Pittsburgh, Pa- The NFL season of 2007 has come to a close and oh what a season it has been. The 07 season held more then just wins and losses, it held video cameras and court hearings and lets not forget the occasional dog fight.

 Things that we would look at in any other year like only the third head coaching change in 39 seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers, or the Browns almost getting into the playoff’s.  In any other year the stories above and others would be the talk around the league as the season comes to a close, but not this season...are you kidding?

 We want to talk about the Patriots all but perfect season, and bet on if Mike Vick will come back to the NFL after getting roughed up in jail. If you’re not talking about that you would be talking about what NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is going to say to Arlen Specter also when he meets with him soon to discuss the league's investigation of the spying scandal involving the New England Patriots or in other words why his Eagles lost in the Super Bowl.  It is funny how two of the "stories" (if that’s what you would like to call them) have the New England Patriots involved somewhere - isn't it?

We didn't even get to show everyone's hero Eli Manning some love, if you think about it that is the first time in history that two brothers at QB have won a Super Bowl let alone the fact they did it in back to back seasons.  If you look past that, what about the so called experts saying "Patriots will win" over, over, and over again, I could have sat in front of the camera and did that.  Maybe even better -  I might have picked against them. Lets face it, you could have been completely unconscious and still have been able to call that the Patriots would win.  That is until the game that really matters, when yours truly is the only part of the media I know that called for the Giants to win, and convincingly - not sound like a doctor that is trying to sugarcoat things.  Notice I did not call myself an "expert" because after the past NFL, and MLB seasons I believe in no such thing there are people that sit at home on their couch and watch the games that could have done a better job then most of the guys that sit in front of a camera and talk about why the Giants will lose the Super Bowl.  If your just waking up  - they won!

 I bet next season you will still hear about the Steelers field conditions, call me crazy but when lots of water hits grass that’s what’s going to happen to it no matter where you’re at.  All people that are calling out the problems with the field there is one that just amazes me, John Madden?  John you were around not only when all fields have grass but before someone had the smart idea to move the goal posts to the back of the end zone, I thought you liked old fashion football?

I guess this would not be even worth writing if I didn't say something about the New England Patriots, there is only one problem in doing that, which subject should I talk about? The fact that the Patriots won all their Super Bowls by 3 points and the one year they get caught in the act and can't risk cheating (again) and lose? Or should we talk about the most classless acts by three members of the New England Patriots, Belichick for running out of Super Bowl XLII before the last snap, and Brady and Moss for skipping the Pro Bowl after fans (the population of Massachusetts and only Massachusetts) voted them in to see them play. Don't give me the fact about the Brady ankle, because we all know if Brady held up another Lombardi Trophy he would be on the next Flight from Arizona to Hawaii. I am not sure how the Patriots topped that but they found a way, winning every single regular season and playoff game only to lose the Super Bowl ending the 2007 Season at 18- and a Super Bowl loss.   After all the games I sat in front of the TV and yelled at the TV watching New England some how beat the Ravens, some how beat Eagles, some how beat the Giants, and then some how, some way lose to the Giants who were by far the most under rated team in the NFL.   For me, the Patriots season comes down to something my Mom told me when I was little, "Cheaters never win …19 times".

The Mike Vick story really did kickoff the 2007 season how it would carry on until the clock read 0:00 in the forth quarter of the Pro Bowl. It was a beginning of the season but the end for the Falcons. After what has happened, some people are saying that he was not a good player (runner), I will not take that away from him but as far as being a person and being human he hits an all time low.  All of the things he could have done wrong in the U.S. and he picks dog Fighting?  It doesn’t even sound right, he could have done grand theft auto, arson, steeling his grandmother’s pension…anything - and no one would have said a word but no, he had to pick on man’s best friend. Mike, if you didn't know America loves dogs and they will pick a dog to defend over you any day. All I know is OJ is saying to himself "thank God I didn’t go after dogs".

The 2007 season will be remembered forever, only time will tell which headline will standout the most. Mike Vick killing Dogs?   Pat’s perfect season gone bad? What about Arlen Specter, not for going after the Patriots but for trying to pass a bill to allow churches to show the Super Bowl? Which ever story you would like to remember, we all know that the NFL would have to have 22 more teams and allow all cheaters to be in the league for the next season to be half as full of stories (or lack there of), as there was in 2007. My apologies go out to Bret Farve.  You had an amazing season and you came one game close of being able to ride into the sunset and retire.  See you next year…right??

-Matt Farago

Pittsburgh Sports Weekly

CHARGERS WILL HIT THE GRIDIRON 2010

The OLSH Chargers have flipped the switch to on. High School Football is a go for Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. The Chargers will compete in single A in the WPIAL, and could be team that turns some heads. OLSH will start a freshman team in 2009, to start a varsity team in 2010.

“For years, one of OLSH’s biggest supporters, Bill Wolfe, had wanted a football team here,” OLSH athletic director Bud Beatty said. “Bill has passed away now, but we have people willing to start the program now.

The addition of the football team at OLSH will allow Cornell, who has a co-op agreement with the OLSH for football which makes Cornell, one of the smallest schools in the WPIAL, play up to Class AA. The Reason being, due to the co-op agreement if one OLSH student plays for Cornell they must count all OLSH boy students as apart of the Cornell Student body. When 2010 rolls around Cornell will be able to play back down in single A and will more then likely be in a section with none of then the OLSH Chargers, which means there will be another Cornell-OLSH rivalry.

The Chargers will bring in a coaching staff not many schools will be able to compare to except maybe, Thomas Jefferson, Upper St. Clair, Blackhawk, Pittsburgh Central, all with there respective coaches. Notice the teams list, have WPIAL championships, and lets not for get the state championships. Former NFL Coach, Foge Fazio will be taking head Job for the Chargers Football team as head coach and of the entire football program.

Fazio is a form NFL defensive assistant and college football head coach. Fazio played Lineback and center at the University of Pittsburgh, and was drafted by the Boston patriots of the AFL but never played professionally. He returned to his hometown in her in Western PA to begin his coaching career at the high school level, and eventually moved to the college ranks. He was hired as head coach by his alma mater in 1982, having previously been defensive coordinator, leading the team to a 25-18-3 record in four seasons before being fired. Lou Holtz then hired Foge to serve as the Defensive coordinator at Notre Dame. At the college level, Fazio also coached at Boston, Harvard and Cincinnati, University’s.

He Moved to the NFL, coaching for the Atlanta Falcons and New York Jets before becoming the defensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings in 1995. He left Vikings in 1999 and spent a year as the linebacker coach of the Washington Redskins before his hiring as the defensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns in 2001.

With all of that said the Chargers are in good hands with Fazio at the helm. The Chargers not only will look good in the coaching department, but the field they should be playing on should look just as good if not better. They will play their home games at Youthtowne, along with the other OLSH teams that call that home. It should be a field that will see lots of action, including some WPIAL playoff contest?

Only time will tell how good the OLSH Football team will be when they kickoff for the first time on August 27, 2010. If it is like the other sports that already call OLSH home. You might not want to bet against them.

By: Matt Farago