it mattered to them, but it shouldn't have. And it likely wouldn't have if we had one or 2 vets that pulled them to the side and made them really stop and look at the big picture. Russ is your TEAMMATE. Your gottdamn young, starting QB.Does it matter if Russ got special treatment? The head coach's job is to do what's best for the team. If Pete thought the defense was affecting his young quarterbacks' confidence, it makes sense to protect him.
Actual preferential treatment and the waves of resentment started will before that with Wilson, he could not take trash talk, being mean to him when they intercepted a pass was how he took it, saying you suck hurt his feelings and it goes on. it was tolerated by the defense because they made up for Wilsons limitations. well in that Super Bowl the LOB and many others were playing injured, having two players knocked out hurt the defense even more. The whole offense practically shit themselves on the field when the play call came in, the sidelines when they lined up was going what the **** and then you see the reaction to the play when it was run.
Wilson was never a team leader during that era, he was a team yes man for Pete, went full Corporate Russell after Sherman and Lynch left. Lynch, Kam, Bobby, Baldwin, Bennett and Averil were the leaders.
That irked Wilson also, he could never fit in as one of the guys.
Nah, come on Pitt. He's Satan and always will be.
Yes it does, when you coach says always compete, all in and that every day your competing for your job, the cringeworthy press conferences, the phony persona the team saw versus the locker room and every day. All that says something to your team mates. Yes, you can be tactful, but be legit, the leaders on the team were, the media didn't know how to handle blunt non PC truth from most of them. They all looked at him as a phony even inside the team. Yes they played to support each other but it was a divisive situation when you have a guy in a Plastic Bubble set up by your coach.Does it matter if Russ got special treatment? The head coach's job is to do what's best for the team. If Pete thought the defense was affecting his young quarterbacks' confidence, it makes sense to protect him.
You are describing one side of the conflict; place yourself above it. What is your solution to the situation? Should you let the defense bully your young, soon-to-be max-contract quarterback? Do you risk moving on from Russ because some guys on the team don't like his personality?Yes it does, when you coach says always compete, all in and that every day your competing for your job, the cringeworthy press conferences, the phony persona the team saw versus the locker room and every day. All that says something to your team mates. Yes, you can be tactful, but be legit, the leaders on the team were, the media didn't know how to handle blunt non PC truth from most of them. They all looked at him as a phony even inside the team. Yes they played to support each other but it was a divisive situation when you have a guy in a Plastic Bubble set up by your coach.
Also if he can't take the heat from his own team mates challenging him, what does that say for game day, do you trust him? Or sit waiting to see where he leaves you on the next three and out.
Yes it does, when you coach says always compete, all in and that every day your competing for your job, the cringeworthy press conferences, the phony persona the team saw versus the locker room and every day. All that says something to your team mates. Yes, you can be tactful, but be legit, the leaders on the team were, the media didn't know how to handle blunt non PC truth from most of them. They all looked at him as a phony even inside the team. Yes they played to support each other but it was a divisive situation when you have a guy in a Plastic Bubble set up by your coach.
Also if he can't take the heat from his own team mates challenging him, what does that say for game day, do you trust him? Or sit waiting to see where he leaves you on the next three and out.
If we had run the ball and Lynch fumbled it, everyone would be saying what a terrible play call it was.
If Wilson had completed the pass for a TD, nobody would be saying what a terrible play call it was.
If Lynch had fumbled it (doubtful), I think most reasonable fans, even if it took a little while to come to their senses, would have been shocked, saddened, frustrated, and whatnot, but would not have been outraged at all by the call. They would have thought it was highly unfortunate what happened, but would even have a hard time blaming Lynch given all that he had done for the franchise. They would have been able to move on a lot easier, as difficult and irksome as that moment may have been to overcome.If we had run the ball and Lynch fumbled it, everyone would be saying what a terrible play call it was.
If Wilson had completed the pass for a TD, nobody would be saying what a terrible play call it was.
It has always been assumed that he scores. There's absolutely no way to know 100 percent if he would have. Likely would have, but he was stopped on short yardage plenty of other times that season. Still a dumb call, no matter what. At least on 2nd down.The play still would be questioned when all is factored in. I would feel a lot better if Lynch had fumbled than with the outcome of the worst play call of all time.
It has always been assumed that he scores. There's absolutely no way to know 100 percent if he would have. Likely would have, but he was stopped on short yardage plenty of other times that season. Still a dumb call, no matter what. At least on 2nd down.
Then again, it was a miracle they were even down there after that catch by Kearse.
Yep. I think a lot of it also had to do with Bevell throwing Lockette under the bus and PC then supporting Bevell (in general - PC was silent about the Lockette thing).Wilson wasn't the beginning of the end. The beginning of the end was a millisecond after the worst play call in the history of the Super Bowl when nobody was held accountable. Also, Wilson got some special treatment, but he was never more important than the team. It just got to a point where he was the only hope after awhile. The members of the LOB weren't so pissed off at Wilson as they were with Pete and what was asked of them. That last, boneheaded play call was the last straw.