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Running segment alert. Constable Echelon thinks Ben Roethlisberger is wildly overrated and whenever recent on field events prove that point expect to read about it on H&F.

You didn’t think I was going to let this go right? Have you seen this Steelers offense recently? Egads. Pittsburgh going into the past two weeks had to be feeling great about their schedule. @NYJ and at home against woeful Miami. Time to pad the stats and play the backups right? Wrong. You may have forgotten that this Steeler squad is quarterbacked by the most overrated passer in the league. Every game’s a game!

When the dust settled after mighty Pittsburgh’s two tilts against teams that previously boasted a combined 1-18 record, the results weren’t pretty for Big Ben backers. Sum totals: Split the two games. One offensive touchdown produced.

That’s one offensive touchdown produced against the current 27th and 28th scoring defenses in the NFL. Those numbers are schewed a little though: they just played Ben Roethlisberger.

Further Roethlisberger thoughts. In one of my fantasy leagues the owner of the first place team (Hotdog in fact) recently took some heat for essentially dealing “Seven” for Andre Johnson. I thought the trade was a clear win for Hotdog. He sold high. Andre Johnson is good. Ben Roethlisberger is bad. “But he’s the 5th ranked scoring quarterback?” protested some. Sure, he’s been in some nice situations this year where his defense gave him a really short field and Big Ben capitalized.

But these last two games are what statheads call the classic “regress to the mean”. In layspeak? Roethlisberger sucks.

Read the original Ben Roethlisberger is a clown entry and delight at the misguided comments of Steeler fans! PS We support Big Ben sucks dot com! (Not like, financially though…)

While enjoying my two favorite Sunday activities, football and blunts, I received an intriguing text message from a Jolly Ogre Smoking Hash which said the following:

Maybe I’m just a little high but have you ever thought about how awesome the NFL would be if the games were actually played by the real life mascots? For example, real seahawks vs. a bunch of rams, or a field full of bears and broncos, or a bunch of Vikings fighting some Giants. . .

The explosion inside my brain was deafening as a myriad of images flooded my imagination. Everything I knew about football was blown to pieces as I tried to restructure the league according to their respective mascot powers. So, here it is, the first ever Power Rankings according to mascots:

“Ever watch football….on weed?”

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Please enjoy my rant.  It’s pretty much a bitchy, whiny, tantrum (it’s also long). 

I would like to address the following:  

To Tim Lappano:  When UW lined up against California two weeks ago they played inspired football.  They played without Jake Locker but with attitude.  They lined up in traditional offensive alignments and knocked the bears on their ass, compiling over 300 yards rushing.  Heading into Apple Cup, and with Jake Locker back in the fold, it would stand to reason that Offensive Coordinator Tim Lappano would look at that success and try to build on it.  Wrong.  Enter the spread option attack.  Enter the five wide formation.  Enter confusion.  With powerful Fullbacks Luke Kravitz and Paul Homer split out wide, or on the bench, UW could not establish the run with Louis Rankin and Brandon Johnson like they had against Cal.  Jake Locker provided his usual outstanding play, but he can’t do it alone (a lesson we’ve learned over and over again this season).  Inexplicably, UW tried to re-invent the wheel on offense against WSU if only because Jake Locker came back in the lineup.  Instead of looking at the Cal game and saying, “hey, we’ve got a running game that can control the clock and take some pressure off of Jake,” UW scrapped that plan and put the weight on Locker’s shoulders again.  Why?   Lappano should answer for that.

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I really enjoy the dichotomy of WSU hoops vs. Washington hoops. I think the way the two teams compliment each other ought to work the way two disparate pitchers might confuse an opposing lineup on consecutive nights in baseball. Think one night of Tim Wakefield knuckleballs followed by vintage Pedro Martinez. (I really hate that I needed a Boston reference there.) The idea is the hitters have to totally alter their style of play one night, and then play a totally different game the next. When it’s working the opposing teams can’t fully adjust to either style and it results in two lossses. The opponent is looking forward to the next two games where the teams just play basketball, as in the middle of the hoop spectrum as opposed to either extreme.

That was a little muddled. Granted. But you get me.

Another fun way to think about the difference between the two schools is in political terms. WSU’s style to me is straight Eastern Bloc.

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Jack Locker Jake Locker Jake Locker!

Guess who checks in at #17 per Forbsies?

(Hint: us)

Number of Pac-10 teams we are behind on this list? One: USC.

Bearing this in mind, starting next year I never want to have a losing season again. Bow down.