Mayor owes Harris an apology

[mesaSteeler]

Mayor owes Harris an apology
Friday, 18 November 2011 00:45
Written by Bob Smizik
http://communityvoices.sites.post-ga...ris-an-apology

Nobody asked me, but . . .

* Mayor Luke Ravenstahl owes Franco Harris an apology. His cheap shot at Harris yesterday was reprehensible. Calling for Harris to step down as the chair of Pittsburgh Promise was a third-rate political trick that will backfire. Labeling Harris as uncaring of the victims in the Penn State sexual-abuse scandal was a leap of logic only a fool would undertake. Harris is an honorable man who has done much good work in this region. He didn’t deserve that.

* Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown, third and sixth-round draft choices, are going to help the Steelers win a lot of football games over the next decade -- if the team can afford to keep both.

* Like Dante Taylor before him, Pitt freshman Khem Birch, projected as an NBA first-round pick next June, is a much ballyhooed recruit who -- thus far -- has not come remotely close to expectations. That’s not his fault or Taylor’s. I’ve lowered my expectations for Steven Adams, Pitt’s next ``one-and-done,’’ who is in the class of 2012.

* I was strongly opposed to the original wild-card in MLB but soon came to realize it was a brilliant move. I don’t like the additional wild-card, particularly the one-game playoff, but past experience tells me to give it a chance.

* The New England Patriots remaining opponents have a combined record of 21-43 and only one of them, Buffalo at 5-4, has a winning record. To put that in perspective, the combined record of future Steelers opponent, in what is being called an easy schedule, is 26-28.

* Pitt defensive lineman Aaron Donald, only a sophomore, is already very good and promises to be exceptional.

* I won‘t hazard a guess on when Sidney Crosby will return to the lineup, but I‘ll predict the site of his first game this season: The Consol Energy Center.

* The comment by general manager Neil Huntington that there would be surprises in the arbitration-eligible players the Pirates do and do not tender has led to speculation the team will not offer a contract to Garrett Jones. In 1,010 at bats against right-handed pitching, Jones has an .838 career OPS. Based on that, and an estimated arbitration award of about $2 million, the Pirates would be foolish in the extreme not to keep him

* The decision of MLB to go to two 15-team leagues and thus make interleague play an almost everyday event make no sense. Nor do complaints that the Pirates were at a disadvantage in a six-team division. The teams at a disadvantage are the ones in the AL East.

* Pitt’s loss to Long Beach State Wednesday night, which followed a tough game against a weak Rider team, is cause for concern but not alarm.

* No one who was around Dale Sveum in his time with the Pirates should be surprised he's an MLB manager.

* Great idea! Mike DeCourcy of The Sporting News is calling for a rule in college basketball that would permit timeouts only in dead-ball situations. Allowing a basketball player to stop the action when he's in a tough spot makes as much sense as allowing a quarterback to call a timeout just as he’s about to be sacked.

[TRH]

how the hell can anyone "ask Harris to step down" or even drop him as a spokesperson?
This situation has NOT been through a court of law, nor has all the facts been laid out as to who did what, who didn't do what, who knew what, if they even did anything unlawful at this point in time.
The media has already played judge, jury, and executioner and its sad. Wait for the hard facts.

As for Crosby, is this the worst concussion in the history of recorded sports?

As for New England having a pansy schedule the rest of the way, whats new?? The league continually gives them a patsy schedule, even though they've consistently been one of the top winning teams in the last decade. It pays off when your owner is good personal friends with the league commissioner, doesn't it??

I, too, am worried that the Steelers can keep both Wallace and Brown (and everyone else too). Wallace and his agent will likely want the moon and the stars too, and will get it. If not here, other teams will be lining the Brinks trucks up for him.

[Stu Pidasso]

Originally Posted by TRH

how the hell can anyone "ask Harris to step down" or even drop him as a spokesperson?

The same way someone can be suspended and punished for 6 games (down to 4) for just being accused of something.

[stlrtruck]

Originally Posted by Stu Pidasso

The same way someone can be suspended and punished for 6 games (down to 4) for just being accused of something.

Wait, Goodell is running the casino too?

[lipps83]

Originally Posted by TRH

As for New England having a pansy schedule the rest of the way, whats new?? The league continually gives them a patsy schedule, even though they've consistently been one of the top winning teams in the last decade. It pays off when your owner is good personal friends with the league commissioner, doesn't it??

Just to clarify the Pats schedule is dictated by the divisions they are scheduled to play and their place in the division the previous year.

So in other words, they are playing the teams they should be scheduled to play based on the rotation and their division rank.

The schedules are set so that each team plays every single other team at least once every 4 years.

• Each team plays home and away against its three division opponents, which accounts for six games on the schedule.

• Each team plays four teams from another division within its conference on a rotating three-year cycle, which accounts for four more games.

• Each team plays four teams from a division in the other conference on a rotating four-year cycle, which accounts for another four games.

• Each team plays two intraconference games based on the prior year's standings. For example, the first-place team in a division will play against the first-place team from another division within the same conference. The second place team in a division will play against the second-place team from another division within the same conference, etc...

Same as the Steelers schedule and every other team in the league.

It is not because the NFL loves the Patriots.

[steelfury02]

but pretty much loves the Patriots

[stlrtruck]

Originally Posted by lipps83

Just to clarify the Pats schedule is dictated by the divisions they are scheduled to play and their place in the division the previous year.

So in other words, they are playing the teams they should be scheduled to play based on the rotation and their division rank.

The schedules are set so that each team plays every single other team at least once every 4 years.

• Each team plays home and away against its three division opponents, which accounts for six games on the schedule.

• Each team plays four teams from another division within its conference on a rotating three-year cycle, which accounts for four more games.

• Each team plays four teams from a division in the other conference on a rotating four-year cycle, which accounts for another four games.

• Each team plays two intraconference games based on the prior year's standings. For example, the first-place team in a division will play against the first-place team from another division within the same conference. The second place team in a division will play against the second-place team from another division within the same conference, etc...

Same as the Steelers schedule and every other team in the league.

It is not because the NFL loves the Patriots.

I find his point to be more to the fact that commentators will look at the Steelers schedule and make a point to comment on how 'easy' it is, but when it comes to the patriots*, nothing is hardly mentioned at all.

[SCMom]

Originally Posted by TRH

As for Crosby, is this the worst concussion in the history of recorded sports?

Not sure if you were serious or not...but no, not even in hockey. Lindros was a concussion machine and had his career cut short. Same with Marc Savard (Bruins), who had a second concussion in early Feb. '11 (the first was in March '10), and as of August of this year, the GM of the Bruins shut him down for the season and said he doesn't know if he'll ever play again.

[lipps83]

Originally Posted by steelfury02

but pretty much loves the Patriots

Oh, absolutely! That doesn't have anything to do with scheduling though.

Fines, calls, etc... that is a completely different story!