Can the 2012 Pittsburgh Pirates Emulate the Tim Tebow Led Denver Broncos?

On a day like today,

we have to attempt to look ahead. We need to see something positive in our future as sports fans.  But in Pittsburgh sports, the future doesn’t appear too bright.  If ever there would be a day for the Pirates to sign Prince Fielder, today would be the day.  If ever a doctor would be able to say Sidney Crosby is fully healed, today would be the day.

But obviously that’s not going to happen.  And from the title of this post, you’ve come here looking for some hope in a town filled with despair today.  For the next five days, Tebow Mania will be rampant.

It should be.

Tim Tebow played his ass off Sunday in Denver.  He had passion.  As tough as this is to say, Tebow seemed a lot more fired up than anyone we saw on the Steelers sideline.   Maybe someone should have had a little bit of Tebow passion and got in the ass of the offense when two strong first quarter drives stalled and led to two field goals?  Perhaps someone could have had the passion to be pissed off about the defensive effort in the second quarter.

But can passion alone will a team to victory?  You saw some of those Tebow passes, they were hideous.  But his passion for a victory was anything but.

And in the end, ten Tebow completions were enough to send the veteran Steelers to their off season homes and a week filled with end-of-season meetings and booking tee times while Tebow prepares for a tough matchup with the New England Patriots.

Losing sucks.

We all know that the Pittsburgh Steelers own this town while over the same period of time the Pittsburgh Pirates have become a world wide punchline.

Nineteen years of sucking while at the same exact time the Steelers have been one of the models for excellence in the parity filled NFL.

It’s one reason tonights loss stung so badly.  Each and every year, no matter how many injuries piled up, your Pittsburgh Steelers would find a way to win.  Despite having a franchise quarterback be pummeled like a pinata at a ten-year olds birthday party, the Steelers won.

In fact the Pittsburgh Steelers have done nothing but win since Ben Roethlisberger was forced into action as a rookie.  Putting important playoff wins aside, the team has chalked up regular season wins to the tune of twelve games in 2011, twelve games in 2010,  nine games in 2009, twelve games in 2008, ten games in 2007, eight games in 2006, eleven games in 2005, and fifteen games in 2004.

Under Tommy Maddox in 2003, the team had just six wins.  It was a blip on their success meter.

After that it takes 32 wins between 2002 and 1999 before the Steelers had back to back losing seasons in 1999 and 1998.  Between 1997 and 1992, the Stillers rolled off eleven, ten, eleven, twelve, nine and eleven regular season wins.

Compare that impressive victory streak to the Bucs.  Pride. Passion.  Pissing us off for 19 years.  The team has had losing seasons every….. single…. miserable year… for a North American sports record setting 19 years.

The Bucs have lost 90 games in 2011, 105 games in 2010, 99 games in 2009, 95 games in 2008, 94 games in 2007, 95 games in 2006, 95 games in 2005,89 games in 2004, 87 games in 2003, 89 games in 2002, 100 games in 2001, 93 games in 2000, 83 games in 1999, 93 games in 1998, 83 games in 1997, 89 games in 1996, 86 games in 1995, 61 games in a strike shortened 1994, and back to where it all started 87 games in 1993.

Mind blowing isn’t it?

It hurts to even type that many losses.

The bottom line?  Same blue collar town, but different league with much different rules, but without question it boils down to this.  Ownership.

As you know, ownership is a vital key to success in the business of sport.  But how important is a fiery winning attitude?  Do you really think the Broncos were the better team on the field Sunday?  We don’t.

The injury riddled Steelers broke the hearts of Pittsburgh last night in Denver.   In moments such as these, fans of sport look ahead.  It’s only natural.

In Pittsburgh it would be natural to look at the hockey club.  But the Penguins are reeling with injuries too.

Since the injuries to the Penguins look to make their next six weeks precarious, why not look toward the baseball club?  It makes sense.  Hope should spring eternal for the one sport that connects America.  The baseball club.

It is times like these that a sports obsessed town needs hope.  The Bucs are gearing up for a mini-camp in Bradenton this week, but we doubt there will be much coverage of it.  The week will be spent pointing fingers at why the Steelers couldn’t get it done in the NFL playoffs.

In times like these we find it best to simply turn off the local smarter than thou media.  We do this because, every single outlet we listen to has embraced the fan knows nothing mantra. Fans are yinzers.  Jocks/wanna be jocks know all.   Hell, we even heard good loving Vinnie Richichi on the Fan the night the Flyers were coming to town claim that he doubted there would be one fan in Consol with an IQ higher than ten.  Suck. A. Dick. Vinnie.

The sad part is Vinnie will probably be the pathetic voice we have to endure this Pirates season on 93.7 The Fan–the new home of your Pittsburgh Pirates.  Yeh, something that should be a great thing appears like it will suck.  It’s a mistake at all levels.  But we digress.

In looking at the Pirates this season, the ballclub doesn’t have a roster of players that would remind us of the Steelers, a veteran filled bunch who did nothing but reel off win after win despite losing key starters to injury as the lockout season wore on.

Dennis Rodman could rebound with the best of them.  But even Rodman would have difficulty matching the amount of rebounds the Pirates have collected on their 2012 roster.

In looking at the 2012 Buccos, if you squint hard enough the ball club reminds us of Tim Tebow.  Nobody gives the Bucs respect.  The team is more laughed at than feared.  But who knows maybe Skip Bayless will jump on the Pirates bandwagon after the Bucs sweep the Phillies to jumpstart the 2012 season?  Maybe Andrew McCutchen will finally grow up and become the leader his team desperately needs him to be.

The amazing thing about Tebow is he has never been afraid. Say what you will about his abilities, he is fearless.  At the 4:20 mark is this Ike Taylor that steps up to accept Tebow….?

Like the Broncos, the Buccos be in a weakened division this year.  (Come on, just play along, it eases the pain)

Everyone said Tim Tebow wouldn’t be a starting quarterback in the NFL, let alone one contending for a trip to the Super Bowl.  Don’t you think everyone is going to say the Pirates don’t have enough pitching in order to contend in 2012?  You can see the commercial now can’t you?

The unbelievable thing about this is the Tim Tebow lead Broncos do have the opportunity to take that next step in their pursuit of a  Super Bowl ring this Saturday night in New England.  Crazy?  Hell.Yes.  But true nonetheless.

Like the Broncos, the Pirates are led by a man similar to Tebow—a God fearing man named Clint Hurdle.

The Pirates best player and one of the most dominant in the league, Andrew McCutchen has many similarities to Tim Tebow.

Coming into the season, nobody gave the Broncos a shot at being in the final four AFC teams.  Hell, only the smartest gamblers took those points as late as yesterday.  Not many people thought the Broncos could win.  Not many people think the Pirates can win either.

But maybe, just maybe, the term ‘Hurdled’ will become like the hip ‘You’ve Been Tebowed.’   Damn we need it.

(And whoever sent me the ‘You’ve Been Tebowed’ text 316 times last night, eff off.)

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