Steelers/NFL
Inside Buzz
Running back Le’Veon Bell was officially suspended on Friday for three games, having his suspension reduced by one game. Bell’s suspension was reduced from its initial length of four games as a result of a negotiated settlement between the NFLPA and the NFL.
Bell officially missed three tests, one in December, one in January and one in April.
“They tried to test me in December and January and I missed those tests,” Bell said in an Instagram post he later deleted. “I couldn’t get to the facility and get tested. They couldn’t come to me and get tested. That’s on me.”
A Steelers source says Bell’s primary case in getting the suspension reduced was that the December missed test was while he was on injured reserve and in January Bell had proof of being out of town.
However, a former Steeler tells us it’s near impossible to miss these tests by accident or there being some type of confusion between both sides.
“They will come to you no matter where you are and they will find you,” the player said.
When in the drug program like Bell is in, players must supply the NFL with as many as five contacts and when the tester can’t find the player, they go down the line to get in contact with the player and they almost always find the player.
It’s also the job of the player, usually the players representation, in the program to contact the proper people when the player is traveling.
Bell is represented by a veteran Sports agency and it’s hard to imagine they’re not on top of things. If not, he needs to get new representation immediately.
Meanwhile, Bell admitted in his deleted Instagram post, he overslept the April test.
“I ended up missing the test,” Bell said. “I was sleeping and that’s on me. I can’t blame anybody else for missing my test. I just want everybody to understand I never tried to purposefully avoid or evade any test.”
Bell also gave a nice soundbite in the Instagram post saying “I haven’t smoked December 2014.” (When did Bell become a comedian?)
As Bell is suspended to start another season, the Steelers continue to stand in his corner in believing he doesn’t have the type of problem that a Martavis Bryant has for example in being a total burnout.
“We will continue to support Le’Veon, but we acknowledge this mistake has put the team in an unfortunate position,” Kevin Colbert said in a released statement. “We will continue to work with Le’Veon to help him eliminate distractions in his life so he can reach his full potential as a member of our community as well as a player for the Pittsburgh Steelers.”
Bell is so well liked by players and members of the organization, the Steelers believe Bell can be fixed with the right guidance. It’s not just being a very good running back. Bell being so well liked helps his cause in so many standing by him.
They don’t believe he’s a Santonio Holmes who was so disliked in the room, the Steelers were sick of the headaches when he was about to get popped for a four game suspension and traded him in the last year of his contract. The Steelers might have another Super Bowl if they had Holmes against Green Bay.
The win for Bell personally is that he gets to remain in his current stage of the NFL’s drug program. Therefore, if he gets suspended again, it will be for four games instead of 10.
However, is it just another thing that has many overlooking that Bell might have an actual problem?
Key areas of concern for Steelers
The Steelers are so top heavy with Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown that the two stars will cover up many limitations the Steelers might have in some areas on offense this season, especially early in the year without Le’Veon Bell.
The preseason, though, has exposed a few spots that could be concerning throughout the year.
Along the offensive line, left tackle Alejandro Villanueva needs a lot of help in pass blocking situations against speed edge rushers as he did last season, and the Eagles game showed No. 1 tight end Jesse James is also going to need help quite often.
This could impact the passing game when it comes to backs being threats as pass catchers.
While the Steelers believe Jesse James can be adequate enough as a pass catcher, the Steelers are badly on the hunt for a Matt Spaeth type to add to the mix. The tight end situation is murky at best.
Xavier Grimble is far too inconsistent as a pass catcher and blocker to be trusted for many reps in a game.
— Landry Jones four interception first half vs the Eagles was not all on him but there’s been enough of a sample with Jones for over three seasons now from practices, to preseason games, to last year in the regular season playing that he’s just not a good enough No. 2 for a team with Super Bowl aspirations.
Despite the few moments Jones had last season, he was mostly saved by the great playmakers Pittsburgh has and when teams started studying him like the Chiefs did, he looks like the QB he’s always been during practices.
(Photo: David Hague)
When Cole Starts, All the Pirates do is Lose-Lose-Lose
The Pirates 6-5 loss to the Marlins Friday night saw Gerrit Cole yield three earned runs on 12 hits and three walks over 6.2 innings.
Over his last two starts, Cole has allowed 24 hits.
While all the Pirates do is win these days when Jameson Taillon and Chad Kuhl start, all the Pirates do is lose when Gerrit Cole starts.
Cole’s last 10 starts the Pirates are 2-8.
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back to the NHL.com article saying st.bleury is the 9th best goalie in the NHL. lets analyze the recent NHL playoffs. lundqvist>st.bleury, hotlby>st.bleury, bishop>st.bleury, vasilevskiy>st.bleury, martin jones>st.bleury, murray>st.bleury, zatkoff>st.bleury. whoever wrote that article was hitting the crack pipe really hard. how can you rank a guy no. 9 when he was the 3rd best goalie on his team in the playoffs?
You forgot your Vokoon
Sam with the zinger.
This is like a new level of stoopid for you.
https://thechive.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/gif-blow-up-all1.gif
Do people still watch the Pirates
Yeah that fat slob npl and Stain
Same you still haven’t answered my question. Why do Toews and Kane get identical contracts and the American leads the league in scoring, while the Canadian plays like a third liner?
Why do our Canadian and our Russian have similar contracts yet one plays in the 3rd line
Last I checked our Russians cap is even higher then sid
That wasn’t the question you dumb piece of trash. Having trouble answering it? And how is having one less point in one less game a lot worse? Plus, the Russian didn’t take off the first half of the season. That’s why they get a similar paycheck.
Hey yoda. Did you read the excellent article on NHL.com where they ranked the league’s top 10 goalies? Guess who made the list.
Whoooo? Murray?
that article is silly. they rank bleury at no.9. meanwhile, he is a backup. when then pens tried to ship him, there were no takers and they all wanted matt murray.
You’re such a fraud. #BlowItUp
I remember his prediction of the Pens finishing 8/9 in the conference. That one was classic.
St backup was on the bench. New goalie changed it all. And I looooove it!
Your wife rides him like a bench and I loooove it!
You made those comments when there was already a new goalie, and coach, and couldn’t look more stupid. And I looooooove it!
It’s so fucken funny how he continues to skirt this lol
New goaltender
drug hoe kang didn’t get hurt sliding, he was put on the 15 day DL for being an error machine and running the bases like a bone head.
since
Got to love trumps speech about blacks poverty situation that are caused by the Democrats
Does anyone else find it extremely odd that Sam, as a Canadian, is so concerned about American culture and the American government? I don’t don’t know a single American that gives 2 shytes about Canadian culture or could name a single Canadian politican. Must be a really sad life when your world is consumed by someone else’s culture.
No I am just here to point you out how miserable your country is. I don’t give 2 shyts which fat fuckk is for president all i know you guys are like laughing stocks to the world
Laughing stocks….lol. What does that say about Canada then when they do everything in their power to be just like the US. If it was for hockey Canada would have no reason to exist and would be better off changing it’s name from Canada to NUSA.
Oh forgot U.S is a big reason to be around only thing good for is war and steal other countries wealth and live the American dream by having it with their greed and arrogance. More like if U.S wouldn’t be around the world be a better place
If the US wasn’t around we’d all be speaking German or Russian with Leninist of fascist governments. The US has not batted 1000 in international decisions by any means but to dismiss their successes makes you a fucken asshole lol
Success? You must be a nut case everywhere they went and tried to make country well it became worst with civil war and etc.. they can’t even civilized their own country. Take the gun control from US. These barbaric pigs will kill each other more. They will be purging on a daily basis.
We can’t civilized our own country, apparently.
You’re a walking contradiction… I know you don’t know why but you really are. You’re also slightly less educated than yoda and it shows lol
“What do you have to lose”? Fucken inspiring lol
To a certain degree, it’s eye opening. What has years of putting their trust in the left got them? Do they have it good now? Has the left come through for them?
Don’t worry Bell will either smoke dope again or get hurt, so he will be someone they can’t rely on. At least he’s a nice guy! This organization seems to base descions on whether someone is nice or not. I’m fed up with Bell and his drug use.
It’s the Pittsburgh modo. They kept DB so long based he was nice and had good relationship with the players in the bedroom.
All you can think about is dB and the bedroom. Sad.