It’s almost Valentine’s Day. Love is in the air.
Need proof? Take a look at my social media mentions. It’s pretty obvious. Steelers and Pirates fans are flat-out gushing over everything I have to say about their teams.
Enjoy our heartfelt love letters to one another in this week’s “U mad, bro?”
We begin with John. He sent me this correction to an item about a Super Bowl history reference in a recent “First Call.”
“Tom Brady beat the Seahawks in the Super Bowl at the end of the 2014 season, not 2015. The game was played February 1, 2015, which culminated the 2014 season. I consistently catch simple factual errors from you and your fellow writers. I’m a former journalist and it’s not that hard to get simple facts correct.”
John is right. I messed up. I meant to write 2014-15, and I flubbed it.
I apologized, corrected the mistake and thanked John for catching it. However, I also mentioned I could do without the scolding, finger-wagging tone and congratulated him on going through his entire journalistic career without ever making an error.
Which I’m … 100% sure was the case.
John replied.
“By the way, no one refers to football seasons as 2014-15. It is simply the 2014 season. You only use overlaps for hockey and basketball. They’re the 72 Dolphins, the 85 Bears. Not the 85-86 Bears.”
I get the impression that John is really fun at parties. Don’t you?
If you missed the column I wrote leading up to the Super Bowl, you should read it. Everybody thought it was great. Especially this guy.
So what would you do genius? Tank the season? Trade all your vets for draft picks and try to finish at the bottom for a sure fire not guarantee you will get a franchise QB? You sports writers are delusional.
— Em O'relly He/Him (@em_rally) February 7, 2026
You’re right. They should keep doing what they are doing. They should continue to try to plug the quarterback hole with overreaching draft picks, mid-tier reclamation projects and end-stage former Pro Bowlers.
They should also continue to assume that an aging defense and coaches who haven’t been good in the playoffs for about a decade will surely find the fountain of youth and rediscover their magic touch en route to Super Bowl glory and a seventh Vince Lombardi.
Because, obviously, none of that is “delusional” at all.
This person has some thoughts on the topic too.
I understand the theory behind tanking for a high draft choice in order to get a franchise quarterback. However, I question the capability of the "Khan Artist" and his staff to make the correct choice.
— Deplorable Me (@SFHunter25) February 7, 2026
You mean that acquiring Justin Fields and Russell Wilson in 2024 didn’t win you over?
Skip was also a big fan of that column.
Do you ever say anything positive?
— skip (@Skip1288) February 8, 2026
We had buffalo chicken dip and meatball subs at our Super Bowl party. They were both excellent.
In a recent post about the Pirates acquiring Marcell Ozuna, Brandon Lowe and Ryan O’Hearn, I wrote the following passage:
“Pasting those three guys onto the roster — plus Gregory Soto, Jhostynxon García, Jake Mangum and Mason Montgomery — equals $38.4 million in salary added to the 2026 payroll. OK, $29.4 million if we discount what Tommy Pham and Andrew McCutchen made last year, and assume they won’t be back. That’s still significant, considering the Pirates’ entire opening day payroll last year was $86.4 million.”
A guy named “Eric” emailed. He would like to quibble with that logic.
“From that $29.4M, you need to deduct the dumped salaries of departed Buccos Kebryan [sic] Hayes ($7M for 2026), Bailey Falter ($3.6M for 2026), and David Bednar ($9 M for 2026). In all, it’s a net $10M increase from year to year. It’s not significant. That’s chump change in MLB. And, if it’s too much for Nutting. He ought to sell and get out of ownership.”
Far be it from me to push back against that point about Bob Nutting, Eric. So if that’s your overarching premise … touché.
And to a further extent, you are also right in the sense that the better comp would’ve probably been to reference last year’s team payroll by the end of the season as opposed to Opening Day 2025.
However, if you want to get that pedantic about it, Mitch Keller’s salary is going up $1.5 million. Bryan Reynolds’ salary is going up by $2 million. So is Dennis Santana’s. Oneil Cruz goes up to $3.3 million from $785,00. Joey Bart goes up $1.4 million. They’ll probably still add a lefty pitcher somewhere in the neighborhood of what Falter made, etc. So, that cash counts too.
I’m not trying to refute your argument. Nutting either should be spending more, or, if he can’t, he should get out of the game.
However, this offseason is a small step in the right direction — even if outside labor and economic influences are forcing him to take it.
That’s the point I was trying to make.
James didn’t like a “First Call” entry this week about Aaron Rodgers’ future.
Says who ? McCarthy said in his latest interview that he has spoken to Rodgers on many occasions and not once have they talked about him coming back
— James Chamberlain (@jc_steelersfan) February 9, 2026
Says who? Well, as it states in the story, Tom Pelissero from the NFL Network.
It was his report. I’m not sure I get your question. What do you mean, “says who?”
And if you think McCarthy and Rodgers have talked numerous times without even mentioning a potential return, then I’ve got some ocean-front property in Greenfield I want to sell you.
Finally, I got this email from David on Super Bowl Sunday.
“Do you cover the Puppy Bowl? Lol!”
No, David. I’ve watched the Steelers lie down like dogs in their last seven playoff games. I’ve had a ruff enough time covering those games as it is.
