Steeler Maniacs

It’s no secret that the Pittsburgh Steelers have a big reputation to live up to. Not only are they the oldest team in the American Football Conference, they also have the most champion wins. They’ve played in no less than six Super Bowls and have won the Super Bowl not once but five times! Maybe the most memorable thing about the Steelers is that they are the only team in the NFL to go from a sixth seed position to a Super Bowl win. Today, the question on every football fan’s mind is, ‘Will the Steelers pull off a win this time too?Ketchup And MustardYou can’t talk about Steelers football without mentioning Heinz Field. Affectionately referred to as the ‘Big Ketchup Bottle and the Mustard Palace’, Heinz Field has been the home turf for the Steelers since 2001. There has always been a lot of buzz about Heinz Field, and it hasn’t always been good. For instance, in 2006 the field was voted as having the worst turf according to a survey by the NFL Players Association - in fact, it has gained a reputation for having one of the most difficult kicking surfaces. However the turf has been improved since then and Green Packers rookie Mason Crosby broke the NFL record for kicking at Heinz Field.

Here’s some fallout from the recent string of woman-beating by Pittsburgh Steelers

In this Post Gazette Article, Ed Bouchette discusses Dan Rooney’s poorly phrased baptismal-factor which played into Harrison’s attack. Shirl Regan of a Pittsburgh Womens’ shelter comments on Rooney’s response to the two assaults.

Here’s a link to an article that is critical of the Steelers domestic abuse problems and how the team has handled the incidents.

Upon hearing of Cedrick Wilson’s most recent domestic dispute, I assumed Wilson would be cut and Harrison would stay on the team. I had a slightly more cynical logic (Wilson is a spare-parts WR and Harrison is a Pro Bowler), than that professed by Dan Rooney in today’s Post Gazette.

Here is a link to a Post Gazette Article in which Rooney explains the Steelers cut Wilson, and why the team hasn’t released James Harrison.

At least Rooney is speaking to the press, at least there is some effort on the Steelers’ part to acknowledge and accept the recent propensity of the teams players to take out their frustrations on helpless women.

I’m not sure how guarded I should be about the validity of the claims which exonerate Harrison of at least some wrong doing, via purifying his motives.

Apparently Harrison became so enraged when he couldn’t take his child to be baptized he had to smack his girlfriend in the face.

Perhaps in a former life James was part of the Spanish Inquisition.

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Now Cedrick Wilson has allegedly assaulted a woman.

Here is an ESPN.com link describing the alleged assault. The headline reads, “Steelers receiver arrested after allegedly ‘punching girlfriend in the face’ ”

Jesus Christ.

There will be an effort to sweep this under the Rooney’s black and gold rug, along with James Harrison’s assault on his girlfriend.

There has to be some kind of public statement made after two incidents in such a short period of time.

Wilson will probably be cut, because he’s not that good. Harrison will remain a Steeler because he is a Pro Bowler.

Both of these incidents involve Steelers players hitting women.

Wilson’s ex was no angel, she held herself and her child hostage in Wilson’s suburban home a while back, but how can any woman pose a physical threat to a professional football player?

I don’t understand how there isn’t any public outcry about Harrison’s crime, which he admitted to, or Wilson’s which I think was just reported a few hours ago, and is still in the officially “alleged” stage.

Pittsburgh Steelers fans will continue to put their black and gold gods on a North Side pedestal. No one wants to admit their favorite team is full of flawed men, who go far beyond failing drug tests, or “making it rain”.

The Harrison incident was only clinically described by the Post Gazette, the day after the assault. No opinions by any sports writers, no printed reproach from Coach Tomlin the Rooneys or God forbid, the fans most of whom love to revel in the fact that the Steelers football team doesn’t employ lowlifes who hit women.

What if the Mayor or the Governor assaulted his girlfriend? Wouldn’t you expect that to get pretty heavy media coverage? I imagine such a crime would lead to a frenzied public outrage, fueled by disenchantment and disgust to force them out of office.

Are the Steelers bigger than our elected officials?

The only media coverage any of this stuff gets is from Mark Madden. Now even his biggest critics have to admit he has gone beyond presumed self-serving muckraking when he brings to light not only the assaults, but the public malaise, and the Press’ indifference. Unfortunately for Mr. Madden, it’s “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”. Historically, Madden has been so venomously anti-Steelers that when he has something legit to say about their wrongdoing, it looses its bite. For instance the Santonio Holmes’ case never made it to court so who knows what that was all about, and Najeh’s most recent charges were dropped, also the Wilson case he talks about was the bazaar gun-weilding of Wilsons’ unstable ex. Madden cites all three cases, carefully wording their inclusion to say “involved” which is true, but perhaps misleading. There’s nothing misleading about Harrison admitting to slapping his girlfriend, or Wilson punching his estranged girlfriend in the face.
Here’s Mark Madden’s Beaver County Times Column.