Hey Steelers Fans. Welcome to Tuesday.
The Kickoff
Every year at this time I feel the same way. Some equate it to the swallows returning to Capistrano each Spring or others may relate it to something like the holiday season beginning. Whatever works for you is fine by me. All I know is that when the Pittsburgh Steelers return to St. Vincent College in Latrobe each summer, I get excited. There’s no other way to put it. All of the talk from the past seven months goes away because now we can focus on what happens on the field. It’s truly a great time of year and I’m sure many of you feel the same way.
The Steelers and JPJ
I wrote this yesterday and then aired a video segment of the same thoughts on our YouTube channel regarding Joey Porter, Jr. It feels like many are blaming the Steelers for not getting a deal done and I see it differently. Maybe you’ll agree and maybe you won’t. That’s what I’m here for regardless.
No Tackling?
Mike McCarthy said today as the players arrived in Latrobe that there will not be tackling during Camp this year. That might not be as nuts as you think given that many teams choose to skip this as well. In my opinion, it’s like not practicing blocking or running routes. I understand the need to protect health but I don’t want to hear a damn thing about poor tackling later this season.
Camp Previews and More
All of our position previews are up and ready for your consumption as the Steelers open Training Camp tomorrow. There are also a few articles about some of the key questions the Steelers face heading into the season.
Fantastic Article
Mike DeFabo, the main Steelers writer at The Athletic, published this piece on Mike McCarthy yesterday. I’ve been reading his content since he started and this is easily his best writing. You may not care for the Steelers’ decision to hire McCarthy but after reading this, how can you not root for him?
If You’re Heading to Camp…
If you’ve been to Steelers Training Camp or if you caught the end of my interview with Nick Farabaugh last week then you already what about to say. First, expect it to be hot. St Vincent College sits in the Laurel Highlands and the fields themselves sit in a valley. When the heat is up, so too is the humidity. Secondly, there is nowhere to find shade. If you’re sitting in the stands? Forget it. If you are perched on a hill? No chance. The best chance for shade you might have is to stand on the side of one of the big inflatables to block out the sun. Third, autograph hunting is a crap shoot but watch the crowds. They often tell you where to be. If you can get to the Friday Night (Saturday this year) Practice at the High School field then do it. It’s a great experience. Lastly, pack your patience. With practices being held earlier in the day now than what Mike Tomlin used to do, you’ll need to arrive even earlier and there will be LOTS of people there.
Random Reads
49ers’ Head Coach Kyle Shanahan is recovering from a car accident that occurred two weeks ago. He suffered some serious injuries including 40 stitches to his face. Scary stuff… Bucs’ Defensive Lineman Vita Vea is requesting a trade after contract talks with the team have stalled… Bill Belichick’s time at North Carolina has been a mess and now his buddy and “Football Operations” Guy Michael Lombardi has been suspended while UNC’s HR Department investigates him… I’ve heard The Odyssey is fantastic but I’ll wait for streaming. I can’t sit in a movie theater for three hours… Did I mention that I’m excited for the Steelers to get their season underway?
