Easy to blame Big Ben … but that doesn’t make it right
It was Week 13 of the 2017 season and the Steelers were cruising along with a 9-2 record. They had won three of those games by three points, and were about to win another by the same margin that Monday night. But they also lost Ryan Shazier, the heart and soul and best player on their defense, to a broken neck.
At the end of that season, they lost Le鈥橵eon Bell, the motor of the Steelers running game. Bell proclaimed he was holding out for the benefit of future running backs, but his altruistic talk became nothing more than blather when he informed the Steelers he would play the final six games of the 2018 season only if they pay him the full $14.5 million of his franchise tag.
And after that season, they lost Mike Munchak. The offensive line coach, who was approaching Dick LeBeau-level love and respect not only in the locker room but in the city, had a chance to work and live near his daughter, her husband and their children, in the Denver area. So he accepted a lateral move and the Steelers lost the figurehead of the backbone of their team.
Now, they are in the process of losing their best playmaker, Antonio Brown, who inexplicably quit during the final week of the season. I called it a 50-50 chance they would trade him, but after team president Art Rooney II came out and said neither he nor Mike Tomlin had heard from Brown, and that a trade was possible, I upped the odds to 70-30 that Brown will be traded. And that鈥檚 being generous toward the side of reconciliation.
People in the organization still believe reconciliation is possible, but they鈥檙e holding their breath in anticipation of Brown unleashing his side of the story.
It鈥檚 been 鈥渞eported鈥� by ex-players in the national media 鈥� people I鈥檝e never seen in the locker room 鈥� that Brown鈥檚 dissatisfaction stems from Ben Roethlisberger for any of the following reasons:
n Roethlisberger either threw a ball at Brown or yelled at him during a walk-through.
I鈥檝e called around this week and have yet to hear any confirmation that anything close to that happened.
n Roethlisberger routinely calls out Brown during team meetings.
Again, no confirmation. In fact, here鈥檚 an example of what came back to me: 鈥淣ever.鈥�
n Roethlisberger receives more favorable treatment from the organization.
This was confirmed, but with the caveat that Brown receives the second-most.
Still, that鈥檚 understood by many. Yes, Tomlin has no doubt made mistakes in what he鈥檚 allowed Brown to get away with, and the coach is no doubt looking in the mirror again this morning and pondering how he can improve as, well, a babysitter of grown men. However, rewarding the hardest-working player on the team, and one who routinely makes game-changing and -winning plays, isn鈥檛 the biggest mistake a coach can make. The players get that.
They also get that it鈥檚 a new world out there, and that with social media players are going to express themselves. That Tomlin doesn鈥檛 curtail their individualism is appreciated.
Of course, that brings us to Roethlisberger鈥檚 radio show. The quarterback threw an awful pick (or two) in Denver, and said as much on his weekly show two days later. But he also said that Brown could鈥檝e run a better route on the final play.
Probably not the smartest thing Roethlisberger could have said, but we never hear the flip side, when Roethlisberger routinely covers for Brown鈥檚 freelancing on the field, or his sideline tantrums, or his perpetual state of 鈥淚鈥檓 open! Get me the ball!鈥�
Roethlisberger even surprised us this past season when he opened his post-game presser in Tampa by apologizing to Brown 鈥渇or showing a little bit too much emotion on that last third-down pass to him.鈥�
Huh?
No, Roethlisberger鈥檚 not perfect, but he also deserves more than all of the ill will being thrown at him these days with the Steelers in the process of losing their fourth iconic figure in the last 13-14 months.
It鈥檚 easy to throw stuff at Roethlisberger, too. Has been ever since Milledgeville.
In fact, since I just went there, allow me to quote someone in Roethlisberger鈥檚 circle:
鈥淗e didn鈥檛 do it.鈥�
And that鈥檚 where I鈥檒l leave that.
What I won鈥檛 leave is the change that鈥檚 clearly overcome Roethlisberger as he raises his young family. By all I鈥檝e been able to gather 鈥� and I鈥檓 really not investigating this, trust me 鈥� is that he鈥檚 a good man, a good husband, a good father and that he quietly embraces his newfound faith.
Yet, he remains an easy media target, has been all year. It started during voluntary spring practices when Brown erupted at reporters for 鈥渕aking up stories, asking my teammates stuff that I have to answer for. I鈥檓 hearing I don鈥檛 want to throw (with) backups.鈥�
I ignored him at the time, because I really had no interest in ascertaining why Roethlisberger, and then Brown, missed voluntary workouts. It鈥檚 actually appreciated by coaches when long-time veterans allow reps for rookie quarterbacks and receivers. I assumed the reporters who didn鈥檛 ignore it were looking for some of that drama to which many fans are addicted. They say they鈥檙e not, but they are and they always will be. In my opinion, they actually love it.
I don鈥檛. I could never walk around a locker room after a mini-camp practice and ask players if the two stars on offense are miffed at each other.
That鈥檚 the way it was presented in the post-season painting of the 鈥渃ircus鈥� national media want you to believe the Steelers鈥� locker room has become. It鈥檚 an easy sell to disappointed fans, too.
And why not? The questions regarding in-house soap operas continued all season, and most noticeably with the quarterback. It also became noticeable that the quarterback hated those questions, and his replies carried, in my opinion, the lack of respect such questions deserved. And also in my opinion, he鈥檚 currently being paid back for that attitude.
Call me an enabler if you like, but I only asked Roethlisberger football questions. And he would respond with respect, even if the questions weren鈥檛 all that flattering.
My biggest gripe about Roethlisberger isn鈥檛 鈥渃austic call-outs on his radio show,鈥� as purported sports journalism legend Peter King put it recently on his podcast. No, my question has to do with Roethlisberger not keeping his foot on the pedal with one-score leads in the second halves of games.
That鈥檚 my criticism, that Roethlisberger is an adrenaline junkie, and that while he鈥檚 a terrific underdog, particularly when behind, he鈥檚 not a great favorite, particularly with a lead. And when that lead is slight, and that defense doesn鈥檛 have Troy Polamalu, Aaron Smith, James Farrior and the like, short leads evaporate too easily.
Roethlisberger doesn鈥檛 flinch at those kinds of questions. He might not like them, but he answers them without attitude 鈥� unlike the manner in which he addresses questions about someone鈥檚 perceived hurt feelings in the locker room.
In my opinion, that鈥檚 the genesis of the so-called drama.
Hey, I watched Roethlisberger approach his offensive linemen after the final game of the season, after the Cleveland Browns had failed to pull off the upset that would鈥檝e sent the Steelers into the playoffs. I was talking to Ramon Foster over in the linemen鈥檚 corner of the Heinz Field locker room as Roethlisberger made his way across the room. He put one hand on the side of Alejandro Villanueva鈥檚 neck, the other on his shoulder, and quietly said something to him. Villanueva said something back, and they hugged. Then Roethlisberger approached the other linemen in a similar manner.
The mutual respect was obvious, and what struck me, particularly with Villanueva, is that these guys, these linemen, can spot a phony from a mile away. That鈥檚 how the drama-chasers in the media are basically labeling Roethlisberger these days, a phony, and in my opinion that label couldn鈥檛 be more wrong.
However Brown will label Roethlisberger when he finally figures out his side of the story really won鈥檛 matter to me. Brown has lied to my face before, so I鈥檓 fully expecting him to do it again. And I won鈥檛 care. I have my opinion, and it hasn鈥檛 changed after talking to people within the locker room and organization this week.
If you want to call losing four icons 鈥� each for a very different reason 鈥� a 鈥渃ircus,鈥� that鈥檚 your perogative. But be thankful that the fifth icon isn鈥檛 going anywhere.
Talk of a Roethlisberger extension is more than just talk. He鈥檒l soon turn 37, but has been well-preserved. I mean, you DO realize he takes Wednesdays off in the name of arm management, right?
My advice is to ignore all that鈥檚 being thrown at a player who clearly doesn鈥檛 suffer fools, and in particular foolish questions. Appreciate what you have at quarterback, even though the season didn鈥檛 end the way anyone wanted it to end. Because, and you know this, they don鈥檛 come around often.