OT: steeler elephant in the room

[Zeldas Open Roof]

Ben and most other people could less what you think.
As Ben said last season I'll decide if I come back year to year.

Guess what he's at the end of a great career.
He's rich, can you say that,are you in the 10-12 range in your field?

I think absolutely Ben cares what the fan base thinks. I like him a lot but he has mental maturity / intelligence of a 8 year old child with mental learning disabilities.

I am not making fun, I mean it, it’s very odd how the organization treats him. Star treatment is one thing, tomlin and Rooney do that to several players. The way they treat Ben reminds me of how a parent or teacher treat a child with mental developmental issues.

Extra attention and exaggerating their attention and support to him cause he needs it to function in society. Steelers treat Ben like an adult treats a child with server autism or ADD.

 

[Dr. von Yinzer]

This is incredibly dumb on multiple levels.

First, let me say that I have I had one semi-interaction with Roethlisberger earlier in his career and it was not a good one. Honestly, he could not have come off as a bigger jerk had he tried. It was like he was playing the role of the stupid jock in a John Hughes film.

It was the summer after the Steelers’ Super Bowl win over Seattle and I was in a bar with friends and he walked in with his douche bag friends and demanded that the bar remove a number of people from a special area that he wanted to sit with his friends. He also basically demanded that they cordoned off the area so that he would not be bothered.

OK, that’s pretty tacky but that’s not what set me off. What set me off was at some point a drunk older man came over to him to congratulate him on winning the Super Bowl and Ben held out his hand and then pulled it back like an immature seventh grader and told the guy to get off his dick.

He and his friends got a good laugh at humiliating the older gentleman, but everyone who saw it was basically just rolling their eyes at this douche bag.

Not one person so much as looked in his direction the rest of the night. It was incredible. He was even trying to get cute girls to come over and sit with he and his buddies but was having no luck.

Soon thereafter they became frustrated and left in a huff and I’m pretty sure they did not pay. Whatever happened the waitress and owner seemed to be very upset.

 

[Dr. von Yinzer]

I say that as a backdrop so that nobody gets the idea than trying to defend Roethlisberger. I’m sure he’s grown a lot since then, but I’m equally sure he’s also still a flaming jerk.

However, Antonio Brown is mentally ill. How much more evidence do people need to see before they finally have their aha moment?

His breakdown might be directed at “Big Ben,” but it should be directed at his primary care physician or his mental health therapist because somebody is letting this man down. He is not behaving in a way that a chemically balanced human being behaves.

If you see a raving lunatic on the streets of downtown Pittsburgh throwing pennies in the air and ranting and raving about the Pope, Chuck Schumer and Arianna Grande, are you going to spend more time wondering what those people did to this poor guy?

Of course not! You’re going to feel badly for this terribly broken human being. That’s Antonio Brown! He just happens to be an extremely talented football player on top of being severely mentally ill and/or drug addled.

I have no idea what was said to him in the film room or in the locker room or by home, but I do know that you can’t fix crazy by coddling and this was always going to end this way.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

This is incredibly dumb on multiple levels.

First, let me say that I have I had one semi-interaction with Roethlisberger earlier in his career and it was not a good one. Honestly, he could not have come off as a bigger jerk had he tried. It was like he was playing the role of the stupid jock in a John Hughes film.

It was the summer after the Steelers’ Super Bowl win over Seattle and I was in a bar with friends and he walked in with his douche bag friends and demanded that the bar remove a number of people from a special area that he wanted to sit with his friends. He also basically demanded that they cordoned off the area so that he would not be bothered.

OK, that’s pretty tacky but that’s not what set me off. What set me off was at some point a drunk older man came over to him to congratulate him on winning the Super Bowl and Ben held out his hand and then pulled it back like an immature seventh grader and told the guy to get off his dick.

He and his friends got a good laugh at humiliating the older gentleman, but everyone who saw it was basically just rolling their eyes at this douche bag.

Not one person so much as looked in his direction the rest of the night. It was incredible. He was even trying to get cute girls to come over and sit with he and his buddies but was having no luck.

Soon thereafter they became frustrated and left in a huff and I’m pretty sure they did not pay. Whatever happened the waitress and owner seemed to be very upset.

Yep. That’s him. Typical meathead jock like in a john Hughes film. Perfect description.

There are franchise QBs. And then there are franchise QBs who are douches inside the locker room and outside the locker room.

Good story.

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

This is incredibly dumb on multiple levels.

First, let me say that I have I had one semi-interaction with Roethlisberger earlier in his career and it was not a good one. Honestly, he could not have come off as a bigger jerk had he tried. It was like he was playing the role of the stupid jock in a John Hughes film.

It was the summer after the Steelers’ Super Bowl win over Seattle and I was in a bar with friends and he walked in with his douche bag friends and demanded that the bar remove a number of people from a special area that he wanted to sit with his friends. He also basically demanded that they cordoned off the area so that he would not be bothered.

OK, that’s pretty tacky but that’s not what set me off. What set me off was at some point a drunk older man came over to him to congratulate him on winning the Super Bowl and Ben held out his hand and then pulled it back like an immature seventh grader and told the guy to get off his dick.

He and his friends got a good laugh at humiliating the older gentleman, but everyone who saw it was basically just rolling their eyes at this douche bag.

Not one person so much as looked in his direction the rest of the night. It was incredible. He was even trying to get cute girls to come over and sit with he and his buddies but was having no luck.

Soon thereafter they became frustrated and left in a huff and I’m pretty sure they did not pay. Whatever happened the waitress and owner seemed to be very upset.

I wouldn’t be surprised if both Ben and AB are diagnosably off. Being a egotistical jerk is one thing, we see that everywhere in sports. The way the Steelers treat Ben, it’s like management spoke to a psychologist and was given instructions with using specific incessant positive reinforcement words, to avoid specific criticism and to handle him to avoid triggering this mental issue.

Star treatment is one thing. Letting AB chill out in cafeteria during team meetings or letting silverback sleep in linebacker meetings is star treatment, giving Ben off Wednesday practices in fall is star treatment. This is a whole different situation.

 

[nationalmanager]

Tomlin has been riding Ben's coat tails for the entire time he had been here.

The Rooney's need to get rid of Tomlin. Tomlin will retire voluntarily when Ben retires because he knows he can't coach. He lost this team a while ago and should have been gone.

Yes losing Shazier hurt big time, but Tomlin has been terrible at drafting players. He has ultimate say, so these have been his picks.

I will continue to follow the team, but until he is gone, they will never go far. It's a shame.

 

[McKee Place]

No outrage here at all. I will fully admit I’d probably be better off just shutting the hell up at times though haha. But nothing manufactured on my end.

Oh, not you... the poster you addressed.

The way some of them act in these boards, it's amazing they've lived as long as they have, with all the well deserved ass beatings they've surely gotten.

 

[Dr. von Yinzer]

Finally, the notion that it was a chemistry issue that derailed the Steelers is pretty ridiculous.

Their defense couldn’t stop anyone.

Who played middle linebacker for them this year? Who played the corner spot opposite Haden? What about the rush linebacker spot opposite Watt?

You don’t have to have All-Pros at those positions to win, but if you have the worst starters in the league at those positions, and we pretty much do at all three spots, your defense can’t possibly be good enough to win, it just can’t.

The Steelers problems are not on the offensive side of the ball, they are VERY OBVIOUSLY on the other side.

Anyone who watches them with any semblance of regularity understands that, so why are so many people pretending otherwise? Because people don’t like “Big Ben?”

Fine, I don’t like him either. However, I’m unwilling to pretend that this is somehow all his fault when it very clearly isn’t.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

Star treatment is one thing. Letting AB chill out in cafeteria during team meetings or letting silverback sleep in linebacker meetings is star treatment, giving Ben off Wednesday practices in fall is star treatment. This is a whole different situation.

Letting AB stay off campus during training camp while the other 80 players sleep in the dorms is the one that gets me. Not to mention some of those lineman can barely fit through the doors. Not sure if they’re air conditioned these days. My guess is they are now. But half of those lineman probably have sleep apnea and for 75 years they all seemed to manage sleeping in those hot dorm rooms.

And on top of it, none of the media reported it until recently.

 

[Burgh15]

Finally, the notion that it was a chemistry issue that derailed the Steelers is pretty ridiculous.

Their defense couldn’t stop anyone.

The three major problems (in no particular order) were:
1. Defense isn't very good.
2. Abandoned the running game, which helped lead to too many INTs.
3. Boswell was terrible.

 

[pittman71]

Yes losing Shazier hurt big time, but Tomlin has been terrible at drafting players. He has ultimate say, so these have been his picks.

uh, no he doesn't.

 

[bayardstreet]

I am a rich white guy and I still think Ben is a flawed human being. Leadership qualities of an ant

 

[Dr. von Yinzer]

The three major problems (in no particular order) were:
1. Defense isn't very good.
2. Abandoned the running game, which helped lead to too many INTs.
3. Boswell was terrible.

All true.

 

[Dr. von Yinzer]

Offense had some abysmal performances this year that cost us some wins. As did the defense, as did our effeminate 14 year old looking kicker.

To excuse the offense this year is flat out wrong.

Yeah, the offense definitely gave away some games this year and there’s no question about that. I didn’t mean to imply otherwise.

Roethlisberger in particular made some huge mistakes during the season. The first Cleveland game immediately springs to mind. That tie ultimately cost Pittsburgh a playoff spot and he was beyond reckless with the football that day.

I’m just saying that when you look at the various units on the offense, none of them were substandard. They had an excellent offensive line, a good backfield and an outstanding receiving corps.

They also had an above average quarterback. I’m not sure if he’s elite anymore, but he is still clearly an above average player.

They weren’t always careful with the football – and that goes for No. 30 too, BTW. However, on balance, you never felt helpless with them out there.

I don’t feel that way about the defense. I think they have a handful of good players on the defensive unit, including two really good players (Nos. 97 and 90), but I don’t think any of those units are among the best in the NFL.

That’s definitely a major problem. There just aren’t nearly enough playmakers on that side of the ball and there are multiple guys who might as will be wearing targets on their chest.

Then, you couple that with some glaring weaknesses – particularly at MLB, CB, and OLB; as well as DL depth.

I just don’t see it as a 50/50 deal – I really don’t. And I definitely don’t see it as a chemistry issue. It’s very clearly a talent issue on D, which is itself troubling because they have spent high draft choice after high draft choice on that side of the football and they have missed left and right.

I’m not necessarily trying to stick up for Mike Tomlin, because he definitely has a lot of warts. However, I think there should probably be at least some conversation about Kevin Colbert‘s performance as well.

How could you possibly go into last off-season with your best defensive player paralyzed and you don’t bother to sign or draft a starting caliber linebacker?

Inexcusable.

Big Ben could turn into Mr. Rogers in the film room and it’s not going to address any of those gaping defensive holes.

 

[McKee Place]

They definitely give Roethlisberger too much power to decide the offense. He was far more effective when reigned in by Haley. Unf Haley was an idiot himself off the field and provided enough ammo to be forced out. That was ok, but rather than another strong OC, they let BR put in his drinking buddy. It's been chaos since.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

What is funny, is compare Ben with Sidney Crosby. Or any of the Penguins. Look, I could care less how Ben acts, I am not friends with him, I am not a "buddy", I just want him to win. I don't know Sidney Crosby. But let's be honest here, when Ben started out and was winning these games, having success going to the Super Bowl, he was young. But Sidney effing Crosby won a championship when he was 21 years old. He was in the finals when he was 20 years old. Malkin was 21. Letang was 21. Ben was 22 when he was a rookie, 23 when he won a Super Bowl.

My point here, we all have heard those Ben stories, especially after that Sports Illustrated article. Has anyone heard any Sid stories from when he was young? I have. Like the time a couple of friends where at the Carson Street Saloon before it was going to be shut off before the Penguins were having a private celebration and my buddies knew the bartender, so the bartender let them stay. When Max Talbot and Sid came up to order more drinks, they asked the guys who they knew that they were here, and they admitted that they "always came here and didn't know any Pens personally" that Sid and Max smiles and said "no worries" and paid for their bill.

Or my niece walking down the street with her friends and seeing Sid inside some restaurant and running inside and he took photos with all of them. That's the difference. Sidney Crosby is frigging God and should be in this town, Ben is merely a great QB and gives the Steelers a chance to win.

 

[Pizzaboy1]

I am a rich white guy and I still think Ben is a flawed human being. Leadership qualities of an ant

Congratulations on your wealth!

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

What is funny, is compare Ben with Sidney Crosby. Or any of the Penguins. Look, I could care less how Ben acts, I am not friends with him, I am not a "buddy", I just want him to win. I don't know Sidney Crosby. But let's be honest here, when Ben started out and was winning these games, having success going to the Super Bowl, he was young. But Sidney effing Crosby won a championship when he was 21 years old. He was in the finals when he was 20 years old. Malkin was 21. Letang was 21. Ben was 22 when he was a rookie, 23 when he won a Super Bowl.

My point here, we all have heard those Ben stories, especially after that Sports Illustrated article. Has anyone heard any Sid stories from when he was young? I have. Like the time a couple of friends where at the Carson Street Saloon before it was going to be shut off before the Penguins were having a private celebration and my buddies knew the bartender, so the bartender let them stay. When Max Talbot and Sid came up to order more drinks, they asked the guys who they knew that they were here, and they admitted that they "always came here and didn't know any Pens personally" that Sid and Max smiles and said "no worries" and paid for their bill.

Or my niece walking down the street with her friends and seeing Sid inside some restaurant and running inside and he took photos with all of them. That's the difference. Sidney Crosby is frigging God and should be in this town, Ben is merely a great QB and gives the Steelers a chance to win.

Crosby is one of a very short list of people that I actuelly would be tempted to go up to in public and say hello. I am not an autograph guy and I’m usually in the csmp of letting these people alone in public, give them their peace.

Sis seems like a guy that would shake your hand back. I wouldn’t swerve my car if I saw Ben sitting in middle of the street in my way. And I’m a Ben fan (on the field)

 

[FreeportPanther]

Crosby is one of a very short list of people that I actuelly would be tempted to go up to in public and say hello. I am not an autograph guy and I’m usually in the csmp of letting these people alone in public, give them their peace.

Sis seems like a guy that would shake your hand back. I wouldn’t swerve my car if I saw Ben sitting in middle of the street in my way. And I’m a Ben fan (on the field)

Standing in line to get into a hoops game at the Pete with my son years ago, we happened to be standing next to Jim Leyland and his son.
I looked over and said "Hi Skip".
He looked over and nodded, but kind of rolled his eyes.

My son has never let me forget this and has roundly ridiculed me for this moment of fanboy weakness ever since.
I immediately felt like I was wearing this:

 

[Fk_Pitt]

Crosby is one of a very short list of people that I actuelly would be tempted to go up to in public and say hello. I am not an autograph guy and I’m usually in the csmp of letting these people alone in public, give them their peace.

Sis seems like a guy that would shake your hand back. I wouldn’t swerve my car if I saw Ben sitting in middle of the street in my way. And I’m a Ben fan (on the field)

When my daughter was in HS a couple of years ago, she and her friends were on a school trip downtown. They ran into Fleury and bothered him for a long period of pictures and interaction. I saw many phone clips of the interaction. Fleury took dozens of pics and talked with the kids. He obviously had somewhere to be yet took the time with the kids. They then asked him for a ride in his Yukon. This obviously made him uncomfortable. He was smart enough not to say yes, but he was too nice to say no. Ben would have said “eff off kids”.

 

[FreeportPanther]

When my daughter was in HS a couple of years ago, she and her friends were on a school trip downtown. They ran into Fleury and bothered him for a long period of pictures and interaction. I saw many phone clips of the interaction. Fleury took dozens of pics and talked with the kids. He obviously had somewhere to be yet took the time with the kids. They then asked him for a ride in his Yukon. This obviously made him uncomfortable. He was smart enough not to say yes, but he was too nice to say no. Ben would have said “eff off kids”.

Fleury was amazing this way.
One of my sons buddies was doing some electrical/computer work at the Pen's Cranberry complex.
He just missed Fleury going into the locker room and wanted to try to get an autograph for his kid. An attendant saw him looking bummed and asked him what was wrong. When he told him, the guy said wait here.
Went into the locker room, and a minute later came back with the Flower who signed, chatted and posed for phone pics for like 5 minutes for the guy. Smiling all the time, and meaning it!!
Special guy for sure.

The way things are working out, wish he was still here! Too bad the Pens didn't know then what they do know now!

 

[upj87]

the other day I posted the Deion Sanders tweet about the elephant in the steeler Room.

Now there’s this. What are people alluding to?

View embedded media

Elephant?.. Considering his current girth and that he is not officially on another squad yet it has to be LeVeon Bell...

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Fleury was amazing this way.
One of my sons buddies was doing some electrical/computer work at the Pen's Cranberry complex.
He just missed Fleury going into the locker room and wanted to try to get an autograph for his kid. An attendant saw him looking bummed and asked him what was wrong. When he told him, the guy said wait here.
Went into the locker room, and a minute later came back with the Flower who signed, chatted and posed for phone pics for like 5 minutes for the guy. Smiling all the time, and meaning it!!
Special guy for sure.

The way things are working out, wish he was still here! Too bad the Pens didn't know then what they do know now!

Rutherford made the move he had to make. I do admit that even I said "man, the ballsy move to make is trade Murray, get a ton back, #1 picks and players" and go with MAF.

That being said, Fleury's save % is less than Murray's, yet he is a Vezina candidate. He plays behind a better team.

 

[FreeportPanther]

Rutherford made the move he had to make. I do admit that even I said "man, the ballsy move to make is trade Murray, get a ton back, #1 picks and players" and go with MAF.

That being said, Fleury's save % is less than Murray's, yet he is a Vezina candidate. He plays behind a better team.

He couldn't go wrong either way, actually.
Hindsight being 50/50 n'at, the way it turned out, the Fleury folks would be happy, the team would be happier, and the Murray crowd would shut up by now watching his performances the past couple years.

I know, the two cups, but Fleury had a lot to do with the first one, and who knows if he couldn't have won the second one as well? Seems Murray played better with Fleury pushing him, or at least having him there as a security blanket.
Of course if the rumors about Murray are true, then that explains a lot. A whole lot.

The trade they may actually regret is the goalie they gave up for Brassard.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

He couldn't go wrong either way, actually.
Hindsight being 50/50 n'at, the way it turned out, the Fleury folks would be happy, the team would be happier, and the Murray crowd would shut up by now watching his performances the past couple years.

I know, the two cups, but Fleury had a lot to do with the first one, and who knows if he couldn't have won the second one as well? Seems Murray played better with Fleury pushing him, or at least having him there as a security blanket.
Of course if the rumors about Murray are true, then that explains a lot. A whole lot.

The trade they may actually regret is the goalie they gave up for Brassard.

Yeah, I think what is obvious going into next season is a real veteran goalie to share and push Murray. I do think if I am the Pens, I switch goalie coaches because MM is regressing. For all the critics, let's remember MAF hit a wall after the 2009 season and wasn't that good between 2010-2013 too.

 

[FreeportPanther]

Yeah, I think what is obvious going into next season is a real veteran goalie to share and push Murray. I do think if I am the Pens, I switch goalie coaches because MM is regressing. For all the critics, let's remember MAF hit a wall after the 2009 season and wasn't that good between 2010-2013 too.

No doubt. MAF had his head scratching moments as well.
What is a goalie coach going to tell MM that he doesn't already know?
If you need a fall guy, yeah can the goalie coach, but MM's problems aren't coaching as much as losing concentration.
Maybe hire Dr. Phil as goalie coach??

 

[passedout]

I dont understand the tweet. Basically the only thing the media wont do is out someone i.e. report that someone is gay. They discuss racism everyday so if that is the elephant it makes zero sense for them to cover it up.

Wait .... AB is gay? That would explain the blonde mustache then, right?

 

[passedout]

Honestly, all this drama ... EVERYONE is replaceable. Bell and Brown are near their downsides and became expendable -- Ben is as well. The difference is there are so many RBs and WRs in the league that you can win with, but NOT as many QBs. All these storylines are just marketing to keep the public interested while the product on the field is mediocre.

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

Wait .... AB is gay? That would explain the blonde mustache then, right?

We all know AB likes girls, they have the bruises to prove it.

 

[passedout]

We all know AB likes girls, they have the bruises to prove it.

Ho! He's here all night folks!

 

[Pitt79]

You want to blame Ben, fine, in reality, he's carried the team for a decade. Go get good character QB and celebrate 7-9. Seriously, most games the last decade are.... 58 minutes, Tomlin's plans FAIL MISERABLY, last 2 minutes, hand the ball to Ben, play street ball and pull it out.

 

[McKee Place]

Honestly, all this drama ... EVERYONE is replaceable. Bell and Brown are near their downsides and became expendable -- Ben is as well. The difference is there are so many RBs and WRs in the league that you can win with, but NOT as many QBs. All these storylines are just marketing to keep the public interested while the product on the field is mediocre.

All true. Especially the last part. The Steelers aren't unhappy in the least that they're getting so much attention even after missing the playoffs.