Val Jansante Passes Away At Age 88

Former Steelers WR Val Jansante passed away yesterday at age 88. He was one of the better Steelers of the era of bad Steelers teams. He played here from 1946-1951 and spent another year in Green Bay. He lead the team in recieving for five straight years, a record that stood for 50+ years until it was broken by Smilin' Hines Ward.

Most don't know Jansante, but I felt duty bound to report his death. Not just because he was a player, but also because he was a nice guy. My dad delivered his newspaper in his younger days, and I just happened to get to know him a bit. His passing is another in what has been a bad year for the Steelers. Myron Cope, Dwight White, Buddy Dial, and Ernie Holmes are among the other casualties this year.

Numerous Injuries in Steelers Victory over Ravens

The Steelers pulled out a tough 23-20 win over the hated Ravens in OT on some Skippy Reed heroics. Honestly, throughout the first half of the game, I was completely bored, and at times melting down in a white hot rage. The Steelers appeared so hapless. Luckily, the game turned on a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct against a veteran Raven who had never had such a penalty called against him before. The Steelers took that momentum and ran it in a no huddle for all they were worth. In the process we lost Kendall Simmons and Rashard Mendenhall for the year.


Well, your Pirates are just one year closer to a RECORD BREAKING 17 Consecutive Losing Seasons!... They finished the year an abysmal 67-95. Is there any hope left for this group of losers? My instincts say no... In fact, I'll bet my life savings that they'll go past the 20 year mark... If I could somehow live that long, I'd even take the 100 year mark. Bob Nutting, you are officially public enemy number one. I hate you. In fact, I hate you so much, I'm not able to tell you how much I hate you in front of my imaginary wife!


Sergei Gonchar will be out 4-6 months... Well, at least Sarge will make it back this season! The Pens will just have to work harder... If they can survive all that time without Crosby and do so well, we can do with until Sarge comes back.


That's all for this edition.

Ah Yes...

I'm a little early, I know... But I just couldn't help but share this find from YouTube... It's been a long time since I heard it, and it is now my unofficial theme song.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fn56gf29XPo

Helpless, Hapless, Hell, and Hard Times: The Cleveland 4H Club

Having returned just a couple of minutes ago from a night down at Mon City's Aquatorium with my close friend Joe, enjoying conversation and the warm windy night, I can say tonight's game was not my Sunday highlight.

Oh of course it's great that the Steelers have now won 10 straight against the pathetic Brownies, who were stylish picks to win the AFC North this year. Needless to say, I was one of many inside loyal Steeler Nation offended and angry at the slight... After all, it was The Nature Boy Ric Flair who said "To be the man, you gotta beat the man, WOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Well, it was a sloppy, and pretty boring affair actually. When a game does not either come close to giving my fat ass a heart attack or give me laryngitis, it's not exciting. (The Steelers-Colts game in the 2005 Divisional Playoff has been the only game to actually do both) The Steelers held a firm control over the entire 4 Quarters. Derek Anderson threw a couple picks, and one to the resurgent Troy Polamalu! Roethlisberger continues to be efficent, throwing a TD to Ward (the only one of the game) and making some nice deep passes to Holmes. Ben was nailed a couple times, but Cleveland's defensive line is strong. Still, I thought the O-line could've done a little better protecting Benjamin.

Anyway, always good to get a win over Cleveland and take command of the division. Steelers prevailed with a score of 10-6.


The Pirates are still playing????? Get the F*ck outta here!!!!

Hockey season getting ready to start soon too... Those bastards at FSN... I MISS MIKE LANGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's it for this week's edition. Tune in next week as I will do a little Steelers recapping, and of course attempt to linguistically eviscerate the Pirates and Bozo The Bob Nutting.


"A couple of pip pip's, a little barbecue, and what have you?" - Shemp Howard (1895-1955)

Steelers Crush Texans 38-17

Well, opening day ended in excellent fashion as Ben Roethlisberger has another perfect day... I think, if I'm right, Roethlisberger now has the most 158.3 games in NFL history... If I'm wrong, will I have egg on my face, but since I last knew that he and Manning were locked in a dead heat for most perfect games... I'm thinking he now has the record.

Also, great day by the defense who put up five sacks and Troy Polamalu gets over the hump and gets an INT. Willie Parker also scored 3 TD's, more than he had all of last year. The offensive line also looked really good... Roethlisberger was hit a couple times, but Mario Williams is no slouch, so it is understandable.

In all, great opening day, and I'm hoping the Steelers can compete down the long haul of the season.

Best Management Team In Sports?!... HA!

Ordinarily I wouldn't be talking about them with football season on the horizon, but when news like this breaks... Attention must be paid. Scott Boras, agent for Pedro Alverez, the Pirates number 1 pick in the draft is saying that the deal to sign him occured after the deadline. Major League Baseball is now looking into the matter.

Alverez has been delaying his signing with the laughingstock of sports for sometime, and if MLB finds in favor of the Pirates, then one has to wonder... Why has he been opposed to taking the mandatory physical? Could it be he has something to hide? Like some drugs he needs to get out of his system perhaps?... Or maybe, and this is my favorite theory, he got a whiff of how bad the stench of the Pirates was and told his agent in no uncertain terms....

GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Who knows? Bob Nutting is certainly ripe for parody right now though.

Obama-Biden is the Ticket... Plus Other Observations

First of all, allow me to let everyone know I'm have a few internet problems, so my availability may be limited until after Wednesday when the lazy ass Verizon people finally come out to mess with it some more.

Well, so far for the '08 Presidential season, I'm batting 1.000... I predicted both Obama and McCain victories in the primaries, and I predicted (and wanted) Joe Biden to be Obama's running mate. Biden is from Scranton, PA... Which you could drive to in no time from here, and represents the state of Delaware in the Senate. If McCain picks Mitt Romney as I predicted then I will have made a clean sweep. It remains to be seen if my pick Obama wins the general election, but we will find out in good time.

Also, has anyone noted how bad the Patriots have looked in the preseason... If Tom Brady was ever injured for any length of time, the team would collapse.

Giants Bitchslap Brownies... Gotta Love That

The Super Bowl defending champion New York Giants' starters made the favored to win the AFC North Brownies their bitches in preseason action. Not only that, but Derek Anderson was KO'd by a concussion.

I saw an article on MondesiHouse giving the link to a writer who disagrees that Bradshaw was the all-time Franchise player... Jack Lambert has always been my favorite of the group that I never got to see play except in highlight films, but I wanna know what you fellow members of Steeler Nation think?

Outside of the 70s, the Steelers have had great franchise players to consider as well. Ben Roethlisberger is rapidly becoming the third best QB in the NFL, and I would take him over Peyton Manning any day of the week, so in my eyes, maybe second best. Jerome Bettis is still beloved around here for the 10 Hall of Fame years he gave us. Hines Ward is the all time leading reciever... Those guys are worthy of consideration.

No one ever really talks about all time Coaches or the all time Announcers either... I would like to dedicate a little to them.

Chuck Noll? Bill Cowher? Those two would undoubtedly be the leaders in any poll for greatest Steelers coach. There are two other great coaches worth considering though. Jock Sutherland nearly changed Steeler fortunes in the 40s, but his untimely death on a Pittsburgh operating table after being found wandering in a swamp with a brain tumor dashed what could've been a championship coach's life and career. Buddy Parker is worth considering too. His veteran players led by the swashbuckling QB Bobby Layne kept the Steelers in contention in the late 50s-60s. Layne opined in a interview that he dearly wanted to win Art Rooney a championship, and that all it would've taken would be two or three extra good players. They did win more than they lost in that time though.

I have a soft spot for announcers. I myself was often an announcer for sporting events in school, with my bad back limiting my ability to play anything but dodgeball. Here in Pittsburgh we've had some very colorful announcers.

From the 70s to the 1994 season, the games were called by Jack Flemming and Myron Cope. Flemming is best remembered for making the "Immaculate Reception" call. His deep, sing song voice and professionalism that would verge on true excitement when the Steelers did something great made him the consummate play-by-play man. Cope of course we all love. He was the most imitated man in this city and my impression of him was popular among my friends and would pause their calls for me to do my Scooby-Doo voice. Cope of course is on the team. Flemming passed away in 2001 while Cope just passed in February of '08.

After Flemming retired we got Bill Hillgrove who is currently the play-by-play man, and former Steeler Merril Hoge came in too. The popular three man team stayed intact until Hoge left for a gig on ESPN, and was replaced by the now hugely popular Tunch Ilkin who often humorously warred with Myron with Hillgrove acting as straightman. Craig Wolfley is the sideline reporter, and could very well land a place in the booth soon.

So my question to you is... Who would be your three man team? Would it be Flemming, Cope, and Tunch?... It's up to you.

Phelps Makes History

Just finished watching Michael Phelps make Olympic history by winning 8 Gold Medals. The look on Ian Thorpe's (who predicted Phelps would NOT be able to do it) was priceless... Like "Damn, now I look like an ass"...

In other Olympic stuff, Usain Bolt is Jamaican Me Crazy!.... Only wrestling fans will get it...

Bills Beat Steelers in Sloppy Effort 24-21

Admittedly, it is preseason football, and admittedly I missed the game. From what I understand it was a pretty poor performance by the Black and Gold. Dennis Dixon appearantly did perform well, dispite duplicated Jim Harbaugh's failed Hail Mary to win the game.

Not much to say outside of that though. Nothing to get excited about... I actually think they were playing safe so as not to duplicate Charlie Batch's injury, but whatever. It's meaningless.

Getting Ready To Say Goodbye...

Today the Pens broke ground on their yet to be named areana. Not only will it be the home of the Pens, but it will be where the Harlem Globetrotters will play whenever they come around here (Since there isn't an NBA team here, I can't figure what other basketball team they'd house) as well as concerts, circuses, and pro wrestling.

This is the first leg of the Mellon Arena's farewell tour. Built in 1961 when my mother was two years old, most believe this place has worn out it's welcome. Indeed, during the Pens playoff run and I managed to get in there, I thought the old place would collapse with all the noise and banging we made. I went and saw the WWE (then WWF) when I was four in my first trek to the arena... Back when Hulk Hogan was cool and not the center of the circus that is his family... Those were great times...


In any case, it's also the place where Mario Lemiuex and the rest of the awesome 90's Pens dazzled us with two Stanley Cup wins and several playoff appearances. Not only that, but Mellon Arena has seen a great deal over it's four plus decades. Canadian Prog Rock band, Rush made their U.S. debuts there. They still tour in Pittsburgh to this day, most recently on their Snakes and Arrows tour. Elvis Presley even played there. So did Led Zeppelin, and The Who. They're never gonna come around again. So, when the Igloo finally goes down, will we be as happy as everyone is acting like they'll be?

I doubt it. I remember the hatred we spewed at Three Rivers Stadium. I was only in Three Rivers twice, but I never had a bad time. They decided it would come down on my 13th birthday. February 11th, 2001.... Has it been that long? I remember people hating the place for years, and then when it went down, people wept. I've only seen that kind of emotion from the people of Pittsburgh twice since then. When Bob O'Connor died from cancer, and when Myron Cope died.


So, the point is... Will we weep when Mellon Arena falls? Or rejoice? My money is on weep.

Just To Introduce Myself...

I'm Lawrence Watson. Doc to most of my friends, and L.J. to family and close friends. Now that we've got that out of the way, I'd like to introduce you all to the type of blog I'm going to be running.

I'm from the Pittsburgh, PA area, so my sports coverage will be rather provincial. Steelers and Penguins items and commentaries will be regular. I will try and throw up some interactive stuff on slow days. I will also occassionally slip a Pirates post in, but since they are usually completely inept, I doubt anything involving them will be positive.

Also, being that I enjoy pro wrestling, I will cover it as most writers cover sports. We all know it's not a sport, persay, but I do like it, as do many other people. It will be covered for what it is, and I make my annual Wrestlemania picks. I may or may not cover it alot, but if it's a slow day, I will.

I may also cover national and state politics. My political views are liberal, and if I do happen to make a politically oriented post, anyone is welcome to make an opinion, but I will not tolerate flaming on either side. If it does happen to be a political post (Such as the picking of running mates and Election night) please be kind and considerate to others.

So, thank you for going over that with me. We'll find out what the first official post holds tomorrow.