Morning Sports Update
“Coincidence? Loopy.”
Ben Roethlisberger rehashed a traditional Patriots-Steelers subplot: Whereas the Patriots have efficiently turned the web page from the Tom Brady-Invoice Belichick period into what appears to be an exciting new chapter, a few of the outdated dynasty’s former rivals look like caught previously.
Throughout a current episode of his podcast, “Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger,” the now-retired Steelers quarterback was in the course of discussing Aaron Rodgers’ recent headset problems throughout Pittsburgh’s dramatic playoff-clinching win over the Ravens when he took a flip down reminiscence lane.
As Roethlisberger defined how he used to take care of points that quarterbacks periodically have with communication when their headset fails, he seamlessly labored in a dig at New England.
“We at all times wore a wristband,” Roethlisberger defined, noting it as an efficient various in case play-calls coming from the headset failed. “As a result of each time you went to New England, the headsets went down. Coincidence? Loopy.”
“However you at all times had a bailout. Now I simply noticed that Aaron doesn’t have that, so then you’re in hassle.”
Roethlisberger went on to distinction his method with Rodgers, noting that he doesn’t suppose the 42-year-old quarterback “has ever worn a wristband.” Nonetheless, that didn’t stop Rodgers from main Pittsburgh to a 26-24 win over Baltimore within the regular-season finale on Sunday night time.
As for Roethlisberger’s not-so-subtle insinuation that the Patriots could have intentionally disabled headsets, it’s a cost that he’s made earlier than. In 2015, after dropping to the Patriots 28-21 within the season-opener, he claimed that the Steelers skilled headset points that solely occurred when Pittsburgh had the soccer.
“What I used to be instructed and what [backup quarterback Bruce Gradkowski] instructed me when he listened is that after we had the ball on offense, our coach-to-coach communication, so the blokes up within the field to the blokes on the sideline, weren’t solely listening to themselves however they had been listening to the radio broadcast of the sport,” Roethlisberger said in 2015. “And from what I used to be instructed from coach [Todd] Haley it was solely after we had the ball. When the Patriots had the ball there was no radio broadcast.”
This cost was additionally made by Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, who claimed that his staff had headset points in New England for “nearly all of the primary half” in 2015.
Ultimately, an NFL spokesperson dismissed the nefarious allegations, saying that the headset issues had been “solely attributable to {an electrical} difficulty made worse by the inclement climate; that it concerned no manipulation by any particular person; and that the Patriots had nothing to do with it.”
Roethlisberger struggled towards New England all through his profession. After scoring a regular-season win over the Patriots in 2004 in his first matchup towards them — ending New England’s NFL-record 21-game successful streak — the two-time Tremendous Bowl champion went simply 3-9 towards Brady and Belichick over the remainder of his profession (together with an 0-2 record in the playoffs).
Trivia: Within the AFC championship recreation in Jan. 2005, the Patriots defeated Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers 41-27. New England intercepted Roethlisberger 3 times. Are you able to identify the 2 gamers who accounted for all three picks?
(Reply on the backside).
Trace: Each safeties, one was drafted by the Chargers in 1994, the opposite by the Patriots in 2003.
Extra from Boston.com:
An area thriller: No. 4-ranked UConn confronted off towards Windfall on Wednesday, with the Friars giving the Huskies a run for his or her cash. The sport included some dazzling performs, corresponding to this gem from Windfall’s main scorer, Ryan Mela.
However UConn, led by a mixed effort which noticed 4 completely different gamers cross the 20-point threshold, rallied for a dramatic 103-98 comeback win in extra time:
On at the present time: In 2001, Rick Pitino made his resignation from the Celtics official. Having arrived amid pleasure as a attainable Celtics savior, Pitino struggled to show round a franchise immersed in an prolonged rebuilding effort. Throughout 4 seasons, he totaled a 102-146 document. His substitute, Jim O’Brien, misplaced his first recreation in cost to the Path Blazers, 98-90.
Day by day spotlight: Brockton native A.J. Dybantsa uncorked a windmill dunk in BYU’s win over Arizona State on Wednesday night time.
Trivia reply: Rodney Harrison, Eugene Wilson
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