Ben says our tradition might be gone

It's been gone for a decade IMO.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/39105281/big-ben-roethlisberger-says-steelers-tradition-done

 

So does Troy. So does Minkah.

 

It died a long time ago.

 

He tried to keep it and took the bullets for it. Still is…
He's right.

 

For once, I kind of agree with Stephen A. regarding Ben’s comments. Jeff Saturday also makes good points.

 

He's about 10 years late with that observation.

 

As a general rule I don’t pay any attention to what the national media has to say. They aren’t the ones in the locker room every day, attending training camp etc. with that being said Smith is pretty much spot on this time. Ben should have hung them up after the elbow injury. His last couple years were pretty painful to watch.

 

There is no real leader on the offensive side of the ball. As good as Ben was, I don't think he was universally seen as "the leader". Former players say he was not so there are players that likely picked up on the double standard with him. But he was the guy who was supposed to pass it down and ensure that tradition stayed. Harrison should have been one of the guys but the way he left was an embarrassment in terms of how he handled himself even though Tomlin supposedly misled him on his role when he stayed. So there is nobody that walked the talk so to speak. You need to bring somebody back in like a Hines Ward or Troy who can drive that culture back into the organization.

 

It sucks we don't have an older Offensive linemen to kind of pass traditions down... that is kind of broken now.

Theoretically, it would have been nice if Decastro had hung around.

Missing on the draft has really broken up the continuity as well.

 

Ben can say what he wants to say. We on this board have our own opinions about this team and most agree at this we are bad. But at the end of the day, it all comes down to Art Rooneyll, he is the one destroying the dynasty that Art SR. started. If he doesn’t want the responsibility pass it on to another family member. Because IMO he is washed up just like Tomlin.

 

He's still in concussion protocol.

 

Ego and loyalty are a terrible thing to have when it comes to business decisions. On a different scale they made decisions on Rod Woodson, Hines and Troy. The first was a mistake, the man still could play, the latter 2 could not play any longer and were told so, with Ben they made a huge contract late in his career, that hamstrung the team. Colbert should have left when he announced, Tomlin as well. Decisions not made can have lasting impacts, we are still living it.

 

You are something else!

 

I agree, but I think it also comes down to this generation. When Stafford said he had a hard time relating to teammates he was speaking for many vets on many teams. The cultural clash is not just about generations, the changes in even this last decade are pretty dramatic. I was listening to some guy on sports radio today and how NIL and portal transfer are changing the face of college football and making it almost unrecognizable. Now winning can certainly change or create a tradition, but trying to maintain it in this age is another question.

 

This made me think of the conversation my wife and I had today, the Iphone came out in 07 and I can't think of another invention in our lifetime that has so thoroughly changed almost every aspect of our life in such a short period of time (its only been 16 years). In human history maybe electricity, indoor plumbing, TV and the car made that sort of impact that fast. The iphone has ushered the "me" generation with social media that the Iphone made possible and that has permeated into professional sports in how these athletes approach the sport. it's about "me" first and "getting my own" etc far more than we have ever seen. So team first takes someone like Brady who was such a vocal leader on the Patriots that the other players bought into that system of team success at all costs. You still see that in the elite special operation forces in the military but look how that changed with Bin Laden was taken out. Dudes tried to cash in. So our culture as society has become about the individual and the team/company/neighborhood, etc comes second. That doesn't bode well for what we believe was the Steeler way, shut your mouth work hard and the team success and your success will follow.

 

The Tradition is the Tradition.

 

I agree...I think we're all going to regret SF 49ers winning the SB this year but one thing about that team that always leaves a lasting impression in my mind about them is seeing Deebo and Trent Williams lead the team out onto the playing field and how they set the tone in the tunnel even before the game starts...and it's always those two at the forefront you never see it switched up. Even if there's jostling on the field during warmups those two are the ones that are in the very thick of it. That's the type of leadership I don't if I've ever seen out of this team especially on the offensive side of the ball.



https://youtube.com/shorts/5sqUmnfy0Kg?si=1OgohYJhHxcRoALn

https://youtube.com/shorts/y8a9VMoMANc?si=Z5dwsIzwD9jv6G-u

https://youtube.com/shorts/RtZYzuUIrmg?si=svr2q0ocSWqkSi65

 

SAS never played sports In his life, yet he has such a loud voice on these matters. I take what he says with a grain of salt..

 

Tomlin ruint the Tradition

 

There's some truth in this but I think the 'me-first' attitude you're seeing and attributing to iPhones and social media has always been part of the culture to a degree, though in the past more so with ownership and corporate identities like the NCAA. What we're experiencing now are the effects each has had in giving fans a visual at a time when systemic changes to things like free agency and revenue sharing in the pros, and the introduction of the NIL in college athletics, have had a seismic shift in the focus on player benefits, making the athletes appear significantly more self-centered.

In reality, I do think there is a shift in that direction simply because of the tools now at their disposal, but with time they'll see the best way to promote their own performance/name will be to promote the team dynamic around them, and we'll see a regression to the mean in terms of focus.

 

I can see this. But it's the coaches and players responsibility to evolve the tradition as well. Christmas wasn't celebrated the same way in the 1400s as it was in the 300s nor is it celebrated the same way today, but the tradition is still here because it evolved. Plus there's no harm in having a new tradition and culture that replaces it either.