Slamming the Door on the Jeff Reed Era

It’s taken nearly two years but this blog has officially reached uncharted territory. I’m about to focus an entire entry on a kicker. More specifically, a former kicker, given the abrupt ending to Jeff Reed’s Steeler career this week.

Reed’s career in black and gold veered wide right this season through a perfect storm of bad performance, bad attitude and bad behavior. Before 2010, he had solid standing in the Steeler Nation, notwithstanding his eccentric tendencies and his well established position on the Pittsburgh party scene. His rapid fire decent is thus nothing short of stunning.

I counted myself a solid Jeff Reef fan before 2010. Good kickers are hard to find and Reed was a consistently good, especially working in the place kicker’s graveyard that is Heinz Field.

Well, consistently good with some caveats. Reed’s range was five or so yards shorter than most NFL kickers and his kick offs rarely reached the goal line. It’s also fair to say that he lacked Daniel Sepulveda’s affinity for making special teams’ tackles. The Steelers accepted these flaws because Reed was remarkably accurate inside of 48 yards. Before this season.

And therein lies the rub.

Jeff Reed is unemployed today primarily because he stopped making field goals. No matter how obnoxious and ignorant he’s acted in the last 12 months (or seven days), he would still be wearing number 3 for the Steelers today if he were making his kicks. His petulant whining and excuses, not to mention his various off season escapades simply greased the skids.

Reed’s limitations, which became more apparent in 2009, reduced his collateral with the Steelers’ organization. His moronic behavior over the last year or so burned up whatever he had left. Reed could have learned a thing or two from his good buddy Marc-Andre Fleury about how to handle a slump with grace. Clearly he did not.

That being said, I maintain that on the field performance, or lack thereof, is what did in Reed.

NFL teams do not keep back-up kickers. There is no Brent Johnson in reserve when the kicker struggles. When kickers stop making kicks they lose their jobs, even under the best of circumstances. And to state the obvious, Jeff Reed circa 2010 has hardly been the best of circumstances.

Under the NFL’s unofficial code of conduct, kickers are to be seen and not heard. It is an odd idiosyncrasy that this vicious, hard hitting game, played by large angry men, puts so much emphasis on kickers. They are a necessary evil in the sport, tolerated when they succeed and hated when they fail.

When kickers open their mouth or make a spectacle of themselves, bad things happen. See Vanderjagt, Mike, aka “the idiot kicker” who got liquored up and ran his mouth about how Peyton Manning and Tony Dungy were not clutch performers. We last saw him choking a game tying field goal about ten yards wide right against the Steelers in the 2006 playoffs.

Clearly Reed did not learn any lessons from the man affectionately known as VanderJerk in Indianapolis. Clearly he did not see how fast Vanderjagt was run out of the NFL when his game slumped. And he clearly did not learn from his former teammate Tommy Maddox who prior to Reed was standard bearer for fastest alienation of the Steeler Nation in 2005.

Over three seasons, Maddox became immensely popular in Pittsburgh. He resurrected a failed NFL career and for a brief period looked like the star QB Steeler fans were waiting on for two decades He blew it all in one game against Jacksonville, Maddox might have survived his horrendous performance on the field had he not gone Roger Clemens in the post game press conference, throwing everyone and everything under the bus.

Pittsburgh fans demand accountability from their athletes. We can live with a bad game or two if you are willing to take responsibility for it. Just don’t insult our intelligence by blaming the wind, the turf, your wife, or Bruce Arians for your failure. In summary, don’t blame the bad turf when you miss a chip shot 26 yard field goal; the same bad turf you’ve been kicking on for nine years.

Getting beyond the obvious issue of poor performance, I think there are three fatal blows to the relationship between an athlete and a fan base. Lack of accountability is at the top of the list. The other two are publically complaining about your salary and ripping the fans. Given that Reed is a well known Penguin fan, its fair to say he’s had a hat trick of moronic behavior in about four months.

My issues with Reed started when he spouted off in training camp about his contract. I have no idea if the Rooney’s promised Reed a long-term deal or not. I suspect they said something like, we’ll discuss it in the future. Regardless, I don’t care. The guy was getting paid $2 Million, to kick a football. We should all have such problems.

Look, I am generally not one who complains about the exorbitant salaries of athletes. Yes they are outrageous and ridiculously disproportionate to the rest of society. Yes I think a good teacher provides more value than a good offensive linemen. Regardless, it’s irrelevant. Athlete salaries are what they are and I’ve accepted it.

All I ask is don’t complain about it. Modern athletes love the term “disrespect.” Do not disrespect me by complaining about your seven or eight figure salaries. Maybe I can’t kick a football in an NFL game but I’m pretty sure Jeff Reed can’t debit and credit. And he makes a heck of a lot more money than I do.

Seriously, does Reed expect sympathy from hard working fans because the Steelers are making him earn his next contract? Did he sleep through Sports Center the day they explained that NFL teams focus on other positions before they lock down kickers who can’t get kickoffs inside the ten yard line?

So that’s two grievous violations of the athlete/fan covenant. And to complete the trifecta, Reed blasted the fans. Showing a frighteningly ignorant and exaggerated view of his own importance, Reed suggested that Steeler fans come to games just to boo him. Newsflash Jeff, nobody and I mean nobody pays $200 for an NFL ticket to jeer you and Sepulveda (who to my knowledge was not being jeered anyway). If we boo you Jeff, it’s because you keeping missing kicks.

Ok, let me expand on that. We also boo you after you say, “I’m not one to complain to the media,” right before you complain to the media about your contract. We boo you because you say, “I’m not one to make excuses,” right before you make ridiculous excuses. But I covered that already.

I’m not even bringing Mr. Reed’s various drunken escapades in to the equation (a google search on him is quite enlightening), because it’s not relevant. Jeff Reed is not the first person, athlete or not, to get soused and take out his aggressions on an inanimate object. Just the same, I’m not bringing Reed’s charitable work in to the equation. All are irrelevant to me if he produces on the field and keeps his mouth shut.

That’s not to say these things are not important to his employers. If the Steelers were willing to Blue Light Special Santonio Holmes for bad behavior, they would certainly jettison a non performing kicker for the same reasons. I know the Steelers held on to Big Ben after his less than stellar offseason. Rest assured they would not have done that if Ben were Derek Anderson. And whatever you think of Ben as a person, he has always demonstrated accountability on the field.

In summary, Reed’s poor performance is why he was cut. His bad attitude and moronic behavior is why we are so happy about it. At least most of us.

I know some Steeler fans are upset about this. They see cutting Reed as a knee “jerk” reaction by the organization. I’ve heard credible arguments that Jeff Reed has a far better track record than Shaun Suisham. Those arguments may be true but they are also irrelevant. Suisham may or may not be good enough this season, Reed definitely was not.

I’m sure there will be plenty of second guessing if Suisham misses a key field goal. Such second guessing is based on the flawed assumption that Reed would have made the kick. Nothing about his performance this season suggests that to be true.

Combine a season’s worth of poor performance with embarrassing and mocking the entire Steeler Nation and I simply say this. Goodbye Jeff Reed, and good riddance.

Big Ben at a Crossroads in the Burgh

A few weeks back, before we migrated this blog to a new site, I wrote an entry on Ben Roethlisberger called, “It’s not illegal to be a jerk.” http://ahaberman35.livejournal.com/13617.html. The premise was as simple as the title. In short, you may find Big Ben’s behavior in Georgia repulsive but it’s quite a long leap from there to rapist. I did not defend Ben’s actions, which are indefensible but I did defend his right not to have his livelihood taken away from him based solely on unsubstantiated allegations.

In the end, Ben is a football player, not a teacher, rabbi, or baby sitter. His behavior would disqualify him from those positions. It does not disqualify him from throwing passes in the NFL.

If Ben had been charged with rape, I would feel categorically different on this issue. If the authorities had said something that indicated a crime was committed but they could not prove it (likely in “read between the lines” fashion), I would have felt different. They did not. What they said, or at least my interpretation of it was, the guy acted like an ignorant jerk but we just do not have any evidence that a crime was committed.

Based on that, I have defended only Ben’s right to continue as quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers. I freely admit I would not have offered a similar defense for Kordell O’Donnell-Maddox. The simple reason is that none of those guys were hall of fame caliber quarterbacks. I’m not ashamed to admit that my belief in keeping Big Ben has a lot to do with how important he is to the success of the Steelers. And since he was not charged with any crime, no matter how much the media wants to infer otherwise, I’m somewhat comfortable with that.

At least I think I am.

It’s sad that I’m probably one of Ben’s most staunch defenders and the best I can offer is, “it’s not illegal to be a jerk.” When the best thing people can say about your actions is that no crime was committed, that’s not a good thing. Let’s be honest, there are a lot of people who feel far more strongly than I do that Ben should be playing somewhere else next season (or not playing at all).

And make no mistake, if he does not get his act together that’s exactly what will happen. If you want an apt comparison to Ben right now I suggest Bob Knight when he was put on double secret probation at Indiana. The administration made it clear that one more public incident and he was out the door. They used the term “zero tolerance policy.” Knight was so moved by this that he promptly went out of his way to attack a student on campus for the heinous crime of calling him Knight rather than Coach Knight (I guess I should be more careful how I address him).

You would have thought that clearly stating to COACH Knight that you will lose the job you’ve had and loved for 30 years would drive home the message that a behavioral change was required. And you would be wrong. Even after clear rules of conduct were communicated along with clear and dire consequences, the coach who demanded absolute obedience from his players violated them (I could pen an entire blog on what a hypocrite Bob Knight is but that would be off target).

So Indiana fired him. And what did Bob Knight learn from this? Absolutely nothing. He blasted the administration on the way out the door and then continued his poor behavior after Texas Tech enabled him with another job. My guess is he still blames the Indiana administration to this day and has never considered that his actions over three decades were inappropriate.

My fear is that Big Ben is another Bob Knight. Completely ingrained in a pattern of bad behavior, enabled by his talent, his celebrity and his importance to his team, and with no intention of changing, regardless of the consequences. There is a pattern of behavior that supports my premise but nothing supports it more than Ben’s supposed statement of apology on Monday.

I’ve been saying for weeks that the first step to Ben’s recovery in Pittsburgh is a very public, very sincere and very contrite apology. This is not just about words or accepting responsibility. This is about understanding and communicating that his behavior, his actions, and how he treats people is just unacceptable. Big Ben is slowly alienating Steeler nation. He is making himself a target of scorn by both fans and media. He is setting himself up to be jeered by his own fans and ripped apart by those who cover him. Maybe he really does not care about this but why go down that road?

Steeler fans are a forgiving bunch. In all likelihood, their forgiveness can be purchased at a cost of one additional Lombardi trophy. That being said, they will never truly accept and love him again unless he speaks clearly an apology and commitment to making changes in his life.

Raise your hand if you feel his three paragraph statement, issued in print through the Steelers get’s that done.

I fear that right now Ben is doing exactly what Bob Knight did. Rather then learning from his experience he’s just blaming others. Blaming the girl, blaming the media, blaming the NFL for a series of events that lead to his suspension, which he probably feels is unjust. I fear that he’s sitting at home thinking, “I’m one of the top 5 QBs in the NFL. If Pittsburgh does not want me, somebody else will. I do not need to change who I am.” And sadly, he’d be right.

Of course I have no way of knowing for sure that this is Ben’s mind set. Maybe I’m wrong and he genuinely understands the gravity of his actions. Or maybe I’m right and he’s just doing the bare minimum to shorten and get beyond his suspension. I simply do not know. All I can do, along with every other member of Steeler nation, is make inferences from Ben’s public statements. And his WRITTEN statements have been wholeheartedly unimpressive.

I’m a big believer that actions speak far louder than words. Nothing angers me more than the belief that you can get away with anything based on just an apology. That has become the nature of our culture, especially for celebrities. An apology means nothing if it does not come with a sincere effort to change the offending, or in Ben’s case offensive behavior.

That being said, it’s a critical starting point, especially for a man whose reputation and status with his fan base has been shattered. Remember, I’m one of his biggest defenders and I’ve gone from arguing with the world that’s he’s as good as Peyton Manning to accepting I will likely never put on my #7 jersey again. Most of the fan base feels the same way. They want something from Ben to show he get’s it. They want some kind of belief that he is not a monster, just a young man who let fame and fortunate go to his head.

Sadly, nearly two months after he was first accused in Georgia, he’s given us next to nothing.

You can argue that he has no obligation to any of us and I will not disagree. If he wants to just be known as a great player who is also a jerk, I guess that’s up to him. Rest assured if that’s the case he will never get his just due in the national football league. Media members have a funny way of telling a player’s story through the prism of their own emotions. I’ve been wondering for a long-time why Ben got so little respect for his great play and now I’m starting to get it. If you are in the media would you rather prop up Peyton Manning and Drew Brees or a guy who treats you like crap?

I’ve wondered the same thing about Ben for several years. Why is it that a player who has been elite almost from the day he entered the NFL has never gotten the respect he truly deserves? I think I’ve heard enough over the last 12 months to get my answer. I saw it with Tom Barrasso and I saw it with Sammy Sosa in Chicago. When the media gets an opportunity to hang a guy they do not like, they take it. Clearly Ben does not understand that.

This is not just about the media and it’s not just about Ben’s reputation. I guess ultimately it’s up to him to deal with that. It’s about two things that are far more significant:

1) Ben is now on zero tolerance probation with the Steelers. He’s one more big fall away from being an ex-Steeler QB. And after waiting a quarter century for an elite QB in the Burgh, I’m simply not anxious to see the start of the Dennis Dixon era.

2) I do not want to spend emotional capital as a fan rooting for a guy that’s completely unlikable. As I said after both accusations against Ben, I do not want him to be found not guilty; I want him to have NOT DONE THIS. I want to believe the QB I support is not a horrible monster. I’m willing to extend Ben a life line right now that he is not a criminal; just a misguiding young man who put himself in really bad situations. At this point I’m just barely able to do so. I do not think my support of him will survive another incident.

So again, I keep hoping for a sign that Ben get’s all this. I keep hoping that he understands not just the desperate need to change his ways but also to let us all know he is committed to doing so. I keep hoping that he’s not just a complete jerk, totally unwilling to accept anything less than a full sense of entitlement to whatever he wants. I’m hoping…

Sadly, to this point, Big Ben has given me little else to go on.