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Leave YOUR Writing on the Wall! Send your postgame critiques, analysis, ranting and raving about the last game as well as your predictions, smak, & insults about our upcoming opponent. Whether your message is a simple "Go Steelers" or detailed, in-depth analysis, tell us what you think and we'll post it below.
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Steelers vs Colts (28-10)
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Fan Poll |  |
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Who deserves the game ball for the Colts game?
• Tommy Maddox
• Terry Bradshaw
• Mike Logan
• Brent Alexander
• Hines Ward
• Amos Zereoue
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Scoring Summary
First Quarter
PIT - TD, Hines Ward, 17 Yd pass from Tommy Maddox (kick is good).
PIT - TD, Jerome Bettis, 3 Yd run (kick is good).
Second Quarter
PIT - TD, Jerome Bettis, 5 Yd run (kick is good).
IND - FG, Mike Vanderjagt 41 Yd.
Third Quarter
IND - TD, Marcus Pollard, 41 Yd pass from Peyton Manning (kick is good).
PIT - TD, Hines Ward, 14 Yd pass from Tommy Maddox (kick is good).
Fourth Quarter
No scoring.
Key Stats & Facts
• The Steelers are now 21-1 when Sandy attends the game: A coincidence? Perhaps. But I'm thinkin' maybe the Steelers oughta cough up some complimentary season tickets for the McMillens...
• Maddox 12 of 15 for 151 yds and 1 TD in first half: Tommy's final stats might seem relatively modest (15 of 23, 188 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT), but make no mistake... his 1st-half efficiency broke the Colts.
• Todd Peterson is simply AWFUL: This guy is gonna end up costing us a game down the line. The short kickoffs are ridiculous, the missed FGs are worse, and the kicks out of bounds are enough to make me wretch. It's a good thing Maddox is getting us into the endzone, because with Peterson, NO kick is a ship shot.
• Then again... ...isn't it great to nothing but the kicker to bitch about again?
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Steelers Offensive Leaders | |
PASSING |
ATT |
CMP |
YDS |
TD |
INT | |
Maddox |
23 |
15 |
188 |
2 |
1 |
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RUSHING |
ATT |
YDS |
TD |
LG |
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Zereoue |
15 |
87 |
0 |
42 |
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Bettis |
11 |
33 |
2 |
7 |
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RECEIVING |
REC |
YDS |
TD |
LG |
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Burress |
6 |
79 |
0 |
18 |
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Ward |
5 |
76 |
2 |
31 |
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Randle El |
1 |
9 |
0 |
9 |
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Colts Offensive Leaders | |
PASSING |
ATT |
CMP |
YDS |
TD |
INT | |
Manning |
48 |
32 |
304 |
1 |
3 |
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RUSHING |
ATT |
YDS |
TD |
LG |
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James |
20 |
62 |
0 |
14 |
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Manning |
1 |
10 |
0 |
10 |
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RECEIVING |
REC |
YDS |
TD |
AVG |
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James |
11 |
82 |
0 |
23 |
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Harrison |
8 |
76 |
0 |
17 |
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Pollard |
4 |
64 |
1 |
41 |
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Key Defensive Players | |
DEFENSE |
T-A |
SCK |
INT |
FF |
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Farrior |
8-1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
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Logan |
6-3 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
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Scott |
6-1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
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Smith |
5-2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
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Alexander |
4-0 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
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Key Defensive Players | |
DEFENSE |
T-A |
SCK |
INT |
FF |
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Peterson |
6-1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
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Harris |
5-1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
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Cannida |
4-2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
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Morris |
4-1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
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Freeney |
1-0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
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We came, we saw, we made horse glue
Steelers 21-1 when Sandy attends
Article by McMillen & Wife
That's what I call an ass-whipping. True, a Colt is not technically an "ass," but it is same genotype as the donkey and mule. Close enough for me.
As you all know, Sandy and I attended the game, so instead of a game critique, I'd rather tell you about the sites & sounds of Heinz Field on Monday night. If not for a few snafus along the way, it was a memorable evening that might've rated up there with our wedding night and the birth of our children. Suffice it to say, we had an incredibly good time in spite of a few bumps in the road. I still get "warm fuzzies" just thinking about of it.
What's the perfect compliment to any Terrible Towel?
McMillen and Wife's very own handmade
Steel City Soap!
(pictured above)
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We pulled into our $25 parking space at about 7:00 p.m. Our usual $15 spot next to Subway was for some reason reserved for employees of the Steelers (which is not the case on Sundays). What's up with that? Apparently, the she-male attending the gate didn't realize who I am! :-) Anyway, we parked a block further away and walked down to the stadium, entering through gate B on the east side so we could go to the "Great Hall" and grab a Pittsburgher from Primanti's. As we passed through the turnstyle, the prepubescent kid (don't they have age requirements for employees in Pittsburgh?) handed us our ticket stubs, looked at my #12 jersey and said, "Dude, you missed it... he was just signing books around the corner."
By the time Sandy caught up to me, I was standing in front of the make-shift bleachers under the big helmet watching & listening to my boyhood hero, Terry Bradshaw, conduct a question & answer session with fans from the bandstand. Sandy grinned and commented that she now knew where she stood with me (vs. Bradshaw) and we weaved our way through the crowd for a better vantage point.
"Gimme the camera! Gimme the camera!" I panted, sticking my hand out while keeping my attention riveted on Bradshaw.
"Camera? Uh, well... it's in my purse," she mumbled. We had purchased a disposable camera before we left home since I wasn't sure what security was allowing into the stadium these days. After a dramatic pause, I waved my hand impatiently and repeated my plea: "Gimme the camera! Gimme the camera!"
"I told you, it's in my PURSE," Sandy replied. Suddenly, I was seized with the sickening realization. In my minds eye, I could see myself opening the trunk, taking the big Steelers blanket out, putting Sandy's purse in, and slaming it shut.
Twenty feet from Terry Bradshaw... and no camera.
Did you know that once you enter the stadium, you cannot leave and be re-admitted --- no matter what? Neither did I. But according to our pre-pubescent ticket collector, "them's the rules."
I fumed over the camera for a few minutes but soon forgot about it as I tried in vain to understand what in the hell Bradshaw was saying. Apparently, SOMEONE could hear Terry, because he'd talk awhile then smile, and people would laugh. Sandy & I just kept looking at each other & shrugging in hopes of a translation. The makeshift JBL sound system they were pumping Terry through left MUCH to be desired. Total, unintelligible mud.
One garbled thing Terry said that I did manage to decipher surprised me. A fan asked him about the Oakland rivalry, and he proceeded to talk about how big the rivalry with Cincinnati was back then. He rated Oakland, Cinci & Cleveland as the "big 3." I scratched my head over that one, but Tuesday morning I dug out my NFL encyclopedia and sure enough, Cinci was always in the thick of the playoff hunt from '73-'77, so I guess it makes sense.
Anyway, Terry finished his Q&A as the band started playing "Some Kind of Wonderful," so we headed across the hall to Primanti's. As we made our way to the line, Terry passed by on a little golf cart accompanied by his brother, Craig, with his teen-age daughters riding in the back. At the risk of getting a rolling pin upside my head from Sandy, I must tell you that his daughters are stunning. I was quite surprised. I guess maybe I was expecting them to look like little Terry's with a long blonde wigs. They looked like models. To put it in perspective, when Bradshaw was hanging out on the sideline before the game, there was an unusually quiet moment and some guy screamed out "BRADSHAW!!!" and a cheer went up from the crwod. Without missing a beat, someone else shouted "BRADSHAW'S DAUGHTERS!!!" and widespread whistling and hooting followed.
The weather was beautiful... absolutely picture-perfect football weather. Also worth mentioning were the pregame fireworks that were going off from the top of a building across the river, sillouetted by a full moon. The fireworks were incredible! We got a better show at the game than we did here at home last Independence Day!
The coin toss was highlighted by Bradshaw's presence, accompanied by his daughters, who were clearly there for his support. The whole stadium was chanting "Terry, Terry." It was too cool. As Terry walked around the edges of the stadium shaking hands and doing interviews, you could hear the crowd start cheering wherever he was. He was very warmly received from the get-go. Bradshaw also hugged Tommy Maddox, as well as Dan Rooney, Cowher, and some guy over on the Colts. After halftime, it looked as though he offered some words of encouragement to Stewart.
As I said, I don't want to get into detailing the game itself, but I've just gotta say that Maddox IS the real deal. It's amazing how effortlessly he seems to be able to survey the field and find the open man. His numbers appear relatively modest on paper (15 of 23 for 188 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT), but HUGE in reality. When they flashed Tommy's halftime stats on the Jumbo-Tron, I was amazed: 12 of 15 for 151 yards and a TD. The COlts set out to stop Bettis, and Tommy ripped 'em apart. His TD to Ward was PERFECT and really set the tone. The days of teams being able to put 8 men in the box and get away with it are over, baby.
I realize I say this just about everytime I go to a game, but... this was by FAR the loudest, rowdiest crowd I've ever had the pleasure of being part of. The plasce was totally packed and it was a total party atmosphere. We even witnessed our first stadium fight (a minor scuffle several rows back). Perhaps best of all, it was a Monday Night with no boring commentary!
At halftime, Bradshaw OWNED the place. It's the first time I've ever seen the crowd, almost to a man, not head for the concession stands at halftime. When Terry (again accompanied by his ever-present daugheters) took the field, the roar of the crowd was as loud as at any point in the game, and it was easily the longest sustained round of cheering I've ever heard. The place went friggin' nuts. In his speech, Terry said that he was glad to be home, that he has missed the fans, that the boos when he was a player hurt him, and that he'd "grown up" and it was time to come back. Nothing we haven't heard already, really, but a nice speech. Then they showed a bunch of great plays up on the Jumbo-Tron and the place just erupted, especially when the "Immaculate Reception" was replayed. It was great.
During the 3rd quarter, the Steelers went through a little lull. I don't know if they showed it on TV (our VCR didn't tape the right channel, dammit! Somebody drop me a line so I can get a game tape!), but the stands were friggin' half empty as the 2nd half started. Everybody stuck around to see Bradshaw, so lots of folks were still out getting their goodies when Manning hit Pollard for the TD (Farrior's only mistake of the night was a biggee!). The place was REALLY quiet, and the Colts took full advantage. In my mind, Mike Logan's pick was the play of the game, because it really ended any hopes of a Colts comeback.
One other notable moment before I wrap this up. During the 4th quarter when there was a timeout as the Steelers were preparing to go for it on 4th & goal from the 1, Melissa Stark came down to our end of the field (south end, section 138). A bunch of guys started whooping and hollaring, "Melissa, Melissa, marry me!" Then there was a lull in the noise, so I took Jerry Seinfeld's cue (not to mention Tommy Coleman's) and shouted, "Look... she has 'Man Hands'" and our section just broke up laughing. I didn't shout it loud enough for Melissa Stark to hear, but a few guys in the crowd started jeering "Man Hands" and that put me in the dog house with Sandy, who gave me the cold shoulder for the next 10 minutes. Ultimately, the sweet smell of victory washed away my transgression and all was well.
I must confess that the drive home SUCKED. We got home at 4:30 in the morning on a work night. Yikes. It was well worth the lost Z's, though. WELL worth it.
People, I've said this before, but it's worth repeating. As Steelers fans, you must -- MUST -- make it a personal goal to attend a Steelers game in Pittsburgh. You owe it to yourselves. There is nothing else like it in the world. I've been to a couple dozen, and each game is just as exciting as the first... it NEVER gets old. It is SOOO much better than watching it on TV. You can see the plays develop, the vibe is incredible, you won't miss any replays because of the Jumbo-Tron, and you get to hang with more Steelers fans than you ever dreamed of (which means a lot when you come from Browns country like we do).
It was a sweet victory. Now, on to bigger and better things. Next up, the Baltimore Ratbirds. Until then, bruthas & sistas!
Tim McMillen
Webmaster, McMillen & Wife
P.S. -- A BIG-TIME thanks to Bob & Sandy Podolinski of Robert Louis Associates for the free tickets. You guys are the best!
Mac & Wife is Hosted and Sponsored by Pittsburgh's Finest!
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Fan Smak & Analysis
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The following articles are listed in the order they were received (with the most recent entries at the BOTTOM). This isn't a "guestbook" format... I read and manually insert every message, so you may not see your submission show up immediately. Thanks a million for your comments, people!
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Author: Your name here!
Comment: Coming soon!
Leave YOUR Writing on the Wall! Send your postgame critiques, analysis, ranting and raving about the last game as well as your predictions, smak, & insults about our upcoming opponent. Whether your message is a simple "Go Steelers" or detailed, in-depth analysis, tell us what you think and we'll post it here.
|
Author: Your name here!
Comment: Coming soon!
Send us your comments!
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