Have you ever hated a Steeler, and why?

[zulater]

I bring this up because of a discussion I'm having on another thread, and it got me to thinking about the one Steelers player that I've come closest to hating and why, and so I'm wondering if any of you have ever been emotionally invested in a team, but came to intensely dislike one of the players?

For me it was Kordell Stewart. At first even though i doubted that he had the right stuff to be as top notch NFL qb I tried to give him the benifit of the doubt. And for a while I even thought he might develop into an above average player. But sometime around 1998 it became evident that he wasn't ever going to be that guy. Oh I know he had some moments, and I again tried to suspend reality and think that he could be something that he clearly was not, but deep in my mind I always knew, he just wasn't that good.

Now of course there's been a lot of Steelers over the years that were mediocre, many moreso than Kordell ( though not nearly as handsomely paid) and I didn't come to dislike them. So what was the difference? According to some of my detractors over at OSMB ( old Steeler message board to the unitiated, aka Steelers.com) they attributed this to me being racist. Not likely if one actually knew me in the flesh, but I wont get into why. :chuckle:

Anyway the reason i came to detest Kordell, and still do, is because Kordell never once to my knowledge ever took responsability for his or the Steelers failings when they occured. He'd always in some not so subtle way make sure that you knew it wasn't his fault. That the OC failed him( his favorite) or that the receivers weren't that great, or maybe it was just bad luck. But it never occured to him that maybe he needed to study film more dilegently, or that he needed to stay with the play and find a secondary receiver occasionally. That there wasn't an NFL rule against hitting a non stationary target ( in the same uniform anyway :chuckle: ) In short he wasn't a stand up guy, and he still isn't. Hell this idiot tried to sell the world that Taveras Jackson could have taken the Steelers to SB XLIII as readily as Big Ben actually did. :doh:

Anyway that's the only Pittsburgh sports icon I've ever hated and why, so do any of you have any of your own?

[Godfather]

Hated? Nah, not really.

I was glad to see Mark Malone, Bubby Brister, and Tommy Maddox leave, but I didn't hate any of them. I just didn't want them to be the starting quarterback.

[fansince'76]

As Godfather said, I also have never hated any player, but was happy to see more than a few go when they did. Foremost among those players was Mark Malone.

[steelreserve]

Willie Parker. Never have I seen a player be that bad, yet so many people think he was actually good.

[vader29]

Never hated a player, but really disliked #14 after Super Bowl 30.

[SteelGhost]

I always disliked Neil O'Donnell, even before those "great picks" :sarcasm:

[Steeldude]

I bring this up because of a discussion I'm having on another thread, and it got me to thinking about the one Steelers player that I've come closest to hating and why, and so I'm wondering if any of you have ever been emotionally invested in a team, but came to intensely dislike one of the players?

For me it was Kordell Stewart. At first even though i doubted that he had the right stuff to be as top notch NFL qb I tried to give him the benifit of the doubt. And for a while I even thought he might develop into an above average player. But sometime around 1998 it became evident that he wasn't ever going to be that guy. Oh I know he had some moments, and I again tried to suspend reality and think that he could be something that he clearly was not, but deep in my mind I always knew, he just wasn't that good.

Now of course there's been a lot of Steelers over the years that were mediocre, many moreso than Kordell ( though not nearly as handsomely paid) and I didn't come to dislike them. So what was the difference? According to some of my detractors over at OSMB ( old Steeler message board to the unitiated, aka Steelers.com) they attributed this to me being racist. Not likely if one actually knew me in the flesh, but I wont get into why. :chuckle:

Anyway the reason i came to detest Kordell, and still do, is because Kordell never once to my knowledge ever took responsability for his or the Steelers failings when they occured. He'd always in some not so subtle way make sure that you knew it wasn't his fault. That the OC failed him( his favorite) or that the receivers weren't that great, or maybe it was just bad luck. But it never occured to him that maybe he needed to study film more dilegently, or that he needed to stay with the play and find a secondary receiver occasionally. That there wasn't an NFL rule against hitting a non stationary target ( in the same uniform anyway :chuckle: ) In short he wasn't a stand up guy, and he still isn't. Hell this idiot tried to sell the world that Taveras Jackson could have taken the Steelers to SB XLIII as readily as Big Ben actually did. :doh:

Anyway that's the only Pittsburgh sports icon I've ever hated and why, so do any of you have any of your own?

i was a regular on a site called realpittsburgh.com in the late 90's. i was the most hated person that site because i knew kordell would never be anything other than a very poor QB. the best was when i received death threats...lol. kordell lovers were some of the most immature and illogical fans around.

i hated kordell as a QB, not as a person or a WR.

[steelersfan425]

Neil O'Donnell is the only steelers player i have ever hated

[zulater]

Just to clarify, hate is a relative word to sports fandom, "player hater" etc..., it doesn't mean a literal hate of the actual man. So if you prefer strong dislike.

[HometownGal]

Hate is a strong word so I'll use "strongly dislike". I strongly disliked Kordodo and not because of the color of his skin. I didn't like his Jekyl/Hyde routine - one minute an arrogant jerk and the next minute a whiny bitch.

[Count Steeler]

It would have to be the less than stellar stretch of QB's between Bradshaw and Roethlisberger. Can't say that I thought we had a real chance of winning it all with any of them. O'Donnell had a real chance to prove me wrong in SB XXX, but he just blew up.

Arians was another Steeler that could have left without me shedding a tear, that was until I joined this site and HTG opened my previously closed mind.

[86WARD]

Mark Malone. Worst QB in franchise history.

Cowher made the mistake trying to put Kordell at QB full time. He should've kept him as Slash where we all loved Kordell and where he flourished. He gave in and Kordell's career went down the tubes. In his defense, there wasn't a lot of consistency on the coaching staff. They'd been better off starting Jimmy Miller.

[polamalubeast]

I must admit that now I do not like William Gay as player.


http://alt.coxnewsweb.com/cnishared/tools/shared/mediahub/06/20/00/slideshow_1002061969_5.jpg

[El-Gonzo Jackson]

Didn't like Carey Davis...I mean the guy couldn't block, wasn't a receiving or running threat out of the backfield. Waste of a roster spot.

[tube517]

Kent Graham

[Psycho Ward 86]

William freakin' Gay...

[LLT]

Jamain Stephens...we gave that fat piece of worthless flesh THREE YEARS to get in shape and he couldnt do it!!!!

Wouldnt bother me so much but that he was a first round pick with players like...Amani Toomer... Mike Alstott....Lawyer Milloy......Muhsin Muhammad....Brian Dawkins....Tedy Bruschi...Terrell Owens...still on the board.

(Yes...I dont like Owens either...but he would have been a FAR better pick than Stephens)

[GBMelBlount]

Willie Parker. Never have I seen a player be that bad, yet so many people think he was actually good.

Especially if you took away his long runs.....:chuckle:

[Chidi29]

Never hated him but it took me awhile to stop cringing when I saw Ryan Mundy on the field. First Steeler to wear 29 after Iwuoma was let go.

[HometownGal]

Jamain Stephens...we gave that fat piece of worthless flesh THREE YEARS to get in shape and he couldnt do it!!!!



I totally forgot about that lard ass. :doh: Definitely a waste of a first rounder and a roster spot.

[86WARD]

Willie Parker is far from one of the most hated on the team...far from it...lol. At least 20 players worse than him to hate!

[SteelerEmpire]

http://thm-a02.yimg.com/nimage/61ce8230bdcf4818

Before my time, but Aldo Donelli. Head coach of the Steelers in 1941. Coached the Steelers to a worst ever 0-5 record (000 win percentage)... then the Japs bombed Pearl Harbor... boom ! NOT a good year for the Steelers...

[st33lersguy]

I dislike Billy "Burnt" Gay

[ALLD]

Don't forget about Sweed. He has one good block and a few catches, but his potential was much greater.

[Chidi29]

http://thm-a02.yimg.com/nimage/61ce8230bdcf4818

Before my time, but Aldo Donelli. Head coach of the Steelers in 1941. Coached the Steelers to a worst ever 0-5 record (000 win percentage)... then the Japs bombed Pearl Harbor... boom ! NOT a good year for the Steelers...

It's almost four in the morning so if I'm wrong, blame it on lack of sleep, but there's even more bad news to Donelli. He was a successful college coach at Duquense, reason being we were interested in him. He tried to have his cake and eat it too, attempting to coach the Dukes and Steelers at the same time. When the Steelers showed little promise, he basically stopped being involved with the team.

As good as the coaching has been since Noll, it was absolutely horrendous prior. Parker, Austin, etc. Which is even more puzzling because we had guys that were successful players and coaches. Jock Sutherland was thought to be a savior with his success at Pitt. Blood McNally was a heck of a player but an awful coach.

[zulater]

http://steelerstoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/duce1.jpg



I can't believe no one's mentioned this guy yet?!

[86WARD]

Some of these guys didn't play enough to warrant the hate.

[steelersfanman92]

I'm going with Willy Gay

[NJarhead]

Hate? No, but I was "very angry" with Neil O'Donnell and I was not much of a Kent Graham fan.

[KeiselPower99]

My Wife says Kordell and Tommy Maddox. I wasnt the biggest fan of Burress or Parker. And to be 100% honest Mendenhall annoys the hell out of me. Always spinning in the back field. Run straight you bastard!!!!!!!!

[Devilsdancefloor]

Bam Morris for pissing his career away over a freaking plant, there are a few others, but bam sticks out at the moment

[polamalubeast]

Kris 'miss' Brown

[Iron Steeler]

What a waist of time that was

[86WARD]

Mendenhall annoys the hell out of me. Always spinning in the back field. Run straight you bastard!!!!!!!!

Agree...I'm not the biggest fan of his...he keeps reminding me of Tim Worley...

[fansince'76]

I always disliked Neil O'Donnell, even before those "great picks" :sarcasm:


Neil O'Donnell is the only steelers player i have ever hated

O'Donnell was nothing more than a journeyman QB who played like a journeyman QB in SB XXX. I personally find it hard to hate a guy who basically played up to his skill level in that game.

[SteelerSal]

. And to be 100% honest Mendenhall annoys the hell out of me. Always spinning in the back field. Run straight you bastard!!!!!!!!

I'm not a Mendy fan either and I absolutely hate when he freakin spins ...someone needs to disconnect his "O" button on his PS3 controller that activates the spin move.
Mendy's twitter antics of late has made my dislike even greater...

From earlier era of Steeler players, I'd go with, Graham, Raghib Arnold, Donnel Woolford, Hank Poteat....ah..too many to mention. Been alot of bad players that came through.

[86WARD]

O'Donnell was nothing more than a journeyman QB who played like a journeyman QB in SB XXX. I personally find it hard to hate a guy who basically played up to his skill level in that game.

That mess that was Super Bowl XXX wasn't all his fault...However, you are right...he was more or less for a lack of a better word a journeyman. Steelers win that game and O'Donnell is put in the category with Hostetler, Dilfer,etc.

[SteelerSal]

O'Donnell was the best QB betwwen Bradshaw and Ben...never disliked the guy for what happened in the superbowl..only the way he left the team to go to the green for the green.

[SteelGhost]

O'Donnell was nothing more than a journeyman QB who played like a journeyman QB in SB XXX. I personally find it hard to hate a guy who basically played up to his skill level in that game.

So, I STRONGLY dislike "Journeyman" O'Donnell :grin:

[86WARD]

btw - Steelers win Super Bowl XXX, O'Donnell goes in that Hostetler/Dilfer category and probably winds up MVP...meaning he didn't throw 2 of the 3 INTs. Oh, what could've been...maybe I do hate him...

:(

[Iron Steeler]

What a waist of time that was

This was directed towards your Duce Staley post Zu... for some reason the picture didnt pop up..

[Iron Steeler]

For me... Deshea Townsend...

couldnt stand this guy at the end of his career. He was to old and to slow and yet would get ONE miraculous INT or play to keep him in the lineup. I.E. Romo pick six. I dunno if I was more mad at him, or the front office for ignoring that we need secondary help for the past 5+ years...

now William Gay is my punching bag..

[beSteelmyheart]

I didn't care much for Tommy Maddox... I remember when Ben got hurt & he went in as back up & it was as if all of the energy & life just suddenly got sucked right out of the game for the Steelers. (can't remember which game) Not too crazy about Staley, either.

[BigNastyDefense]

Hmmmmm....I would have to say Burress. He was a good receiver, but never as good as he thought he was. Plus I don't like the way he left the Steelers. I don't understand why people want to sign him.

I will never forget in the 2004 AFCCG, we throw a fade pass to him in the endzone as we try to come back and take the game....and he doesn't even try to catch it because he doesn't like the fade play.

[O'Malley]

Slash, not for his time on the team. But for his comments of late about the Steelers. The one franchise who gave him chance after chance after f------ chance. A true dirt bag in my book..........

[Burghfan58]

Not hate just thought he stunk.................Chad Scott.

[SteelerSal]

I didn't care much for Tommy Maddox... I remember when Ben got hurt & he went in as back up & it was as if all of the energy & life just suddenly got sucked right out of the game for the Steelers. (can't remember which game) .

Not that this was the game but the Texans game comes to mind where our defense held them to 40 yards of offense but Tommy single handedly gave that game to them with turnovers for TD's.

[BlastFurnace]

My most despised player of all time was Mark Malone. Nothing drove me crazier than this guy throwing darts into the dirt, then throwing the occassional touchdown pass, the thrusting the #1 sign with his index finger has he jogged off the field. He would do this when the Steelers were losing and while the Steelers were having losing seasons. It was painfully obvious to anyone who watched Malone that he was not a QB. The drafting of Bubby Brister finally gave the Steeler fans some relief from Malone.

Now, my most despised Steelers employee is an easy one...Tom Donahoe. I was confronted by an angry Bob Labriola on Steelers.com in 1999 for a post I wrote about what a sham Donahoe was. I celebrated the day he was fired. I felt Donahoe was doing nothing but driving the Steelers into the ground after Tom Modrak left the Steelers and Donahoe had control of the draft. In my opinion, had the Steelers kept Donahoe over Cowher after the 1999 season, we would not have seen the team begin to rebound in 2000. Wouldn't surprise me if he would have tried to sell another season under Kent Graham to the Steelers. Maybe the angriest moment I have had as a Steelers fan (other than the overturned Polamalu INT against the Colts) was when the Steelers drafted Troy Edwards instead of Jevon Kearse. Looking back at it, his feud with Cowher and that Edwards draft pick were probably the nail in the coffin in getting him fired. A blessing in disguise.

[fansince'76]

My most despised player of all time was Mark Malone. Nothing drove me crazier than this guy throwing darts into the dirt, then throwing the occassional touchdown pass, the thrusting the #1 sign with his index finger has he jogged off the field. He would do this when the Steelers were losing and while the Steelers were having losing seasons.

Yep, I remember that. I also remember the jackass frequently jogging off the field laughing after he threw an INT (which is about the only thing he did well). :mad2: I'm also pretty sure he's the reason the FO waited 24 years before drafting another QB in the 1st round.

[86WARD]

Mark Malone...my vote as well...

[Bluecoat96]

I remember the old joke about Mark Malone very well.

Q- What do Mark Malone and Oral Roberts have in common?

A- They both have 100,000 people behind them yelling, "Jesus Christ!!!"

[PalmerSteel]

just thinking of the name odonnell still gets my blood boiling. i never have and hopefully never will hate a steeler more than that. i was around 21 at the time, had a big super bowl party, roommate was a cowboys fan, and we did everything else great in the game (enough to win anyway) except for THOSE 2 FU&%^NG PASSES that were so pathetic. i still think he was on jerry's payroll. grrrr! i still get jabs from that one.