I was literally ready to move on. Seriously, I was. I was ready to accept that the 2024 season was in the rearview mirror and there was no sense in dwelling on it any longer. Mike Tomlin had spoken and so too had Pittsburgh Steelers Team President Art Rooney II. But then… He spoke again.
Art Rooney II on the Steelers culture being under fire recently.@WTAE pic.twitter.com/4AekjFh2B9
— Ashley Liotus (@AshleyLiotus) January 30, 2025
First off, I’d like to applaud Ashley Liotus. A young journalist like her may have been too intimidated to ask ARII the questions she did about the lack of discipline and whether the culture had changed. A lot of journalists, including some who cover this team, wouldn’t have been as blunt so good for her.
In all honesty, the biggest thing I’ve been worried about in recent weeks was whether or not this franchise had truly accepted mediocrity. The fact there are not going to be any significant changes to a staff that was outclassed in its final five games was extremely disheartening. But then this interview happened.
I’m not going to speak for you but what I heard was an owner who sure seems content with ‘winning seasons and just making the playoffs.’ To be clear, there are many franchises who would literally sell their souls for such things. We are not those franchises.
Art II stated that he believes the Steelers have a “winning culture” and I suppose that’s true but it depends on how you define “winning culture.” For over 40 years there was nothing about this franchise that suggested winning was remotely a part of it. One postseason game and one postseason loss until the 1970’s arrived. THAT my friends is when the culture became a “winning” one.
Since that time, the expectation was to get to Super Bowls. Winning seasons? Winning a postseason game? Those things were largely considered failures until just recently when celebrating ‘being over .500’ suddenly became a thing.
The patient and calm demeanor that ARII is exhibiting I can appreciate but at the same time, I find it troubling. The urgency and demand for a postseason win he demanded last year at this time seems to have been replaced by acceptance and a laissez faire attitude which drives me insane.
Mediocrity is now the Standard for the Steelers.