How Mike Tomlin 's Big 3 Became Just Big Ben

I beg your forgiveness for yet another thread that involves Antonio Brown as a central character.

I considered linking to this fascinating article in one of the other twelve Brown threads, but I decided that there's a lot more to this fascinating story than just Brown. So I didn't want it to derail the discussions about Brown and the Raiders (his current team).

And I also thought this should generate its own distinct conversation in its own thread, since it's about much more than just Brown, but the Steelers. And perhaps even more than the Steelers.

Basically, it's a fascinating story about how Ben Roethlisberger being an entitled douche, Antonio Brown being a nutjob, and Le'Veon Bell losing trust in the organization made it impossible for Mike Tomlin to keep them all happy and productive Steeler superstars.

Here's a taste:

Quote:

Roethlisberger wasn't required to stay at the team hotel for home games like his teammates. He also openly criticized them on his local radio show and often ignored them by showing up late to team meetings. All with few repercussions from the Steelers. Many players on the team had come to accept this. Brown, as well as star running back Le'Veon Bell, did not. Brown would openly tell teammates how Roethlisberger had his own set of rules while the receiver justified his own behavior over the past few years, according to current and former Steelers players. Brown ripped the 15-year veteran quarterback privately, too, once calling him, according to two team sources, "a fucking phony." The distrust followed all three into last season. As his holdout dragged on for weeks, Bell, team sources maintain, began to echo what Brown had claimed: that Roethlisberger had long operated in a different world than the rest of the team. "If Ben didn't think he was getting paid enough, he'd do exactly what I'm doing, and not a single Steelers fan would have a problem with it," Bell told one teammate. Tomlin was caught in the middle of the bitter feelings that were tearing the Steelers apart. It's difficult enough for a head coach to handle one or two superstars on offense. In this case, the team had three... But Steelers sources say Tomlin didn't help himself when he sided solely with one of those stars: Roethlisberger. In doing so, as one former Steelers defensive player said, "Tomlin created a monster."

Did I mention that it's fascinating? - ( New Window )