First Call: OBJ explains mocking Steelers’ Mike Tomlin; Hue Jackson wants Colin Kaepernick in Pittsburgh

In Thursday’s “First Call,” Hue Jackson wants Colin Kaepernick to wind up in Pittsburgh. Odell Beckham Jr. explains his yawn gesture toward Mike Tomlin. And an NHL ref with Pittsburgh ties has a bad night.

Not so boring

If Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin was bored by the addition of Odell Beckham Jr. to the Cleveland Browns, he’s not yawning now.

Tomlin infamously faked a yawn during an ESPN interview when he was asked about the Browns adding Beckham this offseason.

Lost tape from our Tomlin interview in Va. in July: Tomlin gives the yawn hand sign when I ask him about facing Odell Beckham twice a year. The message? We face great players often. pic.twitter.com/Wb3jVaJTsZ

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) August 2, 2019

O.B.J. remembered that and mimicked the yawn last Thursday night after a big play against the Steelers, en route to a 21-7 Browns’ win.

.@bakermayfield finds @obj for a 43-yard gain!#PITvsCLE pic.twitter.com/7l6jDZybXh

— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) November 15, 2019

During a stoppage later in the game, Beckham explained to Tomlin why he made the gesture in response.

“I said ‘you disrespected me,’” Beckham told Cleveland.com on Monday. “I said ‘you know who I am.’ And he said ‘I know who you are. That’s why we’re doubling you all game’ and this and that.’

“There’s never been no beef with me and no coach. We were just talking (expletive).”

I don’t know what else to say about this. Aside from that I’m sure Mason Rudolph started it.

Is this revenge?

Hue Jackson went 0-5-1 against the Steelers during his three years with the Browns. Maybe this is how he is going to get his revenge.

Jackson — by way of complimenting the Steelers — is setting them up for chaos.

He says Pittsburgh should be the destination for Colin Kaepernick.

Hue Jackson reveals to @KristineLeahy what kind of team would be a good fit for Colin Kaepernick:

"The Pittsburgh Steelers because of how they do their business."

Hue Jackson's full interview airs next Monday, November 25 on @FS1 pic.twitter.com/2rbjHtebM5

— FS1 (@FS1) November 19, 2019

Uh, thanks, Hue.

Jackson was supposed to help lead Kaepernick’s NFL-arranged workout last Saturday, until Kaepernick suddenly moved the time and location.

Again, Jackson gave those quotes out of respect for the organization. But all that does is stir the pot for something the club doesn’t want. The Steelers have showed zero interest in Kaepernick, and rightfully so.

This is a team that can’t avoid the headlines as it is, try as they have this year. The team is hanging on by a thread already in 2019. Why potentially upset the apple cart even more to take a flyer on a guy who hasn’t played in three years?

Plus, you want the guy at the center of the anthem-kneeling controversy to come in and sit a few lockers down from the Alejandro Villanueva? The former soldier that was — quite literally — put out front (whether he wanted it or not) as the poster to the opposition of the kneeling movement?

That’ll go over great.

That’s gotta hurt

Quaker Valley product and Robert Morris hockey alum Furman South is now an NHL official.

He was working the Rangers-Capitals game Wednesday night and took this shot to the face.

#NHL Referee Furman South takes a puck to the mouth during #WSHvsNYR. Got patched up and stayed in the game. pic.twitter.com/pcBC1Ynfzs

— Zebras On Ice (@IceZebras) November 21, 2019

South was alright, though. And he came back to the ice after some patchwork.

Ouch. Those whistles are going to hurt. pic.twitter.com/u2OeACsr0u

— Scouting The Refs (@ScoutingTheRefs) November 21, 2019

Pfft! And you thought the players were tough?!

Two against one

Monday night, a Boeheim lost in Syracuse.

And all the Carrier Dome fans were happy about it.

Because two other Boeheims won.

Syracuse topped Cornell 72-53. Orange head coach Jim Boeheim — and his younger son Buddy — teamed up to beat his older son Jimmy and the Big Red.

Valiant effort out of #Cornell tonight.

Jim Boeheim greets his son Jimmy, followed by the two brothers sharing a hug and a smile, after #Syracuse came away with tonight’s win over the Big Red. @CNYCentral pic.twitter.com/TvJbpGLpCf

— Matt Hauswirth (@matthaus_CNY) November 21, 2019

“I don’t really like coaching against my son, but you gotta do it once a year and you gotta get through it,” Jim Boeheim said via Syracuse.com. “He played really well.”

For the coach, that’s 1,050 career wins. For Jimmy, he had 25 points. And for Buddy, he had 16.

So not a bad night.