Are you a realist or a Steeler Fan?

Definition of my fanaticism: Growing up during the Super Steelers reign of the 70’s, the down years of the 80s, and the Cowher Power years of the 90s, I know it’s not possible to maintain dominance always, but I like to think they have a chance to win every game and I like to think every player will be great or at least good enough to be a role player to the other great players on the team.

Definition of realist: A version of a fan that, instead of recognizing that occasionally it is necessary to add new players to the fold, determines all is lost unless the head coach and all coordinators are fired, despite the fact that they have managed to go to 2 Super Bowls and then tread water and finish with one or two non-losing seasons while acclimating said new players  and building a new group of dominant players.

Well, that’s not the definition of a realist and everyone knows that.  I am a big reader of the blogs because I just love to read about anything to do with the 3 professional teams in Da Burgh.  I’ll read anything from a 2 word comment to a 10 page story if it’s about those guys.  I’m a regular contributor too.  I started my own blog so that I could write about my teams, PittsburghSportsBuzz.blogspot.com Usually my contributions poke a little fun at the people who fit the realist definition above.  Here’s how last Sunday went before that debacle even started. 

Realist: “We need to fire Tomlin, Colbert   and Lebeau.  Tomlin can’t coach, Colbert can’t find talent and the game has passed Lebeau by. 

Me:  Yes, we need to fire that head coach that has taken his team to 2 Super Bowls and won 1 because he definitely can’t coach.   I hated the way he couldn’t coach last season when the team was 0-4 and his team gave up and they didn’t do anything after.  That’s usually what happens with a bad start like that.  The coach loses his team and they go in the toilet.  Oh shoot, that’s not right they actually finished 8-4 after that crappy start when their starting running back was injured and they had no one behind him and they went through 3 or 4 centers due to injuries.  But he definitely can’t coach.  That 6^th Lombardi was a fluke.

Realist: Uh yeah, he stinks, I’m sure Dave Wannstedt  or Russ Grimm could have done just as good of a job.

Me:  Yeah, because Wannstedt  was so good in his other jobs they kept letting him go to other teams and Russ Grimm got so many head coaching offers.

Realist:  Yeah, but Colbert couldn’t find a pro bowler if he picked him off another team. 

Me:  Well, I’m not sure but I think Mr. Colbert may have had something to do with their trips to those 3 Super Bowls in the 2000s.  I know he’s not as good as the 10 GMs that have come and gone in Cleveland and that owner that thinks he’s a GM in Cincy or that other owner that thinks he’s a GM in Dallas(even a blind squirrel finds a nut some days).   It’s just too bad that the Rooney’s aren’t so slow to the trigger in firing people.  If we had someone like Matt Millen we could have had Calvin Williams and 10 other 1^st round wide receivers instead of those Super Bowl trophies. 

Realist:  Yeah, but our defense is horrible this year.  He should have found replacements for those old guys by now.

Me:  Yeah, he should have definitely consulted his crystal ball to see when those outstanding players that went to those 3 Super Bowls were finally going to be unproductive and the year before they lost it he should have convinced other teams with high draft picks to give them to him because the Steelers didn’t have high draft  picks because they’ve been so good for a long time and he should have convinced the league to raise the salary cap for the Steelers so they could afford their free agents and also sign free agents like Daryl Revis that have been overpaid and dropped by other teams or Champ Bailey that can’t run anymore.

Realist:  Yeah, they should fire Lebeau too!

Me:  Yeah, nevermind the fact that other teams would be lining up to get Dick Lebeau even though he is in his 70s.  He should be able to get any draft pick to come in and immediately be a pro bowler and be a part of a number one defense, which by the way, he has coached several teams to while with the Steelers.  His defense is not complicated at all and should be picked up by any player immediately.

I actually got so irritated during last week’s game by one person that fits the “realist” definition that I followed his lead and started calling him names because he said something bad about my favorite team that I could not tolerate.  He was one of many “realists” that came out of the woodwork last Sunday. 

I prefer this definition of realist:

A version of a fan that, recognizes that occasionally it is necessary to add new players to the fold, determines all is not lost because of a few average seasons and that consistency among the head coach and most* coordinators is necessary to maintain the Rooney formula for acquiring Super Bowls at a record pace.

*I’m pretty sure you know why I say most Todd.