|
Repeat Champs??? Not So Fast!
By Marcel D. Majors
Send your feedback and comments to Marcel to:
Marcel@TheSoulPitt.com
Steeler camp is open and in full swing. The 2 a day practices in the heat have washed away the glow from winning the Super Bowl and reignited the fire inside to win another.
A few things worry/concern me about this year’s team. Does the loss of Jerome Bettis the player hurt the team more than anyone can imagine? Who will convert the tough 3rd and 1 or goal line situations now? Duce Staley?? Can he be counted on for 16 games and a playoff run? Can fast Willie become tough 2 yard Willie?
Let’s stick with the Jerome Bettis theme for a minute. Were Jerome Bettis, “the TV analyst”, comments about Coach Cowher’s future that far off? Would he risk a new career reporting a story that had no truth to it? I’ve never taken a class on journalism but I’m pretty sure there’s an unspoken code of ethics about reporting fact not fiction to the public. So for him to report this story on his debut show leads me to believe Cowher indeed confided in his recently retired star running back. Did Jerome Bettis let the cat out of the bag on a story Coach Cower wanted caged away?
Lastly will lady luck be on the Steelers side another year? Let’s face it, a lot of things lined up perfect for that victory in Super Bowl XL. The Carson Palmer knee injury, the aforementioned Jerome Bettis’ fumble and subsequent tackle by Ben Roethlisberger. Later in that same game Mike Vanderjagt missing a kick that bad, when he didn’t miss a single kick of any kind inside the RCA Dome all year. The Denver Broncos having Jake Plummer as their starting QB, and even the location and opponent of the Super Bowl were a little lucky. It was played at Ford Field in Pittsburgh North aka Detroit and the Seattle Seahawks were the opponent and not, let’s say a more experienced and probably better team to expose the Steelers weaknesses; the Carolina Panthers. You add all that up and now the injury to Hines Ward and repeating just became a little tougher. Not impossible, but tougher.
The Las Vegas betting casinos have set the odds maker line at 100-1 odds on the chances of the Steelers repeating. Can everything just fall right into place again?
I’ve put my $100 down. SO I HOPE SO!!!!
I’ve got to save some ink for next time SoulPitt. Talk to ya soon.
Lloyd McClendon by Marcel Majors
Send your feedback and comments to Marcel to:
Marcel@TheSoulPitt.com
How many baseball fans are out there? Then you know that baseball season has started and Barry Bonds has continued his pursuit of Hank Aaron. Also the Pirates have begun another season losing 3 in a row. I’m pondering whether Lloyd McClendon was given a fair opportunity to be successful as manager of the Pirates. Isn’t it funny how all of a sudden, the Pirates have money and are willing to spend it????
Lloyd McClendon, the 1st African American manager of the Pirates, the 1st African American of ANY sports team here in Pittsburgh was not given a fair shake. He managed the Pirates for five years and for five years they could not, and would not spend money on quality major league talent. Small budget, low payroll; so they say. Now ALL OF A SUDDEN the team had an extra15 million dollars to increase payroll. This rush for quality major league talent happens to coincide with a long time friend of the GM being named manager. Coincidence? Maybe? Maybe not.
Was McClendon hired to simply be a show piece? Give the brotha a high profile job, but don’t give him the resources to do his job well or be successful. Managers/coaches are hired to eventually be fired, but was McClendon’s hiring simply to be a sacrificial lamb until the GM’s friend’s contract was up in LA?
It just seemed strange to me that the Pirates were being mentioned as potential suitors to some of baseball’s biggest names. Rumors, yes just rumors, but the Pirates supposedly had interest in the likes of Manny Ramirez, Nomar Garciaparra, Hank Blaylock, and Jacque Jones. These players eventually either stayed with their current team or signed somewhere other than with the Pirates. All these guys are serious upgrades to any offense and would do wonders for the stands and the bottom line of any organization. Hell. Bring Barry back! Could the Pirates afford these guys all along? Well I guess we will never know. Hopefully McClendon wasn’t just a token or a quota. Hopefully the Pirates organization has more integrity than to take strides to be the 1st sports organization in Pittsburgh to hire an African American only to set him up to fail. I’m happy he has landed on his feet with his old friend and ours, Jim Leyland in Detroit. Good Luck Lloyd.
Time to wrap it up Soul Pitt; I got to save some ink for next time.
Send your feedback and comments to Marcel to:
Marcel@TheSoulPitt.com
Terrell Owens by Marcel Majors
Dec 2005
Put this in the “It will never happen” folder, but the Steelers should really consider going after Terrell Owens when he becomes available. Granted his off the field antics are a cancer to a team now, but for a team with no real offensive playmakers, he should be a welcomed addition. Think about it Terrell Owens will be on his BEST behavior next year in hopes of finally landing that multi-year contract he has sought after. So for one year, you are going to have the best wide receiver in football and more than likely a great teammate as well.
The Steelers are built around the run but when that run game is shut down, you need a quality passing game. They already have a dependable quarterback in place for the next several years. Now they need a game breaking receiver. Unfortunately the group they have now puts NO fear into opposing teams’ defensive strategy. Admit it! You miss Plaxico Burress right now. Terrell Owens would provide the needed dynamite to make this offense an explosive threat; which would also boost the running game dramatically. No longer can teams put 8 or 9 men in the box and gang up on the run. No longer will teams dare the Steelers to throw the ball. Teams will be hoping the Steelers run the ball and keep it out of TO’s hands. It’s time the Steeler organization takes a risk and brings the excitement of the passing game to the field for Steelers fans. We all remember them passing up on Dan Marino, don’t we? Big mistake.
So you don’t give him the long term deal he wanted from Philly. But if they release him, what harm can it do to bring him in for a year. If things work out, we’ll go from there. He will have something to prove and will no doubt be on his best behavior. Off the field TO is a jerk. On the field, he is hands down the most feared receiver in the game. Fans will be hesitant to embrace this guy at first. But I’m sure after he has his first game with 5 catches, 100 plus yards and 2 touchdown before the end of the first half, the terrible towels will be swirling around in his honor. I can already hear the chants of T-O, T-O in the Heinz Field air. And fans walking the cold North Side Streets on game day; staying warm by wearing the hottest jersey, #81 in black and gold.
Time to wrap it up Soul Pitt; I got to save some ink for next time.
Send your feedback and comments to Marcel to:
Marcel@TheSoulPitt.com
Top 3 Did you see THAT?!?! by Marcel Majors
Nov 2005
Every weekend something exciting happens in the world of sports. Something, that when it happens you can’t wait to ask somebody “Did you see that”?
3. performance by Vince Young and Texas in the second half against OSU?
2. the Browns losing to the Texans. (Always good to see the Browns lose)
1. the 10 year extension Charlie Weis got from Notre Dame (come back Friday for my thoughts on this matter)
An interesting topic came up last week; Sheryl Swoopes’ big announcement that she is gay. She could no longer hide “who she was.” C’mon on, let’s be honest. The WBNA is not the only league that has gay athletes. Football, baseball and yes even the NBA probably has its share. There are obviously more gay athletes in sports then we know about. Even though I do not share the homosexual lifestyle, I applaud Sheryl Swoopes for coming out. She is a high profile female athlete at the very top of her game. She is a huge role model for young women all over the world. The courage it must have taken to make this announcement is off the charts.
HOWEVER, I do have one big problem with this issue. I believe an uncrossable line was crossed. It’s not that her romantic partner is a woman. BUT that her partner “was” an assistant coach on the team, she plays on, just up until the announcement was made. This is simply unacceptable. The coach, at any level, of any team has a responsibility not be seduced or be the seducer when it comes to the players. There is a reason male athletes are forbidden to date the sexy & voluptuous cheerleaders of their organization. It creates a conflict of interest and can take the athlete’s mind off the focus of the game. If I want to see a love story, I’ll rent a chick flick from the video store. And for this same reason, a player and a coach should never have a romantic relationship; whether it be same or opposite sex. It violates the integrity of the game. You cannot clearly coach/manage a person that you are romantically involved. It does one of two things 1) it creates an unfair advantage for the player. 2) If the player and the coach have a beef, it will subconsciously be played out at a practice or game. In either case, the team and the fans get screwed. The coach’s focus should be on the best interest of the players and the team as a whole at all times. Keep the romance off the court!
So what should be done about this? In my opinion, the coach was clearly wrong and should not be allowed to coach again in the WNBA. Think that’s too harsh? I wanna hear what you think. Holla at me Soul Pitt and give me your thoughts.
The gay athlete in sports is going to become more and more relevant as time goes on. Although some may find it morally and spiritually wrong, others will accept it and applaud the athletes that come forward. A friend of mine once told me “Just be happy with mother……s, well I can’t finish the saying but you get idea. And it’s true. Just try to find happiness in whatever you do or whomever you are with.
Time to wrap it up Soul Pitt; I got to save some ink for next time.
Send your feedback and comments to Marcel to:
Marcel@TheSoulPitt.com
Competition by Marcel Majors
Oct 2005
Why do we compete in sports? Better yet, why do we enjoy the competition of sports? From the amateur weekend warrior, to the highly trained pro athlete, sports provide a way to compete. A way to live out a fantasy, a way to make a living or a way to survive. The business of sports is a multi billion dollar a year industry. It creates new millionaires everyday.
Sports, baseball in particular, opened doors for me that otherwise would never have been opened. I got a free education, traveled, and competed. There is that word again; compete. I competed against some of the best athletes in the world. Many of my college teammates have gone on to have successful Major League Baseball careers. However, some suffered the same ill fate as I; a career ending injury. That one thing stops and ends the careers of many athletes.
More than aging, more than the loss of the desire to play, and even more than just a deprecation of skill level, injuries happen. You cannot stop them. You hope that the injury is minor and a recovery is possible, because no athlete ever wants to hear it is over. Some endure hours of rehab, just too still go on. Even when the body is telling us, it is over; our minds lead us to believe we can still play. Why? Because the competitive juices inside us refuse to stop flowing. Competition goes way beyond sports. We compete everyday in life. Sometimes we succeed and sometimes we do not, but remember to always put forth your best effort and never ever stop competing. Sports are Life!
Pittsburgh is a highly competitive city in both life and sports. Every year, the coveted Steelers are among the best teams in the NFL. The Pirates, Penguins and Panthers, once winning teams, are seeing rough times in their organizations/leagues. If we look back, those proud franchises have provided our city with great memories of their own competitive spirit. Moreover, through the defeats, they continue to come back on the field to play the game. They do it for the love of the game and for the diehard fans that cheer their names and wear their jerseys in spite of their record. Hoping again, to bring the glory days back to Pittsburgh.
I thank The Soul Pitt for giving a brotha the opportunity to talk sports here in Pittsburgh. I know there are those that love the games as much as I do, so please come with me on this journey. We can and will talk about anything and everything pertaining to the world of sports. Needless to say, we will agree on some issues and disagree on others, but if you have a passion for sports as I do, keep coming back. Got a question or a comment? Send it to me and let us see what conversations we can strike up.
Send your feedback and comments to Marcel to:
Marcel@TheSoulPitt.com |
BIO
Name: Marcel Majors
Born: Pittsburgh, PA (July 1973)
Interest: Sports, Computers and Coaching amateur athletics
Favorite Quote: “Life is not measured on the number of breaths you take, but by the number of moments that take your breath away.”
Marcel was born and raised in “DA BURGH.” He grew up in the Homewood section of the city and attended Westinghouse High School. After getting his diploma in1991, he ventured down south to “THE U.” He attended the University of Miami on a baseball scholarship with studies in fitness and computer science.
After his sophomore year, the Kansas City Royals chose him as the 4th pick of the 44th round of the amateur baseball draft. His draft rights were traded to the St. Louis Cardinals organization where his professional baseball career began. He played several accomplished filled seasons for the Cardinals organization, playing stops in St. Petersburg, FLA, Savannah, GA and Peoria, AZ. A back injury took its toll and cut this promising shortstops future short.
However, Marcel never lost his passion for sports. He has coached several adult and youth baseball and basketball teams in his spare time. He would love to pursue a coaching job in baseball. His dream fulfilled would be to return to Miami and coach at The U. |
