On Sports: Pitt players react to slight from Beanie Bishop. Spoiler alert: They didn't like it

In Thursday’s “On Sports,” Pitt players react to a viral slight from Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Beanie Bishop, a West Virginia alum.

New Penguins coach Dan Muse has a few lesser-known connections to Pittsburgh and his new organization.

Plus, the Pirates’ Andrew McCutchen reached his 16th anniversary of making it to the big leagues Wednesday.

Panthers unpleased

In essence, Beanie Bishop declared war on Pitt football Tuesday when he recorded himself stomping on the Panthers logo at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex in the South Side.

To his credit, Bishop faced the music Wednesday following the Steelers’ organized team activities session, taking questions from reporters on the matter.

Suffice it to say, Bishop was unapologetic, chalking up his actions to the spirit of Pitt and West Virginia’s heated historic rivalry.

But Bishop had to have known he’d be setting off the vast majority of Panthers Nation with what he did.

On that front, those inside Pitt’s program weighed in en masse on the situation:

Junior linebacker Rasheem Biles clearly plans to use the slight as motivation when the Panthers and Mountaineers meet in Morgantown Sept. 13:

gon make his boyz pay for that ???? https://t.co/vqCTLpiRPm

— Rasheem “The dream” Biles ???? (@Rasheembiles) June 4, 2025

Added fellow linebacker Cameron Lindsey:

We are not his fans???????????? https://t.co/POFMDq8v8j

— Cameron (@cx_lindsey) June 4, 2025

Sixth-year defensive back Rashad Battle and junior linebacker Kyle Louis sounded far from impressed with the stunt:

Aiight lil bro https://t.co/Vha2GVURON

— Rashad Battle (@RashadBattle15) June 4, 2025

Snm https://t.co/Itp9ht4R3v

— Kyle Louis⁹???? (@K_009r) June 4, 2025

More Muse ties to Penguins

It’s been well-reported that new Penguins coach Dan Muse, whose hiring was announced Tuesday, was formerly head coach of the U.S. National Team Developmental Program.

During that time (2020-23), Muse coached promising Penguins forward prospect Rutger McGroarty for a season.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton play-by-play man Nick Hart pointed out another connection between Muse and the Penguins organization.

New Pittsburgh head coach Dan Muse won a USHL Clark Cup Championship with the Chicago Steel in 2017.
Muse's captain on that championship squad? Marc Johnstone. pic.twitter.com/l4pdy3Caek

— Nick Hart (@_NickHart) June 4, 2025

In 2017, as coach of the Chicago Steel, Muse won a U.S. Hockey League Clark Cup championship.

The captain of Muse’s club was current WBS Penguins winger Marc Johnstone, now 28.

Johnstone made his NHL debut with the Penguins on Dec. 8, 2023, his only appearance to date.

Last season in the American Hockey League, Johnstone played 51 games, scoring five goals with six assists.

With the Steel in 2016-17, Johnstone contributed nine goals and 20 assists in 59 games to Chicago’s Clark Cup squad.

As a bonus, TribLive’s Seth Rorabaugh pointed out that Muse, serving as an assistant for Yale, captured a national championship with the Bulldogs in 2013.

Dan Muse has won in Pittsburgh before.

He was an assistant coach on the Yale team that won the national championship at what was then known as Consol Energy Center in 2013:

(Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) pic.twitter.com/BkdRDcLCcn

— Seth Rorabaugh (@SethRorabaugh) June 4, 2025

That year’s national title game between Yale and Quinnipiac was played at the former Consol Energy Center.

Cutch’s debut anniversary

June 4 marked the 16-year anniversary of Pirates designated hitter Andrew McCutchen’s MLB debut.

On June 4, 2009, McCutchen appeared in his first game for the Pirates, going 2 for 4 with an RBI, three runs and a stolen base against the New York Mets.

That year as a rookie, he batted .286 with 12 homers and 54 RBIs in 108 games.

It was the first of nine years he spent in a Pirates uniform before being traded to the San Francisco Giants following the 2017 campaign.

McCutchen is now in Year 3 with the Pirates following a 2023 reunion with the club that drafted him 11th overall in 2005.

His second stint with the Pirates has yielded career milestones such as 2,000 career hits, 300 homers, 400 doubles and 50 triples.

The 38-year-old McCutchen also recently tied Roberto Clemente for third-most career home runs in a Pirates uniform (240), trailing only Ralph Kiner (301) and Willie Stargell (475).