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Bruce Springsteen held his Super Bowl XLIII Halftime Show presser today and said if there were going to be any questions about football, it would probably turn out to be the shortest press conference ever:

“I don’t know anything about it (football) ….. I did play the game in my backyard around the summer of 1958. I haven’t played a lot since. I’ll date myself. When I hear Steelers, I think Terry Bradshaw.”

What he does know, of course, is music. Bruce and the E Street Band — whose new CD Working on a Dream was just released two days ago — will perform for about 12 minutes, but “The Boss” wouldn’t reveal what songs they would be playing. I am hoping “Born in the USA” and “Glory Days” will be on the (short) set list. Here’s what some of the Steelers had to say about Bruce:

Brett Keisel: “I love the Boss — saw him at Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh. When we found out The Boss was going to be playing, we felt we had a good chance to come down here. He’s a lucky charm. Hopefully, I can meet him.”

Hines Ward: “I love Bruce. He’s got a lot of swag about himself, he’s very confident. When he’s up there performing, it’s all about him.”

Aaron Smith: “I never really grew up listening to Springsteen, no. You might have to find someone a little older than me, probably.” (Dude, you’re 32.)

Source: NYTimes.com, Photo: Newscom

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Bruce Springsteen Ready for Halftime

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Aaron Smith, who just made an appearance on my BIGPLAY Radio NFL Podcast last week (BPR82), was placed on injured reserve today with (ouch) a torn bicep muscle suffered against the New England Patriots during a 34-13 loss this past Sunday.

It hurts me just thinking about it. He tried to play through the pain but had to be replaced several times. If there is any good news, it’s that the injury is not career-threatening. I felt really bad for Aaron because he’s been a big part of the Steelers (still) top-ranked defense and is an all-around good guy. In the Steeler scheme, Aaron doesn’t get a lot of glory because while he’s busy occupying offensive linemen, Steelers linebackers are getting pressure and sacks. Pittsburgh will sorely miss him as they position themselves for the AFC playoffs. Upon hearing the bad news, head coach Mike Tomlin said:

“Being the guy he is, he continued on. He came out a few times, and that was worrisome because this guy doesn’t come out of games ….. You’re saddened for Aaron because he’s a quality person and a quality player and he loves playing the game.”

Aaron will be replaced in the lineup by Nick Eason and Travis Kirschke. Plus, practice squad defensive lineman Ryan McBean was promoted to the 53-man roster. Actually, replace is not the right word. The Steelers will not replace Aaron Smith. They’ll simply do what any other team does in this situation — give the next player in-line an opportunity.

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Pittsburgh Steelers Place Aaron Smith on IR, Defensive End Out With Torn Bicep

For DE Aaron Smith and the rest of the Pittsburgh Steelers, their matchup against the undefeated New England Patriots is simply another game on their schedule, another game on their road to the Super Bowl. A win would derail New England’s quest for perfection, but it would still only count as one win. After a long day of practice, I spoke with Aaron about the Steelers’ top-rated defense vs. New England’s number one offense.

Shownotes: David Kindervater (host), Aaron Smith (NFL player guest)

• 0:29 – A good week of practice has the Steelers ready for New England
• 0:38 – Aaron gets flustered when his routine is out of order
• 0:47 – Steelers approaching this game the same as all others
• 1:16 – Steelers vs. Patriots is good for the fans
• 1:37 – Pittsburgh is not at all in awe of New England’s dominance
• 1:53 – Teammate Anthony Smith’s guaranteed victory statement
• 2:23 – In the NFL, you never know who will be a tough game
• 2:58 – Great matchup of number one offense vs. number one defense
• 3:19 – The key to beating the Patriots is harassing Tom Brady
• 3:49 – Tom Brady is still human and can be forced into mistakes
• 4:15 – Effects of having the NFL’s best defense — pressure or confidence?
• 4:49 – Coach Tomlin: “They remember December”
• 5:12 – The long road back to the Super Bowl is a difficult one
• 5:36 – The problems with the playing surface at Heinz Field

Sponsor: ColdGear ArmourFleece Big Logo Hood
Links: Steelers.com, NFL.com

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Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

BPR82 Aaron Smith