Players from the past you thought were better than they actually were.

[swissvale72]

James Farrior has be in the better than we thought category as well

“It’s a 5-star matchup…cuz we in it!!!”

[MJG75]

And here it is…

https://twitter.com/Ol_TimeFootball/sta ... 04?lang=en

Thanks, Swiss, that was sweet to watch again. Pine and Ron Johnson loved to tackle around the head and neck a lot.

[Charles Demarr]

Probably get flamed for this….Pouncey.

Always thought he was good but not all world as he was made out to be.

[Dan Smith--BYU]

"Probably get flamed for this….Pouncey.

Always thought he was good but not all world as he was made out to be."

I agree and he should never have been reflex automatic pro-Bowler.

Let me add another and I will get flamed even more...

Rod Woodson who got burned a lot.

[Ice]

Probably get flamed for this….Pouncey.

Always thought he was good but not all world as he was made out to be.

I feel the same. Had his best success early, and then coasted after that. The amount of Pro Bowls, etc., even though they're paper trophies, is pretty ridiculous. He was a good pulling center in the running game, which had a Steeler staple.

[Pabst]

Probably get flamed for this….Pouncey.

Always thought he was good but not all world as he was made out to be.

Going to pull up something I said a few years ago:

I think the problem with DeCastro wasn't that he's washed up, it's that Fichtner/Tomlin/whoever insisted on using DeCastro (and Pouncey) like they were 100% healthy and in their mid-20s. I can't remember where I read it, but someone did a film breakdown of those guys pulling to lead a run play and constantly getting beat to a spot by the defender.

Pouncey was an elite player, but he just fell off quickly due to age/injury yet the Steelers insisted on still using him like he was in his prime.

[fractalsteel]

And here it is…

https://twitter.com/Ol_TimeFootball/sta ... 04?lang=en

Thanks, Swiss, that was sweet to watch again. Pine and Ron Johnson loved to tackle around the head and neck a lot.

I know, I know, celebrating such viciousness is barbaric but it was a different game back in those days.

Conrad Dobbler would regularly bite his opponents or try and eye gouge them and resorting to spitting in their faces often. Mike Curtis used the 'clothes line' tackling technique to try and decapitate running backs. He was legendary dirty.
Jack Tatum was known for paralyzing a player but he played to hurt the opponent all the time.

Chuck Noll referred to Mel Blount as 'part of the criminal element' in the NFL in court. Mel didn't shy away from abusing opponents. Ask Golden Richards who went up against Blount in SB 10 all day and at the games end had to be taken to the emergency room because #47 gave him a game long beating.
Who can forget Turkey Jones trying to kill Bradshaw?

The league was full of guys like back then.

[gojira5150]

Rod Woodson who got burned a lot.

Ok, Ok Buddy. You are going a lil too far

[PennyBacker]

More recent example: Verron Haynes

Almost did not recognize Vernon Hayes (sic), because I read his name correctly.

Amos Zereoué was a player I was intrigued about when he was drafted in '99. The '90s and early '00s was an era of one bell cow RB. Emmitt Smith was largely recognized as the standard in that area. When the Cowboys started using a "change of pace" RB in Sherman Williams, broadcasts began trumpeting that and other teams began copying.

Bettis was in his prime back in '99, so any good and faithful young Steelers fan back then did not want another RB to take any counting stats away from him. Nonetheless, Zereoué came out of West Virginia with some hype, and I was hopeful that 'Famous Amos' may bring some lightning to the "change of pace" role. He was a decent contributor in '01 and '02, but was not ever explosive and nobody else may remember him.

And then a few years later, the Steelers got Fast Willie Parker

[swissvale72]

More recent example: Verron Haynes

Almost did not recognize Vernon Hayes (sic), because I read his name correctly.

Amos Zereoué was a player I was intrigued about when he was drafted in '99. The '90s and early '00s was an era of one bell cow RB. Emmitt Smith was largely recognized as the standard in that area. When the Cowboys started using a "change of pace" RB in Sherman Williams, broadcasts began trumpeting that and other teams began copying.

Bettis was in his prime back in '99, so any good and faithful young Steelers fan back then did not want another RB to take any counting stats away from him. Nonetheless, Zereoué came out of West Virginia with some hype, and I was hopeful that 'Famous Amos' may bring some lightning to the "change of pace" role. He was a decent contributor in '01 and '02, but was not ever explosive and nobody else may remember him.

And then a few years later, the Steelers got Fast Willie Parker

I watched the 2018 season opener (a fateful tie with the browns at the Irish exit, a now defunct bar in New York City. Amos zereoue was there as a celebrity bartender pouring shots. Poured one or two for me. I may have a pic somewhere

[SteelerDayTrader]

"Probably get flamed for this….Pouncey.

Always thought he was good but not all world as he was made out to be."

I agree and he should never have been reflex automatic pro-Bowler.

Let me add another and I will get flamed even more...

Rod Woodson who got burned a lot.

[JackLambert58]

More recent example: Verron Haynes

Almost did not recognize Vernon Hayes (sic), because I read his name correctly.

Amos Zereoué was a player I was intrigued about when he was drafted in '99. The '90s and early '00s was an era of one bell cow RB. Emmitt Smith was largely recognized as the standard in that area. When the Cowboys started using a "change of pace" RB in Sherman Williams, broadcasts began trumpeting that and other teams began copying.

Bettis was in his prime back in '99, so any good and faithful young Steelers fan back then did not want another RB to take any counting stats away from him. Nonetheless, Zereoué came out of West Virginia with some hype, and I was hopeful that 'Famous Amos' may bring some lightning to the "change of pace" role. He was a decent contributor in '01 and '02, but was not ever explosive and nobody else may remember him.

And then a few years later, the Steelers got Fast Willie Parker

I watched the 2018 season opener (a fateful tie with the browns at the Irish exit, a now defunct bar in New York City. Amos zereoue was there as a celebrity bartender pouring shots. Poured one or two for me. I may have a pic somewhere

Helping my buddy Swiss out with his pic of Famous Amos. HailWV!

[Steel Bingo]

Kimi Von Oelhoffen. Immortalized for the Carson Palmer hit, he was supposed to be a much better player overall and was a disappointment.

I see it differently on KVO. Kimo was, in my opinion, perfect in his role for the Steelers. When compared to the value that other teams were looking to get from their DEs during that era (seeking pass rush), he was well above board.

With him, Smitty and Big Snack, there were very few games, if any, when Pittsburgh had to stop the run and could not.

Chris Hoke was an excellent glue guy on those teams also, and so was Brett Keisel until he developed into a solid full-time starter after Von Oelhoffen moved on.

[swissvale72]

Kimi Von Oelhoffen. Immortalized for the Carson Palmer hit, he was supposed to be a much better player overall and was a disappointment.

I see it differently on KVO. Kimo was, in my opinion, perfect in his role for the Steelers. When compared to the value that other teams were looking to get from their DEs during that era (seeking pass rush), he was well above board.

With him, Smitty and Big Snack, there were very few games, if any, when Pittsburgh had to stop the run and could not.

Chris Hoke was an excellent glue guy on those teams also, and so was Brett Keisel until he developed into a solid full-time starter after Von Oelhoffen moved on.

Totally agree on Kimo

[JackLambert58]

And here it is…

https://twitter.com/Ol_TimeFootball/sta ... 04?lang=en

Thanks, Swiss, that was sweet to watch again. Pine and Ron Johnson loved to tackle around the head and neck a lot.

MeanJoe, I cannot love that profile pic of yours enough.

[JackLambert58]

"Probably get flamed for this….Pouncey.

Always thought he was good but not all world as he was made out to be."

I agree and he should never have been reflex automatic pro-Bowler.

Let me add another and I will get flamed even more...

Rod Woodson who got burned a lot.

I'm with STD on the Woodson thing. Easily a top 10 Steeler. Pouncey on the other hand, certainly not a HOFer, and his shit-ass snap set the tone in that Steelers-Browns playoff debacle at Heinz in 2000. Pouncey was by no means a bust, but I wouldn't put him there with Webster, Dawson and Mansfield.

[fractalsteel]

"Probably get flamed for this….Pouncey.

Always thought he was good but not all world as he was made out to be."

I agree and he should never have been reflex automatic pro-Bowler.

Let me add another and I will get flamed even more...

Rod Woodson who got burned a lot.

I'm with STD on the Woodson thing. Easily a top 10 Steeler. Pouncey on the other hand, certainly not a HOFer, and his shit-ass snap set the tone in that Steelers-Browns playoff debacle at Heinz in 2000. Pouncey was by no means a bust, but I wouldn't put him there with Webster, Dawson and Mansfield.

Agreed. Woodson was all world. People forget what he did as a kick returner as well. He changed a lot of Steeler games with dynamic returns.

Yeah, he bit on double moves but he was a sure fire first time HOF'er. No fucking doubts. Imagine if he played Safety his whole career. He might have the interception record.

Pouncey was great on the move be it pulling or going hunting at the second level. Everything else was above average at best. I think Hartings was as good as Pouncey.

[Who Dee Knee]

Player who was better than I thought: Hines Ward
Player who was worse than I thought: Aaron Jones

[Dan Smith--BYU]

Michael Irvin thought Woodson was soft and dominated hiim. Woodson often got torched.

[Ice]

Michael Irvin thought Woodson was soft and dominated hiim. Woodson often got torched.

I mean, Woodson was coming off a minor injury in that game, as I recall.

[W&M_Steeler]

Antwann Randle El. In my mind he was clearly better than Diontae Johnson, but the stats don't bear that out.

[W&M_Steeler]

Pouncey was great on the move be it pulling or going hunting at the second level. Everything else was above average at best. I think Hartings was as good as Pouncey.

Agreed. Pouncey wasn't all that good in a phone booth- large NTs tended to dominate him. In contrast, Hartings is high on the list of underrated Steelers.

[anpsteel]

Michael Irvin thought Woodson was soft and dominated hiim. Woodson often got torched.

this is such an odd, and off target take

As far as I can tell, as a corner, he would have played against Michael Irvin, possibly 3 times.

In 88 Irvin was a rookie, and Woodson didn't play corner that game.
In 91 Woodson was coming off an injury, and had no stats for the game
In the 96 Super Bowl, it was his first game back, after being out all but apx 1 quarter of 1 game, of the season.
In 97 he played the Cowboys as a Corner w/ the 49ers. This was the last season Rod played Corner.

So, to the best of my recollection and research, Michael Irvin is full of shit, and has no grounds to make that statement.

Woodson was anything but soft. He used to absolutely light up players...

as a defensive player- he is one of the very few, I have ever watched single handedly win a game for his team. That's even more uncommon, when the defender plays CB, because the Offense can just throw or run to the other side.

Also, Woodson is arguably a Top 5 player, ALL Time, at both CB and FS.

There is no legitimate way to possibly argue, he was worse than any standard or expectation.

[Jobu]

Also, Woodson is arguably a Top 5 player, ALL Time, at both CB and FS.

THIS^^^

[AirRescueFF]

Kimi Von Oelhoffen. Immortalized for the Carson Palmer hit, he was supposed to be a much better player overall and was a disappointment.

I see it differently on KVO. Kimo was, in my opinion, perfect in his role for the Steelers. When compared to the value that other teams were looking to get from their DEs during that era (seeking pass rush), he was well above board.

With him, Smitty and Big Snack, there were very few games, if any, when Pittsburgh had to stop the run and could not.

Chris Hoke was an excellent glue guy on those teams also, and so was Brett Keisel until he developed into a solid full-time starter after Von Oelhoffen moved on.

Dawson seemed to be impressed with him as well.

[swissvale72]

Michael Irvin thought Woodson was soft and dominated hiim. Woodson often got torched.

this is such an odd, and off target take

As far as I can tell, as a corner, he would have played against Michael Irvin, possibly 3 times.

In 88 Irvin was a rookie, and Woodson didn't play corner that game.
In 91 Woodson was coming off an injury, and had no stats for the game
In the 96 Super Bowl, it was his first game back, after being out all but apx 1 quarter of 1 game, of the season.
In 97 he played the Cowboys as a Corner w/ the 49ers. This was the last season Rod played Corner.

So, to the best of my recollection and research, Michael Irvin is full of shit, and has no grounds to make that statement.

Woodson was anything but soft. He used to absolutely light up players...

as a defensive player- he is one of the very few, I have ever watched single handedly win a game for his team. That's even more uncommon, when the defender plays CB, because the Offense can just throw or run to the other side.

Also, Woodson is arguably a Top 5 player, ALL Time, at both CB and FS.

There is no legitimate way to possibly argue, he was worse than any standard or expectation.

My prime memory of micheal Irvin is of penn state kicking his ass, all fuckin night long in the ‘87 fiesta bowl, for the national championship

[SteelerDayTrader]

Michael Irvin thought Woodson was soft and dominated hiim. Woodson often got torched.

[Dan Smith--BYU]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gthQ25tuwPs

[pickarooney]

Which pub? I tried an Oxford pub crawl last year and didn't get past the third one.

Try Jude the Obscure The Bear Inn The Turf.

I think I remember Randy Grossman being better than he was.

John Banaszak and Chad Brown probably in that category too.

Definitely Tommy Maddox in 2002.

The Eagle and Child (The Bird and the Baby to the locals) was a fun pub, and certainly cool for the historical/literary significance (C.S. Lewis and Tolkien drank there, and Tolkien did a little writing.

Sadly, Eagle and Child closed down. Or at least it was closed last summer. I liked the one across the street, lamb and something or other, where Lewis and company also drank. My flat while teaching at Oriel was just down the lane from the Bear—not easy to sleep for all the medieval drunken merriment lol.

I think Neil o’donnel was good, until, you know..,

[Ice]

Yeah, shortly after I posted, I looked it up and saw "temporarily closed." Sad.