zulater
03-01-2013, 05:00 AM
By Ed Bouchette / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Ben Roethlisberger said he has heard enough, and it's time to put an end to it. The perception created by a few of his teammates that the Steelers locker room was in disarray last season just is not true, the quarterback insisted, and someone needed to say it.
So why not the veteran quarterback, the captain of the offense?
"For anybody to say there are locker room issues or leadership issues are completely off base," Roethlisberger said Thursday, shortly after he signed a restructured contract to create $6 million of salary cap room for the Steelers in 2013.
"I believe that's the frustration. I believe that it's frustration of last year, I honestly do."
Over the past two weeks, several Steelers commented on one anonymous teammate's criticism of LaMarr Woodley by saying it showed a schism among them in 2012. Ryan Clark said there was a "fracture" in the locker room. Antonio Brown said: "It goes to show you that we wasn't a team in 2012." A few others chimed in with milder comments seemingly agreeing with Clark and Brown.
Enough is enough, Roethlisberger told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
"Obviously, last year was frustrating for all of us, and when you're frustrated and the season doesn't go the way you want it to and things don't go the way you want them to, things are said. I know all too well, after the Dallas game I was frustrated and said some things.
"The important thing to know is, there are no issues in our locker room. There are no issues with LaMarr. There are no issues on our team.
"The big thing for us is to move forward. Last year was last year, it was 8-8. We're not happy about it. There are frustrations, but you know what? We're done with it. We're moving forward and we're moving into this year ... with whoever's here, we're looking to move forward. And we know Woodley's going to be here and we know Woodley's going to be ready to go as we all are going to be."
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/steelers/big-ben-steelers-locker-room-is-perfectly-fine-677376/#ixzz2MHiAGKPP
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Roethlisberger said that with a locker room with so many players -- 53 on the active roster, plus practice squad players and some on injured reserve -- things never go smoothly, regardless of the win-loss record. He saw nothing different last season than in any of his past eight with the Steelers.
"No matter how the season goes, there's always going to be some kind of issue come up. There's never perfect harmony in any locker room, never. There's always going to be some issue at some point in the year, that's how it works. But the thing is, how do you move on from it? These things should be put in the rear-view mirror and we should be looking forward.
"I'm hoping by doing this to put a stop to it, to say, listen, everybody, as a leader in this locker room, as a guy who has been around here for a long time, I'm hoping that by saying there is no issue and this is fine, that this could be our exclamation point. Let's move on with this offseason, to training, to getting ready. I don't think there's a reason to look back anymore.
"That's what I'm hoping to just say: Done."
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/steelers/big-ben-steelers-locker-room-is-perfectly-fine-677376/#ixzz2MHiYDqTy
Ben Roethlisberger said he has heard enough, and it's time to put an end to it. The perception created by a few of his teammates that the Steelers locker room was in disarray last season just is not true, the quarterback insisted, and someone needed to say it.
So why not the veteran quarterback, the captain of the offense?
"For anybody to say there are locker room issues or leadership issues are completely off base," Roethlisberger said Thursday, shortly after he signed a restructured contract to create $6 million of salary cap room for the Steelers in 2013.
"I believe that's the frustration. I believe that it's frustration of last year, I honestly do."
Over the past two weeks, several Steelers commented on one anonymous teammate's criticism of LaMarr Woodley by saying it showed a schism among them in 2012. Ryan Clark said there was a "fracture" in the locker room. Antonio Brown said: "It goes to show you that we wasn't a team in 2012." A few others chimed in with milder comments seemingly agreeing with Clark and Brown.
Enough is enough, Roethlisberger told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
"Obviously, last year was frustrating for all of us, and when you're frustrated and the season doesn't go the way you want it to and things don't go the way you want them to, things are said. I know all too well, after the Dallas game I was frustrated and said some things.
"The important thing to know is, there are no issues in our locker room. There are no issues with LaMarr. There are no issues on our team.
"The big thing for us is to move forward. Last year was last year, it was 8-8. We're not happy about it. There are frustrations, but you know what? We're done with it. We're moving forward and we're moving into this year ... with whoever's here, we're looking to move forward. And we know Woodley's going to be here and we know Woodley's going to be ready to go as we all are going to be."
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/steelers/big-ben-steelers-locker-room-is-perfectly-fine-677376/#ixzz2MHiAGKPP
- - - Updated - - -
Roethlisberger said that with a locker room with so many players -- 53 on the active roster, plus practice squad players and some on injured reserve -- things never go smoothly, regardless of the win-loss record. He saw nothing different last season than in any of his past eight with the Steelers.
"No matter how the season goes, there's always going to be some kind of issue come up. There's never perfect harmony in any locker room, never. There's always going to be some issue at some point in the year, that's how it works. But the thing is, how do you move on from it? These things should be put in the rear-view mirror and we should be looking forward.
"I'm hoping by doing this to put a stop to it, to say, listen, everybody, as a leader in this locker room, as a guy who has been around here for a long time, I'm hoping that by saying there is no issue and this is fine, that this could be our exclamation point. Let's move on with this offseason, to training, to getting ready. I don't think there's a reason to look back anymore.
"That's what I'm hoping to just say: Done."
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/steelers/big-ben-steelers-locker-room-is-perfectly-fine-677376/#ixzz2MHiYDqTy