Still crazy after all these years

Steelers' fans have been outraged all week about the call in the New England game that cost them a touchdown -- and a possible win -- but Post-Gazette columnist Paul Zeise disagrees with their analysis.  Here is the gist of what he wrote earlier this week: "Blaming the refs is misguided and the Steelers should look into the mirror when looking for someone to blame ... frankly, the Steelers had the game won and choked." NFL rule stinks First, my analysis. The rule about controlling the ball the entire way through the catch is a very poor one. It says that if a player does not control the ball on a reception to the ground, then there is no reception. Based upon that, the officials overruled the touchdown. Granted, the ball broke the plane of the goal line and was in the possession of tight end Jesse James. However, it hit the ground when he came down, and by rule, that makes it an incomplete pass and negates everything else.  From this standpoint, the offi...

... Terry is not senile From the Post-Gazette. To paraphrase: This much I know about Ron Cook: He is wrong more than he is right.  Mike Tomlin a Hall of Fame coach? Well, maybe if he beats the New England Patriots and reaches the Super Bowl.  Maybe if he demonstrates that the can beat Tom Brady who has won more than eighty percent of his games against the Steelers.  Maybe if he can help design a defense that can at least keep the Steelers within two touchdowns.  This much I know about Mike Tomlin: He is no Chuck Noll. Not even close.  This much I know about Mike Tomlin: He is no Bill Bellichick. Not even close. Not even in the same ball park.  The major difference is that Noll had discipline and beat the best in the NFL during the 70s when he had the talent.  Tomlin inherited a slew of talent, and to his credit, did something that Bill Cowher did not. Won a Super Bowl quickly and within four years had been to two.  Since th...

... good luck with that My dad must be chuckling as he looks down on these Pennsylvania athletic officials. Last week, two officials filed suit against the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) for not providing them with some basic rights given to other Pennsylvanians. According to the Post-Gazette, the two officials, identified as Charles Ruslavage of Canonsburg and Mario Seneca of Wexford , said that  the officials who work athletic events for public schools in Pennsylvania " all improperly classified as independent contractors and not afforded the minimum wage and overtime compensation when they worked in excess of 40 hours per week.”    Here is how officiating works. A person passes an examination given by the PAA for every sport, and thus earns a license. The official is then permitted to officiate games in that sport. It is up to the official, or sometimes a conference or officials organization, to find the assignments for the offici...