Why Does Pittsburgh Hate Star QBs?

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Originally Posted by Get7With7

Some of us really can't move on from that can we? You're talking about stuff that happened 4 years ago. Is it possible that maybe he grew up and realized he can't do that kind of stuff anymore. Getting married and having a child would support that claim.

But if James Harrison smacks his wife, no one says a thing.

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If you're talking directly to me I'll say this: I don't get personally invested in football players. I don't give a shit who they are or what they believe in ... OFF THE FIELD. My rules as a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers are simple:

1) Don't embarrass the organization that I cheer for.

I respect the Pittsburgh Steelers organization because they're part of my DNA. The way I see it, I've been here a hell of a lot longer than some of these kids that don the uniform from other places in the world, and I'll be here long after they're gone.

2) Commit yourself to nothing but excellence as a football player and play good football.

That's it! .... seems simple, don't you think? There's no rule that says I have to stand behind them if they can't live up to my rules. I'm not a rah-rah kind of fan. I don't put "yinzer" glasses on and excuse poor play. That doesn't make me any less of a fan, after all, someone needs to keep it real and keep it honest.

With regard to James Harrison: Let's be fair and say that James wasn't a 1st round draft choice and the franchise QB of the team. There's a certain expectation and responsibility that comes with being a 1st round pick and signing a $100M contract.

Some can handle that responsibility and even embrace it ..... some can't.

I believe the premise of this thread is a false one. Although I do not live in Pittsburgh and cannot answer to what happens there, I do not see any hatred towards Ben in the rest of "Steeler Nation." I see some disappointment, maybe even disillusionment in his past behavior but not hatred. It is kind of like if your kid was picked up for a DUI, you would be PO'd but not hate him.

As far as his play, he has not been very good the second half of this season (I have wondered if spending time with his new kid has trumped the film room, a very natural urge for a new parent). However, when you consistently count on one man to pull your fat from the fire, he is going to fail occasionally. The Steelers under Tomlin-and even under Cowher-have had a "play close games and win at the end" mentality. This is fine when you have a young or crappy QB but we do not. We do need to be more aggressive on both sides of the ball. Instead of looking to keep it close and hope the D or Ben bails us out, go full throttle and put the opposing team into panic mode. It limits the exposure of both Ben and the D when the game is on the line. We then do not have as many dolts saying Dick Lebeau has lost it or that Ben needs to go.

In the end, Ben has earned his reputation and lack of complete adoration from the fans that many QBs get. I do not encourage my son to idolize athletes, but it would be Troy and Heath (Aaron Smith before retirement) long before Ben came to mind. That said, I still do not see hate.

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Originally Posted by TarlsQtr

I believe the premise of this thread is a false one. Although I do not live in Pittsburgh and cannot answer to what happens there, I do not see any hatred towards Ben in the rest of "Steeler Nation." I see some disappointment, maybe even disillusionment in his past behavior but not hatred. It is kind of like if your kid was picked up for a DUI, you would be PO'd but not hate him.

As far as his play, he has not been very good the second half of this season (I have wondered if spending time with his new kid has trumped the film room, a very natural urge for a new parent). However, when you consistently count on one man to pull your fat from the fire, he is going to fail occasionally. The Steelers under Tomlin-and even under Cowher-have had a "play close games and win at the end" mentality. This is fine when you have a young or crappy QB but we do not. We do need to be more aggressive on both sides of the ball. Instead of looking to keep it close and hope the D or Ben bails us out, go full throttle and put the opposing team into panic mode. It limits the exposure of both Ben and the D when the game is on the line. We then do not have as many dolts saying Dick Lebeau has lost it or that Ben needs to go.

In the end, Ben has earned his reputation and lack of complete adoration from the fans that many QBs get. I do not encourage my son to idolize athletes, but it would be Troy and Heath (Aaron Smith before retirement) long before Ben came to mind. That said, I still do not see hate.

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There's definitely a vocal group in Pittsburgh that hates Ben and believes the team is better off without him. Some of them can't get over the off-field issues from a few years ago, others just hate star QBs and want running and defense only. Go to other Steelers forums or listen to talk shows. The question is weather or not this is a majority of Pittsburgh or just a small, vocal crackpot minority.

We don't hate em, we critique them:lol:

Living 45 minutes south of Cleveland you see the effect that a team has on it's fans. Cleveland fans are delusional from decades of sucking and Steeler fans are spoiled by decades of superiority.

We know what good football looks like and we know when someone is a mess, Ben has been a mess since coming back! What we may not be good at is understanding that there is so much more that effects what we see on the field! Ben's inaccuracy and poor decisions may be caused by his injuries and the inability to do what he normally does.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

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Originally Posted by JoeSteelerFan

With regard to James Harrison: Let's be fair and say that James wasn't a 1st round draft choice and the franchise QB of the team. There's a certain expectation and responsibility that comes with being a 1st round pick and signing a $100M contract.

Some can handle that responsibility and even embrace it ..... some can't.

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Careful now, setting different standards because of when you were drafted or if you were undrafted is dangerous. In fact IMO, double-standards have been one of Tomlin's weaknesses. Some players get benched for bad play, others don't.