NFL is here, see you in February!

[Bilgerat]

Don't ya'll worry. You can all watch the Cowboys in the Superbowl.

Will they be the ones selling beer & stuff (lol)

[Gunny]

You trying to say the Squellers are heading to the toilet bowl this year.

Did you just call MY team Squealers? And mispelled it? The one thing everyone said about the Steelers from 1931 on is -- and they were perennial losers until the 70s -- they don't care about the scoreboard, they'll just beat your ass up.

Jack Lambert was my hero. Larry Csonka was next because some genius tried to make me a fullback one year. I'm a bull in a china shop. I ain't running around you.

But, the biggest reason I no longer watch football is the pussies have turned it into a pussy game and this deflategate crap is a perfect example. Measuring the PSI in a ball? Hell, I couldn't even play football now and it ain't cuz of my age. I'd have more personal fouls against me nowadays in 2 minutes. When we played, I'd hit you with everything I had. I'd nail your helmet with a forearm so fast you'd have thought I beat the snap.

The fact, these guys nowadays are wimps. Line me, Chuck Bednarik and Jack Lambert up. Send you home in a basket. And screw all these protect the QB rules. That's protecting an investment. He's another player on the field to me.

I've been a Steelers fan since 68 for ONE reason. They show up to play. I never lined up to lose. Neither did any of the people I have respect for. Jack, Bob Lilly, Chuck Howley (can't tell I was a LB, can you?)

[jimnyc]

Steelers lost fair and square. And exactly as I said, they would score, but wouldn't be able to stop the pass. The D backs are too young. Brady was too good last night.

But the good news is that the offense looked good, even with 3 key players being out. Le'veon Bell is out, but De'angelo Williams covered for him and ran for 120+ yards. Antonia Brown picked up where he left off and caught 9 for 130+ yards, and Big Ben was 26 of 38 for 351 yards.

They did themselves in early with a stupid call for a trick play, and 2 missed field goals, while letting Brady get scores on consecutive drives. It was all catch up from there.

And I don't hold the Patriots accountable for the headphones issues. The Steelers say that the Patriots should have been forced to have theirs turned off too. The NFL is investigating but it is their fault, not the Patriots. Either way, the few minutes it was off, I don't think it mattered. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300...et-controversy

I think what mattered more was the shift the Patriots pulled on the 1yard line when the Steelers were 1st and goal, which caused a penalty and dropped them back. Genius play or illegal play? No call was made. The Steelers settled for yet another field goal instead. Still wouldn't have been enough to have won though.

With any luck the Steelers will get better and get another shot at these bastards down the road.

[Abbey Marie]

Ummm...not true...both teams had problems with headsets and coach to coach comms. But hey, it must be true because it's all over the internet...

Also, the headset comms are provided by the NFL and not the Patriots. Maybe the NFL wanted to make it look like the Pats cheated....of course, the NFL would never try to do THAT just because they couldn't prove the Patriots cheated in "deflategate"... http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2015/0...lette-stadium/

Read the whole thing ....

I've been watching ESPN this morning, and this is what they are all saying:
1. Only the Steelers had comm problems during the game
2. The NFL provides the comm equipment, but the team installs and maintains that equipment in their stadium.
3. The interference was in the 1st quarter. The Steelers came back strong later in the game when the comm was working.

What I find most disturbing, is how with scandal after scandal, Pats fans are fine with turning a blind eye to the cheating.

Where there is smoke upon smoke upon smoke upon smoke, there IS fire.

[CSM]

I've been watching ESPN this morning, and this is what they are all saying:
1. Only the Steelers had comm problems during the game
2. The NFL provides the comm equipment, but the team installs and maintains that equipment in their stadium.
3. The interference was in the 1st quarter. The Steelers came back strong later in the game when the comm was working.

What I find most disturbing, is how with scandal after scandal, Pats fans are fine with turning a blind eye to the cheating.

Where there is smoke upon smoke upon smoke upon smoke, there IS fire.

Well, I guess we will have to agree to disagree. The only smoke people are seeing is the smoke the haters are trying to blow up everyone's ass.

[Abbey Marie]

Well, I guess we will have to agree to disagree. The only smoke people are seeing is the smoke the haters are trying to blow up everyone's ass.

You ok with the stolen signals, CSM? Or was that made up too?

[jimnyc]

Everything I have found points to only the Steelers having the issue, and that's why Mike Tomlin is so mad, because he feels they should have forced the Patriots to turn theirs off for that duration too. I agree. But I also agree it was the NFL in charge of the headsets. I also don't think it would have changed the score.

[Noir]

Some of the memes going about twitter are quality, personal fave -

[Abbey Marie]

Everything I have found points to only the Steelers having the issue, and that's why Mike Tomlin is so mad, because he feels they should have forced the Patriots to turn theirs off for that duration too. I agree. But I also agree it was the NFL in charge of the headsets. I also don't think it would have changed the score.

Providing the equipment: NFL

Installing and maintaining the equipment ("in charge of"): The team

Given that, the potential is certainly there for cheating once again.

Here's my formula:
Pats not cheating + return of Bell = Steelers win

[Russ]

Whether the interference affected both teams' headsets or just the Steelers doesn't matter that much. More important is when the interference occurred. Did it happen on a key 3rd down for the Steelers? If so, then it smells like cheating, whether if affected the Pats headsets at the same time or not.
And all it would take, on the Pats part, is jamming equipment that would send out a stronger signal than the NFL equipment, on all frequencies. And what signal would I send out, if I were cheating? I suppose I'd send out my own team's radiocast of the game.

[DLT]

And my beloved Steelers kickoff the season by going to Foxboro and playing the hated Patriots, who likely have a chip on their shoulders now. No way I lay any money down on this game, but no way I would ever bet against the Steelers either. Hopefully Big Ben and Antonio Brown are strong, and Williams plays solid in the backfield, and the defense can find a way to stop allowing so many damn points. We absolutely sucked on D in the preseason, but that was the preseason. Anyway, here we go, another season!

You and my ex....I swear...if it wasn't for football, he'd be dead by now. He lives for football season!

[jimnyc]

Providing the equipment: NFL

Installing and maintaining the equipment ("in charge of"): The team

Given that, the potential is certainly there for cheating once again.

Here's my formula:
Pats not cheating + return of Bell = Steelers win

I would also like to find out how it was getting interference from the "Patriots broadcast system". To me, that sounds like an interference issue, and you would think that would affect both teams. But I had no idea the team was in charge of maintaining things. I'm not saying that they did something to create interference, but if they are in charge, the possibility is there. And if there's any one team that has a history... now we find out that "spygate" had them stealing playbooks, and knowing the first 20 plays that teams were going to start with. The report states that they had this for a championship game against the Steelers back in the day that they won 24-17. Goodell apparently had all of these tapes and such destroyed. Nevermind deflategate, it sounds like they got off light back in the spygate days.

I also believe that if Bell was playing, as well as their #2WR Martavis Bryant, that would give them a HUGE edge. While Williams got a lot of yards running, Bell does the same AND catches out of the backfield, which means the D has to have someone assigned to him. Also, our all pro center is out for the majority of the year. Bell and Bryan EARNED their suspensions though, so no excuses here. Dumbasses.

[jimnyc]

Whether the interference affected both teams' headsets or just the Steelers doesn't matter that much. More important is when the interference occurred. Did it happen on a key 3rd down for the Steelers? If so, then it smells like cheating, whether if affected the Pats headsets at the same time or not.
And all it would take, on the Pats part, is jamming equipment that would send out a stronger signal than the NFL equipment, on all frequencies. And what signal would I send out, if I were cheating? I suppose I'd send out my own team's radiocast of the game.

Apparently the NFL is investigating to see specifically how it all happened. New Orleans was busted but I think there's was for listening in? I don't recall for sure. But I don't know what would make them think they could fade out anyone's headphones entirely and get away with it. That's the only reason I think it's just a screwup. If they were again charged with cheating AND it was found to be true? Yikes.

[jimnyc]

You and my ex....I swear...if it wasn't for football, he'd be dead by now. He lives for football season!

Yeah, Thursday night, saturday afternoons, all day sunday and sunday night and then of course monday night football. I added saturday afternoon, as if there's nothing on my schedule, I'm also watching the good college games!! Thursday is for only so many games. But college also tosses in some wed,thur & Fri night games.

[jimnyc]

Apparently the Patriots had issues with their headphones as well. While this article highlights Tomlin's anger, it also states that the Patriots had the same issues.

------

FOXBORO (CBS) — Apparently, one day can’t pass in 2015 without the New England Patriots being embroiled in controversy.

The latest issue cropped up Thursday night, in the NFL’s season opening game, when the TV broadcast reported that Pittsburgh’s headsets were picking up the Patriots’ radio broadcast of the game instead of the team’s communications.

Imagine having Scott Zolak in your ear while trying to call a play?

After the game, which the Patriots won 28-21, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin seemed especially perturbed over the issue.

“That’s always the case,” Tomlin said.

A follow-up question came, asking Tomlin if he meant specifically in Gillette Stadium.

“Yes.”

When asked for more, Tomlin replied, “I said what I said. We were listening to the Patriots radio broadcasts for the majority of the first half on our [coach-to-coach] headsets.”

More cheating from the Patriots? Well, no.

NFL spokesman Michael Signora issued the following statement after the game:

“In the first quarter of [Thursday] night’s game, the Pittsburgh coaches experienced interference in their headsets caused by a stadium power infrastructure issue, which was exacerbated by the inclement weather. The coaches’ communications equipment, including the headsets, is provided by the NFL for both clubs’ use on game day. Once the power issue was addressed, the equipment functioned properly with no additional issues.”

Plus after the game, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick complained equally about the headsets, agreeing with Tomlin that the issue happens all the time.

“It did,” Belichick said, when asked if the communication issues affected the Patriots. “We had a lot of problems. We had to switch headphones a couple of times. The communication system was not very good. We deal with that it seems like weekly. They told us that they were on the verge of shutting it off, but I guess they got it working. … Tom [Brady] almost had to switch helmets near the end, we couldn’t get the plays into him.”

Belichick reiterated: “It was a problem all night.”

Belichick was asked if he ever got the answer for what the problem was.

“Well, no. We never get that answer,” Belichick said. “They just try to fix it, and they tell you that it’s up or it’s down or whatever. That’s not really my very strong area, technology.”

Though facts have never gotten in the way of a good controversy down at 1 Patriot Place before, don’t expect “HeadsetGate” to have legs.

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2015/09/1...n-new-england/