Pittsburgh Steelers (official thread)

[AJHawkfan]

Agreed. Although no-huddle does not necessarily mean going to the run and shoot or anything. The whole point of the no-huddle is to capitalize on mismatches and keeping defenses off balance.

I'm pretty sure that as long as Cowher is around, the Steelers will be a run first team. He remembers the shitty year that was 2003. Stupid Tommy-Gun offense........

 

[Ohio Steeler]

I recieved this in an email and thought I would post it here for you all to read and enjoy.

You always dreamed you'd get there; though this season I knew,
To play in the biggest game of all; and play it where you grew.

Your parents going state to state; watching you with pride.
Getting ever closer to your biggest ride.

As your pounded yard by yard, to get your team the score
I knew that you were destined
I knew that there was more.

I'll watch you Supberbowl Sunday,
My eyes will not be dry,
As you hold the Lombardi Trophy,
raising it to the sky.

If this be your final season,
be your final game,
I'll still watch the Steelers,
but it just won't be the same.

What a fitting finish,
for the best in the NFL mix,
The future hall of famer,
my favorite and the greatest #36.

- Catherine

 

[Ohio Steeler]

Agreed. Although no-huddle does not necessarily mean going to the run and shoot or anything. The whole point of the no-huddle is to capitalize on mismatches and keeping defenses off balance.

I'm pretty sure that as long as Cowher is around, the Steelers will be a run first team. He remembers the shitty year that was 2003. Stupid Tommy-Gun offense........

the way I look at this no huddle thing is if it is not broke dont fix it... I just feel we are going to get our selfs in trouble if we change the way the O is run

 

[BuckNutty]

Steelers tops in NFL merchandise

By Joe Bendel
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, June 7, 2006


If it seems like Steelers paraphernalia is everywhere you look -- even outside of western Pennsylvania -- that's because it is.
For the first time since 1980, NFL-licensed Steelers merchandise is the top seller among the 32 NFL teams. Second on the list is the Philadelphia Eagles, marking just the third time that teams from the same state ranked Nos. 1 and 2 in sales.

In 1990 and 1991, the Los Angeles Raiders and the San Francisco 49ers were first and second, respectively. The league began tracking merchandise sales in 1979.

The popularity of Steelers players such as retired tailback Jerome Bettis, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, Super Bowl MVP Hines Ward and Pro Bowl strong safety Troy Polamalu enhanced the team's image in Pittsburgh and beyond during their Super Bowl title run.

Last year, the Eagles held the top spot, but the Steelers were able to knock their in-state foes off their perch. It is just the second time the Steelers ranked No. 1.

In 1980, the franchise was coming off its fourth Super Bowl in six years.

After the Steelers and Eagles, the Oakland Raiders ranked third on this year's list, followed by the Dallas Cowboys, the New England Patriots, the Green Bay Packers, the Indianapolis Colts, the Chicago Bears, the New York Giants and the Denver Broncos.

Sales were tracked from April 1, 2005 until March 31, 2006.

Popular viewing

Last season, 13 NFL games had as many or more viewers than prime-time's five most-watched May season finales, up from 11 such NFL games in 2004). The Steelers participated in five of those games.

Game Date Average Viewers

Super Bowl XL (Seattle vs. Pittsburgh), ABC Feb. 5, 2006 90.7 million viewers

AFC Championship Game (Pittsburgh vs. Denver), CBS Jan. 22, 2006 39.0 million viewers

American Idol (season finale), FOX May 24, 2006 36.4 million viewers

NFC Championship Game (Carolina vs. Seattle), FOX Jan. 22, 2006 35.2 million viewers

AFC Divisional (Pittsburgh vs. Indianapolis), CBS Jan. 15, 2006 33.9 million viewers

NFC Divisional (Carolina vs. Chicago), FOX Jan. 15, 2006 32.7 million viewers

AFC Wild Card (Pittsburgh vs. Cincinnati), CBS Jan. 8, 2006 30.4 million viewers

NFL Thanksgiving Game (Denver vs. Dallas), CBS Nov. 24, 2005 26.4 million viewers

AFC Divisional (New England vs. Denver), CBS Jan. 14, 2006 26.3 million viewers

House (season finale), FOX May 23, 2006 25.5 million viewers

CSI (season finale), CBS May 18, 2006 25.4 million viewers

NFC Divisional (Washington vs. Seattle), FOX Jan. 14, 2006 24.3 million viewers

NFL National Game (mostly NY Giants vs. Seattle), FOX Nov. 27, 2005 24.246 million viewers

Desperate Housewives (season finale), ABC May 21, 2006 24.233 million viewers

NFL National Game (mostly Wash. vs. Philadelphia), FOX Jan. 1, 2006 23.1 million viewers

NFC Wild Card (Carolina vs. NY Giants), FOX Jan. 8, 2006 22.8 million viewers

Monday Night Football (Pittsburgh vs. Indianapolis), ABC Nov. 28, 2005 22.636 million viewers

Grey's Anatomy (season finale-part 1), ABC May 14, 2006 22.599 million viewers

Source: NFL, Nielsen Media Research

Joe Bendel can be reached at [email protected] or (412) 320-7811.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_456970.html

 

[BuckNutty]

Can't say I'm sorry to see him go...

Maddox swings toward pro golf career

By Joe Bendel
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, June 7, 2006


Tommy Maddox swung through the doors of the Steelers offices Tuesday looking more like a professional golfer than an NFL quarterback. And with good reason.
The former Steelers starter said it would take a "great situation" for him to return to the NFL, while adding that he plans to make golf a full-time endeavor.

He also made it clear that the celebrity tour is not in his plans. Maddox, who has a plus-1.8 handicap, is thinking big.

"If you're really going to try to do it seriously, you have to go into the other tours," said Maddox, who was released by the Steelers in March and has not participated in an NFL minicamp, despite inquiries from several teams.

Asked if he would like to retire from the NFL on top, with a Super Bowl title like teammate Jerome Bettis, Maddox smiled.

"That's not a bad way to go out," Maddox said

Sporting stylish shades, a golf shirt and flip flops, Maddox slipped into the South Side facilities to pick up his Super Bowl ring before visiting The Club at Nevillewood to play 18 holes.

Maddox did not attend the Steelers' ring ceremony Sunday. He also missed the team's visit to the White House two days earlier.

If Maddox, 34, follows his golf dream and retires from the NFL, he'll walk away with a Super Bowl ring, the second-best single-season passing total in Steelers history (3,414 yards in 2003) and a comeback player of the year award from 2002. He also had a rocky final season in 2005, during which he was demoted to third team after turning the ball over four times in an overtime loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars and struggling in a later loss at Baltimore.

After his release from the Steelers, Maddox said he had potential employment opportunities with the Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints and Oakland Raiders, but the man known as Tommy Gun is loving life on the links and with his wife, son and daughter.

"I haven't missed a little league game this year," Maddox said, proudly, before adding that he gets to go horse riding with his daughter. "Things are pretty good."

Maddox is wasting little time in his attempts to become a professional golfer. He played in a qualifier for the EDS Byron Nelson Championship on May 8 in Southlake, Texas, missing qualifying for the event by three strokes. At the qualifier, Maddox three-putted three times.

He said yesterday that he has aspirations of playing in the Nationwide Tour, although he is not currently part of the PGA-run venture. He nearly made the cut for a Nationwide Tour event last month and plans to hit the mini-tour circuit.

His impressive handicap is a clear sign that he has the potential to be a competitive pro golfer, according to Dirk Hartman, a pro at Nevillewood. It also helps that Maddox, a former first-round draft choice of the Denver Broncos, has moved to Roanoke, Texas, where he can play year-round. He sold his Pittsburgh-area home this week.

"If he can dedicate himself to golf, he'll make it," Hartman said. "He has the talent and the skill. Some players have false dreams and think they can make it. Tommy's dreams are real. He's crossed the gap. He can play -- and compete."

Hartman said Maddox can drive for distance, but his best asset is his command within 100 yards of the hole.


Joe Bendel can be reached at [email protected] or (412) 320-7811.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_456959.html

 

[AJHawkfan]

the way I look at this no huddle thing is if it is not broke dont fix it... I just feel we are going to get our selfs in trouble if we change the way the O is run

I agree; to a point. Let's be clear that the plan is not to go to a no-huddle offense all the time, but only in certain situations. Letting Ben call virtually every play at the line (like Indy does with Manning) would be a drastic overhaul. Our no-huddle will be more of an addition; a variation or today's offense.

In the NFL, you must constantly be updating your playbook, adding new wrinkles to keep defenses off balance. If you sit tight where you are, the rest of the league catches up to you pretty quickly - basically overnight.

I look for the no-huddle to pop out one, maybe two series per game this year. Depending on how well it does, you may see it more, maybe less.

 

[Ohio Steeler]

Steelers: Big Ben making big strides

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/20.../bc.fbn.steelers.roethlisberger.ap/index.html

In the Super Bowl, Ben Roethlisberger's passer rating of 22.6 was the lowest ever compiled by a winning quarterback.

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Statistically, Ben Roethlisberger's last NFL game was his worst.

But the youngest quarterback ever to win a Super Bowl has looked like a new man for the Pittsburgh Steelers this spring.

"He's been tremendous this offseason," Steelers quarterbacks coach Mark Whipple said. "I think he's really stepped up as a leader and is controlling the offense and he knows what's happening."

Roethlisberger's leadership is evident. With veteran running back Jerome Bettis gone, the third-year quarterback has taken charge.

Roethlisberger is also showing off a stronger throwing arm after struggling through the late part of the 2005 season with a broken right thumb.

"The thumb's healthy, and that obviously helps," Roethlisberger said. "My whole body feels good. I feel healthy."

He's consistently thrown 65- to 70-yard deep passes this spring. That's almost 10 yards further than his deep throws in the second half of last season.

After missing four games in the middle of the season with knee injuries, Roethlisberger returned for a Monday night game against Indianapolis and broke his right thumb. He aggravated the injury the following week.

Because a painkilling shot would have numbed the fingers on his passing hand, Roethlisberger played the rest of the season with a protective splint under a glove on his right hand.

"It was excruciating," he said. "I couldn't throw a ball without a glove. I couldn't squeeze it. There were practices where I just had to hold the ball in my palm. It was a broken thumb. Every time I took a snap it hurt."

He won't blame his poor Super Bowl statistics on the injury. After all, Roethlisberger compiled two of his top four passer ratings last season in the AFC playoffs.

But in the Super Bowl, Roethlisberger's passer rating of 22.6 was the lowest ever compiled by a winning quarterback, and the worst of his two-year career.

"A lot of people make a big deal about it, but, to me, we won the game," he said. "Obviously, I did things that probably weren't the best, but I also, in my opinion, did some things to help the team a little bit, too.

"The thing is: I always know I can play better. I'll never be satisfied with how I play. I could complete every pass and have a perfect passer rating and I still won't be satisfied. But passer rating is just another statistic. To me, it's not a big deal. My goal wasn't to have a better passer rating; I wanted to play a better game."

Whipple expects to continue to improve in 2006. He sees the strong arm, but believes it's simply a result of a veteran who better understands the value of rest. Whipple says the improvement has more to do with maturity.

"He's being a consummate pro," Whipple said. "I just think the experience from last season has been definitely a positive one. Except for the confidence, which he's always had, I have not seen anything that would say he's going to take a back seat next year.

"Some people say, 'Well, he won the Super Bowl as the youngest guy,' but that won't change him. Look, Tom Brady's got three (rings); (Joe) Montana's got four; the old Steelers got four. That's motivation enough."

Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

 

[BuckNutty]

Steelers end voluntary workouts


Related Articles

Roethlisberger making offseason strides

By Joe Bendel
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, June 8, 2006


The Super Bowl champion Steelers left the South Side facility en masse early this morning, signaling the end of voluntary workouts. They won't be back together again until the opening of training camp July 28 in Latrobe.
"I told them the next seven weeks will be very critical in terms of their preparation as it goes into the season," coach Bill Cowher said. "It will be a reflection of their ability to apply some self-discipline. It will speak volumes, and we expect them back here ready to go."

Since winning Super Bowl XL last February, the Steelers have been on a whirlwind tour, which has included a visit to the White House, a Super Bowl ring ceremony, international trips for wideout Hines Ward and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and a number of endorsement deals for various players. Asked if all of these offseason commitments been difficult on his team, Cowher did not believe so.

"I don't know if difficult is the right word," Cowher said. "I think there' s been a lot going on and certainly it's made for a short offseason from that perspective. There's been a lot more reflecting than we've ever done and a lot reminders of last year. So I think it's going to be important to know that you don't pick up where you left off. That doesn't happen in this business. We need to go back to setting the right foundation, finding the right set of guys and that's not going to be easy."

Cowher said he expects the team to be in full health for training camp, including Pro Bowl linebacker Joey Porter, who had athroscopic surgery on his right knee two weeks ago. Cowher also said first-round draft pick Santonio Holmes, a wide receiver who missed voluntary workouts because his semester at Ohio State was not over, will be in town the next few weeks to work with some Steelers coaches.

Cowher also said that Holmes made a poor decision when he was issued a disorderly conduct at an urban music festival in Miami over the Memorial Day weekend. But the veteran coach added that he doesn't have any "long-term concerns," about the situation.

Joe Bendel can be reached at [email protected] or (412) 320-7811.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_457202.html

 

[BuckNutty]

Minicamp ends with Cowher challenge

Bill Cowher By: Jim Wexell
SteelCityInsider.com
Date: Jun 8, 2006

PITTSBURGH – Bill Cowher had his championship ring for two days before he was forced to send it back to be re-sized. The symbolism was fitting for the Super Bowl champions' final day of minicamp this spring.


The Pittsburgh Steelers concluded the easy-going, reflective days of the spring Thursday with a warning from their coach that what they accomplished by winning the Super Bowl in 2005 will be nothing more than a memory without the proper approach to training camp.

All of the Steelers, with the exception of rookies Santonio Holmes and Mike Kudla, are off until they report to St. Vincent College on July 28.

“The next several weeks are critical,” said Cowher. “They’ll need to show the ability to apply self-discipline and sacrifice.”

Most players will take a short break before beginning serious preparations for training camp. While Holmes and Kudla report for a crash course after missing minicamp due to NCAA regulations, several of the players will travel south to work with personal trainers. Cowher gave them the same warning last year and it was obviously heeded.

Although Holmes missed four weeks of coaching sessions, he was perhaps the team’s biggest newsmaker this spring. He was arrested in Miami for disorderly conduct during a Memorial Day weekend crackdown by local authorities.

“Whatever he did wrong, I don’t think he handled it properly,” Cowher said. “I think he’ll learn from it and understand the scrutiny he’s under. We have not talked face to face about it. I don’t have any long-term concerns. He’s a very solid individual and I’m not holding that incident against him, although we will talk about it.”

Joey Porter made news for missing the first week of coaching sessions. He underwent minor knee surgery the second week and missed the remainder of spring drills. Cowher said the surgery was “a proactive approach instead of waiting until training camp.”

Cowher said everyone is expected to be healthy for the start of camp, including Porter.

“I think it was just something we were hoping in time would go away and it just never did,” Cowher said of Porter’s knee.

The good news for the Steelers is the health of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who enters his third season as the team’s unquestioned leader.

“He’s a lot more comfortable right now than he’s ever been in this offense,” Cowher said. “He not only understands what he has to do, he understands where everybody else should be as well. There’s no question that with his comfort level he’s a much bigger presence on this team than he’s ever been.”

With the maturing of Roethlisberger, and the increased depth on the offensive line, the Super Bowl champions could, in fact, enter the 2006 season a more complete team. Another championship is possible.

“I don’t like losing,” Cowher said. “You develop a distaste for failure and I think that drives you more than wanting to be recognized for your success. So I think it’s a football team that’s been driven by not wanting to lose more than anything.

“It was special. It was a special time. We always will reflect on it. I think you still have to enjoy it and reap the benefits of it. A lot of people said ‘Don’t do the White House. Don’t have a ceremony.’ But when you work so hard to obtain a championship, enjoy it. Just have the discipline enough to be able to understand that a lot of the enjoyment and fulfillment that comes with it, you need to experience that. You always have to be able to say, ‘OK, now let’s do it again,’ so there is something to look forward to. The longer you stay in it, the more you realize how special it is, and that’s a driving force in itself.”

Scout Free

 

[BuckNutty]

Big Ben and mom will be in the soup soon
Thursday, June 08, 2006

By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Brenda Roethlisberger is about to become a star. Just don't call her Big Brenda or, for that matter, Big Mama.

Peter Diana, Post-Gazette
Ben Roethlisberger with his mother, Brenda, in a 2004 photo.

Ben Roethlisberger and his mother will start shooting a national commercial next week for Campbell's Chunky Soup. The Steelers' quarterback will also be joined by a group of his closest friends: his offensive linemen.

The $2 million shoot will take place at Heinz Field over the course of a week and employ 55 to 60 people, including a local crew. It is the latest in Chunky Soup's Mama's Boys campaign that has featured Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb since 2001.

Chunky Soup also will film two other commercials as part of its series, with McNabb and Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and their moms. All three will be shown starting the week of Sept. 7.

Roethlisberger -- because of his youth, his victory in the Super Bowl and the fact McNabb has done the Chunky Soup commercials the previous five years -- could become its new star, along with his mother. Wilma McNabb became a national icon through the series of commercials with her son, the Eagles' quarterback. Actresses played the parts of the players' mothers until their real moms were used in 2002.

"She can't wait, she's excited about it," Roethlisberger said. "It should be fun."

Linemen Alan Faneca, Kendall Simmons, Jeff Hartings and Max Starks also are scheduled to participate as will linebacker James Farrior and the chunkiest of them all, nose tackle Casey Hampton.

"That's the fun thing, to have them in it and having an experience with them," Roethlisberger said. "I'm sure they'll probably make me the star, but I'd rather it be them."

Roethlisberger isn't the only one excited about the commercial.

"National spots, which we usually get once a year, are great economic generators," said Dawn Keezer, director of the Pittsburgh Film Office. "They hire local people, spend money and Pittsburgh looks great. It's one more benefit we're getting from the Steelers winning the Super Bowl."

Ryan Tollner, one of Roethlisberger's agents, said, "It should be a great thing for Ben. Ben's mom should be popular in Pittsburgh and around the country."

Even though the Steelers' offseason workouts end today, Roethlisberger's teammates were more than happy to stick around for the extra work.

"I'm just as excited as heck they picked us to do it," Simmons said. "It helps winning the Super Bowl and stuff."

Said Starks, "I think partly it's the fruits of winning the Super Bowl. Plus, when you have a young, hot quarterback like Ben, that brings attention, and by the luck of the draw we got asked to be part of it also."

Four different companies from New York and Los Angeles bid for the commercial. Go Films of New York will shoot three separate commercial spots with Roethlisberger next week here. This type of commercial can generate more in a short amount of time than some feature-length films, Keezer said. As an example, "Graduation" was a $3 million film shot over six to eight weeks here last summer.

"It's a big national spot," Keezer said. "They can bring in more money than a film."

It's also another in the line of careful marketing and selling of the Big Ben product. Agent Leigh Steinberg had predicted that winning the Super Bowl could help put $20 million more in Roethlisberger's pocket through marketing over the next three years, but his agency does not want to overexpose him either.

"Oh, yeah, we definitely worry about that," Roethlisberger said. "That's one of the things we talk about, you don't want to have too many national commercials and do too much stuff.

"This year we figure to have only two or three national commercials, this one and one with Nike. That's probably it. That's the two we know we're going to have."

He's making money for others, too.

The NFL yesterday announced that Roethlisberger's jersey accounted for nearly one-third of all Steelers jerseys sold through the fiscal year that ended March 31. Roethlisberger had 32 percent, Troy Polamalu 19 percent, Hines Ward 16 percent and Jerome Bettis 9 percent.

"For the guys who touch the ball," Simmons said, "there's a little bit more stardom."

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06159/696635-66.stm

 

[Ohio Steeler]

Cowher criticizes draft pick Holmes after arrest

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2476138

PITTSBURGH -- Steelers coach Bill Cowher on Thursday criticized No. 1 draft pick Santonio Holmes for his arrest last month in Miami, but said he will not hold the incident against the former Ohio State receiver.

Holmes, who missed four weeks of coaching sessions due to NCAA regulations, was arrested in South Beach for disorderly conduct during a Memorial Day weekend crackdown by local authorities.

"Whatever he did wrong, I don't think he handled it properly," Cowher said. "I think he'll learn from it and understand the scrutiny he's under. We have not talked face to face about it. I don't have any long-term concerns."

Holmes and fellow rookie Mike Kudla were prohibited from participating in the minicamp because of an NFL-NCAA agreement that a college player cannot take part in NFL spring workouts until his college has had its graduation.

 

[Ohio Steeler]

Cowher's Future Unclear

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06160/696888-66.stm

Cowher's long-term coaching plans unclear
'I'm just taking it year to year'
Friday, June 09, 2006
Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

There is a growing feeling inside the Steelers organization that Bill Cowher may coach one more season or, at most two, and then retire to the $2.5 million home he and his wife bought in Raleigh, N.C., this year.

That sentiment was underscored yesterday with Cowher's answer to a question about whether this might be his final season coaching the Steelers.

"I'm just taking it year to year," he said, reiterating words he first spoke at the NFL meetings in March.

His brief comment came during a press conference yesterday to mark the end of the Steelers' spring workouts. Cowher declined, through a spokesman, to speak further about his future.

That answer conflicts with one he gave two years ago in March just before negotiations began that extended his contract through the 2007 season.

"I have a seventh-grader," he said then, "and I know for at least the next five years, if not longer, I plan on coaching."

His youngest daughter, Lindsay, reportedly left Fox Chapel High School to enroll as a sophomore in the fall in a school near Raleigh, where she will play basketball.

Talks between Cowher's agent, Phil de Picciotto, and Steelers President Art Rooney II have been ongoing to extend the coach's contract, something that has always been accomplished when he has had two seasons left on his deal. It's possible no deal will be struck before the regular season begins and if not, Rooney said talks would then stop until the season ends.

"There's always a chance," Rooney said yesterday. "As you know, he has two years left on his contract. No one's sitting here saying we have to absolutely have something done this year. We can always continue the conversation next year."

Rooney declined to reveal the progress of talks.

"The only thing I can say is we've had some conversations and I expect to have more. The important thing is that Bill's focus is entirely on the challenge of the 2006 football season and that's where it should be."

Asked if he thought this might be Cowher's final season coaching the Steelers, Rooney paused before saying he did not.

"I hate to speculate about things like that, but I would say I would be surprised if this were his last year. I'm sure he's given it some thought at some point about how long he wants to coach. He's at the 15-year mark and that's a long time in this league."

Some members of the organization believe Cowher's decision could hinge on how the 2006 season turns out, but he expressed his desire to possibly retire to at least one person last fall.

Cowher, 49, told an associate not connected with the team last October that he was growing tired of the grind of coaching professional football and might soon retire. It was about the time that he and Mrs. Cowher picked out their new home in North Raleigh, near where his wife grew up. When news of their purchase of the 7,400-square foot home broke in March, it stunned most in the organization. The Cowhers also own a summer home on Bald Head Island, N.C., and the first home they bought when the Steelers hired him in 1992, in Fox Chapel.

There was at least one television report that Mrs. Cowher and Lindsay would move to Raleigh and that Cowher would "commute" when he could, a difficult task for an NFL coach during a season that includes seven-day work weeks from late July to, in the Steelers' case this year when they won the Super Bowl, early February. Cowher's eldest daughter Meagan will be a sophomore at Princeton University and his middle daughter Lauren is enrolled there as a freshman and will play basketball.

Before the Steelers won the Super Bowl, Cowher said it was the one void in his coaching career that he had yet to fulfill. He is the longest-tenured coach in the league with one team. His record of 141-82-1 in the regular season ranks third among active coaches in victories and 14th in NFL history.

"We would hope that he continues to coach for a good while," Rooney said.

If he does retire in the next year or two, assistant head coach Russ Grimm or offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt would be strong candidates to succeed him. Both have been candidates for head coaching jobs in the NFL.

Other successful coaches have retired at early ages, although many later returned. Dick Vermeil retired after seven seasons as Eagles coach at age 46, only to return to coaching 15 years later in 1997. Bill Parcells left the New York Giants at age 49 after winning two Super Bowls, returned three years later to coach the Patriots and Jets for seven seasons and retired again after the 1999 season. He came out of retirement once more in 2003 to coach the Cowboys, where he enters his fourth season. Joe Gibbs retired after the 1992 season at age 52 after coaching the Redskins to three Super Bowl victories and returned to coach them in 2004, after he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Cowher could coach another season or two, "retire" for a few years and, if he wanted, be in high demand as a coaching candidate in his mid-50s.

Asked yesterday what he might do in retirement, Cowher said, "That's a good question. I wouldn't be able to talk to you guys. I'd miss you guys. That's why I'm still here."

Two years ago he said that he loved competing and that he would miss coaching. "Besides that, I'm not sure what I would do with myself. It's something that I love to do . . . I don't foresee taking a break anytime soon, to be honest with you."

He said in March 2004 that when his youngest daughter became a senior and only he and his wife were left at home, "maybe at that point what I need to do is sit back and reassess where I'm at."

That evaluation seems to have begun earlier.

 

[Ohio Steeler]

Now this guy is a fan

Ron Vergerio has gone to great lengths to turn his home in Springdale Township into a Steelers museum and his body into a living, breathing shrine.

Vergerio, 48, has more than 1,000 football collectibles, and the detailed, colored tattoo that adorns his entire back is the pinnacle. A dozen players and Steelers founder Art Rooney Sr., are all over him. So is the Pittsburgh skyline.

The work took Chris Blick of American Tattoo in Verona more than 100 hours to complete over 11 months. It is so detailed and eye-catching that it won first place in the Meeting of the Marked contest in Green Tree in October.

Among the 13 figures etched are Jack Lambert, Franco Harris, Terry Bradshaw, Lynn Swann, Rod Woodson, Jerome Bettis and Kordell Stewart

"I'm a Kordell fan, win or lose," Vergerio said, adding, "I'm glad Tommy's playing well."

That's quarterback Tommy Maddox, who rallied the Steelers to victory against Cleveland a week ago and lifted them into today's AFC divisional playoff game against Tennessee at 4:30 p.m. at The Coliseum in Nashville.

"I think they can hang in there with (the Titans). But I think they're going to need a big play from some unknown," said Vergerio, a driver and license examiner for Laidlaw Transit Services Inc.

This is what Vergerio, who also has tattoos on his arms and legs, lives for. And lives in.

The gravel path leading to the front door of his Williams Street home directs visitors into the kitchen, where the cabinets are painted black and gold and photos of every Steeler line the walls near the ceiling.

Through a doorway between the refrigerator and stove sits the living room, where more photos, these of past Steelers greats, decorate the walls above the black leather sofas and chair. Vergerio estimates he owns as many as 800 Steelers photos.

Drapes with the Steelers logo — sewed by his wife of 26 years, Violet — hang from all the windows. It is in this living room that Vergerio, Violet and their four children — Angela, 24; Mel, 21; Teresa, 16; and Sheree, 12 — gather to watch the Steelers game on a new, 53-inch television. It was an early Christmas gift from their son — who is named after Vergerio's favorite Steeler, Mel Blount — and arrived in August, just in time for the preseason games.

Following the Steelers is a passion that has consumed Vergerio since the 1970s, when he first began attending training camp practices and started his photo collection. It is one that will continue to consume him, whether the Steelers win or lose.

"There's a lot of big Steeler fans," Vergerio said. "But I wouldn't think there are too many who are bigger fans."

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_112204.html

 

[Jaxbuck]

:stupid: Next time anyones wife gives them shit for being too into their Buckeyes show 'em this guy. Holy cow.

 

[buckeye247]

Ron Vergerio has gone to great lengths to turn his home in Springdale Township into a Steelers museum and his body into a living, breathing shrine.

Vergerio, 48, has more than 1,000 football collectibles, and the detailed, colored tattoo that adorns his entire back is the pinnacle. A dozen players and Steelers founder Art Rooney Sr., are all over him. So is the Pittsburgh skyline.

The work took Chris Blick of American Tattoo in Verona more than 100 hours to complete over 11 months. It is so detailed and eye-catching that it won first place in the Meeting of the Marked contest in Green Tree in October.

Among the 13 figures etched are Jack Lambert, Franco Harris, Terry Bradshaw, Lynn Swann, Rod Woodson, Jerome Bettis and Kordell Stewart

"I'm a Kordell fan, win or lose," Vergerio said, adding, "I'm glad Tommy's playing well."

That's quarterback Tommy Maddox, who rallied the Steelers to victory against Cleveland a week ago and lifted them into today's AFC divisional playoff game against Tennessee at 4:30 p.m. at The Coliseum in Nashville.

"I think they can hang in there with (the Titans). But I think they're going to need a big play from some unknown," said Vergerio, a driver and license examiner for Laidlaw Transit Services Inc.

This is what Vergerio, who also has tattoos on his arms and legs, lives for. And lives in.

The gravel path leading to the front door of his Williams Street home directs visitors into the kitchen, where the cabinets are painted black and gold and photos of every Steeler line the walls near the ceiling.

Through a doorway between the refrigerator and stove sits the living room, where more photos, these of past Steelers greats, decorate the walls above the black leather sofas and chair. Vergerio estimates he owns as many as 800 Steelers photos.

Drapes with the Steelers logo — sewed by his wife of 26 years, Violet — hang from all the windows. It is in this living room that Vergerio, Violet and their four children — Angela, 24; Mel, 21; Teresa, 16; and Sheree, 12 — gather to watch the Steelers game on a new, 53-inch television. It was an early Christmas gift from their son — who is named after Vergerio's favorite Steeler, Mel Blount — and arrived in August, just in time for the preseason games.

Following the Steelers is a passion that has consumed Vergerio since the 1970s, when he first began attending training camp practices and started his photo collection. It is one that will continue to consume him, whether the Steelers win or lose.

"There's a lot of big Steeler fans," Vergerio said. "But I wouldn't think there are too many who are bigger fans."

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_112204.html

what a loser.