Dear Ben –

You know, I love you.  You are a great quarterback. No one scrambles and extends a play like you do. No one finds the absolute spot where only Hines, Tone or Mike Wallace can get the ball quite like you do.  Each year I battle and argue and stand up for you saying you are, in fact, a top 5 quarterback with the likes of Brady and Peyton.  I wouldn’t want anyone else to be QB for the Pittsburgh Steelers…well, ummm, until maybe now. (Dennis, get your cleats out brother, your chance might be coming)

See Ben, here’s the dilemma – you are acting like a jackass.  Yes, I said it.  You go out, you party, you act like you are entitled and can take anything you want, but you aren’t thinking.  You aren’t playing smart.  I’m not saying you are guilty of a crime, everything is alleged at this point.

But I will say that last summer I stood by your story, I read the court documents, I said, “No way did he do this, no way.”  Yet here we are again.  Less than 12 months later.  Sure, there are some crazy women out there who do things for money or fame (see Tiger’s chicks) – but Ben, that’s where you have to be smarter.  You need to play chess, not checkers (as SG’s VC would say).

You need to think about the bigger picture.  The Rooney’s, Coach Tomlin, your O-line (sometimes) – they have your back – but they aren’t going to keep going through the same off-season drama every year.  And while you are still, in my opinion, a top 5 QB, there are few teams who will sign up for drama (Cowboys/Redskins can I get an Amen?).  You are too good to throw away your career on some woman who doesn’t have your best interests at heart.

I don’t know you, but I am going to give you the same speech I give to my son and his teammates: FOCUS. Girls will come and go.  Keep your eye on the prize.  You know you want another ring. So, stay focused.  You don’t need to be off playing frat boy and partying like you are a washed up QB – that is, unless you want to fulfill that little fantasy because that’s where you will end up.  And oh by the way, Steeler Nation will be PISSED if you throw away our dreams of another ring on something completely insignificant in the long run. Trust me on that.

I really can’t believe that you can’t find a nice young woman who would actually be supportive of your dreams and keep you focused and out of trouble.  I mean, you are a $100 million dollar quarterback!! Not that I am condoning those women who settle for the cash, but just pointing out you don’t need to be in a hotel room messing with the help nor do you need to be in a bathroom at a club in some town in Georgia none of us has ever heard about until yesterday with a college student. It just doesn’t make sense. In fact, why don’t you find a young woman who will inspire you to be a better man, who will adore you?

Get it together. Surround yourself with people who will keep you focused.

And for God’s sake, keep a freaking consent form and a condom in your back pocket AT ALL TIMES!

I wish I could say I wasn’t disappointed, but I can’t. I hope that these allegations are not true, but if they are, you have lost my support.

You are better than this. The Steelers are better than this. You owe it to Steeler Nation and to your teammates to stay focused and get it together.

Stay out of situations that can lead to things like this. Don’t make me have to explain to my son why our favorite quarterback is such a genius on the field and a complete idiot off the field. There are plenty of examples of that already in professional sports – don’t make the Steelers be part of that dialogue.

Please get it together. I expect more from you.

Love,

Steelergurl

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I’m bored.  No, really, I am really, really bored.  No football, nothing to look forward to and plan my Sunday’s around.  C’mon, don’t even act like the Olympics and Ice Dancing can hold my attention, you know better.  Even hockey, while a great game USA-CAN, was difficult because I felt totally WRONG cheering against Crosby.

*sigh*

So, hey  sports fans, yes, I took a bit of a hiatus over the last few weeks.  The snow was cold at home, so I headed to Miami with SGs Vice Chairman.  One of us got to attend the Super Bowl.  And no, that person was not me.  Ain’t that something? Don’t worry, I will make him pay for that for a loooooooong time!! (j/k VC)

Anyway, what’s been going on around the league?

Lets start with the Steelers.  C’mon Kevin Colbert, just throw that franchise tag on Big Snack. I know he doesn’t want it, but we need him.  So, like Nike – Just Do It. Do we have to wait until Thursday to see this happen?  Even better, what about a multi-year deal inked out?  I mean, not too long, he is ummmm, Big Snack and he is of a certain age…but still, we don’t have a great back up.  That said, I think that’s step one in our draft strategy…defense, defense, defense. We need to groom some folks.

Speaking of defense, we need some cornerbacks. CLEARLY we need some.  Deshea is an unrestricted free agent – and he’s the last of the well experienced.  Ike is good…Will Gay CAN be good.  But we need some depth.  While we’re on the subject of depth, let’s talk about Troysus.  Why did the Steelers end with a 9-7 record coming off the previous championship year? Well, big reason were injuries to starters, including that major nagging knee injury to Troysus from week 1.  While watching Troysus on the sideline for most of the season, and he looked very handsome with his little hair bun, I thought what happens if Troysus becomes injury prone and can’t play to the magnificance Steelers fans have come to expect and love?  Where do you even find safeties like that?  It’s not like they grow on trees. Then magically in the twitterverse, someone pointed me to Myron Rolle, a former FSU standout.  But see, it’s not just his athleticism that garners attention.  This kid graduated in 2.5 years with an overall 3.75 GPA in pre-med AND gave up going to the NFL to be a Rhodes Scholar where he’s been the last year.  

OK, I have to tell you, I am in love (not literally Vice Chairman, don’t worry).  The kid is smart AND can play football???

 I don’t even care if he’s not as good as Troy. I love him.  I want him to wear black and gold.  What do I have to do to make that happen?  *dials Kevin Colbert* Seriously, that’s a great story.  One the Steelers should be telling.  He’s smart boys and girls, really, really smart. I love him.

And just think, he could be coached and mentored by our very own Hall of Fame Class of 2010 coach Dick LeBeau.  This story just gets better and better, doesn’t it?

*fans self* I love football.

OK, just one other thing I am hoping my happy little readers can help me with -Ladanian Tomlinson released from the Chargers yesterday. Two things: first, no way he goes to Steelers. No way. I don’t care what Adam Schefter says.  Has someone forgotten that Rashard rushed for more than 1,000 yards last season?  And besides that, LT has been injury prone and quite frankly, age is an issue too.  Ummmm, why wouldn’t we just keep Fast Willie if we wanted a banged up, not so fast RB?  Just sayin’.  

Secondly, SGs handsome Vice Chairman thinks LT will end up with the Patriots.  Sure, LT wants to win, he said so himself…but so do the Pats.  I just don’t see it.  I don’t.  Unless LT is willing to take a big time pay cut, I can’t see the Pats grabbing him either.

What do you think?  Where will LT end up? Who agrees with VC that the Pats will try to grab him?

I’ll await answers while trying to negotiate what the winner of this little bet might actually win….*thinks*

SG is back

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Super Bowl Sunday – now over.

Parade in the French Quarter filled with elated Saints fans – fait accompli.

Now what?

It’s time now to think about the 2010 football season.  I will not go down the path of thinking the Steelers will get their 7th Lombardi…especially since if there was ever a season I thought there would be a repeat, it was this past season.  So, in order for my heart to not break again, I will just hope that the Steelers make adjustments (hello Secondary…hello O-line) and come back ready to rock and roll.

Obviously, healthy players make for successful outcomes.  Let’s not ever see a member of our beloved Steelers on the cover of a Madden game.  I blew that curse off last year thinking, “oh yeah, not Troy” psshhaawww. That curse is REAL!  Even Fitz didn’t have a stand out season last year.  So, that said, please agents, managers and SteelersPRGuy, don’t ever let a member of the Steelers show up on the cover of that game again!  Another big loss was Aaron Smith, though wasn’t talked about much.  And of course, Kemo off the O-line hurt a lot.

So now what?

The NFL Combine will take place February 24 through March 2 in Indianapolis.

The NFL Draft later this spring….

And of course, we can’t forget, will Favre return or not? That drama should take up most of the summer, at least through the beginning of training camp in August.

So, let’s play a game (because I am bored and it’s the off-season)…

Who do you think will be the top four teams at the end of the 2010 season?

Pick the two teams in each conference who will be vying for a trip to the Super Bowl.

There will be prizes for the person who picks the right teams. Ready. Set. Pick.

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