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Losing title games at home still stingThursday, January 15, 2009 By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Lake Fong/Post-Gazette

Pittsburgh Steelers Hines Ward,left, and Marvel Smith sit on the bench after the team 41-27 loss to the New England Patriots in the ACF Championship Game at Heinz Field on Sunday, January, 23, 2005.

There's nothing like a Super Bowl dangling from the end of a stick to inspire players in this weekend's games. Some Steelers can draw on additional incentive -- the agony of defeat at home in the AFC championship game.

It still hurts.

"I've lost two of these at home. It's not much fun," said defensive end Aaron Smith. "I think it will stay with me the rest of my life. I think no matter how many Super Bowls we win, you don't forget those games when you lose them."

Five Steelers on the active roster were around for losses to the New England Patriots in the title games at Heinz Field after the 2001 and '04 seasons, and 12 others also experienced the latter.

Those players, along with five others still on the team, went on to win Super Bowl XL after the '05 season, but it did not take away the sting of their losses at home in the other championship games.

"Oh, man, you still think about it now," said cornerback Deshea Townsend. "You think about the opportunities you had and how close you were and how you always talk about you have to seize the moment when you can because you never know when you'll get back."

Townsend and Hines Ward were rookies in 1998, drafted 3Â 1/2 months after another loss in the AFC championship game at home, to the Denver Broncos.

The Steelers have gone 1-4 in championship games at home since 1994, all under coach Bill Cowher. They went 3-1 in their previous championship games at home under Chuck Noll.

Sunday, it's coach Mike Tomlin's turn to establish his record.

"We've lost [a number] of AFC championship games here and we have a great opportunity now to correct that," defensive end Brett Keisel said. "So it's about time, sounds about time to me."

The Steelers were favorites to win four of their five previous championship games at home, underdogs only against New England in the most recent one. They were underdogs when they won at Denver after the 2005 season to reach the Super Bowl.

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They remember a small pocket of New England fans celebrating in Heinz Field, especially the first one.

"Me and Hines talk about that all the time, how they got to celebrate on our field," Townsend said. "That leaves a bad taste in your mouth when you see another team on your field celebrating. You don't want to do anything to let that feeling happen again."

Said Ward: "I remember vividly playing championship games and watching the opposing team celebrate on our field. That's something that stuck with a lot of our veteran guys who were part of that team."

Watching New England celebrate was one thing.

"You definitely don't want to see Baltimore celebrating on our field," Ward said. "We get another opportunity to play at home in front of our crowd in the championship game and hopefully we can go out and win it for our home crowd."

San Diego, down by 10 points in the second half, upset the Steelers, 17-13, in the 1994 AFC championship. The Steelers edged Indianapolis, 20-16, in the '95 title game, then lost to Dallas in the Super Bowl. The Steelers were slight favorites to beat Denver in '97 but lost to John Elway, 24-21. Underdog New England returned a punt and a blocked field goal for two touchdowns in a 24-17 win in 2001. And the Patriots jumped out to a 24-3 halftime lead and beat rookie Ben Roethlisberger in '04, 41-27.

The Steelers are favored by 6 points to beat Baltimore at Heinz Field.

Aaron Smith does not think the Steelers did anything wrong leading up to their previous home losses in title games.

"I don't think there's anything you can approach differently. At this point, you have good teams playing. You just have to go out and execute better than the other team. There's nothing special you can do."

He will never forget those losses, but he says they do not motivate him any more in this one.

"My motivation is to get to the Super Bowl, period. Losing AFC championships don't motivate me, driving me to get there is what motivates me. I think I could get motivated to play my mom in this game, to be honest with you. If you need something to motivate you to play this game, you have a problem."

Said Ward: "The pressure's on everybody. It's the Super Bowl, one game away from the Super Bowl. There's pressure on both sides -- coaches, the organization, everybody.

"Regardless of the outcome the following years, this is the game you'll always remember, to get a chance to play in the Super Bowl."

Ed Bouchette can be reached at [email protected].

First published on January 15, 2009 at 12:00 am

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Steelers Notebook: Being cut stroke of good fortune for former LionThursday, January 15, 2009

Sean McHugh does not have to send anyone on the Detroit Lions a note of thanks, mostly because those who released him Aug. 31 have since been fired.

Still, he did not know it was the beginning of his good fortune. Instead of going 0-16 with the Lions, McHugh is going to the AFC championship game with the Steelers.

"You go from the lowest lows to the highest high in only a few short months," said McHugh. "It's pretty incredible to look back on it and how things could have turned out differently.

"You're sitting there upset when the Lions release you and the next thing you know it's the middle of January and you have a chance to go to the Super Bowl."

McHugh, who started 12 games at tight end for the Lions in 2007, has become the starting fullback with the Steelers. That's the position he played at Penn State and where the Lions moved him after the 2006 season.

"I didn't understand, but I did the best I could," McHugh said. "I had a banged up ankle. I think they were hoping they would get me back -- release me and I'd still be around and they could pick me back up."

Instead, the Steelers signed him three days later and he has replaced Carey Davis as the fullback, which has become an occasional job in the offense.

"You'd never draw it up that way, but I'm certainly not complaining," McHugh said. "This has been a dream for me."

Quote of the day

Hines Ward, on his team's five winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime, two of them against Baltimore: "We want to start off a little faster and not let it come down to the fourth quarter."

Bad memories

Ben Roethlisberger, on what it's like to play the AFC championship game at home:

"I just hope it's not as bad as the first one I had here."

Roethlisberger's first pass Jan. 23, 2005, against the New England Patriots was intercepted, setting up a field goal. He went on to throw two more, one returned 87 yards for a touchdown as the Patriots won going away, 41-27, after a 24-3 halftime lead.

"We just have to make sure we know we have to take care of the ball," Roethlisberger said. "That has been the key to everyone's success or failure in the postseason so far. For me I just need to make sure I take care of it and let our offense and defense take care of the rest."

Taking out the trash

The silence emanating from the Steelers' locker room this week is deafening. Not a word of trash talk as they prepare for their hated rivals. Oh, for the days of Joey Porter and Lee Flowers.

"We're a humble team," Ward said. "We are humble, selfless.

"Joey's not on this team anymore. You're not going to get any crazy talk out of us. No Lee Flowers, No Joey Porter. We respect them. They have a great ballclub. That's not our style. Talk is cheap to us. You can talk all week but you still have to go out there and play."

Isn't that holding?

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Many Steelers believe too many holding calls on James Harrison have been overlooked this season, more than the usual amount officials ignore these days.

"We haven't had a lot of those calls but it's getting down here to crunch time, maybe we'll be fortunate enough to get a call when it really matters," defensive end Brett Keisel said. "We're not going to worry about it, we'll still do what we do and we've been getting good pressure even without the holding calls."

Injury update

Baltimore backup linebacker Antwan Barnes (shoulder) is out. Ravens who did not practice yesterday were defensive tackleJustin Bannan (foot), receiver Mark Clayton (thigh), linebacker Jarret Johnson (calf), receiver Derrick Mason (knee), running back Le'Ron McClain (ankle), cornerback Smari Rolle (thigh) and linebacker Terrell Suggs (shoulder). Tight end Todd Heap (back), linebacker Ray Lewis (shoulder), running back Lorenzo Neal (shoulder) and safety Ed Reed (knee) were limited in practice.

Two Steelers did not practice because of injuries, center Justin Hartwig (knee) and safety Troy Polamalu (calf).



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Sunday's championship battle against the Steelers is a bittersweet homecoming for the Ravens' quarterback Thursday, January 15, 2009 By Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Rob Carr/Associated Press

Ron Cook

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, right, gets a hug from an unidentified member of the Ravens staff. View all related images

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- It's funny, they call the kid "Joe Cool" at Baltimore Ravens headquarters. At Pitt, back in the day, Joe Flacco was anything but. Joe Hot? Absolutely. Joe Frustrated. Joe Ticked Off ...

"He called home and said, 'Dad, they're stealing from me here,'" Steve Flacco recalled this week from the family's Audubon, N.J., home.

It was spring 2005. Dave Wannstedt had just replaced Walt Harris as Pitt's coach. Redshirt junior Tyler Palko, who led the Panthers to the Fiesta Bowl the season before and threw a record five touchdown passes in a victory at Notre Dame, was the incumbent quarterback at spring practice. Joe Flacco, then a redshirt sophomore, was left to run the second team.

"We felt misled," Steve Flacco said. "We had been told Joe would be given the opportunity to compete for the job."

Back to that father-son phone conversation.

"I see the other teams that we play and I know I'm better than those guys. I'm better than the guys they have here. It's eating me up. I've got to go play somewhere."

So began the divorce proceedings, which, really, weren't anyone's fault, but left the Pitt program damaged and reeling and left Joe Flacco bitter and disillusioned. "I never really got a shot there," he said. "I still carry that with me. I still carry it with me that I'm a I-AA guy and I had to go down to the minor leagues in college football and prove who I was."

So began Joe Flacco's strange odyssey, which took him from spare part at Pitt to two-year starter at Delaware to Ravens first-round pick in the '08 NFL draft to Heinz Field, of all places, where he will start Sunday against the Steelers in the AFC championship game. It seems like everybody in Maryland is "Wacco For Flacco" these days. At least that's what the purple T-shirts that are everywhere say.

"Everybody knew Joe had a ton of talent and could throw the ball through a brick wall," Palko said. "But who could have predicted this?"

The Flaccos -- father and son -- actually.

This is exactly what the family had in mind when they sent young Joe to play for Harris, picking Pitt over Rutgers and Virginia Tech. "If Walt hadn't been there, we wouldn't have gone there," Steve Flacco said. Both father and son loved Harris'

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reputation for developing quarterbacks and his pro-style offense.

"Joe learned a lot there about what it takes to play quarterback even though he didn't actually play," Steve Flacco said. "A lot of good things happened for him at Pitt, though not for our nervous system and our stomachs."

Harris liked Flacco's 6-foot-6 size, which prompted Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson to say earlier thisseason, "We always emphasize getting our hands up and knock some balls down, but I don't think our arms are long enough [against Flacco]."

Harris liked Flacco's athleticism, his toughness, his competitiveness and his big arm. "I remember a drill where the quarterbacks were throwing out patterns," he said this week. "I stood over 12 yards and caught the passes. Joe threw a low one. Instead of reaching down with my hands, I kicked at the ball to stop it. My toe, at different times, still hurts."

And, yes, Harris liked Flacco's calm demeanor. Turns out the kid did have a little Joe Cool in him at Pitt. "He was quiet, but he was very comfortable with himself, very confident in himself," Harris said.

Added Palko: "Joe is the type of kid who would come into our quarterback meetings and someone would say, 'Joe, your house is on fire.' He'd be like, 'Well, all right, man, I guess someone had better call the fire department.' It was like nothing rattled him."

Well, almost nothing.

"It's eating me up ..."

Flacco thought he was good enough to start as a redshirt freshman in the '04 season, but Harris had him third-team behind Palko and Luke Getsy. After Palko was picked as the starter over Getsy late in fall camp -- "My toughest decision at Pitt because those guys were so close," Harris said -- Getsy became Luke Ticked Off and quit the team before transferring to Akron, leaving Flacco as No. 2. Flacco played briefly in an early game against Nebraska when Harris benched Palko, then was the mop-up man in the final regular-season game at South Florida after Palko had thrown five touchdown passes. Flaccocompleted one pass for 11 yards.

Tight end Steve Buches is your trivia answer.

He was on the receiving end of Flacco's only completion at Pitt.

"We knew the new coaching staff was going to go to a run-oriented offense," Steve Flacco said. "But we thought the coaching change might give Joe a better chance to win the spot. There was no way Walt was going to make a change. But, looking back on it now, there was no way they were going to change quarterbacks, regardless."

Flacco didn't want to sit behind Palko for two more seasons, then have just one year to start. "Tyler did everything he had to do to keep the job that spring," Pitt offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh said the other day. Pitt went 5-6 in '05 and 6-6 in '06, but Cavanaugh said: "That first year was my fault as much as Tyler's because I didn't do a very good job with him, and the second year, Tyler played really well. We just didn't have much of a supporting cast around him ... I have no reservationsabout how it played out. It would be pure speculation to say that we would have been better with Joe."

The regrets came in '07, after Palko left for the NFL. He signed as a free agent with the New Orleans Saints and dressed for five games last season as their No. 3 quarterback before being waived injured after the final preseason game this summer because of a torn ligament in his right thumb. After surgery and rehab, he signed a free agent contract earlier this month with the Arizona Cardinals for next season.

Pitt went a disappointing 6-6 in '07 with Bill Stull (briefly) and Pat Bostick at quarterback. That should have been Flacco's team.

"We didn't want Joe to leave," Cavanaugh said. "If we didn't think he could play, we would have let him go in a heartbeat. But we knew he had talent and he was next in line ...

"We tried to play on his commitment to Pitt. I told him, 'If something happens to Tyler, you're the guy.' Or, 'If I'm wrong and Tyler doesn't play well, you're the guy.' He and his dad didn't want to hear that. They had their minds made up."

Flacco asked Wannstedt for his scholarship release so he could transfer. Wannstedt said no. "There was definitely some tension there," Cavanaugh said. Flacco left anyway. Because he didn't have his release from Pitt, he had to sit out the '05 season at Delaware and paid his own way to school. It wasn't until the '06 season that he got to start his first game since he



was a high school senior in '02.

"He got back on people's radar at Delaware, which is what we were worried about," Steve Flacco said. "If he had stayed at Pitt, he might be out of football by now and off working somewhere ...

"When the Ravens picked him in the first round, we were so happy. Now, he was going to get a shot. A real shot."

It came much sooner than anyone imagined. The Ravens lost veteran quarterbacks Kyle Boller (shoulder injury) and Troy Smith (viral illness) in the exhibition season. Flacco started the opening game and has been the man ever since. "He's had a lot of success because he has no ego and all he's concerned about is winning," said Harris, who regularly exchanges text messages with Flacco. "He knows if he plays the position the way he's been coached to play it, good things will happen for the team."

The Ravens improved to 11-5 after going 5-11 in '07. Flacco became the first rookie quarterback to win a road playoff game when they beat the Miami Dolphins Jan. 4 and the first rookie to win two postseason games when they beat the Tennessee Titans. He wasn't sacked and didn't throw an interception in either game.

"You look at him and you're thinking, 'Does anything faze this guy?'" Ravens tight end Todd Heap said after the win in Nashville.

Joe Cool.

Joe Winner.

"You know what's a real shame about it?" Palko asked.

"He could have been a Pitt man."

Ron Cook can be reached at [email protected]. More articles by this author



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Coach's father relayed a story of Muhammad Ali, and it became the Ravens' motivation for the 2008 season View from Baltimore Thursday, January 15, 2009 By Rick Maese, Baltimore Sun

You see this right here?" Derrick Mason asked, holding up a black shirt. Printed across the front were the words "What's our name?"

"You see that? They're going to realize what's coming at them," the Ravens wide receiver said. "Quickly. Everybody out there, the teams that are left, they're going to realize the Ravens are coming."

As the Ravens prepare for the AFC championship game Sunday, their season-long slogan has never seemed quite so poignant. You see it on T-shirts in the locker room and flashing in lights on the stadium scoreboard. Fans yell it in the stands, and players scream it in the huddle. It has been the team's rallying cry since before Week 1, but the backstory and the exact significance has been mostly kept under wraps. Even this week, at his regular Monday news conference, coach John Harbaugh didn't offer many clues.

"I'd rather not get into that," he said. "But it's something that's been special to me my whole life, because it's something that our dad taught us when we were growing up."

Jack Harbaugh was a coach for years. Before the Ravens had played a single regular-season game this season, John Harbaugh asked his father to address the team. "I really was reluctant," said Jack Harbaugh, former head coach at Western Michigan and Western Kentucky and currently an associate athletic director at Marquette. "To be honest, I was in awe. To stand up in front of this team, these guys -- this group that I really admired so much -- and to think that I could possibly have anything to tell them?"

The subject was one with which both Harbaugh men were familiar. As a child, Jack would often use Muhammad Ali as a teaching tool. He would tell his sons how Ali never quit against Joe Frazier, how he outsmarted George Foreman. And of course, how he repeatedly asked a heavyweight fighter named Ernie Terrell, "What's my name?"

Jack Harbaugh had told the story of Ali-Terrell once before to a football team. It worked out pretty well then, so it was worth telling again, he figured.

The final game Harbaugh coached was the 2002 NCAA Division I-AA national championship, in which his Western Kentucky Hilltoppers faced McNeese State. Western Kentucky was the 15th seed in a 16-team tournament. McNeese State had already thumped them earlier that year. No one even talked about the Hilltoppers as a contender in the tournament.

But Jack Harbaugh told them about Ali-Terrell. And the Hilltoppers won it all, beating McNeese State, 34-14.

As he prepared to address the Ravens in August, the story again seemed appropriate. Another team everyone was discounting. Another team searching for respect. Another team that could find inspiration from Ali.

So Jack Harbaugh told them how Cassius Clay had changed his name in 1964. And how nearly three years later, Terrell still refused to call him Muhammad Ali. He told them how the two squared off in the ring and that their fight wasn't about money or some championship.

Harbaugh told them how Ali kept punishing Terrell but wouldn't put him down for good. At 69, Harbaugh is still light enough on his feet, and he started shadow-boxing right there in the locker room, calling out Ali's words.

"What's my name?"

POP! Harbaugh threw a jab.

"What's my name?"

AFC Championship Steelers vs. Ravens

6:30 P.M. SUNDAY

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BOOM! A hook.

"What's my name?"

BAM! An uppercut.

Jack Harbaugh had been tentative about addressing the team, but suddenly all eyes were locked on him.

"So many of these guys had heard it all. In that format, there's no new message you can give. I was truly amazed," Jack Harbaugh said.

"They listened."

He concluded by telling the players that they now had to earn their name and start demanding respect. And for the past 61â?„2 months, that's exactly what they've done.

It was the perfect message for the Ravens, and before long, it was inescapable. Jack Harbaugh remembers tuning in to a game on television from his Milwaukee home and seeing footage from the locker room. He saw the players come together. "What's our name?" someone asked.

"Ravens!" they all responded.

John Harbaugh repeated it in his own locker room speeches, and in the season finale against the Jacksonville Jaguars, "What's our name?" appeared in big, glowing letters on the scoreboard. Before long, the phrase was stripped across the front of shirts, hung, tagged and priced for sale at the team store.

But more important than any marketing strategy, the cry of "What's our name?" still resonates with players. It got them this far -- one win away from the Super Bowl, a place few foresaw back in August -- and they're intent on riding it further.

"We wanted to make everyone understand that we are the Baltimore Ravens and each and every time you play us you're going to realize that," Mason said. "You're going to know who's coming to town or you're going to know whose town you're coming into -- and that's the Baltimore Ravens.

"And we preach that every time we step out of that locker room -- What's our name? We make sure everybody understands and realizes that this team you're about to fight, you might not want a piece of 'em."

Rick Maese is a columnist for the Baltimore Sun. He can be reached at rick.maese@baltsun.


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Don't expect a 100-yard rusher Wednesday, January 14, 2009 By Gene Collier, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Gene Collier

You have to click back nine games in this series, to Dec. 26, 2004, to find a running back for the Steelers or the Ravens who gained 100 yards in a game against the Steelers or the Ravens, a challenge so improbable that it took a Hall of Famer at the apex of his thunderous powers to attain it.

That would be Jerome Bettis, who pounded his way to 117 yards on 27 missions that game, and no one's really approached the 100 plateau again as this Pittsburgh-Baltimore rivalry has grown to approximate the proportions of its legendary defenses.

Since 2000, in fact, the Steelers have allowed an average of 89 rush yards per game overall, a standard so foreboding to running backs that it is surpassed only by the 88.4 allowed by the Ravens for the same period. The Ravens haven't allowed a100-yard rusher in the past 35 games.

Those violent, impactful, innovatively constructed defenses, particularly the 2008 editions, would indicate that Bettis' little monument will stand uneclipsed through Sunday's AFC championship game, but know this: Should Willie Parker or Le'RonMcClain find his way to 100, should even Mewelde Moore or Willis McGahee find it within himself, that man's team is headed for Tampa, Fla., and Super Bowl XLIII.

If not certainly, next to certainly.

At his first championship week news conference yesterday, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin came back to the relative virtues of both team's ground attacks again and again, reminding a clogged South Side media room of Baltimore's desire to "pound the big backs at you."

Though it's not a matchup problem for the Steelers in the strict sense of the term, there is a disparity here.

The Steelers have no big backs.

McClain is 260 pounds and McGahee is 232. Those weights appear to be published minimums. Parker is 209, which is no bigger than Moore, and those appear to be published maximums. Is it a problem that if you stood Parker and Moore behind McClain and McGahee, you wouldn't be able to see them?

Had the Steelers lost at Baltimore Dec. 14, a fate they avoided only by the grace of the replay booth, I would have pointed out that it just isn't possible to win the AFC North Division anymore without a back who is a lot more Bus-like, if not in heart and skill, then certainly by dimensions.

The issue lost its validity the moment Ben Roethlisberger's pass found Santonio Holmes' outstretched fingers and some intersection above the goal line in the Maryland darkness, but now it is recast as the question of which back can gain 100 Sunday, which is only another way of asking who will represent the AFC on Super Sunday.

"Willie Parker is mentally healthy," Tomlin said as the recoil to a question about his running back's apparent return to complete physical health. "When he feels good, there's a bounce in his step, and that rubs off on people. We feed off one another like that."

Doubtless the Ravens take similar inspiration from the exploits of McClain, who made his first Pro Bowl this year and dissuaded anyone who thought his talents did not include breakaway potential when he turned in the longest run from scrimmage by an opponent in the 37-year history of Texas Stadium, the 82-yard rumble that lifted Baltimore past the fading Cowboys Dec. 20.

McClain hurt his ankle in the car wreck of a football game Saturday at Tennessee but returned to play.

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Most statistics, some relevant and some not, will tell you the Ravens are more capable in the run game than the Steelers, but for the extremely urgent meeting Sunday, the differences will be primarily in tactics. The Ravens will deploy something the Steelers almost never do -- an unbalanced offensive front that inserts an extra tackle to the formation's strong side.

"That's Cam Cameron football," Tomlin said, referring to the Ravens' offensive coordinator. "As opposed to blocking you with a 260-pound guy, or whatever [tight end Todd] Heap is [he's listed at 250], you put a 310-pound guy at the point of attack."

Though Tomlin said there are enough options in Baltimore's unbalanced set to "keep you honest," the danger is more than the fortified run.

"Our reactions to it are different," the head coach said. "It's important that we don't allow it to reduce what we're capable of, so sometimes we slide people [toward the overpopulated area] and sometimes we don't."

The best two defenses on earth, Pittsburgh's and Baltimore's, are not so much in the business of reaction as they are in the business of creating panic and breaking wills. The notion that the drama Sunday will preclude something so quaint as a 100-yard rusher remains fully intact. Still, it's worth aspiring to.

Gene Collier can be reached at [email protected] or 412-263-1283. More articles by this author



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Win or lose, Steelers game's worth $20 milion to area By Kim Leonard TRIBUNE-REVIEW Thursday, January 15, 2009

Mechanics in the North Side are working to get all 300 Yellow Cab Co. taxis on the road this weekend. Bakers in Oakmont are filling cases with Terrible Cakes.

And almost all 4,000 hotel rooms Downtown and nearby are booked at premium prices for Saturday and Sunday, compared to a typical January weekend night when just one-fourth of them might be filled.

Pittsburgh businesses, in the midst of a sour economy, are making the most of the days leading up to Sunday's 6:30 p.m. AFC Championship contest. The second straight postseason game at Heinz Field is expected to draw thousands of visitors to town and is building the home crowd's excitement for all things Steelers as the team sits a game away from the Super Bowl.

"When we went to the Super Bowl last time, we were the sixth seed and there were no home games. So the city actually is benefiting more this year than we did" in 2006, said Merrill Stabile, president of Alco Parking Group.

The 10,000 or so spaces Alco owns or manages near the stadium will rent for the typical postseason game rate of $40 each, compared to $30 for a regular game. Although every space is filled for every Steelers game, last Sunday and this weekend bring unplanned revenue.

"It's a shot in the arm for the whole North Shore," Stabile said.

VisitPittsburgh worked with the Steelers to estimate the championship game will pump $20.3 million into the local economy. That "conservative number" assumes 10 percent of the 65,000 ticket holders will be Baltimore Ravens fans or others from outside the region, said Craig Davis, vice president of sales and marketing at the tourism promotion organization.

Out-of-towners probably will pay for one night at a hotel. Everyone who attends the game will spend $110 to $360 per ticket, VisitPittsburgh figured, though prices are running much higher. And they'll eat at local restaurants, park or take buses and taxis and probably buy a souvenir.

The 616-room Westin Convention Center Hotel is sold out for Saturday and Sunday. Rooms cost $279 a night, double the typical cost.

"It's a pure issue of supply and demand," General Manager Tom Martini said.

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The Original Fish Market restaurant in the Downtown hotel will open for lunch, not just dinner, on Saturday and Sunday. The game should boost the Westin's revenue by up to $200,000 overall, Martini said.

Yellow Cab operator Jolanda White makes $500 on a typical Friday-through-Sunday period, but earned $960 last weekend.

She drove locals and visitors around town, and to and from Pittsburgh International Airport. One passenger, a woman decked out in Steelers gear, spoke little English but screeched with excitement when the cab pulled out of the Fort Pitt Tunnel and she spotted Heinz Field, White said.

This weekend should bring more fares from the airport, "not necessarily Baltimore fans but Steelers fans, because they come from all over," she said.

Jerry Campolongo of Pittsburgh Transportation Group, which owns Yellow Cab, said 15 to 20 vehicles at a time typically are out for repairs, but the company in the Manchester section of the North Side is pushing to get its entire fleet ready.

Bartender Jim McKee expects a busy Sunday at McFadden's restaurant, given the constant traffic the North Shore restaurant had for last weekend's San Diego game.

Typically, a crowd builds until game time at the pub that accommodates 800 people, then drops off as ticket holders head for Heinz Field. "Last Sunday, nobody left," because many patrons didn't have tickets, but just wanted to be near the stadium, he said.

VisitPittsburgh's numbers don't include what the Ravens or out-of-town news media will spend here, or what Pittsburgh-area fans who plan to watch on TV might buy.

Steelers merchandise sales are running third in the National Football League -- behind the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants -- with an 8.3 percent share of the projected $3 billion in revenue this season, analyst Matt Powell with SportsOneSource said. Still, the number is up slightly from early fall, probably due to the team's late-season success, he said.

Sales of Terrible Cakes, Ginger Ben cookies and other black-and-gold baked goods boosted Oakmont Bakery's sales by 17 percent last weekend, from a year ago.

Owner Marc Serrao projects a 50 percent increase this time, and if the team reaches the Super Bowl, sales will double as they did in 2006.

"We have 11 cake decorators, and they couldn't keep up with demand," Serrao said.

Kim Leonard can be reached at [email protected] or 412-380-5606.



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Keisel counts blessings after injury scare By Scott Brown TRIBUNE-REVIEW Thursday, January 15, 2009

Brett Keisel is much friendlier to reporters than he is to opposing quarterbacks. So it was no surprise to see the outgoing defensive end holding court in front of his locker the first time the Steelers' locker room was open to the media this week.

The scene -- a smiling Keisel answered questions about Sunday's AFC Championship Game against the Baltimore Ravens -- stood in stark contrast to one that played out less than two months ago.

Keisel experienced as lonely a feeling as an athlete can have while sitting in an MRI machine. As pictures were taken of the left knee that he feared had betrayed him, Keisel said prayers to keep from thinking the worst: that his season had come to an end.

If the Steelers' 35-24 win over the San Diego Chargers on Sunday was any indication, Keisel's knee is better than ever.

Keisel recorded a sack against the Chargers and figured prominently in one of the game's pivotal moments. On the only play the Chargers ran in the third quarter, Keisel batted a Philip Rivers pass into the air and linebacker Larry Foote intercepted it.

If that game bodes well for Keisel against the Ravens, so does the fact he starred the last time the Steelers played in the AFC Championship Game.

The 6-foot-5, 285-pounder, in fact, staged his coming-out party in the Steelers' 34-17 win over Denver in January 2006. He sacked Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer twice.

Keisel cracked the starting lineup the following season and didn't miss a game until this season when calf and knee injuries sidelined him for six contests.

Keisel returned from the knee injury in the Steelers' next-to-last regular-season game, and he seemed to finally have his legs under him against the Chargers.

"I know Brett is one of those guys that had a different bounce in his step when he came back from his injury," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said.

There is a simple reason for that: Keisel feared the worst had happened after he hurt his knee while making a tackle in the Steelers' 27-10 win over the

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Bengals on Nov. 20.

"I thought right off the bat I was done for the year," Keisel said. "I never really had leg problems at all, but when I got hit I just felt it. People always talk about a popping sensation, and I felt that. The whole ride to the hospital, I'm like, 'It's over.'"

He pondered that reality for a sleepless night before getting word from Steelers trainer John Norwig that the injury was not as serious as initially thought. Keisel said the Steelers' trainers "worked his butt off," and it has paid off for him as well as the No. 1 defense in the NFL.

The seven-year veteran may get overshadowed by some of the stars on the Steelers' defense, but Keisel has established himself as a key member of it.

Keisel finished fourth on the Steelers' in quarterback pressures (12) despite missing almost half of the regular season. And he plays with the kind of selflessness that reflects the defense's mindset that no one player is bigger than the group.

"We really just see 11 guys out there," strong safety Troy Polamalu said. "We've all just stuck together and we're just one stroke of a big painting."

That is just fine with Keisel.

"We're such a tight group of guys where we genuinely enjoy coming to work," Keisel said. "We have a great family atmosphere here; we win, it's a lot of fun."

Scott Brown can be reached at [email protected] or 412-481-5432.



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Say hello to Mayor 'Steelerstahl' By Jeremy Boren TRIBUNE-REVIEW Thursday, January 15, 2009

It's a bad week to be a raven.

Steelers fans Wednesday launched a public relations blitz against the crow's bulky cousin, days before the black-and-gold face the Baltimore Ravens in Sunday's AFC Championship game at Heinz Field.

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl announced he would temporarily change his name to erase the Steelers' reviled rivals from his tainted last name.

On top of the mayoral dis, a hoax e-mail declaring a special one-day hunting season Sunday on ravens in Pennsylvania spread across the Web.

"Ravens are protected. Technically, it would be a federal offense to shoot one," said Jerry Feaser, a state Game Commission spokesman. "Let's hope someone doesn't take it farther and declare open season on eagles if it's a Turnpike Super Bowl."

The Philadelphia Eagles visit the Arizona Cardinals Sunday afternoon in the NFC Championship game in Glendale.

Ravenstahl's idea for the ceremonial name change came from phone calls that listeners made to Pittsburgh radio station Star 100.7 FM. The callers suggested he change his name to Steelerstahl.

"Hopefully it's just another way that can rally Steelers Nation to a big win this Sunday," the 28-year-old mayor said. He didn't complete a name change form in Allegheny County court, or pay the $108 fee for a true surname switch, but said he might keep the unofficial moniker until Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, Fla.

The name change won points with some sports fans on Internet chat boards. "If the Penguins make it to the Stanley Cup Finals, I hope he changes his name to Luke Jordanstahl," a fan of Penguins center Jordan Staal wrote on ESPN.com.

Baltimore native Louis Vassilaros, owner of The Baltimore House in Pleasant Hills, won't change his restaurant's name. It's known for having fresh Maryland crab every Thursday when it's in season from March to September.

"Nothing Baltimore is on the walls. It's all Steelers," said bartender Christy Logue. "We are definitely a Steelers bar, but Ravens fans are welcome."

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Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon questions Ravenstahl's decision to change his name.

"Why mess with perfection?" said Dixon spokesman Ian Brennan.

Other than his police bodyguards and Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato, Ravenstahl would not say who will accompany him to Sunday's game, where he'll use tickets from the city-county Sports & Exhibition Authority, which owns Heinz Field. He still would not say who sat with him during the Steelers' win over the San Diego Chargers this past Sunday.

SEA Executive Director Mary Conturo said an SEA staffer, former Mayor Sophie Masloff and five authority board members each got two tickets in the Section 500 area. Ten tickets went to the 99th Regional Readiness Command in Coraopolis.

Jeremy Boren can be reached at [email protected] or 412-765-2312.



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Harris: Roethlisberger takes play to higher level By John Harris TRIBUNE-REVIEW Thursday, January 15, 2009

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has always praised quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's improvisational skills and play-making ability. But rarely has Tomlin lauded Roethlisberger's pregame preparation or his knack for deciphering defenses in their two seasons together.

Times are changing. Tomlin couldn't say enough good things about Roethlisberger following his flawless performance against San Diego in the AFC divisional playoffs.

Tomlin saluted Roethlisberger -- who completed 17 of 26 passes for 181 yards, one touchdown and a 98.4 passer rating in the Steelers' 35-24 win -- in special terms reserved for Peyton Manning, whose quarterback excellence extends beyond the playing field and into the film room.

Tomlin's response to Roethlisberger's best playoff performance since going 21 of 29 for 275 yards and two touchdowns against Denver in the 2005 AFC Championship Game spoke of a growing bond between the coach and the most visible player on the team.

"Ben has been at his best not necessarily what you see in the stadium," Tomlin said. "I like the way he's been preparing. I thought he had a great week of practice last week."

Roethlisberger's decision to throw himself into preparations for San Diego has Tomlin expecting a similar effort against Baltimore, Sunday's opponent in the AFC title game at Heinz Field.

Roethlisberger picked apart San Diego's defense as though he had prior knowledge of the Chargers' playbook. He went through his progressions and consistently made the correct read.

"He was extremely sharp on his deep balls, play-action and communication," Tomlin said. "I believe the guys feed off that. I expect it to continue this week."

Taking his cue from Tomlin, Roethlisberger broke down his performance against San Diego in clinical terms.

"The line did a good job of protecting," he said. "That gave me time. Backs stayed in to chip, the receivers did a good job of getting open. We did a good job, (center) Justin (Hartwig) and I communicating and the rest of the line being

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able to slide and picking some stuff up."

Roethlisberger explained his thought process on a clutch 18-yard, third-down pass to tight end Heath Miller in the third quarter.

"He is a last read on that play," Roethlisberger said. "He was just blocking, and then he leaked out. I'm glad he let the guy go, because I had nowhere else to go with it."

Roethlisberger said the Steelers tested San Diego's secondary with long passes, because that's what the defense dictated.

"We saw some single coverages," he said. "We saw some things on tape that we tried to take advantage of."

Against Baltimore, Roethlisberger said Wednesday, you never know what to expect.

"We're watching tape, and we're putting new things in for practice we've never seen before," he said.

Roethlisberger sounded like he couldn't wait for practice to start.

John Harris can be reached at [email protected] or 412-481-5432.



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Roethlisberger earns Ravens' respect By Bill Beckner Jr. VALLEY NEWS DISPATCH Thursday, January 15, 2009

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- And to think the address for the Baltimore Ravens' practice facility - better described as a secluded castle nestled deep in the Maryland woods - is 1 Winning Drive.

Suffice it to say, it wasn't named after what Ben Roethlisberger did to Baltimore on Dec. 14 at M&T Bank Stadium.

But the Ravens haven't forgotten.

"In that drive, (there was) something we don't do," Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis said. "And that's just let people run free. And on that drive, that's something that happened like three times."

With 3:32 to play and the Steelers trailing by three points, Roethlisberger led the Steelers on a meticulous, 92-yard, 12-play drive, with Santonio Holmes catching a controversial 4-yard touchdown - one that needed an extra day of review before the NFL could confirm it was the right call.

Holmes caught the ball with two feet inside the goal line, but the ball barely broke the plane. It was reviewed, and the original call was reversed.

Touchdown. Steelers 13, Ravens 9.

"As far as whether the ball hit the plane or not, we couldn't care less," Harbaugh said. "That's ancient history."

Lewis said the Ravens aren't dwelling too much on the scoring drive, even though it's the longest one they allowed all year.

"As soon as the game is over, you're over (something like that)," Lewis said. "In this business, you take the good with the bad. You grab your corrections and make sure it doesn't happen again."

Still, the wild-card Ravens know they can't sit back, let Roethlisberger sling and fling, and allow the Steelers to have their way again - especially at crunch time -- when the teams meet in the AFC Championship Game at 6:30 p.m. Sunday at Heinz Field.

"The key to both games (against Pittsburgh) is that they made the plays and we

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haven't," Ravens tackle Willie Anderson said. "That's why they're a good football team. They kept us from making plays. That drive ... this game could be completely different."

Tight end Todd Heap agrees regarding the two meetings, which were decided by a combined seven points.

"We're not even thinking about the last two times we played them," Heap said. "You can't worry about that. You have to worry about the next play."

The consensus in the Ravens' locker room is that they have to - surprise -- contain Roethlisberger, who has completed 36 of 64 passes for 447 yards in the previous two meetings.

Not just contain him, but pressure him, baffle him and leave him wondering what went wrong.

That may be the way to exact revenge, and do so with a trip to Tampa for Super Bowl XLIII on the line.

Roethlisberger, and a strong defense, helped lead the Steelers from 10 points down in a 23-20 overtime win in Week 4.

There was no bounty talk Wednesday, but the Ravens did talk about the respect they have for Big Ben - even though they want to ring his bell.

"He's the ultimate competitor," Lewis said of Roethlisberger. "He plays football the way old-school people play football. Just make the play. It don't have to be pretty. He is going to go out and do anything to keep his team motivated and move the chains, and things like that. That's probably one of the greatest assets he has, is really keeping a play going."

Ravens first-year coach John Harbaugh also was complimentary of Roethlisberger.

"He's big and strong, and he's fearless," Harbaugh said. "And he can throw the ball on time. He can scramble and make plays on the run. He's probably the most accurate quarterback on the run in the league right now. There are just a lot of things to defend with Ben."

The Steelers, meanwhile, hope to wear down an already tired team. The Ravens have played 18 consecutive weeks without a bye. Their Sept. 14 game at Houston was postponed due to Hurricane Ike, and the game was made up during Baltimore's bye week.

"Well, we did get a bye day because we played (last) Saturday," Heap said.

Bill Beckner Jr. can be reached at [email protected] or 724-224-2696.



Ravens coach denies spit claim By Scott Brown TRIBUNE-REVIEW Thursday, January 15, 2009

• Ravens coach John Harbaugh refuted claims that one of his players spit in Steelers punter Mitch Berger's face when the teams played last month. Frank Walker and Jeff Reed exchanged words when the Steelers' kicker called out Walker after an extra-point attempt. Berger got between the two, and Reed said after the Steelers' 13-9 win on Dec. 14 that Walker spit in Berger's face. "I think it's been established that that didn't happen," Harbaugh said. "I guess Mitch, for some reason, thought (Walker) was trying to take out Jeff's knee. We saw it on tape, that did not happen. That was clear on tape. Frank told me he didn't spit in anybody's face, and I respect and believe that." Reed countered, "He is not going to admit to it even if he did." Reed did not say much else about the incident. Berger also dismissed it. "I am just worrying about preparing for these guys this week," Berger said. "I am not going to get into any he-said, he-said things. It is behind me."

• Strong safety Troy Polamalu (calf) and center Justin Hartwig (knee) did not practice yesterday, as expected. Both are nursing minor injuries and are expected to play in Sunday's AFC Championship Game against the Ravens. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin also held running back Willie Parker, defensive end Aaron Smith, wide receiver Hines Ward and cornerback Deshea Townsend out of the team's first practice of the week to give them some extra rest. Polamalu strained his calf while running during pregame warm-ups last Sunday. He got treatment in the Steelers' locker room prior to the opening kickoff and played the entire game. "I was just going to try and see how it felt," Polamalu said when asked how close he came to not playing in the Steelers' 35-24 win over the San Diego Chargers. "It felt all right."

• A handful of Ravens starters did not practice yesterday, including outside linebackers Terrell Suggs (shoulder) and Jarret Johnson (calf), wide receivers Derrick Mason (knee) and Mark Clayton (thigh), running back Le'Ron McClain (ankle) and cornerback Samari Rolle (thigh). Defensive tackle Justin Bannan (foot) also did not practice for the Ravens. Harbaugh would not discuss the status of the injured players. Tomlin said Tuesday that he would be "shocked" if Suggs doesn't play Sunday.

• The animosity between the Steelers and Ravens is as strong as ever. The chatter between the AFC North foes has toned down, Ward said, partly because the cast of characters in the rivalry has changed. "No Lee Flowers, no Joey Porter," Ward said. "You're not going to get anyone to talk that way. It's just not our style. Talk is cheap to us."

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Digits

5 -- 100-yard receiving games Ward has in the postseason.

71 -- Career receptions Ward has in postseason play.

Scott Brown can be reached at [email protected] or 412-481-5432.



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THURSDAY JANUARY 15, 2009 :: Last modified: Thursday, January 15, 2009 12:21 AM EST

Bires: Steelers always in the Hunt By Mike Bires Times Sports Staff

PITTSBURGH — How lucky Pittsburgh fans are to have the Steelers. How lucky they are to have a professional sports team who piques their interest year-round and routinely contends for championships.

Here they go again, still chasing the ultimate dream in the dead of this winter while 28 other NFL teams already look toward next year. The Steelers playing in the AFC Championship Game isn’t quite an annual rite of January, but it’s certainly not rare. When they play the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, they’ll make their 14th appearance in the AFC title game. Think about that for a moment. In the 43-year old Super Bowl era, the Steelers have been a win away from making it to the grand finale in roughly one-third of the time. There’s a legion of fans throughout the Steeler Nation old enough to have lived through the glorious Steel Curtain dynasty of the 1970s. They’re still waving their Terrible Towels with a new generation of fans cheering on modern-day Steelers like Ben Roethlisberger and Troy Polamalu who are continuing a proud tradition of excellence. “It’s a sense of pride,” said Mike Tomlin, who, in just his second season as coach, has guided the Steelers to the AFC Championship quicker than his predecessors, Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher. “The tradition is awesome. You can’t put a price tag on it.” Chairman Dan Rooney has often been called cheap by some for the way he’s run the organization since the late 1960s when his father gave him full control of the day-to-day operations. But for the most part, the Rooney Way has worked well here. Sunday’s highly-anticipated game against the Ravens marks the fourth time in this decade that the Steelers are playing for the AFC Championship. To put that in perspective, the Cowboys and owner Jerry Jones haven’t gotten to the NFC Championship in 13 years. The Redskins, now owned by billionaire Daniel Snyder, haven’t played for the NFC crown since the ’91 season. The Browns, who used to be the Steelers’ most-hated rival, haven’t played in an AFC title game since ’89 and have yet to play in a Super Bowl, let alone win one. “I think it’s terrific,” Rooney said of yet another appearance in the AFC Championship. “It’s our whole objective … to get to the Super Bowl and win … to just play the best football, the most entertaining

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football for our fans who are the greatest bar none.” “No disrespect to the Penguins or the Pirates, but there’s nothing like Steelers football in the city of Pittsburgh,” added wide receiver Hines Ward. “I mean, it’s special to put on that uniform. There’s pride in putting on that uniform.” Tomlin agrees. “We’re playing for hardware this week,” he said. That would be the Lamar Hunt Trophy that goes to the AFC champions. The Steelers already have six of them.


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Harbaugh says Walker didn't do spit By Mike Bires Times Sports Staff

PITTSBURGH — A potential war of words never materialized even though Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh in essence called two Steelers liars. When the Steelers beat the Ravens on Dec. 14, punter Mitch Berger claims that Frank Walker, a back-up Baltimore cornerback, spit on him. Kicker Jeff Reed said he witnessed the incident.

But on a conference call Wednesday, Harbaugh claimed that Walker didn’t spit on Berger after an extra point with 43 seconds left to play in a 13-9 Steelers win. “That has been established that it didn’t happen,” Harbaugh said. “I believe Frank. He told me he didn’t spit in anyone’s face and I respect him and believe him … (I’ve) got no reason not to.” A few days after the game, Walker told the Baltimore media that he accidentally spit on Berger, calling it “just a slobber moment.” But immediately after the game, Berger said, “I had my mouth open and was about to say something when he spit right on me. It wasn’t something that happens by accident … there was the full noise. He made the full spitting noise. “I think I kept spitting for 24 hours. I kept brushing my teeth. To have another man spit in your mouth like that … it was gross.” On Wednesday, however, both Berger and Reed refused to take exception with Harbaugh’s comments. They may have been told by coach Mike Tomlin to downplay the incident with the AFC Championship Game between the Steelers and Ravens just days away. “It’s behind me,” Berger said. “I have nothing to say about it anymore. It was what it was on the day that it happened. I am just worrying about preparing for these guys this week. It is behind me.” When told that Harbaugh basically called him a liar, all Berger said was, “That’s fine.” “That’s old news,” Reed said. “We are here to play this game, man. I don’t even want to bring that up anymore.” The alleged spitting incident happened after wide receiver Santonio Holmes caught a 4-yard touchdown pass to give the Steelers a 12-10 lead. Then after Reed kicked the extra point, Berger, who holds for Reed, confronted Walker. Berger contends that Walker took a cheap shot at Reed’s knee and tried to injure him. That’s when Berger claims Walker spit on him.

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Reed was so positive and upset that Walker spit on Berger that he confronted Walker and drew a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. “The things that we do know that happened were Frank was rushing the (extra point), just like we assigned him to do, coming off the edge,” Harbaugh said. “He got blocked by the wing just like he was supposed to do. I guess Mitch for some reason thought he was trying to take out Jeff’s (Reed) knee. We saw it on tape. That did not happen. He was not trying to do that. That was clear on tape.”


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Polamalu: Ravens aren't 'pansy league' By Mike Bires Times Sports Staff

PITTSBURGH — Troy Polamalu, who earlier this year called the NFL a “pansy league,” knows that there will be nothing soft about Sunday’s game against the rival Baltimore Ravens. “No. No,” said the Steelers’ all-star strong safety. “This is going to be a tough game.”

And even though he missed Wednesday’s practice with a calf strain, Polamalu expects to play in the AFC Championship Game. “Yes, God willing,” he said. Polamalu was injured during pre-game warm-ups in this past Sunday’s win over San Diego. Still, he managed to play the entire game in the 35-24 win over the Chargers. Polamalu was one of two Steelers held out Wednesday due to injury. The other was center Justin Hartwig, who twisted his knee in the second quarter against San Diego. Like Polamalu, Hartwig played the entire game against the Chargers and expects to start against the Ravens. Wide receiver Hines Ward, running back Willie Parker, defensive end Aaron Smith and cornerback Deshea Townsend didn’t practice either, but not because they’re hurt. Coach Mike Tomlin typically gives them the day off on Wednesdays.

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Ravens: Suggs, Rolle remain concern By The Associated Press

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Terrell Suggs winced as he put on his undershirt Wednesday, a bad sign for the Baltimore Ravens as they began preparations for the AFC championship game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Suggs was one of seven players held out of Wednesday’s practice. The Pro Bowl linebacker strained his right shoulder in Saturday’s 13-10 win over Tennessee, and his availability for Sunday’s game probably won’t be determined until close to game time.

Suggs did not talk to reporters before the practice session and was not available afterward. He led the Ravens with eight sacks during the regular season, had two interceptions and a career-high 102 tackles. If Suggs can’t start, he will be replaced by Edgar Jones, who has also played tight end and on special teams this season. “Edgar has done a nice job. He’s been physical,” coach John Harbaugh said. Others who missed practice: cornerback Samari Rolle (groin), wide receiver Mark Clayton (thigh), defensive tackle Justin Bannan (foot), linebacker Jarret Johnson (calf), fullback Le’Ron McClain (ankle) and wide receiver Derrick Mason (shoulder and knee). The injuries to Suggs and Rolle are the most pressing concerns. Mason has been bothered by a sore shoulder for weeks, and McClain’s injury is not believed to be serious. GREAT OUTDOORS The Ravens practiced outside Wednesday on a brisk afternoon, although the temperature was still higher than it should be Sunday night in Pittsburgh. “It’s a beautiful day out there. Our field is in great shape,” Harbaugh said of the 30-degree, overcast conditions. The weather forecast for Sunday night in Pittsburgh is temperature in the 20s with a chance of snow. “I’ve never played in weather that cold, but I’m not planning on it being too much of a factor,” Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco said. “You get out there, you get warmed up and once you get into the flow of the game, it’s not really that big of a deal.” STAY THE COURSE Only a handful of the players on the current roster have ever advanced this far in the playoffs, and

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they’re sharing their experience with the rest of the gang. Trevor Pryce, who played in two Super Bowls with Denver, has stressed the importance of maintaining the same routine. “You don’t change anything. You don’t want to be extra hyper or do anything different than what got you here,” he said. “Because the stage is bigger, the tendency is to broaden yourself a little more. That’s the one thing I think you can’t do.” Ray Lewis and Matt Stover are the lone active players who participated in the 2001 Super Bowl as Ravens, and they’ve done their best to share the experience.


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Polamalu expects to play Sunday By F. Dale Lolley, Staff writer

[email protected]

PITTSBURGH - Steelers safety Troy Polamalu lists himself as doubtful for Sunday's AFC Championship game at Heinz Field against the Baltimore Ravens - doubtful that he won't play.

"I'd say it's probably highly doubtful," Polamalu said with a smile on his face when asked if there was a chance he wouldn't play against the Ravens after suffering a strained calf in last Sunday's 35-24 playoff victory over San Diego.

Polamalu was injured during pregame warmups and stayed in the locker room for treatment, skipping the team introductions.

He didn't miss a snap and finished with three tackles. He didn't play his best and there was some speculation that in addition to the calf injury, he was also suffering from the effects of the flu, something Polamalu denied.

"We won, that's the most important thing," said Polamalu when asked if the injury affected his play.

"I would tell you the same thing whether I had a five-pick game or five-missed tackle game."

No spit

After the Steelers defeated the Ravens, 13-9, in Baltimore last month, punter Mitch Berger and placekicker Jeff Reed said Baltimore's Frank Walker spit in Berger's mouth during a confrontation after Reed kicked a PAT in the fourth quarter.

Berger had challenged Walker because he felt the cornerback had tried to hit Reed's knee on the kick and Reed drew a penalty for shoving Walker.

Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh said the spitting incident didn't happen.

"I think that has been established that that didn't happen," Harbaugh said. "Mitch, he's a good guy, I got a lot of respect for him, reacted and jumped up in Frank's face for some reason. That's what we know happened. After that, pretty well established, that we know (the spit)didn't happen. I believe Frank. He told me he didn't spit in anyone's face and I respect him and believe him, got no reason not to."

Reed respects Harbaugh sticking up for his player, but is sticking to his story.

"No, I don't agree with that all, but I'm not going to harp on it," Reed said.

Odds and end zones

Polamalu and center Justin Hartwig (knee) did not practice for the Steelers Wednesday due to injuries. ... Wide receiver Hines Ward, defensive end Aaron Smith, cornerback Deshea Townsend and running back Willie Parker were given the day off to rest. ... For Baltimore, linebacker Antwaan Barnes (shoulder) has

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already been declared out for Sunday's game. ... Defensive tackle Justin Bannan (foot), wide receiver Mark Clayton (thigh), linebacker Jarret Johnson (calf), wide receiver Derrick Mason (knee), running back Le'Ron McClain (ankle), cornerback Samari Rolle (thigh) and linebacker Terrell Suggs (shoulder) did not practice for the Ravens Wednesday.

Copyright Observer Publishing Co.

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Steelers wary of turnovers By F. Dale Lolley, Staff writer

[email protected]

PITTSBURGH - Ben Roethlisberger has always been something of a gambler on the football field.

The Steelers' quarterback knows that playing against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship game Sunday, he can't afford to make many - if any - mistakes.

The Ravens defense is just too good to give their offense a short field, or, worse yet, a defensive touchdown.

"They are very opportunistic," said Roethlisberger as the Steelers prepare to play the Ravens for the third time this season, this time with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.

"If the ball is in there air where some defensive backs might drop it, they don't seem to drop very many. The linebackers as well, in that sense I think their players make plays. They also are so good. (Defensive coordinator Rex) Ryan and the rest of that defensive staff are so good at making you make the mistakes of throwing it where you don't think a guy is, but he is there. You just have to be aware of all of them."

The Steelers went 2-0 against the Ravens this season, winning once in overtime and a second time in Baltimore on a Roethlisberger touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes with 43 seconds remaining.

In both games, the Steelers took good care of the football, turning it over just three times.

That might not seem all that impressive until you consider Baltimore led the league with 34 takeaways in the regular season, including 22 in its last eight games. That has continued on into the playoffs, as the Ravens have forced seven turnovers in their two playoff games.

"So often, you see teams throw a deep ball and it's caught by no one," said Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. "Very rarely do you see that versus the Baltimore Ravens because they've got a guy, (safety Ed Reed), who's the deep guy back there. Very few balls hit the ground when you throw deep against those guys. He's got that kind of range. He's got that kind of intuition. He's that kind of playmaker."

Reed led the NFL with nine interceptions and has added two more in the postseason. But he's not alone in forcing turnovers on a Baltimore defense that also boasts three Pro Bowl players - defensive tackle Haloti Ngata and linebackers Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs. In last Saturday's AFC Divisional playoff game at Tennessee, the Ravens forced five fumbles, recovering two of them.

"The fumbles are caused because they're a big, strong, violent team that runs to the football," said Tomlin. "A lot of times when you have those ingredients, on contact, the ball is going to come out. There's really nothing mystical about how they're doing what they're doing. You respect it nonetheless because it's how we all desire to play."

The Steelers players are certainly aware of it and are taking extra care this week in making sure they tuck the ball away.

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"They do a great job of trying to rip the ball out of guys, trying to create turnover," wide receiver Hines Ward said. "There's a lot more attention to detail this week as far as trying to strip the ball out. Our look team is going to be trying to rip the ball out of guys' arms as they're running down the field.

"It's on your mind. You've got to go out and continue to make sure you protect the ball well because you don't want to go out there and give them an easy touchdown by them stripping the ball away from somebody."

Copyright Observer Publishing Co.

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01/15/2009

Steelers healthy and well-rested

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin routinely starts his weekly news conference by running down his injury list. The last couple of weeks, that's taken only a few seconds. The Steelers are right where every NFL team wants to be in January - not only in the conference championship game, but healthy and fairly well-rested. They're hoping it makes a major difference against the beaten-up Ravens in the AFC championship game Sunday, given how physical and hard-hitting their games traditionally are. At least on Wednesday, there was no comparison between the two - health-wise, that is: RAVENS: Linebacker Antwan Barnes (shoulder, out), defensive tackle Justin Bannan (foot), wide receiver Mark Clayton (thigh), linebacker Jarret Johnson (calf), wide receiver Derrick Mason (knee), fullback Le'Ron McClain (ankle), cornerback Samari Rolle (thigh), linebacker Terrell Suggs (shoulder). That's a lot of talent sitting out practice. STEELERS: Center Justin Hartwig (knee) and safety Troy Polamalu (calf), both of whom are expected to play. "It kind of would put them in a disadvantage out there, not having a veteran guy like Samari," Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward said Wednesday. "We're healthy and they're banged up, and hopefully we can go out there and exploit that and try to make some plays in their secondary." Suggs' status also is uncertain, but Ward is convinced he will play. "Suggs, he's a talent, next to Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, he's really the (Ravens') heart and soul," Ward said. "He's the one who gets guys going. He's got a constant motor and just doesn't stop. I'll bet anything he's going to be on the field. There's no way he can miss this game." Still, there often is a difference between playing well and playing hurt, and that's where the Steelers are hoping they own the edge. They remember last season when they started 9-3, were thinned by injuries and lost four of their final five, including a wild-card game to Jacksonville. "Last year we were just really, really beat up," said Polamalu, who is certain he will play. "We were worn down." Now, the Steelers are as healthy as they've been since their opener, as evidenced by a running game that ranked in the lower third in the league all season but has gained 341 yards in the last two games - 165 against the Chargers in a 35-24 divisional round win Sunday. Parker, slowed by knee and shoulder injuries since the third week of the season, ran for 146 yards and two touchdowns against San Diego, the most playoff yards by a Steelers running back in 33 years. Parker also had 116 yards against Cleveland to end the regular season Dec. 28, giving him consecutive 100-yard games for the first time since Dec. 9-16, 2007. "I definitely feel real good. I'm about at full speed and that's really all that counts," Parker said. It's easy to understand Parker's importance to the Steelers. Their playoff record with him in the lineup since 2004: 5-0. Without him: 0-1. The Steelers certainly need to get Parker going against the Ravens because, as Ward said, the Steelers' offense gets out of character when the running game doesn't set up the passing game. But the Ravens have effectively controlled Parker, limiting him to a 43 yards per game average and no 100-yard games in six games. He has missed two of the last three Ravens-Steelers game, and was held to 47 yards on 14 carries last month in Baltimore. Another factor: The Ravens' bye week was moved because of Hurricane Ike, so this will be the 18th consecutive week they've played. The Steelers had a bye the weekend of Oct. 12, didn't play some players the entire game against Cleveland, then had a bye the first weekend of January, when the Ravens played the Dolphins in the wild-card round. "A long season, it takes its toll on everybody," Steelers linebacker James Farrior said. "It would seem (to help the Steelers), but they're fighting for the same thing we're fighting for. It doesn't matter all the stuff we did throughout the whole season, it's going to come down to this game. It doesn't matter when you had the bye week or what weeks you had off. It's all going to be right in this one game." Copyright Associated Press 2009

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01/15/2009

Changing for the better is essential

PITTSBURGH - In case you haven't heard, the Steelers are playing host to another AFC Championship Game. The formidable Baltimore Ravens provide the opposition, with CBS-TV bringing it to your living room beginning at 6:30 p.m. Sunday. This marks the fifth time since the 1994 season that the Steelers have hosted the game that propels the winner to the Roman numeral game, Super Bowl XLIII in this case. Since you probably already knew all of the above, you're probably also painfully aware of the Steelers' 1-4 record over that span of time in AFC Championship Games. So, regardless of this team's 13-4 record and the No. 2 seed it earned in these playoffs, past failures, both at Heinz Field and Three Rivers Stadium, are bound to be among the multitude of questions asked of players as they prepare for the game. None of the current players and none of the current coaches have been around for all five of those games, but there are some who have been around the Steelers locker room long enough to explain the feeling of having set the table to perfection only to have someone else enjoy the fine dinner. In their house, for goodness sake. "I'm 0-2 in championship games here," said wide receiver Hines Ward, who along with cornerback Deshea Townsend is in his 11th season. "I don't like seeing other teams celebrating on our field, in our house." Defensive end Aaron Smith is a year young than Ward and Townsend, but just as wise in these matters. Smith, too, is 0-2 in home AFC Championship Games. Of course, all three and plenty of their current teammates have also enjoyed celebrating at Denver's Invesco Field after beating the Broncos on their way to victory in Super Bowl XL three years ago. But not even that triumph has taken away the sting of having to watch the New England Patriots celebrate twice on the Heinz Field turf. How long does it take to get over such a low feeling? "It'll stay with me the rest of my life," Smith said. Smith's bookend, Brett Keisel, only experienced one of the home title game losses, but hopes to build new memories this weekend that will help the other one dissipate. "It'll last until you get the next one," Keisel said. "I understand that we've lost a couple of them, but we have a chance this Sunday to rectify that situation. We haven't won a championship game here since 1996? That sounds like a long time to me." Sure is. Ask any fan. Changing for the better is what's on the team's mind. Home field advantage is something every team strives for, but it hasn't been all it's cracked up to be in recent years, including the Steelers road from No. 6 seed to Super Bowl XL champs. Road warriors are more in vogue, but the Steelers want to restore Heinz Field as a tough place for an opponent to win. "I hope it's not as bad as the last one I had here," quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said, referring to his rookie season that ended with a championship game loss to the Patriots. "For me, that means to make sure I take care of the ball and let our defense do what it does." "There's nothing you approach differently," Smith said. "My motivation isn't to win because it's at home. My motivation is to get to the Super Bowl, period. I think I'd get motivated to play against my mom in this game." There was no need to specify whether it was at her home or his. Sports editor Mike Ciarochi may be reached at [email protected].

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baltimoresun.com Ward: most hated man in Baltimore

Longtime Steeler calls distinction 'a big honor, I guess'

By Bill Ordine | [email protected]

January 15, 2009

PITTSBURGH

In Pittsburgh, Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward is known for his beaming smile. In Baltimore, he's despised for his wise-guy smirk. In Pittsburgh, Ward is admired for always playing the game hard. In Baltimore, he's criticized for taking cheap shots. In Pittsburgh, the fans love Hines Ward. In Baltimore, well, they don't. "But I love Baltimore, why would they dislike me?" Ward said, smiling and/or smirking, yesterday. "I love the crab cakes there. "It's a big honor, I guess," he continued about the distinction of being a player Ravens fans love to hate. "I'm just playing football; I don't know why a whole city would dislike me. Maybe I smile too much and they don't like that I'm happy all the time. "For me, I'm just trying to do whatever it takes to win a ballgame, and Baltimore has been our rival for years. There's just something about Baltimore where you want to get up and give it all you've got. And if the city of Baltimore is mad at me for doing that, then I'm sorry to the city of Baltimore." However, don't expect that sort-of apology as a sign that Ward, 32, has any intention of easing up on the furious way he takes on Ravens defenders in Sunday's AFC championship game at Heinz Field Among the examples of Ward's talents was a hit he laid on Ravens safety Ed Reed in a 2007 Monday night debacle when the Steelers crushed Baltimore, 38-7. The safety was helped from the field trying to collect his wits. Reed, who has been putting on a superstar performance this season with 11 interceptions in the regular season and playoffs, brushed aside the Ward factor yesterday.

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"We just play football within the whistle and let everything else take care of itself," Reed said. "We can't get caught up in that part of the game. We know it's there, and we'll handle it as men as the game goes." In the first meeting between the teams this season, a 23-20 Steelers win in overtime, Ward caught just two passes but one was for 49 yards. In the second game, a 13-9 Pittsburgh victory, he had eight receptions for 107yards. Over the course of 11seasons, Ward has 86 catches, including six touchdowns, against the Ravens. Along the way, he has become an integral part of one of the most heated rivalries in the NFL. And, Ward said, it's not a pretend rivalry; there is genuine dislike between the teams. "Me and Ray Lewis won't go out and eat together after the games; you can count on that," Ward said. Still, Ward holds the Ravens in high regard as a football team. Just as the Ravens said they were rooting for the Steelers in last weekend's game against the Chargers, Ward said the Steelers were rooting for the Ravens to beat the Titans. In part, because the elimination of No. 1-seeded Tennessee meant a home game for Pittsburgh, but also because just having Baltimore as an opponent puts more of an edge on the championship game. "It's going to be an all-out war. This game is definitely going to be a war," Ward said. "As a player, these are the games that you appreciate and want to be a part of." "There's no helping each other up," he added later. "There's going to be a lot of trash-talking on the field. At the end of the day, it's still respect. They have some great players." Although Ward's style might infuriate opposing teams and their fans, his all-out approach inspires teammates. Pittsburgh tight end Heath Miller, who has had a front-row seat the past few years for Ward's battles with opposing secondaries, said the veteran wide receiver's ferocity makes him one of Pittsburgh's leaders. "We try to be a physical team around here, and when you have a receiver who blocks as well as he does and cares about blocking as much as he does, that sets the tone for the rest of the team," Miller said, "because as an offensive lineman or even as a tight end, you don't want a receiver blocking better than you do. So you just try to keep up with his pace." Although Ward has won a Super Bowl with the Steelers and, in fact, was the Most Valuable Player of that game, a 21-10 triumph over the Seattle Seahawks in 2006, the Steelers had lost both previous AFC championship games they had played at Heinz Field. Ward has bitter recollections of both those setbacks to the New England Patriots, and he insisted the Steelers need to make sure that doesn't happen again Sunday - especially against the Ravens. "I can vividly see the New England Patriots celebrating on our field as we lost the game," Ward said. "That's something that you've got to go into the whole offseason and look at the whole time. You definitely don't want to have Baltimore celebrating on our field here. I don't know how long I'll be getting over that."

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baltimoresun.com 3 Ravens prepare to take Suggs' place

J. McClain, Jones and Douglas on standby if Pro Bowl LB is too injured to face Steelers

By Edward Lee | [email protected]

January 15, 2009

If Terrell Suggs is too injured to play Sunday in the AFC championship game in Pittsburgh, it might take three Ravens to replace the Pro Bowl linebacker. Rookie Jameel McClain, converted tight end Edgar Jones and defensive end Marques Douglas could each get extended snaps in place of Suggs, who did not return after spraining his right shoulder in last week's playoff win at Tennessee. Suggs did not practice yesterday, and he primarily used his left arm to take off a long-sleeved T-shirt in the locker room at the team's training facility. His playing status remains highly uncertain for Sunday. The loss of Suggs, who led the team in sacks for the third time in six seasons, is potentially significant, but his teammates expressed confidence yesterday in the backups. "Edgar and Jameel have done an unbelievable job with me being nicked up a little bit and Terrell coming out of the last game," fellow outside linebacker Jarret Johnson said. "Incredibly smart guys. You've got Edgar playing every special teams [position] and tight end, and he knows the defense. You can't replace guys like that. You can just go down the list and look at guys who have stepped up this year." Suggs has 10 sacks in 16 regular-season games and two playoff contests, but he sprained his right shoulder after sacking quarterback Kerry Collins for a 6-yard loss late in the second quarter of the Ravens' 13-10 win against the Tennessee Titans on Saturday. After the victory, Suggs pledged to play against the Steelers, pointing out that he has not missed a game in his professional career. Suggs, who was unavailable to comment, is scheduled to speak to the media today. Coach John Harbaugh was cryptic when asked about Suggs' status, saying: "You can ask him. He's going to be right in the locker room. Ask him how he feels." Douglas predicted that Suggs would play in Pittsburgh.

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"I've seen him moving around already," Douglas said. "If he needs a play off, we'll be there, but it's the AFC championship game. I think you'd have to cut his arm off for him not to be out there." If Suggs can't play, the Ravens have a few options. McClain was an undrafted free agent out of Syracuse, but he has 2 1/2 sacks and became the first player in franchise history to record two safeties in a single season. McClain, who estimated that he played more than 20snaps against the Titans, said he is following linebacker Ray Lewis' advice of being prepared for any situation. "We've got to go through the whole week to see how everything would work, but I'm just going through it one day at a time," said McClain, who had one tackle against the Titans. "It's an experience. It's definitely something that probably nobody would have predicted, but I believed in myself, and I believed I could play this game at the highest level, and it's fortunate that I'm getting the opportunity to show it a little bit." Jones was an undrafted rookie in 2007, but after spending his rookie campaign as a linebacker, a lack of depth at tight end forced Ravens coaches to move Jones to that position. But Jones continued to receive game plans from the defensive playbooks each week, and he returned to linebacker at the end of last month. "It was like getting back on a bicycle again," said Jones, who estimated that he played between 15 and 20 snaps Saturday. "Of course, there were some things I had to re-evaluate and go over to kind of get back into that linebacker groove, but I think coming from an offensive standpoint kind of helped me as far as learning things and seeing how offenses worked." Douglas presents an intriguing angle as an end. A few times when Douglas entered the game against Tennessee, the defense went to a 4-3 alignment with defensive tackles Haloti Ngata and Justin Bannan and ends Trevor Pryce and Douglas and linebackers Lewis, Johnson and Bart Scott. "We've kind of done it before in the past where we've gone with [four defensive linemen]," Douglas said. "We can go 3-4 or 4-3. We can do a lot of things. We don't just have to do 4-3. That was an effective front against the Titans, so we stuck with it." Much of the uncertainty will remain until Sunday when the Ravens coaches are expected to wait until game time before making a decision on Suggs' availability. Harbaugh said the beauty of a defense built by defensive coordinator Rex Ryan is the interchangeable parts. "Our defense is a group effort anyway," Harbaugh said. "If anybody can't go on our defense, it will be packages designed by Rex and [it will] put guys in spots to do what they do well."

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January 15, 2009

Steelers Shared Resources With 2 Teams During World War II

By JOSHUA ROBINSON

If the Pittsburgh Steelers book a trip to the Super Bowl, where they would face the Arizona Cardinals or the

Philadelphia Eagles, there will be the faintest hint of fratricide in the air. After all, the Steelers have shared

more than just a common purpose with each team. They have also shared a stadium, a locker room and a

jersey.

As national duty cut into N.F.L. rosters during World War II — more than 600 players were drafted at a time

when teams seldom carried more than 28 — franchises scrambled for solutions. So in 1943, the Steelers and

the Eagles became the Steagles, and in 1944, the Steelers and the Cardinals became Card-Pitt, all in the

interest of keeping professional football alive during the war.

But today, in the age of endless player pipelines and billion-dollar franchises, they are largely forgotten.

“I grew up in Philadelphia and to me, it’s always been the answer to a trivia question,” Matthew Algeo, author

of “Last Team Standing,” said about the Steagles’ only season. “The N.F.L. is funny that way; it’s like nothing

existed before the Super Bowl. It’s a little surprising that it’s not better known.”

After the Cleveland Rams, whose owners were off fighting for Uncle Sam, decided to suspend operations for

the 1943 season, N.F.L. Commissioner Elmer Layden was not about to let the entire season go the way of that

year’s Indianapolis 500 — scratched to save gasoline — or the United States Open golf tournament —

canceled because the rubber used in golf balls could not be spared.

So when Layden saw that the Steelers had only six players under contract and that the Eagles were down to

about a dozen, he suggested a temporary merger between teams whose history was already intertwined.

(Both joined the league the same year and, through much wrangling, were once traded by their respective

owners.) Layden figured the arrangement would keep both franchises alive and solve his problem of trying to

create a schedule for nine teams.

“Had to do it,” the Steelers co-owner Bert Bell said in an interview with The New York Times that summer.

“Pittsburgh had no backs left and Philadelphia had no linemen.”

With a roster full of 4-Fs — men ineligible for the draft — Phil-Pitt was born. Newspaper columnists dubbed

the team the Steagles, even though the plan was for them to be called the Eagles without a city in the name.

The players were pooled, and few football fans complained. “Both teams had been so bad that there was no

worry of their becoming a superteam,” Algeo said.

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But by the season’s end, the Steagles had become a decent one.

Playing most of their games in Philadelphia in the Eagles’ green and white, the Steagles finished 5-4-1. It was

the first winning season in the Eagles’ 11-year history and the second for the Steelers.

Under Greasy Neale of Philadelphia and Walt Kiesling of Pittsburgh, who served as co-coaches, the Steagles

also contributed to the game’s development. Because Neale and Kiesling hated each other, they divided

responsibilities along the lines of offense and defense. Modern offensive and defensive coordinators were

thus born of a loveless marriage.

After the team dissolved, the Eagles were able to stand alone for the 1944 season. But with the Rams

returning to the league, and the newly formed Boston Yanks joining, Layden had 11 teams. So the Steelers

once again agreed to a merger, this time with the Chicago Cardinals.

That season, Card-Pitt, as the team was known, became rooted to the bottom of standings and set a

benchmark for futility. The Detroit Lions might have posted the worst record in league history in 2008 by

going 0-16, but they were only one team. It took two teams in 1944 to go a perfectly useless 0-10. Card-Pitt

became better known as the Carpets, because opponents ran over them.

But at least the Steelers’ Kiesling got along much better with his new coaching partner, Phil Handler of

Chicago. The problem, according to Algeo, was that Kiesling and Handler might have gotten along a little too

well. “Legend has it they spent more time at the racetrack than watching game film,” he said.

The season-long debacle began with a 22-0 defeat in an exhibition game against Philadelphia and kept

devolving. The Carpets cobbled together eight passing touchdowns all season but threw 41 interceptions —

more than one a quarter. Thirteen belonged to the hapless quarterback John McCarthy, according to a 2003

article from the Pro Football Researchers Association newsletter.

Still, the Carpets were not entirely devoid of talent. Running back Johnny Grigas, who was named to The

Daily News’s 1944 all-pro team, ran for 610 yards in the first nine games. But the stench of failure inside the

locker room was getting to him, sapping his will. Two players had been fined for “indifferent play,” and the

night before the team’s final game, against the mighty Chicago Bears — favored by four touchdowns — Grigas

disappeared. He knew the game could not be pretty.

By kickoff, Grigas was already on a train out of town. All he left behind were a note to his roommate — it read

simply, “This is the end,” according to The Chicago Tribune — and a letter to the team’s management.

“When your mind is changed because of the physical beating, week in and week out, your soul isn’t in the

game,” he wrote, adding: “I tried to win and worked hard, but the work-horse, as I was termed by the

newspapers, is almost ready for the farm. In closing all I can say is I’m deeply sorry — but these are things

which can’t be fully explained. Good luck and may the team win just this one.”

Card-Pitt lost, 49-7.

For the Steelers and Cardinals at least, the temporary brotherhood may be better off forgotten.



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January 15, 2009

Pittsburgh Mayor Asks to Remove Ravens From His Name

By SEAN D. HAMILL

PITTSBURGH — To understand the depth of feeling here for the Steelers, consider the news conference

Wednesday morning at the Allegheny County Department of Court Records.

There, Pittsburgh’s mayor, Luke Ravenstahl, filled out a Verified Petition for a Name Change in a ceremonial

effort to convert his surname to Steelerstahl. It would be that way, he said, until the Steelers and the Ravens

played Sunday for the American Football Conference title.

“We got a call yesterday from Star 100.7’s morning show D. J., who suggested that I take Ravens out of my

name and insert Steelers,” said Ravenstahl, who is a rabid Steelers fan. “Of course I thought it was a great

idea. I guess it’s the least I can do for Steeler Nation to try to show them support they deserve.”

Yes, it is all in good fun, and Mayor Luke, as many refer to the boyish-looking mayor of 28, laughed as he

filled out the forms.

Ravenstahl’s attendance at Steelers games in 2007 became so politically controversial — he was receiving free

tickets from entities like the University of Pittsburgh — that he stopped going to games during his campaign.

On Wednesday, however, there was a little sense of hope in reactions to the name prank, as if, perhaps, it

might help the team.

“I haven’t heard anyone put any seriousness into it,” said J. R. Randall, the D. J. at Star 100.7 FM who called

Ravenstahl on Tuesday to suggest the change. “But this is a football-crazy town.”

Ravenstahl first gained fame in 2006, when, at 26, he became the nation’s youngest big-city mayor after

Mayor Bob O’Connor died. A Democrat in a Democratic city, Ravenstahl won a special election in 2007

despite a challenge from a Republican candidate who criticized his experience and the city’s formidable

financial challenges. But voters overwhelmingly picked him, in part because he had helped to get a new arena

approved for the Penguins.

It also did not hurt that Ravenstahl’s football background was well known. He was a star quarterback for a

resurgent North Catholic High School team and a kicker at a nearby small college.

Ravenstahl won a bet last week with Mayor Jerry Sanders of San Diego when the Steelers trounced the

Chargers. Sanders is supposed to put on a Steelers cap and jersey and pose with a pair of skis at Sea World’s

Penguin Encounter in San Diego.

But Ravenstahl will not make a similar bet with his counterpart in Baltimore.

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Mayor Sheila Dixon was indicted on Friday, accused of stealing gift cards donated to the city for needy

families and of failing to report trips and luxuries paid for by a developer who was her former boyfriend. The

case stems from her time as the city council president.

A spokesman, Ian Brennan, said Dixon did not make bets with the mayors of Miami and Nashville, homes of

the Ravens’ first two playoff opponents, the Dolphins and the Titans.

Told of Ravenstahl’s stunt, Brennan said this of Dixon: “She just believes there is no need to bet because he

was already born with a winning name. Why mess with perfection?”

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By Gary Mihoces, USA TODAY

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers defensive players know some things are predictable about Dick LeBeau, their 71-year-old coordinator: the push-ups he does before practice, his annual recitation of The Night Before Christmas and his greeting at their daily morning meeting.

"The first thing he says to us is, 'Good morning, men, it's a great day to be alive,' " Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel says. "He's just young at heart, and we all feed off of it."

Unpredictability is the hallmark of the attacking defense run by LeBeau, in his 50th NFL season as a player or coach.

BEYOND RIVALRY: Steelers, Ravens seek knockout punch THE HUDDLE: Pittsburgh mayor to take 'Raven' out of name RAVENS-STEELERS PREVIEW: Who has the better matchups?

"It's awesome to be able to play for a guy like him … to kind of be his little puppets, if you will," says Keisel, 6-5, 285.

With the NFL down to its final four this weekend, maybe you'd like to see offenses go wild. But defensive coordinators such as LeBeau will be out to put quarterbacks on their backs and stop running backs in their tracks.

The Baltimore Ravens defense is led by freewheeling Rex Ryan, the 46-year-old son of an ex-NFL defensive coordinator and twin brother of another. The Philadelphia Eagles have wily Jim Johnson, another veteran at 67. The Arizona Cardinals' ballhawking defense is guided by Clancy Pendergast, the relatively unknown youngster of the group at 41.

PLAYOFF PICKS: Our analysts' projections

This weekend shows what a big role top-notch defenses play on the road to the Super Bowl:

• Sunday's AFC Championship Game here between Pittsburgh and Baltimore matches the Steelers defense, ranked No. 1 in the NFL during the regular season in fewest yards allowed, against the Ravens defense, ranked No. 2.

• Philadelphia's defense, No. 3 in the regular season, faces its next test in Sunday's NFC title game at Arizona. The Cardinals defense was No. 19 in the regular season but has come on strong in two playoff victories with nine takeaways.

Ron Jaworski, ESPN analyst and former NFL quarterback, sees a common thread.

"These are pressure defenses. These are not your typical bend-don't-break style of defenses. These are tempo-setting defenses, attack-the-line-of-scrimmage, attack-the-quarterback defenses," Jaworski says. "The only difference between Arizona and the other three is that the other three defenses have exceptional personnel now."

Defenders such as Baltimore safety Ed Reed and Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison make the big plays. But behind every defense is the

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fuel Steelers' run

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coordinator. Does LeBeau buy the notion that defense wins championships?

"At this level, you've got to have a balanced team — offense, defense and special teams," says LeBeau, who played 14 NFL seasons as a Detroit Lions defensive back.

But he adds, "It's tough to do it without a good defense, because you've got to outscore everybody."

Harass the quarterback

Pittsburgh linebacker James Farrior describes LeBeau as a "real laid-back" coach. "He's not a coach that's going to be a yeller or get all in your face," he says.

LeBeau's description of his role: "My job is to hopefully stay levelheaded … stay out of my guys' way and help them if I can."

But he does want to put stress on quarterbacks and have his players get in their faces.

During his first stint as secondary coach and later defensive coordinator for the Steelers (1992-96), he implemented his "zone blitz" scheme. It helped Pittsburgh reach the Super Bowl in the 1995 season, his first as coordinator.

LeBeau, who spent nearly three seasons as head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals, had decided the basic blitz — rushing the passer with linebackers and defensive backs — wasn't enough. With their "hot reads," quarterbacks were throwing to receivers in areas vacated by blitzers.

The zone blitz creates a trap for passers by dropping a defensive lineman back into coverage zones vacated by blitzers.

"The idea for the zone blitz was to create a trap guy right into their hot read. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, but that's where the zone blitz is different," LeBeau says.

It's now used in a variety of forms around the league.

Jaworski says that in a Thanksgiving game between Philadelphia and Arizona, Eagles defensive end Chris Clemons (6-2, 240) dropped off in "pretty good coverage" of a wide receiver running 35 yards down the middle.

Jaworski has seen 345-pound defensive tackle Haloti Ngata of Baltimore line up as a linebacker and drop in coverage.

He has seen passing situations in which the Ravens have no down linemen.

"What they're trying to do is force (the passer) to have a difficult time identifying who's going to blitz," Jaworski says.

He says Baltimore's Ryan might be the most exotic of them all when it comes to blitzes.

"I think he probably got a lot of his concepts and his principles from his dad. … I think Rex has kind of taken it to another level."

Ryan's father, Buddy Ryan, coordinated the 1985 Chicago Bears defense that dominated the Super Bowl. Ryan's twin, Rob, is the new defensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns.

Rex has been mentioned as a candidate for several head coach openings around the NFL.

"He (Ryan) deserves everything he's getting right now, as far as opportunities," Ravens safety Jim Leonhard says.

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger knows Ryan will have his team prepared. "I really think that every week they put in not one new thing, they put a whole new package in," he says.

Roethlisberger has firsthand knowledge of the other veteran coordinator from Pennsylvania as well. In a 15-6 loss at Philadelphia on Sept. 21, Roethlisberger was sacked eight times by blitzes from all angles orchestrated by the Eagles' Johnson.

"He (Johnson) is always looking for new things. He puts everybody in position to get a piece of the pie," Eagles coach Andy Reid says.

Veteran safety Brian Dawkins has welcomed the wide array of blitzes. "When your number is called, or even when it's not called, you know we're going to get home and force the quarterback to do something before he wants to do it," he says.



Johnson, who has been using a cane while dealing with a back problem, will coach from upstairs Sunday.

"Jim kind of epitomizes a football coach. He coaches a tough defense, but that's what he lives. He's a tough guy," linebacker Stewart Bradley says. "If you look at the situation he's dealing with right now … you can see by the way he's walking around that he's a tough guy."

Take it away

In Arizona's two playoff wins, the defense led by Pendergast has had seven interceptions and two fumble recoveries.

Pendergast's defensive style was influenced by his first NFL coaching season as an assistant in 1995 under coach Jeff Fisher with the Houston Oilers (now Tennessee Titans) and later as a Dallas Cowboys assistant under Dave Campo.

"It was only one year, but being with (Fisher) gave me the ability to think outside the box a little bit because he was a pressure-oriented coach," Pendergast says. "Dave Campo has been a big influence on me from a scheme and technique standpoint."

Two years ago, Pendergast moved Karlos Dansby from outside to middle linebacker. Dansby has 16 tackles this postseason.

"He wants to give his playmakers opportunities to make plays," Dansby says of Pendergast. "He does a great job of freeing everybody up. I can't say enough about him. He's been phenomenal to me. He's let me make plays and run around."

Jaworski says Pendergast is using those exotic blitz schemes even though the Cardinals need a few more years of drafting some defensive personnel to fit his scheme.

But so far the Cardinals are getting it done on multiple fronts.

"Everyone talks about the turnovers, but the thing I see is the front four playing well," Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb says. "They are clogging up the running game and forcing teams to throw the ball."

In Baltimore's playoff victory vs. Tennessee, the Ravens gave up 391 yards, 130 more than their regular-season average. But they forced three turnovers when the Titans were in scoring position.

Baltimore lost three defensive starters to injuries this season: cornerback Chris McAlister, nose tackle Kelly Gregg and safety Dawan Landry. In Tennessee, linebacker Terrell Suggs and cornerback Samari Rolle were sidelined.

"You have to give Rex Ryan so much credit and the defensive staff so much credit," Ravens coach John Harbaugh says. "Guys like (defensive backs) Haruki Nakamura and (Tom) Zbikowski … Rex figured out exactly how to position those guys and where to put them. It was just great coaching on the fly."

Sunday, all four defenses might have to adjust on the fly. The coordinators will call the shots.

"It might look like we're coming from one way, and we're coming from another place," the Ravens' Ngata says. "Our defense is fun and loose like that, and hopefully we can just get more chaotic this weekend."

COORDINATORS OF MAYHEM

The defensive coordinators for this weekend's NFL conference title games, with a comment on each from ESPN analyst Ron Jaworski:

Rex Ryan, Baltimore Ravens

• Age: 46 (born Dec. 13, 1962)

• Hometown: Ardmore, Okla.

• Current post: Ravens defensive coordinator since 2005 (also assistant head coach this season)

• Jaworski: "You never know where Rex is going to bring (the pass rush) from. He'll bring it from more angles than a politician.

• 2008 regular season defensive rankings: 2nd overall (261.1 yards/game), 2nd passing (179.7 yards/game), 3rd rushing (81.4 yards/game).

• Previous NFL coaching: Ravens (defensive line, 1999-2004), Arizona Cardinals (linebackers,1995, and defensive line, 1994).



Copyright 2008 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

Dick LeBeau, Pittsburgh Steelers

• Age: 71 (born Sept. 9, 1937)

• Hometown: London, Ohio

• Current post: Began second stint as Steelers defensive coordinator in 2004

• Jaworski: "Dick LeBeau is arguably the best ever to coach defense. … He has done it on such a consistent basis over a long period of time."

• 2008 regular season defensive rankings: 1st overall (237.2 yards/game), 1st passing (156.9 yards/game), 2nd rushing (80.2 yards/game).

• Previous NFL coaching: Buffalo Bills (asst. head coach, 2003), Cincinnati Bengals (head coach, 2000-2002, asst. head coach/defensive coordinator, 1997-2000), Steelers (defensive coordinator, 1995-1996, secondary, 1992-1994), Bengals (defensive coordinator/defensive backs, 1984-1991, and defensive backs, 1980-1983), Green Bay Packers (defensive backs, 1976-1979), and Philadelphia Eagles (special teams, 1973-1975).

Jim Johnson, Philadelphia Eagles

• Age: 67 (born May 26, 1941)

• Hometown: Maywood, Ill.

• Current posT: Eagles defensive coordinator since 1999

• Jaworski: "Once again pressure defense and very similar to Dick LeBeau. They don't compromise coverage for pressure. They like to break down your protection schemes."

• 2008 regular season defensive rankings: 3rd overall (274.3 yards/game), 3rd passing (182.1 yards/game), 4th rushing (

• Previous NFL coaching: Seattle Seahawks (linebackers, 1998), Indianapolis Colts (linebackers/defensive coordinator, 1994-1997), St. Louis/Arizona Cardinals (defensive line/defensive backs, 1986-93).

Clancy Pendergast, Arizona Cardinals

• Age: 41 (born Nov. 29, 1967)

• Hometown: Phoenix, Ariz.

• Current post: Cardinals defensive coordinator since 2004

• Jaworski: "Clancy is kind of a combination of all the wily, old veteran type guys. Clancy is kind of the young upstart."

• 2008 regular season defensive rankings: 19th overall (331.5 yards/game) 22nd passing (221.2 yards/game), 16th rushing (110.2 yards/game).

• Previous NFL coaching: Cleveland Browns (linebackers, 2003), Dallas Cowboys (linebacker/secondary 1996-2002) and Houston Oilers (defensive assistant/quality control 1995)

Contributing: Jarrett Bell in Baltimore, Jim Corbett in Tempe, Ariz., Tom Pedulla in Philadelphia Find this article at: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/2009-01-14-defensive-coordinators_N.htm

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By Skip Wood, USA TODAY

While his teammates were cavorting in the visitors locker room last Saturday night at Tennessee, where the Baltimore Ravens had just dispatched the Titans to advance to this weekend's AFC championship game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, linebacker Ray Lewis instead studied his shoes.

Fine shoes to compliment a fine suit. So when he laced them up, he made certain he did so with precision. The near-pandemonium behind him? No matter. There were shoes to be laced. Left one, then the right one. One minute. Two minutes. Still lacing.

THE HUDDLE: Pitt. mayor to take 'Raven' out of name RAVENS-STEELERS PREVIEW: Who has the better matchups?

So meticulous. So serene.

So ... been there, done that.

Lewis happens to be the MVP of Super Bowl XXXV.

He's been there.

He's done that.

And now that the Ravens are in prime position to reach Super status again, something the Pittsburgh Steelers will have a thing or two to say about, Lewis — he of the famous pregame gyrations just before the team takes the field — is something of a steady Eddie.

Here we go again.

Two losses in the regular season to the Steelers already.

Untied laces.

There was the 23-20 road overtime loss in late September and the 13-9 setback last month.

From Lewis, a determined yawn.

"We always have got one philosophy in this defense," he says. "If they don't score, they don't win. Bottom line."

In that way of thinking, then, the losses to the Steelers surely sting.

Right, Ray?

"Not at all, he said this week. "As soon as the game was over, you are over it. You don't dwell on it too much in this business. You take your good with your bad, and you move on. You grab your corrections, and after you grab your corrections, you make sure it doesn't happen again."

Still, chief among Lewis' tasks this weekend will be grabbing the guy across the line.

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The quarterback.

Ben Roethlisberger.

"He's the ultimate competitor," Lewis says. "He plays football the way old-school people play football — just make a play. It doesn't have to be pretty, it doesn't have to be drawn up, sit in the pocket and pass the ball like the conventional quarterback.

"He's a football player. He's going to go out and do anything to keep his team motivated and keep the chains moving, things like that. And that's probably one of the greatest assets he has, is really keeping the play going."

One could say he plays the dunce — and does so very well.

So hints defensive tackle Haloti Ngata.

"It's just kind of deceiving because he looks big and slow and doesn't look like he can move around," he says. "He bends in weird ways and gets out of things. It's pretty crazy how he does it, and we just have to make sure we get him down when we get a hold of him."

Meanwhile, Lewis ties his shoes.

And in doing so, he sends a message to the newbies.

"I think that's what our whole season has been about," he says. "Our whole season has been about just chemistry. A lot of people don't know that really when you look at our ball club and the way we practice and look at the things that we do, we prepare a certain way with each other.

"Coaches give us the game plan and give us their part of it, but our part is being accountable to each other. We have more guys over at each other's houses than anything. There's nothing that we couldn't go through during the course of the season, whether it was not having a bye week, this and that, this person is hurt, that person is hurt… But the togetherness and the brotherhood we have is kind of more overwhelming than anything."

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By Gary Mihoces, USA TODAY

PITTSBURGH — With a Super Bowl berth at stake, no hot sauce is needed for Sunday's AFC title game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens. But there always is something extra between the division rivals from neighboring states.

Two regular-season meetings in the AFC North have yielded a denial of bounty hunting, an alleged spitting incident and a winning touchdown by Pittsburgh on a controversial replay reversal.

PLAYOFF PICKS: Our analysts' projections THE HUDDLE: Pitt. mayor to take 'Raven' out of name RAVENS-STEELERS PREVIEW: Who has the better matchups?

"I don't think there's even a team in our division that we like, period. But if you had to pick a team, we definitely don't really care for the Baltimore Ravens. I'm sure they care even less for us," says Steelers offensive tackle Max Starks.

"But they are the opponent. You have to respect the opponent, and we have a nice little history with them. So it's going to be a tough challenge, and with so much familiarity, there are really no secrets. It's just about going out there and just punching a guy in the mouth and playing football."

Coaches Mike Tomlin of the Steelers and John Harbaugh of the Ravens are taking the high road.

Tomlin was asked at a press conference Tuesday about the "bad side" of the rivalry.

"I don't know that there's a bad side. You know talk is just that, it's talk," Tomlin said.

"I think it's entertaining leading up to a football game. It adds to the excitement of a football game. But when the ball is kicked off, these are two teams that play extremely hard and extremely disciplined football. And I expect the game to be just that."

Said Harbaugh, "It's physical football, it's fundamental, it's a very disciplined style of football, and we respect it. I believe they respect us. It's the AFC North. We take a lot of pride in that the two teams from the AFC North are playing in the championship game."

There have been extra elements this season, as in seasons past:

• During Pittsburgh's 23-20 overtime victory here on Sept. 29, Steelers rookie running back Rashard Mendenhall sustained a season-ending shoulder fracture when tackled by Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis.

During an October appearance on a radio show in Atlanta, Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs was asked if there had been a bounty on Mendenhall to knock him out of the game. "The bounty was out on him and the bounty was out on (Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward)," said Suggs.

Suggs later issued a statement through the Ravens saying there were no bounties. "We, the players, don't pay each other to take another player out of the game," he said.

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• Pittsburgh's 13-9 victory in Baltimore was controversial enough with the winning touchdown scored by receiver Santonio Holmes on an instant replay reversal disputed by the Ravens. But afterward, Steelers punter Mitch Berger, who holds on place kicks, said Ravens cornerback Frank Walker spit in his mouth during a tiff that followed Pittsburgh's ensuing extra-point kick. Walker denied the accusation, saying it was "just a slobber moment."

Did the Steelers buy Walker's explanation?

"We had a couple of eyewitnesses. But for us it's here nor there," Starks said. "Some people take losses better than others. … We're not going to stoop down to any levels. We play our style of football."

The Ravens intend to do the same.

"I think that's what has made this game between these two teams such a good football game, because both teams are not willing to back down," says Baltimore wide receiver Derrick Mason.

"Neither team is willing to back down in the 55th minute, or in the 59th or 60th minute. … So, like I said last week (before beating Tennessee), it's going to be a game for the ages. … Hopefully, it will snow. Hopefully it's about 10 degrees out there and the field is messed up, so when they replay this in about another 50 years my son can look at it and see how grimy the game was. But, it's going to be a good one, and hopefully we can come out on the winning end."

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Tomlin building own legacy with Steelers

January 14, 2009 3:17 PM

Posted by ESPN.com's James Walker

PITTSBURGH -- Every day, Mike Tomlin walks by five Lombardi trophies on the way to his office.

Not one.

Not two or three.

But five.

It's a tremendous symbol of excellence for the Pittsburgh Steelers. But for Tomlin, it's also a daily reminder of the extremely high standard the second-year coach has to live up to.

One can almost feel the ghosts of Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher swirling around Pittsburgh this time of year. Noll (four times) and Cowher (once) became legendary by bringing Super Bowl titles to the Steel City.

Tomlin wants -- and expects -- to do the same.

"I love the high expectations that come with this job," said Tomlin. "I'd rather have high ones than low ones. It's a sense of pride, because the tradition is awesome. You can't put a price tag on it. It's inspiring."

Tomlin, 36, already has Pittsburgh (13-4) in the AFC Championship Game against the rival Baltimore Ravens (13-5). The game guarantees that one AFC North team will represent the conference in Tampa for Super Bowl XLIII.

These are the big games Tomlin needs to eventually win to be mentioned alongside his lofty predecessors. Noll, who won four Super Bowls in the 1970s, is a Hall of Fame coach, and Cowher is a lock for Canton when he decides to permanently retire.

Tomlin is doing well so far.

He is 22-10 in his first two regular seasons and won his first career playoff game last week against the San Diego Chargers. Tomlin's winning percentage of .688 is better at this point than

Jason Bridge/US Presswire

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is well aware of the football legacy in Pittsburgh.

both Cowher (.623) and Noll (.566). But everyone knows football excellence in Pittsburgh is judged by hardware.

"I want to win one for him just for the fact that he is a great coach," Steelers receiver Hines Ward said. "He's following in the footsteps of Coach Cowher and Coach Noll, but the tradition here doesn't stop. This organization is still all about winning Super Bowls and being there to give yourself a chance to play in the playoffs."

Cowher dealt with many of the same issues following in the footsteps of Noll. He spent 15 years in in Pittsburgh and -- despite consistent winning -- didn't win the Super Bowl until year 14 of his tenure.

Cowher struggled most in AFC title games, where he was 2-4. He split two Super Bowl appearances -- losing Super Bowl XXX to the Dallas Cowboys and winning Super Bowl XL against the Seattle Seahawks.

This is the 14th AFC Championship Game in Pittsburgh's storied history. The Steelers are 6-7 in their previous appearances.

Tomlin has a chance to advance to his first Super Bowl much earlier than Cowher, who got to his first big game in his fourth season. It also doesn't hurt Tomlin that this year's playoff field is wide open as three No. 1 and No. 2 seeds were upset in last week's divisional round.

Pittsburgh, the second seed in the AFC, is the highest-seeded team remaining in the postseason.

"We've worked our cans off all year to get to this point," Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel said. "Now it's about seizing this opportunity, taking advantage and going to Tampa."

Tomlin has said numerous times that the 2008 Steelers are not his story. It's a humble statement but not completely accurate.

Tomlin's rapid growth as a coach is one of the reasons Pittsburgh is in title contention. The Steelers saw no drop-off after switching head coaches for the first time in 15 years, and Tomlin deserves much of the credit for keeping continuity and high expectations intact throughout the organization.

"He's done a phenomenal job of getting all his players and getting this team back to where we wanted to be," Ward said. "Last year we fell short in the playoffs. This year we advanced to the next round and we're one game away from the Super Bowl. So a lot of players do want to win it for him.

"To go to the playoffs his first two years, we can't ask for any rookie coaches to do that."

The Mount Rushmore of Steelers coaches may someday include Tomlin. But, first, he has to add a sixth piece of hardware to that very same trophy case he passes at work every single day.

Huge shoes to fill Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin follows Bill Cowher and Chuck Noll, who combined to win five Super Bowls. Here is how he stacks up to the two coaching legends so far.

Years 2 15 23Record 22-10 149-90-1 193-148-1 Win % .688 .623 .566Playoff W-L 1-1 12-9 16-8

Super Bowl wins 0* 1 4

* Tomlin can advance to his first Super Bowl with a win on Sunday.

Ravens-Steelers playoffs, AFC North, Mike Tomlin, Hines Ward, Brett Keisel, Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher, playoffs, NFL

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