The Feather Curtain

When you think of Defense, what comes to mind? After watching Sports Center, ESPN or NFL Total Access, an impartial individual might say the Ravens. Since there introduction to the NFL in 1996, the Ravens have won a Super Bowl, had two number 1 Defenses, and 4 Pro Bowl Linebackers. Their Defense in 2000 is vaulted as one of the best of all time due to their points allowed per game and carrying the team to a Super Bowl win. Due to there preeminent defense, I feel inclined to give the Ravens Defense the nickname “The Feather Curtain”, corresponding to the feathers on their mascot. But are the analysts correct in referencing the Ravens when discussing defense? If not, what defensive team should they reference and why? Is there a tougher more deserving defense out there?

I give to you the modern day “Steel Curtain”. When I think of the Steelers, I don’t think about their high powered offense, their superior special teams or some diva receiver on the black and gold roster. What comes to mind is “The Steel Curtain” of the seventies, the defense that faced the cowboys in 96, and the totally dominant defense of the current era. You know the one that faced the toughest NFL schedule last year yet some how came out as the number 1 rated defense. The Defense that has 6 Super Bowl Rings, 3 Number 1 ranked Defenses since 97, and is arguably the NFL’s best linebacker factory. The one that has been led by the infamous Dick LeBeau since 1992, and in 1994 received the defensive moniker “Blitzburgh”.

But don’t take my word for it, let’s look at the numbers and see what they say. In comparing the number 1 ranked 2001 Ravens Defense to the number 1 ranked 2009 Steelers Defense who comes out on top? According to the NFL numbers, The Feather Curtain finished 2,2,7,7,3,3,1, 1 in the defensive categories of 2001. According to the same numbers The Steel Curtain finished 1,1,1,1,2,2,1,1 in the defensive categories of 2009. Now if you go back and average the two defenses, the Ravens average 9.08, and the Steelers average 5.62 over the last 12 seasons. I don’t know about you but the numbers tell me, the defense to reference when talking about the best defense, is The Steel Curtain.

Click on Tables to Enlarge

What about comparing the two number 1 defenses of this decade head to head? Again the Steelers beat the Ravens in every category but one, again telling me the best defense to reference is The Steel Curtain. What about the great line backers from the Ravens, can anyone argue that Ray Lewis is one of the best linebackers in the league. Surely, the Ravens have sent more linebackers to the Pro Bowl than the Steelers, right?
Now I’m no expert, but I’m pretty sure 7 in greater than 4, once again telling me the defense to reference would be that of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The modern Steel Curtain versus the Feather Curtain, you be the judge? Are the analysts correct in referencing the Ravens when discussing defense? My answer, the next time you hear NFL analysts ‘bumping their gums’ about the Ravens defense, just remember these are the same guys that said. Tony Romo would lead the Cowboys to the Super Bowl in 08/09, by years end the 08/09 Steelers would be the most disappointing team, and in 09/10 the Broncos would finish last the in NFL.

When all else fails refer to the Webster’s dictionary which defines defense as: “The Steel Curtain”.

Good night now!

Black and Blue (Gold) Fans
I'm now well into my thirties and can’t remember a time when I wasn’t a Steelers fan. For me it all started with my older brother Dirk back in the seventies. At that time the Steelers were the team to beat, the dynasty of the decade so to speak; the team with the Steel curtain that imparted black and blue on other teams.

As a boy I occasionally wore the Steeler t-shirt to school and watched a few games from time to time. The first super bowl featuring the Steelers I saw, was super bowl 30 (XXX) played in Tempe Arizona. The Steelers had players like Kevin Green and Greg Lloyd; I remember thinking how big Lloyd’s arms were. A few other notable names were Kirkland, Bettis, Dawson, Gildon, Stewart, Thigpen, Woodson, Tomczak and of course coach Bill Cowher. The Steelers went on to lose 27 to 17 to the Dallas Cowboys. As I walked away from that game feeling black and blue, something began to well up inside me and I knew that life for me would never be the same. I came away with a feeling of pride and excitement for my newly found hobby, Steeler Football.

Since that day I have followed the Steelers emphatically. It would be another ten years before I would see my beloved Steelers back on the world stage at super bowl XL, and then again in super bowl XLIII. Despite being the first NFL team to garner 6 super bowl wins, Steeler Fans have had there share of disappointing black and blue seasons. Yes, there are some "bad-sports" that root for the Steelers, but I for one love the Steelers rain or shine. This reminds me of a story my older brother once told me about a friend of his who was an Alabama Crimson Tide fan. Evidently, when the Tide played their instate rivals the Auburn Tigers, his friend would just disappear for a few days each time Alabama lost. Somehow going AWOL helped him get over the Alabama loss and head back to reality.

For me it’s not about the wins or the losses, it’s about something bigger that is unexplainable except to other true sports fans. Sure I’ll coach from my sideline chair and occasionally yell at the TV, but when it’s all said and done I’m black and blue or in this case GOLD through and through!

Quiet Winner
Last week I was listening to a sports commentator go on & on about the same old teams they always talk about. It made me wonder, why is it that I rarely hear about the defending super bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers. It was at this point that I recalled a conversation with my neighbor who is from Pittsburgh and whose best friend in high school is writing a book about the Rooney family. He told me that in talking to his friend, he was told that the family believes whole heartedly in the integrity of the team and more importantly in hiring players that will be good upstanding citizens.

It then became clear to me, the reason we don’t hear a lot about the Steelers is that there isn’t a lot to report about the Steelers. Except that they have quietly won more super bowls than any other team in history. They have done so with only three coaching changes and when they do have problem players on the team (i.e. Bam Morrison or Plaxico Burress) they get rid of them before they ruin the franchise.

Now I know Steelers critics will try to point to the Jerome Bettis or Ben Roethlisberger’s alleged rape charges. Keep in mind the facts, Ben’s charges were brought a year after the alleged event and consisted of civil charges only. The hotel security chief Guy Hyder said the woman kept him "informed with running e-mail commentary about her plan to have sex with Roethlisberger." The alleged victim also “boasted to her friends and co-workers that she had consensual sexual relations with Mr. Roethlisberger and was happy about that.” McNulty (alleged victim) “was also not afraid or apprehensive about the prospect of an unplanned pregnancy, but expressed to others that she had hoped that she was pregnant by Mr. Roethlisberger.” Now check out the emails she sent:

-Sent that night: "light-hearted" email to faux Ben at 12:41 a.m. on July 12, 2008 - only about two hours after she claims real Ben assaulted her
-Sent the day after the alleged incident - McNulty wrote, "This golf tournament has been really fun. Speaking of which I need to head over to a dinner with your lookalike [referring to Ben Roethlisberger] and a few others before heading out"
-Sent the day after the alleged incident "I would date Ben Roethlisberger"
These e-mail revelations follow the account from one of Andrea McNulty's co-worker, who said the accuser actually bragged about sex with Roethlesberger. In conclusion Andrea came out and said that said she would be willing to settle the civil matter against Roethlisberger if he admitted to raping her, apologized and gave $100,000 to the Committee to Aid Abused Women, a non-profit agency in Reno that helps victims of domestic violence.

If I were raped I don’t believe I’d settle at all, I'd want justice but that’s just me. So did he do it or not, I’d say she is a gold-digger trying to extort money from a famous athlete. Realistically there are only two people that will ever know what really happened, but from the looks of things I’d say gold-digger. No the Steelers don’t have a Tom Brady or the Hoodie, nor do they have the title “America’s Team”. What they do have is an integrity filled franchise, the most loyal fan base around, and a super bowl record second to none. So keep talking up the other 31 teams while we here in Steeler nation do what we do best, cheer for our team that quietly wins super bowls.

Link to the Actual Charges: http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/download/2009/0721/20132331.pdf

From March to August I fly the American flag.

The rest of the year, yep you got it!

Start of the Season
“Lets get it started”, I’ve been waiting 7 long baseball ridden months for the start of the NFL season. It’s been a long hard road since the end of the season, losing my sister and the economic debacle. This time of year always seems like such an upper to me. The leaves start to change color, the days and nights become cooler and of course the start of the best sport in the world. Now I know we can’t all be Steelers fans, but isn’t that the great thing about football, the fans are incredible.

For the first time in my life I met a Detroit Lion's fan last year, how amazing, I myself have rooted for the Steelers since I can’t remember when. My friends are Cowboy, Raiders and Patriots fans and no matter how good or bad their teams may perform in any given year, they remain true to there teams; and lets face it to reach the super bowl requires skill, coaching, injury prevention and a lot of luck. I wouldn’t have picked the Steelers to win the super bowl last year and with the onslaught of the new season it’s anyone’s game on any given Sunday. So kick back and let’s enjoy the one sport that is truly American, ‘Football’----“Let’s get it started”
O’ and by the way GO STEELERS