U mad, bro? The shut-in is making readers enraged about Bill Cowher, NFL Draft, MLB plans

The longer this coronavirus quarantine goes on, the angrier people are getting. Myself included.

As you will find out shortly.

I can’t blame myself. Or anyone else. This stinks.

No sports. No movies. No shows. No concerts. No outdoor gatherings.

And for me, no escape from Twitter. Which makes me especially angry.

Thankfully, you have “U mad, bro?” to vent at me. And I have the responses to vent back at you. It’s truly a fantastic system that we have going on here!

Also, readers let off a little steam about Bill Cowher, Jameis Winston, Jason Kendall and Major League Baseball.

Somebody going by “@pgh4122” on Twitter says my criticism of the reaction to the pandemic has been too angry.

You’ve really turned into an angry person, Tim.

— Cheeblo (@Pgh4122) April 7, 2020

You got me.

I tend to get put on edge by global pandemics that claim lives, keep me shut in my house, plunge the economy into turmoil, take away a lot of my occupation that I love, and generally erase the natural order of life.

I’ll work on that. Thanks for the advice.

Clearly, it’s a “me” thing.

I recently posted a story about reports that Major League Baseball is considering a rollback to seven-inning double headers as a way to squeeze in more games after the coronavirus quarantine is lifted. Harry from Mt. Lebanon emailed me with, um, an interesting reaction.

“Are ticket prices supposed to drop to 78% of nominal* to compensate for reduced baseball activity? Are sportswriters covering MLB going to take a salary hit, too?

* 78% = 7/9.”

I don’t know. Do you feel obliged to pay more when the game goes to extra innings? Is that how this works?

Based on how the Pirates were 25th in blown save percentage last year, I’d think that you would be inclined to ask for a full refund in the later innings of most games at PNC Park anyway.

Plus, don’t you worry about sportswriters taking a salary hit. A lot of us already have.

And we consider ourselves the lucky ones, just to still be working.

Feel better about your own difficult situation as a fan now, Harry?

Good. Glad I could help.

Last week I criticized Adam Schefter’s shaming of the NFL for continuing with the draft. “Studs Efram” fired back at me for doing so.

“Schefter is right. You are wrong. There will be no sports until a vaccine is distributed which will be in 11 months. Wake up, moron! Show some sensitivity to those suffering. I know your job is all about ‘B-sing’ and creating controversy. But enough is enough.”

How does holding a draft equate to a lack of sensitivity? I fail to see a connection. And how would canceling the draft make anyone dealing with the disease feel better?

No one demanding a cancellation of the draft has been able to answer those two questions for me. No one.

Here’s something else ol’ “Studs” can’t answer for me.

Why is it wrong to give out 250 good-paying jobs to 20-year-old kids, who otherwise wouldn’t be employed for whatever period of time the quarantine lasts?

Furthermore, once drafted, those players would have union protections and NFL-level health care. And I have no idea why those are bad things.

But, then again, I’m the “moron.”

I really hope a vaccine comes along faster than 11 months. And I hope a vaccine against virtue signaling like this is right behind it.

Former Pirate Jason Kendall recently said that he would have hit .400 if he was on a team that had a sign-stealing system like we saw in Houston.

“Wacokid22” disagrees on Twitter.

Kendall would’ve probably hit worse if he knew what was coming while playing for those @Pirates teams. They would’ve screwed the signals up for sure.

— ??️?? (@wacokid22) April 6, 2020

That’s a good point. They probably would’ve put one of the racing pierogis in charge to save money on it.

Ritchie emailed about former Steelers coach Bill Cowher endorsing Jameis Winston as a potential backup for Ben Roethlisberger.

“Cowher has turned soft on us. I saw the stunt(s) he pulled at FSU and beyond. I now see the interceptions. I don’t want Winston anywhere near that football team for both personal and football related reasons. Cowher is a disappointment.”

Cowher may prove to be wrong for endorsing Winston. But how does that make him “soft” exactly?

Also, I don’t know that he’s wrong. All this Winston analysis boils down to one question: Is he better than Mason Rudolph or Devlin Hodges?

I think he is. If he comes in for dirt cheap and is willing to accept a backup role to Roethlisberger, I’m on board.

I just don’t see Winston as willing to come on board for dirt cheap and taking a backup role to Roethlisberger for at least this year and maybe next.

A listener named “@72Raoul” didn’t like the podcast I did with Mark Madden about how coronavirus has put the sports world on hold.

Looking forward to political reporters break down the Penguins blue line issues along with whether the Steelers have sufficient depth at ILB next

Maybe stay in your lane?

— Raoul Duke 72 (@72Raoul) April 7, 2020

Sports is our lane. A virus and politics got in it.

Maybe get smart enough to figure that out?