Still crazy after all these years

… franchise used to stand for character, is now a circus The Steelers were formed in 1933 as a sort of hobby for Art Rooney, Sr., who had earned some good money on his race tracks. He was a popular figure in Pittsburgh, a man who was respected on many levels. The Steelers were never much of a success for decades for one reason: The Chief never took them seriously. Art Sr. knew that the big money was to be won at the race tracks. However, in the 1960s, Art decided to turn over his team to his eldest son, Dan. After struggling for a few years in his early years as CEO, Dan hired a coach by the name of Chuck Noll, who promptly drafted a fabulous defensive tackle by the name of Joe Greene, and success followed rather quickly. From 1972 on, the Steelers achieved success, winning four Super Bowl in six years and six overall from then until today. Character and integrity However, what the Steelers used to represent was character. They preached that representing the Steelers was special, tha...

… sounded almost too good to be true The highest number that the JUGS had ever turned for a baseball was 103 mph, which it did, curiously, twice on one day, July 11, at the 1978 All-Star game when both Goose Gossage and Nolan Ryan threw the ball at that speed. On March 17, the gun was handled by [Mel] Stottlemyre. He heard the pop of the ball in Reynolds's mitt and the little squeak of pain from the catcher. Then the astonishing figure 168 appeared on the glass plate. Stottlemyre remembers whistling in amazement, and then he heard Reynolds say, "Don't tell me, Mel, I don't want to know...." Sports Illustrated, April 1, 1985 Sometimes, stories sound too good to be true. When the New York Mets fans read in Sports Illustrated that they had this fantastic pitching prospect, a guy who was clocked at throwing a fastball at a speed of 168 miles per hour. Since the record at that time on the JUGS machine was 104 mph, having a pitcher like this could remak...

… will he ever play for the Jets? TMZ Sports released an audio-tape yesterday of the call that former Pittsburgh Steeler Le’Veon Bell made to the police after a heist at his place. Seems that two women made off with a watch, jewelry, and other items that Bell said were stolen when he was at the gym. The dispatcher went through the usual litany of questions: What did they look like? What clothes were they wearing the last time you saw them? Where were you at the time? Truth be told, even though TMZ provided the tape on its website, I did not have the stomach to listen to it. How can you feel sorry for a guy who lost what police eventually estimated was over half a million dollars worth of “stuff” — but could not identify the women other than saying that they were “girlfriends” of his. This occurred at his Hollywood, Florida home after he left to work out at the gym. TMZ quotes the tape, "When I left, [one of the women] was in the bed," Bell said on the 911 call ... "S...

… or a flash in the pan? Josh Bell’s production in May 2019 was so incredible that he was being mentioned in the same breath as some the greats, like Willie Mays and Ralph Kiner. According to a MLB.com story on June 1, Josh Bell ’s name now belongs in elite company. More total bases in a month than Ralph Kiner ever had. More total bases in a month, in fact, than any Pirates player -- ever. More total bases in the month of May than anybody since Willie Mays in 1958 … Bell’s first-inning RBI single off Milwaukee starter Jhoulys Chacin gave him 93 total bases in May, and his fourth-inning base hit brought the total to 94. That total landed him on lists with historic names and Hall of Famers like Kiner and Mays. Adam Berry Today, he has more votes for first baseman in the MLB all-star game than any other player … and he is the only Pirate who deserves to be named to the roster. He is currently hitting .315 with an OBP of .383 and a SLG of .477. He has 20 home runs and leads the Natio...

… does he have CTE? Now that former football great O.J. Simpson is a free man, finally released from prison, he is free to set up a Twitter account. And, he has. However, instead of an apology for his past transgressions, he said this in his first tweet, “I’ve got a little getting even to do.”  That is sad. Vengeance is something anyone can seek. However, when a person seeks redemption from society, those are not the ones people want to hear. The words he must say Actually, I would like to hear three words from O.J.: “I am sorry.” However, one of the greatest running backs in football history may not be capable of feeling any remorse for his past. Simpson was one of the most likable and gregarious athletes in the country when he was accused of murdering his ex-wife, and her friend, in 1994. He was then acquitted in a sensational trial that demonstrated the benefit of being able to afford great defense lawyers. Later, O.J., who went from being a great hero to someone who was an...

  … my analysis overall, positive but not overwhelming The Las Vegas money has the Cleveland Browns as one of the top five teams to win the Super Bowl this year, along with the AFC-North title, according to one pundit. However, that pundit, CBS' Will Brinson, does not agree with Vegas. Instead, he wrote last week, “I’ve already planted my flag in the Steelers bandwagon this year.” Now, for clarity, he is writing about his record on picking over/under winners. However, at the end of it, he says what he thinks will happen with each. Browns: “[The Browns] end up going about 9-7, with the potential to have a monster year, but I also think it's juiced up because of the public.” So, 9-7 or a monster year. Love how precise he is. Steelers: “I see 10+ wins and a division title for this team.” Ravens: “My prediction is 8-8 and just outside the playoffs.” Bengals: “I think they can pretty easily finish 6-10 or better.” My selections for 2019 AFC-North 1. Ravens 2. Browns tie 2. Steele...