U mad, bro? Fans fume about Pirates, MLB labor. Some Steelers angst sprinkled in, too.

I feel like we are experiencing a reverse Michel Therrien when it comes to apathetic baseball fans in Pittsburgh.

“Dey prenten’ dey don’t care. But I know dey care.”

Baseball fan anger wrapped in disillusionment in the wake of the ongoing labor dispute. That’s the theme for this week’s “U mad, bro?”

With a little dash of grousing from Steelers fans sprinkled on top.

Dan is on board with my column discussing how hard it is for even me to get ticked off at baseball anymore.

Or, specifically, the Pirates for that matter.

“Well said. My apathy couldn’t be greater about the Pirates. This is coming from a family that is in its 50th (and final) consecutive year as a Pirate season ticket holder.

The only time I am really interested in the Pirates is in May and June when the weather is perfect and they are only 10-15 games out of first instead of 20-30 games out. And even then my interest is minimal; have a beer or two and leave early to beat the minimal traffic.

Maybe two games for the year now if the weather holds and there’s nothing else to do.

My apathy isn’t against baseball in general, it’s against an ownership group that has squandered multiple opportunities to be really good, and left a generation of fans truly apathetic about baseball in this town.

As far as baseball in general, towns with competitive teams and stable, competent ownership will always return to their teams. To the rest of us, apathy reigns.”

Not much to add, Dan. When you’re right, you’re right.

From a Pirates perspective, after the team fell apart before the 1993 season, there was always the carrot at the end of the stick that a new ballpark could fix everything.

Well, they got one. It’s great. But it took 12 years before the team became a winner of any kind in it. And they are already back toward the bottom again, two-thirds of the way through the lease.

What are we going to use as away to talk ourselves into thinking things will get better now?

Unless there is a salary cap. And I’m not holding out hope for that.

A reader named Brad sent me a good email. I really liked his opening line.

“So you’re mad as hell that you’re not mad as hell? But you’re still gonna take it, right?”

Well, Brad, if you phrase it that way …

No, my little rant wasn’t exactly Howard Beale-esque, was it? But that’s also not what I was going for. I’m not calling for a staged revolt against the game. Or the local team.

And what the game will get back from me will be the same level of mild, tepid, pseudo commitment I was given as a fan.

Fan boycotts and walkouts feel good. But all we accomplish in those situations is expediting the lack of investment back into the product while doing so.

I think for almost 30 years in Pittsburgh we’ve become a petri dish for a greater experiment that baseball is trying to pull with its consumers: “How little effort can we extend and still get enough engagement from our fans to keep us solvent?”

That’s played out via payroll at PNC Park. That’s how it’s playing out nationally in the way MLB is handling this labor dispute.

Where the difference lies is that MLB can absorb a lag from a few individual teams, like the Pirates. It can’t in every market overall, though.

I still think there are enough of us on both the local and national levels to keep individual teams and the league going. But the league may slowly erode to the point of irrelevance.

I just don’t think you’ll see any fan response explode Peter Finch-style along the way.

“Dobber” has a different take on the Pirates. Specifically, owner Bob Nutting.

Nutting is ahead of the curve. He knew Covid was coming so he didn’t bother signing any free agents this year. Best owner in the business!

— Dobber (@fatkicker11) June 17, 2020

I can feel your sarcasm, young Skywalker.

So next spring will payroll decrease even more in an anticipation of a “third wave”?

The Steelers are likely going to hold their training camp at Heinz Field this summer. I wrote a column saying that may not be as bad of an option as some initially thought, even though there is just one field to use for practice.

Bob posted this response in the comments section.

“This article is much ado about nothing. The Steelers had a choice between the South Side and Heinz Field.

Go with extra space or go for cramped quarters. Not a hard decision to make. I do not believe fans will be in attendance no matter the location and the larger venue would at least give the media a prayer of being able to be there to watch the practices.

They would need to sterilize and try to find extra space for all of the dorm rooms (at Saint Vincent College) needed for students who would be showing up not too long after the team would leave.

Makes total sense for this season to be in Heinz Field for camp.”

You wrote a response — nearly as long as the column itself — agreeing with the premise of the column. Yet it’s much “ado about nothing”?

Also, the column — like your comment — indicated the concerns from some regarding a move to Heinz Field might be overblown.

That’s a lot of work to say, “I agree.”

Just try that next time, Bob. It’s OK to agree sometimes. Really. I swear.

Finally, in a recent post, I made a fleeting reference to Tim Tebow’s infamous overtime touchdown to beat the Steelers in Denver during the 2011-12 playoffs.

On this date 8 years ago:

Tim Tebow threw an 80-yard TD pass to Demaryius Thomas in the AFC wildcard game to shock the Steelers in overtime. pic.twitter.com/tJqwGiDjnH

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) January 8, 2020

It appears George is still hung up on that result.

I can’t say I blame him, but it may be time for George to let it go.

“Just a reminder: the Tebow Pass was an illegal play blown by the refs, as the WR was lined up OFF the line of scrimmage. This is a penalty.

Ike Taylor was unable to get a contact on the WR off the snap, allowing the WR to get a clean break.

You could look it up. Just sayin’.”

Anybody else get the feeling that this guy used this argument on his bookie, too, after losing a big bet on the Steelers covering the money line?

And, George, maybe it’s you that should look it up. The debate wasn’t about receiver Demaryius Thomas being illegally lined up. The debate was about where tight end Dante Rosario was lined up.

Rosario didn’t catch the pass. Thomas did.

Also, prior to that pass, Tebow was 10-for-20 for 236 yards (tying his season high) and two touchdowns. He wasn’t intercepted. He wasn’t sacked. He also ran for 50 yards and another touchdown.

Tim … bleepin’ … Tebow. Against the vaunted Steelers defense.

Just sayin.’