OFTOT's Steelers Gameday Liveblog...

Ok, so no Willie Parker, no Marvel Smith, no Lamarr Woodley, no Heath Miller, no Bryant McFadden and Big Ben barely practiced this week but nevertheless will start. So, um, this should be fun...oh yeah, and #2 Tight End, Matt Spaeth, is playing with a cast on his broken right wrist. That should make blocking and catching passes a piece of cake!

Jesus.

Let's just hope the rest of the walking wounded have enough in them to shut down Peyton Manning, Joseph Addai and company and put enough points on the board to eke out a win...because Baltimore just did. Thanks a lot, Texans...

[Unnamed] Steelers Pregame Show - Week 10...

Sunday, November 9, 2008. A special day here at OFTOT. What makes it so special, you ask? Well, besides the fact that the Steelers are hosting the Colts at 4:15, it's also the birthday of the one and only, Domski.

So, before you delve into the goodness that is the [Unnamed] Steelers Pregame Show, enjoy this little birthday montage I put together, chronicling the life and times of the man who goes by domski43. Slainte!


And now, onto the show...


Finally, the Outtake Reel...


Discover the goodness anew at PSaMP.

OFTOT Week In Review - Week 10...

EDITOR'S NOTE: The article, "you" in the following post is only meant to be used rhetorically. I'm not directing this at you all. But rather other "you"'s who frequent this interweb. And of course, as usual it's all for entertainment anyhow.

Ok, kids. Time for a lesson on the internets.

See, I've probably mentioned this, oh, about 6500 times, but my job is to work on this fine establishment that Al Gore graciously bestowed on us late last century. So I've got the inside track. I've also got common effing sense, which tends to also come in handy when surfing the information superhighway.

Facebook. I love it. You love it. Some of you spend more time on it than you do doing anything else (and you guys should really do your laundry...like, seriously). But I'd just like to point out to those of you who think this is just one giant playground for you to use as you wish without any consequences...it is NOT. Just about everything you put on the world wide web is permanent. And Facebook is no different. Behold Exhibit A...


So if you're like the Texas Longhorns football player who posted a racist message about President-elect Obama, just be aware of the fact that that shit is going to come back around sooner or later (just as this blog will be my albatross). In his case, it resulted in his removal from said football program. In your case, it could be removal from your competitive Worlds of Warcraft online multi-player gaming team. And you don't want that, now, do you? No, you definitely do not. Let me just tell you, I am still pissed off at Azrael2693...lolwtfttysnplmfaoxoxoxo<3...

Yeah, this social networking thing's just effing fantastic. You get to stalk meet new people every day, maybe even scope out some of the tail parading around your campus without getting dirty looks. But it's all fun and games until your friend uploads a picture of you crouching over a guy passed out with a swastika and various poorly drawn dicks on his face, holding a permanent marker (if you don't know what that's referencing, go check Deadspin).

I know what you're thinking. "But Cotter, it's hard, as the person wronged by such an act, to know if someone has done such an injustice to you." WRONG! That's what the God damn newsfeed thing and notifications are for. Those shits alert you to everything.

Of course, those of you who are friends with me on Facebook will already know this, but I've got pictures of myself violating various inanimate objects and doing inappropriate things with some unsavory props in a 7-11 at 2 AM. So, you know, I'm not exactly what I'd call the "authority" on appropriate internet behavior. But you know what I'm saying.

And that friends is this week's lesson. That, and don't try to hold down a full time job, go to law school at night and expect that you'll be able to populate your two-bit Steelers blog with decently entertaining and factually accurate material every day. You've gotta be a pretty big idiot to think you can pull off some trickery like that. Smrt.

But enough about this Facebook mess, let's review this week on OFTOT. Let's see, this week we...

1. Provided hard-hitting analysis on YOUR Pittsburgh Steelers...

2. Wrote stupid poems about Lamarr Woodley...

3. Got schooled by Byron Leftwich...

4. ...did I mention Brady Quinn started on Thursday?

5. Got to interview AMOS EFFING ZEREOUE!

6. Felt pretty good about this Colts game...

7. ...we're still waiting on your decision, President-elect Obama?

8. ...should he stay sit or should he go play, now...

9. Saw Dungy as Miyagi and Tomlin as Daniel-San...

10. Met some cool new friends and got better acquainted with some old" ones...

This week's riffs, for you music lovers out there, were...
1. Out of Reach - The Get Up Kids
2. Untitled - Interpol
3. Crosstown Traffic - Jimi Hendrix
4. Hip Hop Is Dead - Nas
5. Essaywhuman? - The Roots

Bonus Selection...
Baby I Love Your Way - Peter Frampton

And that was this week, in a nutshell. Be sure to check back tomorrow morning for Episode 9 of the [Unnamed] Steelers Pregame Show and of course, the OFTOT Gameday free-for-all Liveblog. That's 4:15 bitches! Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go home and put some water in Buc Nasty's Mama's dish. Hate hate hate hate hate...

AFC North Headline Of The Day...

Aw, poor Brady Quinn. And he played so well. Why oh why couldn't the rest of the Browns come through for him?

Yeah.

So I guess I gotta give the dude some props. That was pretty much 100 times better than I would've expected him to do. But you know what? It's like I said all week, the Browns' collective sucking has indeed been a full team effort. Sure, Derek Anderson was playing about as well as JT O'Sullivan. But it didn't help that Braylon Edwards had a case of Ike Taylor hands and Lt. Kellen Winslow was hurt and/or dicking around with the Browns front office.

And speaking of K2, what good is it to have that big of a game if you can't come through in the clutch. From where I was sitting, that 4th down throw went right through his hands. Listen man, I know Brady Quinn is the Myoplex King and probably super strong for it (riiiggghhtttt). But that's a ball you've gotta catch. I don't really know what else to say.

Oh and the Browns defense, much like their counterparts on the other side of the field, clearly didn't feel like stopping anyone last night. Nice work giving up that big play to Eddie Royal, dudes. I mean, the Broncos didn't have hardly any healthy running backs left. You know they're going to pass, and yet, nothing. Of course, that comes as no surprise to this guy. But dude, 447 passing yards! Ouch! I doubt any of you are sitting well today after that ass raping.

I guess there's really only one thing to say then...CHAMPIONSHIP!

Maybe these links could play better Defense than the Browns...

Big Ben = NFL's highest paid player...I wonder what the breakdown is for dollars earned per sack [WKYC]

It's official, Willie Parker will not play Sunday. I just...ugh [Post-Gazette]

Even more bad news - Phil Simms will be calling Sunday's game...he did compliment our linebackers, though... [SteelCityInsider]

DeAngelo Hall lands with the 'Skins...thankfully AFTER we already played them [WaPo]

Ah whatever, you've probably seen all the decent news by now anyhow. God I need a vacation...

PS - Yes, this is super late today. What can I say? It's been a long week. And much like last week, for some reason, I'm more busy on Friday than I was on Tuesday and Wednesday. Consequently, if anyone has a knife, I wouldn't much mind slashing some vital body parts right now. Cheers.

Meeting People Is Easy...

Dude, power walking could easily be the most ridiculous concept in the history of physical activity. I mean, no offense to anyone who does this shit, but it looks positively silly. Swinging your arms like a velociraptor and what not. Not to mention the fact that if you're going to walk fast, why not just RUN! Or jog, even. I don't get it at all...

Anyways, it took me longer than expected. And when my alarm went off this morning at 6 AM it was real difficult to get up and drag my ass to this computer. But I did. Because Meeting People Is Easy is very important to me. So, here's your panel for this week...

1. Ladi Izz ~ Must've been a fun day for her on Tuesday considering her Mom's a 'Skins fan...

2. Vern ~ Keeping things in line down in FLA...

3. TSW ~ Recently attended a taping of the Jeff Reed Show...

4. Holly ~ Lone representative of the Colts fan contingent...

5. Silky Johnson ~ Lookup "M.I.A." in the dictionary and you'll probably find his face...

6. The Chief ~ Is quite enamored with Veronica Mars...the character, not the show (an interest not foreign to me)...

7. Notgomu ~ The only one in the pick 'em league who took the Minnesota Purple Jesus'

8. Nate ~ Yes, you are correct. I did mean to say division...

9. Marc ~ Dropkick Murphys should be no man's guilty pleasure...the only thing wrong with 'em is that they love Boston...

10. Matt ~ Hint: LJKC wants a Dick Lebeau style Steelers polo for Christmas...never too soon to start shopping I guess...

11. Me ~ Starting to forget what the insides of my eyelids look like...

So as usual, click to enlarge...


Oh sleep, how I miss thee...

Feel free to leave your answers to this week's questions in the comments. Done.

Will The Student Become The Teacher?

Ok, so maybe that headline is just a tad absurd. But it playfully references one story line that may emerge (or may have already emerged) in advance of Sunday's game against the Colts. That being Mike Tomlin facing his former "boss," Tony Dungy.

So what do you suppose it would mean to Tomlin if he were to best the Miyagi to his Daniel-San on Sunday (try to ignore the weak analogy)? And also, who would win in a fight - Tomlin or the Cobra Kai? Lastly, how terrible is that photoshop?

AFC North Headline Of The Day...

YES! Today's the day. Tonight, Cleveland's "Savior" Brady Quinn will assume the reigns of the Browns Offense and party like it's 2006 (or something like that). The only things that could stop me from watching this epic moment in Cleveland Browns history are - A) The fact that Cablevision's a bag of dicks and won't carry NFL Network, thus forcing me to pirate this shit via the interwebs and B) The Office is on at 9.

So here's how I'd like to see this go down - I'd like to see Brady Quinn get sacked like six times, throw somewhere in the range of three-five picks and somehow end up shirtless by the end of the game (wait, what?). But you know either way, Romeo Crennell will kick a field goal when he should really go for a touchdown, at precisely the wrong time, ruining everything anyhow. So really the discussion is rather moot.

That all said, he is going up against the Broncos Defense. Which is to say that he's facing the football equivalent of a series of strategically placed traffic cones. And to be fair, if he plays tonight and the rest of the season as well as he produces ridiculous pictures of himself, he might very well make the Pro Bowl. Behold Exhibit A...


Yeah, I got nothing witty to say, just read these links, if you like...

The NFL globally? Yeah. It's catching on... [PSaMP]

Mitch Berger's old ass, OUT like Ryan Seacrest. Paul Ernster and his back of the arm tattoos, IN...upgrade? [DC Steeler Nation]

Anyone else you'd like to talk shit to, Joey? [Associated Press]

Speaking of talking...there's a lot of that going on in the AFC North? I guess you could say that... [Associated Press]

An irrelevant debate on who's got the best D - Pittsburgh or Tennessee. Enjoy! [CBS Sportsline]

This is just...too...perfect [Deadspin]

And for more of Brady Quinn's crotch grabbing and shirtless posing, see... [Tirico Suave]

One final note - I'm about to solicit the remainder of this week's MPIE panel. So if you're interested and have never been part of this before, again, e-mail my ass at onefortheotherthumb@gmail. Literally, my ass will be reviewing all of my e-mails today. Should be rather interesting.

What To Do About Benjamin...

Image mostly for entertainment purposes...mostly.

Ok, yes, Tec wrote about this yesterday. But I didn't. And I wanted to give it some thought over here on this corner of the world wide interwebs as well.

So here's the latest on Big Ben's little shoulder problem - An MRI revealed that Big Ben's shoulder sitch "is very similar [to his previous one], but it is not the same as it has been." Alright, well that sounds nice. But what if there was plenty of damage to begin with? I mean, Ben has been taking a pretty royal ass beating. Something like 26 times he's already been sacked? And he did under throw our receivers at least a few times in the 1st half of Monday's game. Maybe it was more injured than he and anybody else thought?

I don't really know the answer. Only one man does. And we know that man is awfully courageous, having already played through injuries ably many times in his relatively young career. But I'm just throwing it out there.

In any case, to facilitate a proper discussion of this topic, I've put together 5 reasons why Ben should play and 5 reasons why Ben should sit. Feel free to give them a look and let us all know what you think in the comments. Savvy?

Reasons Why Ben Should Play
1. He actually knows the Offense...as much as anyone can know a Bruce Arians schema.
2. The Colts Defense...it's not really that good.
3. We don't want him to start thinking he can get away with being injured.
4. You just don't mess with a man's flow, his rhythm. Nahmeen?
5. Well, he did get hit by a car, and had his appendix removed before the 2006 season...and still played 15 of the 16 games.

Reasons Why Ben Should Sit
1. A QB's throwing shoulder tends to be pretty important.
2. He may just need to slow it down a little bit and watch Byron Leftwich work.
3. I hear Sansmokio's got an herbal remedy for that shoulder. And Cheetos.
4. Heath Miller's going to need a friend.
5. If he's going to miss a game, I'd rather it sooner than later, when we'll really need him.

Oh, and for what it's worth, Benny Boy says he promises "to do better."

The question is, on which side of the fence do you fall?

...that's what she said.

Quid Pro Quo, Barack...

Legend had it that if the Steelers won on Monday night, Barack Obama would, in turn, win yesterday's Presidential election. Well, last night that legend became reality. So naturally, you'd think that the old adage - you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours - would ring true for ol' President-elect Obama.

With that in mind, I've gone ahead and come up with three different ways that our buddy Barack can pay the Steelers back for their domination of the Redskins. Check them out below and let me know - as one of his first official acts, which of the following do you think Obama should do?

#1 - Name Dick Lebeau the new Secretary of Defense.


#2 - Pardon Neil O'Donnell for his transgressions.


#3 - Rename the White House, "The Black & Gold House."


So like I said this morning -- Your move, Barack.


Oh yeah, and anyone interested in doing Meeting People Is Easy this week, hit my ass with an email at - onefortheotherthumb@gmail.com.

AFC North Headline Of The Day...

Well what do ya know? The NFL has granted the Bengals a roster exemption for tainted substance user Darryl Blackstock. They are now clear to put him back on the roster in advance of their upcoming game against the Philthadelphia Beagles without having to waive anyone in the interim. Which, apparently also means that he'll be allowed to practice with the team as well.

So what? To be honest with you, I think that's more of a punishment than NOT allowing the Bengals to put him on their roster and NOT letting him practice this week. I mean, I know I said this once before, but who the hell is Darryl Blackstock? And even if he has the talent of, say, fellow troublemaker Odell Thurman, would it matter?

I guess I'm saying that I can see the NFL's logic. Like, how could punishing this guy make the Bengals any worse? After all, their current starting QB is still the Harvard prodigy, Ryan Fitzpatrick (or as JPPB would say, Patrick Fitzryan?). The Bengals are 1-8. Punishing them for anything at this point is rather laughable. Not to mention that being from Cincinnati is punishment enough. Can't get a decent bowl of chili in that whole damn town.

Either way, rest easy, Begnals fans. I'm sure you're at ease now, knowing that Darryl Blackstock will be back with the team in time for Philly. CHAMPIONSHIP!

And now, without any kind of witty introduction, I give you the links...

From Tecmo, To Tomlin, with love [PSaMP]

File this one under, "DUH" [Post-Gazette]

"No quarterback is safe when the Steelers play"...well, except Eli Manning, dude [Fox Sports]

Brandon Marshall fires back, says "I don't know what 'peezy' is"...oooo, burn...not [MJD]

Some former athletes were also elected to various offices yesterday, including former Bengals Coach, Sam Wyche...at least someone connected with that organization is winning [CBS Sportsline]

Gary Brackett? I Like Those Odds...

Ok, we've got a new President. Yeah yeah, that's all well and good. But this is a Steelers blog, people. I could give two shits about Barack Obama, President of Hittin' Dat Ass, right now. We just won in sick fashion on Monday night, and we've got the Indianapolis Mini Ponies Colts riding into town on Sunday (pun intended). Let's get it together. Priorities. I mean, shit yeah I'm all aflutter over all of this. But today I'd rather talk about Peyton Manning (Did I really just say that?).

Actually, you know what I was thinking about while watching the election results last night? I was thinking - "God, I'm not even considered part of the 'young people' demographic anymore." That shit is WEAK! But I guess I should've known that anyhow, because I was watching the ELECTION RESULTS. What's next, the Discovery Channel? Oh shit. Um, better make that PBS.

But seriously, congratulations to President-elect Obama. The economy is in the crapper, Michael Phelps is invading our brains and the Arizona Cardinals are playing good football. Your move.

Anyways, the Colts. When I think about these fillies, I think three things - Peyton Manning, Joseph Addai and Bob Sanders. I also think of the 10 pounds of waste that dumped out of my ass when Jerome Bettis fumbled on the goal line a few years back. But let's just leave that aside for sanity's sake, ok?

Just preliminarily, because really, it's only Wednesday, let's talk about these cats for a minute.

Peyton Manning? That's one dude I would NOT like to see more than once a season. So this year he's been a shadow of himself? Fine. But keep in mind, even a shadow of Peyton Manning is actually thirty times the QB that say, Jamarcus Russell is. So he may not throw for FIVE touchdowns in a game and maybe he only throws one or two. But if it's a game that comes down to the last few minutes and our opposition has a chance to come back, one of the last dudes I want to see on the other side of the field is Peyton Manning. The dude just knows how to win. I make fun of him to no end for all his bullshit once he gets up to the line. But the truth is, he knows his shit. He's got it all figured out. I hear he even knows who shot JR.

Joseph Addai? I love the guy. Oh how cute, that rhymed. Anyways, I do kind of like the way Joseph Addai runs. Now, he's coming off an injury here. So maybe we won't get Addai at full force. But they've also got Dominick Rhodes right behind him. Who, you know, I mean, he's eh, ok. Fact is, though. Their last game was Addai's first game back from nursing a sore hammy. And he only gained 32 yards on 17 carries. Against the Patriots old, tired ass Defense. So it's entirely possible that he'll go the way of every other opposing RB we've faced this season. Is it possible to get negative rushing yards? If the Steelers Defense plays like it did Monday night I think we just might find out!

Bob Sanders? Well, I mean, nothing about him has me running for the hills. You look at the guy, and you gotta think, "how the eff?" I mean, he's like five feet nothing, like 200 pounds. Yet he's right there hitting on every play. The only explanation I can offer is that he's from PA. Doesn't matter how big or small you are. Even a small man from PA can loom large when he plays like Bob Sanders does. But his first game back from injury was that game last Sunday, just like Addai. Before that he was hurt for like a month and a half, and even had surgery on his knee. You think he's 100% now? Yeah, me neither.

We'll be at home, too. And you know how that goes. Try facing the Steelers Defense anywhere right now. Let alone at home where they're surrounded by a massive sea of black and gold. Could easily be a long day for Peyton Manning, Joseph Addai and Bob Sanders. Of course, it could also be a long day for either Ben or Byron, pending the results of yesterday's MRI. But at this point in the week, I'm liking our chances.

Let's not kid ourselves, though. With Bruce Arians around, anything is possible. Am I wrong?

2 Steelers Bloggers, 1 Amos Zereoue...

EDITOR'S NOTE: I recognize that the following post reads like War and Peace (yes, it's a marathon). But I urge you to do your best to read the whole thing anyway. After all, I mean, we did talk to Amos Zereoue. Your cooperation in the matter is much appreciated in advance! Now let's get on with it!...that's what she said...

If you watched this week's [Unnamed] Steelers Pregame Show, you'll remember how Tec and I rather weakly foreshadowed that we had some "awesome experience" last Thursday night. Well I believe the picture above is self-explanatory, but just for good measure - that experience was meeting and "interviewing" former Steelers RB, Amos Zereoue.

This all came about after a few weeks back I discovered the review of his restaurant, Zereoue, in Crain's New York Business. Not even had I posted the story and Tec had already fired off an email to the restaurant requesting an interview. Luckily for us, they obliged and we got our opportunity last Thursday.

Amos Zereoue is possibly one of the coolest dudes on this earth. But as you can imagine, with running his own restaurant and all, he's a pretty important and busy guy. Despite this, he found a good half hour to sit down with Tecmo and I to discuss everything from his days at West Virginia to his brief time in New England, and even a little about the Steelers current state of affairs.

I'm not going to lie to you, we were both pretty nervous going to meet Famous Amos. It wasn't really until Tec and I boarded the 6 train headed for 34th St. that I really started to feel it, though. And by the time we emerged from the Subway, I was honestly short of breath. Sure, that sounds pretty gay. Hell, maybe it is. But for me, not only meeting Amos Zereoue, but getting to speak to him candidly, was possibly the coolest thing I'd ever been privileged to do. When I started OFTOT approximately two years ago, I never in my wildest dreams thought that someday it'd afford me an opportunity to sit next to Amos Zereoue and probe him about his former days in Pittsburgh.

We entered the bar around 6:10 or 6:15 after composing ourselves outside for a good 15 minutes. But still, my nerves were kind of running full speed (pun intended). When Tec told the guy at the bar we were there to talk to Amos, he said, "oh, you're the blogspot guys?," which I thought was pretty funny. We replied, "yeah," and he told us Amos would be there any minute. Sure enough, a few minutes later, a dark SUV rolled up with what seemed to be a truncated entourage inside and out came Amos Zereoue. He strided past us at the bar, and only catching a quick glance at his face, I wasn't sure if it was him. But it was, and soon enough he came over and introduced himself, shook our hands and told us to have a seat. I think this was the point where I may have pissed and/or shit myself. And let me just say, for the record, while I was a good five or six inches taller than him, his hands were proportionately the size of catchers mitts. I literally thought that as I stood there shaking his bear claw of a right hand.

Anyways, in true blogger fashion, we wanted to keep the "interview" informal and conversational. We had plans to record all of our question and answer, but in all of our excitement, that pretty much went right out the window and we probably both at once started to barrage Amos with questions. Unfortunately, though, having departed from our well thought out plan of preserving the conversation for posterity, I am only able to summarize Amos' responses to our many questions here. And to be honest with you, I can hardly remember what I did yesterday, let alone last Thursday night when we actually interviewed Amos. But I'll do my best, and you can read more over at PSaMP.

We started out talking about what it was like for him to get drafted by the Steelers after coming out of WVU. Amos said he thought to himself, "Why do they want me?," acknowledging to himself that the Steelers traditionally preferred the physical running game to the speed and finesse for which he was "famous" (pun also intended). But he said he loved the time he spent in Pittsburgh, and obviously it didn't work out so bad since he had a fair amount of success. I kind of hinted that maybe the combination of him and The Bus was a precursor to what is now commonplace in the NFL - the one-two punch of power and speed. As I remember he kind of tacitly agreed. But he probably didn't really care much either way, as he did his job regardless.

We then asked him about Hines Ward. Specifically, what he thought about the ever-popular assertion that Hines is a "dirty" player. Not even had we finished our question before he jumped right in and said it was bullshit (my words, not his). He expressed a great respect for Hines both on and off the field and said that it's important to distinguish between the two personas. The way I kind of parroted his response back to him was - when you're on the field, you've gotta get fired up and be ready to do what's needed of you to help your team win. You gotta compete as hard as you can. Amos echoed what many commentators and us Steelers homers have always said of Hines - that he's the best blocking receiver in the game. In fact, I seem to remember Amos thinking that Hines was one of only a few receivers left that even make a real effort to block. And he said, as a Running Back, he really appreciated that, knowing that when he made it to the second level, he had a guy out there who could and WOULD clear the way for him.

He also said Hines is just a very caring person. Not that this is anything new to us. But to hear it from a guy who had significantly more intimate contact with Hines just further legitimized it in my mind. And while we didn't really get into it, Amos seemed to insinuate that Plaxico Burress was actually a pretty good guy too. I found that rather interesting, given Plax's reputation and general public persona. But since Amos obviously knows him better than we do, and in light of some of the other astute observations he made, I have to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Eventually we got on to the subject of how playing the one season he played in New England compared with his experience in Pittsburgh. He immediately explained to us that it was pretty different, adding that "Coach Belichick has a great football mind," or something to that effect. We didn't really press much further about that but just kind of agreed, and I mentioned that any Coach who can post a winning record in Cleveland's gotta know his stuff to a certain extent (I'm looking at you, Romeo Crennel).

As for the current state of affairs in Pittsburgh, Amos made two pretty on-point observations. The first was, and I recognize this isn't exactly novel, that the Steelers have a problem in the Offensive Line. As a former Running Back, clearly he knows a thing or two about the value of a good Offensive Line. And he talked about how the line the Steelers had back at the tail end of his time, basically the same one that was in place for the Steelers Super Bowl run, was perhaps a little underrated.

The second observation he made was about Anthony Smith. What was funny to me was that, while he really has no reason to follow the team anymore other than nostalgia, he knew about the legend of Anthony Smith and his mouth (of course, I guess unless you're living under a rock you know about this, but it was the context that made it interesting). Like the rest of us, Amos felt that if Smith really wants his chance, he'd be better off keeping his mouth shut and letting his effort do his talking. I brought up how Anthony Smith's biggest headlines since starting his career with a bang had been the victory "guarantee" last season and a couple of stories during the last two training camps about how he's maybe a little more physical with his own teammates than some of his Steelers brethren. Amos didn't really comment on that but the whole discussion evinced a feeling that he valued effort over talent.

As we wound down our conversation, and after we had thanked him gratuitously for spending the time with us, Amos told us to come back anytime. As owner/chef/host/general proprietor of the restaurant, he spends a fair amount of time there. So much so that at least one of the regulars we talked to at the bar knew him by name (and not because of his football career). And all I can say is - I hope he meant it. Because you can't say that kind of thing to two rabid Steelers fans/bloggers and get away with it. You better bet we'll be frequenting Zereoue as often as possible. I'm even thinking about setting up a weekly or bi-weekly happy hour there for Steelers fans in the NY area.

The restaurant itself had a great vibe. The front half was the bar, which included ample bar stools but also a couple of couches in the front, right next to the window (behind us in the picture above). And the back half was the dining room, separated from the bar by a draped curtain. The whole place just kind of exuded culture and it felt really welcoming. That could easily have been because we had just met AMOS EFFING ZEREOUE. But nevertheless, I'm looking forward to eventually getting back to sample some of the West African and French influenced cuisine.

All in all, I gotta say once again, this was easily the coolest thing I've done since I've lived here in the Manhattan area, and high up on the list of coolest things I've done all time. I want to thank Amos and the restaurant for being so awesome! If you are in the area, definitely check it out - on 37th St. between Madison and 5th Avenues (13 E. 37th St.).

Oh, and in case you've forgotten how fast Amos was, I'd urge you to watch these clips of him in HIGH SCHOOL! The dude had some jets for sure.

Here's a couple of other pics for good measure...

AFC North Headline Of The Day...

DISCLAIMER: Some of the contents of this post have been pointed out as inaccurate. Good thing it's a joke post. But, you know, keep your eye out for that. Maybe you'll win a prize. Or something.

Ok, who had Week 10 in the Brady Quinn pool?

Man, you have no idea how excited I am at the prospect of Brady Quinn failing hard on Thursday. For all the Browns fans who boo'd Derek Anderson, I hope Brady Quinn throws like five picks!

Listen up, Cleveland. Your whole team is FAILING. Not just Derek Anderson. If Braylon Edwards doesn't drop that ball in the end zone, you might actually have won that game. MIGHT being the key word. Either way, I think it's been a group effort on your team's part to stink it up.

That being said, I'm all for Brady Quinn. Let's see what he can do. You think he's your savior? Let's find out. Even I'm interested to see how this works out.

I just have one last question, though. Do you think Derek Anderson will be able to hold the clipboard as well as Brady Quinn? I mean, those are some big shoes to fill. Godspeed, DA.


Oh, and not that it's at all related, but apparently someone in Baltimore stole a Terrible Towel?

Them's fightin' words!

Allow these links to get you fired up for that, and of course, Brady Quinn...

The Monday Morning Chrysler New Yorker...on Tuesday [PSaMP]

Several cars catch fire in parking lot of last night's game? All signs point to Sansmokio Holmes [Deuce of Davenport]

MJD's list of possible reasons Ben left last night's game. My personal fav? "Infinite sadness." [MJD]

Headline consistency FAIL [Tirico Suave]

Join Hugging Harold Reynolds' fight against Prostate Cancer! [HHR]

Bengals fans with some sense? Well, I'll be damned. [Deadspin]

By the way, stay tuned for the "big news" coming shortly!

Dude, You'll Never Guess What I Just Saw...

Imagine Tomlin saying it like Johnny Drama...

Byron Leftwich - 129 yards on 10 pass attempts, and a 5 yard passing TD to Sansmokio. I mean, if you had told me yesterday that Byron Leftwich was going to come into last night's game and produce 13 points en route to a 23-6 Steelers victory, I'd have smacked you in the mouth.

The past two games it was Mewelde Moore stepping up big. Last night it was Big Byron. And boy did he step the eff up. Well played, Byron. Well played indeed.

Last week was tough. Just like the Eagles game, our Offense was dogshit but our Defense kept us in the game until the 4th Quarter. It was hard to watch the Defense play so well only to watch the Offense march onto the field for three plays (or less) and then trot back off. But last night made up for it.

So let's recap the "Things That Were Awesome," "Things That Were Not Awesome," and "Things That Sucked Camel Penis." Don't the names of the latter category keep getting better and better? Gosh, what'll I think of next?

Things That Were Awesome
1. 4th play of 3rd Quarter? Leftwich to Nate Washington, 50 YARDS!
2. Deshea INT - Who says this 33 year old can't play? Not Jason Campbell.
3. 7 SACKS! (including 2 by The Wood)
4. What's up with Willie's knee? 70 yds on 21 carries, 1 TD. That's what's up.
5. 1st blocked punt since 1998!

Things That Were Not Awesome
1. Ben's completion percentage? 11. I think that's a QB rating of 6.
2. Mitch Berger's 28 yard punt...somebody call Kordell Stewart.
3. An end around to Nate Washington? This is your creative genius, Arians?
4. Hey, at least Anthony Smith contributed a special teams penalty!
5. Note to Jeff Reed - You can't bank extra points in. This isn't basketball.

Things That Sucked Camel Penis
1. Onside kick on the opening kickoff? Oh, ok, I get it. We want to lose.
2. I think I have pink eye. No joke.
3. Giving the 'Skins GREAT field position on their 1st two possessions.
4. Ben sacked three times in two quarters. Yeah, he's injured by the way.
5. Max Starks using his hands to cover his head instead using them to knock the ball away from Cornelius Griffin. Watch out for that small, lightweight piece of leather, Max! YOU'RE 6'8," 345 POUNDS, DUDE!!!

Now, ok. Let's not get too hot on Lord Byron just yet. He did more than expected and it was great. But we also simplified things a lot more when he came in. And by simplified, I mean we started running the ball. So look, I'll take that performance out of Byron Leftwich every day of the week. But QB controversy? Ish don't think so.

And frankly, it's pretty worrisome that Ben was so hurt that he didn't feel like getting back on the field in the 2nd half. Perhaps some of you think that after last night, Byron Leftwich could lead this team to a Championship. But you would be straight jacket worthy. Ben being injured that bad? Not good.

Oh yeah, and Heath Miller with a giant ice pack on his ankle? I mean, that ain't good, either.

GREAT WIN, THOUGH! Ravens won on Sunday. They're 5-3. Browns are 3-5. Bengals are irrelevant. We're now 6-2 and I think if nothing else, our Defense continued to make it's case for League MVP. Yes. The entire defense. For MVP. That's my vote at this time.

We're now looking at the Colts on Sunday. They're "hot" off a "big" win over "Matt Cassell"...I mean the Patriots. Manning had a pretty big day. And I would know, I've got him in fantasy. But he better savor it now, because he'll be on my bench his back for 60 minutes in T-Minus five days. HERE WE GO STEELERS, HERE WE GO!!!

I am now eager to hear all of your thoughts. Let's have them.

Here are some other visuals to jog your memory...





Oh, and go do your civic duty and vote! Me? I'm writing in Dick Lebeau.

The Hour Is Almost Upon Us...

It's election eve
And all through DC
Fans are abuzz with excitement
Steelers fans with glee

The 'Skins are hot
And Clinton Portis is strong
But with Casey Hampton around
How could we go wrong

So Jason Campbell beware
We know that you're good
But no man is safe
In the eyes of The Wood
Here we go Steelers!

And if you need something to kill the time, I suggest the [Unnamed] Steelers Pregame Show - Episode 8. I'm just going to go fail an exam now...See you kids at 8:15.

Predictions?

AFC North Headline Of The Day...

How's this for an algorithm...Browns Sucking + Reference to late 90s Britney Spears pop hit = Comedy Gold. In fact, I think that one may actually be Google worthy!

So the Browns couldn't eke out a win over the Ratbirds yesterday. I mean, it would've been nice of them to help us out a bit. But I guess we couldn't actually expect Derek [FAIL] Anderson, Braylon Edwards and company to really come through for us.

I actually watched the end of that game and kind of had to laugh. I mean here they are, the game's 30-27, Ravens in the lead but the Browns have the ball and about three and a half minutes left. They're at their own 46 yard line and they've got at least three chances to get the ball maybe 20-25 yards for a game tying field goal, or maybe even a few yards beyond that for a potentially game winning touchdown and what do they do? Derek Anderson throws a pick to Terrell Suggs...

Oh well, that's just the Browns being the Browns, right?

Derek Anderson for Pro Bowl!

For the record, I believe these links are also Pro Bowl worthy...

ESPN really needs to get it together [PSaMP]

Oh, and look who else needs to get it together, the NHL Store [HFSS]

Big deal, J Peezy thinks everyone is soft [MJD]

"Heath Miller is the total package"...that's what she said [Post-Gazette]

Just when you thought the Lions couldn't get any worse...they signed Daunte Culpepper [ESPN]