The Daily Bongo

Pittsburgh Steelers: 2007 Season



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Saturday, January 5, 2008 -- Late Evening

Wildcard Playoff Game

Teams
Jacguars
Steelers 		1st quarter
7
7 		2nd quarter
14
0 		3rd quarter
7
3 		4th quarter
3
19 		Final
31
29

The Steelers played the Jacksonville Jaguars this evening in the first round of playoffs. The Steelers were not playing well in the first half, and Ben Roethlisberger threw three interceptions in the first half. At halftime, the Steelers were down by 14 points. The third quarter came and went, and the Steelers were down 18 points. Things were looking bleak. The fourth quarter saw a change when the Steelers started to intercept the ball and make plays. With six minutes left in the game, the Steelers got a one point lead. Things were looking hopeful when the Jaguars got the ball, and slowly marched it down to their end zone. After burning some time, and leaving the Steelers with less than a minute, the Jaguars killed a field goal to take a two point lead. Then, the Steelers had the ball, and Roethlisberger fumbled the ball with 20 seconds left and lost the game for the Steelers. Jacksonville goes on to the next round, and the Steelers get to go home. It was a good season, especially at the beginning of the season. However, in the past few games, the Steelers have been sucking, and no one really thought they would win this game. At least it was a good battle in the fourth quarter. Final score: Steelers 29 - Jaguars 31.

Sunday, December 30, 2007 -- Evening

Sixteenth game of the season

Teams
Steelers
Ravens 		1st quarter
0
10 		2nd quarter
7
10 		3rd quarter
0
7 		4th quarter
14
0 		Final
21
27

The Steelers played the Baltimore Ravens late this afternoon. The game really didn't mean much to the Steelers because they already made the playoffs. However, it should have meant something to them because they spent most of the game playing like crap. Things picked up in the fourth quarter when the Steelers came within one touchdown of the Ravens. So now it is on to the playoffs. The Steelers will be playing the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first round of the playoffs next Saturday night. The final score for today's game was 27-21 with the Steelers losing.

Thursday, December 20, 2007 -- Late Evening

Fifteenth game of the season

Teams
Steelers
Rams 		1st quarter
7
7 		2nd quarter
17
10 		3rd quarter
7
7 		4th quarter
10
0 		Final
41
24

The Steelers played the St. Louis Rams this evening. The game was broadcast on our local station (KDKA), which was good because the game would otherwise only be on the NFL Network and few in Pittsburgh could watch the game. The game was going back and forth at first, with the Steelers and the Rams exchanging the lead. Then the Steelers started to pull ahead. Bad news for the Steelers. Willie Parker broke his right fibula in one of the plays. Parker will be out for the remainder of the season. Score in the third quarter is 31-17 with the Steelers leading. I'm tired so I'll be watching from bed and will report on the rest of the game tomorrow.

Sunday, December 16, 2007 -- Evening

Fourteenth game of the season

Teams
Jaguars
Steelers 		1st quarter
3
0 		2nd quarter
7
7 		3rd quarter
12
0 		4th quarter
7
15 		Final
29
22

The Steelers played the Jacksonville Jaguars this afternoon. There were forecasts that the weather here might be snowy and sleety. There were a few flurries, but it was nothing big. At the most, we wound up with maybe an inch of snow. The Steelers weren't playing their best and the announcers were making lots of excuses for the team. However, I think that they have just been sucking lately. There was concern that Ben Roethlisberger wouldn't play today because of a shoulder injury, but he did. Then the announcers were making excuses for why his throws weren't that great--it was because of his injury. Well, if it was that bad, why was he playing? The Jaguars took an early lead, and held onto it for most of the game. In the fourth quarter, the Steelers tied the game, but then the Jacguars got another touchdown to win. So that means that the Steelers didn't solidify a playoff position, and with the Cleveland Browns playing better this year, we might not make the playoffs. That would be a real kicker after the good start this year. The final score of today's game was Steelers 22, Jaguars 29.

Sunday, December 9, 2007 -- Evening

Thirteenth game of the season

Teams
Steelers
Patriots 		1st quarter
3
7 		2nd quarter
10
10 		3rd quarter
0
14 		4th quarter
0
3 		Final
13
34

The Steelers played the New England Patriots late this afternoon. The Patriots haven't been defeated yet this season, and the Steelers weren't able to give them a loss. There was controversy earlier in the week because Anthony Smith of the Steelers, guaranteed a win for the Steelers. Of course that got the Patriots riled. The Steelers had the ball for 20 minutes in the first half, but they really didn't do much in the second half. The Patriots won with a final score of 34-13. I wish that I had listened to my boyfriend because if I did, I would be undefeated this week in the Beat Bob competition. He picked all the winners in the 14 games played so far. There are only two games, this evening's and tomorrow's, left to play. Unfortunately, I picked Philadelphia to beat the Giants and Tampa Bay to beat Houston.

Monday, December 3, 2007 -- Morning

Twelfth game of the season

Teams
Bengals
Steelers 		1st quarter
7
0 		2nd quarter
0
17 		3rd quarter
3
7 		4th quarter
0
0 		Final
10
24

The Steelers won last night's game against the Cincinnati Bengals. There was some concern that the field would be a muddy mess because of the rain we had all day yesterday, but Heinz Field held up--unlike last Monday. The problem last Monday was a yearly one. The high school teams play four games in one day on the field on the day after Thanksgiving. Then Pitt played on Saturday, and then the Steelers on Monday. Combine that with really heavy downpours on Monday, and you get a muddy mess. I think that the team should redo the field with artifical turf just because you can get injured more easily by stepping in a hole created by sod that's lifting up. There were some issues because of lighter rain on Sunday. Ben Roethlisberger was complaining about the ball being wet, and that it was causing him problems in throwing it. Also, Willie Parker was having fumble-itis that was being blamed on the weather. They weren't serious problems because the Steelers went on to win with a score of 24-10.

Monday, November 26, 2007 -- Evening

Eleventh game of the season

Teams
Dolphins
Steelers 		1st quarter
0
0 		2nd quarter
0
0 		3rd quarter
0
0 		4th quarter
0
3 		Final
0
3

The game played on Monday night was a mess. The field was so torn up by the amount of playing that had been done on it in the past four days (high school, Pitt, Steelers) and the heavy rains that it was incredibly difficult to move on it. The players pretty much fell around in the mud and didn't get any yardage. There was some concern that Miami Dolphins would get their first win of the season, but fortunately, Jeff Reed was able to get a field goal in the last seconds of the game. It was a real mess. The team should redo the field for the players safety and for the fans' enjoyment. I don't care if the players like rolling around in the mud. If I paid money (and ticket prices are high), I want to see a game. This was not a game.

Sunday, November 17, 2007 -- Early Evening

Tenth game of the season

Teams
Steelers
Jets 		1st quarter
0
10 		2nd quarter
7
3 		3rd quarter
6
0 		4th quarter
3
3 		OT
0
3 		Final
16
19

The Steelers played the New York Jets later this afternoon. The Steelers weren't playing very well, and I know that the expectations were the Steelers would win because the Jets have not been winning this year. After all, they have two wins and eight losses. Well, the Jets have another win after today when they beat the Steelers in overtime. There were several issues. The offensive line was not doing its job and Ben Roethlisberger was spending alot of time on his back. Ike Taylor had a good day, and made some nice plays. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough, and the Steelers lost with a final score of 16-19.

Sunday, November 11, 2007 -- Early Evening

Ninth game of the season

Teams
Browns
Steelers 		1st quarter
7
3 		2nd quarter
14
6 		3rd quarter
0
7 		4th quarter
7
15 		Final
28
31

The Steelers played the Cleveland Browns this afternoon. It was being setup as a competition to determine the leader of the AFC North division. The first half was not looking good for the Steelers, and at half time, they were down by a score of 21-9. The Steelers came back from half-time ready to fight, and the fourth quarter was one of the most exciting that I have seen in a long time. The lead kept on switching hands as the clock ticked down. In the last 30 seconds, the Browns had gotten within field goal range, and they were ready to tie things up. Fortunately for the Steelers, the attempt failed, and the Steelers won with a final score of 31-28.

Tuesday, November 6, 2007 -- Early Morning

The Steelers / Ravens game last night was a bust. There was only a field goal scored by the Steelers in the second half. The announcers were mostly talking about stupid stuff because there really wasn't much going on on the field. At one point, Ben Roethlisberger hurt his leg, but he came back out on the field for a few plays. They thought it was to make sure his leg was actually doing okay. All in all, an extremely boring game. The Steelers won with a final score of 38 - 7.

Monday, November 5, 2007 -- Evening

Eighth game of the season

Teams
Ravens
Steelers 		1st quarter
0
14 		2nd quarter
7
21 		3rd quarter
0
3 		4th quarter
0
0 		Final
7
38

The Steelers were also playing this evening, in their first Monday night football game this season. It has been raining somewhat heavily here in PIttsburgh, and the Steelers are leading with four touchdowns five minutes before half time. I probably won't stay up till the end of the game, but right now, it is a butt whopping. The Baltimore Ravens have really been stinking up the joint. The Steelers just got another interception to really rub the salt in the wound. The ESPN announcers are commenting on how good James Harrison is doing because he's the one who got the interception. Harrison replaced Joey Porter this season. The Steelers are also celebrating their 75th anniversary this evening by bringing together the players who made the best of 75 years team. Terry Bradshaw, Lynn Swann, and John Stallworth are on the sidelines, enjoying the game. Half time is still not here, and Ben Roethlisberger just threw his fifth touchdown of the game. Steelers lead 35-0.

Sunday, October 28, 2007 -- Early Evening

Seventh game of the season

Teams
Steelers
Bengals 		1st quarter
7
3 		2nd quarter
14
3 		3rd quarter
0
0 		4th quarter
3
7 		Final
24
13

The Steelers game wasn't much of a nail biter this afternoon. They played the Cincinatti Bengals in Cincinatti, and the Steelers pretty much whopped their butts. Cincinatti is having some serious problems, and the team is a bottom dweller in the AFC North. There have even been rumors that the team may trade Chad Johnson. The problem is that there have been such high expectations for the team over the past few years, and they have yet to fulfill those expectations. There is also talk that coach Marvin Lewis may be on the chopping block because of the team's performance. Anyway, the final score today was Steelers 24 - Bengals 13.

Monday, October 22, 2007 -- Evening

Sixth game of the season

Teams
Steelers
Broncos 		1st quarter
7
7 		2nd quarter
0
14 		3rd quarter
7
7 		4th quarter
14
3 		Final
28
31

The Steelers played the Denver Broncos last night. I had picked the Steelers to win the game, but unfortunately, that was not to be. They started out slowly, and the Broncos took the early lead. In the second half, the Steelers managed to come back to tie things up. However, with only a second left on the clock, the Broncos scored a field goal to win the game.

Sunday October 7, 2007 -- Evening

Fifth game of the season

Teams
Seahawks
Steelers 		1st quarter
0
0 		2nd quarter
0
7 		3rd quarter
0
7 		4th quarter
0
7 		Final
0
21

The Steelers played the Seattle Seahawks in what many were calling a Super Bowl rematch. Seahawk fans have been holding a grudge for a few years now, claiming that the officials gave the Super Bowl to the Steelers. I didn't hold out much hope for the injury riddled Steelers, but they managed to put out a win in the sulty, late Indian summer here in Pittsburgh. The temperatures were in the 80s, unusual for early October, and that may have affected the Seahawks. The final score was Steelers 21, Seahawks 0. Next week is a bye week for the Steelers, and hopefully that will provide plenty of time for Hines Ward, Troy Polamalu, and Casey Hampton to heal. None of them were dressed for today's game.

Sunday, September 30, 2007 -- Early Evening

Fourth game of the season

Teams
Steelers
Cardinals 		1st quarter
0
7 		2nd quarter
0
0 		3rd quarter
0
7 		4th quarter
7
14 		Final
14
21

The Steelers played the Arizona Cardinals in a late afternoon game. There was some controversy because during the warmup, Ken Whisenhunt said hello to every player except for Ben Roethlisberger. It seems that Whisenhunt and Cowher were not high on Roethlisberger's friends list. That's interesting because everyone seemed to think things were rosy since Roethlisberger wasn't pulled from games last season when he was stinking up the joint. The Steelers did a good job in the first quarter, but things went down from there. The second quarter was an equal effort, but then the Cardinals seemed to get some momentum. They pulled ahead in the fourth quarter. In the last two minutes of the game, the Steelers came on to score a touchdown with just under two minutes. The Cardinals couldn't do anything, and had to punt. Unfortunately with less that 40 seconds left, Roethlisberger threw an interception. The Cardinals won with a final scaore of 21-14.

Sunday, September 23, 2007 -- Late Afternoon

Third game of the season

Teams
49ers
Steelers 		1st quarter
6
7 		2nd quarter
0
7 		3rd quarter
3
3 		4th quarter
7
20 		Final
16
37

The Steelers played the San Francisco 49ers this afternoon. The Steelers defense has been playing exceptionally well this season. Some of them are saying that it is because Mike Tomlin is more accommodating to their needs that Bill Cowher was. It's been amazing how much Cowher bashing the players have been doing this season. The only thing that I can say is that the defense and special teams have really upped their level of play. Allen Rossum in his role as punt returner for the Steelers, returned a punt 98 yards for a touchdown. For the most part, the defense kept the 49ers to field goals, with only one touchdown in the fourth quarter. Final score was Steelers 37 and 49ers 16. The Steelers are 3 and 0 for the season.

Sunday, September 16, 2007 -- Afternoon

Second game of the season

Teams
Bills
Steelers 		1st quarter
0
3 		2nd quarter
0
9 		3rd quarter
3
7 		4th quarter
0
7 		Final
3
26

The Steelers played at home for the first time this season. Their opponent was the accident decimated Buffalo Bills. The Bills suffered a huge loss when Kevin Everett had a helmet to helmet crunch last week that left him in the hospital fighting for his life. At the beginning, it seemed that Everett might not live, let alone walk. However, due to the fast action of the neurological surgeon who worked on his fractured spine, Everett appears to have some motion in his arms and legs. Now, doctors are saying that there is a strong possibility that Everett will walk again.
Back to the game. The most jarring part of the game is that the Steelers are wearing a throw-back uniform from the 40s, 50s, and 60s. The most visually jarring aspect of the team is the bright yellow helmet. As I watch the action on the field, I have alot of difficulty remembering that the guys in with the yellow heads are the Steelers. The Steelers took the early lead with a field goal. Ben Roethlisberger did throw an interception in the first quarter, but fortunately, the Bills weren't able to do anything with it. Fortunately for the Steelers, they had the foot of Jeff Reed to rely on. Reed was responsible for all twelve points that the Steelers scored in the first half. Finally in the third quarter, the Steelers scored a touchdown with a pass from Roethlisberger to Matt Spaeth. This was the second touchdown catch in as many weeks for rookie Spaeth. The scoring continued for the Steelers with a final score of 26-3.

Thursday, September 13, 2007 -- Evening

There was an interesting survey released today. It appears that in the NFL markets, the Steelers have the largest female fan base. There was some talk on the local television stations about why this is the case. Some of the stations were implying that it's because there are such good looking men on the team. I'm not so sure that is the case. I think it is just that this city is family oriented, so families tend to go to the games. That means men and women.

Sunday, September 9, 2007 -- Late Afternoon

First game of the season

Teams
Steelers
Browns 		1st quarter
17
0 		2nd quarter
0
0 		3rd quarter
14
7 		4th quarter
3
0 		Final
34
7

The Steelers played their first regular season game this afternoon. It was a match against the Cleveland Browns, who have really been stinking up the joint for the past few years. Today was no exception, and the Steelers wound up winning in a rout. The final score was Steelers 34 -- Browns 7. Ben Roethlisberger had a good start, and as a whole, the team seemed to work well together. The game was a boring one, and I spent the time glancing cursorily at the television as I concentrated on doing work for my classes, working on my computer with a bad hard drive, and nursing my cold.

Sunday, August 19, 2007 -- Evening

The Steelers played the Washington Redskins last night in their third pre-season game. The Steelers barely managed to get by with a win last night. I suppose that we shouldn't be too concerned because it is just the pre-season. The first stringers aren't playing the whole game. In a way that might be a good thing because the players who are fighting for a position are the ones who are making the plays. The final score last night was 12-10.

Sunday, August 12, 2007 -- Late Morning

The Steelers lost their pre-season game last night against the Green Bay Packers. They were leading at half time, but the third and fourth stringers didn't hold together too well in the end. Final score was 13-9.

Wednesday, August 8, 2007 -- Evening

The Steelers have finally released the name of their lame-o mascot. It's Steely McBeam. Yep. As I said Lame-o.

Monday, August 6, 2007 -- Evening

The Steelers won the pre-season game yesterday. The final score was 20-7, but the team played well, and the score wasn't as descriptive of how well, the Steelers played. Ben Roethlisberger took the opportunity to take another swipe at Bill Cowher. It seems that the coach and his quarterback didn't get along, at least on Roethlisberger's part. After the game, Roethlisberger commented that he felt more at ease and seemed to click better with this year's offense than last year's. In the past, when asked about he felt about MIke Tomlin, Roethlisberger said that he got along alot better with Tomlin. I know that in the past, Roethlisberger would claim an injury while Cowher would say that Roethlsberger was overreacting. It will be interesting to see how the team will do in the actual season.

Sunday, August 5, 2007 -- Evening

The Steelers are playing a pre-season game in Canton, Ohio tonight for the Hall of Fame weekend. They are playing the New Orleans Saints. The game was supposed to start at 8 p.m., but they are showing the Hall of Fame inductees. I should have more comments about the game tomorrow.

Tuesday, July 31, 2007 -- Afternoon

I have been a fan of the KDKA Sports Showdown. It's a local show with four local sports reporter discussing sports topics of the days. Some of the topics are local; others have a national bend. Lately there has been some controversy on the show. Recently, Joe Starkey, the sports columnist for the Pittsburgh Trib raised the ire of the producers because he questioned the motivation behind Ellis Cannon, a talk show guy on one of the local sports broadcasts, supporting the Pittsburgh Pirates management. As Starkey said, the radio station was a contributor to the Pirates, and that might color Cannon's viewpoint. My gosh, you would have thought that the sky collapsed. It sounded like a perfectly reasonable question, especially with Cannon's narrow-minded view, and the fact that Cannon allowed himself to be used for the Bound for Glory show. Cannon lost all credibility to me when he acted as if Dick Butkus was the coach of the Montour Spartans when it actually was Lou Cerro. So the new controversy happened this Sunday. Paul Zeise from the Post Gazette was talking about the Michal Vick controversy. Vick was suspended, and told not to report to camp because of the dog fighting allegations against him. It looks bad for Vick because it looks like he actually was involved in dog fighting and did some heinous things. However, Zeise commented that Vick would have gotten off better if he had raped a woman because he would have just been suspended for four games and allowed to continue to play. The thing is that Zeise's comment was true. The problem is with the sports organizations (NFL and NBA) that have not put much stock in penalizing criminal actions. I mean, Kobe Bryant was allowed to continue to play even while on trial for rape. Vick, however, doesn't get the same treatment. I know that was Zeise's point. However, that holds no water with KDKA. Zeise had to apologize for his comments. Then KDKA proclaimed that they hold no responsibility for the participants' comments (there is a new disclaimer at the start of the show.) Then the Post-Gazette apologized. Zeise is no longer going to be on the show, and I think that the whole thing is ridiculous. Unfortunately, we live in a very sorry society where someone is so penalized for a comment that holds truth. We may not like to hear what is said, but unfortunately, that doesn't make it less true. I hope that Zeise doesn't suffer further from this incident. I sent an email to KDKA in support of Paul, but got no response. I really don't expect one. Unfortunately, this has really made me lose respect for the powers that be at KDKA.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007 -- Morning

Troy Polamalu signed a five year contract for $33 million dollars with the Steelers yesterday. Now that he is locked up, the Steelers can see if there is any money left off with the cap for other players. More money might be offered to Alan Faneca, but I don't know if that will persuade him to stay with the Steelers. He was pretty adamant that this would be his last year with the team.

Monday, July 23, 2007 -- Afternoon

Today is the first day of Steelers training camp. There should be plenty of stories about how Mike Tomlin is handling the team, and if there is any controversy over the Alan Faneca situation. Faneca has made it clear that this will be his last season with the Steelers because he is unhappy about the financial offer from the Steeler management.

Friday, May 11, 2007 -- Evening

Alan Faneca is saying that the Steelers aren't paying him what he is worth and that he wants to be traded. The thing that i think is interesting about this story is is that it is typical of the current group of aging Steelers. First we have Hines Ward who feels he is worth elite wide receiver salary even though his stats are not near the elite status. Then Joey Porter was complaining last year about not getting enough money. Because of the salary cap, the Steelers were unwilling and disinterested in giving him more money. Top that off with the unimpressive year that Porter had last year. Now we have Faneca, coming off a mediocre year at best demanding elite linebacker salary, and publicly moaning and whining when he doesn't get it. I saw trade him.

Saturday, April 28, 2007 -- Morning

I can't believe that the Steelers have committed the lame move of getting a mascot. The rationale in making the move is that it is to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Steelers. There is a contest to name the mascot, a steelworker who carries around a "steel" beam. I think that it's a lame move, and I wonder why the team did it. In the past, they have prided themselves on not having a mascot or cheerleaders. I would say that it they were going to do something so lame, they should have gone for the cheerleaders. They would have provided some spice and drama to the sidelines. Supposedly the selection of a mascot was done to appeal to the kids and to use for visits to charitable organizations. All I know is that it is lame. Although I watch the Steelers during their season, I think that I am becoming less of a fan of the team.

Tuesday, March 6, 2007 -- Early Afternoon

Joey Porter actually made out after being cut by the Steelers last week. He signed today with the Miami Dolphins who paid Porter a $12 million signing bonus and guaranteed him $20 million over five years for a total package of $32 million. The Steelers cut Porter to save the $5 million that they would have owed him for being on the team. Good news for Porter.

Thursday, March 1, 2007 -- Evening

Joey Porter was cut from the Steelers roster today. The Steelers would have had to pay Porter $1 million as a roster bonus if he remained past today, and he would have gotten $4 million as his annual salary. There were rumors that Porter was going to be a hold out this coming training camp to get more money. This move was bascially a cost cutting move to keep the team under the salary cap. Also released today were Verron Haynes and Brian St. Pierre.

Wednesday, February 28, 2007 -- Evening

Interesting story about a doctor who works with the Steelers. It seems that he has been questioned by federal authorities and will be investigated by UPMC. It seems that Dr. Richard Rydze bought $150,000 worth of human growth hormone from a pharmacy in Florida. HIs story is that he uses it on his elder patients and that he would not use it on any of the players that he works with. My question is why does a doctor buy human growth hormone (HGH) from Florida when he practices medicine in Pennsylvania. Not only does he get it from Florida, but he buys it with his own credit card. If he has patients that need the treatment, why wouldn't he prescribe HGH for them and let them get it from a local pharmacy. Does he buy it and then charge them for it? It just sounds really strange and peculiar to me. Is it a common practice for doctors to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on drugs from out of state for their patients? Is HGH not available from pharmacies in Pennsylvania? The Steeler management is saying that they do not believe that any players used human growth hormone. I's just really confused, because it all sounds highly suspect to me.

Thursday, February 15, 2007 -- Evening

Bill Cowher has joined CBS team of analysts for the Sunday NFL games.

Wednesday, January 24, 2007 -- Morning

More news on the hiring of the Steelers coach. It seems that the Steelers contacted both Mike Tomlin's and Russ Grimm's agents on Saturday and discussed salary. Art Rooney said that he made it quite clear to both sides that this was not a final deal, but an investigation. Either Grimm or his agent misinterpreted the event and decided that the offer was made, and then recinded when Tomlin was hired. Grimm is going to be an offensive coordinator with Ken Whisenhunt and the Arizona Cardinals. There has been alot of discussion locally about the role that an assistant coach plays in comparison to a head coach, and the thought is that for the Steelers, Grimm couldn't have risen above his earlier role to really gain the respect of the players and other coaches. It's the whole buddy concept. A head coach is not a buddy.

Monday, January 22, 2007 -- Evening

The Steelers had a press conference this afternoon at 3:30 to introduce Mike Tomlin to the Pittsburgh media. Tomlin had an quick introduction to Pittsburgh fans as could be seen by the videos on the local television stations of Tomlin arriving in Pittsburgh and being approached by fans for autographs, pictures, and words of encourage. He's going to learn very quickly that he is going to be beseiged by fans wherever he is. I'm sure that in future, they also won't hesitate to give him suggestions on how he can do his job better. And regardless of how he does, there are going to be those out there who think he needs to do a better job. One of the first things that Tomlin made clear in his press conference is that he is going to keep defensive coordinator, Dick LeBeau. You have to feel in a way for Russ Grimm because had such high hopes for a coaching job, and now probably won't even have a job. There might be some hope though for Grimm because Bill Parcels has retired as the coach of the Dallas Cowboys.

Sunday, January 21, 2007 -- Evening

It seems that it is official. The Steelers are in negotiations with Mike Tomlin's agent and will formally announce that Mike Tomlin will be the new head coach. Supposedly, the Rooneys told Russ Grimm today that they were going with Tomlin. A news conference will be announced, probably tomorrow, to make the formal announcement.

Sunday, January 21, 2007 -- Early Afternoon

The Steelers have issued a statement saying that the team has "not concluded a contract agreement with a coach." I think that this is a very interesting phrasing since it doesn't necessarily imply that they haven't made a decision--just that they haven't concluded the agreement. There were conflicting stories yesterday with Sports Illustrated breaking the story that Mike Tomlin was going to be the new hire. ESPN had initially denied the validity of the story, then they also agreed with the rumor. Meanwhile, the local Trib Live said that Russ Grimm was the new coach. Most of the sports reporters seem to be sticking with the Mike Tomlin story, even though the Steelers have made a denial this morning. We'll have to see what happens next week.

Saturday, January 20, 2007 -- Late Evening

Rumors are rampant about the Steelers selecting a head coach. Stories are abounding that the Rooneys are going to offer the job to Mike Tomlin. So far, both Tomlin and the Rooneys are denying the story, but there might be an announcement on Monday.

Wednesday, January 17, 2007 -- Evening

Russ Grimm met with the Steelers for five hours this afternoon. Good or bad? We won't know until we hear the final decision, and who knows when that will be.

Wednesday, January 17, 2007 -- Morning

I wasn't the only one at the Pens game last night. Mike Tomlin was there too with Steelers director of football operations, Kevin Colbert. My boyfriend said that he saw Colbert there last night but didn't say anything to me because I made fun of him at the last Pens' game when he said that he saw Colbert. He must have been right the first time. It seems that the interview with Tomlin went well, at least from the outside looking in. The interview lasted three and 1/2 hours, and Tomlin discussed his defensive strategy (since he is the assistant coach for defense with the Minnesota Vikings. It seems that Tomlin learned his trade from Tony Dungy who has given full credit to Chuck Noll. From all that I have been hearing, I don't think that Russ Grimm is the shoe-in that the sports announcers here in Pittsburgh have been saying.

Monday, January 15, 2007 -- Evening

The Steelers have announced their final three finalists for Bill Cowher's job. They are calling back Russ Grimm, Ron Rivera, and Mike Tomlin. Everyone in town thinks that this means that Russ Grimm will get the job, but I'm not so sure. It does make you wonder why they are taking so long to make the decision. It could be because they are waiting for Ron Rivera to be free. They are going to have to wait for the second interview until the Chicago Bears are down with the post season. Will the Steelers hold the decision until then, and does that mean Rivera might have a shot? Tomlin is to be interviewed tomorrow and Russ Grimm will be interviewed on Wednesday. There was word that the Steelers wanted to interview Mike Sherman, but it appears that isn't going to happen.

Sunday, January 14, 2007 -- Afternoon

Ken Whisenhunt is going to be the new head coach for the Arizona Cardinals. He was offered the job today and accepted it. It seems that everyone now believes that Russ Grimm will be the head coach of the Steelers. I don't know if that is actually going to be the case. The reason I say that is because I heard that Bill Cowher told the Steelers that it would not be a good idea to hire someone as head coach when that person was an assistant coach of the team. I can see that because the assistant coach has more of a "friend" relationship with the players as opposed to a "parent" relationship that the head coach maintains. It is difficult to have players make the transition from friend to parent, and the team's performance is the first thing that suffers. The Steelers might shock us all and go for one of the other candidates.

Saturday, January 13, 2007 -- Afternoon

The Steelers are still in the interviewing process, and are talking to Chan Gailey today. Ken Whisenhunt is back for a second interview with the Arizona Cardinals, and there is talk that Whisenhunt might not be a lead candidate with the Steelers. Gailey is the only person so far who has had head coaching experience, and he is a personal favorite of Bill Cowher. The Steerlers may also be interested in Mike Sherman, former head coach of the Green Bay Packers. Supposedly, the Steelers have been trying to track Sherman down for the past two days. Sherman, meanwhile, has been having a second interview with the Cardinals. Some believe that Russ Grimm is still the lead candidate for the coaching job, but I think that it's going to be difficult to second guess which way the Steeler management will go.

Friday, January 5, 2007 -- Afternoon

Bill Cowher just completed his press conference. He officially announced that he is resigning as coach of the Steelers. The only thing that Cowher really mentioned was that he wanted to spend time with his family in North Carolina. Now the question is who will replace Cowher? Will it be Ken Whisenhunt and Russ Grimm? Or will the Steelers go farther afield and choose someone else?

Thursday, January 4, 2007 -- Evening

Sports have been the major news in the city, and the Steelers have been getting as much press as the Pens. The question is will he or won't he? The "he" in this case is Bill Cowher, and the question is whether he will retire. People in the know are saying that Cowher will be back in the city on Monday and will make an announcement about the situation. All concerned think that it will be a retirement announcement. Rumor has been that Cowher wants more money, but I'm not sure where that rumor started. Cowher hasn't said anything about money, and Art Rooney II, president and team chairman of the Steelers has said that if they get around to talking about money, they will do all they can to make sure that Cowher is happy. Rooney also says that Cowher is well paid when salary and bonuses are considered. We will have to wait until Monday to know for sure. Hold your horses! Just as I write that, it is announced on television that the Steelers have called a press conference tomorrow, and it will probably be to announce Cowher's retirement. More tomorrow.