Rashard Mendenhall Returns To Twitter And With Good News

It's official! We at If It Ain't Steel have achieved a new level: Trendsetters. Just a day after coming back from the ashes, another Phoenix arose. Yes, Rashard Mendenhall is also back. He's back on Twitter and with good news.
His first tweet was a simple, "Hello Everyone : )." It was his second tweet, though, that got the attention.

He tweeted, “@R_Mendenhall: My knee has healed wonderfully, thanks for all the well wishes!”



This is very good news because it means that the Steelers have another running back body for the stretch-run of the season. As for now, Mendenhall just needs to keep rehabbing his knee to be able to be that dynamic player again.

I'm actually hoping, though, that it has a slight affect on his style. Anyone who has read this blog for the last year knows that we're Mendy fans. We're not blind, though. Mendy has two issues that keep him from being a top tier running back. First, he has little confidence in his offensive line and it causes him to dance at the line too much. He wants to hit the home run every time and that sometimes causes a loss of yards or no gain. Sometimes he just needs to hit the hole and get the two or three available yards. He's not Barry Sanders. Besides, sometimes you have to set up those home runs with a slew of singles and doubles.

The other issue that Mendy has is vision. He doesn't have the great vision that the truly elite have and it affects his production. Not only does it affect his production, but it can, and does, kill drives.

Lance Zierlein of THESIDELINEVIEW.com said something similar recently: "Watching some Steeler tape & is unreal how many yds Mendenhall leaves on field due to lack of vision."

So, I'm hoping that Mendy, along with his rehab, has been looking at tape also and realistically looked at what he could do better and focus, no pun intended, on what he could do better.

Regardless, it's good to see Mendy back on Twitter and we at If It Ain't Steel are glad we had a hand in that. (That's our story and we're sticking to it.)

~

We posted yesterday that the Steelers would be stupid to waste a draft pick on a risk of a player in the supplemental draft. The player in question, Josh Gordon out of Baylor, was projected to go between the third and sixth rounds.

The Cleveland Browns evidently thought differently because they took him in the second round. I know they need wide receiver help, but this could be a stretch. They'd better hope that this is a high risk, high reward situation and not a high risk who just wants to get high.

Cleveland, though, has a history of bad decisions that have lead to bad teams. The basketball and baseball teams are just as snake-bitten and historically bad. There's a reason LeBron James, Jim Thome and, well, the entire Browns team left Cleveland.

Do any current Cleveland sports fans under 35 years old even know about having a winning team? Do they remember Brad Daugherty and Craig Ehlo? Do they even know about Hanford Dixon and Frank Minnifield? Have they ever heard of Albert Belle and Joey Belle? (Please tell me you got that last one.)

Look, I could keep this to football, considering how this was introduced and just say "that's why they're the Browns", but I need to lay it on the line and call a spade a spade: Cleveland sucks.

And if you hate what I said, YOU'RE READING THE WRONG BLOG! I'll just let my man Dwayne close this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-4xvO1z58o&feature=youtube_gdata_player

McLendon Isn't 280 And It Isn't 4:20 In Pittsburgh

"I'm back." - Michael Jordan

"I'm thinkin' about makin' a comeback." - Muhammed Ali, The Greatest

"Don't call it a comeback!" - LL Cool J

Good morning, good afternoon and good evening, Steeler Nation. We at If It Ain't Steel have come out of rehab following a nervous breakdown to get back into the ring and we're coming out swinging. Not pulling punches, just throwing haymakers!

On Wednesday, Pro Football Talk posted what seemed to be a well-written article regarding Steelers nose tackle Steve McLendon. The problem is that they listed McLendon at 280 pounds. He isn't 280 lbs. and hasn't been for about a year now.

The article "Steelers’ Steve McLendon: I can play nose tackle at 280 pounds." Not that McLendon didn't say those words, because I'm sure he did. My problem is that I can't find the actual quote. I've looked over the Internet and can't find those specific words within an article, just those eight words.

Everything I'd read, and that I've written, to this point has been that McLendon had bulked up the last year and a half. He was supposedly closer to 300 lbs. last year and is reportedly around 320 lbs. now. Don't believe me? Ok, that's cool. But you should believe Jim Wexell of Steel City Insider and Steelers Digest and Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, a couple of guys who spend a little bit of their time around the team and facilities.

On his Twitter page Wexell tweeted this in response to Pro Football Talk's article: "@jimwexell: Steve McLendon can play nose at 280 http://t.co/uTjFhJpQ Because he's 320."

He then tweeted this: "@jimwexell: McLendon's actually 325. Been listed at 280 since was URFA in 2009. Listing must be reason so many media predicted Steelers would draft NT."

The "listing" comment has real validity. Do the eyeball test, people. Did Big Ben LOOK like he was 241 lbs. a couple of years ago? I would have debates with fellow fans about his weight...but we were debating about 250 lbs as opposed to 260 lbs. I would venture to guess that, using the eyeball test, McLendon looks at least 300 lbs when watching him on the field.

Now, what about Kaboly? What'd he have to say? "@MarkKaboly_Trib: #Steelers NT Steve McLendon weighs 325-330 pounds."

He also touched on the original weight listing when he tweeted, "@MarkKaboly_Trib: Don't believe weights on #Steelers roster. They don't change them after initial rookie weigh-in."

Even if he isn't quite the 330 lbs. claimed by Kaboly, the Steelers coaches certainly have confidence in McLendon. We quoted Steelers defensive line coach John Mitchell in a previous blog post saying as much. It was after the NFL Draft when he praised and defended McLendon. Read what Mitchell had to say here: http://t.co/2sClOgUG

~

Wednesday morning, a respected member of the media, when speaking of this Thursday's NFL Supplemental Draft, suggested something the Steelers might do. He surmised, "What if Steelers surprised everyone & took Josh Gordon in tomorrow's supplemental draft. Big receiver. Would send loud message to Wallace. He's there in the 6th RD they better take him."

My response to that when I read it was an expected one: What are you smoking?!?

Actually, that's an easy answer: the same thing Gordon, the 6'3" 225-pound former Baylor wide receiver who ran a 4.52 40-yard dash at his pro day Tuesday, was smoking that got him suspended. The suspension which led to him being in Thursday's supplemental draft.

"It (suspension at Baylor) was due to a failed marijuana test," Gordon told the Houston Chronicle after his Pro Day work out Tuesday. "It was against school policy, of course, and I was (suspended) in the summer. I've definitely put that part of my life behind me. I don't plan to ever go back there. It was a difficult time, but I learned from it, and I've moved on."

Ok, I'll buy what you're selling. You did it in under 420 characters too. The Steelers, though, have already invested some green in purple, and they won't do it again. Sacrificing a draft pick for a weed-smoking risk won't happen. Not judging him at all, I just know it won't happen. Especially since there's varying opinions on his worth in the first place.

He's projected to go in the third round to the Cleveland Browns, according to Sigmund Bloom of FOOTBALLGUYS.COM, and Albert Breer of NFL.com says Josh Gordon may be "overhyped" http://t.co/G6CEqo5d

Not nearly enough to burn a draft pick (no pun intended).

~

TIDBITS: Brief salary cap news from Brian McIntyre of NFL.com Tuesday, the Steelers are somewhere between $116-$117 million for the Rule of 51 number, which, according to NFL.com, puts them $3.734 million under the salary cap number.

In the report they state that the Steelers adjusted cap number is $121.195 million: the $120,600,000 base 2012 salary cap figure, plus the $506,000 remaining cap space left over from last year and other Chinese arithmetic.

Bottom line: the Steelers have room for Mike Wallace (y'all knew we couldn't do this without mentioning him) and an 11th hour move should an injury occur. Like, for instance, if I go to Latrobe and go all Tonya Harding on Jonathan Scott's leg. Not that I would, I'm just sayin...though, it would also save money in the process. Hm...

Catching Up With Steelers Training Camp Roster And Schedule

It's been a very difficult two weeks for us here at If It Ain't Steel and, therefore, there was a drop off in the writing and posting of blogs. I lost a friend to death, I had personal problems in between, I then lost an uncle to death and my partner-in-crime lost an uncle to death as well. So, writing about sports hasn't been foremost on our minds. For those who were aware, by the way, we appreciate the well-wishes received.

In one sense, it was fortunate that little truly went on during this time. It wasn't as if much was truly happening that required immediate attention. Plus, there are plenty of good blog sites we endorse here at If It Ain't Steel, as well as terrible sites and reports which assuredly wrote at least one article on the '10 Best Places To Piss At PNC Park', to go to for speculation and minutiae. That being said, let's catch up by going over the only three things that were worth blogging about in the first place. 

There has been some talk about whether it's more important that Steeler head coach Mike Tomlin should be signed to a new contract before Mike Wallace is signed to his. Personally, I don't believe one is any more or less important than the other long-term. The success of one, or lack thereof, could very easily be directly affected by the other. i.e. Tomlin is a natural leader who knows how to get inside a player's mind and get the best out of him. Let's say Tomlin continues to prod Wallace to become more than a "one-trick pony", Wallace responds positively and that leads to any and all game plans working flawlessly. Game plans run flawlessly and that leads to double-digit wins. Double-digit wins leads to the playoffs and the confidence and swagger to perform their best in the Super Bowl. Ok, now this is starting to sound like a reverse Direct TV commercial ("Keep calling Wallace a 'one-trick pony!'). Seriously though, you get the point. 

The other side of this is that Wallace's amazing natural talent and drive to be the best is enough to make something out of nothing in given situations. Since we all know that Tomlin has been questionable in his clock management and end of half strategies, a more mature Wallace could be the determining factor in turning nothing into something. This not only brings wins, but allows Tomlin and the team to look and be better overall. So, to bottom-line it: Get. Both. Signed. 

~

On Monday, June 25th the Steelers announced that they had released veteran quarterback and former Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith from the roster.

I know, I was shocked too. 

I mean, this was a man who couldn't even start for the Omaha Nighthawks of the UFL, who decided to go with that household name Jeremiah Masoli because he had been with the team longer, when an injury opened the door for him. Did anyone REALLY think Smith would make it to the preseason games?

The Steelers simply were not going to carry five quarterbacks to Camp, and Jerrod Johnson is eligible for the practice squad, Smith isn't. Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review added this wonderful little revelation about him: "Troy Smith had a cannon for an arm, but unfortunately, he couldn't hit the broad side of a barn and he showed that during OTAs and minicamp." 'Nuff said.

Smith's release ensures that Uncle Charlie Batch and Byron "Don't Hurt Me" Leftwich will make the team. So, the only chance Jerrod Johnson has is by way of an injury. Which, when you consider the history of the aforementioned Leftwich, is definitely possible. In fact, the possibility of an injury to BLove is like a no-hitter in baseball: don't say anything or you'll jinx it. Who knows? I may already have. 

~

The 2012 Training Camp schedule came out on June 18th and told us that players will report on Wednesday, July 25 and the that the first practice open to the public will be on Friday, July 27. All practices will begin at 3 p.m., except for the annual Friday Night Lights practice which is scheduled for 7 p.m., Friday, Aug. 3 at Latrobe Stadium.

Thanks to 93.7 The Fan, @937theFan on Twitter, here is a complete schedule:

Friday, July 27 – (helmets and shorts)
Saturday, July 28
Sunday, July 29
Monday, July 30 – Campus closed
Tuesday, July 31
Wednesday, Aug. 1
Thursday, Aug. 2
Friday, Aug. 3 – Night practice at Latrobe Stadium, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 4
Sunday, Aug. 5
Monday, Aug. 6 – Campus closed
Tuesday, Aug. 7
Wednesday, Aug. 8-Friday, Aug. 10 – Campus closed
Saturday, Aug. 11
Sunday, Aug. 12
Monday, Aug. 13 – Campus closed
Tuesday, Aug. 14
Wednesday, Aug. 15
Thursday, Aug. 16
Friday, Aug. 17

Quarterbacks: AFC North

The time of year has come for lots of talk about quarterbacks.  I have decided to do a series on the quarterbacks of the AFC.  I am going to start this off with my favorite division, the AFC NORTH.  This division sent three teams to the playoffs last season and is considered one of the toughest divisions in the NFL.  They are known for their tough defensive play for the most part.  But in here we're going to take a look at and list the quarterbacks.

1.  Ben Roethlisberger:   I am putting Big Ben at the top of this list because frankly he deserves to be there.  Big Ben has gone to three Super Bowls, winning two of them.  Big Ben has been the most consistent quarterback in the AFC North, only missing the playoffs in two of his 8 seasons thus far.  He has only lost one AFC Championship, and that was in his rookie year, the other three he appeared in he led the Steelers to the Super Bowl.  A lot has been said about Big Ben’s play in the Super Bowls but, personally, I do not judge a quarterback strictly on that.  I look at the overall play that got them there in the first place. Even if you consider the two early exits the Steelers suffered since Big Ben has been there, he did everything he could to get the win.   

I look for much of the same from Big Ben next year. There has been a lot of talk that the Steelers will take a step back, including Ben, due to the fact they have a new offensive coordinator in Todd Haley. I, for one, do not believe everything I read.  Big Ben has too much desire to win to allow that to happen.  Big Ben has been branded one of the toughest quarterbacks in the NFL, and with good reason. He has played with some sort of an injury pretty much every season, but it does not seem to slow him down.  Big Ben not only has a new OC, but he also has the most dynamic set of wide receivers he's ever had in the Black and Gold. Not to mention the fact that the Steelers also addressed the offensive line this offseason.  Big Ben recently has come out and said he is not going to change the way he plays.  I like this because letting Ben be Ben is what got them where they are, which is two Lombardi trophies heavier. Now that they're giving him the protection he needs, this could be a big season for him and the Steelers offense. 

2.  Joe Flacco:   Joe Flacco gets my number two nod for many of the same reasons for which Ben got my number one nod, outside of Flacco not having played as long.  Flacco's numbers are not as good as Big Ben's, but he has been consistent in the win column.  Flacco took a step forward last season with his play in the AFC Championship game, even though the Ravens lost.  They did not lose because of Flacco.  He did everything he had to do to win.  I personally believe that if Lee Evans would have caught that pass in the end zone,   then the Ravens would have gone to the Super Bowl, and people who know me know that it stung me to say that.  But we are not known to stay inside the box when putting out our blogs.  We give credit where credit is due.

 This season Flacco will have to step up even more if the Ravens plan on being successful.  In the past they have depended on their defense, and for good reason, but they are going to be missing their defensive player of the year, Terrell Suggs, and, let’s face it, Ray Lewis and Ed Reed are no spring chickens.  It showed in the championship game in which Suggs was a non-factor to begin with.  Personally, I don't think they addressed the offensive issues that needed to be addressed either.  Yes, they will still have Rice, because they will get a deal done before the season starts, but what else do they have?  Yes, Torrey Smith proved to be a speedster and improved as the season progressed, but they don't have much else.  They drafted Tommy Streeter, an unproven rookie, and they still have Bolden, but outside of that I don’t see much improvement. The Ravens also have the third toughest schedule this year.  They are going to have their hands full on their road back to the playoffs.  This is going to be the tale of the tape as to whether Flacco is truly their franchise quarterback or not.  He is in the last year of his contract and has asked for top tier money.  This will be the season he will have to prove he is worth that kind of money.

3:  Andy Dalton:  Dalton was the rookie in the AFC North last season.  No one, including myself, gave the Bengals nor Dalton much of a chance to have a winning season, let alone make the playoffs.  This kid, though, went out, with the help of rookie wide receiver A.J. Green, and proved everyone wrong.  Dalton should have gotten more of a consideration for Offensive Rookie of the Year.  He led the Bengals to a 9-7 record and a wild-card bid in the AFC.  This kid also showed something else.  He has no fear.  He stayed in the pocket, even with the likes of Harrison and Woodley, and Suggs and Ngata coming at him.    That is something you most usually do not see out of rookies.   Despite defenses catching up with him toward the end of the season, I believe he will only improve this season and push the top dogs of the AFC North.  The Bengals had a successful draft in addressing problems spots on their roster and signed some key pieces via free agency.   This team is only going to improve with the youth on offense and the play of a very good defense.  

4:  Colt McCoy/ Brandon Weeden:  There isn’t much I can say about the Browns situation at QB.  We do not know for sure who is going to be the starter.  All signs are pointing towards rookie Weeden, but who knows?   So, that is the reason for the low ranking.   They have not been consistent at QB for some time now.   I don’t look for that to change this season. But, hey, I was wrong about Dalton.   If it is Weeden, then all I can say is don’t look to put up 40 points a game like you did with Oklahoma State.  These are not the same defenses that you played in the Big 12.  The Browns added rookie RB Trent Richardson, but did not address much else on offense. Still, they should be a little better overall.  Their line allowed their quarterback  to be sacked A LOT, and that does need addressing.   So time will tell with this team if Weeden can step up and be their quarterback of the future. 

Happy Father's Day

I know that, when I was a little girl growing up, I learned at an early age to love the Steelers.  I learned this from my daddy.  From the time I could walk and hold a terrible towel, he had one in my hand.  He taught me my first words and  those were "Here we go, Steelers".  He instilled in me the things that I know today and those are my knowledge of  not only the Steelers,  but football in general.  He raised me to be a Black and Gold bleeding, die hard Steeler fan like himself.   So for that I say "Thank you, dad."
 

So that gets me to the point of my blog, I want to say Happy Father's Day to not only own dad, but to the best dads in the world, STEELER DADS!!!   A dad is someone we as kids look up to, they are our heroes in fact.  They are our all and everything.  They are our protectors from all things bad.  No one in our eyes is as great as our dad.  

But Steeler Dads are not only dads,  they are the ones that set the foundation of future Steeler fans.  Yes, I know moms have a hand in it as well, but dad is the one that really teaches you what it means to be a Steeler fan.  It is not all about sitting on the couch and watching games on Sunday.  When you are not sure about something about the Steelers, you go ask dad, he will know.  They teach us about the Draft and all things football.   That is why Steelers fans and especially Steeler Ladies are known to be the most knowledgeable fans in the world.  Ask most and I bet they will tell you that they learned it from their dad.

They teach us at an early age what football is all about.  The rules, the calls, anything that will make you understand the game.  A Steeler Dad will tell you the history of the game.  They make sure we know all about the Steelers from the beginning, not just the Steelers of today.  We know all about the rivalry's , that the Steelers have had.  Because of dad we know that there is more to the Steelers than just six rings.   

They wear their Black and Gold with pride, they root for their team no matter what.  They live by the motto, "Win, Lose, or Tie, I'm a Steelers fan until I die".  They also instill that into their kids.  When you see most pics of kids of Steeler Dads they have something with it representing their team.   I know I had my first Steeler jersey and Terrible Towel at a young age.  

Steeler Dads have their own Steelers rooms, all decked out in Black and Gold, with their Steeler memoribilla and things.  Most of them have a Steelers sticker on their vehicles or  have something Steeler-related in their vehicles.   Some even name their animals after Steeler players.

So I will end this in saying, Happy Father's Day not only to my own Steeler Dad but to all the Steeler Dads and Steeler Dads-to-be.  You guys are not just dads but the BEST DADS IN THE WORLD.

Mr. Goodell, Even NFL Chickens Always Come Home To Roost

The hits just keep coming...

In an article by Pro Football Talk Thursday, Terry Bradshaw was quoted as saying he doesn't think NFL truly cares about former players. This is hardly the first time that the NFL has been accused of such things, as "more than 80 concussion-related suits have been filed against the NFL by more than 2,000 former players." - http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/story/2012-06-06/nfl-concussion-lawsuit/55433744/1

This blog has touched quite a bit on the Saints Bountygate scandal and the involvement of the players, coaches and administration. This blog also blatantly accused Roger Goodell and the NFL last season of hypocrisy. So it's no wonder that former players like Bradshaw have said the things they have. The NFL has a terrible track record for taking care of its former, and in some cases current, players.

I'm not going to dwell to much on this because PFT's article itself is so well written. But I did want to briefly speak on something else Bradshaw said that was first said by former NFL quarterback Kurt Warner.

“If I had a son today...I would not let him play football,” Terry Bradshaw told Jay Leno on The Tonight Show." Bradshaw also went so far as to say that football will "phase" out over the next decade.

The notion that football could be gone within the next years isn't what he's saying here, though I have heard certain detractors suggest that very thing. But he is saying that the game we know and love today may be vastly different.

I'm a firm believer in the notion of "they know what they signed up for." A woman who poses nude for a living doesn't have the right to complain when men (and sometimes other women) look at her only as a sex symbol. You don't want to objectified? Keep your clothes on. Similarly, if a man doesn't want to be a piece of meat in another since, keep studying and be a doctor. The point is that neither went into either situation blindly.

NFL players play the game because they want to and know of all the horror stories of retired players long before their first professional down. Stories of those who have to suck their dinner through a straw at age 50 or, worse yet, are already dead at that age. So I'm afraid I can't exactly empathize when I hear the various complaints.

As a form of proof to this sentiment, when Bradshaw was asked if he'd do it all again knowing what he knows, he said he'd "absolutely" do so. For the rest of Bradshaw's comments and the entirety of the article, follow this link: http://t.co/oDA0Yn2J

...And The Horse You Rode In On

I have to get something off of my chest.

I love football. I possibly love my Steelers even more. I've been following them since 1982 and 1983 respectively. In '82 I was given a pro football almanac by my older cousin, whom I've actually mentioned in a previous blog, that started my being a student of the game. I know football. I possibly know my Steelers even more.

These blogs are a reflection of that. I write because I have an opinion, an opinion that people seem to appreciate. But all I have is those stats, memories and opinions. And I proudly share them in this blog. I am not, though, the only writer. I've even written about that other author on occasion.

When accusations come my way regarding things that are written in this blog, I could let them go if I were the only scribe. Let's be realistic, as bloggers we all get the same information from the same sources and, therefore, are going to have similar pieces. Especially if ones have similar writing styles. Period. Especially if ones have similar writing styles.

But I get it, some bloggers have a large website and staff of writers to compensate for other issues. No problem. As I said before, if it were just about me, I'd laugh it off because I know who I am and am slowly letting that be seen. But because of the other aforementioned author to this blog, I don't let it go easily. I take complete offense, in fact. Neither of us needs your blog and both of us are more than intelligent enough to govern ourselves. And since I know this will get back to you, let UTFO tell you what you can do with any part of this blog post: www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlvsIHllN4s

After that, please follow Megadeath's advice:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zc8jX5zL8Qc&feature=youtube_gdata_player