The Morning Cup of Black & Gold: Free agency, free(d) players and free tickets

Free Agency

Today is the first day fo free agency.  The Steelers are poised to make some significant moves with the team – none being more under the microscope than Ike Taylor.  I think that this will be a quick series of events – like tearing a band aid off a hairy leg.  It’s going to be painful at first, but the sooner we as fans are ready to let him go, the better we will feel.   Adam laid out the expected timeline of free agency and camp yesterday.  Be sure to check it out!

Freed players

The Ravens are dumping players faster than an older sibling dumps off the younger annoying one.  Derrick Mason, Willis McGahee, Kelly Gregg and Todd Heap were all cut by the Ravens yesterday just hours after the players agreed and voted on the new CBA.  Free of their ratty cage in Baltimore, where will these newly released players land?  Don’t be surprised by how quickly the Ravens acted and in the quantity they did so.  Everything will happen in bulk – like we are at a Sam’s club or something.  Expect most teams to make very similar moves as they desperately try and make cap room in a veyr short period of time.

Free Tickets

No, NPC is not giving them away.  But, my football instincts were in full force last month when I predicted when the lockout would end.  I predicted 132 days.  The lockout lasted 135.  Three days off – good enough to win the SeatGeek.com lockout contest that I posted last month.  That guess scored me two tickets to see the Steelers this season.  Ready to take the pilgrimage to Heinz Field sometime this fall.  Believe it or not, this will only be my second Steelers game ever.  The last time I was there was back in 1990 in Three Rivers Stadium when the Steelers played the Benglas.  Can’t WAIT for the chance to see the Men of Steel up close once again.