Pittsburgh will likely continue to renegotiate contracts as it has already with LaMarr Woodley and Lawrence Timmons (via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette), as well as make decisions on players such as Hines Ward, Aaron Smith, Casey Hampton and Chris Kemoeatu, to name a few.

While the loss of any of their long-time veterans will be a tough pill to swallow, there is no doubt that age has caught up to many of these players, and the team would be losing more in terms of leadership than on-field production.

The same cannot be said for its top free agent, wide receiver Mike Wallace.

Wallace is a restricted free agent and is expected to get a first-round tender, according to NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora.

The first-round tender ($2.742 million) is much more cap friendly than a franchise tag ($9.5 million) for a cap-strapped team like the Steelers.

Regardless of how the Steelers handle Wallace, team president Art Rooney II told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that Wallace would be “one of the priorities” this offseason.

There is little doubt that the Steelers will do everything in their power to lock up Wallace to a long-term deal. However, that may be out of their control.

Who is the Steelers top receiving option?

Who is the Steelers top receiving option?
• Mike Wallace 56.2%
• Antonio Brown 43.8%

Total votes: 2,340

ESPN’s Adam Shefter says that there is a ”50-50″ chance that another team will try to sign Wallace from the Steelers.

A team such as the San Francisco 49ers, New England Patriots or Baltimore Ravens could potentially acquire Wallace, who will only be 26 when next season begins. Giving up a late first-round draft choice for a proven deep threat is by no means out of the question. In fact, it is much less risky than taking a chance on a draft choice.

To prevent against this, the Tribune Review’s Scott Brown suggested that the Steelers could use a franchise tag on Wallace, meaning any team that signed him would have to give up two first-round selections.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ed Bouchette thinks otherwise stating that he would be “stunned” if the Steelers would use the tag with the current cap problems.

Given the cap problems and real threat that Wallace could be signed elsewhere, it begs the question: Would the Steelers be better off without Wallace?

From a pure talent stand point, the Steelers would be losing the best deep threat in the AFC and one of the best in the league, besides DeSean Jackson.

As a rookie, Wallace led the league with 19.4 yards per reception and followed it up in his second year averaging 21 yards per reception. He also led the league in 2010 with seven 100-yard receiving games.

Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

Wallace was Pittsburgh’s top option for the first time in his career this season and was very impressive, earning his first Pro Bowl berth. He led the team in receptions (72), yards (1,193), touchdowns (8), average (16.6) and longest reception (95).

Beyond the stats, there is not a defensive back that can keep up with Wallace.

However, receivers are a dime a dozen. There is a lot of talent available, especially with all of the spread offenses in the college game. Even though Wallace is an elite deep threat, wide receivers are not a position that carries a team to a championship.

Wallace also faced some criticism for his second half of the season.

Over the first eight games of 2011, Wallace had 43 receptions for 800 yards and five touchdowns and averaged at least 15 yards per reception five times. Even more impressive, Wallace had a reception of at least 40 yards in six of those games and went over 100 yards four times.

The emergence of Antonio Brown as a top threat took a hit on Wallace’s production in the second half of the season, where he caught 29 passes for 393 yards and three touchdowns. He averaged over 15 yards per reception only once, had only one reception over 40 yards and registered no 100-yard games.

Wallace failed to fight for balls when experiencing tight coverage and had too many drops, including those that could have gone for touchdowns.

Jeff Gross/Getty Images

Despite the lack of production, Wallace figures to get paid and get paid well. The more he gets from the Steelers, the less they can spend on getting younger on defense and finding help for the offensive line, and it makes it tougher to sign Brown and Emmanuel Sanders next season.

The problem in signing Wallace could get bigger if another team with more cap space makes an offer. Though Pittsburgh could match, they may not want to for the reasons cited above.

If Wallace signs elsewhere, Pittsburgh could use the money it was going to use to sign him to keep Hines Ward at a reduced rate and lock up Jericho Cotchery.

That would give the Steelers two possession receivers to go with the playmakers Brown and Sanders.

The Steelers would also pick up an extra first-round pick, most likely a late-round choice if one of the playoff teams makes a move for Wallace.

The second first-round choice would give the Steelers plenty of flexibility in the draft for trades or to even stay put and get younger.

Pittsburgh could easily use two first-round choices to upgrade on defense, find help for their offensive line or to simply find the best available talent available.

Do you want the Steelers to sign Wallace if another team offers him a contract?

Do you want the Steelers to sign Wallace if another team offers him a contract?
• Yes, he is one of the best young receivers in the game. 60.0%
• No, I would rather the Steelers get an extra first round pick. 40.0%

Total votes: 2,453

Imagine the talent that Pittsburgh could find at the end of the first round.

Pittsburgh could bolster its offensive line with talent such as tackle Mike Adams or guard Cordy Glenn, or it could find a replacement for Wallace with the physical receiver Mohamed Sanu.

There are even more possibilities on defense, starting with nose tackle Dontari Poe, who could immediately step in for Casey Hampton. The Steelers could potentially fill their need at inside linebacker with Vontaze Burfict.

If Pittsburgh wanted to upgrade its secondary, safety Mark Barron and cornerback Janoris Jenkins are two potential options at the end of the first.

Two first-round draft picks would give Pittsburgh flexibility to trade up or down. Obviously, trading down would help accumulate picks in the first half of the draft and really help the team get younger.

The more exciting option would be to give up a second or third round choice and move up for talent such as guard David DeCastro, inside linebackers Luke Kuechly or Dont’a Hightower, outside linebacker Courtney Upshaw or cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick.

Multiple picks in the first round would give the Steelers an unbelievable amount of flexibility to immediately get younger and add talent who can start or significantly contribute as soon as next season.

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Is it worth it to lose Wallace for the combination of any two of the previously mentioned players as well as the financial flexibility they would have in free agency not locking him up to a long-term deal? Maybe.

But in the end, Pittsburgh will still be a passing team with Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback, even with new offensive coordinator Todd Haley in town, and the Steelers do not need to lose their best weapon.

As tempting as getting an extra first round pick would be, the Steelers will be better next year with Wallace. However, if he is signed away, not all will be lost as Pittsburgh will have plenty of options to improve themselves elsewhere.

Follow me on Twitter @ChrisG_FC

Mike Wallace: Are the Pittsburgh Steelers Better off Without Him?

Thursday 23 February 2012

Temperature: 10 C to 14 C

Friday 24 February 2012

Temperature: 3 C to 11 C

Saturday 25 February 2012

Temperature: 4 C to 10 C

Sunday 26 February 2012

Temperature: 5 C to 10 C

Monday 27 February 2012

Temperature: 7 C to 11 C

Wind direction: South west

Lent courses in Epworth

So, as the Bucs’ new coordinator, he came prepared to tackle those questions head on. More important, he emphasized that the hard-learned lessons will serve him well in Tampa.

So, why did his defense give up the second-most points in franchise history and look nothing like a group two years removed from a Super Bowl title?

“Even though we started out the season 5-0 and we had the No. 1-ranked defense in the National Football League (at that point), after sustaining a couple of season-ending injuries to some starters … we started to falter and we hit a skid during the middle of the season,” Sheridan said. “In hindsight, looking back, I think one of the things we probably did was we assumed, as a defensive staff, (that) things would get turned around.”

They never did. The Giants lost eight of their next 11 games, and Sheridan was fired by coach Tom Coughlin. The 427 points yielded was third-most in the league that season behind the Lions and Rams, who combined for three wins.

Sheridan admitted another miscalculation. As injuries increased, he and his staff began using less complicated tactics to accommodate new starters and new signees, something offenses capitalized on.

“We tried to be very simple for them,” Sheridan said. “But, in hindsight, I think we may have been guilty of maybe being too simple. It’s great for your own players that you present to them a simplistic scheme that they can execute on Sunday, but you’re also not posing enough issues for the teams you play against.”

But there will be marked differences in Sheridan’s experience as a coordinator in New York and this foray The most obvious: He’ll run coach Greg Schiano’s defense, not his own. Sheridan and Schiano discussed that during Sheridan’s interview, and Sheridan said he fully accepts the arrangement.

Sheridan sees Schiano’s extensive involvement in the defense as a plus.

“I view it as a gigantic advantage, that along with having (special assistant) Butch Davis on our side of the ball,” Sheridan said. “It’s going to be Greg Schiano’s defense because he’s our head coach and I’m coordinating for him. Obviously, he hired me because he thinks I have a lot of experience, knowledge and competence, and he’s relying on that as well.”

The Bucs will keep the 4-3 defense, with some changes. There will be some principles borrowed from the 3-4 Sheridan worked in with the Dolphins last season. For instance, some linemen will, at times, use a two-gap approach vs. the Bucs’ traditional one-gap attack. And there will be a significantly more aggressive approach to pressuring quarterbacks.

Sheridan has spent his first couple of days on the job watching video of some of the Bucs’ worst plays of 2011. In examining the big plays, Sheridan noticed a consistent theme.

“On the big pass plays, there wasn’t any pressure,” he said. “And I don’t mean just four-down (lineman) pressure. Of course, if you can pressure the quarterback with four down (linemen), you’re going to win in the National Football League.

“But from a schematic standpoint, the one thread was that (the big plays came against) a four-man rush. Now, you’re vulnerable (when you blitz) because the passing game is so fantastic in this league. … But unless you disrupt the guy throwing it, it’s tough sometimes to match up and cover the down-the-field routes.”

APOLOGY FOR TEBOW COMMENTS: Brady Quinn apologized to Tim Tebow for unflattering comments about his fellow Broncos quarterback in a GQ article. About Tebow leaping over him on the depth chart to become the starter when Kyle Orton was benched, Quinn said, “I felt like the fans had a lot to do with that.” Quinn also said in the article that the way Tebow expresses his faith doesn’t “seem very humble to me.” Both men are Christians.

OBITUARY: Tom Martinez, best known as Tom Brady’s quarterbacking mentor, died Tuesday of a heart attack at 66, Boston TV station WVCB reported.

Information from Times wires was used in this report.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan happy to run Greg Schiano’s defense – Tampa Bay Times

Considering the roots of this holiday, is it therefore appropriate to host a Mardi Gras party at your business? Most holidays that are surrounded by religious connotations are avoided like the plague in a modern, politically correct world. Likewise, any event that is too wild appears uncouth in the eyes of the business world. So, it seems a bit ironic that a trend of hosting Mardi Gras celebrations for businesses would be on the rise. The opinions seem to be split down the middle with respects to Mardi Gras. One side is holding fast to the inappropriate nature of a celebration that is focused around excess, especially for small businesses that are structuring their entire business model around saving to fight the recent downfall of the economy.

Nonetheless, more and more businesses are choosing to host celebrations for Mardi Gras, even in place of the traditional holiday party. It is an interesting approach to affecting work mentality, as businesses are trying to bolster employee work ethic by using a similar concept to the order of events from which Mardi Gras preceding Lent originated. There is sound logic to encouraging a period of fun and release followed by a renewed effort and focus on the job front. Plus, it adds the traditional known benefits of a company celebration strengthening the team and encouraging the hard work that employees and good business that customers have already been giving. It might not be a bad switch to alter the tradition away from a winter holiday towards a celebration shortly following winter that looks forward to the bounty and renewal of spring. Either way, even the critics would agree that events designed to celebrate employees and customers have a great effect on business profitability and productivity. Adding a fun and exciting Carnival theme could also up attendance and maximize on the positive after effects. Laissez les bons temps rouler

A Change in Tradition

A dark period under the leadership of Isiah Thomas followed, and the Knicks were the laughing stock of the NBA for quite a few years.

In came new coach Mike D’Antoni last season (formerly with the Suns), and his new style of offense was accompanied by some house cleaning that shipped a bunch of players out that personnel felt might be bad for the team.

The Knicks were left with a shell of their former roster, but it was a group of guys who were willing to play hard. Still, the team faltered, finishing last in their division with a 32-50 record.

Can the Knicks regroup in 09-10 and somehow make the playoffs for the first time in a few years? Well, the Nets should be weaker having lost Vince Carter but that’s just one team.

The Knicks will need key contributions from some of their developing youth like Wilson Chandler, David Lee, and Nate Robinson if they want to make an impact. Even Danilo Gallinari will have higher expectations in his second year. It’ll be an uphill battle, but this is a team of players willing to fight hard for it.

Can the Knicks Make the Playoffs in 09-10?

February 20, 2012 (NEW ORLEANS) — As Carnival builds toward its out-of-control crescendo of Fat Tuesday, Barry Kern and his team of float-builders and artists are already preparing for next year’s parades.

One of the biggest free parties in the world fuels a multimillion-dollar industry for the city of New Orleans and the lifeblood of businesses like Kern’s studio, which has been operating for more than 50 years and makes or repurposes some 400 floats a year, or roughly a float a day, Kern said.

The Mardi Gras season, which includes weeks of parades, fancy balls and parties leading up to the big day, draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to New Orleans each year, said Kelly Schulz, spokeswoman for the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau. Schulz said a recent study conducted by Tulane University estimated the direct economic impact of Mardi Gras at roughly $144 million.

Some studies estimate the economic impact at more than $500 million, said Arthur Hardy, a Mardi Gras historian.

“There’s no way to know for sure because we don’t sell tickets,” Hardy said. “Mardi Gras started small, in private homes and private balls, and it’s evolved into this festival that some estimate produces more than a half-billion dollars a year.”

Attendance is also hard to gauge, but every Mardi Gras hotels are full, or close to it, Schultz said.

“The city will be virtually sold out,” Schulz said. “Mardi Gras and music, especially on the international scene, are our big sells.”

In the weeks leading up to Mardi Gras, more than 100 parades roll into New Orleans and its suburbs. The big parading clubs, like Rex, Zulu, Bacchus, Endymion, Orpheus and Muses, hire Kern’s studio to build the floats. Smaller clubs make their own by decorating trailers with everything from paint to crepe paper.

Hardy said more than 100,000 people ride in parades each year, and each rider can spend as much as $2,000 to $3,000 in fees, costumes and throws. Thousands more are spent on king cakes and the grand balls and parties, he said.

“It’s a money-maker for the city, but that’s not why we do it,” Hardy said. “We do it because we like to celebrate. It’s a free party we give ourselves and our guests.”

There’s big money in it. Major parade krewes often spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to have Kern’s studio make their floats. Depending on whether the floats are being built from the ground up or repurposed, the price can range anywhere from $10,000 to $100,000.

Kern declines to say just how much revenue his company takes in annually. But over the years the floats have become larger and more ornate, and more expensive.

They can be as high as 18 feet and up to 50 feet long, carry dozens of riders and be wired with electricity for decorative lights and moving parts. Teams of painters, artists and sculptors make props and decorations that will be attached to the floats. Music-themed floats can include props of Louis Armstrong and local favorite Professor Longhair. Some are modeled after characters in Greek mythology, such as the Muses of dance, poetry, music and other arts.

It takes an entire year to prepare enough floats to roll through the streets of New Orleans and its suburbs, Kern said.

“It’s a constant process,” Kern said. “It’s like an assembly line.”

With the revelry of Fat Tuesday at hand, Kern’s preparation for Mardi Gras 2013 has already begun.

“We already have all the designs for all our major clients for 2013, and we’ve already got props and things picked out,” Kern said. “Literally, the day after Mardi Gras, we’re back to work and the process gets started almost immediately.”

Besides Mardi Gras, Kern’s studio has clients in Japan, Korea and theme parks across the country.

“There are a lot of municipalities all over the world that want to copy what we do here in New Orleans because it drives tourism,” Kern said.

Besides float-building, Kern’s studio is a tourist attraction. Tour guides take visitors through Mardi Gras World’s displays and to see sculptors and artists at work.

“I’m awestruck by some of the props,” said Debra Sanders, of North Sioux City, S.D., just after her tour of Mardi Gras World recently. “It was very nice, very entertaining. I enjoyed it.”

Paul Thompson, of Cheshire, England, said he was surprised by the quality of the work.

“It was very intricate and very colorful, much more professional than what you would surmise from a once-a-year Carnival,” Thompson said. “It’s quite amazing.”

(Copyright ©2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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national/world

Fat Tuesday: Mardi Gras parade set to step off

The cake itself is more of a cinnamon roll type desert rather than a true cake and it is decorated with a sugar icing in the colors of Mardi Gras: green, yellow and purple. Over the passage of time it seems that many different recipes developed for the King cake and every bakery in Mobile has its own version. Most will even ship the cakes across country for those displaced southerners longing for a taste of Mardi Gras.

In times past, beginning with the earliest cakes, the host or hostess of the party would place a gold coin or other small valuable trinket in the batter and it was a game to see who would wind up with the slice of cake that contained the bauble. In the early twentieth century this practice changed to placing a small baby inside the cake, the finder of the plastic infant would become royalty for a day and would be the host for the party for the next year. Recent times have seen this tradition pass away as more people became concerned about the choking hazard involved with placing a small hard object in an edible product. However, just because that tradition has ceased to be, the cake itself is more popular than ever.

These days more and more creative recipes are starting to appear. There are several varieties that even include cream or fruit fillings for the sumptuous desert. The appearance of cake has also been changing in recent decades. In times past, the King cake was a simple braid of a Danish type. Today, bakers are putting new twists (pun intended) on the cake and everything from a simple ring design to elaborate twists and twines have been used. The icing has also been changing slightly. Where it used to be drizzled over the cake and the color came from sugar crystals colored with food dyes, today many bakeries used colored icings that are thicker, richer and more like traditional birthday cake type icings.

While trends for King cakes may come and go, the sheer number of cakes baked every year seems to increase. Today millions of King cakes are baked annually and this number does not even reflect the number of cakes baked for everyday use by individual families

Most agree that to host a great Mardi Gras occasion, one would be completely remiss to not include as the centerpiece of the meal, the all-important King cake. Guests would no doubt talk about the lapse in cuisine etiquette for years to come.

Mardi Gras King Cakes Taste As Good As They Look

As usual, the celebrities on the show were divided up by gender. After comedian Adam Carolla suggested some pretty funny names for their team, the men unanimously decided on… “Unanimous”. Yes, that’s the name, not the start of an Abbott and Costello routine.

“American Chopper” star Paul Teutul, Sr. volunteered to be the team leader on this week’s challenge, which simply involved setting up a temporary sandwich shop and trying to sell their wares for outrageous prices.

Even though he wasn’t in charge, Snider made some smart suggestions, such as using “Incredible Hulk” star Lou Ferrigno, Teutul, Sr. and magician Penn Jillette as the outdoor, attention-grabbing team: “You three are giants, and you’re (to Jillette) a carnival barker.”

He quickly became the team’s narrator, explaining each move they made, and keeping the mood light with quips like, “Hey, Lou, you need to do some push-ups?” and “I think we were breaking several local ordinances… I was having a blast!”

Although it looked like they were having trouble matching the women’s team in terms of sales, an extremely generous mystery donor was good for 90% of the $330, 000 winning total raised by the men. That means they got to watch as the women voted off (a seemingly grateful to escape) Cheryl Tiegs while sipping on champagne.

However, it looks like next week’s episode is going to be much tougher on Snider, as a preview showed him dressed up in drag at “Medieval Times“, injuring his finger and undergoing surgery! Stay tuned…

Watch “Meet Dee Snider” courtesy of “Celebrity Apprentice”:

Thanks for the report to UltimateClassicRock.com.

Dee Snider Helps Sell $330,000 Worth Of Sandwiches On The ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ Debut

Jesus can sometimes be a confusing guide.

• Gentle Jesus, meek and mild, passively endures ridicule, scorn, and torture.
• Humble Jesus makes His triumphal entry in front of cheering crowds on a common donkey.
• Assertive Jesus turns over tables and drives the money changers from the temple.
• Confrontational Jesus condemns the self-serving, superficial religiosity of the Pharisees.

Which Jesus am I supposed to follow? Gentle and humble, assertive and confrontational-what’s the model?

The answer, of course, is all of the above, but that’s confusing in a culture that equates gentleness with weakness.

Jesus was the most powerful human in history, with the armies of heaven at His command. He could have turned the Roman Empire on its head, destroyed the corrupt religious establishment, and established Himself as king, general, and high priest. He could have righted every wrong, punished every evil, and placed His friends in positions of honor and authority.

In our world, these are the sorts of actions that define strength. All of them, and much more, were within Jesus’ grasp. So what did He do?

He washed feet. He wandered among obscure villages and spoke to insignificant outcasts. He chose a life of service that took Him to a horrible, humiliating death.

Two of Jesus statements have always had a powerful impact on me.

• Do you refuse to speak to me? Pilate said. Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?Jesus answered, You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. [John 19:10-11]
• The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life-only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father. [John 10:17-18]

In our culture, powerful men give the orders. Obedience isn’t usually associated with strength and authority. Jesus willingly surrendered the power of the universe to do His Father’s will.

Jesus knew that coercion, force, and violence are signs of weakness. He could have kicked in the doors of power and demanded change. He could have debated the religious leaders into submission. He could have threatened dire consequences unless public policy conformed to His truth.

He didn’t brandish weapons or shout at His opponents. He didn’t use His authority and status to intimidate and control. He did none of the things we equate with power and strength, because He knew that they’re only imitations of strength.

Jesus knew that authentic courage means following God’s will. He displayed the courage to stand for right, regardless of the risk to Himself and His friends. But He didn’t need to win. He didn’t need others to acknowledge that He was right. He knew He was right in God’s eyes, and that mattered more to Him than anything else.

That’s the model, that’s the source of strength. If I know I’m right in God’s eyes, I can live with self-confidence and strength.

• It doesn’t matter what others think.
• I don’t need to win.
• I can serve in obscurity and humility.

Jesus wasn’t gentle and meek because He lacked strength or courage. Instead, because He knew the truth and held the authority of God in His hands, He had the courage to be gentle.

That’s the model. Those are the footsteps I want to follow.

Both gentleness and meekness are born of power, not weakness. There is a pseudo-gentleness that is effeminate, and there is a pseudo-meekness that is cowardly. But a Christian is to be gentle and meek because those are Godlike virtues. We should never be afraid, therefore, that the gentleness of the Spirit means weakness of character. It takes strength, God’s strength, to be truly gentle. Jerry Bridges

Do you struggle with needing to get your way or needing to win? How do you get past those feelings

Gentle Jesus, Meek and Mild?

Bill Haas played his second shot safe and hit the ball into the middle of the green setting up his long 45 foot birdie putt for the win. After Haas sunk the putt, Mickelson blasted out of the bunker on the right line for the tie, but the ball had no pace and stopped well short of the hole. Keegan Bradley then just missed his 15 foot birdie putt, and Haas had the win.

Phil Mickelson Lost a Chance to Notch His 41st Career PGA Win

Phil Mickelson came into the Northern Trust Open fresh off his victory at Pebble Beach last week. The win at Pebble Beach was the 40th career PGA Tour win for Phil. He came pretty close to winning his 41st career victory at Riviera. Phil Mickelson's 40 wins are tied with Cary Middlecoff for ninth best all-time.

Walter Hagen at 45 wins is eighth, and next on the list for Phil Mickelson to catch. After watching Phil Mickelson win last week at Pebble Beach, I said he might just catch Hagen in 2012 since he is playing so well. The same is true today after watching him play in the Northern Trust Open, though it would have been easier if Mickleson had won the playoff instead of Bill Haas.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

Updated 5 hours, 42 minutes ago

Bill Haas Denies Phil Mickelson His 41st Career Win in Playoff at Riviera: Fan’s View