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who is the most overrated Pittsburgh athlete ever?

Back to Kendall for a moment......

It was Bonifay that decided to back up the brinks truck and pay the guy.

I think a lot of Pirates fans soured on Kendall...perhaps many believed he should have been a superstar...because he was paid like one......
The Pirates were goaded by everyone, fans, media everyone to pay Kendall "big" money at the time to prove they were willing to pay to keep their "good" player. He was a good player on many bad teams. He was also a bad person, who along with Giles and closer Mike Williams made life miserable for a lot of players on those teams. He grew up a major leaguer's kid and thought he was entitled. So the Bucs gave him the money and F'd themselves.
 
Sorry if this has already been posted. I didn't read the over 200 previous postings on this thread.

Jamain Stephens

    • In the case of Stephens, who might be the worst draft pick the team has ever made, the fault lies entirely with the Steelers for even selecting him in the draft.

      Let's go back. He had serious questions attached when he came out of college. He wasn't a big effort guy, he wasn't usually in good shape and there were questions about whether or not he could adapt to the professional level and be a successful player.

      He didn't even play for Pittsburgh. Bill Cowher cut him the first day of camp after he flopped to the ground during a run test and couldn't continue. This ranks as the biggest mistake they've ever made and there wasn't even anything coming out of school to justify it.
    • 19990731mrstephensm.jpg
 
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Lavar Arrington was very overrated. For all his hype, ended up having a ho-hum NFL career.
 
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Sorry if this has already been posted. I didn't read the over 200 previous postings on this thread.

Jamain Stephens

    • In the case of Stephens, who might be the worst draft pick the team has ever made, the fault lies entirely with the Steelers for even selecting him in the draft.

      Let's go back. He had serious questions attached when he came out of college. He wasn't a big effort guy, he wasn't usually in good shape and there were questions about whether or not he could adapt to the professional level and be a successful player.

      He didn't even play for Pittsburgh. Bill Cowher cut him the first day of camp after he flopped to the ground during a run test and couldn't continue. This ranks as the biggest mistake they've ever made and there wasn't even anything coming out of school to justify it.
    • 19990731mrstephensm.jpg

He actually did play 19 games for the Steelers over 2 years, starting 11, and then spent 3 years with Cincy. Yes he was a bust, but Huey Richardson was worse than him by far.

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/S/StepJa20.htm
 
Draft busts are overrated for a year, then it's over. they aren't overrated in college, they where studs there, and usually within a year, maybe two you aren't overrating as much as cursing them out if they don't perform.
 
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Sorry if this has already been posted. I didn't read the over 200 previous postings on this thread.

Jamain Stephens

    • In the case of Stephens, who might be the worst draft pick the team has ever made, the fault lies entirely with the Steelers for even selecting him in the draft.

      Let's go back. He had serious questions attached when he came out of college. He wasn't a big effort guy, he wasn't usually in good shape and there were questions about whether or not he could adapt to the professional level and be a successful player.

      He didn't even play for Pittsburgh. Bill Cowher cut him the first day of camp after he flopped to the ground during a run test and couldn't continue. This ranks as the biggest mistake they've ever made and there wasn't even anything coming out of school to justify it.
    • 19990731mrstephensm.jpg
Stephens was an awful draft choice, but the "He didn't even play for Pittsburgh. Bill Cowher cut him the first day of camp." line is completely wrong. He played two years for the Steelers and started his 2nd season. The camp cut happened going into his 3rd season.
 
Stephens was an awful draft choice, but the "He didn't even play for Pittsburgh. Bill Cowher cut him the first day of camp." line is completely wrong. He played two years for the Steelers and started his 2nd season. The camp cut happened going into his 3rd season.
actually had a great game on a Monday night against the packers and reggie white.. but think that was one of if not the only good game he played..
 
Don't get me started-

We don't have to go to far back to find one of the most overrated players- Jarvis Jones.

The first round player who was hyped as being the most ferocious defensive player in the SEC- someone that no one could stop on his way to sacking the QB. - The dude got pushed around, missed tackles and was out for too long. He was a bust.. he was WAY overrated and The Steelers spent too long thinking he might actually one day be as good as he was expected to be. You'd expect a highly coveted first round OLB to have at least 20 sacks in their first 4 seasons... Jones has 6 or 1.5 sacks per season. He's about as overrated as they come.

Bud Dupree is another guy who feels a bit overrated at this point. He is a decent LB but he has not Played at a 1st or 2nd or even 3rd round level yet. He still has a lot to prove.


Jack Lambert was the farthest thing from being overrateted- many of his peers (who he played against) have later called him the best LB they ever saw. To sugest he is overrated because he had a good line in front of him is like saying Tom Brady is overrated because he had a good coach and other good players around him. The man was one of the best to play the game- period.

Jerome Bettis was also not at all overrated. The Steelers got him for a bargain and he proved to be money throughout his career with the team. He was incrediblly reliable and he was consistent. He was tough to bring down and he delvered when the team needed him.

Not sure if some people here understand the meaning of overrated.

Almost every expert would pick both Lambert and Bettis as one of the 20 best to ever play their position... and some would put them both in the top 10.
 
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no playoffs what year?

malkin had 7 points against detroit, fleury was nowhere near the conn smythe conversation

he was sent to the bench in game 5 so how important was he? detroit was seriously banged up, how many time are you guys going to use a nearly decade old game to defend him?
So, after two threads of nobody agreeing with you, ya still won't shut up
 
You could definitely put together an argument that Marino was "overrated". Even in the biggest game at Pitt (48-14) his interceptions fueled the PSU comeback and he had no answer. He really never won a big game.

But then again, from purely a physical standpoint, he was the single greatest QB I ever saw. No one threw the ball as well as he did. No one.

Ummm ... there was that game after the loss to PSU with a "mediocre" pass at the end one might consider a big game. ;)
 
Stephens was an awful draft choice, but the "He didn't even play for Pittsburgh. Bill Cowher cut him the first day of camp." line is completely wrong. He played two years for the Steelers and started his 2nd season. The camp cut happened going into his 3rd season.

I don't know why Steeler fans immediately go to Jamain Stephens when they talk about draft busts. And that is what he is, moreso than "overrated". I think recruiting busts and draft busts are different than "overrated". Anyways, again why do mostly older Steeler fans default to Stephens?

Jamain Stephens was no more of a bust than Ziggy Hood. Both were picks at the end of the first round. Almost second round picks. These guys were nowhere close to John Reinstra, Tim Worley, Huey Richardson, Jarvis Jones as first round draft busts.
 
I'd like to start including Troy Edwards' name in on these steeler first rd draft busts.. that dude sucked..
 
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I think recruiting busts and draft busts are different than "overrated".

Exactly! Anyone drafted high in a pro sports draft is not overrated, they WHERE stud performers in college, properly rated for that level. They where rated based on COLLEGE PERFORMANCE, they just weren't good or great at the next level, some worse than others.
 
over loved <> overrated. Decent enough guy. Pretty much think the fan base thought Leyland choked those three years (at least the last two) so that in no way makes him overrated legacy wise.. Was kind of nice to see him show up at Rooney's funeral yesterday. .
Fair enough, but in general being overloced leads to being overrated. My two picks are the Freak Show Pirates team and Hines Ward.

Those Bucs were great fun to watch. Tiny payroll. Mediocre team. Worse division. Easy to get seats at 3 Rivers. Hope that PNC would lead to great success and large payrolls....

Hines played football exactly how I want my kids to approach life. He still wasn't the best WR on his team most years, much less a top NFL player.
 
I met a buddy of mine for that draft down at a bar/restaurant near century 3, think it was damons.. anyways, this dude is huge nfl draft guy, I had no idea. so im like yeah bro, i'll meet you, have a couple beers and see who our steelers draft...

I get there, my man has about 4 magazines open, ready for it. I could care less, just want to see who our boys get. anyways, couple beers into it, im talking like 2pm at Damons, and we draft this dude. My man starts screaming about Jevon Kearse, Jevon Kearse, we should have drafted him, we suck, F you steelers, blah blah. Now this isn't jacks on a Saturday night, we are basically at a family restaurant for lunchtime. I mean we got kids about 10' from us, eating cheese sticks. Manager comes over, tells us we have to leave, I just put my head down and walk out, ashamed at my life.. Who gets thrown out of a family restaurant at 2pm?
 
Hines played football exactly how I want my kids to approach life. He still wasn't the best WR on his team most years, much less a top NFL player.

What determines "best WR" his stats/production where best on the team most of those years, is it something besides production that makes you "best"?
 
What determines "best WR" his stats/production where best on the team most of those years, is it something besides production that makes you "best"?
Eye test and seeing where the coverage was going. Back then I had a lot more time on my hands and actively watched games. Plex and Holmes were both better. Plus, Fitz in college was outclassing all of them.
 
Eye test and seeing where the coverage was going. Back then I had a lot more time on my hands and actively watched games. Plex and Holmes were both better. Plus, Fitz in college was outclassing all of them.

To me, in the end, actual numbers production is superior to "eye test" I'd take Ward over Plex and Santonio, he PRODUCED more than those 2 combined. Even compared to Fitz, Fitz only beat Hines 12.8 to 12.1 in YPC.

I hate the "eye test" (subjective, like figure skating), I prefer NUMBERS (objective).
 
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To me, in the end, actual numbers production is superior to "eye test" I'd take Ward over Plex and Santonio, he PRODUCED more than those 2 combined. Even compared to Fitz, Fitz only beat Hines 12.8 to 12.1 in YPC.

I hate the "eye test" (subjective, like figure skating), I prefer NUMBERS (objective).
Nice cherry picking...in your "numbers" comparison you conveniently left out yards per game (71.2 to 55.7) tds (104 to 85--with ward having one more year) etc...sort of subjective in your selection criteria, eh? ever consider politics as a profession?
 
Nice cherry picking...in your "numbers" comparison you conveniently left out yards per game (71.2 to 55.7), tds (104 to 85) etc...sort of subjective in your selection criteria, eh?

I would pick Fitz over Hines for sure, just saying Hines was no slouch. Some people act like he was mediocre and compiled numbers because he just hung around a long time, myself, I think he was a great NFL player.
 
I met a buddy of mine for that draft down at a bar/restaurant near century 3, think it was damons.. anyways, this dude is huge nfl draft guy, I had no idea. so im like yeah bro, i'll meet you, have a couple beers and see who our steelers draft...

I get there, my man has about 4 magazines open, ready for it. I could care less, just want to see who our boys get. anyways, couple beers into it, im talking like 2pm at Damons, and we draft this dude. My man starts screaming about Jevon Kearse, Jevon Kearse, we should have drafted him, we suck, F you steelers, blah blah. Now this isn't jacks on a Saturday night, we are basically at a family restaurant for lunchtime. I mean we got kids about 10' from us, eating cheese sticks. Manager comes over, tells us we have to leave, I just put my head down and walk out, ashamed at my life.. Who gets thrown out of a family restaurant at 2pm?
That was the year we took Troy Edwards, sooooo...I would gladly get thrown out of a restaurant to have had Jevon Kearse instead of Troy Edwards in the 99 draft. Hell, Jevon Kearse even had a sack, strip, fumble returned for a TD against in 1999.

Your buddy, while a jerk, was right.
 
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That was the year we took Troy Edwards, sooooo...I would gladly get thrown out of a restaurant to have had Jevon Kearse instead of Troy Edwards in the 99 draft. Hell, Jevon Kearse even had a sack, strip, fumble returned for a TD against in 1999.

Your buddy, while a jerk, was right.
uh, he's a nice guy, we just picked the wrong establishment to watch the draft in.
 
To me, in the end, actual numbers production is superior to "eye test" I'd take Ward over Plex and Santonio, he PRODUCED more than those 2 combined. Even compared to Fitz, Fitz only beat Hines 12.8 to 12.1 in YPC.

I hate the "eye test" (subjective, like figure skating), I prefer NUMBERS (objective).
Who is getting the double team isn't subjective. Hines was good for a long time. He just wasn't great.
 
The worst part of the Edwards pick was the three other players under consideration (Kearse, Anthony McFarland and John Tait) all had solid careers though Kearse never duplicated his rookie season. Tait seemed like a safe Cowher pick and would have hammered down the right tackle spot for 10 years.
 
You'd think after all these people disagree with everything you said you'd stop pretending you know anything at all.

most of the entire hockey world agrees with me

learn to be a fan instead of a fanboy and then your day won't be ruined when somebody doesn't think a player on your favorite team is a god, son
 
Bettis is 6th in rushing yards all time in NFL history and won a Super Bowl, MAF is 15th all time in goalie wins in NHL history and won two Stanley Cups, that's 2 guys, that far up on the lists, over ONE HUNDRED YEARS of history, how can these people be "overrated"? That's just stupid.

yes by playing 12 years he piled up his rushing numbers

won a super bowl? how many yards in that season? i think less than 600

MAF a starter since 2003 on a team that was considered a cup favorite since 2008

he was on the bench for the 2nd cup, zero playoff wins during the run

people like you are why i call them overrated, you give them more credit than they deserve it shouldn't be that hard to figure out
 
I was unaware that fleury was in the hall of fame. uh, and last time I checked, compiled numbers get ya in.

learn to read, some other guy said he would be in the hall

compiled numbers shouldn't get guys in the hall, that's my point

before the steroid bust people wanted to put rafael palmiero in the hall with his 2 all star appearances all because of his home run totals, every team has a player in the all star game and he only made 2
 
Only Brady is clearly better than Ben.

Didn't you say that Bettis is only about numbers? Well then those others have slightly better numbers than ben and less team success. Ben in fact is underrated, as proven by your post.

only a yinzer would ever argue ben over rodgers, brees, manning

never even close to a league mvp, his own team won't vote him mvp

and then there are tons of guys who had career years far better than ben's best year

again you are why i say he is overrated
 
Ben's two rings where won UNILATERALLY BY HIM...

2005, he lifted the team on his shoulders and carried them with his arm to the Super Bowl, even made the most important tackle of the season.

2008, Steelers never win the Super Bowl if they hand the ball to Kordell or Maddox, at his own 20 with 2;37 left, HE CARRIED THE TEAM on that drive and made a HALL OF FAME quality pass to Holmes to win the Super Bowl.

i posted the numbers, he was a role player during the season and had good (not great) playoff games and a horrible super bowl

the super bowl was so bad he said he never watched it

lifted the team on his shoulders LOL YOU ARE WHY I SAY HE'S OVERRATED

not saying they would've had that drive in the super bowl with kordell or maddox, but marching his numbers wouldn't have been hard that season
 
Yeah Bradly lost me when he included Brees. What, why not Rivers and Romo too? I would say Brady, Manning and Rodgers are better than Ben. Then you put him at the next spot. I don't think that is "overrated" and I think in today's fantasy football mania, he is underrated.

brees puts up huge numbers every year, even tied ben's career high in passing yards and does it without any pro bowl receivers

he has received vots for mvp, would've won it if rodgers didn't have one of the best QB seasons ever and he was super bowl mvp

what has ben done better other than 1 more ring, where he had the better overall team?

rivers and romo had plenty of seasons where they were better than ben, i think they win more if they drafted rivers instead of ben
 
So, after two threads of nobody agreeing with you, ya still won't shut up

a house full of drug addicts would say you're lame for not shooting heroin, are they right?

if you're wrong i don't care how many people agree with you, and like i said most of the hockey world considers fleury to be erratic, inconsistent, and untrustworty

the majorityof the world is on my side, the yinzers are on yours
 
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