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Pro Quarterbacks

January 21, 2012 by · Comments Off on Pro Quarterbacks 

Pro Quarterbacks, One of the hallmarks of Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin’s tenure has been the stability at the top of his coaching staff. Friday, that stability took a hit. Offensive coordinator Bruce Arians informed Tomlin he will retire, leaving the Steelers searching for someone new to run the offense.

“I appreciate his efforts over the past five years as the team’s offensive coordinator and for helping lead our offense to new heights,” Tomlin said in a statement released by the Steelers. “I am grateful to Bruce for contributing to our success and wish him nothing but the best in his retirement.”

The move comes just two weeks after Tomlin said he expected both Arians and longtime defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau to return for the 2012 season.

“I anticipate it, but, of course, we all understand what the end of the season is about, and movement is a part of it in today’s NFL for players and coaches,” Tomlin said at the time. “We are going to try to maintain continuity, like we always do. We believe that is a benefit to us, but we also understand that things can happen.”

Arians, 59, joined the Steelers in 2004 as their wide receivers coach after being fired as Cleveland’s offensive coordinator. He became Pittsburgh’s offensive coordinator in 2007, when Tomlin replaced Bill Cowher as head coach.

Arians, who has a close relationship with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, was part of a coaching staff that has taken the Steelers to three Super Bowls since 2005.

But his 2010 offense was a something of an enigma, ranking 12th in total yards and placing four players in the Pro Bowl, but tying for 21st in the league in scoring.

“We could be a lot better. One aspect of our game is to get better in the red zone,” said wide receiver Antonio Brown, the Steelers’ MVP. “We have to take that approach and mentality of wanting to be better into the offseason. Everyone has to go home. We all have to hold ourselves accountable. … We all have to push to be better.”

The Steelers will try to do that with a new offensive leader.

Candidates to replace Arians could include current Steelers quarterbacks coach Randy Fichtner, Green Bay quarterbacks coach Tom Clements, who held the same position in Pittsburgh, former Kansas City head coach Todd Haley, and former Indianapolis head coach Jim Caldwell.

Clements, who was a coach for the Steelers from 2001 to 2003, and Haley, whose father Dick was a longtime Steelers scout, each are Pittsburgh natives. Caldwell, meanwhile, has ties to Tomlin, having served as an assistant with him in Tampa Bay under head coach Tony Dungy.

Odds and end zones

The Steelers signed six players to Reserve/Future contracts, including former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Troy Smith. Smith played for Baltimore (2007-09), San Francisco (2010) and the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League in 2011. Also signed were cornerback Walter McFadden and wide receivers Tyler Beiler, David Gilreath, Derrick Williams and Jimmy Young. … Safety Troy Polamalu, who did not miss a game in 2011 because of injury, will skip the Pro Bowl.

Star QBs

January 21, 2012 by · Comments Off on Star QBs 

Star QBs, A former Dallas Cowboys QB’s daughter, Gina Carano, can succeed where few others have, The new Steven Soderbergh action movie “Haywire” opens today and the early reviews for the flick starring MMA star Gina Carano are mostly positive.  The movie also stars Fort Worth’s own Bill Paxton.

FASCINATING FACTOID: Gina’s father, Glenn Carano, was a quarterback and a second round draft pick of the Dallas Cowboys in the 1977 draft. Glenn played for the Cowboys from 1978 to 1983 appearing in 36 games. He led the Cowboys to a 10-9 win against the Bears on Thanksgiving Day in 1981 when he completed 6-of-15 passes for 131 yards.
If memory serves, the final margin was provided when Ed Jones blocked a Bears’ extra point attempt in the fourth quarter.
Carano was Danny White’s backup that season, and on the sidelines when the Cowboys lost in the NFC title game against the 49ers via Dwight Clark’s “The Catch”.

His daughter, Gina, has surpassed his popularity and become a massive MMA star/sex symbol for … well, obvious reasons.
Haywire is her first movie. Historically women have not fared too well as action stars because audiences haven’t bought in.

Geena Davis gave it a shot in the 1996 movie ‘The Long Kiss Goodnight’ with Samuel L. Jackson. Not a bad movie, and Geena Davis was good, but the movie didn’t score a huge hit.

Bridget Fonda wasn’t too bad in the 1993 movie, ‘Point of No Return’.

Even the very fit and strong Jennifer Garner in the TV hit Alias while fun and entertaining lacked a certain physical element.

Carano, however, possesses a certain weight and a physical element that few female stars have ever possessed. She’s good looking, but she also knows how to fight. You can easily buy Carano beating the hell out of someone whereas believing the smaller Bridget Fonda working over a bad guy is harder to believe.

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