Mike Wallace's Mouth Running Faster Than His Feet Needs To Stop

by Jayden

Well, I said we wasn't going to go there, but he pushed once too often, so now I have to go there. His comments last weekend, on top of the others he had made, pushed me to the point where I can no longer be nice. I have never bashed him and have been appreciative of the things he did for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but enough is enough. It is time for Mike Wallace to shut up.

First, he took a jab at his former quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, in saying that his new quarterback, Ryan Tannehill, has a stronger arm. Maybe so. However, I remember people raving about the great arms of Dan McGuire, Ryan Leaf and Jamarcus Russell. Remember them? Me neither. So...his point is?

Now, I'm not going to go all Terrell Owens on y'all and cry, "That's my quarterback....It's not fair." But without that inferior-armed quarterback, Wallace would not have had all those deep passes thrown to him. As a matter of fact, I do believe Wallace was overthrown a couple of times. Go fig. It was also that same QB who put up with Wallace's inconsistent route running and dropped passes, yet still gave him opportunity after opportunity. And this is how he talks about him?



But what really pushed it over the edge was what he said most recently: “Everybody has a college mentality around here. It’s a lot different than where I came from. Everybody’s hungry. Everybody wants to get better, get to where we need to be – that’s a winning record.”

OH, NO YOU DIDN’T!

Well, that was the icing on the cake for me. When he bashes a franchise that has done nothing but win and then compare them to a team that has averaged a whopping 6.5 wins a season over the last six years, that is the last straw for me. Hell, he wasn't even alive the last time the Dolphins even went to the Super Bowl. The Dolphins are all about 'getting better'? Well, no sh*t, Sherlock! What choice do they have?

Again, I have tried not bashing Wallace, but frankly I wasn’t upset when he left. Just as I wasn’t upset when Santonio Holmes was traded, and, frankly, Holmes was twice the receiver he is. At least he stepped up and proved he wanted to win in Super Bowl 43. To me, that showed the kind of receiver Holmes was, and something that Wallace never showed. Did he ever go to Big Ben and say, 'Hey I want the ball. Give me the ball and we can do this'? I highly doubt it. From your comments here it was probably more on the line of, "Hey, I need more touches to pad my stats and make Mike Wallace more bankable."

I'm not the only one who doesn't get him, either. Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wondered why Wallace continues "to disparage the Steelers, the city of Pittsburgh and Ben Roethlisberger?" - http://t.co/lB4ve3WTSq

These most recent comments tell me what I already knew: he is not about being a team player and is all about himself. He is a spoiled, enabled, self-entitled Divo who thinks that all of sudden he is the second coming since the Dolphins gave him a big contract. Well, guess what? He isn't. I'm not the only one who believes that, either. As NFL.com's Adam Schein wrote back in March, Wallace is "all about the money" and doesn't 'prioritize winning'. - http://tinyurl.com/kgulnhy

Sure, under new Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin, the Green Bay Packers offense ranked in the top 10 in the NFL for points scored and total yards every year he was either the offensive line and tight ends coach and offensive coordinator, but Wallace is hardly Donald Driver or Greg Jennings and Tannehill is not even close to Aaron Rodgers.

With the Steelers he had a lot of weapons surrounding him. In Miami, that simply won't be the case, because Brian Hartline is a decent receiver but he is no Antonio Brown. Not even close. Sadly, Philbin just doesn't have the arsenal he had in Green Bay. But, hey, keep up with that "college mentality" and see how that works out, because this isn't college.

Also, all of this comes from a guy who says they are all about winning. Well, where was all of this when he was playing for the Steelers last season? (pauses for effect) Well, he knew he was leaving and didn’t care. He held out, he dropped key passes and didn’t run routes. The sad thing is that not one Steelers player has said anything negative about Wallace, in fact, they have all be singing his praises, calling him their "brother" and wishing him the best. But all that had come out of Wallace's unappreciative mouth had been shots at his former team and teammates.

I think we all remember quite well the last rumblings from a Philadelphia team that made big splashes in the offseason during the free agency. Vince Young used the words "dream team" to describe the Eagles and, eight wins later, that dream a nightmare. Could history repeat it self here?

Yet, there were rumblings last season that receivers were more concerned about their individual stats and/or free agency than about winning. Hmmm...I wonder who that was? According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review last December, he even publicly complained about the team’s new offense and his lack of touches saying that "when you don't get the ball for two-and-half quarters, you lose focus." Is someone is telling on himself a little bit?

Now, when you add the backtracking he did with the homophobic Jason Collins tweet on his Twitter feed, Wallace looks like Michael Jackson with as much moonwalking as he's done. Once more his PR people, er uh, he has apologized for running his mouth by tweeting this on Monday: "I want it to be known that I have nothing but love and respect for everybody" in the Steelers organization. He said the Steelers players "are my brothers for life beyond football so to all the people who think I take shots at them it is totally misleading."

Uh-huh... Does he really think now, though, that any fan will accept or believe that or defend him? Sadly, I know there will be some who will, but I will no longer be one of them.

So when he takes the field this year, he'd better hope he didn’t write checks his ASStounding speed can't cash. He also had better hope that Ryan Clark doesn't remember. Why? Ask Willis McGahee, or Ed Dickson, or Victor Cruz, or...

Truths, Myths And Realities: The Steelers And James Harrison

Some weeks ago, Adam Schein of NFL.com wrote an article addressing what he considered to be the debunking of myths and establishing of truths. Regarding the Steelers he addressed specifically what he felt were the reasons they would be nothing more than a third-place team.

While on the surface he seemed to have covered all the main bullet points, his reasonings were so much pure speculation and conjecture that I thought I was reading satire, something akin to "The Colbert Report" rather than actual journalism. Add to that, he missed a very salient matter that was in question even a month ago.

Let's simply look at his points and see what really are truths and myths. We're also providing the link to the article so there can't be a claim that anything was taken out of context. - http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d82af7ec8/article/busting-myths-about-broncos-49ers-mark-sancheztim-tebow

"The Myth: Pittsburgh is Pittsburgh, and will be a top-tier contender. 

The Truth: The Steelers have issues and look like a third-place team."

After extending his respects to head coach Mike Tomlin, he said "I'm not convinced the shotgun marriage between new offensive coordinator Todd Haley and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will work....Have you studied the combustible Haley and Roethlisberger through the years?"

Schein so far is exemplifying synthetic thinking by regurgitating the same rhetoric as much of the rest of the media assuming Haley's and Roethlisberger's first names are Devil Anse and Ole Ran'l. There hasn't been any actual indication, though, of a Hatfields and McCoys disagreement. Maybe they didn't have communication immediately upon Haley's arrival, but there is no rule they had to do so. 

There is, though, an NFL rule saying that the team and coaches couldn't have any football contact/connections at that time. So, the lack of contact between the two, which again was media generated, was much ado about nothing. Besides, as long as they agree that the mutual goal is to win a Super Bowl, it doesn't matter if they don't exactly get along. It's well known that former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Chuck Noll and quarterback Terry Bradshaw didn't exactly get along, bickering all the way to four Super Bowl wins. 

Next, Schein addresses another aspect of the offense. "Meanwhile, receiver Mike Wallace....wants Larry Fitzgerald -type money. The Steelers (wisely) won't give it to him. This situation can't be spun with the argument that Wallace knows the Steelers' system and won't be hurt by missing time -- Haley is implementing a new offense, after all."

First thing to say on that is, as we've written before, please provide that quote where Wallace said he absolutely wanted Fitzgerald money. At the same time, we know he wants to get paid. Who doesn't? Very briefly, then, let's tackle the contract aspect of this.

We've been saying for some time now that the money is there to sign Wallace. That hasn't changed. The problem is with how Wallace may be looking at the money he'd be receiving. Never overlook the all-important paragraph five in NFL contracts.

Wallace has the possibility of making, if indeed the $50 million that Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review alleges was offered to Wallace is accurate and still on the table, $20 million over two years initially and basically $50 million over five.

It's hard not to see him taking it, but Wallace may be looking at an $11 million average if his push for $55 million is also accurate. That wouldn't be smart because the back ends of the contracts is hardly ever paid. So, why look at an average when it's the signing bonus and the first two years are what matter most? Like I mentioned earlier, always consider the paragraph five money (i.e. signing bonus + 1st year/option bonus + 2nd year = 2 years, $20 mill or more).

More importantly and impactfully is what Wallace can do on the field in Haley's new offense. The beauty of what Wallace brings is that, if all else fails, Wallace can just use his speed and go long, be used as a decoy, and/or hit and exploit simple slant routes or bubble screens. Big Ben and Wallace, with a simple look or nod, can also just recreate the train station scene from the movie The Untouchables. Big Ben/Elliot Ness: "You got him?"
Wallace/George Stone: "Yeah, I got him."
Ben/Ness: "Take him!" (The GREATEST SCENE IN MOVIE MAKING HISTORY. But, I digress...)

We acknowledge that Rashard Mendenhall is still hurt and that his inability to play Sunday can affect what the Steelers can do. Don't expect the Steelers to rush him back, though they might throw a smoke screen Denver's way. - http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000058106/article/rashard-mendenhall-incredible-at-steelers-practice

We tie that into Schein's next point, which was, "Do you trust Isaac Redman and Jonathan Dwyer? 

In a word, yes. Redman is a straight forward plodder who likes to attack, and Dwyer is pounding runner with skip and pop when given that hole. Between the two of them, and with the variables that Baron Batch and Chris Rainey behind them bring, they can collectively provide the running game the Steelers need. 

I choose to skip the comments on the offensive linemen drafted because one is gone for at least eight weeks and the other won't start in that time frame anyway. But his next point may be the most head-scratching of all he wrote.

"Receiver Hines Ward is on TV. Linebacker James Farrior has left the building. Safety Troy Polamalu is older."

Response: Hines barely played as youth was served. Potsie was off the field more than you remember. Yeah? So is everyone else. Polamalu is one who keeps himself in great shape, is known for his conditioning. Whether 26 or 31, he will be ready to play. 

Schein then addressed the entire by saying that the "Baltimore Ravens are the team to beat in the AFC North. Baltimore has a more imposing defense (even with the injury to Terrell Suggs) and a better running attack than its arch rivals in Pittsburgh."

Really? Even without Fall So Hard? Check the NFL stats again from last season, the Steelers were atop the list. While the No. 2 defense was a Harbaugh-led unit, it was the one in Garnett and Gold. Not to mention the fact that the Ravens lost key defensive players in defensive end Cory Redding, nose tackle Brandon McKinney, outside linebacker Jarret Johnson, cornerback Chris Carr and safeties Tom Zbikowski and Haruki Nakamura. 

The running attack point is arguable, but the fact is that neither team historically runs well against the other. So, that's generally a wash. In all honesty, though, both are potential 10-6 teams.

"The Cincinnati Bengals are legit....Quarterback Andy Dalton and receiver A.J. Green will continue to blossom in Year 2. Right now, on Aug. 1, the Steelers have more issues than the Bengals."

The first point with which we completely agree. The Bengals will only improve on last year's success and will be a team to be reckoned with this season. Dalton is a QB on the rise and Green has scary potential. The Steelers and Ravens both with have to account for the Bengals. 

The way Schein ended that last point was that "the Steelers have more issues than the Bengals." Yes, they do. One of the biggest of the issues is how much can be expected from outside linebacker James Harrison. His presence of absence is a very mighty swing of the pendulum.

We at If It Ain't Steel have questioned just how much we all may see him in the season-opening Broncos game, as well as over this year entire year. We also surmised that this could be his last full season with the Steelers. If so, his loss would be immediately felt. He has only participated in a limited capacity the last two days of practice, so this is of real concern.

As good as Chris Carter has been in the preseason at rushing the passer and causing disruptions, he isn't the clogging run stopper that is Harrison. When the Silverback wants the running back to stop, he stops. Deebo's strength, especially his lower body strength may be unmatched in the NFL right now. When he is healthy and is able to get low, basically too low for the offensive tackles to counter, the wide side of the field for the running back is simply cut off. When healthy, he is pure intimidation. Scary. He's like the NFL's version of Candyman--offensive coordinators don't even say his name five times when going over game plans the night before games. - http://youtu.be/wJMtfxU0CAU

Whenever Harrison does hang up the cleats, the Steelers will miss his run support as much as, if not more than, his pass rushing prowess. Just as he has been explosive and terrorizing force at times, at other times he has been an immovable block of granite. "Dominant" is not ever an exaggeration when describing Harrison's play over the years. Even if he is limited, therefore, in Denver Sunday night, the reality is that his 75%-80% is better than 100% from some others.

Adam Schein tried to prognosticate doom and gloom for the Steelers, and, to be precise, there are some issues that may take all season to be completely resolved. The truth, though, is that much of what he opined and that the media writes to gain website hits is speculation. They themselves are more myth than anything else. The actual reality is that the Steelers will struggle with in the early part of the season schedule. But, as they coalesce as a solid unit, this team could find enough of an identity to make a playoff run. 

Mike Tolbert Talks Free Agency On Sirius XM

Mike Tolbert, the San Diego Chargers running back, was on Sirus XM NFL Radio this morning and spoke of his free agency choices.

When asked by host Adam Schein what he thinks about playing on certain teams with various running game needs, he said, "I think I could fill that void pretty good."

Tolbert discussed the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tampa Bay, Denver, Kansas City, Atlanta, Miami, Green Bay and the Giants as teams in which he's interested.

Tolbert also said, "But, you know, 4 o’clock tomorrow we’re going to see really how it heats up and what happens. So I’m excited. I’m ready to go.” http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/giants/post/_/id/13162/tolbert-says-he-can-fill-jacobs-void

This is true, but I doubt "we're going to see" the Steelers put their hat in the free agent ring regarding Tolbert. That's despite feature running back Rashard Mendenhall being on IR and the likelihood of him starting the season on the Reserve PUP list also. Nor will they with Brandon Jacobs, who was released by the Giants, which prompted this interview in the first place.

Mike Tolbert was correct about something, though, 4 p.m. EST Tuesday will see things heated up.