Charles Edward “Mean Joe” Greene will always be considered the consummate Steeler. He is part of Chuck Noll’s “Steeler Way” and his style of on-the-field toughness and all-out passion for the game set a standard. Last summer when the Steelers announced they would retire his number, Dan Rooney was quoted in an ESPN article saying “He made it what it meant to be a Steeler.” Mean Joe was part of the team when I first remember watching games. During my youth, I took the Steel Curtain for granted as if it would always be a part of how the team operated. Oh, the naivete of youth.
This Sunday night the Steelers will retire Mean Joe’s 75, which no Steeler has worn since Greene stopped playing. The Steelers don’t retire numbers lightly. The only other time they retired a number was in 1964 when the Steelers retired the number 70 for Ernie Stautner, also a DT. It’s amazing that it has been 50 years since the Steelers retired a number and it’s pretty exclusive company. I like that the Steelers are picky about which numbers are retired. There are so many deserving players from the 70’s that it has probably been hard to pick one over the other. Personally, I am not sure I want a lot of numbers retired because it starts to lose it’s significance. There are still a lot of deserving Steeler players from the 70’s, but that’s another discussion. I have seen at least one other blog that put together a good argument for who should be next.
Greene played before tackles and sacks were officially counted, so recounting his stats is difficult. Also counting and attributing tackles is a debated subject but I think that people agree we NFL fans tend to be a quantitative bunch. How do you quantify passion? It’s the ultimate compliment to a player, but it is hard to describe. It only seems right that since the offense has stats that can be linked to players such as receptions, fumbles, and rushing yards, then there should be some way to quantify individual defensive players’ performances. However, statistical accuracy sometimes is another subject. When it takes three defenders to wrestles a rusher with momentum to the ground, is that a good stop? Who gets the tackle credit? Most would say any stop is a good stop, but there are plenty of blown tackles out there, particularly as the game has changed and players attempt to not draw penalties. Sometimes it makes players look hesitant or even not fully committed to the game, which may not be a fair perception. But perception counts. Greene’s passion was for winning and doing whatever it took to win. That is a perception I think most will not debate. Conversely, he had a temper on the field and there were some actions that didn’t reflect well on him. However, they aren’t what define him because those instances were rare. Greene stood up for his team and I don’t think anyone would argue with that. He gave 100% for his team and that’s what most fans want to see, right?
As I thought about Greene’s playing days and thought back to some of the Steelers’ defensive issues over the last few years, I started to wonder if we will ever see someone the likes of Greene on the field again. Lately, J.J. Watt of the Houston Texans seems to be the gold standard. He plays with a passion and an aggressiveness that few can argue with. He also doesn’t seem to draw a lot of penalties. Can the game be played with the same passion that Mean Joe Greene played with? Yes. Does it have to be played a little differently? Yes. Some of that is good and some of that is not so good, but nothing ever stays the same. If you long for the smashmouth days of the 1960s and 1970s, well, you’re probably out of luck. What I love to see is a team that plays for each other, plays with passion and intensity, plays with good sportsmanship and when they are off the field, they are good human beings. I’m not asking for perfection either. I know it can be hard to turn off the violence of the game when you step off the field, but I think it can be done and it has to be done.
Green’s number retirement ceremony will be awesome. It will be emotional too. I want the Steelers to win decisively for Mean Joe. None of this “close game” stuff that marks the rivalry with the Ravens over the last few years. Make the Ravens whine some more. I don’t live in the Pittsburgh area, but I am hoping the national coverage shows the retirement ceremony. If not, can a Yinzer record it for me? Puh-Leeeaze?
You know, I think there can be another “Mean Joe” Greene. It takes passion, focus, and commitment and not just worrying about the money. I know it’s a business and a player doesn’t have a long career, but I like to see players who give there all. Among the current players, Worilds comes to mind. He may not be at the Mean Joe stature yet, but I think the potential is there. What do you thing? Do we have a potential among current Steeler players? Have we had another one who should be recognized? Does anyone measure up to 75? Sound off!