China Toasts the 2008 NFL Season

Last month, we found a video of 3,000 Chinese people cheering for the Steelers in unison and posted it to the site. It was one of those things that boggles the mind, and something you don't really expect to see.

Well, I got in touch with the guy who led the cheer, a guy named Gavin, who is teaching English in China until sometime in June. Those were his students supporting Pittsburgh. He keeps a pretty badass blog of his time and experiences in the country, but its private, so there's no use linking to it.

Anyway, Gavin assured me that he's a legit Steelers fan, and promised to send along at least another video from China. That video is above. It is of a Chinese man named Jack toasting the 2008 NFL season. Because why wouldn't he?

I'm not gonna re-type everything he says, but he does give props to guys like Aaron Rodgers and Matt Ryan, teams like the Eagles and Cowboys, and especially the Steelers. Here's what he had to say about our team:

"To James Harrison, for playing like an animal. To the Steelers, for battling through injuries and the league's hardest schedule."

Actually, it was more of "hardest skey-jer." And they say Pittsburghers have accents. Really dude, we don't have a league called the NFAir.

Still, China is pretty much the other side of the world, so I'm impressed that Jack got it right for the most part.

Matt Mosley is Bitter

One more little bit from me regarding the Cowboys game, then all my attention is going to the upcoming game in Baltimore.

I've given ESPN "blogger" Matt Mosley a decent amount of grief. Right after he launched espn.com's first blog, Hashmarks, I tore apart the notion that he was, in fact, starting a blog. And I think I just used up my comma quota in that last sentence.

Whatever your feelings are regarding that little nugget, check out what Mosley had to say about Deshea's game-winning pick-6. Remember that Mosley writes the NFC East blog on the dot com, and was an award winning writer for the DALLAS Morning News.


The Steelers also hated the fact that Witten suggested that his slip led to the game-winning interception. Townsend wanted everyone to know that defensive coordinator Dick LaBeau knew the exact play the Cowboys were going to run when they lined up with trips to the right side. Well, I highly doubt that. That's the type of things players say when they return a touchdown to win the game.


Highly doubt? That's the type of things bitter Cowboys homers say when their team collapses.

And its LeBeau. Get to know his name before you knock his genius.

Monday Morning Chrysler New Yorker

I woulda got this to you a little sooner, but T.O. affected my timing with multiple, uncalled, hands-to-the-face infractions.

We won! Gatorade baths for everyone! 20-13 Steelers. But isn't that always the score? Or like, 23-10...or somewhere around there?

I'm a chronic nail-biter, but last game did me no favors in trying to stop my fixation. I have about no nails left. Actually, I think I have negative nails at this point. I owe my fingers some nails. Thanks, Cowboys-Steelers!

At some point, I'm gonna have to stop saying "We let the other team hang around too long...it's going to bite us in the ass at some point." I really do, because these Steelers have a habit of coming through games like this relatively unscathed. Yeah, the Cowboys moved the ball in the 3rd, but that was with the aid of the wind. I tried to keep my composure, knowing that any rally would have to come in the 4th, when WE had the wind. And that's why I'll start my ratings off with...

...Mike Tomlin. Man, I love how this guy constantly employs my Madden strategy, and ALWAYS defers to the Second Half when he wins the coin toss. In a place like Heinz Field, this is critical. Perhaps not so much when we're in Baltimore next week, or Tennessee the week after, but this seemingly unimportant decision looms large when you play a minimum of 8 games next to the Confluence. I can't fault Tomlin for the Cowboys making big defensive plays near the goal line...their team was on a mission (being on the outside of the playoffs will do that to some teams), and Tomlin stayed the course. He played the wind/field position game perfectly, and his playmakers stepped up to the challenge. The Steelers DID miss near the goal line, so I can't give Tomlin a perfect score, so we'll go with 4.5 of 5 motorcycle helmets.

Sasso. His game was all-around meh, but Ben understood the urgency of the situation in the 4th, and brought his team back in it like he has many times before. Another near 50% completion game, with one passing TD to go with a lost fumble and 204 passing yards. No interceptions in the wind, so there's that. And that 40+ yarder to Santonio was perfect, even though it was into the wind. Ben didn't lose the game for us, which can't be said about Romo. 3.5 of 5 motorcycle helmets for Ben. That First Half was tough to watch.

D. We got outworked by Dallas on many occasions. Their O clicked in the 3rd (partly due to the wind), and Tashard Choice displayed his talents against the top ranked defense. But the D didn't cave when Dallas was moving, and refused to be completely outplayed by the 'Boys. Silverback looked tired by the end of the game, but still got his usual sack and forced fumble. It's pretty cool when I'm pretty indifferent about 9 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble. Overall, the unit had 3 sacks to go with 3 picks and 5 total turnovers. Dallas' last play on 4th Down was huge, as they had 289 total team yards, and a conversion would've likely ended the streak of not allowing a 300 yard game this season. Big stop to keep the win and streak alive. They'll mirror Tomlin here, and get 4.5 of 5 motorcycle helmets.

Deshea. He gets his own spot today because he quietly does his job with little problem and is always solid on the field. He rung up 3 tackles, but its nice to see a 65 year old vet like Deshea factor into the winning points. Romo served him up an easy pick, and he outraced a hobbled Jason Witten to the end zone. Deshea, you get a perfect 5 of 5 motorcycle helmets for the icing on the cake.

Mitch Berger. Negative 5 of 5 motorcycle helmets. I may owe myself some fingernails, but you owe me a bunch of motorcycle helmet ratings.

In Baltimore next week. The Ravens D is looking just as good as ours. Glad we got a 1-game lead going into this.

Steelers Win!

17 4th Quarter points! Steelers 20, Cowboys 13.

Enjoy that Gatorade, fella.

[Unnamed] Steelers Pregame Show. Week 14

We're back to talk about the game against the Cows.

Go Steelers.

OFTOT has this exact same thing.

The Cowboys Can Bite Me

Big Game against Big D on Sunday. Big D...Bags, more like it.

Go Steelers!

42,000 People Suck

Um...are we serious?

This poll is on CBS Sportsline's NFL page today. It asks readers to voice who they think can stop the Patriots on their quest for the perfect season and the Super Bowl.

Let's look at the choices available, and the selections made by 42,000+ idiots.

Aside from our Steelers, CBS offers the Packers, who aren't guaranteed to play the Patriots, the Colts and Cowboys, who have both already lost to New England and New England themselves.

The dorks chiming in on this box of stupidity have picked the Packers as the consensus team to stop the Patriots. Sure, if the Packers were even scheduled to play New England. Oooh...let's base our argument on what we hope is going to happen! 28%...gimme a break.

Next in line is Nobody. Glad you are all thinking positive. Nerds.

Third is the Cowboys. Last I checked, the 'Boys already lost to New England, and will only meet the Patriots if the Packers (who were picked to stop New England earlier in this stupid poll) fail to reach the Super Bowl. Are you even thinking when you highlight your choice?

Fourth position finally brings us to the Steelers. This is the only team on the list that is actually guaranteed to play New England this season. Yet, only 13% of the sample, or less than half of those who picked the not-guaranteed Packers, decided to choose Pittsburgh. I'm so lost at this point.

Fifth is the Colts. They, too, have already lost to New England, and will only play the Patriots again if several scenarios iron out so that the teams meet in the postseason. However, that didn't stop 11% of the poll-takers from picking the already-vanquished Colts. That's only 2% less than the only team that will positively play New England this season. As we continue to move through the picks of the people, I find myself seething. Are CBS Sportsline readers this dumb?

Sixth is the Patriots. What?! No Giants, Dolphins, Jets, Eagles (Philly hasn't played New England as of my writing this) or Ravens? And 9% of the jerk sample picked the Patriots to beat themselves, or only 4% less than those who picked the Steelers. I'd be offended, but its hard to get offended by people with little to no brain.

So what have we learned? A whole bunch of nothing. CBS Sportsline readers are ridiculously horrible at polls, which might be the simplest things ever. Its a test, but the answers are provided for you, and none are technically wrong. Unless you read CBS Sportsline and take their polls. Then you are wrong. A lot.

I think Who's Now was better...