Mountain Monkeys

posted by maggie on Jun 28

The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the oldest teams in the NFL. They are only preceded by four teams — the Chicago Cardinals and Bears, the Green Bay Packers, and the New York Giants. They were a part of the NFL almost from the beginning; although it wasn’t a smooth start.

Began in 1933 by Arthur Rooney, the Steelers were originally named the Pirates. The team struggled throughout the 30′s; facing severe losses and several coaches. However in the 1940′s things began to turn around for young team. The name was changed to the Steelers and, for the first time, they had a winning season. Even with many players going off to fight in the war they continued to excel, even winning an Eastern Conference title. When the American Football League merged with the NFL in the 1970′s, the Steelers switched to the AFC Central division and then went on to win their first division title. In 2009, the Steelers again made history by becoming the first team to win six Super Bowl Titles when they beat the Arizona Cardinals in Florida.

Throughout the years the Steelers have had several players and coaches nominated into the football hall of fame; Terry Bradshaw , Bobby Layne, Bill Dudley, and founder Arthur Rooney. Defensive tackle Ernie Stautner, no. 70 and also a Hall of Fame member, is the only player in Steelers history to have his jersey retired.

Despite the ups and downs the Steelers have experienced throughout the years, their fan base has remained fiercely loyal. It is not uncommon to see a truck driving down the road with a Steelers license plate frame or window stickers in states as far away as California or Arizona. Some fans even sport Pittsburgh Steelers watches and t-shirts.

You don’t even have to be a football fan to appreciate all that the Steelers have been through and the significant marks that they have left on the sport of football and the NFL.

posted by maggie on May 7

As the time comes near for another spectacular go in the great tournaments of the year, the press begins to watch the top tennis players. They’re observed for their diets, their fashion, the public behavior of their significant others, and occasionally even their training and preparations.

This deep interest in their personal lives is only matched by the interest in the event historically. There are many tennis buffs who can recall Wimbledon scores from years ago with an exacting detail that is admirable, or perhaps a bit disturbing. It’s all a part of the charm of the game, however, as the sport attracts fans from all walks of life. The pros themselves are no uniform lot, either, having come from a wide variety of backgrounds and places, and many of them go on to do more exciting things with their already exciting lives.

Few, however, have the kinds of “Where are they now?” stories that can live up to that or the Irish player Vere St. Leger Goold . He was, by all accounts, a top-notch player, and performed extremely well in the finals at Wimbledon in 1879. That would be enough excitement for most people to fill up the rest of a lifetime with good memories, but he apparently had more ambitions than going on to the French Open .

In 1907, he and his wife were leaving Monte Carlo, and left a trunk behind to be shipped separately. A porter with a good nose smelled something very wrong, and alerted the authorities, only to find that there were parts that made up the body of a very unfortunate woman. Apparently, she had lent the couple money and jewelry, and when she tried to collect from them, they decided to get rid of her. Sparing the ghastly details, St. Leger and his wife were both convicted. She died in prison after 6 years of a life sentence, and he died in less than a year at Devil’s Island, one of the most notorious prisons in world history. Stories like this make the game even more interesting, and fortunately, it isn’t a common fate for tennis tennis players.