kaeding and Shawne Merriman have all made the 2007 Pro Bowl. Manning still has yet to make a Pro Bowl in the NFL.
-The Chargers will also consider the third round compensation pick from the NFL in the 2007 draft for releasing Drew Brees as being inextricably linked with the Manning trade.
-Nate Kaeding, over three years from 2004 to 2006, has a higher field goal percentage than Giants kicker Jay Feely
-Rivers has a higher career QB Rating than Manning
-Shawne Merriman was the 2005 Defensive Rookie of the Year and led the league in sacks in 2006, despite serving a 4 game suspension after testing positive for steroids.

Yes, Jeff Garcia is still dating former Playmate of the Year Carmella Decesare. In fact, they're getting married. And Garcia's Dad is the Best Man. Seriously.

NHL:

Video of possibly the worst gaffe in NHL history: Dallas' Patrik Stefan misses an empty-net goal, then Edmonton's Ales Hemsky scores a game-tying goal with two seconds in the game.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL:

See, a playoff system isn't needed after all! Of course, I found this on the official BCS website. But why would they not be objective with that argument?

Wondering who to call to complain about the lack of the non-needed playoff system? Yahoo Sports says to blame Big 10 Commissioner Jim Delany.

RANDOM FUN STUFF:

Finally! Harley King is bringing 10 Sonic drive-ins to Western PA.

2007 might be the warmest year ever. Ironically, I write this on the eve of our first semi-snowfall of the winter.

That Beatles butcher cover album finally sold on eBay. The hammer price? $28,763.

Here's a nice story to start the morning: a French prisoner "probably" ate parts of his cellmate.

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I'm thinking The Vested One wishes he was facing the Wolverines on Monday night, because his team didn't look ready to play the NCAA Sports-dominating Florida Gators. I'm sure you haven't forgotten the fact that Coach Tressel decided to abstain from the final USA Today coaches' poll, citing a "conflict of interest". Of course, that didn't stop him from voting, or at least pretending to vote, the rest of the season.

Ohio State was representing the vaunted Big 10 conference, which is always a topic of discussion on this site. Some enjoy praising their beloved Big 10 at the expense of the Big East, which is their absolute right. But after that game, as I see it, the Big East (5-0) did quite well in the postseason, while the Big 10 was largely embarrassed.

Ohio State and Michigan were totally manhandled in the National Championship and Rose Bowl, respectively. Minnesota blew a 31-point lead and lost to Texas Tech in a loss so bad that they fired their coach. Iowa frittered away a 14-0 lead in a loss to Texas. Purdue lost to Maryland, 24-7. Yes, the conference did manage two wins: Wisconsin's 17-14 victory over Arkansas and Penn State's 20-10 W over Tennessee. But is a 2-5 record enough fodder to talk trash about how bad another conference is?

In comparison, the Big East's Louisville topped Wake, 24-13, in the Orange Bowl; Rutgers dominated Kansas State, 37-10, in the Texas Bowl; and WVU beat Georgia Tech, 38-35, in the Gator Bowl (despite their fans soiling the GT band section). Heck, even South Florida and Cincinnati won their bowl games.

But I can hear the Big 10 fans typing their rebuttals already: "Yeah, well we played USC and Florida, while you were playing Wake Forest and Kansas State. We're still better."

The reason the Big East was playing such teams is because of the anti-Big East bias that existed for most of the season. I think that has finally started to fade away, mostly because of how silly it looks in retrospect. But come on, couldn't they do Rutgers better than an invite to the Texas Bowl against a 7-5 Kansas State team? The truth is, the Scarlet Knights should have been playing in the Sugar Bowl instead of Notre Dame. Ever wonder why the Irish have lost nine straight bowl games? It's because they're invited to games they should not be playing in. They're a ticket and TV draw, and that's fantastic, but they're outclassed in those games. Don't argue with me, argue with reality. It's not a coincidence. And it will continue.

The Big East did have an easier path to a 5-0 bowl record, and I don't think they would be 5-0 if they faced the likes of USC or OSU. But if they play in more games along the lines of where they should be, that 5-0 record will work itself back to reality.

But I digress. This is supposed to be about the National Championship. And with the win tonight, Florida becomes the first school to hold both the D-I titles in both basketball and football at the same time. So congrats to them, because that's pretty amazing.

The Gators re-load for 2007, with Tim Tebow back, this time as the full-time starter. So expect to see them ranked right up there with the USCs of the world when the initial rankings are released. Ohio State loses Troy Smith and will probably lose Ted Ginn and Antonio Pittman, but they have a friendly non-conference schedule in '07: Youngstown State, Akron, Kent State, and Washington. So they'll be in the hunt as well. I can only wonder where Coach Tressel will vote his team in the opening poll.

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OK, it's time to get to that argument I teased in Monday's weekend wrapup...

So I'm watching the Colts/Chiefs playoff game with my Dad and a huge debate breaks out. He keeps telling me that Boise State/Oklahoma was the most exciting game of all time. I agree that it was up there, but I tell him he has a short memory. I argued that the Steelers/Colts playoff game in January, 2006 was equally if not more exciting, based on the roller coaster ride that was the fourth quarter, and that it at least belongs in the discussion. And I also made the case that the USC/Texas Rose Bowl in 2006 was a more exciting game than BSU/OU given the stakes at hand.

These games were all exciting for different reasons. In the case of Boise State, their program had never experienced a win in a game so big, on such a large stage. The Steelers, on the other hand, were playing this game as part of an unprecedented run through the NFL playoffs. No six-seed had ever won a Super Bowl or won three road playoff games in a row. USC-Texas was the culmination of a collision course involving two mega-powers, and the game exceeded the lofty expectations.

Before I get slammed, I know there were big, exciting games played before 2006. I enjoy the history of sports. But today, I'm not trying to debate the entire history of instant classics. This was a unique case of three memorable games played in the past year, and I'd like to hear other opinions as to which one you think was the most exciting.

Let's examine the three thrillers, present some facts and other relevant information, and see where that gets us.

Pregame expectations

BSU/OU: Boise State was ranked #9 with a 12-0 record, winning the WAC championship. They did not play any ranked opponents. Oklahoma was #7 at 11-2. They had a controversial one-point loss at #18 Oregon and lost by 18 against Texas. They had three wins over top-25 opponents. At gametime, OU was a seven-point favorite. So let's not get carried away here. BSU wasn't some 40-point underdog.

Steelers/Colts: Of the "national media", only Merril Hoge predicted the Steelers to win (as I remember), and he picked them every week. In fact, I remember Dan Patrick asking Michael Irvin what chance the Steelers had to win, to which Michael responded, "Not a chance, Dan!". I always enjoy the opportunity to make Michael Irvin look more foolish than he usually does on his own.

USC/Texas: This was arguably the most-anticipated NCAA football championship of all time. USC entered with a 34-game winning streak and were the defending champs. Texas was riding a 19-game winning streak. The combined 53 games were an NCAA record. There were two Heisman winners on the USC side (Bush & Leinart) as well as a Heisman runner-up (Vince Young) on the Texas side. Even before the game was played, ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit and Mark May declared USC as the second-best college team of all time, trailing only the '95 Nebraska Cornhuskers in their minds.

Blown Leads and comebacks

BSU/OU: Boise State's largest lead was 28-10 in the 3rd quarter. The game went into OT tied at 35.

Steelers/Colts: The Steelers nursed a 21-3 lead going into the fourth quarter. The Colts brought it back to 21-18 and attempted a Mike Vanderjagt field goal to tie.

USC/Texas: USC led 38-26 with 6:42 remaining in the game. Texas would rally for a 41-38 win.

Big Plays/Momentum-Changing Plays

BSU/OU:

BSU: Marty Tadman's 49-yard INT return at 8:05 of the 3rd---puts BSU up 28-10

OU: Quentin Chaney's 5-yard TD at 1:26 of the 4th ties the game at 28.

OU: Marcus Walker takes back a Jared Zabransky pass 33 yards to the house. 35-28 OU with 1:02 to go

BSU: Jerard Rabb scores on a 4th-and-18 hook-and-lateral from Zabransky with seven seconds left. 35-35 going into OT

OU: Adrian Peterson rumbles 25 yards on the first play of OT. OU is up 42-35

BSU: Derek Schouman catches a 5-yard TD pass on 4th-and-goal in OT. 42-41, OU.

BSU: Zabransky executes the Statue of Liberty play, and Ian Johnson takes it in for the two-point conversion. 43-42 BSU

BSU: Johnson then drops to one knee and proposes to his girlfriend. This could be the tiebreaker in an excitement argument. Although if Big Ben were still dating Natalie Gulbis, that proposal would top Ian Johnson-Chrissy Popadics.

Steelers/Colts:

Steelers: Roethlisberger to Randle El for a six-yard TD at the 10:11 mark of the first quarter. An exclamation point on the first drive.

Steelers: Roethlisberger to Heath Miller for a seven-yard TD with 3:56 left in the first. Further digging Peyton Manning a hole.

Steelers: Jerome Bettis goes in from a yard out at 2:09 of the 3rd. 21-3 Steelers going into quarter four.

Steelers: Troy Polamalu interception gets overturned by ref Pete Morelli with 5:26 to go in the game

Colts: Edgerrin James takes it three yards to the house with 4:35 left. 21-18 Steelers, but the Colts are surging after the overturned INT.

Steelers: Joey Porter sacks Peyton Manning twice in a critical, "last gasp" drive for the Colts. Pittsburgh takes posession at the Indy 2 with 1:20 left.

Steelers: The Bus fumbles, it's recovered by stab victim Nick Harper, and Big Ben makes a TD-saving tackle. Colts take back the ball at their own 42, 1:09 left in the game

Steelers: Manning throws to the end zone for Reggie Wayne, but rookie Bryant McFadden defends. Brings up a 4th and 2 at the Steeler 28. 21 seconds to go.

Steelers: The NFL's all-time most accurate field goal kicker, Mike Vanderjagt, lines up for a 46-yarder and misses badly. Game, set, match. 21-18, Steelers

USC/Texas:

USC: The Trojans take the opening drive 46 yards in 1:10. Lendale White scores from four yards out, and USC sets the pace from the opening gun. 7-0, USC.

Texas: Vince Young runs for 12 yards and laterals to Selvin Young, who takes it the rest of the way. Texas takes their first lead at 4:47 of the 2nd Q, 9-7.

Texas: Ramonce Taylor rumbles 30 yards to the house. Texas builds a 16-7 lead at 2:34 of the 2nd.

USC: Lendale White takes it in once again, this time from three yards. USC regains the lead at 17-16 with 10:36 in the 3rd.

Texas: Vince Young runs for 38 yards and throws for 21 more on a seven-play drive. Texas reclaims the lead, 23-17...8:34 left in the 3rd.

USC: Lendale White scores a third time, adding a 12-yarder to his resume. Leinart throws for 72 on the drive. USC is up 24-23 and takes the lead into the 4th.

USC: Dwayne Jarrett reels in a 22-yarder from Matt Leinart for six. USC takes a 38-26 lead on a 4 play, 80 yard drive with just 6:42 left in regulation

Texas: Vince Young moves the Longhorns 69 yards in 2:39, capping the drive with a 17-yard TD run. 38-33, USC, with 4:03 remaining.

Texas: VY runs it in from 8 on a 4th-and-5. Texas takes over, 41-38. 19 seconds to go.

USC: Leinart-to-Bush for 26, the ball is on the Texas 43 with time for one more play

USC: Leinart's pass to Jarrett falls incomplete. Ladies and gentlemen, your NCAA Champion Texas Longhorns.

Superb Individual Performances

BSU/OU:

Ian Johnson, BSU: 101 yards rushing, 1 TD, and that game-clinching conversion. Plus a successful marriage proposal

Jared Zabransky, BSU: 19/29, 263 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT. And the greatest Statue of Liberty play in history

Marty Tadman, BSU: 2 INTs, one for a touchdown

Adrian Peterson, OU: 77 yards rushing, 2 TDs (1 in OT)

Juaquin Iglesias, OU: 6 catches, 120 yards

Marcus Walker, OU: 33 yard INT return for a TD in the final minute

Steelers/Colts:

Big Ben, Steelers: 197 yards, 2 TD (both in the 1st half), 1 INT

Hines Ward, Steelers: 3 catches for 68 yards, including a 45-yarder

James Farrior, Steelers: 2.5 sacks, 8 tackles, 2 assists

Joey Porter, Steelers: 1.5 sacks, but both were at crucial times

Steelers D: 5 sacks of Manning in all

Nick Harper, Colts: 9 tackles, and recovered & returned the Bettis fumble

Peyton Manning, Colts: 290 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, but invisible in the 1st half

Reggie Wayne, Colts: 7 catches, 97 yards

USC/Texas:

Matt Leinart, USC: 365 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

Lendale White, USC: 124 yards rushing, 3 TD

Reggie Bush, USC: 82 yards rushing, 95 receiving, 102 kick return yards, 1 TD

Dwayne Jarrett, USC: 10 catches, 121 yards, 1 TD

Vince Young, Texas: 267 yards passing, 200 yards rushing, 3 rushing TDs, including the game-winner

David Thomas, Texas: 10 catches, 88 yards

Conclusion:

I think fans are so whipped up about BSU/OU because of the staggering number of trick plays called at absolutely crucial points in the game. Throw in the underdog factor and that could be your winner.... However, the Steelers win was as improbable as they come in the NFL. When you consider how they got thumped in their previous trip to Indy earlier in the season, plus the fact that the Colts were near-perfect in the regular season and rarely lose at home, the Steelers' win turned more than a few heads. So you could call that game the winner...But then again, how often do big games exceed the expectations? Just look at last night's Florida/OSU game. Would you call that a good game? By comparison, USC/Texas, featuring hoards of blue-chip NFL talent duking it out at the Rose Bowl, makes a strong case itself.

So I'm leaving this one up to you. Of the three games presented here, which game would you say was the most exciting, and why?

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Just into the Mondesi Mailbag comes this in-person account of a Pittsburgh XPlosion CBA basketball game, courtesy of Dennis at Pittblather.com:

"A buddy of mine came into town last weekend and wanted to see the Petersen Events Center since he has not yet been in it. We didn't have tickets to the Pitt-USF game on Sunday but when we found that the Xplosion would be there Saturday night we used it as our ticket to show him the building.

I felt bad for him that he's never been able to experience the place during a "real game" when Pitt plays a Big East team. The attendance on Saturday night was probably somewhere around 200 (300 tops) and most of that 200 was composed of the 50 or so family members that came along with the 10 year old girl who sand the national anthem. By the way, she had a hell of a voice but she managed to drag it out for about 5 minutes.

We sat in the courtside seats (general admission tickets + us getting there somewhat early = damn good seats) and it was pretty neat to be able to walk right onto the court that a top 10 team such as Pitt plays on. The amazing seats also made the game a little easier to get in to.

West Virginia's finest, one Mr. Kevin Pittsnogle, is the Xplosion's main attraction. It was easy to tell he has trouble getting pumped for these game; when the team was jumping around right before tipoff he just stood there on the outside of the circle. I guess in the times he'd been here the last few years the place had a little better of an atmosphere. Kevin is just as odd and goofy looking as you see him on TV.

The actual game was sloppy but there were a few cool dunks. I actually figured this would be a little more like a Harlem Globetrotters game but it was a real basketball game. In this particular case, they held the lead for most of the game (which I don't think happens often) before giving up a game tying three pointer with about 2 seconds left and then proceeded to lose badly in overtime. Not very hard to see why they're 1-14.

Overall, I'd do it again just to sit that close to the court at the Pete (or Mellon Arena) for the $5 they charged me. Maybe someday they'll sign a former Pitt player and so I won't feel forced to go.

Pictures can be found here (sorry about the quality of some of them, I'm not much of a photographer and the camera I had wasn't great)"

http://picasaweb.google.com/d.oneil09/XplosionGame

Don't forget to email your interesting links and thoughts to mondesishouse@gmail.com. Of all the submissions I receive, I'll send a random winner a cool prize each Monday.

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Joe Hardy, owner of 84 Lumber, celebrated his 84th birthday on Saturday night at his Nemacolin Woodlands resort in nearby Farmington, PA. Apparently, my invitation was lost in the mail. But despite my absence, the show did go on.

Christina Aguilera sang Joe "Happy Birthday" and probably collected a ridiculous paycheck in the process. There were also performances from Robin Williams, Bette Midler, and the cast of A Chorus Line. Hardy's tablemates included Gov. Rendell, Troy Polamalu, and Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge. Just another run-of-the-mill Western PA birthday party if you ask me.

Believe it or not, I did have dinner with Joe Hardy once. It was probably 1993 or so, and my father's charity golf tournament was being held that year at Nemacolin. So our family ended up at Joe's table. He was actually a pretty cool guy, and told a few crazy stories throughout dinner. He's one of those people that has a definitive presence when they enter a room. He's definitely not the average "boring rich guy". In fact, he's said in the past that he wants to die broke. The guy's getting serenaded by Christina Aguilera when he's 84. Outside of Hugh Hefner, I don't see that happening for many other people on this planet at that age.

When people throw around potential ownership groups for the Penguins, I always wondered why Hardy never made a truly serious offer. I'd prefer Hardy over Mark Cuban 100 times out of 100. But with the cancellation of the 84 Lumber Classic, it may appear that now is not the best time to suggest a pro sports ownership group to the family. Although the article and pictures suggest he can still turn out quite a birthday party.

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CHRIS BERMAN:

There's the happily married Boomer at the Super Bowl in Jacksonville...crammed onto a couch with five girls, one on his lap

MEDIA:

ESPN's Ombudsman wraps up 2006 like only an ombudsman could

NFL:

Ricky Williams wants to come back to the Dolphins. Seriously, haven't these people suffered enough? All those years getting teased with Dan Marino, yet no Super Bowl wins...the embarrassment that is the champagne-popping '72 team...Ricky Williams' original disappearance...Nick Saban...Junior Seau retires, then joined the Patriots. Can't we tell Ricky to stay away? Seriously, go join the Giants. They won't even notice you with all of their sideshows.

Video of The Tuna telling Tony Romo to throw the F-ing ball away.

MLB:

Seven Springs trucked in 6 million pounds of snow to the resort on Friday. Owner Bob Nutting gave this quote: "We are doing all that we can to show our skiers, snowboarders, snowtubers and guests that in this first year of ownership we are absolutely committed to providing the best possible conditions." To all of you who can't connect the dots, Mr. Nutting's family also owns another small business called The Pittsburgh Pirates. So I would guess that this snow came cheap, won't perform well, and will disappoint all the paying customers. (thanks to reader Cecil for the link)

NHL:

SI compiled a list of hockey's most colorful names. Mildly amusing.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL:

Scout.com has Pitt's updated commits list for the 2007 class. In my best "Count" voice, here are one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine! Nine four-star recruits! Ahh-ahh-ahhh! And one five-star recruit too!

RANDOM FUN STUFF:

Here's what passes for art in 2007: a painting of Angelina Jolie, as the Virgin Mary, hovering over a Wal-Mart checkout line.

Disney World's Tigger punches a kid...and of course, there's video. Something about Bengals and trouble this year.

Toyota is creating a vehicle that detects drunken drivers and shuts down the car if sensors pick up excessive alcohol consumption. Sounds fantastic. But if a person has such a drinking problem that they would consider drinking and driving in the first place, then why would they buy such a car?

Play every NES game ever on your computer...kill more time at work...make your bosses hate Mondesi's House even more....

Will Ferrell turned down $29 million for Elf 2. And Brad Pitt wants to produce a movie with Sacha Baron Cohen, known to you as "Borat". Hold on, I think my head just exploded with these two facts. (thanks to reader Kiana for the link)

Here's the dumbest rap star names. Unfortunately, J-Peezy is not a rapper and thus does not qualify for this list.

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Colts 23, Chiefs 8: This game set football back about 20 years. I'll start with the Chiefs, who I had zero faith in to win this game. Herm Edwards and Trent Green do not come home with Lombardi Trophies. That's just a fact. And amazingly enough, they underperformed even my low expectations. The KC game plan was to run, run, run, since the Colts have such a historically bad run defense. Of course, if you know exactly what your opponent is going to do, that defense gets a lot easier to execute. So the Chiefs ran right into a Colts D expecting the run. Brilliant work, Herminator.

The horrendous Chiefs passing attack accounted for a grand total of 82 yards, including a whole two completions to receivers. And they were both to Dante Hall, who doesn't even start and is really a kick returner in a wide receiver's body. They couldn't even set up the run via the pass. Even when they made a play on defense and intercept Peyton Manning, the Chiefs went three-and-out inside the Colts' 10 and missed a 23-yard field goal. Can someone remind me why Kansas City when to such great lengths to steal Herm Edwards away from the Jets?

Seahawks 21, Cowboys 20- The national media continues to not surprise me. Tony Romo blows the hold, the Cowboys never get a chance to even kick the game-winning field goal, and the Cowboys lose. The media reaction? It's a good thing for Dallas, because it will help Romo mature for the future. Yeah, it's fantastic to be bounced out of the playoffs in a wide-open year by a team you should have beaten. I'm sure Cowboys fans are ecstatic about Tony Romo's psyche in 2007.

Patriots 37, Jets 16- You say Mangenius, I say Mangina, let's call the whole thing off. The Jets look like a mirror image of the Patriots, minus a few players. It's clear that the Jets are trying to completely replicate the New England organization. All they need is a tattered, cut-off hoodie for Mangini.

An amazing factoid: of all the non-playmaking receivers on the Patriots roster, four of them are from the University of Florida: Chad Jackson, Reche Caldwell, Jabar Gaffney, and Kelvin Kight. Actually, Gaffney had a decent game on Sunday. But seriously, people are always banging on the Patriots about their receivers, yet all they do is keep winning. They made it a lot further than the teams that had Chad Johnson, Andre Johnson, Terrell Owens, Larry Fitzgerald, and Randy Moss (actually, Moss isn't even in this conversation anymore). And it irks me that Deion Branch seems to get confused with Jerry Rice since his holdout started. He was a nice receiver, but asked for and got waaaay too much cash. The guy never had a 1,000-yard season and he gets $39 million? The Pats go into 2007 with $30 million in cap room. So basically, they're rebuilding and still winning playoff games. Goes to show you the true value of wide receivers. Remember, the Steelers won the Super Bowl without Plaxico Burress, not with him.

By the way, I had to mention the Shawne Merriman halftime interview. He was wearing some sort of King Kong Bundy-looking tank top (as illustrated below) while talking smack on Pittsbugh's own Jason Taylor and having little remorse for his steroid-tainted season. Good stuff.

Eagles 23, Giants 20- A much closer game than I imagined. But who didn't love when 285+ pound Jared Lorenzen trotted out there as the Giants' short-yardage quarterback? What, was Colonel Coughlin watching Tim Tebow tapes?

The best part of this game is that we can finally get rid of Tiki Barber the football player. The downside is that we now get to deal with Tiki Barber, the personality. I think folks are getting a little carried away when they talk Hall of Fame for the Tikster. He's going out as the 17th all-time leading rusher and a three-time Pro Bowler. That's fine and good, but 16th all-time is Ricky Watters, a guy who is not in the Hall of Fame, a guy who might never be in the Hall of Fame. Watters had seven 1,000-yard seasons, Barber had six. Watters had five Pro Bowl appearances, Barber three. Watters had 666 postseason yards and 8 TDs; Barber had 475 and 1. Watters won a Super Bowl, Barber did not. So why the hypocrisy? Because Barber plays in New York and is everywhere, that's why.

Pitt 69, South Florida 48- I have to admit, it was hard to focus on a Pitt matchup against South Florida with an NFL playoff game going on. But I tried my best. Big East Preseason Player of the Year Aaron Gray scored a mere seven points in the win, and Ron Cook calls him on it.

Bobby Petrino is suddenly out at Louisville and in with the Atlanta Falcons, only to be eventually killed by Michael Vick. The leading candidates to replace Petrino are Tulsa coach Steve Kragthorpe and Alabama coach Nick Saban.

The exploits of the Pittsburgh XPlosion are well documented on this site, but check out this post from Rizzo: the XPlosion have resorted to offering 10% commissions to ticket buyers who dupe friends into buying tickets.

Good stuff from this weekend:

Sidney Crosby's goal- For those of you who were watching The Simpsons and may have missed it, Sid the Kid scored from his stomach (video). You also missed Andre Roy on the Tampa side, this time doing the instigating that the Penguins paid for but never received. And you missed another Pens shootout loss. Even the rally helmets were helpless in defeat.

Jackass Number Two- If you liked the original, you'll enjoy this one as well. Although I didn't understand the need for all the random celebrity cameos. Three stars out of four.

Surreal Life: Fame Games- I'm not a reality TV fan, but for some reason I like this show. I caught the first episode, and they bring back some of the all-time greats under one roof: Mini-Me, Chyna, Pepa, Ron Jeremy, Vanilla Ice, Brigitte Nielsen, C.C. Deville, Traci Bingham, Webster, Andrea Lowell (who?)...but alas, no Flav. This comes after the new season of Hogan Knows Best and before the new show Shooting Sizemore in the Celebreality block.

The Lord Sear Special – The Extended Drunk Mix- Any Sirius radio owners out there? I'm still getting my bearings, although I greatly enjoy what I've heard so far. It's nice to be reunited with Howard Stern. And there are ample sports selections and 100s of channels in all. I would strongly endorse it to anyone on the bubble.

So on the way home Friday night, I found this unintentional comedy gem on Sirius' "Shade 45"...you know, the Eminem channel.

Since my words could not begin to capture the show's spirit, I'll give you the official Sirius description:

When he's not on the All Out Show with Rude Jude or drunk by the bar, Lord Sear can be found behind the turntables playing rare unreleased joints, freestyles and special treats from his crates that will make you stop and say "Whoa"! (Grey Goose not included).

Yeah, that basically sums it up. It's 2 hours of unfiltered rap chaos. Just absolute mayhem. Highly entertaining mayhem.

A classic sports argument with my Dad (a.k.a. Felipe Mondesi)- While visiting my parents and watching Chiefs/Colts, my father and I had a great sports argument for the ages. Voices were raised. Points were made and contested. Tensions rose. And then my Mom told us to stop arguing and help her take down Christmas decorations. So we agreed to settle it on Mondesi's House. I'm thinking a Tuesday "Mondesi Show" should do the trick.

Not-so-good stuff from this weekend:

KDKA's cheesy "Thanks Coach Cowher" commercials- Yeah, I could have done without those.

The "Rock Em Sock Em Robots" Commerical for the Dodge Ram- What is it about car companies and absolute saturation of an ad this year? First it was "This is ouuuuuur country", and now this. Between the college bowl games and the NFL playoffs, I think I've seen this ad 1,423 times in the past seven days.

The Black Dahlia- Scarlett Johansson, Hilary Swank, Josh Hartnett, a Brian DePalma movie, a famous Hollywood mystery...I had high hopes. But as we learned with this year's Steelers, high hopes can equal high disappointment...and this was high disappointment.

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A milestone: my first link from ESPN.com, regarding my take on the Cowher situation

Thanks also go out to the PG for my mention in their front-page Blog N Gold "Cahr" article

The official Post-Gazette recap of today's events

A nice piece on the coach from John Clayton.

Don Banks thinks the Steelers' next coach is already on their payroll

Michael Silver lists 8 reasons why Cowher is leaving. #1? The Rooneys don't pay.

Pictures of Bill Cowher's house in North Carolina

Reaction from around the country. I know you were all wondering what Vince Papale thought of the news.

Bill Cowher's most valuable rookie card

The PG asked the fans for their thoughts on the big news

The Bill Cowher Appearance Improvement Page

A vintage Mondesi piece: Cowher's Worst Decisions of 2006.

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Editor's note: Welcome ESPN.com "Sports Nation" readers finding the site for the first time. Please check out the "Most Popular Articles" column on the right side of the page and start there. We have a very loyal readership and update daily. Hopefully you'll stop back soon!

Any Superman fans out there? Anyone familar with the villain Bizarro? The guy who's like Superman, but totally reversed?

Well, today I'm more convinced than ever that Pittsburgh is Bizarro World. It's 60 degrees outside in the beginning of January, when the average for this month is 26. I just paid $1.75 for a $2.35 gallon of gas (thanks to Giant Eagle FuelPerks). All seven copies of Artie Lange's Beer League were rented out at Blockbuster. This is a movie that did $472,000 at the box office. Bill Cowher is out as the Steelers coach after 15 years. The Penguins are talking to Kansas City about relocation. Up is down. Black is white. East is west. It's Bizarro World.

I was debating today with Ramon Mondesi (my younger brother) about which story was bigger, Cowher or the Penguins? I realize even the premise of that argument in most towns would be ridiculous, as the obvious answer is a team potentially leaving. But this is different. Pittsburgh is one of those towns where you can even float the argument, simply because the Steelers change coaches about as often as some teams build new arenas.

While our current coach is on the way out (as he reportedly told his assistants on Thursday), the local officials are optimistic that they can reach a deal with Le Magnifique. That's obviously good news, but I wish it were a bit sooner. Nothing like waiting until there's 1 second on the clock to throw up the hail mary. I just hope Ed Rendell is a good quarterback. And if he is, after all he did to chase the Penguins away, that would truly signify the dawn of the Bizarro World.

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The Bill Cowher Soap Opera took another turn Thursday, with the news that Mr. Bill is resigning on Friday, not Sunday, Tuesday, or next Monday, as previously reported. Hopefully, the 4th time will be the charm.

While I will miss the one and only coach that gave me a Super Bowl win and countless years of playoff excitement, I think it's time to move on. In the wake of all the Nick Saban talk, I heard someone make a great point about moving forward as a Dolphin fan. Would you rather have a coach who wants to be there, or one who is forced to be there because of a contract? Did Cowher really impress you as a guy who enjoyed his job this season?

Let's face it...the Dolphins were going backwards with Saban, and the Steelers went backwards even with Cowher in charge this year. I simply couldn't even imagine Cowher back in 2007. He seemed miserable from the opening kickoff, which came, ironically, against the Dolphins.

For the first time I can remember, the team honestly seemed to tune Cowher out this year. The 15-yard penalties that "would not happen again" happened again and again. But that was one of many low points. The Baltimore games, where the Steelers were physically embarrassed on both sides of the ball; the Oakland game, when the Steelers lost to a team who couldn't manage 100 yards of offense; the turnovers; the special teams...it was a train wreck for any team, let alone a defending champion.

I will miss the spit, the jaw, the emotion, the things that made Cowher a personality beyond a coach. But I trust that the Steelers will find the right man to replace him. They have a pretty good track record picking coaches. We can only hope that the next coach gives us as many good years as Bill Cowher.

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At long last, Bill Cowher will grant the Steelers and the general public with his decision on Monday. For the man who had to live with his family in North Carolina, there's now a report that it's not improbable for Mr. Bill to end up in Miami, rejoining coordinators Mike Mularkey and Dom Capers. Considering Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga said yesterday, "There's only one thing I want to do, is win; I don't care what it takes, what it costs, or what's involved", he would probably pony up the dough needed to catch the eye of The Jaw.

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Just in to the Mondesi tipline...

While the Georgia Tech band left their seats to perform at halftime, a WVU fan took advantage and left them a present upon their arrival. Yes, he took a dump in the GT band section. And yes, there are photos.

Let's gooooo, Mountaineers!

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NHL:
Pens meet with Kansas City reps today...Anschutz Entertainment Group announces a press conference for tomorrow morning...Lemieux & Burkle meet with Rendell and Onoravenstahl on Thursday

Pens 3, Carolina 0...Carolina loses the game, but may gain another Cowher family member very soon

New Year's resolutions for those in the NHL (actually, a great read)

COLLEGE FOOTBALL:
Nick Saban, definitely not taking the Alabama job

Penn State over Miami, January 2, 1987: the day college football went to hell

Notre Dame to use a $4.5 Million bowl payout to build Charlie Weis a belt

MLB:
Jose Hernandez returns to the Pirates for a third tour of duty. And why not? He hit .267 and he managed a strikeout every 4th at-bat. We're lucky we signed him before Billy Beane stole him away.

Surprise, surprise...Pirate season-ticket sales down 18% for 2007...but will soon rise with the signing of Hernandez

Mark McGwire, probably not in the Hall of Fame this year...

...but he should be, according to Bill Simmons

NFL:
Matt Leinart rehabs shoulder by grabbing Britney Spears' butt and making out with her last weekend

Offseason issues for the already-eliminated NFL teams, courtesy of SI's Don Banks

The NFL Wives Club....proof that Peyton Manning is not married to Kenny Chesney

Photo evidence of Javon Walker's bloody shirt from the Darrent Williams murder

The official invitation to Kenyon Martin's birthday party, which Williams was attending

ESPN's final 2006 Power Rankings...I won't spoil them for you

RANDOM FUN STUFF:
Want to get Lindsay Lohan's attention? The bar has been set at $1 million in jewelry

The Beatles' "butcher" album, $20,000 and rising

MTV's Vanessa Minillo drops the first F-bomb of 2007 on live TV (video)

Tara Reid, screwing up the New Year's Eve countdown she was hosting...be sure to catch the reaction of the guy around the 45 second mark (video)

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The Bill Cowher Circus has been a sideshow all year for the coach and his team. Once the season was over, it was expected that Cowher would make a quick, painless decision and everyone involved would move on. The Post-Gazette led their Sunday edition with a "Cowher leaving Tuesday" story, over prominent current-events stories such as the death of a former President and the hanging of a ruthless dictator. Chris Mortensen was all over ESPN on Tuesday, telling anyone who would listen that "The Rooneys demand an answer from Cowher by the end of the day". Speculation was running rampant. Grimm to Atlanta. Whisenhunt to Atlanta. Whisenhunt to Arizona. Rivera to Pittsburgh. Wannstedt to Pittsburgh. That's right, Wannstedt to Pittsburgh. The old rumor, once contrived by profootballtalk.com, gets dug up from the grave once again.

Despite the immaculate credentials of Ed Bouchette and Chris Mortensen, they have been completely incorrect on the Cowher situation so far, because absolutely nothing has happened. And profootballtalk.com somehow keeps getting mentions from national media outlets despite rumor-mongering such as the Wannstedt story and "Moss and/or Jerry Porter to the Steelers" fantasies.

With that in mind, I touched base with all of my contacts in the NFL, in the media, and in the football world to give you the definitive list of coaches who the Steelers are looking at, along with their respective pros and cons. This is the best job in the NFL, so don't be surprised by the big names. I'm sure ESPN will pick up this list and mention it on all of their various outlets tomorrow.

Chuck Noll, former Steelers coach

Pros: 4-time Super Bowl Champion coach

Cons: A guy used to coaching Hall of Famers will struggle to come to grips with a lineup featuring Cedrick Wilson and Deshea Townsend

Dave Wannstedt, head coach, Pitt

Pros: Will recruit the best, most athletic free agents in the offseason and make the Steelers look great on paper

Cons: Don't be surprised if a team leader disappears to smoke pot in a tent in Australia on his watch

Frank Beamer, head coach, Viriginia Tech

Pros: His "Beamer Ball" style will mean great special teams for the Steelers

Cons: He still won't be able to beat Pitt

Jerry Glanville, former head coach, Houston Oilers & Atlanta Falcons

Pros: Showed he has guts by trading a useless rookie named Brett Favre to Green Bay while runnning the Falcons

Cons: Will waste two coveted Steeler tickets per game at will-call for Elvis Presley

Jim Mora Sr. and Jr, former NFL head coaches

Pros: Father-and-son coaching combination would be NFL first; absence of Michael Vick will ensure no coaches are killed

Cons: Playoffs may be a pipe dream; the allure of the Washington Huskies job will always be a distraction

Joe Paterno, head coach, Penn State

Pros: Proven he can display the loyalty to an organization that the Rooneys require; will coach through pain

Cons: Will probably be offered more money to take the Alabama job if Nick Saban passes

John Bunting, former head coach, North Carolina

Pros: 26-45 career record at UNC means he's due for a few winning seasons

Cons: Will continue to bench Willie Parker

John L. Smith, former head coach, Michigan State

Pros: Will never have a boring Tuesday-afternoon press conference

Cons: Will have extremely talented teams that continue to disappoint, year after year

Larry Coker, former head coach, Miami Hurricanes

Pros: Will nurture the ball-hawking, taunting style the 2006 Steelers displayed, thus enabling continunity with the players

Cons: 60-15 career coaching record just not good enough for the Hurricanes or the NFL

Marvin Lewis, head coach, Cincinnati Bengals

Pros: Knows the division, having coached in Baltimore and Pittsburgh

Cons: Probably will turn down the job due to lack of bad-character players he can help "rehab"

Mike Ditka, former head coach, Chicago Bears & New Orleans Saints

Pros: "Pittsburgh guy"; Super Bowl Champion coach, NFL Hall of Famer, Pitt legend

Cons: May trade the entire draft for Adrian Peterson, then make him pose in a wedding dress.

Mike Gottfried, former head coach, Pitt

Pros: Doesn't have anything else going on

Cons: Players won't be able to understand him when he talks; insists on inclusion of Pam Ward on his staff

Neil Gordon, head coach, Penn Hills HS

Pros: Will never draft Anthony Morelli; likes to run the football

Cons: Would still consider Gateway the toughest opponent on his schedule

Nick Saban, head coach, Miami Dolphins

Pros: Highly-respected coach who learned under Bill Parcells

Cons: Will leave Steelers in 2008 to coach Auburn; when asked who he models his career after, he answered, "Larry Brown"

Russ Grimm, offensive line coach, Pittsburgh Steelers

Pros: Assistant head coach on an NFL Champion; Scottdale native; Pitt legend

Cons: Wishes he could erase the 2006 Steelers O-Line tapes from his resume

Tom Bradley, assistant coach, Penn State

Pros: Will write 30 handwritten letters to each highly-coveted free agent on the Steelers radar, just like he did for Justin King

Cons: Insists on bringing Joe Paterno along as the true head coach, just for old times' sake

Walt Harris, former head coach, Pitt Panthers & Stanford Cardinal

Pros: Developed NFL offensive stars like Larry Fitzgerald, Antonio Bryant, and Kevan Barlow while at Pitt

Cons: The consequences of a one-win season as Steeler coach would make Saddam Hussein's treatment look gentle

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Now that the holiday season is over, it's time to get back to work. Of course, that means recapping four days of sports into one neat little post, but I'll try my best...

Steelers 23, Bengals 17- If this turns out to be Bill Cowher's last game roaming the Steeler sidelines, it was a fitting exit to a great era. In what has been one of the most uninspiring NFL seasons in recent memory, this game stood out as very exciting, coming close to, if not achieving, "instant classic" status. We had big plays, lead changes, big hits, and loads of drama. And the Steelers won to boot, crawling back to a .500 season in the process.

Mr. Bill's postgame press conference sounded like a man who thought he wanted to walk away, yet truly enjoyed the game he just won. During the game, he showed the emotion that didn't seem to be there in 2006, especially in chewing out Willie Colon. He successfully played "ice the kicker" with Shayne Graham, which he greatly enjoyed. And he left that tiny window of doubt open that maybe he would stay on. But according to Ed Bouchette, that window is all but closed.

Regardless of the disappointment that was the Steelers' title defense, it was an enjoyable finale.

My highlights:

1. Santonio Holmes' 67-yard "walk-off" overtime TD. For a young man who had a roller coaster season, I'm glad he went into 2007 on an up note. And the play broke the Bengals' backs in the process. Even better.

2. James Harrison's upside-down slam, which resulted in a 15-yard penalty. Silverback is developing a rep for the December bodyslam in a rival game. He just makes things happen, period.

3. Anthony Smith's hit on T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Breathtaking.

4. Fast William Parker's 134 yards and 2 TDs, breaking Louis Lipps' team record with 16 for the season. Nice atonement for the fumble with a score on the next drive. FWP finished with 1,494 yards rushing for the season.

5. James Farrior's bone-jarring tackle of Carson Palmer, also resulting in a 15-yard penalty. Well worth it.

6. Ike Taylor starting the last game. Given all the cash the Steelers forked over for Taylor, he's a player you want to go into the offseason on a positive.

7. Jeff Reed hits a big field goal, and manages to keep his weiner in his pants in the process.

8. Shayne Graham's 39-yard miss in the last minute. Do you realize the Bengals lost in Denver on a botched PAT and then lost to the Steelers on a missed 39 yarder? If this team has competent special teams, that's a two-game swing by itself.

So Cincy will join the Steelers in watching mediocre teams like the Jets and Giants in the 2006 playoffs, and they can both look in the mirror for all the reasons they aren't participating. As much as I enjoyed the Steelers' win, this could have easily been yet another loss in typical '06 Steeler fashion. The Parker fumbled en route to the end zone and subsequent Chris Henry TD catch was the season in a nutshell. I heard some of the Mark Madden & Stan Savran postgame show, and Savran gave a stat that blew my mind: this year's Steelers had 10 red zone turnovers. Last year, how many red zone turnovers did they have? One. This was a sloppy, unfocused team, and sloppy, unfocused teams finish 8-8. I'm glad this season is over.

USC 32, Michigan 18- So much for Michigan claming they deserved a shot at the National Championship. They were thoroughly outclassed by the Trojans, who look to be the early favorites in 2007. I enjoyed Brent Musberger's analysis of the pending Lloyd Carr criticism, listing bloggers among those lining up to verbally flog the Wolverine coach. When Brent Musberger acknowledges you, you've officially arrived.

Dick Hoak retires- After 45 years with the Steelers, Dick Hoak is finally hanging it up at age 67. Upon hearing the news, Joe Paterno phoned Hoak and called him a pansy.

Bob Knight sets the record- The controversial coach won his NCAA-record 880th game, edging New Mexico, 70-68. The postgame included a playing of Frank Sinatra's My Way. He then tossed a folding chair onto the court.

Jim Mora Fired- The Coach Killer claims another victim. Now Mora can pursue Tyrone Willingham's job with all his energy.

Dennis Green Fired- The Cardinals have already assembled a list to hire their next coaching failure, including Russ Grimm, Ken Whisenhunt, Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera, the Titans' Norm Chow, and Colts assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach Jim Caldwell.

Pittsnogle scores 42, Xplosion fall anyway- The hated Albany Patroons were definitely Pittsnogled, but managed to steal a 132-130 victory over the Pittsburgh XPlosion. If a team is struggling to find an identity in a cluttered sports market, I don't think a 1-11 record will help too much. Of course, if they can lose on a consistent basis, year-in and year-out, they may get a free stadium built. It's called the Pittsburgh Pirates Theory.

Darrent Williams killed in a drive-by: I can't imagine worse news to open the New Year. After the shooting of Joey Porter in Denver in 2003, and Williams' shooting on New Year's Eve, Denver is quickly developing a very negative reputation. The details are limited yet gory, including blood on the shirt of Javon Walker, who was a passenger in the same limo. SI has a chilling gallery from the crime scene.

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Since I'm on quasi-hiatus, and I'm still extremely overloaded with non-Mondesi work, I felt like giving sports the day off and talk a little entertainment. Besides, the Pittsburgh sports scene is pretty depressing now, anyway. The Steelers are out, the Penguins are not only struggling but may be out (for real), and the Pirates refuse to make any offseason moves that warrant discussion. Pitt hoops is for all intents and purposes off until January 4 against Syracuse. And Wannyball: Year II failed to produce a bowl appearance. I could talk about Mike Tyson's cocaine bust, but honestly, is anyone surprised at that? So we go off-topic for a day.

In my limited free time, one of my hobbies is collecting DVDs. At this point, I would guesstimate that I have somewhere between 300-400. In that collection is a number of great movies, a number of bad movies, and a number of movies that go under the category of "guilty pleasures".

We all have our guilty pleasure movies. You know they're bad, but you can't help yourself from watching. So while going through my collection recently, I thought I would give some recommendations of my best "bad movies" for you to indulge in over your Christmas Break from work or school. And no, if you don't like any of them, I will not give you your hour-and-a-half back.

In no particular order, my suggestions for your next trip to Blockbuster:

Out Cold

2001, 89 minutes, PG-13. IMDB rating: 5.5 of 10. Amazon rating: 4 stars out of 5

The plot:

A bunch of misfits at a no-frills Alaskan ski resort fret when their beloved hangout may be purchased by a hotshot developer with big plans for change.

The skinny:

It's billed as "Animal House on ice", but I think that's a little too flattering. And when was the last time anyone looked to the Raleigh News & Observer for a meaningful movie review?

If you watch Comedy Central enough, you'll be sure to stumble upon this movie sooner or later. I honestly don't remember this ever appearing in theaters, but according to boxofficemojo.com, it took in $13 million (with production costs of $24 million) back in 2001. Someone probably got the ax for financing this one.

I caught bits and pieces of this movie at various times on TV, so I figured I would give the DVD a shot. There are a lot worse ways to spend an hour-and-a-half, as there are some good laughs.

Highlights:
--You have to love any movie that even floats the possibility of a hot tub scene featuring Dog Bites Man's Zach Galifanakis and Victoria Silvstedt. Pure fiction.

--The original Six Million Dollar Man, Lee Majors, as "John Majors", the big-time resort developer/heel. A great performance. And not to be confused with former Pitt coach Johnny Majors.

--Anchorman's "Champ Kind", David Koechner, in a small supporting role as local yokel "Stumpy". Koechner is always good for a few laughs, as his track record (40 Year Old Virgin, Talladega Nights, Waiting) would indicate.

--There's actually an actor in this movie named Flex Alexander. Not a character, an actor. That should count for something. Plus, he looks just like Randall Cunningham.

--The deaf football player from The Replacements shows up as a gay bartender named Lance.

--A stoner ski bum named Pigpen plays a prominent role. Always a good thing.

--A ski race in which the winner is determined by who has the most beer in their mug at the bottom of the mountain. Fantastic idea. Brilliant strategy by the winner, which I will not spoil for you.

Accepted

2006, 90 minutes, PG-13. IMDB rating: 6.1 of 10. Amazon rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

The plot:

A group of high school underacheivers who fail to gain acceptance at any college come up with the next best thing: they create one of their own. Apparently they've never heard of community college. Regardless, they manage to dupe enough parents into $10,000 tuition checks, they take over an old mental hospital, and voila!

The skinny:

Despite the absolutely ridiculous premise, the writers and actors carry it out in a somewhat believable manner...until the eventual "everything comes crashing down" scene and subsequent battle to become an accredited college. Lots of solid comedy performances from a number of talented young actors. We need more original (albeit far fetched) movies like this, and less remakes and old TV shows converted to the big screen. Written by the team behind the original American Pie.

Highlights:

--The college is named South Harmon Institute of Technology, their mascot is "the Sandwiches", and their school newspaper is "the Rag".

--"I'm a Mac, I'm a PC" star Justin Long is "Bartleby Gaines", the brains behind the operation. Not only do these guys create a fake college, they go the whole nine yards and create a fictitious ".edu" website.

--A great performance by Jonah Hill as Bartleby's best friend and co-conspirator. You've seen this guy as "The eBay customer" in 40 Year Old Virgin and "Barry" in Grandma's Boy, and he has a number of projects lined up for the future. Best known for his line in this movie, "Ask me about my weiner!"

--The always angry Lewis Black as crazy Uncle Ben, who poses as the Dean of the school

--Vince Vaughn's first victim in Wedding Crashers, the very popular Diora Baird, has a supporting role

Grandma's Boy
2006, 94 minutes, R/Unrated. IMDB rating: 6.6 of 10. Amazon rating: 4 stars out of 5

The plot: A 35-year-old video game developer has no choice but to move back in with his grandma and her two roommates. He tries to pass it off to co-workers as living with a bunch of girls. Hilarity ensues.

The skinny: I've heard this movie referred to as "most underrated of 2006", and while I wouldn't go quite that far, I would agree at its underrated status. There really wasn't a lot of fanfare to this one, which is surprising considering the subject (video games) and the world's obsession with them.

The only major problem I had was the lead. Allen Covert was the star, and you've seen him in nearly every Adam Sandler movie. Seriously, look at his resume, this has gone beyond Sandler simply throwing him a bone: Longest Yard, 50 First Dates, Anger Management, 8 Crazy Nights, Mr. Deeds, Little Nicky, Big Daddy, Waterboy, Wedding Singer, Happy Gilmore, Airheads...with barely anything else in-between. He's funny in small doses, like wearing the Michael Jackson glove in Wedding Singer, but he can't carry a movie on his back.

Highlights:

--If you've never heard of Nick Swarsdon, you'll know him after this movie. I think he absolutely steals it. He plays a co-worker of Covert's who still lives at home, has a race car bed, and wears pajamas with feet in them.

--A disgusting quasi-love scene between Swarsdon and 72-year-old Shirley Jones (yes, the same Shirley Jones who was Miss Pittsburgh 1952)

--The Mother-in-Law from Everybody Loves Raymond playing video games

--Jonah Hill, mentioned above in Accepted, as, pretty much, an overweight nerd

So there you have it...a few convenient ways to spend some of your holiday down-time. And if you can't make it to the video store, check out ESPN's Madden Nation for some great, unintentional comedy. I've been into that show recently. They throw the country's best Madden players on a bus, meeting and playing against real NFL players along the way, while competing in a tournament to become the nation's ultimate Madden player.

Try and catch the episode at Edgerrin James' house, where they don't even give the poor Madden Nation contestant a seat, and to boot he must endure the taunts from the Edge's intimidating posse lurking in the background. 10 out of 10

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NHL:
Pens lose, Pens lose. That's 0 wins in their last 5, for those of you scoring at home.

FOOTBALL:
ESPN ranks the top football states...PA comes in at #4, behind Texas, California, and Florida. PA ranked #1 among pro teams, #7 among college, and #6 among high schools. (Thanks to reader John for the tip)

MEDIA:
SI hands out their 2006 Media Awards, giving Chris Fowler and James Brown person-of-the-year honors. I know he was a great singer and I'll miss him dearly, but did he really have that much to do with the sports media?

NFL:
A player's poll ranks the league's most annoying players. Surprise, surprise, Terrell Owens is #1. Do editors and producers sit around and think of ways to inject him into the news? And by the way...Joey Porter was voted #2.

Chris Simms parlays his 46 passer rating into a 2-year extension in Tampa.

Jason Taylor calls out cheater Shawne Merriman

McCLATCHY:
As noted in yesterday's comments, here is the story on the McClatchy Co's sale of the Star Tribune newspaper in Minneapolis. McClatchy paid $1.2 billion for paper in 1998, and is now selling it for $530 million. Clearly this is the worst investment by a McClatchy since Kevin Young...or Pat Meares...or Derek Bell.

HOCKEY:
The world's oldest hockey stick, carved in the 1850s, sold for $1.9 million dollars. No truth to the rumor that it only became available after John LeClair was out of hockey.

RANDOM FUN STUFF:
The Frat Pack Circle of Trust, fully illustrated.

How the mighty have fallen: Worldofbritney.com is shutting down on January 31.

Yahoo lists the biggest movie bombs of 2006, including All the King's Men, The Wicker Man, and Basic Instinct 2, which took in $5 million and cost $70 million to produce. Ouch.

TMZ gives us their 2006 Celebrity Bad Behavior Photo Gallery

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Our dear Skippy has struggled mightily this season, hitting just 73% of his field goals...perilously close to his career-low of 71% and down 16% from his career high of 89%. Something is definitely wrong. Does he need more practice? Possibly.

One thing he has been practicing, though...taking pictures of himself with his pants down...to show the ladies what they're missing out on.

I wonder if the Steeler Media will mention this in their coverage of everything Steeler?

(Thanks to reader Eric for the tip)

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I hope everyone out there had a great Christmas, and for those of you still on Christmas Break, I have an interesting piece coming up that's especially for you. And for the unfortunate folks who have to work, I'll have you back at your time-killing ways before you know it.

There's been no shortage of news since my last update, and we'll try and play an abbreviated catch-up:

--The Steelers once again got blown out by the Ravens, but at least they were able to score this time. If ever there was a definitive sweep of one team over another, it was Steelers/Ravens '06. And to think, a win would still have the Steelers in the playoff chase. So they blew it again.

What a horrible game. Gerry Dulac's "report card" gave the Steelers 4 Fs and 2 Ds, all deserved. This is a team in need of some serious changes. I can't wait for this season to end.

I laugh at the people who say the Steelers have a lot to play for next week, because they can ruin Cincinnati's playoff chances. I guess keeping their own playoff hopes alive wasn't enough of a carrot dangling in front of them.

--As I write this, the Pens are behind 1-0 in a tremendously boring game against the Devils. The Pens have 9 shots in the first 32 minutes. The Devils are being the Devils. So if you weren't already depressed about the Pens/slot license fiasco, you can now be depressed about their poor play.

Note: check that about the boring game. Sidney Crosby just got into it with Cam Janssen.

--Jeff Suppan didn't sign with the Pirates, instead choosing the riches offered by the Milwaukee Brewers. 4 years, $42 million. This was the same cat who played for your Buccos in 2003 for the paltry sum of $500,000. Good player, should help their team, way too much money...but not out of line for the free agent mayhem of 2006.

--James Brown, the Godfather of Soul, passed away on Christmas morning at the age of 73. My favorite Brown moment was his pre-fight appearance at the fateful Creed-Drago bout in Rocky IV. That was one rousing performance of Livin in America.

--The Pitt Panthers downed Dayton, 84-54. Sam Young scored a career-high 18, and Aaron Gray added 15 boards. Nice to get back on the winning side of things with the Big East schedule right around the corner. January 4, at Syracuse, on ESPN...should be a good one.

And now, some suggested reading...

GENERAL:

SI's Steve Rushin gives us the best of 2006's worst sports figures

SPORTS MEDIA:

Everyone's favorite sideline reporter profiled in A Closer Look at Erin Andrews

NFL:

Not only do the Lions suck, but so do their fans.

Tony Romo, when he's not pretending to date Jessica Simpson, turns his attention to Carrie Underwood

Daunte Culpepper hunts down Steve Young...and Joe Theismann saves the day

Max Starks and Ryan Clark out for Sunday's Bengal game...so we can now say, "out for the season"

Here's a good one...Randy Moss back to the Vikings for a 3rd round pick.

Coach Ditka rips the Bears for holding onto Tank Johnson.

NBA:

Shaquille O'Neal calls Phil Jackson Benedict Arnold. Phil Jackson calls Shaq "a horrible actor...just watch Blue Chips and you'll see what I mean".

Ron Artest to the Clippers for Corey Maggette?

MLB:

Who will be the next Freddy Sanchez? Here's 10 players who will break out in 2007

The Yankees have a Big Unit to move if they want to make space for Barry Zito.

RANDOM FUN STUFF:

The 10 Best Celebrity Encounters with the Law in 2006.

Cracked.com interviews the Broken Lizard comedy troupe, of Club Dread, Super Troopers, and Beerfest fame

PRESIDENTS:

If you haven't heard yet, former President Gerald Ford has died at age 93. No cause of death was given. Ford was a Michigan Wolverine, where he starred on the varsity football team as a center before graduation in 1935.

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NHL:

The text of the letter Jim Balsillie sent to Mario Lemieux. Why didn't he just send it over a Blackberry?

Mario open to moving the Pens. I would make a joke, but I'm just not in the mood to laugh on this topic.

Keeping with Thursday's theme of multiple-overtime losses for Pittsburgh teams, the Penguins drop a shootout decision at Atlanta.

COLLEGE HOOPS:

Pitt finds new ways to lose, dropping a tough one at #15 Oklahoma State in double OT, 95-89

MLB:

Mike Gonzalez trade talks, going nowhere fast

Do you hear that sound? It's Sammy Sosa, back in the batting cages, ready to play "three or four more years". Is he the missing link in the Bucco outfield? Come on, that would be blog/sports talk gold!

COLLEGE SPORTS:

JoePa turns 800...I mean... 80 years young

ESPN ranks the top two-sport (football & basketball) schools over the past five years

Of note:

Top five: 1. Texas ... 2. Florida ... 3. LSU ... 4. Oklahoma ... 5. Wisconsin

Locally: 10. Pitt ... 13. WVU ... 71. Penn State

Bottom five: 119. Florida Atlantic ... 118. Army ... 117. Florida Intl ... 116. LA-Monroe ... 114 (tie). Idaho & E. Michigan

NFL:

Packers 9, Vikings 7. The Vikings manage just 104 yards of total offense. Packers fans cheer a late Favre rally. I cheer the fact that I don't get the NFL Network.

A Cincinnati Bengals Bang! cartoon parody...I think you will enjoy (thanks to Cecil for the link)

Troy Smith celebrated his Heisman Trophy win just like Howard Stern would do: he went straight to Scores

The top Yahoo Searches for NFL jerseys. Surprise, surprise, Tony Romo is #1. But how about this fact: No Steelers in the top 20.

No link here, but I thought it was worth a mention that on ESPN 1250's Sports Reporters this afternoon, Ken Laird suggested the Steelers pursue the following men as head coach candidates should Cowher leave: Bill Parcells, Charlie Weis, and Pete Carroll. What, we're not going to dig up Vince Lombardi and interview him, too? At this point, nothing surprises me from Laird, who has said on past occasions:

--the Steelers could've won the Super Bowl with Charlie Batch at QB

--NASCAR is not a sport, because it's just driving in a circle, which he does

--the Steelers would run the old Buffalo Bills K-Gun offense in 2006

At the very least, he's good at getting mentioned on blogs.

NBA:

For the NBA player or exec who has millions of dollars, here are a few Christmas gifts they'll gladly accept

RANDOM FUN STUFF:

Donald Trump absolutely torches Rosie O'Donnell. His best quote? Arguably, I'll go with this one...

On Rosie's appearance: "If you can look as ugly as she looks ... I give her credit for having succeeding moderately."

Actress Lara Flynn Boyle married some guy I never heard of. I only mention this because of the fascinating fact that she's dated both David Spade and Jack Nicholson.

SCARY:

To close, a chilling simluated logo by reader APK. Better get your act together, Onoravenstahl.

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This week has been an interesting one to say the least. As many of you know, in my non-Mondesi time, I run my own business, which always gets incredibly busy this time of year. I have now experienced 15 Christmas seasons in my field, but for some reason, this one felt especially hectic. Why this year? I honestly don't know. Was it the fact that Christmas falls on a Monday? Possibly. But one thing I can say---it was incredibly stressful. And it is just about over.

The funny thing is, I'm usually working long hours on a regular basis. But I always made time to write some daily thoughts for Mondesi's House. Not as much as I would always like, but enough to capture what was on my mind that day.

With the increased tempo of this week, my time was severely compromised. I was unable to write any lengthy pieces once we got past the weekend. For that matter, I was up until 3 AM Sunday night putting the finishing touches on Monday Morning Wrapup. But I considered that "the weekend", so I let it fly...and paid for it when I had to wake up a few hours later.

The point is that I really enjoy writing the articles and finding the interesting/useful/bizarre links for Mondesi's House, and I greatly missed having the time to do so the past few days. While I still had an abbreviated presence, we all know the volume of content was not up to my normal levels. I have very high standards for the quality and consistency of Mondesi's House, so I was not happy with this development. I was thinking worst-case scenario, that I would lose some of the audience that has followed me so faithfully ever since I launched in late June, 2006.

But what happened was the complete opposite. Not only did the traffic stay consistent, but I had an e-mail box full of great fan mail to boot. In fact, it was the most Mondesi-related email I've ever received in one week. I had an idea of how many people read on a regular basis, but I've never personally heard from so many individuals within the span of a few days. I don't know what caused the flood of emails, but it was really encouraging to hear the connection I make with many of you on a daily basis. The Mondesi audience turned my stressful week into a very satisfying one. I know some people may tire of me constantly thanking my audience and prefer I stick to just reporting on sports, but that's my style. I like to have a close connection with my readers. I know that they are telling their friends and forwarding articles all the time. You are who I write for. Without my readers, it's just me talking to myself.

So to dismiss any thoughts you may have about what was going on this week, no, I am not quitting or losing my zest for Mondesi's House. Just a little matter of time constraints. But you can expect the site to be back at its sarcastic best very shortly.

Going forward, I have some really exciting things planned for 2007. If you've noticed, the style has changed a bit. I think the silly picture/silly caption angle was a lot of fun, but it has been completely overdone in the blogosphere. Like any artist, I want to stay fresh and relevant and not be like all the others. So watch for some new angles in the way I report in the coming year.

The site has never been healthier. Just last week, we had over 15,000 visitors, which I was truly excited with. I know there are sites that generate greater numbers, but I am very proud to come so far in just six months.

There are some other opportunities that have developed as a result of Mondesi's House, so we'll see what develops in that area. I've had some interesting offers, but with my schedule, it's extremely hard to add any other projects at this point. I'm very flattered by the interest, and would not rule out anything for the future.

2007 will be a busy year...the ongoing saga that is the Pittsburgh Penguins, a Pittsburgh Steeler team that may have a new coach for the first time since 1992, and a Pirate team that hasn't won since the Steelers hired a new coach. There's the Pitt basketball team, who looks to take that next step...and the Pitt football team, which looks to take any step in the right direction. And on the national scene, which I've started to tackle more in recent months, there's never a shortage of juicy storylines. And oh, those wacko links. Always fun to cleanse the palate in between courses.

I look forward to being that voice of reason, that voice of sarcasm, that voice that makes you think. I look forward to hearing your thoughts in greater detail as well. I know of a great number of people who read but don't have the time to drop in with their thoughts. Hopefully a few more of you will choose to jump into the discussion. I'm sure Louis Lipps is My Homeboy and Cecil from Cecil will already be there, leading the way.

In closing, I say Go Steelers, Stay Penguins, and Go Away, McNutting. And as always, thanks for reading!

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COLLEGE HOOPS:

Big Pitt game tonight, as they travel to #15 Oklahoma State. Hopefully we get a better performance than what we saw in Buffalo or Wisconsin.

CBA:

The Pittsburgh XPlosion fall to the Indiana Alleycats, 133-107. The loss drops the XPlosion to 0-7 in the 2007-06 campaign. That owner was right. People won't respect this team until they win a championship.

MLB:
The Pirates take another big step for 2007, adding catcher Einar Diaz, who hit .225 in class AAA last season.

NBA:

Allen Iverson sits down with the Barbara Walters of ESPN, Stephen A. Smith, and says he never demanded to be traded.

Turns out that Carmelo reaffirmed his street cred...among the cowardly and girlish

NFL:

We all knew that OT Willie Colon would start for Max Starks on Sunday. Now we learn that OT Adam Terry is starting for Jonathan Ogden on Baltimore's side. Nothing like a shakeup on the O-Lines to make a Christmas Eve rivalry game a little juicier.

Dr. Z. gives us new Power Rankings...Steelers #1...I mean, #16. Forgot the "6".

ESPN tells us about the Education of Vince Young. I presume they mean his football education, and not the general intelligence that gave him that 6 on the Wonderlic test.

RANDOM FUN STUFF:

SI's Swimsuit models pick the 20 best-looking athletes in sport. Evgeni Malkin did not make the cut.

The totally awesome Transformers trailer

The always-funny Maddox gives us Five Awesomely Bad Christmas Gifts

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The slots license has dominated the news in Pittsburgh today. Here's a quick roundup of all the significant talk after the decision went down:

PITG's Don Barden promises a first-class casino

The North Side gives a mixed reaction

The decision relieves those in the Hill District

NHL Commish Gary Bettman issues a grim assessment of the Pens' future

A disappointing loss for Mario Lemieux

A national perspective: ESPN's Scott Burnside

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Eagle-eyed reader A.J. points out that Kansas City isn't wasting much time to pounce on the Penguins, given today's results. He sends this article from the Kansas City Star about the reaction of the slots licensing in KC. The worst quote:

Brenda Tinnen, general manager of Sprint Center, expressed disappointment for the fans of the Penguins, who have been a mainstay in Pittsburgh since 1967. But she also summed up the feelings of many in Kansas City.

“Let’s just say it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas,” Tinnen said.

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It looks like we're getting a casino on the North Shore, and no free arena from The IOC. Don Barden's PITG Gaming has won the slots license. I think this is a major upset, as no one saw this coming. Thoughts, comments?

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Jumbo-sized roundup today...the Christmas retail season has Mondesi severely cramped for time, so everything must be abridged in a neat little package...

CITY OF PITTSBURGH:

Decision Day is here, as the slots license may or may not be given out. With all of the storylines and characters in this drama (Rendell, Balsillie, Lemieux, Ravenstahl, Onorato, Bettman, etc.), this should be Howard Baldwin's next movie project.

NHL:

The Pens turn in an unacceptable performance on Slots License Eve, losing 4-1 to the lowly St. Louis Blues. They must be worried about who wins the license. Yeah, that's the ticket.

MLB:

The Pirates keep pretending they're interested in Jeff Suppan. In a time when quasi-to-big-name free agent pitchers get four and five year deals, the Pirates offer two years. In other Pirate news, Dave Littlefield offered a three-week contract to Barry Zito.

The former Mrs. Chuck Finley, Tawny Kitaen, enters drug rehab. Thus adding a fascinating chapter to the only woman who's been either romantically linked or married to O.J. Simpson, Jerry Seinfeld, Tommy Lee, Jon Stewart, David Coverdale, and Chuck Finley.

NBA:

Allen Iverson, Denver Nugget. Iverson AND Carmelo? Good luck, George Karl.

*Yes, I know Melo won't be back until January 20. Save your angst-filled emails and comments for something else.

NFL:

Four Steelers make the Pro Bowl: Willie Parker, Troy Polamalu, Alan Faneca, and Casey Hampton. I handicapped the number of Steelers at 2 recently, but I forgot that fans vote, and that a lot of fans are morons.

Bill Cowher discusses his coaching future with local reporters. Thank goodness. I thought we would have to wait until the offseason to deal with Bill's Favre/Clemens-esque "will he or won't he" conundrum, but he's given everyone an entire season to beat that story into the ground...PLUS, we have it to look forward to in the offseason anyway!

The Bears had two choices: cut Tank Johnson, or suspend him. Since he's still a good football player, they kept him.

Don Banks muses who got snubbed from the Pro Bowl. Frankly, I could care less which player gets a free vacation to a game no one cares about...yet I linked it anyway. Curious, Mondesi. Very curious.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL:

Former Steeler playoff whipping-boy Jim Harbaugh is your new Stanford football coach, replacing Walt "the Wizard" Harris. Deadspin notes the following in the Harbaugh file:

Harbaugh was arrested in November 2005 in Encinitas for driving under the influence after being pulled over for running a stop sign. Harbaugh, who refused to take a field sobriety test, pled guilty to a lesser charge of reckless driving. He was sentenced to three years' probation, a $1,300 fine and attendance at an educational program for first-time drunk-driving offenders. Harbaugh was given a four-year contract extension at San Diego after the incident.

Stewart Mandel gives us his college bowl predictions. Finally, someone willing to go out on a limb and pick a winner in the Rice vs. Troy matchup in the New Orleans Bowl.

ARENA FOOTBALL:

ESPN just acquired a big stake in the Arena League, so be prepared to have it shoved down your throat through every venue possible. But it still won't get as much face time as Ali Rap.

RANDOM FUN STUFF:

The rare "Five-Star Mondesi Recommendation" goes to this site, which features the YouTube clips of each Rocky fight sequence, including the fatal Drago-Creed bout in Rocky IV.

Bad news for all you FHM subscribers: the Maxim wanna-be will be no more.

The Donald has spoken: Tara Conner will keep her crown as Miss USA.

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NFL:

The Ex-Burgher asks, "Which Christmas Cookie is YOUR AFC Contender?" I'll give you a preview: the Steelers are Baklava.

Former New Orleans Saint and FSU Seminole QB Adrian McPherson sues the Titans. Why? Their mascot ran him over in the preseason. And to answer your question, no, PacMan Jones was not in the mascot suit when the accident happened.

Mondesi regular Cecil from Cecil sends over this Bengals article from ESPN.com. Be sure to check out this part:

"...As if that weren't bad enough, Bengals wideout Chris Henry had been seen vomiting out the side window of Thurman's SUV. Henry, meanwhile, was just two weeks removed from pleading guilty to a gun charge in Florida. In January 2006, while in Orlando, police there say, he stepped from a limo wearing his own black-and-orange Bengals replica jersey and pointed a 9mm Luger into a crowd."

Terrell Owens is fined $35,000 for spitting. So does that mean he has 35,000 less reasons to live?

MLB:
SI.com's John Donovan gives us the major leaguers stealing money. That $50 million Gary Matthews Jr. deal still amazes me.

NBA:

The fines and suspensions are in from the Knicks-Nuggets brawl:

Carmelo, 15 games, as well as a new reputation as a punk

The Knicks, $500,000, which is one week's salary for Larry Brown not to coach them

The Nuggets, $500,000, or a little less in their "Allen Iverson Rainy Day" jar

Mardy Collins, 6 games, and a tryout in the NFL as a safety

Nate Robinson, 10 games, which means he can't alley-oop to himself for a while

Jared Jeffries, 4 games, mostly for being unable to catch Carmelo as he sheepishly backtracked

Nene, 1 game, for thinking he is cool enough to go by one name

Jerome James, 1 game. He won't be able to score his 2.1 points and grab 1 rebound. And all of that output for just $49,090.90 per game! That Isiah, what a GM!

Isiah Thomas, 0 games. How he managed to sneak past the prison guard is beyond me. By all accounts, he instigated it in the first place. I think Isiah thinks he's still a Bad Boy Piston.

MEDIA:
The newest round of ESPN Radio's "Off Mikes" cartoons are now online. Can someone PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE answer me one question...who watches these?

RANDOM FUN STUFF:

Cracked.com counts down the 9 biggest wusses in rock today

Here's something we all need...the Yappin' Yinzer, a talking Pittsburgh doll

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Lest anyone forget, I bring back the article from the November 2 installment of "Blog Maverick", Mark Cuban's personal blog on whatever crosses his mind.

Cuban leads off the piece with this thought:

"I already know that not creating my own ownership group to buy the Penguins will go down as a huge mistake. There are only so many hours in the day, and I didnt have the time, or the expertise in hockey to do it right. My mistake."

Cuban goes on to talk in greater detail about his recent trip to a Pens game, which coincided with the Mavs-Cavs preseason game at Mellon Arena. He purchased a $277 Malkin jersey and had it signed the next night. From his account of his Malkin-Crosby experience, the infectious atmosphere of our favorite hockey team seemed to reel in Cuban in a major way.

According to Forbes.com, Cuban is worth $1.8 billion...and rising. He has flirted with not only the Penguins, but the Cubs and the Pirates as well. So with Blackberry Balsillie heading back to Canada with no team in hand, wouldn't now be a great time for Cuban to put his money where his mouth is?

I'm not trying to spend anyone's cash here, but if the guy said a little more than a month ago that he wished he purchased the team, and now it's back up for sale (by all accounts), wouldn't common sense indicate that Cuban make an offer soon?

There are pros and cons to going down the Cuban Road. A pro is that he probably would spend the money needed to keep the team viable, as opposed to a McNutting regime that runs another franchise in town. Say what you want, but he has never short-changed Mavericks fans in terms of player acquisitions. That would be important in a near future of signing multiple superstars to extensions.

A con is some of the peripheral noise that goes along with Cuban. Would he be as visible an opponent to Gary Bettman as he is with David Stern? Would he manage the Dairy Queen in Brentwood for a day? Would he steal the spotlight from the Crosby/Malkin/Fleury/Staal publicity machine? If you say "no", just remember that even his current Dallas Mavericks players think he needs to "chill out", as evidenced by this interview with Dirk Nowitzki during the NBA Finals:

"..Do I think it's a bit much sometimes? Yeah. He's got to learn how to control himself as well as the players do. We can't lose our temper all the time on the court or off the court, and I think he's got to learn that, too. He's got to improve in that area and not yell at the officials the whole game. I don't think that helps us.

"We all know what Mark brings to the team, how he supports us. We live with who he is, and we love him that way. But do I think it's good for us always? No."

Will Cuban make an offer? I doubt it. His involvement in the Andrew Murstein group (the one that also involved Dan Marino) was by all accounts on a minor level. Cuban has enough money to buy the Penguins 10 times over on his own. If he was serious in his interest, he wouldn't need an Andrew Murstein to head the ship.

Whatever happens, one group will have to shut up, once and for all: either the Pittsburghers who constantly pine for Cuban to buy one of our teams, or Cuban, who always ponders the idea of buying the Pirates/Penguins out loud but never writes the check. We'll have our answer shortly. Until then, I guess we'll all have to read Blog Maverick.

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Buffalo 21, Miami 0- The Bills pull to .500 despite no 78-yard TDs from J.P. Losman to Lee Evans. Miami confirms their status as THE enigma team of 2006, as they are shutout by Buffalo after shutting out New England the week before. I guess they weren't able to get audio tapes of Losman's cadence like they did with Tom Brady.

Packers 17, Lions 9- Sounds like an incredibly interesting game. The Lions are in perfect position to draft in the top two again in 2007, and I'm sure they'll screw up whoever they choose. For all the top picks they've had, they should have the NFL version of the Penguins by now.

Titans 24, Jags 17- Don't look now, but Tennessee has crept up to 7-7 behind five straight wins. In a game reminiscent of Steelers/Raiders, the Titans win behind 98 yards of offense. But pundits will simplify the poor performance by saying, "That Vince Young...he finds a way to win!"

Jets 26, Vikings 13- In a curious bit of programming, CBS switched to this game with the Jets up 13 and 2 minutes to go here in Pittsburgh. I really did enjoy watching Tarvaris Jackson heave throws blindly into the end zone, though. Any team that allows Chad Pennington to throw for 339 yards deserves to lose by at least 13, if not 130.

Patriots 40, Texans 7- Tom Brady unleashes 107 yards of passing on the Texans, and puts last week's 78-yarder into distant memory. The Pats manage 230 yards of offense, Houston counters with 198. This will not be confused with tonight's Colts-Bengals showdown.

Bears 34, Bucs 31- The vaunted Bears defense allows 31 points to 3rd-string QB Tim Rattay and the Bucs. Between the Tank Johnson Gun Arrest/Bodyguard Murder and Tommie Harris' season-ending injury, all of a sudden the Bears' D looks vulnerable. Meanwhile, Rex Grossman continues to frustrate fantasy owners across the country who benched him, throwing for 339 yards and 2 TDs.

Rams 20, Raiders 0- No Randy Moss, no Jerry Porter, no Lamont Jordan, no crappy offensive coordinator, same result for the Raiders. I would say they're the worst team in the league, but they have some legit players on D, so I give the crown to Detroit...for now.

Chargers 20, Chiefs 9- A Herm Edwards team disappoints down the stretch. Imagine that. Can someone please answer this question: Why did Kansas City want Edwards so badly? I know...they wanted to hear "Hello...you play to win the game!" speeches on a regular basis.

Ravens 27, Browns 17- The Browns' plan was simple: step on Steve McNair's hand, force him out of the game, and intercept Kyle Boller for the remainder of regulation. The only problem with their plan: they're the Browns. Derek Anderson continued to audition for Charlie Frye's job with another L, so he's right on track. In other news, Ray Lewis did not call Kellen Winslow any homophobic names after the game.

Eagles 36, Giants 22- For some reason, I believe we've had every Giants game broadcast in Pittsburgh this season. It's a nice way to cleanse the palate between a Steeler game and Sunday night's Maddenisms (such as this week's "no yard pass"). It's also wildly enjoyable simply for the reason that we can watch Team Coughlin find a new way to lose on a regular basis. This week's Eli Manning "sack/interception/TD return" combo to ice it for the Eagles was breathtaking.

Redskins 16, Saints 10- Reggie Bush revolutionized the game by touching the ball 12 times for a total of 33 yards. But the Saints still clinched the division, so I guess they got the last laugh.

Steelers 37, Panthers 3- I just needed another forum to announce that Edmund Nelson said on the KDKA postgame show that Kendall Simmons missed a few games due to rugburn. No, it was actually falling asleep with an ice pack on his foot, but thanks for trying, E.N.

Anthony Morelli gets death threats- I would assume none were from Pitt fans who were upset he decided to go to Penn State.

American Pie: The Naked Mile: There should be some rule that requires sequels to have at least some connection to the original movie if they plan on using the name. Other than the presence of Eugene Levy and the use of the "Stifler" name, I see very little in common with the first three American Pies. There's no Jim, no Finch, no pie. I'm surprised a movie based around a premise of naked college girls would be advertised during NFL games, as if men were watching.

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Did you ever wonder...

What If... the Steelers could have moved the ball just a little against Jacksonville?

What If... Ricardo Colclough didn't fumble that punt against Cincinnati?

What If... the Steelers could have found a way to beat San Diego, especially when considering they held Ladainian Tomlinson to 36 yards rushing?

What If... the Steelers could have stopped Michael Vick?

What If... Big Ben doesn't throw any interceptions against Oakland?

What If... the Steelers don't hand Denver the game on a platter?

What If... the Steelers show up in Baltimore?

We'll have plenty of time to wonder about each and every one of these little questions in the offseason. Despite their recent run of wins against mostly bad teams, the Steelers are destined to spend January watching the playoffs with the rest of us.

But where should we be when looking at this team right now? Fighting for pride? Finishing strong for a departing coach? Garbage wins against garbage teams? Valiant effort?

A great number of fans and analysts like to sweep the first half of the season under the rug as if it never happened (it's happening in Miami, too---this isn't just a Pittsburgh thing). Unfortunately, those games also count, and that's why the Steelers are currently on the outside looking in when talking postseason.

Today was one of the rare 2006 games in which the Steelers had their way with an opponent, walloping the Carolina Panthers, 37-3. This was like the Steelers-Ravens game, only we were on the winning side today. Carolina looked totally lifeless behind the now 1-17 Chris Weinke. It's as if they knew going in they had no chance, and they played accordingly. Carolina didn't just mail it in, they FedEx'ed it, overnight.

What is it about the 2005 "Final Four" teams that has caused each of their respective 2006 seasons to be in disarray? The Steelers have battled uphill all year; the AFC runner-up, Denver, benched their veteran QB in favor of a rookie; Seattle has struggled with consistency all season, dealing with the defection of Steve Hutchinson and the injuries to Matt Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander; and Carolina...well, today was a microcosm of their season. When you consider the fact that so many of this year's top Super Bowl contenders (Baltimore, San Diego, New Orleans, Dallas) didn't even qualify for the playoffs last year, it's just another reminder that parity rules the NFL.

Fast Willie Parker once again had a big game, with 132 yards rushing and his 14th touchdown of the season. I wonder two things when considering Willie's 1,331 yard season:

1. How many yards would he have if the Steelers weren't forced to throw (coming from behind) in so many games?

2. How many yards would he have running behind a consistent, dominating offensive line (like the one we saw last year)?

The key to today's game, other than ball control, was to not make mistakes. Roethlisberger managed to hit only Steelers with his passes today, no one fumbled on any plays that counted (SANTONIO!!!), and there were no horrendous personal fouls.

That being said, what about that Anthony Smith INT? Not only does he duck out of bounds to avoid contact, he taunts the Panthers in the process! They were already down 34, how much sand do you want to kick in their face? Honestly, nothing makes me more upset than when the Steelers resort to low-class crap like that, which I've seen all too much this year. Since when did we become the pro version of the Miami Hurricanes? At this point, don't be surprised to see Porter and a few cronies stomp on the Ravens logo before the game next week. Kudos to Dick Lebeau (and later Cowher) for grabbing Smith as he came off the field. But as I saw Smith yukking it up a minute later, I doubt either tongue-lashing made much of an impact.

With two games to go, we stare down three potential records for this season: 7-9, 8-8, or 9-7. Basically, the Steelers have defeated the teams worse than them and lost to the teams better than them. So 7-7 is exactly where they belong.

Their wins: 4-10 Cleveland (twice), 3-11 Tampa Bay, 6-8 Miami, 6-8 Carolina, 7-7 KC, and 9-5 New Orleans.

Their losses...11-2 San Diego, 11-3 Baltimore, 8-5 Cincy, 7-6 Denver, 8-6 Jacksonville, 7-7 Atlanta, and 2-12 Oakland.

So we have 6 wins over .500 or worse teams and 6 losses to .500 or better teams; the New Orleans win and the Oakland loss balance each other out. And there you have it: the Steelers' record "is what it is", as the cliche goes.

Going forward, I wonder about the ramifications of their quasi-.500 season. There is no doubt that a definitive winning or losing season makes offseason decisions a bit easier. But when the team hovers at mediocrity, what should be clear decisions may become cloudy. With just $150,000 of cap room, though, some difficult decisions must be made. I'd say the top candidates for Ex-Steelers include Joey Porter, Jeff Hartings, and Chris Gardocki. When factoring in the potential change at the helm, this will be an interested offseason regardless of their final record.

Next week, the Steelers cling to their miniscule playoff hopes in battling the Ravens. And one can only wonder...what if...

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Jim Mora Sr. said Michael Vick is a coach killer. Jim Mora Jr. said he wants to coach the University of Washington. Then he said it was a joke. Then the owner of the Falcons said Jim Mora Jr. made a boneheaded mistake. Yes, the Falcons are truly the model of a stable organization.

The Knicks and Nuggets fought it out on the court, and as usual, the Knicks got destroyed. Then they literally fought, which was more entertaining than the game. Carmelo Anthony, one of the faces of the NBA, scored a quality sucker-punch on Knick Mardy Collins, then backtracked down the court as if he was defending a fast break. This is the post-Detroit brawl-NBA, and even though no New York fans were harmed in the process, look for some healthy fines and suspensions from Godfather Stern. For those of you who've missed it, here is the video of the Knicks and Nuggets fight.

Terrell Owens spit in the face of Falcons CB D'Angelo...I mean...DeAngelo Hall on Saturday night. If it happened on the NFL Network and most of the country missed it, did it really happen?

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Here's a reader submission on Jim Balsillie by devoted Mondesi reader Worstavid:

The shortest sports team ownership in history has concluded, with the recent decision by Jim Balsillie to end his relationship with the Penguins before he even wrote the check. While there are many out there who were stunned by this announcement, a look at the bigger picture should clear up most of the confusion.

Jim Balsillie may come across initially as a smooth, polished businessman, but make no mistake about it, this guy can get down into the gutter with the best of them. The now-renowned “inventor” of the “Blackberry” pager had to pay, you may recall, a $612 million settlement for a patent infringement on his said “invention”.

With that as a backdrop we now fast-forward to 2006. Make no mistake dear Mondesi's House readers, you can now be assured Balsillie was swooping over Pittsburgh like a prehistoric Pterodactyl, ready to pounce on the local flightless bird population.

He met with Allegheny County’s Dan Onorato and Pittsburgh’s Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and apparently heard bad, er, good news from both of them that they were very well prepared to do whatever it would take to get the new arena built.

“Gulp, sounds like these guys are really serious about keeping their team,” Balsillie must have thought.

Next came his meeting with the State Gaming Board. Somewhere in a back closet, it can only be surmised that Balsillie was assured that, "Jim, everything will be OK, your arena will be built, one way or the other. Just be sure to keep that team in Pittsburgh.”

“MORE BAD NEWS”, Balsillie fumed privately.

But the straw that really broke Balsillie’s back came in the form of a memo of understanding, drafted by the attorneys of the National Hockey League at the behest of Commissioner Gary Bettman, a man who I mistakenly once thought was going to ruin this league. Bettman apparently is good at smelling a rat and he has subsequently developed quite a rapport with the most loyal fans in the league. He knew that this king-sized, highly-sophisticated, cuff-linked-wearing, rat was planning nothing but a middle-of-the-night, Baltimore Colts-style attempted move to Canada. This was not going to happen on Bettman’s watch, so he drafted a very severe set of criteria for Balsillie to agree with. To Bettman’s credit, the terms were tantamount to Balsillie eating D Con.

So Penguin fans this is not a day to be remorseful, because the big rat, billionaire Jim Balsillie withdrew his offer to buy the Penguins. No, it’s a day to be rejoicing in the streets! The Penguins are still rooted right here in Pittsburgh where they belong. You know that, I know that and most importantly, Gary Bettman, our beloved Commissioner, knows that too.So what happens next? Will the big-mouth, braggart, Mark Cuban, step to the plate as he suggested he would after he learned that Balsillie had initially won the bid? Please, let’s hope not. Having Cuban owning the team here might be worse than Balsillie owning the Kitchener Penguins in Ontario!

Does anyone remember what happened in the ‘80s when the Galbreaths couldn’t find a buyer for the Pirates? The team was sold to a consortium of local corporations, each of whom had a vote on the board of directors. Local politicians executed this plan and although it wasn’t the best option, it nevertheless was an option.The Penguins right now have the greatest assemblage of young talent that this league may have ever seen. They’re on the verge of getting a new arena…for free. They may go on a run of Stanley Cups unrivaled since the Edmonton Oilers. Does this sound like a bad investment to you? I didn’t think so. Dan and Luke should be sitting down with the Pittsburgh money people right now and floating this idea to them, because unlike the Pirates’ saga, this team could be earning big-time money for many years to come.

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Reader Jeff Alberter of YHLhockey.com submits this interesting list of the best Pittsburgh athletes "by the numbers". This is not to be confused with the PensBlog list of the best (and worst) Penguins, by number, as this includes Steelers, Panthers and Pirates in addition to the boys of winter.

Best Pittsburgh Athletes: By the Numbers

Here's an end-of-season extravaganza for your holiday viewing pleasure: A couple of years ago, ESPN.com did a list of the greatest athletes of all time by jersey number. Ever since, I’ve always toyed with the idea of doing the same, only with Pittsburgh athletes. As far as I know, it has never been done, so for the last month I’ve worked on this list, which was a lot of fun to research. Yeah, I know….not really a hockey column, or news. Just read and shaddup.


NOTE: This list was limited to the players that I was interested in; namely the Steelers, Pirates, Penguins, and Pitt football players. My apologies to Pitt/Duquesne basketball, Maulers, Xplosion, and any of the dozen or so lacrosse, basketball and indoor soccer teams that have passed through.


00. Jack Collins – *Grand entrance drumroll* We open with…..an obscure Steeler from the 50’s. Myron Cope probably had a beer or two with him.

0. Junior Ortiz (Johnny Clement) – Ortiz hung around for quite a long time in the 80’s as a backup catcher and hit .336 in 1986. I think Johnny Clement played guitar in a New York Dolls cover band.

1. Gary Anderson (Denis Herron, Larry Fitzgerald) – Herron was probably the best Penguin goalie in the pre-Barrasso era. Fitzgerald had a sick sophomore season at Pitt, finishing 2^nd in the Heisman voting, and both of those guys have necks. Anderson does not, but he’s both the Steelers’ and NFL’s all-time leading scorer. Plus, he’s genuinely African-American.

2. Jack Wilson (Chris Tamer, Todd Peterson) – Wilson had more weight fluctuation over the past two years than Anna Nicole Smith.

3. Jay Bell (Johnny Ray, Phil Garner) – Three above-average middle infielders. Bell played on better teams than Johnny Ray. My late 80’s/early 90’s bias rears its ugly head.

4. Ralph Kiner (Josh Miller, Dave Burrows) – After losing this one, Josh Miller was chewed out by Coach Cowher. Force of habit, ya know.

5. Bill Madlock (Ulf Samuelsson, Sid Bream) - Former batting champ Mad Dog takes a bite out of Cam Neely’s bane.

6. Tony Pena (Bubby Brister, Smokey Burgess) – The lone bright spot on the mid-80’s Pirates teams, Pena will be remembered like John Cullen, for the return we got in trading him. Da Bubster made like Jessica Simpson with his famous quote about the lake in Pittsburgh. And to think he was a botched-snap away from leading the Steelers to the ‘89 AFC title game. Smokey Burgess could’ve been the hero of the ’60 series with his 8^th inning homer, had it not been for a Mickey Mantle head fake that tied the game and set the stage for Maz.

7. Ben Roethlisberger (Joe Mullen, Bob Robertson) – Easy win for Gi-normous Benjamin. Mullen was a key cog on the Cup teams, and Bob Robertson once missed a bunt sign and instead hit a homer in the ’71 Series. True story.

8. Willie Stargell (Mark Recchi, Rick Kehoe) – Pieces-of-eight for the Pirates’ Pops. I don’t think any of these guys ever had garbage dumped on their lawns.

9. Bill Mazeroski (Norm Johnson, Matt Bahr) – “…back to the wall goes Berra, it is……over the fence, home run, the Pirates win!!!!!” Nothing more needs said.

10. Ron Francis (Roy Gerela, Kordell Stewart) – Ron Francis played Wedge Antilles to Mario Lemieux’s Luke Skywalker. Mario and Luke got the talent, the glory and the babes, while Ron and Wedge simply did their jobs, were amazingly consistent and ended up with more points than their more-celebrated teammates. (Wedge: two Death Star assists, one AT-AT kill; Luke: one Death Star kill)

11. Paul Waner (John Cullen, Darius Kasparaitis) – Kaspar will always be the straw that broke Dominek Hasek’s back. Cullen will always be the trade that forged the Pens’ first Cup team. Paul Waner had 3,000 hits and about 10,000 beers before the other two were even born.

12. Terry Bradshaw (Freddy Sanchez, Bob Errey) – Only intrigue about this one was Freddy Sanchez squeezing out Mike LaValliere. No easy feat, that.

13. Dan Marino (Jose Lind, Carlos Garcia) – Thank the good lord the Steelers never drafted him, or we would’ve been cheated out of the golden right arm of Mark Malone.

14. Neil O’Donnell (Jim Leyland, Gene Alley) – A freaky thought crossed my mind: did O’Donnell actually play better in Super Bowl XXX than Big Ben in XL?

15. Doug Drabek (Randy Cunneyworth, Denny Neagle) – Winning a Cy Young Award is slightly more prestigious than KOing teammate Mario Lemieux during a playoff game.

16. Al Oliver (Mark Malone, Aramis Ramirez) – A couple ball players who showed mad skills with the Bucs but went on to greater fame elsewhere. Oliver went to Montreal and won a batting title, while Ramirez was traded for a used pitching machine and a couple jock straps. Malone’s mustache has its own congressman.

17. Doc Ellis (Joe Gilliam, Bob Walk) – Was it acid or LSD that Doc was tripping on when he threw his no-no? I’ve heard both accounts. Furthered his reputation as the GROOVE-iest pitcher by tossing a fattie to Reggie Jackson in the ’71 All-Star game.

18. Andy Van Slyke (Mike Tomczak, Jason Kendall) – A Gold Glove centerfielder, a decent backup QB, and a guy whose contract was straight out of a Bad Idea Jeans commercial. Slick wins in a landslide.

19. Bob Friend (Jean Pronovost, Bryan Trottier) – A truly underrated pitcher, Friend was cursed with horrible run support from the 50’s Bucs, yet managed to win 22 games in 1958. He’s still the only pitcher to ever lose 200 games without winning 200 (197-230). That’s like Stacy Keibler telling you, “You’re a nice guy, but…..”

20. Pie Traynor (Rocky Blier, Robert Lang) – If you don’t know who Pie Traynor was, ask your granddad; he probably had a man-crush on him.

21. Roberto Clemente (Michel Briere) – Somber moment here. The most cursed number in Pittsburgh sports, both who wore it tragically died in accidents and had this number retired by the Bucs and Pens.

22. Rick Tocchet (Bobby Layne, Mike Bullard) – From the hated Flyers came Tocchet, whose grittiness helped the Pens to their 2^nd Cup. Bobby Layne made his name with the Lions in the 50’s then ended his bar-hopping career in the Burgh. Bullard once scored 50 goals for the flightless fowl.

23. Mike Wagner (Jim Butler, R.J. Reynolds) – How many of you guys remember the old commercial Wagner and Jack Ham made for the Super Bowl(-ling alley) in Windber? I was there when they filmed it. Yes, I am officially old.

24. Barry Bonds (Dick Groat, Brian Giles) – Two MVP’s, one a world champ and the other a surly bastard who had a world of talent to go with countless vials of steroids. But enough about Brian Giles. Upon further review, MLB will not credit Barry Bonds for breaking Aaron’s career home run record. Steroids? Nope. Seems the league is retroactively canceling the home runs Bonds hit while in Pittsburgh instead, since Pittsburgh is considered a ‘minor league’ team.

25. Kevin Stevens (Bobby Bonilla, Randy Carlyle) – Word is, Stevens celebrated this win with an 8-ball and a six-pack, Heidi Fleiss-style.

26. Rod Woodson (Syl Apps, Elroy Face) – The best all-around number. Hot Rod is arguably the best pure athlete in Pittsburgh pro sports history. Syl Apps and Elroy Face are arguably the coolest names in Pittsburgh pro sports history.

27. Kent Tekulve (Alexei Kovalev, Glen Edwards) – The rubber-band man was the 70’s version of Mariano Rivera, only instead of “Enter Sandman,” he intimidated batters with oversized tinted glasses. Kovalev’s toe drag and Edward’s vicious hits aren’t enough to overtake the Teke.

28. Steve Blass (Al Martin, Gord Roberts) – Blass pitched a gem to finish the ’71 Series, is a longtime Pirates color commentator, and as far as I know only married one woman at a time.

29. Barry Foster (Phil Bourque, Marc-Andre Fleury) – Foster set a Steelers single season rushing record (1,690 yards) which ushered in the Cowher Era, then promptly disappeared. What’s he doing these days? I’d wager he never partied down by the river like Bourque.

30. Chad Scott (Frank Pollard, Jean-Sebastien Aubin) - Too bad there’s no number X. Scott would get that one too.

31. Donnie Shell (Ken Wregget, Dave Giusti) - Closer than you might think. Shell was awesome, Wregget was a goalie’s version of Ronnie Francis: never the alpha dog, always vastly underrated. Ask Joe Juneau. Giusti was good out of the pen, but pulled a Homer in the ’72 NLCS.

32. Franco Harris (Vernon Law, Dick Tarnstrom) – Easy call. Besides, the Italian Army promised to “pay me a visit” if Franco didn’t get this one.

33. Tony Dorsett (Honus Wagner, Merril Hoge) – A technicality here. Wagner never wore a number while he played, just as a manager. Among these two and Mario Lemieux, who was the guy who meant the most to his team when he played? Toss up.

34. Andy Russell (Tim Lester, Kris Benson) – I’m sure whoever Russell and Lester married were better catches than Anna Benson.

35. Tom Barrasso (Manny Sanguillen, John Henry Johnson) – All Tommy needs is his own bar and grill when the Pens open their new arena.

36. Jerome Bettis (Matthew Barnaby) – The Bus keeps a rollin’, although I think Barnaby would be a better choice for those ‘Man Law’ commercials.

37. Carnell Lake– For Uncommon Carnell Knowledge.

38. Jason Bay (Tim Worley, Jan Hrdina) – Bay may be a hoser, but us yinzers like our hosers.

39. Dave Parker (Willie Parker, Bobby Walden) –Pittsburgh’s favorite battery tester won two batting titles and an MVP award, but Fast Willie is gaining. Imagine how fast he’d be if he partook in the Cobra’s favorite non-baseball recreation.

40. Danny Murtaugh (Frank Petrangelo, Patrick Lalime) – Each baseball team must have at least one grizzled Irish manager in their history. It’s a law.

41. Lee Flowers (Jocelyn Thibault, Zane Smith) – I always liked how Myron Cope pronounced it: “Flahrs”.

42. Dick Hoak (Warren Williams) – Dick Hoak has been with the Steeler organization ever since a young, bright-eyed Art Rooney stepped off the Mayflower.

43. Troy Polamalu (Don Robinson) – Underneath all that hair is a 43, somewhere.

44. Rob Brown (D.J. Johnson, Brooks Orpik) – Brown’s career was like Britney Spears’; he peaked at 20.

45. John Candelaria (Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala, Ian Snell) – The best Pirate pitcher in the 70’s, with a no-no and 20-win season to his credit, the Candy Man takes Fu down with some chin music. Does Fu still play?

46. Reggie Harrison – No truth to the rumors that he may come out of retirement to return kicks for the Steelers.

47. Mel Blount – Five times selected to the Pro Bowl, 1975 defensive player of the year, prompted a rule change, HOFamer. Not bad for a third-round pick.

48. Rick Reuschel (Matt Cushing) – Big Daddy had two or three productive years for the woeful Bucs of the mid-80’s. Not that anyone noticed.

49. Dwayne Woodruff (Tim Wakefield) – Woodruff essentially bridged the Super Bowl teams of the 70’s with the Cowher Era. Wakefield’s slow-motion knuckleball remains the coolest replay in Pirates history.

50. Larry Foote (Earl Holmes) – I dig the Bug Squish.

51. James Farrior (Loren Toews) – Anyone know how Farrior got the nickname “Potsie”?

52. Mike Webster – The best in the Steelers’ incredible run of excellent centers. Seven-time All-Pro, Hall of Famer, tragic figure.

53. Bryan Hinkle (Clark Haggins, Dennis Winston) – Hinkle played for a heckuva long time at linebacker for the black n’ gold: 12 years, and won the team’s MVP award in 1986.

54. Hardy Nickerson (Mike Schneck) – Graduate of the school of angry linebackers, Nickerson was good for the Steelers but wouldn’t reach his potential until he went to Tampa Bay.

55. Larry Murphy (Joey Porter, John Kolb) – Close one here, but Murphy gives Porter the “boot”. He got two rings in Pittsburgh to Porter’s one, and played in 1,615 games overall, second all-time for a defenseman.

56. Ray Mansfield (Robin Cole, Sergei Zubov) – The Old Ranger still holds the Steelers record for consecutive games played (182). Penguin fans are still waiting for Zubov to shoot the f*$&ing puck.

57. John Smiley (Mike Merriweather, Zach Duke) - A difficult one, as both Smiley and Merriweather had one great season each in the black n’ gold then promptly left for big money. Although Merriweather holds the single season Steeler record for sacks, Smiley won 20 games in ’91 and was on two division winners, so he gets the duke.

58. Jack Lambert – Occasionally took time out of his Kennywood promotion schedule to play football and beat up Cliff Harris.

59. Jack Ham – Dobre Shunka went to my high school. So there.

60. Greg Warren – Long snapper. Too bad pro wrestlers don’t have numbers, otherwise I’d give this one to Kurt Angle.

61. Tom Myslinski – YAWN….did we get to Lemieux yet?

62. Tunch Ilkin – Guaranteed way to get drunk during Steeler games (like you need an excuse), take a drink every time Tunch says good/great job. It makes the “habeas grabus-es” much funnier.

63. Dermontti Dawson (Ernie Holmes) – Owner of seven straight Pro Bowl selections, Dirt was known among other players as Ned Flanders for his friendly demeanor and his collection of Leftorium stores.

64. Jeff Hartings (Steve Furness) – Hartings plays pretty well for a guy with no cartilage in his knees.

65. John Jackson (Rich Tylski) – Jackson was a mainstay on the line on the almost-great early 90’s Steeler teams, and played in Super Bowl XXX. Tylski has a Polish name. Yippie.

66. Mario Lemieux (Alan Faneca, Bruce van Dyke) – You may not know this, but Mario’s poop is considered currency in Barbados.

67. Francisco Cordova – Pitched 90% of the ‘97 no-hitter, and holds the distinction of being the worst looking guy at the plate in big league history.

68. Jaromir Jagr (L.C. Greenwood, Brendan Stai) – Toughest call on the board. Four scoring titles, an MVP and two Cup rings versus six pro bowl selections and four Super Bowl rings. Yeah, he morphed into the Pittsburgh hockey fan’sversion of Barry Bonds, but that doesn’t diminish the fact that Jags was the NHL’s biggest offensive force at his peak. Actually, Jagr and Bonds have had eerily similar careers….has he been tested for the “Clear”?

69. Gabe Rivera – Damn, what a letdown.

70. Ernie Stautner – The best in the pre-Steel Curtain era, Stautner played in nine pro bowls and is still the only man to have his number officially retired by the Steelers.

71. Evgeni Malkin (Orpheus Roye, Jiri Slegr) – The guy can’t even speak English yet, but Malkin is money.

72. Gerry Mullins (Wayne Gandy) – “Moon” Mullins could pull block with the best of ‘em. Gandy was aiight.

73. Justin Strzelczyk (Kendall Simmons, Craig Wolfley) – Wacky lineman/redneck who literally went out in a blaze of glory. I think Justin simply went insane from trying to spell his name.

74. Terry Long (Nolan Harrison) – Another O-lineman in the Captain Insano mold, Long was undersized but uber-strong. Sadly, he’ll be remembered for the bizarre circumstances surrounding his death. He first set fire to his own food plant for the insurance money, then committed suicide by drinking antifreeze. *shudders*

75. Joe Greene (Jimbo Covert) – If Lambert’s Kennywood commercial was the “Goodfellas” of Pittsburgh sports commercials, Greene’s Coke commercial was “The Godfather”. Genuflect: 10 Pro-Bowls, 2-time NFL defensive player of the year.

76. John Banaszak (Kevin Henry) – For the 70’s Steelers even the role players had their rabid fans, as in the case of Banaszak’s Bunch. He’s now an assistant coach at Robert Morris.

77. Paul Coffey (Steve Courson, Marvel Smith) – The Doctor was silky smooth on skates and lethal on the power play. Courson continued the disturbing trend of weird deaths by former Steeler O-linemen; he was crushed by a tree he had just chopped down.

78. Dwight White – Did anyone else ever play in a Super Bowl with pneumonia? Balls, man….balls.

79. Larry Brown (Bill Fralic) – Larry Brown first played tight end than guard for the Steelers. Fralec acquitted himself in Wrestlemania 2’s Battle Royal, throwing out Jimbo Covert.

80. Jack Butler (Plaxico Burress, Cedric Wilson) – Butler went to four straight Pro Bowls as a D-back in the 50’s. Plax now performs his annual playoff disappearing act in New Jersey.

81. Charles Johnson (Troy Edwards, Jeff Graham) – “Can Jump” was the best in this collection of receivers from the 90’s who never quite lived up to their potential.

82. John Stallworth (Yancey Thigpen, Martin Straka) – The best Steeler receiver before Hines Ward came along, Stallworth should’ve been MVP of SB XIV. Thigpen was great for two seasons. Straka is still Jagr’s doppelganger.

83. Louis Lipps (Heath Miller, Theo Bell) – We’ll revisit this one when Heath Miller gets a few more productive years and his own chant.

84. Buddy Dial (Mike Mularkey, Randy Grossman) – Dial went to two Pro Bowls in the 60’s and had a whopping 20.8 avg yards/catch in his career. As a coach, Mularkey hasn’t been confused with Tom Landry, although both he and Grossman were good tight ends.

85. Jonathan Hayes (Mitch Lyons, Calvin Sweeney) – Did you know Jon Hayes moonlighted as a stand-up comic? Who would guess a backup tight end could bring the funny? I dunno.

86. Hines Ward (Eric Green) – For the love of God, I hope Hines never cuts a Super Bowl rap video. Dizzamn, Big Bird.

87. Sidney Crosby (Mark Bruener, Weegie Thompson) – By my count, the Steelers still owe Bruener about 150 passes they promised at the start of every season from ’95 to ‘02.

88. Lynn Swann (Andre Hastings, Courtney Hawkins) – Quite the consolation prize after a shellacking at the polls.

89. Mike Ditka (Bennie Cunningham, Ernie Mills) – Mini-Ditka, Hurricane Ditka, doesn’t matter. Ditka took ‘em all, even God in a golf match. Cunningham wore a funny hat in Super Bowl XIII. Mills made the key catch in the ’95 Super Bowl run.

90. Bill Johnson (Travis Kirschke) – Who? What now? See #60, substitute Bruno Sammartino for Kurt Angle.

91. Kevin Greene (Aaron Smith) – Smith is my favorite current Steeler, but he needs a wrestling personality.

92. Jason Gildon (James Harrison) – Silverback has a big sack, just ask the Cleveland Brown fan he powerbombed. But Gildon had mad sacks, most all-time in Steelers lore.

93. Petr Nedved (Joel Steed, Keith Willis) – Steed was a force on the D-line but largely an anonymous one. Nedved scored one of the most dramatic goals in Pens history.

94. Chad Brown (Rodney Bailey) – Last I heard, Rodney doesn’t have an odd off-season pastime, like charming snakes.

95. Greg Lloyd (Aleksey Morozov) – A pleasant fellow, Morozov never dropped F-bombs on the air and I suppose he was hired, in part, for his disposition.

96. Brentson Buckner (Kendrick Clancy) – Buckner was basically the Steelers’ Ted Washington for a couple seasons. He now resides in the Steeler alumni center, located in Charlotte, North Carolina.

97. Kendrell Bell (Ray Seals) – Now a who-dat for the Chiefs, was it was a mere three or four years ago that Bell was drawing comparisons to Ham and Lambert? How soon we forget.

98. Casey Hampton (Oliver Gibson, Gerald Williams) – Hampton, while at Texas, apparently worked out with future Prez George W. Bush. I think we found a running mate for Tiki Barber’s eventual foray into politics.

99. Hugh Green (Levon Kirkland, Brett Keisel) – We finish with a very tough one. Kirkland was the most lineman-shaped linebacker I’ve ever seen in my life. Conversely, Green was about half Kirkland’s size, yet was a three-time All-American at Pitt. This dude was so crazy good, he finished 2^nd in the Heisman balloting as a D-lineman in 1980.

And there you have it. Let the arguments commence.

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