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Thread: Radio host Mark Madden shreds the Steelers

  1. #1
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    Radio host Mark Madden shreds the Steelers

    Radio host Mark Madden shreds the Steelers

    By Neal Coolong on Apr 13 2013



    It isn't exactly breaking news to read of controversial radio host Mark Madden ripping on a local team. The sum of the parts of his argument don't equal the sum of its whole.

    Radio host Mark Madden recently aired his grievances in what appeared to be a Festivus for the rest of Steeler Nation.

    In his weekly column in the Beaver County Times, Madden, for lack of a better term, torched the Steelers leadership and direction, questioning the ability of head coach Mike Tomlin, calling out the strategies of coordinators Todd Haley and Dick LeBeau and generally referring to the franchise as "outdated."

    It's hard to accept the broadly general opinion he's making, even if it is entertaining.

    The crux of the piece is centered around the idea that the Steelers were previously a "destination franchise," suggesting the departed players and coaches stand as a testament to that.

    It seems hard to fathom the decision to not pay a wide receiver as much as they pay quarterback Ben Roethlisberger can suggest the team is in the wrong. It's also hard, as controversial as this opinion is, to believe the decision to let Keenan Lewis walk had nothing to do with the fact they had a better player at 10 percent of the price waiting behind him and fully capable of starting for two years on the cheap.

    Cortez Allen plus William Gay equals far less than Lewis, and creates more turnovers - something Madden didn't mention.

    He also points to supposed evidence that the departures of Scottie Montgomery and Sean Kugler are somehow indicative of a sinking ship. No doubt, the coaches of the two most disappointing position units on the team over the last two years waded through dozens - if not hundreds - of other offers before deciding on the long-term stability and legendary track records of Duke and UTEP.

    There is plenty about which to criticize the Steelers right now. The defections, as he refers to them, aren't major issues. General manager Kevin Colbert said it this offseason, the players and coaches leaving are part of an 8-8 team. How important were they?

    The overwhelming majority of BTSC readers voted in favor of letting Emmanuel Sanders walk in restricted free agency. The Steelers will gain a third-round pick this year, as opposed to the likely sixth round pick they'll get in compensation in the 2015 Draft when he felt he could leave for greener pastures. Mike Wallace's departure will likely gain a third round pick in 2014. So the Steelers traded in a few plays, lots of injuries, multiple fumbles and far more talk than action for the chance to draft two top 120 players and pay them 10 percent to potentially play more vital roles in the team's success.

    Why is gaining a pick this year for Sanders, and picks next year for Wallace and Lewis a bad thing?

    Antonio Brown's recent comments regarding Sanders' decision to not go about his contract situation "the Steelers way" is indicative of the general direction the team is going. They signed Brown because of his tireless work ethic. He has the chance to step up and be a leader this season. Plenty of groups in any dynamic will get stronger with lesser talented but more determined people in place.

    It's addition by subtraction. And while I'm sure the Steelers are happy to apologize to Madden for not crafting the best fantasy football team available, it's silly to suggest it's not a destination team (as if it matters), considering the amount of former players who sign as quickly as they can after leaving for those greener pastures.

    As for the shot he's taking at head coach Mike Tomlin, he was voted the coach players most wanted to play for as recently as last year. So now, because two coaches with very minor at best track records for success leave for lesser jobs (forced out, perhaps?) allegedly have a problem with their boss, Haley, the team is falling apart?

    At the very least he could have brought up the departure of Al Everest in an odd fashion at the beginning of the year.

    Madden may have the shock-inspired bluntness piece of the news down, but the moves the team is making is to correct the poor decision to load up Roethlisberger with weapons back in 2009-10. We have no reason to think Antonio Brown can't put up similar numbers to Santonio Holmes in 2008. And who was Roethlisberger's other "big play" receiver that year? Freakin' Nate Washington. People barely remember his name anymore.

    The team needs to rebuild. No one is disputing that. The mysticism of "The Steelers Way" isn't going to win them games. But what games were they winning with the skill position players and the coaches they had?

    Please point out to the games won solely by the efforts of Montgomery and Kugler, then we can talk about reasons to be concerned about their departures.

    [URL]http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2013/4/13/4219864/radio-host-mark-madden-shreds-the-steelers[/URL]
    Steel Maniac's Time-Based Prediction: Lamar Jackson will be a bust and total flop in the NFL.

    What Actually Happened: Lamar Jackson became the youngest two-time NFL MVP winner ever.

    Gloat gloat gloat


    Boom........

    Hahahahahahaha

  2. #2
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    Mark Madden is Grade A blowhard A-hole.

  3. #3
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    Breaking: Madden is a tool. Never care what he says.
    LETS GO MOUNTAINEERS!
    Here We Go Steelers!

  4. #4
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    Any new coordinator is going to want to bring in coaches who share their goals, methods, etc. As I stated before, I'm glad Kugler and Montgomery are gone, those positions needed new coaches imo. This is no news, just a coordinator bringing in his own system through coaching changes and player personnel moves.
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  5. #5
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    Here's the article:

    One great thing about being Pittsburgh’s top sports radio guy for 16 glorious years is: You don’t have to call people. People call you.
    Here’s what’s wrong with the Steelers as the draft beckons:

    • Todd Haley. The journeyman offensive coordinator has become a black-and-gold Antichrist, beloved by few and scorned by many.

    Offensive line coach Sean Kugler and receivers coach Scottie Montgomery took marginal college jobs to escape working with Haley. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger tolerates Haley. Barely. And that tolerance is fading fast.

    • Art Rooney II. The Steelers have been in steady decline since Dan Rooney went to Ireland and Art II assumed the reins. Dan is back, but probably won’t often supersede his son.
    In Dallas, the Cowboys underachieve because Jerry Jones the owner won’t fire Jerry Jones the GM. The Steelers are headed for a similar situation.

    Art II has too much input on football matters and even put parameters on Haley’s offense: Demanding, for instance, a certain percentage of running plays by way of tribute to the days of granddad. Last year’s Steelers offense did not fully utilize the team’s primary weapons, something that has been Haley’s trademark wherever he’s been.

    • Mike Tomlin. He’s weak. When veteran leaders like James Farrior and Aaron Smith retired, the team became rudderless. Tomlin is too buddy-buddy. The players feared Bill Cowher. They don’t fear Tomlin. Cowher had discipline problems, sure. It’s the NFL. With Tomlin, things too often boil over.

    Haley has autonomy over the offense. Dick LeBeau has control of the defense. What, exactly, does Tomlin do? What’s he add? It sure isn’t discipline.

    Roethlisberger has more stroke than Tomlin. Ryan Clark and Antonio Brown (aka Andre 3000) were all over TV talking about the Steelers’ locker-room chaos as if they enjoyed it. Roethlisberger spoke to a local reporter, saying, “This isn’t true, and the talk has to stop.”

    It did. Both among the players, and in the media. Tomlin’s denials weren’t taken seriously by anyone.

    • The Steelers are no longer a destination franchise. Witness the amount of defections this off-season.

    The Steelers have always lost the occasional big-money free agent. Management usually made sure it was the right guy, and the right time. It kept the roster balanced and the salary cap in check.
    It’s different now. Emmanuel Sanders is a No. 3 receiver. Let go him and draft his equivalent with the compensatory third-round pick. No big deal. But Sanders’ potential departure to New England has generated buzz because it seems like the Steelers just can’t hold onto anyone.

    Cornerback Keenan Lewis was a far bigger loss than Sanders would be. The Steelers could have afforded to pay Lewis what he got from New Orleans. But Lewis didn’t seem to even consider staying.
    Pittsburgh just isn’t a special place to play football anymore. It’s just another NFL franchise, beset by the same problems and off-field issues. The Steelers don’t employ a better class of people. An 8-8 season underscored all of the above. They’re Brand X.

    • The Steelers damage their chances by sticking to outdated philosophies.

    This isn’t exactly breaking news, but the Steelers have a $102 million quarterback, yet they dink and dunk. The name of the game in pro football is scoring lots of points fast, yet they underutilized their legitimate deep threat, then practically ran him out of town. When was the last time the zone blitz worked? Really ran the opposing offense ragged?

    The Steelers’ best chance to compensate for their many shortcomings would be to turn Roethlisberger loose. Problem is, he’s got no one to throw to. Bigger problem: The Steelers prefer what worked. Not what works.

    The Steelers will still sell every ticket. Big-time nostalgia acts do. But the Rolling Stones aren’t the world’s greatest rock n’ roll band. Not anymore.

    [url]http://www.timesonline.com/columnists/sports/mark_madden/madden-steelers-no-longer-a-destination-team/article_1e66c44e-1029-5776-8e70-fb9f7a4b4e58.html[/url]
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  6. #6
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    Some of that article don't make sense. The coaches and players left for more money and that was stated by a local reporter who asked Tomlin ( G Dulac ) And Lewis wanted to play for his home state so equal amount of money wasn't going to make him stay. Although I agree about Haley and Lebeau but it's hard to get rid of an old cord. when his defense is ranked # 1 almost across the board although some of those stats were misleading. And Cowher running a tight ship is flat out bogus.
    Last edited by Steelhere10; 04-15-2013 at 08:43 PM.
    [url=http://img525.imageshack.us/i/steelers2010.jpg/]http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/2...eelers2010.jpg[/url]

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steelhere10 View Post
    Some of that article don't make sense. The coaches and players left for more money and that was stated by a local reporter who asked Tomlin ( G Dulac ) And Lewis wanted to play for his home state so equal amount of money wasn't going to make him stay. Although I agree about Haley and Lebeau but it's hard to get rid of an old cord. when his defense is ranked # 1 almost across the board although some of those stats were misleading. And Cowher running a tight ship is flat out bogus.

    Would also add that Tomlin has shown a willingness to make changes, sit players, etc when they don't perform as expected vs Cowher who was reluctant ever to make changes....

  8. #8
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    I heard Madden talk this same crap on the radio last week I guess. All it did was remind me that Crash and droid could be Madden. All three said the same crap over and over again.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by SS Laser View Post
    I heard Madden talk this same crap on the radio last week I guess. All it did was remind me that Crash and droid could be Madden. All three said the same crap over and over again.
    Hahahaha.... was thinking the exact same thing.

    Madden is just a media guy. Their job is to make you listen, pay attention. It doesn't matter if it's right or wrong, or if you like hearing it or hate hearing- just so long as you hear it.

    He's deliberately confrontational & controversial in order to keep his job- which is to keep people listening to him regardless of how they feel about what he says.

    Why some posters in this forum are like that, however... is confusing.
    The people that are trying to make the world worse never take a day off, why should I?

    Light up the darkness.

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  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chadman View Post
    Hahahaha.... was thinking the exact same thing.

    Madden is just a media guy. Their job is to make you listen, pay attention. It doesn't matter if it's right or wrong, or if you like hearing it or hate hearing- just so long as you hear it.

    He's deliberately confrontational & controversial in order to keep his job- which is to keep people listening to him regardless of how they feel about what he says.

    Why some posters in this forum are like that, however... is confusing.
    I kind of figure the "bad" posters on here do it for the same reason. Just to yell as loud as they can look at me I am a giant $%^#! And I really think all 3 really believe the crap they spew!

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