Monday Night Football Week Four Live-Blog: Ravens-Steelers 1st Half
Monday, September 29, 2008
Sorry.....I just couldn't pass on that picture. Between S2N and myself we've probably used it close to fifteen times for live-blogs, but it really never gets old. We're getting underway shortly after 8pm in these parts and hopefully the Tigers-Sox game will be all finished up you Baseball fans can revel in Tony's nonsense with the rest of us. Tonight should be a defensive battle and there could very well be some payback for hits like the one below from last year. It should be a fun one....see you then!
I actually hit record ahead of Emmitt's rant on T.O. a minute ago, knowing he was going to do or say something stupid, but he was surprisingly spot on. He said that the receiver got 19 balls thrown his way and that he needs to just shut up and play. A much better way to put it than the way he did by calling him out on Sunday. Oh and Chris Berman just called Michele Tafoya the "Giant Ketchup Bottle" because she's wearing a red coat. I'm sure she really appreciated the "giant" part.
"What Jim Harbaugh said.....who cares?"- Emmitt Smith
Wrong Harbaugh Emmitt, but I too have called him Jim....so I'll let it slide. Yes our first listen of the Bond song we'll be hearing all night! I actually listened to it earlier today, and it's not that bad, but I'm sure it will get old after 40 listens or so.
"He's [Polamalu] the where's the Waldo of the defense."- Ron Jaworski
"He's not hard to find. Just look for the hair!"- Tony Kornheiser
"Well he's got it up today, perhaps the Sarah Palin look?"- Mike Tirico
Ugh. Do they have to bring her up every broadcast?
"Did you say West Coasty?"- Stu Scott
"West Coasty, baby!"- Steve Young
"With Rashawn Mendenhall running the rock...."- Emmitt Smith
Did you just see Emmitt rocking out to that song before he realized he was on-air? Funny stuff. (Via Sports Fanatic)
Damn...I must have just missed it. What was the song?
Gee, Mort reporting that Lane Kiffin is getting fired. It must be Monday. Shouldn't he just wait until Jay Glazer reports it like he usually does? (Via Rob in WI)
Haha.
"Happy New Year again everybody."- Chris Berman
What's the date again? I'm so confused (Update: It's Jewish New Year. That actually makes sense)
"He was decked so much last week by the Philadelphia Eagles, he was like patio furniture, Jaws."- Tony Kornheiser
Still confused. Kickoff is coming up after the commercial and I'm pretty sure Ray Lewis is ready to go....
"Everytime they touch the Football...somebody getting knocked out tonight!"- Ray Ray
_____________________
8:36- Since Tony doesn't have a "live column" angle expect a lot of talk about the Colts and the Steel Curtain defense this evening.
"I'm going to the darkside tonight. I'm going to have some fun breaking down some defense."- Ron Jaworski
Bang! The helmets clash and we're ready for kickoff. Ravens ball first. Baltimore brings it out to the 17-yard line and there were already two huge hits during the first play of the game and a Steeler down.
Over/Under on Favre references tonight? I'm sure he'll still get 3 or 4 even though he has nothing to do with this game. (Via Jay)
Oh especially with the 6 TD performance burning a hole in his pocket from last night. I'd bump it up to 6 or 7. Andre Frazier is still down for Pittsburgh and the cart is out on the field. Okay we're underway. Hopefully everything is okay with Frazier.
8:50- Ravens open up with a pair of runs that go nowhere and then Flacco throws into coverage incomplete on third. Three and out and here come the first of MANY punts tonight. Santonio Holmes with a nice return, but there's a block in the back. Steelers get the ball at the 24.
Mendenhall gets zippy on first down, Heath Miller gets a yard on second but Holmes is wide open and gets nineteen on the play. He also throws a shoulder into a defender at the end as well.
I wonder if Tirico feels left out of Tony and Jaws' bromance. (Via Anon)
I think Tirico just shakes his head at those two. Scott knocks down the first down pass right at midfield. Mendenhall rips off a nice eight yarder and it's 3rd and 2....False start on the play and more flags come in after. The trash talk is underway early and Barnes just flat out slaps Holmes in the head.
"The yap that cause the Barnes tap. Offsetting penalties."- Mike Tirico
"I thought you were going the triple there when you went to yap and tap, I thought you were going to rap. We could have had a whole poetry thing going for you."- Tony Kornheiser
"It's early."- Mike Tirico
Good lord that's so unfunny. Mendenhall with another nice run and it's the Steelers ball at the Ravens' 23 yard line. He loses yards on first down but picks them back up and more on second. It'll be 3rd and 7....another false start on Pittsburgh. 3rd and 12 now....
Sack and it'll be a long one for Jeff Reed now.....
Good. 3-0 Steelers.
"Could be worth a photo on the internet for you Reed fans. Lots of them out there."- Tony Kornheiser
Now that's funny.
9:05- Ravens ball from their own twelve. Play action and Flacco goes deep! Horrible pass into coverage. Jaws talks about Flacco's arm strength and then says the ball was under thrown. Nice. 3rd and long....Flacco is crushed by James Harrison and sacked.
PICK! Ngata picks off Roethlisberger and I have no idea who he was throwing that to.
"It looked like he was going deep and he threw it five feet into a fat guy's gut."- Tony Kornheiser
Tony will be apologizing to fat people randomly in the 4th quarter tonight.
9:15- Ravens are sporting a total of -6 yards of total offense but Flacco puts them back into the black with a throw to Mason. 3rd and short....empty backfield. Polamalu almost picks it but it barely gets to the receiver.
"We call that Sabathia fast."- Tony Kornheiser
McGahee goest nowhere and we're approaching the end of the 1st Quarter and the talk of the eye gouging comes up....
"Last year we had Spygate, this year we have Eyegate."- Tony Kornheiser
Flacco to the endzone! Just out of bounds. 3rd and 8....incomplete. A Stover FG attempt is coming....
Good....3-3.
"A tight end Blackie...blocking." - Jaws (Via SS)
9:24- Whoops. Stover kicks off and the Steelers take over at their own 25. Mendenhall for a few and Lewis with the tackle.
That's the end of the first and we've got a barn burner! 3-3.
Tony is not dong too bad tonight in my humble opinion... (Via ondanutsofbrady)
Enh....it's better because he doesn't have one subject to harp on all game, but his jokes are still lame. Roethlisberger throws it away on second down and it's third and long...incomplete. Ravens to punt.....Figurs muffs the punt, but gets it back and more fighting between the two teams. Ravens get an unsportsmanlike and go back fifteen.
Flacco to McClain and hey....a Linda Cohn update! Sorry she distracts me for some reason. 3rd and nine and Flacco hits Willis for a first down. Nice throw and run. Tony with a nice tidbit about Flacco not being nervous and he throws up another gift that the Steelers can't pick off. Third and long again....
Flacco rolls out and has nowhere to throw to. Another Ravens punt coming. Holmes loses three on the run after a huge punt by Koch and the Steelers will start from their own 11.
NBA Live: Pretending to make improvements since 2001. (Via SS)
So true.
Tony is like my drunk grandfather...ranting and raving but after a while, eh, you just tune it out, smile and nod your head (Via OndanutsofBrady)
I wish that theory worked for me. I just hear fingernails on a blackboard. Steelers go three and out in about 5 seconds and the Ravens will get the ball back in good field position.
9:43- Ravens pick up a quick first down and they're well into Steelers' territory. 3rd and 3, timeout.
"Let them sleep in their homes, didn't do 2-a-gays." - Kornheiseron Billick (Via SS)
Screen to McGahee and he picks up the first. He follows that up with a six yard run to the right but comes up a bit gimpy after the tackle. 2nd and 5 with 6 minutes left to go....Mason bowls over Clark and gets another first down. 1st and Goal from the 8 yard line....
No go on first down and Flacco throws out of bounds on second. 3rd and Goal....Timeout....
Draw to McGahee and that was a questionable call. Stover back out for another FG....
Good...6-3 Ravens. Whoooooo!
9:55- I understand that Flacco is showing promise but he's still just 8 of 16 for 62 yards and should have had at least two passes picked off. Jaws loves him for some reason though, so he's got that going for him.
Roethlisberger loses a shoe and is sacked on 1st down and Mendenhall picks up a few on second. Third and long....Sack....and the Steelers offense are getting booed by their own fans now. Two minute warning and I'm begging for this half to end.
Long delay for a Mason catch that should be overturned, and it is. 1:31 to go....
Jaws keeps calling Flacco "Flock-o." (Via Jay)
I noticed that at one point as well. I thought it was just one instance though. And McGahee is injured once again.
The play by play guy on westwood one is yelling in exictment after random plays (Via KR)
That would be Marv Albert and Boomer Esiason, who might not be together after this season. At least someone cares about this game. Flacco with another dump off to McClain and after a few nice moves he's inside the two! Great run after the catch there and the Ravens call timeout.
1st and goal and holy crap! The Steelers miss a receiver....he's wide open but Flacco spazzes and it's incomplete and with a flag....:26 seconds left. Incomplete on second down and there's another unsportsmanlike flag! This game is just flat out terrible. Offsetting....so it doesn't matter. 2nd and goal....flag on the Steelers.
"1st half has taken a week."- Tony Kornheiser
Amen. Ball at the four now....2nd and Goal....
TOUCHDOWN! Flacco to Wilcox and that's the rookie's first TD pass in the NFL.
13-3 Ravens (I also don't know why I just used an exclamation point when nothing in this game could excite me)
"Oooh, I just hit my..."- Ron Jaworski
"It wasn't on camera."- Tony Kornheiser
That's the half. 13-3 Ravens. I'll be back (begrudgingly) for the second half in a new thread, but I won't hold it against you if you punt the next two quarters and watch something else.
128 Comments:
Did you just see Emmitt rocking out to that song before he realized he was on-air? Funny stuff.
Gee, Mort reporting that Lane Kiffen is getting fired. It must be Monday.
Shouldn't he just wait until Jay Glazer reports it like he usually does?
I swear I just heard Emmitt Smith call the "Ravens" the "Raiders" twice. And he completely mucked up his reasoning for picking the Ravens.
It's Monday, time to get rid of the word verification thing please. ;-)
"He was decked so much last week, he was like patio furniture" - Tony Kornheiser on the 8 sacks Roethlisberger suffered last week.
He writes these jokes. He has to.
AA... Jewish New Year. I *think* that's what Berman was talking about, but really, who the hell knows.
These throwback jerseys have to go.
Emmitt was rocking out to Put On by Young Jeezy and Kanye West and was mouthing the absolute best part of the song for him to rock out to, when Kanye goes: "I feel like there's still bitches that owe me sex." They cut to them as he was tackling the "still bitches that owes me sex part." Then when Stu started talking he immediately realized he was on-camera and caught. Someone needs to get this to the YouTubes.
Ray Lewis did it
This dude dancing to the music is scaring me.
"They never called Joe Greene 'Nice Joe Greene' did they?" - Tony Kornheiser
Kill me now.
Wow I guess sports and religion don't go together on this site...branch out a little.. Happy New Year!
I just can't respect anyone that sports a comb-over.
Oh...it's Jewish New Year! I had no idea until you said that Anon.
Maybe Mort will errosiously report that Kiffen has been fired.
Over/Under on Favre references tonight? I'm sure he'll still get 3 or 4 even though he has nothing to do with this game.
Reeking of football is never a good thing...that's what Desenex is for.
Korky is already off to a really annoying start.
How many times will Tony mention Farve tonight? With the 6 td game, I'd say at least 10.
I think Mort is going to report there is no second Great Depression within the next few weeks.....just a gut feeling.
Kiffen letting janikowski go balls out yesterday was the best FU moment any employee could give to a boss besides a turd sandwich
Surprised Korny didn't say "Down goes Frasier!"
whats with all the racist tonight? did i miss a memo or something
Is that the 4th or 5th time the stretcher has been out this week alone?
Man this is horrible, hope he's okay.
TK Jaws, is it hard to, eeek, go out there and play after something loike this, eek?
JAWS No.
I wonder if Tirico feels left out of Tony and Jaws' bromance.
Maybe Korny can do the next Sarah Palin interview... perhaps tape it at 8:30 pm next Monday far far away.
tonight we see flacco look flaccid...hehe
"They're without 2/3 of the defensive front"
So they have 8 people on the field Mike?
Flacco really sounds like a cheap Viagra knock off.
Anybody cares who wins this game?
Nice math, hollywood wags.
Did Ray Lewis put him under the gun Mike??
"I think he didn't shake your hand because he didn't like you, Mike. I think he shook my hand." - Tony Kornheiser on Big Ben not shaking hands with his right hand.
That would be 1/3 Wags....fail!
ray lewis isn't #32
Tirico is above average p by p, but his radio show is so boring.
@ anon @ 8:51. I don't really care who wins, but I would be humored by Pittsburgh losing.
"The first initial flag." - Mike Tirico
Bitch slap! hahahaha
My maff skilz sucks.
Does anyone believe Korky understands what Mendenhall was talking about?
i guess barnes had to smack a bitch
Captain Obvious, err I mean Jaws, said the Ravens D "tries to give you a lot of different looks to cause confusion." I hope there are some D coordinators out there listening to pick up that pearl of wisdom.
shut up Tony. You are lame and unfunny!!!!
fucking called it bitches...told you he was going to explode..shower comment not withstanding...
"Say hello to the first round pick, Haloti Ngata" - Mike Tirico
The spirit of Tony Kornheiser lives inside of Mike Tirico...
Was that a Scarface reference by Tirico? "Say hello..." I hope not.
Mendenhall played for the trojans?
Or was he wearing them?
Oooh, he got a floor burn, that musta hurt!
your updating the game sucks
your updating the game sucks
Alan Faneca is Pittsburgh's Steve Hutchinson, this offensive line is awful.
Wow, we actually have points in the 1st quarter...
Big Ben sacked... more like London Bridge is falling down.
Can we ban people from posting without signing in? The anonymous commenter(s) is/are very annoying and unfunny tonight...
I know anon......so go to another live blog.
fucking ass
"Could be worth a photo on the internet for you Jeff Reed fans. There are a lot of them out there." - Tony Kornheiser
This crap doesn't happen on Wordpress, because we get your IP address so we know if you're screwing around.
Wow. Kornheister's idea of poetry is pretty amazing.
your english sucks
Did TK say the line about london bridge falling down or was that anon trying to be funny?
I gotta say, that may have been a bad pass, but Williams got his hands on it and never looked like he was going to catch it. Weird.
I've never been so happy to see word verification in my life. Maybe now we can have an actual blog on the game.
who's the dumbass who said that?
AA you should really think about getting rid of anon comments.....
My god that is the worst pass ever.
Is the Word Verification the only defense against such trolls? It's obviously a human being making these posts, and having to enter half a dozen letters likely isn't going to deter him.
Just hit reload. I delete them in one click so I don't know who they think they're bothering. Keep refreshing the site and giving me more page views.
"A tight end Blackie...blocking." - Jaws
Arm strength!
Fix this problem by halftime AA....just have anyone with an account commenting.
"Last year we had spygate and this year we have eyegate." - Tony Kornheiser
Fixed.
This game feels like it's going to be nothing but punts and field goals. I predict a 12-6 final.
eyegate...
jeezis...
Does this mean I have to comment more? Uh oh.
Jeezis, how many commercial breaks did they have during the first half?
Man...maybe ESPN is worried about the bailout.
tony is not dong too bad tonight in my humble opinion...
Suzee on the sideline???
tony is not dong too bad tonight in my humble opinion...
When you wang the options, I agree he is not being a dick, not talking about cockfighting for some weird reason.....and no innuendos about Johnsonville Bratwursts!
Earth to Tirico, James Harrison just got hurt you jackass.
JAMES HARRISON JUST GOT HURT, LOOK AT YOUR MONITOR!!!
Does he think he is still doing golf?
NBA Live: Pretending to make improvements since 2001.
tony is like my drunk grandfather...ranting and raving but after a while, eh, you just tune it out, smile and nod your head
That's a very nice close-up of the playbook.
@AA
Interesting... TK also has a Linda Cohn crush... the similarities are endless!
Tony gets quiet and talks about bodies of thought amongst sportswriters.
I love that so much.
Big Ben and the motorcycle crash and the appendectomy.......I'm tired of those stories.
Ahhhhh....it's so quiet in here now. I'll take a live-blog with four people over that nonsense anyday.
Why does Tony feel the need to tell us about the thoughts of sports writer? Isn't that what ATH and PTI are for?
Now Kornheiser is getting annoying.
2 wins against Browns and Bengals...thats like having a threesome with Rosie o' Donnel and and Hillary...OVERRATED...(just trust me on this)
"Let them sleep in their homes, didn't do 2-a-gays." - Kornheiser on Billick
wow, I take back my earlier comment about Tony...
LaRon MacLean? If only Tony Kornheiser knew about Hockey Night in Canada......
call me lame, but i like this suzuki commercials..not so much the cars but yeah the commercials are sweet...
This game is soooooooooo boring.
The play by play guy on westwood one is yelling in exictment after random plays
Wow......the Steelers look like a 4-12 team, this is horrible football.
Tony is an idiot.
I've been to hundreds of games.
They booed the crap out of Kordell, Bradshaw, Stoudt, Cowher you imbecile. How the HELL do you not know that?
@kr, that would be Marv Albert if I am correct.
maybe they should only allow 8 defensive players for the second half...could see a TD then (maybe, please)
Because Tony knows nothing about football, Wags.
Anyone else notice Sunday Thunder has been cut from the halftime show?
What a catch by Mason.
Tony sounds half asleep, Jaws is drunk and Trico is Still Suave as fuck....
Holy fuck this half needs to end. This game needs to end. i'm afraid to caffeinate myself right now to stay awake through this abomination, only because I'll have to go to sleep eventually.
Ugh.
Jaws keeps calling Flacco "Flock-o."
ive got south park on my other channel...meh..
If you leave it to me, there will be 8 guys out there.
playing for another field goal...AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
LOL, Tirico concerned for McGahee.
Hey, that's good, that's some personality from the guy.
Christ, here's a td...
Well it's fitting that this football weekend will end in another potential upset.
I don't know if you can call McGahee injured. He looks like he just did 5 too many beer bongs.
Brutally awful game, terrible.
The Steelers look like total shit.
haha..nice suzy...
Wow, Suzee being quite judgmental about McGahee calling him out of shape.
I thought they were going away from the sideline bims?
"1st half has taken a week." - Tony Kornheiser
And strangely I agree.
YEAH...TD!!!!...and no love for "FLOCK-O"
well there was an injury on the first play that took a long time to get the player off the field, otherwise in terms of time its been a very normal half. stop whining tony
That's not Marv Albert on the Westwood One call, that's Dave Sims AA.
But the Boomer part was right.
Jaws loves to explain his "meet me at the corner" pass play every week.
Dave Sims is the Mariners announcer........you can't have him.
Oh really? Marv must be getting ready for BBall then.
i like the the throwbacks..
Ok... I tried. No way I can go through another half of this mess. G'nite kids.
Did Berman just break out that Happy New Year joke again? Didn't he hear crickets the first time?
http://images.tsn.ca/images/e/headers/otr-340x400.jpg
this guy scares the shit out of me...
I heard someone say Kornholer didn't do too bad last night. I agree he was only a 17 out of 10 on the annoying meter last night (well below is average of 23.7) but what does he add of value to the broadcast. He says all this random crap, always relates how an athlete would be feeling to himself (which is insane as he is no NOT an athlete), and distracts the other two who might not be bad otherwise. No wonder I created this blog:
http://ihatemondaynightfootball.blogspot.com/
"he is the Wheres The Waldo of the defense"
-Jaws on Ed Reed
Really, Wheres THE Waldo?