Were the 1970's Pittsburgh Steelers on steriods?

[Galloping Ghost]

Recently, I've noticed on this board and at BBF the assertion that the 1970's Pittsburgh Steelers were on steroids on a team level. Frankly, I had never heard of this until recently. What evidence has come out that a good number of the 1970s Steelers players were on steroids? Any player admissions or first hand accounts? :shrug:

[football junkie]

This site may give a little incite but as always, be aware of the source of the information and it's credibility or lack there of.

http://grg51.typepad.com/steroid_nation/2008/06/so-terry-bradsh.html

Apparently at least Bradshaw has admitted to using steroids, although he claims he doesn't know exactly what he took.

[Surf-Bat]

I don't believe that they took them on a team level at all. If you look at pictures of those men in their primes it's obvious who were on the juice (Webster) and those who were not(Greenwood, Ham, Lambert, etc).

Don't forget that there are different types of "steroid" and not all of them performance-enhancing (Cortisone is a good example). I could be wrong, but I don't believe that Bradshaw was on anything that could be classified as performance-enhancing. Look at pics of his physique back then. He hardly looks "roided out".

[Seattle1]

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/9217162/Do-juiced-up-Steelers-teams-deserve-asterisks

Do juiced-up Steelers teams deserve asterisks?

[Surf-Bat]

If the WHOLE TEAM was juiced up, then I'd say "yes". A center (Webster) and a tier 2 defensive tackle (Furness)? No.

I reiterate, I don't believe the whole team was on steroids. Not even 25 percent. Look at their physiques.

[Seattle1]

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/9217162/Do-juiced-up-Steelers-teams-deserve-asterisks

Do juiced-up Steelers teams deserve asterisks?

A few years ago, Jim Haslett had this to say on the subject of steroids and the NFL: "It started, really, in Pittsburgh. They got an advantage on a lot of football teams. They were so much stronger (in the) '70s, late '70s, early '80s. They're the ones who kind of started it."

While Haslett's statement incurred the wrath of some in the Pittsburgh organization, the former linebacker was merely reiterating what so many in the business already thought about those Steeler teams.

"The Steelers in the '70s were one of the most influential teams on the game of football, especially the weight training part," says Wood. "It was the success of that team that had to do with the phenomenon being really, really accepted for use by football players."

:type:

[Surf-Bat]

Again, I don't believe it. Hearsay and innuendo, probably started by some disgruntled Cowboys fans. No evidence to support this accusation whatsoever.

Were some on the juice? No doubt. ALL or MOST? Besides Webster and MAYBE John Kolb I see nothing to indicate such a thing among their high impact players (Lambert, Ham, Russell, Greenwood, Greene, etc)

[football junkie]

Webster, RIP, is dead so we'll never definitively know. His problems to my understanding were due to numerous concussions, not steroid usage.

Bradshaw has admitted to taking cortisol shots, perfectly legal in the NFL and medically ethical. (In fact a few years ago, while on assignment, I required several cortisol shots after going into Anaphylactic shock.) The problem with Bradshaw's story is he doesn't seem to know if he was given cortisol or Dianabol, or both.

Bottom line, Unless some golden-era Steeler comes forward and admits to juicing and implicates others, we're never going to know.

Let's not tarnish everything that was good in sports, just because of the last 20 years.

[Denbrnc]

You know what? This question came about because people were attacking the Patriots, so, they want to question the validity of every other champ. It is bogus. The Pats were caught cheating, and Goodell destroyed any further evidence, which leads me to believe that there is more than meets the eye. So, their fans probably went on the attack and got on other past champs, like the Steelers of the 70's(steroids) and the Boys and Niners of the 90's(Salary cap). I was on Football's Future(I don't know how many of you are familiar with that site), and I was talking about the Spygate and the Pats throwing a fit and running up the score two years ago. They noticed that I like Denver, and they brought up the "salary cap" violations that we were supposed to have done in the late 90's when we restructured Elway's and TD's contracts to bring more players in. I told them that it was an error by their accountants, and that they reported it to the league and they fired the accountants. I also said that it wouldn't have nor couldn't have given the Broncos a competitive advantage, and they said I was in denial, which is garbage. So, I guess Pat fans are starting this crap about the Steelers. You know what, blame the 63 Chargers and a guy named Alvin Roy. He was their Strength and Conditioning coach, and he gave those pills to their players. They didn't know what they were taking. I think that Noll was a Charger assistant at that time, but I am not sure. I don't think that Noll was encouraging the Steelers to take those pills, however.

[Seattle1]

Again, I don't believe it.

I believe it. It completely makes sense. How did the Steelers reel off four Super Bowl wins in six seasons? They were on the juice, it's how they got their profound competitive advantage. A-ha!, now all the pieces fall into place and the picture comes into sharp focus. And they admitted it.

:lightbulb:

[CCN]

I believe it. It completely makes sense. How did the Steelers reel off four Super Bowl wins in six seasons? They were on the juice, it's how they got their profound competitive advantage. A-ha!, now all the pieces fall into place and the picture comes into sharp focus. And they admitted it.

:lightbulb:

Who exactly admitted it?

If you can actually prove the use of steroids automatically equates to unilateral success, as well as enough of them actually using to have made a difference, then maybe you have something. Otherwise it's just the bitterness of trying to find something on a team that beat yours when your team absolutely stunk it up when it mattered most.

[Seattle1]

Who exactly admitted it?

If you can actually prove the use of steroids automatically equates to unilateral success, as well as enough of them actually using to have made a difference, then maybe you have something. Otherwise it's just the bitterness of trying to find something on a team that beat yours when your team absolutely stunk it up when it mattered most.

So you're calling Jim Haslett and many others liars? I didn't make this stuff up. The story has legs because it's true. And this has nothing to do with Super Bowl XL if that's what you're referring to. Stuff that's true is stuff that's true.

I know that it can be tough to let it go and let the nostalgia and magic of our favorite sports stars and eras and so forth be tarnished by things like this, but that's just the way it is. Metaphorically putting our fingers in our ears and saying "I'm not listening! I'm not listening!" isn't going to make it go away or make it untrue.

:twocents:

[CCN]

So you're calling Jim Haslett and many others liars? I didn't make this stuff up. The story has legs because it's true. And this has nothing to do with Super Bowl XL if that's what you're referring to. Stuff that's true is stuff that's true.

I know that it can be tough to let it go and let the nostalgia and magic of our favorite sports stars and eras and so forth be tarnished by things like this, but that's just the way it is. Metaphorically putting our fingers in our ears and saying "I'm not listening! I'm not listening!" isn't going to make it go away or make it untrue.

:twocents:

How true is it?

And how far does it go? No one knows who was using or what. And, again, something you've never really answered to, no one knows exactly where the steroids take over or how they translate to actual onfield ability. Finger pointing and sweeping statements and non-medical condemnations aren't exactly rooted in truth anymore than blind denial. Which no one is doing anyway.

[Surf-Bat]

So you're calling Jim Haslett and many others liars? I didn't make this stuff up. The story has legs because it's true. And this has nothing to do with Super Bowl XL if that's what you're referring to. Stuff that's true is stuff that's true.

I know that it can be tough to let it go and let the nostalgia and magic of our favorite sports stars and eras and so forth be tarnished by things like this, but that's just the way it is. Metaphorically putting our fingers in our ears and saying "I'm not listening! I'm not listening!" isn't going to make it go away or make it untrue.

:twocents:

Jim Haslett rescinded his statement because he knew he didn't have proof or evidence that the team was roided up. He was merely regurgitating platitudes he'd heard elsewhere. Considering that he didn't even start his career as a player until 1979 and was a Buffalo Bill-not a Steeler- one must wonder how he would have gained such inside knowledge of the inner machinations of the Super Bowl Steelers of the 70s.

The truth is he DIDN'T. And that ain't gonna change. And with that in mind I must toss your quote right back at you: "That's just the way it is. Metaphorically putting our fingers in our ears and saying "I'm not listening! I'm not listening!" isn't going to make it go away or make it untrue."

And again, back up your claim; Who are these "many others" you refer to and what is their proof?

No evidence whatsoever to back up baseless accusation. Case closed.

[racosun]

How did the Steelers reel off four Super Bowl wins in six seasons? They were on the juice, it's how they got their profound competitive advantage.

So four straight years of success equals team-wide and rampant steroid use? If so, then the current Detroit Pistons have been on the juice as a team for the past six years (six straight conference finals, obviously they don't know how to "peak" the 'roids at the proper time), as well as the fantastic Buffalo Bills team that went to the Super Bowl four straight years (and like the Pistons, need to learn how to properly use the juice so that it peaks at the right time, like when the Super Bowl is being played).

Wow, we'd better re-write all the history of every dynasty team in all of sports since the beginning. Those 26 Yankee championships? HA! They've obviously been juicing since the 20's.

You're logic is silly, in my opinion. Then again, my opinion could be performance-enhanced too, so you should take that with a grain of salt.

[football junkie]

Racosun, I think the Pistons need to hook Ai up with some juice! Either that or try to get Billups back.

Did that trade ever make sense to anyone?

Anyhoo ... until someone says they used anything besides cortisol I'll remain unconvinced.

Has it occurred to anyone that if the Steelers had been on the juice that some player, a star or a role player, would have wrote a book about it by now? It would be a best seller overnight and make the author very rich. And it's not like any criminal legal action could be taken against the author. I don't even know if usage was illegal then and even if it was the statutes of limitations would have run out decades ago.

[Surf-Bat]

Heck, like I said before. Just take a look at their physiques. Tell me who looks roided up. I've been surrounded by steroid kooks for years out here in sunny Los Angeles and believe me, I know what a roid fiend looks like. Those 70s Steelers weren't it.