New York Giants release Plaxico Burress

This afternoon the New York Giants announced that they released WR Plaxico Burress. Any Steelers' fans wish they could have him back? Or would you rather do without? Here's the latest Associated Press report.

Vote for the Steelers to beat the Giants

Chunky Soup's Click for Cans contest is back this season, albeit with a different format than years past. This season NFL teams "play" each other head-to-head each week, with the matchups corresponding to those on the NFL schedule. The team that receives the most votes gets the "win."

Click here to vote for the Steelers over this week's opponent, the New York Giants. Entering this week the Steelers are 7-0 in the standings while the Giants are 5-2.

Steelers 38, Bengals 10

What is there to say? Another week, another crushing Hines Ward block on a defensive player (this one breaking the jaw of Bengals' rookie linebacker Keith Rivers, most likely ending his season), and another Steelers' victory over the Bengals.

With the predicted victory, The Steelyard is now 4-2 on the season and 30-9 all-time. Next week: At home vs. Plaxico Burress and the Super Bowl champion New York Giants.

Throwback uniforms make a comeback

Pittsburgh will again wear its throwback uniforms this season - twice, both times at home - for the September 29 game against the Baltimore Ravens and October 26 game against the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants.

"Giant" by Plaxico Burress

Former Steelers' wide receiver Plaxico Burress wants the New York Giants to give him a new contract. In the meantime, he'll have to settle for the release of his new book "Giant: The Road to the Super Bowl" (Harper Collins), written with, er, by sportswriter Jason Cole. While The Steelyard hasn't yet had a chance to check out the book, one wonders what on earth the tall, mumbling one could possibly have to say about ... anything? Stay tuned. We'll try to obtain a review copy and provide a sneak peek.

"Plaxico"

Recently, The Steelyard received a copy of the new book “The G.M.: The Inside Story of a Dream Job and the Nightmares That Go With It,” by Tom Callahan (Crown), which chronicles the last year of Ernie Accorsi’s tenure as general manager of the New York Giants. Of course, the book is of minimal interest to Steelers’ fans, except for chapter 4 (“Plaxico”), which focuses on former Steelers’ wide receiver Plaxico Burress, described by Callahan as having “a sleepy manner and a penitentiary face.”

According to Accorsi, The Steelers “would have loved to have kept [Burress]” … but “Dan Rooney didn’t want to put all of the team’s money into receivers,” preferring to retain Hines Ward. Makes sense.

Meanwhile, Giants QB Eli Manning goes out of his way to defend Burress, saying, “Plax is smarter than what you think, or what he shows you.” Manning relates how he once borrowed Burress’ playbook and says, “When I opened it, I couldn’t believe my eyes. He had written all these little notes in the margins--in beautiful handwriting. ‘I’m the hot receiver here.’ ‘I go here.’ ‘I do this or that.’ ‘Somebody else does whatever.’ All in perfect penmanship….”

It’s funny how Manning compliments Burress’ penmanship, as if that compensates for the occasions when Burress takes plays off or disappears from the offense.