Turn out the lights, the party's over, they say that all, good things must end

That's the song that Dandy Don Meredith used to sing at the end of every Monday Night Football game.

But it applies to Steeler fans nowadays. I've been a NFL fan for 55 years, and a serious Steeler fan for almost 50 years. It has been a GREAT 50 year run, and has filled my life with many thrilling moments.

Chuck Noll came along in the late 60's and right away started drafting a dynasty for the 70's.

In the 80's we didn't win a whole lot, but we always played hard-nosed exciting Steeler football.

In the 90's Noll left and we got lucky that Bill Cowher came along, and we lost one Super Bowl because Neil O'Donnell suffered from brain farts, but we continued to win until we won another Super Bowl.

Then Mike Tomlin came along and won a Super Bowl with Cowher's team, then Tomlin lost a Super Bowl.

In my Steeler fandom career, we appeared in 8 Super Bowls, and won 6 Super Bowls. And Division Titles out the wazoo.

Now, the long glorious ride is over. We don't even have a solid foundation to win, and nobody to build a team around. Ben will be gone in 3 more 8-8 years [if we're lucky].

That gives the Steelers 3 more drafts to find a franchise QB that they can build a team around, then they have to build a team around him through the draft.
The Steelers have to quit with this 3-4 mentality and the obsession with LB's and edge rushing LB's.
The Mike Merriweathers, Greg Lloyds, Joey Porters and Jason Gildons are hard to come by.

This is a pass-happy league now, and you have to have 4 horses to get after the passer, and excellent cover corners, intimidating safety's and fast athletic LB's.

You need pass-blocking Offensive linemen, and you can't pay run-blocking Guards 10 million a season because they can pull and run-block for a half dozen plays a game, but are weak pass blockers.

Right away, the Steelers NEED to find that Franchise Quarterback for the future, and in their search, they need to find that quality backup QB
Right away, they need to start pursuing elite DB's with the passion they currently have for LB's and edge rushers.
Right away, they need to find those 4 Steel Curtain Defensive Linemen, and the Offensive linemen that can handle them in practice.
Right away, they need to quit spending high draft picks on LB's, good LB's can be found in later rounds and on the waiver wire.

And while they're at it, they should keep an eye out for the next great Head Coach, the current one has been here 10 years, and it won't be long until burn-out rears its ugly head.

Yes sir, it has been a great 50 years, full of great memories, and a lot of great Steelers have come and gone.
There has been some decisions made concerning personnel that has made my guts wrench, like losing Mike Merriweather, Thomas Everett, Hardy Nickerson, Mike Vrabel, and Rod Woodson.
Plus a few shockers along the way with the sudden retirement of Barry Foster, the downfalls of Bam Morris, and Carlton Haselrig.
But some great pickups like Jerome Bettis, Kevin Greene, and James Farrior.
Some horrible draft picks, like Walter Abercrombie, Huey Richardson, Tim Worley, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc.
We even had a genuine draft tragedy with Gabe Rivera.

And don't think for one minute that I forgot about Steeler Greats that aren't in the Hall of Fame, but in my mind, they are. Donnie Shell, DeWayne Woodruff, Yancy Thigpen, Louis Lipps, L.C. Greenwood, Lavon Kirkland, Robin Cole, Edmund Nelson, Marvel Smith, Craig Wolfley, Mike Wagner, and a whole bunch of other guys that played their guts out.

Right now, outside of Ben, AB, and maybe Timmons or Gay,there aren't any guys that I see that will be held close to the hearts and minds of lifelong Steeler fans. Like Troy and Heath recently did.

Old, longtime Steeler fans like myself can feel me. I feel sorry for the young Steeler fans because it might be a long long time until, if ever, they feel the joy and the memories that the Steelers have given me.


P.S. WHY IS IT THAT ON THE STEELER FANS FORUM, IF YOU TYPE IN THE WORD STEELER, IT PUTS A RED LINE UNDER IT LIKE YOU MIS-SPELLED A WORD.! THAT IS ABSURD.

 

It's ok man hang in there, tomlin will bug eye his way to another trophy, in madden

 

Thanks for the walk down memory lane - I've got about 5 more years on your longevity viewpoint (days of Jack Butler, Ernie Stautner, John Henry, Bobby Layne, Lou Michaels, Buddy Dial and a slug of awful head coaches). The 70's were a blur and a spoiled decade of great Steeler, Pirate and Pitt teams - never thought they'd end so suddenly and then spiraled downward into the gruesome 80's for all 3 teams (Merrill Hoge being the lone bright spot). First half of the 90's was good. Kind of hit and miss since. Better to reflect on all the glory days and highlights than the place we currently find ourselves. Looks like I'll be watching lots of old VHS tape and DVDs to bide my time.

 

I have not given up on this team or this year, but it seems to me that it`s tough to have a great team on both the offense and defense nowadays because of the salary cap and what some of these guys who are highly skilled get paid. It`s a sad situation when you have to let talent go because you cannot afford it under the cap.

 

i'm of your age guru and maybe just a bit older, not much, but thanks for the trip. i agree with BBBB that free agency, the CBA and the salary cap has taken away what was. i would like to say the coaching and front office isn't what it once was either. from the head man to the scouts. we were once the team all others came to build there franchises from. grabbing our coaches because of their successes and our scouting department had some of the best for years back in the day. i sure don't agree with some of the signings we have made and some of the coaches we have put in place but it is what it is and i will back the team as it is. i question a lot of moves this front office makes and the loyalty given some players and coaches in a changing league. its tough to try and stay with some old traditions and work in new ways of doing business at the same time. it is also tough to stay loyal to players and coaches way too long sometimes to see if they work out. you only have franchise qbs for so long and it is not a window that stays open forever.

 

I agree with a lot of what is being said above. I've been a fan for 36 years. The Steelers appear to be overrated and on a downward trajectory. I've seen it several times over the years. After the January '85 AFC Championship vs. Dan Marino and Dolphins... the Steelers didn't fully recover until Bill Cowher was hired in '92. Yes, they overachieved in '89... but it wasn't until early 90's when they became a true force again. After the AFC Championship vs. Denver in January '98.... it would take 3 seasons for the Steelers to get back to the playoffs. I fear this team's window was the 2014 and 2015 seasons and those opportunities have passed. The Steelers had a good run with Roethlisberger at QB since '04. I'm so thankful he was drafted and earned the Steelers 2 more lombardis for the trophy case... after 2+ decades of mediocrity at the QB position. With that said... I think the window has closed and it's time to start thinking about drafting a future QB. It's a scary time.. because we could end up where we were in the 80's and 90's with consistent mediocrity at the QB position.

 

I've been around longer than you, and went through that 25 year drought between the 4 and 5 superbowl wins, that heart breaker loss to the cowturds in the 95 superbowl and losing to the packers in our last SB are bad memories, I think making another superbowl run isnt close but possible over the next 3 years that ben has left if we can get the pieces in place, but I shudder to think of colbert and tomlin picking a franchise QB in the draft or in a trade, this could be a 10 year process....

 

The worst part of all this is that Cowboys will make several SB runs and surpass us while we decline into crap. Already getting crap from people around me yay

 

At this point, I'd rather the Cowboys get 6 than the Patriots get 5. If the unthinkable happens... and Cowboys end up playing Patriots in Super Bowl LI... I'll have to root for the Cowboys. My hatred for the Patriots transcends space and time.

 

The thing is, if you look at it, the Steelers success never depended on having a few superstars; the success came from all the players playing well as a unit.

I'd rather have 52 good players, than 2 superstars and 50 mediocre players.
That's what we have now, Ben and AB being the elite players, and 50 other players of average ability. Bell has elite potential but he probably missed more games than he has played so far.

I think that a lot of the mediocrity has to do with conditioning. Just by observing you can see plainly that we don't have a lot of gym rats. It isn't exclusive to the Steelers, either.
Old school players spent their off-season getting bigger, faster, and stronger.
New school players spend their off-season in strip clubs and playing video games; its a cultural thang.

Strength is especially important when it comes to line play, the strong guy wins.

 

Turn out the lights, and I'll glow.

 

Anything less than the best is a felony.

(Which could be problematic.)

 

I'm with you bro. I'm about 47 hrs in and I agree with every point and memory you have made. The Steelers have become a shameful team. We have missed the great window of opportunity.

 

To the extreme hahahahahaha

 

Grabbed my 9 all I heard was shells......

 

Wut

 

Dude I waited 25 years between Super Bowl wins 1980-2005, and you're complaining give me a break. This core group will be together for a few more years, they still have a good chance to win a Super Bowl.

 

Thanks for the walk down memory lane, but I respectfully disagree that the window is close quite yet.

There's a load of talent on this current team, mostly on offense. The D as-is could be serviceable if healthy. Granted, that's a big "if".

As long as Ben is here, we've got a chance to win it all.

Oh, and calling the 80's teams "exciting" made me chuckle a bit. I guess you could call plays like Bubby getting strip sacked by the REF for a defensive TD exciting. I mostly remember those teams as being almost comically
pathetic, at least on offense. I think 1 year the defense had almost as many TD'S as the offense.

 

Thus team is done not even worth getting upset anymore

Hopefully will go 7-9
fire Tomlin and blow it up with a new coach

 

I also remember those days. Been following the Steelers since 1955. The fans were also quite different back then. I remember this game when the hated Raiders came to town. I think Ed Brown was our qb and John Henry Johnson was the fb. It was Saturday night before the game and the Raiders were staying at the old Pittsburgher Hotel in downtown. Some of my mill hunkie buddies went down to the hotel and proceeded to tie one on at the hotel bar. Then they picked a fight with the Raider players. Beat the living crap outta them and threw them down the stairs.

The Raiders were pissed, upset and very irate. They complained to the league officials. But they played very poorly in Sunday's game and the Steelers beat them decisively.

Now those were FANS.

 

I believe every part of your story (I think it's re-told in the book "Their Life's Work") but it wouldn't be against the Raiders if Ed Brown and John Henry were in the Steeler's lineup since the AFL/NFL merger hadn't occurred yet and there was no inter-league play. I'll check it out and get back with you. I'm thinking it was indeed the Raiders but it occurred probably 10 years after Brown and JHJ's days.

 

Sorry to be a story spoiler- only been a fan for 44 years so wasn't there for John Henry or Brown- but this team wasn't the Raiders. The Steelers did not play the Raiders at home until 1972, long after Johnson and Brown had retired.

 

Great point here.

What is consistent about all the Steelers Super Bowl teams was their depth. They all had players, many of whom are long forgotten- who could step in and have a moment to help the team win. I'm thinking of Gerry Mullins crushing the Raiders on a big block in the 75 AFC title, Ed Bradley coming in for Lambert SB IX, my pal Jimmy Allen replacing Blount in the 1974 AFC title game, Nate Washington and Cedric Wilson making big plays in the 2005 Super Bowl run, the unknown rookie AB making huge catches against the Ravens and Jets in 2010- and I could go on and on.

Not sure this crew has the depth to overcome the constant losses of key players. One of the big ifs of this recent team will be - what if they could all have been healthy at once. We may never know.

 

Ben is almost 35 years old, you think he wants to start over in a new system.

 

Well, given that I've only got two brain cells left, and they fight with each other a lot, I may not have all of the details right. But I do remember my pals in the mill telling me about it and also reading about it in the newspaper.