I don’t know though, we’ll see I guess.  Neither Dixon nor Leftwich had me excited to be honest.  Here’s to hoping that their first game against the Atlanta Falcons proves me wrong.  With all that said, let’s see what Mike Tomlin had to say about making Dennis Dixon the starter:

“Dennis has had a very productive preseason and training camp,” Tomlin said. “He went into the training camp as a young guy, second in the pecking order behind Byron Leftwich. He did a nice job and made it extremely competitive. He waged a battle and got some first-team reps in some preseason games. Largely, we’ve been very impressed with how he’s handled himself in game situations.”

Awesome, I’m happy that he’s in fact tried to boost Dixon’s confidence with his statement, however Dixon and Tomlin both have to know that if Leftwich wasn’t hurt, Dixon would be the second guy and or have an incredibly short leash to work with.  So, what did Dixon think about all of this?  Well, let’s just see:

“It’s an honor, obviously. The ultimate for a quarterback is to be the starter,” Dixon said Monday. “It’s every quarterback’s dream to be a starter in the National Football League. My number is called now, and I’m going to have fun with it. I’m happy, but there’s a lot of work to be done.”

Dennis Dixon seems like the kind of guy I’d like to have a beer with.  He’s down to Earth, and hasn’t shown any “high profile” attitude.  I mean, he has a ton to prove, as he once was a Heisman hopeful until he blew his knee apart.  I’m just hoping he shows some brilliance with his arm and legs while he’s in control of the Pittsburgh Steelers offense.

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Moving on to the oh so important Ben Roethlisberger news, he wasn’t selected as a team captain, and honestly, I don’t see how anyone can be shocked by this.  First of all, this is an honor selected by his teammates, teammates he won’t be around with for four games.  Ben’s going to be MIA and they needed a captain, and honestly, I’m incredibly happy the guy they selected instead of him.  Heath Miller is very deserving of the title, and it’s nice to see a tight end get a little recognition once in awhile.

“The captain’s not just what you do on the field, it’s what you do off the field,” Ward said. “Heath lives here (at the training facility), he’s constantly here during coaching sessions and off season workouts. It’s well deserved.”

We get it Hines, we know Ben has some issues to work on, which leads into Hines Ward getting another nod as captain.  I’m personally not a fan of his comments when things aren’t going his way, but he’s a player, so I can’t be too upset about the selection.  I just wish he’d talk less about the personal issues and just stick to being a field player, but he’s been doing this his whole career, so it’s nothing new really.

Jeff Reed wasn’t named the special teams captain this year, it was instead Keyaron Fox, his second time getting the captain nod.  Well deserved I guess, and good for him.  Maybe it’s noticeable that the rest of the Steelers team wants it’s captains to be held accountable, which is a great step in the right direction for trying to wrangle it’s more “loose of the field” players.

Finally, James Farrior was selected to team captain status for the seventh time.

Article excerpts were pulled from: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/thehuddle/post/2010/09/steelers-name-team-captains-ben-roethlisberger-jeff-reed-not-among-them/1

First we’ll talk about the Pittsburgh Steelers news, as Big Ben Roethlisberger had his suspension reduce from 6 to 4 games.  Which is great news because we’ve also heard word today that Byron Leftwich has either an MCL sprain, or tear.  Either way, it looks to that he will be out for the first few weeks, making all of this time learning if he’d be the starter or not pointless.  Anyways, back to the suspension talk, here’s what was released today about the reduction:

The decision, the NFL said in a statement, is “contingent on Roethlisberger continuing to adhere to the program established by our advisors and avoiding any further violations of the Personal Conduct Policy. “

Ben Roethlisberger, quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers

Well that’s just all well and good.  That being said, for a person who wasn’t charged and or arrested for the crime, how about you suspend Shaun Rodgers who was arrested, and did something even equally as stupid by taking a gun to an airport.  Yes, I still have a huge issue with that, as he’s facing no penalties from the NFL.

Let’s see what else the NFL had to say about the suspension:

“You have told me and the Steelers that you are committed to making better decisions,” Goodell wrote Roethlisberger, according to the league statement. “Your actions over the past several months have been consistent with that promise and you must continue to honor that commitment.”

Glad to hear it, now how about what Roethlisberger’s camp thinks about this situation in a statement that they released:

“Commissioner Goodell informed us today that Ben Roethlisberger’s suspension has been reduced to four games,” Steelers President Art Rooney II said in a statement released by the team. “Ben has done a good job this summer of growing as the person that he needs to be, both on and off the field. I am confident that Ben is committed to continuing in this positive direction. As a team, our focus is now on preparing for the regular season and getting off to a good start on opening weekend.”

Yadda, yadda, yadda, all typical mumbo jumbo that needed to be said.

Excerpts taken from this article: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/early-lead/2010/09/ben_roethlisbergers_suspension.html

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Now we’re moving on to the Pittsburgh Penguins signing of Mike Comrie.  He inked a one year deal worth 500K, and let me tell you, for a guy that has potential to put up 30 goals, as he’s done before with Pheonix and the Islanders, I like this deal a lot.  Sure, he’s not a very good defensive guy, but he’ll get his chance to mesh with Crosby.  Also, this means that Hilary Duff will be in town watching games, so I guess that brings some kind of celebrity stature to the team.

Outside of it all, I think it’s a fine risk free addition, and will give more time for Eric Tangradi to work on his game before stepping up to the top line.  Let’s see what the Penguins had to say about their newest signing:

Comrie, 29, has played nine NHL seasons with Edmonton, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Ottawa and the NY Islanders. In 568 career games, he has posted 167 goals, 192 assists, 359 points and 48 power-play goals. Comrie has appeared in 32 postseason contests, totaling 10 points (4G-6A).

Comrie (5-foot-10, 185 pounds) has scored 20 or more goals five times in his career, and twice hit the 30-goal mark. The Edmonton, Alberta native, who broke into the NHL in 2000 with his hometown Oilers after the club drafted him in the third round (91st overall) of the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, set career highs with 33 goals and 60 points (tied) in 2001-02.

Comrie, whose uncle Fred Comrie was drafted by the Penguins in 1973 (eighth round, 119th overall) but never suited up for Pittsburgh, has represented Canada in three World Championships (2002, ’03 and ’06). He helped his country earn a gold medal in the 2003 tournament.

He seems like a quality guy who’s signed for the vet and league minimum.  Also, just to put things into perspective, Ben Lovejoy makes more money than Comrie will.  That’s unbelievable work by General Manager Ray Shero.

Mike Comrie formerly of the Oilers, newest Penguins player

Excerpts taken from this article:  http://penguins.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=536836

The last time these two teams met was during the Fiesta Bowl in 2005 and Pitt walked away badly abused and beaten that day to the tune of 35 to 7.  Now that’s not to say that Pitt is still that same rag tagum team, they aren’t.  In fact, this year Pitt has one of their most talented teams ever on the field.  Baldin, Romeus, Lewis, and former Pennsylvania State Champion, Tino Sunseri.  All of these guys are ready to make their mark on the 2010 season.

Also, a big thing that help beat down Pitt that year was the Spread offense.  Up until that time, the Spread was nothing popular, and only a few teams were using it.  Pitt had no way to prepare for it like they do now.  They prepare for it now, because a lot of teams in college football use some form of the Spread at one point or another, so we’ll see how the game unfolds.

That being said, tonight’s game should be good.  You can listen to it on the radio on the channel 93.7 The Fan, or watch it on Versus.  Oh yea, there’s a Steelers game on tonight as well.  I however, will be focused on Pitt.

According to a statement from the team, the Steelers have waived guard Adrian Jones, cornerback David Pittman, linebacker Brandon Renkart and fullback Dwayne Wright.

None of those players suited up for the Steelers last season.

In addition to those moves, the Steelers placed rookie guard Chris Scott on the reserve/physically unable to perform list.

Scott is expected to be sidelined for six weeks with a foot injury. After six weeks, he’ll be allowed to practice with the Steelers for three weeks before a decision will be made about adding him to the active roster.

Scott was placed on the PUP list at the beginning of training camp.

The Steelers also released linebacker Andre Frazier, who helped the team win their last two Super Bowls.

Frazier was released from the injured reserve list.

So now that we know what’s going on, we look to see how the Steelers adapt in their last game during the pre-season.  If any hopefuls really wanted a shot, this is the time to do it.  The fourth game of the pre-season is when mostly all of the starters play a few snaps and rest.  Good luck to them all.

information used from: http://kdka.com/local/steelers.trim.roster.2.1888299.html

Let’s start out with Byron Leftwich first.  I’ll list his pros first, and then his cons second, and we’ll see what transpires from all of that.

Pros:

1) He’s experienced, he’s won with the Jaguars and he knows how to get it done.

2) He’s got a strong arm.  He brings it on pretty much every pass.

3) He’s got decent field vision.  He has the ability to check down receivers and get it to the guy that’s open.

4) He’s got pocket presence when he has the time, and can be deadly when he’s not pressured.

Cons:

1) Immobile as it gets.

2) Injury plagued ankle.  If he’s named starter, it may not matter because of his ankle being glass.

3) Slow delivery.  Just has an absolutely slow throwing motion.  He always takes to long to throw the ball.

4) Strong Arm is a blessing and a fault.  He throws it hard regardless if your 50 yards away or 5 yards away.

5) Proven loser as well.  Played with the Bucs last year and was benched, but that whole team sucked.

OK, so now that we have the pros and cons listed for Byron, let’s move on to Dennis Dixon and what he can provide for the Steelers through the first four weeks of the season.

Pros:

1) Mobile, mobile, mobile, and he’s certainly not afraid to use his speed to get him out of harms way.

2) Decent arm strength.  He DOES have the ability to make deep passes.

3) Hardly any video on him, which would make it harder for teams to read him and his tendencies.

4) Was and is highly skilled/talented.  Even after his knee injury, he’s got high potential.

Cons:

1) Rookie, making it easier for other teams to out scheme Arians offensive play calling.

2) He has legs, and will hold rather than run through progressions.

3) Skiddish, he’s still a rookie and when he feels he’s rushed, he runs.

4) Can he lead the team?  He showed last night he can do somethings, but not ALL things.

So now that we’ve listed the pros and cons of both Byron Leftwich and Dennis Dixon…who do you feel still brings the best ability to the Steelers first 4-6 games for this season?  Obviously, it’s only short term, but these first four games have the impact to keep us out of the play-offs for the second year in a row if things go south again for the Steelers.

I personally, still feel that Leftwich has the upper hand.  He knows the playbook, and can win with this team.  Dixon could/should also get some playing time with a special package if Leftwich is doing bad and or the team needs a boost.  His legs are just too much to pass up with Ben Roethlisberger sitting on the bench.  All I can say is that it’s going to be a rather tough decision for Mike Tomlin and company to sort out.

The bigger question out there is what do you all think?  What are your pros and cons, as well as who do you think the starter should be and why?

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has finally suggested that Dennis Dixon has earned the right to face off against top talent.  Well, it’s sink or swim time, and everyone is excited to finally see what the former Oregon Duck can do.  Mike Wallace was beaming about both Byron’s arm and even more surprising Dennis Dixon’s arm strength yesterday when interviewed about this upcoming game:

“I’m going to have to give Byron the edge, but Dennis’ ball is smoking,” Wallace said. “He’s gunning it. I’m talking about, it’s coming.”

“He did good last year in the preseason, but Dennis is so much better,” said Wallace, a second-year receiver who caught six touchdowns and had a a team-high per-catch average of 19.6 yards in 2009. “I’m looking forward to seeing him out there with the top guys. If he can continue that, I don’t know …”

Honestly, within that last quote excerpt, it looks to read that if Dennis Dixon does above average/great, it’s his job to practically lose.   Now I’m not saying that Byron Leftwhich isn’t making his case, because he is, and he rebounded nicely after a lackluster start against the Detroit Lions.  All I’m simply saying, is that maybe the Pittsburgh Steelers actually have a bonafide quarterback controversy(at least for the first 4-6 weeks of the season).

How does Dennis Dixon feel about all of this?  Well let’s read below to find out what he had to say about his upcoming play time with the top unit:

“I’m embracing it,” Dixon said Thursday before practice. “If need be, if my number is called, I want to be at my best ability.”

Above all, it’s all well and great to see players excited and gushing about the possibilities.  However, what does Mike Tomlin think about all of this?

“I don’t try to tell a story; I just look at how things unfold,” Tomlin said. “I’ve enjoyed this process and how it has developed. It’s coming to a crescendo, if you will.

“The third preseason game is an awesome opportunity because, quite frankly, you expect a lot of first-team reps to be available, unlike the first preseason game or the second. It gives you more options to evaluate those guys.”

Awesome, so Tomlin subtly hinting at the fact that this is a competition, even though he won’t admit it.  Dennis Dixon knows though, and he’s prepared:

“I always feel like that,” Dixon said. “I’m a competitor, and it’s a competitive sport. It’s totally up to coaches to what they think. AlI I can do is control my reps and make the most of it. Hopefully, at the end of summer, something gives.”

Dixon really does seem down to Earth about this entire process.  It’s got to be tough coming in hearing that you don’t even have a chance for the starting spot.  However, that wasn’t necessarily said from the team, but the media, and fans alike.  His play has improved, and he’s wowing people with his abilities on the field.  I hope nothing but the best happens for Dixon, as he’s certainly earned his shot.

Quotes in this post used from: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10239/1083076-66.stm

Dennis Deixon making his case against the New York Giants

Numbers released this morning by the state Gaming Control Board showed that the Rivers Casino produced $3 million in gross revenue from test days and in the 24 days after table games were officially launched on July 8. That’s more than $700,000 higher than the second-place finisher, the Parx Casino in Philadelphia, which typically posts the highest revenue totals from slot machines each month.

The asterisk comes into play in the sense that the Rivers Casino and two others in Western Pennsylvania, The Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Washington County and Presque Isle Downs and Casino in Erie, started offering table games earlier than the other six casinos in the state. For example, Parx Casino did not launch table games until July 18, 10 days after those on the western side of the state.

So basically, they are leading in Pennsylvania because they have the potential for most visitors…that is until the rest of the casino’s throughout the state upgrade their buildings and fit them with tables.  So basically, they are winning a race tailor made for them to win.  I don’t really care though, any business is good business.  I’m finally happy that the Rivers Casino has the ability to actually be a real casino.  Of course, it was a casino prior, but without table games…I personally related it to an adult Chuck E Cheese.

1) Excerpt used from http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10238/1082903-100.stm

TribLive.com posted an article interviewing various store owners talking about the growth of their business as college kids from the University of Pittsburgh and Duquesne University pile into the city and get acclimated to their new lifestyle for the year.  It’s an interesting article that can be read in full here, but for you, I have the juicy details of the story written below:

“It just gets better all the way around,” said Diana Bellisario, co-owner of Mellingers Beer Distributor on Semple Street in Oakland. “It’s the first weeks that are really crazy every night.”

Bellisario estimated that 60 percent to 65 percent of her customers are college students. Their tastes become less discriminating as money runs low, said Jaime Hively, her business partner.

“You always know to keep 400 or 500 cases of Natural Light. That’s a given,” Hively said. “You’ll notice that at the beginning of the month, they might buy Miller Light or Bud Light because they have more money in their pocket. But then at the end of the month, they say, ‘I want this because I only have $15.’ “

That is a staggering amount of Nattie light,  I can’t even imagine how much of that stuff is actually consumed over the course of the school year.  I’ve also promised myself now, that since I’m out of college, I’ll never go back to Pabst, Nattie, or even Mad Dog.  It just felt like a right of passage that I went through, and I’m glad I’ll never have to go back.

Food, entertainment and other expenses typically add up to about $2,500 per semester for each student, Point Park University marketing professor Paige Beal said. That translates to $700 million a year for the local economy. About 140,000 students attend 33 universities in Western Pennsylvania, she said.

“That’s a pretty significant economic impact,” Beal said. “The current psychological impact of the flurry of activity is super positive. We are seeing people coming, and coming in droves.”

It’s not just the regular entertainment industry’s that are growing either.  The local companies also take on more hires as they know it’s going to be incredibly busy for the year.

This portion of the article describes how a college centric town can increase in population, and while it’s nice during the summer, the money really flows during the winter:

Mary Beth Ackbay hired 20 people in anticipation of the 30 percent increase in sales she expects as students stop by Romeo’s Pizzeria & Mediterranean Kitchen when they return to Indiana University of Pennsylvania this weekend. The influx of more than 14,000 people causes quite a change, she said.

“It will be breathing life back into the community,” she said. “There will be a substantial increase, not just in business but in activity in the town.”

The borough’s population doubles when students return, said Dana P. Henry, president of the Indiana County Chamber of Commerce.

“It’s nice over the summer to have less traffic, but to have IUP back in session — there is no down side,” Henry said. “You know it’s good for the community.”

All in all, it’s a great thing, and I know a lot of college kids who are glad to be back in town, and I’m pretty sure it’s not because they are spending every waking night studying for the big test.

Indiana, PA enjoys the boost from college kids attending IUP.

Work to demolish buildings along Route 28 near the 31st Street Bridge has been put on hold until later this week.

PennDOT has not announced when they will resume the work, but once it does motorists can expect some traffic issues.

The work will be conducted from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily through Sept. 30.

The good news is that there are no expected long-term traffic restrictions as a result.

There will be brief lane closures and five to 10 minute stoppages for crews to move equipment into and out of position.

Any necessary traffic restrictions will be implemented between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

The work is being done as part of the Route 28 East Ohio Street Improvement Project.

Motorists are being asked to allow for extra time when traveling through the area and to slow down for the changing traffic patterns.

For more information about the project and other work being done by PennDOT, you can visit 511pa.com or call 511 from any phone.

So if you’re a Route 28 commuter like me, please be prepared for the oncoming headaches associated with this project.

The Associated Press reported that the Pirates made nearly $29.4 million in 2007 and 2008, according to team financial documents.  Honestly…I think that nobody really should be shocked by this.  First and foremost they’ve made it a business, it’s not about the fans, and it’s most certainly not about winning.

It’s never been about winning, and sports economists are actually describing the Pirates in a way that shows that they are smart and savvy

All time favorite Bob Nutting Quote - "I believe there is absolutely nothing more important than for our team to be able to win, not just for one year, but on a consistent basis. I am committed to providing Kevin and General Manager Dave Littlefield the greatest amount of support possible to accomplish that. Our fans deserve it, our community deserves it and I expect it."

with business related money handling, and they are profitable by actually losing.   Here’s a little excerpt from what the economists are actually saying regarding the Pirates plans:

“The numbers indicate why people are suspecting they’re taking money from baseball and keeping it — they don’t spend it on the players,” said David Berri, president of the North American Association of Sports Economists and the author of two books detailing the relationship between finances and winning. “Teams have a choice. They can seek to maximize winning, what the Yankees do, or you can be the Pirates and make as much money as you can in your market. The Pirates aren’t trying to win.”

“If they won and were forced to increase their payroll from $34 million to $75 million or $80 million … how profitable would they be?” Berri said. “There’s a ceiling in terms of gate revenues.”

Economist Roger Noll, a Stanford University economist, said: “Probably the Pirates would be less profitable if they tried to improve the team substantially.”

So that’s what the various experts had to say on the dealings with what is actually going on with what the Pirates are attempting to do.  Now let’s move to management and see how damage control is working for them:

Coonelly said in an interview with the AP last week that Pittsburgh, one of baseball’s smaller markets, still will need help after it climbs in the standings.

“Even when we’re winning, we will be a revenue-sharing recipient … and in much better position to generate revenue and, depending on how we control other expenses, to generate additional income,” he said. “But you can win without an $80 million payroll. We’re seeing it this year.”

Of course the smaller system works, but that works with a team that’s been dedicated to drafting and keeping their stars for a longer amount of time…in other words, doing it the right way.  They use and cite the success of the San Diego Padres who have the lowest payroll in the league, however, the Padres have done it the right way, were never far off from success and have excellent coaches.  The Pirates, are sorely lacking in most departments but are actually trying to improve.

So after the report was “stolen” or “sold” to the AP, the Pirates are giving them the smack down and not letting them go to announcements regarding the team:

“Someone with access to the Club’s financial statements has breached his/her fiduciary obligation to the Club by providing a copy of the Club’s audited financial statements for the 2007 and 2008 seasons to the Associated Press,” the statement read. “The Club is a private company that has no obligation to publicly report its financial results and, like most private companies, has consistently declined to do so.”

The statement also said “the revenues generated by the club are being reinvested back into the club in both long-term and short-term investments needed to completely overhaul and rebuild this baseball team.”

“The Club has paid no dividends to its partners. Moreover, while it is quite common for a Chairman of the Board of Directors of a partnership to draw a salary, (owner since 2007) Bob Nutting has never received any salary.”

While we understand it’s a “private” business, it’s nice to know where the money actually goes.  It’s nice to know that the money fans consistently give money too, is going to the right places.  For years people have speculated that the money has gone elsewhere, especially to Nutting’s failing newspaper business.  However, Coonelly again explains that the Pirates have not shipped their money elsewhere:

“I can tell you for certain there has not been a dime that has left the Pirates organization to fund any other business of any of the partners of the Pirates,” Coonelly said.

Coonelly, previously an attorney for MLB, defended the Pirates’ right to make a profit, but said he would not stay with the team if he suspected any Pirates funds were being channeled to ownership.

“I would not have left the commissioner’s office if I wasn’t convinced that Bob Nutting was committed to putting a winning product on the field,” he said. “I would not have left the commissioner’s office and I wouldn’t remain at the Pirates if the Pirates were simply generating resources to fund other businesses.”

Frank Coonelly stands for honesty and loyalty

Well of course you’re going to say that.  First off, you’re with the organization, and you can’t really dump on them, and second, you make butt wads of money spewing constant lie after lie.  Easy money.

It’s just gotten to the point that fans don’t want to hear that you’re doing it the “right” and “honest” way.  For too long the fans who have paid obscene amounts of money to the team, and nothing has been provided.  It’s honestly amazing that I’m a die hard fan, and I just don’t think I care about what management or ownership has to say anymore.  It’s always damage control, or promoting themselves to the point of puking.  I don’t know, it’s just year after year, I find myself growing complacent with what’s being put on the field.