Holmes/Reed

Gene Collier says the topical difference between Jeff Reed's situation and Santonio Holmes' situation is apparently pretty complicated. [Read story]

Holmes was not allowed to play in the following game while Reed is. Is there a double standard in the Steelers organization? Tell us what you think.

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 No double standard in place, though there is the consideration that a kicker is not easily replaced on the roster as a wide reciever. The Timing of the Holmes incident, the alleged posession of marijuana appears to be a little more serious than the reported incident concerning Mr. Reed.  However, the team should take a serious look at Mr. Reed's conduct, and track record.  This is strike two. 

Reed promised to control his behavior, after the boxing match with the towel dispenser, but obviously has not. Mr. Holmes has appeared to live up to his word to stay out of trouble.  Let's hope that we do not see any more conduct issues. 

I am sure that if there is a problem, the Steelers will address it as they usually do. They may be addressing it now since Mr. Reed's contract has not been extended.  The Rooney family and the Coach has handled both of these incidents appropriately.

 

 On the surface, it very much looks like a double standard.  Holmes got in trouble; he was inactive for the next game.  Skippy got in trouble, he gets to play.   

Getting technical, Holmes admitted his guilt.  Skippy is fighting the charges.  So, is it really a double standard....legally? 

I do not envy Tomlin.  He was screwed either way.  Let Reed play, he starts a resentment in the locker room, with some players screaming hypocrisy.  By sitting Reed, however, you cause resentment with other players, because more than likely, without Reed, we probably won't beat the Vikings.  Either way, that Sunday vs Thursday crap Tomlin spewed at his Tuesday speech was just that....crap.

And it's not over....the NFL and the NFLPA will have their eyes on this situation for awhile.

Kudos to Skippy for one thing...he told his agent to shut his piehole.  Bad thing for Skippy...after this, he will not be a Steeler next year.

It's easy.  Holmes was caught red-handed in a notorious part of town with marijuana --an illegal drug.  Reed and Spaeth get exposed for being drunken idiots.  Reed for the second time.  But when you talk about double-standard, keep in mind that Holmes ultimately and quietly walked away from his situation "on a technicality."  Sounds like the hand of Rooney to me. 

Reed and Spaeth will pay a fine, but we'll never find out whether Pittsburgh's finest exacerbated a relatively harmless situation or whether Reed and Spaeth were arrested for being so stupid and disrespectful that the officers had no choice.

The situations are not legal equivalents, so the double-standard question/suggestion is not appropriate. I would simply chalk up these two incidents as further evidence that marijuana is a benign drug, relative to alcohol.

 

Perhaps Coach Tomlin realizes he overreacted in the Holmes situation and doesn't want to make the same mistake, but also doesnt want to admit he made a mistake last year. If he does feel that way, the only one he owes any explanation to is Tone. 

I feel Reed is an idiot who is content to act like a frat boy for life.  Just Google drunken athlete Jeff Reed for photo evidence.  I guess if I walked on to a team and ended up with 2 Super Bowl rings, I may feel OK acting like a lucky goof sometimes too.  BUT I also feel the local media (read:PG Columnists) is making way to much out of this.  Its the only story in town right now because, well.. what else is there to write about right now?  Lets see the Pens are beating everyone, no shocker there.  The Steelers haven't shown us what they are about yet, no new news there......REED is getting prefferential treatment!!!  Thank the sports gods!!!

The only people who seem to have an issue with the decision is Gene Collier and the Post Gazette. 

Move on already, it's this column that's creating a distraction.

 So to be consistent, Reed should be deactivated next week while remaining on the team and being paid. Then Steelers cut some one uninvolved with inicident to make room for a kicker, that might be consistent, but not very fair. I suppose they could cut Reed, which still wouldn't be consistent, and raise the possibility that another team needing a kicker, say maybe the Ravens, would sign him.

While I would prefer Reed would get the same treatment as Holmes, I don't see how you make it happen.

They suspend Reed, they have to create a roster spot and sign a kicker. With Holmes they had the luxary of carrying extra players at the position. Roster flexability and business, plain and simple.But for double standards go back to Cedric Wilson and James Harrison. Both had abuse charges leveled. Wilson was cut and Harrison was defended by Rooney's lame expalnation. Fact was Wilson was expendable and Harrison was aPro Bowl  linebacker.

 

The only people who seem to have an issue with the decision is Gene Collier and the Post Gazette. 

Move on already, it's this column that's creating a distraction.

Totally agree...the focus should be on the game.  Tomlin and the Steeler organization will handle this situation as they see fit.  No one got injured...so let's start talking about how the Steelers are going to beat the undefeated Vikings.

 

 

Go Steelers.

Yes, I agree.  The only people I hear complaining about the situation is the media.  I thought Tomlin's explanation was fine.  When situations occur late in a week leading up to a game, time should not be taken from team preparation to deal with an incident.  In Holmes' case, he was told to come back Monday.  Reed's situation occured on a Sunday, leaving ample time to deal with it before the game.

 

 

 Mike Tomlin must be racist.

The fact is, few people actually care, especially guys. Reed didn't harm or rape anyone. Yeah, what he did was stupid, but all I care about is whether he makes his kicks on Sunday. Maybe it's a sad commentary, but he's not a role model for me. It's interesting, but the more people try to ignore what happened, the more columnists like Gene try to keep the story in the news. Give it up.

 Really?  Holmes was caught with an illegal drug?  Huh....and he and James Harrison beat on their girlfriends and that seemed to be swept under the rug too.  Public drunkedness?  They need a kicker.  Bottom line.  They always get away with it in the end anyway. 

It is not fair to punish someone else by cutting them (taking away their livelihood) so Reed can be benched and another kicker signed for one game. 

As for the person who said the Wilson/Harrison incidents were a double standard...keep in mind that Wilson had domestic violence issues before he came to the Steelers and also had a DV incident before the one that ultimately led to his dismissal.  For Harrison it was his first and, to date, only incident.

That is not a double standard.

 

 

 

I can't understand why people overeact when it comes to the Steelers. It's Steeler business whether it's Santonio Holmes or Jeff Reed, no differance.

If you suspended all the people who didn't play pro football for doing dumb stuff on their own time, what would happen to our economy? Corporations wouldn't have it.

There is only one kicker, how do you suspend the one kicker that you have?

Holmes, has to play the game at a higher level off the field: the game of public relations/public opiniion which is a grown up game...he almost had to be suspended.

Overall, it's entertainment-mind your own business.