Are things not great between Troy and Steelers?

[Oviedo]

If you don't enjoy on any level the great individual players who contribute to the success of the Steelers, I feel sorry for you. You are really missing out on a lot of the experience of being a fan.

Troy was upset over his release - as I suspect many on the board would be if they were fired. Wexell did some really nice work in documenting Troy's reaction.

I was and always will be a huge Troy Polamalu fan.

I love what Troy, and many others, did while he was capable, but I really believe in the adage that the name on the front of the jersey is more important than the name on the back. I'm old enough to have watched every game of the great teams of the 70s. Those players who are among the greatest in NFL history left and we survived so excuse me if I don't feel sorry for a player who bitches and moans after his career is over.

The fact I don't worship these guys after they leave the game doesn't mean I didn't enjoy them while they were here. We all knew Troy was washed up. It was clear to the team and fans. Just because Troy can't come to grips with it isn't any of our problem

[phillyesq]

I love what Troy, and many others, did while he was capable, but I really believe in the adage that the name on the front of the jersey is more important than the name on the back. I'm old enough to have watched every game of the great teams of the 70s. Those players who are among the greatest in NFL history left and we survived so excuse me if I don't feel sorry for a player who bitches and moans after his career is over.

The fact I don't worship these guys after they leave the game doesn't mean I didn't enjoy them while they were here. We all knew Troy was washed up. It was clear to the team and fans. Just because Troy can't come to grips with it isn't any of our problem

Nobody is asking you to make it your problem. You claim that you don't care about these "replaceable carbon units" but then you get your panties in wad over something like this. And Troy didn't even say anything here. In fact, if you look at when he retired, he said that he was disappointed to be released, in part, because this was a talented team. He's not bitching and moaning.

If you have no appreciation for the fact that the players in the jerseys are humans, then again, you are missing out on a major part of the experience of being a fan, and I feel sorry for you.

[Oviedo]

Nobody is asking you to make it your problem. You claim that you don't care about these "replaceable carbon units" but then you get your panties in wad over something like this. And Troy didn't even say anything here. In fact, if you look at when he retired, he said that he was disappointed to be released, in part, because this was a talented team. He's not bitching and moaning.

If you have no appreciation for the fact that the players in the jerseys are humans, then again, you are missing out on a major part of the experience of being a fan, and I feel sorry for you.

No need to feel sorry for me...I'm good with it

[phillyesq]

Here is another article from Bouchette:

[url]http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2016/02/17/Polamalu-has-kept-his-distance-after-forced-Steelers-retirement/stories/201602170022[/url]

Keeping his distance from the Steelers over the past year has “nothing to do with anything about the Steelers,” Demoff insisted. “It’s just his way to try to separate himself from the game.”
That was the same sentiment a Steelers source expressed to the Post-Gazette about Polamalu ultimately embracing the organization again and his stature among the best players in its history.
“Sometimes, it just takes some time,” he said.

[feltdizz]

Here is another article from Bouchette:

[URL]http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2016/02/17/Polamalu-has-kept-his-distance-after-forced-Steelers-retirement/stories/201602170022[/URL]



[/COLOR]

makes sense

[RuthlessBurgher]

After a year of avoiding Steelers, Troy Polamalu taking a step toward team


Posted by Darin Gantt on February 17, 2016, 5:56 AM EST



The Steelers are often held up as one of the model franchises in the NFL, in part for their willingness to do business the smart way.


But when pragmatic becomes unfeeling, it can lead to some frost with even their best players.

Via Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, that might begin to thaw tonight, when Troy Polamalu is scheduled to appear at a charity dinner honoring Steelers wideout Antonio Brown.


Polamalu still lives in Pittsburgh, but hasn’t been around the team since they forced him into retirement last offseason. The eight-time Pro Bowler and member of the team’s 75th anniversary team even skipped an event honoring the Super Bowl XL team last fall.


“I don’t think that there’s any bad feelings on his part,” longtime agent Marvin Demoff said. “I really don’t. I think that in his own way he just had to step away from football — ESPN, the NFL Network, anything involved in football. . . .


“I think that’s true, that he was disappointed. But he didn’t want to pursue anything else other than the Steelers. He had other opportunities in broadcasting and playing. The answer was always no.”


The Titans had an open door for him, and he and former Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau would have had plenty of common ground to talk about being pushed aside for younger models.


Steelers team president Art Rooney II is expected to be in attendance at the event tonight, along with other members of the organization. And if Demoff is right that there’s no hard feelings, it could be that the year away was the time Polamalu needed after an exit that wasn’t as graceful as his career was.

[URL="http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/02/17/after-a-year-of-avoiding-steelers-troy-polamalu-taking-a-step-toward-team/"]
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/02/17/after-a-year-of-avoiding-steelers-troy-polamalu-taking-a-step-toward-team/[/URL]