Steelheads will be Steelheads

[CountDeMoney]

Earth to Mendenhall: time to come home

If you're a rational person and believe sports is a microcosm of the real world, the recent Twitter remarks about Osama bin Laden from Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall have to make you cringe.

Despite the huge body of evidence linking bin Laden to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the airliner that crashed in Shanksville, Pa., Mendenhall apparently remains unconvinced the al-Quaida leader was involved.

"We'll never know what really happened," he tweeted recently. "I just have a hard time believing a plane could take a skyscraper down demolition style."

He also castigated Americans for celebrating the death of bin Laden: "What kind of person celebrates death? It's amazing how people can hate a man they have never even heard speak. We've only heard one side. . ."

Apparently, it doesn't matter to Mendenhall that we have heard bin Laden speak -- via video and audio-tapes -- urging his followers to kill Americans and destroy the U.S.

And apparently it doesn't matter to Mendenhall that dozens -- if not hundreds -- of scientists and engineers have explained precisely how a skyscraper can buckle and collapse if a jetliner loaded with fuel crashes into it.

What else can you say to a man who -- at least metaphorically -- refuses to open his eyes?

Thankfully, Steelers president Art Rooney II released a ststement Tuesday basically disavowing Mendenhall's remarks and wondering what planet he's on.

One thing's clear: Mendenhall's remarks have created a furor in Pittsburgh. It'll be interesting to see how he reacts to it.

[CountDeMoney]

Steelers president Art Rooney II said this morning that halfback Rashard Mendenhall's comments about 9/11 and Osama bin Laden's death were hard to comprehend.

"I have not spoken with Rashard so it is hard to explain or even comprehend what he meant with his recent Twitter comments," Rooney said in a statement released by the Steelers this morning. "The entire Steelers' organization is very proud of the job our military personnel have done and we can only hope this leads to our troops coming home soon."

Dan Rooney, the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland and Steelers chairman emeritus, today praised the work of his country's military after Navy Seals killed terrorist Osama bin Laden.

On the website of the U.S. Embassy in Dublin and under the headline, "Obama Calls Death of bin Laden an Act of Justice,'' the following paragraph was written near the end of the piece:

U.S. Ambassador to Ireland, Daniel M. Rooney said in a statement "I am proud and grateful for the President and all the men and women of intelligence and military communities for their constant demonstration of courage and bravery. Their actions this weekend have made the world a safer and more just place to live for all humanity."

Among Mendenhall's series of Tweets about 9/11 Monday evening:

• "We'll never know what really happened. I just have a hard time believing a plane could take a skyscraper down demolition style"

• "I believe in God. I believe we're ALL his children. And I believe HE is the ONE and ONLY judge."

• "Those who judge others, will also be judged themselves."

• "For those of you who said you want to see Bin Laden burn in hell ... I ask how would God feel about your heart?"

[citizen k]

Locked out, maybe no season this year. Nothing to do. You know he's hitting the crack pipe.

[CountDeMoney]

And to add an even more egregious insult:

ESPN bloggers pick Polamalu over Reed as NFL's top safety

The Ed Reed v. Troy Polamalu debate has been a heated one in Baltimore, Pittsburgh and all points between since Polamalu came into the league in 2003. Both safeties are game-changing talents, perennial Pro Bowl players and the envy of the 30 NFL teams who don't have a rooting interest in this debate.

But in the eyes of ESPN's blogger panel, which has been releasing weekly positional power rankings, it isn't much of a debate.

In this week's safety rankings, ESPN's seven division bloggers -- they are probably taking applications for the NFC East beat if you're interested -- and senior football writer John Clayton unanimously selected one of those safeties as the league's best.

Ravens fans aren't going to like how this one turned out.

Polamalu received eight first-place votes to take the top spot in the rankings, and Reed was the unanimous choice as the NFL's second-best safety. Green Bay's Nick Collins was a distant third.

"Polamalu and Reed are the secondary's version of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. They are the gold standard of safety play," AFC West blogger Bill Williamson said. "While Reed is great, Polamalu is stunning. I've never seen him play and not make a jaw-dropping play."

"Taking nothing away from Ed Reed, who is a great player in his own right, but Troy Polamalu is the first guy I think of when I think of safeties," NFC South blogger Pat Yasinskas added. "He's been a huge force in Pittsburgh's recent championships. He's just a great all-around player and still in the prime of a career that's going to land him in the Hall of Fame on the first ballot."

ESPN bloggers clearly valued Polamalu's versatility when stacking him up against Reed. Polamalu is used all over the field by the Steelers, whether he is blitzing, stacking the box against the run, covering receivers man-to-man or dropping into coverage. Meanwhile, the Ravens often use Reed as a center fielder who eliminates deep passes and give him free reign to instinctively jump immediate routes and pick off passes.

[Alcibiades]

I think Reed is a better cover safety by far, where Polamalu is a better run stopper/hitter.