December 26, 2000
Well, the Steelers missed the playoffs by the barest of margins. If only the Vikings had beaten the Colts, we were in (since we stomped on the woeful Chargers). That said, the real problem may have been that in three games this year, the NFL issued apologies for officiating mistakes in the waning minutes which cost the Steelers victory. It is not inconceivable that Pittsburgh could have been in the playoffs with a 12-4 record instead of out of the playoffs with a 9-7 if the zebras hadn't messed up so crucially throughout the season.

Going into next year, the biggest priority has to be the re-signing of running back Jerome Bettis. He put together yet another 1000 yard season behind a fair-to-mediocre offensive line, and given a real fullback blocking for him (as was the case in the latter part of the season), he's obviously a very potent weapon.

The wide receiver corps continues to need an upgrade. Hines Ward became a legitimate threat, though first round pick Plaxico Burris was by all accounts a bust (earning the nickname "Dropisco"). We must have another consistently strong wide receiver, and right now, I'm not sure who that is.

The QB position continues to be in a state of flux. Kent Graham is obviously not starter material, though he may prove a capable backup for a few games. Kordell Stewart had a few games of brilliance, but this is only possible if he has considerable time in the pocket, something the offensive line has been able to provide only occasionally this season. Even then, I'm convinced that the opposition can play single coverage on the wideouts, stack the box against the short pass or run, and shut down the Steeler offense almost entirely. That fact may necessitate change at QB.

Happily, the defense had a fairly good year, and should return a fair number of players. I don't know if it's a Super Bowl caliber squad, but they're definitely playoff-worthy, and given the state of the NFL salary cap, that's usually all you can ask for.

December 17, 2000
After such an incredible 24-3 win over Washington on Saturday, Pittsburgh is, almost unbelievably, still in the playoff hunt. Here's the scenario:

1. The Steelers must beat the Chargers. This should happen. In fact, if it doesn't you can expect to see a rash of Black-and-Gold uniforms for sale on Ebay.
2. The Indianapolis Colts must lose to the Minnesota Vikings. Unfortunately, the Vikes are already in the playoffs and have nothing to play for. The Colts playoff chances depend on a win. This could be a big problem for Pitt.
3. The NY Jets must lose to the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens are good enough that this should happen.

There you go. A little luck, and we're still in this thing. Amazing.

December 7, 2000
Rumor has it the Pittsburgh Penguin Hall-of-Famer and owner Mario Lemieux may come out of retirement and re-join the Penguins. If so, I just got a lot more interested in this year's NHL season.

December 4, 2000
Yesterday's 21-20 Steeler victory over the mighty LA Raiders marked the return to form of Kordell Stewart and the continued great running of Jerome Bettis. A solid effort all-around, the game was a classic Steeler victory and preserved the team's long-shot chances at gaining a playoff birth.

With victories the rest of the way, Pitt goes 10-6 which is probably not good enough to get in given the strength of the AFC. To do this, we need the Jets (aka the Jest) to lose at least 2 of 3, the Bills (aka Ills) to lose at least 1 of 3, and the Colts (aka Dolts) to go 2-1 or worse. It goes without saying that the Steelers need to win all remaining games.

This seems unlikely, but stranger things have happened. (The Steelers would also have a mathematical chance at the playoffs if they finish 9-7, but the computations required are beyond my skills. Suffice to say that odds are almost better that I'd win the PowerBall lottery, and I don't even play.)

November 15, 2000
For the third time this year the NFL has apologized to the Steelers for a missed call that likely cost them a game. This latest travesty allowed the Eagles to illegally recover an onside kick late in the 4th quarter. Don't know why it is, but the officials have really hosed Pittsburgh this year.

Watched the US Mens' soccer team advance to the next World Cup qualifying round with a 4-0 win over Barbados. The awful field thwarted most efforts for a lot of the game, but in the end the Americans were able to put the game away.

November 14, 2000
You can't tell me that the Steelers don't find more and increasingly spectacular ways to lose than any other NFL team. The latest hair-puller was a 26-23 overtime loss the Philadelphia Eagles which saw the Steelers blow a 10 point lead in the 4th quarter with less than 4 minutes to play. The pain, somebody stop the pain....

On the brighter side, Sprague football is into the second round of the state playoffs and hoping to repeat or better last year's 2nd place finish. Sprague Boys' Soccer made the quarterfinals before losing 5-3 to Klamath Falls.

October 29, 2000
In the battle of two good defenses and two terrible offenses, the Steelers come out on top 9-6 over the Baltimore Ravens. The win moves the Black-and-Gold to 5-3 on the year with a battle against the AFC Central-leading Tennesee Titans next week.

October 22, 2000
Behind another 100+ yard game out of RB Jerome Bettis and a stifling defense, Pitt rolls to a 22-0 victory over the hapless Cleveland Browns. QB Kent Graham was pulled midway through the second quarter, and though Kordell Stewart wasn't signficantly better he wasn't horrible either.

Now at 4-3 on the year and currently in third place in the division, the Steelers face a test next week when they face the Baltimore Ravens next week. The Ravens are second in the AFC Central despite an offense that may be worse that the Steelers'. And their defense may be even better than Pittsburgh's. Should be a good game.

October 16, 2000
Steelers drop the lowly Cincinnati Bungles, oh sorry that's Bengals, 15-0. That puts the Black & Gold at .500 on the year at 3-3 with a relatively weak schedule of games up coming. (Case in point: Next week Cleveland.)

QB Kent Graham had a good first quarter by most accounts throwing one 20ish yard strike to Hines Ward who proceeded to run in 70 yards for a TD. We got a few kicks from Kris Brown and the defense, playing another stellar game, picked up a safety. Jerome Bettis got another 100+ yard game against a Bungles team that stacked the box. Other teams will try that strategy and succeed where Cincinnati failed, I think.

Perhaps, given the weak schedule, Steeler playoff hopes aren't dead for the year. That'd certainly be nice. Of course, I watched the St. Louis Rams offense destroy yet another team (the Atlanta Falcons today, 45-29), and I don't see any defense stopping them including the Pittsburgh one.

October 8, 2000
Steelers, yes, Steelers(!) 20-3 over the formerly unbeaten Jets (aka Jest). The Pitt D knocked Jest QB Vinny Testaverde out of the game early in the first quarter and it was pretty much all Pittsburgh after that.

Kordell Stewart played an excellent game, though I will note that there were no completed passes for longer than 15 yards. You would think that the Jest would've read up on Kordell. He can't throw long, so you get to stack the box (put 8 guys around the line of scrimmage) all night long. This usually stops the Steeler running game, and at the point the offense shuts down. Tsk, tsk to NY for not doing their homework.

Not that I mind.

October 1, 2000
The Steelers win! Today's 24-13 road victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars was a big one, and not just because it's the only one so far this year. First and foremost, the Steeler defense finally arrived. Seven sacks on the day, two turnovers, and only two field goals against until the game was out of reach. (Obvious question: Is the Steeler defense really this good, or does the Jacksonville offense really stink?)

On the offensive side of the ball, the Kordell Stewart-led Steelers returned to their power running game (thank you!) and stuffed the ball down the Jags throats like days of old. Stewart also threw reasonably well, his one INT on the day being the fault of the receiver.

Though the 11.5 point underdogs walloped the Jags today, I don't know what it portends for the battle with the Jets next week. Who will show up is anyone's guess, but for once this season I'm looking forward to it.

September 28, 2000
US Women soccer team's gold medal hopes go down in flames with a 3-2 loss to Norway in extra time. The US controlled much of the game and only several brilliant saves by the Norwegian keeper kept the US from winning in regular time. Tiffany Millbrett, who had both US goals, was brilliant.

At the same time, US keeper Siri Mullinix had a terrible outing. She stood like a statue on the first Norwegian goal when it certainly appear that the ball was not that strongly hit or that far from her. The second goal on a cross where she hesistated, came out of the box, creamed her own player, and missed the ball entirely as the Norwegian headed it in. The extra time goal she had less of a chance on but probably should have done better than she did. If ever there was a game where goal keeping made all the difference, this was it.

September 24, 2000
Well, the Steelers are now 0-3 after today's 23-20 loss to Tennessee. I'm expecting them to go 0-5, frankly, but I do think they'll win a couple of games this year. I'll be stunned if they make the playoffs though.

Thus far I've found it a lot harder to care about NFL games when my favorite team stinks. In previous years, every game involving other AFC Central teams had a bearing on Pittsburgh's playoff hopes. This year, I'm under no such illusions, so who cares? It's a depressing way to go through a season, but it's ultimately much better for me psychologically than being devastated week after week.

Hey, how about that NBC Olympics coverage, eh? Is that the lamest junk ever to transmit through the airwaves or what? (Answer: No, that would be the second season and on of Married...With Children.) Nevertheless, NBC's jingoistic rah-rah soap opera coverage is perhaps the most sickening attempt at emotional manipulation since, well, the 1996 Games of Atlanta. This is enough to make one want to get a satellite dish and pick up the Canadian TV coverage.

And while I'm hot on the topic of terrible things, Nike's "Horror" ad spoofing the Texas Chainsaw Massacre was probably the stupidest ad placement I've seen in years. For X-Files episodes, fine. For the Olympics where little kids might be watching, man can you get much dumber than that? (And it's not like it's a great ad to begin with. Indeed, it's been years since Portland's Weiden & Kennedy created a Nike ad that was even half as hip, relevent, or meanful as they used to. Talk about an ad agency in decline.)

Congrats to the USA women's soccer team on their 1-0 victory over Brasil in the semifinal. Andres Cantor didn't seem to think that Mia Hamm's goal was deserved because Tiffany Millbrett fouled the keeper, but I sure disagreed. Looked like both players went for a 50-50 ball, collided, and Hamm put it in. Unless the keeper has possession, it's anybody's ball in my view of things.

September 17, 2000
The Steelers lose 23-20 to Cleveland as the clock runs out before they can kick the tying field goal. Bad QB-ing by Kent Graham? Bad coaching by Cowher and Gilbride? Some of both? Not sure of the answer, but I can't help but agree with Terry Bradshaw's take on it: "Stupid, stupid, stupid!"

Bettis, despite throwing an INT on a really questionable gadget play, rushed for over a 100 yards and averaged more than 5 yards per carry. After a bad 14-point first quarter, the defense had a solid game. Even Graham, last second brain cramp excluded, had a decent day. Almost 200 yards passing and no INTs. (No TDs either, though.)

Nonetheless, this is a Steelers team that shows all the signs of going nowhere. If they can establish a running game, then there's a chance that their above average (but hardly great) defense can contain the opposition sufficiently to give Pittsburgh the win. Don't look for it to happen very often this year, and, indeed, if things don't come together, this team could be the worst in the NFL. I don't think that's the case, but being in a position to cheer for a .500 year isn't exactly thrilling either. It'll be a long season.

September 4, 2000
The defense is pretty good, but the offense is inept as the Steelers lose 16-0 versus a decent Baltimore Ravens team. QB Kent Graham is fair when he has time to throw, but that's only on rare occasions. The Steeler offensive line is just that, and it's going to be a long season unless it improves in a hurry.

August 31, 2000
I wasn't initially thrilled with the Brian Grant for Shawn Kemp trade between the Blazers and the Cavs (and the Miami Heat), but upon further review, it should end up helping the Blazers. Kemp is no Grant so far as community service and involvement goes, but he's a better scorer and probably as good a rebounder. If it's possible, I think the Blazers have improved themselves over last year's team.

August 25, 2000
Steelers lose their last preseason game 17-10 to the Redskins. Defense was strong—thank God—but the offense is woefully inconsistent. Coach Cowher has decided to split time with the two QBs, Kordell Stewart and Kent Graham. Graham's numbers in the preseason were much better than Stewart's, but I suppose that's no reason to give up hope with Kordell.

Unless the offense comes together, I expect the Steelers to finish third or fourth in the AFC Central. I hope that's not too optimistic. I really hate it when they lose.

August 21, 2000
Watched a tape of the Steelers narrow 24-23 pre-season loss to the Colts. Kordell was fair at best. Wide receivers were up and down. Good running game and the line play looked pretty good. Linebackers were strong. Secondary was generally good, with one or two dreadful exceptions. Special teams, kicking and punting aside, were lousy. There is a possibility that the team could come together and get into the playoffs, but there's also a distinct likelihood of Pitt being sub-.500, especially with Jacksonville and the Titans in the same division. Regular season, two weeks away.

August 8, 2000
Steelers 13, Miami 10 in preseason game number 2. Our running back with the unpronouncable and unspellable name (nicknamed "Fu") had a great game, but other than that, it was a lackluster performance. Here's hoping for more next week.

August 6, 2000
Yeah, yeah it's only preseason, but 38-10 Steelers over the Dallas Cowboys feels great anyway. Kordell Stewart was pretty good, and first-round draft pick WR was excellent from what I read.

July 25, 2000
What to say about Tiger Woods British Open win that hasn't already been said? Got me. Frickin' NINETEEN UNDER PAR. This is right up there with watching Gretzky or Jordon in their prime, and Woods should have a good long run at the top.

Dennis sent some thoughts about Lance Armstrong's recent Tour de France victory. Since Dennis is ten times the cyclist I am, I thought I'd do a little reprinting:

Armstrong has been amazing....It was Stage 10. He started the stage 4 minutes behind, and at the end of the stage, had a 4 minute advantage. Amazingly, he didn't win the stage. Dekker won the stage, I think he's Belgian. Armstrong took second in that stage. Lance completely destoryed his nearest competitors. Marco Pantani made a break at the base of the final climb, and Ullrich, Zulle, and Lance followed. Zulle dropped quickly, while Ullrich and Lance kept going. Soon they lost Ullrich, and it was just Lance and Pantani. Dekker had a huge lead at this point, it was impressive for a single rider. Pantani kept trying to make breaks from Lance, and Lance kept jumping on his wheel. At one point, Pantani sat down after a break attempt, and Lance stood on the pedals and kept going. Pantani had nothing left to give, but he did try to follow. After a few seconds, Pantani looked at Lance's back, and put his head down and shook his head. That's an image that will stick with me for a long time. Pantani just shaking his head in amazement. After that, Lance just kept going.

Lance didn't get his only Stage win until Friday, Stage 19, on July 21. He took the final individual time trial. A 58 km jaunt through Germany, in which Lance averaged the second fastest time trial in Tour history. He flew over the course at 54.9 km/hr. Amazingly fast for 58 km, even with a bit of a tailwind.

Lance's scariest moment came in the last climb, I think Stage 15, when he "bonked." On the final climb, Lance ran out of energy. He hadn't eaten enough, and with 8 km left, he just hit the energy wall. He ate the food he had, but because it was in the final km, he couldn't get any more food. There are restrictions about passing food in the final km. Ullrich gained 1:49 on Lance, but at that point, Lance had a 7 minute lead. So, Lance's coach told him to relax, minimize his losses, and enjoy the benefits of a 7 minute lead. Very smart riding, and intelligent coaching also.

What a fun three weeks. I really do love watching the bike racing, it's so much a thinking person's sport. Didn't realize that until a couple of years ago. Also an incredible performance (maybe more so) by Lance's teammates on US Postal. No way Lance could have won without them. There are two riders that could have had stage wins, and at least one, Tyler Hamilton, that could have had a shot at winning the overall. But each one gave up the personal chance at glory to help control the race for Lance.

Heck of tour. Glad I was able to see as much coverage of it as I did.

July 19, 2000
We've been watching a fair amount of Tour de France coverage, and it's hard not to be impressed by the strategic racing of American Lance Armstrong. Winning by a large margin in one of the early mountainous stages to claim the yellow jacket, Armstrong has since then been content to bide his time. At this point, he holds a 5 minute lead over his closest competitor and I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't win another stage since he probably doesn't need to in order to win the whole enchilada.

June 19, 2000
Yeah, big surprise, the Lakers beat the Pacers. I'm still amazed the Pacers won a game. (I'm discounting the game they won when Kobe was sidelined by injury.) If the Blazers don't got 0-for-13 in the fourth quarter of Game 7 of the Western Conference finals, that'd be Portland celebrating instead of LA. Next year, I think it will be Portland.

June 18, 2000
If you didn't see Tiger Woods destroy the field at the US Open, you missed a historic event. Finishing some 15 strokes ahead of his nearest competitor, Tiger was clearly the best golfer in the world by a huge margin. When he's on his game, he's untouchable, and this 100th US Open was really something to see. (I'd liken it to watching Jordan or Gretzky.)

June 4, 2000
If there's any consolation to the Blazers dropping a 15 point lead and falling apart the fourth quarter, I don't know what it is. I have no doubt that the lessor of the two teams won, but that's not to say that the Lakers are a bad squad. Shaq is clearly Mr. MVP and when Kobe is hot, he's unstoppable. That said, the Blazers had this game in hand and tossed it away by going 0-for-12 late in the game, and by not finishing easy attempts early on. Maybe next year. (It's a good thing I don't drink any more.)

June 2, 2000
The Blazers' Game 6 victory was a wonderful thing to behold. If ever an NBA series deserved a Game 7, this is it. Dunleavy continues to do a masterful coaching job, and win or lose on Sunday, my estimation of him has increased considerably.

I watched the Pacers walk on the Knicks earlier, and I saw nothing to change my opinion that both teams are really bad. Virtually no interior game and an on-going love affair with the jump shop. Not normally the receipe for playoffs success, so I'd say it's a sign of just how far the Eastern Conference has fallen since the Bulls were dismantled.

May 31, 2000
I'm not sure if last night's Blazer win was a last gasp victory or a sign of things to come. When the Blazers play well, I think they're better than the Lakers, meaning they should win. At the same time, Shaq has straightened out his free throw issues a little bit (though he only hit about 60 percent last night), making him all that more dominate. There's no question he's the league MVP, and it amazes me that as well as he was playing last night the other Lakers continued to pop (and miss) the 3. Game 6 in Portland on Friday.

I watched the Knicks v. Pacers Game 5, and, man, what a couple of crappy teams. No inside post play whatsoever. Everything just bombs away from the outside. Don't know who will win the Blazers/Lakers series, but I'll take either of them over the Eastern Conference winner in five games, tops. A sweep would not surprise me.

May 28, 2000
Looks like I was right about the more blow-outs a-comin', but I picked the wrong team. Game 3 was an unfortunate loss 93-91 loss for the Blazers. Dunleavy made some bad rotation errors, and it cost the Blazers down the line. Probably should have tried Hack-A-Shaq in the fourth as well.

Game 4 was just a disaster. Shaq was hitting on all cylinders including free throws, and when that happens you're in trouble. Nonetheless, the Blazers again failed to execute at the offensive end, and instead of taking the ball to the hoop, they settled for the mid-range jumper. Bad idea. Officiating wasn't very good on the whole, but I don't think this was a loss you can blame on the officials. The Blazers need to play better offense, or the season is over.

May 23, 2000
I'm still celebrating the Blazers Game 2 romp over the Lakers. I've read every article I could find, and savored them all. Dunleavy continues to impress as coach. His strategy for the game was perfect, and the Blazers executed it well. Indeed, the 28-8 third quarter was only a culmination of what had really been happening all game, but it made for a really nice showcase. And think about this: If Pippen doesn't get a blocking foul to put Kobe on the line with 2 seconds left in the quarter (or if he were able to draw the charge instead), the Lakers would've scored only six(!) points in the third. Eight is bad enough, but it was almost even lower.

Offensively, the Blazers look tough for the Lakers to handle. Sabonis can get a few points against Shaq, though ultimately that's not a winning match-up. But Wallace versus A.C. Green or Robert Horry is destruction for the Lakers. Same with Pippen, Smith, Bonzi versus whoever the Lakers want to put on the floor.

Defensively, the big worry is, of course, Shaq. If the Lakers hit from outside it'll be tough to double, but if not (and except for Rice and Kobe they'll usually miss), there may be more blowouts a-comin'.

May 20, 2000
My vote goes to Blazers coach Mike Dunleavy for coach of the year. Finally, somebody willing to play Hack-A-Shaq like I've been advocating all year. Hysterically funny that it transpired in the Western Conference Finals, but I'm glad somebody had the brains to do it.

It's too bad the Blazers failed to excute on the offensive end, but Dunleavy's post game comments that the strategy worked defensively were absolutely correct. Indeed, I would advocate playing the whole fourth quarter fouling Shaq off the ball and forcing him to shoot free throws. True, he made seven in a row at one stretch, but even so, he shot less than 50 percent from the free throw line for the game. If the Blazers execute well offensively, it's a winning strategy.

What really hurt, though, was not having go-to guy Rasheed Wallace around since he got tossed early in the second half for looking at a referee. I've never heard of a lamer reason to eject a player from a game. Every time I think NBA refs can't be worse they find a way to surprise me. What an awful call.

So the Blazers' game plan for should be:

1. Keep the game close. Another meltdown like the second quarter of Game 1 and it's over.
2. Run the offense through Sheed as needed, since the Lakers have no one who can stop him.
3. Don't double on Shaq automatically. If he gets the ball too low in the paint, just foul him.
4. Employ Hack-A-Shaq again in the fourth quarter. If the Blazer offense executes well, this strategy is a winner.

May 17, 2000
The Blazers finish off the Jazz as Scottie Pippen drains a three with seven second remaining and then follows up with one make and one intentional miss from the free throw line. The Jazz had a chance to win on Bryon Russell's three point attempt at the buzzer, but it fell short.

Russell and Jazz fans everywhere were incredious that no foul was called on the play, and replays clearly show that Russell was flattened by a charging Rasheed Wallace. At the same time, it's hard to get in too big a twist with the officiating over one call since this was the worst officiated game I've ever seen. The first quarter was remarkable in that the officials missed calls nearly every time down the floor. It was like watching a fixed boxing match (of which I've seen a few—before I decided that the sport had just lost whatever integrity it had and stopped watching). It was just dreadful.

So in the end Russell's got hammered, the Jazz season ended, and the officials continued to stink up the joint. I can only pray that the refs do a better job in the Blazers v. Lakers series, or I may just swear off the NBA altogether.

May 15, 2000
Well, in my own defense regarding yesterday's 3 point Blazer loss, I didn't think the Blazers played very well and I didn't think the refs did a very good job.

May 12, 2000
After last night's Game 3 destruction of the Jazz, is there anyone in the world who doubts that the Blazers will win the series? The Jazz are overmatched at every position except power forward, and even there Karl Malone has to contend with Rasheed Wallace and Brian Grant.

NBA fans everywhere have to pity gimpy Jeff Hornacek. He's an excellent scorer and an underrated passer, but he's being destroyed defensively. The Jazz literally can't find somebody that he can guard. The Blazers just throw Steve Smith, Bonzi Wells, or Scotty Pippen at him, and any one of them can back Hornacek down, elevate over him or drive by him. That's a pretty embarrassing way to head into retirement.

Malone claims that Sunday's Game 4 will be a "pride game" for him, since the Jazz have never been swept in a series. Unless the refs unleash something dastardly, I see no reason why pride alone will suffice. The Jazz are simply overmatched, and no amount of pride can make up for that if the Blazers play well.

May 9, 2000
I dare say that the overtime losses in Games 3 and 4 probably did in the Penguins. Tonight's 2-1 loss to the Flyers which ended the series was a foregone conclusion in my mind. After Game 4's five overtime loss, there was really no hope for recovery. On to next year.

April 29, 2000
The Penguins roll past the Flyers 4-1 in Game 2, giving Pittsburgh a 2-0 edge in the series. This is an improbable result if ever there was one, but any team with Jagr on it is a threat. The Pens can sweep the series with two victories at home.

April 27, 2000
Blazers take out the T-Wolves in Game 2. (Sorry Minnesota fans, it's just a question of when.)

Penguins beat the Flyers 2-0 in Philly, which is huge. Without Lindros, I think the Flyers are vulnerable.

Shaq 5-11 at the free throw line tonight as the Lakers stomp down hard on Sacramento in Game 2. Can't possibily beat the Lakers if you're only going to put Shaq at the line 11 times. He's got to be in the mid-20s at least.

April 23, 2000
Blazers take out the Timberwolves in Game 1, 91-88. I didn't see anything that made me think that the 'Wolves have a prayer if the Blazers play their game. This is easily the Blazers series to win or lose, regardless of how good or bad Minnesota plays.

Watched part of the Lakers victory over the Sacramento Kings. Note to Adelman: Time to try the old Hack-A-Shaq strategy. You've got nobody who can guard Shaq anyway, so why not make him beat you at the line?

April 21, 2000
Penguins complete their series with the Washington Capitols thanks to a really flukey goal by Jagr. We'll take it anyway it comes. The Philadelphia Flyers are next up, and I'm betting it will take more than luck to beat them, even if they are without Eric Lindros.

Blazers first round playoff series with the Minnesota Timberwolves starts on Sunday. I'll take the Blazers in a sweep.

April 18, 2000
Watched the Blazers romp over the hapless Clippers in game with no implications for anybody. Play was ragged but with the Blazer victory never in doubt it hardly mattered.

The NBA playoff bracket in the west is pretty kind to the Blazers as they'll face off against the Timberwolves for starters, followed by the winner of Utah v. Sacramento. The Lakers, who take on Seattle first, will face the winner of Phoenix v. San Antonio.

April 17, 2000
Headed over to Mom and Pop's to watch the Penguins take a 3-0 lead in their playoff series with the Washinton Capitols. Jagr was great as always, and though the Pittsburgh defense wasn't as solid as I'd like, their offense was cooking, particularly on the power plays. Tonight's 4-3 victory was well-fought, but new goalie Ron Tugnutt was brilliant, and without him it doesn't happen.

April 16, 2000
The NFL draft now concluded, the Steelers look to have added some much needed firepower at wide receiver. Whether or not Kordell Stewart is capable of throwing the ball where they can catch it is another matter. But if all goes well, the new WRs will force teams to respect the pass and not stack the box against Bettis.

Sounds good in theory.

April 14, 2000
Pittsburgh Penguins 7, Washington Capitols 0. Now that's a nice way to start a playoff series!

April 10, 2000
Watched a nice Blazer win over the Jazz in Utah despite horrid officiating. The game should not have been particularly close, but the refs did all they could to keep the Jazz in it.

A second place finish in the Pacific Division with the Blazers' current record is actually a pretty nice place to be. They would catch Minnesota in the first round with home court advantage, then probably Utah in the second round, and the Lakers in the Western finals. The Lakers would find San Antonio in their bracket, which suits me just fine.

April 6, 2000
Boy, has it ever gone south for the Blazers since that 3 point loss to the Lakers. There haven't been many games televised lately, so it's hard for me to say exactly what's wrong, but here's hoping whatever it is gets fixed by playoff time.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have made the NHL playoffs for the nineth consecutive year. If Jagr's healthy then anything can happen. If not, it'll be a quick exit.

The Steelers off-season signings have been average at best. QB Kent Graham is probably the best pick-up, but it's doubtful that he's really a first-stringer. Of course, it's doubtful that Kordell Stewart is either, so maybe it's all even. Defense, assuming Kirkland is in shape, should be okay. Offense will be one big crap shoot. This team could challenge for the AFC title or lose all of there games. Who knows?

February 27, 2000
Watched the Blazers stomp on the Utah Jazz, in what for me was a very pleasant game. I've disliked the Jazz and their dirty play for years, and any time they take it on the chin it makes me feel better. Stockton and Malone are always a potent threat, but both are past their prime and another title run is unlikely. Still very annoying players.

Next up: The much-hated Lakers on Tuesday.

February 4, 2000
Steelers lose defensive coordinator Jim Haslett to the Saints, where he'll become head coach. Lots of fans were unhappy with his late season play-calling, but I'm not sure who the Steelers will get to replace him. Hopefully somebody who likes to blitz!

The NBA has a standing rule that players and coaches aren't allowed to criticize the refs. If they do, they get fined. Well, I'm under no such restriction: The refs in tonight's Knicks v. Blazers game did the lousiest job I've seen all year. Called it all in New York's favor too. Really lame.

January 31, 2000
What a great Super Bowl, eh? My Titans upset pick didn't come to fruition, but I'm thrilled that it was such a great game.

Now I turn my NFL thoughts to how the Steelers can get here next year. Unfortunately, I might be thinking on this one for quite a while.

January 23, 2000
D'oh! I'm sorely disappointed that I didn't post my AFC and NFC Championship game picks online earlier, because my picks were the Titans and Rams. I could've sworn I put my analysis online, but obviously not. Well, what I would have said is that Jacksonville's defense is overrated and that the Titans had beaten them twice this year and would do so again. In the Rams v. Bucs game I would have said that it would be a relatively low-scoring affair (which is Tampa Bay's kind of game), but that the Bucs lack of offense would end up being their downfall. In other words, I would've been a frickin' genius. As is, perhaps I've earned the title of "absent-minded genius." Perhaps not.

Anyway, for the SuperBowl I'm picking the Titans to pull an upset. I don't think they're really better than the Rams, but I like them better, so I'll go with who I like. The truth is that most games have been pretty easy to pick in these playoffs, but the SuperBowl is not. The Rams are rightly favored (I think the bookies have them +7), but who knows what will happen? Not me, that's why I'm going with the Titans in a close one.

January 22, 2000
Watched the Blazers take out the much-despised Lakers 95-91. LA lacks depth and they don't have a true "4" but Shaq, Kobe, and Rice sure make up for a lot. Shaq played 47 minutes and was utterly exhausted by the end of the fourth. Kobe fouled out with a couple minutes to go. Rice isn't nearly the same threat without somebody strong inside to draw the double team. I see no reason why the Blazers can't sweep LA in the playoffs, because I can't find any answers for the Lakers.

One answer I did find, though, was to why nobody is playing "hack-a-Shaq" any more. Phil Jackson has moved Shaq away from the basket and Shaq passes quickly out of double teams, so there's not much opportunity. Also, late in the fourth quarter when the game is on the line, Jackson pulls Shaq out of the game.

Blazers are still 2.5 games back, but there's no doubt in my mind who's the better team.

January 16, 2000
Well, looks like I continue to do all right in my NFL playoff selections. I don't think anybody foresaw the slaughter of the Dolphins on the part of Jacksonville, but certainly nobody should have been surprised that the Jags won handily. The Redskins fought valiantly, and with a good snap on the final series, who knows? Maybe that 51-yarder might have flown straight and true. I think the better team won, though. I'm happy to report that I called the Vikings/Rams game on the nose. The Titans v. Colts surprised me though. Indianapolis was a quality team, and for the Titans to knock them off is really impressive.

That puts me at 6-2 through playoffs so far, which isn't bad for a guy who doesn't follow football that much. Stay tuned for my picks on the AFC and NFC Championships as well as the Super Bowl.

January 14, 2000
Time for this week's NFL playoff picks:

Miami v. Jacksonville: I think Jacksonville is terrifically overrated, but not so much so that they'll lose to a Dolphin team that struggled to beat the awful Seahawks. Jacksonville.

Washington v. Tampa Bay: Tampa Bay does put a lot of points on the board, but Washington will be hardpressed to do anything against a stifling Buccaneer defense. Tampa Bay.

Minnesota v. St. Louis: This should be a very interesting game. St. Louis has to be favored, but Minnesota has enough offensive firepower to hurt anybody. Don't know about their defense, though, which is why the Rams will win. St. Louis.

Tennesse v. Indianapolis: The Titans showed a lot of heart and guile coming back to beat the Bills last week. That won't be enough against Indianapolis, but I'll bet it's a good game. Indianapolis.

January 9, 2000
Looks like I did fairly well with my playoff picks. The Bills v. Titans game was a great one (as predicted) and though I'm not sure the best team won, you've got to give the Titans their props for that incredible special teams kickoff play at the end. Apparently they'd practiced it all year long, and it paid off.

Seattle was edged by Miami, 20-17, but ultimately Miami's not going anywhere, so big deal. Seattle's still young. Give them another year, and I'll bet they go a little deeper in the playoffs.

Redskins stomped the Lions as predicted. Minnesota was way too much for the Cowboys, and that was no surprise either. So far I'm 3-1 in playoff picks. Stay tuned.

January 3, 2000
Now that the parity-filled NFL regular season has come whimpering to an end, it's time to make some playoff picks. True, many of these dreadful teams don't deserve to be here, but surely they deserve to be here more than the Steelers do, so I can hardly cry too much without being a whiner.

Buffalo v. Tennessee: We'll start with a game which, unlike most of these, should be a great one. Ultimately, I think the Titans defense is better than the Bills, and I think McNair will be tough to stop. Titans.

Miami v. Seattle: Two dreadful teams, both of whom backed into the playoffs. Trying to pick a winner here is like trying to predict a coin flip. I'm going with Seattle only because of the home field advantage. Either way, the winner won't go past the next round. Seattle.

Detroit v. Washington: Two more rather lame teams. Can't help but wonder what Detroit could have made of this season if they'd not chased RB Barry Sanders into retirement. Washington.

Dallas v. Minnesota: Dallas without Michael Irvin is a team without a primary receiver. Look for the Vikes to stack the box vs. Emmitt Smith. Minnesota, with Randy Moss, Cris Carter, and Jake Reed, has no such problem with their WRs, and though Dallas' secondary is very good, they're going to be sorely pressed to keep up here. Minnesota.

Teams earning a first round bye are Jacksonville, Indianapolis, St. Louis, and Tampa Bay.

January 2, 2000
The Steelers lose 47-36 to the Tennessee Titans, completing a dismal 6-10 season that never really saw the offense and defense play well in the same game. Despite high hopes that QB Kordell Stewart could return to 1997 form after a dreadful 1998 season, new offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride's game plan never really clicked, and Stewart was benched for the last six games of the year. While QB Mike Tomczak met with better success in running the offense, the Steeler defense dispiritedly slumped in the back half of the season. This is a team that has a lot of holes to fill.

First and foremost is the offensive line. It didn't help that future Hall of Famer Dermonti Dawson was injured for most of the season, but even with him healthy, this line would've had problems. Jerome Bettis is a great running back, but it's hard to do well when there are no holes and you get hit 3 yards in the backfield consistently. The Steelers will gain Kris Farris, a rookie lineman who spent the year on IR, next year, but they better plan adding more than just him.

In Jerome Bettis and Richard Huntley the Steelers have a good backfield. Given good blocking either can run for big yards, but good blocking was rare this year. Rookie Troy Edwards proved a decent draft pick, but the 'Burgh lacks a first-string "go to" guy. Having a bunch of number 2 receivers—guys who can't get good separation from the defensive secondaries and who can be covered man-to-man—is no way to win in this league.

Much has been said and written about Kordell Stewart and his inability to lead the offense. Under the right circumstances, I think he could be successful, but that's going to mean a major commitment on the part of the Steelers to beefing up the offensive line and acquiring better receivers.

Defensively, the team started near the top in the league, but faded in the later weeks as it became clear that the offense was just never going to turn it around. The Steelers secondary is good, its linebackers are excellent, but the line needs an upgrade. Injuries took something of a toll, but the truth is that Pitt needs a great pass rushing down lineman. That said, the current squad is certainly good enough for a playoff run should the offense ever come around.

Here's hoping that next year it will.