Suddenly, the Team of the Decade Debate Is On

[PatsFans.com Article]

Six-burgh has replaced the Colts as the top contender for the crown

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[godef]

The problem being is that "the" decade began in 2001 as reckoned by the timekeepers at the Naval and Greenwich observatories. So if the Steelers win in the final two seasons, then they would clearly be the team of the decade. Not likely, but it could happen.

 

[billdog3484]

theyd have to win next year for it to be close

 

[TimU]

I had never heard of "the team of the decade" until the Steelers started threatening to win this latest Supe. Sadly, the "team of the decade" seems to be what some Patriots fans want to discuss once the Patriots are clearly no longer the team of the moment.

At this point what we were was the team of the first half of the decade. Let's hope we can become the team of the first half of the new decade.

 

[Brettlax3434]

Its not close right now, the pats are clearly the team of the decade. If the steelers win another one in the next two seasons then its close but the pats would still be the team of the decade; anyway, its more likely that the pats will win a bowl in the next two years then the steelers.

 

[Double G]

Explain as to why it is more likely that the Patriots will win one vs the Steelers winning another.

Brady is still a huge question mark, so I don't get why the Patriots are such a lock....

 

[jmt57]

I wouldn't for a second consider the Pats a lock to win the Super Bowl next year, but the Steelers are no lock either. Repeating as champion in the NFL is extremely difficult for several reasons:

• a natural mental letdown
• every other team is motivated to beat the champs
• NFL's parity (drafting last, free agency and salary cap)
• schedule difficulties (two at-large games against first place teams, and more prime time games - which gives the players less time to recover and the team less time to prepare for the next game)
• more off-field distractions (requests for interviews and endorsements) that come with winning
• a shorter off-season (for players to physically recover, and for coaches to prepare for free agency and the draft)

The Steelers will certainly be one of the favorites from the AFC, but there will once again be so many other good teams, that any one of them could end up in the Super Bowl - including the Pats, Colts, Titans, Chargers, and that one team that inevitably has a huge improvement, like the Ravens did this year.

 

[stevedogc]

even if the Steelers win the SB next season, the Pats would still get the slight nod as team of the decade. They would have same amout of SuperBowls. The Pats would have 1 more AFC Championship. The Pats would have a better regular season record throughout the decade (unless the Steelers finished 2009 8 games above the Pats, wont happen!) and the Pats would have a better playoff record over the Steelers (unless the Steelers go 4-0 and the Pats go 0-1 in the 2009 playoffs, then they would be tied). And most telling of all, the Pats would hold the head to head record. Right now the Pats are 5-2 this decade. Of that they are 2-0 in the playoffs.

However, I am confident that even with all of this information out there, that there will be a few so called "sports experts" who will give the nod to the Steelers.

As a disclaimer, I consider the decade being 2000-2009. I know there is some disagreement on that subject and that is the timeframe I pulled my stats from.

 

[Brettlax3434]

Explain as to why it is more likely that the Patriots will win one vs the Steelers winning another.

Brady is still a huge question mark, so I don't get why the Patriots are such a lock....

You mentioned it - We got Tommy Boy!

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

As of now there's still no debate.

3 NFL titles
4 AFC titles
6 AFC East titles
Perfect regular season
NFL record for most wins in a row
2-0 H2H with the 2nd place team in the playoffs

 

[Deus Irae]

The debate is for second place, not first. Colts v. Steelers.

 

[BradyManny]

The debate is for second place, not first. Colts v. Steelers.

Agree. Honestly, I still give the edge to the Colts. The Steelers two titles were lackluster all around, unimpressive and uninspiring. They won this year w/o Brady being in the league. The Steelers at no point this decade have been the "team to beat" and at no point have teams been afraid of them. The Pats and the Colts have been far more respected year after year.

Honestly, I would've much preferred Peyton and the Colts getting a 2nd ring to the Steelers, b/c they are a much, much more worthy team to enter this debate.

 

[ausbacker]

Agree. Honestly, I still give the edge to the Colts. The Steelers two titles were lackluster all around, unimpressive and uninspiring. They won this year w/o Brady being in the league. The Steelers at no point this decade have been the "team to beat" and at no point have teams been afraid of them. The Pats and the Colts have been far more respected year after year.

Honestly, I would've much preferred Peyton and the Colts getting a 2nd ring to the Steelers, b/c they are a much, much more worthy team to enter this debate.

If the Colts were to win SB45, then Steelers articles would be Colt articles this time next season.

Let's hope the Season 2009/2010 Armageddon is unleashed and the Pats steam roll their way to another Lombardi and kill off any debate.

 

[KillahBUD]

As of now there's still no debate.

3 NFL titles
4 AFC titles
6 AFC East titles
Perfect regular season
NFL record for most wins in a row
2-0 H2H with the 2nd place team in the playoffs

Greed and The Steelers always win when they don't have to Play the Real Team of the DecadeThe Pats

 

[PatsDeb]

All I know is the 2 times this decade the Steelers had to play the Pats to get to the SB they couldn't get by us. That and we've won 3 to their 2 and we have an undefeated season, plus an extra SB appearance (a crushing loss, but we still made it there) in there to boot.

The problem is the NFL is flavor of the month. Hopefully we get it next year.

 

[NovaScotiaPatsFan]

No matter what happens we all know who the team of the decade is, only the haters think otherwise and we all know what we think of what they say, or have I just imagined all the "We hate Borges et al" threads here?