Apparently, I’m a Steelers writer that likes to stir the pot, and that’s just fine

“He just likes to stir the pot! That’s his shtick, and he’s probably watching us go at one another and laughing hysterically.”

That’s a typical comment I see when one of my edgy and pot-stirring Steelers articles gets published on Behind the Steel Curtain.

But what is considered edgy? What is considered controversial? What is stirring the pot? Am I really a part of the media that reaches those that truly matter (not that you don’t matter, but you know what I mean)? And when I write, like I did last week, that Ben Roethlisberger should have kept quiet and not asked rookie Zach Gentry to wear a number other than old pal Heath Miller’s 83, do you think Big Ben read that? If so, I have a message for Roethlisberger: Hey, Ben, I dare you to block me on Twitter like you have half the free world. I’ll check your account after this is published to see just how deep my big spoon goes into the pot when I stir my controversial sauce.

Anyway, I obviously know which topics are controversial.

For example, that thing that was always in the news two years ago that had everyone in an uproar.

I won’t mention it by name, but let’s pretend some players began wearing polka dot underwear during NFL games, and this really upset a bunch of people. “How dare these players wear polka dot underwear!”

Other people were like, “What does it matter what kind of underwear a player has on during a game? It’s really nobody’s business.”

But the offended believed this fashion choice to be disrespectful, while others simply didn’t want a player throwing his choice of underwear in their face while they tried to watch a game. “I watch football to escape underwear!”

And then the CEO of Fruit of the Loom got in on the act and demanded all players wear plain boxers. This just made matters worse, as some players vowed to go commando during games.

This led to just crazy rhetoric and propaganda, such as, “I heard half of these players don’t even tip the proper amount on takeout orders!” Sure, this had nothing to do with polka dot underwear, but that’s how far out of control everything had gotten.

And whenever I, or even writers who didn’t like to stir the pot, wrote about this subject, it led to comments and discussions that had nothing to do with the NFL or even underwear. “I blame the hippie generation for introducing us to free love and bell bottoms in the 1960s!”

It just made for an ugly scene at BTSC, which is why it’s a good thing that particular subject isn’t broached very often these days.

So, I’ll give you that. I often liked to stir the pot with the whole players wearing polka dot underwear thing.

As for everything else Steelers-related? Come on.

How is writing about which player wears what number stirring the pot? How is writing about Antonio Brown or Le’Veon Bell stirring the pot? How is wanting Mike Tomlin to remain head coach a controversial topic? Aren’t we all fans? Firing the head coach, that’s pretty big.

What if I say I'm rooting for Bud Dupree in 2019? Is that poking the bear aka the people that hate his guts and don't want him to post double-digit sacks for some strange reason? Why would you not want that? Is rooting for Bud going to divide the readers?

Back to the pot stirring. Am I stirring the pot in the Steelers locker room with these subjects or just in your house?

If it’s your house, well, while I do realize you’re a huge Steelers fan, and I certainly appreciate your readership here at BTSC (we all do, really), you’ll have to forgive me for going all William Shatner in that classic SNL Trekkie convention skit from the mid-80s when I say....get a life, will you! I mean, for crying out loud, it’s just a football team. I mean, look at you. How old are you? What have you done with yourself? Move out of your parents’ basement!

Sorry, that was a recreation of the pot-stirring Tony. You know, like the guy who wrote about the polka dot underwear in 2017?

I promise not to stir the pot for the remainder of the 2019 off-season, regular season, postseason and the Super Bowl where the black and gold will live long and prosper!

Go Steelers!