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The Steelers are in the news for all the wrong reasons

Discussion in 'Steelers Talk' started by Badboy212, Jul 25, 2016.

  1. Badboy212

    Badboy212 Well-Known Member

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    The suspension of Bryant, the continuing saga of Harrison, and the ever building drama surrounding Bell and his new phone number have cast a cloud over where the organization has been, where it is currently, and where it might go in the near future. Bottom line is this team is making headlines for the wrong reasons. I'm not abandoning anytime soon, but it is a growing pattern a Steelers player leads the NFL news, and we haven't even made it to Latrobe yet. Harrison's PED saga, which is getting deeper by the day, has taken another turn as the NFL has rejected his affidavit. As training camp is hours away Harrison will probably be mandated to participate in a meeting, or face a possible suspension from the NFL hierarchy. Manning has been cleared, but he is retired, so his case is quite different than Harrison's, and withHarrison's past with Roger and the NFL he won't get a pass on this. Add to that Bell, his new phone number, and his missed test(s) and you have a recipe for a training camp that quite possibly becomes a media circus for all the wrong reasons. This team, barring injuries like last year, is more than qualified on paper to bring home #7, but these "TMZ" story lines are getting old, and, did I mention we haven't even got to camp yet? This team needs to "squad up," and let its play do the talking because right now the media is doing more than enough to speak for this team.
     
  2. MojaveDesertPghFan

    MojaveDesertPghFan

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    When it comes down to a choice between a potential $50+ million contract to set you up very sweet for life and smoking a doobie, it's a very sad picture being painted by these two morons. Good thing BB finally figured out how to keep the reporters and NFL officials away after his share of front page headlines - he became a boring monogamous family man. Maybe Bell and Bryant will sober up in time to figure it out.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  3. Blitz

    Blitz Well-Known Member

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    I just wanna see some football. The offseason grind is bad enough without wondering if all our players are gonna be injured and suspended before week 1.

    Even the Bungles have at least kept their bad behavior out on the field as of late.
     
  4. Wardismvp

    Wardismvp Well-Known Member

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    How do you think the Rooney's must feel? I find it very upsetting. Dan Rooney worked his ass off
    to build the brand and get the Steelers where they are at, and to to have 2 dope heads ruin it?
     
  5. Blast Furnace

    Blast Furnace Staff Member Mod Team

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    There is drama with a lot of teams if you look across the league. We had some at the start of training camp last year too and didn't carry over into the season.

    Not worried about it.

    And Bell seems pretty sure he won't be missing any games:

    “…I’m gonna win the appeal…ppl have no idea what happened, but don’t worry… let’em hate. When I end up missin no games at all, ppl for sure gonna try to love me again and I’m only ridin with my LOYAL fans.”
     
  6. FeedTheMachineFTM

    FeedTheMachineFTM Well-Known Member

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    His loyal fans huh ,,i don't know about you all ,but i am a loyal fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers ..Players come and go ,they let you down,they disappoint you (as in this case) they can make you cringe or make you smile ..
    I guess i just look at the Steelers as the whole and will always be greater than the sum of its parts .
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  7. Diamond

    Diamond Well-Known Member

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    In 2015 54 players were suspended for substance abuse PEDs conduct and other things but mostly substance abuse an increase over 2014 when there were 41 players suspended. Dallas hasnt even reported to camp yet and they already have 3 players on suspension for 2016, 2 for substance abuse and 1 for peds. Camps havent even opened yet and there are already 23 players suspended for 2016 and that count will most likely surpass the 2015 count of 54, we could easily see 60 to 70 players suspended in 2016. So we have a lot of company when it comes to suspensions we are not making headlines alone all by ourselves, suspensions have just become the norm for the NFL and with the increase of substance abuse suspensions it appears as the country accepts pot as being a harmless recreational pass time players in pro sports are flaunting the rules to indulge in it..............
     
    • Like Like x 1
  8. Thigpen82

    Thigpen82 Bitter optimist

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    Well said.

    Maybe substance abuse is on the rise, maybe they're just getting better at catching it.

    In Bell's case, it was for a missed test, so we won't know. I wonder if it's part of the whole 'repeat offending' thing that the NFL has been keen to enforce for a while now. We'll see I guess. But the fact remains that it's not just us, and there's a colourful history to show that.
     
  9. Blast Furnace

    Blast Furnace Staff Member Mod Team

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    He means the fans that are ripping him a new one and not waiting to see how things unfold.
     
  10. Diamond

    Diamond Well-Known Member

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    The bigger issue is these guys are used to smoking pot in college and are addicted when they get drafted, the NCAA doesn't even test for pot until it's a bowl game,so they can clean up their act for a bowl game then go back to smoking pot for another year, heres an interesting survey among college athletes:

    From College Insider:

    NCAA pushes to end marijuana testing suspensions, in favor of treatment

    According to the latest NCAA research, nearly one-third of college athletes said they have used marijuana at least once in a 12-month period.

    Sixteen percent of all Division I athletes and 17.4 percent of Division I football players admitted to using marijuana in a 12-month period, according to the study.

    Marijuana is among several substances on the NCAA's list of banned street drugs, along with amphetamines, cocaine and synthetic marijuana. Among these substances, marijuana (21.9 percent) was rated among the highest in usage by athletes during a 12-month period.

    An NCAA shift

    The NCAA does year-round drug testing, but it currently only tests for marijuana during bowl games in football and at the championship level for other Division I sports. If an athlete tests positive for marijuana, the person cannot participate in the bowl game or championship event and must sit out half of the ensuing season.
     
  11. Badboy212

    Badboy212 Well-Known Member

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    Bell missed 3 tests not just 1 test. Unless I'm missing something, or he has another reason that is not covered in the policy which clearly states it is the PLAYERS responsibility to notify the league of adders and information changes, he will see a suspension. I like the kid, he's a game changer for sure, but you want $15 mill a year you may want to follow what the policy says.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  12. muthjv

    muthjv Well-Known Member

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    that was the old steelers. we are just like the rest of the league with the younger rooney running it
     
  13. dobbler-33

    dobbler-33 Well-Known Member

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    I'm pretty sure he screwed up but is gonna go about it the new nothing's my fault way regardless. I hope he comes out clean, but even if so... He has already demonstrated he has idiot prone DNA. The phone thing will never work, if it does however then millions of others and I need some explaining done for being young and stupid with dumb ass excuses while on probation for dumb stuff... While totally ignoring the fine print in our pamphlets.

    I guess all in all to sum it up and put it to bed is this... I don't hate LB, his stuff is hardly measurable in comparison to other asses in sports. I'm just tired of guys not playing by the rules when the folks that choose to pay their salaries (us) don't catch breaks, don't get afforded asinine excuses, and it's really getting old.

    I guess I could say it's not fair, but then I sound like these players screwing up and whining. Kind of like old dingbat Clintons wife... Just don't get held to the same fire and are afforded every reason imagineable to keep on trucking unlike the rest of us were we to be in similar positions.

    **** ain't right. I'm only 40 and I terribly miss the good old days lol
     
    • Like Like x 2
  14. dobbler-33

    dobbler-33 Well-Known Member

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    They'd ruin their cash cow if they if they held these kids to plain old adult worker want a job status
     
    • Like Like x 1
  15. Blast Furnace

    Blast Furnace Staff Member Mod Team

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    You're assuming he missed the tests because he was smoking weed. What if it is indeed because he was rehabbing his knee and they wouldn't go to him and wins his appeal? What exactly is he supposed to be accepting blame for?

    Hope its not the phone excuse, he has no chance of wining that one. Sounds like the dog ate my homework excuse.
     
  16. blountforcetrauma

    blountforcetrauma Well-Known Member

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    Did you see that thing where he talked about how he really only cares about his "loyal" fans basically? Came across like a complete punk to me.
     
  17. Blast Furnace

    Blast Furnace Staff Member Mod Team

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    I posted the quote several posts up :lolol:

    I disagree with you though. If the guy is telling the truth and all these people calling him all these names, what do you expect?

    I'm standing behind him until we find out what happens with the appeal and what his reason was.
     
  18. blountforcetrauma

    blountforcetrauma Well-Known Member

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    Lol! I didn't see it. I just consider myself more faithful to the franchise than a single player but from the article I seen with it he still is facing a huge longshot.
     
  19. Blast Furnace

    Blast Furnace Staff Member Mod Team

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    The franchise is more important then any one player but all I'm saying is, what if he did nothing wrong? Everyone has made up their mind that he smoked weed and ducked the test. Court of public opinion is swift and merciless.
     
  20. Da Stellars

    Da Stellars Well-Known Member

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    He had to inform the of a phone change, he won't get off Scott free even if he is telling the truth.

    See ya week 5 LevBell.

    Honestly his injury history makes him a shaky investment already.
     
  21. EddieBurro

    EddieBurro Well-Known Member

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  22. Blast Furnace

    Blast Furnace Staff Member Mod Team

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    It's the cell phone reason? Thats unfortunate, don't see how he can win that. Its his responsibility to provide correct info and if he did, then I don't see how the tester couldn't have made contact.

    Oh well, hope he can somehow win this.
     
  23. MojaveDesertPghFan

    MojaveDesertPghFan

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    The Pollyanna silver lining in all this is that if LB could stay healthy for a whole year (I know - not all his fault) following his potential suspension he should have plenty left in the tank and be hitting his peak form come playoff time (should they be lucky enough to advance). As we always say - it's not how you start - it's how you finish! I've now changed my mind. This is a GOOD thing being able to rest one of your best guys in otherwise meaningless games out of the gate. :drinks:

    Don't Bogart that blunt Blount!
     
  24. Badboy212

    Badboy212 Well-Known Member

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    I think what Clayton is saying is that Bell may have had a new number, and what I'm reading is the testing agent still has to attempt to schedule a test before you can say Bell missed it? So maybe he missed one or two tests, but even so, the testing agent has to make the next attempt regardless of,the previous missed tests. Bell seems quite sure of the issues, and if so that is great. However, you will then have people questioning his responsibility to update his information to the correct people. So, if he gets no,suspension I'm good with that, but this is two years in a row of drama that could be easily prevented. IMO he's the best RB in the NFL when he can play, but he also wants to get paid like it, and attitude and actions factor into that contract he desires.
     
  25. SteelerGlenn

    SteelerGlenn

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    I'm not sure why he missed the test.
    He may have been clean and just missed it for something else. Who knows. You have to miss several tests to get to this point. I find it hard to believe that it was as simple as he was rehabbing his knee. The NFL don't want more guys in the news for this stuff. I'd bet they did everything they could to work with him on it.
    He's already been tried and convicted by the NFL. I don't think it's unfair for people to be upset about his suspension. A month ago when this stuff was all rumors sure, but not now.
    Let's say he loses his appeal and then decides to go the Tom Brady route and take it to federal court. Do we still have to wait?
     

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