Cowher power for crash

[Crash]

Re: Cowher power for crash

It is funny that you are more sure that Rooney was the sole reason we drafted Ben than the very source of your info..

Um, Wexell is not the very source of my info. He was one of many who have stated things about the 2004 draft.

It's funny, you clowns are using ONE QUOTE seven years later, and ignoring YEARS of Pittsburgh media in print, and on TV/radio who agree with MY version.

[Captain Lemming]

Re: Cowher power for crash

According to this all Rooney did was give them feedback for them to "consider" and still leave the decision up to his "experts".

Please. When the Rooney's speak? You listen and do what they tell you to do, no matter how the message from them is delivered. If you honestly don't think his "intention" was to get them to draft Ben you are a fool.

Bottom line? If Dan Rooney doesn't walk into that $%^&* war room, Ben Roethlisberger is a Buffalo Bill. And that my friend is a fact.

Don't worry about me, you should be thanking Rooney for Rooney pointing them in the right direction.

No doubt, Rooney "pointing them in the right direction" is a fact. No one argues that. Without Rooneys in put perhaps Ben is a Bill.

But your flawed contention that Cowher resents Ben because Rooney forced the pick against his will, has been proven WRONG based on Colbert, comments.

Cowher at some point became convinced that they should pick Ben, AND ARGUED the case FOR BEN. Colberts comments clearly imply that had BC not made the case FOR Ben, they would NOT have taken him.

Rooney may have got the ball rolling, but by the time the draft rolled around, Ben was the guy BC wanted to draft. His persuasively arguing the case for Ben confirms it.

[Crash]

Re: Cowher power for crash

Go watch Cowher's interview after Ben was picked and you tell me if you think he's happy with it?

He didn't want him. Period.

[Captain Lemming]

Re: Cowher power for crash

It is funny that you are more sure that Rooney was the sole reason we drafted Ben than the very source of your info..

Um, Wexell is not the very source of my info. He was one of many who have stated things about the 2004 draft.

It's funny, you clowns are using ONE QUOTE seven years later, and ignoring YEARS of Pittsburgh media in print, and on TV/radio who agree with MY version.

I am using "one quote". That is hilarious.
I am using a quote that YOU brought to this argument to bolster your point.

"I" am ignoring nothing.
I am pointing out the clear flaws in YOUR weak argument.

Here I quote YOU:

So you are calling Dan Rooney a liar? He said the same thing in a 2007 book that *I* was saying in 2004!

Btw, here's Wexell in a 2009 bit from another board:

Let’s use late April, 2004 as the beginning of this philosophical shift. During the draft process that year, Russ Grimm fell in love with massive guard-tackle Shawn Andrews, and Cowher came to agree with his line coach. Word leaked late in the week that Andrews was the Steelers’ draft target with the 11th pick, but on draft day team president Dan Rooney walked into the war room to speak to Cowher and Director of Football Operations Kevin Colbert.

Rooney told them that he wasn’t going to meddle and tell them whom to draft. He just told them that he’d once passed on a franchise quarterback (Dan Marino) and it was one of the most difficult football decisions with which he ever had to live. Whether Rooney had a direct impact or not, the Steelers that day drafted quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in the first round. In the third round they drafted another massive tackle, Max Starks.

[ScoreKeeper]

Re: Cowher power for crash

Ben and Cowher never had a good relationship. If not for Tommy and Batch getting hurt, Ben never sees the field his rookie year, when he was the best QB on the roster, or probably the year after when he got us to the the SB.

Why do I keep feeding this very tired argument?

[Captain Lemming]

Re: Cowher power for crash

Ben and Cowher never had a good relationship. If not for Tommy and Batch getting hurt, Ben never sees the field his rookie year, when he was the best QB on the roster, or probably the year after when he got us to the the SB.

Why do I keep feeding this very tired argument?

Very possible. That is not about Ben, it was about his being a rookie.

[Crash]

Re: Cowher power for crash

Cowher wouldn't have played Ben if he had his way. Just like when he sabotaged the FO's choice in Jim Miller and then started Tomczak all year because Cowher preferred Kordell.

[feltdizz]

Re: Cowher power for crash

Cowher wouldn't have played Ben if he had his way. Just like when he sabotaged the FO's choice in Jim Miller and then started Tomczak all year because Cowher preferred Kordell.

That's probably true.... but it's probably because Ben didn't know the whole playbook and was a rookie.

[birtikidis]

Re: Cowher power for crash

I really think the truth lies somewhere in between what crash thinks and what was said. I think if Rivers was there then and so was Ben, we probably would have taken Rivers. And honestly, as much as a I love Ben, I wouldn't have argued with the pick. Rivers is a pretty good qb, at least statistically. I think the Andrews talk was because EVERYONE expected the Browns to take Ben. At least I did.

[feltdizz]

Re: Cowher power for crash

I really think the truth lies somewhere in between what crash thinks and what was said. I think if Rivers was there then and so was Ben, we probably would have taken Rivers. And honestly, as much as a I love Ben, I wouldn't have argued with the pick. Rivers is a pretty good qb, at least statistically. I think the Andrews talk was because EVERYONE expected the Browns to take Ben. At least I did.

Colbert, Rooney and Cowher know the truth...

I don't think anyone outside of Miami of Ohio fans and Ben's family would have been upset if we took Rivers over Ben on draft day.

[Blockhead]

Re: Cowher power for crash

Why continue this? No matter what anyone writes, they cannot re-write history and the simple fact that Rooney is the reason we drafted Ben.

The simple fact is Rooney steered them to reconsider and Bill was persistent for Ben's selection.

[Blockhead]

Re: Cowher power for crash

I really think the truth lies somewhere in between what crash thinks and what was said. I think if Rivers was there then and so was Ben, we probably would have taken Rivers. And honestly, as much as a I love Ben, I wouldn't have argued with the pick. Rivers is a pretty good qb, at least statistically. I think the Andrews talk was because EVERYONE expected the Browns to take Ben. At least I did.

Colbert, Rooney and Cowher know the truth...

I don't think anyone outside of Miami of Ohio fans and Ben's family would have been upset if we took Rivers over Ben on draft day.

Very true. Most, if not all felt Rovers was better and many or most still feel that way.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Re: Cowher power for crash

I really think the truth lies somewhere in between what crash thinks and what was said. I think if Rivers was there then and so was Ben, we probably would have taken Rivers. And honestly, as much as a I love Ben, I wouldn't have argued with the pick. Rivers is a pretty good qb, at least statistically. I think the Andrews talk was because EVERYONE expected the Browns to take Ben. At least I did.

Colbert, Rooney and Cowher know the truth...

I don't think anyone outside of Miami of Ohio fans and Ben's family would have been upset if we took Rivers over Ben on draft day.

Very true. Most, if not all felt Rovers was better and many or most still feel that way.

I preferred Ben because, although Rivers was uber-productive for a major college program, Rivers' three-quarter delivery scared the bejesus out of me. I'm not saying that I would have been upset if we took him (I remember commenting at the time that if we ended up with Rivers, Jeff Reed's number would be forceably removed from him, because if there was a QB named Rivers playing in Pittsburgh, there is no way that he would wear any number except for 3). I considered Manning and Roethlisberger to be top 10 worthy at that time, while I considered Rivers to be top 20 worthy (honestly, at #11, if all these guys were available, I would have taken Eli or Ben ahead of DeAngelo Hall or Dunta Robinson, but I would have taken either of those corners ahead of Rivers...D'Oh! I would have taken Rivers over Shawn Andrews, though).

[Blockhead]

Re: Cowher power for crash

Yeah, I didn't much care. I like Rivers a little more based on what he had done in college but I was sold on Ben after watching his bowl game. I would have gladly taken either one of them.

I doubt any of the "Rivers sucks" crowd had Ben above Rivers in 2004. They may like to say they did but I doubt it's true.

[birtikidis]

Re: Cowher power for crash

I was on Ben's bandwagon pretty early, but I was intrigued by how good Rivers could be. It's just really hard to gauge those small school qb's. I about crapped when he landed at our pick though. I never thought he'd make it out of the top 10.