November 11, 2025 • 50 mins
Max and Rob continue to discuss the game in LA and put a bow on week 10 for the league, Alvaro Martin joins the show to further break down the game and chat about his experience at the Steelers' viewing party down in Mexico.
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
This is in the locker room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio, presented by your neighborhood Forward Store.
The F one fifty is the official truck of the
Pittsburgh Steelers and by Steelers Pro Shop. Get it direct
from the team at the Steelers Pro Shop at shop
dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Well, thank you very much for being with us in
the locker room on this ChIL chilly Tuesday.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Chilely ads in snow in the cars.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
And a little bit of snow on the lawn. They
had a huge amount of the melp. I can't imagine
there's snow in the desert.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Max is there?
Speaker 4 (00:43):
Uh No, there's not, rob you know.
Speaker 5 (00:46):
It's a little, uh little little brisk, but definitely not
in the chili category. So you got back home from
La I did get back home. It was only in
hour and a half delay getting back home.
Speaker 4 (01:01):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
So just to let people know now it's gotten worse
you told me, and all the flying you do, which
is again to recap it is Phoenix to or Arizona,
to wherever you're going for a football game that place,
to wherever the Steelers are going, and then from wherever
the Steelers have played back home to Arizona, right, correct,
(01:25):
And you told me you've had one plane on time.
Speaker 5 (01:30):
Well after this weekend two because my flight to LA
was on time. So there's a flight to LA and
then flight the weekend before back to Pittsburgh the Colts weekend.
That flight to Pittsburgh was on time. It was a
(01:50):
direct flight. Those are the two flights of all travel
that I've done.
Speaker 4 (01:59):
This season thus far that has been going on here.
Speaker 5 (02:04):
Well, I mean, you know, I mean some of the
things are weather related, Like we had some bad weather
systems early in the season right on the East coast,
so you get bad weather seasons. And then of course
you know when it's hurt, the time is hurricane anytime
you're flying near Dallas, So anything golf related is.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
Going to be a lot of delays.
Speaker 5 (02:25):
So there's been weather, but there's been but there's been
also other stuff mixed in there as far as flight delays,
whether it's air traffic control, and obviously we know about that,
you know, dealing with the it's been heightened because of
the government shut down which.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
Is now now now gone.
Speaker 5 (02:43):
But there's the air traffic controller shortages, so therefore managing
flight congestion and everything else. So I mean it's mixing
the pilots timing out.
Speaker 4 (02:55):
Because of those delays.
Speaker 5 (02:56):
So yeah, I've gotten all of the weather things that
you could happen in my travels.
Speaker 4 (03:03):
I've experienced almost all of those. So yeah, I am
a grizzled flying.
Speaker 5 (03:10):
Veteran now, I guess because of this adversary. But you
know what, I have never missed a call, Bud. I've
never missed a call. Yo, You've been going to be
knock on wood. I'm a knock on wood here to
keep that going. But yeah, so five years of being
in a in a primary broadcasting role that has.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Not has not been an issue. So last night we
have a lot to get to. By the way, Avalo
Martinez talk. This is at ten twenty. It's Tuesdays with Labs.
So Bob Labriola will be with us UH football game
last night. Any I have to say, I didn't make
it up. I didn't make it through the whole thing.
(03:49):
I was still a little no, no, you didn't.
Speaker 4 (03:52):
Make it up.
Speaker 5 (03:52):
After all night and then going straight to two shows.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
Are you sure?
Speaker 2 (03:58):
I think it was zero zero halftime, wasn't it. I'm
trying to remember I remember I kind of crawled up
the stairs. He was nothing nothing, it was not it
was not a game designed to keep me awake.
Speaker 4 (04:08):
Let's put it that way. Oh absolutely not.
Speaker 5 (04:10):
No, that that game was an absolute I would say
snoozefest to to say the least it was.
Speaker 6 (04:18):
It was.
Speaker 5 (04:19):
It was a I mean, you could say, oh man,
it was it was good defensive football, but I can't.
I can't even come up with that because there was
just a bad, bad offensive football.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
I mean, granted we should know all about that, but
it was just it was just a tough, sloppy game.
Speaker 5 (04:37):
And I have no clue how you know that actually
transpired and how he got to a finish. I thought
that was for sure going to overtime, but the Eagles
pulled it out barely over over the Green Bay Packers.
Speaker 4 (04:53):
And watching the Green Bay Packers, it just made me even.
Speaker 5 (04:55):
More frustrated about about two games ago or three games ago,
sorry now, and and yeah it was it was. It
was not fun to watch it was. I mean, the
stats weren't great for either team. They neither team looked
like they really wanted to go out there and play.
Speaker 4 (05:16):
But you know, hey, that that that's what happened. It
was bad. Yeah, Barkley looked bad.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
You know it wasn't It wasn't an AFC game. I
would have stayed up. It was so I felt, even
though it was two good football teams. Uh, that's enough
on that, right, we we've uh.
Speaker 5 (05:36):
AnyWho, Yeah, it's NFC. It doesn't matter anymore. Let them
do it out in their conference because we have a
lenty of news.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Let's begin with Sebastian Castro coming back one Thornhill release
that happened yesterday after we were off the air. I
think we we both liked well, I should say I
like Sebastian Cashrow'll let you speak for yourself.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
I liked him. I was intrigued by him.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
A little surprised that they didn't keep him because I
thought they liked him, and I think maybe they thought
they could stash him on the practice squad, But evidently
other teams liked him too, so he didn't make it
through the practice squad.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
But now he's back with his Steerders.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
Your thoughts on what he can do, because I thought
of him as more of a strong safety type, slot
capable strong safety type. Your thoughts on what the Steelers
are getting with Sebastian Castro and maybe it's just a
really good upgrade or an upgrade now hopefully a contributor
(06:33):
now hopefully on special teams.
Speaker 5 (06:36):
Yeah, I look at and I like Sebastian Castro as well.
He was a kid that you know, I was wondering, Okay,
where would his role be with so many vets and
he's so young, right right?
Speaker 4 (06:48):
That was what that was.
Speaker 5 (06:49):
What it is, I mean is his physical capabilities versus
his heart and his mental two different things, right, his
heart and mental. This dude is all over the place
as far as like just just an athlete that can
get things done. He knows where to be, how to
get himself in the right position, you know, but might
be a step or two slower than you know, some
(07:11):
you know, or as fast as some of the vets.
So it's like, well, I'd rather take the guy with
the experience versus the guy with that out of experience.
And I think the Steelers wanted to stash him and
wanted to keep him because they liked, you know, everything
that he had to offer. And of course he went
to Tampa Bay and so I know exactly what happened
because because he had a great joint practice in a
(07:33):
preseason when Tampa.
Speaker 4 (07:34):
Bay came to town.
Speaker 5 (07:36):
And I think that and that that's what Tampa Bay saw,
and they're like, well, we need to get this guy.
If if they're gonna cut him, we're gonna keep him.
You know, you always look to who you've played against,
and you scour their roster first because you have firsthand experience.
You can actually pull up the game tape and see
what the guy can do head to head versus what
you guys do. And that that's kind of what happened.
(07:58):
But you could tell that there was an interest by
the Steelers. As soon as he was let go and
cleared waivers, Steelers are coming right back for him. So
there is a value to Sebastian Castro long term, we'll see,
but we'll see if he can have some short term
capabilities and like you said, help us in the special teams.
UH be a guy that can possibly earn a hat
(08:18):
for that forty six dress group and see if see
if he see if he can help the squad out
because we you know, we we do have issues at
the UH at the at the at the at the
secondary position right now. You know, Jalen Ramsey had to
slide back out to corner, you know, slay. We'll see
(08:39):
how he is. Obviously, we'll have the Mike timp press
conference later, so we'll get the injury updates for everybody him.
Isaac ci Amalu felt like that was another big missing
piece on the offensive line.
Speaker 4 (08:51):
But we'll we'll, we'll break that down.
Speaker 5 (08:53):
But yeah, I like the Sebastiro at the Sebastian Castro signing.
I think he's he's he's he's a good kid with
the arrow pointed up.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
Strikes me as one of those guys that you like
to have on your football team, you know. And and
like you said, I think the biggest knock on him
was does he have the raw foot speed to be
able to do everything you want on an NFL field?
And I think that at the very least, the expectation
is that he could be a really good special teamer
(09:24):
and a guy maybe who's in your rotation at safety,
that sort of thing, a guy who you know is
going to be where he's supposed to be maybe has
a little bit of that sort of knack factor. I
don't want to call it it factor, but like a
little bit of that a knack to make a play
here and there.
Speaker 3 (09:41):
That's that.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
I think that was kind of his scouting report coming
out of college. That type of a player. You know,
it's tempting to look beyond that because of the injuries
to the secondary, But is that safe to say that
maybe that's a role for him special teams and maybe
you know, eventually if you know, again, if he gets
the helmet, can cotributing a little bit in certain areas
(10:02):
on defense.
Speaker 5 (10:04):
Yeah, I think I think that's a good assessment. I mean,
you know, you cut your teeth in special teams and
then you work your way into the into the into
the defensive side of the ball. That's gonna be the
best way for him. But you know, availability is the
best ability. So he's available right now, so that that's
already gonna.
Speaker 4 (10:22):
Put him ahead of a lot of people.
Speaker 5 (10:23):
Right So, as long as he you know, stays healthy,
shows that he still remembers the playbook and and he's
adept like a Carson Brunner to where he can go
and contribute, you know, then you can possibly work.
Speaker 4 (10:37):
Your way into a role.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
And a reminder that here in the locker room where
certain people need to remember not to say anything when
we're ready for the bell lap.
Speaker 3 (10:47):
One of the two of us.
Speaker 4 (10:48):
Oh, oh, there we go. Wow, we we are a
little early on that one.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
One of the two of us needs to keep his
horns in when it comes to I'm not going to say,
I'm not gonna throw me under the bus, but one
of the two of us, I'm just it's a team effort.
But here in the in the locker room, we don't.
We believe availability is important, but is not the most
important ability. Ability is the most important ability. But availability
helps because right now I'm available, but I'm not able.
(11:15):
I don't have the ability the avail. I'm avail avail,
but I have no ability the able. The able is
where you struggle the ability.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
The ability is like you've.
Speaker 5 (11:27):
You've or you've availed yourself of the ability to participate it.
Speaker 4 (11:31):
I've availed myself of the inability to participate. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
So anyway, uh so, Sebastia Casher, that was big. That
was a big story yesterday.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
For sure.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
You know, the Steelers they're not sitting around. And again,
you know when we talk about everybody talks about the
amateur scouting and it is sexier.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
Man.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
Everyone gets fired up about the draft. I mean people
are talking about it now. They've been talking about a
quarterback for the Steelers since last draft, and you know,
people for you know now people are you know, they'll
they'll be a draft and they'll be a much too
early mock draft, like two days after the draft for
the next coming year. So I understand the draft is
and we just have to look at the Steelers to
(12:11):
see how they're traditionally built to understand the importance of
amateur scouting, but pro scoutings pretty are important too, And
a pro scout said, hey, we want Sebastian Castro in Tampa,
and the Steelers scouting department took them back. So I
just wanted a dolph of the cap to pro scouts
who have to go out there and be ready when
(12:33):
somebody's available, when somebody has the ability to be available,
as Sebastian Castro did, and you're Tampa and you jump
on them. And now the Steelers having back, so that's good,
that's good stuff. We like having him back. I just
wanted to do a little Dolph of the cap to
those folks who who do that for the Steelers and
around the league.
Speaker 4 (12:51):
Max. Yeah, no, I mean it is.
Speaker 5 (12:54):
And this season has just been one of those that
you look at it and you just like, man, everything
is possible, but nothing seems impossible.
Speaker 4 (13:07):
Right.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
It's been a weird season, man, and it's not getting
any less weird.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
So, first of all, I really thought Juan.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
Thornhill was going to be a good signing and he
just fell out of favor the last couple of weeks.
I really thought, you know, that he was going to
be one of those guys that was going to quietly
come in here. And you know, I'm not saying to
the level you know that we saw with de Shaun Elliott,
but I thought he was gonna come in here quietly
and just plug a hole and be, you know, a
(13:39):
solid part of the defense in whatever role he was
going to play, probably is that third safety. And it
just didn't work out, and so Juan Thornhill no longer
remember the Steelers. A Sebastian Castro signed to take his place. Yeah,
exactly exactly. I mean, it's it's.
Speaker 5 (13:57):
One of those things that you know, like you said,
the Vets come in and you have one theory when
you start the season, but as you go through the
series season, you realize, you know, whatever you.
Speaker 4 (14:07):
Thought was a slight.
Speaker 5 (14:11):
Incapability because of how circumstances let themselves out. That's something
that you have to go and say, Okay, you know
this didn't work out.
Speaker 4 (14:22):
Do we have other options? And unfortunately, you know, for one,
he did not.
Speaker 5 (14:29):
He did not you know, fit the system that they
were that they've had to adapt to. I think you know,
primarily you probably thought, Okay, he played one way, and
he's a he's a good Robin to Deshaun Elliot's Batman.
But Batman's out of Gotham City right now. So you know,
now now we're like, well, who Robin can you lead?
And you figure out they can't do it? Okay, well
(14:51):
we got to bring in somebody else. Okay, now we
got to go over to Metropolis and see if you know,
Superman could come over and hang out for a while,
Jamie Ramsey and see if he can kind of run
this or the Justice League, however you want to look
at it. I'm in a DC move today, so I'm
not pulling it as much Marvel references from my brain,
but that's kind of how it goes. And now you
see what Jalen Ramsey like, well, who could play opposite him? Well, Okay,
(15:13):
we went and got Kyle Duggar and we traded for him.
So now he proved to be adapted at being able
to play and communicate with Jalen Ramsey.
Speaker 4 (15:23):
So well, where's wan Thorne Hill fit in? Right?
Speaker 5 (15:26):
We have two new safeties now essentially, so all right, one,
you're sitting there, Okay, maybe he's a little MOPI I
don't know it, got it not as in tune because
he feels like he got demoted, and well, we can't
have that. This is a long season and we are
in a tight race to make it to the playoffs.
(15:48):
And if you're not ten toes in, sorry, we will
let you go elsewhere. You're a veteran. Anyways, your salary
is guaranteed, so you don't have to worry about signing
for minimum anywhere else. You got your salary guaranteed after
week one and addressed, so you know, good luck in
the future wherever you go. And we're going to continue
to keep molding, shifting and evolving. This from a front
(16:09):
office perspective. And you go and you get Sabasti Castro,
So I think it's a corresponding move to a corresponding decision.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
A couple other big things happening yesterday. Joe Burrow back
at practice. We'll get to more of that because we
have to get to a break soon. And the other
Brian Dable fired by the Giants. I don't know, as
I'm shocked by that decision. I know Dabel is very
well respected in a lot of circles. He's been dealing
with less than a full deck, but the decision was
(16:38):
made to let him go. Any thoughts on that, well, I.
Speaker 5 (16:42):
Mean, you know, once you know, you and the GM
Joe Shane make that decision that Daniel Jones is better
than Saint Kwan Barkley are more vital to it. And
you sit here two years after that decision and one
was a raining rushing champ and Super Bowl champion and
the other is starting for the red Hot Colts.
Speaker 4 (17:05):
I mean that makes it very apparent.
Speaker 5 (17:06):
And you went, you signed a bunch of quarterbacks, you
drafted a quarterback, and you guys are nowhere near in
the NFC East race. So you know a coach who
I believed it. Did he win a Coach of the
Year or he was a finalist.
Speaker 4 (17:22):
I think.
Speaker 5 (17:25):
Just a few years ago they were in the playoffs
and the fall from Grace has been has been steep,
and another team that's just can't figure out how to
how to win consistently.
Speaker 4 (17:38):
Really, that's what it comes down to.
Speaker 5 (17:40):
And so you know, New York Giants will be making
a change and now a new head coach, possibly a
new GM will be coming in and they will inherit
a first round quarterback that they will have to figure
out what to do with. And they didn't protect Jackson
Dart he's out with a concussion right now, right and
Russell Wilson had to go back in the game on Sunday.
(18:01):
So yeah, I mean the Big Apple has had a
lot of bites taken out of it. And Brian Dabole, sorry, sorry,
you were just left with the corps by this point,
so got to throw it in the trash right once
you gets to the corps.
Speaker 4 (18:14):
And by the way, he was the Coach of the
Year in twenty twenty two. Okay, I remember, I was.
I was.
Speaker 5 (18:18):
I could remember because I did because I did the
one on one awards in Kansas City and I remember
interviewing him. I couldn't remember if he was Coach of
the Year, if he was up for like NFC coach,
So yeah, so okay, So yeah, Coach.
Speaker 4 (18:33):
Of the year just three years ago. That's you know,
and now you're fired about that?
Speaker 3 (18:39):
Yeah, I want to go back for the last ten years.
Speaker 4 (18:41):
Just made me.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
This just made me laugh because looking at this, I'm
looking at the list the last ten years coach of
the year, right, uh. And keep in mind that Mike
Tomlins never won Coach of the Year. But here's yeah,
exactly think about that, never one coach of the year
and the longest tenior coach of the NFL. That ed
is absolutely crazy. So twenty fifteen, Ron Rivera wins his
(19:05):
second Coach of the Year. No longer coach of Carolina.
Jason Garrett in twenty sixteen. Sean McVay twenty seventeen. Great coach.
You know, he really is a great coach. I don't know,
if you know, when people talk about the great coaches
in the NFL, his name has to come up, doesn't it.
Speaker 5 (19:23):
Oh well, I mean, look at all the other coaching
careers he spawned as well. Yeah, yeah, right, how many
guys have come from the Sean McVay tree.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
So yeah, great coach. Twenty eighteen Matt Nagy.
Speaker 4 (19:38):
No longer coaching, No longer head.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
Coach at twenty nineteen John Harbaugh, okay, twenty twenty, Kevin Stefanski,
I mean twenty one, Mike Vrabel with Tennessee. Let go
by Tennessee twenty twenty two, Brian Dable let go by
the New York Giants yesterday. Twenty twenty three, Kevin Stefanski
again time coach of the year. That was the one
(20:02):
that that was the one. Tamiko Ryan, I yeah, I
should have. I'm still stunned Tomiko Ryan didn't win that year.
Twenty twenty four. Kevin O'Connell.
Speaker 4 (20:12):
Okay, So three of those gus still.
Speaker 3 (20:15):
With the checker, Yeah, checkered.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
Uh. You know, it's like being on top of the rankings,
the Power rankings.
Speaker 3 (20:23):
You don't want it. I don't know. I don't know.
Speaker 2 (20:25):
If you want to be Coach of the Year, it
means you're short for the business. Probably so, And we
may get into the power rankings today. We may save
that for tomorrow because we have a busy, busy show.
We have Alvalo Martin. He's going to be joining us
next when we continue in the Locker Room, presented by
your neighborhood Ford Store and the Steelers Pro Shop, on
Steelers Nation Radio, part of the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
This is in the Locker Room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio, presented by your neighborhood Ford Store.
The F one fifty is the official truck of the
Pittsburgh Steelers and by Steelers Pro Shop. Get it direct
from the team at the Steelers Pro Shop at shop
dot Steelers dot com. Oddy the CoA but eyes touch
(21:10):
down the Gaylan mescalp Did I touched down a base?
Speaker 3 (21:19):
I love it? There's something about red Roja.
Speaker 4 (21:24):
Yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
We have Alva ro Martin with us, the great Alvaro Martin,
our friend who was at the watch party was was Roja?
Speaker 3 (21:32):
Was that red at the end of that?
Speaker 4 (21:34):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (21:35):
Red zone?
Speaker 3 (21:36):
Red zone?
Speaker 4 (21:37):
Aha?
Speaker 3 (21:37):
Aha, I'm working on Alva.
Speaker 7 (21:40):
That's an imaginary call. That's the call I wish I
had made on Sunday.
Speaker 4 (21:46):
It was not not imaginary, Alvaro. It did happen. It
just didn't happen at.
Speaker 5 (21:52):
That game because that wacked the Green Bay would because
you have been you've been busy obviously, you know, we
definitely want to hear yar how the watch party went
down to Mexico, of course, and then you know, the
week before you had NBA duties, So I mean you've
been you've been a well traveled, uh you know, broadcaster
in high demand. So we had to pull clips from
(22:14):
what we do have of the last time you were
president of our air waves.
Speaker 4 (22:19):
You know that that we have access to.
Speaker 5 (22:21):
So that's why we want to play that because we've
got to have an intro and it has to be exciting.
Speaker 4 (22:26):
So you know, that one was just so good we
had to we had to run it back twice.
Speaker 7 (22:30):
Max, You're the hardest working man show business. Now that
James Brown walked away from the scene.
Speaker 6 (22:34):
So I'm just trying to be number two.
Speaker 3 (22:36):
Uh achieved Brown. I love it.
Speaker 4 (22:41):
All heroes have capes. Not all heroes have capes, Alvaro.
Speaker 6 (22:45):
But gentlemen, where do we start?
Speaker 7 (22:47):
I know you're probably dissected this one over and over
and over again, and I'd like to start with say, yeah,
I'd like to start with your experience in Mexico City.
Speaker 2 (22:57):
So explained everybody you did not call the game this week,
Explained everybody you know, where you were, what you were doing,
who you were with, and you see every saying you
told me, Hey, there's nothing more exciting than calling a
touchdown in front of five thousand fans. It was I
shouldn't say nothing more exciting. But it's a different experience
to call a game, uh, because you're calling a game
(23:19):
off the monitor.
Speaker 4 (23:20):
I'm assuming and within a group of people.
Speaker 2 (23:23):
And I called the game off a monitor during COVID
because it was COVID and we weren't allowed to travel.
So what was the experience like in Mexico City?
Speaker 3 (23:32):
What were you doing? Just fill everybody in if you could.
Let's start there.
Speaker 7 (23:36):
Every year the Steelers pick an away game and they
select that game typically around this time, to go to
Mexico and call a game in front of their fans.
Speaker 6 (23:45):
Why.
Speaker 7 (23:45):
For those who don't know, there are about there are
over seven million Steeters fans in Mexico, about one point
three million of them live in Mexico City. Remember, the
population of Alleghany County is one point two million more
Steelers fans than people in Alleghany County, So it's a
natural place. The city with the most Steelers fans in
(24:06):
the world, including Pittsburgh, is Mexico City, so it's a.
Speaker 6 (24:08):
Natural place to do that.
Speaker 7 (24:11):
And many other events that Max's that have attended in
the past. This time, we brought five legends. Chris Hoak,
Prince Williams came back, Nate Washington, we had Louis Lipps.
We had we had really had a great, great bunch
and Ramon Foster. The Steelers held a watch party in
(24:31):
Germany the week before. About two hundred and fifty people attended. Here,
almost five thousand people showed up at a kind of
a classic Olympic venue, nineteen sixty eight Olympic venue in
Mexico City. They're all Steelers fans. We really We saw
one Ravens guy and I think I may have seen
a Dolphins person. Other than that, it was a sea
(24:52):
of Steelers fans and they pay to attend. There's a
VIP section and then they built up a but looked
like a like a lucha libre ring, and we were
up there and around that ring you had four massive
screens so that everybody in that arena could see the
game in a huge screen.
Speaker 6 (25:14):
And then we call the game, and so they mixed
our call.
Speaker 7 (25:17):
They were watching the game amongst themselves and their friends
and their fellow Steedos fans with our call of the game.
And so you'd always rather be at the at the
at the at the site, at the stadium, but the
experience of calling a game and people reacting to you,
and then people reacting to the game and feeding you energy,
(25:37):
it's very unusual. It's kind of like being on stage
like in a play. It's a very unusual feeling and
I really again it's best to do it from a stadium,
from site, but if you're not going to do that,
this experience is really special. Now, we always knew that
at some point Pittsburgh Zone is now for four years.
(25:58):
For the three prior years, every time we show up
in Mexico City, the Steters went. So we had a
streak going on, and you knew that streak at some
point was gonna end, but not this way. This was
a tough one and it was a tough, tough one
for everybody there. As far as the highlight of the weekend,
given that the game went the way it went, Max,
you're gonna.
Speaker 6 (26:18):
Be proud of us. I think the social media team is.
Speaker 7 (26:21):
Spanish decided that the trip that Max made and touching
on all thirty two Irish counties was so special we
kind of have to do something like that. So they
walked us out into Reforma Avenue, which is a main
drag in Mexico City. And they told me in our tour,
my broadcast partner, hey go find Steeters fans. It's like,
(26:41):
it's not that simple. So we're walking around and listen
to this. I spy out of the corner of my
eye on the marginal road there's a hotel with a
big entrance and the roof of that entrance is being
washed by about six young guys with hard and yellow vests.
(27:02):
And they had the little you know, ropes to keep
them steadying because they slipped and fell. So I said,
that's my demo working class young male. Let's go, so
I said, I said to the camera guy follow me.
I'm wearing a mic, so everything's being recorded. And I
come up to them. I yell at him and you
are fans of American football. And one guy puts his
(27:24):
hand up. Who's your team?
Speaker 6 (27:26):
The guy goes, Steelers.
Speaker 3 (27:29):
So what do we do?
Speaker 4 (27:31):
They lower with a little rope.
Speaker 7 (27:33):
They lower a bucket and we send up a terrible towel,
and of course he posts with it and he waves.
Speaker 6 (27:40):
Next thing, you know, the guy screaming at.
Speaker 7 (27:41):
Us, he lowers the bucket goes can you spare five
more towels? Then the other guys grab poles for a
towel and then start touring it. So he made his
five coworkers Steelers fans on the spot. Meanwhile, we're stopping
traffic at the round floor restaurant waiters, you know, guests
(28:06):
are sticking their nose by the window to watch what's
going on outside.
Speaker 4 (28:11):
It was just great.
Speaker 7 (28:11):
It was capture on video. You shoot, you could be
able to see at some point at loss Steelers. But
it was a magical moment. A lady came up to
us and said, I'm a Steelers fans too. I said,
how come? Well, I was giving I was giving birth
to my son twenty six years ago, and postpartum, I
(28:32):
was just a mess. I was going to move and
I wake up and the steet and the Steelers are playing.
You know, he's like the Colors. And then they won
that game and I started following them. There was no
remote control in my room, so I couldn't change the channel.
So now my twenty six year old son is a
Steeers fan, and his two year Oldstone.
Speaker 6 (28:49):
Will be a Steelers fan. My grandson. So I told
everybody was Steelership.
Speaker 7 (28:54):
I told the legends, Hey, next trip down, forget about
shooting video on the Streets's.
Speaker 6 (29:00):
Go to hospitals. Change the channels and get rid of
the goals.
Speaker 4 (29:04):
Yeah, exactly, just change it. Just toss the remote.
Speaker 5 (29:07):
It's like, hey, there's no batteries at this entire hospital
to change the remote batteries.
Speaker 4 (29:13):
So watch the Steeler game for the next three hours.
Speaker 3 (29:15):
Yeah, if a.
Speaker 7 (29:16):
Mom, if a mom gives bus and becomes a Steelers fan,
there's a multiplier effect here.
Speaker 3 (29:21):
That's exactly right.
Speaker 4 (29:24):
That's a two for one.
Speaker 3 (29:25):
That's right to bargain shopping.
Speaker 2 (29:29):
I have to ask you, you know you mentioned the
It never occurred to me that the Olympic site from
sixty eight would still be there. And of course that
is one of the most famous Olympics of all times.
You know, Bob Beeman had his historic leap there, if
I'm not mistaken, twenty nine feet two inches. That was
in Mexico City. But of course you're John Carlos and
the and the fist in the air. That's uh, you know,
(29:52):
I'm not here to get into political discussion, but it's
certainly made it famous.
Speaker 4 (29:55):
It's made it a very famous venue.
Speaker 3 (29:57):
Is it is it completely still standing. The the Olympic facility.
Speaker 7 (30:02):
Most of them are, actually most of them are, and
they've really been preserved. They're not very useful for events.
I think basketball teams play there. It used to be
the official valuyball venue with some basketball games added to it.
But they've been preserved. It's all run and owned by
the government. But they've been preserved, as as with most
(30:23):
Olympic facilities. And I think Mexico at some point will
probably bid for another Olympics at some point in the future.
Speaker 3 (30:28):
But there, but it wouldn't be there.
Speaker 6 (30:31):
No, No, I think they're outdated.
Speaker 7 (30:32):
It's got it's beautiful, it's got a copper sheeting, sheeting
in the in the top. It's just not very useful
for today's sports business.
Speaker 4 (30:42):
Right understood.
Speaker 2 (30:44):
Okay, So so you're watching the game and and uh,
were you as disappointed as we were because I did
not see I did not see that coming from an
offensive perspective. There was there was no way I thought
that the offense would be held to basically three points
and then a sort of a garbage time touchdown. I
(31:06):
didn't see that one coming at all.
Speaker 6 (31:08):
No, and it was really kind of confidence sapping.
Speaker 7 (31:12):
I mean, people were wanting, showed up to Root to
get excited, and from the get go, the penalty by
Andrew Speed at the start, the pass that was deemed
incomplete because he had no control Jano Smith's down down
the field. All these things were like setbacks and was
one after the next, and then you began to see
(31:32):
how everybody's just a little off key. I'm not here
to make excuses or even diagnosed anything that would have
changed the outcome of the game. But we were talking
before the game that I thought we were going to
miss so Mallow a lot, and it's a very subtle effect.
I don't think he would have made a difference in
changing necessarily the outcome of the game. But I thought,
(31:57):
for the first time that I've seen with Aaron Rodgers
happy feet, I just that's a feeling I had. It's
very difficult Aaron, because he's so good at throwing off
balance and off platform and this and that and the other.
I just felt that he is more concerned about pressure
right now than targets, and to me, it showed in
(32:20):
this game. It's it's been building for a couple of games,
and in this game, it's like the damn burst, the
impresision was unlike him. There was some miscommunication between him
and the receivers. Like I think Metcalf went deep and
kind of stopped, gave up. He didn't step on the
gas all the time, and he missed a little bit,
(32:41):
missed the catch by a little bit. If he had
kept his speed, maybe he would have caught it. But
that's maybe maybe, if, if, But they were just off
and I thought Somala was a big They were really
missing him. They did not protect Broderie Jones. And there's
a move that I saw about six times this game
(33:01):
out of twelve possessions, where the pass rusher charges hard
outside it's almost like a Eurostate in basketball, and then
crosses him inside and the effect is not necessarily a sack,
but the effect is Eventually Broderick has to extend his
right arm and basically hook the guy and stop him,
(33:22):
but he penetrates. And I think Aaron looked to me
like he was just anticipating that, like he knew.
Speaker 6 (33:28):
That was going to happen.
Speaker 7 (33:29):
So where it's coming from, and where should I go
before I even look up and look at my targets.
And again not to excuse him, because he meets the
first one to own up that he didn't play well.
And then the interesting thing, I don't know if you
felt this way at halftime, I'm saying, you know, Aaron
is just off. And it's a very interesting situation with
(33:54):
Aaron Rodgers, because how do you get him back on rhythm.
Some people say, just let him throw. Oh, just let
him throw, build up a series of throws that will
get his timing back. Or no, let's run. Let's run
and try to sort of set him down and get
him to thirty shorts and get that first down and
get that thing over the arm. It's like the guy
(34:15):
in hoops score lap so he can get back and
make threes. And so I thought this tremendous tension between
a guy that is at his best passing and passing
often against a guy today that needs to get back
on track. So in the first series, in the second half,
first three series, three runs by Warren twenty two yards
(34:39):
seven yards about, and then of course they went away
from that and it didn't really get Aaron into it.
Speaker 6 (34:47):
There was a bit of a no huddle offense feeling.
Speaker 7 (34:50):
Towards the end because the score dictated that, and I
thought it was a little bit better. Of course it
coincided with kind of prevent defense by the Chargers. It's
it was just tough, just just difficult to watch, opportunities, missed,
situations that were at verse and just a very unusual thing.
(35:11):
And when you you look at you talk about before
this game, I think there was great consensus that Aaron
Rodgers was the MVP of the team. It still is.
Speaker 6 (35:19):
But when the m v P plays like that, you're like,
oh boy, oh boy.
Speaker 7 (35:23):
And it really rippled, rippled through the offense, third downs,
rippled on time of possession.
Speaker 6 (35:28):
Again. One more thing I wanted to tell you.
Speaker 7 (35:31):
On that on that last score by Kimani Waidov, the
Steelers had a very unusual bit of personnel. Cam Hayward
was not on the field for that play, which really
defined the game and the league was solid for the Chargers,
but it really did. Sawyer was in, Harrison was in,
(35:52):
by a Black was in and as as he or
Wanwell was in uh for that critical play, which tells
you then the estimation of the coaching staff that was
better than maybe the usual lineup or.
Speaker 6 (36:08):
The starting lineup.
Speaker 7 (36:08):
Now you probably wanted to go a little heavier, so
you kndot understand why story may have been there, but
high Stoos was tiving a great game, for a decent game,
and so either people were worn out or just gassed.
Speaker 6 (36:21):
And for the last critical play you.
Speaker 7 (36:23):
Had a people who were a bunch of reserves who
were fresh and who were big and strong because they
anticipate the run. And then when you look at the
play itself, Patrick Queen was woefully out of position. He went,
he drifted to his right, didn't even look at the
exchange with the quarterback, and there was a huge hole
pulling guard and then he reacted too late.
Speaker 6 (36:45):
It was too late, and that was the score and
that was the game. So everything everything.
Speaker 7 (36:50):
You saw was just off off And the only question
was if we had corrected those little things, would would
it have made the difference in this game? I don't know,
maybe not. It was just one of those days and
it just snowballed. And the effect on the watch party
is people began to leave sometime in the third quarter.
Speaker 6 (37:07):
That broke my heart.
Speaker 4 (37:10):
That was tough.
Speaker 6 (37:11):
That was tough. That was really really difficult.
Speaker 7 (37:16):
So I knew, I knew that a watch party in
Mexico at some point would involved a loss. But this
is probably the probably the kind of a nightmare scenario
for US. Fans were great though, they really were very loyal.
Speaker 6 (37:31):
They'll be back, but this is tough. This is tough
to watch.
Speaker 5 (37:37):
So I love the recap, and you know, you hit
all those hot low lights. I guess we should call
it not really highlights, you know, low lights of the game.
I mean I thought, you know, with Aaron, yeah, it
was off.
Speaker 3 (37:56):
I mean, he you know, like you.
Speaker 4 (37:58):
Said, was not in sync.
Speaker 5 (37:59):
I mean some of the those things receivers cutting routes short,
We're not speeding up through the route. Some of them
was just playing drops like hit them in the hands
and they just couldn't haul it in. And a couple
of them you had the ricochet interception to Dante Jackson
was another one, the overthrow uh to DK that Mickens
picked off. You know that Keishawn Williams muff punt deep.
(38:24):
We just it just it looked like it was Murphy's
law for all intents and purposes. Alvaro and on a
night that just screamed this is the primetime because as
as it's also stated right now, Steels haven't won primetime
yet this season, and we're normally a good primetime team.
(38:45):
We're oh for We're now oh for three in primetime.
We've lost both of our Sunday night football games, and
we lost a Thursday night game against the Bengals. So
it's it's one of those that you know, it is
this team not equipped to play after, you know, for
an eight pm start time.
Speaker 4 (39:04):
I mean, I don't know.
Speaker 5 (39:05):
I'd like to think that you're a professional that you can,
but we see that inconsistency.
Speaker 4 (39:11):
Whether it happens early or whether it happens late.
Speaker 5 (39:14):
I mean early was this game, but you know it
was second quarter as being late is really when both
the Bengals and the Chargers started getting going and we
didn't have an answer for him. You know, Green Bay
was the one where we actually started slow, but we
had a sixteen to seven league going a halftime in
(39:35):
that game. And that's where it's like, okay, well some
people just can't handle primetime, and this season just seems
to be that season where you know, you have one
more opportunity, we'll see I mean that game could also
get flexed, but.
Speaker 4 (39:51):
You know, it's it was. It was a tough one
to watch.
Speaker 6 (39:54):
It.
Speaker 5 (39:55):
No to go back to one of your earlier statements
just about the loss of Isaac Ciamalu. I mean, I
think it was more so than than just kind of
a subtle one. It was it changed. It changed the
offensive game plan, you know, from what we had seen
the last number of weeks right overall. I mean, yes,
(40:16):
you know, Spencer Emerson has been the jumbo guy, the
sixth guy you know, off the bench, and has been
a primary.
Speaker 4 (40:25):
Tight end, capable move guy.
Speaker 5 (40:29):
And they tried to do that, like you said, with
Andrews Pete coming in and supplementing for a couple of plays,
because obviously after after Spiser andest and declaires, he has
to now set out the next play. And so you
were having this guy's and then going right back in
and you know, critical down situations that you've been out
for play. Then you were on the edge previous one.
Now you got to go back into the phone booth.
(40:51):
Like there was a lot of things mechanically that I
wish and procedurally I wish they would have kind of
anticipated a little bit better. They kind of got caught
with their pants down on this one, you know, because like, oh,
we can let Isaac just rest all week and he'll
be ready by game day.
Speaker 4 (41:05):
That he asked. It was Saturday.
Speaker 5 (41:07):
Can't go like, oh crap, there goes a game plan. Okay, well,
well we'll adjust. Hey Andrews, you haven't played all season.
Are you ready to step in?
Speaker 4 (41:15):
Huh?
Speaker 5 (41:16):
What I mean, that's kind of what it felt like.
You saw that jump on the first play. Just let
you know that he was not ready for that moment.
He settled down later, but yeah, that's a tough situation.
And then Broderick, Yeah, the te game got him.
Speaker 3 (41:30):
Uh that's what that was.
Speaker 4 (41:32):
Tackle kind of rushes upfield. That guy loops to the inside.
Speaker 5 (41:37):
Or he can either go inside to the B gap
or he can loop all the way inside to the
A gap and cross face the guard on his way
to the inside. But yeah, twist game definitely bothered them.
And I don't know if that was because Broderick trying
to figure out who's next to him because it's not Isaac,
and he had two he had two other guys. And
granted he played with he played some with Spencer in
(41:58):
the preseason, and you know it had some moments, you know,
filling in, but you throw Apa there and you're in
an away game. It's Yeah, it was a lot and
I'm not making excuses for Broderick. You still got to
play the game, and you still got to play football
at the end of the day. And there was some
effort stuff that he could he could work on.
Speaker 6 (42:19):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (42:19):
Watching the film, but you know, you kind of you
kind of can see.
Speaker 5 (42:23):
The writing on the wall. I think, I'm not going
to excuse it. But you could have seen how that
was going to be an issue, and it ended up
being an issue. You know, it's up to you not
to make it an issue. And he didn't do a
good job of shutting that.
Speaker 6 (42:35):
Down, and there was no Normally you have reinforcement.
Speaker 7 (42:38):
Darnell comes to the to the left, lines up right
next to him, and he gives the defense improved For thought,
there was a lot a lot less than the last
three games, I think because I think barn Get played better,
So I think there was a sense that we got that.
But now I realize and looking back at the last
couple of games, Somlow would handle this guy and then
kind of move moved to his left, always be there.
(43:00):
It's like a security blanket. He wasn't there, and the
replacement wasn't doing that. They had their hands full with
what was in front of and I think that was
a bit of a difference.
Speaker 4 (43:08):
In the game.
Speaker 7 (43:09):
The other thing that I noticed is that the overload
was typically done on the right side because we're a
right handed running team, and but the play ended up
being a pass.
Speaker 6 (43:20):
So I thought to myself, of what are those guys
doing there all pile up.
Speaker 7 (43:24):
I'd rather have one of those guys tackle eligible or
somebody on the left helping out the blind side again
to keep give Rogers pause. You know, Arthur Smith, one
of the hallmarks of his offense is precisely having so
many options that it's hard to know what's coming next.
(43:44):
When he hits it, it's beautiful when he when he
when he When it works, it's amazing. When it doesn't,
it's a head scratcher, like, oh, you know, why don't
we have a second wide receiver?
Speaker 6 (43:56):
What don't we have?
Speaker 7 (43:57):
You know, what do we have these people for the
second guest starts. This was one of those games where
it just he hit hit the bottom and it just
didn't work, sometimes by inches and he's just one of
those games and you hit you know, I guess you
have to live with them. It was just it was
so tough to watch and there was not a not
many people you could say, hey, Chris Boswell, mister.
Speaker 6 (44:19):
Field goal indoors. Yeah, it was one of those games.
It was one.
Speaker 7 (44:24):
I mean, I'd rather put all these all that garbage
in one garbage back and throw it out and not
that spread alongst the games. I hope it's we put
all the bad plays in one game and just move
on from that.
Speaker 4 (44:34):
Let's hope.
Speaker 3 (44:36):
Let's hope.
Speaker 2 (44:37):
Let us definitely hope, and we will see you back
in the Burg this week. We need, we need some
Alvaro Martine back in the Burg. Man, you get to
be here.
Speaker 4 (44:46):
Absolutely.
Speaker 7 (44:46):
I'm gonna try to give Joe Flag a little dude,
you a little you know, a little spell, so he
won't he won't have as good a game as he
said so far.
Speaker 4 (44:55):
I love it.
Speaker 2 (44:55):
Alvaro Martin, the Great Alvalo Martin joining us, and we
will look for to see you on Sunday, my friend.
Speaker 6 (45:01):
Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 3 (45:04):
Thanks averro back with more when we continue.
Speaker 2 (45:07):
In the Locker Room presented by our neighborhood Ford Store
in the Steelers Pro Shop on Steelers Nation Radio, part
of the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (45:17):
This is in the Locker Room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio, presented by your neighborhood Forward Store.
The F one fifty is the official truck of the
Pittsburgh Steelers and by Steelers Pro Shop. Get it direct
from the team at the Steelers Pro Shop at shop
dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 3 (45:39):
And thanks very much for being with us. Our thanks
to Alvarro Martin for being with us as well. Max.
Speaker 2 (45:46):
Great to hear the stories of Look a bad weekend
for the Steelers for sure on the football field, but
it's kind of like a good weekend in Mexico City
right up until the game started. I think that was
a great story by Alvarro with the terrible towels and
the guys in the roof and talking to the woman
in the hospital, and think about that stat So there
there are more Stevens fans in Mexico City than in
(46:09):
Pittsburgh because there's more people than in Alleganty County, because
there's more people in Mexico City and then uh than Pittsburgh.
Speaker 3 (46:16):
But that's pretty cool.
Speaker 5 (46:18):
Yeah, geographically that that that that's pretty awesome. And the
Steelers are the number one team in Mexico. It's polled,
so you know that that that's that's something that you
look at and you're just you know, you have to
you have the foster that that's why you have to
do kind.
Speaker 4 (46:32):
Of watch parties. And we've done a number of.
Speaker 5 (46:35):
Football camps, fantasy camps, flag football tournaments, as well as
business summit meetings down there. I've been down there a
number of times. I think I've gone down there for
the last five years.
Speaker 4 (46:49):
I think I've been down there in Mexico.
Speaker 5 (46:51):
So you know, it's been, it's been, it's not three.
Three out of the last four years I've I've been
to Mexico. And it's amazing the reception, the respect and
the love that you feel in Mexico for the Steelers,
for the organization, the love of American football that has
(47:15):
just grown. You know, Steelers fans UH and and the
and the our of course are our low Steelers UH
social media page. I mean, fans do a pilgrimage every
year from Mexico to Pittsburgh to watch a game inside
of Afroshore and it's pretty awesome.
Speaker 4 (47:34):
And even I mean you think about this, I.
Speaker 5 (47:37):
Was running into Steeler fans from Mexico in Dublin, Ireland for.
Speaker 4 (47:42):
For the Vikings game. That's awesome.
Speaker 5 (47:45):
Like I was in Killarney and there we had we
had fans there. I saw fans in Galway as well.
And so you know, when you say Steelers Nation, I
mean it's the name sounds good, but it's really Steelers
Steelers Global, because the Steelers brand is a global brand
(48:07):
and they have fans all over in the fans show
up and show out. I can't tell you the countless
times over my years being affiliated with the organization.
Speaker 4 (48:17):
And being you know, being out and about and I
just have, you know.
Speaker 5 (48:21):
Steelers polo or T shirt or hat or something, and
someone somewhere in the far reaches of of of of
this planet, somebody is like, oh my god, you're You're
still I'm a Steelers fan. You're like, what how did
I meet you? I mean, I still contend. The most
(48:42):
obscure place to catch a Steeler fan that that I've
found in my travels was Macedonia. Macedonia, Yes, Macedonia. I
was we we had to go to the US consulate
over there and and it was an Italian man working
(49:02):
in the US embassy and it was in Macedonia and
he was a Steelers fan.
Speaker 3 (49:11):
That's awesome.
Speaker 4 (49:12):
I love it. I love it.
Speaker 2 (49:14):
Yeah, good stuff we still have. We're not quite ready
to turn the page on this defeat. And and uh,
this is a tough one against the charge.
Speaker 4 (49:24):
Why why why can't we turn the page?
Speaker 5 (49:28):
I'm tired because chapter, Rob, you're an author, you should
know you got to end it.
Speaker 4 (49:32):
Put move to the new chapter.
Speaker 2 (49:34):
Oh no, no, because when you know, when you're when
you're an author, you have to you have to refer
to stuff that has already happened. It's building blocks. It's
not just a new chapter. We're not ready to because
it's the same book, right, it's the book of the
twenty twenty five Steelers. So how to the mistakes of
the present or the recent past affect the team in
(49:55):
the future. That's one of the subjects we're going to
be talking about with Bob Labriola.
Speaker 3 (49:59):
Before we do, we.
Speaker 2 (50:00):
Want to remind you that you can gear it up
at the latest gay data necessities at the official Steelers
pro shops. Get the latest sideline apparel, jerseys, terrible towels,
authentic memorabilia and custom exclusives you can only find directly
from the team. Visit one of the official Students pro
shops located at Akrocher Stadium, Grove City Premium Outlets or
Tanger Outlets or.
Speaker 4 (50:21):
Or Max.
Speaker 2 (50:22):
You can gear up online at shop dot steelers dot com,
get it direct from the team at the Steers Pro
Shop at shop dot steelers dot com. Back with Bob
Labriola when we continue in the Locker Room, presented by
your neighborhood Fords Store in the Studis Pro Shop on
Steelers Nation Radio, a part of the Steelers Audio Network,
This is in the locker room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio, presented by your neighborhood Forward Store.
The F one fifty is the official truck of the
Pittsburgh Steelers and by Steelers Pro Shop. Get it direct
from the team at the Steelers Pro Shop at shop
dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Well, thank you very much for being with us in
the locker room on this ChIL chilly Tuesday.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Chilely ads in snow in the cars.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
And a little bit of snow on the lawn. They
had a huge amount of the melp. I can't imagine
there's snow in the desert.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Max is there?
Speaker 4 (00:43):
Uh No, there's not, rob you know.
Speaker 5 (00:46):
It's a little, uh little little brisk, but definitely not
in the chili category. So you got back home from
La I did get back home. It was only in
hour and a half delay getting back home.
Speaker 4 (01:01):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
So just to let people know now it's gotten worse
you told me, and all the flying you do, which
is again to recap it is Phoenix to or Arizona,
to wherever you're going for a football game that place,
to wherever the Steelers are going, and then from wherever
the Steelers have played back home to Arizona, right, correct,
(01:25):
And you told me you've had one plane on time.
Speaker 5 (01:30):
Well after this weekend two because my flight to LA
was on time. So there's a flight to LA and
then flight the weekend before back to Pittsburgh the Colts weekend.
That flight to Pittsburgh was on time. It was a
(01:50):
direct flight. Those are the two flights of all travel
that I've done.
Speaker 4 (01:59):
This season thus far that has been going on here.
Speaker 5 (02:04):
Well, I mean, you know, I mean some of the
things are weather related, Like we had some bad weather
systems early in the season right on the East coast,
so you get bad weather seasons. And then of course
you know when it's hurt, the time is hurricane anytime
you're flying near Dallas, So anything golf related is.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
Going to be a lot of delays.
Speaker 5 (02:25):
So there's been weather, but there's been but there's been
also other stuff mixed in there as far as flight delays,
whether it's air traffic control, and obviously we know about that,
you know, dealing with the it's been heightened because of
the government shut down which.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
Is now now now gone.
Speaker 5 (02:43):
But there's the air traffic controller shortages, so therefore managing
flight congestion and everything else. So I mean it's mixing
the pilots timing out.
Speaker 4 (02:55):
Because of those delays.
Speaker 5 (02:56):
So yeah, I've gotten all of the weather things that
you could happen in my travels.
Speaker 4 (03:03):
I've experienced almost all of those. So yeah, I am
a grizzled flying.
Speaker 5 (03:10):
Veteran now, I guess because of this adversary. But you
know what, I have never missed a call, Bud. I've
never missed a call. Yo, You've been going to be
knock on wood. I'm a knock on wood here to
keep that going. But yeah, so five years of being
in a in a primary broadcasting role that has.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Not has not been an issue. So last night we
have a lot to get to. By the way, Avalo
Martinez talk. This is at ten twenty. It's Tuesdays with Labs.
So Bob Labriola will be with us UH football game
last night. Any I have to say, I didn't make
it up. I didn't make it through the whole thing.
(03:49):
I was still a little no, no, you didn't.
Speaker 4 (03:52):
Make it up.
Speaker 5 (03:52):
After all night and then going straight to two shows.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
Are you sure?
Speaker 2 (03:58):
I think it was zero zero halftime, wasn't it. I'm
trying to remember I remember I kind of crawled up
the stairs. He was nothing nothing, it was not it
was not a game designed to keep me awake.
Speaker 4 (04:08):
Let's put it that way. Oh absolutely not.
Speaker 5 (04:10):
No, that that game was an absolute I would say
snoozefest to to say the least it was.
Speaker 6 (04:18):
It was.
Speaker 5 (04:19):
It was a I mean, you could say, oh man,
it was it was good defensive football, but I can't.
I can't even come up with that because there was
just a bad, bad offensive football.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
I mean, granted we should know all about that, but
it was just it was just a tough, sloppy game.
Speaker 5 (04:37):
And I have no clue how you know that actually
transpired and how he got to a finish. I thought
that was for sure going to overtime, but the Eagles
pulled it out barely over over the Green Bay Packers.
Speaker 4 (04:53):
And watching the Green Bay Packers, it just made me even.
Speaker 5 (04:55):
More frustrated about about two games ago or three games ago,
sorry now, and and yeah it was it was. It
was not fun to watch it was. I mean, the
stats weren't great for either team. They neither team looked
like they really wanted to go out there and play.
Speaker 4 (05:16):
But you know, hey, that that that's what happened. It
was bad. Yeah, Barkley looked bad.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
You know it wasn't It wasn't an AFC game. I
would have stayed up. It was so I felt, even
though it was two good football teams. Uh, that's enough
on that, right, we we've uh.
Speaker 5 (05:36):
AnyWho, Yeah, it's NFC. It doesn't matter anymore. Let them
do it out in their conference because we have a
lenty of news.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Let's begin with Sebastian Castro coming back one Thornhill release
that happened yesterday after we were off the air. I
think we we both liked well, I should say I
like Sebastian Cashrow'll let you speak for yourself.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
I liked him. I was intrigued by him.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
A little surprised that they didn't keep him because I
thought they liked him, and I think maybe they thought
they could stash him on the practice squad, But evidently
other teams liked him too, so he didn't make it
through the practice squad.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
But now he's back with his Steerders.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
Your thoughts on what he can do, because I thought
of him as more of a strong safety type, slot
capable strong safety type. Your thoughts on what the Steelers
are getting with Sebastian Castro and maybe it's just a
really good upgrade or an upgrade now hopefully a contributor
(06:33):
now hopefully on special teams.
Speaker 5 (06:36):
Yeah, I look at and I like Sebastian Castro as well.
He was a kid that you know, I was wondering, Okay,
where would his role be with so many vets and
he's so young, right right?
Speaker 4 (06:48):
That was what that was.
Speaker 5 (06:49):
What it is, I mean is his physical capabilities versus
his heart and his mental two different things, right, his
heart and mental. This dude is all over the place
as far as like just just an athlete that can
get things done. He knows where to be, how to
get himself in the right position, you know, but might
be a step or two slower than you know, some
(07:11):
you know, or as fast as some of the vets.
So it's like, well, I'd rather take the guy with
the experience versus the guy with that out of experience.
And I think the Steelers wanted to stash him and
wanted to keep him because they liked, you know, everything
that he had to offer. And of course he went
to Tampa Bay and so I know exactly what happened
because because he had a great joint practice in a
(07:33):
preseason when Tampa.
Speaker 4 (07:34):
Bay came to town.
Speaker 5 (07:36):
And I think that and that that's what Tampa Bay saw,
and they're like, well, we need to get this guy.
If if they're gonna cut him, we're gonna keep him.
You know, you always look to who you've played against,
and you scour their roster first because you have firsthand experience.
You can actually pull up the game tape and see
what the guy can do head to head versus what
you guys do. And that that's kind of what happened.
(07:58):
But you could tell that there was an interest by
the Steelers. As soon as he was let go and
cleared waivers, Steelers are coming right back for him. So
there is a value to Sebastian Castro long term, we'll see,
but we'll see if he can have some short term
capabilities and like you said, help us in the special teams.
UH be a guy that can possibly earn a hat
(08:18):
for that forty six dress group and see if see
if he see if he can help the squad out
because we you know, we we do have issues at
the UH at the at the at the at the
secondary position right now. You know, Jalen Ramsey had to
slide back out to corner, you know, slay. We'll see
(08:39):
how he is. Obviously, we'll have the Mike timp press
conference later, so we'll get the injury updates for everybody him.
Isaac ci Amalu felt like that was another big missing
piece on the offensive line.
Speaker 4 (08:51):
But we'll we'll, we'll break that down.
Speaker 5 (08:53):
But yeah, I like the Sebastiro at the Sebastian Castro signing.
I think he's he's he's he's a good kid with
the arrow pointed up.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
Strikes me as one of those guys that you like
to have on your football team, you know. And and
like you said, I think the biggest knock on him
was does he have the raw foot speed to be
able to do everything you want on an NFL field?
And I think that at the very least, the expectation
is that he could be a really good special teamer
(09:24):
and a guy maybe who's in your rotation at safety,
that sort of thing, a guy who you know is
going to be where he's supposed to be maybe has
a little bit of that sort of knack factor. I
don't want to call it it factor, but like a
little bit of that a knack to make a play
here and there.
Speaker 3 (09:41):
That's that.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
I think that was kind of his scouting report coming
out of college. That type of a player. You know,
it's tempting to look beyond that because of the injuries
to the secondary, But is that safe to say that
maybe that's a role for him special teams and maybe
you know, eventually if you know, again, if he gets
the helmet, can cotributing a little bit in certain areas
(10:02):
on defense.
Speaker 5 (10:04):
Yeah, I think I think that's a good assessment. I mean,
you know, you cut your teeth in special teams and
then you work your way into the into the into
the defensive side of the ball. That's gonna be the
best way for him. But you know, availability is the
best ability. So he's available right now, so that that's
already gonna.
Speaker 4 (10:22):
Put him ahead of a lot of people.
Speaker 5 (10:23):
Right So, as long as he you know, stays healthy,
shows that he still remembers the playbook and and he's
adept like a Carson Brunner to where he can go
and contribute, you know, then you can possibly work.
Speaker 4 (10:37):
Your way into a role.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
And a reminder that here in the locker room where
certain people need to remember not to say anything when
we're ready for the bell lap.
Speaker 3 (10:47):
One of the two of us.
Speaker 4 (10:48):
Oh, oh, there we go. Wow, we we are a
little early on that one.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
One of the two of us needs to keep his
horns in when it comes to I'm not going to say,
I'm not gonna throw me under the bus, but one
of the two of us, I'm just it's a team effort.
But here in the in the locker room, we don't.
We believe availability is important, but is not the most
important ability. Ability is the most important ability. But availability
helps because right now I'm available, but I'm not able.
(11:15):
I don't have the ability the avail. I'm avail avail,
but I have no ability the able. The able is
where you struggle the ability.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
The ability is like you've.
Speaker 5 (11:27):
You've or you've availed yourself of the ability to participate it.
Speaker 4 (11:31):
I've availed myself of the inability to participate. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
So anyway, uh so, Sebastia Casher, that was big. That
was a big story yesterday.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
For sure.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
You know, the Steelers they're not sitting around. And again,
you know when we talk about everybody talks about the
amateur scouting and it is sexier.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
Man.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
Everyone gets fired up about the draft. I mean people
are talking about it now. They've been talking about a
quarterback for the Steelers since last draft, and you know,
people for you know now people are you know, they'll
they'll be a draft and they'll be a much too
early mock draft, like two days after the draft for
the next coming year. So I understand the draft is
and we just have to look at the Steelers to
(12:11):
see how they're traditionally built to understand the importance of
amateur scouting, but pro scoutings pretty are important too, And
a pro scout said, hey, we want Sebastian Castro in Tampa,
and the Steelers scouting department took them back. So I
just wanted a dolph of the cap to pro scouts
who have to go out there and be ready when
(12:33):
somebody's available, when somebody has the ability to be available,
as Sebastian Castro did, and you're Tampa and you jump
on them. And now the Steelers having back, so that's good,
that's good stuff. We like having him back. I just
wanted to do a little Dolph of the cap to
those folks who who do that for the Steelers and
around the league.
Speaker 4 (12:51):
Max. Yeah, no, I mean it is.
Speaker 5 (12:54):
And this season has just been one of those that
you look at it and you just like, man, everything
is possible, but nothing seems impossible.
Speaker 4 (13:07):
Right.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
It's been a weird season, man, and it's not getting
any less weird.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
So, first of all, I really thought Juan.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
Thornhill was going to be a good signing and he
just fell out of favor the last couple of weeks.
I really thought, you know, that he was going to
be one of those guys that was going to quietly
come in here. And you know, I'm not saying to
the level you know that we saw with de Shaun Elliott,
but I thought he was gonna come in here quietly
and just plug a hole and be, you know, a
(13:39):
solid part of the defense in whatever role he was
going to play, probably is that third safety. And it
just didn't work out, and so Juan Thornhill no longer
remember the Steelers. A Sebastian Castro signed to take his place. Yeah,
exactly exactly. I mean, it's it's.
Speaker 5 (13:57):
One of those things that you know, like you said,
the Vets come in and you have one theory when
you start the season, but as you go through the
series season, you realize, you know, whatever you.
Speaker 4 (14:07):
Thought was a slight.
Speaker 5 (14:11):
Incapability because of how circumstances let themselves out. That's something
that you have to go and say, Okay, you know
this didn't work out.
Speaker 4 (14:22):
Do we have other options? And unfortunately, you know, for one,
he did not.
Speaker 5 (14:29):
He did not you know, fit the system that they
were that they've had to adapt to. I think you know,
primarily you probably thought, Okay, he played one way, and
he's a he's a good Robin to Deshaun Elliot's Batman.
But Batman's out of Gotham City right now. So you know,
now now we're like, well, who Robin can you lead?
And you figure out they can't do it? Okay, well
(14:51):
we got to bring in somebody else. Okay, now we
got to go over to Metropolis and see if you know,
Superman could come over and hang out for a while,
Jamie Ramsey and see if he can kind of run
this or the Justice League, however you want to look
at it. I'm in a DC move today, so I'm
not pulling it as much Marvel references from my brain,
but that's kind of how it goes. And now you
see what Jalen Ramsey like, well, who could play opposite him? Well, Okay,
(15:13):
we went and got Kyle Duggar and we traded for him.
So now he proved to be adapted at being able
to play and communicate with Jalen Ramsey.
Speaker 4 (15:23):
So well, where's wan Thorne Hill fit in? Right?
Speaker 5 (15:26):
We have two new safeties now essentially, so all right, one,
you're sitting there, Okay, maybe he's a little MOPI I
don't know it, got it not as in tune because
he feels like he got demoted, and well, we can't
have that. This is a long season and we are
in a tight race to make it to the playoffs.
(15:48):
And if you're not ten toes in, sorry, we will
let you go elsewhere. You're a veteran. Anyways, your salary
is guaranteed, so you don't have to worry about signing
for minimum anywhere else. You got your salary guaranteed after
week one and addressed, so you know, good luck in
the future wherever you go. And we're going to continue
to keep molding, shifting and evolving. This from a front
(16:09):
office perspective. And you go and you get Sabasti Castro,
So I think it's a corresponding move to a corresponding decision.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
A couple other big things happening yesterday. Joe Burrow back
at practice. We'll get to more of that because we
have to get to a break soon. And the other
Brian Dable fired by the Giants. I don't know, as
I'm shocked by that decision. I know Dabel is very
well respected in a lot of circles. He's been dealing
with less than a full deck, but the decision was
(16:38):
made to let him go. Any thoughts on that, well, I.
Speaker 5 (16:42):
Mean, you know, once you know, you and the GM
Joe Shane make that decision that Daniel Jones is better
than Saint Kwan Barkley are more vital to it. And
you sit here two years after that decision and one
was a raining rushing champ and Super Bowl champion and
the other is starting for the red Hot Colts.
Speaker 4 (17:05):
I mean that makes it very apparent.
Speaker 5 (17:06):
And you went, you signed a bunch of quarterbacks, you
drafted a quarterback, and you guys are nowhere near in
the NFC East race. So you know a coach who
I believed it. Did he win a Coach of the
Year or he was a finalist.
Speaker 4 (17:22):
I think.
Speaker 5 (17:25):
Just a few years ago they were in the playoffs
and the fall from Grace has been has been steep,
and another team that's just can't figure out how to
how to win consistently.
Speaker 4 (17:38):
Really, that's what it comes down to.
Speaker 5 (17:40):
And so you know, New York Giants will be making
a change and now a new head coach, possibly a
new GM will be coming in and they will inherit
a first round quarterback that they will have to figure
out what to do with. And they didn't protect Jackson
Dart he's out with a concussion right now, right and
Russell Wilson had to go back in the game on Sunday.
(18:01):
So yeah, I mean the Big Apple has had a
lot of bites taken out of it. And Brian Dabole, sorry, sorry,
you were just left with the corps by this point,
so got to throw it in the trash right once
you gets to the corps.
Speaker 4 (18:14):
And by the way, he was the Coach of the
Year in twenty twenty two. Okay, I remember, I was.
I was.
Speaker 5 (18:18):
I could remember because I did because I did the
one on one awards in Kansas City and I remember
interviewing him. I couldn't remember if he was Coach of
the Year, if he was up for like NFC coach,
So yeah, so okay, So yeah, Coach.
Speaker 4 (18:33):
Of the year just three years ago. That's you know,
and now you're fired about that?
Speaker 3 (18:39):
Yeah, I want to go back for the last ten years.
Speaker 4 (18:41):
Just made me.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
This just made me laugh because looking at this, I'm
looking at the list the last ten years coach of
the year, right, uh. And keep in mind that Mike
Tomlins never won Coach of the Year. But here's yeah,
exactly think about that, never one coach of the year
and the longest tenior coach of the NFL. That ed
is absolutely crazy. So twenty fifteen, Ron Rivera wins his
(19:05):
second Coach of the Year. No longer coach of Carolina.
Jason Garrett in twenty sixteen. Sean McVay twenty seventeen. Great coach.
You know, he really is a great coach. I don't know,
if you know, when people talk about the great coaches
in the NFL, his name has to come up, doesn't it.
Speaker 5 (19:23):
Oh well, I mean, look at all the other coaching
careers he spawned as well. Yeah, yeah, right, how many
guys have come from the Sean McVay tree.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
So yeah, great coach. Twenty eighteen Matt Nagy.
Speaker 4 (19:38):
No longer coaching, No longer head.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
Coach at twenty nineteen John Harbaugh, okay, twenty twenty, Kevin Stefanski,
I mean twenty one, Mike Vrabel with Tennessee. Let go
by Tennessee twenty twenty two, Brian Dable let go by
the New York Giants yesterday. Twenty twenty three, Kevin Stefanski
again time coach of the year. That was the one
(20:02):
that that was the one. Tamiko Ryan, I yeah, I
should have. I'm still stunned Tomiko Ryan didn't win that year.
Twenty twenty four. Kevin O'Connell.
Speaker 4 (20:12):
Okay, So three of those gus still.
Speaker 3 (20:15):
With the checker, Yeah, checkered.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
Uh. You know, it's like being on top of the rankings,
the Power rankings.
Speaker 3 (20:23):
You don't want it. I don't know. I don't know.
Speaker 2 (20:25):
If you want to be Coach of the Year, it
means you're short for the business. Probably so, And we
may get into the power rankings today. We may save
that for tomorrow because we have a busy, busy show.
We have Alvalo Martin. He's going to be joining us
next when we continue in the Locker Room, presented by
your neighborhood Ford Store and the Steelers Pro Shop, on
Steelers Nation Radio, part of the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
This is in the Locker Room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio, presented by your neighborhood Ford Store.
The F one fifty is the official truck of the
Pittsburgh Steelers and by Steelers Pro Shop. Get it direct
from the team at the Steelers Pro Shop at shop
dot Steelers dot com. Oddy the CoA but eyes touch
(21:10):
down the Gaylan mescalp Did I touched down a base?
Speaker 3 (21:19):
I love it? There's something about red Roja.
Speaker 4 (21:24):
Yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
We have Alva ro Martin with us, the great Alvaro Martin,
our friend who was at the watch party was was Roja?
Speaker 3 (21:32):
Was that red at the end of that?
Speaker 4 (21:34):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (21:35):
Red zone?
Speaker 3 (21:36):
Red zone?
Speaker 4 (21:37):
Aha?
Speaker 3 (21:37):
Aha, I'm working on Alva.
Speaker 7 (21:40):
That's an imaginary call. That's the call I wish I
had made on Sunday.
Speaker 4 (21:46):
It was not not imaginary, Alvaro. It did happen. It
just didn't happen at.
Speaker 5 (21:52):
That game because that wacked the Green Bay would because
you have been you've been busy obviously, you know, we
definitely want to hear yar how the watch party went
down to Mexico, of course, and then you know, the
week before you had NBA duties, So I mean you've
been you've been a well traveled, uh you know, broadcaster
in high demand. So we had to pull clips from
(22:14):
what we do have of the last time you were
president of our air waves.
Speaker 4 (22:19):
You know that that we have access to.
Speaker 5 (22:21):
So that's why we want to play that because we've
got to have an intro and it has to be exciting.
Speaker 4 (22:26):
So you know, that one was just so good we
had to we had to run it back twice.
Speaker 7 (22:30):
Max, You're the hardest working man show business. Now that
James Brown walked away from the scene.
Speaker 6 (22:34):
So I'm just trying to be number two.
Speaker 3 (22:36):
Uh achieved Brown. I love it.
Speaker 4 (22:41):
All heroes have capes. Not all heroes have capes, Alvaro.
Speaker 6 (22:45):
But gentlemen, where do we start?
Speaker 7 (22:47):
I know you're probably dissected this one over and over
and over again, and I'd like to start with say, yeah,
I'd like to start with your experience in Mexico City.
Speaker 2 (22:57):
So explained everybody you did not call the game this week,
Explained everybody you know, where you were, what you were doing,
who you were with, and you see every saying you
told me, Hey, there's nothing more exciting than calling a
touchdown in front of five thousand fans. It was I
shouldn't say nothing more exciting. But it's a different experience
to call a game, uh, because you're calling a game
(23:19):
off the monitor.
Speaker 4 (23:20):
I'm assuming and within a group of people.
Speaker 2 (23:23):
And I called the game off a monitor during COVID
because it was COVID and we weren't allowed to travel.
So what was the experience like in Mexico City?
Speaker 3 (23:32):
What were you doing? Just fill everybody in if you could.
Let's start there.
Speaker 7 (23:36):
Every year the Steelers pick an away game and they
select that game typically around this time, to go to
Mexico and call a game in front of their fans.
Speaker 6 (23:45):
Why.
Speaker 7 (23:45):
For those who don't know, there are about there are
over seven million Steeters fans in Mexico, about one point
three million of them live in Mexico City. Remember, the
population of Alleghany County is one point two million more
Steelers fans than people in Alleghany County, So it's a
natural place. The city with the most Steelers fans in
(24:06):
the world, including Pittsburgh, is Mexico City, so it's a.
Speaker 6 (24:08):
Natural place to do that.
Speaker 7 (24:11):
And many other events that Max's that have attended in
the past. This time, we brought five legends. Chris Hoak,
Prince Williams came back, Nate Washington, we had Louis Lipps.
We had we had really had a great, great bunch
and Ramon Foster. The Steelers held a watch party in
(24:31):
Germany the week before. About two hundred and fifty people attended. Here,
almost five thousand people showed up at a kind of
a classic Olympic venue, nineteen sixty eight Olympic venue in
Mexico City. They're all Steelers fans. We really We saw
one Ravens guy and I think I may have seen
a Dolphins person. Other than that, it was a sea
(24:52):
of Steelers fans and they pay to attend. There's a
VIP section and then they built up a but looked
like a like a lucha libre ring, and we were
up there and around that ring you had four massive
screens so that everybody in that arena could see the
game in a huge screen.
Speaker 6 (25:14):
And then we call the game, and so they mixed
our call.
Speaker 7 (25:17):
They were watching the game amongst themselves and their friends
and their fellow Steedos fans with our call of the game.
And so you'd always rather be at the at the
at the at the site, at the stadium, but the
experience of calling a game and people reacting to you,
and then people reacting to the game and feeding you energy,
(25:37):
it's very unusual. It's kind of like being on stage
like in a play. It's a very unusual feeling and
I really again it's best to do it from a stadium,
from site, but if you're not going to do that,
this experience is really special. Now, we always knew that
at some point Pittsburgh Zone is now for four years.
(25:58):
For the three prior years, every time we show up
in Mexico City, the Steters went. So we had a
streak going on, and you knew that streak at some
point was gonna end, but not this way. This was
a tough one and it was a tough, tough one
for everybody there. As far as the highlight of the weekend,
given that the game went the way it went, Max,
you're gonna.
Speaker 6 (26:18):
Be proud of us. I think the social media team is.
Speaker 7 (26:21):
Spanish decided that the trip that Max made and touching
on all thirty two Irish counties was so special we
kind of have to do something like that. So they
walked us out into Reforma Avenue, which is a main
drag in Mexico City. And they told me in our tour,
my broadcast partner, hey go find Steeters fans. It's like,
(26:41):
it's not that simple. So we're walking around and listen
to this. I spy out of the corner of my
eye on the marginal road there's a hotel with a
big entrance and the roof of that entrance is being
washed by about six young guys with hard and yellow vests.
(27:02):
And they had the little you know, ropes to keep
them steadying because they slipped and fell. So I said,
that's my demo working class young male. Let's go, so
I said, I said to the camera guy follow me.
I'm wearing a mic, so everything's being recorded. And I
come up to them. I yell at him and you
are fans of American football. And one guy puts his
(27:24):
hand up. Who's your team?
Speaker 6 (27:26):
The guy goes, Steelers.
Speaker 3 (27:29):
So what do we do?
Speaker 4 (27:31):
They lower with a little rope.
Speaker 7 (27:33):
They lower a bucket and we send up a terrible towel,
and of course he posts with it and he waves.
Speaker 6 (27:40):
Next thing, you know, the guy screaming at.
Speaker 7 (27:41):
Us, he lowers the bucket goes can you spare five
more towels? Then the other guys grab poles for a
towel and then start touring it. So he made his
five coworkers Steelers fans on the spot. Meanwhile, we're stopping
traffic at the round floor restaurant waiters, you know, guests
(28:06):
are sticking their nose by the window to watch what's
going on outside.
Speaker 4 (28:11):
It was just great.
Speaker 7 (28:11):
It was capture on video. You shoot, you could be
able to see at some point at loss Steelers. But
it was a magical moment. A lady came up to
us and said, I'm a Steelers fans too. I said,
how come? Well, I was giving I was giving birth
to my son twenty six years ago, and postpartum, I
(28:32):
was just a mess. I was going to move and
I wake up and the steet and the Steelers are playing.
You know, he's like the Colors. And then they won
that game and I started following them. There was no
remote control in my room, so I couldn't change the channel.
So now my twenty six year old son is a
Steeers fan, and his two year Oldstone.
Speaker 6 (28:49):
Will be a Steelers fan. My grandson. So I told
everybody was Steelership.
Speaker 7 (28:54):
I told the legends, Hey, next trip down, forget about
shooting video on the Streets's.
Speaker 6 (29:00):
Go to hospitals. Change the channels and get rid of
the goals.
Speaker 4 (29:04):
Yeah, exactly, just change it. Just toss the remote.
Speaker 5 (29:07):
It's like, hey, there's no batteries at this entire hospital
to change the remote batteries.
Speaker 4 (29:13):
So watch the Steeler game for the next three hours.
Speaker 3 (29:15):
Yeah, if a.
Speaker 7 (29:16):
Mom, if a mom gives bus and becomes a Steelers fan,
there's a multiplier effect here.
Speaker 3 (29:21):
That's exactly right.
Speaker 4 (29:24):
That's a two for one.
Speaker 3 (29:25):
That's right to bargain shopping.
Speaker 2 (29:29):
I have to ask you, you know you mentioned the
It never occurred to me that the Olympic site from
sixty eight would still be there. And of course that
is one of the most famous Olympics of all times.
You know, Bob Beeman had his historic leap there, if
I'm not mistaken, twenty nine feet two inches. That was
in Mexico City. But of course you're John Carlos and
the and the fist in the air. That's uh, you know,
(29:52):
I'm not here to get into political discussion, but it's
certainly made it famous.
Speaker 4 (29:55):
It's made it a very famous venue.
Speaker 3 (29:57):
Is it is it completely still standing. The the Olympic facility.
Speaker 7 (30:02):
Most of them are, actually most of them are, and
they've really been preserved. They're not very useful for events.
I think basketball teams play there. It used to be
the official valuyball venue with some basketball games added to it.
But they've been preserved. It's all run and owned by
the government. But they've been preserved, as as with most
(30:23):
Olympic facilities. And I think Mexico at some point will
probably bid for another Olympics at some point in the future.
Speaker 3 (30:28):
But there, but it wouldn't be there.
Speaker 6 (30:31):
No, No, I think they're outdated.
Speaker 7 (30:32):
It's got it's beautiful, it's got a copper sheeting, sheeting
in the in the top. It's just not very useful
for today's sports business.
Speaker 4 (30:42):
Right understood.
Speaker 2 (30:44):
Okay, So so you're watching the game and and uh,
were you as disappointed as we were because I did
not see I did not see that coming from an
offensive perspective. There was there was no way I thought
that the offense would be held to basically three points
and then a sort of a garbage time touchdown. I
(31:06):
didn't see that one coming at all.
Speaker 6 (31:08):
No, and it was really kind of confidence sapping.
Speaker 7 (31:12):
I mean, people were wanting, showed up to Root to
get excited, and from the get go, the penalty by
Andrew Speed at the start, the pass that was deemed
incomplete because he had no control Jano Smith's down down
the field. All these things were like setbacks and was
one after the next, and then you began to see
(31:32):
how everybody's just a little off key. I'm not here
to make excuses or even diagnosed anything that would have
changed the outcome of the game. But we were talking
before the game that I thought we were going to
miss so Mallow a lot, and it's a very subtle effect.
I don't think he would have made a difference in
changing necessarily the outcome of the game. But I thought,
(31:57):
for the first time that I've seen with Aaron Rodgers
happy feet, I just that's a feeling I had. It's
very difficult Aaron, because he's so good at throwing off
balance and off platform and this and that and the other.
I just felt that he is more concerned about pressure
right now than targets, and to me, it showed in
(32:20):
this game. It's it's been building for a couple of games,
and in this game, it's like the damn burst, the
impresision was unlike him. There was some miscommunication between him
and the receivers. Like I think Metcalf went deep and
kind of stopped, gave up. He didn't step on the
gas all the time, and he missed a little bit,
(32:41):
missed the catch by a little bit. If he had
kept his speed, maybe he would have caught it. But
that's maybe maybe, if, if, But they were just off
and I thought Somala was a big They were really
missing him. They did not protect Broderie Jones. And there's
a move that I saw about six times this game
(33:01):
out of twelve possessions, where the pass rusher charges hard
outside it's almost like a Eurostate in basketball, and then
crosses him inside and the effect is not necessarily a sack,
but the effect is Eventually Broderick has to extend his
right arm and basically hook the guy and stop him,
(33:22):
but he penetrates. And I think Aaron looked to me
like he was just anticipating that, like he knew.
Speaker 6 (33:28):
That was going to happen.
Speaker 7 (33:29):
So where it's coming from, and where should I go
before I even look up and look at my targets.
And again not to excuse him, because he meets the
first one to own up that he didn't play well.
And then the interesting thing, I don't know if you
felt this way at halftime, I'm saying, you know, Aaron
is just off. And it's a very interesting situation with
(33:54):
Aaron Rodgers, because how do you get him back on rhythm.
Some people say, just let him throw. Oh, just let
him throw, build up a series of throws that will
get his timing back. Or no, let's run. Let's run
and try to sort of set him down and get
him to thirty shorts and get that first down and
get that thing over the arm. It's like the guy
(34:15):
in hoops score lap so he can get back and
make threes. And so I thought this tremendous tension between
a guy that is at his best passing and passing
often against a guy today that needs to get back
on track. So in the first series, in the second half,
first three series, three runs by Warren twenty two yards
(34:39):
seven yards about, and then of course they went away
from that and it didn't really get Aaron into it.
Speaker 6 (34:47):
There was a bit of a no huddle offense feeling.
Speaker 7 (34:50):
Towards the end because the score dictated that, and I
thought it was a little bit better. Of course it
coincided with kind of prevent defense by the Chargers. It's
it was just tough, just just difficult to watch, opportunities, missed,
situations that were at verse and just a very unusual thing.
(35:11):
And when you you look at you talk about before
this game, I think there was great consensus that Aaron
Rodgers was the MVP of the team. It still is.
Speaker 6 (35:19):
But when the m v P plays like that, you're like,
oh boy, oh boy.
Speaker 7 (35:23):
And it really rippled, rippled through the offense, third downs,
rippled on time of possession.
Speaker 6 (35:28):
Again. One more thing I wanted to tell you.
Speaker 7 (35:31):
On that on that last score by Kimani Waidov, the
Steelers had a very unusual bit of personnel. Cam Hayward
was not on the field for that play, which really
defined the game and the league was solid for the Chargers,
but it really did. Sawyer was in, Harrison was in,
(35:52):
by a Black was in and as as he or
Wanwell was in uh for that critical play, which tells
you then the estimation of the coaching staff that was
better than maybe the usual lineup or.
Speaker 6 (36:08):
The starting lineup.
Speaker 7 (36:08):
Now you probably wanted to go a little heavier, so
you kndot understand why story may have been there, but
high Stoos was tiving a great game, for a decent game,
and so either people were worn out or just gassed.
Speaker 6 (36:21):
And for the last critical play you.
Speaker 7 (36:23):
Had a people who were a bunch of reserves who
were fresh and who were big and strong because they
anticipate the run. And then when you look at the
play itself, Patrick Queen was woefully out of position. He went,
he drifted to his right, didn't even look at the
exchange with the quarterback, and there was a huge hole
pulling guard and then he reacted too late.
Speaker 6 (36:45):
It was too late, and that was the score and
that was the game. So everything everything.
Speaker 7 (36:50):
You saw was just off off And the only question
was if we had corrected those little things, would would
it have made the difference in this game? I don't know,
maybe not. It was just one of those days and
it just snowballed. And the effect on the watch party
is people began to leave sometime in the third quarter.
Speaker 6 (37:07):
That broke my heart.
Speaker 4 (37:10):
That was tough.
Speaker 6 (37:11):
That was tough. That was really really difficult.
Speaker 7 (37:16):
So I knew, I knew that a watch party in
Mexico at some point would involved a loss. But this
is probably the probably the kind of a nightmare scenario
for US. Fans were great though, they really were very loyal.
Speaker 6 (37:31):
They'll be back, but this is tough. This is tough
to watch.
Speaker 5 (37:37):
So I love the recap, and you know, you hit
all those hot low lights. I guess we should call
it not really highlights, you know, low lights of the game.
I mean I thought, you know, with Aaron, yeah, it
was off.
Speaker 3 (37:56):
I mean, he you know, like you.
Speaker 4 (37:58):
Said, was not in sync.
Speaker 5 (37:59):
I mean some of the those things receivers cutting routes short,
We're not speeding up through the route. Some of them
was just playing drops like hit them in the hands
and they just couldn't haul it in. And a couple
of them you had the ricochet interception to Dante Jackson
was another one, the overthrow uh to DK that Mickens
picked off. You know that Keishawn Williams muff punt deep.
(38:24):
We just it just it looked like it was Murphy's
law for all intents and purposes. Alvaro and on a
night that just screamed this is the primetime because as
as it's also stated right now, Steels haven't won primetime
yet this season, and we're normally a good primetime team.
(38:45):
We're oh for We're now oh for three in primetime.
We've lost both of our Sunday night football games, and
we lost a Thursday night game against the Bengals. So
it's it's one of those that you know, it is
this team not equipped to play after, you know, for
an eight pm start time.
Speaker 4 (39:04):
I mean, I don't know.
Speaker 5 (39:05):
I'd like to think that you're a professional that you can,
but we see that inconsistency.
Speaker 4 (39:11):
Whether it happens early or whether it happens late.
Speaker 5 (39:14):
I mean early was this game, but you know it
was second quarter as being late is really when both
the Bengals and the Chargers started getting going and we
didn't have an answer for him. You know, Green Bay
was the one where we actually started slow, but we
had a sixteen to seven league going a halftime in
(39:35):
that game. And that's where it's like, okay, well some
people just can't handle primetime, and this season just seems
to be that season where you know, you have one
more opportunity, we'll see I mean that game could also
get flexed, but.
Speaker 4 (39:51):
You know, it's it was. It was a tough one
to watch.
Speaker 6 (39:54):
It.
Speaker 5 (39:55):
No to go back to one of your earlier statements
just about the loss of Isaac Ciamalu. I mean, I
think it was more so than than just kind of
a subtle one. It was it changed. It changed the
offensive game plan, you know, from what we had seen
the last number of weeks right overall. I mean, yes,
(40:16):
you know, Spencer Emerson has been the jumbo guy, the
sixth guy you know, off the bench, and has been
a primary.
Speaker 4 (40:25):
Tight end, capable move guy.
Speaker 5 (40:29):
And they tried to do that, like you said, with
Andrews Pete coming in and supplementing for a couple of plays,
because obviously after after Spiser andest and declaires, he has
to now set out the next play. And so you
were having this guy's and then going right back in
and you know, critical down situations that you've been out
for play. Then you were on the edge previous one.
Now you got to go back into the phone booth.
(40:51):
Like there was a lot of things mechanically that I
wish and procedurally I wish they would have kind of
anticipated a little bit better. They kind of got caught
with their pants down on this one, you know, because like, oh,
we can let Isaac just rest all week and he'll
be ready by game day.
Speaker 4 (41:05):
That he asked. It was Saturday.
Speaker 5 (41:07):
Can't go like, oh crap, there goes a game plan. Okay, well,
well we'll adjust. Hey Andrews, you haven't played all season.
Are you ready to step in?
Speaker 4 (41:15):
Huh?
Speaker 5 (41:16):
What I mean, that's kind of what it felt like.
You saw that jump on the first play. Just let
you know that he was not ready for that moment.
He settled down later, but yeah, that's a tough situation.
And then Broderick, Yeah, the te game got him.
Speaker 3 (41:30):
Uh that's what that was.
Speaker 4 (41:32):
Tackle kind of rushes upfield. That guy loops to the inside.
Speaker 5 (41:37):
Or he can either go inside to the B gap
or he can loop all the way inside to the
A gap and cross face the guard on his way
to the inside. But yeah, twist game definitely bothered them.
And I don't know if that was because Broderick trying
to figure out who's next to him because it's not Isaac,
and he had two he had two other guys. And
granted he played with he played some with Spencer in
(41:58):
the preseason, and you know it had some moments, you know,
filling in, but you throw Apa there and you're in
an away game. It's Yeah, it was a lot and
I'm not making excuses for Broderick. You still got to
play the game, and you still got to play football
at the end of the day. And there was some
effort stuff that he could he could work on.
Speaker 6 (42:19):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (42:19):
Watching the film, but you know, you kind of you
kind of can see.
Speaker 5 (42:23):
The writing on the wall. I think, I'm not going
to excuse it. But you could have seen how that
was going to be an issue, and it ended up
being an issue. You know, it's up to you not
to make it an issue. And he didn't do a
good job of shutting that.
Speaker 6 (42:35):
Down, and there was no Normally you have reinforcement.
Speaker 7 (42:38):
Darnell comes to the to the left, lines up right
next to him, and he gives the defense improved For thought,
there was a lot a lot less than the last
three games, I think because I think barn Get played better,
So I think there was a sense that we got that.
But now I realize and looking back at the last
couple of games, Somlow would handle this guy and then
kind of move moved to his left, always be there.
(43:00):
It's like a security blanket. He wasn't there, and the
replacement wasn't doing that. They had their hands full with
what was in front of and I think that was
a bit of a difference.
Speaker 4 (43:08):
In the game.
Speaker 7 (43:09):
The other thing that I noticed is that the overload
was typically done on the right side because we're a
right handed running team, and but the play ended up
being a pass.
Speaker 6 (43:20):
So I thought to myself, of what are those guys
doing there all pile up.
Speaker 7 (43:24):
I'd rather have one of those guys tackle eligible or
somebody on the left helping out the blind side again
to keep give Rogers pause. You know, Arthur Smith, one
of the hallmarks of his offense is precisely having so
many options that it's hard to know what's coming next.
(43:44):
When he hits it, it's beautiful when he when he
when he When it works, it's amazing. When it doesn't,
it's a head scratcher, like, oh, you know, why don't
we have a second wide receiver?
Speaker 6 (43:56):
What don't we have?
Speaker 7 (43:57):
You know, what do we have these people for the
second guest starts. This was one of those games where
it just he hit hit the bottom and it just
didn't work, sometimes by inches and he's just one of
those games and you hit you know, I guess you
have to live with them. It was just it was
so tough to watch and there was not a not
many people you could say, hey, Chris Boswell, mister.
Speaker 6 (44:19):
Field goal indoors. Yeah, it was one of those games.
It was one.
Speaker 7 (44:24):
I mean, I'd rather put all these all that garbage
in one garbage back and throw it out and not
that spread alongst the games. I hope it's we put
all the bad plays in one game and just move
on from that.
Speaker 4 (44:34):
Let's hope.
Speaker 3 (44:36):
Let's hope.
Speaker 2 (44:37):
Let us definitely hope, and we will see you back
in the Burg this week. We need, we need some
Alvaro Martine back in the Burg. Man, you get to
be here.
Speaker 4 (44:46):
Absolutely.
Speaker 7 (44:46):
I'm gonna try to give Joe Flag a little dude,
you a little you know, a little spell, so he
won't he won't have as good a game as he
said so far.
Speaker 4 (44:55):
I love it.
Speaker 2 (44:55):
Alvaro Martin, the Great Alvalo Martin joining us, and we
will look for to see you on Sunday, my friend.
Speaker 6 (45:01):
Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 3 (45:04):
Thanks averro back with more when we continue.
Speaker 2 (45:07):
In the Locker Room presented by our neighborhood Ford Store
in the Steelers Pro Shop on Steelers Nation Radio, part
of the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (45:17):
This is in the Locker Room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio, presented by your neighborhood Forward Store.
The F one fifty is the official truck of the
Pittsburgh Steelers and by Steelers Pro Shop. Get it direct
from the team at the Steelers Pro Shop at shop
dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 3 (45:39):
And thanks very much for being with us. Our thanks
to Alvarro Martin for being with us as well. Max.
Speaker 2 (45:46):
Great to hear the stories of Look a bad weekend
for the Steelers for sure on the football field, but
it's kind of like a good weekend in Mexico City
right up until the game started. I think that was
a great story by Alvarro with the terrible towels and
the guys in the roof and talking to the woman
in the hospital, and think about that stat So there
there are more Stevens fans in Mexico City than in
(46:09):
Pittsburgh because there's more people than in Alleganty County, because
there's more people in Mexico City and then uh than Pittsburgh.
Speaker 3 (46:16):
But that's pretty cool.
Speaker 5 (46:18):
Yeah, geographically that that that that's pretty awesome. And the
Steelers are the number one team in Mexico. It's polled,
so you know that that that's that's something that you
look at and you're just you know, you have to
you have the foster that that's why you have to
do kind.
Speaker 4 (46:32):
Of watch parties. And we've done a number of.
Speaker 5 (46:35):
Football camps, fantasy camps, flag football tournaments, as well as
business summit meetings down there. I've been down there a
number of times. I think I've gone down there for
the last five years.
Speaker 4 (46:49):
I think I've been down there in Mexico.
Speaker 5 (46:51):
So you know, it's been, it's been, it's not three.
Three out of the last four years I've I've been
to Mexico. And it's amazing the reception, the respect and
the love that you feel in Mexico for the Steelers,
for the organization, the love of American football that has
(47:15):
just grown. You know, Steelers fans UH and and the
and the our of course are our low Steelers UH
social media page. I mean, fans do a pilgrimage every
year from Mexico to Pittsburgh to watch a game inside
of Afroshore and it's pretty awesome.
Speaker 4 (47:34):
And even I mean you think about this, I.
Speaker 5 (47:37):
Was running into Steeler fans from Mexico in Dublin, Ireland for.
Speaker 4 (47:42):
For the Vikings game. That's awesome.
Speaker 5 (47:45):
Like I was in Killarney and there we had we
had fans there. I saw fans in Galway as well.
And so you know, when you say Steelers Nation, I
mean it's the name sounds good, but it's really Steelers
Steelers Global, because the Steelers brand is a global brand
(48:07):
and they have fans all over in the fans show
up and show out. I can't tell you the countless
times over my years being affiliated with the organization.
Speaker 4 (48:17):
And being you know, being out and about and I
just have, you know.
Speaker 5 (48:21):
Steelers polo or T shirt or hat or something, and
someone somewhere in the far reaches of of of of
this planet, somebody is like, oh my god, you're You're
still I'm a Steelers fan. You're like, what how did
I meet you? I mean, I still contend. The most
(48:42):
obscure place to catch a Steeler fan that that I've
found in my travels was Macedonia. Macedonia, Yes, Macedonia. I
was we we had to go to the US consulate
over there and and it was an Italian man working
(49:02):
in the US embassy and it was in Macedonia and
he was a Steelers fan.
Speaker 3 (49:11):
That's awesome.
Speaker 4 (49:12):
I love it. I love it.
Speaker 2 (49:14):
Yeah, good stuff we still have. We're not quite ready
to turn the page on this defeat. And and uh,
this is a tough one against the charge.
Speaker 4 (49:24):
Why why why can't we turn the page?
Speaker 5 (49:28):
I'm tired because chapter, Rob, you're an author, you should
know you got to end it.
Speaker 4 (49:32):
Put move to the new chapter.
Speaker 2 (49:34):
Oh no, no, because when you know, when you're when
you're an author, you have to you have to refer
to stuff that has already happened. It's building blocks. It's
not just a new chapter. We're not ready to because
it's the same book, right, it's the book of the
twenty twenty five Steelers. So how to the mistakes of
the present or the recent past affect the team in
(49:55):
the future. That's one of the subjects we're going to
be talking about with Bob Labriola.
Speaker 3 (49:59):
Before we do, we.
Speaker 2 (50:00):
Want to remind you that you can gear it up
at the latest gay data necessities at the official Steelers
pro shops. Get the latest sideline apparel, jerseys, terrible towels,
authentic memorabilia and custom exclusives you can only find directly
from the team. Visit one of the official Students pro
shops located at Akrocher Stadium, Grove City Premium Outlets or
Tanger Outlets or.
Speaker 4 (50:21):
Or Max.
Speaker 2 (50:22):
You can gear up online at shop dot steelers dot com,
get it direct from the team at the Steers Pro
Shop at shop dot steelers dot com. Back with Bob
Labriola when we continue in the Locker Room, presented by
your neighborhood Fords Store in the Studis Pro Shop on
Steelers Nation Radio, a part of the Steelers Audio Network,
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I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Ruthie's Table 4
For more than 30 years The River Cafe in London, has been the home-from-home of artists, architects, designers, actors, collectors, writers, activists, and politicians. Michael Caine, Glenn Close, JJ Abrams, Steve McQueen, Victoria and David Beckham, and Lily Allen, are just some of the people who love to call The River Cafe home. On River Cafe Table 4, Rogers sits down with her customers—who have become friends—to talk about food memories. Table 4 explores how food impacts every aspect of our lives. “Foods is politics, food is cultural, food is how you express love, food is about your heritage, it defines who you and who you want to be,” says Rogers. Each week, Rogers invites her guest to reminisce about family suppers and first dates, what they cook, how they eat when performing, the restaurants they choose, and what food they seek when they need comfort. And to punctuate each episode of Table 4, guests such as Ralph Fiennes, Emily Blunt, and Alfonso Cuarón, read their favourite recipe from one of the best-selling River Cafe cookbooks. Table 4 itself, is situated near The River Cafe’s open kitchen, close to the bright pink wood-fired oven and next to the glossy yellow pass, where Ruthie oversees the restaurant. You are invited to take a seat at this intimate table and join the conversation. For more information, recipes, and ingredients, go to https://shoptherivercafe.co.uk/ Web: https://rivercafe.co.uk/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/therivercafelondon/ Facebook: https://en-gb.facebook.com/therivercafelondon/ For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iheartradio app, apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.