Steel World Over is TAKING OVER!

At Steel World Order, we realize you are more than a Steelers fan.  You are a member of the most elite fanbase community on the planet, right here in Pittsburgh.  Steel World Order represents your commitment, your work ethic, your heart and soul.

This is brand that represents you all equally as a member of Steel World Order.  Whether you are at the game, at work, out at a local watering hole, or simply shopping with your significant other, you represent the Steel World Order.  The time has come to show all other fans around the World why Pittsburgh is Ground Zero for passion in sports.  We are the City of Champions, blue collar, ready to do what needs to be done to WIN. 

Shirts, hats, decals, and much more are coming!  Get ready to show your TRUE affiliation.  Get ready to be branded a member of the Steel World Order!!

Stay tuned!

Steel World Order Spotlight: WR Antonio Brown

Antonio Brown takes one to the house in Tennessee, Sept 19 2010

For a franchise that has experienced the level of success that the Pittsburgh Steelers have in the NFL, it takes not only immense scouting and development of players, but also a knack for finding talent where the other teams may not be looking.  The Steelers have a storied history of finding "diamonds in the rough", players from smaller football programs who tend to fall under the radar whether it be for size, speed, or the system in which they played.  Many of these players have gone on to Hall of Fame or Pro Bowl-caliber careers. 

In 2010, the Steelers were coming off a season in which they failed to defend their Super Bowl XLIII crown.  Despite a late surge that allowed the team to fight to a 9-7 record, they failed to make the playoffs for the first time under Head Coach Mike Tomlin.  Media speculation was that the team had gotten old by NFL standards, and possibly the window of opportunity to win another championship had closed.  As the offseason progressed, the team made a startling move by trading troubled starting WR Santonio Holmes to the New York Jets, leaving behind a major hole in the offense.  The team was heading towards the 2010 NFL Draft with one of the key pieces to its Super Bowl XLIII roster gone, and essentially nobody to take the place of a player once considered a hero to Steeler Nation.  The team would surely need to utilize their 1st Round pick to secure a WR, and the city was abuzz with potential draft picks for the Steelers.  Names such as Demaryius Thomas of Georgia Tech, Dez Bryant of Oklahoma State, and Arrelious Benn of Illinois were all rumored to be within reach with the #18 overall pick.  When the Steelers made their selection, all three of those players were still on the board.  When the Steelers selected C Maurkice Pouncey, the collective football community questioned whether Pittsburgh had squandered its chance to fill the shoes of their departed WR.

Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin knew better.

Pouncey went on to a Pro Bowl rookie season, setting the bar for all future rookie Offensive Linemen to exceed.  The Steelers reached into their magic hats and pulled a "Dynamic" draft off in the later rounds.

A "Dynamic Duo", that is.

In the 3rd Round, the team selected WR Emmanuel Sanders of SMU.  A great value pick, Sanders has quickly shown that he belongs in the NFL.

As the rounds flew by, the Steelers knew they still needed help at WR.  A total of 14 Wide Receivers had come off the board since the Sanders pick, and many of those had been players the Steelers had publicly scouted.  The field was getting thin, but Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin had one more ace up their sleeves.

At the 195th overall pick, deep in Round 6 of the 2010 NFL Draft, the Steelers made what could go down as one of the best selections of the Draft.  A player who would go on to provide a few of the key moments in a drive to an 8th AFC Championship, including an amazing catch that may forever haunt the Baltimore Ravens franchise.

WR Antonio Brown has sealed his place in the hallowed halls of Pittsburgh Steelers lore in just one season. 

Central Michigan University may not be considered a "football factory", but the school has given the NFL many quality players over the years.  Playing in the MAC, many of its games are not seen by anyone outside of the State of Michigan.  The up-tempo style of the MAC is perfect for breeding NFL receivers - a fact that the Steelers brass knew on that fateful day in April 2010.  Antonio Brown was a "diamond in the rough", and the Steelers had stolen him in Round 6.

The 2010 season for the Pittsburgh Steelers began with a rough and tumble game vs. the upstart Atlanta Falcons in hot, sweaty Heinz Field.  The Steelers fought fatigue and the pounding sun, coming out victorious in OT, 15-9.  Brown didn't play that day, but sub-par Special Teams play that helped set the tone for Week 2. It would only take a few minutes for Antonio Brown to introduce himself to Steeler Nation.

In Week 2, the Steelers traveled to hostile Tennessee to renew an old rivalry.  On the opening kickoff, Brown was back deep with RB Mewelde Moore to await the kick.  Moore fielded the kickoff, then pitched the ball on a reverse to Brown, who let his speed and elusiveness do the rest.  Roughly 5 seconds later - 89 yards later technically - rookie Antonio Brown was standing in the endzone.  The Steelers never looked back, springboarding to a 19-11 victory in a game that saw the Steelers offense provide only 4 FG. 

The kickoff return in Tennessee was the highlight of the first 4 games of the season, which were played without QB Ben Roethlisberger.  While the Steelers offense found its way, Brown honed his skills in practice.  The Steelers began the slow creep towards another AFC North title, and in December the team began to rely heavily on its new "Dynamic Duo" WR tandem.  While Brown had a few highlights sprinkled into the rest of the regular season, it was when the stakes were the highest that he truly began to shine.

The AFC Divisional round saw the hated Baltimore Ravens invade Heinz Field.  The game was as expected, a slug-fest between two teams who have a true hatred for each other.  As usual, the rivalry created tense moments for fans of both teams and came down to big plays.

Antonio Brown made the biggest play of the season for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

With less than 2:00 left in a tied game, Roethlisberger launched a hard spiral down the sideline.  The ball traveled over 50 yards in the air, flying over the entire vaunted Baltimore Ravens defense.  Brown sprinted down the line, past those same Ratbirds defenders.  The ball and the receiver came together like a play out of a Madden NFL video game.

It took the crowd of 64,879 a second to register the magnitude of what occurred.  The roar was deafening as Brown skirted out-of-bounds with the ball lodged firmly between his hands.  It was academic for the Steelers offense at that point, as RB Rashard Mendenhall punched the ball into the endzone with 1:33 left.  The Ravens were dead, again.

The catch made by Antonio Brown may go down as the 2nd greatest catch in a team history that includes 6 Super Bowl titles - and 1 Immaculate Reception.

One week later, the Steelers found themselves in another close game vs. the pesky New York Jets in the AFC Championship Game.  In the end, it was the hands of the rookie WR that put Pittsburgh in its 3rd Super Bowl in 5 years.  On 3rd and 6 with 2:00 left one again, Ben found Brown on a short pass to seal a 1st down and allow the Steelers to run out the clock.

Although the team came up short of its ultimate goal, the legacy of Antonio Brown was born over those seven blistery days in Pittsburgh, PA.  When the NFL resumes its schedule for 2011, the Steelers will return to Latrobe and look to begin a run to another Super Bowl.  Roster spots will be earned, and players will be cut. 

One guy who will not have to worry about either is WR Antonio Brown.  The Steelers truly found themselves a "diamond in the rough", for years to come.

This Celebration is for Hines

On Thursday afternoon, Steeler Nation will have the chance to celebrate another title.  Unfortunately, this title isn't for success on the gridiron.  Future Hall of Fame WR and lifetime Steeler Hines Ward will come to town alongside his "Dancing with the Stars" partner Kym Johnson to celebrate their winning of the most recent DWTS competition.  The party will kick off at Noon on Thursday at the City-County Building downtown.  The event will include both Hines and Kym on stage thanking Pittsburgh for the surge in votes that allowed them to salsa away with the gold, a dance contest between contestants who enter vidoes via CityDWTScontest@gmail.com, and special guests.

It is no secret that Steeler Nation flexed its muscles to get the win for Hines.  Ward has gone on record thanking the fans for the help.  Another amazing victory by the Steel World Order!

Come out to the city Thursday afternoon , dust off that gameday Terrible Towel and jersey, and help celebrate a win for one of our true Pittsburgh heroes.

Could Plaxico Burress come back to Pittsburgh?

After spending the better part of the Obama Administration behinds bars, former Steelers and New York Giants WR Plaxico Burress will be joining the NFL Free Agent market once the new CBA is complete.  The Giants will make no effort ro re-sign him, and Burress has made a point to go on record stating that he will never play for Tom Coughlin again.  With the free agent WR class potentially holding several high value players, Burress could be looking at a tough sell to the remaining NFL teams.  Could a return to Pittsburgh be among the options for Plaxico?

Many NFL experts predict that the New York Jets could make a strong play for Burress.  Recent comments from Plaxico in regards to QB Mark Sanchez in an interview with The Sporting News on June 13 have now made that union seem unlikely.  The other odds on favorites for "troubled" players, Dallas and Oakland, are both teams that could use the large frame and big play ability that Burress may be able to provide, even after 2 years in the slammer.  Fringe speculation also centers around Jacksonville, Tennessee, and perhaps even AFC North divisional rivals Baltimore or Cincinnati.  With the lockout disrupting the flow of talent from the Draft and Free Agency, teams will hit the ground running once the dust settles.  The first week of NFL Free Agency will be something unlike ever seen by football fans.  If the musical chairs at WR gets moving in a hurry, a guy like Burress could be there for the taking at a good price.

So would the Pittsburgh Steelers take a flier on their former 1st Round Draft Pick?  Lets take a look at the facts:

1.  The WR Situation - The Steelers have not had depth at WR this deep in ages, with future Hall of Famer Hines Ward leading the team from both the field and the locker room.  Mike Wallace is well on his way to becoming the "heir apparent" to Ward, and a Pro Bowler for many seasons to come.  The 2010 rookie class provided the Steelers with the "Dynamic Duo" of Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders, both players who filled vital roles for the team during the biggest games of 2010.  Antwaan Randle-El is also returning, despite a somewhat lackluster homecoming this past season.  Arnez Battle provides a solid Special Teams return, and can fill in on a pinch in any formation.  The team also has practice squad players Tyler Grisham - who dressed for several games in the late 2009 season - and former WVU star Wes Lyons.  The enigma known as Limas Sweed, a player the Steelers drafted to fill the "Plaxico" role, is still rostered, although his status is unknown for 2011.

On paper, there is no roster spot for Plaxico.  The Steelers would need to make significant changes to the team in order to bring a player of his caliber back into the fold.  With the franchise returning pretty much the entire team from a Super Bowl-caliber roster, the odds of wholesale changes being made are slim.

2.  The Big Ben factor - Media reports of QB Ben Roethlisberger being in favor of a Burress return were all over the place in the local papers and on Pittsburgh sports talk radio less then a week ago.  Ben has made it no secret that he desires a large target in the passing game to compliment the speed of the current group.  Again, Limas Sweed was supposed to be THAT GUY.  Unfortunately for Ben and the Steelers, Sweed turned out to be much less talented than his pedigree would suggest.  The Steelers have yet to find a tall WR since Plaxico left via Free Agency.  Roethlisberger only played one season with Plaxico, and Ben is a much different player now than he was in 2004.  While the QB qould surely appreciate the addition of Burress, that isn't enough to bring the Steelers on board.

3.  Steeler Nation - Would Burress be welcomed by the throngs of the Steel World Order?  His criminal record nonwithstanding, the name Plaxico is usually greeted with disdain in the Steel City.  His parting with the Steelers in 2005 followed one of the worst defeats this fanbase has ever experienced, the 2004 AFC Championship Game loss to the satanic Tom Brady and his band of cheating Patriots.  While Hines Ward was beginning to seal his legacy as the Steelers heart and soul with his emotional post-game interview. Burress was cleaning out his locker and beginning to look for gainful employment elsewhere.  Less than 2 years later, he was catching the game-winning TD pass in Super Bowl XLII against those same videotaping Pats.  Had the Steelers not won Super Bowl XL in 2006, the Plaxico Burress saga may have been the crowning moment of the Bill Cowher era Steelers.  Has the success of the team over the past 5 years allowed Steeler Nation to forgive and forget the woeful playoff performance of Burress during those 2004 AFC playoffs?  Would the Heinz Field faithful welcome back the former Michigan State Spartan?  Does his criminal background now disqualify him from ever being a "true" Pittsburgh Steeler again?

The end result of this study finds it very difficult to ever picture Plaxico Burress wearing the Black and Gold again.  Alot can happen over the next month, and the roster could change greatly depending on how the lockout and CBA unfold.  If the stars align, it could happen.  A great story could be made here, a story about how a long lost son returned home.

Could it happen?

The Curious Case of Ike Taylor - How a mediocre CB has the Steelers in a Pickle

"Swaggin'"

As one of the premiere franchises in professional sports, the Pittsburgh Steelers have always made an effort to focus on the "team" aspect of the sport.  No player has ever been bigger than the Steelers, no parts as important as the sum....and that sum has been 6 Lombardi Trophies sitting neatly together in the Steelers headquarters.  It is safe to say that the Rooney way (the philosophy, not the avenue) has always seemed to lead to prosperity (While Rooney Avenue now leads to Stage AE).

Whether Noll or Cowher or Tomlin, Steelers coaches have embraced the philosophy of their ownership and followed up with big wins.  The team has allowed numerous players to walk in lieu of giving them big raises in the twilight of their careers.  With one notable exception in Rod Woodson, the team has always been on the right side of these transactions.  Woodson went on to play at a high level and win a Super Bowl, collecting huge paydays from San Fransisco, Oakland, and Baltimore along the way.  The rest of the lost Steelers include players who never again had an impact in the National Football League.

The "Rooney Way" will be meeting its biggest challenge this summer, once the bickering suits are done hammering out a new CBA.  On the day the deal is signed, CB Ike Taylor will become one of the most sought-after players in a thin Free Agency class.  The Steelers will need to make a quick decision on Taylor, as the offers will come in from all over the map.  For the first time in decades, the Pittsburgh Steelers have allowed themselves to get into a situation with a player that could make or break an entire position for the 2011 squad.  Ike is the only reliable CB on the current roster, a 2-time Super Bowl champion, a guy who has both tested the wills of Steeler Nation and given us many dramatic moments.  If Taylor walks, the team is in the precarious position of having perhaps the worst starting corners in the AFC.

The 2011 NFL Draft was good to the Steelers.  Their 1st Round pick, DE Cameron Heyward, looks like a winner.  They picked up a few project CB players in Curtis Brown and Cortez Allen, one coming in from a college career playing against top line competition, the other coming from a military institution that may as well be Slippery Rock by football standards.  The current holdover roster gives us William Gay, who is quite possibly the worst all-around football player to have a roster spot in the NFL.  Crezdon Butler is an intriguing talent, but has little game experience.  Bryant McFadden is a solid player, if unspectacular, but not a guy who fills the bill as a #1 CB.  Special Teams ace Anthony Madison is valuable in many ways, but watching him try to cover the Packers WR corps is something we have had nightmares about since February.  Keenan Lewis has shown talent leading to believe he was sitting in the 3rd round of the 2009 Draft for a reason.

If the Steelers go into Latrobe with a combination of McFadden/Butler/Gay/Lewis/Madison fighting it out for the starting 2 CB slots, it won't matter how many sacks or fumbles the Defense causes, teams will simply throw the ball 50 times and utilize the bad match-ups underneath with their TE.  A good pass rush is only as good as the coverage.  The Steelers will spend the season playing in many 31-28 games, similar to the last 8 games of the 2009 season.  Go back and watch those games vs. Oakland, vs. Green Bay, at Kansas City.  That is not something Steelers fans - or players or coaches - want to relive.  That was not "Steeler Football".

Ike Taylor has never been confused with a Pro-Bowl CB.  He has never had good hands, nor good judgement.  What he has always had is speed, and a knack for coming up with a big play in a tight spot (see SB XL, 2008 vs. Dallas, etc.).  Ike has been a solid CB on one of the greatest defenses in the history of football, and despite his errors and untranslatable interviews, he is part of a legacy that will never be forgotten.  The Steelers can not simply allow him to walk away to the highest bidder and leave themselves in FUBAR state.  Ike Taylor knows this.  Ike Taylors savvy agent knows this.  The NFL and all of its teams - many hungry for secondary help and flush with the coin to make it a reality - know this.

So what are the Steelers to do?

PAY THE MAN.

The unfortunate position the team finds itself in makes it impossible to let Taylor "Swag" on out of Pittsburgh.  Ike is not going to give a "hometown discount", something that he has made clear via his Twitter account.  Ike Taylor is a Pittsburgh Steeler, and deserves to have his day in the Pittsburgh sun.  Hope that somebody steps up to play the role of #2 CB out of the McFadden/Butler mix.  Allow Madison to stay in his role of nickel back and Special Teams ace headhunter.  Make the young guys fight it out for the other slots, and for all that is HOLY - CUT William Gay.

The Steelers have one more season with this current group to get that elusive 3rd Lombardi.  Guys like James Farrior, Aaron Smith, Troy Polamalu, Casey Hampton.....they are at the end or close to it.  The 2011 season is the final shot for a roster that could well be considered a dynasty if they can get back to the Super Bowl and come away with another crown.  A QB and WR will secure their day on the steps of Canton, OH.  A franchise will once again be the best in the world.

Ike Taylor may have the Steelers asses over a barrel, but they built that barrel.  The "Rooney Way" will need to sit this one out, #24 is needed on the North Shore this winter.