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When I think about some fans who are considering just how players will respond to Le’Veon Bell’s eventual return to the Pittsburgh Steelers, I immediately think of the line from Harry Doyle, announcer in the famed sports movie “Major League”.
“Welcome to another episode of “Teepee Talk”, in case you haven’t noticed, and judging by attendance you haven’t, the Indians have managed to win a few games, and are threatening to climb out of the cellar...”
Failing to make the connection?
In other words, I’m not sure why some fans are so enamored with what his fellow players think of Bell when he returns. Players get the business side of the game, and no matter what fans think, or say, they will support him and welcome him back with open arms.
Need proof? Check out the article below on how Ben Roethlisberger won’t hold a grudge when Bell returns.
Time to get caught up on all the black and gold news around the internet.
If Le'Veon Bell's Twitter feed is to be believed, his return to the Steelers practice field will come — fittingly — on Labor Day.
Bell appeared to finally tip his hand about his much-anticipated reunion with teammates late Monday night when he posted "9-1-17" with a winking emoji in response to a fan's question about his return.
A Sept. 1 comeback for Bell would be one day after the Steelers' final preseason game and three days before they would begin practicing (on Labor Day) for the Sept. 10 season opener in Cleveland.
In that case, Bell would have four practices — just one padded — to get ready for the season. Is that enough for a player who hasn't taken a snap since the first half of the AFC championship game, skipping 12 organized team activity sessions, three minicamp practices and all of training camp?...
..."There's no hard feelings on my side," Roethlisberger said. "I'd love to hear back from him — a text to say, 'Hey, how are you doing?' — but it is what it is."
When Bell arrives, he will encounter an expanded playbook as a result of some "bigger" changes that were made in the offseason.
"That's on him, how much studying he wants to do," Roethlisberger said. "We'll do everything we can to get him up to speed, and the rest is up to him.
"We have a couple bigger (wrinkles) this year than usual. Every year you put new things in and change things. It's just coincidentally this year we have more than usual."
The Steelers drafted former Pitt running back James Conner in the third round and added veteran Knile Davis in free agency to compete with Fitzgerald Toussaint as Bell's backup. Conner rushed for 98 yards in the Steelers' preseason win Sunday against Atlanta.
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said he does not know if Le’Veon Bell will be in good enough “football shape” to play all the time and immediately be a large part of the offense when he returns to the Steelers.
“I don’t know if it’s as much mental as physical,” Roethlisberger said Wednesday. “He’s a physical back. It’s a violent sport. The running back position takes a beating. We just have to hope the other guys are ready to go if he does need spelled. I don’t know if he’ll be ready to play every single play like he does typically during the season.”...
...“Coming off an injury, it’s going to be about how he feels,” Roethlisberger said. “He’s going to come back here in great shape, he’s always in great shape. But there’s in-shape and there’s football shape, there’s running around in shorts and T-shirt and putting the pads on and getting hit. He’s going to have to be the judge of how easy it is to come back and be ready to go.”
Coach Mike Tomlin said he’s not going to comment on any speculation about Bell’s return.
“When he comes back I’ll address it,” Tomlin said. “When he gets here, then I’ll address the circumstances that we’re dealing with in regard to him.”
Artie Burns trotted onto the field for the first team practice period on Wednesday -- ones vs. ones -- and didn't notice anything out of the ordinary and just went about his business.
After a play or two, he started to look around and noticed something different -- there was no Ross Cockrell?
"I was looking around and saying, 'Where's Ross?' I was confused," Burns told DKPittsburghSports.comfollowing Wednesday's practice. "I was kind of surprised not to see him out there."
Cockrell -- who started every game last year at cornerback -- was demoted to the second team, at least for this practice, and replaced by veteran Coty Sensabaugh.
In the NFL, it's all about routine and more routine. And when the routine becomes routine, then make sure it stays routine.
Got that?
Well, Mike Tomlin definitely likes his routine.
The practice schedules are consistent; meeting times are the same; the off-day doesn't change; lunch is at the same time every day; and the downtime is around the same every day.
For the past month, however, nothing has been routine for teams like the Steelers, who went away to a sterile football environment like Saint Vincent College for training camp. Practice times were weird, there were strange off-days and even on-the-move changes of practice locations to nearby Latrobe High School at times, which was definitely not in the routine.
But now it's time to get back into that routine for Tomlin and he's taking this week leading up to the third preseason game Saturday night at Heinz Field against the Colts as the perfect opportunity to get things back to his normal.
'Game-week simulation' is what he's calling it.
"It's a very important week," Ramon Foster said. "You have a very good baseline of training camp and there's a lot of things going on out there. This week right here is a test for the season. Guys are playing longer starting reps and you just try to bring everything together in this third preseason game."