Complaints Already??????

What are you trying to say?

 

You strung together a whole pile of words, but it’s all opinion and speculation. .

 

If 2020 has taught us nothing else, it has taught us that you are only entitled to your opinion if it is line with the opinion of certain others.

How dare you express such a rogue opinion!

 

This BS about wins vs performance is idiotic. Let me share this example. I am still fortunate enough to play golf at a competitive level and I won a tournament a month or so ago in spite of a horribly stupid combination of mental mistakes on the last hole costing me a triple bogey. The only reason I won is because the other guy in contention on Sunday had a series of errant swings and bad luck and went 5 over par on the last three holes.

I am glad I won, and I cashed the check, but you can bet your sweet ass that if I played at the highest level like the guys you watch on TV, there would have been a "LOT" to talk about between me, my swing coach, my caddie, and anyone else with a vested interest in my performance. And every person who watched me do what I did has every right in the world to say what a dumb-ass I was. And more importantly..........if I did this kind of dumb stuff routinely, like Tomlin does, people would have every right to say "man, if he could just get his head out of his ass, he would be special".

Believe it or not there is still a little pride here and there and "Be all you can be" still means something to some.

 

Congrats on winning the golf tournament. Golf is a fun sport if one can be consistently good at it. Unfortunately for me, golf never clicked with me.... and I played 3-4 times a month for about 10 years. I quit back in 2016 and honestly don't miss it one bit.

 

The problem is Tomlin has been making the same mistakes his whole coaching tenure. Nothing will change. We bring it up in hopes maybe one day something will change. The team is 2-0 and we all see the mistakes and how it's going to cost us soon.

I've never been in the camp I hope my team losses so something changes but I'm starting to see the argument. We got Glenn running around beating the remedial 2-0 drum.

 

Oh, we don't "all" see the mistakes. If we won, there were no mistakes. If we lost, the players didn't perform for Tomlin.

 

We’re 2-0

I think that’s nice

 

Me too!

Is that bear in your yard?

What is laying between the bear and the slide?

 

Actually my neighbors “yard“ but bear lives on my property most of the time. Bear was tossing the trash can around. We live out in a rural area. We both own a bunch of acreage.

 

This big bastard became a nuisance at our camp up in the ANF. It became fearless and was on the porch when we were in the camp ten feet away playing cards.

Nuisance bears captured from all around the western part of the state are relocated just a half mile from our camp......thanks game commission!

 

I am in both camps right now. Yes, 2-0 and its nice but damn, we really are trying to beat ourselves either on or off the field. As I see it, no one has beaten us yet and we were able to find (or keep) a way to the win. Until that changes, all the stats, figures, eye tests, whatever is just opinion on what could or may happen and that is pretty meaningless in our current situation. However, if we are unable to find ways to win against future teams, that is factual and worthy of what many are already posting. I believe and posted that this team is little better than a .500 team for reasons that were important to me. But we're 2-0 so I am keeping my mouth shut until our record indicates that it is performing as I predicted, but not until as I will then have facts to support my prediction. Three things that come to my mind going into this week:
1. Great to be 2-0
2. Time to take care of the Texans with a solid and disciplined game
3. Thankful we have Ben for more than 2 games so far.

 

Can it play defense?

 

It’s female...

 

THE HORROR!! OPINION AND SPECULATION ON A PUBLIC MESSAGE BOARD!! ALERT THE MEDIA!! POST ON SOCIALS!! START A HASHTAG!!

 

Don’t try to pass it off as fact

 

Straighten your panties and grow a pair. I can't help it that my opinion comes across too strongly to some people. I'm not going to dumb down my comments/opinions with footnotes for some of you. If the difference between facts and opinions is too much for you to comprehend, it's not my problem.

Here's a fact for you...I said I would not explain myself, and yet I'm about to.

***************
My problem is with the rapidly closing window of opportunity we have to win another superbowl before 2019 becomes the norm for a while.
-not a fact

I don't like Tomlin as a HC. I'm entitled to that opinion. But that doesn't mean I hate the guy or wish we had lost every game since he got here just so I can throw shade at him.
-not a fact (I even stated it was opinion)

I met the guy. I shook his hand. He's a good dude.
-fact that I met him and shook his hand, opinion that he's a good dude

So when I say what I'm about to say, don't come back with my "hatred" of the guy because there simply is none.
-fact

Tomlin is woefully out of his depth as HC. He's full of catch phrases and double-speak and hasn't shown the ability, or desire, to lead this team. Instead, he lets it lead him. That's frustrating beyond belief.
-opinion

Additionally, our defense is not complete. It will not be enough to carry us to wins against elite offenses. We can win those games, but not without complete performances from each unit. Our secondary is a tremendous liability and Tomlin has no idea how to fix it. His gameplans include using the strength of our defense (the front 7) to mask the pedestrian secondary's limitations and then make excuses for their lack of performance.
-opinion

Even when rushing 4 gets pressure, there are still uncovered receivers. That's 7 on 4 (at most) and the 4 still wins.
-fact

And finally, 2-0. Winning is the name of the game, but if we drop the next 6, what good does going 2-0 do? Seriously, those weren't even division wins. I'm looking big picture, not just a couple brush strokes. There's far too much to be accomplished to get all geeked over 2 victories over sub-par teams. Is it better than 0-2? Absolutely. But if we end up looking at 2-6 or 0-8, what difference does it make? Do some of you then come back and say, "But we won those first 2 games." Doubtful.
-opinion (except for our first 2 games being out of the division...that is fact)

We're not dropping the next 6. I'm just making a point. So don't get stupid when you fire back at me.
-opinion

We've simply not proven anything so far, other than Ben's surgery was a major success. He looks ready, and that gives our offense, and this team, a fighting chance.
-opinion
*********************

There ya go. I did not, even once, try to pass off opinion as fact, no matter how much you want to believe it. Anything else you want to try to spin? Instead of telling me not to pass off opinion as fact, why not just debate me on substance? Contrary to some belief around here, I do accept that others have a legitimate opposing view. But just because I accept that you have every right to disagree with me, it doesn't mean I'm going to accept your position, or worry about offending thin skinned people.

 

Just an FYI....asking for the impossible is usually not going to work. Just sayin........

 

Dare to dream, brother. Dare to dream.

...and I wasn't asking...

 

Good lord you’re full of yourself

 

Well ain’t that the pot calling the kettle black

 

Finally, we agree on something.

 

Hey The Glory Days.

In honesty, I am hope I am right too about the "Complete Defense". Because if I am not, then our Secondary has regressed/(aged?) in such a short time between last season and the current season. I tell you, after the Defense that I witnessed last season, with that anemic Offense, I though for sure we were going to be "twice" as good on Defense. You know the theory. The "O" is on the field putting up longer drives, resulting in points. Which has happened.

Then the Cause and Effect part takes place.

Now part #2 kicks in; which has not happened, YET (smile with hope).That being a more rested and fresh Defense that would dominate even more than last season. They were on the field way too much last season because of that poor excuse of an Offense and let's be honest, we can pinpoint it to the horrific QB play.

Well, that has all changed now. In just two games at that. I expected no different with Ben's return. In fact, I am tentatively grinning from ear to ear. Why? Because in just two games we have put up twenty-six point in each. This with a one-year removed Ben from action and the Offense getting to re-know one another and introduce themselves to the new additions: Ebron, Claypool, McFarland and even Johnson for the most part.

So, I will remain optimistic that the Offense even gets better; which I think they will and in turn the Defense will find last season's performance again and even outdo last season's performance. No excuses now. For the most part, on both sides of the ball, the pieces are in place. I will stand by my earlier statement. That being this is the most "Complete" Steelers' team that I have seen in decades. Time to go get #7.


STEELWINDS The East Side Kid

 

I thought a more complete defense with hardly any turnover would be better prepared "completely" right out of the gate. That being said, our defense is still pretty dominant, thanks to the best front 7 in the game.

Offensively, you're right to be optimistic. I expected the offense to take some time to gel. Barring injury, our offense should simply get better week to week.

We're set up well for a run at another ring...IF the secondary can find itself.

 

Hey The Glory Days.

Yes, admittedly I am bit stumped right now regarding the Secondary's current performances. Then again, it is only two games. Let's take a "wait and see" approach for the next few games. If they have some things to "iron-out" at least so far, we are winning with them. For a good part of the off-season I was extremely optimistic with this crew, tentatively regarding Edmunds.

Nonetheless, Haden, Nelson and Fitzpatrick brought me down memory lane in a sense in that we have not had a "good" Secondary in awhile. I remember excellent run defenses over the past two decades or so but mediocrity when it came to the Secondary. I would think that most people around here, and outside The Board, were excited from what we all witnessed with this Secondary crew as the season ended last year. That is where my optimism is coming from.

Also, as I stated, each and every Secondary draft choice in the Tomlin era (not totally blaming Tomlin here) has been a "flop" per se. Maybe Keenan Lewis being the exception as I stated. And again, he was a bit above average IMO. Last count it was fourteen draftees under this regime. Just Wow! As I say. That is totally unacceptable. 100% completely inexcusable. Where does the blame stem from one must ask. It has to start at the top as the rhetoric goes. However, who is considered the "Top" with the drafting process? I would think it entails multiple personnel: Tomlin, Colbert, Rooney and maybe the position coaches? I do not want to put all the blame on one person here.

Nonetheless this is a pathetic track record for drafting Secondary personnel. As I stated, the ones that are excelling are not "Homegrown". Again that would be: Haden, Nelson and Fitzpatrick. That is not good in some ways. For as the three eventually leave, the "well" may be dry again. My suggestion is just pick up proven Veterans from other teams if this Administration is so incompetent at picking for this segment of the team.

Also, I do not want to hear about how "Great" we are at drafting WRs. Okay, fine. However, that is not helping the Secondary! Again, I do not want to blame one person here. However, i will put this out there again. YES, Tomlin's specialty is the Secondary. My research back to his first coaching gig indicates that. Now, I understand that the Head Coach does not want to "interfere" with the Assistant Coaches. However, when there is a problem, and there does seem to be a problem, the Head Honcho MUST "step-in". If Tomlin has, he has not proven to be effective. Also, if he has in fact "stepped-in", and given the failures on the Secondary Drafting that is not a good look for Coach "T".

I cannot imagine that all fourteen (again Keenan Lewis being a possible exception) were not talented. No way. The odds are in favor that at least a few should have panned out. Therefore, coming full-circle, I blame this more on Coaching than on Drafting.

So, in wrapping this up, I really hope that the Secondary re-discovers last season's "juice". Maybe the "Silver Lining" of sorts is that no one player's name has been called-out in both games. Nelson and Edmunds in the Giant's game and Haden in the Bronco's game. Given that, I would like to think that they are going to put this "thing" back together relatively soon. Remember, this is a passing league. The Secondary may be the most difficult area to excel at consistently. On top of that, there were no Spring OTAs and no Preseason. Just trying to look at things rationally, optimistically and from numerous angles.


STEELWINDS The East Side Kid