U mad, bro?: Steelers, Pitt, Penguins are all a mess. The refs stink too. And our readers are fed up
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When the NFL referees stink during a Steelers loss, that takes some of the heat off of the Steelers themselves.
When the Steelers lose, that takes a lot of the heat off the Penguins if they are struggling.
And if the Penguins are struggling, the Steelers are losing, and either team is getting hosed by the refs, then Pitt can get blown out on national television and no one will notice.
Well, unless Pat Narduzzi says something about a big chunk of his roster not being good enough.
But, I mean, c’mon! All of those things couldn’t happen in the same week …
… right?
Here’s this week’s “U mad, bro?”
An emailer named Tim sets the tone for the week.
“We all know the Pirates are parody of pathetic (no news there). Penguins are pathetic & painful. Steelers are shamefully smelly. How did Pittsburgh become such a mud bog for sports?”
Anyone wanna tell this guy how Pitt did in South Bend on Saturday?
1️⃣8️⃣ 8️⃣7️⃣@CooperXFlanagan with his first collegiate touchdown #GoIrish pic.twitter.com/HhVUeKbuPH
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) October 28, 2023
A picture/video can tell a thousand words. Or at least 58.
Related:
• Tim Benz: Applauding the Watt bros. rebuke of Jaylen Warren’s fines; concerns about NFL’s increasing flag football approach
• NFL officiating expert echos complaints from Steelers fans on costly penalties
• Derrick Henry presents big challenge for Steelers’ inconsistent run defense
Here’s an email from Sean in Las Vegas. Obviously, he’s aware of the Pitt-Notre Dame result.
“Authorities are telling parents in the Pittsburgh area to check their childrens’ Halloween candy bags. There are reports of Pitt football tickets being handed out.”
With the way this season has gone for the Panthers, that’s worse than getting a popcorn ball. Those are the houses that probably got toilet papered.
Here’s an email from Lynn who did not like the “Madden Monday” podcast this week.
“Why are you people so against Kenny Pickett? This is only his 2nd year. You don’t like a guy that played for PITT? So, you think the other quarterbacks before BEN were so great? I don’t. You think Trubisky and Randolph are better?
All you guys know is to criticize the Steelers every chance you get. Why don’t you call out Canada? He’s the one calling the shots for Pickett. Which I hear are easy to pick off.”
1. Randolph???
2. I’ve “called out” Matt Canada many times about his “easily picked off” plays.
3. It’s not my job to root. That’s your job. It’s my job to be critical of the team. Especially since they haven’t won a playoff game since the 2016 season.
4. The QBs before Ben are irrelevant when it comes to deciding if Pickett is good enough to be a successful starter.
5. The fact that Pickett went to Pitt is even less relevant.
6. No, seriously. Randolph???
This is what Victor posted after that horrible roughing the passer call against Keanu Neal last week during the Steelers’ loss to Jacksonville.
NFL is a joke. Just play flag football
— Victor Jason (@vvjhdrider208) October 29, 2023
Adding flag football to the Olympics is the latest step. They are easing into that.
Don’t laugh. I’m not kidding. I just wrote about this in another column. I think the NFL is conditioning us and normalizing it year-by-year so it’s less of a big deal when the move actually happens.
MP is mad at the refs over roughing the passer calls, too.
Maybe in another 10 or 20 years the NFL will actually start holding officials accountable
— MP (@Agentzero1881) October 29, 2023
I agree with your angst completely.
But, “accountable”? Are you kidding? It’s a directive from the league!
The NFL is more likely to discipline those guys for not throwing a flag on those two hits against Pickett than they ever would be to discipline them for flagging the Neal hit. They’ll get applauded by the league officials for that.
Speaking of the officials, here was Todd’s response to the flag against Isaac Seumalo for (allegedly) lining up with his helmet in the neutral zone on Chris Boswell’s field goal try at the end of the first half.
That’s what fans want – we tune in to
Watch the ref call offsides on a 55 yard field goal— Todd (@tbar036) October 29, 2023
To be fair, it’s more exciting than watching the Steelers offense.
OK, last complaint about the officials, I promise.
The refs "tenor" is singing the brown note.
— PtentialHuman (@PotentialHuman2) October 29, 2023
Anyone else besides that guy and me enough of a “South Park” fan to get that reference?
KGumby33 sent this message after Pickett missed a wide-open Diontae Johnson in the end zone during the loss to the Jaguars.
Terrible throw by Canada
— KGumby33 (@KGumbita) October 29, 2023
Agreed. Canada also should’ve caught that first pass of the game that went off of his fingers.
Let’s wrap up with Mike from Missouri.
“Mr. Benz, a Halloween-inspired question for you: Which is more terrifying, being locked in a cemetery with Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, and Michael Myers, or being forced to sit on your couch to watch this Steelers offense try and scare up a first half touchdown? Personally, I’ll take my chances among the tombstones.”
Actually, the analogy I make between the Steelers offense and traditional Halloween television has nothing to do with slasher movies. Personally, I go back to “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.”
And every time a Steelers offensive possession ends in a three-and-out, I think of Charlie Brown saying, “I got a rock.”
Listen: Tim Benz and Jeff Erickson of RotoWire host their weekly fantasy football podcast.