I just wanted to make a few comments about the Steelers game and loss to the New England Patriots 34-13 in Foxboro, Mass last weekend. Not so much for the loss which happened convincingly to a great team the Patriots which is going for an undefeated season. Losing doesn't bother me in a sense as well because it happens especially when you play better teams ans sometimes against lesser competition as previous Steelers losses this season to the Cardinals, Broncos and Jets proved you can lose on any given week.
But what bothered me most about the loss to the Patriots was the trash talking especially the guarantee by second year safety Anthony Smith of the Steelers. No he wasn't even on the Steelers Super Bowl team a few years ago and he's talking trash about the three time Super Bowl Champion Patriots of quaterback Tom Brady and Head Coach Bill Belichick. Did Smith ever think of humiltty or the opposition he and the team were facing. Did he have their back or did he hang them out to dry as Smith got burned a couple times for touchdowns in the game.
No this is just young bravado trying to trash talk against who they perceive as the big bad bully in the Patriots. Forget the spygate controversy of the Patriots. They're just better than the Steelers, they proved it Sunday and the Steelers Anthony Smith and his bravado teammates, not all of the Steelers mind you got caught up in thinking they needed to say something to get themselves fired up to play better. My advice is just go play Steelers. If you're better it will show up on the field in results. Former Steeler greats from the 70's championship teams, the 90's teams which were competitive and also the 2005 Super Bowl winning team never exhibited this bravado. They just went and played and mostly won as good teams do and showed dignity off it which good and smart teams also do.
Anyway I haven't been this embarrased about the Steelers since former tight end Eric Green talked about making Super Bowl rap videos before the Steelers 1994 season AFC Championship game which they lost and got humbled by the San Diego Chargers in Pittsburgh.
In closing I hope the Steelers organization led by the Rooney family and head coach Mike Tomlin sit down with Anthony Smith and his few other teammates who decided to talk such unwarranted bravadoes and guarantees. It may have worked for Joe Willie Namath in the Super Bowl years ago but it still isn't a good idea win or lose. Just play the game and the results will take care of themselves. Anything less is an embarrasment to those watching. Let me know what you think friends and talk soon. Best wishes and have a great and productive day. fenfan
The "guarantee" was okay (if one reads the entire comment made). He said if the team does what it is capable of etc., etc. What is idiotic was going up to Brady pregame & mouthing off. He bit on two plays that he could have had an impact on/damn near closed on the flea flicker to knock it away...
I still think they would have had a chance had the idiots called a few different plays while they were in the Red Zone. Sure didn't play to their strength those times. With critical injuries and such, I don't see them going far, even if they get into the playoffs. Season of promise has turned sour for me. Fuzz
fenwayfenatic
fuzzboss
I'm of the opinion that you let your actions on the field do your talking for you. It's better to offer up an opine that way rather than being lured into saying or making a ridiculous statement. And by my recollection he was made to look an even bigger fool when Gaffney caught that touchdown pass from Brady.
B*tch you've just been Punked !
how the heck am i supposed to say anything negative about a guy called "fenwayfanatic"? heavy sigh... Fuzzboss is correct and you can read something I posted a couple of days ago on this topic. Smith's problem was not his "guarantee", because when you read his full comment, the guarantee is predicated upon the rest of the team playing to the best of their capabilities.
one other thing to consider is whether what he did was really such a bad thing. the NFL has been jokingly referred to as the No Fun League for a while, because of its rules which seek to curb any displays of emotion. maybe most of us have fallen into their trap by expecting that players will not express their true feelings.
to be honest, i would rather have a team full of guys who really believe that they can beat anyone and say so, rather than a team which never has that belief to start with.
I appreciate this post. Check out my entry a few days ago lamenting a lack of these kinds of entries. The last person I expected to make one was an actual Steeler fan. Full disclosure - I am biased in this tantrum of mine.
fen...nice blog...dont be embarrassed...it's part of the mental chess game they play....they (the trash talking guaranteers)are right 50% of the time...if they had won, he would have looked brilliant! :)
Brady is a class act off the field, but on the field he talks as much trash as anyone. He even showed up Brian Urlacher last year in the game against the bears. And if Smith had said...If we play the game like we are supposed to we will have no problem winning the game... then there would be no contreversy. Just inserting the word "guarentee"while dumb, is part of learning to talk to reporters. Let it go, He got punked, Brady trashe talked him, Harrison stood up for his safety, and its over. long story short, the Pats won. The people that cant let this go are as much of a problem as anyone!
I agree with Fuzz. I think they could've won that game too. They were getting good pressure on Brady. But, the corners backed off and gave up those short, quick passes all day long. Not once did they man up to the line and try to take it away. It was like they were content to let New England march down the field slowly after getting beat deep twice.
A couple of weeks ago somebody said something like, "If you want to beat the Patriots, you've got to play like you're unafraid of getting blown out of the stadium." You have to let it all hang out against these guys and take some risks. The Steelers didn't play that way. It was really disappointing.
As for Anthony Smith, he needs to man up or keep his mouth shut.
Hello friends,
Thank you for all your comments. I really appreciate them always. Anyway I don't like the idea o####uarantee. It is really just brash trash talking no matter what the best of intentions are or how good the guaranteeor is. It just doesn't show class I think and it gets everyone riled up and suject for criticism, second guessing and scorn or ridicule whatever. As I said just go out and play the game and let your actions do the talikng. They are the ones who will be most respected in the end. Thanks again for your feedback friends. Best wishes. fenfan
I love taking about all sports in general although I tend to follow team sports more because I tend to follow teams more than individuals. That's why I don't have any favorite players listed at this time. Feel free to talk about most anything in sports with me. I don't know everything about sports, but I wish I did because maybe then I'd be in the sports profession. Anyway sports is my passion and I'd love to talk about it with you and become your sports friend so stop by anytime and we'll talk sports!
