Steelers media member promotes false information about former fan-favorite
Covering the NFL isn't as easy as most people think. And it gets harder the deeper you get. I'm specifically talking about once sources and inside informants get involved. A bad source can sink a reporter's career and reputation in a heartbeat, so reporters and journalists -hell, even radio and TV personalities- have to be […]
Covering the NFL isn't as easy as most people think. And it gets harder the deeper you get.
I'm specifically talking about once sources and inside informants get involved. A bad source can sink a reporter's career and reputation in a heartbeat, so reporters and journalists -hell, even radio and TV personalities- have to be very judicious when selecting the information they promote.
But at the same time, said media members need to have at least some substantial knowledge about the team(s) and players they cover. That certainly helps discern between bad info and good info. If a media member doesn't have that, well, that's ultimately on them.
Such is the case with 93.7 The Fan's Andrew Fillipponi. 93.7 is a local station in Pittsburgh that provides Steelers content and is obviously where Fillipponi works.
Fillipponi tweeted Friday that a source close to the Steelers front office said the franchise was happy to get rid of "me-first" players such as Smith-Schuster.
The only problem is that is not true.
Because the Steelers offered Smith-Schuster a deal. And you don't need an inside source to tell you this.
Because Smith-Schuster said it himself back in March. He told the media that the Steelers offered him a multi-year deal to stay with the team, but he opted for the Kansas City Chiefs in hopes of having a big year and subsequently positioning himself for an even bigger contract in 2023.
“It finally came down to what’s best for my career and my future,” Smith-Schuster said. “Honestly, going with the Steelers and what they offered me – it wasn’t what I was looking for. And I needed to go somewhere where I’m able to play that one year and just go out there and play and ball. And I saw where the Chiefs are the best fit for me. So I took the opportunity.
“Last year I stayed because I wanted to play with Ben [Roethlisberger] and with my guys for one more year… Being able to come back to a team that wanted me in back-to-back free agencies just shows a lot.”
So, according to Fillipponi's source, the Steelers offered a me-first guy, which is a guy they don't like having around, a multi-year contract but simultaneously didn't want him around?
Interesting. Obviously, things don't work like that.
People have to be careful when it comes who they choose to believe, but again, Fillipponi is around the team and talks about them a lot. He should've remembered Smith-Schuster's comment. Either he forgot or chose to ignore it. Regardless, I'm just a guy in Nashville, but even I was able to catch on to this and identify it as false info.
Either way, it'll be interesting to see what Smith-Schuster does in free agency after he recorded 933 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns on 78 receptions.
Featured image via Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
