I mean, seriously... this is going to make one hell of an America's Game episode.
Ben retirement talk
Bell holdout
Bryant reinstatement
Golson bust
Martavis struggles
Bell struggles
Ben struggles
AB's water cooler explosion
Anthem controversy
Ben 5 INTs
Winning streak
Harrison not playing
Mike Tomlin looking ahead to NE part 2
Shazier injury on prime time
JuJu hit on Burfict/suspension
4 last second victories in 5 weeks
Patriots' game hype
Harrison saying he wouldn't have signed
AB injury
Patriots end game controversy
Harrison released
Ben appears to be on non-speaking terms with his OC
Harrison signs with Patriots

I said something similar to my nephew yesterday...though you hit on a lot more points than I did.

Throw in the passing of DMR.

It's been a crazy season....and yet 12-3

And yet for a good portion of this place they see the team at 12-3 despite all of the drama and rather than praise the coach for keeping his team focused they blame him for the drama.

This has, indeed, reached epic proportions, if it wasn’t already there. Can’t stop thinking about the buildup the week of the AFCCG, assuming Steelers and Patriots take care of business in the divisional round (no guarantee). An unprecedented amount of drama surrounding this team. Closest I can think of in sports might actually be the ‘78 Yankees.

I don’t really know but I’d guess a lot teams have dirt too and we just make a big deal because we’re Steelers nerds.

The Ben thing was pretty big I admit. Still is an unknown. To me how this season has gone I see Ben absolutely playing next season. But year to year from that point.

Also apparently bens retirement talk did surprise Colbert and tomlin. So that’s some drama I’ll give you.

Who knows about bell. I could see a tag and holdout though.

This is Raiders-Steelers circa 1972-1977

Immaculate Reception game, Oakland's revenge in Oakland, Ice on the field AFCCG, Swann headshots, Noll "criminal element", lawsuit game in 1977... if Andy Russell had been cut on Christmas and signed with the Raiders, this would just about be it.

Playing a bunch of back-up caliber QBs will do that for you. We're just lucky that the Colts, Packers, Texans, and Browns didn't have a weapon like Mike Glennon. If they did, this season would have been fucked.

You nailed it with that last bit. I’ve had nightmarish flashes of some of the old guys in Raiders uniforms, Lambert especially, on look and character. Of course his career just started right in the middle of that rivalry, but it’s the idea of a heart and soul linebacker wearing the enemy uniform that’s just so nauseating. I realize when you look at skill set at this stage in the career, this is closer to Franco to the Seahawks. But the Seahawks were no rival, and that was following a training camp holdout, not Christmas, with the possibility of a meeting to go to the super bowl within weeks.

It could be epic. I can already taste it.

My mindset has dramatically changed on the 2017 Steelers and our chances vs the Patriots. I can't wait to see that game (if it happens).

I really believe we can go there and win.

In a weird way, I think that all of the drama actually helps the Steelers. Tomlin's coaching style in dealing with his players is extremely laid back and even-keeled. Never too high, never too low. It's the whole "next man up" and the "standard is the standard" thing. He let's them be themselves and expects them to put in the work necessary to win without micromanaging. He treats them like grown men rather that football playing chips. As a result, some of Tomlin's teams have often performed at their best when faced with a little adversity - Ben's suspension, league targeting team/Harrison in 2008, starting 0-4 in 2013(?), and now the drama filled 2017 season. There are other examples too that I could list. Tomlin's style helps the team mentally weather these types of storms better than a coach that would overreact and implement wide-spread changes/bench players/scream and yell like an idiot, etc. Dealing with adversity might be Tomlin's greatest strength as head coach.

Side note: I think this is also why the Steelers under Tomlin are prone to losing to inferior opponents. His even-keeled, hands-off style can lead to complacency when things are going well or when facing a bad team.

I believe you’re right. But I’m still not sure how I’ll be able to sleep the night before.

If Beth’s idea of a scripted NFL is true, the AFCCG WILL feature the Steelers and the Patriots.

Seriously...what other teams would have the cachet to make the AFCCG an Event of Epic Proportions?

With the now added drama of James Harrison playing for his Arch Enemy?

That there is some showmanship. I’ll even wager they’ll let the AFCCG be the prime time matchup again, even though it’s the NFC’s turn.

CAn we change the board banner to DramaFury?

From the perspective of depth at pass-rusher/OLB, it could end up being a mistake. From the perspective of potentially handing the Pats a pass-rusher they lacked, similar to how the Browns handed Haden over, (Harrison's effectiveness yet unknown) it could be a mistake.

But barring that (and related to this thread), I could see this team rallying around the "doom and gloom" of fans/media. The players' heads seem to be where they were at after the loss to Pats...it's one thing giving me cautious optimism. I can envision Watt and Dupree, and other guys on D, playing with a chip on their shoulders.

Just stay away from the injury bug.

This will def be bulletin board material.....jh’s social media pic with shady

Especially since the caption that went with the photo was a dig at the youth on the Steelers...or could be interpreted as such.

“Finally...a teammate who’s older than me”.

I hear you brother

But the cool thing is, the trouble sleeping will be due to really believing we can go there and win. We know this team has an opportunity and can tangibly do something about it.

I will be amped up for that game out of my freakin' skull if it happens.

All that, and I totally forgot Martavis Bryant requesting a trade and having to be talked down from the ledge.

Yes...
https://www.yahoo.com/sports/ben-roethl ... tml?exp=vv

And if it's Steelers-Patriots in the AFCCG, it will be '74 AFCCG redux....all the way down to..."The best team in football is in this room."

LMFAO.

But was I the only one that raised an eyebrow over Steeler fans burning their jerseys? I didn't think the yinzers had any gear left after the Anthem debacle

Sounds like a fake news peice


But James looks really puffed up since I last saw him

Notice it all started with Ben retirement. Thought then it was Ben serving notice he wasn't getting beat up to be Brady and NE's foil. This morphed into steelers going full-on WWE, the new nfl script. "This what you want, ok, we'll play along."

What else can we throw on the fire

Last week the Deebo shit

Now the Haley take down

Ben said he wanted to get some reps against Cleveland too and Tomlin said no - add some more drama because of this if he comes out cold - this will heat up too.