Travesty Henry of the Broncos

Was flipping through the newspaper when the story about Travis Henry of the Denver Broncos caught my eye...

As the father of two adorable young daughters, I'm about as proud a papa as you will find. As such, I seem to gravitate toward stories about parents and parenting. Henry's story takes the new top rung.*

It seems he is the proud "baby-daddy" of nine children with nine different mothers across four states. He was recently told to start making child welfare payments for one of the kids he had been neglecting.

Money quote:

Henry's attorney, Shiel Edlin, says: "I know these are a lot of kids, and there might be some questions about it, but he's a really committed father."

* I seem to remember former NBA "star" Shawn Kemp being a prolific baby-daddy - a quick wiki-search reveals that he has indeed layed claim to seven kids with six mamas... Methinx Tom Brady has some catching up to do?

A Few Words About Steely

As a traditionalist when it comes to most things regarding 'r Stillers, I was shocked to learn the team would be adding an "official" mascot to their roster in this, their 75th anniversary season.

"Why now?" was the immediate question that came to mind.

But I'll tell you... the answer becomes obvious whenever you see the faces of children (let's say 10 and under) lighting up when the unfortunately named "Steely McBeam" walks by.

The mascot is for them. Not you. Not me. Not for any of us old fogies...

Steely was created for the next few generations of Steeler fans.

They will have plenty of time to learn to b*tch about terrible play calls and blown 3rd down coverages, etc., but being a Stiller fan also means knowing how to have fun.

As long as he (meaning, the dude inside the suit as well as the chisel-chinned, near-unibrowed icon) avoids being arrested, I'll support his right to be a part of the celebration at Heinz Field on game days and at every other local event ol' Steely attends.

Next time you see Steely, offer him an Iron City. See what he says. You'll be surprised to find yourself smiling from ear-to-ear no matter his response.

Some readers may even remember another mascot in the team's not too distant past? Stevie Steeler strode the sidelines in the 80's and 90's... talk about unfortunate? Stevie was an NFL Properties design, inspired by the Cabbage Patch craze of that era. So, as you can see if you click the link above, he was actually more truly cast in the form of the typical Stiller fans of his day (a little gray and pot-bellied!).

Bottom line: Let's give Steely some time to make a positive impression on youngsters before we run him ahta tahn!

The Mike Tomlin Era

September 9, 2007 kicks-off the official beginning of the Mike Tomlin era with the Steelers. Of course, we got a glimpse of the new head coach's style and temperament during the preseason -- and I for one have liked pretty much everything I've read and seen about the team's new leader.

Tomlin seems to be the kind of guy who will remain in control of his emotions, if not his entire staff and team, as the games proceed. DeShea Townsend remarked that Tomlin is a "cool cat," when the coach showed up wearing long sleeves and long pants for the first day of camp in Latrobe's overbearing late-Summer heat. And Tomlin's own comments about preparation and competence, and the remarks by Steelers Chairman Dan Rooney have hit home over the course of the four preseason skirmishes (I hate calling them games when they don't count!) conducted so far.

"For Pittsburgh's Tomlin, It's All About The Details," USA Today: With the Rooneys, it was all about competence; that Tomlin was then 34 didn't bother them.

"We don't have a prohibition against hiring young coaches," Rooney says. "Chuck Noll was 35, Bill was 34. Mike fell into the same age bracket they did. But that's not why you hire somebody, because they can relate to younger players. You hire them because they can do the job regardless of age."

Then Rooney adds, "If we didn't hire him this year, somebody else would soon."

Tomorrow (Thursday, 8/30) is the final preseason game. Coach Tomlin is telling everybody that the goal is to focus on this game, now, and then to turn their attention to the opener after this final exhibition is over. It's supposedly a new strategy, since Cowher in past years had used one practice per week to prepare for the opening game opponent. But if there were any team that was ready for a break from tradition and a fresh perspective on doing things, it just may be the newly mascoted (? is that a word?) Steelers.

Is it kick-off time in Cleveland yet? This fan is ready for the new era to begin.