September 26, 2025 • 44 mins
Coverage continues from across the pond as we hear from former Steeler TE Mark Bruener and the guys talk more things Ireland.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Your tunes about Drive on your twenty four to seven
Home of the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
It is the first time that Matt and I have
ever been in Dublin in Ireland, but boy, it sure
feels like home. And if you're listening to the background, welcome,
very warm welcome from the people, from the culture. From
as we mentioned, the weather which has been unseasonably nice
these these past two days. You can also hear I'm
trying to turn the microphone off a little bit, but
Renegade has been blasted in the background. I mean, it's
(00:42):
just been absolutely incredible. And so you know what, Matt,
we are today and tomorrow on the show, we'll bob
and weave between Ireland and Dublin conversation and you know,
just Steelers, Vikings x's and o's and specific game stuff.
Let's chase the shiny silver object.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
Forgot it?
Speaker 2 (00:59):
If you er maybe chased a Blarney stone or something
like that here. That's the one thing that I actually
haven't thought about until just now. I wonder where the
Blarney stone is.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
Mentioned to you last night that I have a good
buddy that lived here briefly.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
You did tell me this last night.
Speaker 4 (01:14):
And said don't kiss, don't kiss the Blarney stone. The
locals like to uh use it as a journal a
laugh of themselves, like.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
I'm picking up what you're putting down.
Speaker 4 (01:26):
Who's gonna kiss this stupid stone right now? I'm not
making it might be not stupid, but whatever he said,
the locals will get a little chuckle out of that
that someone's gonna kiss this tomorrow or whatever.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
Right, Oh goodness, gracious, yeah, just be careful out there.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
I uh, I don't think I would have kissed the
Blarney stone before you know that information, but definitely definitely.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
Now I'm not a germophobe. But I'm good on that.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
Yeah, I'm good on that.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
You could, you could? I can pass on that. Uh Matt,
let's do a little you know you.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
You and I would do this funny thing on Wednesdays,
typically on the show called Best of the West, where
it's just power rankings.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
It's just kind of tough to take power rankings.
Speaker 4 (02:00):
And that's what so far, we've just done best Teams Georgia.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
Yes, and we will switch it up throughout the year.
We'll start doing best Quarterbacks and some other things like
that as we roll along. But how about a little
best of the West today. We just tell some stories
and peel back the curtain on some guinness. Uh, you know,
visits and what where do you want to start? You
want to go first?
Speaker 4 (02:18):
Yeah, I think you'll get a kick out of my evening.
I mean, so we went pretty strong, and it was
for us during the day, you know.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
I mean we also slept for like three four hours
on the flight, long.
Speaker 4 (02:31):
Day, in very little sleep period. I got a strong
hour at the hotel, and then we were out and about,
having a blast, pounding guinnesses and having a good time.
So remarkably I hadn't like eaten it all. Every step
of the way.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
I kept telling for three hours we meet.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
Somebody, and I'd forget about it, and would go somewhere
else and forget about it. And finally we kind of
looked at each other like we should probably hang it up. Probably,
so I grab a five guys Burger. Didn't even realize
when I put put posted in I got an extra paddy,
so it was a triple decker when I got home. Jesus,
thing's ridiculous. But I'm starving, So anyway, I get back
to my room, crush the burger hadn't eaten it like
(03:10):
all day. I mean I honestly had like a cliff
bar that day. So I'm like, oh great, I'm feeling good,
but I'm tired. But I'm like it's still like eight o'clock.
I mean, I'm like not programmed to go to bed.
If I could have bed before midnight, it's weird, weird
for you.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
Now you're looking at there a night out.
Speaker 4 (03:29):
I'm just looking at the clock like it's eight o'clock.
There's things to be done. So, I mean, as people
do in a hotel, there's a lot of space. So
I grabbed my laptop laying in bed. What's that We're
live on the radio at the people.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
That's all right, we're doing that. We're doing it live, baby.
Speaker 4 (03:52):
So I crawl in there and I grabbed my laptop
and like a nerd, I'm like, I'm gonna start watching
Carson Wentz Cutoups all twenty two. You know, I'm playing.
I'm doing this. I didn't try to put the burger
down already, like Burger's gone. That was step one. And
I'm sitting there in bed and I'm like I was
gonna do this on the plane, but my internet connection
wasn't good enough. I couldn't do the All twenty two.
I'm gonna do it before you know, kick off. I
(04:13):
really want to watch the Wentz All twenty two. I
maybe got two plays and I must have just crashed
like immediately. I'm in bed and I'm still in like
jeans and like like not even like comfortable stuff. And
it's probably eight oh three and I'm probably snoring and
the Carson Wentz cut up or on the floor and
somewhere in the bed rolling around on my laptop. So
(04:35):
I'm out and I wake up like suddenly, I'm like,
oh man, I crashed hard. It must be like four
or five in the morning. And I pull up my phone.
I'm like midnight. It's eleven and I'm like, totally spokes,
It's only eleven o'clock. And I'm like, is it PM
or AM? Did I sleep for twenty hours? Or did
(04:56):
I sleep for three? It was it was PM, so
I got like three whole hours. I was totally clueless
at that point. Said I'm sitting there thinking, I'm like,
oh man, I'll put on Thursday Night Football. I mean,
I missed the first half, but I'm gonna throw it
on hadn't even started for like two and a half hours, right,
So I'm like, I've never missed a game. I can't.
(05:18):
I'm not gonna miss this game. I mean, I'm in
good shape. So I set my alarm again. Yeah yeah,
So I'm like, I'm still really tired. I don't know
what I'm doing up, go use the bathroom super quick,
crawl back in. I'm like, I'll set my phone for
one am. I'll get up and watch a game. I
got five hours in I can go back to bed afterwards.
I do that. At one o'clock Mary Maryland. You know,
(05:40):
alarm goes off. I'm like, no way, I was rocked out. Yeah, done,
not getting back up, but I guess somewhere in the
back of my warped football mind. About an hour later,
I woke up again and I'm like, I'm kind of
like rested, and there's a football game going on. What
am I doing right? Right? And I'm like, what am
(06:01):
I doing? It was half I checked, it's half time.
I'm like, I'll just sit here and watch the whole
second half at like three thirty in the morning, and
I was my head was dobbin, you know, bobbing a
little bit and I'm laying there on my side with
my glasses on and the only thing I could get
it on with my phone. And it's like right next
day and I'm still like into it, and it almost
went to overtime, Like, don't go to over time. So
(06:24):
I did watch the second half and then like as soon.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
As it was over, I was like right back to seph.
Speaker 4 (06:28):
You know. Then I end up sleeping. I bet eleven
hours total. Yeah, not in a row at all, but
then I mean I got from that point on it
was but I was so discombobulated, so I'm still kind
of understand any of it. And then I tried to
relate it back to you know, home, and I'm like sturtsay,
night games on, let's go, let's do it. That's all
I even started for two.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
Hours, it's not even starting, right. That is hilarious.
Speaker 4 (06:50):
That was my night.
Speaker 3 (06:51):
That's that's impressive.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
So I went to bed at like eight forty five
and slept till seven thirty.
Speaker 4 (06:58):
I mean, yeah, yeah, I slept eleven too, right, with
a little stuff in between.
Speaker 5 (07:02):
Right.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
I texted my wife at like eight forty five and
was like, you know, love you, Like I'll text you
in the morning.
Speaker 4 (07:07):
You know that you too. I'm like, I'm going to bed,
and she's like, she's.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
Like, it's two forty five in the afternoon, the girls
up to Daycarey.
Speaker 4 (07:14):
I know there's a time difference, but that's still early dude,
right yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
And she's like, you're lying, like you're going out. I
was like, babe, like I swear to you, I'm bent. Yeah,
all right, So my turn, I'll tell you about this crazy,
crazy morning that I had. Woke up at about seven thirty, Okay,
felt great. It's like I just slept for eleven hours.
I was like, I'm back. I'm back, fantastic, Like I.
Speaker 4 (07:34):
Feel great today for the first time. I have no
idea what time it is at the moment, but I
do feel rested.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Finally, we our hotel is like right next to the
water here.
Speaker 5 (07:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (07:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
So I'm like, it's seven thirty, like it's early still,
the sun's coming up. I'm like, I'm just gonna go
outside for fifteen minutes.
Speaker 4 (07:51):
And just went a beautiful day walk by.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
The water, check it out, come back inside, go to
breakfast at the hotel, having this great full Irish breakfast.
It was delicious. Tomorrow go upstairs, take a shower. Okay
it is.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
And by this point it's like almost nine am, it's
probably eight fifty.
Speaker 4 (08:08):
I'm out of the shower, dressed, feeling good, rested, feeling great.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
I have a tour at Guinness at ten am. Okay,
So I I got like seventy minutes till Guinness, and
I'm like, okay, it was like a twenty minute uber,
so not too far. And then I walked from Guinness
to here, yes, which is reasonably close, which is which
was a fifteen minute walk, not bad at all. And
again the weather's great. I'm exploring the city as I walk, Yeah,
walking past Saint Patrick's Cathedral and all awesome. I'm like, okay,
(08:36):
I got about seventy minutes till my tour at Guinness starts.
It's a twenty minute uber. I was like, but you
know what, like, i'll order my uber here soon. Worst
case scenario, I'll just poke around Guinness, you know, I'll
check out the area that's around it, all that stuff.
I get ready to order my uber mat about nine
am this morning, and I got this massive wave of
like nauseousness and queasiness. I think something that I had
(08:59):
with my friend. The Irish breakfast did not agree with
my stomach. Not to skive people out at home. I
threw up twice and went back and it wasn't like
a hangover throw.
Speaker 5 (09:10):
Oh no.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
I felt great.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
And then all of a sudden, it was like I
was nauseous. I was queasy, my hands were like tingly.
I threw up twice. It had to be food poisoning.
I threw up twice.
Speaker 4 (09:20):
Maybe you're lucky to didn't like get through your system like
you started out.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
What I'm hoping?
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Ye yeah, And I was like, okay, I feel a
little bit better, but I can't go to Guinness right now.
Like the last thing I wanted at that point was
a beer. Like right, crawled back in bed. I enjoy this,
and I'm like, what if my stomach starts doing backflips
again while I'm in the.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
Middle of the tour.
Speaker 4 (09:37):
Well, not to mention, I mean, your primary responsibility here
is not Guinness, correct now, I'm like, I have to
do it the game coming up. I can't be a
mess exactly right.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
So I went back to bed for like ninety minutes
till like eleven thirty, woke up and felt great.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
My Guinness tour was at ten am, Like it's long
past missed it.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
But I had ordered a custom engraved Guinness glass from
from the from the gift shop. Now i'd be there,
and I was like, I don't want to have to
wait on them to engrave it and everything.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
I already paid for it. It was already ready all that.
Speaker 4 (10:08):
You're gonna get it the matter what was?
Speaker 2 (10:10):
So I was like, you know what, I was like,
I might not be able to do the tour. Whatever,
I'm still gonna go to Guinness. Hopefully, I'll go to
the store, I'll get my glass, I'll see.
Speaker 5 (10:17):
What I like.
Speaker 4 (10:17):
I might go later and I'll still enjoy myselfie if
I don't do the tour.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
Exactly right, exactly right. So I got there a little
afternoon and I kind of went up to the counter
and I was like, hey, told them what happened. I
was like, I was supposed to have a tour at
ten am this morning. I wasn't feeling good. I missed it.
I was like, but I'm wondering if I can just
go poke around and everything.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
The lady was like, she was like, get over here,
You're getting your tour all right.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
So they let me do the tour still and Matt,
I could spend three days there, I think, and still
not be bored. Wow, I told you it's seven stories.
Every floor is different exhibits about the history of guinness
or brewing the beer and all that stuff. Every floor
there's different restaurants and bars.
Speaker 4 (10:57):
And you said, there's a pouring class.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
There's a pooring class. There's there's a coffee place in there. Yeah,
Like if you're doing like a ten am tour, you
could go at like nine thirty and like have a
coffee and hang out. Like three different restaurants in the place,
a bunch of different bars. Obviously, as you can imagine,
the top floor is an entire three sixty view of
Dublin Sea Croke Park. You could see Trinity College, you
(11:22):
could see SAT That's a big European thing.
Speaker 4 (11:27):
There's not a ton of skyscrapers.
Speaker 3 (11:29):
In European cities. It was so cool.
Speaker 4 (11:34):
You're feeling good. I I all the bad stuff.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
Out I had.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
I had a croissant and a banana in the uber
on the way to to get my to get my
stomach back in order, and like I texted my wife
and I said, I have not smiled this much since
our children.
Speaker 4 (11:50):
Were born, like a correct view.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
About the backyard brawl two weeks ago. I was like,
all right, that's a good one. That's a good one.
That's a good sir. You're right, but it would like
I'm telling you, if you are somebody who loves Guinness,
like it is worth it to come over here just
to go to the factory alone.
Speaker 4 (12:08):
That's very cool.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
I mean it was awesome. You gotta you gotta get
you probably and well they also have thirty seven different beers.
I mean, you know, it's not just the Guinness stout.
They've got a ton of other beers there as well too.
And some casual restaurants where you can just get sandwiches
and fish and chips, some nice sit down restaurants where
they had like a five course seafood oyster meal.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
You know. Wow.
Speaker 4 (12:31):
Okay, So you could go there for like if you
were local, you could go there for like a nice dinner, yes,
date night, yes, you know right right, I said coffee
with you.
Speaker 2 (12:39):
If I didn't have if I didn't have anything to
do today workwise, I'd probably still be there now, I mean.
Speaker 4 (12:43):
Just enjoying yourself.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
You could easily spend five six seven hours there. The
gift shop is massive, as I'm sure you can imagine,
like take your laptop and work, take your right go
to the coffee and work.
Speaker 3 (12:55):
It was just very cool, so cool and uh and
so yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:59):
So that was kind of awesome.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
That was kind of my story of today of how
we we rallied. We got that food poisoning out of
our system and we rallied.
Speaker 4 (13:06):
So I've probably had more Guinness since we've landed than
I have in the last two years. I don't dislike it.
I don't drink a ton of beer, but many people
have told us. And a funny story from training camp.
We had some Irish folks join us at Mick and Greg.
Mick and Greg you know direct, you know, pure Irish
folks have it. They pour a Guinness for him at
(13:28):
Sharky's not Sharky's fault, and they're like, what is this?
What did you do to our wonderful beer? Yeah, and
they basically would not have the American version at all.
By the end of the night, they were drinking Miller
Highlights with me going what is this? But I guess
what in Rome, I'll drink these cold whatever they call this,
It's not beer, but whatever, and.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
That was another thing.
Speaker 4 (13:49):
But it's wonderful here.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
They have different tasting rooms all throughout the brewery and
I was like, I can't do that. I'm gonna be
twisted on.
Speaker 4 (13:56):
Air with Matt like yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
Kind of my one free beer that you'd get as
part of the tour, you get you get at the top,
at the at the at the three sixty bar, you get,
you get a free.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
Beer, and that's I had that one beer.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
But I was like, man again, I could I could
have spent six, seven, eight hours there easily trying all
the different beers, eating lunch, all that different stuff. It
was awesome. It was really cool again and kind of
the whole trip of a lifetime. This this place, from
start to finish so far has not disappointed in any aspect.
Speaker 3 (14:25):
We've got plenty more to get to. We're gonna hear
we certainly, we certainly will.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
In fact, we'll hear a little bit from Mark Brunner
on the other side as well too, as we continue
to rock and roll here from Fitzsimon's Temple Bar in Dublin.
We're up on the rooftop with all of Steeler Nations
seemingly there's one person over there in Purple, we.
Speaker 4 (14:42):
Might have to go beat them in. And everyone I've
noticed in Purple's like I happened to marry a Steeler fans,
so we'd go to both. Or I'm getting dragged.
Speaker 3 (14:49):
Here or whatever.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
When we were here, when we were here earlier with DV,
when there was someone would walk in in Purple, everybody
was booing them, and the one guy was like, come
on man. I was like, dude, just chug your beer.
I was like, one hundred people are booing you.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
Just chug your beer and they'll start to think you're
cool again.
Speaker 4 (15:06):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
We'll hear a little bit from Mark Brunner on the
other side. More stories, more x's and o's. It's all
happening here on Steelers Nation Radio. I'm a Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
Your tunes about Drive on your twenty four to seven
home of the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
Back at fitz Simon's Temple Bar in Dublin for our
special edition on location edition of the Drive here on
Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network. We were
hoping to for you today have former Steelers tight end,
current Steelers scout, father of current Steeler Carson.
Speaker 3 (15:53):
Brunner Mark Bruner on He of course.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Played in the nineteen ninety seven preseason game at Croke Park. Unfortunately,
due to some of our technical stuff here and due
to some other things that he had going on, he
was not able to join us for a segment, but
he did catch up with Mike Persuda while we were
all sitting here. Persuda was kind enough to record all
of that for us and share it with us. Here's
(16:15):
what Mark Bruner had to say about being in Dublin
where he played a preseason game nearly thirty years ago,
where his son is going to play a preseason game
or a regular season game part of me the first
regular season game in Dublin history on Sunday. Here is
what Mark Brunner had to say.
Speaker 5 (16:33):
We're joined now by Mark Bruner and Mark.
Speaker 6 (16:35):
I guess I could introduce you as former Steelers tight
end Mark Bruner. I could reference to as Steeler scout
Mark Bruner, but I think we got to start with proud.
Speaker 5 (16:46):
Dad Mark Bruner. Proud Dad Mark Bruner.
Speaker 7 (16:50):
It's it's been an amazing year for me personally and
our family for our son to be able to finish
his collegiate career like you did, and then go through
the draft process and drafted by our team in the
seventh round and continue to earn his opportunity to make
a spot on the fifty three men roster. It's truly
a story that I know our family's gonna remember forever,
and it's very surreal to know that my kids weren't
(17:12):
a Steeler helmet right now.
Speaker 6 (17:14):
You know, minutes after the draft, we talked to Mike
Tomlin and he said, yeah, cool story, I get it.
But Carson Brunner earned big draft and clearly he wasn't
wrong because he has earned throughout training camp and the
role he's playing on special teams now.
Speaker 7 (17:30):
He's if he had a different name, he still would
have been drafted by our team. And unfortunately the name
kind of carries is. My son was that way in
college because I went to University of Washington. He was
always referred to as Mark's son. And one thing I
really appreciated about my son is he works hard enough
and he wants he's proud to be a Brunner, but
(17:51):
he wants to make his own name for himself. And
Coach Thalman did make those comments and I could not
agree with them.
Speaker 5 (17:56):
More because my son really did a.
Speaker 7 (17:59):
Great job of separating himself and earning a spot on
our roster because of the way he played, and he
consistently made plays win, he had opportunities, and for us
to be able to watch that and see what he's
been able to do for himself truly as special.
Speaker 6 (18:12):
You know, it's interesting to bring that up, Mark, because
Carson has told us. And I didn't put this together
on draft. I was just thinking of the Steelers connection,
but he said, yeah, I kind of went down that
road that you dump, and I know how to do it.
I mean, help appreciate them with my dad and he
helps me out. But he has told me, hey, you're
doing this on your own.
Speaker 5 (18:33):
And he knows how.
Speaker 6 (18:35):
To escape that shadow, I guess, and both in college
and the pros, you cast.
Speaker 5 (18:40):
A fairly long one.
Speaker 7 (18:42):
He does a really good job of that, and I
try to leave him alone. You know, I'm going to
support him in every way that I can. I'm going
to help him in any way that I can as
a former college and professional player, as far as the
Riggers to what to expect, and me being a scout
for as long as I have with the team and
the organization. I tried to prepare him for what to
expect as far as the draft process, but ultimately he
(19:03):
led that train by himself, and he did a great
job of taking the bull by the horns and figuring
out how he's going to navigate through it. And the
kid really made a name for himself. The kid did
a great job at the combine, He did a great
job in the interviews himself. And you know, you can,
you can open the door for him, you can tell
him what to expect, but ultimately he's the one that
had to do the job himself and earn the job
(19:25):
that he did. And that's what I'm most proud of
is he's very proud of his name, but he's also
proud that he's.
Speaker 5 (19:30):
Been able to do it all on his own as well.
Speaker 6 (19:32):
What's the bigger deal for you having been the player
you were or seeing him become the player he's becoming.
Speaker 7 (19:38):
I personally think it's seeing him become who he is.
I had a wonderful career. I don't I don't minimize that,
nor do I ever forget that. I greatly appreciate my
opportunity in all the years that I played, But to
watch him and see him experience what I know is
the most amazing journey.
Speaker 5 (19:56):
Because I lived at myself. Truly is special for me.
It really we've known this game was coming for a while,
but I don't know.
Speaker 6 (20:04):
I've been here for a short time, and it's a
way bigger deal than I thought it was gonna be,
and I thought it was gonna be.
Speaker 5 (20:09):
A pretty big deal.
Speaker 6 (20:10):
Just give me kind of your early impressions of the
Steelers and Steeler Nation invading Ireland.
Speaker 7 (20:16):
It's we got out of my wife and I flew
in and we landed Thursday afternoon, and the amount of
Steeler presence that we've seen literally since we have stepped
foot on the on the airport and then here in
the town of Dublin is truly amazing.
Speaker 5 (20:29):
And a lot of people ask, what do I remember
from that.
Speaker 7 (20:32):
Ninety seven game here, And I definitely do not remember
the presence that the Stid Nation is showing here back then.
And I'm sure we had very good representation back then.
But the amount of Steeler.
Speaker 5 (20:44):
Representation that we have from all walks of life.
Speaker 7 (20:46):
To the amount of people that I see wearing Steeler jerseys, hats,
sweatshirts is truly amazing. And you know, I was walking
here to this event this afternoon and it was the
really first time I saw a significant amount of Viking presence,
and it was on one of the yellow busses that
it's touring around the city.
Speaker 5 (21:02):
But steel the presence is very, very strong here, Mike.
You know, there's a.
Speaker 6 (21:06):
Great video on Steelers dot com kind of taking a
deep dive into Dan Rudy and his connection to Ireland
and the Steelers connection to Ireland, and it's suggested therein
that when missus Rudey saw how nice the trophy was,
she decided that she wanted it.
Speaker 5 (21:27):
And Bill Kauer put you know, he.
Speaker 6 (21:30):
Was not unaware of that, and he put a little
more emphasis in beating the Bears then maybe a typical
preseason game.
Speaker 5 (21:36):
Any truth to that before that that is not a
wise tale. I'll just say that that is not a
wise tale at all. And we want to go out
and win every game that we played.
Speaker 7 (21:46):
There are certain preseason games where you just want to
make sure you get through it healthy. That game against
the Chicago Bears in ninety seven was not one of
those games that we just wanted to get through, if
you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (21:56):
So that that wise tale is. There's a lot of
truth to that.
Speaker 6 (22:00):
Talk a little bit if you can mark about the challenges.
It is a business trip, but it's about a whole
lot more than that, particularly for the Steelers. How do
you take everything from one side of the plump to
the other and make it function well.
Speaker 7 (22:15):
You know, a lot of times coaches will say, yeah,
we're just gonna treat it as a regular way game,
and and that's that's extremely difficult for the players. You've
got a time time change. Uh, you know that their
normal schedule is very disruptive.
Speaker 5 (22:26):
This is a home game for us.
Speaker 7 (22:28):
Uh, those guys are not anywhere close to the normal
regimen that they have regarded a home home game there
in Pittsburgh.
Speaker 4 (22:34):
Uh.
Speaker 7 (22:35):
For for the team and the players that come over
here and and and function the way they've they've been.
Speaker 5 (22:39):
They just landed this morning.
Speaker 7 (22:40):
Early, and they're going to have to find a way
to have put put the adversity of the time change
and the travel behind them. And I if anybody can
do it, I know our players can and our coaching
staff can find a way to motivate them as well.
Speaker 6 (22:53):
You kind of did a preseason game, plus as we
just discussed it. It didn't count but accounted. Yeah, what
what do you think for more then? And how far
ahead do you think everybody is now just dealing with
everything you have to deal with because the.
Speaker 5 (23:05):
NFL has done this reputably, I think that not here.
Speaker 7 (23:09):
But I know what you're saying, Mike, Yeah, it's this
game is at an international game, and I think the
players are more accustomed to traveling across time zones, and
coaches are doing a better job of training the players
for disruption, unexpected disruptions, finding a way to motivate them
mentally for them to block out their distractions. And there's
going to be a lot of distractions coming here, as
(23:30):
we talked about the disruption of the time, the time
and their normal schedule.
Speaker 5 (23:34):
And so what really is amazing is no matter where
you're playing, if.
Speaker 7 (23:39):
It's home in Pittsburgh or in La or Vegas or
Cleveland or Ireland, once you kick that ball off and
you're wearing a helmet and you're facing an opponent whatever
other color helmet that is, it is still the game
the sixty minutes in the game, and you.
Speaker 5 (23:54):
Find a way to kind of forget where you're at.
Speaker 7 (23:56):
But I want to find a way to win this
football game and play my best and a former player
that's gone through that, I think that's the similar sentiments
that those current players have is once stig ball is
kicked off, it kind of they're they're gonna forget that
they're in Double Larry and they just know they're gonna
play the Minnesota Vikings. They want to find to get
a way to get a win.
Speaker 5 (24:12):
You're here.
Speaker 6 (24:14):
There has been a parade of your former teammates and
other representatives of the organization, players whatever capacity, that had
either been here or are here now. M having my
difficulties wrap my head around that too, because I.
Speaker 3 (24:31):
Know the ty Fireland and what everything we've.
Speaker 6 (24:34):
Just discussed, but it seems like anybody who has ever
been associated with the Steelers.
Speaker 5 (24:39):
In any capacity is all in on this.
Speaker 7 (24:43):
And it just shows the support that that that the
Steeler Nation gets from not only the crowds, but the
former players. And it also shows how the players are
treated by our organization, by the Rooney family. And you
could probably pull a lot of players that have played
for a lot of different teams, and I think the
common u comments that you're gonna get from former players
is the way they're treated by the Bruney family. This
(25:03):
is a tough business, Mike, let's be clear, but you
can still treat people.
Speaker 5 (25:07):
With humane and you can still treat people the right way.
Speaker 7 (25:10):
And former players, if they played with us for a
year or they played with us for a decade, they
all have the same type of stimus towards the team
and the way they're being treated by the team, and
that allegiance carries over to a game like this here
in Ireland.
Speaker 5 (25:23):
So they called and say, hey, would you mind doing this?
And everybody where do you need me and win? I
think it was more of them calling.
Speaker 7 (25:31):
Mike Martinsky or or whomever to cite please can I
come and is there anything I can do it? It's
just the way the Steelers Steeler that's the way we are,
the Steeler family is and and it's not surprising that
they're acting that way. But then it stems from us
bringing in the right kind of people in our organization.
Speaker 5 (25:48):
And that's when it starts. When we get them out.
Speaker 7 (25:50):
Of college and you bring in a good person, it
turns out to be a good player. Then there they're retired,
they're still a good person, and now they still want
to be apart and help the organization. Is that your
lasting memory of Dan, the real people were treated one
hundred percent compelling your memory.
Speaker 5 (26:05):
I have a lot of great.
Speaker 7 (26:06):
Memories of mister Rooney, but how how genuine he was
being the owner of our team and in my interaction with.
Speaker 5 (26:13):
Other owners, he was different in a really good way.
Speaker 7 (26:16):
And mister Rooney is one of the carry most gracious
people I've ever been around. And that if you pull
a lot of a lot of people, they're going to
all have that same comment about mister Rooney.
Speaker 6 (26:26):
And last thing, we have four you Mark, you're a
scout now, so you are tasked with finding the next.
Speaker 5 (26:32):
Wave of players on an annual basis. How do you
find the right guy?
Speaker 7 (26:37):
It's it's tough because there's just not a no, no,
no batistic for the no, it's not a measurement. There
is an a measurement, and you can't go to AI
or analytics and and and let be okay because he's
this height and runs this fast. It's it's it's kind
of hard to put in words what a Steeler player is,
but when you see it, you know it. And we've
been fortunate to where we continually draft with Kevin Colbert
(26:59):
and Olimar conn and our scouting staff continue to bring
in Steeler players, and it's people that they really have
a high care factor in football. And if we like
to ask a question, if football is taken away, would
they be devastated, satisfied or relieved? And we want more
devastated than we do relief. And the true Steeler players
are more devastated than relief, So we want more devastated
(27:22):
guys coming into our building.
Speaker 6 (27:24):
Mark really appreciate you taking a few minutes enjoy Ireland.
Speaker 5 (27:28):
Thanks Mike, you enjoyed too.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
But Mark Bruner there, of course, former Steelers first round
pick at tight end, current Steelers scout. Like I said,
he played in that ninety seven preseason game against Harold Park.
Obviously now with the team. His son's on the team, Matt.
We've said a few times like the whole trip of
a lifetime thing from I think Mark Bruner might be
at the forefront of that list. This has got to
(27:49):
be so cool.
Speaker 4 (27:50):
For him, Oh I bet, I bet. I mean such
a nice guy too. I don't know Mark well, but
I mean everyone who knows him is like he is
the kindest, nicest human being out there and every time
I've interacted with him, he's always own you know how
you're doing. You know, I mean, really a great guy
to talk to. I don't much to add. Yeah, I
mean his son is gonna be a special teamer and
(28:12):
you know, maybe work his way into things from that point,
but who knows the whole dynamics. And it's such a
steeler thing that the Hayward's, the Watts, et cetera, et cetera,
and you know it works out.
Speaker 2 (28:24):
It sure does. And pretty cool to hear from him.
In pursuit of there, we are hoping to potentially have
Mike pursuit.
Speaker 4 (28:31):
To join us here whom might might find us in
that last hour a.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
Little little over halfway home, and before we get there,
we got to dig into some of Matt's stats. Of course,
as we rock and we roll here from fitzsimmons temple bar,
we're on Simon's Dang it, I did it again, yea Fitzsimon's.
Simon says, that's just how i'mon. That's how I'm gonna
remember it the rest.
Speaker 3 (28:52):
Of the way. Simon says.
Speaker 2 (28:53):
We are on the rooftop bar of fitz Simon's temple
bar here in Dublin. The music's playing, the people are
drinking guinness, they're clad, and they're black and gold. It's
it's a heck of a time that we are having
here and we'll continue the party when we return. What scheeler,
Matt Williamson, It's the Drive on Steelers Nation Radio on
a Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
Your tunes about Drive on your twenty four to seven
home of the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
Back of fit Simon's Temple Bar in Dublin, Ireland. We're
gonna get into some Matt's stats here in just a minute.
But the people are going nuts. Renegade is playing once again.
My goodness, this place is on fire. It's awesome, man.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
You gotta love it. You can. You can hear it
them trying to trying to turn the mic up.
Speaker 2 (29:45):
A little bit there, get the Renegade in the in
the background there for everybody. But just absolutely fantastic. I mean, Matt,
you've never seen You've never seen so many happy people.
Speaker 3 (29:56):
In one place at the same time, with a.
Speaker 2 (29:58):
Lot of a lot of dark beverages, dark creamy beverages
in there, yea in their hand. I think they call
the stuff guinness around here.
Speaker 3 (30:06):
I'm pretty sure I didn't realize the other ones.
Speaker 4 (30:08):
Where those two or three other options up there. I'm
gonna have to dabble in at some point.
Speaker 2 (30:12):
I'm thinking maybe tomorrow I'll drink something other than Guinness. Yeah,
first forty eight hours. You gotta, you know, win and round.
I like your play, I like your playing a lot
winning Rome. Gotta do what the Romans do. We got
some terrible towels waving in here and everything right now.
It's awesome, just just an just incredible, h incredible stuff
here that we are, that we are seeing all across
Dublin and certainly here at Fitzsimon's Temple Bar.
Speaker 3 (30:35):
We'll be here again tomorrow, the dB Morning Show will
be here. It'll all be happening.
Speaker 4 (30:40):
It will be We got a full tomorrow here.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
We sure do, full slate today, full gamit tomorrow, and
then obviously Game Day, all the crescendo of Game Day
on Sunday.
Speaker 4 (30:51):
What time will you get there for Game Day?
Speaker 2 (30:53):
About five hours before kickoff? Dan and I do for
road games. Okay, so two thirty kickoff, twelve thirty, eleven thirty,
ten thirty, nine thirty.
Speaker 4 (31:02):
Yeah, that gives you plenty of time.
Speaker 3 (31:03):
Yep, gives us plenty of time. And I, between you
and I don't tell Dan I said this, No, I'll
keep it quiet.
Speaker 2 (31:09):
I could probably go like half hour hour later and
we'd still But he's a nervous he's a nervous nelly
and likes to get there super early.
Speaker 3 (31:16):
That's fun, It's okay.
Speaker 4 (31:17):
Scoping it out probably made you feel better about it too,
like you're confident that everything's gonna be copasatic.
Speaker 2 (31:22):
I am, And hey, I mean we're doing a broadcast,
you know, in somewhere where they typically don't, you know,
do NFL broadcast.
Speaker 4 (31:29):
I guess there's more room forrayer there.
Speaker 3 (31:31):
There's there is more room prayer certainly. But again though like.
Speaker 4 (31:34):
Maybe they double checked it and triple checked it where
if you were in Vegas or Chicago, they were just like, ah, were.
Speaker 3 (31:39):
You That's exactly where I was gonna go.
Speaker 2 (31:40):
Like, I know I've told you this before, particularly in
the preseason and early in the season. A lot of
times we show up the stadiums and the visitor broadcast
booth and they don't even have the internet turned on. Yeah,
because they're like, oh earlier, running out of game here
in seven months you.
Speaker 4 (31:53):
Know, like like winter rising your pipes or your lawnbow
or your your you know, your bass boat, whatever the
case may be.
Speaker 2 (32:01):
And so here I'm sure that they're going to be
on their p's and q's and and and and ready
for everything.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
And in that regard absolutely, yeah, would think you triple
on quadruble check this.
Speaker 3 (32:09):
Stuff real quick.
Speaker 2 (32:10):
Do you know where p's and q's originates from? I
learned this yesterday, you know, just yesterday.
Speaker 3 (32:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:15):
It's a because it's an Irish saying, mind your peat,
mind p's and q's.
Speaker 3 (32:19):
It's for pints and quarters. Okay, so pints and quarts.
Speaker 2 (32:25):
Sorry, that's what I meant, pints and quarts, not quarters,
pints and quarts, because that's how historically you could order
beers across Dublin in the bar.
Speaker 4 (32:32):
Yeah, you can take a pint or you can.
Speaker 3 (32:34):
Get it, or you can get a court.
Speaker 2 (32:36):
And like when people would be nosy at the bar
trying to talk to you, trying to get in your business,
you'd be like, leave me alone, mind your own p's
and q's.
Speaker 4 (32:44):
I've got mine.
Speaker 2 (32:46):
So it's like a leave me alone, like mind your ow.
But that's where it originated from is from people at
the bar who didn't want to be bothered, like, mind
your own piece.
Speaker 4 (32:52):
And you learned yesterday, I learned it today. I'm never
gonna forget it.
Speaker 2 (32:57):
We are we are, we are kind of learning stuff
every single day here on the Emerald Aisle, Matt. And
one of the things that we're gonna start learning now
is some more into your into your Matt's stats, okay,
and everything that you have, uh, you know, procured that
you do so well every single week.
Speaker 3 (33:13):
I want to start here and.
Speaker 4 (33:14):
You tweet funny three or four people that are in
the Steeler organization. I won't name them over whatever, but
there's several that have come up to me since I
don't see a lot of them in person or on
the plane or you know, it's a couple of them
are here. How do you get all those stats? Tell
me your process. I'm like, wow, i'd have to kill you.
But it's just just keep your eyes open. And I
(33:36):
mean a lot of people are like I love them
so much, like, hey, hey, I appreciate it. But some sausages, Matt,
I'm gonna tell you all those but there's a lot
of sources. You just got to keep your ears open.
Speaker 2 (33:46):
You know that you do, and Matt you you pound
the pavement and get those sources and break it all down.
Speaker 4 (33:52):
Yes, I mean I'll do it over the bye week.
I'll start putting stuff together, you know, right.
Speaker 2 (33:56):
Yeah. One of the things that you had in your
latest Matt stats. You actually tweeted this one out as
well too, and I found it incredibly telling over the
last five years, so sizable sample. Yeah, this is not
you know, the last ten games or one season or
anything like that.
Speaker 3 (34:13):
Over the last five years.
Speaker 4 (34:14):
Mind you, they've had the same head coach for five
years plus.
Speaker 3 (34:17):
They had that they have they have.
Speaker 2 (34:19):
Uh, the Steelers rank number one in e p A
from turnovers at plus one hundred and sixty one.
Speaker 4 (34:25):
I can assure people that's a very large number.
Speaker 2 (34:27):
It's expected points added EPA expected points added from turnovers
one hundred and sixty one. The NFL average is zero because.
Speaker 4 (34:38):
If somebody gained, somebody lose a seesaw, you know, yea.
Speaker 2 (34:43):
The number four best team in the league is at
eighty eight. Yeah, basically half of the Steelers.
Speaker 4 (34:48):
Right, So, I mean there was like a distant Yeah
this this.
Speaker 2 (34:52):
This gets back into you know, something you and I
talked about on the tail end of that Patriots game.
Speaker 3 (34:59):
It's not cool.
Speaker 4 (35:00):
I mean, I can't believe it's coincidence or of luck
one hundred, I mean three.
Speaker 2 (35:05):
And you know, sixty five whatever it was. You know,
Mike Thomas record and one score games. It is not luck,
even though we're in Ireland, right it's a like, but
how like, how does that? And I know that's one
of those secret sauce, Like if Mike Tomlin would were
to tell.
Speaker 4 (35:20):
You, he'd have to kill you one hundred percent.
Speaker 2 (35:22):
But man, like that to me, is is glaring that
you know, there are only even two other teams in
the league that are even in the stream the same
stratosphere as the Steelers.
Speaker 4 (35:33):
Right like, right now, I was pulling up a couple others.
I mean, there's just a turnover news, like this year
they have twenty seven points off turnovers. They've allowed zero. Now,
there's probably some people go and Caleb Johnson's screw up
should count, but it doesn't officially a good point. But
still that's still an ungodly number. Twenty seven to zero
(35:56):
or twenty seven to seven or six or however you count.
It is still crazy. And we talk about this a
ton and you know that everyone knows the turnovers are
really really important. Everyone listening knows that, I mean every
single one of you. But I bet fifty percent of
the listeners don't realize how important they are. And you know,
we talk about like sack differential and explosive differential, and
(36:19):
I believe they're the second and third, but they're a
distance second and third. And to Tomlin's credit, I think
he understands this more than any head coach maybe ever,
and especially when you don't have Ben in your prime. Hey,
we can take a risk here. We could turn the
ball over. Ben'll hit ab for you know, a deep bomb,
and we'll get it back. I mean, if it doesn't
(36:40):
go our way, we'll get it back, you know. But
you got Duck and Trubisky and Pickett and even Russ
and Fields and new guys. I'm sure it is drilled
into their mind. And that's I think it's a big
reason they wanted Rogers. Rodgers does not turn the ball over.
I mean, he is the best. Him and Mahomes are
the best touchdown interception ratio in history, and Russell Wilson's
(37:00):
right behind them. I mean, I think that it's not
an accident that those. Yeah, I'm gonna go pay and
go after these dudes. And I understand that people you know,
have a problem with It's not the most fun way
to watch a game. It's not, and then I'm sure
no one will tell you it is. But it results
in wins, and that's I mean undeniable. And really this
(37:24):
has gone back five years. I'm trying to look for
it now and probably in the stat pack that I
don't have it handy, but I can tell you right now,
over the last five years they clearly have the best
turnover ratio in the league too. You know, again, this
stuff can't be accident or luck or coincidence like the
last camp.
Speaker 2 (37:42):
The last few years, Buffalo has forced a lot of
turnover but Josh Allen used to cough the ball up
a ton until about a year ago.
Speaker 4 (37:50):
So they were the only one better than the Steelers
last year, yes, yeah.
Speaker 2 (37:54):
Yeah, And and again they've been at the top in
terms of takeaways like the Steelers, but give the ball
away at right where the Steelers have been buttoned up
in that retard.
Speaker 4 (38:03):
So early in my football career I thought turnovers were
mostly luck, and I also believe then, okay, what would
be my first component to creating turnovers.
Speaker 3 (38:16):
And I would say sure, and.
Speaker 4 (38:18):
I would say a pass rush, you know, like the
number one thing to me is past rushes cause havoc.
You hit quarterbacks, ball goes awrye forced bumbles, blah blah blah.
I mean quarterback hits end up with the ball fluttering
or sure, maybe he doesn't step in the next row
as much because he's got blasted or whatever. And I
(38:39):
do believe that, and I think the Steelers one hundred
percent agree. I know their pass rush has not been
an a plus this last year and three games, but
I'll put their pass rushers against anybody on the planet.
And I also want to talk about Herbig a little
bit because he's unbelievable.
Speaker 3 (38:53):
We can do that.
Speaker 4 (38:55):
But there are a couple things that are very obvious
about this team right now. Is they force fumbles at
an ungodly rate.
Speaker 3 (39:05):
It's like I got Peanut tillmut at every position right And.
Speaker 4 (39:08):
I believe, and the stats back it up, and it's
not any hard stat to find. TJ. Watts is good
a fumble forcer as it ever played the game. I
mean he really had, he really really is. And Herbig's
not far behind him and his cohorts obviously have rubbed
off on him, you know.
Speaker 3 (39:27):
So all they leave the league in deflections as well too.
Speaker 4 (39:29):
That's how it's going to go to, right, It is
like forced fumbles and deflections are turnovers and big plays
with defense. And this Steeler defense, for this is will
be the third year in a row or at the
very top of the league at batting balls down at
the line of scrimmage. And the only guy who I've
ever seen in history that's better at it than Cam
Hayward is JJ Watt, Yes, who was remarkable in one
(39:51):
of the best everage and maybe the best ever JJ Swatt.
And I wonder, you know, did Cam and TJ going
a with him with let's go let's go fishing for
must Yeah, right with the Watt brothers and talk about
learning how to swap balls at the line of scrimmage?
Because now, why a Black's good at it, Benton's good
at it like kind of like everybody else. I mean,
(40:14):
cam'sus on that game exactly TJ's. TJ's is good to
fumble forcer as there ever was. Cam's basically as good
a batter as there ever was, And the dudes around
him are like, maybe I should learn these tactics too.
Speaker 3 (40:29):
Successfully's close.
Speaker 4 (40:30):
Yeah, exactly exactly. If you mix that with pass rush
and you you go from there. I mean, Minco was
a really good interception guy, and you know, so, I
don't think these are accidents. I don't think that they're.
Speaker 6 (40:43):
So.
Speaker 4 (40:44):
Someone was just over here talking about last week's game.
It wasn't real thrilled with the Steelers performance. They were
lucky to win that game, sure, sort of. I mean
there were five fumbles in that game, and all five
of them ended up in Steeler arms. That to me
is a lot of luck. To me, that's taking a
coin and flipping it five times and it comes up
heads five times in a row. Yeah, I mean, once
(41:05):
it hits the ground, you it was a good chance
to pick it up.
Speaker 5 (41:07):
His idea.
Speaker 4 (41:08):
But the fact that it hits the ground a lot,
and that New England also fumbles.
Speaker 3 (41:12):
A lot is not by chance.
Speaker 4 (41:13):
That's not an accident at all. And I'm sure it
was stressed this week more than ever going into New England.
We're going to chop that ball out.
Speaker 3 (41:21):
Did you see that story?
Speaker 5 (41:22):
No?
Speaker 2 (41:22):
I think it might have been Herbig But somebody basically
in the postgame at Foxborough Stadium said all week, starting
our first team meeting on Wednesday, priping for the Patriots,
and all week Mike Tomlin talked about Drake May and
Ramandre Stevenson are going to put the ball in Harm's way. Yeah,
be ready for it and go get it, hunt it,
hunt it, Herbig said every It was the first thing
he said in meetings. It was the last thing he
(41:43):
said in meetings. These guys will put the ball in
Harm's way.
Speaker 3 (41:46):
Be ready for that.
Speaker 2 (41:47):
So you're right that there is obviously luck involved, but
everything is also not just completely by chance.
Speaker 4 (41:52):
Yeah, and the fact that two of them were within
the two yard line is fortunate totally, But it wasn't
like they weren't trying them on the four plays before
that were driving into the two yard line. And I wonder.
I've been in team meetings and I'm not a coach
and I would never pretend to be, but I wonder
if the defense is sitting there watching the game tape together, going, Okay,
(42:13):
maybe you could have made that run play, but you
went for the ball. Okay, that's what we told you
to go into the game, you know, Like so instead
of a eight yard or game, it could have been
a five yard game and he hacked at the ball
and it didn't pop out, but maybe a little next tide, yes,
and that's worth three yards, you know what I mean
exactly right? Like Belichick to me is the utmost respect
(42:34):
amongst in the defensive world. If you look at his
yardage numbers for his great defenses. They weren't at the
top of the league. They weren't real concerned about making teams,
you know, get backwards between the twenties all that much.
Sure they were incredible in red zone, incredible in red zone,
and they must have practiced that more than anyone and
(42:55):
just grinded red zone tape and red zone tendencies and
they always would have thrown over mark, you know, like
the only games at Tomlin and Belichick have won.
Speaker 3 (43:03):
A lot, right. Uh.
Speaker 2 (43:07):
In fact, I do believe they are there towards the
towards the top of the list.
Speaker 3 (43:11):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (43:12):
Yeah, no, you know what, that's very well said by
you on a lot of fronts there. I want to
continue on some of that and bring the her big
stuff into the conversation as well too.
Speaker 4 (43:20):
Yeah, I'm blowing away with them lately.
Speaker 3 (43:21):
They're always Matt, We're two hours into the show. But wait,
there's more.
Speaker 2 (43:26):
Oh, in my best Billy May's impersonation, we are bringing
We are bringing you a bonus hour from fitz Simon's
Temple Bar in Dublin. The music's playing, the drinks are
going down, and Steeler Nation is live and making some
noise and enjoying themselves. For sure, it is a happening
Friday evening here in downtown Dublin. We will come back
(43:49):
with the bonus hour. On the other side, more Matt stats,
more conversation about this defense, more conversation about them stinking
Minnesota vikings, all that.
Speaker 3 (43:56):
And more when we return. It is the Drive on
Steelers Nation Radio and the Deler's Audio Network
Your tunes about Drive on your twenty four to seven
Home of the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
It is the first time that Matt and I have
ever been in Dublin in Ireland, but boy, it sure
feels like home. And if you're listening to the background, welcome,
very warm welcome from the people, from the culture. From
as we mentioned, the weather which has been unseasonably nice
these these past two days. You can also hear I'm
trying to turn the microphone off a little bit, but
Renegade has been blasted in the background. I mean, it's
(00:42):
just been absolutely incredible. And so you know what, Matt,
we are today and tomorrow on the show, we'll bob
and weave between Ireland and Dublin conversation and you know,
just Steelers, Vikings x's and o's and specific game stuff.
Let's chase the shiny silver object.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
Forgot it?
Speaker 2 (00:59):
If you er maybe chased a Blarney stone or something
like that here. That's the one thing that I actually
haven't thought about until just now. I wonder where the
Blarney stone is.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
Mentioned to you last night that I have a good
buddy that lived here briefly.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
You did tell me this last night.
Speaker 4 (01:14):
And said don't kiss, don't kiss the Blarney stone. The
locals like to uh use it as a journal a
laugh of themselves, like.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
I'm picking up what you're putting down.
Speaker 4 (01:26):
Who's gonna kiss this stupid stone right now? I'm not
making it might be not stupid, but whatever he said,
the locals will get a little chuckle out of that
that someone's gonna kiss this tomorrow or whatever.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
Right, Oh goodness, gracious, yeah, just be careful out there.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
I uh, I don't think I would have kissed the
Blarney stone before you know that information, but definitely definitely.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
Now I'm not a germophobe. But I'm good on that.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
Yeah, I'm good on that.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
You could, you could? I can pass on that. Uh Matt,
let's do a little you know you.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
You and I would do this funny thing on Wednesdays,
typically on the show called Best of the West, where
it's just power rankings.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
It's just kind of tough to take power rankings.
Speaker 4 (02:00):
And that's what so far, we've just done best Teams Georgia.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
Yes, and we will switch it up throughout the year.
We'll start doing best Quarterbacks and some other things like
that as we roll along. But how about a little
best of the West today. We just tell some stories
and peel back the curtain on some guinness. Uh, you know,
visits and what where do you want to start? You
want to go first?
Speaker 4 (02:18):
Yeah, I think you'll get a kick out of my evening.
I mean, so we went pretty strong, and it was
for us during the day, you know.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
I mean we also slept for like three four hours
on the flight, long.
Speaker 4 (02:31):
Day, in very little sleep period. I got a strong
hour at the hotel, and then we were out and about,
having a blast, pounding guinnesses and having a good time.
So remarkably I hadn't like eaten it all. Every step
of the way.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
I kept telling for three hours we meet.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
Somebody, and I'd forget about it, and would go somewhere
else and forget about it. And finally we kind of
looked at each other like we should probably hang it up. Probably,
so I grab a five guys Burger. Didn't even realize
when I put put posted in I got an extra paddy,
so it was a triple decker when I got home. Jesus,
thing's ridiculous. But I'm starving, So anyway, I get back
to my room, crush the burger hadn't eaten it like
(03:10):
all day. I mean I honestly had like a cliff
bar that day. So I'm like, oh great, I'm feeling good,
but I'm tired. But I'm like it's still like eight o'clock.
I mean, I'm like not programmed to go to bed.
If I could have bed before midnight, it's weird, weird
for you.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
Now you're looking at there a night out.
Speaker 4 (03:29):
I'm just looking at the clock like it's eight o'clock.
There's things to be done. So, I mean, as people
do in a hotel, there's a lot of space. So
I grabbed my laptop laying in bed. What's that We're
live on the radio at the people.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
That's all right, we're doing that. We're doing it live, baby.
Speaker 4 (03:52):
So I crawl in there and I grabbed my laptop
and like a nerd, I'm like, I'm gonna start watching
Carson Wentz Cutoups all twenty two. You know, I'm playing.
I'm doing this. I didn't try to put the burger
down already, like Burger's gone. That was step one. And
I'm sitting there in bed and I'm like I was
gonna do this on the plane, but my internet connection
wasn't good enough. I couldn't do the All twenty two.
I'm gonna do it before you know, kick off. I
(04:13):
really want to watch the Wentz All twenty two. I
maybe got two plays and I must have just crashed
like immediately. I'm in bed and I'm still in like
jeans and like like not even like comfortable stuff. And
it's probably eight oh three and I'm probably snoring and
the Carson Wentz cut up or on the floor and
somewhere in the bed rolling around on my laptop. So
(04:35):
I'm out and I wake up like suddenly, I'm like,
oh man, I crashed hard. It must be like four
or five in the morning. And I pull up my phone.
I'm like midnight. It's eleven and I'm like, totally spokes,
It's only eleven o'clock. And I'm like, is it PM
or AM? Did I sleep for twenty hours? Or did
(04:56):
I sleep for three? It was it was PM, so
I got like three whole hours. I was totally clueless
at that point. Said I'm sitting there thinking, I'm like,
oh man, I'll put on Thursday Night Football. I mean,
I missed the first half, but I'm gonna throw it
on hadn't even started for like two and a half hours, right,
So I'm like, I've never missed a game. I can't.
(05:18):
I'm not gonna miss this game. I mean, I'm in
good shape. So I set my alarm again. Yeah yeah,
So I'm like, I'm still really tired. I don't know
what I'm doing up, go use the bathroom super quick,
crawl back in. I'm like, I'll set my phone for
one am. I'll get up and watch a game. I
got five hours in I can go back to bed afterwards.
I do that. At one o'clock Mary Maryland. You know,
(05:40):
alarm goes off. I'm like, no way, I was rocked out. Yeah, done,
not getting back up, but I guess somewhere in the
back of my warped football mind. About an hour later,
I woke up again and I'm like, I'm kind of
like rested, and there's a football game going on. What
am I doing right? Right? And I'm like, what am
(06:01):
I doing? It was half I checked, it's half time.
I'm like, I'll just sit here and watch the whole
second half at like three thirty in the morning, and
I was my head was dobbin, you know, bobbing a
little bit and I'm laying there on my side with
my glasses on and the only thing I could get
it on with my phone. And it's like right next
day and I'm still like into it, and it almost
went to overtime, Like, don't go to over time. So
(06:24):
I did watch the second half and then like as soon.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
As it was over, I was like right back to seph.
Speaker 4 (06:28):
You know. Then I end up sleeping. I bet eleven
hours total. Yeah, not in a row at all, but
then I mean I got from that point on it
was but I was so discombobulated, so I'm still kind
of understand any of it. And then I tried to
relate it back to you know, home, and I'm like sturtsay,
night games on, let's go, let's do it. That's all
I even started for two.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
Hours, it's not even starting, right. That is hilarious.
Speaker 4 (06:50):
That was my night.
Speaker 3 (06:51):
That's that's impressive.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
So I went to bed at like eight forty five
and slept till seven thirty.
Speaker 4 (06:58):
I mean, yeah, yeah, I slept eleven too, right, with
a little stuff in between.
Speaker 5 (07:02):
Right.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
I texted my wife at like eight forty five and
was like, you know, love you, Like I'll text you
in the morning.
Speaker 4 (07:07):
You know that you too. I'm like, I'm going to bed,
and she's like, she's.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
Like, it's two forty five in the afternoon, the girls
up to Daycarey.
Speaker 4 (07:14):
I know there's a time difference, but that's still early dude,
right yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
And she's like, you're lying, like you're going out. I
was like, babe, like I swear to you, I'm bent. Yeah,
all right, So my turn, I'll tell you about this crazy,
crazy morning that I had. Woke up at about seven thirty, Okay,
felt great. It's like I just slept for eleven hours.
I was like, I'm back. I'm back, fantastic, Like I.
Speaker 4 (07:34):
Feel great today for the first time. I have no
idea what time it is at the moment, but I
do feel rested.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Finally, we our hotel is like right next to the
water here.
Speaker 5 (07:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (07:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
So I'm like, it's seven thirty, like it's early still,
the sun's coming up. I'm like, I'm just gonna go
outside for fifteen minutes.
Speaker 4 (07:51):
And just went a beautiful day walk by.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
The water, check it out, come back inside, go to
breakfast at the hotel, having this great full Irish breakfast.
It was delicious. Tomorrow go upstairs, take a shower. Okay
it is.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
And by this point it's like almost nine am, it's
probably eight fifty.
Speaker 4 (08:08):
I'm out of the shower, dressed, feeling good, rested, feeling great.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
I have a tour at Guinness at ten am. Okay,
So I I got like seventy minutes till Guinness, and
I'm like, okay, it was like a twenty minute uber,
so not too far. And then I walked from Guinness
to here, yes, which is reasonably close, which is which
was a fifteen minute walk, not bad at all. And
again the weather's great. I'm exploring the city as I walk, Yeah,
walking past Saint Patrick's Cathedral and all awesome. I'm like, okay,
(08:36):
I got about seventy minutes till my tour at Guinness starts.
It's a twenty minute uber. I was like, but you
know what, like, i'll order my uber here soon. Worst
case scenario, I'll just poke around Guinness, you know, I'll
check out the area that's around it, all that stuff.
I get ready to order my uber mat about nine
am this morning, and I got this massive wave of
like nauseousness and queasiness. I think something that I had
(08:59):
with my friend. The Irish breakfast did not agree with
my stomach. Not to skive people out at home. I
threw up twice and went back and it wasn't like
a hangover throw.
Speaker 5 (09:10):
Oh no.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
I felt great.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
And then all of a sudden, it was like I
was nauseous. I was queasy, my hands were like tingly.
I threw up twice. It had to be food poisoning.
I threw up twice.
Speaker 4 (09:20):
Maybe you're lucky to didn't like get through your system like
you started out.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
What I'm hoping?
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Ye yeah, And I was like, okay, I feel a
little bit better, but I can't go to Guinness right now.
Like the last thing I wanted at that point was
a beer. Like right, crawled back in bed. I enjoy this,
and I'm like, what if my stomach starts doing backflips
again while I'm in the.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
Middle of the tour.
Speaker 4 (09:37):
Well, not to mention, I mean, your primary responsibility here
is not Guinness, correct now, I'm like, I have to
do it the game coming up. I can't be a
mess exactly right.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
So I went back to bed for like ninety minutes
till like eleven thirty, woke up and felt great.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
My Guinness tour was at ten am, Like it's long
past missed it.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
But I had ordered a custom engraved Guinness glass from
from the from the gift shop. Now i'd be there,
and I was like, I don't want to have to
wait on them to engrave it and everything.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
I already paid for it. It was already ready all that.
Speaker 4 (10:08):
You're gonna get it the matter what was?
Speaker 2 (10:10):
So I was like, you know what, I was like,
I might not be able to do the tour. Whatever,
I'm still gonna go to Guinness. Hopefully, I'll go to
the store, I'll get my glass, I'll see.
Speaker 5 (10:17):
What I like.
Speaker 4 (10:17):
I might go later and I'll still enjoy myselfie if
I don't do the tour.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
Exactly right, exactly right. So I got there a little
afternoon and I kind of went up to the counter
and I was like, hey, told them what happened. I
was like, I was supposed to have a tour at
ten am this morning. I wasn't feeling good. I missed it.
I was like, but I'm wondering if I can just
go poke around and everything.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
The lady was like, she was like, get over here,
You're getting your tour all right.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
So they let me do the tour still and Matt,
I could spend three days there, I think, and still
not be bored. Wow, I told you it's seven stories.
Every floor is different exhibits about the history of guinness
or brewing the beer and all that stuff. Every floor
there's different restaurants and bars.
Speaker 4 (10:57):
And you said, there's a pouring class.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
There's a pooring class. There's there's a coffee place in there. Yeah,
Like if you're doing like a ten am tour, you
could go at like nine thirty and like have a
coffee and hang out. Like three different restaurants in the place,
a bunch of different bars. Obviously, as you can imagine,
the top floor is an entire three sixty view of
Dublin Sea Croke Park. You could see Trinity College, you
(11:22):
could see SAT That's a big European thing.
Speaker 4 (11:27):
There's not a ton of skyscrapers.
Speaker 3 (11:29):
In European cities. It was so cool.
Speaker 4 (11:34):
You're feeling good. I I all the bad stuff.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
Out I had.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
I had a croissant and a banana in the uber
on the way to to get my to get my
stomach back in order, and like I texted my wife
and I said, I have not smiled this much since
our children.
Speaker 4 (11:50):
Were born, like a correct view.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
About the backyard brawl two weeks ago. I was like,
all right, that's a good one. That's a good one.
That's a good sir. You're right, but it would like
I'm telling you, if you are somebody who loves Guinness,
like it is worth it to come over here just
to go to the factory alone.
Speaker 4 (12:08):
That's very cool.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
I mean it was awesome. You gotta you gotta get
you probably and well they also have thirty seven different beers.
I mean, you know, it's not just the Guinness stout.
They've got a ton of other beers there as well too.
And some casual restaurants where you can just get sandwiches
and fish and chips, some nice sit down restaurants where
they had like a five course seafood oyster meal.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
You know. Wow.
Speaker 4 (12:31):
Okay, So you could go there for like if you
were local, you could go there for like a nice dinner, yes,
date night, yes, you know right right, I said coffee
with you.
Speaker 2 (12:39):
If I didn't have if I didn't have anything to
do today workwise, I'd probably still be there now, I mean.
Speaker 4 (12:43):
Just enjoying yourself.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
You could easily spend five six seven hours there. The
gift shop is massive, as I'm sure you can imagine,
like take your laptop and work, take your right go
to the coffee and work.
Speaker 3 (12:55):
It was just very cool, so cool and uh and
so yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:59):
So that was kind of awesome.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
That was kind of my story of today of how
we we rallied. We got that food poisoning out of
our system and we rallied.
Speaker 4 (13:06):
So I've probably had more Guinness since we've landed than
I have in the last two years. I don't dislike it.
I don't drink a ton of beer, but many people
have told us. And a funny story from training camp.
We had some Irish folks join us at Mick and Greg.
Mick and Greg you know direct, you know, pure Irish
folks have it. They pour a Guinness for him at
(13:28):
Sharky's not Sharky's fault, and they're like, what is this?
What did you do to our wonderful beer? Yeah, and
they basically would not have the American version at all.
By the end of the night, they were drinking Miller
Highlights with me going what is this? But I guess
what in Rome, I'll drink these cold whatever they call this,
It's not beer, but whatever, and.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
That was another thing.
Speaker 4 (13:49):
But it's wonderful here.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
They have different tasting rooms all throughout the brewery and
I was like, I can't do that. I'm gonna be
twisted on.
Speaker 4 (13:56):
Air with Matt like yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
Kind of my one free beer that you'd get as
part of the tour, you get you get at the top,
at the at the at the three sixty bar, you get,
you get a free.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
Beer, and that's I had that one beer.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
But I was like, man again, I could I could
have spent six, seven, eight hours there easily trying all
the different beers, eating lunch, all that different stuff. It
was awesome. It was really cool again and kind of
the whole trip of a lifetime. This this place, from
start to finish so far has not disappointed in any aspect.
Speaker 3 (14:25):
We've got plenty more to get to. We're gonna hear
we certainly, we certainly will.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
In fact, we'll hear a little bit from Mark Brunner
on the other side as well too, as we continue
to rock and roll here from Fitzsimon's Temple Bar in Dublin.
We're up on the rooftop with all of Steeler Nations
seemingly there's one person over there in Purple, we.
Speaker 4 (14:42):
Might have to go beat them in. And everyone I've
noticed in Purple's like I happened to marry a Steeler fans,
so we'd go to both. Or I'm getting dragged.
Speaker 3 (14:49):
Here or whatever.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
When we were here, when we were here earlier with DV,
when there was someone would walk in in Purple, everybody
was booing them, and the one guy was like, come
on man. I was like, dude, just chug your beer.
I was like, one hundred people are booing you.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
Just chug your beer and they'll start to think you're
cool again.
Speaker 4 (15:06):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
We'll hear a little bit from Mark Brunner on the
other side. More stories, more x's and o's. It's all
happening here on Steelers Nation Radio. I'm a Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
Your tunes about Drive on your twenty four to seven
home of the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
Back at fitz Simon's Temple Bar in Dublin for our
special edition on location edition of the Drive here on
Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network. We were
hoping to for you today have former Steelers tight end,
current Steelers scout, father of current Steeler Carson.
Speaker 3 (15:53):
Brunner Mark Bruner on He of course.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Played in the nineteen ninety seven preseason game at Croke Park. Unfortunately,
due to some of our technical stuff here and due
to some other things that he had going on, he
was not able to join us for a segment, but
he did catch up with Mike Persuda while we were
all sitting here. Persuda was kind enough to record all
of that for us and share it with us. Here's
(16:15):
what Mark Bruner had to say about being in Dublin
where he played a preseason game nearly thirty years ago,
where his son is going to play a preseason game
or a regular season game part of me the first
regular season game in Dublin history on Sunday. Here is
what Mark Brunner had to say.
Speaker 5 (16:33):
We're joined now by Mark Bruner and Mark.
Speaker 6 (16:35):
I guess I could introduce you as former Steelers tight
end Mark Bruner. I could reference to as Steeler scout
Mark Bruner, but I think we got to start with proud.
Speaker 5 (16:46):
Dad Mark Bruner. Proud Dad Mark Bruner.
Speaker 7 (16:50):
It's it's been an amazing year for me personally and
our family for our son to be able to finish
his collegiate career like you did, and then go through
the draft process and drafted by our team in the
seventh round and continue to earn his opportunity to make
a spot on the fifty three men roster. It's truly
a story that I know our family's gonna remember forever,
and it's very surreal to know that my kids weren't
(17:12):
a Steeler helmet right now.
Speaker 6 (17:14):
You know, minutes after the draft, we talked to Mike
Tomlin and he said, yeah, cool story, I get it.
But Carson Brunner earned big draft and clearly he wasn't
wrong because he has earned throughout training camp and the
role he's playing on special teams now.
Speaker 7 (17:30):
He's if he had a different name, he still would
have been drafted by our team. And unfortunately the name
kind of carries is. My son was that way in
college because I went to University of Washington. He was
always referred to as Mark's son. And one thing I
really appreciated about my son is he works hard enough
and he wants he's proud to be a Brunner, but
(17:51):
he wants to make his own name for himself. And
Coach Thalman did make those comments and I could not
agree with them.
Speaker 5 (17:56):
More because my son really did a.
Speaker 7 (17:59):
Great job of separating himself and earning a spot on
our roster because of the way he played, and he
consistently made plays win, he had opportunities, and for us
to be able to watch that and see what he's
been able to do for himself truly as special.
Speaker 6 (18:12):
You know, it's interesting to bring that up, Mark, because
Carson has told us. And I didn't put this together
on draft. I was just thinking of the Steelers connection,
but he said, yeah, I kind of went down that
road that you dump, and I know how to do it.
I mean, help appreciate them with my dad and he
helps me out. But he has told me, hey, you're
doing this on your own.
Speaker 5 (18:33):
And he knows how.
Speaker 6 (18:35):
To escape that shadow, I guess, and both in college
and the pros, you cast.
Speaker 5 (18:40):
A fairly long one.
Speaker 7 (18:42):
He does a really good job of that, and I
try to leave him alone. You know, I'm going to
support him in every way that I can. I'm going
to help him in any way that I can as
a former college and professional player, as far as the
Riggers to what to expect, and me being a scout
for as long as I have with the team and
the organization. I tried to prepare him for what to
expect as far as the draft process, but ultimately he
(19:03):
led that train by himself, and he did a great
job of taking the bull by the horns and figuring
out how he's going to navigate through it. And the
kid really made a name for himself. The kid did
a great job at the combine, He did a great
job in the interviews himself. And you know, you can,
you can open the door for him, you can tell
him what to expect, but ultimately he's the one that
had to do the job himself and earn the job
(19:25):
that he did. And that's what I'm most proud of
is he's very proud of his name, but he's also
proud that he's.
Speaker 5 (19:30):
Been able to do it all on his own as well.
Speaker 6 (19:32):
What's the bigger deal for you having been the player
you were or seeing him become the player he's becoming.
Speaker 7 (19:38):
I personally think it's seeing him become who he is.
I had a wonderful career. I don't I don't minimize that,
nor do I ever forget that. I greatly appreciate my
opportunity in all the years that I played, But to
watch him and see him experience what I know is
the most amazing journey.
Speaker 5 (19:56):
Because I lived at myself. Truly is special for me.
It really we've known this game was coming for a while,
but I don't know.
Speaker 6 (20:04):
I've been here for a short time, and it's a
way bigger deal than I thought it was gonna be,
and I thought it was gonna be.
Speaker 5 (20:09):
A pretty big deal.
Speaker 6 (20:10):
Just give me kind of your early impressions of the
Steelers and Steeler Nation invading Ireland.
Speaker 7 (20:16):
It's we got out of my wife and I flew
in and we landed Thursday afternoon, and the amount of
Steeler presence that we've seen literally since we have stepped
foot on the on the airport and then here in
the town of Dublin is truly amazing.
Speaker 5 (20:29):
And a lot of people ask, what do I remember
from that.
Speaker 7 (20:32):
Ninety seven game here, And I definitely do not remember
the presence that the Stid Nation is showing here back then.
And I'm sure we had very good representation back then.
But the amount of Steeler.
Speaker 5 (20:44):
Representation that we have from all walks of life.
Speaker 7 (20:46):
To the amount of people that I see wearing Steeler jerseys, hats,
sweatshirts is truly amazing. And you know, I was walking
here to this event this afternoon and it was the
really first time I saw a significant amount of Viking presence,
and it was on one of the yellow busses that
it's touring around the city.
Speaker 5 (21:02):
But steel the presence is very, very strong here, Mike.
You know, there's a.
Speaker 6 (21:06):
Great video on Steelers dot com kind of taking a
deep dive into Dan Rudy and his connection to Ireland
and the Steelers connection to Ireland, and it's suggested therein
that when missus Rudey saw how nice the trophy was,
she decided that she wanted it.
Speaker 5 (21:27):
And Bill Kauer put you know, he.
Speaker 6 (21:30):
Was not unaware of that, and he put a little
more emphasis in beating the Bears then maybe a typical
preseason game.
Speaker 5 (21:36):
Any truth to that before that that is not a
wise tale. I'll just say that that is not a
wise tale at all. And we want to go out
and win every game that we played.
Speaker 7 (21:46):
There are certain preseason games where you just want to
make sure you get through it healthy. That game against
the Chicago Bears in ninety seven was not one of
those games that we just wanted to get through, if
you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (21:56):
So that that wise tale is. There's a lot of
truth to that.
Speaker 6 (22:00):
Talk a little bit if you can mark about the challenges.
It is a business trip, but it's about a whole
lot more than that, particularly for the Steelers. How do
you take everything from one side of the plump to
the other and make it function well.
Speaker 7 (22:15):
You know, a lot of times coaches will say, yeah,
we're just gonna treat it as a regular way game,
and and that's that's extremely difficult for the players. You've
got a time time change. Uh, you know that their
normal schedule is very disruptive.
Speaker 5 (22:26):
This is a home game for us.
Speaker 7 (22:28):
Uh, those guys are not anywhere close to the normal
regimen that they have regarded a home home game there
in Pittsburgh.
Speaker 4 (22:34):
Uh.
Speaker 7 (22:35):
For for the team and the players that come over
here and and and function the way they've they've been.
Speaker 5 (22:39):
They just landed this morning.
Speaker 7 (22:40):
Early, and they're going to have to find a way
to have put put the adversity of the time change
and the travel behind them. And I if anybody can
do it, I know our players can and our coaching
staff can find a way to motivate them as well.
Speaker 6 (22:53):
You kind of did a preseason game, plus as we
just discussed it. It didn't count but accounted. Yeah, what
what do you think for more then? And how far
ahead do you think everybody is now just dealing with
everything you have to deal with because the.
Speaker 5 (23:05):
NFL has done this reputably, I think that not here.
Speaker 7 (23:09):
But I know what you're saying, Mike, Yeah, it's this
game is at an international game, and I think the
players are more accustomed to traveling across time zones, and
coaches are doing a better job of training the players
for disruption, unexpected disruptions, finding a way to motivate them
mentally for them to block out their distractions. And there's
going to be a lot of distractions coming here, as
(23:30):
we talked about the disruption of the time, the time
and their normal schedule.
Speaker 5 (23:34):
And so what really is amazing is no matter where
you're playing, if.
Speaker 7 (23:39):
It's home in Pittsburgh or in La or Vegas or
Cleveland or Ireland, once you kick that ball off and
you're wearing a helmet and you're facing an opponent whatever
other color helmet that is, it is still the game
the sixty minutes in the game, and you.
Speaker 5 (23:54):
Find a way to kind of forget where you're at.
Speaker 7 (23:56):
But I want to find a way to win this
football game and play my best and a former player
that's gone through that, I think that's the similar sentiments
that those current players have is once stig ball is
kicked off, it kind of they're they're gonna forget that
they're in Double Larry and they just know they're gonna
play the Minnesota Vikings. They want to find to get
a way to get a win.
Speaker 5 (24:12):
You're here.
Speaker 6 (24:14):
There has been a parade of your former teammates and
other representatives of the organization, players whatever capacity, that had
either been here or are here now. M having my
difficulties wrap my head around that too, because I.
Speaker 3 (24:31):
Know the ty Fireland and what everything we've.
Speaker 6 (24:34):
Just discussed, but it seems like anybody who has ever
been associated with the Steelers.
Speaker 5 (24:39):
In any capacity is all in on this.
Speaker 7 (24:43):
And it just shows the support that that that the
Steeler Nation gets from not only the crowds, but the
former players. And it also shows how the players are
treated by our organization, by the Rooney family. And you
could probably pull a lot of players that have played
for a lot of different teams, and I think the
common u comments that you're gonna get from former players
is the way they're treated by the Bruney family. This
(25:03):
is a tough business, Mike, let's be clear, but you
can still treat people.
Speaker 5 (25:07):
With humane and you can still treat people the right way.
Speaker 7 (25:10):
And former players, if they played with us for a
year or they played with us for a decade, they
all have the same type of stimus towards the team
and the way they're being treated by the team, and
that allegiance carries over to a game like this here
in Ireland.
Speaker 5 (25:23):
So they called and say, hey, would you mind doing this?
And everybody where do you need me and win? I
think it was more of them calling.
Speaker 7 (25:31):
Mike Martinsky or or whomever to cite please can I
come and is there anything I can do it? It's
just the way the Steelers Steeler that's the way we are,
the Steeler family is and and it's not surprising that
they're acting that way. But then it stems from us
bringing in the right kind of people in our organization.
Speaker 5 (25:48):
And that's when it starts. When we get them out.
Speaker 7 (25:50):
Of college and you bring in a good person, it
turns out to be a good player. Then there they're retired,
they're still a good person, and now they still want
to be apart and help the organization. Is that your
lasting memory of Dan, the real people were treated one
hundred percent compelling your memory.
Speaker 5 (26:05):
I have a lot of great.
Speaker 7 (26:06):
Memories of mister Rooney, but how how genuine he was
being the owner of our team and in my interaction with.
Speaker 5 (26:13):
Other owners, he was different in a really good way.
Speaker 7 (26:16):
And mister Rooney is one of the carry most gracious
people I've ever been around. And that if you pull
a lot of a lot of people, they're going to
all have that same comment about mister Rooney.
Speaker 6 (26:26):
And last thing, we have four you Mark, you're a
scout now, so you are tasked with finding the next.
Speaker 5 (26:32):
Wave of players on an annual basis. How do you
find the right guy?
Speaker 7 (26:37):
It's it's tough because there's just not a no, no,
no batistic for the no, it's not a measurement. There
is an a measurement, and you can't go to AI
or analytics and and and let be okay because he's
this height and runs this fast. It's it's it's kind
of hard to put in words what a Steeler player is,
but when you see it, you know it. And we've
been fortunate to where we continually draft with Kevin Colbert
(26:59):
and Olimar conn and our scouting staff continue to bring
in Steeler players, and it's people that they really have
a high care factor in football. And if we like
to ask a question, if football is taken away, would
they be devastated, satisfied or relieved? And we want more
devastated than we do relief. And the true Steeler players
are more devastated than relief, So we want more devastated
(27:22):
guys coming into our building.
Speaker 6 (27:24):
Mark really appreciate you taking a few minutes enjoy Ireland.
Speaker 5 (27:28):
Thanks Mike, you enjoyed too.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
But Mark Bruner there, of course, former Steelers first round
pick at tight end, current Steelers scout. Like I said,
he played in that ninety seven preseason game against Harold Park.
Obviously now with the team. His son's on the team, Matt.
We've said a few times like the whole trip of
a lifetime thing from I think Mark Bruner might be
at the forefront of that list. This has got to
(27:49):
be so cool.
Speaker 4 (27:50):
For him, Oh I bet, I bet. I mean such
a nice guy too. I don't know Mark well, but
I mean everyone who knows him is like he is
the kindest, nicest human being out there and every time
I've interacted with him, he's always own you know how
you're doing. You know, I mean, really a great guy
to talk to. I don't much to add. Yeah, I
mean his son is gonna be a special teamer and
(28:12):
you know, maybe work his way into things from that point,
but who knows the whole dynamics. And it's such a
steeler thing that the Hayward's, the Watts, et cetera, et cetera,
and you know it works out.
Speaker 2 (28:24):
It sure does. And pretty cool to hear from him.
In pursuit of there, we are hoping to potentially have
Mike pursuit.
Speaker 4 (28:31):
To join us here whom might might find us in
that last hour a.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
Little little over halfway home, and before we get there,
we got to dig into some of Matt's stats. Of course,
as we rock and we roll here from fitzsimmons temple bar,
we're on Simon's Dang it, I did it again, yea Fitzsimon's.
Simon says, that's just how i'mon. That's how I'm gonna
remember it the rest.
Speaker 3 (28:52):
Of the way. Simon says.
Speaker 2 (28:53):
We are on the rooftop bar of fitz Simon's temple
bar here in Dublin. The music's playing, the people are
drinking guinness, they're clad, and they're black and gold. It's
it's a heck of a time that we are having
here and we'll continue the party when we return. What scheeler,
Matt Williamson, It's the Drive on Steelers Nation Radio on
a Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
Your tunes about Drive on your twenty four to seven
home of the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
Back of fit Simon's Temple Bar in Dublin, Ireland. We're
gonna get into some Matt's stats here in just a minute.
But the people are going nuts. Renegade is playing once again.
My goodness, this place is on fire. It's awesome, man.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
You gotta love it. You can. You can hear it
them trying to trying to turn the mic up.
Speaker 2 (29:45):
A little bit there, get the Renegade in the in
the background there for everybody. But just absolutely fantastic. I mean, Matt,
you've never seen You've never seen so many happy people.
Speaker 3 (29:56):
In one place at the same time, with a.
Speaker 2 (29:58):
Lot of a lot of dark beverages, dark creamy beverages
in there, yea in their hand. I think they call
the stuff guinness around here.
Speaker 3 (30:06):
I'm pretty sure I didn't realize the other ones.
Speaker 4 (30:08):
Where those two or three other options up there. I'm
gonna have to dabble in at some point.
Speaker 2 (30:12):
I'm thinking maybe tomorrow I'll drink something other than Guinness. Yeah,
first forty eight hours. You gotta, you know, win and round.
I like your play, I like your playing a lot
winning Rome. Gotta do what the Romans do. We got
some terrible towels waving in here and everything right now.
It's awesome, just just an just incredible, h incredible stuff
here that we are, that we are seeing all across
Dublin and certainly here at Fitzsimon's Temple Bar.
Speaker 3 (30:35):
We'll be here again tomorrow, the dB Morning Show will
be here. It'll all be happening.
Speaker 4 (30:40):
It will be We got a full tomorrow here.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
We sure do, full slate today, full gamit tomorrow, and
then obviously Game Day, all the crescendo of Game Day
on Sunday.
Speaker 4 (30:51):
What time will you get there for Game Day?
Speaker 2 (30:53):
About five hours before kickoff? Dan and I do for
road games. Okay, so two thirty kickoff, twelve thirty, eleven thirty,
ten thirty, nine thirty.
Speaker 4 (31:02):
Yeah, that gives you plenty of time.
Speaker 3 (31:03):
Yep, gives us plenty of time. And I, between you
and I don't tell Dan I said this, No, I'll
keep it quiet.
Speaker 2 (31:09):
I could probably go like half hour hour later and
we'd still But he's a nervous he's a nervous nelly
and likes to get there super early.
Speaker 3 (31:16):
That's fun, It's okay.
Speaker 4 (31:17):
Scoping it out probably made you feel better about it too,
like you're confident that everything's gonna be copasatic.
Speaker 2 (31:22):
I am, And hey, I mean we're doing a broadcast,
you know, in somewhere where they typically don't, you know,
do NFL broadcast.
Speaker 4 (31:29):
I guess there's more room forrayer there.
Speaker 3 (31:31):
There's there is more room prayer certainly. But again though like.
Speaker 4 (31:34):
Maybe they double checked it and triple checked it where
if you were in Vegas or Chicago, they were just like, ah, were.
Speaker 3 (31:39):
You That's exactly where I was gonna go.
Speaker 2 (31:40):
Like, I know I've told you this before, particularly in
the preseason and early in the season. A lot of
times we show up the stadiums and the visitor broadcast
booth and they don't even have the internet turned on. Yeah,
because they're like, oh earlier, running out of game here
in seven months you.
Speaker 4 (31:53):
Know, like like winter rising your pipes or your lawnbow
or your your you know, your bass boat, whatever the
case may be.
Speaker 2 (32:01):
And so here I'm sure that they're going to be
on their p's and q's and and and and ready
for everything.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
And in that regard absolutely, yeah, would think you triple
on quadruble check this.
Speaker 3 (32:09):
Stuff real quick.
Speaker 2 (32:10):
Do you know where p's and q's originates from? I
learned this yesterday, you know, just yesterday.
Speaker 3 (32:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:15):
It's a because it's an Irish saying, mind your peat,
mind p's and q's.
Speaker 3 (32:19):
It's for pints and quarters. Okay, so pints and quarts.
Speaker 2 (32:25):
Sorry, that's what I meant, pints and quarts, not quarters,
pints and quarts, because that's how historically you could order
beers across Dublin in the bar.
Speaker 4 (32:32):
Yeah, you can take a pint or you can.
Speaker 3 (32:34):
Get it, or you can get a court.
Speaker 2 (32:36):
And like when people would be nosy at the bar
trying to talk to you, trying to get in your business,
you'd be like, leave me alone, mind your own p's
and q's.
Speaker 4 (32:44):
I've got mine.
Speaker 2 (32:46):
So it's like a leave me alone, like mind your ow.
But that's where it originated from is from people at
the bar who didn't want to be bothered, like, mind
your own piece.
Speaker 4 (32:52):
And you learned yesterday, I learned it today. I'm never
gonna forget it.
Speaker 2 (32:57):
We are we are, we are kind of learning stuff
every single day here on the Emerald Aisle, Matt. And
one of the things that we're gonna start learning now
is some more into your into your Matt's stats, okay,
and everything that you have, uh, you know, procured that
you do so well every single week.
Speaker 3 (33:13):
I want to start here and.
Speaker 4 (33:14):
You tweet funny three or four people that are in
the Steeler organization. I won't name them over whatever, but
there's several that have come up to me since I
don't see a lot of them in person or on
the plane or you know, it's a couple of them
are here. How do you get all those stats? Tell
me your process. I'm like, wow, i'd have to kill you.
But it's just just keep your eyes open. And I
(33:36):
mean a lot of people are like I love them
so much, like, hey, hey, I appreciate it. But some sausages, Matt,
I'm gonna tell you all those but there's a lot
of sources. You just got to keep your ears open.
Speaker 2 (33:46):
You know that you do, and Matt you you pound
the pavement and get those sources and break it all down.
Speaker 4 (33:52):
Yes, I mean I'll do it over the bye week.
I'll start putting stuff together, you know, right.
Speaker 2 (33:56):
Yeah. One of the things that you had in your
latest Matt stats. You actually tweeted this one out as
well too, and I found it incredibly telling over the
last five years, so sizable sample. Yeah, this is not
you know, the last ten games or one season or
anything like that.
Speaker 3 (34:13):
Over the last five years.
Speaker 4 (34:14):
Mind you, they've had the same head coach for five
years plus.
Speaker 3 (34:17):
They had that they have they have.
Speaker 2 (34:19):
Uh, the Steelers rank number one in e p A
from turnovers at plus one hundred and sixty one.
Speaker 4 (34:25):
I can assure people that's a very large number.
Speaker 2 (34:27):
It's expected points added EPA expected points added from turnovers
one hundred and sixty one. The NFL average is zero because.
Speaker 4 (34:38):
If somebody gained, somebody lose a seesaw, you know, yea.
Speaker 2 (34:43):
The number four best team in the league is at
eighty eight. Yeah, basically half of the Steelers.
Speaker 4 (34:48):
Right, So, I mean there was like a distant Yeah
this this.
Speaker 2 (34:52):
This gets back into you know, something you and I
talked about on the tail end of that Patriots game.
Speaker 3 (34:59):
It's not cool.
Speaker 4 (35:00):
I mean, I can't believe it's coincidence or of luck
one hundred, I mean three.
Speaker 2 (35:05):
And you know, sixty five whatever it was. You know,
Mike Thomas record and one score games. It is not luck,
even though we're in Ireland, right it's a like, but
how like, how does that? And I know that's one
of those secret sauce, Like if Mike Tomlin would were
to tell.
Speaker 4 (35:20):
You, he'd have to kill you one hundred percent.
Speaker 2 (35:22):
But man, like that to me, is is glaring that
you know, there are only even two other teams in
the league that are even in the stream the same
stratosphere as the Steelers.
Speaker 4 (35:33):
Right like, right now, I was pulling up a couple others.
I mean, there's just a turnover news, like this year
they have twenty seven points off turnovers. They've allowed zero. Now,
there's probably some people go and Caleb Johnson's screw up
should count, but it doesn't officially a good point. But
still that's still an ungodly number. Twenty seven to zero
(35:56):
or twenty seven to seven or six or however you count.
It is still crazy. And we talk about this a
ton and you know that everyone knows the turnovers are
really really important. Everyone listening knows that, I mean every
single one of you. But I bet fifty percent of
the listeners don't realize how important they are. And you know,
we talk about like sack differential and explosive differential, and
(36:19):
I believe they're the second and third, but they're a
distance second and third. And to Tomlin's credit, I think
he understands this more than any head coach maybe ever,
and especially when you don't have Ben in your prime. Hey,
we can take a risk here. We could turn the
ball over. Ben'll hit ab for you know, a deep bomb,
and we'll get it back. I mean, if it doesn't
(36:40):
go our way, we'll get it back, you know. But
you got Duck and Trubisky and Pickett and even Russ
and Fields and new guys. I'm sure it is drilled
into their mind. And that's I think it's a big
reason they wanted Rogers. Rodgers does not turn the ball over.
I mean, he is the best. Him and Mahomes are
the best touchdown interception ratio in history, and Russell Wilson's
(37:00):
right behind them. I mean, I think that it's not
an accident that those. Yeah, I'm gonna go pay and
go after these dudes. And I understand that people you know,
have a problem with It's not the most fun way
to watch a game. It's not, and then I'm sure
no one will tell you it is. But it results
in wins, and that's I mean undeniable. And really this
(37:24):
has gone back five years. I'm trying to look for
it now and probably in the stat pack that I
don't have it handy, but I can tell you right now,
over the last five years they clearly have the best
turnover ratio in the league too. You know, again, this
stuff can't be accident or luck or coincidence like the
last camp.
Speaker 2 (37:42):
The last few years, Buffalo has forced a lot of
turnover but Josh Allen used to cough the ball up
a ton until about a year ago.
Speaker 4 (37:50):
So they were the only one better than the Steelers
last year, yes, yeah.
Speaker 2 (37:54):
Yeah, And and again they've been at the top in
terms of takeaways like the Steelers, but give the ball
away at right where the Steelers have been buttoned up
in that retard.
Speaker 4 (38:03):
So early in my football career I thought turnovers were
mostly luck, and I also believe then, okay, what would
be my first component to creating turnovers.
Speaker 3 (38:16):
And I would say sure, and.
Speaker 4 (38:18):
I would say a pass rush, you know, like the
number one thing to me is past rushes cause havoc.
You hit quarterbacks, ball goes awrye forced bumbles, blah blah blah.
I mean quarterback hits end up with the ball fluttering
or sure, maybe he doesn't step in the next row
as much because he's got blasted or whatever. And I
(38:39):
do believe that, and I think the Steelers one hundred
percent agree. I know their pass rush has not been
an a plus this last year and three games, but
I'll put their pass rushers against anybody on the planet.
And I also want to talk about Herbig a little
bit because he's unbelievable.
Speaker 3 (38:53):
We can do that.
Speaker 4 (38:55):
But there are a couple things that are very obvious
about this team right now. Is they force fumbles at
an ungodly rate.
Speaker 3 (39:05):
It's like I got Peanut tillmut at every position right And.
Speaker 4 (39:08):
I believe, and the stats back it up, and it's
not any hard stat to find. TJ. Watts is good
a fumble forcer as it ever played the game. I
mean he really had, he really really is. And Herbig's
not far behind him and his cohorts obviously have rubbed
off on him, you know.
Speaker 3 (39:27):
So all they leave the league in deflections as well too.
Speaker 4 (39:29):
That's how it's going to go to, right, It is
like forced fumbles and deflections are turnovers and big plays
with defense. And this Steeler defense, for this is will
be the third year in a row or at the
very top of the league at batting balls down at
the line of scrimmage. And the only guy who I've
ever seen in history that's better at it than Cam
Hayward is JJ Watt, Yes, who was remarkable in one
(39:51):
of the best everage and maybe the best ever JJ Swatt.
And I wonder, you know, did Cam and TJ going
a with him with let's go let's go fishing for
must Yeah, right with the Watt brothers and talk about
learning how to swap balls at the line of scrimmage?
Because now, why a Black's good at it, Benton's good
at it like kind of like everybody else. I mean,
(40:14):
cam'sus on that game exactly TJ's. TJ's is good to
fumble forcer as there ever was. Cam's basically as good
a batter as there ever was, And the dudes around
him are like, maybe I should learn these tactics too.
Speaker 3 (40:29):
Successfully's close.
Speaker 4 (40:30):
Yeah, exactly exactly. If you mix that with pass rush
and you you go from there. I mean, Minco was
a really good interception guy, and you know, so, I
don't think these are accidents. I don't think that they're.
Speaker 6 (40:43):
So.
Speaker 4 (40:44):
Someone was just over here talking about last week's game.
It wasn't real thrilled with the Steelers performance. They were
lucky to win that game, sure, sort of. I mean
there were five fumbles in that game, and all five
of them ended up in Steeler arms. That to me
is a lot of luck. To me, that's taking a
coin and flipping it five times and it comes up
heads five times in a row. Yeah, I mean, once
(41:05):
it hits the ground, you it was a good chance
to pick it up.
Speaker 5 (41:07):
His idea.
Speaker 4 (41:08):
But the fact that it hits the ground a lot,
and that New England also fumbles.
Speaker 3 (41:12):
A lot is not by chance.
Speaker 4 (41:13):
That's not an accident at all. And I'm sure it
was stressed this week more than ever going into New England.
We're going to chop that ball out.
Speaker 3 (41:21):
Did you see that story?
Speaker 5 (41:22):
No?
Speaker 2 (41:22):
I think it might have been Herbig But somebody basically
in the postgame at Foxborough Stadium said all week, starting
our first team meeting on Wednesday, priping for the Patriots,
and all week Mike Tomlin talked about Drake May and
Ramandre Stevenson are going to put the ball in Harm's way. Yeah,
be ready for it and go get it, hunt it,
hunt it, Herbig said every It was the first thing
he said in meetings. It was the last thing he
(41:43):
said in meetings. These guys will put the ball in
Harm's way.
Speaker 3 (41:46):
Be ready for that.
Speaker 2 (41:47):
So you're right that there is obviously luck involved, but
everything is also not just completely by chance.
Speaker 4 (41:52):
Yeah, and the fact that two of them were within
the two yard line is fortunate totally, But it wasn't
like they weren't trying them on the four plays before
that were driving into the two yard line. And I wonder.
I've been in team meetings and I'm not a coach
and I would never pretend to be, but I wonder
if the defense is sitting there watching the game tape together, going, Okay,
(42:13):
maybe you could have made that run play, but you
went for the ball. Okay, that's what we told you
to go into the game, you know, Like so instead
of a eight yard or game, it could have been
a five yard game and he hacked at the ball
and it didn't pop out, but maybe a little next tide, yes,
and that's worth three yards, you know what I mean
exactly right? Like Belichick to me is the utmost respect
(42:34):
amongst in the defensive world. If you look at his
yardage numbers for his great defenses. They weren't at the
top of the league. They weren't real concerned about making teams,
you know, get backwards between the twenties all that much.
Sure they were incredible in red zone, incredible in red zone,
and they must have practiced that more than anyone and
(42:55):
just grinded red zone tape and red zone tendencies and
they always would have thrown over mark, you know, like
the only games at Tomlin and Belichick have won.
Speaker 3 (43:03):
A lot, right. Uh.
Speaker 2 (43:07):
In fact, I do believe they are there towards the
towards the top of the list.
Speaker 3 (43:11):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (43:12):
Yeah, no, you know what, that's very well said by
you on a lot of fronts there. I want to
continue on some of that and bring the her big
stuff into the conversation as well too.
Speaker 4 (43:20):
Yeah, I'm blowing away with them lately.
Speaker 3 (43:21):
They're always Matt, We're two hours into the show. But wait,
there's more.
Speaker 2 (43:26):
Oh, in my best Billy May's impersonation, we are bringing
We are bringing you a bonus hour from fitz Simon's
Temple Bar in Dublin. The music's playing, the drinks are
going down, and Steeler Nation is live and making some
noise and enjoying themselves. For sure, it is a happening
Friday evening here in downtown Dublin. We will come back
(43:49):
with the bonus hour. On the other side, more Matt stats,
more conversation about this defense, more conversation about them stinking
Minnesota vikings, all that.
Speaker 3 (43:56):
And more when we return. It is the Drive on
Steelers Nation Radio and the Deler's Audio Network
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