Blount release gets the REAL culprits off the hook
Commentary by PalmerSucks
November 20, 2014
Word is the Stillers secretly staged the whole Blount drama to help save face after Monday’s near-embarrassment in Nashville.
Far-fetched? Think about it: instead of talking about a near loss to another bottom feeder, everybody’s talking about Blount’s release. Gee, isn’t that convenient?
OK, for the sake of disclosure, I’m the one who started this rumor, and no, I have no facts to back it up with. But you’ve got to admit, the stink over Blount sure does mask the odor of the team’s performance against lowly Tennessee on Monday night.
Yes, even after he’s packed up his bong and left, LeGarrette Blount is still turning out smokescreens in Pittsburgh.
Let’s start with Dick LeBeau, presumably the guy responsible for the defenses called Monday night. Once again, Dick’s vaunted D got tooled by a rookie no-name QB on an offense filled with no-names. Thanks to Blount, nobody’s talking about it.
Now, watching this defense has provided some real angry moments this year, but nothing – and I mean nothing – compared to seeing the Titans score a TD just before the half ended, with just seconds left and needing to travel almost the whole length of the field.
Watching this sorry spectacle threw me into a flying, foaming rage; somebody tell me HOW you don’t drop at least one DB deep here? The iron rule of defense is you keep everything in FRONT of you with that little time left. A 10 or even 20-yard pass doesn’t kill you – provided you move forward to make the tackle, not watch like a bunch of slack-jawed dumb-asses while the receiver prances into the end zone behind you.
Nate Washington got so far behind the defense, I thought he was playing safety for the Stillers. What a complete and utter embarrassing disgrace.
After the game, the Titans’ QB, Mettenberger, remarked that they’d set up Gay for a double-move-and-go because they knew his tendency to jump the shorter stuff. OK fine, but just WHAT IN THE HOLY HELL is Gay doing playing the 10-yard out with that little time left in the half?
It’s called situational football, geniuses, and it never amazes me how often teams don’t seem to grasp the concept. (The Stillers aren’t the only squad I’ve seen play things so stupidly; the Broncos did it against Flacco in the playoffs a couple years ago.) Just when the Stillers SHOULD be playing back and giving up those cushions to receivers, they do exactly the opposite. Brilliant!
How does a freakin’ pump-fake fool ANYONE in that situation? More importantly, why didn’t the coach call for a three-deep zone here? And even more importantly, why aren’t they asking these questions on TV? You know the answer. Thanks to Blount’s antics, both Gay and LeBeau get spared their deserved post-game roastings.
Then there’s Coach Tomlin, who, instead of having to defend another sorry showing against another sorry squad, gets to act all pious at his Tuesday media talk. Of course, the Post-Gazette was there to lend its lips, with this little ass-smooching snippet on Wednesday:
“Congratulations to the front office and coach Mike Tomlin for doing the right thing for the long term even if there is going to be short-term pain. They should be applauded….Tomlin has been criticized — often unfairly — for being too much of a players’ coach, too soft with his discipline. The swift way he removed Blount might be his finest moment.” http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/ron-cook/2014/11/19/cook-Steelers-do-right-thing/stories/201411190093
Thank you, Wrong Cook. And may I add: “oh, puh-leeeeeze!”
OK, maybe Blount had to go, but patting the Stillers on the back for doing it now is warranted? “Congratulations” are in order? No, what would’ve been Tomlin’s “finest hour” is if he would’ve had the guts to unload Blount back in August, when he got pulled over holding a bag of Mother Nature on the dashboard. But, as you recall, there wasn’t any release, and not even any suspension – Blount played in Philly the next day.
The Stillers knew full well Blount’s history when they signed him. So what’s surprising isn’t his actions, but -- given the team’s supposedly high character standards – the fact they ever signed him in the first place. But what’s done is done, and again, maybe he’s got to go, but you, Stillers, don’t have any business acting all holier-than-thou about it. You pick up rotten fruit, you don’t get to go bitching back to the supermarket to return it.
Like magic, Mike Tomlin goes from head of the league’s underachievers, to stern disclipinarian and all-around great leader. Way to go, L.G.!
So then, with the holiday season nearly upon us, I give you a list of gift suggestions along with the names of the men who should be sending them to Blount, the man who pulled their asses out of the fire:
“Thanks for behaving so badly and making folks forget about my ass-backward schemes! Sincerely, Dick LeBeau” (Bottle of Glenlivet 25 yrs)
“What’s up, L? Just want you to know no matter where you go, I’ll always be your player’s coach, big boy! Best, Coach T.” (Autographed classic “Believe” T-shirt featuring “St. Tomlin” image with halo)
“I got burned… now it’s your turn! –Willie Gay” (Super-turbo lighter custom-engraved with Blount’s ex-jersey number)
“Try smoking these instead. – Art Rooney II” (Box of Cohibas)
I would mention Colbert, but he’s probably too cheap to have gotten Blount anything anyway. Either that, or he would’ve overpaid for the worst possible gift, then signed it to a three-year extension.
Bottom line: maybe dumping Blount was the right thing to do. But far from being cause for back-slapping, it simply represents yet another front-office fiasco on the part of your Pittsburgh Stillers. The team didn’t show any high standards dumping a player when they felt they had no other choice – they failed by signing a player who couldn’t even last a single season with them.
Blount is Santonio Holmes all over again, a player whose background and character the Stillers knew all about going in; then turned around and acted all surprised when the player acted up, and preached about “the standard” when they cut him. Give me a break.
Oh and one more thing. Turns out Blount got snapped up immediately by none other than his old team, the New England Patriots. Considering Belichick’s involved, maybe talk of staging and conspiracies isn’t so wacky after all.
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Could saying goodbye to Blount turn out to be a stroke of brilliance? There’s a chance it could, though to no credit of the Stillers. Allow me to explain.
As a result of Blount’s release, the Stillers have called up Josh Harris from their street-clothes squad. Now, a lot of people squawked when the team didn’t sign Ben Tate off waivers, but I’m kind of glad they didn’t. I’ve been very interested to see what Harris can do, given his physical gifts.
Harris has tremendous speed, as the P-G noted in their article about him. However, they’ve listed his 40-time at 4.46, which likely isn’t accurate. Harris probably is much faster.
According to Harris, he actually ran a 4.28 40 for scouts, claiming that the NFL Network mistakenly listed his time at 4.46. Whatever the case, I’m inclined to believe he’s faster than what the network reported; Harris is a noted sprinter who ran the 100m dash for Wake Forest’s track team. Not only that, but Harris put up 28 reps in the bench press, which would be respectable for some linemen.
Now, I like Le’veon Bell; I like him a lot. I’d love him, however, if he possessed breakaway speed. Bell will get you doubles and even triples, but if there’s one thing lacking in his game, it’s the home-run threat. Harris – unlike Blount – can step in and threaten to break the big one at any time. He’s fast, quick and strong – reminding me of Willie Parker.
Now, am I saying he’ll bust out long ones like Fast Willie used to? No, of course not; only playing time can tell us what he can do. What I am saying is that, should Harris ball out, the Stillers will have stumbled upon yet another threat for their offense. Who says hypocrisy doesn’t pay?
Who knows? Thanks to Blount, we may soon be talking about “Fast Joshie.”
WASTING ARCHER’S TALENT, PART 23: Monday Night the Stillers used some common sense with Archer, sending him deep on a wheel, and having him zip past the defense. This time, however, it was Roethlisberger who failed him, somehow not spotting a wide-open Archer downfield. Instead of an easy TD, the team came away with nothing. Stay tuned next game, when the team will resume running him up the gut .
Question or comments? Hit me up at palmersucks@stillers.com