Déja Vu all over again

The Steelers game - everyone wants to say, "Yeah, but Roethlisberger and Ward didn't play." and that's true. They didn't and we benefitted...immensely. Fred Taylor didn't play either and they benefitted to a lesser extent. In my best singsong-y voice "Our backups outplayed your backups..nyeh nyeh nyeh nyeh nyeh." Beyond that, it looked just sooo much like the Jets game earlier this year. We coulda shoulda woulda put that game away long before the end of regulation, but there were so many stupid mistakes and penalties that kept it close. There never should have been an overtime, but we let it happen. Thank God for Rashean Mathis, local boy done good and hero of the game. I'll stick by what I said last week though. It was a win but what does it say about the Jaguars...not a whole lot. I'm willing to face the fact that we are an offensively challenged football team. Byron needs an overhaul if he's going to make it in the NFL. That windup is going to be the death of him if he doesn't get rid of it. Receivers...all of them...need to hold onto the ball and stupid penalties in the defensive backfield have to stop (hello Kenny Wright). Special teams looked....anything but special. We have problems that need to be addressed, no doubt about it, but we are 4-2 after the nastiest 6 games on our schedule, so there's still hope.

On a side note, my hockey playing car pool kid (and his siblings and parents who are Ohio transplants) is a huge Steeler fan who has been telling me all last week how the Jaguars stink and don't have a chance, even if Roethlisberger doesn't play. I saw him last night in the neighborhood, and yeah it's not fair. The kid's only in the 6th grade. I should have just let it die...I should have been the adult, but I couldn't resist. I asked him where his Rashean Mathis jersey was.

Saturday, the Mets did beat the Giants, 9-7, and the youngster was clutch at second (no errors and two "sports center" plays, one of which ended the game), so I pretty much got my wish. They were the home team, winning 9-4 going into the top of the 6th and held off a rally. His best friend struck out twice with a called third strike both times. After the first one of those, he was toast, because his dad was noticably unhappy and that just made him more nervous. Sometimes you just gotta back off and let them figure it out. The youngster was frustrated at the plate because his coach kept giving him the bunt sign and he wanted to hit. He walked once, sacrifice bunted once and struck out once (after two bunts attempts went foul). He came to the dugout saying, "Dad, I don't want to bunt." but I explained, that's baseball and you do what you're asked to do to help the team. If the coach says bunt, that's what you do. I will say that the last time he did it, when he struck out, the infield was almost shaking hands with him by the time each pitch got to the plate. We had a guy on third and the coach was going for the squeeze, but the only way it was going to be successful is if someone dropped the ball. They were running in long before he even showed bunt. It wasn't going to be a surprise and if the coach had let him hit, and he was successful, there were gaping holes to take advantage of. We play them again. Maybe next time. Sunday he had advanced ball practice from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. and he took his hitting frustration out there, so he's OK for now...and so am I.

Looking back, the little league game went my way pretty much textbook. The Jaguars game went my way ugly. Coulda shoulda woulda bought a lotto ticket. Maybe there's still time.