AMEN!

Somewhere up there the Chief is smiling as big as I am.

The Steelers will stay with the Rooney family, as the four non-football Rooneys have agreed to sell their shares to their brother and our beloved Chairman, Dan Rooney, and his son, Team President Art II.

Week in review coming tomorrow morning when I get my shit together.

Until then, sleep well knowing the team is still in good hands.

What is This, The Mike Tomlin School of PR?

Ok, first off this morning - what the hell went on in NY yesterday?

"There's great respect for the Rooney family in the National Football League, and we want to do everything we can to ensure that the Steelers continue to be operated by the Rooneys and the way they've been operated."

"[It's] another step in the process."

"We had a good dialogue, good communication about the issues at hand and I think we have a better understanding of where things are."

Mike Tomlin, is that you? Oh no, it's Roger Goodell. Wow, that's enough ambiguities to choke a horse Steely McBeam. Ok, no but seriously though, what are they talking about? These quotes are Oscar-worthy. Hey Goodell, does Pacino know you stole his line about "great respect for the...family?"

Secondly, did this guy seriously rank the Steelers' backup QB behind Matt Leinart, Chris Redman, Matt Moore and Gus Frerotte? #17 out of 32? Surely he can't be talking about Chuck Batch? Well, actually, he's not. The backup he's referring to is current backup, Lord Byron "Does Not Understand The Mechanics of Throwing A Football" Leftwich. Plus, he ranked Kyle Boller (being honestly evaluated as the potential starter in Baltimore) behind all of them at #20. So um, in that case, fair assessment. Carry on, Don Banks.

Lastly, Hines Ward had a revelation about how to help fix Wreckingball's recent fumbling problem. The same god damned revelation every blogger who made the obvious joke did. Yes, we all saw "The Program." Paying people to try and make Wreckingball fumble? Now, you're just being a dick. He already has to carry the ball everywhere with him. Knock that crap off. And also, this is news? Seriously? Wow.

Sorry guys, this post was the result of what they call a creativity fail. I'll try and come up with something better for tomorrow. I'm embarrassed. Embarrassed, really.

Any burning topics you'd like to discuss? I hear Perez Hilton thinks the Cracker Barrel is homo-unfriendly. Guess nobody told Perez that Domski used to work there...

REFERENCE MATERIAL:
Rooney bros. conclude meeting with NFL Commissioner [Post-Gazette]
Goodell calls meeting with Rooney brothers 'productive' [Trib]
Ranking each team's No. 2 QBs [SI.com]
Ward, Steelers Teach Mendenhall Not To Fumble [Trib]

Are You Sure We Can't Interest You In The Pirates, Mr. Druckenmiller?

"I have spent my entire life devoted to the Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football League...I will do everything possible to work out a solution to ensure my father's legacy of keeping the Steelers in the Rooney family and in Pittsburgh for at least another 75 years."
- Dan Rooney

Ok, so I guess new ownership in Pittsburgh has just slightly more than a snowball's chance in hell.

I mean, seeing as how a man worth $3.5 billion (and ranked 91st out of the 400 richest people in America) wants to purchase a majority stake in the team, I imagine it's virtually inevitable. After all, cash trumps in America, does it not?

When I wrote yesterday's post (on Monday evening), all I knew was that three (at least I thought it was three) of the five Rooney's were interested in selling their shares. The name Stanley Druckenmiller was out there. But at least this blogger didn't actually think the aforementioned Rooneys would be so greedy as to reject an offer from their own brothers in favor of some random billionaire.

Since then, obviously a lot has come to light. It now appears that the sale of a controlling interest in the Steelers will likely be made in the next few days. To Stanley Druckenmiller, who, let the record show, plans to "include Dan and Art Rooney II in his ownership group." God, what a magnanimous fellow. You mean he'd be so gracious as to retain two of the most influential men in the proud Steelers history? The architects of a team that has won five Super Bowls in the last 35 years. Gee, isn't that swell.

Well, you know what? That isn't good enough for me.

I don't care if it was Druckenmiller's dream to someday own the Steelers. I'd like to own the Steelers too. Who wouldn't? But in my opinion, a real Steeler fan understands the significance of the Rooneys' ownership. This team has belonged to this family for its entire existence, and unlike most of today's owners, the Rooneys (Dan and Art II that is) seem to care just as much about winning championships as they do about making money.

A billionaire investor? I just don't know.

Of course, even if the Greedys four Rooneys sell their collective 64% to Druckenmiller, 24 of the leagues 32 owners would still have to approve the sale. But does anyone honestly think there are enough moral crusaders among the league's owners to stop the depressing affirmation that money is more important than family and tradition? I have my doubts.

So I think I've made my stance perfectly clear. But what about you guys? Am I over reacting? Is it too idealistic to believe in tradition these days? How do you think it will affect the team's future if Druckenmiller is installed as majority owner? And above all else - What would The Chief think of all this?

LATE ADDITION: We may not know what The Chief would think about all this, but we now know what THIS Chief thinks. Band together Steeler Nation. T[ogether] E[veryone] A[chieves] M[ore].

FOR MORE ON THIS DEBACLE:
Pittsburgh's Rooneys Quietly Shop Steelers [Wall Street Journal]
Rooney Trying to Sell The Steelers? [PSAMP]
Questions, answers regarding Steelers' ownership situation [ESPN]
Serenity Now! [Blog 'n Gold]
‘The Rooney way’ is best path to NFL success [Sporting News]
Why Now For Steelers Sale? [KDKA]
Financier Makes Bid For Steelers [Associated Press]
'Low key' billionaire eyes up Steelers [Trib]

A Veritable Cornucopia of News...

Not exactly good news. Or bad news. Or even interesting news. But news, nevertheless.

In case you missed them, yesterday brought us four separate stories.

Let's begin...

#1 ~ The Rooneys Are Selling The Steelers...
Chyeah...right...and monkeys might fly out of my butt!

As far as I understand it, Chairman Dan (the Man) Rooney and his son, President Art Rooney II are planning to purchase all of the elder Rooney's brothers shares in the team. Wow that was kind of a mouthful. Anyways, apparently the less football-relevant Rooneys want to focus on things that might appeal more to Charles Barkley than Roger Goodell. Namely, gambling. Will this mean slots in Pittsburgh? Only if there is a God...

#2 ~ The Sporting News Knows Their Stuff...
Two, count 'em, two features by the Sporting News yesterday discussing the Steelers. One, aptly titled, "Optimistic Browns better watch out for Big Ben." The other, "Steelers’ burning question: A more pounding ground game?"

As to the First - I applaud the Browns-focused piece for promoting what we've been peddling here at OFTOT for at least three months - tempered enthusiasm. Look, we know how exciting an overweight Defensive Lineman with character questions can be...But get serious. The Super Bowl is won in February, not April or May or June or July. And plus, it's the Browns.

As to the Second - Sounds like this dude has been reading OFTOT.

#3 ~ The Steelers Signed Some Draft Picks...
Not Rashard Mendenhall or Limas Sweed...but Tony Hills and Dennis Dixon. /Yawns. Kidding...ish.

#4 ~ I Guess I Can't Watch Inside The NFL Anymore...
Simms AND Collinsworth in one broadcast? Might as well be Romeo Crennel and Marvin Lewis. Don't expect any love from either tandem. Jesus.

But look guys, if you think discussing these lackluster story lines is boring, try waxing nostalgic about Kelly Holcomb. As a wise man would say, I pity the foo' who has no fonder memory than Kelly Holcomb.

PS - Rashard. Mendenhall.

You hear me, Steeler fans of the internets?