Off-Topic

Off-topic: January 2006

Saturday, January 28, 2006

Pa. Town Changes Name to Support Steelers

WASHINGTON, Pennsylvania - Just to make sure there's no confusion about which team they are supporting in the Super Bowl XL, the mayor and council voted unanimously to change this city's name.

Welcome to Steeler, Pennsylvania.

The name change for the city of about 15,000 people south of Pittsburgh will last through Feb. 5, the day of the football game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks in Detroit.

I know the folks in the state of Washington are rooting for the Seahawks, so we wanted to make sure everyone knows the city of Washington is fully in support of the Steelers, Mayor Kenneth J. Westcott told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Anyone sending bills, cards or letters should continue addressing them to Washington, however, because the name change is cosmetic and not recognized by the U.S. Postal Service.

It's just a spoof until after the Super Bowl, Westcott told the newspaper.

Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Browns Fan Gets Super Bowl Weekend in Jail

CLEVELAND - The fan who ran onto the field at
Cleveland Browns Stadium during a Steelers-Browns game was sentenced Tuesday to spend Super Bowl weekend in jail.

Nathan Mallett, 24, will begin his three-day sentence on Feb. 3 and won't be allowed to watch the Feb. 5 game on television or listen to it on radio.

Municipal Court Judge Joan Synenberg ordered Mallett not to attend Browns games in Cleveland or any other city for five years as a condition of his probation. He also most perform 150 hours of community service with Browns charities. He could have been sentenced to up to 30 days in jail.

Mallett, who expressed remorse in court, was convicted earlier this month of misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct while intoxicated and criminal trespassing.

He has said he raced onto the field because he was upset by Pittsburgh's 41-0 win over the Browns on Dec. 24. His jaunt ended when Steelers linebacker James Harrison body-slammed him onto the ground and held him for police.