The Pittsburgh Steelers high-flying and physical defenses from the 2000s and early 2010s was a big reason why the team saw so much success. During that time period, Pittsburgh saw three Super Bowl appearances while winning two of them. They were consistently a factor in the postseason. The defense had great defenders at every position, but it had two Defensive Player Of The Year winners leading the way in Troy Polamalu and James Harrison.
Harrison was one of the most vicious players in the league during his playing career. Very rarely did he have any regard for player safety on the field, including his own. He was known for flying in, helmet first, to deliver some bone-crushing hits on ball carriers and pass-catchers. Harrison, and the rest of Pittsburgh's defense, was a big reason the NFL initiated the player safety initiative. Harrison struck fear in his opponents, and he was also one of the most productive defenders in the league.
Former NFL tight end and two-time All-Pro, Greg Olsen, made a recent appearance on The Pat Bev Podcast With Rone. While on the show, he was asked what kind of things are discussed in NFL locker rooms.
"James Harrison, right, the big a** linebacker, outside edge rusher from the Steelers all those years. He's one of those guys when you're getting ready to play the Steelers you're like, 'S**t. I have to go up against James Harrison', So there were conversations around picking five guys in the league that you could say they're not allowed to play in the game before you're about to matchup. If I had a veto card, James Harrison, he's got to sit his a** on the bench, he can't play."
It's hard to imagine that Harrison wouldn't be on every offensive player's list that played during his career. Harrison was an agent of destruction, who often times was a big reason Pittsburgh would win games. Harrison was fined over $203,000 throughout his career for hits on receivers and late hits on quarterbacks. He was also suspended one game for a late hit on Colt McCoy when the Steelers played the Cleveland Browns during the 2011 season.
Olsen could be making this remark for a of couple reasons. He could think Harrison was just a really good football player, who often made a large impact on the game. Since Harrison was an edge rusher, Olsen would have to deal with blocking him a lot of the time as a tight end; of course he wouldn't want him on the field.
Or, he could have been saying this because he thought Harrison was a dirty player. There are many people in the NFL world who believe Harrison played dirty, and they're hard to argue with due to the sheer amount of times he has been fined. The nature of some of Harrison's hits from the late 2000s and early 2010s are extremely violent, but it could just be said that he played football the way it was meant to be played.
It's unclear if Olsen was just being nice to Harrison and respecting his game, or taking a shot at him for being a dirty player. No matter how Olsen meant his comments, any offense in the league would prefer to go against a defense that doesn't have Harrison on it.
The NFL is always trying to tweak the rules in order to prevent injuries to players. During the 2024 offseason, they banned the hip-drop tackle. This is basically any tackle when a defender is chasing a ball carrier down from behind. Banning this kind of play puts the defense at a massive disadvantage.
During his playing days, it was clear Harrison preferred the style of the NFL before it had a ton of small little rules to prevent injury. His mindset remains the same, even in retirement. Every time the NFL makes a rule change, like banning the hip-drop tackle, Harrison seems to speak out on it.
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Now, the Steelers’ wide receiver room is in an interesting spot. With Pickens gone, Metcalf is the clear number one option, but there are questions about who will step up behind him. Meanwhile, Pickens seems to be enjoying his time in Dallas. He has taken a few subtle jabs at the Steelers, suggesting he is in a better place and even praising the Cowboys for their Super Bowl history. His comments have raised eyebrows among fans and analysts alike. One person who wasn’t impressed was ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith. During a passionate segment on First Take, Smith ripped into Pickens for his remarks about the Cowboys being a Super Bowl team. He reminded Pickens that the Steelers are the more successful franchise and questioned whether the receiver understood what he was saying. Smith didn’t hold back, calling on Pickens to "pick up a book" and making it clear that he found the comments not only disrespectful, but uninformed. "Let me pause for a second and look in the camera for a second at George Pickens," Smith said. "I like George Pickens. He can ball, and I am sorry that he is gone from the Steelers and has now been contaminated by that Dallas Cowboys fan base." Pickens’ comments were very interesting. It’s no secret he feels a certain way about how the Steelers traded him. He’s been trying to keep a positive mindset about his new situation in Dallas, but it’s clear he’s made it a priority to throw in a few subtle jabs. Pickens said he understands the camaraderie in Dallas more than he ever did with the Steelers. He also claimed the Cowboys are synonymous with Super Bowls, which was a controversial statement considering the Steelers have more championships all-time than Dallas. "Here’s the deal," Smith said. "George Pickens, do you have any idea? When you talk about the Super Bowl and the Cowboys, you do understand that the Steelers are the more successful franchise. Did you know that? Did you know that? Do you understand what the he** you are saying? I mean, my God, you talk about a brother who needs to pick up a book. I am sorry, but I just have to call him out on that." Smith made it very clear that he thinks Pickens is a great football player and that he’s still a fan of his, even though he’s no longer on the Steelers. When you consider what Pickens was able to accomplish during his three seasons in Pittsburgh, it’s impressive. He played in one of the worst offenses in the NFL, yet he still managed to produce and deliver some truly exciting moments despite the team’s struggles. Steelers Fans Still Curious About George Pickens Now he finds himself in a much better offensive situation in Dallas, but from a franchise and team standpoint, the Cowboys are in a worse position than the Steelers. That’s why Pickens’ recent comments didn’t make much sense and why Smith felt the need to call him out during his epic rant. Many Steelers fans remain divided on the Pickens trade. Although he’s no longer in Pittsburgh, a lot of fans will continue to keep tabs on how he performs with the Cowboys. Whether out of frustration, curiosity, or lingering support, Pickens' journey in Dallas will be closely watched by Steeler Nation.
The Oilers have shaken up their roster ahead of training camp, and Viktor Olofsson, Ilya Samsonov and Brett Leason are PTO options for GM Stan Bowman. This off-season has been a busy one for the Edmonton Oilers, with the team moving on from Corey Perry, Evander Kane, Victor Arvidsson and others, while adding Andrew Mangiapane and the young Isaac Howard to give them more youth and speed. While the roster appears all but set with the team unlikely to make a change in net despite speculation heading into the summer, there's still plenty of time before training camp to make an addition or two. Now, The Hockey Writers have identified several options for the team to bring in on Professional Tryouts this off-season, with all three of Brett Leason, Victor Olofsson and Ilya Samsonov making perfect sense for the current team. The two with the best chance to make this roster are Olofsson and Samsonov, with the team potentially looking for an upgrade at the backup goaltender spot, with the former Maple Leafs and Golden Knights net minder showing the potential to be a great backup at the National Hockey League level. However, it's Olofsson that's been the most productive in recent years, posting 15 goals a season ago in Vegas after posting 55 goals over his prior three seasons, including just 7 in 2023/24 with Buffalo, showing he could be inconsistent. Leason is the wild card in potential PTO options, with the 6-foot-5, 220 pound forward potentially having the chance to be a physical threat for this team in the bottom-six, but with so many players beyond these three looking for a new role in the NHL, if the Oilers want a cheap option for competition in training camp, several names may be brought in on PTO's.
In a move that seems faster than a speeding bullet, the new 2025 Superman movie will be available to watch at home just over a month after it hit theaters on July 11. According to multiple outlets, including World of Reel, the new Superman reboot movie will be available for video-on-demand (VOD) purchase starting very soon. In fact, the movie will almost certainly still be in theaters when you can watch it at home. Superman Streaming/VOD release date DC Studios' Superman, directed by James Gunn and starring David Corenswet, will be available for purchase digitally starting on August 15, 2025. This means that just over 30 days after its first theatrical release, the new Superman is coming home. To be clear, this is not the same as streaming on HBO Max, but it does mean you'll be able to pony up a certain amount of money (close to the price of two movie tickets) to watch the movie at home. Purchase of VOD movies generally happens on iTunes, Amazon, and other platforms. DC vs. Marvel VOD releases If this home video release seems quick, it is. For comparison, the last two Marvel superhero movies had nearly two months, not one, between theatrical release and VOD release. Thunderbolts* hit theaters on May 2, and was on VOD on July 1. Meanwhile, Captain America: Brave New World was in theaters on February 14, and on VOD on April 15. Both of those films were deemed, in the eyes of box office pundits, to be failures, while Superman is generally considered to be a success.
On Saturday and Sunday, the Cincinnati Reds got the national spotlight at Bristol Motor Speedway for Major League Baseball's Speedway Classic. The Reds rarely get to play on national television. In fact, they have not been on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball since 2016. In the Fox pregame show on Saturday night, MLB analysts Derek Jeter and David Ortiz had high praise for Elly De La Cruz. “This is a kid, that is so much fun to watch,” Ortiz said. “You don’t see his name out there so much because he’s not playing in a big market. If he’s a guy that played for the Yankees, the Dodgers, even the Red Sox, he’d be on TV every day. And the most important thing, he’s a great kid.” A two-time All-Star, De La Cruz continues to make his mark as one of the game’s most dynamic players. But because he plays for a small market team like the Reds, he doesn't get the recognition he would if he played for the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, or some other big market team. Jeter thinks the Reds can do something to help De La Cruz get the recognition he deserves. “This is what I hope. I hope for the baseball world, the Cincinnati Reds, whether it’s this year, next year, they need to get into the postseason so the rest of baseball world can watch. Because he’s fun to watch and like you’ve said, a lot of people don’t know about him. He’s sort of flying under the radar. He’s someone that everyone needs to see,” Jeter added. Consistently reaching the playoffs would go a long way in helping De La Cruz and his teammates get more national recognition. The Reds have made the playoffs just two times since 2013 and have not won a playoff game since 2012. The Reds are 58-54 and currently sit four games back of the San Diego Padres for the third and final National League Wild Card spot. You can read Awful Announcing's full article here.