Pit vs. Cin

[Sly Fox]

Don't underestimate the power of Swanny running for Guv. It doesn't matter how left-leaning the urban centers of Penn may be. Conservatives will vote for him because of idealogical themes. And many of the standard demos will suddenly find it hard not to vote for one of their heros who would make history with his election. I have no idea if he can win, but I wouldn't rule it out. Look what happened in Minnesota and Cali with the Predator co-stars. Celebrity combined with a frustrated electorate can be a wildcard.

[bigsmooth]

im so ready for this game which i think will be the best of the day. its gonna be nip and tuck, but if the steelers can get in palmers face and can establish the run, we will win. if not it will be a long day. im still sticking with my call earlier in the week! GO STEELERS!!!

[Supa J]

Kitna can beat Pitt, I don't know if he can beat Denver or Indy though. Unfortunately it doesn't look like Palmer's coming back.

[El Scorcho]

I feel bummed for Cinci. Injuries suck.

[PAmedic]

pamedic said:

At the risk of agreeing w/ both SLY and LUConn in one thread- I will.

Cinncy by 14. print it.

ok, I was a little off. STILLERS by 14.

egg on my face

[PittLU]

No egg. I was upset that Palmer was injured. I hate to see anyone get hurt - especially someone elses qb. The Bengals played great, but the Stillers adjusted in the second half and won.

Note to Chad Johnson:
In the future, I think you will realize that playoff guarantees are for Hall of Famers, music videos are for dominant football teams, and that pregame is reserved for mental and physical preparation - not tailgating with fans. You have a great team, and this battle between the Bengals and Steelers is not the last - but just a beginning of a battle for AFC North dominance Grow up and focus on the business of playing football - not playing silly games!

[LUconn]

I can't think of a worse situation than what happened yesterday.

[PAmedic]

on a positive note (if there IS one) it was the last game of the year and Carson has the full offseason to recuperate. And it was a clean tear, so I guess 2 good notes.

[bigsmooth]

i hated to see palmer go down. i really wanted to see a great game with no excuses from either side, but im glad the steelers won and now on to indy which is gonna be super tough, but it can happen. and as my man larry foote said on ESPN last night...who dey??? WE DEY!!! GO STEELERS!!!!!

[PittLU]

who dey??? WE DEY!!! - Truer words were never spoken!

[Sly Fox]

You better hope nobody "accidentally" rolls up on Big Ben's knee.

[ishbox]

palmer going down killed them...kitna is decent but hes no 05 palmer

oh and please don't say "who dey" every time i read or hear it i shove a handicapped kid down the stairs....do it for the handicapped children

[bigsmooth]

i am a bit upset at the steelers being chippy at the beginning of the game. i can understand hard nosed football, but being a punk is uncalled for. just play hard nosed steeler football. im old school so i like hard nosed play without all the trash talk, but i guess i will need to get with the times, trash talk is just the way it is. with all that said, we may keep it close this week, but the colts will win i hate to say.

[PittLU]

Sly - Big Ben did get his knee rolled up on in San Diego - which led to our 3 game losing streak with Tommy Gun at qb. It wasnt a playoff game though - it was a Monday night game in Week 4, 2 plays before the winning field goal by the Stillers. Freak things happen. It was just unfortunate it was the second play in the biggest game in Cincy in 15 years.

Bigsmooth - have faith in Pittsburgh. This may be the year. I like our team, and as long as we can stem the tide the way we did in Cincy (Carson excluded - Kitna was excellent in the first half) we have a great shot. No stupid penalties (false starts included) and no turnovers, and this will be an interesting game. I like us against the Colts.

As far as being chippy - its a rivalry game and that is par for the course.

[PAmedic]

wanna go on record here saying thank God for LUconn and ISH. the 2 of you just made me pee myself.

between lighting yourself on fire and throwing kids down stairs- great stuff- for the rest of you that don't share our twisted sick humor: ah- whatever.

[Supa J]

Well I'm not a fan of either team or I had a joke I could crack out. If the Panthers play like crap you'll see it.

Anyways, I just made a Chad Johnson background for my computer. The white blank part is where my buddy list on AIM and the Windows bar would be. I hate making something and it getting covered up all the time. Check it out:

Click here

[PittLU]

Not bad Supa J - if you made one of Hines Ward - I would be really impressed!

[Supa J]

I'll make ya one if you want.

[PAmedic]

evidently the injury was worse than initially reported :

Doctor says Palmer's injury 'devastating'

CINCINNATI (AP) - Carson Palmer's knee injury was "devastating and potentially career-ending," but his surgeon said Thursday that he is optimistic the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback can recover and play next season.

Palmer tore ligaments in his left knee when he was hit by Pittsburgh's Kimo von Oelhoffen on his first pass during the Steelers' 31-17 playoff victory Sunday.

The team announced that he had torn the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments. The damage was much more extensive and severe, but Dr. Lonnie Paulos said surgery went well and Palmer could be ready for the regular season.

Palmer had surgery Tuesday in Houston. Doctors used grafts from other parts of his body and donated tissue to fix the damage during an operation that lasted more than two hours. Palmer headed back to California on Thursday to do his rehabilitation.

"It's not just like it was a torn ACL," Paulos said Thursday, in a phone interview from Houston. "It's a magnitude more difficult to recover from and repair. It can and has ended careers, without a doubt.

"However, I feel very comfortable with Carson as an athlete and the heart that he's got. In the end, that's the bottom line. I can see the look in his eye already. He's ready to get going."

Paulos, an orthopedic surgeon who has worked with the U.S. Ski Team since 1983, replaced the anterior cruciate ligament, which runs through the middle of the knee and provides stability. He said the medial collateral ligament, which runs along the side of the knee, was damaged "real bad."

"On a scale of 1 to 3, it was a 4," he said. "It was off the chart. It was pretty badly damaged - shredded is the better term."

The kneecap dislocated when Palmer was hit, damaging tissue around it. There also was some cartilage damage, he said.

Paulos was able to repair the knee without removing pieces of cartilage or soft tissue, a good sign.

"The things that were torn could be repaired," he said. "They were not torn beyond repair. So he's got all his parts in there, which is good. We're optimistic, actually."

If rehabilitation goes well, Palmer could be running in a couple of months and might be able to play in the first regular season game, Paulos said. The 2006 schedule hasn't been set.

The Bengals declined to comment on Paulos' description of the injury, but released a statement from him late Thursday night reiterating that he is optimistic about Palmer's recovery.

Palmer has worn a protective brace on the left knee since he sprained it near the end of the 2004 season. The knee bowed inward on von Oelhoffen's hit even though Palmer was wearing the brace,

"The brace didn't function well in this environment and should have done better than it did, frankly," Paulos said.

The plan is for Palmer to wear more substantial braces on both knees when he returns.

"No brace is perfect," Paulos said. "No brace can prevent every injury, but they do help."

Paulos saw the replay of the injury and wasn't surprised at the extent of the damage it caused. Palmer has absolved von Oelhoffen, saying he didn't think the lineman was trying to hurt him. The lineman said he was trying to sack Palmer, not injure him. He wasn't penalized for the hit.

Palmer made the Pro Bowl in only his second season as a starter, throwing an NFL-leading 32 touchdown passes. The club extended his contract through the 2014 season.

Jon Kitna, who has been Palmer's backup and mentor the last two years, can become a free agent. Palmer's injury will force the Bengals to make sure they have another reliable quarterback on board.

[LUconn]

I swear I'm going to go kill vanolhoffen.

[bigsmooth]

hopefully palmer will recover 100% it was unfortunate and von olfoffen did not do it intentionally as many cincy fans and coach lewis think. let's just pray he heals correctly.

[LUconn]

I don't think he wanted to do THAT but I do think he was looking for a cheap shot and he got it. I know what Phil Simms tried to tell us and I know what everybody on ESPN says and I know what the NFL is saying but I completely disagree.

[PittLU]

Of course you disagree. I would too if I were in your shoes. It sucks but its part of football. Ben had his knee rolled up on in San Diego and was lucky enough to only have a hyperextention and not be out for the season.

[bigsmooth]

WAAAH! again you are not objective. if you think that was a cheap shot you are really looking at football through that nasty orange the bungles wear!