In this week’s “U mad, bro?”, Penguins fans defend Tristan Jarry. Pitt fans are agitated. And at least one Steelers fan is already turning on Najee Harris.

Now I think we’ve gone too far!

Who am I kidding? We go too far in this post every week. So, let’s have at it.

Let’s start with TK. He is unhappy with an entry from last week’s “U mad, bro?” In it, I assumed that an argumentative, jumbled email about Pitt football was written by an actual Pitt graduate — instead of just a Pitt fan with a bad attitude.

“As a graduate of Pitt I am offended by your reply to Robert when you write ‘At Syracuse, I took writing classes. What did you take at Pitt?’

I am insisting that ‘you take that back!’ Why do you assume that Robert attended the University of Pittsburgh as a student? Didn’t your mother learn you what happens when you assume?”

Consider it retracted, TK. That was a heinous error on my part. You are right. I did “assume” he actually went to Pitt.

I shouldn’t do that.

I just can’t wrap my brain around why anyone who didn’t actually attend Pitt would willingly and voluntarily put themselves through the annual disappointment and dejection of rooting for the Panthers football team.

To your point, my mother did “learn me up” on what happens when people “assume” things. But given the mental capacity of that previous emailer, that joke will probably just have to remain between the two of us.

“Reverend Jim” on Twitter thinks the media isn’t being fair to Tristan Jarry. He thinks Jarry was getting too much blame when the Penguins lost in the playoffs last year and isn’t getting enough credit for some of the team’s wins this year.

Just curious why the media isn’t @MarkMaddenX @JoshYohe_PGH @Real_RobRossi @TheDanKingerski @ThePoniExpress @_adamcrowley @TimBenzPGH @JMackeyPG @BombulieTrib @jmarshfof commenting how good Jarry has been this season? Hmm sure are critical when he isn’t good which isn’t often.

— MC (@ReverendJim4) November 5, 2021

You’re right. It’s never been mentio… oh. Oh. It has been?

Preach somewhere else, Rev.

Also, as a reverend, if you’ve got a direct line to the big man upstairs, how about a little divine intervention in the shootouts, huh?

Here’s another Penguins-related tweet. It’s from someone who is sick of the daily referendum on Jarry.

Only 6 more months of Jarry talk until the playoffs start. Six.

— Local Hero ™ (@HofSpillane) November 5, 2021

Well, it might be a little short of six. Because, if the Penguins keep giving points away in the shootout, their season might end in five and a half.

As in … before the playoffs.

Steve has already turned sour on Steelers running back Najee Harris.

“I still don’t see what everyone was originally excited about in him. Where’s “The Hulk”? As a pure running back, I don’t see the power (especially for a back his size) and I don’t see how the Steelers can build a run first offense around him, especially with this O-line. He’s got some skills as a receiving back, and can make some plays downfield after the fact, but a “hand him the ball and watch him wear down a defense” running back like Franco Harris, Jerome Bettis, or even Le’Veon Bell was, he is not, and Derrick Henry he never will be.

“Who knows. Maybe one day, if the Steelers ever have an offensive line that simply isn’t offensive, Harris can use his more athletic ability instead of his overrated brute power and size to become more worthy of the hype, but for now, all I see is a Super-Sized Wee Willie with better hands.”

Woof! I disagree with this take, Steve. I think Harris is doing everything he can behind that offensive line you described. And I think he is going to be great sooner rather than later.

It’s hard to run with raw power when you can’t build up momentum to run through a hole. Not to mention that he is being hit in the backfield by defenders who are barreling through the line with more momentum than him.

Consider how many of his yards have come after contact.

Najee Harris among #NFL rookies:

398 yards after contact (1st)30 rushes for a first down (1st) pic.twitter.com/NO83dshhZd

— PFF College (@PFF_College) November 9, 2021

The Steelers have 99 problems. Najee ain’t one.

And if by bigger version of Wee Willie, you mean a bigger Willie Parker, I couldn’t disagree more.

Back to Pitt. This guy is mad that Kenny Pickett is no longer considered a Heisman Trophy candidate.

Pickett is still a Heisman candidate. He had 2 picks which brings his total to only 3 for the season. He also threw for over 500 yards with 3 TDs. Pitt doesn’t have to win every game for him to be the best player in college football.

— TWWITE (@TWWITE4) November 4, 2021

Actually, when you’re the quarterback at Pitt, yeah, maybe you do.

Plus, don’t we know by now that there is a difference between winning the Heisman Trophy and being the “best player in college football”?

Pitt fans should know that. Look at Larry Fitzgerald in 2003. He may not have won the Heisman. But he may have been the best player in college football. If it wasn’t him that year, maybe it was Ben Roethlisberger, Eil Manning, Philip Rivers or Sean Taylor.

None of those guys won it either. Jason White did. Because he was the quarterback of the top-ranked Oklahoma Sooners, who started the season 12-0 at the time

So being the quarterback of an unbeaten potential national champion may matter to Heisman voters a lot more than actually being the best player in college football.

That shouldn’t be the case. In some seasons, though, it is.

Finally, “Mervin” sent an email. He is not a fan of the Pittsburgh Pop podcast I do with Rob Owen.

“Listened to the first 7:39 minutes of the 11/08/21 podcast … Didn’t hear any “sports”… just dribble. What is the purpose?”

The “purpose” is to produce a pop culture podcast for TribLIVE Extra. It’s about television, movies, local news and entertainment industry developments.

It’s not about sports. We’ve never said it is about sports. There’s nothing in the packaging — aside from my photo under the title — that is remotely connected to sports.

That’s probably why you didn’t hear anything about sports in the first seven minutes. However, if you waited a few more minutes, we had quite a lot of discussion about some various sports programming that is being released on ESPN (the Barry Bonds “E:60” feature), Fox (the “Madden” Christmas documentary) and the “Monday Night Football Manning Cast.”

Hopefully that’s more of the driv … sorry … “dribble” you are expecting.

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