Steelers Denver preseason/High School football
Ugly is a four letter word. Not in the traditional sense, mind you. But this very easily defines what happened in Denver Sunday night. Dennis Dixon got his chance to run the first team offense and subsequently threw two picks, one for a touchdown. We all found out that running the first team is a lot different than running the second or third team. Anyone who knows football knows that. At this point, it looks like Byron Leftwich’s job to lose going into the regular season opener against Atlanta.
The other side of that coin is Keenan Lewis with two personal foul calls on defense while filling in for Bryant McFadden. Neither call endeared itself to head coach Mike Tomlin, who rightly pulled Lewis from the game and got in his face to tell him what he did wrong and that it would not be acceptable behavior. Lewis responded by busting out some protective glass on a sign on the way to the locker room. Tomlin is making him pay for the damages which, again is the right thing to do. The young man needs to learn some things about being a professional and how to play the game right.
The third game of the preseason is normally a dress rehearsal for the regular season. Hopefully, that isn’t an omen. If it is, the Steelers are in trouble during the first quarter of the season. Denver’s running game exposed holes in the Steelers first team defense, which is something in itself. The defense also made Broncos quarterbacks Kyle Orton and Tim Tebow look like All Pros. Granted, the defense is still going to be very vanilla in the preseason. But it’s time to start tightening up because the real deal starts September 12.
I don’t get excited anymore watching the games. I sit and dissect what I see from a coaching standpoint than from a fan standpoint. When I was a child and the Steelers were winning their first four Super Bowls, I was a diehard fan. Watching the Steelers on Sunday afternoons and Monday nights was what you did. To a degree, it still is. However, as an adult, I am constantly trying to see who is doing what at any given time, much like a coach would. So, I see things that concern me.
Leftwich is not going to win any awards for mobility, and he cannot throw from his back. Therefore, two things must take place. One, he is going to have to rid of the ball if he can’t find anyone to throw to, which means his receivers are on the hook for getting open as best they can. Two, the offensive line is going to have to tighten up and be aggressive in its protections. Allowing anyone to get through the cracks is not excusable. The line has been a topic of conversation for years and is still in flux. This is going to have to change, and fast, if the quarterbacks are to survive the season.
There is one game left in the preseason that will have been played Thursday evening at Heinz Field against Carolina. The first team might see a series, then it will be a final dress rehearsal for anyone looking to make the roster the rest of the game. It may not be the most exciting game, but it is going to be important for many faces trying to make the club. Someone could slip out of this and end up becoming a contributor, a Pro Bowler, and possibly even a Hall of Famer. One just never knows.
At the same time, Pitt will be opening its season on the road against Utah at the same time. You might want to get two televisions fired up, or do some hand exercises to work the remote control. It is going to be a busy night for Pittsburgh football on Thursday. Then, a weekend of college football as the 2010 season will get started on Saturday with a full slate of games. Next week, the 2010 NFL season preview.
High school football also kicks off this weekend with a full schedule of games on Friday night food and those who might also be playing Saturday afternoon. A rite of passage in this part of the country, high school football is an institution. I started following high school football in 1994 and have been involved in some capacity ever since. It gets into your blood, the fall Friday nights when two teams go at it, and it is even more special when border communities are involved in bragging rites when their teams square off.
While it may not be apparent this Friday, there is a distinctive smell in the air during autumn Fridays. You not only get the aromas of homemade food being served in the concession stands by the football booster clubs, but those fortunate enough to be served who are working the games in the press boxes also get spoiled with homemade goodies. The air is also cool, crisp, and reminds you that autumn has arrived, or is at least around the corner.
After a long spring and summer season, high school football brings together communities. Alumni return in the fall for a game or two and also get to experience Homecoming when that time arrives. Old stories are shared among former classmates and teammates. The legends grow as the years pass by and the old ball field springs to life with memories of the past and years gone by. The field and the stadiums may change with fresh coats of paint and new grass being planted, but the stories will forever remain the same.
I have been fortunate the past eight years being involved with high school football, from working the gates to traveling with the band to the away games, to now being the PA announcer, going into my fourth year. It is a blessing and humbling experience to be a part of something so special and in such an important way. Voicing the games allows you to be a part of history at any given time. Without being the game, which you are not, you are forever tied to something that took place and your voice is attached to a play that might have been the most important part of the season.
If you have never taken part in a high school football game, you owe it to yourself to attend at least one this season. You might run into an old friend you haven’t seen in ages. In this day of social networking, there is nothing like seeing someone in person whom you haven’t seen in years. The feeling in the air is unlike anything else that could be described, except maybe in winter (yes, I am a cold weather guy). Being a part of the social fabric of a high school football game is something very special.
The goal for every team is to get into the playoffs and hopefully make a run to Heinz Field to play for a WPIAL championship. On average, depending on classification, four teams from each conference qualify for the playoffs and the first two teams out of each conference qualify for a home game. Those games are always special as well. It’s one and done. Win, a team moves on; lose, a team is done for the season. There is really nothing like it.
Our best wishes go out to all teams in the WPIAL and especially all of the teams in Washington and Greene Counties. No team from Washington County has played for a WPIAL championship since Washington and Fort Cherry qualified in 2001. May all teams experience success and all players be free from injury. Here is to a very successful and productive 2010 WPIAL high school football campaign.
The other side of that coin is Keenan Lewis with two personal foul calls on defense while filling in for Bryant McFadden. Neither call endeared itself to head coach Mike Tomlin, who rightly pulled Lewis from the game and got in his face to tell him what he did wrong and that it would not be acceptable behavior. Lewis responded by busting out some protective glass on a sign on the way to the locker room. Tomlin is making him pay for the damages which, again is the right thing to do. The young man needs to learn some things about being a professional and how to play the game right.
The third game of the preseason is normally a dress rehearsal for the regular season. Hopefully, that isn’t an omen. If it is, the Steelers are in trouble during the first quarter of the season. Denver’s running game exposed holes in the Steelers first team defense, which is something in itself. The defense also made Broncos quarterbacks Kyle Orton and Tim Tebow look like All Pros. Granted, the defense is still going to be very vanilla in the preseason. But it’s time to start tightening up because the real deal starts September 12.
I don’t get excited anymore watching the games. I sit and dissect what I see from a coaching standpoint than from a fan standpoint. When I was a child and the Steelers were winning their first four Super Bowls, I was a diehard fan. Watching the Steelers on Sunday afternoons and Monday nights was what you did. To a degree, it still is. However, as an adult, I am constantly trying to see who is doing what at any given time, much like a coach would. So, I see things that concern me.
Leftwich is not going to win any awards for mobility, and he cannot throw from his back. Therefore, two things must take place. One, he is going to have to rid of the ball if he can’t find anyone to throw to, which means his receivers are on the hook for getting open as best they can. Two, the offensive line is going to have to tighten up and be aggressive in its protections. Allowing anyone to get through the cracks is not excusable. The line has been a topic of conversation for years and is still in flux. This is going to have to change, and fast, if the quarterbacks are to survive the season.
There is one game left in the preseason that will have been played Thursday evening at Heinz Field against Carolina. The first team might see a series, then it will be a final dress rehearsal for anyone looking to make the roster the rest of the game. It may not be the most exciting game, but it is going to be important for many faces trying to make the club. Someone could slip out of this and end up becoming a contributor, a Pro Bowler, and possibly even a Hall of Famer. One just never knows.
At the same time, Pitt will be opening its season on the road against Utah at the same time. You might want to get two televisions fired up, or do some hand exercises to work the remote control. It is going to be a busy night for Pittsburgh football on Thursday. Then, a weekend of college football as the 2010 season will get started on Saturday with a full slate of games. Next week, the 2010 NFL season preview.
High school football also kicks off this weekend with a full schedule of games on Friday night food and those who might also be playing Saturday afternoon. A rite of passage in this part of the country, high school football is an institution. I started following high school football in 1994 and have been involved in some capacity ever since. It gets into your blood, the fall Friday nights when two teams go at it, and it is even more special when border communities are involved in bragging rites when their teams square off.
While it may not be apparent this Friday, there is a distinctive smell in the air during autumn Fridays. You not only get the aromas of homemade food being served in the concession stands by the football booster clubs, but those fortunate enough to be served who are working the games in the press boxes also get spoiled with homemade goodies. The air is also cool, crisp, and reminds you that autumn has arrived, or is at least around the corner.
After a long spring and summer season, high school football brings together communities. Alumni return in the fall for a game or two and also get to experience Homecoming when that time arrives. Old stories are shared among former classmates and teammates. The legends grow as the years pass by and the old ball field springs to life with memories of the past and years gone by. The field and the stadiums may change with fresh coats of paint and new grass being planted, but the stories will forever remain the same.
I have been fortunate the past eight years being involved with high school football, from working the gates to traveling with the band to the away games, to now being the PA announcer, going into my fourth year. It is a blessing and humbling experience to be a part of something so special and in such an important way. Voicing the games allows you to be a part of history at any given time. Without being the game, which you are not, you are forever tied to something that took place and your voice is attached to a play that might have been the most important part of the season.
If you have never taken part in a high school football game, you owe it to yourself to attend at least one this season. You might run into an old friend you haven’t seen in ages. In this day of social networking, there is nothing like seeing someone in person whom you haven’t seen in years. The feeling in the air is unlike anything else that could be described, except maybe in winter (yes, I am a cold weather guy). Being a part of the social fabric of a high school football game is something very special.
The goal for every team is to get into the playoffs and hopefully make a run to Heinz Field to play for a WPIAL championship. On average, depending on classification, four teams from each conference qualify for the playoffs and the first two teams out of each conference qualify for a home game. Those games are always special as well. It’s one and done. Win, a team moves on; lose, a team is done for the season. There is really nothing like it.
Our best wishes go out to all teams in the WPIAL and especially all of the teams in Washington and Greene Counties. No team from Washington County has played for a WPIAL championship since Washington and Fort Cherry qualified in 2001. May all teams experience success and all players be free from injury. Here is to a very successful and productive 2010 WPIAL high school football campaign.
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