The Day that Dan Rooney Fired his Brother: Redrafting 1987 Part I

[Steeler Nation]

In this retrospective series, we’ll use 20/20 hindsight to play General Manager of the Pittsburgh Steelers to review past drafts – focusing primarily on top 2-3 selections – and personnel decisions year-by-year and redraft or implement trades based on the Steelers roster at the time.

General rule: Any “redrafted” pick will generally fall within a 15-pick range and trade propositions being realistic and attainable.

Steelers situation and needs: The Steelers front offices makes a MAJOR change​

• An argument can be made that 1986 was the worst season have endured in the 50 years since the NFL Merger.
• The Steelers finished 6-10 but, as clearly evident through this series, with the exception of Louis Lipps the Steelers drafts had been horrible through the 1980s.
• While Head Coach Chuck Noll deserved credit for the great drafts of the 1970s, the scouting team led by Director of Scouting Art Rooney Jr. along with Director of Player Personnel Dick Haley and Assistant Personnel Director Bill Nunn was more responsible than the coach.
• Behind the scenes, the power struggle went far back as the early 1970s between the Rooney brothers that escalated to the Chief himself, Art Rooney in the 1980s in which Dan Rooney shares insights with in his 2007 book: “My 75 Years With The Pittsburgh Steelers And The NFL”

Dan Rooney: per “My 75 Years With The Pittsburgh Steelers And The NFL” – Rooney p. 227:

Art and Chuck had different opinions on the draft ever since Chuck arrived in Pittsburgh.

Dan Rooney: per “My 75 Years With The Pittsburgh Steelers And The NFL” – Rooney p. 227-228:

After our second Super Bowl, Art and Dick Haley came to my office to discuss the role of coaches and scouts in the preparation and selection of the draft choices. It was the ongoing complaint of scouts, especially the heads of personnel, that the coaches had too much say in this process.

My position was the scouts and the coaches, especially the head coach, should be involved in the discussions about the players who would be drafted.

Chuck had made it very clear when we first hired him that he and the coaches expected to be involved with the draft. All of the great tams of the 1970s were a collaborative effort between scouts and coaches. Chuck had just won us two Super Bowls. He was the main reason for our success. We had to stay together.

Dan Rooney: per “My 75 Years With The Pittsburgh Steelers And The NFL” – Rooney p. 229:

Art and I disagreed. He and the scouts always felt they should have more control over the draft. I was very firm and said we had to work together.

We got through the 1980 draft and the next November Art and I discussed it again. This time it got more heated. We tried to settle our differences, but couldn’t. I could see the separation could only get worse.

One of the most important decisions Dan Rooney ever made for the Steelers:​

By the end of the 1986 season, it was clear that Art Rooney Jr. and Chuck Noll had could no longer work together and Dan Rooney made the decision to fire his brother. While not trying to cast blame or make “Artie” the scapegoat (Noll had make some poor choices in that time as well), it was time to make serious changes because the Steelers were headed in reverse.

In part of the changes following the dismissal of his brother, Rooney’s organization restructuring led to the hiring of the man who would be the Steelers main scout: Tom Donahoe. The hiring would led to even greater changes in a few years.



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[Omar10213245]

Dan Rooney had balls, and cared about retaining, or at least re-cultivating, a winning culture. His son? So far, that remains to be seen...When Ben retires, we'll see what Arty boy is really made of.

 

[Drink IRON City]

Dan Rooney had balls, and cared about retaining, or at least re-cultivating, a winning culture. His son? So far, that remains to be seen...When Ben retires, we'll see what Arty boy is really made of.

I'm not sure either of us are going to like what we see. As is I just see Art Duece going through the motions and letting the coaching staff dictate to much or he is just going through the motions and eluding to what is going on as equal to great football.


Salute the nation

 

[FSF]

Dan Rooney had balls, and cared about retaining, or at least re-cultivating, a winning culture. His son? So far, that remains to be seen...When Ben retires, we'll see what Arty boy is really made of.

What is ironic, he was widely criticized for being "too soft."

This rift had been going on for over a decade before he addressed it, it got masked due to winning. But the drafts progressively began providing lower returns from 1975 on. It's true that 1975 #1 pick CB Dave Brown became one of the leagues best CBs (we lost him to Seattle in expansion draft) and was only recognized for it when Seattle started to get national attention in 1983-1984 because of RB Curt Warner and success in their first winning season to the Conference Championship.

But in Dan Rooney's own testimonial, it was after that draft that Artie had the gumption to tell Dan he wanted full control over the draft and personnel. A Robin Cole, Bennie Cunningham and Ron Johnson later, the Steelers 1st round picks became worthless. Yet it only kept escalating.

Most of the 1980s draft picks didn't last with the team 2 years and many played just 1 -- that includes the top 3 rounds. It was ugly.

Don't throw ARII under the bus just because looking back on Dan Rooney you don't think he made mistakes. They were made. He did have to endure the Buddy Parker years when his decisions were ignored and the coach went right over his head to the Chief -- and that was a multi-year fight. And the 1980s were a bit of a feeling around process when the Chairman of the Board was still alive to technically overrule anything he wanted to. Much like Dan was to ARII post 2002. It's not a coincidence the 1970s players have the same regard for the Chief that the 2000s players have for Dan. The players in between had to deal with Dan as a business man firstly and Mike Merriweather called Dan a Marxist when he sat out 1988.

Just sayin, more goes on than we know -- which makes these books on what went on behind the scenes years later very revealing - because they can talk about it now vs. then.

 

[Steeltime]

Part II will cover the players drafted, obviously. I suspect the consensus will be the first round pick and #10 overall was pretty good. 4th, 5th and 6th rounders, not much to complain about either. In fact, damn good draft. Pro-Football reference indicates the Steelers selected three of the top five players taken in the draft.

 

[Omar10213245]

What is ironic, he was widely criticized for being "too soft."

This rift had been going on for over a decade before he addressed it, it got masked due to winning. But the drafts progressively began providing lower returns from 1975 on. It's true that 1975 #1 pick CB Dave Brown became one of the leagues best CBs (we lost him to Seattle in expansion draft) and was only recognized for it when Seattle started to get national attention in 1983-1984 because of RB Curt Warner and success in their first winning season to the Conference Championship.

But in Dan Rooney's own testimonial, it was after that draft that Artie had the gumption to tell Dan he wanted full control over the draft and personnel. A Robin Cole, Bennie Cunningham and Ron Johnson later, the Steelers 1st round picks became worthless. Yet it only kept escalating.

Most of the 1980s draft picks didn't last with the team 2 years and many played just 1 -- that includes the top 3 rounds. It was ugly.

Don't throw ARII under the bus just because looking back on Dan Rooney you don't think he made mistakes. They were made. He did have to endure the Buddy Parker years when his decisions were ignored and the coach went right over his head to the Chief -- and that was a multi-year fight. And the 1980s were a bit of a feeling around process when the Chairman of the Board was still alive to technically overrule anything he wanted to. Much like Dan was to ARII post 2002. It's not a coincidence the 1970s players have the same regard for the Chief that the 2000s players have for Dan. The players in between had to deal with Dan as a business man firstly and Mike Merriweather called Dan a Marxist when he sat out 1988.

Just sayin, more goes on than we know -- which makes these books on what went on behind the scenes years later very revealing - because they can talk about it now vs. then.

of course I realize that Dan wasn't perfect, that would be obvious.