AB Problems, Steelers' Underachieving Because of Team Culture

[Northern_Blitz]

yea I guess. I just have a problem with this type of culture. Say just about anything someone will get butt hurt and cry. Some of what Ben says is to be hard but motivating. But I am old school.
I see the Washington dig he did as just trying to motivate. Some others are questionable even from my point of view. Like the I should have thrown to JuJu 4 times.
But it might be better for everyone to get back to a TEAM first mentality.

Wouldn't the "old school" way of dealing with this be for Ben to sit down and talk to team mates face to face (instead of talking about them on his radio show)?

I also wish we could have a team first mentality. But I think the teams / owners are the ones who pushed the "football is a business" culture on the league. I don't think it's unreasonable if players start to look at it that way too.

[NorthCoast]

Wouldn't the "old school" way of dealing with this be for Ben to sit down and talk to team mates face to face (instead of talking about them on his radio show)?

I also wish we could have a team first mentality. But I think the teams / owners are the ones who pushed the "football is a business" culture on the league. I don't think it's unreasonable if players start to look at it that way too.

^^ this. No problem with Roethlisberger speaking his mind. Just not in the media. Too easy for it to spin into something not intended. Then the QB is wasting time apologizing and backtracking.

[SS Laser]

^^ this. No problem with Roethlisberger speaking his mind. Just not in the media. Too easy for it to spin into something not intended. Then the QB is wasting time apologizing and backtracking.

True. Nfl network even pulled crap taking two different of Ben's quotes and making it one that sounded like he totally threw AB under the bus.
Also yes old school would be handle it in house. But my point is a grown man can't take constructive criticism is terrible but par for the course of today's culture of whining at everything.
Yes the business of entertainment has been pushed I agree. I think that was for fans unhappy with a FO decisions. And a good cop out for players trying to reset the market at there position. I have no problem with players being right in the mix for top pay when there play is top in the league also. But that includes off the field conduct etc. Example Bell maybe top 3-5 RB. But he has red flags. That means you don't get paid top dollar. Ok I am done rambling sorry gents.

[Captain Lemming]

I think it would be a big mistake for the Steelers to bring AB back. Whether they'll do it or not, I have no idea.

I can see reconciliation and healing taking place when it comes to his relationships with his teammates. The bigger problem with this situation is the way AB has disrespected (and flaunted his disrespect) for his head coach. How does Tomlin realistically have any semblance of authority over Brown if they bring Brown back? Doesn't Brown take away the message that he is bigger than Tomlin and can disregard what Tomlin says if he feels like it? Doesn't it send the wrong message to the rest of the team and undermine efforts Tomlin might make to get players under control?

I think if you're going to keep AB, you ought to get rid of Tomlin, and if you are going to keep Tomlin, you need to get rid of AB. Like I said, I don't know what the Steelers will do, but if you bring both of these men back, you can expect more acting out from Brown and more problems for the team in the future.

This is something from you Buzz that I agree on 100 percent.

You cannot have Tomlin coach a guy who everybody on the team knows can do whatever he wants because he is bigger than the coach.
Rooneys gotta choose one or the other.

If I'm Tomlin I give his haters their wish before coaching Brown.

I walk if the team insists on keeping Brown

[Captain Lemming]

yea I guess. I just have a problem with this type of culture. Say just about anything someone will get butt hurt and cry. Some of what Ben says is to be hard but motivating. But I am old school.
I see the Washington dig he did as just trying to motivate. Some others are questionable even from my point of view. Like the I should have thrown to JuJu 4 times.
But it might be better for everyone to get back to a TEAM first mentality.

What Ben said about a rookie Washington WAS motivational....."he needs to believe in himself...etc". It seems to work.

His comments about Brown?
I said at the time it was stupid.....a passive aggressive dig at a veteran that I said was a mistake he'd need to apologize for.

What Brown did cannot be tolerated, he needs to go, but Ben needs to own his contribution (if only privately) to the problem and learn that he does not get to say whatever he wants about teammates and think it have no consequence. Publicly berating others without thinking does not make him a "leader".
As noted you take someone aside privately. He has go to be smarter than that.

[SS Laser]

What Ben said about a rookie Washington WAS motivational....."he needs to believe in himself...etc". It seems to work.

His comments about Brown?
I said at the time it was stupid.....a passive aggressive dig at a veteran that I said was a mistake he'd need to apologize for.

What Brown did cannot be tolerated, he needs to go, but Ben needs to own his contribution (if only privately) to the problem and learn that he does not get to say whatever he wants about teammates and think it have no consequence. Publicly berating others without thinking does not make him a "leader".
As noted you take someone aside privately. He has go to be smarter than that.

Agreed. Ben needs to man up. And I wonder if this whole blow up was Ben Vs AB seeing who has more power so to speak.
Ben does not have to kiss anybody's butt. But be more of a TEAM leader. Maybe be more humble. Even if that means having a meeting with HC and FO. I can see it would be hard to get through to a guy like AB and Ben tried in a bad way that just made the situation worse. I don't think it can really work as you say with Tomlin, Ben, AB. There's a power struggle going on I think. And AB lost this time so he took his football home and threw a fit.

[Mr.wizard]

I think this is ridiculous, Ben or Tomlin telling AB that "this stuff is wrong" and "it's being a poor teammate" is not going to be effective. Rooney, Colbert, and Tomlin need to sit down with Brown and figure out if he wants to be there. If there is a problem Brown has that can be fixed then work it out, the guy has given the Steelers the best years of his career and he has been incredible, Steelers owe it to Brown and to themselves to have that conversation. If after that he still doesn't want to be in Pittsburgh then it's on him and you part ways.

[Ernie]

I think this is ridiculous, Ben or Tomlin telling AB that "this stuff is wrong" and "it's being a poor teammate" is not going to be effective. Rooney, Colbert, and Tomlin need to sit down with Brown and figure out if he wants to be there. If there is a problem Brown has that can be fixed then work it out, the guy has given the Steelers the best years of his career and he has been incredible, Steelers owe it to Brown and to themselves to have that conversation. If after that he still doesn't want to be in Pittsburgh then it's on him and you part ways.

Have you seen the pictures of Brown wearing a 49ers jersey? How about his removing the Steelers from his twitter account? How about the interviews from TO and others stating AB wants to leave? I don't think the Steelers owe Brown a whole lot at this point.

Do they owe it to themselves? Perhaps.

What do the Steelers do the next time AB has a blow up? and you have to seriously ask if its even worth taking the risk at this point. We have many players speaking out against the ongoing "Drama"... and the impact it has had on the team.

I seriously don't know what we can do at this point to keep AB happy..
Pay him more?
Cut JuJu?
Throw it to him more?
Cut Ben because he's, well.... Ben?

I'm afraid the best option here is to get rid of AB and hopefully be compensated with a high pick and/or a plug and play guy. Let's just get the drama of the trade out of the way now... and hit the summer with some momentum.

[Mr.wizard]

Have you seen the pictures of Brown wearing a 49ers jersey? How about his removing the Steelers from his twitter account? How about the interviews from TO and others stating AB wants to leave? I don't think the Steelers owe Brown a whole lot at this point.

Do they owe it to themselves? Perhaps.

What do the Steelers do the next time AB has a blow up? and you have to seriously ask if its even worth taking the risk at this point. We have many players speaking out against the ongoing "Drama"... and the impact it has had on the team.

I seriously don't know what we can do at this point to keep AB happy..
Pay him more?
Cut JuJu?
Throw it to him more?
Cut Ben because he's, well.... Ben?

I'm afraid the best option here is to get rid of AB and hopefully be compensated with a high pick and/or a plug and play guy. Let's just get the drama of the trade out of the way now... and hit the summer with some momentum.

He may very well not want to be there but the Steelers need to be careful. If it ends badly with Brown and already ended badly with Bell, Pittsburgh suddenly doesn't look like a good FA landing spot. If I'm a superstar Free Agent I may look at Pittsburgh and say they dont treat their superstars well.

[Ernie]

He may very well not want to be there but the Steelers need to be careful. If it ends badly with Brown and already ended badly with Bell, Pittsburgh suddenly doesn't look like a good FA landing spot. If I'm a superstar Free Agent I may look at Pittsburgh and say they dont treat their superstars well.

Who's fault was it that it supposedly ended bad with Bell? They offered Bell (at the time) a trend setting contract for the RB position.

The fact of the matter is...they do treat their superstars very well... as well as incoming high end Free Agents. Joe Haden seems to be very pleased with his new home. Of course he seems to have a better head on his shoulders than Brown and Bell (understatement of the year).

I think any high end free agent looking for a chance to win a SB will jump at the chance to be a Steeler if the contract is right.

[RobinCole]

We’re making up things to worry about. Bell and Brown are two loose cannons. Now a gold mustache? Incoherent ramblings? No sane “high-end free agent” is going to let their antics affect his decision. Anyone who wants to know how the Steelers treat their stars can talk to Shazier.

[Captain Lemming]

He may very well not want to be there but the Steelers need to be careful. If it ends badly with Brown and already ended badly with Bell, Pittsburgh suddenly doesn't look like a good FA landing spot. If I'm a superstar Free Agent I may look at Pittsburgh and say they dont treat their superstars well.

If a fa doesn't want to come to the Steelers cause he wants to bail out on his team with impunity..... don't want ya.

You know who "treat their superstars" worse than ANYBODY?

The team playing today that has played in TEN of the last 18 Superbowls.

[Ernie]

We’re making up things to worry about. Bell and Brown are two loose cannons. Now a gold mustache? Incoherent ramblings? No sane “high-end free agent” is going to let their antics affect his decision. Anyone who wants to know how the Steelers treat their stars can talk to Shazier.

That's exactly right...

[Steel Maniac]

We’re making up things to worry about. Bell and Brown are two loose cannons. Now a gold mustache? Incoherent ramblings? No sane “high-end free agent” is going to let their antics affect his decision. Anyone who wants to know how the Steelers treat their stars can talk to Shazier.

Boom..........

[Steel Maniac]

Who's fault was it that it supposedly ended bad with Bell? They offered Bell (at the time) a trend setting contract for the RB position.

The fact of the matter is...they do treat their superstars very well... as well as incoming high end Free Agents. Joe Haden seems to be very pleased with his new home. Of course he seems to have a better head on his shoulders than Brown and Bell (understatement of the year).

I think any high end free agent looking for a chance to win a SB will jump at the chance to be a Steeler if the contract is right.

We’re by no means the worse culture team in the league; yeah we got issues but I think Rooney is on top of it now and I think Tomlin is on notice to get some iron in his back & ass or he’s going to be dismissed. I think if the right pick ups are made and Tomlin man’s up, we can be back in the playoffs.