…uninspired, shitty production with Ken Rice.

I joined the Steelers Rally from Heinz Field already in progress when something billed as “Rusty Drake and 12th Man” strutted to the stage. A typical, cheesy, new Pa, run-of-the-mill faux redneck rolls out; a shitty country music recording starts to play. The audio immediately dumps out and Rusty says, “Whoa, I can’t hear…” as the music level again rises and dropout to a nearly inperceptable volume at home, Rusty says low and fast, “I-can’t-hear-myself… GO STEELERS! YEAH!” and the crowd starts to cheer.

He cannot sing; he sounds similar to those recordings that audio engineers have leaked of Marc Anthony and Britney Spears live performances – what they really sound like. A camera pans to what probably is an entire section. Once the hundreds of fans see themselves on the Jumbotron, they come alive, cheering and waving Terrible Towels. It’s really the only Pep that Rusty Nut manages to Rally.

Why didn’t KDKA (the local CBS affiliate) use real Pittsburgh bands? There are a ton of great local acts who would love to play, and probably even write, awesome fight songs. See, Pittsburgh is weird like that. It is the only place that I have ever been where an NFL team is beloved by everyone. Gay people love them. Punk Rockers love them. Retarded people love them. Even some of the Indians I work with rabidly follow them. We should have the greatest Pep Rally ever.

This spectacle ends and camera 4 turns to a huge video screen from a point of view placing the viewer at home in the stands. Why wouldn’t they just do this straight from the board with perfect video, audio and the crowd noise underneath? None of that really mattered once the music started playing; Renegade by Stix over a clip show of this seasons highlights. There is only one real highlight: loop the Clark hit on McGahee and play it over Don Cab’s “No More Peace and Quiet for the Warlike”. Do this shit Mohammad Ali style and have the opponent expect defeat.

I was a little surprised when Farrior didn’t realize that he helped win the one for the thumb in 2006. But the most annoying aspect was the shoot. It looked like you were watching it from the crowd like 20 rows back. Resurrect the ghost of Leni Riefenstahl – I’d like to see Charlie Daniels performing ‘In America’ as the highlight of the rally. With all of the Steelers there on the Roman ruins set that Barack used to accept the Democratic nomination in Denver with lots of banners like the Young Jeezy ‘My President is Black’ video. Make this one for the ages. Or at least next Christmas.

Why no tight shoots on the speakers? Why no crane overheads of the crowds? Yet another amateurish, second rate, Pittsburgh produced joint. Rusty, Stix and an uninspired, shitty production with Ken Rice. Ken fucking Rice.

Go Steelers.

“I got your chain!” Update

IT was just last night that I reposted Super Dirties blog about robbery suspects who happened to be aspiring rappers and their video detailing the crime they were charged with that was entered into evidence. I looked at the OR today at lunch and see that guilty verdicts were returned.

From www.observer-reporter.com,January 14, 2008:

Jurors convict robbery suspects
By Linda Metz, Staff writer

Although a former Cecil Township man admitted to telling various versions of events March 15 that led to his being shot in the chest, a jury obviously accepted his last version as being the truth.

The jury of seven men and five women deliberated about four hours Tuesday before finding Corey Cecil Alan Lomax, 23, of Donora, and Detrius Lamar Wade, 23, of Washington, guilty of robbing and assaulting Anthony Franell, 23, at his former home at 1701 Nine Eighty Road.

The jurors acquitted Lomax of attempted homicide. Lomax was charged for firing four shots at Franell, with one of the shots striking him in the right side of his chest and the bullet becoming lodged in his groin.

Lomax was convicted of aggravated assault, robbery, theft and criminal conspiracy to commit robbery. He faces a maximum of 67 years in prison.

Wade was convicted of robbery, theft, simple assault and criminal conspiracy to commit robbery. He faces a maximum of 49 years in prison.

The men will be sentenced at 11 a.m. March 24 by Washington County Judge Paul Pozonsky.

During the two-day trial, Franell testified that he picked up the men at a North Strabane Township restaurant and took them to his home on March 15. Franell said he had believed Wade had a golden necklace and pendant that he wanted to sell to him. The necklace had been stolen from Franell’s home on Dec. 11, 2007.

At Franell’s home, Wade returned the necklace. Franell took it upstairs and hid it under his mattress.

The men, who were high school friends, then smoked marijuana, played pool and recorded some music in Franell’s recording studio. Franell said Lomax and Wade suddenly pulled guns on him and ordered him to his knees with his hands in the air.

Lomax kept Franell at gunpoint while Wade went upstairs to retrieve the necklace. As Franell went to stand, Lomax fired the four shots. Wade returned downstairs without the necklace, and the two men fled in Franell’s Cadillac.

That, however, was not Franell’s first version of the events.

The jury heard testimony that Franell initially told police that two masked men assaulted him. He then told hospital personnel who were treating him for his wounds that he was the victim of a drive-by shooting. He later changed that story.

Franell did not identify Lomax and Wade as the assailants until 10 days after the incident and after two meetings with township Detective Mark Marcucci.

Franell did not mention the golden necklace until November, when the defendants were originally set to go to trial. The jewelry was featured in a rap video, “I Got Your Chain,” made by three area men at Jollick Manor and aired on YouTube.

In his closing arguments, Assistant District Attorney Michael Fagella told the jury that Franell was reluctant to involve the police. But he later decided that it would be the right thing to do to identify his assailants.

Fagella also pointed out that Franell could have identified the other men in the YouTube video, but he didn’t because the theft “didn’t happen that way.”

Throughout the trial, defense attorneys Brian Gorman, who represented Wade, and Komron Jon Maknoon focused on Franell’s conflicting stories. They called for the jury to acquit the men of all charges because Franell lacked any credibility.

“What kind of person is going to go through a trauma like that and keeps changing his story?” said Maknoon during his closing statement. “A person who’s making it up.”

The men will remain jailed on $100,000 straight bond pending their sentencing.

Both Wade and Lomax have been through the court system previously.

It was Wade’s second time at trial. Last year, a jury acquitted Wade in the Sept. 29, 2005, shooting death of Susan VanSyckle and the shooting of Darnell Steven Brown of Washington.