Comparing Dynastys - Steelers vs Penguins

[flippy]

Which team do you believe is more impressive?

The 70s Steelers or the current Penguins?

Steelers

4 Lombardis in 6 years
10 HOFers (with others still snubbed)
Steel Curtain Defense
Arguably the greatest dynasty in NFL history
Definitely the most physically dominating team in NFL History


Penguins
3 Stanley Cups in 8 years (with hopefully more to come)
Likely 4-5 future HOFers (in line with Steelers relative to NHL roster size)
Playing in a salary cap era
More competitive league
Hard to make an argument they are a top 5 team in NHL history yet



I know it's different sports and hard to compare. And the Steelers won more in a shorter time frame. And the Steelers were more dominant while the Penguins had to grind it out and sneak by a few teams. But I think the Penguins may be the better team.

The Penguins have had to adapt to the modern salary cap era. It's a different dynamic than the Steelers had to deal with in the 70s. The Penguins also have to have a depth on their roster with all the rotating lines that have to contribute. No matter how good any of your players are, they can't play all the snaps like guys can in the NFL.

Then again, by historical standards, the Pens aren't even close to the greatest franchises in NHL history. That's clearly Montreal which is arguably the greatest dynasty in all of sports history. But then you have other teams from Toronto to Ottawa to Detroit that have had their dominating years. I think the Islanders even won 4 straight cups in the 80s.

So this answer may come down to how you compare the NFL to Hockey in a way because you're looking at the #1 or #2 Dynasty in NFL history vs the #6 to #10 best team in hockey history.

The more I think about this, we've got to compare different sports, different eras, and different histories making this an even harder comparison. While I prefer the Steelers and don't ever miss a game, hockey is the more exciting sport. Nothing puts me on the edge of my seat more and makes my heart race like playoff hockey. Plus I'd argue that hockey players are a lot tougher and watching the current game is like watching the NFL in the 70s but only better. It's only a matter of time before the NHL tries to eradicate the violence and physical play in the game. If Goodell was the NHL commissioner, he'd be leveling out fines every game that eclipse every player's salary.

Some days, I'd go with the Steelers because of their place in NFL history and 4 in 6 year dominance. However, I think what the Penguins have accomplished in the last 8 years is more impressive. But in the historic context, if I accept that, I also have to accept that at least 6 hockey teams have greater dynasties than the Steelers meaning winning in football is even harder. But it also comes down to the competition and the era. So I can't figure out the right answer here.

Just some random thoughts from a recent discussion I had about Pittsburgh sports history. Great to have teams with 6 (Steelers), 5 (Pens), and 5 (Buccos) championships. Gives us a lot more to be nostalgic about than most other folks from other cities. We're pretty lucky being sports fans from Pittsburgh.

[feltdizz]

Pens just went back to back in a Salary Cap era. I think that's more impressive. Especially with the amount of injuries they had this year.

In other news. Sidney, Mario and Malkin all live in the town I grew up in and Sid bringing the Cup to the Rite Aid and Safrans Supermarket is hilarious.

http://www.wpxi.com/sports/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/stanley-cup-takes-tour-of-sewickley-parties-at-sids-house/532903048

[RuthlessBurgher]

The Penguin dynasty is known for its overwhelming offensive production while the Steeler dynasty is known for its suffocating defensive domination.

Since 1987, a Penguin player has won the Art Ross Trophy as the league leading scorer a remarkable 15 times (including a ridiculous 9 out of 10 seasons between 1991-2001). All other NHL teams combined since 1987 have a total of 14 Art Ross Trophies. That's crazy! Mario won it 6 times, Jagr 5 times, and Sid and Geno won it twice each. The only other players during this period to win multiple Art Ross Trophies were Gretzky (3 of his league record 10 Art Ross Trophies came after 1987) and two for Martin St. Louis.

We've certainly benefitted from some very solid goaltending performances during this time from the likes of Tom Barrasso, Marc-Andre Fleury, and Matt Murray (even a back-up like Frankie Pietrangelo filling in and making "The Save" in the march to our first Stanley Cup) to backstop us on these championship runs. However, even our best defenders such as Paul Coffey, Larry Murphy, Sergei Gonchar, and Kris Letang were more offensive forces from the blueline as power play quarterbacks than your typical shut down defender types.

[RuthlessBurgher]

2017-06-14 6:30 PM | Teresa Varley
Shazier: 'It gives you motivation'

Ryan Shazier leaned back on his locker chair and checked his phone a few times. He then looked at teammates Artie Burns and Martavis Bryant, and started talking about the Pittsburgh Penguins Stanley Cup victory parade that he saw a few video clips of, and the three of them started talking about what it would be like.

As far as Shazier is concerned, it could be more of a reality than not that the Steelers have a similar type of parade a little over seven months from now.

"It definitely gives you motivation," said Shazier. "Those guys have back-to-back championships, so it gives you more motivation. I was already motivated and know where we need to go and what we need to do. I feel like this is a Super Bowl caliber team. We just have to stay focused and everybody has to do what is required every game."

The Steelers came close last year, losing to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game. Shazier said he feels like the team can take that final step this year, and the reason why is his teammates and what they all bring to the table.

"You see how guys are more mature than they used to be," said Shazier. "I see some of that maturity from the younger guys, especially T.J. (Watt). He has been paying a lot of attention and learning, and grasping the concept of everything we are trying to do. That is going to help us a lot.

"The athletic ability of guys we have here is incredible. And we have great leaders who can lead the way who have been to championship before."

When it comes to leaders, Shazier is moving into that type of role. In his fourth season the former No. 1 draft pick is a guy younger players can lean on and learn from.

"It's exciting," said Shazier. "I knew eventually it was going to happen. I just had to make sure I worked my way into it and earned the responsibility and kept playing like myself.

"I just have to make sure I am focused every day, every week, and understand guys are depending on me so I should be ready no matter what the circumstance."

Ready to hit: Another day of 'football in shorts,' has Bud Dupree looking forward to training camp at Saint Vincent College when the hitting will finally begin.

"You are always ready for the hitting because it means football is right around the corner," said Dupree. "Training camp is meant to be miserable, it's not meant to be fun. You just have keep that in mind and be ready for it."

The Steelers will hold their last minicamp practice on Thursday, the end of the offseason program. But it's not the end of the work. When Dupree and his teammates leave the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex for a little over a month until the start of training camp, the work will continue.

"The goal for us after this is to come into training camp in great condition, know the plays ahead, and just the small things to be ready to be physical," said Dupree. "We made a lot of progress this offseason. We just have to continue it."

They said it:

Artie Burns on the potential of the team for 2017: "We can do whatever we want to. We have the talent around here in the locker room, we have great coaches upstairs. Whatever we want to do, we can do. We just have to go out there and do it."

[RuthlessBurgher]

Steelers get surprise visit from Stanley Cup on final day of minicamp

2:54 PM ET
Jeremy Fowler
ESPN Staff Writer

PITTSBURGH -- The Steelers got a championship surprise on the final day of minicamp.

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Nick Bonino carried the Stanley Cup onto the Steelers practice field after the Thursday session ended, prompting a rowdy response from players.

Bonino then took the Cup to greet coach Mike Tomlin, who studied the details of the trophy, smiled and said, "That's a beautiful thing."

Offensive coordinator Todd Haley, who's from Pittsburgh, said in the background, "That gives me chills."

Penguins forward Nick Bonino brought the Stanley Cup to the Steelers' minicamp on Thursday. Jeremy Fowler/ESPN

"That's Lord Stanley. That's a beautiful thing, isn't it?" Tomlin told the media a few minutes later. "A lot of respect for what they've gone through and accomplished. Really appreciate them showing a token of their appreciation of our support for bringing it over and allowing us to get a little glimpse of it. Hopefully we represent Pittsburgh and Western PA in a similar way in a few months."

On Sunday night, the Penguins won their fifth championship (1991-92, 2009, 2016-17) and 16th overall for the three major Pittsburgh sports teams. The Steelers have won six Super Bowls (1974-75, 1978-79, 2005, 0 and the Pittsburgh Pirates have five World Series titles (1909, 1925, 1960, 1971, 1979).

Tomlin had seen the Cup before and added his job comes with a few "spoils." That didn't stop players and team officials from taking turns posing for pictures alongside the Cup.

"Not a lot of cities have that camaraderie or that type of leadership and great bond between teams," defensive end Cam Heyward said. "You see their guys at our games, we are at their games, we're all at baseball games. We appreciate what each other does."

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/19645704/pittsburgh-steelers-get-surprise-visit-stanley-cup-final-day-minicamp

[SteelCrazy]

I'd sell the Penguins franchise for 2 tickets on the 50 yard line at a Steelers Super Bowl....