Live Blog: Game 106 D-back @ Bucs

Football Season Begins...Thank God

Steelers Training Camp begun today and it couldn't come soon enough. As much as i love baseball season nothing beats grown men pounding each other into oblivion.

The Steelers are coming off their 6th superbowl win and seem poised to not let the after effects get the best of them as they did in 2006. For the most part they are healthy and are returning 20 out of 22 starters from last season. They get back Rashard Mendenhall after he broke his shoulder early last season. Limas Sweed is 1 year older and knows the system better. Lawrence Timmins will replace Larry Foote at ILB(upgrade). Williams Gay takes over the #2 corner sport after losing Bryant Mcfadden to free agency. Probably the most anticipated return is that of punter Daniel Sepulveda after he tore his ACL before last season started. Our punting situation was an absolute mess last year

There will be some controversy this year again tho. Big Ben is in the midst of a civil suit for being accused of rape. The players say it doesn't worry them and it wont bother them but we wouldn't know if it did or not.

Ben is still just 27 years old. He was won 2 superbowls has been to 3 AFC championship games and has the most wins in his first 5 years as a starting QB ever. I expect big big things from Ben this year.

Santonio Holmes is now in his 4th year at WR and should be at his best this year. He showed us last year in the playoffs just what he is capable of. He is poised to have a breakout year and i see him having a 70+ catch 1,000 yard 10td season. He should take over as the steelers #1 wr option this year.

Willie Parker and Rashard Mendenhall will more than likely be splitting carries. Parker has his worst season a steeler last year. He only had 4 1oo yard games and missed games with injuries. Mendenhall was the steelers 1st round pick in 2008 and is a beast. Hes had a year to get to get to know the playbook and get acclimated to the nfl. He should be able to supplant Parker as the #1 back by the end of the year.

Cant we just enjoy baseball?

After 17 losing seasons i know its hard to say it but cant we all just enjoy baseball for what it is? A game. Most people have lost all hope for the Pirates as an organization and who can blame them? But whats happened to loving baseball. Whats happened to enjoying baseball for just being a game. Now everyone wants to win, including myself and i would give my left leg to see a playoff game in PNC. Remember when most of us were just trying to hit the ball and not the tee stand? We weren't worried about winning then, we were just happy to be playing something we loved.

Sometimes i think as fans we get to caught up in the things we have no idea about. None of us know what the Pirates front office is doing for sure. None of us know if they are truly intent on building a contender or just pocketing all they can get. Imagine being a player for the Pirates. Every day you go to the field wondering if your gonna have a job tomorrow. If there's actually going to be a crowd to play in front of. If people actually care.

Look at the cubs and Redsox. While the Sox have won 2 world series this decade they went 90 years without winning a ring. The Cubs haven't won since 1908, and yet these teams have the most passionate fan bases in all of baseball. Even though they usually fielded teams that could make the playoffs they aren't/weren't much different then the Pirates of the last 20 years.

No matter how hard it may for some Pirate fans, i think that everyone needs to just take a step back and calm down a little bit. We watch major league baseball for our enjoyment. We watch it because we love baseball. So why should we let us not winning ruin the passion and love we get from baseball. We shouldn't let the trades and broken promises break us as a fan. Relationships are a 2 way thing and right now neither is side is helping its cause.

PNC Park is probably the best stadium in all of baseball and yet no one is going to see it. Sure every now and then we get a 20,000 crowd every now and then. It gets a few sell outs a year. It should be sold out every night. Pirates tickets are some of the cheapest in baseball so its not like its going to kill people to go and see a game here and there. Its not like they are charging $1500 for tickets like the Yankees.

The Pirates were the 3rd team to join MLB in 1887. Only 2 teams have been around longer (Cubs and Braves). They have tradition no matter what some may think. They have more championships then 23 other teams with 5 while playing in 7 world series. We had Honus Wagner, Roberto Clemente, and Willie Stargell. We enjoyed the Lumber Company and the Barry Bonds era.

We as fans are allowing our team to slip into oblivion. Sure, you can blame the owner or the front office but its the fans that make a team relevant. Just because we don't win doesn't mean we shouldn't cheer and root on our team to win every single night. We shouldn't blame the players and hold it against them. They deserve to play in front of sold out crowds. Its not their fault they are put in the situation they are in. We shouldn't let the media and other fan bases dictate how pathetic our team is. We should be showing other teams what a fan really is. We should be showing the players that not matter what we support them for doing something none of us can do. We as Pirates fans need to enjoy baseball, find the love we have and give them everything we have. We can not let anyone take away the game we are passionate for. No matter how good or how bad we need to show that we care. I know I love this team thick and thin and I will always support them for playing the game I love. Where are the rest of you?