Ask the Coach
Steelers stuff Hey, Coach! Now that the Steelers barely have a chance at making the playoffs, perhaps they’ll start to play well. They have been so awful this year that I’m surprised they have four wins. How did they get so bad so fast?
Signed…The Thumb
Dear Thumb: It obviously doesn’t take long, in some instances, to go from the penthouse to the outhouse. Not many teams have done that, but it appears they may be headed that way.
There’s really a fine line between winning and losing in professional sports.
A lot of things went the Steelers’ way last year, and those things are evening out this year, like they typically do over time.
To offer only a briefly response, the offensive line has not been very good. Big Ben was lucky to escape with his life last week and also the previous week in Cleveland. Sure, he’s thrown a lot of interceptions, but many of those can be directly attributed to other factors, like tipped balls and poor offensive line play.
With that said, he has also shown poor judgment, at times.
Let’s try to remember that whether the Steelers are Super Bowl champs or winless (they’re 4-7), they’re still our team.
Let’s hope they can get it together and play well the rest of the season. They’ve given us some great memories over the years, and we’re still the defending Super Bowl champs for two more months.
Thirty-some other teams cannot claim that title. Lastly, of note in the Baltimore game, congrats to Uniontown natives Gene and Tony Steratore, who refereed the game.
Casino drinks
Hey, Coach! There is some talk that Pennsylvania casinos may give away free drinks to gamblers, so our casinos don’t lose business.
I think this is a good idea if Pennsylvania wants to compete with Atlantic City, where free drinks are the order of the day.
While I’ve never been to casinos north of the border in Canada, they probably do the same.
From reading your columns over the years, you’re the ultra-conservative. So, of course, you probably won’t agree with giving away free drinks to keep business at home, which means we’ll lose money.
Am I right or wrong?
Signed…Dice Man
Dear Dice Man: What? The Coach is ultraconservative? No way! The Coach is all about free drinks: free bottled water; free low-fat milk; free low-calorie juice; even free non-alcoholic strawberry daiquiris. How’s that?
The Coach is all for giving away all kinds of good stuff for free to lure customers to spend their hard-earned money in Pennsylvania.
On a serious note, if someone feels a need to drive seven hours east or five hours north just to get free alcohol, so be it.
They’ll spend a lot more in gas and lodging than if they stayed locally and paid for their drinks.
Thinking about this for a second, isn’t it a sad statement that people may make a decision based on free alcohol?
Let’s give people more credit than that. Open a casino, and people will come — with or without free drinks — as long as everyone in the neighborhood plays by the same rules.
The Coach would bet a milkshake on that….a low-fat milkshake, of course.
Lose 5 pounds
Hey, Coach! I put on five pounds over Thanksgiving. I obviously ate and drank way too much.
What’s a quick way to take off these five pounds?
Signed…….Stuffed Turkey
Dear Stuffed Turkey: A lot of people probably put on a few pounds over Thanksgiving, so you’re not on an island by yourself.
Let’s make this answer extremely simple. If you put on five pounds by eating and drinking, let’s do the just the opposite to address this issue. Eat and drink less, along with consistently engaging in intense cardio activities during the next month, and you cannot only lose those five pounds, but a few more, as well.
Everyone is encouraged to eat and drink responsibly during the upcoming holiday season (always).
Coach’s Comments: Luck is a great by-product of busting our butts. Thanks for making the Coach a part of your day. Have a safe weekend.
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You can contact the Coach via email at askthecoach2003@yahoo.com.