Ben Showing His Leadership. Gives up Radio Show

Until the last few years Ben was absolutely great about defending his teammates to the press. He would go out of his way to say how well the o-line played when we all saw it was getting him routinely killed. I wish I knew what changed that led to him starting to criticize his teammates to the press.

 

Who exactly has he criticized?

 

Ever see Ben before each and every game when he goes around and shake hands with everybody on the team during warm-ups?

 

Well, James Washington for one, but he's criticized other teammates multiple times on his radio show.

 

Well my response to that would be. How great is the leadership in the locker room if one guy can upset the whole apple cart? Where is the coach in all this? Where was the discipline or the meeting of the minds to figure things out before they hit Defcon 5? Did AB cause the team to " sleepwalk" through a few games? Did AB create the mindset that maybe losing a couple games was a good thing like Foster said? Funny the turmoil wasn't reflected in ABs numbers that once again were elite ,like they were the 5 or 6 years prior. You can say a lot if things about AB but you can never question his preparation, his practice habits or his play between the lines. Staying after practice to catch 100 extra balls on the Juggs and inspiring all his fellow WRs to do the same. Notice I said fellow and not "kids". You are 100% right though....when we do think back about what we know....imagine what we don't know about. It's a two way street.....honestly I think there's plenty of blame to go around and no one is innocent in it getting as far as it did. No one.

The problem with this team is none of them can just stop talking. It's always one dumb comment or excuse after another. Another major problem I feel is their arrogance. They think they could either just show up on the field or flip a switch and come out with a win. They get that from Tomlin and we see examples of it every single year when they lose games they have no business losing. He admitted last year that they prepare for other teams differently when the NE game was approaching . Really ? You already got guys like Chickillo talking about how the rest of the league better watch out. Really? There seems to be no limit to the stupidity in what they say. Yet Tomlin seems to be fine with it.

The thing is this team does have a ton of motivation going into this year. They will start out camp saying and doing all the right things but can you trust them to make it last a entire season? Or is it just lip service and they will simply just fall back into their usual arrogance and bad habits. I mentioned how they used LB as a chip on their shoulders only to fall flat on their faces once again. They were all talking about how the playoffs " start now" then they lost to Denver,Oakland and LAC. I really want to believe this year will be different and we will see a much more focused team for a entire season but a part of me will never forget what happened when we were supposed to " unleash Hell in December.....epic fail.
Tomlin is supposed to be players coach and master motivator. Ben is being heralded as a leader of men.
This is the year they have to muzzle themselves and silence the critics. I believe they can do it. I just don't know for how long. Old habits die hard.....

 

So there's one. What else you got?

 

It is funny you bring this up cause you are spot on. Even when our line was bad Ben always was right there with them. I am not sure there was anyone better with their oline that Ben was/is with his. These guys do have a special bond.

 

Seriously? Google "Ben criticism radio show." Here, I did it for you: https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=ben+criticizing+radio+show

If you are trying to claim Ben has never called anyone out on his radio show you are way off base.

 

Everything you say about AB is true. I am not questioning his work ethic or his numbers. But we are talking about a guy that went AWOL 3 separate times last season. Tomlin played it off as an injury all three times. You think maybe other players didn't start to become irritated by the double standard? AB is and has always been late to everything. There has even been talk of AB showing up for games minutes before hand. I know if I am a player on the team, busting my ass to prepare, I would be pretty pissed.

The common denominator in all of this is Mike Tomlin. The standard is a DOUBLE standard, and it has gone on far to long. We all keep talking about who is, and who is not a leader. The person who's leadership skills should be in question is Mike Tomlin. If Coach T doesnt change his ways, it wont matter that AB and Bell are gone, because other guys will act up in their place, once they feel entitled enough.

 

I think it's too late for Tomlin to 'change his ways' (if he's even considering it).
The rookies and free agents might buy in, but the vets probably won't.
Colbert should have included Tomlin as one of the 'kids' under Ben's control.

 

So Washington and Antonio Brown? I never said that he didn’t call anybody out. What I’m saying is some people are making a way bigger deal out of this than what it is.

I was one who argued that he should never have said anything about Washington after a game in which he played like garbage himself. But again I think people are blowing some of this way out of proportion and just looking for a reason to pile on big Ben.

 

It's definitely not a huge deal to me but it also was poor leadership although I think all that stuff gets overblown anyway. We didn't miss the playoffs because Ben was occasionally a jagoff on his radio show.

 

I often really give bleacher report a bad time however if any of you guys get the chance to read the article on Rodgers, Macarthy and the Packers it will put some of this Ben stuff in a new light as well as some Brady stuff and how much I hope the rumors about bringing Macarthy in as the next HC is just fan fantasy because some of that reading if even 40% true is scary.

 

But it was alright when he was bashing Ben on NFLNetwork , now his QB Aaron Rodgers is being talked about, but he has a problem with that though.

 

Yeah the bleacher report article really painted the Packers culture in a bad light.

 

While I think The media has certainly caused the pendulum to swing too far regarding Ben being a terrible leader, I can’t blame players for being irritated that he used his media platform to call them out. It’s like being scolded by your parent or having a teaching moment discussion about something you did wrong and you find out later your mom or dad told all their friends and neighbors about how they straightened you out. We’ve all been there. I think it falls under players feeling embarrassed. Having said that, Ben doesn’t do it that often and if that rubbed some players wrong, they should have the balls to communicate that to him.

I’m not even sure Ben does that maliciously. It’s an ego thing. Imo he does it in part for recognition and reaffirmation that he’s the leader and has the answers. It’s less about what he’s saying and all about how he goes about saying it. At some point, a good leader would learn that he’s not getting through to these guys and would find other ways to motivate his teammates in ways that are less divisive. If it’s true that he canceled his show, it’s a good first step to calm the waters and get the pendulum to swing back some. The media will kill him if we miss the playoffs again.

By the way I think he’s gonna go ham next year. This is all motivation for him to have a career year.

 

Maybe, just maybe he cancelled his spot on 93.7 because of being called out and being a drama queen. Lessoning the drama on this team is paramount.
Unfortunately the individual who gave a pass to all this drama and created drama of his own is still at the helm. This individual needs to tighten the ship and become more of a disciplinarian. Big year for the man at the helm who needs to learn to reel in the drama and be a better coach.

Or maybe just maybe 93.7 just couldn't reach Ben's contract demand

 

I get a kick out of people that think that getting rid of Roethlisberger is somehow going to help this team.

As I said already, even IF this was a thing in which management asked him to step down or him changing his ways because of a negative team outcome, it STILL shows LEADERSHIP on his part.

I suggest you review some of the Mark Malone/ Bubby Brister days along with the 20+ year drought

then check out



Then come to reality and show some respect for what the Steelers have at quarterback.

 

Here's Switzer's take on Ben. Ben helped him assimilate to the team making him feel comfortable. Switzer showed a productive year.

That's showing good leadership.

I think it's funny the campaign against Ben and all of those that are drinking the Koolaid telling them what to think.

So according to a non-disgruntled ego such as Bell and Brown acting with alternate motives, Ben has demonstrated good leadership.

But people want to believe a guy that demonstrated what many consider psychotic symptoms dying his mustache blonde with intent of manipulating his way onto another team to get more $$$.

Continue drinking the kool-aid

 

I'm thinking management talked o him about shutting down the show. Probably told him real leaders go discuss issues man to man, not ***** about teammates on a radio show. Diva's don't know how to lead.

 

Well he's been leading this team for over a decade now. Maybe it's time to start paying attention

 

How did you get the idea that my post said anything about getting rid of Ben?

 

It's what happens when you don't say something nice about Ben. Some people think that if you criticise someone that you can't stand them.......

Ben is not innocent since being our starting QB but who has? Everyone has faults nobody is perfect and some people need everyone to believe Ben is perfect. It's time to put this crap behind us and move onto 2019, what good does going back and forth with each other do? JMO