Cowher power for crash

[SS Laser]

Crash says this all the time:

FACT: He wanted Rivers.

FACT: He didn't want Ben.

FACT: Of the Big 3 of the 2004 draft, only Bill Cowher's boy, is the one who is ringless.

Colbert has said this year at the super bowl or right after that is was Cowher that convinced them to pick Ben for the good of the Steelers. Oh wait here it is:

' Choosing Ben Roethlisberger with the 11th pick of the 2004 draft. Normally, I'd make the franchise quarterback a GM's best decision -- especially with Big Ben on the verge of winning his third Super Bowl -- but Colbert credits former coach Bill Cowher for selling everyone on the Miami (of Ohio) quarterback, saying the move had to be made "for the good of the organization." He was right. Roethlisberger is one of the top quarterbacks in the game and a virtual certainty to make the Hall of Fame."


I think Crash you can stop with the Cowher wanted river now please. Tried of reading that argument.

[hawaiiansteel]

Re: Cowher power for crash

Ben & Bill have always loved each other...

[birtikidis]

Re: Cowher power for crash

Just cause he never kissed him, doesn't mean he doesn't love him.

[Crash]

Re: Cowher power for crash

This just confirms what everyone already knows.......

Imagine what might have occurred in the past decade had the Steelers drafted offensive lineman Shawn Andrews in the first round in 2004 instead of Ben Roethlisberger.

That was their intention, until Dan Rooney stepped in.

Rooney, in his 2007 autobiography, wrote that as the countdown to the 11th pick of the '04 draft continued "our people seemed to have focused on Shawn Andrews, a big offensive tackle from Arkansas as our likely number-one pick.

"But when our turn came, I couldn't bear the thought of passing on another great quarterback prospect the way we had passed on Dan Marino in 1983, so I steered the conversation around to Roethlisberger. After some more talk, we came to a consensus and picked Roethlisberger."

[url="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10038/1033856-66.stm"]http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10038/1033856-66.stm[/url]
______________________________

You think Colbert's going to admit on the Super Bowl stage that Dan Rooney pulled rank and got Ben to Pittsburgh?

Of course not.

But people who cover this team know what really happened.

[Flasteel]

Re: Cowher power for crash

This just confirms what everyone already knows.......

Imagine what might have occurred in the past decade had the Steelers drafted offensive lineman Shawn Andrews in the first round in 2004 instead of Ben Roethlisberger.

That was their intention, until Dan Rooney stepped in.

Rooney, in his 2007 autobiography, wrote that as the countdown to the 11th pick of the '04 draft continued "our people seemed to have focused on Shawn Andrews, a big offensive tackle from Arkansas as our likely number-one pick.

"But when our turn came, I couldn't bear the thought of passing on another great quarterback prospect the way we had passed on Dan Marino in 1983, so I steered the conversation around to Roethlisberger. After some more talk, we came to a consensus and picked Roethlisberger."

[url="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10038/1033856-66.stm"]http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10038/1033856-66.stm[/url]
______________________________

You think Colbert's going to admit on the Super Bowl stage that Dan Rooney pulled rank and got Ben to Pittsburgh?

Of course not.

But people who cover this team know what really happened.

Your vitriol towards Cowher has just been proven to be unfounded (at least on this matter). You can spin it any way you want, but it appears Cowher was not the one chasing down Andrews and is in fact, the primary reason Ben is a Steeler.

Both Rooney's account and Colbert's statement can be (and probably are) accurate. The front office personnel are most likely the "our people" Rooney refers to and by "steering" the conversation, he may have simply mentioned a belief that Cowher also shared. Rooney didn't say he persuaded his people to choose Ben, so it's obvious that someone with influence picked up the torch at that point. Colbert says that person was Bill Cowher.

It's easy to see how you might form the opinion you did, based on the partial information you had. But like most situations, you don't know what the truth is, unless you were actually there - or have a complete account. Many of your opinions concerning Cowher, Ward, Batch, or Wexell (just to name a few off the top of my head) are based on this same flimsy evidence, yet you state them rabidly as fact.

Maybe you should just admit that you have been wrong all along about this and use the experience as a lesson to slow your roll.

[Crash]

Re: Cowher power for crash

Your vitriol towards Cowher has just been proven to be unfounded (at least on this matter).

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.
______________________

Like I said, Rooney pulled rank. He got his point across in his typical fashion, and then he got his way. Cowher may have said that quote, but he didn't say it until AFTER Rooney got his point across to him/them. If Dan Rooney doesn't walk into the war room before we pick Ben Roethlisberger is a Buffalo Bill, and that's the problem. Any person who would rate a fat, out of shape offensive tackle over a franchise QB who some were comparing to John Elway? Has no business making draft day decisions.

Go find Cowher's draft interview on ESPN after we picked. He didn't look happy at all. He looked like a guy who didn't get his way.

Thank God for Dan Rooney.

[Crash]

Re: Cowher power for crash

double post.

[Crash]

Re: Cowher power for crash

Many of your opinions concerning Cowher, Ward, Batch, or Wexell (just to name a few off the top of my head) are based on this same flimsy evidence, yet you state them rabidly as fact.

Ward? What flimsy evidence? His quotes, his holdout, his divorce, and his buisiness partnership with a convicted drug dealer are fact.

Batch? He was accused of participating in a gang rape in Las Vegas with other NFL players. They were investigated for one month by Nevada police, were not charged and were later sued by their accuser. The accuser was later paid money by someone in his party.

All facts, all documented facts.

Wexell has had members of his pay site suspended from posting on the pay board AFTER they were charged money. That makes him a thief.

YOU Fla, have stated you saw Peyton getting a hummer behind a bar. Prove it. All we have to go on is YOUR "flimsy evidence", no?

[SteelCrazy]

Re: Cowher power for crash

Just because Cowher suggested they needed Ben doesnt mean he didnt want Rivers 1st........Rivers was gone, so they had to take the last of the elite.

[PSU_dropout43]

Re: Cowher power for crash

Just because Cowher suggested they needed Ben doesnt mean he didnt want Rivers 1st........Rivers was gone, so they had to take the last of the elite.

Did Rivers visit the Steelers in 2004?

Back then, all potential 1st round picks visited the Steelers.
2004 visits:
Dunta Robinson
DeAngelo Hall
Shawn Andrews
Big Ben

[Crash]

Re: Cowher power for crash

Cowher and the Steelers are hoping that North Carolina State's Philip Rivers falls to them at the 11th slot in the first round. Meanwhile, the Chargers -- rebuffed by Mississippi quarterback Eli Manning -- see little difference between the two players and may trade down from the first overall pick with the New York Giants at No. 4 and take Rivers.

If the Chargers are successful, that would leave Steelers officials disappointed.

Nonetheless, they are more than willing to continue to play Tommy Maddox at quarterback. Cowher repeatedly has said that the team's woes a year ago can't be exclusively pinned on Maddox.

Meanwhile, the Giants may deal with the Oakland Raiders at No. 2. The Giants would take Manning while the Raiders' target is Texas wide receiver Roy Williams. That would leave Rivers to slide to the Steelers, who prefer Rivers over Miami (Ohio) quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

[url="http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_190879.html"]http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsbu ... 90879.html[/url]

[Crash]

Re: Cowher power for crash

Rivers didn't have to visit. Cowher went to NC and talked to Rivers himself at his Pro Day.

Cowher however, couldn't be bothered to go to Ohio to see Ben's workout and they sent Mark Whipple instead.

Kellen Winslow also visited the Steelers. EVERYONE knew there was no way in hell he was going to be our pick.

[SteelCrazy]

Re: Cowher power for crash

Just because Cowher suggested they needed Ben doesnt mean he didnt want Rivers 1st........Rivers was gone, so they had to take the last of the elite.

Did Rivers visit the Steelers in 2004?

Back then, all potential 1st round picks visited the Steelers.
2004 visits:
Dunta Robinson
DeAngelo Hall
Shawn Andrews
Big Ben

I really dont know or care.....was just pointing something out that seemed to make sense

[Flasteel]

Re: Cowher power for crash

Many of your opinions concerning Cowher, Ward, Batch, or Wexell (just to name a few off the top of my head) are based on this same flimsy evidence, yet you state them rabidly as fact.

Ward? What flimsy evidence? His quotes, his holdout, his divorce, and his buisiness partnership with a convicted drug dealer are fact.

Batch? He was accused of participating in a gang rape in Las Vegas with other NFL players. His accuser was also paid money by someone in his party.

All facts, all documented facts.

Wexell has had members of his pay site suspended from posting on the pay board AFTER they were charged money. That makes him a thief.

YOU Fla, have stated you saw Peyton getting a hummer behind a bar. Prove it. All we have to go on is YOUR "flimsy evidence", no?

This is exactly my point. You weren't there in any of those situations and I guarantee you don't know all or even most of the facts.

Who cares if Ward is divorced or held out once. Maybe his wife was a friggin' lunatic or was cheating on him. Maybe his business partner's illegal activities were unknown to Ward, or it was something from the dude's past? Enough evidence exists that Ward and Ben are tight and have a deep mutual respect for each other. Yet you constantly take things out of context or are offended by anyone taking the slightest swipe at your hero - and paint them the enemy.

Does Charlie Batch seem like someone who would participate in a gang rape? Any number of facts that you are not aware of could be at play, which would render this accusation laughable. You have no idea what took place, nor do you know if anyone was paid-off. I'm not saying it didn't happen, but it seems highly unlikely. You on the other hand are willing to call the man a rapist, based on a single accusation involving countless facts you are obviously unaware of.

How do you feel about similar comments that are made about Ben? That's what I thought.

As far as Manning, this again proves my point. I was there. I saw the whole thing go down with my own 2 eyes...sorry I didn't take a picture. It wasn't like I saw a UFO or some shadowy figure which could have been Big Foot. Maybe they were simply comparing tattoos and the girl was on her knees to get a closer look at the horseshoe he's got inked on his junk. Who knows? Maybe there is a chance that I didn't see what I thought I saw.

You can either believe me or not, but that's up to you. I'd like to think I've established myself on here as someone who isn't a crackpot or goes around making outlandish claims.
If you want corraborating evidence, you'll have to find someone who worked for the Sarasota PD in 2004-2005.

[Crash]

Re: Cowher power for crash

Fla,

You said flimsy evidence. How can it be flimsy when it's documented fact?

Flimsy evidence is your Manning story. Flimsy evidence is the alleged Dan Marino coke rumors.

Does Charlie Batch seem like someone who would participate in a gang rape?

Don't know, I wasn't there. But if they did nothing wrong why pay her? Someone in that group did. I never called Batch a rapist. All I ever said son is that if people are going to bash Ben based on accusations, then hold Hometown Hero Charlie Batch to the same standards.

Why would Hines Ward, who makes MILLIONS of dollars a season, need a convicted drug dealer as a "middle-man" to purchase two cars for two of Ward's "friends" when all Ward has to do is write a check on the spot? You don't find that to be just a tad unusual?

Enough evidence exists that Ward and Ben are tight and have a deep mutual respect for each other.

They have a working relationship. They aren't tight at all.

You're hilarious, Hines Ward publicly states that Ben's suspension was "justified" and somehow you think they are tight.