Going full Rossi - "Steelers Way? Deactivate Bell, Blount"

[Spike]

Time is up on the Steelers Way. At least it is if Le'Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount play Sunday.

Make them watch, Dan Rooney.

Make them pay a price, Kevin Colbert.

Make your wrong a right, Mike Tomlin.

This is an easy decision despite ridiculous verbiage in the labor contract. The Steelers should look for loopholes, and if there aren't any, they should just go ahead and do what's right.

Bell and Blount should be deactivated for the regular-season opener against Cleveland. No win is more important than the integrity of a flagship franchise. No loss would be tougher to overcome than losing the public's faith.

It's no longer just about what Bell and Blount are accused of doing Aug. 20, though what Bell is charged with doing — driving under the influence of marijuana — was worse.

It's about what the Steelers have done since.

Nothing.

Tomlin said Bell and Blount playing in the team's third exhibition game could be considered a form of punishment.

What was he smoking?


What about taking a stand?

What about sending a message?

What about the standard being the standard?

The Steeler Way is all talk, and it's talk their fans are fools to believe.

http://triblive.com/sports/steelers/6722282-74/bell-blount-steelers#axzz3CS2kZzKp
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Pens fans are so happy he's gone

 

[Bigappleyinzer]

Please tell me this dude is joking right?

 

[bermudasteel]

Is the author an astronaut??? Not enough oxygen in his brain...

 

[JupiterBnG]

I've never smoked pot in my entire life, but I can honestly say I don't care if all the players toked up right on the sidelines. It isn't a performance-enhancing drug. It's likely on its way to broader legalization, and already legal in one state with an NFL team. While I do understand and agree that they were (or at least Bell was) guilty of driving under the influence, I think they ought to stick to whatever formalized response is dictated by the league and the CBA only for that charge, which I'm guessing is a first offense for Bell. The rest of this is a knee-jerk demonization of pot, which is, frankly, stupid. It's a social issue that is simply NOT going to go the way some of the more outspoken people on the subject want it to go - it's inevitable.

 

[Hollywood Bags]

Well, Rossi is right, but the "Steeler Way" was always a myth to begin with. The Steelers are no better or worse than any other organization, and have always been that way.

 

[Steelerfan]

"The Steeler Way" refers to how the organization handles contracts and free agents, not discipline. This author is a moron.

 

[thesteelcity]

I understand what Rossi is saying, but it's game suicide if they sit both of them. I'm all for doing the right thing, but possibly losing that game is punishing rest of the players. Ben didn't do anything to be handcuffed, Troy worked his butt off all off-season to be ready for Sunday and what about the other 49 players?

I wouldn't even be crazy about this, but sit them for the first quarter? Maybe. You still would give your team 3 quarters with a chance, but it still goes back to my original point. You are punishing everyone else. Maybe the 3rd running back missing a block and Ben gets hurt? Where is "The Steeler Way" then? They have to be smart and yet disciplined with dealing with this. If they lose because their two RBs are sitting because of moral ground and can't recover then what?

 

[Steelerfan]

I understand what Rossi is saying, but it's game suicide if they sit both of them. I'm all for doing the right thing, but possibly losing that game is punishing rest of the players. Ben didn't do anything to be handcuffed, Troy worked his butt off all off-season to be ready for Sunday and what about the other 49 players?

I wouldn't even be crazy about this, but sit them for the first quarter? Maybe. You still would give your team 3 quarters with a chance, but it still goes back to my original point. You are punishing everyone else. Maybe the 3rd running back missing a block and Ben gets hurt? Where is "The Steeler Way" then? They have to be smart and yet disciplined with dealing with this. If they lose because their two RBs are sitting because of moral ground and can't recover then what?

You framed the dilemma well. I think the answer is for the other players to discipline the Doobie Brothers in some way. I don't know, some kind of peer pressure or something. Having a dozen teammates reaming them out for a while might change their attitude.

 

[Confluence]

I thought the fundamental underlay was that the new CBA prevented teams from doling out discipline before the players had due process in the justice system.

IMO, the Steelers **** the bed with their handling of the Ben situation, especially wrt to the Ray Rice punishment (or lack thereof).

 

[SteelBuckeye]

Bettis is on record as saying that "The Steelers Way" hasn't existed for a long time. In an article written by Cook in the paper that shall remain nameless (Oct. 16, 2012).
Among Bettis' statements was one where he says that Cowher never fined players for anything and players were never reprimanded for anything.

In the same article Cook reminds us of the 1973 incident where Ernie Holmes shot at a police helicopter following him on the Ohio Turnpike. As I have heard it, Holmes still played for the Steelers and was not suspended by Noll or the Rooneys. Heck, I believe the story goes that Mr. Rooney paid his bail and hired him a lawyer.

As with most teams, "The Steeler Way" of discipline applies to non-stars/starters and those who can easily be replaced. The only time that I can remember "The Steeler Way" being applied to a "Star" was the 'Stonio situation and he was facing a four game suspension when they jettisoned him; along with the fact that he had prior legal issues.

As noted above, "The Steeler Way" refers to the team's philosophy of building through the draft, how they decide who gets renewal contracts .. i.e. the personnel and business decisions. Not so much the discipline issues.

 

[antdrewjosh]

Bettis is on record as saying that "The Steelers Way" hasn't existed for a long time. In an article written by Cook in the paper that shall remain nameless (Oct. 16, 2012).
Among Bettis' statements was one where he says that Cowher never fined players for anything and players were never reprimanded for anything.

In the same article Cook reminds us of the 1973 incident where Ernie Holmes shot at a police helicopter following him on the Ohio Turnpike. As I have heard it, Holmes still played for the Steelers and was not suspended by Noll or the Rooneys. Heck, I believe the story goes that Mr. Rooney paid his bail and hired him a lawyer.

As with most teams, "The Steeler Way" of discipline applies to non-stars/starters and those who can easily be replaced. The only time that I can remember "The Steeler Way" being applied to a "Star" was the 'Stonio situation and he was facing a four game suspension when they jettisoned him; along with the fact that he had prior legal issues.

There were alot of interesting things in that Cook article. The Bettis quote was just one of many

 

[Bigappleyinzer]

Lets also not forget the mountains of cocaine the Chuck Noll Steelers were 'enjoying' as a pre-game pick me up

 

[SteelBuckeye]

There were alot of interesting things in that Cook article. The Bettis quote was just one of many

Yeah, he dispels quite a few myths in it. Myths that are continuously repeated as fact when it comes to how much the team was disciplined in the past vs. present.

 

[USDA#1]

it's not Bible Study, it's not an application for Sainthood, it's not working for any 3 letter agency...

it's entertainment.

if you had $350 Stones tickets, would you be pissed if Keef Richards was suspended for that nights show?

exactly.

Rossi is a Madden wannabe hack anyway.

 

[antdrewjosh]

Yeah, he dispels quite a few myths in it. Myths that are continuously repeated as fact when it comes to how much the team was disciplined in the past vs. present.

And of course since we cant post the article or the link. It will be completely disregarded as if it was never written.

 

[SteelBuckeye]

it's not Bible Study, it's not an application for Sainthood, it's not working for any 3 letter agency...

it's entertainment.

if you had $350 Stones tickets, would you be pissed if Keef Richards was suspended for that nights show?

exactly.

Rossi is a Madden wannabe hack anyway.

Good points. In the comments to the Rossi article I saw some moron actually comparing not suspending Bell and Blount to not suspending a firefighter or police officer for the same infractions. Really?

 

[steelermania]

Bettis is on record as saying that "The Steelers Way" hasn't existed for a long time. In an article written by Cook in the paper that shall remain nameless (Oct. 16, 2012).
Among Bettis' statements was one where he says that Cowher never fined players for anything and players were never reprimanded for anything.

In the same article Cook reminds us of the 1973 incident where Ernie Holmes shot at a police helicopter following him on the Ohio Turnpike. As I have heard it, Holmes still played for the Steelers and was not suspended by Noll or the Rooneys. Heck, I believe the story goes that Mr. Rooney paid his bail and hired him a lawyer.

As with most teams, "The Steeler Way" of discipline applies to non-stars/starters and those who can easily be replaced. The only time that I can remember "The Steeler Way" being applied to a "Star" was the 'Stonio situation and he was facing a four game suspension when they jettisoned him; along with the fact that he had prior legal issues.

As noted above, "The Steeler Way" refers to the team's philosophy of building through the draft, how they decide who gets renewal contracts .. i.e. the personnel and business decisions. Not so much the discipline issues.

Reminds me of when Jimmy Johnson booted Curvin Richards for sleeping through a meeting. Everyone raved about what a hard *** JJ was. Years later, he was asked if he would have done that if it had been Troy, or Emmitt. He laughed, and said he would have told them to try to get to bed earlier in order to be more rested. However, booting Richards was effective in getting the team's attention, without really doing any damage to the roster. Important players will always be able to get away with more than marginal guys will.

 

[Vader]

The only thing that bothers me is the way the Steelers treated Ben after the Georgia incident. Rooney basically gave his ok for Goodall to punish the hell out of Ben. Ben was never charged, arrested or even questioned. But Rooney hung Ben out to dry. In this case you have two players doing something illegal. DUI is a serious offense. It's ******* stupid to smoke pot, drink or use drugs while driving. He could have killed someone or a bunch of people. Looks to me like Bell should be suspended before Ben.

 

[miiike]

The NFL now operates as one corporation with 32 offices (or divisions or braches or other similar analogy). This was much less true 10 years ago and certainly even less so 20 and 30 years ago. One side effect of that is that disciplinary issues have become more “standardized” by being handed down from the top, rather than at the team level. This is like any large corporation. For example, when I was a kid I worked at Sam’s Club. My area store did not have its own rules, rather Walmart corporation had global company rules that applied to all stores. This also makes sense in light of the existence of the players union.

[Side note: I recognize that using the word “standardized” in regards to how Goodell actually applies the rules is laughable, but I think you know what I mean.]

 

[SteelBuckeye]

The only thing that bothers me is the way the Steelers treated Ben after the Georgia incident. Rooney basically gave his ok for Goodall to punish the hell out of Ben. Ben was never charged, arrested or even questioned. But Rooney hung Ben out to dry. In this case you have two players doing something illegal. DUI is a serious offense. It's ******* stupid to smoke pot, drink or use drugs while driving. He could have killed someone or a bunch of people. Looks to me like Bell should be suspended before Ben.

Agreed. I look at it as a political maneuver on the part of Goodell. Appease the masses and all that bullshit. What I can't understand is Rooney just sitting back and letting "ol Rog" shaft Ben. Hell sitting back is almost too tame a way to describe it. It was almost as if Rooney found the roughest tree branch he could, hid the vaseline, forced Ben to bend over (via his comments about the situation) and helped Goodell start shoving that rough branch up Ben's _____.

 

[steel pirate]

DUI is a serious offense. It's ******* stupid to smoke pot, drink or use drugs while driving. He could have killed someone or a bunch of people.

Drunk drivers are generally a lot more dangerous than drivers on cannabis. There was a study where the potheads actually drove slightly better than the control group.

 

[bigtwnvin]

Time is up on the Steelers Way. At least it is if Le'Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount play Sunday.

Make them watch, Dan Rooney.

Make them pay a price, Kevin Colbert.

Make your wrong a right, Mike Tomlin.

This is an easy decision despite ridiculous verbiage in the labor contract. The Steelers should look for loopholes, and if there aren't any, they should just go ahead and do what's right.

Bell and Blount should be deactivated for the regular-season opener against Cleveland. No win is more important than the integrity of a flagship franchise. No loss would be tougher to overcome than losing the public's faith.

It's no longer just about what Bell and Blount are accused of doing Aug. 20, though what Bell is charged with doing — driving under the influence of marijuana — was worse.

It's about what the Steelers have done since.

Nothing.

Tomlin said Bell and Blount playing in the team's third exhibition game could be considered a form of punishment.

What was he smoking?


What about taking a stand?

What about sending a message?

What about the standard being the standard?

The Steeler Way is all talk, and it's talk their fans are fools to believe.

http://triblive.com/sports/steelers/6722282-74/bell-blount-steelers#axzz3CS2kZzKp
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Pens fans are so happy he's gone

Nice rant.
The Doobie Brothers will not sit until next year (if at all) and only after the legal mumbo jumbo is over.
"Steelers Way"? Where did that originate? Did the "Steelers Way" stop Steve (rest in peace) Courson from chugging Margaritas from pitchers, stripping off is shirts and flexing & dancing up at the old Marriott Trolley Bar in Greentree? Did it stop "Turnpike" Ernie Holmes from blasting away with a 12 Ga. at a helicopter?
Blount and Bell have probably been smokin', jokin' and tokin'" since high school (or sooner). Bell is still a kid and needs to grow up. Blount should know better. They''ll both do community service in the off season and won't miss a game. If it happens again, the Rog will lay down the wood.

 

[Hollywood Bags]

The only thing that bothers me is the way the Steelers treated Ben after the Georgia incident. Rooney basically gave his ok for Goodall to punish the hell out of Ben. Ben was never charged, arrested or even questioned. But Rooney hung Ben out to dry. In this case you have two players doing something illegal. DUI is a serious offense. It's ******* stupid to smoke pot, drink or use drugs while driving. He could have killed someone or a bunch of people. Looks to me like Bell should be suspended before Ben.

You've got to be kidding me.

 

[Hollywood Bags]

Agreed. I look at it as a political maneuver on the part of Goodell. Appease the masses and all that bullshit. What I can't understand is Rooney just sitting back and letting "ol Rog" shaft Ben. Hell sitting back is almost too tame a way to describe it. It was almost as if Rooney found the roughest tree branch he could, hid the vaseline, forced Ben to bend over (via his comments about the situation) and helped Goodell start shoving that rough branch up Ben's _____.

The dude's damn lucky he isn't in ******* prison, and you two want to whine that he got suspended 4 games? smh. I know plenty of fans that wanted him gone.

 

[Skott]

Irish Catholics are some of the biggest hypocrites in general...

Forget the "Steelers" way...that went out the window with Ernie Holmes and his target practice of a helicopter...