Coach Tomlin announced today that Dennis Dixon will start in Sundays opener against Atlanta. This should be a confidence booster for the young QB. He had a rough go in his preseason start a couple weeks ago. I’m a real booster of this guy. I look for big things for him down the road. Perenial backup QB Charlie Batch will be waiting in the wings to help out. Should be interesting.
Ben’s Out 4
Well, it’s official, the NFL has announced that Ben’s suspension has been reduced to the expected four games. He’ll be eligible to return for the Cleveland game on October 17th. There was talk of a request to reduce the slap to 3 games. This would have been a huge mistake. Can’t blame the Steelers’ organization for giving it try but the Commish cannot set that kind of precedent.
I know there was commentary that Ben was going above and beyond in his actions. Well that’s great. Let’s not lose sight that his probation was to straighten up and fly right. To do exactly what the rest of the league is already doing. Should he be rewarded for doing what he should have been doing all along?
The Steelers fan in me was quietly wishing for the 3 game suspension but deep down I know that wouldn’t be the right message to send. Now that that hurdle is behind us let’s hope Ben stays on the straight and narrow.
Posted in Steelers.
– September 3, 2010
I Scream, You Scream
Blitzburgh Crunch
STEEL CITY GETS ITS OWN ICE CREAM FLAVOR
Pennsylvania’s #1 Ice Cream Brand Introduces Blitzburgh Crunch for Steelers
fans
LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. (SEPTEMBER 1, 2010) – Here we go Steelers.
Pennsylvania’s number one ice cream brand, Turkey Hill Dairy, is introducing a brand new flavor in honor of the Pittsburgh Steelers called Blitzburgh Crunch. The new flavor features premium golden sweet cream vanilla ice cream loaded with smooth chocolate fudge swirl and chocolate cake crunchies. Black and gold, smooth and rich, just like Steelers’ pride. Fans leaving the September 2 pre-season game after halftime will receive a free sample of the new flavor while supplies last.
To honor Pittsburgh Steelers fans, the Dairy is also holding a sweepstakes in which 30 lucky people will be selected to win free game tickets or Steelers merchandise, and one grand-prize winner will get a pair of season tickets for the 2011-2012 season. To enter, fans can purchase specially marked packages of Blitzburgh Sundae Crunch at local grocery stores. Select packages will feature an on-pack sticker with an entry code. Fans can go to turkeyhill.com/steelers to register their code. Three winners will be selected from 10 weekly drawings
during the regular season. At each weekly drawing, one winner will be selected to receive tickets for themselves and a friend for the December 23 game against the Carolina Panthers at Heinz Field and an invitation to a private pre-game tailgate party.
Two winners will also be selected each week to receive a $25 Steelers gift card to purchase great Steelers gear at Steelers Sideline store locations. All entrants will be eligible for the grand prize drawing around Super Bowl Sunday, where one lucky Steelers fan will win a pair of season tickets for the 2011-2012 season – that’s two tickets to every home game.
“There is something unique about Pittsburgh and Steelers fans,” said Turkey Hill President Quintin Frey. “Their spirit, drive and strength are legendary. We’re thrilled to now be an official part of that community and offer them a flavor all their own.”
The new flavor will be available in grocery stores throughout Steelers’
country starting in September. Fans can go to turkeyhill.com/steelers for more information about the flavor, recipes and the sweepstakes contest.
Posted in Steelers.
– September 2, 2010
Dixon’s Big Chance
Dixon
Coach Tomlin didn’t go into detail about how he’d use the quarterbacks on Sunday. But the fact that it’s nationally televised is a really big deal for Dixon. His chance to earn some national exposure. The NFL Sunday Night game usually draws the largest audience of the week. Coach did say that Dixon will get some of the repetitions with the first-team offense.
Dixon is in his 3rd year. He was a Steelers fifth-round draft choice from Oregon in 2008. He’s posted the team’s best passing stats to so far this pre-season. He’s completed 13-of-15 for 210 yards, with one touchdown and no interceptions, which is good for a passer rating of 141.0, while also rushing for 58 yards on 11 attempts.
Tomlin said, “Dennis Dixon has done great with the opportunities we provided him to this point. We think he is deserving of some first-team snap opportunities with our people, hopefully vs. their people but we don’t have control over who they play and when. We’re looking forward to him taking advantage of that. I know he’s probably excited about it. There’s great scarcity with first-team snaps in the preseason, and we’ve been very thoughtful and diligent about how we hand those out. We’ve given them to Byron Leftwich, who has taken advantage of his. The young guy in Dennis, who we aspired to give a bunch of snaps to, has taken advantage of those snaps and is deserving of an opportunity to play with the ones. Dennis has been more consistent than he has in the past. And really, I expected him to be. It’s the natural maturation process of any player. You can say that about a bunch of young players on our football team, Tony Hills has been more consistent than he has in the past. Kraig Urbik has been more consistent than he has been in the past. Keenan Lewis has been more consistent than he has been in the past. Dennis is just like those guys, except he just happens to play quarterback. He has been more consistent than he has in the past so he’s getting increased opportunities like all those other guys I mentioned.”
“It’s based on merit, and I was hopeful he would have earned it by this week because I knew this week was going to be the week where we would have an extended opportunity to go ones on ones in a preseason football game,” said Tomlin.
Make the most of this opportunity Dennis!
Posted in Steelers.
– August 27, 2010
goodbye santonio … HELLO ANTONIO!
Antonio Brown
The Steelers have some serious speed at wide receiver. Antonio Brown’s 68 yard TD return in the game against Detroit was at rocket speed. Brown, Wallace and Sanders should prove to provide fun for Steeler quarterbacks this year (whoever that might be).
In other news, Big Ben got no time in first pre season game. Art Rooney mentioned, in a sideline interview on KDKA that he should get some time in week two in New York. Gotta believe they wanted to spare him a possible home town boo fest. A few good plays out of town might soften the crowd reaction in Pittsburgh.
Posted in Steelers.
– August 14, 2010
