Top 5 Pittsburgh Athletes, 1 year later edit: RESULTS IN!

[PhantomJB93]

1. Crosby
2. McCutchen
3. Malkin
4. Roethlisberger
5. Liriano

[IanMoran]

I know people hate Roethlisberger, but come on. Dude was having a fantastic season last year, and has won two Super Bowls in the last seven years. And with the way he just shrugs off countless sacks and makes plays, he has to be a Top 5 Pittsburgh athlete, easily.

I disagree and I'm not sure if he'd make my top 10. "Best athlete.," which I interpreted as best player

My top 5:
Crosby, Geno... arguably the 2 best hockey players in the world
Cutch. Becoming 1 of the best baseball players in the world
Liriano, would probably by cy young if wasn't injured. Still in running
Pouncey, completely dominant at his position

Then you have Big Ben. He's good, but if anyone says he's better than Rodgers, Brady, Brees, Peyton. The BEST one can say he possibly is would be the 5th best at his position.

Now the qb position is the most valuable, but Ben doesn't excel at it compared to his peers as much as the other players listed for me. Its why I feel like there's a difference between Lindsay and Hart. If this wasn't the "best player," but instead the "player you'd least like to lose," then Ben would be #1 for me

[Troy Loney]

Roehtlisberger's looking fat again to start the season.

[Crankshaft]

I know people hate Roethlisberger, but come on. Dude was having a fantastic season last year, and has won two Super Bowls in the last seven years. And with the way he just shrugs off countless sacks and makes plays, he has to be a Top 5 Pittsburgh athlete, easily.

I disagree and I'm not sure if he'd make my top 10. "Best athlete.," which I interpreted as best player

My top 5:
Crosby, Geno... arguably the 2 best hockey players in the world
Cutch. Becoming 1 of the best baseball players in the world
Liriano, would probably by cy young if wasn't injured. Still in running
Pouncey, completely dominant at his position

Then you have Big Ben. He's good, but if anyone says he's better than Rodgers, Brady, Brees, Peyton. The BEST one can say he possibly is would be the 5th best at his position.

Now the qb position is the most valuable, but Ben doesn't excel at it compared to his peers as much as the other players listed for me. Its why I feel like there's a difference between Lindsay and Hart. If this wasn't the "best player," but instead the "player you'd least like to lose," then Ben would be #1 for me

Is Pouncey really that dominate? He's so fragile, that you never see him prove it.

[AlexPKeaton]

1. Crosby
2. Malkin
3. Cutch
4. Liriano
5. Letang

[IanMoran]

I know people hate Roethlisberger, but come on. Dude was having a fantastic season last year, and has won two Super Bowls in the last seven years. And with the way he just shrugs off countless sacks and makes plays, he has to be a Top 5 Pittsburgh athlete, easily.

I disagree and I'm not sure if he'd make my top 10. "Best athlete.," which I interpreted as best player

My top 5:
Crosby, Geno... arguably the 2 best hockey players in the world
Cutch. Becoming 1 of the best baseball players in the world
Liriano, would probably by cy young if wasn't injured. Still in running
Pouncey, completely dominant at his position

Then you have Big Ben. He's good, but if anyone says he's better than Rodgers, Brady, Brees, Peyton. The BEST one can say he possibly is would be the 5th best at his position.

Now the qb position is the most valuable, but Ben doesn't excel at it compared to his peers as much as the other players listed for me. Its why I feel like there's a difference between Lindsay and Hart. If this wasn't the "best player," but instead the "player you'd least like to lose," then Ben would be #1 for me

Is Pouncey really that dominate? He's so fragile, that you never see him prove it.

2010 - Started 16 games
2011 - Started 14 games
2012 - Started 15 games

Unfortunately for him it seems he's always out during the playoffs, but he plays a lot

[Crankshaft]

That's probably it. I'm not a die-hard, remember every game type of fan, but I do remember the big moments and it seems like whenever there is a big moment, a moment where someone needs to rise up, he's not there.

[IanMoran]

That's probably it. I'm not a die-hard, remember every game type of fan, but I do remember the big moments and it seems like whenever there is a big moment, a moment where someone needs to rise up, he's not there.

That's probably it. I'm not a die-hard, remember every game type of fan, but I do remember the big moments and it seems like whenever there is a big moment, a moment where someone needs to rise up, he's not there.

Yea, I think him being fragile is overstated because he's missed their last 2 games in which they were eliminated

2010: Got injured in AFC Championship, missed the Super Bowl
2011: Missed weeks 15, 16... Tried to come back week 17, missed the Denver game

So its really about him missing those 2 games. Hemissed 3 regular season games in his career, but sadly 2 playoff games. Just bad timing really

[Froggy]

I honestly think I'd have a hard time putting Pouncey as a top 5 steeler, let alone top 5 Pittsburgh athlete

[TheHammer24]

(1) Crosby
(2) Malkin
(3) Roethlisberger
(4) McCutchen
(5) Liriano

(6) Pouncey
(7) Letang
(8) Pedro
(9) Burnett
(10) Timmons

[Letang Is The Truth]

sid
cutch
geno
timmons
letang

[TheHammer24]

I think there's some inconsistency in how we are ranking Malkin and Liriano. Liriano is having a great season but not a great last handful of seasons. Malkin is generally one of the best hockey players in the world but wasn't this year. Yet, Malkin is high on these lists and Liriano is on them.

PS I did this too.

[Troy Loney]

Crosby. Malkin and McCutchen are elite. Roethlisberger is mostly competent at the most important position in all of sports, so I suppose that would make him stand out over the rest of the candidates.

Crosby
Malkin
McCutchen
Letang
Roethlisberger

[shafnutz05]

I think what Roethlisberger has been able to do in spite of a porous offensive line during his career is what makes him Top 5 material for me. He isn't as "good" as Manning, Brady, etc, but I think if you put those three quarterbacks behind the offensive unit he has had in Pittsburgh, he would come out on top.

[Troy Loney]

I think what Roethlisberger has been able to do in spite of a porous offensive line during his career is what makes him Top 5 material for me. He isn't as "good" as Manning, Brady, etc, but I think if you put those three quarterbacks behind the offensive unit he has had in Pittsburgh, he would come out on top.

Roethlisberger's style would make any offensive line look porous. He's not overcoming the deficiencies in the line, he just highlights any weakness that exists there (and it's not as though Manning and Brady have simply benefitted from elite offensive lines throughout). The QB dictates the game and thus what the line will need to be responsible for.

In my opinion, he's being awarded a spot on my list because of the lack of other candidates, and it's more of what he's done as opposed to what he's going to do. Roethlisberger is done playing at a championship level in my opinion, he's maxed out on his skill level and isn't capable of adapting his game to succeed any more going forward.

[shafnutz05]

^^That's an interesting way of looking at it. I agree with your assessment, but I think it's probably a hybrid of the two. He's never been a three-step drop passer, that's for sure.

I am inclined to agree with you that he is probably 2 and done...not so much because of him individually, but because the Steelers are due for some lean years.

[KennyTheKangaroo]

In my opinion, he's being awarded a spot on my list because of the lack of other candidates, and it's more of what he's done as opposed to what he's going to do. Roethlisberger is done playing at a championship level in my opinion, he's maxed out on his skill level and isn't capable of adapting his game to succeed any more going forward.

Theres no question that there are 3 slam dunks....McCutchen, Crosby, and Malkin. Then there is the next level talent like ben, pedro, letang, any random pirate pitcher, and so on and so forth. That next level of guys either have age issues, talent issues, or performance issues.

Kenny the kangaroo wonders if grilli would be getting any votes if healthy.

[Troy Loney]

Melancon > Grilli.

[IanMoran]

On my phone, which makes quoting a "witch," but....

I know pgh loves that whole, those qbs wouldn't succeed here argument, but Brady's looked great with some not so talented offenses and Rodgers has had great years behind TERRIBLE o-lines

Also, I don't think so with grilli. No one voted hannrahan last year

[shafnutz05]

Melancon > Grilli.

[TheHammer24]

Melancon > Grilli.

I was between Heath, Melancon, and Timmons for my #10 spot.

[Idoit40fans]

I think Brady would be fine behind the Steelers O-line. He makes a line look better than it is because the ball is getting out of there so quick most of the time. They don't need to weather an 8 second storm that Ben makes them deal with. The line doesn't wear down as much over the same number(or even a greater number) of snaps.

[Sam's Drunk Dog]

Ben isn't a very accurate QB, which is why his ability to scramble and have his WRs get open during the madness his scrambling created worked very well. Teams now are doing a better job of staying with the WRs when he starts to move around so that he has lost some effectiveness. The WRs have also gotten worse at being able to break off routes and get open when he starts scrambling.

[Froggy]

Ben isn't a very accurate QB, which is why his ability to scramble and have his WRs get open during the madness his scrambling created worked very well. Teams now are doing a better job of staying with the WRs when he starts to move around so that he has lost some effectiveness. The WRs have also gotten worse at being able to break off routes and get open when he starts scrambling.

that would probably make more sense if ben wasn't having the best year of his career last year before he got hurt.

[Froggy]

when you factor in talent and notoriety, i don't see how the top 5 could be anything other than crosby, malkin, cutch, roethlisberger, and polamalu in some order.