[Bell Ringer]

I saw this on another board and had to post this,

Larry Foote bemoaned the loss of roommate Charlie Batch because "he brought a TV and his wife made these great cookies that he shared all the time." But Batch opted to move on, leaving Foote to room with fellow linebacker James Harrison.

"Silverback makes me sleep in the closet," Foote said.

"Larry Foote lies," said Harrison. "I don't make him sleep in the closet. I make him sleep on the floor. I've got a king bed. He sleeps on the floor."

I love this guy

[smalchow]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Bell Ringer @ Aug 4th ) [snapback]1649241[/snapback]</div>

I saw this on another board and had to post this,

Larry Foote bemoaned the loss of roommate Charlie Batch because "he brought a TV and his wife made these great cookies that he shared all the time." But Batch opted to move on, leaving Foote to room with fellow linebacker James Harrison.

"Silverback makes me sleep in the closet," Foote said.

"Larry Foote lies," said Harrison. "I don't make him sleep in the closet. I make him sleep on the floor. I've got a king bed. He sleeps on the floor."

I love this guy
[/b]

[bizell]

LATROBE, Pa. (AP) -- Ben Roethlisberger on Thursday pronounced himself fit for the Steelers' first preseason game and said coach Bill Cowher would have to "hold me back" from playing nine days from now in Arizona.

It was a departure from Roethlisberger's comment following Sunday's camp-opening practice that his playing is "always coach's call."

The turning point for Roethlisberger was Wednesday night's practice at a high-school stadium in downtown Latrobe. In front of a record crowd at Memorial Stadium, he looked like the Roethlisberger of old.

"Yeah, he's the same quarterback," said offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt after the impressive showing.

"To be in comeback form like he was last night, so soon after the accident, speaks volumes about who he is," receiver Hines Ward said. "He didn't lose a beat. He looked good."

Roethlisberger improved with his arm strength, and flashed the ability to throw on the run and across his body that marked his first two seasons in the league. Roethlisberger's most impressive pass came off a scramble when he zipped the ball to Ward on the sideline. He also feathered a deep pass between linebacker Larry Foote and Troy Polamalu into the arms of Quincy Morgan.

"Everything feels pretty good," Roethlisberger said. "My arm feels good. I feel like it's coming along well. It's better than it has been in previous camps."

Teammates in the spring had hoped that another year of experience would further the development of a quarterback with a 27-4 record in his two regular seasons in the league, but a June 12 motorcycle accident put those hopes on hold.

The Wednesday night performance eased any fears.

"He made some great throws," Whisenhunt said. "He made some strong throws down the field so it was exciting."

"The only thing now is if he gets hit. What happens then?" Ward said. "But Ben's a competitor, a warrior."

Cowher said his decision on the Aug. 12 starting quarterback won't be made until next week. Whisenhunt said if it was up to him, Roethlisberger would start.

"Everything is normal again so I would expect him to play," Whisenhunt said. "He's the same quarterback. Obviously, not having worked out in four or five weeks dropped his conditioning back, so sometimes he gets tired in practice and with his throws he can't drive with his legs as much, but that's normal. That's not anything that's out of the ordinary with a quarterback."

And what of his development as a field general?

"He really had a good spring as far as recognizing things and understanding what was going on," Whisenhunt said. "(Wednesday) night was good for him. He's doing very well."

Roethlisberger may be even more mobile than he was last season, when he weighed close to 250 pounds. He's down to 235 and is using the added quickness to his advantage.

At Thursday's practice, however, he scrambled right and threw back across his body to the other side of the field, where linebacker James Harrison intercepted the pass intended for Willie Parker.

"That's nothing," said tight end Heath Miller. "I know his arm has taken a little while to get back in shape, and I'm sure he's still working on it. I think maybe (Wednesday) night was a good stage for a lot of folks to see him and say, 'Oh, OK, he's the same guy, he's still number seven, he's still going to do the same stuff."'

[bizell]

Rookie Colon doesn't take long to get noticed in Steelers camp
Posted: Thursday Aug 3, 2006 6:53 PM

LATROBE, Pa. (AP) -Willie Colon grew up not running away from many fights in the South Bronx. He wasn't about to back down from one in the Pittsburgh Steelers' training camp, even if it meant going against one of their top defensive players.

During a blocking drill, the former Hofstra lineman controlled outside linebacker Clark Haggans. Frustrated at being shut down by a rookie, Haggans yanked off Colon's helmet.


Not a good idea, even for a veteran.

"You hit me, I'm going to hit you back, just like your mama told you to do when you were a kid,'' Colon said. "I know I'm a rookie, but I didn't care if it was Haggans - if you let a player of that status show you up, you become a weak link. And I refuse to be the weak link. I worked too hard to be the weak link.''

When assistant coach Russ Grimm offered Colon a chance to jump back in against Haggans on the next play, Colon willingly did so. But Haggans was pulled out by assistant coach John Mitchell to take part in a drill on another field, so Haggans and Colon exchanged words for another 30 seconds.

"All day,'' Colon said, referring to how he felt he could contain Haggans in any kind of matchup.

Haggans and Colon later laughed off the flare-up, with Colon joking that he planned to give Haggans "a hug - and a kiss'' during dinner that night.

So much for not getting noticed during his first week in an NFL training camp, as many offensive linemen prefer to do. Normally, they are noticed only when they are making mistakes, as rookies often do during their first camp.

"Willie's a tough kid, very proud and a very good competitor,'' coach Bill Cowher said.

He is also Cowher's type of player, which might explain why the Super Bowl champions risked a fourth-round draft pick on a 6-foot-3, 315-pound tackle who played at a Division I-AA school against lower-tier opposition. Some draft analysts felt the Steelers could have waited and picked Colon a round later.

Colon is glad they didn't, and despite having grown up a Giants fan, said he had an unusual initial reaction after being drafted by the Steelers.

"When I got the news, I dropped to my knees and thanked the Lord,'' Colon said. "I mean, the Pittsburgh Steelers ...''

Since camp opened last week, Colon has impressed the Steelers with his you-can't-push-me-around makeup and a confidence level that is higher than might be expected for a player who didn't play at a major school and didn't attend the NFL draft combine in Indianapolis.

The Steelers also noticed that Colon, as assistant coach Russ Grimm said, "has shown a little added excitement for playing that position - let me leave it at that.''

That edge that Colon plays with is considered an asset by the Steelers, as long as he doesn't let his aggressiveness get out of hand by drawing penalties.

Colon's size is a concern, because a 6-foot-3 tackle is considered short by NFL standards. But Cowher and the Steelers' scouts liked Colon's toughness, one that Colon said comes naturally for an athlete who grew up five minutes from Yankee Stadium in a rugged neighborhood where one lost respect by backing down.

"I've been in a lot of fights, period - and I'm undefeated so far,'' Colon said. "But I'm not a bad guy, a rebel. I go out there and play the game hard, and that's what the Steelers want. That's just the way I am.''

[Blood, Sweat, and Steel]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Bell Ringer @ Aug 4th ) [snapback]1649241[/snapback]</div>

I saw this on another board and had to post this,

Larry Foote bemoaned the loss of roommate Charlie Batch because "he brought a TV and his wife made these great cookies that he shared all the time." But Batch opted to move on, leaving Foote to room with fellow linebacker James Harrison.

"Silverback makes me sleep in the closet," Foote said.

"Larry Foote lies," said Harrison. "I don't make him sleep in the closet. I make him sleep on the floor. I've got a king bed. He sleeps on the floor."

I love this guy
[/b]

Larry Foote = ownage Sliverback = shiznit Thanks for the new sig. Larry probably goes into the closet out of shame.

[Bell Ringer]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/9585663 Good article from Pat Kirwan at Latrobe.

[bizell]

I thought this picture was cool.

[bizell]

Big Ben to play in exhibition opener
Steelers QB will start game two months after accident
Posted: Thursday August 10, 2006 12:13PM; Updated: Thursday August 10, 2006 12:24PM
FREE EMAIL ALERTS EMAIL THIS PRINT THIS SAVE THIS MOST POPULAR

Ben Roethlisberger has not missed any training camp practice time due to the accident.
Ben Roethlisberger has not missed any training camp practice time due to the accident.
US Presswire

ADVERTISEMENT



Buy Pittsburgh Steelers Tickets Online
We have a great selection and availability for all Pittsburgh Steelers games, home and...
www.ticketsolutions.com
Pittsburgh Steelers Socks
Pittsburgh Steelers socks and an award-winning selection of other great socks at...
soxxshop.com
Pittsburgh Steelers Apparel & Gear
Officialy licensed Pittsburgh Steelers t-shirts, hats, sweatshirts, & more.
www.footballfanatics.com
Steelers Footbal Tickets
Please compare our prices and save on Steelers Footbal tickets.
www.cheappricedtickets.com

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Ben Roethlisberger will start the Pittsburgh Steelers' exhibition game at Arizona on Saturday, two months to the day of the serious motorcycle accident that left him with a broken jaw, nose and other facial injuries.

Roethlisberger has been lobbying coach Bill Cowher since camp opened July 28 to allow him to play, but Cowher had not confirmed until Thursday that the quarterback would start.

Roethlisberger will play only a series or two before Cowher inserts Charlie Batch. Most of the playing time is expected to go to the quarterbacks competing for the No. 3 job, free agent Shane Boyd and fifth-round draft pick Omar Jacobs.

Roethlisberger, who led the Steelers to a Super Bowl championship in his second season as a starter earlier this year, had not missed any training camp practice time due to the accident and has not seemed to be affected by it.

His weight is down to about 235 pounds, about 15 pounds fewer than last season, but Roethlisberger said he planned to lose weight in advance of camp even if there hadn't been an accident.

A year ago, Roethlisberger failed to lead a single touchdown drive during limited playing time in the preseason, but the Steelers went on to score 61 points in winning their first two regular season games.

Wide receiver Hines Ward, out since Friday with a sore hamstring, won't play and will be replaced by second-year receiver Nate Washington. However, Cowher said first-round draft pick Santonio Holmes of Ohio State is expected to see considerable playing time.

[imported_Alex_DeLarge]

Parker looked awesome in TC....hopefully he has a good preseason to make sure he's the starter.

And BenRo will play on Saturday

[Blood, Sweat, and Steel]

Here's a good article on the Steelers passing game, most of it we already know, but a few things did jumped out at me.

http://www.stillers.com/articles/1755.aspx

Big Ben and the Stiller Passing Game
Saturday, Aug 12, 2006
By Guest

Big Ben and the Stiller Passing Game Guest article, by CK Stiller

Last postseason, Roethlisberger shocked most of the media and football world by coming out and throwing at an elite level in the playoffs. It was in complete contradiction of the reputation he had developed as a "game manager." The Steelers were supposed to be a run first team, and #7 was just an average QB looking great in a QB friendly system. Even now, most pundits will tell you that Roethlisberger is only an above-average QB. He isn't an elite passer in the league of Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Carson Palmer. Roethlisberger doesn't have the gaudy 4,000 yards and 30 TDs those guys have. Hell, he only threw the ball 268 times, and averaged just 22 passes per game. Roethlisberger does lead in just about every efficiency stat, such as TD ratio or YPA. Most will simply dismiss this as being a product of the system. I think just about any Steeler fan can tell you the numbers don't reflect the reality of the situation, though. At least, if you only look at the base numbers.

The Steelers run a unique offense right now with Roethlisberger. It's hard to find an actual historical comparison. Those who don't watch the Steelers, may think the team runs a highly conservative offense throughout a game. I mean, they probably wonder how else you would get the Steelers 59/41 run/pass ratio. It's this idea that leads people like SI's Dr. Z, or Micheal Irvin to question the Steelers' ability to keep up in terms of scoring. The Steelers aren't the Broncos. They do not try to hide their QB. This is a misconception. The Steelers end up with the gaudy run totals for one reason only. Unlike other teams, they take the ball out of the air almost completely when a solid lead is established.

Anyone remember Palmer throwing against the Steelers, and nearly blowing the game for his team in the Steelers 38-31 defeat? Or how Peyton Manning was still throwing with a 10 point lead against the Bengals two weeks before that? Doesn't happen with the Stillers. Most of you know that. The Stillers are a far more balanced team early on then most would believe. I would personally argue that the passing game was the driving force behind the offense last season. It was incredibly efficient early. In stark contrast, the Stillers run game struggled early on in games, putting up weak numbers throughout the first half. When one takes a look at the real numbers, the Steelers offense is much more balanced than many believe.

Below are the Steelers run/pass ratios for the first half of games last season with Roethlisberger as the QB. Excluded from the run totals are the few runs by QB's, the results of broken down plays.

First Half Pass/Run Ratio

Week 1 - 9 passes, 15 runs (Titans)

Week 2 - 15 passes, 15 runs (Texans)

Week 3 - 10 passes, 10 runs (Patriots)

Week 5 - 14 passes, 17 runs (Chargers)

Week 7 - 8 passes, 14 runs (Bengals)

Week 8 - 17 passes, 11 runs (Ravens)

Week 12 - 14 passes, 14 runs (Colts)

Week 13 - 20 passes, 16 runs (Bengals)

Week 14 - 12 passes, 14 runs (Bears)

Week 15 - 9 passes, 10 runs (Vikings)

Week 16 - 15 passes, 21 runs (Browns)

Week 17 - 11 passes, 13 runs (Lions)

Total - 154 passes, 170 runs (48% pass, 52% run)

Final regular season totals - 268 passes, 386 runs (41% pass, 59% run)

Playoffs

Bengals - 13 passes, 11 runs

Colts - 19 passes, 12 runs

Broncos - 17 passes, 14 runs

Seahawks - 12 passes, 10 runs

Total - 61 passes, 47 runs (56% pass, 44% run)

Final playoff totals - 95 passes, 123 runs (44% pass, 56% run)

To put this in perspective, here are the total run/pass ratios of offenses considered to be more "pass oriented:"

Total pass/run ratios

Bengals - 538 passes, 459 runs (54% pass, 46% run)

Colts - 517 passes, 465 runs (53% pass, 47% run)

Patriots - 565 passes, 439 runs (56% pass, 44% run)

There's certainly a difference there, but it isn't anywhere near as major as you are led to believe. The run game supposedly drives the Steeler offense, yet of these four offenses, the Steelers had perhaps the weakest first half run game of any of the four teams:

First half run games
Bengals - 214 carries, 956 yards, 4.5 YPC

Colts - 184 carries, 757 yards, 4.1 YPC

Patriots - 186 carries, 671 yards, 3.6 YPC

Steelers - 197 carries, 674 yards, 3.4 YPC