Baddest Bully on the Block

I know this is a long one folks but after last night’s BS it is due.

There was a time when we were the “Baddest Bully on the Block”: The Steel Curtain, Blitzburgh, James Harrison and Company. Shoot, even Hines Ward and he played Offense!

Given that, the Steelers still stir visions of punishment into other teams’ heads. That is why they (teams and players) want to establish a bully reputation at our expense. I am not saying what A-holes like Garrett and Burfict do are right. Not at all. However, they are trying to make names for themselves at the expenditure of what better team than the Steelers. The Baddest Bully on the Block of all-time.

Think about it. Those, in any aspect of life, who have dreams of wanting to be the new Bully on the Block, have to take out the current title holder. For decades that was us. “Wannabees” selectively choose the baddest of the bad (in this case the Steelers) because they feel it will validate their so-called “reputations”.

Our long and proud tradition of being the Baddest Bully in the NFL is “Legendary”. It is not “Doomsday” (Dallas) or the “Purple People Eaters” (Vikings). We are/were the Gold Standard for Bad-a$$. Unfortunately, we are not that organization anymore. Why? Because: (1) The sissy NFL rules prevent us from being so and (2) We currently do not have those types of personalities. The last of the baddest was James Harrison (like him or not, personally I love the man) are not on this present roster.

We have to get down and dirty to re-establish that mentality on this team and to let others know that we are not to be screwed with. Not do we have to just deliver the punishment, and pain, we cannot accept it under any circumstances as well. It must be dealt with swiftly and with the harshest of consequences.

I know that I am talking in part out of anger from last night’s game but it has been like this for a while now. Especially, starting with the slow dissolving of the Super Bowl XLIII team. Who is/are our Bad-a$$es now? Unfortunately, no one. I am not saying we need to go outside the lines like Garrett and Burfict but we do need to figure this out, establish it, and implement it very, very frequently.

STEELWINDS AKA The East Side Kid

 

I think TJ will emerge as that guy.
I get what you're saying but, don't we get enough penalties now?

 

Those days are over...it has been legislated out of the game.

Even our renegade video stinks compared to years past.

 

Hey santeesteel.

Yes, you are probably right about the penalties.

Thanks for reading it. I know it was long. It was kind of therapeutic to write it after last night's BS. It has been some time coming though to vent. Realistically, the days that I yearn to return are not going to happen because of the penalties and the watering down of the game by Dickdell. I feel fortunate to have been able to watch the 70's Steelers. I hope you got/get to see some of their stuff. Just awesome. Brutal, raw, hard-core smash mouth. Would not fly in today's game with all of the restrictions. STEELWINDS AKA The East Side Kid

 

STEELWINDS AKA The East Side Kid

Hey santeesteel.

Thanks for reading it. I know it was long.

Yeah, I know "it has been legislated out of the game". One can hope now. If we pulled that sh!t that Burfict or Garrett did our guys, or any player, for that matter would be in deep. Especially us Steelers though. Since I think Dickdell does not like the Steelers because we were the only team to vote against the current CBA (Remind me: Another topic for another day).

From time to time someone would say that it would be worth it for a one-time event. However, at the risk of losing your job is it worth it? I think not. Then again, these guys, especially Burfict, have been given so many chances over and over and keep their job. Maybe that is why they keep doing do it in part. Just like many other common criminal repeat offenders.

Garrett's act, to me, should have him gone out of the league or least a multi-season suspension. That is why law-abiding citizens shake their heads when judges give these light sentences for vicious crimes and the offender often repeats.

He could have literally MURDERED Mason with what he did. MURDER! Let that sink in Roger. A complete ban from the league or at the very least a multi-season suspension may wake him and others up and possible save a life and a career. STEELWINDS AKA The East Side Kid

 

Oh, I saw it all! I was a senior in high school for SB IX

 

Hey santasteel.

Yes, I am older than you. I was in elementary school but the memories are still very vivid. Yes, my friend now that is how football was intended to be played. Not, this sissified product being crammed down our throats today. Just Disgusting. See video below from Super Bowl IX. I never get bored of watching this play.

STEELWINDS AKA The East Side Kid

 

Hey Everyone.

I know that there is no need to apologize but I took notice that there were a lot of views for this post (nearly 300 at this point) but very little responses. I am guessing that it may have been too long to read. Not insulting anyone here by any stretch. That game just got me fired up and I feel that somewhere over the years The Steelers have lost their edge as the "Bully".

This post has been on my mind for years now. I realize that in today's game we cannot go back to the way we use to punish other players but man it was a thing of beauty to watch.

Writing, in a way, is therapeutic for me compared to how I may have handled my emotions when I was younger (smile). As always, Thanks for everyone's support here. Take care all.

STEELWINDS AKA The East Side Kid

 

@STEELWINDS

Not trying to be mean but walls of text usually get skipped over by most readers on a message board.

 

Hey Roonatic.

You are good my friend. I get it. I do it sometimes too. I was just so inflamed about the "Wannabee Bully" issue. Knowing the reality of how we once were vs. the reality of what we are now in comparison to being the "Baddest". Still, teams want to take cheap shots at us because they feel that it validates them somehow as the Gold Standard of Bullies. Primarily, because we have always been and proud of it so they want to measure themselves up against us. Given that, we were always able to do it, and maintain it, big difference here....in between the lines. Unlike, the pretenders such as the Browns and Bengals. Take care my friend.

STEELWINDS AKA The East Side Kid

 

I am convinced that the Browns defense was instructed to try & take players out. Seen it before when Oakland couldn't beat us. I always respected the Old Browns organization as Dan used them as a template for building his dynasty. The new Browns are just a punchline.

 

Hey Roonatic.

I would not be surprised if they were instructed. Shoot, I have seen those type of directions delegated out at the Pee-Wee level as well. Some coaches play to win at any cost. Too bad, for whatever reason some of these players, at all levels, cave into their demented coaches' instructions.

STEELWINDS AKA The East Side Kid

 

The league is attempting to protect itself from future player law suits. They are also attempting to prevent someone from dying on the football field. Law suits and dying would eventually kill the game over night. Maybe the league is dying a slow death instead? It's so bad that football from high school up to the pros is facing an insurance crisis.

The league needed to do something because the players today are bigger, stronger, and faster than they were in the past.

 

They had to clean the game of football up when it was being played for the first time. 1910s?maybe
College kids were getting killed on the field, killing interest in the game.

 

I understand the situation with the league today. People that complain about it seem uninformed.

 

Hey BURGH43STEL.

Common Sense but Excellent Points. I definitely get it. Have known it since the movement started.

I guess in part, for me personally, I am caught in the middle of eras. One of it, use to be that which I was a part of and the transitioning one that I am living in now. A similar analogy can be made at my job as I was hired in part to infuse technology into our teachers' daily lesson planning. Some of the older/veteran teachers did not want to conform or accept the ways that things were becoming as far as the integration of technology into their teaching. However, they need(ed) to change in order to keep their jobs. Kind of like I needed to change if I was to remain a fan; which I have been willing to do. Take care my friend.

STEELWINDS AKA The East Side Kid

 

The game has been pussified so much that the only way to get a respectful rep is to win and I mean win it all. Rings will get you all the respect you want.

 

Tbh, our defense finally has that swagger back for the first time in years.. getting after and rattling QBs, making big plays, turnovers, etc.. the kind of stuff that had been missing since the days of Polamalu and Harrison. The problem is, our offense has fallen off a cliff compared to the last couple years. Our offense has fallen far further than our defense has risen. Losing the triple Bs and our online tanking has just been brutal to this organization. If we had last year's offense plus this year's defense, we smoke the Browns and the premise of this thread never even crosses anyone's mind.

 

Hey Steelhammer92.

You have stated what I have been saying for months now. A near complete 180 degree turn as far as the "O" and the "D" trading places. Given that, the timing is horrible (not that there would have been a good time). Our current "D" with the "O" that we once had, would have been awesome.

Also, as you stated, and I tried to tell folks, that the losing of Brown, Bell, and Ben were going to be a back breaker. But nooooooo according to some. Brown would seamlessly be replaced by JuJu and Bell by Connor. I tried to tell folks that over the summer. Well, we all know how well that is going. Add in Ben's departure, and that was probably the nail in the coffin. However, in fairness to Mason, we really only lost one game because of him, the last one. Nonetheless, going forward I do wish Ben was our starting QB. Finally, I am not giving up hope, and still feel as I have been saying, that we are still "significant". Let's just get ready for the next game now.

STEELWINDS AKA The East Side Kid

 

The D is playing as tough ,physical and aggressive as the current rules allow(finally) The problem is the O has been getting softer and softer. 3rd and short has been a ongoing disaster for years . Tomlin came in claiming football was a game of attrition and has gotten further and further away from that philosophy every season. Being inefficient and trying to get too cute trying to convert short yardage has cost us plenty of games the past few seasons.

 

@STEELWINDS

Keep up the good work. You won't get as many responses if you get long-winded, but the quality of those responses will likely be better for it. Some of us actually like to read and dissect what is being written. You get a much better understanding of what the writer is feeling, not just thinking in 144 characters or less.

On to your post...

It's a different game today. We won't ever see our beloved defenses of yesteryear, or anything similar, again. My name here is exactly because of that.

Our best attempt at getting an enforcer in the middle brought us a mohawk-pigtail, full mouth grilled nancy boy who can't tackle. And I don't care if that ruffles feathers, but I was looking for more Jack Lambert than boy-george.

Granted, Jack Lambert wouldn't make it in today's NFL. His salary wouldn't cover his fines. Hell, he might not have been physically as dominant either based on the style of play and speed of players.

So no, I didn't want his clone. What I wanted was his presence. I wanted a hard-nosed linebacker who made receivers think twice about running that underneath crap and rb's who knew it was going to hurt if they got past the line.

We don't have anything near that. Not even close. If Bush even makes the tackle, he just grabs on and pulls or rides them down. He doesn't initiate contact. He's soft. That pisses me off.

But I guess that's what today's game is about.

As far as the targeting goes, I don't think Kitchens instructed anyone to try and hurt us. What I'm sure he did is tell his troops that we're soft. He told them to hit us, and don't stop. Every play, remind those Steelers that their time is over. Remind them that they aren't on top anymore. He said that he told the team not to back down from anyone. And after all the years of being a doormat, they were ready to turn the page. This wasn't just a win to rub in our faces, this was a statement that the division is no longer ours.

Finally, the last play of the game was all Tomlin's fault. There is absolutely NOTHING positive that can come from throwing a pass with 8 seconds left, down 14. Even if we scored somehow, would ANYONE feel better about losing that game? Would we get an asterisk beside that L? Would that give us some confidence or momentum to take with us and apply to the Bengals in 10 days?

No. That was stupid. It was desperate. It was short sighted. And other than swinging the helmet, Garret did exactly what he should have done, drilled our qb into the turf, take a 15 yard penalty, and put a HUGE MOTHER ****ING EXCLAMATION POINT on that W.

Tomlin gave them the opportunity to ice that cake. He should be fined for instagating the whole thing as well as be fined for his team taking a big, 60 minute dump on prime time television.

 

Thanks Glory Days for the Support.

Yeah, I get the "Long-Winded" turn-off. Not looking for a pity-party either. It goes with the writing territory on message boards of all types in this world. Shoot, I do it myself from time to time. Like you said, it does filter through to part of my objective to getting some "Quality Responses" instead of one word or even the occasional rude response. Hey, those are okay too. Often, it is what you say, not how much that gets a point across. I have always enjoyed my dialogues with you as I do with others here.

In part, I think some of the long-winded stuff has been engrained in my brain from On-Line classes that usually require a well-thought out response to a thread. Once again, not saying that a short-response is not well-thought out by any means. A good response is equally as measured by quality as well as quantity.

As far as the Bully thread I posted, yes, I desire the Jack Lambert player/mentality of yester-year but we know that is not happening anymore with today's rules in place but it sure was fun to watch. I really cannot stand the self-centered athlete that jumps up and down for a play well-made. I just look at the TV thinking/saying "just get back in the huddle now and get ready for the next play". As far as Tomlin, man I used to be down with the man (first 5 years or so) but have concluded during the back half of his career that he is clueless. Take care my friend.

STEELWINDS AKA The East Side Kid

 

I lost interest and stopped reading after "keep up the good work". Didn't feel like reading War and Peace today.

 

Hey SteelWinds
TLDR

 

When they had a bully in Harrison, he would get fined and penalized for his style of play, that type of play in the NFL is over.