There are three sports teams that I will always root against no matter who they are playing and quite honestly I don't want Pittsburgh on that list...but I'll do it, oh yes I will. The three teams I live to hate are: the Lakers, the Yankees, and Ohio State. Every game they win makes me want to hurl; while every game they lose brightens my day like a free breakfast at the island coffee shop.
Being the casual betting man that I am, let me also say that if the opportunity presents itself to win some money betting against Pittsburgh, that is one bet I won't make. Pittsburgh possesses a team chemistry that you don't often find on professional sports teams and chemistry is the #1 ingredient to winning championships. Its the main reason the Yankees don't win every year and its the reason the San Francisco Giants won the World Series this year against far more talented teams; they did it on team chemistry.
Do you remember when the Detroit Pistons dismantled the Laker All Star team in 2004? Team chemistry. How about when Boston came from 3 games down and beat the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS and went on to win the World Series? Team chemistry again.
How does a team build chemistry? Its not easy to do; its the small details that allow players to be them selves and know their team won't hold it against them, like Aubrey Huff parading around a locker room in a rally thong. It's taking shots of Jack Daniels as a team before the biggest game of the year (04 Redsox) and it's taking your lineman out to a BBQ dinner and singing stupid piano songs at the top of your lungs a few days before the Superbowl.
I'm not saying the Packers can't win, I'm just saying the Steelers have the #1 ingredient to playing championship football: they're a family. For the Packers to win this game I recommend Aaron Rogers lines up 53 shot glasses of Wild Turkey or buys 53 rally thongs for his team to play in; or at the very least, get in a bar fight against a group of UFC fighters in Pittsburgh Steelers jerseys. With as stupid as these ideas may be somehow they lead to championships.
One major difference between the Steelers and the Yankees, Lakers, Patriots, Cowboys, et al., is they are classy. Yes, Roethlisberger made some stupid mistakes, but the organization held him accountable and worked with the NFL. For four decades the Rooney's have been a model of consistency (three coaches in that span. three!) and integrity. I can't think of a better trio than Noll, Cowher, and Tomlin.
ReplyDeleteThey have dumped people like Bam Morris and Holmes when they're off the field lives became problematic (hence, Roethlisberger is a special case of exceptional grace on their part). They have been the hope of Pittsburgh while the economy there has gone through major changes. While people may root against them because they win (I expect that), there is little people can say against the organization itself.