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‘Huge Issue’: Former Player Slams Steelers, Russell Wilson
PITTSBURGH — A day after Russell Wilson was announced as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive captain this season, a national analyst raised some confusion towards the decision.
Fox Sports 1’s Emmanuel Acho, who is a part of the network’s new show titled The Facility, is of the opinion that the Steelers should have shied away from awarding a captain patch to Wilson because he is at risk of losing his starting quarterback job.
“I got a huge issue with it,” Acho said. “Here’s my issue with it. Russell Wilson, I believe, is one of the greatest men I have ever met in my life. We came into the National Football League together. Russell Wilson is probably one of the best leaders of men in society. My issue is this: Don’t name a captain you might bench.”
It is customary for NFL teams to impart captaincy upon their quarterback, and for good reason. Players at the position assume large responsibilities both on and off the field and essentially hold the weight of the team in their hands, so it’s only right that they are officially recognized for their leadership.
Whether it’s coaches or players voting on captains, rallying around an organization’s signal caller can also generate some additional camaraderie, which becomes easier when they have that patch on their jersey and are a figurehead in the locker room.
Wilson has been a captain since his sophomore campaign in 2013 and is also one of the more experienced and accomplished quarterbacks in the entire league. Pittsburgh has put a premium on his intangibles and believes in his ability to turn the offense’s fortunes around, likely making its decision an easy one.
There is some precedent for this choice when looking at prior seasons, as Kenny Pickett and Mitch Trubisky were named captains after winning the starting job despite not having a firm grip on that role. Both players were eventually benched, so the Steelers are no strangers to working through the exact scenario Acho cautioned about.
Make sure to bookmark Steelers OnSI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more.
Pittsburg, PA
KDKA-TV Morning Forecast (11/25)
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Pittsburg, PA
Wisconsin storms back against Pittsburgh to win Greenbrier Tip-Off
The Wisconsin Badgers are the 2024 Greenbrier Tip-Off champions.
Wisconsin, ranked No. 19 in the nation, improved to 7-0 by coming back from a double-digit deficit to defeat Pittsburgh (6-1) 81-75 Sunday evening in West Virginia. The comeback completed a sweep of the showcase, having defeated Central Florida in their first game of the tip-off on Friday afternoon.
John Tonje led the Badgers with 33 points. The star guard was 11-of-19 shooting and a perfect 10-of-10 from the free-throw line. It’s his second 30-point game of the season; his first was a 41-point explosion in Wisconsin’s win over then-No. 9 Arizona on Nov. 15.
Pittsburgh jumped out to a 20-8 lead nearly 10 minutes into the first half before the Badgers clawed back to within 34-27 at the half.
In the second half, Pittsburgh kept the Badgers at bay, leading 50-45 with 12:22 to go before Wisconsin went on a run and grew a lead to 71-64 with 4:15 remaining.
The Badgers have scored at least 79 points in all seven games this season, which is a program first.
Up next: Wisconsin vs. Chicago State, Nov. 30 at 7 p.m. CT.
Pittsburg, PA
Pirates Prospect Wins Bronze Medal With Team USA
A busy fall for Pittsburgh Pirates prospect Termarr Johnson has come to a close.
Team USA wrapped its run in the WBSC Premier12 with a 6-1 win over Venezuela to win the bronze medal on Saturday. They also beat Venezuela 6-5 in the Super Round of the Premier12 on Friday and wrapped up the tournament going 2-2.
Chinese Taipei shut out Japan in the championship game 4-0 to win the Premier12 and hand them their first loss in international play since 2019. Team USA lost to Japan 9-1 and Chinese Taipei 8-2.
Johnson went 1-4 with one run scored and a walk and one strikeout on Saturday. After grounding out in his first two at-bats, the Pirates’ left-handed hitting middle infield prospect singled to center field with one out in the top of the sixth inning. He stole second base, then came around to score with two outs on an infield single from Tampa Bay Rays left-handed hitting outfield prospect Chandler Simpson to extend Team USA’s lead to 3-0.
Team USA went 5-4 in the Premier12. In the previous Premier12, the US finished in fourth place.
Johnson struck out and walked in his next two at-bats. The Pirates’ No. 3 prospect by MLB Pipeline and the No. 75 prospect in baseball hit .310/.414/.429 with one home run and two RBIs in nine games. He also walked six times and struck out nine times.
Before playing in the WBSC Premier12, Johnson played in the Arizona Fall League. The left-handed hitting prospect batted .250/.444/.475 with one home run and four RBIs across 11 games for the Scottsdale Scorpions. He also walked 14 times and scored nine runs.
Johnson, who was the fourth overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft by Pittsburgh spent time with High-A Greensboro (110 games) and Double-A Altoona (14 games) in 2024. He batted .237/.366/.386 with 15 home runs and 54 RBIs in his 124 games played.
Make sure to visit Pirates OnSI for the latest news, updates, interviews and insight on the Pittsburgh Pirates
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