"DER FUEHRER" SPOTTED IN HAPPY VALLEY!!! "P.B.& G." REVEALS TOP-SECRET MEETING TAPE!!!

ABOVE: Adolf Hitler has been known for a number of things, but never before for being a college football fan.

Incredibly, "Pittsburgh's Black and Gold" has learned that Adolf Hitler, now a reported 120 years old, was spotted in a Winnebago near Beaver Stadium last Saturday. The Nittanies were hosting the Ohio State Terrelle Pryors at the time. Ironically, though Hitler, at 120, is too old to be still be alive, he ironically would not be considered too old to coach in the Big 10.

Along with this incredible report, "P.B. & G." has received a covert tape from an operative in Germany that further explains this whole bizarre situation. You can view it here at:

Hitler Top Secret Strategy Meeting Videotaped!!!

Every so often we come upon something as unusual as this and pass it on to you, our readers, in the interest of keeping you as informed as possible on what's really going on in the world today. We hope that this tape helps to explain many of the public misconceptions that exist about college football.

Of course, special thanks are due to the agent who smuggled this footage to us, known simply as "A.C." Sadly, had we been able to get this tape before "The Big Game" last week, maybe Hitler could have been apprehended once and for all. Oh well, maybe the Rose Bowl...

HITLER UPDATE....
Apparently so many of you tried viewing this tape earlier in the day that we ran into technical difficulties (or was it an SS plot to keep this meeting secret)? At any rate, the Hitler meeting tape is back up and now available for your viewing and historical analysis. Thanks to all of you who let us know!!! Now quit sending emails!

ABOVE: Hitler, portrayed here by Daffy Duck, reads "Mein Kampf" (My Struggle) before the Penn Stae-Ohio State game.

STEELERS REVEAL STRONGEST ATTRIBUTE TO ENTIRE FOOTBALL VIEWING WORLD

Editor's Note: "Pittsburgh: Thru the Lens of Gary Gayda" will return next Tuesday.

ABOVE: Steeler fans are already watching the clock for Sunday at 1:00 when the Steelers have their showdown with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Yes, that was some great beatdown that the Steelers layed on the Denver Broncos last night, winning 28-10. It was certainly one of the most enjoyable regular season games that a Steeler fan could ever watch. But while everyone was marveling at Mendenhall's rushing totals or Santonio's six catches, Hines Ward's two touchdowns, Ben's great game, or James Harrison's massive hit on Corelle Buckhalter, nearly everyone was missing out on the real story of this game: The Steeler's incredible depth.

For two weeks we were subjected to a heated debate on whether the Steelers should play Ryan Clark because of serious medical consequences he suffered the last time he played in Denver. I did not have a doubt in my mind that he would be held out as it turned out that he was. But while Clark's absence was being discussed, there was also plenty of hand-wringing over the absence of: Aaron Smith, Willie Parker and Lawrence Timmons. Fact of the matter, while all four are great players in their own right, the Steelers are such a strong team that even their backups are capable of starting for most teams in the league. 

Clark's backup, Tyrone Carter, had two interceptions with one returned for a key touchdown in the first half. Keyaron Fox, Timmon's replacement, was all over the field and had a great game. Willie Parker's replacement, Rashard Mendenhall, only had 159 yards rushing and looked terrific. Aaron Smith's second replacement, Nick Eason (backup Travis Kirshke was out with a calf injury) also played admirably in completely throttling Denver's running game.

What other National Football League team could have sustained such major losses to key players and gone into a stadium as difficult as Invesco Field and won so convincingly on Monday Night Football? The answer? None.

Oh, sure, teams will have injury replacements going on all the time, because it's part of the game. But there's usually a major dropoff in performance level. If anyone noticed a dropoff last night, would you please raise your hand? ...I didn't think so.

Last night's win quite clearly demonstrated that the Steelers are again the class of the NFL. They can beat you with skill, they can beat you with physicality, they can beat you with guile and all the while they will do it with an enthusiasm that is unmistakable Pittsburgh Steelers.

The greatest fan base in all of sports had another great night too. Am estimated 20,000 Steeler fans made their way across the country and reveled in the success that the "Terrible Towel" brings to the team wherever it goes.

These same fans and their beloved Steelers have a big game coming up against the Cincinnati Bengals at home this Sunday, a team that beat the Steelers early in the season. The Bengals, who have been playing well, most recently defeated the rapidly-falling Ravens.

While the Bengals are an improved team, for sure, unfortunately for them, they're now catching the Steelers at a very bad time. I expect the Steelers to have another exciting game this week with a similar second half "sleeper hold" like the one they put on Denver in the second half. I would expect a score in the 30-17 range. This Steeler team is too good. It also knows that a win over Cincinnati puts them in the drivers seat in the AFC North. These players also enjoy winning too much to want to stop doing it now. For Steeler fans everywhere it should be another gourmet feast.

FRIDAY HUMOR DEPARTMENT

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I received a couple good emails from some faithful readers, so I thought I'd share them with you today. Also, I'm looking forward to covering, in person, along with my famous son, fellow blogger "Raul Mondesi" of Mondesi's House the Pitt- Syracuse game. Speaking of college football, isn't it great to finally see Penn State playing a game against a real opponent? I liked that interview that was done with Wanny this week where he basically said that as long as Paterno's there they'll never play Penn State.

Dave no one at Pitt really cares anymore. What glory is there playing a school in the lousy Big 10 conference that only schedules cupcake non-conference games otherwise? I say, let them play Temple and be done with them and their lily-white uniforms forever! This from a guy that used to love going to these games every year...

Let's get on with some humor!

From A.C., a faithful reader in the North Hills...

How true is that? Then there's this golf classic from my old friend Don...


GOLFERS WILL UNDERSTAND...


It was a sunny morning, a little before 8:00 am, on the first hole of a busy course, and I was beginning my pre-shot routine, visualizing my upcoming shot when a piercing voice came over the club house loud speaker,

'Would the gentleman on the woman's tee back up to the men's tee please!'

I could feel every eye on the course looking at me. I was still deep in my routine, seemingly impervious to the interruption.

Again the announcement,'Would the man on the woman's tee kindly back up to the men's tee.'

I simply ignored the guy and kept concentrating, when once more, the man yelled,

'Would the man on the woman's tee back up to the men's tee, please!'

I finally stopped, turned, cupped my hands and shouted back towards the loudspeaker:'

Would the a**hole with the microphone please be quiet and let me play my second shot!!!'


Oh man have I ever been there!


Of course, there are whiffs and then there are whiffs!

Then finally there's this little nugget that I found the other day that describes Americans' view of the world I noticed that there's not even a continent of Africa on this map. Is that by accident or design?

Have a great weekend! Go Pitt, Go Steelers, Go Penguins, Go Buckeyes!

PENS INJURY BUG IN FULL BLOOM AS TEAM HEADS TO DREADED WEST COAST

Just when the Penguins are heading towards the west coast, where wins have come about as often as the 14 year locusts, the Penguins' injury list just keeps getting longer and longer. Here's a brief synopsis of said injuries and the possible cures that the players are turning towards during their "down" time (you'll see how inappropriate that term is in a minute).

Sidney Crosby

ABOVE: Sidney Crosby is listed as "Day to-Day" which in his case simply means that he will elect to play. As evidenced by this incredible shot, there is nothing wrong with his internal organs, thank goodness for that!

Jordan Staal

ABOVE: Staal, thankfully, is fine. However, he displays some alarming tendencies once he's had a few drinks in him. Even his date is amazed!

Evgeni Malkin

ABOVE: Evgeni Malkin is suffering from a shoulder injury. However, he was anxious to set his proclivities straight for the female population after the Staal photo first hit the internet.

Sergei Gonchar

ABOVE: Sergei Gonchar has a broken wrist (protected in pocket). He also does not relish having his picture taken. "Sarge" has graduated to the "classy chicks" and away from the omni-present "puck bunnies".

Tyler Kennedy

ABOVE: Tyler Kennedy has an "undisclosed injury" which in hockey parlance can often be interpreted as being an injury in the vital area anecdotally referred to as the "kolbassi" or even the more genteel "weiner". Let's hope for this young couple that it's really a leg or foot problem. Even a head injury wouldn't be that bad, but not the other, potentially devastating problem.

Max Talbot

                  

LEFT: Max Talbot, famous for shusshing the Philadelphia Flyers crowd in the playoffs last year, takes his shirt off to display his now-surgically-repaired left shoulder. I've now had three of these, and all I can say is, just wait until he has to put that shirt back on...

Marc-Andre Fleury

ABOVE: Thankfully, there's nothing wrong with M.A.F. However, if he does this enough times, there will be! It will probably be an "undisclosed injury."

ABOVE: Penguin fans everywhere will be anxious to see Max Talbot and friends return to the ice soon, but to their credit, the team is 12-3 and leading the league in points through 15 games of the season

IT'S NOT TOO EARLY TO START BEING THANKFUL...

AP PHOTOGRAPH BY DAVID GUTTENFELDER

ABOVE: It's November and Thanksgiving will be here before we know it. No, these American Marines are not dead, thank God for that. They're simply bedded down for the night in the comfort of a hole in Afghanistan. We have a lot to be thankful for as Americans. Personally, I'll be even more thankful when these brave guys can get back home to their families! Special thanks to AP photographer David Guttenfelder for his amazing combat photography.

BELOW: Trying to console each other, these griefstricken soldiers mourn the loss of a fallen comrade. What price freedom for Americans? Unfortunately, it's always been the blood, sweat and tears of American soldiers. Just because these brave men are battle-hardened doesn't mean that they can't cry for a lost friend. We should all be thankful for men like this.

STEELERS READY FOR SECOND HALF ONSLAUGHT

The Steelers will have officially finished the first half of their league schedule when they play their next game Monday night at Denver. Currently their record stands at 5-2. Their losses came in weeks two and three consecutively, in games at Chicago and Cincinnati. The loss in Chicago, against a team the Steelers should have beaten was bad enough. The loss to Cincinnati, unfortunately let the genie out of the bottle and gave the Bengals reason to believe that they could play to win in the AFC North. As a result, today, the Steelers are sharing the first place lead in the division with the resurgent Bengals who are also 5-2.

LEFT: The Steelers should be well-rested heading into their game on MNF against the Denver Broncos.

Looking ahead at the schedule, the Steelers' opponents, as a whole, are barely over the .500 mark, so it's not as though the Black & Gold are facing some monumental challenge. In fact, in a season where the league that prides itself on parity, there are more really bad teams this year than in any time in recent memory. In their last nine games, the Steelers get to face three of these mediocre opponents, the Chiefs, Raiders and Browns, with a cumulative record of 4-19 (.173).

ABOVE: Three of the Steelers final nine opponents are viewed as "pushovers".

But in those other six contests, there are also some challenges too. Denver on Monday should be one of them, although I fully expect the Steelers to win this game because it is on a national stage where they always excell. The Bengals at home should be a good game, but look for a very physical butt kicking for Cinci when they come to Heinz Field.

The division could very well hinge on the two games still remaining on the schedule with the always-tough Ravens. Baltimore roughed-up Denver last week and now the Broncos get to play the Steelers. Ouch, that's a real one-two punch to have to take!

Baltimore looks very formidable as usual. Their defense isn't quite bringing the same amount of pressure as it used to, but it's still very stout. On the other side of the ball, Baltimore not only has a qb, Joe Flacco, who's getting better with each game of experience, but they also now have a trio of backs led by Ray Rice that are a real challenge for any team. But then again, this is the Steelers we're talking about, and they even managed to keep man-beast Adrian-Peterson under 100 yards when they last played.

ABOVE: Joe Flacco didn't beat out Tyler Palko at Pitt and took his ball home to Delaware State. Last year he was good enough to win the "Diet Pepsi Rookie-of-the-Year Award", so there.

Those two games with Baltimore will once again be pivotal, but the Steelers will also have games against Green bay at home and Miami, on the road.

While trying to remain as objective as possible, and keeping in mind how injuries can play such a key roll in determining the outcomes of games, the remainder of this season certainly looks like one that could very well find them "running the table".

Next Monday, a newly-invigorated Steeler team will take the field in Denver and show the rest of the league why they're the champs. They'll follow that win up with a convincing win over the Bengals at the "Big Ketchup Bottle". From there, with a 7-2 record and atop the division, it should be a sprint to the finish line.

PITTSBURGH: THRU THE LENS OF GARY GAYDA

PHOTOGRAPHY DEPT:
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Insects don't usually get much respect from people, but our intrepid in-house "pappirazzi", Gary Gayda, may have succeeded in bridging the gap between humans and spiders this week! So why not? He bridged the gap between humans and the supernatural two weeks ago, so in retrospect, spiders are simple!

As is always the case, if you'd like to order a copy of this print, send Gary an email at GMGayda@yahoo.com. Just let him know what size you're interested in, the picture number and title and Gary will get back to you posthaste.

                                       
So without further adieu, let's get on with this week's photo in:




"PITTSBURGH: THRU THE LENS OF GARY GAYDA"



#36    SPIDER WITH A VIEW

ABOVE: A spider with an eye for great scenery spun this web along the Mt. Washington overlook. The Liberty Bridge and the County Jail are in the background beyond the Monongahela River.