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...ker to decide the division not make it into the playoffs? It could have easily happened to the Steelers this year. But life came back to the team in the very late stages of the season and they were able to grab the last spot on the caboose. The dark horse was dismissed as "previously beaten" by Cinci, and the tone remained the same as the Steelers rode into Indy and stole the upset victory for a chance to play in the Championship game in Denver. By then the dark horse was getting a little more respect, and Denver was wondering what to expect. Their worst fear was to face a team that was in that zone, the unbeatable zone that propels teams to glory. Unfortunately for them, Denvers gut was right, and the Steelers smashed through Colorado and never looked back, handing the Broncos one of those old fashioned respect getter loses that finally cemented them as not only contenders, but favorites to win the big game over the Seattle Seahawks. And it distinguished the boys in black as the only team to ever advance to the Super bowl from the lowest possible seed, 6th. The teams quarterback, Big Ben Rothlisberger, was a mere 22 years old but brought a record of 27-4 to the game. Ben also had a promise to deliver on, a promise he had made to Jerome Bettis who was seriously considering hanging up his cleats, after the previous years loss to the Pat's in Pittsburgh. Come back next year and we we'll make it all the way, I promise. Hines ward, Super bowl XL MVP, made similar promises, and was obviously troubled by the thought of a ringless Bettis ending his career on such a sour note.

To seal the deal the game was being played in Detroit, the town which conceived and gave birth to Bettis, and a town that was certainly waiting with open arms for her son to return in a blaze of glory. And glorious it was, a spectical I will never forget, a story line so perfect, the outcome had to be obvious from the start. A mere 4 hour drive from Pittsburgh, the crowd at the game that day was 90%-10% Pittsburgh ...more

The World's Most Beloved Sport - The History of Soccer

...ccer is extremely old. Despite that, there is still a version of Tsu Chu played today. While the two games are similar, Tsu Chu has had no effect on the modern version of the game, as it was originally developed and created for play in Great Britain.

Japanese Soccer History

Kemari, the Japanese version of "Soccer", is perhaps one of the most different forms of the sport, in comparison to modern soccer. Kemari was a game of "Keep it up", much like modern hacky sacks, although used with a larger ball that was stuffed with saw dust. This version involves a "pitch", or the field, designated by the selection of four trees, the cherry, maple, pine and willow. Many great houses in Japan would grow trees to have a permanent pitch, or field, established.

Kemari was normally played with two to twelve players. Established in roughly 1004 B.C., it vies for position of the oldest game with China's Tsu Chu. In fact, China's Tsu Chu players and Japan's Kemari players were the first to have an "International" game of their versions of Soccer, which is dated to have occurred in roughly 50 B.C., although a definite date of 611 A.D. is known. Regardless, this game stands with China as a sister sport to Soccer, while it never affected the modern version of the game.

Egyptian Soccer History

While not much is known about Egyptian Soccer, or other ball games, it is thought there was a version of a type of ball game played by young women during the age of Baqet III. On his tomb, images of this sport were depicted, although no one is certain how the game was played or whether or not it truly affected the outcome of modern soccer. Recordings of this game ...more

Learning from Sport - By George!

... We played squash and Monopoly. Holidays were spent playing cricket, learning to row and flying kites. We queued up for hours in the cold and the rain to get tickets to see Sutton United play Leeds in the 4th round of the FA Cup. I sat on his knee to watch Henry Cooper knock down Muhammed Ali. We revelled in England winning the World Cup. And my first attempts at golf were with George.

When my children were small it seemed perfectly natural to enjoy sport with them too. Cycling, running, football, netball, badminton, tennis, rugby, swimming; not to mention endless indoor game...more

Mike Holmgren owes Bill Cowher and NFL Fans an Apology

...le, in which he insinuated that the referee's were responsible for their loss to the World Champion Pittsburgh Steelers. I sincerely hope they levy the largest fine possible on his plump "wallet". Because the statement is not true. The Seattle Seahawks had just as much chance to win that game as did the Pittsburgh Steelers, but it was a battle of coaching and Holmgren was definitely out coached by Cowher. In the waning minutes of both halves of the game, Holmgren was managing the clock like it was a pre-season contest, not the Super bowl. Constant mistakes which ground away the clock and his teams chance to win. His kicker missed field goals, field goals that super bowl champ's MUST make, just ask the New England Patriots. His best receiver dropped nearly every pass thrown his way. His MVP of the league running back never saw the inside of the end zone. Holmgren started the game passing, yet when crunch time rolled around and the clock was going away, he thought it was a good time to start running the ball for 3 and 4 yard gains. Yet Holmgren takes the low road and calls the ref's out and points his finger of blame in their faces.

On the other side of the field Coach Cowher was planning his work and working his plan, devising plays that totally caught the Seahawks off guard, including the Rothlisbe...more