U mad, bro?: Readers vent about George Pickens and ham sandwiches, and Travis Kelce meddling in Steelers’ business
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With the Pittsburgh Steelers qualifying for the playoffs last week after such a roller coaster season, I was concerned everybody was going to be in such a good mood that I may not have enough content for “U mad, bro?”
Pfft! No, I wasn’t.
C’mon. You didn’t buy that did you?
So long as George Pickens has Instagram, Travis Kelce has a microphone and Steelers fans have access to email, I’m always going to have plenty of content every week.
Here’s proof.
After Mike Vrabel, Terrell Edmunds and the rest of the Tennessee Titans ended up getting the Steelers into the playoffs Sunday, I sent this post.
Breaking!!!! The @Steelers plan to induct Mike Vrabel and Terrell Edmunds into the team's Hall of Honor next season.
— Tim Benz (@TimBenzPGH) January 7, 2024
Here is how Sean replied.
Believe in the process, Tim.
— Sean Kozielec (@KozielecSean) January 8, 2024
Sean, if that process is to:
• Endure a three-game losing streak against substandard competition at some point during every year
• Never have more than eight or nine wins heading into the last week of the season
• Grind your way to a season finale win over a team that has nothing to play for
• Rely on a bad AFC South team simultaneously upsetting another choking dog team from that same division
• Find yourself as the seventh seed playing on the road as a 10-point underdog
… then I guess I’m sold.
More sports
• Without T.J. Watt, Markus Golden going to ‘keep hunting’ at outside linebacker for Steelers
• Cameron Heyward not thinking about ‘nonsense’ of Steelers being 10-point underdogs to Bills
• Pat McAfee announces Aaron Rodgers’ appearances are over for the rest of this NFL season
Robert doesn’t like Steelers wide receiver George Pickens’ griping over his failure to make the Pro Bowl.
“Pitiful to cry with his talent. It seems he would cry with a loaf of bread under one arm and a ham under the other. And millions awaiting his next contract.”
If he has a loaf of bread under one arm and a ham under the other, does he also have a brick of Swiss cheese and jar of mustard in his pocket?
I gotta be honest, Robert, if I had all the makings of a ham sandwich but no mustard or cheese, I might cry too.
During the Eagles-Giants game, I posted a comment about my fear that tackles like the one that injured Philadelphia receiver A.J. Brown would erroneously end up becoming “hip drop” penalties when the rule inevitably goes on the books this offseason. I encouraged the NFL to be very diligent about how it words that rule so it doesn’t get too expansive.
Here’s how Chris responded.
How about no hip drop rule
— Chris Ryan (@Beefisliberty) January 7, 2024
From your eagle beak to God’s (or Roger Goodell’s) ears, Chris. But I’m done fighting that battle. That rule is coming, and it will be a disaster.
My prediction is that it gets put on the books for one year and is even more of a mess than when they tried to review pass interference. Then they’ll take it off the books or significantly change it for 2025.
Jim emailed me about Kevin Dotson’s sudden ascent along the Los Angeles Rams offensive line after a spotty run in Pittsburgh.
“The Kevin Dotson story is so frustrating given all of the OL dysfunction that’s happened the last two years. How was a current player’s talent so misjudged by the Steelers?”
Not only was he coached up to avoid all the penalties and to just be a better player than he was here, Jim. But there’s something else about that story that bugs me.
I keep hearing that it’s not a big deal that Dotson is doing well because the Steelers are “set at guard anyway.”
OK. But in signing Isaac Seumalo and Nate Herbig to replace Dotson, they are spending $12.5 million. Dotson’s cap number is $2.25 million.
Bruce didn’t appreciate Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce getting all “holier than thou” in his assessment of Mike Tomlin as the Steelers coach.
“Since the Super Bowl loss to the Packers the Steelers record would have gotten 99.999% of coaches (except for Mike Tomlin of course) fired. Kelce would NOT be happy with Mike Tomlin as his coach and 3 playoff wins in his career.
Let Kelce go 7 years and counting in a row without a playoff win (like his beloved Mike Tomlin’s Steelers) and Kelce would be at the front of the line screaming for the Chiefs to fire Andy Reid.”
Or demanding a trade … to whatever team Taylor Swift wanted him to join.
“DK” wants to tear into Kelce as well.
“Travis Kelce: ‘The media is so dumb.’
The noun ‘media’ is plural. It requires the verb ‘are’ not ‘is.’ Soooooo, who’s dumb now?”
You tell him, DK! That’ll show him. You shove that poor sentence construction right back in his face.
There’s nothing that I enjoy more than a good ol’ fashion grammar police email.
But only when it isn’t directed at me.
Finally, our old friend Ken wants to play a spirited game of “I told you so” with me.
“We talked before the season and in the first few weeks. I predicted Steelers would win 10 games and make the playoffs. You disagreed with me pretty emphatically.
Should have won 12 games losing to the 2-win teams but there were certainly games they won they had no right winning. In the end though I will stand by my prediction. With Watt hurt, Herbig and Golden need to be big. Kazee now available and if Minkah can suit up the D could hold its own. If OL continues as they have and RBs continue to run like angry beasts, it opens play action over the middle of the field.”
Ken, you should go back and read what you wrote to me. Because I did.
We were not really arguing about predictions. We were arguing about how Mark Madden and I were discussing the Steelers. Your stance was that local media members are too cynical. You said I “should move to New York” because I didn’t give you as much rah-rah propaganda as you were seeking. That’s why you “canceled your newspaper subscription” and “turned off the news after the first 15 minutes,” remember?
You also said 10-11 wins this year for the Steelers. Yup, you’re right. They barely got to 10, playing for their lives against Baltimore’s backups, and got into the playoffs with someone else’s help (again).
Hey! Guess who else predicted the Steelers would finish with 10 wins, third in their own division, and barely make the playoffs? Me! So how are we really all that different in our predictions?
By the way, Nostradamus, you also said: Picket(t), his offensive weapons, and retooled O-line will average in the high twenties.
Good call.