Ryan Clark says "we're a spoiled bunch" as team is mired in two-game skid

Steelers safety Ryan Clark is having perhaps the best individual season of his career.

That isn't stopping him from taking notice of the reaction to Pittsburgh's Week 12 loss at Cleveland, and speaking his mind.

Clark told the Post-Gazette "You lose one game in Pittsburgh and the sky is falling, it's just part of the culture," as well as "We're a spoiled bunch and overall we've become entitled. But you can't be entitled, you can't walk into places and just think because you're the Pittsburgh Steelers you're going to win.

"We need to execute and we haven't been executing. Do we need to win next week? Without a doubt. We would have needed to win next week had we won this game."

Entitled? Spoiled? Absolutely.

Seems better to be a spoiled fan than one who knows nothing of victory. And I would hope the players and coaches of the Pittsburgh Steelers feel entitled enough to know if they trust in their direction, work and play the game hard, success will come with it.

As far as expecting to win, that sort of comes with the territory as well. The Browns beat Pittsburgh for just the second time in their last 16 meetings.

As for the rest of the schedule, neither the Steelers nor anyone rooting for the team should think there's any sense of entitlement when playing the Baltimore Ravens. Winners of the last three games in this rivalry, the Steelers head into it arguably weaker than they've been in those previous three games. Add in the fact Baltimore is undefeated in 15 home games since the Steelers beat them there in December of 2010, and it doesn't appear anyone would even think of the word "entitled."

Clark could use this as a rallying cry among the team, should he choose to take the route of easy motivational opportunities. Or he could just consider it a reasonable reaction for people to be alarmed at a 6-5 team that's lost eight games in its previous two seasons combined.

If anyone is spoiled, Clark makes a valid point. Surprised is perhaps more appropriate, but that's fading fast. The only thing that wouldn't be surprising at this point would be another injury.

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