The 2019 State of BTSC Address

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the 2019 BTSC Training Camp Confidential!

If you are new to these parts, let me explain what will be going on here the next few days. When I took over this fine establishment in 2015, I wanted to do something different with the website as players report to training camp.

Past editors had tried all sorts of things, but I thought the best thing fans would want right now, while players show up, complete the run test and have non-padded practices, is a comprehensive look of the season just getting underway.

This is where the Camp Confidential was born. 3 days with a multitude of articles breaking down the season just in its infancy. We will still cover any breaking news as always, but expect the Camp Confidential stream to remain on the main page. If you thought you missed something, click the “stream” on the main page to see all the black-and-gold goodness inside!

With that out of the way, I normally start off the Camp Confidential with the State of BTSC Address. Here goes nothing...

Another year is upon us, and there has been some change within the walls here at BTSC. But with some leaving for bigger and better things, comes new opportunities for others. I am proud to say this year I will be leading a very dynamic, and vast, group of writers I have had the pleasure of working with since I became the editor before the 2015 NFL Draft.

Returning are familiar faces in Anthony Defeo, Bryan Anthony Davis, Dan Sager, Dave Schofield, Shannon White and Flip Fisher. Those, combined with yours truly, will be the main voices you will hear from all season, with others who will chip in when able. Needless to say, from a content standpoint I haven’t been this excited for a season in a long time!

However, without ruining his news, Simon Chester will be leaving our ranks to pursue an awesome opportunity with Pro Football Focus. To fill the role of ‘Deputy Editor’ Dave Schofield will be taking over Simon’s role as of August 1. In other words, you won’t see much of a change as Dave will do a phenomenal job with the opportunity. Nonetheless, I thank Simon for his year of service here at BTSC, and wish him nothing but the best at PFF in the future!

Other than Simon’s departure, and the potential addition of a couple new faces, not much else is changing. The biggest change, which has been ongoing all offseason, is the expansion of our podcast platform. This isn’t just at BTSC initiative, but a SB Nation initiative. This year we will have 6 podcasts a week for you to enjoy, both on YouTube and our podcast platforms. (You can access our YouTube channel HERE, and can subscribe to our podcasts anywhere you listen to podcasts by searching ‘Steelers’ or ‘Behind the Steel Curtain’).

Here is our in-season schedule of podcasts (Dates/Times are subject to change):

• Steelers Post-Game Show (Jeff Hartman and Lance Williams)
• The Standard is the Standard (Jeff Hartman and Lance Williams)
• Steelers Hangover (Bryan Davis and Anthony Defeo)
• Yeah, I Said It (Lance Williams)
• Steelers Burning Question / Steelers 1-on-1 (Jeff Hartman)
• Steelers Preview (Jeff Hartman, Dave Schofield, Bryan Davis)

This year ALL shows will be simulcast both on YouTube as well as our podcast platforms. This means the audio quality will be much improved for all shows, and the content will be easier to digest depending on how you like to consume the shows.

I can’t say how excited I am for this slate of shows. If you love black-and-gold Steelers talk, you won’t find a better slate of shows anywhere.

The names and faces may have changed a bit, but the goal of the site remains the same — to provide the best, and most unique, Steelers coverage on the entire internet. To some, we will always fail in this endeavor, but it won’t stop us from trying our best every black-and-gold day!

On a personal note, this season is a special one for me. No, we haven’t added a sixth child to our family, but this is the first year my children are taking a distinct interest in the Steelers. My son wears his Ryan Shazier and James Conner jerseys with pride. In fact, as my son sits next to me writing this article, and scanning the system for photos, he was the one who insisted I use a photo of his favorite player — James Conner. My daughters know all about Big Ben Roethlisberger, and they still boo Ravens fans whenever they see them in and around the state of Maryland, where we live. The ‘Here We Go Steelers’ chant is a regular song sung in our house, from the dinner to table to bed time...

BTSC has become a large part of my life, and I hope you all feel the same. We are a family here, and I am proud to be the one providing the content you all enjoy on a daily basis.

So, with that said...

Sit back, relax and let’s hope we all get to celebrate something truly special in February!

HERE WE GO!!