Monday, October 27, 2014

SIMPLY AMAZING!

If you didn't see the Steelers/Colts game yesterday, you missed a simply amazing execution of offensive excellence led by Ben Roethlisberger and his awesome line. The defense wasn't too shabby either although they gave up 34 points.

What was so great was that even with a record of 4-3 going into yesterday's game, the Steeler's wins were lackluster and hardly memorable. But I guarantee you that last night's game will go down in franchise history. Let's see: 1. Ben won his 100th game, 2. He set an NFL record of having two 500+yards games which no one else had ever done including Brady and Manning. 3. He scored 6 touchdowns which had never been accomplished by any Steeler's quarterback before.

Another aspect of note was that everybody that was healthy had a hand in this phenomenal show of teamwork. Both Todd Haley and Dick LeBeau came up with strategies that were well-planned and well-executed. In the past, Haley used run, run, pass, which often led to three and out. Yesterday, the mix of plays included short and long passes, runs by both Bell and Blount, and involvement by every WR on the roster. Pouncey and Miller along with the entire offensive line kept Big Ben on his feet, not allowing one sack the entire game. LeBeau replaced his down-the-field defense with an in-our-face blitz time and time again. Andrew Luck was hit and sacked on just about every snap. His dirty uniform was testament to how well Timmons, Keisel, Worilds, Shazier, and Heyward played. If I failed to mention anybody else instrumental in keeping Luck down, please forgive me.

Hats off to the guys who've been on the team for ten or more years. Heath Miller, Brett Keisel, Troy Polamalu, and James Harrison were in rare form. The relatively new players, Brown, Bryant, Wheaton, and Moats sizzled. The interceptions by William Gay and Antwon Blake were sensational. And certainly last, but far from not least, head coach,Mike Tomlin, your determination to keep moving forward is perhaps the most important element of all. When times are good, you remind the team that the season isn't over, and when times are bad, you remind the team  that the SEASON ISN'T OVER! A steady hand always rights the course.

I've been a Steelers fan for over 50 years. In the 70's, and 80's yesterday they played with the same intensity that they did during those eras in which they were Super Bowl Champs four times. In 2006 and then again in 2009, they captured their fifth and sixth rings, the only team in NFL history to do that.

Yesterday I got the feeling we were back to the Steelers of Old. Their play and attitude made me feel young again. My enthusiasm was over the moon. I love this team with my whole heart. I am involved in every play and at the end of every game win or lose, I'm totally exhausted!

Yesterday you guys were SIMPLY AMAZING!  Thanks for taking this old lady back to a time in her youth when those Steelers were SIMPLY AMAZING, too!  love ya'll

Monday, October 13, 2014

DEFLATED IN PITTSBURGH!

Yep, I'm bummed out. The Steelers lost to the Cleveland Browns, 31-10. As usual, they started out with a series of plays that led them to the Red Zone, and had to settle for a lousey three points. After three plays and out by the Browns, again the Steelers went down to Cleveland's twenty yard line and instead of a touchdown, had to kick a field goal, botched it and scored a big, fat zero!

Oh, actually what I've just recounted could be considered Pittsburgh's Monday morning highlights. All of a sudden, in about the span of three minutes, the Browns were winning 14 - 3, and a short time later, 21-3.

I was so frustrated, I picked up my car keys and went shopping. Bought two pair of jeans and a sweater before returning home. Now the score was 31-3. Decided to take my dog for a walk. When I came through the door 30 minutes later, the game was over. Thank God! And although the Steelers finally did score seven points to make it 31-10, their efforts did little to brighten my mood.

Fast forward to today's Trib Sports page. Headline reads: Bad Ben is big problem for Steelers! Are you freakin' kidding me? Yes, according to this article, in case Ben wasn't aware of it, he's in a passing league. For the first three possessions, he handed off the ball instead of passing. I believe Ben only passed once during that time and it was to Wheaton, who of course couldn't pull the ball in. Was Ben the one calling the plays? I doubt it. Surely Haley has to take responsibility for a lot of the decisions that were made. Between Wheaton, Brown, and even my beloved, Heath Miller, more balls were dropped than snowflakes during a winter blizzard!

And what about the defense? They couldn't plug up a leaky faucet much less keep the Cleveland running backs from chewing up 10 to 20 yards at a clip! They gave the Browns' quarterback time to have a beer and a bratwurst before letting the ball go and still couldn't sack him!

With all their problems, you'd think I'm down only on the players. Au contrair! Coaching was abysmal from top to bottom. Tomlin had no answers. LeBeau was clueless. And Haley, well forget about it!

Lastly, my biggest beef is with the Rooneys. You guys need to get your heads out of your arses and wipe the slate clean. If you want to return to the Steelers of old, take a good look at your leadership and have the gumption to make changes. Until you do, this fan is deflated much like the footballs you must have used in yesterday's game!

Monday, October 6, 2014

SHOULD WE STAY OR SHOULD WE GO?

We've lived in Western Pennsylvania our whole lives. Born, raised, educated, worked, married, and retired, here in good old PA. So what's the problem, you ask?

My hubby and I are in our seventies, our house and yard are too big, our winters, too cold, and our taxes, too high. Maintaining everything is getting to be a drag. It isn't that we're in poor health because we're still pretty spry. So we ask ourselves, "Should we stay or should we go?" Maybe the better questions are, "What is the RIGHT thing to do" vs "What is the SMART thing to do?"

Since we are so close to family and friends here, so familiar with our surroundings, our church, our communities, our medical professionals, our shopping areas, our entertainment venues, and our fitness center, to stay would be the RIGHT thing to do. As we age, comfort level is extremely important to our psyche. There's peace in having folks around who love and support us. Just like the infamous Norm of Cheers, "Everybody knows your name!" Although that may seem insignificant to some, most seniors take great joy in being recognized by name. Being confident in where to go and how to get there contributes to lowering a person's stress levels considerably. We know GPS takes the worry out of finding the best route to a specific destination, but there's nothing like being able to get there on your own.

Let's look at the SMART thing to do now. If we decided to move to the Carolinas where two of our three grown children and their families live, buy a smaller home in a gated 55+ Adult Community, join the Homeowners Association in order to free ourselves of house and yard maintenance, and pay lower taxes in almost every aspect of living, we'd also enjoy a  more peaceful and less stressful life. Granted we're not as familiar with our surroundings, but since we visit the South at least two or three times a year, we've gotten to know our way around. As far as finding a  church, shopping, entertainment, and a gym, we're good. Heck, we even know quite a few people by name, and they know ours. As far as writing my books which I started doing a few years ago, I can do that anywhere!

My hubby and I know we are closer to the end of our journey in this life than to its beginning. When one of us reaches that end, we want our beloved partner to be in a place that provides friendly companionship, carefree living, and peace of mind and soul. We want them to have many more happy experiences and be exposed to new and exciting adventures. We want their remaining days to be as good if not better than the ones we shared together.

So again I ask, "Should we stay or should we go?"  Those are our two options. Do we be RIGHT or do we be SMART? Got any advice for two young-minded codgers? If so, we'd like to hear it!