Pittsburg, PA
Steelers wrap up OTAs ahead of next week’s mandatory minicamp
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — The Steelers held their final day of organized team activities on Thursday ahead of next week’s mandatory minicamp.
The team will continue installing a new offense with a new coordinator and three new quarterbacks.
Justin Fields has been a focal point throughout the Steelers’ offseason program after being traded by the Chicago Bears, along with focusing on developing a rhythm with wide receiver George Pickens being a high priority.
Pickens led the league last year, averaging 18.1 yards per catch last season, but Fields says his connection with Pickens goes back a long way.
“I knew George before ya’ll knew George,” Fields said. “I’ve known George since high school and he’s always been the same, just a freak athlete, a crazy receiver and you can just throw it up there. When nobody’s open, he’s most likely gonna come down with it. I mean, he’s the same player I’ve known since high school, so it’s just playing ball out there, that’s it. I know with me, when I see George one-on-one every time on the field, I’m trying to throw it to him right now especially to get those reps in and get that connection right now. Like I said, he’s a great receiver and a great athlete.”
Meanwhile, one of the new faces on the team that’s already familiar with the offensive system is Cordarrelle Patterson.
The past three seasons, Patterson played running back for the Falcons where new Steelers offensive coordinator was the head coach.
Before that, Patterson played wide receiver for eight seasons.
He says he’s comfortable playing both positions in addition to his multiple all-pro seasons as a kick returner — but says whatever the team asks him to do, he’ll be ready to step in.
“I’ve been in this offense three years now, going on four years,” Patterson said. “Arthur knows me. He knows me from up and down and knows what I can and can’t do. I know he’s going to take advantage of that this year. I’m excited for that. I’ll go everywhere. Honestly, man. I’ll be sitting with the quarterbacks sometimes. They might want to put a pass in for me. So, I’ve just got to be ready for whatever.”
Mandatory minicamp will get underway on Tuesday.
Pittsburg, PA
About 5 pounds of bees removed from Acrisure Stadium scaffolding ahead of Morgan Wallen concerts
Acrisure Stadium is buzzing with excitement ahead of the back-to-back Morgan Wallen concerts. Except it’s not the fans generating all the excitement — it’s about 5 pounds of honeybees.
The Fine Family Apiary in Monongahela said it was contacted on Wednesday about a swarm of bees clustered on the stage scaffolding. The apiary put the swarm in a “nuc box” and took them home before moving the bees into full-size equipment.
Owner Al Fine estimates the swarm weighed about 4 to 5 pounds and consisted of 12,000 to 15,000 bees. All said, it took less than two hours to get the job done.
Why do bees swarm?
Swarming is how honeybees propagate, Fine explained. According to Penn State Extension, during swarming, the queen and about half the workers leave their home to establish a new nest. The bees will form a temporary cluster, hanging out while scouts search the surrounding area for a more permanent home in hollow spaces like tree cavities or, occasionally, the walls of a home.
Swarms can stick around for several hours or days until they’re ready to move, Penn State Extension says. Meanwhile, the colony left behind is temporarily without a leader until a new queen is established.
With the swarm at Acrisure Stadium removed, Morgan Wallen’s show is ready to go on. The country music megastar will bring his I’m The Problem Tour to Pittsburgh on June 5 and June 6, along with multiple acts like Brooks & Dunn and Ella Langley.
On Sept. 17, multi-platinum country music star Luke Bryan will bring his Farm Tour to 1846 Farms near Latrobe.
Westmoreland County is no stranger to large outdoor concerts. Some may remember the Rolling Rock Town Fair in the early 2000s, while others may recall Luke Bryan’s stop at a farm in South Huntingdon Township just two years ago. Now the country music superstar is returning to the area.
The Unity Township farm’s general manager, Aleisha Stas, gave KDKA a tour of the family farm, which dates back to before the Civil War. She says Bryan’s team first reached out after finding the farm on social media, but she says at first, she and her family thought it was too good to be true.
“This was around April Fools, so we thought it was an April Fools prank,” Stas said. “My whole family, we were like, there’s no way this is about to happen. But this has been incredible.”
Stas says Bryan’s team is handling everything logistically from parking and bathrooms to deciding exactly where the concert will be staged.
“If we have it on this side of the property, we can hold 12,000 people,” Stas said. “And if we have it on (the other side) of the property, it can be up to 20,000. But we have not determined that yet.”
Many of those decisions will be made as September gets closer. In the meantime, however, the farm is holding off on planting in certain fields until the final concert location is selected.
And while hosting thousands of people may sound a little intimidating, Stas says her family is excited to welcome fans to the farm for what they hope will be a memorable night.
“Obviously, we’ve never had this many people here before, so it will be a new thing for all of us, but we are not worried,” said Stas. “Luke Bryan’s team are experts with this, and I think it will go great.”
Tickets for this concert are currently on sale, and they will run you about $77 per person, plus tax for general admission.
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