Steelers chat transcript, Ed Bouchette

Ed Bouchette: We interrupt the Super Bowl parade to bring you this chat. Not surprisingly, there aren't as many here as normal. You're either at the parade or watching it on TV. We'll try to chat while watching.

Happy_Will_from_Freehold__NJ: Ed, WHAT A GAME!! I have to hand it to Bruce Arians, I loved the play calling on the first two drives of the game and, of course, the game-winner. How do you feel his play-calling was overall?

Ed Bouchette: Overall, I thought Bruce did a good job all season. Many thought he should have used the I formation more and run it more, but as you saw at the goalline Sunday, just because you want to line up and run it does not mean you can. He did well with what he had and recognized he had No. 7 and wanted to emphasize his talents.

Happy_Will_from_Freehold__NJ: Was James Harrison's INT return for a TD the greatest defensive play ever in a Super Bowl? If not, who's #1?

Ed Bouchette: I'm trying to find a better OFFENSIVE play? Yes, it was the best defensive play, by far.

UKsteelersFAN: Hi,British Steeler fan since 84 I,d like to know,With a few changes in certain areas in the forthcoming draft,Do you think this team will do a perfect season and go unbeaten and be better than the 70,s Steelers?

Ed Bouchette: Whooa, let's not get carried away. Perfect seasons mean little unless you follow through in the big game. Ask the Patriots. I will look ahead in later chats.

Steeler_Fan_In_Cen_CA: Ed, in your opinion, which Steelers won't be back next year?

Ed Bouchette: Byron Leftwich. there are others but I'm not sure who might take a Steelers offer before they get the chance to entertain others. Marvel Smith has a decision to make. So, too, Bryant McFadden and Nate Washington.

gostiller: Ed, How do you feel the game was officiated? Inevitably, some folks are complaining about the officiating saying it was slanted to the Steelers favor.

Ed Bouchette: I don't think it was slanted either way. I just thought the officials capped off a bad year with a real stinker in the Super Bowl, making bad calls both ways as well as non-calls.

Kudos_Ed_: Ed, Much of the Steelers success is attributed to their incredible fan base. The Steeler nation is second to none. Why, because we have the most articulate, educated, passionate and demanding fans of any sports team. I truly believe that these fans learn, grow and are inspired by your hard work ? especially these chats. So Ed, from those of us at the center of the Steeler Nation ? THANK YOU FOR A GREAT SEASON!!

Ed Bouchette: My face is red. Oh, that's the burn I got in Tampa.

praveen: I am not trying to be a homer. But I think refs missed the celebration by Holmes because refs usually look out for props immediately after the TD. Holmes was sitting on the turf for quite a while. He did his silly act once the official replay was underway. And what was Farrior thinking with his stupid penalty at the end? He is supposed to be a veteran leader.

Ed Bouchette: A few players did seem to go temporarily insane and got away with it.

Katmandu: Ed, a rules question. When Fitzgerald brought down Harrison over the goal line, I just noticed that he ran the last 30 yards or so while out of bounds. Shouldn't he have been in bounds to avoid a penalty? What if he had brought down Harrison short of the goal line? Has anyone else brought this up?

Ed Bouchette: Yes, many are. He definitely ran out of bounds, came in and tackled him. It should have been a penalty, a moot point perhaps but if he had tackled him short of the goalline it would have become one big issue. I noticed an official right there along the sideline who could not have missed it either. Just another case, as I said, of one poorly officiated football game. The NFL better recognized that its officials are getting worse or they will have a credibility problem.

themesh: Ed, What is the argument in the room that keeps Dawson out of the HOF?

Ed Bouchette: Well, this was the first time he made the room in his fourth year of eligibility. I thought that was an important step because he finally was discussed during the meeting. I think it went a long way to making sure he returns as a finalist and a case can be built for him as we go along, much as it worked for Derrick Thomas in his fifth year of eligibility.

bg_steel: Hi Ed, Super Bowl Champs! Which play was better the Harrison pick 6 or Santonio's shoe tapper TD?

Ed Bouchette: Is there a need to pick one over the other? They were both special plays, both necessary for them to win and both among the top 5 in Super Bowl history, in my opinion.

Tprod: Ed, is there a bias against Rothlisberger? Last year, he throws for 32 TD against only 11 picks, and Harrison is voted team MVP. Holmes made a simply marvelous catch, but with that porous offensive line what other QB would have been able to keep plays alive and get the ball to Holmes. Rothlisberger should have been at least co-MVP.

Ed Bouchette: I voted for James Harrison.

Heinzy: Hey Ed, do you think Hines can get 1000 receptions before his career is over?

Ed Bouchette: Keep playing, keep catching, stay away from injury. He needs at least 3 more seasons.

yzguy431: Ed -- despite the victory, this team has some holes to fill, what do you think the biggest need is?

Ed Bouchette: Offensive linemen. All positions.

Tprod: Ed, Is Larry Foote a cap casualty? Steelers save almost 3 million if he is released or traded.

Ed Bouchette: Sadly, I think he will be. They have Lawrence Timmons behind him and I don't think Larry will take less if they ask. He's long been one of my favorite players in that locker room.

praveen: I am tired of all the whining by other teams fans about Pittsburgh being helped by the refs, especially Seahwaks fans. They lost by ELEVEN points. Steelers had their share of ticky tacky and bad calls over the years and lost by a lot less. If the refs were biased, why would they call that holding inthe end zone?

Ed Bouchette: Don't think about it too much. I believe fans in Houston still complain about the AFC title game in 3 rivers stadium.

hinestheman: Daniel Stapelton seemed to have been the weak link in the somewhat decent OL performance... Will be be a back up next year?

Ed Bouchette: Darnell. He did not have a very good game. But he is young, a second-year, undrafted player from Rutgers. He'll be back, and it depends if they find some other linemen where he might be on the depth chart.

Katmandu: Ed, when do the Steelers hear about what compensatory picks they will receive in April's draft? Given their losses from last year (Faneca, for example), I would expect a few picks. Your thoughts?

Ed Bouchette: March, usually.

scottv007: Ed, with James Harrison's contract situation still up in the air, do you think his performance in the Super Bowl will keep him in Pittsburgh? I need to know if I should buy a Harrison jersey or not!

Ed Bouchette: I would go buy one.

Taz: Ed, who has the best hair on the team? Troy, Chris Kemoeatu, or Jeff Reed?

Ed Bouchette: I'm jealous of them all, except for Jeff's. He's no blonde.

Heinzy: Is Deshea Townsend sticking around for another year?

Ed Bouchette: I would think you'll see him return. Good corners are hard to find and they could lose Bryant McFadden to free agency.

Lefty: Ed, do you think the Steelers will find a good offensive or defensive lineman with their first pick or will they fool everyone and draft a WR?

Ed Bouchette: Or a punter.

Chunkles: What an amazing turn out for the parade. Here are two thought about the SB. One, I'm glad Mitch Berger didnt lose the game, two, I'm surprised Troy was not that effective. Do the Steelers find a goal line back?

Ed Bouchette: That was 3. I'm not sure they need a goalline back as they do a goallineman or two.

KS_Steeler: Ed; great article today -- best super bowl you ever saw?

Ed Bouchette: Yes, because it involved the Steelers and I cover them. I will say the first two New England played were exciting, and good to the end, as was last year's. But no back and forth like this one in the fourth quarter. We almost had a comeback for the ages by Arizona, then a Montana-like drive by the Steelers. Throw in Harrison's TD and it all added up to the most exciting, for me.

Silverback: Were you surprised that Tomlin opted for the FG on that first possession? What would you have done?

Ed Bouchette: Extremely surprised, especially how he coached down the stretch, very aggressively. I have not had a chance to ask him about that yet. Perhaps he had a premonition that they could not score at the one, it certainly came through later. By the way, did you realize the Steelers had as much success scoring touchdowns when the Cardinals had the ball at their one as when the Steelers had the ball at Arizona's one?

hinestheman: Ed, was Hines as healthy as he stated? He made some nice blocks and 2 very nice catches, but he always shows up big in big game.... injury related or it's just the way the game unfolded?

Ed Bouchette: I can't tell you how healthy he was. Only Hines might know.

Drive_for_seven: Ed, after the Euphoria started to wear off, you think Tomlin had a talk with Harrison (personal foul) and Holmes (football prop) about possibly costing the steelers the game

Ed Bouchette: I would bet Tomlin gets his point across one day with a little jab or joke.

Tprod: Ed, was a coverage blown on Fritzgerald long touchdown play? Expecting Ike to cover Fritzgerald on an slant with no inside or deep help seemed suicidal.

Ed Bouchette: The Steelers had 2 deep safeties covering. They chose to cover two out patterns, which left the middle wide open. I would say, yes, they erred.

hinestheman: Last question Ed.... Is there now any doubt about 1) who the best franchise in sports is? and 2) who the best QB out of the 2004 class is?

Ed Bouchette: Yes, I think there is doubt who the best franchise is. I mean, I will take the Steelers but there are some pretty good ones out there such as the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, NY Giants, Celtics, Lakers. Notice, they are all in some of the biggest metro areas, too.

themesh: Ed, What did the Steelers do differently in the fourth quarter that allowed the Cardinals to get so many big plays?

Ed Bouchette: I think it was something the Cardinals did -- or did not do in the first three quarters. What, they suddenly discovered Larry Fitzgerald? I said by halftime I would have been throwing to him if he were quadruple covered. Did you notice Santonio Holmes caught the winning score with 3 cardinals in the area? Duh.

bg_steel: Ed, How high is Tomlin on your Steelers all-time coaching list?

Ed Bouchette: I really don't have an all-time Steelers coaching list, and If I did I'd have only three on it. I've covered all three and Chuck Noll has a special place. I did believe Mike Tomlin was special the day I met him.

Steeler_Fan_In_Cen_CA: Ed, in your opinion, what's the problem with short yardage situations, talent, O-line or play calling?

Ed Bouchette: They've tried calling virtually everything down there. I believe they must get better in the line, but they also have to come up with some better strategy down there.

Happy_Will_from_Freehold__NJ: I felt that Ben's rushing TD should NOT have been over-turned. Do you feel there was enough "Visual Evidence" to overturn it? It sure looked like there was some space between his knee and the ground.

Ed Bouchette: I thought it was a TD that should not have been overturned. Maybe by looking at the replay they THOUGHT his knee hit the ground, but there was not enough proof in the replays I saw and the rules say there has to be proof.

Happy_Will_from_Freehold__NJ: Do you feel this is Tomlin's team or did he win because it was Cowher's team?

Ed Bouchette: It's a team in transition, but make no mistake, this is Mike Tomlin's team.

njohnston89: Ed, do you think the need for a blockbuster O-lineman is enough for the Steelers to consider trading up if any fall in the draft?

Ed Bouchette: It depends on the lineman, and what it costs. You can get good linemen beyond the first round.

bye-bye: Did you catch any of Whisenhunt's post-game comments. Did not seem to give the Steelers too much credit and a little blaming the refs (nothing like Holgrem, of course).

Ed Bouchette: I did not think Whis really blamed the refs. I thought he was classy.

hinestheman: Ed -- not sure if we'll have another chat or if this was it... But thank you for for your insignt in the last few months, thank you for your sense of humour and scarcasm... Always looked forward to Tuesdays.... GO STEELERS!!

Ed Bouchette: I'm not sure either. They kind of grew on me. But, please, don't let that out.

steelman43: Ed-I know you are not a big fan of the Supulveda pick, shouldn't we feel better about him over Berger next year?

Ed Bouchette: Yes, and I'd like to straighten this out. I was not a fan of them spending so much on a punter. However, I think Daniel Sepulveda will be a good punter in this league. It's nothing to do with him. Also, did not the Steelers just prove you can win a Super Bowl without a great punter, although I thought Mitch did a nice job Sunday. It's not his fault that he's 37 and had hamstring problems.

Paul_Kutcher: Ed, what do you think Myron Cope is thinking?

Ed Bouchette: Mmmmmm, Ha!

sinmusic: Ed, Did you get your free Grand Slam meal from Denny's today?

Ed Bouchette: Denny who?

Paul_Kutcher: The single most significant thing missed by all of the media is the mystical nature of how Myron Cope was able to control the Super Bowl from above. The Terrible Towl reared its power in Raymond James Stadium at the end of the first half as it guided Kurt Warner's pass into the hands of James Harrison. It cleared a path for the Kent State Flash past the Cardinal bench all the way to the endzone, just barely allowing the Steelers to score as time ran out. Then, Cope put his hand on the shoulder of Big Ben on the final drive when it looked as if the ship was sinking. With a wink in his eye, the dimunitive Cope guided Ben's final pass over the outstretched arms of Cardinal defenders and into the hands of Santonio Holmes. He made sure Holmes feet were anchored in bounds with enough room for replay cameras to confirm the doom had come for the bird. Finally, as time was running out, Cope prevent Warner's arm from going forward while being sacked to assure a fumble to end the game.

Ed Bouchette: Wow. I posted that just so people can't say my chat was too short. I hope you did not say anything bad in there.

gostillers: Do players on IR (Batch, Mendenhall, Simmons, etc) get a SB ring?

Ed Bouchette: yes

Gairzo: Did anyone but me notice there almost no shots of the crowd during the game? Goodell didn't want to show a sea of Terrible Towels. To a point I understand tha, but first Goodell denies the largest fan base its due THEN rips off the most recognizable fan symbol in American sports with the "Trophy Towel" Your thoughts?

Ed Bouchette: I don't think Roger was in the production booth.

gostillers: Ed, do you think Warner's first called fumble (replay reversed) was a fumble or arm moving forward?

Ed Bouchette: I thought it was a fumble, but I can see how they reversed it on replay.

hinestheman: Ed, the last 3 games seemed to have been a turning point in Santonio Holmes' career... where he went from good receiver to an elite receiver.... do you agree?

Ed Bouchette: yes

Steeler_Fan_In_Cen_CA: Ed, I won't use the R-word, but can the Steelers successfully defend their Super Bowl title?

Ed Bouchette: That is why we will await the 2009 season with such eagerness.

Ed Bouchette: Thank you all for this Super chat. If this were a parade, I would throw kisses to you all. We need our own song.