It Was An Ugly One Monday Night

The Heinz Field was worn from half an NFL season and high school and college games. Sunday night new sod was put down over the turf for Monday Night Football's national audience. But then the rain came. The field was drenched, and over-top the previous turf it had little drainage.They walked around with pitchforks piercing the field hoping to improve drainage. Field crew members covered it with tarps, but the seams leaked puddles onto the field.

The big game between the 0-10 Miami Dolphins and the Pittsburgh Steelers was delayed 25 minutes. But eventually they kicked off. The field was like a sponge. Players cleats sunk inches into the ground. Everyone moved in slow motion, kicking up splashes of water. In no time the playing surfaces was littered with more divots than Charles Barkley's home golf course. Numbering and lines became unreadable and then disappeared altogether. All you could see were the out of bounds lines, the goal line, and what faintly resembled a Steelers logo in the center of the field.

Ricky Williams was making his second return to the NFL following his reinstatement by commissioner Roger Goodell, but he only made it through 6 carries. 15 yards, one fumbled, and he left with a pectoral injury. Later in the second half the Dolphins would lose back-up running back Jesse Chapman, and be left dependent on 3rd-string back Patrick Cobbs, who only has 11 career carries in 2 seasons.

At half time the score was still 0-0. Neither team had made an appearance in the red zone. Only 5 plays went over 10 yards. The Dolphins had 71 total yards, the Steelers 112. Together they were 2-11 on 3rd Downs.

Frantically the field crew worked to improve the field during half time. The local marching band was held off the field as the crew laid down new lines. But it was in vain.

The second half was much of the same. Stuck in the 0-0 deadlock it became apparent that his was the type of game that would be one by as little as one score. Jeff Reeds 44 yard field goal attempt near the end of the 3rd quarter didn't even come close, tumbling wildly off course and short. Punts were knocked down from the swirling winds and rain, hitting the ground and dying immediately were they land. Twice the Dolphins went for it on 4th down rather than taking their chances with a medium range field goal.

It stayed scoreless far longer than any game since the merger of the leagues. The Dolphins were winless in the previous 11 weeks and it they remained one big play away from upsetting the 7-3 Steelers. The Steelers found themselves tied with the worst team in the lead, and this only a week after falling to the equally disappointingly 1-8 New York Jets.

Heading into overtime locked at 0-0 appeared completely possible.

With 4:13 left in the 4th quarter the Steelers took over on their own 42. With the help of 3 completions to Hines Ward for 38 yards, the Steelers slowly they worked down the field into the Dolphins territory. The first snap in the red zone did not come into the game until the Steelers were on the 19 yard line with 3:08 left in the game.

On 4th and Goal from the 6 yard line Jeff Reed and the Steelers lined up for what was anything but a give-me 24 yard attempt. With 20 seconds remaining Reed lifted the ball off the sloppy mud-ridden field and through the uprights to win the game for the Steelers 3-0.

To say it was an ugly game would be a vast understatement. It probably shouldn't have been played. Had it not been a Monday Night game on national television, it probably would not of. For the Dolphins it was another lose in a close game, and they fell to 0-11. For the Steelers they picked up a narrow victory, but were embarrassed by field issues that rendered the playing surface into almost unplayable terrain.

Surely this game will find its way into highlight reels of the future, but for none of the right reasons.

Game 22: 11/22/07: Penguins 6 - Senators 5 SO

After a day of giving feasting and giving thanks with close friends and family in America, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators put on a show in Ontario. Collectively they put up 10 goals, swapping the lead back and forth, and ending on the backhand of a very unlikely stick, that of Penguins agitator Jarko Ruutu.

Marc-Andre Fleury was in the net again for the Penguins after a dissappointing 2-1 loss to New Jersey the previous night. But the Senators scorers got to Fleury and the Penguins early, scoring twice on their first 9 shots, resulting in Michel Therrien pulling Fleury in favor of back-up tender Dany Sabourin.

Later in the first the Penguins recovered, getting goals from Evgeni Malkin and Ryan Malone, only 18 seconds apart, taking the game into the intermission tied up at 2.

In the 2nd the Penguins took the lead when Tyler Kennedy's turn around wrister surprised Senators goalie Martin Gerber.

But back came the Senators scorers, putting up another pair of goals in the 2nd period, from Heatley and Spezza, regaining the lead, 4-3. Early off in the 3rd the Senators added to their lead with a Christoph Schubert tally.

Once again down by 2, the Penguins offense fired back. Malone's second of the game put the Penguins within one. And after being knocked to his knees, Colby Armstrong found Sergei Gonchar stepping up from the blue line, who tied the game up at 5.

After a scoreless overtime the teams went to the shootout. Jason Spezza lead off the shootout for the Senators, and beat Sabourin to put the Sens up 1-0.

Erik Christensen was apparently stopped by Ray Emery, but a video review revealed that the puck had trickled across the line, tying the shootout at one a piece.

Fleury stopped Heatley, Vermette, and Fisher. Crosby and Petr Sykora were stopped by Gerber, and the game came down to the Penguins fourth shooter. To the face-off circle skated Penguins basher Jarko Ruutu.

Skating down the ice, Ruutu's deke opened Gerber's 5-hole, and Ruutu backhanded the puck into the net, completing the Penguins comeback against the NHL best Ottawa Senators.

Although the night ended on a high note for Ruutu, it is apparent that he has become a target of the NHL's officials, as he was called for 2 diving calls in the game.

Colby Armstrong, who has often found himself a healthy scratch this season, gave head coach Michel Therrien a couple big reasons to keep him in the lineup, mainly, 2 huge assists. The Penguins are always a better team with #20 on the ice, and he's a hard-woring forward who is badly needed with the absence of Maxime Talbot.

The Penguins (9-11-2) take on the Atlanta Thrashers on Saturday, and then will have a 5 day break before getting back into action at home against the Dallas Stars.

Game 21: 11/21/07: Penguins 1 - Devils 2

The Penguins 2-1 loss late night against the New Jersey Devils wrapped up 8 straight Atlantic Division match-ups, in which the Penguins went a miserable 2-5-1 and fell to the bottom of the division.

The Devils Zach Parise had both New Jersey goals. One came on the power play in the 1st, the other in the 2nd, again on the power play.

The Penguins were shut out by the Devils until the Evgeni Malkin scored on a breakaway, extending his points streak to 14 games.

The poor ice surface of the Mellon Arena was once again an issue. The puck was unmanageable for Sidney Crosby on a potentially game changing breakaway, bouncing and going on end to the point that not much could be done. It's the oldest arena in the NHL, and while it's never been the greatest ice in the league, lately players have been calling it the worst surface they have ever played on.

Crosby's 19 game points streak came to an end with Martin Brodeur and the Devils keeping 87 off the scoring sheet.

The Penguins (8-12-1)will go right back to action Thanksgiving night in Ottawa against the Senators. It will be the first meeting between the two clubs since the Senators eliminated the Penguins in the first round of the postseason.

Morning Headlines: 11/21/07

- The Green Bay Packers DBs are under investigation as to whether they have broken the NFL Bounty Rule. Somewhere in this is a great Boboa Fett joke.

- Ryan Getzlaf signed a 5-extension worth $26.625 million with the Anaheim Ducks, ensuring what the people really want, many more visits to the KTLA Morning Show.

- Jimmy Rollins takes home the NL MVP award in a close race with the Rockies Matt Holliday.

- The New York Mets orchestrated a trade with the Brewers to pick up veteran catcher Johnny Estrada. Don't waste your time, I googled it, they aren't related.

- It's expected that Priest Holmes will announce his retirement today following an attempted comeback from his 2005 neck injury. He reinjured his neck last Sunday agaist the Colts in the 2nd start of his comeback. Priest Holmes is a 3-time Pro Bowler and was a member of the Super Bowl XXXV Champion Ravens.

Yes, the Ravens did actually win a Super Bowl. I've been trying to block it out too.

Seattle Punter Josh Brown Levels Devon Hester

There's two things that I love, when a fan makes a specular catch on a foul ball and when a punter or kicker lays down a big hit in a football game. And with that we have Seattle Seahawks Punter Josh Brown leveling Chicago Bears Pro Bowl kicker returner and Madden 08 extraordinar Devon Hester.



Extra Points for the celebration.