=== Pittsburgh Steelers 2008 Season Preview ===

                          By Tony Moss, NFL Editor

(Sports Network) - The honeymoon period for Mike Tomlin lasted nine games.

The first-year Pittsburgh Steelers head coach and his team found themselves at
7-2 soon after passing the halfway pole of the 2007 NFL season, and
suggestions that they belonged in a discussion of the AFC elite along with the
Patriots and Colts were rampant.

Tomlin, a curious head coaching choice to many due to his age (34 when hired)
and relative inexperience (just one year spent as defensive coordinator of the
Minnesota Vikings), had immediately impressed the Black and Gold faithful by
winning the respect of the players and seemingly pushing many of the right
buttons.

Then, a 19-16 overtime loss to the New York Jets on Nov. 18th signaled the
first rough patch of Tomlin's young career.

The Steelers would hang on to win the AFC North, but the Jets loss would also
begin a season-ending stretch that saw the team go 3-5 in its final eight
games, including a 31-29 loss to the Jaguars at Heinz Field in the opening
playoff round.

Injuries on the offensive and defensive lines, as well as a broken leg that
knocked Willie Parker out on the next-to-last week of the regular season, were
definite conspirators in the Steelers' fade.

But there was also an inevitable sense that the league had figured Tomlin out
after those nine games, and the Steelers' inability to re-invent themselves
following those injuries led to their demise.

Unfair? Perhaps, but if the Steelers, who didn't upgrade the roster in a major
way in the offseason, fail to start quickly in 2008, the formerly rosy
relationship between Pittsburgh fans and their youthful head coach might
require just a little marriage counseling.

Below we take a capsule look at the 2008 edition of the Pittsburgh Steelers,
with a personnel evaluation and prognosis included therein:

2007 RECORD: 10-6 (t1st, AFC North)

LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2007, lost to Jacksonville, 31-29, in AFC First-Round

COACH (RECORD): Mike Tomlin (10-6 in one ear with Steelers, 10-6 overall)

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Bruce Arians

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Dick LeBeau

OFFENSIVE STAR: Ben Roethlisberger, QB (3154 passing yards, 32 TD, 11 INT)

DEFENSIVE STAR: Troy Polamalu, SS (58 tackles)

OFFENSIVE TEAM RANKS: 3rd rushing, 22nd passing, t9th scoring

DEFENSIVE TEAM RANKS: 3rd rushing, 3rd passing, 2nd scoring

KEY ADDITIONS: QB Dennis Dixon (5th Round, Oregon), QB Byron Leftwich (from
Falcons), RB Rashard Mendenhall (1st Round, Illinois), RB Mewelde Moore (from
Vikings), WR Limas Sweed (2nd Round, Texas), C Justin Hartwig (from Panthers),
DE Orpheus Roye (from Browns), OLB Bruce Davis (3rd Round, UCLA), RS Eddie
Drummond (from Chiefs), P Mitch Berger (from Cardinals), P Paul Ernster (from
Lions)

KEY DEPARTURES: QB Brian St. Pierre (to Cardinals), RB Najeh Davenport
(released), FB Dan Kreider (to Rams), TE Jerame Tuman (to Cardinals), WR
Cedrick Wilson (released), G Alan Faneca (to Jets), LB Clark Haggans (to
Cardinals), LB Clint Kriewaldt (released), RS/CB Allen Rossum (to 49ers), P
Daniel Sepulveda (out for season/injured)

QB: Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger comes off the finest statistical
season of his four-year career, a season in which he was named to his first
career Pro Bowl despite taking a beating behind an oft-shaky offensive line.
Roethlisberger's 32 touchdown passes and 104.1 passer rating established new
Steelers single-season records, and allowed the former first-round Draft pick
to sign a rich new contract following the season. The depth chart behind "Big
Ben" figures to change, as a broken collarbone suffered by Charlie Batch (232
passing yards, 2 TD, 3 INT) in preseason led to the signing of ex-Jaguar Byron
Leftwich (279 passing yards, 1 TD, 2 INT with Atlanta) to take his place.
The Steelers also took a fifth-round flier on Oregon star Dennis Dixon in the
April Draft, and will more than likely carry three QBs throughout the season.

RB: Fantasy enthusiasts aren't wild about him because he rarely scores
touchdowns, but Willie Parker (1316 rushing yards, 2 TD, 23 receptions)
remains one of the game's most talented and underrated backs. Parker was
leading the NFL in rushing when he broke his leg in Week 16 of last season,
and after rehabbing the injury, the Steelers expect him to be a 1,000-yard
back once again. That said, Parker's numbers figure to take a hit following
the selection of Rashard Mendenhall (Illinois) in the first round of the April
Draft. Mendenhall is seen as the one-cut, between-the-tackles type of rusher
that the team has lacked since Jerome Bettis' retirement. Mewelde Moore (113
rushing yards, 6 receptions with Minnesota) was brought in to help out on
special teams, but must prove that he can stay healthy in order to make the
team. Carey Davis (68 rushing yards, 12 receptions) figures to stick around as
the fullback, but Gary Russell (21 rushing yards) might fall victim to a
numbers crunch.

WR/TE: Perhaps the most intriguing storyline of the offseason in Pittsburgh
was the mini-war-of-words between Roethlisberger and top receiver Hines Ward
(71 receptions, 7 TD), after the quarterback expressed a public desire to add
taller wideouts to the roster. Roethlisberger later backed off from the
remarks, but given that the team fulfilled his wish and drafted 6-4 Limas
Sweed (Texas) in the second round, it will be interesting to watch the
interplay between the QB and his No. 1 wideout this year. Ward led the team in
catches again last year, though his 10.3 yards per reception was the lowest
such total of his career. Deep threat Santonio Holmes (52 receptions, 8 TD)
actually led the club in both receiving yards (942) and touchdowns. Holdovers
Nate Washington (29 receptions, 5 TD) and Willie Reid (4 receptions) will make
the roster as the fourth and fifth receivers unless free agent Dallas Baker or
return specialist competitors Eddie Drummond and/or Jeremy Bloom do enough to
take their jobs. Heath Miller (47 receptions, 7 TD) and Matt Spaeth (5
receptions, 3 TD) return to the tight end position, and 6-8 ex-Redskin Cody
Boyd has a chance to stick as the third player at the position.

OL: An offensive line that was an Achilles' heel at times in 2007 only got
weaker in the offseason, when longtime guard staple and Pro Bowler Alan Faneca
defected to the Jets in free agency. Contrary to the prevailing belief
beforehand, a Steelers team that surrendered 47 sacks last year did not select
an offensive lineman early in the 2008 Draft, waiting until the fourth round
to take undersized tackle Tony Hills (Texas). The only free agent pickup for
the club in the trenches was center Justin Hartwig (ex-Titans), who will
battle incumbent Sean Mahan. Otherwise, it's the same as it ever was on the
Pittsburgh o-line. Left tackle Marvel Smith, left guard Chris Kemoeatu, and
right guard Kendall Simmons all look to be assured of starting jobs. Max
Starks and Willie Colon are in a competition for right tackle duties.

DL: What was once one of the most stable areas of the Pittsburgh defense, the
front line of the 3-4, is beginning to show some cracks in the foundation. The
Steelers were not the same team after left end Aaron Smith (30 tackles, 2.5
sacks) was lost to a torn biceps for the final month of last season. Nose
tackle Casey Hampton (33 tackles) showed up overweight to training camp and
may have fallen out of favor with Tomlin. Right end Brett Keisel (39 tackles,
2 sacks) might be the most reliable member of the group at this stage, but
he's not seen as a star-quality talent. The depth behind those three players
has experience but is average overall, with nose tackle Chris Hoke (6 tackles)
and ends Travis Kirschke (26 tackles, 2 sacks) and Orpheus Roye not viewed as
guys you'd want to use for an extended period.

LB: In light of the d-line situation, a potentially strong group of
linebackers must be as good as advertised in order for the team to succeed.
Outside linebacker James Harrison (98 tackles, 8.5 sacks, 1 INT) and inside
man James Farrior (94 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 1 INT) are the linch pins of the
group. Harrison had a terrific season last year, when he had a breakout
campaign (at age 29) to make the Pro Bowl. Farrior again ranked among
team leaders in tackles and sacks. The hope is that the first two Draft picks
of the Tomlin era - inside linebacker Lawrence Timmons (13 tackles) and
outside backer LaMarr Woodley (14 tackles, 4 sacks) - can eventually round out
this group. Timmons will have to beat out Larry Foote (81 tackles, 3 sacks, 1
INT) in order to get on the field, while Woodley's greatest competition comes
from third-round rookie Bruce Davis (UCLA). Ex-Chief Keyaron Fox (21 tackles
with Kansas City) should stick due to his special teams skills.

DB: The success or failure of the Steelers secondary will have much to do with
the health of safeties Troy Polamalu (58 tackles) and Ryan Clark (22 tackles,
1 sack). Polamalu, who missed five games a year ago, had yet to be activated
from the physically-unable-to-perform (PUP) list as of mid-August due to a
hamstring problem. Clark is expected to be back from a ruptured spleen that
cost him the season's final 11 games last year, though it is uncertain whether
he'll be the same player given the nature of that injury. The much-lamented
Anthony Smith (69 tackles, 2 sacks) and rookie Ryan Mundy (6th Round, West
Virginia) figure to serve as the primary backups at safety. Deshea Townsend
(52 tackles, 2 INT) and Ike Taylor (80 tackles, 3 INT, 1 sack) are back at the
corner slots, though they were part of a group that intercepted a league-low-
tying 11 passes a year ago. Bryant McFadden (22 tackles, 1 INT) and William
Gay (19 tackles) are experienced enough to fill in if needed.

SPECIAL TEAMS: The Steelers were dealt a major blow when punter Daniel
Sepulveda, who kicked well as a rookie, was lost for the season with a torn
ACL suffered early in training camp. Ex-Bronco Paul Ernster (36.2 avg. with
Denver) and journeyman Mitch Berger (40.7 avg. with Arizona) will compete to
take his place. Reliable Jeff Reed (23-25 FG) will remain as the kicker, and
Greg Warren is back at long-snapper. The team parted ways with Allen Rossum
after one year of returning kicks, and Mewelde Moore (10.0 punt return avg.
with Minnesota), Eddie Drummond (6.9 punt return avg., 21.2 kickoff return
avg.) and Jeremy Bloom are in the mix to take his place.

PROGNOSIS: The Steelers will be picked by many to win the AFC North for
several reasons. They're the Steelers, first of all, but they're also the
defending division champs, remain very talented, and have the benefit of
playing in the juggernaut-free AFC North. But there are also major indications
that this team's stock is on the decline. Even if there were injuries aplenty,
you have to be concerned about the way Pittsburgh faded down the stretch last
year, and very little was done to upgrade potential problem areas along the
offensive and defensive lines, and in the secondary. It's hard to imagine the
Steelers winning fewer than eight games, but can they win 10 and make the
playoffs? There is evidence to suggest that they'll have trouble getting that
done.

I bought a bird  feeder.  I hung

it on my back porch and filled

it with seed.  What a beauty of

a bird feeder it is, as I filled it

lovingly with seed.  Within  a

week we had hundreds of birds

taking advantage of  the

continuous flow of free and

easily accessible food.



But then the birds started

building nests in the boards

of the patio, above the table,

and next to the barbecue.

Then came the poop. It was  

everywhere: on the patio tile,

the chairs, the table,

everywhere!

Then some of the birds

turned mean.  They would

dive bomb me and try to

peck me even though I had

fed them out of my  own

pocket.  



And others birds were

boisterous and loud.  They

sat on the feeder and

squawked and screamed at

all hours of the day and night

and demanded that I fill it

when it got low on food.



After a while, I couldn't even

sit on my own back porch

anymore.  So I took down the

bird feeder and in three days

the birds were gone.  I cleaned

up their mess and took down

the many nests they had built

all over the patio.



Soon, the back yard was like

it used to be.... quiet, serene

and no one demanding their

rights to a free meal.

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Cleaning the toilet on "CATURDAY"

1.  Put both lids of the toilet up and add 1/8 cup of pet shampoo to the  water in the bowl.

2.  Pick up the cat and soothe him while you carry him towards the bathroom.   
 

3.  In one smooth movement, put the cat in the toilet and close the lid.  You  may need to stand on the lid.

4.  The cat will self agitate and make ample suds.  Never mind the noises that come from the toilet, the cat is actually enjoying  this.  

5.  Flush the toilet three or four times.  This  provides a 'power-wash' and rinse'.

6.  Have someone open the front door of your home.  Be sure that there are no people between the bathroom and the front door.   
 

7.  Stand behind the toilet as far as you can, and quickly lift the lid.  

8.  The cat will rocket out of the toilet, streak through the bathroom, and run outside where he will dry  himself off.  

9.  Both the commode and the cat will be sparkling clean.

StartFragment-->