Stupid Steelers

The ''S'' stands for something other than ''Super''. (Photo creds to www.moncityapparel.com)

I'm going to go against the beliefs of the rest of our city and take this time to thank Le'veon Bell. First, I want to thank Le'veon because he has given me something to write about in late July, which is a dull time for sports (especially with a boring baseball season in progress). Second, I'd like to thank Mr. Bell for allowing me to redeem myself for a missed opportunity. When the NFL suspended Martavis Bryant for the entire 2016 season in March, I wanted to do a post on how the so-called "Steeler Way" died along with Chuck Noll. But, because of the NCAA tournament, I just couldn't find time in my life to do such a post. But now, four months later;  Bell has given me that opportunity again, and I am going to cash in.

As we all should know, Bell is currently facing a 4-game suspension to start out the upcoming season. The reason for this is that he missed a drug test. Bell served a 2-gamer last season for the McNight Road incident in August of 2014, so one would think he would be cautious of his love of the greens. But he wasn't (at least presumably), and he is paying the price (at least presumably). But the purpose of this article is less about Bell in general and more about how the so-called "Steeler Way" is dead.

If you live in the Steel City, you know that the Steelers are religion. Not only have they developed a reputation as being arguably the most successful franchise of the Super Bowl era, but they also are perceived to conduct themselves in a manner that puts the lesser organizations to shame off the field. The first part is still accurate. The second part no longer is.

From a football standpoint, this hurts the Steelers, but it won't be fatal. DeAngleo Williams is a fantastic backup option to have, and he should hold down the fort well. Williams isn't as good as Bell, who is the best all-around running back in the league, but he is good enough. The Steelers first four games (at Washington, vs. Cincy, at Philly, and vs. Kansas City) aren't cake, but they are winnable. I see 3-1 as likely, 2-2 as a worst case scenario.

So what is the "Steeler Way" as far as noble behavior goes? Is it Bell and Martavis Bryant getting stoned at every chance and missing games because of it?

Could it be promising special teams player Chirs Rainey beating his woman, and his subsequent dismissal from the team?

Is it Vince Williams threatening somebody over Twitter? 

Speaking of Twitter, maybe the "Steeler Way" is creating drama through social media with the rival Cincinnati Bengals. I'm sure Chuck Noll would be so proud to see Marcus Gilbert running his mouth through a keyboard like a pissed off teenager. 

Maybe the Steeler way is DeAngleo Williams, a "good" running back with a superstar attitude.Remember when Williams insulted Peyton Manning through Twitter on the day of his retirement for no apparent reason. How about when he stirred the pot with Cincinnati's Vontez Burfict, instead of being the bigger man and ignoring Burfict's ill- advised Twitter jab? Williams is a great success story on the field, but an attention whore off of it, and for that, he is my personal least favorite Steeler.

How about Joey Porter? Can somebody tell this guy that he is an assistant coach who doesn't play the game anymore? As dumb as Pacman Jones was in that January fiasco at Paul Brown Stadium, a linebackers coach has no place antagonizing an opposing player. I don't believe Porter is malicious, but I do think he is immature and is living ten years in the past. Speaking of Porter, does anybody know if his dogs are still murdering other animals?

The greatest example of what it means to be a Pittsburgh Steeler in 2016 is Free Saftey Mike Mitchell. Like Williams, Mitchell is a success story on the field. But he is nothing short of a punk and has shown signs of that off the field as well. Witness him knock Cincy's receiver Marvin Jones unconscious and then celebrate like he just won "Survivor". How about the time he celebrated in a game against the Raiders after forcing a fumble...... while the ball was still on the ground. Worst of all, witness a fan who dared to criticize his poor play after a game in 2014 that he should "kill himself", and then justify his actions. Mitchell is the most immature veteran on the planet, and his attitude on the field is unbecoming of the Steelers eagle scout perception.

All of this brings me back to the Mike Vick signing. You all know that there was plenty of outrage from fans about bringing in a man with such a dubious record. But you might not take into account what many said they were pissed off about. They didn't say it was that Vick was out of prison. It didn't bother them that he was still in the NFL. No, what got them was that he was paying for our perfect team. Playing in our perfect city. Because the wonderful Steelers are far too classy to bring in such a vile criminal. We aren't like the rest of the NFL. We are Pittsburgh. We do things the right way.

Well, I got news for you readers who still might have your head in the sand on what the Steelers are. The Steelers are like the rest of the NFL as far as conducting themselves goes. They have their good guys, such as defensive end Cameron Heyward. But they have their questionable characters, such as Vince Williams and Mike Mitchell. The Steelers are no different than the rest of the league as far as behavior goes. That's not the worst thing in the world, but it's also something that the arrogance of many fans will never wrap their heads around.

I watched all 16 games last season. The Steelers are a reality show, filled with zany celebrations and not a lot of the act-like-you've-been-there-before mentality. I don't have a problem with the Steelers showboating, in fact, I find it entertaining as hell. But it is just another example of how the Steeler standard of excellence established by Chuck Noll ain't what it once was. Maybe ''the Steeler way'' was always a myth. Maybe bad behavior from players is just magnified now. Whatever the case may be, the Steelers have no more or less class than what is the NFL status quo.

The Steelers may be an elite organization regarding wins and losses. But as far as how they conduct themselves on and off the field, they are just another team that falls in the line of the circus that is the National Football League. I still love the Pittsburgh Steelers, and you should too. But you, the reader, also should take in the account that the Steelers are not Eagle Scouts anymore. Welcome to 2016. The Pittsburgh Steelers are just blending with the times.