November 27, 2024 • 51 mins
Jim Wexell joins the locker room to tell some stories of Steelers past, and to help preview this weekend’s clash in Cincinnati.
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
This is in the Locker Room, presented by Ford and
brought to you by acro Sure, the official insurance and
cybersecurity partner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, by Bett MGM, Huntington Bank, PNC, PEPSI,
and by FedEx. Where now meets next? Now here's Craig
Wolfley and Max Stark's.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Oh, guess what day it is? Guess what day it is?
Speaker 3 (00:34):
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 Leslie? Guess what today is?
Speaker 3 (00:46):
It's who exactly?
Speaker 4 (00:52):
It is?
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Wet day, hump day. And it would not be any better.
I mean, we can't go win days, even the Wednesday
before Thanksgiving without talking to of course, the one, the only,
Jim Wex. So, but I will say this Wex today.
You are now in the second position. You're the second
author that we've talked to today. We got a chance
(01:15):
to talk to Jim Rooney earlier in the first hour.
Of course, now we get a second author. So you know,
I think we're starting to become dare I say it,
Wolf We're becoming reputable literary with literary reviews, and you know,
and and making us, you know, kind of raising our
standard in society. I think I think, you know, you
(01:36):
should wear a monocle. I can grab a pipe and
we can you know, it's in a warm, cozy sofa. Finally,
I mean, this is feeling very regal right now, you know, Matt.
Speaker 4 (01:48):
But yeah, Wolf wasn't so funny. You know, the monocle
is a funny, funny image, right. Well here's an image
that wasn't so funny at Wolf. We did a cash
yesterday with Wolf, right, and so I'm running around like
a madman and just get home in time, fight the
lights up and my camera and my microphone and tune
(02:11):
in and there's Wolf. And I had to get a
little dinner, right, So I threw a piece of pizza
in the microwave and I meating my pizza. Pizza it
was you know, leftover, wasn't so great. Had a little
dollip caught on it. Well, Wolf had this look in
(02:33):
his eye, you know, he said, you shouldn't eat in
front of It's rude in front of people. And I laughed.
You know, Wolf's in his you know, little lines, but
the anger in his eyes.
Speaker 5 (02:48):
It was the dollar for ricata that was intriguing because
it worked so well on pizza.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
Yeah, and it was called jealousy, called jealousy, yeah.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
Right, right before we go on, I'm thinking, you know,
Wolf's just fainting, anger and jealous because that's Wolf. It's food, right,
and one of our good Jeremy, our guy goes, Okay,
everybody ready and Wolf goes except for WEX like that
Riccando off your mustach.
Speaker 5 (03:21):
I was just trying to help a brother, all right,
come on, I mean there was no laughing.
Speaker 4 (03:27):
I stopped laughing. I was like, afraid I haven't eaten
food since.
Speaker 5 (03:34):
Well, you'll be ready for Thanksgiving. Then let me say
that you just.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Created the appetite space for more turkey. It was gravy.
Speaker 4 (03:44):
It was almost like someone's wife was making someone fast
before the Thanksgiving.
Speaker 5 (03:49):
You know, yeah, I've never found that to work well
you know what I mean, but to faster and now
it doesn't work.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
It didn't work for me before money further.
Speaker 5 (04:05):
Now WEX, I gotta because we're telling it kind of
like a funny thing. I have to my daughter esther,
who just texted me right because we had Jim Rooney
on we're talking about you know, who's going to do
what and Thanksgiving and stuff like that, and then which
one of us big eaters can go at it?
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Right?
Speaker 5 (04:22):
And my daughter, my beautiful daughter esther, she texted, He goes,
I know I'm your daughter, but my money tomorrow's on
Uncle Max too. As far as being a bigger eater,
Oh my goodness.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
So anyhow, the locker.
Speaker 4 (04:39):
Room, yes, you know, should we start with the book
get that out of the way.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Absolutely.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
The marketing, yeah, let's all right. I'm going to start
with Steel City Insider Black Friday sale through Monday night
seventy offered here Wolf, and we're going to incorporate Max
into this too. I have a feeling getting you on
the podcast is step one. Max. I think you could write,
(05:06):
took to the book moment. That's it's our online site,
still City Inside. So anyway, the book next uh uh,
This Saturday, I'll be at Greensburg Barnes and Noble from
one to three with a big author's roundtable, including my
(05:27):
buddy Chris Rodell. I'm unsure of who else are I
throw some other names out there, but there's like seven
local authors going to be at Greensburg Barnes and Nobles
Saturday from one to three. Come on up, get some
autograph books. You know that this is an easy, easy
Christmas gift. Really, I mean that's what I would do.
I'd step out, get a local honor to sign the book.
(05:49):
Even though you know who's Jim Wexel, will you give
it to the kid? Who's Jim Wexel. I don't know
some guy, yeah, wolf like him. So anyway, it's a nice,
colorful book full of pictures. The kid opens it up.
Oh okay, I like this. I don't care about this author,
but I.
Speaker 5 (06:05):
Like this, right yeah, But again, I want to emphasize
that book is beautiful.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
It's well written.
Speaker 5 (06:12):
It's the short vignettes and everything else that accompany it
with the pictures tremendous. If you've got a stealer fan
in the family, this is the book to get. It's
an easy out you and your Christmas shop and for
that that person real quick, because this book is great.
Speaker 4 (06:28):
So anyhow okay, well you can you can order it
from me personally and how you know, and then you
can contact me and contact us at Jim Wexel dot com.
There it's easy to operate and so for examples of
the writing. I have some Cincinnati Bengals history I looked up.
But there's good, there's bad, and there's ugly. And you know,
(06:49):
I'll try to make it quick that you guys get
to pick which goes first, the good or the bad
or the ugly.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Max this is you, buddy, Well, you know what I think.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
It is the holiday season. Let's get the ugly out
of the way. We can build, we can builds.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Let's go. Let's go from the outhouse, you know, to
the big house. Okay, so let's like to start with
the ugly.
Speaker 4 (07:13):
I like your thinking. Let's get the ugly out of
the way. Nineteen seventy three the timeline, the title of
this vignette is about three bricks shy of a load,
you know. Coming off of seventy two the playoff, Franco's
immaculate reception, everybody was excited. Things didn't go so well
for the Steelers in seventy three. Okay, things got even
(07:34):
got worse for Bradshaw. The Steelers hosted the Bengals in
late October. When Bradshaw ran a sneak during a tide game,
he separated his shoulder and left the field in obvious
pain as Steelers fans cheered. Art Rooney and Joe Green
were incensed by the cheering. It made me sick, said
the Chief. Rooney perpetually provided an open door cigar and
(07:55):
a shoulder for Bradshaw. Green rallied the team around the
quarterback during the seventy what players strike and was a
fierce supporter of Bradshaw regaining the job from Gilliam. But
in seventy three the quarterback position was a three ring
circus and all that pre season optimism went for not Okay,
that's the ugly wolf. Do you remember probably not? Huh,
(08:19):
Bradshaw getting cheered for his injury. You know, I.
Speaker 5 (08:22):
Remember hearing about it. This was of course before me.
That was what year was that, seventy what was.
Speaker 4 (08:28):
It seventy three? Before you? Yeah, well probably the We
still hear about it from time to time.
Speaker 5 (08:35):
Yes, I do remember them talking about it, though, and
even in the locker room at some point in time.
I've just every now a blurb come out of Terry,
you know, and he did, you know, discuss and it.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Was like yeah that that hurt. Yeah, and it was tough,
you know.
Speaker 4 (08:50):
Yeah, Okay, I guess we're going up to the bad then.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
Yes, bad as next Yeah, I like these.
Speaker 4 (08:58):
Levels, all right. The timeline is December thirtieth, two thousand
and one. The headline of the vignette is called Cower
and eleven point leads. The win over the Lions in
two thousand and one was not only the steelers seventh
in a row, it also clinched Bill Cower sixth Division title.
(09:18):
The party must have run over because the Steelers let
down next week at Cincinnati against Dick Lebo's four and
ten Bengals. Okay, even Cower loss games against four ten teams. Okay,
all right? Better stated? Better stated? The Steelers let down
after three quarters against the four and ten Bengals. The
(09:39):
Steelers took a twenty three to ten lead into the
fourth quarter, but without Drome Bettis, they couldn't kill the clock.
Bengals quarterback John Kittner threw a TV pass with two
forty six remaining, and the Bengals recovered the on side kick.
Kittner then threw the tying TD pass the Danny Farmer
with thirty seven seconds left. The extra point was missed.
(10:00):
Neil Rackers made a thirty one yard field goal in
overtime to end the Steelers win streak. It also ended
another streak. It was the first and ultimately only lost
by Coward Steelers after taking an eleven point lead. Overall,
Cowers teams were one o, eight, one and one after
(10:20):
taking such a lead. Wow, so we learned out of
one hundred and ten games with an eleven point lead,
he lost only once to Dick Lebou. Wow. So this
this bad story has a silver line.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
And yeah it does? That does?
Speaker 4 (10:41):
That was two thousand and one. It was late in
two thousand and one, the week after he clinched the
division title.
Speaker 5 (10:46):
All right, so that's free right.
Speaker 4 (10:49):
Yes, there they were resting. They were resting Jerome that week. Uh,
and they needed him in the fourth quarter to kill
the clock.
Speaker 5 (10:58):
You know what I like is the concise of putting
it all together and you'll know immediately where you were
and what you can remember things about that around that era,
that time. That's very interesting.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
All right? So now what's it? We got the the.
Speaker 4 (11:13):
Good bounce back to the good in nineteen bounce back
to nineteen seventy five. I mean I could have I
could have looked further for some Bengelo stuff, and this
one's short, but I just like this. I just like
this nineteen seventy five Mel Blunt's Big bounce Back. I
don't know if you guys know that. In seventy four
he was benched in the AFC Championship game in the
(11:35):
second half. He was having trouble with Cliff Branch. They won.
In the two weeks before the Super Bowl, Mel and
Bud Carson exchanged incendiary comments. Mel was not happy. In
seventy five, their first draft pick was yet another deep cornerback,
and they had some other I believe in seventy three. JT.
(11:56):
Thomas was a second round draft pick. In seventy five
for Jimmy Smith six ' four was drafted in the
fourth round of the great seventy four draft. So they
were had a bunch of young corners, and were they
trying to squeeze Mel out with Dave Brown being drafted
in first and seventy five. Anyway, the night this vignette
(12:16):
is titled Mel Blunt's Big Bounce Back, and it's just
the lead I want to read. It has to do
with the Bengals, which is kind of cool. Here the
first time world class sprinter Isaac Curtis lined up against
Steelers cornerback Mel Blunt, the fourth time Bengals Pro Bowl receiver,
had one question, why are they covering me with a linebacker? Oh?
Speaker 2 (12:43):
That's good, That is really good. That's hilarious.
Speaker 4 (12:48):
I'll continue a little bit until we run out of steam.
At six three two oh five blood, you know, and
we could argue that he was actually six y four.
We didn't have exact measurements back in the day, right,
and Wolf, I think you've told me you think he
was six to four, and other people who are six
to three, like Corey Trice, that he's a little hard
in me. So at six three to two oh five,
(13:10):
Blot looked like one. He not only ran with Curtis,
he got physical with him. Blunt's rugged style of play
eventually brought about a rule change in seventy eight, but
that wasn't what was bothering Blunt in seventy five. And
I get into the Bud Carson thing, and you know,
were they trying to run Blune out of Pittsburgh. A
motivated Blunt return in seventy five to win NFL Defensive
(13:31):
Player of the Year award after leading the league with
the team record eleven interceptions. He also had an interception
in the playoffs. So and he ended his career with
a team record fifty seven picks, and I ended up
in Hall of Fame. But that's a motivated Mel Blunt
in seventy five after I think didn't really goes so
(13:52):
well for him in seventy four. And I don't know,
I fans really know that that first Super Bowl year
was a little tough for Mel Blunt. But twenty five
he was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
You know.
Speaker 5 (14:03):
This is why I'm always about what year was he
drafted Jim in seventy Okay, so in seventy four. Even then,
you think about the guy that the NFL changed the
rules for, the guy that you know everybody looks to
the modern day defensive backs when he walks by.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
I remember Mel telling me story.
Speaker 5 (14:25):
He goes, they point him to go that's the guy
that ruined it for us, you know. But that guy
there was was got benched, what four or five years
into his career. And that's why I say some guys
take longer to blossom, but when they blossom, look out.
And that's why I always hold out hope on young
people having patience. And I think that's a great example
(14:48):
for other guys like today, you think of Roderick Jones,
who's's you know, been through some some tough waters, but
he's been doing some great stuff too, you know, and
and and you just you can't give up on him
when they had that much talent and it generally will
surface after a period of time.
Speaker 4 (15:06):
Well, you know, he wasn't totally struggling those four or
seventy seventy one.
Speaker 5 (15:13):
Sure, I'm not saying it's good the same comparison, you know,
but the point being is it's just it's about you know,
some guys. Mel really wasn't Mel until you know, after
this about the seventy five season, you know.
Speaker 4 (15:28):
Five yeah, yeah, you know NFL defensa.
Speaker 5 (15:31):
Y yeah boomah.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
So yeah, you.
Speaker 4 (15:34):
Know in seventy it's funny in sixty nine. Uh, you know.
Bill Nunn was hired in sixty eight is a part
time scout and part time well he was full time
sports editor of the Pittsburgh Courier, and he named the
Black College All America team, and it was a way
for him to be a kingmaker. I mean, it wasn't
(15:56):
just the Steelers that listened to him. It was the
entire NFL wanted to know about Bill Nunn's picks for
the All America team. And when in sixty eight, when
Bill Nunn, you know, went out scouting. He's working for
the Steelers, also working for his newspaper, so he's picking
the All America team. But he also would see a
player who he didn't think anybody would know, like Elsie Greenwood,
(16:19):
you know, a tall, skinny guy with a great explosive step,
and he did not put him on his All America
team so he could draft him for the other job
he was working. After Elsie Greenwood, the NFL started getting
lies to him, but he still wanted to do it.
(16:40):
But he saw mel Blunt in seventy and he said,
out of southern right, I can't. I can't do this.
Everybody will know, you know. Sometimes the NFL's other scouts
would notice when Bill Nunn would go watch a player
and didn't put that player on his All America team,
and that's who the Steelers were gonna take, so they
(17:03):
got live to him. But anyway, he said he couldn't
do that with mel Blunt, even though he knew or
he thought mel Blunt was a safety. And he and
Chuck argued about this. Uh None didn't think Blunt could
play corner. He didn't think he had the agility. He
(17:23):
thought he was too tall, got he to be a
hammer back on the back end, and Chuck disagreed, and uh,
look who's right there? I mean Bill Nunn was right often,
you know, he was right with Franco. He was right
with John Stalwart. You know in their arguments. Art Rennie Jr.
Would take Bill Nun's side too, and they argued against Chuck.
(17:46):
Chuck wanted Robert Neuhause, and Franco turned out to be,
you know, more than a special Hall of Famer, you
know so, But in this case, Chuck was right against
Bill Nunn with Melbourne, why are they covering me with
a linebacker?
Speaker 2 (18:00):
I love that? I love that.
Speaker 5 (18:03):
You know, Bill Nunn was like staying at a holiday
inn overnight. You just were smarter for hanging out with him.
He was just that kind of guy. But he would
look at me, he slapped me on the band, go hey, well,
how you doing. He's good to see you. You're the
only guy I ever missed on you know that, you know,
and you're laughing away. They're going really and then he'd
(18:28):
give that big laugh and smile and you just you
love the man. He was just a great man. Absolutely, Yeah,
what about another good story?
Speaker 4 (18:37):
Now we're on a roll here, Well, I put the
book down. There's other Bengals stuff, you know, but it's
just my Bill mud story. He would always tell me
about you. No, I'd say, what do you think of
this guy? You know, a couple of months of the camp,
what do you think of this rookie? He was not
(18:58):
a definitive, you know, he's one of those guys that
thinks that players develop and change. You know, I need
answers now. I would tease him after the first day
of rookie minicamp. I'd go up to him and say, well,
what do you think of the draft class? He would
shake his head, you know, he would forget that I
(19:18):
do this every year to him. He would shake his head. Though,
you reporters, you just have no patience. I can't tell
you what this class looks like. Give me some time.
So that was always fun with him.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
Oh my god, yeah, No, I mean, mister Nunn was
he was one of a kind. But like you said,
the knowledge that he possessed was just phenomenal.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
And like you said, those early days you know I.
Speaker 3 (19:50):
Used to also work with like Gil Brandt, and so
so Gil would just tell these stories about him and
Bill going back and forth because back then, you know,
you only had one reel on guys. You know, it
was the sixteen millimeter like when you wanted to see
game film of guys. And so because Bill went to
(20:11):
the you know, knew all the coaches and would hit
the circuit for all of the all the HBCUs. He
if Bill got the tape, you know, then you know,
Gil would have to call and request the tape from
Bill up in Pittsburgh. And he was like, you know,
I'm still waiting on the tape from uh from He
(20:32):
was like, He's like, I'm still waiting on the tape
from from Elsie Greenwood and and also.
Speaker 4 (20:37):
From Ernie Holmes.
Speaker 2 (20:38):
He just started David the list.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
He's like, I never got I never got the tape
from So I'd have to try and beat him to
these colleges because if I if I asked for the tape,
I wasn't gonna get it from Bill Nunt.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
It's just so it was just.
Speaker 3 (20:50):
Like funny to hear like even the great Gil Brandt,
who you know you argue you was that kind of
guy for the Dallas Cowboys, and just how that Riley,
even outside of just on the field, really played out
when you think of the players from that era, and
it was just funny that that was another one where
it was just it was just hilarious to hear from
(21:11):
somebody else's perspective, Like you know, I go and I
see mister Nunn, and you know you're up there in Pittsburgh.
But then you hear the stories from other guys that
were on the recruiting trail trying to compete with him
about how he was just once he had it, Like
you said, I'm gonna keep a guy purposely off my
All American list just so I can make sure that
we draft him. And the same thing I withhold tape
(21:34):
even as well in the process.
Speaker 4 (21:38):
Well that, but the greatest reholding of tape story is
the Star Wars and we can get into that as
you want. It's it's well told, it's off and told,
and I spent a lot of time on it on
my on the Clock book, that previous book I wrote.
But you guys, you mentioned Ernie Holmes, and the story
(21:59):
struck me. The Bill Nunn scouting Ernie Holmes I believe
he went to Texas Southern. I could be wrong about that,
but it was a black school in Texas. And Ernie's
coach became very upset at the team they had just lost,
and he thought players were trying to stand out to
(22:19):
the scouts too much, so he gave them all uniforms
without numbers for the following week, and None and Art
Reniey Jr. Went to see them, and it was a
pouring rainstorm, so they wanted to get closer to the
field and they noticed nobody had numbers. And they were
(22:40):
walking past the bench and Ernie saw Bill Nunn. Mister Nunn,
mister Nunn, mister or Nunn. Hi, Hi, Hi, it's me Ernie. Oh,
it's me fat. They even caught him fat then. So
none of the other scouts knew who was who in
this game except coach None, you know, not coaching, but
you know Bill because he knew because Ernie had waved
(23:04):
high to him and made a big deal. So that
was the scouting of Ernie Holmes, and of course the
scouting of John Stalwart. It was a Thanksgiving game. That's
a good story. Thanksgiving rivalry game between Tennessee State and
Alabama's A and m's where stal Wart went Alabama A
(23:25):
and M, and they were rivals, and Bill none knew everybody.
All the coaches loved him. They wanted favor from him.
He was the kingmaker, right, and so he had the
advantage of the night before of going to a party
with the Alabama A and M coach. It was a
pre Thanksgiving party, little you know, festival before the game,
(23:47):
and the coach said, keep your eye on John Stalwart.
Our game plan is to throw to him all day.
And Tennessee State had too tall, too tall Jones and
another prospect, so there were a lot of scouts there
and Bill of course went and it was a legendary
game by Star Wars, something like thirteen catches two hundred
(24:09):
and five yards something like that in Alabama and M.
I'm not sure if they won, but it was a
big rivalry. So Bill of course went to uh time Stalwarts.
I don't know how soon after that game it was,
but went to time him and it was a muddy
day and I think Star Wars was a little sick,
(24:30):
and they got him at four eight and all the
scouts saying, all right, that's disappointing, and they're all leaving,
and you know, they knocked on Bill's door the next
day and Bill said, yeah, I don't feel so good.
I'm gonna I'm gonna wait. I'm gonna go on a
later flight. So they all left. Of course, None goes,
knocks on Star Wars' dorm door, takes them to a
dryer field, gives them some good colleats and name. He
(24:54):
ran like a four to six, so none had him
at four to six. All the other scouts had him
at four eight, and none knew all the other scouts.
And while he was there, he went down to the
coaching building and said, hey, give me that tape from
that Thanksgiving game, will you. He got the tape and
he brought it home and he wasn't letting that suck
(25:15):
or get out right, And that got passed around the offices,
and it was called the Don Hudson tape because it
was who was this incredible player, and Chuck of course
fell in love with him. And they tell the story
if you'd walk past the room, and offensive coaches were
watching it again and again like some kind of fantasy tape,
(25:37):
you know. So uh and and back in those days,
the draft was held in January, right, So it wasn't
like four months of waiting for the tape. It wasn't
like he so he only had to put him off
for a couple of weeks. And you know, Chuck, Chuck
told him get that tape back, Art Rudy Jr. Get
that tape back, and Bill would be like, yeah, okay,
(25:59):
and he never did. So he knew going into that draft.
You know, Chuck wanted him over lyn Swan. Chuck wanted
Stalwarts in the first round. The tape was that good,
and uh yeah, so but but none new and Rooney Jr.
Knew everyone else had him at four eight and no
(26:20):
one else has seen this tape, the Don Hudson tape,
and so but Chuck he didn't want to buy, you know.
So the first round they talked him into They talk
him into the drafting lyn Swan out of usc who's
been on TV, right, and so Dallas wanted him and
they lost a coin flip. There was a coin flip
for pick twenty one, and uh the Steelers won and
(26:43):
picks one. The second round. You know, Chucky, he's like,
all right, now get the Stalwarts and they're like, you know,
we don't want to take receivers back back, Chuck, we
can wait on this. So they drafted Lambert. Third round,
they didn't have a pick, and and Arnie Junior tells
the story of Chuck just glaring Adam twelve the entire
you guys screwed this up. I know you did. You
(27:06):
guys really, They're like, take it easy. We got this.
You know, we don't want to tell you why we
know we got this because we cheated you. So the
fourth round comes and San Diego needed a receiver. In
San Diego drafted a receiver I think it was out
Penn State and uh. And then then they call them
(27:28):
saddled over Chuck and they got their guys Star Wars.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
Wow, what that all?
Speaker 5 (27:35):
I didn't know all those elements like that that.
Speaker 4 (27:40):
It's a really cool side note to that story. Both
Swan and Stalwart war twenty two in college and both
wanted it in the NFL. And then they found out
that they couldn't. You know, you had to pick in
the eighties, right, right, And so Swan picked first and
he he went from twenty two. He said, well, eighty eight, right,
(28:03):
and stal Wars said eighty two, which is kind of
his his version of being close to twenty two. Right,
he got eighty two. Yeah, so that's how those numbers
came about and they are not used today.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
Oh my god. Is that is a tremendous story.
Speaker 3 (28:21):
And this is kind of you know, the stuff that
you get, right, I mean, like you said, I mean, Jim,
you go deep into the woods on the clock, right,
is really where you talk about that when your previous book.
But then you talk about the table book and all
the different vignettes that are on there. I mean, you
get a truth sense of the Steelers history.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
And I mean, and that's that makes it so great
because this is the stuff that a lot of fans.
Speaker 3 (28:45):
If you are a fan, this makes you an even
more intelligent and more in the no fan to be
able to have these type of stories to draw from.
That's that's pretty awesome. That's pretty awesome. I appreciate that
reporting as well. Now I got to ask you about
I know we went historical on the Bengals, but about
I mean, let's talk about the future making. You know,
(29:08):
obviously the Thursday night game did not go as well.
It will go down as a game that had a
lot of snow in it, snow globe game, right, Is
that what everybody's dubbing it early right now, But just
kind of your thoughts about how the Steelers came out
on a short week against the Ravens to then go
play and now we got a third straight divisional game
(29:28):
in a row in consecutive weeks, and of course the
cincinnineteen that looks very fearsome can put up a lot
of points.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
What what what are your thoughts?
Speaker 4 (29:38):
Okay, well, just to touch lightly on the Cleveland game.
I predicted Cleveland to win, and I was on DV
Morning show and I predicted it, and I said, I
pointed to the odds. I'm an age old watcher of odds,
the odds movements, and I feel like I have an understanding,
decent understanding of them. And I said, I asked them,
(30:02):
why do you think that line has gone from three
and a half to three? That people the big money
was on Cleveland. And when it's always curious like that,
you know when you have to ask why why is
that happening? There's a reason. So you jump ahead to
the Cincinnati game, and you know, you look at the
(30:23):
firepower of the Bengals and they're on a buy and
they're coming off a loss and this is their season.
They can still run the table. Their schedule's kind of easy.
They can run the table when six in a row
finished ten and seven and maybe make the playoffs. And
they've got T Higgins healthy, They've got Jamar Chase, They've
got a really good playmaking tight end and Mike Jisiki,
(30:46):
and they've got a talented other wide receiver that they
drafted this year, Jermaine Burton. They've got some talent and
a quarterback. And you're saying they're going to blow the
Steelers out, and you know, how how are the Steelers
in their Nodgy Harris centric run game and to keep
up with them? How? How is it possible? And you know,
(31:09):
I'm going to go look at the odds on this,
and you look, and the odds are the Steelers are
being bet on. The odds are changing towards the Steelers,
and you say, why, So that's all the that's the
only positivity I can offer, because I by the looks,
by the looks of things, it looks like a Bengals
(31:29):
blowout to me. But why why are the smart guys
in Las Vegas betting on the Steelers? What do they
see here? So that that's something at the end of
the game as they pull out the miracle, remember this,
you know, when you have to ask why there's a reason.
Speaker 5 (31:49):
Well, that was nicely done, Jim. When did you do
that on your podcast last night that I was on.
Speaker 4 (31:56):
Because I was longing for my last half of pizzas
that you were already got it.
Speaker 2 (32:04):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 4 (32:07):
I won my glasses for the first time ever in
front of anybody, and nobody noticed. And I don't know
if I could see well through them or not, but
I don't know. I was wondering about the glasses the
whole time, so I don't know if you noticed.
Speaker 2 (32:25):
I know, you know what that's like.
Speaker 5 (32:28):
Like my wife always says, you know, I'm a little
a little lazy on the details.
Speaker 6 (32:32):
You know, wex Wolf can't remember his own glasses, let
alone somebody else's.
Speaker 4 (32:38):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
I mean the fact that.
Speaker 3 (32:39):
He takes his own glasses from his He takes glasses
from his wife all the time, just like you know.
Yeah see, oh my goodness. Well, we truly appreciated the time.
And like you said, you have you have the signing.
Remind everybody once again the Greensburg marsin No Wolf that.
Speaker 4 (33:01):
Barnes and Nobles, Saturday, November thirtieth, from one to three.
It's this Saturday from one to three. It's a big
local authors signing. So you can find some cool books
and get him signed and you know, help the literary
cause that Wolf is heading up in the Pittsburgh area.
Speaker 5 (33:19):
That's right, what we're doing, right, we got the club,
Yeah exactly. I mean I could just see Wolf once again. Yeah,
it would be it would be good.
Speaker 3 (33:32):
I want you to lead that next time Wolf only
only picture books though, Well.
Speaker 5 (33:35):
You know what, maybe we'll go to calients, have a
round table, you know, until we got pizza and yeah,
book signings, how about that that'd be good.
Speaker 4 (33:44):
Well, you know that would Jimmy book, Jimmy Rooney's audio book.
That's you know you can get. You can get a
couple of books, you know, get one you can listen
to while you reading the other one and looking at
the pictures.
Speaker 2 (33:56):
There you go.
Speaker 4 (33:58):
Yeah, uh yeah. I'm a big Jimmy Rooney fan. And
of course Dan Rooney just incredible. I wrote something for
Steeler's Digest about why I like Jack Reacher. Do you
ever watch the show Reacher on Amazon Prime?
Speaker 2 (34:16):
Such a great show.
Speaker 4 (34:20):
Now well, Max, do you watch Sopranos and Breaking Bad
and Yellowstone?
Speaker 2 (34:26):
Absolutely?
Speaker 4 (34:28):
Okay, Well I've watched them to a point and then
I stopped because you start to root for bad people. Yeah,
I mean, you know, the Sopranos are bad people, but
you're you're set up in this to root for them
because of the complexity of human nature. Blah blah blah.
I don't want complexity in my shows. I want Jack
(34:50):
Reacher fighting for the good, saving the world and winning
every time.
Speaker 5 (34:59):
Who's the better Reacher? Did you like Tom Cruise or
the Amazon guy?
Speaker 4 (35:04):
Oh? No, Amazon guy?
Speaker 2 (35:06):
Exactly? Yeah, the Amazon got by far. Yeah, by far.
Speaker 5 (35:09):
Tom Cruise doesn't even I mean, he's.
Speaker 4 (35:12):
So massive, and he has no money and no car,
and he loves the Blues. And I tell you this,
this little this little comments, these little bands that I
hate that everyone else loves. That I hate to bring
up because I'm a bad guy. Then for hating a
haul and Out and hating.
Speaker 6 (35:31):
Kandas carry on my wayward son, I hate that I
grew up with that.
Speaker 4 (35:40):
I don't don't even try. You young guys, you know
I hate Kansas And frankly, I'm giving Renegade a little
break here because of Mike Marchinsky came up with the
greatest marketings scheme of all Steelers history. But man, I
hate sticks and.
Speaker 5 (36:03):
Thanksgiving.
Speaker 4 (36:04):
Man, I'm thankful for all the music Ryan Bingham and uh,
all the Americana that I listened to, the James Jason Isbell,
Uh the what's the the new guy? He sings something
(36:24):
in the Orange I remember, Yeah, yeah, you gave me,
you gave me a great song. It sings. He sings
with springing. I love that stuff. That stuff real. And
you've got Jack Leacher who will stop in the middle
and say, maybe I had to get you some Holland
Oats tickets. Does that make you happy? And it's so
mocking and and he he's going to here listen to
(36:48):
a blues band and I love that in the middle
of that show.
Speaker 3 (36:53):
Yeah yeah, now absolutely, well back once again. Thank you
so much every Wednesday, you know, for joining us and
providing levity, and we're gonna we're gonna try and go
find some uh some Nongo Halo holy.
Speaker 2 (37:07):
Water to sprinkle over the studio.
Speaker 3 (37:10):
Now you said hate stix because I don't want any
now coming to our studio, so uh with that, with that, hey,
have a very happy Thanksgiving. Uh geez oh yeah, happy
Thanksgiving brother.
Speaker 2 (37:26):
Yeah. But also, but like you said, the Black Friday,
go ahead.
Speaker 4 (37:33):
Good, another twenty four hours of fasting Wolf. I imagine
you'll even be in a better move. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (37:39):
By fast twenty four hours, don't come near me for
twenty three.
Speaker 3 (37:44):
Yeah yeah, hey, we we guys. You can go have
the rest of your pizza with ricotta. By the way,
you could have it.
Speaker 2 (37:52):
I will block, I will block the glare of.
Speaker 3 (37:54):
Wolf so you can get something in your sistance because
you don't want to go into Thanksgiving with a with
an empty stomach.
Speaker 2 (37:59):
Uh yeah, but also awesome.
Speaker 3 (38:04):
Thanks wex We're gonna step aside.
Speaker 2 (38:06):
Remember, go to Steel City Insider.
Speaker 3 (38:07):
There's a big Black Friday sales seventy five percent off
of the website. It's amazing. You get all kinds of
great commentary. And then of course the book Jim wexl
dot com you can find all of his great literary works.
And of course this Saturday he will be at the
greens Bay Barnes and Nobles from one to three doing
a book signing of his amazing Coffee Coffee table book.
(38:28):
It's awesome, all right, let's step aside. We want your calls. Next,
we're gonna open up the phone lines four one, two,
nine six one. Here, what's your thankful Thanksgiving? When we
come back here inside the Locker Room on Steel's Audio
Now network.
Speaker 1 (39:14):
This is in the Locker Room, presented by Ford and
brought to you by acro Sure, the official insurance and
Cybersecurity partner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, by Bett MGM, Huntington Bank, PNC, PEPSI,
and by FedEx. Where now meets next. Now here's Craig
Wolfley and Max Starks.
Speaker 2 (39:36):
You know, we owned a.
Speaker 5 (39:37):
Little long with Wax last segment here, and you know
we're gonna try to give time for people calling and
telling me. You tell, I'm I'm burping upff sandwich.
Speaker 2 (39:49):
Yeah what I was gonna say.
Speaker 5 (39:51):
You know, Weax is talking about I'm on him for
eating a pizza and then here I'm knocking down a
McMuffin sandwich.
Speaker 2 (39:58):
You know with sausage. It was good you start your
twenty four hour fast.
Speaker 5 (40:02):
Yeah, I got to restart that. So anyhow, we want
to give time to have people call and say what
they're thankful for. But you know what, we only got
to get a few minutes here, So what better way
to start off and from see our Stealers Nation and
see our the pressures on you to come up with
what are you thankful for at this time of year?
Speaker 7 (40:20):
Hey, guys, see, I'll send in Chicago. Appreciate you guys
called allow me to speek today and what.
Speaker 5 (40:25):
I'm thankful for.
Speaker 7 (40:27):
I'm thankful for the fact that I was born to
be a Stealer fan.
Speaker 4 (40:31):
Man.
Speaker 7 (40:33):
You know, people can talk that.
Speaker 2 (40:35):
Talk, but we've got the best fans.
Speaker 7 (40:36):
We've got the best team. I mean, I know about
my family and life and all that kind of stuff,
but I'm trying to keep this connected to the game
and well. People who are now Stiller fan, I just
feel sad for them, man, I feel.
Speaker 2 (40:48):
So bad for them.
Speaker 7 (40:50):
I mean, we've had the best collection of games and
players and NFL reports and status and all that kind
of stuff. So I'm very thankful, very very tactful to
be a member still the Nations, and also to be
able to communicate with you guys on a consistent basis
because it makes me feel closer to the team. And
(41:11):
still the Nation is blessed to have you guys out
there doing what you do.
Speaker 5 (41:15):
Beautiful well, since now, what do you think about the
game coming up? The living stuffing out of the turkeys
from Bengal Land.
Speaker 2 (41:25):
I don't know about the stuffing, man, I want someone
to dumped it.
Speaker 4 (41:27):
Anyway.
Speaker 2 (41:28):
I'm excited.
Speaker 7 (41:29):
Like I said, I'm just off of the court city
of Womanton, which is the home of umber fifty six
dollars Hotsmith, and he's gonna be back on the field
this weekend.
Speaker 2 (41:37):
So that's gonna.
Speaker 7 (41:38):
Be That's gonna be great him and TJ tightening up
the defense. I think we're gonna win. I always think
we're gonna win. I think it's gonna be a much
better game. As I said, it's all about the players.
When they block, tackle, kick, catch, do what they're supposed
to do. We normally come out in a favorable position.
And I'm also thankful too that hey, I got to
(41:59):
speak before one today.
Speaker 2 (42:05):
We'll played well played.
Speaker 4 (42:07):
See r so a Max look.
Speaker 2 (42:12):
West. I appreciate you guys.
Speaker 7 (42:14):
I mean I feel as if I know you guys personally.
I love you guys individually and collectively. And for those
that don't know you guys the way I do, I
feel sad for them. So I'm gonna get out of here.
Happy Thanksgiving everybody, and as we say in the meantime
and in between times, here we go, here we.
Speaker 5 (42:35):
Go, all right, thank you having a Turkey Day tomorrow. Man,
that's yeah, thank you absolutely, brother. You know, it's it's great.
You know, this day is there's so much to be
thankful for. And you know, I was thankful and I
went through my Listen, what are you thankful for?
Speaker 2 (42:55):
Max?
Speaker 5 (42:57):
You know already I'm sorry I did that the first,
you know, and then not realizing yeah, we're gonna be
in the last segment, but go ahead.
Speaker 2 (43:04):
Yes, no, you know what. I'm thankful for family, I'm
thankful for friends.
Speaker 3 (43:12):
And this is one of the few holidays that there
isn't some type of exchange of gifts or anything else.
Speaker 2 (43:21):
This is truly, I think verbalizing.
Speaker 3 (43:25):
And and physically showing you know who and what you're
thankful for. Why I appreciate this holiday so much because
it allows an opportunity to reflect and the ability to share.
Speaker 2 (43:39):
You know, our thoughts. You know, because I mean, let's
just face it.
Speaker 3 (43:43):
As men, you know, you always talk to guard your emotions,
guard your feelings, don't show any emotion. You know, you're
always tough you're always this. This gives you a chance
to kind of bring your guard down, you know, and
I can speak from from that perspective of you can
you can, you can be vulnerable, you can be tender
in the moments and just tell people that you love them,
you appreciate them and what they mean to you in
(44:05):
your life. And I think that's one of the things
that I've always appreciated about this holiday is that, you know,
before we child down and get to you know, copious
amounts of carnage from from a food intake area, you
do take those those couple of subtle moments to go
around the table and and tell and allow everybody the
voice to speak about what they're thankful for, and then
(44:26):
of course to commune together as families as friends.
Speaker 2 (44:30):
You know, some people have friends.
Speaker 3 (44:32):
Givings and Thanksgivings and all these other type of holidays.
But a collection of people together sharing food that you
care about, I think is one of those ultimate signs
of just respect for one another. And so even though
you know family tables can be a little bit hectic
at times, embrace the fact that you get to be
around family and you get to be around friends in
this holiday because there's a lot of people that, you
(44:54):
know what would wish for the same that might not
have that opportunity.
Speaker 2 (44:57):
So just being thankful for being thankful.
Speaker 5 (45:00):
Indeed, so very well said my good man. You know
tomorrow I have the the privilege pleasure. One of the
things I love to do is been doing this a while,
is you go to Light of Life rescue mission and
you serve up some lunch, you know, and so one
of the things I the lunch is so good. It's like, man,
I want to grubify myself while I'm there.
Speaker 2 (45:18):
You know. It's like, no, no, stop, just this is.
Speaker 3 (45:22):
People do not take that piece of bread that you're
about the hand of somebody and dip it in.
Speaker 2 (45:25):
The gravy and then eat it.
Speaker 5 (45:26):
Well, I know, but you know what I love about
What I love about the Light of Life though, is
to see the faces of the men and women who
come in who you know, they are the they are
the ones that are having a tough go in life,
you know. And you see how that they reach out
their hands and feet of Jesus to the people on
the North Side and throughout Pittsburgh, and and what a
(45:48):
great job they do, and just how those those people
doing that that service there. Man. They are my heroes,
you know, because they just they reach people on a
level that you know, we're they're really hurting, you know,
and you see that, and you want to be do
something to help that, you know, to uh make their
(46:11):
day better, you know. And that's that's certainly just a
wonderful thing. And I hope that folks. You know, anybody
that wants to at any time served down a light
of life, you can contact them. And the other thing
is that you can also donate, because you know that
money just goes right to takeing care of those that
are are less fortunate. And so it's a great place
(46:32):
to be on a thank them and day. So Max,
you want to take us out, brother, Yeah, we have
to do one more thing, one more segment. Oh good
heaven wax, Oh, I forgot again, zeus take us out.
We'll be right back. Okay, I'll take us out so
you can end it back. Sorry, I got lost in that,
(46:55):
all right, So thank you, folks. We appreciate everybody hanging
in there. We're a little discombobulated. We'll be back with
more from the Steelers Audio Network right here in the
locker room. Pre Thanksgiving day.
Speaker 1 (47:27):
This is in the Locker Room, presented by Ford and
brought to you by acro Shure, the official insurance and
cybersecurity partner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, by BET MGM, Huntington Bank, PNC, PEPSI,
and by FedEx. Where now meets next? Now here's Craig
Wilfley and Max Stark's.
Speaker 2 (47:50):
All right, everybody, I'm for the bell lab.
Speaker 3 (47:57):
And of course we have to say at this at
the end of the our hour, it's our boy optimist.
Speaker 2 (48:02):
He has to come on through.
Speaker 3 (48:08):
All this stuff that we kind of missed earlier, so
you kind of wrap it into one. That is your
early fasting system. By the way, with that bell lap.
So if if you want to fast alongside wolfully, they're
giving you an official timer. You can start that right
after the show. Twenty four hours of fasting.
Speaker 6 (48:25):
Jesus, Jesus did it for forty days and forty nights. Sorry,
you can do twenty four hours.
Speaker 2 (48:30):
Come on, you can do one whole day.
Speaker 3 (48:33):
I mean, at least at least you ate something before
I started the fast. I didn't do it with muscle
on you. I didn't sh I didn't shame you. You
did WX about the ricatta on his mustache.
Speaker 6 (48:45):
Uh, Maxwell, let him get one more breakfast sandwich in
the kitchen on the one out and.
Speaker 3 (48:51):
Then fast Yeah exactly. Hey, Hey, once he exits the
car at his home, then he must start fasting.
Speaker 6 (48:59):
Wait, man, I don't hear that stops taco bell ras
wends on.
Speaker 2 (49:05):
The he doesn't get home like seven o'clock tonight.
Speaker 6 (49:11):
Gets tell him after breakfast tomorrow morning.
Speaker 2 (49:16):
Exactly like Garfield.
Speaker 3 (49:19):
Oh my god, but no, but but honestly, truly, guys,
I'm also I'm thankful for the two of you.
Speaker 2 (49:26):
I'm thankful for stealing nation.
Speaker 4 (49:28):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (49:29):
This is this is a fun job to come to
every day. I mean, you know, it's not work when
you get to have fun and you get to be
around people that you truly enjoy.
Speaker 2 (49:36):
So I am thankful for you too as well.
Speaker 3 (49:41):
Yeah, you know, as well as just to get into callers,
you know, having the curs the one sarcastic sources, George's
of the word, Melvin Chris, all the guys that call
in and ladies that call in show we're truly appreciative.
I mean we don't we don't have a job if
we don't have you know, support, from you, guys, We're
truly appreciative and truly.
Speaker 2 (50:01):
Thankful, not only during this holiday but all the times.
But I figure it's a great time to verbalize it
as well. Wolf.
Speaker 5 (50:07):
Indeed, you're exactly right, my good man, love you both,
Love Steelers Nation. Thank you so much always for the
privilege of coming here and doing this job with you
and for you.
Speaker 2 (50:19):
So yes, yes, and West can do all this on
his show. So I'm not going to let him talk
right now.
Speaker 6 (50:25):
No, I'm just I'll just say, boys, I know I've
told you guys this before, but if you would have
told me when I was a teenager, when I was
in college, that i'd be, you know, producing shows, part
of a radio family with you know, the guy that
I watched on the offensive line and the guy that
I listened to the game broadcasts and new played on
the offensive line, I would have pinched myself. And so
I still have to do that from time to time.
(50:46):
So it's a it's a blast and an honor.
Speaker 3 (50:50):
Oh man, Well, with that that has been a show.
Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone. We will not be coming
to you tomorrow. We will not be coming to you
on Friday. The next time you will hear us will
be during the game broadcasts. Of course, we'll be back
with our normally scheduled programming on Monday. Go have a
happy Thanksgiving. He's Craig wolf Lee, I'm Max Starch Wes
(51:11):
Euler on the Ones and twos CJ in the back
since day La Montina, Happy Thanksgiving and go make it
a great holiday
This is in the Locker Room, presented by Ford and
brought to you by acro Sure, the official insurance and
cybersecurity partner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, by Bett MGM, Huntington Bank, PNC, PEPSI,
and by FedEx. Where now meets next? Now here's Craig
Wolfley and Max Stark's.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Oh, guess what day it is? Guess what day it is?
Speaker 3 (00:34):
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 Leslie? Guess what today is?
Speaker 3 (00:46):
It's who exactly?
Speaker 4 (00:52):
It is?
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Wet day, hump day. And it would not be any better.
I mean, we can't go win days, even the Wednesday
before Thanksgiving without talking to of course, the one, the only,
Jim Wex. So, but I will say this Wex today.
You are now in the second position. You're the second
author that we've talked to today. We got a chance
(01:15):
to talk to Jim Rooney earlier in the first hour.
Of course, now we get a second author. So you know,
I think we're starting to become dare I say it,
Wolf We're becoming reputable literary with literary reviews, and you know,
and and making us, you know, kind of raising our
standard in society. I think I think, you know, you
(01:36):
should wear a monocle. I can grab a pipe and
we can you know, it's in a warm, cozy sofa. Finally,
I mean, this is feeling very regal right now, you know, Matt.
Speaker 4 (01:48):
But yeah, Wolf wasn't so funny. You know, the monocle
is a funny, funny image, right. Well here's an image
that wasn't so funny at Wolf. We did a cash
yesterday with Wolf, right, and so I'm running around like
a madman and just get home in time, fight the
lights up and my camera and my microphone and tune
(02:11):
in and there's Wolf. And I had to get a
little dinner, right, So I threw a piece of pizza
in the microwave and I meating my pizza. Pizza it
was you know, leftover, wasn't so great. Had a little
dollip caught on it. Well, Wolf had this look in
(02:33):
his eye, you know, he said, you shouldn't eat in
front of It's rude in front of people. And I laughed.
You know, Wolf's in his you know, little lines, but
the anger in his eyes.
Speaker 5 (02:48):
It was the dollar for ricata that was intriguing because
it worked so well on pizza.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
Yeah, and it was called jealousy, called jealousy, yeah.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
Right, right before we go on, I'm thinking, you know,
Wolf's just fainting, anger and jealous because that's Wolf. It's food, right,
and one of our good Jeremy, our guy goes, Okay,
everybody ready and Wolf goes except for WEX like that
Riccando off your mustach.
Speaker 5 (03:21):
I was just trying to help a brother, all right,
come on, I mean there was no laughing.
Speaker 4 (03:27):
I stopped laughing. I was like, afraid I haven't eaten
food since.
Speaker 5 (03:34):
Well, you'll be ready for Thanksgiving. Then let me say
that you just.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Created the appetite space for more turkey. It was gravy.
Speaker 4 (03:44):
It was almost like someone's wife was making someone fast
before the Thanksgiving.
Speaker 5 (03:49):
You know, yeah, I've never found that to work well
you know what I mean, but to faster and now
it doesn't work.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
It didn't work for me before money further.
Speaker 5 (04:05):
Now WEX, I gotta because we're telling it kind of
like a funny thing. I have to my daughter esther,
who just texted me right because we had Jim Rooney
on we're talking about you know, who's going to do
what and Thanksgiving and stuff like that, and then which
one of us big eaters can go at it?
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Right?
Speaker 5 (04:22):
And my daughter, my beautiful daughter esther, she texted, He goes,
I know I'm your daughter, but my money tomorrow's on
Uncle Max too. As far as being a bigger eater,
Oh my goodness.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
So anyhow, the locker.
Speaker 4 (04:39):
Room, yes, you know, should we start with the book
get that out of the way.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Absolutely.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
The marketing, yeah, let's all right. I'm going to start
with Steel City Insider Black Friday sale through Monday night
seventy offered here Wolf, and we're going to incorporate Max
into this too. I have a feeling getting you on
the podcast is step one. Max. I think you could write,
(05:06):
took to the book moment. That's it's our online site,
still City Inside. So anyway, the book next uh uh,
This Saturday, I'll be at Greensburg Barnes and Noble from
one to three with a big author's roundtable, including my
(05:27):
buddy Chris Rodell. I'm unsure of who else are I
throw some other names out there, but there's like seven
local authors going to be at Greensburg Barnes and Nobles
Saturday from one to three. Come on up, get some
autograph books. You know that this is an easy, easy
Christmas gift. Really, I mean that's what I would do.
I'd step out, get a local honor to sign the book.
(05:49):
Even though you know who's Jim Wexel, will you give
it to the kid? Who's Jim Wexel. I don't know
some guy, yeah, wolf like him. So anyway, it's a nice,
colorful book full of pictures. The kid opens it up.
Oh okay, I like this. I don't care about this author,
but I.
Speaker 5 (06:05):
Like this, right yeah, But again, I want to emphasize
that book is beautiful.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
It's well written.
Speaker 5 (06:12):
It's the short vignettes and everything else that accompany it
with the pictures tremendous. If you've got a stealer fan
in the family, this is the book to get. It's
an easy out you and your Christmas shop and for
that that person real quick, because this book is great.
Speaker 4 (06:28):
So anyhow okay, well you can you can order it
from me personally and how you know, and then you
can contact me and contact us at Jim Wexel dot com.
There it's easy to operate and so for examples of
the writing. I have some Cincinnati Bengals history I looked up.
But there's good, there's bad, and there's ugly. And you know,
(06:49):
I'll try to make it quick that you guys get
to pick which goes first, the good or the bad
or the ugly.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Max this is you, buddy, Well, you know what I think.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
It is the holiday season. Let's get the ugly out
of the way. We can build, we can builds.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Let's go. Let's go from the outhouse, you know, to
the big house. Okay, so let's like to start with
the ugly.
Speaker 4 (07:13):
I like your thinking. Let's get the ugly out of
the way. Nineteen seventy three the timeline, the title of
this vignette is about three bricks shy of a load,
you know. Coming off of seventy two the playoff, Franco's
immaculate reception, everybody was excited. Things didn't go so well
for the Steelers in seventy three. Okay, things got even
(07:34):
got worse for Bradshaw. The Steelers hosted the Bengals in
late October. When Bradshaw ran a sneak during a tide game,
he separated his shoulder and left the field in obvious
pain as Steelers fans cheered. Art Rooney and Joe Green
were incensed by the cheering. It made me sick, said
the Chief. Rooney perpetually provided an open door cigar and
(07:55):
a shoulder for Bradshaw. Green rallied the team around the
quarterback during the seventy what players strike and was a
fierce supporter of Bradshaw regaining the job from Gilliam. But
in seventy three the quarterback position was a three ring
circus and all that pre season optimism went for not Okay,
that's the ugly wolf. Do you remember probably not? Huh,
(08:19):
Bradshaw getting cheered for his injury. You know, I.
Speaker 5 (08:22):
Remember hearing about it. This was of course before me.
That was what year was that, seventy what was.
Speaker 4 (08:28):
It seventy three? Before you? Yeah, well probably the We
still hear about it from time to time.
Speaker 5 (08:35):
Yes, I do remember them talking about it, though, and
even in the locker room at some point in time.
I've just every now a blurb come out of Terry,
you know, and he did, you know, discuss and it.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Was like yeah that that hurt. Yeah, and it was tough,
you know.
Speaker 4 (08:50):
Yeah, Okay, I guess we're going up to the bad then.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
Yes, bad as next Yeah, I like these.
Speaker 4 (08:58):
Levels, all right. The timeline is December thirtieth, two thousand
and one. The headline of the vignette is called Cower
and eleven point leads. The win over the Lions in
two thousand and one was not only the steelers seventh
in a row, it also clinched Bill Cower sixth Division title.
(09:18):
The party must have run over because the Steelers let
down next week at Cincinnati against Dick Lebo's four and
ten Bengals. Okay, even Cower loss games against four ten teams. Okay,
all right? Better stated? Better stated? The Steelers let down
after three quarters against the four and ten Bengals. The
(09:39):
Steelers took a twenty three to ten lead into the
fourth quarter, but without Drome Bettis, they couldn't kill the clock.
Bengals quarterback John Kittner threw a TV pass with two
forty six remaining, and the Bengals recovered the on side kick.
Kittner then threw the tying TD pass the Danny Farmer
with thirty seven seconds left. The extra point was missed.
(10:00):
Neil Rackers made a thirty one yard field goal in
overtime to end the Steelers win streak. It also ended
another streak. It was the first and ultimately only lost
by Coward Steelers after taking an eleven point lead. Overall,
Cowers teams were one o, eight, one and one after
(10:20):
taking such a lead. Wow, so we learned out of
one hundred and ten games with an eleven point lead,
he lost only once to Dick Lebou. Wow. So this
this bad story has a silver line.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
And yeah it does? That does?
Speaker 4 (10:41):
That was two thousand and one. It was late in
two thousand and one, the week after he clinched the
division title.
Speaker 5 (10:46):
All right, so that's free right.
Speaker 4 (10:49):
Yes, there they were resting. They were resting Jerome that week. Uh,
and they needed him in the fourth quarter to kill
the clock.
Speaker 5 (10:58):
You know what I like is the concise of putting
it all together and you'll know immediately where you were
and what you can remember things about that around that era,
that time. That's very interesting.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
All right? So now what's it? We got the the.
Speaker 4 (11:13):
Good bounce back to the good in nineteen bounce back
to nineteen seventy five. I mean I could have I
could have looked further for some Bengelo stuff, and this
one's short, but I just like this. I just like
this nineteen seventy five Mel Blunt's Big bounce Back. I
don't know if you guys know that. In seventy four
he was benched in the AFC Championship game in the
(11:35):
second half. He was having trouble with Cliff Branch. They won.
In the two weeks before the Super Bowl, Mel and
Bud Carson exchanged incendiary comments. Mel was not happy. In
seventy five, their first draft pick was yet another deep cornerback,
and they had some other I believe in seventy three. JT.
(11:56):
Thomas was a second round draft pick. In seventy five
for Jimmy Smith six ' four was drafted in the
fourth round of the great seventy four draft. So they
were had a bunch of young corners, and were they
trying to squeeze Mel out with Dave Brown being drafted
in first and seventy five. Anyway, the night this vignette
(12:16):
is titled Mel Blunt's Big Bounce Back, and it's just
the lead I want to read. It has to do
with the Bengals, which is kind of cool. Here the
first time world class sprinter Isaac Curtis lined up against
Steelers cornerback Mel Blunt, the fourth time Bengals Pro Bowl receiver,
had one question, why are they covering me with a linebacker? Oh?
Speaker 2 (12:43):
That's good, That is really good. That's hilarious.
Speaker 4 (12:48):
I'll continue a little bit until we run out of steam.
At six three two oh five blood, you know, and
we could argue that he was actually six y four.
We didn't have exact measurements back in the day, right,
and Wolf, I think you've told me you think he
was six to four, and other people who are six
to three, like Corey Trice, that he's a little hard
in me. So at six three to two oh five,
(13:10):
Blot looked like one. He not only ran with Curtis,
he got physical with him. Blunt's rugged style of play
eventually brought about a rule change in seventy eight, but
that wasn't what was bothering Blunt in seventy five. And
I get into the Bud Carson thing, and you know,
were they trying to run Blune out of Pittsburgh. A
motivated Blunt return in seventy five to win NFL Defensive
(13:31):
Player of the Year award after leading the league with
the team record eleven interceptions. He also had an interception
in the playoffs. So and he ended his career with
a team record fifty seven picks, and I ended up
in Hall of Fame. But that's a motivated Mel Blunt
in seventy five after I think didn't really goes so
(13:52):
well for him in seventy four. And I don't know,
I fans really know that that first Super Bowl year
was a little tough for Mel Blunt. But twenty five
he was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
You know.
Speaker 5 (14:03):
This is why I'm always about what year was he
drafted Jim in seventy Okay, so in seventy four. Even then,
you think about the guy that the NFL changed the
rules for, the guy that you know everybody looks to
the modern day defensive backs when he walks by.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
I remember Mel telling me story.
Speaker 5 (14:25):
He goes, they point him to go that's the guy
that ruined it for us, you know. But that guy
there was was got benched, what four or five years
into his career. And that's why I say some guys
take longer to blossom, but when they blossom, look out.
And that's why I always hold out hope on young
people having patience. And I think that's a great example
(14:48):
for other guys like today, you think of Roderick Jones,
who's's you know, been through some some tough waters, but
he's been doing some great stuff too, you know, and
and and you just you can't give up on him
when they had that much talent and it generally will
surface after a period of time.
Speaker 4 (15:06):
Well, you know, he wasn't totally struggling those four or
seventy seventy one.
Speaker 5 (15:13):
Sure, I'm not saying it's good the same comparison, you know,
but the point being is it's just it's about you know,
some guys. Mel really wasn't Mel until you know, after
this about the seventy five season, you know.
Speaker 4 (15:28):
Five yeah, yeah, you know NFL defensa.
Speaker 5 (15:31):
Y yeah boomah.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
So yeah, you.
Speaker 4 (15:34):
Know in seventy it's funny in sixty nine. Uh, you know.
Bill Nunn was hired in sixty eight is a part
time scout and part time well he was full time
sports editor of the Pittsburgh Courier, and he named the
Black College All America team, and it was a way
for him to be a kingmaker. I mean, it wasn't
(15:56):
just the Steelers that listened to him. It was the
entire NFL wanted to know about Bill Nunn's picks for
the All America team. And when in sixty eight, when
Bill Nunn, you know, went out scouting. He's working for
the Steelers, also working for his newspaper, so he's picking
the All America team. But he also would see a
player who he didn't think anybody would know, like Elsie Greenwood,
(16:19):
you know, a tall, skinny guy with a great explosive step,
and he did not put him on his All America
team so he could draft him for the other job
he was working. After Elsie Greenwood, the NFL started getting
lies to him, but he still wanted to do it.
(16:40):
But he saw mel Blunt in seventy and he said,
out of southern right, I can't. I can't do this.
Everybody will know, you know. Sometimes the NFL's other scouts
would notice when Bill Nunn would go watch a player
and didn't put that player on his All America team,
and that's who the Steelers were gonna take, so they
(17:03):
got live to him. But anyway, he said he couldn't
do that with mel Blunt, even though he knew or
he thought mel Blunt was a safety. And he and
Chuck argued about this. Uh None didn't think Blunt could
play corner. He didn't think he had the agility. He
(17:23):
thought he was too tall, got he to be a
hammer back on the back end, and Chuck disagreed, and uh,
look who's right there? I mean Bill Nunn was right often,
you know, he was right with Franco. He was right
with John Stalwart. You know in their arguments. Art Rennie Jr.
Would take Bill Nun's side too, and they argued against Chuck.
(17:46):
Chuck wanted Robert Neuhause, and Franco turned out to be,
you know, more than a special Hall of Famer, you
know so, But in this case, Chuck was right against
Bill Nunn with Melbourne, why are they covering me with
a linebacker?
Speaker 2 (18:00):
I love that? I love that.
Speaker 5 (18:03):
You know, Bill Nunn was like staying at a holiday
inn overnight. You just were smarter for hanging out with him.
He was just that kind of guy. But he would
look at me, he slapped me on the band, go hey, well,
how you doing. He's good to see you. You're the
only guy I ever missed on you know that, you know,
and you're laughing away. They're going really and then he'd
(18:28):
give that big laugh and smile and you just you
love the man. He was just a great man. Absolutely, Yeah,
what about another good story?
Speaker 4 (18:37):
Now we're on a roll here, Well, I put the
book down. There's other Bengals stuff, you know, but it's
just my Bill mud story. He would always tell me
about you. No, I'd say, what do you think of
this guy? You know, a couple of months of the camp,
what do you think of this rookie? He was not
(18:58):
a definitive, you know, he's one of those guys that
thinks that players develop and change. You know, I need
answers now. I would tease him after the first day
of rookie minicamp. I'd go up to him and say, well,
what do you think of the draft class? He would
shake his head, you know, he would forget that I
(19:18):
do this every year to him. He would shake his head. Though,
you reporters, you just have no patience. I can't tell
you what this class looks like. Give me some time.
So that was always fun with him.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
Oh my god, yeah, No, I mean, mister Nunn was
he was one of a kind. But like you said,
the knowledge that he possessed was just phenomenal.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
And like you said, those early days you know I.
Speaker 3 (19:50):
Used to also work with like Gil Brandt, and so
so Gil would just tell these stories about him and
Bill going back and forth because back then, you know,
you only had one reel on guys. You know, it
was the sixteen millimeter like when you wanted to see
game film of guys. And so because Bill went to
(20:11):
the you know, knew all the coaches and would hit
the circuit for all of the all the HBCUs. He
if Bill got the tape, you know, then you know,
Gil would have to call and request the tape from
Bill up in Pittsburgh. And he was like, you know,
I'm still waiting on the tape from uh from He
(20:32):
was like, He's like, I'm still waiting on the tape
from from Elsie Greenwood and and also.
Speaker 4 (20:37):
From Ernie Holmes.
Speaker 2 (20:38):
He just started David the list.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
He's like, I never got I never got the tape
from So I'd have to try and beat him to
these colleges because if I if I asked for the tape,
I wasn't gonna get it from Bill Nunt.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
It's just so it was just.
Speaker 3 (20:50):
Like funny to hear like even the great Gil Brandt,
who you know you argue you was that kind of
guy for the Dallas Cowboys, and just how that Riley,
even outside of just on the field, really played out
when you think of the players from that era, and
it was just funny that that was another one where
it was just it was just hilarious to hear from
(21:11):
somebody else's perspective, Like you know, I go and I
see mister Nunn, and you know you're up there in Pittsburgh.
But then you hear the stories from other guys that
were on the recruiting trail trying to compete with him
about how he was just once he had it, Like
you said, I'm gonna keep a guy purposely off my
All American list just so I can make sure that
we draft him. And the same thing I withhold tape
(21:34):
even as well in the process.
Speaker 4 (21:38):
Well that, but the greatest reholding of tape story is
the Star Wars and we can get into that as
you want. It's it's well told, it's off and told,
and I spent a lot of time on it on
my on the Clock book, that previous book I wrote.
But you guys, you mentioned Ernie Holmes, and the story
(21:59):
struck me. The Bill Nunn scouting Ernie Holmes I believe
he went to Texas Southern. I could be wrong about that,
but it was a black school in Texas. And Ernie's
coach became very upset at the team they had just lost,
and he thought players were trying to stand out to
(22:19):
the scouts too much, so he gave them all uniforms
without numbers for the following week, and None and Art
Reniey Jr. Went to see them, and it was a
pouring rainstorm, so they wanted to get closer to the
field and they noticed nobody had numbers. And they were
(22:40):
walking past the bench and Ernie saw Bill Nunn. Mister Nunn,
mister Nunn, mister or Nunn. Hi, Hi, Hi, it's me Ernie. Oh,
it's me fat. They even caught him fat then. So
none of the other scouts knew who was who in
this game except coach None, you know, not coaching, but
you know Bill because he knew because Ernie had waved
(23:04):
high to him and made a big deal. So that
was the scouting of Ernie Holmes, and of course the
scouting of John Stalwart. It was a Thanksgiving game. That's
a good story. Thanksgiving rivalry game between Tennessee State and
Alabama's A and m's where stal Wart went Alabama A
(23:25):
and M, and they were rivals, and Bill none knew everybody.
All the coaches loved him. They wanted favor from him.
He was the kingmaker, right, and so he had the
advantage of the night before of going to a party
with the Alabama A and M coach. It was a
pre Thanksgiving party, little you know, festival before the game,
(23:47):
and the coach said, keep your eye on John Stalwart.
Our game plan is to throw to him all day.
And Tennessee State had too tall, too tall Jones and
another prospect, so there were a lot of scouts there
and Bill of course went and it was a legendary
game by Star Wars, something like thirteen catches two hundred
(24:09):
and five yards something like that in Alabama and M.
I'm not sure if they won, but it was a
big rivalry. So Bill of course went to uh time Stalwarts.
I don't know how soon after that game it was,
but went to time him and it was a muddy
day and I think Star Wars was a little sick,
(24:30):
and they got him at four eight and all the
scouts saying, all right, that's disappointing, and they're all leaving,
and you know, they knocked on Bill's door the next
day and Bill said, yeah, I don't feel so good.
I'm gonna I'm gonna wait. I'm gonna go on a
later flight. So they all left. Of course, None goes,
knocks on Star Wars' dorm door, takes them to a
dryer field, gives them some good colleats and name. He
(24:54):
ran like a four to six, so none had him
at four to six. All the other scouts had him
at four eight, and none knew all the other scouts.
And while he was there, he went down to the
coaching building and said, hey, give me that tape from
that Thanksgiving game, will you. He got the tape and
he brought it home and he wasn't letting that suck
(25:15):
or get out right, And that got passed around the offices,
and it was called the Don Hudson tape because it
was who was this incredible player, and Chuck of course
fell in love with him. And they tell the story
if you'd walk past the room, and offensive coaches were
watching it again and again like some kind of fantasy tape,
(25:37):
you know. So uh and and back in those days,
the draft was held in January, right, So it wasn't
like four months of waiting for the tape. It wasn't
like he so he only had to put him off
for a couple of weeks. And you know, Chuck, Chuck
told him get that tape back, Art Rudy Jr. Get
that tape back, and Bill would be like, yeah, okay,
(25:59):
and he never did. So he knew going into that draft.
You know, Chuck wanted him over lyn Swan. Chuck wanted
Stalwarts in the first round. The tape was that good,
and uh yeah, so but but none new and Rooney Jr.
Knew everyone else had him at four eight and no
(26:20):
one else has seen this tape, the Don Hudson tape,
and so but Chuck he didn't want to buy, you know.
So the first round they talked him into They talk
him into the drafting lyn Swan out of usc who's
been on TV, right, and so Dallas wanted him and
they lost a coin flip. There was a coin flip
for pick twenty one, and uh the Steelers won and
(26:43):
picks one. The second round. You know, Chucky, he's like,
all right, now get the Stalwarts and they're like, you know,
we don't want to take receivers back back, Chuck, we
can wait on this. So they drafted Lambert. Third round,
they didn't have a pick, and and Arnie Junior tells
the story of Chuck just glaring Adam twelve the entire
you guys screwed this up. I know you did. You
(27:06):
guys really, They're like, take it easy. We got this.
You know, we don't want to tell you why we
know we got this because we cheated you. So the
fourth round comes and San Diego needed a receiver. In
San Diego drafted a receiver I think it was out
Penn State and uh. And then then they call them
(27:28):
saddled over Chuck and they got their guys Star Wars.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
Wow, what that all?
Speaker 5 (27:35):
I didn't know all those elements like that that.
Speaker 4 (27:40):
It's a really cool side note to that story. Both
Swan and Stalwart war twenty two in college and both
wanted it in the NFL. And then they found out
that they couldn't. You know, you had to pick in
the eighties, right, right, And so Swan picked first and
he he went from twenty two. He said, well, eighty eight, right,
(28:03):
and stal Wars said eighty two, which is kind of
his his version of being close to twenty two. Right,
he got eighty two. Yeah, so that's how those numbers
came about and they are not used today.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
Oh my god. Is that is a tremendous story.
Speaker 3 (28:21):
And this is kind of you know, the stuff that
you get, right, I mean, like you said, I mean, Jim,
you go deep into the woods on the clock, right,
is really where you talk about that when your previous book.
But then you talk about the table book and all
the different vignettes that are on there. I mean, you
get a truth sense of the Steelers history.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
And I mean, and that's that makes it so great
because this is the stuff that a lot of fans.
Speaker 3 (28:45):
If you are a fan, this makes you an even
more intelligent and more in the no fan to be
able to have these type of stories to draw from.
That's that's pretty awesome. That's pretty awesome. I appreciate that
reporting as well. Now I got to ask you about
I know we went historical on the Bengals, but about
I mean, let's talk about the future making. You know,
(29:08):
obviously the Thursday night game did not go as well.
It will go down as a game that had a
lot of snow in it, snow globe game, right, Is
that what everybody's dubbing it early right now, But just
kind of your thoughts about how the Steelers came out
on a short week against the Ravens to then go
play and now we got a third straight divisional game
(29:28):
in a row in consecutive weeks, and of course the
cincinnineteen that looks very fearsome can put up a lot
of points.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
What what what are your thoughts?
Speaker 4 (29:38):
Okay, well, just to touch lightly on the Cleveland game.
I predicted Cleveland to win, and I was on DV
Morning show and I predicted it, and I said, I
pointed to the odds. I'm an age old watcher of odds,
the odds movements, and I feel like I have an understanding,
decent understanding of them. And I said, I asked them,
(30:02):
why do you think that line has gone from three
and a half to three? That people the big money
was on Cleveland. And when it's always curious like that,
you know when you have to ask why why is
that happening? There's a reason. So you jump ahead to
the Cincinnati game, and you know, you look at the
(30:23):
firepower of the Bengals and they're on a buy and
they're coming off a loss and this is their season.
They can still run the table. Their schedule's kind of easy.
They can run the table when six in a row
finished ten and seven and maybe make the playoffs. And
they've got T Higgins healthy, They've got Jamar Chase, They've
got a really good playmaking tight end and Mike Jisiki,
(30:46):
and they've got a talented other wide receiver that they
drafted this year, Jermaine Burton. They've got some talent and
a quarterback. And you're saying they're going to blow the
Steelers out, and you know, how how are the Steelers
in their Nodgy Harris centric run game and to keep
up with them? How? How is it possible? And you know,
(31:09):
I'm going to go look at the odds on this,
and you look, and the odds are the Steelers are
being bet on. The odds are changing towards the Steelers,
and you say, why, So that's all the that's the
only positivity I can offer, because I by the looks,
by the looks of things, it looks like a Bengals
(31:29):
blowout to me. But why why are the smart guys
in Las Vegas betting on the Steelers? What do they
see here? So that that's something at the end of
the game as they pull out the miracle, remember this,
you know, when you have to ask why there's a reason.
Speaker 5 (31:49):
Well, that was nicely done, Jim. When did you do
that on your podcast last night that I was on.
Speaker 4 (31:56):
Because I was longing for my last half of pizzas
that you were already got it.
Speaker 2 (32:04):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 4 (32:07):
I won my glasses for the first time ever in
front of anybody, and nobody noticed. And I don't know
if I could see well through them or not, but
I don't know. I was wondering about the glasses the
whole time, so I don't know if you noticed.
Speaker 2 (32:25):
I know, you know what that's like.
Speaker 5 (32:28):
Like my wife always says, you know, I'm a little
a little lazy on the details.
Speaker 6 (32:32):
You know, wex Wolf can't remember his own glasses, let
alone somebody else's.
Speaker 4 (32:38):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
I mean the fact that.
Speaker 3 (32:39):
He takes his own glasses from his He takes glasses
from his wife all the time, just like you know.
Yeah see, oh my goodness. Well, we truly appreciated the time.
And like you said, you have you have the signing.
Remind everybody once again the Greensburg marsin No Wolf that.
Speaker 4 (33:01):
Barnes and Nobles, Saturday, November thirtieth, from one to three.
It's this Saturday from one to three. It's a big
local authors signing. So you can find some cool books
and get him signed and you know, help the literary
cause that Wolf is heading up in the Pittsburgh area.
Speaker 5 (33:19):
That's right, what we're doing, right, we got the club,
Yeah exactly. I mean I could just see Wolf once again. Yeah,
it would be it would be good.
Speaker 3 (33:32):
I want you to lead that next time Wolf only
only picture books though, Well.
Speaker 5 (33:35):
You know what, maybe we'll go to calients, have a
round table, you know, until we got pizza and yeah,
book signings, how about that that'd be good.
Speaker 4 (33:44):
Well, you know that would Jimmy book, Jimmy Rooney's audio book.
That's you know you can get. You can get a
couple of books, you know, get one you can listen
to while you reading the other one and looking at
the pictures.
Speaker 2 (33:56):
There you go.
Speaker 4 (33:58):
Yeah, uh yeah. I'm a big Jimmy Rooney fan. And
of course Dan Rooney just incredible. I wrote something for
Steeler's Digest about why I like Jack Reacher. Do you
ever watch the show Reacher on Amazon Prime?
Speaker 2 (34:16):
Such a great show.
Speaker 4 (34:20):
Now well, Max, do you watch Sopranos and Breaking Bad
and Yellowstone?
Speaker 2 (34:26):
Absolutely?
Speaker 4 (34:28):
Okay, Well I've watched them to a point and then
I stopped because you start to root for bad people. Yeah,
I mean, you know, the Sopranos are bad people, but
you're you're set up in this to root for them
because of the complexity of human nature. Blah blah blah.
I don't want complexity in my shows. I want Jack
(34:50):
Reacher fighting for the good, saving the world and winning
every time.
Speaker 5 (34:59):
Who's the better Reacher? Did you like Tom Cruise or
the Amazon guy?
Speaker 4 (35:04):
Oh? No, Amazon guy?
Speaker 2 (35:06):
Exactly? Yeah, the Amazon got by far. Yeah, by far.
Speaker 5 (35:09):
Tom Cruise doesn't even I mean, he's.
Speaker 4 (35:12):
So massive, and he has no money and no car,
and he loves the Blues. And I tell you this,
this little this little comments, these little bands that I
hate that everyone else loves. That I hate to bring
up because I'm a bad guy. Then for hating a
haul and Out and hating.
Speaker 6 (35:31):
Kandas carry on my wayward son, I hate that I
grew up with that.
Speaker 4 (35:40):
I don't don't even try. You young guys, you know
I hate Kansas And frankly, I'm giving Renegade a little
break here because of Mike Marchinsky came up with the
greatest marketings scheme of all Steelers history. But man, I
hate sticks and.
Speaker 5 (36:03):
Thanksgiving.
Speaker 4 (36:04):
Man, I'm thankful for all the music Ryan Bingham and uh,
all the Americana that I listened to, the James Jason Isbell,
Uh the what's the the new guy? He sings something
(36:24):
in the Orange I remember, Yeah, yeah, you gave me,
you gave me a great song. It sings. He sings
with springing. I love that stuff. That stuff real. And
you've got Jack Leacher who will stop in the middle
and say, maybe I had to get you some Holland
Oats tickets. Does that make you happy? And it's so
mocking and and he he's going to here listen to
(36:48):
a blues band and I love that in the middle
of that show.
Speaker 3 (36:53):
Yeah yeah, now absolutely, well back once again. Thank you
so much every Wednesday, you know, for joining us and
providing levity, and we're gonna we're gonna try and go
find some uh some Nongo Halo holy.
Speaker 2 (37:07):
Water to sprinkle over the studio.
Speaker 3 (37:10):
Now you said hate stix because I don't want any
now coming to our studio, so uh with that, with that, hey,
have a very happy Thanksgiving. Uh geez oh yeah, happy
Thanksgiving brother.
Speaker 2 (37:26):
Yeah. But also, but like you said, the Black Friday,
go ahead.
Speaker 4 (37:33):
Good, another twenty four hours of fasting Wolf. I imagine
you'll even be in a better move. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (37:39):
By fast twenty four hours, don't come near me for
twenty three.
Speaker 3 (37:44):
Yeah yeah, hey, we we guys. You can go have
the rest of your pizza with ricotta. By the way,
you could have it.
Speaker 2 (37:52):
I will block, I will block the glare of.
Speaker 3 (37:54):
Wolf so you can get something in your sistance because
you don't want to go into Thanksgiving with a with
an empty stomach.
Speaker 2 (37:59):
Uh yeah, but also awesome.
Speaker 3 (38:04):
Thanks wex We're gonna step aside.
Speaker 2 (38:06):
Remember, go to Steel City Insider.
Speaker 3 (38:07):
There's a big Black Friday sales seventy five percent off
of the website. It's amazing. You get all kinds of
great commentary. And then of course the book Jim wexl
dot com you can find all of his great literary works.
And of course this Saturday he will be at the
greens Bay Barnes and Nobles from one to three doing
a book signing of his amazing Coffee Coffee table book.
(38:28):
It's awesome, all right, let's step aside. We want your calls. Next,
we're gonna open up the phone lines four one, two,
nine six one. Here, what's your thankful Thanksgiving? When we
come back here inside the Locker Room on Steel's Audio
Now network.
Speaker 1 (39:14):
This is in the Locker Room, presented by Ford and
brought to you by acro Sure, the official insurance and
Cybersecurity partner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, by Bett MGM, Huntington Bank, PNC, PEPSI,
and by FedEx. Where now meets next. Now here's Craig
Wolfley and Max Starks.
Speaker 2 (39:36):
You know, we owned a.
Speaker 5 (39:37):
Little long with Wax last segment here, and you know
we're gonna try to give time for people calling and
telling me. You tell, I'm I'm burping upff sandwich.
Speaker 2 (39:49):
Yeah what I was gonna say.
Speaker 5 (39:51):
You know, Weax is talking about I'm on him for
eating a pizza and then here I'm knocking down a
McMuffin sandwich.
Speaker 2 (39:58):
You know with sausage. It was good you start your
twenty four hour fast.
Speaker 5 (40:02):
Yeah, I got to restart that. So anyhow, we want
to give time to have people call and say what
they're thankful for. But you know what, we only got
to get a few minutes here, So what better way
to start off and from see our Stealers Nation and
see our the pressures on you to come up with
what are you thankful for at this time of year?
Speaker 7 (40:20):
Hey, guys, see, I'll send in Chicago. Appreciate you guys
called allow me to speek today and what.
Speaker 5 (40:25):
I'm thankful for.
Speaker 7 (40:27):
I'm thankful for the fact that I was born to
be a Stealer fan.
Speaker 4 (40:31):
Man.
Speaker 7 (40:33):
You know, people can talk that.
Speaker 2 (40:35):
Talk, but we've got the best fans.
Speaker 7 (40:36):
We've got the best team. I mean, I know about
my family and life and all that kind of stuff,
but I'm trying to keep this connected to the game
and well. People who are now Stiller fan, I just
feel sad for them, man, I feel.
Speaker 2 (40:48):
So bad for them.
Speaker 7 (40:50):
I mean, we've had the best collection of games and
players and NFL reports and status and all that kind
of stuff. So I'm very thankful, very very tactful to
be a member still the Nations, and also to be
able to communicate with you guys on a consistent basis
because it makes me feel closer to the team. And
(41:11):
still the Nation is blessed to have you guys out
there doing what you do.
Speaker 5 (41:15):
Beautiful well, since now, what do you think about the
game coming up? The living stuffing out of the turkeys
from Bengal Land.
Speaker 2 (41:25):
I don't know about the stuffing, man, I want someone
to dumped it.
Speaker 4 (41:27):
Anyway.
Speaker 2 (41:28):
I'm excited.
Speaker 7 (41:29):
Like I said, I'm just off of the court city
of Womanton, which is the home of umber fifty six
dollars Hotsmith, and he's gonna be back on the field
this weekend.
Speaker 2 (41:37):
So that's gonna.
Speaker 7 (41:38):
Be That's gonna be great him and TJ tightening up
the defense. I think we're gonna win. I always think
we're gonna win. I think it's gonna be a much
better game. As I said, it's all about the players.
When they block, tackle, kick, catch, do what they're supposed
to do. We normally come out in a favorable position.
And I'm also thankful too that hey, I got to
(41:59):
speak before one today.
Speaker 2 (42:05):
We'll played well played.
Speaker 4 (42:07):
See r so a Max look.
Speaker 2 (42:12):
West. I appreciate you guys.
Speaker 7 (42:14):
I mean I feel as if I know you guys personally.
I love you guys individually and collectively. And for those
that don't know you guys the way I do, I
feel sad for them. So I'm gonna get out of here.
Happy Thanksgiving everybody, and as we say in the meantime
and in between times, here we go, here we.
Speaker 5 (42:35):
Go, all right, thank you having a Turkey Day tomorrow. Man,
that's yeah, thank you absolutely, brother. You know, it's it's great.
You know, this day is there's so much to be
thankful for. And you know, I was thankful and I
went through my Listen, what are you thankful for?
Speaker 2 (42:55):
Max?
Speaker 5 (42:57):
You know already I'm sorry I did that the first,
you know, and then not realizing yeah, we're gonna be
in the last segment, but go ahead.
Speaker 2 (43:04):
Yes, no, you know what. I'm thankful for family, I'm
thankful for friends.
Speaker 3 (43:12):
And this is one of the few holidays that there
isn't some type of exchange of gifts or anything else.
Speaker 2 (43:21):
This is truly, I think verbalizing.
Speaker 3 (43:25):
And and physically showing you know who and what you're
thankful for. Why I appreciate this holiday so much because
it allows an opportunity to reflect and the ability to share.
Speaker 2 (43:39):
You know, our thoughts. You know, because I mean, let's
just face it.
Speaker 3 (43:43):
As men, you know, you always talk to guard your emotions,
guard your feelings, don't show any emotion. You know, you're
always tough you're always this. This gives you a chance
to kind of bring your guard down, you know, and
I can speak from from that perspective of you can
you can, you can be vulnerable, you can be tender
in the moments and just tell people that you love them,
you appreciate them and what they mean to you in
(44:05):
your life. And I think that's one of the things
that I've always appreciated about this holiday is that, you know,
before we child down and get to you know, copious
amounts of carnage from from a food intake area, you
do take those those couple of subtle moments to go
around the table and and tell and allow everybody the
voice to speak about what they're thankful for, and then
(44:26):
of course to commune together as families as friends.
Speaker 2 (44:30):
You know, some people have friends.
Speaker 3 (44:32):
Givings and Thanksgivings and all these other type of holidays.
But a collection of people together sharing food that you
care about, I think is one of those ultimate signs
of just respect for one another. And so even though
you know family tables can be a little bit hectic
at times, embrace the fact that you get to be
around family and you get to be around friends in
this holiday because there's a lot of people that, you
(44:54):
know what would wish for the same that might not
have that opportunity.
Speaker 2 (44:57):
So just being thankful for being thankful.
Speaker 5 (45:00):
Indeed, so very well said my good man. You know
tomorrow I have the the privilege pleasure. One of the
things I love to do is been doing this a while,
is you go to Light of Life rescue mission and
you serve up some lunch, you know, and so one
of the things I the lunch is so good. It's like, man,
I want to grubify myself while I'm there.
Speaker 2 (45:18):
You know. It's like, no, no, stop, just this is.
Speaker 3 (45:22):
People do not take that piece of bread that you're
about the hand of somebody and dip it in.
Speaker 2 (45:25):
The gravy and then eat it.
Speaker 5 (45:26):
Well, I know, but you know what I love about
What I love about the Light of Life though, is
to see the faces of the men and women who
come in who you know, they are the they are
the ones that are having a tough go in life,
you know. And you see how that they reach out
their hands and feet of Jesus to the people on
the North Side and throughout Pittsburgh, and and what a
(45:48):
great job they do, and just how those those people
doing that that service there. Man. They are my heroes,
you know, because they just they reach people on a
level that you know, we're they're really hurting, you know,
and you see that, and you want to be do
something to help that, you know, to uh make their
(46:11):
day better, you know. And that's that's certainly just a
wonderful thing. And I hope that folks. You know, anybody
that wants to at any time served down a light
of life, you can contact them. And the other thing
is that you can also donate, because you know that
money just goes right to takeing care of those that
are are less fortunate. And so it's a great place
(46:32):
to be on a thank them and day. So Max,
you want to take us out, brother, Yeah, we have
to do one more thing, one more segment. Oh good
heaven wax, Oh, I forgot again, zeus take us out.
We'll be right back. Okay, I'll take us out so
you can end it back. Sorry, I got lost in that,
(46:55):
all right, So thank you, folks. We appreciate everybody hanging
in there. We're a little discombobulated. We'll be back with
more from the Steelers Audio Network right here in the
locker room. Pre Thanksgiving day.
Speaker 1 (47:27):
This is in the Locker Room, presented by Ford and
brought to you by acro Shure, the official insurance and
cybersecurity partner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, by BET MGM, Huntington Bank, PNC, PEPSI,
and by FedEx. Where now meets next? Now here's Craig
Wilfley and Max Stark's.
Speaker 2 (47:50):
All right, everybody, I'm for the bell lab.
Speaker 3 (47:57):
And of course we have to say at this at
the end of the our hour, it's our boy optimist.
Speaker 2 (48:02):
He has to come on through.
Speaker 3 (48:08):
All this stuff that we kind of missed earlier, so
you kind of wrap it into one. That is your
early fasting system. By the way, with that bell lap.
So if if you want to fast alongside wolfully, they're
giving you an official timer. You can start that right
after the show. Twenty four hours of fasting.
Speaker 6 (48:25):
Jesus, Jesus did it for forty days and forty nights. Sorry,
you can do twenty four hours.
Speaker 2 (48:30):
Come on, you can do one whole day.
Speaker 3 (48:33):
I mean, at least at least you ate something before
I started the fast. I didn't do it with muscle
on you. I didn't sh I didn't shame you. You
did WX about the ricatta on his mustache.
Speaker 6 (48:45):
Uh, Maxwell, let him get one more breakfast sandwich in
the kitchen on the one out and.
Speaker 3 (48:51):
Then fast Yeah exactly. Hey, Hey, once he exits the
car at his home, then he must start fasting.
Speaker 6 (48:59):
Wait, man, I don't hear that stops taco bell ras
wends on.
Speaker 2 (49:05):
The he doesn't get home like seven o'clock tonight.
Speaker 6 (49:11):
Gets tell him after breakfast tomorrow morning.
Speaker 2 (49:16):
Exactly like Garfield.
Speaker 3 (49:19):
Oh my god, but no, but but honestly, truly, guys,
I'm also I'm thankful for the two of you.
Speaker 2 (49:26):
I'm thankful for stealing nation.
Speaker 4 (49:28):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (49:29):
This is this is a fun job to come to
every day. I mean, you know, it's not work when
you get to have fun and you get to be
around people that you truly enjoy.
Speaker 2 (49:36):
So I am thankful for you too as well.
Speaker 3 (49:41):
Yeah, you know, as well as just to get into callers,
you know, having the curs the one sarcastic sources, George's
of the word, Melvin Chris, all the guys that call
in and ladies that call in show we're truly appreciative.
I mean we don't we don't have a job if
we don't have you know, support, from you, guys, We're
truly appreciative and truly.
Speaker 2 (50:01):
Thankful, not only during this holiday but all the times.
But I figure it's a great time to verbalize it
as well. Wolf.
Speaker 5 (50:07):
Indeed, you're exactly right, my good man, love you both,
Love Steelers Nation. Thank you so much always for the
privilege of coming here and doing this job with you
and for you.
Speaker 2 (50:19):
So yes, yes, and West can do all this on
his show. So I'm not going to let him talk
right now.
Speaker 6 (50:25):
No, I'm just I'll just say, boys, I know I've
told you guys this before, but if you would have
told me when I was a teenager, when I was
in college, that i'd be, you know, producing shows, part
of a radio family with you know, the guy that
I watched on the offensive line and the guy that
I listened to the game broadcasts and new played on
the offensive line, I would have pinched myself. And so
I still have to do that from time to time.
(50:46):
So it's a it's a blast and an honor.
Speaker 3 (50:50):
Oh man, Well, with that that has been a show.
Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone. We will not be coming
to you tomorrow. We will not be coming to you
on Friday. The next time you will hear us will
be during the game broadcasts. Of course, we'll be back
with our normally scheduled programming on Monday. Go have a
happy Thanksgiving. He's Craig wolf Lee, I'm Max Starch Wes
(51:11):
Euler on the Ones and twos CJ in the back
since day La Montina, Happy Thanksgiving and go make it
a great holiday
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