Drama does not faze Steelers
Year’s Eve at Tequila Cowboy onthe North Shore.
And that’s the drama only since the regular season ended.
Holdouts, national anthem flaps, battery of Gatorade coolers, trade requests, the Elephant in the Room, James Harrison’s release … That wasso 2017.
The Steelers have insisted all along these distractions don’t distract them, and it’s hard to argue the point. They finished the regular season with a 13-3 record, their best in 13 years, and are the No. 2 seed in the AFC. They are among the favorites to win the Super Bowl.
Coach Mike Tomlin was asked Friday why his team thrives on the drama. His response: “Because it’s not drama to us. It’s created by you guys.”
It is clear Tomlin has relayed that message to his players as well.
“That’s what the media gets paid for, baby,” center Maurkice Pouncey said when asked if he was concerned there were two potential distractions days before a playoff game.
“They’re just doing their jobs, man. Anything you say this time of the year things are going to get twisted and turned. It happens every year. People forget the same thing happened last year. There was adversity, changing people’s words, not quoting the whole thing. It is what it is. It’s laughable to us. We’ve learned how to accept it now.”
That’s what they believe. The perception on the outside is much different.
The Steelers have to know if the season ends with anything other than a seventh Lombardi Trophy, their shenanigans will be rehashed over and over again as the reasons why. But none of that is a concern to team captain Cameron Heyward. He could not care less about outside perceptions.
“Not really,” Heyward said. “You get to the point where you can’t control it, so why think about it? Some of the stuff could have been said better, but that’s life. You deal with it and move on. We play football. Let’s go do it.”
The game is 1 p.m. Sunday. For the Steelers, it can’t get here soon enough.