Recently I was thinking about my time writing about the Pittsburgh Steelers. Throughout my career doing so, I’ve essentially done it all.

Commentary, news, breaking stories, features and even took a stab at simple film room breakdowns.

The one thing I’ve never done is work on just a random thought type format.

I can’t speak for you, the reader, but I am always thinking about writing and the Steelers. Thinking about different aspects of the team and game. Thanks to reading Myron Cope’s biography I decided to put a unique spin on this type of feature.

Now, for the name of the article, anyone who is familiar with the Styx song “Renegade” should know where it came from. If not, this is where it came from…

The jig is up, the news is out
They finally found me
The renegade who had it made
Retrieved for a bounty
Nevermore to go astray
This’ll be the end today of the wanted man

The jig is up…time for some randomness.

I’m Calling B.S.

Mike Tomlin has his season-ending press conference Tuesday, and this event was, as it usually is, a non-story. Fresh off the most recent one-and-done playoff run, Tomlin wasn’t in a position to answer questions about the team’s quarterback room, or other pending free agents, at this juncture of the offseason. However, he was asked about the report of George Pickens being late to the stadium on Christmas Day when the Steelers hosted the Kansas City Chiefs. His answer was interesting, to say the least. Tomlin essentially stumbled on his words, something he never does, and said it happened too long ago for him to remember what exactly happened. For me? I’m calling B.S. on this answer. I can’t fathom a situation where the head coach of the team doesn’t know when a star player doesn’t show up before the inactive list is released. It’s a bad look for all involved.

Will Big Changes Come?

During Tomlin’s presser this week he mentioned some big changes which could be coming. Of course fans thought this meant players getting cut/traded and coaches being fired. As of this being written no drastic decisions have been made, and it is natural to believe this was nothing more than the same old talk from the head coach after another disappointing end to the season. Will big changes be on the horizon? I don’t know for certain, but I would expect at least one coach relieved of his duties, most likely this upcoming week, with some more significant changes with the roster coming after the Super Bowl and at the start of the new league year in March.

Why doesn’t Tomlin Talk?

One thing I’ve always wondered is why Mike Tomlin is the exception of the rule in regards to offseason press availability. Most NFL coaches do their end-of-season press conference, then they appear at the NFL Scouting Combine, and typically again before and after the NFL Draft. Tomlin is excused from speaking at the Combine, and since Bill Belichick left the league he is the only coach who doesn’t have the requirement to speak at the event. The next time we’ll hear from Tomlin will be at the league meetings in Florida when Tomlin has breakfast with a select group of media. After that, nothing until the pre-draft presser with Omar Khan. It’s been this way for a long time, but it’s always made me wonder why.

Players Don’t Owe Media Anything, But Should Be Smarter

Let me make something crystal clear, the players don’t have to talk to the media. They owe the media nothing, and most player view the media as the enemy. I understand this line of thinking, but I do feel like some players would be smart to approach the media with a different idea in mind. If a negative narrative exists surrounding a player, the way to alter such narratives is to embrace the fact the media are the ones who are driving these narratives on a daily basis. So, when Minkah Fitzpatrick, who has had two very mediocre seasons, refused to talk at locker clean out Monday, it wasn’t a good look for the All-Pro safety. Minkah doesn’t owe the media, or fans, anything, but it was an opportunity for him to face the media and help alter the narrative surrounding his game after 2024. Then again, maybe he doesn’t care about those narratives in the first place…

Divisional Round Memory

Heading into the NFL Divisional Round of the playoffs I can’t help but always think about the 2005 game between the Steelers and Colts. This game felt like the Super Bowl, but it was probably the craziest game I’ve ever witnessed in my years of being a Steelers fan. Sure, the Vontaze Burfict/Pacman Jones and Joey Porter game was crazy, but the Colts game was different. The Steelers dominated that game, and if it wasn’t for a horrible overturn of Troy Polamalu’s interception of Peyton Manning would have been a footnote in Steelers history. We all know what happened, and we all have a story about that game in terms of how we felt and where we were when it went down. I’ll save that story for another time, but it was one of the greatest moments for me as a Steelers fan.

Pittsburgh Pro Teams

I know many who follow the Steelers aren’t Pittsburgh fans. When people ask me, “You’re a Steelers fan?” I always respond with the same answer. “No, I’m a Pittsburgh fan. I like the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates.”

Well, if you’re like me, we could be entering some dark days for professional sports. This post I did for the newly formed Fans First Steel City outlines it perfectly…

When it comes to Pittsburgh professional sports teams, it certainly is a muddled mess.#Steelers can’t get past the WC Round #Penguins are in a rebuild (despite what others say)#Pirates refuse to try and spend money when they should.

Fun times in the Steel City…

— Fans First Steel City (@FFSNSteelCity) January 16, 2025

Could the Steelers bounce back? They could, but they need a quarterback to do so. Could the Penguins make another run? Not before they cut some fat and get younger and faster. Could the Pirates build around their young, and impressive, starting rotation? They could, but their owner would have to actually spend money.

I’ll stop now before I go on a diatribe about this topic…

Rooting Interests 

A common question I get from family and friends once the Steelers season ends is, “Who do you root for now?”

My answer? “No one.”

I will never root for another team, but I typically find myself rooting against teams playing rivals. I’ll be pulling for the Bills to beat the Ravens, because I hate the Ravens. But, if I’m being honest, I have issues with every team in the AFC for one reason or another. The Bills have lambasted the Steelers recently, so I’m not a fan of them. I can’t stand Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, for obvious reasons. The Texans crushed the Steelers in Week 4 of 2023, so not pulling for them either.

I still watch football, but in no way am I rooting for a specific team. I typically just pull for players in my FanDuel lineups…

RIP Bob Eucker

Last, but certainly not least, my condolences to Bob Eucker. Eucker, who played in the big leagues for a few years, was known for his comedic edge and his acting in the “Major League” movies. He was 90 years old, and in case you don’t know who “Euck” was, just watch some of these clips below to get a better feel for his humor.

One of the greats. RIP Bob Eucker pic.twitter.com/VKWVVfviiL

— Dane Crane (@DaneCrane55) January 16, 2025

Legend Bob Eucker “Just a bit Outside.” #MLB #BobEucker
pic.twitter.com/oNePiBzF7m

— dschnaq (@dschnaq) January 16, 2025

Bob Eucker always caught on quick. pic.twitter.com/2h9m3OW0k0

— HJR (@HillJackRussell) October 4, 2023

Eucker was a treasure, and it is worth your time to go back and watch some old clips of him on the Johnny Carson Show, among others, and just how funny he was. Then again, I think I’m just going to go watch Major League again…it never disappoints.

That does it…the jig is up, they’ve finally found me. This renegade is outta here…be sure to stay tuned to SCN for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they prepare for the offseason.