The Steelers had their first day of workouts yesterday, which meant their first meeting with new coach Mike Tomlin. How did it go, you ask? Tomlin "laid down the law", according to Cedrick Wilson, the only Steeler offering a peep after the meeting broke.
According to the report, about 85% of the team showed up, including Ben Roethlisberger, who found some time for a football-related activity in-between corporate gigs and photo ops. So that's some good news.
Hines Ward, despite his disagreement with the release of Joey Tyson-Porter, was also in attendance. Among the no-shows was outspoken veteran Alan Faneca, who wanted Russ Grimm as head coach. Don't forget, Faneca also wanted Tommy Maddox to remain as the starting QB instead of Big Ben in 2004, so maybe he should worry more about blocking and less about personnel moves.
If there was ever a team that needed some discipline, it's the Bengals. But the Steelers could use a heavy dose as well. I'm glad to hear the tone of the first Tomlin meeting as "laying down the law", and I'm glad no one is talking, with the exception of a receiver whose niche is the league's best mock pass-interference flag-throw. This team is too talented to fall into the same mistakes as 2006, and it sounds like Coach Tomlin has things headed in the right direction.
3 comments:
Look guys,
Everyone here thinks I'm a 16 year old whack job bent on being annoying as hell am I right?
You know, I don't want to alienate anyone here. We're probably all fans of the same teams except Pitt and PSU.
I've never said Pitt didn't have a good program. Not once. What annoys me are Pitt fans who act as if they deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as Carolina, Duke, Michigan State, Illinois, etc. Teams that have been to the Final 4 and Won Championships in the last handful of years. Pitt is NOT elite for reaching the Sweet 16 4 of 6 years. I'm not impressed as the outside observer.
One guy on the basketball pool compared Dixon to Dean Smith and Bobby Knight because he was fastest to 100 wins. Thats ridiculos. He got those wins against inferior non conference opponents and off of Ben Howland's recruits. Again, I am definitely not impressed with Dixon and his style. It is boring and hasn't gotten Pitt over the hump yet.
The way to earn my respect for the program is to get to the Final Four. Play tough teams in Maui to begin the season or in another pre-season tounament where the great teams play. Florida State doesn't impress me. If Pitt does that, then I will call them elite. But not now, not before anything signifigant has been accomplished.
As for my Lions, what do you want me to do? Apologoze for being a fan? Like hell. That's like telling ou to apologize for being a Pitt football fan. Pitt football fans talk all winter about "Another great recruiting class by Wanstache". "We've got Doren Dickerson! Shine the National Championship Trophy!". I'm no more drunk with Penn State basketball kool-aid than some are with Pitt football's.
So please, stop the attacks. Both sides have a team that rocks and a team that sucks. Let's leave it at that.
I am a little bit worried about Faneca. His game is not as consistent as it once was. If he's going to get all bent out of shape because this year, Free Agent guards have been cashing in, then things could get ugly. This is worth monitoring. He may be another guy that the Steelers end up letting leave a year too early instead of signing him for 6 years past his prime. This also has little to do with Tomlin and a whole lot to do with money.
I was reading in a few different sources that said that this probably will be the last year here for everybody's second favorite #66. I'm gonna miss the big guy, and can probably envision him going home to N'awlins to finish his career. At least we'll get to enjoy one more year watching him plow through linemen wearing our version of the black n' gold.
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