U mad, bro?: Pirates fans get rowdy about Tellez; Steelers fans split over hot start

Pittsburgh Pirates fans are riled up about Rowdy. Some Steelers fans are doubting the strong start. Others want to know why I’m not planning the Super Bowl parade yet.

No matter how you slice it, Pittsburgh fans are always wound up about something.

I wouldn’t have it any other way. Here’s this week’s U mad, bro?

This guy didn’t like my column about the Pirates’ decision to DFA Rowdy Tellez.

How about do some journalistic digging into Nutting/Pirates books & finances as well as Nutting’s other businesses. Snark & clever analogies are easy & won’t really get anyone powerful mad at you or your various employers. It’s good they didn’t DFA & embarrass Cutch as u wanted.

— You Know It’s Tru Tho (@know_tru) September 25, 2024

First of all, I appreciate that you referred to my work as clever and snarky. That’s exactly what I was going for with that post.

Secondly, snark and clever analogies are pretty much in my wheelhouse, and I know for a fact that I make people at the Pirates mad frequently.

Meanwhile, I’m not sure what gigantic, expansive, multi-layered expose of the Pirates’ finances you were expecting in a 12-hour turnaround between when the Tellez news broke and when the story was filed, but I’m sorry I disappointed you.

That said, “digging” is going to find … what? That the Pirates are cheap and are netting a positive financial bottom line while the team stinks?

Wow! Stop the presses! Breaking news!

Do you think it would be the catalyst to leverage a sale of the team like Donald Sterling or something?

By the way, your sainted Cutch is hitting .236 with 50 RBIs. Let’s not get carried away. For the baseball nerds that have come to love OPS as the be-all, end-all offensive stat, his .752 mark is proof that number can live in a vacuum too.

They are going to finish last. If they had designated him for assignment, then what would’ve happened? They would’ve finished 19 games out of first place instead of 16?

Big deal.

Here is another response to that column.

A competent and competitive GM would have DFA’d Tellez in June. Nobody cares.

— Bruce (@Bruce58m) September 25, 2024

Eh, more like May when he was hitting .177. Tellez actually started to heat up in June.

But, I get your premise. Yes. If Rowdy had been released in late spring/early summer, no one would have cared.

That’s the point, though. That’s why they care now. They care because, if he had been released back then it would’ve been a baseball decision.

Releasing him now is just about saving a few bucks. Baseball-wise, the season has been over for more than a month. That’s the exact reason why people care.

It takes a lot to make Pittsburgh care about a typically poor Pirates team in September when the Steelers and Pitt are a combined 7-0, and the Penguins are about to start.

Making a move that is so obviously about penny-pinching finances is the exact formula to make people care — for all the wrong reasons.

This guy named Tim is skeptical of the Steelers being road favorites in Indianapolis this weekend.

TTTG. Typical Tomlin Trap Game. This is the type of game Tomlin seems to find a way to lose. They’re superior to the Colts but just have an uneasy feeling about it cuz he’s blown these games his whole career. If he wins vs the Colts, my optimism this season will increase greatly!

— tim flannery (@TimboSlice910) September 25, 2024

There is so much of this that I want to refute … and so little that I can.

Rob sent me a message on social media during the Steelers’ win over the Los Angeles Chargers.

“Read your articles every day. Might be time for you and Mark (Madden) to be more positive.”

Honestly, I think most of my Steelers coverage has been much more positive-leaning than it normally is, given that they are 3-0 despite a relatively meager offensive output.

But since you opened the door, I checked your feed. At the time of your message to me, this was your most recent sports-related post:

This could be a season changing win for the Pirates!

— Rob Uhrick (@RobU2458) May 22, 2024

Maybe you should focus less on manufacturing optimism, and focus more on where you can find realism.

More sports

• Mark Madden: Pirates are once again a national punchline
• Steelers’ Darnell Washington fined for illegal block vs. Chargers
• 'Perfectly put together': Pirates phenom Paul Skenes reflects on restrictions of rookie season

David disagreed with my response to Bill Cowher’s Top 5 Steelers defensive players of all time list. I had Troy Polamalu fourth behind “Mean Joe” Greene, Mel Blount and Rod Woodson — and ahead of Jack Ham and Jack Lambert.

Yet, Troy was much too low on that list according to this guy.

Laughed out loud at Benz order of picks. Polamalu is the best pure football player I ever saw. Ham was great but like Lambert had benefit of playing behind awesome front 4.

— david hunter (@hunter_dt) September 24, 2024

Anybody who “laughs out loud” at having Mean Joe, Blount and Woodson at the top of any list deserves to be laughed at themselves.

Finally, let’s get one more from someone on Rowdy’s release.

Cherington- the bonus had nothing to do with Rowdy's release. pic.twitter.com/Cll88PZru8

— jesposito55 (@jesposito55) September 25, 2024

Exactly. In fact, here’s another clip from Cherington’s press conference.

Sorry. More clever snark. I just can’t help myself.