We hear all the time, 'The standard is the standard.' Unfortunately, the Pittsburgh Steelers have fallen short of the standard for eight straight seasons now. Finding playoff success (and eventually a seventh Super Bowl win) is the ultimate goal, but every effort has failed, and fans have had enough.
While many organizations would kill to have a non-losing season during this playoff win drought, we've come to expect more from this franchise. Joey Porter Sr. believes we have every right to set expectations high.
On behalf of GNC, Porter, a former All-Pro outside linebacker for the Steelers and father of cornerback Joey Porter Jr., sat down with FanSided's Patrick Allen and Sterling Holmes on the Stacking the Box podcast during Radio Row to share his thoughts on Super Bowl LIX, his son, and the state of the Steelers.
When Porter was asked about the Steelers being 'NFL royalty,' there was no denial.
"We're spoiled. And it's okay because we've earned the right to be spoiled," Porter said on Stacking the Box. "We earned the right to not be happy if we're not playing for championships. That's how much hard work that we've put into that organization since we've been here."
Porter believes Steelers fans and everyone involved in the organization should set the bar high for this underperforming team.
"We like to play for championships," Porter continued. "Playoffs is a given. We just think we're going to the playoffs, but we want to win championships, and the fanbase demands that. It's just what they know."
Joey Porter's words will resonate with Steelers fans
It's true. And fans of a dozen or so other NFL teams don't understand. The Pittsburgh Steelers have the highest win percentage in the league since 1970 (61.2 percent) with a record of 524-332-4. This is accompanied by a league-high six Super Bowl victories and 36 playoff wins—second to only the San Francisco 49ers.
There's no question the bar is high, and as Porter said, it should be.
Pittsburgh's last losing season came over two decades ago back in 2003. Many young Steelers fans have yet to witness a losing season in their lifetime. But simply avoiding losing seasons isn't the goal; it's getting back to a Super Bowl.
After plateauing for the better part of a decade, Steelers fans would gladly allow the non-losing-season streak to be snapped if it meant Pittsburgh could make a deep playoff push. Instead of building a championship roster or finding the future at quarterback, head coach Mike Tomlin and team president Art Rooney II have been too concerned with keeping their heads above water year after year.
Eventually, this team will get back on top again—even if that means the front office needs to tear the roster down to the studs and start over. But Joey Porter is right. We are spoiled ... and we've earned the right to be.
You can watch FanSided's full interview with Joey Porter and dozens of other interviews with NFL players and former players. Be sure to subscribe to the Stacking the Box podcast on YouTube for the latest NFL interviews and analysis.