The Slippery Soapbox

[alienmem]

Well they are serious games but they don't play the first string much it's mostly to try out newly acquired players to see how they do, before the real games start.

But I assume they try not to give it their all so they don't get serious injuries that can jeopardize their seasons. Much like soccer friendlies. I don't think basketball has an offseason. The season is long as is. The offseason is pretty much training I think.


Well, I expect to watch my Patriots tear the opposition apart..Tear them apart!!! Apart!.

[ctaulbee]

Well yeah they have bad injuries during pre-season, that is what happened to Julian Edelman last year for the Pats a preseason injury put him out for the season before the first game.

Understand this happens just before final cuts have to be made too, many players who are not locked yet have to impress the coach in order to have a chance at making the team still and getting paid at least for the coming year you see, so it's competitive in that regard.

Super star players under contract already usually don't play much or take any risks, but sometimes silly things happen when they just go in for a few snaps to shake off a little rust in pre-season games.

[alienmem]

I suppose the risk is always there.

[ctaulbee]

Yup, the Steelers kicker twisted his ankle running off the field after a field goal kick a couple of years ago in a Hall of Fame Game which is the first game of the Pre-Season. Then missed like 3-4 of our first regular season games, sucked too as no one else on the damn team can kick the ball but him, lol.

Just goes to show players can hurt themselves with no live plays going on even...

[ctaulbee]

Steelers finally cut Landry Jones, I'm ecstatic that is like a win in my world. He was just a backup QB but he really sucked and I'm glad he is gone.

[alienmem]

TheSaints are losing at home to the Cleveland Browns....I can't laugfh anymore!!!

it's going to be their first win in a dog's age!!!

well, looks like they'll lose after all...lolol

[Wrench]

Well alien nothing out of the ordinary

[Wrench]

What happened to the steelers CT?

[ctaulbee]

They lost

[alienmem]

yeah, lot of upsets this weekend. Patriots losing to the Jags. I still can't believe it.

[topmeasure]

That wasn't an upset, the jag's defense is a beast.

[ctaulbee]

I watched that Pats game too, not much you can do when a team is on fire like that.

The Chiefs played probably their best game of the season yesterday, the Steelers scored more points than any team in any game yesterday... besides the Chiefs lmao, the irony of it is just too funny.

New QB for the Chiefs set a record for passing touchdowns by a new QB etc, doubt he will do that again the entire season but he did it yesterday, which was all they needed to beat the Men-of-Iron, we played horrible on the D side of the ball anyway so it's a bit our own doing too, mostly missed tackles, not too many turnovers really, think they made more in that area but it was a killer none the less.

Another thing is new QB's always have a little edge in the first few games of their first season in the NFL because there is no real film on them yet, you can bet other teams are analyzing every move he has made now, it will only get tougher for him as the season goes forward and teams begin to design defenses just for his little ass, we will see where the Chiefs are by mid-season...

Just like the defending champs went down in flames yesterday to the Bucks, man the Bucks, really??? things that make you go hummm.

Anyway much of that is due to Nick Foles see end of season last year everybody was ready to have Carson Wentz on buffet and he gets hurt, this actually helped the Eagles as it was late in the season and no teams had studied Foles much and none were prepared to affect his game.

This year they knew he might not be back and you can tell they are ready for Foles, he is having a tough go of it as they have him figured out and that will only get worse the longer he is in the game.

That is why the top guys like Brady even often have tough games, teams have been studying him for years they know every move he likes to make and they have defenses and rushes designed just for him, then it becomes a chess game of who can think enough moves ahead to come out on top lol.

[alienmem]

I like your assessment of the QB's situation.

You think the lack of results in the first two games might also have to do with the absence of Laveon Bell. Does Pittsburgh have a backup running back, not as good, but good enough right now?

Seems like this year it's going to be a more competitive season. Even Cleveland is making some progress.

[ctaulbee]

Oh yeah Conner is exceptional, I think in many ways he is better than Bell myself, has carried the weight very well so far, I have Connor on my fantasy team, I did not draft Bell even though I could have...

I'm not as impressed with Bell as the sports world seems to be...

I don't think we will miss Bell at all, in fact his antics are more of a problem than he is actually worth IMO.

It will be a interesting season, lot of players moved around from last year, lots of new coaches and assistants, will be a lot of new plays going on week to week with new brains at the planning tables.

I like it, Steelers have a lot of new talent, we looked good on offense for the 2nd game of the season, just need to get the D going, was mostly timing looked like, they missed tackles by finger widths, the competition can't bank on those kind of errors all season they will improve on that stuff as time goes by.

The Pats will learn from all the things that got them beat, they will not repeat those errors next week, in fact I would not want to play them next week, nothing motivates a top NFL team the following week like a loss the week before...

[alienmem]

I know it's been a while since the US Open finals but i could not pass on the utter disgrace that was Serena William's behaviour at the finals.

She is arrogant. She thinks she's above the rules. Shame on someone who I once hailed as a great player on and off court. Plus she frikkin ugly as a dog but that is neither here nor there. It's just a fact.

Here's a video that sums up everything I need to say about this matter:

[ctaulbee]

It was an embarrassing moment, almost as bad as the Steelers loss last night, was sad, just sad.

On a more positive note the Steelers still have some hot supporters so I guess that is a small consolation prize.

[alienmem]

Man, I didn't want to even talk about the Steelers because I know you're a huge steelers fan but damn, the Steelers are looking in very bad shape right now.


But I also think that these guys on ESPN, especially. Stephen A., Max Kellerman, saying that if they lose next game against Altanta that they won't make the playoffs is a pile of BS. The Steelers aren't playing their best, the results show that but dismissing them at week 5 I think is total nonsense. But I haven't seen their schedule, I have only seen their last game.

What do you think C? I know we talkes about this and you don't agree but I think the Leveon Bell situation and how they can't seem to rely on an offensive weapon from behind is limiting their offense, which is where they were great.


I'm not worried about the Patriots, even though we're not playing our best, because our conference sucks. Even playing bad we'll get there. Of course, If we want to be a champiionship contender a lot has to be done.


Everything can change but The teams that impressed me the most are the Chargers, Kansas and to an extent Clevleand, because they are actually winning some games.

[ctaulbee]

Steelers problem is defense, they can't stop anyone, not even the Browns from scoring, which why that tie came into being, they were up 14 going into the 4th in that one, see the problem.

They have no effective pass rushers, they have no defensive captain now, they honestly don't look like they know what they are doing on defense.

They scored 37 points in that week two loss to the Chiefs, I don't think scoring is the problem, it's keeping the other teams offense off the field and out of the end zone, that's the problem.

I don't really know if it's coaching or players but they are in mess on D, since they lost Dick LeBeau the Steelers Defense has struggled IMO, so IDK just have to see how it goes, looks to be a crap season though.

Everyone wants, everything to be about Bell for some reason, he is nothing in the overall problem, he don't play on defense, see why I fail to see the preoccupation you folks have with him.

We can run the ball without him, have been doing it, very well actually, he's a non-issue for any real fan who follows the games, the Steelers fans are sporting get rid of Bell signs all around the field at every game, he should have done been gone.

He's like the Lebron James of football lmao, he's just one guy, it's a team sport, if it were about one man Sir James would have all the titles the last several years, but he don't so same with Bell we have no Superbowl's because of him and look how long he has played, one man can't get you there no matter what the talking heads on sports channels say.

The Bears are looking like a whole new team this year with their new rookie QB and are putting up huge numbers, they scored 48 on the Bucks Sunday after they just put away the defending champs in week two...

Chiefs have a hot new QB too, so I'd say the bandwagon fans will flock to them if they continue to win lmao people are so predicable.

They beat the 49er's last week who are a nothing team, but who still managed to score 27 on them... so one has to wonder if they are as good as their record seems to indicate.

I'll be watching them tonight but the Broncos are not a force to be reckoned with, so I'm not sure beating them proves anymore than beating the 49ers did lol.

[alienmem]

Jordan is the GOAT. So that may make Lebron the COW. Yep

Kobe's the MULE

[ctaulbee]

Kobe's the MULE

That would make LeBron the Jackass...      


Chiefs won but it was a last second win, lot of luck went their way to pull it off.

I like this new QB they have, time will tell if he is a one season wonder boy or if he is the real deal.

Broncos seemed to have it figured out on D in the first half, second half they fell apart and blew a 10 point lead in the last few minutes of the 4th.

Reminded me of the damn Steelers, play hard get a lead then try to coast to the finish line instead of actually playing, ended with the same result too...

[alienmem]

Yeah, I aw the highlights and the new QB looks resourceful. I liked his creatitivity in some of the plays.

I was just watching an ESPN video talking about QB's and who is the greatest and what not. It was mostly about Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady. Who is the greatest QB of the last 20 years or something.

I've never seen Joe Montana live but the guy was 4-0 in Superbowls, Brady has been to 8 superbowls and won 5. This guy has amazing stats as does Peyton Manning but what statistics are more important? Your average statstics or your accomplishments as a leader, ie, Superbowls? A player can be great in a bad team but over a span of a career can a player be considered better than other great QB's(whose stats are similar) that dominated?

It is as everyone knows a team effort so all these things are just food for though. But we all know that the media, the fans all like to make comparisons. There are stats but are they sufficiently relevant to differentiate top caliber players? Hmm

[ctaulbee]

Yup, I have seen Joe play many times, he kind of invented the two minute drill as they call it, he had Jerry Rice grabbing unwatchable balls too, the great ones always have those around them that can make plays too, as you said it's a team effort.

If those you named had played for teams with no offensive line to protect them and no guys who could consistently catch the ball they throw, then those stats would be very different.

They would still be great QB's, it's just that no one would know.

Kind of like the great singers and musician who never get a chance to be on the national stage and let fame come to them, it does not mean they are not just as good as the ones we hear everyday.

It just means luck never came their way to let them showcase their talent in a way that would make them famous.

Life is as much luck as it is effort.

Now to be clear, no effort is generally a guaranteed failure but even with effort lack of, or bad luck can doom the best efforts.

[alienmem]

Yeah I agree. Luck has a lot to do with success and even being given a shot.

Take example of Hollywood actors or even Solo singers. Let's face the reailty of how things work.
Sometimes a Melissa McArthy will come along and a little chubby woman will pass through but what does Hollywood look in an actress and what do casual people look in music videos? Woman who are skinny, pretty, have nice breats, overall nice figure. You don't have that you're not going to get a lead acting career. You're not going to be a pop star.


Beyonce ,Taylor Swift, JLo, Ariana Grande, Selena Gomez.....hello?

To break through this mold you have to be immensefuly talented and that's where the Meryl Streeps come in, or let me think of an ugly as hell singer..ok, like Celine Dion...but come on. Celine Dion, as much as I don't like pop music has a voice that if there is a GOD, was blessed two or three times over.



One thing I was viewing on youtube about Lebron(always in the conversation) is this. And I rest my case. I believe this video wholehartedly(is it mispelled? If it is I make it my own)

[bankska22]

Steelers finally cut Landry Jones, I'm ecstatic that is like a win in my world. He was just a backup QB but he really sucked and I'm glad he is gone.

steeler-nation.jpg

Wish Lev Bell felt the same. hehe

[alienmem]

I'm so excited to see Brady kick Kansas's a$$!!! it's gonna be so much fun