U mad, bro?: No Steelers game? No problem. Still plenty of fan agitation to go around
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You might think that, because the Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t play this past weekend, “U mad, bro?” would be lacking for content.
You might think that. But if you live in Pittsburgh and follow our local sports teams, you know that couldn’t possibly be the case with our passionate fan base.
A game? Pfft! Who needs an actual game to be ticked off!? Here’s this week’s “U mad, bro?”
On Tuesday, I posted a column stating that if the Steelers are going to make the playoffs, this is generally the time of year when they make their push. Over the past six years, they are 31-10-1 from Week 5 through the end of November.
This guy took that column in a different direction.
More deflection from post season failures. Who cares if the Steelers are 31-10-1 during mid-season since 2017 if they haven’t won a playoff game.
— Bob Greenburg (@BobGreenburg) October 17, 2023
In the column, I literally wrote that they haven’t won a playoff game during those six years in the second sentence. Then the column closes by taking a shot at that streak again and takes another jab at the whole “Mike Tomlin has never had a losing season” thing.
How many more references do you need? How is that “deflecting”?
For some of you, I swear, you think any column on the Steelers has to be nothing but, “Fire Tomlin! Fire Tomlin! Fire Tomlin! Fire Tomlin! Fire Tomlin! Fire Canada! Fire Tomlin! Fire Tomlin!”
All firing and no context makes Jack a dull columnist.
On Friday, I posted a column about ESPN’s Mike Greenberg coining the phrase “Tomlining,” as a complimentary way to describe the Steelers’ 3-2 start. This person, who goes by the username “I Don’t Owe You an Explanation” on “X” didn’t like my retort.
If someone from a major network dares to be complimentary to Tomlin, here comes Benz to correct them. Those who hate Tomlin for a myriad of allegedly football-related reasons, hear the clarion call from PGH media and spread the Anti-Tomlin gospel across the Internet. What a life!
— I Don’t Owe You an Explanation (@LesHolmes) October 13, 2023
Sir, your Twitter name is my response.
Also, it’s not “hate,” it’s analysis. And I’d love for you to define when you meant by “allegedly.”
JMSJR emailed a response to that story too. He invented a word as well: “Benzing.”
“…. (complaining) and moaning and actually getting paid to do so. Not to be confused with (Mark) ‘Maddening,’ — for which ‘Benzing’ is a distant second. They both refer to sorry, tired commentary year after year.”
Unfortunately, my friend, the “sorry, tired commentary” is merely a reflection of the “sorry, tired offense,” and the “sorry, tired” lack of postseason success.
Want some new commentary? Maybe the team should yield some better results.
Raymond responded to my column Wednesday about what the Steelers should do at left tackle.
“Saying the Rams have 10 sacks as a team says nothing about the Rams offense which is more likely to be the reason the Steelers lose.”
That’s true, Raymond. But I’m confused. Are you suggesting we disagree about something, here? Why can’t both things be true? The Rams pass rush can be less than threatening, and Cooper Kupp can still go off for about 200 yards. The two points don’t have to connect, do they?
John dislikes the idea of the NFL making the hip-drop tackle illegal. So do I.
At some point, NFL Sunday will merely be a panel of officials rolling D&D dice for 3 hrs and then total up the number of penalties… the Teams involved will be allowed 20 minutes for rebuttal…
— John Brinkman (@jbrink351) October 18, 2023
Exactly, John. For a league that’s hell-bent on expanding to Europe, I’m sure the best ways to attract new fans to the sport is to:
• Eliminate all physicality.
• Confuse people to death over what a legal tackle is.
• Bore them beyond belief by making the game all about a bunch of guys in striped shirts looking at replays on a TV screen for five minutes at a time to determine a penalty.
And we make fun of Europeans because we think soccer is flawed? Ha!! Time for us to clean up our own backyard with this increasingly stupid sport.
When Evgeni Malkin was left off ESPN’s top 100 NHL players list, I responded to a post wondering if Geno was, by chance, No. 101. To which I replied, no, he was No. 102 … after Mikael Granlund.
Anthony appreciated my efforts.
Love the sarcasm Tim! Like a second language to you
— zeliecat (@anthonycorridon) October 17, 2023
Thank you, Anthony. To borrow the words of Ralphie from “A Christmas Story,” I work in sarcasm the way other artists might work in oils or clay. It’s my true medium. I can weave a tapestry of sarcasm that will hang in space over Lake Mich … um … the Allegheny River for years to come!
Finally, JTD doesn’t think I should pay much attention to that list in the first place.
List are boring stupidity anyway. Writers do it for silly reasons to begin with.
— JTD (@jblgduron) October 18, 2023
Agreed, JTD. The same can be said for reader Q&A/feedback features.
Wait a minute …
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