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The Rivalry?

Discussion in 'Steelers Talk' started by The Glory Days, Oct 28, 2020.

  1. The Glory Days

    The Glory Days Well-Known Member

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    Listening to an evening sports talk show and they played Brian Billick, I think, talking about tightening up your chinstraps when the Steelers play the Ravens. Another sound bite talked about hearing the pads popping louder when these two teams meet.

    Do you all get the same feeling with this rivalry today compared to 10+ years ago?

    This isn't the slobberknocker rivalry of Ben, Bettis, Ward vs. Lewis, Reed, Suggs. I'm purposely leaving off other matchups for the sake of brevity. But my point is that these are such vastly different teams with different identities, that I don't think you can invoke memories of the past as an indication of the type of game we will see between these teams this year, or likely ever again.
     
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  2. 86WardsWay

    86WardsWay Well-Known Member

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    It's not even close to how it was 10 years ago. The new rules won't allow that type of physicality of just a decade ago. Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs, Hine Ward, James Harrison. Those players just could flat out punish opponents.
     
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  3. steelersrule6

    steelersrule6 Well-Known Member

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    I heard on a podcast Willie Colon said Hines Ward was the one who would get it started, he said the Ravens hated him more than any other Steeler.
     
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  4. 86WardsWay

    86WardsWay Well-Known Member

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    You can bet that hatred was driven by jealousy. They would have absolutely loved to have Hines Ward on their side, I guarantee it.
     
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  5. Steel Hog

    Steel Hog Well-Known Member

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    We'll never see the NFL like it was before since the pussification process took effect. However, I do think that an elevated desire to win will be felt by the players for a couple of reasons: 1st, we hate them and they us 2, because of the history and rivalry they'll entertain to the level that is expected in the past and the media, 3rd, game is for the division lead and the results of the game will have meaning later on, 4th, they are Ratbirds and pollute the air we breath and need to be punished without mercy=but legitimately.
     
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  6. jamie

    jamie Well-Known Member

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    It is not the same because a running QB like Lamar Jackson would have not gotten out of the first half let alone the game with running the ball like he does. They would have “jacked him up” the first 3 runs and all that Madden sh*t would have stopped. This is how you know the rivalry and football has changed.

    My boy Hines would be head hunting during these games for crack back blocks.
     
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  7. SteelinOhio

    SteelinOhio

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    Definitely not the same as 10 years ago. It's more about the fact that it's a divisional opponent now than the grudges between Ward, Porter, Harrison, etc. and Reed, Lewis, Suggs, etc.
     
  8. Stone

    Stone Well-Known Member

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    As @86WardsWay pointed out, that was a different era of football but I think that even with today's pussified rules, these are two of the most physical teams in the league. Plus, even though this rivalry isn't "the same" as it used to be, it still ranks as one of the top rivalries in the game.

    BTW............How is the Mrs?:hehehe:
     
  9. HeinzMustard

    HeinzMustard Well-Known Member

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    The final game of 2003 was epic. Ravens had a playoff spot sealed up. Steelers were awful that year... the last losing season. Ravens just had to stick it to the 6-9 Steelers, but Steelers only lost by a field goal and played a good game for a bad team. The rest is history... had the Ravens not been so obsessed with sticking it to the Steelers... Steelers would have either drafted JP Losman or Shawn Andrews at 7-9, instead of Ben Roethlisberger at 6-10 and pick 11. Thanks Ravens!
     
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  10. bigbenhotness

    bigbenhotness Well-Known Member

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    Remember those games you would
    Hear the loud pops from the hits. Low scoring gritty games and both teams would be hurt and bruised the following week. Loved it
     
  11. bigbenhotness

    bigbenhotness Well-Known Member

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    Ravens are obsessed with Pittsburgh. They built their model after them and constantly set the bar to be like us. Well to be fair they are finally getting up to par. Bengals and browns are the little brothers who fight for the old toys the big brothers no longer want lol
     
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  12. steel machine

    steel machine Well-Known Member

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    Bettis met Lewis head on in an earth shattering collision and then both popped right back up and starting jawing at each other. That was when it was rated one of the NFL biggest rivalries. Now, not so much but huge in the AFC North.
     
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  13. uncblue012

    uncblue012 Well-Known Member

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    It's definitely not the same in terms of intensity but it has more to do with the rules than anything. Still, it's a damn good rivalry and one of the best in sports.
     
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  14. groutbrook

    groutbrook

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    The Ravens played hard for Jamaal Lewis, who was within striking distance of the all time single season rushing record. He needed around 150 yards and got half of it in the first quarter, but couldn't get the rest. When the game went into overtime I thought he was going to, but he didn't.
    I think that was the game...
     
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  15. Diamond

    Diamond Well-Known Member

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  16. steelersrock151

    steelersrock151 Well-Known Member

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    Current state of the Harbaugh/Tomlin rivarly- 25th meeting, third all time behind Lambeau/Halas (48) and Lambeau/Steve Owen (28). Most in the Super Bowl era.
    Harbaugh leads regular season 13-11. Tomlin leans playoffs 2-1.
     
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  17. Roonatic

    Roonatic Well-Known Member

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    The way he brought the hammer on the crackback block made the Ravens fear him as much as Harrison.
     
  18. TuRnDoWnForWaTT

    TuRnDoWnForWaTT Well-Known Member

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    The rivalry isn't what it was. But still, it's the best rivalry the Steelers have. The Browns and Bengals just can't compare.

    The rules have changed the league from hard hitting, to high scoring. The Steelers vs Ravens is as close as we can get to what a football game was 10 or 15 years ago.
     
  19. Roonatic

    Roonatic Well-Known Member

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    Back in the day Dan Rooney actually built the Steelers like the Ravens (Browns). Noll played for the great Paul Brown & absorbed his winning philosophy. I read this somewhere, maybe a book Dan had published. He said he used the Browns as a template.
     
    Last edited: Oct 29, 2020
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  20. TuRnDoWnForWaTT

    TuRnDoWnForWaTT Well-Known Member

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    Can you imagine if Hines had finished his career there? That was the rumor for a while.
     
  21. jeh1856

    jeh1856 Beer is good

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    That’s the way old Steelers/Oilers games were.
     
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  22. The Glory Days

    The Glory Days Well-Known Member

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    Hines could have played for them and been a team/fan favorite. He played the game the same way they did, with swagger and an attitude. And he had the best smile in football.
     
    Last edited: Oct 29, 2020
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  23. 86WardsWay

    86WardsWay Well-Known Member

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    It would be just as bad as Rod Woodson going there whom the Steelers gave up on and wound up winning a SB with the Rats. Hines was at the very end of his career and was rather bitter about how it ended in Pit but I'm sure he reflected on it many times and realizes that retiring as a Steeler was his best option.

    Woodson however was given up on by the Black N Gold when he still had plenty to offer to the tune of 7 additional seasons. Glad Rod finally got a ring but damnit why did it have to be with Ray Lewis and the dirty birds?
     
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  24. The Glory Days

    The Glory Days Well-Known Member

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    Oh, it's still a rivalry, for certain. But those old rivalry players are almost all gone now. Us fans are the same, though. We're still here, carrying the old hatred. The teams? Not so much. I think if we split this year, the rivalry will intensify. It's going to be the end of the Ben era and the beginning of the LJ era for the next couple years, with the division in the balance. If we get the best of them this season, I think the rivalry will just fade out with Ben. And after he's gone, unless the football gods really want the rest of the league/fans to hate us more than ever, we won't have a qb to make us competitive with them and they'll rule the roost for at least a few years.

    And MGD (Mrs. Glory Days) is much better than me, as usual. Thanks for asking! ;)
     
  25. SteelinOhio

    SteelinOhio

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    [​IMG]
     
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