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Superbowl Expectations

Discussion in 'Steelers Talk' started by thorn058, Apr 25, 2012.

  1. thorn058

    thorn058 Well-Known Member

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    After watching the pre-draft day presser from Tomlin and Colbert one of the things I took away from away from it besides the fact that MT has North Dakota State on his radar, was that the Steelers as an organization don't evaluate draft classes but rather evaluate teams using the criteria of Superbowl Championships. That is a very high standard to set for yourself but given team history it is perhaps appropriate.

    This stood out to me because you have alot of poster on this board and the old one that liked to talk about how Steeler Nation has unrealistic expectations. That was as fans expect to win the Superbowl every year. I know a good portion of these comments are meant to blunt the pain that comes with a losing campaign in the playoffs or a SB defeat. You know the ones I am talking about the "We had a 12-4 record and did blah blah blah you should be happy with that blah blah blah unrealistic expectation." So here is the thing if the coaching staff, front office, organization as whole evaluate team success based on winning Superbowls how is it a bad thing for fans to look at season or seasons in the same light? Like I said I know we all try and blunt the pain of a loss with telling ourselves this things about how great these stats are or how a record is not a bad thing but lets be honest we expect a Championship and as such are critical when it doesn't happen.
     
  2. Thigpen82

    Thigpen82 Bitter optimist

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    Tomlin's always talking about the 'standard', isn't he?

    I don't have a problem with expecting a championship. I think on reflection I do as well. Perhaps I didn't back in the 90's so much, and when I first started following the Steelers in the 80's I probably got used to us sitting at the wrong end of the AFC Central (though it was a very tight division back then), so I don't think I expected it then.

    I guess I have more of a problem when people try and reduce the pain of a loss to one factor, and make out that we were undoubtedly going to get to the superbowl if not for that one refs call, or that one interception, or that one offensive coordinator. So I guess the unrealistic expectation there is the one that thinks all problems can be put on one factor.
     
  3. TerribleTowelFlying

    TerribleTowelFlying Staff Member Site Admin Mod Team

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    I sure hope Steelers management plans for and expects championships every year...it's what they get paid for. It's about having a winning mentality. Reminds me of that Herm Edwards speech 'You play to win the game!'. As a fan I don't expect a Super Bowl win every year, but I hope for one.

    There's nothing wrong with being critical of the mistakes and failures that stopped us from getting there, but if a fan truly expects to win a SB every year then their expectations are too high, and they are setting themselves up for many future disappointments.
     
  4. SteelinOhio

    SteelinOhio

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    :this!:
     
  5. thorn058

    thorn058 Well-Known Member

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    Very true I think every FO has that ultimate goal but they also have realistic goals that they hope to meet and are happy with those. I don't think the 49er's envisioned going as far as they did when they made the coaching change and probably had realistic goals of being above .500 and making the playoffs. So different teams differing measures of success. So when I look at the Steelers do I expect a Championship every year? No realistically it can't happen and you are right if that is how you truly feel in your heart year in and year out then a person is setting themselves up for future disappointment. What I do look at is how the team performs during a season and how did they stack up when compared to that goal and that is where I begin discussion. I absolutley hate it when someone comes into a discussion on here and throws out the "you expect a SB win every year that is unrealistic, you're spoiled, you should have been around in the 80's" and other such stuff because that adds nothing to the discussion. I am not content to go well they did have a 12-4 record, Ben had x amount of yards passing, Wallace had y amount of yards receiving. I look at how do these things help meet the goal of getting a championship. Which is why I was unhappy with player development under Arains, I'm critical of Tomlin's in game adjustment and why the lack of pressure on the defensive side of the ball concerns me. Not because I am spoiled and expect the impossible every year but because I see these as areas that need to be address in order to meet that goal and I want to discuss them.
     
  6. BURGH43STEL

    BURGH43STEL Well-Known Member

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    I don't expect a championship every season. No team won a championship every season. The "real world" fan in myself expects a competitive team every season. A competitive team brings the hope that the team will compete for the playoffs and SB. If the team doesn't make the playoffs, I usually focus on the positives in which they can build.
     
  7. thorn058

    thorn058 Well-Known Member

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    Yeah Tomlin always talking about the Standard which makes me always ask why certain players get around the standard but that is a discussion for another day. I too don't like to see people try and reduce everything to one factor or to try and find one miracle fix to everything. I think what was worth noting in this and hence my original posting is that the FO and coaching staff evaluate the season and the team based on the goal of winning a SB, I am sure there are other things they factor in but the big one is what did the team do to advance towards that goal. That to me is always going to be a great starting point to any discussion, keeping in mind what ever moves are made , how does that get the team closer to that goal.
     
  8. troybellringer55

    troybellringer55 Well-Known Member

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    I think the problem last year is that we were a team that beat up on some bad teams. The only really good team we beat was New England. I think age caught up with them, in regards to the number of hurt players. It will take a little rebuilding in area's, but you don't have to blow this team up and start over. We still have a lot of really good players who aren't over the hill. The Steelers need a great draft this year not just an average one.
     
  9. SteelerfnVA

    SteelerfnVA Well-Known Member

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    Every season I expect to win the SB and watching the season play out will define how much I will believe in them come playoff time. The SB win in 40 was a good team getting reallty hot at the right time, were they the best team in the league that year no but they played the best the final 9 games. 2008 they were a very good team and took advantage of that and made enough plays to beat the Rats and Cards to win the SB. Do I think this team can win it this year of couse I do, but with injurys and some and how other teams perform at given times of the year will determine how I feel about their chances later in the season.
     
  10. Blast Furnace

    Blast Furnace Staff Member Mod Team

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    I expect to make the playoffs every year. I don't expect to win the SB every year or even make it to the SB every year. To believe that would be naive, it's so incredibly hard to do, so many varying factors go into it. An inferior team gets hot at the right time, a key injury, a blown call, bad bounce, anything can wreck your dreams of a SB victory.
     
  11. D0bre Shunka

    D0bre Shunka Well-Known Member

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    It's SB or bust for me every year, at least in terms of hope. I do expect my coach to reflect the very same, that's the job!
     
  12. TarheelFlyer

    TarheelFlyer Well-Known Member

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    I don't think they are saying that they expect to make the Super Bowl every year, I think they want players who they believe can help them reach the Super Bowl. They are looking for guys who are not intimidated by the atmosphere of that kind of event or the press associated with playing for the Steelers.
     
  13. KnoxVegasSteel

    KnoxVegasSteel Well-Known Member

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    +1

    This is the difference between the Steelers and the perpetual underachieving franchises like the Lions and Browns. Colbert is looking at the team they have to put on the field and asking himself, is this a championship caliber team? If the answer is no, then he figures out what changes need to happen to make it that way. This is Colbert's job and if he was looking at it any other way, then he would not be doing his job. He doesn't want to be "on the wrong side of the confetti". And this is why we are fans of the greatest NFL franchise ever. period.
     
  14. Coastal Steeler

    Coastal Steeler

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    Guys if Tomlin doesn't expect to be SB Champs every year, I don't want him as a coach. That is the object of playing the game. As it i'm I am glad we have him
     
  15. blountforcetrauma

    blountforcetrauma Well-Known Member

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    The only way we will REALLY know if Tomlin and Colbert want to win a championship this year will be if they get us an offensive line that can actually block. I know that sounds harsh but I'm really sick of seeing Ben get pummeled all the time and then Tomlin talks about the "standard". But I do have enough confidence in the Rooney's to think that they are all about championships and not just how many people they can put in their stadium week in and week out. I personally don't EXPECT it every year but I do expect us to be in the race. Is that realistic?
     
  16. BLACKnGOLDsince72

    BLACKnGOLDsince72 Well-Known Member

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  17. Iowasteeljim

    Iowasteeljim

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    This thread is why I am a raging alcoholic. In my sick, intoxicated mind we win the Superbowl every year. Odd that we always play the same team and win by the same score but, hey, that's football. Go Terry!!!
     
  18. bigsteelerfaninky

    bigsteelerfaninky Well-Known Member

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    I think Big Ben leads us to at least 2-3 more SBs before he retires
     
  19. D0bre Shunka

    D0bre Shunka Well-Known Member

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    I agree, Big Ben is going to get us back there yet again. I just wish they would go back to not even considering him a pro QB, never mind elite, and put that gigantic chip back on his shoulder. When they talk like that, well, he's going to come back and make you pay.

    The NFL network used to show a short snippet of him walking off the field angry, w/ that chip in full display. That's where I want him to be and after losing a few here recently, think he's coming back to it.
     

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