by Will GravesAP Sports Writer PITTSBURGH (AP)—Antonio Brown’s youthful exuberance cost the Pittsburgh Steelers 15 yards on Saturday night. If the second-year wideout keeps producing the way he did in a 34-16 win over the Atlanta Falcons, they can live with the growing pains. NEW FAN FAVORITE—Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown (84) points to the cheering fans as he breaks away for a 77-yard touchdown during the second quarter. (Courier Photo/John Pablo Duran)
by Dennis Waszak Jr. AP Sports Writer (AP)—The Steelers were a team in flux a year ago, their star quarterback about to sit out a four-game suspension. Ben Roethlisberger returned after Pittsburgh went 3-1, leading the team to its third AFC championship in six seasons. Now the bitter taste of a Super Bowl loss to Green Bay and a controversy-filled offseason have the Steelers itching to defend their AFC title. After keeping the core of their roster together, they're loaded to make another run.
(NNPA)—Popular sports giant ESPN drew the ire of fans last week after it ran an online article headlined “What if Michael Vick Were White?” on the front page of its football section. The article, which featured a re-digitalized picture of Vick with a White face, was quickly removed before being reposted Aug. 24. The story was written by Toure, a New York-based writer. WHAT?IF?—This illustration of Michael Vick as a White person featured in September's edition of ESPN The Magazine is sparking controversy and debate about the role of race in football. (Courtesy Image/Photo Illustration by D'arcy Hyde for ESPN The Magazine)
Man oh, man oh, man oh, mannnn… What the heck is going on with Steelers backup QB Byron Leftwich? Is this guy a China doll trying to compete in what might arguably be the most violent sport in the world? Does Leftwich have the most rotten luck in the universe? Hmm, maybe or maybe not, especially if he continues to get paid. Does he have a loaded pair of dice in his back pocket with nothing but “snake eyes” engraved on them? He keeps getting busted up but you know what? He will be back next year. Why? Well because current 3rd stringer Dennis Dixon is definitely going to test the unrestricted free agent market after this season and unless Dixon does something extraordinary this year, like win a few games in the absence of Big Ben or Charlie Batch, Dixon is going, going, gone.
by Malik Vincent With a total of four, 3-year starters and close to 20 seniors, Allderdice is the team with the most experience in City League football this season. Coach Jerry Haslett is confident in their chances to be the team to beat this year. GAME CHANGER—Junior Jay Barlow (8), Allderdice’s two-way star who is being looked at by several Division 1 programs, gets double teamed by Brashear blockers Nov. 11, 2010. (Courier Photo/William McBride/File) “We’re strong up front,” he said. “We have the front-four that will be able to change games for us. It will be them that will make or break how well we do this season.” Two of the members of that front four, senior Tyrique Jarrett and junior Jay Barlow are both being looked at by Division-I programs. Their big running back, junior Patrick Ferguson, has been battling an aggravated hip but his coach is optimistic that he’ll suit up for the Dragons in their week one, nonconference matchup at Central Valley Sept. 2.
by Malik Vincent According to USO (U. Prep, Sci. Tech and Obama) for senior linebacker Jaylen Colman, “there is no place like home.” His stay at Gateway High School in Monroeville was cut short by what he described as “family issues that forced him to move back into the city.” The talented multi-position former Peabody football star will attend Pittsburgh University Prep at Milliones for the 2011-12 school year. JAYLEN COLEMAN Coleman has participated in preseason scrimmages with the team and has participated in all team workouts—minus one week to sort out his enrollment—since his return to the district.
:10—Ok, if “they” want to continue playing the anti-Terrelle Pryor game then let’s play the every other quarterback with lesser physical skills and college success can’t play quarterback and must move to another position game too! (Man is that a run on sentence or what). BILL NEAL :09—This Week’s Shout-Out: Everybody’s main man “Prentis” aka “The Rev” kept all of us in line when we came into the basketball arena. He was part of that great playing era with Ed Fleming, “Super Duper” Dupree, Delton Herd, Connie Hawkins and others. But most importantly he really taught us the right way to do things. And still does. (He ain’t dead man!!) Now he has the impossible job of teaching Parker and Butchie right from wrong up at the East Hills Giant Eagle. Good luck with that…you know they think they know everything…well that’s Fifth Avenue and Westinghouse grads for ya.
NAPA, Calif. (AP)—The Oakland Raiders used a third-round pick Monday in the NFL’s supplemental draft to select Jeanette, Pa. native and former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor. The Raiders and the league announced that Oakland used the 18th selection of the round for Pryor. Oakland forfeits its third-round selection in the 2012 draft. Pryor’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said his client was excited about going in the third round. HEADED TO OAKLAND—This Jan. 4, file photo shows Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor celebrating amid confetti following Ohio State’s 31-26 win over Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl at the Louisiana Superdome, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Dave Martin, File) “We’re tickled and thrilled that Terrelle went in the third round and to the Raiders,” Rosenhaus said. “The third round is quite an accomplishment for a young man who had his pro day 48 hours ago and didn’t know he would be in the draft until Thursday morning and wasn’t able to meet with any decision makers.”
Hmm, just a little while back you, me and the rest of the entire civilized sports world were unceremoniously informed and browbeat with the mythological dissertation of Galileo and Nostradamus and then the vertical leaped on the back of the horizontal showing us when the moon is in the seventh house and Jupiter aligns with Mars. Can all of the aforementioned gibberish even remotely define a “Dream Team” or what it takes to be or become one? “I don’t think so,” as my boy “Homey the Clown” would so aptly put it. As far as the opinion of the “support” quarterback of the Philly Eagles Vince Young is concerned, the only credible dream of Mr. Young that will command my full attention is a visual of him driving through a KFC asking, no pleading for extra hot sauce.
by Malik Vincent The whirlwind of Athletic reform continues to raise questions and concerns about what is what in the City League with the latest being former Schenley Coach Jason Bell being bypassed for the new head coaching job. This year, the combining of the old Schenley and Peabody teams into the new USO team, comprised of University Prep (Milliones), Sci-Tech (Frick), and Obama Academy, created a coaching vacancy for that school’s sports teams while eliminating jobs at the old schools. Neither of the two football programs had their leaders brought back as head coach of the city’s newest squad. All the other sports are also up in the air. Jason Bell Bell, the former Spartans’ head coach, led his 2009 team to its first title in a decade. Not to mention, led it through one of the city’s biggest tragedies in 2010 when its former player, Jeron Grayson, was shot and killed during a party at California University of Pennsylvania’s homecoming last October.
