The 2004 NFL season for Pittsburgh Steelers fans could be viewed as the one that got away. The Steelers were undoubtedly the best team in football throughout the entire regular season, ending the year with a dominant record of 15-1. Ben Roethlisberger won the Rookie of the Year Award, and Pittsburgh was viewed as a lethal and explosive team on both sides of the ball.
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Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger holds up his jersey as he gets picked by Pittsburgh in the 2004 NFL Draft.
The Steelers' magical 2004 season came to a heartbreaking end in the AFC Championship game against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. Speculation surrounding the Patriots' win against Pittsburgh looms large to this day as New England's "Spygate" scandal from the early 2000s is said to have allegedly played a role in their victory. Some players took the loss more personal than others, as former Steelers players Max Starks and Bryant McFadden recently shared an update as to how they feel about the 2004 loss.
McFadden spoke about how the alleged scandal could have played a role in the Patriots' victory, with Starks backing his claim and agreeing with him throughout the entire conversation.
"When we got drafted, we were like man, we don't want to mess this up. Because you guys were already like that," McFadden said. "Unfortunately you didn't get to that championship opportunity... for other reasons. But, you guys were the best team in the league."
Starks then went on to go more in depth on what McFadden meant, where the former offensive tackle claims the Patriots were filming their plays, among other things.
"They were filming our plays and our hand signals, so let's go ahead and get into the specifics of it," Starks stated. "They were doing something they weren't supposed to be doing, and they didn't get caught."
McFadden was not on the 2004 AFC Championship team, but the Steelers drafted him just one season later. Starks was a rookie in 2004, but would later become a key component on the Steelers' offensive line for years to come. McFadden and Starks share an opinion similar to a large portion of Pittsburgh's fan base, but the Patriots are highly unlikely to receive any form of further punishment for their alleged 2004 scandal.
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Former Steelers cornerback Bryant McFadden played for the team a total of six years across two separate stints.
Brady was involved in numerous scandals during his time in New England. The legendary quarterback was additionally a prime suspect in the Patriots' "Deflategate" scandal throughout the 2010s. Brady is widely considered to be the greatest quarterback of all-time, but his name will more than likely always be tied to a number of different scandals and conspiracies that may have taken place throughout his career.
Steelers' Max Starks Shares More From 2004
Veteran players will almost always get more accommodations than rookies will. That didn't change with Starks during his first training camp in Latrobe, as the former offensive lineman detailed multiple luxuries that the veterans would receive. Starks said Jerome Bettis would sleep on a king sized memory foam mattress with a reclining chair and flat screen TVs at his disposal as well.
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Steelers' Jerome Bettis running with the football against the Bengals.
Bettis was an absolute star in Pittsburgh. The Hall of Fame running back was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Rams and made his rookie debut in 1993, but would end up spending the majority of his 13-year career with the Steelers. Bettis certainly earned the accommodations that were given to him at training camp, as the Hall of Famer is a six time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro who played a crucial role in Pittsburgh's 2005 Super Bowl run throughout the final season of his career.
Steelers fans have continued to express their frustration with how things ended in 2004 since the scandal came to light. The Patriots have been accused of filming plays and hand signals by multiple different teams over the years, and the team has had to pay their fair share in punishment.
What are your thoughts on the Patriots' "Spygate" scandal from the early 2000s? Do you think former Head Coach Bill Belichick and his staff are guilty? Let us know in the comments down below!
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