The Pittsburgh Steelers are now into the offseason, following a year in which they had high hopes for Super Bowl success, but ultimately fell short of even reaching the postseason at 8-8. It was a tumultuous season, both on the field and within the roster, and the months to follow figure to have some drama as well, especially in light of the team’s failure to improve upon the year before.
The team made some bold moves over the course of the past year, and some areas of the roster look quite a bit different than they did a year ago, or even at the start of the regular season. Whether due to injuries or otherwise, a lot has transpired, and we’re left to wonder how much more will change prior to September.
How will Ben Roethlisberger’s rehab progress as he winds toward recovery from an elbow injury that cost him almost the entire season? What about some of the key young players, some of whom have already impressed, others still needing quite a bit of growth? Will there be changes to the coaching staff? The front office? Who will they not retain in free agency, and whom might they bring in?
These are the sorts of questions among many others that we have been exploring on a daily basis and will continue to do so. Football has become a year-round pastime and there is always a question to be asked, though there is rarely a concrete answer, as I’ve learned in my years of doing this.
Question: Is a part of you disappointed the Steelers were passed over for Hard Knocks?
While the overwhelming consensus has seemed to be that most Steelers fans (and players) are relieved their team will not be subjected to the intrusion of the NFL’s HBO documentary series Hard Knocks, I can’t help but wonder: how many of you are going to be disappointed that you don’t get to see them on the show?
I’m not sure when’s the last time a team has ever volunteered to do the show, if any ever have. Generally, it’s an extra distraction that franchises don’t want to have to deal with, and as has seemingly often been the case, things get revealed that they wish weren’t. At least certain coaches or players may see things show up that they would rather not have been made public.
But all of us who come here on a regular basis are obviously highly invested in the Steelers, and often, just about any news surrounding the team that surfaces. A lot of us tune into just about every special or feature that is related to the team. Imagine a whole reality show detailing training camp.
Alex Kozora is our eyes on the field in training camp, breaking down every drill. Now imagine you can go in the meeting rooms and get behind the scenes. As a viewer, that can be very cool. As a fan who wants the team to have the best opportunity to win, though, I’d rather they not have to deal with it.
