Collier’s Weekly: Some Years, the Steelers Won’t Be Great
Disappointment at a ho-hum Steelers campaign is understandable — but expecting nothing but success is unreasonable.
As you may have noticed, the Pittsburgh Steelers tend to do pretty well.
The last time the Steelers ended the year in the red was 2003; every campaign since has resulted in a .500-or-better record. During the same time span, the Pittsburgh Pirates have found 16 opportunities to post a losing record. Furthermore, that 2003 scuffle was one of only four losing seasons for the Steelers since 1990 — a remarkable run of winning.
Someone who has been on this planet for 30 years has witnessed only three losing seasons for the black and gold. A college sophomore has never lived through even one.
They’re a good team, generally. That does not, however, mean they will never be bad.
The power of history and high expectations have given Steelers fans the impression that winning no fewer than 10 games per season is the natural order of business and any aberration from that standard (which, as Mike Tomlin is inclined to remind us, is the standard) is a major problem. Struggles — even natural ones, such as rebuilding after the departure of a storied quarterback — are unacceptable to a certain breed of fan; the moment the loss column threatens to rise, heads must roll.
Forgive a controversial statement (that shouldn’t be a controversial statement), but: That’s a bad way of thinking.
I remember standing in a Squirrel Hill bar moments after the Steelers won Super Bowl XLIII, vanquishing the Arizona Cardinals in a thrilling contest. The mood was celebratory and joyous; “Renegade” was playing on repeat. I struck up a conversation with a stranger, recapping the highlights and marveling at the joy that filled the city.
After a few minutes, though, he took a sip of his beer, looked off into the distance and said: “They gotta get the secondary together, though.”
Again: The Steelers had just won a Super Bowl. Even that wasn’t quite enough.
This year, the Steelers are a mediocre team that has done a few things well and a few things poorly. They have lost some games they should’ve won and won some games they should’ve lost. There are questions in some areas and impressive performances in others. In short, they’re having a season that looks a lot like most seasons for most teams in the NFL.
But to talk to many fans, you’d think the sky is falling.
I’m not enough of an analyst to speculate who should be relieved of their duties, which starters should be nervous, and which areas of concern merit attention in next year’s draft. I do, however, know that facing the prospect of one losing season in two decades of play does not merit recrimination and revolt.
It’s a tough league. There are a bunch of good teams. You can’t expect 10 wins every season.
At the risk of getting a bit philosophical, the joy of winning lies in knowing you might’ve lost. There’s no achievement in dominance; when victory becomes de rigueur, it loses its thrill. If the expectation is victory, then a win is pedestrian and a loss is tragic. If the expectation, rather, is a struggle, each victory feels like a triumph.
We Steelers fans are passionate and dedicated, but we can also be selfish. Remember that in the 25 seasons before the Immaculate Reception, these same Steelers — same old Steelers, they were called — only managed six winning records.
Back then, few fans would’ve sneered at a 7-6 record.
Oh yeah: This season’s record is still in positive territory, by the way. We’re bemoaning a lost campaign that hasn’t yet been lost. Perhaps it’s time to settle down?
