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It is apparent that Martha Burk is misinformed and just seeking publicity for herself and her group.

First, she has said that the Master's Tournament does not need Augusta National. Had she done her homework, she would have found out that the two are not mutually exclusive. Augusta National is the Master's.

Further, the right of free association seems to be a protected right in the United States. Remember the Boy Scouts?

Why is Burk not going after Burning Tree Country Club in Bethesda, Md. That is all male and they do not let women on the property, except for one day, near Christmas. But, of course, they do not host the Master's.

It is just the club of many of the who's who of America and the club of presidents. Or, in the spirit of fairness, why not go after Woodmont Country Club in Rockville Md? That is an exclusive Jewish country club. No gentiles allowed. They pay property tax on every foot of their prime location in order to be able to be exclusive. The list could go on and on.

If Burk does not get her way, why doesn't she just start her own exclusive club and leave men out? The answer is because this is not about fairness or equality but about hype and political correctness. And, besides, she has neither the financial resources nor the clout to pull that off.

Maybe she should turn her efforts to the plight of women in other countries instead of having a rich woman be admitted to Augusta National.

ROCKY DILEMMA

This is in reference to the post-game “melee” at Slippery Rock University on Nov. 9, when IUP football players tried to celebrate their overtime victory by climbing the SRU ceremonial rock located behind one of endzones.

There have been similar clashes in the past, and there will be more in the future unless some changes are made. Here are three possible solutions for SRU and PSAC administrators to consider in an effort to prevent such confrontations:

1. Prohibit SRU cheerleaders from celebrating at or on the ceremonial boulder after each time the team scores. It’s OK to scale the rock after the game in victory, but to celebrate on the rock after each touchdown or field goal only taunts the other team.

2. Allow the opposing team to celebrate at the rock if it defeats SRU. In this case, let the IUP players get up there and pound their chests in victory. It will be over in a minute and there will be no clashes if the SRU players and cheerleaders are instructed to stay put. No need to send in security, ROTC or the State Police. Nobody is going to damage it — it’s a rock.

3. Possibly the best solution is to move the boulder outside the stadium. After all, according to the Trib, the rock is a memorial to former SRU coach Bob DiSpirito. Should anyone really be climbing it?

PRESSURE THE QB

The Falcons-Steelers game last Sunday was one of the more frustrating games I have watched, and I think Mike Prisuta pretty much summed it up in his Monday column.

The non-pressure defense on the third-and-longs is ridiculous. I don't know how many times I have seen this done throughout the years, but with a guy like Vick standing back there for 10 seconds, there is no excuse. Someone is going to get open.

What happened to the screen pass with the Steelers, late in the game? They were swarming Zereoue; why not swing it out?

Steelers coach Bill Cowher is correct on his point about the fumbled punt. He says that if the fumble doesn't happen, they win. I believe that to be true. However, the fumble did happen, so you need to overcome it.

Conservative calling on offense and defense in today's NFL does not cut it. Prevent defenses didn't work years ago; and they do not work now. The quarterbacks are too good.

FRUSTRATED WITH COWHER

Bill Cower went over the top yesterday with his, "We did not lose!" remark. That hurt. Is he that insensitive of his supporters — and his team.

You lost, Bill. You lost me, and room full of movers and shakers from Pittsburgh who responded with a disgusted "ugh!"

Cowher owes the people of Pittsburgh — and the team — a public apology.

DEFINING THE CITY

During last Sunday's telecast of the Steelers-Falcons game, one of the announcers summed everything up so accurately when he said that Pittsburgh at the Steelers were one and the same — the city is the Steelers, and the Steelers are the city.

Kudos. Well said. No one else could have put it any better.

In this day and age, it is almost impossible to believe it, but it's true. Before Chuck Noll, the Steelers were not that much of a team. They had only a few winning seasons and exerted none of the hold on the populace that they now do.

POOR DECISIONS

Can someone tell me why coaches use the prevent or six defensive backs along with dropping linebackers back and let people pick them apart? Why do coaches stop doing what is working just because they have a lead?

Why would you try to run clock with over half a quarter left to play? I think the coaching staff should be severely reprimanded for this loss.

I'm no coach … maybe Bill Cowher needs to assess his ability as well.

COACHES' FAULT

Thanks to Mike Prisuta for saying what needed to be said about the coaching in the fourth quarter of last Sunday's game. As a Steelers fan living in Atlanta, I was disgusted to see the coaching staff hand that game to the Falcons on a silver platter.

By the way, why do you rush only three people on third-and-long when you have had Vick flustered all day sending a variety of blitzes?

The coaches have gotten away with the run, run mentality the previous two weeks trying to run out the clock (so they say). Last week, they got burned.

PRISUTA ON THE MONEY

I'd like to thank Mike Prisuta for telling the truth about Steelers kicker Todd Peterson. My buddies and I have been complaining ever since he was signed.

He has no leg and didn't have one when we signed him. What I wouldn't have given to have Gary Anderson on the sidelines last Sunday. Cowher, as usual, will not admit he was wrong and will do nothing.

We can't win in the big games with this guy down the stretch. Like Prisuta said, there has to be somebody out there. Peterson's kickoffs are terrible, and he is even shaky on extra points.

I love Cowher and all he's done for Steelers football, but he never takes ownership of his mistakes. He's trying to blame last Sunday's loss on Randle El's fumble, when we know it was his conservative play calling on offense and defense.

KICKER NEEDED

Is Norm Johnson available? How about Roy Gerela?

There must be hundreds of former college kickers out there. Why can't the Steelers come up with a better kicker.

I know Heinz field is bad for all kickers, but can't they at least find one with a stronger leg?

DEFENDING COWHER

I can't understand why Bill Cowher is being criticized for not calling timeout with 40 seconds left last in last Sunday's game.

I flew in from Atlanta for the game ( I am from Upper St. Clair) and in overtime, I was screaming for Cowher to not call timeout for the very reasons he explains in the article.

Everybody around me was yelling the opposite. I was shocked that the Falcons did not go for the first down. We never could have stopped Vick from picking up three yards. If anyone blew the game, it was Falcons coach Dan Reeves.

The only complaint I had was when Pittsburgh came out throwing on first down with 1:48 left in the game. We should have run the ball, rather than risk an incomplete pass, or an interception (which happened). We were short of midfield … if we run the ball, the clock stays moving and we could have started taking shots down the field with under a minute to play with no risk of losing the game.

By coming out throwing on first down, we were just preserving time for the Falcons. Even if we don't throw an interception, if we would have punted the ball back with 80-90 seconds left, it could have been disastrous.

WHAT ABOUT PORTER?

I like Mike Prisuta's case for Tommy Maddox as the Steelers MVP and as a quarterback in a high profile position, especially on the Steelers, I can understand his rational. But when it comes to the MVP, my vote would go to Joey Porter.

When is the last time a Steelers defensive player had the kind of year Porter is having? If the defense was playing at the level it played last year or if it was in the top three Porter's name would be all over the place.

LET THEM PLAY

The most impactful comment in Mike Prisuta's column on Tommy Maddox in Wednesday's paper came from the portion about the Steelers coaching staff "cutting Maddox off at the knees in the fourth quarter."

And I wish that he and his fellow journalists would devote much more time in articles and press conferences turning up the heat on what is becoming very consistent ineptitude on the part of Cowher.

Not to mention Cowher never having to justify the results of trying to make Kordell Stewart into a quarterback for seven years (an experiment which now has proved to be another monumental blunder on Cowher's record).

What's the deal with the pompous disdain that Cowher displays when questioned about his decision making. Does he feel he is of the stature of Bill Parcells with his non-answers and his "don't question my judgement" responses?

Well I don't see two Super Bowl rings on his fingers. I just see a history of not being quite good enough, and an ego that has well exceeded his accomplishments.

It's time you guys took him to task, and not just allow him to play you like a fiddle.

Cowher lost the Falcons game with his offensive shell game with 11 minutes remaining. He can spin it any way he wants, but I have been a Steelers fan for 30 years, and quite frankly I'm getting sick of his attitude, decision making, and egotism.

And my worst fear is that once again, with a possible Super Bowl caliber team, this guy is going to blow it for the fifth time … and he seems well on his way.

Cowher is not God. It's time to stop treating him that way.

DECLINE THE PENALTY

Am I the only one questioning what I felt was an obvious coaching blunder in the fourth quarter of last Sunday's game?

Atlanta was still down 10 points. Before Atlanta converted on a third-and-24 that ultimately led to the field goal that closed the gap to seven points, the Steelers had stopped them on a third and 9. It was fourth-and-9 coming, and the Falcons would likely have punted with more than eight minutes to go and the ball well in their own territory.

Why did Steelers coach Bill Cowher accept the 15-yard penalty? Why take the yards and not the ball? Why would you give a team with a guy like Vick another down?

It's a no-brainer, you decline the penalty and you make them punt.

To me, that one coaching call (not simply the shift to the predictable run-run-pass-punt offense) showed a clear breakdown in the coaching area.

I also would have gone for it when they punted in overtime — they were on or near the 30 and they only gained 17 yards by kicking.

Who knows what Tommy Maddox could have produced with another throw?

COLLEGE POLLS AS MUCH AT FAULT AS BCS

Everyone has problems with the Bowl Championhip Series. I am part of everyone.

Computers should not determine who is the best team. Of course, the two major polls are not the best, either.

Going into Saturday's games, Pitt was ranked No. 22 by AP No. 23 by 23 ESPN/USA Today, and the Virginia Tech Hokies were ranked No. 8 by AP and No. 7 by ESPN/USA/Today.

The Panthers had their troubles but managed to get past Temple, who scared Virginia Tech, too.

While Pitt was enjoying a win, Virginia Tech was having its share of trouble with a weak Syracuse team, eventually losing in triple overtime.

However, when the ESPN Coaches poll came out Sunday morning, the Panthers were ranked below the Hokies, a team which they beat, a team that lost to Syracuse, who Pitt blew out at the Carrier Dome earlier this season.

How can the "experts" miss something so obvious? Before the fans criticize the computers, we need to consider something that has been around all along: the polls. That is where the problem begins.

CAN WE GET SOME HELP?

This interested Hempfield parent and daughter has been taking the proper steps and following school board guidelines since October of last year to get permission to have field hockey added to Hempfield Area High School’s list of girls athletics.

Dealing with a school board is not something I personally would like to do on a regular basis, let alone be a school board member, but there are those who choose this vocation, and I personally commend you.

Whenever you, your child and other parents believe strongly in something — in this case field hockey — you do everything possible so that others can experience these same feelings. Just as a person is driven to become a school board member, we are driven to girls field hockey.

I’m not asking for money, although the athletic committee said at the October meeting that they would be willing to help us with transportation to practices and games. I just need their support — in kind — to use the Spartan Blue and Silver.

Circumstances have left some of these girls (former YWCA players) with no other alternative except Hempfield to play field hockey. I am counting on the school to come through for these girls.

And why shouldn’t our Hempfield girls have the same opportunities that the Greensburg Salem and Penn-Trafford girls have? Those being to earn a school letter in field hockey and to have college coaches come to their games and recruit them for college scholarships.

My daughter is a junior, so the time factor for her eligibility and recruitment looms. The board promises a positive vote in January. Until then, our hands are tied to begin organization and fund-raising.

All my daughter, husband and I want Nov. 19 is their yes vote.

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