Good Tuesday to you Steelers fans.
There are people on the sidelines of the Pittsburgh Steelers who are as recognizable as the players and coaches. We see them week in and week out and often recognize them based on some physical feature or we just happen to notice them for one reason or another. This week, one of those people announced his retirement after thirty-plus years on the sidelines. You may not have been real familiar with his name, but you would no doubt know him from his silver hair. And unfortunately, you’d also know him because any time a player was in pain, he was one of the first on the scene. Dr. John Norwig has retired. He will no longer be the Team Doctor of the Pittsburgh Steelers but he leaves a tremendous legacy in his wake. According to Ryan Scarpino, current SCB Podcast legend and former Steelers’ PR man, ‘Wig’ was known to have some colorful language at times but would almost immediately apologize for it every time. As fans, we spend infinite hours getting to know our team and the team doctor is every bit as important as anyone else is in the organization. From the elbow of Ben Roethlisberger to the pectoral of T.J. Watt, Dr. Norwig has literally seen it all. Best wishes to him.
Understanding the Tape
Look…. I understand as well as anyone the need to “get clicks.” If you do this job in order to make a living then I understand why people post some of the things they do to social media. What I’ll never understand however is the need to make wild claims in order to be able to say in the future “I was right!” I’ve noticed this several times in recent weeks in regards to players the Steelers have recently signed from the XFL. When you see a player make a big play in the San Antonio vs St. Louis game, you have to take it with a grain of salt. Do you understand that the players on the field were not good enough to make NFL teams? Do you realize there’s an honest reason why they are playing in the Spring and not in the fall? If Hakeem Butler makes a big play my question is this. Would he be able to do that against NFL competition? Now maybe he can and maybe he will but… How many times have you heard of a player from another league come into an NFL city with great expectations only to become “just another player?” A lot of this comes from watching tape and understanding what is happening on each play. It’s fine to be positive and hopeful but one should also be realistic too.
Tweet of the Day… Summer is here!
One of the perks of swimming in a public pool. pic.twitter.com/q6fUiFtdLO
— Tony P. (@Tbone7219) June 5, 2023
Terrific Article on Keeanu Benton
I realize you need a subscription for this over at The Athletic but this is a terrific story about Steelers’ rookie Keeanu Benton. Steelers’ beat writer Mike DeFabo did the writing.
The Nest is Empty
Last week, my son graduated from high school. With my daughter already out of college and him on his way, my wife and I will officially be “empty nesters.” If you have kids of any age then you know the saying, “It goes fast.” That’s because it does my friends. Enjoy every moment of it.
Random Steelers Thoughts
Anyone else find it humorous as to how much time and energy fans invest into whether their QB and backup QB get along? “So glad to see Pickett and Trubisky get along with other…” I’ve seen this on social media a lot. Personally, I don’t care if they hang out or if they despise each other. Getting it done on the field is what matters for me… I’m going to say this many times before Training Camp but fans are going to be surprised by some of the guys who get cut before the season starts… Broderick Jones is getting high praise from the veterans which is great, but that also has to translate with the coaches as well. I put his chances at starting week one around 60/40 simply because there are so few opportunities for him to face real, game speed contact and conditions… Don’t be surprised if Diontae Johnson has 8-10 TD catches this year. I think Pickett took it harder than Johnson did that he didn’t get into the end zone in 2022… Could Dan Moore slide over to right tackle and replace Chuks Okorafor? I’m not saying it will happen but it wouldn’t surprise me. Moore has come in stronger and heavier this year and appears to be unwilling to just hand over a starting job… Four more sacks and T.J. Watt will be the all-time leader in Steelers’ history. Pretty crazy he’s gotten here that fast.
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