THE WHOLE TRUTH, AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH: PART II
By STEVE KING
Here’s more on the big Browns-Pittsburgh brawl at the end of Cleveland’s 21-7 win last Thursday night at FirstEnergy Stadium, and it involves telling the truth about the Steelers.
The Browns, and in particular defensive end Myles Garrett – and rightfully so – have been raked over the coals both locally and nationally and probably even internationally – for their roles. But in most respects, the Steelers have come out of it pretty much unscathed, and that’s absolutely ridiculous and just plain ignorant.
But instead of doing the yadda, yadda, yadda thing and writing what everybody else is writing, let’s go down the road not yet traveled on this issue. Call it a trip down memory lane.
And as we do, it will put the Steelers into a much different light. There is a lot that needs to be exposed about their acts of violence in games against the Browns over the years.
There was that time that Pittsburgh defensive tackle Mean Joe Greene kicked Browns tackle Bob McKay in the groin – repeatedly — because he felt he was being held.
There was also the time that Greene delivered a shot to the head and neck of Bob DeMarco that, in effect, served to choke the Browns center.
There was the time that Pittsburgh cornerback Mel Blount delivered a shot to the back of the head of Browns tight end Milt Morin.
There was the time – actually a number of times, as I think about it — that Pittsburgh linebacker Jack Lambert of Mantua Crestwood High School and Kent State threw elbows and forearms into the back of the head of Browns quarterback Brian Sipe.
There was the time that Pittsburgh linebacker Joey Porter cheap-shotted Chris Gardocki with the intent of knocking the Browns punter out of the game. Gardocki was convinced that Bill Cowher had ordered the hit and flipped off the Pittsburgh head coach to show his displeasure.
But wait, there’s more.
THE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH: PART III
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a lot of violent, on-field behavior in games against the Browns over the years for which to be thoroughly embarrassed.
In addition to all the cheap shots I pointed out in my last post, there’s that which has been committed by former Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison.
Personally, I like Harrison, a native of the Kenmore area of Akron who starred at Akron Coventry High School and Kent State. He has been – and continues to be – very charitable to his two alma maters, and for that he is to be greatly commended.
But he was one of Pittsburgh’s worst offenders in games against the Browns. In one game, he knocked three Browns to the sideline with cheap shots – a veritable triple-header.
And who can forget his blind shot against Browns quarterback Colt McCoy, giving him a concussion?
So, then, for Harrison to weigh in on Twitter on the Myles Garrett assault on Pittsburgh quarterback Mason Rudolph last Thursday night is nothing short of laughable. It would be like Charles Manson decrying those who carry out cults.
Really?
Really?!
Are you kidding me?!
I don’t recall Mike Tomlin or his predecessor as Pittsburgh head coach, Bill Cowher, ever apologizing for the McCoy assault or any of the other hits by Harrison.
And I don’t recall former Pittsburgh head coach Chuck Noll ever apologizing for any of his team’s cheap shots back in the day. Yet it was Noll who, in reference to former Oakland Raiders and Ohio State safety Jack Tatum, talking about “the criminal element in the game.”
Again, are you kidding me?!
So, with that kind of dark history in these matters – a history that, again, goes back 50 years, to 1969 when Noll took over – it is almost … well criminal for anyone – anyone! – in Pittsburgh to spit and moan about acts by the Browns or any other teams.
And like I mentioned to start this three-part series, no one has dared to point out any of this.
That is, until I did it.
Now, the other part of the story – the one that nobody in Pittsburgh wants to admit, or for you to hear about – has been told.
Does it change the way you look at things?
Yes, I bet it does.
