Troy and Steelers Estranged

I know this has been discussed before and mostly speculated on, due to his conspicuous absence at events. But this Q&A in Ed's blog, was an eye opener on how severe it must be. He didn't even mention the Steelers in his Polynesian HOF induction. The Rooney family needs to repair this some how.

Quote :

--- YOU: Hi Ed, I had a chance to view a recording of Troy P's Polynesian HOF induction. He mentioned all of the football teams he played for except the Steelers, instead saying NFL. I have heard that the relationship between Troy and the Steelers is strained, what can you tell those of us who care about these kinds of things?

ED: My understanding is that it is strained and Polamalu has not shown up for any of the events the Steelers have had, including the 10th anniversary of Super Bowl XL. Apparently, he disagreed with the Steelers about their retirement plans for him last year.

Man that's too bad. Troy is one of my all time favorite players but he really was at the end of his road last year. I hope and think it can be repaired though. Something is up though. It definitely is interesting he wasn't there and that he did not mention the Steelers.

Hard to say what I feel about this. I don't remember all the details, but if it is just Troy being upset about the Steelers not wanting him anymore, I think maybe it's just something he's going to be able to work through himself.

We definitely want to see the Steelers take care of their former players. It's important to how they run their organization. I would like to think that if there is something reasonable that the team can do to ease his bad feelings, they would do it.

harrison'samonster wrote:

Hard to say what I feel about this.  I don't remember all the details, but if it is just Troy being upset about the Steelers not wanting him anymore, I think maybe it's just something he's going to be able to work through himself.

We definitely want to see the Steelers take care of their former players.  It's important to how they run their organization.  I would like to think that if there is something reasonable that the team can do to ease his bad feelings, they would do it.

It wouldn't be the first time it happened. I know Bradshaw retired with bad feelings mostly to the fans and even Franco who has pretty much adopted Pittsburgh as his second home had a tough break when the team let him go. We say it's a business and that's true but there is a personal side to it too. Troy worked his ass off for this team and I have no doubt that the Rooneys and Coach Tomlin appreciated that but they also saw that he was declining and not the great he once was. I think this can be resolved. I just hate to see this because both Troy and the FO are wonderful people.

It's a business, Troy has to get over it. Did he really think his play in his final year was worth the money that was being paid to him?

harrison'samonster wrote:

Hard to say what I feel about this.  I don't remember all the details, but if it is just Troy being upset about the Steelers not wanting him anymore, I think maybe it's just something he's going to be able to work through himself.

We definitely want to see the Steelers take care of their former players.  It's important to how they run their organization.  I would like to think that if there is something reasonable that the team can do to ease his bad feelings, they would do it.

Steelers gave Troy the time to "retire" after the 2014 season (which they arguably should have done after the 2013 season) rather than just release him.  I have read Troy also was distressed that Coach LeBeau did not get to control his departure, but that had also run its course

For someone who seemed to keep his job in perspective more than many professional athletes I am surprised that Troy is having such difficulty in accepting it was over - other retired Steelers who might have wanted to continue playing do not appear to be carrying a grudge

Hard to see what the Steelers can do - as Fire Arians said, it's a business

Atlanta Dan wrote:

harrison'samonster wrote:

Hard to say what I feel about this.  I don't remember all the details, but if it is just Troy being upset about the Steelers not wanting him anymore, I think maybe it's just something he's going to be able to work through himself.

We definitely want to see the Steelers take care of their former players.  It's important to how they run their organization.  I would like to think that if there is something reasonable that the team can do to ease his bad feelings, they would do it.

Steelers gave Troy the time to "retire" after the 2014 season (which they arguably should have done after the 2013 season) rather than just release him.  I have read Troy also was distressed that Coach LeBeau did not get to control his departure, but that had also run its course

For someone who seemed to keep his job in perspective more than many professional athletes I am surprised that Troy is having such difficulty in accepting it was over - other retired Steelers who might have wanted to continue playing do not appear to be carrying a grudge

Hard to see what the Steelers can do - as Fire Arians said, it's a business

It may not be the result but how the actual conversations went between the people involved.

This is why I'm against caps in sports. A declining HOF player deserves to finish out his remaining contract with the team he worked so hard for and on the flip side the organization has to stay under the cap and be competitive thus being forced to make difficult cap saving cuts.

The cap rewards small market incompetent teams and creates too much parity. The NBA has become a joke for this reason (among others). I would like to see them soften the cap considerably. A HOF player such as Troy deserved to finish his contract out with the team. What was it? One more year?

Vis wrote:

It may not be the result but how the actual conversations went between the people involved.  

that's kind of what I was thinking, sometimes bad blood has more to do with somebody's "tone" rather than what they are saying.  I guess that would be a lot of speculation on my part to assume, but maybe Troy felt he wasn't dealt with respectfully.  

Then again, to add what Atlanta Dan said about LeBeau and being surprised Troy hasn't accepted his "retirement" like we expected:  it's possible Troy doesn't care about being let go, but is only upset about LeBeau being let go the way he was.  This might have little to do with how he feels he was treated, but seeing a loved father figure like LeBeau getting nudged out at the same time might have been enough to set him over the edge.

Steeler-in-west wrote:

This is why I'm against caps in sports. A declining HOF player deserves to finish out his remaining contract with the team he worked so hard for and on the flip side the organization has to stay under the cap and be competitive thus being forced to make difficult cap saving cuts.

The cap rewards small market incompetent teams and creates too much parity. The NBA has become a joke for this reason (among others). I would like to see them soften the cap considerably. A HOF player such as Troy deserved to finish his contract out with the team. What was it? One more year?

Salary caps in professional sports go hand in hand with revenue sharing. Without a cap, the large market wealthy teams will outbid for all the best talent and small market teams will never contend for championships.

Without a cap, the Steelers never win another super bowl.

Steeler-in-west wrote:

A HOF player such as Troy deserved to finish his contract out with the team. What was it? One more year?

It was $6 million in salary (in addition to, not including, the pro rated signing bonus) for 2015

http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/pittsburgh-steelers/troy-polamalu/

No sane front office was going to pay that for old times sake in a league (unlike baseball) where only the signing bonus portion of the NFL contract is guaranteed

When Troy signed that contract he (or at least his agent) had to know that 2015 salary figure was not going to be paid - maybe he figured the Steelers would renegotiate to a realistic number and, as Vis stated with regard to how the exit process developed, was hurt the Steelers did not want to bring him back at any number

Often the last person to know its time to retire is the athlete themselves.

Too bad Troy and the Steelers aren't good, but time heals all.

El-Gonzo Jackson wrote:

Steeler-in-west wrote:

This is why I'm against caps in sports. A declining HOF player deserves to finish out his remaining contract with the team he worked so hard for and on the flip side the organization has to stay under the cap and be competitive thus being forced to make difficult cap saving cuts.

The cap rewards small market incompetent teams and creates too much parity. The NBA has become a joke for this reason (among others). I would like to see them soften the cap considerably. A HOF player such as Troy deserved to finish his contract out with the team. What was it? One more year?

Salary caps in professional sports go hand in hand with revenue sharing.  Without a cap, the large market wealthy teams will outbid for all the best talent and small market teams will never contend for championships.

Without a cap, the Steelers never win another super bowl.

understood, but a softer cap might have allowed the steelers to let him finish out his contract, maybe at a reduced rate. Not criticizing either side, just wondering if things could've been different in a more ideal situation; enough cap room where things like this don't happen to HOF players. Anyway, Franco obviously came around. Hopefully Troy will too.

In the end they'll reconcile. It's all too fresh for Troy at this point. I've lived and breathed the Steelers and Pirates since grade school. One of the sad things about Steelers players is they often decline rapidly, and sometimes by age 30ish, so the window to enjoy them is brief.

It's too bad the pay structure and skills required don't allow us to keep someone like Troy around in a more diminished capacity. It was great to see someone like Willie Stargell get moved to 1st base, and eventually in his final season as a left hand pinch hit specialist. Willie was a shadow of his former self, but still able to fill the specialized role, and allow fans to enjoy seeing him play a little longer.

It's the nature of the NFL beast, but you really hate to see it push a guy like Troy away.

He'll get over it. Hines Ward felt the same way and there he was this Super Bowl weekend waving his terrible towel again (like on Dancing With The Stars). I don't think there is much to it.

El-Gonzo Jackson wrote:

Often the last person to know its time to retire is the athlete themselves.  

Too bad Troy and the Steelers aren't good, but time heals all.

The amazing part of this is that we all know what a student of the game Troy was. It's the only way he was able to recognize tendencies and diagnose plays pre-snap to make so many of the great plays we have seen him make over his great career.

If he honestly looks at tape of his own play the last couple years, and I'm sure he has, how could he not see his own deficiencies and understand?

Nobody wants to be told that they aren't good enough anymore, but the Steelers paid him a ton of money for a few years without him matching that with his level of play. I love Troy, but from a strictly football standpoint he has no gripe whatsoever.

If this had something to do with LeBeau, he should also be thankful that he got to play for him as his coordinator for as long as he did. He has to know that the Steelers are the most stable franchise in the NFL. They don't do these things often at all compared to every other team in the league.

I don't know how the conversations went, but it's hard to believe the Rooneys or the front office would treat him badly or disrespect him. He's an all-time great player for this franchise and a HOF player and one of the best safeties to ever play the game.

I wish we knew more about the specifics. This relationship needs to be mended.

Time heals all wounds.

steelers5895 wrote:

Time heals all wounds.  

Not necessarily

Bradshaw is still peddling tales of how p***ed off he was at the Steelers organization based on this nugget from Ed. B. of the P-G's  chat yesterday (and given Ed's response the local media who covered him still do not hold Bradshaw in the highest regard)

This morning on 97.5 out here near Philly, Brian Baldinger said that he heard this personally from Terry Bradshaw – towards the end of his career, Bradshaw was so fed up with the Steelers and Coach Noll, his dream was to sign with the Cowboys and win a Super Bowl to stick it to Pittsburgh. True?

Ed Bouchette: Never heard that. And if it came from Bradshaw, it would be suspect anyway.

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2016/02/09/Ed-Bouchette-s-Steelers-chat-transcript-2-9-16/stories/201602090209

And Bradshaw failing to pay his respects to Coach Noll's family while Bradshaw was in Pittsburgh to do his clown stand up routine at The Meadows opened some old resentments among long time Steelers front office people

“He's the most insincere person I've ever known,” said long-time Steelers publicist Joe Gordon, one of Noll's pallbearers.

http://triblive.com/sports/joestarkey/6307617-74/bradshaw-noll-gordon

The fact is beyond what we see on the field we have virtually no idea what goes on between the players, coaches & front office in terms of what they think of each other

Anyone else tired of retired players playing the "I'm a victim" or "I don't get enough respect" cards?

I always respected Bradshaw as a player, but when he didn't show at Noll's services I lost all respect for him.

Troy should keep quiet and move on......didn't he always say that football was not the most important aspect of his life.

one year vet minimum

FrancoLambert wrote:

Anyone else tired of retired players playing the "I'm a victim" or "I don't get enough respect" cards?

I always respected Bradshaw as a player, but when he didn't show at Noll's services I lost all respect for him.

Troy should keep quiet and move on......didn't he always say that football was not the most important aspect of his life.

I am !!! I go to a lot of these shows and pay my money to get an autograph and Bradshaw was the biggest a- hole. in 2001, $150 for his signature on a helmet. Didn't look up, didn't acknowledge when I said hello. nothing. my parting comment was " you know how many hours I had to work to get your autograph?" could care less and didn't expect him to.

Mike Webster, Dwight White and Joey Porter were the three nicest. mel Blount was a little cooky. He has the table he sits at and then he puts another table in front of that one so you are about 6 feet away from him. so handshake and picture were out of the question. I guess he doesn't want to catch the Kooties.

FrancoLambert wrote:

I always respected Bradshaw as a player, but when he didn't show at Noll's services I lost all respect for him.

I recognize I rooted for these players because of who they played for, not because I would want to spend 2 minutes with them off the field - that is why I paid attention and that was what they were paid very well to do - there of course are exceptions who seem well spoken and considerate (Mean Joe, Franco, John Stallworth, Brett Keisel)

If someone just disappears after their playing days it is one thing - But Bradshaw has this friendly public image off which he has made millions that is contradicted by so much of what is said - the great book on the 70s Steelers Their Life's Work by Gary Pomerantz was not flattering to him in terms of stories by teammates and his ex-broadcast partner Verne Lundquist

Atlanta Dan wrote:

FrancoLambert wrote:

I always respected Bradshaw as a player, but when he didn't show at Noll's services I lost all respect for him.

I recognize I rooted for these players because of who they played for, not because I would want to spend 2 minutes with them off the field - that is why I paid attention and that was what they were paid very well to do - there of course are exceptions who seem well spoken and considerate (Mean Joe, Franco, John Stallworth, Brett Keisel)

If someone just disappears after their playing days it is one thing - But Bradshaw has this friendly public image off which he has made millions that is contradicted by so much of what is said - the great book on the 70s Steelers Their Life's Work by Gary Pomerantz was not flattering to him in terms of stories by teammates and his ex-broadcast partner Verne Lundquist

That's a fascinatign read.

Fire Arians wrote:

one year vet minimum

one year, vet minimum, and he has to make airplane sounds and extend his arms like wings the next time he dives over the center on the snap of the ball.

On a related note, has anyone ever seen Slash and Troy in the same room together?



GNR reunites right after Troy retires...even at SB45 we only saw Slash when Troy was "in the locker room" at halftime...hmmm...