If you are a chica that loves Troy Polamalu or the Pittsburgh Steelers, this dress may be for you.....
Modcloth.com has a Polamaloop dress. The namesake and color scheme is dedicated to Steelers long haired Safety, Troy Polamalu. I consider myself a stylish chick and I'm a fan of mod style dresses. But this is NOT what's hot in the streets...... or at least on my street. Maybe because I'm a Ravens fan, I feel that way...... nah.. why am I lying?? It's hideous!
If you're a die hard that really wants to buy this dress, click here for details.
This Sunday's 60 Minutes had a great feature about the South Pacific island of Samoa being a football haven for the NFL. There are over 65 Samoan players currently in the NFL. It's a great stat, particularly because most Samoans start playing football in high school (they just started little league football). Steelers S Troy Polamalu is one of the most famous Samoans known to fans. The football lover in me thinks it's a great story to watch. The girl in me smiles at the little cuties they feature. Enjoy
After watching last night's loss against the Browns, one has to wonder what is REALLY going on with the Pittsburgh Steelers? The Steelers, coming into Cleveland, have now lost five games in a row. You read that right.. the Super Bowl Champs have lost 5 games in a row. Included in those 5 loses are to teams like the Chiefs, Raiders and Browns, all teams you won no more than 3 games coming into their contest against Pittsburgh.
The Steelers went to Cleveland with a 6-6 record, a 12 game win streak over the Browns and in hopes of keeping their playoff chances alive. Instead, they left with a 6-7 record, Big Ben's first loss to Cleveland and a very slim chance to make the playoffs.
What exactly is going on with the reigning Super Bowl Champs??? The 2006 Steelers also had a Championship hangover after their 2005 Super Bowl win, going for an 8-8 record. But Steelers apologists will always point at the motorcycle accident that Roethlisberger suffered prior to the beginning of that season. So what is it this season that's holding them back for a repeat?!
One thought is the loss of Steelers S Troy Polamalu and DE Aaron Smith . The defense is really struggling with the loss of these two players. Most would only point out Polamalu's loss, which IS huge, but I think that Smith's loss is just as big. Without Smith, teams have had more success running against the defense. And without Polamalu's presence on the field, it shows a disturbing truth that the Steelers secondary is really not that good without their All Pro safety.
Others might suggest a recent divide in the locker room. Hines Wards went public not long ago, telling Bob Costas that the team was "50/50" on Ben being able to play for the Ravens game, one that he sat out for because of a concussion he received the week prior. While fans and media have made fun of Ben in the past by calling him a "drama queen", one has to wonder if the team views their starting QB one as well, and is tired of it. Ward was doubtful up until game time for the Browns game, with a hamstring injury. While Ward did end up playing, you have to question if this was a way for Ward to "learn" his QB a lesson? I know Steelers fans will call this theory asinine, but is it really?! Especially if you are a player that's fed up of your teammate's shenanigans.
Whatever the reason may be, this isn't the Steelers team that fans saw when they demolished the Denver Broncos, or the team that gave the Minnesota Vikings their first loss. For whatever reason, the Steelers are not in synch and look uninspired on the football field. The Steelers have the Packers, Ravens and Dolphins to end the season, all teams that are in the playoff hunt. The Steelers need to win out and then pray that the cards fall their way in order to make the playoffs themselves.
What happens from here, we'll see. But this is one interesting story to watch.
Not sure if you guys and gals got a chance to view ESPN.com today, but AFC North blogger James Walker has the featured storytoday. The topic?? The Smartest and Best All Around Player in the division.
Voted by 32 players in the division under anonymity, the Ravens Ed Reed won the Best All Around Player, while Steelers Troy Polamalu won the Smartest Player Award. Now, while any player in the division could be included in this voting (James Harrison tied for 2nd with Polamalu for Best All Around Player), the spotlight was on 2 of the best safeties in the league.... again!
With the high regards, comes the resurface of the great debate. Who's the better safety in the NFL, Reed or Polamalu??
If any of you know me, you know that I DESPISE this debate. It's pointless, stupid and makes no sense to compare the two. If I haven't explained this a millions times, make this a million and one. Here are reasons why you shouldn't compare the two
1. Two different positions- Reed is a free safety, Polamalu is a strong safety... Now I'm sure folks already know this. But did you also know that they have different names because they do different things???
The free safety makes sure WRs like Larry Fitzgerald, T.O. and Steve Smith don't score. He's the guy that's suppose to make the play if the LBs and CBs blow it.
The strong safety is the one that has a little more responsibility. He usually stops the TE if he becomes a receiver and plays closer with the CBs on the stronger side of the field.
Now that we learned this lesson in class boys and girls, let's take a quiz. Does the strong safety and the free safety have the same responsibility??? If you said no, you're right!!! Gold star for you!!!
(yes this is sarcasm... you gotta love me lol)
2. Two different players- The Reed and Polamalu comparison makes absolutely no sense to me. They are two totally different players who contribute in different ways to their defense.
Reed is the top playmaker for the Ravens. He's known to get INTs and making points out of them. His strengths can be more mental than physical. Reed is every deep threat's nightmare. QB's who play him knows what he's capable of. And even though they may still try and test him, often times they end up wishing they could take that pass back. Throw on his side, and you take the risk of giving him a Pick Six. Reed is 6th on the career INT yards list
Polamalu is a more physical player. He's good at getting INTs too, but his strengths are different. He can play the line of scrimmage and play the role similar to a linebacker. On running plays, blockers have to account for him. The same for pass plays. He can stop a RB or blitz the QB. He's the guy who stays on your TE when he's in the middle of coverage. He's also the guy that will knock you on your a$$ and make you think again before going anywhere near his part of the field.
Of course, a lot of people love to compare the two for numerous reasons. First, they are division rivals. They play for 2 of the best defenses in the league. Second, they are both safeties and third, they are both dominant at their positions. But to me, this is not a competition. Both players are great in their own right. They both have different strengths and if they were ever on the same team they would be able to co exist.
The intent for Walker's article was not to compare the 2 at all. However, because both players were at the top of the respected category, it started the smack talk and e-thugging between Ravens and Steelers fans (see comments below article). Reed does not = Polamalu and vice versa. It's time fans start realizing this.
The good ol' Great Debate arises again... let's hope it dies soon, once and for all.
This week, I decided to dedicate my blog to my favorite current football players to watch in the league right now. No matter what team they play on, I love to watch them play and can do so without bias. There are a ton of great players nowadays, but with so much overall talent, there are only a few that actually stand out for me. So, here's the #5 player on my Fave Five Football player list, all of which are current:
#5 Troy Polamalu- S, Pittsburgh Steelers
By now I'm sure I've made it clear that I'm a HUGE Ravens fan. I loathe the Steelers, but I respect the hell out of them. A rivalry isn't a rivalry if fans liked the other team, right?! That being said, there are a couple of guys on the Steelers team I like, and have no shame in admitting such (for the record, Hines Ward is NOT one of them lol). Troy Polamalu is one of them.
He's one of the most exciting guys to watch right now. The former Trojan fits the Steelers brand to a tee. One of the most versatile safeties in the league, Polamalu can play at the line of scrimmage like a linebacker, or play his natural position at safety and pick off QB's. I see this guy twice a year, and every time I do, I'm amazed by his range and how much he can do.
The best part of watching him play is his hair. With his long hair covering his name and halfway down his back, Polamalu looks like the kin of Cousin It, from the Addams Family. It's sooo great to watch. Every time he runs down the field, he looks like a mad man. But it only feeds into the way he plays.
I could sit here and give you stats and talk about what he looks like on paper. But I think with Polamalu, stats only tell half of the story. He's an excellent athlete and he's a big part of why the Steelers are a great defense. I hate when the Ravens play against the guy but love how he plays. Not only that, but he's one of the nicest and classiest guys out there. Kinda hard NOT to like him. That's why he's my #5 in the Fave Five. Rock on, Troy.... rock on!! My #4 pick coming tomorrow
