I started watching football in the mid 90s , my first football game was the Ohio State Buckeyes versus the West Virginia Mountaineers. I watched it start to finish, not understanding a second of what was happening. All I knew was that I was a Buckeye.

I watched a handful of Professional football games as a kid , but wasn’t quite interested. I remember seeing Bernie Kosar , Clay Mathews and those early 90s Browns on TV ,and the last game in 95. I just wasn’t a football fan yet. I still remember the first NFL game I watched start to finish.

The Tennessee Oilers played the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1998, it was the first NFL game I had watched from start to finish. I begin the game rooting for the Steelers, given that my grandfather had grown up in Brownsville near Pittsburgh. By halftime of this game I was rooting for the Oilers. Having growing up a huge Ohio State fan, Eddie George captured my attention.

In the following weeks of this game I can begin to dislike the Steelers more and more. Having been a big Barry Sanders fan the coin toss kind of ruined any kind of like for the Steelers. I also didn’t like Jerome Bettis or Bill Cowher until they both retired. Now I am the type of person that considers myself a football fan first, and a team guy second.

I love the history of the NFL, owning many books over the years the deal with NFL and football history. If you were to read a list of the books I checked out of a Bellaire Ohio library, a list would show my love of football history. I can tell you my favorite era every of NFL team, and some I can even tell you my most despised.

My team for example, the Cleveland Browns, is one of the more historic teams in the NFL. Along with teams such as the Packers, the Bears, the Cowboys, and many others the Browns have helped create the history book for the NFL. The Browns of the sixties are my favorite.While the Browns of the 70s I am not sold on, or the 2000s.

There’s one team in particular in the NFL at the moment that I feel is going to start a rough patch. The Pittsburgh Steelers. A team that since the 70s has not endured much hardship.

Being a Browns fan, one would instantly think that I despise the Steelers all together. Not true I actually admire some of those 1970s teams. A picture of Lynn Swann floating in the air, catching a pass over a cowboy’s Defender is forever embedded in my brai. Even though I was not even alive to witness it.Those Terry Bradshaw led teams we’re very interesting teams to watch. The Steel Curtain defense is still glorifying to witness even in past recordings of them playing.

The 80s weren’t as kind to the Steelers, as they struggled to even a .500 record during a few years in the 80s. The 90s brought in Bill Cowher and subsequently he took the Steelers to the playoffs 10 out of his 15 years coaching them. Bill Cowher took the Steelers to two Super Bowls winning one.

That brings us to this current era of Steelers football. I am actually a fan of Mike Tomlin, he has two Super Bowl appearances himself, winning one also. Under Mike Tomlin coaching tenure the Pittsburgh Steelers have never had a losing season.With all that history, having six Super Bowl wins tying them for most with the New England Patriots, they can be considered one of the greatest franchises in NFL history. They can also be called one of the NFL’s dynasties.

For 2018 season for the Pittsburgh Steelers marked lots of drama and controversy. A lot of the controversies blame has been put off on different players. I will say that some players did not handle herself in a manner they should have, but it’s fan we also do not know the whole story.

All former Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell, has been fasting for a long-term contract for a few seasons. The Pittsburgh Steelers gave him multiple franchise tags to keep him as the running back. Le’Veon set out the entire 2018 NFL season due to his disagreement with the contract. He signed with the New York Jets just this offseason for less than what the Steelers had offered him last offseason.

Antonio Brown apparently became a head case in Pittsburgh calling out Ben Roethlisberger , and sitting out the final week of the Steelers season. He demanded a trade from the Steelers, and even declined to go where they wanted him to go. He got traded to the Oakland Raiders recently for a third round pick in a 5th round pick. Arguably Antonio Brown has been the NFL’s best receiver for the past several seasons, meaning that compensation receive for him was well below what he was worth.

I myself have been one to say that I don’t blame Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell are to be blamed for wanting out of Pittsburgh.

Emmanuel Sanders on time record just this offseason saying that Ben Roethlisberger has a penchant for blasting his teammates on the radio.

Roethlisberger has also been involved in two different sexual assault cases, and in a motorcycle accident in which he did not even own the proper license to be riding without a helmet.

There is plenty of controversy that has followed Ben been in his playing career, but never once has he been called a head case in a locker or a problem off the field. Now I know I’m not the first to call him that but I will stand by the statement saying that Ben Roethlisberger is a problem in the Steelers organization.

There is a former Steelers running back by the name of Josh Harris that that Big Ben also fumbled a ball in retaliation of not liking former offensive coordinator Todd Haley’s play call. The 2018 season even seen Big Ben blame others for a game losing interception against the Denver Broncos. Having watch the game myself it appeared that Big Ben threw the ball directly to the Broncos defensive lineman, Shelby Harris.

I’m wrighting this to tell you that Ben Roethlisberger is the reason why the Pittsburgh Steelers will start to go down hill. Big Ben has flirted with the idea of retirement the past several off seasons, and just maybe for the sake of the Steelers, he should.

Steelers having an amazing organization led by the Rooney family, who is a Browns fan I respect, so I don’t think they will experience many losing seasons. As long as Big Ben remains the quarterback, I don’t see many players wanting to play with him. The Steelers have already lost two of their best players on offense, players not easily replaced. Has the Cleveland Browns rise up in the division I did not want to Steelers to fall, I wanted the Rivalry to be reborn. With a winning Steelers team and Browns team the Rivalry would be amongst the best again.

With the 2019 NFL season months away yet, it will be have to be seen what the Steelers Browns rivalry could look like. The Browns have heavily retooled, father Steelers have regressed losing Talent. the Steelers are trying to replace Antonio Brown with Donte Moncrief. Instead of Dante getting a vote of confidence from his new quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger just blasted him on the radio also.

Good luck in Pittsburgh Dante, I wish you the best.But with a quarterback such as Big Ben, you’re not joining the team that is trending in the right direction.

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