It’s Steelers vs. Chargers game day!!!
It’s Sunday morning, and I can’t wait until game time. I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve waiting for Santa to arrive.
The weather forecast for Pittsburgh calls for temperatures in the 20′s, but later in the game, the wind chill should make it feel like 18 degrees. That’s perfect Steelers weather. The team has been practicing outdoors this week to acclimate themselves to the conditions. Everybody is healthy, and the Black and Gold is ready to kick some Charger butt.
On the other hand, the Chargers come limping into Heinz Field. LaDainian Tomlinson isn’t going to play. Antonio Gates is hurt (although he is going to play). And Darren Sproles is about to find out that running against the Steelers is a lot more difficult than running against the Colts.
That leaves Philip Rivers as the Chargers’ best hope for victory. Rivers is the NFL’s highest rated quarterback. However, he had his worst game against the Steelers.
Rivers, who was born in Alabama, played all of his childhood football through high school in the warm climate of Alabama. He went to college at North Carolina State, where he played in warm southern temperatures. After college, he went directly to the Chargers and their tropical southern California environment. So basically, we have a kid who has never had to shovel a driveway, has probably never built a snowman, and probably doesn’t own a good pair of winter boots, being called upon to lead the Chargers to victory in chilly winter conditions. That’s like asking an African lion to join a pack of polar bears on a walrus hunt. He’s going to be completely out of his element, and probably won’t excel.
Kickoff is at 4:45PM ET. It’s going to be a good one.
Here we go Steelers, here we go!!!!
In other news, the Baltimore Ravens defeated the Tennessee Titans yesterday 13-10. I predicted that was going to happen here (scroll all the way down to the end of the article). I never root for the Ravens. Never. In fact, few things make me happier than seeing the Ravens lose. But on this occasion, I wanted the Ravens to win. The Steelers had a tough time against the Titans. Contrarily, we’ve beaten the Ravens twice this season. Given the choice, I’d rather play the Ravens.
I know that some Steelers fans will say that we shouldn’t avoid tough challenges. Others will say that we should want to play the Titans so we can get revenge for their little towel stomping episode. To all of that, I say “phooey”. This is not the time to be proud. This is the time to be pragmatic.
I don’t care about revenge. At least not right now. Yes, the Titans did stomp on a Terrible Towel. And they’re going to pay for that. But not now. Now is not the time for that. The only thing that matters right now is winning another Lombardi Trophy. And in my opinion, playing the Ravens is a more favorable path to that goal.
If we played the Titans, we would have to play in their house. But now that the Titans are eliminated, any opponent that we play leading up to the Super Bowl will have to come to our house. If we can take care of business today, the road to the Super Bowl goes through Heinz Field. That’s huge.
So bring on the Chargers. And if things go the way that they should, bring on the Ravens. In our house. Beating the Ravens 3 times in the same season will be sweet. Real sweet.
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I WAS GLAD TO SEE THE RAVENS WIN, NOW WE HAVE TO GO OUT AND TAKE CARE OF RIVERS AND HIS OBNOXIOUS SELF. HE IS PATHETIC AS A PERSON OF CHARACTER.NOW BRING THEM IN SO WE CAN BOLT THEM OUT, BRING ON THE RAVENS TO HINES FIELD 86 AWH, BUT I SO WANTED TO SEE THE TITANS TO AVENGE THE TOWEL STOMPING. RESPECT MYRON COPE!
1Man, give me a break. I stumbled upon your site to check out the exact start time of San Diego’s win today.
When the Ravens continued to shut all the haters up by proving themselves again the best team in all of football right now. When I contemplated who I’d prefer to play, San Diego or face Pitt for the 3rd time this year it was a no brainer. Don’t get me wrong, I think our playing the Chargers would prove to be the most pragmatic option. However, this is a mans game and nothing would be more gratifying for us Ravens fans than to walk/no run right over you guys en route to our 2nd Super Bowl title of the decade!
You can’t tell me that our first meeting on Monday Night Football wasn’t one of the most exciting, hard nosed games of the entire season. Although we lost the game we didn’t lose any pride or respect. I was at the 2nd game, which also came down to the wire.
My two main points are that right now the Ravens are the hottest team in football, so I disagree with your comment about San Diego being the harder team to beat. Finally, any true hard-nosed Ravens/Steeler fans would want to see them square up against each other again. You ought to be scared if you pull off this win tonight. The Ravens want blood and there’s no way in hell they’re going to let you guys come back in the final minutes again. I’ll never “root” for the Steelers either but definitely hope The Ravens get another shot at you guys. What fan who isn’t afraid of lining up head to head with the toughest team possible? That’s not how we roll down here baby, we can’t wait to take you guys out once and for all! I never respond to radio or anything of this nature but as a true Ravens fan couldn’t let the “pragmatic” comment slide. This is about rivalry man, it’s football!
Admit it, you know that we’re hot, haven’t gotten the attention we’ve deserved until recently… and deep, deeeep inside know that if you guys face us again we’re going to bring it and the real #1 defense into your house and shut you, your loud mouthed fans, and that punk H. Ward up until next year!! We’re the best road team in football, deny it? Talk about beating us 3 times in your house, it aint gonna happen man! We real men want to beat the best team, screw taking the easy route…Don’t sulk man, but be prepared. Our fans want nothing more than to take you out, and this time you ain’t squeakin by like you did in the last two games. As if your team blew us out each time…Enough talk.. I’ll never say I hope your team wins, but for every true football fan across the country I hope we do face up one last time..this war man. We took out losses like men at the time, show some respect and give it when we thee Ravens come to your house and silence everybody; you’re going down and NO TEAM IS MEANER, TOUGHER, OR HUNGRIER THAN THE BALTIMORE RAVENS…CAW!!!!
2Ravens die-hard,
I understand your point. I love a good, smashmouth Steelers-Ravens game. But right now, I don’t want the hardest games we can get. Frankly, I want the easiest. Once we win our 6th Lombardi trophy, nobody will ask how hard our opponents were. They’ll just know that we are Super Bowl champs.
To me, winning is much more important than proving how macho we are. That may disappoint some people, but that’s how I see it.
3I selfishly wanted the Ravens to win because I’m sitting on 30-yard line AFC Championship Game tickets. Nothing I want more than to hop that Chicago to Pittsburgh flight and take my dad to his first Steelers playoff game.
4Congratulations Patrick. Your dad probably took you to your first ballgame. To now be able to take him to his first Steelers playoff game is truly a blessing. Enjoy the game.
BTW, thanks again for writing the article. Feel free to submit material anytime.
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