We are somehow at ground zero while simultaneously being on grounds walked before for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh has lost five of its last seven, sparking yet another collapse in the back half of the season – I’ll be doing a piece on the history of collapses over the last two decades, so keep an eye out for that.
Pittsburg, PA
Kenny Chesney fans pack Pittsburgh concert
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — People tailgated for hours ahead of Kenny Chesney’s concert in Pittsburgh on Saturday, on both land and sea.
It might as well have been a high school reunion for Mackenzie McNally.
“You just get to see them and you get to drink and have fun,” McNally said.
Even after tailgating at numerous Chesney concerts, she’s never actually made it inside, until now.
“I’ve been excited for this my whole life,” McNally said.
That was an experience shared by a lot of people. Rather than tailgate, some people were in boats on the river. Some called it “sailgating” while others called it “boatgating.” They told KDKA-TV that you can hear the concert from the boats.
“What’s better than being on a boat for a Kenny Chesney concert,” Edgar Parrilla II said. “I have a boat full of 15 people. We’re all partying, and we’re all listening to music.”
He explained the last time he tailgated a Chesney concert in Pittsburgh, people were burning couches, something he said made him want to come back.
Asked if it was that rowdy on Saturday, he said only in a few specific lots.
“It was really crazy, but we were having a good time. There was nothing too out of pocket,” concertgoer Alice said.
She did note how bathroom lines were long, while a friend of hers said there was a bonfire. Others had an even more positive experience.
“It’s been a good time here. Everything is getting better with crime and hostility,” said Julia Genuardi, who said the tailgate experience was better this year than the last time she attended.
Genuardi noticed people cleaning up after themselves and others on Saturday. There was a significant amount of trash left in the lots during the concert, but a street sweeper vehicle was going around the lots picking up trash.
“It feels like everyone has really come together and realized, why are we gonna be rowdy and rude? Let’s be nice and have fun,” Genuardi said.
Chesney took the stage at around 9:15 p.m. on Saturday.
In the meantime, though, let’s get through what will be a very brief edition of Varsity and JV.
Echols had a terrific first quarter. He read the screen to Khalil Shakir on the first drive perfectly (even if the pass was incomplete) and picked off Josh Allen to end the Bills’ first drive. He also had two pass deflections on the night.
Herbig had two tackles for loss and was in on the fumble by James Cook recovered by Patrick Queen.
EDGE T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith
Zero sacks on backup tackles. Good thing the Steelers made sure Watt made more money than Myles Garrett for him to not even be half as good as the Browns’ star. As for Highsmith, he’s constantly injured and isn’t as good as Herbig. If the Steelers do finally rip the band-aid off this offseason, Watt and Highsmith should both be traded.
The Bills ran for 249 yards, which is the most in the history of Acrisure Stadium. James Cook took the first play from scrimmage for an 18-yard gain, and that set the tone for the evening. Mina Kimes of ESPN posted a screenshot that summarized the game of Ray Davis having a two-lane highway to run through.
Who played well offensively? Kenneth Gainwell made a pretty nice one-handed catch, but that’s the only notable offensive play that comes to mind. The receiving corps is worse than it was in 2024, DK Metcalf couldn’t separate a yolk from an eggshell, and the Steelers totaled just 166 yards of offense. Additionally, Aaron Rodgers and the pass-catchers never being on the same page is taking a big toll on the offense.
Rudolph went 0-for-3 and threw an interception that had as much hang time as a punt. Hopefully that ends any cries from the portion of the fanbase begging to see Rudolph “get a shot.” Nice guy, solid backup, but he’s not a starting NFL quarterback.
Smith is far down the list of the biggest problems with the Steelers, but Sunday was brutal. A bad play call inside the red zone to run on 4th-and-short that killed a scoring chance. Pittsburgh couldn’t run the ball against one of the worst rush defenses in the NFL. Aaron Rodgers completed less than 50 percent of his passes. The offense was awful from top to bottom.
He is the worst defensive coordinator in football. There is a reason he was fired by both the Lions and didn’t last a season with the Bengals. He’s not a capable defensive coordinator, and the case for that claim gets stronger by the week.
This needs to be the end. He can’t be back in 2026. The scheme is stale, the message is falling on deaf ears, and everyone looks checked out. In a season where the AFC North was begging the Steelers to win it, Tomlin missed the dunk.
The fans are the ones who suffer more than anyone. Mediocre season after mediocre season. Collapse after collapse no matter who is the offensive coordinator or quarterback. And guess what? It’ll probably be more of the same next season because Art Rooney’s fear of life after Mike Tomlin is greater than his desire for a winning football team. The fans deserve better, and hopefully real changes will be made in the offseason.
Be sure to bookmark Behind the Steel Curtain for all the latest news, breakdowns, and more!
Pittsburg, PA
Pittsburgh-area group trying to break the world record for largest Christmas cookie exchange
It was a potentially historic afternoon for Pittsburgh cookie table lovers as members of a Facebook community gathered to try and break the world record for the largest Christmas cookie exchange.
The “Wedding Cookie Table Community” group on Facebook made their best effort at breaking the world record as many of the community’s members gathered at the Kringle Kitchen at the Washington County Fairgrounds on Sunday.
33 teams of 10 people from within a 75-mile radius of the fairgrounds worked to make and exchange the sweet treats along with teams from across the country and even New Zealand taking part in the Christmas cookie spirit.
Event organizers say at least 80,000 cookies were at Sunday’s exchange.
Each team had their own theme along with all of their tasty creations on display.
“We hope to establish a world record,” said Laura Magone, the founder of the Wedding Cookie Table Community group.” Right now, there is not one, but I think we’ll establish one today. We’re doing everything we can with the paperwork and trying to do it right.”
It’s unclear right now exactly when information will be released if the world record was reached.
Pittsburg, PA
Kyle Dubas or Corey O’Connor? Penguins social media team posts funny video to clear up the confusion
If you have confused Pittsburgh’s Mayor-Elect Corey O’Connor and Penguins President of Hockey Operations Kyle Dubas, you certainly aren’t alone.
On Saturday, the Penguins and Pittsburgh’s next mayor addressed this head-on in a social media video aimed at clearing up any confusion.
“People say I look like the new mayor of Pittsburgh,” Dubas said on his way to his office, where he found O’Connor sitting at his desk.
“People say I look like the general manager of the Penguins,” O’Connor responded.
Clearing up the confusion even more, Dubas reminded Pittsburghers that he’s not the one you call about potholes or taxes, and O’Connor isn’t the one who you call about the power play or who’s starting in goal – though that would likely be more of a Dan Muse decision than a Kyle Dubas decision.
Of course, it wouldn’t be social media content without a little bit of light-hearted chirping between two dopplegangers.
“For clarity, he’s the short one,” Dubas said with a grin.
“And clearly, he’s the tall one,” O’Connor responded.
Regardless of height, job title, or concern, both men clearly have a lot of pride in the 412.
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