What could have been...

[slashsteel]

Well, of course you wouldn't want to pinpoint that particular game, because it defeats your argument. If the Steelers had had a better defense at the time, they win that game, move on and eventually win the Super Bowl that year...who knows how this all would have turned out? These two guys would be probably be heroes bordering on legend status, not pariahs.

I'm just saying that I don't remember a whole lot of complaints from fans about Bell and Brown's cancerous nature before that loss to the Jags, and Bell's subsequent holdout. For good reason.

I didn't name a game because there really is no point. Everyone knows the toxic twins contributed to coming up short for a long time. Of course the D played it's part as well as the negative turnover differential,etc. And there is no trophies with their name on it so that lends a hand in the debate.Also the history of the NFL shows you those type of players do not win championships the majority of the time. Time frame started within Brown's ......I think third year. I am not really sure if your angle is that their behavior/ issues weren't distractions because there is a sufficient ;list of things they did that was detrimental to the team.

 

[topseed]

I didn't name a game because there really is no point. Everyone knows the toxic twins contributed to coming up short for a long time. Of course the D played it's part as well as the negative turnover differential,etc. And there is no trophies with their name on it so that lends a hand in the debate.Also the history of the NFL shows you those type of players do not win championships the majority of the time. Time frame started within Brown's ......I think third year. I am not really sure if your angle is that their behavior/ issues weren't distractions because there is a sufficient ;list of things they did that was detrimental to the team.

My "angle" is that their discontent from that particular loss, bowing out in their first playoff game to a heavy underdog at home, truly manifested itself after the defense pissed away a 13-3 season. First Bell's holdout, then Brown going over the edge.

My point is that nobody (not me, not you, nor anyone else) was claiming either Bell or Brown were cancers before that game went down. And evidently, the Steelers themselves didn't feel Bell was cancerous, since they apparently had interest in bringing him back to the team just a few weeks ago.

 

[slashsteel]

His time line for bad behavior was earlier than what you think. He had a lot of things that stayed in house. From showing up late to practices, not showing up to events or again late to not sleeping at the dorms in Latrobe. Even Ryan Clark eluded to seeing some issues with AB when he was green around the edges. Nobody can confirm that Bell rumor so we really don't know if the Steelers had interest. When you are winning the fans usually are quieted. But when the losing starts they focus in on the details of why the club hasn't achieved the desired results. So color me not shocked when there isn't an outcry towards a misbehaving player that is a star.

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