U mad, bro?: Readers angry about Steelers criticism, Tremaine Edmunds speculation, Ivan Provorov column

Pittsburgh Steelers fans are still trying to rationalize another season without a playoff win. We’re already making excuses for the team chumping out in free agency. Some Pirates fans are dubious of Andrew McCutchen’s return.

And my Ivan Provorov column was a big hit!

What I mean by that is everyone hated it. Which, between you and me, is pretty much exactly what I was trying to accomplish.

Draw your opinions from this week’s, “U mad, bro?”

Mitch sent a lengthy email, essentially saying that Mark Madden and I were too harsh on the Steelers during a recent “Madden-Benz: Unfiltered” episode.

It’s too long to reprint the whole thing. But here are the highlights.

“I catch Mark Maddens and your comments on the net. Today you were talking about angry Steeler fans. My take on both you and Madden’s comments are that sometimes I think you are overly harsh about them. …

“A team cannot stay on top forever. Attrition. When did the Steelers last win fewer than 6 games? 1988. They won 5 and in 1969 they won 1. Yes, they are a middle of the pack team. They got blown out 2xs this year, otherwise they were competitive. Would it be better to win one game or 2 in a season?”

“Stay on top forever?” Mitch, you seem like a nice guy, but 10 of the last 12 years have ended without a playoff win. That’s “on top”?

Gee, just two blowout losses of the eight they had? Wow! When does the parade start?

Why does it have to be eight or nine wins versus one or two? Why can’t it be eight or nine wins versus 10 or 11 and a playoff victory — without a six-year drought?

By the way, only nine teams in the NFL have a longer stretch than that six-year gap. And they are the likes of the Lions, Commandeers, Jets, Raiders, etc. Obviously, that’s NFL company you really don’t want to keep.

But I’ll say to you what I say to every Steelers fan that sends me a complaint like this. If you are embracing the idea that perpetual mediocrity is better than occasional disaster, that’s fine.

If you considered an average of nine wins per season over the last five years with no playoff success fulfilling to you as a fan, God bless your little heart.

That doesn’t make you a bad fan. But it also means that the standard for the franchise you care so much about is no longer special. It has become — by definition — average.

I just thought Pittsburghers had a higher expectation for what is acceptable from this organization. That’s all.

I’ll just start lowering my belief on where the bar should be in order to be more representative of what the fanbase wants in terms of coverage of its team. I’ll try to do better.

Especially as their results are getting worse.

“Ace Primo” doesn’t like the idea of a Terrell Edmunds-Tremaine Edmunds free agent “package deal” for the Steelers.

Please stop. I don't want either Edmunds. Steelers need an upgrade at the SS position BADLY so hopefully they know this too and just....move....on. No reason to try and break the bank for the other Edmunds when there are solid prospects available in this years draft.

— Diogenes The Cynic (@AcePrimero) January 25, 2023

So, you want them to spend more — or invest high draft capital — on a strong safety to replace Terrell Edmunds? But you wouldn’t want to spend top dollar on Tremaine Edmunds who made the Pro Bowl twice at a position where the Steelers have tried to patch over on the cheap and failed (Jon Bostic, Mark Barron, Joe Schobert)?

Not to mention they traded up to get one of those “top prospects” in the draft once before (Devin Bush), and that blew up in their face.

They have a starting quarterback on a rookie contract. Now is a time when they can spend on free agency. Terrell Edmunds has been solid enough the last two years. If overpaying a touch to keep him brings in his brother at a little lesser rate than what others may have to pay, I say it’s worth it.

But I bet other teams will pay more for both of them — together or separately.

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This guy on Twitter replied to my column about Andrew McCutchen claiming he wanted to return to Pittsburgh because he has winning in mind.

He wants to win, every player on the team wants to win, Nutting; not so much.

— Fansville (@Fansville412) January 23, 2023

Agreed. This is why it’s important that — while he is on the team — McCutchen uses his voice with Bob Nutting to encourage the owner to expand payroll so the team actually has a chance of making that happen.

In the wake of last week’s Ivan Provorov saga, I agreed that the Philadelphia Flyers defenseman should have the right to skip his team’s pregame skate wearing a Pride Night warmup jersey, if he is religiously opposed to the message. But I also disagreed with his stance on the topic in general.

As you can imagine, acknowledging that people on both sides of the argument have rights did nothing but anger both sides. Which, I have to admit, gives me great joy.

Let’s start this totally well-thought-out, completely rational exchange of thoughts and views.

Who are you to heap moral outrage on a religious belief.

Would you speak the same of Christian Night where everyone had to skate in a jersey with a cross on it?

I didn't think so....

— BKW $8 (@bravelonghorn) January 20, 2023

If what you are hyperbolically intimating is that I’m embracing Pride Night, but I’d shun a Christian Night, you are wrong.

The Pirates have Faith Night. Have I ever been critical of that? Every stadium in the NFL had a pregame prayer circle after Damar Hamlin collapsed. I don’t remember speaking out against that either.

But, yes, if there was a Christian Night and a Jewish, Hindu, Muslim, agnostic, atheist, etc. player asked out of it, I’d support him too.

I honestly don’t care about anyone’s religion. Pray to whoever you like. Or don’t pray at all. Identify with/as whatever orientation you prefer. Makes no difference to me.

But, since we are making presumptions about each other, I’m gonna guess that second thing matters to you, though. Doesn’t it?

You disguised the story in a dishonest headline that you thought would get engagement. You were actually hoping ppl wouldn't read the story so you could remain on the moral highground.

There is NEVER a bad look about someone practicing their religious freedom in this Country.

— BKW $8 (@bravelonghorn) January 20, 2023

What writer posts a column with a “disguised” headline in the “hope” people won’t read the story they took the time to write?

This is a conspiracy theory, served with a red herring and a dog whistle on top. Like you, I support Provorov’s right to refuse to skate. However, you are such a socio-political lemming you confused yourself to the point you can’t understand we agree.

On that, anyway. And (hopefully) just that.

One point I made in the column was that many who were applauding Colin Kaepernick’s National Anthem protest are the same people who are saying Provorov shouldn’t have the right to sit out the pregame skate.

That’s intellectually dishonest. However, it appears this guy doesn’t see the hypocrisy.

I can’t tell if you’re being intentionally obtuse, or if you genuinely believe there is some equivalency between protesting the scourge of police brutality, which is disproportionately experienced by minorities, and not believing LGBTQ people have a right to live as they choose.

— PostMasterGeneral (@Phila_Posts) January 20, 2023

And I can’t tell if you are being intentionally obtuse, or if you genuinely believe that was the point of the column.

I do believe LGBTQ people have a right to live as they choose. And I do believe in speaking out against police brutality — even though I don’t believe protesting the anthem was a wise way to go about doing so.

The only equivalency I’m drawing between the two cases is a person’s right to avoid taking part in a public ceremony they don’t support. That’s it.

That equivalency is obvious.

Let’s end with this gem from Kevin.

I like how Tim sends a signal in the headline to the Woke Mob so they don’t attack him. Lol.
Exactly why they do what they do. Intimidate ppl into compliance.

— Kevin (@kc4tweets) January 20, 2023

Hey, tough guy, if I was “compliant” I wouldn’t have written the column — or ripped the people who were ripping Provorov — in the first place. But if you want a signal, I’ve got one for you.

It’s a hand signal, that’s for sure.