Steelers Today – A Pittsburgh Steelers blog

February 19, 2009
By Donald Starver

Steelers’ offensive tackle Max Starks must have been born in a field of four leaf clovers.  And he must carry a rabbit’s foot in his pocket.  And he probably throws about 10 pounds of salt over his shoulder each morning.  If you can think of anything else that brings good luck, Starks probably does that too.

Last year, the Steelers placed the transition tag on Starks, and ended up paying him $6.9 million, even though he wasn’t able to win a starting position in training camp.  Most fans thought that Steelers’ Director of Football Operation, Kevin Colbert, had lost his mind.  How could he pay a backup more money than he was paying any of his STARTING offensive linemen?  Heck, he was paying him more than he was paying his Pro Bowl running back, his Pro Bowl linebacker, his Pro Bowl nose tackle, or his Pro Bowl safety.  That didn’t make any sense, did it?

Of course we all know that Marvel Smith ended up hurting his back (again), and Max Starks was called upon to fill in for Smith.  Starks started at left tackle in the Super Bowl, and he went from being the butt of jokes to a hero in the Steelers championship run.  How lucky can that guy be?

Well obviously he still has a little more luck to draw upon.  Today the Steelers announced that they have placed the franchise tag on….(drum roll, please)………Max Starks. 

The franchise tag basically means that Starks will be paid an average of the top 5 salaries at his position.  So a guy who couldn’t even win a position at RIGHT tackle in camp is guaranteed to be paid like the top 5 left tackles in the NFL.   Max Starks has to be the luckiest man in the world.

On both occasions, the Steelers’ hand was forced by the tenuous condition of Marvel Smith’s back.  If Smith’s back hadn’t been an issue, Starks wouldn’t have gotten the transition tag last year, nor the franchise tag this year.  Max Starks should buy Marvel Smith something very nice for Christmas.

By franchising Max Starks, the Steelers are all but announcing that they are not going to maintain Marvel Smith’s services (unless they can do so at a drastically reduced cost, which is unlikely).  They cannot afford to go into another season with two highly paid and highly redundant left tackles on their roster.

The fact that Marvel Smith has missed 19 games over the past two seasons may scare other teams away from making him a large contract offer.  However, reports have it that Marvel’s back is doing fine, and that he should be able to pass any team’s physical.  Smith has always been a good left tackle when healthy.  Good left tackles rarely hit the open market, so teams may bid on Smith’s services despite his history of back problems.  If they do, then it’s bye-bye Marvel.

The franchise tag will prevent Starks from becoming an unrestricted free agent, and will guarantee him approximately $8.5 million in salary.

There are two types of franchise tags, “exclusive” and “non-exclusive”.  “Exclusive” means that the player receiving the franchise tag cannot negotiate with other teams.  “Non-exclusive” means that the player may negotiate with other teams, but if he signs with another team, his original team has the right to match the terms of that offer.  If they choose to let the tagged player sign with another team, the team will be compensated with 2 first-round draft picks.

The tag that was placed on Starks was non-exclusive.  Thus, the Steelers could potentially still lose Starks.  However, they will now get two additional first round picks to soften the blow.

In a pure open market, I don’t think that Max Starks would have commanded as much money as he was paid last year.  Moreover, I don’t think he could command as much money as the franchise tag now guarantees that he will be paid this year.  Nobody would argue that Starks is one of the top 5 tackles in the NFL. He’s not. Yet, because of the Steelers’ situation with other offensive linemen, signing Starks was the right move in both cases.

Max Starks, you are the luckiest man in the world.

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February 17, 2009
By Donald Starver

I was talking to a friend about the Steelers’ awesome 2008 season, and suddenly he came to a shocking realization.  It occurred to him that winning the Super Bowl means that the Steelers now get the honor and privilege of picking 32nd in the upcoming draft.  That’s dead last.  I could see the look of horror cover his face as comprehension set in.

Firstly, it amazed me that any true sports fan could be unaware of that particular ramification of winning the Super Bowl.  It’s the booby prize that comes with the Lombardi Trophy.   The two are intrinsically linked.  It’s kind of like that pesky burning and itching feeling that you get after a night of sex with Paris Hilton; you can’t have one without the other.

But I digress.

So after he realized that every team in the NFL gets to select before the Steelers FINALLY get to pick, my friend proceeded to whine about how unfair that is, and how the Steelers are totally screwed.  I was quick to remind him that it’s actually a pretty fair trade-off for trophy #6.  Ask any team which they’d rather have, the #1 pick in the draft or a Super Bowl championship.  I’m sure the answer will be unanimous.

But to further put him at ease, I reminded him that the Detroit Lions, Cincinnati Bengals, and Oakland Raiders always seem to have top 5 draft positions.  Yet despite getting their pick of the best young talent available, they continue to suck year after year.  Meanwhile, teams like the Steelers, New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, San Diego Chargers, and Philadelphia Eagles seem to pick in the second half of the draft each year, and yet they remain perennial playoff teams.  So there is more to winning than just having a top 10 draft position.

There will be plenty of good talent available at pick #32.  In fact, the Steelers will probably have their pick from among some of the top interior offensive linemen available, should they choose to go that way.

Here are some recent 32nd picks, along with the team that made the pick.  I’m also including in parentheses a few of the players that were drafted immediately after  pick #32.

2008 – Patriots forfeited pick so Giants select Kenny Philips 31st (Philip Merling was selected next).

2007 – Colts select Anthony Gonzalez (Alan Branch, Paul Posluszny).

2006 – Giants chose Mathias Kiwanuka (DeMeco Ryans).

2005 – Patriots chose Logan Mankins (Brodney Poole, Lofa Tatupu).

2004 – Patriots chose Ben Watson (Karlos Dansby, Chris Snee).

2003 – Raiders select Tyler Brayton (Eric Steinbach, Boss Bailey).

2002 – Redskins picked Patrick Ramsey (Jabbar Gafney, DeShaun Foster).

2001 – Ravens select Todd Heap (Drew Brees, Alge Crumpler, Chad Johnson)

So as you can see, some very good players have been chosen at pick #32.  Moreover, there is usually very good talent available even after the 32nd pick.

We all know that the Steelers had several starters on their Super Bowl championship team that weren’t even drafted.  James Harrison, Willie Parker, and Darnell Stapleton were all undrafted free agents.  That’s proof that good talent can be found, even after “Mr. Irrelevant” comes off the draft board.

So fret not, Steeler Nation.  Picking last is a small price to pay for winning the Super Bowl.  Kevin Colbert is very good at what he does.  He’ll get the Steelers what they need, even if he has to trade down to get it (remember the trades he made to get Troy Polamalu and Santonio Holmes?).

So if you find yourself feeling down because of the Steelers’ draft position, just remember that we could be picking first, like the Detroit Lions.  That would REALLY suck.

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February 18, 2009
By Donald Starver

Here at Steelers Today, we are not content to sit back and speculate on what the Steelers are going to do during the off-season.  Instead, we prefer to take a more proactive approach.

We’ve hacked into Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin’s PDA, and we were able to locate his “to do” list.   Here it is, exclusively on Steelers Today.

Mike Tomlin’s “to do” list

1. Convince Dick LeBeau that it’s not appropriate for me to call him “dad”.
2. Find more ways to use the word “men” at press conferences.
3. Sucker Ken Whisenhunt into signing Chris Kemoeatu.
4. Make James Harrison run more 100 yard dashes.
5. Convince Bruce Arians that “fullback” is not a bad word.
6. Send Terrell Owens a free agent contract on April Fool’s Day.
7. Pretend to respect the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals.
8. Sucker Ken Whisenhunt into signing Willie Colon.
9. Teach Ben Roethlisberger the difference between a broken toenail and a broken leg.
10. Send 50 cases of rice cakes to Casey Hampton’s house.
11. Explain to Limas Sweed that wide receivers are supposed to CATCH the ball.
12. Place Jeff Reed under house arrest to avoid more “incidents”.
13. Mandatory drug tests for Santonio.
14. Get fitted for ring.
15. Sign contract extension.

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February 15, 2009
By Donald Starver

There are certain things in this life that just require action.  It would be inhuman to not act under these circumstances.

One such occasion is if another man hits your wife, mom, or sister.  If that happens, then it’s on.  There is a man law that says that violence is the appropriate response.  And if you bust a cap in that man’s @$$, then nobody is really going to blame you.

But there is another crime that is equally as heinous, equally untenable, that is seldom discussed.  The mere thought of it makes our blood boil.  That’s why it is so seldom spoken of.  Yet speak of it we must.

The situation that I am referring to is one that most of us are familiar with.  We’ve all been out at 3:00AM driving our cars in a state of semi-intoxication, and stopped at a public restroom to relieve ourselves, only to discover that the lazy, no good, convenience store attendant has failed to refill the paper towels in the restroom.  Gasp!  The horror!

Pittsburgh Steelers’ kicker Jeff Reed recently found himself in that situation, and he did exactly what any of us would have done.  He resorted to violence.  He first took out his frustration on the paper towel holder.  After all, an empty paper towel dispenser deserves to be destroyed.  After that, he proceeded to give the guilty store attendant a verbal bludgeoning.  Would any of us have done any less?

Because of the heroic actions of Jeff Reed, I can rest assured that there will be paper towels in the local Sheetz the next time I am heading home from the strip club in the middle of the night.

Way to go, Jeff.  You’re both a hero and a role model.  NOT!

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February 14, 2009
By Patrick Cartwright

I am not a superstitious person.  I have no qualms about walking under ladders, unless a fat guy with poor balance stands precariously on top.  I do not suffer from triskaidekaphobia, or fear of the number thirteen.  In fact, I laughed when years ago I realized that the high-rise I lived in went straight from floor 12 to floor 14.  And my fiancee owns a black cat, whose path I cross quite frequently.

However, and for reasons I’ve never quite understood myself, I’m extremely superstitious about sports.  If I have a routine that’s working and my team is winning, I stick with it.  This has included everything from the way I dress, to the food I eat on the day of the big game.  And, as a sane person, I am aware that behaving in this way is patently ludicrous.  Yet, during my favorite college football team’s National Championship run in 2002, I found myself with long hippie-like hair because I realized five games into the season that I had not cut my hair since the season started and vowed not to cut it until that particular team lost.  Drawing from the power of my hair, Sampson-like, that team went undefeated and beat a heavily-favored team to win the BCS Championship.

During the hockey playoffs in the year 2001, I became convinced that on hockey game days, the Penguins would win if I ate nothing but hot dogs and drank nothing but beer, water, or milk.  How this thought process originated, I am unable to recall.  However, for several weeks, as the Penguins defeated the Washington Capitols and edged the Buffalo Sabres before succumbing to the New Jersey Devils, I could be counted upon to have hot dogs and water for lunch, hot dogs and milk for dinner, and hot dogs and beer for a snack during the game.  You don’t realize how long the NHL playoffs are until you are forced (in this case, I forced myself) to eat hot dogs every 2nd or 3rd day through three playoff series.

You might remember the 2004 NFL season.  Most will remember that as the year in which Big Ben Roethlisberger set a new standard for rookie passers, going 13-0 in the regular season.  I remember it as the year I didn’t change my clothing for the playoffs.  I wore a Three Rivers Stadium t-shirt under a Steelers sweatshirt every game that year.  When the playoffs (or “new season” as some players call it) started, I continued to dress in this way.  The season ended with a thud, with an unimpressive win over the Jets that wouldn’t have even happened had it not been for two missed Jets field goals, and then a 41-27 shellacking at the hands of the Patriots.  Looking for a way to right this injustice, I decided the following year that I would change attire for the playoffs.  I did so the following year, forsaking my previous attire for a Roethlisberger jersey, and Bam!  Super Bowl win.  Coincidence?

Yeah, probably.

One of my cardinal rules is “Don’t piss off the football/hockey/baseball gods”.  This can apply a variety of ways.  Never, EVER, guarantee a victory (are you listening Anthony Smith?).  Never cheer when an opposing player gets injured (Philadelphia) or throw batteries at someone (Philadelphia) or pelt Santa Claus with snow balls (Philadelphia).  If you’re cheering for your team at another team’s stadium, be respectful.  Cheer for your team, but don’t be obnoxious, or you’ll deserve the beer you get dumped on you.  And lastly, never desecrate an opponent’s cherished relic.  You see what happens when people use the Terrible Towel in a disrespectful way.  TJ Douchemanzada wiped his feet with it.  He lost his quarterback, lost his playoff game, and hasn’t been to the playoffs since.  Some of the Titans stomped on the Towel.  They were bounced from the playoffs in their first game.  The mayor of Phoenix blew his nose on it.  The Cardinals lost the Super Bowl to the Steelers.  Coincidence?

Perhaps.

Speaking of mayors, I can’t be the only one who wanted to throttle mayor Luke Ravenstahl and county exec. Dan Onorato.  Ravenstahl won major points with Steeler Nation on the week of the AFC Championship game by changing his last name to Steelerstahl.  It was funny, imaginative, and showed his dedication to the city and its favorite team.  Fast forward two weeks and he’s planning the victory parade before the game has been played.  No!  Bad juju!  And then Onorato chimes in with some babble of his own, all but guaranteeing victory.  You don’t do that sort of thing!  The Steelers won, but at the victory parade, Onorato was booed by fans.  Ravenstahl was spared, if only because he chose to ride in Ben Roethlisberger’s car.  I feel that the only reason the jinx wasn’t put on the Steelers was that Ravenstahl banked some good will with the football gods the previous week.  So he was a wash.  Onorato was lucky that the Phoenix mayor made a similar guarantee and then blew his nose on the Terrible Towel or else he’d be packing his bags come the next election.

You might be asking yourself “What is the point of this, other than to show that you’re walking a thin line between rabid fan and mentally ill”?  The point is this:  It seems to me that temping fate generally is a bad idea.  And so, when Mike Tomlin, who went out of his way all season to focus the team on the here and now, flashes seven fingers at the victory parade, I worry.  When Dan Rooney says “lets try to get a seventh next year”, I fret.  And when the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette repeatedly used the words “Seventh Heaven” in reference to the possibility of the Steelers repeating as NFL champs next year, I wanted to yell, scream to the rafters, “STOP!!!  YOU’RE TEMPTING FATE!  ENJOY THE MOMENT!”  I have to wonder to myself what’s gotten into everyone?  Do they not remember the last time Pittsburgh won a Super Bowl they followed it up with an 8-8 season?  This was less than five years ago!  It took 25 years to get the elusive “one for the thumb”.  To talk about obtaining a seventh Lombardi Trophy less than one week after winning the sixth is folly bordering on the irresponsible.

Take a rest, everybody.  The next season is seven months away.  The next Super Bowl is in another year.  Baby steps.  One thing at a time.  Think about the draft, where we need to add depth at key positions.  Think about pending free agency.  Think about the work we’ll have to do in order to win a third division title.  It’s a long road to the Super Bowl.  Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go get a hair cut.  I’m overdue by about five months.

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