November 19, 2025 • 45 mins
The guys are joined by Jim Wexell to discuss this weekend's matchup against the Bears, along with the play of various players on the roster. The guys then discuss the paths various former Steelers face to get into the Hall of Fame.
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Speaker 1 (00:10):
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 (00:29):
Oh, guess what day it is? Guess what day it is?
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Eh?
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Anybody, Julie, Hey, guess what day it is? Come on,
I know you can hear me. Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike.
What day is it? Mike? Listen, guess what today is?
Speaker 4 (00:46):
It's Oh, it is a humpday Wednesday.
Speaker 5 (00:53):
And there we go, Mike Campbell, of course, providing the
context inside the power hour. That's right, our number two
here inside the locker room as we barrel towards noon.
Speaker 6 (01:05):
And of course what Wednesday would not be complete?
Speaker 5 (01:10):
You know there there's a book out there called Tuesdays
with Maury.
Speaker 6 (01:15):
Well, we've got Wednesdays with wex That's right. Jim Wex so.
Speaker 5 (01:19):
Steel City Insider editor and also a great friend to
this program, acclaimed author a good friend of ours.
Speaker 6 (01:30):
Of course, the most recent book.
Speaker 5 (01:33):
Out that he assisted with on this on this fine
Steeler day. If these walls could talk stories from the
Pittsburgh Steelers sideline, locker room and press box with Craig Wolfley,
it's the one, the only. Jim Wex, So, how we
doing today, Jim?
Speaker 3 (01:49):
A good Max. You know, I try to manifest great
success through my books and by you mentioning Tuesdays with Maury,
a book in which the sports writer actually made money.
Now I'm now I've now I've.
Speaker 6 (02:04):
Got something I hadn't computered.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Mitch album. Now I'm yeah, Wednesday's with Lex Tuesdays with
Maury Mitch album. I mean, now I got it. I
got it.
Speaker 5 (02:16):
Thank you, You're welcome.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
But I think they made did they make that into
a movie?
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Probably? It was such a huge book.
Speaker 6 (02:25):
Yeah, yeah it was, and it was a great book.
I read it. I want to say.
Speaker 5 (02:31):
I want to say I read that back while still
playing football.
Speaker 6 (02:34):
A tremendous book.
Speaker 5 (02:35):
And uh yeah, you know, well you you had to
come with creativity, so you know, I had to throw
that in there.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
You know.
Speaker 6 (02:41):
I was like, oh, what book has a day mentioned?
And I'm like, well, of course Tuesdays with WRI Mitch album.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
Well you got you got King or writing fiction already,
so he's probably closer to hitting that jackpot than I
am with you know, the Tuesdays with Maury. I believe
it's fiction or uh might have been based on some
kind of true story. I read it. I forget what
it's about.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
No, I think it's I think it's the truth. I
think it's a true story.
Speaker 4 (03:05):
If he was going to visit uh was it is
it was one of his mentors and reevaluating his own
life as he was doing.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
That, Maybe that's what I should do instead.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
Meanwhile, I'm writing about kids charging around in uh in
in different worlds with facing magical creatures, so completely different
kind of stuff.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
Oh, it sounds like a huge seller of making.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
Well.
Speaker 4 (03:34):
I would encourage everybody to buy a copy of The
Door in the Stone, second book coming out in January. Okay,
there's the uh, there's the plugs. Go to your local
bookstore or go to Amazon. Door in the Stone go
to your local bookstore, go to Amazon. If these walls
could talk stories from the pittsburgh'st the Other Sideline locker
Room and press Box Craig Wolfley with Jim Wexel Forward
(03:57):
by Ron Wolfley. Uh, I had wex signed my copy
for me on Sunday, Max, so.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
That was wonderful.
Speaker 4 (04:06):
And as we've said, you know, in talking about the book,
anybody who's listening to this program, I'm you know pretty
much has been listening to the locker room for years
with Touch and Wolf and then with Max and Wolf,
and heard Max and Wolf on the sidelines, heard Wolf
in the broadcast booth as the color commentator as well
(04:29):
over the last several years, and it is it's interesting
this has only happened to me one other time where
I know the author's voice. The other time was when
Larry Eldridge, who had worked at pitt and was our
general manager when I first came to Pittsburgh to work
for what was then Fox Sports Net, handed me a book.
(04:50):
Gave me a book on articles written about the pitt
football team, and several of them were written by Byron Cope,
who I, not being from Pittsburgh, originally was unaware of
the fact that he was a sports writer and a
great sports writer.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
But to be able to hear his voice, man, then
coach was gonna it was. It was great. And when
I as I'm reading these, I can.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
Hear Wolfe's voice telling me the stories, and it just
it just adds to it. Jim, It's it's a wonderful
way to read a book. It's an audio book in
my mind.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Yeah, absolutely, I was just reading a little bit. I
love the chapter one of his first practices when he
had the call to pull and block Jack Ham and
he saw the gray and Hams beard, and he said,
if you saw what I saw, you'd feel confident too.
You were, you felt, you would feel like you're going
to rock up a Hall of Famer and make your mark,
(05:47):
make your bones, and just one of those early practices
of your rookie year. And they snapped the ball and
I turned my shoulder and I'm pulling sideways. I'm pulling
right the way I've always been taught, and I'm thinking, oh,
here I come. I'm looking at the sixth hole. I'm
looking for a hammer. I don't see him. All of
a sudden, I'm on my you know, teaster, and it
(06:07):
was Jack Ham. I don't know where he came from,
but it was just pure wolf. I mean, he wrote
it better than I just retold it. But pure wolf,
and a tear came down my eye. And I mean,
this book's full of those kind of stories.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
Yeah, so WEX, where do you as we kind of
get ready for this game against the Bears, where do
you see the Steelers?
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Now?
Speaker 4 (06:32):
It's been such an unusual season around the NFL, and
it's been an unusual season for the Steelers. I you know,
my sort of general take is that it's like it's
you know, if you were able to see the gears
in a clock moving, you can see all the gears
on occasion they've all moved at the same time, but
they they probably haven't moved quite all at the same
(06:54):
time together, which I don't know whether to be discouraged
about or encouraged. I think the optimist in me one
to be encouraged that the best football is still to come.
But where is your take as to where you think
this to others team is and what they can be
and the importance of this game coming up on Sunday.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
I like when I see progress, when I see the
process developing, I like that. And that's what I saw
against the Bengals. We all did. I mean, we have
to admit the defense looked much better against an explosive
offense coming off of buy So that that makes me
(07:33):
feel good and that allows me to go back to
somebody's raw performances and say, you know, they did have
a massive turnover. I believe ten of their twenty two
or maybe like eleven twelve of twenty four counting the punter,
were changed. So you know, that can explain some early
(07:57):
season travails. When I see the progress, I'm excited and
they're finding roles, legitimate roles for people. We may not
like some of them, but they worked last week. You know,
we want to see more. Jalen Warren. Was he hurt
more than we knew? We really? I think I can
(08:20):
speak for a lot a lot of fans of media.
We'd rather see Jalen Warren, even on third down than
Kenneth Gainwell. But Gainwell came in and you know, fulfilled
the coach's vision, so you have to appreciate that. And
obviously against the Bengals, they were looking to take advantage
(08:40):
of those two inside linebackers as rookies with Gainwell and
it worked. So you know, I think Mason was what
thirteen of thirteen on passes ten yards or less and
a huge quarterback rating. Next Gen stat said something that
it was maybe the best of the year and short
(09:02):
passing performance I'll take it.
Speaker 6 (09:06):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
Mason Mason fulfilled his role backup quarterback, coming in comfortable spot.
I'm not I'm not up for making a change by
any means, but look good, comfortable. I think everybody would
be comfortable with him playing, even his teammates. Of course,
who else will fill the We're seeing the development of
(09:29):
Darnel Washington, maybe moving past John who uh for for good.
I don't know that anybody wants to turn Washington back.
We've seen these flashes before. You always worried that he
may not be as nimble and quick out of breaks
and those kinds of things. But man, it looks like
they're developing an identity with guys like him Briar News
(09:53):
Jalen Metcalf in the open field punishing running. But in
the open field, it's not like they have Venice back there.
In the backfield, it's Fanica blocking and Max Starts blocking.
They have quicker guys, and they get out in front
of screens and they let these powerful dudes hammer secondaries.
(10:14):
It's a bludgeting out there. So that's becoming their identity.
Seems to be developing in that regard. And defensively, we're
seeing the pieces start to fit together, especially in the secondary.
And wow, the development of James Pierre. I'm still with
Tomlin that Darius Slay should start, but what a revelation
(10:36):
Pierre has been. And then you've already added Samuel Lesante
Samuel and I think we all like echos And just
two three weeks ago, I was thinking, man, they're going
to have to draft a corner in the first round,
But now I don't think that at all, maybe not
even in the top four rounds. So some of this
(10:57):
stuff is very exciting. And Jalen Ramsey is a safe
he you know, I always liked to make this hitting ability.
I thought he had more thumps than he was being
given credit for better athlete. But Ramsey really brings the thump,
even on plays that aren't significant. I mean we've seen
some really big, significant thumps from him the Jets game
(11:18):
are what He really comes up and hits hard for
a converted corner. So and Douggers is really filling in
for to Shaun Elliott. So I liked a lot of
things that are happening.
Speaker 5 (11:32):
No, I completely agree wex and I think that's you
know what we wanted to see, right, You want to
see what the identity is of this team, and.
Speaker 6 (11:43):
And we thought we had it.
Speaker 5 (11:44):
We thought we had our thumb on the pulse about
you know, two three weeks ago.
Speaker 6 (11:51):
And we were a little bit premature in that, right.
Speaker 5 (11:53):
I mean the Green Bay game I thought was where
we would see the identity of this team kind of
coming to clear picture. And it looked like it for
the first half, and then the second half happened, and
then we all came questioning, and then you know, the
uncertainty about the Colts game. But they came out and
they played ferocious and it looked like that New England
(12:14):
game earlier this year, right, you know, getting the multiple turnovers,
making the offense look pedestrian, eliminating the rush capabilities of
a top back in the NFL, and Jonathan Taylor.
Speaker 6 (12:25):
And you're like, okay, all right, this is what this is. Okay.
Speaker 5 (12:28):
A week later, we're fine, and then the Chargers game happened.
You're just like, oh God, okay, we don't have an answer. No,
this is not who we are. You know, the consistency,
the toughness, we didn't see it. They couldn't convert a
third down till well into the fourth quarter. And now
we have another sample size where you're like, defense played
(12:50):
lights out. I mean, you know, they didn't have five turnovers,
but the two they did convert it into fourteen points instantly.
Speaker 6 (12:55):
Without the offense touching the field.
Speaker 5 (12:57):
And Aaron Rodgers goes down and Mason Rudolph to come
in and Mason, like you said, you just outlined it,
you know, thirteen for thirteen yards over you know, and
passes over ten yards. And now we're back to the
toughness thing. And Darneld Washington, I think is still bowling
over Bengals.
Speaker 6 (13:13):
On a Wednesday.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
That sounds like a book.
Speaker 6 (13:18):
Yeah, and that does right there, right, you know. And so.
Speaker 5 (13:23):
You know, we're back to kind of piecing together what
this team is. We just need to see the consistency.
And I think that's the one thing. It's a tough
team that prides itself in turnovers, sacking of the quarterback,
limiting the rush capabilities, making teams one dimensional, then offensively
(13:44):
possessing the ball with splashes here and there, but a
solid run game.
Speaker 6 (13:49):
But who's that quarterback?
Speaker 5 (13:50):
I mean, you know, so it's the consistency. I think
that's missing WEX But I think we have the identity.
This is going to be a tough, physical team on
both sides of the ball. It's just ken do it
together for sixty minutes and not thirty seven minutes on
one side and twenty three on the other, or you know,
we had we I'm still struggling. We just finally eclipsed
(14:11):
you know, the play and time of possession mark of No,
we didn't even get to play. We just got higher
amount of place. We still didn't outplay the Bengals and snaps,
but we finally won the time of possession battle barely
by what five seconds.
Speaker 6 (14:27):
I'll take it.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
I'll take it.
Speaker 6 (14:28):
We just need to get over thirty and we did that.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
Yeah, it could be a matter of getting more respect
from the defense on the receivers in the passing game.
I think that will open up the run game. I
think the short passing game is there, and that's where
the identity seems to be developing a little more downfield happening.
(14:55):
You know, they're still short of threat, I say, you know,
we're tantlet titillated by the promise of Roman Wilson. Calvin
Austin's performance last week was disappointing. The last couple of weeks,
I don't know if he should be holding on past Roman.
(15:16):
I'm not a coach, so but someone a splash I'm
seeing from Roman is exciting to a degree, so that
I think that has to develop better for the run
game to develop further. I do like what I'm seeing
from Caleb Johnson, and I like what the coaches are doing.
(15:37):
Made it bury him. So he's getting a series every
now and then, and his confidence will grow. He looks
he looks like the back we saw. I hate to
say spring, because nobody's tackling in spring, but that's when
he was exciting. He just looked at his body and
his speed and his explosiveness. I see that now again.
So I've been reignited to him. But I think where
(16:00):
the consistency is mostly going to come from is the
defense as the secondary settles in. So you know, Derek
Harmon's Black. We saw play from Black. Those guys up
front are going to help Cam Benton's getting better, and
they've got a couple of packages. The three inside linebacker package,
(16:23):
I'm really liking Malie Harrison's finding his role on the team,
and the three outside linebacker packages, well, that's been in
motion since the beginning of the year, even some last year.
I think you know they're trying to get herbig, Heismith
and Watt together. It just hadn't worked until Douggar's picked six.
(16:46):
I'm not sure if I'm still not sure, I want
Nick Herbig coming up the middle or Sawyer coming up
the middle instead of Derek Harmon. I know they're better
pass rushers, but nothing like a big couple with Cam,
A couple big three hundred and ten pounders, three hundred
and twenty pounders just shattering the pocket up the middle.
Speaker 4 (17:09):
And let's not forget about and his four and a
half sacks. Every time he's not out there, I'm like, man,
I wish he was out there in those pass rush
situations because he's having a career up the middle as well.
Speaker 3 (17:20):
Wex Well, he's a he's a pass rushing nose tackle
and that's apparently where the game is now, and that's cool.
I wish him all the success. I like him a lot.
I want to see him. I want I'd like more
often to see a real not a real, a two
(17:40):
gaping nose tackle, a guy that stands people up against
the run. But yeah, I mean, give me, give me
those sacks. Sacks from the nose tackle two. I love
him as a defensive tackle. I mean, there's another guy.
He and Cam in a on pass downs instead of
three outside linebackers. But hey, it finally worked. So you know,
(18:00):
here I am discrediting the three outside linebacker look and
it worked to pick six happened. But I still like
the big man up the middle. But I do think
the defense as a whole is going to be much
more consistent.
Speaker 4 (18:16):
So I totally agree, and I think that, you know, look,
the special teams have been solid, and the defense is
showing signs. You know, they've had some games where they've
been dominant and disruptive. I really think that how far
the Steelers can possibly go and whether this team can
(18:36):
coalesce into being a legit contender, and I mean not
just winning the division, but moving beyond. And by the way,
next Gen stats of the fourteen teams currently in the
playoff picture, the team, according to next Gen that has
the lowest percentage the lowest odds of making the playoffs
is this Yelers at thirty nine percent. Next lowest is
(18:56):
the Bears at fifty nine percent. Take that as you will.
Speaker 3 (19:01):
That doesn't make sense to me.
Speaker 4 (19:03):
I don't understand, I'm with you, but I just thought
i'd throw that out there. I would say this, we
if the offense can find more consistency, and by that
I just mean cut down into three and outs, find
a way to get a little more rhythm offensively. We
have seen times in which you know, Aaron Rodgers has
(19:26):
been able to throw for a lot of touchdown passes
is get against the Jets and the Bengals. We've seen
other games where the running attack has seemed to come
to life, but we haven't really seen the two together.
We haven't really seen you know, at least keeping that
defense off the field winning the time of possession battle.
Speaker 2 (19:44):
It's been a rare to They.
Speaker 4 (19:45):
Still have not had a single game in which they've
run more plays in the opposition. Some of that's the
defense for sure. You know that early third and eleven
that the Bengals, you know, converted, You're thinking, here we
go again, and they were successful early on to see
there's better at converting third downs in the second half
and keeping the Bengals off the field and actually won
the time of possession. But to me, that is sort
(20:08):
of the one area in which if that can get
going I think it helps the defense, and I think
the Steelers are perceived as a different team around the league.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
Yeah, as for that time of possession, I know that's
huge with Max. I think he's made some national headline
with his comments on the time of possession and the
cheering four on the Neil downs. I think they eaked
out the time of possession win Maca, Well, here's a
(20:42):
solution to the time of possession problem. Stop scoring defensive touchdown.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
True, no doubt, no doubt.
Speaker 5 (20:49):
That's short fields on turnovers.
Speaker 4 (20:53):
And Wactually, I agree with you, and I think each
game is different, and the Steelers have played the game
and one they play tenem and one six right, So
in some ways you can't argue with that. But I
think when we start to get to this point of
the season and you think, well, you've.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
Never won the time of possession.
Speaker 4 (21:10):
I understand turnovers happen, and well, you've won it twice,
I guess, but you've you've never run more plays in
the opposition. At some point, I think that becomes a
trend to me that I would like to see that
reversed a little bit. I would like to see longer drives,
more first downs, even if it's hey, pick up a
set of downs and kick. Now you're pinning the other
team deeper, you know what I mean. There's a lot
(21:31):
that comes with just simply picking up more first downs.
Speaker 6 (21:36):
You know.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
The Steelers scored a great clip as far as yards
per point is a stat I love. And they last
five games against good competition, very good competition. They score.
They take eleven point seven yards to score a point.
The Bears fifteen point five yards to score a point
(22:01):
against week week competition, last five games. It has to
do with short fields, efficiency, special teams, all of what
you just mentioned. So they do take advantage to a degree.
There's a I call it the pluck factor, which some
teams take a long long way the pluck factor. So
(22:22):
I mean it's not a dry, totally barren offense.
Speaker 4 (22:28):
Oh agreed? Agree, Yeah, just the young by the way,
before we let you go action and we're running late
and that's my fault. And I'm sorry, but just announced
while we were doing this segment is that Elsie Greenwood
is a semi finals for the Hall of Fame class
in twenty twenty six. Would love to get your quick
opinion on Elsie Greenwood thirteen seasons with the Steelers just
(22:52):
you know, some of the credit. Six time Pro Bowl selection,
two time First Team All Pro selection, and a member
of not only the Steelers All time team but the
NFL is All Decade team in the nineteen seventies. So
a pretty compelling case for Elsie. Your thoughts on him
being a semi finalist, So he's at least, you know,
(23:12):
crossed one hurdle.
Speaker 3 (23:15):
I'm not going to be the guy the ten of
great the great Elsie Greenwood and I interviewed him a
few years ago and we talked about this, and he
was born in Canton, and when he talked about of
course we all die, and he said, well, I die,
That's why.
Speaker 6 (23:30):
I'll be buried.
Speaker 3 (23:31):
So I'm gonna end up in Canton either way, can't
in Mississippi. Well, so, I mean, I love Elsie and
I'm not gonna It's just it's a difficult road for
him with so many other Steelers from the same team
over again. And you can make the case statistically, and
I hope somebody does, and I hope he gets in,
but it's a tough road in my opinion. Yeah, you know,
(23:53):
playing next to Joe Green, Joe Green made everybody better.
But he was special, you know. He he had some
special games. Four and a half sacks against Cleveland Browns
I think, and a block punt in one game, something
like that. Something outrageous, big big Super Bowl against Frank
(24:15):
Target and batting passes and leading the interceptions. I don't
know if he had one, but he and Joe Green
and those guys were batting passes up in the air,
picking them off, and one would bat and one would
pick off. Just great stuff. But I mean, let me
just one comment about the Bears. They've won one time
(24:35):
in the history of their existence in Chicago. It was
ninety five, and if you remember, they beat the Bears
in two thousand and five. Both wins turned seasons around
and led to Super Bowls. And this is a season
with a five in it too. So that's all I
got for you and the Bears.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
Jim. Good stuff. I love that, Jim. Thank you very much.
Speaker 4 (24:59):
Author Jim Wexel check out his book If These Walls
Could Talk with Craig wolfleet wex Thanks very much, appreciate.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
It, man, Thanks sol bye, Thanks all right.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
Stick around.
Speaker 4 (25:10):
Plenty more to come in the Locker Room, Presented by
our Neighborhood Ford's joined the Steers Pro Shop on Steers
Nation Radio, part of the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
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 4 (25:42):
And welcome back inside the locker room with Max Starks.
Speaker 2 (25:46):
I'm Robsteeing. Our thanks to Jim Wexel for joining us
moments ago.
Speaker 4 (25:50):
Max, we had to hustle on to a break, but
your thoughts on Elsie Greenwood and his candidacy for the
Hall of Fame as he is now a semi finalist
just announced a short time ago. We have lost Max
Starks momentarily and we're gonna get him back. And so again,
(26:10):
as we just mentioned, that is something that was just
announced by the Steelers once again. Elsie green would a
phenomenal career. Part of the steel curtain, of course, and
that defensive line with Joe Green, Dwight White and Ernie
Holmes just a dominant group. His first year as a
start was nineteen seventy when he had five fumble recoveries.
(26:31):
That year led to Steelers in sacks, and seventy three
had eleven sacks and seventy four. Again keep in mind,
these are fourteen game seasons. Finished his career with seventy
three and a half sacks, a two time first team
All Pro selection in nineteen seventy four and seventy five,
a six time Pro Bowl selection seventy three through seventy
(26:51):
six and seventy eight through seventy nine. I'm a big
believer in this when it comes to selecting Hall of Fames.
He was a member of the NFL's All Day Gay
Team in the nineteen seventies. Man, if you're one of
the twenty two best players, I guess you know they
have the kicker and the punter in there too, probably.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
But you know it's rounded up. It's twenty five.
Speaker 4 (27:12):
I don't know if they strictly go with eleven on
offense and eleven in defense, even if they fluff it
up to twenty six twenty seven. If you're one of
the best twenty six or twenty seven guys over the
course of a decade in the NFL, with all those players,
I think you have you have a very strong case
just on that alone. So I'd love to see I
think Elsie Agreement belongs in the Hall of Fame. It's
(27:32):
my own opinion and never shy and sharing my opinions
on the Hall of Fame. I think Elsie Agreement belongs there.
And Max would be nice to see another member of
the Black and Gold getting into Canton.
Speaker 5 (27:45):
Yeah, another one, you know, just to kind of finish
off just how historic that seventies teams was. You're talking
about a member of the Steel Curtain, right, I mean
when you think of Pittsburgh is synonymous with that, and
you know, hopefully trying to put a swan song to
that era and complete it, complete it in its entirety
(28:07):
of all of the impactful players of that era and
what their contribution is not only to Pittsburgh but to
the National Football League and what it is today.
Speaker 6 (28:19):
I mean, he's one of.
Speaker 5 (28:20):
Those foundational building blocks. And when you talk about guys
on the all decades teams, think about that, that is
a ten year stretch and you're considered the best at
your position on that team. That's a pretty special thing
and something that's rare and so when you have those guys,
you have to make sure those guys are honored properly.
(28:41):
And his career, I mean, he did it all, and
so you know, you want to see him get in there,
and then that will hopefully open the door for more
contemporary steelers to finally kind of make the way. I mean,
we've got a logjam of talent. Let's just be honest, Kinger,
we got a logjam of steelers that should be in
the Hall of Fame, and you know, being able to
(29:02):
kind of clear this one up now. Obviously it's not
a head to head in the in the normal category.
LC's going in in the senior category, which means, you know,
you get passed over in your prime retirement years, but
you come back and now you're in this pool. You
don't want to call it the forgotten guys who should
have went in but because of ruling or whatever and votes,
(29:23):
they didn't make the requisite amount at that time. But
this is a chance to kind of come back around
in the latter part and get and get them their
due a little bit late. I would love to see
the classes kind of open up a little bit more
and you get guys kind of like that one hundredth
anniversary team, Remember in twenty twenty one, twenty twenty? Was
(29:45):
it twenty twenty or in twenty twenty one? I can't
remember which everyone was anniversary, right, Yeah, thee hundredth anniversary, Yeah,
twenty twenty. Because that's how Bill Bill Cowerd got in
there on that one. Alan Fanica got it on that
one as well, So you're able to kind of clear
up some of that with a super sized class. I
(30:05):
would love to see that happen a little bit more
frequently than just take one hundred years to kind of
do that, because I feel like there's a lot of
guys around this league that deserve to be in, and
of course, from my perspective, a lot of Steelers that
should be getting into that one as well.
Speaker 2 (30:21):
Well.
Speaker 4 (30:22):
You know, to me, Alan Fanica was just a travesty
that it took him that long to get in. You know,
he made nine consecutive Pro Bowls, nine consecutive Pro Bowls,
and in six of those seasons he was first team
All Pro and in two of them he was second
team All Pro. It is hard, really really hard to
(30:47):
have a resume that great. That is a great resume
that Alan Fannic could put up and you know again,
I'm I'm mystified. I think that for me, the most
difficult Hall of Fame to figure out of all the
Hall of Fames is the Pro Football Hall of Fame,
and in part because you know it is you're comparing.
(31:10):
It's not just about numbers. You're comparing different positions. I mean, Okay,
the NHL, you have defenseman that's one thing, and you
have forwards. Well, you usually put up enough points and
you make enough All Star teams, you're gonna get in
the Hall of Fame. You know, you have a high
enough batting average, or you have enough wins in a
low enough era in baseball, you're gonna get yourself in
the Hall of Fame. They're obviously exceptions. Marque's Pouncy is
(31:33):
another guy. To me, I mean Markue's Pouncy played nine
full seasons in the NFL. Nine He made the Pro
Bowl every single year every single year, two time first
team All Pro, three time second team All Pro. To me,
he is a no brainer Hall of Famer. There's nothing
(31:56):
that he didn't do that shouldn't wind up with him
being in Canton. And then you know, Fanic's resume is
even a little bit better than that one. So why
it took so my I guess my expectation is it's
probably gonna take Pouncy a little while because it took
Fanica a little while. Uh So, But I think, look,
Fanica got in the Hall of Fame. I think that
(32:16):
Pouncy belongs to the Hall of Fame. I think Elsie
Greenwood belongs to the.
Speaker 6 (32:20):
Hall of Fame.
Speaker 5 (32:22):
Oh you missed, you missed over one that's already been
a couple of times in the semi finals, and that's
Hines Ward. Uh you know, I feel like Hines is
one of those guys that I don't know why it's
taken them so long. And I will say this for
Allen's I was a little pissed income a year sooner
because it was him and Steve Hutchinson that it came
(32:43):
down to. And I get hutch was a really good player,
but hutch was no Alan Fanica and I felt like
when he got passed over at the very same position, that's.
Speaker 6 (32:53):
When I got mad.
Speaker 5 (32:54):
I was like, Okay, well, if guards aren't going okay,
I see why Allan didn't go right As it was
whide receiver heavy one year it was on a defensive
lineman and edge rushing. One year quarterbacks had to get in, right,
you know those I just but when it came ahead
to head position for position battle about who would get
(33:14):
in first, I was like, there's I mean, Hutchinson was great,
but Alan Fannico was legendary. He redefined what a position was.
And so that was the first time I got mat
So I wanted him to go in that Centennial classicause
that's when hutch went in, and he ends up going
in the following year in the twenty twenty one class.
Speaker 6 (33:35):
They were just all celebrated together because of COVID.
Speaker 2 (33:38):
That was my one.
Speaker 5 (33:39):
But Hines, I still don't get it, Like you're a
Super Bowl MVP, right, They changed rules, you you changed
the way the game was played because of your style
of play. And that's something when I think about, Like
we could argue the Pro Bowls are all pros, right,
but I think when it comes down to it, fundamentally,
(34:00):
did you change the way the game was played when
you played it and were other people in fear of
you while you played? And that's what Heines brings. So
he doesn't have the All Pros and the Pro Bowls.
I mean he has a handful of those, but I
don't think he made any All Pros. He just had
a couple of Pro Bowls. But what he did to
(34:22):
redefine the game of football and how the wide receiver
position was played, but also how the game was legislated,
that to me is.
Speaker 6 (34:29):
What a Hall of Famer is. That's a pioneer.
Speaker 5 (34:32):
That's someone who reclassifies, who evolves the game into something
different from when they entered it, and they leave it
in a better place than where they left it.
Speaker 6 (34:42):
You know, they leave it in a better place than
where they found it.
Speaker 5 (34:44):
And so that's why I would say I'm so in
the corner of seeing Hines Warden there.
Speaker 4 (34:51):
You know, when you look at the raw numbers and
to me, you know, to me, Alan Fannik was a
he was a first ballot Hall of Famer. Right again,
I don't know how you can put up better numbers,
and I just don't know how you can. You know,
nine time Pro Bowl and what I have, five time
all you know.
Speaker 5 (35:08):
All first first team All Pro and then two one yeah,
at All Pros.
Speaker 2 (35:14):
You can't have a better career that you just can't.
Speaker 6 (35:17):
And a Super Bowl and he has a Super Bowl
to move right. A lot of those guys don't have that.
Speaker 4 (35:21):
I think the the argument I would make for Hines
because heines four time Pro Bowler, three times second team
All Pro. The argument I would make for Hines is
that he and and listen his numbers. It's not like
his career numbers aren't outstanding. You know, no one's going
to be embarrassed to have a thousand career receptions right
(35:42):
on the nose. By the way, no one is going
to be embarrassed to be a two time Super Bowl
champion and a Super Bowl MVP.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
Nobody. Those are great stats.
Speaker 4 (35:51):
Great stats, and the you know, the you know, being
chosen among your peers or or I'm sorry by the
voters to be the Pro bowler or an All Pro
or what have you. Look, those aren't gonna measure up
to other wide receivers. But to me, the thing that
would put Hines over the top is that what he
(36:15):
did for a football team went beyond the numbers. The
numbers are great, but they went beyond the numbers. If
you had pulled thirty two general managers and said would
you like Hines Ward on your football team, all thirty
two would have said yes without question. He's one of
those guys because of the other things that he did,
(36:36):
and again, no shame in the career receiving numbers. He
put up some incredible career numbers, numbers that are hard
for others to match, that are in the Hall of Fame.
But beyond that, he was just a great football player.
He's the kind of guy you wanted on your team
that has value to me. And whether that will eventually
have value to the Hall of Fame voters, well, I
(36:58):
guess we're gonna find out in the coming years.
Speaker 6 (37:02):
No, we're gonna find out, and hopefully that does kind
of clear up a little bit.
Speaker 5 (37:07):
But the problem is, you know, you have your handful
of voters and it's more than a handful I say handful,
but you have your your group of voters, and you're
only allowed to cast one vote, and then it kind
of goes off of a majority rules system and you
have to have a minimum threshold. So that's where it
kind of gets log jammed with that, because if you
(37:28):
have two guys eligible for the same team, guess what,
Those votes get split.
Speaker 6 (37:33):
And so I think that's what.
Speaker 5 (37:34):
Happened with Allen was the vote got split, and it
was either send in Troy or send in Allen.
Speaker 6 (37:44):
And that's how Allan kind of lost out.
Speaker 5 (37:46):
And that's why Steve Hutchinson, I think, slid in on
that one. But that that that's the quandary when you
have a lot of quality players that you have to
vouch for as you kind of get this wind down
of of player lists, you know, from the initial list
to the semi finals and then to the finals list.
That's what happens when we have multiple guys for the
(38:07):
same team. It's easy when you have one guy for
one team, right, you know, to get in. You know,
you can vouch hard for him. But when you're one
guy as a sports writer for for that team and
you've got two guys to present, now you worry because
you have to split. Now you might not get either
(38:27):
because of that, and so you kind of have to
pick and choose your battles about which one is the
easier choice to get in. And that's I think what
kind of happened. And we'll see how that how that
plays out when Marquise comes up, because if he'd you know,
I don't think he'll be a first ballot, but you know,
he doesn't make second ballot because guess who comes right
behind him, Ben Roethlisberger. And are you going to turn
(38:49):
down Ben Roethlisberger right right to try and get Mark Eason.
That that's that's the tough part about it that I
think makes this more unique than know out there in
baseball world or the NBA, where it seems like you know,
you you can almost still be active and still get
into I feel like the NBA Hall of Fame. You know,
(39:10):
I'll be surprised if Lebron has to wait five years right.
Speaker 2 (39:14):
To get into the Hall of Fame when he retires.
Speaker 5 (39:16):
But I mean, but that, but those are the exceptions,
and I think that's what also makes the Pro Football
Hall of Fame that much more special, but also that
much more tougher because you have more players, or a
larger sizeable pool of players than you do in these
other leagues. Like you said, in hockey is very simple,
right forwards, score, defenders, defend time served, what your accolades
(39:43):
are boom, easy, no brainer. But there's only a handful
of you know, there's only you know it is it
fifteen guys on a hockey team, fifteen or sixteen.
Speaker 2 (39:54):
Something like that.
Speaker 4 (39:54):
Well, it's in the twenties but yes, that that play
at any one that played any one time, you got
eighteen guys in a goalie.
Speaker 6 (40:01):
Okay, okay, eighteen active.
Speaker 5 (40:03):
I'm thinking about active on the ice per game versus
the actual full team.
Speaker 2 (40:07):
So so yeah, so.
Speaker 5 (40:09):
Smaller number Basketball, even smaller numbers. Right, Even a baseball
roster is not as extensive as an NFL roster.
Speaker 6 (40:17):
You could fit all of those other leagues.
Speaker 5 (40:18):
Inside of one NFL team essentially, right. That's so that's
what you're going up against. And you got thirty two
of those, So you have an even larger league with
that many. And at any given time, who's retiring, who's qualified,
who's eligible. It's a lot higher number than the other leagues.
And that's why I think it takes a little bit
more to get that across.
Speaker 4 (40:39):
Yeah, and we can get into the whole, you know,
whether you should have more guy from one team. Look,
it's more fun for the fans when there's a Steerer
this year or next year's two or this year.
Speaker 6 (40:46):
Gives us content, gives us content to talk.
Speaker 4 (40:48):
About, absolutely, and it gives Stevens fans a reason to
take the short drive.
Speaker 2 (40:52):
The Canton and and bring the place to life.
Speaker 4 (40:54):
But again, hard for the players to have to sit
through that in a now and fan it can particular
and now you know Pouncy Hinz Ward Elsie greenwould of
course dearly departed from this world.
Speaker 6 (41:07):
James Harrison A lot of guys to a lot of guys.
Speaker 2 (41:11):
Yeah, hey, wandermind.
Speaker 4 (41:13):
You can gear up at the latest game day necessities
at the official Students Pro Shops. Get the latest Sideline apparel, jerseys,
Terrible Towns, authentic memorabilia and custom exclusives you can only
find directly from the team. Visit one of the official
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(41:34):
the Steers Pro Shop at shop dot Steelers dot com.
Back with more in the Locker Room presented by your
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Stealers Nation Radio part of the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (41:52):
This is in the Locker Room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio presented by your neighborhood Forward Store.
The F one F 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 (42:21):
Are we gonna get to the Are we gonna get
in to the bell?
Speaker 3 (42:24):
Laft?
Speaker 2 (42:29):
Is it time for the bell? Yeah?
Speaker 6 (42:32):
It is most definitely time for early lunch Warning system engaged.
We get a little over six minutes left before you can.
Speaker 5 (42:43):
Get to the top of the hour and grab your
grub at the middaytime.
Speaker 4 (42:47):
Back to you, Rob, I don't know if you have
any Mississippi chicken or leftover tacco Tuesday turning into something exotic.
Max always got something planned at un't you.
Speaker 2 (42:57):
Max?
Speaker 5 (42:59):
Oh, I always do, and you know, uh Mississippi chicken
for the Tuesday taco to night. The girls requested it,
so I delivered it right. You know, I became I
became the wish master in that moment.
Speaker 6 (43:12):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (43:13):
I was like, hey, girls, you know, we can do
carneia sada or we can do uh you know if.
Speaker 6 (43:18):
Heated chicken like d can we just do Mississippi chicken?
I'm like, was that necessarily Mexican?
Speaker 5 (43:23):
They were like, but I know, but a shredded chicken,
it's got the good flavors like Okay, all right, we'll
do that. So we we did a Missisippi Chicken base
for the Taco Tuesday night and they did ad a
shredded chicken burritos last night.
Speaker 2 (43:36):
So yeah, yeah, I have to get on this Mississippi
Chicken thing. It sounds really really good.
Speaker 6 (43:42):
It's so fast and easy. I mean, that's that's the
one thing.
Speaker 5 (43:45):
I mean, you know, like carne Asadi, you got a
marinate and slice the beef and everything and let it
marinate and everything and all the spices. Mississippi Chicken man
instant pot is a revelation.
Speaker 6 (43:58):
Oh, I will say that it is.
Speaker 4 (43:59):
It is good Max playing the role with mister Mom.
By the way, yes, in case you were wondering with
some of this discussion is all about mister Mom handling
the duties well with a plom as we would expect.
Speaker 2 (44:11):
Oh a plumb and Mom, there you go.
Speaker 6 (44:15):
I see it. So it doesn't end the same, but
it sounds the same.
Speaker 4 (44:18):
We No, that's right, but Mom is the bomb. No,
that's not a plom never mind. Okay, so hey, uh
plummb mom. Fascinating some really really fascinating statistics for the
Steelers where they're trending offensively for what the Bears, what
they've done in the last two minutes of the game.
(44:40):
We are nearing historic proportions for them pulling rabbits from hats.
Speaker 2 (44:45):
A lot of the stuff to get to.
Speaker 4 (44:47):
Caleb Williams, what he's done against certain opponents, what he's
done against other opponents. There is a ton of very
very cool stuff to get to, including two matchups with
guys along the Steelers defensive front and the offensive line
that I can't wait the game within the game kind
of alluded to that earlier, but we're going to get
to that coming up tomorrow because there are a lot
(45:09):
of things to break down when the First Place Toler's
visit the First Place Chicago Bears our thanks to Justin
Miller for being at the controls back in the iHeart
studio for Max Stark's mister Mom with a plom he
is the bomb getting the job done out and out
in Arizona. Max, thank you and thanks everybody else for listening.
I'm Rob King for listening in the Locker Room presented
(45:31):
by your neighborhood Fords. Joining the Steeler's Pro Shop on
Steelers Nation Radio, a part of the Steelers Audio netw
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 (00:29):
Oh, guess what day it is? Guess what day it is?
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Eh?
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Anybody, Julie, Hey, guess what day it is? Come on,
I know you can hear me. Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike.
What day is it? Mike? Listen, guess what today is?
Speaker 4 (00:46):
It's Oh, it is a humpday Wednesday.
Speaker 5 (00:53):
And there we go, Mike Campbell, of course, providing the
context inside the power hour. That's right, our number two
here inside the locker room as we barrel towards noon.
Speaker 6 (01:05):
And of course what Wednesday would not be complete?
Speaker 5 (01:10):
You know there there's a book out there called Tuesdays
with Maury.
Speaker 6 (01:15):
Well, we've got Wednesdays with wex That's right. Jim Wex so.
Speaker 5 (01:19):
Steel City Insider editor and also a great friend to
this program, acclaimed author a good friend of ours.
Speaker 6 (01:30):
Of course, the most recent book.
Speaker 5 (01:33):
Out that he assisted with on this on this fine
Steeler day. If these walls could talk stories from the
Pittsburgh Steelers sideline, locker room and press box with Craig Wolfley,
it's the one, the only. Jim Wex, So, how we
doing today, Jim?
Speaker 3 (01:49):
A good Max. You know, I try to manifest great
success through my books and by you mentioning Tuesdays with Maury,
a book in which the sports writer actually made money.
Now I'm now I've now I've.
Speaker 6 (02:04):
Got something I hadn't computered.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Mitch album. Now I'm yeah, Wednesday's with Lex Tuesdays with
Maury Mitch album. I mean, now I got it. I
got it.
Speaker 5 (02:16):
Thank you, You're welcome.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
But I think they made did they make that into
a movie?
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Probably? It was such a huge book.
Speaker 6 (02:25):
Yeah, yeah it was, and it was a great book.
I read it. I want to say.
Speaker 5 (02:31):
I want to say I read that back while still
playing football.
Speaker 6 (02:34):
A tremendous book.
Speaker 5 (02:35):
And uh yeah, you know, well you you had to
come with creativity, so you know, I had to throw
that in there.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
You know.
Speaker 6 (02:41):
I was like, oh, what book has a day mentioned?
And I'm like, well, of course Tuesdays with WRI Mitch album.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
Well you got you got King or writing fiction already,
so he's probably closer to hitting that jackpot than I
am with you know, the Tuesdays with Maury. I believe
it's fiction or uh might have been based on some
kind of true story. I read it. I forget what
it's about.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
No, I think it's I think it's the truth. I
think it's a true story.
Speaker 4 (03:05):
If he was going to visit uh was it is
it was one of his mentors and reevaluating his own
life as he was doing.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
That, Maybe that's what I should do instead.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
Meanwhile, I'm writing about kids charging around in uh in
in different worlds with facing magical creatures, so completely different
kind of stuff.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
Oh, it sounds like a huge seller of making.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
Well.
Speaker 4 (03:34):
I would encourage everybody to buy a copy of The
Door in the Stone, second book coming out in January. Okay,
there's the uh, there's the plugs. Go to your local
bookstore or go to Amazon. Door in the Stone go
to your local bookstore, go to Amazon. If these walls
could talk stories from the pittsburgh'st the Other Sideline locker
Room and press Box Craig Wolfley with Jim Wexel Forward
(03:57):
by Ron Wolfley. Uh, I had wex signed my copy
for me on Sunday, Max, so.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
That was wonderful.
Speaker 4 (04:06):
And as we've said, you know, in talking about the book,
anybody who's listening to this program, I'm you know pretty
much has been listening to the locker room for years
with Touch and Wolf and then with Max and Wolf,
and heard Max and Wolf on the sidelines, heard Wolf
in the broadcast booth as the color commentator as well
(04:29):
over the last several years, and it is it's interesting
this has only happened to me one other time where
I know the author's voice. The other time was when
Larry Eldridge, who had worked at pitt and was our
general manager when I first came to Pittsburgh to work
for what was then Fox Sports Net, handed me a book.
(04:50):
Gave me a book on articles written about the pitt
football team, and several of them were written by Byron Cope,
who I, not being from Pittsburgh, originally was unaware of
the fact that he was a sports writer and a
great sports writer.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
But to be able to hear his voice, man, then
coach was gonna it was. It was great. And when
I as I'm reading these, I can.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
Hear Wolfe's voice telling me the stories, and it just
it just adds to it. Jim, It's it's a wonderful
way to read a book. It's an audio book in
my mind.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Yeah, absolutely, I was just reading a little bit. I
love the chapter one of his first practices when he
had the call to pull and block Jack Ham and
he saw the gray and Hams beard, and he said,
if you saw what I saw, you'd feel confident too.
You were, you felt, you would feel like you're going
to rock up a Hall of Famer and make your mark,
(05:47):
make your bones, and just one of those early practices
of your rookie year. And they snapped the ball and
I turned my shoulder and I'm pulling sideways. I'm pulling
right the way I've always been taught, and I'm thinking, oh,
here I come. I'm looking at the sixth hole. I'm
looking for a hammer. I don't see him. All of
a sudden, I'm on my you know, teaster, and it
(06:07):
was Jack Ham. I don't know where he came from,
but it was just pure wolf. I mean, he wrote
it better than I just retold it. But pure wolf,
and a tear came down my eye. And I mean,
this book's full of those kind of stories.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
Yeah, so WEX, where do you as we kind of
get ready for this game against the Bears, where do
you see the Steelers?
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Now?
Speaker 4 (06:32):
It's been such an unusual season around the NFL, and
it's been an unusual season for the Steelers. I you know,
my sort of general take is that it's like it's
you know, if you were able to see the gears
in a clock moving, you can see all the gears
on occasion they've all moved at the same time, but
they they probably haven't moved quite all at the same
(06:54):
time together, which I don't know whether to be discouraged
about or encouraged. I think the optimist in me one
to be encouraged that the best football is still to come.
But where is your take as to where you think
this to others team is and what they can be
and the importance of this game coming up on Sunday.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
I like when I see progress, when I see the
process developing, I like that. And that's what I saw
against the Bengals. We all did. I mean, we have
to admit the defense looked much better against an explosive
offense coming off of buy So that that makes me
(07:33):
feel good and that allows me to go back to
somebody's raw performances and say, you know, they did have
a massive turnover. I believe ten of their twenty two
or maybe like eleven twelve of twenty four counting the punter,
were changed. So you know, that can explain some early
(07:57):
season travails. When I see the progress, I'm excited and
they're finding roles, legitimate roles for people. We may not
like some of them, but they worked last week. You know,
we want to see more. Jalen Warren. Was he hurt
more than we knew? We really? I think I can
(08:20):
speak for a lot a lot of fans of media.
We'd rather see Jalen Warren, even on third down than
Kenneth Gainwell. But Gainwell came in and you know, fulfilled
the coach's vision, so you have to appreciate that. And
obviously against the Bengals, they were looking to take advantage
(08:40):
of those two inside linebackers as rookies with Gainwell and
it worked. So you know, I think Mason was what
thirteen of thirteen on passes ten yards or less and
a huge quarterback rating. Next Gen stat said something that
it was maybe the best of the year and short
(09:02):
passing performance I'll take it.
Speaker 6 (09:06):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
Mason Mason fulfilled his role backup quarterback, coming in comfortable spot.
I'm not I'm not up for making a change by
any means, but look good, comfortable. I think everybody would
be comfortable with him playing, even his teammates. Of course,
who else will fill the We're seeing the development of
(09:29):
Darnel Washington, maybe moving past John who uh for for good.
I don't know that anybody wants to turn Washington back.
We've seen these flashes before. You always worried that he
may not be as nimble and quick out of breaks
and those kinds of things. But man, it looks like
they're developing an identity with guys like him Briar News
(09:53):
Jalen Metcalf in the open field punishing running. But in
the open field, it's not like they have Venice back there.
In the backfield, it's Fanica blocking and Max Starts blocking.
They have quicker guys, and they get out in front
of screens and they let these powerful dudes hammer secondaries.
(10:14):
It's a bludgeting out there. So that's becoming their identity.
Seems to be developing in that regard. And defensively, we're
seeing the pieces start to fit together, especially in the secondary.
And wow, the development of James Pierre. I'm still with
Tomlin that Darius Slay should start, but what a revelation
(10:36):
Pierre has been. And then you've already added Samuel Lesante
Samuel and I think we all like echos And just
two three weeks ago, I was thinking, man, they're going
to have to draft a corner in the first round,
But now I don't think that at all, maybe not
even in the top four rounds. So some of this
(10:57):
stuff is very exciting. And Jalen Ramsey is a safe
he you know, I always liked to make this hitting ability.
I thought he had more thumps than he was being
given credit for better athlete. But Ramsey really brings the thump,
even on plays that aren't significant. I mean we've seen
some really big, significant thumps from him the Jets game
(11:18):
are what He really comes up and hits hard for
a converted corner. So and Douggers is really filling in
for to Shaun Elliott. So I liked a lot of
things that are happening.
Speaker 5 (11:32):
No, I completely agree wex and I think that's you
know what we wanted to see, right, You want to
see what the identity is of this team, and.
Speaker 6 (11:43):
And we thought we had it.
Speaker 5 (11:44):
We thought we had our thumb on the pulse about
you know, two three weeks ago.
Speaker 6 (11:51):
And we were a little bit premature in that, right.
Speaker 5 (11:53):
I mean the Green Bay game I thought was where
we would see the identity of this team kind of
coming to clear picture. And it looked like it for
the first half, and then the second half happened, and
then we all came questioning, and then you know, the
uncertainty about the Colts game. But they came out and
they played ferocious and it looked like that New England
(12:14):
game earlier this year, right, you know, getting the multiple turnovers,
making the offense look pedestrian, eliminating the rush capabilities of
a top back in the NFL, and Jonathan Taylor.
Speaker 6 (12:25):
And you're like, okay, all right, this is what this is. Okay.
Speaker 5 (12:28):
A week later, we're fine, and then the Chargers game happened.
You're just like, oh God, okay, we don't have an answer. No,
this is not who we are. You know, the consistency,
the toughness, we didn't see it. They couldn't convert a
third down till well into the fourth quarter. And now
we have another sample size where you're like, defense played
(12:50):
lights out. I mean, you know, they didn't have five turnovers,
but the two they did convert it into fourteen points instantly.
Speaker 6 (12:55):
Without the offense touching the field.
Speaker 5 (12:57):
And Aaron Rodgers goes down and Mason Rudolph to come
in and Mason, like you said, you just outlined it,
you know, thirteen for thirteen yards over you know, and
passes over ten yards. And now we're back to the
toughness thing. And Darneld Washington, I think is still bowling
over Bengals.
Speaker 6 (13:13):
On a Wednesday.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
That sounds like a book.
Speaker 6 (13:18):
Yeah, and that does right there, right, you know. And so.
Speaker 5 (13:23):
You know, we're back to kind of piecing together what
this team is. We just need to see the consistency.
And I think that's the one thing. It's a tough
team that prides itself in turnovers, sacking of the quarterback,
limiting the rush capabilities, making teams one dimensional, then offensively
(13:44):
possessing the ball with splashes here and there, but a
solid run game.
Speaker 6 (13:49):
But who's that quarterback?
Speaker 5 (13:50):
I mean, you know, so it's the consistency. I think
that's missing WEX But I think we have the identity.
This is going to be a tough, physical team on
both sides of the ball. It's just ken do it
together for sixty minutes and not thirty seven minutes on
one side and twenty three on the other, or you know,
we had we I'm still struggling. We just finally eclipsed
(14:11):
you know, the play and time of possession mark of No,
we didn't even get to play. We just got higher
amount of place. We still didn't outplay the Bengals and snaps,
but we finally won the time of possession battle barely
by what five seconds.
Speaker 6 (14:27):
I'll take it.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
I'll take it.
Speaker 6 (14:28):
We just need to get over thirty and we did that.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
Yeah, it could be a matter of getting more respect
from the defense on the receivers in the passing game.
I think that will open up the run game. I
think the short passing game is there, and that's where
the identity seems to be developing a little more downfield happening.
(14:55):
You know, they're still short of threat, I say, you know,
we're tantlet titillated by the promise of Roman Wilson. Calvin
Austin's performance last week was disappointing. The last couple of weeks,
I don't know if he should be holding on past Roman.
(15:16):
I'm not a coach, so but someone a splash I'm
seeing from Roman is exciting to a degree, so that
I think that has to develop better for the run
game to develop further. I do like what I'm seeing
from Caleb Johnson, and I like what the coaches are doing.
(15:37):
Made it bury him. So he's getting a series every
now and then, and his confidence will grow. He looks
he looks like the back we saw. I hate to
say spring, because nobody's tackling in spring, but that's when
he was exciting. He just looked at his body and
his speed and his explosiveness. I see that now again.
So I've been reignited to him. But I think where
(16:00):
the consistency is mostly going to come from is the
defense as the secondary settles in. So you know, Derek
Harmon's Black. We saw play from Black. Those guys up
front are going to help Cam Benton's getting better, and
they've got a couple of packages. The three inside linebacker package,
(16:23):
I'm really liking Malie Harrison's finding his role on the team,
and the three outside linebacker packages, well, that's been in
motion since the beginning of the year, even some last year.
I think you know they're trying to get herbig, Heismith
and Watt together. It just hadn't worked until Douggar's picked six.
(16:46):
I'm not sure if I'm still not sure, I want
Nick Herbig coming up the middle or Sawyer coming up
the middle instead of Derek Harmon. I know they're better
pass rushers, but nothing like a big couple with Cam,
A couple big three hundred and ten pounders, three hundred
and twenty pounders just shattering the pocket up the middle.
Speaker 4 (17:09):
And let's not forget about and his four and a
half sacks. Every time he's not out there, I'm like, man,
I wish he was out there in those pass rush
situations because he's having a career up the middle as well.
Speaker 3 (17:20):
Wex Well, he's a he's a pass rushing nose tackle
and that's apparently where the game is now, and that's cool.
I wish him all the success. I like him a lot.
I want to see him. I want I'd like more
often to see a real not a real, a two
(17:40):
gaping nose tackle, a guy that stands people up against
the run. But yeah, I mean, give me, give me
those sacks. Sacks from the nose tackle two. I love
him as a defensive tackle. I mean, there's another guy.
He and Cam in a on pass downs instead of
three outside linebackers. But hey, it finally worked. So you know,
(18:00):
here I am discrediting the three outside linebacker look and
it worked to pick six happened. But I still like
the big man up the middle. But I do think
the defense as a whole is going to be much
more consistent.
Speaker 4 (18:16):
So I totally agree, and I think that, you know, look,
the special teams have been solid, and the defense is
showing signs. You know, they've had some games where they've
been dominant and disruptive. I really think that how far
the Steelers can possibly go and whether this team can
(18:36):
coalesce into being a legit contender, and I mean not
just winning the division, but moving beyond. And by the way,
next Gen stats of the fourteen teams currently in the
playoff picture, the team, according to next Gen that has
the lowest percentage the lowest odds of making the playoffs
is this Yelers at thirty nine percent. Next lowest is
(18:56):
the Bears at fifty nine percent. Take that as you will.
Speaker 3 (19:01):
That doesn't make sense to me.
Speaker 4 (19:03):
I don't understand, I'm with you, but I just thought
i'd throw that out there. I would say this, we
if the offense can find more consistency, and by that
I just mean cut down into three and outs, find
a way to get a little more rhythm offensively. We
have seen times in which you know, Aaron Rodgers has
(19:26):
been able to throw for a lot of touchdown passes
is get against the Jets and the Bengals. We've seen
other games where the running attack has seemed to come
to life, but we haven't really seen the two together.
We haven't really seen you know, at least keeping that
defense off the field winning the time of possession battle.
Speaker 2 (19:44):
It's been a rare to They.
Speaker 4 (19:45):
Still have not had a single game in which they've
run more plays in the opposition. Some of that's the
defense for sure. You know that early third and eleven
that the Bengals, you know, converted, You're thinking, here we
go again, and they were successful early on to see
there's better at converting third downs in the second half
and keeping the Bengals off the field and actually won
the time of possession. But to me, that is sort
(20:08):
of the one area in which if that can get
going I think it helps the defense, and I think
the Steelers are perceived as a different team around the league.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
Yeah, as for that time of possession, I know that's
huge with Max. I think he's made some national headline
with his comments on the time of possession and the
cheering four on the Neil downs. I think they eaked
out the time of possession win Maca, Well, here's a
(20:42):
solution to the time of possession problem. Stop scoring defensive touchdown.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
True, no doubt, no doubt.
Speaker 5 (20:49):
That's short fields on turnovers.
Speaker 4 (20:53):
And Wactually, I agree with you, and I think each
game is different, and the Steelers have played the game
and one they play tenem and one six right, So
in some ways you can't argue with that. But I
think when we start to get to this point of
the season and you think, well, you've.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
Never won the time of possession.
Speaker 4 (21:10):
I understand turnovers happen, and well, you've won it twice,
I guess, but you've you've never run more plays in
the opposition. At some point, I think that becomes a
trend to me that I would like to see that
reversed a little bit. I would like to see longer drives,
more first downs, even if it's hey, pick up a
set of downs and kick. Now you're pinning the other
team deeper, you know what I mean. There's a lot
(21:31):
that comes with just simply picking up more first downs.
Speaker 6 (21:36):
You know.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
The Steelers scored a great clip as far as yards
per point is a stat I love. And they last
five games against good competition, very good competition. They score.
They take eleven point seven yards to score a point.
The Bears fifteen point five yards to score a point
(22:01):
against week week competition, last five games. It has to
do with short fields, efficiency, special teams, all of what
you just mentioned. So they do take advantage to a degree.
There's a I call it the pluck factor, which some
teams take a long long way the pluck factor. So
(22:22):
I mean it's not a dry, totally barren offense.
Speaker 4 (22:28):
Oh agreed? Agree, Yeah, just the young by the way,
before we let you go action and we're running late
and that's my fault. And I'm sorry, but just announced
while we were doing this segment is that Elsie Greenwood
is a semi finals for the Hall of Fame class
in twenty twenty six. Would love to get your quick
opinion on Elsie Greenwood thirteen seasons with the Steelers just
(22:52):
you know, some of the credit. Six time Pro Bowl selection,
two time First Team All Pro selection, and a member
of not only the Steelers All time team but the
NFL is All Decade team in the nineteen seventies. So
a pretty compelling case for Elsie. Your thoughts on him
being a semi finalist, So he's at least, you know,
(23:12):
crossed one hurdle.
Speaker 3 (23:15):
I'm not going to be the guy the ten of
great the great Elsie Greenwood and I interviewed him a
few years ago and we talked about this, and he
was born in Canton, and when he talked about of
course we all die, and he said, well, I die,
That's why.
Speaker 6 (23:30):
I'll be buried.
Speaker 3 (23:31):
So I'm gonna end up in Canton either way, can't
in Mississippi. Well, so, I mean, I love Elsie and
I'm not gonna It's just it's a difficult road for
him with so many other Steelers from the same team
over again. And you can make the case statistically, and
I hope somebody does, and I hope he gets in,
but it's a tough road in my opinion. Yeah, you know,
(23:53):
playing next to Joe Green, Joe Green made everybody better.
But he was special, you know. He he had some
special games. Four and a half sacks against Cleveland Browns
I think, and a block punt in one game, something
like that. Something outrageous, big big Super Bowl against Frank
(24:15):
Target and batting passes and leading the interceptions. I don't
know if he had one, but he and Joe Green
and those guys were batting passes up in the air,
picking them off, and one would bat and one would
pick off. Just great stuff. But I mean, let me
just one comment about the Bears. They've won one time
(24:35):
in the history of their existence in Chicago. It was
ninety five, and if you remember, they beat the Bears
in two thousand and five. Both wins turned seasons around
and led to Super Bowls. And this is a season
with a five in it too. So that's all I
got for you and the Bears.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
Jim. Good stuff. I love that, Jim. Thank you very much.
Speaker 4 (24:59):
Author Jim Wexel check out his book If These Walls
Could Talk with Craig wolfleet wex Thanks very much, appreciate.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
It, man, Thanks sol bye, Thanks all right.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
Stick around.
Speaker 4 (25:10):
Plenty more to come in the Locker Room, Presented by
our Neighborhood Ford's joined the Steers Pro Shop on Steers
Nation Radio, part of the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
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 4 (25:42):
And welcome back inside the locker room with Max Starks.
Speaker 2 (25:46):
I'm Robsteeing. Our thanks to Jim Wexel for joining us
moments ago.
Speaker 4 (25:50):
Max, we had to hustle on to a break, but
your thoughts on Elsie Greenwood and his candidacy for the
Hall of Fame as he is now a semi finalist
just announced a short time ago. We have lost Max
Starks momentarily and we're gonna get him back. And so again,
(26:10):
as we just mentioned, that is something that was just
announced by the Steelers once again. Elsie green would a
phenomenal career. Part of the steel curtain, of course, and
that defensive line with Joe Green, Dwight White and Ernie
Holmes just a dominant group. His first year as a
start was nineteen seventy when he had five fumble recoveries.
(26:31):
That year led to Steelers in sacks, and seventy three
had eleven sacks and seventy four. Again keep in mind,
these are fourteen game seasons. Finished his career with seventy
three and a half sacks, a two time first team
All Pro selection in nineteen seventy four and seventy five,
a six time Pro Bowl selection seventy three through seventy
(26:51):
six and seventy eight through seventy nine. I'm a big
believer in this when it comes to selecting Hall of Fames.
He was a member of the NFL's All Day Gay
Team in the nineteen seventies. Man, if you're one of
the twenty two best players, I guess you know they
have the kicker and the punter in there too, probably.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
But you know it's rounded up. It's twenty five.
Speaker 4 (27:12):
I don't know if they strictly go with eleven on
offense and eleven in defense, even if they fluff it
up to twenty six twenty seven. If you're one of
the best twenty six or twenty seven guys over the
course of a decade in the NFL, with all those players,
I think you have you have a very strong case
just on that alone. So I'd love to see I
think Elsie Agreement belongs in the Hall of Fame. It's
(27:32):
my own opinion and never shy and sharing my opinions
on the Hall of Fame. I think Elsie Agreement belongs there.
And Max would be nice to see another member of
the Black and Gold getting into Canton.
Speaker 5 (27:45):
Yeah, another one, you know, just to kind of finish
off just how historic that seventies teams was. You're talking
about a member of the Steel Curtain, right, I mean
when you think of Pittsburgh is synonymous with that, and
you know, hopefully trying to put a swan song to
that era and complete it, complete it in its entirety
(28:07):
of all of the impactful players of that era and
what their contribution is not only to Pittsburgh but to
the National Football League and what it is today.
Speaker 6 (28:19):
I mean, he's one of.
Speaker 5 (28:20):
Those foundational building blocks. And when you talk about guys
on the all decades teams, think about that, that is
a ten year stretch and you're considered the best at
your position on that team. That's a pretty special thing
and something that's rare and so when you have those guys,
you have to make sure those guys are honored properly.
(28:41):
And his career, I mean, he did it all, and
so you know, you want to see him get in there,
and then that will hopefully open the door for more
contemporary steelers to finally kind of make the way. I mean,
we've got a logjam of talent. Let's just be honest, Kinger,
we got a logjam of steelers that should be in
the Hall of Fame, and you know, being able to
(29:02):
kind of clear this one up now. Obviously it's not
a head to head in the in the normal category.
LC's going in in the senior category, which means, you know,
you get passed over in your prime retirement years, but
you come back and now you're in this pool. You
don't want to call it the forgotten guys who should
have went in but because of ruling or whatever and votes,
(29:23):
they didn't make the requisite amount at that time. But
this is a chance to kind of come back around
in the latter part and get and get them their
due a little bit late. I would love to see
the classes kind of open up a little bit more
and you get guys kind of like that one hundredth
anniversary team, Remember in twenty twenty one, twenty twenty? Was
(29:45):
it twenty twenty or in twenty twenty one? I can't
remember which everyone was anniversary, right, Yeah, thee hundredth anniversary, Yeah,
twenty twenty. Because that's how Bill Bill Cowerd got in
there on that one. Alan Fanica got it on that
one as well, So you're able to kind of clear
up some of that with a super sized class. I
(30:05):
would love to see that happen a little bit more
frequently than just take one hundred years to kind of
do that, because I feel like there's a lot of
guys around this league that deserve to be in, and
of course, from my perspective, a lot of Steelers that
should be getting into that one as well.
Speaker 2 (30:21):
Well.
Speaker 4 (30:22):
You know, to me, Alan Fanica was just a travesty
that it took him that long to get in. You know,
he made nine consecutive Pro Bowls, nine consecutive Pro Bowls,
and in six of those seasons he was first team
All Pro and in two of them he was second
team All Pro. It is hard, really really hard to
(30:47):
have a resume that great. That is a great resume
that Alan Fannic could put up and you know again,
I'm I'm mystified. I think that for me, the most
difficult Hall of Fame to figure out of all the
Hall of Fames is the Pro Football Hall of Fame,
and in part because you know it is you're comparing.
(31:10):
It's not just about numbers. You're comparing different positions. I mean, Okay,
the NHL, you have defenseman that's one thing, and you
have forwards. Well, you usually put up enough points and
you make enough All Star teams, you're gonna get in
the Hall of Fame. You know, you have a high
enough batting average, or you have enough wins in a
low enough era in baseball, you're gonna get yourself in
the Hall of Fame. They're obviously exceptions. Marque's Pouncy is
(31:33):
another guy. To me, I mean Markue's Pouncy played nine
full seasons in the NFL. Nine He made the Pro
Bowl every single year every single year, two time first
team All Pro, three time second team All Pro. To me,
he is a no brainer Hall of Famer. There's nothing
(31:56):
that he didn't do that shouldn't wind up with him
being in Canton. And then you know, Fanic's resume is
even a little bit better than that one. So why
it took so my I guess my expectation is it's
probably gonna take Pouncy a little while because it took
Fanica a little while. Uh So, But I think, look,
Fanica got in the Hall of Fame. I think that
(32:16):
Pouncy belongs to the Hall of Fame. I think Elsie
Greenwood belongs to the.
Speaker 6 (32:20):
Hall of Fame.
Speaker 5 (32:22):
Oh you missed, you missed over one that's already been
a couple of times in the semi finals, and that's
Hines Ward. Uh you know, I feel like Hines is
one of those guys that I don't know why it's
taken them so long. And I will say this for
Allen's I was a little pissed income a year sooner
because it was him and Steve Hutchinson that it came
(32:43):
down to. And I get hutch was a really good player,
but hutch was no Alan Fanica and I felt like
when he got passed over at the very same position, that's.
Speaker 6 (32:53):
When I got mad.
Speaker 5 (32:54):
I was like, Okay, well, if guards aren't going okay,
I see why Allan didn't go right As it was
whide receiver heavy one year it was on a defensive
lineman and edge rushing. One year quarterbacks had to get in, right,
you know those I just but when it came ahead
to head position for position battle about who would get
(33:14):
in first, I was like, there's I mean, Hutchinson was great,
but Alan Fannico was legendary. He redefined what a position was.
And so that was the first time I got mat
So I wanted him to go in that Centennial classicause
that's when hutch went in, and he ends up going
in the following year in the twenty twenty one class.
Speaker 6 (33:35):
They were just all celebrated together because of COVID.
Speaker 2 (33:38):
That was my one.
Speaker 5 (33:39):
But Hines, I still don't get it, Like you're a
Super Bowl MVP, right, They changed rules, you you changed
the way the game was played because of your style
of play. And that's something when I think about, Like
we could argue the Pro Bowls are all pros, right,
but I think when it comes down to it, fundamentally,
(34:00):
did you change the way the game was played when
you played it and were other people in fear of
you while you played? And that's what Heines brings. So
he doesn't have the All Pros and the Pro Bowls.
I mean he has a handful of those, but I
don't think he made any All Pros. He just had
a couple of Pro Bowls. But what he did to
(34:22):
redefine the game of football and how the wide receiver
position was played, but also how the game was legislated,
that to me is.
Speaker 6 (34:29):
What a Hall of Famer is. That's a pioneer.
Speaker 5 (34:32):
That's someone who reclassifies, who evolves the game into something
different from when they entered it, and they leave it
in a better place than where they left it.
Speaker 6 (34:42):
You know, they leave it in a better place than
where they found it.
Speaker 5 (34:44):
And so that's why I would say I'm so in
the corner of seeing Hines Warden there.
Speaker 4 (34:51):
You know, when you look at the raw numbers and
to me, you know, to me, Alan Fannik was a
he was a first ballot Hall of Famer. Right again,
I don't know how you can put up better numbers,
and I just don't know how you can. You know,
nine time Pro Bowl and what I have, five time
all you know.
Speaker 5 (35:08):
All first first team All Pro and then two one yeah,
at All Pros.
Speaker 2 (35:14):
You can't have a better career that you just can't.
Speaker 6 (35:17):
And a Super Bowl and he has a Super Bowl
to move right. A lot of those guys don't have that.
Speaker 4 (35:21):
I think the the argument I would make for Hines
because heines four time Pro Bowler, three times second team
All Pro. The argument I would make for Hines is
that he and and listen his numbers. It's not like
his career numbers aren't outstanding. You know, no one's going
to be embarrassed to have a thousand career receptions right
(35:42):
on the nose. By the way, no one is going
to be embarrassed to be a two time Super Bowl
champion and a Super Bowl MVP.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
Nobody. Those are great stats.
Speaker 4 (35:51):
Great stats, and the you know, the you know, being
chosen among your peers or or I'm sorry by the
voters to be the Pro bowler or an All Pro
or what have you. Look, those aren't gonna measure up
to other wide receivers. But to me, the thing that
would put Hines over the top is that what he
(36:15):
did for a football team went beyond the numbers. The
numbers are great, but they went beyond the numbers. If
you had pulled thirty two general managers and said would
you like Hines Ward on your football team, all thirty
two would have said yes without question. He's one of
those guys because of the other things that he did,
(36:36):
and again, no shame in the career receiving numbers. He
put up some incredible career numbers, numbers that are hard
for others to match, that are in the Hall of Fame.
But beyond that, he was just a great football player.
He's the kind of guy you wanted on your team
that has value to me. And whether that will eventually
have value to the Hall of Fame voters, well, I
(36:58):
guess we're gonna find out in the coming years.
Speaker 6 (37:02):
No, we're gonna find out, and hopefully that does kind
of clear up a little bit.
Speaker 5 (37:07):
But the problem is, you know, you have your handful
of voters and it's more than a handful I say handful,
but you have your your group of voters, and you're
only allowed to cast one vote, and then it kind
of goes off of a majority rules system and you
have to have a minimum threshold. So that's where it
kind of gets log jammed with that, because if you
(37:28):
have two guys eligible for the same team, guess what,
Those votes get split.
Speaker 6 (37:33):
And so I think that's what.
Speaker 5 (37:34):
Happened with Allen was the vote got split, and it
was either send in Troy or send in Allen.
Speaker 6 (37:44):
And that's how Allan kind of lost out.
Speaker 5 (37:46):
And that's why Steve Hutchinson, I think, slid in on
that one. But that that that's the quandary when you
have a lot of quality players that you have to
vouch for as you kind of get this wind down
of of player lists, you know, from the initial list
to the semi finals and then to the finals list.
That's what happens when we have multiple guys for the
(38:07):
same team. It's easy when you have one guy for
one team, right, you know, to get in. You know,
you can vouch hard for him. But when you're one
guy as a sports writer for for that team and
you've got two guys to present, now you worry because
you have to split. Now you might not get either
(38:27):
because of that, and so you kind of have to
pick and choose your battles about which one is the
easier choice to get in. And that's I think what
kind of happened. And we'll see how that how that
plays out when Marquise comes up, because if he'd you know,
I don't think he'll be a first ballot, but you know,
he doesn't make second ballot because guess who comes right
behind him, Ben Roethlisberger. And are you going to turn
(38:49):
down Ben Roethlisberger right right to try and get Mark Eason.
That that's that's the tough part about it that I
think makes this more unique than know out there in
baseball world or the NBA, where it seems like you know,
you you can almost still be active and still get
into I feel like the NBA Hall of Fame. You know,
(39:10):
I'll be surprised if Lebron has to wait five years right.
Speaker 2 (39:14):
To get into the Hall of Fame when he retires.
Speaker 5 (39:16):
But I mean, but that, but those are the exceptions,
and I think that's what also makes the Pro Football
Hall of Fame that much more special, but also that
much more tougher because you have more players, or a
larger sizeable pool of players than you do in these
other leagues. Like you said, in hockey is very simple,
right forwards, score, defenders, defend time served, what your accolades
(39:43):
are boom, easy, no brainer. But there's only a handful
of you know, there's only you know it is it
fifteen guys on a hockey team, fifteen or sixteen.
Speaker 2 (39:54):
Something like that.
Speaker 4 (39:54):
Well, it's in the twenties but yes, that that play
at any one that played any one time, you got
eighteen guys in a goalie.
Speaker 6 (40:01):
Okay, okay, eighteen active.
Speaker 5 (40:03):
I'm thinking about active on the ice per game versus
the actual full team.
Speaker 2 (40:07):
So so yeah, so.
Speaker 5 (40:09):
Smaller number Basketball, even smaller numbers. Right, Even a baseball
roster is not as extensive as an NFL roster.
Speaker 6 (40:17):
You could fit all of those other leagues.
Speaker 5 (40:18):
Inside of one NFL team essentially, right. That's so that's
what you're going up against. And you got thirty two
of those, So you have an even larger league with
that many. And at any given time, who's retiring, who's qualified,
who's eligible. It's a lot higher number than the other leagues.
And that's why I think it takes a little bit
more to get that across.
Speaker 4 (40:39):
Yeah, and we can get into the whole, you know,
whether you should have more guy from one team. Look,
it's more fun for the fans when there's a Steerer
this year or next year's two or this year.
Speaker 6 (40:46):
Gives us content, gives us content to talk.
Speaker 4 (40:48):
About, absolutely, and it gives Stevens fans a reason to
take the short drive.
Speaker 2 (40:52):
The Canton and and bring the place to life.
Speaker 4 (40:54):
But again, hard for the players to have to sit
through that in a now and fan it can particular
and now you know Pouncy Hinz Ward Elsie greenwould of
course dearly departed from this world.
Speaker 6 (41:07):
James Harrison A lot of guys to a lot of guys.
Speaker 2 (41:11):
Yeah, hey, wandermind.
Speaker 4 (41:13):
You can gear up at the latest game day necessities
at the official Students Pro Shops. Get the latest Sideline apparel, jerseys,
Terrible Towns, authentic memorabilia and custom exclusives you can only
find directly from the team. Visit one of the official
Students Pro shops located at Akroscher Stadium, Grove City Premium Outlets,
or Tanger Outlet's or gear up online at shop dot
Steers dot com. Get it direct from the team at
(41:34):
the Steers Pro Shop at shop dot Steelers dot com.
Back with more in the Locker Room presented by your
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Stealers Nation Radio part of the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (41:52):
This is in the Locker Room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio presented by your neighborhood Forward Store.
The F one F 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 (42:21):
Are we gonna get to the Are we gonna get
in to the bell?
Speaker 3 (42:24):
Laft?
Speaker 2 (42:29):
Is it time for the bell? Yeah?
Speaker 6 (42:32):
It is most definitely time for early lunch Warning system engaged.
We get a little over six minutes left before you can.
Speaker 5 (42:43):
Get to the top of the hour and grab your
grub at the middaytime.
Speaker 4 (42:47):
Back to you, Rob, I don't know if you have
any Mississippi chicken or leftover tacco Tuesday turning into something exotic.
Max always got something planned at un't you.
Speaker 2 (42:57):
Max?
Speaker 5 (42:59):
Oh, I always do, and you know, uh Mississippi chicken
for the Tuesday taco to night. The girls requested it,
so I delivered it right. You know, I became I
became the wish master in that moment.
Speaker 6 (43:12):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (43:13):
I was like, hey, girls, you know, we can do
carneia sada or we can do uh you know if.
Speaker 6 (43:18):
Heated chicken like d can we just do Mississippi chicken?
I'm like, was that necessarily Mexican?
Speaker 5 (43:23):
They were like, but I know, but a shredded chicken,
it's got the good flavors like Okay, all right, we'll
do that. So we we did a Missisippi Chicken base
for the Taco Tuesday night and they did ad a
shredded chicken burritos last night.
Speaker 2 (43:36):
So yeah, yeah, I have to get on this Mississippi
Chicken thing. It sounds really really good.
Speaker 6 (43:42):
It's so fast and easy. I mean, that's that's the
one thing.
Speaker 5 (43:45):
I mean, you know, like carne Asadi, you got a
marinate and slice the beef and everything and let it
marinate and everything and all the spices. Mississippi Chicken man
instant pot is a revelation.
Speaker 6 (43:58):
Oh, I will say that it is.
Speaker 4 (43:59):
It is good Max playing the role with mister Mom.
By the way, yes, in case you were wondering with
some of this discussion is all about mister Mom handling
the duties well with a plom as we would expect.
Speaker 2 (44:11):
Oh a plumb and Mom, there you go.
Speaker 6 (44:15):
I see it. So it doesn't end the same, but
it sounds the same.
Speaker 4 (44:18):
We No, that's right, but Mom is the bomb. No,
that's not a plom never mind. Okay, so hey, uh
plummb mom. Fascinating some really really fascinating statistics for the
Steelers where they're trending offensively for what the Bears, what
they've done in the last two minutes of the game.
(44:40):
We are nearing historic proportions for them pulling rabbits from hats.
Speaker 2 (44:45):
A lot of the stuff to get to.
Speaker 4 (44:47):
Caleb Williams, what he's done against certain opponents, what he's
done against other opponents. There is a ton of very
very cool stuff to get to, including two matchups with
guys along the Steelers defensive front and the offensive line
that I can't wait the game within the game kind
of alluded to that earlier, but we're going to get
to that coming up tomorrow because there are a lot
(45:09):
of things to break down when the First Place Toler's
visit the First Place Chicago Bears our thanks to Justin
Miller for being at the controls back in the iHeart
studio for Max Stark's mister Mom with a plom he
is the bomb getting the job done out and out
in Arizona. Max, thank you and thanks everybody else for listening.
I'm Rob King for listening in the Locker Room presented
(45:31):
by your neighborhood Fords. Joining the Steeler's Pro Shop on
Steelers Nation Radio, a part of the Steelers Audio netw
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