The Pittsburgh Steelers recently got some scathing anonymous feedback through the NFLPA's annual grades. Aside from high marks for Head Coach Mike Tomlin, the team had poor grades across the board. This has led to widespread criticism of Team President Art Rooney II for a lack of adequate support for a professional football team. The team has a long tradition of winning, and according to former University of Pittsburgh tight end Dorin Dickerson, that was a huge point of pride for the players that allowed them to not care about having the most up-to-date weight room or the best dieticians possible.
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Dorin Dickerson stiff-arms a Syracuse defender during a game with the Pittsburgh Panthers.
Dickerson is now a co-host of The Fan Morning Show and on Thursday shared the response of Steelers players at the time to his criticisms that the Panthers had a better facility than the Steelers. He said players like Hines Ward, Troy Polamalu, and Ike Taylor used to offer up the same type of response.
"We don't need amenities," Dickerson explained. "We don't need upgrades. We don't need the flashy stuff. This isn't college. We're the Pittsburgh Steelers and we win. If you come here, you're a part of the winning culture. We don't need to sell anything but those d**n trophies upstairs."
Dickerson said he feels like the organization is still clinging to that mantra, but one thing is missing: Winning. Tomlin continues to pile up the non-losing seasons, but Pittsburgh hasn't been to a Super Bowl since losing the Green Bay Packers in 2011. The team hasn't gotten a postseason victory since Chris Boswell put up all 18 points against the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round of the 2016 playoffs to get the team to the AFC Championship.
Dickerson's partner Adam Crowley said he doesn't know how much can fully be gleaned from the grades released by the players' union, but it does paint one picture for him. It's not a good look and it makes the organization look cheap.
"At the end of the day, you have the Pittsburgh Steelers, one of the biggest sports franchises in the country and they share a facility with a college team," Dickerson said. "If I were a player, none of the glitz and glamor stuff would really matter. I would want to be comfortable."
Dickerson and Crowley said that the University of Pittsburgh side of the facility is way nicer. Dickerson said that aside from changes to the weight room, the Steelers' half hasn't changed much since he played for the Panthers from 2006 to 2009.
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The front door to the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.
Crowley added that every team plays under the same salary cap, so finding ways to improve your team in other ways, like training facilities or dieticians is essential. He continued that it is unforgivable that the Steelers haven't invested in those areas as they risk losing competitive benefits that other franchises are taking advantage of.
Steelers' Propensity For Penny Pinching Holds Them Back
The Steelers consistently spend to the salary cap to be competitive every season. The problem that Dickerson, Crowley, and many others have identified is that the team tends to be cheap in other ways. Dickerson's exhibit A was the birth of sharing a facility with the Panthers.
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A general view of the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.
The UPMC Rooney Sports Complex is the only facility housing training and practice facilities for an NCAA football program and an NFL team. The Steelers re-upped their lease in 2019 for an additional 15 years, so they aren't going anywhere anytime soon. Dickerson said that the initial agreement to have their facilities with the Panthers is the crux of the problem.
"The root of this conversation is that they're not willing to spend money," he said. "That's why you get into a lease or whatever with a roommate. You know when you were in college and you were like, 'I need to get some roommates so I can cut down the cost.' That's what the Steelers did with Pitt."
He added that the team doesn't have a steam room or a sauna, which he thinks is unique to Pittsburgh among NFL teams. NFL teams don't necessarily have to sell players on all the bells and whistles colleges have to get players to sign on. As Dickerson said, it is just about having a certain level of comfort at work and with the grades the Steelers got, it's hard to say that is the case.
What did you think of Dickerson's comments? Do you like that the Steelers and Panthers share facilities, or is it time they find their own homes? Comment below!
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