NAJEE FOR THE TOUCHDOWN! NAJEE HARRIS TAKES THE LEAP TO THE END ZONE FOR A MASTERFUL 36-YARD SCORE IN A STEELERS WIN OVER THE LAS VEGAS RAIDERS, 32-13, OCT. 13, 2024. (PHOTOS BY MARLON MARTIN)
Recently, after starting the 2024 season with a 3-0 won-loss record, the Pittsburgh Steelers suffered a two-game skid and were on the verge of suffering their third consecutive loss before they faced the Las Vegas Raiders on Oct. 13 in Las Vegas. After a shaky start, the Steelers ended up dominating the Raiders on both sides of the ball, thrashing Las Vegas, 32-13.
Aside from completing a few downfield passes, the passing game of the Black and Gold continued to be a tad less than stellar.
However, whether the Steelers won or lost the game was not my primary concern. At a certain point in the game, cameras showed Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby shoving Raiders assistant coach Mike Caldwell. After the game, Crosby addressed the incident saying: “Mike Caldwell is my guy. One of the best people in the business. That’s a love push, stop reaching.”
As I write this column, I am viewing the video of the incident. Maxx Crosby does not have anything remotely resembling a smile on his face. Coach Caldwell was taken aback and was not smiling. Is “don’t worry, be happy,” the point that Crosby is trying to make? If this was a “love shove,” I shudder to think what would have happened to Mike Caldwell if Maxx Crosby was shoving his coach in anger.
Did Crosby learn his ‘honesty’ skills from “Truth Social?”
STEEELERS QUARTERBACK JUSTIN FIELDS TAKES IT HIMSELF FOR THE SCORE….
If Pittsburgh Steelers player George Pickens had shoved offensive coordinator Arthur Smith out of frustration for not getting the ball, the “yinzers” would have demanded that Pickens be benched or traded, post-haste. Heck, Pickens can’t even throw down his helmet in frustration or wear eye black with a certain message before he is defined as an incorrigible individual.
When European athletes display emotion, they are generally portrayed as “passionate.” When athletes of color display emotion, they are generally categorized as “troublemakers.”
Is Maxx Crosby going to be fined by the NFL or the Raiders for the shoving incident? No, no I don’t think so. The position of the ultra-biased media is: It happened, it’s over, let’s move on, shall we? Again, I will reiterate over, over and over until the cows come home, or don’t come home: Maxx Crosby was frustrated because the Raiders were getting their rear ends kicked, and coach Caldwell was the closest brown non-player for Crosby take out his frustration on. Crosby probably thought better of shoving another player probably thinking: “Maybe I better not push one of these hoodrats because there are zero flags for ‘unnecessary roughness’ penalties that can be called on the sidelines, the tunnel or the locker room.”
Sassafras was quoted on X as saying, ”First person he saw was Black and his instinct kicked in.”
Alrighty then, give me a nice healthy “bigly” cup of Sassafras tea, with a generous amount of honey. A bunch of folks are saying that Raiders Head Coach Antonio Pierce should be on the “hot seat” because of the Raiders’ abysmal performance over the past six weeks. Well if that is the case, the throne in the personal bathroom of Maxx Crosby should be bubbling and threatening to erupt with volcanic lava regarding his simple assault on one of his coaches. When it becomes time for Mister Crosby to visit the latrine, he should be forced to don a fireproof suit before he can sit on the “hottest of seats.”
Around every corner and between every nook and cranny, there is a perpetual “throne of fire” that coaches of color are subjected to and forced to deal with from entitled players whose subpar performances have been the primary reason that their teams have failed. To add insult to injury, many of these less than average manufactured stars have been covertly and overtly sanctioned and supported by ownership, regardless of the lack of production. Oftentimes, the lack of autonomy for many coaches of color makes it far more difficult for them to coach because of a total lack of job security, no matter what they have achieved during their tenure as coaches.
Also, during “entitled players week,” an article posted in “The Mirror” quoted NY Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers calling out his wide receiver Allen Lazard for supposedly running the wrong route resulting in a game-ending pick against the Buffalo Bills. This occurred on Monday Night Football, Oct. 14. Rodgers thoroughly explained to the press and the public why he wasn’t to blame for the miscue. “We [were supposed to have] two verticals.” he said. “Allen’s [Lazard] down the seam, Mike’s [Williams] down the red line [sideline go-route]. I’m looking at Allen, he puts his hand up, three guys go with him. So, I’m throwing a no-look to the red line. When I peek my eyes back there [Williams] is running an in-breaker. It’s gotta be down the red line.”
Aaron, what happened to the “yay team” concept of, “we win together and lose together”? Aaron Rodgers was the primary reason that former Head Coach Robert Saleh was fired. So, if Rodgers has that much weight, a lowly wide receiver doesn’t have a chance, does he?
Shades of the beginning of the Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown feud, wouldn’t you agree? Give me the credit for the victory. Is everyone but me destined to take the blame when a team is defeated? Rodgers continues to support former Green Bay Packers QB Brett Favre when Favre was charged and convicted of diverting funds intended for poverty-stricken youth in Mississippi. The players and coaches of color in professional football had better begin to stand up for themselves. And I don’t just mean kneeling when the national anthem is sung or played. They need more callouses on their hands than they do on their knees!
COACH MIKE TOMLIN, VETERAN DEFENSIVE LINEMAN CAMERON HEYWARD TAKE IN THE 32-13 WIN OVER THE RAIDERS…