Mark Madden

Mark Madden

The Super Genius of Pittsburgh Sports.Full Bio

 

JUJU = IMMATURE & DISRESPECTFUL

When the Terrible Towel gets disrespected – as the Cincinnati Bengals’ Twitter did last month – Pittsburgh goes into conniptions.

When JuJu Smith-Schuster dances on the opposition’s team logo, he’s “a kid having fun.”

Smith-Schuster is no “kid.” He’s 24 and in his fourth NFL season. But if “kid” means unfocused and immature, that’s correct. Smith-Schuster is, indeed, a kid.

Tell me the difference between a foe wiping his cleats with the Terrible Towel and Smith-Schuster dancing on a team’s logo. But the former angers you, the latter enraptures.

Smith-Schuster ranks 38th among NFL pass-catchers in receiving yards and 121st in yards per catch. Steelers fans have never overrated a player more. His TikTok outshines his play, and his TikTok isn’t that interesting.

Dancing on the foe’s logo is flat-out disrespectful. If he’s ever brave enough to do it when somebody besides the other team’s punter is on the field, Smith-Schuster will learn that. (He won’t be.) Pat McAfee would kick Smith-Schuster's testicles into his throat.

The concept of "bulletin-board material" is cliched. It doesn't affect outcomes. But the Buffalo Bills were pissed, and perhaps inspired. Why go there?

Many think I’m too tough on Smith-Schuster.

He’s going to get big money from the New York Jets in free agency this coming off-season. When they stink and he stinks, the treatment he gets from the New York media will make my approach feel like a Swedish massage.

I rarely like what Barstool Sports does, but there are exceptions:

Thumbnail courtesy of Getty Images


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