U mad, bro?: Fans push back against a Steelers trade for Brandon Aiyuk; Pirates, Oneil Cruz take heat

When the demise of the Pirates’ season meets the ascent of the Steelers’ season, a beautiful nexus of Pittsburgh sports fan animus, angst and agitation coalesces.

It’s like seeing a Black and Gold double rainbow. Or the Northern Lights over the West End Bridge. Or a unicorn with a hypocycloid on his haunches.

It also makes for a particularly meaty edition of “U mad, bro!”

So here it is. Fatten up!

“ Maybe get Cruz a bigger glove! ”

Oh, no! We just got over Kenny Pickett’s small hands. Now we are onto Oneil Cruz’s small glove.

After 10 straight losses, Ed is fed up with the Pirates.

” Some unbelievable starting pitching with no run support. They have a small core of major league capable hitters, but that core hardly ever plays in the same lineup.

They can’t play fundamental baseball. How many playoff teams are terrible at fundamentals? They can’t grind and will themselves to wins. That’s always the other teams. The 1990 Pirates needed a Wally Backman to give them some attitude. The 2012 Pirates benefited tremendously from A.J. (Burnett) bulldog mentality.

If the Pirates are ever going to win in this Skenes, Jones, Keller window they need a major league manager and coaching staff, they need a hard-nosed veteran with a winning history (no this is not McCutchen) and maybe an additional major league hitter or two. ”

Well, yeah, they sure could use all that and then some. Let’s just hope Bob Nutting opens up the purse strings enough to make it happen.

I’ll only quibble with one point. For as much as I really liked Wally Backman, those 1990s Pirates won divisions because of talents like Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonilla, Andy Van Slyke and Doug Drabek. Not Backman’s “attitude.” Backman’s attitude was an addition of edge to a locker room full of talent.

The kind of talent the current team sorely lacks.

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R.J. doesn’t want the Steelers to get Brandon Aiyuk

” In the words of John McEnroe, ‘You can’t be serious. ’ I say this because, Tim, think about the implications of what Aiyuk will do if he comes to the Steelers. First, he will cost too much in draft capital. Secondly, his salary > than the 14 million he is currently making. Doesn’t he want 20 to 30 million a year starting this year, or am I misreading this situation? In any event, even if he is with the Steelers for only this season, do you really believe he is the final piece to a playoff win?

Most Sincerely, in Anticipation of the Steelers Upcoming Season,

R.J. ”

R.J., I was more of a Jimmy Conners guy, but I appreciate the 1980s tennis reference.

Secondly, yes, whatever extension the Steelers work out with Brandon Aiyuk will probably be between $28 million and $32 million per year. If you are concerned about that being too much money on top of what they plan to pay George Pickens, I’ll debate that, but I see your point.

Although, if all the 49ers want is a second-round and third-round pick (as has been speculated), plus a player who is on an expiring contract (or down the depth chart), then I don’t have a problem with that.

Aiyuk is certainly worth a second-rounder, and if Omar Khan is really the “Khan Artist” general manager that we make him out to be, he’ll figure out a way to trade into the third round next year to make up for the other pick. That’s not exactly a mountain to move.

To your other point, no, I can’t guarantee that Aiyuk coming here will result in a playoff win. I can pretty much guarantee that if they don’t get him, and George Pickens suffers a substantial injury early in the season, then they won’t even qualify for the postseason.

Also, when the Steelers traded a first-rounder for Minkah Fitzpatrick, they didn’t win a playoff game that year. Was acquiring him a poor decision?

Most Sincerely, in Anticipation of a Brandon Aiyuk trade,

-T.B.

Andrew makes a similar argument against acquiring Aiyuk.

Andrew, to your Super Bowl argument, see above.

As for your other question, the answer is: No. They don’t have to pay Russell Wilson or Justin Fields next year. If neither of them is any good, they can let them both walk.

At some point, yes, the Steelers are going to have to pay a quarterback. Their recent track record shows, though, that they’ll do anything in their power to avoid doing so. They brought back Ben Roethlisberger on a discounted deal in 2021, signed Mitch Trubisky in 2022, went with Kenny Pickett on an entry-level deal in 2023, and are having the Broncos pay for Wilson this year.

That said, is signing Pickens a lock even if Aiyuk stays in San Francisco? What if he asks for even more than Aiyuk? What if he forces as big of a distraction as Aiyuk did going into his contract walk-year?

This guy is anti-Aiyuk too.

Well, God forbid they pay anyone on offense — least of all, a second-team All-Pro wide receiver. Yet, if they extend Cam Heyward and T.J. Watt into their mid/late 30s, no one will bat an eyelash.

That said, I agree on giving up two first-rounders and Freiermuth: I wouldn’t do that either. But who claimed that was the asking price?

Finally, Kim refused to listen to this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast because she didn’t want to hear any potential criticism of Fields.

Since you did preface your post with the phrase “With all due respect,” I suppose I have to let it slide.

As Ricky Bobby famously pointed out in the American cinema classic “Talladega Nights,” that rule is in the Geneva Convention.

However, the criticisms weren’t harsh. Whatever criticisms we made were fair. You seem to think there should be no criticism at all because you only want to be told what you want to hear, even if it isn’t true.

That hardly strikes me as a “productive” way to form an opinion.

With all due respect.