Oh, and BTW

Yinzers,

Yours truly along with J Brog, Sky R, Ian M and Mike O were on Kirk Herbstreit's "Herbies" article for a second year in a row. This guy is the one with the sleeveless and the blue stripe. This pic is from the article, available here.

For the Glory,
B Brog

Monday Igloo Update

Yinzers,

Not a whole lot to report from the Pittsburgh Penguins' newsroom. Fox Sports Net-Pittsburgh announced the TV broadcast schedule, an explanation of which can be found here.

The Consol Energy Center will also be hosting an NCAA and AHL double header during the week of the Bridgestone Winter Classic over at Heinz Field. On December 30th at 3:00 pm, Robert Morris University-who shocked #1 Miami, OH last year-will be hosting another Frozen Four competitor from last year: Rochester Institute of Technology. Following that game will be an AHL match-up between the Washington Capitals' affiliate Hershey Bears and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. This puck drops at 7:30 pm.

Tickets for the Pittsburgh Penguins' preseason games went on sale this past Thursday. The Pens will play the Detroit Red Wings on September 22nd, which will be the first ever hockey game at Consol Energy Arena. The Pens will also square off against the Columbus Blue Jackets for a home-and-home series on September 24th and 25th. The other exhibition is September 28th against the Chicago Blackhawks. Games are at 7:00 pm. The only game televised (as of now) will be the September 25th game against the Blue Jackets, which will be on KDKA.

Let's go Pens,
B Brog

Penn State Phryday

Yinzers,

Camp JoePa 2010 has come to a close and we are now into the first week of practice in the 2010 academic semester. Since Joe has been at the helm, every Penn State football player has graduated from undergrad and plenty with honors. So, here is an overview of the situations on this year's squad.

Quarterback
With the departure of offensive captain Daryll Clark after last year's campaign, there is still no clear cut front-runner for the starting job with week one just eight days away. This year's QB corps is very young with sophomore (RS) Kevin Newsome having the most playing time at the NCAA Division-IA level...and it's only a few snaps. Also in the race are sophomores Matthew McGloin and Shane McGregor and freshmen Paul Jones and Robert Bolden. The experience choice favors Newsome, a double threat to run and pass but has had only above average accuracy. My personal choice, looking at the films on the dreadful Big Ten Network, is Robert Bolden. The 6'4" 208 lbs. freshman runs very well and is extremely accurate with his passing. The only problem is that he is a true freshman and has not seen a Big Ten rush before. It will be interesting to watch who all gets snaps against YSU.

Running Back
What is there to talk about? This year is the year of the running back for the Nittany Lions. Both Evan Royster and Stephfon Green are returning for their senior and junior years, respectively. Royster only needs 481 yards to become Penn State's all-time career leading rusher. He will need every bit of if Penn State wants to contend for a Big Ten title. Penn State is undefeated when Royster rushes for 100+ yards. He will have to be the backbone of the offense no matter which young quarterback is under center.

Wide Receiver/Tight End
All of the Nittany Lion receiving corps is coming back for the 2010 season. Led by Graham Zug and Derek "Even Catches Hot" Moye, the wideouts bring plenty of big targets for the slinger to fire at. If you didn't get the joke, everybody can catch cold but Derek Moye can catch hot because his hands are so good. Brent Brackett is 6'6", D-Moye is 6'5", Graham Zug is 6'2" and Justin Brown is 6'3". There are two exceptions to that trend: Curtis Drake is 5'11" and Devon Smith is 5'7". These two have freak-like speed in their pocket, however. Look for them to rotate into the slot for quick slants and screen passes often. They both may end up taking some punts to help with the field position game. At tight end, we have some young guys looking to break through in the wake of Mickey Shuler and Andrew Quarless. They'll be tough shues to fill (pun intended), but these guys are big, can block, and look like they can catch passes.

Offensive Line
This is going to be the teller of the season. The offensive line is also relatively young, but showed some chemistry in preseason practices. Sometimes that counts more than skill. We'll see how they match up when they square off against the big hogs from Alabama, Iowa, Michigan and Ohio State.

Defensive Line
The Big Ten's best running defense will be back in action this year with Jack "The Ripper" Crawford leading the way. Crawford is returning for his junior season and will be wreaking havoc on opposing quarterbacks as usual. I'm not sure who will be flanking the other side of the defensive line. In the middle, it will be tough to replace Jarrod Odrick. Senior Ollie Ogbu is back this season and is a force to behold. Next to him in the 4-3 will most likely be Devon Still who will be coming of a great junior season in 2009.

Linebacker U
Well, no Sean Lee, no Navarro "Bone Crusher" Bowman, no Josh "Mustache" Hull. Don't let that get you down. One of the reasons that Penn State was voted to have the best recruiting class in 2010 was their work at getting some of the best linebackers in the nation to come to Linebacker U. What this year's corps lacks in experience, they make up for in flat out athleticism. Bani Gbadyu will most be the prime candidate to lead the corps, coming into his senior season learning from the likes of Paul Posluzny, Dan Connor and Sean Lee. Look for Michael Mauti, coming off of a season ending ACL tear last year, to make a case for why he was so heavily recruited coming out of high school. Also in the mix should be sophomore Gerald Hodges, who runs like a deer. It will be a fun year in the middle of that 4-3.

Defensive Secondary
There has been an addition to the secondary this year. Chaz Powell will now be playing on the defensive side of the ball. After being the 4th leading receiver last year, Powell is playing cornerback this year for the Nittany Lions. I think this may pay off since Powell was such a crisp route-runner. He should be able to keep up with the rest of the Big Ten's receivers. The biggest question I have on defense is "Did anybody teach the safety's to tackle yet?" Drew Astorino will most likely be starting at free safety and like his predecessor, Anthony Scorotto, only dives at feet. Depending on the defensive package, Nick Sukay will most likely be the strong safety. SuKay hits hard in the running defense, but like all other Penn State safeties, sometimes has a habit of getting burned by deep threats. If the secondary can force runs, it's gonna be a good year.

Next week is the first Penn State Preview of the season. Youngstown State, Saturday September 4 at 12:00 noon. Be there.

For the Glory,
B Brog

Truck Tuesday

This past weekend the Igloo Club 222 had its kickoff the season party. Over 30 people attended so we had a full house and as far as I could tell everyone had a good time. I hadn't seen many of the people who attended since January. This definitely brought back memories of last year when I had just moved in and the IC222 had its first party - I was scared to death. For some reason I got the impression that this group of people was going to be a rowdy bunch...and I was kind of a wimp back then. They were people of all ages who seemed to have nothing in common other than their love for the black and gold, and I really didn't understand that at all. After seeing this group on an almost weekly basis for several months, this group really grew on me. Its funny because now I really see the group as a sort of family and once you're in, you're always in. To say the least, I am already looking forward to the next gathering.



Well, if you didn't figure it out from the above the post, the only reason we were able to get everyone here was because we bought the pre-season game. Now, I usually watch most of the games, but when it comes to pre-season, I could care less. So basically, no I did not watch a single minute of the game, but I heard the Steelers won, which is good, I guess, even though it doesn't matter. I came across this pic online today of a cat that ran across the field during the game - not sure if that was aired or not, but I found it rather amusing - and clearly the giants coaches did too. I think it is so funny because it reminds me of the puke covered squirrel in hot tub time mashine that runs across the field in the football game and causes stu to lose his bet. If you haven't seen hot tub time mashine - do it - now.

Have a happy truck tuesday.

love,
truck

Monday Igloo Update

Yinzers,

Oh my...is it true? A former Philthadelphia Flyer is now in the clean sanctuary of the Pittsburgh Penguins' locker room. I was in utter disbelief when I found out and I hope Jukebox Shero has something up his sleeve for this one because I do not like the fit. Ray Shero went out and acquired former Philthadelphia Flyers' winger Arron Asham this past week. Asham played for the Flyers for the past 2 seasons, basically being one of "those guys" like Claude Gerieux and Scott Hartnell, mostly there to throw rocks at our stars. Thankfully, the contract is only for one year and $700,000. Asham plays a gritty style of wing most comparable with Jay Cauffield or Mike Rupp (in my opinion). We'll see how he works out in the locker room. That is my biggest concern with this deal. If the Philth spreads through the pristine Penguins' home, it may be an underachieving season. I will, however, trust the Jukebox's judgment. He has not failed thus far.

The Wilkes Barre-Scranton Penguins added another familiar face to their coaching crew. The Baby Pens named Alain Nasreddine assistant coach for the squad. Nasreddine played a total of 15 years of professional hockey, 5 of which were with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He will make his coaching debut with the Baby Pens this fall.

So what would go best with the great history of the Pittsburgh sports teams in the city? Another sports team. Former Pittsburgh Steeler wideout and NFL hall of famer Lynn Swann is providing ownership of a new, professional, Pittsburgh sports team. No, it's not an NBA team...PRAISE JESUS! Instead, it is an arena football team that will play at Consol Energy Center. The Pittsburgh Power will begin play in the Spring of 2011 in the arena football league. The Power will not be the first arena team in Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Gladiators were in tahn from 1987-1991 before relocating to Tampa Bay. The team will be holding tryouts and will most likely be comprised of much local talent. Who knows, it may be something worth watching.

You stay classy Pittsburgh,
B Brog

Pen Zen: Top 20 Most Memorable Pens: #15 Bill Guerin

As the season looms, it comes time to dust off the cobwebs on your overpriced Malkin jersey. It's almost

hockey season, and I think everyone is embracing the fall and getting ready to greet the Pens in the new arena. We have had some wonderful times in Mellon Arena, but we are ready for the future as well.

The Pens have a completely different look from last year, and one thing is for certain, the Penguins will be a stronger and more physical team. Although we are excited about greeting our new friends, we are also in angst to see what happens to our old roster. Which brings me to #15 on our list.

We are still impatiently awaiting Bill Guerin's plans to choose where he will be next season. One thing is for sure, if he chooses to join another team, or retire, he will be missed by the Penguins and their fans greatly. As some fans have called him, "Big Bill" or "Dad", it is certain that he brings a role of leadership, experience, and heart.

Bill Guerin brings to the Pittsburgh Penguin roster, heart and intensity. It was his second fight in the previous two games, which seems odd because Bill Guerin is 39 years of age. However, as Mark Twain used to insinuate, Guerin is 36 years young...

Notably, Bill Guerin was the Penguins winner of the NHL Masterson "Comeback Player" Award, yesterday. As the Official Pittsburgh Penguin website states, "Masterton candidate is nominated as the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey." In the short span that Bill Guerin has laced up for the Penguins, he has exhibited these qualities, and then some...

Perhaps the greatest example of his "dedication to hockey" was after game 5 in Stanley Cup Finals. After losing 5-0 to the Wings in the Joe Louis Arena, most players would be dejected and have very little confidence about their chances winning the cup. The day after game 5, the Penguins held a practice that was different from most practices, especially after a 5-0 loss. There was no anger, anxiety, or angst in the locker room or on the ice. Bill Guerin kept the atmosphere light and fun, cracking jokes on Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, encouring role players like Pascal Dupuis, and Phillipe Boucher, Guerin made hockey what it should be, fun. We all know what happened afterwards, The Pens won game 6 and 7 to win the Stanley Cup, and although Bill Guerin didn't score any goals, his demeaner in the locker room was perhaps his greatest contribution.

So... In light of this tribute to Guerin, I would like to post a song (again) inspired by the man himself (and from the movie Super Troopers). It is a song I partially wrote myself, and I hope if nothing else, you might have this song stuck in your head when Bill Guerin scores. I hope you enjoy it.

(Chorus)
Big Bill, He’s Iron Tough
Big Bill, He’s got a chest like a rug
Big Bill, He don’t take no guff
He’s Big Bill

(Verse)
Goin’ down the ice, got fella’s on his back
Pens logo in the front and got a jersey in black
By sam a drink and get one for his dog
You know he’s gonna score when he skates from the fog

(Chorus)
Looking over their shoulder, but they’re never gonna find
Big Bill’s got a hit that will knock you unaligned
13 in Black’s gonna knock ‘em out of sight
Never gonna catch him and you never wanna fight ole’…

(Chorus)

Oh, Big Bill (x6)

(Chorus)

(Verse)
So remember if you can, when you’re traveling down the road
Be careful there’s a man who pulls a heavy load
He’s hotter than the sun with a team that’s going up
With a slapshot from the slot, he’s gonna win another cup

(Last Chours)
Big Bill, He’s Iron Tough
Big Bill, He’s got a chest like a rug
Big Bill, He don’t take no guff
Big Bill
C’mon give ole’ Bill the cup!

Penn State Phryday

Yinzers,

It's finally that time again. Time to return to Happy Valley and get ready for the greatest show in college football. 110,000 of my "family and friends" that will be with me every Saturday through thick and thin (unless they are from Philadelphia or Jersey, they only care about the team when we're winning), rain or shine and Ohio or Indiana. The big football blogs will begin in 2 weeks, on football eve. As for now, we'll just let you know what's going on in the Valley.


Move-in day is tomorrow and I have already seen the effects of this year's idiot freshman crowd. Hoards of ungrateful little punks with false senses of entitlement and celebrity have started flooding dahntahn State College. "I'll just park right here, they can deal with it. Let's drive 15 in a 35 so we can see the campus buildings from the street. I can't believe mom and dad are making me carry this stuff..." kids these days. Personally, I came back on Tuesday for orientation into the Professional Science Masters of Biotechnology. At the time of my arrival, the only people here were the snobby honors college students and the international students. Hundreds of far easterners running around in groups of 8 or more, taking pictures at every bush, building, wall and light post. Go home tourists. I forgot that this university brings me to borderline ethnocentrism. But it is still the only place I could ever want to be for my education.

If any of you dear readers are planning on visiting Nittany Nation this year, allow yourself extra time in transit. Interstate 80 is "under construction" in multiple places. When I say "under construction," I mean there are plenty of signs and cones, but no workers in sight. Also, just on the local news yesterday, Interstate 99 and the interchange of I-99 and US-322 are going to be "under construction." PennDOT says, and I quote, "inferior concrete was used in the initial construction of the road and it must be repaired before the middle of October so the new material cures." Why does nobody like PennDOT? It's because they give contracts to the lowest cost estimate and not the contractor who will lay down quality work. Therefore, let's do it cheaply and then wait until the football season to repair it when 250,000 people have to drive it to get to the games.

Looking forward to the Dark Horse Tavern, $4 dozen wings on Monday and Thursday 8:00-10:00pm. Looking forward to the Rathskellar, trivia night on Thursdays from 10:00pm-12:00am. Looking forward to Zeno's with their 250+ beers for selection. One last hoorah in Happy Valley. Let's make it worth it.

For the Glory,
B Brog

To Ben or not to Ben......

Yinzers,

I have read publication after publication( including Pittsburgh Magazine) talking about how this is going to be the toughest season for the Steeler Nation ,based on the present off season. OK so this isn't the same scenario as Steeler teams past, with their problems at the time. It's a new NFL and a if you haven't noticed a very different time period.

Players today ( first of all) make a ton of Money. Just loads of dough that we could not fathom in a lifetime. They are also held to idol status and in the instance of being in Pittsburgh, they are what makes up our sporting community. The city of Pittsburgh has the identity of it's players. For years it was hard working and blue collar -along with good natured hard nosed sob's.

For the first time in a long time, people have a real reason to put down the Steelers and their Franchise. For the first time in a long time people are doubting the best franchise in professional sports but for the first time in my adult life - we really are challenged.

Will it be a Super Bowl year( all signs point to yes) I do Not know? But what I do know is that Big Ben is the First super star of my generation, and in my screwed up Generation what he did was wrong- but he is getting his final chance. Let's put it this way, he didn't kill anyone , and didn't dog fight for money . He did make a wrong choice that was selfish....so the million dollar question is .....Will you Ben or not?

Coming from Pittsburgh Character is almost as important as your last name. So does he have Character to turn around this season and his life- who knows? I do know this he is a Football player that is it. He is not going to shape the future, or my life. So I am giving the Great Big Ben one more chance to prove to me he is not an ass.

Good luck ole boy!

Be like me, come week 4 you are going to love to see Ben back under center for the Super Bowl champs.

No i am not drunk, Just a Steeler fan ready to prove why we are number one once again.

Suck it Baltimore

Wade

Truck Tuesday

Hey Yinz,

Sorry for the untimely post. I was traveling all day for my job - lame - and I never had time to thing about what I wanted to write about. I just got on twitter (yes, I do that) and looked at all the pittsburgh related people/teams/etc that I follow on there. I assumed that there would be something newsworthy that I could discus here, but the first thing that popped up was this tweet...

@steeler_news : Pittsburgh Steelers Retractable Badge Holder 2 Pack | Buy Cheap ... http://bit.ly/98JyDO

wow. you know there is really nothing to talk about when you start advertising retractable badge holders...

Other things I learned from twitter tonight: Bylsma visited Malkin in Russia for a few days, and Antonio Brown was given the nickname of "Rod Tidwell" (from Jerry Maguire - a personal fave of mine) by Ward, and some other pretty uninteresting stuff.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
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Then twitter sucked me in for a while and I have nothing else to tell you about.

Time for bed, hope you had a happy Truck Tuesday.

Love,
Truck

Monday Igloo Update

Yinzers,

Well, Brognano family vacation is over and we're back in action for Monday Igloo Updates. Thursdays will no longer be "Tales from Aisle 9" since yours truly will no longer be working at the store (moment of silence). Instead, Thursdays will focus on the upcoming Steelers game, which we will have plenty of coverage of with Nix also following the black & gold closely. I will sprinkle in some good old WPIAL football when I can on Thursdays, Fedko-zone-esque and Fridays will still be Penn State Phrydays. On to today's news.

Three major events took place this past week. First, the MSM had its third ever staff meeting.

Second, your Monday/Thursday/Friday writer was viciously attacked by a crazed Tampa Bay Rays fan in the ocean. Obviously not happy with the lack of AL East coverage by MSM. This kind of thing happens when you step on the head of a sting ray without knowing.

Third, the Brog boys played a golf course in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina called the World Tour Golf Links, which had 27 holes modeled after famous holes from the famous courses on the PGA Tour. See if you can beat my 46 on the International and 48s on the Open and Championship 9s. Check it out at http://www.theworldtourgolf.com.

In Penguins news, the only real news is that the general public open house for the Consol Energy Center will be August 28, 2010. Tickets are $5 and all the proceeds go to charity. Also, the Wilkes Barre-Scranton "baby" Penguins signed Andrew "Penny Candy" Orpik. The younger brother of Brooks "Free Candy" Orpik is 6'3" and 200 lbs, scoring 22 points over the course of 35 games last year with the Las Vegas Wranglers in the ECHL. Welcome to the club.

Let's go Pens,
B Brog

Pen Zen: Top 20 Most Memorable Pens: #16 Bryan Trottier

Wayne Gretzky once told Paul Coffey that he would never be nearly as good as this hockey legend until he won a Stanley Cup, and even though Coffey has four cups to his name, he cannot compare to the winning legacy that Bryan Trottier has.

Bryan Trottier will probably be remembered as arguably the greatest player in New York Islanders history. Achieving the Conn Smythe and the Hart trophy while playing in Long Island. Not to mention he won 4 Stanley Cups in the early 80's, as being apart of one of the greatest hockey dynasties of all time.

However, his tenure as an NHL great was not just with the Islanders. Although, only have a short tenure with the Penguins, his impact was immediate and incredibly memorable. Bryan Trottier was one of the key members in a Penguins team that was filled with hall of famers, and Trottier was no exception. He won two Stanley Cups in the early 90's with the Penguins, making him one of the most decorated hockey players of all time. It wasn't just about scoring points, Bryan Trottier was a master at doing one thing. Winning...

However, the memories in Pittsburgh of Mr. Trottier expands far from just being a Champion, his on the ice and off the ice antics made him a local favorite in the city of Pittsburgh.

After winning the Stanley Cup for the 2nd time, the Penguins celebrated it's second consecutive cup in 3 rivers stadium. Former General Manager Craig Patrick noticed a lull in the celebration and so he asked Trottier to ask if Bob Errey and Troy Loney would go run around inside the stadium with the cup. Trottier rallied the guys and asked if they would celebrate with him. Although they agreed to it, once Trottier got to the bottom of the stairs, the players jokingly left him to celebrate on the field alone. Trottier made the best of his situation and saw that the tarp was wet from the night before. Therefore, Trottier decided to take a little slide with the cup on the tarp. Although Trottier admits that his first slide was sub-par. He stated that he got a bigger run and got a second great slide with the cup on the tarp at three rivers stadium. It was considered one of the best cup celebrations of all time.

And then there is this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MNA0_n32Hc

(Note, not for the young crowd, but boy is it funny!)

Bryan Trottier may have only had a brief stint for the Penguins, but he made his presence known as one of the best players of all time. Not only winning the cup for the Penguins twice, but being a local celebrity every time he comes into town. Although Trotts will be known as a New York Islander for the long haul, he will always be a Yinzer to us...

The Moment We've All Been Waiting For!

Hola Yinz,

Well, it's about time. It's the moment that we have all been waiting for; it's finally the start of Pre-Season Football.

As I previously mentioned, I spent a week in the beloved Burgh. Good food, Good People, It was Magical! While I was there I was able to catch the night practice in Latrobe; the smell of pigskin was in the air and the excitement was on high.

Me (on Right), and Herminie (betcha can't find that on the map) Native, Tarah

The Steelers start out with the Detroit Lions in T-Minus 6 hours 30 min! I can feel the anticipation in my blood. I'M READY!

Hug It, Chug It, FOOTBALL!

Labuda on the Left Coast

Wade's Fall Rankings

Yinzers,

We are now approaching all the Football and Fall sports hype. Rankings, Ap polls and a whole bunch of mumbo jumbo is starting to surface in the media. Vegas picks the Superbowl winner , and gives you odds on a bunch of teams that don't even come close to their projected rankings.

So today I would like to tell you our MSM projected rankings for the Fall of 2010. These are based strictly on how much I like these teams and what I think will happen in the upcoming weeks. So what I am saying is it is based on Strictly Bull shavitz.....

1. The Pittsburgh Steelers:

This off season was full of shenanigans. From Tweeting about 4:20 to Bathroom Hook ups, the Steelers have their backs against the wall this Fall. Longtime Steeler Fans know when they are backed into a corner is when we play our best football. We have brought depth to many positions and we are playing with purpse. I love that we are not even considered to go 8-8 this season. This ranking will hold when we go 3-1 during Big Ben's suspension.

2.Pittsburgh Panthers:

Facial Hair plays a huge role in this prediction. The Panthers for the 3rd straight year are predicted to go back to College Football royalty this year . They have been projected by many college football analysts to win the Big East and then lose to an unheard of Cincinnati Team on National Television. I see the Panthers getting over last years hurdle fairly easily and I see them possibly in the BCS. Dont Choke on the Wanstache....

3. Penn State Nittany Lions:

Joe Pa is in his 171th year of coaching Penn State.He and his Lions are heading down to meet the Devil in one Nick Satan and the University of Alabama 3 weeks into the Season. Wow what a Showdown. This will kick off a Home and Home series for the first time in a long time between the schools ( if at all). Penn State has a major question at the Qb position. This Gives the Panthers a Slight Margin in the Poll over the Lions. But At the end of this season with big wins at Michigan State , Ohio State and new kid onthe Block Iowa- we may Be talking BCS Championship for PSU. Before you say anything Dream big.....

4.South Carolina Gamecocks( Alma Mater Vote) :

So the Critics are saying that the best Chance for the Gamecocks to win an SEC championship is this year, and I agree. With Tenn,Florida and everyone else but BAMA- Carolina and their Defense Can match up quite nicely. The University is Riding a Wave of awkwardness from this Summer and the University finally winning a National Championship ( baseball) in anything. I am a momentum guy and if they hype can hold up for a few more months I see a great year( not 8-4) for the Gamecocks.

5. West Virginia Mountaineers

6.Louisville Cardinals

7.Missouri Tigers

8. App State

9.Pittsburgh Penguins( I know I know- it's my poll)

10.Notre Dame

So put that in your pipe and Smoke it. Also just get excited it's the most wonderful time of the Year!

Wade

We are Family...

Yinzers,

The sweet smell of Football is in the air. This past weekend Two more Members of the Steeler's family entered the Football Hall of Fame,Coaches Russ Grimm and Dick Leabaeu. Can you think of the last time other than Arnold Palmer that an Athlete or a Coach had a Significant role in the Success of a team? Dick Lebeau is the Father of Defense, no one in the history of the NFL has created and executed more Defensive Schemes than the Bengals ever knew what to do with.

The Steelers have also invited four former Black n' Golders home this season, Randle El, Bryant Mcfadden, Byron Leftwich( who I hear is having an unbelievable camp) and one of my Favorite Players of all time- Larry Foote.

So what does this mean, it means more depth and experience at positions that are really needed in this very uncertain upcoming season. Looking forward to the Start of the Season this Saturday vs. the Lions. 7:30 Mecca.

Here we GO!

Wade

Truck Tuesday

The Igloo club hosted Brogano drop in last Thursday night. We all had a great time and I was very happy to finally meet to rest of the fam which I have heard a plethera of stories about - all good and entertaining of course!

While preparing for their arrival I realized how much I have missed having people over to watch football and hockey games! For Brognano drop in we fixed some of our favorite dishes that we have not made since last fall/winter, such as meatballs, haluski, & artichoke dip - delicious! Wade's haluski really keeps getting better and better! When football season begins I will start trying out the Pennsylvania cookbook that we picked up on vacation and give a few a few recipies a try...we will see how this goes. perogies anyone? I will report on my progress Julie & Julia style, but more like Truck & da Burgh.

Well we have 23 days till Gamecock football (sept2) and 33 days till Steeler football (sept12) - when I start cooking. Let the coutdowns begin!

Note: I am just happy that I am excited right now, b/c come January when the Steelers are DEFINITELY in the playoffs and the Pens hockey season looks like it will never end, you all will be singing the song - "we think that charleigh is pittsburghed aht, pitts-burghed aht"



...sung to the tune of "Pittsburgh Hot" of course ;)

One last note - I will be ordered Igloo Club t-Shirts at the end of this week. If you want one and have not informed me yet, please let me know by Thursday - you can just comment on the blog if you want. $12 each.

Sorry for the late post.

Much love,
Truck

Pen Zen: Top 20 Most Memorable Pens: #17 Ray Shero

Ah summertime…

The pools are open, people are enjoying the outdoors, schools are closed, and people are relaxing in the sun. Summer can be a pretty great time of year, unless you’re a sports fan. Let’s face it, there is only so much midseason baseball and obscure sporting events (tour de France, world cup, British open) before you start salivating for football and ice hockey. It’s inevitable, we all want our boys from Pittsburgh to hit the field and hit the ice for another great season.

Point being, that for an Ice hockey fan, summer sucks, but strangely enough that’s when a completely new season comes into play, making a team better, in a different way…

That’s where my top 20 list comes into play. In 2006, Ray Shero was hired as the Penguins new general manager replacing beloved GM Craig Patrick. Pittsburgh fans knew that Shero had some large shoes to fill, because Patrick not only was an exceptional GM, he coached along with Herb Brooks with the 1980 US Olympic hockey team. Long story short, Shero had some shoes to fill.

In his brief tenure with the Pens, his Public Relations has been phenomenal, signing players to come to Pittsburgh left and right, getting very talented athletes to take substantial pay cuts to stay with the Penguins. Quite Frankly, he made players offers they couldn’t refuse.

In the beginning of his career, Shero made very subtle, but valuable moves nonetheless. Acquiring players like Mark Recchi, Jarkko Ruutu, and Mark Eaton. 3 players that helped the Pens go deep into the playoffs. Shero was also responsible for acquiring Jordan Staal in the draft, and it was under his tenure that Evgeni Malkin took refuge from his developmental camp to join the Pens. However, Shero’s work was only beginning.

During the 2007-2008 season is when Shero made his presence known. He signed Petr Sykora and re-signed Ryan Whitney to keep the pens strong. The Pens had an exceptional regular season, but Shero felt that the Pens needed more. In a gutsy and highly controversial move, Shero traded Erik Christensen, Colby Armstrong, and young star Angelo Esposito and acquired Marian Hossa, Pascal Dupuis, and Hal Gill. The Pens would later lose in the Stanley Cup finals, and the personal seemed to be more than ready to get things underway for a successful run the following season

In the 2008-2009 campaign, Shero proved his stature as an exceptional GM. First of all, in the beginning of the season, Shero wanted to sign Marian Hossa for a long-term contract, whereas Hossa wanted a short-term contract with a chance to win a Stanley Cup. Hossa saturated the market for almost a month and then decided to go to the Detroit Red Wings. Fans felt like they had been stabbed in the back, there were many all-star caliber players that had already been shipped off to other teams. The likelihood of Shero picking up great all-stars was slim to none at this point. However, Shero did manage to pick up Miroslav Satan, Ruslan Fedotenko. Which in turn were not superstars, but all played a significant role in one way or another as the season progressed.

Pens were staring at 10^th place towards the trading deadline. Moral was very low, and playoff hopes were dwindling. The Pens looked asleep, and from the fans perspective, coach Michael Therrien seemed almost disinterested. Shero fired Therrien and brought in coach Dan Bylsma from the Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins (whom Shero hired earlier that year). Shero also acquired Bill Guerin, Chris Kunitz, and Craig Adams at the trading deadline. These moves would shoot Ray Shero into legendary status as the Penguins won their 3^rd Stanley Cup

Shero also did an incredible job in 2009-2010 to keep the Penguins together, by having some of the pens biggest role players to take pay cuts to stay with the team. Although, the Pens did not win the cup, they showed that they had the ability to continue on a very high level of playing and would be competitive for years to come.

Lastly, with Sergei Gonchar’s departure this offseason, Shero made some giant moves, by going after the 2^nd and 3^rd most coveted defensivemen in the free agency period. The Pens acquired young defensemen Zybnek Michalek and Paul Martin for multiple years. The Pens went from a sub-par defensive team with an incredible force up the middle to having one of the best blue lines in the NHL.

Ray Shero has been praised year after year by ESPN for making the best moves at the trading deadline and the offseason, and why not? Shero has filled every weakness the Pens have had year after year. He has made his presence known, and will surely be a strong GM for the Pens for years to come.

Bottom Line, as the Pensblog so eloquently put it: “When Ray Shero looks up at the rafters, he sees 3 Stanley Cup Champion banners. When GM Ted Leonsis looks up at the rafters at the Verizon Center, he sees asbestos”.

Breaking News, Max Talbot.....

Yinzers,

Maxx Talbot just told the MSM in an excluisve interview that Brett Farve is a Douche Bag. Seriously Grandpa make up your mind either Play Football or make Jeans commercials.

Nobody out side of Fantasy Football gives a crap.

Wade

Stanley Cups, Lombardi Trophies and a Special Recognition

Yinzers,

So When I started this blog 4 years ago I did it for fun. That's it , I did it so that my friends from Pittsburgh, Washington and Louisville could read about my dumbass Pittsburgh rants and raves.

Last Saturday the Morning Steel Mill received a letter of Special Recognition from the United States Congress for our blog. The Certificate reads" To the Morning Steel Mill for continuing the ongoing representation of Western Pennsylvania culture and athletic legacy".......

This is a great and humbling day for all of us.

Once again thanks to all 7 of our readers, and the thousands of Yinzers around the world.

(Thank you to Brian, Laura, Steven and Truck)

Wade