Just Breathe

I know what some of you must be thinking, what is a Pittsburgher blogging about if she doesn't even mention the Steelers v. Ravens season opener?  Well, I felt that there is a time and place & Sunday was not the day to post about it.  I do have to give props to the NFL and all involved in the 9/11 tribute.  I'm sure it could not have been the easiest of things to pull off, but they handled the ceremonies with the honor that 9/11 deserved.

  You would actually think with Sunday's events people in Pittsburgh would have things in perspective and realize that a game is actually just that, a game. Even more so, yesterday's game was just one game - one out of a very long season.  Sure I wanted the Steelers to win, there will never be a game where I don't, but we should not condem them for losing one game.

The way some "fans" are talking you would think the Steelers lost the Super Bowl yesterday.  Trust me - a Super Bowl loss hurts more than anything dished out yesterday.  As much as I will never ever be a fan of the Ravens that is a solid team with a great coach and some amazing players.  They played one helluva game and nobody can deny them that.  I have never seen Flacco play with more poise or strength than he did yesterday.  I think the loss yesterday is better attributed to the fact that the Ravens had a great game, not that the Steelers had what some are saying is a poor game.

Did Roethlisberger play his best game ever? No. He had an off game, but wasn't horrible.  I think part of the backlash for yesterdays game is because he played so well last year with a broken foot, got his nose broken in game & took a few other beatings, but then stumbled a bit yesterday when by accounts he was better health-wise.  Instead of criticizing him fans should be thankful that with him starting as a quarterback the Steelers had pretty much been invincible against the Ravens.  For as many times as we play the Ravens fans cannot honestly believe that Roethlisberger would have an undefeated record against them.  Hopeful yes, plausible no. He is a seasoned quarterback and will have his mojo back before we know it.

Its also bad enough when people call into radio stations to criticize the players.  Its even worse that they use social media to tell the players that they are disappointed.  It is great that in todays world that people like athletes are accessible to their fans.  Its disheartening though when the fans use social media to bash the players.  It is tacky to trash talk other teams players, but to actually badmouth the players of the team you support - thats just so unimaginable to me.  Yet, I saw it happening yesterday.  Fans are supposed to be just that, supporters of a team.

I especially find all the bad mouthing humorous because the Steelers are notorious for using negativity and adversity to spur great results.  So to all of the fans out there, just breathe, the Steelers will bounce back.  It is week 1 after all.

Go Steelers.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

  By now unless you have somehow managed to avoid the TV (I got rid of my service - so completely possible), the internet, the water cooler, radio, etc chances are you have heard about THE BLOWN CALL.  As someone who considers herself to be a Pirates fan I couldn't let Babs & Whoops (I tend to give my friends nicknames.  I'd like to believe that if I ever met these ladies we would be friends) talk about it on The View and not mention it myself.



Also talking about the call was Regis, self-proclaimed Pirates fan.  Now I personally don't love Regis being a fan.  I will admit I'm a slight believer in the Regis-Pirates curse (it is a "thing," google it if you don't believe me) as well as I think he only likes the Pirates because he feels bad for the perpetual underdog that is the Pirates.

Regis and Kelly talking about the Pirates on their self-titled TV show 

So in case you really did miss it here is the one sentence version:

Last night the Pittsburgh Pirates faced the Atlanta Braves in an all out battle of 19 innings until Julio Lugo was deemed safe by ump Jerry Meals saying that Michael McKenry missed tagging him before home causing the Pirates to lose & the game to be over.  I support people making their own decisions (though if you think he was safe good luck taking that up with me or the masses) so take a look for yourself:

Thank you Youtube

  First things first props to Clint Hurdle for not knocking Meals out - I really was afraid he was going to do more than yell.  But back to Meals. As long as Meals believed what he called the blame shouldn't be thrown at him so harshly. Yes, he deserves some ribbing & I will admit some of the comments on Twitter have been comical (normally I don't pay much attn to what's trending, but #jerrymealssaysitssafe was a great way to spend my coffee-morning-drinking-time), but he made a mistake. Regardless of the fact it is his job and he has training and experience he is still a human.  It was 2 am.  It has been ridiculously hot.  He has balls flying at him while he makes his living.  We all make mistakes.  His just happens to be broadcast & captured on TV.  He had to make a split decision and did just that. In today's light he needs to realize he made a glaring mistake.  I don't even think anyone should demand an apology from Meals, but I do think he needs to have some empathy for the players and admit that he messed up.

Same thing goes to Lugo.  People are calling him out for not doing the right thing and admitting he was out.  That's a lot of pressure to put on this kid.  For one thing, even if he is the next Honest Abe we don't know what he believed.  His eyes could have been closed as he slid home.  He might have thought that he brushed McKenry's leg and wasn't tagged.  He might have thought he hit home before he made contact with McKenry.  We don't know, nobody does, but Lugo.  If he would have said, "nope, I was out" some would have respected him, but I think his team & city would have been calling for his head.  It is the ump's call & I believe that the player, much like guilty until innocent, should be safe until called out.  Even more than that we see it all throughout sports: basketball players exaggerating falling to get fouls, football players saying another player was out, etc.  Baseball is no different and right or wrong it happens.  I do however think Lugo needs to be happy the call went his way and be quiet.  He has been saying he didn't feel anything or that Meals was right, but I think him defending the call after all the different angles have been shown isn't going to help anything.

  Pittsburgher's tend to over exaggerate or play victim when their team is on the aggrieved side of a bad call & always want someone to blame.  Yet, everyone seems to be taking the Pittsburgh side.  Even ESPN was having reports dubbing it the worst play in history.  I think thats a hard title to proclaim, but it's hard to wonder what would have been.  For once (in recent history) the Pirates are real contenders.  It seems every W or L moves us up or down in the rankings so what if this game does make a difference in the end. Sadly we don't know which side would have been the victor.  Even more what did this call take away?  It's easy to say that this was an epic game.  Right now every win has a chance to be the best game in recent history since it's been awhile since the Pirates have been good.  What if this game would have continued to go on inning after inning.  Unfortunately the "worst call in history" might have stopped the "best game in (recent) (Pirates) history".  Even though the Braves were the victors if the game would have continued some of their players might have had some new personal stats to add to the books.  I think all of us sports fans remember Armando Galarraga's perfect game being blown by an umpire (I'm still impressed by the class he showed).

Galarraga's perfect game blown by ump, from Youtube

  So if Meals or Lugo isn't to blame, who should be?  I blame the MLB for not instituting some form of instant replay to deal with this situation.  Football, basketball, and hockey all use instant replay in some manner. Baseball's use limits it to homeruns, in fact they even limit the replays that the parks can put on the jumbotrons.  The most popular reasonings for no instant replay: they don't want to make the games longer & they don't want to take away the human element of the game.  On the surface I get it.  Actually, no I really dont.  Was everyone playing, watching, at the game, working the game, etc tired last night?  Probably.  Yet, it was apparent in a second that the call was bad.  And considering the uproar I think most would have rather sat idle for five minutes than have the game end like that.  As for the human element I really don't think having instant replay with limited use taking away from that.  I mean this is America's past-time we are talking about & as much as we all might not support it America is hung up on technology.  So why not incorporate technology into the game we love. I also get that things "even out" a term thrown around saying sometimes you're on the 'good' end of a bad call.  But sometimes bad calls hurt more than others, like in this case.  I also see how this is in a way second guessing umps, but if I was Meals I would have rather looked at a screen, said ruling on the field doesn't stand I was wrong than have the ghosts of Pirates past haunt me.

I will admit I am glad that the Pirates are getting national publicity no matter how it came about.  I mean I think there are some people (non Pirates or Pittsburgh fans) who would probably have to go back and answer Wagner, Clemente, Maz if asked to name a player because we don't get much attention.  Obviously, I would have loved for the publicity to have come with the Pirates raising the Jolly Rodger  I mean the Pirates are getting sympathy because people feel bad for them because they understand that the Pirates could have won instead of the normal sympathy of feeling bad because the Pirates haven't won more than a few games all year. It's just so hard to see something taken away from this team when they are giving us so much hope that this can be the year where Pirates baseball is turned around.

Here's to hoping the Bucs win the rest of the series.  Do you have any thoughts on expanding instant replay in baseball?

LETS GO BUCCOS!