Of all the angles to the San Francisco 49ers’ 30-7 beatdown of the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium on Sunday afternoon, here’s one that didn’t get any play: “Was the crowd out of line for booing the Steelers during their poor performance?”

Maybe that’s because the Steelers were so lousy that they deserved every jeer they received after an offseason of hype so dense you would’ve thought they were destined to go 17-0.

Or maybe that’s simply because those guys are paid professionals, and if the paying customers perceive their effort and/or results to be substandard, it’s within their rights to express that opinion.

Within the boundaries of good taste, of course.

OK. Maybe not “good taste.” These are football fans who have been tailgating since 9 a.m., after all. Let’s say “within the boundaries of socially acceptable verbiage and behavior.”

Boo a Steelers quarterback if he just threw his third interception. Boo a Bruins power play that won’t shoot the puck. Boo the 76er that missed a free throw. Boo a Yankees relief pitcher that just walked the bases loaded.

They are pro athletes. It goes with the territory.

That line always gets more blurry when it comes to college athletes, though. The latest debate about that topic cropped up in Pittsburgh over the weekend when Pitt quarterback Phil Jurkovec groused about fans booing during the Panthers’ home loss to Cincinnati. During that game, Jurkovec led a passing game that ended up with three touchdowns and no interceptions. But he was also just 10 of 32 for 179 yards and took five sacks en route to a 27-21 defeat.

“I think if you’re a grown-(fill in the blank)-man booing in that stadium, then you have to look at yourself,” Jurkovec said. “I think that’s pathetic.”

On Monday, his coach Pat Narduzzi tried to redirect the conversation by putting the target on his own back.

“They were probably booing me,” Narduzzi said. “It doesn’t really matter. … If that’s what you want to do, I’m not dealing with it. We’re disappointed enough. We’re going to stay positive in this room. That’s kind of all I have to say about that.”

As a rule of thumb, whenever I hear someone say, “That’s all I have to say about that,” they absolutely have more to say about that. They just don’t want to continue the conversation, and Narduzzi couldn’t help but add one jab at vocal critics.

“I really don’t care about the guy who’s in his basement on Twitter. I hope our kids don’t listen to that,” Narduzzi said.

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Well, you can block people on Twitter or just avoid logging on. It’s harder not to hear it in the stands. However, to the point of whether or not those “kids” should be hearing it in the first place, that conversation is changing as the landscape of college athletics changes.

This isn’t 1965 when little Johnny Crew Cut from one town over walked onto the Ol’ State U football team. Remember when he dropped that pass against Tech in the fourth quarter of that game during his freshman season? We all cut him a break and just said, “Nice try.”

Nope. We are in the age of NIL now. It’s not just playing for a scholarship. There’s increased freedom of transfer. Extra years of eligibility. “Amateur” is more of an oxymoron than it has ever been. Players on the Power 5 level are as close to “professional” as you can get.

On the topic of being a “grown-(fill in the blank)-man,” Jurkovec will turn 24 in October. He has played the college free-agency game as openly as anyone. He’s on his third team after stops at Boston College and Notre Dame. He got an Audi while playing at BC.

If fans aren’t happy with the way a game is going, I’m not sure if they should feel as obligated to treat some of these players with kid gloves as they once were.

Again, maybe not the obscure backup kicker who shanks an extra point during a blowout after the starter pulled a groin. But the quarterback with a car deal who is older than this year’s No. 1 draft choice? Eh, maybe that “grown-(fill in the blank)-man” gets a little more latitude for criticism from the in-stadium crowd.

In the big picture, I tend to agree with Narduzzi and Jurkovec. I mean, voicing an opinion online, on the air, or in a column is one thing. That’s the main function of this job. Yet whenever I go to games as a fan, I’m also not fond of ripping into players — college or pro — unless a total lack of effort is involved.

Except for that power-play thing. If your team doesn’t shoot on the power play, it’s your right — nay, your duty and obligation — as a fan to boo!

But big-time college athletes can’t have it both ways. They can’t reap the rewards of an increasingly professional atmosphere in college sports while expecting the same blanket of protection from criticism that often used to go along with being an amateur.

You know, back in the good old days when quarterbacks got the keys for Audi under the table instead of on Instagram.

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