What's up with Jerome ??? More critical comments from the Bus

[BlitzburghRockCity]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06244/718229-66.stm

He's been pretty critical of cowher and the Steelers ever since he got his network job. Seems like every few weeks he's saying something about us that's less than constructive.


Super repeat? Unlikely, says Bettis
Friday, September 01, 2006

By Chuck Finder, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Jerome Bettis, television analyst, doubts that the Steelers can repeat as Super Bowl champions because of an unsteady offense that already misses Jerome Bettis, brutish halfback.

"This is a totally different football team now than we had when we went on that run," Bettis said yesterday in an NBC conference call to promote the Miami-Steelers opener that kicks off the network's "Football Night in America" coverage Thursday.

"The question is: Are they capable of repeating? ... That remains to be seen yet. But it's not the same team. It's going to be a work in progress. It's going to be very, very difficult for them to repeat. They've got their hands full.

"They may have to rely on Ben Roethlisberger's arm a lot more than they have the prior two years. ... I'm not certain about the running game, how consistent it will be churning out the tough yards.

"Obviously, with myself not being there, that poses a question."

His retirement, Bettis said, and the lack of a Bus-like halfback could cause the Steelers to alter their style.

"Obviously ... not having that closer in there late in games, that is significant in shortening games," he said. "If they don't have that ability to shorten the game in terms of that physical runner in between the tackles, that's going to be a really big problem. Looking at the roster, you'd say Duce Staley ... would have to fill that role."

"If he makes the team," interjected fellow NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth.

"Exactly," concluded Bettis.

Tilting more toward the pass was a systemic mistake Bill Cowher's Steelers made in 2003, Bettis said.

"When they did go away from [the run], they had one of their worst years, going 6-10," he said. "I don't believe he's going to go to the extreme, but I think he's going to try to open it up a little bit more. Just because the running-back position is a different type of running back now. Willie Parker is not a pounder, 4-yards-and-cloud-of-dust kind of guy. I would hope [Cowher] wouldn't open it up as much as we did back then; that was a bad decision."

Speaking of Cowher, Bettis joked about the coach angrily telephoning him after his Aug. 13 comments on the air about the Steelers' coach potentially retiring at season's end. "He's not confiding in me about it anymore," Bettis said.

"I was just telling what I believe. We have a pretty good relationship about being able to talk through things. He told me how he felt about it. I told him how I felt about it. I don't see it as an issue.

"If I was [still] a player, it might be a problem, though."

[Prosdo]

I don't know. I know Jerome has to be objective now, but damn.

[BlitzburghRockCity]

Yeah I mean he's gotta do his part to keep the audience interested in the show and look at it from the outsiders perspective... but DAMN is right ! He's had the privilege of being on the inside of the Steelers for a long time and he's never said anything negative about the team or BC and since he took his network job, he's just trying to stir the pot it seems.

Jerome is awesome, he's a Steeler through and through..I have nothing but respect for him; and I think thats why this is so perplexing :(

[Steelerlyn]

I agree with you lol it makes no sense to me either! Yes he is now the "media" but what I can't understand is why would he want to piss a bunch of Steeler fans off? There have to be more Steeler fans watching than anything else. :dunno: Gotta be more to his job than I am seeing!~

[House of Steel]

Don't listen to that fool on the booth. He is just keeping the auidence intrested. He is going to be eating crow when the Steelers hoist that Vince Lombardi Trophy in Feburary in Miami. I say sometimes he sounds like an idiot.

[Steelersfan]

I'd be willing to bet it's a ratings things. He is just doing his part to get the show out there and what better way than to make a comment about his old team.

[AZ_Steeler]

Bus doesn't have an ego like he's been displaying lately, it's just what everyone else said "He's one of the 'them' now" and he's trying to seperate himself from the Steelers, try not to be bias and be just what he is now... an analyst.

Bottom line is the Steelers returned 19 of 22 starters, with the Bus probably counting as all three! ;) He does have a point though because Duce hasn't proved that he can fit in the Buses shoes yet, so until he can do so the Steelers don't have someone to wear down opponents late in a game and kill some clock. Parker is more of a "BAM I'm gone!' runner while I don't really know what Verron does except come in on 3rd down and take an inside handoff from the shotgun formation and get about 8-10 yards ;) Seriously though, Verron isn't really a bruiser either he's in between a Parker and the Bus.

[BlitzburghRockCity]

It just seems to me that Jerome is compromising everything he stood for while wearing the black n gold for all this time. Im sure its got something to do with a ratings thing because the network knows that Steeler fans will eat this up and get into an uproar..but still, comon Bus, you're better than this man !

[AZ_Steeler]

That's a good point! If you think about it the Nation is HUGE, so why would NBC want to piss off the Steelers fan base to the point we don't want to watch because were not happy with the guy working Jerome's puppet strings! I doubt it if Steeler Nation could have an impact on their ratings if we all boycotted, but most of us will more than likely tune in to hear what he has to say next.

Jerome has always been a class act, he still is my book I just try to ignore his media hot air now. There are 2 Jeromes in book, Jerome the Steeler RB and Jerome the media guy... completely seperate from one another ;)

[Pats]

I saw an interview of Jerome on NFL network. He said in the Cowher issue, it was his opinion. He had drawn up the conclusion based on the facts that Cowher had bought a house in Carolina and the daughter was going to school there.

As far as the steelers not repeating, he opinion was based on idea if any of the steelers get hurt, it will impossible. He was saying that the steelers can repeat it only if they have a perfect season with out any injuries.

I think he does have a point. Not to sound negative or anyting. Steelers had to win 6 in a row last time to win. Unless you guys can be strong like you were in 2004, it seems unlikely. The schedule is not doing the steelers any favor either.

[Koopa]

smh, you make rules and can't even follow them lol......well this is what on the post i put that should be deleted not locked lol

well f'k you too lol..this fat ass almost single handedly lost us the colts game and then he stirs shit up with cowher, and now this. i think he hates the steelers lol.....and i think he's giving himself a little way to much credit. we didn't win because of him, he didn't really do anything. leadership can only take you so far.

[Blitzburgh55]

He is an accouners now he cant favor anyone

[Koopa]

tell that to the ppl on espn....them usc ppl are the most bias motherf'kers i've ever seen in my life. i almost forgot ut was playing in the national championship too the way them fools were slobbering all over the trojans nuts.......and bradshaw favors the steelers from what i've seen. bettis is just a closet steeler hater. and he's an analyst not an announcer

[Hawk Believer]

You guys know him better, but Bettis seems like a guy who doesn't do things half ass once he puts his mind to it. He seems very serious about making a career as a broadcaster. Right or wrong, one way to garner respect in the media/journalism world is to publicly criticize an instituition or person that conventional wisdom would assume that you would be biased towards. People will tend to think the person really is unbiased and it builds a rep towards being a person who tells it like it is.

I wonder if Bettis got some advice to raise eyebrows by unexpectedly laying into the Steelers to jumpstart his career and reputation as a journalist. I think he has to be very careful though and not push it any more. If he takes it too far, he'll not only lose the respect of Steeler fans but even people who hate the Steelers. Nobody on either side of an issue respects a turncoat.

[AZ_Steeler]

You guys know him better, but Bettis seems like a guy who doesn't do things half ass once he puts his mind to it. He seems very serious about making a career as a broadcaster. Right or wrong, one way to garner respect in the media/journalism world is to publicly criticize an instituition or person that conventional wisdom would assume that you would be biased towards. People will tend to think the person really is unbiased and it builds a rep towards being a person who tells it like it is.

I wonder if Bettis got some advice raise eyebrows by unexpectedly laying into the Steelers to jumpstart his career and reputation as a journalist. I think he has to be very careful though and not push it any more. If he takes it too far, he'll not only lose the respect of Steeler fans but even people who hate the Steelers. Nobody on either side of an issue repsects a turncoat.

So would you say that because what he is doing right now, his reputation is actually starting to become more reputable than a Chris Collinsworth, Boomer E., or Shannon Sharpe since they are afraid to knock the teams they played for at one time?

That's really a valid point you brought up Hawk!

[BlitzburghRockCity]

You guys know him better, but Bettis seems like a guy who doesn't do things half ass once he puts his mind to it. He seems very serious about making a career as a broadcaster. Right or wrong, one way to garner respect in the media/journalism world is to publicly criticize an instituition or person that conventional wisdom would assume that you would be biased towards. People will tend to think the person really is unbiased and it builds a rep towards being a person who tells it like it is.

I wonder if Bettis got some advice to raise eyebrows by unexpectedly laying into the Steelers to jumpstart his career and reputation as a journalist. I think he has to be very careful though and not push it any more. If he takes it too far, he'll not only lose the respect of Steeler fans but even people who hate the Steelers. Nobody on either side of an issue respects a turncoat.

That's a good observation and it's entirely possible that he's really just trying to gain the interest in not only the new network taking over NFL coverage again but also in himself for future opportunities. I just have an issue with a guy that has been so popular to the city and the fans, let alone his team mates and coaches that he's all of sudden slowly become a doubter and criticizer instead of just staying status quo on the subject atleast. Again just seems to me that he's compromising everything he stood for all this time but I could be wrong....