Pittsburgh - The Inside Scoop, Part III

[CT Stiller]

I expect no less. Before every game, they are always confident they are the best team. They always are confident they will WIN the Super Bowl (how many teams do you hear outwardly say this, year after year? ... the Burgh arrogance continues). They always have a reason to whine when they lose. The NE loss this year was blamed on the refs not running time off the clock. The Jags and Ravens were because of Maddox. The Colts was because of 'cheating' with crowd noise. The Bengals loss was because of their 'self-induced miscues'. Never is a team better than them. Drives me nuts.

Bring it.

Go Bengals!

First of all, if your team ISN'T confident that it's the best team going on the field, you might as well not show up. You might as well get rid of your ticket. ANd if your team ISN'T confident that it can win the Sper Bowl year after year, why are they playing?

I'm the frst to admit that some Steelers fans can be arrogant, but are any other team's fans any different? And no Bungles fan can claim arrogance when you have guys like C. Johnson, R. Johnson, and Houshmanzadeh on your team. Perhaps they shouldn't have talked so much crap after they beat the Steelers. There's plenty of Bulletin Board material for this week from that alone. And I really hope Polomalu knocks the S* out of Houshmanzadeh and his ridiculous "B-Boy" stances he loves to flash to the opposing team's crowd. Talk about arrogance.

[membengal]

Yes, Steelers fans are more arrogant. And, hey, thanks for the "Bungles" in every one of your posts. Arrogant is as arrogant does.

[duus]

ANd if your team ISN'T confident that it can win the Sper Bowl year after year, why are they playing?

I am not alone on this point. I have run into many fans over the years who are not Steeler fans. The difference between Steeler fans and the rest of the world is that they are so arrogant that they always believe they will 'win one for the thumb'. They always expect to WIN the Super Bowl. You see, the difference is that other fan bases always want to MAKE IT to the Super Bowl. Only Pissburgh is cocky enough to expect to WIN IT year in and year out. Many other fans from other teams have shared with me this fact. Just simply an obnoxious bunch.

I'm the frst to admit that some Steelers fans can be arrogant, but are any other team's fans any different?

Uh, no. You see, you want so desperately for this to be the same across fan bases. Surely, all fan bases have their share of arrogant fans. But I think I can speak on authority (living here for 15 years ... as an outsider) and say that the percentage of arrogant and obnoxious fans for the Steelers is far greater than the others. FAR GREATER! So much so that my only hope every year is for them to lose in the end. These arrogant folks deserve it. They deserve the let down. They deserve the heart break. Maybe someday they will get the fact that they are not given the birthright to win the Super Bowl every year. They are not destined to win every game. They are simply one team among 32. And now they are very fortunate to even be one team among 12 in the playoffs.

[duus]

Trying hard to find discussion about this game here in the Burgh, but everything this morning seems to be about the WVU game last night, and the PSU game tonight.

I did have some fun this morning, however. I am receiving PT locally, and the two guys that administer the therapy are very 'anti-Steeler'. They are surely a rarity around here, but it makes for fun discussion (especially knowing that all the other patients are Steeler fans). The three of us had a really good time this morning, sharing hopeful thoughts of a Steeler loss this coming weekend. Heck, I even tossed out the thought of putting together an ANTI-STEELER PARTY. Hey, if I can't find fellow Bengal fans around here, at least I might find other folks who are just plain sick and tired of how obnoxious this entire town is. This might just get fun after all! Go figure.

[duus]

Bill Cowher Press Conference

Interesting pre-conference quote from one of the Steeler reporters (concerning not being really 'up' for the Detroit game) ...

"If there was no San Diego option, I'm convinced the score would have been 34-3, or something like that." ... Is it just me, or does the nation agree with this statement, yet if you make the same statement about the Bengals, everyone laughs. Arrogance. Here's hoping Carson & Co. stick 40 on this defense.

Injury update

Questionable - Frazier, Kirschke

Probable - Harrison, Iwuoma, Roethlisburger, Townsend

Cowher quotes:

"Good football team. It's the rubber match so to speak. We'll see what happens."

"We're playing a good football team. The last time we played these guys we had 4 turnovers, and our kick coverage wasn't very good. We were fortunate it was only a 7 point game given all those things."

"We understand what it's like to play in the playoffs. It's a whole other level."

"Our last game against Cincinnati, all those things (i.e. turnovers, field position, etc.) were at an all-time low." (he sort of grinned and almost snickered at this ... as if to say "we shot ourselves, and won't do that again)

"They have earned the right for the home playoff game. This is a good football team. They will have everybody healthy. They know us, and we know them."

(Q was concerning whether you want to go into the playoffs having won) "You would like to, but in the playoffs everyone is starting zero zero. You don't get caught up in what you did in previous weeks. They won our division and beat us here to do so. We understand the challenge ahead of us."

"We'll have a good week of work and go down there and give it the best shot we can."

"All our players are energized."

"We have experience. We know it's going to be loud. We understand that. It's a challenge. We're going to be an underdog, as we should be."

"They are an explosive football team. They are a big play football team. We need to take away the big play. We need to keep it into a four quarter game. Their offense is pretty good."

(About Carson Palmer and the audible system)

"He did it in our game. I think he'll do it on Sunday. He is good at it."

"They are very opportunistic. They have some play makers there. When the ball's in the air, they are catching everything. We do a good job of batting it down, and they catch it. And they're not turning it over. You have to be patient against them."

[Stripes]

It seems like Cowher knows to show us some respect during the news conference, but of course he will do that. I wonder if the Steelers players feel the same way as Cowher does about this game.

[BengalByTheBay]

"We have experience. We know it's going to be loud. We understand that. It's a challenge. We're going to be an underdog, as we should be."

Uhh, actually you're not an underdog Bill. Your a road favorite. Nice try to shift the pressure though.

[bengalboomer7]

Chicago was not horrible when we beat them back in week 3. They had just destroyed the Lions the previous week, and we went into Chicago and dominated them. The Bears have only lost 1 home game all season.

Nobody knew Minnesota was going to be horrible when we played them, they had only lost 1 game and that was to Tampa.

Don't worry about it CB, all excuses are available for Steelers fans only, not us.

Come on man, Ease up on the Steelers! Does the regular season matter now? You are in the playoffs, Pitt is in the playoffs. The ony difference is that the loser doesnt play again until August. Respect thy opponent, for when you dont, they will beat you....a.ka. Steelers v. Detriot...we could have lost that game.

You should tell that last little quote to your own fans. The team, the city, the fans especially are showing no respect to the Bengals, Thanks, though, I believe in Karma, and you'll hopefully get what your fans deserve, a loss.

[jungleman]

(Q was concerning whether you want to go into the playoffs having won) "You would like to, but in the playoffs everyone is starting zero zero. You don't get caught up in what you did in previous weeks. They won our division and beat us here to do so. We understand the challenge ahead of us."

they are arrogant our division meaning they own it lol. i cant wait to kick there assses all over the field.

[BengalByTheBay]

(Q was concerning whether you want to go into the playoffs having won) "You would like to, but in the playoffs everyone is starting zero zero. You don't get caught up in what you did in previous weeks. They won our division and beat us here to do so. We understand the challenge ahead of us."

they are arrogant our division meaning they own it lol. i cant wait to kick there assses all over the field.

A more likely reading is that "our" means all of the teams in the division. Don't we refer to the AFCN as "our" division too. Not trying to harsh, but I think that was a little bit of a reach.

[jungleman]

listen with steeler fans you never know

[CT Stiller]

I am not alone on this point. I have run into many fans over the years who are not Steeler fans. The difference between Steeler fans and the rest of the world is that they are so arrogant that they always believe they will 'win one for the thumb'. They always expect to WIN the Super Bowl. You see, the difference is that other fan bases always want to MAKE IT to the Super Bowl. Only Pissburgh is cocky enough to expect to WIN IT year in and year out. Many other fans from other teams have shared with me this fact. Just simply an obnoxious bunch.

Are you joking or what? So you believe that every other team in the league is ok with going to the Super Bowl and not winning? That's just plain ridiculous. I keep having to remind myself who the Pats beat the last two years in the SB. You remember the winner, not the loser. I don't understand your logic there at all. And it's not "expected" that the Steelers will win the Super Bowl or "one for the thumb", it's hoped for, prayed for, longed for. Steelers fans are no more arrogant than any other fans whose teams have won super bowls. When your team has done nothing for so long you look at more successful teams with a a jealous eye and the only way to justify that hatred and jealousy is to call the fans cocky. And if you think we're cocky, you obviously haven't met a Pats, Cowboys, Broncos, Giants or Jags fan.

Uh, no. You see, you want so desperately for this to be the same across fan bases. Surely, all fan bases have their share of arrogant fans. But I think I can speak on authority (living here for 15 years ... as an outsider) and say that the percentage of arrogant and obnoxious fans for the Steelers is far greater than the others. FAR GREATER! So much so that my only hope every year is for them to lose in the end. These arrogant folks deserve it. They deserve the let down. They deserve the heart break. Maybe someday they will get the fact that they are not given the birthright to win the Super Bowl every year. They are not destined to win every game. They are simply one team among 32. And now they are very fortunate to even be one team among 12 in the playoffs.

Have you lived elsewhere recently? If not, I can't see where you're getting any kind of comparison for this. You MAY see after this year, it's not the fans that at a certain way, it's the other fans' attitudes towards that team that reflect on the fans, and create a sense of arrogance. If the Bungles go anywhere this year or in the coming years, you will see what I mean. You can be the most objective fan in the world and still other fans will hate you and call you "cocky".

(Q was concerning whether you want to go into the playoffs having won) "You would like to, but in the playoffs everyone is starting zero zero. You don't get caught up in what you did in previous weeks. They won our division and beat us here to do so. We understand the challenge ahead of us."

they are arrogant our division meaning they own it lol. i cant wait to kick there assses all over the field.

Man, you people are reaching for anything at this point. Every team uses the term "our division", because it IS their division. It's the Bengals', Ravens' and Browns' as well.

[duus]

Yes, I do know Pats, Broncos, and Cowboys fans. The point is that (at least in the cases of the fans I know) they do not EXPECT TO WIN the Super Bowl each year. They, much like some Colts fans I know very well, hope and expect to MAKE IT TO the Super Bowl. This is a useless dialogue as, being a Steeler fan, cannot think any other way than to expect to WIN the Super Bowl. Who cares anyway? I have lived around baseball championship fans, Bengal fans during 'good years', and Kentucky basketball fans for many years. I tell the truth ... from first hand experience ... Steeler fans are BY FAR the most arrogant and obnoxious of all those together. This sad city is nothing without the Steelers. These folks would cease life as we know it if they didn't have their Steeler religion to provide life support. I know ... I live it as an outsider. The bottom line is that there is NO WAY I would act like these folks do, regardless of MY TEAM winning year after year after year. Besides, I am a big UK fan (who HAS won championships in recent years), and there is NO ONE who would dare compare me to any typical Steeler fan in terms of obnoxious and 'jerkiness'. Plain and simple. But you will not accept this either because a) you are obnoxious and arrogant yourself (hope not, but likely), or b ) you simply are in denial that you are part of such a horrible group of people.

Sorry ... this is what my experience has taught me. I wish it was otherwise. If it was not for how stupid people get concerning Steelers I would otherwise think some folks around here are half normal and decent. I can wish I suppose.

(I still wish the Steeler fans would simply leave this board ... ESPECIALLY THIS THREAD! This is supposed to be informative. But no ... it has to be otherwise because Steeler fans simply always have to get their biased obnoxious side into the story. I give the facts as I hear them. They speak for themselves. I'm here, I know what I hear and how folks act. I just wish they would at least have the courtesy to leave this thread ... and board ... alone. Then again, that would be asking a Steeler fan to have some class. Go figure.)

[duus]

Local snippet from radio has them playing a clip of Carson Palmer talking about resting players, etc. in game against KC. Then Tim Benz (local sports guy) suggests that the game against the Bills is probably more indicative of how the team is playing ... uh ... not good. These guys just are hoping to WILL the Bengals into being a bad team. Time will surely tell.

[jungleman]

those guys are morons. there time ended 30 years ago.

[duus]

95% who responded to a Post Gazette poll said it is "a good thing" to be playing the Bengals.

Mark Madden --> "Chad Johnson has been told he is not allowed to do interviews. That's why the Steelers will win because they are getting too tight."

Radio ...

"Bengals are the last team to beat the Steelers, but in alot of ways, the Steelers beat themselves."

They then proceeded to play the Cowher clip from the press conference where he talked about it only ended up a 7 point game, and they turned the ball over 4 times, and "gave them the ball" at mid-field and on the 40.

Question ... why is it if the Bengals turn the ball over, it's the great Steelers D that "took the ball away", yet when the Steelers turn the ball over, it's the fact that they "gave them the ball"?

[blurple thunder]

Can't arue with that, CT, but I doubt you want your team to get into another shootout.

The only way I see you winning this game is to run, run, run, and run some more.

Ben looked sorry yesterday, and I think a shootout plays right into our hands, and I bet we see a good dose of the no huddle right off the bat

You're right about that. Ben didn't look good yesterday and I doubt that he can match Palmer in a shootout.

The Steelers D has to take control and the run game has to be clicking on all cyclinders to win. Chances are that this is exactly what will happen.

To address the comment about the Steelers not playing well in man coverage, that Steelers fan obviously didn't watch the game closely enough to realize that Joey was picking apart the zone coverage and couldn't do much once the Steelers started to play man coverage. That's what they will have to do again against the Bengals this Sunday because Palmer will pick apart the zone coverage.

[duus]

Mark Madden Show

Madden --> "My list of the most painful losing scenarios, although I believe they will win":

1) Bettis fumbles at the 1 with the game on the line.

2) Chad Johnson decimates the Steelers and desecrates the Terrible Towel.

3) Cowher plays it too safe and they get alot of 3's where 7's were possible.

4) Steelers get behind early and all their offensive flaws become obvious.

5) Hines Ward cries after the game ... again.

You're right about that. Ben didn't look good yesterday and I doubt that he can match Palmer in a shootout.

The Steelers D has to take control and the run game has to be clicking on all cyclinders to win. Chances are that this is exactly what will happen.

To address the comment about the Steelers not playing well in man coverage, that Steelers fan obviously didn't watch the game closely enough to realize that Joey was picking apart the zone coverage and couldn't do much once the Steelers started to play man coverage. That's what they will have to do again against the Bengals this Sunday because Palmer will pick apart the zone coverage.

Blurple ... you are surely a minority ... a SEVERE minority in Steeler nation. I truly enjoy your posts. Keep 'em coming.

[Stripes]

1) Bettis fumbles at the 1 with the game on the line.

Wouldn't that be a fitting end to his storied career against our Bengals?

2) Chad Johnson decimates the Steelers and desecrates the Terrible Towel.

What comes around goes around. Don't mess with the Ickey Shuffle.

3) Cowher plays it too safe and they get alot of 3's where 7's were possible.

Such is his playoff legacy.

4) Steelers get behind early and all their offensive flaws become obvious.

Where we failed in game one and succeeded in game two. This is of huge importance.

5) Hines Ward cries after the game ... again.

[Stickman]

I know that the trollery is hardly a representative sample of a fanbase, but damn. There doesn't seem to be a realistic one (apologies to Jreed - you da man) among them. This is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing games of the first round IMO. How a fan of either team could feel completely confident about the game, with all of the various factors involved, is beyond me. With all that the Squeel city is focusing on indy? Okay -- looks like they want to put all the presure there.

As a steelers fan, I have to agree. I for one don't feel all that confident about any game in the playoffs. 1 - We haven't beaten a single team in the playoffs except you, which we split. 2 - Cower flushes his brain down the toilet as soon as things don't go his way in the playoffs. and 3 - I honestly don't think this Steelers team has played three consistent games in a row this year. They did play three bad ones in a row though....

[duus]

I know that the trollery is hardly a representative sample of a fanbase, but damn. There doesn't seem to be a realistic one (apologies to Jreed - you da man) among them. This is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing games of the first round IMO. How a fan of either team could feel completely confident about the game, with all of the various factors involved, is beyond me. With all that the Squeel city is focusing on indy? Okay -- looks like they want to put all the presure there.

As a steelers fan, I have to agree. I for one don't feel all that confident about any game in the playoffs. 1 - We haven't beaten a single team in the playoffs except you, which we split. 2 - Cower flushes his brain down the toilet as soon as things don't go his way in the playoffs. and 3 - I honestly don't think this Steelers team has played three consistent games in a row this year. They did play three bad ones in a row though....

Holy Cow! Another Steeler fan that I feel I could actually intelligently dialogue with?!?!?!? Good post Stickman. Why in the world is a seemingly level-headed guy like yourself (and Thunder) a Steeler fan? Ha! Just kidding. You two guys are giving me hope of finding someone locally that I can enjoy a game with. Then again, I wonder if you guys aren't remote fans who have not seen what a 'true' Steeler fan is like. In any case, honestly, good post ... good thoughts ... good to be a fan who thinks through things reasonably.

[lando griffin]

Duus, you're the man with these Steeler week threads. Thank God I don't start school till the 16th and I get to be in Cincy for the game rather than getting pissed off everyday in Yinz Town.

Anyway, for everyone on this thread, Steelers and Bengals fans alike, duus really is telling the truth about Steelers fans. I go to school in Pittsburgh, and without the Steelers, Yinzers would have little to nothing to live for. Most are arrogant and cocky to no end, with a few level-headed logical ones sprinkled inbetween.

Keep the info coming duus, who-dey!

[jungleman]

its good to see steeler fans with common sense. man i thought there were none.

[andybren]

Only Pissburgh is cocky enough to expect to WIN IT year in and year out. Many other fans from other teams have shared with me this fact. Just simply an obnoxious bunch.

Steelers fans are no more arrogant than any other fans whose teams have won super bowls. When your team has done nothing for so long you look at more successful teams with a a jealous eye and the only way to justify that hatred and jealousy is to call the fans cocky. And if you think we're cocky, you obviously haven't met a Pats, Cowboys, Broncos, Giants or Jags fan.

Uh, no. You see, you want so desperately for this to be the same across fan bases. Surely, all fan bases have their share of arrogant fans. But I think I can speak on authority (living here for 15 years ... as an outsider) and say that the percentage of arrogant and obnoxious fans for the Steelers is far greater than the others.

Have you lived elsewhere recently? If not, I can't see where you're getting any kind of comparison for this.

After living in Ohio for 12 years, New York for 4, and L.A. for 9 (fans from every team in the league live in L.A.), I can attest that Steeler fans truly are different. Even RaiderNation doesn't hold a candle to the Steeler fans when it comes to pure, blind obedience to their team. When I saw the Raiders beat the Bengals up in Oakland a few years ago, the Raider fans were complimentary of the Bengals' progress and concerned for their own team's weaknesses. How do Steelers fans deal with a loss to an up-and-comer in their own division? Raging denial.

And dude...Ben has more "upside" than Carson? You're talking like Mel Kiper on draft day. Carson put up MVP-caliber numbers this year. He's demonstrated a mastery of his team's offense. Meanwhile, Ben can't be relied upon to throw more than 20 passes a game. Or more than 30 yards downfield. Talking about 'upside' when quality has already been PROVEN is like planning a trip to the Super Bowl the year after your team has gone 2-14.

And you don't think Steeler fans are arrogant?

Heck, I'd take Hines Ward over Chris Henry. As long as he quit dancing after his touchdowns.

[Stickman]

Actually, I don't live there. I grew up in north central WV, a little over 2 hrs from Pittsburgh. I've been stationed all over the place over the last 18+ years, including 7 years just up the road from you guys in Dayton. I'm in TX now, and man it's just not right down here. 80 degrees on New Years DAY??? WTF? Anyway, I know there's trolls everywhere and we all can get worked up over a game and start running at the mouth, but facts are facts and I'm just giving my opinion. Could the Steelers go all the way? Sure, just as much as anyone else. Any given Sunday.... and some Saturdays in the playoffs....