hawaiiansteel
01-28-2011, 05:08 PM
Team of decade? Some Pittsburgh players feel cheated
By F. Dale Lolley, Staff writer dlolley@observer-reporter.com
PITTSBURGH - Forget the team of the 1960s vs. the team of the '70s talk with the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers wonder why they're not considered the most dominant team of the last 10 years.
Perhaps, if the Steelers can win their third Super Bowl in six seasons when play the Packers Feb. 6 in Dallas in Super XLV, that will happen.
Until then, however, they Steelers know they'll still play second fiddle to the New England Patriots, who won three Super Bowls early in this decade and played in another at the end of the 2007 season.
With another Super Bowl win, the Steelers - they won in 2005 and 2008 - will match what the Patriots have done in the last 10 seasons.
The Steelers also have been to five AFC Championships during that time, losing to the Patriots in 2001 and 2004. That remains a sore spot for the four players who were with the Steelers in 2001 - nose tackle Casey Hampton and Chris Hoke, defensive end Aaron Smith, and wide receiver Hines Ward.
"Three in six years. We've been to five AFC Championships," Hampton said. "The two we didn't win and go to the Super Bowl, (New England) cheated."
Hampton was referring to Spygate. It was learned in 2007 that the Patriots had been videotaping opposing sidelines for several years in an effort to learn the opponent's defensive signals, a clear violation of NFL rules.
Included in the allegations were a videotape turned into the league from the Steelers' 24-17 loss in the AFC Championship in January 2002. New England went on to win its first Super Bowl following that victory.
The Patriots were eventually fined $250,000 and docked a first-round draft pick in 2008, and coach Bill Belechick was fined $500,000 for the violation.
But that doesn't mean the Steelers have forgotten.
"You talk about the Patriots and the run they went on, but we've been right there with them," Ward said. "(We've been to) five AFC Championship games, two Super Bowls and heading to our third. They don't mention us in that category."
A victory over the Packers would ease some of the pain from those two playoff losses.
"We could be looking at a whole lot more if that didn't happen," Hampton said. "You never know what could have been."
Odds and end zones
Safeties Troy Polamalu (ankle) and Will Allen (knee), center Maurkice Pouncey (ankle), wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders (foot) and tackle Jonathan Scott (ribs) did not practice Thursday. ... Defensive end Aaron Smith (triceps) was limited. ... Linebackers Erik Walden (ankle) and Frank Zombo (knee) did not practice for Green Bay.
http://www.observer-reporter.com/or/loc ... Super-Bowl (http://www.observer-reporter.com/or/localsports/01-28-2011-Steelers-Patriots--amp--Super-Bowl)
By F. Dale Lolley, Staff writer dlolley@observer-reporter.com
PITTSBURGH - Forget the team of the 1960s vs. the team of the '70s talk with the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers wonder why they're not considered the most dominant team of the last 10 years.
Perhaps, if the Steelers can win their third Super Bowl in six seasons when play the Packers Feb. 6 in Dallas in Super XLV, that will happen.
Until then, however, they Steelers know they'll still play second fiddle to the New England Patriots, who won three Super Bowls early in this decade and played in another at the end of the 2007 season.
With another Super Bowl win, the Steelers - they won in 2005 and 2008 - will match what the Patriots have done in the last 10 seasons.
The Steelers also have been to five AFC Championships during that time, losing to the Patriots in 2001 and 2004. That remains a sore spot for the four players who were with the Steelers in 2001 - nose tackle Casey Hampton and Chris Hoke, defensive end Aaron Smith, and wide receiver Hines Ward.
"Three in six years. We've been to five AFC Championships," Hampton said. "The two we didn't win and go to the Super Bowl, (New England) cheated."
Hampton was referring to Spygate. It was learned in 2007 that the Patriots had been videotaping opposing sidelines for several years in an effort to learn the opponent's defensive signals, a clear violation of NFL rules.
Included in the allegations were a videotape turned into the league from the Steelers' 24-17 loss in the AFC Championship in January 2002. New England went on to win its first Super Bowl following that victory.
The Patriots were eventually fined $250,000 and docked a first-round draft pick in 2008, and coach Bill Belechick was fined $500,000 for the violation.
But that doesn't mean the Steelers have forgotten.
"You talk about the Patriots and the run they went on, but we've been right there with them," Ward said. "(We've been to) five AFC Championship games, two Super Bowls and heading to our third. They don't mention us in that category."
A victory over the Packers would ease some of the pain from those two playoff losses.
"We could be looking at a whole lot more if that didn't happen," Hampton said. "You never know what could have been."
Odds and end zones
Safeties Troy Polamalu (ankle) and Will Allen (knee), center Maurkice Pouncey (ankle), wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders (foot) and tackle Jonathan Scott (ribs) did not practice Thursday. ... Defensive end Aaron Smith (triceps) was limited. ... Linebackers Erik Walden (ankle) and Frank Zombo (knee) did not practice for Green Bay.
http://www.observer-reporter.com/or/loc ... Super-Bowl (http://www.observer-reporter.com/or/localsports/01-28-2011-Steelers-Patriots--amp--Super-Bowl)