UpdatedSep 8, 2011 12:30 AM ETIt's Steelers-Ravens week, in case you'vebeen rooming with fugitive Libyan dictators, and theheated/hyperbolic portion of our program gets going Wednesday whenthe first swarms of cameras and microphones hit the teams' practicefacilities.Better bring backup.LaMarr Woodley might revisit his summer dig that Baltimore willnever win a Super Bowl with Joe Flacco at quarterback. BenRoethlisberger might recall Haloti Ngata breaking his nose. HinesWard might demonstrate some end-zone sambas. And over in OwingsMills, Md., expect no less color from the Ravens' Ray Lewis,Terrell Suggs and Ed Reed.But before we dive into all that, let me throw this out: Foronce, I'm not sure the game will rival the hype. I see the Steelers not just as favorites, butas prohibitive favorites.Here are seven reasons why:7. No. 7, of courseThis one's the easiest.Roethlisberger is Baltimore's Larry Brown, Francisco Cabrera andDavid Volek all rolled into one, except that he keeps coming backto drive the stake deeper. Overall, he's 9-2 against the Ravens ?6-0 since John Harbaugh became their coach ? and he's done it witha broken nose, with blood on his jersey, and with Suggs wrappedaround his ankles.6. Heap big mistakeThe Ravens dumped several veterans after the lockout, notablywide receiver Derrick Mason, running back Willis McGahee and, mostinexplicably, tight end Todd Heap, the franchise leader inreceiving touchdowns and yards and the one offensive player the Steelers never really have been ableto counter. Heap, 31, rejected Baltimore's request to sign at alower price and went to the Arizona Cardinals.I brought this up with the Steelers' Heath Miller, Heap'slongtime counterpart, and he took the high road."Todd's a great player," Miller said. "I'm sure they've got someother talent."I'm not. Ed Dickson, Heap's replacement, is a second-year manwho had to win the job in a camp battle.5. Formation euphoriaWhile Baltimore had a duel to turn up just one tight end, the Steelers spent their final preseasongame alternating formations between three tight ends and five widereceivers. And in the tight-end set, it was backup David Johnson,not Miller, getting most of the passes, as if to strut thedepth.Good luck scheming for that."Our offense can do it any way you want," Johnson told me with abroad grin.The Ravens still have the great Reed, but their corners arerookie Jimmy Smith and Cary Williams, whose only NFL start came in2009. The other safety, Tom Zbikowski, has two careerinterceptions.4. No secondary concernFor all the angst over the Steelers' corners, their secondarywill have to be concerned with Anquan Boldin, Lee Evans and no oneelse. Baltimore's No. 3 receiver, David Reed, must serve a one-gameleague suspension for marijuana possession, and the rest arerookies.And did I mention Heap's gone?3. The Steelers' defense is oldHow is that an advantage?Well, Mike Tomlin, the only man on either side talking Tuesday,responded this way in his weekly news conference when asked about adefense with eight starters 30 or older: "We are who we are. We'renot fighting any stereotypes or darts being thrown our way. Wewelcome them. They usually provide a positive energy for us. Sokeep talking about how old they are. I appreciate that. Makes myjob easier."That's how.This issue has been terribly overblown. It's been all of eightmonths since the Steelers turned in one of the greatdefensive seasons in NFL history.2. Snap 'n sackBaltimore quarterbacks were sacked 15 times in the preseason,third most in the NFL, and it wasn't a coincidence. Center MattBirk and left tackle Bryant McKinnie missed the entire preseason toinjuries, guard Marshal Yanda has had back spasms, and right tackleMichael Oher is new to that side. This line's first snap togetherwill come shortly after 1 p.m. Sunday.Woodley, Lawrence Timmons and even a half-healthy James Harrisonshould feast.1. FlaccoFor all the areas in which Baltimore has tried to out-Steeler the Steelers, the Ravens have failed tofind the one element the Steelers can't handle: Aquick-strike quarterback.Flacco shows some of that at times but seldom against the Steelers. He is 0-6 goinghead-to-head with Roethlisberger and, in those games, has fivetouchdowns against six interceptions. Just remember his final halfof football last season at Heinz Field, when he came up so smallthat he was intercepted, fumbled a snap, missed a wide-open Heap,overthrew Mason and was sacked.Here comes more of that.Steelers 31, Ravens 13.Terms & Conditions |Privacy |Copyright |? 2009 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

 
  'Terrible T-shirt' production banned
  UpdatedSep 8, 2011 12:29 AM ETA South Park business gave the Pittsburgh Steelers organization its easiestwin of the season Wednesday by failing to show up for a federalcourt hearing.The Steelers and the Allegheny Valley School Foundation suedEugene Berry Enterprise LLC, saying the company infringed on theThe Terrible Towel trademark by producing and selling its ownversion of "the Terrible T-shirt."U.S. District Judge Arthur Schwab had entered a temporaryrestraining order prohibiting the company from selling the T-shirtsand, yesterday, granted a preliminary injunction that makes salesof the T-shirt illegal until the lawsuit is concluded. The disputestarted when Eugene Berry Enterprise applied for a trademark on theT-shirt.Terms & Conditions |Privacy |Copyright |? 2009 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

 Joe Flacco Jersey Replica, Premier Dez Bryant Jersey White, Replica Jacoby Ford Jersey White, Authentic Dez Bryant Jersey White, Jacoby Ford Jersey On sale, Authentic Dez Bryant Jersey Black, Jacoby Ford Jersey Outlet, Authentic Joe Flacco Jersey, Premier Jacoby Ford Jersey White, Joe Flacco Jersey Authentic, Joe Flacco Jersey Premier, Replica Joe Flacco Jersey, Reebok Joe Flacco Jersey, Replica Dez Bryant Jersey White, Replica Dez Bryant Jersey Black, Replica Jacoby Ford Jersey Black, Joe Flacco Jersey Black, Authentic Dez Bryant Jersey Blue, Replica Dez Bryant Jersey Blue, Joe Flacco Jersey White, NFL Joe Flacco Jersey, Premier Jacoby Ford Jersey Black, Joe Flacco Replica Jersey, Premier Dez Bryant Jersey Blue, Joe Flacco Jersey Purple, Jacoby Ford Jersey Free shipping, Premier Dez Bryant Jersey Black, Joe Flacco Authentic Jersey, Authentic Jacoby Ford Jersey White, cheap Jacoby Ford Jersey, Joe Flacco Premier Jersey, Premier Joe Flacco Jersey, Joe Flacco Jersey Womens, Authentic Jacoby Ford Jersey Black