Don’t you ever just want to get away and/or take a break from something? You know what I mean. It’s like when you leave work for the day and go to Happy Hour with a co-worker, don’t you just want to talk about everything but work?
- Of course, you do, but you do nothing but talk about work, anyway.
But that might be understandable since we spend so much of our time at work–40-60 hours a week for most of us. And that’s just the physical toll. As for the mental grind, it’s hard to decompress from work when all you can think about is going back there when your off time is over.
However, a hobby is quite a different story. How much do you have to consume yourself with a hobby before it becomes an obsession? As it pertains to your average Steelers fan, unfortunately, we have that answer, thanks to social media.
Steelers offensive line quite simply needs to step it up. Photo Credit: Barry Reeger, PennLive
Remember the old days, before things like Twitter, Facebook and even text messaging, when you could just get away from all things Steelers for a few months after their season ended? Maybe you’d focus on movies, the gym or even another sport — for me, that would always be men’s college basketball.
Those were the days. Now, thanks to everything and everyone being connected, it seems like the Steelers never go into hibernation. That’s obviously due to the cleverness of the NFL, a league that has mastered the art of making its season a 24/7/365 experience.
NFL coaches may not be too keen on their players engaging with fans on social media, but the league, itself, sure loves to do it. The draft, free agency, even the annual schedule reveal have all become things that fans consume as vigorously in the offseason as they do touchdowns during the regular season.
- But do we really have to consume all things Steelers/NFL-related so vigorously?
I’ll give you a for instance: Position coaches. There was a time when the Steelers would name a new position coach in the spring, and you may not even have known about it until that summer’s training camp when the folks at Saint Vincent College convinced you to buy a seasonal guide.
Seriously. The Houston Texans just hired Ravens offensive coach David Culley as their head coach. Good for him. Who in Steelers Nation remembers that he was Bill Cowher’s wide receivers coach from 1996 through 1998? Almost no one.
That’s in part because when the Steelers struggled to replace Yancey Thigpen and Will Blackwell failed to develop, most fans didn’t know enough say, “Its David Culley’s Fault! Cowher should have fired him after the Fog Bowl II debacle!”
It’s not like that anymore.
Who will the Steelers’ new offensive line coach be? When will they name a new quarterback coach? What about credentials? How about this person’s background? Will their expertise lend itself to improving the position(s)?
- I honestly don’t care all that much who the Steelers’ new offensive line coach is.
There will still be a 2021 season even without one, and no matter who they name, it likely won’t determine whether or not Pittsburgh wins the Super Bowl next year.
I realize that sports are a pastime and the Steelers are a passion for many, but do we have to be so passionate about every aspect of the team?
Take a break, unwind and enjoy the offseason. I guarantee you that David DeCastro is, and he’s a lot less worried about who is new position coach will be than you are.
