Steelers will have losing season? Fact

1. Mark McGwire, who just became eligible for nomination into the Baseball Hall of Fame,… 1. Mark McGwire, who just became eligible for nomination into the Baseball Hall of Fame, will eventually be inducted into Cooperstown.

Dave Thomas: Fact. He’ll get in, but just not on this first ballot. And it really has little to do with the steroid scandal, but just the fact that both Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwinn are both eligible this year, too. Both of them were amazing players and definite hall of famers. McGwire will get the 5 percent vote necessary to stay on the ballot, and I think people might see that as punishment enough for the steroids. He’ll get in, just not this year.

Dave Siegal: Fact. When all is said and done, McGwire will be elected to Cooperstown in 2007. It may be a split decision because of the recent controversy, but the edge will go into Big Mac’s favor. It doesn’t matter who else is on the ballot, McGwire resurrected baseball’s fan base in 1998 despite the sour taste it had from the scandal several years earlier. But if Barry Bonds could consistently defend his MVP award earlier this decade, the only question will be whether McGwire will wear an A’s or Cards cap on his Hall of Fame bust.

2. The Steelers, who are now 4-7, will finish the season at or above .500 (8-8 or better).

DT: Fiction. It just doesn’t seem possible. Look at their schedule. They still have to play Baltimore again and travel to Cincinnati and Carolina. To finish .500, they would only be able to lose one of those three games, and they have given me no reason to believe that they will do anything of that nature. They are getting outmanned in every aspect of the game, every game. And now with more injuries to Troy Polamalu and Hines Ward, the Steelers should be more worried about their spot in the first round draft rather than the .500 mark.

DS: Fiction. Yes, the Steelers’ mentality is to play spoiler now, but they’ll have to begin that task next week without the services of Ward and Polamalu. And, of course, there is the ever-present liability of Ben Roethlisberger’s physical and mental state. You’re looking at a 7-9 record at best, with maybe a win or two against a playoff-contending team. But many of the Steelers admitted that their resolve was deflated on Sunday in Baltimore. The Steeler Nation can turn its focus to draft day and a whole new season taking root in training camp in Latrobe this coming summer.

3. Bulls head coach Scott Skiles should let Ben Wallace wear a headband.

DT: Fact. This is absolutely ridiculous. As long as Wallace is within the league regulations, I don’t understand how Skiles can think he is right. What does it matter to him what is on Wallace’s head as long as Wallace defends and rebounds the way he is capable? I think the real issue is that players today use headbands for the wrong reason. I believe the original intent was to keep sweat from their faces, but now it’s just an accessory. So until the league bans him, Skiles has to let Big Ben wear his band.

DS: Fact. Come on, yes, David Stern instituted a dress code, but Scott Skiles is taking this a full-court pass further than the commissioner. To tell you the truth, Ben Wallace’s game has improved, not just since he joined the Pistons, but since he began wearing the headband, too. Coincidence, anyone? A basketball player’s appearance is all about self-promotion, regardless of team ethic. And this isn’t an amateur sport either. If Skiles’ ludicrous request is successful, this would be akin to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar being banned from wearing goggles or Allen Iverson banned from wearing his protective sleeve.

4. After beating Notre Dame, USC deserves a shot at Ohio State for the national title game.

DT: Fact. They have been solid all year, and the Trojans seem to be the team that would be able to match up with the Buckeyes the best. It just seems crazy how USC could still contend after losing everyone it lost from last years’ squad. But the Trojans don’t rebuild, they reload, and they are as good of a team out there. The SEC teams have beat up on each other too much, and it seems the Trojans will be the only team left standing to challenge the Buckeyes.

DS: Fact. The NCAA does not want its officials to have to witness an encore of Michigan’s incompetent defense that it showed 10 days ago in Columbus. In a season of college football, second chances for a team are as rare as a Boise State national championship. But as DT said, USC goes through cycles, not repairs. Ohio State mauled past the Big Ten and the former kings of the Big 12, and now it’s time for the Pac 10 to get its shot. The traditional Rose Bowl, which matches the Big Ten and Pac 10 champions annually, will bloom in the desert in Glendale, Ariz. Grab your Tostitos and get ready for a heavyweight shootout in the Fiesta Bowl.

5. Pitt’s disappointing finish to a 6-6 season has been more disappointing than the Steelers’ struggles this year.

DT: Fiction. While the Panthers’ five game losing skid has been almost as hideous as the three-different-shades-of-gold uniforms they donned when they took on Louisville, they haven’t even come close to the Steelers. The Steelers won the Super Bowl last year and returned basically the same team. There is absolutely no reason they should be where they are now. Pitt, on the other hand, was still young this year and is still only in the second year of the Wannstedt era. It takes a long time to build a program, so I can’t say I’m as disappointed with the Panthers year as much as I am with the Steelers.

DS: Fact. At least this season, the Panthers truly looked like they were positively turning the tables from the letdown of last year. Certainly, Tyler Palko, H.B. Blades, Clint Session and company wouldn’t let last year’s bitter taste become an encore. And LaRod Stephens-Howling was on a scorching streak, too. Every football expert knows that as tough as it is to win the Super Bowl, it’s twice as tough to repeat. While I did not pick the Steelers to repeat, I did pencil them in early for the playoffs. We all had the safe assessment that Pitt couldn’t contend with WVU and Louisville this season, but we felt that Pitt would handle the teams it needed to beat, and certainly wouldn’t have a five-game losing streak to end the year. Panther fans who planned a bowl-and-beach trip will have to use that money for heating costs back home. Disappointing, isn’t it?