T.O. reports to Cincinnati

Can't say that I blame him; I'd cry, too...

Greatest NFL Dynasties

1 - Pittsburgh Steelers 1970s

2 - San Francisco 49ers 1980s/1990s

3 - Green Bay Packers 1960s

4 - New England Patriots 2000s

5 - Cleveland Browns 1940s/1950s

6 - Dallas Cowboys 1990s

7 - Miami Dolphins 1970s

8 - Dallas Cowboys 1970s/1980s

9 - Buffalo Bills 1990s

10 - Pittsburgh Steelers 1990s/2000s

Greatest Defensive players in NFL history

1 - Joe Greene

2 - Lawrence Taylor

3 - Reggie White

4 - Mel Blount

5 - Bruce Smith

6 - Mike Singletary

7 - Rod Woodson

8 - Deacon Jones

9 - Dick Butkus

10 - Ronnie Lott

Greatest Wide Receivers in NFL history

1 - Jerry Rice

2 - Don Hutson

3 - Randy Moss

4 - Lynn Swann

5 - Michael Irvin

6 - Steve Largent

7 - Cris Carter

8 - Marvin Harrison

9 - John Stallworth

10 - Lance Alworth

Greatest Running Backs in NFL history

1 - Jim Brown

2 - Barry Sanders

3 - Emmitt Smith

4 - Walter Payton

5 - O.J. Simpson

6 - Franco Harris

7 - Gale Sayers

8 - Eric Dickerson

9 - Earl Campbell

10 - Tony Dorsett

Best Current NFL Quarterbacks

1 - Tom Brady

2 - Peyton Manning

3 - Ben Roethlisberger

4 - Drew Brees

5 - Donovan McNabb

6 - Kurt Warner

7 - Brett Favre

8 - Philip Rivers

9 - Matt Ryan

10 - Eli Manning

Greatest Quarterbacks in NFL history (Super Bowl era)

1 - Joe Montana

2 - John Elway

3 - Johnny Unitas

4 - Terry Bradshaw

5 - Tom Brady

6 - Dan Marino

7 - Steve Young

8 - Peyton Manning

9 - Brett Favre

10 - Roger Staubach

Best Current NFL Coaches

1 - Bill Belichick

2 - Jeff Fisher

3 - Mike Tomlin

4 - Andy Reid

5 - Tom Coughlin

6 - Tony Sparano

7 - Ken Whisenhunt

8 - Mike Smith

9 - Jack Del Rio

10 - Norv Turner

Greatest Coaches in NFL history

1 - Vince Lombardi

2 - Paul Brown

3 - George Halas

4 - Chuck Noll

5 - Don Shula

6 - Tom Landry

7 - Bill Walsh

8 - Joe Gibbs

9 - Bill Belichick

10 - Bill Parcells

Troy Polamalu & Mean Joe Greene

Super Bowl bound!

Pittsburgh Steelers 23,
Baltimore Ravens 14...

...and the greatest team in professional sports is headed to Tampa on February 1 to play for their unprecedented sixth Lombardi trophy!

Life is sweet; God is good!

Truth: Baltimore Ravens

Pirates game

On Thursday (9/18/08), I was able to attend a Pittsburgh Pirates game with tickets (obtained through JUMC secretary Debbie Moatz) courtesy of Pittsburgh District Superintendent Don Scandrol.

Here is beautiful PNC Park,
where the Pirates lost a close one to the L.A. Dodgers...

Here is the Rev. Gary Bailey, who attended the game with me;
Gary serves Brush Run UMC in Beaver Falls, PA
with his wife & four children
and is in the midst of PhD studies in Old Testament...

Here is Gary's food tray near the end of its usefulness...

Here I am the next day;
I had worn a bandana to protect my head from the sun...
it worked...

I'll look just great for the wedding at which I'm officiating
this weekend.

Friday Top 10: Current NFL Receivers

1 - Randy Moss (New England Patriots)

2 - Terrell Owens (Dallas Cowboys)

3 - Steve Smith (Carolina Panthers)

4 - Hines Ward (Pittsburgh Steelers)

5 - Plaxico Burress (New York Giants)

6 - Reggie Wayne (Indianapolis Colts)

7 - Larry Fitzgerald (Arizona Cardinals)

8 - Marvin Harrison (Indianapolis Colts)

9 - Chad Johnson (Cincinnati Bengals)

10 - Santonio Holmes (Pittsburgh Steelers)

Friday Top 10: Current NFL Running backs

1 - LaDainian Tomlinson (San Diego Chargers)

2 - Adrian Peterson (Minnesota Vikings)

3 - Brian Westbrook (Philadelphia Eagles)

4 - Willie Parker (Pittsburgh Steelers)

5 - Maurice Jones-Drew (Jacksonville Jaguars)

6 - Willis McGahee (Baltimore Ravens)

7 - Marion Barber (Dallas Cowboys)

8 - Joseph Addai (Indianapolis Colts)

9 - Reggie Bush (New Orleans Saints)

10 - Steven Jackson (St. Louis Rams)

Gridiron Wisdom, Part 1: Tom Brady

(BEGINNING OF A NEW SERMON SERIES...
a "back-to-basics" series which uses football -
a prominent part of life in Jefferson Hills & Pleasant Hills,
the two communities I consider to be
the JUMC "parish" - as a "hook";
it will be "fleshed out" later in the week)

"...they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved."

- Acts 2:42-47 (ESV)

Many of us have been amazed in the past decade or so while watching the football career of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. This California native was an excellent athlete who grew up idolizing Joe Montana, and was actually drafted out of high school to play professional baseball for the Montreal Expos. Preferring football - and who wouldn't? - Brady went to the University of Michigan where he was seventh on the depth chart, and worked his way up slowly. By 1998, he led the Wolverines to a Big Ten title; the following year, he led his team to an Orange Bowl victory over Alabama.

Tom Brady was drafted in the sixth round by the Patriots, pick #199, which some consider to be the biggest "steal" in the history of the NFL Draft. He was the team's fourth string quarterback when he started; eventually, he had worked his way up to become the lead back-up for then-starter Drew Bledsoe. In September 2001, Bledsoe was severely injured in a game against the New York Jets, and Brady took over, winning 11 of 14 games. He was named to the Pro Bowl and, more importantly, led the Patriots into the playoffs.

You may recall the Super Bowl that year, when the Patriots played against the heavily favored St. Louis Rams, who had won it all the previous year. Just a few months removed from the horrors of 9/11, it seemed appropriate, somehow, that the "Patriots" would be involved in the biggest sporting event on the planet, led by a young upstart who had virtually stumbled into his leadership role. I remember watching the extremely emotional halftime show that year, in which U2 - the best and certainly the most important band since the breakup of the Beatles - rocked the stadium with a powerful musical tribute to the victims of the 9/11 tragedy; it remains the best halftime performance in Super Bowl history...by far.

Then, Tom Brady led the Patriots to victory against the mighty Rams, whose offense had been dubbed "the Greatest Show on Turf". Brady was named the MVP of the game and a football superstar was born. Since that time, Brady has appeared in three more Super Bowls, winning two of them - only his hero Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw have won more. He has won another Super Bowl MVP and last year had the greatest statistical season ever for an NFL quarterback, being named the MVP of the entire league.

Most impressively, for the past two years he has been dating supermodel Gisele...proof that God indeed loves Tom Brady.

What has made Tom Brady the most successful NFL quarterback of the 21st century? He may, in the end, be considered the best ever to play the game. How did this happen?

Certainly, a monstrous competitive streak has helped. He is as intense a player as any on the field.

But it can't be denied that he lacks the unearthly leadership gifts of Peyton Manning, the superheroic toughness of Brett Favre, and the explosive cannon arm of Terry Bradshaw. How did Tom Brady get to be perhaps the best ever?!

I believe that Brady is the leader of the pack because he is an expert at "working the system". Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who has been justifiably condemned for cheating, has nevertheless devised a system that requires complete devotion for success. The offense utilizes multiple confusing formations which, in the end, run only a few relatively simple plays. Bill Cowher ran a similar offensive system in his early years with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The defense is designed to maximize the freedom of aggressive linebackers...also a pretty "Steelers-friendly" idea.

Tom Brady is a master at the system put in place in New England. When he has been hurt and the team has relied on back-up leadership, they have faltered. The system needs Tom Brady in order to succeed, and no one "works the system" as well as this future Hall of Famer.

How does this relate to our faith journey in Christ?

We have in the Scriptures a "system" for success. Being United Methodist, perhaps it would be better to say that we have a "method" for success given to us in Acts 2. When we prayerfully and faithfully adhere to the system, we experience personal growth in the Spirit and are better equipped to help build the Kingdom of God. When we lose focus on the system, things don't go nearly as well.

Our system - the Acts 2 system - consists of devotion to the apostles' teaching (reading, studying, living out the Scriptures; doctrinal faithfulness), fellowship (intentionally spending time with sisters and brothers in Christ), the breaking of the bread (faithfully and regularly celebrating the sacrament of Holy Communion), prayer (as individuals, couples, families, small groups, and a congregation), doing signs and wonders (performing any number of acts which point to Jesus Christ and the transforming truth of his gospel...it could be something supernatural, as many of our charismatic and Pentecostal sisters and brothers believe, or it could be something as simple as sharing a hug with someone in pain or a sandwich with someone who is hungry), and sharing (being obedient in our tithes and offerings).

This is our system. Simple? Perhaps. But it can be difficult to master with the distractions of life continually knocking at our door. We need to be intentional about our system. Tom Brady, knowing that he lacked many of the gifts of Manning, Favre, or Bradshaw, chose to master the Patriots system, and has become the best quarterback in the NFL.

Isn't our devotion to Jesus and our journey of faith more important than how many Lombardi trophies the Patriots or Steelers win? Isn't Jesus worth our best efforts? I think so, and I'm sure you do as well.

The end result of faithfully mastering our system is even better than winning a hundred Super Bowls: "The Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved." But we as individuals, as a congregation, as a Conference, as a denomination, as the Church of Jesus Christ around the world, need first to work the system provided for us, to be devoted to it, to work hard at it, to do our best to be the people that God has called us to be on the journey toward holiness and perfection. Jesus is worth it, and the stakes are high.

Friday Top Ten: Current NFL QBs

1 - Tom Brady (New England Patriots)

2 - Peyton Manning (Indianapolis Colts)

3 - Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers)

4 - Brett Favre (New York Jets)

5 - Tony Romo (Dallas Cowboys)

6 - Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints)

7 - Eli Manning (New York Giants)

8 - Matt Hasselbeck (Seattle Seahawks)

9 - Carson Palmer (Cincinnati Bengals)

10 - Philip Rivers (San Diego Chargers)

Big Apple Brett...Favre's a Jet

What a shock to wake up this morning and discover that Brett Favre is now a New York Jet. Can this soon-to-be 39 year old quarterback handle these great new expectations?

Favre is perhaps the most beloved player in today's NFL (unless you live in Illinois or Minnesota). For those of us too young to remember the glory years of Vince Lombardi, Ray Nitschke, and Bart Starr, Favre is synonomous with the Green Bay Packers. In a franchise of countless Hall of Famers, he became the greatest Packer of all. Now, to see him in New York City, leading one of the most hapless teams in the league, is going to be very, very strange.

As a nation, we watched Brett Favre emerge in the mid-1990s as a very special young player. Built more like a tight end than a quarterback, he played with a certain joie de vivre that was contagious; he had fun, broke rules and took risks, playing the game like it hadn't been played in 50 years. It always looked as if he were playing a pick up game in his backyard with his buddies. It was a true football pleasure to see the young "gunslinger" lead the veteran Pack to a Super Bowl victory in 1997. He quickly became the only three time MVP in NFL history.

Then, something else happened. While the eyes of fandom turned to John Elway's triumphant finale and the emergence of two legends-in-the-making named Brady and Manning, Brett Favre aged. The young gunslinger transformed into a grizzled old veteran, the oldest player in Wisconsin, whose wild style of play resulted in all-time records for starts, touchdowns, yards...and interceptions. He became more than an legend; Brett Favre is an icon, like few other football stars in recent history.

He started out as the exciting young player with a contagious passion; he turned into John McClane fighting the baddies and trying to survive in Nakatomi Plaza. It was sometimes painful to watch, but you had to watch, and were ultimately thankful that you did. A tearful retirement was a sad day for all of America. It staggers the imagination that the Packers wouldn't or couldn't welcome him back into the Lambeau fold.

Now, he'll finish his career under the bright lights of the Big Apple. Has sixteen years in the NFL's smallest market prepared Favre for the scrutiny of the largest media market on the planet?

I think so.

In Pittsburgh, we take Ben Roethlisberger and Hines Ward very seriously. We can't be bothered with, say, Carson Palmer or Randy Moss. In San Diego, it's all about LaDainian Tomlinson; they couldn't care less about Tony Romo.

But Brett Favre belongs to all of us. We'd all love to have him on our team; at least, we'd like to sit with him, have a beer, and watch a game. Our hearts went out to him when he lost his father, and then turned out maybe the greatest performance in the history of Monday Night Football. We prayed during his wife's bout with cancer. We sat on the edges of our seats as he struggled with an addiction to prescribed painkillers, and we marveled as he became the world's toughest athlete, starting a record 253 consecutive games, often in serious physical agony.

New York City is exactly a thousand miles from Green Bay. It will be bizarre to watch Brett Favre play in a New York Jets uniform. But, he didn't leave his fans a thousand miles away; his fans are anywhere and everywhere people love the game of football. If the Steelers aren't playing in Tampa in February, what a joy it would be for every football fan to see Brett Favre under center.

Thank you, Penguins

Last night, the Detroit Red Wings beat the Pittsburgh Penguins to win the Stanley Cup. It was the fourth NHL championship in 11 years for this veteran hockey team. Without question, they are the best team in professional hockey in the 2007-2008 season.

But, I want to take a moment to thank the Penguins. This hockey season was one of the most exciting sports rides, in my opinion, in Pittsburgh history. It was a real joy to watch it and, at times, be a part of it. It was a lot of fun, and Pens fans everywhere should be rejoicing today, even as we feel the sting of losing the ultimate hockey prize.

Last season, the young Penguins lost in the first round of the playoffs, but demonstrated that they were a team to watch in the future. Led by 20 year old Sidney Crosby, the best player in the world, the team was poised this year to go deep in the playoffs and make a lot of noise.

Then, starting goalie Marc-Andre Fleury got hurt, and was out for months. Miraculously, journeyman goalie Ty Conklin stepped in and did a phenomenal job of filling in. On New Year's Day in the outdoor "Winter Classic" game in Buffalo, Crosby played brilliantly in adverse conditions, winning the game in a shoot-out, even while leading the NHL (at the time) in assists (in the last season, he'd won the league scoring title).

A few weeks later, Crosby was hurt in a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. While he recovered, Evgeni Malkin emerged as one of the league's leading scorers and a new superstar. The Penguins just kept overcoming adversity to find success.

Perhaps what has been most special about the Penguins, particularly this season, has been the fact that they have really become a part of the Pittsburgh community, moreso than the Steelers or the Pirates, in my opinion. The Pens have really made an effort to serve their fans and reach out to them. Even yesterday, with the game coming up in just a few hours, I ran into leftwinger Pacsal Dupuis in Giant Eagle, where he was happily signing autographs and shaking hands even while he picked up milk and bread. The Pens have embodied the principle of immanence, and are beloved for it.

The Pens also emerged this season with colorful characters which are a hallmark of Pittsburgh sports. Crosby, Malkin, and Fleury are the uber-talented superstars, of course, but their supporting cast is filled with interesting players loaded not only with talent but with guts and with heart...Hal Gill, Sergei Gonchar, Marian Hossa, Georges Laraque, Ryan Malone, Brooks Orpik, Gary Roberts, Jarkko Ruutu, Jordan Staal, Petr Sykora, and others. Several might sign with other teams for significantly more money in the offseason, but it has been great to have them on this team.

What a season. I was able to enjoy the entire season with my daughter Kate, who became Pens-obsessed, and the rest of my family, who also lived and breathed hockey for the last two months. Though the Pens dominated the Eastern Conference, they lost to a team with veteran skills and talent which earned the title of "champion". The future is bright for the Penguins, though the pain is real today.

I really have no point in this post other than to simply say, "Thank you, Penguins", to thank God for this exciting season, and to look forward to when the puck drops again in October.

And, by the way...the Steelers report to Latrobe for training camp on July 27.

Farewell Myron Cope

God bless Myron Cope (1929-2008).

Myron Cope died this morning in Mt. Lebanon, PA. Western Pennsylvanians will surely know Myron as the longtime radio "voice of the Steelers", the man who created the "Terrible Towel", and a man who was as much a fixture of the "Steelers Nation" as the Rooney family and the old steel mills.

Myron was an award-winning journalist for Sports Illustrated but really rose to fame announcing Steelers games in the 1970s. He was an integral part of the Steelers mythos as they won four Super Bowls in that era, becoming the greatest dynasty in NFL history. He is as important to the pride of Pittsburgh as Gene Kelly, Fred Rogers, Andy Warhol, and August Wilson, and (almost) as important a figure in Pittsburgh sports as Terry Bradshaw, Mean Joe Greene, Chuck Noll, Roberto Clemente, and Mario Lemieux. He was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2005, the same year he received the Pete Rozelle Award from the Pro Football Hall of Fame for his contributions to the game.

"He doesn't play, he doesn't put on a pair of pads, but he's revered probably as much or more in Pittsburgh than Franco, all the guys," said Jerome Bettis. "Everybody probably remembers Myron more than the greatest players, and that's an incredible compliment."

Like many Steelers fans, I often watched the TV broadcast of the games with the volume turned down, turning to Myron on the radio to get a more "authentic" Steelers experience. His retirement a few years ago was a sad day. I'm glad my kids got to hear Myron a bit before he retired; his voice, antics, and personality are a part of my childhood I'll treasure. Hearing his voice still takes me back. Today is a sad day for the Steelers Nation.