U mad, bro?: Readers are grouchy about George Pickens' quote, Mike Sullivan, Guns N' Roses and 'Succession' spoilers

We start June with a lot of manufactured outrage in this week’s “U mad, bro?” Distaste over comments from Pittsburgh Steelers receiver George Pickens to my “Succession” spoilers to the Guns N’ Roses concert at PNC Park.

Don’t you folks have anything legit to be mad about?

After all, it’s not like the Steelers failed to win a playoff game for a sixth straight year, the Pirates were 10 games under .500 in May and the Penguins’ entire roster and front office is a mess or anything.

Wait a minute …

Let’s start with a non-sports one — my decision to retweet our TribLIVE post about the Guns N’ Roses’ concert announcement for PNC Park this summer. It touched off a little sniping.

GNR is heading back to Pittsburgh — in August at PNC Park.https://t.co/5BtZO3YP27

— TribLIVE.com (@TribLIVE) May 31, 2023

So, are people saying "boomers" when they mean Gen X?

— Brian Rittmeyer (@BCRittmeyer) May 31, 2023

Well played, Brian. Technically, yes. Since I was born in 1974, I believe I qualify as Gen X.

But all I know is this: Guns N’ Roses will be playing less than two miles from my house on Aug. 18.

How often do I ever have a chance to get excited about anything that happens at PNC Park … in August?

Rick didn’t like rookie George Pickens’ statement that he was “snubbed” from the AFC Pro Bowl roster last year.

“This guy has proved nothing, except that he’s good at self-adulation. Hasn’t sustained anything positive worth honoring. But he has made a circus catch or two…

When Pickens wins the Steelers a SB # 7 — or at least when he establishes a winning pedigree — then he can run his humble mouth and not until then. He comes across as a Me-me kinda guy. I hope he’s not another supercilious talking, ego … He’s soooo, ‘Bell-Brown-ish’ that I wonder if it’s even possible to salvage him.”

Well, Rick, I agree that Pickens’ suggestion that he was a 2022 Pro Bowl snub when the selected AFC receivers were Stefon Diggs, Tyreek Hill, Ja’Marr Chase and Davante Adams is insane. And I can certainly understand your antenna being up about “me first” guys after the Antonio Brown, Le’Veon Bell, Martavis Bryant days.

That quote does have a whiff about it that smells stinkingly familiar.

But Pickens hasn’t exactly frozen his feet or run out of a stadium shirtless yet. So I’d say “salvaging” him is attainable. I just hope he doesn’t need “salvaging” and instead just needs a little smartening up.

Another person on Twitter was less than thrilled with Pickens’ quote.

Guy felt “snubbed” all year. TO vibes. Hasn’t earned that cred yet come back and have a year then we can talk.

— RainManSuite (@rainmansuite) May 31, 2023

I 100% agree. However, I do think there is something to be said for the belief that he could’ve done more than he was given the chance to do in the team’s highly restrictive offense last year.

I hope that changes this season. If his numbers aren’t Pro Bowl worthy this year, then let him have it.

I got a tweet from someone in response to my story about Kenny Pickett and Matt Canada.

If the playbook is the same, the improvement will be marginal at best. The players are in a straight jacket in this high school system.

— Buckingham Fountainhead (@dmc200802) May 30, 2023

Well, that was sort of the premise of the story. I have to presume that the playbook will expand somewhat. If it doesn’t, then how are the Steelers ever going to succeed?

And, for the love of God, how is George Pickens going to make the Pro Bowl???

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This guy on Twitter wanted to respond to our “Madden Monday” podcast about Mike Sullivan.

Mike Sullivan doesn't deserve a job with the Penguins, but... apparently we're gonna ride him to retirement, results be damned.

— Sarcastibull (@SarcastiBS) May 30, 2023

It looks like you can say the same for some of the guys he’s coaching too.

Jeff wants to see the NFL tinker with the point-after-touchdown rule.

“To make the game more exciting, how about eliminating the PAT and teams have to go for the 2-point conversion after scoring a touchdown. What do you think????”

Quite honestly, Jeff, I don’t think they do it because two-point plays aren’t all that exciting if all of them are mandated.

I’d say a two-point attempt after a first quarter touchdown is only marginally more interesting than an extra point when you know that there are still 45 minutes or more left in the game.

If a mandatory two-point try happens late in a close game, then, yes, you are right. It would be more exciting. But if you mandate all two-point tries, you suck out the fun element of strategy as to when a team should go for two and when it shouldn’t.

So, I get your point. And yes, it would moderately help. But maybe not as much as you presume.

This Pitt fan wanted to take a shot at me because I was celebrating Judah Mintz’s decision to return to Syracuse for his sophomore year.

Bring him back to the Pete where he will be eaten alive again….

— Michael LaRocka (@MikeLaRocka) June 1, 2023

A lot went wrong for Syracuse that day, Michael, but much of it was worse than Mintz. He had 16 points, on 6 of 9 shooting with six assists and just two turnovers in 36 minutes.

If that’s “eaten alive,” I look forward to the second course.

Finally, I noticed that our edit desk added a “spoiler alert” warning to my spoof piece about the Penguins “Succession” plan at general manager.

So obviously some people must have complained that I gave away some plot points of the show between episode 9 of this season and the series finale.

Really, people? We included a picture of the show at the top of the story. If you were so afraid of spoiler alerts, you coulda clicked out before you read one word.

And, again, it was before the finale. Not after. And what plot points did I give away … honestly? Except for maybe that Logan Roy is …

But, I mean, c’mon! That happened six weeks before I wrote the piece. Am I still responsible for your negligence in keeping up with a show more than a month later? Is that on me? I don’t think that’s my responsibility.

And the name of the show is… “SUCCESSION.” What did you think was gonna happen? It’s kinda like that Mark Wahlberg movie “Lone Survivor.” it’s right there in the title for crying out loud! You kinda have to know that that was going to happen to Logan at some point!

Am I right?

Now, if I really wanted to spoil it for you lazy folks who are behind in the series, I could tell you that in the final episode that Shiv …..