Question: Is it all about winning Lombardis or not?

I used to enjoy the Lombardi discussion. The Steelers had six and were the bench mark. We fielded competitive teams and were usually in the playoff discussion. That was the BEST. However, imo this team has underachieved for the past decade. As a fan that sucks. I could deal with 80's and all the times the Steelers had to rebuild. Defense was there and teams knew they were in for a tough game. That too was rewarding for me as a fan. If we have talent and compete, then I'm okay with that. If we suck and play tough and smart, then I'm okay with that. If we are in total rebuild mode, then I'm okay with that. When the team has enough talent and sucks, then I'm not okay with that. As a final note, the Lombardis are now tainted due to the Pats. I know their cheating is only part of the discussion. They play SMART and it bothers me that no other coach exhibits an IQ over 100 in order to compete with that.

 

In this modern era of the NFL (other than THAT team who's name shall remain nameless), it takes an enormous harmonic convergence of talent, passion, grit and luck to even sniff the SB, let alone win it. So 4 SB appearances for the Steelers in the last 24 years is better than average (i.e. other than THAT team, how many other teams have been there 4 times in the same period? Denver 4, Green Bay 3, Seattle 3, Rams 3, San Fran 2, Philly 2, Baltimore 2 and best of all, America's Team - 1!)

This being the case, fan satisfaction has to come from lesser milestones - e.g. stay healthy; win most of the home games and go at least .500 on the road; win most of the Division rival games; remain competitive even in losses; find a way to the playoffs; make a good showing in the playoffs if fortunate enough to land there; hope that someone else knocks off THAT team before having to play them in the playoffs; etc etc. So even though Mick Jagger "Can't Get No Satisfaction" that doesn't mean that the rest of us can't, even when not making it to or winning the SB.

 

That is quite the sentence.

 

It's football. What else in the life of a football fan creates the will to spend $$$$$, get your hopes up time after time, get your heart broken over and over, and keep coming back?

If your job treated you this way, you'd leave.

If your wife treated you this way you'd leave.

If your friends treated you this way you'd find new friends.

If your dog treated you this way you take him to a farmer.


It's football.

 

Superbowl or the season is a failure for the most part. If you ain't first- you're last.

With all the talent we've had and nothing to show for it... is ****ing maddening.

Seriously the team makes trades for positions we need after Ben gets hurt? After we lose pieces to one of the best offenses Pittsburgh has ever seen? Making moves at the wrong time. These god damn moves should of happened years ago when the team was on the cusp of greatness.

Tomlin and company are complete morons.

 

Oh dear, are you saying Stone missed his period?

 

If you're a Super a Bowl-or-bust guy, or you're a if-you're-not-first-you're-last guy, good luck. You're entitled to your preference but be prepared to be disappointed 90% of the time. There have been 53 SBs and the winningest teams have won only 6 times. The best win barely 10% of the time, everybody else far less. But hey, your expectations for this team are yours and your welcome to them. I hope your wife holds your personal success to the same standard, I'm sure sure you welcome that, since you no doubt are all about excellence,even in your personal life.

But if the complaint is this team doesn't try to win Lombardi's, I can't get on board that. They contend every year, They generally keep there home grown talent (unless it goes insane). Even now with a backup QB and an under performing D, you don't have to look hard to find posts about how this team can win the division.

I've lived in 4 different NFL cities. All, but Pittsburgh, have had several consecutive losing seasons, 4-12, 5-11, bottoming out at 2-14. It will be interesting to see how spoiled children Stiller fans will react to a stretch like that. Can't happen to us,you say? Why not? From what I read, Art II is an idiot, MT is an idiot, Colbert , Butler and Fichner are too. How can it not happen? How come it hasn't happened already?

 

I thought the ph balance gave that away?

 

So you’re not happy with the direction of our football team correct? So what are you gonna do about it besides complaining to a bunch of people on a message board? What can you do that would actually have an impact?

 

So if your team treated you that way, you'd leave right?

But you're still here.

 

Absolutely nothing! This is what fans do. We talk about what's wrong because the only other two options are to pretend like nothing is wrong and then people think you are a little slow because everyone but you can see the train coming; or just stop caring and then you were never a fan in the first place.

 

Read it again

 

I am not a all or nothing guy but every year I expect us to be in the SB. We have not had a losing season since 2003, Ben and Tomlin have never had a losing season. We have had some of the best defensive players of all time and at one point we had the best RB, WR and oline in the game. We have owners who don't react to the smallest things and that shows with our history. We have had 2 coaches in the last 28 seasons and we have only missed the playoffs 9 of the last 27 years. In that time we have been in 4 winning 2 as you all know. With that kind of track record to not expect a SB every year is crazy. To expect and to say all or nothing are two different things.

I will say this look at the Cheats and they have the Best QB and HC in the history of the game and they backed it up. Bill and Brady are 6-3 in 19 years that is freakin incredible. That could of very easily been us with Bill/Mike and Ben....very easily. The difference between us and the cheats is we done it in the 70's - 80's(kinda) - 90's and 2000's. Cheats done it the last 19 seasons.

@Stone as for the whole message board comment from "that other guy" don't let it get ya. That is what happens when people don't agree with ya, but yet here we all are sitting on a message board talking about the team we love with other fans.........

 

It's extremely difficult to win games in the NFL. It's even more difficult to make the playoffs and ultimately win the Superbowl. Knowing how difficult it is to win games, make the playoffs, and win the Superbowl I will take the consistent winner until the Steelers can build another Supberbowl winning team again.

 

If the organization really concentrates 100% on beating the very next opponent by matching up your strengths against their weaknesses then the wins will pile up and the road to the SB becomes more easy to accomplish. Of coarse that takes 100% commitment from the top down. No 3 ring circus, no divas and nobody throwing others under the bus. We have not had that for an extremely long time and there are only a handful of teams able to do that and only one that I know of that does it year in and year out.

 

At some point you have to realize you’re make everyone around you miserable with the negativity right?

 

I must come from a different era, mind-set, or planet than some of you because I watch the Steelers for a completely different reason than wins and losses. Yes, I the most excited person in Iowa when we win a Superbowl. Yes, I am ecstatic when we are in the playoffs. Yes, I am disappointed when we lose. What really keeps me coming back for more is the organization itself. I love everything about the Steelers. I like knowing as much as I can about each player, getting involved with what is going on with the team on a personal level, and I truly enjoy discussing the team with like-minded individuals. My fandom is based on the enjoyment I get from watching a team I have personally committed to. My feelings about our wins and losses is a derivative of my passion for the team. I don't understand deriving enjoyment for the team based on the wins and losses. And before I'm accused, no I'm not questioning anyone fandom, just explaining mine.

 

I think this guy has an agenda. Every two months or so he post the same regurgitated crap.

 

Not gonna lie.

I'm surprised at the number of responses that value being competitive on a consistent basis as, or more, important than winning SBs considering all the criticism that Tomlin gets here. The guy has fielded a competitive team every year.

 

I don't think I've ever witnessed anyone talking to themselves on a message board

 

Reality seldom changes.

 

I guess I’m still trying to figure out exactly what the motive is behind all of the complaining/discussing.
I mean what are you trying to accomplish by continuing to Complain about the same stuff over and over and over and over and over and over and over?
I could see if you were voicing your concerns to somebody who could actually do something about it.

 

Edited to ask this honest to God question: Why are you here? Things are bad in Steeler country right now and not just because we are 0-3. You despise any discussion about things being bad, or why they might be bad, so why are you here? Just come back when we win the division and lead us all in a rousing verse of Kumbaya. No offense but you troll around scolding people who want to give their two cents about why this team is in apparent turmoil. Why?

If we were all sitting around a fire drinking beer the discussion would be the same.

 

They didn't have to trade for him to sign him as a free agent after the season. The fifth-round pick was for help for this season only, which seems like a mistake because it is very unlikely this team even makes the playoffs without Roethlisberger. If they had made that trade three weeks ago, I'd have been fine with it. Given the 0-3 start and the loss of Roethlisberger, throwing more resources into just this season makes little sense.

 

I fixed that for you and I offer my apologies for the tangent. Baseball has done a lot to make the playing field more fair to smaller markets, but the Pirates have a terrible owner who cares only about protecting his profits. That includes suckering fans into believing he cares about winning even though it is clear he does not.

I'm surprised by all the complaints about Rooney when you have Nutting there for comparison. Nutting is the real example of an owner who doesn't care about winning championships.