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Historic success of the Steelers

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steelermania

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I think everyone here knows that the Steelers have been the most successful team in the NLF since the merger by pretty much every metric you can come up with. I decided to look at it from the flipside, which is suckiness. Having a lack of horrible teams is important, because a season is much more enjoyable when you go into it thinking you have a chance to win. I don't think there has been a single season since 1971, where we went into it thinking we had absolutely no chance to have any success. Success being at least a winning record, which usually at least puts you in the race for a playoff berth most years. This is borne out by the fact that the Steelers have lost as many as 11 games only once since the merger. 5-11 is the threshold for a bad team. Injuries, a tough schedule, bad breaks etc., can cause a mid level team to go 7-9, or 6-10. If you lose 11 games, you're a bad team. The Steelers have lost 11 games once, every other team in the league has had a season where they lost 12 or more games. This includes the expansion teams as well. 12 losses is the mark of a really bad team. The best record outside of the Steelers is Denver, who has lost 12 once, and 11 once since the merger. Denver is a consistent winner, and one of the league's star franchises. Other strong performers are Dallas, with 2 12+ loss seasons, Philly, with 2, Minny with 2, Miami, with 2, and Chicago, and the Cheats with 3. Tampa leads the pack with 11 seasons with 12 losses or more, followed closely by the Bungles with 10. 14 losses is the mark of an historically dreadful team. 20 franchises have posted 14+ loss seasons, Tampa leads the pack with 5, followed by Detroit with 4.

Sometimes I don't think we realize how lucky we've got it. As bad as we consider the 80's, there wasn't a single year where most didn't think we had at least a chance to have a solid season. I can't imagine knowing in July, that my team had zero chance to be even decent.

I lied. I was a Pirates fan during the 20 year debacle.
 
The Lions and Browns have never even been to a Super Bowl. That's going back to 1966. Ditto the Jags and Texans but they were expansion teams and haven't suffered quite as long.

steelermania said:
I lied. I was a Pirates fan during the 20 year debacle.
Click to expand...

I gave up after the 14th losing season.
 
I am and never gave up. I use to think "this was our year" the few times we were only 8-12 back at the break. Pirates fan still to this day. Now as for the STEELERS, I allways think 16-0 start of every season, then onto win the SB. I've been right six times, more than anyother fan of another team. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




Salute the nation
 
wig said:
Don't know what ya got, till it's gone....
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That would fit Cleveland to a T. While I was looking at the numbers, I noticed that up until the 1990 season, the Browns had never had more than 2 consecutive losing seasons in their entire history, which they did only twice. They had one losing season in their first 27, (plus the Rams won the NFL title their last year in Cleveland). They've posted 19 losing seasons in the last 22.
 
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You said "NLF"...sorry, but that cracked me up. Lost all the stats thinking of what NLF could mean. National LaCrosse Federation, or National Liberation Front, or No Longer Funny...we'll ran that to the ground faster than I thought.

Anyway, I still think we are the greatest franchise ever and believe we won't suffer the likes of those pains like those other teams. Fan base is too strong and demanding for success. Even MT can't f@#! that up.
 
steelermania said:
That would fit Cleveland to a T. While I was looking at the numbers, I noticed that up until the 1990 season, the Browns had never had more than 2 consecutive losing seasons in their entire history, which they did only twice. They had one losing season in their first 27, (plus the Rams won the NFL title their last year in Cleveland). They've posted 19 losing seasons in the last 22.
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Eh..Most Clowns fans have known nothing but losing. Most Cleveland fans still alive that experienced a championship are in a nursing home. Mediocre since 64, The only bright spot was the late 80's.
**** Cleveland and their fans.
 
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steelermania said:
I think everyone here knows that the Steelers have been the most successful team in the NLF since the merger by pretty much every metric you can come up with. I decided to look at it from the flipside, which is suckiness. Having a lack of horrible teams is important, because a season is much more enjoyable when you go into it thinking you have a chance to win. I don't think there has been a single season since 1971, where we went into it thinking we had absolutely no chance to have any success. Success being at least a winning record, which usually at least puts you in the race for a playoff berth most years. This is borne out by the fact that the Steelers have lost as many as 11 games only once since the merger. 5-11 is the threshold for a bad team. Injuries, a tough schedule, bad breaks etc., can cause a mid level team to go 7-9, or 6-10. If you lose 11 games, you're a bad team. The Steelers have lost 11 games once, every other team in the league has had a season where they lost 12 or more games. This includes the expansion teams as well. 12 losses is the mark of a really bad team. The best record outside of the Steelers is Denver, who has lost 12 once, and 11 once since the merger. Denver is a consistent winner, and one of the league's star franchises. Other strong performers are Dallas, with 2 12+ loss seasons, Philly, with 2, Minny with 2, Miami, with 2, and Chicago, and the Cheats with 3. Tampa leads the pack with 11 seasons with 12 losses or more, followed closely by the Bungles with 10. 14 losses is the mark of an historically dreadful team. 20 franchises have posted 14+ loss seasons, Tampa leads the pack with 5, followed by Detroit with 4.

Sometimes I don't think we realize how lucky we've got it. As bad as we consider the 80's, there wasn't a single year where most didn't think we had at least a chance to have a solid season. I can't imagine knowing in July, that my team had zero chance to be even decent.

I lied. I was a Pirates fan during the 20 year debacle.
Click to expand...

The Steelers have had only 9 losing seasons since the merger in 1970. That alone is phenomenal.
 
MTC said:
That goes for all the pro 412 teams. Steelers, Pens, and Pirates pride. Win or lose
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We found out the hard way with the Bucs. Pirates were mostly competitive from 1958-1992, the 4 year blip in the mid 80's aside. Who could have seen the 20 years of futility coming?
 
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I have never lived in pennsyvania, yet alone pittsburgh. I'm near 2000 miles away, yet I'm all PITTSBURGH fan. Can't believe how lucky some of you have it, living close enough to attend Stlr4life tailgate, but don't.........................




Salute the nation
 
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Cope said:
And Tomlin has none of them...
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Obviously above the line and a coach of some pedigree, if you will.

Drink IRON City said:
I have never lived in pennsyvania, yet alone pittsburgh. I'm near 2000 miles away, yet I'm all PITTSBURGH fan. Can't believe how lucky some of you have it, living close enough to attend Stlr4life tailgate, but don't.........................
Click to expand...

Meh, the weather sucks half the year. Seattle is the only major city with less sunny days per year than the 'Burgh.
 
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steelermania said:
I think everyone here knows that the Steelers have been the most successful team in the NLF since the merger by pretty much every metric you can come up with. I decided to look at it from the flipside, which is suckiness. Having a lack of horrible teams is important, because a season is much more enjoyable when you go into it thinking you have a chance to win. I don't think there has been a single season since 1971, where we went into it thinking we had absolutely no chance to have any success. Success being at least a winning record, which usually at least puts you in the race for a playoff berth most years. This is borne out by the fact that the Steelers have lost as many as 11 games only once since the merger. 5-11 is the threshold for a bad team. Injuries, a tough schedule, bad breaks etc., can cause a mid level team to go 7-9, or 6-10. If you lose 11 games, you're a bad team. The Steelers have lost 11 games once, every other team in the league has had a season where they lost 12 or more games. This includes the expansion teams as well. 12 losses is the mark of a really bad team. The best record outside of the Steelers is Denver, who has lost 12 once, and 11 once since the merger. Denver is a consistent winner, and one of the league's star franchises. Other strong performers are Dallas, with 2 12+ loss seasons, Philly, with 2, Minny with 2, Miami, with 2, and Chicago, and the Cheats with 3. Tampa leads the pack with 11 seasons with 12 losses or more, followed closely by the Bungles with 10. 14 losses is the mark of an historically dreadful team. 20 franchises have posted 14+ loss seasons, Tampa leads the pack with 5, followed by Detroit with 4.

Sometimes I don't think we realize how lucky we've got it. As bad as we consider the 80's, there wasn't a single year where most didn't think we had at least a chance to have a solid season. I can't imagine knowing in July, that my team had zero chance to be even decent.

I lied. I was a Pirates fan during the 20 year debacle.
Click to expand...

What do the best franchises have in common? I pondered this. My conclusion is thus.

1 ) A franchise QB. We had Two. Terry and Ben and one pretty decent game manager in O'Donnell.

2 ) A top head coach. Noll was amazing. Cowher got more out of less and over achieved with bad QB's.. Tomlin is average

3 ) An owner who understands football operations. After all he hires the head coach and GM.
 
Cope said:
And Tomlin has none of them...
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When the Steelers suck, them keeping that losing season record under double digits since 1970 is a personal moral victory for me.

I first became aware that the Steelers only had 9 losing seasons in '06 under Cowher. We were 7-8, playing the Bungals and we won, keeping them out of the playoffs. Yay! We're 8-8!! LOL

In 2012 we were 7-8 , and played the Clowns in the finale. We win! Yay! Wer're 8-8! Still at only 9 losing seasons since 1970!

In 2013 we started 0-4. I said this was it...we will finally succumb to10 losing seasons. Lo and behold we put together a bunch of wins and again played the Clowns in the finale keeping us at 9.

Thanks to the Clowns and the Bungles we remain at only 9 losing seasons since 1970.

I hope to **** I don't have to root for my personal moral victory this year. Rough schedule man.
 
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