Ben Roethlisberger To Speak About Offseason Drama, Radio Show In KDKA Interview Tonight

[polamalubeast]

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[teegre]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31g0YE61PLQ&app=desktop

[polamalubeast]

LOL

I just hope Ben will say nothing controversial tonight!

[polamalubeast]

Ron Cook: A few things we wish Ben Roethlisberger would say Tuesday

Ben Roethlisberger is expected to address Steelers fans through the media Tuesday after the first of the Steelers’ organized team activities. It will be his first public comments since he endured the most tumultuous personal offseason in franchise history.

Roethlisberger was criticized by former teammates, former opponents and just about every national media personality with a microphone or laptop.

For every Garth Brooks, who said, “I’m in love with Ben Roethlisberger … he’s my guy,” there were handfuls of Deion Sanders, who called Roethlisberger a bad teammate.

For every Kevin Colbert, who said of the offseason controversy surrounding his quarterback, “It never changed our minds who he was, what he could do, who he is,” there were handfuls of Emmanuel Sanders, who questioned Roethlisberger’s leadership. One accused him of fumbling intentionally to spite his offensive coordinator. Another went way out of bounds and unconscionably called him a racist.

Roethlisberger’s response could be priceless. But it won’t be.

I see Roethlisberger taking the high road. I’m guessing he briefly will respond to the fumbling accusation and the racist charge by saying: “It’s nonsense. Anybody who knows me knows that I’ll cut your heart out to beat you. Anybody who knows me knows I don’t care if a guy is white, black, yellow, green, purple or fuchsia as long as he helps the team win.”

But other than that?

There’s no way Roethlisberger will get into a hissing contest with a couple of snakes, Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell, who went after him hard.

“I loved those guys as teammates,” Roethlisberger probably will say. “I’m putting all that stuff behind me. It’s going to make me a better person. It’s going to make our team better. We’re closer than we’ve ever been.”

It will be nice if Roethlisberger’s veteran teammates — Maurkice Pouncey, Cam Heyward, Joe Haden, Ramon Foster, among others — stand behind him in a show of support for him and his new two-year, $68 million contract extension.

“I’ve said all along I only want to be a Pittsburgh Steeler,” Roethlisberger will say one more time.

At least that’s what I expect him to say. Here’s what I wish he would say:

read more

https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/ron-cook/2019/05/20/Ron-Cook-Steelers-Ben-Roethlisberger-Antonio-Brown-Le-Veon-Bell-NFL-OTAs-Heinz-Ward-Josh-Harris-Rashard-Mendenhall-offseason-comments/stories/201905200041?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter_PGSportsNow

[DesertSteel]

Brb... running to the store to buy popcorn...

[Edman]

This week on "Days Of Our Steelers"...

[El-Gonzo Jackson]

This has potential to be so much better than the radio show....but I somehow think its going to be a non event. :whistle:

[AtlantaDan]

This has potential to be so much better than the radio show....but I somehow think its going to be a non event. :whistle:

Yep - this interview format provides too much structure as opposed to the Tuesday morning ramblings. Probably will give us boring Game Manager Ben rather than the gunslinging drama of Tuesday morning Radio Ben

Rather than a canned interview Ben taking on anyone who has a question in a media scrum would be much more entertaining

[polamalubeast]

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[polamalubeast]

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It's probably Ben's fault for your comments on JuJu in April!

[Method28]

I'm all for being professional...but at this point...you know what....I wouldn't mind Ben going at ABs neck. Call him out, call him sensitive, call him a selfish diva who only cares about numbers. **** it. Go hard on this piece of [emoji90]

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

[polamalubeast]

not too long ago....

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- - - Updated - - -

Wait until the honeymoon is over for Brown with the raiders, it's going to be ugly between him, Gruden and Carr.

[86WARD]

AB is just bitter...lol

[polamalubeast]

I think AB will be more focused on the Steelers this year than on the Raiders...

[stillers4me]

Yes!!! I can't wait to revisit all this again!

[polamalubeast]

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[lipps83]

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Does anyone have any substantial proof that AB was actually jealous of JuJu getting MVP yet? (Not directed at you polamalubeast, but rather that twitter guy)

No? Still nothing other than hearsay?

Someone made that up and everyone else continues to believe it. There is something genuinely sad about that.

But yeah, go on believing it since it gives more imaginary ammo to spew junk further. Why stop spreading imaginary tales now? If you keep doing it, why, people might actually believe it is true.

And yes, AB acted like a douche. But to believe that team MVP had anything whatsoever to do with it is embarrassing.

[Mojouw]

Does anyone have any substantial proof that AB was actually jealous of JuJu getting MVP yet? (Not directed at you polamalubeast, but rather that twitter guy)

No? Still nothing other than hearsay?

Someone made that up and everyone else continues to believe it. There is something genuinely sad about that.

But yeah, go on believing it since it gives more imaginary ammo to spew junk further. Why stop spreading imaginary tales now? If you keep doing it, why, people might actually believe it is true.

And yes, AB acted like a douche. But to believe that team MVP had anything whatsoever to do with it is embarrassing.

But then how would everyone on social media and the internet know about his strong stance on these critical issues? I mean if you don't Tweet about and then copy and paste that Tweet into as many other places as possible, no one will know how much of knower of important things you are!

I kinda wish the internet would just burn to slag. Like I might be willing to trade going back to a phone book and a landline for doing everything.

[DesertSteel]

Does anyone have any substantial proof that AB is an actual douche bag or is it just internet rumor?

[polamalubeast]

Does anyone have any substantial proof that AB was actually jealous of JuJu getting MVP yet? (Not directed at you polamalubeast, but rather that twitter guy)

No? Still nothing other than hearsay?

Someone made that up and everyone else continues to believe it. There is something genuinely sad about that.

But yeah, go on believing it since it gives more imaginary ammo to spew junk further. Why stop spreading imaginary tales now? If you keep doing it, why, people might actually believe it is true.

And yes, AB acted like a douche. But to believe that team MVP had anything whatsoever to do with it is embarrassing.

I do not know if AB is jealous of JuJu or not, but his comments on him in April were very low.

[polamalubeast]

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Brown is too sensitive ...

[AtlantaDan]

Does anyone have any substantial proof that AB was actually jealous of JuJu getting MVP yet? (Not directed at you polamalubeast, but rather that twitter guy)

No? Still nothing other than hearsay?

Someone made that up and everyone else continues to believe it. There is something genuinely sad about that.

But yeah, go on believing it since it gives more imaginary ammo to spew junk further. Why stop spreading imaginary tales now? If you keep doing it, why, people might actually believe it is true.

And yes, AB acted like a douche. But to believe that team MVP had anything whatsoever to do with it is embarrassing.

It was not the only excuse AB was using for being dissatisfied with the Steelers, but in addition to the always popular anonymous sources saying he was not happy about JuJu getting MVP, AB engaged in this typically childish act

Brown displayed his pettiness by showing a list of recent team MVP awards that conveniently did not include JuJu's name.

https://247sports.com/nfl/pittsburgh-steelers/Article/Antonio-Brown-slights-JuJu-Smith-Schuster-over-team-MVP--129064796/

I would find it difficult to believe a rational adult would be upset about something as trivial as who was voted team MVP, which I doubt would trigger a bonus clause in a contract. But I have no difficulty believing it would upset Antonio Brown.

[fansince'76]

Yes!!! I can't wait to revisit all this again!

I know, right? :jerkit:


But then how would everyone on social media and the internet know about his strong stance on these critical issues? I mean if you don't Tweet about and then copy and paste that Tweet into as many other places as possible, no one will know how much of knower of important things you are!

I kinda wish the internet would just burn to slag. Like I might be willing to trade going back to a phone book and a landline for doing everything.

Social media is apparently our penance for all the other great things the Internet represents and provides, unfortunately.

The Internet can stay, but Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc., etc. can all go die in a fire.

[polamalubeast]

It was not the only excuse AB was using for being dissatisfied with the Steelers, but in addition to the always popular anonymous sources saying he was not happy about JuJu getting MVP, AB engaged in this typically childish act

Brown displayed his pettiness by showing a list of recent team MVP awards that conveniently did not include JuJu's name.

https://247sports.com/nfl/pittsburgh-steelers/Article/Antonio-Brown-slights-JuJu-Smith-Schuster-over-team-MVP--129064796/

I would find it difficult to believe a rational adult would be upset about something as trivial as who was voted team MVP, which I doubt would trigger a bonus clause in a contract. But I have no difficulty believing it would upset Antonio Brown.


Also, one of the big reasons that Brown was unhappy was his contract, even though he was the highest paid WR by the time he signed his contract in 2017.

Brown did everything possible to leave Pittsburgh because he knew the steelers were not going to give a raise to him

Of course, there are other reasons and being jealous of JuJu is perhaps another reason ..... His ego is so big.

[Method28]

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Brown is too sensitive ...[emoji23][emoji23] bro you posted it on SOCIAL MEDIA...you WANT people to see it. Jesus please give that man guidance. He's seriously on another level

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

[polamalubeast]

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Ben wanted to say nothing controversial, but yes AB was his best WR he had, but Ben won more before the breakout year of AB in 2013 and his stats like the passing rating was very solid.He was on pace to be in the HOF.

[polamalubeast]

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[Method28]

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Ben wanted to say nothing controversial, but yes AB was his best WR he had, but Ben won more before the breakout year of AB in 2013 and his stats like the passing rating was very solid.He was on pace to be in the HOF.Did Ben really say that? That's a joke right?

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

[Method28]

Did Ben really say that? That's a joke right?

Sent from my SM-G975U using TapatalkJust watched the interview. I really do not like the approach Ben took. I get what he was going for, but you know what, unless Ben really was acting shady and doing the things that AB claimed....Ben shouldn't tuck his head an accept responsibility. Especially not making comments like AB made him who he is....you kidding me with that?

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

[polamalubeast]

Just watched the interview. I really do not like the approach Ben took. I get what he was going for, but you know what, unless Ben really was acting shady and doing the things that AB claimed....Ben shouldn't tuck his head an accept responsibility. Especially not making comments like AB made him who he is....you kidding me with that?

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

Just to be clear,Ben meant who he is as player, not as person.

I disagree with that too, but I understand why he said that ... Ben wanted to say nothing controversial ...

[Method28]

Just to be clear,Ben meant who he is as player, not as person.

I disagree with that too, but I understand why he said that ... Ben wanted to say nothing controversial ...Yeah even as a player...c'mon Ben. At this point, it's time to give the baby a spanking. I wouldn't mind seeing him come out and say something to the extent of "I messed up and I've tried to be professional and stay quiet, but enough is enough. AB is a ungrateful selfish individual " lol ok maybe not to that extreme, but some of the things he said kinda made him look a bit soft.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

[polamalubeast]

Yeah even as a player...c'mon Ben. At this point, it's time to give the baby a spanking. I wouldn't mind seeing him come out and say something to the extent of "I messed up and I've tried to be professional and stay quiet, but enough is enough. AB is a ungrateful selfish individual " lol ok maybe not to that extreme, but some of the things he said kinda made him look a bit soft.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

I understand your point .... but at the same time, it would have been a horrible idea for Ben to add oil to the fire!

Some would have preferred Ben to say nothing about it, but that would have been almost impossible, since the speculation would have lasted even longer.

[HollywoodSteel]

I think Ben handled it masterfully. There is now NO way for AB to respond negatively without outing himself as the child in all of this.

There is no more taking sides. No one can come close to criticizing Ben as a human or as a leader. He wins. Period.

And AB is such an idiot, this kindness and maturity on Ben’s part will infuriate Mr. Small Balls into saying more foolish things.

This was absolutely the right way for Ben to handle it. Game over.

[AtlantaDan]

There is no more taking sides. No one can come close to criticizing Ben as a human or as a leader. He wins. Period....

Game over.

Maybe ... maybe not :coffee:

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This never stops. :sofunny:

And maybe Ben does not want it to stop.

This on whether we have heard the last of Tuesday morning Radio Ben

“I haven’t made a final decision yet,” Roethlisberger said in a KDKA-TV interview Monday. “We talk a lot about it with my family and my agents and the Steelers. I think people like it. That we can give some inside access. We’ll make a final decision moving forward.”

https://triblive.com/sports/tim-benz-its-not-smart-but-ben-roethlisberger-might-continue-radio-show/

AJRII should have told Ben during negotiations for the new contract that the radio show was over.

[86WARD]

Maybe ... maybe not :coffee:

1130568041434177537

This never stops. :sofunny:

And maybe Ben does not want it to stop.

This on whether we have heard the last of Tuesday morning Radio Ben

“I haven’t made a final decision yet,” Roethlisberger said in a KDKA-TV interview Monday. “We talk a lot about it with my family and my agents and the Steelers. I think people like it. That we can give some inside access. We’ll make a final decision moving forward.”

https://triblive.com/sports/tim-benz-its-not-smart-but-ben-roethlisberger-might-continue-radio-show/

AJRII should have told Ben during negotiations for the new contract that the radio show was over.






Edmunds is another fucking moron. He’s the safety equivalent of Rashard Mendenhall. He’s just got that vibe to him.

[polamalubeast]

The OTA start today so I hope Tomlin will put some rules for the social media and something like this this year ....Remember the AB comments last year on twitter after the game against the Chiefs ....

[AtlantaDan]

The OTA start today so I hope Tomlin will put some rules for the social media and something like this this year ....Remember the AB comments last year on twitter after the game against the Chiefs ....

But the franchise QB says the fans like inside access. :rolleyes:

Other than telling players to use common sense when posting, it would appear two faced to set rules for social media when there are no rules for a player continuing to appear on sports talk radio every Tuesday morning during the season even after the player belatedly admits his criticism of another player during such an appearance "probably" went too far

“That’s the thing about media and social media: As soon as you say, ‘sorry,’ it only goes so far. You can’t take it back."

https://triblive.com/sports/antonio-brown-apparently-doesnt-accept-ben-roethlisbergers-apology/

[polamalubeast]

But the franchise QB says the fans like inside access. :rolleyes:

Other than telling players to use common sense when posting, it would appear two faced to set rules for social media when there are no rules for a player continuing to appear on sports talk radio every Tuesday morning during the season even after the player belatedly admits his criticism of another player during such an appearance "probably" went too far

“That’s the thing about media and social media: As soon as you say, ‘sorry,’ it only goes so far. You can’t take it back."

https://triblive.com/sports/antonio-brown-apparently-doesnt-accept-ben-roethlisbergers-apology/

Tomlin needs to show who is the boss on the steelers!

I mean, I would say that you have the right to be on the social media, but please do not say things that are controversial or emotional on twitter.

Social media is good for the talk shows like Skip Bayless,Shannon Sharpe,Colin Cowherd,etc but this is not good for a team!

[Mojouw]

There is no putting the toothpaste back in the tube with social media. Each generation of players that comes into the NFL through the draft will be more and more intertwined with it. It is not possible to stop it. Regardless of how it may or may not impact team chemistry, it is (or at least will be viewed as) essential for each player's "branding". No way a player and agent allow a team to screw up their $$$.

Where the massive problem and avenue for change lies, is with the "media". Pouring over social media and dissecting it in order to generate "content" on the cheap is just beyond stupid. It essentially reduces the NFL off-season down to tracking the habits of giant disembodied egos behaving like teenage girls. Then bloggers and "reporters" under pressure to both create content around the NFL and ensure they have everything first simply copy and paste and retweet -- adding nothing in terms of another source, context, independent reporting/confirmation to the story. That is just bad content. You (meaning the "reporter") are essentially only serving as a conduit for people who aren't on social media following the players already to do it from a remove. Then, to double down on terrible, places like blogs and message boards breathlessly "report" social media reports of social media reports. Injecting more speculation into motivations, meanings, and outcomes. "Click here to find out if star QB wants to eat alien farts while watching cut-ups of 3rd down formations!" (Actually that has too much football in it to be real...).

I hate to say this, but honestly and without accusation or animosity, what if we just stopped? Seriously. What if we just stopped having a thread or a post in a thread for every un-sourced, no-content, re-Tweet of some nonsense from Insta or Twitter that says absolutely nothing about football? I don't know - maybe we wouldn't have much to talk about during the off-season. Maybe we would. But wouldn't it be better than just a continual barrage of "information" that means nothing, says nothing, and goes nowhere?

[AtlantaDan]

I hate to say this, but honestly and without accusation or animosity, what if we just stopped? Seriously. What if we just stopped having a thread or a post in a thread for every un-sourced, no-content, re-Tweet of some nonsense from Insta or Twitter that says absolutely nothing about football? I don't know - maybe we wouldn't have much to talk about during the off-season. Maybe we would. But wouldn't it be better than just a continual barrage of "information" that means nothing, says nothing, and goes nowhere?

As I have posted before, IMO electing to read or reply to a thread is our respective individual calls unless the mods want to shut threads down

Unfortunately social media tweets were a major reason the Steelers were compelled to cut ties to the most productive WR in their history, which in turn was related to Ben going on a sports talk radio show and throwing shade at that WR. So it is not a particularly bright line for me what has absolutely nothing to do with football, since for players who have grown up with social media that now is how often how they elect to get their views out on team related matters (which IMO includes Edmunds liking AB’s clap back tweet at Ben yesterday) without the filters of media dinosaurs like the Post-Gazette

[DesertSteel]

Douche move by Edmunds. I mean, LIKING a post that calls YOUR Quarterback two-faced... seriously??

[Mojouw]

As I have posted before, IMO electing to read or reply to a thread is our respective individual calls unless the mods want to shut threads down

Unfortunately social media tweets were a major reason the Steelers were compelled to cut ties to the most productive WR in their history, which in turn was related to Ben going on a sports talk radio show and throwing shade at that WR. So it is not a particularly bright line for me what has absolutely nothing to do with football, since for players who have grown up with social media that now is how often how they elect to get their views out on team related matters (which IMO includes Edmunds liking AB’s clap back tweet at Ben yesterday) without the filters of media dinosaurs like the Post-Gazette

I certainly wasn't calling for anyone to prevent anyone from posting or discussing things, but to ask that we question why these things are a daily drumbeat w/in NFL "news" circles?

Your argument that it is news because it impacts team issues that are intertwined with a generation players who are omnipresent on social media is a good one. But take it through all the logical steps. I feel like the NFL news ecosystem goes like this:

1. A player tweets something.
2. It gets retweeted by a small # of people. Mostly small fish trying to drive views towards their NFL related "content".
3. One of the larger aggregators of tweets picks it up. Now there is a "controversy". More like a tempest in a teapot, but whatever.
4. Now a big fish gets ahold of it and tweets about it. This makes it "official" NFL related story content. Still, at this point, nothing has actually happened. No reporting. No corroboration. Just speculation and a modern day game of Chinese Whispers (the more offensive name for "telephone"! Now we can all talk about how MojoUW hates China!).
5. Finally, it breaks all over team specific blogs and has gone "viral" through all the big names on NFL Twitter. Yet, still at this point, no reporting, information gathering, or fact checking has taken place. Speculation, rumor, and blowing smoke are the watchwords at this point. But as long as you are first -- it doesn't matter. Gotta get those page views!
6. Days later, a verified and thought out version of the story comes out. But it is too late at this point. The controversy and drama has already taken root in people's minds. Now players face a incessant drumbeat of questions about the state of the locker-room, their relationships with one another, if somebody should be traded/fired, etc. Essentially, the media cycle/ecosystem has created a drama out of almost whole cloth.

And we are all complicit in that happening. Our desire to relentless consume NFL content and to get the "inside" story creates a market for all this nonsense and actually creates a measurable percentage of the dreaded "drama" that is apparently death to NFL teams. What if it just stopped at Step 1 or Step 2 in the above process? Instead of creating a feedback loop for the thoughts and feelings of every idiot that currently or has previously drawn an NFL paycheck?

[Mojouw]

An example:

On another thread there is a tweet about how Ben said you would have to ask Juju if he can be a #1 WR. If any of us was prominent enough on Twitter, we could have this on Rappaport and Schefter and ESPN and Steelers Depot by the weekend that Ben R is uncertain if JuJu can be a #1 NFL WR. Next we would see footage of players being seriously asked to address the rift between Ben and Juju and who has confidence in who. Then we could get discussion of it featured on national media outlets and Steelers Depot. Then we could have a dozen threads around here about how drama and controversy are already killing the 2019 season, Tomlin needs to get control or be fired by the end of the week, etc. And nothing would have actually happened.

[AtlantaDan]

I certainly wasn't calling for anyone to prevent anyone from posting or discussing things, but to ask that we question why these things are a daily drumbeat w/in NFL "news" circles?

Your argument that it is news because it impacts team issues that are intertwined with a generation players who are omnipresent on social media is a good one. But take it through all the logical steps. I feel like the NFL news ecosystem goes like this:

1. A player tweets something.
2. It gets retweeted by a small # of people. Mostly small fish trying to drive views towards their NFL related "content".
3. One of the larger aggregators of tweets picks it up. Now there is a "controversy". More like a tempest in a teapot, but whatever.
4. Now a big fish gets ahold of it and tweets about it. This makes it "official" NFL related story content. Still, at this point, nothing has actually happened. No reporting. No corroboration. Just speculation and a modern day game of Chinese Whispers (the more offensive name for "telephone"! Now we can all talk about how MojoUW hates China!).
5. Finally, it breaks all over team specific blogs and has gone "viral" through all the big names on NFL Twitter. Yet, still at this point, no reporting, information gathering, or fact checking has taken place. Speculation, rumor, and blowing smoke are the watchwords at this point. But as long as you are first -- it doesn't matter. Gotta get those page views!
6. Days later, a verified and thought out version of the story comes out. But it is too late at this point. The controversy and drama has already taken root in people's minds. Now players face a incessant drumbeat of questions about the state of the locker-room, their relationships with one another, if somebody should be traded/fired, etc. Essentially, the media cycle/ecosystem has created a drama out of almost whole cloth.

And we are all complicit in that happening. Our desire to relentless consume NFL content and to get the "inside" story creates a market for all this nonsense and actually creates a measurable percentage of the dreaded "drama" that is apparently death to NFL teams. What if it just stopped at Step 1 or Step 2 in the above process? Instead of creating a feedback loop for the thoughts and feelings of every idiot that currently or has previously drawn an NFL paycheck?

Of course the NFL league office, as is the case for other sports, wants whatever it takes for "the product" to be marketed 12 months a year in order to attract viewers and page clicks.

So you get a situation in baseball (a sport I abandoned decades ago) where the MLB Commissioner calls out Mike Trout, universally regarded as the best player in the game, for only working on being the best player he can be and not actively developing his "brand"

"Player marketing requires one thing for sure -- the player," Manfred said earlier in the day. "You cannot market a player passively. You can't market anything passively. You need people to engage with those to whom you are trying to market in order to have effective marketing. We are very interested in having our players more engaged and having higher-profile players and helping our players develop their individual brand. But that involves the player being actively engaged."

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/24125053/mike-trout-bigger-marketed-rob-manfred-says

Same goes for the NFL - Roger & Friends want the social media dust ups to help keep fans engaged between the games during the season as well as in the months between the Super Bowl in early February and training camp in late July

Of course at some point that detracts from what the game used to be exclusively about, which is performance on the field.

So no surprise you are getting push back from some of the Steelers vets who see what social media drama has done to their team.

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But good luck with that - it's a business and with the social media controversies business is booming

[Mojouw]

Atlanta Dan, all of what you posted is spot on.

However, I think that each of us as NFL fans needs to understand and consider how we, even in a small way, contribute to it. It seems that fans and even those that write about a given team continually lament how social media driven issues and drama is overtaking the game and pushing the on-the-field product off the front page (an ironic metaphor to say the least). Well, how does that happen? Cash money. If we, the money spending public, just stopped consuming/paying for the nonsense -- no central office would worry about guys building a "brand".

For my part, I am not on Twitter, Instagram, or anything but Facebook. And there I do not follow or post anything from a money-making entity of any kind as much as I possibly can. I mainly use it follow up with family and distant friends. If we want NFL coverage and discussion to be about the game - -then we have to demand it. When the yelling men come on the TV and start talking about what QB is elite or not; who hates who; who is a "cancer" or a "leader" -- change the channel. Don't Tweet about it. Don't post about it. This crap did not used to exist. We brought it into existence by making it profitable. Sure, we can't put the genie back into the lamp, but we can make the genie less loud and omnipotent.

[polamalubeast]

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[polamalubeast]

An example:

On another thread there is a tweet about how Ben said you would have to ask Juju if he can be a #1 WR. If any of us was prominent enough on Twitter, we could have this on Rappaport and Schefter and ESPN and Steelers Depot by the weekend that Ben R is uncertain if JuJu can be a #1 NFL WR. Next we would see footage of players being seriously asked to address the rift between Ben and Juju and who has confidence in who. Then we could get discussion of it featured on national media outlets and Steelers Depot. Then we could have a dozen threads around here about how drama and controversy are already killing the 2019 season, Tomlin needs to get control or be fired by the end of the week, etc. And nothing would have actually happened.

Ben think that JuJu is a number 1 WR...

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[hawaiiansteeler]

Roethlisberger: 'I lacked in leadership' in 2018

Jeremy Fowler
ESPN Staff Writer

PITTSBURGH -- Ben Roethlisberger took accountability for the Steelers' 2018 season in four important words.

"I lacked in leadership," Roethlisberger said after the team's first organized team activities session Tuesday. "Because that's my job as the leader of this team, to get us to the playoffs. I'm gonna need to focus and refocus my energy and time on, how can I be a better leader to get us back to the playoffs?"

to read rest of article:

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/26795476/lacked-leadership-2018

[AtlantaDan]

Atlanta Dan, all of what you posted is spot on.

However, I think that each of us as NFL fans needs to understand and consider how we, even in a small way, contribute to it. It seems that fans and even those that write about a given team continually lament how social media driven issues and drama is overtaking the game and pushing the on-the-field product off the front page (an ironic metaphor to say the least). Well, how does that happen? Cash money. If we, the money spending public, just stopped consuming/paying for the nonsense -- no central office would worry about guys building a "brand".

For my part, I am not on Twitter, Instagram, or anything but Facebook. And there I do not follow or post anything from a money-making entity of any kind as much as I possibly can. I mainly use it follow up with family and distant friends. If we want NFL coverage and discussion to be about the game - -then we have to demand it. When the yelling men come on the TV and start talking about what QB is elite or not; who hates who; who is a "cancer" or a "leader" -- change the channel. Don't Tweet about it. Don't post about it. This crap did not used to exist. We brought it into existence by making it profitable. Sure, we can't put the genie back into the lamp, but we can make the genie less loud and omnipotent.

Good points

But IMO what brought it into existence was when the internet took off in the 90s and sports print publishers made the mistake of giving their product away for free while ESPN (TV version) decided shortly thereafter that its business model needed to fill in the time between live games with talking head controversy shows since few were going to sit around and watch SportsCenter highlights they could call up whenever they wanted online.

As far as getting better product, you get what you pay for and if you are not paying anything for it you are going to get lowest common denominator content that attracts maximum eyeballs since that is how the bills get paid.

OTOH, if you want to pay for better football content you can get it through pay subscription sites like Pro Football Focus. In my case, just as I pay for the NY Times and Washington Post (WaPo at a ridiculous discount through Amazon Prime since Jeff Bezos owns the WaPo) while others go with the viable alternative of paying for The Wall Street Journal, rather than rely on USA Today or cable news, I signed up for a one year discounted subscription to The Athletic for $30 a year. I now am reading there a lot of good writers who have left (or been laid off from) print magazines and newspapers. They can write with a less pressing need to generate page clicks and actually inform me since there is no advertising that requires maxing out page clicks for clickbait.

It would be nice if non-subscription coverage on any subject became better, but given my cynical view of internet sites I am not holding my breath until that happens.

[El-Gonzo Jackson]

Douche move by Edmunds. I mean, LIKING a post that calls YOUR Quarterback two-faced... seriously??

Maybe its not HIS Quarterback, but ARIII QB? Possibly Edmunds just liking a comment that he agrees with on social media...people do it all the time.

The safe bet is to not comment at all. The company line would to like whatever opinion opposed the comment. Maybe he is just being genuine in what he likes on social media.

[Mojouw]

Good points

But IMO what brought it into existence was when the internet took off in the 90s and sports print publishers made the mistake of giving their product away for free while ESPN (TV version) decided shortly thereafter that its business model needed to fill in the time between live games with talking head controversy shows since few were going to sit around and watch SportsCenter highlights they could call up whenever they wanted online.

As far as getting better product, you get what you pay for and if you are not paying anything for it you are going to get lowest common denominator content that attracts maximum eyeballs since that is how the bills get paid.

OTOH, if you want to pay for better football content you can get it through pay subscription sites like Pro Football Focus. In my case, just as I pay for the NY Times and Washington Post (WaPo at a ridiculous discount through Amazon Prime since Jeff Bezos owns the WaPo) while others go with the viable alternative of paying for The Wall Street Journal, rather than rely on USA Today or cable news, I signed up for a one year discounted subscription to The Athletic for $30 a year. I now am reading there a lot of good writers who have left (or been laid off from) print magazines and newspapers. They can write with a less pressing need to generate page clicks and actually inform me since there is no advertising that requires maxing out page clicks for clickbait.

It would be nice if non-subscription coverage on any subject became better, but given my cynical view of internet sites I am not holding my breath until that happens.

Again, I find myself in complete agreement. But I would only add that we can do little things to "help" the situation. Maybe. Sort of. Probably not, but it is worth a try.

Take a look at the thread on the start of Steelers OTAs. Read through the Tweets in the first post. See if you can spot the "independent reporter" who has zero access to actual information. Got a suspect?

Dov Kleiman. Notice how everyone else had a bit of information or a quote to advance the story - even if it still was about "drama" or "locker-room" stuff? Then look at this guy. All he is doing is cutting and pasting other Tweets together to try and make something out of nothing and keep stirring the pot to get views and clicks. What if we occasionally took an extra minute and filtered some of this stuff before just blindly posting everything the internet has to offer?

Maybe it would be like trying to hold back a river or maybe if we each did a small portion -- it would make a dent. I don't know. But I do think we can all do a better job of asking where "information" is coming from, who is posting it, and why they might be posting it.

[polamalubeast]

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Interesting comment from Dungy, especially on Tomlin around the middle of this interview.

[polamalubeast]

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[pczach]

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Roethlisberger was supposed to say that he always hated that arrogant, big mouth, demented little shit. That way, the same reporter would say that Roethlisberger hasn't grown up and is obviously the problem.

I have never.....ever...….seen a guy put in no-win situations that way Big Ben is on a consistent basis. He says everything right, but that's not good enough. Now, he's supposed to give the media what they want about the entire relationship to appease the people that want to vindicate AB and destroy Ben.

I say fuck all these people.

[steelreserve]

Douche move by Edmunds. I mean, LIKING a post that calls YOUR Quarterback two-faced... seriously??


Maybe its not HIS Quarterback, but ARIII QB? Possibly Edmunds just liking a comment that he agrees with on social media...people do it all the time.

The safe bet is to not comment at all. The company line would to like whatever opinion opposed the comment. Maybe he is just being genuine in what he likes on social media.

I am all for giving people the benefit of the doubt, but I cannot think of a single way that he could justify that as being anything other than a real jerk. I mean, there was no other way to interpret Mr. Big Chest's tweet there other than a straight-up insult, and a pretty low blow at that. Might as well have liked a tweet calling his teammate a motherfucker. That's just ... not smart.

Admittedly Edmunds has not been around long enough to form a concrete opinion on, but so far the only vibes I've gotten from him on the field or off are these occasional little negative moments.

[hawaiiansteeler]

I am all for giving people the benefit of the doubt, but I cannot think of a single way that he could justify that as being anything other than a real jerk. I mean, there was no other way to interpret Mr. Big Chest's tweet there other than a straight-up insult, and a pretty low blow at that.

I understand taking the high road, but there's no way I say I still view AB as a friend after all the things AB has said and done if I'm Ben.

[Mojouw]

You guys realize none of this real, right? Ben basically just cut a wrestling promo the other day. Don't take public comments as any indication of private thoughts.

Ben has an army of agents and consultants he listens to and AB does not. One guy is just shooting from the hip and the other is tossing out practices and honed statements.

It is likely that Ben wouldn't piss on AB if he was on fire, but he's still gonna say that they are friends.

[teegre]

You guys realize none of this real, right? Ben basically just cut a wrestling promo the other day. Don't take public comments as any indication of private thoughts.

Ben has an army of agents and consultants he listens to and AB does not. One guy is just shooting from the hip and the other is tossing out practices and honed statements.

It is likely that Ben wouldn't piss on AB if he was on fire, but he's still gonna say that they are friends.

Don’t believe anything the Tooth Fairy says; she’s a liar.

-Sasquatch

[AtlantaDan]

You guys realize none of this real, right? Ben basically just cut a wrestling promo the other day. Don't take public comments as any indication of private thoughts.

Ben has an army of agents and consultants he listens to and AB does not. One guy is just shooting from the hip and the other is tossing out practices and honed statements.

It is likely that Ben wouldn't piss on AB if he was on fire, but he's still gonna say that they are friends.

Once the relationship between AB and the Steelers fell apart for good I doubt AB set up his interview with ESPN, appearance on the LeBron James HBO show and photo op/meeting with AJRII on his own to help finish off his ties to the Steelers. AB is not smart enough to get a new contract that once again made him the highest paid WR in the league 2 years after signing his last deal with the Steelers without being guided there. Drew Rosenhaus was a major player in AB landing with the Raiders and I regard a lot of how the situation developed as due to AB & Rosenhaus working together on how to force a trade to a team of his choice that would meet his contract demands.

OTOH another high profile former Steeler did ignore everyone’s advice - Bell rejected his agent’s recommendation to take the Steelers offer and cost himself millions by not listening to Bakari’s advice

[DesertSteel]

Maybe its not HIS Quarterback
Why isn't he? There's ONE team.

SM is put into perspective for our generation, but their world is different. There's nothing virtual about it for them. Everything like and emoji has meaning for them. It was a douche move IMO.

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Ben has an army of agents and consultants he listens to
That's a scary thought...

[Edman]

Like I said in another thread. Ben wanted the spotlight, now it is his show. Todd Haley is gone. AB is gone. Fichtner is there. He's got the backing of Colbert and Rooney. It's all on Ben. He is the Steelers now.

Now we're acting shocked that he's getting more heat than usual? Repeat 2018 all over again and it will just get worse. The interceptions and poor play will be magnified. There's no one to blame anymore besides Tomlin.

The pressure is on Ben to perform in 2019. No if's, ands, or buts about it.

[polamalubeast]

Like I said in another thread. Ben wanted the spotlight, now it is his show. Todd Haley is gone. AB is gone. He's got the backing of Colbert and Rooney. It's all on Ben. He is the Steelers now.

Now we're acting shocked that he's getting more heat than usual? Repeat 2018 all over again and it will just get worse. The interceptions and poor performances will be magnified. There's no one to blame anymore.

The pressure is on Ben to perform in 2019. No if's, ands, or buts about it.

Of course, it's all Ben's fault if AB acted like a child.

One of the reasons why AB wanted to leave the steelers was because he wanted a raise in his contract .... He just found a way to leave the steelers.Do you remember his comments after the week 2 against the Chiefs on social media? ... Also what about his comments on JuJu in April.

Anyway, you'll always find a way to criticize Ben like if he has a bad career

[Edman]

Of course, it's all Ben's fault if AB acted like a child.

One of the reasons why AB wanted to leave the steelers was because he wanted a raise in his contract .... He just found a way to leave the steelers.Do you remember his comments after the week 2 against the Chiefs on social media? ... Also what about his comments on JuJu in April.

Anyway, you'll always find a way to criticize Ben like if he has a bad career

AB's stupidity has nothing to do with Ben's personal failures.

No more scapegoats or excuses for Ben in 2019, but I'm sure Ben apologists will find someone new to throw under the bus.

[polamalubeast]

AB's stupidity has nothing to do with Ben's personal failures.

No more scapegoats or excuses for Ben in 2019, but I'm sure Ben apologists will find someone new to throw under the bus.

Yeah, I agree, Ben's career is a big failure...:ranger:

You say the same thing since at least I'm on this forum about the failure of Ben!

[polamalubeast]

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[polamalubeast]

Like I said yesterday,Tomlin need to control his players on the social media

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[tube517]

Like I said yesterday,Tomlin need to control his players on the social media

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Dong tweet by Dupree.. Fat Kaboly is too easy of a target

[El-Gonzo Jackson]

Yeah, I agree, Ben's career is a big failure...:ranger:

You say the same thing since at least I'm on this forum about the failure of Ben!

I don't think he is saying anything about Ben's career being a failure. Rather referring to his personal failures.

Ben wasn't suspended by the NFL for 6 games, for anything he did on the field. His corporate endorsement deals didnt go away due to what he did on the field. His estrangement from his hometown of Findlay Ohio, not attending a single basketball game when his sister Carlee and the OK Sooners had a final 4 season, etc. Ben was a dumb, ego-driven, jerk and maybe it had to do with him mom dying when he was 8, or how he was treated as an up and coming athlete...we just don't know.

But if I put my fan hat away and look at how a man should treat teammates, fellow men...in a way to gain their respect and be a leader of men...I cant help but think that Ben hasn't done that well and failed at that. There is often the reference to the team being a Band of Brothers. I think Ben reminds me of the drill SGT that David Schwimmer portrayed in that series, where the men saluted his rank, but didnt respect the man equally of his rank.

[polamalubeast]

I don't think he is saying anything about Ben's career being a failure. Rather referring to his personal failures.

Ben wasn't suspended by the NFL for 6 games, for anything he did on the field. His corporate endorsement deals didnt go away due to what he did on the field. His estrangement from his hometown of Findlay Ohio, not attending a single basketball game when his sister Carlee and the OK Sooners had a final 4 season, etc. Ben was a dumb, ego-driven, jerk and maybe it had to do with him mom dying when he was 8, or how he was treated as an up and coming athlete...we just don't know.

But if I put my fan hat away and look at how a man should treat teammates, fellow men...in a way to gain their respect and be a leader of men...I cant help but think that Ben hasn't done that well and failed at that. There is often the reference to the team being a Band of Brothers. I think Ben reminds me of the drill SGT that David Schwimmer portrayed in that series, where the men saluted his rank, but didnt respect the man equally of his rank.

Roethlisberger is far from perfect and I hope his radio show is going to be over, but it's been a long time he's against Ben, even in the moments when the steelers were at their best.Ben needs to be perfect in a game for him to be happy!

[Edman]

Yeah, I agree, Ben's career is a big failure.

There's a reason why Ben was voted Team MVP only once in his career and has never won anything of note regarding on or off field accomplishments despite his ability.

Take the black and gold glasses off for just a minute and you'll see what I'm talking about. Ben is a shotcaller, and knows how to say all the right things to the media, but when it comes down to true leadership ability, it is utter garbage. Ben's poor leadership was always covered up with a scapegoat or a convenient excuse. Ken Whisenhunt, Bruce Arians, Todd Haley, now Antonio Brown. But there is always one constant through all of the dust-ups and burnt bridges throughout the organization: Ben.

Like I said. Ben has the spotlight this season, and we'll see what he is.

[polamalubeast]

There's a reason why Ben was voted Team MVP only once in his career and has never won anything of note regarding on or off field accomplishments despite his ability.

Take the black and gold glasses off for just a minute and you'll see what I'm talking about. Ben is a shotcaller, and knows how to say all the right things to the media, but when it comes down to true leadership ability, it is utter garbage. Ben's poor leadership was always covered up with a scapegoat or a convenient excuse. Ken Whisenhunt, Bruce Arians, Todd Haley, now Antonio Brown. But there is always one constant through all of the dust-ups and burnt bridges throughout the organization: Ben.

We'll find out soon enough this season.

Ben won a lot of games with Whisenhunt and Arians ... The relationship with Arians was very good and Ben wanted the steelers to keep him .... Yeah the relationship between Ben and Whisenhunt was not very good, but at least they won a lot of game together in the first two years .... Todd Haley's play calling was atrocious, the steelers kept him too long .... Baker Mayfield seemed to be another bust in Cleveland with Haley .... Browns fired him just in time, otherwise his confidence could have been destroyed ..... The fact that Haley was our OC for 6 years was crazy.

Ben is not perfect as a leader, but he's not as bad as many like to think .... Ben made mistakes, but to say that it's 100% of his fault that Brown acted like a child is ridiculous.

[stillers4me]

There's a reason why Ben was voted Team MVP only once in his career and has never won anything of note regarding on or off field accomplishments despite his ability.

Take the black and gold glasses off for just a minute and you'll see what I'm talking about. Ben is a shotcaller, and knows how to say all the right things to the media, but when it comes down to true leadership ability, it is utter garbage. Ben's poor leadership was always covered up with a scapegoat or a convenient excuse. Ken Whisenhunt, Bruce Arians, Todd Haley, now Antonio Brown. But there is always one constant through all of the dust-ups and burnt bridges throughout the organization: Ben.

Like I said. Ben has the spotlight this season, and we'll see what he is.


https://www.steelers.com/news/team-captains-are-announced
But he's been voted captain 10 times.


Leader.


It’s defined in many ways, one being “a person who has commanding authority or influence.”

That definition fits for the Steelers 2018 team captains.




Your personal tirades polluting every single thread is beyond old. You don't like him, We get it.

[polamalubeast]

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[polamalubeast]

For the team MVP for Ben ... Maybe it's also because of the competition.

I mean, we had in their peak, Polamalu, Harrison, Brown, Bell who had several all pro season with us ....

[pczach]

1131301767101206530



Oh my God!! Terrell Edmunds is Harrison's a Monster!!!!!

HAM is actually a safety on the Steelers defense that likes everyone's posts or tweets!

How did I not notice this earlier?

:toofunny:

[hawaiiansteeler]

Oh my God!! Terrell Edmunds is Harrison's a Monster!!!!!

HAM is actually a safety on the Steelers defense that likes everyone's posts or tweets!

How did I not notice this earlier?

:toofunny:

I miss HAM, I used to get 10 "likes" a day from him :rofl2:

[El-Gonzo Jackson]

Oh my God!! Terrell Edmunds is Harrison's a Monster!!!!!

HAM is actually a safety on the Steelers defense that likes everyone's posts or tweets!

How did I not notice this earlier?

:toofunny:

That is funny.

But I guess HAM never got called a douchebag for liking somebody's post here. Crazy how people can rush to judgement in 3 emojis or less.

[86WARD]

So can’t you “unlike” something? Has that been done yet?

[HollywoodSteel]

1131301767101206530

This is a good enough explanation for me. He’s just a good kid who didn’t think about how it would be interpreted.

I have no doubt that Ben has forgiven him. I say we do the same and not let this be the dreaded “drama” in our minds. It’s clearly water under the bridge. Let’s move on.

EDIT: sorry, I meant to include the comment made by Foster about Edmunds. That’s what I’m referring to.

[teegre]

[
Oh my God!! Terrell Edmunds is Harrison's a Monster!!!!!

HAM is actually a safety on the Steelers defense that likes everyone's posts or tweets!

How did I not notice this earlier?

:toofunny:

I miss HAM, I used to get 10 "likes" a day from him :rofl2:

I text him daily. And, Yes, he “likes” all of my texts.

(A great, great guy.)

[pczach]

That is funny.

But I guess HAM never got called a douchebag for liking somebody's post here. Crazy how people can rush to judgement in 3 emojis or less.


Actually, HAM was called names by some for doing just that.

Patience is in very short order here, and overreacting is, unfortunately, the norm around here.

I just wanted to hear an explanation before judging him. Imagine that!

[Mojouw]

I'm a grumpy old man before my time, so this comment is aimed at me as well.....

....But it is hilarious to see how all these old (at least 10-20 decades older than most of the players) try to explain and understand how the young folks use social media. We are a generation or 3 removed from the expectations and rules of behavior of the players. And I get that the math is a bit wonky here and not universal, but it is something to think about. Each generation that comes up changes the rules and expectations for proper behavior. So if you are 35 and a player is 20 -- they do not walk through the world the same way you do. Throw in the ethnic, economic, and geographic divides between players, fans, writers, bloggers, etc and I think everyone needs to take a beat and just count to 100 or something until they dial that old outrage meter up.

[polamalubeast]

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[hawaiiansteeler]

Joey Porter: Ben Roethlisberger Abuses His Power; Apology Came Far Too Late

By Matthew Marczi
Posted on May 24, 2019

Back in January, after it was announced that Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin decided not to renew outside linebacker coach Joey Porter’s contract, Mike Prisuta reported that some players felt as though Porter was encouraging a sort of schism, a competition between the offensive and defensive players.

Porter is free to say anything he wants now, and he was on NFL Total Access earlier tonight with seemingly plenty to say about his former teammate, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, and how he has handled himself in relation to other players over the course of his career. In his remarks, in fact, he even seemed to be defending former wide receiver Antonio Brown, at least to an extent.

“You know, it’s kind of like, once you have a bad situation, they’re not going to be pick up the phone”, he said, apparently referring to the fact that the team could not get a hold of Brown for months from the end of the season on. The same was also true of Le’Veon Bell for the past two offseasons.

“If you feel slighted by any way—any teammate, friend, teammate—once you feel like you’d been betrayed in any type of way, I’m not picking up your phone call. You can’t call me and say, ‘oh, I’m sorry’ the next day”, he went on. “I need you to be sorry when you did it. You can’t be sorry that late. So those relationships went the other way”.

“Now that he’s being a man and apologizing now, it’s just a couple days too late. I mean, it probably all could have been avoided if he was coming to them and saying, ‘you know what, I didn’t handle that the right way’. But that’s the way he chose to go about it and apologize, and it’s just a little too late”.

to read rest of article:

https://steelersdepot.com/2019/05/joey-porter-ben-roethlisberger-abuses-his-power-apology-came-far-too-late/

[Hawkman]

Man....the season can’t get here fast enough.

[polamalubeast]

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[86WARD]

Porter. A Tomlin hire. Again...character issues. Colbert and Tomlin’s biggest flaw...they are poor judges of character.

[Mojouw]

I don't think it is any surprise that Porter would feel how he does. Both Porter and AB were wired to run on "respect" and used any perceived disrespect as fuel. I shudder to think what Porter would've been like with access to Instagram and Twitter.

[polamalubeast]

Porter. A Tomlin hire. Again...character issues. Colbert and Tomlin’s biggest flaw...they are poor judges of character.

It was a big accomplishment for Cowher to keep Joey Porter under control (in the locker room at least) when he was with us as a player...

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[El-Gonzo Jackson]

1132062305267720192

The observations by Davis about Elway being one of the guys, despite having this power and status is very insightful. I think the comments of Colbert and actions of Tomlin, kind of tell a story of how things are viewed in the Steelers organization.

[hawaiiansteeler]

Joey Porter: Ben Roethlisberger has power and uses it for himself

Posted by Michael David Smith on May 25, 2019

Add Joey Porter to the list of former Steelers who don’t think highly of Ben Roethlisberger.

Porter was a teammate of Roethlisberger’s for three years, played against him (pictured), and then returned to Pittsburgh and was an assistant coach for the last five years. Discussing the feud between Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown on NFL Network, Porter said Roethlisberger put himself above the rest of the team.

to read rest of article:

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2019/05/25/joey-porter-ben-roethlisberger-has-power-and-uses-it-for-himself/

[Edman]

Yet another Ex-Steeler who piles on Ben.

Everyone is picking on #7.

[tube517]

Porter called Ben out in a team meeting in 2006. Why is this such a surprise now? Lazy journalism that all these so called beat writers already know.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[AtlantaDan]

Porter got fired and obviously his comments need to be discounted because of that

But Porter had dealings with Ben as a player from 2004-2006 when there is little dispute Ben was a jackass and regarded as someone to be tolerated by the guys that ran the locker room

Porter then came back as an assistant and apparently concluded Ben had more clout but was still a jackass

An easy way for Ben to show he is trying to keep the distractions to a minimum this season would be to dump the radio show - in that dog & pony show with KDKA Ben could not even bring himself to do that

This season gets real ugly real fast if the Steelers have another crappy September like last year