PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Steelers report to training camp Wednesday and while Pittsburgh fans still obviously care, football players moving into a dorm won’t dominate the headlines.
A suitcase of clothes and creature comforts carried around St. Vincent College are the sign of Pittsburgh’s favorite season, fans on Wednesday likely will be spending at least as much time breaking down a 12th career Paul Skenes start against a team battling with them for a playoff spot.
Isn’t that refreshing.
Not that you won’t get the Steelers coverage or that you don’t care. It’s just that the Pirates still matter. A team that could barely find home plate for much of the season is in the Wild Card race. Finally, the offense helped out the exceptional starting pitching and the Bucs took two of three from the Phillies.
Here we are in late July and the focus can be on actual games, not football practice hypotheticals.
Oh, you’ll still love the Steelers camp phenom stories. The first day in full pads will still be covered. You’ll wonder who is standing out as the second receiver and the cornerback situation along with who is playing which tackle position. It’s just that it’s not the only story dominating the conversation.
The Pirates matter.
After Russell Wilson and Justin Fields’ arrival this spring, Cam Heyward showing up and Mike Tomlin’s new contract, much of the summer has been about a Bucs rookie, not just in Pittsburgh but globally. A winning record since Skenes arrival, the Pirates are keeping headlines about the team playing real games, not the one preparing for them?