Latest / Pittsburgh Sports Memories / BONUS EPISODE: Pgh Sports Current Events - November 6, 2025

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BONUS EPISODE: Pgh Sports Current Events - November 6, 2025 · Pittsburgh Sports Memories

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_01: Hello, and welcome to another exciting edition of Pittsburgh Sports Memories Current Events.
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_01: I'm your co-host, Steve Wirt, and as usual, I'm joined by I'm Tim Hannon.
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_01: And we'll start right off with our footballpalooza.
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_01: Woo! Footballpalooza.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_01: We've been doing this uh every week now just during football season because there's so much going on right now this time of year.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_01: So we'll do this for a little while till him get sick of it or I get sick of it or whatever.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_00: Or you the listeners get sick of it.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm gonna start with uh Steelers.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_01: Hey, uh I I should you texted me that I should really start betting on these things.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you you really
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_00: could.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_01: That's two weeks in a row.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_01: I got it right.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_01: Uh so the Steelers beat the Colts because why not?
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_01: Uh TJ Watt, who I had been kind of hard on the last you know couple weeks, saying he hasn't done anything.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_01: He had a great game.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_01: He had a big turnover, a sack, a forced fumble.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I thought that was the turning point of the game, Tim, because the well, at that point the Colts were up 7-0.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_01: The Steelers had not been able to score on a turnover, and that kind of that turnover kind of turned the whole like uh flow of the game and turned in the Steelers' direction.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_01: Um the overall Daniel Jones uh looked like um Daniel Daniel Jones.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_01: He he went back to New York Giants Daniel Jones instead of Indianapolis Colts Daniel Jones.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_01: So I I don't he always did have a fumble problem.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_01: Remember that?
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_01: Like with the Giants, he did he's fumbled a lot, like he's given Dave Craig a regular run for his money.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_01: So uh three interceptions, that was not good.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_01: Um I don't know.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_01: Can the defense play like this every week, Tim?
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_01: I it doesn't seem very sustainable.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_01: Like a turnover defense is nice, but like it doesn't seem like something that you can like you can't just count on getting like six turnovers every week.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_01: And that's there's been two games the Steelers have won, like the Patriots, they got five turnovers and the Colts.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_01: And if they have to play either of those teams in the playoffs, I cannot see the Steelers uh getting three turnovers from either of those teams the next time they play them.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_01: So I I think that's just kind of what my point is is like you know, the offense was once again a little stagnant, but how can you complain?
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_01: They scored 25 points, like that should be enough to win most weeks with the Steelers' defense if they play up to where the talent would dictate they should.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_01: And uh Aaron Rodgers has had a nice season so far, 17 touchdowns, five interceptions.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_01: Um, against the Colts, he was 25 of 35 with 203 yards.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_01: He had one touchdown, no interceptions.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but the bigger problem is they don't have a lot of rushing yards.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_01: And they're 30th in time of possession and 30th in rushing yards, and I think that's gonna be a problem because I think this team needs to run the ball and win the time of possession battle to limit the exposure to the defense, and especially with an older defense, that would be helpful.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_01: So um also uh the defense I've complained about them not being able to stop the run.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_01: They held Jonathan Taylor under 50 yards.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know, I don't think that was necessarily a product of the score.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_01: I I think they actually played pretty good defense against him.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_01: So um, what say you, Tim?
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_01: Uh are the Steelers can they sustain this?
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_01: Are they just gonna go back to getting gashed again?
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, they play the Chargers next, so who knows?
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I mean, what say I?
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_00: I had Jonathan Taylor on my fantasy team, and that that destroyed me, but I would rather see the Steelers win.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_00: Uh yeah, I I it you're right.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_00: You're never you're not gonna get five or six turnovers every game.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_00: Um so maybe it's not sustainable, but it's like, man, we they so badly needed to come out and show that they're capable.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_00: Because I think if they got the the way that game started, Indianapolis marched right down the field, got a touchdown.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_00: We we got the lucky break on the fumble punt because they were gonna go right down the field, presumably again, and then we didn't score any points.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: And that it just looked like, oh my god, we're gonna lose this game, you know, 45 to nothing, which is kind of what everybody got going in.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_00: And and the fact that they didn't, and the fact that, you know, I was at that game, Steve, and my dad and I were talking about, you know, maybe we'll get to leave early because the steelers would be down by so many scores.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_00: We actually left early because the steelers were up by multiple scores.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_00: And and I just would have never imagined that.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_00: So so they still have problems, they still have holes, they still have things they have to work on, but it it it at least proves that they're capable of addressing some issues.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_00: So maybe they can address the running game, the rushing yards and time of possession.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe the defense can continue to gel.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_00: It's just such a long season, you know.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: And the in the Eagles last year, remember the Eagles last year were two and two after four games, and they weren't, they were just very mediocre.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm not saying we're gonna win the Super Bowl.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not saying that.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_00: I'm just saying that it's a long season, and they needed something to boost the confidence and and show the fans that they're still capable, and I think they did that.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_01: And today was the uh today's the fourth when we're recording this, and it's the trade deadline, and the Steelers, uh, as far as I saw, didn't trade for anybody.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_01: The Colts did trade for um what's his name?
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_01: Sauce.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_00: I'm glad they did that this week and not last week.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, I mean the Steelers could have used Sauce Gardner, but didn't they have to give up like two first-round picks?
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_01: Two first-round picks.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that would have been that's too high.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_01: I I I people were complaining, oh, the Steelers aren't all in, the Steelers aren't this.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_01: You know what?
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_01: That's one of the philosophies that Dan Rooney always had, and I think I agree with that.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_01: You don't mortgage your future that much.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_01: Like giving away maybe next year's pick, but I I don't know.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_01: First round pick for that guy.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, is he that good in multiple years?
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_01: I don't it never seems to work.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_01: The only team I can think of that that ever worked for was the Rams.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_01: And even they, they won their Super Bowl and then they sucked for like two years.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I think I think it just depends on what kind of team you have.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_00: Like, I I was talking about that with a friend of mine when that happened, and he made a really good point.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_00: He said, uh, you know, he said, because I was like, would you have done that if you were the Steelers?
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_00: And he was like, no, because the Steelers aren't one cornerback away from winning a Super Bowl.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_00: The Colts think they are because look how good they've been this year, and that that was their one weakness was in the second.
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_01: Well, and the Rams, the Rams felt the same way they were a quarterback away from winning the and it ended up being the Rams were right.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, yeah.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so so I think I think those kinds of trades just depend on what kind of team you have.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_00: And if you're gonna go for it, I'm all for going for it.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_00: The Steelers are not in a position to go for it, they're in a position to maximize whatever they can maximize out of Aaron Rodgers and then go back to the draft next year to find your quarterback of the future.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_00: And if you would have traded away number one draft picks, then that's you can't ever do that.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_01: And it would have been two years in a row.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_01: That would have been they they wouldn't have.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_00: The Steelers won't admit it, but the reason that they didn't make any trades at this trade deadline is because they stockpile, they have a nice number of picks for next year, and they are thinking more and more about the future.
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_00: And it's really if they get back to being real, honest to goodness contenders, it's all going to depend on how those picks go.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_00: And and that was the other nice thing about Sunday, is it is nice to see some of these recent picks starting to go that direction.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_00: Like, like Troy uh Troy Troy, I can never pronounce his last name.
• 8:01
  SPEAKER_01: Font not it.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_00: No, he had, but he had a great game.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_00: He had a great game.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_00: And then uh and then Peyton Wilson was like Jack Sawyer.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, Jack Sawyer made a play.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_00: So so it's like it's nice to see, you know, that and that's what you need.
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_00: That's if you're gonna if you're gonna be a contender, again, go back to we did an episode talking about Kevin Colbert and those early drafts that he had, you know, Ben's would put him over the top, but that was after three or four years of getting all these key pieces like Casey Hampton and Tori Palomalo and Ike Taylor and you know Heath Miller, like like they needed all these pieces to fit together, and that's what you hope the Seals are doing now, and three years from now or or or whatever, hopefully we can look back and say, boy, we just needed that quarterback, and then we got him in that 2026 draft that they had in Pittsburgh.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_01: And uh, by the way, the Steelers are playing the Chargers next week.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_01: And um I don't know if I really have a feeling on this game.
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_01: This used to be a team that the Steelers would beat like a running team, but the Chargers do have a good quarterback, and it's on the West Coast, and Mike Tomlin does terrible on the West Coast, except for when they played the Rams that one time a couple years back.
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_01: I I'll pick the Chargers.
• 9:19
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know, I'll pick against the Steelers this week again.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_00: The only thing that the the one encouraging thing is man, the Chargers are so beaten up on their offense.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_00: Like they they had lost that that Slater who was like an otherworldly tackle, and then but they had Joe Alt and they moved him over because he's also you know another worldly tackle and he got.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_01: I think he's hurt, yeah.
• 9:42
  SPEAKER_00: He's out for the season.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_00: And they made they made like a trade with New Orleans today to get somebody, but I think that was more depth.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_00: So so their their line is beat up.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_00: So if the Steelers can do what they did last week and get that pressure, remember that that Sawyer interception you talked about?
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_00: Remember how that happened?
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_01: That was a deflection.
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_00: That was a deflection.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_00: So if they can just if they can pressure Herbert, I think they can they can have some success.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_00: But yeah, we'll we'll see.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_00: And the Chargers have really good receivers, too.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_00: Um even that tight end that Gatson's been coming on.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_00: So so that's gonna be And Harbaugh's a good coach, so he is, as much as we all hate to admit it, he is a really, really good coach.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_01: So uh moving to the college ranks, uh Pitt somehow once again uh pulled off a magic trick.
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_01: This is two weeks in a row.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_01: I'm not quite sure how they're doing it at this point, but uh they beat Stanford 35 to 21 in a game I did not get to see because of Disney.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, Bob Iger, you suck.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_01: Please just settle your differences with YouTube.
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_01: Please get the channels back on that I am paying for.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_01: I do not know on a$20 discount.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_01: I just want to see the damn game.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_01: That's the end of that rant.
• 10:56
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but uh seven wins, a week off before Notre Dame.
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_01: Um, can the defense get healthy?
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_01: Uh Heischel had a couple, you said you saw the game, Tim.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_01: You said uh he had a couple turnovers.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_01: You thought they were late, just kind of like lapses and judgment late in the game.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_01: Because if he's turning the ball over in the red zone, that's what got Eli benched.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_01: And that's why they've had a five-game winning streak, is because he's not turning the ball over in the red zone.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_01: That's that's the reason between why they've won and why they've lost.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_01: You know, they lost against West Virginia and Louisville is because they were turning the ball over in the red zone or just turning the ball over.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_01: And if Pitt doesn't turn the ball over, I I as long as the defense, I mean, if the defense keeps playing this well, and I know the competition hasn't been as good as Notre Dame, but if they get a couple guys back, the defense has stopped the run.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_01: That's what's impressed me is nobody's been able to really run on Pitt this year, like in past years.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_01: So I don't I haven't watched any Notre Dame games, but I think they're a running team, aren't they?
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_01: I they normally are.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah, they did really good against that kid from NC State was like the leading rusher in the one play.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_00: One play, yeah.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah, the the Heinz will the the it was the very end of the game.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_00: Um it was like the last nine minutes, and he com he threw two two interceptions in the end zone.
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_00: And and the first one, especially, was just totally egregious.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_00: Like he just he was he forced something, Cade Bell was like screaming at him on the sidelines because it was it was just that horrific.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_00: I I really think he just they were up by so many points, and he just was like, you know, I I don't know.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_00: Or maybe he just had a lapse.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_00: Uh uh, whatever.
• 12:45
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe get it out of your system now.
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_00: Get it out of your system when you're up by three scores against Stanford, as opposed to getting it out of your system when you're playing Notre Dame, Georgia Tech, or Miami.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_00: So we'll see.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_00: We'll see what happens.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I'm excited, Steve, because the rest of the season's relevant.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that they have their whole like they win these three games.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know if they'll make the championship game, but they will certainly make it interesting.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I mean, it it's funny how overly confident pit fans are getting online because people so so to make the ACC championship game, they need they need to beat the two ACC teams, and then they need help because there's a big log gam of teams with one loss in the conference.
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_01: I I think SMU, does SMU have two losses?
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_00: I don't think it it's I tried to I try to look at it and nobody's doing the math yet because it's just it's just two teams.
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_00: You need to wait three or four weeks to thin it out.
• 13:42
  SPEAKER_01: Until the last week of the season, yeah.
• 13:45
  SPEAKER_01: Let's get the Miami and because Pitt now that's here.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_01: And Pitt, like I said, Pitt's only beaten Miami three times overall in 30 years anyway.
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_01: And the last time was Kenny Pickett's freshman's year.
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_01: So we're we're way ahead of ourselves.
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_01: They probably aren't going to beat Notre Dame, quite honestly.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_00: Although And they don't they don't necessarily need to to win the ACC, but but if they if what the the the overconfidence I was talking about is people are like, well, let's say they win the last three games, they win out the last three games, but that they lose out on the tiebreaker to the ACC championship, well then they'd be in contention for an are you sitting down for this, Steve, for an at-large bid.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_01: That's never going to happen.
• 14:26
  SPEAKER_01: They'll give that to old Mists or one of the crappy SEC teams because SEC, SEC, and it just means more.
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I I The only way Pitt is ever going to get into the college football playoff, and I don't care if they were undefeated, would be to win the C C because they'll never be put in over a three-loss SEC or Big Ten team.
• 14:53
  SPEAKER_00: But I again, that's what I said about pit fans online or just like you can you can tell that.
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_01: Like even if Indiana makes, let's say Indiana makes the Big Ten championship game or whatever, it's kind of like and loses, they would still make it over 10.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_01: And probably rightfully so, quite honestly.
• 15:10
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, well, and and like boy oh boy, does that lie?
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_00: I think I said it last week, and I'll keep saying it because I'm just so that Louisville game.
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that killed us.
• 15:21
  SPEAKER_00: Everything because they're the number 14 team in the country now, and we had them down by 17 points at home, and we couldn't finish.
• 15:29
  SPEAKER_00: Now, to be fair, if we don't lose that game, we don't necessarily make the quarterback change.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_00: So it's like it's kicking in the egg kind of a thing.
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but man, if we it the the the the ideal thing there would have been to win the game and then Eli still gets benched somehow.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_00: Um but but that's again, it it is what it is.
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_00: But yeah, if we won that game, we'd be we'd be totally in control all of our own destiny.
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_00: But again, it these three games are going to be tough, Steve.
• 15:57
  SPEAKER_00: Like you know, everybody being like, oh, what if Pitt wins and they lose the tiebreakers?
• 16:02
  SPEAKER_00: Well, let's see if Pitt wins first.
• 16:04
  SPEAKER_01: Well, it's just worried, like like the defense is still still smoke and mirrors, and normally that gets exposed against the better teams.
• 16:13
  SPEAKER_00: And and we still have an 18-year-old quarterback.
• 16:15
  SPEAKER_00: It's as great as he's playing.
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_00: He's 18 years old.
• 16:18
  SPEAKER_01: Well, I said that a couple weeks ago.
• 16:19
  SPEAKER_01: They're gonna they're they're kind of like the penguins who were nice.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_01: We'll talk about next.
• 16:23
  SPEAKER_01: They're gonna go as far as their quarterback probably takes them.
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 16:27
  SPEAKER_00: Again, I'm just how fun is it that it matters?
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_01: I can't believe they have seven wins, Tim.
• 16:33
  SPEAKER_01: I thought I thought they lose one of these two games, quite honestly, and they've uh they've won these.
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_00: Convincingly, both of them convincingly.
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_01: So great coaching job by Pat Narduzzi.
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_01: He saved it.
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_01: I gotta say, like, I I hope this guy, this guy uh he's kind of like in the um what's his name, the coach for Pitt a couple years back.
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_01: He he's just you know the basketball coach where you know he he's gonna have this job till he doesn't want it no more.
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_01: In in my mind, you you get to keep this job until you don't want it no more, because he's done that much.
• 17:07
  SPEAKER_01: And I think he's the second most winning coach in pit football history now, too, behind uh Dr.
• 17:14
  SPEAKER_01: Sutherland or Pop Warner or one of them.
• 17:16
  SPEAKER_01: So I uh you know, good good for him.
• 17:19
  SPEAKER_01: Good for him.
• 17:20
  SPEAKER_01: I know you know we you like to call him blowhard, and he does like annoying things like lying about his quarterback starting and like just say loudmouth things, but you know what, Tim?
• 17:31
  SPEAKER_01: That that that's what Pitt needs.
• 17:33
  SPEAKER_01: It's like you know, it's kind of like what's the Batman line?
• 17:36
  SPEAKER_01: He's not the hero we need, he's the hero we deserve.
• 17:39
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, you can't argue with you definitely can't take away the success.
• 17:43
  SPEAKER_01: He's uh he's just he's a perfect fit for Pitt.
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_01: Like I think that experience at Michigan State and being the number two but trying harder team, that's what he's used to coaching.
• 17:54
  SPEAKER_01: That's what he is, and that that's the situation Pitt's in in this state is they're the number two and trying harder.
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_01: Although they I think they have a better record than Penn State.
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_01: Do they have a better record than Penn State?
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_01: I don't even look.
• 18:05
  SPEAKER_00: Does it Penn State's having a Penn State's three and five stuff?
• 18:08
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah.
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_01: Are they are they really?
• 18:10
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 18:11
  SPEAKER_01: Wow.
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_00: I don't don't quote me on that.
• 18:13
  SPEAKER_00: I don't have it in front of me, but I think that's their record.
• 18:15
  SPEAKER_01: Yikes.
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_01: Ouch.
• 18:17
  SPEAKER_01: Well, I guess I can see why James Franklin got fired.
• 18:21
  SPEAKER_01: Uh moving on to uh the Penguins, and it's hockey.
• 18:25
  SPEAKER_01: It's a hockey night in Pittsburgh.
• 18:26
  SPEAKER_01: Well, it was a couple nights ago.
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_01: Uh the Penguins, uh, they had that great start, and now they're they're kind of starting to slip, Tim.
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_01: Um they have eight wins, four losses.
• 18:37
  SPEAKER_01: I think they still have 18 points.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_01: Uh they lost to the Jets five to two, and they followed that up with a rousing three-goal lead in Toronto that they promptly gave up four goals in the third, which that has a very last season feel to it.
• 18:53
  SPEAKER_01: And um that led to a bunch of uh moves.
• 18:56
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I guess um that Sergei Rushiroff has been called to the NHL lineup.
• 19:05
  SPEAKER_01: Some guy named Heinen and Ryan Graves, I think were also recalled.
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_01: Um they placed Akari in what'd you say, how do you say his name?
• 19:17
  SPEAKER_01: Brizzot?
• 19:18
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and that one hurt because he he was on injured research line.
• 19:22
  SPEAKER_01: And they they they they ditch they Jari's on injured reserve, who cares?
• 19:27
  SPEAKER_01: I mean I who was in goal yet?
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_01: I don't even know.
• 19:29
  SPEAKER_00: That was Jari, of course.
• 19:31
  SPEAKER_01: What a shocker.
• 19:32
  SPEAKER_01: Why is he what a waste of space?
• 19:35
  SPEAKER_01: Um I I just I I don't understand why they keep him around even as a bat, like are they trying to save money because they don't think and like extend service?
• 19:46
  SPEAKER_01: Is there like some service time like baseball?
• 19:48
  SPEAKER_00: No, there's there's two there's two reasons.
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_00: Number one, well, first of all, they tried remember they put them on waivers last year.
• 19:54
  SPEAKER_00: They tried to get rid of them, nobody, nobody would take them.
• 19:57
  SPEAKER_00: It's like when you put something out on the curb and then the guy's kind of like, nope, we're not we're not taking that.
• 20:02
  SPEAKER_00: So no, it's it's there's two reasons.
• 20:05
  SPEAKER_00: One is because you know, this the Russian kid that they called up, he's really the future.
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_00: Him, him, they also have plum quests, they you know, but those guys aren't ready yet.
• 20:16
  SPEAKER_00: So it's the same reason the Stewart are starting Aaron Rodgers a quarterback.
• 20:19
  SPEAKER_00: It's that reason.
• 20:20
  SPEAKER_00: The second reason is just like Aaron Rodgers, you know, Jari can come out any given game and look like an elite player.
• 20:30
  SPEAKER_00: Unfortunately, you know, now for Rodgers, when he doesn't do that or when he looks average, it's like, well, yeah, that's because he's 41 years old and he's nearing the end of his career.
• 20:40
  SPEAKER_00: Jari's just been like that his entire career.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_00: And that's what's frustrating about him.
• 20:46
  SPEAKER_00: He can be really he's a what, a two-time all-star?
• 20:48
  SPEAKER_00: He's he can be really good sometimes.
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_00: Um but that's I think they're that's why he's still the goaltender, Steve, is because um I don't think now I'd love to see the the Russian kids up now.
• 21:00
  SPEAKER_00: He's been lighting it up in Wilkes Berry.
• 21:02
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, he he's the uh AHL goalie of the month.
• 21:06
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 21:07
  SPEAKER_00: So I'd I'd love to see him come up and pull what like Ben Kendall pulled, or pull what you know, Mason Heinkel pulled at Pitt.
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_00: It's like, you know, oh you're too young, we're not ready for you yet.
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, wait, or Ben what Ben Rothesberger pulled 21 years ago.
• 21:22
  SPEAKER_00: Like just come up and take the league by season.
• 21:25
  SPEAKER_01: It's in like a hot goaltender, boy, you can really go places in hockey.
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_01: Like if you once you get the goaltending figured out, and like if you got like a really good one, boy, it's it can cover up for a lot of other deficiencies in your lineup.
• 21:40
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's just that what happened with Kendall and what happened with Mason Heinsel, that that's that's the exception, not the norm.
• 21:47
  SPEAKER_00: Usually, or even again, Ben Rothesberger, like usually letting guys develop and then you know, not forcing them in, but letting them develop and come in when they're ready is usually the the more proper.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_00: way to do things.
• 22:01
  SPEAKER_00: But again, I don't know.
• 22:02
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe he is developed and maybe he is ready.
• 22:05
  SPEAKER_00: I don't even know if he'll he'll really see a lot of time because the IR for Dari.
• 22:11
  SPEAKER_00: It's a week, yeah.
• 22:12
  SPEAKER_00: So so I don't I don't even know if he'll get in that because I'll probably start Sillos.
• 22:16
  SPEAKER_00: And yeah.
• 22:17
  SPEAKER_00: So I I don't he's okay.
• 22:18
  SPEAKER_01: So you know he's like he he you know he's kind of like uh what's his name?
• 22:23
  SPEAKER_01: Um oh the goalie they had that backed up uh flurry and they started him for all of I'm Thomas Voukun.
• 22:31
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah that was it yeah it was Vou coon like a solid goaltender but not spectacular.
• 22:36
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah yeah yeah so I so I but I'd love to see him at least get a start and then just see I think I have the answer for what ails the penguins do you know what that is what's that they are playing the Washington Capitals next so and normally that kind of fixes everything with the Pittsburgh Penguins doesn't it Tim it does it does and in that Toronto game that really that hurt I mean I was like all giddy I was texting you when it was 3-0 and I woke up I actually went to bed and I'm like odds over I woke up the next morning and I was like what how did they lose um but I I think I think one thing to note so so um Michael Pittman that the the great receiver for the Colts he he had an interesting quote on Sunday when they you know because they they had they had been having this dream season and the Steelers just destroyed them and he said you know what he said I I would never ever want to go into the playoffs undefeated.
• 23:34
  SPEAKER_00: He said that could be the worst thing could happen he said you need to have some adversity during the season so that you're battle tested.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_00: Ah there you go and so you can look at that penguins lost in Toronto as you know and especially coming off the heels of a blowout to Winnipeg you can look at that as some adversity and so it's a young team how are they going to respond to that?
• 23:56
  SPEAKER_01: So so yeah it it leads us to like kind of both the Steelers and the Penguins here is it time to panic or is this the just a bump in the road?
• 24:06
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah and it it's the Steelers are the Steelers responded to the adversity this week pretty good didn't they?
• 24:12
  SPEAKER_00: They lost two games in a row they were about to lose another game at home against the best team in the league this year and they came up and they responded so yeah let's see how the Penguins do with this adversity.
• 24:22
  SPEAKER_00: But I I just thought that was a really insightful quote from Michael Pittman.
• 24:25
  SPEAKER_00: You know he he put a good spin on getting their butts handed to them in Pittsburgh it's like hey you know that that's a season that's a that's a that's a sports season.
• 24:35
  SPEAKER_01: You go through your ups and downs and the good teams can bounce back and the bad teams you know maybe can't um so to finish up we'll just go through some uh odds and ends here um just to finish up with some football here uh Baltimore um they are now at five and or three and five I'm sorry I have them at five and three uh after winning two games in a row because they're playing crappy teams now instead of all the really good teams they played at the beginning of the season.
• 25:03
  SPEAKER_01: So Tim you might be right Baltimore might be back on track here.
• 25:07
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm going I I thought Cincinnati would be the team the that resurges and boy was I wrong because you know Cincinnati's defense is literally I think the worst defense in the history of the National Football League.
• 25:23
  SPEAKER_01: I'm not sure there's ever been a defense that's been quite worse.
• 25:26
  SPEAKER_01: I think they I heard 90 or 100 points in two or three games or something like that.
• 25:31
  SPEAKER_01: I mean they're they're terrible and they lost to the Bears and the Bears are like kind of a they have a good coach now at least on offense.
• 25:40
  SPEAKER_01: And I don't know if Caleb Williams is the answer but he literally just chucked up a prayer down the middle of the field and like all Cincinnati had to do was tackle the guy and maybe you know the Bears kick a long field goal maybe they don't but like they just refused to tackle the guy just literally refusal if you can see the highlight of that play it's just like they just like literally bounced off the tight end from the Bears and he ran like another 30 yards for a touchdown.
• 26:07
  SPEAKER_01: It it was quite the most pathetic thing I've seen like it didn't it look like something you would see out of college not the NFL so how how does that not get their coach fired I I can't suspect as a coach you survived that.
• 26:24
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah and that's a shame because I I don't think Zach Taylor is a bad coach but but the the the defense is just so bad.
• 26:30
  SPEAKER_00: It's also roster roster construction they gave all that money to Higgins Chase and Burrow and and then you know but they did and they kept drafting guys on defense but very few of them have worked out they just traded that linebacker today they drafted in the first round a few years ago so but it's it's real bad Steve that that that was that's unbelievable they scored 15 points in the in the final two minutes and then they lost you know it the the you said about historical I found this stat since the since the merger which was 1970 there's only one team one other team through the first nine games that have allowed more points it was the um 2012 Titans was the only team that allowed more points through the first nine games and that's just the first nine games so the Bengals have a lot of room left to break whatever that record is yeah I mean it and they're wasting they're literally wasting Higgins and um what's his name Chase you know and Flacco like poor Flacco I mean I I never thought I'd say poor Joe Flacco in the year 2025 but he's playing well yeah well he again he led them all the way back and then they got an onside kick and they scored again it's like you can't you can't do more than score 42 if you score 42 points and lose then what what can you and did you see their running back after the game he like went on a rant yeah and he was like all we needed was one bleeping stop just come on guys you can't get one bleeping stop and Zach Taylor was pretty upset about that and he chastised them and everything but I and you shouldn't vent that to the media I get all that but at the same time it's like come on that's what everybody else was thinking well yeah the poor Cincinnati bungles yeah I just I felt so so very bad for them and stuff.
• 28:23
  SPEAKER_01: Did you see the uh George Pickens play at the end of the Monday night game or did you happen to see the highlight of that I didn't I saw they lost yeah well yeah well the Cowboys have now lost to the Cardinals again at home and it was it was like a 10 point loss it was like ugh and like so Pickens I guess catches a pass late in the game there was like six minutes to go and the defender in him are like out of bounds and he kind of holds the ball out like he's like I don't I didn't look like much of a taunt if any and then he hands the ball to the referee and the ref as soon as he hands it to the ref throws the flag and it's like oh my goodness and I I don't know I didn't it didn't look like much but I think when you kind of have a reputation and I get the feeling that was the culmination of George Pickens doing a lot of other things during that game that they finally just said that's enough I I'm done and that kind of cost the Cowboys the game because I guess the next play they fumbled so good how about them Cowboys I I'm glad he doesn't play on the Steelers anymore that that he can take his act else to Dallas and lose them games.
• 29:31
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah I I yeah some I I saw that was another thing I see people online like oh what do we trade him for he's having a great season and and numbers wise he is having a really good season I mean part of that's also that Dallas's defense is very similar to they're the Cincinnati defense of the NFC so they're they're in a lot of shootouts.
• 29:50
  SPEAKER_00: They're Cincinnati senior right he's also in a contract year I'd I'd be really interested to see once he gets his big money because he will get a big contract in the offseason.
• 30:00
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know if the Cowboys will re-sign him somebody will somebody will give him a lot of money and then I if I had to bet on it I would bet that he will not repeat the numbers he had this year in the team that signed him to a big contract in 2026 and 2027 will be disappointed because I just think that's what kind of player he is.
• 30:19
  SPEAKER_00: You know Steve you could also just catch the ball and hand it to the ref and not do anything.
• 30:26
  SPEAKER_00: I mean that's that's an option it was like a very like mild like I I don't know I I think it was just fair but you could you don't have to do anything.
• 30:36
  SPEAKER_01: No that's true and I think it's just his reputation had preceded him and I get the feeling even beyond that he probably was doing a lot of other stuff during the game and it was just like okay that's it you know you're done um so Tim uh at halftime you were at the game of course and uh all this weekend and they've done this for years call going back to the 80s I remember you talked about it is they'll bring in you know the Super Bowl teams right and so all those years when you were growing up in the 80s and 90s like oh here's Super Bowl nine here's super bowl 10 here's Super Bowl whatever right and you always had to suffer through that and like oh there's Mel Blunt and Jack Ham and Jack Lambert and all the all the you know all the players that were from the great Super Bowl teams well guess what we're those guys now right Tim it was Super Bowl 40 the team came back uh one of our favorite teams of all time uh they went what 12 and 4 11 and 5 right yeah they went 11 and 5 and were the sixth seed in the playoffs they are the first six seed to even make it or no were were they the first to make it to the Super Bowl or the second I think so yeah I think they were the first to make it and they were the they they were the first to win it um they had to beat two one seeds and uh the the Colts which were a really good team that year they actually almost the Colts almost went undefeated they I do believe that season they they did yeah yeah um it was a really really great team really great season um you know storybook ending for Jerome Bettis um and great to see all the like they did a whole retrospective there was I watched some stuff on YouTube about it and um you could of course if you really want to get uh you can watch our Super Bowl uh podcast from earlier in our podcast files there right Tim because we did cover Super Bowl 40 so we did yeah it it and it was you know um and and and yeah you said suffering through those those ones when when I was a kid it wasn't like oh I don't want to see Jack Lambert or Mel Blunt like I love I love those guys but I didn't that were those weren't my memories and so every time we did that especially when the team was bad it was just like here's teams that were better and there's a great memory and now I can appreciate that more because like you said that Super Bowl 40 that was one of we talked about in that episode for you and I and and people of our generation that that were too young to experience the 70s um that was our that was our first taste of the Steeler team winning it all.
• 33:13
  SPEAKER_00: And so it's it's and it's hard to believe Steve was 20 years ago.
• 33:17
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah he and especially I think what's made it all the more sweeter is like that year before that was I thought that was the best Steeler team I'd ever seen and to lose to the Patriots in the way they did I thought if this team can't win a Super Bowl I don't know what it's gonna take.
• 33:36
  SPEAKER_01: Because they went 15 and one and when they went 151 it's like oh no 15 and one team well there would have been one the Vikings had never even like you know most had gone and won the Super Bowl and it was like what it it just all it just all looked like it was pointing to the Steelers you know walking away with the Lombardy and it didn't happen and then it was funny the next year it was like so it unpredicta the the other way it shouldn't have happened.
• 34:04
  SPEAKER_01: But I remember Peter King when the playoffs started he said boy the Steelers are the probably the best sixth seed in the NFL history and boy if he wasn't right Peter King does he I don't know if he still writes or has a podcast but yeah I I haven't heard from him in a while but he was one of the more insightful you don't you don't like I guess Ian rapper but even like you just don't get that kind of insight anymore on the league like like you got from that guy I feel I remember my dad saying we we got to go to that Super Bowl in Detroit and I remember my dad saying like that 2005 season wasn't really the 2005 season.
• 34:43
  SPEAKER_00: It was like the 2004 and 2005 season were like all one story.
• 34:47
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah and I and I feel like that was a really good description like it was all one story.
• 34:51
  SPEAKER_00: It was two different seasons but it was all one big story because you had drafting of Ben and then you had like you said losing to the Patriots and then is Betis going to retire.
• 35:00
  SPEAKER_00: No betis is going to come back and but then we're seven and five and and we have to win all of our last games to even make the playoffs and then go on the road so so it was it was like one continuum.
• 35:10
  SPEAKER_01: If that was like a movie there would those would be like the three acts you know what I mean so yeah so it I I always I always remembered him saying that and that made that season and that Super Bowl even more kind of satisfying um so yeah that that Indianapolis game how many times I remember thinking that how many times have I watched the Chargers or the Patriots or the Colts or somebody come waltzing in to Pittsburgh and oh look at us we're just gonna win ha ha ha well guess what we waltzed Indianapolis and we went ha ha ha we're gonna win and ruin your season when you're really probably a better team than we are so on you.
• 35:53
  SPEAKER_00: That was the that was that was the amazing thing about Cower because Cower always lost the game on the road yeah that Indianapolis was in the seat for and it just he flipped the script on everybody.
• 36:05
  SPEAKER_00: Same with Denver I mean yeah people don't really remember that championship game as much as all the other playoff games but Denver was super super good that year and they were the number two seed.
• 36:17
  SPEAKER_01: But Denver was that team that I never I didn't fear Denver the way I did Indianapolis because Denver was a running team and back then if you were a running team and played the Steelers it was like the Steelers are going to shut down the run.
• 36:28
  SPEAKER_01: I never had any doubt about it.
• 36:30
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah so yeah but but that was that was so yeah it was cool to see all those guys um yeah Ben was there Breadis like Aaron Smith Casey Hampton Joey Porter.
• 36:42
  SPEAKER_01: I mean there was Hall of Famers all over the place like Alan Fanica Troy Palomalu I Troy was not there um on Sunday Troy Palomalu Willie Parker my dad and I were trying to note who were the notable like guys missing but they had interviews with Willie Parker I saw interviews with him oh did they okay maybe he just wasn't there on Sunday um but but um but mostly Heinz Ward wasn't there but he was coaching Arizona State and then Antoine Randall's the assistant coach for the Bears so he was busy embarrassing the Bengals yeah uh great great times and uh you know check out our podcast on Super Bowl 40 like you know it's just kind of a preview of what it means to me and Tim and if you're of our age it probably means the same thing to you so check out our podcast and our archives on Super Bowl 40 if you could and um thanks for listening to our uh you know current events here uh it's been fun doing them we're gonna keep doing them like I said at least through the football season until the Steelers lose in the first round of the playoffs.
• 37:42
  SPEAKER_01: So thanks and uh check us out on any podcast uh you know system that you you know rate us and you check us out on Facebook and um we're definitely gonna have all my correct predictions on Facebook and all my incorrect ones will just hide up into a road somewhere.
• 37:59
  SPEAKER_01: All right thank you and God bless and we'll catch you next time