Beer and Football

Beer and football go together very well, and with the start of Steeler's training camp last night, the season is slowly creeping forward. I have been lucky this decade as my life long fandom of the Patriots has been paying off and my adapted city fandom of the Steelers is not that bad of a next best choice. But I digress, for first the beer.

Pittsburgh Drinking Liberally is meeting tonight at D's Six Pack and Dog on Braddock Avenue in Regent Square. We'll be starting at 7:00pm and going until we get kicked out or get tired [nowadays tired is a better bet] I hope to see you there.

Now onto football. I am stoked about the Patriots as they seem to have looked at their playoff game films and fixed the problems that were there. No quality safety depth --- no problem, get one in the first round and see everyone healed up; no one who can cover a fast tight end --- no problem get the best linebacker with coverage skills available; few quality wide receivers --- trade and sign for four NFL competent or better receivers. Throw in the fact that the offensive and defensive lines are very young but very experienced, and Tom Brady at QB and Bellicheck as the coach, I expect to see the Patriots in the Super Bowl this year.

I believe the Steelers are in a transition year this year. Their draft was good but it is indicative of where the coaching staff wants to go --- more of a Tampa 2 4-3 scheme instead of the 3-4 zone blitz scheme that they have played, scouted and developped for over the past fifteen years. Timmons is too small to play on the outside in the 3-4 but he is great on the outside in the 4-3. The only logical place for him to be may be the inside in the 3-4.

I don' t expect a whole lot this year from the Steelers as there is a significant mismatch between the people and skills that they currently have and what the coach probably wants. I hope that I am wrong for that will make my Monday mornings much easier. Oh well, it's football time!