Jerry Jabber Posted January 19, 2009 Author Share Posted January 19, 2009 The truth is, I think you can make a pretty good case that Pittsburgh is the finest franchise in the NFL. They've had 3 coaches in the past 40 years, and each one of them has made a Super Bowl, and I don't have too many doubts that Tomlin will win one before his time is up there. This is their 7th trip to the big game, and they've had how many AFC championship game apperances? 15? Something like that. The Steelers are the Bills 1988-1996, except they've been like that 1970-2008. That's what so frustrating about it. Both teams have die-hard fans, but the owners are completely opposite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fewell733 Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 The Steelers are the Bills 1988-1996, except they've been like that 1970-2008. The Bills though had that success because of offensive dominance, the Steelers routinely have a great defense. Perhaps it's easier to build and maintain a top-notch defense, but it takes a good deal of fortune to get a truly great offense (a competent offense that is good enough to win can be built though). Seems to me the surest road to lasting success is the defense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramius Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 They have great fans too, but I wouldn't trade ours for those of any other team. Pittsburgh fans form the area tend to be great die-hard fans. Out of towner stiller fans tend to be obnoxious a-holes. When i was at the '04 debacle in the finale against the stillers, i spent the game talking with a couple of guys from pittsburgh and we had a great time. Contrast that to the Steelers backers' club down here in tallahassee, who got kicked out of their bar because a bunch of "tough" guys threatened a waitress and told her they were gonna wait for her in the parking lot of the bar and kick her ass when her shift got out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry Jabber Posted January 19, 2009 Author Share Posted January 19, 2009 When I was on active duty in the Marines, I had this super obnoxious Steelers fan there. I used to hate coming in on Mondays and hearing ranting & raving about the Steelers, whether they won or lost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lofton80 Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 JR in Ann Arbor nailed it. This is what I'd like to see from Buffalo. I want guys that play hard, are tough, mean, want to play in the ice and snow, and play with a ton of heart (particularly on defense). In fact, I'd love to see us in the draft and FA just stock up on the defensive side of the ball--make that the cornerstone of this team. Toughness toughness toughness. It is lost on Brandon and the inner DJ's. Watch 68 seconds of fatness with Walker and tell me if that guy has any toughness whatsoever. This team lacks toughness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fewell733 Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 JR in Ann Arbor nailed it. This is what I'd like to see from Buffalo. I want guys that play hard, are tough, mean, want to play in the ice and snow, and play with a ton of heart (particularly on defense). In fact, I'd love to see us in the draft and FA just stock up on the defensive side of the ball--make that the cornerstone of this team. Toughness toughness toughness. It is lost on Brandon and the inner DJ's. Watch 68 seconds of fatness with Walker and tell me if that guy has any toughness whatsoever. This team lacks toughness. Langston Walker is the least of this team's problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chalkie Gerzowski Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 Pittsburgh not a big city?! Pittsburgh is about the size of Atlanta, Georgia Have you actually walked through either city? Its a big city Try metro areas...Pittsburgh is probably about 2.25 million...where is Atlanta? 4.5 million? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chalkie Gerzowski Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 Funny how the city has to ward off people talking about the city's population compared to Toledo. Pittsburgh's metro area numbers are inflated by including about 7-8 counties in the census...they are practically on Erie's doorstep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sisyphean Bills Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 Atlanta is 5M+ and growing. Pittsburgh is 2M+ and shrinking. Buffalo is 1M+ and shrinking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkady Renko Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 I agree, I want a hard nosed running attack which we may already have. Lots of Jackson and Lynch next year with controlled passing and the big play every now and again. I hope they sign Peters because you don't give away stud linemen and though he wasn't great this year he is a stud. We need that line to stay together and play a bit more nasty. Defensively, I want a more attack style defense. To do this we need better guys up front and one more quality linebacker. The steelers defense wins because they force QB into bad decision something we almost never do. We need a better end than Kelsay, and Scholbel must come back healthy. Once he went out, the pass rush was gone completely. Yet you always see the flip side of such a defense. Witness how an experience QB -- Warner -- can slice up an overly aggressive scheme. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billnutinphoenix Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 Kevin Colbert, their GM. He's the guy who hired Mike Tomlin and has been putting the pieces together since 2000. Pittsburgh's always done a pretty good job of evaluating talent and finding players. When Buffalo finds a GM, perhaps then they'll be able to do what Colbert's been doing this decade. This will not while Ralph's alive...maybe when another owner buys the team from the Wilson family and moves the team will we see a real GM put in charge (i.e. Polian) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iinii Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 Pittsburgh not a big city?! Pittsburgh is about the size of Atlanta, Georgia Have you actually walked through either city? Its a big city pittsburgh proper and metro are roughly half the size of hot'lanta. you might want to do your homework before making such outlandish posts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iinii Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 JR in Ann Arbor nailed it. This is what I'd like to see from Buffalo. I want guys that play hard, are tough, mean, want to play in the ice and snow, and play with a ton of heart (particularly on defense). In fact, I'd love to see us in the draft and FA just stock up on the defensive side of the ball--make that the cornerstone of this team. Toughness toughness toughness. It is lost on Brandon and the inner DJ's. Watch 68 seconds of fatness with Walker and tell me if that guy has any toughness whatsoever. This team lacks toughness. i have been saying most for most of the last half of the season we need to put a defense on the field that scares people. we need to draft d. lineman and linebackers. if you watched last night's game you realize the quarterback's had little to no time to look down field. they were avoiding sacks and pressures. great upfront pressure makes d. backs way better and great defenses win championships! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurker Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 I've been to Pittsburgh a bunch of times and Pittsburgh is very similiar to Buffalo (Being an old Steel town, same style of housing, great places to eat, etc...) My point behind this thread is that Pittsburgh is not a big city The Pittsburgh metro area is twice as large as Buffalo ($96.5 billion in personal income in 2007 vs. $40.2 billion for Buffalo) and is home to at least six Fortune 500 companies (USX, Alcola, Heintz, PNC, Mellon, Allegheny Technologies). If you add Roch Cha Cha to Buffalo ($79.4 billion) you get closer...and southern Ontario probably gets the One Bills Drive market to the same overall income potential. But that's a lot larger/more disjointed a geographic area, with fewer corporate headquarters. Plus Ralph's no Dan Rooney.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayFinkle Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 Pittsburgh, Why have they been very successful throughout the years? Two words: Dick Lebeau Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffaloed in Pa Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 The Rooneys,and their ability to sign the best coaches. Hardnosed,but smart . Something Ralph and his staff lack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
/dev/null Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 Two words: Dick Lebeau My only problem with Dick LeBeau is what his name translates to Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwws9999 Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 I think player personell is the biggest difference. Everyone's on the same page and they know how to identify talent. For example moving up in the draft to get Polamalu. The move was really questioned here, but when you'e right it works out. If Polamalu turned out like McCargo, I think there would have been fan dischord even with quality ownership etc in place. Fans in Pgh are spoiled and I would love to see the Steelers fall flat on their faces, but unfortunately they haven't. We'll see how they progress, because the 2008 draft didn't add much to the team this year. They were also down 3 starting olinemen from last years team but didn't need anyone from the 2008 class because of the talent they were able to find in later rounds of prior drafts or off the street. Buffalo never had the recovery post steel industry that Pittsburgh had. We also have CMU cranking out highly skilled computer professionals and that has helped the local economy. So they don't need 80,000 seats (even though they could fill that sized stadium) and can sell enough corporate boxes to make money. that's a big misconception the bills do make money, i wish that myth would disappear Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tcali Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 Pittsburgh not a big city?! Pittsburgh is about the size of Atlanta, Georgia Have you actually walked through either city? Its a big city nice display of ignorance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Big Cat Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Pittsburgh is not a booming city anymore... Yes it is. UPMC replaced the steel industry 20 years ago, and the city has evolved accordingly. If the population took a dent with the eradication of the steel industry, it's peanuts compared to the exodus Buffalo has experienced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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