2008 World Series

Are you watching this?

Joe Kerrigan

New pitching coach announced today. Kerrigan will try to clean up Jeff Dr. James Andrews' mess.

NFL week 7

The Steelers play the Bengals in Cincinnati. Not sure what the Bengals will do to the field this year to try to gain a small advantage -- maybe a ton of sand, or maybe they leave the sprinklers on all night -- but they will probably do some kind of low-class chiseler move since they usually do.

The Bengals are 0-6. Teams that have not yet won a game at home can be dangerous at home, since there is an extra ton of pressure to win for the season ticket holders. And I have friends who worry that the Steelers (at least under Cowher) had/have a tendency to play down to bad teams on the road. I don't remember this happening so much, I say in response, with division games. If they were at Kansas City, I would be more worried.

Anything can happen of course. We all know that. But this one is not making me nervous a few hours before kickoff.

It looks like Casey Hampton, Willie Parker, and Marvel Smith will not play. Hampton might be the most underrated Steeler as the DT in the 3-4. But Chris Hoke is even more underrated as his backup, so the defense should be OK. Moore should start for Parker, who kept missing practice last week with the knee injury, and the Undertaker will start for Smith. Rookie wideout Limas Sweed should make his debut today. All in all, I don't think all this player news amounts to much beyond the fact that such key injuries expose the Steelers. If Hoke is healthy, they will be fine if Hampton sits; but if both those guys are too hurt to play ... etc. etc.

Finally, let's cheer sludgeworm for his 61-27 record against the spread this season. He is blowing away the rest of our pool. All hail sludge!