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Jim_Downey

A Christmas Eve tale

With apologies to Clement Moore, my attempt of an updated version of his classic poem, "A Visit from St. Nicholas," or as the poem is more commonly known, "Twas the Night Before Christmas."'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the National Football League,Officials, in the booth ...

Losing means having to say ‘yeah but’

There was a sense sitting in the press box Sunday evening of "this isn't good" when referee Tony Corrente's review of tight end Jesse James' 7-yard touchdown reception with 34 seconds remaining in the game dragged on.I understand I take to this column with an inherited bias (towards the ...

Another instant classic at Heinz Field

Referee Walt Coleman stood front and center for the final time just before the clock struck 12 Sunday night (or is it Monday morning?), turned on his microphone and, in his Southern lilt, uttered a quick, right-to-the-point statement.Something like "The game is over," or as I interpreted the ...

That’s the way of the AFC North

I was actually on the edge of my seat as Monday night rolled into Tuesday, thinking that position might actually help the Steelers rally past the Bengals.Now, scientific data and review aside, results are results, so that might just have to be my posture on Christmas Day when Pittsburgh travels ...

City Game just didn’t have much zing

The family was sitting around my mom's house, allowing Thanksgiving dinner to settle, watching some football,  and checking out my great-nephew's newly-acquired skill of rolling over (and over, and over) on his own.I was talking with my nephew Brian Lohr about continuing our version of Black ...

Pitino being ‘courted’ by the FBI

All that hair gel must've finally absorbed into Rick Pitino's noggin and led him to make some poor decisions and undertake a few dubious actions.Hasn't Rick watch movies and TV shows about the issues of recruiting young men to major college basketball programs? Like police, crime and law ...