December 18th, 2009 
Matt Loede 
Posted in A couple days ago on the Dan Patrick show, Jerome Bettis took some pretty hefty shots on the his former team. He said the Steelers were pretty much dead, and that the leadership had to be in question considering how quickly the team has gone downhill.
Now QB Ben Roethlisberger is speaking out on his former teammate, and states that Bettis has no real idea what is going on in the Steelers locker room. “I guess he’s entitled to his opinion. He’s not on this team, he’s not in this locker room, so he’s just taking an outside view as all of you (media) guys are. If you don’t know, I don’t think you should speak on it.”
Bettis wasn’t shy about how he felt about the black and gold. “The Steelers are done. It’s not official yet, but pretty much. When you lose your spirit, then everything is pretty much gone,” Bettis said on the show. “And that’s what I saw when they hit the field against the Cleveland Browns. It tells me the leadership isn’t there, there was a lack of commitment. The season is basically over.”
Good for Ben to stand up and refute the Bus…Someone needs to stand up and take this team out of this horrid slide. As for the Bus, Im gonna quote my man Mark Madden, “Jerome Bettis is a fat ass publicity hound.”
Easy George H. I wouldnt go that far in pummeling Bettis. I am also glad that Ben stood up and tried to defuse the situation. But, the team is losing and media and fans alike mostly think that Tomlin has lost the team and that the locker room is now a battle zone. I dont think Bettis said anything that most of us do not believe ourselves. He is a former player, knows the players and was asked a question. He gave his opinion. What Ben said is basically true, Bettis is not a member of THIS team. But Bettis knows football and just stated what is becoming more apparent.
The “Bus” is right! A playoff tean doesn’t lose to the Chiefs, Raiders and Browns! And for the STEELERS to get swept by the Bengals is a travesty! We’ve lost in all three phases of the game at some point during “all” the games! Special teams have sucked all year and the defensive secondary has been aweful! Oh, and Big Ben…how many red zone picks has he thrown? How many sacks has he taken? He played great in the playoffs and Super Bowl last year but has made crucial mistakes this year! Finally, Mike Tomlin…why are you calling “shotgun” formation on first and goal? And “empty backfield” on third and two? It’s been a total team collapse of biblical proportion! I love the STEELERS but they broke my heart this year…it’s over. Let’s get better in the off season and have a great 2010! GO STEELERS!
I think big ben did the right thing defending himself/team. The bus has no right to say crap like that, YES the steelers are having a horrible season… Doesnt mean we are quote “DONE” it just means were having a crappy season and next year were coming back… Steelers 2010
Although it may be a little too late for this season (Which we started pretty well), I don’t think that the most Super Bowl winningest team in the league will simply fall into mediocrity. I actually can see the Steelers bouncing back from a bad season and reestablishing there selves as Lombardi Trophy contestants in the very near future.