• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Before Header

  • About Us
  • Lexicon
  • Contact Us
  • Our Store
  • ↑
  • ↓
  • ←
  • →

Balloon Juice

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Let’s not be the monsters we hate.

Pessimism assures that nothing of any importance will change.

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

Never entrust democracy to any process that requires republicans to act in good faith.

When I decide to be condescending, you won’t have to dream up a fantasy about it.

The revolution will be supervised.

Let’s delete this post and never speak of this again.

People are complicated. Love is not.

Accused of treason; bitches about the ratings. I am in awe.

Sitting here in limbo waiting for the dice to roll

Hot air and ill-informed banter

Anyone who bans teaching American history has no right to shape America’s future.

The next time the wall wtreet journal editorial board speaks the truth will be the first.

It’s always darkest before the other shoe drops.

Wow, I can’t imagine what it was like to comment in morse code.

Come on, man.

Republicans don’t want a speaker to lead them; they want a hostage.

No offense, but this thread hasn’t been about you for quite a while.

So it was an October Surprise A Day, like an Advent calendar but for crime.

I’m pretty sure there’s only one Jack Smith.

Russian mouthpiece, go fuck yourself.

Despite his magical powers, I don’t think Trump is thinking this through, to be honest.

Republicans seem to think life begins at the candlelight dinner the night before.

“Squeaker” McCarthy

Mobile Menu

  • Winnable House Races
  • Donate with Venmo, Zelle & PayPal
  • Site Feedback
  • War in Ukraine
  • Submit Photos to On the Road
  • Politics
  • On The Road
  • Open Threads
  • Topics
  • Balloon Juice 2023 Pet Calendar (coming soon)
  • COVID-19 Coronavirus
  • Authors
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Lexicon
  • Our Store
  • Politics
  • Open Threads
  • War in Ukraine
  • Garden Chats
  • On The Road
  • 2021-22 Fundraising!
You are here: Home / Sports / Steelers Open Thread

Steelers Open Thread

by John Cole|  December 7, 20083:56 pm| 66 Comments

This post is in: Sports

FacebookTweetEmail

Against the evil Cowboys….

FacebookTweetEmail
Previous Post: « Gregory It Is
Next Post: Not Sure What To Make Of This »

Reader Interactions

66Comments

  1. 1.

    Gold Star for Robot Boy

    December 7, 2008 at 4:07 pm

    With Atlanta losing, Dallas just had a door open before them.
    Yet I’m doubtful the Steelers will let the ‘Boys walk through.

  2. 2.

    Incertus

    December 7, 2008 at 4:18 pm

    It’s been a very up and down season for the Saints, but they beat Atlanta today, so it’s not a complete loss.

  3. 3.

    Bubblegum Tate

    December 7, 2008 at 4:21 pm

    I’d like to take this opportunity to give the biggest FUCK YOU, YOU FUCKING FUCKS I can muster to the NFL for having the most retarded television rules conceivable. Because the loser-ass suck-shit 49ers have a home game today, I can’t watch the Steelers.

    Bravo, fuckfaces.

    Not that I’m mad or anything.

  4. 4.

    Svensker

    December 7, 2008 at 4:30 pm

    Well, if it makes you feel any better, the losing-ass 49-ers are whupping the Jets’ ass.

  5. 5.

    D-Chance.

    December 7, 2008 at 4:37 pm

    The Cowboys are without their running game, Marion Barber, and their QB is nursing a broken finger.

    If the Steelers can’t win today, they need to forfeit the remainder of the season.

  6. 6.

    D-Chance.

    December 7, 2008 at 4:39 pm

    BTW, way to go, Cowboys. 3rd and 1… and you try two trick plays to get the first. No Barber, no running game, no win today.

  7. 7.

    Bubblegum Tate

    December 7, 2008 at 4:43 pm

    Well, if it makes you feel any better, the losing-ass 49-ers are whupping the Jets’ ass.

    It’s 7-0 at the start of the second. I guess when you’re a 49ers fan, that qualifies as an ass-whooping.

  8. 8.

    GuyFromOhio

    December 7, 2008 at 5:06 pm

    OK, WTF WAS THAT? 4th and 2 and who is Romo throwing to, the fricking ref?

  9. 9.

    Cassidy the Racist White Man

    December 7, 2008 at 5:17 pm

    Romo does look better today. Only one pick…

    Maybe he’s throwing to invisible Jessica’s wearing nothing but his jersey.

  10. 10.

    GuyFromOhio

    December 7, 2008 at 5:42 pm

    Maybe he’s throwing to invisible Jessica’s wearing nothing but his jersey.

    If so, then it appears Big Ben is trying to throw to her as well.

    Stillers finally put up 3, after 27:20 of agonizingly worthless play.

  11. 11.

    D-Chance.

    December 7, 2008 at 6:18 pm

    Time to break out Willie… Turn out the liiiiiiiights, the party’s over. That was a sweet scramble and throw by Romo.

  12. 12.

    J. Michael Neal

    December 7, 2008 at 6:41 pm

    Why do coaches use their challenges to gain seven yards? Dallas is going to win this one on sacking Roethlisberger, but now they don’t have one if there’s a botched fumble call in the 4th quarter.

  13. 13.

    J. Michael Neal

    December 7, 2008 at 6:43 pm

    Is the Steelers offensive line always this bad?

  14. 14.

    Ta-Nehisi Coates

    December 7, 2008 at 7:00 pm

    As a Cowboys fan, I just came over here to trash-talk John…

    Except I started writing this just before Holmes took that punt to the 25.

  15. 15.

    J. Michael Neal

    December 7, 2008 at 7:05 pm

    Has the University of Minnesota produced more NFL players than any other school that can’t ever manage back-to-back winning seasons?

  16. 16.

    Zzyzx

    December 7, 2008 at 7:11 pm

    God I hate the Seahawks. Do just well enough to keep me motivated to watch and then blow it at the end…

  17. 17.

    garyb50

    December 7, 2008 at 7:19 pm

    Tie game… 2 minutes… Go Pokes.

  18. 18.

    Nylund

    December 7, 2008 at 7:21 pm

    I’m watching on the internet…Some Japanese site. (Our house is TV free). All I can understand is when the announcers say "Romo" or "T.O.". For the most part, its actually less annoying than listening to the real announcers.

    All tied up with 2 min to go.

  19. 19.

    Andy K

    December 7, 2008 at 7:22 pm

    God I hate the Seahawks. Do just well enough to keep me motivated to watch and then blow it at the end…

    Ha! Try being a Packers fan right now- 5 losses of 4 pts or less…And all of the fucktards screaming about Favre being gone, when the problem is obviously the defense.

  20. 20.

    Andy K

    December 7, 2008 at 7:23 pm

    Does Nate Washington ever make a play that isn’t big?

  21. 21.

    garyb50

    December 7, 2008 at 7:24 pm

    Never mind.

  22. 22.

    Andy K

    December 7, 2008 at 7:27 pm

    Yeah, that kinda hurt the big blue star.

  23. 23.

    Nylund

    December 7, 2008 at 7:28 pm

    Looks like invisible Jessica is wearing a Steelers jersey today…

  24. 24.

    GuyFromOhio

    December 7, 2008 at 7:29 pm

    Is the Steelers offensive line always this bad?

    The strategy is to let the defense score all the points. It’s a feint-within-a-feint, and the Cowboys coordinators have fallen for it.

  25. 25.

    D-Chance.

    December 7, 2008 at 7:29 pm

    Time for another Hank song: "There’s a tear in my beer…"

    Congrats to the McBeam’ers. They were gifted a game from a team with half it’s roster either out or playing with injury. And it only took 5 turnovers to win a one-possession affair.

  26. 26.

    GuyFromOhio

    December 7, 2008 at 7:31 pm

    … and Invisible Jessica strikes again on fourth and ten.

    There’s an afternoon I’ll not be getting back.

    Go Panthers!

  27. 27.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    December 7, 2008 at 7:35 pm

    Dammit.. was hoping we Ravens could catch ya today. Now hoping we don’t fall further behind.

  28. 28.

    Roza Hussein

    December 7, 2008 at 7:36 pm

    Love to beat "America’s team"

    Phew

  29. 29.

    Cassidy the Racist White Man

    December 7, 2008 at 7:39 pm

    I’m starting to wonder if Romo is colorblind. I’ll be damned if both QB’s didn’t do their damndest to lose.

  30. 30.

    Zifnab

    December 7, 2008 at 7:43 pm

    Well, the Cowboys lost and the Texans won. This has been a rather topsey turvey Sunday.

  31. 31.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    December 7, 2008 at 7:54 pm

    .. and Arizona wins the NFC West. This is real end times stuff here.

  32. 32.

    Bubba Dave

    December 7, 2008 at 8:09 pm

    The Romo giveth, and the Romo taketh away; blessed be the name of the Romo.

  33. 33.

    robertdsc

    December 7, 2008 at 8:10 pm

    This is real end times stuff here.

    Dogs and cats living together! Mass hysteria!

  34. 34.

    Cassidy the Racist White Man

    December 7, 2008 at 8:13 pm

    The Romo continually giveth to the defense.

  35. 35.

    The Grand Panjandrum

    December 7, 2008 at 8:21 pm

    While you guys are worried about stupid losers, my losers lose and still clinch.

    Bitches.

    It has got to suck to be the fan of a second tier team.

  36. 36.

    South of I-10

    December 7, 2008 at 8:32 pm

    Off topic but football related – BCS sez Florida v. Oklahoma? Texas got robbed.

  37. 37.

    J. Michael Neal

    December 7, 2008 at 8:32 pm

    It has got to suck to be the fan of a second tier team.

    What does that make being a Lions fan?

  38. 38.

    Cassidy the Racist White Man

    December 7, 2008 at 8:44 pm

    @South of I-10: Bullshit. Texas lost to Texas Tech, who got beat by Oklahoma.

  39. 39.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    December 7, 2008 at 8:52 pm

    Ravens are beating the Skins on the late game on NBC if anyone else cares.

  40. 40.

    South of I-10

    December 7, 2008 at 8:55 pm

    @cassidy: you are right – I forgot to add the whole Tech part. I’m with Obama on the need for a playoff. No one is ever happy. I do think Florida is going to kick some OK ass.

  41. 41.

    Laura W

    December 7, 2008 at 9:00 pm

    sniff sniff wipe wipe…
    Nick and Starr just won Amazing Race.
    Sob sniffle sob.
    Oh, sorry, is this not the correct thread?
    Can you point me to the Dexter thread please?
    Don’t you think "Dexter" is the cutest name for a dog?
    Like a little Terrier mix of some sort, maybe?

  42. 42.

    J. Michael Neal

    December 7, 2008 at 9:01 pm

    I’m with Obama on the need for a playoff.

    What would a playoff solve? We’re talking about two teams from the same division of the same conference. How many teams would a playoff system need to have before you start taking at large teams?

    The problem is that possibly the two best teams in the country play in the same division. It went to the fifth tiebreaker. Unless it’s baseball, and you have time to fit an extra game in there, that happens. Get over it.

    The other divisions have playoffs, but note that they are, right now, almost done with them. If you want a meaningful playoffs, what games are you prepared to give up to get them?

  43. 43.

    Will Hunting

    December 7, 2008 at 9:25 pm

    Just won my fantasy football championship. I was up 5 with the guy I was playing only having Romo left (I was all done). I sent a trash talk email about 1 minute before it actually happened to the whole league saying that Romo was going to seal the deal for me (and the Steelers – I am Giants fan) with a pick to end it!

    My team name: The Abe Simpson Express

  44. 44.

    Comrade Jake

    December 7, 2008 at 9:27 pm

    Boy the Sunday night games have mostly sucked this year.

  45. 45.

    Cassidy the Racist White Man

    December 7, 2008 at 9:39 pm

    @South of I-10: I’m with you on the playoff. I’d much rather see a Sweet 16 than a computer generated ranking.

    Honestly, Texas wasn’t as good this year than the last couple of years. Record nonwithstanding, Oklahoma was the much improved team.

  46. 46.

    South of I-10

    December 7, 2008 at 9:46 pm

    @J Michael Neal: I haven’t worked out all the details yet, but I think an 11 game season could still be played with a 16 team playoff – 11 conferences champs and 5 wildcards. The bowl system could also be incorporated.

  47. 47.

    Will Hunting

    December 7, 2008 at 9:47 pm

    @Cassidy – Tough to make it work with that many games.

    You’ll see a +1 or a 4 team playoff before a 16 team deal. Nothing before 2014 or when the next deal runs out.

    Negatives as I see it to current system:
    Not "settled on the field" and that’s about it. As much as I hate to say it as a UT fan, OK and FLA probably were the two best this season. Most of the time, the BCS gets it right, which is an improvement over the old bowl system

    Negatives to a playoff system:
    Teams will still get left out
    Big in season games won’t mean as much
    Logistics would be nightmarish for all involved

  48. 48.

    ninerdave

    December 7, 2008 at 9:54 pm

    My two favorite teams played today and won!!!

    The Niners…whoo hoo! Wow, they looked like a real football team. If they could stop coughing up the ball, we might actually have a winning season next year!

    And..

    The Steelers..(my second favorite team since they were playing the Cowboys). Nice comeback!

  49. 49.

    Will Hunting

    December 7, 2008 at 9:58 pm

    South of I 10 – you are talking about at least 5 straight extra weeks of play and/or removal of the conference championship games (and lots of $$$). I realize one of these weeks would be in lieu of a bowl game week.

    If you kill the conf. champ game, then you either have to kill meaningful out of conference in-season matchups to play enough conference games without a conf. championship game for the title of conf. champ to be meaningful OR blow up the conferences so their are fewer teams in them.

    You are also looking at fewer home games for the vast majority of teams in the power conferences and that ain’t happening either.

    Stuart Mandel at cnnsi wrote a great piece last year on why this is not happening anytime soon. Can’t find the link.

  50. 50.

    South of I-10

    December 7, 2008 at 10:07 pm

    Hey, I said I haven’t worked out the details yet! I think it doesn’t matter, no one will ever be happy with any system that is set up. This is probably why no one has made me BCS commissioner yet.

    I see LSU is going to the Chick-Fil-A bowl. When did the "peach" part get dropped completely?

  51. 51.

    Charity

    December 7, 2008 at 10:08 pm

    Your Steelers friggin’ ROCK! YES!!!

  52. 52.

    J. Michael Neal

    December 7, 2008 at 10:20 pm

    I haven’t worked out all the details yet, but I think an 11 game season could still be played with a 16 team playoff

    But we currently don’t have an 11 game season. It’s a 13 game season, including conference championship games. What are you willing to give up?

  53. 53.

    Cassidy the Racist White Man

    December 7, 2008 at 10:23 pm

    @Will Hunting: Not really. The down time between end of season and bowl games could be used without adding much additional time. The major bowl sites could be used for an elite 8 or whatnot with the final game rotating between the major bowls.

    The conf. champions would still happen, w/ a BCS style ranking system to flesh out the rest.

  54. 54.

    Comrade Stuck

    December 7, 2008 at 10:37 pm

    @Zifnab:

    . This has been a rather topsey turvey Sunday

    Unless your a Browns fan, then it’s the same ole same ole. Wait till next year though. And no smartass remarks from certain Steeler heads. You know who you are.

  55. 55.

    Bob In Pacifica

    December 7, 2008 at 10:41 pm

    Have to agree with Niner Dave. It can’t be a bad day if the Niners win and the Cowboys lose.

  56. 56.

    Laura W

    December 7, 2008 at 10:46 pm

    deleted because I totally out-convoluted my convoluted self. Some observations are better left unshared.
    zzzzzzzzzz……..

  57. 57.

    Cassidy the Racist White Man

    December 7, 2008 at 11:43 pm

    Hey, hey, hey….stop hating on my Cowboy’s. I’ve said enough thinks about them myself.

  58. 58.

    J. Michael Neal

    December 7, 2008 at 11:47 pm

    @Cassidy the Racist White Man: It would be an extra four weeks, for a total of 17 games played by any conference champion that goes to the title game. It’s not happening. If you want a 16 team playoff, you have to give up some other games. End of story.

    You aren’t getting an eight team playoff. About half of the teams in the "Bowl Subdivision" play in non-BCS conferences. They won’t vote for a playoff system that does not give them invites.

    Honest to god, though, why the hell is an apprenticeship in professional football attached to higher education at all?

  59. 59.

    BP IN MN

    December 8, 2008 at 2:20 am

    @Will Hunting:

    Dammit, I had that in reverse. I’m about to lose $600 because of Romo’s crappiness (my opponent has Pittsburgh D) plus Hillis getting hurt.

  60. 60.

    Common Sense

    December 8, 2008 at 2:41 am

    I’m thinking the fans could stand one less UT vs Sam Houston State type matchup for the sake of a playoff.

  61. 61.

    gogiggs

    December 8, 2008 at 9:23 am

    I needed 18 points out of the Ravens D to make the playoffs. That Ed Reed INT in the last couple minutes got me there. Go Ed!

    To the poster that questioned whether or not the Steelers O-line always looks that bad: yes, since week 3 or so it pretty much does.

    Re: BCS: Fuck Texas. For all the ugly their state has foisted on the sane parts of the country over the last 50 or so years, they can suck it. Granted, Florida and Oklahoma aren’t much better, but my father has OU season tickets so at least this result pleases someone I care about.

  62. 62.

    Mr. Merle

    December 8, 2008 at 10:35 am

    @Common Sense: Bearcats need love too!

  63. 63.

    Mr. Merle

    December 8, 2008 at 10:41 am

    As for the BCS run-around, obviously a 4-to-8 team playoff is needed; nobody outside the clinically brain-dead and John Saunders on ESPN disagree on the merits. If we had eight teams this year, I guess we’d have OU, UT, Alabama, Florida, Penn State, USC, maybe one smaller conference school (Utah), and ??

    I’m about a level 5 UT fan on a scale of 1-10, but I think the easiest argument for OU that eliminates the "Texas beat Oklahoma who beat Texas Tech who beat Texas" rundown is that they beat Oklahoma State by 20 on the road in Stillwater, where UT squeaked by the Cowboys by only 4 at home.

  64. 64.

    terry chay

    December 8, 2008 at 1:09 pm

    Interesting article about how the last interception occurred.

    Nice exploitat of a weakness in West Coast. I think the misread would only occur under time pressure though.

  65. 65.

    J. Michael Neal

    December 8, 2008 at 1:47 pm

    I’m thinking the fans could stand one less UT vs Sam Houston State type matchup for the sake of a playoff.

    Sure. However, you are going to be eliminating a regular season game for all of the teams in the bowl subdivision, not just Texas. You are going to be eliminating a chance for Texas, and a bunch of other schools, a chance to collect the gate on a home game. You are going to eliminate the chance for Sam Houston State to get some cash for its athletic department by playing the game.

    Or, at least as likely, you are going to eliminate the one good non-conference game a lot of teams schedule, while keeping the Texas/Sam Houston State game for the reasons listed above.

    As for the BCS run-around, obviously a 4-to-8 team playoff is needed; nobody outside the clinically brain-dead and John Saunders on ESPN disagree on the merits. If we had eight teams this year, I guess we’d have OU, UT, Alabama, Florida, Penn State, USC, maybe one smaller conference school (Utah), and ??

    No, that isn’t who you would get. To get an NCAA sanctioned playoff, you need to get a majority of the votes in the Bowl Subdivision. How do you plan to get the votes of the schools from conferences if you also tell them that you are not going to take their champions over teams that didn’t win their conference? If you have a playoff with fewer than 16 teams, you will have no at large berths, only conference champions. For this year, no Texas, no Alabama.

    The only plans worth discussing are those that could get a majority of the votes.

  66. 66.

    Common Sense

    December 8, 2008 at 2:28 pm

    @J. Michael Neal:

    Beg to differ. If a "football playoff committee" were to factor in strength of schedule, it is more likely teams would give up their I-AA opponents and schedule real teams so that they could get a head up on bids for a bowl game (much as basketball teams do now in hopes of receiving a bid to their own sports’ tournament) rather than drop competitive non conference games for easy wins that in the end do nothing for their ranking.

    Another idea would be to allow highly ranked teams to host their first round games, similar to how the NCAA does their baseball playoffs. Big 10 teams would LOVE this, since their plodding teams built around defense and running are regularly exposed when they play bowl games in mild weather. Make Texas Tech or Florida take their gimmicky offenses into Columbus or State College on December 20 and see if they can score 60.

Comments are closed.

Primary Sidebar

🎈Keep Balloon Juice Ad Free

Become a Balloon Juice Patreon
Donate with Venmo, Zelle or PayPal

2023 Pet Calendars

Pet Calendar Preview: A
Pet Calendar Preview: B

*Calendars can not be ordered until Cafe Press gets their calendar paper in.

Recent Comments

  • jonas on Repub Venality Open Thread: Bill Barr & John Durham In Cahoots (Jan 26, 2023 @ 8:26pm)
  • sab on Open Thread: Only the Best People (Jan 26, 2023 @ 8:25pm)
  • FelonyGovt on Open Thread: Only the Best People (Jan 26, 2023 @ 8:24pm)
  • UncleEbeneezer on Repub Venality Open Thread: Bill Barr & John Durham In Cahoots (Jan 26, 2023 @ 8:24pm)
  • Bill Arnold on War for Ukraine Day 336: The Russians Renew Their Bombardment of Ukraine (Jan 26, 2023 @ 8:24pm)

Balloon Juice Posts

View by Topic
View by Author
View by Month & Year
View by Past Author

Featuring

Medium Cool
Artists in Our Midst
Authors in Our Midst
We All Need A Little Kindness
Favorite Dogs & Cats
Classified Documents: A Primer

Calling All Jackals

Site Feedback
Nominate a Rotating Tag
Submit Photos to On the Road
Balloon Juice Mailing List Signup

Front-pager Twitter

John Cole
DougJ (aka NYT Pitchbot)
Betty Cracker
Tom Levenson
TaMara
David Anderson
ActualCitizensUnited

Shop Amazon via this link to support Balloon Juice   

Join the Fight!

Join the Fight Signup Form
All Join the Fight Posts

Balloon Juice Events

5/14  The Apocalypse
5/20  Home Away from Home
5/29  We’re Back, Baby
7/21  Merging!

Balloon Juice for Ukraine

Donate

Site Footer

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Comment Policy
  • Our Authors
  • Blogroll
  • Our Artists
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 Dev Balloon Juice · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc

Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

Email sent!