Still crazy after all these years

Jimbo Covert … Lucidore had a checkered high school career, to say the least The only player that I truly cared about in the 2020 NFL Hall of Fame induction class was number 43, Troy Polamalu. So, when he and the other members of that class were inducted a year late, I spent little time reading about anyone else.  However, a friend mentioned that former Pitt star tackle Jimbo Covert, who starred for the Chicago Bears for eight years, mentioned a former Penn Cambria High School in his acceptance speech.  I had not heard the name Chuck Lucidore much over the past 30 years after he had been unceremoniously sent packing by the school district despite having an undefeated football season the year before that.  So, my question was simple, “Why did Covert mention Lucidore in such a high-profile speech?” No answer, but … The only answer I could give is that Covert must have thought the world of Lucidore, his coach at Freedom High School in Butler County.  My only answer is t...

… “Given Steelers' schedule, betting under 8.5 wins is tempting.” Based on their preseason, some Pittsburgh Steeler fans are very optimistic.  Until they see their 2021 schedule. According to data compiled by CBS Sports, the Steelers have a strength of schedule that is listed at .574, which is the toughest in the league.  So, that brings back the naysayers who point out the woeful offensive line problems, among others.  However, how valid are these strength of schedule numbers? Steelers should wish for a 15-game season According to the numbers, the Steelers will face a very tough schedule and that is particularly evident in their own division with the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens rated above them.  Right now this looks brutal,  if there's any team that's now regretting their vote for the expanded season, it's probably the Pittsburgh Steelers , and that's because they're slated to face the league's most difficult strength of schedule...

… moving in the right direction According to information released on Thursday, the National Football League’s mission of having everyone inoculated against Covid before opening day is more toward reality. There are still holdouts, but with cutoffs coming shortly, some of those may find themselves filing for unemployment next week.  In addition, the league is proposing weekly Covid tests even for those who have been vaccinated.  Good news for the league Despite some teams still being problematic with 200 remaining unvaccinated, the fact that teams will have to forfeit games if they cannot play on a particular date is having some success, The NFL has reached a vaccination rate of nearly 93 percent among its players and above 99 percent among staff members, according to NFL Chief Medical Officer Allen Sills, who spoke Thursday on a media teleconference after clubs had been collectively briefed on the league's latest findings on COVID-19. According to Sills, there wer...

Coach James Franklin … one prognosticator thinks so To say that 2020 was a disappointing season for Penn State and its football coach, James Franklin, would be an understatement.  Some call it an “outlier” season which means that it was unusual, something that was out of character. With outlier situations, a return to the norm is usually the norm.  Some see that with the Nittany Lions this year for a number of reasons. Perhaps they are over-optimistic. Perhaps not.  One prognosticator who believes that Franklin’s team will rebound is Mark Drumheller of Yahoo Sports. So, I decided to focus on what he is saying.  Tough situation in 2020 What happened that caused the problems of last season? Quite a few things beyond Franklin’s control. Remember, just two years ago, the Nittany Lions entered November undefeated and with a great shot at a spot in the national playoffs. Unfortunately, Franklin saw those hopes dissipate with a loss to the Gophers of Minnes...

Patriots again play footsies with the rules, but they were caught again … and some will not make the final cut The NFL’s insistence that everyone be vaccinated is not a political decision. It is predicated on restoring its business model so that it can make money.  That is the ultimate effort of all business owners. If they cannot make money, they will not be successful.  And that is the basic rule of the NFL hierarchy and coaches who simply want to return to the field and be safe.  Yes, be safe. Football is a team sport, and those who refuse to take a Covid vaccination are threatening to ruin their team’s performance.  In short, if a team has to cancel a game this year, it will forfeit that potential win.  Running out of excuses  AS Yahoo’s Charles Robinson writes, the FDA approval of the Pfizer vaccine changed the dynamic, even if some who have gotten the vaccine can also be hit with the virus again, For months, the NFL’s vaccine straggle...

Is the Bengals' Joe Burrow really better than Ben Roethlisberger? … "Or maybe not" Are Baker Mayfield, Lamar Jackson, and Joe Burrow actually better than Ben Roethlisberger in 2021? That was what Sporting News was intimating with their analysis of the Steelers’ chances for 2021. TSN ranked them 14th primarily because of their defense, but is this really accurate? Truth be told: Preseason rankings mean nothing, and this power ranking will flesh out as the season starts next month. Right now, Roethlisberger is being remembered for his woeful performance in the Steelers playoff encounter in 2020.  In the game, the Steelers fell behind the Cleveland Browns 28-0 by the end of the first quarter. Roethlisberger threw four interceptions in that loss, and the Steeler exited the playoffs again in abject horror.  They lost to the Browns who had won something like only one playoff game in about two decades? That is what led the magazine to question whether or not Roethlisberger is no...