Weekend update and Steelers-Redskins glog

You'll have to excuse me while I get settled in here. There is a football game coming up so I had to make sure that I was prepared for tonight's festivities, so I made me a gallon of iced tea and a couple of chicken quesadillas and I think I am just about ready to go.

The game hasn't started yet, so a few orders of business to get out of the way, a reminder that tomorrow is election day so get off your ass and vote and then get your ass back here tomorrow night for Ask Matt Anything #2 (Electric Boogaloo), an election night special featuring yours truly and at least one question from the audience, only because it has already been posted. Also, as time permits, we will drop in some election results as well. All in all, it should be a good time had by all. That is tomorrow at 8pm EST and a few blogs back. don't worry, I will type something in it to get it to pop to the top of your updates.

Pogo was good to me this week, 5 badges so far, the 4 challenges, plus I picked up the level 20 badge in Poppit. I am trying to close out Kenopop, less than 500 numbers to go to get the last level badge at 50. I want to have it done in time for the debut of the new Yahtzee game coming to Pogo.

Fantasy sports teams did okay, a win in football to push the record to 6-3 and while a bad week in hockey (I went 3-6-1) the overall record is 20-15-5, good for 4th place and I think the moves I made the second half of the week make my team better. I have one more move pending, hopefully it will clear waivers. If it does, I am probably a decent defenseman away from having my team exactly where I like it. I dangled out some trade bait to see if it couldn't get me one, if not, I know who I want off of the free agent wire. And yes, Satan is still on my side, he leads the Penguins with 6 goals and just had a game against St Louis on Saturday where he picked up a goal and two assists for me.

My phone is ringing but I refuse to answer it. It is probably a robo call for Tuesday, I have already heard the robo call from Hillary Clinton, Ed Rendell (the Pennsylvania governor, for those not in the know), and Barack Obama. Apparently I am not worthy of a Republican call, but then again, maybe the fact I am a registered Democrat they have already given up on me. Anyone contemplating a move any time in the near future, might I suggest you do not move to one of the so called 'battleground states" unless you like the robo call sort of thing. The smartest thing to do is just take your phone off of the hook for the last month of the campaign.

The quesadillas are eh. I have made better, but I wasn't in the mood to play tonight, so it is just shredded cheese and canned chicken fried in flour tortillas.

Okay, we are coming up on game time here. In case you were wondering, it is the Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) versus the Washington Redskins (6-2) in Monday Night Football. As a bonus, Chris Berman will interview both Presidential candidiates at halftime. You really just can't escape these two leadng up to tomorrow's voting. And I have to wonder why Chris Berman, who's major claim to fame is coming up with clever nicknames for the players while doing highlight packages, is somehow worthy of getting the job of interviewing these two. Maybe he has some hidden talent that I am unaware of, but I can honestly say I have never seen him conduct an interview with a sports figure, let alone do a serious sit down with a newsmaker. This can't possibly be good.

I am not much of a fan of the Monday Night broadcast crew to be honest. As much as I rip on Al and John on Sunday nights, Tony Kornheiser is worse. He is a decent writer for the Washington Post, but I am just not sold on him in the booth.

Okay, while they get ready to have the opening kickoff, I am going to open my Sportsline browser, just in case they catch something I miss. A quick peek at the hockey scores and nothing of help so far tonight, though I am thinking I should have picked up the defenseman off of the free agent list I wanted, as he has an assist.

Pittsburgh kicks off to Washington and tries an onside kick, which fails, and worse, they were offsides giving Washington a bonus 5 yards, so they start from the Steelers 35 yard line.

Washington gets 9 yards on its first three plays, bringing up a 4th and 1 and they are going to opt for the field goal attempt and the 44 yarder is good and Washington has a 3-0 lead.

Washington lines up to kick to Pittsburgh and unlike Pittsburgh, no gimmicks here, they kick away and Pittsburgh returns it to their own 30 yard line.

Two plays and Pittsburgh has yet to gain a yard, bringing up 3rd and 10 and on third down Ben Roethlisberger has his pass batted up in the air at the line and it ends up being intercepted by the Cornelius Griffin, so Washington gets the ball back again in Steeler territory, this time at the 30 yard line.

Again the Steelers hold for a three and out, but the out will be another field goal attempt and it too is good and Washington has an early 6-0 lead.

By the way, I would like to thank Toyota for ruining a perfectly good song by The Fixx, just what I want to hear on a car spot, "Saved By Zero" butchered.

Pittsburgh again is the recipient of a kickoff and returns it to the 23 yard line, so we will see if their second possession is more productive than their first.

Oh boy, political spots. As annoying as those commercials are, I can't complain too much, they are helping to keep the lights on at work.

Pittsburgh finally gains a yard, 8 of them in fact on a Willie Parker run on first down. One play later and we have the game's first first down, on a pass to Nate Washington, which gets Pittsburgh out to their own 40 yard line.

3rd down and 6 and Ben Roethlisberger is sacked and most likely we will see the game's first punt, and indeed we do, Washington will take over and for a change they will start on their own half of the field, from their own 25 yard line.

One play and one first down, a quick ten yard pass from Jason Campbell to Santanna Moss. One play later and Clinton Portis rips off a 22 yard run and again the Redskins are in Pittsburgh territory.

Okay, a timeout by Washington on third and 8 allows me to do some online work while more political ads blather on. And when we come back, Jason Campbell's pass falls incomplete and Washington punts to Pittsburgh and the punt goes into the endzone, so Pittsburgh will take over on their own 20 when we come back from the third Toyota spot of the first quarter. Apparently Toyota didn't get the message, we don't have money to by cars anymore, we are too busy giving taxpayer money to banks so they can give the shareholders dividends and the CEOs performance bonuses. What they performed is beyond me, but I am silly like that.

Pittsburgh runs two plays and gains no yards, so again it will be third and long, 10 to be exact, but really, who is counting? An incomplete pass and Pittsburgh punts it a whopping 28 yards, so for the third time in 4 possessions Washington will take over in Pittsburgh territory. In the battle of field position Pittsburgh is definitely losing.

Again the Steeler defense holds on third down, this time on a 3rd and 3 and Pittsburgh will get the ball back here, but all the way back at their 9 yard line.

Pittsburgh gets a quick first down on a 12 yard run by Willie Parker, but the next two plays are far less successful, getting only three yards between them and on 3rd and 7 and Ben Roethlisberger has his pass dropped by Nate Washington. Roethlisberger is now 1 of 8 for 9 yards with an interception. It is never good when you have completed as many passes to the other team as you have to your own.

The punt at least means Washington will start this drive on their own half of the field, a unique circumstance in this game so far, but they take over on their own 35 yard line. Two plays will bring uip a 3rd and 6 play for Washington but the first quarter clock runs out, with Washington leading 6-0.

First play of the second quarter and Jason Campbell is sacked, so another third down conversion is stifled and Washington has to punt. Pittsburgh retuns the kick to their own 32 yard line and we will see if the second quarter is kinder to the Steelers than the first was.

Two running plays by Willie Parker net 8 yards but on third down a pass by Roethlisberger again is dropped, this time by Mewelde Mooore, though it wouldn't have gotten the first down anyway and Pittsburgh again is forced to punt. I am forced to wonder why I do this to myself as this game has really sucked to this point. At least I got the Penguins video up on the blog page, so sitting here hasn't been a complete loss, though I have to admit, I would have been better served to this point had I worked on closing out the Kenopop badge instead.

For as blah as the quesadillas were, I am all kind of yum about the iced tea.

Washington runs two plays and gets all of a yard and third down results in another sack of Jason Campbell and guess what is coming? Yep, another punt. Good god, why did I decide to do this? It is like volunteering for dental surgery.

Pittsburgh tries a deep pass on first down and while it too is incomplete, defensive pass interference is called, a penalty that results in the ball being placed at the spot of the foul, so it is a 43 yard penalty to the benefit for Pittsburgh. They just flashed a stat on the screen that pretty much sums up the futility of this contest to this point, both teams are a combined 0 for 11 on third down conversions. The reason that is relevant is because two Ben Roethlisberger incompletions later we are again looking at a third down for Pittsburgh, 3rd and 10. Roethlisberger finds Hines ward on 3rd and 10 and the play results in a 12 yard gain and a first down and it Roethlisberger's first complete pass of the second quarter, equalling his total from the first.

Third down and two yards for a first and the last third down conversion must have been an aberration, because Roethlisberger is sacked and Pittsburgh has to settle for a field goal attempt, which is good and cuts the Washington lead to 6-3.

Really, does anyone want to take over for me, I will gladly stop. I am not remotely excited at the prospect of glogging a field goal contest.

Pittsburgh has the opportunity to kickoff and this time they don't try the onside stuff, which is good, because I have yet to see where either of these teams can move the ball the length of the field on the other.

I almost hate to type it, but Washington is facing a 3rd and 20 here, I can't see them getting this, and they don't, picking up only 5 yards on the play. More punting and time for me to get a snack. Out come the Milky Way minature candy bars, they were on sale for $1 a bag so I had to buy some. I have been doing the bargain shopping recently, making a visit to the ghetto grocery on Friday, finding buy one get one free smokes on Sunday, redeeming a punch card for a free coffe and bottle of water on Sunday and even clipping a buy one get one free Big Mac coupon. Ever the bargain shopper, that tis I.

Another third down for Pittsburgh and another nonconversion. This game has officially become brutal, at least to watch. Right now I don't care which team does it, I just want something wrth typing invoved to happen here.

Washington fails on third down. I really should just copy and paste that line and insert it every so often.

And just as I call for something to type, Pittsburgh blocks the punt and will have excellent field position here, all the way down at the Washington 13 yard line,

First down, Roethlisberger takes a sack, this play making stuff was too good to be true, we had to go back to more of what we are used to, which is nothing at all.

A commercial for Saturday night college football, Oklahoma State versus Texas Tech. I can guarantee you that game will have some points scored.

Second down, Pittsburgh takes a holding call, and we go back ten yards and try it again. A pass to Santonio Holmes almost gets back the penalty yardage, but it is still 3rd and 12. Roethlisberger finds Hines Ward with the pass inside the 1 yard line, a third down conversion, everybody dance!!!!! Ben Roethlisberger runs the quarterback sneak over the goal line and we have the games first touchdown. With the extra point, it's now Pittsburgh 10 Washington 6.

Pittsburgh kicks off to Washington, and the Redskins run one play, and it results in a sack of Jason Campbell. Thank goodness we are halfway home here, 10-6 at halftime.

Well I expected to be disappointed with the candidate interviews at halftime and I wasn't disappointed in being disappointed, in one of the logical loops only my scribesmanship could make.

Toyota commercial #6 of the football game. I get it, you sell cars, let's move on, shall we?

We get ready to start the third quarter and apparently Ben Roethlisberger hurt his hand in the first half, as he is still in the lockerroom. I can tell you, he didn't hurt it completing passes, he was only 5 of 17 for 50 yards in the first half. In his place is the backup QB, Byron Leftwich for the time being.

Pittsburgh gets the kickoff to start the second half and return it to the 28 yard line. Pittsburgh, with the backup QB in, runs the ball on three straight plays and they get a first down.

First down from the 38 and Leftwich does what I have been waiting for all game by either team, he makes a play, a 50 yard pass completion to Nate Washington and as the saying goes, Pittsburgh is in business. Of coiurse he has matched Roethlisberger's output in the first half on one play.

3rd down and 7 from the Washington 8 yard line and Leftwich finds Mewelde Moore with the pass and Pittsburgh has a first down on the Washington 1 yard line.

One play later and Willie Parker scores on a 1 yard TD run and but Jeff Reed misses the extra point, so Pittsburgh leads 16-6.

Washington will start their first possession of the second half from their own 15 yard line and we will see if they can keep up with Pittsburgh's offensive output of two touchdowns in their last two possessions.

Pittsburgh picks up sack #5 on second down, and Washington will have a third down and 15 and again they fail to convert on third down, they have yet to convert one this game and will be forced to punt the ball away.

The battle of field position has drastically changed as Pittsburgh will start their next drive in Washington territory, from the 49 yard line.

Pittsburgh loses 7 yards on a reverse that didn't fool anyone, leaving a third and 17. Rather than try anything risky on third down , Pittsburgh just opts to hand off on third and long, it loses another four yards and Pittsburgh is forced to punt. Washington will get the ball back on their 28 yard line, looking to see if they can do anything of note against the Pittsburgh defense. To their credit, as poorly as they have played, they are only down 10 points right now, their defense has really kept them in this game.

Two plays and the Redskins get 9 yards, leaving a third and 1, Washington's best chance to convert a third down may be right here, and they do as Jason Campbell rolls out and finds the tight end Chris Cooley, good for 12 yards.

A screen pass to Clinton Portis gets 16 yards and Washington has their best drive of the night taking place right now. Well that was short lived, Jason Capbell throws a pass that is tipped and then intercepted and the Washington drive comes to an abrupt halt. That was Jason Campbell's first interception of the year, quite an impressive streak as it is the ninth game of the Redskin's season. Check that, the play is under review, if I had a call, I would say it is an interception and then fumble, recovered by the Steelers, but my vote doesn't count, except here on the blog page.

The referees agree with me and the interception stands, maybe I have do have some pull around this place, Pittsburgh's ball, first down.

3rd down and 15 and Leftwich again to pass, this time he finds Santonio Holmes for a first down.

What is going on here, third down and 4 and Leftwich again passes for a first down, finding Mewelde Moore to keep the Pittsburgh drive alive and to close out the third quarter with Pittsburgh still leading 16-6. Leftwich in one quarter of action is now 4 of 5 for 86 yards and has better numbers than both Roethlisberger and Campbell despite only being in the game for 15 minutes.

First play of the fourth quarter and again Leftwich finds Moore, this time for 25 yards. Pittsburgh is all the way down to the Washington 22 yard line now, with a first and 10.

Third down and 8, and again Leftwich converts with a pass to Hines Ward and Pittsburgh is inside the 10 with a first down. Two plays later and Leftwich finds Santonio Holmes for the touchdown pass. That is the third time in four possessions Pittsburgh scores a touchdown, and with the extra point, which they convert this time, Pitsburgh now leads 23-6.

Washington takes possession on their own 33 and on first down Campbell finds Portis with the pass, good for 25 yards and a first down. A holding call will push Washington back 10 yards on first down, and then Pittsburgh gets another sack, and a pass on third down to Cooley still leaves Washington with a 4th and 9. An incomplete pass would have ended the drive, but a personal foul on Pittsburgh keeps the Washington drive alive with another first down.

Third and 9 and Campbell throws to Chris Cooley for a first down and Washington is inside the Pittsburgh 10 yard line.

Two plays and Washington is still at the 7 yard line and on third down Campbell scrambles for an apparent touchdown, but Pittsbuurgh is challenging the play, saying he was down before getting into the end zone. My money is on the challenge being upheld and Washington have a 4th and 1 from the 1 yard line.

The challenge is upheld and the score is taken off of the board. I am two for two on those tonight. I should get me a commentator gig or something.

4th down and the Redskins try a pass and it is incomplete, the defense holds and Pittsburgh gets the ball back with 7 minutes to play.

Two plays and Pittsburgh only gets a yard, but right now, just killing clock is a victory for them, Washington needs three scores to tie this game. Third down and Leftwich's pass is incomplete, so Pittsburgh punts and Washington will take over again, with the return, all the way down to the Pittsburgh 31 yard line, but there is just 5:23 left to play.

Washington in just two plays, are all the way down to the 13 yard line on two passes, one to Portis and one to Cooley. The next two plays, however, get no yards and on third down, a pass to Portis gets 2 yards, leaving Washington with a 4th and 8. Pittsburgh ends the threat with sack #7 and for all intents and purposes, this game is over, Pittsburgh with a 17 point lead and less than three minutes to go.

Pittsburgh will punt again, but they have taken more time off of the clock, Washington gets the ball back here with just 2:28 remaining.

One minute remaing, come on game, get over, I am getting distracted here. I have already checked on my fantasy hockey team tonight (one goaltender win, one assist) and I am running out of things to type, because the game is not worth mentioning anymore, save for the final score.

Jason Campbell throws his second interception of the game ending Washington's last drive. Pittsburgh will take a knee and the game is over, Pittsburgh wins 23-6. Time for a spell check. Don't forget, AMA tomorrow night and for tonight, that is all.