Training Camp is Open for Business

Well, Troy got his new deal, Faneca showed up, and there were no embarassing rookie holdouts. All in all, a very productive and fortuitous start to Camp.



Now, once again, I'm not real big into Training Camp. To me, the most important part of it is that it means that football season is not far away. I keep telling myself that I should go out and watch a practice, that it's my duty as a Steelers fan. But... it's all the way out in Latrobe, it's usually hot out, there's a chance of rain, and it's not that big of a deal. Right?



Ah, who am I kidding? That's like a Muslim saying, "Well... we could go to Mecca this year, but there's all that time in the car with the wife and kids and what if we're out in the desert and the AC dies. Plus which, if you don't get there early, you have to pray so far away that you can hardly see the temple."


(The good news is that I'm not going to hell for that because I'm Catholic. The bad news is that Al Jezeera just printed up my picture and made a dart board out of it. And, while we're here: Is it just me, or does Al Jezeera sound like a guy that got voted class clown in his high school yearbook? Okay, Allah is pissed. Time to move on.)

Important stuff is happening and it should not be ignored. Here are the highlights.

1. Big Ben, once again, looks like he's tearing things up in Training Camp. He's got a great rapport with his coordinator, he has an excellent grasp of the system and helped designed it, and he's ready to take the reigns as the leader of this offense. Trouble is, we thought that last off-season and he ended up making me do a Google search to see what the single season record for interceptions is (don't worry, he had 23 and the record is 42). So... I'm skeptical, but I really do think that he's going to explode this year. Much more on this topic in later posts, but if he's there in the 8th round or so in your fantasy draft, you take him. My big thing is that he's unlikely to be involved in a motorcycle crash this offseason and he's already had his appendix out. Now, if we could just do something about him playing the Ravens...
2. Tomlin had an entire practice devoted to special teams. The emphasis on the kicking game is going to make up for the fact that we lost our two best guys in that area (James Harrison is now playing Joey Porter's position and Sean Morey signed with Steelers Lite - aka the Arizona Cardinals). This means something. This is important. Three months from now when you're making mashed potato sculptures of Clint Kriewaldt, you'll look back on this and know I was right.
3. Faneca is going to have a big year. He's an All-Pro player in a contract season. Seriously, he should just start buying sports cars and concubines right now. He's good for it. Next offseason, when he signs a $70 million contract, I'll be happy for him. Right now, I'm just happy that he's suiting up and is going to start punishing anyone that gets in his way.
4. I'm happy for Troy and his new contract. And, I'm happy about the fact that he sounded almost ashamed after he signed it. Like, "Aw, well, ya know. I play football and I guess I'm good, so they gave me this money. I think it might be too much, but... how late is the bank open?" One thing: We spent that much on a safety? Really? I realize that he's the most dynamic playmaker on that side of the ball, but if you're going to throw a shitload of greenbacks at the second most replaceable position on an NFL team, you might as well reward another All-Pro at the first most replaceable position (yes, that would be guard, more specifically left guard). Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy that the Rooneys and Omar Khan didn't panic and give him the sky, but I'm just saying that safeties are very replaceable.
5. I'm stoked about the fact that Brett Kiesel is going to be moved around like the Ravens did with Adalius Thomas last year. With him and Troy roving around, that's really going to fuck with everyone.
6. I'm getting an extremely bad "Alonzo Jackson" vibe from Lawrence Timmons. I have not yet given up on him, but the similarities are pretty shocking. Same school, the Steelers reached on both guys because of need at the position, same position, both are/were green and trying to get used to playing a position that they really aren't made for, and both had or are having seriously disappointing camps. Just something to bear in mind when we finally cut him three years from now.