First Call: Why Peter King didn't vote for Troy Polamalu; emotional goal for Western Pa. NHL star

In Tuesday’s “First Call,” we somehow bring Antonio Brown, Mike Vick and Plaxico Burress together. A great Twitter burn by an NFL team. Someone outs themselves as a person who didn’t vote for Troy Polamalu to make the Hall of Fame. And two great stories about some NHL products from Western Pa.

What a crew!

Antonio Brown wants help from Mike Vick and Plaxico Burress.

The excommunicated NFL receiver reached out on Twitter to both of the former Steelers. Brown wants to run routes with Plex and to have a throwing session with Vick.

If my idol @MichaelVick can make a comeback I can too ! V7 if you in Florida let’s throw and talk about a comeback !!! @MichaelVick would be an honor

— AB (@AB84) February 3, 2020

Need a route session with @plaxicoburress and a big interview about his comeback it’s time to bounce back ! Inspiration!

— AB (@AB84) February 3, 2020

How’s this for a collection of misfit toys?

The guy who got himself banned from the NFL with the guy who shot himself in the leg and the guy who got thrown in prison for being involved in a dog-fighting ring.

What a photo op that would be for the NFL!

It’s ironic, too, since Brown once panned Vick for the timing of his passes back in 2015 when he had to replace an injured Ben Roethlisberger.

But any QB in a storm, I guess, huh?

For real?

When people — and by people, I mean … me — say that the Hall of Fame voting process is screwed up, this is what they mean.

Peter King of “Football Morning in America” didn’t vote for Troy Polamalu as a Hall of Famer.

That must be a significant minority opinion since Polamalu got in on the first ballot.

And by King’s logic he wanted to vote for Polamalu. However, he intentionally didn’t because he knew the Steelers safety was going to get in anyway, so King decided to spread his votes around to more needy candidates.

“I believe he was one of the top five candidates this year,” King wrote. “And I believe in voting for the best five candidates. But because I felt certain Polamalu would make it regardless of my vote, I decided to vote for three players I felt were marginal after listening to the deliberations — (Steve) Atwater, Boselli and (John) Lynch. I don’t feel great about doing that, honestly. Our jobs are to vote for the best five, and I was totally on the fence about the fifth ‘yea’ vote had I marked down Polamalu. It still bothers me a little bit. But I felt so strongly about the cases of Atwater, Boselli and Lynch, who were exceedingly close in my eyes, that I wanted to vote for them, knowing that a vote not for Polamalu was not going to keep him out. I’ve done this a couple of times before, and I absolutely do not want to make it a habit. It just felt like the right thing to do this year.”

I disagree with what King did — in theory. You should vote with your heart. Not your own internal politics.

But to be honest with you, I may have done the same thing if I was in his position, and I may have done it for the same reasons.

I just would’ve voted for Alan Faneca instead of Lynch or Atwater. And King should’ve, too.

Double-check your sources

On Monday, the Atlanta Falcons announced they would not pursue negotiations with Vic Beasley.

BREAKING NEWS: We will not pursue negotiations with Vic Beasley this offseason. https://t.co/AWbxv1SiGi

— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) February 3, 2020

That’ll make him an unrestricted free agent as of March 18. The first person to respond wanted some … uh … corroboration. I guess??

Source?

— Austin (@bostonaustin) February 3, 2020

Are you new here, kid? Do you get how this works?

Whoever runs the Falcons Twitter account couldn’t pass up a little snark in response.

Literally us. The Falcons.

— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) February 3, 2020

Can you blame ‘em? Like you could’ve kept a straight face after reading that tweet!?

Shout out to Stephen

Here’s a feel-good hockey story with a local twist.

Wampum’s Stephen Johns scored a goal for the Dallas Stars. The former Pittsburgh Hornet has missed almost two years of hockey because of “post-traumatic headaches.”

He failed to register a point in his first two games back on the ice. But he got an assist Saturday in a 3-2 (OT) win against the New Jersey Devils.

Then the Notre Dame product hammered this blast by New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist.

After almost 2 years away from hockey with head injuries Stephen Johns gets his first NHL goal since his return.

via @FOXSportsSWpic.twitter.com/rJ8Q3uQ7SZ

— SportsDay Stars (@dmn_stars) February 4, 2020

The Stars won 5-3. And Johns was very emotional after the game.

"I waited a long time, thought a lot about possibly never doing that again."

An emotional Stephen Johns talks after scoring his first goal since returning from post-traumatic headaches.#DALvsNYR | #GoStars pic.twitter.com/kdfkvLLdeV

— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) February 4, 2020

Johns’ last goal was Feb. 16 … of 2018.

Speaking of local ties …

Johns wasn’t the only local skater making news yesterday. So was J.T. Miller.

Another Hornet alum — and one-time Coraopolis resident — Miller was named the NHL’s third star of the week because of his performance for the Vancouver Canucks.

The East Palestine, Ohio, native started the week with two goals, including the game winner, in a 3-1 victory against the St. Louis Blues as Vancouver extended its home winning streak to nine games.

Miller totaled three goals and four assists in four games. That helped the Canucks go 3-0-1 for the week to increase their lead to three points atop the Pacific Division.