The Pittsburgher Thread: It feels so dark and cold

[Pens x]

How is he an awful leader exactly? He’s the all time winningest QB in Steelers history, so he’s obviously doing something right.

He calls guys out, and that makes him a bad teammate? Ok...?

Brady and Rodgers are considered the two best QBs in the league and they do the same ****. Rodgers is supposed to be a huge *****e nozzle and just got his coach fired. Brady is supposedly the greatest of all time, yet he’s so insecure he pulled a power play to get his backup traded.

How exactly are they better teammates?

Like them, BR is a jerk, but all three guys want to win and it’s important to them. Ward was a jerk to, but he cared about winning also. There’s a huge difference between these jerks and the crazed selfish jerk that’s been a cancer on this team.

Brown is about stats and himself. Period. And he’s lost his mind. Blaming Roth for his insanity is so out there and misguided it’s comical.

I started watching this team as a kid in the late 80s and over that time they had great defenses and great RBs and good receivers and all that jazz, but went 25 years between SBs until Roth came around.

It’s not a coincidence they won a SB right away when he came, and then another. It’s not a coincidence three receivers have caught 100 balls or more in a season from his arm.

He’s why they have six SB trophies and not four. If he had better teammates that wanted to win as much as him and better coaching the last 8-9 years, there would be more trophies in that case.

He’s their franchise. He’s why they win. When he’s gone, you will quickly realize that.

Oh I know we are in for some rough years ahead once Ben retires. I have no faith in Colbert or Rooney, so who knows how long it will take to find another great QB.

Aaron Rodgers is a huge jackass as well. I don’t recall Ben ever throwing himself under the bus, like he does with players and coaches, after he led the league in interceptions last year. Oh wait, that was AB’s fault, right?

Both Ben and AB are huge jackasses. AB is definitely worse but Ben is still a chooch, too.

 

[KIRK]

How is he an awful leader exactly? He’s the all time winningest QB in Steelers history, so he’s obviously doing something right.

He calls guys out, and that makes him a bad teammate? Ok...?

Brady and Rodgers are considered the two best QBs in the league and they do the same ****. Rodgers is supposed to be a huge *****e nozzle and just got his coach fired. Brady is supposedly the greatest of all time, yet he’s so insecure he pulled a power play to get his backup traded.

How exactly are they better teammates?

Like them, BR is a jerk, but all three guys want to win and it’s important to them. Ward was a jerk to, but he cared about winning also. There’s a huge difference between these jerks and the crazed selfish jerk that’s been a cancer on this team.

Brown is about stats and himself. Period. And he’s lost his mind. Blaming Roth for his insanity is so out there and misguided it’s comical.

I started watching this team as a kid in the late 80s and over that time they had great defenses and great RBs and good receivers and all that jazz, but went 25 years between SBs until Roth came around.

It’s not a coincidence they won a SB right away when he came, and then another. It’s not a coincidence three receivers have caught 100 balls or more in a season from his arm.

He’s why they have six SB trophies and not four. If he had better teammates that wanted to win as much as him and better coaching the last 8-9 years, there would be more trophies in that case.

He’s their franchise. He’s why they win. When he’s gone, you will quickly realize that.

That right there.

When people question JuJu becoming a bit of a self-promoter, I keep asking . . . like AB or like Hines Ward?

 

[KIRK]

Oh I know we are in for some rough years ahead once Ben retires. I have no faith in Colbert or Rooney, so who knows how long it will take to find another great QB.

Aaron Rodgers is a huge jackass as well. I don’t recall Ben ever throwing himself under the bus, like he does with players and coaches, after he led the league in interceptions last year. Oh wait, that was AB’s fault, right?

Both Ben and AB are huge jackasses. AB is definitely worse but Ben is still a chooch, too.

Strange, I've seen Ben blame himself for some things on multiple occasions.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Oh I know we are in for some rough years ahead once Ben retires. I have no faith in Colbert or Rooney, so who knows how long it will take to find another great QB.

Aaron Rodgers is a huge jackass as well. I don’t recall Ben ever throwing himself under the bus, like he does with players and coaches, after he led the league in interceptions last year. Oh wait, that was AB’s fault, right?

Both Ben and AB are huge jackasses. AB is definitely worse but Ben is still a chooch, too.

I’ve seen BR take accountability for bad games and bad mistakes plenty of times. Way more often than AB ever has.

Did AB ever take accountability for running the wrong routes on purpose or pouting when his team scored a f***ing TD? Then not only did he sit out the most important game of this season because he was pouting he didn’t get the MVP... he had the stones to blame it on his teammates not trying hard enough.

Tell me when Roth ever did shit like that.

When Roth threw pics he was trying to make plays and help his team win. He simply messed up on those plays and a majority of the time took the blame. One time he called out AB for running a bad route.. ohs nos!

He didn’t try to sabotage his team like AB has done multiple times.

If you can’t figure out the difference here between the two jerks, well... that’s just sad.

 

[KIRK]

Sad . . . yes.

Surprising . . . hardly.

 

[Night Shift]

What's funny is all the talking heads that criticized Ben and took AB's side during the drama through the media, kept quiet after AB's domestic issue..

How dare Ben for not being a good baby sitter!

 

[Night Shift]

When we have to go against AB in a game it be nice to get Burfict on a one day/game contract.

 

[Rossi Rat]

When we have to go against AB in a game it be nice to get Burfict on a one day/game contract.

While this is taking it far, AB sure is a smug, petulant jackass.

“How’s the WiFi now, AB??”

*puts on fake smile with fake white teeth*

“Boomin’.”

*meanwhile threatens reporters, threatens baby mommas, throws a temper tantrum and allegedly furniture off a balcony... when there’s this many allegations, even if they’re all not true, that really speaks negatively on the individual*

It’s a shame I went from liking this guy so much as the underdog 6th round draft pick... to the wannabe celebrity with all these dumb tantrums. I hate him. Most of you should too.

Call god! Cmelike! CuEuPu!

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

While this is taking it far, AB sure is a smug, petulant jackass.

“How’s the WiFi now, AB??”

*puts on fake smile with fake white teeth*

“Boomin’.”

*meanwhile threatens reporters, threatens baby mommas, throws a temper tantrum and allegedly furniture off a balcony... when there’s this many allegations, even if they’re all not true, that really speaks negatively on the individual*

It’s a shame I went from liking this guy so much as the underdog 6th round draft pick... to the wannabe celebrity with all these dumb tantrums. I hate him. Most of you should too.

Call god! Cmelike! CuEuPu!

I don’t hate him... pretty much don’t hate anyone because it’s a powerful and dangerous emotion.

However, AB displays the opposite values I was raised with and I have little respect for him.

I still can’t believe people don’t get this guy only cares about himself and his own brand. Just a couple recent examples:

It was bad enough that Brown got in offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner’s face in the second half, looking as if he wanted to break his jaw with a punch.

But it was much worse that Brown appeared to be sulking when he walked off the field by himself after Roethlisberger scrambled for a touchdown that pulled the Steelers within five points and gave them a chance with 1:59 left.

Teammates celebrated around Roethlisberger and appreciated his want-to as he dived for the pylon. It brought back bad memories of a game in Miami in 2016 when Brown — selfish or frustrated, depending on your perspective — walked slowly back to the line of scrimmage late in the fourth quarter when the Steelers were trying to run their no-huddle offense. Teammates were ticked. That’s being a bad teammate on Brown’s part. It wasn’t the first or last time.

Ron Cook: Antonio Brown refuses to grow up

Or after the Pats playoff game a couple seasons ago where Roth and Tomlin said he’s a big baby... Roth said:

He’s one of the best in the business, and the plays that he makes and has made over his career are so special,” Roethlisberger said of Brown. “I think sometimes that overshadows the extra stuff: the hands up, the arms up, the frustrations, the pouting, the things like that.”

Ron Cook on intentionally running bad routes:

In more than one game, when he wasn’t happy with how he was being used, he frequently ran the wrong patterns, either because of a lack of focus or — worse — intentionally. It happened a week ago in the AFC championship. That’s inexcusable.

And of course once again, he failed to show up three times to work during this past season, the worst being how he bailed on his teammates in the most important game of the season, then blamed them! All because he has his boo boo face on that that he didn’t get the MVP.

And people wonder why Roth has had it with this demented diva sabotaging his team?

Are people that dense? You can’t win meaningful football games with a cancer like this. Duh.

 

[Rossi Rat]

I don’t hate him... pretty much don’t hate anyone because it’s a powerful and dangerous emotion.

However, AB displays the opposite values I was raised with and I have little respect for him.

I still can’t believe people don’t get this guy only cares about himself and his own brand. Just a couple recent examples:



Ron Cook: Antonio Brown refuses to grow up

Or after the Pats playoff game a couple seasons ago where Roth and Tomlin said he’s a big baby... Roth said:



Ron Cook on intentionally running bad routes:



And of course once again, he failed to show up three times to work during this past season, the worst being how he bailed on his teammates in the most important game of the season, then blamed them! All because he has his boo boo face on that that he didn’t get the MVP.

And people wonder why Roth has had it with this demented diva sabotaging his team?

Are people that dense? You can’t win meaningful football games with a cancer like this. Duh.

Yeah - I sort of want to retract my “hate” statement, it is a strong word. In regards to the whole values part, I’m sure how he was raised plays a part in who he is now... how he acts, who he surrounds himself with.

Not to excuse him because there are others out there who had tough upbringings that are much more pleasant people.

 

[Al Smith]

It's speculation, and that payoff is 100% about owners not wanting to be asked a lot of uncomfortable questions (beyond the Kapernick and Reid stuff) that exacerbate PR issues.

Saw a story that team officials speculate Kap got $60-80 million. I didn't see anything about Reid. Presumably he got a lot less because he continued to be employed and he plays at a position that doesn't pay as much as QB. Kap was probably going to win his hearing and yes a lot of NFL dirt was going to come out. NFL probably did collude one way or another to keep him unemployed. Hopefully the payoff was worth not having the distraction.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Yeah - I sort of want to retract my “hate” statement, it is a strong word. In regards to the whole values part, I’m sure how he was raised plays a part in who he is now... how he acts, who he surrounds himself with.

Not to excuse him because there are others out there who had tough upbringings that are much more pleasant people.

I grew up in the inner city and had a number of friends in really bad situations and some overcame it and some didn’t.

As a quick example, my one friend was raised by his grandma, didn’t know where his mom was, and his dad was a drug dealer... but my buddy was a good guy and rose up out of that shit to be a good man.

On the flip side, just passed by an old friend the other day and didn’t even recognize him... he looked 100 years old and was obviously still using... but he had a tough life... dad was a deadbeat, his mom was f***ed up and got kicked out of a trailer park within a week once...

Just think about a guy like William Gay who watched his step dad kill his mom... so he was raised without a mother and a father... and look at the kind of man he is today.

 

[KIRK]

Saw a story that team officials speculate Kap got $60-80 million. I didn't see anything about Reid. Presumably he got a lot less because he continued to be employed and he plays at a position that doesn't pay as much as QB. Kap was probably going to win his hearing and yes a lot of NFL dirt was going to come out. NFL probably did collude one way or another to keep him unemployed. Hopefully the payoff was worth not having the distraction.

Collude is the wrong word.

I just think none of the owners thought the PR headache was worth the quality of player.

Problem is, that's a very subtle legal argument about 32 owners where a number of them have shown a propensity for putting their feet in their mouth in ways that ALSO create PR nightmares.

I think the league just decided the tax writeoff was easier, not because there was collusion, but because sometimes it's easier to settle for a drop in the bucket.

 

[Jacob]

Does anyone know of any open stick times that won’t devolve into a pickup game? Haven’t skated in over a year and want to try to work on things.

 

[Al Smith]

Collude is the wrong word.

I just think none of the owners thought the PR headache was worth the quality of player.

Problem is, that's a very subtle legal argument about 32 owners where a number of them have shown a propensity for putting their feet in their mouth in ways that ALSO create PR nightmares.

I think the league just decided the tax writeoff was easier, not because there was collusion, but because sometimes it's easier to settle for a drop in the bucket.

We'll never know, but I suspect there was some collusion. A lot of these guys are of the mentality that a conversation, text, or an email will never see the light of day.

Speaking of taxes, if it's any consolation, owners may get some satisfaction that under the new tax law, Kap may have to pay taxes on the 33-40% that goes to Geragos.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Does anyone know of any open stick times that won’t devolve into a pickup game? Haven’t skated in over a year and want to try to work on things.

Baierl and Ice Castle have open stick time and pickup is never allowed so I’ve been able to take my daughter to both and work on stuff with her. It can get pretty stupid busy at times though...

North Park rink has stick time now as well. When I take her to kids/parents only stick time it’s great, but the regular stick time is half ice and gets pretty crowded.

My daughter and I are both good skaters so it’s not usually a big deal when it’s crowded, just have to really keep your head up when you are moving around. We usually find a patch of ice to work on stuff and people respect our space.

 

[KIRK]

We'll never know, but I suspect there was some collusion. A lot of these guys are of the mentality that a conversation, text, or an email will never see the light of day.

Speaking of taxes, if it's any consolation, owners may get some satisfaction that under the new tax law, Kap may have to pay taxes on the 33-40% that goes to Geragos.

It's not collusion when all sane owners independently arrive at the same conclusion that a meh QB like Kapernick isn't worth the PR headache anymore than it's admitting collusion when all of them independently arrive at the conclusion that giving what really is for the league chump change to make Kapernick go away is less annoying than a drawn out legal fight where questions will be far ranging and some owners have a history of saying dumb things (dumb as in PR headaches).

 

[Al Smith]

It's not collusion when all sane owners independently arrive at the same conclusion that a meh QB like Kapernick isn't worth the PR headache anymore than it's admitting collusion when all of them independently arrive at the conclusion that giving what really is for the league chump change to make Kapernick go away is less annoying than a drawn out legal fight where questions will be far ranging and some owners have a history of saying dumb things (dumb as in PR headaches).

You're right. I know what collusion is. So did the arbitrator who found sufficient evidence of collusion to allow the case to go to trial. I don't think they all independently arrived at the same conclusion that they weren't going to pick up Kap. Just because it would be really dumb for some of them to collude, but that doesn't mean they didn't.

 

[KIRK]

You're right. I know what collusion is. So did the arbitrator who found sufficient evidence of collusion to allow the case to go to trial. I don't think they all independently arrived at the same conclusion that they weren't going to pick up Kap. Just because it would be really dumb for some of them to collude, but that doesn't mean they didn't.

That's not much of a bar.

 

[The Old Master]

You're right. I know what collusion is. So did the arbitrator who found sufficient evidence of collusion to allow the case to go to trial. I don't think they all independently arrived at the same conclusion that they weren't going to pick up Kap. Just because it would be really dumb for some of them to collude, but that doesn't mean they didn't.

just imposable to prove. imo

 

[KIRK]

I don’t hate him... pretty much don’t hate anyone because it’s a powerful and dangerous emotion.

However, AB displays the opposite values I was raised with and I have little respect for him.

I still can’t believe people don’t get this guy only cares about himself and his own brand. Just a couple recent examples:



Ron Cook: Antonio Brown refuses to grow up

Or after the Pats playoff game a couple seasons ago where Roth and Tomlin said he’s a big baby... Roth said:



Ron Cook on intentionally running bad routes:



And of course once again, he failed to show up three times to work during this past season, the worst being how he bailed on his teammates in the most important game of the season, then blamed them! All because he has his boo boo face on that that he didn’t get the MVP.

And people wonder why Roth has had it with this demented diva sabotaging his team?

Are people that dense? You can’t win meaningful football games with a cancer like this. Duh.

You know Jiggy, I'm so torn on this AB-Artie summit. On the one hand, AB is a punk, and I don't get what Artie is doing here. On the other hand, the mischievous part of me wants to see AB humiliate Artie, because that will just be the 'perfect' ending to this football calendar year.

 

[OnMyOwn]

So my crazy theory on AB. I held off until now because it was ridiculous, but AB has shown ridiculous is status quo for him.

If any of you played madden this year, he’s in the Longshot story mode. He gets traded to the main characters team and has some lines in the cinematic parts. I scoffed at the idea he would be traded while I played it, but here we are.

I wonder if being involved in that story line got him thinking? Then it only took little b.s. for him to go off and seek a trade for real.

 

[ZeroPucksGiven]

just imposable to prove. imo

But doesn't just receiving 1 contract offer render any collusion allegation false?
People will scream "it wasn't fair value!"

Well value is subjective...every year there are FA signings where we all go: huh, I thought he'd go for cheaper or more money than that

 

[Rossi Rat]

“Peter King writes in Football Morning in America that he’s heard from one team that was a potential Brown suitor that has become reluctant to trade for him because of his tweets. King thinks other teams feel the same way.

That might be Brown’s aim: He might want to damage his own trade value in an attempt to get the Steelers to release him, rather than trade him. If he gets traded, he’s stuck with the team that trades for him. If he’s released, he can negotiate a new contract with the team of his choosing.”

I’m going to be livid if they give in and release him. And I have a terrible feeling they might.

 

[Anita L]

I agree with everything you say MurrK except possibly winning the division I do not see that happening as long as Tomlin is head coach of this team