[Unnamed] Steelers Pregame Show Outtake Reel - Week 13...

Feast your hungry eyes on this deliciousness...

By the way, I <3 the outtake reel. I think it's my favoritest part of the [Unnamed] Steelers Pregame Show. Hopefully, y'all agree.

Check 'er out!

Then check 'er out again at PSaMP.

[Unnamed] Steelers Pregame Show Outtake Reel...

Since we normally post the "show" and the outtake reel together, and no one watches either of them because it's Sunday, and because the real entertainment is the outtake reel anyhow, Tec and I made the executive programming decision to drop this week's outtake reel on y'all this afternoon (whoa, can I get a word count on that sentence?).

So pursuant to that directive, here's the beast above.

We reveled in a win this morning. Now, let's revel in some mindless drivel this afternoon. I mean, some really really intellectually stimulating, informative and interesting conversation captured on video...yeah, right...

Peep this shit out one more time at PSaMP.

[Unnamed] Steelers Pregame Show - Week 11...

Dude, I'm so tired right now.

Just watch this thing...if you want...or not...either way...


New rule this week - Outtake reel will come tomorrow afternoon. Write that down.

/needs so much sleep right now

Watch this gem again at PSaMP.

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...

Controversy, huh? Well I didn't see this so-called, "controversial" play. But it occurs to me that if there's a question of whether or not you hit the opposing QB in the head, you've put yourself in the unenviable position to get that penalty.

Yeah, I like hitting QBs too. But I'm pretty sure Terrell Suggs wasn't just hanging around, minding his own business, when along came an official and flagged him for a blow to Kerry Collins' noggin'.

Point being - quit whining because you let Kerry Collins come back and beat you. Do better next time. Case closed.

Also, on a completely unrelated note, I continue to be over Michael Phelps. Can we all just let it go now? The Olympics have been over for quite some time. This man is no movie star. Let's stop feeding his ego with camera time, shall we? Lest it grow bigger than his gumline. Seriously, have you seen that thing...I think it's eating his teeth.

Anyways, feel free to sink YOUR teeth into these links...

Steely McGome - 2 || Universe - 0 [Dug E. Fresh Rants]

Woodley + Harrison = Wooderson...say man, you got the Monday Morning Chrysler New Yorker? It'd be a lot cooler if you did [PSAMP]

Neal did call it, I'll give him that [On The Black Side]

Here we go. Blame StubHub. Whatever [Florida Times-Union]

I'm glad you think so, James Walker. But I'm gonna bite my tongue for now [ESPN]

This is certainly an interesting take [Fanhouse]

OFTOT and PSAMP Go To Camp...

True to our word, Tecmo and I took Latrobe by storm this past weekend. We got in around 11PM on Friday night, and of course, our first move was towards the nearest bar. Over the next 60 hours or so, we spent a cumulative 45 sitting on Tec's friend Bob's couch, driving around the back roads of Latrobe, and drinking $1.20 20 oz. drafts whilst perfecting our respective shuffle board games. The other 15 was spent sleeping and attending Sunday afternoon's training camp practice.

In other words, it was epic.

Unfortunately, we didn't see too many of you out at camp. But that was OK, because by that time we probably wouldn't have been much for conversation anyway. Intelligent conversation, at least.

It is honestly tough to concisely describe exactly how awesome this trip was. I don't think more than 10 minutes went by when I wasn't laughing so hard I nearly pee'd myself. So while I could go on and on about all of the good times we had, I've decided to put together a recap of just the most interesting/entertaining highlights for you all.

I sincerely hope you enjoy.

WHAT WE LEARNED...

1. Six hours is a LONG time to be in a car.
Hoboken to Latrobe didn't look that bad on paper. My general rule of thumb is - take Google's time estimate, subtract about 30 minutes, and that's how long it should take me to reach my destination. Apparently that is not God's rule of thumb, because it definitely took us a good six hours. Needless to say, our bodies were not excited by this.

2. Some backup QBs shouldn't try to be heroes in PRESEASON.
Charlie Batch really needed those extra five or six yards? This wasn't exactly the AFC Championship Game. The first game of the preseason is not the time for a veteran QB - whose job is in no way in jeopardy - to be trying to make something out of a broken play. Thanks for the effort Chuck, but I'd have settled for no gain and a healthy Charlie Batch over a few yards and no Charlie Batch for six weeks. And, Byron Leftwich? Seriously? Vinny Testaverde wasn't available? (Credit for using Testaverde in this "joke" = Tec)

3. Apparently, the Dude lives in Latrobe.
See, here's his car outside Giant Eagle...


4. Hines Ward hates attention.
I mean when people were screaming for the players to come sign autographs after practice, he pretty much ran the other way. Uh, yeah, no. Hines was the center of mass hysteria and seemed to be loving every last minute of it. So was some crazy family right in front of us, which precipitated the comment, "Remember kids, crack kills." Don't ask.

5. If you order from Fox's, beware...
...they're not kidding about a LARGE Stromboli. Instead of us eating this thing, I was worried this thing was gonna eat US. The good news is, it was the best pile of dough, cheese and sauce that I've ever tasted. Five stars, Fox's. Witness...


6. It was awesome to see Casey Hampton practicing again.
It was hard to tell from our spot on the hill in the far end zone, but it definitely looked like Big Snack was trying to shed some extra pounds and get ready for the next 20 weeks. He went through the full two hours or so, and after practice wrapped, we saw him stay to run laps on the third field with LaMarr Woodley. Unless Tomlin has mandated that he do this before he can feed himself, I can only assume this means he's making a legitimate effort to get in shape. Well played, Snack.

7. The guitar solo from "Do You Feel Like We Do" is unbelievable.
If you don't know what I'm talking about, go listen ASAP and tell me I'm wrong.

8. Santonio and Jeff Reed are going to the Pro Bowl.
While listening to the game on DVE Friday night, Tec and I collectively decided that this year is San Antonio and Party Boy's time to shine. I think it had something to do with the TD catch Santonio had and the 50-yard field goal Jeff Reed kicked. Also, let the record show that Tec firmly believes Jeff Reed will be flawless. Like no missed field goals at all. And I find it hard to disagree. Mark it, dudes and dudettes.

9. Giving three idiots walkie-talkies is a recipe for entertainment.
I'd had these walkie-talkies in my apartment for like two years and I'd never used them once. That most certainly changed this weekend. Tec, Tec's friend Bob, and I had way too much fun talking to each other across the room with these things. By the way, just so you know, you have to say "over" after every message. Tecmo...

10. The Latrobe/Greensburg area has great street names.
Urania Ave, Firearms Ln, Rifle Rd. For some reason most of them had to do with guns. But the rest were pretty funny too. It certainly made our three hours of aimless driving on Saturday a little bit more interesting. I can now safely say I've seen all that Latrobe and the surrounding area has to offer.

Bonus Lesson
Not hitting Eat 'n Park at 3AM on Saturday morning was a big mistake. Not getting the Eat 'n Park salad bar at 1:30PM on Saturday afternoon was an even bigger mistake. But the biggest mistake of the weekend was definitely shotgunning beers at 2:30AM Monday morning [when we had to get up before noon and drive the six hours back to NJ].

Lastly, I would like to point out that I'm significantly more manly than I was two hours ago. See, when I got back to Hoboken and was parking my car, a pedestrian kindly alerted me that my back tire was flat on the passenger's side. Which was awesome. Even more awesome though, was changing it. I'm sure you all can imagine my amusement.

So, what did YOU GUYS do this weekend?

PS - This is OFTOT's 500th post. Where's my party?

Bradshaw Sparks More Than Just Controversy...

Perhaps you've heard this one already. But umm, apparently Terry Bradshaw, 4-time Super Bowl winning QB and current Fox NFL puppet analyst, admitted last Thursday that he did steroids back in the 70s. How that admission went unnoticed until yesterday is beyond me...

Anyways, I have yet to listen to the interview myself. But apparently Bradshaw's stance on 'roids was the equivalent of...

"Guys in high school did steroids all the time. It was no big deal."

Though his literal statement was...

"We did steroids to get away the aches and the speed of healing...My use of steroids from a doctor was to speed up injury, and thought nothing of it...It was to speed up the healing process, that was it. It wasn't to get bigger and stronger and faster."

Fine, I'll accept that. As much as I'd heard about the heyday Steelers and their supposed penchant for Barry Bonds Cocktails performance enhancing drugs, I still didn't believe it. Now, I guess I have no other choice.

However, what I'd really like to talk about this morning is - Pats fans. Wait, wait. Come back. Let me explain...

Not JUST Pats fans, but rather this Pats-Steelers fan bitterness that has developed over which team "cheated worse" in winning all their Super Bowls (their debate, not mine).

The classic example of this was over at PSAMP back in December. Tec and I went what seemed like 13 rounds with an anonymous Pats fan (because, you know, that's how they roll) over the whole Spygate thing. And aside from misinterpreting a rule and trying to pull a Jedi Mind Trick, the only other argument this brilliant mind could offer was...

"But, your self-righteous comments about drug use and how you would point this out regarding the Steelers are nonsense. The Pittsburgh Steelers are FAMOUS for having used steroids during their championship runs of the 1970's. Several Steelers have died prematurely because of that use. Even now, NFL steroid investigations focus on Doctors from the Pittsburgh area who were known to supply the Steelers in the past."
(see 3:27 PM comment)

Needless to say this one ended with this rational Pats fan accepting the superior arguments of us level-headed Steelers homers fans...

NOT! It ended with both Tec and I realizing there was nothing to fight. We were making well reasoned arguments relating to actual, currently relevant, facts. And this dude was just trying to keep the argument going, sans any real direction. So we resolved ourselves to the affirmation that Patriots fans are irrational, illogical and misguided souls. And we called it a day...

Given that exchange, I wasn't exactly surprised to see that at least one Pats fan had already cleverly related the recent Bradshaw bomb back to this Steelers-Pats conflict. Check out comment #3 over at Fanhouse's post on the subject...

"Bradshaw's comments are what all Stealers' fans who rip the Patriots should read. The 1970's Pittsburgh Stealers are known for being the first team to heavily use steroids. They won four Super Bowls during those years. Should they give them back or call them tainted, as some Stealers fans and NFL fans say the Patriots should do? No team is perfect, as these comments by Bradshaw 30 years after the fact testify to."

Stealers. How cute. I get it. Like the real team name, but spelled like the word meaning to take something unlawfully. Nice.

Anyways, I'm not really sure where I'm taking this post.

I actually see what they're saying - everyone's calling the Pats cheaters for supposedly videotaping all these opponents, but yet no one seems to care about the Steelers drug use in the 70s. But I also see that during the 70s, there was no rule against players using steroids. So technically the Steelers didn't "cheat," per se...

I guess what I'm really trying to say is - in both cases, what's done is done. Let's just all get over it and enjoy the impending football season. Besides, if Pats fans want to continue to be a bunch of d-bags - well, that's just like, their opinion, man.

Anyone have a perspective on the legendary Steelers dynasty doing steroids? Hard to believe? Easy to believe? Does this provide any context for what the Pats did? Is Tom Brady also on drugs?

PS - Lest ye think I'm ignoring the comments, I'm not. For some reason I'm having issues commenting on my own blog. Always the mark of a professionally run operation. Google - what a bunch of amateurs dude. I'll bet this type of thing would never happen at Deadspin.

REFERENCE MATERIAL:
Terry Bradshaw Says He Used Steroids [Fanhouse]
Whoa. Terry Bradshaw Used Steroids in the 70’s? [The Big Lead]
Terry Bradshaw Was All 'Roided Up [MJD]