U mad, bro?: Steelers fans simmer over stadium name, safety helmets, ESPN 'GOAT' list; Pirates fans fume about Hall of Fame

You might think that by this point, Pittsburgh Steelers fans would get over their angst surrounding the Heinz Field name change, the Guardian Caps on NFL helmets and Diontae Johnson’s contract.

You might think that.

You’d be wrong. Way wrong.

That’s to say nothing of their opinions surrounding the NFL “GOAT” list at ESPN.com and Pirates fans sounding off about the team’s inaugural Hall of Fame selections.

So we sprinkled some of that conversation in as well during this week’s “U mad, bro?”

Let’s start with Rick. He’s not exactly looking forward to the 2022 debut of Steelers football at the newly renamed Acrisure Stadium on Saturday.

“Welcome to AWKWARD-SURE STADIUM! Home of the Pittsburgh STEELERS!”

Rick, if you want “awkward,” wait until Mitch Trubisky’s first interception as Kenny Pickett is standing on the sidelines in a baseball cap. That’ll be plenty awkward for everyone involved.

Shawn understands why some players don’t like the NFL Guardian Caps on the tops of their helmets in practice.

“It looks just like the cushion I have on my car seat to help my old man back pain while driving. If it didn’t look like something grandpas with sciatica sit on they might not mind it so much.”

Well, Shawn, you’re right. They aren’t the height of NFL fashion. And it’s tougher to slap the logos on them than it is to do so on the side of an NFL helmet.

Strangely enough, for that reason, that’s why you won’t see them on game days.

It’s all about safety … until it’s about branding and marketing!

If they could find a way to make those caps more secure and more trendy in their design, they’ll play with them on Sundays, too. You watch.

Soon, everyone is going to look like Mark Kelso of the Buffalo Bills (insert mandatory “you know he went to North Hills High School” reference here.)

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Jay agreed with my recent column regarding Ben Cherington’s comments about the Pirates after the MLB trade deadline.

“I thought your article was right on point. The Pirates have not been urgent about anything for a number of years. They keep giving starting players away for prospects that never pan out. They did that again this year and it will continue. You can feel the anger and frustration in the response from Pirates fans and the empty ballpark further shows it. I used to go to a couple of Pirate games a year but it is not worth going. Pirates are not worth watching even on TV for free. It is a joke how the announcers and the media continue to make excuses for them. Pirates are not a major league baseball team and management does not want a major league team. Pirate fans deserve much better.”

Thanks, Jay. I just hope that no one forwards this article to Rodolfo Castro. He might try reading it on his phone as he slides into third base.

As a current Pirates prospect, I wouldn’t want his feelings hurt in the middle of a game.

Bob from Johnstown agrees with my belief that Dick Groat should’ve been part of the inaugural Pirates Hall of Fame class.

“How in the world can Dick Groat not be a member of the Pirates inaugural HOF class. He was not only an MVP and batting average leader, world series winner, but team Captain. Although all the 19 selected are excellent picks, it sort of diminishes the excitement to not have Groat among them. I also believe Bob Prince should have been given strong consideration.”

I’m sure Prince got strong consideration. And I’m sure he’ll get in. Soon. But like many of the Pirates who were selected, Prince has been deceased for a long time.

To the greater point about Groat — who is 91 years old — you can’t put everybody in at once. But if they were going to put in 19 guys, why not make it 20? And why not make the 20th honoree a guy who deserves it and is alive to enjoy it?

That would also go for Elroy Face (who is 94) and/or Vern Law (who is 92).

Ed didn’t want to see Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson get a new contract.

“The kid has speed, but seems to drop at least a pass a game. The Steelers haven’t stretched the field with a long passing game for several years. Until Johnson uses his speed to effectively stretch the playing field, and learns to catch all of the balls he should catch as well as making an occasional spectacular catch. Johnson is undeserving a large contract. If he is gone after this season nobody will notice.”

Johnson does need to cut down on the drops. And some of his stats were inflated by Ben Roethlisberger’s reliance on the ultra-short, quick passing game in recent years.

But maybe that’s why he so rarely caught deep balls. Roethlisberger wasn’t great at throwing them as he got older, and the line couldn’t block long enough to get the ball downfield.

You are right in the sense that I think the Steelers could’ve replaced Johnson with yet another receiver pick in the second or third round. But between himself, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Chase Claypool, James Washington and George Pickens, they have done a lot of that in recent years. Maybe they can use that high-leverage pick on a tackle or cornerback next year now that they have Johnson on a contract that is short term and below market rate.

This is a good contract for a good receiver in a year when the Steelers could afford to spend the money to get it done. I’m OK with how this turned out.

Finally, Don did not like the recent ESPN.com NFL GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) list, naming their choices for the best player ever at each position. To the surprise of no one, Tom Brady was the quarterback.

Well, no one but Don, I guess.

“If the media didn’t see somebody play they don’t know them. So they can’t be their goat. Could Tom Brady take the hits that old timers, Montana or Bradshaw took and last more than three seasons. He’d cry and get the rules changed. Shows the stupidity of today’s journalists. Yes. They’re the final word cause they’ve got the soap box. You haven’t seen a goat. You wouldn’t know a goat from cheese.”

I assume Don meant “goat cheese” there to complete the analogy, but I get the point.

To be clear, I’m middle of the road about goat cheese. Everyone knows that Jarlsberg is the GOAT of cheeses. This is a fact. It is irrefutable.

More importantly, I get a kick out of the lengths Pittsburghers will go to minimize any praise bestowed upon Brady, in any forum. For the record, it wasn’t just media types who voted in this poll. Former NFL and college players, coaches and executives on ESPN’s staff cast votes as well.

I love that Don is employing the Pete Rose-esque, “If you weren’t alive to see it, you aren’t allowed to talk about it” mentality.

So I guess that since I was born two years after Roberto Clemente died, I’m not allowed to say he is the greatest Pirate ever because I never saw him. And anyone who was born after 2006 will never be allowed to call Mario Lemieux the best Penguin ever.

Do your rules also work in that direction? Or not? Is it OK to think that way because I’m accepting an opinion as fact just because it comes from an old-timer like you?

My guess is if we could name a “Back in My Day Yinzer” GOAT, Don would be in the running. He’d have my vote.