Steelers News: Why an 18-game regular season is not the answer for the NFL

With all of the Steelers’ 2019 offseason workouts in the rear view mirror, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ fan base has to suffer through the dog days of summer until the boys of fall return to the gridon. In the meantime, don’t think the news surrounding the black-and-gold is over. As the team disperses for the summer, we continue to provide you with features, commentary and opinions to tide you over until training camp!

Today in the black-and-gold links article we take a look at how the thought of an 18-game NFL regular season schedule is not the answer.

Let’s get to the news:

• For some fans, the thought of an 18-game regular season schedule is enticing. More football is better, right? But not so fast...

John Steigerwald: NFL finds another way to give fans less for their money

By: John Steigerwald, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

“Eighteen games is straight baloney, either way you cut it.”

You wonder how many NFL players agree with that tweet from Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Cameron Heyward on Saturday.

According to Andrew Beaton of the Wall Street Journal, the owners are going to try to sell the players on an 18-game schedule that would include a rule limiting players to 16 games.

Everybody gets two weeks off.

Of course, when you have a monopoly, you can get away with offering your customers less for their money, kind of the way the NFL did several years ago when it decided to shorten games by running the clock sooner after out of bounds plays and penalties.

The customers were told they would get less football for their money, and most in the media congratulated the league for shortening games.

To read the full article, click HERE (Free)

• Steelers fans have gotten to know fans in a unique way on social media, and that is his ultimate goal.

Steelers’ Vince Williams strives to connect with fans on social media

By: Jonathan Bomboulie, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Vince Williams has a gift for forging a fun connection with his fans.

Like that time in 2017 when, after Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, Le’Veon Bell and Chris Boswell were receiving acclaim as the team’s “Killer Bs,” he changed his Twitter name to Bince Williams and declared himself part of the group.

Or the time last year when he arrived for the first day of training camp in Latrobe dressed as Stone Cold Steve Austin, blaring the wrestler’s theme music from his truck.

In his introspective moments, though, Williams isn’t sure he still wants to share that gift with his 200,000-plus followers on Twitter and Instagram.

To read the full article, click HERE (Free)

• The Steelers kept Ola Adeniyi around for a reason, and to those who know, he could have a big 2019 if given the chance.

Carter’s Classroom: Why the Steelers kept Adeniyi

By: Chris Carter, DKPittsburghSports

For the majority of 2018, the Steelers had just three outside linebackers available: T.J. Watt, Bud Dupree and Anthony Chickillo. But kept hidden on injured reserve and later added to the roster was undrafted rookie Ola Adeniyi. He was the team’s darling of the 2018 preseason and was kept protected on injured reserve to prevent any team from stealing him from their practice squad.

But why did they go through all that for a player who saw all of nine defensive snaps last season? That’s what we look at today:

To read the full article, click HERE ($$)

• Social Media Madness