Steelers football was meant to be played on Sundays, even during the preseason

I couldn’t wait for the Steelers' 2022 preseason schedule to kick off on Saturday, August 13 at Acrisure Stadium.

Then, the game started, and I was like, “OK.” As exciting as the Steelers 32-25 victory over the Seahawks was, it didn’t take long for me to get bored with everything happening—yes, even with Kenny! Kenny! Kenny! Pickett.

That’s just how preseason football is for me these days. It’s like watching an old Steelers preseason game on Youtube, only you’re seeing it live and with no trace of those awesome old commercials from the 1970s.

Even though the contest was at night, and even though I was bored rather quickly, I managed to stay awake just long enough to see Pickett connect with receiver Tyler Vaughns for the game-winning touchdown with seconds remaining.

As for the following week, also a Saturday night affair—this time against the Jaguars down in Jacksonville? I’m not going to lie, I didn’t see a second of that game. No, not because I fell asleep before kickoff. I was invited to a party that included a bunch of non-football fans. You might think that’s sacrilegious, but I’m a single guy, and I never pass up an opportunity to potentially find love. After all, the Steelers aren’t going to feed me applesauce when I’m too old and feeble to take care of myself.

So how did I manage to write several articles and do a few podcasts in the days after the Steelers' 16-15 victory over the Jaguars? Talent. Also, Youtube highlights and ESPN’s box score.

Talk radio also got me through it.

Anyway, that brings me to this past Sunday afternoon when the Steelers hosted the Lions at Acrisure Stadium in the preseason finale. I can’t explain it, but I was really looking forward to that game. I mean, I had that sucker circled on my calendar as far back as July. I can’t truly grasp why other than Sunday just feels right for football. And, as the “afternoon” portion of this paragraph suggests, kickoff was at 4:30 p.m. EST. No, not 1 p.m. EST—the perfect time for NFL action—but you can’t have everything when it comes to preseason football.

As is the case with the average Steelers regular-season game, I had to make sure I was done with work in time to get home to see the beginning. I bought snacks. I sat in my favorite recliner. It was going to be great!

Then, the game started, and I remembered why preseason football is so boring.

However, the hours leading up to that game, a contest that was a regular-season dress rehearsal for the Steelers, acted as my own dress rehearsal for when things get real in September.

Sunday afternoon preseason games are rare, but they are the best possible reminder of how awesome the real thing truly is.