Steelers Burning Question: Are we, the fans, owed anything from players/coaches?
Last season I did the Friday Night Steelers Six Pack and wondered if it was worth doing further. After all, interaction was not great, and sometimes you just have to adjust. So I decided to call an audible, and not just abandon the Friday night meeting of the black-and-gold minds.
Instead of six questions, I wanted to focus solely on one question.
We’ll still do the preamble of what you’re eating/drinking/listening to, but we’ll focus our attention on the one Steelers question of the week. Don’t worry, most weeks I’ll do a bonus/extra credit question for fun. With all that out of the way, let’s get to the question!
As most of you know, I am not just a fan of the main sports, but am also a huge golf fan. I am an avid golfer, and cover the game with my Fairways & Dreams podcast (which can be heard anywhere you get your podcasts).
Collin Morikawa made waves earlier this year when after losing the lead late at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill to Russell Henley, he avoided the media and didn’t want to talk. It was the next tournament when Morikawa told reporters he doesn’t owe them anything.
Check out the video HERE.
Later this season Rory McIlroy dodged the media for the entire week after his driver was deemed non-conforming during the PGA Championship, a major tournament on the schedule.
As for the NFL, we’ve seen many players just bail on talking to the media. Najee Harris and George Pickens were experts at this practice during their time with the Steelers.
So the question remains, do these players/coaches owe us, the fans, anything?
To me, I feel as if the players should at least face the media after poor performances. After all, they rarely shy away from media when they perform well and are on highlight reels. To me it isn’t about what I’m owed as a fan, it’s an accountability factor. A short story: When I was a head varsity mens lacrosse coach in Maryland, there were times my team was entirely outclassed by the opposition.
After the game it would pain me when I would hear someone near the bleachers say, “Coach Hartman, do you have a minute?”
I’d turn to see the local paper there to cover the game. Do you think I wanted to talk about my team getting their butts kicked? Do you think I wanted to re-live the team not even showing up? Do you think I wanted everyone in the surrounding area to read about how crappy we played?
The answer to all those questions is a resounding no, but I spoke. I answered the questions, even ones which put me, the coach, in a not-so-great light. But I felt it was part of the job to answer questions when both the good and bad were happening. In this regard, I feel the players should answer the call. Cameron Heyward speaks to media no matter what is going on with the success of both the team, or him individually. A great example to follow.
What say you?
As for what I’m eating, I’m grilling burgers, sweet potatoes and asparagus. As for drink, it’s going to be homemade kombucha and the the Dead & Company playing on Spotify!
Happy Friday everyone!!
Today will be burgers, state fair lemonade, and cantaloupe, not fruit salad (Dave approved). Tonight’s film is to be Knowing, with Nicholas Cage.
Every occupation has portions of good and bad, even if one’s vocation happens to be their avocation. Coaches and athletes at expert level(s) owe their attention to their fans/media. The fans/media equally owe their respect to those coaches and players. Street has two-way travel. Those two particular fooballers noted above both suffer from over indulgence (sense of self-agency) they learned earlier in their lives. Either they’ll mature, or not.
Here’s a real controversy. Tyler Dunne (Go Long) rates Josh Allen in between Terry Bradshaw and Ben Roethlisberger on his list of 30 Best QBs since 1966.
I gotta blame LeBron for that one, or something Tyler consumed. Ridiculous.
Eating rotisserie chicken, and potato salad, with a side of corn on the cob. Drinking Founders Centennial IPA, and listening to Sinatra chanel on Pandora.
What they owe us is to work hard and always give us their best effort. I don’t care if they talk after a game, but if they are camera whores when things go well, they shouldn’t duck the cameras when things go south – you look like a small JAG when you do that. If they’re smart though, they can use those interviews to send a message to their teammates, and or coaches.
If it were me, I’d model Captain Cam’s behavior and always do the interviews.
Agree especially w/paragraph three. Cam is a pro and grown-up.
Lemon raddler w/ chipotle chicken subs, listening to The 1975.
A day or two after the game? Sure. Immediately after the game? Not owed at all.
I’m sure it’s a little different for media outlets hoping they’ll ask the same question 20 times just in 20 different ways in hopes they’ll slip, but 99.99999999999999% of the time, it’s “The team did great, I could have done a better job, props to the other team,” etc. for 10 minutes straight.
To me, it’s like “Dude… They’re still processing everything. Give them a mental break. You can get your pencils and notepads tomorrow, because you’ll likely get something more.”
Modelo and pizza.
I’m of the belief that players shouldn’t have to be bothered with media. Its up to the coaches to handle media and take all the heat. I however think if a player is approachable after win they should act the same after a loss.
Jeff have you seen Dead & Company during their tenure?
Also worth seeing is Bob Weir and Wolf Brothers