Latest / The Irish Steelers Podcast / From Super Bowl Radio Row: The winds of change in Pittsburgh with Charlie Batch
Transcript
- 0:07Speaker 1: Everybody who has a goal.
- 0:08Speaker 2: Welcome into the Irish Steers Podcast, presented by Erlingus Michael mcrean.
- 0:12Speaker 2: Here after a little time off obviously, this is our
- 0:16Speaker 2: first podcast since the Steelers unfortunately went out of the
- 0:20Speaker 2: playoffs and we are now sitting at Super Bowl weekend.
- 0:23Speaker 2: Just first off, as a football fan, and if you're
- 0:25Speaker 2: a football fan of course listening to this, I want
- 0:27Speaker 2: to wish you all a great Super Bowl weekend and
- 0:29Speaker 2: enjoy the final game of the season. And the one
- 0:32Speaker 2: thing that I will say is this, once Super Bowl
- 0:35Speaker 2: Sunday concludes, we're all up next and the Steelers are
- 0:39Speaker 2: back very very soon, still looking at around seven months
- 0:42Speaker 2: or so until the NFL season starts, but a lot
- 0:45Speaker 2: of content planned on this network in the off season
- 0:49Speaker 2: and a lot more to come on that very very soon.
- 0:53Speaker 2: It's sort of been an interesting time to regroup, reset
- 0:56Speaker 2: and give this podcast a little bit of brieving space
- 0:59Speaker 2: after so much news and change just happened in Pittsburgh,
- 1:03Speaker 2: and I think it was important to me we do
- 1:05Speaker 2: so and allow different things to go. And I think
- 1:07Speaker 2: before we start off here, we have got Charlie Batch
- 1:10Speaker 2: coming up in a few moments from Radio Row with
- 1:11Speaker 2: Super Bowl sixty. But he will react to this. But obviously,
- 1:15Speaker 2: the biggest storyline over the last few weeks, first off,
- 1:19Speaker 2: has been coach Tomlin leaving with obviously a new head
- 1:23Speaker 2: coach now in coach Mike McCarthy becomes a coach for
- 1:26Speaker 2: the Steelers, head coach for the Steelers who has coached
- 1:29Speaker 2: both the Steelers, the Packers and the Cowboys. That is
- 1:32Speaker 2: some cv to have and I'll talk about that more
- 1:35Speaker 2: in a moment, But I think first off, it will
- 1:37Speaker 2: be hard for me to go forward without, firstly, personally
- 1:41Speaker 2: and I'm sure on so many fans behalfs in Ireland,
- 1:44Speaker 2: both Steelers fans and different people, just fanking coach Tomlin
- 1:48Speaker 2: for his hard work, his effort, the sacrifices that he
- 1:52Speaker 2: made personally and professionally over the better part of two decades,
- 1:56Speaker 2: what he's done for this team. He will be missed.
- 1:59Speaker 2: It will be huge change, of course, and that's something
- 2:01Speaker 2: we'll talk about in the moment. But thank you Coach
- 2:04Speaker 2: Tomlin forever and you've done. And I know the great
- 2:06Speaker 2: thing for Irish fans is that we now have a
- 2:09Speaker 2: core lasting memory. I remember when the Dublin game was announced,
- 2:14Speaker 2: as we cap off this memorable season books and I
- 2:17Speaker 2: remember seeing the video of Coach Tomlin sitting and the
- 2:20Speaker 2: first thing he said was how he knows that mister
- 2:23Speaker 2: Rooney will be looking down smiling. Well, I'll tell you what.
- 2:26Speaker 2: That picture of Aaron Rodgers, Cam Howard and Coach Tomlin
- 2:30Speaker 2: leaving the Fielder Crop Park I believe will be etched
- 2:33Speaker 2: into the history books and as one of the greatest
- 2:35Speaker 2: photos and greatest moments of this organization's history. That is
- 2:39Speaker 2: how strongly is how strongly I feel about that, and
- 2:43Speaker 2: how proud I am the coach Tomlin, you know, really
- 2:46Speaker 2: put every him that he could into that Dublin game,
- 2:48Speaker 2: from the trailing sessions on the Friday to the game itself,
- 2:52Speaker 2: his energy and his love and respect for the Irish
- 2:54Speaker 2: fans and more so as well, the Steelers connection to
- 2:58Speaker 2: Ireland was shown through really really meant an awful lot
- 3:02Speaker 2: to him. Before we talk about coach McCarthy gonna ringing
- 3:06Speaker 2: Charlie Batch here, obviously two times Super Bowl champion, has
- 3:09Speaker 2: a fair idea of what it's like to win a
- 3:10Speaker 2: trophy this weekend, but just to react to obviously Coach Tomlin,
- 3:14Speaker 2: but as well as many different things which we'll at
- 3:18Speaker 2: least mention and talk about in a few moments here.
- 3:20Speaker 2: So here's Charlie Batch on the Irisheriters podcast from Radio
- 3:22Speaker 2: Row at Super Bowl sixty.
- 3:24Speaker 1: Irisheris Podcast.
- 3:25Speaker 3: Delighted to be here on media role on the final day,
- 3:28Speaker 3: a guy that has a fair idea of finding win
- 3:30Speaker 3: a Super Bowl or two.
- 3:32Speaker 1: Charlie Batch. Charlie, first off, you've been very accommodate in here.
- 3:34Speaker 1: You've been witing them. We to hurry up and chat
- 3:36Speaker 1: to hiks very much. How you don what's cracked?
- 3:38Speaker 4: I'm doing well man that much like you said last
- 3:40Speaker 4: day here you ca start to see everybody's eager for
- 3:42Speaker 4: this game coming in.
- 3:43Speaker 3: Everyone's eager, but everyone's also packing up as well as
- 3:45Speaker 3: one of those dests tell you who's not packing up, Steelers,
- 3:48Speaker 3: the amount of stuff that's going on over the last
- 3:50Speaker 3: few weeks. This is actually the first podcast where we've
- 3:52Speaker 3: done Charlie since the playoffs have ended, and obviously so
- 3:55Speaker 3: much has changed.
- 3:56Speaker 1: First off, Coach Tomlin, what a legacy he leaves in.
- 4:00Speaker 3: It's just you know, I know you're there, you know,
- 4:03Speaker 3: game by game in that stadium talks. But your falls
- 4:05Speaker 3: of Coach Tomlin and I know we both wish him
- 4:07Speaker 3: there very very fast.
- 4:08Speaker 4: Absolutely, It's one of the things that was shocking for
- 4:10Speaker 4: me only because of the timing of it. It wasn't
- 4:12Speaker 4: even twenty four hours after a game and all of
- 4:14Speaker 4: a sudden he was resigning. So ultimately a heck of
- 4:16Speaker 4: a run and beat, a transition into the family life,
- 4:21Speaker 4: and that's something that obviously we're all going to do
- 4:23Speaker 4: at some particular point. People just didn't expect it this
- 4:25Speaker 4: soon with coach Tomlin. But either way, it's been a
- 4:27Speaker 4: great asset and bringing another Lombardi Trophy.
- 4:30Speaker 1: He'll be remember for that and the other chance to
- 4:32Speaker 1: go to Dublin as well.
- 4:33Speaker 3: I think that iconic photo of him leaving the stadium
- 4:35Speaker 3: with the hands up Aaron Rodgers and Nova Side and
- 4:38Speaker 3: Calm Heyward as well. Just for me selfishly, it's an
- 4:41Speaker 3: Irish podcast. That's a memory I'll never forget, but one
- 4:44Speaker 3: a legacy he leaves in Pittsburgh, you know, greatness, of
- 4:47Speaker 3: tenosity of honestly just pure motivation. I can't wait to
- 4:50Speaker 3: see what he does next. Coach McCarthy, now your first
- 4:53Speaker 3: off irishit this podcast, and when you're bringing a guy
- 4:55Speaker 3: you never mind what he's done in his life, his
- 4:57Speaker 3: surnames McCarthy. That's definitely a win so far. I think anybody, Charlie,
- 5:02Speaker 3: not if anybody was on the fence, because it's always
- 5:04Speaker 3: going to be hard for somebody to come in after
- 5:05Speaker 3: coach Thomas, right, anybody that was on the fence. Watch
- 5:09Speaker 3: stot Man's interview. That's first interview. Yes, he started about
- 5:13Speaker 3: he broke down emoistal.
- 5:14Speaker 1: I love it. I'd like he'd runs through the wall
- 5:17Speaker 1: for that team.
- 5:17Speaker 4: Oh yeah, I love it as well. And I think
- 5:19Speaker 4: one of the things that kind of a lot of
- 5:20Speaker 4: people are out of ease about is the fact that
- 5:22Speaker 4: you know the hire is not going to be here
- 5:24Speaker 4: for fifteen twenty years, and that's okay because.
- 5:26Speaker 1: He's it's different as well.
- 5:28Speaker 3: It's very different this time as well, isn't it just
- 5:30Speaker 3: you've literally said it there as well. It's such a
- 5:32Speaker 3: short period of time, probably in comparisonal with coach Tomlinhut.
- 5:34Speaker 4: But yeah, and I think ultimately when you look at
- 5:36Speaker 4: everything that's transparent, like, yeah, it's been a long time
- 5:38Speaker 4: since he's won a Super Bowl, But at the same time,
- 5:40Speaker 4: he's trying to now write that wrong and I think Ultimately,
- 5:43Speaker 4: if he's able to come in here win a Lobardi Trophy,
- 5:45Speaker 4: a lot of people will ultimately forgive him for that.
- 5:47Speaker 4: But I think the second piece is now helping them
- 5:50Speaker 4: to develop a quarterback and that ultimately is going to
- 5:52Speaker 4: happen with the system that he's going to bring in here,
- 5:54Speaker 4: and hopefully that next guy up was who want to
- 5:56Speaker 4: be Will Howard that we're all hearing about and speculating about.
- 5:58Speaker 4: Hopefully he gets that opportunity to showcase what he can do.
- 6:01Speaker 3: Would you like to see arm Rodgers by personally yourself?
- 6:03Speaker 3: Would you like to see him?
- 6:04Speaker 2: Like?
- 6:04Speaker 4: Absolutely? Because what better way for him to come? And
- 6:06Speaker 4: he knows this system? He been in it for eighteen years.
- 6:09Speaker 4: When you watch him just last year's numbers, what twenty
- 6:11Speaker 4: four touchdowns? I know he had that interception in the
- 6:14Speaker 4: playoff game, he has to finished with twenty four and eight,
- 6:16Speaker 4: but his arm got stronger at the season went on.
- 6:18Speaker 4: And now when you bring him in here and knowing
- 6:20Speaker 4: this system, he's already two steps ahead of anybody else
- 6:22Speaker 4: on that roster. Four time MVP in that system. Not
- 6:26Speaker 4: saying that that's what we're gonna see, but again, what
- 6:28Speaker 4: better way for someone like al Will Howard to learn
- 6:30Speaker 4: from somebody within that system and go from there.
- 6:33Speaker 1: You're in Pittsburgh.
- 6:35Speaker 3: You've been a run for anybody from area to listen
- 6:37Speaker 3: to this, Charlie, what's what's the value like in this
- 6:39Speaker 3: city with all these new hires and maybe if there's
- 6:41Speaker 3: anybody you wanted to be talk about obviously new coordinators,
- 6:44Speaker 3: et cetera.
- 6:45Speaker 1: So much going on in a.
- 6:46Speaker 3: Real off season of chins, A lot like a lot
- 6:49Speaker 3: of changs.
- 6:49Speaker 4: Really, and this is the problem that everyone is uneasy about. Right,
- 6:53Speaker 4: we haven't We're not used to change around here, you know,
- 6:55Speaker 4: as frequent of what other teams are. So I think
- 6:57Speaker 4: we're all learning this together. So as Mike McCarthy is
- 7:00Speaker 4: still continue to build out his staff, I think he
- 7:02Speaker 4: may have one more hire that we're potentially talking about.
- 7:05Speaker 4: But after that, now all shifts after the super Bowl
- 7:07Speaker 4: is going to go to the combine. So now you
- 7:08Speaker 4: got to figure out what system we noticed system that
- 7:10Speaker 4: we're going to run now identifying players that could potentially
- 7:13Speaker 4: help for next year's team. As you prepare for the draft.
- 7:15Speaker 3: We're signing here, Well, we're like forty miles from LEVI
- 7:18Speaker 3: I said it, what's it? Like whenever you win it all,
- 7:20Speaker 3: but that first time. So for example, I was talking
- 7:22Speaker 3: on a different puncast of Ryan Harris, he had his
- 7:24Speaker 3: ring there.
- 7:25Speaker 1: He was talking about winning them. The emotionally hot for you.
- 7:27Speaker 1: What was it like?
- 7:28Speaker 4: Yeah, it was again the emotions are flowing. And you know,
- 7:30Speaker 4: when we were going through that process of sixty going
- 7:32Speaker 4: on the road, nobody has ever done it before. We
- 7:35Speaker 4: were all doing it together, so we were learning it
- 7:37Speaker 4: to together and I think ultimately as we were able
- 7:39Speaker 4: to hoist that Lombardi Trophy, the emotions were flowing. We
- 7:42Speaker 4: were in Detroit, family and friends were all there and
- 7:44Speaker 4: it was just one because now you know, you're cemented
- 7:46Speaker 4: in history when you bring that one for the thumb,
- 7:49Speaker 4: and that was something that everybody was appreciative, and that's
- 7:51Speaker 4: why everybody was hungry to send Jerome out the right way.
- 7:54Speaker 1: Nobody can take it away from you.
- 7:55Speaker 3: Even more importantly, thank you foreverhing you're especially over the
- 7:58Speaker 3: last season with the Irish market. I really appreciate it.
- 8:01Speaker 3: Just finally on that we got to get the staters backet.
- 8:03Speaker 3: Some stage happen.
- 8:04Speaker 1: It'll be special.
- 8:05Speaker 4: When it happens, it will be and a lot of
- 8:06Speaker 4: people are still eager for that, and I know that's
- 8:09Speaker 4: gonna be something that people are going to pay attention to.
- 8:10Speaker 4: And I know if the Runnies will love to have
- 8:12Speaker 4: it their way, they would like to be there at
- 8:13Speaker 4: least every other year.
- 8:15Speaker 1: Here, You're very appreciating this podcast. Chart.
- 8:17Speaker 3: I hope you enjoy the Super Bowl this weekend and
- 8:19Speaker 3: I'm sure we'll get an opportunity to talk to staters
- 8:21Speaker 3: of some stages offseason and maybe hopefully see the draft
- 8:23Speaker 3: or in the training camp in summer.
- 8:25Speaker 1: Thanks very much, Thank you, I appreciate you.
- 8:27Speaker 4: Thanks for having me.
- 8:28Speaker 2: Okay, thank you for listening to Charlie Batch on the
- 8:30Speaker 2: Irish Theaters podcast presented by er Lingus. And I guess
- 8:34Speaker 2: one of the biggest storylines and one of the biggest
- 8:36Speaker 2: changes over the last few weeks has been, you know,
- 8:38Speaker 2: the passing of the guard, the changing of the guard,
- 8:40Speaker 2: if you will, in a new head coach, Mike McCarthy,
- 8:44Speaker 2: obviously former Packer, former Cowboy head coach, will take over
- 8:48Speaker 2: and how has taken over the Pittsburgh staters and you know,
- 8:53Speaker 2: seeing obviously a broad amount of reaction in terms of
- 8:55Speaker 2: from different staters, fans, people that like it, people that work.
- 8:58Speaker 1: Sure.
- 8:58Speaker 2: I think it's always going to be hard whenever coach
- 9:01Speaker 2: Tomlin leaves because there is so much change expected, and
- 9:04Speaker 2: there has been so much change that's happened. And we'll
- 9:07Speaker 2: talk about that in a few moments, but I think
- 9:10Speaker 2: anybody that listened to coach McCarthy's first press conference can
- 9:14Speaker 2: say one thing. He is so proud of where he's
- 9:17Speaker 2: from in Pennsylvania, in Pittsburgh, and he is proud to
- 9:21Speaker 2: be the head coach of that team. And I would
- 9:23Speaker 2: have run through a wall from when I heard that
- 9:25Speaker 2: first speech. It was impeccable. You could see how much
- 9:28Speaker 2: it meant to him, his family, his friends, and that
- 9:32Speaker 2: really excites me as a football fan first and foremost.
- 9:34Speaker 2: So I'm excited to see what happens with the Steelers
- 9:37Speaker 2: over the next few weeks and months, obviously heading into
- 9:39Speaker 2: the next season. We all know that coach is working
- 9:42Speaker 2: away hard to make sure that he gets ever him
- 9:45Speaker 2: to the next level. We've seen so many different things
- 9:49Speaker 2: going on over the last few weeks in terms of
- 9:51Speaker 2: guys coming in, guys coming out. Patrick Graham, defensive coordinator
- 9:54Speaker 2: now coming in as well. He was previously with the
- 9:57Speaker 2: Las Vegas Raiders for a number of years, very very
- 10:00Speaker 2: well thought of in terms of his reputation in the NFL,
- 10:04Speaker 2: and so many different guys coming in. In terms of noteworthy ones,
- 10:08Speaker 2: we have Jason Simmons, who's the defensive passking coordinator or
- 10:11Speaker 2: defensive backs, Scott McCurley is inside linebackers, and Steve Scornacci
- 10:15Speaker 2: is going to be the chief of staff. Danny Smith
- 10:19Speaker 2: has departed, and we will have a lot more to
- 10:21Speaker 2: come on different guys over the next few weeks as
- 10:23Speaker 2: we recap on this, but certainly, really the wins of
- 10:27Speaker 2: change have came to Pittsburgh, and I guess the biggest
- 10:30Speaker 2: storyline for me and for all the guys in the
- 10:32Speaker 2: podcast now over the next few weeks will be the
- 10:34Speaker 2: following will we see Aran Rodgers back? You know, Aran
- 10:37Speaker 2: Rodgers obviously has worked with coach McCarthy before. He knows
- 10:42Speaker 2: him very very well, and a lot of the staff
- 10:44Speaker 2: members that have come in have worked with him. So
- 10:46Speaker 2: I think it's going to be very, very intriguing and
- 10:49Speaker 2: interesting to see will Rogers come back. I would love
- 10:52Speaker 2: to personally see him back. I'd love to see him developed.
- 10:54Speaker 2: We'll hired more, but I'm conscious and I'm also aware
- 10:57Speaker 2: of that.
- 10:57Speaker 1: You know.
- 10:58Speaker 2: I mentioned wins of change and to go, and obviously
- 11:03Speaker 2: there could be a situation where he doesn't, and it's
- 11:05Speaker 2: all about adaptability and ensuring that the best fall is forward.
- 11:08Speaker 2: I have no doubt that the Rooney family and the
- 11:11Speaker 2: organization around the team have done the best that they can.
- 11:13Speaker 2: They get the best guy into the job. So I'm
- 11:15Speaker 2: excited to see what happens over the next few weeks.
- 11:18Speaker 2: It's obviously, folks, just finally it's the end of the season.
- 11:21Speaker 1: We will not be going away.
- 11:23Speaker 2: We took a bit of a break after the playoffs,
- 11:25Speaker 2: but we will be back with content over the next
- 11:27Speaker 2: few weeks. But I did want to say this, It's
- 11:30Speaker 2: been a historic year for Steelers fans, but a historic
- 11:33Speaker 2: year for Steelers fans across the island of Ireland. So
- 11:36Speaker 2: much has happened in terms of flag football, different events, outreach, etc.
- 11:40Speaker 2: But it obviously culminated and will be highlighted forever in
- 11:43Speaker 2: the memory of the first ever NFL Dublin game. I
- 11:46Speaker 2: did it meant so much on a weekend that meant
- 11:48Speaker 2: so much to so many people. Obviously, this week from
- 11:51Speaker 2: the Super Bowl, it was announced that Dublin will no
- 11:53Speaker 2: longer have an NFL game in twenty twenty six, and
- 11:57Speaker 2: that Roger Goodell, obviously, the NFL Commissioner, confirmed me earlier
- 12:00Speaker 2: in the week than he expects to see a game
- 12:03Speaker 2: in the next few years or in the future. So
- 12:06Speaker 2: Steelers fans, if you're like me, we're going to light
- 12:08Speaker 2: that metaphor candle and hope that at some point I
- 12:11Speaker 2: have no doubt, of course the Steelers will return to
- 12:13Speaker 2: the hollow turf at Croke Park or in Dublin. Generally,
- 12:17Speaker 2: I believe it will happen in some stage. It's just
- 12:19Speaker 2: a matter of win. And it's great even folks, to
- 12:21Speaker 2: be honest with you, to be on the ground here
- 12:23Speaker 2: and to see all the Steelers guys, different press guys
- 12:27Speaker 2: come in. Calm Heywick came over and gave a shout
- 12:30Speaker 2: out to the Irish Steelers fans to me verbally, he
- 12:32Speaker 2: remembers his time vividly from Dublin, and it's been a
- 12:35Speaker 2: good week and definitely feel very positive about how this
- 12:40Speaker 2: team's going forward and hopefully positive as well about hopefully
- 12:42Speaker 2: getting another game in Ireland very very soon. So we'll
- 12:45Speaker 2: be back over the next few weeks. We're going to
- 12:47Speaker 2: have a decent schedule now over the off season, will
- 12:49Speaker 2: be content of course on Instagram, on ex at Steelers
- 12:52Speaker 2: Ireland of course as well. And i'd like to end
- 12:54Speaker 2: the podcast been given a big shout out to everybody
- 12:57Speaker 2: else Sint Mardk's National School in Dublin, Port Mardick, of course,
- 13:00Speaker 2: who took part in the Under thirteen NFL Flag Championships
- 13:03Speaker 2: last weekend in the San Francisco Bay area ahead of
- 13:06Speaker 2: Super Bowl sixty. Steelers had a great presence there and
- 13:09Speaker 2: they surprised the kids and teachers with a number of
- 13:12Speaker 2: different parts of steel gear, including terrible tiles. I was
- 13:16Speaker 2: there and I've seen the reaction from the kids and
- 13:18Speaker 2: they absolutely loved their tiles. So if you see a
- 13:20Speaker 2: few kids around Port Marnock and you're listening to this,
- 13:22Speaker 2: make sure you comment under tiles if you see them.
- 13:25Speaker 2: The kids were fantastic and really accredit to how good
- 13:28Speaker 2: the NFL Fly program is in Ireland at the moment,
- 13:30Speaker 2: and they really enjoyed their weekend and they beat Germany
- 13:34Speaker 2: as well and on the final day the first ever
- 13:36Speaker 2: win by an Irish NFL Flag Under thirteen team over
- 13:40Speaker 2: in the US, and that's a credit to them. And
- 13:42Speaker 2: I know those kids certainly appreciated the help and supported
- 13:45Speaker 2: the Steelers. Give so props to them. Let's go, mister
- 13:48Speaker 2: mccarfrey excited for the next few weeks and months. We're
- 13:50Speaker 2: gonna be back very very soon, and we'd love folks
- 13:52Speaker 2: if you want a DMS or send as a messager
- 13:54Speaker 2: reply Ana and on social media Steeters Ireland let us
- 13:57Speaker 2: know what you'd like to see in this offseason. We've
- 13:58Speaker 2: got a big, big off season coming up. We're not
- 14:00Speaker 2: going away at all but for Michael loquated for me
- 14:03Speaker 2: for now. Thank you so much for listening to the
- 14:05Speaker 2: Irish Rais Podcast presented by Our Lingus, and we'll talk
- 14:08Speaker 2: to you again very very soon. Hope you enjoyed the
- 14:10Speaker 2: Super Bowl