Commentary by Birmingham's own John "Steeler" Hawkins

                                   9/15/09

Hello STEELER NATION!! Okay, everyone can exhale now from both the thrilling victory Thursday night and the good news that our boy TROY is going to be okay and is probably only going to be out of action for 3 to 4 weeks, WHEW!!

First, let me start by saying I’m sorry this is my first post for the year. I was having major computer problems that I think were being caused by Cowboy fans from within our government who were trying to shut me down, haha!!! Nice try, but I’m back!! Anyway what better way to start the season than by beating those no class, powder blue wearing, towel stomping pansies from Nashville!! Ha, nice game Lendale. I was really impressed, LOSER!!

Okay, enough about those clowns and onto the Bears.This is going to be a really important stretch for our STEELERS since we will be without the HEART of the STEELERS D….Troy “the Missile” Polamalu. We are going to need our young guns to step it up, guys like TIMMONS, GAY AND WOODLEY. They’ll need to help carry the load on D not to mention, the O’s need to find anything that resembles a running game!! The great thing is we have the best QB in the NFL in BIG BEN “never seen a drive he couldn’t make” ROETHLISBERGER, HA!! The Bears will be ready to go after blowing their season opener and also losing their own star defensive player, Brian Urlacher. Don’t let Bears QB Jay Cutler’s horrible game Sunday night fool you, he is a gunslinger who will be doing his best to make the Bears faithful believe in him again!!                                                                                  I love seeing our STEELERS play in the Windy City because there’s nothing like seeing all those TERRIBLE TOWELS waving in the wind!! So this Sunday at 3:15 break out those TOWELS and put on your BLACK and GOLD and lets show Chicago what the STEELER NATION is all about as we cheer our Steelers on to a 2 and 0 record!! As always, remember to BE PROUD and BE LOUD because this is OUR TIME, OUR TEAM AND WE ARE ONE NATION, THE STEELER NATION!! Now let’s go kick some Bear ASS!!

                                    1/27/09

           Super Bowl XLIII….A return to the Glory Days!!!!

Hello Steelers Nation!!! Wow, is it just me or does the rest of the Nation feel like throwing on some disco music, breaking out the strobe light from the basement and pulling out those bell bottom pants we all have hidden in the back of our closets? Because it sure is starting to feel like the GLORY days again!! Two Super Bowls in four years with a young franchise quarterback, a set of pro bowl linebackers that are barely old enough to drink, throw in the baddest safety in the league and top that off with baby face gangster MIKE T patrolling the sidelines and the future is definitely looking BRIGHT!!

Now, to the business at hand. We all know what’s at stake come Sunday night in Tampa. Our Pittsburgh Steelers are trying to become the only team in NFL history to own 6 Lombardy Trophies!!! To accomplish this goal we are going to have to go through one of the hottest teams in the league. Say what you want about there record but by making it to this game, we have to show the Cardinals respect; which is something the rest of the country sure isn’t doing!! That being said, I have no doubt our MIKE T will have them focused and ready to play. With all the talk about Wisenhunt having something to prove, don’t think MIKE T isn’t sick of hearing it and just chomping at the bit to prove he was the ONLY and RIGHT choice for this Team and the Steelers Nation!! To win this game the STEELER D will do what it’s been doing all season long and that is making their opponent one dimensional. In this case both teams will be playing to other teams’ strength; their passing game against our fierce pass rush. I’m sick of hearing that we haven’t faced a passing attack like theirs because they have NEVER faced a rush like ours!!! I look for the glow of the bright lights of the Super Bowl to send the Arizona defense back into the defense that we saw earlier in the season. As for the Steelers offense, don’t look for BIG BEN to have a repeat performance from Super Bowl forty!! Ben will be relaxed the second time around and our embattled offensive line (yes, the same line that I admit I said on many occasions SUCKED ha ha) is really beginning to come together at the perfect time of the season!!

I know this hasn’t been my regular type of article where I’m ripping the other team with insults and making fun of their mascots and families. But as I said earlier, for a team to make it to this game, they have earned respect, even in the HAWKS NEST!!! So to the STEELERS NATION I say, this is what we’ve been waiting for. I’m sure when they’re ready to tee it up in Tampa and our men look up into the stands, they will feel like they are in Heinz Field with all those TERRIBLE TOWELS waving and chants of Here We Go STEELERS singing in the wind!! Remember what I’ve said all year long, this is our TIME and our TEAM. So be LOUD and be PROUD!! Let’s show the nation what THE STEELERS NATION already knows, that there is no better TEAM or organization than the PITTSBURGH STEELERS!!!!

                       Now let’s go kick some Cardinal ASSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1/14/09

"Bring on the Ratbirds"

HELLO Steelers Nation!!!Well we have just one more game to go before we reach the PROMISED land!!! Wow, did last weeks go well or what?? How about my boy Fast Willie Parker and that offensive line?? I won’t mention any one by name but there was a certain writer on the B’ham Steelers web page who I believe called that one, ha ha!! I believe I also said our D would make them a one dimensional team as well. Ok, ok, I know, no one likes a braggart!!

Now it’s on to the most hated team in the NFL those loud mouth cheap shot taking wishing their D was as good as the Steelers, the Baltimore Ratbirds!! Anyone who knows me knows I can’t stand those S O B’s but don’t take that for disrespect because I know we are in for a slugfest of epic proportion!! Once again, our D will make this a one dimensional team, forcing their rookie QB to beat us through the air, which I don’t believe he can do!! The Ratbirds are really beat up on the defensive side of the ball and I believe our boys are going to come out and punch them right in the mouth with a smash mouth running game that is healthy for the first time all season and clicking with confidence!!! Gangster Mike T proved last week that he will do anything to win as he called everything in the playbook against the Chargers. Some of it worked and some of it didn’t but make no mistake, these calls were made because he has total confidence in his team as should all of us in the STEELERS NATION!!!

Here we are, one game away from the Super Bowl and there is no better team to walk over to get there than the Ratbirds!! So bring on Ray “It wasn’t me, but it is all about me” Lewis, Reed and that rookie Joe “The Steelers Own Me” Flacco because its Black and Gold time in the Steel City!! This Steelers team is playing as one and their playing not just for a city but for a nation…… a STEELERS NATION that is starving for a sixth Lombardy Trophy to cement us as the greatest team in the NFL!!!! Remember when Sunday gets here and the kickoff rolls around, be LOUD and be PROUD because this is OUR time and OUR TEAM!!!! So let’s go kick some Ratbird @SS!!! STEELERS for now, STEELERS for LIFE!!!!!!!!!!

1/7/09

"The REAL America's team"

Well its finally that time of year we have all been waiting for PLAYOFF TIME!! Sorry about not posting last week but as many of you know I really despise the CLOWNS and just didn’t think that a half-hearted effort they displayed against our beloved Steelers deserved any of my time or yours! LOL! Wow is it just me or does it seem just like yesterday we were all waiting for the season to kick off? I guess the old saying time flies when your having fun does hold true because at 12 and 4 we were definitely having fun at the other teams expense!! haha!! Now on to the business at hand…We start our road to our 6th Super Bowl with the Chargers, a team who basically backed their way into the playoffs after the coach-less Broncos chocked down the stretch!! I will give them credit for gutting one out against the colts but I have a news flash for that cocky loud mouth quarterback of theirs--who I won’t even mention by name (because if you haven’t won sh*t you don’t get your name in the HAWKS NEST!). Haha We aren’t the colts and its not going to be a balmy 80 degrees in the house that ROONEY built..This Steeler team was built for this city and this weather and they have shown a will to win at any cost no matter if its pretty or not!! The Steeler defense will make the Chargers one dimensional by taking away the run and making that no name quarterback beat us thru the air which he proved he couldn’t do last time!! We dominated that last game but because of a season high penalties for the Steelers, they were able to stay in the game. DON‘T expect that to happen again as the Steelers will be primed and focused this time around!! As for the Steeler offense I expect a HUGE day from fast WILLIE; just remember you heard it here first and after the game feel free to buy the HAWK a couple of ice cold BUDWEISERS and maybe a sweet shot or two for this bold prediction! LOL...What a season it has been and I cant wait to see our boys take care of business Sunday. I hope The Steeler Nation shows up loud and proud not only at our bar, but at bars throughout the WORLD just as we did in Nashville, proving ONCE AND FOR ALL who REALLY is AMERICA'S TEAM!!!!!! To all my Steeler brothers and sisters, just remember this is our time and our team--STEELERS for now and STEELERS for LIFE!!!!!!!! Now lets go kick some Charger A$$!!!

12/27/08

"Towel"

12/15/08

"So-called America's Team"

Finally its here! After ripping out the hearts of 'Americas team', hold on one second (hahahaha) sorry I have to laugh every time I say that…. I mean come on--Americas team my @ss!! Then crushing the hated ravens dreams of winning a division title with what may become known as THE DRIVE of the year its finally time for the STEELER NATION to invade Nashville!!! You know if Paul Revere were alive he would be riding thru downtown right now ringing that bell shouting "The Steelers are coming, the Steelers are coming"!! Thats enough to strike fear into any city!! This team may not be flashy or win with style points, but we get the job done and I promise you we are the one team NOONE wants to play! Especially--the manly 'powder blue' titans!! This game is for all the marbles; its also for all those so called experts who said there was no way the Steelers could survive thier brutal schedule!!

As for those 'experts' on the pro bowl committee, you can have Manning and Farve and Rivers and any other quarterback you want--as for me, if I need one drive in one game I'm taking BIG BEN all day!! He is the toughest SOB in the NFL not named Hines Ward!!

To all you Steelers fans heading to Nashville remember we are the STEELER NATION and make no mistake about it our boys know we are coming so be LOUD and be PROUD and wave those freaking towels!! I want everyone back at our Steelers bar to be able to here us!! This is our time and its our game!!! STEELERS RULE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!