Steelers Talk

[BuckNutty]

Coach gets his Way
Crafton honors Bill Cowher by renaming an alley behind his old home for him
Thursday, May 25, 2006

By Jim McMahon, Tri-State Sports and News Service


Lake Fong, Post-Gazette
Crafton officials dedicate Alley Q as Cowher Way on Saturday in honor of Bill Cowher, head coach of the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers. Coach Cowher is a former resident and 1975 Carlynton High School graduate. The alley is behind Hawthorne Avenue.

Players on the Pittsburgh Steelers no doubt are familiar with doing things the Cowher Way, but it's new in Crafton.

Coach Bill Cowher was present Saturday when Alley Q was renamed Cowher Way in his honor. The alley runs behind the Hawthorne Avenue home where the coach grew up.

Mayor Susan O'Connell had declared Saturday as Bill Cowher Day and about 150 people, including the coach's parents, attended the hour-long ceremony.

Although some at first criticized the selection of an alley as a lasting tribute to the borough's distinguished son, Mr. Cowher found it to be "very appropriate" and gave his approval to the idea proposed in February by council President Ed Stewart and Vice President Tom Byers.

Local sports media personality and Steelers commentator Ellis Cannon took the borough to task for its seemingly paltry honor, but he recanted and served as an entertaining master of ceremonies of the event.

Mr. Byers promised Mr. Cowher, "If you keep at it, we'll keep naming everything in Crafton after you."

Accompanying Mr. Cowher to the event were his parents, Laird and Dorothy, and older brothers, Doug and Dale, who sat next to him on a small, portable stage.

Former classmates and coaches provided tributes and humorous anecdotes about the 1975 Carlynton High School graduate who displayed an aggressive style as middle linebacker on a close-knit team that finished with a 7-2 record.

Former high school coach Dan Saunders emphasized, "Streets and alleys are important training grounds in sports."

"I'm very proud to be from Crafton," said Mr. Cowher, who expressed his appreciation for all the support and guidance he had received from his family, friends, coaches and neighbors.

He explained that the selection of the alley to bear his name had special significance since it represented such an important part of his life's journey.

"It's not where you are in life, it's where you came from," said the Steelers coach, who noted, "This will always be my roots."

He offered some words of wisdom to the many children attending the event, saying, "If you have a dream, chase it, and you'll meet a lot of nice people on the way."

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06145/692894-66.stm

[AJHawkfan]

Man, when I grow up, I hope they name an alley after me.......

[Ohio Steeler]

Originally Posted by BuckNutty

"Carson Palmer only beat us one time, so he should hate us," said linebacker Larry Foote, who knows the Steelers are 4-1 against the Bengals in the Palmer era. "I'd hate a team, too, if I only beat them one time and (lost) in the playoffs.

nuff said

[BuckNutty]

Same old Steelers

By Mike Prisuta
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, May 31, 2006


If the Steelers are as distracted as the soap operas, mini-dramas and other headline-inspiring highlights of their Super Bowl offseason suggest, they're hiding it well.
Coaching sessions resumed Tuesday on the South Side.

It might as well have been St. Vincent College in August.

The steamy conditions contributed mightily to what was taking place resembling just another training camp practice, the type that has been integral to the Steelers going 13-3, 10-5-1, 15-1 and 11-5 in four of the past five regular seasons.

The exception in that run of double-digit victory totals and playoff appearances was the 6-10 disaster of 2003, an injury-plagued campaign that also was dragged down by soggy conditions that affected the Steelers' ability to practice in the preseason and, in retrospect, an overall attitude that fell short of the nose-to-the-grindstone approach Bill Cowher has since consistently gleaned from his team.

There was no evidence to suggest that commitment had waned yesterday afternoon.

Even though linebacker Joey Porter has had to offer an explanation/clarification of tongue-in-cheek comments directed at President Bush.

Even though wide receiver Hines Ward has had to clarify the context of quotes attributed to him relative to his relationship with Cowher in a national publication.

Even though No. 1 pick Santonio Holmes has been arrested and briefly detained in South Florida.

It's still all business on South Water Street as far as the Steelers are concerned, which includes the players entertaining themselves while going about the business of getting their work in.

It has been all along this spring.

"These have been the best coaching sessions since I've been here, unquestionably," said defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, acknowledging the "effort and focus" of the players he coaches.

Speaking for the offense, tight end Jerame Tuman allowed for a certain ragged character surfacing on occasion due to the preponderance of inexperienced newcomers taking part. Still, "When it's the No. 1's and No. 2's going against each other, it's been very competitive," Tuman said.

You'd expect them to say nothing less, not because of their ties to the team, but because LeBeau and Tuman know NFL titles aren't won in May and June.

When training camp cranks up July 28, the Steelers will begin to reveal how committed they are to repeating.

Until then, conspiracy theorists can deduce what they will from offseason developments that are about as relevant to the upcoming season as Ben Roethlisberger riding a motorcycle without a helmet ultimately was to the quest for Super Bowl XL.

In the meantime, the Steelers will do their thing, which includes linebackers paying for dropped interceptions with push-ups and injured players such as Mike Logan running individual sprints during team drills.

The Steelers are doing it this spring with an approach that suggests they're out to make a statement about winning The Big One having in no way, shape or form altered their resolve.

"I would hope so," LeBeau observed, although on this point he and Tuman disagree.

"I'm not consciously thinking about that, and I don't know if the rest of the guys have," Tuman said. "It's just something that's in the character and the makeup of this team.

"When it's a work day we come to work."

Film at 11.

Mike Prisuta is a columnist for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pitt.../s_456032.html

[BuckNutty]

Big Ben raises his own expectations

Roethlisberger
Chaz Palla/TRIBUNE-REVIEW




By The Tribune-Review
Thursday, June 1, 2006


In the immediate aftermath of Super Bowl XL, Ben Roethlisberger momentarily lamented having completed just 9 of 21 passes for 123 yards with no touchdowns, two interceptions and a passer rating of 22.6 in the Steelers' 21-10 victory over the Seattle Seahawks.
"It's not how you picture your Super Bowl moment," Roethlisberger said.

Still, with a record of 27-4 as the Steelers' starting quarterback and an NFL title on his resume after just two professional seasons, Roethlisberger need not apologize to anyone.

In an interview with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Mike Prisuta, Roethlisberger paused during the Steelers' offseason activities to look back, look ahead and attempt to put his whirlwind NFL career in perspective.

T-R: What type of impact will winning a Super Bowl have on your game, your attitude and your expectations?

BR: It gives you more confidence, obviously, naturally. You've done something that even some of the greats have never done, something that people work for their whole lives. That's given me more confidence out here. It's helped me understand what everybody's doing, and I think it gives guys more confidence in me.

T-R: Have your career goals changed as a result?

BR: A little bit. I've reached a couple goals that I set out for my life, and I've reached them already. I've had to go back and cross out some of those goals and make them a little loftier. The big thing is I want to keep trying to get better. That's the biggest key for me, always improve. Hopefully, if I improve, we'll improve as an offense.

T-R: Have you come to better grips with your performance in the Super Bowl, as it relates to what you did during the games that got the Steelers there?

BR: I, obviously, didn't play my best game, but it's the Super Bowl. The final score is all that mattered, and that's all that matters to me. You look back to all the things we did to get there, there are things I'd like to think helped contribute to that, and, hopefully, it was good enough to help.

T-R: You progressed last season from a quarterback who looked for his first option and then vacated the pocket to one that was able to take advantage of multiple options in the pocket. How do you expect to expand your game this season?

BR: Hopefully, knowing what everybody on the field is doing instead of just two or three guys. Hopefully, maybe even having enough confidence in myself, and coach (Bill Cowher) having it also, to go no-huddle (other than in standard two-minute situations), to be able to call no-huddle plays. If we can get to that point, where we're able to do the stuff that Cincinnati does and be able to go no-huddle, then we can be pretty effective.

T-R: No. 1 pick Santonio Holmes observed in minicamp that you have to be on your p's & q's with Roethlisberger in the huddle. Are you making more of a conscious effort to assume a leadership role in the wake of Jerome Bettis' retirement?

BR: I'm not trying to force the issue of taking over the leadership role. We've got (wide receiver) Hines (Ward). We've got (guard) Alan Faneca. Those are kind of our leaders on offense. I'm just going to accept the role they're giving me. Guys are kind of naturally putting me in the leadership role, being the quarterback. I'm just trying to make sure I can take charge of the offense, because I know a lot of guys are looking at me and counting on me to be able to make plays and not make mistakes. I want to be able to do that for them.

T-R: Does having more younger, less-experienced receivers around make it easier to assume more of a leadership role?

BR: Hines is doing plenty of yelling at those guys, which is good; they need it. My thing is to try to just keep them encouraged, keep their heads up, keep them focused, because it's a lot (to absorb). Watching (rookie QB) Omar (Jacobs), it's like deja vu. Omar's hitting the check-down on every play, because he's not sure where everybody's going to be. I was the same way. Just keep those guys encouraged and keep their heads up, and they'll be fine.

T-R: What should this team be wary of, nervous about or determined to avoid in 2006?

BR: We can not allow the title of Super Bowl champions to bog us down. We can enjoy that all we want, but once this year starts, we have to realize everybody's starting equal. The only difference is we have a big bull's-eye on our chests. We have to go out and play as a group, play as a team, as we've always done, and just throw that title of Super Bowl champions out the window.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pitt.../s_456165.html

[BuckNutty]

Notebook: Steelers to receive rings Sunday

By Joe Bendel
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, June 1, 2006


The Steelers will receive their Super Bowl rings at a banquet Sunday at Heinz Field. Players such as Super Bowl MVP Hines Ward said the event will officially close the team's Super Bowl ride.
"After that, it's all about next season," Ward said. "We start over from there. So, let's get our rings and enjoy them, then concentrate on what's ahead."

• Ward returned Tuesday from his second trip to Seoul, South Korea, his last until after the 2006 season. While there, he contributed $1 million to his Helping Hands Foundation for biracial children. The group also raised another $1.5 million. The money is earmarked for educational needs, in addition to a scholarship fund named after Ward's mother, Kim Young-hee. Ward said he plans to bring as many as 40 biracial children from Korea to Pittsburgh to watch a Steelers game.

"I want them to see Heinz Field and see crazy fans who are so passionate about their team," Ward said.

• The Steelers will meet with President Bush at the White House on Friday.

"You always see championship teams standing there with the president," said left tackle Marvel Smith. "Now it's going to be us. That's a good feeling."

• The team has five voluntary workouts remaining, one today and four next week. They will then meet for training camp, which opens July 28 in Latrobe.


Joe Bendel can be reached at joecbendel@aol.com or (412) 320-7811.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pitt.../s_456166.html