What's Black & White Gold and Read All Over by Domski?

Don't thank me all at once, but I'm going to ease you guys in this week. I mean, after all, it is just the bye week. We'll get to some "hard-hitting" "analysis" (like, "man, Ray Lewis sucks") later. For now, I thought it'd be fun to do a little Frequently Asked Questions post for you. Because you can never know too much about me or OFTOT...

Yeah. Anyways, read on (please!)...

How would you describe yourself?
Name: Christopher Awesome Cotter
Rank: Senior Mini-Pony Wrangler
DOB: Unknown
Turn Ons: Long walks on the beach, Sarah Mclachlan and scented candles

Do you think you're funny or something?
Absolutely not. In fact, here's a short list of people who are funnier than me - Bill Parcells, Dick Cheyney and Skeletor from He-Man (we kind of look alike too).

Are you really that ridiculous in real life?
Yes, and I have the piece of paper to prove it. I don't sugarcoat shit. You get me straight up or you don't get me at all. Next question.

Are you currently single?
Thank you for asking. Yes, I am currently single and searching [emoticon].

Have you ever wondered WHY you are single?
You know, I often ponder such bullshit as this. I usually resolve it to the fact that I refuse to go to the movies.

Do you have a Facebook page?
Stupid question. Who doesn't? Mine's mostly filled up with pictures of me doing unsavory things to either inanimate objects or my friends...depending on the year in which it was taken. PS - Join the OFTOT Facebook network.

What about Myspace?
Yep. This one's mostly just a bunch of pictures of me with my shirt off, looking all buff by the pool. You know, that and some artsy black and white, shadowed emo-y goodness. 'Cause I'm cool like that.

What about brunch?
That'd be delightful, thanks.

Bruno or Borat?
If I say Sasha Baron Cohen, because he does them both, am I out of bounds?

Who would win in a fight - you or the skinny kid from Road Trip?
I think we'd all win if I got in a fight with the skinny kid from Road Trip. Wouldn't you agree?

Approximately how many people read this blog?
Four - My Mom, my Dad, my Sister...and Domski. And occasionally my ex-girlfriend, just to remind herself why we're no longer dating.

So, how long have you been a nerd?
Wow. That's a good question. Ever since I can remember, I think. But maybe the pivotal moment came when I decided to write a Steelers blog, work full time AND go to law school at night. Think that might've been the straw that broke the camel's back.

What's your favorite color?
Ok, now you're not even trying. Black/Gold. Next!

How come you suck so bad at fantasy?
Anybody can win at fantasy. But how many people can LOSE?

Tell me again why you live in NJ?
The good people. Obviously.

Why does your face look so weird?
Why does YOUR face look so weird? Answer me that!

Is it true that you spend more time with Tecmo than you do with the ladies?
...noooooo...I mean, yes.

That's what she said?
Awful. This interview is over!

Oh, and just in case you're wondering what the answer is to the question that is the title of this post - why, it's One For The Other Thumb, of course.

Ok guys, thus ends your torture. This is the best I had in me last night. I'll try and give you something a little more Steelers relevant later on. But as usual, I make no guarantees. Need I remind you, it is the bye week.

You guys got any FAQs that I didn't answer?

Meeting People Is Easy...

Ok, so due to the hour and 15 minutes it took me to get to work today, witty banter will be at a minimum here.

It's Friday, and keeping with tradition, it's time for Meeting People is Easy. As usual, I've circled the wagons and solicited comic relief from seven of this site's finest friends and commenters. And also, there's me.

So without further ado, your expert panel is as follows...
1. Dan Gigler ~ "Gigs" for short.
2. Jup ~ Absolutely loves to sit in traffic.
3. Christy ~ Beer bong virgin.
4. Silky Johnson ~ Perplexed by Tony Hunt.
5. Notgomu ~ Feels Cotter's North-Jersey-living pain.
6. Steelbiathan ~ Master of live blog commenting.
7. Domski ~ Master of $1 fruit parfaits.
8. Me ~ Your humble narrator.

Click to enlarge...


I don't know about you all, but I'm psyched for Friday. Today got off to a shitty start. But there's plenty of time to turn that around. 5:30 cannot come too soon. Here's to some post-work beverages!

Cheers friends!

PS - Just so you're all aware, I ran into Busta Rhymes last night on 13th St. and parlayed the encounter into a membership in Flipmode Squad. Git of mah block!

A Twisted Tale of Intrigue and Glory...

Often I feel constrained by the scope of this blog. Don't get me wrong, I love the Steelers. In fact, if they were a woman, I'd want to be on them every second of every day. But sometimes I get an itch to speak candidly (and I only say candidly because like five people read this blog) about my own personal perspective on other things. Usually I ignore this urge and instead post some idiocy on my auxiliary and much more explicit blog, The Dude Abides. However, today I'd like to speak freely, if I may.

Most of you have probably stumbled upon this blog rather recently. Maybe a month ago. Maybe back in October or November. As a result, you probably don't know the full history of OFTOT, as it exists today in all it's glory (read: consistently gets at least 2 comments per post).

OFTOT began, originally, as an all-purpose man-diary of sorts. I started the blog back in November of 2005 (I actually had to look that up it was so long ago). At the time, I was laboring in a job I couldn't stand, living in a one bedroom apartment above someone else's home, from which I had to walk a mile to catch a train that connected me with two other trains, that eventually shuttled me in my hour plus journey to said miserable job. In otherwords, it was, as it still is, a veritable escape.

Little known fact - I used to write about much more interesting and socially relevant topics. Not that Najeh Davenport's penchant for shitting in closets isn't socially relevant. But I used to lay it all out there. And, of course, no one read it and no one cared. Nevertheless, that is why the URL of this blog is rockstarforhire.blogspot.com and not onefortheotherthumb.blogspot.com. By the time it became a Steeler blog and I realized that people were actually reading it (like enough to qualify it as "moderately legit"), I was too worried that if I changed the URL, all my inbound links would suddenly become inert. So that's how we got to http://rockstarforhire.blogspot.com. But what about the change in focus?

At the beginning of 2006, when the Steelers made their historic playoff run, I stopped blogging for a while. Then, in or around October/November 2006, I responded to an ESPN call for submissions on the subject of "Which State is #1 for Pro, College or High School Football." I mean, how could I not weigh in on that. After all, I knew Ohio would try and stake some sort of claim. I had to defend PA's honor. So I worked hard on the piece for a solid three hours or so, and sent it in to the abyss of ESPN understanding that it would be posted alongside all the other entries at some point in the following month. But I realized, I hadn't given them any indication of my credibility as a writer or as a Steeler fan (though that picture probably provided ample evidence of the latter). I did, however, still control that real estate at http://rockstarforhire.blogspot.com. So I quickly scribbled (typed) and posted an entry about how and why I suck at fantasy football, just in case anyone happened to further investigate my "credentials."

From there, things just kind of flowed. As I talked more about football in general, I realized it was a good focus for me. And as I was an avid and ardent Steeler fan, why not further focus on Steeler football. That, folks, is basically how OFTOT was formed.

Over the next year to year and a half, OFTOT grew steadily. In the Winter and Spring of last year, it got some notoriety when Blog n' Gold took notice. Or rather, it actually got comments from someone other than Domski (who, it should be noted, was the sites only commenter for quite a while). Then, when last season began, things really started to "take off."

Now, just so we're clear, I still wouldn't call OFTOT a "go-to" blog for Steelers fans. I mean, it's only the #7 Steelers blog on BallHype (suspicious, but who am I to argue with the interweb). But I do my thing regardless and hope that someday it will be. Mostly because OFTOT is my primary vehicle for interacting with other Steelers fans. Sure, I belong to the Steelers in Hoboken "club." But even that has become increasingly worthless for someone who wants to talk seriously about the team. Sometimes I think those dudes are more interested in being part of the "club" than actually watching the game with other fans. Whatever. Point is - my favorite and most gratifying times on OFTOT are when we all get to discuss things that affect the team in an objective yet enthusiastic manner.

What does the future hold for OFTOT? I don't know. Most days, I don't even know what I'm going to write about or even what to wear. How could I be expected to envision OFTOT's growth? But whatever the future brings, I hope you all will be there to share in it. I truly love the camaraderie we've developed and I can't wait to meet most of you at the impending OFTOT training camp shit show extravaganza (sidenote: if you're in the greater Pittsburgh area and want to partake in this assuredly jagoff-laden event, email me).

Now, I'm just gonna go turn off this Sarah McLachlan, put out these candles and grab a tissue. That was fucking emo.

xoxoxoxo,

- Cotter
[Your Editor and Head Asshole in Charge]