Steelers Today – A Pittsburgh Steelers blog

I’m still having a hard time accepting what happened.  Five fumbles, three interceptions, and a loss to the Browns.  Yikes!

It’s time for our weekly haiku contest, but I don’t think this week’s entries are going to be very nice.  Nope, I don’t think they’re going to be nice at all.  But the contest must go on.

The contest rules are simple. You must summarize the Steelers-Browns game in a haiku.  A haiku is a form of Japanese poetry that contains only 3 lines. The first line has 5 syllables, the second line has 7 syllables, and the third line has 5 syllables. Typically, haiku do not rhyme.

Please note, the emphasis is on syllables, not words.  Remember, 5/7/5.

I start the competition by offering a haiku of my own. Then you readers write a haiku of your own to try to beat mine. On Thursday I will announce this week’s contest winner.  But remember, your haiku has to be better than mine.  If none of your entries are better than mine, then I can declare myself this week’s winner.

Here’s my entry:

Another fumble
Christmas came early for Browns
Gift wrapped turnovers

Okay readers, it’s your turn.  Lets see who can come up with the best haiku about the Steelers-Browns game.  Your haiku must be about the game, or any other interesting topics that are directly related to the game (e.g. the historic rivalry, Charlie Batch getting the start, the incredible number of turnovers, etc).  You may enter the contest as many times as you like.

Any entries that do not follow the 5/7/5 format will be automatically disqualified, so remember to count your syllables.

Are you ready for some haiku?!!

It’s time to announce the winners of this week’s haiku contest.  Once again, we had some very good entries.

The entries weren’t as positive as they’ve been in past weeks.  But with the Steelers almost losing to the lowly Kansas City Chiefs, I can see why fans weren’t particularly joyful.

But despite the tone of the entries, there were some very good ones this week.  So here are this week’s winners.

In third place, we have Joel Glover, who submitted this entry.

Leftwich best days gone
Need trustworthy Quarterback
Batch the better choice

In second place is David Plaut with this haiku.

Ben carrying team
Crushed by Houston and Hali
Too much to shoulder

And in first place we have this excellent haiku that was written by Seff.

1 and 7 Chiefs
Sloppy win comes with a price
When you win, you lose

Congratulations guys!  Those were all excellent!

Next up, the Steelers face the hated Baltimore Ravens.  The injuries aren’t going to make it any easier.  Byron Leftwich is going to have to bring his “A-game” if we’re going to win this one.

Go Steelers!

Well the Steelers beat the Browns (again).  No big surprise there.  Now it’s time for this week’s haiku contest.

Each week (okay, maybe not EACH week) we hold a haiku contest.  The contest rules are simple.  You must summarize the Steelers-Browns game in a haiku.  A haiku is a form of Japanese poetry that contains only 3 lines. The first line has 5 syllables, the second line has 7 syllables, and the third line has 5 syllables.  Typically, haiku do not rhyme.

Please note, the emphasis is on syllables, not words. Remember 5/7/5.

Last week I did not hold a haiku contest.   However, with the Steelers’ impressive win over the Browns, there are lots of storylines to capture in a haiku.  Troy Polamalu’s return, Big Ben’s big game, 2 hundred yard receivers, fumbles galore, losses by AFC North opponents, and the Steelers tie for 1st place in the AFC North are just a few of the thoughts that I expect to be reflected in this week’s entries.

Ouch! My knee!

Here is my haiku for this week. 

The return of Troy
400 yards for Big Ben
1st place here we come

Okay readers, your turn.  Lets see who can come up with the best haiku about the Steelers-Browns game.  Are you ready for some haiku?!!

(If you enjoyed this article, please consider leaving a comment below. Also, please subscribe to our blog by pressing the orange button below. You can also follow us on Facebook or Twitter by clicking the doohickies at the bottom of the right column of this page. Thanks.)

Subscribe in a reader

There is still over a week until the Super Bowl, and I am already tired of talking about it, and tired of waiting for it.  So instead of focusing on the Super Bowl, lets take a moment to reminisce about a great season, and to celebrate an outstanding performance by our beloved Steelers. 

Do you remember back when the Steelers’ schedule was announced, and just about every team we had to play had been in the playoffs the previous year?  Remember how nervous everyone was (including me)?  Do you recall how doomed we all felt when it was announced that our schedule was probably the most difficult schedule in the NFL in the past 25 years?  How were we going to overcome such a tough schedule?  At best, the Steelers might finish 8-8.  At least that’s what people thought.

Do you remember how everyone fretted about the weakness of the offensive line?  After the draft, Steelers fans hammered the Steelers’ front office for not selecting an offensive lineman in every single round of the draft.  And of course, there were those who feared that the Steelers would be completely helpless without the great and powerful Alan Faneca.  What were we going to do without him?  Woe was us.

Some said that Bruce Arians was a terrible offensive coordinator, and that the team would never experience success until Coach Tomlin finally came to his senses and fired Bruce Arians.  There was even a website devoted to that mission.  Yeah, doom and gloom reigned in Steelerland.

But here we are in January 2009, and the Steelers are the AFC champs, and are about to play in (and win) the Super Bowl.  Who’da thunk it?

So let’s take a moment to smell the roses.  Forget about the Super Bowl.  We’ll have plenty of time to talk about that.  Let’s write some reflective haiku to commemorate this season.  It can reflect your joy at being AFC champs, or your sorrow for losing Faneca, or your thoughts on a particular players’ performance this year.  Whatever you want to haiku about, except for next week’s Super Bowl.  That one topic is off limits.

To paraphrase a certain sci-fi move, “all these topics are yours except the Super Bowl.  Attempt no haiku there”.  (Yeah, I’m a geek.  I admit it.  Bonus points to the first person who can identify the movie and line that I’m paraphrasing).

So that’s the assignment.  Remember, a haiku is a 3 line poem.  The first line has 5 syllables, the second line has 7 syllables, and the last line has 5 syllables. 

Here’s my contribution:

Fans had lost their faith
Thought schedule was much too tough
Steelers proved them wrong

Or how about this one:

Harrison was great
Deserved to be MVP
Joey Porter who?

Here’s one more:

Troy with flowing hair
Was just about ev’rywhere
Just ask the Ravens

Okay, your turn.  Start writin’.

(If you enjoyed this article, please consider leaving a comment below. Also, please subscribe to our blog by pressing the orange button below. Thanks.)

Subscribe in a reader