Are the recent rumblings a cry for help from the locker room?

[SteelDude304]

Minkah is the 3rd player in recent weeks to confirm the obvious: team practice isn't being taken seriously. Surely, Cool Shades T is aware of these comments that are coming from his locker room. I would say that this is about as close as a player can come to saying, "our coaches suck" without actually saying the words. There's really no way to interpret these comments otherwise. The coaching staff, and ultimately Cool Shades, is responsible for ensuring that practice IS being taken seriously by his team. When multiple players are saying that it isn't, that's the equivalent of them saying that the coaching staff is negligent in their duties.

Maybe the current roster is just like us and realizes that the current coaching staff is an absolute dumpster fire. Maybe they know that Rooney isn't going to take the action necessary unless it becomes absolutely glaring that his coaching staff is incompetent and negligent to the highest degree. Truthfully, this may be what is necessary to have any shot whatsoever from moving on from Low Rider T -- and our current roster may realize this. Will T just consider the guys doing the talking to be "hostages" and attempt to part with them? Personally, I think a little public drama could be beneficial from a standpoint of having any shot whatsoever of moving forward and not being handcuffed to the dead weight that is Tomlin. For example, would another AB / Leveon type of scenario be enough to convince Rooney that competent and effective leadership should be prioritized over guaranteeing a guy a job for life just because of past history or some made up family "rule"?

It's obvious we have a solid group of guys who want the feedback and guidance. Unfortunately, unless these guys are looking for a recommendation on a bass package for their Escalade, or a suggestion as to whether they should opt for the titanium frames on their next set of Ray Bans, they're unlikely to find any meaningful guidance coming from Coach T, or any of the his coordinators that he promoted beyond their means.

 

[FatsHolmes]

Hey, according to Chase Claypool, if they just have music practice will be more fun.

I'm guessing that's only if he gets to pick the music, though.

 

[wig]

Minkah is the 3rd player in recent weeks to confirm the obvious: team practice isn't being taken seriously.

to quote one of the greats... "Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard."

 

[Fiji Mariner]

Their collective practice habits are very evident in game days.

I’m sure this isn’t what Ben was imagining from an effort standpoint when he decided to return for another go at it. Whether HOF QBs encore performance or not this effort shows we lack an identity, a work ethic and pride. Not something I expect or accept from I team I support.

 

[Black & Gold Bleeder]

If ben wrote a book in the future, I'd buy it.

 

[wig]

I love Ben, but I would not be a bit surprised if Ben doesn't prefer him a bit of a "mellow practice".

On the other hand, word is he freaked out on AB when he was running the wrong routes in practice a few years ago, so who the **** knows.

 

[madinsomniac]

When Tomlin first got here he was taken to task for too intense practices… seems that has come full circle lol

 

[TDX27]

Ben has always been coaching/mentoring/getting on guys cases for running wrong routes in practice and in games. I have read pundits and players saying that throughout his career.

 

[FatsHolmes]

Their collective practice habits are very evident in game days.

I’m sure this isn’t what Ben was imagining from an effort standpoint when he decided to return for another go at it. Whether HOF QBs encore performance or not this effort shows we lack an identity, a work ethic and pride. Not something I expect or accept from I team I support.

Ben also wasn't imagining a team with deficient lines on both sides of the ball while sitting on over 10 million in cap space. And he took a pay cut to come back. I'm guessing he's pretty pissed about that.

 

[TDX27]

Can they even have an intense practice anymore? The players association has so many rules on what they can and can't do, practices are nothing compared to what they used to be. They aren't even allowed to have full tackling anymore. I read about that a couple of weeks ago. All they can do is be cognizant of tackling better during games because they can't actually practice it during the season. That kind of stuff is ridiculous. If you don't practice it, you won't get better.

 

[steelcan58]

Can they even have an intense practice anymore? The players association has so many rules on what they can and can't do, practices are nothing compared to what they used to be. They aren't even allowed to have full tackling anymore. I read about that a couple of weeks ago. All they can do is be cognizant of tackling better during games because they can't actually practice it during the season. That kind of stuff is ridiculous. If you don't practice it, you won't get better.

I think you can still have an intense practice without beating each others brains out.

 

[jitter77]

Hey, according to Chase Claypool, if they just have music practice will be more fun.

I'm guessing that's only if he gets to pick the music, though.

I'm not sure why claypool is taking so much heat. People listen to music while working out, doing chores, running, etc etc. How many players do you see pre game walking around with headphones on. Music can help some people relax and focus. If the locker room is tense with a lot of drama i think music can help. Happy employees are better employees. Obviously you don't want people screwing around during practice, but music does not necessarily equate goofing off. Whatever they are doing now isn't working

 

[Steeltime]

Can they even have an intense practice anymore? The players association has so many rules on what they can and can't do, practices are nothing compared to what they used to be.

Good question. I secretly videotaped different practices for two teams. First, the Steelers:

Next, the Ravens:

Looks pretty similar.

 

[steelhurt]

Lets us see how the team responds this week against the Ravens and for that matter the last six games. If the same play continues then Art needs to take a deep dive here and start making changes. No, Tomlin won't be one of them but he can lay a mandate down to Tomlin. I do not know what the entire problems are with this team not being privy to the locker room but there are problems that need to be identified and corrected. Discipline, more efficient practices, coaching young players up, making game adjustments, all these could be addressed. As far as talent, it is what they made it. The drafting has been atrocious lately and that must and has to improve. The free agency must be better too. We don't need to bring guys in like Eric Ebron and Trai Turner. We need to spend the extra bucks especially next season since we will have it and bring in quality. This team needs to become an aggressive physical team starting next season and it means drafting and signing those types.

 

[SteelDude304]

If ben wrote a book in the future, I'd buy it.

I'm not sure how true this is, but supposedly the working title is 'Super Bowls, *******, and Shades'.

 

[wig]

My thought would be to say to Art II, "Hey man. You're going to die sooner than later. Age has a way of catching up to you. Your grandfather won some SBs. Your dad won some SBs. Are you gonna be ok being the first Rooney that flat out ******* blew?"

 

[wig]

I'm not sure how true this is, but supposedly the working title is 'Super Bowls, *******, and Shades'.

I heard it was "The route goes LEFT ************! LEFT!"

 

[FatsHolmes]

I'm not sure why claypool is taking so much heat. People listen to music while working out, doing chores, running, etc etc. How many players do you see pre game walking around with headphones on. Music can help some people relax and focus. If the locker room is tense with a lot of drama i think music can help. Happy employees are better employees. Obviously you don't want people screwing around during practice, but music does not necessarily equate goofing off. Whatever they are doing now isn't working

Maybe if he were playing better, people might be more willing to listen to him talk about what other people should be doing.

 

[Steel Reign]

We're sitting here … I'm supposed to be the franchise player, and we're in here talking about practice. I mean, listen, we're talking about practice. Not a game. Not a game. Not a game. We're talking about practice. Not a game. Not the game that I go out there and die for and play every game like it's my last. Not the game. We're talking about practice, man.

I mean how silly is that. And we're talking about practice. I know I'm supposed to be there. I know I'm supposed to lead by example. I know that and I'm not shoving it aside, you know, like it don't mean anything. I know it's important. I do, I honestly do. But we're talking about practice, man. What are we talking about? Practice? We're talking about practice, man?

We're talking about practice. We're talking about practice. We ain't talking about the game. We're talking about practice, man.

 

[Ike Kelly]

We're sitting here … I'm supposed to be the franchise player, and we're in here talking about practice. I mean, listen, we're talking about practice. Not a game. Not a game. Not a game. We're talking about practice. Not a game. Not the game that I go out there and die for and play every game like it's my last. Not the game. We're talking about practice, man.

I mean how silly is that. And we're talking about practice. I know I'm supposed to be there. I know I'm supposed to lead by example. I know that and I'm not shoving it aside, you know, like it don't mean anything. I know it's important. I do, I honestly do. But we're talking about practice, man. What are we talking about? Practice? We're talking about practice, man?

We're talking about practice. We're talking about practice. We ain't talking about the game. We're talking about practice, man.

As spoken by Allen Iverson……still, did he ever win a championship?

 

[Ike Kelly]

Minkah is the 3rd player in recent weeks to confirm the obvious: team practice isn't being taken seriously.

Links for the three players who stated this, please.

 

[Steelr4evr]

The proof is on the field. Does that team look polished in anything? Hell even the fat punter who should be booming stuff with that much mass, is average or below.

It really looks like a train wreck to me aside from a handful of guys who take their job seriously.

Got to blow this situation up. Unfortunately it will have to crash and burn to ashes before anything is done. It could be several years.

 

[Steelworth]

Links for the three players who stated this, please.

I don't know the third, but from Minkah:

 

[SteelDude304]

Here's the one from Schobert:

Steelers LB says they need to ‘take practice seriously’​

Joe Schobert says they need consistency with workouts

Steelers LB says they need to ‘take practice seriously’

It was something Steelers linebacker Joe Schobert said when asked after the 16-16 tie against Detroit about the issues cropping up stopping the run.

www.audacy.com

Similar comments have also been made by Cam in the past.

 

[SteelDude304]

The team is actually confirming to the media that they aren't practicing like they should be. Think about that for a minute. lol

To anyone who was thinking that Low Rider T gets too much heat for the current situation, those doubts should now be extinguished.