Dave Dameshek

Now, as for the blue-collar jive, that whole thing about how only certain towns like hard-working teams, yeah, Pittsburghers are rightly proud of our forefathers who did save the free world in World War II.

That said, Pittsburgh's also somehow managed to enjoy the decades of Penguin's success, even though they've been based less on a gritty work ethic than on the high skill and speed of guys like Crosby and Lemieux.

Also, if only the hard-hatted people of the Rust Belt can appreciate an honest day's work, what's that say for fans in the Sun Belt?

People in Miami wouldn't enjoy the Dolphins winning the Lombardi if it was built around a tough defense?

Yeah, sure, Pittsburghers work hard, but people work hard from coast to coast here in football America.

And for what it's worth, in the year of our Lord, 2026, the Steel City isn't really that much of a Steel City.

It's a healthcare and university town, meds and engines.

It's also a TV and movie town.

The Dark Knight, Mr. Rogers, The Pit, things of that nature.

And the QB of the 70s Steelers dynasty made movies with Burt Reynolds, recorded second-rate country music albums, wore a bad toupee, and was married to a figure skater.

Briefly.

I think the point of Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is, showbiz doesn't care if you're idiosyncratic as long as you're competent at your core.

You can be flaky, a margarita drunk, but you gotta show up with a flamethrower when it counts.

The hippies are the empty bad guys in the movie because they aren't trying.

They're just in the way.

Hollywood's got DiCaprio and Brad Pitt.

Pittsburgh's got Bradshaw.

And Yager, and Fats Holmes, and the Cobra, and Jeff Reed, and Doc Ellis, and also the Pirate Parrot.

Yeah, a rangy collection there.

But the point is, the color of Yin's collar don't matter.