I love that guy!!!

I�m Cowhering in the corner, hoping I don�t get sued by StillHearted, as I understand he has a documented history of filing suit versus other Steelers fans on this site.� However, I take solace in the experience of the Marx Brothers.� Apparently, after filming �A Night in Casablanca, Grouch, Harpo, Chico, and Zeppo were sued by Warner Brothers for infringing on the title of WB�s Humphrey Bogart classic, �Casablanca.�� The Marx Brothers, however, pointed out that they had been brothers longer than the Warners had been brothers, and threatened to counter-sue for the co-opting of their name.� The WB�s dropped their legal action.� Sorry, StillHearted, had I known of your existence prior to choosing my moniker, I assure you that I would have gone in a different direction.� However, I�m way too much of a techno-illiterate to figure out how to change my moniker and still have access to the printing of my articles.

 

Yesterday�s game takes me back to the Divisional Playoffs following the �94 season.� Steelers-Browns�.the closest I�ve ever come to a religious experience.� Just before the half, Vinnie T. throws a terrible interception to Tim McKyer (who knew McKyer would be next week�s goat versus SD in the AFC Championship), followed by a Yancey Thigpen TD grab for a 24-3 halftime lead.� On my way to piss in the sink in the men�s room (a Three Rivers Stadium tradition), I�m screaming, �I love that guy�.I love that guy.�� Well, after yesterday, I�m still in love with Vinnie.� We should have known he would come through for us when it counted most.

 

One more Vinnie tale, then on to other matters.� One of biggest disappointments with Heinz Field is that the players� busses are safely ensconced within the stadium fences, whereas at Three Rivers, the visitors departed their busses on the street outside of the stadium entrance, mere feet from the verbal taunts of hecklers, like myself.� Well, prior to a Sunday night encounter vs. the Ravens in �97, my nephew & I were awaiting the arrival of the visitors� bus, and who steps off first but VINNY!!!� Vinnie had been quite open about being �haunted� during his introduction to the NFL by his Fiesta Bowl experience vs. Penn State in �86.� During that game, Vinnie�s top-ranked Miami Hurricanes lost to the Nittany Lions, 14-10, in large part due to Vinnie�s 5 interceptions.� �Hey Vinnie, Fiesta Bowl,� I screamed.� �Fiesta Bowl, Vinnie, Fiesta Bowl.�� The first three Ravens� drives that night ended with Vinnie interceptions, followed by a Vinnie benching, enroute to a 37-0 Steelers victory.�� I�ll accept credit for Vinnie�s performance that night.

 

What a great win in Dallas yesterday.� A few things to consider:

1. I was not surprised with the turnout of Steelers fans for this game.� This summer, when I searched on E-Bay for tickets to the Steelers-Patriots game, there were a ton of Steelers-Cowboys tickets available, all for fairly cheap money.
2. The NFL had better look into the clock operation during the hook n� ladder with 9 seconds left.� Glenn was clearly hit and was in the air with clock on 1 second.� I assumed the game was over.� The last pass then, seemed to stay off the ground for an eternity, a la �95 AFC Championship vs. Indy.
3. Still critics out there of inserting Bettis on the goal line??� �It will bite us in the ass,� some posters said last week.� Well, if we were to have been bitten, yesterday would have been the time.� It�s tough to argue with 7-for-7.
4. These goddam graphics and sideline shots are driving me crazy.� I was pleased with the result, but the camera missed the snap on Ben�s last pass to Tuman while they were busy showing Vinnie�s mug on the sideline.
5. Let�s look at some of the moves of the God of Coaching, Bill Parcells.
1. At roughly the Steeler 30, about 40 seconds left in the half, plenty of time to drive in for a TD, Parcells runs the ball, followed by a spike, followed by only one shot at the EZ prior to kicking a FG�.terrible usage of the clock, and unnecessarily wasting a play.
2. Wastes a TO in the 4^th quarter by challenging a fairly obvious incompletion.
3. Doesn�t call his last TO with the Steelers inside the 5 and whittling away the clock.� Consequently, he�s left with only 30 seconds and one TO left for a game-winning drive. (they didn�t use the TO incidentally, until there was 1 second left, and the clock was stopped anyway).� Calling time would have given them about a minute left on the clock, and if the Steelers hadn�t scored at all (might have gone for it on 4^th & 1), the Cowboys could have still run out the clock.� The only defense lies in the Steelers needing to really rush had Bettis been stopped on second down.� There would have been 30 seconds left with the clock running, probably necessitating a 3^rd down pass.� Still, on balance, I was pleasantly surprised that Parcells chose not to stop the clock.
6. Let�s segue to last week�s discussion of Cowher�s 80-something 1-1 record when protecting an 11-point lead, versus speculation of his record when falling behind by a like margin (one posted speculated that his record would be about 3-57). I�ve been able to unearth the following that Cowher�s Steelers have come from 11 points are more back to win a game at least 11 times during his tenure:
1. 1993:

-down 16-0 to Cinci, won 24-16

-down 14-0 to NE, won 17-14

������������������ b.�� 1994:

������������������������� -down 14-0 to Indy, won 31-21

������������������ c.��� 1995:

���������������������������� -down I think about 31-14 to Cinci, won 49-31

������������������� d.��� 1996:

����������������������������� -down 14-3 to Miami, won 24-17

������������������ �e.� 1997:

��������������������������� -down 21-0 to Balt., won 42-34

��������������������������� -down 21-7 to Denver, won 35-24

��������������������������� -down 14-0 to NE, won 24-21 in OT

��������������������� f.�� 2000

��������������������������� -down 20-7 to Oak., won 21-20

�������������������� �g.�� 2001

����������������������������� -down 14-3 to TN, won 34-24

���������������������� h.��� 2002

��������������������� ��������-down by 17?? to Cleve in playoffs, won 33-30

����������������������� There may have been some other games in �92, or perhaps vs. Chicago in �95, �

���������������������� ��that fall into this category as well.� Clearly, Cowher has excelled at protecting

������������������������ considerable leads, and has done alright in coming from behind as well.�

������������������������ Yesterday�s game doesn�t fall into this category, as the Steelers were only 10

������������������������ points down, but what a terrific 4^th quarter comeback!!!

 

Now it�s on to the Patriots, and what promises to be an absolutely an electric atmosphere at Heinz Field.� It�s an incredible challenge, but we can win this game, even without Fat Casey in the middle.� I�m thinking that the Patriots will probably come out in enough passing packages that Casey may have spend a good bit of the day on the sideline anyway.� I�ll be attending with my 11-year old son (�.does anyone suppose that tailgaters will be passing out candy for what amounts to a Halloween night game).� Anthony will be sitting with my Pittsburgh niece.� I�ll be sitting with my stupid Patriot friend Charlie, in section 519.� I�ve know Charlie for 25 years, shared a house with him, but never watched, even on TV, a Patriot-Steeler game with him.� We actually went to a game at Three Rivers together in 1981.� I sat with my brother; my wife, the anti-fan, sat with Charlie.� The Steelers won 27-21 in OT on a Bradshaw-Swann TD (12+88=6).� I thought that this would be the game that would make any casual observer a died-in-the-wool Steeler fan.� She hated it!!!� She threatened my life, as well as other body parts, should I again place her in such a situation with such a raving lunatic as Charlie.�

 

I told my nephew a few weeks ago when I was down for the Bungals game that it should be interesting sitting next to Charlie.� �Charlie can be an asshole about football,� I said, ��.and so can I.��

 

Should be an interesting day/night.� Go Steelers!!!!!