Steelers Outclass The Bengals Again After An Absolutely Obnoxious Rant By Corey Dillon

The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals have been division rivals for half a century. It does not have the fanfare of the Baltimore Ravens matchups, but these two teams don’t like each other. The Bengals are not as consistently successful as the Steelers, making the organization and their fans insufferable when they win. Luckily, that is not too often.

Joe Burrow and the Bengals are riding high after winning the AFC North the last two seasons (2021 and 2022). They talked trash to the Steelers two seasons ago after sweeping Pittsburgh in Ben Roethlisberger's last season. It angered Minkah Fitzpatrick to the point that he almost single-handedly kept the Steelers from losing in the 2022 season opener.

The Bengals currently have not extended Burrow’s contract despite his eligibility. The story was largely overshadowed by the Lamar Jackson fiasco, but it is July and the extension could still get done. Cincinnati is notoriously cheap. They already famously ran off a franchise quarterback in Carson Palmer. Before that, in the days that position was valued, they ran off Corey Dillon, a franchise running back. It has been 20 years since he left the Bengals to join the New England Patriots, but time has not healed the wound.

According to Yahoo Sports, in an interview with Paul Dehner Jr from The Athletic, Dillon unleashed a furious tirade about his place in Bengals history and his NFL career. The original Cincinnati malcontent’s rage has not cooled over the last two decades and he let loose with a fresh set of bitter takes about the Bengals omitting him from the Cincinnati Ring of Honor.

“It’s near criminal,” Dillon said. “This ain’t a popularity contest. This is football. You know the *expletive* that is going on. They are glossing over me. Because I left? That’s not a good enough reason. I’m pretty sure they will put Jon Kitna in there before me."

Antonio Brown got a lot of attention for his striptease on a New York Jets sideline, but it was not an original move. Dillon, in his final game for the Bengals, stripped off his helmet, jersey, and shoulder pads and tossed them into the stands.  He also had some choice words about playing for Mike Brown, suggesting he would consider a career change before returning to the Bengals. Dillon did everything he could to burn the Bengals bridge on his way to the Patriots. Now, he desperately wants to be inducted into the team's Ring of Honor by the season ticket holders. 

Dillon did not reserve all of his venom for the Bengals and their fans. He told Dehner about his exclusion from an even more important club, the NFL Hall of Fame in Canton, OH.

“I want it all. I am coming for it all,” Dillon ranted. “You know why? Because I earned it. I’m not one of those borderline guys. I think they are mad at me for being vocal and going on to win a championship. There are a lot of Hall of Famers that did far more worse than I did. We can cancel out that excuse. The real ones know.”

Dillon does have impressive stats. He is only one of only 10 running backs who rushed for 11,000 yards and averaged more than 4.3 yards per carry in the history of the NFL. Eight running backs who reached this milestone are in the Hall of Fame. The only eligible backs with these stats who are not are Dillon and Fred Taylor.

Dillon’s strong number case could be a snapshot of what Brown will be facing when he becomes eligible for the Hall of Fame. The Steelers mercurial wide receiver has Hall of Fame numbers but, in fairness, Dillon has an equally compelling case. Both had nasty exits from their original teams. Both have had ugly off-the-field incidents and, sadly, performed a striptease on the football field. 

The raw sense of entitlement that Dillon demonstrates by saying he deserves it is likely a preview of what to expect from Brown when he is eligible. Dillon’s tirade might get him exactly what he wants. Attention and induction into the Bengals Ring of Honor and the Hall of Fame. Dillon makes the point that only numbers should matter, but that just isn’t the case.

The Hall of Fame in football is a frustratingly unclear process. The list is narrowed from eligible candidates to a group of finalists, and then a selection committee meets behind closed doors and picks their favorites. There is no rhyme or reason for the voting. Counting numbers matter, but only sometimes. We think.

Steelers Fans Should Be Furious With Hall Of Fame

A lot boils down to what is said in that room. No one is accountable for the wildly inconsistent decisions that have affected the likes of Hines Ward, James Harrison, Greg Lloyd, Andy Russell and LC Greenwood. That is just a partial list of Steelers that have been overlooked. Dillon is not even the most deserving Bengals player who has been denied entry to Canton. Ken Anderson should have been in a long time ago.

The NFL selection committee should be required to televise these deliberations. What is said behind those closed doors? Why are some off-the-field transgressions like murder, drug us  and domestic violence allegations disregarded for some but are why others are disqualified?

It won’t make sense until they are forced to bring the process into the light. It could be a huge opportunity for the NFL to publicly televise the selectors debate on the 15 finalists. The NFL Network could easily program this if they chose to do it. If there were 15, 90-minute programs on the merits of the finalists that culminate with a special televised vote on Super Bowl weekend, it would be ratings gold. That is what is important in today’s NFL, right?

What do you think Steeler Nation? Would a public process finally force the NFL to admit why certain players are excluded? Please comment below or on my Twitter@thebubbasq.

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