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One of the greatest sights for yours truly this offseason has been seeing all of the fun and fantastic videos the Steelers have been posting.
Fun is Anthony Chickillo and Ryan Switzer singing terribly. Fantastic is Ryan Shazier dancing at his wedding. Fun (okay, funny) is Tyler Matakevich perhaps getting a little drunk at Shazier’s wedding, with former Steelers tight end Jesse James standing in the background with a look on his face that kind of says, “Here we go again with the Kardashians stuff.” Fun and fantastic is anything posted by JuJu Smith-Schuster.
Those are the fun and fantastic videos I’m referring to.
As for those other videos, you know the ones of the Steelers working out? I think they’ve jumped the shark.
If I’m not mistaken, we’re in about Season 8 of them (prime shark jumping territory for any show).
I think people believe former Steeler receiver Antonio Brown started the whole workout video posted on social media trend. However, it was actually James Harrison, back when he would record himself lifting entire states, who, in my opinion, pioneered the phenomenon.
But that’s neither here nor there. What is here AND there, however, are workout videos posted by players who must really, really, really want fans to know they’re thinking about football—and thinking about it all the time.
Believe me, I get it. Let’s face it, no video of the Steelers actually having fun can get posted to social media without someone saying something like, “Gee, I hope these guys are as worried about football as they are about who grills the best steak!”
Therefore, it’s understandable that T.J. Watt may want to post pictures of his workouts. I can see why Donte Moncrief may want to let everyone know that he’s putting in the time on the drills. Same with Ben Roethlisberger (okay, bad example, Big Ben never posts anything), Mason Rudolph, James Washington, Bud Dupree, James Conner, heck, even Chris Boswell.
I can see why JuJu, to offset all of those videos he posts of his water balloon fights, may want us to know he’s in the weight-room working on his biceps and triceps, or that he just recorded his personal best time in the 40-yard dash.
But I’m not really interested in any of that stuff.
First off, judging by their physiques, I would assume most of these guys are putting in the work. It’s kind of like how everyone shopping in the “low-fat” cookie aisle has the same sort of, well, “build.” You just know eating those things gives you a certain “look” (I know, because I have that “look”). Same holds true for a football player. You look at the average build of one, and you think, “Yeah, he definitely puts in a lot of physical work in the offseason—I’m guessing weights, cardio and drills, drills, drills—and he probably stays away from the “low-fat” cookies.”
Second, I just don’t want to know how the sausage is made. It doesn’t interest me. I mean, yeah, you can lift a lot of weight. You’re a football player. It’s basically your job to cause or survive dozens of small little car crashes each and every week. As for those drills, I don’t know if what you’re doing is good or bad. I don’t know if your timing is right, or if it’s totally off.
Third, you just don’t owe me those videos. It’s none of my business how you train in the offseason.
Maybe I’m coming off as just an angry “getting somewhat older” man. And it isn’t as if I’m telling these players to quit posting them (what could I possibly do about it anyway? I’m lucky if I can curl 30 lbs eight times). Besides, there’s an obvious market for these workout videos judging all of the social media comments—“Yeah, that’s my team!” “Get after it, youngin!” “Go Steelers!”—that accompany each and every one.
I just like the fun stuff better. Call me crazy, but I’d much rather see Ryan Switzer and JuJu Smith-Schuster re-enact the final scene from the movie Titanic.