The Steelers aren’t as bad demographically as they were in the early years of the Mike Tomlin era, which likely will continue for a long time to come as the organization revels in its reputation as the only professional sports team that doesn’t fire its head coach going back to the hiring of Chuck Noll in 1969, but they aren’t that far from the old “Crawfords” days either.
As is often the case in Pittsburgh, there is endless drama and anguish over the starting quarterback, even though the city’s DWFs are notorious as being the worst in the country when it comes to how they treat White ones. Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw was often booed, and future Hall of Famer Ben Roethlisberger was only fully accepted late in his career even though he at times carried the team on his shoulders for long stretches almost single-handedly.
As for the lesser ones, Cliff Stoudt was pelted with boos and snowballs when he returned to town as the QB of a USFL team in 1984.
In 1987, upset after a Steelers loss, a fan drove his car into Three Rivers Stadium, nearly hitting four workers before crashing. ″The only thing he said was that he didn’t like [starting quarterback Mark] Malone,″ a policeman told the media after the fan was arrested. ″He just rode in here in a white station wagon and took half the wall off my office, a concrete brick wall, then he ran into a couple of our four-wheel drive trucks with 70 to 80 gallons of nacho cheese,″ said Ted Winters, the commissary manager at the time.
Tommy Maddox’s home was pelted with eggs and debris in 2002 after a poor performance.
The only exception was during “The Great Eight Year Kordell Stewart Experiment.” Though some fans disliked the incompetent Stewart, who was relentlessly babied by Bill Cowher, he was treated like a conquering king compared to the treatment received by Stoudt, Malone, Maddox, et. al.
This is the psycho-drama in which Mitch Trubisky must try to navigate. Reviled in Chicago – probably a close second to Pittsburgh DWFs when it comes to hating White quarterbacks – Trubisky’s already slim likelihood of being accepted dimmed further when the Steelers drafted University of Pittsburgh star Kenny Pickett in the first round in April. Needless to say, Trubisky is on the shortest of leashes, at least with the fans, who can’t wait to start clamoring for Pickett. But of course they’ll also quickly turn on Pickett too unless he is the rare rookie QB who is great right out of the gates.
Mason Rudolph is the third-string quarterback, a talent who didn’t play much as Big Ben’s career wound down and who has already been written off by the DWFs, though he could still be a quality starting NFL QB if another team gives him an opportunity.
Pittsburgh has 5 White starters, and that’s generously including FB Derek Watt, who is a WSTD who occasionally sees the field as an extra offensive lineman in the backfield. Given the superb athletic prowess of his brothers J. J. and T. J., one would think a team would be interested in seeing if Derek could be a good power back, but that’s not how the NFL works.
T. J. Watt is the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year after a monster 2021, in which he tied the league single season sack record with 22.5 even while missing roughly four games with injuries. Injuries would seem to be his Achilles Heel, as he is currently on the IR after incurring a pec injury in the first game of the ’22 season. Optimistic reports have him returning in mid to late October.
Tight End Pat Freiermuth played very well as a rookie, hauling in 60 passes and scoring 7 times. Few tight ends do well in their first season so Freiermuth would appear to have a very bright future ahead of him.
Gunner Olszewski is the team’s punt and kickoff returner after coming over from New England, and sees the field at times as the fourth or fifth receiver.
ILB Robert Spillane is well known in CF circles for playing very well but being constantly denigrated because he doesn’t run a 4.4 40 or look like D. K. Metcalf in his skivvies. He is currently behind colossal first round bust Devin Bush but stands a pretty good chance of starting at some point during the season.
This team is in the D-/F+ range but because of the presence of three talented White QBs, Freiermuth and T. J. Watt I’ll be generous and give them the higher mark.
C: Cole Mason, J. C. Hassenauer
RT: Jesse Davis
TE: Pat Freiermuth, Zach Gentry
FB: Derek Watt
QB: Mitch Trubisky, Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph
WR: Gunner Olszewski
OLB: T. J. Watt
ILB: Robert Spillane
Number of White Starters: 5
Total number of White players on 53 man roster: 14
Grade: D-
PK: Chris Boswell
LS: Christian Kuntz
Practice squad: T William Dunkle (may be mixed), G John Leglue, C Ryan McCollum
As is often the case in Pittsburgh, there is endless drama and anguish over the starting quarterback, even though the city’s DWFs are notorious as being the worst in the country when it comes to how they treat White ones. Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw was often booed, and future Hall of Famer Ben Roethlisberger was only fully accepted late in his career even though he at times carried the team on his shoulders for long stretches almost single-handedly.
As for the lesser ones, Cliff Stoudt was pelted with boos and snowballs when he returned to town as the QB of a USFL team in 1984.
In 1987, upset after a Steelers loss, a fan drove his car into Three Rivers Stadium, nearly hitting four workers before crashing. ″The only thing he said was that he didn’t like [starting quarterback Mark] Malone,″ a policeman told the media after the fan was arrested. ″He just rode in here in a white station wagon and took half the wall off my office, a concrete brick wall, then he ran into a couple of our four-wheel drive trucks with 70 to 80 gallons of nacho cheese,″ said Ted Winters, the commissary manager at the time.
Tommy Maddox’s home was pelted with eggs and debris in 2002 after a poor performance.
The only exception was during “The Great Eight Year Kordell Stewart Experiment.” Though some fans disliked the incompetent Stewart, who was relentlessly babied by Bill Cowher, he was treated like a conquering king compared to the treatment received by Stoudt, Malone, Maddox, et. al.
This is the psycho-drama in which Mitch Trubisky must try to navigate. Reviled in Chicago – probably a close second to Pittsburgh DWFs when it comes to hating White quarterbacks – Trubisky’s already slim likelihood of being accepted dimmed further when the Steelers drafted University of Pittsburgh star Kenny Pickett in the first round in April. Needless to say, Trubisky is on the shortest of leashes, at least with the fans, who can’t wait to start clamoring for Pickett. But of course they’ll also quickly turn on Pickett too unless he is the rare rookie QB who is great right out of the gates.
Mason Rudolph is the third-string quarterback, a talent who didn’t play much as Big Ben’s career wound down and who has already been written off by the DWFs, though he could still be a quality starting NFL QB if another team gives him an opportunity.
Pittsburgh has 5 White starters, and that’s generously including FB Derek Watt, who is a WSTD who occasionally sees the field as an extra offensive lineman in the backfield. Given the superb athletic prowess of his brothers J. J. and T. J., one would think a team would be interested in seeing if Derek could be a good power back, but that’s not how the NFL works.
T. J. Watt is the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year after a monster 2021, in which he tied the league single season sack record with 22.5 even while missing roughly four games with injuries. Injuries would seem to be his Achilles Heel, as he is currently on the IR after incurring a pec injury in the first game of the ’22 season. Optimistic reports have him returning in mid to late October.
Tight End Pat Freiermuth played very well as a rookie, hauling in 60 passes and scoring 7 times. Few tight ends do well in their first season so Freiermuth would appear to have a very bright future ahead of him.
Gunner Olszewski is the team’s punt and kickoff returner after coming over from New England, and sees the field at times as the fourth or fifth receiver.
ILB Robert Spillane is well known in CF circles for playing very well but being constantly denigrated because he doesn’t run a 4.4 40 or look like D. K. Metcalf in his skivvies. He is currently behind colossal first round bust Devin Bush but stands a pretty good chance of starting at some point during the season.
This team is in the D-/F+ range but because of the presence of three talented White QBs, Freiermuth and T. J. Watt I’ll be generous and give them the higher mark.
C: Cole Mason, J. C. Hassenauer
RT: Jesse Davis
TE: Pat Freiermuth, Zach Gentry
FB: Derek Watt
QB: Mitch Trubisky, Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph
WR: Gunner Olszewski
OLB: T. J. Watt
ILB: Robert Spillane
Number of White Starters: 5
Total number of White players on 53 man roster: 14
Grade: D-
PK: Chris Boswell
LS: Christian Kuntz
Practice squad: T William Dunkle (may be mixed), G John Leglue, C Ryan McCollum
