May 22, 2025 • 24 mins
Michael is joined this week by SNR’s Wes Uhler as the guys break down the 2025 NFL schedule, which was released last week. Tickets for the 2025 NFL Dublin Game go on sale on June 17th. For game updates and to register interest for tickets, visit [NFL.com/Dublin](http://nfl.com/Dublin)
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Irish airline air Lingus will proudly serve as the presenting
partner of Steelers Ireland twenty twenty five. Airlingus's growth in
North America continues in twenty twenty five as the airline
prepares to fly to two new US destinations, Nashville and Indianapolis,
using its new Airbus eight three twenty one xl or aircraft.
This brings the number of transatlantic routes operated by the
(00:21):
airline from Dublin, Shannon and Manchester to twenty four. Steelers
fans traveling to Ireland for the big Game can enjoy
a relaxing journey when they fly with air Lingus. Air Lingus,
You're very welcome.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Everybody, Welcome into the Irish Staters podcast. Michael mccuadier as
we Get the Flu a novel week of this offseason.
And look, let's be very very clear for any Irish
or international fan, there's something happening every week with not
just the Steelers and the NFL, and that is awesome
to see as any fan of the NFL with a
grease nation, It's time to take flight with Erlingus, an
(01:03):
official airline partner of the Pittsburgh Steelers and founding partner
of Steeters Ireland. There's never been a better time to
book your trip to Dublin. With nineteen North American gateways,
including flights for nearby Cleveland. Get ready for warm Irish
hospitality and plenty of room on board for your terrible
toll whether it's game day or a getaway. Erlingus looks
(01:24):
forward to saying you're very welcome to the players and
fans of the Pittsburgh Stears. You can book now at
erlingus dot com and that game as the Irish Stateis
podcast presented by Erlingus, rolls on is on September the
twenty eighth in the iconic Crook Park Stadium between the
Pittsburgh Staeters and the Minnesota Vikings. In week four. The
biggest news has dropped since we've last spoken to with
(01:45):
our folks You're very welcome is the Steelers' schedule is out,
and I guess for Irish fans the biggest sort of
one there is we finish before Dublin against New England
on the Sunday away to New England. We go to Dublin.
Obviously that ISTBD when the team's gonna go out, but
there's a bye week in week five, I know you're wondering.
I know you're asking tickets on sale June the seventeenth
(02:09):
from NFL dot com slash Dublin. That is your information.
Use of that as you will, my friends. We're gonna
look through the schedule to then talk a little bit
more Staters ball with a guy from s n R,
A guy that had the chance to jump on and
chat with at the NFL Combine. Fantastic man. Delighted to
welcome Where's Euler to the Irish Theaters Podcast presented by
(02:31):
our Lingus?
Speaker 3 (02:32):
Okay, folks.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
This week on the Irish Theaters Podcast presented by our Lingus,
We've got a stalwart of Staters Nation Radio, a guy
you'll hear most afternoons. Delighted to welcome into the first
time Where's Eler?
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Wes.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
I'm so happy I did not butcher your surname there.
You're very very welcome. How you do Let's crack.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
I'm doing great, Nick, Thanks for having me. I'm excited
to chat with you here this afternoon. The crack is
We're buzzing, man. Absolutely, you know the schedule now official.
We all have known for a long time, right, there
was gonna be a game in Dublin sometime in late September,
we all thought. But now we know the exact date,
the exact time, the exact opponent, all that stuff, and
(03:14):
I'm buzzing to get over there. Man, I cannot wait.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
We'll talk about the actual game itself on this schedule
and and just in a few moments. But yeah, it's
funny because we we had the chance to meet for
the first time in person at the NFL Combine, and
we that's the one that we knew there was thought
there was a game coming of Dublin. I had the
chance to bring the ball over. Oh my god, the
old the obligatory photo, etcetera. But you know, when you
talk to people over there, when you talk to people
(03:39):
in the US, especially, what's the excitement like in the
office in Pittsburgh. But then what's the excitement like with
fonds that you've spoken to who are looking to get.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
Over Yeah, I mean just over the moon through the roof.
I mean, people, this this is absolutely, without a doubt,
the game that has circled on the calendar for everyone.
And you know, so that's typically the two Ravens games, right,
maybe a Browns game, maybe a Bengals game. Maybe you're
playing someone like the Chiefs or the Eagles or the Cowboys.
(04:10):
Like that's typically the games that you circle. This is
the game that everybody has circled. There is obviously a
rich Irish culture and heritage in presence in Pittsburgh and
western Pennsylvania. There is a huge Irish American contingent that
follows the Pittsburgh Steelers because the history of the franchise
and the ties with the Rooney family to Ireland. So,
(04:33):
you know, for about as excited as you could be
for a game that's not the Super Bowl or an
AFC Championship game, you know what I mean. I mean,
I have been asked by friends and family for months
about when this game is happening, When exactly is it
going to be because people have been trying for months
to get hotels, to get flights, to make plans. I've
(04:55):
got family and friends that are doing you know, ten day,
fourteen days swings through England and Ireland or you know,
maybe maybe Ireland somewhere in the UK, maybe throwing in
a France or a Germany in there as well too,
making like I said, like a ten day, fourteen day
trip out of it so like bucket list I think
that's probably the best way I could describe this, like
(05:16):
this is a bucket list game, a bucket list trip,
a bucket list moment for a lot of Steeler fans.
And this is my eighth season working with the team,
and then obviously a lifetime of growing up in the
area and being a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers. I
cannot remember a regular season game anywhere close to this
type of anticipation, particularly one that you know, again, isn't
(05:37):
it the end of the season against the Ravens with
playoff ramifications on the line, or you know, Christmas Day
against the Chiefs or the Raiders or something like that.
This is one that people have been talking about for
months and I think are going to talk about four
months after it all takes place.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
You've got me ready to run for the keyboard here,
Mom'm just ready to go. I'm pumped up. I know
a lot of people listening will be as well for
people in Europe. I believe tickets are in seal from
the seventeenth of June, all the information because people are
texting me asked me for NFL dog Com Slash Dublin.
That's where you need to go Staters fans, Staeters Vikings.
(06:13):
We'll bring up back in a few moments ago I
had a chance to shat to you at the combine.
Whatever you guys, and thank you very much for having
me on One thing that has happened very very sadly
over the last few weeks. Say we've lost Craig. Craig
WOLFI with SNR look to look at it in you know,
a positive light in terms of just this week it
was his birthday. He would have celebrated his birthday this week.
(06:36):
He was on the podcast t or three times. Can
you give us, say, some funny Wolfe story that we
can all laugh at and remember him on that land?
Speaker 3 (06:44):
Yeah, I mean there's we could probably sit here for
an hour or or even more and swap Wolf's stories.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Right.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
It's one of those things that like once I would
get going and bringing back some memories, like all just
just floodgates coming out here. But one story that I
do love to tell that I think kind of encapsulates
Craig wolfly so well. Is you anyone who's around him
knows that he loves to eat, right, I mean he's
he's he's always been a bigger guy, offensive lineman and bodybuilder,
(07:14):
all these things. He's always loved to eat. And you know,
he used to have a thing with the late Great
Tounch Yolkin called Wolf Wednesdays where every single Wednesday on
the show, Wolf would do a weigh in, and if
he was under three hundred pounds, you know, it would
be like yay, Wolf, like you did it, You're doing well.
If he was over three hundred pounds, it would be like, boo, Wolf,
(07:35):
you had a bad week. You know, like get on
the salads, get get on the treadmill type thing. And
so you know, I've been been producing radio for him
for years and I'll never forget one time he you know,
we we're we're in the studios and and one of
the employees in our building I forget what was pop
their head in the studio and was like, hey, guys,
there's Dunkin donuts and and and all kinds of stuff
(07:57):
out there in the kitchen if you want to go
get some food. And and you know, we all instantly
kind of like look at Wolf like oh, here we go,
and he's like, no, I'm gonna behave. I told Faith.
That's that's that's Wolf's Wolf's wife. He's like, I told Faith,
I'm gonna eat well this week. I'm not doing any
fast food. I'm not doing any donuts. I'm having a
good week health wise. And we're all like, hey, good
(08:19):
for you, Wolf, good for you. Well, you know, a
couple of breaks later, like we're we're in the middle
of a break five six minutes and uh and and
Wolf's like, I'm gonna run to the restroom. Well, you know,
two minutes into the break, I'm like, you know what,
I'm gonna go refill my water, my coffee or whatever
it was. I walk around the corner in the kitchen
and Wolf is standing there, wolfing down a donut, like
(08:40):
just just inhaling this donut. And Mick, I think it's
like the proverbial, like when you were a kid and
you get caught with your hand in the candy jar,
the cookie jar that mom and dad told you you
weren't allowed to do. No, you get you get caught
watching the TV show or something that you know you're
not allowed to watch as a kid by by mom
and dad, or you know, maybe somebody catches you in
(09:02):
a lie or something like that. His face like instantly
went he's got this donut in his mouth and his
face goes red and he's like, don't say anything to anybody,
don't get and I and I kept that secret for years.
I don't think I told that story to anyone until
after Wolf had passed away. So just always always a laugh, always,
(09:24):
like working with Craig wolfly Man, every day was the
best day ever. Like he truly had that great even
on bad days, even when he was sick or if
something was going on in life, or if he had
lost a friend or a family member. He just always
had such a deep and rich appreciation for every day.
And so yeah, man, but that's Wolf's trying to sneak
(09:45):
his donuts and sneak his food in and all those
different things and hiding it from everybody. I think that's
a good story to describe Wolf, you know, telling us no,
I'm eating good this week, I'm eating good. And then
I catch him, I catch him crushing a couple donuts
in the break room and he's like poorer, swears being
the secrecy that I can't tell anybody about.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
It, Oh man, I'd say, And I know he'll be
watching down in September when this game happens like, look,
I can only imagine what it would have been like
to have him there, And I'll talk about the schedule
on Luisac. And one thing that has changed the last
book properly is the draft. I know you guys have
probably talked it to death on SNR, but in terms
of European fans, like we have a lot of I think,
(10:22):
especially across the island of the Ironland, there's a lot
of people that are very interested in college football, but
more so they're probably more into their NFL. And I
don't feel like we've talked about yet too much in
this podcast. Did you like the draft was right? Anything
that you thought, oh okay, here we go. We had
Tom the Irish guy, make that will Hire a pick.
It was a really cool draft for us. But do
you like the selections? What's your one million analysis from this?
Speaker 3 (10:44):
Yeah? We mad? Yeah, I think listen, I think if
Aaron Rodgers ends up being the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, which
I do still believe is going to be the case
sooner or later at some point here in the next
few weeks, and then I think if you kind of
consider that you was your second round pick to go
and acquire Dk Metcalf. I feel like it all fell
(11:05):
perfectly for the Steelers. You know, there were three defensive
linemen that we talked about being real options. As the
first round pick, Kenneth Grant's gone, Walter Nolan's gone, you
still end up being able to get Derek Harmon there
at pick twenty one, a great fit and at a
position of need. And then, like I said, we all knew,
you know, at the end of the regular season, wide
receiver a big position of priority. You essentially used your
(11:27):
second round pick to go get Dk Metcalf, who is
twenty seven years old, only a few years older than
a lot of these wide receivers now who are coming
out at twenty three to twenty four years old. But
he's proven with years and years of production with different
quarterbacks in Pro Bowl pedigree, and then running back obviously
as well too. I think we all like Jalen Warren
(11:47):
and know that he has a lot of upside and
are excited to see what he can do this year.
I think a lot of us like the free agency
addition of Kenneth Gainwell, and you know what he was
able to do is Saquon Barkley's kind of understudy last
year with the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, but Caleb
Johnson felt like a great pick for the kind of
outside zone run scheme that Arthur Smith and this offense
(12:09):
want to have. So when the season ended. Aside from quarterback,
because we all know whenever you don't have the Ben
Roethlisberger or the Patrick Mahomes or the Josh Allen, quarterback
is always a priority. But aside from that conversation, it
felt like defensive line, wide receiver, running back were real
positions of priority, and I think you came away with
one of the top defensive linemen, you get a twenty
(12:30):
seven year old DK Metcalf, you get one of the
top running backs in Caleb Johnson. I think it all
fell very well for the Steelers in terms of high
quality players to fill big positions of need.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
I feel like we'll all be in the trope in
five minutes. This offseason is just like look, I feel
like a lot of people shared with faults. It's a
positive draft and we'll see if any more moves are
made over the next few weeks and months. You've been
with a team for eight years, so talk to us
about what it's like working with a team more so,
and when did it hit you that you're working with
the Pittsburgh Sedis When was that moment as a guy
(13:07):
like you've mentioned earlier that you're you're obviously from the area,
you're a fan as well.
Speaker 3 (13:11):
Yeah, uh, you know, that's a that's that's a great question, honestly, Mick.
It still hits me sometimes that I'm working for the
Pittsburgh Steelers as a you know, a kid who grew
up in Pittsburgh waving my terrible tow and you know,
I'm thirty four years old now, so I'm not a kid.
I'm not young anymore. But I'm not old yet either,
But I am kind of at that first stage of
life where you start to look back the last ten years,
(13:33):
the last fifteen years. You know, where you've come since
your school days and all those different things. My first
training camp, though, was a was a huge one for me.
My first training camp was in twenty eighteen, and I
just remember being in the dorm rooms working with guys
like Tounch, Joakin and Craig wolf Lee and Max Starks,
(13:55):
being there on the sideline at practice every day as
Antonio Brown and Joe Hayden went to head right as
Marquise Pouncy and Ben Roethlisberger were working on their exchanges
and their craft. And then it was twenty twenty two
when I started traveling with the team. So started working
for the Steelers in twenty eighteen and was part of
(14:16):
the broadcast crew, you know, back at home base. And
then now for three years I've been traveling with the team.
So my first ever game being in the booth and
being on the team plane and all that as well too.
It was a preseason trip to Jacksonville, and I still
remember getting on the Steelers plane and being like, this
is really happening. You know, Cam Hayward's walking up the
(14:37):
aisle to get into his seat. You know, mister Rooney's
sitting at the front of the plane. Kevin Colbert at
that time was the Steelers general manager. Still you know
he's He's sitting at the front of the plane, sipping
on his Starbucks coffee, cracking jokes like there are There
are a lot of moments where it still hits me.
My first ever combine in twenty nineteen, I got to
interview Santonio Holmes. That was another big moment because for me,
(15:02):
like my biggest Steelers moment as a fan growing up
with Santonio Holmes two, you know, two feet down in
the back of the end zone against the Arizona Cardinals
to win that Super Bowl in dramatic fashion. So get
to have him sit down on our show at the
Combine was an amazing pinch me moment. But you know what,
like it's gonna happen this year again when I'm in Dublin,
when I'm standing there in the booth and taking in
(15:23):
that whole scene at Croke Park. So yeah, those are
those are something like my first training camp, my first Combine,
my first time in the broadcast booth. But like I said,
I continue to have these kind of like pinch me moments.
I'm very, very blessed to be doing what I'm doing.
I don't know if you and I've ever talked about
(15:43):
this before, but I actually I worked for the Philadelphia
Eagles for three years before I got a job. My
wife is from is from Philadelphia, and we lived out
there for three years after college before I got the
job with the Steelers, and you know, able to move
back home to Pittsburgh and everything. I was with the
Eagles when they won a Super Bowl. You know, their
first super Bowl in franchise history, which was amazing and
(16:05):
was so much fun. Even though I wasn't, you know,
a fan of the team, it was really cool to
be a part of that, a franchise winning a first
super Bowl. But none of that compares to, you know,
being back in your hometown working for the team that
you grew up with, you know, getting to walk the
hallways and seeing mister Rooney and seeing Mike Tomlin and
seeing Cam Hayward and you know, all these these guys
(16:27):
that have been figures in my life for so long.
I'm very fortunate and I'm very blessed. And like I said,
it's still many times throughout the year, I still have
those those tench Mean moments.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
I love it. You've you've hit the kneel in the head.
Speaker 3 (16:40):
There.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
Let's jump into the schedule very very quickly. That's the
one thing that has Chiens since we got the podcast.
They going last week. The NFL schedule is out for
twenty twenty five, and it's a really interesting schedule in
the sense that you know, obviously with this DUBLINGI and
being in Week four, sometimes not a lot of teams
just doing take the bye week five. I sort of
(17:02):
like how the Steelers are taking on bye Week five,
because they obviously open up the season on the roads
to the Jets. They opened they have the home opener
against the Seahawks and then an East Coast game before
they had before they hit Ireland the week three. I
like the Week five by has been much reaction to
that over there. What's your faults in the schedule overall?
Because I remember last year the AFC North was just
(17:24):
you have to get to like the m of November
to actually play a team in the AFC North. So
I actually liked the schedule. I think if you get
off to a good start there, it gives you a
good foundation to head over here to and then hopefully
head back over a Week five of a bye with
a win and then almost start again.
Speaker 3 (17:38):
In that sense, I'm with you on that, and I
think I think the start of the schedule is important
because you know, the end of the schedule, as you mentioned,
it's not the same as it was last year with
the Divisional Gauntlet and then at Philadelphia in Kansas City
as well too, the two teams that ended up being
in the Super Bowl. Uh, it's not quite as daunting
(17:58):
down the stretch with the Steelers this time, but they
still have four of their last six games against teams
that were in the playoffs last year. A physical on
the road Detroit game at the end of the season
against a team that's gonna want to play that, you know,
that fist fight type of style of football. So yeah,
I think the beginning of the schedule is important. You
get the New York Jets to start the season. New
(18:21):
era for them, right, I mean, they've kind of they've
kind of completely a new head coach, new staff, new
team in the post Aaron Rodgers era here, the post
Robert Sala era here. It's a good time to be
getting them as week one. New quarterback, new coach, new
regime Seattle, not quite to that extent, but new quarterback,
relatively new coach, heading in a new direction. And they've
(18:44):
got to come across the country for a one o'clock game.
That's that's you know, like a ten am start time
for for kind of their internal clock and how they
work being three hours behind us on the West coast.
You love getting a West Coast team at one am
early in the season with a new quarterback. New England
Drake May yes did some great things last year, but
(19:05):
you've still got a sophomore quarterback who's trying to figure
it out now with a new head coach, new offensive coordinator,
a lot of new parts on that offense. Those first
three weeks are I think very important. And then of
course the trip to Dublin against a Vikings team that
was really good last year. I mean, won fourteen games
last year, and and and and was was in the playoffs,
(19:27):
and was was you know, was one game against Detroit
away from being the top seed in the NFC last year.
But also gonna have a new quarterback in JJ McCartney.
We all think here, but we know at least it's
not going to be Sam Darnold anymore. For the Vikings,
those first four games before the buy are very important.
A lot of new coaching staffs, a lot of new quarterbacks,
and I realized the Steelers will be in that new
(19:49):
quarterback situation. We all think as well too with Aaron Rodgers,
but that feels like a real opportunity. Then you get
Cleveland out of the bye week, we know they're they've
got crazy quarterback carousel and just a whole bunch going
on in weird spot as an organization, things start to
get a little bit more difficult than after that. You know,
you've got to go on the road against Joe Burrow
in that offense, you've got a good Green Bay team,
(20:11):
You've got to go across the country to La Buffalo Bolt,
you know, the two Baltimore games, Detroit. So I think
the beginning of the schedule is very important, and I'm
with you, like just in general, I think you would
like to see your bye week at more in the
middle of the schedule, just in an average year. But
you're gonna go, you know, until October twelfth, basically playing
(20:34):
one true home game, Like I know, the game in
Dublin is a home game, but that's the first trip
to Steelers are gonna make all year. So you're in
New York, you're in New England, you're in Dublin, only
one home game there, you know, until October twelfth. So
I think it's good from that standpoint too, that you'll
finally have some time to breathe and be home for
a couple of weeks.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
I went to starts month, I says, I. It's flying
in that this offseason seems like there's a story every
day and we're just taking away very nicely. It's hard
to believe we're a mayor's all with the Premier League
DOT ends this weekend, so it before we know what
it will get here, like the preseason schedule as well.
I guess one thing I want to end on WES
for international listeners listening, especially those in the Island of Ireland.
(21:15):
For anybody here that has not been to a Steels
game before in Pittsburgh or wherever, if there was one
game of that schedule, if you could say to them,
go to this game in Pittsburgh, what would it be?
Put me on the spot.
Speaker 3 (21:26):
I mean, it's got to be Baltimore, right, Uh, there's
there's there's there's no wrong answers for that. This the
the Sunday night game against the Packers would be fantastic.
It's Sunday night football. It's it's Pittsburgh and Green Bay,
two of the most storied organizations in sports. Uh, Buffalo
a lot of fun and that's only about a three
hour drive from Pittsburgh. A lot of those crazy Bills
(21:47):
Mafia fans come down and break tables and it's it's
always an awesome atmosphere. Two very passionate fan bases in
the in the Bills and the Steelers, but in in
January at home against the Ray with what could be
a division title or a playoff spot on the line.
As there as there often is, the weather is cold,
the implications of the game, or through the roof, it's Pittsburgh,
(22:11):
it's Baltimore. I as much as there's some really fun
home games this year on the schedule as well too.
The home opener is always a blast, right because it's
the first time everyone's back in a long time, and
the energy and the and the optimism is great. The
man that that Baltimore Ravens game every single year, there's
just something there's just something special about it, right. It's
I don't know, do you guys use the term derby
(22:32):
as well too, you know what I mean? Yeah, okay,
so I didn't know if that was just an English
thing or if you guys use that as well too,
But like that's our I know, we don't share a
city proper, you know, like the way it's supposed to
be for a Derby, like you know, like Liverpool and
Everton or Manchester United and Manchester City. But like this
is like our closest to like our Derby is you know,
to two cities that are not far away from each
(22:52):
other that are just football obsessed that Like I said,
it seems like every year it comes down to that
game deciding who's winning the division and who's going to
the playoffs. If you're if you're a Steelers fan, I
think going to a home game against against Baltimore has
to be on your bucket list.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
There you go. Folks have seen some tweets or some
posts this week about flights booed. If you're still in
the fense list and the Wes get sordid and maybe
we'll see you over there as well, say hi to
him and the whole gang at SNR.
Speaker 3 (23:18):
Wes.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
I love your energy, I love your enthusiasm about this
season in the schedule before we know what will be
maybe together in the bar somewhere doing the podcast Quigland,
I appreciate you popping on and you can listen to
Wes and the rest of the guys on the Steeers
Video Network, check them out in the website and on
your favorite podcast platform. Wes, we will chat to you soon.
Thank you very very much.
Speaker 3 (23:36):
Mammnck. Thanks for having me anytime. I'm here for you
and yeah, can't can't wait to get a couple of
fights with you NC.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
In September, Irish airline aer Lingus will proudly serve as
the presenting partner of Steelers Ireland twenty twenty five. Airlingus's
growth in North America continues in twenty twenty five as
the airline prepares to fly to two new US destinations,
Nashville and Indianapolis, using its new Airbus eight three twenty
(24:05):
one xl or aircraft. This brings the number of transatlantic
routes operated by the airline from Dublin, Shannon and Manchester
to twenty four. Steelers fans traveling to Ireland for the
big Game can enjoy a relaxing journey when they fly
with their Lingus. Air Lingus, You're very welcome.
Irish airline air Lingus will proudly serve as the presenting
partner of Steelers Ireland twenty twenty five. Airlingus's growth in
North America continues in twenty twenty five as the airline
prepares to fly to two new US destinations, Nashville and Indianapolis,
using its new Airbus eight three twenty one xl or aircraft.
This brings the number of transatlantic routes operated by the
(00:21):
airline from Dublin, Shannon and Manchester to twenty four. Steelers
fans traveling to Ireland for the big Game can enjoy
a relaxing journey when they fly with air Lingus. Air Lingus,
You're very welcome.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Everybody, Welcome into the Irish Staters podcast. Michael mccuadier as
we Get the Flu a novel week of this offseason.
And look, let's be very very clear for any Irish
or international fan, there's something happening every week with not
just the Steelers and the NFL, and that is awesome
to see as any fan of the NFL with a
grease nation, It's time to take flight with Erlingus, an
(01:03):
official airline partner of the Pittsburgh Steelers and founding partner
of Steeters Ireland. There's never been a better time to
book your trip to Dublin. With nineteen North American gateways,
including flights for nearby Cleveland. Get ready for warm Irish
hospitality and plenty of room on board for your terrible
toll whether it's game day or a getaway. Erlingus looks
(01:24):
forward to saying you're very welcome to the players and
fans of the Pittsburgh Stears. You can book now at
erlingus dot com and that game as the Irish Stateis
podcast presented by Erlingus, rolls on is on September the
twenty eighth in the iconic Crook Park Stadium between the
Pittsburgh Staeters and the Minnesota Vikings. In week four. The
biggest news has dropped since we've last spoken to with
(01:45):
our folks You're very welcome is the Steelers' schedule is out,
and I guess for Irish fans the biggest sort of
one there is we finish before Dublin against New England
on the Sunday away to New England. We go to Dublin.
Obviously that ISTBD when the team's gonna go out, but
there's a bye week in week five, I know you're wondering.
I know you're asking tickets on sale June the seventeenth
(02:09):
from NFL dot com slash Dublin. That is your information.
Use of that as you will, my friends. We're gonna
look through the schedule to then talk a little bit
more Staters ball with a guy from s n R,
A guy that had the chance to jump on and
chat with at the NFL Combine. Fantastic man. Delighted to
welcome Where's Euler to the Irish Theaters Podcast presented by
(02:31):
our Lingus?
Speaker 3 (02:32):
Okay, folks.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
This week on the Irish Theaters Podcast presented by our Lingus,
We've got a stalwart of Staters Nation Radio, a guy
you'll hear most afternoons. Delighted to welcome into the first
time Where's Eler?
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Wes.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
I'm so happy I did not butcher your surname there.
You're very very welcome. How you do Let's crack.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
I'm doing great, Nick, Thanks for having me. I'm excited
to chat with you here this afternoon. The crack is
We're buzzing, man. Absolutely, you know the schedule now official.
We all have known for a long time, right, there
was gonna be a game in Dublin sometime in late September,
we all thought. But now we know the exact date,
the exact time, the exact opponent, all that stuff, and
(03:14):
I'm buzzing to get over there. Man, I cannot wait.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
We'll talk about the actual game itself on this schedule
and and just in a few moments. But yeah, it's
funny because we we had the chance to meet for
the first time in person at the NFL Combine, and
we that's the one that we knew there was thought
there was a game coming of Dublin. I had the
chance to bring the ball over. Oh my god, the
old the obligatory photo, etcetera. But you know, when you
talk to people over there, when you talk to people
(03:39):
in the US, especially, what's the excitement like in the
office in Pittsburgh. But then what's the excitement like with
fonds that you've spoken to who are looking to get.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
Over Yeah, I mean just over the moon through the roof.
I mean, people, this this is absolutely, without a doubt,
the game that has circled on the calendar for everyone.
And you know, so that's typically the two Ravens games, right,
maybe a Browns game, maybe a Bengals game. Maybe you're
playing someone like the Chiefs or the Eagles or the Cowboys.
(04:10):
Like that's typically the games that you circle. This is
the game that everybody has circled. There is obviously a
rich Irish culture and heritage in presence in Pittsburgh and
western Pennsylvania. There is a huge Irish American contingent that
follows the Pittsburgh Steelers because the history of the franchise
and the ties with the Rooney family to Ireland. So,
(04:33):
you know, for about as excited as you could be
for a game that's not the Super Bowl or an
AFC Championship game, you know what I mean. I mean,
I have been asked by friends and family for months
about when this game is happening, When exactly is it
going to be because people have been trying for months
to get hotels, to get flights, to make plans. I've
(04:55):
got family and friends that are doing you know, ten day,
fourteen days swings through England and Ireland or you know,
maybe maybe Ireland somewhere in the UK, maybe throwing in
a France or a Germany in there as well too,
making like I said, like a ten day, fourteen day
trip out of it so like bucket list I think
that's probably the best way I could describe this, like
(05:16):
this is a bucket list game, a bucket list trip,
a bucket list moment for a lot of Steeler fans.
And this is my eighth season working with the team,
and then obviously a lifetime of growing up in the
area and being a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers. I
cannot remember a regular season game anywhere close to this
type of anticipation, particularly one that you know, again, isn't
(05:37):
it the end of the season against the Ravens with
playoff ramifications on the line, or you know, Christmas Day
against the Chiefs or the Raiders or something like that.
This is one that people have been talking about for
months and I think are going to talk about four
months after it all takes place.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
You've got me ready to run for the keyboard here,
Mom'm just ready to go. I'm pumped up. I know
a lot of people listening will be as well for
people in Europe. I believe tickets are in seal from
the seventeenth of June, all the information because people are
texting me asked me for NFL dog Com Slash Dublin.
That's where you need to go Staters fans, Staeters Vikings.
(06:13):
We'll bring up back in a few moments ago I
had a chance to shat to you at the combine.
Whatever you guys, and thank you very much for having
me on One thing that has happened very very sadly
over the last few weeks. Say we've lost Craig. Craig
WOLFI with SNR look to look at it in you know,
a positive light in terms of just this week it
was his birthday. He would have celebrated his birthday this week.
(06:36):
He was on the podcast t or three times. Can
you give us, say, some funny Wolfe story that we
can all laugh at and remember him on that land?
Speaker 3 (06:44):
Yeah, I mean there's we could probably sit here for
an hour or or even more and swap Wolf's stories.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Right.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
It's one of those things that like once I would
get going and bringing back some memories, like all just
just floodgates coming out here. But one story that I
do love to tell that I think kind of encapsulates
Craig wolfly so well. Is you anyone who's around him
knows that he loves to eat, right, I mean he's
he's he's always been a bigger guy, offensive lineman and bodybuilder,
(07:14):
all these things. He's always loved to eat. And you know,
he used to have a thing with the late Great
Tounch Yolkin called Wolf Wednesdays where every single Wednesday on
the show, Wolf would do a weigh in, and if
he was under three hundred pounds, you know, it would
be like yay, Wolf, like you did it, You're doing well.
If he was over three hundred pounds, it would be like, boo, Wolf,
(07:35):
you had a bad week. You know, like get on
the salads, get get on the treadmill type thing. And
so you know, I've been been producing radio for him
for years and I'll never forget one time he you know,
we we're we're in the studios and and one of
the employees in our building I forget what was pop
their head in the studio and was like, hey, guys,
there's Dunkin donuts and and and all kinds of stuff
(07:57):
out there in the kitchen if you want to go
get some food. And and you know, we all instantly
kind of like look at Wolf like oh, here we go,
and he's like, no, I'm gonna behave. I told Faith.
That's that's that's Wolf's Wolf's wife. He's like, I told Faith,
I'm gonna eat well this week. I'm not doing any
fast food. I'm not doing any donuts. I'm having a
good week health wise. And we're all like, hey, good
(08:19):
for you, Wolf, good for you. Well, you know, a
couple of breaks later, like we're we're in the middle
of a break five six minutes and uh and and
Wolf's like, I'm gonna run to the restroom. Well, you know,
two minutes into the break, I'm like, you know what,
I'm gonna go refill my water, my coffee or whatever
it was. I walk around the corner in the kitchen
and Wolf is standing there, wolfing down a donut, like
(08:40):
just just inhaling this donut. And Mick, I think it's
like the proverbial, like when you were a kid and
you get caught with your hand in the candy jar,
the cookie jar that mom and dad told you you
weren't allowed to do. No, you get you get caught
watching the TV show or something that you know you're
not allowed to watch as a kid by by mom
and dad, or you know, maybe somebody catches you in
(09:02):
a lie or something like that. His face like instantly
went he's got this donut in his mouth and his
face goes red and he's like, don't say anything to anybody,
don't get and I and I kept that secret for years.
I don't think I told that story to anyone until
after Wolf had passed away. So just always always a laugh, always,
(09:24):
like working with Craig wolfly Man, every day was the
best day ever. Like he truly had that great even
on bad days, even when he was sick or if
something was going on in life, or if he had
lost a friend or a family member. He just always
had such a deep and rich appreciation for every day.
And so yeah, man, but that's Wolf's trying to sneak
(09:45):
his donuts and sneak his food in and all those
different things and hiding it from everybody. I think that's
a good story to describe Wolf, you know, telling us no,
I'm eating good this week, I'm eating good. And then
I catch him, I catch him crushing a couple donuts
in the break room and he's like poorer, swears being
the secrecy that I can't tell anybody about.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
It, Oh man, I'd say, And I know he'll be
watching down in September when this game happens like, look,
I can only imagine what it would have been like
to have him there, And I'll talk about the schedule
on Luisac. And one thing that has changed the last
book properly is the draft. I know you guys have
probably talked it to death on SNR, but in terms
of European fans, like we have a lot of I think,
(10:22):
especially across the island of the Ironland, there's a lot
of people that are very interested in college football, but
more so they're probably more into their NFL. And I
don't feel like we've talked about yet too much in
this podcast. Did you like the draft was right? Anything
that you thought, oh okay, here we go. We had
Tom the Irish guy, make that will Hire a pick.
It was a really cool draft for us. But do
you like the selections? What's your one million analysis from this?
Speaker 3 (10:44):
Yeah? We mad? Yeah, I think listen, I think if
Aaron Rodgers ends up being the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, which
I do still believe is going to be the case
sooner or later at some point here in the next
few weeks, and then I think if you kind of
consider that you was your second round pick to go
and acquire Dk Metcalf. I feel like it all fell
(11:05):
perfectly for the Steelers. You know, there were three defensive
linemen that we talked about being real options. As the
first round pick, Kenneth Grant's gone, Walter Nolan's gone, you
still end up being able to get Derek Harmon there
at pick twenty one, a great fit and at a
position of need. And then, like I said, we all knew,
you know, at the end of the regular season, wide
receiver a big position of priority. You essentially used your
(11:27):
second round pick to go get Dk Metcalf, who is
twenty seven years old, only a few years older than
a lot of these wide receivers now who are coming
out at twenty three to twenty four years old. But
he's proven with years and years of production with different
quarterbacks in Pro Bowl pedigree, and then running back obviously
as well too. I think we all like Jalen Warren
(11:47):
and know that he has a lot of upside and
are excited to see what he can do this year.
I think a lot of us like the free agency
addition of Kenneth Gainwell, and you know what he was
able to do is Saquon Barkley's kind of understudy last
year with the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, but Caleb
Johnson felt like a great pick for the kind of
outside zone run scheme that Arthur Smith and this offense
(12:09):
want to have. So when the season ended. Aside from quarterback,
because we all know whenever you don't have the Ben
Roethlisberger or the Patrick Mahomes or the Josh Allen, quarterback
is always a priority. But aside from that conversation, it
felt like defensive line, wide receiver, running back were real
positions of priority, and I think you came away with
one of the top defensive linemen, you get a twenty
(12:30):
seven year old DK Metcalf, you get one of the
top running backs in Caleb Johnson. I think it all
fell very well for the Steelers in terms of high
quality players to fill big positions of need.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
I feel like we'll all be in the trope in
five minutes. This offseason is just like look, I feel
like a lot of people shared with faults. It's a
positive draft and we'll see if any more moves are
made over the next few weeks and months. You've been
with a team for eight years, so talk to us
about what it's like working with a team more so,
and when did it hit you that you're working with
the Pittsburgh Sedis When was that moment as a guy
(13:07):
like you've mentioned earlier that you're you're obviously from the area,
you're a fan as well.
Speaker 3 (13:11):
Yeah, uh, you know, that's a that's that's a great question, honestly, Mick.
It still hits me sometimes that I'm working for the
Pittsburgh Steelers as a you know, a kid who grew
up in Pittsburgh waving my terrible tow and you know,
I'm thirty four years old now, so I'm not a kid.
I'm not young anymore. But I'm not old yet either,
But I am kind of at that first stage of
life where you start to look back the last ten years,
(13:33):
the last fifteen years. You know, where you've come since
your school days and all those different things. My first
training camp, though, was a was a huge one for me.
My first training camp was in twenty eighteen, and I
just remember being in the dorm rooms working with guys
like Tounch, Joakin and Craig wolf Lee and Max Starks,
(13:55):
being there on the sideline at practice every day as
Antonio Brown and Joe Hayden went to head right as
Marquise Pouncy and Ben Roethlisberger were working on their exchanges
and their craft. And then it was twenty twenty two
when I started traveling with the team. So started working
for the Steelers in twenty eighteen and was part of
(14:16):
the broadcast crew, you know, back at home base. And
then now for three years I've been traveling with the team.
So my first ever game being in the booth and
being on the team plane and all that as well too.
It was a preseason trip to Jacksonville, and I still
remember getting on the Steelers plane and being like, this
is really happening. You know, Cam Hayward's walking up the
(14:37):
aisle to get into his seat. You know, mister Rooney's
sitting at the front of the plane. Kevin Colbert at
that time was the Steelers general manager. Still you know
he's He's sitting at the front of the plane, sipping
on his Starbucks coffee, cracking jokes like there are There
are a lot of moments where it still hits me.
My first ever combine in twenty nineteen, I got to
interview Santonio Holmes. That was another big moment because for me,
(15:02):
like my biggest Steelers moment as a fan growing up
with Santonio Holmes two, you know, two feet down in
the back of the end zone against the Arizona Cardinals
to win that Super Bowl in dramatic fashion. So get
to have him sit down on our show at the
Combine was an amazing pinch me moment. But you know what,
like it's gonna happen this year again when I'm in Dublin,
when I'm standing there in the booth and taking in
(15:23):
that whole scene at Croke Park. So yeah, those are
those are something like my first training camp, my first Combine,
my first time in the broadcast booth. But like I said,
I continue to have these kind of like pinch me moments.
I'm very, very blessed to be doing what I'm doing.
I don't know if you and I've ever talked about
(15:43):
this before, but I actually I worked for the Philadelphia
Eagles for three years before I got a job. My
wife is from is from Philadelphia, and we lived out
there for three years after college before I got the
job with the Steelers, and you know, able to move
back home to Pittsburgh and everything. I was with the
Eagles when they won a Super Bowl. You know, their
first super Bowl in franchise history, which was amazing and
(16:05):
was so much fun. Even though I wasn't, you know,
a fan of the team, it was really cool to
be a part of that, a franchise winning a first
super Bowl. But none of that compares to, you know,
being back in your hometown working for the team that
you grew up with, you know, getting to walk the
hallways and seeing mister Rooney and seeing Mike Tomlin and
seeing Cam Hayward and you know, all these these guys
(16:27):
that have been figures in my life for so long.
I'm very fortunate and I'm very blessed. And like I said,
it's still many times throughout the year, I still have
those those tench Mean moments.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
I love it. You've you've hit the kneel in the head.
Speaker 3 (16:40):
There.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
Let's jump into the schedule very very quickly. That's the
one thing that has Chiens since we got the podcast.
They going last week. The NFL schedule is out for
twenty twenty five, and it's a really interesting schedule in
the sense that you know, obviously with this DUBLINGI and
being in Week four, sometimes not a lot of teams
just doing take the bye week five. I sort of
(17:02):
like how the Steelers are taking on bye Week five,
because they obviously open up the season on the roads
to the Jets. They opened they have the home opener
against the Seahawks and then an East Coast game before
they had before they hit Ireland the week three. I
like the Week five by has been much reaction to
that over there. What's your faults in the schedule overall?
Because I remember last year the AFC North was just
(17:24):
you have to get to like the m of November
to actually play a team in the AFC North. So
I actually liked the schedule. I think if you get
off to a good start there, it gives you a
good foundation to head over here to and then hopefully
head back over a Week five of a bye with
a win and then almost start again.
Speaker 3 (17:38):
In that sense, I'm with you on that, and I
think I think the start of the schedule is important
because you know, the end of the schedule, as you mentioned,
it's not the same as it was last year with
the Divisional Gauntlet and then at Philadelphia in Kansas City
as well too, the two teams that ended up being
in the Super Bowl. Uh, it's not quite as daunting
(17:58):
down the stretch with the Steelers this time, but they
still have four of their last six games against teams
that were in the playoffs last year. A physical on
the road Detroit game at the end of the season
against a team that's gonna want to play that, you know,
that fist fight type of style of football. So yeah,
I think the beginning of the schedule is important. You
get the New York Jets to start the season. New
(18:21):
era for them, right, I mean, they've kind of they've
kind of completely a new head coach, new staff, new
team in the post Aaron Rodgers era here, the post
Robert Sala era here. It's a good time to be
getting them as week one. New quarterback, new coach, new
regime Seattle, not quite to that extent, but new quarterback,
relatively new coach, heading in a new direction. And they've
(18:44):
got to come across the country for a one o'clock game.
That's that's you know, like a ten am start time
for for kind of their internal clock and how they
work being three hours behind us on the West coast.
You love getting a West Coast team at one am
early in the season with a new quarterback. New England
Drake May yes did some great things last year, but
(19:05):
you've still got a sophomore quarterback who's trying to figure
it out now with a new head coach, new offensive coordinator,
a lot of new parts on that offense. Those first
three weeks are I think very important. And then of
course the trip to Dublin against a Vikings team that
was really good last year. I mean, won fourteen games
last year, and and and and was was in the playoffs,
(19:27):
and was was you know, was one game against Detroit
away from being the top seed in the NFC last year.
But also gonna have a new quarterback in JJ McCartney.
We all think here, but we know at least it's
not going to be Sam Darnold anymore. For the Vikings,
those first four games before the buy are very important.
A lot of new coaching staffs, a lot of new quarterbacks,
and I realized the Steelers will be in that new
(19:49):
quarterback situation. We all think as well too with Aaron Rodgers,
but that feels like a real opportunity. Then you get
Cleveland out of the bye week, we know they're they've
got crazy quarterback carousel and just a whole bunch going
on in weird spot as an organization, things start to
get a little bit more difficult than after that. You know,
you've got to go on the road against Joe Burrow
in that offense, you've got a good Green Bay team,
(20:11):
You've got to go across the country to La Buffalo Bolt,
you know, the two Baltimore games, Detroit. So I think
the beginning of the schedule is very important, and I'm
with you, like just in general, I think you would
like to see your bye week at more in the
middle of the schedule, just in an average year. But
you're gonna go, you know, until October twelfth, basically playing
(20:34):
one true home game, Like I know, the game in
Dublin is a home game, but that's the first trip
to Steelers are gonna make all year. So you're in
New York, you're in New England, you're in Dublin, only
one home game there, you know, until October twelfth. So
I think it's good from that standpoint too, that you'll
finally have some time to breathe and be home for
a couple of weeks.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
I went to starts month, I says, I. It's flying
in that this offseason seems like there's a story every
day and we're just taking away very nicely. It's hard
to believe we're a mayor's all with the Premier League
DOT ends this weekend, so it before we know what
it will get here, like the preseason schedule as well.
I guess one thing I want to end on WES
for international listeners listening, especially those in the Island of Ireland.
(21:15):
For anybody here that has not been to a Steels
game before in Pittsburgh or wherever, if there was one
game of that schedule, if you could say to them,
go to this game in Pittsburgh, what would it be?
Put me on the spot.
Speaker 3 (21:26):
I mean, it's got to be Baltimore, right, Uh, there's
there's there's there's no wrong answers for that. This the
the Sunday night game against the Packers would be fantastic.
It's Sunday night football. It's it's Pittsburgh and Green Bay,
two of the most storied organizations in sports. Uh, Buffalo
a lot of fun and that's only about a three
hour drive from Pittsburgh. A lot of those crazy Bills
(21:47):
Mafia fans come down and break tables and it's it's
always an awesome atmosphere. Two very passionate fan bases in
the in the Bills and the Steelers, but in in
January at home against the Ray with what could be
a division title or a playoff spot on the line.
As there as there often is, the weather is cold,
the implications of the game, or through the roof, it's Pittsburgh,
(22:11):
it's Baltimore. I as much as there's some really fun
home games this year on the schedule as well too.
The home opener is always a blast, right because it's
the first time everyone's back in a long time, and
the energy and the and the optimism is great. The
man that that Baltimore Ravens game every single year, there's
just something there's just something special about it, right. It's
I don't know, do you guys use the term derby
(22:32):
as well too, you know what I mean? Yeah, okay,
so I didn't know if that was just an English
thing or if you guys use that as well too,
But like that's our I know, we don't share a
city proper, you know, like the way it's supposed to
be for a Derby, like you know, like Liverpool and
Everton or Manchester United and Manchester City. But like this
is like our closest to like our Derby is you know,
to two cities that are not far away from each
(22:52):
other that are just football obsessed that Like I said,
it seems like every year it comes down to that
game deciding who's winning the division and who's going to
the playoffs. If you're if you're a Steelers fan, I
think going to a home game against against Baltimore has
to be on your bucket list.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
There you go. Folks have seen some tweets or some
posts this week about flights booed. If you're still in
the fense list and the Wes get sordid and maybe
we'll see you over there as well, say hi to
him and the whole gang at SNR.
Speaker 3 (23:18):
Wes.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
I love your energy, I love your enthusiasm about this
season in the schedule before we know what will be
maybe together in the bar somewhere doing the podcast Quigland,
I appreciate you popping on and you can listen to
Wes and the rest of the guys on the Steeers
Video Network, check them out in the website and on
your favorite podcast platform. Wes, we will chat to you soon.
Thank you very very much.
Speaker 3 (23:36):
Mammnck. Thanks for having me anytime. I'm here for you
and yeah, can't can't wait to get a couple of
fights with you NC.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
In September, Irish airline aer Lingus will proudly serve as
the presenting partner of Steelers Ireland twenty twenty five. Airlingus's
growth in North America continues in twenty twenty five as
the airline prepares to fly to two new US destinations,
Nashville and Indianapolis, using its new Airbus eight three twenty
(24:05):
one xl or aircraft. This brings the number of transatlantic
routes operated by the airline from Dublin, Shannon and Manchester
to twenty four. Steelers fans traveling to Ireland for the
big Game can enjoy a relaxing journey when they fly
with their Lingus. Air Lingus, You're very welcome.
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