Pirates: We Will (own the record for most consecutive losing seasons)

So I'm on my way into work this morning (Don't ask what my job is. Just realize that I can bring you these amazing posts) and I'm listening to Tim Benz. I love getting my Celebrity News Crawl before I start my job. Anyways, they start recapping the Steeler game and I get this huge smile on my face just thinking of Willie Parker running through Crater sized holes that the offensive line created all game. Then they shoot into the fact that the Pirates lost again yesterday. I shrug my shoulders, *who cares*. That's right. Steeler season has officially started which means the non-competitive Pirates are once again irrelevant. I would have barely remembered they existed if Tim Benz hadn't reminded me. Don't get me wrong. I love the Buccos but we've reached the point where we pay less and less attention to the team once they do their end of August recall to give the Triple A team experience against the Major Leaguers.


But then Tim reminds us that this was loss number 82 (60-82). Really? REALLY? It's official once again. The Bucs are guaranteed another losing season, making this one the 16th consecutive loser tying them with the 1933-1948 Philadelphia Phillies. God ... I realize this is Huntington and Russell's first year but I'm so pissed off that I want to see everyone fired (I know this would be a dumb move). The Pirates now share their spot next to the word 'suck' in the dictionary with the Phillies and are one year removed from owning it outright. The saddest part is that they haven't really given me any reason to believe that they won't own the record after this point next year.


Cubs fans, are you guys really going to complain about 1908? We'll give you 1992. At least you guys have made the post-season a few times since then. When the Red Sox fans shouted 'curse' and told me 87 years I kindly asked them what it was like to watch a division winner. Surprisingly they shut up (and that was the first time I'd seen anyone from New England do that in a sports discussion). My little brother who's 15 now was born in 1993. He has never seen the Pirates win more than they lost in a season. I tell him all the time that they use to be good and before he was born the Bucs won three straight division titles. He thinks I'm full of crap.


Black and Gold is the heart and soul of this City. We are passionate fans but slowly we're losing our flare for our longest standing and once proud franchise. There's so much love in this city for the Bucs but how many times have you heard "I won't give my money to those owners until they put a winner back on the field"? I've heard it so many times in the past five years. I love watching the games but lately I try not to go to the ballpark either. I still went 6 times this year but I use to go 15-20 times. Am I a bandwagoner if I return when they win, even though I watch 90% of the games on TV? Or am I just a disgruntled fan? Trust me there's a difference. I wouldn't pay money at the mall for a bad product. I won't give my money to the owners at the ballpark for a bad product either. Slowly the Pirates are becoming something to do between June, when the Pens season ends, and July, when Steeler training camp kicks off. Besides, once August rolls around the Bucs are almost mathematically out of it and you're watching a starting lineup who you don't recognize.


16 Straight. *shaking head* 16 straight. Somebody please tell me it gets better. Or at least have someone from Philly call me and let me know how they continue to watch losers take the field.



"It's going to be a lot of fun someday. I know the city of Pittsburgh's dying for a winner, and we're going to do everything we can to make sure that happens."

- John Russell after yesterday's loss



Thanks John. Don't worry ... I still have hope.







In other sports news:



-The Steelers looked dominant yesterday!! Who was that offensive line out there protecting Ben? Weren't they suppose to be a huge question mark? Granted it's one game into the season but they looked damn good. Ben looked in mid season form and the defense was everywhere the Texans prayed they weren't.



-Nighthawk's prediction about the Bills being this year's sleeper looks good. It may be about the only thing he had right this week (just kidding he had two).



-Brett Favre is the luckiest S.O.B. in the world. How does his throwing up a prayer for a weak touchdown that any normal defense would have defended make the play of the day? What's worse is that John Madden wouldn't shut up about him last night.



-The Bear's defense has returned. They look pretty good right now. All of the Viking and Packer talk to win that division may have to be put on hold for a few weeks.



-Tom Brady is out for the season! Tom Brady is out for the season! Tom Brady is out for the season! The team looks like it struggled at home against the Chiefs without him too. Maybe, and I'm saying this for every football sportswriter in America to hear, just maybe Belichick isn't the football genius you thought he was. I'm just throwing that out there. Look at his record with Brady and without. Belichick is just a coach who got lucky and has an awesome QB (I hate calling Brady awesome but he really is).



-The Eagles played the Steelers role in the NFC by dominating the Rams. They looked good. I'm not worried about them though. McNabb is scripted to go down in week 3 this year.



- The Cowgirls beat up the Brownies .... hahahahahahaha! I love it when Cleveland's fans are miserable! It's like Christmas!



-Someone tell me how WVU still kept it's spot in the Top 25? They were dominated!



-Pitt barely won. PSU won easily. Me and Runhigh did a football diary. I have to sift through the notes and make sure its coherent. We were a little drunk. I'll try to get this for you later today.



-In MMA news: Rashard Evans smashed Chuck Liddell on Saturday night. It was a brutal knockout. I seriously under-estimated Evans. He didn't look bad once.



-Finally, I'll leave those of you who, like me, are a little down in the dumps after the Pirates 82nd loss with this from my favorite Bucco Doug Mientkiewicz:



"It's tired, I've only been here six months, and I'm already sick of hearing about the future. I know it's important, but you've got to play well now. It's frustrating. It is. We're just going to have to keep plugging along, figure out who can play and who can't. And everyone has to understand it's a privilege to be here. It's not given away. Give me 25 guys who fight. Give me that over talent. ... Let's win now."



Well Said Doug, well said.


Randy really looks like he's trying to get around that catcher to fight Doug.