The Steelers will do what it takes to win
Along with the Super Bowl trophies and the roll call of Hall-of-Fame players, part of the mythology surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers is they are a professional sports franchise committed to doing things “the right way” – they want to uphold high standards of personal conduct, even as they pursue gridiron glory.
That’s a lofty goal, but it has, to use the line from “Hamlet,” been more honored in the breach than in the observance. In recent years, the Steelers’ organization looked the other way when linebacker James Harrison, a key player, was accused of hitting a girlfriend, and, more recently, running back Le’Veon Bell got in hot water for smoking marijuana while driving. Then, of course, there are the accusations of misconduct that swirled around quarterback Ben Roethlisberger earlier this decade. He was accused of sexually assaulting a college student in a Georgia bar, though no charges were ever brought, while a civil lawsuit filed by a woman who claimed Roethlisberger sexually assaulted her at a Nevada hotel-casino in 2008 was eventually settled on undisclosed terms.
Meanwhile, backup wide receiver Cedric Wilson – not exactly an indispensable part of the Steelers lineup -was immediately axed when he was accused of domestic violence in 2008. Disciplinary action, for the Steelers, sometimes seems to have been meted out depending on the abilities and marquee value of the players involved.
Which leads us to Michael Vick.
Steelers Nation was thrown into turmoil earlier this week following reports the Steelers signed the disgraced Vick to be Roethlisberger’s backup after injuries benched backup quarterback Bruce Gradkowski for the entire season. You’ll recall Vick endured a precipitous fall from grace eight years ago when he was found to have been part of an interstate dog fighting ring that included the gruesome torture and killing of dogs. He was cut by the Atlanta Falcons, served close to two years in prison and lost millions of dollars in endorsement deals. He was , nevertheless, able to rebuild his career through stints with the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Jets. Now a 35-year-old, his best playing days behind him, he became part of the Steelers organization.
On the one hand, there is an argument to be made that Vick made amends for his misdeeds, and people deserve a chance to start afresh after they were punished. And Vick will not be the Steelers’ leader, barring an injury that puts Roethlisberger out of commission. Most of his time will be spent watching the game from the comfort of the bench.
Fair enough.
But the Steelers pursuing and signing Vick was an undeniable public-relations disaster. Although we are skeptical about the hue and cry of many fans they will burn their Steelers merchandise and never tune in to a game this season because Vick now wears black and gold -similar vows were made during the firestorm that surrounded Roethlisberger five years ago and promptly forgotten – it started the team’s season under a dark cloud.
And it underscores a potentially uncomfortable reality – the Steelers’ braintrust is not looking for paragons of chivalry, or to accumulate good citizenship badges, when they assemble a team. They’re not recruiting for the Knights of the Round Table. They want the “brand,” to deploy that overused term, to make money, and they want the team to win.
If bringing onboard someone who was viciously cruel to dogs is a way to accomplish that goal, then that is a price the Steelers are willing to pay. Cynical and opportunistic? Sure. But it’s the unvarnished truth.