Tim Benz: 'Mean' Joe Greene hits hard with guilt trip about Steelers' play, Chase Claypool's celebration

It was one thing to have the likes of Steelers alumni such as Ryan Clark and Rocky Bleier ripping the current team.

But when the legendary “Mean” Joe Greene does it — and does it like this — it should resonate even more.

Appearing on CBS Sports Radio, Greene told Zach Gelb that last Thursday night’s sickly 23-0 first-half performance against the Minnesota Vikings was a new low for the franchise.

Mean Joe Greene said the first half against the #Vikings was the saddest he’s ever been watching the #Steelers and has a message for @ChaseClaypool.

Full @ZachGelb Show chat with @ProFootballHOF Joe Greene here: https://t.co/oemWXa5usk pic.twitter.com/Cll8LCIBy9

— CBS Sports Radio (@CBSSportsRadio) December 16, 2021

“In all the years that I’ve been watching my team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Black and Gold, Thursday night, that first half was probably really the saddest day that I’ve had in all of my years of playing and all of my years since my retirement of watching the Steelers play,” Greene said. “That was a poor, poor example of the Black and Gold. It disappointed me. And I’m sure it disappointed a lot of guys that love the Pittsburgh Steelers and fans that love the Pittsburgh Steelers.”

You know when you did something wrong as a little kid, and you expected your parents to yell and scream at you? Then they bust out “I’m disappointed in you” instead. And that somehow hurts more.

OK. Now imagine “Mean” Joe Greene is one of your parents.

Ugh. It’s giving me a sick feeling in my stomach, and I don’t even play for the team.

Greene wasn’t done. When Gelb asked the Hall of Famer about Chase Claypool’s self-indulgent “pose and point” with the football after a late first down, Greene didn’t hold back.

“Hey, man. I thought you were more educated. Didn’t you go to Notre Dame?” Greene quipped.

Then his criticism got more pointed.

“Why (do) you play this game? For you to show your butt or win the game?” Greene said. “You made the play. Give the ball back to the officials. The clock is ticking. You are costing your team valuable time.”

For a moment, Greene tried to let Claypool off the hook a bit, but then he just couldn’t do it.

“It’s that youthful experience. Exuberance. I don’t know,” Greene said. “Maybe it was that. In college when you get a first down, the clock stops. Maybe he had a throwback memory he was in college. That the clock stops. I don’t know. But the game is not about him pointing to the first down. Hell, we can see. We know you made the first down. Get your tail back to the huddle. Give the ball back to the official. Very immature.”

Ouch, sounds like someone won’t be getting a jersey for a Coke the next time he sees “Mean” Joe at team headquarters.

At age 75, Greene calling Claypool immature may hurt. But not as badly as it would’ve hurt if Claypool had done something that dumb while Greene was playing.

Let’s put it this way. Whatever Trai Turner wanted to do to Claypool when he tried to grab the ball back, Greene would’ve actually done it.

And then some.

Maybe hearing something like that from “Mean” Joe Greene will stick with Claypool more than it does coming from media people and fans like you and me. And maybe that kind of criticism from the normally reserved and nobly quiet Greene will hit home more than anything that Mike Tomlin and the rest of the coaches could say to the entire team at this point.

Or they could just be down 23-0 at halftime to the Tennessee Titans again like they were in Minnesota Thursday night.

If that happens, maybe let Greene give the halftime speech at Heinz Field and see what he says when he’s not editing himself on the radio.

That actually sounds like it could work.