Taking Stock: Observations During The Lull

Bumped from the Fan Posts. Always enjoyed when RickVa finds time to weigh in. -Blitz-

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The season's done, as is the Combine. Free agency signing period is on deck as well as ongoing discussions concerning the draft and team needs. Who stays, who goes and why. How about a little discussion of the impact of both the success of the past year and some unique challenges that lie ahead.

Economics. Normally the discussion is confined to issues of who has cap space and how contracts can be reworked. What organizations are free spenders, who is frugal and the relationship between dollars spent and team success. Those are still worthy discussion points, but two developments have overshadowed these if you have been paying attention. The first is the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) and coming uncapped year (2010). I don't pretend to understand all the dynamics of the situation, but one impact that has effected Steeler Nation is that ramifications related to it has seemed to have gummed up the works in the negotiations over the contract extension for James Harrison. Two factors will insure that this will continue to be an important issue for the foreseeable future. One is that there is still is no leader chosen for the Players Union to replace the late Gene Upshaw. The second is the other major economic development, the state of the overall economy.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell just cut his own salary today. Positions have been cut throughout the League. Given the excitement of having our own team in the Super Bowl, we can be foregiven if we did not notice or meditate on the fact that all the commercial slots were not sold, at least not immediately, many pregame festivities were either cut or scaled down, and even prostitutes struggled. Fans in locations such as New York are rebelling against the costs of tickets in new stadiums. The world at large is going through what Pittsburgh suffered two decades ago and continues to impact our approach to everything from salaries to ticket prices. It is unlikely that the sports/entertainment complex will be immune to the impact or the pain. More immediately, will this have any discernable effect on free agent signings; to be more specific, who gets offers and how much is offered? A more interesting question will be whether these developments work to the Steelers advantage or no.

Pittsburgh Ascendency. I was reluctant to broach this subject over the past few weeks because it just seemed to a bit much without some evidence to support it. But support has arrived. Heard about Byron Leftwich? We all know that the conditions of his arrival were that he was just filling a need temporarily. He felt (and still does) that he can be a #1 QB in this league, and that position he held was for this past season only. Well, seems he's wavered a bit, maybe a change of heart. Though he still would prefer a #1 job, he has not ruled out returning to Pittsburgh as Ben's backup. Why? Because being here has been the best experience he has had in football, and not just because he got a Super Bowl ring. He echos what gives all of us pride in associating with this franchise; excellent working conditions, great treatment from and respect from management, high level of mutual respect, friendship and unity with teammates, high respect for Tomlin, great fan support, and on and on...It seems that Byron would rather serve in Heaven than rule in Hell. This development could leave the Steelers with an embarrassment of riches and quite a conundrum. What about Charlie Batch and Dennis Dixon? I'm not soliciting opinions on what would be the right decision, I am just pointing out that whatever decision is made a a valuable, well liked and highly respected contributor will be thrown overboard. Nice problem to have, but...

The larger point here is that the current success of this franchise has forced an uncomfortable (for the rest of the league) reality into the spotlight and made it unavoidable to ignore; the supremacy of the Steeler Way. With two world championships in four years under two different coaches, one the youngest to ever win such a game; six in 43 years with just three coaches and one owner the argument is over. If you are a quality player with good character why wouldn't you want to play here? The one compelling argument against the Steeler Way, the ability to make a lot of money may well be neutralized by the aforementioned economic situation. Do you think FAs who have come to Pittsburgh from other franchises; Justin Hartwig, Ryan Clark,  Mewelde Moore, Roye, McHugh, Bryant, Tyrone Carter aren't doing cartwheels? Think our draftees and UDFA aren't absolutely delighted to be here? About a year ago I commented on a thread that if you played with the Steelers over the past decade and a half that you were almost guaranteed a shot at the SB (a conference championship game) on an average of every three years. That was based on the Cowher years. Who wants to bet against the organization maintaining that average under Tomlin? Hyperbole? Let me see if I can make the case that the team's best years may be ahead.

The Rooneys. Ownership is stablized. Dan's successor is already in place. Wildly popular among fans, players, fellow owners and upper echelon types. He even has the President in his corner. Can't wait until they visit the White House. That's gonna be a hoot. These people are not afraid to make the hard, but right decisions over the years. They understand the culture of football as well as anyone. A model of good management, unimpeachable business ethics and stability.

Tomlin. There are really only two questions remaining concerning Tomlin; how will he handle success and can he remain consistent over the years? He seems tempermentally suited to deal effectively with both issues. No one comes immediately to mind who has won so quickly with as little previous experience of any kind. He has won over players and fans alike. He would project as getting significantly better as a coach as the years roll forward. Under the stability of the Rooney organization the table could be set for Yankees or Celtics type dominance. Not a championship every year, but the standard against which all others are judged. A deserving beneficiary of all this attention will probably be Dick LeBeau. Look for him to make it into the HOF someway, somehow.

Ascending and established stars. Two that have established themselves as stars in this league through their performances up to and including the Super Bowl are Santonio and Deebo. Each represents an opposing pole of player development; first round draft choice and UDFA. Based upon observations from non-Steeler fans Ben and Lamarr Woodley also established themselves as stars througn the SB. There is no longer an asterick in fans minds concerning Ben being an elite QB in this league. The argument about the '04 QB class is over as far as Rivers is concerned, and Eli is on the ropes. Troy will continue to be the rock star based upon both performance and sex appeal. Look for him to break out beyond the athletic realm in some capacity. Hines is slipping into the elder statesman/face of the franchise role that Bettis occupied in the final portion of his career. He'll continue to play for a few more years and with luck will finish in Pittsburgh. Timmons will be the next guy to break into the national consciousness, probably as early as the first half of next season. And perhaps Mendenhall as well.

No thoughts on who we will draft or pick up in free agency except to say that I believe we are in the driver's seat to an extent that few fully comprehend based upon conditions. And despite our deficiencies our glass is way, way past half full.

Comments?