2. The Mark Madden Award

This award will be presented to the poster who incited the most controversy by expressing crazy opinions, instigating arguments, and generally adding napalm to the fire. Who gets your dander up, but still makes valid points?

3. The Santonio Holmes Award

This award will be presented to the best "rookie" poster, defined as any poster who joined on January 1, 2006 or later. "Best" will be defined by subjective criteria, but should include best football knowledge, commentary, and respectful dialogue.

4. The George Plimpton Award

This award will be presented to the poster ajudged the most intelligent and well-reasoned. The award focuses on the quality of writing, the breadth of knowledge, and the intellectual engagement of his or her posts.

5. The Nostradamus Award

This award will be presented to the poster with the best predictions for the Steelers' 2006 campaign, as well as the entire NFL this season. Before voting, consider both the accuracy and generality of a poster's predictions.

6. The Myron Cope Award

This award will be presented to the poster whose posts are impossible to comprehend, yet strangely fun to read. In other words, the poster who is both incoherent and irrepressibly amusing.

7. The Tunch Ilkin Award

Staying with the broadcasting booth, this award will be presented to the poster who is the most shamelessly "pro Steelers." In other words, the poster with the most faith in all things Steeler. Look for posters who believe that ALL Steelers should be in the Pro Bowl, or push Cowher as the best coach of all time. This is not a mock honor, but rewards the poster that clearly loves the Steelers and believes in them no matter what...

8. The Frank Caliendo Award

This award will be presented to the funniest, most amusing poster on the forum. Who makes you laugh out loud or spit your coffee on your keyboard?

9. The Chas Noll Award

This award will be presented to the poster who exhibited the most true "football knowledge" this past calendar year. Who best broke down the personnel, the play-calling, and the game strategies?

10. The Iron City Beer Award

This blue-collar Stemmy will go to the poster that you would most like to grab a beer with. Who would you like to sit around in a bar with, drink some steel city brews, and discuss all things Steeler?

11. The Joey Porter Award

This brand-new Stemmy will be awarded to the best trash-talker on the board. Who barrels into the baiting threads started by trolls and puts them in their place? Who unleashes the funniest, the most biting, and the most dead-on insults to the pitiful fans of lesser teams?

12. The Ron Hughes Award

Another new Stemmy for 2006, this award will be presented to the poster who exhibited the most knowledge and perspective on the 2006 NFL Draft, specifically as it related to the Steelers. Who is Ron Hughes, you ask? Why, he's the College Scouting Coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Who on the board do you think could do Ron Hughes' job?

13. The Len Pasquarelli Award -- Thread of the Year

A recognition of the best and most evocative thread of the year, this award will be presented to the poster who jump-started the board with a thread so interesting, so unique, that everyone just had to be a part of it. Don't judge by length, but by content.

14. The Fast Willie Parker Award -- Most Valuable Poster

This is the best of them all. The MVP. Who was the best all-around poster? Who exhibited nearly all of the top qualities of the previous 13 awards and hardly any bad qualities? Who weighed in on the good issues but managed to ignore the bad ones? Who did you have to read when you logged on?

SPECIAL NOTE: For those of you wondering how the board "split" plays into this, posters from both locations (here at StillerNation and at TribLive) are eligible for the Stemmys. Posters from this board may vote for any poster from either board, and vice-versa. Posters who have different "handles" on each board must make this known and notify me in order to maintain eligibility. The "Rookie of the Year" Stemmy (Santonio Holmes Award) is open only to posters who joined the TribLive board on or before January 1, 2006. Should anyone have any questions or concerns, please PM me.