Latest / Pittsburgh Sports Memories / BONUS EPISODE: Pgh Sports Current Events - January 8, 2026

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BONUS EPISODE: Pgh Sports Current Events - January 8, 2026 · Pittsburgh Sports Memories

0:00
SPEAKER_00: Hello and welcome to another exciting edition of Pittsburgh Sports Memories Current Events.
0:07
SPEAKER_00: This week we are going to be covering lots of stuff that happened.
0:11
SPEAKER_00: It was a busy week in Pittsburgh Sports.
0:14
SPEAKER_00: So we'll jump right into it.
0:15
SPEAKER_00: I'm your co-host, Steve Wert, and I'm joined by I'm Tim Hannon.
0:20
SPEAKER_01: I'm still recovering from that game on Sunday night.
0:25
SPEAKER_00: So uh the you're of course talking about the Penguins uh five comeback against Columbus, right?
0:31
SPEAKER_00: It was a big key win in this season to extend their winning streak to like five, and now they're back in playoff position, Tim.
0:41
SPEAKER_00: Wow.
0:42
SPEAKER_00: What a dead like weren't they just in last place like two weeks ago?
0:46
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's a it's a that's the sign of a young, inexperienced team when they're this streaky.
0:53
SPEAKER_01: Uh again, I uh I think I keep saying it.
0:57
SPEAKER_01: It's it's nice that they're doing that they're exceeding expectations.
1:01
SPEAKER_01: They're not really gonna go anywhere far this season.
1:04
SPEAKER_01: It'd be cool if they were at least back in the playoffs because it'd be fun to watch playoff games again.
1:07
SPEAKER_01: But I think it's it's cooler that they're building some foundation for the future.
1:13
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I mean they just need a goaltender.
1:15
SPEAKER_00: They just they haven't found a goaltender yet, and that kind of worries me.
1:19
SPEAKER_01: They have one.
1:19
SPEAKER_01: They they have two, they have a couple, they just they're not ready.
1:22
SPEAKER_00: That guy well, yeah, they said he's struggling right now, the Russian guy.
1:26
SPEAKER_01: So it's just gonna take time.
1:29
SPEAKER_00: Anyway, well, pit basketball.
1:31
SPEAKER_00: You were all really curious what pet basketball was up to.
1:34
SPEAKER_00: Well, they they've been busy losing.
1:36
SPEAKER_00: They lost to Miami.
1:38
SPEAKER_00: They had a 10-point lead at half against Miami, and they promptly gave that up and lost to Miami by like eight.
1:44
SPEAKER_00: And they lost to Clemson, who I don't think is all that good this year, and now they're seven and seven.
1:49
SPEAKER_00: And I guess James Gapel is just coach for life.
1:52
SPEAKER_00: He can never make an NCAA tournament, and it just doesn't matter.
1:56
SPEAKER_00: So basketball's such a mess too with the NIL.
1:59
SPEAKER_00: They're in even worse shape.
2:01
SPEAKER_00: Did you did you hear that?
2:02
SPEAKER_00: Like, there was a player, I forget what team, like he went and played for the NBA actually in like the G League, and now he came back to the uh NCAA and they let him play because like because that it's all steaming from that that quarterback from Vanderbilt who like sued the NCAA because he played like two years at JUCO.
2:20
SPEAKER_00: He's like, Well, you can't count them against my eligibility, and he went to court and the judge was like, Oh yeah, he can play.
2:26
SPEAKER_00: So like this is crazy.
2:28
SPEAKER_00: So I think the NCAA is just giving up at this point, and they're just gonna let anything like what the it's just like the wild west, and it's gonna be like that until I I heard the theory is they're just gonna let everything go until like it gets so bad that like the the government that I guess the federal government makes some sort of ruling on them where they can start enforcing the rules again.
2:48
SPEAKER_00: And I kind of don't blame them.
2:49
SPEAKER_00: If everything you're gonna do gets you're gonna get sued over and it's gonna cost you money, then you're just gonna stop doing it.
2:55
SPEAKER_00: So there you have it.
2:58
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and still won't be able to compete.
3:01
SPEAKER_00: So yeah, college athletics is pretty much dead at this point.
3:05
SPEAKER_00: I mean, as as far as amateurism goes.
3:08
SPEAKER_00: Anyway, uh moving to football Palooza, woo! Um, I guess we'll start with this story before we jump right into the Steelers Baltimore game.
3:17
SPEAKER_00: Um, John Harbaugh is been fired by the Baltimore Ravens for obvious reasons, too.
3:24
SPEAKER_00: Um I think he how long it was there, 17, 18 years?
3:29
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it was 18 years.
3:31
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
3:32
SPEAKER_00: And uh very successful, made the playoffs a lot, won a well, he did win one Super Bowl, right?
3:37
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, only one.
3:38
SPEAKER_00: And uh very successful.
3:40
SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
3:41
SPEAKER_00: I never he never annoyed me that bad.
3:43
SPEAKER_00: I mean he wasn't like Brian Billick annoying or like Bill Belichick cheater-ish.
3:49
SPEAKER_00: I don't know, people are like, oh, he's so smug and this and that.
3:52
SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
3:54
SPEAKER_00: He just never really rubbed me all that wrong the wrong way.
3:58
SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
3:59
SPEAKER_00: I mean, I just don't like Baltimore because they're Baltimore, but He was a good coach.
4:05
SPEAKER_01: It's it's the same conversation that we've been having in Pittsburgh about Tom Lynn.
4:09
SPEAKER_01: It's you know, it's a guy that's been successful a really long time.
4:13
SPEAKER_01: He's a proven coach, he's very good, and uh they're not getting the results that they expect.
4:20
SPEAKER_01: So they they took the chance that you know that they can get better results from somebody else.
4:26
SPEAKER_01: It'll be real, real interesting to see how that shakes out.
4:30
SPEAKER_01: I think, Steve, it puts a ton of pressure on Lamar Jackson because now if he doesn't win a Super Bowl, you fire the legendary coach to to to basically say that you know that's the that was the thing holding him back.
4:44
SPEAKER_01: Uh and if somebody else comes in and doesn't do as well and then and then if Harbaugh goes somewhere else, I th I think man, if I'm Harbaugh, I'm I'm calling the New York Giants or a team like that.
4:55
SPEAKER_01: Somebody that's got like a good young nucleus, uh I I think he'll do well elsewhere, and I I think it might end up being a mistake, but it might not.
5:04
SPEAKER_01: I I don't blame them, I get it.
5:05
SPEAKER_01: It's again, it's the same thing we're facing here.
5:07
SPEAKER_00: He's been there a long time.
5:09
SPEAKER_00: Is it getting stale?
5:10
SPEAKER_01: Is it like exactly that's exactly right?
5:13
SPEAKER_01: It nobody's arguing.
5:15
SPEAKER_01: Well, I'm sure some people argue.
5:17
SPEAKER_01: I I it objectively, he's a very good coach, and objectively, maybe it's time for a change.
5:25
SPEAKER_01: It's both things can be true at the same time.
5:27
SPEAKER_01: We've said the same thing here about Tomlin, so it'll be interesting.
5:32
SPEAKER_00: I I do you think so?
5:33
SPEAKER_00: You think he coaches somewhere next year?
5:35
SPEAKER_00: I mean, who knows?
5:36
SPEAKER_00: I I think he takes a year off.
5:38
SPEAKER_00: I bet he takes a year off.
5:39
SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
5:40
SPEAKER_00: I maybe it depends on what team comes from.
5:42
SPEAKER_01: That's what I was gonna say.
5:43
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's what I was gonna say.
5:44
SPEAKER_01: It really depends.
5:45
SPEAKER_01: Like he's not gonna just jump at like, oh, the Falcons need a coach or the Browns need a coach.
5:49
SPEAKER_01: I think he'll be a good one.
5:50
SPEAKER_00: The Arizona Cardinals need a coach.
5:52
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think he'll be selective about where he goes, uh like his brother did.
5:56
SPEAKER_01: He's got the luxury to do that because he could really be anywhere.
6:00
SPEAKER_01: But I but I think that they're if you're looking at all the vacancies, you know, the Giants are a good situation.
6:06
SPEAKER_01: You could maybe argue that the Raiders are a good situation, but I really don't see it.
6:12
SPEAKER_01: Um maybe maybe if you believe that Brady's capable of turning that team around, but I I'm not seeing that either.
6:18
SPEAKER_01: So so usually when a team fires a coach, it's because they stink.
6:23
SPEAKER_01: So yeah, I you're right.
6:26
SPEAKER_01: He might take a year off.
6:27
SPEAKER_01: I could see that.
6:28
SPEAKER_01: And maybe he doesn't want to coach, maybe he wants to go the Bill Cower route.
6:32
SPEAKER_01: Right.
6:32
SPEAKER_01: I mean, you never know.
6:33
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, Bill Cower, boy, that guy's happy.
6:36
SPEAKER_00: Like I just saw an interview with him today, and he's just he he said, Oh, I love the anonymity.
6:41
SPEAKER_00: He loves living in New York City.
6:42
SPEAKER_00: He said he can go out and do stuff and not get bothered and you know, talk football once a week and you know, live his life, and you know, it's not like not like the way he's in Pittsburgh.
6:52
SPEAKER_00: So good for him.
6:53
SPEAKER_00: Bill Cower's really had a great like 18.
6:56
SPEAKER_00: Can you believe he's been in the Hall of Fame for six years and he's been out of football since I think 18, 19 years?
7:02
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
7:03
SPEAKER_01: It was it was 2006.
7:05
SPEAKER_01: So this is this is the 20 this upcoming season will be like the 20th anniversary of his last last season, so yeah, hard to believe.
7:14
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
7:14
SPEAKER_00: And all the other coaches like Stefansky got fired in Baltimore or in uh Cleveland, which I guess I Yeah, I mean, it was definitely all his fault that they signed Deshaun Watson.
7:26
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
7:26
SPEAKER_01: Don't fire the GM, don't don't blame the owner, definitely fire the two-time coaches.
7:31
SPEAKER_00: It's like the bad teams just never learn in their lesson.
7:34
SPEAKER_00: Atlanta, like what's wrong with Atlanta?
7:36
SPEAKER_00: Like that's just a that's another team that's like really screwed up their court.
7:40
SPEAKER_00: Like, they signed Kirk Cousins and then they signed this other young quarterback, and like Kirk Cousins was better.
7:47
SPEAKER_00: He like won more games than the other guy.
7:49
SPEAKER_00: Like, you should have just had the other, but that Penix is kind of older, isn't he?
7:54
SPEAKER_00: So I I I don't I I don't know like what's going on.
7:58
SPEAKER_00: I know that that Arthur Blank is not the greatest of owners.
8:02
SPEAKER_00: I don't think he's like a ridiculous idiot, but I don't at the same time it just seems like I don't know.
8:07
SPEAKER_00: He seems like he makes a lot of bad moves.
8:09
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, he he reminds me a little bit, like I hate to say this, but a little bit of the Chief, where I think he's a really good dude.
8:16
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
8:17
SPEAKER_01: But I'm not sure he knows exactly how to run a football team.
8:21
SPEAKER_01: And and that's such a garbage franchise.
8:23
SPEAKER_00: I mean, I'm sorry, but like Yeah, Atlanta's been bad for Well, and and they're not terrible.
8:28
SPEAKER_00: They're not they're not Cleveland, they're not the Jets, they're not the No, it's just they have Kirk Cousins, and that's not bad, but they don't have anybody, like they don't have a really great defense.
8:39
SPEAKER_00: Their defense is like mediocre on a good day, and they really their offense, they have some pieces on offense, definitely like Drake London, and yeah, I I don't know what Elena said it.
8:50
SPEAKER_01: My entire life as a football fan, all they've really done is just waste everybody's time.
8:54
SPEAKER_01: They just waste everybody's time.
8:56
SPEAKER_00: Well, they're they're always like they're good, they're bad.
8:58
SPEAKER_00: They're good, they're bad.
8:59
SPEAKER_00: They're they're you know, they're never great.
9:02
SPEAKER_00: They're just like they're always just like like you said, 28 to 3.
9:06
SPEAKER_00: Like, I don't know if they can work again.
9:08
SPEAKER_01: Every 20 years they get to a Super Bowl and it and it goes poorly, and then they go back to like, well, six wins, seven wins.
9:16
SPEAKER_01: You know, like like I said, they're not they're not Cleveland, they're not, they're not these like bottom dweller two-win teams.
9:24
SPEAKER_01: I I I'm I'm really in favor of contracting the Falcons from the NFC and the Jets from the AFC.
9:31
SPEAKER_01: You replace them with two Euro teams, and then we have a much more quality National Football League.
9:39
SPEAKER_00: Okay, then.
9:40
SPEAKER_00: What do you do with the what about the Raiders?
9:42
SPEAKER_00: The Raiders have become absolute and the what about the Raiders and Cardinals?
9:45
SPEAKER_00: Can we get rid of them too?
9:47
SPEAKER_01: At least the Raiders have some history and some interesting Hey, the Cardinals have one unrecognized championship.
9:54
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, the Cardinals, the Cardinals could make a case for that too.
9:57
SPEAKER_01: But going back to Stif Stefansky, I just think that's I I just that I don't know why that irritated me when he got fired.
10:04
SPEAKER_01: But I'm just like, really?
10:06
SPEAKER_01: It's his fault.
10:07
SPEAKER_01: I mean, I think that guy's actually a really good coach.
10:09
SPEAKER_00: He's won navy coach of the year twice.
10:12
SPEAKER_01: Right, exactly.
10:14
SPEAKER_00: Talk about another guy being a great fit in the Giants.
10:16
SPEAKER_00: Like they have a quarterback and he's good with quarterbacks.
10:19
SPEAKER_01: Oh, yeah, that's true.
10:20
SPEAKER_01: He would be a good fit on the Giants because of the offensive, and they have that, you know, scataboo and neighbors and and then yeah, yeah.
10:29
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I you're right.
10:30
SPEAKER_01: That would be a good fit for him.
10:31
SPEAKER_01: I'd I'd honestly love to see him go somewhere and like win 12 games next year while Cleveland hires reject number 27 and you know doesn't win as many games as they did yesterday, or it'd be hard to do because he only won four.
10:44
SPEAKER_00: How did the guy in Cincinnati survive?
10:46
SPEAKER_00: How does he like like at some point you have to like wake up and do something with your defense?
10:53
SPEAKER_00: I like you're talking about wasting everybody's time.
10:56
SPEAKER_00: Well, he's not wasting everybody's time, at least wasting Joe Burroughs' career.
11:02
SPEAKER_01: Remember, Cincinnati, if you ever want to think about how Cincinnati operates, it's very similar to how Bob Nutting operates his his sports teams.
11:10
SPEAKER_01: It's it's very like it's a clip from The Simpsons we played before where it's like, well, he seems to know the students' names.
11:17
SPEAKER_01: You know, it's it's just my the the Brown family, it's just like, well, whatever.
11:22
SPEAKER_01: I mean, uh going out and getting a new coach and then and then and then paying the rest of the contract for this coach.
11:28
SPEAKER_01: We don't want to do that.
11:30
SPEAKER_01: So they'll just kind of plug away.
11:32
SPEAKER_00: I I yeah, I'm not sure who's worse between um Haslem, Brown, or the Bidwells.
11:37
SPEAKER_00: I'm not sure.
11:38
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's it's some real, like I said, just garbage, so much garbage ownership and and franchises.
11:46
SPEAKER_00: In Mark Davis, like I don't I don't know that Tom Brady can save him from himself.
11:51
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's that's also true.
11:52
SPEAKER_01: They they said he's gonna be like heavily involved in the in the coach search.
11:57
SPEAKER_00: Tom Brady?
11:58
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
11:59
SPEAKER_00: So I I th I bet Tom Brady ends up like Wayne Gretzky, just being like a terrible executive.
12:04
SPEAKER_00: Like I have that feeling, like, you know, Wayne Gretzky was just an absolute terrible coach and a terrible executive.
12:10
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I don't I don't want to go too far into a tangent here because we have so much to discuss with the Steeler game, but like a good a good question to ponder would be has anybody other than Mario Lemieux really been able to make that transition from like Hall of Fame legendary player to successful front office owner of the Ozzie Ozzie Ozzie Newsome.
12:31
SPEAKER_01: Oh, that's very good, Steve.
12:33
SPEAKER_01: That's great, great.
12:34
SPEAKER_00: Speaking of the Ravens, yeah.
12:36
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, Browns, Browns slash Ravens.
12:38
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, no, you're right.
12:39
SPEAKER_01: He that's perfect example because he he that dude was amazing as as uh as a front office guy, so yeah, great example.
12:48
SPEAKER_00: Um well, moving on from Ozzie Newsome, who Red Wright 99.
12:52
SPEAKER_00: Wasn't he the guy in Red Wright 99?
12:54
SPEAKER_01: It was 88, but he's counting.
12:56
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
12:57
SPEAKER_00: Maybe it would work better if it was 99.
12:59
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, if it was 99, they would have completed the pass, but they call it 88.
13:04
SPEAKER_00: Poor Ozzie Newsome.
13:05
SPEAKER_00: It wasn't his fault.
13:08
SPEAKER_00: Um, anyway.
13:10
SPEAKER_00: Uh to the Steelers Baltimore game.
13:12
SPEAKER_00: What a game, Tim.
13:14
SPEAKER_01: My God.
13:15
SPEAKER_00: You lived it, huh?
13:17
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I I the I try to remember the last time that I went through that many emotion swings in a in a in a sporting event period, and the only thing I could think of, and I know it's not quite the same because it wasn't a playoff game.
13:33
SPEAKER_01: Well, it was kind of a playoff game, but the only thing I could even compare it to was that Colts game from 20 years ago, where it's like, we won, no, we lost.
13:41
SPEAKER_01: No, we won! No, we we lost.
13:43
SPEAKER_01: Like, and then we won again.
13:45
SPEAKER_01: It's it's just so many swings of emotion.
13:48
SPEAKER_01: I was so just my my brother and I walked back to the car after that game, and and and man, it was a scene, Steve.
13:56
SPEAKER_01: Like, it was funny, you said last week that boy, they better get in the lead early because that crowd's gonna turn.
14:03
SPEAKER_01: And I felt the same way.
14:04
SPEAKER_01: Like everybody had this sense of gloom all week.
14:07
SPEAKER_01: But then when at that stadium, even when they got down 10-0, that crowd was like believing they were into it.
14:14
SPEAKER_01: And then after that game, just walking down the streets of the North Shore, everybody's yelling and singing and chanting, here we go, Steelers, and at midnight on Sunday night.
14:24
SPEAKER_01: It was it was amazing.
14:26
SPEAKER_01: And and my brother and I walked back to the car just like we kept looking at each other, like, did that really happen?
14:31
SPEAKER_01: Like, did that really just happen?
14:33
SPEAKER_01: It was unbelievable.
14:36
SPEAKER_00: So uh yeah, the Steelers won.
14:40
SPEAKER_00: What was the final score?
14:41
SPEAKER_00: 26-24.
14:43
SPEAKER_00: Um, Aaron Rodgers was 31 of 47 for 290, 294 yards and a touchdown.
14:50
SPEAKER_00: Uh Kenny Gainwell had eight receptions for 64 yards.
14:54
SPEAKER_00: He didn't do much rushing the ball.
14:56
SPEAKER_00: Lamar Jackson, wow.
14:59
SPEAKER_00: That guy, uh, you said you weren't scared of him.
15:02
SPEAKER_00: You should uh what's that line from Yoda when when he says, I'm ready to face Vader?
15:07
SPEAKER_00: I'm not afraid of him.
15:08
SPEAKER_00: And Yoda's like, You will be, you should be, or whatever.
15:13
SPEAKER_00: That's what are you afraid of Lamar Jackson now, Tim?
15:18
SPEAKER_01: Well, I have to give him a ton of credit because he played he he played lights on.
15:23
SPEAKER_01: He deserved to win.
15:24
SPEAKER_00: His stats don't look tremendously great.
15:26
SPEAKER_00: He only completed 11 passes, but that that play against um Highsmith, boy, Highsmith should have had him dead to rights.
15:34
SPEAKER_00: And I wanted to fault Highsmith, but I was like, no, that was just a really good play by Lamar Jackson.
15:39
SPEAKER_00: He just he made a great play to make Highsmith miss, and then it wasn't even a bad call by um the defensive coordinator.
15:47
SPEAKER_00: Like if the it worked, the blitz worked.
15:49
SPEAKER_00: He's right, you just got to make the tackle.
15:51
SPEAKER_00: And it's like, I know Patrick Queen on Zay Flowers is a bad matchup, but it's like he only has to cover him for like two 1.2 seconds.
16:00
SPEAKER_01: Right.
16:01
SPEAKER_00: And it's just like once Lamar escaped that tackle, it's like, uh-oh, we're in trouble now.
16:07
SPEAKER_01: It was such a weird game because the defense played excellent, except for four plays.
16:12
SPEAKER_01: Like literally, and it was the it was the third and one for the fourth and one, the third and one where they sold out to stop the run, and both times they he burned them over the top.
16:20
SPEAKER_01: And then the play, like you said, he escaped from High Smith, and then the fourth and seven at the end where he found Isaiah Lake.
16:26
SPEAKER_00: Well, that was another one where like literally TJ Watt is like a half of not even a half footstep, maybe like literally a split second from swatting at the ball, and he throws this floater of a pass, but it's fourth and seven.
16:41
SPEAKER_00: That's the pass you gotta throw.
16:43
SPEAKER_00: Just throw it up there and let your and he gave his guy a chance.
16:46
SPEAKER_00: And you know, um, Ramsey was kind of there.
16:50
SPEAKER_00: Like he all Ramsey almost made a play on it.
16:52
SPEAKER_01: He did.
16:53
SPEAKER_00: But I I don't know.
16:55
SPEAKER_01: It was a great throw and a great catch.
16:57
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
16:58
SPEAKER_01: It was like you couldn't even fall, it wasn't like he was a little he was a little out of position, but my goodness, it was just a great play.
17:05
SPEAKER_01: Like you can't always blame the defense.
17:07
SPEAKER_01: And and man, Isaiah Lakely, like how many times does he have to catch the game-winning touchdown against the Steelers before he actually wins the game?
17:16
SPEAKER_01: Because he's 0 for 2 on that.
17:19
SPEAKER_00: Uh big plays.
17:20
SPEAKER_00: Chris Boswell kicks a 57-yard field goal and then uh decides the channel is inner Andrew Junoko from Pitt and miss an extra point.
17:32
SPEAKER_00: But now they're saying I did watch the replay just a couple minutes ago, and I they're saying it might have been blocked.
17:40
SPEAKER_00: It might have been blocked.
17:41
SPEAKER_01: Well, the NFL actually officially scored it as a block.
17:44
SPEAKER_00: The guy must have just barely got a piece of it to give it that funny.
17:48
SPEAKER_00: Because if you watch it, it has a really odd spin to it.
17:52
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, Chris Chris Halleck, um, who's who's a great Steelers reporter, by the way, little PSA, this is the time of the year where you really want to go to like good steeler reporters and not listen to like the Mark Madden kind of voices of the world.
18:05
SPEAKER_01: You really want to listen to the people that are covering the team.
18:08
SPEAKER_01: He said that the um the all-22 film, you could see that the guy got his hand on it.
18:13
SPEAKER_01: You can't see it on the TV replay, but the all-22 you can see it.
18:16
SPEAKER_00: And if you watch it, it's not much either.
18:18
SPEAKER_00: He doesn't get it, it's like a fingertip.
18:21
SPEAKER_01: But it's enough to change the trajectory.
18:23
SPEAKER_01: And if you watch that guy, if you watch the rest of the Ravens, they're kind of just turn around to look, but that guy starts like putting his arm up because he knows he got his hand on it.
18:33
SPEAKER_01: Uh, they said Derek Harmon was the one that was actually a little out of position there, should have should have um blocked him.
18:39
SPEAKER_01: So that really wasn't Boz's fault, but I couldn't believe that at the time.
18:42
SPEAKER_01: I I because that was after the Calvin Austin touchdown with 55 seconds left.
18:48
SPEAKER_01: And I turned to my everybody was celebrating going nuts, and I turned to my brother and I said, you know, this extra point actually is really important because it puts them up by three instead of up by two.
18:57
SPEAKER_01: And and my brother goes, Yeah, but it's Boz.
19:00
SPEAKER_01: And then literally, as he was saying those words, so it like I said, the emotion swings, Steve, it was like uh they he that Zay Flowers touched them.
19:11
SPEAKER_01: Well, first of all, when it was 13-10 in the fourth quarter, we had all the momentum.
19:15
SPEAKER_00: Well, I knew that I I knew we weren't in trouble when we were down because they scored too quickly.
19:20
SPEAKER_00: And I was like, okay, that's okay.
19:22
SPEAKER_00: They scored, but they scored quickly and they left us time.
19:26
SPEAKER_00: And then Aaron Rodgers, like, I were they down four at that point when he just started playing uh multiple uh did you see that with the the the something happened to the uh helmet, the helmet and he was pulling the Kenny Pickett, Mark Whipple, run over the sideline, get the play, run back to the I didn't realize that until because I I didn't see that at the game.
19:47
SPEAKER_01: I saw that later.
19:48
SPEAKER_01: That was on the other side of your well, and I just didn't understand why they kept calling timeout.
19:52
SPEAKER_01: But he made a good point after the game.
19:53
SPEAKER_01: He was like, at that point, it was more than who cares about the timeout, yeah.
19:57
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that we screwed and that's really what you get with a guy like that that's been uh been there, done that.
20:02
SPEAKER_01: He's he's gonna understand that when you have somebody that's a lot more inexperienced, there they might try to force something.
20:09
SPEAKER_01: So they score that that touchdown down there after they finally get through all the communication issues.
20:14
SPEAKER_01: But then the Ravens come back and and that's where they hit that play on third and one, and now the Sewards don't have any timeouts left, and Rodgers drives them all the way down the field.
20:25
SPEAKER_01: Austin, you know, I know that guy slipped, but I mean Austin made that move.
20:28
SPEAKER_01: That's why the guy slipped.
20:29
SPEAKER_00: Well, that was in your end, right?
20:31
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
20:31
SPEAKER_00: No, that was the other end.
20:33
SPEAKER_00: That was the other end.
20:34
SPEAKER_01: Okay.
20:34
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, the field goal was in our end.
20:36
SPEAKER_00: The field goal was in the open end?
20:38
SPEAKER_01: No, it was in the we're we're actually on the other side of the field than we used to be.
20:42
SPEAKER_01: That's why you're confused.
20:43
SPEAKER_00: Oh, oh, you don't sit on the open end anymore.
20:45
SPEAKER_01: Right, right.
20:46
SPEAKER_01: We're we're kind of at the same angle, but on the other you're in the closed end now.
20:51
SPEAKER_01: We're in the closed end, yeah.
20:52
SPEAKER_01: So so Austin scores that touchdown, we miss the extra point, then they return the kickoff to the 50, and you're like, oh my god, we're gonna lose the season on a missed extra point, but then we got him down to fourth and seven.
21:05
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
21:06
SPEAKER_01: You know, it's like, okay, just one play, just one play.
21:08
SPEAKER_01: And then, like we said, Isaiah likely, that great throw, that great catch.
21:12
SPEAKER_01: And then the field goal.
21:15
SPEAKER_01: Uh you know what's funny, Steve?
21:17
SPEAKER_01: You talked about how Accurateur Stadium, there's no more advantage to kicking.
21:22
SPEAKER_00: No, I I was totally proven wrong.
21:24
SPEAKER_00: Uh, you know who my M you know the MVP of this game was?
21:27
SPEAKER_01: The turf.
21:28
SPEAKER_01: The priest, the priest that anointed the holy water.
21:32
SPEAKER_00: No, I was gonna say the acrochewed high slash Hinesfield turf.
21:36
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
21:37
SPEAKER_00: It caused the guy to fall, and the thing the other guy missed the kick in the closed end.
21:42
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
21:43
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
21:44
SPEAKER_00: That's the easier end to kick in, but that's the same with the Doug Bryan.
21:48
SPEAKER_01: That was that's what's I honestly I thought of that right after the game.
21:51
SPEAKER_01: I I was there for that game too, and that's the same end where Doug Bryan missed 21 years ago.
21:56
SPEAKER_01: Uh but but but like you were saying.
22:00
SPEAKER_01: That it's so easy to kick field goals now.
22:02
SPEAKER_00: Well, he kicked a 57 yarder.
22:04
SPEAKER_00: He like bought in in December, January, he kicked a 57 yarder.
22:09
SPEAKER_00: You couldn't kick a 50 yarder in September when it was 70 degrees.
22:14
SPEAKER_00: Like the only uh Mike Florio said this, and I saw this field goal.
22:18
SPEAKER_00: Remember Pat McAfee when he kicked for West Virginia was the first guy to kick a 50 yarder in Heinz Field, and that was the longest field goal in Heinz Field history forever.
22:31
SPEAKER_00: Right.
22:31
SPEAKER_00: As long as I I mean, I don't know what is there a 60 yarder now?
22:35
SPEAKER_00: I know one of the pit I I think Kessman or somebody hit a 59 yarder there one time.
22:41
SPEAKER_01: But but but like now in the NFL with them, you know, they don't use the cable anymore.
22:45
SPEAKER_01: These kickers make everything.
22:47
SPEAKER_01: That that kid for Baltimore was what like 24 for 24?
22:50
SPEAKER_00: He had not missed the kick inside 50 yards all season.
22:54
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
22:55
SPEAKER_01: You know, so I mean that was that was I thought that was a gimme.
22:58
SPEAKER_00: And I didn't think it was a gimme, but I thought this is pretty high percentage making.
23:03
SPEAKER_01: Oh, I I I had zero I I I I a hundred percent expectations.
23:08
SPEAKER_00: I thought the only way he would miss it if the Steelers blocked it.
23:11
SPEAKER_00: I thought the Steelers were gonna block this.
23:12
SPEAKER_01: Or they messed up the snap or something like that.
23:15
SPEAKER_01: That was kind of what I was hoping for.
23:16
SPEAKER_01: And and so from my angle down there, I can't see I can see if the ball should be because you can't see it in and out.
23:22
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
23:23
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you can't see whether it goes through the post or not.
23:25
SPEAKER_01: So I watched the people behind the field goal posts.
23:28
SPEAKER_00: Or you watch the officials.
23:29
SPEAKER_01: I mean they well, but but the it takes a minute for the officials to signal something.
23:33
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so when the ball was in the air, all the people behind there started you could see them going crazy.
23:38
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, they started raising their arms up, and I'm like, oh my god, I think he missed.
23:43
SPEAKER_01: And and then it was just bedlam.
23:45
SPEAKER_01: I mean, it was absolute bedlam at that stadium.
23:48
SPEAKER_01: It's it's it's however many years, how how old is that stadium now?
23:53
SPEAKER_01: 25, 26 years.
23:55
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that that that probably you know, if I had to pick like the top three games of all time, that's probably in there.
24:02
SPEAKER_01: You know, the AFC championship game beats that for sure just because it was a championship game.
24:08
SPEAKER_00: What about the comeback against Cleveland?
24:11
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that would be a good one too.
24:13
SPEAKER_01: But I mean, it it's up there.
24:15
SPEAKER_01: And and and then even in the history of the Steelers Ravens, that's that's got to be a top three Steelers Ravens all-time game, too, especially now that it got John Harbaugh freaking fired.
24:25
SPEAKER_01: I mean, that that's that's one, you know, no matter what happens next week, I I you know, and I want to say this now because I won't be saying it on Tuesday, right?
24:34
SPEAKER_01: Like they gave us a really great memory.
24:37
SPEAKER_00: That was the last play the NFL regular season that kicked.
24:40
SPEAKER_00: That's the craziest way to end the season.
24:42
SPEAKER_00: But that's what they wanted.
24:44
SPEAKER_00: That's the whole reason they fixed the Cleveland.
24:46
SPEAKER_00: Oh, did I say that out loud?
24:47
SPEAKER_01: Um Well, and and the funny thing is, Steve, the the you want to talk about like the love-hate relationship with sports because when they lost that Cleveland game, uh, I was so miserable.
25:00
SPEAKER_01: I was so ticked off.
25:01
SPEAKER_01: I'm like, I can't believe we blew that, and now we're gonna have to play this, you know, like like we said last week, a 50-50 game.
25:07
SPEAKER_01: It truly was a 50-50 game against Baltimore.
25:11
SPEAKER_01: And um, and that that night that after that Cleveland game, my daughters wanted to go to Kennywood.
25:17
SPEAKER_01: It was really warm that night, and they have all the Christmas lights, and they were really enjoying it.
25:23
SPEAKER_01: It was a fun family night, and I had to fight so hard to like stay present.
25:26
SPEAKER_01: I'm just like stupid Steelers, can't believe this.
25:28
SPEAKER_01: And then and then I got mad not only at the Steelers, but I'm mad at myself for caring this much about a football game that I have zero control over, and I'm like, why do I care?
25:39
SPEAKER_01: Why do I why do I do this to myself?
25:41
SPEAKER_01: And then and then this week happens, and you're like, Yeah, that's why.
25:45
SPEAKER_01: That's why, because you can't experience the highs if you don't go through the lows.
25:48
SPEAKER_01: So yeah, I it like I said, they they gave us one great memory of the 2025 season.
25:54
SPEAKER_01: Aaron Rodgers, for all the the jokes we made about you know in the offseason about like, oh my god, this is dragging out, what's the point?
26:01
SPEAKER_01: Just just do a season with Mason Rudolph.
26:04
SPEAKER_01: This is why they signed him to win games like this, and he did it.
26:07
SPEAKER_01: He did, he won that game for us and won the division.
26:11
SPEAKER_00: You can I mean I can't complain about anything Aaron Rodgers has done as a Pittsburgh Steeler.
26:16
SPEAKER_00: He's been respectful, yeah.
26:17
SPEAKER_00: He conducts himself as a professional, he's played as well as you can expect the guy who's 41 years old.
26:23
SPEAKER_00: He can't really he he's not as immobile as Ben was at the end of his career, but you can tell he really can't run great anymore.
26:32
SPEAKER_00: But he can run enough to make a difference when we need it.
26:36
SPEAKER_00: And like I said, if we can keep him upright and they got DK Metcalf back now, they beat and I can I think the a hidden like I wouldn't want to wish injury on anybody, but I think the best thing that's happened is Darnell Washington got hurt.
26:51
SPEAKER_00: Like, because that's that's made them go to that that pass now, that little over-the-middlant pass to pat fire move has become killer.
27:02
SPEAKER_00: And what about the ghost of Adam Thielen making a catch, man?
27:06
SPEAKER_00: Wow, how does that guy have anything left in the tank?
27:09
SPEAKER_01: That was such a good throw, too.
27:11
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
27:12
SPEAKER_01: An amazing throw.
27:13
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I mean so if I I don't know if they can Houston's got a really good defense, a really physical defense.
27:19
SPEAKER_00: Are we we're still on like our third or fourth lineman, right?
27:22
SPEAKER_00: Like, I I mean we have a couple, like the one side of the line is pretty decent, but I think the other side we're playing one guy that's a pretty that Dylan Cook, yeah.
27:31
SPEAKER_00: I mean he's a pretty backup, he's a backup to a backup, isn't he?
27:35
SPEAKER_01: Or it's gonna be a struggle.
27:37
SPEAKER_01: I mean, uh Baltimore had like no pass rush last week, and you saw what happens when you have a pass rush two weeks ago with with Miles Garrett.
27:45
SPEAKER_01: So they they've got a really good pass rush, they've got really good corners.
27:48
SPEAKER_01: They're they're they're the the hottest team in the league.
27:51
SPEAKER_01: They haven't lost since I think Halloween.
27:53
SPEAKER_00: Well, maybe that means they're due to lose, too.
27:55
SPEAKER_01: That's the only thing that's that I'm sort of hanging on to the next one.
27:58
SPEAKER_00: It's supposed to turn cold next week, and I it's supposed to be warm this week, but then I think it's supposed to get cold again next week.
28:05
SPEAKER_00: So, and guess what?
28:06
SPEAKER_00: The Steelers haven't lost on Monday night since Chuck Null.
28:11
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
28:11
SPEAKER_01: So yeah, at home.
28:13
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
28:13
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I uh it'll be fun.
28:15
SPEAKER_01: I'm excited that we even have the chance.
28:18
SPEAKER_01: But but Houston, you and I said this five, six weeks ago that they're gonna be the scariest team in the playoffs.
28:26
SPEAKER_00: Well, you know, maybe they're going with the Rorschach, you know, you're not locked in here with me, you know.
28:32
SPEAKER_01: They just they have that formula of super good defense with uh a more than capable quarterback, and that formula wins it you know when it wins Super Bowl, Steve?
28:46
SPEAKER_01: Are the years where you don't have Brady or Mahomes or a dominant team, yeah.
28:52
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
28:52
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that's and that's that's this year, yeah.
28:55
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I mean uh you if you go back to like the the Trent Dilfer Super Bowl or the Brad Johnson Super Bowl or teams like that, that that's the formula for for making it all the way.
29:08
SPEAKER_01: Even even like the Seahawks Russell Wilson Super Bowls, you could say that about, right?
29:12
SPEAKER_01: So I I think they have a really good I think they have a really good chance of making a run here in the AFC.
29:18
SPEAKER_01: Um and I think we we could beat them.
29:21
SPEAKER_01: We could beat them for sure.
29:23
SPEAKER_01: The way we're playing.
29:25
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, they could beat anybody, they could lose to anybody, they're a weird team.
29:29
SPEAKER_00: Like like it's just I I think it just comes down to keeping Aaron Rodgers upright.
29:33
SPEAKER_00: Like even if their corners play well, if we can keep Aaron Rodgers upright, then I give us a punter's chance.
29:40
SPEAKER_00: I don't think Houston's offense is that good.
29:43
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think our defense will have to be really on, but I I will say that I was also afraid of Buffalo just because I think they're the they're the team in the field that has the the elite elite quarterback.
29:56
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
29:56
SPEAKER_01: So whenever you have that, um you're always afraid of that.
30:00
SPEAKER_01: So you're right.
30:01
SPEAKER_01: We could we could win a low-scoring game if we can play really good defense and just find our opportunities on offense.
30:10
SPEAKER_00: So next week we'll see.
30:11
SPEAKER_00: We'll keep this going until the Steelers lose.
30:14
SPEAKER_00: I mean, boy, I should have probably been this week, but it wasn't.
30:18
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I'm really glad we didn't have to do a podcast about how Chris Boswell missed or got blocked the extra point, and that's how the season ended.
30:26
SPEAKER_01: And now what are they gonna do with Tomlin?
30:28
SPEAKER_01: What are they gonna do with Rogers?
30:29
SPEAKER_00: And well, maybe we'll discuss that next week, yeah.
30:33
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, but I think it'll be a different it'll be a different I don't know I I wouldn't mind Rogers coming back.
30:39
SPEAKER_00: I mean, they're not gonna have a high draft pick again, so yeah.
30:43
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, uh you're right.
30:45
SPEAKER_01: There's gonna be a lot of uh questions to answer, but like like I said, I'm glad we don't have to answer them yet.
30:50
SPEAKER_01: And there's still a world that exists, Steve, albeit I think much slimmer now.
30:55
SPEAKER_01: But there is a world that exists where Zach Taylor's the only returning coach in the AFC North next year.
31:01
SPEAKER_00: Oh jeez.
31:04
SPEAKER_00: Oh, wow.
31:05
SPEAKER_00: So you're saying Tomlin, Harvard, Stefansky.
31:08
SPEAKER_00: Wow.
31:09
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
31:09
SPEAKER_01: I I still, regardless of what happens next week, I mean if Tomlin wins next week, there then I don't even think that conversation even happens anymore.
31:17
SPEAKER_01: But if if if like you've been saying the whole time, I think the only way that the Stewards part ways with Tomlin is if it's kind of a mutual thing.
31:25
SPEAKER_01: I don't I and they're not gonna do what the Ravens did, I don't think.
31:29
SPEAKER_01: But time will tell again.
31:32
SPEAKER_01: Let's let's worry about that after the season.
31:33
SPEAKER_01: Let's enjoy this right now.
31:35
SPEAKER_01: I don't I don't want to worry about off season and what happens with you know the coach and the quarterback and everything else.
31:41
SPEAKER_01: We'll have months and months to ponder that.
31:44
SPEAKER_00: Well, who knows on to Houston, bring on Houston.
31:48
SPEAKER_00: Hopefully it's like 20 degrees and blowing snow.
31:51
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I'll be at that game too.
31:53
SPEAKER_01: So I'm uh hopefully it's a little warmer than twenty degrees.
31:56
SPEAKER_00: Now 15 degrees and blowing snow.
31:58
SPEAKER_00: Freeze your butt off, Tim.
32:02
SPEAKER_00: I guess they're gonna have to bring the priest back again, huh?
32:05
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, they said that that they only did that for when they put new sod down.
32:10
SPEAKER_01: And they actually they actually went back.
32:12
SPEAKER_01: Somebody had a video of like three years ago that the same guy doing the same thing.
32:16
SPEAKER_00: Well, no, this was a guy, this was a fill-in guy.
32:19
SPEAKER_01: Oh, was it?
32:20
SPEAKER_01: Okay, but they had a priest doing the same thing.
32:22
SPEAKER_00: It's from the same monastery, I think.
32:24
SPEAKER_00: Okay, okay.
32:25
SPEAKER_00: It's like the St.
32:26
SPEAKER_00: Vincent's because that's where they do training cramp.
32:28
SPEAKER_00: It's from that monastery associated.
32:31
SPEAKER_01: And I think the video they had from three years ago was before a pit game or or something else where it was just it was just because it was new sought and they were, you know, wanting to pray for safety for the players and that kind of stuff.
32:42
SPEAKER_00: So And for field and for field goals of opposing team.
32:46
SPEAKER_01: By the way, that poor kid, did you see like he people were hitting his social media feed and not saying nice things.
32:54
SPEAKER_01: Not saying nice things.
32:55
SPEAKER_00: This is the equivalent of jumping garbage on Tom McMatics' lawn, which may or may not have happened.
33:01
SPEAKER_01: Him and his fiancee.
33:03
SPEAKER_01: Come on, guys, like be better than that.
33:06
SPEAKER_01: I know people.
33:07
SPEAKER_00: Somebody lost money, so the other man.
33:09
SPEAKER_01: Well, that's honestly, honestly, that's probably it.
33:12
SPEAKER_01: It's probably more the gambling than it is the fans that are upset.
33:15
SPEAKER_01: The one cool thing I saw was um a bunch of Steeler fans were making like$26.24 donations to like his charity.
33:23
SPEAKER_01: So I thought that was kind of cool.
33:25
SPEAKER_00: I guess that's something.
33:27
SPEAKER_00: Um we'll talk to everybody next time.
33:31
SPEAKER_00: Uh hopefully we're celebrating another Steelers win over at Houston as Houston missed like a last minute extra point or something.
33:38
SPEAKER_00: So uh uh, we appreciate everybody tuning in.
33:42
SPEAKER_00: Uh, give us a like and uh check us out on Facebook and and all the podcast services you do.
33:48
SPEAKER_00: Uh all right, uh I'll talk to you guys later and catch you next time.