imgreat95
08-03-2002, 12:14 PM
Smizik: Love him, hate him, it's all same to Stewart
Thursday, August 01, 2002
The definition of a Pittsburgh love-hate relationship are these two words: Kordell Stewart.
In the beginning, we loved him. He was Slash and dear to our hearts. But he was too good to be just a Slash. Soon enough, he became the starting quarterback. We loved him even more as he helped the Steelers to the 1997 AFC title game and gave promise of years of excellent play.
When his performance declined substantially the next two seasons, love faded quickly. It started as the typical quarterback bashing that is common in towns in which the NFL team is treasured. Then it took a sharp downhill turn and became ugly and hateful. The rumors were despicable; the treatment of him pretty much the same.
We -- and that takes in almost all of us -- had no use for Stewart.
He was aloof and unfriendly with the media, which always can be tolerated. But he was unproductive on the field, which, in this town, never can be. Quickly, in the eyes of most, he became the reason a good team had suddenly gone bad.
By the end of the 1999 season, he was easily the most disliked player in recent, at least, Pittsburgh sports history. Dave Parker was a conquering hero compared to Stewart.
Now it's 2002, and we're in love again.
Once more, he's this dashing quarterback who is not only an exceedingly dangerous runner but -- and this is still hard to grasp -- a passer of impressive accuracy.
Through all of this -- the love, the hate, the love again -- Stewart believes he has remained the same. Through it all -- the rumors, the beer being poured on his head, the booing -- he maintains he never weakened.
As the Steelers prepare for a season of rich promise, one in which the quarterback is vital to team success, Stewart seems more at peace with himself and his role than he has ever been. He's experiencing a comfort zone within the team offense that makes him believe the strong play will continue.
He loves his role on this team, the cast of players around him, the coaches who have brought out the best in him. Where he stands with the fans and the media, fickle to a fault, he's not sure.
He chuckled the other day, while addressing the subject of the people who hated him.
"Those people who were saying what they were saying and feeling what they were feeling, they're eating their words, and that's not easy to do. Because now they've got to smile in my face and talk to me and act like they're having a good time."
Make no mistake, although Stewart could tolerate the bad times, he doesn't want them to continue. He, like most everyone, wants to be embraced.
Asked if he some day would like to attain the popularity of a Franco Harris, Stewart said he should be likened to another Steelers Hall of Famer, one who also was viciously booed early in his career.
"I think you should compare me to Terry Bradshaw, because we played the same position. Quarterback is the most important position on the field so why would [the fans] hate this position when this is the guy who will get it done for you.
"At some point in time, they'll have to find a way to embrace the quarterback position. Lift it up, cheer it on, and you'll be amazed what you can get from it. When somebody is down, you can't always put your foot on their neck and talk bad on them and think they'll get up and work.
"I was able to do that based on my upbringing. I basically took the situation and put it in the trash. Because that's all it was, all it is."
Stewart still has his critics. They won't forget the two late interceptions in last season's AFC title game. What they want to forget is that he was selected to his first Pro Bowl, was named Steelers MVP by his teammates, garnered more league-wide MVP votes than any AFC player, passed for 3,109 yards and ran for another 537.
He'll never make everybody happy. Not even Bradshaw could do that.
"I'm saying to the fans, embrace your quarterback, enjoy him. Because you know I'm going to go out there and give 150 percent. If you don't know that by now, you're clueless. After all the stuff that I've gone through and I'm still here, still talking to the fans, still giving back to the kids, still going to Children's Hospital, still being a positive guy.
"If you haven't figured it out yet, we need to go see a doctor. I need to get all the fans, get them on a bus and go see a doctor and really make them understand that I'm here to do one thing and that's win.
"Either you accept me or you don't. If you don't, I'm OK with that."
Thursday, August 01, 2002
The definition of a Pittsburgh love-hate relationship are these two words: Kordell Stewart.
In the beginning, we loved him. He was Slash and dear to our hearts. But he was too good to be just a Slash. Soon enough, he became the starting quarterback. We loved him even more as he helped the Steelers to the 1997 AFC title game and gave promise of years of excellent play.
When his performance declined substantially the next two seasons, love faded quickly. It started as the typical quarterback bashing that is common in towns in which the NFL team is treasured. Then it took a sharp downhill turn and became ugly and hateful. The rumors were despicable; the treatment of him pretty much the same.
We -- and that takes in almost all of us -- had no use for Stewart.
He was aloof and unfriendly with the media, which always can be tolerated. But he was unproductive on the field, which, in this town, never can be. Quickly, in the eyes of most, he became the reason a good team had suddenly gone bad.
By the end of the 1999 season, he was easily the most disliked player in recent, at least, Pittsburgh sports history. Dave Parker was a conquering hero compared to Stewart.
Now it's 2002, and we're in love again.
Once more, he's this dashing quarterback who is not only an exceedingly dangerous runner but -- and this is still hard to grasp -- a passer of impressive accuracy.
Through all of this -- the love, the hate, the love again -- Stewart believes he has remained the same. Through it all -- the rumors, the beer being poured on his head, the booing -- he maintains he never weakened.
As the Steelers prepare for a season of rich promise, one in which the quarterback is vital to team success, Stewart seems more at peace with himself and his role than he has ever been. He's experiencing a comfort zone within the team offense that makes him believe the strong play will continue.
He loves his role on this team, the cast of players around him, the coaches who have brought out the best in him. Where he stands with the fans and the media, fickle to a fault, he's not sure.
He chuckled the other day, while addressing the subject of the people who hated him.
"Those people who were saying what they were saying and feeling what they were feeling, they're eating their words, and that's not easy to do. Because now they've got to smile in my face and talk to me and act like they're having a good time."
Make no mistake, although Stewart could tolerate the bad times, he doesn't want them to continue. He, like most everyone, wants to be embraced.
Asked if he some day would like to attain the popularity of a Franco Harris, Stewart said he should be likened to another Steelers Hall of Famer, one who also was viciously booed early in his career.
"I think you should compare me to Terry Bradshaw, because we played the same position. Quarterback is the most important position on the field so why would [the fans] hate this position when this is the guy who will get it done for you.
"At some point in time, they'll have to find a way to embrace the quarterback position. Lift it up, cheer it on, and you'll be amazed what you can get from it. When somebody is down, you can't always put your foot on their neck and talk bad on them and think they'll get up and work.
"I was able to do that based on my upbringing. I basically took the situation and put it in the trash. Because that's all it was, all it is."
Stewart still has his critics. They won't forget the two late interceptions in last season's AFC title game. What they want to forget is that he was selected to his first Pro Bowl, was named Steelers MVP by his teammates, garnered more league-wide MVP votes than any AFC player, passed for 3,109 yards and ran for another 537.
He'll never make everybody happy. Not even Bradshaw could do that.
"I'm saying to the fans, embrace your quarterback, enjoy him. Because you know I'm going to go out there and give 150 percent. If you don't know that by now, you're clueless. After all the stuff that I've gone through and I'm still here, still talking to the fans, still giving back to the kids, still going to Children's Hospital, still being a positive guy.
"If you haven't figured it out yet, we need to go see a doctor. I need to get all the fans, get them on a bus and go see a doctor and really make them understand that I'm here to do one thing and that's win.
"Either you accept me or you don't. If you don't, I'm OK with that."