:U mad, bro?: Another Steelers season ends without a playoff win, so fans are in an angry mood

A Steelers season has ended in playoff failure for the fifth time since 2016. So fans are mad at the coach, the players and, most importantly, the media that covers them.

As a member of that media contingent, I take no responsibility for the Steelers’ shortcomings in the playoffs.

I do, however, take responsibility for “U mad, bro?”

To … an extent, anyway.

Unlike the Steelers in Buffalo, let’s come out of the gate hot. This comes from “Weatherman 21b.” He emailed me after the Steelers’ season ended.

“Thank God that I don’t have to read your garbage until spring training as you continue to annoy me and most of the people in the city of Pittsburgh! Now you can go and beat down the Penguins and annoy their loyal fans!”

I am offended, sir. The Penguins’ regular season is halfway finished. If you don’t think I have started to annoy them by now, you are sorely mistaken.

Also, in football, it’s called training camp. Not spring training.

Unless you really did mean spring training. And if that is case, if you think I am too hard on the Pittsburgh football team, obviously you’ve never read my coverage of the local baseball club.

Andy is mad at the Steelers players for their performance in Buffalo.

“These are professionals, as I am. Single occurrences of the magnitude of lapses witnessed by the men playing a game would have me immediately looking for a new job. I do not earn what these man child athletes do and exhibitions such as last night’s leave me ready to not be reminded again of these 1%ers until summer’s end.”

To me, that sounds like a very eloquent way of saying, “Yinz, know ‘em Stillers stink, n’at, dontcha?!”

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David was mad about how Mike Tomlin handled the clock at the end of the first half in Buffalo.

“I sat there screaming at the tv for Tomlin to call a timeout with around 55 seconds left in the first half. They still had 3 timeouts left. Even the announcers questioned this.

Tomlin finally called a timeout with 2 seconds left. His stupidity was embarrassing.”

David, when it comes to timeout allocation this season, if the Steelers had ended 2023 without a mangling of the clock at some point, it would’ve been like a birthday cake with no candles.

Xgenex, I’d argue it was the Steelers who cost themselves by getting down 21-0 and by losing three straight games against non-playoff competition in early December. Otherwise, maybe they aren’t in a precarious position like that in Buffalo.

But, yes, the officials stink. That’ll never change.

Renee really liked my column criticizing the Steelers for failing to update their QB depth chart in advance of the playoff game to reflect Mason Rudolph as the starter and Kenny Pickett as the backup.

Maybe Pickett is who needs to grow up.

Then they wouldn’t have to worry about his feelings to the extent that they won’t change a depth chart when the whole world knows who the actual starter is going to be.

Renee, you are having an online hissy fit because of a little bit of criticism toward your favorite football team. But I’m the one that needs to “grow up”?

Pfft! OK. Sure, that sounds right.

I had plenty of posts last week about the matchups and the game itself, Dan. But let me give you a little warning about next year.

If quarterback depth chart conversation makes you feel anxious and gets your little tummy upset, you may wanna steer away from the sports section of any Pittsburgh media outlet over the next seven months.

It’s gonna get written about A LOT!

“Chef Knowball” advances an argument defending Mike Tomlin that always drives me crazy.

Oh. I get it. Blame Ben Roethlisberger and Kevin Colbert. They are retired. It’s easier that way.

I often have this fantasy. It’s the night before the Super Bowl. And I write a column that says, “Hey! The Steelers are in the Super Bowl today. But, you know what, we really shouldn’t give Tomlin all that much credit for getting them there because he doesn’t have the power to assemble his own staff or construct the roster. Omar Khan, Art Rooney II and Andy Weidel deserve all the credit.”

Then I post that column about eight hours before the Super Bowl. And the entire national media doesn’t even watch the game because they are too busy ripping me for minimizing the great job Mike Tomlin has done for having a heavy influence building the roster and the staff that got Pittsburgh back to the Super Bowl.

C’mon, Chef, you know that’s exactly how it would go down. If something goes right with the Steelers, Tomlin gets all the credit from the national media. If something goes wrong, he is absolved from blame.

Finally, Rick has figured out the real problem with the Steelers. It’s the media that covers them.

“We made the playoffs! We didn’t win the game. Now, all Pittsburgh journalists want Tomlin’s head? Want him fired.

What about our Pittsburgh newspaper journalists?

Received any writing awards lately? No?

Increased readership? No?

Increased subscriptions? No?

No?

Should we be calling for your heads to roll as well — for being routine, inaccurate, argumentative?

Or is this not quite the same thing?

Are there two standards in Pittsburgh?”

Since you asked, our sports department was recognized in three different categories for the most recent Associated Press News Editor awards. And over the last six months we have seen an increase in pageviews, uniques, recirculation and total engaged minutes.

As far as being routine, inaccurate and argumentative, that only happens in this weekly post when I republish emails like yours.

So I guess, Rick, TribLive’s standard is the standard.

And I can guarantee you one thing: “U mad, bro?” has never had a losing season.