NEW *BLING*

Catch All Post

Hello readers!

I'm sorry that my posts have been few lately. I've been focused on graduate school applications since September!

Did you see the Patriots game? How awesome and vindicating was that?

YEAH MIKE KNOWS IT!!!!







(get ready for the dark side of this question...)

Did you see the Ravens game? How wretched and intolerable was that?

I woke up to the New York City Marathon the morning of the Ravens game. The Marathon never ceases to amaze and create an acutely emotional state. For one morning only, the streets of the metropolis become a place of shared effort toward a common goal, and non-participants stand and cheer in support, offering positive vibes to total strangers as they stream past. Total opposite of the usual experience! I find it very, very touching and always seem to have a few tears on hand, welled up and ready to roll on Marathon day.

I received an image from my friend Shahin, who took an arbitrary shot out his front door to commemorate the race and upon close inspection noticed... THAT guy. You have to look real close...

Do you see him?  Running a marathon wearing a wig and twirling a T.T. no less!

What are the chances??? TO THE POLAMALU MARATHON RUNNER: If you are reading this, please contact me @ mspittsburgh@yinzyang.com!

Thank you, Shahin, for your impeccable timing and for bringing this bit of magic into the light!

Next to the Steelers v Ravens game at my aunt and uncle's house. The only shot I have from the whole game is this:

SAD LOST PUPS, UNABLE TO PLAY. Heartbreaking. Like the game.

Actually the game hurt my entire network of nerves and my stomach more than it did my heart. The Ravens are so evil and vile that I have a hard time exposing my heart to the likes of Sugg's crazy double row of grinded-down hyena teeth and bloody lips, Ray Lewis' evil hero face paint, or the head coach who I think of as "the Fonz"-- looking much more like he should be running a pizza shop than an NFL team.  I always want him to be hit in the head on the sideline by a "foul ball".
Ugh, I find it all so hard to bear. To their credit.

"What's the deal..?"

"...with the Steelers?"

I've been hearing this question a lot lately.

Yesterday, I provided the following answer to a friend via email:

"The deal with the Steelers is lack of depth in the perennially bad positions, while the best players in some of the historically more solid positions are older and slowing down. Plus shortened training camp really hurt us; things were by all accounts really unfocused and disorganized in Latrobe (coaching weakness?). So...I don't know...Plus Tomlin looks like he's really taken to the new Pgh cuisine, maybe indulging in the offerings at the new How Lee a little too frequently. And somehow Dick still looking like he could slay a lioness without need for vision correction."

What do you guys think?

-Ms. Pittsburgh

Terror-ifying Game

UGH

Today, for the first time in my life, I was scheduled to work through the first game of the Steelers season. Significantly, it is 9/11/11 and I work in downtown Manhattan. So there's a lot of things going on today--lots of events and speculations that are out of the ordinary. Of all the things that could have happened, the least likely in my mind was for the Steelers to play a real stinker of a game against the Ravens. Unfortunately, that's exactly what happened!

I received frequent text messages from my cousin Rachel describing something gamelike I could not really imagine. Troy throwing punches after the play? Ben not working at all (unfortunately that one is imaginable...)? NO SECONDARY??? My responses ranged from 'WTF???' to 'S*%#' to 'UGH f*#@!*' to 'Is anything working???!!!!', back to WTF!!!'.

I don't know what to say, other than "this sounds like the worst game of my adult life" AND "gee was I lucky to be scheduled to work during this game of all games". I think I was seriously spared some trauma. Most notable observation from the game 'highlights' on the internet is that Ben appeared to be passing to Ed Reed.

Cue magical thinking:

1. Maybe the Steelers have been watching too much True Blood?

2. Maybe Ben's off his stride after having an allegation-less summer?

3. Maybe the Ravens are going to win the Super Bowl and the Steelers just had their worst game of the season

Let's hope for a better game next week, when Ms Pittsburgh will attend the 2011 home opener at Heinz Field.

Remember: there is no Yinz without the Yang.

New Shirt!!!

We are pleased to present to you our latest design!!!  This one is particularly special to me because it's the first shirt I ever wanted to make, conceived of many years ago.  I think it turned out perfectly!  I mixed the ink by hand--a nice warm, brownish black--and printed the shirts myself, along with printing extraordinaire, Bill Connelly, of WPC Custom Printing.  Thanks, Bill!

This shirt is the perfect all purpose statement about Pittsburgh in my book. Available here in unisex sizes.
Printed in a limited run so pick one up today!

Sent to the corner for bein good

I caught up on all the Steelers 2011 draft action in earnest this morning.  My greatest football wish through my adult life has been for the Steelers to draft a good cornerback.  Is this crazy to suggest?  This position, no offense--and anyone who has watched football with me in the last 8 years or so will attest to the intensity of my feelings about this--has been held by some of the biggest clowns the Steelers have ever seen.  I won't name names but I will say they're all graduates with highest honors from the Nate Washington School of Drama.  I understand that cornerback is the least important position in Dick's defensive scheme, which hinges on the blitz shutting down the passing game.  Linebackers and safetys are the most important, as is having 3 solid dudes up front (as evidenced by the Steelers' first round choice of Cameron Hayward at defensive end).  Only problem is we play against teams that are very successful in anticipating our blitzes, which puts all the pressure on the corner.  Then you end up with William Gay covering Randy Moss and it's a complete shit show.  Also, and perhaps of equal importance: in games where we really, desperately need a turnover, who's most often caught with an embarrassing case of butterfingers with an easily catchable ball?

I will disclaim at this point that this is my understanding of Steelers football as I see it.  I've never played football except in gym class, so feel free to comment and share your insights.

This year's selection of cornerback Curtis Brown in the 3rd round is the highest draft position that cornerback has received in recent memory so at least we've got that going for us.  Google image results for this guy are encouraging as he can actually be seen catching a ball.

Looking forward to seeing you do this in a Steelers uniform, Curtis!  Word on the 'net is that you are also a special star on special teams and lord knows the Steelers can use you there.

Just for kicks I decided to put the Steelers' cornerback choices out in plain sight, all lined up in decending chronological order.  Are there any unmemorables that I am missing?

Curtis Brown, 3rd round, 2011
William Gay, 5th round, 2007
Ike Taylor, 5th round, 2003
Deshea Townsend, 4th round, 1998
Chad Scott, 24th overall (???!!!), 1997

As super encouraging as this choice of Curtis Brown is, it is disheartening that Ike's future has not been secured.  Curtis will likely not be our top performer at corner for a couple of years.  So in the meantime, who will be?  Gay?  Maybe they should call me for a tryout.

Coming into the light

Now that it's truly, officially spring (seeing as our first 80 degree day is behind us), I feel ready to admit publicly that it took a lot longer for me to shake our super bowl loss than I imagined.  I thought this image would be a fitting return to the blog as it bookends immaculately with my last entry, composed and posted just minutes before kickoff of that fateful game back in February.  The residents of the apartment whose deck used to don adjacent GB and Stillers flags must have been feeling depressed too, or perhaps highly conflicted, or at the very least wary of the sensitivities that neighbors and passers-by might have to their long-standing message.  Maybe all of the above.  

Anyway here's to spring and sunshine.  In that spirit I welcome a new shirt to the Yinz Yang design line, should be up on the internet this week.  Check back!