The Carson Palmer Hit

Pittsburgh fans do feel bad about it, just in case there's a question. All football fans know the game is physical, but no one wants to see someone permanently injured or taken out of the game.

Something that hasn't been pointed out in the media (that I'm aware of), though: if you watch the video, you'll see an offensive lineman pushing von Oelhoffen toward the place where Palmer had just stepped up to throw. I was watching the Texas Tech basketball game yesterday — it's not the one true sport, but it makes good background noise — and a player went out of the game after he incurred what appeared to be a knee injury.

The commentator, whose name I didn't catch, brought up the Palmer hit and said "When bodies start rolling toward knees, I think there's malice aforethought." My immediate reaction was "Shut up and stick to calling the game in the sport you actually know something about." The linebacker meant to take the future of his team out of the game? I don't think so.

Black and Gold Friday was yesterday, and there was even more black and gold being sported than usual. People are, well, nervous about the Steelers playing the Colts, and there are people who aren't very confident that the Steelers can win. Honus Wagner Sporting Goods has put up signs saying that the Super Bowl isn't on February 5th, it's on January 15th when the Steelers play the Colts. The employees of the county courthouse converted their Christmas tree to a black and gold tree. I shot some pictures, but they were on the film camera for my photography class. Just before the workday ended, they converged in the courtyard where the tree is for a group photo. They were very excited, and a couple of guys were tossing around a ball. It was nice to see.

People are tweaked that the Colts are encouraging ticket holders not to sell them to Steelers fans. I understand it, but I think that the Colts shouldn't need to stoop to that.

Concerning Nick Harper, ESPN is reporting at the moment that he'll probably play. He apparently looks better now, though he was limping around the clubhouse earlier. I don't know anything more than the background given here, so I'm not going to comment for the moment.