AFCN blog: Rooney family, Steelers have special culture

[stillers4me]

I can't fully explain it. But there is a different feeling I get around the Pittsburgh Steelers (http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/pit/pittsburgh-steelers) than with other teams.

Every week you get the sense the Steelers have supreme confidence they're going to win the next game. Every season you feel they think they'll win the division, or win the Super Bowl -- even if it doesn't always turn out to be the case.


http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2011/0510/nfl_a_rooneys_jh_300.jpg (http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/27448/rooney-family-steelers-have-special-culture#)
Pittsburgh is the only NFL team I know which treats a 9-7 record like it's 0-16. Anything short of a Super Bowl is not good enough, which puts immense pressure on Pittsburgh. But the Steelers fearlessly embrace it.

It starts at the top with the Rooney family, who were voted the No. 1 ownership group in this week's ESPN.com Power Rankings........................

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[silver & black]

Pittsburgh is the only NFL team I know which treats a 9-7 record like it's 0-16. Anything short of a Super Bowl is not good enough, which puts immense pressure on Pittsburgh.

Not true. As much as Al Davis is despised and ridiculed, he hates to lose. He is never happy about any season that doesn't end with a trip to the Show.

Having said that... and definitely NOT a Steelers fan, I completely admire what the Rooney's have accomplished and the way they run their organization. The Steelers are a perennial contender. It amazes me that the blueprint for success is right in front of all the other organization's faces, yet, they don't pick up on it... with the exception of maybe the Patr*ots.

I expect a little flack for the Al Davis comment, but it's the truth. I admit to being jealous of the way the Steelers are run and wish that old Al would get a clue... but that's just what it is... a wish.